Chapter Fifteen

Sagara Sōzō could tell the fox demon was in a bad mood as soon as he walked into her office. She was doing an admiral job of hiding it, but it was in the subtle creases between her brows and the tightness of her lips. Once, he remembered being told to watch out for the rigidity of her tails, as well. When she was in a good mood, they twitched and shifted as if they had a life of their own. When she was in a bad mood, though, they stiffened and were held almost purposefully still. At that moment, they were even hooked, like the angry baring of claws.

Dangerous, pointed nails clicked against the surface of the desk as she drummed her fingers impatiently. A phone was pressed against her ear, and whoever was on the other end was not ingratiating themselves with her. Covering the distance to her desk, he seated himself without invitation in the chair across from her. She did not even glance at him. However, her agitated hand did flatten over the rim of her tea cup protectively. Shifting the large envelope in his hand to settle on his lap instead, Sōzō's one working eye landed on a picture frame angled away from him. As the air moved from the ceiling fan overhead, the edge of a dark feather peeked at him from around the frame and his features softened.

"Are you done?" The words were restrained and falsely sweet, and whoever was on the other end went quiet. "Good. Because I am not your mother, and I don't have time to wipe your ass. You messed up, now take responsibility and fix it."

The phone slammed down onto the wooden desktop, and her red-tinged eyes finally snapped up to glower at him.

"You really do just suck the moisture out of everything, don't you?"

A slight smile pulled at his mouth. "It's a bit involuntary." His voice was dry and cracked, as was usual.

The tea cup was tilted in her direction, and she sighed upon finding it full of nothing but now crispy tea leaves. "Then I would ask you make your visit quick. If you involuntarily mess up any of my research by evaporating the liquid, I will remove your eye."

"Still so hostile."

"Still so disgustingly nice."

Sōzō laughed, and Megumi joined in with a brief chortle. "It's nice to see you again, Megumi-san."

"I'm surprised to see you here at all. I thought you were busy protecting some government facility."

"I am." His laughter tapered off. "But it just so happens to be the same facility Genzai-sensei runs. Apparently, he's helping you with a favor. Some kind of… top-secret favor?"

Megumi's features reflexively relaxed into a blank expression. "Oh?"

"Don't worry, I have no intention of prying. He only asked me to deliver this." The envelope was handed over, and Megumi accepted it with a frown.

"I thought he was sending over one of his assistants. Why wouldn't he just ask them to deliver this?"

"I wasn't given specifics, only that I was to give it to you and you alone. Perhaps he was afraid his assistant would lose it?"

"That's doubtful." Megumi pursed her lips as she unsealed the envelope and pulled out the thick documents within. Whatever was on the top page ever-so-slightly widened the edges of her eyes. Or he was afraid they would read the documents themselves.

"Is something wrong?"

The fox's spine straightened, and she withdrew the documents from the envelope completely. "No." The word was easily nonchalant, and she flipped the top page forward to rest against her sternum. "Nothing I did not already suspect." She proceeded to ignore him as she glanced through the remaining information.

Shrugging his shoulders, Sōzō sat for a few seconds, tall and rigid. Habit was hard to break after spending as many years as he had in the military. Suddenly leaning forward, he reached for the only picture frame on her desk and pulled it closer. Cinnamon irises lifted slowly to watch him, but made no move to stop his intentions. Once the frame was turned, he released it and sat back into his chair.

"Megumi-san…" His dry voice deepened with something close to empathy and sorrow. For a while he seemed to struggle with what he was going to say, but then a sigh released from his lungs. "Thank you."

"For what?" She cleared her throat, and continued to flip through the papers distractedly. "Being a sentimental idiot?"

"Don't be like that. It's been two hundred years since the war ended. That's a long time. Even for a fox."

"Forever is a long time for anyone." She was being dismissive again, but the lines around her eyes had softened. "That is what we promised."

"So you did." The grin returned to his face, but it was tinged with nostalgia. "That idiot brother of mine was a lucky man."

A short, mocking laugh burst from Megumi's mouth. "Not if you asked him. Luck apparently had nothing to do with it. He touted himself as some kind of conquering hero." Though she appeared annoyed, there was affection in the twitch of her mouth. Sōzō laughed in turn.

