Hakuouki Fukkatsu; Season 1: First Born; Episode 1 (Part 1): Stirring from Slumber
Death in illness wasn't as frightening Souji Okita thought about it. It was more disheartening than anything
else. Being bedridden from the battlefield and even worse, the side of his mentor Kondo was what was killing
him. The Ochimizu was just an attempt to make the most of what little time he had left and it wasn't a
complete failure. Yet amongst the slow pain of death and the maddening effects of unusual bloodlust – the
latter which he did surprisingly well in sustaining – there was a feeling far worse than just failing his
comrades that was growing within himself. Ever since his coughs started leaking blood there was a kind of
dream like awareness of a presence within his body. He couldn't help but feel the illusion of a child growing in
a womb. When he finally sunk to the Ochimizu, the potion must have aggravated the "thing". Now, in every
moment of shaking weakness or the edge of scarlet laced madness, he could feel "it" as if it were more than
real and even growing. It was wandering through his body and soul as if a child were curiously inspecting a
new place. It was bad enough that his life obligations were being barred from him but now he harbored an
indefinable existence that relentlessly poked around him in his darkest moments.
Souji was lying asleep one night and dreamed that out of loneliness he started a conversation with a cadged
bird. It was definitely bigger than most wild birds that he had observed as they peaked at the ground and
had brilliant colors of shining black, sparking blue, glowing green and bold scarlet. The song it sang was
comprised of sweet short notes woven in a humble melody.
A vortex of prickling pain appeared in his chest and he woke up to a fit of coughing his bloodied lungs out.
The "thing" had woken too. "it" was looking around and spotted something. Souji could only pause his
hacking enough to move his eyes in the indicated direction. When the door was finally slid open, a draft of
thin moon light flooded the darkened void of the room and striped souji of his convenient vial wile the "thing"
stared wide eyed from within. The intruding force was no tall, dark and evil stranger but the short, bright
eyed friend of Chizuru. Her adorable face was pulled into a pointed frown and the eyes – colored a
mischievous crimson shade of violet – stared at Souji's paralyzed and contorted form like an owl that casually
observed anything that moves. She was only peeking her head in the door like a fly drawn to light. Yet she
was a firefly drawn to darkness. Souji's fretting chest had cooled by the time Shenhime's eyes had locked
with his own. The "thing" was narrowing its gaze at the girl and Souji's hand had captured his blade and
prepped it for retaliation. Shenhime missed nothing and calmly entered the premises to seat herself politely
in front of Souji's bedside. Souji sits up and faces Sen with a cocked eyebrow. Souji was still catching the last
of his breath before finally addressing Sen. "So what exactly brings you all the way to my room?"
Souji looked up to his sudden visitor. Sen-hime - Chizuru's "Dango Buddy" - had appeared at Souji's door in
the middle of the night just as he was dealing a fit of coughing to himself. Sitting before the ailing samurai,
the doll-like young woman changed her expression from casual yet concentrated observation to that of one
preparing to speak something formal. "I noticed that something was here and I was afraid that it might be
Kazama." Shen-hime whnt strait to the point and felt satisfyed that she was able to speak plainly. The
"Thing" lurking from someware inside Souji glared at Sen. This make Souji uneasy. The Shinsengumi had yet
to find a logical distrust of her and yet this "Thing" prompted Souji to put distance between the "Thing" and
her. What "threat" was she? The blots of shadows that were piled about the room began to sink the
atmosphere like heavy clothes. "Kazama...? In my room? I though he was after Chizuru for his babies not
me." Souji flung his joke into the air and rested on his elbows. Shen was instantly caught giggling at this.
"Maybe he likes green eyes too." Shen stopped dead too late s her words were already flying about and she
clasped her throat as if trying to chock them back. Souji's face was lit aflame by a grin. Sen rung her brain
around and round fro some kind f cover. 'What the hell! Ware did that come from? So what if he douse have
lovely eyes, how could I spew it out like that1 We don't know each other that well!" Sen's cheeks bleed
bright pink like hot tea at the sound of Okit's chuckle. "I had no idea Miss Sen, do you really think so?" Souji
was nearly ready to spill his guts in laughter. Although she made a wonderful lady, Souji actually preferred
the flustered look on Hen-hime's face. She had a om boyish furrow in her brow and the honest emotion of
being flustered over an unintentionally flirtatiousness comment make her features more bold and down to
earth which was more attractive then the distant vial of distinguishment. Shen-hime brought her hands beck
to her lap as she took a deep breath. Why was she here again. "But seriously, you mistook me for Kazama?
My own aura must proceed me." Souji still kept up his good humor even as thy returned to the subject.
"Actually it's still here." Souji stopped and turned to Sen in disbelief. "Come again?" 'It couldn't be that could
it?' Sen-hime raised her hand to pint at Souji making him wince but the "Thing" stood ground . Shen did not
appear to be entirely bothered by this reaction as she almost expected it. "have you noticed something
"else" within yourself since you've taken ill?" The girl his it tight on the nose and "it" cringed. Souji was
dumbfounded. "How did you...?" His shock was hound to suffocate him. Shen placed her pointed hand to her
face and looked of as if in thought. "Well you know how sometimes you can tell if someone is behind you or
watching you even if they are almost entirely invisible?" Sen returned her gaze back to souji"s now confused
expression." I guess that's how I found you here. I saw Kazama sneaking around this part of the city but I
lost him. When I noticed that strong feeling coming from your headquarters I thought for sure that It might
be his looking for Chizuru." Souji relaxed a bit at this but as still serious looking as he sat up.
Author's note:Well I'm stuck on my other Hakuouki fic so I've made another one. R&R are appreciated. )