Hello guys, here I come again. And no this is not the sequel I promised… I'm working on something else at the moment, so please hang on!! Anyways, thanks to Mara, I corrected some horrible things in that fic and edited it again. Here I'm reposting the revised version, I just hope it's better than the first version, please let me know!
Mara. THANKS a lot, you're a life-savior.
Chapter 1. "Seven years from today...."
Standards Disclaimers Apply. Don't sue me, everyone knows it's for pure fun.
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The streets were almost all deserted, and the sun had already disappeared, but it wasn't night yet. She was walking back home from a walk into the city market.
'I'd better hurry up... Touchan will certainly scowl me for being that late!' She quickened her pace. She was a pretty young lady around 17 with long black hair and the prettiest, warm brown eyes of the whole town (as Hisoka, her husband-to-be, liked to say).
She smiled... Hisoka.... Her wedding would be attended in few days and she....
'What are you smiling at, little girl? ' a smooth voice asked.
Startled, the girl stopped in her tracks. Her name was Tomoyo, 'Friendly World', and she was the first victim.......
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For you, my love....For you, Tokio-chan....
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A long and single plea soared towards the skies... Another girl cried.... It happened between day and night, the most dangerous times.
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She yawned on her way back home.... She was a waitress in a small restaurant near the market. Today had been a long day, and the owner of the restaurant, who was a nice guy, had sent her home early because she was tired.
'I hope Okaasan is all right... Maybe I should buy her some herbal tea, for they say it helps when someone's ill... I'll ask Kazu-chan to buy me some!' she decided. A bird cried out, and she looked up.
The sun had already set, but it wasn't night yet....
She shivered, remembering the words she overheard between two Shinsengumi who had eaten at the restaurant. They were talking about a young girl who had been killed the night before.
'Poor thing', she thought. Lost in her thoughts, the young raven-haired woman failed to notice the man who was following her...
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"Saito-sama! Okita-sama! I have a message for you from Kondo-sama!"
A tall man dressed in light blue hakama turned back to see one of the young members of the Shinsengumi, running towards him. Hajime Saito who was the Captain of the third Squad of the Shinsengumi, the army who protected Kyoto against the Ishin, had been nicknamed Mibu no Ookami because he was more wolf than human being. Even his hard face made him look like a wolf, especially with the amber eyes. Next to him, a young man, maybe in his early twenties, maybe even less, stood with a small smile on his lips. Okita Soushi, the captain of the first Squad of the Shisengumi. He was dressed much like Saito with the outer light blue hakama and the band around his forehead.
Out of breath, the boy delivered his message from Kondo the head of the Shinsengumi. The head of the governmental army was waiting for them in his study, at once.
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Later that day....
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As 3 of the most powerful men of the Shinsengumi walked to the Magami Domain, one of them whose face seemed to have been sculpted with a blade, recalled what Kondo had told them...
"The Magami family sent a message, asking us to meet them as soon as possible because they might have some information about the girl who was murdered last night."
The Magami......
What do they want? The Magami were one of the oldest families of Kyoto, but unlike the others, they had refused to take sides in the war. Kondo seemed to appreciate the actual Head Clan, though.
Strange....How could they have any information since we kept everything under silence....How did they hear about that?.... Do they have a spy in our troops? Saito narrowed his eyes, a spy.... It was part of his duty to seek and destroy any spies that dared to hidden in within the Shinsengumi.
"Saito-san." A voice interrupted his train of thoughts, and Saito turned to the young man, next to him.
Most of the people who saw him, had seen Okita like a spoiled child playing with a sword because of his young age, but Saito who had been by his side since the beginning of the war knew better that to think of Okita as a child. Many had made that mistake, and most of them have been killed because of their lack of understanding.
Saito brought his attention back to the man next to him who was pretending to be a child. And as usual, Okita, the Captain of the first Squad of the Shisengumi, wore his annoying little smile.
"Do you think they have a spy?"
Saito grunted back at Okita almost playful question, making the younger man's smile widened, but remained silent, otherwise, because here were nothing to be said, as they stood in front of the Magami Estate. The huge portals, made of black wood, were quite imposing and breathed of power and wealth. On each door, was painted the symbol of the Magami Family: a flying bird with an incredible long neck and huge wings. Like a wonder, the door seemed to open by itself, making Saito frown. He could felt something odd and wrong in this place, something disturbing which put him ill at ease and that was something he hated. Without thinking, he put a hand on his katana.
