Chapter Sixty-Six
The thunderous boom echoed across the massive expanse of the city, and the shockwave hit the palace like a hot gust of wind. Seated on Aoshi's shoulder, Misao stood to her bare six inches of height and stared at the pillar of roaring, violet flames in the distance. Upon striking the atmosphere, the flames rolled back onto themselves, and cooled in color to yellow, then orange, then red. The demonstration was awe-inspiring and a touch frightening to look upon. It was no wonder fire demons had dominated the war against the humans. Misao had never seen anything like it in her life.
"Do you… think that means he's pissed?"
From what Misao understood, the fire demon had more than enough reason to be.
"It's clearly a display of power."
Power that everyone had now witnessed. To Misao, it almost looked like a declaration of war, and if she thought so then…
"Shit."
The curse earned her a side-glance of disapproval, but Misao's heart was racing and the last thing on her mind was propriety. Turning, she took flight like a hummingbird through the air, and raced towards her father's open balcony at the highest point of the palace. There was no time to take the necessary precautions, but she was counting on the spectacle being enough of a distraction to hide her presence.
Hovering directly below the banister, Misao peeked around the edge to find her father standing raptly at attention. He faced the now disappearing pillar of flames, and his white hair ruffled softly in the lessening wind-force from the blast. She could not see his face, but the hands he had wrapped around the railing were nearly white from the stress of his grip. Deep, rumbling words reverberated and chased the last dwindling repercussion from the flames, and Misao pressed a hand over her mouth as she caught only the harshest set of tones.
"Hurt her… fear me…"
Oh no.
"Your Grace! Have you seen…?" The second presence came barreling into the Emperor's private room without knocking, and Misao recognized the voice as her father's current favorite peon. Tamono's question trailed off when he realized how stupid it was.
"He's openly challenging me." The words were low and dangerous, like that of a self-centered man expecting conflict at every turn. "That boy wants to fight. Me. Me! He's grown much too bold!" With a harsh push and twirl, the Emperor swung his body back towards his inner rooms, but also in the same direction as Misao's position. Ducking down quickly, she waited and listened to his footsteps pace away from her.
"He probably thinks he can take your position from you. He should be taught a lesson, don't you think, Your Grace?" The slithering, forked tongue of the snake demon caught on quickly to the mania of her father, and Misao rolled her eyes as the man fed into the Emperor's paranoia. "Even if you can't kill him, there are other ways to subdue him. I read somewhere that fire demons don't do well in freezing temperatures."
"You talk too much, Tamono." The words snapped, and the snake took to groveling immediately.
"Forgive me, Your Grace."
"But you are correct. That Arctic Lab we took from the humans will serve as his prison once more."
Misao bit her bottom lip and stuck her head all the way through the balusters of the railing to hear what was said next.
"And just in time. I received word just yesterday that my team of researchers made a breakthrough on how to extract the Kagu-tsuchi from his core."
What?! Just like that? That seems too quick!
Shocked, Misao nearly lost her balance. Whether they actually could extract the Kagu-tsuchi or not, from what Misao had briefly heard about it, it did not seem a likely scenario. Even if it was possible, it was much too dangerous an undertaking when the entire world could perish in the process. For starters, how could they even test such a theory?
"I'll take that power for my own and then kill him. No one will be able to stand against me. No one." He spoke like he was trying to reassure himself, and Misao wondered in alarm when this man she was forced to call Father had lost so much control. Was it his own lust for power that had plunged him into paranoia, or was it his lack of honor and loyalty to those under his rule that made him so distrustful of his own position? Whatever the reason, he was not thinking clearly.
"We will leave the fire demon and that little human woman alone for now. Make him believe he's intimidated me from making another move. Once he's comfortable, we'll strike. Kill the girl, and bring him in alive."
"Yes, Your Grace. A perfect plan."
Unnerved and overcome by the need to rush, Misao dropped downward from the balcony and slid off the ceramic tiles of the partial roof beneath her. Flung into open air, Misao's wings beat furiously as she dive-bombed towards Aoshi's stiff form on a walkway far below. Just as she pulled back to land, she noticed her half-sister Yuna hurrying over to them. The sky demon's perfectly poised figure retained all of her strict upbring, and her quick steps barely whispered against the stone or disturbed her beautiful kimono. Even while running, she looked like a painting.
