Author's Note:
Finally, chapter 81! I will leave you to it—or it to you—with only a couple of comments:
First, thank you to nakigaoyuu and to all of you who have been waiting for this chapter. Based on what I have seen elsewhere, you have been both encouraging and patient. It is much appreciated!
Second, welcome to BNW (aka BraveNewWings), who is the newest person (that I am aware of) to discover and read this increasingly convoluted story. Great to have you join us!
Third, please see the new cover art, which features Saitō and... well, you'll have to wait and see. (grin)
~ImpracticalOni
P.S. Souji just pointed out that three is one comment more than "a couple"; he's like that, but seems to be in slightly better spirits these days.
Quotes:
Always get over heavy ground as lightly as you can.
—Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (circa 1814)
Often quoted by Okikurune Satoshi, with the addendum: "Or get somebody else to do it for you."
Chapter 81—The Calm Before the Storm, Part III
[I]—Satoshi's Other Niece
Shinpachi's modest room seemed much too small for the people in it at the moment. When Chizuru had fainted, a number of things had happened all at once. Without so much as a glance, Saitō had stepped back and caught Chizuru in his right arm, pulling her against his chest; less than a breath later his sword was between them and Satoshi. His eyes blazed golden yellow and the thin white streak in his indigo hair suddenly seemed very bright. At more or less the same instant, Satoshi had gotten swiftly to his feet and moved as far away as possible from Saitō. Shinpachi stood up far more slowly—if only by comparison—his eyes moving from one Oni to the other. His expression was that of a captain of the Shinsengumi, wary and appraising.
"She is unharmed," Satoshi said into the silence. "Saitō-sama, she is not hurt."
"How do you know?" Saitō demanded in a hard voice, the tip of his sword unwavering and his eyes fixed on the Oni prince.
"I am gifted in perceiving auras," replied Satoshi, standing quite still with his hands empty at his sides. "She has suffered a shock, and some kind of magic gave way, but she is tremendously resilient and her mind and spirit are undamaged. She will come around in a moment."
"S-Saitō-san?" The words were muffled, mostly because she was pressed so tightly to Saitō's chest.
Very slowly, and without taking his eyes from Satoshi, Saitō loosened his hold on Chizuru, though only enough to allow her to turn a little. Shinpachi watched in silence, eyes narrowed. His conversation with his father—odd how that didn't bother him as much as it should—had been fascinating, if not always comfortable. Strangely enough, Shinpachi had ended up believing the man when he had said that he had always cared about his son's well-being. It was odd to be abruptly confronted with the reality of his Oni heritage, not so much in his father but in Saitō's strangely intense reactions.
"What happened, Chizuru?" Saitō asked in a low voice.
"I-I'm sorry, H-Hajime," Chizuru replied, sounding decidedly shaky.
It finally seemed to get through to Saitō that his wife was upset and he wasn't helping.
"There is no need to apologize. Are you harmed or in danger?"
"N-no. I j-just remember my"—Chizuru swallowed—"my uncle. Not Toshi-san—oh!" She reddened and tried to bow, but Saitō still held her too closely for her to move much. "Gomenasai!"
Satoshi smiled at her, but carefully and showing no teeth. Shinpachi noticed that the older man showed no sign of changing form, unlike Saitō. "As your husband says, child, there is no need to apologize. I saw you quite often when you were young. Since I had no wish to be confused with your other uncle, I taught you to call me Toshi-san instead of oji-san."
Shinpachi tried to repress a sudden chuckle, but failed. Satoshi looked at him and he shrugged semi-apologetically.
"Toshi is the, ah, familiar name of the Vice Commander—ah, Hijikata Toshizō-san, you see."
Satoshi gave his son a bland look. "I see. Then perhaps Hijikata-san and I have something in common other than our belief in the foolishness of others. He seems a little short-tempered though, so perhaps you should call me Satoshi rather than Toshi, Chizuru-chan."
Chizuru was staring at Satoshi, obviously still not quite herself. Saitō forced himself to relax his grip on Chizuru, even though what he wanted to do was leave immediately. Chizuru's thoughts and emotions were chaotic, but she wasn't afraid of the visitor and she clearly recognized him in a positive rather than negative way.
"I was just so shocked and… I remember more now," Chizuru told Saitō abruptly, looking up into his face with wide brown eyes. Then she recollected herself and bowed to her uncle, somehow ignoring the three feet of sharpened steel on her immediate left. "Sumimasen, Satoshi-sama, I meant no disrespect." She smiled shyly.
Saitou finally, slowly resheathed his katana. He remained very close to Chizuru, though, which seemed to soothe both of them.
"Well, it's a little late for introductions, I guess," Shinpachi said into the silence. "But maybe we can all sit down? You sure you're feeling okay, Chizuru-chan?"
"I will be fine, Nagakura-san, thank you." Chizuru looked hesitantly at Saitō, who managed a short nod. She knew that he was fighting a difficult battle to contain his reactions—and that in itself discomposed him further.
Somehow, everyone was eventually seated, and Saitō fully regained his usual calm expression—and his blue eyes. Chizuru still looked shaken, and she was frowning as though trying to understand a complicated problem.
"So," said Shinpachi, "unless I've missed something, I'm the only one here who isn't an Oni, right?"
Saitō blinked, but Satoshi nodded. "Not yet, in any event," he qualified. "As we discussed earlier, there are very unusual things going on—it makes it somewhat more difficult to predict what will happen next." He turned to Chizuru. "I regret that my presence made things difficult for you, my niece. It will be some time before your husband is able to, ah, be comfortable with me—which is as it should be, under the circumstances—however, I did come to extend both my congratulations and my aid to you both."
Blushing slightly, Chizuru bowed and murmured her thanks. Saitō's acknowledgment lacked something of his usual grace.
"Okikurune-sama," Saitō began, a moment later.
"Satoshi is fine," interjected his new uncle-in-law.
Far more knowledgeable than anyone else present about the likely emotional state of a young, male, newly-made and newly-married clan head confronted with a potential threat, Satoshi was deliberately pushing the man's buttons. It was unlikely that Saitō would either want or appreciate being asked to use the older man's first name. Satoshi had been unprepared to find the new Oni so Oni, however, or so powerful; he wanted to gather as much information about the young Sakurai as he could.
