Chapter Sixty-Four

"What is this?"

Kaoru's hand slipped from Kenshin's as she took a step forward, but she stopped just short of crossing the threshold into the playground. It was not a large park, by any means, and it looked smaller to her as an adult than it had as a child. However, she remembered everything: every scratch in the paint; every chip in the concrete; the faded plastic; the searing hot metal; and especially the green frog slide. Nothing had changed, and she knew that it was impossible.

"You two are new around here, aren't you?"

Kaoru jumped as the old and slightly shaky voice reminded her that they were not the only two people in the world. A gasp and quick turn found a stooped old cat demon standing next to them. Twin tails swished slowly at the old woman's back, and her large orange irises were slightly milky. Despite her obvious age, the cat demon was light on her feet. Even Kenshin, who was, in Kaoru's opinion, unnaturally aware of his surroundings, had twitched at her intrusion.

"H-hello." Kaoru bowed respectfully in greeting, and tried a small smile. Next to her, Kenshin nodded his head as well. "I… used to live around here. We were just… looking around."

Faded orange irises looked her up and down consideringly.

"I've lived here all nine of my lives. I don't recall seeing you around before today."

"Uh…"

At a loss, Kaoru glanced at Kenshin. This was the first time she had interacted with anyone outside of the lab since regaining her memories, and she wasn't quite sure what was normal anymore. What wouldn't sound suspicious to a demon with a longer lifespan than a human? Coming to her rescue, Kenshin's hand wrapped around hers, and he offered a harmless smile to the old woman.

"It was over three hundred years ago."

Slitted pupils narrowed, and the cat demon studied them both hard enough to make them slightly uneasy. A few tense seconds later, and the old woman laughed.

"Must be nice to still look so young at your age!"

A nervous laugh came out Kaoru's nose, and she glanced again at Kenshin to find his expression was amused. Apparently, different demons had different lifespans. Vaguely, she recalled Megumi mentioning that elemental demons had really long lives, which meant it wasn't unheard of but less expected for Kenshin to still look young despite his three centuries of life.

Chewing her lip, Kaoru pointed at the playground behind her.

"Um… did they rebuild this playground, by chance? It just… it looks exactly like it did when I was a child."

"Oh, no. It's cursed! So they used to say." The old woman laughed when both of their expressions lifted in surprise. "Over time, it's become sacred to those who live around here. See the offerings?" A crooked finger pointed to one side of the entrance, and Kaoru blinked at the piles of food, flowers, money, and origami. "I thought you might be trying to go in, which is why I stopped you. No one plays there. We don't want to disturb the spirits. Well, that and the barrier rejects everyone who tries."

"S-spirits?"

"That's right. They tried tearing it down after the war, but no one could get close to it. It was strange, too, that it even survived when this whole area was leveled by the fighting. Rumor was the workers were repelled by globes of blue and red flames. Onibi, I believe they're called. At least, the blue ones are. Not sure what the red ones were."

Sapphire irises jerked to stare at Kenshin at the mention of onibi, and her distress was easy to read. The hand holding her own let go to instead settle comfortingly around her shoulders.

"Oh, don't worry, Miss. Nobody living here has actually seen that. Most of us think the spirits only threatened the workers because they were trying to destroy the park. We've all heard the laughter, though."

"Laughter?" The deep tenor of Kenshin's voice was soothing to Kaoru, and she leaned into his side as he took over the conversation.

"Not evil laughter, mind you. Happy laughter, like children playing. Been like that since I was born. People started to see it as a good omen, which is why the park is sacred now. It's sad, though. No one's heard the laughter in five years. I suppose even spirits eventually fade with time."

"Is no one allowed to go in, or do the spirits keep everyone out?"

The cat demon laughed again. "You're a mischievous fellow, aren't ye? Yeah, we've all tried at some point. Myself, I tried sneaking in as a kitten, but it's protected by a barrier, like I said. Though, no one's tried to go in since the laughter quit, to my knowledge. You might get lucky if you try."

"Would you mind if he we tried?" The friendly expression on Kenshin's face was slightly more distant than Kaoru was used to seeing. It was a look he mostly reserved for those he did not know. "We would prefer not to upset anyone, but my companion used to play here as a child. We were both surprised that it was still here."

"Is that right? Maybe you know the spirits then, if you used to play here when you were young-uns." The cat demon grinned and waved her hands at them. Her teeth were yellow and rounded with age, but her claws still flashed sharply. "Go on then. It might make the spirits happy to see someone familiar. I must admit, I'm mighty curious to see if you can go in."

