"Good God, fool girl, did you poison yourself with your own cooking this morning?" Hiko barked. Kaoru gulped back a sudden gush of acid that had rose to her throat. It was mid-morning, and Hiko had been whomping on her for an hour with her struggling more than usual to keep up. Her limbs felt like they had been dipped in concrete, and her stomach was churning unpleasantly. That morning, the smell of bacon on the breakfast table had sent her running for the bathroom and the nausea had still not fully abated. Probably just the flu, she told herself firmly. Whatever it was, it had been dragging her down all morning and her sword work was showing it.
Hiko looked at her narrowly, "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing, Master," Kaoru responded firmly. "Please continue."
Hiko snorted, "Don't lie to your master, Kaoru. Are you ill?"
"No," she responded, gritting her teeth. "Please, Master, I am ready for more training." To her dismay, Hiko sheathed his katana in a decisive sort of way.
"You wouldn't be so formal and polite if you weren't trying to pull the wool over my eyes, girl," he rumbled ominously. He waved a hand, "Come."
Reluctantly, Kaoru followed him into what Kenshin called "Master's study". It was a Japanese-themed room lined with shelf after shelf of elegant pottery. Kaoru had been surprised to find out that when Hiko wasn't yelling at one of his pupils or drinking sake, he was, of all things, in a small studio making pottery. Kaoru had absolutely no idea why he did this but she figured that even an Elemental Master needed a hobby to take the edge off, and a Fire Master was an ideal potter. Hiko didn't need a kiln; he would simply direct his salamanders to fire the newly shaped pottery into hardness. A few pieces found their way into the kitchen, but mostly Hiko simply lined the shelves in his study with his creations.
Hiko sat down cross-legged and waved his hand. "Sit," he ordered curtly. Kaoru sank slowly to her knees and watched as Hiko reached for his sake bottle and poured himself a serving. She didn't bother asking him for any; she disliked sake and Hiko had made it clear from the beginning that the contents of the sake bottle were his and his alone.
Hiko downed the sake quickly, then conjured up a salamander. It skipped over to Kaoru and began twirling around her, concentrating on her midsection for several moments before galloping back to Hiko. The salamander raced across Hiko's shoulders and down his arm before disappearing.
"Well, well," Hiko said, a note of interest in his voice. "This is surprising but not entirely unexpected."
"What?" Kaoru questioned, bile churning in her stomach.
Hiko poured himself another round. Lifting it to his lips, he said calmly. "Apparently you are pregnant."
A wave of panic and dread smashed into Kaoru with all the force of a tidal wave as a coldness settled over her body. Shivering with emotion, she barely heard Hiko's next words. "I must say, I did not think my baka deshi had it in him but apparently I was mistaken. Very interesting. Well, this changes things somewhat but nothing too drastic."
Kaoru merely looked at him stupidly as he continued, "You'll have to give up your sword training, of course, until the child gets here. But that simply means we can double up your magic training. Luckily, some of that you can practice on your own which means I'll have a little more time to try to beat some sense into that idiot apprentice of mine."
Hiko took another sip of sake, "He'll have to marry you, of course. The child needs a name." Glancing at Kaoru, he said, "It's a boy, by the way." Making a humming sound, Hiko looked thoughtful. "It will be interesting to see what element he possesses. Usually this does not become apparent until the child is at least a few years ago, but with parents like you and Kenshin...well, we shall see." He sniffed, "Knowing my baka deshi, it is possible he fathered a child that is not even a Sensitive."
Kaoru continued to gape like a freshly landed mackerel. Hiko looked at her, "Well, say something, girl. It's not like you to be silent, and it's probably too much to hope for that you're learning to control that tongue of yours."
"Hiko!" Kaoru burst out accusingly. Her hands were clenched into tight balls and every fiber of her being was twisted up in tension. "This is your fault!" she bellowed, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
"Don't be foolish, girl, it's not my child," Hiko rumbled but Kaoru was so emotionally wrought that she barely registered his comment.
"You did this! This is all your fault, you manipulative bastard! This whole goddamned situation is all your fault!" Jolting to her feet, Kaoru forgot everything she had learned about magic and swords and seized upon one of the first rules her father had taught her: just about anything could be a weapon.
Hiko dodged easily as a flying teacup sailed towards him and crashed against the wall. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" Kaoru screamed as she grabbed another cup and flung it at the tall man.
Kenshin felt Kaoru's anger and distress through the Soul Bond before he heard her yells. Racing into the room with the heat of battle thrumming in his blood, he stopped in astonishment on the threshold of the door. Inside the small room, Kaoru was screaming at the top of her lungs as she snatched pieces of pottery off the shelves and launched them at Hiko. Most surprisingly, Hiko was doing nothing to stop her and was merely gracefully evading the flying pieces of his hobby.
