Hello guys!

Yes, I'm still alive! Huff one and two things had prevented me from writing this earlier...but let's put it aside, I hope you enjoy this new chapter! XD As always, thanks for your reviews! Everytime I feel down and lazy to write, I'll read all your reviews over and over again and it's going to give me supports I need! ^_^

Kit2000, thank you for always waiting for this story's continuation! ^_^ Enjoy this chapter and Saito's amnesia hoho~

PandaN00b, yay I was succeeded in surprising you! XD this is the update for you!

Marialena, don't kill me and don't hate Chizuru either! DX Well I hope you could forgive her later~

Reaper, kyaaa I didn't think of Little Mermaid when I wrote that chapter! O_O But now that you mentioned it, it did resemble that story. The only fairytale that crossed my mind was The Sleeping Beauty...and Grey's Anatomy (okay, out of topic lol). Wish this chapter could bring more suspense haha

IloveCelestialIce, I hope you like this update! And yeah I do know and love Fairy Tail! If I ever made another fanfiction besides Hakuoki, it would be a Fairy Tail story XD Hmm~ and as for Lucy, I like her being with Loke. Haha but at least for now, Hakuoki is the only fandom I have the ideas to write for XD

Let's start reading! ^_^ I love you all, my readers! ^_^

PETALS OF TIME

CHAPTER 10: BETRAYAL

A pair of blank blue eyes followed every movement of a brown-haired cheerful girl. Chizuru just came back from school and immediately went to the hospital to help Saito pack up his stuffs, because today he would go home together with her. It was already two weeks since Saito was diagnosed with memory loss, and there was no significant progress.

Everytime the doctors wanted to ask him some questions in an attempt to help him remember a little about his past, Chizuru always got in their way. She would say that Saito was still shocked and not in a condition to answer any questions. In fact, it was true, since the terrible headache would attack him everytime he tried to recall something. It gave nothing except a slight image of light blue-colored thing that flowing gracefully.

For this case, the doctors agreed that it would be the best to let the time heal the amnesic man. It was useless to force him remember something if it would make him suffer more. Chizuru was happy upon hearing this decision, although she was feeling guilty inside.

Walking outside the hospital, the spring breeze of April welcomed the young warrior. He glanced at his surroundings; buildings, cars, passing people in various outfits. They were all normal things that could be found in this city, but somehow he felt it was a weird thing.

"Saito-san, can you walk?" The voice of the girl who was holding his hand brought him back to reality.

"Yes...don't worry about me..," said Saito quietly. He was healthy enough to go home, but the memory loss almost killed him. Many, many questions were dancing in his head, longing to be answered.

However, he knew that he shouldn't bother Yukimura family more with his unimportant questions. After all, they were the ones who paid his hospital bill and it was not cheap. More importantly, they also had taken care of him since he was a young boy, when his parents were dead in an accident.

At least, that was what Chizuru told him...

"Welcome home!" Chizuru exclaimed happily while opening Saito's room. The young male went inside, but he didn't feel any comfort, as though it was not his own bedroom.

"You must be still tired, just get some rest then. I'll wake you up in dinner time..." The girl gave him a warm smile, but Saito felt that she was hiding something behind that smile. Yet, he got rid of that thought. How could he think of something negative about his savior?

Saito shook his head weakly, " No, I can't just sleep all the time. I don't want to be a burden again. Let me help you with anything I can do..," and then he recalled of something, "...Also, I have a job at the bookstore..."

But Chizuru had pulled his hand and sat him down on bed, "I've told the owner of the bookstore that you're sick, and have to resign from there...You can help my dad's job again when you have fully recovered. Don't worry, you're not a burden. You have saved my life...Just concentrate on getting better, okay?"

Saito wanted to protest since Chizuru had him resigned without even discussing it first. Still, he knew that he had no right to say anything. Nodding his head weakly, the man laid down on bed, and was surprised because Chizuru hugged him all of a sudden.

"I'm glad...," murmured Chizuru, ignoring Saito who didn't understand about her abrupt action, "...But, I'm sorry..."

Before Saito could ask anything, Chizuru had released him from her embrace and put a blanket on his body. Her caramel eyes looked happy yet sad at the same time, "I'll be here until you're asleep."

"Alright...," answered Saito, knowing that he had to be a good boy. Otherwise, he would take a longer time to be completely healthy and Yukimura family didn't want it to happen.

