* Disclaimer* All rights to the Rurouni Kenshin Characters are Watsuki-sama's, Jump Comics, etc.  All right to the character " Incarnations" Are property of Piers Anthony.  There are references made to his book " On a Pale Horse." But you do not need to have read the book to understand what is happening. =) This is only a little fanfic by a crazed Kenshin fan, I'm a poor college art student, and not even worth suing!  Enjoy!

Authors Note-
 Well, I came up with this fic when I still believed Kaoru was dead.  But I liked the idea of it so much that I decided to keep on writing it. (Even though it's been established that, yes… she IS alive)  Consider this a "what if this happened" fic.  Kind of like an alternative where Enishi does actually kill her.   I know, it sounds awful, but believe me; this ISN'T going to be depressing! I'm determined to make it happy!  And to appease all those Kenshin and Kaoru fans out there…well… >=)
 

? A little pre-fanfic know-how about "On a Pale Horse."

The incarnations mentioned in this fic are taken from " On a Pale Horse."  In Piers Anthony's book, he takes these aspects of life and creates people for them-- much like we imagine there being a "Father Time," and a "Mother Nature."
 
  Oh-- Death also rides a horse, Mortus, which can also conveniently be a car (limo), boat, etc.  Whatever Death might need as a mode of transportation in the moment.
 

CHAPTER 31- The Final, Winning Blow

*Please don't read this if you have an exam or something the next morning, I'd hate to be held accountable for any loss of sleep-- ^^;; Thankyou.*
 

Kenshin opened his eyes slowly, allowing himself to adjust to the unusual softness of the couch he was lying on.  He lay for a moment, completely oblivious to where he was, and then his memory reminded him of his situation.
 “ Kaoru!” He sat up quickly, too quickly, and was instantly overtaken by a sudden dizziness.  He sat back; putting a hand to his head as Death walked in the door.
 “ Oh good, you’re awake. I was hoping you’d wake soon…”
 “ Death…” Kenshin sat up slower this time, taking care of his aching head.  “ Where is Kaoru?”
 “ She’s just fine.  She was with Fate discussing her case last I heard.”
 “ Her case?”
 “ Yes—the one she must defend in front of God at the appeal.”
 “ When is that anyways?” Kenshin took off the blanket he’d been covered with and straightened out his Gi.
 “ It’s in about 5 hours.  We should leave here soon though. It’s to be held in Time’s residence in purgatory.”
 “ Sou de gozaru… why Time?”
 “ Because Time runs backwards in Time’s residence. Who knows how long this trial will take, and with all major incarnations there, no one will be doing their job. The world could end while we’re discussing this trial.  That way—when we leave the house, it will be like we never entered it.”
 Kenshin tried his best to grasp the concept, but just shrugged and nodded his head as if he knew what Death was talking about. “ Ok—so… tell me a bit about how the trial will run.”
 Death took a seat across from him, then drew out a clipboard from thin air.  He consulted it carefully.
 “ Well, it’s pretty simple.  All the incarnations are called as “jurors.” However, it’s more like a council of members that listen to the case and discuss the verdict.  God in this case will be the chairman because it’s under His jurisdiction.  The only catch is that you need a unanimous vote when all major incarnations are involved.”
 “ All the major incarnations?” Kenshin repeated more to himself than anyone in particular.  He stood up and looked towards the door. Death caught the hint and quickly rose.
 “ Go ahead, Kaoru should be on the second floor. Just turn right and then to the end of the hall…”
 “ Domo Arigato.”

