Disclaimer: Hakuouki and the characters don't belong to me. Proper credit goes to creator of Hakuouki series.
This fic takes place between episodes 11-12. The part where Kazama and his group try to kidnap Chizuru the third time in the canon anime series has already occurred as well as Heisuke's becoming a Fury. I know it doesn't make much sense to have Heisuke showing up during daytime in this fic, since he's a Fury, but I wanted to add him. Don't think too much into it.
Chapter 2:
"Morning Chizuru. How ya doing?"
It was the morning after the incident with the rogue samurai and Hijikata. Chizuru had woken up early with not only no recollection of falling asleep the night before, but also no memories of her identity or past either. On her way to the kitchen, the woman had bumped into who she believed to be the kindest of the men she'd met so far: Sanosuke Harada.
"I'm okay. Thank you for asking." Chizuru tried her best to smile at the handsome man before her. For some reason, she felt as if it were very important that he didn't see how much troubled she really was. However, despite her effort, Harada saw right through her mask.
"You're still upset that you can't remember anything, aren't you?" His tone was straight-forward yet still kind.
Chizuru flinched but nodded. She did recall the two flashbacks she had had the day prior, but those were the only memories she had recovered since four days ago when she'd first got amnesia. Her anxiety over not remembering much else was truly starting to eat away at the female Devil.
Harada placed a comforting hand atop the nonhuman's head, "Well, like I said before, don't worry so much. Good news: Kondou-san said that he was finally able to contact Matsumoto-sensei. He should be over later today to have a look at you. He should be able to estimate just how long your amnesia will last."
Chizuru nodded slowly, understanding only half of what he had just said. Matsumoto was a name the Shinsengumi had mentioned to her some time ago, but she couldn't remember exactly who he was. Though she would find out soon enough, so Chizuru decided not to dwell on it until then.
"Anyways, why don't you come eat breakfast with us? Everyone's already in the meeting room." When Chizuru shot a confused look at him, Harada grinned and turned to walk away, "Follow me. There's already a tray waiting for ya."
Chizuru did as the good-looking swordsman commanded. After turning down a few hallways, they finally approached a door. Harada slid the shojo. Chizuru followed Harada in and noticed Kondou, Hijikata, Shinpachi, Saito, Souji, and Yamazaki sitting around, eating.
"Morning, Chizuru-chan!" The man with the grass-colored orbs and cat-like features waved a hand at the girl.
Chizuru returned the wave awkwardly and walked over to the tray that Harada had dubbed her breakfast. Beside the spot sat the two most emotionless men in the Shinsengumi.
"Good morning, Yukimura-kun." Yamazaki spoke, nodding his head towards her, "From what I understand, you have no memories of who we are, correct?"
Chizuru could feel sweat starting to form on her face again. This man was one she had not seen yet. She had been at the headquarters for four days straight yet she had never been told about a man with short brown hair pulled back in a long thin ponytail, looking just as poker-faced as Saito-san.
"Y-Yes," She began nervously, instinctively scooting away from Yamazaki, "I'm sorry, but who might you be?"
"Susumu Yamazaki, a member and spy for the Shinsengumi. You have no reason to fear me. Like the others, I will not harm you."
He doesn't seem like a bad person. Chizuru thought, giving Yamazaki a gentle look. After exchanging a few brief words, Chizuru turned and began to eat her breakfast. In the middle of the meal, Kondou looked over to the young girl to inform her of what Harada already had.
"Matsumoto-sensei should be coming soon, Yukimura-kun. I do apologize for you having to wait so long to get looked over." As always, Kondou was considerate and calm; something of which Chizuru recognized the first (or technically the second time) upon meeting him.
Chizuru bowed with a big smile on her face, "Thank you very much, sir."
At hearing the girl call him by said nickname, Kondou held back a nervous chuckle and waved his hand about, "N-No need to be so formal, Yukimura-kun. I know you don't remember but you have been staying with us for over a year now."
"Is that right." Chizuru said without thinking. However, after Kondou's words fully registered into her brain after a minute, the girl dropped her rice bowl to the floor, "Wait, over a year?!" Her calm question came out as more of a shocked shriek.
Souji laughed at the girl's reaction and decided it was that time of the day again; the time to tease Chizuru to no end, "What, is that a problem with you, Chizuru-chan? Living in a home full of much older guys who are just dying to go to bed with a woman? You know, I was just about to talk you into it right before you lost your memories-"
Kondou shot a look of utter shock at the boy for his blunt remark, as he had never heard the young man say such things with his own ears before, "S-Souji, please!"
Saito simply held his poker-face while the others either turned red or looked away in anger, "Please ignore his snide comments, Yukimura. They are meant as nothing more than poor jokes."
Okita instantly flinched in amusement in response, "Ouch, Hajime-kun! 'Poor jokes' you say. Maybe you guys just don't have a good sense of humor like I do."
Within a matter of seconds, what was originally meant to just be a simple tease between the first unit leader and Chizuru turned into a loud discussion between Okita and the other soldiers. Meanwhile, Chizuru kept her silence and watched as the others continued to argue and chat with one another.
"You guys are all morons. My jokes rock!"
"Ha! The hell they do, Souji. I'm a way better joker than you."
"Not so sure about that, Shinpachi."
"Aw, Sano, that's not nice!"
Chizuru held back a giggle as she watched them all. They must be good friends, she thought. While they all looked scary at first glance, each one of these men had a kind side to them. Knowing such now made Chizuru feel a little more comfortable over the fact that she had been living with all of them for some time.
Suddenly, the happy conversation between everyone was interrupted when the shojo slid open. The boy known as Heisuke walked in, a tall bald man at his side.
"Matsumoto-sensei has arrived." Heisuke said, looking at Hijikata who nodded.
"You don't say, Heisuke," Okita suddenly chimed in, "Here I thought that bald guy there was your new girlfriend."
Heisuke shot a heated glare at the troll of a man, "Sh-Shut up, Souji! I was just being obvious about it for Chizuru-chan's sake." Heisuke's eyes locked onto said female.
Kondou rose from the tatami mat and extended a hand to the doctor, "Welcome Matsumoto-sensei. Thank you very much for coming." The leader of the Shinsengumi motioned Chizuru over who swiftly obeyed.
Chizuru analyzed Matsumoto for a moment. Nope, like the others, she didn't recognize the man. The girl bowed in greeting to the physician, "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
Matsumoto had already been informed of Chizuru's memory loss the moment he had arrived, so he wasn't surprised when he saw the girl bow to him as if she were meeting someone entirely new. In turn, Matsumoto returned the bow, "The same to you, Chizuru. I won't confuse you by saying you already know me because of Kodo-san."
