A/n Happy New Year dear readers.
I had this chapter ready to go but didn't feel comfortable posting it around Christmas time. It is a darker chapter and I'm didn't feel like being sadistic to you right at that moment. So here is the chapter now!
As said, it's darker, so content warning here on out.
Chapter 19
The merman grabbed Kaoru by the arm, pulling her against him.
She had made a mistake admiring him as he swam through a kelp forest.
The long flat leaves waved gently in the current, the plants growing from the ocean floor all the way up to the surface. There were hundreds of them, perhaps thousands, so it was in fact, a forest. The water was only just deep enough that the sunlight couldn't penetrate the very bottom of the forest. Kaoru had ventured close to the forest following a lovely school of rainbow fish when she caught sight of the merman in the kelp. He had a spear in his hand, apparently hunting.
Curious to see a real merman she paused just outside the first plants and watched him. He had deep green scales that helped him blend quite well with the plant life around him. He was highlighted with bright yellow streaks in his massive fins. His hair was inky black shot through with the same yellow and cut in a choppy fashion to drift around his shoulders. A string of shells and teeth hung around his neck and a sash of sorts containing small pockets cut across his bronzed chest. He must have felt her watching him because he looked up from his hunt and caught her eyes with his endless dark irises.
Startled at being caught staring, Kaoru gave a half smile. She didn't know any merpeople etiquette, was it rude to watch someone?
He turned to face her, flaring every fin wide open. Tail, back, arms, side and even two long thin fins that trailed from where his hips would be if he was human. They highlighted his lack of male parts, for they were all inside hi-. Kaoru yanked her eyes upward. He looked massive, perhaps twice her size. He didn't look startled or angry at being interrupted, instead he looked curious, and perhaps a bit... aggressive in his showing off. He twitched his tail, propelling himself a few feet closer. Seeing that she didn't retreat, he threw his spear into the sandy bottom. A large school of fish scattered away from him.
Kaoru watched as the spear lodged into the sand and when she looked up, he was right in front of her. This is how she found herself grabbed and pressed against him. She noticed a silver armband straining against the muscle of his bicep and ornate cuffs at his wrists. His fingers were long and delicate and tipped with sharp nails. Between his fingers was a lime green webbing. It was all very fascinating to Kaoru who should have been more worried at being grabbed but instead took the opportunity to inspect a real merperson up close.
He seemed keen to let her.
She looked at her own hands, she lacked the wicked looking claws but did indeed have webbed hands. They were not as webbed as his, more like a thin lavender membrane that only reached the first knuckle.
She floated up to look at the strange fin shape of his ears. His grip on her arm went slack to allow her to reach up and brush his hair away. He tipped his neck, knowing what she wanted to look at. She traced her fingers around the strange shape of his ear. Then reached back to feel her own. They were somewhat the same, just not as large. As she was inspecting him, he was doing the same, almost mirroring her movements.
Deep green scales lined the edge of his face and dipped down on his forehead to form a point. Kaoru didn't have these scales on her face. She only had a small dusting of pink and purple scales at her forearms where her sharp spiny fins were.
Kaoru knew she was being more than rude in her examination of the male, but found that she couldn't stop herself. Also, it was slowly dawning on her that their movements were becoming synchronized. Every look, touch and tail flick was being mirrored. She could feel his thoughts like a soft whisper of a creek in the distance. She could only hope her thoughts weren't deafening.
As she struggled to listen to his thoughts he was positioning her to line up with him, and he pressed close.
Mate?
The word jumped out. His inner voice was clear and sultry. Kaoru realized with a shock that he was lining up their bodies for mating, as they had no legs to worry about, they simply had to press their abdomen and tails together. Kaoru didn't have to look to know that the small vertical slit in their bodies were lined up as well. She hoped that his male organ hadn't emerged yet.
Her shock must have translated through though because he paused, head tipping sideways, breaking the synchronization. His hands slowly drifted down to rest on her ribs, just under her breasts.
Oh, mated already?
Did he mean she was already mated? Yes, she thought. Forgive me, I was only curious. I didn't mean to lead you to think-
His hands drifted down to her belly, just where the scales of her tail started. He caressed the area gently. Kaoru realized he knew she was carrying a child. He surged forward then, pressing the side of his face against hers, and wrapping his arms around her shoulders in a hug. Kaoru carefully returned it.
