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Disclaimer: Eat your heart out Sony. RK may not be mine but that doesn't mean I can't invite them to come play in my sandbox ;)

So here it is, the beginning of the end. That's all I've got to say. On with the fic!

Prism - Chapter 14

"He's here." The child's whisper carried an odd note that drew Kaoru's attention immediately. Shinta's posture was rigid, his violet eyes large in his pale face. His forehead glistened with sweat despite the chill of the room, and she noticed that his body was trembling slightly, swaying a little from side to side as if he couldn't quite keep his balance. The boy blinked several times and then, without warning, broke into a fierce coughing fit. He pressed a hand to his mouth and staggered as his legs buckled under him.

"Shinta!" Battousai leapt from his place to catch his younger self before he could hit the floor. He wrapped his arms around the child and pulled him to his chest, supporting him even as Shinta tried to stand on his own. The rurouni rushed to their side but Shinta waved him away. The boy clung to Battousai until the coughing subsided. He lowered the hand covering his mouth and Kaoru's stomach gave a sickening lurch when she saw blood on his lips. The hitokiri looked frantically at the doctor. "Megumi-dono!"

"There's no time!" Shinta regretted speaking immediately; the cough started again as Megumi rushed around the table to kneel beside him. The fit passed quickly, leaving him gasping painfully for air.

Kaoru was shocked by Shinta's sudden deterioration; he has seemed fine just a few minutes ago, and in fact had been acting almost normal the entire day. She mentally winced at her own naiveté. Of course he had "seemed" fine; of course he had been "acting almost normal". Kenshin, you idiot! Kaoru bit her lip, her sudden spike of anger fading at the terrified look on Shinta's face. Maybe he had pretended to be all right for the same reason Kaoru had let herself fall for the act…because the alternative was simply too awful to think about. Oh Shinta, you really are no different from the other two…

Megumi tried examine the boy, but he pushed her hands away rudely. He forced himself to his feet, grimacing in pain. "Forget it! He's here now!" The eyes he turned on the rest of the room were disturbing in their intensity. They were no longer a child's eyes, large and bright with innocence; instead they were narrow and dark, and terribly familiar. Kaoru was unable to suppress a slight shudder at the unnatural sight. Kenshin's eyes. Warning us...

Shinta leaned heavily now on the rurouni. His counterparts looked at him with stricken expressions. "Just go already," he hissed at them. "Why are you waiting?"

The older Kenshins exchanged uncertain glances. For once, they seemed to be in agreement; neither wanted Shinta out of their sight. "Go get the swords," the rurouni said quietly to Battousai after a moment. He glanced quickly at Kaoru, asking permission with his eyes.

Of course…they both need weapons, don't they? Kaoru didn’t need to think twice about her decision; she turned to Battousai. "You may use Father's sword, Kenshin. I trust you with it."

The hitokiri blinked startled eyes at her, then nodded sharply in acknowledgement and ran from the room. The rurouni rose to his feet, his face grim. "I don't think I have to remind any of you of how dangerous this man has become. So far his only targets have been Akari-dono and I, but that could easily change. Akari-dono, I would urge you to remain inside."

Akari frowned. Inside she still felt very confused about her husband, and she honestly didn't know if she wanted to see him or not. However… Himura-san said I still have a chance to reach him. She closed her eyes. How did it come to this, Yanagi? You used to be such a good person. It was hard to see sometimes under that spoiled temper and arrogant sarcasm, but still, it was there. What happened to change you? Where did your heart go when I wasn't looking…and if you knew you were going mad, why didn't you ask for help? Opening her eyes she looked up at Kenshin, a determined spark in her gaze. "I will not, Himura-san. I can't simply stand by and let him attack you again. It's unacceptable, and besides you said I may be able to help him. Whether that's true or not, I still have to try."

"We're going out there too, Kenshin." Sanosuke smiled wryly. "After all, you did promise me a piece of that guy."

"Only if I lost," the rurouni returned mildly, still looking at Akari with worried eyes.

"You won't lose!" Yahiko said confidently. "And I'm gonna be there to make sure, too."

Kenshin glanced at Kaoru and opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it. "I will not stay here, no matter what you say. He has hurt you long enough and I will make sure justice is served, by my hands if it comes to that."

"Kaoru," Kenshin whispered, stunned. He didn't want anything to happen to her, she was the most precious thing in the world to him, but he knew that look in her eyes. His Kaoru was no coward and she would stand with him to the end, whether he approved or not.

Battousai reentered the room on silent feet, katana already on his waist. He passed the Sakabatou to the rurouni and looked at Shinta with grim eyes. "Where is he now, Shinta-kun?"

The child knelt next to the table, breathing deeply while Megumi examined his heavily bandaged chest. She met his tired gaze and shook her head slightly. He frowned. "In the yard. He hasn't moved. He's waiting for us, I think."

"No! I must be there." The child's tone was emphatic and left no room for argument. He looked up at his split self. "This is our chance Rurouni-san; you know we can't stay this way any longer."

