Author's Note:

The third of this trilogy of reveal-oriented chapters.

Also, a moment that many of you have been waiting for (or asking about): phase one of Saitou's bachelor party.

As always, thank you for reading! A special thank you to shell1331, because I love getting reviews for prior chapters - it's so cool to think of new readers getting into the story and (hopefully) enjoying it!

A special thank you also to nakigaoyuu and anon for such encouraging reviews for chapter 53! You're awesome! (Just like Yamazaki.)

Also, to Scintilla of Myself, hopefully three fairly lengthy chapters in less than a week helps!

On another note, I want you all to know that even I feel a little for Kazama these days. I promise that you will all get to see him soon. I haven't forgotten him. At all. But one day I'll have to write stories for all my favourite leading men, right? Just maybe not 50+ chapters?

~ImpracticalOni

Quotes:

"...Who could refrain,
That had a heart to love, and in that heart
Courage to make love known?"

― Shakespeare, Macbeth [A/Note: The context isn't perfect, but the quote is!]

"Sometimes there's not a better way. Sometimes there's only the hard way."

― Mary E. Pearson, The Fox Inheritance

Chapter 54 – A Legend and an Offer

[I] - The Legend of Suzuka Gozen, Princess of the Oni

Chiharu's addition to Kimigiku's tale confirmed that there was an Oni woman with significant power currently setting various plans – and people – in motion. There was one thing – aside from the matter of Kazama Kenshin's real parents – that Chiharu did leave out in the end. She didn't know quite what to say about Suzuka-hime's assertion that she had a son in Kyoto who would likely be involved in some way with her descendant Sen-hime. In the end, Chiharu had decided that she would discuss the matter with Osen-chan and Kimigiku the next day, after everyone involved had been able to rest and reflect.

It didn't take Chiharu very long to tell her story of Suzuka-hime's visit and the legendary princess' insistence on Chiharu's immediate trip to Kyoto. Despite her fatigue, she managed to convey the essentials of the strange conversation and some of its nuances, not the least of which was the fact that Suzuka-hime had sent the Kazama siblings to Kyoto knowing that they would find the Shinsengumi to be far more involved with the Oni than any outsiders had been in centuries. Chiharu also disclosed that according to the ancient demoness (or the very powerful imposter), Sen-hime was ill and would need Chiharu's and Chizuru's help in order to recover. As everyone contemplated the drain on Sen's life force that was most likely the problem, Chiharu continued:

"Suzuka-hime told me to work with Osen-chan and Chizuru-chan to unravel certain difficulties and misunderstandings, as well as to ensure Osen-chan's well-being. The three of us should discuss these things in the morning, when we have had some sleep. However, there is one last instruction that Princess Suzuka gave me that puzzles me very much: she told me to ask my cousin Osen-chan for the true legend of the Okikurune and the Lady Suzuka."

Chiharu turned to her cousin.

"Could you tell us the legend now, or is this something that can wait?"

Since learning the probable – if rather fantastical – cause of her mother's death, Sen had been much quieter than usual. Chiharu had seen Harada-san eyeing her cousin with concern, and wondered again what might have passed between them. At first it had seemed to her like a schoolgirl's crush and a kind, but light-hearted interest in return from the handsome spearman. Now it appeared to be something more, but she really wasn't sure. For a moment, though, she wondered what it would be like to have somebody to lean on a little and to share things with. In her family, Chikage's word was absolute, as their father's had been before him – except that Chikage was by far the better man, in Chiharu's opinion. But one didn't lean "a little" on Chikage, which implied a kind of equality. Also, Chiharu rarely shared anything of her own personal feelings and interests with her older brother, except with respect to certain aspects of raising their younger siblings. On the other hand, she would voice concerns about Chikage to Chikage from time to time. It wasn't a lack of closeness precisely… Or perhaps it was; nevertheless, it didn't imply a lack of love.

As Chiharu's thoughts wandered, Sen folded her hands tightly together, and began to speak of her family's legend.

"We don't call it a legend, of course," was Sen's first comment. "The Okikurune call it the tale of the Fourth Trial: the Trial of Heart."

Chiharu's attention was focussed squarely on Osen-chan now. The Kazama clan were the biggest scoffers when it came to the so-called Legend of the Okikurune, which meant that she'd never heard the full version of the story.