Very pretty for a human Mer. He interrupted. This one is sorry he did not find you first.
Kaoru was overwhelmed with a feeling of warmth, friendship and just a hint of arousal. His feelings, she realized, and she basked in them. Everywhere she went, everyone she interacted with, had these same basic feelings. There was no anger, or hate, only love and support. She almost sighed in regret as the male pulled away, gave her a smile, flashing her his sharp shark-like teeth before drifting away and downward to retrieve his spear. As he retreated, so too did his feelings and Kaoru was left shaken and in her own thoughts.
She had been in no real danger but he could have harmed her and she was much too far away from anyone else to call for help. She was lucky he was friendly, she might not be so lucky next time. Kenshin would have been livid. This was one encounter she would keep to herself.
… . . ...
Megumi unfolded the large pale blue towel from her basket and draped it over the hot sand before sitting down. Summer in the Fire Lands came fast and early. Already the heat was a heavy blanket that covered the land day and most of the night. Megumi sighed as she gazed out at the waves gently lapping at the sand a few feet away. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend that she was at the Sea in the Water Kingdom and not at a simple large lake in the Fire Lands. No matter, she was almost done with her evaluation paper and soon she would be a graduate. A Master at that. Where would she go first? There was so much Megumi wanted to see. To the ocean perhaps? She had always wanted to see the sea. Maybe to Aiga Keep to see the healing waters in person? That was at the top of the list. She also wanted to meet Kaoru face to face. It had been some time since she had written to the young High Born, maybe she should take some of her leisure time to write a letter.
Although her last letter did speak of her traveling through the rest of spring and summer. Her journey would take them near the academy and she wanted to visit. Megumi smiled to herself, her face turned up to the sun. She was sure Kaoru was just as she was in her letters. She was a kind, gentle soul who hurt from the loss of her father and the forced marriage to a Fire. But her last letter also stated that she was happy, that her husband was a good man. Megumi was glad to hear it.
"Excuse me, Miss?" Megumi popped her eyes open and turned to the source of the voice. A stranger in strange clothing. He was tall, with earth brown hair and golden eyes. A Fire, and he gave off that familiar Ki of power and strength. She glanced up and down the beach area. There was not a soul around this late in the day with the end of the exams looming. Sparc had other engagements keeping him from joining her. Suddenly she wished the thin, bookworm was there.
"Yes? Can I help you?"
"I seem to be lost." The man gave her an apologetic smile.
Megumi relaxed, it was not the first time a traveler had become lost in the City. It was old, with winding roads that often changed names randomly. "I can tell. This part of the beach is for students only. Where are you trying to go?"
"Students?" The man turned and caught sight of the massive academy peeking out from behind the sand dunes. "Oh, I'm way off my course." He crouched down next to Megumi and drew in the sand. The healer moved closer to see a crude rendering of the city. "I was told there was an inn next to the lake. But it's nowhere near a school. I must have taken a wrong turn. I've been on the road too long." He glanced up at her and tipped his head. "You're a Water."
Megumi nodded, distracted by the map, she reached out and drew a few more streets. "You'll want to take this street."
"I didn't think there would be Water's at this school." The man continued.
"I've been here many years. Megumi continued. "At the request of the Master. I've only a few weeks left."
His eyes widened. "An accomplishment. I hear this place is no cake walk. I work for a Water Lady. She's stubborn and persistent. You remind me of her."
Megumi leaned back on her towel, ready to soak in the last of the late afternoon rays. "I'm not afraid of hard work." She shrugged. Really it was all it took. And even with her healing abilities, the last few years were difficult, but she had simply refused to give in.
"You really do remind me of her." He said softly as he stood, his eyes never leaving her. "Thank you for the directions." He bowed his head.
Megumi gave him a closed lip smile. "Get some rest." She had only just closed her eyes when a blow came from the side. Megumi gasped as pain blossomed from her ribs. The man had tackled her, his shoulder dug painfully into her side. Gasping for air made the pain worse. Grunting, she turned and raked her nails across his face. The man didn't even flinch as scratches started to bleed. Megumi filled her lungs to scream but the man clamped his hand around her throat. He turned her over and pressed her down into the sand. He was shockingly strong and heavy even though he wasn't as large as most Fires.
Her airway was shut but she refused to panic. Her mother had warned her of this. Years ago when she first left for school. But all the tricks her mother taught her had been long forgotten after so many years of school study.
