Horikawa had known of the world around him for a long time. He watched the world change, bounded inside his sword and he yearned to freely run across the land.
Until one day, a hand rested on his hilt and he felt a tug, powerful and determined.
Frozen by shock, he stood before a young man with unyielding eyes.
"I am Horikawa Kunihiro. Please take care of me."
The moment he puts on the light blue haori, it feels so right, like he was born to fight under the Makoto banner.
"That thing looks too big for you." His master muses as Horikawa tugs at the sleeves with sparkling eyes. "Maybe Heisuke's will fit you better."
He smiles and shakes his head. "Thank you for your concern, Hijikata-san but I like it this way."
Later, when he shows up for training, Kashuu fusses and demands him to find a smaller haori.
"Don't be like that, Kiyomitsu." Yamatonokami chimes in. "I think he looks fine."
That draws Kashuu into another argument with his partner and Horikawa stays out of their way with a worried smile.
"You look fine." Nagasone grins and pats him on the head. "Let's calm them down before they get into more trouble."
He doesn't have the chance to reply before they hear a furious roar. "Tone it down! Some of us have works to do."
Horikawa pales as Hijikata marches into the yard and glares down at the arguing duo.
"Ah, Hijikata-san…" Kashuu manages a wry smile as he fidgets under the scorching glare. "We are training, right Yasusada?"
Yamatonokami grunts as Kashuu elbows him but he plays along, nodding eagerly.
Hijikata glares at them and eventually, he sighs and stalks back to his room.
As soon as his footsteps fade, Kashuu pouts and leans onto Yamatonokami. "Horikawa, your master is such a killjoy!"
Nagasone steps in before anything disastrous happens. "Now now, let's get back to training, shall we?" He asks and picks up a bokken.
Grumbling, the swords of Okita follow his example and turn to face each other.
Horikawa himself picks up another bokken and when he catches Nagasone's eyes, he winks gratefully.
Tsukumogami rarely need sleep.
The same doesn't apply to humans.
Carrying a tray with tea and konpeito, he gracefully kneels in front of the shoji. "Hijikata-san, I've brought tea."
His ears pick up a muffled 'Come in' and he slides the shoji open. "Do you need help?" He inquires softly as he sets the steaming cup and the bowl of candies beside the desk.
"No." The reply comes with a yawn. "Set out the futon and sleep. I will join you in a moment."
Horikawa raises an eyebrow but complies. Dutifully, he sets out the futon and kneels silently on his. "Hijikata-san, it's late." He calls out gently, eyes flickering toward the candle at the corner.
The other grunts in reply and continues his work.
"Hijikata-san!" Horikawa tries again. "Please stop and rest." His voice takes on a serious edge and the brush stops moving.
Hijikata puts down his brush and turns to the tsukumogami. "Kunihiro, I have works to do."
The wakizashi snorts with a deadpanned look. "It can wait." He decides. "Your health is more important than some papers."
He watches in satisfaction as Hijikata heaves a sigh and abandons his work for a much-needed rest. "I will blow out the candle." He rises and walks toward the flickering fire and carefully puts it out.
He slides into his futon with a small smile. "Sleep well, Hijikata-san." He mutters and receives a hum in return.
He knows that when he rises tomorrow, the man on his left will be sitting at his desk, going through paperwork but he doesn't mind.
That is one of the traits of his beloved master after all.
A samurai wears two swords at his belt, a tachi or an uchigatana and a tantou or a wakizashi.
Horikawa has been waiting for the day his master decides to get him a partner.
"I will be back soon." Hijikata promises as he leaves him in a smith's care.
He nods sharply. "I understand, Hijikata-san. I will be waiting."
Hijikata wants an uchigatana made to match his wakizashi and has found a Kanesada smith to place his order.
A week later, Hijikata shows up at the forge.
The new uchigatana is beautiful and matches Horikawa perfectly.
He beams as Hijikata closes his hand around the hilt of the new sword and unsheathes the blade.
There is a bright light from the blade and Horikawa can feel the pulse of life as a young man – the sword spirit – manifests before their eyes.
