They say that one leaves Guatemala to enter Guatepeor TT_TT
I got sick since last Friday, and I'm still have a sore throat, lying in bed without being able to write and hating the ff site with a vengeance because it doesn't save what I write if I do it from my cell phone. So I couldn't write ANYTHING these past few days I was bedridden. Fortunately I feel relatively better, at least enough to sit at my desk... As for the rest, I'm still under medical studies... sniff...
Let's continue with this story for distraction of mine.
Disclaimer: You know the drill.
"Blessings"
When she was told to take a seat outside the large meeting room, Kaoru did not expect to have General Himura sitting in the same chair just under a meter away from each other. Her back remained straight, and her posture elegant, not because she remembered and followed her sister Megumi's teachings to the letter, but more out of nervousness than anything else. Very discreetly, the fingers of her hands squeezed the fabric of the dress where they rested on her lap while her gaze remained ahead, where the voices could be heard through - and in spite - the thick wood of those enormous doors...
"We must solve this now!"
"I didn't expect this. Duke Kamiya, I'm afraid you'll have to explain."
"Actually, your majesty, I am as surprised as you are."
"Are you implying that your daughter's element jumped from one to the other by chance?"
"I wouldn't dare make guesses when I don't know the answer myself."
"And you still forced her to show up?"
"We had no choice, his majesty knows the peculiarity of the Kamiya clan. Given his level, and the witnesses around him, we couldn't not say it."
Kaoru frowned, and her face inevitably lowered until her gaze was fixed on some distant point on the ground, while countless "How dare he?!" could be heard inside.
General Himura, who also remained sitting with his back straight, seemed to be making a great effort to remain calm, but Kaoru could feel how the boy was slowly losing his patience.
Thinking about this distracted her from the elders' conversation, at the same time she felt an incredible need to look at her companion and analyze him with delight. She knew that contrary to what the others had felt moments ago, she had felt genuinely moved and attracted by the power that the General possessed. That darkness seemed to want to embrace her light and dance tirelessly until the end of time.
And that excited her greatly.
"It's just like my father said..." Kaoru thought to herself. "His energy dances around mine. But the difference in power is evident. I wonder what his sword technique is like."
She understood, however, that it was because of this, that the elders were now having that discussion behind closed doors. Kaoru sighed with some anguish. She sincerely hoped that her father's bet would work out in their favor otherwise they would be in serious trouble.
A chill ran through her as she remembered the attack that occurred after her presentation.
Everything had happened just as her father had told her.
The people around her were moved by the light show she had put on, strategically a fire-based light to avoid revealing herself completely. However, while dancing, she had felt the counterpart of her element in that boy her father had chosen for her. For the first time, she had felt totally accepted, belonging to a place that was only hers, and made her release part of her light.
By the time the dance was over, however, she had realized what she had done; so, she ended up on the ground in an elegant inclination, like a flower opening in bloom.
The voices began to lower in volume, because without the show, it was easier to understand the context experienced, so soon those same voices became whispers full of conjectures and the occasional point.
Kenshin felt the desire to jump to defend her, unsheath his sword and challenge anyone who dared to criticize her, fortunately for him, good sense restrained him.
"What did we just see?" Sanosuke asked as surprised as the rest to see the new colors on the Kamiya maid outfit, which matched General Himura's.
But before anything could be said aloud by any of the noble authorities present, the ground rumbled with suppressed force, almost as if something were moving underneath.
"Your Majesty!" exclaimed several guards who jumped to defend their monarch and his two heirs.
"Take care of the people first," he ordered them.
Kenshin, like the rest, jumped over the table towards the huge central space where the dance had taken place, and the elemental user debutants were still there. Kaoru continued, however, in her posture on the ground, looking down; the girl knew what was about to happen.
Countless specters glided across the ground then, taking on the macabre forms of the monstrous of hell itself. Every time a knight hit said silhouette this was finally seen materializing and thus, allowing the royal guard to fight them until they were destroyed.
It had been decades since a light user had been born, let alone an elemental, and in the precarious balance the world had plunged, any ray of light ran the risk of being devoured by the specters. They had not been protected or prepared for such an event, and the safeguards had done little to help when the door to the spirit world opened with the light that Kaoru had made shine.
They were coming for her, there was no doubt about it, but Kenshin was not willing to allow such an insult in his presence. His sword was imbued with his power of darkness; as it belonged to the spectrum of the night, he was capable of materializing and dragging demons against their will. One movement forward and each and every specter moving across the ground was uprooted in one fell swoop.
Kaoru's heart beat quickly, but during that attack it had skipped a beat, one in which her heart had recognized its equal. She obediently remained in her stance despite this, as intervening would only make matters worse.
"You must not reveal yourself as a light user." Her father had warned her, so she forced herself to contain her anxiety and fear.
The situation was quickly brought under control and soon the specters were eliminated. The users present, both nobility and aristocracy, had equally taken sides to stop such an attack, and now everyone seemed to be able to give themselves a break.
