Author's Note THANK YOU UNIQUE-STARFISH FOR WRITING ALMOST HALF OF THE CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And there WILL be an EPILOGUE later on! So, please don't get mad!

Summary Amber eyes glowed eerily in the dark. All he knew was that a soft heart wasn't a heart at all. It must be of stone, so as to carve the law of living: The strongest survives. Will a light pierce the dark abyss they call insanity?

Disclaimer I don't own Rurouni Kenshin so don't sue me.

King's Box

Chapter Twenty-Three: The End

The greatest thing is pleasant thoughts;

The great art of life is to have as much as possible.

Kenshin did the only thing he could think of.

He kissed her.

He poured all his passion and love into the kiss, but she just stood there like a cold statue and let her lips be ravaged by his. Kenshin knew that if she were herself at the moment, she would hit him with no mercy – even if he only gave hints of wanting to do this.

Kaoru was not herself, so she wouldn't—or couldn't—hit him.

And for that, he was glad.

It has been a while since they shared a kiss. During their long journey, he had found himself longing to kiss her and hold her. He couldn't stand the thought of not being able to love her. He had once been told that the greatest thing in life was to love and to be loved in return. At first he never understood the saying, but now he did. He understood the true meaning of love and how wonderful it was to be loved. He understood now why people gave up everything for love—because there was nothing in the world more precious.

******

Aoshi could tell that Misao was getting restless. It had been a long time and Kenshin and Kaoru hadn't come out yet. He didn't know why, but when he looked at her, he felt a small spark within him. It was like something had been born inside—and he wasn't sure if it was good or bad. He felt as if he found meaning in life—the only thing left to do was to reach for it.

He still didn't know who her 'love' was, and he never had the nerve to ask. Every time he thought of Misao with someone else, he felt a twinge of jealousy. He didn't want her to love anyone besides him. He wanted to be the one she whispered loving words to. He wanted to be the one to make her laugh and smile. He wanted to be everything she wanted.

He would give up anything to be with her—and once he found out who this 'stupid person' was, that guy would be going down.

Then a horrible realization hit him. What if Misao liked the 'stupid person' better than him?

These thoughts were too horrible for Aoshi to think, so he just pushed them aside.

******

Who am I?

What is my purpose in life?

Why am I here?

Should I even be alive?

Kaoru's blank eyes stared at Kenshin's face as he kissed her. He was so beautiful, so welcoming and gentle. She felt a spark of life slowly spreading throughout her body. It felt as if she was coming back from the dark abyss that had been slowly engulfing her—now, that fire known as life was slowly rekindling.

Kenshin's arms wrapped around her waist and held her tightly. It was as if he was afraid that she would disappear like a phantom in the dark night.

Kaoru's memories flooded through her mind, and she remembered the first time he kissed her. She remembered the confusion and all the pain she went through. She remembered laying on the bed and watch Kenshin dip down to capture her lips with his.

Memories flit through her mind like a passing movie.

Kaoru blinked, and a blue tint rushed into them. She looked at Kenshin and gently returned his kiss.

******

Shishio watched the loving pair with distaste. The power of Diablo had almost been unleashed, but the Battousai had destroyed it. Shishio gripped the hilt of his sword tighter and saw that all her powers were diminishing slowly. The power that she emitted now was weak, and he was able to move. Shishio quietly approached the pair, nobody noticing his silent footsteps.

Kenshin was lost in the love he felt for Kaoru. He let down his guard and revealed how much she had saved him from insanity. She was the light that lit up his darkness. She had made him whole when he thought all was lost. She was his only treasure, and he loved it.

Using all the strength he could muster, Shishio lunged at them, his sword held offensively in front of him, ready to kill.

"Kaoru!" Sanosuke yelled helplessly. He tried to run towards her, but Megumi held him back. He struggled against her, but she kept her hold on him. Sanosuke looked down at the doctor and saw that she was crying. Megumi's head was bowed in despair, and tears trailed down her face. Megumi did not like to have people see her cry, so she tried to hide it with her hair. Sano looked helplessly up at Kaoru and then down at Megumi. He was torn between two women he loved—one as a sister and the other as a lover.

