Author's Note: It took longer than planned, but we finally have the long overdue 'discussion' between between Sen and Kazama about their very different views on their approaches to protecting the Oni race. And what will Chiharu do now that the lines have been drawn?

~ This chapter is dedicated to ellerby (thank you for picking this up and then going back to provide comments and reviews; I have enjoyed each and every one!)

~ Imp

Quote:

If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here
So lonely inside
So busy out there
And all you wanted was somebody who cares

All You Wanted by Michelle Branch

Part I—Lord of the Western Clans

Kazama Chikage was the most powerful Oni of his generation, certainly in terms of strength, speed, and coercive magic. There were other talented Oni, of course—Sen-hime of Kyoto and Yase, for example; or Kazama's own sister, Chiharu. Kazama's long-time vassal, bodyguard, and sometime tutor Amagiri Kyūju was quite strong. Even Shiranui Kyō—as lazy and disrespectful as he was—was powerful enough to be casual about most threats. However, none of them had ever been a serious challenge, in Kazama's estimation. He'd been fully secure in his place in the order of things.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been in so much pain. Not even his father's merciless training, when he was a child, had left him feeling so fragile. It was unpleasant.

Kazama regained consciousness slowly, and found himself too weak to do more than open his eyes in an effort to orient himself. Even that was a challenge, and once he'd seen the night sky overhead, and recognized that he wasn't far from the family's summer home, he'd focussed his efforts on disciplining his unruly mind. His memories were jumbled; he wasn't certain what had happened, except that he'd obviously been attacked and—most improbably—defeated.

He could smell blood. Given the pain, and his shocking weakness, he had to assume that it was his own. Bit by bit, he mastered the pain enough to take better stock on his situation. Long unused to being hurt or vulnerable, that took quite some time. He'd forgotten that pain could be so distracting, and was forced to concede that he'd lost some of the knack for setting it aside. It didn't help that he was angry—so angry—about whatever had happened to him. His rage was as hard to control as the pain, although it gave him a focus, of sorts.

Eventually, he was able to discern that he was still wounded, which explained the pain. It was also unprecedented. Kazama's injuries—such as they'd been, since early adolescence—had never taken more than a few seconds to heal, if that. As time passed, and he regained both inner and outer awareness, he determined that there was significant damage within his chest, perilously close to his heart. The injury was slow to heal because most of his resources were focussed on keeping himself alive. Apparently, the blood loss had been considerable.

With each passing minute, Kazama's powerful regenerative faculty became less taxed with life-support, and more able to speed up the repair to the walls of the heart and the myriad of blood vessels, nerves, and muscles around the site of the wound. The pain receded, flesh began to knit in earnest …and memory returned.

He'd intended to kill Saitō Hajime of the Shinsengumi, for good and sufficient reason. The mongrel had dared to claim a pureblood demon female for his own, and one who had been betrothed to Kazama at that. And that was only the worst of his offenses—there were others, and they would have to be repaid in kind. Unfortunately, the cur was protected, somehow, by an ancestor spirit. Though he tried to suppress the memory as unproductive, his mind replayed the last moments of the fight in vivid detail: the mocking, insulting words, the baseless accusations against the Kazama clan, and then one glittering blade sweeping up to block, while the other thrust home with frightening skill and strength into—through!— Kazama's chest.

Sakurai Kyoyuki, the last lord of the Sakurai. A peerless warrior with the power to shrug off Kazama's strongest coercive magic. Kazama had given his word to publicly recognize the upstart wolf cub as the new leader of the Sakurai clan—and he would—but this night's events had confirmed the wide gulf between the bastard descendant and the real thing.

In Kazama's defense, he was unaware of what Saitō had accomplished against the traitorous Yukishima entirely unaided by the ghosts of the past. Moreover, Kazama wasn't truly aware—as his mother had been—of the severe disadvantage to Saitō of being away from his new wife. Consequently, the Lord of the Western Clans had found Saitō to be a mediocre opponent, for a male Oni who had passed his Trials and assumed the four-pointed crown. Had he been less exhausted, emotionally and physically, Kazama might have been better able to concede Saitō's extraordinary control despite a lengthy journey by Fast Travel and too long spent fighting the effects of the Kazama defensive wards. As it was, anger, pride, and ingrained prejudice triumphed easily over rational analysis.

Several more minutes passed, and then Kazama slowly sat up. The wound in his chest was healing faster now, and the only significant problem was a feeling of fatigue and weakness that was likely due to blood loss. It came as a shock to discover the body crumpled into the grass beside him and suddenly remember Kichirō's foolhardy, last-minute intervention. His brother's bright hair glimmered unstained in the moonlight, but both kimono and hakama were dark with blood.

Kichirō would have been touched, and a little surprised, had he seen the look of near-panic on Kazama's face as he moved as quickly as his condition allowed to examine his idiot brother, his own discomfort wholly forgotten. It didn't take long to ascertain that Kichirō was alive and apparently uninjured, although Kazama couldn't trust his own perceptions as perfectly as usual. Relief gave way almost immediately to another tidal wave of rage. His beloved—if annoying—younger brother had been put directly in harm's way, and forced to witness a terrible scene. Now he was unconscious, for no clear reason, which suggested magical interference.

Bloodied, battered, and infuriated, Kazama Chikage found himself clenching his fists so tightly that crescent-shaped gouges were forming on his palms. He had a lot to think about—once he was calmer—but he didn't need to think to know who was to blame for almost everything that had gone wrong. Saitō of the Shinsengumi would have to be dealt with at some point, but Her Highness the Princess of Yase and Kyoto was the one responsible. She deserved whatever fate awaited her for ignoring the needs of those she claimed to rule and protect in favour of the life of one pathetic, self-important, stubborn bastard of a half-breed. And what the hell had she done with Kenshin and, worst of all, Chiharu?

It was at this supremely unfortunate moment that Sen and Chiharu finally located Kichirō, and Sen contacted her cousin Chikage. She could see his mood at a glance, and almost gave way to an impulse to flee. Which, as Kimigiku later pointed out, might have been the better choice. But Sen's own grievances weren't far from boiling over, and her reaction to being afraid—afraid!—of the greatest donkey she had ever had the misfortune to meet, sealed her decision to get things over with right away.