Chizuru ran her fingers to Saito's hair as the said man closed his eyes. A sigh escaped her throat as she was thinking one more time about some ways to make the amnesia become really permanent...Oh no, she was being selfish again. And the worst thing was, she realized that she was wrong, but still doing it for her own needs.

When Saito had finally fallen asleep, Chizuru took steps away from him. Her heart was filled with guilt and she really hated herself for doing all these things, but she just couldn't go against her inner demon.

She opened the door and was about to go outside, when suddenly, she saw those things in the corner of Saito's room. The relics from the past that had seen a great river of blood. The most precious treasure for the man she loved...

...His swords...

Unconsciously, Chizuru walked closer and stared at the sheathed katana and wakizashi for a long time. She hated those things. Just if Saito didn't bring them with him in the first place, it would be easier to convince him to live in this world. After all, he seemed to enjoy the peaceful life in modern days. But those relics always reminded him of his duty as the captain of Shinsengumi.

Her small hands took and lifted the blades. They were heavy, and Chizuru wondered how the samurai could still move fast while carrying such heavy metal. Throwing the last guilty glance to the sleeping man, Chizuru stepped out of the room, along with Saito's beloved swords...

Saito Hajime was hers. Nothing or nobody could take him away from her...

With that thought, she ran to her own bedroom, attempting to hide the blades. However, it was too risky since her room was next to Saito's. Even though Saito had never entered her room without permission, she had to prevent the worst possibility.

Abruptly, an alternative but perfect place crossed her selfish mind. There was only one location in this house where everyone didn't want to enter and didn't even care about its existence; Kodo's laboratory.

Chizuru rushed downstairs, to the place which had started everything. Kodo should be at clinic by now, so it was the perfect time to enter his lab. Kodo had told her not to lie about Saito's past, but Chizuru ignored him, making up a reason that it was necessary for Saito to stay calm first since the truth was still too much for him to bear.

The girl opened the lab's door in haste with conflict of emotions within her heart. But then, her eyes widened in surprise as she saw Kodo stand in front of the time machine.

"...Dad? What are you doing?" The fear of losing Saito began to haunt her once again, as she gazed at lots of mechanical components on the floor. They must be the results of Kodo's experiment in America, because Kodo seemed to be working on the time machine and those parts at once.

Kodo glanced at his daughter confusedly, "Well, I can ask the same thing to you, Chizuru...and what are those?"

Still, Chizuru didn't pay any attention to Kodo's words. She also paid no mind to Kodo's shocked reaction upon seeing Saito's swords in her hands, "Dad, you can't do this! He almost died when protecting me, your daughter! Why do you want to chase him away so much?! He's a nice person!"

"Chizuru, that's not what it's all about!" Kodo tried to calm Chizuru, who had started to cry. "I fix the time machine because I've promised Saito to do so. It's my responsibility after all...However, if I may say frankly, I'd rather have him stay in this era forever...because..."

Kodo gulped, couldn't bring himself to continue. Chizuru stared at him, asking for more explanation in silence. Yet Kodo made an attempt to change the topic, "Speaking of which, why did you take Saito's swords?"

Tears were rolling down Chizuru's cheeks while gripping the weapons even tigher, "...These things are the only reminder of his past...I don't want him to see it again, because it would make him want to go back..."

Kodo's eyes opened wide in disbelief. Chizuru wore an expression which he had never seen before. A mix of sorrow and also the determination to own something, or someone dear to her, "Chizuru...could it be..."

The girl gave her surprised father a small nod, "You've been always asking me to look for a boyfriend, Dad..."

A sour smile found its way to her lips as she traced the katana's scabbard with her fingers.

"...Still, I can't love another man like I love Saito-san..."

Blood, blood, and blood everywhere...yet he was in the center of the crimson pool...A losing enemy was screaming right in front of him, begging him to spare his life. But mission was still a mission, he couldn't do that.

Without mercy, his infamous left hand lifted a glinting katana. Just in one second, the once living man before him had turned into a corpse...He stared at the lifeless body, sheathed his katana back and saw some abstract scarlet pattern tainting his trademark haori...which originally had the color of the sky.

Mission accomplished.

Saito woke up, breathing heavily. Cold sweat drenched his clothes after having such strange and frightening dream. He was relieved as he found himself still lying on bed and not in the middle of the pool of blood.

Slowly, he got up from the bed. The headache came to torture him again, along with flowing light blue color flashed continuously in his tangled mind. With a shaking hand, he tried to reach the glass of water on the table to cool his burned throat and calm himself down at once. But it fell onto the floor and shattered into pieces.