"I am Izuminokami Kanesada, made by the 12th generation of the Kanesada."
He carefully approaches the new tsukumogami with a nervous grin. "I am the wakizashi that serves Hijikata Toshizou, Horikawa Kunihiro. I will be your partner from now on. Please take care of me."
The summon of a tsukumogami has always been a thrilling mystery.
No one knows how to successfully summon a spirit resides in a blade.
Some say that the spirit must be summoned at the bewitching hours when the mortal world and the spirit world are connected.
Some say the wielder is the key to a success summon. The stronger one's will, the easier it is to summon a spirit from a blade.
Horikawa doesn't care about their theories.
His world revolves around his master, his partner and the Shinsengumi.
"Did you see that boy?" He has heard that many times when he accompanies his comrades on patrols. "So young and yet he is with the wolves." Whispery words filled with pity and disgust sound. "Better stay away." They say. "He is ruined."
He blinks; startled as Saitou slows his pace to match him steps for steps.
"Whispers and rumors are not worth your attention." The other advises quietly.
A small grin crosses his face. With his heart much lighter, he nods gratefully. "Thank you, Saitou-san."
Hijikata Toshizou is the Demon Vice-Commander and Horikawa Kunihiro is the one who carries out his orders, no matter how dirty they are.
"Where do you think they will go?" He asks in a soft whispery voice as they run down the empty streets of Kyoto.
"Obviously somewhere with plenty of prey." The other barks back with a scowl.
A scream cut through the air and his sensitive ears catch the sounds of swords being drawn. "Okita-san and Saitou-san are already there." He sighs in relief as they hurry to the scene.
His hand closes around the hilt of his sword as he sees a small figure at the end of Hijikata's blade, frozen in shock.
Kashuu stands behind Okita, a hand on his sword and when their eyes meet briefly, he nods in greeting.
"Do not try to run." Hijikata growls as he glares down at the unfortunate witness of the massacre around them. "If you do, we will cut you down."
The fear in the stranger's eyes is profound but Horikawa is used to it, having seen it many times.
The terror in one's eyes when they know their life is about to end.
"What? No thanks for saving your life?" Okita flippantly asks with suspicion in his green eyes.
The stranger jolts and bows down. "Oh, thank you."
Their voice is soft and Horikawa nearly drops his sword. "Hijikata-san?"
He can see the surprise on the others' face though it is quickly hidden under their usual mask. And he is so sure that Okita is thinking of some mischief that no one wants to be involved in.
"Kunihiro, go ahead and clear the way." Hijikata orders as soon as he gets a grip. "We will welcome this unfortunate soul at our Headquarters."
Nodding, he slips into the shadow and cast a small glance at the caught witness.
There is a reason why the Shinsengumi is feared by many and this one – an unlucky girl disguised as a boy – will personally experience it.
Family is important.
That is what Horikawa believes. He has heard of his brothers – swords made by Horikawa Kunihiro – but he has never met them in person.
So his family consists of his master, his partner and those who are close to Hijikata.
He dirties his hands by the orders of his master and for his family.
"I want to help too." Izuminokami frowned as he was preparing for an interrogation.
He sighed before a smile found its way to his lips. "Kane-san, I appreciate the offer but this task is not suitable for you." He gently explained.
The other pressed on stubbornly. "Kunihiro!"
His eyes took on a sharp edge as he faced his partner. "That is Hijikata-san's wish." He reprimanded sternly before he left, leaving his pouting partner behind.
Scrubbing the blood out of his clothes, he sighs. "He has been pestering me non-stop."
Nagasone watches from the porch and laughs. "My, it is rare to see you ranting."
Huffing, he stands with hands on his hips and eyes on the afternoon sky. "Kane-san is strong but interrogations do not suit him."
Nagasone barks out a laugh – a rather hollow one – as he shifts his weight. "You have to pardon us." He says. "We youngster want to prove ourselves."
A dead-panned look forms on his face and he replies. "You are at least a century old."