Chizuru looked up at the man when she heard the name, "Kodo-san?" That name, it sounded vaguely familiar to her. She then remembered the night before, when Hijikata had informed her of her reason for being there with the Shinsengumi in the first place. To find her missing father, Kodo. Pieces were starting to come together at last, Chizuru thought to herself with a soft smile.
"Anyways, let's go look you over in your bedroom, shall we? We'll have more privacy there." Matsumoto said, setting a foot into the hallway.
Souji opened his mouth to make a crack about what Matsumoto had just said but quickly had the hand of Saito clamped over his mouth. Chizuru looked at the two in question but Saito nodded as if it were nothing. Shrugging it off, Chizuru followed Matsumoto out with Hijikata and Kondou at their side.
~xXx~
"How bad is the injury, Matsumoto-sensei?" Kondou asked from across the room, Hijikata standing beside him.
Matsumoto pulled back from examining Chizuru's head, "It appears there is no bump."
She's a pure blood Devil. Of course any injuries she had that caused her amnesia would be already gone. Hijikata thought but remained silent.
Kondou walked over to stand beside Matsumoto. He gave a gentle smile to Chizuru, "That's wonderful news."
"However,"
Kondou and Hijikata shot serious looks of concern to Matsumoto who had a deep frown on his face.
Chizuru sat in her futon, an innocent look in her dark brown eyes, "Um, so how long will my amnesia last? The man called Harada-san thought it would only last a few weeks..."
When Matsumoto didn't answer Chizuru, Kondou felt his stomach drop to his feet, "Matsumoto-sensei...?"
Hijikata crossed his arms to suppress his building up anger, "Are you saying she'll have amnesia longer than that?"
"I'm afraid I cannot say for certain." Matsumoto's tone was straight-forward and unwavering.
Hijikata twitched, his rage threatening to explode from him at any given moment, "What the hell do you mean-" Kondou could sense his friend's dismay and jumped in before things could get out of hand,
"So, you don't know when Yukimura-kun could get her memories back, is what you're saying."
Matsumoto nodded then looked down at Chizuru who's face had fallen to her lap, "I'm afraid there's no way for me to tell just exactly how long her amnesia will last. Some cases will last weeks. Others months. Then there's the few that have to wait years for them to return or not regain their memories at all. Seeing as I see no injury, I highly doubt she WON'T regain her memory but I can't tell you anything more than that, Kondou-san. I'm sorry."
Kondou nodded in understanding, running his fingers through his black locks, "No, the fault is mine. I was the one who sent Yukimura-kun out on patrol with Sanosuke's group that day."
Hijikata let out a long aggravated sigh before leaning down to the height Chizuru currently sat at. He placed a hand on the girl's head which got him a sad look from her, "Don't get too upset over it. You'll get your memories back, kid. We just have to be patient." Though, in truth, Hijikata spit at the idea of simply waiting while Chizuru sat around confused and memory-less. But as Matsumoto had said, there wasn't much more they could do.
"We will just have to inform the others and make sure they treat you as gently as possible." Kondou put on a big grin when he thought about what he'd just said, "Though, that isn't much different than how the others usually treat you. You're like the Princess of the Shinsengumi, Yukimura-kun!" The Mibu Wolves leader let out a hardy laugh.
Hijikata jumped up, his face slightly pink, "Kondou-san, don't say strange things like that out of no where!"
Kondou instantly noticed the unusual color on his friend's face and his grin widened, "Why, Toshi! Are you blushing? I see, I see, you think I should have added 'Toshi is your prince' in there, didn't you?"
Hijikata's lavender orbs nearly flew out of his skull, "WHA-"
As Chizuru silently watched Kondou and Hijikata go back and forth with one another, she began to wonder if she really could get her normal like with the Shinsengumi back without her memories.
Elsewhere, in one of the forests of Kyoto three figures lurked. One of the figures was tall and muscular, with crystal eyes and a small red beard. The man looked to the other figure that was leading him, a man with short blond hair and eyes the color of blood.
"Kazama," The man with the beard began as he walked beside the third figure, a man with a long blue ponytail wearing tight clothing, "Where exactly are we headed, if I may so ask."
The man known as Kazama didn't stop to respond nor did he look back at his companions trailing behind him, "If you must know, Amagiri, I plan to make one more attempt to capture that little female Devil."
"Again?" The man wearing the ponytail questioned, twirling the gun in his hand, "That failed the last time thanks to those damned Shinsengumi. What's the point in trying again? That chick didn't even know what Devils were when we met her. I say we capture that Princess Sen. She'd be more useful than-"
"Shut your mouth, Shiranui." This time, Kazama ceased walking and turned to glare at both men, "Either you follow me or you can kill yourselves right here. Your choice." The man's lips curled up into a very sinister smirk, "Either way, I personally don't care what you do. I'm going after Chizuru Yukimura." With that, Kazama returned to his silence and proceeded on.
Amagiri and Shiranui exchanged looks before equally groaning. Sometimes, it was utterly exhausting just talking to the leader of the Kazama clan. But as much as they hated to admit it, Chikage did have a point. Chizuru Yukimura was not only a rare female Devil, but the last remaining woman of the Yukimura clan. If Kazama were to capture and wed her, it would prove well for both the Kazama clan and all Devils.
"Very well, Kazama." Amagiri said, following after him.
"I guess we don't have a choice." Shiranui snorted, pointing the barrel of his gun at Kazama's head while smiling, "But if I don't get some action from this, your head's gonna roll."
Kazama snickered as he approached the edge of the cliff that sat above a large compound. A strong wind blew straight against Kazama as his crimson eyes focused directly down on the building, his expression growing much more dark, "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure those dogs of the Bakufu will try to save their Princess the moment they catch wind of us. Not that that will do that little one any good..." Soon, the sound of the strong wind was replaced with the evil chuckling of Chikage Kazama as he thought of what was soon to come.
~xXx~
Later that evening, the other members of the Shinsengumi had been updated about Matsumoto's visit. When the others heard that the respected physician couldn't determine how long Chizuru's amnesia would last, everyone was equally upset. But after a firm scolding from the demon vice-commander, everyone shut up and did what they could to make Chizuru feel better.
Now it was nearly eight o'clock. The sun had already set in Kyoto and everyone had just finished up dinner. Chizuru and the other men were gathered together in the usual meeting area, each one of them full and somewhat sleepy.
"Hey Sano, wanna go grab a drink at Shimabara?" Shinpachi asked, throwing an arm around his best friend.
Harada flashed a tired look at Nagakura, "Nah, I think I'm gonna stay in tonight. I had patrol earlier today in case you forgot. I'm exhausted."
"What?! Oh come on, I really wanna get a drink but I don't wanna go by myself..."
Shinpachi and Harada soon began arguing over going to the red light district. Chizuru, who sat in the corner away from the others, simply did what she had been doing all day: watching in silence from a distance. Souji noticed this and noted it to the Shinsengumi's three leaders.