"That's right. The rooster who tamed the fox. He told that story a lot." Megumi returned to leafing through the documents, and Sōzō's smile turned gentle. "He always followed it up with some example of how feisty you were. Like he couldn't get enough of it."

The envelope and its contents were plopped onto the desk and Megumi stood. "Well, that's quite enough of that."

Sōzō stood to attention and bowed his head. "Forgive me, Megumi-san." When he straightened, her face was turned away. A change of subject seemed to be in order. "Before I go, I was hoping you might know what's happened to Himura-san. I've tried calling him a few times, but he hasn't answered or returned my calls." Her chin lifted, and she gathered the documents into her arms.

"Ah, you three fought together in the war for a time." She stated the obvious as if reminding herself, but continued as if bored. "What makes you think I know anything about what he's doing?"

"Well, he was under your care for almost a hundred years. I thought perhaps you were keeping tabs on him."

"Why? Because the government all but handed me his leash?" Venom injected into the question without warning, and Sōzō knew he needed to tread lightly.

"No, because Sano asked you to look out for him."

Dark lashes fell, and the ears sprouting from her hair flattened. "He's stranded in the mountains, or something." Navigating the desk, she headed for the door and her tone turned spiteful. "The government ordered him there. I'm surprised you didn't hear about it."

Sōzō's one good eye blinked in surprise, and he followed closely behind Megumi's ground-eating stride. "I haven't heard. What's going on?"

"They're making him train with some old hermit near Neo-Kyoto." Her hand waved in the air.

"You mean, Hiko Seijuro?! I thought he kept himself separate from the government."

"I suppose he technically requested Ken-sama, but the government all but forced him to go." Correcting herself, Megumi stopped before the elevators and pressed the call button.

"He wasn't going to do it? I know a few generals that would kill for that opportunity. Hiko Seijuro is practically legendary." Although Sōzō preferred his position under the radar, he could not help feeling a bit jealous.

"Is that so?" Megumi dismissed him as easily as a fly. "Then he should be able to whip Ken-sama into shape. Is the interrogation over? I've got work to do."

"Of course." Sōzō bowed again.

"Where's the assistant Genzai-sensei was supposed to send over? Did he not come with you?" The doors to the elevator swished open. Sōzō climbed on with her.

"He apparently already knew where he was heading. We parted ways on the elevator."

"Fine." When the doors dinged open on one of the middle floors, Megumi placed a hand over the sensor and turned towards Sōzō. "I have something I need you take back to Genzai-sensei for me. Do you mind?"

"Of course not."

"Just… keep your powers in check. Seriously, the air is choking me it's so dry."

"I will try." He smiled, but bowed graciously.

She led him to a small, out of the way lab that did not appear to be of any major importance. Once inside, he found the assistant he had escorted seated next to a woman he recognized. They both looked over as they entered, and the woman smiled gently as she stood to bow in greeting.

"Tomoe-san, I'm glad I was able to see you while I'm here." Suddenly, his dry, cracked voice sounded too rough in his own ears.

"Me, too." As always, her calm demeanor and gentle tones relaxed those within earshot.

"Are you the assistant?" Megumi's sharp voice cut through the atmosphere, and the newest member to their research team jerked a ninety-degree bow.

"Iizuka, ma'am." Iizuka was a large ogre, but quite small for his kind. His skin was a dark green, and two tusk-like teeth protruded upward from his lower lip. A single horn also sprouted from the right side of his forehead, but had been filed down to a few blunt inches. Dressed as he was, in a suit and a small pair of reading glasses perched on his flat nose, he appeared studious despite what had once been said about ogres.

"Your specialty?"

"Eastern runes. I recognize parts of these seals," his hand pointed to the monitors and the images plastered across them, "but whoever set these combined them with several other."

"That's what we thought as well. What exactly do you recognize?"

As Megumi took over the seat that Tomoe had occupied, Tomoe touched a hand to Sōzō's arm. "They'll be at that for a while, I imagine. Would you like to meet our young ward?"

"Ward?"

"Do you remember that lunch date you set up for me last year, with Himura-san?"

"Of course. The one he skipped?" There was consternation in his dry voice, but she smiled.

