The Intricacies of Fate

The Intricacies of Fate

Chapter 12- Deadly Fascination

Disclaimers: Standard RK and Flame of Recca disclaimers apply. I do not own any of the characters that would appear in this fic. I am merely borrowing them, if I owned them, I would have animated the Jinchuu Arc series long ago and the second part of FOR. Please don't sue, I'm a good kid.

//- indicates thoughts

// kokoro // - indicates telepathic communication (between Kaoru, Misao)

***********

A memory of softness, of ocean-blue and sapphire...

Kurei looked at the unfolding events with calculating eyes and unfathomable thoughts. Two technicians from the laboratory lifted Misao and Kaoru up from the metal table and the ashes of their clothes. The girls' backs were red from the searing heat of Kurei's flame but not a single whimper or moan of pain was heard from their unconscious guests.

Kurei was still lost in the memory of ocean-blue eyes looking up at him without fear and the fierce flash of determination from half-closed sapphire eyes. So their names were Kaoru and Misao... how fascinating...

"You could have just asked the technicians to take their clothes off," stated Raiha as he moved to stand beside Kurei. Shrugging indifferently, the feeling of intense interest waning in the face of business Kurei answered, "I wanted them unconscious."

"There are those for that," retorted Raiha as he pointed at the prepared injections by the metallic table. Kurei didn't bother to answer and only walked after the technicians into the Uruha's main laboratory. Raiha remained silent, puzzled by his master's actions.

When the reached the laboratory facilities, they were greeted by two commanding, white lab-coated figures. One was male, the other was female. "Master Kurei, welcome," greeted the female as she looked up from her papers. The man stood up briefly from his computers as well, his long, brown hair at odds with his scientific gear.

"Dr. Shura, Dr. Shogo Amakusa, I'll leave you to your scientific explorations now. By the end of the day, I'll expect viable results from those two," instructed Kurei before he slowly walked away.

Raiah gazed at the man he has served for years and the obvious change in his behavior. How strange... if Raiha didn't know any better, it seemed as if Kurei was reluctant to leave the Kirisawa sisters to their fate.

How positively interesting.

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

When Misao woke up, Kaoru was gone.

In a panic, she bolted upright and realized she was enclosed in some kind of fiberglass cell. She was naked while several men in white lab coats were observing her, like some sort of strange animal specie.

She felt bile rising in her throat. She huddled her face in her knees, mourning the loss of contact with her sister. This was apparently some testing center and she was a lab rat under observation. A beautiful woman stepped closer to her cell and pressed a button on the control panel. There was a slight hissing sound before blue smoke began to seep through the cell's floors.

Huddling deeper into herself, Misao curled like a frightened animal. "Tasukette," she whispered, feeling the thick smoke choking her lungs and making her eyes water. With a sudden burst of rage, she kneeled up, banging her fists against the impenetrable fiberglass. "You can't do this to me!" she screamed, feeling the growing interest of the scientists with her.

She staggered and fell on her knees. No longer did the smoke sting her eyes or fill her lungs. It turned almost sickeningly sweet, caressing in a way as her eyelids fluttered shut and she collapsed, losing consciousness once more in sweet oblivion.

Minutes ticked by and the thick blue smoke was then sucked out of her cell. The sliding door was opened after the security number was punched in. Two men in lab-coats entered; one taking hold of Misao's ankles, the other on her shoulders and heaving her up.

"Take her to the electrolysis," commanded the woman who seemed to be the head of research. She was tall with auburn-hair and the red-violet of her eyes as emotionless as slate. As she followed the progress of Misao towards the next testing chamber, a young scientist asked her. "Dr. Shura, what about the other one?"

"Don't worry. Dr. Amakusa. I'm sure she's awake and lucid enough to understand the ordeal," answered Shura, a cold smile on her face. She followed the progress of Misao with silent feet, already making notes at the differences in the sisters' abilities. Kaoru was strapped onto an electronic wave machine, one that monitors the slightest increase in power while giving out strong electric waves to stimulate the increase in power. Misao was being taken to the Electrolysis Water Tank. There, she'll be submerged in water, with little space for air and small electron waves will be sent out.

Shura smiled slightly at the morbid thoughts. She felt a slight pang of pity for Misao but not for Kaoru. She didn't know why but she felt an incredible amount of animosity towards the girl but this was nonetheless an experiment. If her case goes on successfully, it would help her village if Koran Mori would keep his promise upon her cooperation.

