Author's Note:
Well, that was my first ever two-week hiatus from this story. As some of you likely noticed, I was doing other writing.
But I'm back and very excited about the next few chapters!
I hope you enjoy the chapter, the mysteries and - as always - the people.
Thank you for reading my work!
~ ImpracticalOni
Quote:
I cannot tell how the truth may be;
I say the tale as it was said to me. – Sir Walter Scott
Chapter 52 – Meetings and Secrets
[I] - Hijikata
Hijikata stood outside in the small, enclosed garden, his arms crossed and his head tilted back to gaze up at the stars in the night sky. He could smell the delicate and varied scents of Yukimura's herb garden behind him, and he suddenly felt as though the months before the raid on the Ikedaya Inn were remote, divided from the present by a more tangible barrier even than time itself. There was a before and an after that forced the mind to contemplate what had changed.
He made his shoulders relax, allowing the solitude and the darkness to create some much-needed space inside his head. The distinctive smell of the lavender that had been his personal contribution to Yukimura's endeavours soothed him further.
It hadn't been an easy meeting. Sannan-san had eventually overcome Kondō's preference to leave any discussion of supernatural things to another day, and had demanded more information about the Oni, about Sen-hime and Kimigiku-san, and especially about anything that they, or Amagiri-san, had said about the rasetsu.
Hijikata had quickly discovered that he could say very little about the Oni themselves. The knowledge was there in his head, but he found himself framing things in ambiguous terms, so that the Oni sounded like little more than a highly secretive clan with tremendous strength and speed, and perhaps some kind of unusual mysticism. Even stranger was that Sannan-san couldn't describe much about what had happened with Saitō – it was as if the finer details of his memory had been heavily blurred into an impression that contained little to convince and much to doubt.
Nevertheless… Hijikata had confirmed Sannan-san's impression that the Oni did not approve of the rasetsu and he was also able to tell the other two that Amagiri-san had said that if – or was it when? – Kazama Chikage returned, the Oni would wipe out the furies as being abominations. This last part had turned even Kondō's thoughts away from planning the further rise of the Shinsengumi under the auspices of the Aizu. Once engaged with the problem, Kondō had paid close attention to the clear threat that Kazama, Amagiri-san and Shiranui posed to the Shinsengumi.
Hijikata smiled wryly at himself. Even in his mind, there was something about the big, blue-eyed Oni that commanded his respect. He would be damned before he referred to Kazama as a lord of anything (as Amagiri-san did with every second sentence). Although he hadn't met the blond man, he thought he had a good handle on his character. Mind you, calling Saitō a wolf cub had been quite funny in its own way.
Shiranui – Kyō-kun, Hijikata thought to himself – was clearly a problem. Nevertheless, he had told the Commander that he, and Saitō, and probably Yamazaki, were related "in some fashion" to Shiranui. Sannan-san had simply nodded, as though he wasn't especially surprised, but Kondō had been shocked. And yet… for some reason, neither Kondō nor Sannan-san had really pursued the logical question of just how many of the captains might be part-Oni.
It puzzled Hijikata and it made him uneasy, because there was clearly some other power at work. Somebody or something was affecting his and others' ability to process certain information and communicate. Then again, he had been warned that he would not be able to speak freely about certain things – so maybe that's all it was. Yet another unknown Oni influence.
The air was very warm, even this late, but the wind was picking up and it carried the smell of rain. Scents again… has my sense of smell gotten better? He shook his head at himself. He was ambivalent, at best, about his heritage as a part-Oni. On the one hand, it was good to be faster and stronger; on the other, it carried too many problems with it. But if I'm honest, then I find it intriguing.
Kondō had finally gone off to bed, a little more worried than he had been but still taking things optimistically. Hijikata found it soothing and frustrating at the same time – but of the two, he was by far more cheered than irritated. That was Kondō's gift. They were both worried about Sannan; Hijikata could tell that without needing to talk to Kondō about it. Another complication.
