Hey all! I watched Hakuoki for the first time last week, and I was intrigued by its interpretation of the Shinsengumi, the events that occurred the Shinsengumi's history, and the psychology of the commanders and captains of this shogunate military group. And so here is my first story, written as an alternate universe where the Shinsengumi gets thrown into a world that they don't know anything about.
Please comment/follow/favorite/subscribe! This is my first story ever written, and so I really want to improve for all of you. I hope you all enjoy, and thank you for reading!
A.N. I only own the story, and own nothing of Hakuoki, the Shinsengumi, or the characters.
Chapter 1
"Thanks, Sen-chan!" a young woman with black hair and maroon highlights waved as she hung her barista apron and picked her bag up from the coat stand. Chizuru put her coat on to brave the crisp and chill autumn wind and stretched out her legs, which were sore from standing for the last four hours.
"No worries, Chi-chan! I'll close up tonight, so study hard!" her friend and colleague at the campus café waved back, albeit with a worried gaze. "Please get some sleep tonight?"
Chizuru shrugged, this wouldn't be the first nor the last time she stayed up after leaving the café down in the evening. Yet, she sent her friend a sincere smile, "Will try! Good night!"
"Night!"
Upon opening the front door of the café, a sudden gust of frigid wind blew at Chizuru, sending her long hair into a frenzy. She could never understand why the weather in the northeast was so sporadic, as it was only September and city-goers were already downing knee-length coats. But that was what she had to deal with to study at one of the best universities in the country. She had no choice; with no family left, there was nothing to go back to in the small rural village she grew up in.
Stop thinking about this again, just get home first. She shook her head before pulling the fluffy hood over her head to protect her ears. Chizuru sighed as she realized she had once again lapsed into sadness. She was aware of the loneliness that plagued her life ever since her family passed away from the epidemic just one year before. The wound of losing her closest confidantes and number-one supporters still felt like a fresh wound in her heart, and she had yet to repair that gaping hole in her life.
The epidemic itself was also a mystery, and Chizuru was one of the few who survived its aftermath. This new and deadly killer had stumped even the top researchers from all over the world, as the bacteria responsible was resistant to every antibiotic and had only come existence within the last two years. It had even managed to evade the drastic methods of increasing pressure, temperature, radiation, and acidity in laboratory settings. But despite its ability to ensure a guaranteed but slow death upon infection, it was rare for the infection to occur. So far, it had only plagued the many rural villages that dotted the vast expanses of the country's land. Unfortunately, Chizuru's family did reside in one of those very areas, and had fallen victim to the disease's destruction.
Indeed, the tragic event was also successful at solidifying Chizuru's drive to become a physician. If she had her way, she would have majored in art. However, she was now on her own and had to make sure that she could live a comfortable life. Being an artist was simply too risky for anyone with no surviving family members or stable financial support, so Chizuru decided to follow the logical, responsible, and noble path of medicine.
Yet, a meager inheritance and little to no background in medicine also forced the young woman to take up a part-time job and enroll in evening pre-medical supplementary classes in order to maintain stellar grades in her science classes for the campus-wide academic scholarship that she was a part of. So as Chizuru climbed up the steps of her apartment and unlocked the front door, she sighed as a result of the sheer number of tasks that she still had to complete.
"Mom, Dad, I'm home," Chizuru greeted the lone picture frame that decorated the living room upon entering. She bowed deeply and took a deep breath in before kneeling in front of her parents' images. "In case you're wondering, today has been okay so far. Work was nice, and Sen helped a lot with dealing with some rowdy students. It is Friday, after all," Chizuru recounted, as if her parents were sitting right in front of her. "Anyway, I'm going to go and study!" she smiled and pumped her fist into the air, as if to give herself a boost in energy. "Today's lecture was interesting, and I do need to catch up on studying. I might do some pottery later, but we'll see."
She stood up and bowed ninety-degrees once again. "Wish me luck, Mom and Dad. I miss you. Love you too," she murmured. Chizuru then made her way to her combined bed and study room, set down her bag, and pulled out her organic chemistry textbook. "Okay, let's do this!" she exclaimed before diving fully into her work.
[薄桜鬼]
The clock's light ringing sounded at midnight, and Chizuru yawned while setting her pencil down. She just finished the last question in the problem set, and could technically go to bed. However, despite the fatigue that she could feel settling into her body, her mind was still on overdrive. There was no way for her to sleep at this time.
"Hmm, a hot drink and some pottery sounds nice about now," Chizuru muttered while getting up to fill the kettle with hot water. After pouring herself a steaming cup of hot water with a slice of lemon and a teaspoon of honey, she settled into her pottery bench. She had just completed the clay mold the last of the seven figures of famous samurai from the Shinsengumi the day before, and Chizuru smiled as she began to mix various paints together. She had always been fascinated with the legendary samurai organization that protected the Shogun and kept their loyalty to the very end. As she delved into understanding their history as part of her Japanese history final paper in the previous semester, Chizuru had begun to carve her own figures of the group's leaders.
