Crimson Tears: Chapter 13

End of a Curse

The Battousai was walking back towards the castle after disposing of the pesky detective Shinomori. He was interfering with his duties. It was time for him to claim his woman and be done with this mess.

He was just outside the castle's arching doorway when someone stood in his way with a sword drawn. A sharp and deadly sword drawn one might add. "You killed her," Shishio greeted with his face contorted into a sneer.

"I killed a lot of hers, to whom might you be referring?" The Battousai asked with a quirked auburn brow. He waited until the angry man standing before him, intent on murdering him no doubt, charged at him in a rage.

Then without much effort at all, Battousai pulled out his blade at the last moment and impaled the other man through the heart, on the left side of his chest. He watched in morbid fascination, amber eyes gleaming as the sharp sword slid easily into the other man's flesh.

When Shishio had fallen to the ground in a sick thud, Battousai held his body down with his boot clad foot and pulled his sword out of the mess. He frowned at the blood that marred his blade and flung it away with a flick of his wrist.

Sighing, Battousai sheathed his blade. "Now I'm going to be behind. I hate being late."

It wasn't long until he ran into Kaoru in the corridors of the large castle. "Oh thank goodness it's you Kenshin!" She cried, not noticing the amber eyes and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "So many people are missing! We've been looking all over for you!"

With a smile lifting the corners of his lips, Battousai brought his own arms around her small frame and drew her closer to the contours of his lithe body. He sighed deeply at the pleasure she gave him held in his embrace.

For a moment amber flashed to amethyst before reverting back to the goldenrod of doom shade that had been the last sight of too many in the past few days. Battousai pulled back and grabbed hold of Kaoru's hand. "Come, we need to get somewhere safe."

Kaoru didn't argue and allowed herself to be led by the man at her side. There seemed something odd about him, but she trusted Kenshin with her life. The two had traveled further into the hallways of the castle and further away from the other inhabitants.

Abruptly, Battousai pushed Kaoru against a wall and in that moment, the journalist felt genuine fear. From somewhere Kenshin had pulled a large sword and was holding it against her neck. She could already feel a thin line of blood forming on her delicate throat.

The smell of the blood seemed to awaken something in the man before her. His eyes cleared to a purplish hue and in that moment, a clear revelation passed through them both of their past life together.

"Koishi, I will always love you," Kenshin revealed, voice strained as he fought the curse that was forcing him to take the life of his beloved. Tears began to fall from Kaoru's shocked sapphire jewels, both her own and the ones that he could no longer shed.

With great effort, Kenshin managed to pull the sword away from her neck, the sight of her crimson tears gave him enhanced strength to resist. "Please Kaoru, run. I can not stop the bloodshed. You above all others know this."

Kaoru took the opportunity and ran away. Kenshin's words trailed after her as he fought to give her a head start. "There is only one way to end this curse!" He called. "Death must come to one of us by the hand of the other."

Kaoru didn't pause to consider his words as she continued to run. But when the Battousai took charge again, her head start became non-existent as he stood before her by some unnatural ability. His sword was raised again and he was struggling within himself. "I would suggest that you kill me love, for I would rather be cursed forever than be the one to kill you."

While the two stood before one another in a contest of wills company had arrived in the form of one Aoshi Shinomori. Right as Kenshin had lost to the bloodlust of the Battousai Aoshi knocked him against the stone wall and sent his sword loose out of his hands.

Aoshi then used his own swords to stab the Battousai in the chest on either side, injuring him mortally. He remained straddling the red haired man as he watched sanity return. "Why?" Kenshin asked in confusion as he laid his hand in the blood he felt pouring from his chest. He was having difficulty breathing now with the holes that had been pierced through his lungs.

Kaoru was leaning over him the moment that Aoshi removed her person to watch the life flow out of the murderer that was his friend in a former life. "Because I vowed to protect Kaoru. I had willingly accepted the curse to be here at this moment."

"Kaoru must be the one to kill me," Kenshin protested, looking past Aoshi and lifting his hand with great effort to Kaoru's alabaster cheeks. "I am dying love, just make the final blow and we shall both be free of this curse."

