Author's Note: And so, it is Christmas 2020 (I am posting this late on December 24th). A Christmas to remember, for both those who celebrate and those who don't, since the date is marked by so many. Empty stores, or stores with line-ups outside and a handful of customers within. A season of masks and patience. In addition, I've rarely seen a green Christmas (due to geography), but this year we have sudden, torrential rain. It was supposed to be snow! Into all this, I bring you—finally—the new chapter of Teachings of Demons. For those who read this in the future, take a moment to pity the readers who had to wait for over six months for "what happened, next?" I wish you all a quiet, peaceful, and hopefully pleasant winter season—unless you are in the southern hemisphere, in which case, welcome to summer. May we all stay as healthy as we are able to be in 2021.

~ Imp

Quote:

"Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."
― Robert Frost

Chapter 98—A Place to Call Home

Saitō returned to Shinsengumi headquarters shortly before noon. He wasn't sure if he was more surprised, or relieved, that nobody was there to meet him. The guard on duty bowed, Saitō nodded—and that was it. In fact, as it was the middle of the day, and hot, the whole area was more or less deserted. Saitō stopped by his room, glanced in to make sure nothing was amiss, and went to report to the Vice Commander.

As it turned out, the welcoming committee he'd expected at the gate was waiting for him in Hijikata's office. Hijikata was sitting cross-legged by his desk, arms folded, expression almost as grim as Saitō had ever seen it. Sōji was seated in his favourite casual position just inside the door, katana resting against his shoulder and one knee drawn up to his chest. Harada was standing near the window, with Nagakura beside him; neither man was smiling, but there was a flash of profound relief from Harada when Saitō knelt in the open doorway, bowed, and requested permission to enter.

You cut that way too close, Saitō. Harada's mental voice was unusually clipped.

"Hajime-kun, good to see you!" Sōji's wore a barbed-wire smile. "As you can see, we were just organizing a search party in case you didn't show." Hijikata cut him off before he could elaborate on his theme.

"Close the door behind you and report."

Saitō did as he was told, setting his swords beside him and choosing his words with care.

"My visit with Yukimura's relatives was a qualified success. While the main objective was achieved, I was involved in a serious disagreement with Osen-hime's cousin Kazama Chikage."

"Are you injured?"

"No, Hijikata-san." Saitō wasn't sure how to classify his aching head and fragmented memories, but chose not to go into unnecessary detail. All of his physical wounds were long-healed.

"I see. Were you injured at the time of the disagreement?"

"Yes, Hijikata-san." He felt Sōji's and Nagakura's gazes sharpen, as they took in his apparent lack of injuries. Knowing Saitō as they did, the damage must have been substantial; otherwise, he wouldn't admit to having been wounded. Hijikata pressed on before they could ask for details.

"Are you fit for duty now?"

"Hai." Saitō answered without hesitation. No other answer was possible in the circumstances. Exhaustion and lingering trauma would have to be set aside to deal with later. He knew some part of his condition was obvious to the others—they were too experienced, and his fatigue was too extreme—but they couldn't mention it any more than he could. He'd left Kyoto without official permission, and the less said aloud the better.

"Hmm. Anything else we should know?"

"No, Vice Commander." That wasn't entirely true, but it would do for now.

"Fine. You will be conducting training and evaluation sessions this afternoon with Nagakura."

"Vice Commander?" Saitō was startled, and too tired to conceal it. He was supposed to be out on patrol with Sōji.

"We've already started to receive requests to join, and Kondō-san wants a review of all existing members, plus training for the guys he's taken on provisionally. We need to know who's ready for battle, since it could come to violence any time now."

"We're not officially on alert, but odds are the Choshu won't work things out with the Imperial Court," Nagakura put in.

"I told Kondō-san that you and Shinpachi-san are better at that kind of thing than I am anyway," added Sōji, smirking.

"You're just hoping to find trouble, and I'll bet Kondō knows it too." Hijikata glared at Sōji, who shrugged.

"Doesn't really matter, does it? Feels like the whole city is spoiling for a fight, so I might as well remind them not to mess with the Shinsengumi. Besides, last time we went on patrol, Saitō was the one who left bodies on the street, not me."

Once again, Saitō was subject to four sharp gazes. For some reason, it made him think of Yukimura—Chizuru—and how she'd been stared at and interrogated and threatened when she'd first arrived. She'd handled surprisingly well.

"For crying out loud—Saitō, can't you go for two minutes without mooning over Chizuru-chan?" Sōji sounded at once amused and annoyed. Hijikata's sour look suggested he was leaning heavily toward annoyed.

"Oh well, he just got married—I guess he's got some reason for it." To Saitō's surprise, Nagakura stepped in on his behalf.

"Yeah, yeah." A typical answer from Sōji.

"Let's finish up here and get some lunch," suggested Harada, with something like his usual relaxed smile. "If that's okay with you, Hijikata-san."

Hijikata spent another few seconds frowning at Saitō before nodding brusquely. "Fine. Saitō, I take it you left Yukimura at Sen-hime's?"

"Aa." Saitō made sure to keep any distress off his face—the words had been an unfortunate reminder that Chizuru wasn't nearby—but realized a moment later that it didn't matter. His mental shields were in less-than-optimal condition, and at least Harada could probably read him without difficulty at the moment.

"Seriously, Saitō?" Hijikata was pinching the bridge of his nose in obvious irritation. "Damn!"

"He'll be fine with the new guys, Hijikata-san," interposed Harada, although he was no longer smiling.