After several more minutes of staring up at the stars, which now had filmy traces of cloud scudding across them from time to time, Hijikata finally made up his mind. He would go speak to Amagiri-san, as Saitō had requested, and he would try to get a sense of what the Kazama family was like, if it wasn't too late to see them.
[II] - The Watcher
The observer on the rooftop kept his presence tightly shuttered and attempted no interference. He found this man difficult to understand. He wasn't as tightly controlled as the man Saitō; he allowed irritation and sometimes humour to come through, and he deliberately used anger to intimidate others when necessary. Both men were surprisingly self-aware, which made them dangerous to interfere with, but this man had a greater potential to influence the others, whether to pull them together or drive them apart. Since the Vice Commander had no inclination for the latter, unlike the green-eyed Okita, there was no room to create the kind of instability at which the watcher excelled.
On the whole, the silent spy was dissatisfied. His work with Okita would eventually pay off, but Saitō had become too strong, too quickly. He was going to have to accelerate things somehow, if he was going to get rid of the Third Division Captain. There was too much of a bond between the man and Chizuru; her powers were manifesting more and more strongly, and that was not going to help his plans either, at least, not until she was under his control. The fact that she had run into the Shinsengumi before he found her was proving to be a greater problem than foreseen.
In the end, he decided to wait a few more days before returning home to report. He had come close, he thought, to breaching the security at Sen-hime's private estate; he didn't like not knowing what the relationship was between the existing pureblood nobility and the part-Oni Shinsengumi. It was going to be very troubling indeed if Sen-hime found a way to deflect Kazama Chikage's anger when he discovered that his intended bride was consorting with Saitō-taichō. Not that the watcher wanted Chizuru under Kazama-sama's protection either… He needed to pit his rivals for Chizuru's attention against each other; that would be ideal.
[III] - When Not Even Drinking Helps
Sano, Shinpachi, Heisuke and Okita continued to drink steadily after Saitō left with Chizuru-chan. For a while they didn't talk much, but inevitably, despite Sano's best efforts to deflect Sōji, the talk returned to the Oni.
"I thought we were trying for a normal night out," Harada grumbled with uncharacteristic bad temper.
"How can it possibly be normal when Hajime-kun is the one who leaves with a girl?" Okita demanded with a sly wit that his comrades found hard to resist.
"I still don' know why him anyway," muttered Heisuke, who was the only one of the four who was showing signs of significant inebriation, although they were all a little red. "He never seemed int'rested in girls. But now I feel like he's been… I dunno… planning things all'along."
Shinpachi scoffed, but Sano looked thoughtful and Sōji's eyes gleamed a little.
"You may have a point, Heisuke," Okita nodded. "And it would be like him to plan very carefully. Especially since he wasn't just following orders for once. He was the one who got Chizuru-chan out of the compound on patrol, right? To be fair, he's never said much but I think he paid a lot of attention to what she really wanted and could do." The green-eyed man shrugged. "Ehn, it is what it is. It just goes to show that Saitō's been thinking about Chizuru-chan longer that we thought. Then his hand got forced with all the Oni-related stuff that happened around the Ikedaya."
"Hmm," was Harada's contribution.
Shinpachi shot a look at Sano but only said: "Well, from I've seen he's very serious about the girl. And knowing Saitō he would be. But it's not so clear to me what that means for the Shinsengumi. Mind you, Hijikata-san's got his own issues there, doesn't he?"
"And so do you and Sōji," pointed out Harada. "And Heisuke, too. Probably the best thing for all of us is to talk to Amagiri-san or Sen-hime or Kimigiku-san and get a sense of our options. I mean, thanks to Sōji you all know I went out with Sen-hime and… I'd like to again."
"I wonder how the meeting went tonight," murmured Okita. "Maybe Kondō-san would tell me…"
"I don't want to talk to the guy who split my head, thanks," Heisuke said stiffly, carefully enunciating his words.
