Chapter Fifty-Six

Death's veil was nothing more than a fine layer between the world of the living and the world of the dead. It was only meant to be a one-way passageway, a transitory stop on the way to the afterlife. It mirrored the living world to provide some comfort and familiarity, especially to those souls who found themselves there unexpectedly. However, it was a colorless world. A world devoid of life. No one stayed within the veil. No one but Death.

Unlike his name, Death did not reap souls from the world of the living. Causing the death of a soul was not his will or purpose. Instead, every soul that was evicted from the living world came under his care. Life was fickle with the souls when they belonged on the living plane. Death was possessive. Death did not like giving up what belonged to him. Death was a collector, a hoarder, an amasser of all things that were once living… and he loved his collection obsessively. He decided where each soul went and where they were kept within the afterlife. Like shiny or dull trophies carefully placed on shelves and in glass cases.

Sometimes, a newly crossed over soul would try to escape Death, but Death could not be outwitted or outrun. Eventually, everyone succumbed to Death's touch, and moved on to the afterlife. Most souls accepted Death's assistance and passed on peacefully, but those few that ran from Death found him frightening. Death was overwhelming for a soul not expecting or ready to die.

Upon dying, Kaoru had found herself in a similar position as one of those souls. Death had frightened her, and she had run. Something different had happened for her, however. Something unforeseen. Death had found her. No one could run or hide from Death. Strangely, though, Death could not reach her.

Even as she cowered underneath the frog slide in her childhood park, even as she knelt vulnerably on her hands and knees, searing heat from deep inside her chest repelled Death's touch. At the same time that she gasped and winced in pain, the cold brush of Death's robe jerked away from her. A voice she could not decipher yelled words she did not understand, and the sudden booming voice echoed loudly in the death-like quiet of the veil. Panicked, Kaoru rolled quickly onto her backside, and wide brown eyes stared straight into the face of Death.

Irises of pale grey set deep inside matte black eyes glared at her with intensity, and they stole her breath. They consumed her mind, filled her gaze, and numbed her senses. Every piece of her froze, as if a large, invisible hand had suddenly snatched her body up and began to squeeze. Even her irises, of such deep-seeded brown, crystalized and disappeared behind a wash of concentrated blue. His large body crouched within the opening to the hidden underside of the frog slide, but though she could no longer move, he did not come closer.

Understanding dawned upon Kaoru slowly due to her state of alarm and anxiety. Not being able to breathe when she was already dead, while unsettling, held no other consequence except an inability to move. It was as she stared into his angry features that she realized he was just as drained of color as the world around them. From his grey hair to his black clothes, there was not one ounce of color to be seen on him. Not even a flush of life tinted his pale skin. In contrast, the interior of the frog slide was somehow green. A vibrant green that looked nearly unnatural within the lifeless world that she now resided. Beneath her, the sand was a soft beige.

"Come here, girl. This is not where I mean to keep you."

The voice slithered into her ear, like a chill down her spine, but it was the ball of fire buried behind her sternum that trembled and shook. Slowly, and still terrified, it crawled from the hole in her chest and spilled out into her lap. The grey eyes of their pursuer dropped to it in surprise, and, as if feeling his gaze, the flame huddled against her stomach in fear. Unable to move or offer the small flame comfort, Kaoru could do nothing but watch in her peripheral vision and silently beg it to run and hide. A few moments later, however, and the flickering of its color-filled fire strengthened, as if gathering its courage. Without warning, the flame took a new shape.

In a strange motion, like the opening of a book, the flame appeared to unfold as limbs sprouted from its core; two arms and two legs. The newly acquired appendages were used to pulled itself up, and it braced itself on one of her uplifted thighs. It even formed a head as it stumbled on unsteady feet. It was small still, no larger than her hands cupped together, and its tiny body was all red, purple, orange, and green flames that swirled together like the surface of the sun.

