AN- I apologize so much to those of you who asked for me to update. I am so sorry. It must have seem like I disappeared from the face of earth, but I did not. I just had a lot to do this year. Completing my first year in college and handling the fact that I am not getting a day younger and trying to fit everything I want to do in a 24 hour schedule is not as easy as it sounds. Now the summer is here, I am stuck with handling two jobs, my family consumes my free time and I lack the inspiration to updating my other stories. I truly apologize to all of you but right now I am trying to get mylife together. I will try to update asap. For now I hope you could enjoy this new story, yes a new story that has been plaughing me since my second year in high school. Thanks to those of you who were concern for me, I finally some inspiration.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own RK (Rurouni Kenshin). Though I wish I did, I solemnly don't. : (
TITLE: Sentience and Cessation

RATED: T (for violence and adult situations).

CATEGORY: Fantasy/ Action/ Adventure/ Romance (may contain some angst).

BY: No other than Sanctuary-Enigma

SUMMARY: Life and death revolves in the universe. However with a new threatening force corrupting the natural balance of the universe, the one chosen by faith will be judged by their destiny.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This story originally comes from a comic book I created only I am using the RK characters. I owe all my gratitude to my best friend in high school for contributing her love of creating stories to my love of the fantasy realm. I also will like to thank my sister for boosting me to write this story and her boyfriend for anaylzing it.

DEDICATION

I dedicate this story to those my best friend. Although we went our seperate ways, she will always be remembered for the great impact she had in my life. Arigatou.

Part I

Avow

There is a prophecy which states that every five hundred years a phoenix dies and a new one is born. Near the end of five hundred years, when the phoenix is close to death, it picks out the most powerful warrior in the whole of the universe. The warrior that is chosen by the phoenix takes the place of the phoenix when it dies. Thus, the new phoenix continues the work the old. The duty of the phoenix is to protect the innocent and watch over the universe. Without the phoenix's cycle of life and death, the cycle of other life within the universe would cease to exist.

Flames flickered and crackled while illuminating the room from oversized torches against the damp wall. Shadows crept silently against the walls giving the open area a sense of eeriness. From morning to night, the sky remained dark. Only the light from distant stars, moons and planets crafted meek glows through the darkness of the planet. The night, however, was particular foggy. The moisture from the atmosphere created a looming haze in the air, flowing gloomily, as a young woman stood her ground. She peered through her small hands as if waiting for the misty fog to clear. The situation was hopeless. She could never find anyone or anything in such weather. Her training would never be over. Her main mission for tonight was to train with her brother. Just as the fight was about to begin, his body dispersed into the atmosphere. He became part of the fog and one with their mysterious planet. She stood in her place while the wind blew roughly against her clattery skin. Her eyes watered from the dirt that pierced her vision. Gradually the wind grew stronger. Her bun came undone, letting loose her bushy midnight hair.

"Aoshi where are you?" she called. The flickering flames blew out, leaving her helpless and vulnerable. The darkness swallowed her small form heightening her sense of fear all the more. "Aoshi I am serious! Where are you?"

There was no answer. The only answer came from the howling wind and the ruffling of dirt.

Her heart thundered in her ears, her body shivered from fear and cold. As she closed her eyes in shivers she became more aware of her other senses. Her sense of touch and her ability to hear were enhanced as her eyelids shut. Aoshi had enlightened her about a warrior's senses in prior training. To enhance some of the senses, a warrior must sacrifice one sense such as closing the eyes and focusing on hearing and feeling the environment. Automatically she felt a shift in her environment. The wind patterns changed course. Instead of blowing to the west, it blew due east. The dirt no longer blew in front of her face. It blew around her form. He was standing in front of her, she told herself.

Her brother read her thoughts and laughed at her mockingly. Do you only now notice my presence? I would expect better than that from you, my dear little sister. He said using their mental link to communicate, rather than speaking aloud.

You dare mock me older brother? she hissed mentally, her annoyance with him becoming more apparent. There was no longer a trace of fear in her body. Her posture spoke of alertness and determination. Her hands went to her hips as her sapphire eyes glared at him. If looks could kill, he would have died at that moment.

You speak with confidence Kaoru. Let us see if you can back that confidence with strength. Instantly, she stepped back. Her startled features now replaced with further annoyance and anger. She despised this aspect of her training.

"Hit me," he stated coolly.

Her eyes widened as she saw him let down his guard. His powerful arms fell limply to his sides. His ice blue eyes focused on the power of her aura.

"Hit me," he iterated.

"I... No, Aoshi. I could never hurt you. Please do not ask me to."

"You have to hit me," he commanded.

Stubbornly she shook her head. Her small fists clenched with frustration. She panicked. The turmoil inside of her manifested itself in the form of chaotic swirls as her vision became watery again.

