Disclaimer: I do not own PMKor RRK.

Chapter 13: Shadows

The going was hard at this time of the year. After the blizzard, the weather had warmed suddenly. The winter was wet with freezing rains. There were only the two of them as Himura-san and Katsura-san had stayed behind to tie up some loose ends. Saya walked slowly as they entered Kyoto. Suzu had to stop and wait for her.

Curse that Katsura-san! The guy ought to write scripts for the kabuki theatres. They were siblings coming to work for an aunt Umeko at a restaurant named Umeya. As big brother, he'd be expected to take care of his sister.

No chance of chucking her by the roadside. In fact, Battousai had come out of his depression long enough to make it clear to Suzu that he'd personally cut him down to size if he should shirk that duty. Okay, go to Umeya, settle her in then...

Saya tugged at his sleeve. I want to visit Akesato-neesan...and Hana...She pointed at the street leading to the Shimabara district. Suzu cringed. The place had some real unpleasant memories for him. Things he'd prefer to forget. Saya tugged more insistently. Suzu relented. Jeez! Why am I such a nice guy? Right, because Himura-san will knock my lights out if I'm not.

Pulling his hat low and his scarf high to hide his face, he accompanied her to her former workplace. Maybe she wants to see her friends...with luck, she'd stay with them...They saw the charred remains of the building. Saya fainted.

Shinpachi's pissed off. After months, Hijitaka had finally allowed Puppy-kun to join a patrol. It would be nice to have a man shorter than him on his patrol. Unfortunately, Tetsu had grown during that interval. Now he was taller than the second captain, and the men can't stop rubbing it in.

"Er, Shinpachi-san, sorry I grew..."

"Oh, shut up," Shinpachi waved aside the boy's apology. It was the first time Tetsu was actually on patrol. Those times he sneaked onto Okita's patrols don't count. They turned into Shimabara. Here the men always seemed to slow down. Tetsu thought he caught sight of...

"Tetsu-kun!" He ran. What is it now? Shinpachi gave the signal for the other men to follow as he pursued Tetsu. They found themselves in a deserted alley. Annoyed, Shinpachi whacked Tetsu's head. With an angry curse, he ordered them to resume their patrol. Tetsu rubbed the back of his head. He was certain he saw them.

He had seen a youth resembling Suzu half-dragging a girl that looked like Saya down the alley. With a shrug, he left the alley. On the side of the alleyway, a door creaked open a crack. Suzu peered out to make sure the Miburou had left. Tetsu had taken on the blue and white uniform of the Shinsengumi for real.

Saya moaned as she regained consciousness. She wept silently. Are girls always so... The sooner they got to Umeya the better! Tetsu was lucky this time. Next time, Tetsu would be alone and he wouldn't have Saya getting in his way.

Hotaru was carrying a load of dirty bedding out to wash when she saw Susumu sitting on the porch folding paper flowers. She had never thought Yamazaki-san was so skilled at origami. In his hands, the paper took life and shape. Finally, she put down the bedding and joined him. "Yamazaki-san, the flowers are pretty."

"Arigato, Hotaru-san, my sister taught me how to fold them," Susumu continued without looking up.

"Can I ask you something?" Susumu nodded. Hotaru continued. "Is Okita-san always like that? He's always smiling, hiding his pain...He's such a nice man...It's so..."

"Okita-san's always been a kind man. Sometimes, too much kindness can hurt. He always hides from us whenever he's coughing...My sister used to have a very hard time with him. She promised Hijitaka to help watch out for Okita."

"Ayu-nee was a nice person herself," Hotaru spoke quietly. "She doesn't deserve to be killed."

"It's part of being a shinobi, Hotaru-san. We must be ready to die anytime carrying out our duty." Surely as a former shinobi, Hotaru should know. He changed the subject."These flowers I'm folding are for her. I can't get fresh flowers at this time of the year."

"Can I go with you to visit her grave?" Susumu looked at Hotaru and smiled. "Of course."

From the pigsty, Tetsu watched them. Okita-san is doing this on purpose. He's letting Hotaru go. Saya. Tetsu can't get over Saya. He loved her far too much. She still lives. He was certain what he saw while in Shimabara. Had he seen Suzu too? He had all but forgotten about Suzu after that letter so many months ago.

Saizou was not touching his food. The poor porker missed his master too much. Don't starve yourself to death, stupid pig, Okita-san will come back for you...He silently reassured the pig.

Waiter? Kitchen assistant? Damn the man! Suzu tied on the apron, confronted a large pile of potatoes and set about peeling them. Saya had taken to her job like fish to water. She now glided about the tables serving tea. Umeya was a modest restaurant in downtown Kyoto. Upstairs was where the leaders met to lay their plans.

The matronly woman who ran the place is Katsura's sister, Umeko. She was more than happy for the help. The backyard was large and held a separate bath-house with a secret entrance in the back fence. The Ishii hitokiri had a habit of sneaking in to wash up at the bath-house. Walking about with blood on your clothes attracts attention.

Seeing the girl's eyes grow wide with fear, Umeko hurriedly reassured her that she'd be safe if she did not go out into the yard at night. Failing to reassure her, the woman gave her a small dagger more for comfort that for any practical use. If a hitokiri wanted you dead, you haven't a chance. Saya tucked the dagger out of sight in her obi.

She was now part of it, a dangerous world where Ishii and Miburou cross paths with bloody results. I have nowhere else to go...Looking at Saya now; Suzu thought he should have dumped her at some household along the road. It'd probably be better. Even he was getting a bit worried.

If he failed to settle scores with Tetsu soon, some hitokiri is gonna beat him to it. Maybe even Battousai.

Umeko called him aside. He has got work to do. There's a message that needed to be sent. The recipient of the message is Toudou Heisuke. Heisuke received it at a nearby sword store but failed to recognize the boy who brought it. After committing the contents to memory, he will destroy the letter.

Suzu bought himself a good pair of swords with the money Katsura had given him. The one he had with him now was poorly made. He chose them the way Yoshida had taught him.

Author's notes:

Ya! Things are starting to pick up now Saya & Suzu are in Kyoto. It figures Katsura's sister runs the restaurant. (Racks brains on how to get Tetsu & Saya to meet up).