Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or creations from Rurouni Kenshin. But I do share ownership of the original characters with other authors/readers. There's my disclaimer, so… have a nice day… or night.

The Black Sakura – The Birth of Warriors – By Cherry Chibi

Chapter Nine

~*~ 1/ The Black Sakura ~*~

Kaoru held Surreal's weapon Ebony Kiss in her hands. It was just as she had expected. Surreal's weapon held magic in it. The black on it was purely Jet. It shimmered in the darkness. "Well, it would make a perfect waterfall…" She used her powers and levitated the object and with a quick blast, it formed a waterfall that stretched across the dark room and created the first wall of her hideout.

The water glistened and it reflected the moonlight and stars in the night sky. She smiled at the sight. 'Not bad…' There was a knock on the door. "Come in!"

 "Are you ready for your first lesson with me?" Battousai questioned. He entered the room and immediately, his attention was caught by the waterfall. He saw a reflection of himself standing beside an older Kaoru, then he saw the 'four sided triangle'. "When…"

 "Oh hi Batty! I just made it, do you like it?" Kaoru asked as she walked over to him with a broad proud smile. "It's made from Surreal's weapon."

He nodded in acknowledgement. Indeed, he liked it, but if it was made from a weapon, why was it that he couldn't sense any of the pain from it? If Surreal had once wielded it, surely it would have emitted a killing aura in itself.

~*~ 2/ Revolution ~*~

Power of Destruction shall rule if the Black Sakura is taken from thou guidance… she must always be watched in her heart… her mind is fragile…Pain and suffering for those who heed the mark… Be warned young one, for it is thou choice…

The whispery words ended with screams and Jay's eyes snapped open. She stared up into the darkness. Those words, they've been haunting her for the past nights and it was obvious what she had to do. Her long wavy brown hair poured over her shoulders. Her green grey eyes looked out the window with sadness. 'They never really knew me or my purpose.' She thought as she slipped out of her futon.

Jay felt a telekinetic message trying to reach her. She closed her eyes and opened her mind to allow the message through.

*Jay, did you hear those words?* It was Celeste. *Jay, we have to sort these things out. We have to…*

*Do as we were told when we were young children.* Jay interjected, *It's almost the Golden Moon. We can do the ceremony then. Look, if we don't do this, Kaoru's spirit is never going to be strong enough to hold such power and Tomoe or even someone else will take control. We have to take care of her all the time.*

*So it is. Tomorrow night when the Golden Moon has risen to the centre of the sky,*

*We will combine our powers and transform into the Guardians of Faith.*

 (AN: A Guardian of Faith is often the person who takes care of a young heir to a throne. It is usually a person who chooses but only those who have been part of a blood line that has always been destined to become one can do this.)

* * * *

Sanosuke was resting in his room. Jay stepped out of the shadows and approached her comrade. Sanosuke immediately sensed another being in the room and woke. "What is it?" He sat upright.

 "Remember the day when I told you that I would never want to be with you and the reason?" Jay questioned quietly. Sanosuke immediately got onto his feet.

 "It's not time yet Jay." He muttered. It couldn't be. He didn't want it to be.

 "Tomorrow." Jay said, "Celeste and I will do the ceremony tomorrow under the Golden Moon." She removed her necklace that had an emerald jeweled pendant on a golden chain and handed it to Sanosuke. "This is not the last time we will meet but it will be the last time we'll meet on the grounds of Revolution. This was your gift to me a while ago, I'm returning it."

 "You can't leave…" Sanosuke said, he placed a hand on her shoulder while the other gripped tightly onto the necklace. Why did she have to be the next guardian? Out of all people. He wanted to scream and punch the walls down.

 "Sanosuke, I thank you for everything that you have given me and for the protection that you have provided. Being in the Revolution group has opened my eyes to several things and has proven to me that you are the one who I had always admired as a being." Jay smiled sincerely. In the dark, he couldn't see her eyes reddening slowly and the pain of separation filling inside. She hugged him. "Take care alright? I don't want to see you too soon in the Light World."

 "Jay, you're too young."

 "Don't say I'm too young Rooster-head!" Jay made an attempt to lighten the mood. "Look, in this world, in these situations, no one is too young in the eyes of the Gods. No one is too young to die. No one is too young to fight. That also means that no one is too young to become a guardian." Jay felt Sanosuke's grief and read him like a book. "I know you don't want me to leave and I know that Miena probably wouldn't too but please, let me be."

There was a long period of silence. Sano couldn't believe that this was the last time he would see Jay. He felt the tears swell. He should be proud of her, after all, becoming a guardian is something that is a very honorable position. "Jay, have you ever been kissed?"

 "What?" Jay looked stunned.

 "Well, have you?"

 "N-No." Jay stammered. "Why do you want to know?"

Sanosuke leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. She stifled her sobs but her tears created a river from her eyes. When he backed away, he gave her a smile, "Now you have."