"Hello, Chikage; thank you for speaking with me. I'm pleased to see that you are recovering." Princess Shizuka had taught her young daughter that it was both good manners and good strategy to be polite. Besides, it was true—Sen was relieved that Saitō-san hadn't killed the arrogant, close-minded, self-absorbed prick.

"Are you really, Your Highness? I'm surprised." Kazama's voice was hard and cold, although Sen could tell that the frigid calm was illusory. "Yet you authorized a killer—a man with no regard for life or Oni customs—to come into my home and kidnap my brother. My mother is no doubt terrified, and if I find that she has suffered any hardship then—"

"The only killer I see in this scenario is the vaunted Lord of the Western Clans!" Sen's restraint snapped, and her voice was sharp with derision. "Although I suppose failed killer would be a more accurate title. As for the esteemed Lady Kazue, she is even guiltier than you are, having perpetuated a gross injustice against one man before conspiring to murder another! I thought you claimed to value Oni lives, Chikage?"

"Where is my youngest brother, Princess?" Kazama had a tight leash on his anger, but his tone was pure venom. "And my sister? I acted in good faith when I agreed to send my former vassal to you. Since then, you have acted in direct opposition to my interests at every turn, and meddled directly in the affairs of my family and dependants."

Sen attempted to interrupt again, but they were fairly evenly matched in this battle of wills, and she carried most of the burden of maintaining the connection. Kazama spoke right over what she'd been about to say about his concept of good faith given his dealings with Saitō. And Amagiri.

"Let me be perfectly clear, Sen-hime of Yase. My loyalty is to my family, and my duty is to safeguard my clan. Beyond that, I believe in my heritage as an Oni, and the traditions and values that set us apart from the crawling vermin that make up the bulk of humankind. Familial bonds, and the traditional deference owed to the rulers of your clan, have kept me from opposing you directly, despite your obvious indifference to preserving either the dignity or existence of our kind. But you have now gone far beyond what is tolerable and—"

"Enough, Onii-sama!" Chiharu had observed the discussion—or altercation—from the beginning. She'd been shocked by the depth of Chikage-sama's physical and emotional hurt, despite having seen the appalling wound earlier. He was enraged, and she knew that he was capable of terrible things—really dreadful mistakes—at such times. It had taken her some time to bring herself to accept that she had to choose—that any middle ground was now gone, assuming it had existed at all once Chizuru had married Saitō-sama.

"Stay out of this, Chiharu! Has such a small time surrounded by humans—or in the care of Sen-hime—overcome all good sense? To say nothing of duty, loyalty, and obedience!"

"Chikage-sama, you don't know—"

"I know enough! And if you will be so gracious as to return to your home, you can explain my ignorance to me in person. If nothing else, you can tell me how it came about that both my Heir and my dear sister approved the obscene match that has taken place! Kichirō I can acquit on the grounds of lack of knowledge and deference to the Princess. But you? While I would prefer to assume that you were coerced in some way, it is beyond belief that you acted as an official witness to a marriage wholly against your own wishes. Or is that something I have misunderstood? My former vassal was a traitor and a fool, but I doubt he lied."

"Amagiri didn't lie." Chiharu was struggling to preserve her calm, but she drew strength from the fact that Sen seemed content to allow her to speak as she liked to her brother. "Of course he didn't," she added bitterly. "He wouldn't, not even to preserve his life from your misguided anger."

In the past, custom and sworn loyalty—and affection—would have prevented Chiharu from expressing disapproval of her brother's actions in front of another person. But she saw no way forward that didn't involve disloyalty to somebody dear, or to her own convictions. And she had promised to protect Sen. The catastrophe of the betrayal of the Yukishima—the horrifying events of that day—had made her more determined than ever to become stronger, and to guard her cousin.

There was an instant of outraged silence from louder than any shout. Chiharu knew that any defense of Amagiri—including the use of his name—would be regarded as base treachery by her brother. Amagiri had been brutally disciplined and banished from his home, and the wound would run as deep within Kazama Chikage as it did with the man punished. Chiharu's heart broke for the split second of grief that showed in her brother's mind.

Then the moment passed, and with all the strength at his disposal—and it was considerable, despite everything—Kazama lashed out across the mental link with his unsurpassed Gift of Mind. The blow drove Chiharu to her knees, and might have done worse, but for the distance and Sen's hastily fashioned shield.

"You are needed at home, sister." Chikage's mind was now utterly opaque to Chiharu, who was still reeling from the unexpected force behind the attack. "More to the point, I am ordering you to return. I will come to fetch you as soon as I am free of other tasks. If there is anything that you still wish to do in Kyoto, I advise you to hurry; you will not be returning any time soon."

"Well that should make her want to go home, Chikage," Sen muttered audibly. Chiharu didn't think Sen's sarcasm would help matters, but she agreed with the sentiment. Moreover, her brother's attention was immediately diverted to the younger woman, giving Chiharu a chance to regain her equilibrium.

Kazama's deep ruby eyes flickered with yellow gold as he surveyed his nominal liege lady. His next words finally conveyed the true depths of his fury over recent events.

"If you do not wish for a final breach between our clans, Princess of Yase, then I advise you to ensure that my sister returns to her home as required by the head of her clan. Do not make the mistake of underestimating your precarious position. The Yukishima are no match for the Kazama, and you have few other allies. I doubt that one ignorant, newly-crowned half-blood has the strength to make up the difference—no matter how blessed by his ancestors."

"Threats now, Chikage?" Sen sounded tired, but surprisingly self-possessed given that Kazama's words intimated outright rebellion.

"Take it however you see fit, Princess. I will brook no more of your poisonous influence on my family. For the last time: where is my brother Kenshin?"

"Kenshin is safe, and will soon be in his father's care. You know the truth about him now; why would he be elsewhere?"

