Chapter Seven

Seta moodily pushed open the gate to the dojo and ushered himself in; he managed to keep the two poles balanced, one on each shoulder, both laden with sake jars strung up with hemp, while shutting the gate behind him. Somewhere within, he could hear Yahiko's voice raised in anger, and the boy skidded out onto the porch, meeting Soujirou's eyes briefly before dashing around to the back of the compound out of Seta's sight.

'Oi! Get back here, brat!' Sano almost immediately followed Yahiko, in obvious pursuit. The sight of Sano drew his thoughts to the sake (because the gambler would almost certainly partake of Seta's labor) and back to the task at hand. Seta felt a touch resentful that he'd been reduced to errand boy for the ever-thirsty Hiko, but admitted that there was little else for him to do at the moment.

Soujirou had been many years on his own when Kenshin's death had pulled the immortals home. It hadn't come as a surprise to wake up in the gaijin world, like it apparently had with Sano, because Soujirou had been fully informed by Shishio, back when he'd followed the former hitokiri. After leaving Shishio's service, he'd spent a number of years on his own; to be yanked back into the position of underling, even if it was Kenshin, whom Seta respected above all others, was a touch difficult, but he had acquiesced gracefully. When the gaijin world had closed, Kenshin had sent Soujirou to Hiko, in the chance Kaoru would show up at the home of the previous lord of the gaijin world. She hadn't, but Hiko had certainly made sure Seta never lacked for things to do. Retirement clearly hadn't softened the former Battousai, if the way he barked orders was any indication. Setting the sake down on the porch, Seta thought on the events that had brought him and Hiko from the outskirts of Kyoto to the dojo yesterday.

He had been at the river, fetching water when he'd felt a curious sensation, completely unlike anything he'd ever experienced. At first, crouching on the sandy bank, the world had gone dim, the brightness washed out of the colors around him, then his head buzzed and the sounds around him dulled, as if he'd plugged wax into his ears. Seta had felt a wave of vertigo hit him so hard that he'd been forced to sit down. Then the warmth of his blood had been stolen away as his gaijin power felt like it was literally draining out of his body, leaving his limbs heavy under the weight of the air around him. It felt like death. In panic, he'd dropped the buckets and raced back to Hiko's. Running up the path to the humble hut, Seta moved as quickly as possible, but it was not with the ease to which he'd become accustomed. His footsteps sounded heavy and lumbering over the soft twittering of birds in the green fronds to his left and right, and his breathing was labored from the pace he set, drawing in the scent of damp earth, cedar and the hot smoke of a kiln in great, burning gasps.

Approaching the door, Seta pushed aside the curtain with a trembling hand and saw Hiko exactly how he'd left him twenty minutes ago, seated by the fire, cup of sake in hand. Unimpressed by Soujirou's entrance, Hiko didn't even turn around. 'Given your clumsy stumbling up my mountain, I would guess that you were mortal again, but that is no excuse to have left the buckets by the river.'

Seta stumbled to his knees in confusion, exhausted already from his exertions. 'Mortal? Hiko-sama! What is happening? How can I be mortal again?'

Calmly taking a sip of the rice wine, Hiko finally turned to look at Seta. 'The obvious answer is that Shishio is dead.'

'I thought control over my immortal status would shift to the one who killed Shishio though. If Kenshin finally did kill Shishio, why wouldn't I have remained gaijin?'

Hiko paused, sake cup halfway to his lips…

'Wait, wait, wait! You mean…you actually rendered Hiko speechless?' Misao interrupted in amazement. She had opened the dojo gate later that same evening in stunned surprise to see Hiko and Soujirou standing there. Hiko had immediately stridden off to find Kenshin, leaving Seta to recount to Misao and Aoshi the events on the mountain. They were seated in the practice hall, sparsely lit in the night. Misao had brought tea and Seta noted her bandaged arm.

'So Hiko used his powers to bring you and come to Tokyo.' Aoshi ignored Misao's outburst, wanting the rest of the story. Seta nodded.

'Yes. He said…it was time to put this lover's quarrel to rest.'

Seta saw a look pass between Misao and Aoshi. He knew what Hiko had been referring to, but only from Shishio's account. Back then, according to Shishio, Kaoru supported him as Battousai successor and wanted Kenshin dead. Considering how events had played out recently, Seta thought maybe Shishio's assumptions about Kaoru's intentions may have been a bit…off.

'This has escalated beyond a mere argument between Kaoru and Kenshin.' Aoshi supplied. Seta observed Aoshi's eyes drift briefly to Misao and her arm as she stretched out to refill their cups. 'Today has shown us the fragility of our existence. Your situation only reaffirms it.'

'Aoshi-san, I know Shishio was killed, but what happened after that?'

