Author's Note:

For those who have wondered when Chizuru will finally get to learn more about her own special skills and powers, this is just the beginning...

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Thank you to those who posted reviews (I always feel a great sense of relief when I see reviews come in... and encouragement!):

nagikaoyuu ~ who continues to improve my Japanese and lets me know that she sees the various plot points either falling into place or arriving in a storm! Arigatou gozaimasu! _(v_ v)_ (And yes, I wrote an entire part of a chapter just to let you know what was going on with Sannan-san... OK, it was planned, but still cool!)

StariChanx ~ yes, Chizuru is back and finally learning her way around the Oni world! (and, um, Saitou-san... ahem!) (they're cute together and just a little bit steamy too)

Anon (guest) ~ you are so mysterious, lurking out there, posting wonderful reviews! Maybe you're hanging out with Yamazaki? Thank you for your prompt posts and great reviews and I hope you keep letting me know how it's going!

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BTW, if you are ever left thinking, "should I post a review even if I don't have much to say but that was fun or whatever" ... the answer is always "please do". Long or short... it's all good.

And you are always free to PM me with questions and suggestions and comments! Please let me know about typos by PM - I like to correct them quickly!

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Chapter 46 - The Trial of Soul

"She's coming!"

"Yes, Princess."

"Don't they look adorable?"

Kimigiku studied the young pair coming up the walk and decided that her mistress must be speaking in the emotional sense. To her, Yukimura-sama looked like a pretty girl trying to pass for a twelve-year-old boy in clothes that weren't properly cut for her figure; also, light blue didn't especially suit her soft, dark brown hair and matching eyes. And to the shinobi, Saitō-san looked exactly like what he was, a very talented and dangerous swordsman who had killed more than a few men and would quite likely kill many more. Then she shook her head at herself. She didn't usually allow the old cynicism to intrude to this point. It would be easier when Amagiri left; his continued presence reopened painful memories.

"Yes," she told Sen-hime. "I see your point. She's very pretty and frankly, so is he, and they're clearly besotted."

Sen gave her bodyguard a sympathetic look. It wasn't fair of Kimigiku to be upset with Amagiri and, by extension, Saitō-san, but she knew that the other woman would have preferred Chizuru-chan to be Chikage's bride, so that her sister would finally be free of Yukishima-sama's twisted insistence on honouring the secret contract that had been drawn up between the matriarch and Chikage's father. On the other hand, Sen knew better than most that Kimigiku would give anything, including her life, to protect any pureblood Oni female who was forced into an unwanted marriage.

Still, there was no sense in denying that Kimigiku had been more prickly in the few days that Amagiri had been living with them. She could also sense that there was more to the history between those two – or really, those three, including Chikame – than her mother had told her. For the most part, her sympathy was with Amagiri, who said nothing at all and seemed to be trying to do his best to give Saitō-san whatever assistance lay within his power, at significant personal risk.

Sen went to the door herself to admit the lovers. To Sen's romantic spirit, they were the image of the long-lost princess and the stoic guardian. She hugged Chizuru-chan, accepted Saitō-san's bow with a kind smile and led them both into the main reception room. Saitō-san handed his katana to Kimigiku without demur; it was a tradition that he'd known all his life. Only the wakizashi – the honour weapon – was supposed to be carried into the presence of high nobility and royalty. The fact that Sen had greeted him cheerfully at the door was irrelevant.

"Are you well, Chizuru-chan? I am so sorry that we haven't had time to talk since that night… It must have been terribly hard for you… But you've had Saitō-san nearby! And Hijikata-san and the others, too. Thank you for coming here, we thought it would be easier to talk privately without the entire Shinsengumi trying to listen in. And nice for you to get out."

"Um, yes, thank you Osen-chan," Chizuru managed, a little overwhelmed. She was very happy to have a female friend – and a cousin! – but it was still a lot to take in.

Polite greetings were exchanged, and then all four people in the room turned toward the door and waited for Amagiri to come in.

The red-haired warrior paused just inside the room to bow to Sen and Chizuru-chan, as formal as ever. He greeted Saitō-san with the polite nod of a teacher to a favourite student, and the indigo-haired man bowed in return. Sen was pleased that the bond between the two men was still strong. More importantly, though, it meant that she could dispense with Saitō-san's presence without being rude and get to know her cousin.

"By your leave," Amagiri said a few minutes later. "We still have much to discuss. Shall we meet again in two hours?"

"Yes, thank you Amagiri."

Sen could tell that Chizuru-chan was still intimidated by the large Oni. She saw – with approval – how Saitō-san's fingers unobtrusively brushed Chizuru's hand before he left and also that her cousin was reassured by the respectful way in which the men treated each other.

