Disclaimer: I do NOT own Hakuouki or anything related to it.


"Because the world is so full of death and horror, I try again and again to console my heart and pick the flowers that grow in the midst of hell."
— Hermann Hesse


Kneeling, Chizuru gathered a handful of soil and studied the texture; it was ideal. The area had more than enough space and sunlight for growth. Putting her hands on her hips, she nodded in satisfaction. These conditions were perfect for planting a cherry blossom tree.

She ran her fingers through her hair. She wore the same grey gown and cloak from last night, and her hair was free of hairpins. Partially because she did not want to put effort into her appearance today and also because she fell asleep at her desk while writing in her journal. Despite the awkward position, she got better sleep than the previous occasions and suffered no additional dreams of her dead loved ones.

She wrote the entire flashback from last night in perfect detail. That was the first time she'd written since Sanan returned the book to her. Wearing the accessories was one thing; picking up a pen and unleashing her grief onto the paper felt surreal.

Kodo had kept her sheltered her whole life, forbidding her close bonds or worldly information outside of himself and his clinic. The Shinsengumi, Ryouma and Sen were the first people to break that shell, to find the person beyond the doll Kodo created for breeding and bleeding out for his experiments. And now most of them were dead.

A deep sigh left her. The respite brought on by her recollection of Ryouma's comforting words gave her peace for the remainder of the night. As she ate breakfast, tears started rolling down her cheeks. No sobs, no shaking, just silent weeping. She quickly finished eating, bringing up her knees to hug them to her chest and wept until the tears were gone. When she'd cried herself out, she cleaned up and went for a walk.

An hour ago, she got the idea to plant a cherry blossom tree. Shiranui would be glad that she found a new pastime to honor her comrades.

Rising, she wiped her hands on her cloak and mentally prepared a checklist of things she would need to start planting tomorrow. Maybe she could make a garden here; she smiled at the thought.

That was when she heard two pairs of rapid footfalls and laughter, one of which sounded childish. She turned around to see a familiar person and a child she didn't recognize running toward her.

The servant that brought her tea last night was chasing a little girl. As they got closer, Chizuru realized they were a mother and her daughter. The child had the same olive skin and dark mahogany hair as her mother, although the child's tresses were cut up to her shoulders while the mother styled her longer hair in a chignon. The sole detail differentiating them was their eye color: the girl had light grey eyes and her mother's eyes were green.

When the mother saw her, she ordered the girl to stop. The girl did not hear her over the sound of her own giggling, so she bumped right into Chizuru, who managed to maintain her balance and catch the girl's arms to save her from falling.

"Umeko!" The mother hurried to them."Are you alright?" The daughter nodded, then looked up at Chizuru with wide eyes.

The mother bowed to Chizuru."Apologies, Lady Yukimura."

Chizuru stifled a sigh. She'd tried to stop the servants, guards, and other villagers from using that title with her, to no avail. They wouldn't dream of informally addressing the sole survivor of the Yukimura Clan, a high ranking Demon in her own right, and the woman under the protection of their clan's leader. Shiranui and Sen both admitted to having similar experiences in the beginnings of their leadership and there was no point in trying to discourage the people. She supposed she could understand their reverence, given her own tendency to be polite and respectful, not that it lessened her annoyance.

"It's alright," she told the servant.

Umeko continued looking up at her with wide eyes. Smiling, Chizuru patted her head. The girl appeared to be nine or ten years old.

Umeko grinned."You're really pretty!"

Chizuru blushed and knelt to the child's eye level, her hand still patting her head."Thank you. So are you. Umeko is a very nice name."

Umeko's grin widened."So is Chizuru."

"Umeko!" The mother exclaimed."That's no way to talk to-"

Chizuru lifted a hand to interrupt the mother."No, it's perfectly fine. I wish more people would use my name."

"So I can call you Chizuru-san then?" Umeko asked.

"Yes, please do." She preferred no honorifics at all (although Souma and Nomura calling her Yukimura-Senpai or just Senpai always amused her), but this would suffice."Can I call you Umeko-chan?" Umeko nodded vigorously."Then we have a deal." She offered a handshake, but Umeko jumped at her and wrapped her arms around her. Chizuru patted her on the back.

