„I should've stopped her when I had the chance. I will beat some sense into her the next time I see her.", Gin kicked the metal wall in the bridge of the Kaientai ship.
They searched for hours. The thermal sensors didn't pick up any lifeforms in a radius of 3 km around the wreck of the pirate ship. Not even an insect. But in this darkness this was their only way to detect anything. It was almost as if the ship was flying over the bottom of the ocean were the light never reached. God knows what was out there. And Kagura was out there as well, if she had survived the fall.
The samurai was on the brink of a total breakdown.
"Stop being such a worry wart. We are talking about the commander and his sister. As if a fall from a mere hundred meters could kill them.", Abuto sat in a corner of the bridge a patched himself up.
The rest of the pirates that survived the crash stayed behind at what was left over of the ship. Abuto used the communicator of the trading ship to call for reinforcements and somebody had to wait for them. Meanwhile he played the role he was best at. Babysitter for a twenty year old man.
"Don't forget that this sadistic mob boss is with her. All the mischief in his body kept him alive so far. You'll see we find them and the girl and Sougo are beating each other up after they laugh at you for worrying.", Hijikata said the words more to himself.
Abuto wheezed.
"That is if that drug finally lost its effect. Maybe we will find the little miss and the earthling dancing the-", he suddenly had a wooden sword on the tip of his nose.
He looked up and was greeted by a not very happy samurai. He forgot that this guy was a crazy bastard when it came to his little bunch of colleagues. Hell, how could he forget that this was the same guy who threw himself between two fighting Yato.
"Would you mind and elaborate what you mean by that?", his voice was almost a growl.
The Yato knew that he just dug his own grave. He sighed where should he begin? Would he even believe him?
"You see it's a pretty funny story…"
"Make me laugh, pirate."
"You drugged Kagura-chan? I mean you are evil pirates but this takes the cake.", the glasses joined in looking like he was between puking and restraining himself to lunge at someone.
"And here I thought that pedo was worrisome. When we get back to earth I'm going to arrest all of you."
"I'm not a pedo for god's sake! At least I'm not drugging minors! Just wait until I'll tell the baldy about that."
"We didn't drug her on purpose! Well it was someone from the crew but he was on drugs himself!"
"What kind of opium den was that ship of yours? Don't you have any pride as pirates?"
"Would you all shut up?!", Mutsu interrupted their screaming session with an annoyed voice.
She pinched the bridge of her nose. What an annoying bunch.
"Our thermal sensors are showing four life forms about 2 kilometers away from us."
"Four?"
"Sadist!"
"Urgh!"
Okita spat blood.
This was going to hurt like a bitch the next day to say the least. And here he thought the never ending feud between him and the pirate commander was in some momentarily truce until they escaped this hell hole of planet and he and his sister weren't dying anymore. But here he was. Being impaled by said pirate with his parasol like some kebab. Talk about a shitty situation.
But his body moved on its own as he saw how Kamui charged at Kagura with the clear intent to kill emitting every pore of his body.
Which was more than weird.
He knew those siblings didn't had the best and most loving relationship but he knew that Kamui cared for Kagura and wouldn't murder her in such cold blood.
But something else was off as well.
He fought with the Yato before. And this was by far not his true strength. Even his stance was almost clumsy as if he never had attacked someone before. Which couldn't ever be true.
Kagura noticed this as well and stroke back.
With a precise and graceful kick in her brothers visage she send him flying. She grabbed the earthling and threw him over her shoulders. She had to get Okita away from here. When the weapon was pulled out of the man's gut more blood pooled on the ground. She only hoped that by sheer luck no organs were damaged. She could worry later about what was wrong with her brother and what this shapeshifter had to do with this. Now she had to book it.
She turned on her heels and ran through the labyrinth of crystals. She had to find a way to hide the earthling.
"What are you doing, China?", Okita spoke up after a couple of minutes.
"Getting you somewhere safe, you idiot. You just got stabbed like a fucking shashlik!"
"I'm not that fragile. I got hurt worse. Let me down.", Kagura stopped in her tracks. She did as he demanded and he dropped on the floor like a damp bag.
They were now a couple hundred meters away from Kamui. Even he would need some minutes to find them in this maze.
Okita touched his wound while staggering over to a rock formation in front of a crystal to lean himself against it. As he looked at his hand it was covered in blood, it was dripping even. He had to see a doctor.
"Sit down, yes.", Kagura appeared in front of him. Her face was grim.
Bleeding out Okita didn't had the urge to talk back and did as she said.
Kagura ripped off the seam of her cheongsam and one of her sleeves. She used the sleeve to pressure the wound and fixated it with the seam of her dress.
Okita just watched her.
"Why did you have to follow us? Why couldn't you just stay on earth, yes? Look where this ego of you got us.", she mumbled angry not stopping in what she was doing.
"You sadistic bastard, yes. What should I do if you die? I-", she looked him straight in the face.
He grinned weakly as he saw her expression. It was somewhere between fuming angry and on the verge of crying.
