Chapter 01

Rating: K

Pairing: What else would you expect from yours truly?

This will be the first chapter of this story, based on Kagura's idea for improving Gintama in episode 50. "Gintama: Once Upon A Time In China Girl" just seemed to speak to me, and so I ran with it. If the characters seem OOC, then blame Kagura-chan for that :P Not sure how long it will go, but probably about 10 or so. Picks up with the middle portion of her little story, where she meets our favorite samurai. This one is mostly just introdution and stuff, next time will have some good fluff. Enjoy the beginning of the story, all.


She was all alone. Again. It still didn't quite feel normal. Didn't seem real. Like it was all just a really agonizing, depressing dream. The crack of the gunshot still rung in her ears, taunting her with its thunderous roar. The pair of glasses falling aimlessly through the air, their owner collapsing in a heap of agony. She could still feel as the life drained from his body, before his time.

It was not new to her that people could be cruel, and often did things for no reason. Yet, it somehow came as a surprise when it had happened to her. It was the kind of thing you always read about, and simply shook your head in disappointment. But you never think it can happen to you. That someone can be taken from you with the ease of pulling a trigger.

But it can happen. It had happened to her, and even now, several days later, her eyes still stung. They still felt raw and hot with tears, her vision slightly blurred behind a veil of salty liquid. Even though she had long past shed all her tears, her heart still ached. As she willed her feet to move, propelling her forward, the girl realized that she had nowhere to go. No destination.

The dark, cool sky around her seemed to follow her mood, and she stopped for an instant. The first drop of rain from this storm landed on her right cheek, providing a light shudder from the suddenness. Bringing her hand to the spot, she felt another little patter of water against her hand, cooling her seemingly burning skin. She thought about moving, instead choosing to stand in place a bit longer.

Turning her head to the sky, she watched the rain as it began to gather in intensity, the clear dots dripping all around her. The sky filled with the life giving fluid, its ability to wash away all things something that she was welcoming. She wanted it to wash away her pain, her agony, her loneliness.

Each drop of rain added itself aimlessly to her clothing, not taking long to soak clear through the red fabric. The pink of her shawl served to protect her red locks, but not for long. A very light, weak smile crossed her lips as she let the water wash over her, cooling her skin with its light touch.

It was oddly peaceful, and she strongly wanted to simply stay there, letting the clear water wash away her heart's scars. But she knew that was not good. Turning her gaze ahead of her, the girl let her eyes dart from side to side, taking in the dingy street. The poor looking booths to either side of her where merchants sold their wares. The whole scene was so sad, the dirt street turning into a muddy alley.

Her heart slowed a bit, her body sensing each individual beat as she slowly began to trudge forward. She didn't know where she would go, who she could turn to, but still she moved. Every step was its own new agony, each splash of water beneath her feet antagonizing her further. How could the world continue on like nothing had happened, while she was suffering all on her own?

How could people be so indifferent? Did they not realize that it was something that could happen to any one of them? She wanted to scream at them, to straighten them out. She wanted someone to share her agony, her pain, her stress. But there was no one. The dark gray of the buildings around her blurred with the gray of the sky, a light shiver coming over her from her cold, damp clothing.

That didn't matter to her though. Maybe if she got sick, she would be able to see him again. The thought brought a slight smile back to her face, before the tears threatened to spill out again. Shaking her head, she willed them back. She didn't want to cry anymore, didn't want to suffer anymore. The smile fell quickly, replaced with a sad frown.

With each step, she watched as the mud gave way around her feet, creating new, small puddles wherever she walked. It was a small thing, to make an impact in such a small way on the large planet. Small, yet still amazing as the thought swirled in her mind. Even a small impact is still an impact, though fleeting.

The people around seemed to almost vanish, dropping into the background as she walked. They paid her no attention, and so she would treat them the same. She felt her usually soft red hair pressing against her skin, the water holding it in place. It was the same for her clothing, soaked through to her undergarments. She wondered for a brief instant if the red coloring would seep through, staining the white beneath it.

Imagining the running red fluid brought back unwanted memories, of a thicker red fluid pooling beneath a prone form. The shivers in her body got stronger, and she had to fight her hardest to keep the tears in place this time. Everything seemed to be giving her memories of that day, each one seemingly trying to rip her fragile heart to shreds. Why was life making her suffer so much? Had she done something so unforgivable that the cosmos deemed it necessary for her to be so alone?

