RK: Yayyyyy! I survived the semester omggg. Sleepless nights are over at last! I've been waiting for this so I can finally have my daily dose of Hakuouki again (yep, I'm gonna re-watch it to avoid contradictions between the characters and the scenes plus making them OOC).
So without further ado..
It's been a week since Kyouko became a temporary resident in the Shinsengumi headquarters. And almost nine days since the fire incident. The burning image of her house was repeatedly playing inside her skull and she was reminded of all the struggles she had to face just to find a place she could call home. A modest dango shop owned by a sweet old lady was where Kyouko had spent most of her years after arriving in Kyoto. Mari-obaachan had no child and had become a widow at a young age. Despite of those things, the female human had remained kind and was loved dearly by her customers.
When Kyouko first tasted the dango sold in Mari-obaachan's shop, she found it utterly delectable and had asked the old woman how it was made. It was obvious that the kind shopkeeper needed help and Kyouko, who didn't have a steady source of income, gladly offered her assistance. She was the server, cleaner, and repairwoman of the dango shop. Their customers, especially the men who wanted to see the new beautiful waitress, had increased greatly. However, fate took the first human Kyouko had ever loved and she was forced to remember the bitter truth that humans are frail; they will die eventually due to old age or sickness.
When Mari-obaachan had passed away, her world had crumbled even though she knew in her heart of hearts that the old lady was happy and contented as she went onto the next world.
Of course, the dango shop was left in her care and she'd spent all of her energy running it. It was her only memory of the kind female human so she had treasured and cherished it as her own. Life needed to continue and she, too, had to move on. Mari-obaachan had taught her many things and she'll remember them for the rest of her existence. Thus, Kyouko began rebuilding herself for the second time; for the first one was when she had left the Western lands and fled into the capital.
It was pure luck that I stumbled upon Mari-obaachan's shop the following weeks after arriving here in Kyoto.
Nostalgia was devouring her but then she remembered that the first unit should be returning from their patrol any minute now. Oh, shoot! With haste, Kyouko went back to her task and started hanging the washed haoris; she finished the rest and prayed that Okita Souji's group would arrive late today. Kyouko almost tripped as she quickly walked to where the kitchen was located.
"Is there something bothering you, Kazama?"
The blond oni didn't make an effort to reply. His thoughts were fully occupied with the rebarbative information Sen had given him last night. Going for days without sleep was something that had never bothered nor hindered him; yet he was feeling unusually restless at the moment. Amagiri may or may not have the knowledge that his younger sister was in Kyoto, and was with that pathetic group of foolish warriors at present, but for now, he would have to leave that and focus on the task at hand. The leaders of the Satsuma-han had called them to serve as bodyguards while the discussion regarding the smuggled weapons—brought by foreign ships and were currently being offered to their military force—was taking place in one of the inns where the agents of Satsuma were staying.
Such meetings were usually conducted during late hours but the foreigners had insisted that they do it earlier to avoid being caught. The Satsuma agents who had dealt with them had agreed without complain; they must have learned something from the previous incident in Ikedaya where the Bakufu dogs had suddenly appeared and disrupted their ongoing discussion. A lot of their men had been arrested in the scene as well, so conducting early meetings seemed to be the better gamble.
The two were treading their way to the inn, with the red-haired oni a few paces behind Chikage; but even with the amount of distance between them, Amagiri Kyuuju could feel the agitated aura radiating from the Kazama clan-head who normally possessed a composed and collected air of presence.
Maybe he's thinking about the Yukimura girl again, Amagiri told himself. He wanted to ask further questions but it would be best not to pry on his personal issues—if he wanted to avoid Kazama's wrath, that is.
Turning right would take them closer to their supposed destination but Chikage kept going forward; he was walking the path which led to the marketplace. Amagiri still followed suit and thought that maybe he simply wanted to buy something before going to the inn. They weren't late for the meeting anyway.
