AUTHOR'S NOTE:

First, sorry for the slight delay between chapters. I got side-tracked by real life, the Steam Summer Sale (those who are PC gamers will know what I mean), more real life, and then a mental aberration that turned into my first ever one-shot Hell Hath No Fury Like An Oni Scorned. If you are feeling Kazama-deprived, please check it out. Or... maybe not.

Many thanks to my reviewers (hopefully I got messages out to you all!), and a special nod to Anon (Guest) for great reviews to both stories.

Anon: Hope you're feeling better and thanks for mentioning our faithful Yamazaki-kun. :)

Azure-chan: Ah, Shiranui and Saitō are just destined to be buddies, right? Er...

kathryn1995: People need to let off some steam, right?

nakigaoyuu: I am very happy to have another lineage/ancestry fan out there. And four with purple eyes: Kimigiku, Hijikata, Shiranui and Yamazaki. Heh.

StariChanx: Chizuru's clan has some seriously powerful magic... and she'll put in more than a cameo soon! :)

red1Rogue: "I'm starting to think his level of sarcasm is a direct measure of how much sleep he is deprived of." Yes, thank you. Hijikata agrees. He needs more sleep. And fewer Oni.

NyaPowa: Yes, Shiranui's interactions are going to be interesting. And I would definitely describe him as pixieish - the ears are definitely pointed.

[[NOTE: I added a bit of text here and there to the first conversation (Hijikata / Amagiri) since it seemed slightly hard to follow. I mention this for those who may have read it when I first posted.]]

And now... demons, Hijikata, Saitō, more demons and implied-Harada...

Chapter 31 – Family Matters, Part I

[I - The Reasonable Men]

Amagiri walked to the front gate but did not go in. Instead, he inscribed a short note to Hijikata Toshizō-Fukuchō and handed it to one of the two guards on duty. Surprisingly, the guards took very little notice of the big red-haired man, apart from saying that the note would be delivered. In a strange way, Amagiri was pleased to be dealing with ordinary humans; they required less energy.

About ten minutes later, Hijikata came to the gate. He returned Amagiri's bow politely, if not with enthusiasm, and eyed the two more or less oblivious guards with some irritation.

"I did not wish to come unannounced again," Amagiri explained calmly. "At the same time I prefer not to be noticed."

"Neat trick," Hijikata answered, walking out into the street a little ways. "Do you think you could teach it to me? Though I'm not very happy that it's so easy for you Oni to distract my guards and walk in. Any suggestions on how to keep you out?"

"You cannot learn that skill yet," Amagiri replied peaceably. "But if you still wish to learn it once you are able, and if we are not enemies, then I will teach you."

"Hmm - I don't find that very reassuring," Hijikata said wryly.

"No." The Oni's look added clearly: and you weren't supposed to.

Hijikata frowned at the ground for a moment before raising his eyes again.

"I wish we'd never met – no personal offence intended. I haven't had more than a few hours' sleep in days. I don't suppose you caused all the excitement about twenty or thirty minutes ago? I just sent everyone off to get ready for lunch – you're early."

"No, that wasn't me," Amagiri told the Shinsengumi Vice Commander. "But it is why I am early, as you put it. I came before noon because I guessed that one of my… relatives… would be here."

Amagiri looked sideways at the man beside him, wondering again whether Kimigiku-san had truly not wondered about the man's origins. It would depend, he supposed, on how close she had been to him before last night.

"I think," the Oni continued, "that you likely have experience in anticipating the trouble that one's younger… colleagues… can cause."

"You could say that. Well, I expect that Saitō would rather eat with you than in the common room, Amagiri-san. He was looking a little tired of company when I last saw him. What are your intentions here today?"

"I am not here as an enemy or as a spy," Amagiri replied immediately. "I would even prefer to speak with Saitō outside of your compound, so as to place less of a strain on either of our… concerns."

"Then I'll send him out. He seemed fit enough, better than I expected after last night."

"Thank you. However, I have another request for you."

Hijikata just waited.

"The man that you and your captains chased off just now is called Shiranui Kyo." Seeing that the Vice Commander recognized the name but couldn't immediately place it, he added: "Shiranui said that he had some words with Harada-san at the Ikedaya Inn."

"Then he shouldn't have come to our compound," Hijikata said bluntly. "In fact, he shouldn't have stayed in Kyoto. He's not even nominally a neutral; we're still hunting for Chōshu now."