**

 Kaoru paced her room nervously, going over what she’d discussed with Fate.
 “ Ok—“ she muttered to herself. “ Never invoke an argument… be humble, pious, and straightforward…Ohhh—“ She rung her hands tightly before she heard a brief knock on the door.
 “ Come in.” She turned around, almost jumping out of her skin to see Kenshin suddenly enter the room.
 “ Kaoru...I—“
 “ WHAT are you doing off that couch?! Did you just wake up!" She ran to him, stopping just a few feet away, she stood slightly bowlegged, wringing her hands nervously in the folds of her long sleeves.   " Kenshin—how do you feel? Are you still cold? Do you want something warm? What about food? You hungry?”
 “ Matte! Kaoru—heh… slow down! I’m feeling just fine, and I’m not cold, or hungry—no… I don’t think I could stomach anything right now.”
 “ … Kenshin—“
His smile had a hint of sadness in it as they stood facing each other, knowing well that they couldn’t touch, and greet each other as they wished.  He wanted to hold her so badly, comfort her and say everything would be ok.  He didn’t even know how she was handling all this pressure. She had to defend herself for the sake of a happy afterlife.  And, if she was sent to Hell again—no… he wouldn’t think about that…”
 “ What is it that you came for?” Kaoru asked softly, she turned and walked out onto the balcony. It overlooked a pasture.  Mortis was not too far off, grazing leisurely.
 “ To see you.” Kenshin followed her out, standing next to her.  He put his hands inside his Gi and looked out over the scenery.
 “ Sou…” Kaoru smiled slightly, “ The trial is in a couple of hours…”
 “ I know—Death told me about it.”
 “ Are… you going to be there?”
 Kenshin looked at her amazed. “ Of course!”
 “ But—doesn’t your body only have a certain amount of time to remain in purgatory?”
 Kenshin looked away, he’d forgotten about that! He cursed all those restrictions that put such a strain on their time together. “ I—know it does… how long did I sleep?”
 “ About 10 hours.”
 That was a lot of sleep for him, he usually never slept more than 3 or 4 hours a night.  And he was always the lightest of sleepers.  Always aware of everything going around him even while dreaming… He made a quick mental count of the hours.
 “ I have a little less than 12 hours left. I’ll be alright.”
 Kaoru sighed, she looked much more relieved now, which put him at ease, He moved closer to her, wishing more than anything that he could put his arm around her shoulder.
 “ I wouldn’t ever abandon you… Anyone can push their limits anyway.”
 “ No… you did just a short while ago—and it almost cost you your life!” Kaoru scolded him.  “ You went back into your body JUST when it reached the critical point.  If I’d have been alive and in my body when I saw you collapse like you did, I would have had a heart attack!!!”
 “ Sumanu! Sumanu!” Kenshin put his hands up in apology.  “  But—I get to remind you that it wasn’t ME that stalled it!”
 “ Nani? Why--- you…” Kaoru raised her fist angrily. “ Blame everything on me then!? Kenshin no baka!”
 Kenshin easily dodged the punch, knowing well that it would never connect.  Kaoru stopped as she realized it too. She let her hand drop and chuckled to herself.
 “ Heh—sorry.”
 “ No—you don’t have to apologize.” Kenshin put in quickly.
 Kaoru nodded wordlessly then turned back to gazing at the scenery.
 “ It’s pretty in purgatory, isn’t it?” She said softly.
 Kenshin looked out over the green grassy pastures and the hills in the distance, nodding slowly. “Hai de gozaru.”
 “ You don’t see hills like these in Tokyo—“
 “ …” Kenshin stole a glance at her, he froze as a single tear ran down her cheek.  Realizing this, she quickly swiped it away and then laughed half-heartedly.  “ Gomen-nasai… I promised myself I wouldn’t start with that again.  It’s—It’s just hard… and—I’ll be glad when it’s over with.”
 Knowing well that “it” meant the trial, Kenshin nodded. “Shall we go find Fate-dono then?”
 “ Yes… let’s…” Kaoru turned to walk into the room again. Kenshin for the first time realized that she was wearing a stunning white Kimono with purple and pink water lilies patterned on the sleeves.  Her obi was a purple that matched the print of the flowers, and her hair was done up in a pink ribbon.  She looked stunning.
 “ Kaoru—“ His voice stopped her, she turned around inquisitively.
 “ Hai?”
 “ I—umm…” His face reddened slightly and then he shook his head. “ Nothing…”
 Kaoru arched an eyebrow at him, but guessed by the look he was trying to hide what he had been about to say.  She smirked and then turned back with a flurry.
 “ I’m glad you like it.”
 “ Oro?” Kenshin blinked surprised.
 Kaoru glanced back at him and stuck out her tongue.  " Gotcha!"
 

