Chapter Eighty-Nine

Flakes of snow floated gently down from the heavily clouded sky as Yuna stood near the guardrail meant to keep people safe from falling off the sheer cliff mere feet in front of her. Out along the distant horizon, dark clouds of near black spoke of a storm that was currently hitting South of their location. It was supposed to turn North eventually, and everyone in the village was preparing to take shelter. Since no one had given her a task to perform, she had decided to stay out of the way. It helped that she had been given a lot to think on.

A kimono had been lent to her while she stayed in the Tengu Clan village, and she was grateful for its covering. Tsubame's clothes were cute, but Yuna felt most comfortable in a kimono. Probably because she had worn nothing else for most of her life. Its color was not extravagant, but the silk was beautiful. They had offered her a coat, as well, but she had refused. Yuna enjoyed feeling the wild wind. Back at the palace, she had long dreamed of joining it and never returning. It was strange how that dream had come true, in a way, and yet she still did not feel free.

"Are you cold?"

Turning with a smile, she watched Enishi walk closer to join her by the guardrail. In her chest, her heart fluttered and stumbled, but she maintained her outward calm to smile prettily.

"No. I like the cold." Her eyes closed as she softly giggled. "I like the heat, too. Wind is all temperatures, and so is the sky." A gentle rumble from his chest spoke of amusement, and her folded hands tightened together happily. "What about you? Are you cold?"

"Nah." Briefly, he leaned forward to look down over the cliff, and the firm line of his mouth twitched with displeasure. "If you're thinking about leaving, no one could stop you." Honey-colored irises dropped to stare at her fingers, and the smile melted from her face. "I know I told you to come here, but you don't have to stay. Especially after that… insanity."

A meeting had been held by the tengu elders to discuss the state of the country and their course of action going forward. As a guest, Enishi had been invited, but as a princess, Yuna's presence had been demanded. Suggestions about joining or staying separate from the revolution had been discussed at great lengths, but it was one proposal in particular that had brought the meeting to an abrupt and offended end.

"Where… would I go?"

"Wherever you want." The deep growl of his voice was slightly forceful. "I've seen you be the air. What stops that?"

Part of her smile returned, and she looked up at him through her lashes.

"And yet, air is bound to the Earth. To the dirt… and stone." Small creases were forming along his brows, and she looked away on a soft inhale. "It's true I can leave at any time, but why would I run away from a bunch of old blowhards? They're only trying to secure the future of their clan. I can't fault them for that." Her quiet voice muffled none of her intelligence and insight, but her words sounded too much like empathy.

"…You can't be considering their offer."

"And marry the man your sister is dating? I couldn't be that cruel." Touching a hand to his coat sleave, she lowered her eyes to pick an imaginary ball of lint from the fabric. "I have no intention of marrying anyone I don't choose, and by his reaction, neither does the Daitengu." A light blush dusted her nose. "He is so very loyal to your sister. Of that, I can be envious."

"Hmm." Grunting, Enishi shoved his hands into his pockets and shifted his weight. "I didn't know that timid crow could even get angry." Truth be told, Akira's display in the meeting hall had stirred a touch of caution in even Enishi. So much so, that he had missed the chance to stand up for his sister at all.

"It wasn't right of them to speak of your sister the way they did. Placing too much emphasis on power will turn them into my father." A troubled expression dipped her eyes downward, but was replaced easily with a smile. "Fortunately, the younger tengu do not seem to be following the elders' lead. Even the daitengu guards stood up for your sister quite vocally. She must be an amazing lady."

"She is." The rough grind in his voice softened as much as Yuna had ever heard it, and she smiled when he looked away. "My sister raised me in place of our mother. She's stronger than anyone I've ever met. Even that fire demon."

"I look forward to meeting her, some day."

One stone colored brow lifted at her, and he seemed confused.

"Why would you be interested in meeting my sister?"

Brushing his question aside, Yuna turned to face the coming storm clouds.

"I'd like to meet your little sister as well. I'm at once fascinated and envious of sibling affection, since I've never been able to enjoy it with my own."

In the long pause that followed, the wind picked up minimally and howled low in the valley below.