The mother's embarrassment faded, melting into a warm smile. Once Umeko and Chizuru separated, she said,"My lady is very kind."

Umeko played with Chizuru's grey gown and cloak whilst walking around her in circles, giggling as she did so.

Standing, Chizuru asked,"Can I ask for your name too?"

The mother bowed her head."I am Naomi." She hesitantly accepted Chizuru's proffered handshake."Is there anything you need?" Like the other servants, Naomi knew better than to argue with Chizuru about this. Unless Chizuru directly asked for their services, they left her to her own devices. Perhaps her request for tea the previous night prompted Naomi to ask this time.

Chizuru shook her head."Not today, no." She wanted to finish compiling her checklist of supplies before she requested anything.

Umeko tugged on her skirt for attention."What are you doing here, Chizuru-san?"

Chizuru smiled."I'm going to plant a cherry blossom here, maybe create a full garden."

Umeko's eyes lit up."Really?!" She squealed."Can I help?"

Chizuru flicked her head at Naomi."If your mother approves."

Naomi bit her lip and fidgeted with her hands. After a minute, she nodded. Cheering, Umeko began running around the two women in circles. Eventually, she grabbed each of their hands and began tugging them along with her. Chizuru and Naomi laughingly allowed the little girl to guide them.

It didn't take long for her to come to the conclusion that they weren't fast enough to move alongside her, so she let them go and jogged ahead of them, staying close enough to be seen but out of earshot. Spotting flowers, she decided to go pick some. Chizuru and Naomi sat on a bench to watch her.

"She's always so happy, always smiling, and she adores flowers" Naomi said, smiling proudly."I couldn't have asked for a better..." She trailed off, clearing her throat."I'm sorry, Lady-"

"She looks just like you," Chizuru remarked, not wanting to hear formalities.

Naomi closed her eyes."Except for her eyes." She smiled sadly."They're his eyes." Her voice was so quiet that Chizuru wondered if she was supposed to hear that last part.

The father must be dead, either before or shortly after his daughter's birth. Having grown up with no knowledge of her mother since Kodo refused to tell her anything, even her name, and eventually learning that Kodo wasn't her real father, that her parents and her village were destroyed, Chizuru empathized.

Her hand came to rest over her heart of its own accord."My condolences," she said softly.

Naomi opened her eyes, her smile growing sadder."He's not dead. At least not when I last saw him." She sighed."Her father is a human."

Chizuru stiffened."That must have caused...problems."

Purebloods such as herself were rare, hence Kazama's obsession with her. Most Demons had their blood diluted with humans'; even high ranking leaders like Sen had a human ancestor. Shiranui's bonds with Takasugi, Ryouma, and Harada made him stick out and most of his clan seemed to share his attitudes. There were no doubt some elders that disagreed, but there was little, if anything, they could do about it. Still, tensions were bound to occur.

"It did," Naomi said, folding her hands on her lap. A twitch went through her hands. She managed to relax and gave a genuine smile."But Lord Shiranui has been very kind."

Although curious, Chizuru kept quiet. It seemed Naomi's struggles reflected her own, and that made her want to know more about Shiranui.

You're a mystery, Shiranui-san, and I think that's what I need right now.

She looked away to hide her blush as she recalled what she'd said to him on her first day here. In hindsight, that was an intense thing to say, but Shiranui understood what she meant, had even reminded her of that statement when he lectured her about pushing people away. Maybe she should start trying to make good on those words.

"He's been cooped up in his office lately," she remarked. She knew her presence here would cause tensions, as Kazama's visit proved, but during the last few days Shiranui had spent a lot of time in his office, and she overheard the servants mentioning that he did not touch the breakfast they brought him that morning.

Naomi sighed."Yes, he's...stressed." She gave Chizuru a weak smile."But you shouldn't worry, Lady Yukimura. It's-"

"I know." Chizuru sighed, crossing her arms."I'm sure he would tell me the same thing. He made a choice to help me, and I'm grateful." She pursed her lips."I'll take his lunch to him today."