It was awkward to have the old woman watch, and Kaoru smiled uncomfortably as her greying cat paws urged them both forward. The hand at her shoulder slid off when Kaoru pivoted to face the playground once more, and, for some reason she couldn't explain, she felt nervous. A sliver of her confidence returned, though, when Kenshin's hand settled warmly at the center of her back. Another glance was thrown at the old cat demon to confirm that she was indeed determined to watch them, and then Kaoru stepped like a child playing hopscotch over the entrance to the park.

With the old woman's story still fresh in her mind, Kaoru half-expected to find herself flat on her ass after being rejected by some invisible barrier. Instead, she found herself swaying on one foot in the leaf covered gravel, and completely unhindered by any supposed impediment. Popping her other foot down to catch herself, she blinked and turned to find Kenshin had not immediately followed. Pursing her lips at him, she crossed her arms when he grinned.

"Did you wait to see if I'd bounce off or something?"

Guilty laughter escaped him, and he held up his hands to feign innocence.

"Of course not, Miss Kaoru. I was going to catch you if something went wrong."

"Yeah right." Reaching out, she grabbed him by the forearm and yanked him over the concrete threshold. He stumbled into her, and she giggled at the startled look that slipped onto his face. "You better believe I'm going to get you back for that later."

Loud, amused chuckles captured their attention, and Kaoru leaned to one side to look at the cat demon around Kenshin's shoulder. He, too, turned to see what had sparked the woman's laughter, though slower.

"You two are such good sport!"

An instant but confused frown curled Kaoru's face, and Kenshin looked straight down at his feet to hide a smile. Tickled tears were wiped from the old woman's eyes by one furry paw, and she held herself up with her other hand on one knee.

"The look on your face was priceless!" More laughter, and Kaoru turned her petulance on their tormentor.

"So none of what you said was real?"

"Oh, no, little thing. Every thing I said was true, but we've known the barrier was gone for a while now. How else do you suppose we've kept the park so clean the last five years?"

Kaoru's shoulders relaxed, and her droll expression caused Kenshin to turn away with a snicker. Her hand swiped out to fist into his sweater, and she glared at him accusingly.

"You knew, didn't you?"

"I-I'm sorry, Miss Kaoru. It was obvious there wasn't a barrier."

"Obvious for you maybe." A sharp kick was aimed at his shins, but he dodged her easily. The lack of impact only deepened her irritation, and his efforts turned to placation in a flash.

"Now, Miss Kaoru, we weren't making fun of you…"

"Thanks for playing along with me young man, and thank you for entertaining an old woman." Soft, padded cat paws grabbed Kaoru by the hand, and the old woman looked so happy smiling up at her that Kaoru couldn't stay upset. Cracking a helpless smile, Kaoru finally giggled.

"Then the spirits were real?"

"Very much so. They were happy sounding little spirits, and they brightened everyone's day who walked by and heard their laughter. We have all missed them since they disappeared. I myself have been a bit lonely with them gone."

Holding the lady's paws in turn, Kaoru's smile softened in empathy.

"Thank you for taking the time to talk to us."

"Oh, any time, dear. If you want to visit again sometime, I live right across the street there. Come on over and have some tea with me."

"That sounds nice! We will!"

They waved the old woman off as she crossed the street to return home, but at the same time, Kaoru succeeded in landing a side kick to Kenshin's ankle. She grinned when he hopped up and down, and he briefly looked like he was debating on whether to reciprocate or not. Holding up her fists to show she was ready to play, he laughed and decided to follow through. Before she could react, she found herself flung over his shoulder, and she squealed and giggled helplessly as he walked them deeper into the playground.

Huh… I didn't know he had such a nice butt.

When he sat her down, she found he had stopped directly next to the slide, and the atmosphere dimmed from lighthearted to nostalgic. This place held no personal significance for Kenshin, not like it did for her, but he still knew that this was where she had coincidentally run into his father. Taking his hand, she smiled softly and pulled him to one side.

"Over here."

Next to one of the frog's legs, Kaoru ducked down and crawled into a small opening. The sand was cold under her hands, and the interior was like ice when she finally settled onto her knees. Behind her, Kenshin had followed and his eyes were busy as they studied the size, shape, and every nook and cranny within.

"It's cold, isn't it?" Kaoru's hands rubbed together, but she smiled at him warmly. A small inhale pulled into his lungs, and then his hand lifted palm up. Comforting flames burst into life above his fingers and instantly began to warm the interior. The extra light also allowed them to see each other better. With a gentle push, the ball of flame left Kenshin's hand and hovered just below the center of the structure, the same way his father's had centuries before. Kenshin then sat himself cross-legged next to her and began rubbing life back into her hands.

