(Sagara) Yuukiko the characters of Brave + Child
(Myoujin) Kakushin Core/Heart
(Seta) Yuunosuke The character for Brave + nosuke .
(Niitsu) Keiko Graceful + Child
(Same name as Megumi and Sano's youngest in RK: A New Era)
(Kamiya) Nozomi Character for Hope
(Yamamoto) Akira Character for Light
(Sagara) Mai - written as Truth and Only
(Sagara) Sou - written as Concept/Idea
(Sagara) Fumi - written as Sorcerer and Beauty.
(Myoujin) Yutaro - written as A Reason, Many, Sons
Japanese sword info: http: no Yakusoku - Part 15 – Lost Souls

He could feel the blood rush through his body. The air smelled of fear. He breathed it in and smiled. In the darkness, he watched her move, impatient and graceful. The way she gestured, nervously played with her hair…so frightened and yet hopeful. She thought that they could stop him. Her friends surrounded her. They guarded her.

He would show her.

He snorted, and then swallowed a chortle of delight. Quiet. Quiet. Calm… He didn't want to alert them to his presence. He had to control himself. Control. Control. Control. The children saw much too much. It struck him every time he saw them how old their eyes looked. They were such old, old eyes.

These eyes saw too much. The one he wanted, the one he needed. Her eyes burned him in his dreams. But he wanted her. Needed her. She looked so soft. So…perfect. Her eyes looked old as well.

Maybe that was why the voices told him that she was the one. The final one… The one from his dreams.

She had been so kind to him in his dreams. So kind. Yet… the very fact that she existed hurt him. Why couldn't she love him? She was wasted all on that boy.

He would show them. At least they would feel something for him, instead of staring through him as usual. When he was finished, they would never stare through him again.

Rei held Fumi's hand. He had always thought it would feel awkward to hold hands with anyone. Mushy and romantic… But somehow it was not. Even as a child, he stayed away from other people. Contact felt wrong. He wanted to be away, apart. But this was different. It felt right.

He knew that Fumi was terrified. Hell, he was uneasy about what was going on. The risks were enormous. People were already dead, people who really didn't have anything to do with the past. And they weren't coming back. Not in this lifetime at least.

Fumi was a firm believer in strength with numbers. They were going to stay at the dojo, to be near Yuukiko and Kakushin. Nothing was going to happen to them. Rei agreed grimly.

They needed to make sure that Kakushin's grandparents stayed safe. By being with Fumi, he had gained an extended family. So be it. They were his now. What was the past could stay in the past, if he could just beat it down and force it there.

Kakushin spoke quietly with his grandfather, briefly glossing over events – but giving him enough details so he would be alert to the danger. It was frustrating knowing that they could do nothing in the meantime.

The heat of the day had melted into balmy night. Fumi had forgotten how hot it was in Japan. It was early summer yet and the heat and humidity would thicken as the summer months went on. Despite the heat, Fumi felt a chill race across her skin. Rei rubbed her arm languidly, as if sensing her unease.

Stop thinking about that. He can't sense anything about you.

She stood with him in the darkness of the courtyard. The shouji doors were opened to the night air. Behind her, Yuukiko talked quietly with Keiko, Nozomi and Aya. A part of Fumi remembered that these were souls who were devastated in their past life by Kaoru's death. The thought that Yuukiko could be a victim again in this one chilled all of them.

"We can only wait and protect those children." Fumi bit her lip in concentration. "All of them are at risk. I…I think I should get some help from my department. Takeshi can give me a hand. He's lived in Japan for a while. He knows things. He's been working on this case for a while and…."

She felt, rather than saw Rei move in the darkness. His warm breath whispered in her ear. "I'll do everything I can to help. Yuukiko will be family. And I guess that means the damn red-head comes with the package."

He tightened his hold on her hand when she tried to pull away from him. She damn well better know his intentions. Now that he found her, he wasn't about to let her go. His life had already been cold for too long.

