AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Wherein more is disclosed and some people get to let off steam. Also a cameo at the end.

Thank you to those who reviewed (Ciarei Ceryn, nakigaoyuu , StariChanx, Anon) or sent me comments (AzureArchxngel, redRogue1) on the last couple of chapters! I know there's been a lot of detail and a lot going on at once... Anon, I'm glad you like the background set-up and the conversations; it gets difficult to convey information without being too dry, so your encouragement is appreciated.

And so, on with the soap opera that I like to call my story (sigh - you'll see what I mean): Days of our Oni; As the Vice Commander Turns; All My (Oni) Children; Shinsengumi: The Bold and the Beautiful; and The Young and the Sleepless.

Sorry, re-using Shakespeare here...

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that [shares] his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition; - Shakespeare, Henry V (Act IV, scene iii) [with minor adjustment]

Chapter 32: Family Matters, Part II

[I - Secrets]

Sen-hime, Amagiri, Kimigiku and Saitō were gathered in the spacious front receiving room of Sen-hime's Kyoto residence. Instead of sitting and politely discussing certain issues that had arisen between the Oni and the Shinsengumi, however, they were standing at the long window that overlooked the large and beautiful front garden of the home.

Out in the garden, two very unusual men seemed to be engaged in a lethal game of tag. The red-head carried a spear, which he swung and spun in a blur of motion. His light golden eyes were narrowed, but his mouth was set into a slanted grin that conveyed more exhilaration than anger. The other man had improbably long indigo hair tied up in a top-knot. He was shooting at the red-head with a pistol, ducking and dodging as the spearman got too close and then slipping away to reload.

"How did it start?" asked Amagiri neutrally.

"We were halfway to the house when that man with the tattoo just walked up to Harada and suggested that they take up some kind of duel they'd begun at the Ikedaya. Harada hesitated, but he obviously wanted to take the man on." Hijikata shrugged and continued to stare out at the battle. "I should have said no, of course."

"…You were trying to be nice to him by letting him fight my cousin?" asked Sen-hime, clearly unimpressed.

The two Shinsengumi, the red-haired Oni and the shinobi felt a momentary rapport: the answer to the question was obvious. Hijikata thought with some amusement that Sen-hime had clearly spent most of her life around women, despite her apparently numerous male cousins. Saitō reflected that Yukimura also had this tendency to think poorly of armed competition as a pastime; however, in her case, this seemed to reflect concern for others rather than scorn. Fortunately for Saitō, he didn't notice Amagiri's eyes flicker in his direction, so he never realized that at least one person present had followed the direction of his thoughts and seen the fleeting softening of his expression.

"Shiranui seems to be missing on purpose," Kimigiku said to Sen-hime, apparently in an effort to prevent the younger woman from rushing out to halt the fight.

"Maybe," murmured Hijikata, as the two men outside seemed to spin across the garden. "But he isn't the only one playing games. Six shots and then reload… Watch. Harada is letting him believe that he can take his time reloading."

"Shiranui isn't moving at full speed yet either," commented Amagiri.

"This won't be decided by speed – not entirely at least," stated Hijikata.

"I agree."

Saitō didn't give an opinion. Amagiri, still carefully monitoring the mental and emotional state of the visitors, found that the younger swordsman was once more virtually impossible to read without a use of power that would be noticed. Hijikata-san appeared to be fully engaged in the fight outside, but his mind too was guarded. Surface thoughts and emotions were fairly clear, but those reflected little more than could be seen on his face or in his body posture.

Kimigiku was paying almost as much attention to the princess as she was to the fight. She was concerned that Sen-hime was far more attracted to the spearman than the shinobi had realized. If so, her reaction was unprecedented. For all her keen interest in the love affairs of others, when it came to herself the young princess had always had a far greater affinity for the comfort of friendship than for the romantic trappings of either love or lust. It was especially odd since she had only seen the Shinsengumi captain a few times and had barely spoken to him.

Just then, Hijikata's prediction came true – almost. Shiranui dodged back and spun the gun barrel to reload, his wild grin showing slightly pointed teeth. Harada suddenly moved much faster than he had during the first two reloads, and launched his spear. But even though his timing was flawless, the Oni gunslinger went straight up just an instant before the weapon could connect solidly.

"Harada-san is impressive," Amagiri conceded, noting with some amusement that Hijikata looked disappointed. "However, when fighting Oni you must guard your mind as well as your body."

"I… see," said Hijikata.

