Chapter Twenty-Nine

Sweltering heat from the inferno slammed into Kaoru from all sides, and the sudden appearance coupled by Kenshin's strange actions unnerved her already confused mind. Instinctively, she ducked into a squat on the floor, and covered the back of her head with both hands. However, the roaring red and orange fire did not once touch her.

Instead, the fire encircled her, like a tornado of flames, separating her from everything outside of its perimeter. The show was strictly one of intimidation, and there was no doubting the power and dominance born from its creation.

As quickly as the spiraling blaze had appeared, it was gone. Leaving behind only a hint of high heat and the scent of ash. Lowering her hands slowly and lifting her head, Kaoru saw first the circular char mark scarred into the floor, then, just beyond it, Kenshin's legs. He had not moved, and her heart was relieved.

It was then that she realized there was something heavy clinging to her back. Thick, animal-like feet clutched at her left shoulder, and its belly lay close and curved along the length of her spine. Out of the corner of her eye, a tail flicked, and its tip was a tuft of fire. Hesitantly, her left hand reached up for the unknown presence, and her heart pounded a rhythm to the trembling of her fingers. Just when her hand was level with her shoulder, one of the clawed feet stepped forward as if interpreting her hand as a stepping stone for its use. All of its weight shifted abruptly against her as a result, and she was forced to catch herself with her other hand on the floor. Rough scales melded against the callouses along her palm, and the creature's three front toes interlocked into the spaces between her fingers for support.

Braced now, it surged its head and chest upward, and Kaoru's shocked blue eyes lifted to take in its full appearance. Blood red scales covered its lithe but tough body, highlighted by shades of orange and black. A crest formed around three quarters of its head, and pure ivory horns adorned it at intervals. Its long snout was tipped by two, vertically angled spikes, and each time it breathed, fire flickered from its nostrils. It was stunning, ethereal, and obviously extremely deadly. Nevertheless, Kaoru could not help but notice that, even though it was heavy and its scales were rough, the creature's foot in her hand was somehow gentle.

Deeply-grained golden eyes stared fixed and still up at Kenshin's unmoving figure, and for several long seconds, no one moved within the lab. Finally, Kaoru's gaze drifted over to Kenshin, and all the wonder she felt for the appearance of this strange beast was replaced by despair. He was not looking; at the creature… or at her. Air heaved in and out of his nose, and the rise and fall of his chest seemed nearly painful. Violet eyes stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge her. Refusing to see her.

No. Look at me.

Taking all of her weight, and the creature's, onto her bent legs, Kaoru reached her freed hand towards him.

Please.

But her silent plea resulted in heartbreak. The threat of her touch caused his body to jerk away, and a spear-like spasm stabbed deep within her chest. At the same time, the creature's mouth cracked open to reveal rows upon rows of lethal teeth, and a steam-like hiss issued from the back of its throat. The warning was clear.

Mere moments later, and Kenshin deliberately walked away. Without a word. Without an explanation. Without even a glance of recognition.

The spasm shot through her again, and she doubled over onto the concrete floor.

Wait.

There was nothing but his back to her now.

Look at me!

Then he was gone.

Please.

She couldn't breathe. The pain in her chest had escalated and was nearly unbearable. From over her shoulder, the creature slid off onto the ground, and its hard nose nudged against her cheek. Then her hand. Gasping, fighting, losing… she struggled, but the pain was only pressure now. Intense pressure that she couldn't find release from. Her vision started to swim sickeningly, a loud bang and a worried voice filled her ears, but it was the heat that overwhelmed her. So much heat. Freezing heat.

X

The dream felt even less artificial than usual. Instead of the floaty and detached sensation of a normal dream, everything was sharp and distinct. The smell of garbage and fire was strong inside her nostrils. The sound of screaming loud and close. The taste of seared flesh coated the back of her tongue. No illusion of waking comforted her, as it felt more like she had closed her eyes in one world and opened them in another.

Even the flickering mirage of the fire demon's body was clearer, and she realized that not all of him was simple, unchecked flame. Parts of his form were textured like the surface of the sun, and she wondered surreally if that meant he had a core. She thought, perhaps, she had heard something similar about fire demons when the others were talking.

Nothing had changed his dismissal of her presence, however.

The sudden comparison to Kenshin's most recent refusal to acknowledge her twisted her insides, and she was overcome by such desperation. Why would they not look at her?! Why was she so unimportant?! So easily ignored?!