***

 The few remaining hours passed in a flash.  Kaoru sat uncomfortably next to Kenshin in the back of the Death Mobile.  She'd taken to twiddling and twisting her fingers and playing with the ends of her hair nervously, running over and over in her mind all the things Fate had told her about God and about the trial.  She stole a side-glance at Kenshin. He sat staring straight ahead; one hand supporting the Sakaba that extended up from the ground with the hilt resting on his shoulder. He had that familiar "before the battle" look about him.  In other words, he seemed very calm and calculating.  She smiled slightly, biting her lower lip, and forced herself to let go of the stray strands of hair that she couldn't stop twiddling with.
 " If Kenshin can act so cool at a time like this, so can I." She thought determined.  She sat on her hands, but it wasn't before long when she began tapping her feet impatiently on the carpeted floor of the car.  Fate noticed Kaoru's sorry attempts to keep herself from fidgeting. She smiled and leaned across the seat to her.
 " It's ok dear." She said comfortingly.  " God isn't really all that scary.  All that final judgment of the living and the dead junk is really over rated.  God's job is to oversee the people on earth, and to promote good and love and happiness.  God knows what's right."
 Kaoru said nothing, only nodded slightly.  They all felt the car suddenly halt.  Kenshin opened the door and stepped out, holding it open for Kaoru and then Fate to exit.
 " Thank you." Kaoru said softly.  Kenshin nodded to her, his face betraying nothing of what he was thinking.
 " He must really be deep in though," Kaoru thought as they walked up the steps to Time's enormous mansion.  Death knocked on the door and Kenshin was surprised to see Gaea open it.
 " Gaea-dono?"
 " There you all are! Everyone is in the main conference room and waiting." Gaea said.  " Well-- God hasn't arrived yet. But you know how she always likes to be fashionably late. Come on in!"
Kenshin and Kaoru exchanged glances. "She?"
" Yes-- she! Didn't you know?  Well that's not all that important, you have to meet everyone!"  Gaea ushered them in the door and Death took off his black cloak, the skull face one normally saw dissolved to that of his normal, human appearance. Kenshin blinked back startled.  He'd never seen Death's human face before.  He knew that Death was in fact alive, Kaoru had told him that, but never had he seen his true appearance.
 "  Don't look so shocked." Death grinned with slightly crooked teeth. " I'm just as human as you are, only immortal."
 " They cleared the huge flight of stairs and Gaea turned them down a long corridor to the large, double doors at the far end of the hallway.  They were ornate, and a clock was imbedded in the arch over the portico.  It was a clock that was running counter clockwise.

