Author's Note:

I won't call this fluff, because it isn't, but there are no sword fights either (because we all know that Kazama keeps his promises). But oh - l'amour! :)

There will be NO ONI JOKES in this A/N. This is done as a service to Azure-chan, who now needs Oni-Joke-Anonymous. However, my very favourite of Azure's jokes is posted at the end of this story (OK, two of them).

On that happy note:

StariChanx: Definitely more Shinsengumi. Heh heh heh.

red1Rogue: I felt a bit sorry for Hijikata by the end of this one - managing people is such a headache. But he's a pretty amazing leader, right? Oh, and "Saito pre-emptively self-summoning" is such a great expression.

Archimedes-san: A pleasure as always! May I continue to annoy you with cliffhangers so you keep writing to me.

2human (guest): Thank you for the encouragement! It's always nice to see your name pop up, although I cannot respond directly.

kathryn 1995: Glad you like the Oni characterizations - you have discerning taste.

Windswept Blossoms: I was so happy somebody else loves the fan scene with Sen-hime! I am not trying to play with your heart. Much.

AnimeMango: Thank you for the awesome review! And oh, I was thinking of you as I edited this chapter... well, and maybe one or two others (see Windswept B above and Swan below :)

Swanna: I take full responsibility for this crime. But it's not a crime, it's justice. Heh.

Ciarei Ceryn: I try to make a point of having something neat at the end - in that case specifically to relieve the tension a little. Thank you for noticing :)

nakigaoyuu: Yes, I thought it was a great explanation for Sano surviving seppuku (ooh - more alliteration). Also, let's face it, these guys take a lot of hits and cuts that just don't seem to kill them...

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Foreshadowing Quotes

"As if he had been loosèd out of hell
To speak of horrors—he comes before me." – Shakespeare, Hamlet (Ophelia; Act 2, Scene 1)

"He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune;
for they are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief." – Francis Bacon, Essays

Chapter 19 – Conversations and Confessions

They sat opposite each other as they had countless times before, Hijikata cross-legged by his desk, Saitō kneeling across from him, matched swords lying on the floor to his right. Both men were neatly dressed and alert; an observer would have been hard-pressed to see in either of them the blood-soaked night that had just passed.

"How are you?"

"Vice Commander?"

Hijikata smiled faintly. Obviously, this was not what his subordinate had expected. In one way, it was gratifying to see the man off-balance, since it happened so rarely; however, it was not really a good sign.

"How are you, Saitō?"

"I have no injuries that I know of, Vice Commander."

"If you were Sōji I'd suggest that we could change that. Since you aren't, I presume that you'll tell me what's going on with you before we make a spectacle of ourselves in front of the men."

There was a short pause and the whisper of a sigh. Looking steadfastly at his hands, long dark bangs hiding his eyes, Saitō finally answered, "Hai."

"In your own time then, Captain," Hijikata said drily.

"Gomenasai. There are two things that I need to report to you. First, I do not think that the men we encountered at the Ikedaya were human. I have been unable to reach a wholly satisfactory conclusion on that point, however."

"Not human?!" Hijikata repeated, startled. "What are your reasons?"

"Lately, my ability to sense when somebody is near has been increasing. Also, I seem to know how they feel and how…" he hesitated, as if he couldn't find a word for what he was trying to describe, "… how strong they are."

Hijikata frowned, trying to understand.

"You have always been good at gauging your opponents," he hazarded.

"It is like that, but more accurate. I am certain that the tall man I met on the second floor of the Ikedaya was very powerful. I judge that his speed was greater than mine, despite his size. But mostly…" Saitō hesitated. "… Mostly he didn't feel like a human."

The man across from him nodded, although his eyes had narrowed. He had often felt a sense of otherness from the men who had drunk the ochimizu, the so-called furies. But he had never thought of the rasetsu as something alien, exactly.

"I attacked him twice, as I told you earlier. Before I attacked, he said that there was no cause for us to fight. In retrospect, it is likely that he was gathering information for one of the other domains – Satsuma, perhaps. However, you had ordered all strangers either detained or cut down.

