Title: Mibu no Monogatari A Mibu Story - Shieikan Chapter 2
Series: Peacemaker Kurogane/Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker
Although it is listed as a PMK fic, it's a historical fan fiction with a combination of elements from PMK, Shinsengumi, and other literature with an interpretation leaning towards that seen in PMK. Also, this is FICTION, which means that it's not necessarily true.
Rating: PG-13 Mild-language and implied sexual situations
Disclaimer: The characters by no means belong to me--they are who they are, but if they must be credited, they would most resemble Nanae Kurono's creations.
Summary: Continuation of the story in which nine-year old Okita Soujirou comes to the Shieikan dojo as a servant. May cover events up to almost the beginning of SI Peacemaker manga/anime.

Hijikata Toshizou woke up the next morning at the crack of dawn, and went down to the well to wash up. He liked being awake at this time--it let him think clearly, away from the masses of mindless gossiping people. The cuts on his arms were now much shallower. In fact, the medicine he said was useless had been quite effective. He glanced at his reflection in the water, and noticed that the bruises under his eyes and cheeks were barely visible. Hijikata stood up and got dressed, then walked to the courtyard behind the dojo.

It was actually his first time visiting Isami at Shieikan, though they had been childhood friends back in Tama. After his elder sister married a pharmacist, he moved to Hino to live with them and help out as a medicine peddler. His brother-in-law, Satou Hikagoro, practiced kendou to fend off the theives, and had built a small dojo on their land. When Isami had visited, the two of them used to spar on mornings like this one in the dojo. Hijikata unwrapped his wooden sword from his luggage, and lifted it, feeling its familiar weight. His arm was not aching as much anymore. He brought the sword up over his head, then swung down in a perfect arc, stopping the swing just perpendicular to his chest. He continued a few more practice swings, but then he heard approaching footsteps, and lowered his sword. Kondou Isami stopped just a few paces away.

"Toshi, don't let my presence interrupt your practice. It will only hasten your recovery."

"No, it's no good swinging at empty air. I'm surprised you still get up this early."

Isami laughed and said instead, "Why don't you come train at the dojo?"

"I can't. I don't even have enough money to go home--how can I afford tuition for class?"

"Well, you can still come and train as a guest."

"I don't intend to stay here long. I have my job as a medicine peddler."

"Is that so." Isami invited his friend to sit beside him on the grass. "So why are you here in Edo?"

"Well," Hijikata paused for a moment before continuing. "I had thought of visiting you, Ka-chan. But the reason I came to Edo is to pick up a shipment for my brother-in-law."

Isami said nothing in reply, but listened attentively. He knew that his friend was about to tell him the whole story. It was no use forcing it out; Hijikata only told people things when he wanted to.

"I was passing by the edge of the red-light district one evening when a drunk samurai bumped into me and made me spill my medicines. He should have apologized to me, but in his drunken state, he wanted me to apologize to him. I would not do so--and we had a duel. I knocked him unconscious with a wooden sword. A few days later, I was peddling medicine in a remote neighborhood when a bunch of his comrades spotted me and recognized me. They ganged up and got revenge for their friend, and stole all my money. I had nowhere to turn to, so I came to you yesterday. I wish we hadn't met in such a state."

"You should have just apologized to him and just left it as that."

"I refuse to apologize to a drunkard--samurai or not."

"Toshi, that's why you need to manage your temper."

"I will not play a fool in front of an idiot."

"Ahh, see. You never change." Isami stood up. "Well, everybody should be getting up now. Let's go have some breakfast."

Hijikata stood up and followed him to the common room.

"Soujirou! Where are you?" Fude demanded, turning over pots in the kitchen and looking behind shelves. "You lazy boy! Get out right now or else I'll have you whipped! You have not finished scrubbing the tatami, and where is the kettle of water you should have boiled this morning?"

Fude glanced behind a cabinet, then pulled aside a few sheets of laundry drying on the rack; and still found no sign of the boy. She was fed up and irritated, and the youngster only got her nerves, ate food, and never finished his jobs. Meanwhile, Soujirou had hid himself in the dojo behind a pile of armor. He did not dare come out when the master's wife was in a rage. There was currently a class in session headed by the master's son, Isami, and fortunately, when the students picked up their training equipment, they happened not to touch the pile of armor beside him. Soujirou could barely make out Fude's shrill voice among the clatter of wooden swords and the shuffling of feet.

He shut his eyes tightly and tried to still the beating of his heart. He almost wished he didn't exist at that moment. Soujirou's eyes flew open as he heard footsteps approach his hiding spot. Peering up through cracks in the armor, he noticed a pair of familiar feet standing nearby. Suddenly, a hand reached out and pushed aside an armor. Kondou Isami's kindly face came into view.

"Well, what do we have here? I thought a stray cat had wandered inside."

The boy winced and backed away as the master's son reached out for him.

"Why are you hiding here? Aren't you supposed to be in the kitchen?"

"Don't!" Soujirou cried, as Isami tried to pull him out of the corner, "Don't tell Fude-san!! She'll beat me and make me kneel behind the fence."

"Mother?" The older boy blinked, with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Please," the younger boy begged, his large violet eyes welling with tears. Isami's eyes softened.

