Disclaimer: Don't own, never will, don't sue

Man, that took ages but I do have a valid reason! Read it at the end. And yes this is the epilogue but there is one more chapter to come, info at the authors note at the end.

((())) Hiko's Mountain ((()))

It had been about 6 months since that idiot apprentice of his had left with his wife. Sho had come up to the mountain a few times but had no more information about 'Battousai the Manslayer.' Now that Hiko knew exactly where his baka deshi was, that didn't worry him much anymore. He snorted to himself, this was the first time he knew exactly where that student of his was. He wondered idly to himself how his student and wife were doing.

If he had to admit it, which he wouldn't especially in front of a certain redhead, he hadn't been mad at Kenshin, just worried. And who wouldn't be? His student, the boy he'd taken in and considered in all ways like his son, he had fed to the wolves. Kenshin had lost his innocence, oh yes, he could see that, but Tomoe was helping him in a way that only she could. The deaths he had caused had taken their toll but he wasn't the demon that everyone made him out to be.

Hiko had to admit that he was slightly happier now that he knew his little baka deshi was safe. Which was another thing he would never admit to anyone especially within 5 miles of that same redhead. He learned his lesson six months ago. He was just lucky that he managed to trick Kenshin into forgetting about that particular moment.

But he had just been given new information which made him think that his apprentice, the so-called 'demon of Kyoto' would be rising from the shadows once more.

Kogoro Katsura, leader of the Choshu clan and major player of the Revolution, had surfaced once more. And with him, the Imperialists were active once more. Hiko had no doubt that Katsura would try to use Kenshin again. He supposed that he should be glad that Katsura had at least thought to give Kenshin a 'sheath' in Tomoe, but that didn't stop him from cursing the man for taking his apprentices innocence.

Hiko sighed as he walked along a very familiar path. A path which he'd walked upon for the first time 7 years ago…

((())) Flashback ((()))

"W-who are you," asked one of the bandits, the one who was holding his sword over the young boy.

"It is useless for me to tell my name to one who is about to die," responded Hiko and cut down the men. He then turned to young boy.

"Even if you hate these men, what's done is done. Just let the fact that you survived be your family's memorial." With that the white-cloaked man turned and walked away.

He returned a week later.

"Did he despair of the world and commit suicide? But that happens often. Even wielding a blade, following the teachings of the Hiten Mitsurugi Style, in the end I couldn't save anyone. It's happened so many times. An age warped towards madness with each passing day, infested with villains that I kill and kill like flies. It will only get worse from now on. The only thing I can really do is lay the victims body to rest…" Hiko's musings were cut short when he entered the clearing.

In front of him, every last body had been buried and given a marker. And in front of 3 stones stood one young red-haired boy.

((())) End Flashback ((()))

He had realized that day, that although Kenshin may not have had the build of a swordsman (or the name) but he had the heart of one. A heart of compassion, that sees not death and despair but life and hope. He was lucky that the Revolution had not stripped him of that ability. If it weren't for Tomoe, it most likely would have.

For the second time in his lifetime, Hiko's musings were abruptly cut short when he entered that same clearing. He stopped abruptly looking in the middle of the clearing…

There were still the roughly shaped wooden crosses and the three stones put to honour the three women that had saved Kenshins life, but now there was something new. Right behind the three stones stood another, more carefully made cross. And on this cross was a marker. A marker made of a very familiar blue shawl. Hiko drew in his breath, and then exhaled it slowly as he approached the grave.

It wasn't very old, a fortnight at the very most. And somehow he knew who it belonged to, but he couldn't bring himself to admit it. There was no way that Kenshin would allow any harm to befall his young wife. No way. Was it possible that the grave belonged to a friend of theirs? But what friend would Kenshin have that he would choose to bury here?

Hiko silently walked over to the new marker and, like so many years before, poured it on the new grave. He had the feeling that this grave belonged to one Tomoe Himura. And for the first time in his life, he prayed that he was wrong.

((())) Hiko's Cabin ((()))

He was still trying to make sense of what he had seen in that clearing. Could Kenshin have somehow let something happen to his wife? That just didn't add up with Kenshins personality and overprotective traits. He was still musing about it when he sensed a ki coming up his mountain. Hiko smirked, for once Sho had perfect timing, perhaps he had more information about Kenshin, or as Sho knew him as, Battousai.

