Thank you for your Review Captaintsukiko34. I really appreciate it.

I don't own Hakuouki, only the OC and plot.

Please comment or review! I'd really appreciate if I could read your insights and thoughts about the story.

When Ryo's father showed up, she thought everything is going to be fine, until more of those people came. He was outnumbered by the men of the west clan.

"As long as you have that, our clan will endure. Now, go!" It was the last thing she heard from her father. She was petrified for a moment but there was nothing she could do to help so she ran away. She ran and ran, as fast as she could. They tried to catch her but luckily she escaped in one piece. His father on the other hand, was killed. He refused to surrender and give what they were asking for. Days had past and she was still directionless, she wandered around the mountains. Somehow, Ryo and her mother found each other.

After a year or so, her mother became a concubine of a daimyo in Tsu domain. In spite of Ryo's mother being his mistress, the people treated them appropriately and with respect. However, some did speak ill of them such as the in laws of the daimyo. Nevertheless, there, they built a new life. Because they were still hiding from the West oni clan and the Satsuma Clan, Ryo changed her name to Kozue and took her mother's last name. Eventually, her mother and the daimyo had a child. Kozue became very close to her little brother and everything was simple and easy. But it seems like a serene and 'normal' life was just another pipe dream.

The Satsuma sent some oni of the western clan to the Tsu domain to capture them. It seems like the Satsuma scum were persistent on finding them to gain the secrets of the North oni clan. They'd do anything, even destroy another village, just to get their grubby hands on it.

They assaulted the village where Kozue and her mother along with her brother were residing. The once peaceful and simple life was robbed from them. Taking the high stature of the daimyo for consideration, they approached him and asked him to surrender them and no blood will be spilled, unnecessarily. The daimio weren't in favor and was ready to refuse but naturally, the people behind him tainted his mind with poisonous opinions. They told him that it would be unwise for him to refuse just for a woman plus the people under their influence lives would be much imperative than Kozue's and her mother. The logic was simply, a whole village is greater than two outsiders. He could do nothing but to secretly send a servant to deliver a message to Kozue and her mother to escape immediately while their pursuers are on their way.

"Omasumi-san! Are you in there?" The plain shoji screen slid open. A beautiful young woman with hazel hair adorned with few simple red kanzashi flowers revealed herself. Her small mouth curved into a genuine smile.

"Hibine-san, what-"

He was panting and catching his breath from all that running from the main house. Hibine did not wait for Masumi to finish talking.

"Omasumi-san, you have to…" He gulped and inhaled deeply then continued, "…you have to leave this place immediately!" His amber orbs met with her turquoise ones. Her brows furrowed and panic can see through her face.

"What- What do you mean Hibine-san?" Masumi's face became rigid.

"Is this about Sonomi-san's jealousy again? I-" Again, Hibine interrupted her.

"No, no, no! This has nothing to do with you being a mistress or anything! They're after you! Take your daughter and Yoshitora-dono out of this village immediately! The thugs of Satsuma are on their way here. We don't know why but the Lord can't-"

Masumi's eyes widened. She immediately went outside and called out Kozue's and Yoshitora's name.

"Yoshi-chan! Kozue-chan! Come home now! Hurry!" She repeated this for a while and then she ran towards the patio. Masumi yelled their names again and then she could hear noises just outside the streets. Suddenly, Yoshitora came in front of her.

"Gotcha! I got you! I got you! You're it. Okaa-san, why are you screaming?" The kid was welcomed by her arms. The little boy looked at her with his innocent azure colored eyes. He cupped her cheeks and then leaned on her shoulders.

"What's the matter, okaa-san? You look pale." Masumi crouched near a bush and scanned her surroundings.

"Yoshi-chan, where is your sister?" She hushed then stroked his hair.

"I don't know. She was playing with me a while ago." He answered playfully then made funny noises while he fingered the dangling ornaments on his mother's hair. She shushed Yoshitora then called out Kozue's name once more with a breathy whisper.

The noise became more evident and it was from the loud footsteps of the men scouting for them. The sound was now inside the house. She could hear some lieutenant barking orders to probe the area. Abruptly, Kozue came out and ran towards her mother. She knew that something was up.

"Okaa-san, what's happening?" She asked breathily. Masumi did not bother to explain but pulled Kozue down and uttered one word.

"Satsuma." Kozue became google-eyed.