A man appeared, and, after a deep bow, he gestured them to follow him without a word. The man lead them to the center of what seemed to be the main house of the Magami Domain, which was one of the biggest in whole Kyoto. It was located outside the town, at the foot of a mountain where a river crossed the domain, the same river that supplied a large part of Kyoto with water.
Their silent guide stopped in front a large door, which he opened for them.
In the room, were four people who were sitting in a pyramid, and in front of them was a man, maybe in his late forties. He had pepper-and-salt hair, his eyes were black, and by the look of the ceremonial robes he was wearing with the Magami Seal above the heart, he could only be the Head of the Magami Clan.
Sitting behind him, on his right, was a young man, around 19 who had yet black hair and like his father, his eyes were black. He was dressed in ceremonial robes too, but his seal was smaller. By his sitting position and the seal over his heart, the young man seemed to be quite important to the Magami Family. Must be the heir. But while his father's face was expressionless, the young man's eyes were full of hatred and oddly enough... Saito recognized hope hidden deep inside…
At the Head Clan left side was a young woman kneeling. Saito narrowed his eyes at her, inspecting her furtively. Her long raven hair was tied up a tight knot in a high ponytail, done with a red string with 2 dangling locks that were framing her delicate face. Her pale skin was accented by the color of her dark hair and the red string in it, and like the others, she was dressed in ceremonial robes with a red gi and white hakama, also marked with the Magami Seal on her shoulder.
No... he thought, suddenly detached from the scene going on. Not pale. White. Just as a ghost should be.
He couldn't see the color of her eyes since she wasn't looking at him; her gaze was focused on her lap.
What was a woman doing here?
Just behind her a man was standing, dressed in black hakama and white gi. Behind them, another door...
"Please, sit down." The voice of the Head of the Clan was deep and rich. "I am Reiji, Reiji Magami, Head of the Magami Clan. This is my son and heir, Toya, and this my daughter, Tokio," he said, gesturing to his children who bowed. "And this man is my daughter's guardian, Tatsumi."
"Why did you call for us, Magami-san?" asked Saito, bluntly, not caring about the consequences of his actions. The murdered girls he had found were quite unnerving: no clue, no tracks, nowhere for the wolf to begin his hunt. The feeling of being useless had been eating him alive for the past two days, turning him irritable and bitter and as a result, almost everyone had fled him. Well not that he cared, in fact he was rather glad to have people off his back.
"As the rumors say, a wolf indeed," said a voice dryly, behind the paper-wall. Saito followed every move of the man, Tatsumi silently stood up, obeying to an invisible signal and opened the panel, revealing an old woman. He then sat back behind the girl.
"I am Atsuko Magami, and in front of me, young man," she told Saito sharply, "you have to give your personal particulars."
Saito saw Okita's eyes twinkled with laughter as he was given a rebuke.
Brat.
Saito gritted his teeth, maybe in the next sparring session, he should teach that annoying little toad to control the fires he had in his eyes, well at least for himself.
"I am the Captain of the third Squad of the Shisengumi, Hajime Saito." Almost in a mocking manner, Saito bowed to the woman, who snorted in return, not fooled a minute by his so-called submission. When he sat up, Saito could see an angry flame burning in the boy's eyes, making him almost smile.
"I am Soushi Okita, Captain of the first Squad of the Shisengumi." Okita greeted the woman a bit more cheerfully than the tradition allowed him, his tone joyous. After all, it wasn't everyday where you could met a woman who could make the Miburo bow and almost look respectful…
"And I am Kondo, Head of the Shisengumi." Kondo smiled, a friendly smile, which the Magami Head returned, as if the two of them were sharing a secret. "Magami-san, why did you call for us?" he said, looking at the Head of the Clan.
The Head Clan face lost, all of the sudden its warmth and his eyes turned back to frozen black crystal. "Haven't you find, last night and the night before, of the bodies of young girls around 17 who have been killed?" he asked, his tone dry and cold. The girl, behind him, shivered.
"I have," answered Saito. "But what I can not explain is how you know about them... Magami-san," he finished smugly, nodding to the old ghoul.
The girl's hands were shaking, she clenched her fists trying to hide the trembling of her hands in the fabric of her hakama but a pair of golden eyes didn't miss her. Too late.
His eyes met the old ghoul's again, she nodded, sad, andd she looked back at the girl.
"Are you in charge of this case, Saito-san?" Kondo nodded to Saito, who in return nodded back to the Head Clan, for once, without mockery. The man aura was strong and forced the respect. "We may have some information for you, Saito-san," continued Reiji Magami, "But, in exchange, you'll let us help you hunt that man down."
"May I ask why, Magami-sama?"