"I understand. However, he requested your permission to speak with Harada-san."

"He cannot seriously believe I would allow it."

Amagiri inclined his head, accepting the rebuff.

"I also have a message from Sen-hime."

Hijikata looked almost amused.

"You're a busy man."

"Princess Osen would appreciate the opportunity to speak with Saitō, Harada-san and you."

"Why Harada?"

"I believe Sen-hime would like to ascertain that Harada-san is not going to suffer the same difficulties as Saitō."

Hijikata's brows drew together. For all that, humour still lurked at one corner of his mouth.

"If your relative – Shiranui – happened to be in the house at the same time, then they would only meet by accident. Is that it?"

"Sen-hime is always very concerned about the well-being of others."

They had reached either an impasse or an entente; it was not entirely clear which. Amagiri waited patiently.

"Yukimura is also like that," Hijikata noted. "Always worried about those around her."

"That is not surprising. Yukimura-sama and Sen-hime are first cousins. Their mothers were sisters."

Hijikata froze, although only a person as acute as Amagiri would have noticed. The Vice Commander had handled all the strangeness exceptionally well; however, part of that was the feeling that none of this business with the Oni was very real. It was different, somehow, thinking of Yukimura's aunt as being the former Lady of Kyoto and the Princess of the Oni.

Yukimura herself was such a comfortable little person; she was a girl who made tea and cooked and worried about everyone around her. Mind you, she also searched for a very strange sort of father and went out on patrol with the Shinsengumi and ran into a sword-fight in a dark, noisy, stifling den of desperate traitors. And apparently she was ... she cared for… Saitō of all people. Why him? Hijikata still found that situation a little strange. They were both rather – innocent – maybe? But only in a very limited way. Saitō was a killer; he had been both a spy and an assassin. Hijikata was suddenly very aware of Amagiri's eyes on him.

Abruptly realizing that his thoughts had veered off onto a totally unproductive tangent, Hijikata folded his arms and tried to appear as though he'd just been deciding whether he had any time free later today. The truth was that he'd damn well make time. And he wouldn't mind getting a look at the gun that Harada had mentioned.

"I'll send Saitō out to you, then? I must go to my own lunch right now, but I'll come over later."

"Do you know where to go?" Amagiri asked politely.

"Oh yes. I'm quite sure that we know by now."

The other man smiled faintly.

"Then you sent your shinobi out scouting. Without his Oni blood he would not have found the place."

Hijikata remained outwardly unimpressed. Inwardly, he was starting to despair of finding anybody normal among the core of the Shinsengumi. Then again, most likely they had never been normal in the first place and he had just gotten used to it.

They spoke for perhaps two minutes more and then Amagiri bowed and withdrew a little further from the gate. Hijikata couldn't quite resign himself to being so formal all the time, but he managed a slight bow and went in to fetch Saitō.

"Fukuchō."

"Ah. Saitō." And there he was, just waiting inside the gate. Hijikata sighed. Was it some kind of sixth sense? A premonition that his immediate superior was about to summon him? Actually… who knew? Or maybe it wasn't Saitō's Oni powers at all. Maybe Hijikata himself had the power to summon subordinates.

Once again, Hijikata realized that he wasn't focussing on the matter at hand. Four hours sleep in two days and no food, damn it.

"So – you are feeling well?"

"Hai."

"Amagiri-san is waiting for you. You have leave to go out for the afternoon."

"Thank you, Vice Commander."

"Where did you leave Yukimura?" Hijikata immediately wanted to smack his own forehead. What kind of dumb-ass question was that? "I mean, I haven't seen her; do you know where she is?"

"I believe she was preparing lunch. With Okita's assistance." Saitō's face gave nothing away but he seemed unhappy.

"I imagine she'll cope. Off you go, then. I'll see you later."

Saitō gave a correct bow and walked quickly away. Very quickly. Hijikata would have to talk to him about that. Normal Saitō had already had that deceptively fast walk. Oni-power-enhanced Saitō was going to make people blink and then wonder where the heck he'd gone.

[II - The Trials, The Gifts and Family Matters]

Saitō and Amagiri ate in a local restaurant. The indigo-haired captain was pleased that Amagiri seemed to have a knack for not being noticed. Even without his Shinsengumi blues, Saitō was known to many of the locals; Amagiri might have been the subject of sidelong looks and ill-mannered speculation had the other patrons paid attention to him. As it was, nobody paid attention to either the imposing Oni or the disquieting Third Division Captain.

