This bitch long btw, sorry for the hiatus! 3500 words!!

I closed my eyes, taking a few deep, calming breaths as I found my center. I was in a vacant room, my candles placed in a line before me. With the temperature outside steadily dropping, I'd taken my practicing inside. However, I'd thought better than to continue doing this in our bedroom. Not unless I wanted Yukio to catch me. This room was a floor up from the one we resided in, and Yukio never really set foot up here. I could always explain my absence as something else if he were to ever question me, as well.

Slowly, I've been able to pinpoint how to bring my flames to the surface. And with every session, I got a better grasp how to find them faster. I felt that familiar, warm feeling creep up inside me, and I knew I'd found it, once more. I opened my eyes, directing my energy forward. Almost like a cord, I could feel the warmth travelling. Delight swirled in my mind as all three candles lit up with a blue hue. Perfect, step one; done. Latching onto the connection, I began to reign it back in. It was almost like pulling on a rope, but I just couldn't physically touch it. I watched, eagerly, as the farthest candle flickered, the flame dancing wildly, before diminishing. Smoke trailed up from the wick, dancing in the air above it. The joy I felt with that small action was immeasurable, but I kept myself in check. There were still two candles that needed extinguishing. Just as before, I pulled on the connection. The effort taking less energy. I've realized that the closer an item was to me, the easier it was to use my flames on it.

Relief and elation swirled in my body when another candle died out, following closely behind by the last. I pumped a fist in the air, crying out in victory. Finally! I'd been able to complete this operation previously, however, this was the first time I hadn't struggled in the process.

For shits and giggles, I repeated my actions, the flames igniting and snuffing out easily. My practice sessions had taught me a few things, one thing being that my first attempt was always the most difficult. After my first success, I was always able to imitate it. The problem was ending my practice and trying again the next day.

I had the sudden urge to share my progress with someone else. However, I didn't have anyone to share it with. No way in hell could I bring this up with Yukio, he'd probably get pissed with me. And seeing as how he shot me the last time my flames made an appearance, I'd prefer to keep this a secret from him. Not that I felt any joy whilst around him, I was still at odds with his actions.

No one knew the control I was gaining over myself, both physically and mentally. Except maybe Shura, I mused. She'd seemed to notice the grace I'd gained during our lessens. A smile quirked at my lips as I recalled her promise to give me the Kurikara back if I kept up the good work.

An idea popped into my head and I scooped the candles up, pushing out of the empty room. I made my way down the flight of stairs and entered my bedroom. I grabbed my school bag from beside the desk and emptied the contents onto my bed, replacing them with the candles. I threw the bag over my shoulder and darted out of the room. I skipped down the stairs, jumping down to the main floor when there were still a handful of steps left. A bit of excitement bubbled up inside of me as I yanked open the front door.

A few students gave me wayward glances as I sprinted across the courtyard. It wasn't often that I was seen in casual attire, so I understood. Pulling my key from my pocket, I unlatched the door in front of me and walked into the extravagant hallway. I made a bee-line for my destination, grateful that the corridors were empty. Once I'd arrived, I disregarded any manners I'd been taught and threw the door open without knocking.

"Shura!" I cried out, my elation filtering into my words. I watched as she jumped in her seated position next to the battling cage. She dropped her phone and her gaze shifted to me, irritation flashing in her eyes. I paid no mind to her sour mood, walking forward and throwing myself to the floor in front of her. "I have to show you something, but promise me you won't be mad."

She groaned, palming her face, "what the hell did you do now?" I cackled, inverting my bag and letting the candles fall out. The air immediately became tense as she realized what I was attempting to show her. "Rin, this isn't a good idea..."

"Hush," I barked, "Believe it or not, I know what I'm doing here. I've been practicing."

That piqued her interest. Her arms moved and she rested her elbows on her knees, her chin falling onto her intwined fingers. "Just how much practice are we talking about here?"