"Suzuka Gozen was a powerful Oni. She was among the last of her family, due partly to the depredations of humans and partly to the constant battles between the clans. Tired of constant war, she withdrew to her mountain fastness to rest. Unfortunately, her attacks against the humans – and in some cases Oni pretending to be humans, although this was more difficult at the time – had been noticed, and a great warrior prince swore to hunt her down and kill her.

"Sakanoue-sama, the prince, eventually tracked her down and a great battle began. Legend says that it lasted for days, with Lady Suzuka healing herself as necessary but always showing herself the next day to fight again. It is generally believed that she must have fallen in love with Sakanoue-sama from the beginning, because otherwise she likely would have killed him – after all, she could fight much longer and harder than he could.

"Because he was a phenomenal swordsman and tactician, eventually Sakanoue-sama learned enough about Lady Suzuka to defeat her in battle. However, when she yielded, he spared her life on condition that she would never again attack humans or allow her clan to attack humans. Subsequently, they declared their love for one another, and Sakanoue-sama helped Lady Suzuka to begin forming Oni society as it is now. They did this both by force and diplomacy."

Sen paused for a moment, and then gave a crooked smile.

"According to my family's oldest records, the Eastern clans agreed readily to the proposed organization of the clans, and the Yukimura, the oldest and wisest of those clans became the rulers. The Northern clans were indifferent, but submitted to a greater and more magically powerful force – sadly, the Yukishima are the last survivors of the Northern clans, and they are descended from a junior branch that came to serve the Okikurune centuries ago. It will not surprise you to know that the Western clans were subjugated by force, and there has been an uneasy relationship between the Kazama and the Okikurune ever since. Among other things, it was agreed that if Lady Suzuka had a full-blood Oni child, then that child would marry a member of the Kazama clan and this would cement the alliance."

Chiharu looked a little uncomfortable, which was understandable, but she leaned forward to ask:

"But she couldn't have an Oni child with a human. At best the child would be a part-blood."

Sen nodded. "Right. And this is the core of the so-called legend. Lady Suzuka prayed to the gods to help her to unite the Oni and to allow her to have Oni children. Her prayers were answered and the gods granted her wish: she was given the Gift to allow a part-Oni to become a pureblood through the use of her own power, as long as she passed the Trial of Heart. Moreover, her Gift could be passed down to her descendants, but it would be rare and the strength of the Gift would depend on chance and fate. However, there was a price, and it was a long time before the full effect of the price was felt. The price of the Gift of Heart was that every Oni union from then on would be affected by the strength of their love for each other and whether the partners to the union had passed the Trial of Heart."

Amagiri stirred and turned a cold blue gaze on Sen.

"This part of the story is not generally known, Sen-hime. And if it is truth rather than legend, then Lady Suzuka's bargain, entered into so that she could have pureblood children with her human lover, has in itself led to the failing of the clans. She imposed her own desires on our entire race."

Sen nodded, but she met Amagiri's eyes and finished her story as if she were speaking directly to him.

"Unfortunately, although the children of Lady Suzuka and her prince did become pureblood Oni, the leaders of the Western clans, and especially the Kazama, did not accept either her claim of a Gift from the gods or the status of her children. Therefore, while Lady Suzuka had believed that the Trial of Heart would be undertaken by every Oni in the same way as the other Trials, or at the very least before marriage or choosing to have a child, this did not happen. Fortunately, like most of the Trials, a partially complete Ritual could result from undertaking the Trial unknowingly. So Oni parents who truly loved and desired one another were still able to produce children with strong Gifts. But overall, across the race of the Oni, the strength of the Gifts has decreased, the number of children has dropped, and the number of girls, specifically, has dropped even more.

"In the short term, of course, the two clans who fully believed in the Fourth Trial prospered tremendously. This meant that the Okikurune and the Yukimura became very strong. Moreover, they were the only clans where part-Oni could become full Oni, although it was either an arduous, dangerous process or a lengthy one. In the Northern clans, opinions were divided. Like the Western clans, the Northern clans were primarily warriors who valued strength over mysticism. However, being reasonably willing to unite the Oni clans under Lady Suzuka, they adopted the Fourth Trial as a matter of law – that is, they might not believe in it but they took it as a requirement made by an authority and therefore one to be obeyed if possible. Sadly, lack of belief is a problem for Oni in whatever endeavour. Moreover, the reason they were willing to unify under Suzuka-hime (as she was known after the unification), was that their clans were being targeted openly by humans – so they unified hoping for assistance against human attacks. This worked to a point, but it was not enough. They would have required the military strength of the Western clans to repel the army of foes who eventually attacked their key strongholds in Ezo."