As soon as the men were gone – along with Saitō-san's katana – the three women arranged themselves more comfortably at the low table.

Sen leaned forward, as Kimigiku poured them each a cup of tea.

"Saitō-san is kind to you, isn't he, Chizuru-chan?"

"Oh – oh yes. I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner," Chizuru added, turning shyly to Kimigiku. "I think you knew before I did. How I – we – felt."

The shinobi smiled at her, nodding. While her own feelings about Saitō-san were somewhat mixed on a personal level, she had no reservations about Yukimura-sama, or about Saitō-san's deep affection for his mate.

"Yes, Yukimura-sama. I think so too. The two of you have forged a strong bond it seems."

"Is it nice?" asked Sen-hime, sounding a little wistful.

Chizuru was startled.

"I – I beg your pardon?"

"From what I've been told, it's very nice to be with the right person. To have the right to touch when you want, and to share what you're thinking, and even just the regular things. To be truly intimate."

Kimigiku watched Yukimura-sama try to assimilate this without becoming embarrassed. Obviously it was a losing battle, so she intervened.

"Under ordinary circumstances," she told Yukimura-sama in matter-of-fact tones, "you would have known most of the eligible children of the great clans before coming of age and choosing a husband. Assuming that he returned your feelings and that your families agreed – which used to almost always be the case according to the old records – you would be allowed to marry once you had both passed the Three Trials. In fact, it appears that marriage was more of a record-keeping measure than anything – to keep track of the rights of children and the correct precedence of clan bloodlines."

"Alright…" Yukimura-sama was clearly interested. She might be embarrassed, but there was something innately practical about the young woman that Kimigiku liked.

"Well… having chosen a mate and having been accepted, and being of age… it seems likely that, being Oni in every way but how you were raised, some part of you would prefer a closer relationship with Saitō-san. The difficulty being that your circumstances are not normal, you have both been raised as humans rather than Oni, and it isn't clear whether Saitō-san would be permitted to marry."

While Yukimura-sama struggled through all the implications, and the girl's fiery blushes betrayed the accuracy of Kimigiku's assessment, Kimigiku took another sip of tea. Then she continued.

"Even more of a problem is how and where to raise your children. You see, if I am correct, then almost everything in you, from your nature, to your feelings for Saitō-san, to the needs of your clan is demanding that you conceive children. To put it in simple terms, you cannot rely on the ability of every Oni to decide when to have offspring. Your body will work against your head, and I'm not sure your head will be very rational about it either."

Sen-hime, who was sitting to Yukimura-sama's right, took the other girl's hand and gave her a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I just thought that to feel like that about somebody and to have them love you back must be very nice."

"We, we haven't… I mean… to talk of such things… um." The Heir to the Yukimura titles and fortunes (such as they were) appeared to want to sink into the floor.

"Princess," said Kimigiku in reproving tones. "This is a very difficult situation for Yukimura-sama. Wishing it to be easy will not make it so. And I can't imagine when in the past three days they could have spent much time together. You should not use a word like love so casually. It is a private matter and only one person other than Yukimura-sama has the right to involved."

The young woman in question cleared her throat.

"Um – please, could you not keep calling me Yukimura-sama, Kimigiku-san? It's so very… formal… and I don't think I really understand any of this yet. Not really. In my head, yes, a little. But I know next to nothing about the Oni, and nothing at all about my family."

Kimigiku immediately reproached herself and patted the girl's free hand. Warmth and kindness soothed the newest – if not quite the youngest – of the Oni women.

"What would you prefer? Chizuru-sama would be a little unusual, since you are – more or less – the head of a major clan, but if you don't mind…"

"Alright," the girl said, giving in to the inevitable; apparently she couldn't escape her new rank (within the Oni at least). "Thank you for explaining things to me, Osen-chan, Kimigiku-san. I know there's a lot to learn. But may I ask some questions?"

"Of course!" said Sen.

"Please go ahead," replied Kimigiku. "Although first… would you like to wear women's apparel while you are here today? It might make a nice change for you."

Chizuru looked from one to the other. She felt overwhelmed and reassured at the same time. It occurred to her all at once that she couldn't recall any women in her life except an older female who had looked after her for a few years when she was very young. Since she hadn't had any close friends, there had been certain things that had been a little difficult to figure out for herself. She had relied on listening to other girls' and women's conversations, and watching what other girls did, but it had been a little lonely at times.

She could tell that Sen-hime – Osen-chan, rather – and Kimigiku-san wanted her to do as they suggested. But even the rather irrepressible Osen-chan was trying to be polite and not pressure her.