She was just adorable.
"You idiot! Why are you grinning like that, yes? This ist not funny."
"If you could see your stupid face you would laugh too. It's hilarious."
"It's not!"
"Seeing that face of yours made it all the worth.", he smiled warmly at her.
Kagura was shocked at this expression.
Did he had a concussion as well?
"Don't worry about me. Just save yourself. I will hide out somewhere."
"I refuse to leave you behind like a coward, yes! I will drag your sorry ass back to earth."
"Talking about sorry ass. What is wrong with that pirate? I knew he wasn't the best big brother alive but he tried to kill you. Even a dense idiot like you should've felt the killing intent."
Kagura frowned.
"I don't know, yes. It has been years since he tried to kill me for real. But-"
"He wasn't like his normal self. So you noticed too."
She nodded.
"Do you think this weird shapeshifting thing has something to do with it?"
"I don't know but it's safe to assume.", he looked around.
This whole place was weird.
Abuto told Okita that this planet was bursting from Altana but this was beyond his imagination. And so shallow underneath the ground. Why would nobody come and collect all this shit? As far as he knew this stuff could make you a millionaire pretty quick. So why…
"This is no Altana…", he mumbled.
Kagura furrowed her brows.
"What do you mean, yes? This is exactly what Altana looks like?", she stood up and walked towards a crystal.
She gazed at her reflection in the surface of the blue shining giant gem. It was mesmerizing. She stretched her hand out to touch it.
A whirring sound filled the air.
"Don't touch it!", Okita shouted.
Kagura whirled around looking and him with a puzzled expression.
"I don't know how but I think that those crystals and this weird face stealing freak are somehow connected.", he started to get up and walked next to her. His walking was unsteady and wobbly most likely due to the blood loss.
"Before this thing appeared I touched one of the crystals. It felt like I was touching something electrically charged.", he looked at his bloody palm.
He still felt the prickling feeling. Like he touched an old tube tv right after it was turned off.
The girl thought back when the three of them were searching this place. Kamui had flung her against one of those gems. She didn't felt like she touched something electric but maybe it was because of the impact.
"But how, yes? What are those things?"
"How should I know. This isn't Edo but a fucking planet on the other side of the universe. There might be some weirder things on the planet next door.", he hold his wound, even speaking hurt like hell.
Kagura noticed that. She had to get him somewhere safe where she could tend his wound better.
This was all her fault. If she just didn't went to the Shinsengumi headquarter in the first place. Then Okita would be still on earth and unscathed. If she just…
Someone was watching them. She felt the hair on her neck stand up. She felt the killing intent flooding the air around her.
She snapped around and saw how Kamui aimed his parasol at her.
Her eyes widened. He found them. He pulled the trigger.
"Watch out!", she pushed the earthling behind her and with a smooth motion pulled out her own umbrella and opened it to protect the two of them from the bullets.
Even if this was an older model it should still be bulletproof. Now it was a good thing that this parasol was a little bit too big for her stature as it gave them more space to hide behind as the metal rain of bullets rained down on them.
"Get me closer to him, China! I will attack him while he shoots!", Okita said as he cowered behind her.
"Hell no! Your still injured, yes!", she looked around. There was a crystal about 12 meters behind them.
"He has to reload any second. When the firing stops you run!", as she finished the sentence the bullets stopped.
Okita got up. But instead of running to hide he charged at Kamui while drawing his sword.
Kagura closed her umbrella. Every slur she knew was coming to her mind. She watched in horror how the other Yato stormed at the policeman.
"You idiot!", she ran after him towards her brother.
Kamuis face was cold. Not a single emotion could be found on his face, it was like he was wearing a mask. Behind him stood the creature still wearing the face of their mother with also no emotion on their face. Cold sweat ran down her back. Was Okita telling the truth and all of this messy situation was because that thing controlled her brother?
She had no time to think about this further as the two men before her clashed their weapons. She leaped forward as Okita was blown away by one of Kamuis hits. He flew several meters and slid some additional after he landed on the ground hitting his head in the process. It took him every willpower not to pass out. The blood loss already took his toll he couldn't afford a concussion now. He tried to get up but his limbs weren't listing to him.
Kamui tried to pursue the man but was stopped by a strike of Kaguras umbrella.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, yes?", she snarled.
His expression didn't change what made Kagura even more furious. Was all their fighting in the past for nothing?
"I thought you finally got your shit together, yes? And here you are being manipulated by some freak who stole Mamis face, yes?", she grabbed his umbrella and pulled him closer. She yanked her head froward, head butting her brother.
"Snap out of it! Bakaniki!"
Kamui gasped as he was thrown backwards against a rock as he fell to the ground seemingly unconscious. Kagura felt how blood dripped from her forehead. Her skull was throbbing as she walked towards him but stopped in her tracks as the shapeshifter spoke up.
"Stop this.", their voice was cold.
Kagura shivered. It sounded so much like her mother.