"I know, don't worry, we'll get out of here, like before." Masumi smiled at her dryly. Although, Kozue sensed the unsure aura of her mother, she smiled back. Masumi looked at Yoshitora then at Kozue, if they were going to escape, they needed to do it now.

The house was occupied by the scouts and one went outside the patio. They were facing his back and they grabbed the opportunity to sneak out the area and use the other exit.

They cautiously moved away their hiding place but they were spotted. The man started yelling at his fellows that he found them. While carrying Yoshitora, she pulled Kozue to make the running faster.

"Remember that thing we always practiced?" Masumi shrieked at Kozue without even looking.

Kozue whipped her head to face her mother then nodded determinedly. She closed her eyes then concentrated deeply while they were running. Their speed gradually increased that the naked eye couldn't even see them. They passed through their pursuers effortlessly and ran through the streets. Sure, their pursuers were also oni but, it was their advance technique that made them (their clan, the North) much powerful and speedy.

"Heh. So we weren't chasing a trail with a dead end after all." The lieutenant smirked. He hollered orders again to follow them and don't come back until they get a hold of one of them.

"They know how to use it. This will amuse the Master" He snorted then shouted again at the remaining soldiers to hurry up.

xXx

Masumi and her children managed to hitch a ride headed to an unknown place. They sat at the back of the hay wagon. Masumi hugged Yoshitora who was already tired from that entire headache causing run then she patted Kozue's head then smiled lovingly.

"We're safe now." Kozue hugged her knees and then hid her face. For a moment, the gallops of the horse can only be heard. All of a sudden, Kozue stood up making her out of balance for a second because of the moving carriage.

"Okaa-san! I have to go back!" Masumi held Kozue's left wrist.

"What? Of course I'm not allowing you! You know it's-" Kozue let her mother loosened her grasps on her wrist. She looked at her mother's face for a solid moment then immediately stepped back a bit then swiftly jumped off the hay wagon.

"I'm sorry! But I have to go back! I promise I'll follow you! Just go! Don't stop!" She shouted then vanished from her mother's sight. Kozue heard her mother and Yoshitora call out her name but she ran towards the path they came from earlier then their voices faded to an echo.

She arrived at the front of their house; cautiously, she hid herself on the shadows and observed her surroundings. The house was quiet and the place was completely deserted. Kozue tiptoed inside the house and her guess was right. They rummaged through their stuff and then left. They might have thought that her mother have left something important and something useful to them. Inside the house, their clothes were scattered and the fixtures were all opened. To their dismay, they found nothing so they left immediately to follow their trails again. Their other things were broken and left there to rot. She did not mind it at all. Kozue proceeded right away to her room and then grabbed a shattered glass near where she sat. She ripped the tatami mat open and a compartment on the floor was revealed. Kozue opened it and there lay still and untouched, her father's Oboro Muramasa.

She lifted the katana gently. The black scabbard remained dustless after being stored for a long time. She unsheathed it and revealed a shining blade with a magnificent engraving. The tsuka was colored red and wrapped with a black ito. Kozue caressed the blade without actually touching the sharp part (she wouldn't want to get sliced, of course). She closed her eyes then remembered her father. Her lips slowly curled into an encouraged smile. Her eyes opened, the blade shone along the remaining light escaping through the window. Kozue sheathed the katana and stood up. It was near sundown and she must hastily catch up with her mother and little brother. She placed the katana on her right side then again, cautiously went outside.

"I'm coming, mother, Yoshi-chan." She whisphered inside her head then started to walk street towards the sunset.

xXx

She roamed the streets of Edo while her stomach was rumbling. She did not stop looking for them she always said "Maybe, I'll find them today". Her heart wouldn't give up but her body is starting to fail her. For three long nights, she went into circles and only eaten food she could consider edible on the trash, she only slept for more or less than an hour because she was afraid she might miss them or those people may find her. She was shivering and cold but, she always said that it was nothing then she would grip really really hard on the Oboro Muramasa. Unluckily, two rogue samurai approached her then started extorting her sword.

"Oi, girlie, why don't you give us that nice katana you got over there, you won't need it, right?" The young man with black haori told Kozue while the other man blocked her way. She was trapped and no one surely got guts to help her with those rogue samurai. The fellow blocking her way puffed a smoke then threw the remaining small portion of tobacco at the ground then stepped on it.

"Tch, look little girl, you don't even know how to use it so just give it to us. We'll need it to defend the people from bad guys."

"Like you?" She thought.