Chiharu, still saddened by the role of her family in this history, was nevertheless fascinated.

"But… Osen-chan, if they prospered, why aren't the Eastern clans – and you clan – not stronger today?"

Sen looked weary.

"Because the other Oni clans were jealous, especially the Kazama clan. Therefore, despite Suzuka-hime's efforts a thousand or more years ago, there were clashes between the clans and worse, it is thought that some disaffected members of the Western clans turned to secret alliances with humans to turn the odds in their favour. Or that is what my mother and her grandmother believe happened. However, the massacre of the Sakurai three hundred years ago was the worst such occasion and the Oni have by and large been unified since that time."

"Oh!" Chiharu suddenly looked at Saitō. "Were my family – were the Kazama suspected of having a hand in that… attack?"

Saitō looked confused, for obvious reasons. Although he hadn't forgotten that Sen-hime or Kimigiku had commented once that he was likely a direct descendant of a clan known as the Sakurai, it didn't seem likely that Chiharu-sama would expect him to know the answer to that question. And yet, like a distant memory of a dream, he suddenly had a strange sense that he did know and that it was a Kazama who had incited the humans and perhaps even taken a hand in it himself.

"It's a good possibility," Sen told Chiharu seriously. "The Sakurai had stood between the Yukimura and destruction or enslavement for centuries. According to history, they were tremendous warriors, as if all the martial Gifts that the Yukimura tended to lack were channeled into their appointed guardians. Going by my family's records, the Shinsengumi who have shown signs of being part-Oni and who appear to be becoming full Oni, are all markedly like their ancestors. Saitō-san is the image of a lord of the Sakurai main line as shown in the old paintings and prints: lean, fine-boned, and compact, with dark blue eyes."

Saitō blinked, unused to having his physical characteristics discussed so openly. He felt his cheeks redden slightly when he realized that Chizuru was looking at him with admiration. He could only suppose that she felt that there was little to hide in this company.

"I assume that the original Sakurai didn't have purple or blue hair, though?" asked Hijikata dryly.

Sen smiled. "Actually, a few of them may have, Hijikata-san, although none in the main line as far as we know. You see, the Shiranui clan are also traditional vassals of the Yukimura, so inter-marriage would not have been uncommon. But even today it is rare for the true indigo hair colour to be passed down outside the Shiranui clan. You yourself are the perfect image of the Yukishima bloodline. Given Suzuka-hime's stated aims, you are possibly even descended from the main line, which was destroyed by western barbarians very shortly after Suzuka-hime united the clans. The Yukishima were the Lords of the Northern Clans, and while you have some of the build of the Shiranui, you are almost identical in appearance to Kimigiku's brother Yukishima Mamoru-kun."

Kimigiku sighed.

"I'm afraid it's true, Hijikata-san, you are almost the twin of my brother. You'll be pleased to know that he is a strong warrior and a capable shinobi. Your own shinobi – Yamazaki-san? – also appears to get his eyes from the Yukishima clan, but it's difficult to say what his true ancestry is. Like the Sakurai and the Yukimura, the warrior and shinobi clans of the north intermarried and sometimes intermarried with the Yukishima main bloodline. We don't know if Yamazaki-san's brown hair and slighter build come from his human ancestry or his oni ancestry."

"I think that's enough history for tonight, is it not?" asked Chiharu. "I am very tired, and I know that Chizuru-chan is as well. Kimigiku has been through an ordeal as has Osen-chan. All of us have a lot of information to absorb…"

"I agree, Kazama-sama," said Hijikata smoothly, "but I do have a final question for you: why did you ask Saitō about the Sakurai? Something evidently brought him to mind. With the greatest respect, it seems unlikely that you're as familiar with three- and four-hundred-year-old Oni bloodlines and appearances as Sen-hime."

Chiharu reddened slightly under his searching look. However, she refused to be intimidated by an untrained part-Oni and she might as well tell the truth now as later.

"Suzuka-hime said that my brother, Kazama Chikage, would not be successful in winning Yukimura Chizuru-chan for his bride because the Kazama owed a blood debt to the Sakurai."

"Ah."

Once again, a number of people looked at Saitō, who had to resist the urge to shrug as a defensive measure to push them away. Amagiri merely seemed unusually impatient.

