Alright folks to celebrate the reopening of torture chambers everywhere (I mean schools) I am post my last double post. I can't wait to hear all your reviews.

Hiraru knelt in front of Priest Taki again. This time she was still in her hapi and cream pants. They'd gone through the ceremony again, this time Tatsou saying his sister was strong, brave, and knew better than he did how to stand against diversity. Taki took out a beautiful, golden Kimono, with a pattern Sano didn't recognize on it. He placed it over Hiraru's shoulders, the light hit it from the open temple doors. The kimono not only reflected the light but also seemed to give light of its own for a moment. Taki, Uki, and the other monks chanted a prayer which Hiraru led. She used a stone mortar to ring a bronze bowl. The note held as she chanted, her voice almost the same tone, her voice carrying like a bell.

She finished, standing so she stood with Zaki as Uki took Akira Hiraru's sword and asked Akria-san to break it. The steal was placed on a raised rock, and a hammer brought down on the un supported part. The fine steal snapped in two. "The last Hiraru's sword has broken, her reign has ended. May her spirit rest in peace knowing her granddaughter stands in her place," Zaki called. He looked to Hiraru, "Hiraru-dono, you have stood alone throughout this ceremony. Name your Guardian, ask him to step forward. Any man in this room would be honored to be a Guardian."

Young men from around the room stepped forward, "Name me, Hiraru!" They called each trying to be louder than the last. Hiraru smiled at each of them. It was her gentle, polite, priestess smile. Sano clinched his fist. Why couldn't she smile for real, especially on this day, a day that was supposed to be her happiest.

"No," Hiraru said, as the room went silent, "I will not chose any of you…"

"Because I already am her Guardian," Sano said walking forward past the kneeling monks and the Kojima family. He stood in front of the raised platform, and gave her a smirk with a shrug of his shoulder, "I already promised to protect you. I may as well accept the title you asked me to take when we met."

Hiraru went cold, "No. I will not let you be the Guardian."

"Listen to what you're saying, Haru." Sano said, "You told me the truth yesterday. I told you the truth too. I'll protect you, isn't that what a guardian does?"

"There's more to it, young man," Zaki said, "You must stay by her side for the rest of her life. You must care for her body and her heart. You must help her through her hardest times, make her path easy, even if it makes yours harder. You must think of her before yourself. You must carry on her wishes even after her death. You can never leave this temple. You must remain, protecting it, even if the Hiraru is not… even if she is not alive. You must do this until the next Hiraru takes her place. You must do this as Akira Tatsou has. It means you will be alone. Alone but surrounded by many, because if Hiraru-dono dies, your life with be with the dead, but protecting the living."

Hiraru stepped off the platform, standing so she was next to him. She refused to look at him. "Do you understand now? If you become a Guardian, you will be stuck here. Trapped, like a bird in a cage. That's not what you want Sano." Finally she looked up at him, her eyes determined, "That is why I will not accept you as my Guardian. I will accept no one. I will be my own guardian. I will not trap those I care for. The Guardian must care for the Hiraru, so too must the Hiraru care about the Guardian. There is no man in this village I care for more than the one next to him, and I will not trap my friends. I will not accept you. Step back, Sano. Give up and step away."

"So you're asking me to step down?" Sano looked at her

"Yes," Hiraru glared at him.

"Hey, old man," Sano called over his shoulder.

"Just because I'm old doesn't mean you can call me so," Akira said in reply.

"Whatever," Sano snorted, "You said there were oaths the Guardian had to take. What are they?"

"Grandfather, No," Hiraru turned to look at him, "Don't trap another soul here. Don't let him take any oaths." It was a plea.

Akira looked from his daughter, to the young man in his 'Bad' coat, "There is the oath of trust, the oath of life, the oath of protection, and finally the oath of all."

"Okay, so I have to promise I'll give her my trust, I'll give her my life, I'll give her my protection, and I'll give it my all to do this. That sounds easy enough," Sano said.

