by
Anaphalis
Summary: A journey of a thousand miles may start with a single step- but what happens if someone walks into you? Battousai the assassin gets transported to feudal Japan. The rest of his year isn't looking very good either. Rurouni Kenshin X Inuyasha crossover. Romance/Drama.
Chapter Summary: "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper."- T.S. Eliot, "The Hollow Men"
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Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Shonen Jump. Rurouni Kenshin belongs to Watsuki Nobuhiro and Jump. Brushes on this page courtesy of Pure Anodyne.
A/N: I have some major issues with this chapter, but after agonizing over it for a couple of weeks, I've decided that I'm just going to leave it the way it is. Bombs away!
If you wish that your life was a fairytale, you obviously haven't read the original stories.
It wasn't going well.
Kenshin watched the tall demon clinically dispatching Naraku's henchmen. Sesshoumaru was beautiful to watch in a fight and seemed to be completely ignoring the occasional glares thrown his way by Inuyasha. He had been surprised when the dog demon had appeared the day before the battle- no one had ever mentioned that Inuyasha had a brother. He had been even more surprised when, despite the antagonism they obviously felt for each other, they had coolly and civilly worked together on the strategy for the fight. Kagome had not explained their hatred, but she had told him that they had worked out a truce a few years back to last until they had defeated Naraku.
The way things were going, that truce might never end. Everyone was fighting well, working seamlessly together, but there were too many monsters and nobody was even getting close to Naraku himself.
He looked over at Kagome who was effortlessly purifying the demons around her. But he was both her friend and her lover. Even from a distance he could see the fine, tell-tale shake of her hands that indicated exhaustion.
Kenshin made a resolution in his heart. Shippo had been left with the girl that followed Sesshoumaru- if Kagome survived the battle she could build a life with her son. Kenshin would make sure that she had a chance at that life.
Kenshin found that calm center that made him the Hitokiri Battousai and jumped in the air. He used all of his speed and agility not to fight the monsters in his way but to pass through them, working his way to the true goal. Somewhere along the way he passed the dead woman. Her face was completely expressionless, but he still heard her as he sped past. "Aim for his heart."
And that was what he did.
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When he opened his eyes again he saw the most beautiful face in the world pressed against his shoulder.
"You stupid, stupid man. Don't you ever do that again." Their kiss felt like she was trying to push herself into him and only ended when Inuyasha cleared his throat.
It seemed that although Kenshin had escaped major injury, Naraku's final miasmic blast had knocked Sango into a coma and shattered Miroku's legs and three of his ribs. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru both had broken arms and some deep wounds that would have been fatal for non-youkai. Kirara and Kagome were only bruised as they had been protected by a falling youkai corpse, as Naraku's body had probably protected Kenshin. Although everyone would survive, Kikyo was the only one of the group who looked untouched.
Sesshoumaru left almost immediately. Miroku's attention was completely centered on Sango. It seemed that the rest of the group would have to make the decisions about the jewel. To Kenshin's annoyance, he apparently wasn't considered part of the rest of the group. Kagome gave him an apologetic look, but moved to talk to the others privately.
There was a quiet conversation between Kikyo, Kagome and Inuyasha before Inuyasha turned to the group.
"We've decided that Kagome will take back the jewel when it is completed. There's a reason that none of the guardians wished on the jewel. Unless we can figure out a wish that won't somehow cause destruction and is truly selfless, the jewel is safer with Kagome. My wish will... no longer be necessary." Something of the hell he was going through flashed in Inuyasha's eyes and Kenshin pitied the hanyou for the first time.
Kikyo handed Kagome the shards she had removed from Naraku and Kenshin could see a brief kinship in their faces before they looked away. He watched with pride and awe as Kagome purified the shards, joined them in a pulsing ball and somehow pushed them through her clothing into the scar on her hip.
He was about to ask her if she was all right when his hands started to disappear.
His purpose, he realized with a wave of horror, had been to help complete the jewel.
The jewel was complete.
He could see the confusion and dawning understanding in Kagome's eyes. She reached out to him and pulled him against her. The world in front of him started to become blurry, but her voice was very clear in his mind. "I love you. No matter what happens, I want you to live. I want you to love and find a family."
He didn't even have time to say that he loved her before the world completely disappeared.
When his vision cleared, he found himself on the same road he had been on a year ago when he had made his mocking request of the gods.
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It was empty.
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