Before her sister could make it any closer, Misao leaned in to quickly whisper what she had overhead into Aoshi's ear. The stoic expression on his face creased slightly in concern, but otherwise remained unreadable.
"What happened? What was that pillar of fire?" Yuna's gentle voice wasn't even breathless, but her eyes were wide in her face. "Was it the fire demon? Is he angry?"
"It seems so." Trying to sound nonchalant, Misao lifted a brow when her sister actually blushed.
"He's fiercely protective, isn't he?" There was a tone of dreamy wonder in her soft words, and Misao's expression turned to one of bewilderment.
"Of what?"
"Well, the girl, of course. Yahiko hinted that they are in a relationship; the girl that Father wants dead and the fire demon."
Tilting her head to one side, Misao's features stretched between being impressed and being amazed. The distant words she had heard made sense now. The fire demon's in love with a human? Didn't expect that. Settling down on Aoshi's shoulder, Misao crossed her legs and leaned back onto her hands as she changed the subject. They didn't really have the time to be playing or romanticizing.
"What are you doing on this side of the palace, sister?"
A light gasp inhaled into Yuna's parted lips, as if recalling an important matter, and she shuffled herself closer to lower her voice.
"Yahiko-kun has an idea on how to get some information to the fire demon, since he won't speak with us through the proxy." All at once intrigued, Misao leaned forward instead. "He wants to write a letter to be hand-delivered to someone he trusts and who knows the fire demon as well. I think it a wise idea, since I do not believe Father will let this display go without retaliating."
Aquamarine eyes glanced sideways at her kijin bodyguard, and Misao grinned. Apparently, her little sister was just as sharp as she had suspected. Yuna wasn't necessarily part of their plans, but she had been compliant in keeping their secrets. Perhaps it was time to bring her all the way in.
"Perfect. I was just trying to think of a way to get that stubborn fire demon a message." Speaking next to Aoshi, she laid out what they needed to do next, and he nodded curtly in agreement. "Looks like we'll need to get into one of the guard-duty shifts again so we can share some info with that little brat. Once he's got the letter finished, I'll show you the perfect place to sneak out from."
"M-me?" Yuna looked completely flustered now, and both of her hands lifted like a barrier between her and the mere suggestion. "I've never been outside of the palace!"
Misao pushed off from Aoshi's shoulder to hover directly before Yuna.
"Which is exactly why you're the best candidate. You're the perfect princess who never acts out or does anything rebellious. I'm constantly under the microscope, ya know. It's too risky for me to leave the palace right now. I'd only give everything away, but you… no one will even suspect you."
"B-but…"
"Come on, little sister. Haven't you ever once wondered what it's like out there?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"I'll cover for you. You'll be fine. I swear."
Instead of looking defeated by Misao's badgering, Yuna appeared determined and even slightly excited.
"A-alright… but I can't be gone for very long. I have to bring Yahiko's meals to him, or Father will get suspicious."
Misao grinned at her sister's enthusiasm. Encouraging someone else to be a troublemaker was almost as fun as being amidst the mischief herself. Of course, she would never let harm come to her sister or lead her into more danger than she thought she could handle.
"Which is why the afternoon will be perfect. Don't worry, a good source says we've got a few days to get this done."
X
Kenshin didn't stop until they were well outside of Kaoru's old community, and even then he only put her down after he had located a convenience store with a table and chairs inside. Getting her back to the lab would have been his best option, but her wound required immediate attention. The store clerk instantly rounded the counter to assist when they entered, but strangely paused long enough to bow in respect before following them to the table. Between the two of them, the blood seeping from Kaoru's eyebrow was stopped and carefully cleared away. Luckily the wound was not very deep, but it did split her eyebrow in two. With some first aid supplies gathered from the shelves, Kenshin disinfected and bandaged it as best he could.