"Kenshin is my brother by custom and fostering, if nothing else, and I am responsible for his well-being. I take it that he is with your new errand boy—or should I call him your enforcer?" Kazama's voice was laden with contempt. "You consider yourself a paragon of virtue, and yet you force a child of eleven to leave his home in the middle of the night and undertake a difficult journey in the company of a dangerous stranger. I have grave doubts about your ability to control that man, Princess, especially given his apparent link to some vengeful spirit of a violent era. You cannot expect me to be happy that Kenshin's safety and well-being now depend on him."

"I did not expect you to be happy, Chikage," Sen replied equably. "However, I did deem it the best of poor options after you named Kenshin's father a traitor and cast him out of the Western Clans. It was not appropriate for Kenshin to be left with a foster mother so willing to abuse his trust out of a twisted concern for her own son."

Chiharu hurried to put in a far more deferential plea. She made herself bow her head to her brother and lord.

"Chikage-sama, I beg you… For Kenshin's sake, not mine or anyone else's, let our brother go to his parents. Please. He is innocent of all wrong-doing and deserves to know them."

"It is far too late to ask me to do anything, Chiharu. Kenshin is presently out of my reach, which was the purpose to this whole thing, as I understand it. Tell me something, sister—do you trust Saitō Hajime, Lord of the Sakurai and among the more infamous of an infamous pack of ronin?" The question came laced with Mind magic backed by Kazama's coercive strength and the certainty that Chiharu owed him unquestioning obedience.

Chiharu flinched, but she had been forced to think about this exact question several times over the past several days.

"Yes." She met her brother's hard gaze, and committed herself to her chosen path. She briefly considered explaining herself—setting out all the reasons why she had unwillingly come to respect, if not exactly like, the intimidating swordsman. In her mind, she saw the man who had borne the tragedy of an entire clan and made it his own; she saw the implacable Oni lord who had thrown himself into a battle to the death in defense of both liege and vassal; she saw the husband who was committed heart and soul to his young wife. But none of those things would be bearable to her brother right now. "Yes, Chikage-sama, I do trust Sakurai-sama. He has earned it."

She waited for the inevitable violent reaction, but nothing came. Her brother had mastered himself; he wouldn't show his grief at Chiharu's defection in front of Sen. Only his eyes, still blazing bright in the mental projection, gave him away. Chiharu longed for things to be different—she wanted to reach out to him, to assure him that her love for him hadn't changed.

Sen watched quietly, her own inner turmoil well-shielded. It grieved her to see how much the brother and sister wanted to be together again, in spirit as well as body, and how impossible it was. She'd foreseen that Chiharu would come to her aid, just as her mother had foreseen it years before. For whatever reason, she hadn't properly foreseen the cost. She wondered if her mother had known.

Behind Sen, Satoshi watched the inevitable collapse of the always fragile relationship between the Princess of Yase and the Lord of the Western Clans. He'd considered intervening when Osen-chan had lost her temper, since a breach was one thing, but a civil war was to be avoided at almost any cost. But before the situation had escalated wholly beyond repair, Chiharu had stepped in—and so had Harada, although he doubted the man had noticed what he'd done. It was Harada who had steadied Sen's flagging energy and wavering self-control. It was remarkable, and Satoshi had no idea how it had been done.

For his part, Harada was torn between ongoing misgivings about ignoring the Vice Commander's order to return by midnight, and deep concern for Osen-chan. Too much had gone wrong, too fast, and the cracks were definitely starting to show. On top of everything else, he'd gotten a pretty good idea of Saitō's situation earlier, and he couldn't fathom how the man could possibly get back to Kyoto before noon. And what if he didn't?

While the siblings had been speaking—for lack of a better word—Sen had completed a more careful assessment of Kichirō and determined that he was unconscious, but recovering quickly from the effects of the malicious magic that had been embedded into what should have been his private thoughts and emotions. He would be coming around soon now, despite everything he'd gone through that day on so many levels. Sen silently acknowledged his personal strength of mind and body, sad that it would likely continue to be tested, and returned her full attention to the older Kazamas.

"You will be disappointed in your choice of friends, Chiharu." Kazama Chikage conveyed absolute certainty in his pronouncement. As he so often did, thought Sen.

"It is not a matter of friendship, Chikage-sama," insisted his sister. "In any event, I will be here for Kenshin, and I will do my best to help him adjust. I will still hope—uselessly, I know—that you will do the same."

"You should have told Sen-hime to leave the matter to me in the first place. But the time for such things has passed." Kazama turned his attention back to Sen. "Are you satisfied with Kichirō's condition, Princess? You didn't spare him much, did you? And no, I don't want to hear your excuses for why a boy not yet past his final Trial was put in a position to be hurt."

Sen paused before responding, annoyed to realize that Chikage had noticed what she was doing despite her care and everything else going on. Kimigiku was right that Sen tended to underestimate her cousin just because she resented his arrogant high-handedness.

"Yes, I'm satisfied that Kichirō is recovering well," she said at last. She wanted to add her opinion that her younger cousin was clearly ready to face his Trial of Mind—and would be stronger for it—but realized at the last moment how poorly such advice would be received. "…As for the rest, Kichirō was the one who insisted on accompanying Saitō-sama to speak with Lady Kazue regarding Kenshin. Nobody here encouraged him to volunteer; we tried to keep him out of it."

Kazama just shrugged impatiently, and Sen abandoned any hope of explaining what she and Chiharu had found out about the multi-layered mental compulsion that had resulted in Kichirō's present condition. Chikage was far too good at ignoring what he didn't want to hear. It made his obvious talent for almost everything just that much more obnoxious.

"I'm still looking forward to hearing from Chiharu—in person—why either of them was in Kyoto in the first place My mother's account was incomplete, since Chiharu didn't see fit to inform her of all the facts." He gave a thin, humourless smile. "But I'll hear Kichirō's own version of events very shortly, won't I?"

"Indeed. I hope—" Sen cut herself off. Telling Chikage to listen to what Kichirō had to say would only accomplish the reverse. "We'll need to speak again, Chikage."

