Chapter Seventy-Seven
Ebony feathers rustled as Akira paced restlessly back and forth across the floor of the lab. Kaoru's host lab was empty and lifeless now that its main subject had deserted it. He had hoped Tomoe would be there when he returned, but she had stepped out, too, it seemed. Given time alone, Akira had decided it best to report in the dire news his tengu guards had delivered to him on his way back to the lab. Namely, that Princess Yuna had vanished. The phone in his hand pressed hard into his ear, and a deep frown marred his usually nervous features. On the other end of that call, the voice whispered in angry tones of frustration and fear.
"How could you lose her?! She was wearing the flashiest fucking kimono in town!"
"I'm sorry, Princess. She was seen entering the restaurant, just as you said, but she was not witnessed exiting it. My people searched everywhere, but could not find her."
"You were supposed to keep her safe, dammit! She…" The voice choked slightly with anger and emotion. In the background, hushed voices and the hurried movement of multiple people could be heard. "She's too naïve to be mixed up in this. That's why I came to you to look after her. I thought the Tengu clan could keep her safe."
Stormy eyes lowered to the floor in shame and his free hand fisted.
I should have handled it myself.
Akira had and still wanted nothing to do with the coming war that was brewing. War meant fighting and death, and he had no desire to place those under his care in danger. After consulting with his personal guard, it had been decided that he must not personally escort the Princess Yuna. If he was seen, it would bring down the Emperor's wrath upon them all. If it was just one of his guards that were seen, then he could claim they were acting independently and absolve their clan from responsibility. While he did not like the thought of disowning one his loyal guards, he had begrudgingly agreed, if only to avoid the alternative. Now, he was second-guessing his decision.
"We will keep looking until we find her. I won't allow your trust in my clan to be misplaced."
"I should fucking hope you plan to keep looking! If I find out she's been kidnapped or harmed in any way, I'm going to rip your…" A loud bang burst into Akira's ear, and he pulled the phone away instinctively. Over the speaker, chaos erupted into the space on the other end of the line.
"Shit! Gotta go. Find her, you damn crow!"
Shouting, close to and far away, crackled and shrieked behind the Princess' demand, and then the call went quiet.
What's going on? Did the Emperor learn of the coupe? Has he decided it time to clean house?
The silence of the vacant host lab was unexpectedly disrupted by the door bursting open, and Akira jumped at the sudden intrusion. Breathing heavily, her cheeks burnt by the cold wind outside, Tomoe stopped just inside the main room of the host lab and stared at him. Her purest black eyes reflected of all terror of his own emotions back at him. Three seconds later, and she turned sharply to her right to march over to the line of monitors. One of the unbroken ones was turned on, and the input was cycled through to bring up the news.
A replay of the same broadcast that Akira had seen earlier played across the screen. An alert had initially gone out to every phone in the nation to notify the population of the first broadcast. Now, it would replay at the top of the hour, every hour until the emergency was deemed over. Two pictures dominated the screen, one of Himura Kenshin and the other of Kamiya Kaoru. No details were given as to why they had been named terrorists, and instead the broadcast focused on generating fear through people's prejudice of fire demons.
"It has been confirmed that Himura Kenshin is the last living fire demon and is extremely dangerous. The Sky Emperor would like to remind everyone that the fire demons are responsible for a majority of the destruction that our planet suffered during the war. He encourages anyone who comes into contact with either of these terrorists not to engage them. Please call the number on the screen immediately if you cross their path. The authorities and the Emperor Himself will handle these wanted criminals and ensure swift justice is executed."
A hand had come up to cover Tomoe's mouth, and a shaky inhale pulled through her fingers.
"This isn't justice. This is an abuse of power!" Fraught with protective emotions, Tomoe surprised him by yelling at the screen. "What did they even do?!"
Sojiro's words echoed in her mind. "He really doesn't like humans, for some reason."
Is that really all it is? Did he learn that she's human?
Akira wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she stiffened under his embrace. A moment later, she pushed herself out of it.
"You're sure they're safe? Enishi warned them and they're leaving the city, right?"
The daitengu nodded and took her by both hands. "Don't worry. Himura-san will keep Kamiya-san safe. That broadcast may be sinister, but it's not incorrect when it comes to Himura's strength. You saw yourself, that day Kamiya-san regained her memories. He's no longer just a fire demon."