Oh no, now he made another problem to Yukimura family. Still, the extreme thirst led his pace to walk out of the room. He decided to clean the glass pieces afterwards.

Walking shakily downstairs, he went to the kitchen and take another glass of water. While letting the fresh liquid to freshen his dry throat, he heard a sort of conversation from the corner of the house.

"Chizuru...He has his own life, you know..."

"...I know it very well, Dad...But I just can't let him go...I know I'm being selfish, but..."

Nothingness prevailed for a long moment, and unconsciously, Saito went closer to the source of the voice. It didn't look good because Chizuru's tone seemed sad...Was she crying?

"Chizuru...as I told you earlier...If I were the decision maker, I would want him to live in this era as well, because actually... there's a problem with the time machine even though I've found a way to repair it..."

"...What? What is it, Dad?"

Saito was confused. What were they talking about? Time machine? Yet he kept walking due to the curiosity and something else, as if there was something calling him from the direction of Kodo's lab...

"I can send him back to his era, that's true. However, time-travelling is complicated...He's going to end up in the exact same time and place when he was accidentally sucked by the machine. In other words, in the middle of the Battle of Aizu..."

Upon hearing Kodo's speech, Saito dropped on his knees. Now the headache was even more tormenting. Slowly but sure, fractions of images invaded his brain mercilessly as if they wanted to make his head explode. Images of some familiar faces...familiar place...and a group of people dressed in light blue haori...

"Saito-san!"

Chizuru and Kodo had noticed his presence, and now he was curling on the floor while pressing his palms against his head. He groaned in pain, and barely could hear Kodo's voice, asking Chizuru to take some tranquilizer. But the girl had frozen in place...and the things in her hands...

Saito's eyes widened upon seing his valued weapons, and also the time machine from the gap of the lab's door. This time, the blurry images in his head had become clear, replacing the blankness in his heart with extreme guilt. How dare he forgot his own comrades, even letting his guard down so a mere girl could take his swords while he was sleeping.

"...You...," Saito muttered in agony, glaring at the trembling Chizuru, "...How could you do that?"

Yet that was all he could speak, before he closed his eyes from the fatique and let the darkness take over his mind...

Forgive me...forgive me, Saito-san...

His eyelids parted open very slowly, revealing a pair of weak but cold and penetrating azure eyes. He felt Chizuru's hand squeezed his palm gently, and the said girl kept repeating the same words over and over again; the words of apology.

But Saito pulled his hand away from hers without saying anything, also refused her offer when she wanted to help him sit down on bed. He turned his eyes to the bedside where his katana and wakizashi were laying. The warrior took and held them tight, not wanting to ever lose his most precious things again.

"I'm really sorry!" Chizuru quickly stood up and bowed to Saito despite he had ignored her. Tears falling down onto Saito's thighs.

"...You've broken your promise...," said Saito, with his cold tone after so long, "On top of that, how could you do something that low?"

Chizuru couldn't say anything to defend herself. Saying something like 'I don't want you to go' would just add fuel into the fire. She had broken her promise, and if she said something like that, it just proved the fact that she was a low and selfish person. Although she knew that Saito would eventually regain his memories, she didn't expect that everything would end up in the worst way.

"Answer me, Yukimura," Saito stood up as well and lifted up her chin so they were looking at each other's eyes. It was another worst thing, now Chizuru knew that she couldn't lie any longer.

"...I...," Chizuru whimpered, "...don't want to lose you..."

In the end, that was the most suitable sentence to express her feelings. She kept on talking, "I-I'm really sorry...Just if I didn't have a fake life to begin with...I wouldn't do something stupid like this...You are the only person who has made me feel happy in my pitiful life, so I..."

While still trying to find the best words, suddenly a strong hand had pushed her onto the bed. Another hand grasped her wrists together above her head and she heard the sound of sheathing metal. Before she could fully understand, she felt the cold steel touched her neck, ready to cut the soft flesh anytime.

All of those happened just in a blink of an eye, and now Saito was already on top of her. He growled, "Traitor."

Beads of sweat starting to form on her face as she looked at the breathtaking yet deadly expression in front of her eyes. Saito's chest pressed against hers, blocking her lungs to inhale enough oxygen. Their noses were touching, as though their breaths had become one.

