It's modern day.  The streets are rife with violence; corporations are corrupt; assassinations, commonplace.  Himura Kenshin, known only as Battousai, is a shadow assassin for an organization so secret even he doesn't know who truly runs it.  But Battousai has an even bigger secret; one that if it were ever discovered would mean more than his death…it would end in the total annihilation of his soul.  Battousai is not only the deadliest assassin to ever prowl the dark streets of night…he is also a vampire, one of the oldest still in existence…and a rarity among his kind.

He has a soul.

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Rurouni Kenshin Fanfic

Rurouni Kenshin & Samurai X Original Japanese Version © N.Watsuki/Shueisha * Fuji-TV * SME Visual Works Inc. * Sony Pictures Entertainment

All Fanfics created by Chiruken (me) were written for the sole purpose of shared entertainment and not intended for publication or sale.

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Tears of Eternity

by:  Chiruken

Chapter 14

        Fury and fear gripped him as he watched Daishi attack Kaoru.  He couldn't let the younger vampire succeed.  Forcing his tired and aching body to obey his commands, he threw himself forward, using his weight to throw the larger man off balance, spinning, he brought his sword around and thrust it through his chest, feeling the warmth of blood spray across his face.  Growling, his twist the hilt in his grip and tore the blade through muscle and sinew, its path slowed by the scraping against bones before it emerged in a shower of blood and gore.  He would have spared the young woman the horror of witnessing yet another grisly murder at his hands, but he was desperate to protect her.  Without pausing he continued on to the remaining three, cutting them down efficiently and brutally.  Now that the threat to her life was eliminated he allowed himself to feel the pain and fatigue.  He should have fed earlier.  Now he was weak from blood loss and could feel the hunger gnawing at him, threatening to overcome his senses.  He needed blood, desperately, yet he was loathe to see to his body's needs with Kaoru still nearby.

        Bending slowly, painfully, he wiped his blade clean on the edge of Daishi's shirt before sliding it slowly into its sheath.  Drawing in a shallow breath, he fought his instincts and the revulsion he felt for the tainted blood covering the reception room and his own body.  The scent alone was enough to turn his stomach.  Looking around slowly he finally spotted a neatly folded pile of towels set behind the desk.  Grabbing the top one he quickly wiped the blood from his face with a grimace.  He still avoided looking in Kaoru's direction.  He could feel her fear and revulsion rolling off of her in waves.

        Finally he turned to her when she cleared her throat.  "A-are they…dead?"  He fought down an insane urge to laugh as he surveyed the carnage he'd left behind.  "I mean, they aren't going to get up again, are they?"

        Sighing softly he shook his head, thinking it a strange question to ask in view of the mangled corpses and the copious amount of blood splashed across the floor, walls and ceiling.  "No, Kaoru, they're quite dead….permanently so."

        "Just checking…" Slowly she pushed herself to her feet.  "I-I've never seen a vampire before…and…and I thought you had to drive a wooden stake through their heart and cut off their head before burning them to make sure they were really dead."

        Again he fought the urge to laugh.  "Fairytales."  He murmured dropping the soiled towel to the floor and grabbing another.  "I can assure you that anyone would be dead after that kind of treatment…" Glancing at her he allowed a small, wan smile to cross his lips.  "It would be a bit of an overkill."

        "I see…" She backed up a step when me moved closer.  "Um…I-I don't think…" She stopped and drew in a shuddering breath before continuing.  "I don't think I'm very comfortable…" She allowed the words to trail off into nothingness, but he understood.

        Nodding, he turned away, hiding his expression.  "I understand."  He sighed deeply, feeling his weariness to the depths of his soul.  Bowing his head he closed his eyes, holding the towel loosely at his side.  "For the record, I don't enjoy killing, Kaoru."

        "I-I never said…"

        "You didn't have to."  Turning back to her he forced a smile and tilted his head to the side.  "Perhaps you should call the authorities, hmm?"

        Surprisingly she shook her head.  "Not yet.  You have to get cleaned up first, Kenshin.  If they saw you like this you'd be the first suspect."

        He couldn't hide his astonishment.  "I-I don't understand."

        "I admit that I'm not entirely comfortable with this, but I can clearly see that it was…er…self defense…kind of."  She shrugged and folded her arms across her chest in a protective gesture.  "And I don't really want to know how you got to be so…good…at…this…" She waved a had towards the corpses.  "But I do know that you aren't a bad person, even if you are insane."  She smiled a little.  "And I think you might be the only person who can help me."