"Yes, you remind me of that Water bitch. You'll do nicely."
Megumi grabbed at his hand, her fingers digging into a pressure point on his wrist. At once his grip slipped and Megumi dragged in a breath. A fist caught her cheek and the hand clamped back over her throat. Her vision blacked out from the force, but strangely there was no pain. She blinked and her vision returned.
"No more of that, Healer." He snarled, his eyes glowing golden and then turning yellow. Megumi struggled against him. His free hand tore at her healer robes and palmed her breasts. Megumi kicked and scratched but he was like stone, nothing seemed to harm him.
"I can't fuck her, but you'll be good enough." He hissed, spitting on her face before he clamped his hand even tighter around her throat. Megumi felt as though her eyes would pop from her head. They teared up and watered so that she was blinded. Her face felt large as the blood struggled to pump. Her lips went numb first and her heartbeat was all she could hear. Black spots started to form in her blurry vision and she knew she was going to slip into unconsciousness.
No, she thought. Not like this. She had worked too hard and too long to die like this. By the hand of a Fire, even. Why did it always come to that? She was tired of being thought of as weak because she was female because she was Water. She wanted to prove to them all that all she wanted to be was a healer. She had resisted her nature to follow the law of the school. No sex unless married. The Masters had wanted to make an exception for her, but she wouldn't allow herself to be treated differently. And now look, she followed Fire rules, made Fire Friends, went to a Fire school and even her mother was a Fire. And still, they betrayed her this way. She was still fighting when her vision went black.
… . . …
Megumi blinked, her eyes hurt. Sand had fallen into them and she blinked furiously to dislodge the tiny rocks. Then her throat hurt, it hurt to swallow, to even breath. She turned to her side and that's when her whole body started to ache. Blinking away the sand and tears Megumi found herself alone on the beach. The sun had long gone down and she was looking at the cool white moon reflecting off the lake. She remembered the attack and from the pain deep in her body. Her power lay inside of her shattered and broken. She quickly realized she'd been raped. She sat up and winced at the ache of her womanhood. Slowly, fearfully she looked down at herself, realizing she had been stripped and was now naked. She had taken care of survivors of rape before. Women, girls and young boys. She already knew what to expect before even seeing it for herself.
But seeing it on her own body was different, it was wrong. Her heart raced, making her throat hurt and head pound. There was a large amount of blood that had dried on her legs and her robes under her. Her thighs were bruised to near purple. Even in the moonlight, she could see bruising in the form of fingers on her hips where the man had dug into her with such force. There were bite marks on her breasts, her lip was swollen and every time she moved she could feel his seed leaking from her body.
But worst of all was the screaming of her soul. She could feel it, hear it echoing in her ears, in every fragment of her body.
Megumi threw herself onto her hands and knees as vomit rose up her abused throat. She heaved up her afternoon meal, heaved until there was nothing left and heaved still. Her sides and belly ached from the force of the retching. Her power wavered, blinking like a dying firefly. Her Water soul was shattered, raw, and painful like a burn. Finally, the heaving stopped. Megumi feared she would faint again. The female swallowed, nearly crying out at the pain in her throat. She turned and crawled away, crawled to the cool wet sand, into the water of the lake and fell into its embrace. She closed her eyes and tried to pray. But she didn't know any Water prayers. So she let the inky black water swallow her until she was completely submerged. Slowly...so slowly she felt the cool water turn warm and a buzzing against her skin. She cracked her eyes open to see a faint glowing blue and silver light drift around her.
It was as if she were in the blackness of space and the glittering light a string of stars in the darkness. She knew she was under far longer than anyone should be, but her lungs didn't burn for air. Megumi felt content to shut her eyes and float away in the black nothingness. But no. No! Megumi jerked, her head coming out of the water. She couldn't let go, not like this. She swam closer to shore and took up handfuls of sand and scrubbed at her skin. She could still feel his hands all over her body. She didn't want to imagine what he had done, but she had to, she needed to make sure she didn't suffer any harm other than a few bruises. Once washed and scrubbed near raw, Megumi climbed out of the lake. She mourned the way the water numbed her pain. But she swallowed it back. She couldn't allow herself to feel, not now, out in the open. She would let herself feel later when she was sure she was safe. Yet how she wanted to climb back and just float away.