"As you wish," Saitō responded with a cool indifference that made Satoshi's eyes gleam a little in appreciation. The Oni prince had been pleased to find his son as shrewd and capable as he had thought; now he was becoming intrigued by the possibilities that Saitō's existence implied. "Satoshi-sama," Saitō continued, as though there had been no interruption, "you said that you felt magic 'give way' when Chizuru saw you. Would you please clarify your meaning?"
Satoshi glanced at Shinpachi. "You have been told a certain amount about Oni magic, from what you said to me earlier. Please let me know if I refer to anything with which you are not familiar." His tone made it clear that the offer was serious.
"Thank you," replied Shinpachi, relieved that it wasn't going to be a strictly two-way conversation. He had to admit that his father was a professional at making himself appear to be agreeable and even somewhat caring.
I do care. The soft voice in his head made Shinpachi turn startled eyes on Satoshi, who gave him a faint smile. No time like the present to find out what you can do, right? Besides, your Sakurai friend—colleague? comrade?—knows exactly what I'm doing and he's making a point of politely ignoring my rudeness—do you see?
"…Yes?" Shinpachi said aloud. Harada had told him about this, and he could… sense?... his father's presence, if he tried. But he had no idea how to reply the same way. Yet.
Satoshi turned to Chizuru, who was starting to look uneasy. He chided himself for forgetting his manners to his niece while testing the young Oni and beginning his son's training.
"If I understand what Osen-chan has told me, Chizuru-chan," Satoshi said to Chizuru, "you cannot—or could not—remember anything of your parents or original home. Also, she and Kimiko-sama, believe that your father's brother, Kōdō, likely used some form of very sophisticated magic combining all three of the primary Gifts in order to suppress both your power and your memories. I truly regret that this must be very painful for you to hear, since I believe that Kōdō raised you as his daughter."
"Yes," murmured Chizuru. She unconsciously twined her fingers in Saitō's and he forbore to correct her. He carefully avoided Nagakura's eyes, however.
"Well, this is only a hypothesis," Satoshi told his niece, "but I think that the power of the magic has been slowly fading the longer you have been away from Kōdō. So your Gifts, especially those that are most compatible with your wishes, started resurfacing. The fact that you can heal others, and have begun to refine your ability to deconstruct magical interference is proof of that, and of the strength of your overall talents, given the lack of a true teacher."
"And what was it that 'gave way'?" interposed Saitō, face and voice impassive.
"I don't know, but I would guess that the memory suppression could not sustain a full block once my niece saw me in person. I saw quite a lot of her in the year before her parents died, you see—unlike Osen-chan, who would have met her once or twice at the very most."
Satoshi saw the same question cross the minds of both his son and his niece's husband. Strange that little Chizuru-chan should be alive and married. She seemed to have her mother's unwavering kindness and her father's odd combination of gentleness and stubbornness. Her mother could be just as stubborn, though, he reflected. Compassion and resolve is a more powerful combination than most people realize.
"Satoshi-sama," Saitō said, in a strained tone. "Whatever you are doing, you need to stop now."
Shinpachi looked at the other captain in concern, because Saitō's eyes were golden again and this time his hair was starting to bleach toward white. It was really, really weird to watch the impassive Saitō turn into—well, a golden-eyed rasetsu. His hands were on his sword, and Shinpachi had a fair idea now of how fast he could draw it.
"Gomenasai, Saitō-sama," Satoshi replied immediately, for the first time sounding genuinely contrite. "That was badly done of me. For some reason, I became distracted by memories of the past and I began to examine how Chizuru-chan has changed…" He suddenly became very still and his brows drew sharply together. "No, it's worse than that. Forgive me but I must verify that we are secure."
Apparently unconcerned about his audience, he sketched rapidly in the air. Saitō and Chizuru saw a shimmering pattern of sorts appear; Shinpachi could sense—power? Even though he was busy trying to watch Saitō and Satoshi at the same time, he felt a certain wonder at the idea that maybe, probably, magic was real.
Saitō was still on the verge of either leaving or launching himself at his wife's uncle. His desire to protect Chizuru by every means necessary seemed to have increased to a point that a small, rational part of his mind told him was unreasonable. At the same time, he was fighting the instinct, although he wasn't exactly sure why.
A very short time later—fortunately for Saitō—Satoshi dropped his hands onto his knees and the feeling of gathering power disappeared. Shinpachi rubbed at the back of his neck, his eyes still flickering between Saitō and his father. Satoshi was frowning; he looked a little angry but mostly disturbed.
"Chizuru-chan, Saitō-sama, there was a spell—hmmm, how best to explain?"
"Was it intended to distract?" asked Saitō, his voice still tense.
"Yes…" Satoshi stared at Saitō. "But—don't tell me that you recognized it? That seems impossible given your lack of training."
"I did not recognize anything. However, I have come across a very similar tactic recently."
"That's true," agreed Shinpachi slowly. "Sano said that he only noticed it because it was so unlikely—inconceivable really—that he would just stop moving in the middle of a pitched battle. Then he realized that somebody was kind of encouraging him to think about stuff—like, important, relevant stuff, but not a good idea at the time when Saitō was about to be flanked."
With the realization that something had been affecting him as well, Saitō immediately turned to Chizuru. Ignoring Shinpachi and Satoshi, he took one of her hands and focussed his attention where it probably should have been all along.
"Chizuru? How are you?"
"I feel a little dizzy and… I'm sorry, Hajime… but I-I don't feel, um, well."
"That's not surprising, Chizuru-chan," her uncle told her, his expression still serious. "From what I saw, somebody bound you in some extraordinarily sophisticated magic. Although I suppose you know who it most likely was?"
"Aa." Saitō replied on Chizuru's behalf, as his young wife was looking very pale and unhappy.
"You're suggesting that it was Chizuru-chan's father?" asked Shinpachi. "Kōdō-san? No, wait, that's not right, is it?"
"Kōdō is actually Chizuru-chan's uncle," Satoshi said, once again omitting any honorific. "And I can see that despite all of my caution, I completely underestimated him." Satoshi looked genuinely angry now, though whether with himself or Kōdō or both was unclear. "And, of course, I had no idea that he was on such—shall we say intimate?—terms with the Yukishima leaders."