Megumi sighed and looked up at Kenshin. "I can't do anything more for him right now. The best we can do is keep him protected and out of the way. Remember that if either of you are injured it will affect Shinta-kun as well, no matter where he is. You must be cautious in this battle." Her eyes held a clear warning. He will die, Ken-san. She felt the ache in her own heart. This man was so important to her, to everyone around him. In only half a year he had changed all of their lives forever, one by one turning them away from the dark paths they'd been following and giving them a second chance at life. Their collective happiness now rested on his well-being, and her woman's heart desperately wished that he really was invincible…even if her physician's logic said otherwise. Kami-sama, please don't let him be hurt again. Please… "Understand, Ken-san?"

Yanagi's hands fidgeted impatiently in the wide sleeves of his yukata as he waited for Himura to appear. He had changed clothes at the hotel, slipping unnoticed into their abandoned room to exchange his ruined suit for his favorite black kimono. He had been surprised to find that none of their belongings had been touched; evidently the hotel believed that they were eventually coming back. He laughed darkly at the thought. They'll be disappointed. I'm never going there again. He had abandoned his old life, the failed experiment. The past no longer mattered; everything depended now on this last confrontation.

He rolled his head lazily on his shoulders, noting absently that Akari's aura was among the group of people clustered inside the house. He found that he didn't care in the slightest. Have I finally become immune to love? Hate? Right now I feel nothing inside. Well, nothing but annoyance, he amended silently as he sighed and glared at the closed shoji doors, which seemed to mock him with their stillness. Where the hell was Himura? They knew he was there; he could pick out the three pieces of the swordsman easily from the others, and a sharp flare of ki from one of the trio upon his arrival had told him he'd been detected. Must be the child that noticed me. Powerful little creature…I'll have to be careful of him.

Inexperienced as he was in combat, Yanagi had gleaned enough valuable information from his handful of encounters with Himura so far to realize an important fact: while the child's skill with ki was intact, the older ones lacked the ability to use it. Somehow, when Himura's ki was separated it had not divided equally. It's the only explanation. After all, last time I was able to parry Battousai's sword and escape with my life. That should have been impossible for someone like me. Yanagi felt his lips lift in a cruel smirk. The upper hand is mine, Himura.

He sensed movement within, and the doors to the house slid open. Several people filed out onto the porch, arranging themselves in a loose line before him. The three Himuras stood together in the center of the group, and Yanagi eyed them with interest. Battousai's furious ki hovered around him in a shimmering halo, barely within his control. The child's ki, to Yanagi's surprise, was much dimmer, wavering like weakening flames about his tiny body. He clutched the hitokiri's hand tightly, his face pale and drawn. He looked like he could barely stand, and Yanagi could see the thickly layered bandages underneath the open front of his gi. Things must have gotten ugly after I left the other night. I may not have to worry about the kid after all. The stern-faced rurouni held the child's other hand, his ki easily the weakest of the three. Yanagi could feel their hatred of him, could sense the frustration that lay behind their narrowed eyes. Each was doing his best to size Yanagi up, to assess his threat, but their condition handicapped any such efforts. His smirk broadened. He approached the porch slowly. "Hello, Himura. It's about time you came out. I've been waiting."

"We know," the rurouni growled. In a gentle yet deliberate move, he reached down and pushed Shinta behind him. Battousai moved over to fill in the gap, hiding the boy from view. His golden eyes were narrowed and dangerous. "What do you want?"

"A fight," Yanagi said simply, enjoying the anxious look that flickered through the rurouni's eyes. "Your ki against mine. Why are you hiding the boy, isn't he going to join in the fun?"

"Kisama…" Battousai hissed. He crouched into an attack stance, his hand resting on the katana's hilt. Yanagi fully expected him to attack, but he didn't move any farther.

Seeing his hesitation, Yanagi sneered at the hitokiri. "Come on Battousai, I've been wanting to match wits with you again. I'd leave the sword though; or are you afraid to fight me on my own terms?"

"What are you saying?" Battousai remained in battou-juutsu stance, his eyes wary. "I won the last fight."

Behind them, Shinta listened to the conversation with increasing apprehension. He knows…somehow he knows that Rurouni-san and Battousai-san can only fight him with their swords. He bit his lip nervously and tried to suppress the cough that threatened to rip through his chest again. He wished now that he hadn't stood up so suddenly when he'd first sensed Yanagi. Up until that moment he really had been feeling a bit better…not at full strength, certainly, but better than he had been. The abrupt movement seemed have aggravated the injuries to his chest, and now the irritation in his lungs refused to subside. He head spun and he found it took all his will just to remain standing behind his counterparts. I shouldn't have worn myself out like that. I should have known better… Squeezing his eyes shut guiltily, he could feel his friends trying to support him with their presence. He appreciated their efforts, but there was nothing they could really do to help him.