She was scared, really scared, to the point she couldn't bring herself to say a single word. It was the first time for her to feel the threatening aura of a true samurai, a killing intent. Saito tightened his grip on Chizuru's wrists and the girl closed her eyes tight because of the pain.

"Stop acting like you're the most pitiful person in the world...," He pressed his blade on Chizuru's neck, making the girl lean back and gasp for air, "It's just you who never understand and keep thinking about negative things...You don't even know how people lived in my era, where they could lose their heads anytime as they walked with their family in town...How children lost both their parents in cruel murders, and how they had to survive in streets...But you, a spoiled and selfish girl who has been living in a peaceful world, doesn't even want to try changing a bit of misfortune in your life!"

"I-I've tried to!" Chizuru choked as she made an attempt to speak. But Saito's next statement had silenced her once again, "Yes, you've tried by faking your own life, and willing to do anything once you've found something that could fulfill the emptiness in your heart. Am I correct?"

Saito pressed his body even tighter to Chizuru's, and now the only sound that could be heard was the poor girl's harsh breath. Saito's words were true. She lived by pleasing everyone, but once she found Saito, she would do anything to get him.

"You already know that such thing is wrong, yet you keep doing it...Is it worthy to be called as 'trying to change'? You can't even keep a simple promise..." The color of his eyes, along with his deep cold voice, stabbed and pierced Chizuru's already broken heart. He was not holding back this time, despite Chizuru's tears couldn't stop falling.

"Do not whine," Saito fixed the position of his hand on the sword's hilt, "If you really want to change, then you have to be responsible with your fault...Do you know about the proper punishment for a traitor in my era?"

Chizuru's breath was getting heavier. He was right, she had done a wrong thing and she must take a responsibility. Although she was frightened, but strangely she felt that it was alright if Saito was the one who ended her sorrowful life...No, it was not that sorrowful. As Saito said, there was a lot of people who had worse lives, and they could overcome it as long as they didn't give up.

She just realized such simple thing now. She was a coward who had surrendered even before the battle started. A traitor, a loser, what else? Yet it was already late...as the cold blade started to move slightly...

"Chizuru? How is Saito?" Kodo's sudden voice from outside surprised her, yet Saito didn't lift his sword from Chizuru's neck.

The young man kept staring at her eyes. And after some time, Chizuru gathered her courage to speak, although her tongue could just produce a shaking voice,"...Don't worry, Dad...Saito-san is alright, he's still asleep now...You'd better take a rest as well..."

They heard Kodo let out a sigh, "Alright, if you say so...just make sure he takes his medicine after he has woken up."

Chizuru said nothing more to reply him, but they could hear Kodo's steps as he walked downstairs. After a long silence, Saito whispered, trying to hide his confusion, "Why didn't you scream for help?"

The tears had blinded her eyes. His words had hurt her heart. Nevertheless, in her deepest heart, she was relieved because she could do at least one right thing before the man she loved ended her life. She had done too many wrong things, and if her soul could pay all the mistakes...

"Saito-san...," she smiled, a small but genuine smile. "You're right...I must bear the responsibility...I'm not going to run away again..."

She closed her teary eyes, and spoke quietly, "But I just want you to know that I'm feeling regret right now...and my feeling for you is not a fake one..."

"Open your eyes." That was the only response Saito gave her. Chizuru obeyed and showed her chocolate iris to him. A few minutes passed, and Saito whispered in an emotionless tone, "As the last present for saying the truth and also saving my life, let me hear your last wish..."

Chizuru's eyes widened. It was true that she said the truth this time. But she didn't expect that Saito would say something like that. Still, he didn't do anything to remove the blade, "Really, Saito-san?"

Saito narrowed his eyes into blue slits, "Be proud, I'm not usually this generous...But since it's you, and you really regret your fault-"

"Release my hands...," the girl murmured, and Saito frowned. She continued, "Don't worry, I won't run away..."

Slowly, Saito loosened his grasp on Chizuru's wrists, revealing the red marks on her white skin. Chizuru gave him a warm smile, and rested her palms on Saito's cheeks.

"May I, Saito-san? I don't want to be selfish anymore...So I'll ask for your permission first..." Her fingers were lingering on his face, feeling the softness of his skin.

Saito stayed expressionless at first, but then he chuckled sarcastically, "Of all things, you ask for something like this from your executioner? You're really a kid, Yukimura."

"...Yes I'm just a kid who's trying to be more mature in her last moments...," Chizuru pulled Saito's face closer, "So, is this okay?"