"Those were the, uh, people that Sano and Saitō were fighting, right? But I thought that they were related to Kimigiku-san, not Chizuru-chan?" Shinpachi paused, catching his father's ironic expression. "Well, yeah, I get it that everyone's related to everyone else—I mean Chizuru-chan's my first cousin!—but still."
"Chizuru needs to lie down," Saitō put in abruptly. He rose easily with Chizuru cradled in his arms. "Satoshi-sama, could Sen-hime come to see her?"
Satoshi considered the unvoiced request. He thought he had a good idea of what was wrong with Chizuru-chan, although not exactly how, since—well, in any event it was a curious problem and he was concerned about his niece. Moreover, it appeared that there were even more problems arising from Chiyoko-sama's bid for power than he had realized (which was saying something, since he'd uncovered quite a few already). The creation of rasetsu from part-Oni servants and dependants was at the top of that list.
"Saitō, Sano and I are going out on patrol in half-an-hour; I'm sure Sano can pass a message along if you like." Shinpachi could understand Saitō's reluctance to trust Satoshi.
"Chotto matte kudasai," Satoshi murmured. "I can contact Osen-chan. It will no doubt startle her, but it's easy enough for me to do. Shinpachi, Saitō-sama's suggestion is a good one, but I cannot think that your commanders will be pleased. What do you think we should do?"
Saitō was standing stock-still, obviously considering Satoshi's words. Both Shinsengumi captains had to credit the man with tact—it had been a good choice to frame the problem as a question to Nagakura rather than a direct criticism of Saitō. And Satoshi was correct: it would not please the commanders to have the Oni princess descend upon the compound, especially with the Shinsengumi on alert; in fact, they might rescind their permission for Chizuru to remain in Saitō's quarters.
"The timing isn't good," Shinpachi said slowly, his eyes on Saitō. Chizuru looked as though she'd fallen asleep. He didn't think he'd ever seen Saitō look so vulnerable—despite his typically impassive expression—and he wasn't sure that he liked it. "I mean, if we weren't on alert, or if it had been a while since Chizuru-chan had seen her cousin… Even then…"
"What if you were to escort me to Saitō-sama's quarters? I can contact Osen-chan and ask her to speak with Saitō-sama directly."
Saitō wanted to ask why Satoshi-sama had to be anywhere near Chizuru if all the man was going to do was pass along a message, but it occurred to him that if anything were really wrong then his own skill would almost certainly be insufficient. Besides, as reluctant as Saitō was to trust the Oni prince, he had to concede that Satoshi-sama had not done anything wrong and he was offering to help. Also, Saitō had a feeling that he knew what Chizuru would say.
At that moment, Chizuru blinked sleepily and looked up at him. She smiled confidingly, and then took in her surroundings and blushed bright red.
"Saitō-san! I-I'm fine, really! You can put me down!"
"Of course you're fine," her uncle told her, when his nephew-in-law seemed uncertain what to say—the boy had a lot to learn, obviously, and Amagiri was hardly the person to teach him how to handle women. Hmm. He could see that he was going to be annoyingly busy over the next little while.
"I'm going to take you back to our quarters," Saitō said. "And then Satoshi-sama will contact Sen-hime. If Sen-hime tells me that you're fine, I won't have to worry."
"B-but it would be better if I walked on my own. I don't want Hijikata-san or Kondō-san to say that I can't stay here because I'm too weak!"
Satoshi smiled slightly; his niece had gone straight to the heart of what troubled her most. He glanced at Shinpachi, who was looking at the young couple with a baffled expression. It was all rather funny, or it would be except that somewhere in the past was a Yukishima-Yukimura connection that he hadn't yet fathomed. Unless—
"Saitō-sama?"
The dark blue eyes moved from Chizuru to Satoshi.
"What was the connection between the Yukishima and the Yukimura?"
Somewhat to his surprise, Saitō answered immediately: "The former Lady wished an alliance between one of her daughters and Yukimura Kōdō."
"Yes, of course. That was the public reason for Kimiko-sama's disgrace, although many people thought the penalty unreasonably severe." Satisfied that he had another piece of the puzzle, and had momentarily distracted Saitō, Satoshi said gently: "If Chizuru-chan would like to walk, I believe it would be safe. And I will gladly contact Osen-chan for you now if you would prefer."
Saitō was starting to appear distinctly embarrassed, thought Shinpachi, who was still trying to process both his own parentage and the odd feeling of having crossed some invisible line that couldn't be un-crossed. And it is really weird to see Saitō behaving like this. No wonder Hijikata-san's been so pissed off about the Oni. That was a recurring thought, mind you. Shinpachi was alternately intrigued and upset—and he wasn't even remotely done asking questions. How was he supposed to react to finding out that his father was a demon prince?
Meanwhile, Saitō had set Chizuru carefully on her feet, like a woman handling her most precious ornament—Satoshi approved of that, at least. Even his regrettably-high-handed niece Osen-chan would appreciate that kind of care. As long as it didn't interfere with her doing exactly what she wanted to do. I suppose that's unfair. But she's given me more trouble than was strictly necessary. For a moment, Satoshi felt an unusual sense of loss; he had been deeply grieved by the deaths of his sisters, but their absence didn't often impinge on his day-to-day affairs—it was a sorrow, but a familiar one. Right now, he wished very much that either Shizuka or Sachiko were alive and could deal with one of the specific difficulties before him. Or maybe he should just leave it to Suzuka (he thought of her as a conniving, overly-patronizing elder sister, for the most part); she'd probably interfered already somehow.
"I have to leave on patrol soon, Saitō," Shinpachi was saying with some regret. He didn't want to miss anything, now that he seemed to have become at least a small part of the "damn Oni problem".
Saitō nodded, understanding that Shinpachi needed to get some food and then head out—if Satoshi stayed, he'd be Saitō's responsibility. However, Saitō was more concerned about Chizuru than he wanted to admit, even to himself; the choice was clear. He would risk dealing with Chizuru's relative over waiting for Harada to pass a message along to Sen-hime. Besides, Chizuru wanted to be hospitable, he could tell.
