A/N: First time writing fanfic of Gintama. I tried to think up some parody, so if someone have any parody idea for the next chapter, please tell me. :D I somehow like Hijikata because of his role as the straight man. Though it's still damn funny to me. xD
Warnings: MayoMan X OC : Might bore you to death.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama and the characters, but the OC belongs to me. ಠ_ಠ
Summary: Courage test, horror and summer blends in well doesn't they?
At the end of the village, there's an old house – seems abandoned, but villagers are afraid of that house. It's said that an ogre lives there, a real ogre. Nobody knows how the house looks like inside, but nobody returns from the house once they goes in.
What's going on? It's been bothering the villagers. At night, some said that there are sound of bells from inside. Some said that the ugly ogre appears once in a while, when the moon is dark – in another word, new moon.
Today, the day of a new moon. The Shinseigumi, whose job are to protect Edo and maintain the peace are hanging around in the headquarters – not doing anything since there aren't much to do today.
Then, the Shinseigumi's Ace – Okita Sougo nominates a 'courage test' to spend their free time tonight. The location is at the 'ogre's house'. Most of them doubts to go, but –
"That's a nice idea! I could feel my blood gushing through my body! I can't wait to play this game!" said Kondo Isao, the Commander of the Shinseigumi.
WHACK!
A kick lands on the commander's face, making his nose bleed heavily. Hijikata Toushiro, the Vice Commander of the Shinseigumi crosses his arms in front of his chest after he landed a kick on the gorilla guy.
"AT LEAST WEAR SOME CLOTH IDIOT!" he yells – agitated from Kondo's actions.
To the rest of Shinseigumi guys, Hijikata is a demonic incarnation of a guy due to his hot temper and barbaric actions. No wonder he's not popular with girls.
"You want to get killed didn't you?"
Ahah, so – moving on. All of them are already at the old house. Apparently they're not wearing their leisure kimono, but their uniform in summer night. Of course, to most members, their uniforms were ripped at the shoulder, which practically made it sleeveless.
Hijikata in the other hand, doesn't want to do that to his uniform, so he just wear the white shirt and black vest, while holding his uniform's jacket on his hand. The chain smoker lights up his tobacco, his gun-metal blue eyes glancing towards the abandoned traditional Japanese house.
The Shinseigumi guys were split to few teams – of course the first team would be Hijikata, Kondo, Okita, Yamazaki and the other few unnamed characters.
All of them steps into the house calmly, even though some freaked out a little from hearing ripples and cracking sound – they goes on until they reaches the altar room.
"Hei hei... The incense looks like they were just burnt don't you think?"
"... perhaps something actually lives in here."
Seeing the condition of the house – it's not really 'abandoned' like rumored by villagers. It's more like old and hardly maintained. As they continue on further, Okita notices something is off.
"Are? Where's Yamazaki-san?" he asks.
They turns around in surprise. It's true, Yamazaki is gone. They starts to have an uneasy feelings inside of them. As they goes on, one by one goes missing, until there's only Hijikata left.
"I can't believe this. T-t-they left and goes back on their own!" he growls lowly.
Secretly freaked out, the Demon Vice Commander tries to keep his cool. He tries to hypnotize himself, believing that the other members left to go back to the headquarters already. He looks around him, feeling that someone's watching him.
He coughs to keep himself steady and walks fast to find an exit, but – he ended up in a weird room. Hijikata could see many mask hanging on the wall, most of them looks ridiculously creepy, which freaks him out a little.
"S-s-shut up! I'm n-not freaked out! I'm j-j-just spooked!" he yells.
Isn't that the same? Just shut up and die, Hijikata.
"Why do I get the feeling that the author is Okita?" he mumbles under his heavy breath.
No it's not Okita, you idiot. Anyhow, going on. Hijikata could hear creaking noise – resembling footsteps coming near him. His body jolts slightly in surprise, his sharp eyes staring at the shouji screen door, where a shadow reflects on it.
Hijikata could feel that his heart beating fast – waiting for the suspicious shadow to show its true form. Is it really the rumored ogre? Does he really exist in this house? He then unsheathe his sword in a form of protection.
"You... You don't need to freak out... Your subordinates are still here, unharmed.." the shadow slowly speaks.
What was that? Hijikata's eyes widen slightly, listening to the other voice.
'Female? That's clearly a female voice right?' he thinks.
"Is it fine for me to open the door?" she asks.
Hijikata replies with a simple 'yeah', at least he's a bit relieved that the person is a woman. He sheathes his sword and breathes out calmly. He lit his tobacco, waiting for the woman to show herself.