"I… Rei, we…" Fumi swallowed hard. What she was feeling was impossible, wasn't it? This was definitely happening way too soon and way too fast.

"I love you. We belong together.

"You saw those children. Hell, they aren't even true children anymore. If the past that they remember is anything like the past that I do, they are more mature then more than half the adults in Tokyo. We are connected, all of us. And you and I, we are meant to be. You know it's true. Our souls are matched throughout space and time. Love like that… it's hard to believe that it exists. But the dreams of you, of the past, have kept me sane through everything."

Fumi looked into his eyes, so dark and deep. They were eyes that she remembered well. Beloved in her heart. "Everything, huh," she said lightly. "That's a lot." She touched his cheek lightly with a fingertip.

"Fumi, we are in it together. And I plan to help you with this. We're going to share everything." He swiftly reached out, grabbing her hand in a grip that was gentle, yet unbreakable. Her heart skipped a beat. He lifted her hand to his lips, barely touching her knuckle with his lips. "What does this Takeshi know about the case?"

"He's been one of the main investigators in Japan since the murders began happening. He helped match the profiles to the murders in the US. Maybe he can give us clues to how to stop this bastard."

"So he's like the expert."

"He has been brilliantly insightful. With his help, the case will break. I know it will." She let him pull her forward to him. It was impossible to stop anyway. And she needed him. No more fighting.

"Fine. We need all the help we can get."

Yuukiko stared into the night. She could not repress the shudder that ran through her body. The council has broken for the night, but the uneasiness lingered in the air. She knew her aunt was furious and terrified. Yuukiko felt numb, but the look of utter terror in Nozomi's eyes broke through it. Yahiko had lost her when he was a child on the edge of becoming a man. Nozomi did not want to lose her again. But she didn't plan on being the victim this time.

She knew it was her last chance to change the cycle. There was this nagging feeling that it was her chance to make it right. Someone out there was waiting to hurt her right now. The dark stranger waited in the shadows. She wanted to make him pay. Pay for all the times that she had died. Pay for her pain. And pay by burning eternally in hell for killing her parents.

"Yuukiko. Come inside." Kakushin's quiet voice called from the darkness. She felt him move behind her. He pulled her close to his warmth. His soft breath touched her cheeks, comforting her without words.

"He's out there. My parents didn't have anything do to with any of this. But he doesn't care, does he." She fought back tears, but the grief and the rage proved too much. "Whatever he has against me, whatever fucked up agenda he has… They had nothing to do with it." She felt the tears streak down her face, hot against her cold cheeks. "I want him to die. I want him to die, too. He's not going to get away with this. Not this time."

"No. Not this time. Yuukiko, I promise you, he won't get what he wants this time. I won't let him hurt you." Kakushin wrapped his hands around her wrists, pulling her closer to his heart. He let her cry against him. He took a shaky breath, search for words. "I will do everything, anything within my power to protect you, Yuukiko."

She closed her eyes and felt his lips brush against her brow softly.

"Anything, huh? You would do anything, including going into the darkness. Including becoming the Battousai." She sniffed against his chest. She dried her eyes and stared into his eyes, into his soul. "Kakushin, don't risk yourself stupidly for me. Please don't."

Kakushin turned her around, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly. "I wouldn't do that, Yuukiko. I will try not to be stupid in what risks I take. It won't be easy, but I'm sure that you'll let me know when I make a stupid decision." She laughed at that. Kakushin smiled at the rusty sound.

"We have no control." She moved closer to him, inhaling his scent. "Everything within our power, then. "

"Rei-san and I have an appointment in the dojo later on tonight."

"An appointment, huh?" Yuukiko sighed. "I guess I'm going to get some bandages out, then. Both of you should be pretty beat up after the 'practice' is finished. You know, of course, that what ever problems you two had have nothing to do with this life."