"Oh, you don't need-"

"I want to. Just like I want to do things for myself. And let's just say I have experience dealing with stubborn men that neglect their own health."

Naomi inclined her head."As you wish, Lady Yukimura. We must go now." She stood and called to Umeko, who immediately ran over. She'd picked a large bouquet of roses and tulips, half of which she gave to her mother and the other half she offered to Chizuru. Chizuru blinked afore smiling and taking the flowers.

Naomi bowed."Have a good day, Lady Yukimura." She laid a hand on Umeko's shoulder and guided her away.

"Bye, Chizuru-san!" Umeko waved. Chizuru waved back.

Chizuru admired the flowers. There was a vase in her room for decoration that she could put these in. Once she did that, she began preparing lunch for Shiranui.


Sighing, Shiranui leaned back in his chair. His desk was covered in letters from his fellow Demon leaders and his clan's elders. The only one who hadn't written was Amagiri, since he personally told Shiranui everything he thought when he visited last night.

Sen and Kazama confirmed that they would conceive an heir for each of their clans, starting with the latter to sooner ensure that he left Chizuru alone. The Kazama elders and a few of Sen's elders pushed for marriage but both parties refused; Sen would never marry and Kazama felt the need to remain available in case Chizuru changed her mind. Shiranui rolled his eyes at Kazama's rubbish, and imagined Sen scoffing in the man's face. Amagiri promised that he, Sen, and Kimigiku would keep an eye on Kazama and inform Shiranui the second he started acting suspiciously.

Speaking of elders, his own clan elders were dropping hints about their desire for him to use Chizuru. There had been too much going on to distract them from her for the first month of her stay; the day after Kazama's visit, they began pressuring him. There was a council meeting tomorrow where they would doubtless press the topic. They even sent a servant to deliver a letter to him immediately after they finished writing it; the ink still smelled fresh. As if the garbage they spoke was not sufficiently frustrating, they had to write it down as well.

Chizuru's solitude kept her from having to deal with them (and he ordered them to stay away from her). If she were to break out of that, or at least turn it into a healthier version, she might grow curious. So far she hadn't mentioned it, implicitly trusting that he would handle it, but she had a right to know the full truth and he would not hide or sugarcoat it if she asked.

She seemed to be starting on the road to recovery. He'd started to panic before she suddenly snapped out of her breakdown and regained her composure. The memory of dead loved ones was a bittersweet thing indeed; that which drove her to hysteria assisted her in escaping it. She'd stayed up late, even asked a servant to do something for her. At least she slept, whereas he stayed up for the rest of the night to ponder the political situation.

It would be far worse if the Nagumo Clan hadn't been eradicated by Kodo's Furies after Kaoru's death. They had always been outcasts, refusing to take no for an answer. He wasn't afraid of them, but one would be foolish not to be cautious around them. So while he and Chizuru and everyone else were disgusted at Kodo for slaughtering the innocents of the clan, the group in general would not be missed.

Kazama was frighteningly determined to get what he wanted, and might even cross the same line as the Nagumo Clan in working with Furies, but fortunately they did not live in that world. Here, the Kazama issue was taken care of. And if did lose his mind, his clan would not support him.

Shiranui shut his eyes and crossed his arms.

Ten years he'd been leading his clan now, since his parents were mysteriously assassinated when he was nineteen. The culprits were unknown to this day. The first year of ruling was the hardest, having to establish his authority and competence while deciphering which counsel provided by the elders was reliable until he could properly stand on his own two feet and handle the grief.

He didn't trust those old men; they wanted a puppet that bowed to tradition and could not live without constant guidance. By the end of his first year, glares and grumbles were the worst he got from them. Of course, the arrival of a pureblood female renewed their efforts; his oath to protect her and Kazama's visit worsened that.

Add all of that to him being the sole remaining member of the Shiranui ruling family and his obligation to provide heirs, despite his disinterest in marrying or settling down, and it was a recipe for disaster.