"Chizuru and I would appreciate it if you would join us," Saitō told Satoshi, although his flat tone did not convey great enthusiasm.
"Yes, please come spend a few minutes with us, Satoshi-sama," Chizuru said, with far more warmth. She gave her uncle a shy smile and a bow. "I don't know why I felt unwell, but I'm sure it's no great thing. I am usually very healthy, I assure you."
With that, Satoshi resigned himself to his task—as charming as he found Chizuru-chan, her husband was far too on edge just now for Satoshi to enjoy being in the vicinity. With an internal sigh, he conceded that at least the young man was more interesting than he had expected at first. Not that he wanted to be interested.
"Thank you for the invitation, Saitō-sama, Chizuru-chan. Shinpachi…" He turned to his son. "I hope that you will be able to visit me soon. You are welcome to my home in Yase at any time. Also, please consider my suggestion; the final decision is entirely up to you, however."
Shinpachi nodded and stood up. "Thank you for your visit, Satoshi-sama. Looks like my life won't be boring, at any rate, even if the Chōshu pack it in and run home."
The generally good-natured Second Division Captain still wasn't sure how he felt about his father's proposal. Not long before Saitō's arrival, Satoshi had said that he would prefer to formally claim Shinpachi as his son, at least within the Oni clans. Satoshi had explained, in the plainest possible terms, that now that Shinpachi knew of his heritage, others would find out; that meant that Shinpachi was no longer safe by virtue of anonymity, so he might as well take advantage of his heritage to learn how to defend his mind from prying attacks. Shinpachi hadn't said much in response—he had a lot to think about first—but given what he'd seen recently and the fact that Sano believed somebody was messing with Sōji's already volatile temper, it seemed like a good idea.
There is also the matter of Akane-san. We didn't get a chance to discuss your future prospects.
There was a hint of humour in Satoshi's "mind voice". Unsure how to respond, Shinpachi just glowered at his father's impeccably-clad form as he followed Saitō and Chizuru-chan out of the room. Shinpachi was already confused enough about the Oni—or was it part-Oni?—woman he had found imprisoned on the Yukishima estate. She was very striking, of course, but she was also a new widow with two children and what appeared to be a difficult past. He couldn't fathom why he kept thinking about her.
[II]—What to Expect
Sen and Chiharu had eventually collected Kichirō and gone over to Yase to assist the new head of the Yukishima clan. Kimigiku was there, looking unusually harassed; Satoshi had already left on his errand.
"Well, I suppose at least he told me what he was going to do," Sen commented, when her uncle's steward informed her of his absence.
Chiharu waited for them to be shown into Kimigiku's office before asking the obvious question. She had made up her mind the night before to attempt to be more inquisitive, even if it felt rather ill-bred.
"So, where was your uncle going, and what was he planning to do?" Chiharu smiled at the purple-eyed shinobi and sat down. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Kimiko-sama! Osen-chan wasn't surprised to find Satoshi-sama away from home, and I'm curious, since I had the impression that he rarely leaves Yase."
Kichirō sat down beside his sister, suddenly more interested in the proceedings.
Sen coloured slightly. "I really shouldn't have mentioned it," she muttered.
"I don't see why not," Kimigiku said bluntly. "If he's got the brains that I credit him with—which he does—then your uncle is going to make certain that the boy accepts his protection much sooner than later."
Chiharu thought over the implications in silence while Sen fidgeted with her cup of tea and Kichirō continued to look between Sen and Kimigiku. Nobody said anything, and Kimigiku made a point of studying some papers so that Sen couldn't look to her to fill the silence.
"Yes, I suppose it does make sense," Chiharu said at last. "Which one is it? If it will make you feel better, I could just guess until you blush and give it away."
Sen stared at her cousin. "What has gotten into you today?"
Kimigiku smiled, suddenly looking more like her usual self. "She's enjoying the heady freedom of Kyoto! Next thing you know she'll be tying up her hair, putting on hakama and taking up sparring with the Shinsengumi…"
This time it was Chiharu who blushed, and Sen laughed. "How did you know?!"
Kimigiku just shook her head. "I didn't, but I'm not surprised. It's those walks in the moonlight, they're dangerous."
Chiharu turned even pinker but managed a very creditable eye-roll. "Not you too, Kimiko-sama? Kichirō, you are my witness: did the Vice Commander appear to be violently in love with me last night?"
Kichirō looked confused, embarrassed and annoyed in turn. "What? You really shouldn't talk that way, Haru-chan! I mean, of course not!" He looked at Sen and Kimigiku, and was irritated to find that they were both laughing—even if Kimigiku was trying to hide it. Frowning, he tilted his head rather imperiously, managing a reasonable if unintended imitation of his older brother. "Hijikata-san seemed no different than usual. Haru-chan asked him if one of the captains would be willing to train us while we were in Kyoto. That's all. I mean… it was rather a lot to ask, but I don't see what's wrong with it."
"What do you think Chikage-sama will say?" Kimigiku asked him pointedly, laying down an overly-ornamented quill.
Kichirō's chin came down a trifle. "I don't know, Kimigiku—I mean, Kimiko-sama. He doesn't like humans. And I didn't think very highly of them either, I admit. But these humans are different! Besides, Saitō-sama's an Oni. And"—his chin came up again—"I think Osen-chan admires Harada-san, even though he isn't an Oni."
To his complete disgust, all three women dissolved into giggles—well, Kimigiku was laughing outright. Offended, Kichirō sat back and folded his arms. Normally he would have left, but he was determined to find out what was going on. Besides, if Hijikata-san was interested in his sister then that changed things. He hadn't seen any signs of it, though, and he wasn't as young as they all seemed to think.
Naturally, Kimigiku stopped first, although Kichirō didn't know how much his martyred expression contributed to the general mirth. The new head of the Yukishima clan rose a great deal in Kichirō's estimation by addressing him quite seriously—once she composed herself.
"I agree that Osen-chan admires Harada-san, Kichirō. She's no longer in my charge, however—she's been sixteen for six months now. Obviously I can't discuss that with you in any event, it wouldn't be proper. As for your sister, I think that most men would admire her, as she is very beautiful. At the same time, most women would find Hijikata-san very handsome, don't you think?"