Even so, that would be quite atypical for Kazama. He would commonly go straight to wherever they were required to go and be done with it. The blond oni was vocal about his loathing for human affairs (or humans in general) but since they were vassals to the lords of Satsuma, they had no choice but to heed to their command until their land-debts were paid. That's why whatever it was that he was planning to buy must certainly be of great importance.
"Kazama, what is it that—"
Amagiri halted from his query when he saw what really made Kazama go straight into the marketplace and ignore the shortcut which they had recently passed by.
The Wolves of Mibu were conducting their usual patrol again and were probably on the way back to their headquarters. Ignoring the warning bells in his head, Chikage advanced and was quickening his steps when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He paused to regard Amagiri but his ruby eyes immediately went back to the patrolling unit of the Shinsengumi moving further away from them.
"We do not have time to deal with the Shinsengumi at the moment, Kazama. It would be wise that we go to the inn immediately," stated the red-haired oni.
Clicking his tongue, Chikage said nothing as he turned around and proceeded walking the opposite direction to where the Mibu wolves were going. Amagiri shook his head and let out a small sigh, trailing behind him once more.
They finally reached their destination and both oni went inside the lodge. Seated in a large room were the vanguard of the Satsuma-han assigned in the capital and three foreigners, each holding heavy, rectangular cases. The discussion regarding the smuggled weapons and its prices commenced and Chikage silently listened, inwardly criticizing the treacherousness of the humans and their greed for power.
Suddenly, his thoughts betrayed him and he found himself thinking about his younger sister again. Amagiri must have noticed his frustrated expression, taking a glance from his post at the other end of the doorway.
"I'm paying the Bakufu dogs a visit tonight," his deep voice was barely audible but Amagiri managed to hear him and nodded in response.
"Do you need help, Kyouko-chan?" greeted a cheerful voice.
"Ah, Chizuru-chan. Yes, yes, do you mind making some tea? There's still some green tea leaves here but I think we have to go buy some more tomorrow," replied Kyouko who's filling the bowls with rice.
The two girls finished their task in the kitchen (with Kyouko doing most of the work) and were holding the trays of food to be served in the spacious room where the Shinsengumi captains ate. Kyouko went twice to get the other trays and back to the common room while Chizuru was left boiling tea in the kitchen.
"Hey, Kyouko."
Kyouko abruptly spun in her heels, causing her to lose balance. She was about to drop the trays of food on the floor but Harada Sanosuke quickly snatched both trays from the girl before they slip from her palms.
"Oi..that was close," he stated as he directed his amber eyes to the mildly stunned female.
The blonde recovered from her startle and met his stare, offering the 10th division Captain a sheepish smile. She grabbed the other tray back and walked inside the common room to place it on the floor while Sanosuke did the same.
"Next time, don't just suddenly call people especially when they're holding heavy trays of food, ne, Harada-san?" she chided him. Kyouko counted the trays to make sure she cooked enough for everyone before going outside to stretch her arms a little. Sanosuke followed and casually leaned against the wooden post.
"Yeah, yeah, my bad. And stop that, alright? It's Sano."
She was about to retort when she saw the other captains walking closer to them. So she pushed Sanosuke back inside, the latter still telling her how old he feels when she addressed him as 'Harada-san'. Then the other men entered the common room and began having their lunch as soon as they sat down on the floor. Kyouko was already used to them complimenting her cooking and it warmed her heart when she sees the satisfied expression everyone had while eating the food she'd painstakingly prepared. She was naturally a terrific cook but she wanted to make every meal extra special because she was cooking for them. Honestly, she still had no idea why they offered her a place to stay when she's but a mere friend of Chizuru. Even then, Kyouko had to somehow repay them for their kindness, regardless of it being genuine or not.
Chizuru's extremely fortunate to have met these people.
