Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin

A smaller chapter then the last few. Enjoy.

Chapter Twelve

It was dark all around. Phoenix stood in nothingness. /I see. This is what he must have seen just before death./ She glanced around. /It's nothing like I imagined. Though it's hard to think of anything worse then nothing./ An echo of a ripple came from the distance. /If this is a recap of my failed life I'd rather skip it./

//"Mama! Papa! Don't go!"

She turned. Two small children were hidden behind a fallen table. It was the boy's voice who called out. The boy's face was dirty and his red hair clung to him. The girl beside him was crying.

He tended to her. "Please sister stop crying. Those men will find us if you don't stop. Then what will mother and father do?" But she continued to cry. That's when the door busted open. Three men stormed in and found them. The girl cried even louder as one of the men pulled her hair, grinning as he did so. The boy tried to fight but was strongly overpowered. He tried to reach for his sister and almost had her before everything went blank. The girl screamed before she too was hit from behind.//

Phoenix shifted in her sleep. The world around her coming gradually back. Voices came from the hall.

"Kenshin."

"Oh Sano you're back."

"Your never going to believe this. The smoke from last night came from the Embassy."

"Were there casualities?"

"That's the thing, the whole building was deserted. There wasn't a person within a mile."

Kenshin smiled. "That's a relief."

"The only problem is, where have they all gone?"

Phoenix closed her eyes; sleep came shortly after.

Kogoro slammed his cup, shattering it. "Damn that Phoenix! How dare she double cross me!"

"Sir our opportunity to take out the Embassy memebers has passed. What should we do now?"

He yelled. "I want them killed. I want all of them killed! I'm going to show those Imperialist that their cities aren't safe. Call the sub groups, burn Tokyo and Kyoto."

"Yes my lord."

Shadow stepped forward. "What will you do Lord Kogoro?"

He grinned then began to laugh. "You just leave that to me."

Iwao watched Shinta and Lila play with Ayame and Suzume. He still didn't tell them that their mother lay in the same dojo as they did. He couldn't tell them. Not until she was better. He couldn't let them see her in this state. Not to mention the idea that the police would be looking for her because of the recent attacks on government buildings.

Megumi knelt beside him. "Good morning Iwao. How are you feeling this morning?"

"Miss Megumi. I'm alright. Doing better. Are you going in to check on her?" His eyes casted sideways.

Megumi watched the children play for a bit. "I am. I want to see how the medicine is working."

He took her hand. "I'm in your debt Miss Megumi."

She let them be and walked down the hall to Lina's room. She slid open the door. "Oh sir Ken, I didn't know anyone was with her."

"Miss Megumi." He smiled. "I felt that if she woke that she shouldn't be alone. However, she's been sleeping since I brought her back."

Megumi sat beside her and checked the bandages. It was as Iwao told her, the injuries were healing slowly. "I'll go and fix more medicine and bring it to her later. She should eat but I'm afraid to wake her too soon."

"Miss Kaoru is cooking lunch now. So if she wakes I'll bring something to her." He turned back to Lina. Her breathing had slowed and become much more controled since Megumi's first dose. He closed his eyes.

//She flew over him, landing behind him. She pulled a small compact from inside her tunic. She glanced up at him. He noticed that her eye color had slightly changed. "Flight of the Phoenix." A dusty red powder floated toward him. Spinning his sword he blocked it. When it was done, she was gone from his sight.

"This is for Akira!" She came from above. He lowered himself, poised to attack. She didn't stop his sword from piercing her side and this action surprised him enough to allow her to stab him in the shoulder with a dagger. He stumbled back and she followed, his katana digging deeper into her. "I'm going to kill you right here Battousai." She pulled the double edge from its sheath and swung it to cut him half way but the force from the removal of his katana jerked her backwards and off the roof.//

"Flight of the Phoenix." Kenshin moved to the other side. He slid open the door. /It makes sense now. The Embassy and those men. She used her poison twice within an hour of each other. And that aura that surrounds her is nothing like I've seen./