Chapter IV: Tainted

The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth and the twelfth amethyst.

-- Revelation 21: 19-20

He stared at her intently during the whole duration of the evening. She was laughing, thank heavens, and the events of the day seemed like ancient history. He let it stay dormant like that although the ominous thoughts continued to nag at his psyche. Megumi noticed as well, for she kept giving inconspicuous glances at Kenshin. He nodded at her pointedly and she proceeded talking to him through his mind.

"But she is happy, Megumi-dono."

"I see that, but she will never let it go. She is like that, you know. She would cling to it futilely. Until the truth crushes her."

"What did the Judge say?"

"He is ready Ken-sama. He says that he had been waiting for this moment ever since Master Hiko took his place in the Heavens. He also told me that you should bring Yahiko-kun with you, he will be the Map. Bring Yahiko-kun and Yahiko-kun alone."

"I understand. Did he say when?"

"When the Messenger wakes up."

"…"

"Ken-sama, when you take your place in the heavens, she cannot go with you. It will be too bright, too overwhelming. She could go insane. You would have to communicate through Yahiko in order to protect her mortal ears. Besides, how could she enter? Her earthly body would not be let in, even if Sanosuke was the Tower."

"…"

"Listen to me. There would be an inevitable battle between the Ember and you. He has released the Shadow from his incarceration in Inferno and toppled the Equilibrium between Heaven and Hell. It would only be a matter of time before the division between the two is destroyed. The Guardians are in turmoil. We haven't even found the Light and the Unnamed yet. If you tell her the whole truth, there's a possibility that she will be like Tomoe!"

Kenshin shot her a dagger of a glance. Immediately, Megumi fell silent and placed her hands on her forehead. Her stifled sob attracted Kaoru's attention. She excused herself from Sano's cheerful babble and the wizened man's chuckles.

"What's wrong, Megumi?" she asked, her brows knitted in polite curiosity.

"Nothing," a trail of blood trickled through her fingers. Her eyes were squeezed shut in irony of her words.

"You're bleeding! Genzai-sensei, something's wrong with Megumi," she gasped. The older man motioned towards her but Megumi raised her hand in impediment.

"There is no need, Kaoru-san. I just popped a pimple, you see, and we all know what oozes out from that infernal hill," she explained, finding mirth in her pain. Kaoru sank back in her seat and looked at Kenshin expectantly, who nodded to her in supplication. She gazed at Genzai-sensei and at Sanosuke who both turned to their drinks interestedly. She shrugged it all off, but the amount of blood and the attached honorific to her name left room for some doubts.

****************

The walk back home was silent and uneventful. Everybody seemed worn-out and sleepy. The company parted at their respective paths, Sanosuke to his apartments and the two medics to their clinic. Megumi had a small linen square pressed to her brow, her eyes keen and soulful. Kaoru seemed so conscious only of herself and of the child growing inside of her that she didn't notice the falling of the leaves. And of the stars.

Time stood still for the Reverse and the Wolf.

"Speak, make it brief. And spare me the theatrics," Kenshin growled at the two shadows that materialized at the corner. He stood protectively in front of his wife, who remained motionless, bound by time.

It was Saito who emerged first; his long hair breezed in its constraint. His arms were crossed in front of him, along with his sardonyx pendant, two katanas dangling at his sides. The fangs of the Wolf, his enemies called them. He was the Pillar that brought down abomination to the damned. The guilty struck down with his sword, a fitting verdict for the lost souls of Hell. The figure that followed him was Okita, his eyes glowing with the beryl that caused time to cease. His salvation was that stone. He was on the verge of death, his lungs allowing no access for life-giving air. It was then, when he walked on the thin line of living and dying, that the beryl was slipped onto his neck. Time, the judgment of the Fates and everything else that stood in between halted for him. He is neither alive nor dead, but that state relinquished him of his humanity. He is now the Pillar of Time, outside it and beyond it.

Their faces remained impassive, only a semblance of respect passed between their stoic eyes. A curt nod signaled their acknowledgment.

"We're not one to bow, m'lord," the Wolf said mockingly. "But we were under the impression that you are to go to the Judge to receive your Dragon. Okita and I would like to see if you still need some tutelage."

"You are not yet fully god, Himura Kenshin. We would like to see if you could stand up to the test," the Reverse prompted, his eyes burning an eerie purple.

