KazaChi Week 2017
Day 2: Reunion
"We're here."
Chizuru blinked the drowsy fog out of her eyes as she lifted her head off of Kazama's shoulder and looked around.
They'd been riding since early morning, with only a short break for lunch. She'd tried to stay awake, she really had, but Kazama's shoulder had been surprisingly comfortable and she'd trusted him not to let her fall off the horse. The forest around them didn't look any different from when she'd dozed off, but the fading light lent it an ominous feeling.
Chizuru shivered slightly as she pulled herself closer to Kazama's back. She would have prefered to stay in her own home in Edo, with her patients and the few acquaintances she'd managed to make, but that was no longer possible.
Granted her neighbors had thought she was crazy when Kazama had first started living with her after showing up to 'retrieve' her, but eventually the muttering and rumors had died down. Especially since her skills were in such demand. Unfortunately it was those skills that had brought her to the attention of the government.
All it took was one official calling at her door and Kazama had been adamant that he was not waiting any longer to take her to his clan. Honestly it hadn't taken much convincing on her part, since the official hadn't even been vague about his interest in reviving her father's research.
No, it had been time to go… but that didn't mean she wasn't nervous about this next stage in her life. There was no getting away from the fact that she was going to marry Kazama. He'd made it clear that was what his clan would expect if he were to return with her.
Chizuru tried to suppress a smile at the memory of his surprise when she'd simply nodded and began packing. The idea of marrying Kazama didn't scare her anymore. While he'd been living with her, she'd practically been his wife in all but name and deed. What made her stomach clench and her palms feel sweaty was the fear of rejection. What if they didn't like her? What if they thought she wasn't good enough? What if she wasn't good enough? Could she handle the responsibilities they'd expect of her?
"Chizuru," the sound of Kazama's voice pulled her out of the spiral of her unfounded worries, "If you are going to daydream, please do so on the ground. I can't dismount until you do."
"Oh! Right. Sorry."
Carefully she started to swing herself off the horse, but even then the ground was still a long way away. Her hesitation had not gone unnoticed by Kazama, and he gave a quiet sigh, before taking hold of her arms and easily lowering her the final few feet to the ground. No sooner had her feet touched the dirt path, then he was also dismounting with an easy grace she couldn't help but envy.
Kazama frowned as he looked down the path ahead of them. "I sent a message ahead, so they will be expecting us."
Chizuru bit her lip as she nodded nervously. She hadn't noticed it earlier, but with the darkening forest, she could make out the faint flickering of firelight ahead of them, just out of sight around a bend in the path.
Kazama started forward, keeping one hand on the reigns, but Chizuru couldn't make herself move. She felt frozen with nerves, her worries returning afresh. Kazama had only gone a couple paces, when he realized she wasn't with him, he turned to look back at her.
"What is the problem?" She could see the subtle lines of tension appear in his shoulders as he said, "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet about this now."
"No, of course not." She rushed to say, finally managing to force her body to move the short distance to catch up with him.
"Then what is the problem?"
"Well… What if they don't accept me? I mean, I've never lived among our people before…" Chizuru stared down at the ground, her fingers clenching the fabric of her kimono.
Kazama sniffed disdainfully before he said, "They wouldn't dare. Besides," He tipped her head up to look at him, "I refuse to accept that there is anyone more suited to stand at my side."
Chizuru couldn't help the bright, relieved smiled that pulled at her lips, even if it was accompanied by an embarrassed blush at his declaration. He may be brisk at times, but Kazama always knew just what to say to set her at ease. In many ways, he had a number of the qualities she'd admired in Hijikata… not that she'd ever tell him that. He still refused to understand her obsession with those 'Bakufu Dogs'.
As if nothing of any consequence had happened, Kazama turned and resumed walking down the path. She hurried to keep pace with him, choosing to walk at his side, instead of slightly behind. He'd said she deserved to be there and she believed him.
All too soon, they were around the bend and ahead, Chizuru could see the path broadened into a wide street lined with buildings. It was no metropolis like Kyoto had been, but it was by no means small either. There were lanterns hanging from the corners of every roof, giving off a softly colored light, and she couldn't help but wonder if this was something they did all the time, or if it was in celebration of their arrival.
When Kazama had said he'd sent word ahead of their arrival, she'd assumed he meant for them to prepare some kind of event or celebration. Instead only three people stood at the entrance to the village.
Chizuru glanced up at Kazama to see if this was what he'd been expecting, but nothing seemed amiss in his expression or posture. If anything, he seemed more at ease than she'd ever seen him before. At least she wasn't going to be faced with the entire village just yet.
