WELCOME TO CHAPTER 50!
I wanted this chapter to be epic, but I hadn't realized just how much I'd written until I saw the word count. Oh well.
THANK YOU to all my readers. I love it when a plan comes together...
*\(^u^)/*
Chapter 50 – Family Reunions
[I] – The Shinsengumi
Hijikata stood in the main courtyard along with Sannan-san and Nagakura to welcome the Commander back to the compound. He knew that his expression was a little too grim for a triumphant homecoming, but the afternoon and probably evening discussion was likely to prove… challenging. Sannan-san had greeted him with his usual courtesy, but with reserve, and the two men now stood silently beside each other, arms crossed in habitual poses, waiting for Kondō-san's arrival. If he hadn't been so concerned about other matters, Hijikata would have felt badly for Nagakura, who had arrived at the gates in good spirits and was now standing a little to one side, occasionally glancing uneasily and the Deputy Commander and Vice Commander.
By some good fortune, Kondō-san and Gen-san had been seen by Sōji's patrol about mid-afternoon, just as the patrol started their route back toward the Shinsengumi's headquarters on the outskirts of Kyoto. Sōji had sent one man to let Heisuke know and – more surprisingly, in Hijikata's opinion – another man to bring the news to Hijikata. He could only suppose that the courtesy was really intended for Sannan, who was still technically in charge of the compound in Kondō-san's absence, or for the Commander himself, so that there would be a proper reception. Sōji had been even less pleased with Hijikata than usual recently.
Not long afterward, there was the sound of excited voices and then Kondō-san was clapping a hand on Hijikata's shoulder and speaking excitedly about the tremendously favourable reception that he had received from the Military Governor himself as well as a number of important officials under him.
"This has truly cemented our standing with the Aizu," he told Sannan and Hijikata, his cheerful, boisterous tones carrying his words into the farthest reaches of the large courtyard. "We will surely see more formal recognition now and likely even supplementary funding – that should make you happy, Sannan-kun!"
Nagakura laughed, and for the first time in many days – since before the Ikedaya – Hijikata saw Sannan-san give a slight, but perceptible, smile. There had once been many discussions between the (now) Commander and Deputy Commander about Kondō-san's generous ways leading to serious financial difficulties.
Sōji finished dismissing his men – almost two hours before they were due to end their patrol, thought Hijikata with some annoyance – and came bounding over. Still, he understood where the younger man was coming from.
"Did I miss anything?" asked the First Division Captain, looking between the other men and seeing Nagakura's grin and the good-humour on Sannan-san's face.
Kondō-san smiled indulgently at him, still very pleased to see his protégé up and about after the apparently serious injuries received at the Ikedaya.
"No, no Sōji! Nothing I didn't tell you already! But your recovery truly astonishes me…"
"Yeah, pretty much everyone is, Kondō-san… As I told you earlier, even Heisuke's back out on patrol today. It's been almost magical, hasn't it Sannan-san?"
Sōji's glinting green eyes flickered toward Hijikata as he drew the Deputy Commander into the conversation. The Vice Commander felt his irritation rising again. Sōji was trying to needle Hijikata about withholding information, but Hijikata didn't have any answers and now Sannan-san was thinking of the damn Water of Life again: Sōji's and Heisuke's injuries had healed, but not Sannan-san's damaged arm.
"It has been most surprising," confirmed Sannan, looking serious again.
The Commander nodded at Sōji's and Sannan-san's words, but it was unlikely that he could appreciate just how "surprising" the recoveries had been, since he hadn't had much of a chance to see the original damage. While Kondō-san continued to speak with Sōji, Nagakura and Sannan-san, Hijikata turned to Gen-san, who had been standing patiently behind the Commander waiting to greet his comrades.
"Welcome back, Gen-san – your good sense has been sorely missed over the last few days."
The older man shook his head at him.
"You usually have things very well in hand, Toshi-san," he said, "and surely Sōji and Heisuke haven't been able to get into much trouble in the past four days, given how badly hurt they were – or seemed to be, I suppose I should say. Although I am truly amazed by how well they seem…"
Gen-san looked at Hijikata inquiringly, but he knew that they couldn't really discuss much of interest here in the courtyard with so many men milling about covertly watching the Commander and bowing if they happened to catch his eye. Most of the men there – especially those of the First Division – practically idolized Kondō-san, although they respected and feared the Vice Commander and trod carefully around Sannan-san.
Finally, the Commander gestured for his officers to go inside. When they reached the common room, Kondō-san settled himself, saying:
"Gen and I will go wash the dust off in a short while, and then I can tell you how well the Aizu spoke of the Shinsengumi – oh, and about the reward money we are to be given for our victory at the Ikedaya. But first, did anything happen while we were away? And where are the others? I know Heisuke is out on patrol, but where are Saitō and Harada?"
There was a murmur at the door, and Nagakura jumped up with unusual alacrity to bring in the tea that a soldier had brought to them on Sannan-san's orders. Kondō-san looked puzzled as Gen-san took the tea things from Nagakura and started to pass the tea around. The Second Division Captain sat down again, looking moderately uncomfortable.
"Is Yukimura-chan out as well?" asked Kondō with a look of concern. He liked the girl and still wasn't sure they had done the right thing by keeping her a prisoner for so long. But in the last few months it had become customary for her to make and bring tea for the officers' meetings, and he was a little surprised by her absence, since he had been expected.
"While you were away, Yukimura discovered that she has a cousin in Kyoto," Hijikata said into the silence. "I allowed her to visit Osen-sama for lunch and for the afternoon. Saitō escorted her."
Kondō-san and Gen-san looked very surprised, as well they might.
"Her cousin is a great lady?" Kondō asked.
"She certainly has considerable wealth and has all the appearance of one of high status," Hijikata replied, with a shrug. "However, the whole story is rather long in the telling and might best wait until you and Gen-san have had a chance to rest."
Kondō-san and the Sixth Division Captain exchanged amused looks; despite the slightly odd behaviour of the others, they couldn't quite take the situation seriously.
"I believe I'm too curious to wait – surely it can't be as long a tale as all that, Toshi? It's been less than four days after all…"
Sōji had been uncharacteristically silent until that point, but at this he leaned forward.
"It really has been weird around here, Kondō-san. For one thing, Hajime-kun has fallen for Chizuru-chan in a big way and he's not exactly… himself… you might say. He even got upset at Sano-san for – well, actually, we're not sure exactly why, but it caused all sorts of problems."
Sōji glanced over at Hijikata as if defying him to improve on this masterful summary.
"Saitō-kun?!" Kondo looked completely baffled. "Really? I mean, of course she's very cute but… I didn't realize Saitō even noticed girls… And she seemed to admire you, Toshi, or maybe Harada-kun…"
"Things have been kind of complicated, Kondō-san," put in Nagakura. "But I can honestly say that the two of them – Saitō and Chizuru-chan – well, yeah, I think Sano's out of luck, you know? Doesn't happen to him often, either…"
The Commander just shook his head in amazement, but Gen-san looked thoughtful. He's not as surprised as the others, Hijikata thought. But then, he spent a lot of time with the girl.