"Hey, Hijikata-san. Haven't we been extra nice to Chizuru-chan since she lost her memory? Why is she staying away from everyone like we're all gonna eat her?"
Saito, who sat beside Souji, decided to jump in as he felt he fully understood the reason behind Chizuru's anti-social nature as of late, "Yukimura is simply dealing with a lot right now. She will come around. Just give her time."
Hijikata nodded along with the poker-faced samurai, "Saito's right. For now, just let the child be."
Souji rolled his eyes and looked away, "Tch, whatever..."
Over with Chizuru, a memory she had recalled shortly after Matsumoto left was playing over and over in her mind. This memory was one she had not informed any of the others about yet. In it was the same blond man from the memory she remembered the night before. The man she recalled as the same one telling her she was a Devil and to "break her chains to the humans and come with her own kind". She didn't know who he was but he seemed to be the type of man who had a black heart. The newest memory she had recovered showed the man pointing his sword at her, a hesitant look in his eyes. She briefly heard the voice of Hijikata call out before hearing the man say "I grow tired of this," as he sheathed his sword. That was where the flashback ended. Like the others, it had been very brief and also very confusing to the girl. Chizuru figured Hijikata probably knew something about that particular memory, since he had been in it, but the girl didn't bother to ask. For now, she'd rather be left to herself.
"Hey Chizuru,"
...And just when she was wanting to be alone. Chizuru looked up to see Heisuke waving at her with a big happy smile on his baby face.
"Y-Yes?" Chizuru did her best to fake a smile in return to the boy as he approached her.
"Wanna take a short walk with me before bed? It's a nice night out."
Chizuru couldn't help but smile for real at the cheerful look in the teen's eyes that were a gorgeous mix of green and blue. However, she had already decided to stay indoors for the night.
"Sorry, Heisuke-kun," Chizuru said, standing up and faking a yawn, "I'm very tired. I think I'm going to head to bed if you don't mind. Maybe tomorrow though."
Heisuke's smile fell when Chizuru proceeded to the door, "Oh...okay. Have a nice rest, Chizuru-chan."
When the others saw her leaving, they said their good nights and waved. Chizuru breathed a sigh of sweet relief when she finally got out into the hallway, where there were no men to talk to her.
Finally, some peace and quiet...Chizuru thought as she made her way towards her bedroom. She remembered back to the morning when Matsumoto explained her amnesia and her eyes quickly fell once again, Will I truly be able to get used to living here again, now that most of my memories are gone? Chizuru was deep in thought about her own anxieties, that she didn't even notice that she accidentally wandered onto one of the outside porches of the Shinsengumi HQ. When Chizuru suddenly felt the cool air of outside blowing against her skin as well as the beautiful moonlight shining down on her, Chizuru stopped and began to panic.
"Oh no! H-How did I get out here? I must have taken a wrong turn; this compound is so big..." Chizuru turned to walk back the way she came, "I should have had Harada-san or Okita-san show me the way to my room..." Chizuru was just about to take a step when a haunting familiar voice suddenly echoed out from the darkness of night,
"Good evening...Chizuru Yukimura."
Chizuru felt her heart stop and quickly remembered who that voice belonged to. The girl slowly turned, praying that it wouldn't be who she thought it was, but to her dismay, the same blond man from her flashbacks was now standing right in front of her, a few inches out from the porch she was trembling on.
The Yukimura daughter jumped back against the house's wall when she noticed the man start towards her, a sword in his hand. Though her heart was up in the bridge of her throat, Chizuru managed to choke out a question she needed an answer to, "J-Just who are you?"
The man stopped only to smirk as if amused, "How cruel, to pretend you don't remember me, little one. " The man ran fingers through his short golden strands before positioning his sword's point directly at Chizuru, "Chikage Kazama. We may have only met three times, but I think my name is easy for you to remember."
Chikage Kazama? Chizuru couldn't say she recalled ever meeting someone with that name, but she obviously must have. Why else would such a suspicious-looking man approach her in the dead of night with his sword drawn?
"W-What do you want with me?" Chizuru's voice was nothing more than a shaky bunch of words thrown together on the verge of a scream. Kazama found the girl's new-found fear to be quite enjoyable.
"My, aren't you scared tonight. Of all the times we've met before now, you've put on the tough girl act. Why is it you're different tonight, daughter of Kodo?" Kazama took another step towards Chizuru which made her slide to the right. Chizuru was just about to make a run for it when she suddenly felt the barrel of a gun be pressed to her forehead. She looked up to see a gorgeous yet cold-looking man standing over her, wearing the same smirk Kazama did.
"Hey now, we haven't finished talking to you yet. No running for your life till afterwards." The man wielding the gun spoke confidently, pulling back the trigger of his weapon as if ready to shoot.
Chizuru was about to ask who he was when she heard a third voice, much deeper than the others, echo from the opposite side of her. She looked over to see a tall man with red hair glancing down at her shaking figure.
"You have our apologies for coming so late in the evening."
Kazama's smile fell into a disgusted frown, "Enough with that filthy formality talk, Amagiri." Kazama somehow flashed onto the porch, in front of where Chizuru stood. When he saw the girl's face turn as white as a ghost's, his smirk returned, "My, my. You really are frightened, aren't you? Foolish woman, that is no way for a true Devil to act."
Chizuru slid her body slowly down the wall of the Shinsengumi compound, praying that somehow, someway it would transport her to the other side and away from the crazy people before her. Unfortunately, defying the laws of physiques was something even a Devil could not do. So, the girl did the next best thing.
"Harada-san! Hijikata-san! Okita-san, anyone...helppppp!" Chizuru screeched as she dropped to her knees pathetically. As she began to weep, Shiranui and Amagiri exchanged odd looks while Kazama stared down at the girl, frowning. Now something really was off. While he knew Chizuru had been frightened by him the first time they met, she had never shown this much fear. He had thought she was just pretending not to recognize him in hopes of getting away unharmed but now, Kazama knew something wasn't right about the Yukimura child.
Leaning down, Kazama tilted Chizuru's chin up with the tip of his thumb so that his ruby orbs matched with her chocolate ones. When he saw a look in her eyes that he didn't recognize, the blond swordsman twitched ever so slightly, "You. Why do you have such a confused and desperate look in those eyes? That look is the look of someone who is blinded, lost in the darkness of their own anxieties and lack of knowledge. What has happened to you since last we met, Chizuru Yukimura?"
Without warning, Chizuru slapped Kazama's hand away but instantly froze back up in terror when his glare intensified. She began hiccuping as more tears streamed down her face like a waterfall. When her cries didn't cease, Kazama let out a sigh and stood back up. The man ran fingers through his bangs, wondering what to do. Would it really be fruitful to kidnap the girl in the current condition she was in? How would he, as a Devil and clan leader, look if he brought home a pathetic shell of a fellow Devil who could do nothing more than cry and scream like one of those filthy humans?