As they approached, she could make out two men and one woman. The woman's shoulders were stooped and bent with age, while the two men were tall and strong, one looking to be twenty or so years older than Kazama, while the other seemed closer to her own age, if not a couple years younger. Even in the tinted light, she could tell the younger man shared kazama's unusual blonde hair. Could they be related? The other man's hair was a black like her own, if lightly streaked with gray, but she took some comfort from its normalcy.
She'd always felt rather plain when compared with the other oni she'd come to know. Sen had her striking magenta eyes, Shiranui had his midnight colored hair, and Amagiri had his own striking combination of ice blue eyes and dark red hair. Even Kazama had red eyes and blonde hair, and yet she was left with dull black and boring brown.
The two men bowed and the old woman inclined her head when she and Kazama came to a stop in front of them. Chizuru blinked at the action, unused to anyone treating her with such diffidence.
"I trust your journey was safe, Kazama-san, Yukimura-san?" the older man said as he rose. When Kazama nodded, he continued, "Not much has changed since you left other than what I sent in my reports. I believe I speak for the elders when I say we will be more than happy to hand the day-to-day governance back over to you."
Kazama smiled somewhat wryly as he said, "I'm sure you would."
"Enough of the boring stuff already," The blonde man shot a smile at her, his eyes sparkling with the same excited light she'd seen in Heisuke's every so often. "Tell me nii-san, is this the woman I've heard so many stories about?"
Kazama's eyes narrowed as he glared at what she now knew to be his little brother. "What stories? I haven't told you any stories."
"Well you haven't, but it's all over the village about how you're marrying a fierce warrior princess who fought with the Shinsengumi." He turned his attention to her, a an all too familiar mischievous grin pulling at the corner of his mouth. "Is it true you fought off twenty Satcho soldiers at once during the battle of Toba-Fushimi? And that nii-san had to use all of his influence to keep the new government from arresting you?"
Chizuru stared at him, completely dumbfounded, "W-What?"
Warrior princess? Just what kind of reputation did she have?! How had menial chores and tending to the wounded evolved into that? The most she'd ever slayed was the dirt on the wooden floors and the leaves that had littered the courtyard, which was hardly a tale of epic valor.
Kazama sighed before shooting another glare at his brother, but it Chizuru didn't think it held any real anger behind it. It seemed to be more of a familiar routine between the two. "Even if your teasing seems to know no bounds, you would be wise to keep my future wife out of it."
"All right, all right," He winked at her, drawing an irritated huff from Kazama, "Just remember, I'll be happy to teach him a lesson if he gives you any problems."
"I-I'm sure that won't be necessary," Chizuru said, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. "Though I do appreciate your offer."
Up till then, the old woman had been silently watching the conversation unfold, so it was something of a surprise to Chizuru when she suddenly said in a no-nonsense tone, "That's quite enough out of you, young man. Do something useful with yourself for once and stable the horse."
Thankfully Kazama's brother didn't argue as he took the reigns from Kazama and led the horse down the street and around a corner.
The older man smiled kindly at her as he said, "I hope you will forgive him, Yukimura-san. He can be a handful sometimes, but his heart is in the right place."
"Oh, enough of that. Come here and let me look at you dear. This light doesn't do my eyes any good." The old woman said as she gestured for Chizuru to come to her.
When Chizuru was close enough, the woman's cool hands held her face as her sharp eyes looked her over as if searching for something, before finally settling on her eyes. Chizuru fought to keep her emotions calm and not look away from the piercing gaze holding her own.
It felt like an eternity before the woman finally smiled and nodded. "A fine choice. She will do well." Letting go of Chizuru, the woman turned to Kazama and jabbed a finger at him. "Well it certainly took you long enough. Did you have to examine every girl in the country before deciding on this one? I hope for your sake that she was the last one you looked at because I will personally give you a thrashing if she wasn't."
Chizuru waited with bated breath for Kazama's inevitable explosion. She'd never seen anyone talk to him like that.
Thankfully the explosion never came. Instead, he said with a measure of resignation, "No, I did not look through every girl in the country, and yes, she is last woman I have looked at to be my wife. Now, if that is all for tonight, Chizuru and I would both like dinner and to rest after our day's travels."
Without waiting for their answer, Kazama took her hand and began walking past the pair and down the street. Chizuru couldn't help but giggle when she heard him mutter under his breath, "Nagging old hag."
At the sound of her laughter, Kazama glanced down at her and offered her a small smile, his hand tightening around her own.
She may not know what to expect from her new life with Kazama in this village, but Chizuru couldn't help but think that it certainly wouldn't be boring. She'd become close to the feared captains of the Shinsengumi, and she'd to learn to love the man she'd once viewed as an enemy. She returned Kazama's smile. Being his wife and getting to know an entire village should be a walk in the park compared to that.