Author's Note:

We are now arriving at the point where the story starts to become a little more AU. The events will still be familiar, but bit by bit you'll start to see things that aren't quite from the game/anime/movies. The plan is still not to deviate much from the characters in the "canon" stories. After all, I'm pretty fond of these guys already.

Thank you very much for some wonderful reviews over the last couple of days: StariChanx (yes, more Chizuru as demon...), red1Rogue (no, you weren't being too literal), eireannlily (Okita with his soldiers made me laugh too!), 2human (guest)(thanks & glad you're still enjoying), and Swanna (who shares my opinion that the game was awesome - which it was).

The kind words are always appreciated but I'm also very impressed that you (collectively) so often notice the "little things" I'm trying to get at. It's a nice feeling.

And now... off to the Ikedaya Inn!

Chapter 15 – Incident at the Inn, Part II

By the time Gen-san and Chizuru returned with the tea and food, the three leaders of the Shinsengumi were finalizing plans for an evening raid that they hoped would catch a number of the Chōshu warriors and perhaps spies in Kyoto. Harada-san gave Chizuru a quick overview of the situation while they ate.

"The Chōshu are the most active – officially the only – significant han standing against the Shogunate right now. There's a good chance that Tosa is in league with them, but we're not sure. Since they'll know by now that we have Furutaka, they need to meet to figure out what to do next. And they'll be worried that Furutaka will give us names or current identities of Chōshu men active in Kyoto."

Harada-san paused to sip his tea. Chizuru could still sense the battle-tension hovering beneath the surface, but the veteran spearman was firmly in control of himself now and careful to conserve his energy for when it was needed.

"The real problem – what they're discussing now – is that we don't know which of their meeting places they'll use. There are two probable locations, but they've been meeting a lot at the Ikedaya Inn lately, so Sannan-san thinks it's unlikely that they'll go there tonight."

"Actually, there are really two problems," corrected Nagakura, his usual easy-going attitude now crisp and professional like Harada's. "We've sustained a lot of injuries lately, and the spring has been bad for sickness for some reason. We only have thirty-four soldiers fully capable of mobilizing tonight, and that includes the captains."

Nagakura-san had returned from guarding the prisoner in order to eat and take part in any final discussions. He and Harada-san were both frowning, obviously not satisfied with the number or condition of the Shinsengumi troops. Heisuke seemed less concerned and was clearly looking forward to the battle, which Chizuru still found strange. He wasn't bloodthirsty, exactly, and there was no hint of the aura of violence that sometimes worried her with Okita-san. But the Eighth Division Captain was very eager for this fight.

Chizuru shivered, an uneasy premonition rippling through her that whatever anyone wanted, tonight would see a lot of blood spilled, including that of the men around her. She stifled an involuntary cry, because this feeling was worse than usual; she felt cold and light-headed. It was like her useless danger sense – very acute and usually very accurate, but pointless because, at least this time, the danger was all-too obvious without special warnings. She couldn't finish her food.

For the second time that evening she felt Saitō-san look directly at her and couldn't stop herself from meeting his eyes. This time, though, she didn't seem to be the only one off-balance. For just a moment, he seemed – confused. She watched him raise one lean hand to a point just above his left temple and rub it, almost experimentally. It was incredibly strange to see somebody so totally in control look so disconcerted.

"Chizuru-chan?"

Harada-san's soft voice startled her and she jerked her head around, blinking to find the Tenth Division Captain leaning sideways towards her so that he was speaking not far from her ear.

"Um, yes, Harada-san?"

"Is Saitō alright? You just gave him the strangest look and… I swear it's like I just felt an evil spirit walk right through me. So I'm thinking Saitō felt the same way. I've never seen him look like that."

Harada-san scrubbed vigorously at the back of his neck. His amber eyes had the slightly golden look she'd seen at least once before. What was going on? She risked looking up again and everything seemed normal. Saitō-san's eyes were closed, but he often did that. Okita-san, on his left, was talking with Gen-san. But as she watched she realized that he was rubbing absently at his head.

"I don't know what is wrong, Harada-san. Saitō-san looks well now."

Harada-san gave her a long, measuring look. Most people would have assumed they'd imagined something. Instead, he trusted what he'd seen and felt. But how could he have noticed anything? When she didn't say anything further, he returned to his meal, his expression unconvinced.

Fortunately, Kondō-san sent the captains away not long after to call out their divisions for a general assembly in the main hall. Chizuru told Gen-san that she would finish clearing the dishes herself while they were gathering. Unfortunately, she was not able to avoid one last encounter before the room emptied completely.