"Well, I don't know about out of luck, Shinpachi-san," Okita put in, his face classically innocent while his green eyes gleamed. "I have a feeling that Chizuru-chan's cousin might not like that way of putting things…"
"Eh?!" Nagakura looked startled. "I thought he was just acting weird because of, you know, Chizuru-chan. No way?! He could've mentioned something – the ojou-sama had a good-looking bodyguard… Tall woman, dressed like a shinobi – Kimi-something? Man – how did you find out, Sōji? I swear you should be working with the Inspectors – except maybe not with Yamazaki, you know?"
Sōji was now looking steadily at Hijikata, daring the Vice Commander to leave things like that when there was so much else to tell. But it was Sannan-san who brought the lighter mood to an end, much as Hijikata had suspected it would be.
"We are gossiping like old women," Sannan said. His tone was light and his mouth smiled, but his eyes were cold, and Hijikata could sense perfectly well that he was exasperated. "While Saitō-kun's unexpected romantic involvement with Yukimura-kun is of concern for various reasons, and Harada-kun's potential attachment to the girl Osen-sama could also pose difficulties, we really need to speak of the greater underlying problem first."
Sannan-san had Kondō-san's and Gen-san's undivided attention with the final words, although both men still looked very puzzled, as well they might. If nothing else, Hijikata thought, sitting back slightly to listen to how Sannan-san would present events, neither Kondō-san nor Gen-san would see Saitō's attachment as being more than a mild (but rather amusing) inconvenience, although both men would be careful in their own ways to ensure that the girl was fairly treated. Given Kondō-san's rather romantic nature, he would no doubt treat the young couple very kindly.
"Commander," Sannan-san began, "it is clear to us now that the strange men encountered at the Ikedaya are truly something unusual. The matter truly began when Saitō-kun, obviously in some kind of strange feverish state, attacked Harada-kun for no apparent reason."
"Well, I assume the fever accounts for it perhaps? Although it is a strange reaction to a fever and Saitō-kun is, ah, usually very quiet."
"He didn't like the way Sano-san was looking at Chizuru-chan," murmured Sōji, almost but not quite inaudibly. He somehow dodged a jab from Nagakura, Hijikata noted.
"Eh?" said Kondō. "But… I take it that there was no serious problem, since everything is resolved now?"
Sōji started to make another not-quite-inaudible comment, but Hijikata had known it was coming and shot him a glare that made even the redoubtable First Division Captain pause. It was almost as if he'd been able to tell him to shut up without having to voice it aloud. He'd have to try that again sometime. Mind you, Nagakura was looking a little pale as well, but presumably that was just the glare.
"Things were resolved… more or less," Sannan confirmed slightly reluctantly. "But not before one of the strange men from the Ikedaya came here accompanied by the young woman who claims to be a relation of Yukimura-kun's. … Although, to be fair, there is a strong resemblance between the two in my opinion."
Hijikata just nodded briefly when Kondō-san glanced from Sannan-san to him. Of course, the resemblance could just be because both girls were… not really human… Then again, unless they'd been fed a complete pack of lies (which he wasn't wholly discounting in his optimistic moments), all the pureblood Oni were so inbred that they should all resemble each other to a certain extent. He almost grimaced when he remembered that he, Yamazaki, Shiranui Kyō and Kimigiku-san all had at least one rather noticeable feature in common. The two shinobis weren't so bad, but the bizarrely-dressed Chōshu sympathizer was just irritating.
The Vice Commander felt strangely out-of-place for a moment. It was a jarring feeling, this sudden sense of being an outsider as he watched Sannan-san reporting the events of the past four days to Kondō-san and Gen-san – especially as the discussion reached the strangest point. He had allowed some of the speech to flow past him, but the two other men's reactions were as clear to him as if they had spoken their thoughts and feelings aloud. Nagakura was also listening closely, as was Sōji, of course. The younger men's eyes kept flickering periodically toward Hijikata.
"… They claimed to be Oni, Commander," Sannan was saying firmly, as if in response to a request to repeat his words. "Amagiri-san – who injured Tōdō-kun – and Sen-hime – as she called herself at the time – were very clear that only their help would keep Saitō-kun alive. Since Yamazaki-kun was unequivocally of the opinion that he would die within the hour without assistance we could not give, it seemed worth the risk."
Sannan-san fell silent. After a minute's thought, he added:
"I cannot say if Hijikata-san and I made the right choice, in the end, but in retrospect I'm not sure what would have happened if we had denied the visitors access to Saitō-san. Amagiri-san – and the two young women – were courteous and respectful, but it was clear that they had unusual powers."
"Is this – can this be – really true?! It sounds like a tale for children!" Kondō finally couldn't restrain himself, and he didn't look at all amused. "If this is a joke, Sannan-kun – Toshi – then I think you should bring it to an end!"
"It's not a joke, Kondō-san," Hijikata said in a sombre voice. "As far as we can tell, these people are not human. We – Sannan-san and I – saw them change form from human to white-haired demons with golden eyes."
"What?! But that's –"
"Yes, very much like the furies," agreed Sannan-san quietly. "And Saitō-kun changed form as well, and showed every indication of being in terrible, almost intolerable pain – much like a man taking the ochimizu except worse. Amagiri-san told us that he was actually lessening Saitō-kun's pain, and if that is true then I must believe the man when he told us that most people do not survive such a change."
"And," pursued Hijikata, "the pain was somehow… conveyed… mentally to many of us."
"That's true enough," Nagakura suddenly put in. "I only had the dimmest sense of it, but Sano was just about off his head over it."
"I think I felt it too, Kondō-san," Okita said, his eyes now fixed on the Commander, as if trying to convey what had happened. "And even Heisuke, who should have been too badly hurt to move – I heard that he had tried to leave his room."
Nagakura nodded emphatically. "You can ask Yamazaki, too. He had to re-bandage Heisuke's forehead – it was in pretty bad shape."
The Commander was looking at them all in patent disbelief, although it was disbelief touched with a hint of hope: despite how strange it would all be, Hijikata thought, some part of Kondō-san wanted to believe that the old tales might be true… Gen-san simply looked stunned, as well he might.
"This change we saw with the strangers, and with Saitō, was not truly identical to the rasetsu, though, Kondō-san," Hijikata said after a moment. "These people – and I think even Saitō now that he has recovered from the process itself – seem more powerful than the furies; however, I don't really have a clear basis for comparison. Also, the change in form includes horns, like the mythical Oni, and even short claws. I do believe that it almost killed Saitō, although I suppose that's hard to say since he was dying anyway. It left him in far worse shape than the ochimizu would have."
"I'm not so sure," Sannan contradicted, although he sounded more interested than aggressive about it. "I think that he was terribly injured, yes, but that appeared to be mostly from the pressure that Amagiri-san had to use to restrain him. The broken ribs and the burn…"
"Hmm, yes, I take your point. And he started healing from the worst of it within only a few minutes of the process being done – not as quick as the furies, but then, he was terribly weakened from fever in the first place. He's still a bit thin, I think."
"Too much time with Chizuru-chan and not enough sleep," smirked Okita, as if he suddenly felt a need to break the tension.
Both Nagakura and Okita were deeply troubled, Hijikata realized, and it occurred to him that they'd never really heard all the details or seen the change in form. Watching them, the Vice Commander could pick up that it was the news of Saitō's transformation that really bothered them – something suspected but not closely examined previously. Meanwhile, Kondō-san was reacting predictably to Sōji's comment.
