This story was originally written in October 2014. Because my English was rather flawed (and kind of juvenile) at the time, I have now redone the language, and changed some of the scenes in the story. So I want to apologize to those who enjoyed it as it was, and hope you will forgive me and enjoy this rewritten version.
The updates will happen from this day july 12th, and all through the following week, seeing as I've finally got some time off from my summer job).

Prelude

It was a sunlit day with a few darkened clouds, floating lazily by in the sky.

Kagura was riding on the back of her enormous pet dog Sadaharu, taking cover from the sun under her purple umbrella. She was carrying some sukonbu in a white grocery bag, together with some strawberry milk (and other necessities females might need). Although she had stopped eating the pickled seaweed treat years ago, this was a special occasion, a day of remembrance. For she was about to do something she hadn't done in a long time; visit the grave of Sakata Gintoki. A man she had once deemed a friend, an employer and most importantly, a father figure.

After the silver haired samurai's disappearance four years ago, Kagura had left earth to join her real father in outer space. She had trained hard, fought many worthy monsters, and now she finally felt she was ready to protect the town and the people she held dear. The friends she'd made in the city called Edo.

Chapter 1

When she had returned to Edo a few hours ago, Kagura was shocked to find the place in such calamity. The once lively street outside the old terminal was now mere ruins. What had previously been a prosperous shopping district, was now the home of the people who had lost their houses during recession caused by the plague. Crying children and badly hidden bodies of those who had succumbed to the White Curse, were all too visible for the naked eye.

A flush of guilt had turned the yato's stomach upside down. She would have vomited of the distress, had she not considered herself an adult and a proper lady. She had matured these four years, giving up juvenile things like sukonbu and her cute accent.

Kagura had however found that the convenience store near the cemetery was still in business. Not that it surprised her that much. She imagined there would be quite a lot of people wanting to pay respect to their loved ones. But she guessed her luck began and ended with the open convenience store. For she had not planned anything ahead of time. Issues like 'how will I get food' and 'where will I sleep' were circling in her head.

The only thing she knew, was that the Shimura residence was off the table, especially after how she had parted ways with the bespectacled Shinpachi. She had longed to see the boss-lady again, and show her how tall she had grown. But facing her former glasses-dad was not worth the trouble right now. She would much rather sleep outside in the rain than face him head on.

After buying her wares, Kagura and her white-somewhat-stallion started ascending the hill leading up to the cemetery. The wind had lightly played with her long, vermilion hair, along the way, tossing it back and forth behind her shoulders. Near the top of the hill, the young woman had been able to spot Gintoki's grave in the distance. The sight made her remember bits and pieces of the funeral without a body, and the harsh words thrown between her and Shinpachi.

She sighed heavily, and readied herself to meet her past. She shook her head and rolled her shoulders to ease the tension that had built up due to stress. After she felt a little looser in the neck and arm area, the young woman slid down from Sadaharu's back and planted her feet firmly on the ground. She petted the dog on his forehead, letting her hands slide through the silky white fur.

"I won't take long Sadaharu," she assured him as she tied the dog to the great gate leading in to the graveyard. She petted him once more, and leaned in to nuzzle his snout, hoping to gain some strength from her friend. She sighed once more before she leaned away, and walked inside the iron gate.

With slow steps, she walked closer and closer to the grave. She could feel a whirlwind of emotions building up in her chest. Reaching the tombstone had felt as if she'd walked through the desert without food or water. It had been long, too long since she'd dealt with her feelings. Kagura crouched down in front of granite marker and placed her offerings on top of it. She sat in silence and watched the carvings of Gintoki's name on the stone surface. She reached out and traced the letters, contemplating on what she should tell him.

"I miss you Gin-chan," she finally said. "I wish you would come back from your bender soon. I'm all grown up now, and I'm getting really strong." Her voice was meek, and she could feel a stinging sensation in the corner of her eyes. Kagura's hands went on autopilot, rubbing the stingy corners. She looked at the back of her fists as she let her hands fall back down in her lap, and was surprised to find tears rolling down her cheeks. "The whole world has gone down the shitters while you've been away." She continued, her voice nearly cracking. "It's pretty selfish of you to be out wasting my salary away on pachinko and drinking!"