"Chiharu-sama – Haru-chan – I must leave tonight or at dawn at the latest. Your brother will be displeased with me otherwise. I wonder though… Your Gifts of Mind are excellent. If you do indeed plan to stay here – which I don't advise – you would be a good teacher for Saitō, and perhaps even Hijikata-san and Harada-san."

The blond-haired young woman looked at him with concern.

"Amagiri… Chikage is going to be very angry isn't he? Perhaps I should go with you. He will listen to me."

Amagiri shook his head.

"I will travel much faster alone. And even if Kazama-sama is very angry – which I know he will be – he is highly unlikely to kill me out of hand. It is not his way. But I must ensure that you and Kichirō are safe. Saitō is my adopted kin; I believe that he will protect you, to the extent that his duties and his commander allow. Hijikata-san and Harada-san have been honourable in their dealings with us and may be willing to help, but they are also very busy men."

"I am not amused, Amagiri," interjected Kimigiku in clipped tones. "I can protect the Princess as well as Chiharu-sama and Kichirō-kun. If I have been forced to relive and mourn the passing of a dear friend tonight, that will not affect my abilities, I assure you. And you should not underestimate Sen-hime either."

"You may be correct," Amagiri replied, without heat, but also without yielding, "but this is too important a matter to leave to chance. Haru-chan will tell you what her brother will do if harm of any kind comes to her. It is not worth it."

Sen raised a warning hand before Kimigiku could respond.

"We take your point, Amagiri. We will hope, then, that the Shinsengumi will be willing to lend us assistance, if any is available. I can't imagine that Chikage will like that much better than having Haru-chan walking the streets of Kyoto alone, myself, but he a practical man, under… everything… and eventually he may forgive you – and us."

Amagiri gave the Princess a very dry smile.

"It will be interesting to find out what role the author of all this drama has in mind for the Lord of the West. Whatever else may be said of her, Suzuka-hime seems to know us all very well. Then again, her line has often been Gifted with foreknowledge, so perhaps she sees the future as well as the past."

"I take it that you still wish to speak with Saitō?" Hijikata asked Amagiri.

"I still expect him to prepare for the Trial of Mind in – let us say – two hours. An hour to rest and an hour to prepare."

"What?!" cried Chiharu, echoed a moment later by Chizuru and Sen-hime.

"But… he only completed the Trial of Soul this afternoon. Amagiri, you ask too much of your… your foster brother."

"Īe. It is fine," said Saitō, predictably. "Amagiri-san knows my limits better than anyone else."

Hijikata gave Chiharu-sama a slightly sympathetic look. He was favourably impressed with her so far – she was far more competent and intelligent, and less arrogant or spoiled, than he'd expected based on her family, age and gender. Not to mention her golden-haired, purple-eyed beauty. Of course, although he was influenced by such things, Hijikata was more apt to base judgment on observed behaviour than most people.

"Kazama-sama," he said, reasonably kindly, "we are warriors, we can endure a great deal. The captains of the Shinsengumi more than most, in my opinion."

"Saitō has always had the endurance of stone," agreed Harada. "And he's just about as yielding when he doesn't want to budge, but I guess we're all a bit like that."

Chizuru said nothing further, but she still looked concerned. Sen was irritated – she hated seeing Amagiri dancing to Chikage's tune – but she had to agree that if the indigo-haired man could pass the third Trial then he would be safer.

"How does Suzuka-hime even exist in this time?" Harada asked suddenly. "I mean, I can almost get my head around her borrowing life force – or whatever – so that she can do things, but how come she isn't just… dead?"

"I don't know," said Sen.

"Neither do I," agreed Kimigiku.

Chiharu just shook her head.

"I do not know the answer," Saitō said quietly. "But it seems to me that we did not hear what the personal cost was to her for the gods granting her wish. Therefore, I believe that the only way to find out is to ask Suzuka-hime herself."

Saitō turned to Hijikata.

"Do I have your leave to attempt this Trial?"

It didn't seem to bother him that he had just been talking about a legendary figure as though she were real. Or that he referred to speaking with her as if that were entirely normal as well. Then again, at a certain point, one might as well accept and move on.

"… Fine. But I want to be there."

"That is acceptable," said Amagiri immediately. "Yukimura-sama may also be present if she wishes."

Chiharu looked at Sen, who shrugged.