The four of them sat in silence for a while longer. Then Sano rose:
"I don't think I'm going to relax until I have a better idea of what's going on. Shin, sorry to do this, but we'll have to try for a better evening after we get all this Oni stuff dealt with."
"You don't fool me, Sano. You're thinking of a quick run by Sen-hime's place to see if she's still up and you can talk to her – and maybe the other Oni, too!" Nagakura added the last part quickly, because there had been a slightly irritable look in his friend's eyes. "I'm not saying you're running out on us to see the girl… It's just that we're all restless tonight, which is what you predicted. Well, on the bright side, I'm more relaxed for having had the sake, and more relaxed for having heard a lot more about what's going on."
"Yeah, me too," put in Okita unexpectedly. "And if being some kind of part-demon makes me stronger, then so be it. Sure hope the rest of us don't end up like Saitō, though."
Everyone nodded a little grimly. It was unusual, since they were all prone to shrugging off or ignoring pain. Then again, it wasn't just the pain; it was the vulnerability and the apparent need for the help of enemies that they instinctively recoiled from.
"Tell you what, Sano," said Nagakura somewhat seriously. "I'll keep Sōji out of your hair now, if you promise to tell us – me, Heisuke and Sōji – what happens tonight if you see the Oni. Okay?"
"Deal," said Harada promptly. He had been worried that the other three would demand to go with him. Especially since Heisuke still had strong views about Amagiri-san. Plus, Osen-chan – Osen-sama – had said something about having relatives in town. Relatives of the blond man, Kazama.
"Funny thing, tonight," commented Nagakura. "I think Saitō actually wanted to talk – if that's possible."
"I'm not sure talking is what Saitō really wants to do…" smirked Okita, green eyes glinting under lowered lids. Shinpachi laughed, obviously in agreement. Sano nodded, not without some constraint, and Heisuke just blinked, clearly not following.
"I'll explain it on the way home, shrimp," promised Nagakura, snickering. "Now finish up your sake like a good boy."
"Baka!" growled Heisuke, rising unsteadily. "I'm not a kid. But OK, we'll go home and Harada and Saitō will go play with girls and spy on the Oni. Who include the girls. No problem…."
Okita clapped Heisuke on the back to indicate sympathy for the irony of the situation; Nagakura caught him when he stumbled. Heisuke shook them both off with the dignity of the inebriated and they made their way out of Shimabara toward the point where Sano's path would take him in a different direction from his companions.
[IV] - Captains of the Shinsengumi
Hijikata walked swiftly toward his goal, tendrils of black hair blowing around him from time to time as the gusts of wind became more frequent. He was nearing his destination when he heard voices that he recognized and the unmistakeable feeling of four of his captains. Since when was a presence more easily discerned than a familiar voice? His eyes narrowed as he considered that this might be an Oni phenomenon. Had Saitō and Harada been experiencing the same thing?
At the same moment, Harada paused briefly, his eyes fixed unerringly on a shadowy figure in the distance. He was certain that it was the Vice Commander, and he wasn't surprised to see the man turn slightly and walk purposefully toward them.
"Decided not to take advantage of the late curfew?" asked Hijikata, eyebrows rising a fraction. Even as he asked, he sensed the uneasiness in them, the awareness of something changing beyond their control; it wasn't much different from how he had been feeling.
"I said I'd walk home with the invalids. Sano wants to see if the demons are at home to callers." Nagakura's words were light, but his bright blue eyes were sharp and appeared to be unclouded by drink.
"I'm not an invalid!" Heisuke declared. He looked belligerently at Hijikata. "But I don' wanna visit the stinking Oni."
Hijikata returned Heisuke's regard levelly and then patted the young man gently on the shoulder, thoroughly surprising the other captains and shocking Heisuke.
"Neither do I, Heisuke… neither do I. For once, I completely agree with you."
"Ah… H-Hijikata-san?" Heisuke looked rather frightened. "… You okay?"