Jay smiled back and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. "Farewell?" She couldn't think of anything else to say.

 "No, see you around." Sanosuke said.

Jay's smile broadened and she nodded. "See you around." She gave him a final hug before vanishing from sight. Sano sighed and slumped back on his futon.

~*~ 3/ Oniwabanshuu ~*~

Celeste placed a letter beside Misao who was sleeping. "Sorry Misao. Something about this must be done. The Black Sakura is too weak at heart." She smiled and then faded into the darkness.

~*~ 4/ Shadows ~*~

Battousai smirked as he watched Kaoru attempt to weave a piece of ribbon through a plank of wood. She was finding it difficult to do but she was doing it… finally. It took her a few long hours to figure it out. Nevertheless, she was jumping for joy.

 "Well, at least I've learnt something today." Kaoru said with a broad smile. "Batty, how does this help with my craft?"

 "Just helps with your control over your strength. Every time you twist the ribbon and every time you weave it through the plank of wood, it requires different levels of magic. You're changing the strength constantly so that it would be able to weave through." Battousai explained. Kaoru nodded and continued weaving the red ribbon through the plank of wood.

Suddenly, Kaoru stopped and the piece of wood and the red ribbon dropped onto the ground with a loud clatter. Her sense heightened and then sadness. Battousai raised an eyebrow with question.

Kaoru looked up at him. "Jay and Celeste are going to perform the Ceremony of Light. Tomorrow is the Golden Moon. They're going to shed their own blood to become my guardians. I don't want them to do that!"

 "Kaoru, you have to let them. They're from the blood line destined to be." Battousai said coldly. Kaoru looked angrily at him.

 "But if they die! It is because of me!"

 "You have to understand that they're protecting you when they become guardians." Battousai said, "Or would you prefer to risk yourself defenseless and have Tomoe take over your powers and have millions of others killed?" Kaoru fell silent.

 "I already had one guardian before but she died…" Kaoru said quietly.

 "A Guardian of Faith is different from a Guardian Priestess." Battousai stated. "I think that you have had enough of tonight's lesson."

~*~ 5/ Oniwabanshuu ~*~

Aoshi had finally reached the dojo. It was dark and the moon had passed the halfway mark in the sky. The air was still and filled with noises of crickets and the horrific high pitched song of the Cold-Blood Blossoms.

 "Would you like to come inside Okashira?" A small voice called behind.

He turned around and found a teenaged girl standing before him. Almost by instinct, he knew that this girl was the Black Sakura.

 "Follow me, you can take the room next to Misao's." Kaoru said. She gestured Aoshi to follow her. He nodded. "Okashira, why are you here?" Aoshi was taken aback. She really was a direct girl.

 "To help you." He replied briefly. Kaoru looked up at him and smiled gently.

 "Then you can take Tuesdays with Shinta…" Kaoru said. "I need to change the timetable anyway…"

 'What is she talking about?' Aoshi thought.

 "Oh nothing to worry about Okashira. Nearly everyone in the dojo is taking a day each to help teach me craft that's all." Kaoru replied. She had heard his thoughts loud and clear. Aoshi had expected her to be strong and powerful in her ability but now he was beginning to think that part of that ability was in her instincts meaning that she could do things without even thinking about them.

 (AN: The new timetable is below, hope you guys all remember what it is…)

Sunday – Shinta (day), Battousai (night)

Monday – Soujiro, Surreal

Tuesday – Aoshi, Shinta

Wednesday – Hitoshizuku, Maya

Thursday – Athena, Ixchel

Friday – Misao, Orion

Saturday – Shinta (day), Battousai (night)

~*~ 6/ Revolution ~*~

Sanosuke was flying in the skies early next morning. He couldn't sleep. It was so unsettling what had happened and knowing what will happen. Miena was seated on a rock below with her head in her hands. She had forced the information out of him when she woke realizing that Jay's ki was no longer around.

When Sanosuke landed he placed a hand on Miena's shoulder. "You going to be able to cope?"

Miena shrugged. She looked up and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "It was her choice. We can't stop her. She's probably unreachable now." Miena paused for a while and in a few seconds a gust of wind blew and Miena jumped to her feet screaming. "Oh I hate that bitch! I thought she was a friend!"

 "Miena calm down!" Sanosuke shielded his eyes from the dust being blown.

 "You don't get it do you Sano?! Why did she say good bye to you and not me?! Argh! Damn it!" Miena threw her arms in the air and then stormed towards the edge of the forest.

 "Miena!" Sanosuke followed her. "You're going to get lost in there."

 "I need some time alone!" Miena shouted. Her body was burning with a lot of energy charged from her emotions that she needed to walk and think them out. Sanosuke stopped and thought for awhile.