"Maybe. After Chiharu has returned safely home." Now the brittle smile showed the points of sharp canines in a way that Sakurai Kiyoyuki—and probably Saitō Hajime—would have taken as encouragement to pursue their regrettably unfinished duel.

Another fraught silence was interrupted by Kichirō, who regained consciousness with a start and then rolled smoothly to one side, coming up to his feet with sword drawn. Sen was slightly taken aback by his speed and grace—and his instinctive reaction to defend himself—while Chiharu felt a pang of envy for her younger brother's easy skill. Only Kazama Chikage remained aloof and apparently unperturbed.

The watchers saw Kichirō register surprise and then embarrassment, presumably for his slightly theatrical awakening. Then he saw his older brother and his face brightened in transparent relief.

"Onii-sama!"

"Kichirō."

Kazama surveyed Kichirō through narrowed eyes, and both Sen and Chiharu realized—with genuine sadness—that the older brother viewed the younger with suspicion. What Chiharu understood better than Sen was that Kazama was very conscious that he had an audience and had already been utterly vulnerable—defeated and near death—in front of them not long since. Her brother's instinctive reaction to such a situation would be to appear more aggressive, more suspicious, and more cynical than he really was. Not that it made him less dangerous or difficult to deal with.

Kichirō noted his brother's rather curt reply and went still. Then he frowned, and looked up sharply at the sky. It was plain that he hadn't realized how much time had passed. In fact, the moon would soon be setting behind the trees that surrounded the clearing, and there was already a hint of the grey light of pre-dawn.

"Onii-sama, I am so glad that you are well." Kichirō bowed to his older brother. Then he straightened, adding, "I was worried."

Sen felt the lightest touch on her mind, and then her uncle's unmistakable mental presence.

Hijikata-san is almost at your door. He is very angry. I just thought I'd mention it.

At almost the same moment, Kazama Chikage raised a hand to forestall any further comments from Kichirō and focussed on Sen.

"I will leave you now, Princess. Sister—I will see you soon. Please look forward to it." The polite phrase was entirely at odds to the burr of menace in his voice.

Kichirō's eyes widened, and then he looked troubled. To Sen's surprise, she got the sense that he was reaching out to her. He couldn't manage very well, but he tried.

I'll be the conduit, her uncle told her, gently. It's the only way to avoid Kazama—Kazama Chikage—being aware. You'll have to refocus through me in the same instant that he breaks your connection with him—it will mask the new contact.

Understood. Sen didn't waste time speculating over how her frustrating-but-very-capable relative was managing this.

"Please take care of yourself, Chikage," Sen told her eldest cousin. You see, Mother?, she said to the spirit of Shizuka-hime, I'm being polite. He's being as high-handed as usual, but I'll allow him to make his point by terminating my link to his location. Even though it will mean a longer search for poor Saitō-san.

The cousins stared at each other over a distance of close to two hundred miles. For a moment Sen thought maybe they could leave things a little better between them… But Chikage seemed to glimpse her hope, and he scoffed.

"Good night, Princess. Don't forget what I said. You stand on the precipice. Stop meddling in my business. Also—and I shouldn't have to tell you this—stop fraternizing with humans."

Part II—Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi

The mental contact slammed shut, as Kazama made a point of throwing Sen out of his mind. As planned, she allowed him to do so without a fight. With the peerless skill for magic of the Okikurune, she opened her mind to her uncle, and used his strength to reach out unhesitatingly for that frail connection she'd sensed from Kichirō.

Kichirō?

Osen-chan! I—I have to go! But I don't know when—if—we'll be able to speak again and—well, I gave my word to Saitō—no, Sakurai-sama. The, uh, the other one, if you know who I mean?

I understand. Hurry.

He said to tell Saitō-sama that he should use and take pride in his true name. And that, um, Chieko is a fine name? Kichirō's mental voice was uncertain, but Sen was allowed glimpses of Kichirō's conversation with Sakurai Kiyoyuki. And, um, I should tell Saitō-sama that his skill with a blade is 'not bad'. Which is ridiculous, and very scary. Kichirō hadn't meant to add the last part, but he rushed on. And he told me that I was only alive because… because Saitō-sama convinced him to spare me. He said that Saitō-sama respects me, Osen-chan! I don't deserve it…

Kirō! Sen's tone was warning.

R-right. And he said that—that Chikage-sama owes me his life. He was going to kill him! I thought—I thought he already had.

Yes, Kichirō, that part you already told me. Now you need to go and so do I. Thank you for everything you've done. Your sister is very proud of you. Sen stopped pouring energy into the link and the tenuous contact failed immediately. It might not have been the urgent matter that Kichirō felt it was, but who was she to judge? Who knew how important it might be for a man in Saitō-san's lonely place to know that he was respected for the skills that mattered most to him?

Satoshi broke into her thoughts. I've sent Harada-san to answer the door. Warn Haru-chan and for the gods' sakes pull yourself together!

It was a testament to the urgency of the situation, and Sen's fatigue, that she did exactly as her uncle commanded without stopping to indulge in even a mild Hijikata-expletive. Haru-chan looked strained, as well she might, but like Sen, she just smoothed out her kimono without unnecessary questions. They remained standing, as they had been since locating Kichirō.

The Vice Commander's voice reached them all—Princess Sen, Lady Chiharu, and Prince Satoshi—as he stepped into the house from the engawa.

"What the fuck is going on, Harada? You know—you know I need you back at the compound! You should've been there two hours ago! You know what will happen if you go on this way! And godsdammit you have to put your job first—Kondō and I have gone easy on you until now, but for crying out loud think!"

"I understand, Hijikata-san. Moshiwake arimasen."

Sen was confused. "He's not explaining what happened here? I mean—I'm reasonably sure that you kept him here for my sake, Uncle, and I'm not sure at all that you gave him much choice."

"Harada-san is the kind of man who sees little value in excuses," murmured Satoshi. "Is that not so, Yamazaki-san?"

