Author's Notes:
I changed it up a bit because the original one, I found it way too short and ideas suddenly came to me, so here's the new version.
Remember in the anime when Okita Soji spits out blood, rumors have it that those were the first signs of him nearing death. My story outline takes place after the Ikeda-ya incident, this basically takes place months after. Enjoy!
Chapter I
Delirious
Kyoto tonight was miraculously silent, the streets which were a site of death were unbelievably empty and the inns which were usually sites of merriment were now silent. But the once still night was soon accompanied by the sounds of coughing and wheezing, the by product caused by an ailing young man in the Shinsengumi headquarters. His name is, Okita Soji.
Cough. Gasp. Cough. Gasp
These were the same routines Okita Soji, the once invincible captain of the 1st squad did almost every night, and for the past few days his illness had gotten worse.
Cough. Gasp. Cough. Gasp
No matter how hard he tried to muffle the sounds; his pain in every cough, his helplessness in every gasp was heard all throughout the Shinsengumi compound and not one soul could sleep that night, for the thought of their beloved captain struggling and helpless was too much to handle.
Okita Soji shakily stood up from his futon; he had finally managed to stop coughing and what he longed now was simply a sip of water. Limply he made his way to the little corner where Susumu had earlier left his basin of water; apparently his hopes sank when he noticed the basin empty.
He wanted water and he wanted it now, but in his condition he knew he wouldn't make it half way to the kitchen. The thought of his lips dry and throat in need of water was killing him; he had two choices, one was to walk slowly to the kitchen the other was to wait until Susumu would come and refill his basin.
Cough. Gasp. Cough. Gasp
Once again his coughing resumed; having no strength left to walk back to his futon, Okita Soji curled into a little ball and continued to cough.
Cough. Gasp. Cough. Gasp
Okita Soji stared at the empty basin in front of him; it was taunting him, it was laughing at him, laughing evilly at him just like the men he had killed.
"Kami-sama…I bet they're all laughing at me right now, all those men I killed, I bet they're laughing." Okita said softly to himself.
"They have every right to laugh…who wouldn't laugh at me…I mean take a look at me, I'm a picture of death"
Cough. Gasp. Cough. Gasp
With no strength left to go back to his futon the young captain found solace in the cold tatami matted floor, there on the cold floor he began to picture the faces of the numerous men he killed. The men whose lives he ended with one swing of his katana, the dead men who were laughing at his pathetic weakness right this very moment.
"It looks like your time is up, you damn mibu wolf"
Okita looked up to see a ghostly apparition, to his surprise it was a face he knew oh to well; it was the rugged face of his most recent victim, a Choshu supporter who came to Kyoto in hopes of trying to take down the Shogunate.
"How does it feel to lay on that floor almost half-dead?"
Okita Soji smiled weakly, "I'm being haunted by those who I've killed…and I was right, they are laughing at me." Okita thought weakly.
"Looks like the strongest man of the Shinsengumi is on the verge of death, isn't that a shame" The apparition continued to taunt evilly, "You'll be joining us soon Soji-kun…you'll be joining us all in hell…" With that said the apparition disappeared.
Okita Soji sighed heavily causing him to cough yet again; deliriously he smiled weakly at his empty surroundings.
"You know what, right now…hell sounds so much better."
Like? Hate? Okay? This is the revised version of "breathe no more"...sorry but I was trying to just add the new ideas but I ended up deleting the entire story... This is my first fanfic and this idea has been in my head for quite sometime but I never had the chance to write it up...but since its winter break I decided to keep myself busy...