"Today, we will discuss the Trials and the Gifts. We will work in Sen-hime's practice room. I must tell you now that I can only spend a few days – four in addition to today at most. Possibly less."

"Yes, Amagiri-san." Saitō felt that the honorific was appropriate, and safer, in the crowded eating area.

Amagiri just nodded.

"We will also need time to practice your weapon and unarmed fighting techniques."

"Thank you."

They ate rapidly and then walked to Sen-hime's residence. At one point, Saitō felt Amagiri hesitate for a brief instant, but when he surveyed the area he saw and sensed nothing.

Just as they entered the lovely grounds, however, Saitō suddenly spun on the ball of his left foot, putting himself and his blade between an attacker and Amagiri. The red-haired Oni didn't laugh, but it was an effort not to smile. It had been a very long time since he had needed – or had – somebody to protect his back. So… Saitō had not noticed their stalker as he had, but his reflexes had more than made up for the deficiency.

At the other end of Saitō's sword, a drop of blood running down his neck, Shiranui looked very, very startled, as his plan to catch the self-contained Shinsengumi captain off-guard had backfired unexpectedly. He was used to being considered fast, even by demon standards, and he had been certain that the human – or rather, part-Oni – hadn't noticed him behind them. Amagiri had, but he had played along. Unfortunately, it turned out that he hadn't been playing along with Shiranui.

"Holy shit! You could have killed me, moron!"

Shiranui backed away slowly, and although Saitō didn't lower his sword, he didn't follow either. His would-be opponent lowered his empty hands; the pistol had remained tucked in his belt, since his intention had been to frighten, not harm.

Saitō studied him calmly.

"That is highly unlikely. Although I misjudged the distance, I knew that you were not attacking with killing intent, therefore I reversed my blade. I did not wish to harm you in case you were a guest here."

Disgusted, Shiranui noticed that the small cut had been caused simply by the point of the sword and force alone. The blade could not have severed anything vital while held in that position. On the other hand, he was now absolutely certain that if the indigo-haired captain had discovered any serious ill-intent he would have unhesitatingly put lethal force into the attack – and used the edge.

"You humans are so quick to kill…"

Shiranui found the other man's gaze annoying. Whereas Harada had been quick to engage and quick to laugh, his potential cousin-in-some-degree appeared to be as humourless as Amagiri on a bad day. On a good day, Amagiri would at least smile a little to let you know he approved of something. This swordsman, on the other hand, didn't seem to have any part of the Shiranui clan charm. Too bad…

"Now that I see you," Saitō was saying, ignoring the irritated disdain in the other's eyes, "I believe that you are one of the escaped Chōshu from the Ikedaya. Amagiri-san, it is my duty to arrest this man or detain him forcibly if necessary."

Reluctantly, Amagiri stepped in to defuse what had appeared to be a rather interesting situation. He rather thought that both young men might benefit from a more vigorous exchange.

"Shiranui, this is Saitō Hajime, Third Division Captain of the Shinsengumi. Saitō, this is Shiranui Kyo, second son of Shiranui Toshio-sama. As you are both guests here of Princess Osen, I ask you to stand down now. Saitō, I have spoken with Hijikata-san and he is aware that Shiranui is here."

The Third Division Captain immediately sheathed his katana and bowed.

"Konnichiwa, Shiranui-san." Although the words and the bow were polite, the dark blue eyes were cold.

"Nice to meet you, Saitō-san." Shiranui returned the look with interest, thumbs hooked in his belt. Knowing how precise Amagiri always was, the use of the man's name without the polite honorific was a strong indication that something important had passed between them.

Saitō studied the posture and turned to Amagiri.

"He is very like Harada-san in build and stance, Amagiri-san, though not in colouring."

"I had noticed," agreed the red-haired Oni. "And the Shiranui men are all very much alike."

"Wait – what?" asked Shiranui, caught off guard by the shift in the conversation. "But he doesn't look anything like us!"

"Amagiri-san was talking about potential ancestors from the distant past, however. So it is not impossible either."

"Well, whatever. You two are going in then?"

"Yes. I believe that Vice Commander Hijikata and Captain Harada will be here in an hour or so, however."

Shiranui brightened up.

"Well I'll make sure to be around in an hour, then," he said. Catching Saitō's level gaze he quirked his mouth into a rather toothy grin. "Certainly beats going into the castle with smiley here. This one may be as good a student as Kazama, Amagiri."