"But – you must have made sure that Yukimura-chan wasn't harmed in any way?!" This was directed entirely at Hijikata, which didn't surprise him in the least.
"She was in her room the whole time, being watched over by Sen-hime's bodyguard, Kimigiku-san. As for the rest of it," Hijikata shrugged. "They're adults, I suppose, but don't let Sōji mislead you. Saitō's in love with the girl, and while I agree it's a bit strange to see, he's awfully self-restrained by nature. I don't think you need to worry about it."
"She is a girl under our care," said Inoue firmly. "We must worry about it. However, it would be very out-of-character for Saitō-kun to do anything to distress her."
Kondō-san nodded, relaxing perceptibly.
Sōji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, Hajime-kun's just about perfect. Except now he's perfect and a demon maybe. I'm not sure how I feel about that."
"I believe that Okita-kun has touched on the main issue," said Sannan seriously to the Commander. "We know almost nothing about these so-called Oni. They appear to pose a physical threat. We don't know, but I got the impression that they found out or suspect something about the furies." He ignored the reactions and exclamations from the others. "Assuming that such a thing as an Oni exists – and we might as well – then I gather that Yukimura-kun is also an Oni. One of our own captains may be one; I am not quite sure what Saitō-kun's nature is at this point, but I think we should find out. In fact, more than one of our captains seems to have been affected by events at the Ikedaya, is that not correct, Hijikata-kun?"
Hijikata had seen where this was going and nodded.
"The Oni – Amagiri-san, Sen-hime and Kimigiku-san – all indicated that Harada is likely part-Oni, and perhaps more than just him. They said that they were just as surprised as we were. I don't know if this is true."
"Yeah… the girl, Sen-hime, did say something about Sano maybe being like Saitō… And she's probably right. But he hasn't gotten really sick like Saitō did, so I don't know what to think."
"Hijikata-san has spoken more often with the Oni than I have," Sannan noted with just the smallest hint of malice. "Perhaps he has other insights to share."
Everyone turned to Hijikata: Kondō-san and Gen-san continued to look a little shocked; Sannan-san had the deeply intent look he had been getting lately when considering his research; Nagakura just seemed curious and a little worried; and Sōji was… very hard to read. In his own way, Sōji was as avid as Sannan-san to find out everything he could about the Oni, Hijikata decided.
"I don't mind telling you what I know," Hijikata said, finally. "But I feel as if Harada and Saitō should be here. And Heisuke, too."
"But… well… why don't you just give us a summary, Toshi? Then we'll have dinner in a while and you and I and Sannan-kun can discuss things then?" Kondō-san looked as though he considered inviting Okita as well, but recognized that it wouldn't be appropriate.
"Um, Kondō-san?"
"Yes, Nagakura-kun?"
"Sano and I were planning to go out for a drink to celebrate how things went at the Ikedaya, you know? Do you think that will still be okay?"
The Commander broke into a wide smile.
"Well! Finally something that makes sense! Of course you can go. It sounds like Toshi and Sannan-kun and I will have a lot to talk about…"
"Great, thanks!"
"And Heisuke and I were going to go too," Sōji put in. "Unless you need me around to help out with anything, Kondō-san?"
"Eh? No, no, you should all go and have fun!" Kondō was looking much happier now. "I'll give Nagakura-kun some money so that you can all have a round of drinks on me!"
Sannan-san looked annoyed that the tone of the conversation had shifted, but he simply asked:
"Is Saitō-kun on patrol this evening, Hijikata-kun? Who is going with him?"
"Yes, and Yamazaki is going with him to keep an eye on things. I spent the afternoon drawing up a more standard schedule, now that I know we're closer to full strength. Do you think you'll be ready for a patrol route tomorrow, Gen-san?"
"Oh yes," the older man said pleasantly, "no trouble there."
"Then I'll make sure to add you in…"
"About the Oni, though, Hijikata-san?"
Sōji again. Hijikata's eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, Kondō-san intervened.
"Sōji, I've changed my mind! Time for a bath, then a rest and something to drink… Toshi and Sannan-kun and I can discuss these other things after dinner. But it seems unfair not to let Saitō-kun take part in tonight's celebration… and Yukimura-chan too if she wants to go. I do understand what you're saying, Sannan-kun –" here, he looked directly at Sannan and nodded. "But I don't think that anyone, especially a man who has been a trustworthy and honourable comrade should be set aside just because he was grievously affected by whatever happened at the Ikedaya. I assure you that we'll look carefully into everything. Sōji! You and Saitō-kun know each other well, are you really worried about what he might do?"
Hijikata couldn't help but smirk a little, at least to himself. For once, Sōji was stuck… Either he went along with taking things a bit more slowly on the information-sharing, or he had to tell Kondō-san that he was wrong – and Sōji wouldn't do that. Sannan-san looked a bit frustrated, but he didn't let it show after a preliminary flash of annoyance. Then again, Sannan-san was going to bring it up again after dinner.
Both Sannan-san and Sōji knew that the delay was inevitable though, once they thought about it. A tale of Oni and strange magic just seemed fantastical, whereas Kondō-san desperately wanted to tell them about his visit with the local Aizu high command.
"I think I agree with Kondō-san," Nagakura said slowly, and Hijikata looked sharply at him. Nagakura Shinpachi was sometimes overlooked as a tactician, because he appeared to value swinging a sword and drinking over using his brain. Hijikata occasionally – very occasionally – made that mistake, and whenever he did he regretted it.
"Arigatou, Nagakura-kun!" replied Kondō with a broad smile.
"Saitō hasn't done anything wrong – at least, if he did he's been punished for it, right? I know we have to worry about security and I know that it could be a problem if he – or Sano – get too mixed up with these Oni. But I think Saitō's solid and I know Sano agrees. I say we hear Kondō-san's good news at dinner, have a good meal, and try to focus on normal stuff for once, just for a while."
Sōji accepted defeat with good grace, although he gave Hijikata a strange look that the Vice Commander really didn't understand.
"Well, since Kondō-san's buying our first round, that sounds fine to me, Shinpachi-san! What do you want to bet that Hajime-kun insists on going out for part of his round, though?"
"No bet," Nagakura said immediately.
Hijikata smiled a little. Kondō-san and Nagakura were both right, it would be good to pretend things were normal for a little bit. On the whole, he was pleased with how things had worked out. He'd really hoped that the Commander would be too preoccupied with the good news for the Shinsengumi – which is what he should be thinking about – to delve too deeply into the whole Oni question tonight. Now he just had figure out how to keep the discussion from going sideways after dinner.
[II] - Between Two Worlds
Saitō, Chizuru and Harada were taking their leave of Sen-hime, her shinobi and their guest. All six of them had walked almost to the end of the lane that opened onto the road in this particular affluential neighbourhood of Kyoto. Harada had almost nonchalantly fallen into step beside Sen-hime, which pleased Chizuru and Saitō, though in slightly different ways. Saitō had tried not to be disappointed when Kimigiku-san had drawn Chizuru a little way back from the party to speak with her. However, he found Amagiri's company restful, and partway down the path, Amagiri had taken the opportunity to speak briefly with him.
"I will probably be leaving tomorrow afternoon or evening. Please ask Hijikata-san if he would do me the honour of speaking with me tonight or tomorrow."
