Chapter Seven: The Amber Gift

Kenshin lunged again at the man in front of him. The man's white hair constantly distracted him. It almost looked transparent.

Kenshin kept on attacking. He lounged to the right and to the left, but in every attack, the other would jump back or block. He couldn't quite catch him with his sword. Kenshin stood up straight, confusion clearly written on his face. Attack me!

"Giving up so soon…" his voice still resounded in Kenshin's head but Kenshin didn't see the mouth move. He risked a glance at Kaoru and saw that she was as stiff as stone.

"What's wrong with her?"

"She can't see and she can't hear… but she knows, Kenshin…" another ominous chuckle grated at Kenshin's mind and he winced at its mere wickedness. Kenshin gritted his teeth and resumed attacking.

"If you plan to tire me out, it won't work." Kenshin retorted as the man fiercely blocked a lunge that was supposed to trick him. To Kenshin's surprise, Enishi grunted as if in frustration. "Attack me, you coward…"

But the man just kept on blocking, and blocking, and blocking… Kenshin started to lose his patience but he guarded his actions more closely. It might be possible that Enishi was trying to make him do something impulsive. And he did. Kenshin, without thinking, threw his whole weight into one attack that caused him to lose his balance. Yet the white-haired man was able to get away. Kenshin recovered quickly from his mistake, even more confused that this man didn't take the opportunity. When he turned around, he saw why. His enemy hadn't made a clean dodge, Kenshin's sword scraped his arm and the blood flowed freely upon the floor. It sizzled with light and disappeared.

Blood. It was all Kenshin needed. He was a shark that was consumed by its stench, by its taste. Invigorated, amber took hold of him again and he let Battousai fight. Kenshin attacked with great speed and accuracy, each lunge was a precise calculation to take life. The other's blocks became more hurried and less punctual. Kenshin scraped his face, causing a different kind of arousal in Battousai.

Yet Battousai was getting tired of this game. I think I'll end it now. Battousai stood still and closed his eyes. Letting his ki shove away the smoke that surrounded him, he made a small sanctuary from Enishi's gift. Amber diffused from his skin as he quietly meditated. He heard a step towards him. And another. When he realized that the man would walk no further towards him, he sighed. Kenshin disappeared.

"Die." Kenshin cleanly shoved his sword within the man's rib cage, through the heart. He had appeared so suddenly in front of the man that he wasn't able to react. Kenshin smirked. The pulsation of the man's heart slowed drastically, sending small vibrations through his sword. Kenshin twisted his sword, savoring the painful scream that he elicited.

It was only when the smoke started to thin when he realized that Enishi was laughing. Heartily.

"BRAVO! Oh yes, what a clever trick Battousai. You yourself didn't know where you would appear." Kenshin quickly turned towards the woman………… on the chair. A devious smile appeared on the pale face, it widened and started to laugh in a gruff voice.

Kenshin stopped breathing. He looked at the figure that still hanged on his sword. Instead of white hair, his eyes met the beautiful glint of blue-black.

The woman on the chair wiped off the disguise, Enishi emerged from his mask. "Yes… Originally, I had hoped that she would beat you. Her mind is stronger than she lets on, however, she wouldn't fall for the images I gave her. I tried to make her believe that you were I. Yet she knew all along. I couldn't force her to attack you…"

Kenshin stared wide-eyed at the pale form that still hanged limply. His sword grated against the bone of her ribcage when he painfully tried to take it out. Almost he could feel the wound in his own chest. He couldn't breathe. The clang of his sword echoed in the room as it bounced on the sizzling blood that pooled on the floor. Crackles of electricity tried jumping at him from the liquid of her life, but it quickly extinguished itself.

Kenshin held her shoulders up, he stared at her; his mouth hanged open, unable to say anything. His eyes swirled in amber and in amethyst, unable to fix upon a fitting emotion. Kaoru's eyes were wide and staring, her mouth hanged open, almost in a smile. Kenshin looked down. Through her wound, he can see the remains of her heart…

"Ah well, I suppose that's for Tomoe then… I'll take your land later." Enishi walked away.

The others looked on in horror. They had seen through the illusions and tried to shout at Kenshin, but they couldn't get through the smoke. Aoshi was pale. Battousai…

Kenshin started to cry. He fell to his knees bringing Kaoru with him and he cradled her form lovingly in his arms. He rocked back and forth, wading in her blood.

His tears glinted amber and landed in a puff of smoke on her face. Kenshin shut his eyes close as he felt pain take over him again. No, let me grieve, he thought. Let me have her in my arms for a moment longer, he begged. He tried to suppress the amber light that persisted through his eyes. It dripped steaming down his cheeks.

Kenshin clutched her tightly as he fought with himself.

Revenge. Lost love. Love unreturned. The want to grieve. That want to kill. The want to see her eyes again. The hatred of tears. The hurt of keeping everything in. Kenshin howled in pain, burying his mouth in her neck as he once did a long time ago.

"I love you" he cried angrily, almost grudgingly. As if she had died only to torture him. He opened his eyes and let the glow of amber take over him.

Did you know, little girl, that his gift is over life?

'Yes. The power to take it away.'

Hmmm…. the voice in her head was distracted.