Kenshin's eyes crinkled with growing rage. "Not here, not with my wife vulnerable," he hissed quietly.

"Oh, but that is the crucial moment that the Ember and the Shadow are waiting for. How would you be able to concentrate on their simultaneous attacks if you are easily distracted by a mere human?" Saito baited.

"Do not talk to me condescendingly. I know my place and how I should react in regards to that."

"She is not entirely vulnerable you know," Okita interjected. "Her conception is very suspicious. Even the Comfort acknowledges that, had you not so cruelly injured her. What is so wrong with the past, Himura? We lived once from that era. It determines our present and our present molds our future. Would you like to relive your past and find out what is in store for you, God of the Twelve Pillars?" before Kenshin could draw out his sword, he was pulled into Okita's glowing orbs; a fatal mistake, for his consciousness was transported into some induced state.

*******************

"What is the matter? Why did you leave Hiko-sama out in the snow?" Tomoe asked a sour-faced Kenshin.

"Do not concern yourself with that man. He can take the cold," he said, his scar burning with the unexpected christening given to him by his deity-master.

"And that was when she started to ask questions, right, Himura? She wanted to find out where you got the cross mark on your cheek and how your once meager skills in sword-fighting was heightened. She couldn't quell her curiosity, the scheming cat. She followed you one day and saw several winged Guardians tending to your wounds," Okita's voice teased.

"S-stop, you bastard. Get away from my head," Kenshin hissed.

"And that was when she demanded some answers. Hiko-sama wanted to erase her memory about that incident, even of you, but you wouldn't let that happen. Her beauty blinded you, and even by her kindness. The signs were already apparent even then, but you didn't want to recognize them. It is human nature, actually, to deny everything that is contrary to our wants. People are selfish that way."

"Tell me the truth, Kenshin. I want to know it. I saw you surrounded by those angels. They were healing your wounds with nothing in their hands. I sense something out of the ordinary going on. Won't you tell me?" her eyes pleaded with brimming tears.

"And you did tell her. You told her about us. You even revealed our identities. We were only seven christened Pillars then. She was particularly fond of your tale about the Light, how a great suffering would be the point of a magnificent paradise in return. Her fascination with the riddle, "And from his tears would spring the twelfth" ate through her mind and being. She believed it to be her."

"Stop…"

"Kenshin, tell me again."

He sighed and looked at her. "You have heard it a dozen times. Doesn't it bore you?'

She chuckled. "No, it doesn't bore me. Tell it to me again, please."

"All right. There are Twelve Pillars that represent the twelve gates of Heaven. There is the Tower, the Ice, the Comfort, the Mountain, the Wolf, the Reverse, the Sage, the Unnamed, the Neutral, the Judge, the Messenger and of course, the Light. They constitute the Equilibrium that divides Heaven from Hell. Each Pillar would receive a jewel that assimilates the power they inherited along with their immortality. After Hiko-sensei ascends to Heaven, I would take over. But that would be when something drastic and uncontrollable happens. The former gods made sure that the Equilibrium would hold for all eternity," he finished.

"But what about the Light?" she queried further.

"The Light is the one that stands between the god and the whole of the universe. The Light is supposed to be the saving grace of the god. Quite a paradox, really, when you think about it. The god is supposed to be the savior, not the one being saved," he mused.

"And the riddle?"

"`And from his tears would spring the twelfth' that was the prophecy. It was the only foretelling given to any of the Pillars. With that, we could assume the Light is a special force, for it was also said that from great sorrow would spring eternal bliss for that Pillar. As of now, we don't know who this Light is."

"She wanted to be the Light, didn't she? She thought you could make her the revered Pillar. Every time the Sage would visit, she would ask him if they found the Light, or if there were any clues leading to it. In her heart, she harbored a desire to be immortal, to be put on a pedestal. Such childish notions led to her corruption. She ended up wanting to destroy you and herself."

"I order you…to stop…"

"Why can't it be me, Kenshin? I thought you love me," she cried.

"I do. But I have no control over whom the amethyst chooses, be it a man or woman. You must understand, no one even knows where the jewel is…"

"Liar! It's in your tears, like the riddle says. You just won't cry for me," she screamed. Suddenly, a dagger found its way into her hands and she made a lunge for Kenshin. Surprised, he still managed to evade it and take the blade from her avaricious fingers. He hurled it against a wall and tried to comfort her. She flung herself away from him and started her tirade once more.