 Gaea opened the door to the room.   Fate and Death entered first, Kenshin next.  Kaoru reluctantly entered after him.  As she entered the room, she took in the site of the awaiting Incarnations. Her heart instantly leapt into action and she felt suddenly dizzy.
 " Kaoru? Are you ok?" Kenshin could sense her hesitation and the sudden look of fatigue that came over her as she stepped into the room.  He knew that if she fainted, he wouldn't be able to catch her.
 Slowly, she gathered her senses again and managed to calm the sudden speed of adrenaline.  She nodded.
 " Are you going to keep us waiting all day? I have people to torture… Lives to destroy…politicians to corrupt…" Satan said annoyed.  He was the only Incarnation that didn't stand as the group entered the room.
 " Oh hush up!"  Fate scolded him.  She took her seat across the table.  Kaoru took in the setup of the room in one glance.  There was a huge circular table with 9 chairs; one chair at the very front of the room was larger than the rest.  She assumed that one was for God.  Death beckoned her to sit at the other end of the table; Kenshin took his seat next to her.  On the other side of him was an Incarnation that he'd never seen before.  A HUGE man, with short but flaming red hair and a long, jagged scar running down the whole right side of his face, sealing one eye shut.  He had a bushy red beard, and a longsword that glowed a dull red was strapped to his belt. His very presence was utterly intimidating.
 " Cheer up m'boy!" The man said as he gave Kenshin a slap along the back, almost knocking the wind out of the Rurouni.  " Being so serious gives ya wrinkles!"
 " Orooo--"
 " Stop it War, Himura's been through enough!" Fate scolded him.
 " Aww--  dammit woman! I'm just havin' some fun with the kid!"
 Gaea had meanwhile seated herself next to Kaoru.  She leaned over and whispered to her.  " Don't mind War-- he's just a bit headstrong."
 Kaoru chuckled.  Except for the dagger eyed stare Satan was giving her, everyone seemed to be calm.  It gave her courage.  If the room had been stark quiet and moody, she thought she might have fainted from anxiety.
 " All rise for Her Holiness! God the All Mighty!" Two Archangel entered the room.   Kenshin recognized them as those that accompanied Gabriel when they'd taken Kaoru to Heaven.  Everyone instantly stood, except Satan who did so only when Gaea (who sat next to him) gave him a swift kick from under the table.
 Kaoru watched as a figure draped in elaborate white robes entered the room.  There was a brilliant white halo that surrounded her head, masking the features of her face.  The aura was so grand, and the halls of the room echoed with the songs of angels, trumpets and fanfare made her heart pound, she found herself overtaken with awe.  Her mind cleared, she was rejuvenated, awake and energetic.  She'd never felt so good before in her entire life! Was it all because of God's sudden presence? She watched as the figure crossed the room and took her seat at the head of the table in the larger of the chairs.  Her Archangels taking up position to either side.
 Gaea leaned over to Kaoru again, she whispered in her ear.  " See what I mean by 'fashionably late?'"
 Kaoru couldn't help but giggle.  The fanfare and the singing died down until the room was once again quiet.  And the halo of light surrounding God's head dimmed enough so that you could see her features.  Kaoru clasped her hands together.  God certainly was beautiful.  With honey golden hair and brilliant green eyes that sparkled.  Her gaze fell upon Kaoru and Kaoru's heart leapt once again in her chest.  It was as if God was sizing her up all in that one glance. But God's nature was not condescending, but one more of curiosity.
 "Well," Satan was the first to break the ominous silence with a clap of the hands. " Now that we're all here and ready. I'd like to start out by saying how RIDICULOUS all of you immortals are." He pointed a hand at Kaoru. " SHE belongs to ME! It was stated by the Archangel that she was to serve her punishment in Hell.  But my dear sempai--" Satan shot a dark look at Kenshin,  "Decided that he could just up and take her out of Hell.  No permission, nothing! Death even helped him! That goes completely against the Devils Manifesto of--"