The Shinsengumi's medic and sometime shinobi sat up cautiously, eyes flickering around the room. He looked uncomfortable at Satoshi's proximity, then alarmed to see that Chizuru was lying on a futon nearby. Her face was pale, and her eyes were closed; she was conscious, he thought, but… busy, somehow? He felt genuine regret and anxiety over Amagiri's condition, which was… stable. The women found it sweet; Satoshi was amused. It appeared that the western traditionalist was going to be taken in by his lord's family more easily than either unwilling lord or stoic vassal would understand.

"I beg your pardon, Prince Satoshi?" Yamazaki was stalling for time in order to collect himself, but Satoshi answered anyway.

"I asked whether I am correct that Harada-san rarely makes excuses."

Yamazaki nodded. "That is so, Prince Satoshi." He struggled to rise to his feet, in anticipation of the visitor, but Satoshi's hand on his shoulder was suddenly very… heavy. Moreover, Sen-hime and Chiharu-sama were giving him the same kind of look that he gave some of his more troublesome patients. In his mind's eye, Okita-san's smirk was pronounced.

The door was flung open with a bang, and Hijikata stepped into the room without any of the usual courtesies. The two women inclined their heads politely to him, but he just crossed his arms and scowled. It was just as well that Kimigiku wasn't there.

"This is just—we can't do this anymore, Sen-hime!" Harada stood behind Hijikata, his face scrupulously neutral and his mind just as blank.

"I beg your pardon Hijikata-san?" Sen's tone was cool, but still friendly.

"Konbanwa, Hijikata-fukuchō." Chiharu stood—just slightly—in front of Sen, her face almost as disapproving as Kimigiku's would have been.

Hijikata had completed a quick survey of the room, and his temper—or anxiety—frayed further. He'd given Satoshi a perfunctory bow, but his attention was on the man's patients.

"How in the name of all the hells did this happen? Last I heard, Yamazaki was keeping an eye on things—and he was supposed to report back to me if anything went sideways, not become an invalid himself! And Amagiri looks like he's aged about ten years—although I suppose maybe he has."

"I—I'm so, so sorry." Chizuru's voice was small and full of unshed tears. "It's, um, my fault."

"No, it's Chikage's fault, Chizuru-chan. And my mother's. You did everything you could to avert a great calamity." To everyone's surprise, that came from Chiharu, and her voice was rock steady and compelling. "Hijikata-san, before you condemn everyone out of hand—and you may still do so, of course—at least let me explain. I'm told that Harada-san isn't one for excuses, and I think that goes for most of us present, but you need information regardless."

Hijikata looked taken aback. Then he shrugged and indicated that she should continue.

"Saitō-san walked into a trap at the Kazama estate." She paused to allow Hijikata to swear—or point out that he would have expected as much. But Hijikata said nothing, merely gestured for her to continue. "Unfortunately, nobody here expected Kazama's mother to collude with Chikage to assassinate Saitō-san."

"…Untrue." A whisper of a voice, but Amagiri was apparently conscious again, though his eyes remained closed. "I warned you that you were taking Kazue-sama's fears too lightly, as well as Kazama-sama himself."

Sen-hime sighed. "I suppose that's true. But please don't try to force yourself to talk."

"Hijikata-san was the one who told me I was being… naïve. Strange to think that—īe, never mind." Amagiri fell silent.

"Yeah, we humans are good at assuming the worst. Because. It. Keeps. Happening."

Sen-hime sighed, and took up the tale. Hijikata-san was as irritable and irritating as ever. "…The point is that Saitō-san was able to convince Kichirō to take Kenshin off the estate, so that Chiharu and I could find them. The whole place had wards in place that neither Kichirō nor Amagiri had expected."

"Kazama knew you were coming, and you insisted that Saitō should walk in and announce himself, right? Not that I knew any of the details! But you sent Kichirō with him, and I've got a pretty good idea how that kid's mind works—and yours too." He glared at Chiharu. To his slight surprise, she glared back.

"Family is important, Hijikata-san. Even you occasionally exhibit symptoms of caring, after all!"

"That's a mistake I intend to curb after tonight." His voice was chilly. "Sen-hime? You may have noticed, but I really need some sleep. Instead, I'm here, again, because neither of my officers reported back to me, meaning that Saitō, Harada, and Yamazaki were potentially out of commission. I may have mentioned this before, but I want my officers back."

Sen wanted nothing more than to comment that she would like to be able to do her job of guiding and training the various part-Oni without having to worry about them getting themselves killed in the meantime, whether by fever or in the line of duty. They were all precious to her.

"I understand your sentiments, Hijikata-san. Yes, Kazama Chikage was waiting for Saitō-san, and Saitō-san was likely aware that there was a problem early on—because of the wards if nothing else. But he followed through on his bargain, and spoke with Kazue-sama about Kenshin. She was, I think, conflicted on the matter, so she gave Saitō more information than she needed to, and then allowed Kichirō and Kenshin to get well away from the house before signalling to Chikage. For what it is worth, I have already condemned her actions to Chikage—along with his own, of course."

"So they tried to kill Saitō and you're letting them off with a warning?"

"Right now, thanks to the destruction of the Yukishima, my options are limited. Unless you would care to—"

"No. We'll stick to our merely human concerns, thanks. If we're allowed to."

"Sen-hime. Please finish telling the Vice Commander what he needs to know." Satoshi sounded almost bored, but nobody was fooled.

"Of course, Uncle."

"That would be appreciated."

Sen and Hijikata glared at each other, but only for a moment. Then Sen composed herself, and moved on with her story.

"I've spoken with Saitō-san, but only briefly, given the distance and other complications. Here is what seems to have happened: Saitō-san managed to get Kichirō and Kenshin away from the estate before any fight with Chikage, likely with Lady Kazue's assistance. Chikage caught up with Saitō as he fled the estate—"

"Saitō ran away?" Hijikata sounded stunned.

"If I may, Vice Commander…" Amagiri spoke up again.

"Let me." Satoshi didn't let Amagiri continue. "Saitō was at a monumental disadvantage due to the Kazama wards. He'd also given his word to protect Kenshin. Since the fight was inevitable, he was merely seeking a better place for the battle, preferably one that Osen-chan and Haru-chan could find."

