CHAPTER 2: Fight with Himura the Battousai
Okita stood, waiting for the Ishin Shishi, with all of his men behind him. The first row of fighters from the Ishin Shishi appeared on the horizon. More appeared and began to draw their swords.
"Ready?" Okita asked. "Let's go!" He unsheathed his sword and ran toward the Ishin Shishi. His sword clashed with another man's and they leapt back, glaring at each other. The sound of metal clashing hung in the air and the battle cries of both the Shinsengumi and the Ishin Shishi echoed off of the bodies on the ground. Okita killed a man, then attacked another who had just defeated a Shinsengumi member. It just happened to be Himura the Battousai.
"Okita Soushi!" Battousai mumbled. He sheathed his sword. "It's been a long time since we last fought."
"Himura-san!" Okita muffled a cough. "It has. I see that you've cut down even more men in the past months than I have!" He took a Hiratsuki position and charged, feeling the Battousai's sword be drawn and the blade slice through his chest. Okita also felt his blade make contact. With a groan, Okita fell to the ground, coughing up blood.
"I see you still have a terrible cold, Okita-san," Battousai said. He walked over to Okita's shaking frame and held the sword's tip to Okita's neck. "It... was an honor to fight you again, Himura-san," Okita spluttered. He felt the cold blade touch the bare skin on the back of his neck.
"Indeed," a cold voice contributed to the conversation. There was a flash of blue and Battousai leapt back, clutching a bleeding arm. "However, Okita will fight you again, Battousai."
"Saito-san!" Okita coughed, kneeling on the floor, clenching the grass between his fingers. "You... you came!" Okita struggled for breath. Saito didn't look at the young man; his cold amber eyes were focused on Battousai. Battousai sheathed his sword and was bout to attack when one of the Ishin Shishi members tossed his sword at Saito's leg. The blood flowed freely from the new wound and Saito collapsed next to his friend.
"****it!" Saito swore. He staggered up, feeling more warm blood stream down his leg. Okita attempted to stand, but began to cough again and fell to his knees. Battousai just stood there, unable to cut them both down.
"What's wrong, Battousai?" Saito winced. He felt the wound burning with pain. It was clouding his concentration.
"I won't kill you," Battousai said. "It wasn't a fair fight from the beginning." Obviously some of the other Ishin Shishi members disagreed. They attacked, leaving some of their comrades to the hungry Wolves of Mibu. Saito fought off as many swords as he could, and taking the blows for both Okita and himself. When the other members of the Shinsengumi came to help their captains, Saito managed to pull Okita out of the fray and into the dense underbrush nearby. He sheathed his sword to get a better grip on Okita's limp body.
"Okita!" Saito shook his unconscious friend. "Get up!" Saito's clothes were soaked with blood. He got up, limping back into the fight. The Ishin Shishi was slaughtering the Shinsengumi. Saito charged with a Gatotsu, skewering as many Ishin Shishi members as possible. Saito happened to glance a the ground and saw a shadow creeping up behind him He turned and stabbed through the foolish man, but not seeing the other man who had charged at his front. Saito turned and saw the sword, too close to block.
"Take this, you Ishin Shishi freak!" a familiar voice, yelled. A sword parried the attacker's sword. Saito's mouth dropped open when he saw Tokio, standing next to him, fighting off many attackers. She cut through a man's right shoulder, causing him to drop his katana. He screamed in pain, but he wasn't killed. Saito marveled at the fact that Tokio could cut them all in just the right places, but not kill them or injure any of their vital organs. She fought with the skill of one of the top officials of the Shinsengumi and the compassion and innocence of a child.
"Tokio? What are you doing?" Saito asked, attempting to unsheathe his sword. However, he couldn't muster up enough energy to pull the blade more than halfway out of the sheath.
"I'm saving your hide!" Tokio shouted, slicing through another man. She sidestepped, then slashed another enemy.
"Tokio, I told you not to come! And." he looked to his left. "Battousai's heading for the city! I'm going after him, Tokio! Take care of Okita! He's in the bushes!" Saito ran off as fast as his injured legs could take him. It wasn't very fast. He collapsed about 100 yards away from the original battle site.
"Hajime!" Tokio cried after him. She took care of three other attackers and then ran over to where he had fallen. She touched his back and felt his heavy breathing. "You have to come with me. You're in no shape to fight!" she said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He weakly shrugged out of her hold.
"I have to protect Kyoto." Saito groaned. He clutched his stomach, bent over and vomited. "I have to."
"Hajime, you really can't fight like this. Let's get back to where Okita is. I'll help you there," Tokio said, pulling him onto her shoulders. They stumbled into the forest and soon found where Okita was lying. Tokio leaned Saito against a tree and pulled off her Shinsengumi jacket. She wrapped it around Okita's quivering body. Saito watched her as she gingerly brushed aside some stray hairs from Okita's young face. Then, she turned to him.
"Tokio." Saito could hardly whisper. She put a finger on his lips, then took out a roll of bandages from a small sack that hung from her belt. She touched his side, feeling through the fabric of his clothing for any injuries. Saito ignored the pain coursing through his veins and closed his eyes, allowing the darkness to wash over him.
A/N: Yes, I leave you at this suspenseful part! Mua ha ha ha! Please review! PLEASE! (I know, I'm sounding really pathetic right now.)
