Chapter 8:
Aoshi read the note quickly before crumpling it. It had read:
Aoshi-sama,
I'm on an assignment…to get rid of Himura Battousai. Due to some obstacles, I cannot wait any longer. If I die, then please take care of my clan, the Tsume Gumi. I might not live if I succeed in arousing the Battousai. I leave all my possessions in your care. Thank you for everything…
Mariko.
He looked at Akiko. "We have to leave now. Do you know where she is? I might not get there in time, the stupid girl!"
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Mariko changed into her ninja outfit and checked her shurikens and blade. She breathed in deeply, she had left Sanosuke asleep in his room and sneaked out of the dojo, heaven knew why Kenshin hadn't heard. Well, Kenshin would be gone today. She looked at Tomoe's mirror. "I don't need Sanosuke being a sheath Tomoe. He's done enough…I'm sorry."
She ran her finger down the blade of her sword, it was sharp enough. She mentally apologized to Hiko Seijuro who she'd learnt from when Kenshin had disappeared for those fifteen years. Duty was duty. She touched her stomach lightly, Sanosuke's baby…if she died today, then it would kill them both. "I'd have loved to stay and have you, kodomo! But an order is an order."
The door opened and she turned around. Two men stood at her door. She smirked at them. "You needn't worry so much; I told you I'll finish him off. If I lose, then well what loss is it to you? I won't give you in either."
The shorter man smiled. His voice was gruff and raspy. "I'm sure you won't. I believe in you Mariko. You'll throw away everything for duty." She slipped out of the window without a word.
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Sanosuke woke up and looked around. She was gone. He looked at a small note on the bed. I love you. No…she wasn't leaving him. He ran out and saw Kaoru and Megumi. "Did you see Mariko?" they shook their heads. "She wasn't here in the morning." Sanosuke walked back into the dojo wall. "Where's Kenshin?"
"Oh he's gone out to buy some tofu." Kaoru smiled. Sanosuke swore loudly. "No, she's gone to fight him! He'll kill her if she brings out Battousai!" he looked at the women desperately. "They'll kill each other!"
Megumi looked at Sanosuke worried. "What do you mean Sano? She cant fight in her condition!" he looked at her… "She's the ninja who attacked him on the eve of Kaoru's birthday! What do you mean her condition?" Megumi looked at him in despair. "She's pregnant with your child! She'll kill both herself and the child!"
Sanosuke stared at her in shock. "I have to stop her!" he ran out the door with the two women following him.
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Kenshin walked down the path to buy tofu. Suddenly he stopped. He looked out at the river bank where he and Sanosuke had fought. A ninja stood there, he walked up to her. She turned to face him. "Nice to see you again, Himura-san" she smiled her beautiful trade mark smile. Kenshin's eyes widened slightly…"So it was you all along? What about Sanosuke? Were you leading us on?"
She smiled again, but her eyes were blank. "No, I didn't lead you on. I do love Sanosuke, but duty comes first, you must know that Battousai, why else would you have waited to finish establishing the Meiji government before you stopped all killing? You would have stopped right then, if duty hadn't come over Tomoe." He looked at her surprised. She nodded. "I knew Tomoe. She was my best friend though a lot older than me. She wrote to me about you once. It's ironical that I'm out to kill my best friend's lover. Draw your sword Battousai or should I say Shinta? That's who you are now…Shinta, come on be Kenshin once more!"
Kenshin looked at her for a while. Then he narrowed his eyes and drew. She wasn't going to let him off. She readied when a shout stopped them. She sighed and looked up. "Mariko! Don't! I wont let you fight." Sanosuke ran up to her. "Why didn't you tell me you were having our child?" Kenshin stopped in shock. But Mariko didn't answer, she stared coldly at Megumi. "So you broke your word Megumi-san? I might have expected it! Sanosuke get out of my way."
