Chapter One Hundred Eleven
"Me?" Kaoru blinked herself from the fuzz clouding her brain, and stared at the elderly wind demon she did not know. A quick glance at Kenshin conveyed her confusion and read his own.
"It won't take but a few minutes. Aoshi, you may leave." The kijin clan leader bowed his head and left without argument for the cold dismissal. "Misao… you should stay."
"Oookay." Deciding that her human form was tiring to maintain, Misao reverted to her sylph form and belly-flopped herself down on her grandfather's shoulder. "What's this about, old man?"
Kindly, Okina addressed Kaoru directly. "It is a long shot, but I would be remiss if I did not confirm. Do you have or remember your family name, Kaoru-san?"
A light wrinkle formed between her eyebrows. "Yes. It's Kamiya."
"Surely not." Something like pain, mixed with regretful relief, touched his old features, and a hand reached into the folds of his traditional attire to withdraw a small leather wallet. "Would you please look at this for me?" From out of the wallet, an old, faded photograph was removed, and he offered it to Kaoru, who took it hesitantly.
"Um, sure…" One glance at the photo, however, and her breath caught. "But…!" Sapphire eyes shot back up to lock on Okina, the surprise on her face complicated by longing, and then they dropped just as quickly to stare once more at the wrinkled photo. "How did you get this?!"
The picture was of her and her best friend, dressed in their high school uniform, and taken where they had enjoyed themselves the most; at karaoke. Briefly, she darted a look at Kenshin, her eyes alight with joy for the frozen memory, and she tilted the picture excitedly for him to see as well.
"My wife left it in my care. She carried it with her for her whole life, hoping that one day she would find her friend who had gone missing. I never expected to find you, three hundred years later."
"Your wife?!"
The leather wallet was handed to her next, and she carefully wrapped her fingers around it as her gaze took in the picture displayed proudly at the top. It was a wedding photo, and her best friend looked so very beautiful in her white kimono. Tears sprang to Kaoru's eyes, and she glanced up at the old man, and then over to the young woman still sitting on his shoulder. An echo of the princess's voice reminded her that she had a human grandmother.
"This is our granddaughter. She was named for my wife, and was blessed with much of her appearance as well."
The tears spilled from her lashes, but Kaoru smiled through them. "No wonder you look just like her. I thought I was dreaming when I saw you the other day." Softly, Misao's lips had parted, but Kaoru's attention had once more lowered to the pictures in her hands. "She looks so happy." Ever so slightly, her fingers tightened. "She was happy, right?" Saturated blue eyes glowed as she darted a look at Okina, desperate to know that her best friend had lived a good life. "You made sure she was happy and safe? The war…"
"I kept her safe, and I did everything in my power to make her happy. Her only regret was that she never found you. She blamed herself for going ahead without you that day."
Kaoru's chin wrinkled with hard fought emotion, and she shook her head.
"No. I…" Swallowing, she ran her thumb gently over the slick face of the photo of them together, and her voice softened. "I… died that day. I'm glad she wasn't with me." Kenshin's arm wrapped around her shoulder, and she leaned into his side. Sniffling and then smiling, she closed her eyes. "I miss her so much."
"You really knew my grandma?" There was hesitant interest in Misao's voice, and Okina glanced covertly at her out of the corner of his eye. Her curiosity was unexpected, but welcome.
Kaoru hummed her confirmation, her fingers still clutching the photos in her grasp. "We pretty much did everything together after we met in Middle School. What was she like as a grandmother?" A giggle-snort escaped her nostrils, and she sat up straight at the very thought. "I can't even imagine her acting like an adult, let alone a parental figure."
"I… don't have any of memories of her. She passed away before I was born. My mom told me some about her, though." Usually, Misao had only ever heard about her grandmother after she had done something that reminded her mother of her. Okina rarely ever spoke of his late wife, and the slightly pained expression he would get when she asked had always deterred Misao from pushing the issue. Up until that point, Misao had been perfectly fine not knowing, but the strange connection it had given her to this revived human had piqued her interest.
"Well, that's no good." Wiping her nose, Kaoru stretched her other hand out over the table to offer the leather wallet back to Okina. "I'll just have to tell you all about her." Okina accepted the leather wallet, but not the photo of them together.
"You keep that one, Kaoru-san. She would have wanted you to have it." A shy smile happily accepted his kindness before Kaoru stood.
"Yeah? Well… I guess I wouldn't mind." Misao's tiny dragonfly wings buzzed to lift her into the air so that she was eye level with Kaoru.
"Great! You gotta pay me, though."
Guarded, Misao frowned. "What? How much?"
"With a hug."
Standing next to her, Kenshin chuckled, and the concern he had felt for her previous stupor melted away. "You will have to forgive my wife, Princess. She is a compulsive hugger."
"Uh…" A bit unwilling and uncertain, Misao's features scrunched. "O-k..." Transforming back into her human form, her shoulders hunched in preparation as Kaoru hugged her tight into her chest.