Don't dismiss me! Look at me!

Then came the pain and the pressure in her chest. Despair replaced desperation, even as her eyes started their arduous journey downwards to confirm what she already knew. The flames were touching her, burning away at her sternum and breasts. It was not the fire demon that was touching her, though. That, after all, would have required admission of her presence. What actually touched her was hidden within the fire. Something hard. Something steel. Something so sharp it pierced through her easily without even an ounce of resistance. Even as she watched, the veiled katana slowly sheathed itself deeper inside of her, intensifying the pressure, seizing her lungs, until the rounded curve of its guard butted directly against the bottom portion of her sternum.

Somewhere, the screaming had stopped.

Searing heat so intense it felt cold ate away at her bones, tissue, and flesh. At first, it was excruciating, but without the use of her lungs, she could not scream. Then, blessedly, it was merely pressure. A freezing weight, like the whole of Japan standing on her chest. Slowly, her eyes blinked, but her mind had already accepted the inevitable. After all, what was there to do now but watch as her own body slowly crumbled into black ash.

Lifting her head, she gazed sadly upon the fire demon, knowing he would never look at her, and yet wanting so much for him to. Wanting so much for him to know her. Wanting so much to know him. But she could not move, she could not call out, and he was so focused. Tears built along the back of her eyes, but dried up instantly before they could fall.

She felt no pain, but it was clear that he did.

X

An anxious gasp pulled between Tomoe's teeth as soon as her eyes landed upon Kaoru passed out within a ring of black char. Without a clear understanding of what was going on, and only assumptions to feed her negative thoughts, she rushed across the floor and dropped to her knees next to her body. Briefly, she noticed Iizuka standing motionless at a short distance away, and was instantly irritated that he had not offered assistance. Shortly thereafter, she realized why.

A large salamander was guarding Kaoru, and Tomoe froze when it jerked its head towards her cautiously. Golden eyes studied her intently, judging whether she was a threat, but it held off on reacting in any other aggressive way. Moving slowly, Tomoe reached for Kaoru, but kept her gaze trained upon her guardian. A few moments later, it dismissed her to lock its hard gaze back upon the ogre.

A relieved breath pushed from her lungs, and she turned her full attention upon the girl. Something was clearly wrong. Kaoru was writhing and her breathing was erratic. Her heartbeat, when Tomoe checked, was uncontrolled.

"What happened?" The question was directed at Iizuka. Though she sounded calm, her hands were shaking.

"I-I don't know."

"From the beginning, Iizuka-san." Trying to distract him from the menacing salamander, Tomoe raised her voice.

"R-right. Himura-san was… asking about Kaoru-san's seals. We were talking, and then Kaoru came running into the room. Himura-san became angry and lashed out. I-I thought… he had burned her to death."

There's no way. He'd never hurt her, unless…

"What did you say to him? Tell me exactly what you said." Pulling out her cellphone, Tomoe dialed Megumi before waiting for his response.

"That we were making progress. That everything was starting to make sense."

"And?" The phone was held out so that Megumi could also hear him.

"And…" He swallowed. "I told him she's human. I-I didn't know you were keeping it from him." His voice rushed to defend himself, and the tone lifted high into the realm of panic.

Black eyes closed. "You need to leave."

"What about Kaoru?"

"Get out!" She rarely yelled, but her emotions had spiked before she could contain them.

"Y-yes, Ma'am."

The ogre grabbed his things hurriedly and bumbled out of the lab. Tomoe fitted the phone back to her ear in time to catch Megumi's clipped tone.

"I'm on my way down."

"Please hurry. Something's wrong with her."

Trying with all her might to keep Kaoru from hurting herself in her desperate struggle for air, Tomoe fought the jerk and pull of the girl's now well-trained muscles. With nothing else to focus on, the salamander laid itself close on the floor and curled its long body in a crescent-moon starting near Kaoru's head and ending well past her updrawn feet. It watched in silence with large, otherworldly irises.

Just before Megumi arrived, Kaoru's breathing took a turn for the worse. With incredible strength, her body contracted in on itself, and she choked and hacked in a desperate attempt to obtain the oxygen she needed.

"Her airway's collapsing!"

Calling out as soon as she heard the door beep, Tomoe flipped Kaoru to her back. The five-tailed vixen knelt quicky at her side in her bare feet, and Tomoe could only assume she had kicked off her heels somewhere to unhamper her gait.

"Help me lift her. I need to intubate."