The lanky Oni gave Saitō one more look, then lifted his hand in farewell.

"Later!"

Saitō didn't bother to respond, as the other man disappeared quickly from view. However, he found himself intrigued at having met the last Oni of the three from the Ikedaya. Kazama was still an unknown, but for the moment, Saitō felt he could at least handle Shiranui and that would have to do.

A few minutes later, Kimigiku-san ushered them into a large room with few ornaments and only the barest of cushions. They had taken their seats when Sen-hime arrived.

"Konnichiwa, Saitō-san. I am pleased to see you in good health."

Saitō bowed.

"Thank you for helping me, Princess Osen. I am grateful."

Sen-hime gave him a cheerful, affectionate smile. She reminded him a little of Yukimura, except that there was something about Sen-hime that made him feel like she was an older sister rather than a younger woman.

"Well then, Amagiri, please begin."

Amagiri resigned himself to Sen-hime's presence.

"There are Three Trials that an Oni must pass in order to access his or her full powers. Most Oni do pass all three; however, some are more successful than others or are more successful with one Trial than the others. The Three Trials are the Trial of Body, the Trial of Mind and the Trial of Soul."

He waited for the princess to interrupt him, but she didn't, she merely gave him an amused look and sat quietly, listening.

"There are Gifts – powers or abilities, if you like – that are associated with each of the Three Trials. The basic manifestations of the Gifts indicate that an Oni is ready to attempt the relevant Trial. In the case of the Trial of Body, the associated Gifts are quick healing – this is usually the first ability to manifest for a young Oni – improved strength and improved speed. There are also rarer Gifts, which may develop over time, such as translocation – this means moving so quickly that it's effectively like teleporting over short distances. The rarest Gift recorded to-date is the ability to actually heal others, although this Gift would presumably be used in conjunction with the Gift of Soul, which allows the Oni to affect or sense another person because of that which makes them Oni."

Saitō knelt unmoving but clearly attentive.

"Yukimura may have that… Gift, Amagiri," he said politely, when the other man paused.

"Yes. In fact, her clan was the only Oni clan to have that gift and even then it rarely appeared. They were also skilled healers in a conventional sense."

"Were?"

Amagiri glanced at Sen-hime, who looked grave but nodded.

"The Yukimura clan were destroyed by humans about twelve years ago. Everything was burned and we had thought that every person perished, from the elderly to the babies."

"What?!" Saitō lost his calm for several moments. His blue eyes showed shock and anger.

"A few people know the truth, to a very limited extent, about the Oni. Yukimura's family refused to assist a powerful group of humans with their war, so they were killed. We know very little other than the fact that the humans came at night, the boundary magic failed, and they were able to destroy a clan of Oni. Which isn't especially easy to do, as you might imagine."

"But… Yukimura was looking for her father here in Kyoto."

"Yukimura Kazuhiko-sama was Yukimura Chizuru-sama's father. He was killed defending his home twelve years ago."

Saitō said nothing for a moment. He was trying to process a number of important points.

"Yukimura Kōdō-sensei is not Yukimura Chizuru … -sama's father?"

There was a long silence after this question, and Saitō could tell that the question had bothered the others a great deal. Amagiri had his lips pressed firmly together, and for the first time since Saitō had met him the Oni seemed angry. Princess Osen looked first startled and then very sad. Saitō's eyes went to the door, which slid back noiselessly to admit Kimigiku.

"What is wrong, Princess," Kimigiku asked in concern, dropping to one knee beside Sen-hime.

"We were wrong," Amagiri said in a tired voice. "We assumed – wanted to assume – that the humans had to be wholly responsible."

Saitō looked between the princess and Amagiri, rapidly assimilating the tones and expressions and then collating all the new information. When nobody spoke, he decided he would keep his conclusions to himself, although he suspected that he knew the problem. However, Amagiri recovered himself quickly and nodded at the other man.

"Yukimura Kōdō was the only survivor of the massacre. He was not in a fit state to bother with many questions when we first found him, or so we thought. Later, we could not find him and then l suppose eventually we stopped looking. We were not completely naïve; there was an investigation, and we didn't entirely trust Yukimura-san's story. But there was so much going on and so many reasons to grieve. The Yukimura were the only clan that focused on medical arts and connected research. Generally, they were pacifists… although Yukimura Kazuhiko-sama could be intensely frightening at times."