"Yes, Haru-chan, it's been like this around here for the past few days. And these men – the Shinsengumi – have only just heard that Oni exist let alone anything else."

"Ah. You know, I think that I may take that nap now that I forewent earlier. Amagiri, I would like to speak with you for a few minutes first." Chiharu stood up.

"Then Kimigiku and I will show you up to your room." Sen rose. Her face was peaceful again, and the light was beginning to return to her deep pink eyes. It was remarkable, given how much she had just learned about herself, her heritage, and her own origins. However, she turned to Harada and Hijikata, who had risen with her. "Please wait here, gentlemen. I will return."

Amagiri walked over to the open window and looked up at the sky. "I will be there to speak with you in ten minutes, Haru-chan. I will find you."

"Thank you Amagiri."

The red-haired Oni turned to her, his face softening.

"Of course, Haru-chan."

Chiharu looked at the others present. Her eyes lingered on Saitō and Chizuru, but she wouldn't come between any of them and their duties, whatever they might be and whatever her personal views might be.

"Good night, Hijikata-san, Harada-san. I hope that I will see you again tomorrow. If not, then very soon. It has been a most interesting evening. Saitō-san… may you prosper in your Trial and be transformed."

The final words had the sound of ritual. Chiharu bowed and they all – including Chizuru – automatically returned her bow. She just had that kind of effect. Kimigiku escorted her out of the room, but Sen remained for a moment.

"Saitō-san, please feel free to use the room that we assigned to Chizuru-chan for your rest." Her eyes were mischievous again.

"Arigatou gozaimasu," Saitō replied impassively.

"I am going outside for a while," said Amagiri, inclining his head politely to the room at large. "Excuse me, Yukimura-sama, Hijikata-san, Harada-san. I will see you in the usual room in one hour, Saitō."

"Hai."

"Well, we might as well make ourselves comfortable, Harada," remarked Hijikata-san, re-seating himself. "Why don't you bring over some sake for us, if there's any left."

"Sure."

Harada's eyes had a little of the mischievous gleam that had shown in Sen's, and Saitō knew that they were waiting for him to leave with Chizuru. To take her upstairs to bed – at the thought he felt himself turn bright red and he turned quickly toward the door to mask it. Chizuru, who was lightly holding his arm, perforce came with him.

"Let us go," he murmured to her, a little incoherently.

"Okay, Saitō-san. Good evening, Hijikata-san, Harada-san." Chizuru had removed her hand from Saitō's arm. She bowed and followed Saitō out of the room, sliding the door closed behind them.

"Chizuru, I would like to go outside before I go up to rest."

"Of course. Do you want me to come with you?"

He took her hand in response and they went out through the kitchen and into the back garden.

[II] - The Courage to Make Love Known

It was very dark out, they discovered. The lights from the house illuminated some of the garden, and the beginning of the path to the wooded area, but it was quite black beyond that. The wind was blowing more or less steadily, with occasional strong gusts, and the moon and the stars were all but hidden by cloud. Saitō's white scarf fluttered madly and he took a moment to secure the ends.

"It will start in two hours," Saitō commented. "A storm, not just rain."

"Yes," agreed Chizuru. She had always loved the smell of a storm.

They walked back toward the trees, fingers locked tightly together, although Saitō's hands were significantly bigger than Chizuru's and she could feel the callouses on his palm and fingers. Saitō took care that Chizuru, in her silk kimono and raised sandals, was able to stay on the path. They stopped at the same moment, just within the eaves of the small wood at the back of the garden. They could make out each other's faces and a little bit more, but not much.

"I just wanted everything to slow down," Saitō said quietly.

Chizuru nodded her understanding.

"I wanted you to have time to think… to consider… what I am like, what my life is like. I wanted to go for a walk – without being attacked."

They shared an unspoken moment of slightly dark humour that was still humour. Saitō took Chizuru's other hand. He didn't have to look down so far now because she was in the raised sandals.

"You look very beautiful this evening. But… I always find you pretty. No matter what you're wearing."

"Saitō – Hajime…"

He loosened a hand and pressed the fingers against her lips. He needed to do this before he either lost the courage altogether or lost the belief in himself that he was right for her.

"I love you. I have for some time. And I know it is probably too soon to say those words… but the world is pressing in and I wanted you to know that before anything else happens."

Chizuru tried to reach up to move his fingers, but he was very strong and he didn't let her. He just shook his head.