"If the Commander has returned then the Vice Commander may not have the time to come here."
"Understood. However, I can easily speak with him for a few minutes closer to your headquarters or in Shimabara."
Saitō thought for a moment.
"Harada would know?" he ventured.
"Hai."
Saitō found himself a little at a loss. He wanted to ask why the other man was leaving almost two days earlier than foreseen. He was also surprised to find that he was disappointed about Amagiri-san's departure, even though it had been anticipated from the start. He only cared personally about a very small number of people and he relied on even fewer, but Amagiri-san was clearly in the latter category.
"Also, Saitō…"
Saitō turned his head slightly to show that he had heard, momentarily forgetting that Amagiri-san would simply evaluate his attention by different means.
"It would be good for you to meet Kazama Chikage-sama's sister and brother. Whether you wish to be or not, you are part of two worlds now. More than any of your comrades, at least for the time being. You will have to start paying careful attention to your… choices. I am not suggesting that you are now or ever will be in opposition to the Shinsengumi; however, there are those on both sides who may perceive things differently."
Saitō nodded silently. Despite the more pleasant distractions of the day, he was slowly becoming more aware of the looming problems – if anything, he wasn't sure why it had taken him so long.
"You are out in the city tonight?"
"Yes."
"Then I may see you. I am more concerned than you may realize about the unknown Oni who altered Kyō's mind. That would take a great deal of doing."
"Oh…" Saitō breathed the syllable out like a curse. He had forgotten. The Shinsengumi had been threatened, a valuable operative incapacitated… and he had forgotten. And Shiranui Kyō-san was a brother of sorts, although an enemy.
"Try not to be too angry with yourself. I think… I think this person has extraordinary Gifts of the Mind and likely Soul. It is curious not to know who would have such extraordinary Gifts, but if they are deliberately breaking our laws then they would certainly stay quiet about it. Twice now I have sensed him nearby and twice he has immediately disappeared."
"He?"
"Almost certainly, but I am not sure."
They stopped beside Harada and Sen-hime. A moment later, Kimigiku-san caught up to them, with Chizuru looking thoughtful at her side. Sen-hime immediately took her cousin's hand.
"You have to come by tomorrow morning, Chizuru-chan. Chiharu-chan and Kichirō-kun are quite different from Chikage, I promise."
She could sense that none of her guests were wholly convinced, least of all Saitō.
"I hope that we can return tomorrow," he said politely, one hand lightly on Chizuru's shoulder. "However, things may be very busy if the Commander has returned…"
"We'll see what we can do," said Harada, a little more optimistically.
"If you say that they are good people, then I'm sure it will be pleasant to meet them," Chizuru added, reassured by Saitō's touch. She was as determined as ever to face whatever needed to be faced, however, she still got slightly anxious when she thought of the blond man from the inn.
"You know where to leave a message, Harada-san," noted Kimigiku, with only the slightest note of censure in her tone.
Harada wisely ignored it and bowed. His eyes were warm as they met Sen-hime's, and the princess blushed very faintly.
"Nagakura Shinpachi and I will be out together tonight, Kimigiku-san. Perhaps we will see you."
"Indeed."
Chizuru started to get concerned about the time, and Saitō immediately bowed to each of Sen-hime, Amagiri-san and Kimigiku-san. Then he started down to the main road, pausing only to wait for Chizuru to make hurried bows to the older Oni and exchange a quick double-hand-clasp with Sen-hime. Not long after, Harada followed after them, having taken his leave in a strictly decorous manner.
"Sorry we stuck you with the late shift tonight, Saitō," Harada told the other man as they moved briskly through beautiful streets providing access to large, half-seen houses.
"It is fine," Saitō responded. "I would like to see how things are."
"Mmm. Chizuru-chan, how was your day?"
Harada was perceptive enough to catch the slightest shadow cross Saitō's face and understood the problem immediately. But he was damned if he was going to do anything about it. This was something that Saitō could cope with.
"It was a lot of fun, Harada-san, thank you," Chizuru replied without hesitation. "And I got to learn so much! But I still have a long way to go… Osen-chan knows a lot, of course; she's very powerful for her age. She's very kind, too, and very pretty."
Chizuru peeped over at Harada-san, saw that he was smiling at her in a rather knowing way; she looked down, embarrassed to be caught trying to praise her friend to the man her friend liked. She also sensed that Saitō-san – Hajime – was laughing at her, although his face appeared calm. He was looking off to the side, however, probably so that she couldn't see his eyes clearly.
"As it happens, Chizuru-chan, I agree with you," Harada said in laughing tones. "Why don't you ask Saitō for his opinion?" The amber eyes had the faintest hint of the reckless glint they got occasionally.
"I agree that Sen-hime is knowledgeable and kind," Saitō said before Chizuru could decide what to do. "I will leave Harada to judge her appearance, as he is more knowledgeable about these things."
Chizuru tensed, but Harada-san seemed to take the gibe (if that's what it was) in good part. Nevertheless, she changed the subject.
"Do you suppose Kondō-san is back?"
Saitō's puzzled look seemed to ask her why they would bother to speculate when they could just find out for certain in a few minutes. Harada gave one of his casual shrugs, but then nodded.
"Seems likely to me. He enjoys hanging out with the bigwigs, but he also cares a lot about the men in the Shinsengumi. So he'll want to see how the guys are getting along – especially the ones hurt at the Ikedaya."
For a moment, Harada-san looked sad, and Chizuru felt sorrow as well for the one man who had been killed and the two men who hadn't been expected to survive the incident. Although she'd heard this morning that the latter were still alive…
"Um, I heard that Ando-san and Niita-san were doing a little better today, Harada-san."
"Huh – they've improved too, have they? That's interesting." Harada's voice was neutral, but Chizuru knew that he was wondering if she'd had something to do with the soldiers' survival.
"W-well, I guess we'll have to see, right?"
But she knew in her heart that they were going to get better and it was probably because of her. Kimigiku had strongly encouraged Chizuru learning more about her family's heritage and her own healing abilities. On the other hand, the shinobi also said that she had never heard of an ability to heal on such a scale, especially without conscious effort. It was daunting to think of how much Oni lore had been lost over the last fifty to one hundred years. Apparently Osen-chan's family did keep records, but there was nobody to work with them right now, although Osen-chan's uncle did ensure their safety on a regular basis.
"Saitō…" Harada didn't want to risk mind-to-mind contact, since he and Saitō seemed to have a bad habit of accidentally pushing too far.
Saitō, who had drifted close enough to Chizuru to allow their fingers to brush occasionally, glanced across her at Harada. He reflected that it was convenient – for practical purposes – that they carried their swords on different sides. It allowed them to place Chizuru between them where she was safest and least likely to be jostled by the crowds.
"Do you suppose you could show me your trick for moving the way you did the other night? I don't know if I can do it on my own, but I'd like to try."
Saitō was slightly surprised. It was a logical request, but it was strange to be asked to teach an Oni skill.
"I don't know if I can show you… but we can find out. Perhaps later today or tomorrow. Evidently I can bring somebody along with me…" After all, he'd brought Harada in his wake the last time, or so it seemed. "Amagiri-san would be a better teacher, though. Unfortunately, he is leaving tomorrow afternoon or evening."
