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 Ten
~*~ 1/ Shadows ~*~
Surreal leaned against the door post watching the sky. The Golden Moon was only twenty minutes from reaching the centre of the sky. 'Good luck…' Surreal thought to her step-sisters. The letter that she had received from them had asked her to perform an outside ritual in order to give them extra strength to pass through the gates towards the Light.
The dojo yard had been prepared with the help of everyone else, candles lit the darkness as they floated in a formation of a sphere. A sharp metallic ring hastened in the air. Surreal held out her twin blades and stepped onto the grounds.
The others were watching from inside. Surreal had warned them not to step out since it was dangerous for them and for her if anyone should interfere. Lavender fumes hissed into the air as she begun to sing the hymn of the Offering.
Under the presence of the Golden Moon,
Reveal the gates of the Light,
Reveal the path towards the Faith,
Let us pass towards the Ring!
Circle of wind blew around Surreal as she took careful steps of the enchanting dance. Her eyes glowed like two spheres of amber light shining rays wherever her eyes were directed. The candles in the air spun in a ring around her.
* * * *
Hiko and Athena watched the sisters perform before the alter. Circling each other with the careful steps of the dance while circled with a ring of candles. Their eyes were glowing bright amber.
We ask to be accepted
Into the ring of Guardianship
Give us the strength and power
To move into the heavenly bodies!
"How long will this take?" Athena asked Hiko, her hair was being blown by the harsh winds rushing and spinning around the sisters. Everything seemed to have been forming around them as if their memories where being relinquished and sacrificed onto the next life.
"Twenty very long minutes." Hiko said.
~*~ 2/ Oniwabanshuu ~*~
A blast of energy blew into the dojo, windows slammed open, doors flew out of their places, sweeping over everyone and blowing them onto the floor. Orion held Misao down. "There's something wrong with this ritual…" Orion said with gritted teeth. "It doesn't feel right!" She watched as Surreal continued as if in a trance. Her dance was almost like she was reciting her technique skills of martial art and yet it wasn't.
"Celeste!" Misao suddenly shouted. She got out of Orion's grip and ran towards the door. Beside Surreal where two translucent people who were performing the ritual with her. They looked like ghosts.
"Misao! Stop!" Orion tried to catch up with the girl.
"Celeste!" Misao was suddenly pulled back. Tears spilled like rain.
"Don't be a fool." Aoshi said while holding her back. He shielded her from the gusts of winds. "They're only shadows. Celeste isn't actually there." He walked her back further inside where it was safer.
"But…" Misao sobbed. "I never really had the chance to say good bye!" Feeling helpless, she cried while throwing her arms around Aoshi's waist. "She left just like that!"
'Misao… don't cry…'
Misao stopped her sobs and squeezed her eyes shut. She could picture Celeste's happy face and smile. The voice which was speaking to her it was…
'Don't cry…' It was just a whisper but it vanished like the wind.
~*~ 3/ Revolution ~*~
Miena and Sanosuke watched their comrade move like water. Miena's eyes watered. "Jay looks… happy doesn't she?" Miena asked quietly. They were watching from the dojo window.
"She does." Sanosuke said.
Miena watched as the three sisters performed together like it was their last chance to ever be this close. A happy yet sad event that was filled with celebration of moving on but filled with the grief and sadness of those behind.
A whispery warm voice suddenly passed their ears.
'Never forget the good times alright? Smile. Be happy. Then I'll be happy.'
"Did you just hear what I had?" Sanosuke asked.
Miena nodded.
~*~ 4/ Shadows ~*~
Surreal saw her sisters smile at her. It was coming closer to an end. She could feel the gates forming. The candles were slowly put out one by one, counting down until midnight.
Let us become the guardians of Faith!
Protectors of the Black Sakura's heart!
Let us sacrifice our souls for the cause!
Give us the gift of Eternal Light!
The second last candle dimmed slowly and Jay and Celeste's shadows vanished. Surreal felt her tears drift away.
* * * *
Athena closed her eyes when Jay and Celeste's bodies fell onto the ground in their pools of blood. Particle by particle at fast speed, their bodies faded into nothing and leaving behind only their jeweled daggers that had been used.
"It's almost done." Hiko said.
* * * *
Soujiro heard Kaoru yelling and his attention was taken away from Surreal's ritual for a moment. Everyone was around Kaoru while she looked angry and hurt, her ki rising to killing stages.