"I wouldn't call it a win so much as a draw." Yanagi's tone was light. "After all, you didn't finish me off before so here I am now, calling on you again. Some victory."

"This is unnecessary, Yanagi!" The rurouni's hand clenched angrily around the Sakabatou's hilt. "And this is hardly a fair match. What will you prove by challenging us in this state?"

Yanagi's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits and a slight breeze moved through the courtyard, a breeze that touched none of the thin grasses growing near the walls. "That even the great Hitokiri Battousai can be defeated, if the challenger is strong enough."

A sharp metallic click echoed across the yard as Battousai thumbed his katana from its sheath. His voice was low with anger. "This is a waste of time. If you came to fight, then fight. Otherwise, leave." To the side, so only the rurouni could hear, he muttered, "He can't defend if we take him together. Let's finish this quickly."

Yanagi grinned. He'd heard the comment clearly. "Unarmed, you say? I never thought you were that naïve, Himura." The wind picked up sharply around him.

In his mind's eye Shinta could see the sudden, aggressive flare in the man's aura; his eyes widened in alarm. "Look out!"

Battousai didn't need to feel the shift in his enemy's ki; he could see the change in Yanagi's stance, and he was airborne before Shinta even opened his mouth, closing the gap to his opponent with alarming speed. Yanagi thrust his hands forward and the air before him seemed to distort and shake, as if disturbed by some great force. The hitokiri's body jerked in midair and, as if grabbed by an invisible hand, flew sharply sideways. He hit the ground hard and rolled quickly upright, pressing one hand to his injured shoulder. His face was twisted in frustration and pain. "Rurouni!"

Shaking off his hesitation, the rurouni leapt skyward, bearing downward on Yanagi with a fierce cry. Laughing, Yanagi threw up a shimmering blue barrier that deflected the swordsman easily. Seeing what he thought was an opening Battousai rushed at his enemy's turned back, but Yanagi sensed him coming. Whirling about he dove for the ground, striking it with both fists. The moist soil of the courtyard exploded around him in a strange imitation of Do-Ryu-Sen, driving the young assassin back.

Yanagi grinned triumphantly at his confused and frustrated opponents, his gray eyes alight with childlike glee. I'm winning, I'm really winning! I really am strong!

Shinta watched the fight with growing dread. This Yanagi is different than before…he's more focused on what he's doing this time. He really means to win, and so he seems much stronger. He could already see that, even fighting together, his other selves were at a disadvantage. Unless we're whole, I don't think we can beat him. Himura Kenshin's skill with ki was strong, and Shinta could feel his small body pulse with the energy his master had long ago trained him to harness, but he didn't have his counterparts' physical strength. He couldn't use ki against Yanagi, not in a way that would be truly effective. Recombining with his other selves was the only answer, but after all this time that seemed like a distant dream. He had no idea how to recombine with the others, and even if he did…

Seeming to come to some sort of agreement, the rurouni and Battousai struck together from opposite sides with twin Ryu-Shou-Sen. It took a tremendous amount of effort on Yanagi's part to counter both swordsmen's momentum and throw them aside. His grin faded somewhat as he backed off, keeping both of them in sight, trying to catch his breath. Shit, they're fast and clever. I still don't have the endurance for this…I'll have to take them both out at once.

When his counterparts hit the ground, Shinta felt their pain as if it were his own. It took all his will to keep from blacking out. He wiped sweat from his face with a shaking hand and sank slowly to his knees, unable to stand up any longer. His time was running out, and he felt his throat tighten with fear. Rurouni-san, Kenshin-san…please hurry…

The rurouni barely avoided a shimmering wall of ki, which left deep gouges in the wet soil of the courtyard as it passed by. At the same moment, frustrated by Yanagi's strong defense, Battousai raised his sword and leapt high, his attack meant to cleave his enemy's spine in two.

No! The protest rang unexpectedly in Battousai's mind and he almost paused in his strike, which was again deflected by his enemy's ki. Darting out of range he looked towards the rurouni in confusion. Was that him I just heard? He shook his head sharply in denial and circled fast, looking for a weakness. He didn't like how this fight was going; for once his opponent was actually demonstrating patience and strategy, and unlike the times before he showed no signs of dropping his guard. That has always been his fatal mistake: growing cocky and leaving an obvious opening. Could it be he's actually starting to learn from experience? Will wonders never cease. Battousai glanced again at the rurouni. Amber eyes met tired violet orbs, and he again heard his own voice in his mind. We are growing weaker.

Battousai opened his mouth to reply, but his mind was quicker. We are fighting together.

To his amazement, the rurouni seemed to understand. No, we still do not act as one. The wanderer fell back as Yanagi lunged at him again. He dropped to one knee and leaned on the Sakabatou for support, his badly bruised lungs protesting his exertions.

Battousai ran to his counterpart and stood protectively in front of him. Putting aside the oddity of being able to hear the rurouni's thoughts, he concentrated on his opponent. Yanagi lifted his hands again, preparing another strike. He will never stop, will he? Not until we are dead. That is what strength means to him; the death of his opponent.