"Neither of my attacks was successful. The man vanished even as I made my second attack; I still do not know how he got behind me at all. I told you that I briefly searched the area before going to assist Sōji?"

"Yes."

"It was because I knew that the man was still there and I did not want to leave an enemy behind me."

"So he was invisible?" Hijikata fought to keep his tone neutral and lost. "Some kind of yōkai from the long ago time perhaps?"

"I understand, Vice Commander." Saitō's voice was expressionless.

Hijikata drew a long breath and let it out slowly. We have created the furies, he reminded himself. With their speed and strength and thirst for blood. I wanted a full report. It's not as if he's enjoying this any more than I am.

"Gomene. Continue."

"Hai. I went quickly to the open door near Heisuke, but when I crossed the threshold I was surrounded by wind and light; I could not move. At the other end of the room, with his back to me, was a man with white hair wearing a black coat over a white kimono. He was at least as powerful as the first man, or so it seemed to me, although not nearly as big."

"White hair? A rasetsu?"

"I don't think so, but the thought occurred to me as well. I have not yet spoken with Sōji."

"He hasn't gone into any details. Yet."

Saitō waited politely a moment more and then continued.

"I could see Sōji against the far wall; he was not moving. Yukimura was beside him. She was… different."

Hijikata eyes widened, and then focussed sharply on his subordinate.

"How?"

"She had white hair and golden eyes."

"That's different."

"… And horns."

"Ah."

Hijikata couldn't even bring himself to curse. Instead, he considered Saitō Hajime, Third Division Captain of the Shinsengumi. Stoic, reliable, and the last man to believe in fairy tales. One of Saitō's great strengths, he mused, was his ability to accept the world as it was and deal with it accordingly. He did not indulge in either hyperbole or histrionics.

Truthfully, the whole conversation had gone differently than Hijikata had expected. He'd thought that the quiet man had something entirely different weighing on his mind. Not magic and spirits.

"Anything else?" he asked at last.

"The man in the white kimono stopped whatever he was doing a moment after I entered the room. The wind and light ceased. Yukimura regained her normal appearance. The man laughed and said something to Yukimura. Then he turned slightly and told me to look after her…"

Just for a moment, Hijikata saw the ghost of a smile on Saitō's lips – which was about all he could see of the man's face other than his slightly pointed chin.

"…He called me a 'wolf cub'."

"So he recognized the Shinsengumi." That sounded more normal, thought the Vice Commander wearily.

"When he looked at me before he left I was able to make out that his eyes appeared to be red – but his hair had become yellow, like some of the foreigners. Then he jumped through the window."

"And vanished?" It almost seemed pointless to ask.

"Aa."

Saitō finally raised his dark blue eyes. He met Hijikata's gaze squarely.

"That is everything that I know about what happened at the Ikedaya."

"Well, it's the longest report I've ever heard from you."

Saitō inclined his head in agreement. He waited while the Vice Commander silently reviewed the fantastic story, purple eyes thoughtful and brows drawn together. Eventually, Hijikata looked back at the younger man.

"There were two things," he said.

Saitō stiffened almost imperceptibly. Ah, thought Hijikata wryly, now we come to it. But I suppose he had to tell it in the proper order.

"Yes, Vice Commander."

"And?"

The indigo-haired swordsman met his superior's slightly ironic regard without wavering, his own countenance as controlled and serious as ever. He spoke in even tones, without hesitation.

"I think that I have come to care for Yukimura Chizuru-san more than I should in the present circumstances, hers or mine. I would not trouble you with this except that after last night's events I would not want a mistake on my part to harm either Yukimura-san or the operations of the Shinsengumi. Therefore, I request your advice."

Hijikata studied the thin, impassive features and the currently opaque blue eyes. The slight flush high on the cheekbones was only noticeable if you knew the man – which he did.

"Do you ask this as my subordinate or is this a personal request?"

"Both, Vice Commander. I have responsibilities that must take precedence over private matters; however, at the moment it is difficult to separate the two."