"Hm. Go on, Sen-hime."

"The fight against Chikage went poorly at first. That is how Saitō-san himself described it to me, but I think there are things we're missing in that report. In any event, Saitō's clothes were badly torn and bloody by the time we located him. Something had clearly gone very badly wrong—he shouldn't have been that badly outmatched, not even against Chikage. But I'll skip my speculations for another time. Just as Chikage was going to kill Saitō-san, Saitō was possessed—for lack of a better word—by his ancestor, the last clan head of the Sakurai."

"Possessed."

"We think it's because he literally holds the living memories of his clan within him. The strongest one, the one with the greatest impact on him personally, was able to subvert his mind and body—in order to preserve him, you understand."

"And for vengeance," put in Chiharu, looking pained.

Amagiri took up the tale at that point, and this time nobody stopped him. His link to Saitō and connection to Kazama made him the most qualified to say what had happened.

"Sakurai Kiyoyuki-sama was a fully-trained clan head, and a warrior of the late Sengoku era. He… well, he inflicted a great deal of damage on Chikage, and then stabbed him through the heart. Kichirō came across them just as Chikage fell. Being of a practical turn of mind, the Sakurai lord was going to cut off Chikage's head. Kichirō threw himself between them."

"Young idiot. That kind of man—and I am so sick of all this mystic bullshit, by the way—would just go right through him to get at his opponent."

"Agreed. But somehow, Saitō convinced his alter ego to spare the child—though Kichirō wasn't a child by Kiyoyuki-sama's standards, you understand."

Hijikata was frowning even more than before, thought Sen wearily. Moreover, his overt irritation was itself a façade for deep concern: he was seriously upset, and barely containing his impatience to find out what the fuck was wrong with Yamazaki, and Yukimura, and—more than he'd ever admit—Amagiri. She wasn't looking forward to telling him.

"Please sit down, Vice Commander Hijikata," said Chiharu, correctly reading Sen's need to give her overtaxed body a break. Magic, especially at a distance, took a great deal of stamina.

"…Fine. But I'm in a hurry."

"That's understood."

Chizuru startled everyone by joining the conversation, but in a very sleepy voice.

"…Always in a hurry. Somebody needs to tell Hajime… and Amagiri-san… to stop trying to fix everything. And Hijikata-san needs more sleep."

"From the mouths of babes," murmured Satoshi, smirking a little. "Osen-chan, just tell the nice Vice Commander what he needs to know, please. Stalling is making it worse."

"Well?"

"Kazama Chikage is still alive."

"How? I thought the final blow was for certainty, not because it was necessary."

"Chizuru-chan healed the most critical damage and staved off immediate heart failure. We're not sure how. And because Amagiri and Saitō-san had set up a fail-safe ahead of time, Amagiri bore the cost of the healing."

"…" Hijikata appeared to be literally speechless. A muscle worked in his jaw.

"On top of that, when Yamazaki was asked to help Chizuru—a while ago, now—he exhausted himself trying to block, or at least slow, her draw on Amagiri. He's mostly just tired, though."

Hijikata came out of his momentary fugue. "Are you fucking serious?! Yukimura healed him? Why—Yukimura! Why?"

"Gomenasai, Hijikata-san! I just—I mean—I couldn't…" Chizuru hurried to sit up, although it was clearly an effort for her.

"She didn't want Saitō-sama to be responsible for either the death itself, or for starting a clan war." Amagiri's voice was still raspy, but stronger. "Nor is her mind one that readily accepts the inevitability of pain and death."

"On top of that," added Satoshi, thoughtfully, "she wasn't really herself at the time."

"Why not?"

"She was crazy with—call it grief—because she could see Saitō, but she couldn't sense him. Which is perfectly reasonable, since he really wasn't him at the time."

"'Call it grief'? What the hell bullshit is that?" Hijikata was staring at Satoshi.

"A pair as closely attuned as they are should never have been apart until weeks after their wedding, maybe longer. Saitō has been forced apart from Chizuru-chan almost every day since they married. As we told you before, within Oni society it is an invariable custom to avoid separating the married pair; even the Western Oni observe this custom, even though they have limited belief in the Trial of Heart. So although we predicted that there would be a problem—that Saitō would be at a disadvantage for most of the journey, in fact—we weren't prepared for how serious it would be. We just didn't know."

Hijikata set down his tea cup with a bang and stood up.

"So Saitō is compromised by being away from Yukimura, but he's also freaking out about what she'll do if she is nearby. Sound about right? Yukimura? Did Saitō talk to you about this?"

"…Yes."

"Also, somebody dragged Yamazaki into tonight's little drama and—no matter what you say about just being tired—he could very well be heading straight down Saitō's path to Oni-dom. Am I right?"

"That was me," said Satoshi, without hesitation. "And you're quite right. In fact, Haru-chan has been worried about that for some days now. She rather likes your younger brother, even though his sensitivity to Oni magic puzzles her greatly."

"Meanwhile"—Hijikata ignored the greater part of Satoshi's comments—"Harada is drawn here for personal reasons, making him the most likely to end up like Saitō from a reliability point of view. He knows not to break curfew when things are as unsettled as they are right now. When I said he could visit here for a bit tonight, I could've sworn he didn't plan to overstay my patience."

"He didn't, Hijikata-san," interrupted Chiharu. "Unfortunately, several things went wrong all at once, and he was needed."

Hijikata looked down at her, and Chiharu almost winced. He looked very stern—reminiscent of Kimigiku, in fact—and very displeased.

"Chiharu-sama. Harada is a captain of the Shinsengumi. His first obligation is to the Shinsengumi and to his orders. If he fails to follow orders, if he breaks our rules of conduct, he will be punished, and the most common punishment is death by ritual suicide. Your need of him might mitigate his punishment—or it might not. The Code is purposely harsh in order to ensure discipline; there is little leeway for personal judgement calls. Harada understands all that. You three—you, Sen-hime, and Satoshi-sama—are gambling with his life. I'm pretty sure Satoshi-sama has known that all along, but he's made a point of leaning on Harada anyway, because of Sen-hime. The man is a pro, and he doesn't need me to worry about him."