"Yep, I knew it." There were tears in the human's voice again, and Misao listened as Kaoru choked on her happy declaration. Her cheek rested sideways on the top of Misao's head. "You're even the same perfect height for hugs." Slowly, the tension drained from Misao's body, and she blinked as something tight lodged into her throat. "Thanks for indulging me, Princess."
"Misao." The demand shot from her mouth as Kaoru pulled away. She looked abruptly embarrassed when Kaoru's brow line lifted. "It's just Misao, not princess."
"Ok, Misao-san." Slipping her arm through Misao's in a chummy fashion, Kaoru grinned and led her to the door. "What should I tell you about first? Ah! Wanna hear how we ran off some Yakuza thugs from the karaoke place near our High School and became friends with their boss?"
As the girls disappeared from the room, Okina bowed low to Kenshin.
"Thank you for allowing me to speak with your wife, Himura-sama. Please allow me one last selfish request to make of you." Before Kenshin could respond, the elderly wind demon spoke his wishes quickly. "Allow my granddaughter to be friends with Kaoru-san. I wish for her to have many, meaningful connections to this world." When he stood, his eyes were serious yet regretful. "Enough to make her want to stay in it. Enough to make her let go of her grief for the death of her mother, and allow me to bear it alone."
"I had wondered why you would so openly allow your granddaughter to declare that she means to kill her father, when we both know it would result in her death." A small bow of his head accepted and conveyed apology. "Forgive me for thinking ill of you. I agree that their friendship will be of mutual benefit." Laughter echoed back to them from further inside the building, and Kenshin smiled. "Besides, I doubt my permission or denial would mean much."
The two men chuckled, and then trailed after the young woman to enjoy a brief moment of harmony.
X
The world felt different to Kaoru. Strange. Far away, yet in the palm of her hand. Time had slowed, not so much that she felt disconnected, but just enough that she could analyze each second in its entirety. It was disconcerting and a bit overwhelming, but it was the least concerning thing that had happened since being bound to her husband.
At first it had been only a feeling. A slightly off sensation that had whispered in the back of her mind. That feeling had grown to an almost scream in only a few hours. It was not new, but not familiar at the same time, and panic had set in quickly. She had felt something like this before, but only 'something' like it. This time, though, it was stronger. Wilder. Full of purpose that would not be denied. Something, a desire, a demand, hovered behind her conscious reality, and it tempted her with its true nature. Her true nature. There were so many options so very close to her. So many broken souls to lead astray. So many that deserved punishment. She could make them follow her. With the power she had gained from Kenshin, she could make anyone follow her… forever. Until their shoes wore off, their feet began to bleed, and their body started to decay.
She knew this was not what Kenshin had intended with the marriage seal he had created. She knew his intention had only been for her safety and well-being. Sharing their power with each other equally had set the foundation of their marriage so that they would always be on the same level, together. Kenshin, however, had gained his power honestly, and had grown used to controlling it. The sudden access to power close to that of a dragon's had forced Kaoru's own powers and nature to adapt too quickly. It felt like she had been tossed out in open waters with weights tied to her legs, while at the same time like the very sun was bearing down upon her, leaving her body blistered and barren. As a result, she was struggling to keep herself together and her powers tamed. They threatened to overwhelm her, and were so loud that she was having a hard time shutting them down.
Please… I don't want this.
"Kaoru-san!" Tsubame's sweet voice called out to her, and she looked up to find the young floral demon hurrying towards her. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
Next to her, Misao uncurled their interlocked elbows. "I've got to go find Aoshi-sama so we can get ready to leave. Tell me more later, though, okay?"
"Sure." Smiling as the Pixie Princess walked away, Kaoru caught Tsubame in a hug when the young lady wrapped her arms around her torso.
"I'm glad you're okay, Tsubame-chan. I heard from Yutaro-kun that you were helping out with the city-wide fires." Sapphire eyes slid slowly across the room behind Tsubame, her oddly slow perception of time allowing her to observe everything in an instant. Upon seeing Yahiko, Kaoru's smile turned into a teasing grin. "But I see you weren't alone." A dart of her eyes over to Yutaro, who was also in the room, purposefully included the koi demon in her observation. He immediately jumped on board.
"Of course, Kaoru-san. I would never let sweet Tsubame-chan be hurt. She has been in capable hands the whole time." A flourish of a bow heaped on the theatrics, and Tsubame blushed to Yahiko's horror.
"You don't even know what capable means, idiot." Yahiko snapped at his rival, but Yutaro rolled his eyes. "And you weren't around Tsubame-san during all that chaos, so butt out, fish boy."
"Neither were you, windbag. While you were out liberating the fire stations, I assigned her a bodyguard."
A predictable squabble broke out, and Kaoru shook her head. "Still just little boys."