Seeing his comrade tense up and Chizuru's tears, Shiranui decided it was time for him to intervene. The gunman placed a hand on Kazama's shoulder and glanced down on Chizuru who now had her hands covering her head, "Hey Kazama, why don't we just forget this? That girl is in obviously no shape to talk right now."
Kazama was snapped out of his trance at Kyo's words, "And just what is there to talk about, Shiranui. This girl may have grown even weaker since the last time I saw her, but she is still a rare female Devil of the nearly extinct Yukimura clan." Kazama took hold of Chizuru's wrist and spun her around. He then wrapped his arms around the girl so she couldn't hit him with her flailing arms. Finally, he used the butt of his sword to hit her in the stomach, causing Chizuru to lose consciousness for a short time. The demon threw Chizuru over his shoulder and turned around to leave, "It matters not to me if she can keep a level head or not. Let's be off-"
However, just as Kazama made a move to leave, the blade of a sword suddenly appeared from the darkness and pointed itself right at Kazama. His red eyes rolled over to the blade. He instantly caught sight of the man he expected to see on this night.
"Just where the hell do you think you're taking Chizuru, Chikage Kazama?" Hijikata ascended from the dimly lit porch, a fierce glare upon his already angry face.
Shiranui also sensed a presence to his right and turned to see his rival pointing his spear at him. The Devil grinned as he turned and positioned his gun back at him, "Sup Harada? Nice night, isn't it?"
Though he wasn't happy to see the man who continued to constantly get under his skin, Harada returned the smirk Shiranui showed him, "It would have been a hell of a lot better if your freakish ass hadn't shown up."
Shiranui whistled in response to the snide remark, a slight gleam in his purple eyes.
Amagiri was the last to notice a third person standing near him, ready to attack. Heisuke stood in front of the man who had nearly killed him twice since they first met. The boy's hair was white as snow and his eyes as red as his boiling blood. Now in his Fury form, Heisuke readied himself for battle.
Remembering back to the last time they clashed, Amagiri simply turned to the boy, a look of utter disappointment on his face, "Don't tell me you still believe you can defeat me, child. You have tried too times to many to take me down. Has nearly being killed and becoming a fake Devil not made you see the light?"
Heisuke simply snickered, not giving a damn to what Amagiri was spewing, "I don't really care anymore actually. The point is, you jackasses are after Chizuru-chan once again, and I can't just sit idly by while I watch you take her." Heisuke lifted his sword, his red eyes reflecting in the blade, "Get ready, Amagiri. I'm gonna take you down then kill Chikage Kazama for scaring Chizuru-chan!"
Amagiri sighed and put his fists up, giving in, "Very well. But you should know by now, I will not hold back on you. This time, you will die, Fury or not."
"Bring it on, Oni." Heisuke grinned and launched himself at the older man.
Just as Heisuke and Amagiri had done, soon the others were in battle with each other. Shiranui against Harada as usual, with Shinpachi backing him up. Amagiri fighting with Heisuke. Meanwhile, Hijikata and Kazama stood at a stand-still, their glares slicing away at each other like a thousand knives. After a minute of silence, Kazama dropped Chizuru to the ground as if she were a sack. Hijikata's glare grew even angrier when he saw the carelessness shown by the evil demon.
"Damn you. Tonight, I will kill you, Chikage Kazama. That's a promise from the Shinsengumi's Vice Commander himself." Hijikata slid his foot to the right as he readied himself to launch in for the first strike.
Kazama smirked arrogantly and snorted in response, "Do as you like, foolish human." Kazama then lifted his sword once again, "I will kill every one of you Shinsengumi members if that is what it takes to take Chizuru Yukimura for myself." With that, Hijikata flew it and so began his and Kazama's battle.
Over with Chizuru, the girl was just barely regaining consciousness. She awoke to hearing nothing but the clashing of swords. Her tired eyes opened, her vision extremely blurry for a brief moment. The girl blinked, fixing her sight. Chizuru instantly sat up when she saw the man who wished to kidnap her fighting against the hot-tempered Toshizo. Gunshots rang out, and Chizuru looked over only to be shocked when she noticed Harada stabbing away at the man with the ponytail, who dodged each of Sano's strikes with ease just as he proceeded to fire off his own weapon. Lastly, Chizuru looked to Heisuke, who's appearance had changed drastically for some reason unknown to her.
"N-No...stop." Chizuru whimpered, holding her face with both hands as fear returned to her.
"Hah!"
Chizuru's eyes went back to the form of Hijikata, who was constantly swinging his sword left and right as he tried to cut Kazama's jugular. In response, Chikage dodged and jumped with each strike thrown at him. Instantly, Kazama lifted up his sword, blocking Hijikata's weapon. His insane smile widened when he noticed sweat form on Hijikata's face. With a grunt, Chikage pushed Hijikata back with only fifty percent of his strength. The Vice Commander slid back and nearly fell off the edge of the porch but caught himself just in time. Kazama gave the man little time to return to fighting stance because a second after Hijikata looked up, Kazama was only inches apart from him, his sword in the air ready to strike downward.
Chizuru's eyes shut on their own when she heard the blade hit flesh and a loud moan come from Toshizo. When she heard the voices of Heisuke and Harada cry out to their leader, the female Devil barely opened her eyes. Her heart stopped when she saw blood flowing from the left shoulder of Hijikata, who was now barely holding his sword with one arm. Kazama was cackling, filled with more confidence and thrill then he had ever been before when he fought against his rival for the Yukimura child.
"Is it obvious now, human? You are no match for someone of my level." Kazama began walking slowly towards the hunched over Hijikata who had jumped back upon getting wounded. The blond Oni swung his sword slightly, letting some of the demon commander's blood fly from the blade's tip to the ground. When Hijikata glared back up at him, Kazama stopped and redirected his weapon, "Now then, why don't we bring the curtain down on this pathetic play."
Over with Harada, the spearsman was still fending off against Shiranui. The handsome man's golden eyes shot over to Shinpachi who had been standing by in case his friend would require backup against the gunman, "Shinpachi!"
Nagakura gave a question look to his best friend and pulled out his sword, "Need help, Sano?"
Harada quickly nodded his sword in the direction of Hijikata and Kazama's fight, "Go help, Hijikata-san! I can handle Shiranui on my own!"
Shinpachi argued no more and took off as instructed. Meanwhile, Shiranui used Harada's distraction to his advantage and managed to plow the head of his pistol right into Harada's forehead only a moment later. Sano froze up when he felt the cold material press against him and prepared himself to die, "...Shit..." However, to Harada's surprise, Shiranui simply smirked back at him before taking the gun away from his forehead. Sanosuke blinked in confusion when he saw Shiranui turn and put his gun away, "Hey, what the hell are you...?"