Upright now and standing on her pelvis, it hopped down into the sand. Boldly, though shakily, it stepped towards the opening, and then hugged one of her calves in both comfort and defiance. Its message was clear, that it had no intention of giving her up. Its touch was blistering, and whatever hold Death's gaze had over her was abruptly broken. Air sucked greedily into her lungs, and she immediately lunged forward to scoop up the tiny fireform and hug it to her chest protectively.

Again, Death spoke in words that could not be understood. It was not truly rage that contorted his face, but annoyance, and he looked ready to cross the threshold into their small domain. At her chest, both blazing arms from her tiny companion lifted to deny him, and light swept outward from them like a crystal ball of protection. A scream filled the air as Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut, but the echoing noise faded into the distance. When Kaoru once more peered around, she found that they were alone, but also that the bubble of color the fireform had created now included the entire playground.

In her arms, the tired fireform looked up at her and yawned, before burrowing back into her chest.

X

Kaoru's body lurched limply in Kenshin's grasp as he jogged up the hallway from the elevators. Tomoe hurried behind him. After trying unsuccessfully to wake her, their next step had been to bring her back to her host lab where they could start a full check-up of her vitals. The fire had been successfully extinguished without trouble, but the mystery of what had started it sat uneasily at the back of both their minds.

Almost to the lab door, and Kenshin felt Kaoru stiffen with consciousness. Both of her arms wrapped immediately around his neck for balance, and her forehead pressed into the side of his jaw.

"Kaoru."

Sliding to a halt, he was forced to drop to his knees when her weight overbalanced him. Settled now in his lap, Kaoru pulled away to blink at him in confusion.

"What's going on?"

One of his hands grabbed hold of the arm sliding off his shoulder, and he stared intently into her eyes for even the briefest glimmer of pain or discomfort. Black eyebrows merely creased inward, and he watched her swallow before he sighed in relief. Hugging her tight to him, he closed his eyes as the adrenaline relaxed from his muscles.

"K-Kenshin?"

Blue eyes looked up in question at Tomoe standing behind him, but the coal demon seemed just as relieved.

"You wouldn't wake up." The words were choked, and Kenshin cleared his throat of leftover emotion. "The MRI machine caught fire, and we had to pull you out."

"What?" Kaoru shifted in his grip, and he was forced to let go. "What happened this time?"

"This time."

The almost resigned acknowledgement twisted something angry in Kenshin's chest. Why couldn't anything just go smoothly? Why did these things keep happening that he couldn't prevent or fully protect her from? Was this something else Sōjirō had done to her? Was the light they had seen on the imaging some new and twisted way of torturing her or to cause destruction? Had it too been restrained by the seal and was now free to wreak havoc?

"It's alright, Kaoru-san. There was a malfunction, that's all." The platitude rolled smoothly from Tomoe's mouth, and her soothing voice relaxed them both. "You must have been sleeping deeply, but we wanted to be safe rather than sorry, so we brought you back up here to check you over. Right, Himura-san?"

Sapphire eyes swung to him, and it was his turn to swallow.

"R-right." Forcing a smile, he tucked her hair behind one ear. "Forgive me, Miss Kaoru, for overreacting. I worry when anything happens to you."

A flush of pink tinged her cheekbones and nose, and she looked down bashfully.

"I-I'm fine. You shouldn't… worry so much. You'll go bald."

Kenshin chuckled, and adjusted the arm around her waist for support.

"That's unlikely." Lifting her back into his arms as he stood, he now followed Tomoe to the door. "And I'm allowed to worry about you." His voice lowered so that only she could hear him. "It is not a burden, only a consequence of how much I love you."

The arms once more wrapped around his neck tightened, and she buried her face in his hair.

"Idiot."

There was not one ounce of ridicule in her breathless response, and the word sounded like an endearment as she hugged herself to him.

"I-I hope you never go bald."

A deeper laugh rumbled his chest as she took back her words.

"Like I said, that's unlikely."

Upon entrance into the host lab, the situation had to be briefly explained to both Enishi and Akira. As Kenshin settled Kaoru onto the couch and smiled as she had to hide her still blushing features, Enishi expressed a concern neither of them had thought of.