"Don't you see? We could be together forever. If you became a god and be immortal, what would become of me? Today, as I washed your clothes, I saw some wrinkles on my hands. They're hideous; I've become hideous! What if they crept to my face? Would I still be attractive? Only your gift of immortality could take me away from all these wretchedness!"

"Wasn't it hard to meet her expectations of you? You weren't even god at that time. Besides, her intentions were completely egoistic. She was on a definite path to self-destruction."

"I can't, Tomoe. Even if I wept for you, it wouldn't matter. I am sorry."

"Well so am I." With that, she pushed a long sharp needle into her pharynx. She choked on her own blood and viscera. Kenshin was by her side in an instant, calling on Megumi telepathically. He hoisted her on his lap and tried to subdue the profuse flow of blood from the puncture. Even in the brink of death, she resisted and before her last breath, she gave him a warning.

"If I can't bear the paradise of the Light, then I shall herald the inferno of the Shadow." And she breathed her last.

"Even if the Comfort came on time, it would not be of any importance. Her desire to live was already long gone. Her covetousness dissolved her humanity. She took you down the pit. It was such a shame actually, that her brother had to witness all that, am I right? Now, she did herald the wrath of the Shadow," Okita taunted.

He looked at the boy's now-flaxen hair. The lad's eyes were unseeing, determined. The two of them looked at the burning cottage with the young woman's corpse inside. Kenshin felt like he was the one burning. His insides were churning and gave him no reprieve. No tears came from their eyes.

"Are you going to be all right? Would you like to stay with me for the time being? I know a comfortable place where you can relax…"

"Bastard."

He blinked. "I understand how you feel, but…"

"No you don't," he answered quietly. Dangerously. "I can never forgive you for what you've done to my sister. Her blood would forever taint your hands. And soon, your blood would join hers." He walked away from Kenshin's shocked form and towards the smoldering hut. He looked back at the man, his eyes growing colder and colder, madder and madder, older and older by the second.

"And the last thing you would see before you wish to die is my darkness." He disappeared in a haze of black flame, his soul surrendered to the devil.

"His existence was a stigma to the governance of Hiko-sama. He had to go. Remember the time when you were given the chance to eliminate him with the Dragon lent to you by your master? And yet, you chose to simply hurl him to the confines of Inferno. It was hardly simple and you went all the way to make it simply hard for all of us. It did the job for at a couple of decades but it seems he's back, not the youngster you once fought. What are you going to do now?"

"Get the hell away from my head…"

"Tut, tut. Such language would never do. Being mortal does have its downside you know. You are bound by time. Don't worry, if you pass the test, it wouldn't have to be a burden. Now, as I have promised, your future."

Kenshin's world spiraled in front of his eyes. There was an uncomfortable lurch in the pit of stomach as he was suspended in thin air. There was a haze that appeared to him, and he felt like a spectator and saw his life through another's eyes.

He was in their room, Kaoru and him. He saw himself making love to his wife. He felt, albeit illogically, infinitely jealous of his future self. He saw his hands - his future hands - glide effortlessly across her gossamer integument, which in turn, elicited a sensuous moan from the lady's lips. His future self fastened his lips over hers in an opulent manner. He saw her take off her obi to expose voluptuous curves and generous breasts. His other self must have noticed for in an instant, his mouth was on one of them, and suckled covetously. A raw hiss of rapture escaped through her teeth and a loving hand crept to his scarlet hair and pushed further. His other self - his lucky self - began to divest the two of them of clothes. Fine silks and linen were elaborately passed through their skin, as if they have all the time in the world to make love. First came Kaoru's kimono, which glided wistfully over her skin. The light in his eyes gave her skin an ethereal glow, and made her all the more delectable. Kenshin the voyeur gulped, and felt beads of sweat form in his temples. How he wanted to be the one to do that.