"Kaoru!" Kenshin cried out, and Kaoru stopped, one hand poised like a baseball pitcher about to lob a fastball. Her blazing eyes scorched Kenshin from head to toe as she threw the teapot in her hand at him. "I HATE YOU TOO!" she screamed before dissolving into tears and running out of the room.
Stunned, Kenshin stood in the middle of the room, surveying his master with a confused eye. Hiko bent down to pick up a piece of the teapot Kaoru had thrown at Kenshin; it had hit a wall and shattered. "Pity, this was one of my favorite ones," he said in a matter-of-fact voice. "Oh well, a genius like me can certainly make new ones. And it seems that I might be having a little more spare time on my hands."
Kenshin's eyes went wide and he rushed out, "Master, you're not..."
"Sit down, boy," Hiko rumbled. "And stop panicking. I'm not throwing the girl out, although I should after that temper tantrum. But I suppose the shock will wear off in time."
"Shock?" Kenshin repeated, sinking to his knees. Hiko snapped his fingers and a herd of salamanders appeared. At his command, they galloped around the room, incinerating the broken pieces of pottery so that nothing remained but a bit of dust.
Hiko produced the sake bottle and reached for another serving dish. Pouring out two servings, he handed one to Kenshin. Bewildered, Kenshin took it, wondering what could have possibly induced his master to offer him sake. In living memory, Kenshin and Hiko had never shared a drink together.
Lifting his dish in a salute, Hiko said, "I believe congratulations are in order. You're going to be a father."
The dish tilted and Kenshin dribbled sake over his lap. His mouth gaped open. "Oro?"
"Careful, baka, that is good sake! Show it the respect it deserves," Hiko frowned. Irritably, he leaned forward to snatch the empty dish from Kenshin's hand and refill it. Handing it back, he ordered. "Drink it this time, don't wear it. From the looks of things, you'll need it."
Kenshin obediently placed the dish to his lips and drained it. It slid down his throat untasted. His brain, having received the news, had overheated, short-circuited, crashed, and was slowly rebooting. Dimly, he heard his master continue to speak.
"Well, this will interrupt training some, but this means there will be less training for her and more for you. You've been slacking as of late, too much focused on her learning than your own. That stops today." Hiko poured another drink and looked at his apprentice. "What?" he said irritably. "Snap out of it, boy."
"But, but, I, we, it was only once!" Kenshin squeaked.
"Once is all it takes, so I'm told," Hiko responded. "Although," he sniggered, "It must have been a very thorough once from the evidence provided."
Kenshin felt himself reddening exponentially. "Master!" he blustered.
"Oh, simmer down, boy," Hiko snorted. "You're going to be a father, so you might as well get used to the idea."
"But Master, I," Kenshin stopped, realization dawning on him. "I've been a wanderer for the past ten years! I have nothing to offer a family, no house, no savings, nothing!"
"Oh that," Hiko said dismissively, "Don't be a fool boy, there are 42 rooms in this house and I certainly don't need them all. You have a roof over your head for the three of you as long as you need it. Although," he frowned, "the baby's room will be far from my own, you understand. I am not going to be woken up in the dead of night by a squalling brat, especially if it has lungs like its mother. As for money, well, fool boy, who do you think is inheriting all this when I am gone? You're not my apprentice for nothing, you know."
"But..." Kenshin literally could not process anything more at this point. Hiko merely turned his attention to the sake bottle and ignored his still-stunned apprentice.
After a few minutes, Hiko grunted, "Are you going to keep gaping at me, baka deshi, or are you going to go find Kaoru? I'm not privy to the innermost workings of the female mind, but I have a hunch that once one finds that she is pregnant, she rather appreciates some comfort from the father. We'll get back to training after lunch."
Nodding numbly, Kenshin stumbled to his feet.
The clearly-distressed zephyr kept twirling around Kaoru's head, bouncing anxiously on the pillow and flapping its wings in an agitated manner. Kaoru, her face buried in her pillow, was too consumed with sobbing her eyes out to notice. She had been furious, scared, and ashamed two months ago when she had been woken up by a screaming redhead and realized that she had inadvertently slept with him. This, however, was much, much worse. I'm pregnant. Oh, God, what am I gonna do? she thought miserably.
Raising her head, Kaoru sniffed loudly as the zephyr hovered in front of her face, its glossy eyes peering anxiously at her. She tried a smile of reassurance, but it died before it reached her lips. With a sinking feeling, she envisioned telling Kenshin that he was soon to be a father, and cringed. And things had been going so well between them lately, too.