"But Sōjirō is a shadow demon. Implanting something light-based into her chest doesn't fit."

A soft intake of air opened Tomoe's mouth, and she glanced at Kenshin to share a mortified look of surprise. Seated on the couch, one of Kaoru's hands lifted to cover her chest, and a thoughtful crease replaced her bliss.

"It could have been a malfunction of the machine." Akira's logical input seemed the most likely. "You said it never appeared on her other imaging, correct?"

"Well, no, but it was fairly pronounced. I… I suppose it could have just been the machine malfunctioning. It did catch fire."

Still standing next to Kaoru, Kenshin knelt when he noticed the hand she had fisted at her sternum.

"Are you alright?"

The frown on her face instantly transformed into a smile, and she nodded. Studying her for a moment, it was becoming easier for him to recognize when she was trying to hide things from him. Glancing sideways at the others as they started talking about completing her repeat imaging in the local radiology room, Kenshin lowered his voice.

"Don't hide things from me, ok?" Sapphire eyes looked startled, and he curled a hand around the one resting beside her on the cushions. "Perhaps you didn't notice, but we're going to deal with everything together now."

"I… I wasn't trying to hide." Nervously, she chewed her lip. "It's just… my memories from the veil are really unclear."

"The veil? Death's veil?" His other hand came up to touch her opposite arm in alarm, and she hunched slightly in defense. Realizing he had come on too strong, he tried to calm her with the gentle caress of his thumb. "Why are you thinking about that place now?"

"I found something there… something like a light… or a fire. It was lost…" A smile tensed back onto her face, and her eyes closed. "It sounds kind of silly. I don't know, Kenshin, maybe I was dreaming."

Her eyes cast back down into her lap, and he could tell she felt uncomfortable.

"You can still tell me more about it, if you think of anything else later. I'd like to hear more."

"Ok." She smiled again, as if relieved.

New imaging was obtained, but was absent the light they had witnessed on her MRI. The anomaly was explained away as a malfunction, and quickly forgotten by the others. Tomoe decided it best to report to Megumi the next day as it was already getting late, while Akira and Enishi both left after eating dinner with them. Left by himself, Kenshin mulled over the day as he waited for Tomoe and Kaoru to finish bathing.

I guess I'm going to have to let Tomoe stay overnight.

Ruefully acknowledging what Tomoe's continued presence meant, Kenshin walked his way over to Kaoru's desk on the carpeted section of the rec room. Everything was neat and tidy, since it had been unused for two months. No doubt, it would be an organized disaster of paper and colored pencils by the next day. Smiling, Kenshin absently opened her newest drawing notebook that he had purchased for her. It was already partially full now, and it warmed his heart to know she was enjoying the gifts he had given her.

Most of her drawings were of them, her new friends and family. Some were simple pencil sketches, while others were full colored and detailed. A few were funny cartoon drawings and chibi figures she had thrown together into an imaginary scene where they interacted without words. After being unable to speak for so long, she truly had mastered the art of conversing without using dialogue.

Eight pages into the notebook, and the amusement and quiet joy in Kenshin's chest seized like cold water splashed into his face.

The entire page was covered in red, orange, and gold. Over time, Kaoru's ability to draw intricate licks of fire had matured exponentially, and the sheer level of detail made the notebook look more like a window than a hand-drawn imitation. Within the roaring flames, a figure could be discerned by the way the lines curved, and glowing golden eyes stared out from the page. Strangely, despite the notebook lying flat in front of him, those eyes always appeared focused upon something over his head.

There were no distinguishing features about the fire demon in the drawing. Nothing that could be used to confirm the identify of her model. Before all else, though, Kenshin understood what the drawing represented, and his mind decided it was time to remind him that this was not the first time Kaoru had drawn a fire demon.