 " That's quite enough Satan." God interjected strongly.  " You know that she is under My jurisdiction, and if I appeal her case, then the Archangel Gabriel's sentence is temporarily lifted."
 " For starters." Fate said. " I think we should do a rolecall for Miss Kamiya Kaoru and Himura Kenshin.  There are some of us that they don't know."
 " Well noted." God nodded, then turned her head to Satan.  "Since you're so eager to get on with it, why don't you start?"
 Satan sat back in his chair, taking his time to light his pipe. He blew a few smoke rings.
 " Stop being so vulgar." Gaea flicked one finger and a wind blew up and took the smoke out an open window. A flower grew up out of the end of his pipe.  Satan's eyes bulged and the flower instantly went up in flames.
 " Stop wasting our time Satan." God said acidly.
 " Now who got up on the wrong side of their cloud this morning?" Satan snickered.
 " Don't make me remind you whose cloud it was that dropped your sorry ass into Hell."  God threw back at him.
 Satan muttered a few choice curses under his breath at her.
" Cancelled, cancelled, cancelled…" God said happily, which only made Satan turn a bright, angry shade of red.
" DAMN IT--"
" What do you expect? I'm God!"
" FINE!"  Satan stood up quickly. " I am Satan, The Incarnation of Evil."
 Next, Gaea stood.  " I am Gaea, the Incarnation of Nature."
 All eyes turned to Kaoru, slowly; she stood and bowed humbly.  " Watashi wa Kamiya Kaoru."
 Kenshin stood up and bowed.  " Sessha wa Himura Kenshin de gozaru. "
 Next, the redheaded man stood up, " Whelp-- I'm the Incarnation of War.  Just call me War, I don't have any fancy name or anything."
 The next person to stand was Death.  " I am the Incarnation of Death, Thanatos."
 And then Fate stood.  " I am the middle aspect of Fate, Lachesis." She turned then to her youngest form.  " I'm the first aspect of Fate, Clotho." And then to her older form, " And I'm the third aspect of Fate, Atropos."
 " I am Chronos, the Incarnation of Time."
 " And I am God, the Incarnation of Good. With that, I now open Kamiya Kaoru's case.  The appeal is in session."
 Satan instantly rose up again. " I'd first like to say that."
 " I don't recall giving you permission to speak!" God intervened hotly.  Satan threw her an angry glare and then slowly sat down again.
 " Permission to begin?" Death brought his hand up.
 " Yes, Thanatos, you'd be the best one to start us off.  Seeing as you had the largest hand in this fiasco." God nodded approval.
 " Ok-- where to begin." Death stood up, clearing his throat.  " I'm sure you are all aware of the case at hand.  The unmistakable facts are that Kamiya Kaoru broke a Cardinal rule of the Code of Guardian Angels and stepped the boundaries between a Guardian Angel and her client. Her client being the famous Himura Kenshin, labeled Hitokiri Battousai and the one that brought down Shishio Makoto about a year ago."
 War elbowed Kenshin in the ribs a bit too hard, causing him to double over. " You make me proud boy!"
 " War!" God said hotly.
 " So sorry." He gave her a huge grin, showing off several gaps in his teeth.  God rolled her eyes and then nodded for Death to continue.
 " Well-- the facts are here.  She broke the rules and so was punished for it.  She admits herself that she was guilty--"
 " -- If she admits it then why are we EVEN HERE?!" Satan burst.
 " SATAN! You're out of order!" God looked at him again and it seemed that trumpets blasted in that one moment.  Kenshin and Kaoru's eyes popped open. God was not one to be crossed.
 " *Ah-hem--* If I may continue…" Death leaned forward, resting both hands on the table.  " We want to make it clear to you, God, that this particular rule is ludicrous in the face of all that is good and right."
 " Care to elaborate?" God turned one eye to Kaoru.  She froze instantly, caught up in the gaze of the sudden judgement as all eyes turned to her.
 " I'd like to say something if I may." Gaea intervened, she glanced at Kaoru, who was thankful to turn her eyes to someone other than God.  " Kamiya-san."
