Butterfly Kisses chapter 17, a rurouni kenshin fanfic

Date started: February 8, 2006

School is unbelievably cruel to me. Last week I went crazy with my English paper. But, I'm back! I gave a double dose of Happiness in Slavery to people, so that is partially why this is so late in being started. I hope you guys will enjoy these last few chapters of Butterfly Kisses. Yes, the last few. Because I am finally going to finish it, no ifs, ands, or buts. It is about time that I finish one of my stories. This will be the first I ever finish. Enjoy chapter 17.

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

Dark finally fell, as the last few rays of the sun sank below the horizon. Kenshin and Sanosuke walked through the quiet restaurant they had entered, and walked towards a small door. They both removed their shoes, setting them down next to several other pair, and entered a room on their knees. The two were greeted by the faces of Misao, Aoshi, and another. The three nodded their acknowledgment, and Misao promptly introduced the third person, "Himura-san, Sanosuke-san, this is Beshimi-san." The two studied the strange looking one, "He is one of the most trustworthy of all the Oniwabanshuu followers. He will do well in this mission." Everyone nodded once again, and then the two men sat down with the group of ninja.

Glancing at a watch, Kenshin said in his cool voice, "In five minutes, Aoshi and Misao will leave, making their way to the estate on foot. It is a short walk from here, as all of you know." He paused a moment, and then continued, "Two minutes later, Beshimi, you will follow. If you suspect anyone following them, take him out. I don't want the two to use any weapons until they are off the streets and inside the estate," His gaze was now upon the red head opposite, "I am sure you will have no problem." Shifting his eyes so that he was looking at Sanosuke, "You and I will leave at the same time as Beshimi, but we will take our own way to the estate. Within thirty minutes, all of us, with the exception of Beshimi, will be inside. Beshimi will keep his eye out. We don't need any cops." He looked at his watch again, "Two minutes."

Polaris sat on a short stool in front of a mirror. Her black eyes stared at herself in triumph, as she ran a brush through her long, dark hair, "Haha. The little fool. I am finally able to do what I want. Humans are idiots to think that they could ever overcome me." She set the brush down on the little table that was just below the bottom edge of the mirror. Silently, she took to braiding it. The woman had locked the door, refusing to allow anyone in. As she tied a black ribbon at the end of the long braid, she stood up and walked over to the mahogony wardrobe. Opening it, Polaris ran her eyes over the items. She didn't want any of the garments of the modern days. The celestial one wanted a kimono. The girl reasoned the bastard wouldn't give that Kaoru a wardrobe such as this, without any traditional clothes.

At long last, she found one. It seemed to suit her very well. It was a lovely black silk, with white cherry blossoms trimming the long sleeves; the obi white with black colored ones. Pulling it out of the closet, she used some power to clothe it on her body, rather than go through the troublesome experience of putting it on herself. "Oh... I long to see the look on his face when he realizes that his only purpose was to be used." She chuckled softly. She had put on the white socks onto her tiny feet, and then went to the door. Taking a quick glance at the grandfather clock that stood in a corner that read 8 P.M., and then she opened the door.

Shishio was surprised when his door was opened. In the doorway stood a very lovely looking Polaris. She looked absolutely stunning in her traditional outfit, as her hair was resting over one of her shoulders in a braid. She walked in without waiting for any request to enter, "I want to talk with you on certain issues." The girl sat down with a very cold air.

"Did you seriously think to use my power as you pleased?" She sounded angry, but this was a very dangerous angry. She lifted one of her slender hands and a small ball of blue fire formed and floated there. Fear began to build up in his eyes. Polaris knew that the leader's greatest fear was fire. Her black eyes looked at him hard, and then she aimed the fire for the empty fireplace to the left. He flinched slightly. The girl stood up and walked over to him. She wrapped two arms around him from behind, her cold hands resting on his chest. She leaned forward, and her pale pink lips whispered into his ear, "Watch yourself now. I could kill you at any moment with that trick of mine. That fire is cold as ice."