Before Aoshi could react a light beamed through the air. Torches along the damp walls burst to life. The stars, in the deep darkness of night, brightened. The wind stopped blowing all together. With it, the dirt collapsed. Everything became still. The tension in the atmosphere deepened. A strong light erupted from her small form, causing her to scream with intense pain. As the screams came to a halt, she stood there, as if perplexed. Suddenly, she fell helpless to the ground, clutching her shirt while whimpering her confession meekly.

Say you are here and that it is all over now.

But he could not. He could not reach her mind. Something or someone was blocking their path of mental communication. The light was too bright for him to see. All he could remember was his sister becoming livid as a light engulfed her petite form.

Darkness became her world. There were no longer colors of hues, no longer the feeling of warmth from a bright light. No more was there a path for her to travel or dreams for her to achieve. Her world was transfixed in the dark depths of space, where only barren void lay. This world became her truth. And the truth drove her insane.

Aoshi heard her terrified and shrilling screams. He felt the despair of her aura, the hopelessness it carried. He tasted the salty dewiness in the atmosphere. Were those her tears?

The second lesson of the warrior is to subdue pain. If a warrior could hinder the mind or numb the body at accurate postures, then the warrior should feel less to no pain. If Kaoru were to survive this torture, she would need to find the will power to overcome it.

Kaoru knew this part of the training well. With her mind now in swirls of chaos, her temples pounded with furious rhythm, affecting her ability to concentrate. There had to be some way out of the situation. Why was this happening to her now? Why?

Face the dark. Do not turn away or hide. It will only suck you in, came a strange voice from somewhere in the vast emptiness of space.

Those words made an impression in her mind. Letting the power of the words console her, she managed to calm herself down. Her terrified and shrilling screams became mummers. What seemed to be the explosive pain of a bloody torch jamming her insides became the mere whispers of feathers tickling her lightly casting a warm aura around her figure. She smiled unconsciously. She was transported from a world of darkness into an altogether different dimension, one filled with light.

You were chosen, chosen to watch, chosen to save, chosen to be the ultimate sanctuary...

Then the light vanished. With it everything became normal except for the woman who now stood before Aoshi. The light that had carried her into this dimension left her with the figure of angel. Wide, beautiful sapphire eyes looked at him under long, thick, dark eyelashes. Her smile was peaceful as if her mind was in another world, one of dreams. Her once long bushy hair became luminous. It shone with a tinted blue color at the apex of her head. Her body had matured, as did the power her soul emanated. This was a wholly new and different Kaoru, and it only meant one thing... The mystical and the all-powerful phoenix had chosen her... The prophecy was true.

Fear crept into her veins and flowed throughout her body. The fact that she was chosen to be the new phoenix caused her much bewilderment. Her powers simply did not surpass her brother's the phoenix should have chosen him. Why did the phoenix pick her?

Kaoru hid herself in the comforting confines of her small room. She had not recovered from her astonishing revelation. Almost thoughtlessly, she crossed her room from her bed to her bookshelf. She came upon a familiar a book – one that dealt with the history of the developing galaxies. The book reminded her mother, who had first taught these lessons to her years ago.

The galaxies first developed in the fifteenth century when humans discovered mythical creatures. As human populations grew, they began to encroach further and further on nature, the domain of mythical creatures. Human history became littered with acts of destruction – the rape of the land for its resources and precious metals and the destruction of forests and other natural environments to clear the way for human settlement. As the destruction continued, these mythical creatures began to lose the magical affect they had over forests, waters, and plains. Adding to the deprivation of humankind, many began slaughtering these creatures for game, extracting their magic to further feed humanity's greed and power. Humanity's ways changed the world and the lives of all those within.

With only a few remaining creatures left, they begged the wisest and most powerful creature to save them from extinction. To keep the balance of life & death, the phoenix created order in what was called the Spiral of Life & Death. To ward off human killing of mythical creature for game, the phoenix promised that for every creature killed, human lives would pay the price. A mythical creature would then be born to replace the one that died. To keep both sides accountable, the same fate would land on any mythical creature that would kill a human. The point was not to avenge the death of these creatures, but to create harmony between the two species.

Still, human greed and deprivation had reached the point of excess and not even the promise of human deaths would keep the more insidious among them from acquiring the mythical creatures' power. The phoenix knew that with only a few mythical creatures left, there was little chance to recover the lost lives of those who died by humans. To create a balance while keeping harmony, the phoenix used the last of his powers to scatter the mythical creatures to different planets throughout the universe, thus giving every living organism a sense of belonging in the universe without fear of extinction through the hands of another.

The phoenix's soul had been imprinted in the heavens above, watching over the universe. As centuries passed, the creatures began to fade from human existence, appearing to only a few and only rarely – their numbers scattered throughout the universe. They came to be regarded as figments of the imagination by people. Thus, they came to be known as mythical creatures, legends found in fantasies and fairy-tales.