The rurouni shook his head and reached out to touch Battousai's back. The teenager sucked in his breath at the contact; the rurouni's voice suddenly became much clearer in his mind. No, that's not it. His anger isn't that well-defined; he doesn't know what he wants. He doesn't know what will happen once he "wins". He doesn't understand what winning is.

The hitokiri's eyes widened in realization, even as another part of him expressed disbelief at this idea. He thinks he has a goal…but he doesn't?

The rurouni closed his eyes regretfully as Yanagi glared at them, his eyes gleaming silver slits. He truly is empty, and that make him all the more deadly.

"He lives for himself," the hitokiri said aloud, "while we live for others. Those are two very different views of the world."

"Kenshin…" Kaoru crouched behind Shinta, her arms curled protectively around him. She was the only one who realized the significance of Battousai's seemingly random statement. The words were her own, spoken months ago when Kenshin had first told them about Yanagi. What's going on out there? There was something strange going on between the rurouni and hitokiri, but she couldn't for the life of her think of what it could be. Glancing at Akari, she was surprised to see the older woman trembling in anger, her furious eyes fixed on her husband. Kaoru wondered what was going through her mind, but she could guess as Shinta again shuddered in pain under her hands. She felt her own chest burn hot with outrage. This is ridiculous. Kenshin doesn't deserve this; no one deserves this! We have to do something Akari-san, before we both lose the men we love…

Yanagi's maddened shriek rang across the yard. "Why are you just standing there? Fight, so I can defeat you!" A ball of light appeared in his hands; seconds later the glowing sphere was racing for the two Kenshins, traveling far too fast to dodge. Kaoru heard herself yell a warning just as Shinta broke out of her arms. She saw his small form race for his counterparts, a near-invisible shadow in the bright light that flooded the courtyard.

"SHINTA!" Her cry was echoed by someone else, and she saw Sano leaping off the porch, his face full of an emotion she had never seen there before: fear.

Shinta dodged in front of Yanagi's ki blast and spread his arms wide. Kaoru gasped as a halo of light suddenly surrounded the boy, deflecting the missile and forcing it in the opposite direction, back towards Yanagi. The man gave a yell of surprise and dove for the ground to avoid the attack. He wasn't quite fast enough; the ball of light grazed his shoulder as it passed, tearing a sizable hole in his kimono. The destructive concentration of energy raced away into the night, traveling several more feet before gradually fading out of existence.

"Whoa…" Yahiko said loudly into the sudden stunned silence that followed. "Shinta, how'd you do that?"

Even Yanagi looked a bit shaken as he got to his feet, gingerly clutching his burned shoulder. His surprise lasted only an instant however, then he was snarling in rage and striding toward the child, a mad light in his eyes.

Shinta was in no position to defend himself; he was crouched on hands and knees, gasping desperately for air, the effort of deflecting Yanagi's attack having required more energy than he could really spare. Kaoru's heart hammered in her chest as she ran and placed herself behind Shinta. She wrapped her arms around him, her blue eyes blazing with their own fire. "That's enough, Yanagi! Stop this right now!"

"Troublesome woman," Yanagi growled. His eyes flicked to Sano, who was advancing on him quickly, his fists raised. "Stop!" Yanagi raised a threatening hand toward Kaoru and Sano stopped reluctantly, his fists clenching in frustration. "I'm warning you now, Sagara. Interfere and I kill her." He glared at Kaoru with contempt. "Get out of the way."

"What the hell do you want from us?!" Kaoru exploded back, tears stinging her eyes. Shinta sagged back against her chest, exhausted, his heartbeat fast and erratic under her hands. Oh gods Shinta, please hang on! Don't die… "Look at what you've done to Kenshin! Isn't that enough? You're strong, all right? You've proved it, now stop this!"

Yanagi laughed at her, a terrible demented sound she had only heard before from one other man: Udoh Jine. "Nice try, but that's not going to cut it. Stand aside, or you may just suffer your husband's fate."

Battousai snarled from behind her, and Kaoru gasped at ferocity of the sound. "Harm her and you will regret it, asshole. You know I don't bluff."

Akari suddenly appeared in front of him, her brown eyes almost golden with rage.

She stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face. "You selfish, arrogant brat! What do you think you're doing? You heard her; it's time for this childish nonsense to stop!"

For a moment Yanagi just stared at her, stunned, one hand pressed to his stinging cheek. Slowly, he recovered his composure and leveled a dangerous glare at his wife, his sunken eyes fiercely indignant. "'Childish'? What the hell do you know; who are you to tell me anything!"

"I'm you're wife, baka!" Akari's eyes blazed. "And it is not okay for you to go around taking out your emotional problems on innocent people! Who the hell do you think you are, behaving like this! You think defeating this man will really bring you happiness? I can't believe how immature you are!"

"I'm not looking for happiness," Yanagi hissed at her, undaunted. "I'm looking for completion, something you couldn't give me!"