Kenshin's eyes snapped open, and he felt Shishio's ki behind him. He whipped back, ready to unsheathe his sword, but before he could, Shishio slashed his sword forward and pierced Kenshin's stomach. Kenshin groaned as he sank to the ground, but he was determined not to go down alone. He grabbed his sword and stabbed blindly upward, his vision already beginning to blur. His aim was true and Shishio fell to the ground, dead before he hit it. Kenshin smirked coldly before he fell facedown onto the ground.

Kaoru watched helplessly, slowly registering the recent events. So much blood, so much death. With an angry cry she collapsed to the floor besides Kenshin and wept.

******

Misao stared at Aoshi and knew that something was wrong. He hadn't said anything for a while, and she wondered what he was thinking. He seemed to be less distant now, and she wanted to know what had caused this sudden change in him.

'Aoshi-sama….'

"Misao."

The man of her thoughts appeared right behind her. She looked back at him and smiled.

"Hi."

"…."

He was still very quiet though…

"Aoshi-sama, do you think they'll be okay?"

"I'm sure Himura is doing fine."

"Oh…" Misao looked up at him unsure of what to say. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, but she didn't want him to accept her out of pity. She wanted him to discover how much she loved him. She wanted him to see how much she would sacrifice just to be with him.

Aoshi didn't care what was going on around them. All that mattered was the short green-eyed girl before him. He loved her to death, but would it be considered a weakness to reveal his feelings? He had done so once, and that had caused the death of his friends.

Aoshi looked into her bright green eyes and felt as if he could just stare at them forever, drowning into them. They sparkled with love and life—something he had always seemed to be missing. He craved for her light to shine upon his darkness. He wanted her for his own, but what could he do to win her love? She was in love with someone else—someone whom she had called 'stupid'.

She wouldn't want a man almost eight years her senior. She wouldn't want him.

But, he had to tell her. He had to at least tell her how he felt. He had to so she could always think back to him and remember the time he told her. He needed to know if she would ever feel the same way about him. He also needed to know about her 'love' and why that guy hadn't claimed Misao as his wife yet.

Then he remembered. Misao had said that her lover was 'stupid.'

Taking a deep breath, Aoshi opened his mouth. "Misao… I –"

******

Kaoru fisted Kenshin's gi into her hands and sobbed into his chest.

"Don't leave me, Kenshin!" She was ready to pummel his body with all the anger and grief that coursed through her body. The pain increased every time a new tear dropped. Kenshin… her Kenshin…

"Please don't leave me…"

Kaoru's body was weak, and she allowed herself to fall against Kenshin's limp body, her tears coursing down her face.

"I never wanted you to follow me… I never wanted you to get hurt…"

Kaoru bit her lip. It was so painful for her to look down at the man they had once called Battousai. His face was relaxed, and a faint smile lingered on his lips. Kaoru bent down and gently kissed them. They were still warm.

"Ken…shin…" Kaoru buried her face into his chest, her tears seeming to never end. "I never meant for this to happen…"

Kaoru felt more tears fall and turn into diamonds.

Kenshin…

******

"Megumi, what's wrong?

"Nothing."

"Then why are you crying?"

Megumi turned away from Sano, hurriedly wiping her tears from her face.

She turned back towards him, her face contorted into a look of desperation. "Please…don't leave me…"

Sanosuke looked down at the broken woman. What caused her to break down? What caused the proud woman to fall?

"I'm not going anywhere. Not without you, anyhow…"

Megumi latched onto his arm and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Baka tori…"

Sanosuke froze in the embrace. Everything was happening so suddenly. He looked out at the corner of his eyes and saw the mysterious red-haired man fall. Blood seeped through his gi.

"Megumi… Kitsune?"

