Author's Note: ANOTHER CHAPTER!!! The end is near!

Chapter Sixteen: Escape

Sweat was laced around her face and hands as Misao climbed higher. Just a bit more. Hold on Magdaria.

One hand after the other, she slowly made her way to the top as her hands began to slip on the metal chains. Suddenly her hands slid down from all the weight that it had to support, and the sweat that made it like oil. Misao wrapped her arms around the chain and her legs just before she reached the bottom and would have fallen 15 feet down.

Taking in a deep breath, she moved one hand above the other, but made sure to move her wrapped legs up as well. Moving like this made her look more like a caterpillar on a leaf.

It's just like PE, just like PE. Think that you're climbing a rope to the very top for a grade. You have to keep going. It's the only way to pass. Thought Misao desperately as she climbed higher.

One sweaty hand moved to the very top to touch the pull.

*Whirr*

The chain snapped from its closed position, and the line came flying down. Misao closed her eyes and wrapped her whole body around it.

Suddenly the line stopped as metal was heard clanging to the steel ground.

Slowly letting her shaky hands free of the metal and her legs, she quickly got off. She fell to her knees from her wobbliness, and quickly got back up toward the machine to bring Magdaria down.

She found the metal box and pressed the green button, making the metal chains slowly come down. She smiled as she raced over to her friend and took out another bobby pin and began to pick the lock. It was much easier when she didn't have to use her teeth.

Magdaria's body was already limp when Misao got her out. She collapsed into her friend's arms.

"Let's get out of here," said Misao as she moved her friend toward the door.

The metals doors creaked open as Cho and Kamatari revealed themselves to the two women.

Misao gritted her teeth as the two grinned at them as they approached.

Just great. Thought Misao as she glared at them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Aoshi and Soujiro looked at each other and then at the walls that were threatening to end their lives.

There has to be a way out. Thought Soujiro as he looked around.

"Soujiro," yelled Aoshi as the sound to metal moving became louder.

Looking up, Soujiro smiled as he nodded to his twin.

Just as the metal walls came closer, Aoshi jumped on one and then the other, using the walls like stairs to jump up toward the ceiling that was made of glass.

Soujiro jumped back as the glass fell on top of him; holding onto his sword he jumped up following his twin's moves. Suddenly his foot slipped as the walls got closer. Before he fell, a strong hand closed on his arm and pulled him up before the walls snapped shut.

"Thanks," said Soujiro as he caught his breath and looked at the closed walls.

"Shishio has played another trick," said Aoshi as he narrowed his eyes.

"He'll pay," said Soujiro as he clenched his fists to the side.

"Look," said Aoshi as Soujiro followed his eyes to another warehouse. The doors were open and two lone figures were at the entrance.

Both twins nodded before they jumped off the roof and made a mad dash to the scene.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tension filled the room as dinner was prepared. No one spoke, and Omasu seemed to keep her distance from Kaoru.

"Lord Aoshi will come back soon with Misao," said Hannya; trying to relieve the stress in the room.

"I know that he will," said Kaoru, her voice as hopeful as ever, but she didn't even touch her dinner.

The room fell into silence again. It seemed like everyone was worried about Misao and up coming battle as well. It something that they all dreaded.

Kenshin's cell phone broke the unbearable silence. Stepping away from the table, Kenshin answered the phone.

"Yes?"

"Change of plan. Get yourself down to the airport in less than 30 minutes. I don't care how you do it, just do it. Leave everything but the clothes on your back and your weapons. Shishio was seen at the Six Arches, I've already called the rooster head and the others. They'll meet you there at the Six Arches," came Hiko's voice.

"Yes sir," said Kenshin.

"Our other troops have already begun their raids on Shishio's men. Anyone that you see that is not part of our force needs to be eliminated," ordered Hiko.

"Yes sir," said Kenshin.

"One more thing. Don't let emotions get to you," said Hiko before hanging up.

Kenshin quickly pocketed his cell phone.

"What?" asked Kaoru concerned as she walked over to him.

The others all stared after the two.

Taking hold of Kaoru's hand, Kenshin pulled her with him to her room.

"What's going on?" asked Kaoru once Kenshin locked the door.

Kaoru gasped as Kenshin pulled her in for a deadly passionate kiss that held all his feelings for her. She quickly realized it and kissed him back as her hands went around his neck.

Kenshin pulled back only when he realized that Kaoru couldn't breath anymore.

"I love you, and you must realize this," said Kenshin as he held her face to him as he cupped her face in his hands.

Kaoru nodded, she was still out of breath to object.

"Good, because I have to go," said Kenshin as he let her go and went to get his swords that were beside the bed.

"I thought that you were going to go in a month," said Kaoru confused and heartbroken. Her heart was beginning to ache at the thought of him never returning. She mentally slapped herself for thinking like that. Of course he would return, and they would marry.

"Bye my love. I promise you that I'll be back," said Kenshin as he kissed her forehead after he had secured his weapons.

Kaoru could speak as he kissed her one last time on the lips before walking toward the window.

Taking one last look at his love, he smiled before his face placed back on its emotionless features and he jumped out the open window.