"…You do know that Kaoru is not really my sister." There was a different tone to the softness in his voice now, and it made something in Yuna's chest ache. Trying to breathe over that ache, she retained her composure but not her smiling expression.

"I know." Suddenly some of his actions made more sense to her, and she wondered if this was what the protagonists in her angsty romance novels actually felt when met with rejection. It was nothing like the empathetic reaction she experienced by simply reading of their heartbreak. It was much worse. Thankfully, she was used to masking her emotions. "But she is obviously important to you."

"Yes. She is."

Twisting her fingers together, Yuna gathered her courage before lifting her chin to meet his gaze directly.

"Do you… think there will ever be someone you find more important?" The features of a stone golem were typically firm by default, but they visibly slackened as his emerald green eyes stared straight back at her. Gently, she smiled. "I hope you do."

Finally, she broke eye contact to look away, and her insides squirmed uncomfortably in the silent aftermath. Did he understand what she meant? Or had he taken offense? She had meant to say more, but the words had stalled in her nervous throat. A few seconds later, she caught sight of the Daitengu walking towards them off to her right, and the moment ended without a fulfilling conclusion. Which left a restless churning in her heart. Beside her, Enishi turned his chin away towards the cliff, and Akira bowed formally to her when he was close enough.

"Princess."

When he stood, he lifted the daitengu mask that he had pressed to his heart and planted it on top of his head a bit too hard. There was a lingering scowl lining his eyes and mouth, despite his polite greeting, that hinted he was still not fully calm after his confrontation with the elders. Though the meeting had ended half an hour before and everyone had left the hall, it had only ended to allow Akira the privacy to continue his argument with the elders. Their suggestion, or rather, their demand that he marry the princess in order to secure leverage as well as a powerful heir had the potential to divide the clan if they weren't careful.

"On behalf of the Tengu Clan, please accept my apology. It was never my intention to bring you here in order to force you into our politics."

Straightening her spine, she settled back into her role as princess almost unconsciously.

"I understand. It is a very turbulent time right now for everyone, now that my father has ordered the complete lockdown of our country. It is especially dangerous for you with me here. I should have expected this, but…"

"No, Princess. Our affairs should not be yours to worry about. I agreed to protect you. Your concern should not extend beyond that. I have convinced the elders to back off for now, but it may be brought up again. Please ignore them, and, though it may be too much to ask, forgive them for their stubbornness."

Bowing her head graciously, Yuna accepted his apology and his request.

"Of course. I am not all that worried, Daitengu, after seeing your own fierce response. Although, if you had also tried to convince me, I would have left."

"Thank you, Princess."

"I still don't think you're the right choice for my sister." Enishi's deep voice broke in, and the stiff line of Akira's shoulders slumped slightly.

"I did try to convince her to come, Yukishiro-san. I could nor would ever force her…"

"But… I can rest a little easier after seeing you come to her defense." One large, stone hand dropped onto Akira's shoulder, and emerald green eyes were hard as gemstones. "That doesn't mean I approve yet. So, please explain yourself, little crow. Just what gave you the impression you would be marrying my sister? As far as I know, you haven't even asked our father for permission, and I know I haven't given it."

"Well, yes… about that." Akira sounded closer to normal as nervousness set back into his voice. "I sent two of my personal guard to your father this morning to invite him to the village."

Enishi frowned. "You what?"

"I promised your sister I would keep you and him safe here. I planned… to speak with him, eventually, but I wanted to allow some time before I asked formally. I can't imagine your father would be fine giving permission to a stranger."

A soft but amused smile pulled at Yuna's mouth, and she offered praise to lessen the tension.

"That is very thoughtful of you, Kiyosato-san."

Stormy eyes glanced at the princess before redirecting back on the stone golem, and he drew himself up to his fullest height.

"My intention is to marry Tomoe, if she will have me. If I do not yet have your approval, then I will continue working to earn it. I have no interest in anyone else but her. If it takes years, I'm willing to wait."

"Hmph." A rude sniff was his response, but Enishi half-smirked when he turned away. "Just so you know, our father dotes on her. You'll have a worse time with him than me."