"Why Mariko-san? You know you don't want to do this!" Kaoru ran a few steps forward but a shuriken missed her by inches. Mariko looked at her. "This is about what I've been ordered to do. I was supposed to have killed the Battousai and left. It didn't happen like that. Now I must finish and leave." Megumi frowned at her. "Come to you senses baka onna! You'll kill the baby if anything goes wrong. What a time to be calling out the Battousai!"
Mariko smiled. "Nothing gets in my way. I have to kill Kenshin, for my clan. I need my clan to survive and I can only o so if I kill the Battousai. I said get out of my way Sanosuke." When he didn't move she glared. "Haaaaa…" she punched him hard and he skidded backwards. Then she ran to him and poked a nerve. He gasped, he could move an inch. It was what she had done to Kenshin. "Mariko…" she turned to face Kenshin. "I said draw Battousai. Are you afraid you'll hurt me or my child? I wont give a chance to do that." She drew and ran at him, he jumped out of the way, but as he struck she blocked him. he tried his flying dragon slash and once more she almost impaled him on her sword. She moved quickly and fluidly. He took up the stance for battoujutsu and she mirrored him. Their swords met with a clang, and racked some. She attacked and suddenly jumped into the air using his own attack against him. Kenshin moved out of the way in shock, just in time. Mariko laughed. "Oh I forgot my regards from Hiko Seijuro. I take it he didn't tell you about me…his second apprentice! You cant defeat me unless you become Battousai! Do I have to make you angry like all the other attackers did? Whom should I aim at? Kaoru-san? Megumi? Yahiko? Or even Sanosuke? Don't force me to do so, when I fight I have no mercy!"
Kenshin looked at her for a moment and then his eyes changed. She found herself staring into the eyes of a man slayer. She smiled slightly ignoring Sanosuke panting out her name. Then they ran at each other again. The blades clanged. Then Kenshin struck the earth hard. She dodged the flying bits of sand, but wasn't fast enough as Kenshin's blunt blade hit her arm. She stumbled and fell a little far away. Kenshin attacked without pause and she put up her sword in time to block him. She blocked all his attacks almost as fast as him. Then she got him across the knee. He fell back at once panting. His eyes narrowed even more and he came at her landing a blow on her neck. She landed sliding across the ground and struggled to stand up. She spat out the blood to one side. She ran at him once more attacking swiftly looking for an opening. She never found one instead he flew up into the air once more. She tried to go into the counter stance but he switched position and the blunt blade hit her leg. There was a sickening crack and she went pale. She leaned on her sword to get up. He came at her; she recognized the Hiten Mitsurugi's final attack and closed her eyes.
Sanosuke yelled out her name as Kenshin flew towards her. The blade was about to strike when a figure flew out of nowhere. Kenshin's blade sliced into thin air. He turned around to see Aoshi cradling Mariko in his arms. "Enough." It came out as a command. Kenshin stared at them angrily before turning back to normal. "Aoshi?" Sanosuke stared at the man.
"Aoshi-sama? You should have let him, it was fitting…" he slapped her hard. Her eyes widened in shock. "Don't be stupid. You've got a clan to take care of and you lost fairly. We're leaving you need that wound tended to." She nodded softly. Sanosuke stood up; the paralysis had eased a little.
"Mariko!" she looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. Then she smiled. "You know I cant stay…Gomen Sanosuke…I didn't mean to fall in love with you, but I did. And now all I'm going to return to you is pain and suffering. Ja mata aimasho ne?" Sanosuke stared at her. "You cant leave not now! You're having our child! You…" he stared at Aoshi's disappearing form and at Mariko's tear filled eyes as they disappeared into the forest. He tried to run, but fell into the mud; his legs weren't working that well yet. "Mariko!" he screamed but she didn't come back. He covered his face and sobbed, the only thing he'd loved. Kaoru ran to Kenshin and they stared at Sanosuke's form in the mud. Sanosuke stood up and opened the note he suddenly found in his pocket. My last name is …Sagara. I love you.
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A/N: that's it! It's over I don't know whether to be happy or sad!