"I think that's enough fun for one night!" Kyo looked over his shoulder, his face full of confident happiness, "That was one hell of a ride, Harada. But I think you're losing your touch. Next time, I will kill you."
Harada sweated, unsure of how to feel about Shiranui's decision to let him live, "Uh..."
"Anywayssssss..."
Sano followed Shiranui's eyes over to Kazama and Hijikata, "Did you really come here to kidnap Chizuru?" He was beginning to wonder if Shiranui was taking the Devils mission seriously or not.
Shiranui ran fingers throw his bangs before looking over to Amagiri who was still fighting Heisuke, "Hey Amagiri!"
At hearing his name be called out, the man stopped fighting and looked over, "Shall we take our leave now, Shiranui?"
"Tch, I wish. But we can't really leave Kazama here." Shiranui groaned and crossed his arms.
Harada twitched, furious that he had been ignored by his rival, "Hey, freak! I asked you a question!"
Shiranui snorted amusingly before looking back to Harada, "Yeah, yeah, I heard you. Truth is Amagiri and I didn't really feel like coming here tonight in the first place. That was Kazama's idea."
Amagiri walked over to the two men, not giving a care to Heisuke who was still trying to land a punch on him from all angles, "Kazama seems to be quite fixated on that female child. He has always been quite...stubborn."
Heisuke proceeded to pound away at Amagiri who was using one hand to block every hit he threw at him. It wasn't until Harada called out to him that Heisuke finally stopped, "But Sano!"
Harada simply locked eyes with the younger boy which quickly silenced him. The tenth unit captain turned back to Shiranui and Amagiri who seemed to be watching Kazama's fight as well, "So you two never intended to kidnap Chizuru then?"
"Personally, I couldn't care less," Shiranui threw his hands around the back of his head nonchalantly, "What Kazama does is his business. Me, I'm just in it for the action. Amagiri's just Kazama's babysitter."
The typically polite Devil shot a look at Shiranui which was swiftly ignored.
"However," Shiranui said, changing his focus from Kazama to the figure of Chizuru, "I am wondering. Did something happen to that girl since the last time Kazama tried to kidnap her?"
Harada stared in silence at the two nonhumans before realizing there would be no harm in telling them, "Chizuru has amnesia."
Both Shiranui and Amagiri quickly looked at Sano with equally surprised looks.
Heisuke looked to his brotherly figure as if he had lost his brain, "Sano, don't tell them that!"
Harada ruffled Heisuke's hair annoyingly, "Oh, what's the harm? I can tell these guys really don't care causing us any harm. If they were serious about this like Kazama, Shiranui would have blown my brains out when he had the chance. And Amagiri would have killed you way before now."
Heisuke's face turned red with embarrassment and frustration but his reaction went unnoticed when Shiranui cried out,
"Amnesia? How the hell...I mean, what- ACK, aren't you Shinsengumi dorks supposed to be, I don't know, like always looking after her?!" Harada twitched at Shiranui's comment, "Just how could you morons let that kid get amnesia? That'd be like...dropping a baby down a flight of stairs!"
Again, Harada twitched, "It wasn't like we meant for it to happen! Besides, you weren't there so shut up, will ya."
Shiranui sighed and looked back to Chizuru who still remained on the porch, frozen with terror, "Well, I guess that explains things then. She didn't know who any of us were, so..."
"She doesn't remember anything. She's been like that for several days now."
Amagiri chimed in, glancing from Chizuru and Harada, "Of all my years, I have never heard of another full-blooded Devil losing their memory like that child has. If I may so ask, how did the young one get amnesia in the first place?"
"She was inside a building that blew up." Heisuke answered in a monotone.
Shiranui fell to the ground headfirst then jumped back up screeching, "HOW THE HELL, HARADA?!"
Sano felt his battle rage from earlier beginning to return to him thanks to Shiranui's guilt-trips, "I admit, it was my fault I let her fall into somewhere so dangerous but you have no right to tell me things like that when you've tried to kill me several times!"
Shiranui began flailing his arms about as he launched himself into a full-blown argument with Sanosuke, "Here I thought you were the one who could have actually protect her when it came down to it! But it just so happens, you downright friggin' SUCK!"
Veins began surfacing all over Harada's face as he screamed back in retaliation, "Would you shut your damn mouth before I shove my spear into it?!"
As the two went onto argue, Heisuke and Amagiri sweat-dropped and went back to watching the conflict above them. However, what was to come next was something not even Kazama himself was prepared for.
Back up with Kazama and Hijikata, the two had thrown themselves back into a battle of slashing swords again. While Hijikata was injured, he managed to take full hold of his sword with both hands once more and was doing what he could to fend Kazama off. Shinpachi had arrived a few moments ago, announcing that he would help but Hijikata instantly ordered him to stay by Chizuru's side and not interfere. Of course, the second unit captain obeyed and now leaned down beside Chizuru who was trembling horribly and crying at the violent sight taking place in front of her.
"Don't you worry, Chizuru," Shinpachi began when he saw just how horrified the girl was. He placed a hand on the girl's head and give it a gentle pat, "Hijikata-san has fought Kazama before. I can assure you he'll be just fine."
Before Chizuru could respond, Kazama swung his sword into Hijikata's other arm, drawing blood once again. Hijikata's deep voice rung out and he jumped back, breathing heavily and in pain.
Kazama let out another laugh, "This will be your last night in this life. I shall let you take the time to say your final words before I cut that slender neck of yours. Be grateful, human."
Shinpachi's hand fell from Chizuru's hand and now he himself was feeling just as terrified for their commander as she was, "Oh crap!"
Chizuru hiccuped on her tears when she remembered what Kazama had told her earlier. He was there to kidnap HER, yet Hijikata was the one who had ended up badly hurt. Why? Why had he fought so hard against a man like Kazama, when there was nothing for him, a Shinsengumi leader, to gain? Why would a tough warrior like Hijikata waste his time and skill on someone who was simply after a useless girl like herself? Chizuru could not remember what kind of relationship she had with Hijikata nor what feelings for him were previously, but that didn't matter. He had still chosen to fight a fight he didn't have to. He still chose to protect her even though he knew he would probably be hurt. Hijikata had done all he could. Chizuru couldn't just let him die when it was she that this blond bastard was after.
"Stop!" Chizuru choked out, climbing to her feet fearfully. Her plea went unheard and she noticed Kazama return to attacking stance. Her heart skipped another beat when she saw Hijikata try to stand back up but fall just as quickly.
Shinpachi looked to the Shinsengumi's princess, wondering just what she was planning to do, "Chizuru...?"
Kazama's eyes suddenly shined with the intent to kill as he stepped forward towards the man who would soon become his victim, "Farewell, Toshizo Hijikata. Your head is mine!"