"Of course. After all of that, it's just a macho thing." He kissed her hard, feeling her heart beat against his. "We better agree to take it easy, though. So we are in prime condition, just in case."

She grinned lopsidedly and shook her head. "Geez, this is going to be messy."

"It's been a long time. Hopefully you still have it in you." Rei smirked slightly at Kakushin.

"Ready for this?" Kakushin tightened his hold on the katana expertly balancing the blade in his hand. "I am a bit out of practice. I've been working with bokken for a while." Steel definitely felt different than wood.

"Oh, I think it will come to you, boy." Rei watched as Kakushin shifted his weight from foot to foot. He watched for the first strike. "I'll go gentle the first time." He didn't blink as he blocked Kakushin's blow. The eerily familiar noise of katana hitting katana echoed in the dojo. Rei concentrated on breathing as he blocked strike after strike. Kakushin remembered quite a bit from his life as Kenshin. Rei smiled. Kakushin would prove to be a worthy opponent. He was going to enjoy this.

Kakushin twisted, his feet moving automatically in a dance that he had half forgotten. Blood pumped slowly and time moved thickly as he met Rei's counterattack. He watched as Rei pushed forward, aiming for his side. His reaction, lighting swift, blocked. The sound of his sword slicing through the air gave a rhythm to his strikes and an anchor for his mind. Rei's katana glinted in the light, sharp and deadly. Kakushin dodged the strike. It whispered past his ear.

He blocked Rei's strikes. The familiar sounds of metal repelling metal seem to linger after each move. Like dancers, their feet seemed to float with each thrust and block. Neither of them used special techniques, just kendo play, as if testing the waters. Swords flashed in the light, glinting and beautiful in their deadly dance.

Anticipate.

Strike.

Block.

Kakushin moved faster, pushing himself. If it came down to this, he would do whatever he could to protect Yuukiko. The darkness was a small price to pay to make sure that she was safe.

They fought silently, not speaking. The sounds metal striking against metal made Yuukiko flinch. But she didn't have time to be squeamish about violence. Not this in this lifetime. She watched the Kakushin and Rei, trying to control her breathing. She watched them, needing to absorb all she could from the fight. Their talent was obvious. She closed off the sounds of metal against metal. She shut down to the presence of her aunt, who watched the men move in utter shock.

She watched them move as if she was in their place. Anticipate. Strike. Block.

There would be no second chances. Think. Think. Think. Then, don't think. Feel.

She felt the blood flow through her as she watched Kakushin and Rei in their deadly dance. She concentrated on the movements, the position of the hands. The past had given them a feel for each other, but the present had shaped them even more.

Center.

Control.

Anticipate. Strike. Block.

Survive.

Kill.

Whatever Yuukiko needed to do to protect these people, she would do. There was no room for mistakes. She sat back and concentrated.

Kakushin could feel the sweat dripping down his face. He concentrated moving, on blocking Rei's next move. The sound of metal ringing, striking, drew him deeper into himself. He could remember doing this before.

"You do remember how to fight, at least." Rei punctuated his statement with a blow aiming towards his head.

Kakushin blocked it and quickly moved, slashing towards his arm. Rei quickly parried. Just when Kakushin was about to strike, Rei moved down, swinging his katana to block the move. Rei twisted his hand up. Kakushin winced as he felt the sword give in his hand, swiftly moving back as the broken blade spun in the air. He jumped up and knocked it to the ground. The sound of metal sinking into wood echoed in the silence of the dojo.

Rei smiled at his handy work. "You still have it, Kakushin. But I have a few years on you… again."

"You really know how to move, Rei-san." Kakushin panted. He couldn't believe the moved either of them were making. Dreams were dreams, but to actually be able to move so fast in real life…. It was amazing.

"My turn."

They both turned around. Yuukiko walked towards them, katana in hand. "Since I'm in danger, then I think I better learn how to defend myself."

"Heh. Your past life, you were a little pacifist." Rei snorted cynically.