Kaoru bit her lower lip as she let the tears fall down her cheeks as she watched him leave. She fell to her knees as she let the tears fall. It was too soon, just too soon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Well now, I guess it's time that you two vanished," said Cho with a mock grin.

"You need us to lure Lord Aoshi hear," said Misao, as she looked at Magdaria. She couldn't let Magdaria die, not when she wasn't suppose to. It was all her fault, if she hadn't met Magdaria she wouldn't be in this state.

"Lord Shishio has already begun the war. The J.A.B. thought they could form an army without Lord Shishio knowing, that was their downfall. It was thanks to Jineh for telling us their plan. Now they're going to have the time of their lives trying to find out how to stop us. but they're fools because they can't stop us," said Kamatari with smile.

Misao cursed inwardly. She knew that the bastard was a good for nothing traitor. The man was a manslayer that couldn't be trusted.

"Say good night," said Cho as he lashed out his sword that bent out like rope.

Misao closed her eyes and moved her body over Magdaria. It didn't matter if she got hurt, as long as Magdaria was safe. It was her fault in the first place that Magdaria was hurt. She couldn't let her friend get hurt and worse.

She waited for the attack to come and take her life.

Cho whirled back his sword like a snake about to strike, and just as he was about to whoop it out on them something stopped it.

Metal on metal was heard as the bendable sword wrapped itself on a long thin sword.

Soujiro stood with his sword out in front of Misao and Magdaria, his eyes were of a darker icier hue as he narrowed his eyes at Cho. He twirled his sword so fast, that it caused Cho's sword to wrap itself around his sword, causing Cho to loose his grip and let it fall the ground like dead weight.

Aoshi came from behind and attacked Cho, but Kamatari used his large weapon to block it. From the force of his weight, Aoshi pushed on the weapon, cracking it into splintered wood.

He then jumped back beside his twin brother.

"Where is the rest of the Juppon Gatana?" demanded Aoshi angrily.

Misao's head went up at the familiar voice and she smiled as she saw her saviors. She then looked at the other two with the deepest loathing for what they did.

"Aoshi! Shura," said Misao as she remembered.

"Shura?" questioned Soujiro as he turned toward her.

"She was taken away from a guy name Anzai," said Misao worried. The woman had saved her after all.

Soujiro looked at Aoshi, and they both grinned.

"Don't worry about it," said Soujiro as he looked about his new opponents.

"Anzai is one of us," said Aoshi calmly as he looked at the angry members of the Juppon Gatana.

Cho threw another one his swords to Kamatari before the two charged at the brothers.

Moving in sync, the two brothers both charged forward and clashed their swords with their opponent.

Metal grinded against metal as the sound echoed through the warehouse.

The twins only grinned as the other two glared at them.

"Shall we?" asked Soujiro to his brother.

"Yes," said Aoshi as the two jumped back and vanished from sight.

Misao looked all over but she couldn't see them. She rubbed her eyes but they were gone.

Cho and Kamatari screamed before dropping to the ground lifeless. Suddenly cuts began to form on their bodies as blood leaked out.

Misao looked up and began to tremble as she saw Aoshi and Soujiro suddenly appear before her.

Aoshi bent down beside the shocked Misao before lifting her up into his arms. Soujiro, still smiling, picked up the sleeping Magdaria as he followed his twin out of the warehouse.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Six Months Later

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Blood, there was nothing left in Kyoto but the red liquid that drowned everything. It clung to everything and only the smell of death lingered in the air. There was nothing left of the great city that use to be Kyoto. All that was left, was the liquid that ensured that one lived. It was thrown every where as if just a simple item that didn't hold life.

Houses were crumbled to the ground, buildings destroyed, cars set on fire, and lifeless bodies filled the ground like specks of dirt in a graveyard. Men in blue, black, white, and red laid on the ground. The colors were barely visible because of the red liquid that clung to them.

There had to be at least 50,000 bodies on the ground.

Only one being stood amongst these dead bodies. His eyes burning red to match the liquid that poured at his feet. He stood there motionless as the blood splashed against his now red boots as the wind shifted.

He walked out of the field, and slowly began to vanish.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The once beautiful mansion with flowers all around was gone.

Fires burned where the woods once were, ashes filled the places where the grass once laid, and blood smeared the areas where it was painted white.

Wood and destruction was placed every where. Only the wind and the gray clouds were seen. There were no bodies, only bits and pieces of what use to be attached to bodies were seen.

The lights all dimmed as the burning sunset-lit overhead and painted the sky with the red color. Though the clouds began to cover as if ready to enclose the whole earth in its darkness.

There was nothing left. The place that was once beautiful was now nothing but a wasteland. It was a place that will never be remembered. A place that will forever remain in the shadows. The darkness filled it, and forever hid its memories; its secrets of death

The wind whirred furiously as a red-eyed man walked along the rubble, unbelieving what he saw. He walked on as his features began to grow darker and darker as he saw the body parts that laid on the ground.

His pace quickened as he raced into the building, looking for any sign of life. He had to find it, he just had to.