"Really?"
"Oh no," said Chizuru, distressed.
"Why so troubled?" asked Harada curiously.
"Well, it's just that… he seems so calm and, and good at explaining things. But Kimigiku-san is very knowledgeable as well, Harada-san. Although I expect that Saitō-san will be able to show you."
Chizuru was not oblivious to the looks that were shared over her head. However, she was quite confident in Saitō-san's ability to do most things. Let the men find out for themselves, though… She sometimes thought that Kimigiku-san didn't care for or trust men much, but the apparently friendly Oni woman was surprisingly reserved about herself for somebody who tended to be very forthright in her speech. In any event, Chizuru was sorry that Amagiri-san was leaving, although he still intimidated her a little. Saitō-san seemed to like studying with him.
"I suppose it has something to do with the incident with Shiranui Kyō – do you suppose that's the problem, Saitō?" Harada was still puzzling things out.
"Aa. Amagiri-san implied as much to me. I expect that Shiranui is returning to report to Kazama Chikage… -sama."
"But if Shiranui is already gone, isn't that a problem?"
Saitō seemed to think for a moment. Then he said:
"It may be that he is able to travel faster. Like I did the other night but over distances."
Harada shook his head slightly but kept his reflections to himself; it seemed to him that the Oni were very powerful – and his two companions were Oni, or so close that it made little difference. He also acknowledged that he had already started down the same path as Saitō, and he wondered where it would lead. On a completely different note, though…
"Saitō, was there anything you wanted to pick up in the city before returning to headquarters?"
There was only a flicker of hesitation before the other man nodded calmly.
"Yes. It will not take me long."
"Then I'll go on ahead to let them know you're coming. Don't worry, Chizuru-chan, you won't have a problem getting back on time!"
Chizuru easily sensed that there had been some kind of rapid understanding between the two captains, but she had been deep in thought about what Kimigiku had told her in the short time they had spoken in private before leaving. However, while she was anxious to get back so that Hijikata-san would not be upset with her, she didn't want to miss the opportunity to shop with Saitō, even if it was just for extra vegetables, or miso, or whatever.
Harada hurried off with a friendly wave, and Chizuru turned to Saitō.
"What do you need to buy, Saitō-san?"
"A mirror."
She blinked at him, but followed him obediently as he threaded his way through the afternoon crowd. Saitō-san was less obvious than some of the taller captains like Nagakura-san or Okita-san (or of course, Harada-san), but people still seemed to move out of his way. She had a feeling that he was using some of his Oni abilities, but he seemed quite normal to her. For a moment she wondered if he regretted becoming an Oni, but she suppressed the thought almost immediately. She could practically hear Saitō-san telling her: "It is fine." He would mean it, too.
They stopped in front of a store that Saitō-san seemed to know well, probably from his patrols, and went inside to look at a number of mirrors carefully displayed along one wall. As Saitō-san scanned several of them, attended by an obsequious shopkeeper who seemed slightly afraid of the Shinsengumi captain, Chizuru's curiosity overcame her.
"Um, Saitō-san? Why do you need a mirror?"
"It is a gift," he said simply, before pointing at a very pretty oval mirror set in a reddish wood with metal fittings and a small silver design of a cherry blossom at the top. "Do you like that one?"
"I… yes? But…" Chizuru didn't know what to say. Was he buying it for her? It was clearly intended to be a lady's mirror, and large enough to be used for arranging and ornamenting hair, not just for make-up. However, if she protested aloud, the shopkeeper was likely to look very strangely at them, since Chizuru was supposed to be a boy.
Saitō-san picked up the mirror in strong hands and turned it gently. Finding it well-made and the fittings of decent quality, he handed it carefully to the shopkeeper, who named a price that made Chizuru wince a little. Saitō-san looked at the man for a moment.
"What did you give the man who crafted this mirror," he asked in his usual, flat tone.
The reply came back almost at once; the shopkeeper looked a little surprised by his own honesty, in fact. Saitō-san nodded.
"I will give you an amount between the two." He named a price slightly closer to the shopkeeper's. "Will that be acceptable?"
The shopkeeper bowed and murmured and hurried away to wrap the mirror.
"Um, Saitō-san?"
"You want a mirror, do you not?"
"Yes? I mean – yes, I do, but I don't need something that pretty." Or expensive.
"Is it a good gift?"
"Yes! But –"
"Good."
They walked together back through Kyoto to the Shinsengumi Headquarters. Saitō carried the mirror under his right arm after making sure that it wasn't in the way of his sword hilts. Chizuru had not protested the purchase any further, since it seemed ungrateful. And out in public she didn't feel as though she could thank him properly either. Except that he didn't like being thanked, now that she thought about it.
When they arrived at the main gates, Saitō was informed that the Commander had returned over an hour ago. He nodded his understanding and led Chizuru quickly back to her room. In fact, she could tell that they weren't walking exactly. It was more like stepping from one place to another, and she was fascinated by it.
"When you teach Harada-san, will you teach me too?" she asked.
"If I can."
She quickly opened the door to her room and Saitō deposited the package on the low writing desk.
"We'll have to find a place for it later. We should see the Vice Commander now."
"Of course. Um, Hajime? Thank you for the mirror."
Although the door was still partially open, there was nobody around, so she gave him a shy kiss on the cheek. He looked startled, but only for a moment. Then he studied her seriously, tilting her chin up slightly with one hand.
"This is… customary, correct? I may give you gifts if I wish?"
"Yes, I suppose that's true," Chizuru agreed doubtfully, a little lost.
"Then you should not be so hesitant to accept. It makes me think that you are trying to avoid an obligation. But there is no obligation, unless I have misunderstood the nature of our relationship."
Saitō was intent on her face, which was becoming uncomfortably warm. She noticed that he wasn't blushing at all.
"Um, no – no, you haven't! At least… I don't think so. But I can still thank you for your consideration."
She saw the now-familiar quirk at one corner of his mouth and relaxed a little.
"That seems reasonable. Shall we go?"
She nodded emphatically, but then took the time to wipe the dust from her face with a damp cloth before they set out for the Vice Commander's quarters. Saitō observed this without comment. Chizuru felt mildly embarrassed, but she had the impression that he was not bothered; he would probably file it away as something to keep in mind for another time.
When they reached the Vice Commander's quarters, not long after five o'clock, Saitō was surprised to find Hijikata-san within. He had assumed that everyone would be in the common room speaking with Kondō-san; he had only come here first because it was somewhat on the way.
"Hmm, good, you're back then… have a seat." The Vice Commander sounded preoccupied, so his subordinate and his (alleged) page knelt to wait for him to be free.
"Change of plans, Saitō. You're going out with the others this evening. Yukimura is invited as well."
"Vice Commander?"
"Those are Kondo-san's orders." Hijikata finished what he was writing and came over to sit with them, although he took up his preferred cross-legged position.
"Perhaps I could do a half-shift, then?"
"Yes, we all thought you'd say that. However, the answer is still no. To forestall any plans you might have, we have decided that your vice-captain, Magoshi and Nagakura's second, Shimada, will take your men out on a two hour patrol from ten until midnight. Yamazaki will accompany them part of the way, but his main object will be to locate our missing spy. Magoshi and Shimada have been informed of our decision. Oh, and don't worry, Shimada wasn't out with Nagakura's men this afternoon, so he's in good shape."
