Chapter Forty-Nine

The large chamber in the lowest level of the lab was cold and damp. The walls were made of reinforced steel, and doubled as a firewall to prevent structural damage to the rest of the building. An extensive configuration of pipes, not only in the ceiling but also the walls, fed a sprinkler system that was ready to flood the room with water upon command. In addition to the water, there were two separate back-up systems that could pump freezing cold air and a pressurized cardon dioxide gas into the chamber through the ventilation shafts.

Megumi had put a lot of thought into what she might need to control the last remaining fire demon. It had worked on him, disturbingly well. For the last few months, however, the room had doubled as a place for him to gain further control over his powers. He was less uncomfortable standing in the midst of it, as a result. It was no longer himself that he worried for, though.

Kaoru looked small within the large, open room. Small, fragile, and unsettled. Due to the damage done to her feet by the shattered glass, specifically her right foot where she had a full puncture all the way through, she could not walk. Which meant she was once again confined to a wheelchair. Unfortunately, her hands were also sliced up and tender, and she had difficulty operating the wheels to get around. As a result, he had to push her as they progressed slowly toward the center of the chamber.

Currently, one arm was crossed over her stomach defensively, and her hand clutched her opposite elbow. Sapphire eyes of liquid flame glanced around her as if uncertain what she was meant to do in such a place. It was nearly painful for him when a shiver raced up her body involuntarily, and her arm clenched tighter into her torso.

A long, slow breath pulled into his chest to counteract any distress. Being in a position to teach someone else was never where Kenshin had imagined himself. It felt like he had barely just learned control over his own powers. How was he meant to teach another? It didn't help that Kaoru was at a severe disadvantage. Fire demons were lucky to make it to adulthood. Many younglings never gained control over their own power, and raged out of control as a result. Still, even a youngling was better equipped than Kaoru currently was, because they were born with their powers and began learning how to control them immediately. Kaoru was human, first and foremost. Gaining a power that was not natural to her after reaching adulthood had a higher probability for failure.

To make matters worse, Megumi had insisted they start immediately on her training, and had said as much upon supplying food to them both that morning. Kenshin had protested heatedly. Only the day before, Kaoru had undergone a serious procedure, followed by a lapse into triggered suggestion that had not only damaged her body but disturbed her mind. There was too much going on, and training was the last thing she needed to attempt with a disquieted soul.

Fire required focus. Intense focus. It wasn't that he doubted she could, but was afraid that she wouldn't.

Megumi had refused to budge on the issue, however. She also still refused to allow anyone else to enter or for Kaoru to leave the room. Despite now having a voice that she could utilize to communicate with, she was again being deprived the opportunity to use it. Tomoe had certainly tried to force her way into the room, but Megumi had vetoed her without delay. Instead, all of the responsibility of training her and getting her to talk had been laid at his feet, for the moment. While Kenshin had no problem taking full responsibility of everything when it came to her, a position he had demanded for himself since finding her on the street, he feared how this type of imprisonment might affect her feelings towards him.

Worryingly, Kaoru had not argued or even asked why she had been locked away. There was a sad resignation about her aura that had accepted their treatment as expected and deserving. She even kept smiling at him, as if trying to reassure him that everything was fine. What she had not tried to do, though, was talk to anyone else. Not even to Tomoe when the wheelchair had been passed through the briefly opened door.

The door back behind them slid to a suctioned close, and Kenshin glanced at the solid metal barrier that now locked them within. The cell that was now Kaoru's room had two doors. One, the main door, connected to the observation room where Megumi and the others could watch her progress. A second, smaller door led directly into the chamber they were currently in. Megumi had mentioned that while they trained that morning, she would have the barren and open cell partially renovated to allow Kaoru some privacy for changing and toilette use. They would also be adding a makeshift shower so that she could bathe. Since Kenshin had not needed one when he had resided within the room, one had not been originally provided.

"This room… is really depressing." The observation was offered with open but inviting disgust from the woman in the chair. Her tone was obviously meant to encourage laughter, and Kenshin huffed in amusement as he looked down at the top of her head. She glanced up at him with a half-grin.

"Yeah, it kinda is." He agreed with a rueful twist of his mouth.

"What are we doing in here exactly?" The playfulness in her voice shivered lightly with nervousness, and his smile creased between his eyes with apprehension.