With shaking hands, Kenshin searched the loose papers on her desk, but what he sought was tucked safely and secretly away deep inside one of the desk drawers. It as well was not the first time Kaoru had drawn a fire demon for him to see, but it was the first drawing done with color. It was crude, and more scratches than purposeful strokes, but he had recognized immediately what she had drawn. Before Kaoru had met him, Kaoru had known another fire demon.

Her first drawing was in pencil, the day after we met. The morning after her nightmare.

The paper slipped from his fingers as his arm dropped to his side, and he stared blankly at the still opened notebook. Not one of the three demons Kaoru had described while confined by Sōjirō had been a fire demon. How could they have been? Kenshin was the only fire demon left in the world. Which meant, the fire demon that she continuously drew was from before. Before she had died.

More specifically, at the exact moment that she had died.

Everything suddenly made sense. The burn wound on her chest spoke of fire and steel. No other fire demon Kenshin had known had used both. After all, the Kagu-tsuchi was the only sword strong enough to withstand the flames of a fire demon. Her desperate protestations that she could not remember how she had died spoke of fear, but not for herself. Kaoru was not afraid of death. At least, not now that she had already experienced it once. He knew that first hand. Drowning had not frightened her. Why would something that had happened hundreds of years ago cause her anxiety? The time wasn't the problem, and the action itself wasn't, either.

Kaoru had died at the hands of a fire demon. But that wasn't enough to frighten her. It was the specific identity of that fire demon that she wished to hide.

Is she… protecting me?

Over three hundred years ago, Kaoru had met his father. The only demon, fire or otherwise, that she had known her entire life. That preteen meeting in the rain had changed her perspective and altered her life. For years afterwards, she had looked for him, him and his father both. Around every corner. Around every bend. She had even carried two umbrellas, just in case she once more found either of them stranded in the rain. A mere glimpse of red or hint of fire would have turned her head. Just like that summer day when instead of following her friend to karaoke, she had crossed the street and entered a side alley.

Did my father… kill her by accident?!

"Were you planning on staying overnight, Himura-san?"

The notebook flopped closed, and Kenshin turned his chin slightly away to hide any untoward expression on his features. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he knelt to pick up the paper he had dropped on the floor.

"No. I was just… waiting to say goodnight." The paper was smoothly slipped back into the drawer he had removed it from without drawing any extra attention.

"Oh good." There was a smile in her voice. "The couch would have been uncomfortable for you."

Forcing a chuckle, Kenshin finally turned to face Tomoe across the room.

"You said so yourself that I have been monopolizing her lately. She's probably sick of interacting with just me anyway."

"It is good to socialize with others, but if you are serious, your most important relationship will be with her and no one else."

The gentle words of advice felt not only like the care he was used to receiving from the coal demon, but also like an acknowledgement. As someone now willing to adopt Kaoru as her little sister, she was offering open acceptance of their relationship. Swallowing, Kenshin looked down at his feet.

"I'm sorry, Himura-san. I'm not asking you to say it. Your actions have more than confirmed that you are serious." Properly, Tomoe's hands folded in front of her, and her voice was matter-of-fact. "But tonight is my night, so go say goodbye and be on your way."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Kaoru was busy blow drying her wet hair inside her room, and for a moment, Kenshin stood inside the doorway and watched. She looked happy, almost carefree, and he wondered how much of her personality was real, how much was faked, and how much was just her strength refusing to dwell on bitterness. Something painful stabbed into his gut, and he wanted to run away and cling to her at the same time.

The hairdryer was clicked off when she noticed him, and her features lit up with a genuine smile. Blue eyes of that pure flame he loved captured him the instant their gazes locked, and he was drawn to her helplessly. Both of her hands encircled his forearm once he was seated next to her on the cot, and she began to excitedly chat away about going to the hot spring Tomoe had mentioned to him earlier.

He couldn't speak, even if she had allowed him space to. All of his thoughts were traumatized by the conclusion he had recently come to out in the rec room.

It can't be true. My father never did anything by accident. But that would mean… that he killed her on purpose?