Sen shared his disinterest in being tied down by the demands of marriage and settling down, and as a result they sometimes discussed the possibility of providing heirs for one another's clans. He had a past with Kimigiku, so an arrangement of that sort with her also came up. In her most recent letter, Sen promised they would discuss the matter more thoroughly once Kazama's issue was solved for good. In the meantime, Shiranui would continue exploring his options and ignoring the bastards that beat him over the head in their efforts to convince him to utilize Chizuru.

Politics, especially Demon politics, were such fun.

He missed spending time with Takasugi and Sakamoto and engaging in deadly games of battle with Harada. So much more worthwhile, interesting, a wonderful distraction...

His stomach growled. His body patiently endured his refusal to touch his breakfast, but as lunch approached, it was losing its patience. Much as he wanted to keep thinking until he found a solution, it wasn't that simple. Neglecting his health would make things worse. He should check on Chizuru too.

Gathering the letters into a pile, he placed them at the center of the desk. He ran his hand over his face with another sigh. Maybe he should rest after eating; he would need the extra rest for the council meeting tomorrow.

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door."Shiranui-san." Chizuru's firm voice came from the other side of the door.

The smell of food reached his nose, and his stomach growled so loudly he wondered if she heard. There was an awkward silence, leaving him uncertain if she actually did hear his stomach growling or if she was waiting for his response. A minute passed afore he opened his mouth, only for the door to open before he could utter a word. She likely thought he wasn't there and decided to check. When she saw him, she bowed her head and entered the room. Were he not distracted by his tiredness and hunger, he'd be pleased to see her hair down.

She frowned as she got closer."You look exhausted," she said quietly, placing the tray on his desk.

He cleared his throat."Don't worry about it. Nothing I can't handle." He rubbed his eyes.

She scoffed."Hijikata-san and Saito-san used to say that...sometimes right before passing out."

Still rubbing his eyes, he snorted."Comparing me to fragile humans?" His voice dropped to a murmur."Though I guess if you spend enough time with them, they rub off on you."

"It's worth it." The smallest hint of shakiness touched her voice, but she was otherwise firm.

Chuckling, he looked up at her with a grin."Yeah, it is."

Her face was forcibly expressionless. She blinked rapidly to force down tears and swallowed down sobs. She tightly hugged herself and shut her eyes as her breathing quickened. She was fighting the guilt for her imagined role in their deaths.

Shiranui stood so quickly that his chair almost fell. He reached for her right before her eyes snapped open and she became completely still. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, her arms falling to her sides.

"I'm okay," she rasped. She coughed and swallowed before repeating her words in a clearer voice.

His extended hand hovered between them, unsure about whether he should touch her. Finally, he patted her shoulder and sat back down. As he was putting the letters into a drawer, she spoke.

"It's about me, isn't it?" She pointed to the letters."I knew this would happen if I came here."

Snapping his head in her direction, he gave her a stern look."Not. Your. Fault."

She'd asked, though, and he promised he would tell her if she did ask. Really, it merely confirmed what she already knew. He fully understood the risks of offering her refuge and she fully understood the risks of accepting his offer.

She lifted her chin."I didn't say it was." Clearly she believed it was her fault, but he was glad she was trying to follow his advice. He acknowledged this by inclining his head. She quietly added,"You made a choice." He further inclined his head in approval.

Once the papers were out of sight, he massaged his forehead and yawned.

She pursed her lips."You didn't sleep." It was the first time she said this to him, yet the irritation and disapproval in her voice indicated that she was used to lecturing people about this. He could imagine Sakamoto and the Shinsengumi being on the receiving end of those lectures, initially trying to resist and eventually realizing the matter was not up for debate and being reduced to hanging their heads like puppies and obeying her commands to rest and be careful. The way she eyed the papers he was putting away made him wonder if she planned to snatch them to ensure he didn't overwork himself. He found that he didn't mind the idea, both from amusement at the possibility of seeing her do that and appreciation for her concern.