"Just wait… a few minutes longer. Because I want to say the rest, no matter what you tell me. They want me to marry you – Amagiri-san; Sen-hime; even Kimigiku-san. And you need to know that I want to marry you… not because of them, not because of the Oni, but because I want to. I want the right to look after you. To hold you. To have you, if you want to have me. To protect you always. So… will you be my wife, Chizuru?"

The wind dropped a little, and Saitō removed his fingers from Chizuru's lips. He felt as though he had run a long way – he was tired and a little out of breath and his heart was pounding against his ribs. But he had also felt more able to speak than he ever had before. It had been right.

"Hajime, of course, of course – why do you keep doubting me?" Chizuru sounded as though she were laughing a little and crying a little at once. That seemed like a strange reaction, but he could sense her intense happiness as she pressed herself against him and turned her face up to be kissed, her small hands coming up around his neck, her fingers brushing and then holding the strange indigo hair.

He kissed her, deeply and passionately, for as long as he could. The blood sang in his ears in time to his heartbeat. He wanted her so much. And he couldn't be late, not this time. I have to go, he told her. You always have to go, she replied. They both laughed out loud and with reluctance – again – he stepped back away from her embrace.

"I do not think that I will be able to concentrate with you there, dear one," he told her, forcing back the raging desire and calming his breath.

"Then I'll wait," she promised him, without teasing. "I'll wait for you to succeed, and then we can be together."

"I am not sure that is helping," Saitō commented. "Besides, if Sen-hime isn't waiting for you to come back with news then I will be shocked."

"I'll tell her that you couldn't bring yourself to ask such an ineligible female to be your wife, now that you are so close to being the head of your own clan."

He shook his head at her.

"You always… surprise me. I will walk you back to the house, and then you will go in while I try to compose myself."

"I don't want to go in. I want to dance in the moonlight."

"Sadly, I do not have the time to climb into the sky and blow away the clouds for you."

They started back to the house, mindful of the darkness but filled with so much light that to those inside Senhime's stately home they were lit up like beacons.

As Saitō had asked, Chizuru went straight inside – whether to the reception room or up to her own room he didn't know. His head was a mess. A happy mess but still a mess. He stood just inside the big kitchen trying to pull himself together – or rather, away from future prospects.

"Over here," said a familiar voice from his right. He had completely missed Harada standing there.

"It's for your own good," drawled another familiar voice. The Vice Commander was also there, leaning against a wall. His arms were folded as usual, and there was a wolfish smirk on his face.

Saitō went with them unprotesting. When he saw that they were in the bath room his lips tightened, but he unwound the scarf from around his neck and pushed off the top of his kimono and under-kimono. With a certain amount of – in Saitō's opinion – unkind glee, they leaned him over the high wooden bath in one corner and doused him with three buckets of cold water – and it was very cold. The cold rarely troubled him, but he actually had to grit his teeth not to yelp the first time.

"Sen-hime actually has ice!" Harada told him. "They bring it down from the mountains for her – the privilege of being a princess, apparently. Don't worry, we didn't want to waste too much of it on you."

"Feeling better now?" Hijikata asked sardonically, as Saitō pulled up his kimono and then straightened his clothes.

"No," the Third Division Captain answered with evident sincerity. "But my mind is much clearer. Thank you for your, ah, intervention."

"Think nothing of it," responded Harada, lips twitching.

"Let's go," said Hijikata. "And congratulations. Even though I think that you're too young. And she's a demon you know…"

For a moment, Saitō wondered how much sake Hijikata had actually had.

"Right – congratulations, Saitō! Have fun having your mind checked."

Harada waved a hand at them when they reached the hallway and strolled off toward the reception room, humming. Apparently the sake had been plentiful.

[III] Trial of Mind: Prologue

Hijikata and Saitō walked briskly into the training room and Saitō closed the door behind them. Amagiri was kneeling in his usual place by the window. He looked up when they came in and exchanged polite greetings with Hijikata.

"Hijikata-san, could you please sit there, toward one end of the room. As much as possible, I'd like you to remain a neutral observer. Sometimes the Trial of Mind goes well, other times… less so."

Hijikata sat cross-legged in the place indicated and then folded his arms across his chest. Since Amagiri would no doubt be explaining things to Saitō, he didn't ask any questions.

Amagiri turned his attention to his student, who was kneeling respectfully in his usual place.

"You are punctual this time."

"Yes, Amagiri-san."