Okita stood, waiting for the Ishin Shishi, with all of his men behind him. The first row of fighters from the Ishin Shishi appeared on the horizon. More appeared and began to draw their swords.
"Ready?" Okita asked. "Let's go!" He unsheathed his sword and ran toward the Ishin Shishi. His sword clashed with another man's and they leapt back, glaring at each other. The sound of metal clashing hung in the air and the battle cries of both the Shinsengumi and the Ishin Shishi echoed off of the bodies on the ground. Okita killed a man, then attacked another who had just defeated a Shinsengumi member. It just happened to be Himura the Battousai.
"Okita Soushi!" Battousai mumbled. He sheathed his sword. "It's been a long time since we last fought."
"Himura-san!" Okita muffled a cough. "It has. I see that you've cut down even more men in the past months than I have!" He took a Hiratsuki position and charged, feeling the Battousai's sword be drawn and the blade slice through his chest. Okita also felt his blade make contact. With a groan, Okita fell to the ground, coughing up blood.
"I see you still have a terrible cold, Okita-san," Battousai said. He walked over to Okita's shaking frame and held the sword's tip to Okita's neck. "It... was an honor to fight you again, Himura-san," Okita spluttered. He felt the cold blade touch the bare skin on the back of his neck.
"Indeed," a cold voice contributed to the conversation. There was a flash of blue and Battousai leapt back, clutching a bleeding arm. "However, Okita will fight you again, Battousai."
"Saito-san!" Okita coughed, kneeling on the floor, clenching the grass between his fingers. "You... you came!" Okita struggled for breath. Saito didn't look at the young man; his cold amber eyes were focused on Battousai. Battousai sheathed his sword and was bout to attack when one of the Ishin Shishi members tossed his sword at Saito's leg. The blood flowed freely from the new wound and Saito collapsed next to his friend.
"****it!" Saito swore. He staggered up, feeling more warm blood stream down his leg. Okita attempted to stand, but began to cough again and fell to his knees. Battousai just stood there, unable to cut them both down.
"What's wrong, Battousai?" Saito winced. He felt the wound burning with pain. It was clouding his concentration.
"I won't kill you," Battousai said. "It wasn't a fair fight from the beginning." Obviously some of the other Ishin Shishi members disagreed. They attacked, leaving some of their comrades to the hungry Wolves of Mibu. Saito fought off as many swords as he could, and taking the blows for both Okita and himself. When the other members of the Shinsengumi came to help their captains, Saito managed to pull Okita out of the fray and into the dense underbrush nearby. He sheathed his sword to get a better grip on Okita's limp body.
"Okita!" Saito shook his unconscious friend. "Get up!" Saito's clothes were soaked with blood. He got up, limping back into the fight. The Ishin Shishi was slaughtering the Shinsengumi. Saito charged with a Gatotsu, skewering as many Ishin Shishi members as possible. Saito happened to glance a the ground and saw a shadow creeping up behind him He turned and stabbed through the foolish man, but not seeing the other man who had charged at his front. Saito turned and saw the sword, too close to block.
"Take this, you Ishin Shishi freak!" a familiar voice, yelled. A sword parried the attacker's sword. Saito's mouth dropped open when he saw Tokio, standing next to him, fighting off many attackers. She cut through a man's right shoulder, causing him to drop his katana. He screamed in pain, but he wasn't killed. Saito marveled at the fact that Tokio could cut them all in just the right places, but not kill them or injure any of their vital organs. She fought with the skill of one of the top officials of the Shinsengumi and the compassion and innocence of a child.
"Tokio? What are you doing?" Saito asked, attempting to unsheathe his sword. However, he couldn't muster up enough energy to pull the blade more than halfway out of the sheath.
"I'm saving your hide!" Tokio shouted, slicing through another man. She sidestepped, then slashed another enemy.
"Tokio, I told you not to come! And." he looked to his left. "Battousai's heading for the city! I'm going after him, Tokio! Take care of Okita! He's in the bushes!" Saito ran off as fast as his injured legs could take him. It wasn't very fast. He collapsed about 100 yards away from the original battle site.
"Hajime!" Tokio cried after him. She took care of three other attackers and then ran over to where he had fallen. She touched his back and felt his heavy breathing. "You have to come with me. You're in no shape to fight!" she said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He weakly shrugged out of her hold.
"I have to protect Kyoto." Saito groaned. He clutched his stomach, bent over and vomited. "I have to."
"Hajime, you really can't fight like this. Let's get back to where Okita is. I'll help you there," Tokio said, pulling him onto her shoulders. They stumbled into the forest and soon found where Okita was lying. Tokio leaned Saito against a tree and pulled off her Shinsengumi jacket. She wrapped it around Okita's quivering body. Saito watched her as she gingerly brushed aside some stray hairs from Okita's young face. Then, she turned to him.
"Tokio." Saito could hardly whisper. She put a finger on his lips, then took out a roll of bandages from a small sack that hung from her belt. She touched his side, feeling through the fabric of his clothing for any injuries. Saito ignored the pain coursing through his veins and closed his eyes, allowing the darkness to wash over him.
A/N: Yes, I leave you at this suspenseful part! Mua ha ha ha! Please review! PLEASE! (I know, I'm sounding really pathetic right now.)