"I've been using this room to train."

"Really?" A small spark of interest lit up her irises, and she twisted a little more in her seat. "Can I watch?"

"Well… maybe. I was hoping… you might like to join me instead."

Now anxiety tightened her muscles, and she forced a laugh.

"Join you? I-I only use a wooden sword. I don't think that'd hold up very well against fire."

Kenshin was quiet as he slowed them to a stop at the center of the room. Way back behind them, he could almost feel the others watching their every move.

"Are you cold, Miss Kaoru?"

The change in topic was slightly jarring, but the relieved intake of breath through her mouth spoke volumes.

"A little."

"Hmm." Pushing in the brakes onto the rubber wheels of her chair, Kenshin circled her so that they were facing. "Shall I show off a little?"

Her hands clapped together softly in childish excitement, and she nodded her head eagerly.

After his most recent exertions against her onibi flame, utilizing less exhaustive fire was frankly easy. Even as he stared directly into her watchful gaze, gentle orange flames ringed them in a wide circle. Her grin became more genuine, and then widened when a moment later the fire sprang up to encase them fully within a swirling bubble of blazing orange. It was a thin barrier and a cooler flame to ensure the interior was only warm and not oppressive. Though he did not say so aloud, it also offered a secondary purpose of privacy and seclusion from prying eyes. Megumi would be mad, but he really didn't care.

"Wow. It's like a little fort." She giggled, and he knelt down so that they were closer to eye level. After a quick glance around, her mouth pursed to one side and she squinted at him suspiciously. "Hey. You didn't do this just to block out the cameras, did you?"

Playing along, Kenshin looked at her thoughtfully.

"Would you kiss me if I said I did?"

"Hmm…" Her arms crossed as she contemplated her options. "I don't know. Seems a bit like a trap to me."

Another gentle laugh, and he eased her suspicions.

"Alas, I did not think far enough ahead to steal a kiss." A hand reached up to brush against her bangs. "I thought it might be easier to talk like this."

Roiling blue eyes lowered to her lap instantly, and her bandaged fingers twisted together.

"A-about what?"

Violet eyes closed, and his face looked off to one side as he hesitated to say what he needed to next.

"The power you have… are you aware of what it does?"

Dark lashes clenched shut at the same time he opened his own, and the trembling in her body became visibly noticeable. Eventually, a small, sad nod was his answer. The muscles in her face clearly outlined the clench of her jaw as she fought her emotions, but they quickly relaxed when a broken gasp rushed into her mouth.

"W-wait… did… did I hurt someone?" All at once, her eyes were intensely focused on his, and both hands cinched into the cloth of his hoodie. "I-I thought you said everyone was fine. Did I just dream that?"

Steadying her with both hands at her elbows, Kenshin's expression scrunched in sympathy. "Everyone's fine. I promise they are."

Dry, pink lips quivered, and her head tilted back to stare up at the top of his bubble of fire.

"That's such a relief." One of her hands released him to wipe at her nose. Moisture was building in her eyes, but her halting breaths struggled hard to regain control. "I… I don't really remember all of it, but I… I know what they made me do. I tried, but I couldn't stop it. I-I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault."

Something like sad disbelief tugged downward on her mouth, and he cupped her face in both hands to force her to look at him. At first, she refused to, but gave in when it became apparent he had no intention of letting go. Once he was certain he had her undivided attention, he repeated the truth to her.

"It wasn't your fault, Kaoru."

Two heavy tears finally spilled over her lashes, and she drew in a tremulous breath through her nose. The tears sizzled when they came into contact with his skin, and she swallowed before sharing something dark.

"Do you… remember that curse Sōjirō put on you?"

"Yes." A seed of anger dug into his reply, and her fingers curled tighter into his hoodie. She didn't continue. In fact, she seemed incapable of it. It took a few seconds, then his eyebrows lifted and his heart broke as he remembered the shame on her face after his meltdown the year prior.

"You hinted he had done that to you once. Did you… use your powers on someone as a result?"

A slower nod, and the tears became thicker. Tears for the life she had taken. Tears for the anger and rage Sōjirō had instigated inside of her that had resulted in her loss of control. For several long minutes, he could do nothing but hold her, as tightly as he possibly could. At first, she made no sound, but shook and clung to him desperately. When she spoke again, her voice was choked and unbelievably vulnerable.