"Right!" she declared, a little more loudly than she had intended. "If you really don't mind, Osen-chan?"

"As your closest female relative," said Sen, bowing. "I would be happy to loan you a kimono."

Discussions about such frivolous things as Oni politics and powers were set aside for several minutes while Kimigiku-san and Osen-chan argued over clothing (though not very seriously). Chizuru could tell that they were giving her a break, although she had a slight suspicion that Osen-chan wanted to dress her up for Saitō-san. Which is part of why I agreed to it, she acknowledged a little guiltily.

Not long afterward, she was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor, looking with interest at Osen-chan's various kimonos – she seemed to have several – and musing over the earlier conversation. She thought she understood better now what each of the women had been trying to convey to her, in different ways. The basics seemed to be that although she might be embarrassed about certain things from the perspective of a traditional, sixteen-year-old human girl, she was behaving perfectly normally for an Oni woman who was of age and who was – apparently – supposed to take responsibility for an extinct Oni clan and possibly other vassal clans. And she had chosen a... a mate... (the word made her blush again, but she was getting used to that), who had a pre-existing loyalty to the Shinsengumi that might yet conflict with a future together.

She also still had two of the Trials to pass. Saitō-san had told her about them, based on his conversation with Amagiri-san, but she had been distracted by the news about – she swallowed – Yukimura Kōdō-sensei. Her father who wasn't her father. Fortunately, she was interrupted from this sad train of thought (possibly not by accident).

"We have reached a decision," Osen-chan told her. "But in return, you must do something for me."

"I'd be happy to! What can I do?"

"You can give me your opinion on what I should wear. I would like to look my best and you know Saitō-san and Harada-san better than I do."

"Harada-san will be here?" Chizuru was a little alarmed. She hadn't forgotten about this morning with Hijikata-san or breakfast with Harada-san. But then again… If Osen-chan was interested in Harada-san, then that might be a very good solution all around. Or had she already considered that before? Well, either way, it seemed like a good plan.

Osen-chan nodded vigorously, her gold-tasselled hair flying. Then Kimigiku-san was helping Chizuru to change out of her boys'clothes into a woman's under-kimono and then a kimono. For a few minutes, it was all a whirl of soft fabric. Apparently there were advantages to being a princess.

While Osen-chan contemplated a few small ornaments, Kimigiku arranged the folds of the kimono and continued her earlier comments to Chizuru.

"So you do have a number of things to think about, Chizuru-sama," she noted seriously, as if there had been no break from earlier. "Personally, I think that your most important considerations should be coming to a clear understanding with Saitō-san and training your Gifts. And that means having the space and privacy to talk with the man, and also the time and resources to take the remaining two Trials. Both things are more urgent than you may realize."

"Sadly, that's true," Sen agreed.

She watched Kimigiku tie a reasonably plain but pretty obi around the soft lavender, pink and indigo kimono that they'd chosen for Chizuru-chan. The colour of the kimono had nothing to do with wanting Chizuru-chan to match her handsome mate, she had told her cousin with a grin. The grin put Chizuru forcibly in mind of Heisuke-kun: cheerful but mischievous.

"What do you mean, Osen-chan?" Chizuru asked as Kimigiku brushed out her hair and arranged it in a more feminine fashion.

"Well, you see, there's Chikage to consider. He's a good enough sort, but a very, very traditional man. Which means that he wants only a pureblood Oni as a wife. And, well, you're the best choice. You're bound to be powerful, you are the hereditary ruler of the Eastern Clans, and you're very pretty. Frankly, if Amagiri hadn't intervened I'm guessing he'd be here now."

"That's… Kazama Chikage? The blond man?" Chizuru shivered involuntarily.

The other two women exchanged looks.

"Yes. And he's just about the strongest Oni there is, now. Whatever else you can say about Chikage – and don't get me started on that topic – he's got reason to be proud. But he became the Lord of the Western Clans very young and his father…"

"Kazama Chikage-sama is much better than his father ever was," Kimigiku said to Chizuru firmly, interrupting Sen without apology. "But the point is that Amagiri-san is his vassal and in sworn service to him. So your Saitō-san may be in some difficulty if Kazama-sama shows up to claim you for himself and finds a rival."

"He's not a rival!" Chizuru said heatedly, deep brown eyes growing lighter as she contemplated the blond man trying to kill Saitō-san to get at her. "That would imply that I would ever consider such a, an arrogant man as a husband! And besides, he'd have to fight all of them."