Rolling over on her back, Kaoru stared blankly at the ceiling. The worried zephyr perched on her forehead and began beating its wings at her face. A slight breeze dried the moisture on her cheeks and the tear-soaked pillow under her head.
A firm knock on the door startled her. "Kaoru?" Kenshin's voice called out as he pulled the door open. As he strode towards her, Kaoru's stomach clenched as she saw the glimmer of gold in his eyes. Over the past two months, Kaoru had come to realize that Kenshin's personality seemed to switch between two separate entities that she had taken to calling Nice Kenshin and Scary Kenshin. Nice Kenshin was the one she was accustomed to, the scrupulously polite, modest, and perfectly controlled gentleman whom Kaoru felt comfortably safe with. However, at times, Kenshin's normally violet eyes flashed into amber, signaling that Scary Kenshin was taking over. It had been Scary Kenshin who had hauled her into his lap for a thorough kissing, had woken her up that first morning with his fierce bellows, who sometimes seized control when Hiko was attacking him with a sword. Scary Kenshin was certainly more exciting and intriguing than Nice Kenshin, but Nice Kenshin was a lot more, well, safer. At that moment in time, Kaoru was wishing for Nice Kenshin, but from the swirl of amber in his eyes, it was clear that Scary Kenshin was approaching her bed. Oh damn, she thought frantically, He's so not happy right now. Not that she was worried either Kenshin would hurt her, but...
"Move over, Kaoru," Kenshin rumbled in a command that was edged with kindness. Kaoru scooted back some, shrinking away from him, but Kenshin moved forwards to scoop her into his arms and lie down next to her. Smoothing her hair back from her forehead, Kenshin firmly tucked Kaoru's head under his chin and wrapped his arms around her. Kaoru felt the brush of his chi against hers, pushing forward gently as warmth flooded her. The smell of ginger tickled her nostrils, and Kenshin's body heat was comforting against her cold form. Resting her head on Kenshin's shoulder, Kaoru felt the tears start up again as sobs shook her.
"Shhhhh, Kaoru-chan," Kenshin chided, stroking her back soothingly as Kaoru trembled against him. He could feel her anguish and confusion through the Soul Bond and he tried to ease it. She was too distraught to put up any sort of resistance to his invading chi, and he took advantage of it, reaching deeply inside her to feed her calming energy and peace. As he held her, he felt her tremblings gradually cease and her head droop heavily on his shoulder. Soon, she had fallen into a deep sleep. Moving slowly, he eased himself away from her and tucked the covers firmly around her body. "Keep watch over her," he ordered the zephyr. Even though Kenshin was not its master, the element settled itself on Kaoru's shoulder with a purposeful look about it. Kenshin dimmed the lights and left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.
"Wake up, girl," Hiko's voice rumbled from the mirror. Kaoru yawned and lifted her aching head up from the pillow. She felt muzzy with sleep and worn out from crying, plus she was fiercely thirsty. Recognizing the voice of her master, she pulled a pillow over her head and rolled over.
"Get up, I know you're awake," Hiko's rumble increased in volume. "Pull yourself together and come to my study." Too emotionally drained to protest, Kaoru pushed the pillow aside and stumbled numbly into the bathroom. Mechanically she washed her face, smoothed her hair, and rearranged her clothing, then woodenly made her way to Hiko's study. The windows she passed showed that it was early evening, and rosy streaks of sunset were beginning to light up the sky. Despite the several hours of sleep she had gotten, Kaoru was still so exhausted that putting one foot in front of the other was an effort.
Hiko was inside the study surrounded by a few empty sake bottles. The pottery-lined shelves bore many conspicuous gaps, but Kaoru ignored them and sat down on the floor. To her surprise, a tray of hot tea and food was waiting for her.
"Eat," Hiko commanded. Kaoru looked blearily at the tray. "You both need it," her master admonished.
Too tired to argue, Kaoru lifted her fork and obeyed. Kenshin's normally excellent cooking tasted like cardboard but then again, her taste buds had been off for a couple weeks. At least now I know why, she thought numbly.
Hiko said nothing while she ate; he simply observed her with a critical eye and drained dish after dish of sake. From the looks of things, he had been at the bottle for quite some time. When Kaoru lifted the tea cup to her lips and made a face at the astringent taste of the liquid inside, Hiko rumbled, "Finish it. It's good medicine for you and the child." Gagging slightly, Kaoru managed to finish the cup but to her dismay, Hiko commanded, "There's more in the pot. Drink it all." Grudgingly, she poured another cup and settled back to imbibe it in several reluctant sips.