Saitō said nothing for a moment. Hijikata watched him sardonically.
"Yes, Vice Commander," Saitō said at last.
"Good answer," Hijikata said dryly. "Now then, I suppose it would be too much to hope that everything is quiet with the damn Oni."
Once again, Saitō hesitated before speaking. Then he decided not to respond to his superior's intemperate wording – after all, Chizuru was an Oni – but simply take it as intended.
He delivered an accurate report, although he left out certain non-essentials. By the time he was done, Hijikata was scowling.
"Yukimura, do you have anything to add?"
"No, Hijikata-san."
"Kondō-san was concerned about your wellbeing."
"Oh! That was very kind of him." Chizuru smiled. She was looking forward to seeing Kondō-san again. She never saw a great deal of him, but he was always very gentle with her and had occasionally brought her treats over the longs months spent inside the compound.
"I take it that you would like to see your cousin again – and your cousin's guests?"
"Yes please, Hijikata-san. If that's alright?"
Hijikata nodded. "It's likely that Kondō-san will authorize it, unless the situation changes. But tell me something. Didn't it occur to you to just stay with your cousin? I'm quite sure that she and Kimigiku-san would prefer it."
"Um… You told me to be back here an hour before dinner. And – and, I assumed that you wanted me to cook tonight, for Kondō-san."
"You're a very strange girl," Hijikata said, his scowl lightening a little. "They're Oni like you and your family, and they dressed you in pretty clothes – I assume they were pretty clothes, Saitō?"
"Yes, Vice Commander," the Third Division Captain replied imperturbably. He was a fast learner and had been waiting for some kind of comment.
"Hnh." Hijikata mentally saluted his subordinate, but went on questioning Yukimura. "And if they invited you to stay then what would you do?"
The girl looked troubled.
"It would depend on whether I was free to leave, Hijikata-san. At the moment you only allow me out on condition that I don't try to escape. And even then, it might depend on the situation."
"Oh?"
"Recently, I have been useful to you – to the Shinsengumi. I would not want to leave unless I was in the way here or could be more useful at my cousin's. At the same time, I haven't forgotten that my reason for coming to Kyoto was to find my father – well, the man who raised me. I know that everyone believes him to have done a terrible thing, but how can I know that until I find him and ask? I'm not sure how to carry out my search, however. And I don't want to bring more of… my family's problems, I suppose… down on the Shinsengumi."
She stopped, having talked herself into a state of somewhat emotional confusion. Hijikata's expression was hard to read, but she thought his eyes held something like compassion.
"You would almost certainly be safer with your family and you would definitely be more comfortable. I expect Saitō would say the same."
"The Vice Commander is correct," Saitō stated flatly. He was completely unreadable.
"In any event, nothing can be decided right away, or by me," Hijikata concluded. He eyed the girl with a faint trace of amusement. "Yukimura… You look miserable at the idea of being forced to spend your time in Kyoto dressing in silk and drinking tea with your cousin. Why would that be, I wonder?"
He got no response and sighed.
"The two of you are just a little troubling, you know. You really need to give some thought to your future – both of you. Alright, Yukimura, please go start dinner. Assume everyone will be here."
"Yes Hijikata-san!" Chizuru bowed and left the room, with only a last quick glance at Saitō before she shut the door behind her.
Once she was gone, the two men faced each other in silence for some time.
"Kondō-san is inclined to take things somewhat lightly, for now," Hijikata said at last. "He's intrigued by the idea of Yukimura having a wealthy relative in town that she didn't know about. However, I didn't have time to explain to him – to any of them! – that Yukimura Kōdō-sensei isn't her father and that the Oni are a very real potential threat. Sannan-san is under no illusions, however, and I expect our discussion this evening could be more challenging. It's hard to say. The Commander has good news for the organization, and he has said that he wants to leave the situation with the Oni – and Yukimura – aside for a time while we consider what we need to do on a more practical level."
Saitō nodded. There could be bonus money to be paid out, increased privileges, and – most needed of all – recruiting to undertake.
"However," continued Hijikata, rising to look out his window as he often did, "I have not yet informed him – or Sannan-san – of the possibility that more officers than just you and Harada may be… affected."
"Will you do that tonight, Vice Commander?"
It was unlike Saitō to ask a direct question when he could just wait to be given the answer. Evidently he had been wondering about this matter.
"If I can, yes. Although it might better to wait until tomorrow, since then Kondō-san will have had a chance to speak with everyone and think things over more. However, this matter of an Oni spy – and one who may be playing tricks with Sōji and possibly others – is troubling. I just don't think that it is helpful to go into that tonight."
Neither man bothered to state the obvious: that if the Oni were to be believed, then the Vice Commander, at least one captain, and the chief spy of the Shinsengumi were closely connected to a known Chōshu sympathizer (to put it no stronger). In fact, it seemed probable that most of the captains had ties to the Oni, but direct ties to Shiranui Kyō were probably the biggest problem. Well, that and Saitō's apparently serious interest in Yukimura, who was apparently neck-deep in Oni politics without wanting to be. And what if Harada really did get involved with the princess?
"I would prefer to go on patrol this evening," stated Saitō. "Harada and Nagakura wanted a chance to get away from everything and relax."
"You have to go out and have a drink," Hijikata said bluntly. "And take Yukimura with you. Look upon it as a chance to spend time with her that you weren't expecting."
"In Shimabara."
"She might as well get used to you drinking… Do you think it will bother her?"
"No." Saitō's voice was a little clipped.
Hijikata's eyes narrowed.
"Ah. You think that she trusts you to do the right thing no matter what and you'd rather not take advantage, which might be a problem if you drink too much. And… it bothers you that very little you do will bother her because then you have to live up to that."
Saitō's silence spoke for itself.
"No matter how you look at it, you can't win this one. Or you can't lose. I'm not altogether sure which. Sōji's been pointing out that you're hardly in a bad spot – you have a cute girl who seems to adore you (although the rest of us can't figure out why), and you're well on your way to inhuman speed and strength without the ochimizu. Granted, you sometimes have horns and slight fangs, but you aren't insane and caged, which is a plus."
The Third Division Captain was letting a certain of amount tension leak through his mental shields, and Hijikata dropped any pretence.
"Sōji isn't all wrong, Saitō."
"Agreed."
"Do you plan to marry her?"
"Yes."
Hijikata was surprised by Saitō's absolute certainty, but he couldn't quite understand the frustration he heard underlying the word.
"Well, for the gods' sake what's the problem then? Other than the fact that members of the Shinsengumi aren't supposed to marry – and that's been waived before – and she's a demon, what has you tied up in knots?"
Saitō glared at the Vice Commander and got the look back with interest. Hijikata had a lot more practice. Realizing what he was doing, Saitō quickly lowered his eyes and bowed.
"Sumimasen deshita, Hijikata-san. The truth is that I feel like I – like all of us – are being manipulated… And sometimes I wonder if what I feel is real and more importantly I wonder if what Yukimura feels is just some Oni trick of the mind. It was simpler when I didn't know of such things."
Hijikata breathed out slowly. Yes, he thought, that would be very, very troubling indeed. And since we learned of the Oni, and what they can do, it's not a totally unfounded fear.
