Chizuru Yukimura has magic, and has the ability to shape shift in to any animal she wants, which is against the law. But she can't help it, she was born with it. Her people- well what's left of her people are in hiding. There are people who want to catch them and produce more of her people but in a cruel way.

Then there are the Shinsengumi, they are the authority in the town. They will kill anyone who is spotted using magic.

Only men have magic... But Chizuru is a twin. Will they spot her? If they do what will they do when they find out that she is a female with magic?

Well you'll just have to read and find out.

Chizuru ran through the town called Kyoto, trying to escape the crazy man and his goons. "Don't let her get away. She is a rare breed." Their boss yelled. Chizuru ran around the corner and in to a dead end.

In her cat form Chizuru growled in frustration. She could change in to a bear and rip them to shreds but her twin said not to. Since her coat is nearly black she could blend in to the darkness of the alley way. She curled in a ball to hide the white on her belly and closed her eyes and prayed. A few seconds later she could hear their footsteps approaching.

"Damn it where is she?" The boss said. "Sho, can you see her?" The boss didn't get a response so he turned and the last thing that Chizuru heard from him was, "what the?" Then she heard a thump. She opened her eyes and the boss was on the ground with all of his goons. The boss's hand had landed just an inch from her. Chizuru came out of her hiding place and sniffed the body to make sure he is dead.

"Well hey there beautiful, what are you doing here? Were these men after you?" Chizuru snapped her head up and saw a man just a few feet away from her. He smelt blood and sweat, and she didn't like that smell so she hissed at him and jumped on to the roof.

"I'm going after that cat. She looks hungry and scared." Shinpachi said to Hijikata who nodded. "Make it quick. If the cat puts up a fight when you catch her let her go." Hijikata said and then led the others home.

Sometime later Shinpachi came back with what looked like a dead cat. "She was hard to catch. I caught her only because she exhausted herself. Hmm, funny colouring on her. She is brown with a white belly and paws." Shinpachi said and handed the cat to Saito to have a look. But as soon as he had put his hands around the cat, the cat woke up and stared at him. She sniffed his hand and apparently she didn't like his smell so she hissed and growled.

She wiggled free and was about to bolt for the door but she was scooped up. She hissed and growled and spat. But when she came face to face with her captor she froze. Hijikata stared at the cat in the eye and she stared right back.

After a moment of silence the cat meowed in a question like sound. Hijikata put the cat to his chest and the cat started to purr. "Someone get this cat some food and water. Don't give her milk, it will upset her stomach." Hijikata ordered and Okita got up and went in to the kitchen, and came back a minute later with some small fish and a bowl of water.

The cat it the fish greedily and almost drank all of the water then curled up in a ball and fell asleep.

Chizuru woke up the next day earlier that the men so she could sneak off home back to Kaoru. She took in her surroundings then crept towards the door. But just as she put a paw in the door way she picked up by the scruff of her neck. She hissed and growled demanding for the person to let go. "Where do you think you're going?" A voice asked sleepily. Chizuru stared at the door with disappointment. "The only place you're going in to a bath." Oh no, she hates that word. Chizuru began to squirm more furiously. "I don't think she likes that word, Hijikata-san." Another voice called out from the other side of the door.

"Shinpachi-san, get some warm water and some soap. And some gloves for me. Cats don't usually like water." The man, Hijikata replied. Darn, right we don't. Chizuru thought. "Here is the water and soap and the gloves.

Hijikata put the cat gently in to the warm water and felt the cat relax. "That's not so bad is it?" Hijikata asked. The cat began to purr.

Okay the water was nice. She fell asleep. She didn't know how long she was in the water for when she was picked up and brought on to the floor to dry. Chizuru shook herself to get rid of the extra water off before a thick cloth covered her. Then someone began to rub her back gently.

"Hijikata-san, you have to tell me how you do that. Yesterday she was hissing, spitting and growling at me but when you held her she stopped and began to purr." Shinpachi said. "You smelt like blood and sweat." Hijikata answered. "Here, finish drying her, she is your responsibility since you brought her back." Hijikata said handing him the cat. "But she doesn't like me." Hijikata didn't say anything he just pushed the cat in to his arms. The cat looked up at Shinpachi and purred.

"See? It was just the way you smelt." Hijikata said and left. Shinpachi finished drying her and her coat was a light brown. "You are beautiful." He whispered. The cat squirmed out of his arms and jumped on to the window seal and escaped through the window. Shinpachi sighed letting her go.

Okita came in the room. "Where is the cat?" He asked. "Gone, she doesn't belong here." Shinpachi replied and got up and went to breakfast.

Not noticing the cat that was watching.

Chizuru ran all the way back to her house and changed forms. She stretched her muscles. Being a cat for three days was sore. Next time she will change in to a dog. "Kaoru, I'm home." Chizuru called out and went in to her brother's room, he wasn't there. "Kaoru." She called from the other side of the bathroom door. Nothing.

She tried every room upstairs but when she got down stairs everything was turned upside down. And there was the smell of blood. "KAORU! She screamed out. Then a neighbour came out of nowhere. "They took him." He said. Chizuru didn't even waste a second; she shifted back in to the cat and bolted out the door.

When she reached the familiar building she scratched at the gate and meowed frantically for someone to let her in.

"Did you hear that, Sanosuke?" "It's coming from the gate. I'll go and see." The next thing Chizuru knew the gate was open. Chizuru bolted past the man named "Sanosuke". "Wow." He said, clearly not expecting a cat.

Chizuru looked around and finally found him. She ran over to him. "Shinpachi, she's back." A boy around about Chizuru said nodding in her direction. She reached him and grabbed a mouth full of his clothing and tugged as hard as she could.

"What is she doing?" Heisuke asked looking at the cat in complete confusion. "I think she wants you to follow her." Hijikata said. The cat meowed as if to say yes and ran for the gate. Hijikata gathered the others and they followed the cat.

"This is the village where the people with live." Keisuke said. "Keep you guard up." Hijikata called out as the cat led them to a house. Hijikata stepped inside first and looked around. They have entered from the top of the stairs. "The first floor is underground." Isami explained. Before anyone could say anything else the cat meowed to get their attention. When she did she let the change take over and changed in to her human form. "Please help me find my brother." She said on the verge of tears.

The men stared at her in shock.

She was one of them...

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