Already irritated with Yutaro before Kaoru had even gotten there, Yahiko's emotions easily bit into her. "Who you calling little, you ugly old hag?!"
"Yahiko!" Tsubame's disappointed voice berated him for lashing out, but the words were far away and muted in Kaoru's ears. Glowing blue embers burned behind the surface of Kaoru's irises, and for a single moment, she felt her already frayed control snap. It was such a silly and inappropriate reason to lose control, and it had nothing to do with any true offense felt because of his immature response. For that moment, though, time froze, and she watched in sly triumph as Yahiko's features immediately went slack. It took nothing to capture him, nothing to control him, and her lips twisted into a half grin.
This cruel desire was familiar, but even as the urge threatened to suffocate her, something new budded within it. Something disturbing, but somehow less violent.
This time, pulling out the soul was not enough.
Now, she needed to possess them.
To collect them.
"Kaoru?" The call whispered into her ear, and she jumped fearfully to find Kenshin behind her. The spell released instantly as she came back to herself, and Yahiko gasped in a confused breath. "Is everything okay?"
Crushing horror gripped her. How could she tell him that everything was not okay knowing he would only blame it on himself? How could she tell him that she was a failure, that she was too weak to handle the power he had already helped her learn control over once before? How could she, the successor of Kamiya Kasshin-ryu, tell him that she was struggling with a desire to kill?
No. She would overcome it, because he had already given her the tools to do so. She would overcome it, because no one else could overcome it for her.
Pride and shame urged her to hide her current failure, and a pleasant, harmless smile glossed over her lapse of control.
"Of course." Walking over to Yahiko, she tussled his hair with a mocking laugh. "Just listening to this little brat prove my point." Her hand, however, shook almost desperately as he swatted it away.
"Whatever." The petulant reply took the heat off her, and she backed away to regulate her breathing as Kenshin took over to shake the young sky demon's hand.
"Glad to see you in one piece, Yahiko-kun."
Squeezing her eyes shut, Kaoru turned away from their reunion, and worried she was a danger to them all. As Yahiko tried to downplay his escape in an attempt to sound mature, violet eyes were careful to keep Kaoru within sight.
X
The air was oppressively thick, and felt the consistency of sludge with each breath Cho pulled into his lungs. There was a darkness hanging over the city, even at mid-day, almost as if a permanent eclipse had covered the sun. The scene around them was nearly post-apocalyptic and felt surreal to Cho. Especially, when only days prior the city had been happily bustling and operating as normal. Insanity had possessed the residents, the government was in shambles, and the Emperor had gone quiet. Pure anarchy had taken over the streets of Neo-Tokyo, killing any form of civilized façade the residents living their had once operated under.
With the rash of assassinations taking out many key officials, and the Prime Minister's arrest, the military had fallen under the complete control of the Sky Dragon Emperor. Initially, their orders had been to secure the city, suppress any rebellious outbreaks, and enforce martial law. The longer the spiral of madness had lasted, the less leadership they had been given. There was too much confusion and instability between the units, and no one with any kind of rank wanted to agree on what to do.
Begrudgingly, Cho admitted that was wrong. They all had agreed that they had no desire to harm the civilians they were meant to protect. Unfortunately, they were getting their asses kicked by those same civilians as a result.
"Keep up, Sawagejo-san, or I'll leave you behind."
The soft, slightly feminine voice called to him from up ahead, and Cho frowned.
How the hell did I get landed with this shit assignment? We'll be lucky to make it out alive, if we're not branded as traitors.
"Right behind you, sir." Calling out with a forced smile, Cho jogged along after the squad leader. Cho knew he had little choice in the matter. Saito had ordered him to go, and even if he had wanted to desert during the mission, he squad leader would kill him on the spot. Cho had no illusions he could best the first captain, and since Okita was Saito's obvious favorite, he was forced to follow every order without complaint.
Okita was a true fiend in battle, despite his docile and polite temperament outside of a fight. His appearance was delicate, made even more so by his silk demon nature, and his movements flowed beautifully like dancer. He was fast, too.
Damn was he fast.
Trying not to breathe heavily and give away how hard it was for him to keep up, Cho called out genially to the shorter man.
"Are we sure this is a good idea? You know, going against the Emperor and all?"
"There is only one person the military will listen to over the Emperor. Prime Minister Aritomo is a well-respected general. We need him to gain control of this situation."
Sighing, Cho lifted his eyes to the heavens. High above them, the Sky Palace hovered in the darkened sky. Despite the atmosphere of the city, the palace hung like an ominous threat over them all. Cho knew the logic was sound, and that the decision to retrieve the Prime Minister had not been made lightly. Still, he would have preferred to be left out of the mission to infiltrate the palace.
"Yeah, but isn't he an Earth Elemental? Why can't he just break himself out of prison?"
"Less whining, more running." Another of the squad members grunted at him from behind, and Cho let his chin drop in surly resignation.
"Yes, sir."
I really need to transfer to a quieter part of the country.