"Hmmm. That could certainly make a difference. But Amagiri-san will fight as well, you know. Maybe not Saitō-san, not after standing as his kin during a Trial – but anybody else… Or he could simply kidnap you. And the Shinsengumi are strong, but not yet strong enough. You see, Kazama-sama and Amagiri-san will use more than just weapons and strength. Although it is hard to say. Kazama-sama has some very strict notions of honour."

Chizuru looked at herself in Osen-chan's beautiful three-quarter length mirror. Thoughts of the blond warrior were displaced for a moment. She looked… different. She hadn't worn women's clothing in months. She had forgotten how it felt and what she looked like.

"I look older," she said aloud. "Will he like it?"

Kimigiku laughed, turning away so that Chizuru-sama couldn't see how just how funny she had found the question. She pitied the man, though. He appeared to be something of a traditionalist himself - like Kazama Chikage, he still wore a kimono and obi, and dressed more plainly than his comrades of the same age. But how long he could keep himself from claiming his mate - or she him - seemed very much in question.

"Oh yes," answered Sen immediately. "Yes. Without question. If he wasn't already… very attached to you… then he'd fall for you right away. I wonder if he'll be able to eat any lunch? But now it's my turn. Hmmm… Kimigiku, what do think? Pinks? Red and gold? Or something even brighter?"

Once again Chizuru watched them make choices and then Kimigiku helped Osen-chan to dress. As before, she instructed as she spoke.

"The Trial of Soul – the next Trial you must pass – only requires you to use Soul Magic. Oni children sometimes have difficulty with this because they find it hard to manipulate something that is so obvious to them. In your case, I think you will have little trouble. In many ways you have surprised us because you – and some of the Shinsengumi – have used Gifts that are usually only accessible to initiates, that is, those who have passed the Trials.

"For the Trial of Soul, you must deliberately invoke the associated magic and then use it to illuminate and describe the Oni present. Sen-hime is one of the foremost practitioners of the Gifts of Soul."

Osen-chan, free for a moment from Kimigiku's attention, gave a careful mock-bow.

"Chizuru-chan, if you close your eyes, can you sense me?"

Chizuru obediently closed her eyes.

"Yes, quite easily, Osen-chan. You are – "

"Chotto matte! Patience. Now, what did you do in order to sense me?"

Chizuru was puzzled.

"I don't know. I just did. I always have, a little bit."

"Alright, now instead of trying to sense me, can you sense yourself."

Intrigued by the odd concept, Chizuru tried to sense herself. Her head started to hurt.

"Um, no?"

"Study the space around you. Then look at your hand. But without opening your eyes."

By the time that Chizuru could identify the signature that distinguished her Oni Soul from everything else around her, Osen-chan was fully dressed. Both girls – young women – were so focussed on the lesson, however, that Kimigiku-san left them to it and slipped out of the room. She wanted to give both of them – especially Chizuru-sama – some space, and she wanted to check on lunch. She was also curious as to how Saitō-san was doing with his own training.

Back in Sen's room, two very pretty Oni girls, one in damasked purple and indigo silk and the other in bright pinks and gold thread, knelt across from each other on the floor.

"Okay," Sen was saying in very serious tones, "when we do this for real, you will be in your Oni form, but for now, use the power that you can now identify as the signature for Oni-kind and use it to shape a kind of net. You want it to outline me, but you don't to cover me in it, since that would use an awful lot of power. And remember, gather it together within your chest first, then use it."

Chizuru considered the instructions. Now that she knew what to look for – that part of her being that was Oni – it seemed very simple. And there seemed to be no shortage of power. She drew the power toward the center of her chest.

"Stop! Chizuru! Great gods…"

Chizuru had stopped, her eyes wide in surprise.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, that wasn't the problem. But if you'd kept going, not only would you have sucked too much power out of yourself, but you probably would have blown up my room. Or at least me."

Sen, now suffering a little from reaction, giggled.

"I'm glad you take directions well! If you hadn't stopped, Kimigiku and Amagiri would have been here in moments… Okay… let's see… Now I'm really curious. Do the same thing again, but remember that you need very little power to create a thin net, alright?"

Chizuru nodded obediently. She had enjoyed the heady rush of power and was quite ready to try it again. But with more control. She wanted to be like Saitō-san, who could control a sword with such precision that he could disarm an unknown opponent and bring the blade to their throat without the tiniest cut.

This time, she only gathered a fraction of the power into the center of her chest. Then, cautiously, she imagined it as a net, draping it over Osen-chan like a spider-web of silvery-white light.

"Oh well done! Tell me what you see – but don't open your eyes."