The usual ruckus during meals with the Shinsengumi had transpired and the blonde had found it surprisingly amusing: Nagakura Shinpachi stealing food from Todo Heisuke's plate, making the latter whine and try to snatch it back. Laughter filled the room as they all watched the small fight between the two captains—except their demon vice commander, Hijikata Toshizo, of course, who simply gave out an exasperated sigh.
Kyouko beamed; to once again feel a sense of belongingness was a luxury she desired the most. She was hoping…praying that the camaraderie between her and the Shinsengumi would somehow blossom and deepen—if that was even possible for someone like her. But they knew of Chizuru's real form and still, they accepted her. She wanted to earn their respect; for they had already earned hers, months before she was offered to stay with them. The Shinsengumi may have been hated by many in the capital but Kyouko had always admired them for protecting the people—even at the cost of their lives and reputation.
The scent of green tea leaves permeated the common room as Kyouko continued to fill each of their cups, her own tray of food left untouched. Dismissing the captains' goading (plus Hijikata-san's) with an excuse that she wasn't hungry yet was a piece of cake. But when it was Isami Kondo who finally asked her to eat, armed with that terrifyingly gentle voice no one can say no to, Kyouko blurted the first thing that came to her mind. "Uhm, I was actually waiting for Okita-san to arrive so.."
All eyes fell on the other untouched tray of food next to Saito Hajime's. "That's right, Souji hasn't arrived yet, has he?"
"Then if that's the case.."
Kyouko glared at the smiling Shinpachi before he could lay his hands on the tray. "H-Hey Kyouko-chan, don't give me that look.. It's kinda unsettling to see the same pair of red eyes staring at you like that you know. Man, you really are his sister," stuttered the 2nd division Captain. Rolling her eyes, the blonde stood and turned towards the shouji doors.
"That's because I didn't put green onions on that one, Nagakura-san. I'm going to get more tea," stated Kyouko as she walked outside the room. She heard him say "huh? what's with green onions?" and she sighed, slightly shaking her head at his query.
"I don't recall telling you that I dislike green onions, Kyouko-chan. Are you stalking me or something?"
She paused to look over her shoulder and saw Okita Souji leaning on the sliding door, his arms crossed as he narrowed his feline green orbs and gave her his signature grin. "I might have to kill you if you keep doing that, you know."
"I'm not stalking you. It's but a matter of being heedful of things, even those that others tend to ignore. Oh, and welcome back, Okita-san. You might want to eat your lunch now or Nagakura-san's going do the honors for you," she replied and offered him a small smile before walking to the kitchen.
Dusk had fallen and the Shinsengumi headquarters was enveloped by silence save for the mild rustling of leaves and the soft blowing of wind. Darkness had reigned over the compound with only the dim light from the lanterns inside the rooms illuminating the place. The moon was hiding itself and thick clouds had taken the pleasure of covering the stars.
Hearing creaks of wood and light footsteps, Kyouko stood from her seat and traipsed to where the sounds where coming from: the dojo. She was mildly vexed by the fact that her nightly meditation was disturbed but dismissed it, cracking a smile as she half-jogged to the location of the dojo. There's only one person who would train this late. So she wasn't surprised when she saw the captain of the 3rd unit practicing by himself, sweat sliding down his emotionless countenance and a bokken held firmly on his left hand. It seemed that he didn't notice her presence as he kept swinging the wooden sword against the air; each of his strikes precise and calculated. Grabbing another bokken, Kyouko gently tapped the wall with her knuckles and cleared her throat, causing the stoic man to halt and look at her.
"Mind if I be your sparring partner for the night, Saito-san?" she stated, readying in position in front of him. He gave a single nod before he steadied himself as well. Both were waiting for the other for a few seconds but it was the blonde who gladly initiated the first move. Saito blocked her attack with ease and the two parried, their wooden swords threatening to break from the force they were exerting. Their bokkens clashed a number of times but Kyouko landed the first strike, mildly shocking Saito. "You've improved, Miyazaki."