He understood the point, but it still annoyed him. Harada's timing had been perfect; Shiranui's leap had not been graceful – the bullets scattered in the grass testified to that. But Shiranui was trained to fight against opponents who had magic and mind-reading and who knew what else. And the exotic-looking man had obeyed his hidden senses and jumped even when every rational indication said that Harada's attack would be too slow to catch him.

Harada cursed and drew his katana, but the wild golden light hadn't left his eyes. If anything, his grin was fiercer than ever. He sprang recklessly toward his opponent.

"You only got one bullet loaded, Shiranui Kyo! Now let's see!"

Shiranui laughed.

"Come at me then, crazy man!"

As Harada feinted and then cut with impressive speed, Shiranui made another of his inhuman leaps, twisted in mid-air, and landed with his gun against the other man's back. Except that the muscled back with the trade-mark white and red jacket was no longer there.

Harada had converted his own motion into a pivot, sliding back on the balls of his feet and then throwing himself in under his opponent's right arm so that he ended in a full lunge position, his blade cutting into the other's side. A bright line of red appeared under the Oni's slashed clothing, but he was already bringing the pistol down to shoot at point-blank range.

This time it was Amagiri whose hand came down on Sen-hime's shoulder.

"Patience, my lady," he said softly. "You know that there is no danger."

Hijikata looked less than certain of that, but the tall Oni was soon shown to be correct.

Seeing no other option, as Shiranui's wound was already closing, Harada flung himself sideways into the other man. The Oni dodged, but Harada was able to roll and come up scrambling to his feet, sword held in a high guard position.

"Pistol versus sword is a no brainer," taunted Shiranui.

"An empty pistol is just a really short club," Harada sniped back. "Think one bullet will stop me?"

Then, at some signal invisible to those inside the house, Shiranui tucked the pistol into his belt and Harada sheathed his sword, before going to collect his spear. Both men studiously ignored the audience at the window. Not long after, the former opponents were walking companionably enough toward the house.

"I will fetch tea," said Kimigiku, bowing.

"Please sit down," Sen added politely to her guests, seating herself behind a low, wide table in the center of the room and indicating other cushions. She appeared to be thoughtful.

Amagiri took a seat at the side of the table to Sen's right, while Hijikata sat down immediately opposite her. The Vice Commander was once again conscious of fatigue, but pushed it away. A moment later, Shiranui and Harada came in and knelt, a little flushed, but apparently in good spirits. Harada's eyes were once again soft amber rather than bright gold. Amagiri and Hijikata gave the younger men disapproving looks and they halted on the threshold, conscious of their sweat-streaked faces and unwashed hands.

"Ah, sumimasen, Osen-chan," Shiranui muttered. "We'll wash and return right away."

"Good idea. Please hurry, Shiranui, Harada-san."

The admiring look she gave Harada out of her unusual, deep magenta eyes made the tall, amber-eyed captain glance back over his shoulder as he left the room. Hijikata was slightly amused as her eyes followed his subordinate until the door closed. The Shinsengumi captain and the long-haired Oni might be similar in build, but there was no question which one had caught the princess' attention. Of course, Shiranui Kyo was related to her in some way and she appeared to know him well. It was how things were with the nobles and royalty of both races, he suspected.

Hijikata's thoughts strayed as he considered Sen-hime's interest in Harada. For a moment, he had the strangest image of all the younger captains bringing Oni brides into the Shinsengumi. He pictured Saitō teaching kendo classes to miniature versions of himself and Okita and Shinpachi, and Harada telling stories to a collection of wide-eyed little girls, his spear propped beside him and a cup of sake in one hand. Okita would give the youngest ones rides on his back and Heisuke would play endless games of tag and hide-and-seek with them all. He frowned, wondering where he was supposed to be in all that.

Then he blinked and sat bolt upright. What the hell was that? Only the company he was keeping prevented him from pinching himself to stay awake better. He was very careful not to look at the Third Division Captain beside him, though. He could already feel the corners of his mouth twitch at the thought of Saitō teaching a small, serious-faced look-alike exactly how to hold a sword. He desperately wanted to either laugh or shake his head to clear it, but instead he concentrated on being dignified.

Eventually, they were all seated at the low table. Saitō sat to Hijikata's left and Harada to his right. The captains had greeted each other exactly as usual, but Hijikata could still sense a reserve between them that hadn't been there until one had threatened to kill the other at sword-point. It will pass, he told himself. I hope.

Kimigiku returned with a large tray of tea, served drinks and eventually took a seat beside Sen-hime. Shiranui sat cross-legged opposite Amagiri, but gave the impression of slouching.