Instead, Megumi gathered her ruined robes and wrapped the beach towel around her as she rushed from the dunes. The academy sat a short distance away. She could see candlelight in many of the windows, telling her it was not as late as she had thought. She moved quickly, barefoot across the still warm flagstones and into the dorms. Thankfully no one was in the halls and she made it to her room. She shut and locked the door and pressed her back to it as she turned to look at the dark room before her. She slid down the door to sit and then, only then, did she allow herself to cry.
… . . ...
"More Drow?" Sano asked, blinking in surprise. "In the Air Empire?"
"Mmm." Kenshin nodded. His arms folded across his chest as he looked out the window of their quarters. In the distance, he could see the small gathering of boats where Kaoru and her kind had gathered. She went out for one last frolic in the sea. They were to leave in the morning. Kenshin had suffered enough of the water and so she had begged him to stay behind to rest. As much as he hated to, he was glad for the time to speak with Sano. He had Kaoru take her Water guards so that he could talk to his trusted friend.
Kenshin turned from the window to the small desk at one end of the room and picked up a letter. "Saitou says they found two scouting camps in the last month and a half."
"Where?"
"Their Northern territories. Seems the Drow went around the mountains of the Earth Realm, that they did."
Sanosuke looked concerned. "It's pretty rough up there. Even for Drow. A frozen wasteland of always winter."
"Well, the Drow are no stranger to hardships," Kenshin muttered. Squirreling away in areas of land that no Elemental could or would want to live. Their evil nature sucked the life from the land, leaving it corrupted. It was half the reason they had been exiled thousands of years ago. Their violent nature didn't help their argument. Centuries had passed and the Elementals were content to fight among themselves. The last hundred years had seen the Drow rise up once again and press further into the lands that they had fought over so long ago. Kenshin suddenly felt the weight of his purpose in life. His marriage led to the Elementals to unite once again to chase the enemy out.
"We must assume that the Drow could be anywhere, that we do." Kenshin set the letter away. "We must be on our guard during our crossing."
Sano huffed. "We really dragging Missy across the desert?"
"Mmm." Kenshin nodded, his thoughts on the trip.
"It'll take over a month." Sano protested. "Wouldn't it be safer to wait until winter?"
"Very much safer." Kenshin agreed. "But Kaoru insists that she will be fine. I'm sure she wants to prove her loyalty to gain trust from the men back home. I had to agree with her that if we returned and I had sworn my loyalty and she had not, might raise suspicion and defiance among the men."
"Ah, Shit." Sano crossed his arms. "Do you believe that?"
"Sadly, I do."
"So it would be in the best interest of everyone if we just got this trip over with." Sano sighed. "It's gonna be hard for Missy."
"I know," Kenshin muttered before giving his best friend a level gaze. "You'll help her if she needs it?"
Sano knew this code. Lay with the Water Lady. "Wouldn't it be better to get one of her own people to do it? She had plenty of Water guards to pick from."
"Earth has strong life healing." Kenshin returned.
"But water has stronger physical healing." Sano shot back
The two men stared at each other for a slightly long and uncomfortable moment. Finally, Sano caved, he had already agreed to lay with Kaoru if needs be. "Fine, If she needs strength I'll help. But is she harmed, give her a Water soldier, if they are strong enough."
Kenshin winced. The heat would be hard not only for his Wife but her handmaidens and her soldiers as well as her healer. "Fair enough." He agreed. "We'll stick close to the river as long as we can. But there will be at least a week without water before we reach Corurin. And then another week after we leave before we hit the next river."
"Two weeks without any nearby water." Sano whistled low.
"Yes, I don't like it. I want to make sure we have enough water for the Water fae to drink their fill. Perhaps we should get another cart specifically to hold water barrels."
"I can take care of that for ya." Sano made for the door before pausing and turning. "And stop trying to get me to lay with Missy. It's freakin' me out, man." Kenshin's eyes flared and Sanosuke realized he pushed too far.
"I don't want you to lay with my wife." He advanced on Sano, slapping his chest with one hand. "My wife!" He pressed forward until the Earth man was forced to turn away from the door and face the onslaught of his Fire Ki. "The thought of her, with anyone else..." He trailed off, his teeth clamped shut, his jaw working.
"Hey man." Sano started softly. "I was only teasin' ya. I didn't think your feelin's for her had become so serious."