"Move." Megumi elbowed her aside, and lifted Kaoru without assistance. The salamander immediately raised its head, and hissed at its mistress's removal. Red-tinged irises spared it a passing glance, but her voice snapped as if there was nothing strange about it being there. "You can walk."

Inside the observation room, Kaoru was transferred to the medical bed, and the upraised backrest was dropped flat. With skilled precision, Tomoe braced Kaoru's chin up and guided the plastic tube down her throat and into her trachea. Once in place, the tube was connected to the ventilator, and Kaoru's body reluctantly relaxed with the forced supply of oxygen. Within a minute, her heart rate had slowed as well. Her face, however, continued to scrunch in pain, and her skin rippled with a chill only she felt.

"What the hell happened?" Clear and unchecked annoyance flared on Megumi's features. "Everything was fine twenty minutes ago. Did Ken-sama really attack her?"

"I… don't know. Iizuka-san made it sound like Himura-san became angry at Kaoru, but… I passed him in the lobby. He didn't look angry. He looked… scared."

A brush against her ankle startled Tomoe, and she glanced down to find the salamander staring up at the bed. It, however, ignored her to instead reach up with one strong foot and latch itself to the intricate under-portion that made up the legs. From the other side, Megumi grabbed hold of the railing to keep the bed steady and frowned as it dipped heavily to one side under the salamander's weight. Nothing was said, however, and both quietly watched as it pulled itself up onto the mattress and wedged itself between Kaoru's side and the outer edge. Its head was rested on her upper arm, and the light shivers racing along her limbs slowly disappeared.

Cinnamon irises studied the salamander, and Megumi picked up their conversation as if it had never been interrupted.

"We anticipated he wouldn't react well to learning she's human. For now, we should count ourselves lucky Kaoru's still alive." The observation was resigned, and Megumi crossed her arms and shifted her weight. "What I want to know first is why she's like this? I don't see any appreciable wounds. Barring everything else that has happened, I would have thought this episode connected to the seal on her chest."

"I would have to agree. The chest pain and difficulties breathing have happened before, though not on this scale. If they continue to worsen like this, I… I'm afraid of what this means when the seal is completely broken." Slim, elegant fingers reached out to brush back Kaoru's bangs, and Tomoe's voice was gentle and frightened.

"With the exception of the strange, growing scar on her skin, there's nothing physically wrong with her." While Tomoe reacted as a friend, Megumi's voice remained strictly detached and critical. "We've checked regularly. Her lungs are fine. Everything internal is intact. I almost want to say this is more of a mental trauma than a physical one."

"Do you think her body's remembering something that has already happened to her?"

"It's possible, and if that's the case, then we'll need to work with her. If her body breaks because of her mind, I'll really be annoyed." A frown marred her expression, and one finger tapped impatiently against her elbow.

"It certainly won't help her for Himura-san to be distant. Perhaps… this episode was stronger because of what happened. If he rejects her completely…"

A long sigh released from Megumi's lungs. "That's going to be up to him. I was hoping he'd become attached to her enough to overlook it, with some time. It's likely he may still."

"I hope so." Sadness soaked the whispered words, and Tomoe bowed her head forward to stare at her folded hands. "It so easy to tell… that she loves him so very much."

"While we're on the topic, it may be a good time to address the elephant in the room."

A soft gasp filled Tomoe's lungs, and she looked up hurriedly. "Don't worry about me, Megumi-sensei. I've already come to terms with it, a-and I really am fine. I like them together."

Fox eyes blinked, and her finger pointed down. "I meant that."

Glancing down at the salamander, Tomoe clenched her eyes shut briefly. "R-right. Of course."

"But I am glad you're over him. He's not good for you, anyway." One clawed hand waved, and she leaned over the occupied hospital bed. A small smile pulled at Tomoe's lips at the unexpected support. "If I'm not mistaken, this is the protective charm Ken-sama gave the runt, isn't it?"

"Is that what it is? I didn't give it much thought because of everything that was happening." A frown creased her smooth forehead. "Why did it activate? He… he didn't really attack her, do you think?"

"It's a possibility we need to consider, but I always keep my options open. I'm going to touch you now." She spoke down at the salamander, and extended one finger towards the top of its head. Closed, golden eyes parted to fix their intense stare upon her, as if feeling that her intentions were aimed at it. "Is that alright?" It didn't so much as blink, but instead adjusted its chin to rest on Kaoru's clavicle, which was closer to Megumi.

