Chapter 1:
Reunions aren`t all they`re cracked up to be, maybe four years isn`t long enough for people to forget they hate you.
...
Kabukicho… the iron town that was filled with unruly ruffians, no matter how many years passed the town remained the same. The dirty ruff-around-the-edges feel of the town is almost what gave it its charm. To the naked eye the town appeared lawless but every single gangster, hoodlum, and lout that lived there answered to one of the four unofficial faction leaders "The Four Devas" that ran the town, The fierce and divine "Mademoiselle Saigou", "Katsuo Kurogoma" who had succeeded the gallant "Jirocho Doromizu", "Empress Otose" more affectionately referred to as the town's mother, and the newest faction leader that was still a mystery to almost everyone "The Pestilence Prince." Today the town was abuzz with gossip and excitement for today returning from a long expedition was Empress Otose's top dog and only soldier…yes today Sakata Gintoki was coming home.
Small dust clouds rose around his boots that thudded on the ground as he strutted down familiar streets. It was early evening and the sun was just starting to lower in the sky, giving everything a warm glow; simply perfect for a dramatic entry after a long absence. The parting of the crowd was something akin to the parting of the red sea as he navigated his way through the narrow labyrinth of streets that made up Kabukicho. He was shadowed closely by a giant white creature that thankfully hadn't grown nearly as much as the girl on top of it had. The ogling eyes of male bystanders hadn't escaped his notice and he inwardly groaned, just what he needed…if he showed anything less than extreme overprotectiveness then Umibouzu would have his head, as the man had made very clear when they ran into each other countless times over the voyage. Thankfully the girl's head had failed to develop with the rest of her and she obeyed the samurai with unflinching belief in his every word.
The trio stopped in front of the building that was their destination and looked up at the modified sign. "Otose's snack house" was still the same but the one above it read "Yorozura 'Shin'-chan" the character for Shin was printed in a piece of plywood that hung temporarily over the Gin character. The two walked into the bar leaving the dog outside. As soon as the door slid open silence fell over every occupant.
Otose was the first to speak. "Ah looks like the trash is back in town" fake indifference coted her words heavily as she motioned for the man to sit down. "You look like you need a drink Gintoki."
"I never refuse a drink," Gin mumbled as he took up a stool "but I could really go for some strawberry milk." The old hostess chucked as she obliged the samurai. The other guests went back to their own conversations but some whispers and sharp glances were still thrown their way. Otose's eyes lit up as she saw the second of the two patrons. "Oh! Is that little Kagura?"
The girl lit-up and pounced on the older woman, "Otose! Are you so glad to see us? Are you exited to hear our stories? We brought back souvenirs!" Otose smiled and patted her head affectionately.
"Welcome home Gintoki-sama, Kagura-sama" the monotone voice of the robotic maid Tama greeted them. Followed quickly by another's so called greeting
"Oh if it isn't the moronic mop-head Sakata-san and a stupid strong little girl who thinks she is pretty now cause she has long hair and boobs." it was amazing how little these three had changed Gintoki thought, it was like they had just left yesterday and not four years ago or something.
"Hey that means you think I'm pretty right?" Kagura chimed happily. She smacked Gin so hard he was sure he would have a bruise tomorrow. "Did you hear Gin-chan? Catherin thinks I'm all grown up and pretty!"
He rubbed his shoulder and mumble. "It doesn't count cause it's only on the outside…basically your still a child." But his statement fell on deaf ears; Kagura was busy prattling on animatedly to Tama and Catherin about her space adventures. He looked up at Otose; she gave him a half smirk as she poured herself a drink.
"Good to be back Gintoki?" he raised his glass to meet hers smiling as they clinked together.
"Good to be back." he replied.
They each took a swig of their respective drinks and Otose gave him a pointed look. "You might want to hold off on that statement till you know all the facts."
"What do you mean?" he asked confused. She only raised her eyebrows unable to answer before Kagura cut in loudly
"Oi!...where is Shinpachi?"
Otose gestured with her head that he was upstairs. "He runs the place better then you ever did…the man works like a dog"
"You mean he shits and sheds?" Gin retorted with sarcasm. "That's all our dog's good for, unless you count sometimes chewing on my skull." But Kagura was already bounding out the door with Gin only a few steps behind.