Kichirō looked taken aback. "I-I suppose so?" He turned suspiciously to Chiharu. "Do you think Hijikata-san is handsome?"
Chiharu resisted the desire to glare at Kimigiku, but she answered truthfully. "Yes, I do. Of course, he looks a great deal like Kimiko-sama and her brother, so that isn't so surprising. The Yukishima have always been considered to be a good-looking family."
Kichirō was reasonably satisfied with that answer, although he asked the inevitable question:
"Is Hijikata-san related to you, Kimiko-sama?"
"You know the answer to that, Kirō-kun," his sister said sharply. "I explained it to you. He is the son of our uncle Toshio-sama and a human lady. It really isn't proper to talk about it. But if you must go over it again, that makes Hijikata-san our cousin. He is a little more distantly related to Kimiko-sama."
"Chiharu-sama, I propose an exchange. I will call you Haru-chan, if you will call me Kimiko."
Kichirō shook his head dubiously, now completely distracted from his original train of thought—whatever it had been. "I don't know… My brother would say it isn't right. I mean, maybe with Chiharu…"
Kimigiku looked at him thoughtfully. "As you wish, Kichirō-sama," she said politely. Kichirō reddened.
"N-no, that's not what I meant! But you are… I mean…" the boy floundered, but eventually managed to get to the point. "You are the head of your clan, Kimiko-sama, and also my elder. It is different, perhaps, with my sister, who is an adult and closer in age, as well as being another, um, woman."
His sister immediately came to his support. "I think you are right, Kichirō," she said approvingly. "And I know that Kimiko will understand."
"Well, now that that's sorted out, what can we do to help, Kimiko?" asked Sen cheerfully.
Kimigiku looked at each of them thoughtfully.
"I have two pressing difficulties," she said. "First, I need to decide how to communicate the change in, ah, leadership to the other clan heads. In particular, I need to determine how to deal with questions regarding my marriage—or lack thereof. Second, I am concerned about my brother, Mamoru. He is desperately grieved by the deaths of his parents, which is only normal, and although it helps to have Akane-san and her children here—since he has grown up with them—there is no question that he treats them with a kind of… arrogance that he must have learned from my uncle or my mother."
Chiharu turned to her brother and he sighed. "You want me to fence with him, don't you? He's not"—Kichirō suddenly caught himself. It wasn't polite to tell your hostess that you thought that her brother was just a little crazy. "But I'll see what I can do," he said heroically.
"Any time you can spare for him would be greatly appreciated, Kichirō-kun," Kimigiku told him sincerely. "I am… aware… that he isn't easy to get along with. Fortunately, he seems to be fairly confused about what happened. So he's decided that Saitō-sama is… rather terrifying… even though our father clearly approved of him. I had to keep telling him that Saitō-sama didn't kill either of our parents or our uncle."
Kichirō thought back to what he'd seen when he'd carried Mamoru-kun into the Yukishima manor-house. Personally, he agreed with the assessment that Saitō-sama was rather terrifying. His opinion of Mamoru-kun rose a little—or at least, he felt some sympathy for him. While Onii-sama was clearly stronger than Saitō-sama, he wasn't nearly as frightening, in Kichirō's opinion. For one thing, he couldn't imagine his brother drenched head-to-toe in blood or wearing that awful, emotionless expression. Mind you, Saitō-sama was clearly a great warrior, and Kichirō hoped to learn from him. But he could understand how Mamoru-kun must feel right now.
Kimigiku had risen. "I'll take Kichirō-kun to Akane-san now. I'm not sure what I'd do without her right now, to be honest."
As soon as Kimigiku had left, Chiharu smiled sweetly at Sen and watched her usually-cheerful cousin suddenly become wary.
"Nagakura Shinpachi-san." When Sen's cheeks darkened and her eyes widened, she added: "See, that wasn't so difficult, was it? Of course, it helped that I'd actually seen him. Otherwise I'd have had to guess blind. So… A new cousin for you—and Chizuru-chan. And your uncle intends to acknowledge him?"
"I really shouldn't discuss it," Sen told her cousin. "But yes, Nagakura-san, and yes I think that's exactly what my uncle intends. … You know, I'm not sure I prefer this new approach of yours." Chiharu gave her cousin a satirical look and Sen grinned. "Alright, that's unfair. Still, Chikage really won't be happy, will he?"
"No. I'm still trying to figure that part out, to be honest. And I'm still worried about Kenshin."
"I haven't forgotten," Sen reassured her. "I doubt that Saitō-san has, either, although…"
The two young women exchanged looks. Sen snickered. Chiharu raised her eyebrows.
"If Hijikata-san agrees to it, shall I ask if Harada-san is willing to teach Kichirō and me?"
"No," said Sen mournfully, "don't." She sighed. "I don't have time to take sword lessons. Although at least if Hijikata-san decides to teach you personally, then I've put Kichirō on his guard. Otherwise I might have to find time to chaperone."
"You have no shame," said her cousin, exasperated.
Sen shrugged. "I have nothing to be ashamed of. Neither do you, for that matter. But your brother is a powerful man and I take him seriously, whatever you may think. I even believe him to be a decent person—probably."
Chiharu didn't respond. They were both thinking of Amagiri wounds and of Saitō's Trial of Mind. A future where Kazama Chikage pitted himself against the Shinsengumi—and vice-versa—boded very ill for all concerned, under present circumstances.
When Kimigiku returned, she looked a little sad. The sight of Sen and Chiharu with their heads together over fresh cups of tea seemed to cheer her, however.
"How long did it take?" she asked Chiharu, her purple eyes reflecting amusement.
"About one second," Sen answered, shaking her head. "I'm sorry to speak ill of the quasi-dead, but Suzuka Gozen has a great deal to answer for. And don't freeze up, Kimiko! The truth is that it's obviously more complicated than even you realized. You ought to at least approve of the part of her scheme that has our serene Chiharu-chan ready to put on hakama and learn to fight for herself!"
"Well, I won't say that's a bad thing," Kimiko allowed, though without great enthusiasm. "I wish I could teach you, Haru-chan! Well, such is life. Have you spent the whole time gossiping, or did you give any thought to our—I use the term advisedly—problem of dealing with the other major clans? I have no idea how to inform the Kazama or the Amagiri without stirring up trouble for you and Kichirō-kun, Haru-chan, and the Shiranui are really best dealt with by Princess Sen, not to mention their own liege lady and her consort. Any ideas?"