"True, but I wouldn't object if you did, Hijikata-san," murmured Satoshi. Hijikata ignored him.

"As for you and Sen-hime, consider this a warning. I can't and won't compromise the Shinsengumi for anyone. Realistically, I've already allowed too much. I need to stop that now."

Hijikata turned from Chiharu to Sen-hime.

"Sen-hime, you still haven't told me where Saitō is, or how he's doing. I suspect the worst—by which I mean that you've lost him, not that he's dead—but I don't want to know about it. As far as I'm concerned, he's either back at headquarters, or here visiting his wife's relatives. He has permission to stay overnight, as long as he returns before his afternoon patrol tomorrow."

"I'm aware," said Sen, stiffly. Her lips were set into a thin line that was very unlike her usual expression. Chiharu laid a light hand on the younger woman's shoulder, but kept her eyes fixed on the Vice Commander. It was not an admiring look.

"Taking into account everything that has happened recently, and the needs of the Shinsengumi, I will no longer be giving permission for my officers to visit here for the foreseeable future. Saitō and Yukimura may be an exception to this rule, but for the time being I want them both back at headquarters as well."

"That is—" Chiharu had to stop and moderate her tone. Osen-chan had done so much for these men! Saitō-san would be dead but for her, and the others would have no defense against either the so-called spy, or any Oni acting on behalf of the Shinsengumi's enemies. Fatigue of mind, body, and spirit rolled over her.

"Something to say, Chiharu-sama?" Receiving no immediate response, Hijiakta turned to Yamazaki. "Are you fit to walk, Yamazaki?"

"Yes, Vice Commander."

"No, he's not."

"He's not… quite recovered enough yet, Hijikata-san. Sumimasen."

Hijikata regarded all three speakers: Yamazaki, Satoshi, and Chizuru. Yamazaki would probably try to make it back to headquarters if it killed him. Prince Satoshi was unusually expressionless—as opposed to smiling but unreadable. As for Chizuru, she was miserable—for many reasons, Hijikata reminded himself, suddenly feeling a twinge of guilt. But at least she had almost certainly given a reliable answer.

"Yukimura, in your opinion, will Yamazaki be fit to move tonight—or rather, by dawn, since we're getting very short on 'night'?" He did his best to moderate his tone.

"Um…" Chizuru sat up straighter and gave Yamazaki an apologetic smile. She looked very young, but also very determined. "Forgive me, Yamazaki-san, but I think that your head is still very sore? Hijikata-san, Yamazaki-san had a fever earlier, although it has passed. I'm not exactly sure, but it seems to me that another hour of rest would be of great benefit to Yamazaki-san, and make the journey home less troublesome."

Hijikata turned back to Yamazaki. "Yamazaki, if you were advising me about somebody other than yourself—Heisuke, say—what would you say?"

The quiet man looked down, clearly frustrated despite his attempts to guard his expression. "I would… probably concur with Yukimura-san," he said stiffly. "However—"

"Okay, got it." Hijikata looked around the room, as though seeking inspiration. For just an instant, Chiharu caught a glimpse of desperate fatigue, and the strain of trying to meet competing objectives as efficiently as possible. It gave her pause, and reminded her that she still sometimes let her biases overcome her better judgement. Maybe she could try to defuse things a little?

"Hijikata-san?" Chiharu received a wary look, but also a nod to continue. "If I understand you correctly, then you plan to limit your interactions with Osen-chan, and the Oni, for the foreseeable future. You cite the injury and fatigue to your men as the main cause for this withdrawal. It is not my place to dissuade you from this step, although—no, never mind."

She cleared her throat and hurried on. Hijikata-san knew as well as she did that certain of his officers would need help from the Oni sooner or later. He might be angry and frustrated at the toll the last few days had taken on the Shinsengumi strength, but he wasn't quite suggesting an end to all cooperation.

"On behalf of myself and Osen-chan, may I ask if Harada-san could stay for just one more hour? Osen-chan and I really do need to find out where, ah, where my brother Kenshin has gotten to, and Harada-san's abilities are well-suited to monitoring us while we are scrying. I give you my word that we will not ask him to do anything other than keep watch—as he has until now. In the meantime, Yamazaki-san could rest, and then Harada-san could accompany him back to your headquarters."

Chiharu bowed politely. Hijikata-san was still frowning, but Chiharu could tell that he was seriously considering her request, and appreciated her tact in not mentioning Saitō-san directly.

Of course, it was irritating to have to be tactful. Chikage-sama wouldn't bother with tact. Not that he was the best role model for interpersonal interactions, to put it mildly.

"Fine. Harada—you've got an hour to help the princess and Chiharu-sama; don't make me regret it. I'll expect a full report when you get back."

"Understood, Hijikata-san." They all understood—Hijikata would want news of Saitō, one way or another.

Chiharu was distressed that Hijikata-san was… withdrawing his support, for lack of a better description. But at the same time, she could—reluctantly—see the reason for his decision: the cost of Saitō-san's venture on behalf of his Oni commitments had been significant in terms of time and resources, and the final 'bill' was not yet known. Hijikata-san was taking the steps he felt necessary in order to return the Shinsengumi's officer cadre to fighting strength and their regular jobs.

"I will help Sen-hime find Kenshin and his escort."

Amagiri had been so silent throughout the latter half of the discussions that Chiharu had thought him asleep again. It surprised her very much to discover that he was now sitting—formally, as usual—beside Chizuru-chan's futon.

"You look like hell," Hijikata told him bluntly, only briefly taken aback by the interruption. "And don't try to kid me that you aren't in a world of pain, because it won't work."

"Neither my appearance, nor any discomfort, are relevant," replied Amagiri. "I am uniquely qualified for the task, which is becoming urgent. In any event, the decision isn't yours to make."

He really does look awful, though, thought Chiharu.