A hint of gasp was shown on Saito's eyes. He seemed hesitated, but then he nodded slightly. Chizuru muttered a quiet 'thank you' and closed her eyes before pressing her lips against his. She tasted the sweetness his lips offered and wondered how amazing it was to finally have a kiss with her first and last love before she died.

Much to her surprise, she felt Saito kiss her back. And she didn't know whether it was true or not, but it seemed that Saito was smiling against her lips. No, it was impossible. There was no way he could do something like that while still holding his katana. This kiss...was nothing but a duty for him...

Or...was it?

"It's enough." At last, Saito broke the kiss. "It was such a childish thing."

Chizuru shook her head weakly. The smile had never left her face. "No...It was beautiful...I'm glad I could share it with you."

"Don't say anything more," Saito seemed even more serious this time, "Be prepared for the worst, here and now. I, Saito Hajime of Shinsengumi, will execute you...and I hope you will be reborn as a better person..."

After her last wish was fulfilled, Chizuru could stay calmer this time. She closed her eyelids, afraid but happy at the same time. The only thing she regretted was, it was too late for her to change...if she were to reborn, she wished to meet Saito in a different way.

She felt a rapid, swift motion of metal slicing her neck. It hurt and made her cough due to the sudden lack of air...

...Wait...if she could let out a cough, then it meant she was still breathing, didn't it?

"It's over."

The flat tone from above made her open her eyes in shock. The owner of that deep voice stood up and sheathed his katana back as if he had executed a traitor properly.

"S-Saito-san...," she coughed once again and touched her neck. It hurt, yes, but there was not even single droplet of blood. "Why...?"

Saito turned his blue irises to the confused girl, "I used the blunt side."

Chizuru got up from the bed and walked closer to Saito with trembling limbs. She really didn't understand about what was happening. But then Saito continued his earlier words, "I've killed the demon in your heart, the old Yukimura Chizuru who had lived with falseness and done many wrong things...Now you have reborn as the new Yukimura Chizuru. I hope you could live to the fullest by this chance I gave you."

Still trying to understand and catch her breath, Chizuru fell on her knees. She was sweating heavily because of the fear, but also very relieved. Before she knew it, Saito had bent down before her and examined her neck, "Forgive me, did it hurt?"

Chizuru threw herself onto Saito's chest as the answer. She soaked his clothes with her tears and felt Saito's arms circling around her shaking body. She was happy and couldn't say anything to express her gratitude to Saito for giving her another opportunity to change.

"It was the only way to know whether you really meant your words or not...," Saito buried his face on Chizuru's hair, "And I'm glad that you really have a determination to change the way you live...I don't want you to disappoint me for the second time..."

"I won't!" Chizuru sobbed and held Saito's body tightly. "But...I-I thought you hate me!"

A smile played on Saito's lips, although the crying girl didn't see it, "Normally, I would. But I just can't bring myself to hate you..."

Chizuru lifted up her face and gazed at Saito's features. The young male wiped her tears away and gave her a calming smile. All of a sudden, Chizuru pulled his face again. Yet before she could do anything, Saito frowned and stopped her action.

"I just gave you a permission to do it once, remember?" Those words made Chizuru drop her arms immediately to the sides and look down at floor in shame.

"I-I'm sorry...," she murmured as the realization hit her. Right, the kiss was supposed to be her 'last wish'...However, Saito never intended to kill her from the beginning. Why did he permit her to do something like that? Even if it was a mere mission for him, it was still something precious to let go just that way...

"S-Saito-san..." She tried to hide the spreading blush on her face when suddenly Saito stroked her hair. He pulled her body even closer and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Yukimura...about the time machine..."

This topic had always ruined the atmosphere, but Chizuru tried to sound as casual as possible. She didn't want to upset Saito again, "Yes...I guess you've heard everything about it, right? It could just send you back to the location of the Battle of Aizu..."

Her fingers lingered on his back, and found their places onto his shoulder blades. While trying to prevent a sob from escaping her throat, she spoke quietly, "...It's already a losing battle, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is...," Saito closed his eyes. He knew that this girl was giving all her might not to force him stay in this era, and struggling with her own feelings as well.

"But Yukimura...My destiny is calling me..."

Wow it's the 10th chapter already?! O_O Okay, let me tell you that we're getting closer to the final chapter!

Do you like this one? :3 I hope it could satisfy your thirst of romance after too much angst in the previous chapters XD

Thanks for reading and don't forget to push the blue button below to leave a REVIEW! ^_^