"Well, Osen-chan, why the meeting? And why do you want me here? Although I suppose Amagiri's twitching now because I'm going about this wrong…"

Amagiri ignored Shiranui altogether.

"Hijikata-san, may I introduce Shiranui Kyo, one of the Princess' relatives and second son of Shiranui Toshio-sama? Shiranui, may I present Hijikata Toshizō, Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi." Amagiri was as formal as usual.

Hijikata gave the escaped Chōshu conspirator a civil nod and received approximately the same in return. He could not feel that they were destined to be good friends, quite apart from the fact that the Oni belonged in a prison cell. Saitō appeared to feel much the same way, but Harada seemed conflicted.

"The reason for this meeting," continued Amagiri, "is that we believe we know the most likely connection between Hijikata-san and Saitō to the Oni clans. This is a matter of some importance to us, as we need to establish bloodlines and clan affiliations so that Sen-hime may properly evaluate the validity and suitability of any proposed alliances between Oni and part-Oni."

Amagiri looked very seriously at the two men named. They each wore the same silent, wary expression. Hijikata looked like tolerance might give way to impatience very soon. Sen-hime did not command his obedience or loyalty.

Shiranui smirked at Hijikata's evident annoyance but Amagiri simply went on.

"First, on physical characteristics alone, Saitō is marked as a direct descendant of the Shiranui family."

Amagiri looked at Shiranui, who nodded a little reluctantly but dropped the mocking expression.

"Yes. The famous indigo hair – I know. And it's a strange one, doesn't usually show up much in the secondary branches. Well, welcome to the clan, Saitō-san. I'm… kind of sorry we met the way we did earlier. Next time I'll remember my usual rule: don't sneak up on unknown part-Oni with cool hair carrying weapons."

Saitō was surprised by the welcome and the almost-apology. Both appeared to be reasonably genuine. Not that he was planning to join an Oni clan… He already had a place and a purpose with the Shinsengumi. Then he remembered what he had recently learned about Yukimura: she was the last of her line and the head of an Oni clan. And where did that leave him?

"Well," Sen-hime cut in, before Saitō could even begin to respond to Shiranui, "it's a little more complicated than that, I'm afraid, Kyo-kun. Amagiri, Kimigiku and I have gone over certain documents that my mother held in confidence… They were given to her because as Princess of the Oni she was the one with final say over marriages, alliances and bloodlines."

None of the Oni present looked happy, Hijikata realized. Shiranui in particular was frowning. Despite his need for sleep, and all the duties left undone at headquarters, Hijikata was becoming more and more curious. Or maybe he just liked seeing the Oni so uncomfortable.

"These documents also relate to you, Hijikata-san," said Amagiri quietly. "Your eyes indicate that you are descended from the Yukishima Clan. The Yukishima have a particularly complicated history, which I suggest we leave for another time. For now it is enough to know that the secondary branch of the clan married into the Shiranui Clan in recent history. The present Lord Shiranui, Kyo-kun's father, has both indigo hair and purple eyes, as do both his sons."

"And the point to all this?" demanded Hijikata.

There was another hesitation on the part of the Oni. Amagiri, Kimigiku and Sen-hime were clearly uncomfortable; Shiranui had leaned back on his hands, face tilted up and eyes closed.

"The present Lord Shiranui was obsessed by genealogy," Amagiri said at last.

"Still is," muttered Shiranui Kyo.

"He eventually began to research the so-called lost clans – those thought to be extinct. When research on its own became insufficient to provide the information that he required, he travelled widely in search of information."

"Travelled! That's a pretty name for it!" Shiranui's eyes had snapped open. "He abandoned his wife and his young son – his first child – for ten years on that mad quest! Then he returned home, stayed for long enough to have another son and disappeared for another decade."

The other three Oni gave him sympathetic looks. The Shinsengumi men, especially Hijikata and Harada, realized that there were cultural nuances here that they did not understand. Among humans, men were frequently away from their wives and families for extended periods of time, whether because of war, employment or business. The absences might be especially long where a marriage was not a happy one. Moreover, there was no great expectation of a husband's fidelity under such circumstances, although the same was not true of a wife. Of course, every situation was different; there were probably instances of fond and faithful marriages.

Kimigiku finally leaned forward and tried to explain:

"Among the Oni, family comes first, especially a husband or wife and any children. Yet Shiranui Toshio-sama left his family to seek out part-Oni of the remotest and unlikely kind. His behaviour cannot be condoned or excused. In any event, he carefully recorded what he found and sent letters back to Sen-hime's mother, Shizuka-hime, to keep in the archives.