The emphasis he placed on 'just' was more meaningful than it appeared on its face. Both of them knew how strong fire demons actually were. To dismiss the strength of an elemental was folly, and would not be done so lightly. The reassurance was comforting. A smile, the first real smile he had seen on her face in days, softened her features as she looked up at him, and his heart lifted. It died swiftly, however, when his phone rang and plummeted them back into reality.
"I-I'm sorry… I need to…"
The smile twitched at her lips, sadly now and with little true joy. "It's okay."
She walked away from him, and his eyes followed her over to her desk even as he answered the call. Wistfully, her fingers touched one of the sketches she had framed from Kaoru. Slowly, her shoulders sagged and he frowned in concern.
"We're sorry, My Lord, she's just… disappeared. We've reached the extent of our power to locate her. I'm embarrassed to ask… but we need your help."
A deep breath sucked into Tomoe's lungs, and Akira watched her shoulders lift and square in determination.
"I understand. Give me an hour." He couldn't leave Tomoe alone. He had promised her bother that he would protect her.
"Forgive me, My Lord, but… I don't think we can wait that long. Whatever trail she's left behind is growing colder by the second. The longer we take to locate her, the more likely it is we won't find her…"
Dark eyes closed over a tinge of crimson, and he turned his chin away when Tomoe twisted to face him.
Dammit.
"I… understand. I'll be there as soon as I can."
With a restrained sigh, he slipped the phone back into his pocket. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't abandon the Princess. The pride and reputation of the Tengu Clan was on the line, not to mention the innocent life of a young lady. On the other hand, he couldn't leave Tomoe unprotected. As Daitengu, however, he had sworn to put his clan before his personal desires. Already they had accommodated his research with Genzai when his place was as their leader. This situation took precedence… even over his heart. Perhaps the fox barrier would be enough to keep her safe. It was a strong barrier, and more than enough to deter unwanted company.
It was a poor placation, and did nothing to calm the disquiet in his chest.
"Kiyosato-san." The space between his brows creased at the strange way Tomoe called for his attention, and he tilted his chin back in her direction slowly. Both hands were folded before her properly, and her features were tranquil and clear. "I have decided that we shouldn't see each other anymore."
"W-what?"
"I also think it best if you go back to your place with Genzai-sensei. Kaoru has gone, and your help is no longer required." She bowed to him, low and with more respect than her distant words portrayed. "Thank you for your assistance. You can leave your badge at your desk on your way out."
"Tomoe…"
When she stood, there was the slightest pull of her mouth before the expression settled. "Your call sounded urgent, so I won't keep you any longer. Stay warm, Kiyosato-san, and take care of yourself." She walked away without looking back, and Akira was left hurt and flabbergasted by her words and actions.
X
Kijin were not typically welcomed by the lower ranks of ogre. Mainly because ogres were unruly and independent, and kijin demanded a respect that ogres had no desire to give. It was hard to earn an ogre's respect, and harder to keep it. Uniting the ogres into an official clan had happened only a handful of times in known history. It was a seemingly impossible task, but one Aoshi had persisted in achieving since a young age. Persistence had proven fruitful, as he was now the secret clan leader of the kijin and the ogres. Ogres were too lowly a species for the Sky Emperor to care about, but Aoshi was grateful as that arrogance would be his downfall.
The Sky Emperor was undoubtedly the strongest demon in Neo-Japan, and under his rule, they had remained at peace with the other nations around the world. Some other countries had dissolved into chaos and anarchy once the war with the humans had ended, with no stability for the demon races living in it. Only the strongest survived in such places, and it provided little safety for those of weaker status. Other countries had fallen under tyrannical rule, while still others went back to co-existing as they always had, in hiding. Aoshi knew and understood that their country could have fallen into worse hands after the war, and even appreciated that the Sky Emperor still allowed a separate elected government to oversee and be a voice for the people. That did not mean he was willing to overlook the atrocities that the Sky Emperor had committed in the shadows for his own self-interest and search for power.
Several races of spirits and demons had disappeared under the guise of 'public safety', but it had little to do with any actual threat. The Sky Emperor was slowly and systematically eliminating anyone he thought might defy him or become too strong to control. His policies had weakened the demons of their country from the inside out, all in the name of peace. It was only a matter of time before he started coming after the main clans. By then, no one would be able to stop him from continuing down his destructive path.
Where the Emperor had gone wrong was fundamental in Aoshi's eyes. Strength was not meant to be hoarded by one, but shared by many. Strength was not power alone, but discipline and control. Without control and responsibility, strength was simply uncouth and dangerous pride. The more people that had true strength, as well as an understanding of the consequences of such strength, the safer the world became. It was a dangerous and scary place when all of the power was controlled by only one man, or even by one group. Without the equal distribution of power, discrimination was sure to rear its ugly head.