"Stop this. Your siblings. We finally reunited this should be a joyful day.", they walked towards Kagura.
"How long have I waited for you two to be finally with me again.", she walked towards the girl raising her arms as if she was about to embrace her.
The girl froze even though everything in her yelled to get the hell away.
How much she wished this would be her real mother. How often she dreamed about this. But this wasn't her mother. Her mother was gone. But this woman looked so much like her. It would be fine if she could feel the embrace of her mother on last time right? Just one second-
Okita saw this while still not able to stand up.
"China! Oi! Snap out of this!", the girl did not react.
As the woman almost reached Kagura Kamui appeared behind the shapeshifter with his umbrella ready to strike. He was furious.
Kagura snapped out of her trance. She swung her umbrella at the figures neck.
"What naughty children.", the shapeshifter mumbled.
It rose its arms grabbing both of the parasols in lightning speed. The siblings couldn't believe it. Kamui was the first to react after the initial disbelief. He let go of his weapon charging at the figure bare handed punching the back of its head. The figure didn't budge.
"You played me like a fool. What the hell are you?", snarled the Yato.
"Showing me a little slideshow. But I have to thank you for finally letting me impale the policeman."
"Fuck you!"
The figure began chuckling. Even this sounded like their mother. Kamui was about to snap.
"I am what is left of her."
"Left of what?", growled the girl still trying to rip her parasol out of the creatures clutches.
It was incredible how strong that thing was. Even a direct hit of Kamui didn't do a thing.
"Left of the real master of this planet. All those years ago this man took her away. But now you're here. You can take her place."
It clicked in the siblings mind. All came together now. Their illness. Their mothers illness. It was this planets way of calling them back here.
"I called for you and you really came, unlike her. But you've brought quite some unneeded baggage. I had to get rid of it."
"So the attack on the ship was also you?", Kamui asked.
The creature looked at him with a joyful smile.
"Of course! I have my ways. Orochi was elated when he noticed you were coming so he assisted me in getting rid of those pests you brought along. But this one over there is quite persistent.", they gave Okita a kind of disgusted look.
"Talk about it.", mumbled Kamui kind of amused.
"Fuck you!"
"I'm sorry to break it to you, yes. But we don't plan on staying for long, yes. So let us go before we rip you apart!", Kagura finally ripped her umbrella out of the creatures hands getting in battle stance while also moving herself between their enemy and Okita who now slowly got up.
She had to get him away.
"I'm sorry dear. But there is no going back. You should've noticed how your body reacted upon coming here. You can't live somewhere else. So just let me kill this outsider and we can start our new life together.", the last part the creature spoke in a dark voice what made Kagura gulp.
She remembered this feeling. It was the same feeling when she faced Utsuro all those years ago. An ancient power she stood no chance against.
But she had to protect Okita. She would get him off this planet even if it was the last thing she did. But fighting this thing head on would be no good.
She glanced at her brother. Kamui was tense like a spring, ready to attack their opponent at any given moment. He nodded.
Kagura made one step forward only to whirl around and sprint towards the man that just got up from the ground and flung him over her shoulders.
At the same moment Kamui threw another punch at the creature. This seemed to catch the figure off guard and made it fly some meters.
"Run! Find Abuto! I will finish this!", the pirate shouted after them.
Kagura ran as fast as she could. She had to get out of here. There had to be an exit. Somewhere she had to get outside again.
She felt how the man's blood ran down her back. His wound had widened.
"Leave me behind, China."
"Hell no! What should I tell the gorilla when I come back without your stupid face, yes?!"
"Dunno… just tell them I quit. And now drop me and save your own ass you dumb bitch!"
Kaguras grip tightened.
"I won't leave anyone behind, yes! Especially not you!"
"Wha-"
"There! A way out!"
Okita looked ahead. There really was an exit. He saw the now grayish sky. It seemed like it was already dawning. How long were they down here?
Kagura speeded up. Behind them loud crashing noises could be heard. Kamui sure had his hands full with the shapeshifter.
As they came out of the cave they once again stood in the deserted wasteland. Kagura didn't slow down before they were several meters away from the entrance. She knew they had to find Abuto and the other pirates, if they were even alive. She stoped.
"What now?", Okita asked.
"I don't-", as she was about to say something something flew towards them landing directly in front of them.
The eyes of the girl widened in horror as she recognized the lifeless body of her brother in front of her.
With a giant hole in his chest and his body mangled he laid there.
Kamui lost.
"Well well. I didn't mean to be rude but sometimes you have to force people to be happy. It's such a shame.", a voice said.
Kagura ripped her gaze away from the lifeless form of her brother and saw how the shapeshifter approached them.
It was covered in crimson blood which obviously wasn't theirs. Their hands were now big claws like over dimensional hawk like talons.
"Now, should we talk a little bit more?"
Kaguras mind went blank. She let go of Okita who slumped to the ground.
"China?"
This couldn't be true.
This thing killed her brother.
A scream escaped her throat.
She had to kill them.