The Vice Commander smiled slightly, in a way that reminded all four captains rather uncomfortably of Sannan-san. "I'm fine. I take it that you're coming with me on my visit, Harada?"
There was a certain note in Hijikata's voice that caused Harada simply to nod.
"Well, Sano says he'll keep us informed," commented Nagakura in even tones. If he was implying that others hadn't been sharing information very well, it was politely understated.
In fact, it struck all three of the older men – Hijikata, Nagakura and Harada – that everyone was being very reasonable. Okita appeared to be contemplating the dark sky overhead, but his companions found him unreadable. Hijikata decided that he preferred unreadable to irritating at the moment.
By unspoken agreement, the two groups split into two different groups and good nights were exchanged. Hijikata and Harada walked off toward Sen-hime's home, while the other three returned to the compound, Nagakura keeping a tolerant eye on Heisuke to make sure that he didn't walk into anyone.
After a few minutes, Sōji became talkative again, and began expounding to Heisuke on his theories about why Chizuru would pick Saitō as a lover. As Heisuke blushed merely at the sound of the word, and seemed to be slightly nervous about discussing Saitō behind his back, this provided entertainment for his companions for quite some time. However, Shinpachi intervened whenever Sōji's teasing became too edged. Privately, he was a little worried. Sōji had always gotten along very well with Saitō; consequently, Shinpachi was a little taken aback by the trace of venom he heard beneath some of the First Division Captain's comments.
[V] - A Slight Stutter
Chizuru woke with a start out of a very strange dream, involving a beautiful woman with bronze-red hair and golden eyes. She had been both terrible and comforting, and that made no sense. The one thing that Chizuru remembered clearly was being told over and over that she was needed more than any other. Without thinking, she reached for Saitō's hand, clasped it, and then started again as memory returned: of the visit to Shimabara, the drinking, the gradual, overpowering fatigue…
"Oh! Saitō-san… what happened?"
The man kneeling motionless beside the futon looked down at her and quirked an eyebrow. She hastily reviewed what she had said.
"Um – H-Hajime?"
"My name does not begin with a double consonant," observed Saitō solemnly. "And what happened is that you passed out. I must assume that you had too much to drink."
"But – I didn't have anything to drink!" Chizuru protested, turning pink.
"You were extremely unsteady on your feet. Eventually I had to carry you. At least you were a very peaceful drunk."
"What?! No! I mean…" Chizuru sat up and stared at Saitō. He looked perfectly dressed and quite serene, but Chizuru saw the tiny, telltale smile at the edge of his mouth and sensed the slight amusement. "Oh no! You know very well that I didn't have any alcohol… H‑Hajime."
"I fear that either your memory or your diction is failing you." Saitō leaned forward and kissed her, his right hand gentle on the back of her head.
"Ah! N-no, I have not forgotten… Hajime. There!" The last word came out rather emphatically.
Saitō sat back on his heels again and reluctantly withdrew his hand. He was glad that she didn't know how much she affected him right now, with her soft, dark brown hair hanging tousled around her shoulders and her wide eyes still a little sleepy.
"How do you feel, Chizuru?"
She seemed to think for a moment before replying:
"I am well, thank you. A little tired, but my head is clear." She hesitated. "I don't know how yours is though," she finally added, frankly. "Okita-san always drinks slowly and carefully, but although you appear to drink only moderately I saw that you had a great deal of sake."
Her brown eyes gazed at him seriously, but a little anxiously. Saitō closed his eyes, apparently relaxed but in reality working hard to calm his breath and pulse. Try as he might, he could not be with her in such an intimate setting and not react.
"By the time we left I had taken enough sake to be moderately intoxicated – at least, in the past I might have been. This time, I was just starting to register the effect of the alcohol on my system. And even that seems to be wholly gone now."
He risked opening his eyes again, but she had leaned forward, and sight and scent together made him rise hastily to his feet, ignoring her startled look. He attempted a reassuring smile, but wasn't sure how well it succeeded.