The endless piece of silk wasn't thrown away hastily. Instead, it was caressed in her lover's hands, crumpled in several places. When he was no longer satisfied with her dress, he reached over to untangle her hair ribbon. It let go of her hair listlessly and fell like violet waterfall in his fingers. He drew the diaphanous material over her flushed skin, and blew on it softly - meant to tickle her senses. When he was finished worshipping her clothing, she turned on his. Her nimble fingers deftly undid the knot that held the sash of his hakama in place. Once free, the cloth came loose and exposed his rigid member. Her middle finger hovered over the tip as her other hand drew it away from his hips. As he was busy moaning, she unfastened the band in his hair. His hair mingled with hers, like Chinese checkers. Her hand continued its exploration on his length as both their eyes droop languidly with shared pleasure.

And then, he drew her up and made her straddle his lap. Once there, they resumed revering each other with their mouths and tongue and hands. Both their junctions were close, barely touching. The sweet deprivation was channeled to their heated kissing, with him massaging her belly and her lightly patting the side of his neck. Their moans of ecstasy escalated to a fevered pitch, the tension ground tighter. Sweat on their skin shimmered like moondust. Both pressed their foreheads together as one silent thrust became the only melody of their world. He was inside her, filling her. She was around him, completing him.

She rode him tentatively, carefully. She blinked many times in an attempt to keep her eyes open. Each silken glide of him made air hitch in her throat. She was drowning in him.

He felt her submerging. "Breathe," he instructed softly. He pressed his heated palm to her belly, right above her womb. "I'm right here," he said meaningfully.

She nodded in understanding and gingerly placed her palms on his shoulders to raise herself. The continued rhythm was grinding her perception and washed over her like a tsunami. Meanwhile, their visitor was having an assault of senses of his own. His joints were starting to grow cold and immobile, the back of his neck grew damp and heated and his trousers grew painfully tight. His fists clenched in confusion, jealousy and wonder. Were they that beautiful?

"Take me, Kenshin. Bring me there," Kaoru pleaded. He, however, had other things in mind. After clenching his teeth and tightening his resolve he pulled out of her. She whimpered in protest and fastened her legs to his hips. He chuckled at her attempt and soothed her by running his tongue over her lips. The action must have placated Kaoru, for her legs slackened their hold.

Her inner muscles quivered and her skin rivaled the sun. She crawled closer to him and looked up at him with a sly grin, thinking it to be a game he wanted to play. Unbeknownst to her, he had already anticipated her move. Her hand glided smoothly on his chest and she draped her leg over his hips. Just as she was about to kiss him, he turned his head away to move to her breast. She gulped in surprise but held his neck in place. A slight movement of her hips suggested that they be united as one but he purposefully ignored them and continued his suckling.

In retaliation, she tried to stimulate him by sliding her thigh over his length. He didn't seem to be deterred however and commenced to move to the other globe. Kaoru whimpered in protest and heaved his head around to question him. He smiled and took her lips. It was a battle of wills that Kaoru was losing. Her resolve and coherence were lost when murmured against her lips, "On your side."

She did as asked and her insides grew tighter as she felt him already dominating her womb. One of her legs was draped on his thigh as he rode her sideways. This position granted her toe-curling sensations. He kept her thighs open for him as he concentrated on one spot of her body, knowing that any extra stimulations could hasten her completion, and that just wouldn't do. He kept slow, smooth strokes and kept pressing on her lower belly. It kept the balance and the stamina of the worshipping and her throaty moans ascertained nothing premature would happen.

He leaned close to her ear, "Imagine: we could do this all night."

She flushed and sighed. His chuckle distant in the background. So be it.

Breaths were taken, moans of ecstasy were heaved, passions were spent. By the end of the stint, beads of sweat were sprinkled across his forehead and temples and his breath was hitched. He felt like a voyeur, a pervert, an intruder. He did not want to witness this; he wanted to live this. Feeling dirty and disgusted with the interloper position he was put into, he shouted for his freedom.

"Okay, that is enough. Isn't it funny how you shouted for me to stop replaying your past but didn't once try to halt me from giving you a preview of your, shall we say, pleasurable future?"

"You will let me out now, Pillar, or this spell would be your last. I'd make sure of it- " his threat was cut off with a blinding pain that cut through his back. When his vision cleared, he saw his blood gush into his hakama and soak his hair. Saito's sword was lunged through his thorax; its tip peeked out morbidly out of the fabric of his shirt. Instinctively, he thumbed out his sword and tried to jerk it into Saito's stomach. The Wolf foresaw this and moved rapidly out of range and in the process drew out his sword callously out of Kenshin's ribs. He hissed in immense pain and crouched to stifle the flow of blood. He did not move away from his position in front of Kaoru, who was still caught unaware, unmoving.