Hijikata shook his head as if in disbelief, but his eyes momentarily reflected amusement.

"So you can deal with the magic and the yōkai on your own, but you want my advice on the girl?"

Now the blush was more visible.

"That is essentially correct, Vice Commander."

"You know… I'm not sure which of our conversations is stranger, this one or the one about the yōkai."

There didn't seem to be anything to say to this, so Saitō waited patiently for his superior officer to decide how to approach his request.

"What do you want to do about this, Saitō? You must have some idea."

"I… don't know."

"Why not? You're not proposing to carry the girl off and seduce her, are you?"

"What? No!" The denial came out as a half-strangled shout. Red to the ears and thoroughly discomposed, Saitō stared at Hijikata in disbelief.

"I asked what you wanted to do. Telling me you don't know is ridiculous. If it's important enough for you to bring it to my attention then I need to know what you're thinking."

"But we discourage any serious attachments, Vice Commander," said Saitō rather haltingly, still not quite in control of his face or voice. He was appalled by how quickly his composure had shattered. "It is not advisable to have… hostages to fortune."

"Then you need to think very hard about this don't you?"

There was no answer for several seconds.

"I would like to know… if she could care for me. I think she is very brave. She resists despair and strives to be useful. She is generous. She lives with honour. What I want to do is watch over her, as much as I can."

Saitō's soft, low voice stopped. He had gone as far as he could; his palms were actually damp with sweat that had nothing to do with the heat. He focussed his eyes on his hands and tried not to think about what he'd just forced himself to say.

Hijikata remained outwardly composed, but inside he was struggling with a combination of admiration and dismay. Damn. He'd seen it coming, just not to this extent. He should have, though: Saitō was nothing if not thorough in everything he did.

"Saitō. It only gets more complicated from here. But I guess since you finally answered my question I should give you some advice, ne?"

Saitō nodded.

"Speaking as your commander, I can't condone anything that will compromise the current fighting strength of the Shinsengumi. We're short on men and down two more captains. My advice to you would be to steer clear of any entanglements in the immediate future. We can't function effectively with divided loyalties right now. However, given your past record, your exemplary service, and your seniority, I won't refuse you the right to see somebody if that's how things work out for you. Whatever you do must be circumspect and dismissal is always a possibility."

Hijikata watched the younger man closely. He needed to handle this right for the well-being of all concerned, including the Shinsengumi as a whole.

"Speaking personally, I advise you to take yourself and your feelings seriously. At this point, if you do nothing at all then you're more likely to be distracted than anything else. It's hardly ideal timing, but you know that. For what it's worth, I have some confidence that you won't hurt the girl, even inadvertently."

He stopped, as Saitō was looking slightly bewildered. It was a very strange sight.

"Vice Commander?"

"Yes?"

"You sound as though you are not… wholly discouraging me. Despite everything."

"You're not a child. I could wish that your feelings weren't engaged, but I've never found that to be particularly effective in these situations. So… trust yourself."

Saitō thought about this.

"You are leaving it up to me?" He seemed to be struggling slightly with the idea.

"You know what's at stake, you know the rules, and you have to make your own choices. If I think you're making the wrong choice, I'll try to tell you before I have to dismiss you."

"Or kill me."

"Yes."

Trust Saitō to prefer plain-speaking whenever possible. Harada was the same way. Their personalities were entirely different on the surface, but the fundamentals were surprisingly alike. Of course, that presented its own problem just at present.

"I may not be alone in my… sentiments," said Saitō quietly, reflecting Hijikata's thought with uncanny accuracy.

Before Hijikata could reply, Saitō had snatched up his katana and run from the room. Taken aback by this unprecedented behaviour, the Vice Commander nevertheless grabbed his own sword from the stand and followed him out to the small inner courtyard. He caught up to Saitō almost immediately; the slighter man had drawn his katana and was scanning the immediate area. Not too far from them, Harada had walked a few feet from Yukimura's door and was looking around with a frown on his expressive face.

"What's up?" he called to them.