"Oh, so that's my fault?!" Akari leaned into his face. "Don't you dare try and blame me for your insecurities, Shimizu Yanagi!"

"I'm not blaming you for anything!" He yelled back, suddenly sounding defensive. "I'm only telling you the truth!"

"How can I trust anything you say to me? You're nothing but a liar and a coward. Have you even stopped to think what you'll do if you do defeat Himura? How do you even plan on beating him? Are you going to kill him, is that how this is going to work? Did you even think that far ahead?"

Engrossed in the unexpected marital spat, the Kenshin-gumi could only gape in amazement as Yanagi's face went momentarily slack with shock at her words. Battousai stared at his enemy in disbelief. The rurouni was right. He has no idea what he's doing. This was honestly the first battle he could recall where his opponent hadn't had some firm objective in mind. Usually, his enemies just wanted him dead for one reason or another. Never had anyone wanted to fight him "just because". What did he think was going to happen here tonight? Is he really that deranged?

Yes. Battousai blinked at the sound of Shinta's voice in his mind. Yes, he is. He acts without reason, and when he can't figure out why he's doing something, he panics and lashes out because he doesn't know what else to do with himself. His spirit is close to breaking.

The child's head turned to look at him. Yes, as I've been able to do since the beginning. Now, you and Rurouni-san can as well. The fracture is starting to heal. No matter what, we must keep fighting together.

The teenager gasped aloud. Of course…it's so obvious! All this time we've been fighting against each other, instead of side by side…how could I not have realized it?

Well, I didn't understand until just a few minutes ago. Shinta smiled ruefully. Don't feel too badly, Kenshin-san.

"Kenshin, what's wrong?" Kaoru twisted around and looked back and forth between the two older versions of her husband in growing concern. They weren't paying any attention to her. Instead there were staring intently into one another's eyes, their faces thoughtful. Almost as if…"Kenshin?"

We'll lure him away. Battousai was thinking at the rurouni. Away from Shinta and the others.

The roof of the storage shed. The rurouni suggested, his eyes flicking in that direction. We'll attack from above.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Yanagi's enraged scream rent the air and he seized Akari by the throat with one hand. Throwing her aside with surprising strength, he lifted a glowing hand at the group before him.

The world seemed to explode with light and Kaoru screamed reflexively in fear, curling instinctively around the boy in her arms. She felt him jerk against her, and through squinted eyes she saw him hold up a small hand against the blast, trying to weaken it with what little strength he had left. In that same moment the two older Kenshins ran by on either side of her. As they passed Yanagi they struck him with glancing sword blows, meant to distract rather than harm. He turned almost immediately to follow them. His attention broken, the attack vanished as if it had never been, the light quickly fading. Shinta fell back against her with a pained whimper, his body shaking uncontrollably. Overwhelmed, and amazed by the fact that she was unhurt, Kaoru looked up to see that both Kenshins had retreated up to the roof of the nearby bathhouse.

"I-I'm so sorry, Kaoru…" Shinta's voiced threaded weakly to her ears and she looked down at him. She gasped in alarm. His skin was pale and sickly, and his sweat-dampened hair seemed almost black against the stark white of his face. He clutched her clothing with shaking hands and coughed weakly, his breathing unsteady. He looked up at her with unfocused eyes. "I…I guess I pushed myself a little too hard today, huh?" His laugh was hollow and weak. If the sound was meant to console her, it didn't work.

"No…" she whispered, then stronger: "No!" Grabbing him by the shoulders, she gave him a careful shake and forced him to meet her gaze. "No, you're not allowed to just give up like that, do you hear me? I won't allow it!"

"Kaoru…" he murmured faintly. Oh, please don't cry… He looked up into her crystalline blue eyes, brimming with tears of fear and grief, and berated himself for his stupidity. Her tears were his fault. They were always his fault, one way or the other. No matter how much he loved her, he always managed to make choices that caused her pain. Today, he had foolishly allowed himself to forget the limitations of his small body. He'd had nothing but the best of intentions of course; more than anything he had wanted to be well for Kaoru, to make her smile. That was so selfish of me…even if it was for her, I shouldn't have forgotten. He pulled himself up on Kaoru's kimono, and she whispered his name questioningly as he leaned heavily against her. Gathering his courage, unsure what her reaction would be, he pressed his lips tenderly against hers. She stiffened in shock, her hands tightening on his shoulders, and he closed his eyes against the waves of paralyzing pain that threatened to consume him at any moment. He pulled away slightly and rested his forehead against hers. "I…I will protect you, Kaoru. I don't want to give up but…I may not have a choice." His voice caught in his throat and he felt her tremble against him. He knew the pain he was causing her now, but in the end he knew he had accomplished his goal; his sacrifice had brought his two older selves together. Even without him they would be all right now; he was sure of that. "Don't cry koishii…it will be all right…" He was a little unprepared for her reaction.