It was not a particularly productive meeting, unfortunately. Various plans were suggested, considered, and discarded. The reality was that Kazama Chikage was not going to blindly accept the assertion that the bloody transfer of power within the Yukishima had been justified, especially not right now when he was in less than a reasonable frame of mind. It also wasn't clear what Chiharu and Kichirō were going to do if—or probably when—he ordered them to return home. Eventually, they moved out into the back garden to take a break from trying to sort out the (apparently) impossible. It was at that point that Sen received a polite mental nudge from her uncle.
"It's Satoshi," she said aloud to the other two. Chiharu and Kimigiku nodded their understanding and exchanged a look. Only the Okikurune were so… casual… about mental contact over distance.
Sen looked puzzled, and then nodded. Then her eyes went wide.
"That's… not really possible," she said aloud, obviously badly jarred. "Yes, yes, I think you're right but I also think you're wrong." There was another pause of a few seconds. "Of course you want me to handle it," she said sourly. "I'm already trying to solve one impossible situation, why not two?"
Kimigiku had risen, looking tense, but Sen waved at her to sit.
Why must you always annoy people, she asked her uncle in an aggrieved tone, when he informed her that Saitō-sama really wasn't prepared to trust anything he said at that point.
It really wasn't my fault that Chizuru-chan fainted, he replied coolly. Then his mental tone turned wry and slightly amused. And I assure you that you absolutely cannot blame me for her condition or this particular conundrum. Which, according to you, both exists and cannot exist.
Yes, alright, fine. I even agree that you know more about these things than I do. When her irreverent uncle laughed outright at that comment and conveyed a crystal clear mental image of a rather anxious-looking Harada-san, Sen felt herself blush up to her ears and forcibly slammed shut the mental contact. She hadn't yet figured out whether he allowed her to do that—it had happened before—or whether she actually had sufficient power to cut him off. On days like today, she favoured the former premise and it was aggravating.
"I have to contact Saitō-san," she told Kimigiku and Chiharu. "Chizuru fainted—she's okay now!—and Saitō-san wants my opinion, since he obviously can't trust my, my—you know, I need to ask Hijikata-san to teach me some really good things to call people who annoy me. Don't worry, I'll tell you about Chizuru—maybe—after." To cheer herself up, Sen winked at Chiharu. "And if Hijikata-san has any useful rude names for people like my uncle, I'll pass them along."
Sen concentrated on Saitō's now familiar mind. She could tell immediately that he was distressed, because she was able to find him much more quickly than usual. Normally he was easy to overlook even with a reasonable idea of his location. Of course, it would have been easier to simply speak to him through Satoshi and then set up the link, but from what her uncle had conveyed, Saitō had no desire for any mental contact with the man, and she didn't blame him at all at the moment.
When she did contact Saitō, he blinked—well, metaphorically speaking—at the unusual force in her mental tone. Gomene, Saitō-san, she told him, quickly calming herself. My uncle annoys me. He's not a bad person, though, she added, somewhat unconvincingly.
Thank you for contacting me, Sen-hime, Saitō said politely, more or less ignoring her comments about Satoshi. Sen received the impression that he agreed with her that the man was annoying and that the jury was still out as to his overall character.
You would like me to examine Chizuru-chan? Sen asked. My uncle said that she recovered some of her memories when she saw him, but it's not clear about what—possibly some recollections of him, her parents and her, ah, other uncle.
That is correct, Sen-hime. She fainted, and since then has felt dizzy and ill, although she keeps insisting that she is feeling better. After a tiny pause, he added: I believe that she is feeling slightly better physically. But I'm not sure that she has been herself since this morning.
In what way? asked Sen, puzzled. Satoshi hadn't mentioned anything being wrong earlier in the day. Sen could tell that Saitō was deeply embarrassed, but determined to mention anything that might be relevant to his wife's condition.
She was crying, but I don't know why. She was… concerned about her appearance? Chizuru is rarely despondent. Sen would have laughed at how defensive he sounded, but he was too worried for her to mock just then. Also, she was… upset at my absence. But I had to be on patrol. I know that it may be difficult for… a while… to be apart. I would not have bothered you with this, except that Satoshi-sama agreed that it would be best for you to see if there is anything you can do about how Yukimura Kōdō's magic may be affecting her. I was under the impression that whatever he used to suppress Chizuru's abilities was completely gone now.
Sen hesitated. The part about the magic was serious enough, especially since Sen had also thought that Chizuru was no longer affected by any of Yukimura Kōdō-san's left-over spells. Chizuru's memory loss was easily ascribed to the trauma of whatever had happened to her twelve years ago. Now Sen wasn't so sure. Worse, it appeared as though Kōdō-san had picked up a trick or two from his—partner? collaborator? evil assistant?—Yukishima Masaru-san. The distraction spell that Satoshi had noticed was apparently Masaru-san's type of magic. Unfortunately, that wasn't the immediate problem.
May I speak with Chizuru-chan?
Saitō didn't say anything, but a moment later Chizuru's presence was clear and strong beside his. Sen decided that it would be worth it to project an image. Somewhat to her surprise, Chizuru helped her.
Kimigiku—no, I mean Kimiko-sama—showed me how, when I was able to study with her, Chizuru said, a little hesitantly. She brightened at Sen's whole-hearted approval. I'm feeling much better, she added, slightly defiantly. I wish I hadn't fainted and upset everyone. But I've… never been able to remember before… what they looked like. My parents, I mean.
There was a sudden wave of deep sadness, and Sen found herself blinking tears from her eyes. She still missed her own mother very much, no matter how well she set it aside because she had to. An instant later—like being doused in cold water, as she later told Chiharu—Saitō had said, perfectly calmly: You see, Sen-hime? This is unlike Chizuru. I assure you that she was not unhappy a few minutes ago.
The sadness receded in the face of Saitō's uncompromising practicality, although Sen got a clear sense of confusion from the man when both she and Chizuru were suddenly united in being upset with his apparent callousness. For a moment she thought he might abandon the mental contact entirely, since he could not perceive that it was helping.