Kaoru attempted to protest, not his attentions but his concern; however, her voice, while getting better, was still raspy and rough. She eventually fell quiet when it became apparent he could not be placated. Meanwhile, the clerk did not question the situation, but did helpfully suggest milk for her throat. He returned shortly with a small carton and a wet wash cloth for her blood-stained and ash-covered face. When Kenshin took the cloth, steam began to rise from his hand where water met fire.
"I'll do it." The offer was rejected when he pulled it away from Kaoru's reaching hand. Instead, he looked up at the clerk and jerked his head towards Kaoru.
"Give her the milk. I'll take care of the rest." Standing from the chair he had scooted up next to Kaoru's, Kenshin formally bowed his head to the clerk. "Thank you for your help."
Such open gratitude seemed to embarrass the clerk, and he scratched his head before quickly refusing to take any credit. After the man had walked away, Kaoru pouted at Kenshin in an attempt to get her way.
"But…"
"I only need to lower my external temperature." The gentle explanation came only a brief moment before the sizzling and steam stopped. "See?" Reaching up with the cloth, he tenderly wiped away the black smear of ash on her chin.
"I didn't… know you could… do that." The way she forced herself to talk brought a frown back to his face, and she quickly began sucking down the milk when his eyes purposefully glanced at it. Unfortunately, the thick liquid mixed with the coating of cinders in her mouth, and she made a disgusted face when the flavor hit her tongue. She smiled at him though, and continued to drink over the fading taste of smoke. He paused to make sure she was okay, and then answered her a moment later.
"I perfected it recently." Dragging the cloth over her bottom lip, he focused a little too hard on her mouth before his eyes returned to hers. "So that I can kiss you more often." Her eyebrows lifted automatically, but she quickly grimaced when the motion birthed pain in her newly acquired wound. "Stay still." The quiet reprimand was more warm than chiding, and she blushed as he continued to clear away the layer of grim covering her skin.
The milk carton was empty when he was finally satisfied that she was clean. Not a moment later, though, and her stomach growled with awakening hunger. Sighing at the toothy grin she aimed at him, he wondered if it was possible to remain upset when around her.
"How can you be hungry at a time like this?"
A laughing shrug accompanied her answer.
"It's your fault. My stomach's on a schedule now."
Combing her bangs forward to cover the bandage, Kenshin smiled. Anything was better than her not eating again.
It was decided that they would eat a quick lunch at the convenience store, and a larger bottle of tea was set before her, along with the premade meal, as a continued effort to soothe here throat. Seated across from her now at the small table, Kenshin watched Kaoru eat her food gingerly around the rawness of her throat. He had questions, but forcing her to talk seemed cruel. A glance was also thrown at the clerk and the added set of ears within the vicinity. Drumming his fingers against his leg, he lifted his hands to instead sign the remainder of their conversation. Luckily, they still practiced using sign language at times.
"Has this happened before?"
Sapphire eyes blinked at him, and her reply was confused.
"The people at the park?"
"No. That was my fault." Somehow, someone must have seen him use his flames while they were underneath the frog slide. Otherwise, how would they have known he was a fire demon? "I meant what happened before that."
White teeth chewed her bottom lip, and she swallowed painfully.
"Sort of. Mostly it's just pressure in my chest and I feel a little overheated. It's never… been like this before." She glanced down at her food, because he looked upset with her for not saying anything. "I thought it was because of the seal." A finger pressed into her sternum to point at what she meant, and Kenshin thought through her logic.
"We thought the seal was suppressing your onibi powers. Do you think there was something else being suppressed?" Another shrug said she didn't know. "It's definitely not the same. I felt fire inside of you. Not the cold flames of onibi fire. It was something else."
Something fierce and powerful.
Flame blue irises blinked in surprise.
"Fire?" A deep breath expanded her chest, and she looked out the glass window beside them. Her eyes searched without seeing before they returned to him a few seconds later. Protectively, her hand spread flat over the area directly between her breasts, and anxiety tickled Kenshin's stomach. What she signed next, however, was not what he had expected. "I don't know if this is related, but… I think I found a little flame inside the Veil. He was… really scared. I think he was lost or something. I wonder if he's okay with me gone."