Kenshin looked away, face still twitching in anger, eyes hard. He glanced down and took a breath before looking back up at his friend. "I love her. I know I must. I would rather she lay with a man who can heal her rather…rather than myself. I will do what I can for her, but once in my homeland, I can do nothing but harm to her." His face twisted. "I will not let my pride prevent me from doing everything I can to help my wife."
"That means a great deal, comin' from you." Sano wanted to soothe his friend. But his power was useless when up against a Fire. Even so, his Earth energy hummed just under his skin, much like the purr of a content cat.
Kenshin nodded. It was a jerky movement. "I fear, my friend, that others may not agree with me."
… . . …
Megumi looked at the small pile of dried leaves sitting on the square of cotton. Was it too much? The pile of pennyroyal and rue seemed too small for the task but these herbs came from her experimental plants. The ones she had watered with the healing water from the Keep. Their powers had proved to transfer into the plants, making them potent, but Megumi was unsure how much stronger they would be.
Megumi could not become with child. She could not. To be safe, Megumi added a bit more herbs to the pile.
The Lady Healer had locked herself away for days. She used the excuse of being very ill to get out of her classes. It was hard. She didn't want to seem like she was relaxing now that she had been named. Truthfully, she was already finished with her studies and this last month of classes were really unnecessary for her to graduate. But it went against Megumi's nature to ease into life. She wanted to prove they picked the right one for Master Apprentice. Thankfully her near-perfect attendance proved that she was a hard worker and that if she was staying away to prevent the spread of her illness then no one had any suspensions to question her.
Except for Sparc. He knocked on her door after she missed her first class. How did he even find out? The man insisted on bringing her food or to help her to a healer. But Megumi refused to open the door. She used the excuse of her illness and not wanting to spread it. She let him bring her food but he had to leave it at her door and leave before she would crack open the door and retrieve it. As annoying as the man was being, she was thankful for him, and that he cared.
But after days of hiding away, Megumi knew she had to come out or else they would fear her illness was much worse than an infectious cold. She felt well enough and strong enough now to take the abortive tea. She should have taken it before, but she felt so ill she feared she wouldn't be able to keep it down. She tied the cotton square into a bag and set it in a small pitcher of warm water. As it steeped, Megumi got dressed for the day of classes. She had received new robes to show her Master status, but she didn't want to wear them. However, their higher collars were now a Godsend as they hid the bruising around her throat.
While locked away, Megumi put together a poultice for the bruises on her face. She didn't have everything she needed, but enough to make due. The small mirror she owned showed that both her eyes had been blackened and her lip split. A bruise ran from her chin to her cheek. If she went out looking like this even the Fire's would have a fright. She knew better, but couldn't help the feeling of shame and embarrassment about her attack. She fooled herself into believing she just didn't want to look weak. It worked a little, but she knew she was only a fool. The swelling in her eyes and lip had gone, and the bruising was not so bad. Time and the help of the poultice helped fade the marks to light yellow, almost unnoticeable. The healers would notice, but hopefully, the younger ones wouldn't. Her black eyes were impossible to get rid of. She could only do so much with the short amount of time and the limited supplies she had in her room. Thankfully they could be passed off as her suffering illness and lack of sleep. Simple dark bags under her eyes, nothing more.
She hadn't touched her hair since that night and it took a while for her to brush out the tangles and mats that had formed. But soon enough her long dark hair was smooth and silky again. By the time she was ready she had over-steeped her tea, but she had to drink it. It was bitter and strong but she swallowed every drop. This would force menstruation. Hopefully, no seed had taken root, but if it did, she prayed that the tea would be enough to un-stick it. She took one last look in her mirror before gathering up her papers.
She opened her door and nearly crashed into Sparc who had his hand raised to knock.
"Megumi!" He gasped as he caught his balance. "Are you feeling better? Oh." He winced. "You look like Hell."
Megumi braced herself on the door frame. A look of horror crossed her face before she quickly schooled herself back into a calm mask.
"Damn Megumi, You would have had my head off saying that." Sparc nervously laughed. "You must have been very sick."
"I was." Megumi sighed as she locked the door and headed off into the halls. Her voice was still rough and weak from the abuse of her throat. She gave him a sidelong look as he fell into step beside her. "Do I really look that bad?"
"No, Megumi." Sparc sighed. "Your eyes look tired, you're pale and you look like you lost some weight."