She felt a little bad for her last remark. It might be too harsh to say something like that about the departed. Even if he had been a good for nothing boss, who'd frequently spend her and Shinpachi's salary on booze and gambling. As she contemplated this, she noticed that someone stood behind her. She rubbed her eyes furiously, hoping to hide the evidence of her sorrow.

"Isn't it a bit selfish to say that to the deceased?" a familiar voice said next to her ear.

'Wait, did this guy read my mind? Just now?' Kagura thought and turned her head around to look at the proprietor of the voice. Her mourning features dropped into a deadpan expression as she recognized the red eyes of her rival, standing only an inch from her face.

The sadist had changed a lot in the past four-five years. Gone was his familiar black Shinsengumi uniform with the yellow embroideries. Now he was clothed in a red kimono, covered with a white hakama. A beige scarf was hanging loosely around his neck, the ends slowly dancing in the breeze. In addition to the change of clothing fashion, the flaxen locks that he once had kept short; was almost as long as her hair, tied up in a messy ponytail. She thought he looked more like a rebellious joui patriot than a respectable captain of the shinsengumi. Though she supposed he had never been respectable a day in his life.

"I won't take sass from some Battousai wannabe," she replied in a sour tone. Immediately regressing to the way she had always acted around this guy, the childish name-calling and everyting. "What's with the get up? Did you defect or something?"

"Tch" Okita sounded as he walked next to her. He measured her from top to bottom, smirking in the process. "Said the girl who stole the style of Asuna and Orihime and mashed them together. Are you cosplaying or what?" He said, effectively ignoring her question. "When did you come back China-girl?"

'How uncute' Kagura thought. The deadpanned tone of his voice suggested that he didn't really care about the her answer, so she didn't bother to respond to it either.

"Very well then," he said as he crouched down beside her. Elbowing her on his way down.

"Hey!" she growled and elbowed him back. "What do you think you're doing here you damn brat!? Shouldn't you be torturing some innocent kittens somewhere?"

"Oi, haven't you heard China? I do that on Fridays now," he replied sarcastically. Kagura couldn't help but glare at him. Such a disagreeable person, why hadn't she offed him years ago?

He sighed and continued before she could come up with a clever response. "Well, China, you're not the only one with dead family members. I come here to pay my respects too you know."

His uncharacteristic honesty put her off. She didn't know how to respond. Nor did she want to be disrespectful if what he said was true. She knew all too well the pain of losing members of the family. Be it blood related or not.

Okita pulled out a small paper bag from within his hakame. Inside the paper bag was a strawberry shortcake, boxed in a cute, pink container. Kagura could vaguely make out the white letters scribbled across the cardboard. It was a word she wasn't familiar with, but it sounded French as she voiced it out in her head. While the yato had kept silent as she had contemplated, Okita had removed the packaging and placed the cake next to the sukonbu and strawberry milk Kagura had brought.

The man sighed. "He gets a new offering every day… why do I even bother?" The sadist rose as he said the last part. He brushed away some dried grass that had stuck to his legs. He quickly glanced at Kagura, before he turned on his heels and started to walk towards the gate.

Kagura watched him from the corner of her eye, unwilling to turn her head in his direction. "I came back" she started. She noticed that the flaxen-haired man stopped at her words. For a second, she smiled to herself, before she continued to speak. "I came back so I could save everyone from this damned plague," was her proclamation.

Okita lingered before he spoke. "If you don't have a place to stay yet, you're free to use Kondo's room at the Shinsengumi headquarters." He sighed, "He hasn't been using it much since… well since he got incarcerated for trying to stalk that gorilla woman you're so fond of." He turned his head and looked her in the eyes. "You'll have to cook and clean for everyone, of course." A sadistic grin made its way across his features, "and you'll also have to work as my faithful slave for the rest of your life."

Kagura made a displeased sound as a response to his "kind offer".

"A fair price to pay for my kindness I would say." He shrugged and lazily waved goodbye. He walked out the gate. Kagura could see that he acknowledged Sadaharu before he began descending the hill.

"Tch!" Kagura spat. She was about to shout obscenities back at him. 'What an irritating bastard! Be his slave. As that would ever happen!' To Kagura's great misfortune, however, she was in no position to refuse anyone's hospitality. Even if the hospitality was offered to her from the worst person amongst her acquaintances.

She weighed her options carefully, but came to a most unwanted conclusion. She huffed bitterly and smashed her hand down in the ground.

"Damn you sadist, I'll kill you and take your room instead!"