A sad tilt lowered the outer edges of her eyes, and she looked genuinely worried. Vaguely, Kenshin remembered her saying something similar the week before. A small smile suddenly pulled at her lips, and she shook her head like she was being silly. "I doubt it's possible that he came back with me. Besides, I don't think my body could handle fire. If I really did have fire inside of me, I'd probably be in pain all the time. This only happens rarely." One of her hands waved as if to clear the air. "I don't think we should worry about it too much. We're supposed to be on a date. Let's have some fun instead."
The dismissive way she shrugged off the danger of her recent episode forced a dark frown onto Kenshin face. He didn't like the way she put herself and her safety last.
"I am worried, and I think we should head back to the lab." Both of her hands came down flat on the table in protest, but he ignored her. "You're right. Your body cannot handle fire. We need to figure out what's going on so we can fix it, or remove it, or whatever needs done."
"No." The angry jerk of her hand refused to comply, and he scowled at her stubbornness.
"Yes."
Mad and slightly hurt, her true feelings came out and slammed into him like a bomb.
"You promised we'd spend the entire day out together. I'm not going back just so that fox can run test after test like I'm some damn lab rat. And then sit around and do nothing while she deliberates on what she can and can't do about something she's not going to find." Her hand signs were getting angrier, and Kenshin found himself having trouble keeping up as they flashed at him in quick succession. "It's suffocating in there! I'm fine right now. I can breathe fine. It's just my throat that hurts a little. I don't even feel anything in my chest." Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, and she fought them in frustration. "They can run their stupid tests tomorrow. I don't want to go back yet. Please."
Her anger had turned to desperation and dismay, and he hated to see her upset. Red lashes lowered, then squeezed shut. He could sympathize with her desire to escape that lab. Truth be told, he'd be happier if he never had to take her back there again.
I told her that we would leave whenever she wanted. I can't just start breaking my promises. At the least, it seems I'm able to suppress the flame hiding inside of her.
Gritting his teeth, Kenshin half-glared back at her in defeat.
"Fine, but if it happens again, we're going straight back. No arguing."
Her entire body relaxed in relief, and she smiled with tears still in her eyes. Rapid little nods agreed to his terms, and she returned to munching on her food happily.
Resigned, amused, but still uneasy, Kenshin ran a hand back through his hair and resolved to keep a closer eye on her going forward. Just how long had she been hiding these little episodes from him anyway? Certainly, he had witnessed her coughing spells and breathing difficulties prior to the seal being released. However, now that he thought about it, he had not seen her suffer a similar spell since her memories had returned. Kaoru completely restored was obviously a lot more to deal with than the Kaoru suffering from amnesia.
It only proved that she still did not completely trust him.
The sobering truth slumped his shoulders. Perhaps, it was better to say that they both still did not completely trust each other.
Violet eyes darted upward from their deadened stare at his food, and he found Kaoru waving a hand at him for attention. It wasn't something she had done in a long time now, and he couldn't fight the half-grin that pulled at one side of his mouth. With his eyes on her, she perked up, and then her hand pointed above him before quickly pulling back to point at the top of her head. Automatically, he reached up to touch the crown of his own.
"They're bigger than they were this morning."
With open excitement, she explained to him what it was that she saw, and his hand closed around the hard surface of his right horn at the same time. To demonstrate their size, she lifted both of her hands and stuck two fingers up on either side of her forehead. Then measured the length of her hand, from wrist to the tip of her longest finger, to show him how long they were.
"What?!"
She giggle-snorted at his outburst of indignation, and he had to nod his head at the clerk in apology for yelling. Her hand waved at him again, and he watched in disbelief as she heaped on compliments.
"I love them! They glow, even at night when you're sleeping. You look really strong and handsome with them, too. Do you think they'll get even bigger?"
Dropping his forehead into his palm, he struggled to quell a groan.
I hope not! How the hell am I supposed to hide these damn things now?!