A lone scream of pain echoed, followed by a loud crackle of electricity. Shura shook her head. It seems as if the other scientists have increased the electric output to increase the subject's reaction. Excited exclamations followed the crackle of electricity. "My god! Look at the green energy chart!" shouted a particularly excited scientist. Her curiosity peaked and Shura stopped following Misao and strolled inside the testing chamber of Kaoru.

She looked startled at the electricity burns located all over Kaoru's arms where she was strapped onto the chair. Unclad, her pale flesh violently crimson from the electronic streaks, Kaoru wearily lifted her head, as if noting Shura's presence. For a while, they stared at each other. A second later, an even stronger burst of kinetic electricity rippled through Kaoru's body, making her cry out and struggle against the bonds.

Shura took a step back, so strong was the current she feared to touch even a tiny flow from three feet away.

********

Kaoru's hand clenched tightly as she was nearly pushed back to unconsciousness with the pain. She had lost consciousness three times but was awakened by the awful current of electricity ripping through her insides. She could barely see, seeing only the blue sparks of light, but she could sense someone. Even through the amplitude of her pain, she felt a hostile presence. It was familiar but the pain was heightening the need to destroy instead of understanding. She could feel the fount of her power growing, struggling against the bindings she has placed over the century.

Her mind flew out, separating itself from her body. She could vaguely feel the ripples of electricity. But her need to find Misao was too great. //Is Misao all right? Why can't my mind reach her?// Kaoru felt the strange surge of power. She could hear the obscure exclamations of her captors even as she touched the center of her power. It was then when she realized that the center of her power was her heart.

A detached part of her could sense Misao but it was a faint connection. She could feel Misao's pain and it seemed to be as great as her own. Tears fell down Kaoru's cheeks, not because of the pain but from relief. Misao was ALIVE.

//Misao-chan... daijoubu?//

There was a long pause, a faint sound of gasping for breath and weeping before Misao answered.

// Hai onesan. It hurts so much! I can't get through Aoshi-sama, how can they find us?//

// Hold on Misao, whatever you do, don't show them our power. It would make them seek only more. We've survived greater pain than this, don't give up! //

// How will they find us if we can't get through the barriers in this compound? //

// I'm sure they'll find us Misao. Kenshin will rescue us. Even if our minds are not connected with theirs, our hearts are. All they have to do is to follow their heart, it would lead them to our way... //

// But will they follow their hearts if they will not hear? Knowing Aoshi-sama, he'll be too consumed with rage. //

// I hope they will. //

// I pray so... //

**********

Team Hokage and Kenshin was enclosed within the okashira's private quarters of the Oniwabanshuu headquarters. They were all silent and grim, contemplating the rescue of Misao and Kaoru.

"Chikusho! How could Kurei directly insult the Oniwabanshuu by attacking in broad daylight? He will pay for that with his life," swore Aoshi as he slammed a fist against his desk, his black ninja clothes providing an even more threatening appearance.

Fuuko was using her small daggers as darts when she looked up from throwing them as darts. "Knowing Kurei, he wouldn't give a damn," she muttered grimly before turning back to her furious dart game. Before she could throw another dagger, Mikagami stopped her, placing a hand against her wrist. "Yamete Fuuko, your rage is only feeding theirs," he whispered, pulling her down beside him on the couch.

For a minute, Fuuko struggled before she wearily rested her head against Mikagami's shoulder. "Sumen, today hasn't been easy," she murmured, her hand clenching at the thought of her cousins at the mercy of Kurei. It has been 8 hours since the abduction and it was late afternoon outside the Oniwabanshuu quarters.

"Kurei wouldn't have broken the guild law by mounting a morning attack unless he's desperate," drawled Hiko who was silent on the okashira's chair. Aoshi shot his father a pissed off look. "I knew that," he muttered before Kenshin spoke up. His tone was serious and calm, a threat in itself delivered with the hitokiri's amber eyes.

"No location yet on where we'd find Kaoru and Misao-dono?" asked Kenshin flatly as he looked at Aoshi. Tersely, Aoshi shook his head. "Iie. So far, all my spies have found out that they were taken to Uruha's main hideout in the East. Kurei's henchmen have shaken off all my oni gang," answered Aoshi.