Shishio had begun to notice it. The room was no longer warm. It was steadily lowering in temperature. He stared at the flames with his fearful eyes. She continued, her breath just as cold as her hands, "This is a new trick I conjured, and I know you would just love to be the first that I try it on. So, don't do anything foolish."

The man stuttered out, "B-but you said that it wouldn't be easy to kill me with your power."

Polaris laughed, and stood up straight, removing her cold presence from his body, "I said it wouldn't be easy. I never said I couldn't." She walked in front of him and stared down, "I won't be your silly puppet. You will be mine. You will do as I tell you until I no longer need you, Lord Shishio."

Misao crouched in one dark corner of the kitchen. She knew that her Aoshi was hidden in another area of the same room. She thought back to the young woman they were supposed to rescue tonight. She had seen the girl once or twice, when she had been assigned to work at that clinic. The blue eyed one had always come to the place injured in some way. Yet, the girl had always left all the stronger, and just as pretty. Misao didn't like seeing that girl hurt, and hoped that this time around, she would not suffer any of the scarring gashes that she seemed to be in a habit of recieiving.

She heard the ticking of a clock, and wondering what time it was, poked her head around a corner. Not seeing it, the young ninja crossed her arms over her chest slightly annoyed. Kenshin and Sanosuke were being really slow. The two ninja had been stuck in the place for at least half an hour. No doubt it was already nine.

The green eyed ninja heard a door very quietly open. She knew that if she weren't anticipating it, or trained as she was, she would not have heard it. Again, her head turned around the corner, and she was relieved to see the two that she had been so impatiently waiting for. She gave them a look of, 'About time,' and then stood up and walked towards the two men. Aoshi followed her, and the four were now standing in the middle of the kitchen, "Get down," Kenshin quietly whispered. They all followed suit, and crouched down on their knees below a table.

"I saw a light at the end of the second floor west wing. I have a feeling that is where the two are. Let's all head there. Don't allow yourself to be seen. I have no doubt the guards are about. Everyone nodded in unison, and then made their own separate ways to get to the second floor.

It had taken very little to have this one time powerful man, to become a cowering one. Polaris stared at him in high amusement. They were both sitting. Shishio was fidgeting with his hands. He of course, would not admit to being afraid, but it was written all over him. She felt very accomplished, as she lifted her eyes up and stared out the window to see the lights of the world's largest metropolis.

Something seemed to be creeping up on her. She couldn't tell what. It felt as though she were being watched. Her sharp ears heard somethng slide out of something else, and then a quick slash. There was what sounded like the slump of a body, and then, another slash as something cut through the doors. Both Shishio and herself stood up and turned around to see the doorway open, the one time doors now splintered on the ground. A silent gasp escaped her lips, as she saw fiery red hair and tawney golden eyes. Polaris saw him step over the pieces of wood and into the room. At the sight of her, he seemed to find relief, and then he stared at Shishio.

The man had not noticed yet. This was amusing, "Shishio, I have come to take back something dear that you took." She heard a gunshot, a bullet reflect off of something metal, and then another body slump. Not too long after that, another figure came into the room. This one had spikey black hair. Polaris had never met him, but the sense of familiarity gave her reason that Kaoru had.

"I'm sorry, assassin, but the one you knew is gone." Polaris finally said. The gold eyes narrowed, and Kenshin took a few steps forward to study her closely. Realization dawned, and his eyes widened, "NO! She's not gone!"

Polaris laughed softly, and answered, "I believe you to be mistaken. Your beloved Kaoru has gone off to sleep. She will never come back." Two others had now shown up, "Is that the rest of your group? I hope so, because none of you will leave this place, none of you, unless you are dead." She conjured up her blue flames, and they now burned coldly in the doorway, making escape impossible.