Hijikata raised both brows sharply at that. Saitō was always on time. He tried not to snicker, and succeeded, but both his expression and outward emotions conveyed a sense of "really, Saitō?" The Third Division Captain discovered that he could still blush.

"Did you speak with Yukimura-sama?"

"Yes, Amagiri-san."

"Congratulations are in order then. I am very pleased for you."

The words were formal and a little flat, but then the red-haired Oni smiled and it made such a difference that Saitō was a little startled. Amagiri was very pleased for him, and visibly relieved that the situation was now perfectly clear between his protégé and Yukimura Chizuru-sama.

"You were on time and not in a … dishevelled state of mind when you arrived, so I was worried," the Oni explained frankly.

Hijikata laughed aloud. "We thought we'd help you out," he told Amagiri. "Since it was clear to us that you were on a schedule. We doused him in ice water, and frankly, he needed it. I think there was steam coming off him when he wandered in from the garden. Some 'rest' that must have been!"

Amagiri laughed along with Hijikata-san, and Saitō could feel the deep red staining his cheeks and the tips of his ears. But this was all a part of it, he knew – a part of a ritual that he had seen before … just never from the principal's seat. It was very uncomfortable, and he didn't dare think of Chizuru just now.

"I truly hope that I will be able to attend the celebration," murmured Amagari thoughtfully. "But that may very well be impossible. The trick will be to make sure that the wedding itself takes place soon."

"Well, Sen-hime assures me that the Oni formalities can likely be satisfied by tomorrow. Yukimura still has her final Trial to go, and then Sen-hime has to verify the bloodlines. But it's hard to say what tomorrow will bring. I will do what I can, Amagiri-san, but there are no guarantees and Saitō is a member of the Shinsengumi – not the head of a long lost demon clan."

"I understand what you are saying, Hijikata-san, but in reality he is both. If he passes the third Trial, there will likely be physical evidence of his rank in any event. Oni magic is very… clear that way."

"Oh? How?"

Amagiri's face had returned to its usual expressionless mask.

"You understand, Vice Commander, that this Trial will be conducted, as all Oni rites of passage are other than the Trial of Body, in Oni form?"

Hijikata nodded – he had assumed as much.

"Very well. Saitō, please transform."

Amagiri flowed naturally into his Oni form. It was so quick that it was almost impossible to see the moment of transition. Saitō closed his eyes and concentrated, but he was pleased to find that he was much, much faster than he had been. He could feel, without being told, that it was a matter of having more clearly accepted this part of himself. When he reopened his eyes, Hijikata was staring at him curiously. He felt self-conscious, until the Vice Commander asked a question:

"It's very strange, seeing Saitō like that, but… do you think we could all achieve an Oni form? Are they all the same?"

"I don't know, although after hearing the Okikurune legend – ah, origin tale – in full, it may be. And the Oni form, as you can see, has basic similar traits for all Oni, such as the golden-yellow eyes and the white hair. But the horns are indicative. All Oni have two horns. However, a clan leader typically has four. The horns tend to be far less noticeable in female Oni and, like most things, they are tied to perception, that is, one's perception of oneself. We have ceremonies that are important for acknowledging a clan head; in most cases, the secondary horns erupt at that point if they have not already."

Hijikata frowned thoughtfully.

"Well, you can tell me more later – whatever later is."

"The main thing right now, Hijikata-san, is that if Saitō is in fact the head of the Sakurai clan, and he actively believes this to be the case, then he may have to cope with the extra physical transformation as well as the Trial itself."

Amagiri turned to Saitō.

"Saitō, are you ready to begin? I will tell you what to expect, but everyone experiences this Trial a little differently. Once we start we cannot draw back. My job will be to preserve your sanity if things go badly."

Saitō's golden eyes could still convey alarm. "Preserve my sanity?"

"Yes. The Trial of Mind tends to focus on bad memories – the worst memories. But not just your worst memories, the worst memories of your clan, if you are a clan head. That is one reason why the Trials tend to be done as early as possible. That way, most Oni, like myself, undergo this Trial with only their own bad memories to fear. As you can imagine, it becomes far more dangerous the bigger and more powerful the clan."

"Chizuru!" murmured Saitō involuntarily.

"Indeed," agreed Amagiri.

A/Note: I truly enjoyed one particular part of this chapter... can you guess which part? ^^

Thank you for reading, reviewing and commenting! I'd be really happy to hear from you what you thought of this chapter. :)