"Shimatta! We can't waste any more time!" burst out Kenshin as Recca placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Sou desu ne Kenshin-san but we can't do anything right now. I've told Yanagi to follow us to Uruha's hideout and when we find them we'd let Hime heal them," said Recca, leaving out the fact that Misao and Kaoru are most likely being tortured at this exact moment.

Kenshin bowed his head while Aoshi leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Knowing that Misao and Kaoru are in pain was worse than the gravest wound they have ever received. It made them bleed so badly but only on the inside.

// Tasukette... //

Swiftly, Aoshi and Kenshin lifted their heads. "Misao," whispered Aoshi.

"Kaoru..." whispered Kenshin as both of them turned around at the same time.

"Oi, daijoubu yo baka deshi, Aoshi-chan?" asked Hiko in concern.

Both men shot Hiko a dirty look at his mention of their old names. The Hokage team watched Kenshin and Aoshi with widened eyes, their amusement and alarm growing with every second. "I heard Misao's voice," explained Aoshi as Kenshin kept silent as if searching for something within.

At first, there was this sense of separation and a vast empty void. A distance traveled in the flight of one's consciousness. Kenshin suddenly felt a sharp pain and the sensation of being connected to a familiar being. Kaoru.

Kenshin's eyes closed as he sensed the pain of electrocution. He jerked back, knocking the small Buddha porcelain on the floor. He fell on his knees, holding his ribs as if in pain. He gasped for breath and said one word. "Kaoru-dono!"

"Connected at the heart, he feels the pain of his other half as clearly as if it were his own," explained Kagero as she materialized out of the darkness. Fuuko was already up and moved to assist Kenshin. "Demo... why can't Aoshi feel it too?" she asked as she helped Kenshin to sit.

Shrugging, Kagero answered, "Maybe because he feels too much rage that the love of their hearts couldn't come through." Suddenly, Aoshi staggered as well. He began gasping for air, tilting his head as if seeking oxygen and jerking in pain at the small waves of electricity. "Misao," he gasped.

"Masaka! They're being tortured!" cried Yanagi, putting her face in her hands. Everybody held their breath as Kagero moved to stand before them. "Why don't you concentrate and try to find the location of Kaoru and Misao-chan?" she asked silently, as Kenshin and Aoshi looked at her with eyes that showed having experienced the greatest pain.

"Shikashi... how will we find them?" asked Kenshin hoarsely as he swallowed and got up. Aoshi stood up on shaky legs as well and nodded his agreement.

"Just follow your heart," answered Kagero simply.

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

"So, they have telepathy, telekinesis and a strange ability to bind anything into a spell," stated Koran Mori as he tossed the report submitted to him onto his desk. Kurei stood in front of his father impassively, while Raiha stood on Kurei's left.

"Did they manifest these powers in the testing chambers?" Mori asked before he lit a cigarette and blew a puff of smoke in Kurei's direction.

"Iie. They showed amazing restraint in all the tests of pain. We stopped the testing because their bodies were too weak to take any more," answered Kurei, turning his face away while Raiha pondered over Kurei's words.

'Too weak' was too soft an adjective to describe the present state of the Kirisawa sisters. Even Raiha was startled to see the soft fair skin of Misao and Kaoru bruised and burned so badly that whatever unmarked skin was either bright pink from the intensity of the electrocution or blue from the bitter cold. Numerous cuts blemished their skin, from whips and surgical knives.

Misao and Kaoru were tortured mercilessly but the chart never managed to record any special manifestation. The power was still there inside, growing and pulsing with the great pain received but even the joint efforts of experienced scientists Shogo Amakusa and Shura were all for naught. The Kirisawa sisters never showed their true ability.

They lost consciousness in the middle of a surgery that was facilitated without the use of anesthesia. Alarmed at the halt of their experiment, the scientists' tried their best efforts to revive them. But Kaoru and Misao never regained consciousness and fell into a partial comatose for the past hour.

With displeasure distorting his face, Mori shouted, "Well, wake them up! They're just females, to be used and manipulated upon the interests of men! I want to know if they can give me power!"

Kurei scoffed, completely surprising Raiha. "What makes you so sure they'd give you power instead of killing themselves?" asked Kurei, his eyes dark and inscrutable. Shocked at his son's insubordination, Mori was speechless. His face turned dark with anger as he threw a mail opener at Kurei. "Son of a bitch!" he cursed in English. The mail opener turned to ashes by Kurei before it ever hit him.

"Don't you ever threaten me again," said Kurei calmly before he walked out with Raiha on his heels.