"You will wish to tidy yourself, I think. Sen-hime has guests – her cousins Chiharu-sama and Kichirō-san. I understand that Sen-hime would like you to meet her cousin Chiharu-sama if you find that you are well enough. I am also informed that Hijikata-san and Harada will be arriving soon."
Chizuru started and looked a little stricken.
"Hijikata-san! And… I am not dressed for a visitor such as Chiharu-sama, Hajime."
Saitō nodded. He had thought the same thing, but Sen-hime had been firm.
"I am to fetch Kimigiku-san to assist you to dress. But only if you are not too fatigued."
Chizuru hesitated, clearly worried that it was late and she was intruding on a family party. However, after a couple of minutes she nodded decisively.
"I will do as Osen-chan requests. It is the least I can do for her."
"Then I will fetch Kimigiku-san," Saitō said, his hand poised to slide open the door.
"Um, H-Hajime?"
This time he didn't comment on the stutter. He knew that he had made her nervous by standing up so abruptly. He turned and gave her his attention.
"Yes, Chizuru."
"Did I offend you?"
"Iie. No, not at all."
"Then what is it? Please… I don't want to have to guess what you are thinking."
Saitō sighed and returned to sit beside her. He couldn't refuse so direct an appeal, but he wasn't sure what to say.
"I would rather not have to explain," he told her, with perfect truth. "It is not appropriate and will make you uncomfortable with me."
Chizuru shook her head emphatically.
"You don't understand, Saitō-san – Hajime, I mean. Nothing will make me uncomfortable with you."
Embarrassed by her own forthrightness, Chizuru ducked her head, a pink flush spreading rapidly across her cheeks. Saitō weighed his options. He thought that she was wrong, but decided that a simple answer wouldn't be so bad.
"When we are alone like this, I always want to hold you close to me and then that leads me to think of other things that we could do together." With an effort, Saitō forced himself to finish as plainly as he was able. "You are… very desirable… to me."
He found that he was sweating slightly, which was unusual for him. All nerves, of course. He raised his eyes to gauge Chizuru's reaction. She was looking at him intently, embarrassed, but stubborn.
"What if," Chizuru said quietly, looking down at her hands, "I feel the same way about you?"
"You…" Saitō shook his head, at a loss for what to say. He shouldn't even be having this conversation with her, by normal standards. She confused him sometimes, like now, when he couldn't sort out ignorance from innocence from plain truth.
Saitō looked away, examining her words and his own reactions. He concluded that it would only be fair to take her statement at face value. She had asked for honesty between them and was not a deceitful person. On the other hand, he still wasn't quite sure whether she understood what she was saying; he would rather be too cautious than overestimate her knowledge and experience (which he judged to be minimal). He hesitated, trying to formulate his thoughts, but at that moment, Chizuru's embarrassment got the better of her:
"Gomenasai, Hajime. I didn't mean to cause you any concern. Will you ask Kimigiku-san if she will assist me to dress? They are very kind to me here, aren't they?"
A braver man would have stayed, Saitō thought a moment later, going down the long hall toward the stairs. Unfortunately, he hadn't known how to respond to Chizuru's attempt to lighten the situation, so he had simply followed her lead. He wondered what Hijikata-san or Harada might have done in a similar situation. He felt a momentary pang that he now recognized as jealousy, but it was transient and didn't bother him unduly.
Amagiri was waiting for him at the landing.
"Yukimura-sama is well?" he enquired politely.
"Yes. She is looking forward to meeting Sen-hime's cousin, Kazama Chiharu-sama."
[VI] - Sen-Hime's Court
Hijikata and Harada didn't speak much along the way to Sen-hime's home. Hijikata listened in frowning silence to Harada's explanation of what information he and Saitō had passed along to the others, but he couldn't fault the motives. In fact, he was glad that he no longer needed to perform that task. If nothing else, he agreed with Harada that Nagakura, Okita and Heisuke could end up facing the same situation as Saitō if they unknowingly used power that was beyond them. Still it took some getting used to, this idea that most of the Shinsengumi leadership – people he had known for years – were part-demon. Then again, he'd wondered about Sōji for as long as he'd known him…
"I came to see Amagiri-san," Hijikata commented as they approached the house. "I hope that it is possible to see him when there are guests in the house."
