Okay so last time we checked in with Sano and the gang, they were at the Hiraru's ceremony, And Tatsou (Her twin brother) had stated that Haru was not fit to be The Hiraru. What is Haru to do? What will Sano do? Has Tatsou ruined his relationship with his sister?

Well, you'll just have to read to find out, won't you. REMEMBER TO REVIEW! It makes me post faster.

Hiraru held her breath, her face falling into turmoil. Her heart was breaking. How could Tatsou say this? The entire temple was in an uproar, Shiro was nearly purple faced, "Tatsou, if you keep this up, I swear I'll kill you."

"Shiro!" Akira barked, "This is a place of peace, you shall harm no one."

Zaki held out his hands, silencing the room, "What is this you speak of, Tatsou, brother of Hiraru?"

"The sword you hold it the blade intended for our mother, the Hiraru that was not." Hiraru heard his voice catch before he swallowed and continued. "That blade's honor was intended for another. My sister should be honored by our father's blade, for it was intended to be given to her, after our father's death. I believe my sister should not take the Title of Hiraru until she has her true blade of honor and can defeat me with it. I challenge her right of honor."

Yahiko turned to Kenshin, "What does that mean?"

Kenshin opened his mouth but Shiro spoke first, "That is a pointless challenge, no one has used it in twenty generations. Hiraru can use any blade given to her. She has no need to fight you with her honor."

"No," Zaki said, his voice calm, "The challenge is made, by one who knows Kojima Hiraru, it must be respected. Hiraru…" The girl looked at him her eyes still wide and scared, "You may ask the one you wish to be your guardian to fight for you once you have your father's blade. But because the challenge was made against your grandfather's blade it can no longer be your blade of honor. You must have your father's sword or the sword of one of your brothers."

"I give her my sword then!" Shiro shouted

"You're sword has never seen a day of battle it knows no honor," Tatsou spat at him.

"Shiro… You're younger brother speaks truth," Akira-san said quietly before Shiro could growl any reply, "Step down, Grandson…"

Hiraru closed her eyes, and bowed to him, hoping he didn't see the tears that ran down her cheeks. "I understand. I will fight my twin with my father's blade, to reclaim my honor. I do not claim a guardian, so I will fight with my own powers." She stood slowly and turned to Tatsou, "Why have you done this? Why do you wish me to fail?"

"I wish to save you from yourself," He said nearly glaring at her, "You know we are evenly matched, no one can win." He gave her a weak smile, "Don't fight, go find Dad's sword and never return."

Hiraru closed her eyes again, drying her tears, "For once I'm not going to do as everyone tells me. I will fight you, Tatsou." She reached up pulling her veil off, "I will fight you with my poles, because I will not cause father's swords to carry blood again."

Tatsou looked at her oddly, "You don't have dad's swords… If you did you would have told me."

"No one needed to know," Hiraru said, she stepped towards him, letting the kimono fall off. Tatsou watched the two swords hanging from her sash. They had been cleaned, the hand guards changed for the real ones. She turned again facing Zaki. She floated forward, and pulled the katana from her obi, "Head priest Zaki, please hold these for me."

Zaki nodded and took them, "Can you fight in those kimono?"

"No," She turned her back to him, "So I won't." She pulled her obi loose and pulled it off, stepping out of the last of her kimono. She was in her hapi and the pants she'd been wearing every day in Tokyo. Her fighting poles placed in the dark blue sash. The last thing she removed was her wig. "I will not fight you in here, Tatsou," She walked past him, "I will be waiting outside. When you are ready, join me."

Sano, Kaoru, Megumi and Yahiko all followed her out, the rest of the room going with her after a moment. Kenshin stepped to Tatsou before he went out. He touched the younger man's shoulder, "Tell me Tatsou-san… Was this worth it? Was challenging her and having her agree to fight you, worth it?"

Tatsou looked at him, "Worth what?"

"Worth her hating you," Kenshin released him and walked outside. Leaving Tatsou the only one in the temple's main room, everyone else had filed outside. Tatsou clinched his fists and gritted his teeth. His sister didn't hate him, he told himself, they could never hate each other.

Hiraru had pulled her poles together so that they were both the length of a katana, by the time Tatsou walked out of the temple and into the fighting area the people had granted them. She looked at him. Normally she felt joy at seeing him, now she just felt numb. He wasn't carrying his poles, instead her eyes noticed the Katana. She remembered his letter telling her, he'd bought one to use in his jobs that sent him to the mountains. Akira-san had taught them all well, each could use several different lengths of blades, which is what made the poles the best for Hiraru and Tatsou. The ability to change the length of her weapons made her unpredictable, the simple but elegant katana was easier to predict. She knew its arc, and what it could do under the right kind of master.