"Yukimura." Hard, clear purple eyes looked down at her as she piled dishes and stacked trays.

"Yes, Hijikata-san?"

"What the hell happened? I can't afford to have a single one of my captains thinking about something else right now."

"I… I truly don't understand, Hijikata-san," she responded, looking down. It was true. Mostly.

"Then allow me to clarify. About ten minutes ago, I thought I felt something strange. It happens sometimes before a tough battle – a feeling that something will go really wrong. Except that this time I saw that not only did you look pale and upset, but two of my most reliable captains were also affected and they had both turned to you. Why?"

Hijikata-san's narrowed eyes and furrowed brows made Chizuru want to shrink away. She was becoming seriously alarmed. This had never happened before. Had she somehow communicated her unusually strong premonition to the others? If so, it wasn't on purpose. She tried to ignore the prickle of tears at the corners of her eyes.

"Vice Commander."

A cool, familiar voice spoke from the doorway. The man himself now had two swords hanging on his right hip.

"What is it Saitō? And aren't you supposed to be assembling your men? Your division currently has the fewest injured."

"I returned to assist Yukimura-kun. As Okita's men are lodged beside mine, he is fetching both divisions."

Hijikata-san stared at him.

"Namerun ja ne! Saitō that's feeble! You're letting Sōji command your men so that you can carry dishes?!"

Saitō-san met the Vice Commander's disgusted look with his usual implacable calm.

"Yukimura-kun did not look well. I believe Sōji has sufficient skill to ensure the presence of the Third Division in the main hall."

Hijikata-san looked torn between swearing and laughing. To Chizuru's immense relief, the Vice Commander overcame his irritation and even managed an unexpected half-smile. He generally trusted Saitō-san; the Third Division Captain never did things on a whim.

"Tch… Okay, Saitō. I'd better see you with your division, in uniform, in ten minutes."

"Wakatta."

"You'd better not be messing with us, Yukimura."

Chizuru shook her head emphatically. Hijikata-san raked her with a piercing glare, but headed out of the room.

"Something happened," Saitō stated baldly, as soon as the door closed. "Do you have any explanation, Yukimura-kun?"

She looked helplessly at him. What could she possibly say?

"No, Saitō-san. I don't understand. I think… something is wrong or maybe will go badly wrong? But I don't know what. I know that's useless. Please believe me…"

Chizuru found Saitō-san's stare worse than the Vice Commander's, because she had started to think of the indigo-haired man as somebody who might be a friend; she had felt safe with him. The deep blue eyes were now shuttered and as cold as ice.

"Have you had these… warnings… before?"

She was torn between past promises to her father of absolute secrecy and the compelling intensity of the blue eyes. Time was passing. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Yes. Not often. Never this strong. It has never affected others."

"Very well. Give me no reason to doubt you."

"Understood," she whispered, feeling slightly shattered.

They cleared the room in three fast, silent trips to the kitchen and then Saitō-san put on his light blue haori. He must have carried it with him from his room before returning to speak with Chizuru. He deftly looped the white cord – the himo – over the back of the coat and was knotting the white head-guard with its protective steel piece as he left at a brisk walk for the main hall.

"Saitō-san?"

"Sit to one side if you wish to attend."

His pace was deceptive – she almost had to run to keep up. A few moments later, they entered the main hall. The captain continued on to take his place with his men. Chizuru knelt off to one side, her heart rising despite her worries at the sight of the Shinsengumi in their distinctive uniforms. Then she saw how many of the soldiers wore bandages and the fear returned.

The three leaders entered almost immediately after she and Saitō-san had seated themselves. Kondō-san sat in a slightly raised place of honour at the front facing the soldiers, and his Deputy and Vice Commanders took up positions to his right and left as usual, although they stood.

The Commander explained the arrangements:

"The Military Governor of Kyoto, Lord Katamori of the Aizu han, has commanded us to arrest or eliminate any Chōshu shishi we find meeting tonight. We expect there will be between twenty and thirty men, so we have sent a messenger to request Aizu reinforcements. Vice Commander Hijikata will take twenty-four men to the Shikokuya Inn and I will lead ten men to the Ikedaya Inn. We expect the Chōshu to be at one of these locations, but the Shikokuya is the most likely.

"Captains Okita, Nagakura and Tōdō will accompany me. Takeda, as a member of the First Division, you will join Okita-taichō. Deputy Commander Sannan will remain here to guard our headquarters along with the injured soldiers found fit for guard duty."