Hijikata felt it too now. More than just the prickle on the back of the neck that any warrior eventually learned not to ignore, this was a clear feeling that a strong presence of some kind was close by and intent on them. A moment later, the feeling vanished abruptly.

The three men looked at one another. Then Harada smiled, his brows quirking upwards.

"Well damn," he commented. "So they can be invisible, too?"

Saitō nodded.

"I believe so."

Hijikata was scowling. It was all getting too complicated. He didn't even know if the "visitor" had come because of the Shinsengumi or the girl. Shaking his head, he decided to give Saitō – and himself – a break and called Harada over to them.

"Saitō, fetch your wakizashi and replace Harada on guard. Harada, come see me as soon as Saitō gets back."

Saitō nodded and left immediately. Harada's eyes followed the other captain for a moment and then flicked to Hijikata, who still hadn't moved.

"Like that is it?" he asked quizzically.

"Inside," Hijikata replied irritably sheathing his sword and turning to walk back to his room.

"Hmm."

A very irritated blond demon was pacing the confines of the well-appointed room in Shimabara when Amagiri returned from his meeting with Sen-hime.

"You knew."

Amagiri bowed politely.

"Kazama-sama. Sen-hime sends her regrets that you were unable to find the time to visit this morning. Was there a problem while I was away?"

"You knew. The girl was in her room. That wouldn't have been a problem, but that spearman with the yellow eyes was nearby. He was aware of me as soon as I arrived. Then two more officers arrived – the one I saw at the Ikedaya, the smaller one with hair like Shiranui's and a taller man who might have some talent. I think he was the one they call the Oni no Fukuchō. Humans… But I couldn't stay without breaking my promise, could I? So here I am, Amagiri."

"I guessed that the girl would be asleep. You did no good there, Kazama-sama."

"Ah, so her highness complained?"

"Yes."

"Hnh. I will see her next time, I suppose."

Amagiri waited. Kazama would not forget that he had promised to leave for the Satsuma camp shortly. But he was equally sure that he would ask about the spearman.

"Is my cousin well, Amagiri?"

"Yes, Kazama-sama. I had to tell her about the Oni girl."

Kazama nodded reluctantly.

"Yes, that is unfortunate, but Osen-chan would insist. If I hadn't been so surprised, I wouldn't have attempted the Testing Ritual. Still, it was successful…"

Amagiri stayed standing by the door, since Kazama was still pacing.

"Are you going to tell me what you know about that spearman? I only saw him for an instant, but I sensed power in him."

"Shiranui fought against him briefly. He may be part Oni."

"Hmm. That's possible, I suppose, just very, very unlikely. But if it's true, how did my cousin not know about him? Or did she allow him to choose whether or not to stay with the humans? That would be like her, but dangerous for the man."

"She claims that she knew nothing about him."

Kazama frowned, face serious.

"That means he was completely latent. We have our differences, but I trust my cousin's abilities. So… perhaps the Oni girl has the ability to awaken the Gifts? That's an ability practically out of legend and one that could help our entire race."

"Aa," Amagiri agreed, reluctantly. He didn't want Kazama any more interested in the Shinsengumi and the girl than necessary. But Kazama was correct. With the sharp decline in their population, being able to wake the Gifts in half-bloods could help a good deal. The problem was that it might allow Kazama to continue fighting Sen-hime on the issue of pureblood marriages for the ruling families. While Amagiri wasn't wholly convinced, he was beginning to see the princess' point of view. But until it could be shown that a half-blood could actually become an Oni, through the mythical Fourth Trial, it would be difficult to prove her claim that the legend of Suzuka-gozen was real.

The Vice Commander was standing at the window when Harada requested permission to enter just a few minutes later. That formality observed, the tall red-head came in and sat down cross-legged, head-guard and blue coat in one hand; it was becoming too warm and humid to wear extra clothing unless necessary. He had left his spear outside the door as usual.

Neither man spoke at first. Finally, Hijikata sat down opposite the Tenth Division Captain. Harada tried not to mind the glare.

"You too?" Hijikata demanded.