"I liked the fire your father showed me. I used to think it would be so neat to be able to control something warm and beautiful like that. These flames are so cold and full of malice. I hate them. I never wanted them back. I didn't want this at all." Sobs eventually started to heave in her chest, and her grip felt like a drowning animal seeking something stable and safe.

For the second time in the span of mere hours, Kaoru was crying. Not just upset. Not just sulking, or pouting, or fighting pain, but crying. It was not pleasant, nor did it birth pleasant emotions within him. He felt helpless and completely unqualified to comfort her, but he also felt rage and a protective desire to destroy everything that hurt her. Unfortunately, he was also all too aware that none of his current feelings would be beneficial for her. So he held her, until her sorrow and grief were, for the time being, spent.

"There is no one flame that is not dangerous or incapable of destruction." The claim was deep, and while not gentle, his voice was low. Shifting enough space between them to hold up a hand, he conjured the same type of flame his father had used to dry her clothing as a child. "That is the first lesson my father taught to me when I was young."

Watery sapphire eyes looked at him wearily, and the depths of her irises undulated like roaring blue flames.

"Even this flame, which he told you emits only heat and will not burn, can be destructive." Shrinking the fire to a small candle flame at the tip of one finger, he brought it to her face where it dried up the tears on her left cheek. "I know well that humans are quite fragile. Your bodies are made mostly of water, and you require constant hydration to stay healthy. If I left this flame on your skin, it would dry out your body to a withered husk. It might take days, but it would eventually cause great pain."

Now her eyes stared at him intently. A wounded crease had formed between her brows. Snuffing out the flame, Kenshin used his fingers to remove the rest of her tears.

"Miss Kaoru, you are now a wielder of flame. No creature of shadow will ever truly understand how flame is meant to be controlled. Sōjirō's power offers malice and hatred as fuel. I would instead offer discipline. Do not hate your flame because it may cause harm. Master it so that it never will."

"You want me to… learn how to use it?" She sounded understandably horrified. After all, he had felt the same about his own powers once. "But… there's no room for error. I could… I could kill you. Sōjirō told me… that there's nothing that can counter my power. What if I can't control it? If it touches you even once…"

"That shadow demon is either ignorant or he lied to you on purpose. There is one flame that can counter the onibi. The most powerful flame in existence."

Kaoru blinked at him in astonishment.

"Is… is that how you stopped me? You didn't knock me out or something?"

"Ah… technically, Megumi cut off the air supply and we both passed out." He offered her a sheepish grin before his expression returned to something more serious. "But I can counter the onibi."

Blue eyes lowered to where his hands had curled around her own, and she licked her lips as she contemplated his words.

"I don't know… can't… can't Megumi-san just… seal it away somehow? Like Sōjirō did, only permanently?" There was fear in her quiet questioning. Fear and cowardice for something she didn't understand or want. Kenshin understood. Probably better than she would ever know.

"That's not an answer, Kaoru. That's a band-aid. She's not even going to let you out of here until you can prove you're safe. I promise I won't leave you in here, but it's better to try first…"

"No. I'm fine here. I don't even care. As long as I don't hurt anyone again." Stubbornness was taking over where fear had not won, and he took a steadying breath to encourage patience.

"You won't even try?"

Her hands squeezed tightly into fists, and her head shook as she continued to stare down at her lap. Because he didn't know what else to do, he let go. As soon as his hands slid to hang by his sides, however, her body jerked, and two tears splashed onto her thumbs.

What do I do? She has to be willing to do this without any trace of doubt. Fire cannot be half-assed. Especially not one as dangerous as the onibi. What can I say to convince her?

Training with his father had been natural. None of it had been easy, but as a child, his father had encompassed his entire world. What he had said had gone, and Kenshin had had no reason to question anything. Training with Hiko, however, had been jarring and much different. There were many days when he had thought he was accomplishing nothing and should just leave. Their styles didn't match up, let alone their powers, and the master had been more of a beat it into him type of teacher.

Things changed at a certain point, though. Once we adapted my training to accommodate…

Violet eyes blinked, and his brows creased thoughtfully.

"I was taught to fight with a sword as soon as I could walk."

The claim had been haughty at the time, but Hiko had a way of getting under his skin.

"That explains why your reflexes are off, and why you're shit with your bare hands."