"He had a good reason, and I was able to spend some time with him regardless, so I do not feel cheated." They stepped into another room. Off to one side, a young woman was seated before a large canvass. Paint was smeared all over her arms and the back of her neck, but she painstakingly continued to smooth her brush across the surface. When she heard them enter, she turned with a happy smile. It faded into caution when she saw there was someone new.

"Don't be afraid, Kaoru-san. This is Sagara Sōzō. He's an old friend of Himura-san."

Sōzō smiled. "A really old friend. It's a pleasure." He bowed, and she seemed to remember her manners as a moment later she jumped up and bowed in turn. "Having only one eye makes me look scarier than I am."

The paintbrush still in her hand was clasped in front of her, and she shook her head to disagree. Blue eyes, like clear Caribbean water, stared up at him in interest. Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Sōzō pointed a finger at her painting.

"Is that Himura-san? He looks…" Unsure how to describe it, his voice trailed off.

"Like she added some glamour?" Tomoe modestly covered her mouth with the back of her hand. "She does that with everyone." A few other paintings were indicated around the room, and Sōzō looked impressed. When his eyes came back to Kaoru, she was frowning slightly.

"They're great, don't get me wrong." Her smile came back instantly, and her head tilted as her shoulders lifted with the praise. Suddenly, blue eyes jerked towards his legs and she circled him to study the tail twitching at his back. It was something he was a bit self-conscious of. His true form was not pleasing to the eye, and he preferred the form he had created to seem more human. With only one eye, however, the right side of his face appeared disfigured. His tail was uncomfortable to hide, though, and he had long since given up on trying. It was stretched and thin, and covered in stringy brown hair. Even to him, it was ugly.

A grin of excitement lit up her entire face, and she shook Tomoe's hand to share. Tomoe simply petted her hair, as if it was normal, but scolded her lightly for being rude. Then turned her small smile on him.

"I told you. She sees everyone that way."

"Huh." Slightly embarrassed, Sōzō took a step back. "I'd probably better not stick around too long. I don't want to dry out her paint. It was nice meeting you, Kaoru-san." He bowed again, and she waved enthusiastically before returning to her art project. A frown pulled at his features when he noticed that the red hair-tie he had thought she was wearing was actually red hair wrapped around her own.

"Does she not talk?" As they returned to the main room of the lab, Sōzō curiously questioned.

"She can't speak." Tomoe proceeded to explain how Kenshin had found her, and the state she was in at the time. "That's why we've asked Genzai-sensei for assistance. We can't seem to figure out these seals."

"Hmm." Sitting down at one of the desks across from the monitors, Sōzō took in all of the information he had accumulated. As troubling as it all sounded, as a friend, something else was bothering him. "How are things between you and Himura-san?"

A light tinge of pink touched her cheeks and she looked away. "He's still very distant with me, but Kaoru's presence has opened him up more."

"You as well?"

She nodded. "I think so. She's a very energetic child, and so warm. It's hard not to be affected by her."

"A child?" Sōzō seemed skeptical. The young woman in the room next door did not look like a child to him.

"Even if we don't know much about her, it's obvious she's still very young. We all feel as if we're taking care of her in some way."

"Even Himura-san?"

"I would say he feels the most responsible for her. He even sent her a phone so they can communicate directly. I think he could tell how much it upset her when she couldn't speak after the pin was removed."

Sōzō was not very convinced, but since he was an outsider, he had no choice but to take her word for it.

"Have you explained everything to him, Tomoe-san?" Megumi called over to them, and Tomoe was taken aback.

"I'm sorry, Megumi-sensei. Was I not supposed to? I assumed he was aware since you brought him in with you."

"He wasn't, but I was hoping you'd take care of that for me." A very sly grin bared one canine tooth. "Now that that's out of the way, I plan to abuse this little courier service Genzai started with you."

The smile on Sōzō's face disappeared.

"I think we've figured out what's going on with this little seal on her tongue, and why it has only now suppressed her vocal cords."

X

It was getting warmer again, and Kenshin relaxed gratefully in full exposure of the sun as he ate his lunch. Hiko sat a short distance away in the shade. They rarely looked at each other while eating, and rarer still spoke unless it was to discuss his training. Everything was starting to feel smoother, though, and their discussions were a bit more technical as he progressed.

