A/N hey look, I updated Hmm I hope this chapter isn't confusing. And I'm sorry that it's kind of short. But hey. I'm sorry to have left you hanging in the last chapter. I got a couple of shouts about how could I do such a thing to Tanako. But it's all part of the story, that how. Oh and if you remember, chapter 7 lost it's formatting at the end, and made it hell to read. I never was able to fix it, but I tried it on my new computer and what do you know.. it got fixed. So Chapter 7 is all better if anyone wants to go back a read it the way it was suppose to be. Hehe Ahem.. anyway. hugs all my reviewers tightly… I'm so glad to see some familiar faces, as well as a few newcomers. gives and extra hug and a cookie to Unicornfan.. it's reviewers like you that make the stress of writing all worth it, that it is. I'm Happy you think my writing is beautiful . I do have an account on Fictionpress, where I have my original works at. I only have two but hey, anyway my pen name there Is Hagalaz if anyone wants to take a look. Gah, enough self promotion. On with the story!

Oh one more thing, thank you for bearing with my dyslexia and putting up with all the psycho typos that have plagues my chapters,… I know they are there just.. if my spell check does not catch them… I can't see the mistakes. So Thank you for putting up with it. hands everyone another cookie.

Disclaimer: even though I just finished watching all 72 episodes of Kenshin, sadly… I still down own him.

Devotion

By Melissa x

Chaos, pure and utter chaos. Battousai snapped, the reverse blade sword already flipped over, ready to kill. The gang surrounding him bolted, swords in the air and heading straight for him. He almost dropped Karou, having temporarily forgotten she was even in his arm. Baka! He couldn't leave her laying there where she could met the same fate as Tanako. Battousai quickly set his love on the ground and took a relaxed stance over her. He wouldn't move, nor would he allow anyone to get close enough to touch Karou. His burning amber eyes glared out under his red hair. He flipped his sword back over to render it harmless once again. These men where not the owners of the blood he wanted to spill. Battousai spat on the ground and raised his sword to send another wave of rock and dirt in the eyes of his enemies.

"Do-Ryu-Sen!" he growled out more to himself as he sent them backwards with the shock wave. His anger further fueled his attack, making it much more powerful than the first. Battousai stole a look over his shoulder at Sasorie as the men tried to gather themselves from the rubble and regroup.

Sasorie shoved Tanako to the ground, the dagger still deep in her side. And Toshiki…..He was still dodging gang members in order to reach the bastard he once called his leader. Toshikis' mind had gone blank, all he saw was the sight of his Tanako, in the arms of that white-haired…… Oh he couldn't even think of a word that was low enough for Sasorie. The young man slashed at a fellow gang member that got in his way.

His poor Tanakos' yelp of surprise cut off by the taste of steal in her side. The opponent in his way fell, split open from neck to navel. Sasorie laughed among the chaos around him. How Toshiki wanted to repay the favor he bestowed upon his childhood love. His ice blue eyes would have melted and burned red if they could, but they burned with a new coldness. A cold that he had never felt before. For once in his young life, he wanted to kill for the pleasure of it. He wanted to kill Sasorie just to watch his blood drip from his sword. To laugh at him and spat down at his dying body.

Tanako stayed very still and very silent. She was not dead, oh no they would have to better than that if they wanted to get rid of her that easy. She growled to herself, baka Sasorie, he had meant to kill ether her of Karou, ether one would bring someone into a fit of rage. Had he known how Toshiki felt about her?.. that they were more than just childhood friends, training partners, and trusted companion?

The dagger wound was deep yes, but was it fatal? She couldn't tell yet. The pain had stopped almost as soon as it started, her bodys' natural pain killers kicked in. Adrenalin. It killed the pain and fueled her body, the sake had also helped to deaden the pain. Slowly, despite the chaos going on around her, she inched her hand towards the dagger in her side. She was free….and now she had a weapon. True it was too short to be a tanto, but it was close enough. She had to move slowly, any sign that she was alive now would surly seal her fate.

Inch by inch, her hand moved. The battle raging just feet from her, dust kick up by the dozens of feet forced her to keep her eyes closed. She was lucky that she wasn't stepped on. All the while Sasore stood just a few feet from her, laughing… relishing the sight. What tore at her the most was hearing the cries of Toshiki and he no doubt was fighting his way to get to her. She heard her name called in his broken voice, curses spat at both Sasorie and Kami. Tanako felt her heart breaking at every sob that escape Toshiki. But she was not dead, not dead!. She wouldn't leave that easy.

Her fingers touched the hilt of the dagger and slowly wrapped around the hilt. She prayed that her left arm was shielding her actions as her right hand got ready to pull the dagger from her side. With her grip firm around the hilt, she took a deep breath and quickly pulled the dagger free.

Pain!.. damn the pain, she almost bite the tip of her tongue off to keep from screaming out. It was worse than being stabbed in the first place. She took a chance and opened her eyes to look at how bad the wound was. She couldn't see it well because of the dust that was being kicked up and her gi was covering the wound. But there was one thing she was glad she didn't see. Blood. There was no blood. With the dagger in hand she waited.

Kenshin had been tired after the first bought of fighting. Becoming Battousai had renewed his energy, however, it was quickly wearing out. He was not showing anyone mercy, anyone who dared approach him and Karou where immediately disposed of. Yet these gang members put up a hell of a fight and Battousai dare not step from Karous' side. Already he amber-eyed man was gasping for air, he ignored sweat that trailed in his eyes and stung. His gi was ripped to shreds, as was his skin. Many of the enemy had been able to get a hit on him before they were taken out.