The other shrugs carelessly. "We are still young compare to you." He grins.
Horikawa retaliates with a playful glare. "Ah, we don't look that old, Nagasone-san!"
Laughing, Nagasone ruffles his hair warmly. "True." He nods. "You barely look like a sixteen-year-old."
As he pouts teasingly, his heart feels light even though the blood leaves stains on the clothes he has been washing.
They are swords, manifested in human bodies.
Battles can never scare them when they are made of it. Bloodsheds are a part of their life.
They thrive in such environment.
"I guess you will see more actions than us." Kashuu grinned lightheartedly with the haori draped across his back. "Aren't you lucky?"
Yamatonokami hissed in envy behind them. "At least you get to go!" He looked longingly at the sky blue haori.
"Next time he will take you with him." Kashuu promised with a gentle glint before he turned and took his place – a few steps behind Nagasone – with an excited grin.
Yukimura – the child they picked up from the streets – comes, bearing bad news.
"They are meeting at Ikeda Inn." She chokes out the words.
Horikawa gasps quietly as his partner curses under his breath and eyes darken with worries.
"Hijikata-san, should one of us go with them?" Izuminokami asks, tensely with eyes on the departing units.
"You are staying with me." They are moving toward the inn that is becoming a battlefield. "We have some work to do."
Horikawa stands next to Yukimura as they face the advancing force. His heart, though, isn't in the confrontation as his eyes keep darting toward the entrance of the inn.
It seems like forever until the clashing of swords and the shouting die down. The silence is deadly as he searches for the familiar faces of his fellow tsukumogami.
He heaves a sigh of relief as he sees Nagasone – coated in blood but otherwise fine – exits the inn.
Then he freezes at the sight of Okita leaning on one of his comrades. There is no sight of Kashuu as if he has vanished into thin air.
"Nagasone-san, have you seen Kashuu?" He tugs at the blood-soaked sleeve and mentally he cringes when his voice comes out as fragile as glass.
The other doesn't look at him in the eyes but glues them at the entrance of the inn. "Kashuu, huh?"
He jolts back in frustration and confusion and turns to the entrance of the inn, hopelessly hopes to see the familiar figure of his friend.
"Kunihiro, come." Izuminokami's voice sounds gentle as he guides him after their retreating comrades.
He swears he could see Kashuu with tear-stained face fading away amidst the blood and dirt.
Yamatonokami welcomes them back with a smile that turns upside down when he sees Okita.
"I will lay out a futon." He offers before he nimbly rushes toward the room they share.
They meet Yamatonokami later after the injured are treated and the dead are buried.
"I know." He says, sitting in a perfect seiza outside of the room where the injured Okita rests in. "Kiyomitsu is not coming back, is he?"
Horikawa settles beside him and tentatively, he laces their fingers together. "I'm sorry." He murmurs.
"Please don't pity me, Horikawa." The other replies as he carefully untangles his fingers. "Kiyomitsu will be missed and I will fight for his part."
Nagasone ruffles their heads like a proud father while Izuminokami settles next to Horikawa with a grin. "Sure. I doubt you can best me."
Yamatonokami smiles gently before his eyes glint challengingly. "Are you sure? I'll grind you to dust."
Horikawa laughs, heart a little lighter as he pacifies them. "That match can wait a few days." He says. "Or until Okita-san has recovered."
Yamatonokami agrees in a split second but his partner whines and moans.
He meets Nagasone's eyes and receives a small nod of relief as Nagasone settles on Yamatonokami's other side.
Supernatural things are at work.
Between being a tsukumogami and having witnessed the failed experiments in the inner circ;e of the Shinsengumi, he had thought nothing can surprise him until he came across the oni.
"Please stay back, Yukimura-san." He murmurs worriedly as his eyes follow the chaos ahead.
Izuminokami stands beside him, as still as a regal statue. "That guy is strong." He mutters and winces as swords clash.
"They said they are oni." Yukimura whispers timidly as her eyes widen with concern. She fidgets with her sleeves and sometimes, jolts with fear at the sound of metal against metal.
