Here with You

If there had been any warmth in my body before that door opened, it was quickly pulled from me when I stepped into the brothel. The room I enter directly past the small area where I assume an attendant usually greets the men, is similar to an audience chamber. The seating is in shadows and the center is illuminated by several lanterns, revealing chains and cuffs hanging from the ceiling, and blood stains the mats where the ends of the chains pool.

Kenshin's monotone voice cuts through the frigid silence. "I'm so glad you could join us Rina. I was starting to get bored of your sister."

The lump that had been in my throat since I left Masamune and Mitsunari rapidly expands as my eyes adjust to see Kenshin on the other side of the chains from me with my youngest sister, Sueko. She sits at his feet like a dog, a tatterd rob hangs open and she is trembling. She only just turned thirteen. She should be looking for a husband, not looking like a beaten animal on the verge of death.

Kenshin stands and moves closer to the light and she crawls behind him, weak and slow. He has a chain in his hand connected to the collar around her neck, and when she doesn't keep up with him he pulls, and she whimpers as she is pulled to his side. Her skin should be creamy smooth, but she is covered, every inch of her is covered in bruises and red wounds, some of the bite marks look like they may be infected. Her neck is red and raw, the wounds inflicted by the collar never having a chance to heal as every breath and movement rubs the skin away. She slowly lifts her face, her once pristine face with bright green eyes that were so excited to fall in love and escape our small village last time I saw her, are now tired and bloodshot as she scans my features. "Rina?" Her voice is hoarse and shaky and I can here the doubt in her words.

I want to run to her, scoop her up and get her as far from this place. My eyes stay glued to her captor as I speak in a gentle tone to her. "It's me. Save your voice little one."

Kenshin is smiling, ear to ear, even as he speaks. "As you can see, there isn't much left of her for me to play with and I know when I've damaged vocal cords beyond repair, she's on the edge Rina."

My flames have started to spread over my hands as I speak. "Let her go. Once she's away from here, you and I can settle this war for good."

He laughs, too calmly. "Why would I just give up this little dog I have on a leash that keeps you subdued?"

I close my eyes for only a moment as I inhale. When I open I walk to the chains attached to the ceiling and poles of this building. "A trade?"

His smile somehow widens. "One ruined village princess for the Queen of Ruin? Deal. Signal your men to take her, because she doesn't leave these chains until you are shackled."

I exit the brothel and send a flame in the air and sit on the steps in front of the door to wait for Masamune and Mitsuhide to arrive, trying to focus on my controlled breathing and not on my shaking hands.

I only close my mind for a moment, hardly longer than a blink, but when I do he is there, a warm, proud smile, a hint of concern in his carnelian eyes as he approaches me, surrounded by large red camellia. His warm breath is on my ear as his smooth baritone voice whispers lovingly. "I'm here."

When my eyes open it all still feels real as I touch the ear he spoke into and tears begin falling. I wipe the tears away when I hear the men approaching. I explain best I can to Masamune and Mitsunari what will be happening, and request that as soon as they get my sister they leave this place as fast as they can, no rests, and get her to Ieyasu.

They both look worried as I hand Masamune both mine and Nobunaga's katanas for safe keeping. They try to come up with other options, each one is denied without reasons and they become frantic until I place a hand on each one of their faces. "This is the path I am choosing." I smile as my hands slip away from them and they bow.

Masamune grips his katana tightly, showing great restraint as he watches Kenshin clasp the hard metal shackles around my wrists and pulls the chains until my arms are stretched above my head. My face remains stoic and dignified as he adds the cuffs to my feet, when he stands he runs his nails against my thigh and breathes deeply satisfied before turning away to release my sister, who he put in simple clothing when I was away from them.

Once her collar is removed Kenshin pulls Sueko to her wobbly feet, and before she can collapse to the ground from her weakness he kicks her toward Masamune who lunges and scoops her up. I watch as she curls into his chest and he stands. Mitsunari guards them by bringing himself between Kenshin and the pair, throwing knives between his fingers ready to throw if Kenshin makes a move. When Masamune looks down at her small broken body his brow twitches and a shadow of sadness crosses his features. "Don't worry little lass. She's going to make him regret his existence." His features warm towards her for a moment before looking up to me with a nod and they exit the brothel while Kenshin laughs darkly from Masamune's words.

Kenshin doesn't stay once they've left, he leaves the brothel for several days, leaving me chained up in the middle of the pool of light for three days as he probably rests at one of the inns or watches me from a hidden place. As I stand there I have never been more grateful for the fact that I need no sleep. Although I hardly need food, the absence of it for more than two days does begin to bother me with an empty ache in my stomach. I stand there, firm in my posture despite my need for sustenance, reminding myself over and over again why I am doing this, why I am willing to put myself through his presence again in this way, why I am willing to go through the pains that I know will come upon me again.