"Your errand is more likely to be successful than mine," Harada responded, with a small smile.
"Hmm. And you think Saitō and Yukimura are here?"
"Aa. Partly because I think that Chizuru-chan was truly unwell when they left. Partly because I have the impression that Saitō is… oddly at ease in this place."
Involuntarily, the men exchanged glances. They said nothing more, but to each of them the point was clear: Saitō stood in both worlds, whether he intended it or not; the transformation had shattered his absolute connection with the Shinsengumi in ways that were not yet certain.
Harada stood easily at Hijikata's right shoulder as they waited at the door, sandals left tidily in the allocated space. No matter how companionable they were under some circumstances, Hijikata was Harada's commanding officer; it was a comfortable relationship for both of them. Harada thought, sometimes, that they could become friends if they lived long enough. He understood the Vice Commander, at least in this: the man had made himself hard so that the rest of them could remain a little more human. And Saitō had willingly become Hijikata's silent accomplice.
"Konbanwa, Hijikata-san, Harada-san." Kimigiku looked as striking as ever, but there was a grimness about her that made both men wonder what new calamity had arrived with the Kazama children, whoever they were.
"Kazama Kichirō-kun is asleep, but Lady Chiharu is with Sen-hime now. They are waiting for you."
"They are?" Hijikata had stepped into the house and bowed, his face composed into its typical, severe expression. "But I came only to speak with Amagiri-san, if he is available."
"He is here, as are Saitō-san and Yukimura-sama. They are just coming to greet you now."
In fact, Hijikata and Harada had already turned slightly toward the stairs. Saitō had one hand lightly under Chizuru's elbow, and Harada was glad that he'd already seen her dressed in women's clothes earlier, so that he wouldn't embarrass himself in front of Hijikata. She was much prettier than she knew, he thought – not for the first time. However, that wasn't what struck him most forcibly as she descended the stairs. Rather, it was her muted but silvery presence, and the calm way that she accepted Saitō beside her and Amagiri-san behind her, like a princess being escorted by two noble knights. She was changing as well, he realized.
Hijikata had managed to conceal a start of surprise at Chizuru's appearance, merely nodding to the girl and Saitō, and bowing slightly to Amagiri-san as the big man reached the bottom of the stairs. He received predictable responses.
"Vice Commander. Harada."
"Hijikata-san! Harada-san – but – where are the others?"
Amagiri-san returned Hijikata's bow and inclined his head politely toward Harada. Like Kimigiku-san, there was an indefinable air of tension around him, although his face was as impassive as usual. Harada did not make the mistake of even trying to sense what the other red-head was thinking. Something told him that he would greatly regret the attempt. We're just not at their level yet, he thought. I wonder if we ever will be.
Only if you live long enough, Amagiri said – thought – to him.
Abashed, Harada looked around at Kimigiku-san, who was speaking with Hijikata-san.
"My lady wishes you – all of you – to meet her cousin. After that, she asks that you have tea with us before discussing further business."
Hijikata gave way gracefully enough before greater force masked in good manners, and Kimigiku opened the door for them. Automatically, the Shinsengumi captains followed their Vice Commander, Chizuru carefully protected between them. A subtly ironic look passed between Amagiri and Kimigiku. Sen-hime was getting her chance to show off the Yukimura Heir and her protectors to the Kazama clan. Although the girls had been friends almost since Sen's birth, they had also both been raised among the nuances of Oni politics.
Hijikata stopped partway across the room and bowed first to Sen-hime and then to the unknown blond girl. He hadn't thought much about her, except as the sister of a man who had beaten Sōji, frightened Yukimura, and left Saitō fundamentally changed. Now that he saw her, he recognized his error.