Horikawa shifts lightly as their eyes meet. "You don't like swords, do you?" He watches as she stammers and tears her eyes away from his. "It's okay to hate swords. I am not offended." He adds softly.
"I don't want anyone to get hurt." Her voice is small as she replies. "It's a naïve thought, isn't it?"
He wants to reply, to reassure her that being kind and considerate is not bad but his voice is gone, blocked by an invisible boulder.
She provides a warmth so familiar that it aches.
"What are you doing?" Hijikata's sharp voice makes them jolt apart and Horikawa nearly cowers under the scorching glare. "Get back to your post."
Yukimura nods quickly as she rushes back to do her job, leaving Horikawa behind.
"Don't worry, Hijikata-san." He retaliates in a singing voice. "I only have eyes for Kane-san." He winks and takes pride in the fact that Izuminokami blushes deep red.
Hijikata gives him an exasperated look as he shoos them back to their post.
Differences in opinions are unavoidable as an organization grows and expands.
He kneels silently between his partner and those from the Itou faction, hoping to hear something from the conversation going on behind the closed shoji.
Nagasone shifts lightly to glare at Izuminokami – who is sitting behind him with Horikawa on his right – as the younger lets out an irritated sigh.
"Kane-san," Horikawa murmurs as their hands brush for a second. "It will be over soon."
At that moment, the shoji slides open and he shivers under unyielding purple eyes.
"Gather your things and leave." The coldness in that voice unsettles even Nagasone as a fierce gaze sweeps through the men of Itou's faction. "You have until sunset."
He watches as men scramble away, glad to have their own head attached to their body.
Itou brushes pass him with a challenging smirk and he has to suppress the urge to unsheathe his blade and plunge it into the other's heart.
"Sorry Hijikata-san." Toudou mumbles before he jogs after his new comrades.
Saitou leaves, trailing behind Toudou but he pauses and nods at the tsukumogami before resuming his rather calm stroll back to his room.
The flame flickered at the corner of the room and he sat in a seiza, heart beating wildly at the tense silence in the room.
"May I ask a question?" He began, shifting on his knees and his fingers clutched at his hakama. An approving hum sounded and he tried to calm his heart by bringing his breathing under control. "You would let Toudou-san leave like that?"
His voice was soft and timid and he chided himself for showing such a shameful side in front of his master.
"He will be back." Came the reply. "I will make sure of it. Saitou will make sure of it."
He raised an eyebrow as gears began turning in his mind. Secretly, a smile found its way to his lips.
Wakizashi are companions of uchigatana.
Horikawa may struggle when he is alone but when he has a partner – especially when it's the uchigatana that forms a daishou with him – his strength seems to multiply.
"I didn't think they would attack this place." Izuminokami grunts beside him as he parries a blow from a rasetsu. "When Hijikata-san said he would leave us here, I didn't think we would have to unsheathe our blades against these things!"
He laughs as he turns and slashes at another who gets too close to his partner. "Kane-san is still too naïve." He says and receives an annoyed hiss in return. "This is war, Kane-san. Not everyone is honorable in a war."
Side by side, they fight.
His vision seems clearer than ever and his blade is at its sharpest as he tears down another invader.
"You are not setting a foot inside this place."
Half-dead or not, they are still enemies who invaded his home.
He cares not who they were before they got dragged into this.
Not when they threaten to split his family apart.
Later that night, he waited, blade in hand outside of Yukimura's room. Beside him, his partner sat as silent as a statue.
In the beginning, they would have been posted there to prevent the girl from escaping but things changed and here they were, guarding the girl against threats.
There was a tense silence in the air and the heavy cloud of death hang around their compound.
"Toudou-san is not coming back, is he?" He questioned quietly, eyes trained on the hazy moon above.
Only a grunt came from his partner.
"If we are not careful, that liquid will swallow us all." His words were soft and foreboding and it danced in the breeze as their eyes met.
A flash of understanding passed between them and he knew he was not the only one who thought so.
Fin