Resilience of the Soul {Fanfiction-sequel Book 3}

Burning

Chihiro had decided to give her mother three more days to make sure she was well on the road to recovery. Yuuko steadily improved and was out of bed and even took a bath on the second day. On the third day, Chihiro came downstairs to find her mother trying to prepare breakfast for her.

"Mum! What are you doing?" Chihiro exclaimed snatching at the jam covered knife Yuuko was purposely wielding.

"I'm fine, Chihiro," sighed her mother.

"No, you're not," snapped Chihiro. She took her mother by the shoulders and guided her to the sofa. "You were at death's door a few days ago. I have not selflessly nursed you back to health to see you tire yourself now. Don't make me regret using so much of Haku's power. Now sit down and don't move!" Suitably chastised Yuuko lowered herself into the seat.

"Oh, alright," she groaned. "But I do think I'm well enough to make a bit of toast; it won't kill me to wait 5 minute for the toaster to do its job."

"Toast?" Chihiro sniffed the air. The aroma of burning bread suddenly filled her lungs, making her swear. She dashed to the kitchen and popped the incinerated bread out of the toaster and opened a window, hoping to dispel the black cloud before the smoke alarm went off.

She was still muttering to herself about her mother's stubbornness when white-hot pain lanced through her stomach. Chihiro cried out and had to grab the kitchen counter for support as she doubled over. It felt like someone had just ripped open her stomach and was in the process of eviscerating her. She opened her eyes, expecting to see loops of pink intestine spilling onto the kitchen floor. But there was nothing, just agony with no obvious cause.

Her mother and father were trying to get her to tell them what was wrong but she could only wail and tremble. Her father seemed to think her appendix had ruptured. If she could have, Chihiro would have laughed. Bile rose in her throat. Her tongue felt overly thick and clumsy in her mouth. She retched, expecting blood to pour from her mouth, but she only dribbled saliva; there was nothing in her stomach to bring up. Her sight seemed to be darkening around the edges, she shook and cold sweat ran down her face. Her mother wanted to call an ambulance but Chihiro shook her head. She was still wanted by the police and if she went to hospital she was sure she would end up on a psychiatric ward. She retched again, her body desperately trying to expel what was hurting her. But the pain was a phantom with no outward cause. Through the haze that was beginning to cloud her vision, Chihiro managed to focus on the hand that gripped the kitchen counter with white knuckles. The mating scar on the back of her hand was bleeding freely, as if it had been reopened. She also managed to register that the Tac'Tal at her throat was burning hot enough to blister the skin it was in contact with. Desperately, she tried to focus on the object, hoping it would tell her what was going on. She tried to concentrate and was making some headway when pain burst in her head as if she had been struck and suddenly she could not see. Her legs buckled and she hit the floor.

"Haku," she breathed, but there was no answer. She blacked out.

Yubaba had returned. Kenshin regretted losing his temper with the old witch; such a vile display of temper was not becoming for one of his station. He was as calm as a warm breeze most of the time; in fact, he prided himself on his emotional detachment from everyone and everything, however, the witch's petty concerns had been laid before him at exactly the wrong time. His spymaster had just reported to him that they could find no trace of the human girl in the bathhouse, then Yubaba had stormed in. The girl's absence had both annoyed and worried him.