Hiko went and stood outside the cabin waiting for Sho, impassive mask in place as usual. However inside his thoughts were all in turmoil. And they all revolved around one though: Did that grave belong to Tomoe Himura?

"Long time no see," called Sho as he approached the small clearing in front of Hikos home. Hiko only grunted. Sho laughed and said, "You know, you get more and more unresponsive each time I visit. What happened to that apprentice you used to have? Or maybe you should just get yourself a woman."

Despite the fact that Hiko needed information from Sho, he was quickly getting annoyed with the man for his incessant teasing! He had to remember to never introduce this guy to Kenshin. "You had better have come here for a better reason than tell me I need a woman," said Hiko gruffly.

"Well, for your information, theres a whole lot of new rumours just sprung up about Battousai the Manslayer," said Sho casually. Hikos heart thudded, this was what he was waiting for. "Well?" he said impatiently.

Sho had to admit he was surprised. Hiko hardly ever showed emotions, apart from a flicker of annoyance every now and then because of the teasing. But impatience was definitely not something Sho was accustomed to showing. Sho shrugged it off, everyone had their secrets and apparently Hikos had something to do with Battousai. He decided to just spill what he knew and just hope that he would find out one day, whether from Hiko or one of his rumour-mills back in Kyoto.

So he began. "As you know, a few weeks ago, Kogoro Katsura rose up in Kyoto and is heading the Choshu clan once more. The Choshu are now starting to gather together. Then Katsura disappeared. According to a guy I know in Otsu, Katsura went up that way, along the path that went to the medicine-sellers house."

Now Hiko was definitely interested. Didn't Tomoe mention that she and Kenshin sold medicines as a cover? But why would Katsura go personally to see them? Somehow he doubted he would like the answer.

Sho continued, oblivious to the reaction his words were getting from Hiko. "Apparently a few days prior, there was a massive commotion, with explosions and everything. Somebody found some hot-shot important Shogunate member in the middle of the Forest of Barriers, dead by a sword wound. And their medicine seller was found just outside that forest, badly wounded. In his arms was his wife, and she was dead."

Hiko paled, so it was true, Tomoe had been killed, he assumed by the Shogunate member that had been mentioned. He took a few deep breaths, preparing to tell Sho why he was so surprised (not the truth) but just something that explained why he had just nearly fainted. As it happened, he didn't need to. There was more.

"And that's not the worst of it," continued Sho. "A few days ago there was a massive fight between the Shinsengumi and the Choshu Imperialists. It was over when a young red-haired swordsman entered the fray and apparently killed them before they had a chance. He had long red hair and a cross-shaped scar on the left cheek."

Now Hiko was more surprised. What does this have to do with Tomoe's death? And how did Kenshin get a cross-shaped scar on his cheek? I taught him better than that!

"Theres still more," said Sho grimly. "The origin of the cross-shaped scar. One slash given to him by one of his assignments and the other…" here Sho paused to take a deep breath. Hiko noticed and frowned. What could be so bad that he doesn't even want to talk about it? "And the other slash was…was given to him by the wife…the wife that he killed with his own two hands."

Not even Hikos legendary self-control could stop him from gasping out loud at that one. In fact, it was all he could do to stop himself from fainting. Kenshin…he would never kill his wife. Ever. He could see it when he saw them together. They obviously loved each other and cared deeply for each other. So what happened?

This was going through his head as Sho left. He had to find out. He knew Kenshin better than anyone and he knew that Kenshin would kill someone he had sworn to protect, especially his own wife. So that left one choice. He would gather everything to do with the Imperialists, Battousai the Manslayer in particular, and he would find out the truth behind the death of Tomoe Himura.

Or die trying.

What he did find out shocked him, a lot more then he showed or would ever admit. Tomoe had been working for the Shogunate to try and kill Kenshin as revenge for him murdering her fiancé. Who had given Kenshin the first part of his cross-shaped scar. But instead of her trying to gain his trust, she had fallen in love with him and he with her. Then, after strengthening the bonds by getting married and living together in Otsu, she decided she couldn't go through with it and went to stall the Shogunate official, the one that was found dead at the top of the mountain. But Kenshin went to follow her to make sure they didn't hurt her.