"Not without you it won't! Don't you dare leave me!" She crushed him hard to her chest, which heaved with silent sobs. Her tears fell like rain onto his hands. "You can't…"

"This isn't far enough away!" Battousai shouted at the rurouni, who had stopped dead on the roof, apparently unwilling to go any farther. The hitokiri understood why the wanderer was so anxious; some of his own senses, dulled by his long separation from his counterparts, were starting to return and they told him that Shinta was suffering greatly. Even so…"Come on, I thought we agreed on this!"

The rurouni resisted the hand that pulled insistently on his gi. He looked at Battousai with despairing eyes. "We're out of time, and it's my fault!" Kenshin's voice was thick with grief. "I did this to us, to him! Shinta's dying."

Down on the ground, there was a flurry of activity as both Sano and Yahiko tried to deal with a frantic Akari, who refused to be held back from her husband. Breaking free of Sano's grip, she ran forward and grabbed Yanagi's arms from behind, screaming at him to stop.

Battousai saw this and knew the effort was futile; there was little she could do to stop a madman. There was nothing any of them could do. He turned away from the scene to face his older self. "Don't you dare blame yourself for this! You wouldn't have had to use the ougi if it weren't for me." He stepped closer to the rurouni. "Don't you get it? I'm the one who caused the conflict. I'm one who didn't understand." He reached out a hand to his split self, his eyes earnest. "That you and I…"

Snarling in rage, Yanagi shoved Akari away. Aiming for the roof he let his attack fly, the gathered energy in his hands traveling toward the two swordsmen like a flaming star.

Seeing the attack, Shinta gave a single frightened squeak and turned to reach out helplessly from the cage of Kaoru's arms. He could see what was coming, could feel it tear at his heart, and he prayed to every god he knew of to do something, anything…

"KISAMA!" Sano lunged at Yanagi, grabbing the smaller man by the front of his robe and wrenching him around to face him. "You are SO dead!" He lifted his right fist, fully prepared to Futae no Kiwami the bastard's face into pulp, but the blow never landed. The roof above them exploded, the rain of debris sending them all scrambling for safety.

The roof disintegrated, bits of wood and clay tile filling the air. Even as the world came apart around them, the rurouni found he couldn't tear his eyes from Battousai, whose mouth was still silently forming words. "You and I…"

The rurouni felt himself falling, and as the wind whipped his long red hair around his face his senses came alive and suddenly he could feel everything. His chest and shoulder burned with renewed vigor and he realized that the erratic heartbeat thundering in his ears was not his, but Shinta's. We did this to each other. We were all so blind. His heart and fractured soul reached out with a desperate agonized loneliness, wanting nothing more than to be whole again. So blind, not to realize... Battousai's face appeared in his mind's eye, not terrifying and insane but sincere and gentle. All this time, under his caustic and sarcastic exterior, his heart had been begging for acceptance and approval. The rurouni had withheld that support and trust from his teenaged self, in the vain and selfish hope that somehow the hitokiri within him would finally disappear, like the remnants of a bad dream. But he can't disappear. He is a part of me and…for the first time, the thought doesn't frighten me. He remembered his younger self inside the house, cradling Shinta with great tenderness, supporting him in his pain. And just a few moments earlier he had stood in front of Kenshin, protecting him from harm with a fiery determination that the wanderer admitted he lacked. I can't exist without him. I need him.

He heard a shout from above, and opening his eyes he saw a shadow appear among the falling debris. Battousai was falling toward him, stretching out a long arm. The rurouni met his counterpart's eyes, a strange mingling of gold and violet, and saw the same desire mirrored within them. The rurouni reached for the hitokiri. We are…

Their hands met, and the entire yard was suddenly bathed in a blinding white light. Kaoru gave a shriek of surprise and threw a hand over her eyes. She heard Shinta gasp and then he was out of her arms and running, stumbling, crawling, trying desperately in his exhaustion to reach his counterparts before they hit the ground. Reaching their position he threw his hands up to the sky. The falling glow struck his hands and the pearly light engulfed him as well. He seemed to vanish as the shining mass slammed hard into the ground and lay still.

The Kenshin-gumi gaped in shock, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Akari pulled herself into a sitting position from where she'd been thrown by Yanagi. Her mind felt numb. "H-Himura-san…?

"Kuso…" Sano whispered. He still had a firm grip on Yanagi's kimono. He did it. I don't know how, but he put himself back together again. Sano gave a silent cheer as the light dimmed to reveal a whole Kenshin, lying on his side in the rubble. Breathing heavily, his eyes tightly shut, Kenshin slowly shifted himself into a sitting position. Sano's relief quickly turned to dismay as the swordsman suddenly clutched at his head, his face twisting in agony and his mouth opening in a silent scream.

Images were swirling, mingling, the memories and physical sensations of three separate minds clashing and mixing together into one jumbled mess. The information refused to make sense of itself.

Too much! The thought was a panicked scream, howled in three distinct voices. Make it stop!