Which was why Aoshi wished to return the power to the clans and remove it from the hands of the Emperor. The government itself would stay in place, but it would no longer be subject to the whims of one, power-hungry dragon.
At first, Aoshi had willingly accepted and used Misao and her grandfather's desire for revenge as a way into the palace. Their affiliation was never meant to be more than a business transaction with the promise of mutual destruction if their plans were ever leaked. They each knew the intentions of the other, and had agreed to help each other for as long as it was beneficial.
Not once, in all his planning, had Aoshi ever imagined developing respect for the Pixie Princess, nor had he intended to fall in love with her.
After all, they could never be together. Logically, he knew it to be true, and he had long since accepted the reality. His goals came first, as did hers, and he appreciated her determination and unwavering focus on achieving the end she had set out for. Perhaps it was one of the reasons why he had fallen in love with her, and why he had grown fiercely loyal in his faux position as her bodyguard. Her true feelings towards him were blatant, but she easily switched those feelings off when the situation became serious. That was not to say he had not fallen for her mischievous nature as well. Since childhood, Aoshi had been serious and reserved. There had been no choice for him. Her playfulness appealed to him in the form of envy, that he had never experienced it himself, but also appreciation, that she remained innocent in some way despite the tragedies in her life.
Standing currently alone with the princess within the confines of her inner chamber, Aoshi felt before he heard the presence of a third demon enter through the ceiling. Scattered about the rafters, were dozens of hidden men loyal to the old man, and they all waited in silence for his command. Abruptly, Okina appeared directly next to him, but Aoshi's piercing blue eyes remained fixed upon Misao as she raged at the Daitengu on the other end of the phone.
The Sky Palace had grown dangerous in the last few days, but that day in particular had dampened the atmosphere with pure hostility. It had been their intention to get Yuna out of the palace and to somewhere safe. Namely, into the hands of the Tengu Clan. While the young sky princess had willingly assisted them with Yahiko's situation, she had never participated in their other plans. The Emperor would not care for such a distinction, and Misao knew it. Having her hand-deliver the letter to Yahiko's friend had never been necessary from the start, but it had offered an excuse to get her out. Not telling her the full plan had obviously incurred risks, but Aoshi had feared if she had known she would have either not left or would have inadvertently leaked information about their allies if caught.
The Tengu Clan, as well as several other clans, had held back their support when it came to their coupe. Aoshi understood their reservation, but diplomatic measures were no longer working. Sooner or later, all of the clans would have to take a side, and he would rather that side by theirs. The Tengu Clan was strong and proud, and their current Daitengu, while cautious and intelligent, was also one of the strongest leaders their clan had seen in centuries. If he were to take the side of the Emperor, it would not bode well for them. By getting the Tengu Clan to agree to look after Yuna, he had hoped to half-way force their hand on the matter. It was risky, of course. The tengu could simply hand her back over to the Emperor and claim that they had been contacted to kidnap her. The Emperor was a suspicious man, however, and the Daitengu was smart enough to recognize the danger such an action would place him and his clan in. Taking her in and protecting her was practically an act of treason, which would push the Tengu Clan directly onto their side.
Unfortunately, the princess had slipped away from the Tengu Clan somehow, and the plan had gone terribly awry.
"Something's going on with the royal guard." The aside from Okina pulled Aoshi from his thoughts, and he finally glanced at the old wind demon next to him. Misao's grandfather was one of the reasons why they could not be together, but he was not the main one. He merely reminded him, from time to time, that he should not get so comfortable. "They're locking down the palace. If we're going to leave, it needs to be now."
"The boy."
Okina nodded. "It'll have to be quick and dirty, but that boy is the only chance we've got to get that fire demon on our side."
"Do you have a plan?"
A smirk pulled at the old man's mouth.
"Didn't I just say 'quick and dirty'?" A hand smacked him on the arm. "Keep up, young'un. I thought you were quicker than this?"
Voices from the other side of the door behind them jerked both sets of eyes in that direction, and the smirk on Okina's mouth faded. "Looks like we've got no time for a plan anyway. Do your job, kijin, and protect my granddaughter. I'll meet you at the prison cells."
The wind demon disappeared, and Aoshi turned to march his way across the room to Misao.