Megumi looked up at him.

"I'm scared. Shishio left archers and assassins, footmen, almost an entire army in the fields. He had left orders of a total destruction of everything if he weren't to return alive." Megumi squeezed her eyes shut and clung onto Sano even more tightly. Despite everything she had been through, she could not help but be afraid—she had tried to be strong—she had really tried! But…now…

Sano's eyes widened. This is what she was afraid of. Megumi was afraid of the death of all the servants in the palace, and she was afraid for herself, Kaoru, and possibly even him. He had never seen her like this before. Fear had never been so visible on her face.

Sano pulled Megumi closer, his arms tightening around her, trying his best to comfort her. "Don't worry—miracles do happen."

Megumi looked up at him, her eyes wide with fear. "And what if a miracle doesn't happen now?"

Sano sighed, not wanting to answer."Trust me, Megumi. Everything will be fine."

******

"Misao… I –"

Before the words could tumble out of Aoshi's mouth, an arrow zoomed into sight and was headed straight for Aoshi. It would have been all over for him had Soujiro not slashed it with his katana.

"Be more cautious. Shishio never goes down without a fight."

Then, in an instant, arrows came pouring down on them, and the group had no choice but to hide. They had to get away from the line of fire. Misao trembled as they retreated to the stables since it was the only place where they could have a roof over their heads.

"Aoshi-sama… I'm so scared."

"Don't worry Misao, I'll protect you—I promise."

Misao nodded, fully trusting Aoshi with her life.

There was a pounding against the door, and they all knew that the enemy was getting closer.

Aoshi instinctively moved in front of Misao, his hand resting on the hilt of his kodachi.

Hiko was looking around the stables for anything that could be used as a weapon against the enemy. He found a filthy sack in one of the stalls and opened it. There was nothing in it except a mahogany box. He pulled it out and traced the carvings on it.

It must have been made by a skilled carpenter. The wood was smooth and soft and the designs were carved with a gentle hand.

"Kami…"

"Hiko-san? Is something wrong?"

Hiko looked up and saw Soujiro standing over him with a wide smile on his lips. Hiko didn't know why, but for some reason Soujiro's smile unnerved him. It seemed as if Soujiro knew something—and he wasn't going to tell them. Hiko eyed him wearily, as Soujiro's smile grew, if possible, wider. Hiko glanced back down at the box. Soujiro seemed ready to deceive.

"We can't hide in here forever."

******

The king was a useless man throughout the entirety of the fight. It was true that he couldn't fight, but the anger of Shishio's deception hurt him. He was wounded, and he didn't know if he would ever recover from this.

He was so happy to receive a message that they had found the box he had searched forever for. He was so happy that he would have a token of his old love. He knew about her powers, and he remembered the day she had once exploded like Kaoru.

Could Kaoru be related to her somehow?

They looked so much alike that it seemed possible, but he wasn't sure if it was his own desperation that was clouding his reason. He had lost his lover, and he never knew what happened to her except that she was murdered. The most painful aspect was that he now knew that it was his friend who had killed her. Could it have been jealousy? Or was it that Shishio was trying to protect him from something?

He wasn't sure—and now, he could never be. The king just stood there watching the scene unfold before his eyes. Shishio had wanted her because he wanted power.

The king knew all the legends and stories. The spirits of Diablo and Lie Xuang lied in her and his love.

'I'm so useless!' The king just watched everything from Shishio getting up to Kenshin falling to the floor. He resisted the urge to cry when his friend was killed too. So much blood, so much death. His whole world was collapsing, bringing along the desire to die with them all. He had nothing left. He had nothing to live for. He had no children because his wife turned out to be barren.

His family would no longer hold the throne since he had no brothers or sisters. It was all gone in one fast instant.

He knew that the whole country would be in chaos if he didn't produce an heir, but how could he? He had no one.

He was already past his fiftieth year, too old to impregnate a woman.