 'If I can't stop her… might as well follow. I'd hate for Bounty Hunters to…' After a few minutes, Sanosuke followed silently.

~*~ 7/ Oniwabanshuu ~*~

Misao and Orion read through the letter that Celeste had left them again. "This can't be true…" Misao said quietly. "It can't be!"

 "I'm afraid it is Misao," Orion said, "It's a secret she's been keeping that Kari and I have found out a while ago." Misao looked up with a questioning look. "When Celeste told us about which family she came from, it was immediately clear to Kari and I that she would have to do this at some stage. Experience has taught us that. You're too young to know that."

 "So what should we do?" Misao asked. "How can we stop her?"

 "We should leave it." Orion said coldly.

 "What?"

 "I said, we should leave it. Celeste wouldn't be coming back. There's nothing we can do about it. It's a loss that we will have to get over, the sooner the better. I'm sorry if I'm being cold but it's the best way." Orion said. Her words were failing with her trembling voice.

 "I-I understand…"

Orion sighed and attempted to ease the pain inside away by swaying her furry tail left to right in a low position. 'We're finding it hard to cope with a loss of a comrade… Revolution is probably suffering too from a loss but…' She felt sympathetic towards one particular person. 'But I wonder how Celeste and Jay's step sister is going to cope…'

~*~ 8/ Shadows ~*~

Surreal dropped the letter and lit it in flames. "Fine. So be it." Soujiro was standing beside her wearing a small sympathetic smile. He mostly smiles but this one held no joy in it at all.

 "Ayame, maybe you should rest for the day. They were your step sisters." Soujiro said, "I'm sure that Kaoru would understand if you couldn't teach today." Surreal shook her head.

 "I'm fine."

 "You seem to be taking this very well."

 "I've seen enough death." Surreal said calmly. "I'm used to it." Soujiro watched with uncertainty as Surreal's pupils turned into slits and then her eyes turning into amber. "I'm used to it." She repeated in a deadly cold tone.

 "Take a break for today." Soujiro said, this time, more of a command rather than a suggestion.

* * * *

 "Hiko," Athena approached him quietly. "The Golden Moon is tonight. Shall I prepare the altar for the Light Ceremony?"

 "Yes." Hiko said, he was keeping an eye over the two sisters who were resting and preparing themselves mentally for their offering tonight. "These two young women are very brave to be willing to perform this ceremony…"

 "They are." Athena said quietly. "My only concern is that I hope they would be able to pass through the gates."

 "They will."

* * * * In a dream world * * * *

Battousai stood before a mirror that reflected an image of himself. Only his reflection was his other half Shinta. "I suppose you have an idea of how Kaoru is going to cope?" Battousai questioned.

 "To be honest, I'm as clueless as you are." Shinta replied.

 "So you're saying that if the girl gets pissed, there is a high risk of she going out of control?" Battousai said coolly.

 "I don't know." Shinta said. "Only time can tell Battousai."

 "How about the arrival of Okashira?" Battousai questioned, "Is he there to try to kill us?"

 "No. He's going to help Kaoru with her powers." Shinta said. "I trust him. Since he too wants piece among the three realms."

 "How about Tomoe and Death's Truth? Have you sensed them lately?"

 "Nothing. Seems that Tomoe has lost a lot of her strength so she's weak and recovering."

Battousai smirked. "It's going to take her a couple of years to recover. She played the fool in attempting to fulfil a curse on Kaoru."

 "It's a good thing too, by the time she's going to be ready, Kaoru should be far stronger than her and able to defeat Tomoe."

 "I hope that the Hells will be sympathetic."

Shinta shook his head. "I don't think that you really mean any of those words."

 "Yeah. I don't."

* * * *

AN: I've finally finished this chapter. And as you can already tell, soon we'll be saying bye-bye to Jay and Celeste. *sniffles* Oh well, I know my friends wouldn't mind. ^-^ Thanks for being so supportive!

Nee-chan: Yeah, I had expected for people to get confused with the characters. I have been considering the idea of doing this whole fic again but I guess that I won't – I might get put off. And about Shinta and Battousai being separated thingy, well, you're gonna have to see what happens. *evil smirk* Thanks for reading!

Victoria: Hey! Thanks for your comments! I'm glad that you like this fic. Hope that you liked this chapter!

RKKL: Sorry! I know that you are probably wanting to kill me for giving away Sano's first kiss to Jay but hey, Jay's gonna die here and she's my best friend's character *she loves Sanosuke too*... Um… yeah, there will be parts for Sano and Miena coming up but I have to get the ceremony over first and stuff. Man… I can't tell you how hard it is to write this fic. So complex…. Thanks for reading!

MP ( ): I'm guessing MP1 here… Well, thanks for your review and yes, everything's fine and yep, it was Kaoru who accidentally blew Misao and Orion away. ^-^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Thanks everyone and hope to see your around!

Until next time…

Cherry Chibi