"You don't… really look alike." Violet irises darted up to hold her gaze, and she chewed her lip. "Sorry." She wasn't sure if he would find the observation hurtful, and so extracted a hand to touch his cheek. "I meant like this. Did you… look alike in your true form? You and your father?"

A frown furrowed his brow.

"I don't know. I never got to see his true form." Surprise and sympathy fought for dominance over her expression. Kenshin visibly swallowed, and then looked down at her lap. "I've seen pieces, when his human form would slip, but never his complete form. It's not really a big deal. Our true form is too dangerous to simply walk around in."

Licking her lips, Kaoru lowered her hand back to clasp his and changed the subject. "He sure was a doting parent. I've never heard anyone so enamored with their son before." Exasperation mixed with resignation lifted his eyes towards the roof of their enclosure, and Kaoru giggled openly. "I think he was genuinely worried about you getting kidnapped, what with how cute he said you were. Was he always like that?"

"You have no idea." The sigh that left his lungs said it all, and Kaoru's laughter intensified.

"Was he really strong? He bragged about being able to use all types of flames."

A touch of pride instantly lifted Kenshin's shoulders, and she fought back a toothy grin.

"He was the strongest fire demon alive. Everyone said so."

"I'm glad he was kind, too. And a little goofy." She giggled, and Kenshin's smile softened.

"Yeah…" Silence settled over them for a few moments before his hands started rubbing her cold fingers again. "Did…" Kaoru's head tilted, and Kenshin stalled by bringing her hands to his lips to blow hot air on them. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter. "Did he really tell you my name?" Intense violet irises raised to nearly devour her own. Something in them was surprisingly displeased. "My real name?"

His gaze made it hard to breathe. Thinking it through carefully, she swallowed before responding to his question with one of her own.

"Would that upset you, if he did?"

Red lashes fell, and his chin turned to one side away from her. His answer was brutally honest.

"Yes."

Hurt blossomed in her chest, but she still tried to smile like nothing was wrong.

"I see."

"He had no right to tell you." There was a growl of anger in his voice now, but his hands still cupped both of hers warmly. "I wanted to tell you… when the time was right."

Sapphire eyes widened slowly as realization dawned, and the hurt disappeared like forgotten memories.

"Oh…" Happiness soaked the exclamation, and her tight smile softened into delight. "Well… I don't really know if he gave me your true name or not." Red brows creased together, and she shrugged when he looked at her in astonishment. "He could have told me any name, and since I promised never to tell anyone, we'll never know." Grinning like a naughty child, Kaoru pulled his hands closer to press her cheek to his knuckles. "I guess we'll just have to wait until you're ready to tell me yourself. Right? So, don't be mad at your dad. Now that I think about it, he was probably just trying to make a sad and lonely child feel special. I doubt he actually told me your real name."

"I don't know." Leaning forward, Kenshin planted a kiss on her forehead. "My father was strangely intuitive. Real or not, he did end up giving a name to the only person I would want to know it." Kaoru blushed, and Kenshin decided it was not quite time to explain the significance of giving a true name to someone outside of immediate family. Such circumstances were reserved for the permanent and unbreakable ties of the old custom of marriage, because true names held power and therefore demanded unwavering loyalty and trust.

"What I'm really curious about, is why he never introduced us when he said that he was going to." The contemplative question was not something Kaoru had dared to say out loud, and she looked away as Kenshin brought it up instead.

"I'm sure he had a good reason." In truth, Kaoru had barely known him, having only met him once and then just briefly when she was ten. However, he had been nice to her, and she knew that Kenshin had and still loved him. She had to believe that something had kept him from introducing Kenshin to her. Otherwise, she would have to bitterly accept that he had forgotten all about her, when she had lived the rest of her life constantly thinking about him and the son she had desperately wanted to be friends with.

"I suppose you're right." The war had started only seven years later, and tensions had ramped up between the demons and humans long before then. It was logical to assume that his father had purposefully tried to avoid contact in order to keep them both safe.

As they each silently contemplated his father's reasons, flame blue irises stared up at the floating ball of fire. Several minutes later, Kaoru opened her mouth to speak.

"Kenshin… I've been… wanting to ask you something, but… I don't want to upset you."

"…What is it?" There was an obvious frown in his tone, and her eyes drooped sadly.

"That man… or demon, the one who told you how your father died…" Sad but level, her gaze returned to his. "Do you trust him?"

If he said yes, she would say nothing else.

Dark and heavy, his features creased, and it was not an expression she had ever witnessed on his face before.