"Could you ask Amagiri-san?"
"I could, I think. But don't you think… it shows a lack of trust…? Of… faith?"
"I think it may be necessary under the circumstances."
"Could you come tonight, then?"
"What?" Hijikata was confused. "Come where?"
"I was thinking that I could take Yukimura to her cousin's home after the first hour or two. I can speak with Amagiri-san then. It might be better for everyone. If you were able to come as well…"
"Are you sure it won't be too late for Sen-hime?"
"Yes. My observation is that they keep late hours as well as early ones when necessary. I think that Oni need less sleep."
"I'll think about it. It will depend a great deal on the Commander and Sannnan-san. I won't lie to them." Not without a damn good reason, anyway, and I don't have one. The Shinsengumi must come first.
"I hope that you are able to come."
"You are concerned about these new arrivals?"
"Even Amagiri-san has said that the Kazama family, and Kazama Chikage in particular, are tremendously strong. What if the sister and brother are there on their older brother's orders?"
"I said I'll try to be there."
"Yes, Vice Commander. May I add one thing?"
Hijikata nodded assent.
"I think I know what Amagiri-san wishes to speak with you about. It is relevant to our discussion."
"And?"
Saitō seemed to gather himself a little before speaking. He had already had to speak a great deal.
"I never told you about the whole lecture I was given on the Oni Trials and Gifts. There wasn't time. However, one point has been made to me several times, by both Kimigiku-san and Amagiri-san in different ways but also quite directly: an Oni who has passed all the Trials and who is over sixteen is considered an adult and – more importantly in their society as it is now – a potential mate. In fact, marriage is strongly encouraged."
"And tomorrow morning, or whenever you and Yukimura pass your final Trial, you believe there will be pressure to marry?" Hijikata was a little taken aback. He hadn't been thinking in those time frames. Marriage was generally a very formal affair, if one had any status or wealth. Offers had to be made in the proper form and so on. Moreover, the individuals in question had only been together – in any real sense – for a few days.
"But, Hijikata-san, many married people barely know their partner at all."
"Stay out of my head, damn you!"
"Gomenasai, Vice Commander."
"You can't tell me you want to get married anytime soon, Saitō?! It's absurd, and there's no real need. All joking aside – are you serious that you think this is a good idea?"
Saitō closed his eyes, so that he looked like he was seated in seiza, meditating; his hands lay loosely on his thighs. And then, slowly, he changed. A few seconds later, when his eyes opened, they were golden.
"Vice Commander. I am – very nearly – an Oni. And it has taken me a number of days to understand, but an Oni is not human. It defies logic and common sense, but yes, I do want to get married. I want the… right to be with Yukimura when I am off duty. It's as if something is incomplete; I'm not – quite – whole right now."
"Are you sure you aren't just talking yourself into this – or letting them talk you into it? Maybe you need to stay away from the others for a while, focus on things here."
"I will follow your orders, Vice Commander."
There was a long silence, with the taller man staring unseeing out the window at the tree in the garden beyond, and the slighter man kneeling patiently on the floor, eyes closed. His breath was regular, but his heartbeat was a little fast.
"Go tonight." The Vice Commander's voice was slightly harsh, but otherwise he was well-contained. He could have been talking about going drinking, but he wasn't. "I'll find a way to join you and I'll have that chat with Amagiri-san. Although if it's about your marriage I would have thought he would talk to you first!"
"Arigatou gozaimasu."
"Thank me only when – and if – you come out of this with a whole skin. You might as well tidy yourself up and go get your head together before dinner."
"I will also pass along my instructions to Magoshi."
"Very well."
[III] - The Oni
The weary travellers were relieved when Amagiri and Kimigiku came to meet them well outside Kyoto. Without a word, Amagiri scooped up the boy, who looked much smaller and younger carried in those formidable arms. Kimigiku hugged Chiharu tightly before picking her up as well. It might look absurd, but neither of the younger Kazama cared at that moment. They were asleep on their feet, and they knew the strength in those who had come to meet them.
A surprisingly short time later, Kimigiku and Sen were helping Chiharu to bathe and trying to get some idea what had sent the young woman almost one hundred and fifty miles from her summer home to Kyoto with her middle brother. Despite huge yawns, Chiharu gave them the gist of it, and bit by bit she recovered enough stamina to stop drooping.
"It's a wild tale, Osen-chan. Even you couldn't have made this one up."
"That's what you think," murmured Kimigiku. Sen rolled her eyes.
"Well, Chikage came to see us just a few days ago. He said the Yukimura Heir – Yukimura Chizuru-sama – is alive. He says he met her…"
Kimigiku snorted in a ladylike way, and Chiharu sighed.
"Yes, I did get the idea that he made a mess of it. So it's true."
"It's true," Sen answered after a moment, after she and Kimigiku exchanged looks over Haru-chan's head. "And she's very pretty, and very innocent… and very powerful. Haru-chan, she's adorable and we can't help but be very fond of her already."
For once, Kimigiku simply nodded, without adding any of the warnings she usually put in about anyone to whom Sen got too close.
"Oh… And, do you think that she might be encouraged to marry my brother?"
Chiharu sensed the answer immediately, as the other two women fairly radiated the strong negative. Her shoulders drooped.
"Why not? Is it… is there somebody else? It can't just be Chikage's blundering for you to be so certain."
Again the answer was evident from their expressions and emotions.
Between them, Kimigiku and Sen got Chiharu settled in Sen's private sitting room, and Kimigiku poured tea.
"Don't worry, I know you want to see Amagiri as well," Sen told Chiharu, "but he'll make sure Kichirō-kun gets some rest while we talk."
Chiharu's pale hair was loosely combed down around her shoulders and back, although the long bangs were held back with a small comb as usual. She sipped her tea, deeply fatigued but nevertheless proud of her achievement. A week ago she wouldn't have believed she could go half the distance. Of course, it would take some time to recover after that kind of total exertion.
"Haru-chan – if I may still call you that? – why did you come so far and so fast? I've never seen you travel without Kazama-sama."
Chiharu nodded her understanding.
"Of course, Kimigiku… And, well, it's a very strange story, as I said. But won't you tell me a little bit about this mysterious stranger? If he is Oni then I must know him."
"I'm afraid that's a strange story too, Haru-chan," Sen replied. "He is, or was, a part-Oni, descended from the Shiranui, as well as one of the lost clans. I haven't fully determined all his bloodlines."
Sen's cousin tried to hide her surprise, but it wasn't easy. It was… somewhat insulting to think that the Yukimura Heir might accept a part-blood instead of the pureblood head of the Kazama clan and all the Western Clans. Kimigiku patted her shoulder sympathetically, and Sen went on.
"When Amagiri came across Saitō-san, he was already in the process of becoming a full Oni. We're still not entirely sure why. But when Chikage forced Chizuru-chan into her Oni form, he accidentally caught Saitō-san within the Soul magic."
"Oh no!" Chiharu was honestly shocked. "And the man didn't die?"
"No, because he was already physically changing, according to Amagiri. He did eventually become very ill – well, you know how it happens, sometimes, with the powerful ones. But this time, Amagiri was able to pull him through the Trial of Body – with Chizuru-chan and I helping, of course. Like most men, he's very stubborn about letting people help."