Chizuru didn't think as she let her feet take control over her body. Shinpachi attempted to grab Chizuru's wrist but it slipped right from his grasp as the girl took off towards Kazama and Hijikata. Neither man noticed Chizuru as she ran towards the space between both of their blades.
Hijikata grunted and grabbed his sword. He jumped up and got ready to swing but froze up when his lavender eyes caught sight of Chizuru who ran towards them at incredible speed, "Chizuru...!"
When he heard the woman's name be echoed from Hijikata, Chikage looked over in the middle of swinging his sword only to see Chizuru suddenly jump into his line of attack. Kazama's teeth clenched as he changed his blade's path. Chizuru flinched and slid to the right, the blade of Kazama's sword just barely missing her face. A second later, Chizuru felt her ankle twist the wrong way and a shot of pain went throw her like a bullet. Chizuru had no time to scream as she stumbled to the side and fell backwards. Kazama dropped his sword and reached his arm as if to grab her. Hijikata also released his weapon and extended his hand out to grab Chizuru's. However, just as it had happened with Shinpachi; Chizuru's slender wrist slipped right through Kazama and Hijikata's hands.
Each and every one of the males hearts stopped as they watched the girl fall from the porch and onto the ground with a horrible thunk. Chizuru's head fell right onto a sharp rock in the ground, cutting her temple quite badly. After a few seconds of hearing nothing but the wind pass by, all of the present Shinsengumi members went fleeing over to Chizuru in a panic. Each man surrounded the girl in a circle while Hijikata gently picked her up in his arms.
Shiranui and Amagiri returned to Kazama's side on the porch and watched the Shinsengumi panic over the unresponsive Chizuru. After a few awkward moments waiting for Kazama to say something, Shiranui turned to him,
"Hey Kazama, why don't we get going? There's no way you're gonna be taking Chizuru now." When Kazama didn't respond, Shiranui stepped forward to get a better look at his face. The somewhat feminine man's eyes widened when he noticed the uncharacteristic look of concern painted on Chikage Kazama's face. Shiranui stepped back and leaned over to whisper to Amagiri, "Holy crap, I think Kazama is actually...worried about that girl!"
Amagiri nodded, his crystal eyes focused on Chizuru who was still being held and gently shaken by Toshizo Hijikata, "Yes, well...it seems the Shinsengumi are not the only ones who have grown attached to that child. However, she is a Devil. A fall like that will not take her life." Amagiri's eyes jumped over to Kazama's back, "Right, Kazama?"
Chikage flinched before regaining his usual stoic face. He turned away from the Shinsengumi and lowered his head, "...Tch." Within a brief second, Kazama had vanished into thin air with the wind. Shiranui and Amagiri sighed before exchanging looks and then vanishing into the night themselves.
"Hijikata-san! What happened?!" The others surrounding Chizuru looked back over to the porch to see Souji, Saito, and Kondou all rushing outside.
Kondou looked to his fellow commander to ask what had happened but when he caught sight of the unconscious Chizuru, the older man could do nothing but gasp. Saito, though he still held a poker-face, looked at his fellow companions questionably. Finally, Souji began screaming at Sano and Shinpachi, demanding they tell him what had happened.
After explaining the entire incident to the rest of the Shinsengumi, Harada and Shinpachi took Chizuru to her room to rest. Heisuke and Saito got some medical supplies to tend to her head injury. Meanwhile, Hijikata sat on the porch; his head held down, his bangs covering his eyes, and his hands tightly gripping his sword. Kondou and Souji stood in the doorway, staring at him.
"Toshi, don't blame yourself. I'm sure Yukimura-kun will recover from this." Kondou soothed, walking over and patting his friend on the shoulder.
Souji rolled his eyes and turned his back to Hijikata, "Please, Kondou-san. If Hijikata-san wouldn't have been so clumsy, Chizuru-chan wouldn't have fallen from the porch like that. It's just as if he had pushed her off himself."
Kondou shot a look of shock back at the boy who was like a son to him, "Souji! You don't mean that-" When Okita began walking away, Kondou soon gave chase, leaving Hijikata alone.
The grip on his sword's hilt tightened immensely, so hard that a little bit of crimson leaked from his fist. Only one word escaped Hijikata's lips as he sat there in the dead of night by himself,
"...Chizuru..."
Inside, Harada, Heisuke, and Shinpachi all sat at Chizuru's side. Her head had been treated of the terrible cut she'd received. However, she had not woken up yet. It had been four hours now and dawn was breaking. The men feared that if Chizuru didn't wake up soon, she might not at all. Though she was a Devil, and history had made it known Devils could not be killed so easily; the Shinsengumi unit leaders couldn't help but be paranoid.
"How could we let this happen, guys." Shinpachi suddenly spoke, his face buried into his knuckles.
Harada didn't turn his head and kept his focus on the woman laying in bed.
Heisuke sat against a wall, looking up at the ceiling as if he were mesmerized in it. Minutes went by, and Heisuke finally let his thoughts be spoken, "Do you think...Chizuru-chan will ever get her memories back?"
Shinpachi remained in the same position but snorted at the kid, "That's what you're worried about? Screw her memories, Heisuke. Chizuru-chan herself is way more important."
"I know that!" Heisuke shouted but shut up when Harada suddenly glared back at him.
"Keep it down. We want Chizuru to wake up but not because someone was being inconsiderate and too damn loud."
"S-Sorry..."
The door to Chizuru's room slid open, the figure of Hijikata in the entryway. He walked in without saying a word, shut the door and took a seat of his own next to Harada. After a moment, he asked, "Any changes?"
Harada shook his head depressingly, "Not a thing. She hasn't even stirred."
Hijikata clenched the bridge of his nose, frustrated, "I see."
"How's your shoulders, Hijikata-san?" Shinpachi pointed to his arms where the sleeves of his kimono were being pinned back, revealing some bandages covering the wounds Kazama had dealt him.
Hijikata placed one hand over his shoulder, "They're fine. These are just flesh wounds, nothing more." The Mibu Wolves second-in-command cleared his throat, which usually meant he was preparing to say something very important. Shinpachi, Heisuke, and Harada all focused their attention on him as he opened his mouth, "When Chizuru wakes up...we will discuss exactly how we are going to deal with her."
Heisuke frowned hard at the strict leader. He suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, "What do you mean, Hijikata-san? We'll just treat her like we always do and-"
"I doubt she will get her memories back now."
The three warrior brothers hearts skipped a beat.
Shinpachi pretended to laugh off what Hijikata had just said, "W-What are you talking about, Hijikata-san? 'Course Chizuru-chan will get recover from her amnesia! She's a Devil, ain't she?"