I shrugged, it wasn't an impressive amount of time, maybe about two months? I'd started my training before that fateful night at the campsite, and the eventual intervention of the Grigori. However, I hadn't even been able to light a single wick at that point. My only success back then had been scorching the floor around me, which wouldn't have been a good action to perform in front of a group of Exorcists.

I set the wax cylinders up in the way I was used to, about three feet away from my body. Just as usual, I sat myself on the floor, cross-legged, my hands settling on my knees. I could feel Shura's gaze on me as I took a few deep breaths. Hopefully, the small break I'd taken whilst coming here wouldn't hinder my exhibit.

The room was painful quiet as I meditated, and you could hear a pin drop in the silence. Eventually, I pinpointed my target, my eyes flying open as I unleashed my energy.

The wicks lit.

My eyes shined brightly as I turned towards my mentor, a toothy grin on my face. This wasn't all that I wanted to show her, however, and I returned my gaze to the blue hue that glowed in front of me. I pulled on the cord, and silently cried in relief when the flames flickered out. Once I'd found what triggered these flames, I might be able to hold onto it's power for the rest of the day, or at least for a short period of time. I wondered if sleeping reset my efforts.

A hum sounded from beside me and I turned my eyes toward the heavy-chested teacher. She gave me a contemplative look, and I wondered if her thoughts were positive or negative. Eventually, she sighed, "do it again."

I swallowed audibly, pushing my energy outwards before reigning it back in. It took a moment for me to realize I wasn't focusing on the wicks. My eyes glued to the reaction of my superior. Her eyes danced with unforeseen emotions and I felt the urge to awe her. I compelled myself, grinding my teeth as I played tug-of-war with the connection. Out of the corner of my eye, the blue glow fluctuated, and I realized the connection became almost like a light switch. I toggled it on and off, finding happiness in my new accomplishment.

"Alright," she spoke, "I get it, you can stop now." My elation died out at her tone, and I watched as she stood from her seat. Taking a few steps forward, she bent down and grabbed all three candles. "Let's try something new." She walked several feet away, setting two down about five feet from me before continuing on and dropping the last candle down just before the roped battling cage. Returning to her seat, she gestured to the new positioning. "Light it up from there."

My eyes widened, "I can't do that! That's almost three times as far as before."

She shrugged, "have you even tried going that far?" I remained silent, realizing I hadn't. She saw the answer written on my face and smirked. "How are you supposed to get better if you don't push yourself?" My expression twisted at her words, I have been pushing myself, if I hadn't, I wouldn't be sitting here in front of her. She laughed quietly, "don't make that face. Listen, I see you've obviously been trying. However," She gestured to herself and the room around, "sometimes you need some outside influence to harness your abilities." I sighed and set my attention to the farthest candle, however, she cut me off. "Here's what I want you to do." She pointed to the target candle, "Light that one," alright, I already knew that. She gestured to the remaining two candles about five feet from me. "Don't light those, and-" she pointed to the battling cage, "don't push your flames far enough to catch that on fire."

My eyes nearly left my skull as they bugged out, "Shura, what the hell?! There's no way I'll be able to do that." She rolled her eyes and told me to suck it up and just try. I ground my teeth and faced forward. I closed my eyes and repeated my meditation, doubtful in my abilities. However, she was right about one thing. Simply coming here had pushed me harder, and I'd gained a slightly better grasp on just what I could do. It was helpful to have someone else pushing me, and the outside perspective aided in changing my own.

I released my breath and opened my eyes, I felt the connection expand. However, when the closest candles lit, I had no choice but to withdraw it. "See?" She mused, "You've already pushed them out farther than you thought possible." I hid my bemusement, pushing forward again. I bit back a grunt as the wicks lit again. I tried to view the connection as a toggle, doing my best when the cord reached the candles. I switched the connection off, but found myself at an impasse when I couldn't bypass the wicks and toggle it back on without my flames reappearing on the wicks.