"Okay, I won't tell. But you shouldn't hide back there. You could get hurt."

"Please don't make me go away, Kondou-san."

"I won't make you go away. I promise." Isami looked back at the rest of the class. The students were currently sparring in pairs. He turned back to the small boy. "Say, Soujirou, do you want to learn too?"

The younger boy's eyes widened in surprise. "Can I?"

"Sure." Isami assured him. "You can come back here and train with everybody when you've finished your duties."

Isami pulled down the smallest lightest wooden sword from the rack, and showed the boy how to hold it properly. He noticed that the boy had very small thin wrists, and even the smallest sword was a bit long and heavy for his size. Even so, the child was doing fairly well, and a spark of excitement danced about the deep lavendar eyes. Isami reached down and pulled the boy's hair out of his face and into a ponytail. The boy flashed him a brilliant smile, and Isami could not help but smile too.

Just as he was showing the child how to swing the sword, he felt a sudden chill up his spine. Turning around, Isami saw his mother peering at them from the doorway. He immediately froze, but forced himself to walk in her direction. Each footstep felt like a lead weight.

"Mother?" He started, anxiously. "How long have you been standing there?"

Fude's face twisted in silent fury. "Give me the boy."

"No," Isami found himself saying, before he could correct himself. "We are still in the middle of class."

"How dare you--!" Fude's hand whipped out and slapped her son across the face. Soujirou gasped, the tears welling up in his eyes, and suddenly, he turned and ran from the scene.

"Soujirou--!" Isami shouted, but the boy had already disappeared.

"Get back here!" His mother yelled angrily, and ordered a few servants to give chase. "Don't let him get away!"

Hijikata made his way back towards the guest room where he kept his luggage. It was about time he started to pack up. After all, he had no intention of staying for more than a few days at a time. He didn't want to trouble his friend, and he still had to finish the errand his brother-in-law had entrusted to him. But most of all, he was afraid that Kondou would advise him to stay and train. Hijikata had his own reasons for not staying at Shieikan, though he refused to tell anybody out of pride.

As he rounded the corner behind the dojo, a small child ran right into him, and knocked him off his feet. He immediately jumped back up and yelled angrily at the child.

"Watch where you're going, you little brat!"

The child ran off crying without an apology, and Hijikata angrily stomped off after him. He was going to teach the kid a lesson about manners. He stopped only a few feet away when the child ran into a corner between the back wall and the fence, sat down, and continued crying.

"Stop crying kid!!" He shouted angrily. The child immediately glanced up, recognized him, and suddenly started to whimper in fear.

He took a step closer, and the child tried to step back, but the kid was already pinned against the wall and couldn't retreat any further. Hijikata suddenly smelled fear, and new the kid was almost to the point of wetting himself. This made him very angry for some odd reason--angry at himself that a child would fear him that much. He suddenly felt that taking out his anger on a small helpless child was like pulling wings from a fly.

Sighing a little, he took a good look at the youngster. The boy was very slender and fine-boned, and his skin looked pale and soft, though parts of his arms had already started to purple and show bits of green with bruises.

"Kid," he started again, but now his voice had lost the sharp edge of anger, "I said, please stop crying."

The crying ceased, and large amethyst eyes lined with thick eyelashes peered out behind long violet bangs, making the boy appear girlish.

"Crying," he continued in a calmer voice, "It won't do anything."

The eyes widened in surprised, and turned to him. "You're...not going to hit me?"

"Shut up! I wouldn't stoop so low as to hit a little kid."

The large lavendar eyes blinked, and looked over Hijikata with curiosity. Hijikata felt his patience wear thin. He cracked one eye open, and glanced sideways at the boy.

"Oi, kid. What's your name?"

"..ita...ojirou."

"What did you say? I can't hear you."

"Okita Soujirou."

"And how old are you?"

"Nine."

"Listen up Souji, you're a big boy, and you shouldn't cry."

The child fell silent for a while, then finally spoke up in a timid voice, "I don't know what to do. Isami-san was kind to me, but I only got him in trouble. I'm so useless."

"That's why you need to stop crying. If you can't even do the job of a page right, how can you keep the ones you care for around you from getting hurt?"

Soujirou nodded, then a small smile tentatively appeared on his face. "Hijikata-san looks so scary, but in reality, Hijikata-san is a very caring person. Isami-san is very lucky to have Hijikata-san as a friend."

Hijikata blinked in surprised and turned to see Soujirou smiling at him widely. "Hey! What did you say?"

Soujirou's smile only widened, and the boy started to laugh. Hijikata sighed. The boy was...cute. Hijikata did not like cute things. He-did-not-like-cute-things-he-did-not-like-cute-things-he did not like cute things he did...not...like........cute........things. Sometimes. Maybe.

Hijikata reluctantly reached out and gruffly ruffled Soujirou's soft hair. "See, crying doesn't suit you after all."

Soujirou laughed, then stood up and left Hijikata staring after him. Maybe life at Shieikan wasn't so bad afterall. Soujirou had made up his mind. He didn't want to run away anymore. Even if he had to endure scoldings, beatings, and punishments, he would try to be strong--he would be strong so that the people who cared for him wouldn't get hurt for his sake.

End of Chapter 2

TBC