As they reached the door to Yorozuya, Shinpachi's heated voice could be heard without even opening it. "why are you being so unreasonable it's starting to piss me off… … …no that's impossible…no…I'm not a god I can't do that… … …that's not an odd job that's divine intervention!" Kagura busted into the room that looked almost exactly how they had left it, save for the large stacks of paper on the desk. "…your head needs to be saved!"
"Shinpachi!" Kagura exclaimed. The youth who was no longer a youth turned to see his two old friends in the doorway and promptly hung up on the customer who apparently was in dire need of a miracle.
"Gin-san! Kagura-chan!" he had grown quite a lot, he probably wasn't much shorter then Gintoki now. His shoulders were broader and his hair was longer. The shortest strands brushing against the top of his rims, other layers falling to his slightly more defined jawline and the longer locks that reached his collar bone were gathered loosely with a hair tie above his left shoulder. Having out grown his old cloths he had switched to a solid blue keikogi and black hakama pants.
"Ohh! You've changed Shinpachi" Kagura exclaimed.
Shinpachi smiled happily as he stroked his chin with thumb and index finger. "Yes well a lot has happened while you two where away…I've become quite reliable you know, I even-"
Kagura strode up to him boldly and removed his glasses waving them excitedly at Gintoki. "Look at how he's grown Gin-chan!"
The samurai studied the spectacles with approval. "Yes, he seems to have lost his youthful softness and grown into his sharper corners"
"That's what you people notice?" Shinpachi roared. "And grown into his corners my ass! They're just new glasses that are squarer shaped then my old ones!" he swiped his glasses back and returned them to his face. He had almost forgotten how ridiculous these two were. Apparently that fact hadn't changed over the last four years.
"I explained to you before Shinpachi," Gintoki said shaking his head, "you're 95% your glasses, 3% water and 2% garbage."
"Shinpachi's glasses are more Shinpachi than Shinpachi." Kagura added.
He felt a vain throb in his forehead."You two are back less than a minute and you're already pissing me off…" he hissed. "At least acknowledge the fact that the author of this story dedicated a short paragraph to how I look different!"
"Che" Kagura scoffed "she's just getting full of herself. Thinking people could accept Gintama with a depressing plotline and they could take you seriously… I mean why didn't I get a paragraph describing how I look huh?"
"So that's what your mad about isn't it?" Shinpachi questioned
"Now, now Kagura don't be like that," Gintoki cooed, "…most people know how to picture future you because of that time skip arc…the real question is, why do I look exactly the same huh? Why don't I have any new special moves?"
"So you're both angry about it! You're both angry you didn't get a paragraph describing how you look!" Shinpachi yelled at the two returnee odd jobbers feeling like his head was going to explode.
With no warning Kagura jumped him and squeezed so hard he was sure his bones snapped. "Oh Shinpachi" she cried with tears in her eyes, "You don't know how hard it's been without you! Mine and Gin-chan's jokes always fell flat without our straight man! The whole crew though we were crazy"
"No…that's cause you are crazy." He stated in an irritated tone.
Then Gintoki joined in. "See that was perfect! Kagura we can never leave our straight man for that long again ok? It always fell to me to pick up the slack and it was exhausting!" she nodded vigorously in agreement.
"OI! YOU JUST ADMITTED AT THE END THERE THAT YOU'RE JUST PLAIN LAZY! YOU DIDN'T MISS ME AT ALL!"
The reunited trio talked, laughed and joked till long after the sun had set, Tama even brought them up some drinks and food. When they all finally retired Shinpachi was too exhausted to go home, so he made up the extra futon. He had been so excited to see his friends that he had forgotten that Gintoki still didn't know…Shinpachi didn't think it was right for Gin to find out from him so was glad it had slipped his mind for the reunion. Well he would find out sooner or later. He wondered what the sugar loving samurai's reaction would be…
Lighting his cigarette Hijikata Toshiro, the demon vice-commander of the Shinsengumi took a long first drag. This was ridiculous, having a corrupt government that no longer cared about the humans in this world was one thing, but it was entirely something else to let fucking blood suckers whose actual food source was human blood into the country. Plus all of these official meetings had to happen at night cause apparently the whole 'vampires burn in the sunlight' thing was real, what the hell's up with that? Two years in the making this was, somehow they had managed to get in friendly with the higher ups and now all he could do was watch as the vermin made a nest for themselves in the newly renovated Hotel/Casino in Kabukicho. He had to give them credit, most Amanto colonists picked the richer areas of Edo, but Kabukicho would be the easiest place to get way with illegal activity if that's what they were up to…and let's face it, what aliens aren't.