The way the light through the window has moved and the sounds from outside have shifted I know that it is near dusk when the door creaks open and Kenshin returns. "Doesn't this just feel right Rina?" Kenshin begins as he circles me. "I wonder how long it will take to make you scream this time?" He sounds like a child getting ready to open a present when he speaks. He stops behind me after finishing his third lap. As the knot that secures my obi begins to be pulled apart I close my eyes and let my head fall back. Nobunaga stands there in my mind again, his strong handsome face surrounded by those distinct red flowers, his voice a clear whisper. "I'm here."

The sound of my obi falling to the ground brings me back to reality and I speak calmly. "You didn't make me scream before. What makes you think you can this time?"

Kenshin grips my waist from behind me and pulls us close together, his voice directly against my ear. "Such brave words from someone restrained. I will fix that."

"I've already been repaired." I keep my voice calm and collected as his vile hands move over my body to part my robes.

"Yes, I can see that. The Oda did a fine job on you after our last time together." He removes his hands from me and walks around to face me before continuing. "Tell me, how does it feel?" The smirk on his lips makes my skin crawl. "How does it feel to walk this earth without him?" Somewhere, hidden deep in his azure eyes I think I see something soft, something, dare I say, vulnerable.

"I have a feeling you know what that pain feels like. Perhaps it's why you chase after other people's screams the way —" The back of his hand slams hard into my face, bringing an end to my sentence. My suspicions about his emotions begin to seem confirmed as his next slap reaches me, and the third becomes a fist that upon contact breaks the skin inside of my cheek against my teeth and the first blood is drawn. He looks excited by the sight as I look up at him. My left eye is already beginning to swell slightly.

"Enough talking Rina, unless you scream, I don't want to hear your words, I want to hear your scream." His commanding voice does nothing but anger me and push that anger into the fire of hatred I have felt for this man ever since our first meeting.

"I cannot picture you in something as tender as love. Tell me, who was it that could possibly love you?" Another slap is the only response I get and I begin to lowly chuckle before continuing. "What kind of woman could possible want to keep your bed warm?" No slap this time not that it would've stopped me from speaking. "Oh, not a woman." Again, no slap, this time I am met with a kick to my abdomen that steals my breath and pulls the cuffs at my hands, digging the sharp edges of the metal into the skin around my wrist.

Once I've settled back from the assault and catch my breath I look to find him and see he is slightly trembling. Fear or rage, perhaps both as he speaks. "Only one of us is going to make it out of this alive, so it doesn't really matter what you know." He clenches his fists. "His name is Nagao Harukage." The green eyes of his bastard half brother flash in my eyes. He loves his half brother... Once he's revealed his secret he does not hold back, and tears and rips my clothes off of me until they are piled on the floor beneath me. He walks away for just a moment and when he returns my body is licked by whips whose tails have blades braided in them, shredding my skin.

I tremble as he slaps and drags the whip across my back three times and I listen to my blood falling to the ground like rain in a storm. "I knew there was something wrong with you." My words don't tremble with my body as I continue. "I never imagined you were so wrong you crave your own blood's warmth."

He whips me again across already taw skin and I have to hold my breath for a moment to stop myself from making any noises that might arouse him.

As I caught my breath he grabbed my face. "Since you don't seem to know how to shut up, I'm not going to drag things out like last time, Don't worry, I won't end you until I hear that beautiful sound from you lips myself." He lifts his other hand as blue sparks and streams of electricity come from his fingertips.

When he touches my lips with a sparked finger my entire face convulses and I forget how to breath for a moment as he chuckles. When the hand gripping my face releases a bolt of lighting into my skull my eyes shut as every part of my body shakes and spasms.

"Rina." Nobunaga's velvety voice fills my mind before his image floats into view with a serious look about him.

"Nobu—" I whisper as I try to move my arms to reach him, but my arms don't move.

"I'm here with you Rina. Now is the time. Now is the time for my phoenix to rise and sing." When his hand reaches my face, for a moment I thought that I felt it before my eyes snap open and from an already open mouth from the jolt running through me, a perfectly pitched, other worldly, scream erupts and three sets of flaming wings spring from my spine as the fire spreads across my body.

He's laughing as the blue strings and bursts of lighting begin spreading over him in a similar way to my flames and form a large tail and a pair of wings. The shape of horns made of lighting on the top his head and the sharpening of his teeth complete his transformation. His laughter only makes my flames bigger and hotter until the shackles melt around my wrist and ankles.

His posture and voice are fully arrogant as he leans against one of the supporting beams with his arms crossed. "Rina, Dragon's are born in flames, what could you possible hope to do with the antiquated powers of a spirit that has failed so miserably at every turn?"

I take a large inhale to channel all of the annoyance his conceited words bring me. "You say dragon's are born from flames? Well then, prepare the part of the dragon's powers he's gifted you with in this time to return from where they came." My head falls back as another of my echoing screams fills the building along with my flames.