The door was closed silently, the scene inside the room dark and violent as Mori slammed his fists against the wall while Kurei and Raiha walked over to the testing chamber.

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

"Why did you contradict him Kurei-sama? Speaking out against him is not wise," prodded Raiha as they stepped through the bright corridor.

The walkway was whitewashed and sterile, with minimum sounds from the carpeted floor. The rooms were bright and there was absolutely no telling of the time because there were no clocks, nothing that indicated an interest in the outside world.

Kurei shrugged as he stepped through the testing room. Dr. Shura looked up from her paperwork, looking as frustrated as Dr. Amakusa who was studying the charts. They both stood up when they saw Kurei. "Kurei-sama!" they greeted but Kurei had no eyes for them, only for the two female captives held within a fiberglass orb.

Kaoru and Misao were huddled against each other like twin infants. Even the sight of their beaten bodies would arouse compassion in the most hardened criminal but their long dark hair covered their bodies as well as a cloak, soft and damp within their captivity.

Looking at them silently, Kurei turned to Shura. "Have they awakened yet?" he asked flatly while Raiha still gazed upon their figures with a sad frown. What was done to them was without a doubt, worse than what was done to Yanagi. But the Kirisawa sisters were far stronger than the healer, or more stubborn in their determination.

Shura shook her head. "Iie. We've tried to wake them up thirty minutes ago but it was a futile effort," she answered. Raiha's head turned sharply when he noticed something. With bated breath, he observed that strange sight before he addressed Kurei. "Kurei-sama, look closely at the wound near Misao's left rib," he said.

Leaning closer to the observation cell, Kurei squinted and looked more carefully at the clean incision wound on Misao's left side. The wound was glowing pink! Hardly noticeable from the electric burns all over her body, the deep incision seemed to be knitting itself together to mend the broken flesh. By mere millimeters, the wound was closing by itself slowly, a statement of regeneration and self-healing.

"This is amazing!" exclaimed Dr. Amakusa who was monitoring the activity through a computer feed image from the cell. "Looks like the other one is healing slowly too," observed Shura as the torn flesh in Kaoru's back was slowly being repaired by the same ability. "It seems as if the healer wasn't the one responsible for their rapid recovery from the attacks," concluded Raiha before he turned away from the sight.

The growing fascination and interest in Kurei's eyes made Raiha uneasy but he shrugged it off. With the telepathy, telekinesis, self-healing and numerous other powers the sisters possessed, who wouldn't be fascinated? Even he was falling under the spell of the sisters and Kurei has called them witches, maybe rightly so. So far, torture has failed to bring out their powers and from the looks of it, Kurei was intensely curious at the depth of the sisters' abilities.

Raiha began to feel a tinge of sympathy for the sisters. The worse is yet to come and he has no doubt whatsoever that Kenshin, Aoshi and the Hokage team would find these two girls. Capturing their loved ones might prove to be more of a stimulant in showing their powers but who knows how far Kurei's deadly fascination will go to risk drawing out every ounce of the Kirisawa sisters' powers?

"Bring them out," commanded Kurei flatly as Shogo and Shura looked at him curiously. Without saying anything else, they opened the cell and had two other technicians carry Kaoru and Misao out. "Where will we put them?" Shura asked, before attaching a metallic bracelet on Kaoru's wrist. She turned and attached a similar bracelet on Misao.

Kurei looked at Kaoru and Misao for a long minute before he answered,

"Bring them to my chambers."

Shura gasped. Raiha turned swiftly to look at Kurei. Kurei turned to reveal the masked side of his face. "Do it," commanded Kurei softly as the technicians began carrying Misao and Kaoru out of the testing laboratory. Kurei paused to give a look around that clearly stated, 'Do not question my authority on this matter'. He gave Raiha a nod and instructed, "Prepare for the coming intruders but do not disturb me in my chambers."

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

Author's Notes:

Wai minna! I finally finished this chappie! Oh goodness, I first titled it "The Greatest Pain" but as I worked through my chapter eventually, this was more of a Kurei-Kaoru-Misao event. I really don't think Kurei is such a hideous villain, while watching the series, I even found him cute and intriguing without the mask and the scar from Scarlet. And so, I built this angle of Kurei-Misao-Kaoru. It definitely has possibilities. Thanks to my wonderful pre-reader Mal, arigatou gozaimasu. Please r&r!

~* Jo-chan