He seems to be annoyed of how Kozue just stood there and said nothing. Her eyes stared at them and gave the I-am-not-giving-this-to-you-asshat look. She planned to escape by using her demon abilities but she was too weak (and starving) to concentrate.

She had no choice but to draw her sword. The blade reflected the light and gave a little pain on Kozue's eyes. Her left hand was unsteady while holding the katana. It has been years since she last held a sword. She started to feel uneasy and woozy. She pointed the katana at them and set out her toughest look to startle them.

"Pfft. Pfuwahahah! You're already doing it wrong! Are you trying to scare us?" The man with black haori said with an amused face.

"Eh?" Kozue's brows furrowed. She stepped forward then pointed the katana again, confidently. The other man spoke.

"Look kid, if you are going to startle us, make it right. You're even holding the katana in the wrong hand. Hahaha!" The two con men made a jest out of her. Kozue was too weak to argue and too hungry to get angry. She dismissed whatever insults they said and just wanted out and resume finding her mother and younger bro. Kozue swung her katana towards their direction but they dodged it easily while their swords are unsheathed. She got the distraction what she needed. She started to run. Running, it was the thing that she always had to do to survive but, somehow she sucked at it. They caught her then beat her mercilessly with their unsheathed swords. They forcefully took Oboro Muramasa then took off laughing.

"Damn it!" She shouted then slammed her fists on the ground. Blood from her lip started to pour on the ground while she lay crouching then her wounds started to heal. The skies made booming sounds and it started to get dark. Then, the rain finally poured. Kozue didn't bother to get up anymore. The rain continued to fall nonstop like her tears.

xXx

After losing the treasure of her clan, then also losing track of her mother and brother, she was aimless. She didn't know what to do anymore. If she would die right now, how could she face her father with honor if the thing he entrusted her slipped easily off her hands? Inside her head was all foggy and her body felt hot. It's been the fourth day. Kozue haven't found anything, even a mere shadow of her mother. She was walking sluggishly under the heat of the sun and her legs couldn't bear it any longer. Her head went blank and her vision turned to black. Kozue collapsed. A Good Samaritan saw her lying on the ground flatly with soiled and wet clothes from the rain. He picked her up and carried Kozue to his house.

xXx

He wiped a wet towel on her face. Her eyes slowly opened and then she tried to get up but the man stopped her.

"Don't, you're still weak. What is your name?" He dipped the cloth in the basin filled with cold water. She turned to face him. Her eyes fixated on him then her brows were knitted together. She was obviously trying to recollect everything that happened.

"My name is Soubei, Kondou Soubei. I found you lying unconscious at an alley where I usually pass through. No one was really going to help you out and you were in really bad condition so I took you in." He stated then glanced at her, waited for her response.

"Kozue, Kyouhei Kozue. I'm Kozue" She repeated saying her name a few more times as if she was convincing herself that, that name belonged to her. She stared blankly at the ceiling. Soubei squeezed the cloth and placed it again on her forehead.

"Kozue, I guess you might be hungry. I'll get you something to eat" He stood up then shifted at the direction of the door. Her eyes drifted and she started to sleep again. He stepped outside and then closed the shoji screen behind him.

xXx

Soubei, the second eldest son of the master of the Kondou family, took in Kozue. He found Kozue unconscious, thin and weak in an alley. He took her in and took care of her. After staying there for a long period of time, she started to trust him. Kozue told him everything, even about being an oni. At first, Soubei laughed at it thinking she was just imagining things because of hunger until one day, after Kozue got stabbed accidentally because of some unfortunate stupidity, he saw that her wound were healing rapidly beyond human capabilities. He was shocked by the things he learned.

One day, Soubei asked Kozue if she wanted to go hunting with him in the woods. She gladly accepted and excitedly followed him. Kozue carried a hankyu and a quiver full of wooden arrows slung at her back. They were at the middle of the forest and she was falling behind. All of a sudden, Kozue froze looking at a legless reptile with long and fat scaly brown tubular body hissing at her, near her right foot. The snake's eyes and hers met. She was shaking and did not even dare to bat an eye. Its tongue slithered. Even her breath was now labored. Kozue looked for Soubei and he was still walking straight and now he was about 5 meters away from her. She wanted to scream but that would startle the snake and it might sneak attack her or something but she couldn't pretend to be not scared and deal with it herself. Completely petrified for a moment, she made up her mind. She couldn't pretend to be tough either anymore. Kozue have been through too much that she forgot that she could use her abilities as a demon on tough times. She admitted to herself that she wasn't really in full control of the technique she learned that her father developed. Everything started to scare her. Either if it was to escape the reality or to forget where she came from, no one knows.