Saitō-san? Gomenasai. You are correct. Chizuru-chan, I'm sorry you are sad, but we need to discuss something… rather important.
What is it, Sen-hime?
Well, as to the magic, I'm sorry, but I really can't sense anything. The next time we are together—myself and Chiharu-chan and Chizuru-chan—we will try again to figure out if there is some residual magic in place. The, ah, problem is—Sen stopped, she had no idea how to do this. She was even tempted to just… let it go. Only the thought of her uncle's sardonic expression if she gave up made her continue. Chizuru-chan? I know I shouldn't be the one to tell you this… but… congratulationsyou'repregnant!
There was a moment of complete mental confusion and then silence from her cousin and her cousin's husband. Surprisingly—to Sen, at least—it was Chizuru who raised the obvious objection.
Osen-chan? Um… how do you know? I mean, um… Chizuru dissolved into the expected embarrassment and Saitō's presence was strangely contained, almost wary.
With the first hurdle behind her, Sen forced herself to continue. She was, after all, the Princess of the Oni, and she had seen and been forced to deal with a number of difficult matters over her short lifetime. She drew a deep breath, both physically and mentally.
I don't know how or why, Sen told her cousin, careful to keep her thoughts clear of any emotion other than general affection, but you appear to be about two months with child. The… pattern is now clear enough to sense, if one is, ah, adept with Soul magic.
That's, really, really not possible, Chizuru replied immediately.
Sen waited for Saitō to say something—anything—in support of his wife, but he remained completely silent. The princess had to suppress an immediate sense of dread—that Saitō would refuse to believe that the child was his, that he would doubt his wife… There was no doubt in Chizuru's mind; her memories and feelings were clear—too clear, really. Sen felt her body react to sensations that weren't hers to recall and instinctively shielded her mind from the unintended input.
Saitō finally—finally!—rejoined the conversation. You would not tell us this if you were not certain. Therefore, I accept that Chizuru is with child and that you are merely concurring in Satoshi-sama's assessment of her situation. It would explain his behaviour.
Saitō's mental voice was… odd. Sen focussed on the visual image and saw that he was speaking more to Chizuru than to her, despite his words. He seemed to be telling her—Chizuru-chan—that whatever happened, it was going to be alright. How he could do that without Sen hearing or sensing it, Sen couldn't understand, but she could see it happening, and could feel Chizuru relaxing. She had a feeling that her aggravating uncle could probably explain it to her, but she wasn't sure she could deal with him just now. Maybe Kimigiku knew.
As Saitō focussed on his wife, Sen realized that she had completely misunderstood his earlier silence. He wasn't angry, or even upset, exactly; he was terrified. She could sense it now—barely; it was contained behind extraordinary shields. He believed that his wife could not be more than two or three days pregnant; he also believed Sen—and Satoshi—that she was actually more than two months pregnant. In retrospect, if Sen hadn't been so worried that Saitō would react the way that most men—in her opinion—would react, she would have realized that it was a genuinely frightening prospect. There had to be some reason for what had happened, of course, but Sen hadn't had enough time think about it, although one name immediately came to mind. For whatever reason—probably foolish sentiment—Sen hoped that Suzuka wasn't responsible, for once.
Sen-hime? Saitō's mental tone was still slightly distant, and there was a searching expression in his dark blue eyes. I think there was something else you wished to tell us? Or rather, Chizuru thinks that there is something else.
Osen-chan? Chizuru's voice chimed in. Is-is there something wrong? Only I don't feel as though anything is wrong. I was just a bit startled—I mean, it's a bit of a, um, shock. Chizuru sounded more or less like herself, although now that Sen was paying attention she thought that she could detect the fact that Chizuru had some kind of private contact with her husband.
Sen fought down a giddy sense of unreality. How could they react like this? Or rather, how could they not react… more? Or maybe they were reacting, just privately? Or maybe they were still absorbing the information? It was puzzling.
There is one other thing, Sen told the parents-to-be. Then she giggled, which was terribly embarrassing. Gomen! It's just—there are two of them. Twins, I mean. So, congratulations twice over!
Ohhhhhhhh. Chizuru seemed very pleased. Her entire mental tone was gradually shifting to a kind of nervous-excited happiness.
Once again, there was no discernible reaction from Saitō other than a mental affirmation that he had heard what Sen had said. Sen wondered at what point he would simply expire from stress, and eyed his impassive countenance somewhat warily.
Well, Sen concluded, having given Saitō a chance to commune with his wife (if that's what he was doing), we should really give the two of you some time to take it all in, right? Only I think you'll have to escort my uncle out of the compound. Although if you want I can just tell him to leave without being seen. I expect he can manage that.
Chizuru was barely listening to her. Her face was gradually taking on a kind of faraway, happy look, and Sen grinned when she saw Saitō look at the expression with a kind of dawning horror. That seemed more normal, somehow.
I will escort Prince Satoshi to the gate, Saitō said firmly. Then, showing his true colours at last, he added, slightly desperately: Could you… watch over Chizuru for me while I do?
Of course, Saitō-san.
Thank you for all of your assistance, Sen-hime, Saitō told her. Then the direct mental link disappeared.
Osen-chan! Chizuru was beaming at her, and Sen realized that her cousin had effortlessly maintained the complex mental and visual link when Saitō stepped away. I know that it's very strange, and Saitō-san is going to worry terribly—but it's also a bit exciting, isn't it?
Sen stared at her cousin. Personally, she thought she'd be more upset than excited, in Chizuru's place, but it seemed that part of Chizuru's strength lay in adapting to her situation. Besides, Sen couldn't help but be happy if Chizuru was happy.
It is very exciting, she told her cousin, with perfect truth. For one thing, the birth of these twins had the potential to create significant changes in Oni society, although Sen suspected it would take a long time with the Western Oni. For another thing, Sen was rather looking forward to being Auntie Sen.
Is Saitō-san still treating you well, now that he doesn't have Kimigiku and me to keep an eye on him?
Chizuru looked so startled at the question that Sen laughed aloud and added: I mean, obviously you get along well enough for some things… Which you never did tell me about, now that I think of it.
…I don't think I should talk about that…
Was it better than kissing?