Hiko had cared little for his attitude, and rarely responded to it with anything other than amusement and sarcasm.

"I love… perfecting the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu."

The Kamiya Kasshin-ryu was a non-killing technique. Which was no doubt why she had such an aversion to the onibi flame she now possessed. It might even be the entire reason why she had no desire to learn how to control it.

Perfecting… Does that mean she mastered it?

"Miss Kaoru… can you tell me about the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu?"

The topic change seemed to confuse her. Swallowing, she wiped her eyes, and frowned slightly at him from her chair.

"W-what?"

"It's a non-killing technique, isn't it?"

A sniffle and then she nodded.

"Yes. Why?"

"Swords are meant to kill, though. That's why they were created. That is their sole purpose. Don't you think it pointless to try to use a sword with the intent not to kill your opponent? You might as well do nothing at all."

The sheer level of offence that formed on her face was impressive, and he steeled himself for her response.

"Nothing at all?! Pointless?! I… I…" Words tangled in her throat and choked her offended wrath, and the sudden passion on her face was captivating. Fighting a grin as he watched, Kenshin's heart swelled with triumph.

"I've never heard anything so ridiculous in my life! Either of them!" One hand reached out to again fist into his hoodie, and his eyebrows lifted in surprise at her ferocity.

"My father's style was invented with the sole purpose of removing the need to kill someone from a fight. Swords may be used as an instrument for killing, but that is absolutely NOT their sole purpose. Weapons, all weapons, are meant to be used to protect, not kill. They protect from hunger, from threats, whatever the case may be, but you cannot claim that a sword can only be used to kill someone. That is simply ignorant."

Resting his hands on the arms of her wheelchair, he leaned up on his knees to relieve some of the pressure from where she tugged on his sweater.

"Your father invented the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu?" His tone challenged her, and her own voice answered with open aggression.

"That's right."

"From scratch?"

"So?"

"With a weapon that has historically been used in a deadly manner?"

Realization gradually dawned in her eyes, and her fingers loosened. Finally, he smiled at her again, harmlessly in hopes of appeasing and apologizing for his harsh words.

"A weapon can do nothing on its own, Miss Kaoru. The wielder decides how it is used. I think your father understood that very well."

The fierce sensation still beating in his chest urged him to follow through with a sudden desire for a more intimate form of physical contact. It was an impulse that fully contradicted the harmlessness of his smile, though, and the kiss was therefore unexpected on her part. Reflexively, her hands pushed weakly against him, but it was a quickly dying protest. Remembering what had happened the last time he had allowed their kiss to linger too long, he ended it with a sharp intake of air to lean his forehead against hers instead. Both of her hands lifted to cover her mouth shyly, but he shifted an arm to twine his fingers deep into the still loose hair at the back of her neck.

"Forgive me, Miss Kaoru. I didn't mean what I said about your father's sword style. Although," He sat back just enough to better focus on her gaze. Blue irises were dark and dilated within her flushed features, and her expression was strangely satisfying. "I can't promise I won't use this tactic again, if it means I get to see this side of you."

Black lashes squeezed together, and her hands lifted to cover her face completely.

"I knew this was a trap."

Her squeaky declaration birthed warm laughter, and he tucked her hair carefully behind her ears.

"What do you say, Miss Kaoru? Creating a new style for your onibi powers sounds daunting, but you won't have to do it alone. I'll be helping you. Every step of the way."

For a moment, she seemed to gather her courage. Then her hands dropped into her lap and her features were determined.

"Okay. Let's do it."

X

A/N: So, I actually ended up writing a lot more this chapter, but it ended up being the length of two chapters, so that's kinda nice, but I had to split them up. That just means the next chapter is pretty much ready. I just need to doing some editing to polish it 'til it shines. I really loved writing the second portion of their conversation in this chapter. And I always love the goofy fluffy parts, lol. They're too cute in this story, and I'm really happy about it. Now to figure out where I'm going next. Kaoru has a lot more training to do, of course, and Megumi has tons of questions to ask. Then again, Tomoe and Akira haven't progressed any either, and there's some other powers to take into account that Kaoru hasn't realized she can flex yet. So much stuff to do, so little time. Thanks for leaving me reviews to read. I love to see what parts you love! Next chapter, Yahiko has some daddy issues to resolve. See you next week!