"Rin," Shura said quietly, "how are you visualizing your flames?" Without breaking concentration, I did my best to explain it to her. After a few moments, she spoke lowly once more. "You describe it as some sort of thread that extends from your body," I grunted in agreement, the wicks lighting for the tenth time despite my effort to avoid them. "If it's truly like a thread, you seem to be maneuvering it wrong. It's like you're using it like a stick, or a pointer. Try to envision it as something fluid. It's coming from your body, and the destination is the the last candle. Getting from Point A to Point B doesn't have to be linear."

She made it sound easy, but I knew as much. With a sigh, I decided to adjust my course of action. I allowed the connection to come up to the wicks, but stopped its path. How would I move it around? Could I go above, below, or around? I closed my eyes, this was all starting to wear me down, both physically and mentally. I took a deep breath, searching inside to find some sort of information that could help. When I came up empty-handed, I sighed in frustration.

"Think outside the box, Rin."

Outside.

The thought clicked, and suddenly, I felt weightless. I opened my eyes in surprise, but my vision was muddled. In front of me, the candles sat, unlit, but there was an overlay to my perception. Everything was blue, just like it was when I unsheathed my sword. The faint view of a nearby candle canopied my sight, and the unfamiliar feeling of being outside of my body overcame me.

I heard her whistle, "Your eyes just changed."

"I know, and I can see in front of me, but I can also see other things... It's hard to explain."

She hummed, "Do your best to look around." I obliged, turning my head. my vision reflected this, but the overlay remained the same. I tried pushing on the connection, my breath hitching when the veil moved as well. I pushed farther and gasped when I could feel the connection move through the wick, said item going aflame. "This is fucking weird," I whispered. I pulled on the tether, and the flame extinguished. I wiggled in my seat, attempting to gather my surroundings both inside and outside of my mind. It was difficult, but after a few moments I was able to figure out how to shift the connection in another direction other than forward or backward. I pushed it upward, a breath leaving me as I pushed over the candle, the sight of the closest candles left the overlay. Yet, there were no flames. "Shura," I whispered.

"Did you do it?" I nodded in response, too astonished to form a sentence. "Keep going, you doing great."

I swallowed, my mouth a bit dry. I pushed further, feeling the connection start to strain. "I don't know if I can go any farther."

"Why," she questioned. "This... aura you are seeing, it doesn't have any physical boundaries. It's all in your head. You're the only one holding it back."

"It may not be physical, but this might be more than what I am currently capable of."

I heard her hum and I turned to look at her, becoming slightly disoriented as only half my vision moved with me. She met my gaze and I saw her shiver, "First of all, those eyes of yours will always be unnerving to look at." I huffed, knowing they were the eyes of my biological father. "More importantly, however, you need to understand that - in order to know your boundaries and push past them - you need to push them until they break." She pointed at the candles, "where is your connection?"

"Somewhere between the candles." I breathed, aware of how labored my breathing was.

"Okay," her lips formed a thin line and she leaned her chin on her palm as she assessed the situation. "What happens when you move it forward."

"It gets tight." I pushed it forward, feeling my words come into fruition as the connection flexed. "It's almost like a rubber band, the more I stretch it, the more rigid it becomes."

She nodded, quiet as she became lost in thought. I turned my gaze toward the waiting candles ahead of me. "And is there any way to lengthen the rubber band? Add more to it, either from yourself or add to the end of it?" My brows furrowed at her words, not sure how to attempt such at thing. I dug inwards, hoping to grasp onto the source of the connection, but it either didn't exist or I wasn't able to recognize it. I looked outwardly, finding the end of the connection and toying with it in my mind. "Rin..." she breathed, her voice guarded. "I can see heat coming off your breath."