Kaoru nodded her head as she laid her left hand to cover his right one on that rested upon her cheek. She could feel the warmth of the blood from his fingers. Aoshi handed her his sword and placed the fingers of her right hand around the hilt. He placed it over Kenshin's heart and met the other man's eyes for a moment. There was a silent understanding between the two men.

Then with eyes locked to Kenshin's Kaoru ran the blade through the man's heart. He smiled at her as a tear trailed out of his amethyst orbs. They both knew that they were free of the curse. He swallowed with great effort and looked back at Aoshi. "Thank you for keeping your promise and keeping her safe, even from me."

His attention was centered back at Kaoru, as his desire was to have the vision of her fill his sight during his last breath. Without thinking Kaoru allowed her face to be drawn to Kenshin's when he weakly fisted his hand in her hair to pull her close. Their lips met in a final farewell as a lifetime of passion was shared in their merging.

When Kaoru pulled back, Kenshin was at peace eternal with a small smile on his face. Aoshi gritted his teeth at the display, but he really couldn't fault the man for kissing his soul mate in his final moments of life.

From the shadows, Saitou didn't allow his presence to be known. It would seem that Aoshi Shinomori forgot all about the man that freed him from an untimely watery grave. He was sorely tempted to run to Kaoru and reveal to her his love.

But, something stopped him. He saw the tender look in Aoshi's eyes as he looked at Kaoru as she allowed herself to be gathered in his arms.

Hajime's shoulders slumped as the tension eased out of them. His heart sinks to the bottomless depths he was all too familiar with as he realized she was happy now and that the curse was finally beaten. He wanted nothing more than her happiness. "I still have my son and I know that Kaoru still cares about me. That will have to be enough." He spoke to himself quietly of his decision.

Kaoru seemed to sense him and peered over Aoshi's shoulder. Her eyes widen with shock and Shinomori freed her of his embrace. Kaoru ran to Saitou and hugged him for all she was worth. She buried her tear stained face against his neck where her cool breath hit his heated skin.

Saitou held her to him as tightly as he can because he knew this opportunity will soon vanish. "Why?" She whispered near his ear. It was such a simple question and yet demanded so much of him.

Internally, Saitou cursed Megumi once more. "I thought it would be best for you to move on to a better life. I wanted you to have a better opportunity than any I could grant you." He hugged her tight.

She looked up and tenderly pushed aside his unruly hair that had fallen over his eyes. "You will always have a special place in my heart."

Hugging her once more before relinquishing his hold, Saitou smiled solemnly. "I know." He watched as Aoshi stood behind her and placed his arms possessively around her waist.

Footsteps were heard approaching and the remaining individuals of the castle arrived. Hiko and Yahiko noticed the dead body of Kenshin with a mixture of sadness and relief in their expressions. Hiko kneeled over the body to give some sort of prayer while Yahiko pulled Kaoru away from Aoshi to talk to privately.

Enishi glanced at the strange man with the dark aura around him. "And who might you be?" He asked, raising a white-blond brow. Saitou pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He made an effort to blow his smoke in Enishi's face.

Sensing that the volcano was about to erupt, Hiko pulled Enishi down beside him near Kenshin's body. "I think I understand what all has happened." He waited until a disoriented Sanosuke being supported by Megumi and a dazed Soujiro and Misao arrived before he shared the curse with the five out-of-the-loop individuals.

Saitou crushed his cigarette under his foot before grabbing hold of Aoshi's shoulder in a rough clutch. "I'm not happy about this," he sneered. "If I had known you were going to take her away from me, I never would have let you come."

Aoshi shrugged as he removed Saitou's hand from his person and looked at him impassively. "You shouldn't have thrown her in my lap, especially with the whole fiancé idea and then using your former engagement ring."

Frustrated at losing a logic match, Saitou ran his fingers up to push back the four persistent locks of hair that consistently fell over his eyes. "That is something I'll regret until the day I die." He assured him in a deadly serious voice.

Aoshi offered a small smile and looked back over at Kaoru to where she stood crying with Yahiko about memories of a past life that were surely overwhelming them both. "If it's any consolation, it's something that I'll treasure for the rest of mine."

Saitou threatened him with a scowl, "You better or else I will not hesitate to kill you and take her back for myself."

A/N: This chapter was brief, but the epilogue will be posted in a few days time. Thanks for sticking with this tale, and I hope you have enjoyed it! BDN