Some part of his mind moved his physical body, which was shaking and sweating with the effects of Shinta's very close brush with death. His lungs were searing flame. No air. His real mouth opened in a scream, even as the one in his mind continued to ramble on, the words making no sense.

Please, be quiet! Rising slightly to the fore, the rurouni fought against the chaotic swirl of conversations from three perspectives, of actions and events that were foreign to him, memories that belonged to Shinta and Battousai.

We will not be quiet. Battousai's voice was sympathetic, but unyielding. You must choose.

Kenshin saw Shinta lying on a futon in Megumi's clinic, his tiny, battered form unnaturally still. Tears blurred his mind-vision, and Battousai spoke again. I cried for him.

Shinta's voice surfaced now, mild with pleased surprise. I didn't think you could. You truly have changed, Kenshin-san.

The rurouni felt terribly confused by his counterparts' banter. What must I choose?

Don't you know? The old choice. Battousai's tone was matter-of-fact. Who in the end will control this mind? Which face will you present to your family?

The rurouni balked at the question. The answer to that was not the same as it had once been, and he answered now with a new determination. You mean…our family.

The rurouni stretched out a mental hand, searching for his other self. Where are you?

Not just see! The rurouni surprised himself with his insistence. He felt a tiny hand curl around his own, guiding him through fading glimpses of fireflies and snow. Shinta?

Who are you? The voice was childish, yet thoughtful. The rurouni knew the question was a test.

The rurouni's fingers touched those of another and his vision shifted, filled now with blood and glinting steel. My name means Heart of Sword. With that sword, I protect those around me.

The other's hand closed about his. So do I. The blood dimmed and shifted into a brilliant rainbow, reflected in a triangle of shining glass.

Why? Shinta asked of them both. A simple question, one that held a thousand answers.

The rurouni and Battousai responded as one, each acknowledging a single, defining belief. It is my duty. My passion. My reason to be.

In his free hand the hitokiri held a tiny triangle of colored light; the rurouni did not yet understand its significance. No one part of a person's soul can ever be completely destroyed. Suppressed maybe, but never destroyed. Remember? The hitokiri smiled. I’m the one who didn't understand. That you and I...

"Are one." Kenshin whispered aloud. The flickering images vanished, and like a sword sliding home into its saya he felt the pieces of his soul lock firmly together again, the three voices at last becoming one.

No! Nononono… Yanagi's felt his confidence evaporate as the chaotic swirl of Himura's ki suddenly solidified, shifting from flickering white to a brilliant blue. Himura's eyes snapped open, pools of violet ringed with gold, and his shrill battle cry sent icy shivers up Yanagi's spine. The overwhelming power of Himura's ki released itself, expanding out from the swordsman's body in a massive gust of wind. The wall of energy shattered the tiles clinging to the remnants of the bathhouse roof and blew old leaves from the corners of the yard, snapping them apart. The wind blew against him with the power of a massive fist, and he stumbled back against the man who still held him by the collar, his mouth dry. This can't be happening! If he's whole he's too strong, I can't—

Are you going to kill him, is that how this is going to work? Did you even think that far ahead? Akari's voice was outraged, filling his mind, refusing to be ignored.

Pathetic weakling. Yanagi gasped aloud at the sound of Jine's oily voice and looked around for the source of the insult, even as logic assured him that the swordsman was dead. Nevertheless, the voice continued. You think you're strong? You think you can defeat a man like Battousai?

Kenshin approached silently, and Yanagi started to squirm frantically in Sano's grasp, gripped by a sudden mindless terror. He's whole and he's going to kill me, I'm dead, I'm so dead— If he hadn't been in such a panic he would have noticed the swordsman's deathly pale face and unsteady walk. Kenshin cradled his left arm against his chest, his breath coming in short, pained gasps. He was in no condition to attack anyone, but all Yanagi could see was the fierce intensity of his opponent's eyes. Misinterpreting Kenshin's pained expression as malice Yanagi tried again to pull away, but Sano's grip was steel.

The streetfighter gave his captive a vicious shake and leaned down to snarl in his ear. "Not so tough now, are you? What, did your precious little ki powers run out or something? Damn coward."

"Sano." Kenshin's voice was quiet and even. The others watched his approach with apprehension. They didn't know what was going through his mind now, and they weren't sure what he would do. He is going to get revenge, right? Sano searched Kenshin's face curiously. The guy sure deserves it, and that's all that Battousai's been screaming about for days.

Yanagi's mind was trying frantically to reassure him. I'm no coward! I knew what I was doing, I did!

Jine's voice was filled with icy amusement. Then why did you have to cheat to defeat him? Frustrated, Yanagi tried to summon another surge of ki, but nothing happened. His ki-sight was gone. What? Why? Why can't I— Jine's laughter grew in volume, further scattering Yanagi's concentration. "Go away…" he whispered, no longer sure who he was speaking to.