Kaoru was dying. Blood poured out of her wound, coating the grass and dirt beneath her as she yanked the blade from her chest. Yahiko saw the pink spray of her breath as she exhaled in agony. And he could do nothing, tied as he was. Then a man had been in the clearing, frozen by the sight of Kaoru and Yahiko had begged the stranger to help her. She had spoken, but it was too far away for Yahiko to make out. Whatever Kaoru's words, they had spurred the redhead into action; he had swooped down upon her sword and tried to break it over his knee, bizarrely enough. The steel wouldn't even bend however and that's when the man dashed over to Kaoru and lifted her, clutching her to him, his face contorted in emotion. Another man, tall, and stoic had stepped in and as abruptly as they appeared, all three had vanished. Yahiko blinked in befuddlement. People didn't—couldn't--just vanish! Suddenly, the girl from before, with the long black braid had been next to him, cutting his bonds. He hadn't moved, staring at the spot Kaoru had been. Shishio's headless body still lay crumpled on the ground, the grinning visage a distance away. It had been a little much for him to take in all at once. Yahiko had fainted.

Even now, the memory was a bit overwhelming. Yahiko skidded to a halt on the patio, catching sight of the young man, Soujirou reentering the dojo.

'Oi! Get back here, brat!' The heavy thudding of his pursuer's footsteps behind spurred Yahiko back into a run. He dashed around to the back of the dojo; if he could just escape the rooster-head for a moment, he could make it to Kaoru's room he was sure! They still weren't letting him see her, these strangers who seemed to know Kaoru—and him—so well. The red haired man, Kenshin, had yet to leave Kaoru's side, only allowing the doctor in at first. A young woman the guy Sano had found and brought to the dojo. Megumi, he thought her name was. Other than those two, and the tall, imposing character who had arrived with Seta late yesterday, constituted the only ones to see his savior. Yahiko was determined however; Kaoru was dying and he felt that if he could only just see her; that somehow through his very presence--she would sense him and all of this would be a bad dream.

This was his worst nightmare. Kenshin hovered as Megumi lifted Kaoru's head and poured a foul smelling liquid down her throat. She hadn't moved since she'd fainted in that clearing, bleeding over Shishio's corpse. Even now, she looked like a corpse herself, pale, limp and battered. If only he'd been able to break the spell trapping her powers, this wound would be nothing more than a scratch. Instead she was slowly dying, and he could do nothing but watch. Most of the blood had been removed, but it was too dangerous to wash her fully for fear of reopening the newly stitched wound. Her hair was knotted by the clotted, dried blood and sweat from the battle. Just as disturbing to Kenshin was the state of her body. Kaoru had always been soft to his memory, her skin supple, smooth and curved. In this world, she was almost skeletal it seemed to him, her whipcord strength angular and her flesh was covered in scars from the many battles she'd fought in his place during the revolution. It was physically painful for him to see.

'Kaoru-dono…' Kenshin was hardly even aware of reverting to the rurouni speech in his fear. Megumi moved away, her face shuttered. When Sano had brought her, practically dragging her, to the dojo and she had seen Kaoru's state, it was clear she had little expectation that the girl would survive, but she'd stayed nonetheless. 'She's breathing on her own; that's good, but I fear with injuries like this…sometimes…they just never wake up. I'm sorry, Ken-san.'

Kenshin leaned over Kaoru, smoothing her bangs back from her face. 'Please, Kaoru! Please, just open your eyes!'

'Open your eyes!' Kaoru laughed as she swatted Misao on the thigh playfully with the flat of her blade.

'Honestly, Misao! How do you expect to hit me if you don't keep your eyes open?' Misao harrumphed and fell back into position. 'If you'd just let me fight with my kunai instead of a stupid sword—'

Misao zipped to the left, trying to find an opening in Kaoru's defenses, but was blocked easily. The young ninja had been brought into the gaijin world shortly after the Battle of Sekigahara when Kaoru had stumbled over her in a ruined castle, still smoking from a recent siege. Misao couldn't have been more than six, the lone survivor, and yet she'd still tried to fight Kaoru, defending her pitiful home. The next ten years flew by. Misao had gone from being Kaoru's ward, to Aoshi's shadow and back Kaoru just in time for her sixteenth birthday, when Kaoru had turned her immortal.

That was almost two hundred years ago; Misao was young—for a gaijin and even though she moved faster than any mortal could ever have, Kaoru was faster still. Unexpectedly, Kaoru charged the young woman. Misao rushed to parry, but was caught off guard when Kaoru dropped to her knees, and slid across the floor, her flipped blade hovering inches off the hardwood. Misao had to jump over Kaoru's sword or suffer broken ankles. Kaoru, of course, didn't let up there; from her knees, she rolled forward and turned, trying to catch Misao with her back still exposed. With her stride broken, Misao's speed was lost, so there would be no dodging the blow; she twisted and barely managed to block the strike with a teeth jarring clang, but the angle was too awkward for Misao to shove Kaoru's blade away. She tried to hop backwards, give herself some breathing room, but Kaoru was too quick, and in two more moves had disarmed Misao. Scowling at the numbness in her fingers, Misao shook her stinging hand. Kaoru grinned. 'Gotcha.'

'No fair Kaoru, using a ninja move in swordplay.'