Harada paused at the tone. Apparently it had been a long morning as well as a long night for the Oni no Fukuchō.

"Sumimasen, Vice Commander. I'm not sure I understand. Do you mean something about what just happened? Or…" he hesitated, but thought he had guessed correctly earlier, "… is it about Saitō?"

"Both." Hijikata tried to shake off the anger he was feeling about having potential enemies right in the heart of the Shinsengumi's headquarters. It was hardly Harada's fault. "Why did you have your spear at the ready even though there was no sign of an intruder?"

"Okay… Well, I assume it was the same reason that you and Saitō tore into the courtyard at around the same time. I got the strong feeling that somebody was up in that tall tree by the back wall, which seemed less than ideal. A minute longer and I would have called for back-up. Better to make a fool of myself than not have help, right?"

"Agreed. Do you feel like your sense of danger or whatever has gotten stronger lately?"

"Yes. And I have a better idea what people are feeling – at least, I think so. It sounds weird, but in the last couple of days it's been almost distracting. The strange guy with the gun last night, too – he was not normal. "

"In what way?" Hijikata had gotten Harada's verbal report when he first put him on duty keeping an eye on Chizuru's room and the inner courtyard, but their discussion earlier hadn't covered things like "was the enemy human?"

"Well, he dodged everything I could throw at him. Fair enough, Shinpachi or Saitō or Sōji can too on their good days, though I'd say not quite that easily. He was pretty odd-looking, too. Dark purple-blue hair, violet eyes – kind of pointed teeth when he grinned at me. Hair like Heisuke's except for the colour. And you know, he missed me with every shot by just a little, which makes me wonder a bit. I didn't recognize the gun at all, it's clearly Western-make; it could fire several bullets without him needing to reload."

Harada frowned.

"That kind of advance in military technology could be a problem for us, you know."

"I know," agreed Hijikata. "Let's hope it's expensive, hard to make and hard to supply with ammunition. Also, I wonder what the range would be."

Both men shook their heads, keenly interested in the topic, but realizing that they'd gotten away from the current point. Fortunately, the side-trip had reduced Hijikata's irritation, maybe because weapons were just a part of ordinary life. Technology, he could understand, even when it worried him.

"Okay," said Harada, sensing it was safe to move on. "About Saitō. I've been wondering for a while now, although I didn't think anybody else had noticed. He's really good at not letting anything show, right? And it seemed so… unlikely."

He stopped to gauge Hijikata's reaction, hoping he hadn't just made a huge mistake. But the Vice Commander just nodded for him to continue, expression dour but not surprised or angry.

With a silent sigh of relief, the lanky spearman continued, feeling his way along.

"Last night, when I saw him out back in the courtyard, it seemed almost obvious for some reason."

Hijikata's thoughts immediately went back to that surreal scene at the Ikedaya – blood on the floor, Heisuke and Sōji collapsed, and Saitō kneeling beside the girl with that haunted, vulnerable expression on his face. And then he wouldn't touch her at all afterwards. Yes, it had seemed obvious to Hijikata after that, too, but Harada hadn't seen what he had. He cleared his throat.

"What is your part in this, Harada?"

"Do you mean, how do I feel about Chizuru-chan?"

"Yes. Normally I wouldn't ask, but in this case things are too volatile – I want to know if I have a problem."

Harada nodded slowly, reluctant to answer, but understanding his superior officer's position.

"I don't exactly know, Vice Commander."

Hijikata's brows snapped together, but Harada threw up a hand to forestall any outburst.

"I'm telling the truth, Hijikata-san. I like her very much and I care about how she's doing. She's really cute and she has some amazing qualities that I don't think I need to spell out for you. I just wanted a chance to see how things went.

"You and I both know that she shouldn't get involved with any of us anyway – let's be honest, she's sixteen and pretty damn innocent, and we're kind of the opposite. I like to think we're an honourable lot, but killing is part of the job description and we don't always go by the book.