"No...!" The general lamented suddenly, running towards the center of the room where Kaoru remained.
"Kenshin!" Sano warned him, who had also felt the energy of a last specter.
The aforementioned forced the spectrum to come out with his power, unfortunately it was already below the young Kamiya, and its multiple limbs hovered around her until they contained her in a bubble.
Kaoru took a deep breath and closed her eyes, knowing that if her father had made a mistake, she would risk losing her life.
"You can't attack it while she's inside!" Aoshi warned him.
But Kenshin did not seem to listen to him; his eyes had turned into gold, and all his blood was singing a war hymn. The general ran and jumped to unleash his next attack. Some of those present were horrified looking and fearing the outcome; others refused to look. But those who remained with their eyes fixed on such a scene witnessed something similar to a miracle.
"Aah!" Kenshin shouted as he released the power through the blade of his sword.
That power took the form of a black flame, and upon touching that bubble, it turned into scarlet fire with yellow and orange tints; then, it exploded into a blue flame that cleared until it became light.
Kaoru revealed herself still sitting on the ground, in the same bow at the end of her dance, safe and sound.
Kenshin's power had not harm her, but it had enveloped her until it melted into her.
Everyone knew what that meant, even Kaoru herself.
And to the horror of her sister, Megumi.
!No...!" -She lamented, thinking to herself. "He cannot claim her!"
Kenshin stood up then, so abruptly that, for a moment ,Kaoru almost ignored the doors opening. She stood up as quickly as she could in that ceremonial suit, whose colors now matched those of the general at her side.
"His majesty requests your presence," the emperor's secretary reported.
To Kaoru's surprise, General Himura Kenshin approached her and offered her his hand.
"Shall we go?" He asked her.
And she barely nodded in the midst of the tickling she felt on the surface.
Two days later, the official announcement was made. General Himura had been blessed by the goddess, who had been present during the presentation ceremony of the new elemental users, through whom - Kaoru - had transmitted her blessing and desire to commemorate the heir of the North herself. How else had that light awakened and opened the spiritual door? Not to mention, his power had been summoned by Himura himself.
Because of this - and after much debate among the nobility - it had been agreed to honor the goddess and return the title of duke that belonged to the young general by right of birth; also granting him back the dukedom that had once belonged to his ancestors, and the promise of his return to the nobility.
Although, in reality, everything had more to do with the conversation that the emperor had with the little user.
"I heard the voice of the goddess," she had said, and although it had been an instruction from her father, the reality was that she was not lying because, in the end, she had heard a voice guiding her to trust the general. "She wants the North to be completely restored."
The emperor frowned.
"If I do that, I run the risk of the earth completely perishing. I'm sure even in your situation you've heard the rumors and understand the nature of his element."
- Darkness -
Complete and utter darkness...
Kenshin frowned upon hearing that, and his hands clenched into fists. Kaoru smiled wistfully.
"I understand, your majesty. That's why the blessing."
"Do you mean it wasn't for you?"
"I am only the bearer, your majesty. A simple messenger."
Kaoru had not declared herself as a user, her power had been left ambivalent due to the intervention of the goddess; she would have to wait two to three more years before being able to present herself again.
"Your Majesty, will you allow me to deliver what has been entrusted to me?" Kaoru pressed, not having a response from the emperor.
He looked at her long and hard, weighing his options.
'If the order is true, and she gives the blessing to Himura... Ah, I see what you have done, old friend.' He concluded upon understanding Koishijirou's ruse, 'You never sought to obtain my permission. I should punish you for this.' He thought to himself, stealing a glance at the leader of the Kamiya. "Very good." He finally agreed. "Himura."
The General came forward.
What happened next was a small moment in which Kaoru gave one last sphere of light to General Himura, who - kneeling in front of her - received such heat in his chest; his eyes shone gold again for a brief moment.
The deal had been closed.
"You have played your cards well, old friend." The emperor said to the leader of the Kamiya once the entire event was over.
"I assure you, Your Majesty, I have no idea what you are talking about." The man assured.
And they both said goodbye between laughter.
...
Himura Kenshin offered his respects and gratitude to little Kamiya Kaoru. She smiled at him while evidently analyzing him with her eyes, the redhead felt nervous for a moment. He was going to point out if there was something wrong with his appearance when the girl left him much more confused than at the beginning.
"So, you are my future husband." She let out.
"Oro?" He exclaimed.
Kaoru smiled; she looked relieved.
"What a relief. You are red like your name." She said.
And then she ran to where her father and sister were, still inside the room talking with the crown prince; leaving the General not knowing very well what to feel.
"So," began Sanosuke, who then appeared. "Now you are into minors, I see..."
...
No one was able to say what exactly happened to Lieutenant Sagara, who had appeared knocked out in the palace gardens with obvious signs of having been in what seemed to have been a terrible fire, if his burned clothes were a sign of this.
A/N: Does anyone still read Innocence? ... I feel stuck and I need help!