In other words, it was obvious she was very sick. That was good. "Well, I bet you look great when you're sick as well." Megumi shot back, giving him a bit of a smile. It was the first hint of a smile from her since that day. It felt odd to smile, yet nice. She had felt for sure she would never smile again.
Sparc gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I'll look in on you after your class. Don't push yourself too hard today alright?"
"Alright," Megumi promised as Sparc turned the corner to head over to the library. Megumi paused at the door and took a breath before stepping outside. The morning was bright and already very warm. She squinted against the harsh sun. When this comes to an end, Megumi was going to leave the first chance she got. She was tired of the Fires. Tired of the desert. She craved being around more of her own people. Perhaps one day to go into the sea and have real power flow into her.
She received much sympathy from her teacher and her peers that morning. She really must have looked a sight because even those that didn't care to look at her took the time to talk and ask over her health. Megumi assisted as her class partner cut into a set of preserved lungs. The lungs had black streaks like vines crawling through the tissue. Obviously, a person who smoked, or perhaps spent some time in the mines. The two were in the middle of trying to discover which it was when Megumi felt the first cramp in her belly.
Megumi paused. It was a quick yet deep ache. Had the tea started working that quickly? She was expecting it to start working by evening or the next morning, not an hour later. Did she drink too much? The herbs were obviously far more potent than she thought.
"Megumi? Are you alright? You look pale." Her partner stood up straight, her hands covered in preserved tissues kept her from reaching out to steady her.
"I'm...I'm fine." Megumi took a breath and reached over to turn to the next page of the textbook so her lab partner could continue. The young woman didn't look convinced and turned to their instructor. The elder Fire man wandered over and immediately noticed Megumi.
"My dear are you sure your illness has passed?" He set his hand on her shoulder to steady her and then moved to feel her forehead.
A second cramp rolled. It was stronger than the last. Megumi was only just able to keep herself from doubling over, but the pain of it showed on her face. She was so stupid! What was she thinking using so much herbs that she had never tested before? She was just so desperate. She was paying for it now.
"M-maybe I did too much too soon." She muttered.
The Healer clicked his tongue. "You look a sight, Megumi. I can tell you're not well. Perhaps you should just go back to bed. I'll let the other teachers know."
"But Sir, I don't want to fall behind," Megumi stated, even though her bed sounded wonderful just then.
"Oh pish," The Elder Healer waved her worries away. "You already know all of this my dear, you're just here on formalities now. We all know you'll graduate. Take this time to work on your Master's paper. I look forward to it."
Megumi straightened and tucked a lock of her long hair behind her ear. Her red lips were pressed into a thin line. "Thank you, sir." Megumi bowed her head and turned.
"Will you be alright on your own?"
Megumi looked back and tried to keep her shoulders from hunching forward. "I'll be fine." She assured them. "If I feel light headed I know what to do."
The Elder smiled. "Of course you do. Feel better." He turned to her Lab partner to take her place.
Megumi rushed from the lab and hurried across the white floor. But just as she reached the door she paused.
If the pain was this bad already, it was only going to get worse. Already she could feel wetness in her undergarments. She turned from the door and turned sharply down the hall that led away from the classrooms and into the working hospital. The hall branched off in various directions. Megumi used her memory to find the burn ward. It was a little-used area of the hospital. It was rare for Fire's to get burns. Her steps seemed loud in this silent part of the hospital and she tried to step lightly. She found the linen closet and took a few stark white towels from it. Quickly she shut the door and hurried back the way she came.
A few people saw her but she was such a common sight in the hospital that no one questioned her or why she had towels. She quickly returned to her room and locked the door tight. She threw off her robes and pulled down her undergarments. They were already spotted with bright red blood. Megumi was equal parts relieved and alarmed. She was relieved that she wouldn't become pregnant but alarmed that she might have taken too strong a dose of the herbs. She rolled a towel up and placed it between her legs as she sat on her chair.
She was going to be there for a few hours, She may as well make the most of the time. She measured out the amount of herbs she had used and compared it to her textbook recommendations. Just how much more powerful were the watered plants? She worked for a while but soon the cramps were so painful that she couldn't concentrate on anything. She pushed her paperwork away and set her head on her folded arms. Between her legs, she could see that the blood had saturated most of the towel and so she changed it out for another. The amount of blood worried her. If she kept bleeding at this rate, she would have to seek help.