The ugly deduction was shaken roughly from his head. Such a theory seemed even less likely. His father had loved humans, and from Kaoru's memories alone he could conclude that his father had liked Kaoru even more than his general affection for the entire race. And how could he have not? Kaoru was the single most accepting and kind person he had ever met. The wonder in her eyes when she looked upon the world was infectious. He loved that about her. He loved her.

But he also loved his father. He couldn't believe that his father could have or would have killed her. Especially by accident. Something else must have happened. Something else must have been the cause. Because there was a distinguishable marker: the eyes. Kaoru had drawn golden eyes, but his father's eyes were red. A deep vermillion red. Some other fire demon had killed her. Surely that was the only explanation.

But no other fire demon made sense. What else would make her lie to them so fiercely? What else could have burned and pierced her at the same time? What else would have caught her attention on a busy street, made her abandon her friend, and convinced her to place herself in harm's way? What else would make her look at him with such pain after her memories were unleashed? It had to be his father. It had to be the one thing that she knew he cared about more than her.

Just ask her. Make her tell you the truth.

His mouth opened, but the words froze on his tongue. What if she confirmed what he feared? What if there was no longer another possibility to fall back on?

In sickening detail, his imagination flashed an image of his father forcing the full length of the Kagu-tsuchi through her chest. It would have caused great pain. Such pain the fragile body of a human surely could not have handled it. The type of pain that froze the soul and broke the mind.

Superimposed upon that image was Kaoru's currently happy face.

Fear spiked into his heart.

Did he really want to know? Did he want her to know that he knew? What would he really gain from such knowledge? What did he stand to lose?

"Kenshin? Are you alright? Have you even been listening?"

And if he asked, would she even answer? Would forcing her to tell him ruin everything? Would it ruin her? Would it ruin him? How was that better?

Forcing a smile, Kenshin lifted a hand to brush over her cheek. His eyes stared not into her own, but through her.

"I'm fine, Miss Kaoru."

An unsteady frown creased her brows.

"A-are you sure?"

The fake expression cracked, and his chin lowered. A few seconds later, her hands reached to bracket his ears, almost carefully, and her voice hitched.

"I love you. J-just so you don't forget."

Before he could stop it, his face scrunched with pain. Pure desperation blanketed his mind, and with that emotion in control, his actions were less restrained. There were no cameras in her bedroom, but even if there were he couldn't be sure it would have stopped him. He needed contact, meaningful contact that he could cling to and use as an anchor. Otherwise, he would be forced to contemplate how Kaoru had felt while dying by the hands of someone she had trusted.

At some point, he wanted the kisses he initiated to be expected, but his volatile emotions seemed determined to make him lose that battle. As it was, her entire body stiffened under the hands he tangled deep into her still damp hair. With his eyes squeezed shut, he dared not even look to see what expression he had caused upon her face. Nevertheless, she, like every time before, never refused him. This time, she even shyly responded. Both of her small hands curled into the collar of his hoodie, and the barest caress of her tongue burned like brilliant fire at his core.

Reason returned to him much later like a kick between his shoulder blades. Releasing her with a gasp, he was instantly overcome by shame that washed away whatever passion they had kindled. Everything was dry: her hair; her skin; her lips; and the inside of her mouth. A single split down the middle of her bottom lip berated his lack of control, but the dark and heavy gaze of her sapphire irises chastened him the hardest. This was not the place nor the time to be exploring their relationship. Especially with his thoughts so erratic and his heart wavering.

"I'm sorry." Tearing himself away from her to gain his feet, he took a couple steps before he paused. "I'm sorry." The husky whisper of his voice had flushed her cheeks, but the trust in her eyes was turning to confusion and uncertainty as she stared upon his back. "I'm so sorry."

He didn't even know what he was apologizing for. His lack of control? Initiating intimacy in such a compromised location? Hurting her? Her death? Bombarded and overwhelmed, he raked a hand back through his hair, but jabbed his finger into one horn painfully.

I need time to think. I can't continue to handle things like this.

"I'm… going home for tonight. Tomoe-san is going to stay with you."