"True," Hijikata closed his eyes as if he were going deep into thought, "However, I spoke to Yamazaki since he was the one who looked over her new injury. While she is a Devil and Devils do recover from flesh wounds...memory could be a different thing. After a hit like earlier, I honestly doubt Chizuru will be remembering anything anytime soon, if ever. Her memories are not like normal physical injuries. They are not something that can be restored to the way they were before like limbs and organs."
Harada held back a very tired sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. However, unlike his friends, he chose to remain silent on this matter. After all, there was not much they could do for Chizuru. The spear-man smiled scornfully to himself as he turned his head away so that the others couldn't see his face, How ironic. It was completely my fault that Chizuru ended up in that dangerous building that collapsed on her and gave her amnesia in the first place. Yet, here I am, being the only one who doesn't argue about doing anything for her. What can I do...? How can I call myself a true man if I can't even help the woman I...Harada was broken away from his thoughts when he suddenly heard Shinpachi order him to say something. Instead of doing as requested though, Sano held onto his silence which got him more rage from Shinpachi.
While Shinpachi shouted at Harada, Heisuke tried arguing again with Hijikata who did the same as Harada, and said nothing. There was no point in arguing if nothing could be changed. They couldn't change the past, nor could they restore Chizuru's memories to as they were a week ago. All that they could do now was wait. Wait, and pray Chizuru would be able to get used to living with them again, as she did the first time she came there a few years ago.
"Mmmmm..."
All four men instantly directed their attention at Chizuru who's eyes were twitching a little. After a few seconds, the girl's eyes fluttered open at last.
"Chizuru-chan!" Both Heisuke and Shinpachi shouted, getting a little too close to Chizuru as she looked towards them exhausted.
Chizuru looked over at the men to her side, dark circles under her eyes and flushed cheeks, "Y...You guys..." Her voice mumbled with a pained crack.
Harada smiled sadly down at Chizuru before taking one of her hands and giving it a gentle squeeze, "Hey sleepy-head. How ya feelin'?"
The female shut her eyes a moment, trying to gather the energy to say something. After a minute, Chizuru re-opened her eyes and blankly stared at the ceiling, "...Chizuru Yukimura..."
All four men looked to each other with equally odd looks.
Shinpachi turned his eyes back to Chizuru, grinning nervously, "Uh..." Had Chizuru hit her head a little 'too' hard earlier?
"My father's name is Kodo Yukimura. I came to Kyoto from Edo in search of my father after losing contact with him. You all took me in and I've been living with the Shinsengumi ever since." Chizuru's tone was emotionless and bold.
Hijikata felt his heart jump in his chest when he realized what this must have meant, "Wait, Chizuru...do you-"
"I am...a Devil. Kazama was the one who told me as such that night when I was helping deliver messages to other Shinsengumi soldiers. Him, Amagiri, and Shiranui all appeared and told me to come with them. Ever since that night, they've been after me..."
Heisuke and Shinpachi were still confused out of their minds, but Harada and Hijikata's faces had lit up greatly.
"Chizuru," Harada squeezed Chizuru's hand a little tighter, "When you fell from the porch earlier...did hitting your head against that rock...make you remember?"
Shinpachi and Heisuke both nearly shot out of their seats at hearing their friend's words, "What?! What makes you say that, Sano?!"
Harada resisted the urge to hit the both of them and kept his attention on Chizuru who had looked up at him and smiled softly, "So you did, huh. Well, that was one hell of a way for you to get over your amnesia, that's for sure."
Heisuke, who was still a mile behind Hijikata and Harada, was twitching in his seat, "W-Wait, so...Chizuru does remember everything now?!" He turned to the girl with big eyes, "Really?!"
Chizuru nodded, "Y...Yes. While I was unconscious, I remembered everything. I remembered meeting all of you, and meeting the Devils. I remember everything up until I fell off the porch earlier, including how I got into that crushed building."
Harada's ears stood up on ends, "You do?"
Chizuru nodded, thinking back to seven days ago, "Yes. I remember you telling me to go find some place safe to hide while you and the others took care of the rogue samurai. I hid behind a building when one of the rogue samurai caught sight of me and chased me. I went into that building to hide from him. Once I realized he was gone, I got ready to leave but then I heard someone yell and one of the rogue samurai was launched through one of the windows. That's when the building's ceiling came down...and that's how I got amensia."
Harada's face paled to that of a ghost as he felt guilt sweep over him once again. Letting go of Chizuru's hand, he brought his palm to his face, "Damn, so it really was my fault. Chizuru, I can never apologize enough..."
"Eh? N-No, it wasn't your fault, Harada-san!" Chizuru moaned a little as she tried to sit up a little, "I-I mean if I would have just drawn my sword and would have tried to fight the man instead of run-"
Shinpachi's emotions took control of him in an instant and grabbed Chizuru by the shoulders like a panicked dad scolding his reckless daughter, "Are you nutts? That would have been even worst, Chizuru-chan!"
Heisuke popped up next to Shinpachi and nodded quickly, "Yeah, what Shinpachi said!"
Suddenly, the group was snapped out of their freak out session by Hijikata who loudly cleared his throat. Shinpachi and Heisuke backed up when Hijikata's eyes darkened with another glare.
"At any rate..." Hijikata began, scooting towards Chizuru and pushing her fully back into laying position, "You should get some rest. It's good that you got your memories back but you've been through a lot tonight. You should sleep." The leader turned to the younger men at his side, "All of you, get out so she can sleep."
Shinpachi cocked a brow at the tempered male, "Shouldn't you do the same, Hijikata-san...?"
Toshizo clenched his teeth together like that of an animal with blood-lust, "Just get the hell out! I'll be there momentarily!"
Shinpachi and Harada did as requested and bid a good night to their princess before leaving. Meanwhile, Heisuke remained in the doorway, looking back at Chizuru with a strange look upon his face.
The girl noticed this and blinked at the boy, "Heisuke-kun?"
"What Sano-san said..." Heisuke began, looking down to the floor to avoid Chizuru's beautiful brown orbs, "I should apologize too. If we had just been properly watching you...none of this would have happened. Same with tonight; you wouldn't have nearly had your throat cut by Kazama if we would have just kept you closer to us. Though I guess that worked out since you ended up hitting your head, giving you your memories back," Heisuke laughed nervously before scratching his head uncomfortably. The young man turned so that his back was facing Chizuru and Hijikata but he turned his head ever so slightly so she could hear, "In any case, I'm glad you have your memory back, Chizuru-chan. I was actually really afraid you might leave us if you hadn't remembered..."
Chizuru lifted her head up when she felt her heart skip a beat.
"Anyways," Heisuke stuttered, turning his head back around, "Have a good night sleep. See you later." With that, Toudou left the room, sliding the shojo behind him.
"Hmph." Hijikata snorted, crossing his arms and smiling to himself. Sometimes, Heisuke could be a little too obvious about his feelings. Though what Harada and Heisuke had said was also true for Toshizo. The Vice-Commander turned to Chizuru and bowed his head ever so slightly, "Just as those two said, I apologize as well. I let my guard down when fighting Kazama earlier. Because of that, you were hurt. Therefore, I apologize."