"Megumi!" A pounding sounded at her door.
Megumi jumped, almost dropping the blood-soaked towel. "Sparc, you scared the shit out of me." Megumi hissed loudly. She quickly put on her night robe and sat back on the chair with a new towel.
"Sorry." Came his meek reply. "Are you alright. I went to look in on you but they said you left class."
Damn, she forgot Sparc was going to be looking for her. "I wasn't feeling well. I think I just need more rest." She said through the door.
"Do you need anything?"
Now was her chance. She was going to be bleeding for hours. "Some water and maybe a bite to eat?"
"No problem. I'll get it right away." And he was off.
Megumi sighed and tried to get her mind back on her work. She had scribbled one line and erased three when Sparc returned. She hid the towels and wedged the one she was using between her thighs before standing and letting him in.
He very nearly balked at the sight of her. "Megumi you need to see a Healer, you look pale as death." He said, carefully setting the tray on her desk as she sat down and cleared away her work. She went right for the pitcher of cold water and pour herself a cupful and drank it all in two swallows.
"Mmfine." She muttered as she poured herself more.
"You don't look fine." He pressed.
Megumi sighed inwardly. She hated to do this to the man. "I'm fine. I think I did too much too soon. I need more rest. I look like death because my cycle started and I haven't been able to eat properly in days. So I'm a bit anemic."
Sparc only blinked. "Oh, is that it?" He sighed loudly and smiled. "You looked really sick. I was getting worried about you. I thought you might be working yourself to death."
Of course, Sparc was the only man in the Fire lands to be mature enough to handle a woman saying she was bleeding. He had started out being a healer though, so this sort of talk must be nothing to him.
"Do you need anything? For your bleeding?" He pressed.
Astonished Megumi looked at him. "Sparc, you're a strange man, you know."
He shrugged. "Half the people in the world bleed so that life can be created. People act like it's catching if they talk about it."
She was suddenly glad to have him as a friend. She reached out and set her hand on his arm. Strange how she didn't think she could be around men ever again and here she was alone in a room with one and she only in her nightdress. So her trust wasn't shattered after all. She could be mature and logical. She feared she'd lump all the Fire's together. She still sort of did, but not Sparc. He was a good man.
"Thank you, Sparc. I'm fine, I've everything I need. I'm just going to work on my paper and get lots of rest. Hopefully, I'll be better tomorrow."
The Fire man smiled and stood up straight and made to leave the room. "I'll bring you a big dinner so you can get your strength back." He said before he left, closing the door behind him.
Megumi stood and locked it before turning to the small lunch he had brought. Her cramps were such that she was sure she wouldn't be able to eat it. But at least it was there for when they stopped. If they ever stopped.
They finally did stop just before the call for the evening meal. Megumi had changed her towel again, it took longer this time to soak it and the third towel proved she was bleeding normally. She changed the towels out for her normal protection and put the soiled towels in a sack. She slipped out of her room and hurried back to the hospital wing. This time she turned down the hall that led her to the trauma bay. Here it was far more active with emergencies. She found the first empty bed and pulled the curtain shut. Then she dumped the soiled towels in the dirty linen bin. No one would question bloody towels in the trauma bay. A rush of nurses and Healers in training ran by and Megumi stayed hidden until they were gone. She quickly slipped out and back to the dorms and her room before Sparc returned with her meal.
Megumi hadn't noticed the deep-set feeling of dread that had settled into her heart until it was suddenly gone. Megumi slid into her chair and gazed off at the small jungle of potted herbs on her window ledge. There would be no possibility of a child now. There was nothing left to remind her of what had happened. Soon the marks on her skin would be gone. Her powers were slowly knitting back together and she would look healthy again. Yet the memory would always remain, and the lesson she learned. She loathed the idea of returning to classes to face the sneers of some of her male peers who fought for the Master Apprentice title and lost. Their rude remarks would take on a whole new meaning now. Yet she refused to let herself live in fear. But she knew she could never let herself be caught alone and unarmed in the Fire Lands again.
A/n Megumi is too strong to let this hold her down. It has changed her and she is tired of where she is. I hope the poor healer gets away from it all.
Kaoru and the troupe are about ready to head out. Kenshin is rightfully worried. So we'll have to wait and see how it goes.
Thank you for reading! Reviews are loved.