"What is Surreal doing?!" Kaoru yelled out loud.
"Giving her sisters extra strength so that they have a better chance of passing through the gates." Battousai said coldly.
"But-But she can't!" Kaoru screamed. "Stop her! She'll be nothing but blood if you don't stop her!"
"What are you talking about?" Soujiro spat out. Kaoru looked at him with horrified eyes.
"Don't you get it? Surreal isn't part of the blood line of the Light! There's no other way to give anyone strength in this type of ritual unless she performs the ceremony herself! Once this ritual is complete, she's done for! The ceremony will backfire on her as a punishment her for committing a crime against the rules!" Kaoru said, "She did this knowing the risk!"
He looked at Battousai, "Is this true?" When Battousai nodded, Soujiro shook his head in disbelief. "I-I'm not going to let that happen!" Everyone was taken aback when a fierce look appeared and his ki rose, "I'm not going to let it!" He sprinted out of the dojo.
"Wait!" Kaoru shot a protector sphere around Soujiro as he ran.
* * * *
The last candle blew out. Surreal dropped her weapons and staggered. "Good bye." She whispered. She waited for the very last second of pain, the exact moment when the gates close.
"Ayame!"
Surreal screamed in agony and fell back. Her body shivered. Her eyes blinded. She could only see darkness and a sword of light speeding towards her. She gripped her clenched her fists into the death grip and felt her muscles tense. Blood formed a river from the corners of her eyes and mouth.
"No!"
The Sword of Light was inches from piercing through her mind and slicing through her link with life. 'It's the end…' She thought, 'You two better pass the gates… for my sake…and for the Black Sakura's…'
~*~ 5/ Gates of Light ~*~
Jay and Celeste, both dressed in long white robes walked passed the gates with ease. The gates where being held open by a faint Surreal who smiled at them. After, their was a loud bang after the gates had swung shut.
"Here we are," Jay said.
"Now we have to keep watch over Kaoru." Celeste said.
The two guardians vanished in a white lightning flash.
~*~ 6/ The Black Sakura ~*~
Kaoru breathed out ice. The air suddenly felt too unbearable to live in. The last candle fell and rolled on the ground and stopped at the tip of her toe. "Ayame, you're going to be alright…" Was what Kaoru could hear coming from the gingerly said whispers of Soujiro.
Soujiro rocking Surreal's body back and forth slowly in his embrace. Kaoru was about to tell Soujiro that it was over and that Surreal's gone until, she saw Surreal's arms pull Soujiro into a hug. 'She's alright!' Kaoru thought with a smile finally cracking on her face. Suddenly the whole dark mood seem to have lightened up a bit.
"You stopped…" Surreal said struggling, "the punishment…"
* * * *
AN: That's all for this chapter! Hi everyone! I'm back from my traveling! I give my apologies in advance if anyone is thinking that this chapter was kinda lame. But nevertheless, thanks for reading it until the end. Hope you enjoyed the depressing ceremony…
Nee-chan: Lol. Yeah, that review did rhyme and it did make sense. ^-^x Thanks for the reviewing my fanfics. (you've practically read all of them.)
Moonlight's Sorrow: No… I didn't revise it… I did think that it felt different too. Well, that's what happens when I a stop writing this fic for a couple of days… this fanfic is really hard to write sometimes. Thanks for reading and hope that you had a great holiday so far!
Fanfiction Wanderer: Hey! Here's another chapter and hope you liked it! It's great to be visited by Fanfiction's Rurouni eh? Lol. ^-^
Victoria: Sorry that I didn't update sooner but I've just done it today… ah… hehe.
MP1: Yeah… Megumi is going to be in it… soon. I didn't really concentrate on the ceremony a lot… I had to include the others as well… *sighs* I think that I'm going to have to get myself up and running for more ideas…
Aglaia102: That's alright. Doesn't matter if you haven't reviewed in awhile. Anyways, hope you liked the chapter!
RKKL: *Cherry chases Miena looking worried eyes*
Cherry: Hey! Stop! You've done enough already!
Miena: *holding her weapon and bashing her head with the hilt* Damn it!
Cherry: *Grabs sword and struggles with Miena. Miena lets go.* Uh oh… *Sword whacks into Cherry's face* Ow… :: New Promise:: Never make Miena call anyone a bitch again.
Thanks everyone! Until next time!
~ Cherry Chibi