Running to her room, to the room that he had left her, he scrambled on the floor as he looked for something.

Tears went into his eyes as he looked deeper, tears that wouldn't leave him alone. He searched longer, for any sign that she might be alive. Any sign that she was still with him in this godforsaken world.

Refusing to cry after everything, he stopped and fell back as he rocked himself back and forth. This wasn't suppose to happen. The war wasn't suppose to be like this. So many innocent people had died, and the most innocent of them all was gone.

A glint of silver caught his eyes.

Getting to his feet, he walked over to it. He couldn't help but smile as he saw the item, his tears fell freshly now.

He picked up the item, the sheath of a reverse-blade sword. There was blood on it, indicating that someone had used it. The blood was fresh, the person who had used it had just left a few minutes ago.

The sound of musical chimes lifted to his ears. Snapping his head up he saw her. Her pale skin was bathed in blood, her hair was astray, and her clothes were ripped and torn. His eyes looked at her form and saw that her once delicate skin was now covered in scars and bruises. But that didn't matter, her face was still as beautiful as he first met her.

In her right hand was a sword, a reverse-blade. The one that her cousin had made for her, the one that wasn't meant to draw blood.

She smiled at him as tears fell down her face as he saw his eyes become amber. Dropping the weapon she ran over to her love, tears sparkling in the last rays of the sun.

He stood up and caught her in his arms as he allowed his tears to fall on her already soaked outfit.

"I thought I'd never see you again, but I didn't give up hope. I waited for you," said Kaoru, her voice muffled in her tears and sobs.

He only spoke by hugging her closer to him. Even with the stench of blood, he was still able to smell her jasmine scent.

Kaoru pulled back and smiled at him, the hope in her eyes glowed like diamonds.

Lightning flashed as the rain poured down, washing the blood away. It began to pour down harder as if weeping for all that died. Washing away the pain, sadness, and death from its surface. Though, the memories would always be scarred into its once clean face.

Suddenly Kaoru held his hand, and led him to the spot that was once her bed. She bent down and squeezed his hand so that he would do the same.

Kaoru's hands began to pull something out, with the help of the rain the item showed to be the fireproof suitcase that his uncle had given to him.

New tears formed in his eyes as he took the bundle from her smiling hands. His uncle had left before he had, and his body wasn't found in the heat of battle.

Slowly unbuckling the case, he opened it. He looked down and saw the clothes that was still inside. The rain began to make it damp. He took the clothes and wrapped it around Kaoru before digging deeper for anything else.

He moved his hands along the bottom of the suitcase, and suddenly his fingers felt a bump. Slowly he pushed down on it, and the bottom layer popped open.

Suddenly something sparkling with light was seen, as Kenshin's eyes went wide.

Kaoru bent over and saw that the bottom was filled with diamonds. There had to be at least 5 billion dollars worth of diamonds inside the suitcase.

Kenshin dug deeper until he found a note in pencil, the rain was quickly smudging the lead off. But his keen eyes were still able to read it:

Shall you live longer than I baka deshi, this money is yours. It's what we've made from J.A.B.. I had a feeling if you're reading this, that you would survive the war. You're too hard headed to die.

Signed,

Hiko

Kenshin couldn't help but laugh as more tears ran down his face, he looked up into the sky.

"Thank you," whispered Kenshin as he allowed all his tears to fall.

"Kenshin," came Kaoru's silent voice.

Turning to her, Kenshin smiled and pulled her into a hug.

Kaoru shook her head and pulled back.

"There was something that I wanted to tell you before you left, but I didn't get a chance to tell you. I love Kenshin Himura, and I will always," said Kaoru.

Kenshin only smiled brightly for once in six months before pulling her into a passionate kiss.

Suddenly the rain began to clear as if to celebrate their reunion.

Standing, Kenshin took closed the suitcase and walked onward toward the road as he heard the familiar voices of his friends.

Sanosuke, Enishi, Takasugi, Shougo, Katsu, Sayo, Misao, Aoshi, Soujiro, Shura, Anzai, Saitoh, and Megumi all stared up at him with a smile. Even if they were all injured and badly wounded, they managed to smile as he walked down to them.

"We had a feeling that you'd be here," said Sano with a smile; his arms were in a cast as he grinned up at his old friend.

The others only nodded.

"Wait. I need to get something," said Kaoru as she ran back to get her reverse-blade sword and its sheath.

Just as she was about to turn around, she saw Hiko's letter. She read the front and smiled, turning it around her eyes went wide. It read in a light pencil that was almost smeared completely by the rain:

You're real name, as you have asked since you were young, is Shinta Himura Seijiro.

Kaoru was about to call Kenshin when the wind picked up and blew the piece of paper away. She looked at Kenshin who waited for her with her friends with a smile.

She looked back onto the path of darkness before once and for all, choosing the path of light.

THE END

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A/N: I know, it was a rushed ending. Though I really wanted to get this over with. I mean, would you people still read it if it went past 20 chapters? I didn't think so. That's why I ended it pretty quick. I think that you guys know what happened to the others.

Please REVIEW to tell me what you thought about this fic over all.