Akira chuckled, "No, you swear on your true name, that you will keep her trust, you will give up your life for hers, you will protect her with all you are, and that you will give her all that you are. You will swear all that you have and all that you are. It is an oath you must keep, and it is not easy to do so. You must swear it with all your heart, otherwise you will never be able to keep it."

Sano looked at the older man. After a minute he nodded understanding what he was saying. He went down to one knee, at Hiraru's feet, "I, Sagara Sanosuke swear, upon my name that I shall protect you. I will keep your trust, be it your emotions or your secrets. I will give you my life, and let you do with it as you will. Order me and I will obey. I give you and only you, Kojima Hiraru, all that I have and all that I can ever be. I give you my name, to be your guardian."

Hiraru looked at him terrified, she was near tears, "I already told you, NO. I won't accept your oath. I won't let you be trapped here, Sano. I won't let the people I love be trapped here!" She shook her head closing her eyes against the sight of him kneeling, "Stand up! Stand up and walk out of here! Walk out of here and never come back to this mountain! I won't let you be my Guardian!"

"Hiraru-dono," Zaki said softly, "He has already given his oath. Words are the one thing that can never be given back. No matter how much you don't want him to be your Guardian he is. He did not give the exact oath, but it was still an oath, an oath for Guardianship. You can refuse him all you want, if he is approved of by the last guardian he cannot be denied."

Hiraru looked at her grandfather, tears running down her cheeks, "Grandpa… Please… don't let him…"

Akira-san had to look away from her face, "I would let no man other than him be the Guardian. He is perfect for the task."

Sano stood, "Thanks, old man."

"That's Akira-sensei. From now on you are learning to help the Hiraru, in her duties," The older man grinned, it was a terrifying look on his face. "Get ready for hell. I'm going to work you to within an inch of your life."

SMACK! "HOW COULD YOU!" Hiraru screamed at Sano, a large red mark on his face, "I TOLD YOU I'D NEVER TAKE A GUARDIAN! YOU… YOU JUST IGNORE THAT!" She'd stopped trying to act as Hiraru, putting on a smile and pretending she was overjoyed to have Sanosuke as her Guardian. Her tears had started anew, soon after the group had gotten back to the house.

Sano put a hand to his cheek, it stung, but not as much as that angry face, and the lie she was telling herself. He didn't say anything, just looked at her after a minute he put his hand in his pocket. He reached out with his other hand, grabbing Hiraru's chin and forcing her to look at him, "You're a priestess now, right?"

Hiraru pulled away, slapping his hand like it disgusted her, "So what if I am!"

"Does that mean I have to ask a priest or can you marry us?"

The question shut her up. She stared widely at him. After a second her mouth opened and closed as though she were trying to think of something to say.

Sano rolled his eyes, "Ah, Hell…" He grabbed the side of her head and pulled her towards him, leaning down. His lips closed over hers. Hiraru's eyes widened even more for a minute, and then they closed. She let him pull her deeper into the kiss. The rest of the group stared, Kenshin covering Yahiko's eyes after a second; Tatsou did the same to Sozo, blushing and looking away himself. Finally Sano pulled away, "I promised you yesterday, I'd protect you. I realized last night, after you'd decided to stay, that I had…" he blushed, "That I had fallen in love with you too. I… I can't imagine going back to Tokyo without you." His blush kept getting brighter and brighter, finally he looked away embarrassed by the blush as much as by his words, "I want to marry you, and honestly give my name to you, even if it is your father's name in the first place."

Hiraru blinked at him for a minute. Then she looked as her feet blushing just as Sano was, "I… I…"

Tatsou rolled his eyes, "Oh, just kiss him back already. Even a blind fool can tell you've loved him since the day he went with Dad to fight."

Hiraru blushed brighter, and then she looked up at Sano. She stepped closer, and standing on her tip toes, holding on to his shirt, she put a short kiss on his lips. She backed up then, her face seven shades of red, "If that was a request, then… yes, I'll marry you Sano."

Akira smiled placing his hand on one of his grandsons' shoulders, "I'll go ask Zaki to marry the two of you. The earliest Hiraru can take another oath though is next year so you'll have to wait…"