 " H-Hai?"
 " Do you love God?"
 Kaoru blinked. " Hai! Yes I do."
 " Do you love Himura-san?"
 " Yes. Very much." She nodded.
 " What kind of love do you have for him?"
 " Wh-what kind?" Kaoru glanced at Kenshin, who returned the gaze determined.  His look gave her courage and she took a deep breath.  " It's impossible to categorize it… I love Kenshin so much; I want to be with him always.  Even if I was dead-- I'd do anything to be with him! What kind of love would that fall under?"
 " Eternal Love?" Fate broke in.
 Kaoru blushed, as well as Kenshin.
 " You're lucky I'm not making any obscene comments right now." Satan snickered.
 The group ignored him.  " You knew that he was off limits to you though, so why did you fall in love with him?"
 " W-why?"
 " Yes-- the rules state that you cannot have an intimate relationship your client or any human still living.  Because you're bound to love only God."
 " I couldn't help it.  I've always loved Kenshin."
 " But you didn't have any memory of him, isn't that right?" Clotho asked.
 " True-- but even then, I felt something for him.  An attraction that I couldn't understand until I started experiencing my old memories. " Kaoru closed her eyes and looked down.  " There was something in me, a burning feeling that occurred whenever he was near me.  And an ache-- that was unbearable and I just wanted it to go away cause I didn't know what it was…" Her face twisted into a look of anguish, " And then I realized, it was love.  This love has been in me all this time."  Her face relaxed.  " Even when I didn't know that I was in love with Kenshin.  So you see--" She looked up at God, suddenly finding it not so difficult to look her in the face.  " You see-- that it was impossible for me to ignore it, because the love that I feel for him is part of me.  It's part of my identity-- 'I am Kamiya Kaoru-- who loves Himura Kenshin'." She stole a glance at Kenshin to notice that he was trying desperately (but not succeeding) at keeping his face from turning the shade of a ripe tomato.  Smiling slightly, she turned back to the entranced faces of the Incarnations.  "  I couldn't just ignore it, I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't love him.  But-- that doesn’t mean that I don't love you any less.   God, I believe you are the one who made it possible for me to meet Kenshin.  If you're the Incarnation of Good, and the protector of happiness, then you should understand more than anyone in this room should what it means to love.  Once Kenshin entered my life, I couldn't be happier.  And the fact that I was able to come back to him after my death-- To have a second chance at the relationship that was too good to hope for during my life-- well, I couldn't bear the thought of being so distant from him.  Especially when I discovered his feelings for me."
 " Kaoru…" Kenshin looked up at her wide-eyed.
 " I love Kenshin so much!" Her voice rose in with a hint of desperation, she met God's solemn gaze on fully. " If there is one being in this world that could understand the feeling that I have for him, it is you.   So I ask, is it really so bad to do what you're heart tells you to? When it comes to love, am I as a guardian angel to be so restricted and deny my heart? I'd be denying myself if I'd said I didn't love him!  I couldn't do that.   Lying is a sin, is it not? Can I lie to myself?  I would be sinning if I said that the only person in the world that I loved was God alone.  I don't know the cases with other Guardian Angels, but a rule such as that one that puts such limits on a soul, to say that the only person you can love is God, doesn't seem very fair. And so I plead your forgiveness.  And ask that you consider carefully the true meanings of Love.  Loving God is one thing-- but loving someone so much that you would die for them is another.  I love Kenshin so much that I would die for him.  I guess you could say that I did die for him-- twice in fact…  but the second time wouldn't have happened if this rule had never existed.  Is it so wrong to wish for happiness with the person you love?"
 