"No, you're just tired already. Let's spar again tomorrow, if that's fine with you. I still couldn't take that you defeated me with five moves last time so.."
Saito took the bokken from her grasp and placed both their wooden swords in the rack. The girl walked outside the dojo with him following after he slid the doors shut. They enjoyed the comfortable silence as they went back to where the sleeping quarters were located. Kyouko's room was between Chizuru's and Heisuke's, the crossdressing female's room to her left and the youngest captain's to her right—just three rooms away from their vice commander's. The chambers belonging to the other captains were at the other side facing theirs, the well-kept garden (courtesy of Kondo-san) at the middle, separating them.
Stopping by her room, Kyouko thanked the indigo-haired man and was about to bid him goodnight when they heard steel clashing on steel followed by a loud thud. A fight…? Saito speedily moved to where the tumult was resonating as Heisuke, looking fully-awake but was in his sleeping robe, emerged from his room and ran after him. With haste, Kyouko scampered inside her own room, grabbed her katana and dashed to the scene as well. "Kyouko-chan, what was that?"
The blonde looked over her shoulder and saw Chizuru scurrying behind her. "I don't know, but I think I heard Hijikata-san.." Both girls ran as fast as they could until they finally reached the commotion. The other captains were already there, all in their fighting stances. Keeping her presence of mind, Kyouko readied herself, her senses heightened as she analyzed the scene before them: the feared Shinsengumi vice commander spewing out expletives as he stood upright, his purple irises searching for his opponent. She drew her blade from its sheath which was clumsily tied around her waist and gestured for Chizuru to move behind her. They were almost equal in terms of height; she was only about an inch taller than Chizuru. Nevertheless, Kyouko had seen the other girl in a skirmish during an afternoon patrol before. Chizuru wouldn't be able to fight head-on if push comes to shove and the blonde inwardly berated herself for not having the intuition to train her for the past few days.
Suddenly, there were gunshots and she saw Sanosuke sprint to his left, his spear on one hand. When Kyouko directed her eyes back to Hijikata, he was already on the ground spitting blood. The other captains were about to aid their vice commander but he yelled for them to stay out of his fight. Chizuru also froze in her current place but Kyouko dashed forward and in a split-second, she was in her fighting position in front of Hijikata. "Y-You idiot, stand back and get out of here, Kyouko!"
"I can't and I won't. You're already wounded, Hijikata-san. I'm not a member of the Shinsengumi but I would like to help you to the best of my abilities," she replied, staying alert as she waited for the intruder.
Without warning, flashes of yellow and red momentarily blurred her vision and she swung her katana forward; waves of her innate potence encircling her as she suppressed her Oni powers. I can't let them see me in my true form. Not yet.. She felt the reverberating force of her attacker's blade blocking her own and she prepared herself for his next move, adrenaline rushing through her veins as her heartbeat galloped in anticipation. However, when she readjusted her vision and saw who her opponent was, her heart stopped.
"Kyouko." Hearing him growl her name was enough to make her knees weak. That ever familiar baritone voice of his that had sent their enemies back in the West running in fear with their tails behind their backs like the inbred cowards they were. He, who had sworn to protect little Kyouko from anyone who would hurt her; the man to whom she had said, "I don't think I can ever hate you even if you start despising me for my blood," before she fled and went into the capital. Her respected, beloved, older brother was here in the Shinsengumi headquarters, right before her eyes.
"Chikage-nii.."
RK: And so the siblings finally met. What will our brave Shinsengumi captains and their vice commander do? Oh, and Sen is going to reappear in the following chapters that's for sure, heh heh. I had to introduce Kyouko Miyazaki/Kazama into the plot first, gomenasai. Plus, I would like to ask you guys, whom would like Kyouko to end up with? Well sure, the Shinsengumi guys would fall in love and go crazy for Chikage's sister but haha, I'm having trouble deciding who would win her heart in the finale. So I'm leaving the burden of choosing to you! Please leave a review, minna-san.