There was still no message confirming Aizu reinforcements when the two forces deployed at eight that evening. Chizuru accompanied Sannan-san to the main gate to see Kondō-san and Hijikata-san depart. Her unease only continued to grow as the sound of their footsteps became fainter and eventually disappeared. Something important was going to happen and she had no idea what it was.

Earlier, while soldiers were being divided between the two groups by Hijikata-san, Harada-san had come by to speak with Chizuru. Characteristically, he seemed to have accepted whatever had happened earlier, and he tried to reassure Chizuru that everything would be fine – or at least that there was no purpose to worrying.

"We've done this kind of thing before, you know. Not to cast doubt on your premonitions, but although we've learned to trust certain 'bad feelings', if we paid attention to all of them we'd never leave headquarters. In fact, with Sōji around, we might not want to be at headquarters either."

"Oi, Harada! Stop it with bad-mouthing me to Yukimura-kun," complained Okita, as he passed them.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, take care of yourself, okay Yukimura-kun? We'll be back soon enough. Right?"

He bumped her shoulder lightly with a fist.

"Right, Harada-san!"

Chizuru had felt happier after that conversation. But watching Saitō-san leave without a backward glance depressed her again, and she knew that Hijikata-san felt the same way; neither man liked unexplained phenomena at a time like this – or ever, really.

An hour later, a voice Chizuru didn't know called that he had urgent information for the Deputy Commander. Sannan-san nodded for Chizuru to slide open the door. The two of them were sitting in the duty room near the front gates, so as to be more accessible for messages.

A slight young man dressed all in black entered and dropped to one knee in front of Sannan-san. He had obviously been running and was somewhat out of breath. Chizuru had never seen him before, but she noted without much surprise that this man's eyes were purple. She wondered why the Shinsengumi had a shinobi working for them.

"Yamazaki-kun?"

"Deputy Commander! It's the Ikedaya! The meeting – it's at the Ikedaya!"

"What?!" Sannan-san rose to his feet at these words. "Then I have guessed incorrectly and Kondō-san is in peril with only ten men. Yamazaki-kun, you must find the Vice Commander and have him reinforce Kondō-san immediately! No, wait. Any sign of the Aizu forces? They should be there by now."

Yamazaki-san had risen to his feet, ready to be off at once, but he paused.

"No sign of the Aizu, fukushirei. Also," he said hesitantly, "there was a man seen at the Ikedaya who could be Kōdō-san."

This time it was Chizuru who scrambled anxiously to her feet. Her movement caught the Deputy Commander's attention.

"Yukimura-kun – will you assist us? I would prefer to send two runners to ensure that the message is received by Hijikata-san immediately."

"I can take the message on my own," stated the shinobi, looking a little put out.

"Better to have two just in case," returned Sannan flatly.

"Sumimasen. I understand, Deputy Commander. We could be intercepted." Yamazaki inclined his head respectfully.

"Will you go, Yukimura-kun?"

"Hai!" She had been momentarily shocked to hear her father's name, but she wanted to help, and maybe this time they really would find the missing doctor.

"I can only hope that the Commander waits for either Hijikata-san or the Aizu."

Sannan-san sighed heavily, and once again Chizuru felt the sorrow and frustration roll off him before being closed away. She restrained herself from a gesture of sympathy that would irritate the man, bowed instead, and trotted off into the night after Yamazaki-san.

"So… you're Yukimura-kun? I'm Yamazaki Susumu."

He was looking at her curiously as they jogged through the main gate and down the road toward the Shikokuya Inn. Abruptly, he stopped, hand to the hilt of his sword. Fortunately, Chizuru had already sensed the small group of men ahead and slowed down.

"Do you have business with the Shinsengumi?" Yamazaki asked the men in a peremptory tone.

They could now make out at least three men, all carrying swords and trying – very unsuccessfully – to look nonchalant.

"The Shinsengumi? No – why would we?" said the tallest man with obviously feigned innocence.

Yamazaki took a half-step back and spoke quietly to Chizuru. He didn't seem to be afraid, although the odds were not in their favour.

"Yukimura – go straight down this street and over the bridge. Don't stop running until you find Hijikata-san. Do you understand? Don't look back – just run!"

Chizuru hesitated only a moment and then turned on her heel and sprinted off down the street. Behind her, she heard the sound of Yamazaki-san drawing his katana, and then the crash of metal on metal. She hoped he would somehow be able to get away, but he was fighting to buy her time and she wouldn't let him down.