The details of what happened in the forest of Barriers was sketchy, it seemed as though only Kenshin, Tomoe and the Shogunate official knew exactly what transpired. And two of them were dead and one wouldn't talk. All he could gather was that there had been some kind of explosion, which had robbed Kenshin of his eyesight and hearing, and he had also been ambushed by a few ninjas along the way.

The next details were just as hard to get, but with a bit of, erm, persuasiveness, the guy had talked. Seijuro Hiko was not the master of Hiten Mitsurugi for nothing. He discovered that Kenshin and the Shogunate official had a fight. One where apparently that official was winning since Kenshin had already been badly hurt before hand. So then apparently Kenshin had closed his eyes for one final swing and so had the official but then…Tomoe had run between them, saving Kenshin from the official…but instead getting killed by Kenshin who hadn't seen her run in between them and didn't have the time to stop his swing anyway.

It was the most stunning story of Love, Trust and Betrayal Hiko had ever heard. And his apprentice had lived it. He still didn't know how it was that Tomoe gave him the second part of his scar, but he knew that only one person could tell him that. And he was currently busy.

Now just one question remained in his head: What would happen to Kenshin? Tomoe had said that she had stopped him from going mad, that she was his sheath. What would happen to Kenshin now that he no longer had a sheath? He may no longer be a shadow assassin, but he was still a manslayer and was still being forced to kill. Would his apprentice still hold that old compassion, the one that had set him apart all those years ago? Would he still be able to live with himself, knowing all the death and destruction he had caused? And the most important one: Would Kenshin still have his pure heart?

And so the years went by. Sho still came up to give him information, and when Hiko went into town for whatever reasons, he would also hear rumours about the legendary Battousai. Some of them just wanted to make him laugh. Like the one about Battousai being a seven foot tall demon that could shoot fire out of his eyes. Some of them made him annoyed and some just made him sad. (Not that he'd ever admit it).

He heard about the amber-eyed executioner of Kyoto. (When did his eyes turn amber anyway? I could've sworn they were violet). The one with the ability to move with the speed of the gods and could kill hundreds without mercy. Who could stare certain death in the face without flinching. Several times he heard about him getting killed in some fight or other, but he'd always reappear a few days later.

That was normally all he got until one fateful day in 1868. Hiko had just gone into town to sell some pottery when Ashana, the sister of the man who owned the store where Hiko sold his work, stopped to tell him a few words. And they were still ringing in his head as he slowly made his way up his mountain.

"It was the battle of Toba Fushimi last night. Shinsengumi versus the Imperialists. The Imperialists won, the Revolution is finally over! But it was odd. A friend of mine said that all that was left of Battousai the Manslayer were his swords, left in the middle of the battlefield. And as the dust settled and the screams faded into the night, Battousai the Manslayer disappeared, to be remembered only as legend."

And now only the same question he had asked himself all those years ago remained. Kenshin had kept his promise, but at a terrible price. Did he still have the compassion and the life that he used to have? Did he still have a pure heart or had all those killings finally taken their toll and he had really become a merciless demon as everyone said he was? Did he still have a pure heart?

He would find out the answer on a fine day in May of 1878.

((())) Authors Note ((()))

Hey guys! I totally want to apologize for taking so long. As promised here is my (valid) excuse: I've been having a lot of problems with health lately. My circulations really down and I spent all of yesterday at the hospital and I have to go back next week. So I'm afraid I fell for the one thing mad cannot control: their health!

However there is good news to! As aforementioned this is the epilogue but I will be adding a deleted scenes chapter. This will include a sparring match with Hiko and anything else the reviewers might request. So yes this means that you can ask me to elaborate on anything in this story and I will add it onto the next chapter!

And one last thing: Thank you very much to akisu-san, TeZukAb0ch0u, korrd, Hitokiri Jinchuu, inuwolf04, MikaylaMae, DragonWolfStar, ilovekenshin and starfruit-22. Love you guys, hope you liked this chapter, please dropme another comment!

And be prepared for the next and final instalment of Dragon meets White Plum. In the meantime, please review!