"How did you like our new stunt, Himura? Aptly called Fanged Illusion. You had the prestige to be the first one to sample it. Consider that one of the privileges of being god," Saito sneered.

"I'm deeply flattered," he breathed, his free hand pressed against his wound. He shook his head and tried to clear the fog that clouded his mind and tried to shut away the pain. Blood continued to flow unrelenting out of his arteries and drained his controlled strength. He felt his breath grow shallow by the moment and his resolve welcome oblivion.

"You see Himura: a name is only a name once uttered, it is what you do for that name that counts," Okita announced.

"Let it go, and we shall see to it that you return to your domestic life," Saito offered, referring to his godship.

How easy it would be. Let someone take care of it and let me have my happiness…

I did not want this kind of trouble. Not now, not when I'm beginning to be happy.

With her.

The hardest thing…

Is to let go.

"Don't listen to them Father!"

"Remember your vow to Kaoru…"

"This is the only way to happiness…"

"I will be waiting…"

"Kenshin, come to me."

He snapped his eyes open and moved to the rhythm of the wind. The two men stood perplexed at his sudden disappearance that they didn't know where to start aiming their defenses. And then unexpectedly, Okita fell and began convulsing and coughing something fierce. Blood spewed from his mouth and his skin began to fade ashen gray.

"Okita, what's wrong? Get a hold of yourself!"

"He won't recover. Not without this," Kenshin said and revealed the Reverse's beryl amulet that hung at the tip of his sword. He smirked cruelly at the growing demise of the other man. He moved towards Saito, unmindful of his injury. The other man bent to his attack stance and sprang at Kenshin. His counter-attack was swift and efficient and in a matter of seconds, the Wolf was pinned to the wall by Kenshin's furious hands. Kenshin had him by the face and leaned over to hiss at him this warning:

"The poison from your sardonyx only works for damned souls. I, however, am not damned, at least not yet. Now, tell the Judge to wait for me at Nowhere and I shall pass his insipid test," he let go harshly and walked over to the rasping figure and tossed him the beryl. He limply placed it over his head and muttered the incantation to release the vicinity out of his spell. Slightly recovering, both of them fell prostrate in front of Kenshin, their swords unsheathed over their heads as a mark of loyalty.

"Only a true god would be able to get away from our spells," Saito declared.

"And for that, we pledge to you our immortal lives," Okita affirmed.

"K-Kenshin?"

"Kaoru," he turned around to face her and made a reassuring face.

"You're bleeding!" she gasped and looked hurriedly for a linen square. A hand stopped her.

"Don't worry, Kaoru-san, I'll take over for this," it was Megumi along with Doctor Genzai, who eyed the two men who were flat on the ground.

"I take it you earned their loyalty," the Sage observed as he saw his master being healed by the Comfort.

"What happened Kenshin? One moment we were walking home and the next you were bleeding," Kaoru worried. He placed a hand on her cheek.

"Don't be bothered. You saved me," he answered, her quizzical eyes looked at him. Don't let it go.

"There, all done. Are you not going to release them from their position? They have had enough don't you think?" Megumi asked.

Kenshin paused for some time. "Rise. And relay my message to the people concerned. Call for the others once I've received my Dragon from the Judge," he commanded. The two disappeared in a haze of gray and violet smoke. He turned back to his wife with renewed fervor and warmth. He was still affected by the vision the Reverse showed to him a while ago.

"I shall explain on the way home. Would the two of you join us?" they started towards the dojo when a panting Sanosuke caught up with him.

He heaved a deep breath before answering their curious looks. "The Messenger has awakened. And he Portended."

EbonyFox's Tales:

It took me awhile to write this because I can't envision them with another person. It would have been easier if I were writing the love scene with Kaoru or Kenshin in mind but I wrote this in the eyes of the person watching them, in this case: Kenshin within the Reverse's spell. I'm not exactly well-versed in the art of lovemaking.

Chapter Six would be after a week. I have my finals and I'm shifting schools. Thanks for all of your continued support.

EF