Osen-chan!
You're turning bright red, so I'll take that as a yes.
To Sen's surprise, Chizuru pulled herself together and managed an almost-stern expression: Harada-san was in a very good mood last night. Did you see him?
Chizuru-chan!
Chizuru smiled at her cousin. Then she tilted her head slightly. Hajime is back. I'll talk to you later, Osen-chan.
Sen returned the smile, sensing a polite but clear dismissal. Bye, Chizuru-chan.
Chizuru greeted her husband somewhat tentatively, but once he discovered that they were truly alone he held her tightly for several minutes and then kissed her passionately, first on the mouth and then on the neck. Somewhat to Chizuru's disappointment, he recollected himself before things went any farther. He did sit down with her in his lap, though, which made her very happy; she had been worried that he would insist on going to lunch with the others. She didn't mind that he was silent—she knew that he needed a chance to think things through a little.
"Are you worried, Chizuru?" Saitō asked eventually.
"Not really," Chizuru replied. "I wanted a child with you. Now I get to have two. I keep wondering what they'll be like." She caressed her flat stomach unconsciously, and then looked at Saitō in some surprise. He was becoming aroused.
"You—the idea of children with you—the way you touch your belly…" Saitō shrugged uncomfortably.
"You don't mind how I look," Chizuru commented, somehow cuddling against him even more closely.
"…I do not understand." Saitō's expression didn't change much, but he appeared to be genuinely confused. "You know that I think you are very pretty."
The words were inadequate to convey how he really felt, but he was feeling a little beleaguered. Events were once more rushing beyond his control. Not that he had control over having children, exactly, but it would have been nice to have a few months to get used to the idea of being married, first. Now it appeared that even Chizuru's pregnancy was going to be two months—two months!—shorter than expected.
Chizuru sighed—but mostly in a contented way. "I'm the only one who doesn't look unusual in some way," she explained. "I don't really stand out."
Saitō felt a flicker of comprehension. After meeting Chiharu-sama and Kichirō-kun, as well as some of the others, Chizuru was feeling ordinary in comparison.
"I hope that our children"—Saitō had to suppress a slight shiver at the word—"look just like you, dear one."
Chizuru beamed at him. "Thank you, Hajime. I hope they look just like you! You have such nice hair and wonderful eyes." She was a little pink with embarrassment, but so sincere that Saitō ruthlessly set aside his own feelings of extreme discomfort so that she wouldn't be made unhappy. He had to wonder though, if her unusual behaviour—from being upset to the point of tears in the morning to being so happy now—was attributable to the pregnancy or to some legacy of whatever magic Kōdō might have placed on her. It worried him a little that he preferred the idea of semi-hostile magic to several months of alternating tears and joy.
"I wonder if we'll have two girls or two boys," Chizuru was saying, mostly to herself.
"More likely one of each," Saitō replied. Chizuru turned an inquiring look on him. "According to everyone we've spoken with, belief and expectation are everything. Knowing you, with your ability to believe wholeheartedly in what you hope will be true, we will have a girl-child for your clan and a boy-child for mine."
"That would be perfect," conceded Chizuru. "But I know that you would like to have boys to train." Her warm brown eyes seemed to grow rather misty, and Saitō was perturbed to see tears forming.
"Chizuru?"
"They'll look so sweet in their little kimonos! I hope they're as handsome as you are!" She sniffled a little.
Bright red and bewildered, Saitō could only stare as his wife simultaneously smiled and cried. It was all very complicated, he decided.
[III]—Sano and Shinpachi
Shinpachi was at lunch; Saitō and Chizuru were not. To the surprise of those who were there, Shinpachi failed to contribute to the ribald speculation on Saitō's probable reason for missing the noon meal. Sano thought he might know why, but decided to wait until the other man wanted to talk about whatever he had discussed with Satoshi-sama.
"Let's go out for a couple of drinks after the patrol today," Shinpachi suggested.
"I dunno—we're on alert," his friend demurred, although the idea did appeal. Of course, so did the idea of sneaking away after dinner to see if Osen-chan was back from Yase.
To everyone's relief but Sōji's, Hijikata-san announced that since the Chōshu were attempting to reach a diplomatic settlement, the full alert was rescinded. Shinpachi and Sano were given grudging permission to have a few drinks after their patrol as long as they were back before eight. They decided to invite Sōji and Heisuke to join them, even though Heisuke wouldn't be able to stay long since he was scheduled for patrol with Inoue that evening.
Hijikata-san showed up at Shinpachi's door during the few minutes he took to don his haori and protective head-guard. Somehow, he wasn't surprised.
"Did it go okay?" asked Hijikata without any preliminaries.
"Yeah. Pretty strange though." Shinpachi finished knotting the head-guard into place and gave the Vice Commander his full attention. "Have you thought about it, Hijikata-san? Meeting your, uh, father, I mean."
"Not going to happen," said Hijikata decisively. "My plan is to steer clear as much as possible for as long as possible. Don't know if it'll work, but that's my plan. Doesn't mean I won't learn as much as I can, just that I'd like to avoid getting sucked into all the craziness. Like that shit-show yesterday morning. I'm still not too happy about that, though I'm glad you could pull Saitō's ass out of the fire."
"I get that," responded Shinpachi. "But I don't know how well non-involvement's going to work out. I mean—they had furies, you know?"
"Yeah," said Hijikata. "I know."
[END]
A/Note: So much fun! And don't worry, Souji and Heisuke have their own strange and fateful moments still to come. Poor Saitō! Those of you who know (and have seen pictures on my tumblr blog) know that I write with my Saitō plushie on my left and my Sano plushie on my right. Sano-plushie is currently lobbying for more time with Sen.
What do you all think? Also, like Sen (and maybe Saitō, although he's just a little in shock right now), I haven't forgotten Kenshin. Or Kazama. Or Amagiri and Kameko. Or even Shiranui, who will be in an interesting spot if Kimigiku-Kimiko enforces Saitō's promise to allow Chizuru to heal his twin half-sisters. (I haven't forgotten them either.)
Why do you suppose Chizuru is two months pregnant instead of two days? Hmm. And will her husband lock her in a vault?
Please review or comment if you get the chance, I'd really like to know what you think of it all!