"I-I see."

Charming giggles lightened the air, and Yuna covered her mouth modestly. Her honey-colored irises could still be seen, however, and they openly laughed with delight.

"Please do invite me to your wedding, Kiyosato-san. I'll be rooting for you."

"Ah…" A tinge of red embarrassment darkened his nose, and he nodded his head in a brief bow. "I would be honored if you attended." A second, deeper bow, bent him at the waist almost immediately after. "I'll take my leave now. If either of you run into any trouble while here, please let me know and I will make sure it is handled."

"In a hurry?"

Akira finally smiled. "I haven't spoken with my mother since coming back, and I imagine she's pretty cross with me. Please visit her, if you ever have time. She doesn't get much company, and I think she would enjoy the conversation."

Left once more alone together, Yuna's smile lessened as she shifted her weight in the bereft and suddenly uncomfortable atmosphere. While she looked down to play with her fingers, Enishi glared over at an older crow hurrying towards them. Obviously, he had been undeterred by Akira's refusal to marry the princess. Holding out his elbow almost forcefully, green eyes lowered just as Yuna's gaze jerked up.

"Wanna go for a walk while we still can?"

"Sure." Slightly airy but willing, Yuna looped her hand through his arm and followed him as they strolled along next to the guardrail. The elder crow stopped to watch them walk off together, looking very much disapproving, and Enishi cast him one last hard look of warning before putting him behind them.

"I-I hope my little brother is alright." Trying her best to trudge along with a safe conversation topic, Yuna glanced at her companion as they walked. "Our father isn't a kind man, but it was horrible of him to use his dragon claws on his own son."

"Didn't you say that little floral demon healed him?" In his own way, Enishi's low voice tried to reassure her.

"Yes. Tsubame-chan was amazing. She was able to stop the bleeding, but… I still worry. The way he broke us through the barrier was… less than ideal. I still hear buzzing in my ears from it."

"It doesn't seem to me that there would be an ideal way to escape it. The fact that he made it all is unbelievable."

"Really?" A coy grin pulled at her mouth, and she looked quite impish. "Perhaps it does seem that way for anyone other than a wind elemental. I tried to tell Yahiko-chan that there was a better way than straight through it, but he's so stubborn. If he had just listened to me, we could have slipped out the bottom of the barrier without disturbing it at all." Her grin fell, and she unconsciously grasped his arm with both hands. "He suffered so terribly from it afterwards, though, that I didn't have the heart to press the issue in front of his friends. He shouldn't be belittled for what he did for me, even if there was an easier way. I've resolved to tell him in private when we see each other again. It would be in his best interest to learn how to slow down and listen to others, especially in high-pressure situations."

Chuckling, Enishi shook his head. "You seem to have being a sibling down pretty well, Princess." Patting her hair, he smirked down at her blushing features. "You did good as a big sis."

X

The guard outside was yawning when Akira walked up to the small building where his mother resided. She saw him mid-mouth stretch, and had to smother the motion almost forcefully to salute. Smiling, he requested a report, even though he knew it would be the same as the last one he had been given.

"Quiet as always, My Lord. Your lady mother rarely asks for anything."

"Has anyone visited?"

"No one but you, My Lord."

"Very well. Thank you."

The female guard saluted again, and straightened herself properly to resume her post. Akira knew it was only a show for him while he was there, though. The detail was a quiet one that required little action; a formality at best.

Inside the building was warm, and Akira mentally checked it off his internal inspection list, especially with the coming storm. When he left, he would be sure to have extra blankets, wood for emergency heat, food, and water stocked for his mother and the guard to share in case the storm cut them off from the rest of the village. He hated that the building had been erected outside of the village, but circumstance had demanded it at the time.

Hayami sat quietly reading by an open window, her frail shoulders wrapped in a heavy shawl to ward against the cold. She glanced up when he entered, and smiled warmly to see that it was him. Like a graceful dance, she put her book aside and stood to come closer.

"Akira. Have you finally come to visit me?" There was no disapproval in her voice, only joy to see him.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, Mother."