"Frankly, that's probably Saitō's biggest problem right now too. The difference is that I don't think he has a lot of experience to go by, so he doesn't know that sometimes you have to let other people make choices too. Being a bit of a control-freak – no offence to present company – that's going to be hard for him. He'll be okay though."

Hijikata rolled his eyes.

"I'm not a control-freak. It's not my fault that you're all idiots."

"But up until now you could count on Saitō and Gen-san to be less idiotic than the rest of us and now you're worried."

"Oi, I didn't ask for your comments on my mental state, Harada!"

"Ah, gomene, Hijikata-san. My mistake." Harada's amber eyes glinted mischievously for a moment, but then he was serious again.

"You asked me if you have a problem, right? Meaning, will I have a problem with Saitō, or vice versa, that you might have to settle. I doubt it. I'm not thrilled about it, but I can cope. If worse comes to worst, I'll hope we can settle our differences like men – over sake. Unfortunately for me, he drinks about as well as he fights. On the bright side, it could be interesting. Will that do, Vice Commander?"

Hijikata nodded, more relieved than he had expected, although it was still a potential disaster in the making.

"Try not to do anything stupid. I can't afford to lose anyone else right now."

"Ah well, you know Hijikata-san, the girl always looks so star-struck when she looks at you that maybe there's nothing to worry about."

"Baka."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going."

Picking up his sword and uniform, Harada headed to his room. For once, he had a feeling that his session with Hijikata had gone better than Saitō's. Which said something about how weird things were right now.

Chizuru woke to late-morning sunshine. Her room was very warm and the air was humid. She disentangled herself from her futon, worried that she had been so useless in the aftermath of the fighting at the Ikedaya. She took two steps and then the world seemed to spin. Her head hurt a great deal. She pressed her hands against her temples with a soft cry, staggering slightly.

Before she could fall, the door opened and a familiar figure stood on the threshold.

"Sumimasen, Yukimura-kun. You are not well."

Strong, lean hands helped her sit back down on her bed.

"You appear to have a fever. I will fetch water, lavender, the white willow bark medicine – what else?"

"I don't know, Saitō-san. Gomenasai – I seem to be very unwell. But I never get sick. It's… very strange."

She couldn't see very well through the haze of pain, but she could make out his features better now. He was very calm, and that helped quite a bit. It was almost like cool water for the brain, she thought, barely suppressing a giggle.

"Drink this. It is from earlier this morning, but it will help."

She drained the mug of brackish water immediately and mutely asked for more. After half of the second mugful, her head ached just a little less, although she still felt very dizzy and not entirely herself.

"I am very sorry for the trouble, Saitō-san," she murmured, embarrassed.

"It would be better to lie down," he responded simply. "Once you have the medicine I will bring Yamazaki."

She almost protested when he moved away, but she was already mortified by being unable to do anything for herself. He returned a moment later though, with the lavender oil and willow-bark medicine from her shelf. She watched him add the medicine to the last of the second mug of water and drank the mixture obediently, although it didn't taste very good. He set the lavender oil down nearby.

"This would be better with cold water from the well."

"Yes, Saitō-san."

"Very well. Rest for a few minutes. I will be back soon."

He helped her lie down, and for a few moments she caught the scent of sandalwood. It was comforting, she thought. Then the door slid open and he was gone. The headache suddenly seemed worse again.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/Note: OK, so hopefully you now all need to catch your collective breaths (that just doesn't sound right) and still your beating hearts. I know I do, but I'm a sucker for these guys.

Er... don't still those hearts too much. I'm still hoping for reviews, Favs/Follows and your undying affection. Er.. "undying" being the key word here. Really - don't die. And don't kill me either - I know there are still an awful lot of questions to answer...

Um, as red1Rogue put it: oni-gaishimasu

Ah yes, and from AzureArchxngel (with my gratitude for an entertaining evening - your jokes were Tōdō-lly hilarious):

*knock knock*
"Who's there?"
"Kazama."
"Kazama who?"
"Chizuru, you really should dump these mere humans and come with me, Kazama better man."

...Get it? "Cause I'm a" ... "Kazama"