"My aunt was very lovely," said Sen softly. "I don't remember her except vaguely, but I have portraits of her from just after her marriage. I understand that she was a very gentle person. Chizuru-chan looks a great deal like her, except for the dark brown eyes of course. Her colouring really comes from her father, so maybe what I'm seeing is the general family resemblance in bone structure and build that reminds me of my own mother."

"We are going to have to think about this, Saitō," Amagiri said firmly. "For now, as important as this is, I need to instruct you on the Gifts. Princess Osen, I believe that it would be best for you to meet with Hijikata-san yourself when he arrives in half-an-hour or so."

"I believe you are right. Don't worry, Kimigiku, we still have time to discuss this matter and perhaps begin further investigations. Saitō-san?"

"Hai, Sen-hime?"

"Chizuru-chan comes from Edo?"

"Yes, Sen-hime. I believe Yukimura-sensei is a medical doctor. I was told that he specialized in western medicine."

Saitō found himself conflicted, but he couldn't say anything further without betraying the Shinsengumi. Was the man who had brought the Ochimizu to the Shinsengumi also responsible for the horror he had just learned of - a brutal betrayal of his own family and clan? Not that such things hadn't happened before, but it brought the use of the Ochimizu even further into question in Saitō's mind.

And if Yukimura was some kind of noble lady among the Oni, then what hope was there for him? Among the many things that had worried him over the last few weeks – reasons why it was better not to say anything, reasons why she might reject him – this wasn't a scenario that had come to mind. He managed a reluctant and almost imperceptible smile. Shiranui would have been surprised, and Hijikata would have been pleased, but Saitō did have something of a sense of humour. I can probably be forgiven for not knowing about the Oni part.

Princess Osen had risen, and Saitō bowed to her, copying Amagiri's example. Just as she reached the door, she turned and smiled at him. He swallowed, feeling nervous for no apparent reason.

"You shouldn't worry so much, Saitō-san. I'm sure that Chizuru-chan will be very happy with you!" She sighed happily, the change from serious princess to sentimental young woman catching him off-guard. "And Kimigiku tells me that her Oni form is beautiful… Since I already know that you are very handsome – and strong! – I don't see why it shouldn't all work out. Besides, if she decides to take on rebuilding the Eastern Clans then she might as well start soon!"

This time Saitō didn't miss the implication. He wasn't sure how much of his blush was embarrassment and how much was annoyance. He still hadn't even managed to go out for a walk with Yukimura yet. Or buy her lunch, or perhaps a small gift. Or do any of the other things that he had noted from his careful observations of Hijikata-san and Harada over the years. And yet here was another person planning children for him – or rather, them.

Unfortunately, neither of the women present missed the slightly forbidding look that crossed his face.

"I'm sorry, Saitō-san. You haven't gotten to have much time with Chizuru-chan since everything happened, have you? Well, please remember that I want to be there for both of you. We're all family, after all!"

Sen-hime smiled again and went out. Kimigiku followed her, but not before giving Saitō more unwanted advice:

"Saitō-san, spend less time overthinking and more time letting Yukimura-sama know that you cherish her. The sooner you come to a full understanding with her the better for everyone. Of course, I suppose that it may be a little difficult to plan a wedding in the next three days…"

After she left, closing the door behind her, Saitō looked cautiously at Amagiri. He felt somewhat at a loss for words.

"Amagiri-san?"

The bigger man sighed in a way that reminded Saitō very much of the Vice Commander. The sigh was not directed at him, so he tried again, hesitating only a little at the informality.

"Ah ... Kyūjyū-san?"

He was acknowledged by a brief smile, which relieved him. After a moment, Amagiri responded to the unasked question.

"It must be confusing for you – that they go so quickly from sadness to … let us say humour. But the Oni have lived difficult lives, in certain ways, for a long time now. It tends to make some of us look for happiness in ways or at times that may seem out of place. As a warrior, I expect that you know what I mean."

"I… yes, I think so."

"Just remember that as strange as all of this is for you, it is also strange for us. We didn't know that you existed. We didn't know that Yukimura-sama was still alive. And on that matter, you are right to have some concerns. Sen-hime will likely staunchly support you, but others may not be so open-minded. I will have to explain the politics to you another time, though. It would be good to remember, however, that one of the official functions of the Princess or Prince was always to arrange or give consent to marriages among the nobles of our kind."