"I understand." Small hands slipped through the wall of mesh-like wooden bars that separated them to straighten the collar of his formal yukata. "You have many duties now that come first. I'm so proud of the man you have become."

Now that she was closer, the thick wood of the barred cell partially obscured her form and features, and the lighting cast shadows on her face. Like a ghost of better days, traces of her youth clung to her and hinted at the beauty she had been. A face he remembered as a child. Hardship and abuse had stolen that from her, wearing down the once delicate lines and golden glow seen in pictures from before her arranged marriage to the former daitengu's son. If instead she had been cared for and allowed a life of peaceful warmth, she would have aged well and matured into her beauty like fine wine. Would her personality have matured differently, he wondered? It still pained him that he had failed to protect her.

"How are you feeling, Mother?"

"I'm perfectly fine." Withdrawing her hands to settle on a waiting cushion, she closed her eyes on a smile. "Isamu makes me get out and walk twice a day when the weather permits, and I get monthly check-ups to maintain my health. You don't need to worry about me."

"But…" Seating himself hurriedly across from her, Akira leaned forward to protest. "I do worry. I wish you'd let me take you out of here."

"Why? I'm very content here." Her maddening response forced him to huff in exasperation. "I'd rather hear how you've been doing. Are you still pursuing your research with Genzai-sensei? The elders aren't giving you any trouble, are they?"

"Mother…" Sighing, Akira looked away. "You've been in here long enough."

"Akira. I will not have this argument with you again." The quick change of her tone held that hint of parental authority.

"Three and a half centuries is more than enough." His voice raised slightly, and she lifted her chin.

"Don't raise your voice at me."

Raking a hand back through his hair, he accidentally knocked the mask from his head and flinched when it clattered onto the floor behind him. The raucous noise caused his mother to twitch in inadvertent fear, and he deflated. The trauma she had suffered would cling to her for the rest of her life. Just as it clung to him.

"I'm sorry."

At her back, the pitiful stumps and frayed feathers of what used to be the most beautiful set of wings Akira had ever seen flexed the way they should before flight. Those wings would never fly again, though. The one time his mother had attempted to leave his father, that man had torn her wings to shreds in retaliation. Her broken sobs and shrieks of pain still echoed in his ears, and his ribs ached in phantom pain as he remembered how hard she had held him to her chest to protect him from the same fate.

"I'm safe here, Akira." The soft announcement was heartbreaking. "No one can hurt me in here. Out there… I am only the woman who murdered the son of a daitengu."

"It was self-defense. He was going to kill you." And then me.

If only I had been stronger.

"And I would do it again, if it meant keeping you safe." Taking her hand through the bars, Akira's features pinched with pain. "But that doesn't change the fact that someone died by my hand. I must suffer the consequences, and I do so willingly."

"You've done so three times over. Mother, no one will harm you. Isamu loves you." His other hand waved back towards the entrance and the guard still standing steadfast outside. "She wouldn't let anything happen to you. I won't let anything happen to you."

A warm smile touched Hayami's face. "She's such a sweet young lady. It's a shame you still see her as a child."

"Mom." Rubbing his forehead, Akira spoke like one who had said the same thing many times. "She's barely half a century old, and we have no interest in one another. That means her, too."

"Fine…" Softly, she sighed. "I feel very safe with Isamu, but…" Narrowing her eyes in calculation, Hayami flattened her mouth over an impish smirk. "I would only be willing to leave this place if you brought me a daughter-in-law." Akira's exasperated expression melted slowly. "It's time you put yourself out there. How can some lucky woman discover how wonderful you are if you avoid her?" His mother finally openly grinned, and squeezed her delicate shoulders inward. "Of course, I would love little grandbabies, and they certainly shouldn't see their grandmother in a place like this."

"Do I have your word on that?" A light crease formed between her brows, and his hand tightened earnestly around hers. "If I bring you a daughter-in-law, do you promise you'll let me move you out of this cage?"

She smiled uncertainly, but nodded.

"I promise."