In thinking this, his eyes strayed to Kaoru from across the room.

******

Kaoru stared straight ahead of her, clutching Kenshin with what was left of her strength. She didn't seem to notice anyone else in the room. Kenshin…

She glanced down at the diamonds that her tears had formed, a spasm of anger rippling through her body. How could someone…how could someone tear another's life away for their own benefit?

Grabbing a fistful of them, Kaoru flung the diamonds across the room. They clattered onto the floor, the sound echoing in the darkness.

The sound caused Kenshin to stir.

Kaoru froze. "Kenshin?"

A small groan escaped his mouth as Kaoru quickly scrambled off of him. She quickly ripped the bottom of her clothing off and rapped it around Kenshin's stomach wound to stop the bleeding.

Kaoru felt her strength surge through her – it was no use crying. She had to at least put a temporary bandage around Kenshin's wound – then, perhaps, he would be okay.

Megumi watched curiously as Kaoru was fumbling with the cloth. Realizing what Kaoru was trying to do, she quickly strode toward her, calling out her name.

"Kaoru…" Megumi reached toward her.

Kaoru remained silent, but allowed Megumi one glance before turning her gaze back to Kenshin.

Megumi kneeled down next to Kaoru. "Here…let me help you."

******

The stable was dark, which made the unknown sounds from outside all the more threatening.

Hiko had stared at Soujiro for a moment longer, before directing his gaze back to the well-crafted box.

"How much longer can we stay here?" Misao asked, fear at the edge of her voice.

Aoshi turned to look at her, his ice-blue eyes softening as they turned onto Misao.

"Nothing is certain," Aoshi said quietly.

"What about Kenshin and Kaoru?"

"They will be fine."

Misao looked up as she heard the sound of trumpets blaring. "What's that?" she asked, looking toward the door.

Aoshi paused for a moment, before answering. "Is that a trumpet?"

******

When the trumpets sounded, Megumi looked up, a questioning look in her eyes. She looked across the room toward Sano, who smiled.

"Sanosuke? Is that what I think it is?" Megumi asked, not daring to hope.

Smiling, Sano answered, "I think that's the miracle we've been waiting for.

Kaoru had never looked up—she was too absorbed in wrapping Kenshin's wound. But now, when she heard the word 'miracle', her head shot up.

"Is that the king's army?" she asked hurriedly, her face in deep concentration as she continued to tie the cloth around Kenshin's wound.

It was the king that answered her. Nodding, he said, "Dear God, I hope so."

Kaoru met the king's eye for moment, making the king shudder. He was almost certain that she was somehow related to his lover. She looked so much like her

It was silent in the room. The only thing that could be heard were the muffled noises coming from outside.

Megumi looked at Sano. "What do we do now?" she asked.

Turning to look at Megumi, he answered, "We wait."

******

Outside, the sun was setting and a new army arrived with their brilliantly colored armor and shields. There was a silent pause as both armies just stood there. They were divided by the large field which would soon be stained with blood.

The armies stood tall with their spears, bows, swords, and shields, neither wanting to make the first move. The pause was a silent prayer to their gods that they would make it alive, and both had their beliefs to fight for.

A man broke from the new army and held a banner high in the air. The brightly colored banner held the king's crest on it. A loud battle cry was heard and the war had started.

Shishio's army fought back, but they were obviously outnumbered and the war ended up being a bloody massacre.

The king had won and now there was nothing left to fight for.


Shishio was gone and everything would remain as it always was.

THE END

There is going to be a epilogue, so please don't get mad at me! AND…

THANK YOU UNIQUE-STARFISH FOR ALMOST WRITING HALF OF THE CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please REVIEW, and um… stay tuned for the romantic epilogue! LOL! The confessions of everyone!!!

I'm so happy that my story is finally finished, just need to work on the stupid epilogue!

Please don't kill me… don't flame me… not cross that, flames are more than welcome… just be careful… dun, dun, dun… LOL! Just kidding!!!