He laughed whilst yawning."Spare me the lecture, kid. I'm planning on resting after I eat." He glanced at the tray."Thanks, by the way."

She bowed."You're welcome." She turned to leave.

"Wait," he called, and she spun around."Have you eaten?"

"I'm on my way back to the kitchen now. I wanted to make sure you were eating first."

"Well, you can bring it here if you want. Make sure I don't fall asleep while I'm in the middle of eating." She giggled at that, and he grinned briefly afore becoming serious."There's also some things you need to know. I was planning to tell you later, but the sooner the better."

She bit her lip, nodded, and hurried to the kitchen. She returned five minutes later, using her foot to close the door.

They settled down to eat. He cleared his throat before starting the conversation.

"Has anyone tried to talk to you recently?" He asked."Specifically the elders?"

She shook her head."Besides you, I've only spoken with servants and guards."

"Haven't run into anybody else?"

"Just the common people during my walks."

"So you haven't met any of the elders?"

She shook her head again, visibly worried. He paused to take a sip of tea."Glad to hear the old geezers are technically obeying my orders then," he said dryly.

She clutched her teacup."They want me to breed for you." A statement, not a question. She drank from her cup.

Fear flashed in her eyes. She trusted him (she wouldn't have come if she didn't), but the fear was by now natural for her. Kazama declaring her his wife from the moment of their first meeting, Kodo planning to use her to breed with his Furies, both of them wanted to create the perfect Demon and saw her as a tool in achieving that goal.

He couldn't, wouldn't fail Chizuru. Sakamoto and Harada and the rest of her Shinsengumi friends could rise from the dead and torture him if he did.

With a swiftness that suprised even himself, he leaned forward and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze. With a gasp, she instinctively tried to pull her hand away before realizing what he was doing. Meeting his gaze, she gave a tired yet grateful smile. He tenderly thumbed her knuckles. Chizuru placed her hand over his. She trembled so faintly that he wouldn't have noticed if she had not touched him. A gesture of trust through the fear, and he gave another squeeze. She relaxed, the trembling coming to an end.

Looking to the side, he scoffed."Council meeting is tomorrow. Can't wait to hear their subtle ecncouragements. They sent a servant to give me a letter - ink still smells fresh - to give me preparation hints for what they want to discuss tomorrow. Well, at least responding to them will be a fun, creative activity." He snorted."You'd be surprised how many polite ways there are to tell someone to shove it up their ass."

A wide smile brightened her face and her eyebrows rose to the highest point possible."I often overhead Hijikata-san and Sanan-san expressing frustration with their political superiors. Sanan-san becoming a Fury made him even scarier and Hijikata-san very much earned the title Demon-Commander. So I think I can imagine." She removed her hands from his, putting her elbow on the desk and resting her cheek on her palm. Nostalgia graced her demeanor, the sweetness overtaking the bitterness of remembrance. He permitted himself an indulgence in reliving a pleasant memory of Takasugi.

Their smiles faded as reality and the present closed the curtains on the past. Chizuru lifted her chin, shifted to form a fist, and put her chin on her fist. She tilted her gaze downwards to their hands, where his thumb restarted gently rubbing her knuckles.

He didn't want the moment to end, a wish she seemed to share. The comfortable, companionable silence was a blessing they had not experienced in awhile. Of course, reality was again closing the curtains on what they wanted.

Chizuru looked to the window, admiring the trees and birds outside. Her smile resurfaced."I found a nice area outside. I think I can make a garden there, with a cherry blossom tree in the center."

Shiranui followed her gaze to out the window. Humming, he tapped his fingers on the armrest."They'd like that." He chuckled."Also, another reason for Kazama to throw a hissy fit. He has a fascination with cherry blossoms, loves using analogies containing them when he criticizes humans and fakes."

Her eyes flickered to him, then back to the window."He won't be allowed anywhere near it," she said coldly, scowling.

Shiranui grinned from ear to ear."That's why I said he'd have a new reason to throw a hissy fit."