 There was a long pause.  Even Satan couldn't think of something to say.  Finally, God sat back in her seat, a smile of quiet contemplation on her face.
 " What you say, Kamiya-san, is very true.  And you said exactly what I was hoping to hear."
 Kaoru straightened, suddenly the horizons didn't seem so dim. " H-hai?"
 Gaea raised a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.  " Ohh-- even a love that surpasses the afterlife!"
 " Is there anything else that anyone would like to say? Or have we heard it all?" God inquired.
 Satan stood up instantly " I--"
 " EXCEPT Satan."
 Satan sat back down again angrily.  The rest of the room was silent.
 " Well-- Let's dismiss Kamiya-san and Himura-san.  And we will decide what is to be done."
 Kaoru stood up nervously, Kenshin following her.  Death got up and opened the door for them.
 " You can go into the courtyard, but don't leave beyond the gates because time resets itself once you leave the premises."
 Kenshin and Kaoru nodded understanding and left the room.

***

 " Kenshin, how are you feeling?"
 " Oro?" Kenshin looked up from his seat on the bench.  " I'm fine, why?"
" Ohh-- nothing really, just wondering if you were all right, you've been really quiet." Kaoru looked down again and another long silence commenced between the two.  They'd already been sitting around for what Kaoru guessed to be about five hours.  They were in times garden, which was a mix of some of the most exotic and curious plants Kaoru had ever seen.  A few of which were frighteningly large.  She guessed that they might be from different periods in time. There was a sunflower that was large enough to be an umbrella, which blocked the sunlight nicely.
 " Sorry about that…" Kenshin said after what seemed like an eternity.  " I've been thinking…"
 " About what?"
 " Just, about you, and me… and worrying because I don't know what I'll do if I have to loose you again."
 " Kenshin--"
 " And I'm trying to convince myself that if you go back to heaven, I'll be ok."
 " That won't happen! I saw God.  I could tell that she wouldn't separate us!  God is supposed to be loving and compassionate and forgiving, isn't she?!"
 " But they need a unanimous vote--"
 " …" Kaoru bit her lip and looked down nervously.  "They do?"
 " Ahh-- Death told me.  Satan won't be an easy one to persuade…"
 " That must be why they're taking so long."
 " It's good that time runs backwards here-- so I don't have to worry about my bodies time limit in purgatory."
 " You're right! I'd almost forgotten about that."
  Kenshin smiled at her.  " If I stay here long enough, I'd be the same age as you!"
 " But then so much time would pass by on earth!" Kaoru grinned at him.  " You'll be younger than Yahiko!"
 " That would be a shock to his system wouldn't it?" Kenshin laughed.
 Kaoru giggled.  It felt good to laugh again.  She couldn't remember the last time that she'd really laughed out loud before.  Her soul felt lighter all ready.
 The lighthearted moment vanished as they heard the creak of a door opening.  Both whirled around, instantly on edge to see Death beckoning them back into the house.  His face betraying nothing of the verdict awaiting them.
 " This is it…" Kenshin whispered.  " After you, Kaoru."
 Kaoru nodded solemnly and followed Death into the house with Kenshin close behind. They went up the stairs and to the end of the hall. When they entered, everyone was standing.  God nodded towards Kaoru, a small smile on her face.
 " Please, take your seats."
 They sat, as did the rest of the Incarnations. Kaoru couldn't help but shudder at the sly grin Satan was aiming at her.  He sat with his elbows resting on the tabletop, drumming his fingers together in a diabolical manner.
 " We've debated hard and long as to what exactly to do with you Kamiya-san." God said softly.  " The points which you brought up, were very clear, and very candid.  I see the falseness in asking my Guardian Angels to deny love, and it's true that love is something that grows from the very core of our being.  It is a cruel thing to deny that.  And because I think you've demonstrated to me, and to most of the immortals in this room what true and eternal love really means, I've decided to amend that rule in the Guardian Angel's Handbook."
 Kaoru's eyes shot open, she bolted up out of her seat.  "REALLY?!"
 God nodded," So-- because the rule is amended, the charges against you are dropped."
 Kaoru looked down at Kenshin, who returned the gaze of triumph with one of pure joy.
 "However…"
 Kaoru practically fell over, she whirled about to face God again, afraid to even breathe" However?"
 " In order to do that-- we needed a unanimous vote…" God shot a dark look at Satan, who continued to smile his evil, toothy smile.  "We had to come to a compromise to pass the amendment."
 " C-Compromise? What?" Kaoru slowly sank back down into her seat.
 " Normally, if the charges were dropped, Kamiya-san would regain her Guardian Angel status and return to earth with Himura-san.  But the compromise was that…" God looked down sadly.  Kaoru suddenly found it very hard to breathe.  It was now Kenshin's turn to jump out of his seat.
" What?! What is it?" He demanded.
 God was having trouble relaying the answer-- so finally, Satan opened his mouth.
" …Because Kamiya-san still broke the rules…" He began slowly.  " She will return to Heaven, the first level of Heaven… as an ordinary spirit for the rest of her afterlife."
 It was Satan's final, winning blow.
 
On to the LAST CHAPTER!! @_@ ( It's not done yet-- but it won't be too difficult to write I think. ^^)