Chapter Six: Truce?
A/N: Yes, I think I put this before, but this story was formerly under the name of Anna Maxwell, which is my best friend that posts things for me, but now I have my own sign in! Yay! Go me! I'm not mooching off of her any more ^^;;; Oh, and my most humble apologies to Nikka-san for not updating in FOREVER! I got an email from Nikka-san saying that she checks it very often! Thank you for saying how much you like it ^^ I am now updating!
Okita crept along the streets. The Battousai had been seen in an old inn that was about to be closed down at the edge of town. Hijikata and Kondou had been out, and so the people who had spotted him had come to him. They knew it would have been worthless to go after the hitokiri themselves. It was needless death of the Shinsengumi's soldiers. Okita, on the other hand, was capable of inflicting damage on Himura.
Sei had been ordered to remain there. She would be an unneeded distraction in a battle with a hitokiri.
"Sir?"
Okita turned to the young man that had brought him from his thoughts. Young man.. He was no more than a boy, really. Maybe sixteen?
"This is where he was, sir."
Okita nodded. "Domo." The captain of the first squad stepped forward, katana ready. Every one of his senses was on full alert for any movement or something creeping out of the darkness. His eyes darted from one place to another.
"Quite hiding like a coward," he muttered into the darkness.
"I am no coward," came a steady voice. Himura Battousai stepped from the darkness, katana in its sheath, but for him, that could be as dangerous as if it were out and ready.
"Then step out and fight me like a man," Okita said evenly.
"A man? You look no more than a boy."
The Mibiru smiled tightly. "I'm sure I'm older than you. Shall we?"
Himura nodded and leapt forward. The swords clashed, echoing through the old hallway. The few men that had come with the first captain watched in awe as the two swordsmen preformed what looked more like a dance than a battle. Though the steps consisted of parries and slashes than actual steps.
That is, they did until something happened. An explosion erupted around them as a cannon was fired into the building. The troops were sent scattered in several different directions as the floor began to split.
Okita let out a slight yelp as the ground under him gave way and he felt himself falling, though he wasn't quite sure where to. He hit the ground with a hard THUD and then felt the floor crashing in around him. Dust flew through the air, causing his breath to catch and for him to cough violently into cupped hands. Blood leaked from the corners of his mouth and he quickly wiped it away. He heard a groan from a couple feet away and looked over. Himura was pulling himself up from where he had fallen. Okita looked up. There was no visible way out, band so it looked as if they would be stuck here for a while.
"What a bother," the elder swordsman muttered.
"Those idiots," Himura growled.
Okita smiled. "Yes. They're not too bright to get you caught down here as well," He looked around, and seeing the close area, commented, "Perhaps we should call a temporarily truce for the time being. Seeing as we wouldn't have the room to have a proper battle."
"And seeing as you appear to have blood on you after I know I have not landed a blow on you yet."
Okita gawked a moment. Damn it.
"You're ill, ne?" Himura questioned. A ghost of a smile appeared on his youthful features. "I won't spread it. You are an interesting opponent. I do not wish for them to take you away to some hospital."
Okita nodded his understanding and stood from his place on the floor. "There has to be a way out of here. It looks like a basement."
"Just because there is a way out does not mean we can use that way," Himura replied. "The floor. or what's left of it is no longer stable. If we tamper with it, it would most likely fall in on our heads."
"If we don't tamper with it, it will most likely fall in on our heads," Okita countered. "We'll have to risk it sooner or later."
Himura frowned. "Hai."
Okita stood, looking around once again. The dust had settled and he could hear the faint sound of people scurrying around on what was left of the level above them, probably fighting each other. The Mibiru let out a long sigh and glanced over at his red-headed opponent, who was busy searching the walls for a possible way out. He smiled when he saw a small stream of light just above them, which was likely a way out.
"Over here, Himura-san."
Himura looked over to see what the elder man was calling him for and his dark eyes spotted the light. "It will be difficult to get up there."