Despite the lack of photographs and pictures, she managed to create her own representations of each Shinsengumi member. Chizuru had no idea why, but she was somehow able to visualize each character's physique and facial features. These mental images of the men with swords felt real and raw, and so she did her best to imitate what she could see.
Another two hours passed as Chizuru painted each figure. Once she finished the last stroke of her paintbrush, she got up to place her easel and brushes in the small bucket of water that she always kept on the side. That was productive, but thank God that it's the weekend. Chizuru yawned again as her smartphone flashed and displayed "2:00 am" on the background. She crawled into bed, and turned so that she could face the full moon that shone bright and proud. It seemed the illuminate the entire sky, brightening the shadows even though darkness covered the entire land.
So pretty, Chizuru thought as she continued to glance at the moon. She felt safe and secure, and it helped to bridge the emotional gap that she felt within her. With such pleasant emotions in mind, she hugged her blanket tighter and succumbed to the sleep that she was so sorely lacking.
[薄桜鬼]
"Even with tuberculosis, I will protect Kondou-san. I am his sword, that is my only purpose in life."
"I failed to protect Kondou-san… We said we would rise together! So why did I leave him there?! Why did I leave him there to die?!"
"I will serve the Aizu domain until the very end. May I carry 'Sincerity' with me onto the battlefield?"
"I have to catch up to Shinpachi… in Aizu…"
"Hijikata-san, did I help out in the end? Was I useful?"
"We didn't see eye to eye all the time, but I am glad to have been your comrade."
"See you soon, Sano! I'll be waiting for ya!"
"Aaaah!" Chizuru yelped as she woke up in a daze, beads of sweat lining her forehead. Somehow, a barrage of voices filled her head during her sleep, and the imagery surrounding each voice bombarded her eyes and her whole being. She wanted to cry; each flashback was full of blood and sorrow. Red and white. Screams and grimaces.
But Chizuru had no time to wallow, for once her tears fell from her face, her eyes focused on a glinting piece of metal right in front of her nose, the pointed end dangerously close to her skin.
"Run away and I'll kill you," a deep voice resonated from above her. Chizuru looked up, and found herself gazing into dark-purple irises. The man staring ominously at her was dressed in the Shinsengumi patrol attire, and his metal forehead-protector sparkled in the moonlight. His long black hair was tied into a ponytail, and it seemed to sway even while he stood still. His lips were drawn in a thin line, and not a single trace of amusement was evident on his graceful facial features. What's happening? Why does he look like Hijikata Toshizo? Why is he dressed in the Shinsengumi uniform? Chizuru wondered to herself while trying not to panic at the sword that could cut her head off at any moment.
"Hijikata-san, can you move? I'm about to sit on Saitou-san," a mocking voice rang out closer to her bedroom door. Chizuru looked up to see a somewhat familiar red-haired, green-eyed man whose chest was partially exposed due to the loose arrangement of the hakama.
Oh, so he is Hijikata Toshizo… No wonder… Is that man Okita Souji? Chizuru held in a sigh as she came to realize why the man standing above her was so familiar. She watched as the said man turned his head to the side and responded, "Souji, I'm already as far up as I can go."
"Why are you on top of me, Shinpachi? You're freaking heavy!" a boyish yet strangled voice sounded from next to Chizuru's bed. What? Another one?
A loud voice echoed in laughter, "Heisuke! It's because you're too skinny and small!"
"Fat oldy."
"Twerp."
"YOU DID NOT JUST CALL ME TWERP!"
"Heisuke, calm down," another deep voice resounded close to the door, but Chizuru could not find the source.
"I think we're scaring the poor young-lady here, are we not?" a quiet voice spoke slowly and calmly, but his tone sounded suspicious. Chizuru glanced to side and found a slender man with glasses boring his gaze into hers.
"She looks frightened out of her mind, poor thing," another man with maroon hair tied into a low ponytail remarked as he made his way towards the end of her bed, a light but menacing smile on his face.
"Not like you're helping, Harada," Okita laughed merrilessly.
This can't be happening to me right now, Chizuru thought as she looked at each man in the room. All were looking right at her, waiting for her to move. She noted that each had his katana and wakizashi strapped to the waist, with the exception of Harada Sanosuke as his spear was very close to piercing her bedroom ceiling. Wait…
Where are the figurines?! Chizuru panicked as her eyes flickered to her bookshelf, and none of the dolls were there. No way…
"You cannot escape," Hijikata spoke again. "Why are you looking away?"
"Because your face is demonic, Hijikata-san," said a voice who Chizuru thought was probably Okita Souji. "But seriously, why are you waiting? Just kill her."
"Shut up."
And she fainted.