With that thought in mind, the girl forced herself forward, to some unknown destination. Some future that might provide some relief from her pain. She wanted, more than anything, to let go of the pain, to find some happiness. But the more she tried to let it go, the harder her heart seemed to grip it. Like even her own body was working against her.

Tucking her hands beneath her arms, crossed against her stomach, the red head tried to warm her petite body. All her body heat seemed to simply slip into the air, replaced with the coldness of the rain. Breathing became a bit more difficult, her teeth chattering lightly in the cold. The dirty sights around her made her feel even more miserable, making her miss the comforts of her small home she had shared with him.

The cold, wet fabric brushed carelessly against her soft, pale skin, and she could feel the little color she had in her skin leave. The rosy pink of her lips replaced with a soft blue, a similar hue beneath her fingernails. She watched as her warm breath rose from her lips, visible like smoke in front of her normally clear blue eyes. Just then, out of the edge of her vision, a sight that was completely out of place in such a poor area came into view.

Brows furrowed in frustration, the young man tried to fix his hair. No matter what he tried, the silver locks refused to style for any significant amount of time. He cursed his natural perm, wishing to have a more normal hairstyle. With a heavy sigh, he gave up, dropping his hands from the messy hair.

He watched as it fell into its usual configuration, a look that worked for him, he had to admit. Giving himself a last minute inspection in the mirror, he noticed his tie was a bit off. Straightening the blue piece of cloth, he then smirked at his appearance. Even though it was not something he enjoyed doing often, he knew he looked quite good in formal wear.

It was rare the occasion which called for him to dress up, but he occasionally had to put in for appearances. His friend Tatsuma often threw ridiculous parties, with an elaborateness that he didn't much care for. But as it was for one of his oldest friends, he felt somehow compelled to attend. It was strange that someone as absent minded as that could somehow run such a large, successful company.

'But he's not really the brains behind the operation.' he added to himself, smirking at the thought of the so-called "second in command" of their operation. The young woman was strong and serious, two qualities one would never be likely to connect to the leader, with his idiotic laughter, his bad memory, and overall carelessness.

Even though he was the wrong person to run a huge transport company, Gin always knew that Mutsu would keep things together. Tatsuma was just the man with the vision, not necessarily the ingenuity to put it together. That was probably why they made such a good team, though he suspected there were ulterior motives for the pair to stick together.

As he exited the small bathroom, Gin cast a look around his cozy little home. It was nothing major, but it was his. With a light smile, he casually made his way through the living room, straightening his charcoal toned coat as he approached the door. Slipping the dark formal shoes on, he felt his mood drop at the sound from outside.

Sliding open the door to the front, he internally winced, now debating whether he wanted to go or not. The heavy falling rain pattered strongly against the ground before him, dripping carelessly from the roof of his small home. Muttering a silent curse to his friend for picking such a horrible day for his event, Gintoki grabbed the purple umbrella from its stand near the door.

Opening the heavy paper item, he took a few hesitant steps into the cold of the outside. He could hear the somewhat hollow sound of raindrops against his umbrella, watching as it beaded down before dripping off the edge of it. With a more confident air, he closed the door before making his way down the small stone path that led from his home to the street.

The patter of rain against his mobile covering rang in his ears, irritating him to no end. He tried not to show it, his crimson eyes focusing on the world before him. Dark clouds seemed to dip from their place in the sky, nearly touching the ground. It seemed as though he had been walking for hours, the discomfort of the formal shoes making his feet ache as he walked.

Why did it have to be so far away? Why couldn't the gathering be somewhere closer? So what if his neighborhood was not the fanciest part of town. They didn't have to pick a place on the clear other side of town. Cursing himself, he lamented the fact that he had forgotten to grab his wallet, leaving him effectively penniless at the moment. Stopping briefly, he cast a sidelong glance at the nearby alley.

That was not something he wanted to do, to walk through the dingy street, but it was the only shortcut he could think of. Taking in a sharp breath, he made his way carefully down the street. Each step brought another splash of water at his feet, and he hoped the mud wouldn't ruin his one decent pair of shoes. It wasn't something he would normally care for, but he certainly didn't want to replace them if he didn't have to.