She was completely unlike Chizuru, or even Sen-hime. For one thing, she was clearly a young woman, not a girl; he thought that she was likely Saitō or Sōji's age. For another, it wasn't an exaggeration to call her beautiful. Her hair was a bright, white-yellow blond and her eyes were a deep purple, even darker than his own. She was tall, compared to Yukimura and Sen-hime, with a graceful build that reminded him very much of Kimigiku. Their eyes met for a moment, and he recognized a strength of mind that impressed him but left him wary.
"Konbanwa, Hijikata-san! Harada-san – I'm very pleased that you decided to return! Saitō-san – I hope that you found Chizuru-chan in good health?"
"Yes, Sen-hime," was Saitō's only response, both face and voice expressionless. Amagiri, standing behind him, saw the tiniest drift of his left hand toward his sword, and it told him that Saitō still remembered his one encounter with the Kazama clan. He sighed inwardly for the way that Chikage-sama turned people against him.
Harada, meanwhile, was simultaneously admiring Sen-hime's cousin and trying to keep track of everything going on around him. It was frustrating – he couldn't quite concentrate on everyone at once. Then he realized what he was doing and had to laugh at himself. Innate good manners made him focus on his hostess, and when he saw her expression of mixed satisfaction and concern he understood how important all this was to her. He waited until she glanced his way and then mentally sent her a friendly hug. That startled her into a blush, and for just a moment he sensed an anxiety that was even greater than he'd originally perceived. He would have to wait to sort out the reasons for her stress, although he could think of a few.
"Good evening, Sen-hime," Hijikata was saying politely, bowing to Sen and then to her cousin. "It is kind of you to spare time for us when you have visitors. I regret the lateness of the hour. I understood that Amagiri-san wished to speak with me."
Hijikata was appraising the situation and the people around him as he spoke; he had been caught off-guard by the lovely cousin, but only very briefly. However, he recognized that behind the polite smile and the demure expression, he was being swiftly evaluated – and for once he couldn't quite tell what impression he'd given. Her mental and emotional guard was as disciplined as any he'd ever encountered, and that was saying something.
"Please allow me to introduce my cousin to you all, since you are here," Sen said. "Cousin, may I present my guests to you?"
"Of course, Osen-chan. I would object if you didn't. Although I think I can guess…" Chiharu turned serious purple eyes on the other visitors. Only a careful scrutiny would find the hint of laughter in their depths. "My cousin has spoken a little about you."
"Ah – yes. A little." Sen managed not to blush, but Harada judged it a near thing. "Well then, Kazama Chiharu-sama, may I introduce Yukimura Chizuru-sama, Hijikata Toshizō-fukuchō, Saitō-taichō, and Harada-taichō."
Bows and murmured greetings were exchanged. For just a moment, the Shinsengumi were aware that they were truly in a royal court of sorts. Hijikata and Harada felt both wary and a little amused. Apart from having moved slightly closer to Chizuru, Saitō kept whatever he was feeling strictly to himself. Chizuru was torn between shyness and pleasure at meeting a new family member. Her fear of Kazama Chikage seemed to have receded; Chiharu-Sama seemed quite different from her brother, in Chizuru's estimation.
Introductions completed, Kimigiku arranged everyone around the low square table they had sat at before. For a moment, a trace of her usual, slightly playful humour manifested itself. Sen found herself with Hijikata-san and Harada-san to either side of her, while Chiharu was between Hijikata-san and the impassive Saitō-san.
Chiharu knew perfectly well that both Kimigiku and Osen-chan intended to make her fully aware of both Yukimura-sama's attachment to the indigo-haired warrior, and the degree to which the Shinsengumi were becoming Oni. For an initiate as sensitive as Chiharu, it hadn't taken long to determine either of those things in any event. The truth was that the degree to which Saitō-san was an Oni had shocked her. Caring for her eldest brother as much as she did, she had been prejudiced against the man, and hopeful that the situation could still change. Her optimism had received a check the first time she had met those level, watchful blue eyes. She was immediately attracted to the shy but warm-hearted Yukimura-sama, which made the whole thing worse. Consequently, she found it far more pleasant to speak with Hijikata-san, who was strikingly handsome, intelligent and literate.