As the shouji screen slides open, it reveals a woman in dark green kimono. Her hair are caramel, long and tied into two pigtails. Words couldn't describe her beauty – but somehow, her green-gold optics.. seems broken.
"Follow me. Your subordinates are eating at the parlor." she says.
Suddenly, a vein pops on his head, twitching comically. So while he's looking for an exit, they're enjoying themselves with the foods. He regrets from freaking out for them. He follows the smaller woman across the ridiculously long hallway. Just how big can this house get?
"You live here?" he asks.
The female looks at him and smiles cheerfully. By that, he could feel something flicks inside him. Like a switch – which made him slightly flusters from her smile.
"I'm sorry if I freaks you out or something. I feel like it's my job to restrain humans from coming here as there's a wild beast within the deepest part of this house." she replies.
"Wild beast?" he questions.
She nods just slightly to his question.
"Apparently, some human been messing with the shrine in the house when I was gone, and they removes the seal used to keep the beast in the shrine, so he's now roaming around the house." she adds.
"Thanks to that, I have a job to look over any humans who came into the house and scares them – at least before they meet the beast and ends up getting devoured." she continues on.
Hijikata focuses on her voice, listening to what she need to say. Seems like she just did him a favor there, saving him before he manages to meet the beast. She explains that she used the masks to scare humans away from the house, – she's apparently the ogre in the house.
He sighs slightly, stepping into the parlor where the remaining Shinseigumi guys are lazying around. He also notices that this part of the house seems well maintained instead of some parts in the house.
He could see little helpers – little female helpers about 2 years old baby's tall, distributing foods on the tray. It seems like she manages to gather everyone from the Shinseigumi who took part in the activity into this large parlor.
"Miss, what's this little person? They looks like Shikikami." Yamazaki asks.
(A/N: Shikikami is Hidemoto Keikain of Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyo's Shikigami. They're like small courtesans with slit-like eyes.)
The woman sits on the floor, next to Hijikata. She orders the little helper to give food to the person who just joined them not long ago.
"They're my friends. Apparently they're very happy because there are many people coming here." she chuckles slightly from her words.
"They're happy? But you said that it's dangerous for us to be here." Hijikata asks.
The girl goes silent for a while, nodding ever so slightly.
"Because of that, they're happy. We live here, we got visitors once in a while, but we have to drive them out. These children are lonely." she replies, patting one of the little helper's head.
"The safest part of the house is here, where it's well maintained. That one onmyouji helped me by creating a barrier, but.. – he died not long after this place was done." she adds.
Hijikata could feel her sincerity for having them as guests, and how honest her smiles are. He continues eating, thinking that he might enjoy this place for a while until they have to go later on.
It was later at dawn, when the Shinseigumi guys decided to go back to their headquarters. They have job to do like always. They actually spend their night here, because this place feels incredibly peaceful not mentioning the cold temperature even though it's summer.
"Guess we'll have to go now! Thanks for having us miss.. – uhm .." Kondo mumbles, not knowing the woman's name, so he's clueless on how to address her – even though they already told their name the day before.
"Amaterasu-omikami." she replies.
"Amaterasu-omikami..." Okita mumbles to himself, seems like he remember something about the name, just that he couldn't put a finger in any of his memories.
"Ah! Thanks, Amaterasu-chan!" Kondo laughs idiotically.
She smiles and watches the other walks away. She could feel that the little girls seems extremely happy from having them as company. Even though they're barbaric, they're very nice person.
"Thanks, Omikami-san." Hijikata mumbles.
"A-ano..." she calls out.
Hijikata turns around, looking at the shorter woman while his comrades already walk a bit further ahead.
"Come here again anytime, Toushi-dono." she says.
"Che.. Don't call me Toushi." he replies while scratching the back of his head.
She starts to panics, her smile turn into a slight scowl, a small frown is forming on her face. Upon looking at this, he couldn't help but to give up.
"... Call me whatever you want." he says.
"Then, Hijikata-bastard?" one of the little helper asks.
"That's rude! You should call him Toushi-jerk instead!"
"Ehh~! Only Amaterasu-sama could call him Toushi!"
"Shut up! What the hell with the jerk and bastard? Did Okita taught you that?" Hijikata agitates.
He got worked up really early in the morning. Amaterasu couldn't help but to laughs at this. Hijikata spats his annoyance once he see the genuine smile of the other. He turns around, ignoring the little girls now – walking to head back to the headquarters.
Well probably he would come back later after work. Who knows.
A/N: Didn't intend to make the story this way, but it ended up like this. I need to turn my sensitive mode on, as Gintama have very deep quotations that made me cry... Strawberry Milk's speech esp. Joking, but REALLY. I'm not going to explain her name yet, but some might know already tho.