Looking from side to side, he let the umbrella hang loosely off his shoulder, tilting slightly so the rain fell behind him. The area was so poor looking, making him thankful for his meager dwelling. He wondered if these people had a home to return to, their clothing tattered and worn looking. They didn't look particularly dangerous, simply pitiable.

The dingy atmosphere of the back alley street fit with the dark clouds fairly well, and he felt oddly out of place. He tried to push his eyes into a narrowed, unconcerned look. He tried to look unaffected by the street and the people around him, something he had gotten fairly good at.

Being in the line of work he was, all sorts of skills were acquired, including a good poker face. He had occasionally been called in for help from his friend, whenever the deal he was working on needed that extra special touch. That was why it was important for him to look presentable from time to time, and why his presence at these things was so important.

In his mind, Gin began to run through more excuses on why he wouldn't have to go, ways to get out of it, and why he should never have accepted those jobs. A light breeze fluttered his dark grey coat lightly, edge flapping gently against his back. The wind felt good in his silver hair, the messy locks moving carelessly with the natural force.

As he walked, a colorful visions filled his peripheral vision, and his body involuntarily came to a stop. The world around seemed to vanish, the pattering of rain stopping as his crimson orbs caught sight of the young girl. She, just like him, seemed out of place there, and his mind was alight with curiosity about her.

Turning his head, he took her in with his whole vision, watching as he own eyes turned to consider him. His breath caught in his chest for an instant, her eyes impossibly blue for a human being. The soft, smooth porcelain skin seemed to glow with the moisture that glistened on it. Red locks held in place by the heavy rain, her pink shawl soaked in a similar fashion to her red Chinese clothing.

She was, in a word, breathtaking. Suddenly he forgot all about his previous engagements, all about his displacement in this area. All of that seemed to lose its meaning as he simply gazed at her. Gin felt his face fall into a look of what must have been wonder, something he wanted to smack himself for.

But as he looked at her, he noticed something else in those impossibly beautiful eyes. Something sad, something melancholic. Once his heart began beating normally once more, he tried to shake loose of her hypnotic stare, finding the task impossible.

With no words, she seemed to be pleading to him for something. Something he couldn't decipher, yet the innocence of her appearance made him want to give it to her. Whatever it was, if he was able, he would have. On instinct, he took the umbrella from its perch on his right shoulder, moving it so that it covered the young girl.

"You look pretty cold. You have anywhere to go?" he asked, surprised as the words seemed to just bubble out. The look of surprise on the girl's face made him think for a moment that he had made a mistake, and was thinking of what he could say to get out of the situation.

"No. I don't." Direct, to the point. The words cut right through him, piercing into his heart along with the near desperate tone to her voice. With a harsh swallow, he felt the rain begin to soak through his suit, but he didn't care.

"Well," he began, not entirely sure exactly what he was doing, "if you want, I have a place near here if you just want to be somewhere dry and warm." It was so unlike him, to take an interest in another person like that. But something about her just screamed at him. Screamed for him to be there for her.

For an agonizing period of time, he thought she was going to refuse, to scream that he was a pervert and make things more miserable for him. He caught a light trembling of her lips, her head turning down towards the ground at her feet. If he didn't know better, he would assume the girl was crying.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean to sound suspicious!" he tried to excuse his suggestion, fearing that he had upset this delicate creature. As he stammered through his apology, the girl giggled happily at him, her gaze returning to his.

"Alright." One word, all he had needed to hear from her. Sighing in frustration, he reached his hand out towards the girl.

"Gintoki." he spoke, watching the confused reaction of the young girl. "My name. Sakata Gintoki." At that, he gave her a reassuring smile, one which warmed as she grasped his hand.

"Kagura." She smiled up at him as she gazed into his magenta colored eyes, an almost impossible warmth in the smile to contrast with the sadness that still shone in her eyes. Something had happened to her, but he wasn't worrying about that now. Turning completely around, he let the girl approach next to him, pulling the umbrella over both of them.

He would have to remember to thank Sakamoto for this someday.

So sweet of Gintoki to offer his help to her like that, eh? Not sure why I picked up on this one, but it just seemed too good to pass up. Once I get the first 3 or so chapters of this up, I will probably do it simultaneously with 'A Family Affair', fluff for drama sort of thing. Any ideas on possible roles for the other characters, given the seemingly WWII setting, are appreciated. I have some ideas, but I am curious on your thoughts. Well, until next time loyal readers.