"If we pull some of the rubble over here, we might be able to use it as a way to step up."
"Perhaps."
Okita smiled. "Couldn't hurt, ne?"
The Battousai gave him an odd look. "Why did they send you here?"
Okita looked up from where he had been dragging wood over to be able to get up to the light. "Eh? Because I can defeat you."
Himura looked startled for a moment. "Can you?"
"Yes."
"You're confident. Or cocky."
"I am confident," the elder man answered. "There we go. I believe that that should do it," he said, a smile across his pale features. He climbed up and pulled at the fallen rubble that blocked his path, tugging it free from where it was lodged. He then crawled through the hole, quickly followed by Himura Batousai.
They stood for a moment, the evening breeze feeling good. Finally, Himura took a breath to say something. "You're different."
Okita chuckled. "Really now? How's that?"
"You're dying and you always smile. Why?"
The Mibiru thought a moment. "I suppose. that I'm doing what I was born for. I feel I am doing what is right. I enjoy this: parrying back and forth with an enemy. I think that if I were to stop being cheerful as I've always been, then everyone would see that something was wrong and want to send me away, and I couldn't stand that. I believe boredom would kill me faster than the consumption if I were to be stuck away in some hospital."
Himura nodded, taking in his words. He turned his back toward the first division's captain and began walking away, but stopped. "I hope to see you in battle again before they send you away."
"That'll be some time yet, so we will see each other again."
Himura nodded and continued on his way.
Okita smiled as he watched him go. "If I have anything to say about it, we'll meet again."
"Okita!"
The blue eyed man turned. "Sei! I thought I told you to stay at the inn!"
"Gomen nasai, Okita! I had to make sure you were all right, and then I saw the floor collapsed in and." Tears filled her large eyes and Okita pulled her close, hugging her.
"Daijoubu, Sei-chan."
"Honto ni?"
"Honto."
She smiled and wiped her tears away. "Then let's get back to the inn before anyone misses us, ne?"
Okita grinned. "Hai hai!"
A/N: Yes, I think I put this before, but this story was formerly under the name of Anna Maxwell, which is my best friend that posts things for me, but now I have my own sign in! Yay! Go me! I'm not mooching off of her any more ^^;;; Oh, and my most humble apologies to Nikka-san for not updating in FOREVER! I got an email from Nikka-san saying that she checks it very often! Thank you for saying how much you like it ^^ I am now updating!
Okita crept along the streets. The Battousai had been seen in an old inn that was about to be closed down at the edge of town. Hijikata and Kondou had been out, and so the people who had spotted him had come to him. They knew it would have been worthless to go after the hitokiri themselves. It was needless death of the Shinsengumi's soldiers. Okita, on the other hand, was capable of inflicting damage on Himura.
Sei had been ordered to remain there. She would be an unneeded distraction in a battle with a hitokiri.
"Sir?"
Okita turned to the young man that had brought him from his thoughts. Young man.. He was no more than a boy, really. Maybe sixteen?
"This is where he was, sir."
Okita nodded. "Domo." The captain of the first squad stepped forward, katana ready. Every one of his senses was on full alert for any movement or something creeping out of the darkness. His eyes darted from one place to another.
"Quite hiding like a coward," he muttered into the darkness.
"I am no coward," came a steady voice. Himura Battousai stepped from the darkness, katana in its sheath, but for him, that could be as dangerous as if it were out and ready.
"Then step out and fight me like a man," Okita said evenly.
"A man? You look no more than a boy."
The Mibiru smiled tightly. "I'm sure I'm older than you. Shall we?"
Himura nodded and leapt forward. The swords clashed, echoing through the old hallway. The few men that had come with the first captain watched in awe as the two swordsmen preformed what looked more like a dance than a battle. Though the steps consisted of parries and slashes than actual steps.
That is, they did until something happened. An explosion erupted around them as a cannon was fired into the building. The troops were sent scattered in several different directions as the floor began to split.