Turning to face him, she chewed on her bottom lip."Kazama and Sen-chan..." Pain filled her voice as she uttered her friend's name. Shiranui bit his tongue to resist the wish to remind her that Sen made a choice and had already been considering it and that her concerns for Chizuru's safety just quickened her choice. She needed time and space; if he saw that she needed another intervention, he would act, but for now he would leave her be. Plus, even without the guilt about her role in Sen's situation, she was bound to worry for the princess's well-being. Heck, he knew Sen as well as Chizuru did and knew she was capable of handling Kazama, but still worried. No point in addressing this at the moment.

Thus, he decided to give her a simple update on."They're going to seal the deal soon." He winced at his own choice of words. Under less serious circumstances this would be an amusing thing to say. Luckily, Chizuru either did not seem to notice the bad phrasing or opted to ignore it. Not wanting to find out, he went on,"Kazama keeps the first kid so he can get his heir as soon as possible. Sen keeps the second kid. Both kids will be in contact with and visit their other parent. Amagiri will keep Sen up to date on how Kazama raises his heir and help as best as he can. Last thing we need is another entitled Kazama." He paused, chewing on his lower lip."Sen wants you to be there when the children are born, to be the one who..."

Chizuru shot up into a perfectly straight sitting position, eyes wide as saucers."She wants me to deliver them." Sen had plenty of midwives she trusted, but her bond with Chizuru was special and as a doctor's adoptive daughter, Chizuru was just as qualified, if not more so, than the servants Sen had.

"And to be their honorary aunt," Shiranui added, giving a faint smirk."Though let's be honest, that last part isn't up for debate. Something to add for your consideration about your life choices." He was careful to be calm in his delivery, applying no pressure on her nor trying to rush her.

She heaved a sigh."I'll consider it." She folded her hands on her lap and glued her gaze to her feet."The council meeting tomorrow..."

Shiranui sighed."Don't worry about it." He picked up his cup and drank. While he was drinking, she said,"I want to be there." He choked on his tea, almost spitting it out. After coughing thrice and carefully swallowing (during which she exclaimed his name and stood to check on him and he waved her off to assure her he was fine), he gaped at her as if she'd grown another head. On second thought, her becoming two-headed would be a lot less shocking than this. She moved herself and her chair backwards, looking unsettled and worried.

He rubbed his ears, wishing he'd misheard her."What?" He asked, hoping she would change her mind.

Chizuru swallowed and sat up straight again, holding her chin up."I want to be at the council meeting," she said. She displayed no sign of reluctance nor a willingness to back down.

They both leaned forward, so their stern gazes were locked on one another. Ten seconds of stubborn staring later, he spoke in a tone that brooked no argument."No."

She lifted her chin higher."I'm not asking."

He scowled."Listen, kid, your sass is entertaining when we discuss other topics, but in this case-"

She stood up with such abruptness that he fell backwards in his chair. She slammed her palms onto the desk and bent over and leaned forward to his eye level."This is about me too." She dug her nails into the desk."I...I know it's not...my fault they're like this, but I won't sit and hide while someone I care about risks themselves to protect me. I understand there isn't much I can do, but it's better than nothing. So whether you like it or not, I want to be there and I will. The elders will want me there and I'd rather be there on my own terms than be tricked or coerced into it by them."

Shiranui opened his mouth to tell her that he wouldn't let that happen, closing it as he knew right away that she was correct. The elders were bound to figure out something in order to get their way.

Sighing, he brought a hand to massage the bridge of his nose."Fine," he muttered through clenched teeth."It's at noon tomorrow."

Chizuru beamed and relaxed."Thank you."

He rolled his eyes."Don't thank me when you made it clear you don't care if I approve or not." He refused to admit he was impressed by her standing her ground. Sakamoto and the Shinsengumi would be proud.

After gathering the trays, she bowed her head and turned to leave."Make sure you rest," she called over her shoulder. Shiranui hummed in response, pretending not to notice the stern glance she shot him.

Once she was gone, he exhaled very deeply and very loudly.

Well, the days to come certainly didn't promise to be boring at least. The dread of the future's interesting results, however, was unwelcome.