"So Amagiri was finally able to do that…"
All three women shared the thought of how much good such an unlooked-for success would do the red-haired warrior.
"Then the man – Saitō-san – has completed the Trial of Body. The first part-Oni in several centuries… Has he passed any of the other Trials?"
"Yes," Sen answered, "there is just the Trial of Mind to go. To be honest, Haru-chan, Saitō-san – and a handful of his comrades – are much stronger than young Oni would be with the Gifts of Soul and especially Mind."
"There are more of them?"
Eventually, Sen and Kimigiku gave Chiharu a summarized version of the events at the Ikedaya and what they had learned subsequently about the Shinsengumi. At the end of the summary, Sen – with an apologetic glance at Kimigiku, who had obviously been avoiding the matter – gently broke the news to her cousin that at least three of the Shinsengumi were children of Shiranui Toshio. As expected, Chiharu was wide-eyed with information overload.
"But… that's… insane…" she whispered. "How could she be a party to such madness?!"
"Who?" asked Kimigiku, immediately tensing. In fact, if the two younger women hadn't been so involved in the overall tale, they would have found her reaction rather excessive.
Chiharu looked from her cousin to her cousin's shinobi (who was also a cousin – a second cousin – although nobody was allowed to say so).
"I don't know if you'll believe me – I only half believe it myself – but, well… Suzuka-hime… the first Princess of the Oni. She came to tea."
Sen stared at Haru-chan, genuinely concerned. Then she turned to Kimigiku, who suddenly looked haggard.
"Oh no. No, no, no…"
"Kimigiku!"
"Kimigiku – what is it?"
Sen and Chiharu watched in great surprise as Kimigiku invoked Soul Magic and created a complex structure that they could visualize but neither understood. Despite the agitation evident on her almost invariably serene countenance, Kimigiku worked with great precision, but without saying a word. Chiharu, easily sensing her younger cousin's concern, gave her a hug.
"It must be important, Osen-chan, so be patient and have faith." Chiharu buried her own apprehensions about Osen-chan as deeply as she could, although Kimigiku's reaction to the news of Suzuka-gozen's return was alarming.
As the structure neared completion, or so they gathered, Chiharu went quietly to the door and left the room. She had sensed Amagiri's presence, and wanted to warn him to be careful.
"Amagiri," she said quietly, smiling at him.
The big Oni had been a part of her life for a long time: always at Chikage's side; or playing with and later training Kichirō and Kenshin. He had been willing to train her, as well, but it was evident that he could not quite bring himself to treat her with anything but the utmost care, which was not entirely helpful.
Amagiri didn't return her greeting. Instead, he examined her carefully and finally asked:
"Your mother spoke to you about certain matters, didn't she?"
"Ah… yes. I am so, so sorry, Amagiri. It was so wrong of them." She felt horribly embarrassed. What could you say to a man in his situation?
"You cannot judge fairly, Chiharu-sama."
Chiharu's eyes widened with hurt.
"A-Amagiri?"
He seemed to shake himself, mentally, and she felt the icy coldness retreat. When he looked at her again, he seemed much more himself.
"I really cannot call you Haru-chan, you know," he told her with a faint smile.
"I wish you would," she said firmly. "Everything seems very shaken up these past two days. I could use something… familiar."
Amagiri inclined his head.
"As you wish then, Haru-chan. Shall we go see what strange creation Kimigiku-san is fashioning? She is almost done…"
"Well, before we go in, I think you should know… I'm here because –"
"Shh. I know; Kichirō-kun told me some of it before he passed out. You have done very well, it seems."
Amagiri drew open the door, and followed Chiharu into the room. Sen was still holding her teacup and staring at Kimigiku's Soul construct, which was glowing even in the physical world now. Even as they entered, Kimigiku traced a final, sure pass with one hand, murmured Sen's name and then studied the construct – and Sen – very carefully.
Finally, she dismissed the pattern and sank a little wearily back to the cushions.
"Haru-chan is right," Kimigiku announced without any preliminary. "Her oh-so-might highness the First Lady of Yase and Kyoto is back. And damn her to hell."
The other three people in the room stared at her, utterly dumbfounded.
"It's a long story," Kimigiku told them bitterly. "You know, why don't we let Haru-chan have a short nap, while we prepare for our guests. That way I'll only have to tell it once."
"Not a chance," Chiharu said, with just a touch of anger. "I'm twenty, Kimigiku, not twelve. Besides, I'm not tired." She glanced at Amagiri. "Well, not much."
"What guests?" asked Sen, in a voice that sounded bewildered and distinctly unlike her usual optimistic tones.
"You're the seeress," muttered Kimigiku, "you'll figure it out."
"Oh for goodness sake!" Chiharu put in. "Kimigiku, we will go down to the kitchen, and we will help prepare for our guests. But please tell Osen-chan who we are expecting first."
Her calm, authoritative voice evidently got through to the strangely combative shinobi.
"Thank you," said the latter, "I needed that. Along with sake, which we'll fetch. To be honest, I'm only guessing…"
"But it is quite probable that Yukimura-sama, Saitō-san and possibly Hijikata-san will be here in a short while," concluded Amagiri. "Kimigiku, allow me to escort you downstairs and then I will seek suitable refreshment. I believe that you are correct – tea will not be sufficient."
Chiharu turned to Sen.
"Shall we, Osen-chan?"
"I believe we shall, Haru-chan." Then her face and manner fell rather pathetically. "But I wish that Harada-san was coming as well…"
The older of the pair sighed.
"Alright, Osen-chan – tell me again, but more slowly. Which one was he?"
[IV] - Chizuru & Saitō
Saitō walked to the kitchen torn between relief and anxiety. He didn't want to leave the Shinsengumi. He might have to, eventually, but in all of his somewhat nebulous plans for the future he had assumed that Chizuru would stay here with him. It wasn't until today that he had realized, fully and completely, that he might not be able to have both his homes at once. Much as he had two – or was it three? – days earlier, he wished very much that Chizuru had been no more than what she appeared. Except that then she wouldn't be herself, and that was unimaginable.
He couldn't quite believe that he had just told Hijikata-san that he was going to marry Chizuru. He hadn't even asked her yet.
When he reached the kitchen, he discovered that Chizuru had just finished the cooking and was starting to lay out trays. She looked wonderful, he thought, despite the hair clinging to her face from either sweat or steam. She glanced up at that moment, having just completed setting a tray, and her expressive deep brown eyes seemed to smile at him. Without any thought at all, except that he felt incredibly wrung out after speaking with the Vice Commander, he pulled her close and kissed her soft lips until the rest of the world seemed to matter a little less.
At that point, two small hands pushed him firmly away. Or at least tried to.
"Saitō-san – I mean, Hajime – I have to serve dinner!" The soft voice tried to be indignant but came out more as laughing.
"I know. I will help you carry the trays in a moment." Saitō pulled her tightly against him, and kissed her hair. "I am sorry I was too late to help you cook."
"It was nothing," she replied promptly, although her voice was rather muffled by his kimono.
END
Author's Note:
With very special thanks to all of you who have encouraged me, asked questions, corrected my mistakes, posted reviews, favourited, followed, and generally given me enough feedback to know that on the whole it's been fun. ARIGATOU GOZAIMASU!
[And, you know, the next few chapters are going to be awfully exciting... hehehe...]