Relaxing in relief, Akira smiled back. "I'll bring her to meet you soon. Would you like your own house, or would you like to live with us? I'll have to discuss it with her, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Akira… are you planning to marry? Why did you not tell me?!" Her mouth firmed. "This isn't an arrangement made by the elders, is it? You must not allow them to do that. Not to you. I will not let them." She was becoming agitated, and he reached through the bars to calm her.

"It's not like that, Mother. Though they did try." Frowning briefly, Akira shook his head free of recent troubles to smile instead. "Tomoe is the woman I chose. I know you will love her as much as I do."

"Are you telling me that you've been seeing someone for a while? Young man, these are the things I want to know." A huff of frustration lifted her chest, but she couldn't stop a smile from pulling her mouth out of feigned indignation. "Please tell me all about her. Does she treat you well?"

Warmth softened his stormy irises, and it was the most tender expression his mother had ever witnessed.

"She is the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Inside and out. I've been… a little afraid I was dreaming." Suddenly timid, like the child he used to be, Akira ducked his head. When his chin lifted again, he was once more the daitengu of the Tengu Clan. "There is some upheaval in the country right now, so it may be a little while before I can bring her here, but she looks forward to meeting you. Please look forward to meeting her as well."

X

Bundled to her ears and cuddling the salamander in her lap, Kaoru still shivered miserably while the wind outside howled. It was the fourth day of the blizzard that had hit the mountain, and she was learning that Hiko's home did not retain heat well. Even with the fire constantly going, she was only ever warm when Kenshin was next to her. That, unfortunately, was only at night. Just as Ayame had stated, Kenshin and Hiko had trained throughout the storm, on purpose. At the same time, Ayame and Suzume continued to work on mending the damage Kenshin had inflicted, in order to prevent half the mountain from breaking off and causing a massive rockslide. As a result, she was alone and bored.

Sighing, she flopped back onto the floor, but brought her knees up to half curl around the radiating heat from the salamander. He rasped and huffed at her sleepily while readjusting to her movements. The slump of his head pressed against her collarbone, and he fell back asleep almost instantly. Since he was keeping her warm round the clock, he had to preserve his energy any way possible, which meant he slept most of the time. Making a face at her solitude, Kaoru decided she didn't really like the mountain all that much. At least, not in the wintertime.

I can't even see the stars since it's been cloudy the entire time. I wanted to see if they really looked the way Kenshin showed me.

Sticking out her tongue, she fought the urge to throw a squirming tantrum, and instead berated herself for thinking like a spoiled child. It was getting harder, though. The longer she was forced to remain indoors without any outlet to occupy her mind, the more cantankerous she felt. Even drawing had become boring when she literally could do nothing else. To make it worse, when the others did come back after dark, they were all so tired they didn't have the energy to talk. Hiko alone seemed unaffected, but he wasn't a big conversationalist and usually complained it was too hot inside before leaving. She still wasn't sure where he went. Kenshin tried to entertain her, but usually ended up passed out in her lap. Since she didn't have the heart to keep him awake when he was obviously exhausted, she let him rest without argument.

The only thing she could find herself thankful for was that there had been no other spiders seen inside or around the house since her embarrassing panic attack. Losing control like she had, involuntary though it was, had left her feeling much too vulnerable and pathetic. Luckily, she had regained some semblance of control after Kenshin had brought her to the bath that day, but she hated that she had failed to think clearly while in the moment. Unfortunately, just the thought of a spider made her skin crawl, and fear bubbled up in her chest like sour milk. Kenshin had asked for an explanation, and she had tried to shrug it off. She knew her fear was unreasonable, now that she was no longer within Sōjirō's grasp, and, by extension, Gein. The humiliation of retaining that innate terror at once frustrated her and made her anxious.

It was just a stupid spider. Focus on something else. Anything else.

Learning that her flames could be non-deadly had been the biggest relief since arriving on the mountain. Explaining that to Kenshin had surprised him, but he too had looked at Hiko like he was insane upon finding out he had stuck his hand into her blue fire without even hesitating. Hearing him lecture the mighty water dragon had made her giggle, especially when coupled with Hiko's deadpan look of pure annoyance. Since it was still a risk, they had decided it would be best to not assume every conjuration of her flame was the non-deadly kind. As the source, it would not be safe until she was one hundred percent certain she knew the difference between the deadly onibi flame and her now non-deadly ice flame.