She inhaled deeply and let out a deafening scream. Soubei immediately looked at his back and saw Kozue wriggling and fall down.

After she screamed for help, the snake was startled and meandered towards her. Snakes wouldn't care if a person spotted them, if they were threatened, the first thing they would do is to rove away but this one is different. As if out of luck, it tried to climb up her body. Kozue wriggled and squirmed to take the snake off. When Soubei was near her, she managed to toss the snake to a different direction but another unfortunate stupid event happened, she slipped down into a slope while she was squirming aimlessly.

"Kozue! Are you alright?" Soubei shouted down the slope. After a long pause, Kozue let out a weak cough then replied.

"Ugh… Yeah… I'm alright!" She shouted back up at Soubei. He heaved a sigh and climbed down immediately where Kozue fell. He was aghast at what he saw. The arrows were scattered everywhere and the bow was hanging on a tree. Kozue tried to get up but she can barely sit. An arrow went through her lower right back. Soubei immediately approached her and put pressure on the impaled area.

"Pull it out." She said while gasping for air. Soubei ignored what he heard and ripped out a cloth from his dark green sleeve. Kozue grabbed onto the shaft of the arrow then tugged on it. Beads of sweat rolled down her face. She groaned in pain while attempting to pull the arrow out. Soubei looked at her wide-eyed with panic.

"What are you doing!? You'll only make it worse. If you pull that out now, you'll bleed to death." He pushed Kozue's hand off the arrow then folded the piece of cloth he tore from his sleeve neatly. He was about to put it around her wound when Kozue attempted to pluck the arrow out again.

"I told you, Soubei-san…" She gripped on the shaft and inhaled intensely then continued, "…pull it out. It will heal much faster if the arrow is removed." Soubei struggled to stop her from removing the arrow but she hastily extracted the bloody arrow out of her lower back. She made an effort to muffle her scream from the pain. Kozue dropped the wooden arrow that pierced her then passed out. He couldn't now believe what he was seeing. The arrow left a clean hole on her back, size about an inch. Right after the arrow was pulled out, the bleeding stopped. Damaged muscle tissues started to repair themselves then the pierced skin began to close the wound out; as if there was no accident or injury happened.

xXx

After a week, Soubei didn't speak even a single word about the incident. Nevertheless, they'd do the usual things. Go out and find possible news about Kozue's mother and sibling then buy food and wander off. Their usual place was near a lake and then they'd eat lunch there. They'd talk about many things like how Soubei wanted to do things that he has never done before and about Kozue's silly but very sweet brother. She misses him so much. There are times where she bullies him out of love. She reasoned out that she couldn't resist because he was too cute for her eyes and she wanted to squish-hug him. Her mother would always scold her for making him cry because of those bone-crushing love cuddles. Those were good times.

"Now that you know everything, are you scared of me? Do you see me as a monster?" Her head tilted down. Kozue thought that this was also the reason why the clans of demons were kept a secret and away from humans' knowledge because, humans were scared of them. She picked up a pebble then threw it on the lake. The ripples amused her and how the lake made her calm her nerves. Soubei heaved a heavy sigh then chuckled. He sat down beside Kozue then patted her head.

"No…" He started. Soubei shook his head slowly then genuinely smiled. "…for me, you are just a cute little girl who is looking for her lost family." He resumed. He leaned his palms on the grass then glanced up the blue skies.

Kozue looked at him; he didn't give off a sign of being scared or anything like lying. A smile was carved on her face then she let air escape her mouth.

"You're just like Haku." She hugged her knees then looked at the steady clean blue lake.

"Hm? Pardon?" Soubei asked while he looked at her.

"Nothing." She shook her head deliberately. They stared at the peaceful scenery for the rest of the day then went home.

Soubei treated her like a real relative like she was his own daughter or sister while she was living with him until he died because of tuberculosis. This shocked Kozue. She didn't know that he was sick for a long time. Kozue thought that she was stupid enough to not be able to notice. He hid this until he can't conceal it anymore because of being bedridden. He didn't want to worry her, he told her. He said that she got more important things to worry about and he didn't want to add up. Once again, Kozue hated the fact that human life don't last long. Oh how she hated how life would play her emotions and mess up her mind. She hated the fact that whenever she started to warm up to others, they'd disappear in her life forever. How naïve, the feeling of closeness and belongingness with other people.