I agree. Apparently, her cousin had overheard her. But he's right. Nobody knows the inside of Saitō-san's head like he does, they have a bond forged in blood—a strong one—and he is very anxious about both Saitō-san and his son. I'm hesitant only because I have no idea, really, how Chizuru's magic affected him.

…What a day. As Chiharu hoped, that understatement made Sen smile, if only inwardly for Chiharu's benefit.

"Given the timing issues, Amagiri-san's help will be invaluable," Sen said out loud. "You have my word, Hijikata-san, that I will not risk his life in the venture."

"…Well, like the man said, it's not my call." Hijikata looked momentarily embarrassed, probably because his comments had strongly implied how worried he was about the big Oni. After all, the Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi had just declared that he would no longer be providing assistance with Oni affairs.

I have no idea how he thinks he can stop, Sen commented acidly to Chiharu.

In the short term, though, he can—and I think will—prevent his officers from providing assistance to you. I'm so sorry, Osen-chan. First my brother, now this.

We'll cope.

A tentative, familiar voice interrupted them. I was once told—in no uncertain terms—that this kind of thing was rude. Even Hijikata-san can tell you two are chatting, you know.

Harada-san!

Chiharu almost laughed out loud. Osen-chan was ridiculously pleased to be caught out by her—well, whatever they were to each other. She instinctively looked over at Satoshi-sama, and he gave her a half-exasperated, half-amused look that reminded her to be very careful in future about trying to hold private mental conversations.

"We should begin at once, Sen-hime," Amagiri said into the very full silence. There was no amusement of any kind in his tone or expression. "Hijikata-san, you will not wish to remain for this. It is easier not to know than to feign ignorance."

"You're right." Hijikata-san glanced around the room, his eyes resting briefly on Chizuru's bent head. "Yukimura."

"Yes, Hijikata-san?"

"He'll be home soon. You won't make things better by fretting about what you should have done differently. If you really want to help, then get some rest. Maybe that will convince Yamazaki and Amagiri to do the same."

"Um, yes Hijikata-san!" The look of relief and reassurance on Chizuru's face was unmistakable. Hijikata-san might not be Hajime, but she trusted him implicitly. May the gods help him, thought most of the others present.

There was a moment of complete silence, broken only by a low chuckle from Satoshi.

"You continue to surprise me, Vice Commander." What a very good older brother you are, Hijikata-san! I am beginning to come around to my niece's rather precipitous marriage.

"I have no idea what you mean, Okikurune-sama. Oyasumi, Sen-hime, Chiharu-sama, Yukimura, Amagiri-san."

There were murmured good nights all around, and then Hijikata took his leave. Chiharu saw him off, as courtesy dictated.

Part III—Half-Brothers

Shiranui was true to his word about finding a good horse. Saitō wasn't much of a rider, but even he could tell that the animal was sturdy and well-trained. He didn't waste energy wondering to whom it belonged.

"You going to be okay up there?" Shiranui showed no traces of fatigue, despite their thirty-mile run through the forest. He'd carried Kenshin against his chest the whole way, and Saitō had refrained from offering to share the burden.

"Yes." He took Kenshin from Shiranui's arms, and settled the boy in the saddle against him as best he could.

"Alright then. Go straight East from here until you come to the edge of the woods—don't worry, Oni tend to have a very good sense of direction. After that, head North to the road and ride like hell. Don't worry about being seen—humans have lousy eyesight and worse memories when it comes to weird shit like us. You'll get the hang of Fast Travel on horseback easily enough. Just try not to overthink it, yeah?"

"Understood."

They hadn't really spoken until they'd arrived at the village, because it had been too important to save their breath and energy for running. Shiranui had been taken aback by the pace Saitō had set for Fast Travel—he hadn't expected to find a part-blood who could give Kazama or Amagiri a run for his money, though remaining in human form had slowed them some. Having set aside his grievances for the duration of their journey together, Shiranui had taken the opportunity to study his half-brother more closely, though without asking too many dumb questions that were sure to be rejected. Had he learned anything?

Saitō was just as straight-laced as he'd thought, but not nearly as cold. A lot like Kyūju-san, really. He was awkward as hell, but there was a sense of humour in there. Apparently, he liked to drink; found it hard to get drunk now. Shiranui found himself curious about a drunk Saitō—did he actually unbend a bit? Would Shiranui ever have the chance to find out?

Now it was time to go their separate ways, and they were strangely reluctant to part, even though they both had places to go. Saitō, in particular, was confused. He'd disliked the man, been indifferent, been unimpressed… They had next to nothing in common. But this stranger had come looking for him on a whim—as Shiranui had put it—and then helped him without fuss.

"Before you go—how's the girl?"

"Chizuru is well, thank you." For some reason, the reflexive fear was extremely muted.

You sound like my aunt, bro. Have you always spoken that way?

Yes. Have you always lacked good manners?

Yeah, so they tell me.

I see.

"You think you'll be visiting—the parents, I mean?"

"Aa."

"That'll be interesting. Any particular reason? I mean… do you want to?"

Saitō stared away for a long moment. Did he want to? He realized that the sky was lightening—he really had to leave.

"It's complicated. There are good reasons to go."

"Fair enough." Shiranui stepped away from the horse, tucking his thumbs into his belt in a way that reminded Saitō irresistibly of Harada. His figure stood out clearly against the grey sky, wild ponytail rippling in the fitful wind. "See you around, Saitō!"

Saitō hesitated, not sure how to respond and unable to bring himself to be so casual. Finally he bowed politely, careful of Kenshin's sleeping form. "Be well, Shiranui-san." He touched his heels to the waiting horse, who responded immediately.

Before Saitō had gone too far, he heard Shiranui call out behind him: "Oi, Saitō! No promises, but I'll try not to kill you next time I see you."

Saitō was already urging the horse into a gentle canter, heading East out of the woods as directed. The riding trail was clear enough, at least. Very softly, he called back: "I believe that's my line, Shiranui Kyō!" And I hope we don't meet until all this is over.

[END]

A/Note: Thank you very much to new readers and long-time readers alike! I'm looking forward to your thoughts :)