Years later, a new super breed of mythical creatures made their way through the galaxies, conquering worlds and usurping thrones. Underdeveloped galaxies matured quickly under their rule. The royal family that lay claim to the galaxies was said to be a hybrid of both Mythical Creatures and humans. The hybrid royalty ruled justly performing many great deeds for the people they ruled. In time, the all-powerful phoenix granted the royal family the ability to turn into powerful dragons. With these new gifts, the family then took their eccentric gifts to outer space. Soon the family became noble blood among dragons only allowing trusted advisors to have a human form, while trusted humans were given a dragon form. The noble blood called themselves the Legendary Dragons whom lead the Dragon race to victory and conquerors among empires. They became the second most powerful creatures in line, just below the Beautiful phoenix.

With the insight of history ingrained in her mind, she never noticed a figure standing behind her. A slight cough stirred her from her thoughts and made her whirl around to see a familiar face. It was the same face that haunted her dreams, the same face she could never ignore no matter how complex the situation. Gracefully the form bowed before her. A strong fist went to his heart as emotionless amber eyes focused on her.

"I apologize for intruding," he said. He stood then, his height a few inches taller from the top of her head. His posture spoke of elegance and strength. Bloody long locks fell free from his high ponytail, giving him the striking appearance of a strong and true warrior. Kenshin Himura was his name, appointed as a Commander of royal guards to her family and highly a trusted advisory to her older brother.

Yet seemingly he was different from all the other men she met. They would gladly give everything in their possession to court her or even marry her. Kenshin on the other hand glanced at her as if her status meant nothing to him. Continuously his impressions toward her were indifferent from the way he treated servants. Alienated and cold were two words that defined his personality. Kaoru could not remember the last time he associated himself with anyone besides Aoshi. Although it did not bother the other members in the courtyard, it did bother her.

From the first time she laid eyes on him, she knew she held infatuation for him. Throughout the years the feelings grew into something stronger and far more complex then her understanding. Her mother once mentioned the word "love." Could it be that?

Mentally Kaoru shook her head. It was not love; it was just the feeling of admiration for a man who took his job seriously. Never once did he look at her as an heiress of a kingdom he can obtain, or a weak hearted soul he can maneuver in whichever way he liked. A mutual role-played between them where they both acted and knew their parts.

"It is fine. I was not doing anything important in the first place," she replied while looking down at her hands cadaverously.

"It seems your thoughts were important due to the fact that you left your brother standing alone," he stated.

Startled Kaoru looked up, but avoided his stare.

"Somehow you seem different," he mentioned out of nowhere. It was as if he was trying to sooth the tension in the atmosphere.

"Yes," was all she could say?

Without continuing the conversation he turned away. He was about to leave the room, when Kaoru realized something significant about his reason for being here. "You came here for something?"

He didn't glance back. "I just came to wish you a Happy Birthday."

Once again startled by this side of Kenshin, Kaoru could not find the words to reply. Like if he understood her gesture, he nodded his head and bowed once again. "Your highness," he said before retiring for the evening.

What was that all about? Kaoru mentally asked herself. Usually a few words expressed his meaning, however, tonight he acted as if he wanted to converse with her.

Yes he did, answered another voice. Jumping from her seat, she landed helplessly on the floor. A big yelp can be heard from her room. Then scattering of objects throughout the room came flying at the figure that read her thoughts.

"How many times must I tell you not to do that!" she shrieked.

I am sorry, he said through their mental link of communication. Finally walking through the door, Kaoru saw her brother waiting patiently for her. His arms folded at his chest as he looked at her thoughtfully.

Aoshi wondered if his sister knew the importance of Kenshin meeting with her. Scrutinizing at her carefully, scanning her wondrous mind, he found no clue of comprehension, nor did it dawn on her to wonder why Kenshin would wish her a Happy Birthday. Under any circumstance Kenshin would not attempt to converse with his sister, for she considered an enigma. He only did so tonight because he was following orders. Somehow it felt strange for Aoshi to anticipate his sister's revelation. It probably had to do with the fact that she was chosen for a difficult task and once again she had to prove her worth to the members of the courtyard. Or maybe he was jealous because his sister got the responsibility, which he always took from her.

Closing his eyes, he remembered the past when both he and her found the truth that changed their lives forever. It was the time when the feud ended between the unicorns and the Pegasus. Both worlds negotiated and created a Peaceful Treaty thanks to their mother. However, the constructing of both worlds delayed their parents, until finally their parents never returned home. Only later did the deaths of two royal dragons immersed into the kingdom, causing an unpleasant stir. Aoshi gained responsibility of ruling the kingdom because he was older. His sister's fate was just to marry a wealthy man who would manage to take care of her and her inheritance. Ever since then, Aoshi took the responsibility for everything.

Tomorrow would decide her new fate. If she truly were to be the new all mighty phoenix, then she must prepare herself for a difficult battle that every warrior must surpass on their eighteenth birthday.

(To be continued.)