Author's note: Special thanks to 'Anonymous' for actually reviewing! This one's for you ;)

I own nothing but my OC.

Chapter 10: The Flower That Blooms In Twilight

June, 1864

Chizuru panted heavily as she ran with all her might towards the Shikokuya to deliver her message to Hijikata-san. She had to keep going. Yamazaki-san and Sumiko, and everyone else were depending on her. Finally, the backs of the Shinsengumi members in Hijikata's group, who were lying in wait a little ways away from the inn and waiting for the Shogun's representatives to arrive, came into view.
"A message!" She shouted as loud as she could to get their attention.

"Hm?" Hijikata said, turning just in time to see a very out of breath Chizuru run up.

"Yukimura-kun!" Inoue exclaimed as she bent over, trying to catch her breath so she could finish delivering the all important message.

"What are you doing, here?" Sano asked.

"They're at… the Ikedaya!" Chizuru exclaimed in between breaths.

"!" The men said, immediately snapping to attention.

—∞—

"Ungh!" Sumiko grunted , gritting her teeth, as she pushed back her opponent. "Hah!" She yelled, head-butting him in the chin.

"Ahh!" The man cried out as he stumbled backwards, and she raised her sword to strike. "Aaaaah!" He screamed as she struck him with her sword.

"Relax. I've been using the back of my blade, idiot." She told the unconscious man, sweat-dropping. These guys weren't very bright. No wonder so many of them had been sent. They were making up for quality with quantity!

"You should go ahead, Miyagawa-san!" Yamazaki said as he cut down another enemy.

"And let you have all the fun? I don't think so!" Sumiko retorted. No way was she leaving him here on his own, outnumbered. She didn't need his death on her conscience!

—∞—

"Ah!" Chizuru gasped when she and the rest of the Shinsengumi arrived at the Ikedaya to find that Kondo's group had already busted down the doors and started fighting.

"Gen-san and the others, secure the area." Hijikata ordered.

"Let's go!" Inoue told his men, leading part of the group away.

"I'll go around the back." Sano said, running off to secure the rear exit.

"Huh?" Chizuru said when something caught her attention, causing her to turn. "Hijikata-san." Hijikata, Saito and the others turned to see what was going on and saw a number of samurai from the Aizu clan marching towards them.

"Now they come." Hijikata said, furrowing his brow in irritation. "Saito, secure the inside. The Shinsengumi's vice-commander will greet our honored guests directly."

"Understood. We're going in!" Saito replied dutifully, leading the rest of the men inside to aid Kondo-san and the others.

SLASH!

Saito drew his blade, cutting down the first opponent unlucky enough to be in their way as they entered the inn.

"Let no one escape. No holding back. Kill all who oppose you!" He ordered his men.

"Thank you for the message." Hijikata told Chizuru after they watched the others disappear into the fray.

"Huh?" Chizuru said, glancing back at him. "No, I didn't do anything…" She said humbly.

"It's thanks to you that we can claim first right." He told her.

"First right?" She asked. Hijikata turned to face the approaching Aizu warriors and stepped forward to meet them.

"Shinsengumi, eh?" Their leader said as they halted. "Good work. We of the Aizu clan shall now take over."

"We of the Shinsengumi, under the Lt. General, are in the process of securing the Ikedaya." Hijikata declared strongly. "Your help is not required."

"Hijikata-san!" Chizuru said, surprised. Hadn't they been waiting for these reinforcements to come?

"What are you saying?" The Aizu leader demanded incredulously. "We have come to put down the rouge samurais gathered at the inn!"

"Would you please not enter the Ikedaya?" Hijikata said calmly, standing firm.

"You're saying that you'll block us!?" One of the lesser Aizu samurai asked incredulously.

"I'm saying this for your own sakes." Hijikata stated, fixing them with all with a stern glare.

"What was that?" The leader asked indignantly, clearly taken aback. Hijikata stepped forward again, closing the distance between them.

"If one entered not wearing the clothes of our unit, the men would immediately strike him down." Hijikata stated with unwavering certainty.

"!" The Aizu leader took a step back, unnerved by the steely gaze of the man before him.

"If you value your life, you will wait here." Hijikata told him as Sumiko and Yamazaki finally arrived on the scene. "I'll say this again: your help is not needed."

"Sumiko-san! Yamazaki-san!" Chizuru said, relieved to see that they were both unscathed, though Sumiko seemed a little out of breath.

"If the officials could go in, subduing the rogue Choshu samurais would fall to them." Yamazaki explained for the girls' benefit while Sumiko took a moment to collect herself. "The bravery of the Shinsengumi, who went in first, could go unknown."

"But that's…" Chizuru said.

"… Bullshit." Sumiko finished, annoyed on their behalf.