During those days where Soubei was sick, his family helped on taking care of him. This is how Kozue met the rest of Soubei's family. Before Soubei died, he requested that they take care of Kozue. She almost refused and said that they don't have to take care of her because it was too much generosity for someone who isn't even related to them. She planned to travel alone out of Edo and find her family on other places. Nevertheless, she had to accept it because it was Soubei's dying wish and the Kondou family insisted. The head of the family, Shuusai, was willing to adopt her but she declined.

They sat on a tatami mat and tea was served in front of them. The aroma of the green tea lingered inside the room. Kozue's gray eyes studied the walls of the room. The walls were plain and a single painting was hung trying hard to make the simple room cheerful. The white shoji slid open then the woman who served the tea left.

"Aren't you going to drink your tea?" He grinned earnestly then gestured to the tea bowl. Kozue bowed politely while her eyes were closed then returned a smile.

"So what is your plan now? Soubei told me everything before he died. You're looking for your family, isn't it?" Shuusai sipped his tea calmly then set it down. He waited for her to respond.

"Yes sir. It should be best if I look into other places, maybe they aren't here." She stared at him blankly.

"Ah, just call me Shuusai-san. He told me that you aren't really that good at defending yourself. I insist that you should stay here for a while, you could stay at the Shieikan Hall, if you like, and you might learn a thing or two."

"No, it's not that I don't know how to fight. I just…" She interrupted herself. Kozue wanted to tell that it was not because she didn't know, but it was because she was clumsy and that's all however, she continued, "…alright, I'll stay Shuusai-san. Thank you for letting me stay in your care! I promise to work hard and not be a bother to you!" Kozue bowed deeply to show her gratitude for their hospitality. He laughed inwardly then drank some more of his tea.

"It's nothing. It's all that I could do for Soubei and also to help you." She raised her head then a modest smile was plastered on her face.

"Not found of sencha? It's getting cold." He motioned to her tea sitting in front of her.

"Eh? Oh right, right. Sorry. I like it sir- Err I mean Shuusai-san. Thank you." She carefully lifted the tea bowl to her lips. Kozue slowly drank a little amount of the tea then gulped hard. Her face became grim but tried to look normally okay. Kozue didn't like the taste but, she did not want to tell him that, she didn't like the tea. That would be rude (in so many different levels). She wasn't really much of a tea drinker. And if she does drink, it would only be gyokuro or matcha. Kozue got used to the high quality tea served to them during she was still in her own village. It was not because she looked down on middle class tea but, the taste really is poor. She could really tell the difference by merely smelling it. Her eyes twitched while she sipped the rest of the tea. The tea bowl, now empty, was set down.

Kozue's face were about to turn green. She was ready to puke and her throat felt full with tea refusing to settle down inside her stomach.

"Are you alright Kozue? You don't look good." He brought out a clean handkerchief and offered it to Kozue with two hands. Kozue straightened up then swallowed hard. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead.

She nodded hastily. "Yes, I'm fine Shuusai-san, thank you." She refused to take the cloth.

"You know, you thank me too much, child. It's alright. Don't worry about it." He giggled.

She felt shy to dirty the handkerchief of a very respectable persona. After that, her face straightened into a serious face.

"Thank you for everything, really Shuusai-san. But I have one favor again to ask." He did not respond and waited for her to further speak.

"I would like to borrow your name for a while, if I am not asking too much." Kozue pleaded sincerely while she bent over the floor.

Shuusai thought for a moment then finally nodded in agreement. Kozue bowed again in gratitude. She explained everything like how she explained it to Soubei. Kozue thought that if she can trust Soubei then she could trust his family too. She needed to change her name even conceal her gender to get away from those who were hunting her and her mother. She'd even cut her hair just to make the disguise not paper thin. It all made sense to Shuusai.

"Then, what should we call you?" He inquired.

"Kosuke" She replied swiftly. She didn't think about it hard. She was making out of something from her name Kozue but nothing came out so she took the first character of her name then added a suke (which was commonly on a boy's name). Shuusai didn't bother asking her reason picking out that name nor Kozue (now Kosuke) bother explaining it either. Shuusai nodded in response. "Then, from now on, I grant you our family name. Kosuke-kun."

So this is now the second chapter of TDWCE. Sorry if it's slow paced but I just want to give the details on how this and that happened. But the next chapter (3) is where Souji comes in.