Kaoru stood behind him, but the hurt on her face went unnoticed.

"K-Kenshin?" So did the fear in her voice. "W-wait."

She deserves better from me.

"Goodnight, Miss Kaoru."

The neck of his hoodie yanked hard against his throat, and the hands fisted into the back of the sweater nearly twisted into his skin.

"You're not looking at me!"

The intense terror in her voice echoed into him and jerked him from his own self-absorption.

"Don't ignore me! Not again! You can't!"

She was pulling at him, desperately demanding that he look at her, and his chin shot to his right to peer over his shoulder. To his horror, tears of smoke and blue fire rolled down her cheeks. Her blue eyes glowed in the dim lighting of the room, like twin onibi tempting him to follow. Behind her, the salamander had burst from the hair charm, and stood at attention on the edge of the bed.

"You have to look at me. You have to. I-it… it hurts when you don't."

"Okay." Turning slowly, he urged her closer. "I'm looking." Carefully, he shielded his fingers in white-hot fire and burned away the tears without touching her delicate skin. "Sometimes, I can't stop looking."

"But you're leaving. You're leaving, and you wouldn't look at me. What did I do?" Her hands were flat on his chest, but the pads of her fingers dug slightly into him. "A-are you coming back?"

Dammit. You need to be better.

Softening his voice, and leaning his forehead into hers, Kenshin cuddled her gently against him. This was not a rational fear he was dealing with, but an irrational one that he had unknowingly triggered. Most times he forgot, or purposefully ignored, but today was not one of those days. It was already at the forefront of his mind that Kaoru was a revived soul, and still he had somehow messed up. Like Megumi had mentioned, a revived soul focused intensely on their final emotion or desire. For Kaoru, that desire was to simply be seen… and strangely, just by him.

Ever so slightly, a frown marred his features before he wiped it away to focus on her still desperate stare.

"Of course, I'm coming back. What could you or anyone do to keep me away?"

Penetrating blue irises searched his expression, as if deciding whether to believe his words to be true. While he awaited her verdict, his hand rubbed soothingly up and down her spine. As if flipping a switch, all of the desperation on her face melted into contrition, and she shoved herself up on the balls of her feet to press her mouth hard against his.

Her eyes stayed wide open, and he had no choice but to do the same. The usually soft skin of her lips was rough and dry, and a tinge of blood covered his tongue from the large split in her bottom lip. It was not a passionate kiss, but one that instead demanded reassurance and, though he wasn't for sure, possession. It took only a few tense seconds, but her body finally relaxed in acceptance and her eyes slid closed.

Concerned that he might cause her more damage, he carefully urged her away, but hugged her willingly when she buried her face against his shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry, Kenshin. I was just… scared. I know it was stupid."

"No. It was my fault…" Violet eyes blinked open, and the words died in his mouth. Over her shoulder, the salamander still waited anxiously, and his wide, golden irises stared straight into his.

"Is everything okay in here? I thought I heard raised voices." Tomoe's voice intruded into the moment, and Kaoru stepped back quickly in embarrassment.

"We're fine. Right, Kenshin?"

"Y-yeah." Dragging his gaze away from the salamander, Kenshin blinked, swallowed, and focused on Kaoru's tremulous smile. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Okay."

Some other fire demon was responsible. That had to be the truth.

It had to be.

X

A/N: Why is this chapter so long?! Argh! I tried to split it up, but there was no good place to do it, so here we are. Still, it's kind of a two-part chapter, the first half involving the veil and Kaoru's tiny fire companion, and the second half involving Kenshin's realization that Kaoru died by the hands of a fire demon. I debated on working in the character that I did for Death, but it's kind of fun, so I went with it. I'm also having some fun with how/why Kaoru has the powers that she does. While her powers do coincide with what my story has described as onibi, they also reflect what is important to her and/or significant events that have happened to her. Maybe you picked one up here? (Uh… well, maybe two?) So much still to reveal. Pray for me, lol. See you next week for some crazy Misao-ness.