"Sano!" He roared out. He knew the kid was there somewhere, throwing punches to his hearts' content. If he could get Sano to take over protecting the woman, she he would be free to rain his terror down on them fully and get the battle over with. "SANOSUKE!"

Sano to simply put it… pitched a fit. He did not see what had happened but from the scream that Toshiki emitted told him that something terrible had happened. He nearly winced when he heard Battousai scream his name. Kenshin was pissed. 'Oh man, this isn't going to end well.' He thought. He knew that Kenshin would lose it when he saw Missy, but he didn't think that it was going to fall on him. 'Why me?'

"I'm coming Kenshin!" Sano shouted out as he punched another guy or of the way. Where was Toshiki? He had lost sight of him when Tanako had been stabbed. 'Aw Hell. Tanako didn't deserve that, the scum.' He abandoned the boxing spree and darted back into the crowd to join a very angry…..very spent Ex-samurai. The teen quickly weaved in and out of the various gang members. Some running from the fight with fallen mates in their arms and dragging along the ground. Others running to the fight, swords in the air. Sano took out as many of those as he ran to Kenshin. He was forced to cut through the forest to avoid running past the throng that was the gang. He burst to the side of Kenshin, taking out two, three, four gang members before skidding to a stop next to the red head.

"Where the Hell have you been!" Kenshin spat as he turned to glare at the teen with his amber eyes. Sano stepped back, hands in front of him.

"Whoa Kenshin, I've been doing my job like you asked." He paused to blindly punch a swordsman to the left of him. "I got Tanako out and-what's the matter with Missy?" he interrupted himself when he caught sight of Karou still out cold on the ground.

"She fainted when she saw Tanako stabbed." Battousai growled, Trusting Sano to watch his back as he stuck the point of his sword in the ground to free his hands. He kneeled down and scooped Karou in his arms and lifted her off the ground. "No doubt she's completely exhausted from the trek here." She was more then spent, Kenshin knew that much. she was not in the best of health when they left three days ago, and he could only imagine how she must have struggled to get there. And she was covered in blood, The stink of it was all over her. And that was one thing he never wanted to see on her. But he'll be happy if it was not her blood, but he didn't know that just yet. That moment was not the time to find out. He had more important things to do. It was hard… but he turned and gave Karou over to Sano.

"Sano, watch over Karou for me, I can't fight and protect her for me. Don't you dare leave her side." He gave the teen a glare that would have sent Sano scurrying away. Sano swallowed heavily and hugged Karou tighter against him.

"Don't worry Kenshin, I got her." Sano turned and quickly dashed into the cover of the forest.

Kenshin turned back to the gang that was taking the moment to regroup themselves. A humorless smile crossed his lips for a moment before he took his sword from the ground again. Now he was able to fight without worry and the gang knew this too. None wanted to be the first to dash out to fight him. Battousai sheathed his sword and turned a new stance to the gang. Enough was enough.

Toshiki finally made it to the front of the fray; after leaving a wake of anger behind him in the form of dozens of bodies behind him. He was ready to Kill Sasorie, he spat on the ground. That name was poison in his mouth. The young man was practically foaming at the mouth and he gazed around trying to find the horrid man.

"Damn it!" Toshiki shouted, the white-haired devil had vanished in all the confusion. Where was Tanako? She should have been right where he was standing. Looking around he spotted something laying on the ground, he leaned down and scoped it up. Bright colors rested in his hand as well and the smooth water like feel of ribbon. It was the butterfly hair tie that he had given Tanako the night before. There beautiful creation had one wing crushed, most likely from being step on, or…. From the impact of Tanako hitting the ground. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, anger boiled in him, blinding him.

"There he is!" came a shout from behind him. Having been so angered, the battle ground vanished and a few gang members and ventured out in the fray to try and catch the turncoat. "Get him!" one shouted and the men charged after Toshiki, battle cries filling the air. Toshiki whipped around sword raised and fire in his eyes, the broken but still lovely hair tie slipped in between the folds of his gi. The leader of the group had reached five yards from the blue eyed warrior when he suddenly halted. The group skidded to a stop and rammed into each other. Confused, they all look at the leader of the pack. Toshiki lowered his sword and gazed at them for a moment wondering why they stopped. Then he saw it, a dagger had been thrown and the aim was perfect. The dagger caught the man square in the chest. The man stood, shocked, surprised… and dead. The pack leader fell backwards, and the other men leaped back.

There was only on person who could throw a dagger like that with such speed and accuracy. He whipped around and spotted the one person that caused his anger to melt away.

"Tanako!"

There she was. She had removed the dagger and vanished in the crowd. She didn't think it was going to be very easy but it was,… much to her surprise. They had left her for dead but she was not dead yet, and now she had a weapon. The best weapon that they could have given her. She stood there with one hand on her wound and the other hanging limp at her side. She had found good use for that dagger. Timing it just right to surprise not only Toshiki but the band of men that charged him. She did have a taste for the slightly dramatic. But she thought that if she was going to go out, she was going to go in style.

A/N wow, man… I just left it off right there.. not really what I had in mind but I knew that if I didn't start a new chapter I was going to go into some confusing gibberish or something. Yes Tanako has really been stabbed, so don't think she's just got a flesh wound like I know most of you are thinking. Hehe PLEASE Leave a review, I want to know what you guys want to see happen! I thought this story was going to end next chapter, but I was totally off, it has a few more chapters in it so I really do need reviews with some ending ideas cause I still have time to work them in.