Here came the poisonous snake that was the vampire representative now, tailed by Kondo and Okita. The man was deathly pale as Hijikata had come to realize was a vampire trait, along with the glowing red eyes that just gave him the creeps, this one's in particular. They were all here to meet this bigwig vampire prince who was finally making an appearance.
"We really do appreciate your hospitality" the slippery smooth voice of the dark slick haired vampire made its way into his ears, making Hijikata's insides crawl.
"No we're just doing our job" Kondo put in modestly. The three had made their way over to the vice-chief. "When is his highness expected to arrive?"
The vampire gave a smirk that rivalled Sogo's super sadistic one and replied, "The prince is here already." That made the Shinsengumi members straighten.
"Where?" Hijikata questioned irritated
"Please wait here gentlemen…I'll bring 'his' highness," the vampire shot an amused look at Kondo, "to you." Then swiftly, too swiftly to be natural, he departed leaving the three officers alone in the room.
"Can I skin him alive when he returns?" Okita asked with hardly any afflictions to his voice. "I'd really like to skin him alive; I could wear it like an expensive coat, it's always been my dream to become a vampire hunter."
"This is stupid," Hijikata complained, "why do we have to play liaison to these monsters."
"Toshi, Sogo!" Kondo reprimanded, "They are important officials who we've been asked to guard and help settle into our city. We will follow our orders…and at least they seem polite enough"
"You're too nice Kondo-san" Hijikata stated as he took another long drag. He exhaled the smoke into Okita's face, who then promptly drew his katana and sliced what remained of the cigarette in half. Hijikata gritted his teeth in frustration trying and failing to rein in his anger.
"Hey now…" Kondo tried soothingly "let's not make a scene in the middle of the embassy…" But his plea went unheard as the two officers started a deadly battle in hopes of taking the others life. Kondo tried in vain to stop the warring before things got out of hand like usual.
"My but we are lively today aren't we gentlemen?" They froze just as Okita was about smash Hijikata over the head with a large vase that had previously adorned a nearby shelf. Wonderful, the snake was back. "It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you the new Prince of Kabukicho," a petit figure emerged from behind the tall angular vampire.
Nothing could have prepared the three for the shock they felt as the woman came into view, "My sister Sonya." The stunned silence was shattered literally with a loud crash as Okita let the vase slip from his fingers, the pieces flying in every direction. No one took heed; all three men were staring at her, eyes wide.
Okita was the first to manage working his vocal chords, bringing about one barely audible word. "S-sis… …sister?"
The dark haired vampire was smiling in amusement, having misunderstood the meaning. "You see? They thought you were going to be a man." Though that statement was entirely true it wasn't why the top members of the Shinsengumi were speechless.
An exasperated expression flashed across her face as she looked at the other vampire. "Cain's blood, Revon, you could have told them…"
Hearing her voice made Hijikata's head spin. It was the same! Her dirty blond hair was tied back in a high pony and much longer than he was used to, her eyes glowed with that unnatural red light and her skin was pale but it was her!
"You must forgive my brother, he has a nasty habit of playing tricks." She said the last bit between clenched teeth before turning her gaze on the Shinsengumi, "Prince is just a tittle for any vampire in charge of a certain area…in our world each major city has one, hence why, Prince of Kabukicho, don't worry it's not like I'm actually royalty or anything."
This was impossible she was dead. Yet here she was, right in front of him. Unconsciously he breathed out her name. "M-Mitsuba…"
Tsukuyo sat on the side porch gazing at the moon that wasn't quite full, twirling her pipe absently. She had started up the habit again about a year ago, having quit for obvious reasons, and she was debating if she should try to quit again. She decided against it, lighting up and inhaling the toxins she knew to be heath detrimental. She puffed out the smoke enjoying how relaxed it made her feel, something she truly needed.
Today one of the girls had come running to her with the news of Sakata Gintoki's return to Edo. She wondered what the chances were of him never finding out…next to none when everyone else in his life already knew...Tsukuyo never told them directly, but it was impossible to deny when Hana looked so much like him. The same wavy white locks, and those lazy crimson eyes, it was almost scary how the same features that made Gintoki look like a good for nothing layabout, made the little girl look like an adorable daydreamer.
