The sun glowed overheard on a cloudless sky. A warm breeze blew gently across my face as I stood at the gate of the dojo. I smiled it was a good day to end it all. I checked my swords one last time before I crossed into the grounds. As I walked through, I noticed that the Sakura trees were in full bloom, their bright pink petals fluttered softly to the ground each time the spring breeze touched them. I smiled as caught a glimpse of the Battosai lounging against a tree. He looked so peaceful, it was hard to imagine that so many had died at his hand.

"Have you waited there since our first fight?" I asked with a playful laugh. The hitokiri's eyes opened and a smile crossed over his face.

"No, I just thought it would be a fine place for a nap that I did." He stretched out giving a big yawn before rising to his feet. I looked over to the building behind the manslayer.

"Are the children here?" I asked looking back at the red haired man.

"No, Miss Kaoru took everyone into town. We will be uninterrupted for a number of hours." I nodded as I watched him brush the dust of his clothes. Kimmaru took a seat on the dojo porch, he promised not to interfere no matter what happened, but I knew him too well. The Hitokiri nodded at me and I drew my duel chasa-katanas. As the man across from me removed his Sakabato from its sheath, my mind wandered. I knew what I had to do, what my final task was, but I wasn't entirely sure I was capable of ending it. I smiled a sad smile as a watched the sharp edge of the Batosai's sword gleaming in the morning's sun light. It was a blade that Aoshi had wanted to face one day. He always felt he had to prove himself. He never had to prove himself to me.

This will the last, I thought feeling a lump in my throat, and then I will finally join you. I got into my fighting stance and we began to circle each other the same way we had done the first time I had ever drawn my sword against him. I had learned much since then, and by his weary stance, I could tell he knew that very well. I saw a slight hint of worry in his eyes. I smiled, what I planned was completely unpredictable, even the great Hitokiri Battosai couldn't foresee the fate of this battle.

He attacked first, just a quick starting slash downward. I gracefully dodged it and counterstriked. He parried my first blade and ducked under the second. Our movements were so fluid like a mesmerizing dance, it was only the warm-up.

Within minutes our casual fight of easy hits turned fast and deadly. Every strike had to be immediately dodged from a counter strike. Our blades clashed every second and the fast hard movements strained our older bodies. I knew we were to grow exhausted before we were going to finish. Time had grown irrelevant; nothing seemed so close to perfection as the dance of death that existed between our swords. One miss step could end it all, and that was all I hoped for.

Sanosake was about a quarter of a mile up the walkway with Kaoru, Yahiko, and Miss Megumi, when he heard the clash of blades. He paused in mid-stride and listened closer. There was another clash and Sano started running. Kenshin was in trouble. The others watched him run off and looked at each other in confusion. The fighter reached the dojo in seconds and hastily jumped over the wall. He reached the top when he slammed into something hard and fell onto the top of the wall. The figure landed beside him, and offered down a hand.

"No Sano." He said quietly, "they must finish this fight by themselves." The young man looked up at the unmasked ninja over him in awe.

"It can't be…" he whispered stuttering over his own words, "Kimmaru-sensei?" Kimmaru helped Sanosake up and looked him over glad that he was recognized. The boy had turned into a man, strong and proud.

"Let her fight him," he said putting a hand on the boy's shoulder as he glanced down at the fight below, "it's something that can't be stopped. Sano looked back to his old comrade and nodded. He knew better not to fight it, Kenshin had many people after his head from the war, but this time it was different. The ronin wanted to fight this one, ever since that night when she had first arrived; Kenshin had been training his blade. Sano smiled at his old friend and wrapped his arms around him.

"It's good to see you again, sensei. I thought I had lost everybody. Kimmaru smiled as he swallowed the lump in his throat and hugged the boy back. He had been lost.

I winced as the Sakabato clipped my arm, the tip of the blade cutting across it. It wasn't a hard strike, but I knew the Battosai could have hit me for much harder. I tightened my grip on my sword; it would take a lot more than that to my blades now. I clenched my teeth and struck out at him again when something caught my eye. The part of my arm he had clipped was red with blood. I was so stunned I almost lost my footing. That was it; that was how I could finish it. The Hitokiri swung at me with a side slash. I spun around it and faked a hit with one blade which he fell for. As his sword came up for a block, I brought the second. It slammed into his ribs. The blow sent the Battosai sliding across the ground. He brought his free hand to his side, to find no blood. He looked at her in shock.

"You dulled your blades?" he asked confused. I nodded with a smile.

"I will not fight unfairly; I will beat you another way, Hitokiri." I said and lunged at him. I had made my first hit, and it would not be the last.

"Kenshin!" Kaoru screamed as she ran into the dojo, but Sanosake grabbed her before she could go any further. Kimmaru jumped down and picked Yahiko up.

"You too little one," he said as the boy tried to punch him but failed to reach, "Believe me, you can't stop this one." He watched the last woman that ran up to the dojo. She stopped short when she saw the battle ahead and put her hand to her mouth.

"They're both going to die…" she gasped watching the two swordsmen before her. Kimmaru shook his head.

"No, they're both masters of what they do. To the untrained eye, it looks like they both may die from this." He said with the slight haughtiness of a teacher, but the woman just shook her head.

"That's not what I meant, I'm a doctor, I can see the strain they are putting on their bodies, if this doesn't end soon; one may from the blade, but the other won't much longer." She said. Through the battle I heard her words, and knew it was time to end it all.

Sweat burned my eyes, and I saw the Hitokiri's blade come up from his side, I swung effortlessly with a block, but when my blade hit, it made a hollow sound. His sword came down hard before I realized that I had hit his sheath. The Sakabato hit my shoulder with a deafening crack as my collarbone snapped. I fell to ground, rolling away from him. I rose to my feet to see his sword coming at me again, a side slash, aimed at my right shoulder. I tripped backwards hopping that I was fast enough to dodge his blade, but in my haste my back foot caught a branch and I slipped backwards my body falling as his sword came closer.

I saw the horror in his eyes, but it was too late, his swing was unstoppable. The very tip of the katana sliced into my throat, severing the larynx. The Battosai's eyes went wide and I smiled.

"Even with your reverse blade, the tip is still sharp." I said sputtering blood. I hit the ground hard; I was happy, I had finally accomplished what I wanted.

As the world began to fade, I saw Kimmaru rush to my side, and try and stop the bleeding. The man named Kenshin still stood shaking. I closed my eyes with a smile. It was finally over, I had given it my all, and now it was the end. I could feel the immense pain of my shoulder, but it was distant.

I have died honorably Aoshi, I thought, as the last bits of life began to fade, now I can finally reunite with you and my brother once again. That was when everything went black.