The long street seemed to go on forever. She was starting to stagger slightly as she crossed the small wooden bridge and then – finally! – she saw blue coats up ahead.

"A message!" she gasped. "A message for the Vice Commander!"

She stumbled and a tall man – Harada-san – caught her elbow and set her right. She was surrounded by Shinsengumi, many with weapons drawn.

"Yukimura-kun! What are you doing here?!" Harada demanded.

"Yukimura must have a message from Sannan-san," Saitō retorted. It was strange that suddenly he was the one defending her.

The Vice Commander was already striding up, face serious but not angry. Chizuru tried to catch her breath.

"Ikedaya… it's the Ikedaya… You must… go to Kondō-san…"

"Is it certain?" Hijikata demanded.

"Yes. Yamazaki-san… was there."

The Vice Commander nodded. Harada-san was bringing in the men, who had been fanned out slightly around the Shikokuya.

"Where is Yamazaki?

Chizuru shook her head a little forlornly.

"We were intercepted by ronin; he stayed to fight."

"Of course. Let's go!"

They ran back down the road that Chizuru had just come from, but turned before reaching the corner where Yamazaki had stood against the men trying to sneak into the Shinsengumi headquarters. The girl had no idea how she was keeping up. Somehow she found unexpected reserves of stamina and went on, as silently as the rest, everyone keeping their breath for running.

If the Deputy Commander and the Vice Commander had truly believed that the secret meeting would be at the Ikedaya, they would not have allowed Kondō-san to head into danger with only Okita, Nagakura and Heisuke to restrain his enthusiasm for honourable battle. It was an impatient group that stood concealed in a narrow alleyway not far from the front door of the inn.

"What's taking Yamazaki so long?" Kondō demanded irritably. "And where are the Aizu?"

"You know, Kondō-san, it would be totally lame if we just stood around and let them get away…"

"Yeah," said Nagakura. "I agree with Okita."

Heisuke looked hopefully at their Commander.

"We can't let anyone get away, right?"

The shortest of the captains had been keyed up since dinner – well, even more keyed up than usual. He didn't know what had happened, but he had suddenly felt afraid to go on this raid. Predictably, he now felt the need to prove that he wasn't a coward.

Fifteen minutes later, Kondō-san had nodded to the three captains. "We can't wait any longer. It would be dishonourable to allow them to escape! Follow me!"

The Commander stormed across the street and kicked down the flimsy door. Then he rushed into the inn and shouted:

"We are the Shinsengumi conducting a raid on orders from the Military Governor! Those who try to escape will be killed!"

"Great battle tactics," grumbled Heisuke to Nagakura. "Only Kondō-san would announce that we're about to raid them."

"Of course," answered the other man with a grin, "why hold onto an advantage when you can do the right thing and still win?"

Then there was no time for talking, as men appeared at the rails above them and started to pour down the stairs. Kondō met the first opponent without difficulty, parrying the shishi's blade and dropping him with a grievous blow across his upper chest. Okita was at his side immediately, and Nagakura and Heisuke worked back-to-back nearby. With the entry hall momentarily clear, the soldiers were able to come in and fan out.

"Remember!" ordered Kondō. "If they don't surrender then cut them down! Let none of the Chōshu escape!"

The small rooms were warm and airless, and soon the Shinsengumi were sweating heavily. They were armored in metal breastplates, which protected them and gave them an advantage, but also made it harder to move freely.

Swords clashed and metal rang. The shouting from above the stairs grew panicked. Despite more than two to one odds, the Shinsengumi clearly had the upper hand, especially in so confined a space. Blood was splashed across the walls and all over the floors. Finally, Sōji and Heisuke made it to the stairway and started up, leaving Nagakura at the bottom with the Commander.

Just as Okita and Heisuke were sweeping the last of their opponents from the staircase, they heard cries from outside announcing the arrival of the rest of the Shinsengumi.

"Ha!" cried Heisuke. "There won't be much for Hijikata-san to do if we hurry!"

Okita didn't answer; he was fighting with grim satisfaction, pressing two enemies at the same time with apparent ease.

"No fair keeping them to yourself, Sōji!" Heisuke yelled. He raced up the last two steps and threw himself into the battle.

A/Note So, things are a little unsettled with Chizuru and the guys. Everyone is now together again at or around the Ikedaya. The Demonic Trio awaits.

Thank you to all my readers. It's great that I still see some new Favourites/Follows from time to time. They are always appreciated. :)