"That is in how little regard we Shinsengumi are held. The vice-commander, all alone, is trying to be the Shinsengumi's shield, to preserve the credit of his comrades." Yamazaki replied solemnly.

"Well, then. I guess I'd better stop wasting time and get to work doing my part." Sumiko said, straightening up, as an injured Shinsengumi member came limping out with Inoue's help.

"Hang in there!" Inoue shouted.

"Are you all right?" Chizuru shouted as she followed Sumiko over to them.

"Let me see the wound." Sumiko said. "Is it just the shoulder?"

"Y-Yes. I'm… all right." The injured man said. "There are still injured inside."

"I'll get to them in moment." Sumiko said, pulling down his haori and kimono sleeves so she could bandage his wound. "Let's take care of you, fir—Ah! Chizuru!" She shouted, alarmed when the younger girl suddenly shot off into the danger zone without warning.

"Yukimura-kun!" Inoue called out, also alarmed, as Sumiko quickly finished tying the bandage in place.

"I'm borrowing this!" Sumiko said, taking the injured man's uniform haori, before rushing after her friend.

"Ah! Sumiko-san!"

Hijikata's eyes widened slightly as he glanced back in time to see her disappear inside the building.

–∞–

"Yukimura-kun, no!" Sumiko heard Kondo shout, as she entered with her sword drawn, ready to defend herself. It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the dark inn and take in the chaos around her, but then she immediately spotted Kondo-san locked in battle with a Choshu rebel while Chizuru began rushing up the stairs.

"Chizuru!" Sumiko shouted, eyes widening when she saw another figure step out onto the top of the stairs to block her. She tried to run to her friend's aid, but another Choshu rebel cut her off.

"Yah!" He cried as he tried to strike her with his sword. Sumiko quickly blocked the attack, but she was distracted by a cry of alarm from Chizuru on the stairs. "!" Sumiko gasped, helpless to save her friend, as she watched the rebel swing his sword at her.

STAB.

Before any harm could come to Chizuru, Saito hopped onto the stairs and intervened on her behalf, killing her attacker.

"Saito-san!" Chizuru gasped, surprised and relieved to see him.

"I wouldn't sleep well knowing you'd died. But protecting you is not my job. If you're going to run into places like this, you'll have to defend yourself." He told her. Sumiko sighed in relief seeing that her friend was all right, but she soon discovered that was not the case for herself.

"!" Sumiko said, startled, when she just barely managed to avoid being stabbed through the head by her opponent. She grit her teeth, silently scolding herself for letting her guard down. That could have been fatal. "I don't have time to deal with you!" She snapped irritatedly, dodging his next attack, effortlessly as she stepped around and struck him on the back of the head with the butt of her sword, knocking him out cold. Compared to Saito, he looked like he was practically standing still. Shinpachi saw all this and let out a whistle in appreciation as she ran after Chizuru.

"All right." He said determinedly. "We can't lose to her, Kondo-san!"

"Nn!" Kondo agreed as they both cut down their opponents.

When Sumiko reached the stairs, Chizuru was already gone, and Saito was facing two more rebels who had run up to try to attack him from behind.

"Outta the way!" Sumiko roared boldly, charging up to help clear the way so she could find her reckless young friend. She grabbed the banister with one hand and swung around, kicking the first guy over the side.

"Uwaah!" He cried out as he fell to the floor below with a hard thud, while Saito cut down the one facing him.

"Where's Chizuru!?" Sumiko demanded without delay.

"She went to help Okita-san. He's coughing up blood."

"What!?"

–∞–

"Okita-san!" Chizuru cried out when she rushed into the room to find him covered in blood and fighting a dangerous-looking opponent. The man with blonde hair and red eyes paused briefly in his barrage of attacks to glance at her. Okita grit his teeth and charged forward again, thrusting his sword at the man. His opponent simply smirked as he effortlessly blocked the attack with his own blade.

"That's the extent of your skill?" He asked Okita mockingly. He pushed forward, shoving Okita back and sending him stumbling back. Okita coughed up more blood as he fell to his knees on the floor.

"Okita-san! You're bleeding!" Chizuru cried in alarm, rushing to his side despite the danger.

"You're another of his comrades, eh?" The dangerous man asked, turning his attention to Chizuru as he aimed his sword at her. "If you interfere, I'll kill you, too." He stated coldly.

"Ah!" Chizuru gasped as Okita suddenly shot back onto his feet and positioned himself protectively in front of her with his sword raised.

"I'm your opponent, right?" Okita reminded him through labored breath, glaring dangerously at the man threatening her. "Can't you leave the kid alone?"

"How foolish." The other man remarked. "In your state, you can offer her no protection."

"I'm not useless!" Okita retorted angrily.

"You mustn't!" Chizuru yelled urgently, holding him back. "You're coughing up blood!"

"Hmph." The man said, about to put his sword away, when he sensed a sudden killing intent.