"Sen-hime did not learn until this morning that he also deliberately seduced the few part-Oni women that he found from the old families, in the hope of having strong part-Oni children. According to his private letters to Shizuka-hime, he did this in order to prevent the loss of key bloodlines and perhaps Gifts, and also with the idea of producing suitable warriors to defend the Oni from further human depredations. He wrote to her as soon as he heard of any birth and gave her the name of the child if he learned of it.

"What Shiranui-sama did was absolutely against our laws, to the extent that one can call them laws. Also, to be clear, no pureblood Oni will produce a child without the desire to do so – like so many things for us, will and intention are critical factors. The soul must be engaged. Thus, any child produced by an Oni cannot be considered an unintended consequence. Quite the reverse."

"Stop there, Kimigiku-san," ordered Hijikata, face reflecting shock and an indefinable loss. "You are claiming that Shiranui-sama, Shiranui Kyo-san's father, is my father and Saitō's father. Is that correct?"

"That is correct," Kimigiku responded, looking down. "You, Hijikata-san, were born twelve years after your next closest sibling. Your mother's husband was old and in ill-health. He died before you were even born."

"How do you know that?"

"Because Sen-hime's mother told me about the letters before she died so that they could be found and read if necessary. When you arrived in Kyoto with the Roshigumi and I saw you I made a point of finding out about your family."

"You lied to me," Amagiri said suddenly. "How?"

"Shizuka-hime created a ward for me; she foresaw the need. It taxed her unduly, but she insisted. You see, she did not approve of Shiranui-sama or what he had done. Therefore, contrary to his wish, the children were to be left with their human families unless their own health or happiness required intervention. And eventually she compelled Shiranui-sama to return to his wife and stay."

It was finally too much for the increasingly restless Shiranui Kyo, who leapt to his feet with an inarticulate exclamation and paced over to look out the long window. Hijikata was still staring at Kimigiku, his face increasingly angry. Saitō seemed outwardly unaffected, although it was impossible to tell what he was actually thinking, even for the Oni present. It was Harada who asked the next question.

"Why am I here?"

Amagiri and Kimigiku exchanged a look.

"Shiranui Kyo-kun wished to speak with you again before he left Kyoto," Amagiri told the spearman. "Also, Sen-hime was concerned for your health, as you are approaching a point that is often dangerous for part-Oni – as Saitō has demonstrated. You must understand, though, that we are not quite sure why any of you developed your latent talents as you did. It may relate to Yukimura Chizuru-sama."

Harada looked at Kimigiku.

"And was my name in any of the letters in your care?"

"No. But your mother was clearly described. She intrigued Shiranui-sama and captivated him – and apparently she left him. He tried to trace her and couldn't."

"Then how do you know she was my mother?"

"Just a guess, Harada," Hijikata interposed, "…but I'll bet there aren't a lot of tall, red-haired women with yellow eyes around."

"My eyes aren't yellow. Anyway… I grew up with both my parents and they seemed pretty attached to each other. My father was a good-looking man, just a bit biased against spears because he had to use one before he became a member of the samurai class. His first wife died having my older brother."

Kimigiku gave him an appraising look. "Maybe you were adopted?"

"I don't think so. My mother had hair and eyes just like mine. She was pretty amazing." Harada sounded sad. "She died of a summer fever when I was about fifteen. I was away from home by that time, so I wasn't even there."

"Well, here's a thought," said Hijikata, in a calm voice totally at odds with his rather frightening face. "Maybe Harada's mother never did succumb to Shiranui-sama's otherwise irresistible charm. She recognized him for a playboy and a jerk, ditched him, met up with Harada's father, and had a perfectly normal and happy life until she got sick."

Amagiri sighed, his eyes on Shiranui Kyo's now rigid shoulders. He couldn't blame either man for feeling angry and betrayed. He couldn't help but feel that Hijikata was in by far the more difficult situation, however.

"Hijikata-san. You could be right. But it is more likely that she found herself with child and left to find a good man who would marry her. In any event, Sen-hime will eventually be able to find out the truth." Amagiri paused, anticipating the next question.

"How?"

"It is one of the principle Gifts of her family to recognize the Oni bloodlines. All the original clans that united under the first Princess swore on their blood to recognize her decisions as final. As a result of that, every succeeding Princess or Prince has had the Gift to determine birthright. However, it is exceptionally difficult magic and not without a cost. So we prefer to keep track by more normal methods if possible."