Apparently, ice flames were not a thing, according to Kenshin. Onibi flames were the only known cold flames in existence. Which meant Kaoru's cold flames were a brand-new type. She felt just a bit special to hear Kenshin say so. When she had asked how he could be certain, though, he had repeated something she had heard once long, long ago.

"My father mastered every type of flame there was, with the exception of the onibi, of course. I may not yet have complete mastery like he did, but he educated me on all of the known flames. Ice flames were not included in those lessons. Of course," he had grinned at her, "the invention of new flames is always possible. My father invented a new type of flame that only he could use."

"You can't use it? The one your father invented."

A solemn shake of his head denied her question.

"No. My father forbade me from using it. He never explained why…" Grinning a little more wryly, he tweaked her nose. "I did try once, when he wasn't looking, but… it backlashed hard enough to leave me bedridden for three weeks. I've never really wanted to try it since."

The trick with Kaoru's flames was going to be confirming the difference when one could kill whoever it touched. Kenshin and Hiko had promised to help her, safely, but since she couldn't practice in the house she was forced to wait for the storm to blow over.

Sighing again, Kaoru let her lashes fall shut. A moment later, she rolled her eyes under the cover of her eyelids.

If I had to be shut inside for four days and nights, I would have rather it been with Kenshin… alone.

Fighting a blush over her own bold thoughts, she opened her eyes, since the darkness was even more boring than staring at the ceiling. It took but a moment for her pupils to focus, and then her dark sapphire eyes widened in shock. Hanging over her, she found the empty house had been invaded by hundreds of spiders, each dangling from the rafters like lines of festive streamers. Gasping in a breath, she tried to jerk, to move, to even scream, but could not. Not one muscle or nerve in her body obeyed her command, but she could feel them now, trailing over her body with thousands of tiny legs.

Abruptly, her body sat up on its own, and she strained her eyes down to watch the salamander roll out of her lap and onto the floor in a limp mass. He too had been caught unawares. Most likely because he had been forced to use too much of his energy for heat. Half a second later, he reverted back to Kenshin's long braid of hair and lay in a disheveled tangle at her feet. Twisting like a rag doll, Kaoru could feel the pull of the spider webs, like marionette strings, keeping her upright. Before her, the newly repaired doors slid aside to allow her an exit, and she stepped down into the deep snow in her socks. Absently, she realized the wind was starting to die down, but the dark clouds overhead continued their heavy downpour of flakes as she disappeared, unnoticed, into the trees.

X

A/N: I'm very happy to have these three chapters done in such a short amount of time. Although, I wouldn't expect this to happen regularly, lol. I took a week off from my job, which is the only reason why they're done so earlier. XD I probably would have had them done even earlier, but my husband got that flu making the rounds and it was a bit rough. I think I have avoided it myself, but I'm starting to come down with something upper respiratory now. Ugh. At least it had the decency to wait until my vacation time was almost over.

So much stuff is finally happening that I don't know how to contain my excitement. I'm nervous, too, though. I really hope I can pull all of this off the way I want to. I've said this enough by now, but fight scenes are my Achilles heel. And yet I do love a good action flick. Kenshin and Kaoru's situation is of course the main highlight, but I do enjoy writing about the other characters so much. Tsubame is so sweet, and Yuna is fast becoming my favorite to write. Of course, hinting at an angry Akira (yelling of all things) was also fun to imagine. The way he is with his mother, as well, was meant to showcase how much more comfortable he is with her than with anyone else. I'm trying to be very careful with Enishi and Yuna. While the others are quite a bit further along in their relationships, they are just starting out. After all, they've only known each other a few days. But while Yuna is a pampered and slightly naïve princess, she has also never doubted what she wants. Perhaps that comes with being a princess, as Misao is quite the same way. Such fun we will be having in the chapters to come. Please look forward to it! Thank you for the more than wonderful reviews. Let's make this year a great one.

Love Song #6

Sano: I'd Do Anything for Love – Meat Loaf (This one is probably my favorite. XP)