CLANG!

"Oh?" He said, intrigued, when he had to block Sumiko's attack when she came flying at him without hesitation. Though she was using the back of her blade, her sword did not waver. She had come at him in earnest, as if genuinely prepared to take his life. There was considerable power behind her attack for a human.

"Get away from them!" Sumiko growled dangerously, glaring daggers.

"That's a good look in your eyes." He told her. "It seems there's someone here who still has fangs." He applied more pressure to push her back, but she grit her teeth, refusing to be pushed aside. He was intrigued. A man twice her size would have been sent stumbling back. This girl was not normal. He smirked and put even more force behind his blade. Sumiko strained to hold her ground, but she felt herself begin to slide back as he continued to push. She clenched her jaw tighter and furrowed her brow as she glared fiercely at him, refusing to give in, as she continued to struggle against him, using the entirety of her strength to push back. The man's eyes widened slightly when her dark eyes briefly flashed gold. With one final shove, he sent her reeling back.

"Sumiko-san!" Chizuru shouted in alarm. Sumiko started to get to her feet again, but she paused, taken aback, when her opponent suddenly stepped back and sheathed his sword while he smirked down at her. She furrowed her brow in confusion. Was he backing off? Why? She should be relieved since she was clearly outmatched, but the look in his eyes as he stared down at her unnerved her.

"What are you up to?" Okita demanded calmly, still shielding Chizuru.

"From the moment you all rushed in, my work was at an end." The dangerous man replied calmly.

'There are no more sounds.' Chizuru realized. 'Is it over?'

"Wait!" Okita shouted, going after the man as he started to walk away.

"Okita-san, don't—!" Sumiko shouted, rushing over to him as he fell.

"Ah!" Chizuru gasped, kneeling down beside him in concern.

"Dammit!" He cursed, frustrated that he couldn't make his body get up and move, as he watched the enemy calmly head for the window. "I can… I can still fight!"

"As your attending physician, I order you to stay where you are!" Sumiko said urgently. "This opponent is beyond both of us at the moment."

"Hmm." The man smirked, pausing to glance back at them over his shoulder, before jumping out the window without hesitation, even though they were on the second floor. At least one of them was using their head.

"Okita-san!" Chizuru gasped in alarm when he coughed again and his head fall to the floor. "Okita-san!"

"He's lost consciousness, but he's still alive." Sumiko said, checking his pulse. "His breathing is labored." She carefully rolled him off of his stomach and onto his side, pressing her fingers into various places on his abdomen to check for swelling that might indicate internal bleeding. "Though I'm concerned he's coughing up blood, there doesn't seem to be any heavy internal bleeding, from what I can tell. He's in pretty bad shape, but he'll live." She announced, much to Chizuru's relief. "Chizuru. I need to check on the rest of the wounded. Can you stay with him? I want him kept on his side to make sure he doesn't choke on his blood if he needs to cough again."

"O-Okay! I understand." Chizuru said determinedly, nodding, as she moved to take over Sumiko's position supporting Okita's back so she could leave to check on the others and make arrangements for stretchers to be brought in.

—∞—

Sumiko stood with Hijikata and Kondo, wiping the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand, as she watched as the captured and bound rebels were finally handed over to the Aizu clan, while the injured members of their group that she had just finished patching up slowly make their way out of the inn. The sun was rising now. The Shinsengumi had fought all through the night. Of the twenty or so imperial nationalist samurai at the Ikedaya, the Shinsengumi struck down seven, and four sustained serious injuries. Considering they had challenged an enemy with such an advantage in numbers, the Shinsengumi achieved remarkable results. However, the injuries to the Shinsengumi's side were by no means slight. One of their men died. Two sustained grave injuries. And…

"Dammit…" A barely conscious Heisuke groaned weakly as he was carried out on a wooden stretcher by some of his uninjured comrades. "Dammit! You'd better remembered me, next time we meet!"

"Okita-san. Why did you protect me?" Chizuru asked softly as she remained by his side. "You always say that if I get in the way, you'll kill me." Okita slowly opened his eyes and let out a weak laugh at himself.

"Actually, why did I do that?" He wondered aloud, closing his eyes again.

'Okita-san…' Chizuru thought, wishing she could do more to ease the pained expression on his face.

–∞–

"You have a cut on your face." Hijikata told Sumiko, frowning and furrowing his brow, as he held a clean cloth out to her.

"Oh, thanks…" She said, accepting the cloth and patting her face with it. Sure enough, there was blood on it when she looked. Sumiko pressed it against the cut again and held it in place to stop the bleeding. 'It must have happened when that guy nearly stabbed me through the head…' She thought. "I got distracted because I was worried about Chizuru. That girl gave me a real scare back there…"

"You should be more careful." Hijikata scolded her. "Don't forget that you're a girl, too."