Tsukuyo turned at the sound of small feet, pitter-pattering toward the sliding door then stop short. "Why are you awake?" she asked calmly as she heard a startled intake of breath and a grown of disappointment.
The door slid open a crack and two little heads popped out, one white and dishevelled and the other straight and blond. "We can't sleep mother" said the little boy. Unlike Hana, Disuke, with his sharp violet eyes and straight blond hair resembled her. Yet there was still something in the shape of their faces, the mouth or perhaps the nose, that somehow made it easy for anyone to tell they were twins.
Tsukuyo let out an exasperated sigh while she snuffed out her pipe; she guessed the same thing that was on her mind was on her children's too. "Come here my little stars." The twins hurried over in excitement that their usually strict mother was indulging them for once. They sat on either side of her resting their heads on Tsukuyo's lap as she gently ran her fingers through their hair. Hinowa was the first to call the twins stars, saying it fit the theme of the family. Tsukuyo had liked it so much it just stuck. When she found out she was going to have twins she immediately joked that they would be named Die and Block, of course, only she got the joke…but she had proceeded to call the unborn children that throughout her pregnancy. After the hell that was her labour, she actually did name her son Disuke, intent on calling him Di-chan for short, but just couldn't feel good about calling her little girl Block. Hinowa had suggested Hana was a good name for the daughter of the Hundred Blooms' leader and so it was.
"Is it true mommy?" Disuke asked in delight, "is he really back?"
Tsukuyo supposed there was no use trying to deny the truth from her children when she never had before. Why start now? "Yes my stars, it's true."
He sat up looking her in the eye. "Is he really as great as uncle Katsura says?" Katsura Kotaro was a friend of Gintoki's who before she had her children Tsukuyo had only met in passing, but the man had felt responsible, saying if it wasn't for his words to Sakamoto, Gin would never have left for space. He was adamant that he would teach Disuke the way of the samurai in Gintoki's place, as far as Tsukuyo could tell the man was an idiot threw and threw, but the children liked him, so that was good enough for her. "Auntie Ikumatsu said I have the same taste buds as him." Her son continued.
Tsukuyo laughed at that, Disuke defiantly had a Sweet tooth.
"I bet it's not true," Hana said with cynicism "Grandma Tose said he's just a lazy fool." She looked up at her mother like she wanted to be corrected and reprimanded for saying such things.
Disuke beat her too it. "That's not true! Even Auntie Hinowa says he's the saviour of Yoshiwara!" he looked to her for reassurance, "Right mom?"
She shook her head a half smile of amusement on her face. "I've told you two this story hundreds of times…"
They looked at her, eyes big and round "Please mommy?" they said in perfect unison that only twins can pull off.
Tsukuyo caved. "Alright lay down." she patted her legs and her children surrendered themselves to the soothing strokes of her fingers once more. "Once upon a time-"
"Don't start with Once Upon a Time" Disuke cut in, it makes it sound like it didn't really happen.
"Well I can't start with A long time ago…" Tsukuyo complained, "Your mother's not that old."
"Start it with This is the tale!" Hana chimed in
"Ok ok…" Tsukuyo tried again "Two households, both alike in dignity…"
"Mo-om!" the twins lamented, Tsukuyo chuckled as they squirmed under her hands, but she held them down. Suddenly they stopped. Worried she may have hurt them she hunched over to see their faces, both were gazing at the moon expressions anxious.
"Do you think he'll like us?" questioned Hana softly.
Honestly Tsukuyo didn't know what Gintoki's reaction would be, she herself had been fretting about it for four years now…so she did the only thing she could think of to ease their troubled little minds. "Hush now my stars, your mother's telling you a story." Playing with their hair once more, she started her tale seriously. "It was in the days of Eternal Night that I first met your father, and it was because of his silver soul that the darkness came to an end. He was the spark that ignited the revolution to save Auntie Hinowa from the claws of the Night King…" Tsukuyo lunched into the story but with her monotone voice, she was never very good at telling tales. The twins fell asleep before it was even half over.
She studied their perfect porcelain faces that glowed in the moonlight. After she had gotten over the shock of pregnancy, she didn't really have time to pine after Gintoki, but she sometimes felt a pang when she saw something of him in her children's faces, Hana in particular. But so help him if he crushed their spirits, she would crush his face. She wasn`t entirely sure she wouldn`t even if he was welcoming. All she knew was this was going to be one hell of a reunion.