Kaoru was dreaming a very wonderful dream, although she knew it as reality. She was with Kenshin. They had just destroyed Shishio. He had come to her prison of a home, and found her with Shishio in his room. The red head had taken barely any time to kill the monster, and he came to her. They were sitting together on the ground, holding each other. Her tears of happiness had dried up, and now, she asked, "Where's Yahiko?"

A look of confusion came into his golden eyes, "Yahiko? Shishio killed him in the parking garage, remember?"

Kaoru shook her head, "No. He wasn't." She looked at the man she was close to carefully, "What are you talking about? He is with you."

Something was beginning to pull Kaoru. Something wasn't right.

"You must get up Kaoru..."

Kaoru continued to stare at her love, as he suddenly began to fade away, as did the rest of her surroundings. She was back on the star of Polaris. What surprised her the most, was that she was met by someone different from Polaris. This person was alike in apppearance, but her eyes were different. They were blue, very much like her own, "What..."

The other one replied, "Kaoru, I am you, and I am not. I am a counterpart of the Polaris who took over your body, and I am also a part of your soul. She has been taken over by her hatred for the one who defiled you and abused your powers. It has consumed her. I have been asleep, just as you have. The only problem is, that current circumstances are not good. I will help you completely awaken. And when it is complete, I will deal with Polaris, and put her away for good. The only thing is this: Once I do that, you will never be able to use your celestial powers again. For I too, will go away, and only you will be left."

The wind softly blew the silver grass about, and Kaoru looked at the one in front of her, "I understand. Polaris has done far to much damage, and I would never want her to be able to do that again. I just want things to be good again. I want to be able to see the ones I love, without worry of being hunted down and abused. Do it."

Polaris was slowly allowing her freezing flames to spread around the entire room, encircling all six of them. Kenshin shouted out in anger, "What have you done with her! Bring her back!"

"That is quite impossible, my dear red head. She has been silenced forever." She made the flames creep about two feet closer to everyone. The room was quickly getting cold, "This is quite convenient. I can kill all of you at once, including Shishio. It's the perfect opportunity. I will get what I want with everyone's death." A smug smile was resting on her lips. Her black eyes glinted with evil.

She asked, "Any last requests before I make you all freezed to death?"

Sanosuke shouted out, "What the fuck is your problem lady?"

Polaris turned her gaze to him, "Me? Have a problem? All I am doing is giving everyone what they deserve. Shishio because he defiled me and abused me. Kenshin because he loved her. You and the other two because they assisted him."

"That's your stupid reason?" Misao fiercely retorted. Her green eyes were ablaze, "What is so wrong with someone loving another? Why should Kenshin, and we, have to die because he loves Kaoru? Shishio loved her, but he abused that love. Kenshin's love for Kaoru is genuine. He would never harm her, and Kaoru loves him back."

Her black eyes narrowed, "His love? Genuine? Don't make me laugh. And Kaoru love him? She is gone, forever. Even if you tried, she could never come back." Those words seemed to infuriate the red head.

"If that is the case, and Kaoru is indeed forever gone, then die, bitch!" He unsheathed his sword and made for her with his godlike speed.

Polaris smiled, and icy flames surrounded everyone's bodies. Before they could stop the Battousai, his sword stabbed into her body, and then she fell to the ground, him going with her, as he tossed his sword aside, and the flames encircled him as well.

CLIFFHANGER GUYS! LEAVE ME A THOUGHT! I LOVE YOU ALL.

And at long last, the story is going to end. Next chapter is going to be the much anticipated last chapter. What will happen guys? Tell me what you think will happen. Nothing any of you say will change how I plan on it ending, but I want to know how you guys think it will end. Getting this chapter written has really been annoying. I have been trying to figure out how to place everything. But I got it. Next chapter will be very easy for me to write, actually, because I know how it will end. So, I hope you enjoyed reading it so far, and I hope you guys don't kill me with the cliffhanger.

-Hotaru

Date finished: February 18, 2006