Sen-hime, who had been almost silent throughout, suddenly leaned forward, pressing her hands together. She managed to look serious and smile at the same time, and it was a kind, genuine smile.

"This has been a great deal to absorb for everyone, especially under such difficult circumstances. Hijikata-san, I expect you have had quite enough of us for today. I know it's hard to believe, but your existence – all of you – has been almost as much of a shock to Amagiri and me as ours has been to you. I hope that one day you will allow me to count you as family; I would be honoured. And you as well, Harada-san."

She turned to the tall spearman, and her smile brightened. Harada, who had been trying to sort out a jumble of impressions, thoughts and feelings, actually blinked and then smiled back. It reminded him of that other time when he had seen her in the crowd while out on patrol.

"Ah… It's a lot to think about, that's all. I mean, I've heard of long-lost family, but this is a little… much."

"Well, unless the Shinsengumi is leaving Kyoto, I'm sure we'll get to know each other better, right? I'd like to talk to Chizuru-chan again, too."

The indigo-haired Oni at the window suddenly turned and walked out of the room. Amagiri rose silently and walked after him. At the door, he bowed to Sen-hime, and then looked at Hijikata.

"I hope I will have the opportunity to see Saitō later today," he said. "We need to begin his sparring practice." Then he bowed to the general company and left.

Meanwhile, Kimigiku was torn between exasperation and affection. Should she remind Sen-hime not to flirt or teach her how to do it better? Saitō, observing the shinobi's expression, was puzzled. However, he was preoccupied with the one clear fact that stood out for him: the Vice Commander was his brother. He hoped Hijikata-san wouldn't be too upset. Still, perhaps it would give Saitō more right to ensure that the man got some rest. Additionally, he thought that Yukimura would probably be pleased.

[II - Still Watching the Watcher]

Yamazaki noticed that the same dark-haired boy was up on the roof by the back garden wall again. The shinobi had been unable to report to the Vice Commander or Saitō-san earlier; he hoped he would be able to do so soon. As far as he could tell, the boy's primary interest lay in watching Yukimura-san. So far, the boy had watched her do the lunch dishes, with Okita-san's assistance. Then he had watched her do laundry, while Okita-san lay in the grass nearby and told her stories about Kondō-san and everyone else at the Shieikan dojo.

As usual, Okita-san's stories had been unnecessarily disparaging of the Vice Commander. Yamazaki was pleased that Yukimura-san had annoyed Okita-san by asking so many questions about Saitō-san. Of course, she hadn't meant to be annoying; she was too kind to do such a thing. He hoped that she would be careful not to take all of Okita-san's answers at face value.

Yamazaki saw that it was time to meet his partner, Shimada Kai, so he slipped away from his hiding place. He wouldn't have kept guard over the boy for so long, except that there was a kind of hungry expression on his face that was distinctly troubling. On the roof some distance away, the dark-haired boy continued to watch the Oni girl. He wasn't aware that he'd been seen, because he had detected no other Oni nearby.

[III - Family Visit]

Almost one hundred miles west and a little south of Kyoto, a lithe, muscular form crowned with bright blond hair stood in the main front garden of a beautiful summer home with lofty gables and windows designed to welcome breezes and keep out the sun. With him was a slender young woman with equally blond hair. She was smiling up at him, obviously pleased to see him.

"This is a wonderful surprise, Nii-sama. I hope you are well?"

Kazama returned the smile, and many would have been surprised to see how free of either malice or arrogance it could be.

"As well as I can be, Haru-chan. I'd rather be here with you and the boys. How are they?"

"The same as always – hungry! But seriously, they are both doing very well, and practising hard for you.

"Hnh. And you?"

The Lord of the Western Clans studied his only sister closely. She had once had a twin, who had also had eyes like sparkling amethysts. But the younger girl had died before she was two and since that time Kazama Chikage had watched over this girl more fiercely than even her father had before his death.

Chiharu laughed softly at her brother.

"You worry too much, Chikage. I am well and my studies are going well. What more is there to say? There isn't much to do here, really. At least you decided to allow me to learn to cook. And I still go to kenjutsu lessons with the boys even though you don't approve and I'm not especially talented. Seriously, if there's anything I miss it's intelligent conversation. I wish mother had come with us this summer… How long will you be here? Did you see our cousins? And why isn't Amagiri with you?"

A/Note:

I would be very grateful for any comments and reviews. And thank you to everyone who is reading!

I forgot to mention this last time, but Anon commented on Tribbles in a review for my other story - Anon, I had the exact same thought at one point. Geeks unite. :)