        Nodding slowly he finished wiping the blood off his hands.  "I see.  You're a very strong person, Kamiya Kaoru."  His smile was more natural this time as he tossed the towel aside.  "First, I need to speak with Sanosuke, then we can see to…"

        "What do you need to talk to me 'bout?"  Kenshin turned his amber gaze to the young man standing in front of the swinging doors leading to the back of the clinic, seeing his brown eyes widening.  "Holy shit."  He cleared his throat before tearing his gaze away from the mangled corpses littering the floor.  He looked a little queasy before he focused on Kaoru.  "See?  Told you he didn't need help."  His smile looked rather shaky.

        "Sanosuke.  Were you seen by any of the humans in this clinic?"  He crossed the room, ignoring the squishing of the blood soaked carpet beneath his feet.

        "J-just the doctor…" He licked his lips nervously, his eyes darting from Kenshin to Kaoru and back again.  "Why?  You're not thinking of…of adding me to that pile there are you?"

        A rather nasty smirk crossed his lips.  "Perhaps.  It would save me some time."

        Kaoru stepped up beside him and glared at the young man.  "Yes, and you did hold me a gun point."

        "Crap."  He laughed shortly, expression anxious.  "You…uh…you wouldn't consider letting bygones be bygones, now would you?"

        "Idiot."  Kenshin shook his head and stepped up to the younger man.  "Leave, Sanosuke.  And don't do something this stupid again.  Really.  What were you thinking?"

        "Look, it wasn't as if I wanted to do it, Kenshin."  He scowled towards the body of Daishi.  "But you know how…persuasive…he could be."  He held up his arm again with a grimace.  "Besides…they were only s'posed to take the blood from the blood bank…no one was gonna get hurt."

        "And you believed that?"  Kaoru shook her head in disgust.  "Rule number one of life…never trust a junkie."

        Kenshin blinked and looked at her in surprise.  "Beg your pardon?"  He didn't quite follow her line of thinking.

        "Well, just like drug addicts, I would assume that vampires would stop at nothing to get their fix, right?"

        Rubbing the bridge of his nose in a somewhat embarrassed gesture he smiled a little.  "Well, I suppose…to a certain degree."  He had a feeling she wasn't going to like what he had to tell her about her own altered state if that was her view on the situation.

        "She's got you there, Kenshin."  Sanosuke smirked at the smaller man.  He had a feeling he was going to like the dark haired young woman with striking blue eyes.  Anyone who could put the arrogant elder vampire in his place was okay in his mind.

        "Don't get cocky, Sagara.  You could be placed in the same category for associating with them in the first place."  Kenshin hid a smile when Kaoru's words seemed to hit home with the young man.

        "Ouch.  You wound me."  He placed a hand against his chest over his heart and staggered back a step.

        "Oh, I'd like to do worse to you…especially if Megumi got hurt or Misao's condition worsens because of what you did."

        Deciding that his intervention was now needed, Kenshin stepped forward.  "Disappear, Sanosuke.  Stay away from this neighbourhood.  I don't want to see, hear or smell you anywhere near here again.  You've caused a lot of trouble with this stunt of yours and I'm not pleased with you at all."

        "Okay, okay!  I get the picture!"  He held his hands up in a placating gesture.  "But…um…I live here, you know."

        "So move."  He stepped around him and opened the door to a room off to the side, nodding in satisfaction when he spotted the shower stall.  "Kaoru, you should call the authorities now."

        "Kenshin, that isn't a good idea."  Sanosuke sighed and tapped the smaller man on the shoulder.  "The cops have this stuff that can show blood in the dark, you know?  If you shower in there they'll get suspicious.  My place isn't far…you can use my shower."

        Kaoru bit her lip thoughtfully.  "He's right.  That would be better.  I'll call Aoshi."  He tilted his head to the side curiously.  "He's a police detective…I thought I told you that."  She shrugged.  "Oh well.  He'll want to be here anyway because of Misao."

        "Right."  He hesitated, unwilling to leave her unprotected.

        "Go.  I'll be fine.  Just…" She paused and drew in a shuddering breath.  "Just hurry back, okay?"

        He nodded reluctantly and stepped towards the front door.  "All right.  I won't be long."  Bending to retrieve his short sword she'd abandoned near the bench where he'd placed her friend earlier he followed Sanosuke out the door.  "Which way?"  He asked curtly.

        "One block that way."  He pointed up the street.  "Who is she, Kenshin?  She seems…I don't know…different."

        "Oh, she's that all right.  Different doesn't even begin to describe it, Sanosuke, not even close."  He quickened his steps in the direction indicated, wanting to return to her as soon as possible.  He didn't want her facing the questions that were sure to come alone.