After her brain told her all this it made a last minute comment, Tatsou would rather you died then be a Hiraru, He wants you to die or to die himself so you can't be the Hiraru. Is this worth that loss? Hiraru swallowed, and spoke to herself, "I've already lost, I'm not afraid."

The two siblings dipped into their guard stances, Akira-san calling the challenge to start. Tatsou charged his sister, Hiraru however did not move. She barely blocked his attack as it came and sent him charging past her. They watched each other for a moment. "I though you learned better than that brother," Hiraru smiled at him, "Make up your mind brother. Do you want to fight me? If you do you'll have to kill me to stop me from becoming a Hiraru."

Tatsou's jaw tightened. He charged again, his attack steadier. Hiraru blocked it again, this time Tatsou shifted and attacked again instead of flying past her. Hiraru was ready for the attack. At her odd angle she screwed her poles together and attacked him with the now staff. He blocked, jumping back. Quickly Hiraru moved with him swinging the staff at his knees. He jumped, landing on the end of the staff, trapping it on the ground. Hiraru's hands unlatched the last two feet of the pole, and she twirled to attack him at the same moment Tatsou brought his sword down to chop at her shoulder.

It looked like an interact dance that only the two knew. Kenshin walked over to Akira-san, "Why are you letting this happen?"

"Because Tatsou needs to learn," He said, "I would rather Shiro be in on this lesson, but only Hiraru can teach them. Only she can show them their faults, she's the only one that they listen to."

Sano growled, "This isn't right."

"It never was," Akira said, "And it's been going on too long. Hiraru needs to finish this; she's making Zaki wonder if she deserves this."

"Is that all you're worried about?" Sano shot him a glare.

"I'm worried about both my grandchildren living through this," Akira looked back at him. "I'm worried about the fact that my granddaughter is fighting the person who knows her best for something she believes in but he doesn't. I worry about them all being happy, but I can't seem to fix that."

There was a sudden gasp from the gathered people. And all three men turned back to the fight. Hiraru stood there, she'd let her poles drop. The sword was a centimeter from her neck. Blood trickled down her neck, turning her happi collar a dark purple, nearly black. Tatsou was staring wide eyed at the tip of the sword. He was perfectly still. He turned his head to the side, as though he wanted to take his eyes off the sword but he couldn't look away. He started to shake, but his hands never moved.

"What's wrong brother?" Hiraru smiled at him, dropping a pole to grip the dull side of the katana, "This is what you wanted, remember." She pulled the sword away from her neck and stepped closer to him, "I told you you'd have to kill me to stop me."

"You should have blocked it…" He said, he sounded sick. And watched the tip of his sword like it might attack someone.

"I decided," She took one slow step after another until she could reach up and touch his cheek, "I have used violence enough for my own gain. I will use it to protect these people. As Kaoru teaches; a weapon is something you use to protect others, not for your own selfish gain."

She threw her other pole away, and walked backwards until she was half a sword length away, "I won't fight you, Tatsou. But as I told you, you'll have to kill me to keep me from becoming the Hiraru. Can you live with that?"

Tatsou backed away, "You hate me…"

"No," She smiled at him, "I'm just tired. I'm tired of fighting you and Shiro about this foolishness. I'm tired of the two of you thinking you can order me and control me."

Tatsou looked at her like she'd lost her mind, "I don't understand…"

"I'm not doing what the two of you say anymore. I'm not going to ask for permission. I'm not going to worry what you and Shiro think about what I do. I'm going to do what I think is best." Hiraru shook her head angrily, after a minute she stopped, smiled and sighed before looking at him. "Now… The only way to stop this is to kill me. So do whatever it is you plan to do." Hiraru raised either arm, showing him she wasn't going to fight, "I won't stop you."

Tatsou gripped his sword tighter, his entire body shaking. Before either of them could move Sano came charging across the open space. His right hand landed hard on the side of Tatsou's face. He sent the darker man flying, "If you touch Hiraru again, I'll kill you!" He barked.

"Sanosuke…" Hiraru balled her fists, "He wasn't going to hurt me. He could barely stand this little cut!" She reached up and touched the still bleeding place on her neck. "Please, don't hit him again."

Sano glared at her, "I promised I'd protect you. If he hurts you again, nothing will stop me from taking off his head with my bare hands."

Hiraru glared right back, "There has been enough violence. Stop this."

Sano growled and crossed his arms, He looked away from her watching Tatsou slowly come to his feet.

Oh… Has Sano just admitted something? What will happen now? How will Hiraru handle her brothers' betrayal? Review and I'll let you know as soon as I can.

Remember the more you all review the faster I'll post.