"Why?"

She bit her lip hard enough to leave a mark.

"You said… he told you that your father was murdered by the only remaining male heir of the human emperor."

"That's right." His voice rumbled slightly, and she shifted.

"And you… you killed that male heir, for revenge."

He didn't actually answer her, but his face agreed.

"H-how old… were you again?"

"Fourteen."

Dark brows jerked over sapphire irises, and she nodded like it was something she already knew.

"And do you… remember… what he looked like?"

"What are you getting at?"

A short inhale pulled into her lungs when his hands slipped free of hers. Balling her fingers into fists in her lap, she continued mostly because she couldn't stop now.

"I read an article about him once, in high school. I even got to see him in person one time… briefly. He was a year younger than me, and," she glanced at him again, "really scrawny. He liked computers and video games, and hated sports because… of his asthma. There was a rumor, too, that he was going to pass up being a prince if one of his cousins ended up giving birth to a boy. I guess what I'm trying to say is… he doesn't really sound like someone who could kill your father."

Kenshin's jawline was clenched hard.

"Then he ordered someone to kill my father. What's the difference? He was still responsible for his death."

"Maybe…" Tugging at her fingers anxiously, Kaoru kept her eyes trained on her lap. "You're probably right. I'm sorry."

Except, he wasn't certain at all. Was his denial born purely of anger and fear? Fear of being wrong? Fear of the truth? As he stared off to one side, he could see that human prince's face clearly. He had been nothing but a scared teenager. But then, Kenshin had been only a child himself at the time, and childhood had a way of making everything larger than life. Through his then child eyes, he had seen only someone older than him, someone he believed responsible for the murder of his only family. Rage and grief had blinded him to the details, and time had warped the rest of his memory. He remembered little else from that moment. Only the need for revenge. Only the wrath that had consumed him.

But what Kaoru had said made sense, and it uncovered all of the doubts that had slowly built up in the back of his mind over the last three hundred years.

If what she said is true, though, then what does that mean? Was I lied to? Was I used to start a war? Red lashes clenched shut in revulsion. Am I responsible for the extermination of every human on this planet? His hands fisted, but his mind blanked in a moment of sickening clarity. No. If I really was used to start a war, then it was going to happen regardless of my actions. They planned everything; Ōkubō and whoever he was working with used me.

Who, then, killed my father?

Kaoru wasn't looking at him when his eyes returned to her, and his heart shredded with guilt. She jerked slightly when his hands gripped her shoulders, and she was tense against his chest when he pulled her close.

"No. I'm sorry." One hand cupped the back of her head, and his words were agitated next to her ear. "You're right, Kaoru. It never added up, but I didn't want to see it. No human, no matter how strong or connected, would have been able to kill my father. Not my father. I was used. I was stupid and naïve, and they used me to start a war."

Trembling fingers fisted into the back of his sweater, and she inhaled shakily as she fought back tears of regret. He was upset, like she knew he would be, but he had accepted her observations and drawn his own conclusions. She only wished that she had been able to do that for him three hundred years earlier. Then he would have never killed someone innocent. Then he would have never been locked away and tortured. He might have never participated in a war, and might have even lived a peaceful life. With all that she was, she wished that she could have protected him, but rage and hatred were frightening drivers. They made good people do things they would not normally do, and blinded them to all else. It was the reason why Kaoru feared hatred and anger the most.

I'm sorry, Kenshin. I really am sorry.

Sapphire eyes squeezed shut.

I tried to protect you… but I failed.

X

A/N: Something was bothering me about my story, but I couldn't figure it out until I went back and reread some of the last chapters. As soon as I started reading chapter sixty, I knew instantly that it was the one, lol. I had a strange moment, at midnight when I was dead tired and could barely think straight, when I almost convinced myself that I was going to have to delete six damn chapters and start over from chapter fifty-eight. I revealed something in chapter fifty-seven that I originally wasn't going to for a little while longer, but decided to ease into it instead of drop it like a bomb. I'm pretty sure that's what threw me off a little. I don't regret it by any means, but it did need a little more thought. Thankfully, when I woke up the next morning, I decided not to delete six chapters (exhaustion does strange things to the mind, lol), and I revised/added to chapters 58-62 instead. I did not change anything drastic, but the additions add more detail and flow. Especially to chapter sixty. Anyway, I feel better about it now, lol. Sorry this author is so obsessive! If you would like to reread them, that would be amazing, but it's not strictly necessary or anything.

Next chapter, some more interesting conversation at the park, a confrontation, and Yahiko gets impatient.