CHAPTER 4: Tokio, a captured Shinsengumi
Tokio was shoved into the empty streets of Kyoto, unable to forget the look on her Hajime's face. She tried to blink the sight away, but it only brought stinging tears to her golden eyes. She twisted her wrists and tried to wriggle free, but the man called Suzuke clutched her wrists harder, causing them to fall numb.
Hajime... I need you RIGHT NOW. Tokio thought desperately. She tried to shake the gag off, but it was tied on tight. The worst part about the moment was that there was no one on the street to help her. It couldn't get much worse... A man passed them, staring straight at her.
HELP ME! Tokio's eyes pleaded, but the man just shrugged and continued on his way. Okay, it could get worse. Tokio was pushed into a restaurant where many of the men from the battle the night before were eating. Most had bandages wrapped around their arms and heads, but others were uninjured. They all stared admiringly at her. She closed her eyes, unable to withstand the embarrassment.
"Who is this?" a familiar voice asked. Tokio's eyes flew open and she was staring face to face with none other than Battousai. Tokio's eyes widened in fear, but she forced herself to clam down. "Don't be afraid, Miss," Battousai smiled warmly. "These brutes won't hurt you..." He glanced at her Shinsengumi uniform. "If you cooperate, that is..."
Battousai... he'll kill me... but that smile... it doesn't emit threatening ki... Tokio thought. Her mind raced, but then, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll take her to the prison, men," Battousai said seriously. He guided her to a door and opened it, revealing a stairway leading down into darkness. "Walk, miss. If you do not obey, I will be forced to leave you with these men." He took away the cloth around her mouth.
"Let me go!" Tokio demanded, pulling away from the redhead. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her with him down into the cellar. "Let me go!"
"Answer this question and I will allow you to walk independently," Battousai's amber eyes pierced hers. They reminded her of Saito's eyes, which brought tears to her own. She blinked them away.
"What will you ask?" Tokio asked. Battousai sighed.
"Who let you into the Shinsengumi?" Battousai questioned. "Was it Okita or Saito?"
"It was neither. I... it was... I got in on my own merit!" Tokio stammered, trying to protect Saito.
"You think I'm a fool?" Battousai laughed. "I know how the Shinsengumi acts. They wouldn't ever allow a woman like you to enter the Shinsengumi unless her spouse asked for her to be let in. Even then, it is very difficult to become a member. Whoever let you in must be of high rank in the Shinsengumi." Battousai let her wrists go.
"I... please don't tell anyone!" Tokio said, rubbing her wrists. "Hajime Saito let me in." Tokio averted her eyes to the floor.
"Really? I was positive it was Okita. I see... very interesting. He must be worried about you," Battousai smiled. "What was your name again?"
"Uh... Keikio. Isthihara Keikio..." Tokio lied.
"Oh. Well then, Miss Keikio, I must lock you in here, but I'll come back with your meal," Battousai pulled out a ring of keys and unlocked the door of a closet that looked damp and very old. With the little light from the open door, Tokio could see that there were many barrels of sake in the closet. She stumbled in and watched the Battousai close the door. It was pitch black.
"Let me out, Battousai!" Tokio cried though the door. "I have to get back to the Shinsengumi!"
"And tell where our headquarters are? No way. Goodbye for now, Miss Keikio," Tokio could hear the Battousai lock the door and walk away. She let out a slight moan of despair and then crumpled to the floor and cried.
A/N: Thank you all of you kind reviewers! Oh, this is not historically correct, as all of you might have guessed. Then again, I'll never know. I'm not a history person.
REVIEW RESPONSES:
Koneko: AGH! Koneko! Don't bite me! AHHHHHH! :: runs away :: You said you had an idea? 'Bout what?
Tokio was shoved into the empty streets of Kyoto, unable to forget the look on her Hajime's face. She tried to blink the sight away, but it only brought stinging tears to her golden eyes. She twisted her wrists and tried to wriggle free, but the man called Suzuke clutched her wrists harder, causing them to fall numb.
Hajime... I need you RIGHT NOW. Tokio thought desperately. She tried to shake the gag off, but it was tied on tight. The worst part about the moment was that there was no one on the street to help her. It couldn't get much worse... A man passed them, staring straight at her.
HELP ME! Tokio's eyes pleaded, but the man just shrugged and continued on his way. Okay, it could get worse. Tokio was pushed into a restaurant where many of the men from the battle the night before were eating. Most had bandages wrapped around their arms and heads, but others were uninjured. They all stared admiringly at her. She closed her eyes, unable to withstand the embarrassment.
"Who is this?" a familiar voice asked. Tokio's eyes flew open and she was staring face to face with none other than Battousai. Tokio's eyes widened in fear, but she forced herself to clam down. "Don't be afraid, Miss," Battousai smiled warmly. "These brutes won't hurt you..." He glanced at her Shinsengumi uniform. "If you cooperate, that is..."
Battousai... he'll kill me... but that smile... it doesn't emit threatening ki... Tokio thought. Her mind raced, but then, she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"I'll take her to the prison, men," Battousai said seriously. He guided her to a door and opened it, revealing a stairway leading down into darkness. "Walk, miss. If you do not obey, I will be forced to leave you with these men." He took away the cloth around her mouth.
"Let me go!" Tokio demanded, pulling away from the redhead. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her with him down into the cellar. "Let me go!"
"Answer this question and I will allow you to walk independently," Battousai's amber eyes pierced hers. They reminded her of Saito's eyes, which brought tears to her own. She blinked them away.
"What will you ask?" Tokio asked. Battousai sighed.
"Who let you into the Shinsengumi?" Battousai questioned. "Was it Okita or Saito?"
"It was neither. I... it was... I got in on my own merit!" Tokio stammered, trying to protect Saito.
"You think I'm a fool?" Battousai laughed. "I know how the Shinsengumi acts. They wouldn't ever allow a woman like you to enter the Shinsengumi unless her spouse asked for her to be let in. Even then, it is very difficult to become a member. Whoever let you in must be of high rank in the Shinsengumi." Battousai let her wrists go.
"I... please don't tell anyone!" Tokio said, rubbing her wrists. "Hajime Saito let me in." Tokio averted her eyes to the floor.
"Really? I was positive it was Okita. I see... very interesting. He must be worried about you," Battousai smiled. "What was your name again?"
"Uh... Keikio. Isthihara Keikio..." Tokio lied.
"Oh. Well then, Miss Keikio, I must lock you in here, but I'll come back with your meal," Battousai pulled out a ring of keys and unlocked the door of a closet that looked damp and very old. With the little light from the open door, Tokio could see that there were many barrels of sake in the closet. She stumbled in and watched the Battousai close the door. It was pitch black.
"Let me out, Battousai!" Tokio cried though the door. "I have to get back to the Shinsengumi!"
"And tell where our headquarters are? No way. Goodbye for now, Miss Keikio," Tokio could hear the Battousai lock the door and walk away. She let out a slight moan of despair and then crumpled to the floor and cried.
A/N: Thank you all of you kind reviewers! Oh, this is not historically correct, as all of you might have guessed. Then again, I'll never know. I'm not a history person.
REVIEW RESPONSES:
Koneko: AGH! Koneko! Don't bite me! AHHHHHH! :: runs away :: You said you had an idea? 'Bout what?