"I should fucking hope you plan to keep looking! If I find out she's been kidnapped or harmed in any way, I'm going to rip your…" Scooping her up with one arm, he kicked open the trick door behind her bed at the same time that the main door to her chambers burst apart. Hanging over his shoulder, he heard her quickly end the call.
"Shit! Gotta go. Find her, you damn crow!"
A second later, she diminished into her pixie form, and he pocketed the phone she had been using while she tucked herself safely into the collar of his uniform. Jumping from the higher altitude of her bedroom, Aoshi slipped to a lower platform along the Sky Palace and waited for the coast to clear. Walking out onto the footpath through the gardens, unhurriedly and with the confidence of someone not being pursued, Aoshi kept a close eye on their surroundings.
He heard the commotion long before they came to the corner of ivy near the outer portion of the gardens. Peeking through the leaves, he frowned and instantly placed a restraining hand over Misao's small form. To her credit, she said nothing, but her wings buzzed angrily as she fought the grip of his fingers and pounded her tiny fists on his knuckles. Merely thirty feet to their right, Yuna was being held up by the rough hands of two royal guards. The Sky Emperor stood scowling before her, and his rage blasted through the foliage like a typhoon. To her credit, Yuna's head was held high in defiance.
Just as Aoshi started to back away so that they could leave before they were detected, a hand slammed across Yuna's cheek for refusing to lower her gaze. Misao bit his finger, but he knew better than to let go when she looked murderous.
"Take her to the Glass Cages!"
The order echoed, and Aoshi let out a breath. At least it seemed Yuna was not to be executed and only locked away.
"We'll free her when we come back." It was a promise, not simple reassurance, but there was bitterness in the hiss of his princess' voice when she responded.
"He'll break her in those cages."
It was true.
"She's stronger than you think." Skirting further to the other side of the gardens, Aoshi headed for the suspended prison cells. "I'm sorry, my lady. We can't risk rescuing her."
"I know." Tears weaved through the bitterness, and Misao finally relaxed into his hold. "Let's just get my little brother and get out."
The remaining run through the Sky Palace was tense but quick. Quiet like death, Aoshi pulled them up on one side of Yahiko's prison cell through muscle strength alone. Accessing it without the use of wind power was not easy, but it was manageable. A careful sweep of the outer walkway found the guard already knocked out. Okina stood at the center looking annoyed and confused.
Yahiko was gone.
"What the fuck now?!" Misao flitted around the interior as if the boy would pop out of nowhere. While she ranted, one of Okina's men dropped down from the rafters and whispered in the old man's ear.
"The prisoner was spotted in the gardens."
A look was traded with Aoshi, and without a word, he swooped Misao back into his shoulder and marched to one side.
"We're leaving."
"What?! No! I…"
"We'll have to find another way to convince the fire demon. We can't risk staying here any longer."
X
A/N: Getting back into the rhythm is hard, lol, but I'm happy I got this done at least on Saturday. I like to have them done a day before I post so that they can gestate in my head, but that doesn't always happen. Man! So much has to happen in these chapters before I can get back to Kenshin and Kaoru. It was originally only supposed to be two chapters, but I still have a little more to write before they can make their debut back into the spotlight. Despite taking up so many pages, I hope this doesn't feel rushed in anyway. Somehow, I've grown really critical of myself, which is good and bad. I want to keep improving, which means I can't get comfortable, but I also want to have some confidence in my abilities and writing. It's double-edged at times.
I was very excited about this short spotlight onto Yahiko and Tomoe when I thought it up. Going forward, I want to showcase the strengths and powers of the characters more. Sometimes my own writing gets in the way of it, and I get annoyed with myself for not doing more with their individual powers. Now that the world is descending into turmoil, I'm hopeful there will be more chances for it to shine through. This is a romance story, and meant to be comforting in most ways, but I also want my characters to be strong and fierce and protective, lol.
On a different note, I realize there are only a few of you left reading this story now, and I am so very grateful that you have stuck this out with me. I don't mind that this story doesn't seem to be as popular. (I wonder if it's the number of chapters that makes it look daunting, lol.) It probably looks strange that I love it so much despite how little attention it has gotten, but I'm very drawn to it for some reason. Rest assured, I will finish this story, because love shouldn't be abandoned halfway. Thank you so much for the reviews, and I hope you continue to enjoy. Next chapter, Yahiko faces the Emperor head-on, and Kenshin and Kaoru make an important stop before heading to the mountains. See ya next week!