Chizuru couldn't believe her ears. Three apologies, and one from the hot-tempered Hijikata no less? Things seemed less weird when she had no memories.
"It's perfectly alright, Hijikata-san. I'm just happy I remember everything now..." Chizuru's smile fell a little as she looked down to her palms that were slightly red from the heat of the blanket, "Even remembering something such as the fact that I'm not human...it's probably better for me to recall everything about myself and the past, then forget everything including the things I never wanted to know in the first place."
Hijikata's lavender eyes widened a great fraction when he noticed the agonized tone in the young female's voice as she spoke. He stared back at Chizuru, who held her head downward in a depressed manner. After a moment, Hijikata unthinkingly reached out and placed one of his hands over Chizuru's left palm. The Devil instantly jumped and looked over to the man, her face the color of Harada's bandages.
Bewildered hazel clashed with shining lavender. Hijikata parted his lips to say something, when the shojo slid open.
"Pardon the intrusion," Saito Hajime spoke softly, Kondou and Souji at his side. All men walked in and looked straight down at Chizuru. Hijikata snatched his hand away before either of them could see.
"Hey, Chizuru-chan. Sano and the guys just told us you remembered everything. That true?"
Said girl nodded happily at the sadistic first captain, "Yes. I also remember everything that happened before I got my memories back. I apologize if I was rude to you earlier, Okita-san."
Souji let out a chuckle and shook his head, "Nah, you weren't really." The blood-loving boy then leaned down on his knees and pulled his lips close to Chizuru's. When he saw her face's tone darken, his usual feline-like smirk appeared and he brought a finger up to his lips as if he were making a quieting gesture, "But if ya ever forget me again, I'll kill ya. Remember that."
Kondou overheard the boy's threat and pulled Souji back to his feet with a worrisome look, "Souji, please. This is not that time for jokes. Yukimura-kun has been through a lot these last few days, so we must treat her with extra care!"
Okita huffed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Geez, Kondou-san. You're getting as bad as Hijikata-san when it comes to being overly-protective of Chizuru-chan."
Hijikata's ears flinched a moment, "What was that, Souji?!"
Before Chizuru knew it, all three men were arguing back and forth amongst themselves. The teen was just about to giggle at the sight when Saito hovered over her, the usual emotionally devoid look upon his pale face.
"Saito-san?"
"I am thankful as well." He randomly spoke, his eyes unchanging, "Recovering your memories, I mean. Things were...different when you did not remember any of us. Needless to say it made me feel slightly...uneasy."
"Sai..." But Chizuru bit her lip shyly when she felt herself be lost in the never-ending ocean that were Saito's eyes. Blush returned to the girl's face which was immediately noticed by the poker-faced samurai.
"Hmm? What is this? Why are your cheeks so red, Yukimura?" Though Saito's tone was calm, one could hear the confusion in it as well.
Overhearing his comrades, Souji's sadistic side took over and decided it was teasing time again. Breaking away from Kondou and Hijikata, Okita walked over beside Saito and dropped an arm around his neck, "Well, well, what's this, Hajime-kun? While Kondou-san, Hijikata-san, and I are over there talking, you decide to make a move on Chizuru-chan. You're one naughty boy, you know that?"
Saito's poker-face changed very slightly and soon, his cheeks were also dusted a light pink as he shot a look to Souji, "What do you mean? I did not say anything of the sort to her..."
Another happy chuckle escaped Souji as he was once again pulled back by Kondou who simply gave an apologetic look to both Saito and Chizuru. The first-in-command then leaned down so that he was at level head with Chizuru, "Yukimura-kun, we are all thrilled that you have recovered from your amnesia, but as Toshi said, you should get some rest. We'll discuss this in the morning." Kondou stood back up and gave Souji a gentle slap to the back, "Come Souji. Why don't we leave Yukimura-kun in peace?"
Souji nodded without arguing and waved back to Chizuru as if he were a little child, "Night night, Chizuru-chan!"
Saito then bowed before following after the two, "Good evening."
Hijikata was the last to stand up as he hid his crossed arms in his kimono's sleeves. His eyes softened when Chizuru let out a loud yawn. One of his very rare smiles appeared for only a second as he bid Chizuru the same good night that the others had. As he blew out the candle from the lantern in the girl's room, Chizuru laid back down and before she knew it, exhaustion had taken its complete hold over her once again. One thing remained true as Chizuru was thrown back into dream-land, and that was that despite even remembering the bad things from her past; having the memories she shared with her family, the Shinsengumi, was more than enough give her complete peace of mind.
Outside, a man sat up in a tree, staring down at the Shinsengumi compound. A smirk crept up his tanned face as he turned to the other figure who was sitting on a branch above him, his back towards the building.
"Looks like you nearly taking off her head and forcing her to fall off the porch was actually a good thing, eh Kazama?"
The clan head looked over his shoulder and gave an annoyed look in response, "...Tsk. Don't make me laugh, Shiranui. I'm done with this." Just like earlier, Chikage Kazama vanished into thin air, leaving the long-haired pistol-lover to his own.
Shiranui chuckled to himself as he stood up on the branch. Amethyst orbs locked down onto the door that led to Chizuru Yukimura's bedroom. The man's smirk grew a little at the corner, "Damn, Kodo's daughter really is loved by every man she comes into contact with." Harada's rival looked away and ran fingers through some straying bangs, "Still, it's not as if I'm one of them. Though I'd be lying if I said things wouldn't be boring if that girl didn't have any recollection of anything since her arrival to Kyoto. I'm sure Harada and those other Shinsengumi morons feel the same way. Then again, I'm not Kazama so it's not my problem." The handsome Devil let his feet fall from the tree's branch. The light from the moon hanging over head shined onto his falling figure. He mouthed six words as he fell slowly into the night,
"Good luck to you, Chizuru Yukimura."
A refreshingly cool wind blew by in Kyoto, swiftly taking the form of Kyo Shiranui with it.
Author's Comments: So, I rather like how this chapter turned out. Except for a few things. Mostly the ending (I couldn't think of a proper way to end it so I kinda just did...whatever. And hey, who doesn't love Shiranui? I mean, really lol ) as well as the part with Chizuru getting her memories back. I feel like I made that happen too easy. However, as I said, I just wanted to make this fic a two-shot. I didn't want to drag it out or anything, because if I did make it a few more chapters longer, I'd never finish it. Anyways, despite those things, I do hope you all enjoyed this. It was super fun adding Kazama, Amagiri, and Shiranui in this. Those 3 really are some good characters. It's a shame they're usually rated as 'minor characters' in the anime.
Thanks to all who read, and please leave a review if you have the time.