Her words boggled me, and I realized shortly after what she meant. As I exhaled, the air rippled, and it reminded me how the area above pavement would wave during a hot summer afternoon. I focused on it, tracing it back into my lungs, where the oxygen was heated. I seized the feeling, tracking it to the bottom of my diaphragm and back to where my ribs met my spine. The heat flourished, traveling through my bones and expanding throughout my body. I memorized the path, hoping to discover the source of the ability. I breathed in deep, centering myself on the sensation, and riding along it towards where it flowed out of my body. Every time I breathed out, I tracked it back to where it once was, and inched farther into its depth.

Mentally, I jolted, hitting some sort of impasse. Taking a step back, I studied my position in my psyche. I was keenly aware of my body. Feeling the blood rush through my veins, the methodical pulse of my heart as it circulated it. The air that swirled in my lungs, and the humidity that evaporated as my body heated and I exhaled. The vapor gathered in my mouth and I swallowed, feeling my esophagus contract as it pulled my saliva down to my stomach. My limbs felt heavy, and I was acutely aware that the hair on my arms was raised. I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, and I shivered. There was rustling next to me, and I opened my eyes, I couldn't remember closing them.

Next to me, Shura was rigid, her palms clasped in front of her as if she were to recite an incitation. Her eyes were wide and wary, and I took a moment to assess my surroundings.

Blinding sapphire.

The connection that had previously been invisible was now glowing vibrantly. Calling it fire would be accurate. It was luminescent, and danced like fire would. However, there were no tendrils of a flame. Instead of looking like an opaque thread, it was almost as if the particles in the air were ablaze, like the brilliance that emitted from a lightbulb. It was flexible, moving around and mimicking the waves on top of the ocean. I swallowed hard, realizing my mentor's caution was well deserved. I, myself, didn't know what to make of this.

Slowly, I raised my hand toward the connection, but it wasn't tangible and my hand passed straight through. I gasped, "It's warm." I breathed out, the carbon dioxide swirling with the heat I produced.

"You're not gonna explode on me, are you kid?" Her voice was cagey, and I could feel the air from her words wash over my skin. Just how keen was my body in this state? A quick assessment gave me an answer: acutely.

My lips parted, "I'm in full control, trust me on that. But I'm just as confused as you are. So I don't blame your reaction."

The atmosphere between us was abuzz, and she was silent for several seconds as she observed me. After a minute or so, I felt her shift, her body coming into view as she knelt close by. She raised her hand, and I saw it tremble slightly before she closed her eyes. When her pink irises emerged once again, a resolve had settled inside. She reached forward, her fingers twitching as she passed her palm through the connection. I shuddered, feeling the intrusion like she had passed through my own body.

Her face slackened and her mouth fell open. Again, she passed her hand through it, her fingers trying to grip onto the translucent thread. The action washed over me and I felt somehow violated by her movements. "How?" She turned her eyes back to mine, bewilderment swirling inside. "How come it doesn't hurt?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?" I snapped, feeling slightly agitated at the disturbing sensations. She paid no mind to my disrespect, however, turning back to the glowing tendril in front of her. "Can you move it?"

I sighed, focusing back on the overlay. I pushed forward, and surprisingly, my vision swam as it moved closer to the last candle. The strain I had felt previously while trying to move it was no longer there. Shura watched on, enthralled as the connection moved. "Touch the candle," she whispered. With one final shove, I inched closer. Closing my eyes, I was able to get a better impression as to where the connection was lying. I travelled along the cord, feeling how it undulated, I came to the end of it and pressed onward, feeling myself connect with the wick.

Opening my eyes, I came face to face with fuchsia. But only briefly before I was tackled to the ground. There was a split second where I believed I had somehow fucked up and she was about to restrain me. That thought was proved otherwise when her arms wrapped around me and she squealed, the action something completely foreign to what I was used to. My vision returned to normal and I blinked. Shura let me go, and when she withdrew, happiness glowed behind her eyes and a toothy grin overtook her expression. "I am so proud of you." I felt my own smile grow, and it only grew wider with her next words. "If you can master this, I'll give you the Kurikara back."