As they picked up their mess and prepared to leave, Kenshin selected a cheap beanie among the assortment the store had. Unfortunately, with his newly grown horns, the beanie barely covered to the base of them now, and he looked somewhat comical with the outline of his horns clearly visible underneath the dark material. Kaoru didn't really like the way he covered his horns from view, but she didn't say anything as they exited the convenience store. She did, however, side-eye the beanie with displeasure.
Outside now, and walking next to one another, Kenshin dropped the use of sign language.
"Very well, Miss Kaoru. Do you have anywhere in particular you would like to go?"
She tilted her head forward to look up at him curiously.
"You didn't have a plan?"
A wry look contorted his expression, and he thought of all the mishaps that had happened that morning.
"I guess not a good one." Tweaking her nose, he smiled. "Since you're the one cooped up all day every day, I figured you might like to choose."
She stood straight and tapped her lip thoughtfully as they walked. When they rounded a corner, however, she jumped when Kenshin's arm immediately blocked her from a small group of others coming at them from up the street. The action was nervous and almost involuntary. Sapphire eyes darted up to stare at his frowning features, and then glanced at the group he was staring down. His overprotectiveness was at once sweet and sad.
"Kenshin." The rasp had finally left her voice, but there was still a needle-like pain when she swallowed. "It's okay." If she kept her tone low, she sounded almost normal. Violet eyes jerked to look down at her, and his arm slowly lowered when she smiled in reassurance. His expression remained serious. "We're not in danger."
Gingerly, his thumb brushed across the bandage covering her eyebrow.
"This was my fault. I shouldn't have let them hurt you."
"Don't be silly. They were throwing things. It's not like you hit me with the rock." Resting a hand on his chest, she waited patiently as the group of commuters passed them by without incident. "I'm the idiot that jumped in the way." She tried to giggle, but he was still frowning. Sighing she instead crossed her arms and revealed her disappointment with herself. "I'm also the idiot that forgets I could probably do something else besides just stand there."
Finally, his frown morphed into surprise.
"Like what?"
"Well, I'm still new to having powers and stuff, so it's not the first thing I think of. When I do, I usually think of those onibi flames, and they still scare me so… I don't think I'll ever actually use them on instinct. Singing isn't very practical in a fight or flight scenario, but I made that grass guy stop when I wanted him to, right? With my eyes? I bet that would come in handy. That way I could safely diffuse the situation without making it worse or anyone getting hurt." Both fists came up to ball up in front of her determinedly. "Next time, I'll definitely protect you." Kenshin finally smiled in amusement, and Kaoru beamed back.
"How are you not upset by what happened to you?" Brushing back her hair, Kenshin chuckled at how feisty humans could be. At least, how feisty his human was.
"What do you mean? I am upset." Her lips pursed, and her eyes glowered. "They tried to hurt you just because you're a fire demon. That's awful and unfair. They don't even know you." The frown lightened, and her hands lowered. "But… I did find it a little confusing. They all looked so angry."
"It's… to be expected, Miss Kaoru. You shouldn't dwell on it. Fire demons are not… well-liked."
"Well, that's stupid. But… I don't think that's what was going on. I mean, there were a lot of them, so it was a bit overwhelming, but… it didn't actually feel like they were mad on the inside. From my impression… it felt like they were terrified."
And not actually of them.
Kenshin took her by the hand. "Fear is a… different motivator than true anger. Sometimes it can present itself as rage to hide itself."
"I… suppose. It was still weird." Putting it behind them, Kaoru abruptly smiled up at him and pulled him forward to change the subject. They had already wasted half of their day, and she didn't want to spend any more time worrying about things out of their control. They were on a date, after all, and she wanted to enjoy it.
"Come on, Kenshin. I want to see how much the city has changed. Let's go exploring for the rest of the afternoon! And then I want to eat at the restaurant again so I can say hi to Tsubame and that little brat."
X
A/N: I hope everyone is still enjoying the story. At this point, I'm too far in to give up now, lol. Looking forward to Yuna's little adventure, though it won't be for a few chapters. Ah well. Next up, Kenshin and Kaoru discover something new about Tsubame, and the date ends with some hot and cold dessert. Hope to see you next week! Thanks for all the lovely reviews!