Amagiri followed Kimigiku out to the kitchen to fetch tea. When they returned, in the same silence in which they'd left, both of them paused to consider the group in the center of the room. Chiharu, despite all her training, had been raised in confining circumstances and not allowed to travel. Now she was speaking with evident pleasure to a man that even Kimigiku would agree was unusually fascinating, quite apart from being strikingly good-looking – especially when smiling, as he was now.
Do you truly wish for my death at Chikage's hands? Amagiri asked Kimigiku silently, and only partly in jest. They were old friends but also old enemies – if that was the right term.
No. I would not wish to grieve my sister so badly. Plus it might fracture what is left of the clans.
Kind of you to be so concerned for my health.
Always, Kyūju, always. But in any event, the children are determined to hear the old story and I will not disobey Osen-chan. I will try to keep you and Kameko out of it.
You are sentimental this evening.
I'm tired. Chikage-sama won't kill you.
Over Yukimura-sama? Probably not. But over Chiharu-chan?
… Blame Her.
There was only one person that Kimigiku hated so badly, more than her own mother or the former head of the Kazama clan; Amagiri was discovering that he'd never known the whole story.
Perhaps.
It was the most that they'd spoken in a very long time; it was a start. They served the tea in silence, each observing and listening and appraising. All three of the Shinsengumi present observed the observers.
When first Amagiri and then Kimigiku had seated themselves, Hijikata leaned forward slightly.
"This has been very pleasant, but now… why are we here, really?"
Sen and Chiharu exchanged glances. Sen looked around the table.
"Haru-chan was charged with several messages for me – and for Chizuru-chan as well."
Chizuru looked startled, but Sen continued.
"The three of us are supposed to unravel certain… problems… facing the Oni. First and foremost, we need to right two great grievances. One we know a little about, but the other – nobody has ever been willing to tell us. So, tonight, Kimigiku is going to tell us why she was dismissed as Heir of her clan, by her own mother, Yukishima Chiyoko-sama."
"She put you up to this," Kimigiku said flatly, in a voice devoid of emotion.
"If you mean Suzuka-gozen, then yes," agreed Chiharu quietly. "But please, Kimigiku-sama, please trust us."
Kimigiku glared at the Kazama clan's only daughter, purple eyes flashing.
"Wait – what?!" Harada was frowning at Kimigiku and Chiharu. "First, I know that Sen-hime told me that Suzuka-gozen is the original ancestor of her clan – over a thousand years ago. Second… are you really sure that we – Hijikata-san, Saitō and I – should be here?"
Chiharu gave him a friendly, but somehow sad, smile. He felt empathy from her, but no coercion. He could still choose to back out.
"You especially should be here, Harada Sanosuke-san. And yes, we know that it is strange. Please – just hear us out."
"Do you insist on this?" asked Hijikata, eyes narrowed.
"We – Chiharu and I – ask you for your time, Hijikata-san, and for the time of your officers."
Surprisingly, it was Saitō who spoke:
"I would like to stay, Vice Commander, with your permission. There are old wounds here. If Yukimura – or I, or any of us, are to make sense of the Oni, we should listen before we judge."
Hijikata considered for a long moment. Finally, he nodded.
"As you wish, Saitō. Harada?"
"I agree with Saitō."
The Vice Commander inclined his head gravely to Sen-hime.
"Very well, Princess. We will listen."
A/Note:
The next chapter won't take nearly as long, promise! I hope you enjoyed this one. Next time: Kimigiku's Tale.
Reviews, comments to my PM, Favourites and Follows are greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading. \(^o^)~ bye for now!