Saitō felt a brief, cowardly wish to be able to forget about it all: the Oni, their politics, their leaders, their powers… Why couldn't Yukimura just be the daughter of a doctor from Edo?

"If we still have time, will you continue telling me about the Gifts?" He felt the need to focus on something other than Yukimura. Otherwise he would not learn anything.

Amagiri nodded approvingly.

"You have already demonstrated that you likely have an unusually strong Gift of speed. Otherwise you could not have done what you did before even passing the first trial. Therefore, that is something that you should practice, so that you do not use it by accident when you move and so that you end up where you expect. Kazama-sama has remarkable speed. It is not unlikely that your other physical abilities are also significant, given your aptitude even as a human. Time will tell.

"The next Trial is the Trial of Soul, although in some instances Oni children have developed talents more in tune with Mind abilities. However, the Trial of Soul is connected to emotion and – most importantly for our kind – the part of us that is Oni and not something else. What I do not know, for you, is whether you will retain that part of your ki that is human if you pass all the Trials, especially this one. It may be something that Sen-hime's family has recorded; after I have gone, you should speak with her about the legends that surround whether a part-Oni can become a full Oni. You are the first to complete even the first Trial for so many centuries that until now I considered it only legend."

Saitō blinked. He hadn't really grasped just how unusual the situation was, even for these Oni who seemed to know so much.

"In any event, the Gifts associated with the Soul are complex and vary from sensing emotions to being able to effectively shut down one's projected presence – a trick you have already mastered, I gather. Those with strong Gifts of Soul can sense and even project emotions over distances. There is also Soul magic that can be taught to those with the right Gifts, although only after all the Trials are complete. For a very few, it may be possible to grasp some vision of the future from time to time, although this ability is usually not reliable. Not that the vision is untrue, but it may be out of context and therefore difficult to understand."

Amagiri paused in his lecture to consider his student.

"Hajime-kun. There is one limitation to the Gifts of Soul that is sometimes overlooked. They are only truly effective on those or for those who are Oni or part-Oni. It is both a liability and an advantage. As a tactician and strategist, you should be thinking of how the Gifts can be used for and against you."

Saitō registered slight surprise at these words, which sounded ominously like a warning. He nodded obediently, however, and made a note to himself to think about this point at the next opportunity.

"Finally, there is the Trial of Mind. This is connected to Gifts that affect yourself and others without invoking Soul magic, such as basic coercion and thought-reading. All Oni must have some Gifts of Mind, in order to pass this Trial, however, it used to be that these Gifts were very rare and not often used. That has changed a little, because as the generations have intermarried, all of the Gifts have become stronger, and this one in particular. There are still not many who are able to freely use the magic associated with Mind, however. Also, the most formidable magic requires combining both Mind and Soul magic."

Amagiri hesitated.

"Actually, the most powerful magic recorded could also combine the Gifts of Body, so that Gifts from all three realms were invoked, but that knowledge is lost. If there were records, or those with the capacity to use such magic, then they existed only with the Yukimura clan and were kept secret."

They sat in silence for some minutes after that, two men who looked in no way alike and yet were not dissimilar at all in the essentials. Not long after, however, there was the sound of shots and shouting from the front of the building.

Saitō jumped to his feet, rapidly replacing his katana in his sash. Amagiri rose more slowly. Saitō slid open the door and then stopped immediately at the sound of his Vice Commander's voice.

"Fine! You're both idiots! Do what you like! I didn't see anything! … And Harada – if you get hurt I swear I will make you wish you'd just died and gotten it over with!"

Amagiri placed a large, black-gloved hand on Saitō's shoulder.

"Come. We will join Sen-hime, Kimigiku-san and Hijikata-san in the front room. There is a good view from there."

Saitō stood rooted to the spot for one more moment and then stood aside to let the red-haired demon precede him.

A/Note: For those that have asked or just wondered, I've spent a bit of time working up the background for the various critical Oni families and woven them into some interesting real life facts about my various Shinsengumi part-Oni. For example: Hijikata's father died before he was born. He was also considerably younger than his next oldest sibling. Hmm. At this rate I'm going to have to put a second disclaimer on my next few chapters to indicate that I'm writing only about the fictional characters in Hakuouki.

...

My research has included appropriate names to the best of my ability.

...

Thank you, as always, for reading this story. Any reviews, comments, Favourites and Follows are always appreciated. :)