The small swordsman stopped less than a foot away. For a long moment he simply glared at his enemy, his eyes bright with anger. "I am not your answer." Faster than Sano's eye could follow, Kenshin grabbed the front of Yanagi's kimono and drove his other fist hard into the man's gut. Yanagi choked and fell forward past Kenshin, dropping to his knees with the force of the blow.

Releasing him, Kenshin stepped back and opened his arms wide, despite the pain it must have caused him. "There. I've struck first, for the first time since this whole farce began. You're justified now, so come here and defeat me. If you know how, that is."

"What?" Confused, Yanagi could do nothing but stare back. He paled several shades at his sudden lack of ki. The power simply wouldn't come to him now, no matter how hard he tried.

Kenshin's expression was carefully neutral as he studied Yanagi's wild gray eyes. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Sano exchanged confused glances with Kaoru, and he could see that mentally she was asking the same question. Which Kenshin stood before them…Rurouni or Battousai? Or was it both? He's being really harsh. Sano thought, looking back at his friend. Yanagi's really pissed him off this time. That's no mean feat. Kenshin usually had a very slow fuse; it took a lot to make him genuinely enraged, and Sano knew from personal experience that it was never wise to be the subject of this particular hitokiri's wrath.

"Did you mean to kill me tonight?" Kenshin's voice, while still low and unassuming, also carried an edge of steel that kept Yanagi frozen in place. "You keep saying that you want to be strong, and that your strength means defeating me. So defeat me!"

Yanagi opened and closed his mouth several times, looking ridiculously like a fish caught on a hook. He had failed in his goal, completely and utterly failed. His last reason for existence had finally been knocked away. Even after all the damage he had done to this man, Himura Kenshin was still stronger. Yanagi felt his mind crumble from within. "I…"

Kenshin scowled at him, his voice carrying an edge of impatience. "Well? What is it you want?"

"To be strong." The response was automatic, another lie in an endless string of lies.

"Why?" When Yanagi did not answer, Kenshin slowly lowered his arms, his eyes blue fire. "I will tell you right now," Kenshin growled, his eyes shining with Battousai's spirit, "that weak-spirited strength like yours will never defeat someone like me." He loomed over Yanagi, who was stared up at him with something akin to horror. "You really are a fool. I didn't come this far and suffer so long to be overpowered by a man with no spirit of his own."

Yanagi made a small squeak of dismay in his throat. Sensing weakness Kenshin continued, unrelenting. It was cruel, but there was only way he could see to disarm his opponent now. "You want to know what I think? I think that you came to my home and ripped my soul apart for no reason at all, because it amused you to see us suffer, to see me squirm. It made you feel just a little bit better about yourself, because you have no worth of your own, do you? You have no idea what you really want."

Kenshin actually bared his teeth at him, his eyes flashing briefly gold. "No, you don't. As Akari-dono so accurately pointed out earlier, you are taking out your own insecurities on me needlessly. I am not your answer, I never was! Get up and face reality! Are you honestly going to sit there and tell me that Jine's treacherous strength is enough to satisfy you? I can see it in your eyes: you know that this path is wrong, that it has failed you. Don't become him, Yanagi! Stop relying on the power of others and find your own strength. You have a woman standing over there who cares for you and who wishes for your safety, even after everything you've done. Does that mean nothing to you?"

Yanagi suddenly screamed and grabbed at his hair, shaking his head in denial. "Shut up! I knew what I was doing, dammit! I'm not Jine, I'm not, I'm NOT!" He lunged at Kenshin, but there was no strength behind the blow. Kenshin sidestepped him easily and tripped him with his foot, sending the other man sprawling. Recovering his balance Yanagi turned around…and looked completely stunned when Kenshin drove a fist into his jaw. Yanagi dropped heavily to the ground and this time didn't get back up. Instead he lay there brokenly.

"Himura-san!" Akari ran forward and placed herself in front of Yanagi. "Please stop!" She pulled her unresisting husband into her lap, holding him close.

"I'm not Jine I'm not…" Yanagi whispered hoarsely, staring at Kenshin with unseeing eyes. His soul had finally broken…just as Shinta had said it would. No one with so little sense of himself could use his ki against others; Yanagi was harmless now. Kenshin sighed regretfully and turned away from the pair, looking with exhausted eyes into the faces of his friends.

"Kenshin," Kaoru whispered, her voice timid with uncertainty. "Are you all right?"

He smiled faintly at her, his bluish eyes darkening slowly to violet. He blinked slowly, his vision starting to fade out. "Yes…" His eyes closed and he fell forward limply. Kaoru ran and caught him, holding him tightly and sinking to her knees, his head cradled against her shoulder.

Two couples, Sano thought wonderingly, both odd reflections of each other. One pair of souls was destroyed, torn apart by lies and broken trust. The other pair had also broken, but in the end had found the strength to heal itself. As he, Yahiko and Megumi helped Kaoru get the unconscious swordsman inside the house, Sano hoped that Kenshin was right. That from now on, everything would finally be all right.