"Your control is getting better." The grunted compliment was nearly reluctant. "From now on we need to work more on your technique."

Kenshin nodded as he chewed.

"Do you have any flames capable of anything other than burning?"

Blinking, Kenshin swallowed, and put down his chopsticks. "My father told me once that as a fire demon, we are capable of using all flames… with the exception of one."

"That's a rather vague flex. Which one can you not use?"

"I believe he called it onibi."

Hiko was silent, and violet eyes glanced over to see if he could judge the water dragon's reaction. His master was looking down at his lunch box.

"He said it is a cold flame. Too cold for a fire demon to use."

"It's not just cold. It's death." The large man's voice was soft, and a deep breath inhaled through his nose. "Only the dead are capable of using it. A single touch will pull a soul from its body."

"Oh." After studying the remains of his lunch, Kenshin lifted his head to the sun. "He also said that only a fire demon can neutralize the onibi, but that it requires the hottest flame we can manage."

"That sounds promising. Show me."

"Now?"

Hiko nodded, and Kenshin frowned. Sitting aside his lunch box, Kenshin angled one hand upwards and concentrated all of his strength in his palm. It took too long, and required too much energy, but he succeeded in producing a small white-blue flame approximately the size of a baseball.

"I can't… maintain it for long." Within seconds, the flame sputtered and died, and he was left to catch his breath in the aftermath. The use of so much power had a side-effect he had not counted on, though, and when he glanced up again, he found his master staring at him with something like pity. Thick, red blood, like lava, dripped from his left cheek, and he immediately lifted one hand to cover it.

"Who wounded your core?"

Rebuilding the façade he kept up to hide his demon traits, he next used his fingers to suck the heat out of the blood that had landed on the ground before it could start a fire. Even with the façade, the deep crossed-wound on his left cheek was still visible, like a faint scratch mark on his skin. A part of him had no desire to ever talk about it, but… what was the use of hiding it now?

"After I killed the man who murdered my father, I sat next to his body and waited. I don't know why. Maybe I thought whoever came looking for him would lead me to someone else I could blame. Instead… they buried me under ice, like the stupid kid I was, and tried to use me to make their weapons more powerful. I was lucky the facility was raided before they could do any further damage to my core."

Silence pressed down on the sunny mid-day, and gloom seemed to hang in the air like a dampening hand of fog. A light grumble of air vibrated up Hiko's throat and issued from his nose.

"What about the heat? Can you contain the heat and still maintain the flame's temperature?" Violet eyes looked over at him, and the expression was vulnerable. "We don't need another weather alert for all of Japan."

Torn away from ugly memories, the crease of his frown deepened in thought instead of pain. "I think so."

"Good. What else you got?"

The remainder of their break was spent discussing the different types of effects he could produce with his flames. When lunch was deemed over, Hiko stood, and for the first time, appeared satisfied. Which made Kenshin leery.

"Don't look so afraid, boy. You should be happy. A couple more months, and I'm kicking you off this mountain."

"W-what?"

"We should be able to refine your technique in that time, but I can't help you with the rest. Luckily, you already figured out what you need to master in order to transition to dragon rank. Most times, it's not that easy to identify."

"I did?" Kenshin looked confused, and Hiko's satisfied features dropped flat.

"Dammit, boy. I thought you were quicker than this."

X

A/N: It's been a weird, long, unstable week. It didn't help that I had a lot of trouble with Sagara Sōzō's character, and what I wanted to make his demon trait. I had Iizuka figured out before I even started writing the story, but Sōzō was a monkey wrench in my story plot that I did not count on. He was supposed to just be an easy filler character to help with some development, but it was so much harder than I thought it was going to be, because I tend to focus on details too much at times, and it kills my inspiration when I can't get them straight in my mind. It didn't help that I've never used him in a story before, so I also had to think about what his personality would be. Ah well, here it is, and I hope it didn't disappoint.

On another note, has anyone noticed that everyone describes Kaoru's eyes differently based on their own demon trait? Just a small detail, but I like it.

Oh, and thanks for pointing out that I spelled Gein's name wrong! What a silly thing to do! Ugh, lol. I will fix.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to our regularly scheduled program. Why does plot development take up so much time!? T_T