"I knew how to fight, Rei-san." Yuukiko smoothly took a defensive stance. "Try me out."

"If you are sure, Yuukiko." He looked towards Fumi. She nodded slowly back at him.

"Don't hold back." She stared hard into his eyes. "I need to know."

"I won't." The familiar sound of the tsuba settling on the sword lingered in the air.

"And neither will I." Yuukiko smiled slightly. "Let's go."

The sword slashed forward do suddenly that Rei hardly had time to block it. Yuukiko was a surprising little thing. She moved fluidly, like water. Certainly not the Kamiyakashi Ryuu. No, this was not an art of fighting that protected. She moved, cutting through the air without taking a breath. Dancing smoothly along the dojo floor.

It was an assassin style.

"You've been holding back, Yuukiko. You most certainly have lived more lives than us." He was shocked to find himself beginning to labor for breath. Her strikes were fast. He barely had time to think. She was working him hard. "You did not learn this in that dojo during Meiji."

Yuukiko did not waste time talking. She needed to find out if how far she could go, how fast. This was her last chance. Her last chance. She twisted in the air, blocking his strike. Her wrist pushed up, harder and faster than she ever though possible. She cleared her mind and just moved. Rei stopped talking and matched her moves. Metal against metal.

It's not a really fair fight, she thought idly. Rei-san has been sparing with Kakushin. He was winded. He was tired. Not fair at all.

But in the next fight, she wouldn't be fighting fair either.

Rei moved, an offensive attack to make her lose her grip on her katana. Sweat dripped down her hands, but she did not loosen her grip. His strikes rapidly sought her from all sides, breaking patterns. She dropped to her knees and kicked his feet from under him. She pushed herself up, knocking the sword from his hands. Yuukiko stood. He was down. She defeated him. She….

"Yuukiko." Kakushin's voice sounded quietly in the hall. "That's enough."

She panted and looked towards him. She reached out for comfort. She felt his arms around her and knew she was safe. "It's horrible… Horrible and wonderful. I can do this. I could lose control. I could go beyond this fight. I could kill. But I could stop him. Kakushin, I wouldn't hesitate to spill his blood. It's so wrong. Isn't it?"

Kakushin felt his heart twist. His poor little love. Darkness touched her soul for that brief moment. She was more than Kaoru. So many lives had shaped what she was now and he loved her more than he could say. "Yuukiko…."

Rei pushed himself up and smirked. "You took advantage of me. Very nice." He grimaced as Fumi got in a sneak attack to his head.

"Leave her alone, Rei. I'm surprised that none of you drew blood."

"I was trying to, love, but these kids are fast and sneaky." He smiled lopsidedly at her.

"Shut up, Rei. Yuuki-chan, you and Kakushin look like you could use a breather. Rei and I will clean up here."

"Fumi, be still my heart. Now we can have a little private time together." He looked over her shoulder at something at the dojo door. Kakushin's grandfather….

"Oji-san, what's wrong?"

"It is Akira-kun on the phone. He sounds quite agitated. He is asking for Kakushin."

Yuukiko gasped, knowing what happened in her heart. "Nozomi…. He has her."

"Shhh…," the voice whispered into her ear. The whisper of breath touched her skin. A cold finger traced her spine as she struggled to pull out of the darkness. She wanted to scream but couldn't find her voice. Her throat felt so tight that she couldn't breath. A scream clogged the back of her throat, but she could only whimper.

"You are so beautiful." She shuddered at the rough voice. "Mine. You are mine."

The tears burned at her eyes. Her heart beat and beat and beat until she felt like it would burst from within her. She wished that it would. Too much. It was all too much. In his eyes she saw madness. The god of death. The kiss of the knife was cold-hot against her skin. The tip pricked her skin and she knew what was going to happen.

Damn it, I don't want to die!

But there was no give to the ties that bound her.

There was no light. No light at all. "You are mine…."

This time, she screamed.