'And aren't you a ninja?' Misao stuck out her lip and Kaoru laughed.

'Oh! Kenshin! Have you come to spar with Kaoru too?' Misao finally noticed the redhead watching in silent fascination by the door. Kaoru's smile froze at the sound of his name.

' If she'll let me.'

'Kaoru? If you don't mind, I was going to see if Aoshi was around today.'

'Of course, Misao. I'll see you at dinner.' Misao skipped out, somewhat oblivious to the tension, or perhaps just eager to be away from it. Kaoru wished she could avoid this confrontation too. 'I should have guessed you'd be by today.' She flicked her blade in annoyed jerk, but did not return it to the sheath at her side. He glided into the room, closing the sliding door with a soft click.

'You can't avoid me forever.'

'Being immortal, I could disagree.'

'Kaoru—'

'No! If we're going to argue, let's use our swords this time.'

'Fine.' Kenshin drew his sword.

They circled each other for several moments before Kaoru darted in, testing his defenses, Kenshin parried and pivoted to get behind her, but she ducked his strike and swept his legs out from under him. He did the same as Misao earlier and jumped over her blade, however he used the move to bring his blade down where her shoulder met her neck. Kaoru hissed as her right arm went numb but she quickly transferred the blade to her left hand and thrust upward. The whole fight had taken less than ten seconds. Kenshin twisted out of the way to avoid being run through, but still felt her blade slice into his side under his armpit. The pain was just enough to flare his temper, she saw, and draw out the real reason for his tracking her down.

'What did Shishio want?'

'The same thing as you.'

Kenshin growled and dropped his sword to tangle his hand in her ponytail, catching her off guard. Jerking her close, he made sure he had her full attention.

'I do not want the same thing as Shishio.' He said, just before he crushed her mouth beneath his.

Her blood was already racing from the fight, it didn't take much to for her body to channel all her adrenaline into lust; his proximity alone was most likely turning her eyes crystalline, similar to the way Kenshin's had already melted into full gold. She hated that he affected her on such a physical level and worse that he could so easily tell and push the advantage, like he was now. Hands clutched at her, drawing her against the solid male chest. His mouth was hot and desperate against hers. Possessive. His breath bathing her cheek as his lips trailed to the shell of her ear. She was having trouble breathing. Between his mouth and his hands, her body was humming like a bird, eager for his touch. They were sinking to the tiled floor in a puddle of loosening robes. Hakama became untied and his knee pressed between her thighs. Her hands ran under his gi and kimono, nails digging into the skin of his back as their mouths fused again. Beyond her own hormones, another force was urging her on. She felt like she was being consumed as the fierce power of the gaijin world tightened around the couple, pushing them regardless of their wills. Kenshin's hands splayed out over her cheeks, trapping her into meeting his hot eyes.

' No one else will have what is mine. I will be Battousai, Kaoru.'

'Kaoru.'

Kaoru cracked her eyes groggily. The dream left her disoriented. Where was she? Kaoru could blearily see her room in the dojo and hear the rurouni's soft voice. Yahiko and Sano were arguing somewhere in the dojo, their raised voices faint. Had she overslept? Why did she feel so worn down?

'Kaoru-dono?'

'Gomen, Kenshin. Tell Yahiko to open the drill hall without me. Is it my turn to make breakfast?'

'Oro—What?'

'That's the sedatives talking. She will be out of it for quite a while. The fact that she's even awake and talking is a miracle to me frankly, Ken-san.'

Kaoru closed her eyes, feeling nauseous. She must be sick if Megumi was here. She felt Kenshin move closer and sighed a little as she felt his cool hand on her face.

Yahiko's voice was getting closer. 'Let me go! I want to see her!'

'Listen to me! Yahiko-chan—' Sano's gruff voice was oddly placating.

'Don't call me chan! You don't know me!'

Don't know him? Why would Yahiko say such a thing to Sano? Kaoru mentally frowned, trying to clear her fuzzy thoughts. She blinked, willing her eyes into focus and was rewarded with…two bright amber eyes.

Kaoru's memories rushed back in a typhoon of panic and her eyes flared wide. This was not her dojo. Kenshin was no longer her rurouni. She jerked, then cried out as hot, piercing pain lanced up her body, causing pinpoints of light to flash in her vision. Hands immediately found her shoulders and pushed her back down to the futon, holding her immobile. 'Please, Kaoru-dono! Don't move!'

Frankly, it was a needless request. The pain had nearly blacked her out. She could hardly bat an eyelid, let alone move a limb. As the wave of agony subsided, suddenly, she realized what she'd heard and it rendered her as motionless as the pain.

Battousai had said…Kaoru-dono?

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A/N: I tried to use a revolving perspective on this—to keep the action going. Your reactions will let me know how successful it was. Also, while I had intended this to be the last chapter, it turned into a pink bunny on me (going and going and going), especially with trying to knot my many, many, many loose ends. (Poor Seta! I almost forgot about him!) I finally got tired of looking at it. Hopefully, next chapter--grand finale!