With the pad of her forefinger resting gently on the space directly between its eyes, Megumi spoke a soft word of revealing. In perfect, golden lettering, the runes giving the salamander life appeared in a slow and steady cascade down the surface of its scales. Every inch of its long body was covered, and they crisscrossed one another, like braided hair. The simple, protective charm it had started out as had morphed and matured over time. New runes had been added upon the originals, updated directives to provide perfect protection, and they all fit seamlessly together with only one goal: to keep Kaoru from harm.

"It's… so beautiful." Tomoe's voice was full of wonder.

Though not naturally, or unnaturally, sentimental, Megumi felt a tug deep in her chest as she too recognized the care that had gone into the salamander's creation. It was profoundly personal, almost delicate, but passionate like fire was meant to be. Clearing her throat, she spoke up dryly.

"It might as well be a love letter."

A dark brow lifted as a thought occurred to her, and one orange-tipped ear flicked in amusement.

"And… if it really did activate because Ken-sama attacked her, that means it was willing to fight its creator. Whether intentional or not, Ken-sama was ready to protect her from himself. For even complex protective charms, that's nearly impossible. I've never heard of a protective charm with this much freewill before. I wish I could cut it up and study it…"

Golden eyes popped back open instantly, and there was no mistaking the glare it aimed at her. A chortle filled the air, and she withdrew her hand.

"A joke, of course." Placing her hand back on top of her opposite forearm, her mouth pursed. "I'm curious why it has remained activated, though."

"It may be because she lost consciousness."

"I suppose that makes sense. I guess we'll find out when she wakes up." Walking for the door, Megumi waved for Tomoe to follow. "Let's monitor her for now. Once she's awake, we'll take new imaging of the seal on her chest. In the meantime, I'm going to review the security footage. Why don't you try giving Ken-sama a call?"

X

Iizuka walked calmly off the elevator, as if being in Megumi's office was where he was meant to be. He knew there were security cameras, but the chances of anyone besides security reviewing them for that particular area was slim. It was common for Megumi to regularly review the cameras in Kaoru's lab, but she had no reason to do the same in her own personal space. Which meant, as long as security was convinced that he wasn't suspicious, he had nothing to worry about.

Especially since there were no cameras in her actual office. This was something else he had known of ahead of time. It was, after all, a private space. Closing the door gently behind him, Iizuka smirked at the manilla envelope sitting casually on her desk. With all the drama downstairs, she had left the documents out in the open as he had planned. It had irked him to learn that Sagara-san had been bringing hardcopies to the lab. Now he had even less time the had originally thought to get out of there.

Luckily, a second interested party had contacted him about the situation. A much bigger client that provided some extra insurance. Their job request simply included copies of the information discovered by both labs, and since he needed to make sure that Megumi had everything his first client wanted her to have before he left, it was like killing two birds with one stone.

Carefully removing the documents and keeping them in perfect order, Iizuka snapped pictures of every page. Work like this required diligence, and an ability to stay calm under pressure. It took time and patience, and once he was done, everything went back into the envelope in the exact order and direction that they had come out. The envelope itself was then replaced just as he had found it, and he walked back to the elevator like he was taking merely a stroll.

Outside of the lobby, his phone dinged with a new message from his second client to confirm receipt of all documents. Shortly thereafter, a new request was relayed, and while Iizuka was curious, he was more than agreeable.

Just what did you see that they're so afraid of? Oh well. The older ogres used to piss and moan about not being able to eat humans anymore. It'd be a shame not to have a taste while I can.

X

A/N: The salamander was one of my favorite ideas for this story. He just makes me really happy. In the midst of everything that happened last year, one of my two kitties decided it was time for her to go. It was very much her decision, but it tore my heart to pieces. My mom bottle fed her and her sister, they were with me when I moved out on my own, when I dealt with so much upheaval as life happened, as it usually does, and yet seventeen years still seemed like too short of a time to love and spoil her. I was very lucky to have my pretty girl for the time that I did, and I'm even luckier that her cute, rotten sister is just too stubborn to care about being old, lol. All this to say, as I come up on the one-year anniversary of her passing, I wanted some way to honor the pets that fill our lives with such love. They offer support in ways you don't realize, and while the salamander is definitely NOT a pet in this story, he will be a source of comfort and love. Go love your little furry (or scaly/feathery) children if you have them! Not that I need to tell anyone that, lol. Next chapter, Kaoru struggles with her new reality.