As he begins his first retreating step I pull three thin throwing knives from my hair and to his knees in one smooth motion. He collapsed to the ground with a howl that puts a smile on my face as I approach him.

The building around us is completely engulfed, and beginning to crumble and fall as I grab him by his hair. "If you had been on the battlefield with your men instead of distracting yourself with my sister's screams you might have known to check my hair for weapons." I seethe with anger as I pull another knife out of the bun and all of my white hair falls as I press it into the front of his neck with no hesitation.

I have nothing left to say to him as blood spills from his lips and he falls to the ground. My flames quickly wrap him in a cocoon of fire that makes fast work of destroying his body and turning him to ashes just moments before I am struck by one of the beams and knocked to the ground.

It all feels too familiar as piece by large piece continues to crush me until I lose consciousness and I wake up floating in complete darkness, illuminated by one single floating lantern on top of the dark water.

The light floats to me and as it grows closer I can see a large dark figure standing on the water behind the lantern. "I'm here Rina." His voice, his masculine and smooth voice fills my mind. The light begins slowly crawling up the dark figure slowly revealing the details of Nobunaga's last attire. As the light rises so do I to my feet and as I stand his face is revealed and I reach for him.

The smell of his uniquely masculine scent fills my lungs as I hold him, my arms locked around his abdomen, my head against his chest. The ear pressed to him doesn't receive the expected strong heartbeat, it is instead met with silence. "Nobu?"

His arms finally wrap around me and his lips press firmly to the top of my head. "I don't get to stay here longer Rina…" His words don't sound sad in the way I feel from them, he sounds, peaceful and when I look up to see his face again his expression is also peaceful. "I love you." He whispers before our lips meet. I want more. I want him. I want all of him. He wants it too, the way his hands are roaming my body, squeezing my seat, raking my back as our tongues rediscover each other. After some time, but not nearly long enough, he pulls away with a gentle smile. "He is beautiful Rina. Our son is so beautiful."

His words distract me from my need for more of his touch. "You've seen him?"

He nods with a bright smile that reaches his eyes until he suddenly looks down to his feet and I follow his gaze to see the pitch black of the waters climbing up his legs, turning him back to the shadow he was before. "Rina." I snap back to his face as he continues. "Remember me. Remember me as I really am. Find me there."

I don't have time to ask what he means as the black has reached his shoulders and he leans to kiss me one last time as the shadow removes all sense of touch. The black shadow of him stands back before sinking into the dark waters.

When my first tear hits the dark water my love disappeared into it becomes a spot of light that builds in size at it ripples and from it rises the phoenix spirit in her golden haired human form. "Well done." She says with a smile as she reaches for my face and strokes my cheek with a loving look in her eyes. "You took the powers I gave and you brought back twice as much. Thank you."

"What about Nobunaga? What about our child?" I ask urgently.

She tilts her head with the softest chuckle. "Your child is safe, and ready to join you Rina, it will be quite painful for you to go from how you are now to more than half way through it, but some of my power will remain with you now and it should help you adjust." Her hand falls from my face as the egg that she placed my child in floats up from the depths between us and she pulls it off the water's surface once it has emerged completely. Without any permission she presses the egg firmly against my abdomen, and continues to press until it becomes painful, and even then she doesn't stop. I moan in agony as the egg seemingly melts into my flesh and stretches my skin to bring it into my womb.

I breathe desperately as my organs shift up to accommodate the new form inside of me. I speak between labored breaths. "What about Nobunaga?"

Her expression becomes more serious now when she speaks in a motherly way. "I did what I could for him. In the end it will depend on you to find out if I was successful."

"How?" I ask fully irritated by the vagueness.

She suddenly brings herself close to me and presses her forehead to mine. "He already told you everything you need to find him Rina. So go." He lips press to mine and when I gasp from the sudden affection I am no longer in that dark place, but I am lying under a pile of ashes.

It is a painful, uncomfortable struggle to sit up under the weight of the ash, and the swell of my abdomen and I groan loudly as I use my arms to push myself up to a seated position. The piles of ash fall from my upper body and when I shake my head and the ash falls it reveals the return of my dark hair. I place my hands on my suddenly swollen abdomen and smile for a moment until I hear a strained yet familiar voice behind me that sounds bewildered. "Rina! Rina! You're here!" I turn to see Hideyoshi running towards me with a tear stained face and blood shot eyes. Behind him Mitsunari, Masamune, and even Ieyasu look dumbfounded and pleased when Hideyoshi falls to his knees and pulls me into his lap to hold me as tightly as he can. He is still crying as he pulls away from the hug to see my face, even as his hands grab my face and feels how real I am before beginning to kiss me with frantic kisses.

I begin to laugh at his feverish and unsteady kisses, a mixture of gentle pecks and deep kisses. When he finally slows to rest his forehead to mine and breaths heavily with a smile I place a hand on his cheek and smile back. "I'm here."