"Because we already faced your killer once and this time, we'll get rid of him forever." Reiji Magami snapped, livening up to his anger. His thin lips tightened under his contained fury.
"Why don't you let the girl talk for herself, Reiji?" The old crown asked. Startled, the Head of the Clan turned to face the old woman.
"Otousama," the girl whispered, "Atsuko-sama is right."
"Tokio!" her father snapped.
"Otousama" she continued, raising her eyes to meet her father's. "He's trying to get me."
Her father gave her a long, hard, stare but she faced it without even a blink of the eye while the three Shinsengumi were frowned..... get her? What the hell does that mean?
The girl finally turned to the Shinsengumi as her father's shoulders dropped in defeat.
"Before telling you what I know, you'll have to swear to let me help you to catch him." She said in a steady voice.
"Why?" Okita asked, "Why do you want to help us, if the killer's looking for you? Maybe it would be safer for you to remain within your clan walls. "
A sad smile crossed her lips as she answered "I'll grow insane, knowing he's out killing other girls because of me." Silence followed her statement, all stared at the still sadly smiling girl when Atsuko broke the silence with her sharp voice.
"First of all, before we can go on, the Miburo has to swear to protect Tokio's life."
Saito grunted, looking at the girl who returned his gaze. Like her brother's and father's, her eyes were black but they were deeper than the night itself. The sun was peering in the room and when the sunlight touched her hair, it remained black, unlike normal people whose hair would shown brown...Kondo turned to him, so did Okita. He knew it, but he could only stare at the girl who stared back at him. Her unnerving black pools were intriguing him, infatuating him and he didn't even know why but what was for sure was that he couldn't tear his eyes from hers.
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"Maybe, you can explain to me first what I'm about to drown myself in," he answered in response to her unspoken question, after a moment of silence.
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The old crown smiled, even the Head Clan and the brother seemedd relieved as the girl nodded
"What do you know the Magami Family, Saito-san?" the brother, Toya, suddenly inquired. Okita and Kondo remained silent but turned their attention to Toya, while the Miburo kept on staring at the little girl, answering.
"Nothing much, expect of your refusal to take a side in the war."
"We are the guardians of Japan's spiritual balance, Saito-san." Saito, frowning, turned to Toya, the spell of Tokio's eyes suddenly freeing him. The boy was talking softly, as if revealing to a child the greatest secret of the world, which unnerved Saito. "That's why we never take side in humans quarrels."
"And what does that..." Saito started, scowling the younger man. Their country was at war, a war that could bring their walls down, no matter how often they claimed to be neutral. How could they, the mighty Magami Family, be so uncaring about the war going on?
Toya cut him sharply, not enjoying the Miburo angry flame that was burning in his eyes. "To protect this land, while you use a sword, we use what you could call magic."
And there, we go. Saito sarcastically thought. Saito clenched his teeth. "I don't believe in that kind of things."
"Oh! you'd better!" Toya exclaimed, almost happy to find a fault in the infamous Miburo.
That boy is getting on my nerves....
Before Saito could answer, a small voice rose.
"It started when I was 10 years old, 7 years ago," the girl began. "One day, I was practicing all by myself with a spell Father had just taught me. I didn't know that I needed a protection with that kind of spell... He sensed it."
Okita stopped her, not quite understanding what she meant. "You mean, the killer? Our killer, the one you already faced?" he insisted rather heavily.
"Yes…" her voice trailed and dropped to a whisper. "That's how I attracted him... He.... came to me...and... For... for the 10 years-old that I was...he was far too strong and...." She bit her lower lip and the man behind her put a hand on her shoulder and she bent her head, unable to finish.
"Muraki, your killer, cursed my sister," Toya said, looking at her. He, then, looked back at Saito, "but it was a strange spell, made to be broken."
The young man clenched his fists hard enough to turn his knuckles white. "For three days, my sister was slowly, but surely dying because Muraki was drinking her life dry... So, my mother decided to...she..."
"My wife threw her life to Muraki in order to free our daughter," finished their father, his face was a mask of ice and nothing could be read in his hard, black eyes. "That was exactly what he was waiting for. He killed my wife and marked my daughter but before leaving he came to me, and told me: 'In 7 years from today, I'll come back and take your daughter with me, Magami-san.' With that, he disappeared until two nights ago." The Magami Head Clan face was contorted with mixed feeling: anger, pain, love, concern and coldness flew on his face, too fast to be recognizable but for an observant watcher or a close friend, it was quite easy to understand in what turmoil Muraki reappearance had put the man into.
"He meant killing her?" Okita suggested.
"No, he wants me......" Tokio said softly, drawing the attention back to her.