Yes, I took a small piece of the plot line from Shinsengumi Chronicles. I just thought that since Serizawa was noted for doing such horrible things, that I could use it to help Okita make up her mind… Though if I remember right in the Chronicles it was Yamazaki that this affected. Well Yamazaki was the main character of the Chronicles!
Chapter 15: Silken Puppet Strings
"I… I mean Tokio… there was a promise. Something happened and… well… I have to protect the Shogunate. My life is irrelevant, that's why I am here. I want to protect the Shogunate, and to protect a precious dream of my cousin's."
"That is a noble endeavor." Kondo nodded politely.
"I know that I have a long way to go before I can grant that wish but I have to try. I promised."
The room was filled with silence as Kondo and Hijikata absorbed the information. To them both it sounded as though the Captain was only telling parts of the truth, but to one thing they were certain… Captain Okita was not loyal to Serizawa, of that both were certain. It wasn't so much what had been said that made them so sure but more how Okita had reacted to the question.
"We need you're help, Captain. Forgive me for being to the point, but this is very important."
"Sir?"
"As you noted…'Serizawa drinks, womanizes, and hurts innocent people. He violates the code quite frequently.' His behavior is unacceptable by our code. However he is one of the founding members of our group, and without sufficient proof…"
"You cannot enforce the code." Tokio finished for him.
Kondo merely nodded his affirmation. He could sense Okita's intelligence; he'd been able to feel it since this morning. In many ways the newest Captain was superior to other Menkyo Kaiden's in that he had made the style his own, even though he was still missing the final techniques, and didn't have the right to such a title as of yet.
"What about Niimi–sama. The two of them are so close and they only help each other in their endeavors… are you only after Serizawa-sama or are you after him as well?"
"Anyone that violates the rules and regulations are to suffer the correct penalty."
"Seppuku." Tokio muttered to herself. Every member here knew what the penalty was for such a failure. After all, there was really only one penalty at all as far as everyone was concerned, and that dealt with death.
It was clear what was going on, the real question though was it worth it? If she betrayed Serizawa-san her secret would be out in the open and she would either be killed or be ordered to end her own life. Still she was more than a little aware of the fact that as long as Serizawa-san was alive she was in danger of this happening anyway, all he had to do was tell on her.
She didn't want to be the reason that he died. Tokio didn't like ending people's lives but she detested it when she knew someone, regardless of his flaws she had fought Serizawa and bested him. She had served at his side for a time, and now both the things that she had learned in the last few days and the knowledge of what kind of a man he really was tore at her heart.
What was she to do?
This was different from any of the battles she had fought this… this was betrayal!
Cold blooded betrayal.
Hijikata studied the changing expressions that flitted across Okita's face. He could see the worry, the doubt, and the fear. They were all things he had anticipated seeing on young Okita's face but there was something else there that had him worried. Was that… guilt that he saw in Okita's eyes?
The thought made him worry. This whole situation was more than a little dangerous, and Okita could now blow everything that they had been working for into a million pieces just by uttering one or two words to the wrong ear.
Had they just made a fatal mistake? There wasn't anyway to tell what path young Okita would take… would he choose to help them? He certainly hoped so, but nobody really understood Okita. He was more then an expert at acting like a child, and smiling like a fool. It may have seemed a small enough trait but it was one that could hide many a thing. Of course, the possibility of betrayal was the most prominent of concerns for Hijikata.
That was why he had allowed Saitoh-san to join Okita's squad for now. They needed an eye on him in case he decided to betray them. If Okita decided to do so, Saitoh was under orders to kill him in the most discrete manner possible.
It was strange the look that had flitted across Saitoh's face when he had been given that order it had, the look of distaste in it.
Kill evil immediately.
That was the way Saitoh lived his life, and everyone that knew him personally knew that there was little that concerned him more. If distaste had been written across his features than something more had to be in there. Something even Saitoh hadn't spoken of, and it concerned him greatly. He hated not knowing all of the factors. Still he had no doubt that distasteful or not Saitoh would follow through with his orders if it were necessary.
"My lords!" Shimada, the watcher from the other night rushed into the room. The rage in his voice was raw and there was pain there too… and something else. "Something has happened my lords."
"Can't you see were busy?"
"It's important, and Yamazaki thought Okita-san would benefit from hearing about what I found. He said it would help him make up his mind."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't think words could explain what I mean. It would be for the best if you saw instead. The woman that came to collect the debt is in Serizawa's outermost room. Okita-san. If you want to see the true nature of Serizawa-san take a look at what he does to those that even just annoy him."
Tokio could feel her mouth run dry. What had Serizawa done to the woman? What could Yamazaki think would affect her more than any words could? What…
The memory of Serizawa's eyes, and the cruelty lurking behind them came to her mind, and a part of her knew… knew what he had done to her.
She could feel the bile rising in her throat. Would the woman kill herself after what had happened? Probably. Would he eventually do the same thing to her if she didn't do everything the way he wanted it? The answer to that was painfully obvious.
Probably.
"I don't have to look. I'll help. I'm pretty sure I know what he did to her, and… and I don't want to see it. No one should ever be treated that way. To have you're feelings trampled all over as though you don't matter just because you can is something I hate." She remembered the village, of what had almost happened to her, and she could feel not just her own rage but also the rage of her cousin. Her cousin would never have allowed such a thing to go unpunished, and she couldn't either.
"I'll help in anyway that I can. I don't know what I can do but I'll help, there is one other thing though. Niimi-sama is less careless and less feared by the people. It will be easier to find out things about him then Serizawa-sama, but his downfall would be very crippling to Serizawa-sama. The two of them are… old friends."
To be continued.