"Hmm… You are surrounded in layers of light, Osen-chan. Blues and purples mostly, but green, a little, around your hands and gold around your head like a crown. It's coming clearer…"

"No, stop there. That is more than enough for now."

Disappointed, because she'd been intrigued by the nuances of colour she had just begun to see, Chizuru allowed the energy flow to stop and slowly opened her eyes. She blinked and automatically touched her forehead. Sure enough, two small horns had formed, and a glance in the mirror showed her Oni self.

Osen-chan, also in Oni form, waved off her apologies. She was grinning gleefully, golden eyes dancing with amusement and pride.

"No, no, don't apologize. This is great! You've just passed the second Trial and we did it together!" Sen lowered her voice. "I put up a barrier before we started, just in case. I'm rather good at those, so hopefully nobody noticed. And don't worry, I'll help you shift back and fix your hair."

The last part seemed so minor compared to all the rest that Chizuru, who suddenly felt much more tired than she'd realized, started to giggle. Osen-chan joined her, and they did a little more damage to their carefully arranged hair as they leaned against each other, giggling madly.

Eventually, Chizuru, being the more serious of the two, collected herself and leaned back on her heels, wiping a few tears of laughter from her eyes.

"You know," she said, "that wasn't very hard."

"Well no," agreed Sen, "but then, you probably would have been judged ready to pass the Trials a few years ago, based on your power and overall potential. So really, you've just been using some of the Gifts for a while already and then all I had to do was show you how to channel it through yourself. And that completed the Trial."

It took more concentration than Chizuru liked to admit to shift back to human form, however. After that, Osen-chan dropped her shield – whatever that was – and the girls fixed each other's hair and tidied themselves.

"And now, may I please ask you something more personal?" Sen placed her hands together pleadingly.

"Well, you may ask. But now that I know you a little better, I'm not sure I should promise to answer."

"Okay… What is it like to kiss a man? Somebody that you like and maybe likes you back… Kimigiku only gives me vague answers."

Chizuru was startled, but not nearly as much as she would have been an hour-and-a-half ago. Her cheeks reddened as she tried to decide on what answer to give.

"Well… it's very nice. And it can be soft at first. Um… You really want to know this?"

"Mm-hm."

"Well, I have no idea if it works the same way for everyone," Chizuru continued, turning even brighter red, but not wanting to disappoint her cousin. "But it's something that you can feel everywhere – right to your fingertips and toes. And very warm…"

Osen-chan sighed deeply.

"That does sound nice. I hope I can find somebody too."

"Oh? Isn't that why you invited Harada-san to lunch?"

Chizuru hoped the other girl wouldn't be offended – she knew she still had a lot to learn about this kind of teasing. Fortunately, Osen-chan seemed to take it completely in stride.

"Well, yes. But he's still a little bit interested in you… or he thinks he is. And that's just a bit daunting."

Chizuru looked down.

"He's very kind, Osen-chan. They're all involved in these terrible things, sometimes… but Harada-san seems to be a very good person. Maybe I just seemed normal compared to everything going on."

"Maybe. Don't worry, I'm not planning to give up just yet! And I like him very much."

"Even though he's not a full Oni?"

"Yes. Because I think that one day he will be, especially if he cares for me as much as your Saitō-san cares for you. He – Harada-san – could love somebody that much, I think. Er – sorry. You know what I mean."

Chizuru nodded.

Kimigiku slipped quietly into the room. Neither girl had sensed her, for whatever reason.

"Shall we go back downstairs?" the shinobi asked, looking from one to the other. "It appears that my work here is done."

"You knew?!" Sen frowned. "How?"

Kimigiku gave a graceful shrug. "I recognized the shield. So did Amagiri, probably. Although he was having so much fun with Chizuru-sama's young captain that who knows? They've gone off to change."

"Well, aren't you going to say anything about it?!" Sen demanded.

Kimigiku frowned at the princess, but smiled gently at Chizuru.

"Congratulations, Chizuru-sama. I fully believed that you would be extraordinary. Now: let's go impress the gentlemen. Oh – and watch how you walk, Chizuru-sama. You aren't wearing hakama now."

"Yes, Kimigiku-san."

With Kimigiku in the lead, they went down the long hallway back to the main reception room. Despite everything else that had happened, Chizuru found that mostly, she was looking forward to seeing Saitō-san again. She hoped he wouldn't mind that she had changed out of her boys' clothes. Glancing at Osen-chan, and feeling the silk smoothly draped around her own neck and shoulders, she didn't think that he would.

A/Note: Thank you for reading, following and favouriting!

And welcome back to Azure-chan and Archimedes-chan.