Okita let out a slight yelp as the ground under him gave way and he felt himself falling, though he wasn't quite sure where to. He hit the ground with a hard THUD and then felt the floor crashing in around him. Dust flew through the air, causing his breath to catch and for him to cough violently into cupped hands. Blood leaked from the corners of his mouth and he quickly wiped it away. He heard a groan from a couple feet away and looked over. Himura was pulling himself up from where he had fallen. Okita looked up. There was no visible way out, band so it looked as if they would be stuck here for a while.
"What a bother," the elder swordsman muttered.
"Those idiots," Himura growled.
Okita smiled. "Yes. They're not too bright to get you caught down here as well," He looked around, and seeing the close area, commented, "Perhaps we should call a temporarily truce for the time being. Seeing as we wouldn't have the room to have a proper battle."
"And seeing as you appear to have blood on you after I know I have not landed a blow on you yet."
Okita gawked a moment. Damn it.
"You're ill, ne?" Himura questioned. A ghost of a smile appeared on his youthful features. "I won't spread it. You are an interesting opponent. I do not wish for them to take you away to some hospital."
Okita nodded his understanding and stood from his place on the floor. "There has to be a way out of here. It looks like a basement."
"Just because there is a way out does not mean we can use that way," Himura replied. "The floor. or what's left of it is no longer stable. If we tamper with it, it would most likely fall in on our heads."
"If we don't tamper with it, it will most likely fall in on our heads," Okita countered. "We'll have to risk it sooner or later."
Himura frowned. "Hai."
Okita stood, looking around once again. The dust had settled and he could hear the faint sound of people scurrying around on what was left of the level above them, probably fighting each other. The Mibiru let out a long sigh and glanced over at his red-headed opponent, who was busy searching the walls for a possible way out. He smiled when he saw a small stream of light just above them, which was likely a way out.
"Over here, Himura-san."
Himura looked over to see what the elder man was calling him for and his dark eyes spotted the light. "It will be difficult to get up there."
"If we pull some of the rubble over here, we might be able to use it as a way to step up."
"Perhaps."
Okita smiled. "Couldn't hurt, ne?"
The Battousai gave him an odd look. "Why did they send you here?"
Okita looked up from where he had been dragging wood over to be able to get up to the light. "Eh? Because I can defeat you."
Himura looked startled for a moment. "Can you?"
"Yes."
"You're confident. Or cocky."
"I am confident," the elder man answered. "There we go. I believe that that should do it," he said, a smile across his pale features. He climbed up and pulled at the fallen rubble that blocked his path, tugging it free from where it was lodged. He then crawled through the hole, quickly followed by Himura Batousai.
They stood for a moment, the evening breeze feeling good. Finally, Himura took a breath to say something. "You're different."
Okita chuckled. "Really now? How's that?"
"You're dying and you always smile. Why?"
The Mibiru thought a moment. "I suppose. that I'm doing what I was born for. I feel I am doing what is right. I enjoy this: parrying back and forth with an enemy. I think that if I were to stop being cheerful as I've always been, then everyone would see that something was wrong and want to send me away, and I couldn't stand that. I believe boredom would kill me faster than the consumption if I were to be stuck away in some hospital."
Himura nodded, taking in his words. He turned his back toward the first division's captain and began walking away, but stopped. "I hope to see you in battle again before they send you away."
"That'll be some time yet, so we will see each other again."
Himura nodded and continued on his way.
Okita smiled as he watched him go. "If I have anything to say about it, we'll meet again."
"Okita!"
The blue eyed man turned. "Sei! I thought I told you to stay at the inn!"
"Gomen nasai, Okita! I had to make sure you were all right, and then I saw the floor collapsed in and." Tears filled her large eyes and Okita pulled her close, hugging her.
"Daijoubu, Sei-chan."
"Honto ni?"
"Honto."
She smiled and wiped her tears away. "Then let's get back to the inn before anyone misses us, ne?"
Okita grinned. "Hai hai!"