"That's better," Hiko grunted. The sake seemed to have relaxed him somewhat. He was sitting comfortably, elbows perched on his knees. Kaoru held the cup, grateful for the warmth between her fingers, and waited for him to speak. Surely, her master hadn't called her to his study just to feed her dinner.
Silence fell over the study, and Kaoru was grateful for it. The hot food and drink had done their work, and Kaoru felt exhaustion tugging at her eyelids, lulling her into sleep. She had slept sitting up before and was about to do so again when Hiko broke the silence.
"I know this hasn't been easy on you," he started, making Kaoru jump slightly. "You've been put in a rather tough spot but have borne up under it rather well." Kaoru stared at him suspiciously. It was very unlike Hiko to offer any sort of praise. But then again, the sake bottles on the floor might have had something to do with his current state. He seemed to be in a relaxed mood, and Kaoru was slightly curious to see what her master was like under the influence of alcohol.
Pouring himself another drink, Hiko continued, "With your magical ability, you couldn't have escaped a fate like this forever, you know. Eventually another Elemental Master would have snatched you up. Lucky for you, it was me. And lucky for you, Kenshin was your Soul Bond. It could have been a lot worse."
Kaoru nodded numbly. She didn't know what else to do.
Knocking back another drink, Hiko stared into space, then his voice softened, the normal harshness and sarcasm curiously absent. "Good for Kenshin, too, that you were here. You've been good for my idiot pupil, you know. He needed you." Hiko's eyes turned to Kaoru. "He's told you, I assume, about his past."
Kaoru nodded again and Hiko frowned. "The idiot. Honest to a fault, isn't he? Well, it's for the best, I supposed, good that you knew what you were getting into." Hiko had another drink and another thoughtful stare into space. Finally he spoke in a tone that bordered on fondness, "You should have seen him when he was younger. He was much like you, all bright chi and potential and zeal. His eyes were clear with a purity and his soul was unstained."
Hiko made a brusk gesture and accidentally knocked over an empty sake bottle. Ignoring it, he continued, "Then the great fool got a bee in his bonnet about trying to right wrong, overcome evil, and all that nonsense. Typical impetuous youth. I let him go. I shouldn't have, but then again, you can't teach someone who refuses to learn anymore. So off he went, raised a big stink, caused a tremendous amount of death and chaos, and then finally comes to his senses and comes crawling back here." Hiko stifled a hiccup and poured more sake.
Continuing, he said with a note of sorrow in his voice, "I hadn't seen him in over a dozen years and when he came back, he was like a completely different person. That bright spirit and unstained soul weren't there anymore, and you could tell he hated himself and what he had done. There wasn't much keeping him going except for a determination to try to do something right to make up for all the damage he had caused."
Hiko waved the empty dish at her, "That's where you came in. When you first got my attention about a year or so ago, I thought about taking you on as my new apprentice, but something told me to hold back. I suppose I've never given up all hope that my prodigal apprentice would come crawling back and I had a sense that he'd need you. Turns out I was right," Hiko smirked.
Kaoru's lips twitched as she looked at Hiko. He waved the dish again, "That's right. With you in the house, Soul Bonded to him, with you to teach, all that helped my wayward apprentice. He had a new purpose for living, something to cling to. The Soul Bond opened up more powers for him, gave him new potential and possibilities, and he began seeing how he could face himself in the mirror every morning."
"And now, this, a child on the way," Hiko hiccuped again. "Best thing that could happen to Kenshin, aside from a bokken to that thick skull of his. Gives him something more to cling to, something else to believe in and gives him one more reason to live. So don't you worry," he poured yet another round of sake as Kaoru wondered how he could possibly be upright and conscious. "It'll all be fine. Kenshin will finish his training, you'll make Air Master eventually, and you'll pick up sword training again once the child's here and you're back on your feet. The child will be a strong Elemental Master, no doubt about that." Hiko sipped from the dish and settled back, closing his eyes. Kaoru wondered if he had fallen asleep.
After a few minutes, the Elemental Master's glance fell upon his apprentice and his eyebrows raised in surprise. "You still here? It's late, get to bed. You've got a child to think of now, you numbskull. Don't go exhausting yourself."
Kaoru stumbled to her feet and bowed her way out of the study on wooden legs. She was emotionally drained, physically spent, but her mind was less troubled. Summoning a zephyr, she felt comforted as it fluttered up to perch on her shoulder where it stayed as she fell into bed and immediately into a deep, dreamless sleep.