Sōji stood up and stretched. "Not quite yourself, are you Hajime-kun? But I guess we'll have to cope."

"So…" Nagakura looked around at the others. "I guess there's more to this marriage business than I know about—for Saitō, I mean. But he says he's fine to work, so what the hell—just pretend he's got a hangover or something."

Hijikata studied his Second Division Captain through narrowed eyes, but Saitō thought he approved. Nagakura's manner and appearance fooled most people into thinking that he was all brawn and no brains, but he was a shrewd man who knew his business.

"Fine, Nagakura, let's go with that." Hijikata had made up his mind. "Saitō, we'll talk later. Got it?"

"Understood, Vice Commander."

"Sōji, any complaints?"

"Nope, I'm good. I'm not happy, but hey, you can't have everything. Besides, even Hajime-kun gets drunk occasionally—although it's pretty hard to tell. And he could teach kenjutsu in his sleep, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Harada?"

"Saitō seems fine to me, Hijikata-san." Harada was lying through his teeth, but Saitō appreciated the effort.

"Well, Saitō?"

"I am ready for duty, Vice Commander." He inclined his head to Nagakura—carefully. "I look forward to working with you, Shinpachi-san."

They went into lunch together after that, and Saitō listened to Kondō-san talk about his plans for the new recruits, and for the Shinsengumi as a whole. Saitō was genuinely interested in the matter, but he was glad that nobody expected him to say much. At odd moments, he would remember the chill that had—literally, according to Kichirō—possessed him when he lay near death at Kazama's feet. Then his head would ache and his thoughts would become a jumble of scenes from a past that wasn't his.

I am Saitō Hajime. I am not Sakurai Kiyoyuki. It was if he were having an argument with himself. Then, just as he and Nagakura were walking to the main compound together to get started, there was a moment of clarity, and he heard a firm voice say:

"You are Sakurai Saitō Hajime. Your duty is to your clan first and foremost."

Saitō was startled enough to look around for the speaker, but Nagakura hadn't spoken, and there was nobody else near them. Shoving aside the panic that had briefly seized him at the thought of going mad, he merely shrugged at Nagakura's questioning look, and forced himself to focus on the task immediately in front of him. Nagakura would do most of the meeting and greeting. And as Sōji had said, Saitō could teach sword techniques in his sleep. He was fine. It wouldn't be a problem.

Chizuru stood watching the empty front garden of Sen's house. Hajime had just left, and she knew that she should go inside so that her hosts—Osen-chan and Satoshi-sama—could go in as well. Staring at the garden wasn't going to magically bring her husband back to her.

"Take your time, Chizuru-chan." Her uncle's voice was kind, and lacked the teasing edge that Chizuru had gotten used to hearing from him.

"We know this is hard for you, and on top of that you're worried about Saitō-san." To Chizuru's surprise, Sen put an arm around her shoulder and gave her a light hug. The physical contact helped, although she wasn't sure how, exactly.

The three of them stood on the engawa for a few minutes longer, while Chizuru pulled herself together. Finally, she sighed and turned to Sen.

"He refused to let me return with him. I understand, but… I don't know what to do about it. I should be there with him."

Satoshi didn't say anything—possibly because he was in agreement with Chizuru's husband about staying away from Shinsengumi headquarters. Chizuru felt a prickle of tears sting her eyes when that thought reminded her that Saitō-san was upset with her for healing Kazama Chikage. They'd tacitly set it aside, earlier, but it hung between them. And not just that, there was the harm done to Amagiri-san too.

"That's enough, Chizuru-chan." Sen turned Chizuru to face her. "I know you're worried about Saitō-san being angry with you about healing Chikage, and I agree it's not going to be an easy conversation, but you need to remember that you did the right thing, on purpose or not."

"But—"

"Yes, I realize that you feel terribly guilty over Amagiri. Please keep in mind that we don't even know exactly what happened to him. On top of that, I'm pretty sure that Amagiri thinks you did the right thing. He never wanted his two protégés to come to blows, you know—he still cares a great deal about Chikage." Sen forced herself not to add 'for some reason.'

"He—Amagiri-san—looked v-very badly hurt though, Osen-chan…"

"Well, we won't know for sure until he lets you and I take a closer look at him. Either way, I'm certain that he believes it was worth it. He kept his promise to Saitō-san by protecting you, and it allowed him to help you save Chikage. Look at it this way—if the price of rescuing Kenshin had been Chikage's death, he'd never have gotten over it."

Chizuru was beginning to feel much better. She suspected that her improved spirits had more to do with Osen-chan's hug than her words, but the words were forcing her to think more rationally, at least.

"I'm sorry, Uncle, I'm sorry, Osen-chan—I shouldn't have let myself fall into despair like that. It doesn't help anyone, and Hajime would just be even more worried."

Satoshi cleared his throat. Sen instinctively tried to glare around Chizuru at him, but caught herself with the reminder that things would have been very much worse if he hadn't been there to help. In fact, she was still processing several aspects of the past night, including the idea that her uncle was even more powerful than she'd suspected, and the realization that he'd been prepared to do whatever it took to protect his two nieces.

Gomenasai, Satoshi-oji-san. Her quick mental apology was met with surprise, which made it worth the small cost to her pride. Satoshi made a point of never being surprised.

Think nothing of it, my dear. I'm long used to your suspicious nature. Aloud, Satoshi said: "We should go inside, Chizuru-chan, if you are ready—it is unpleasantly warm out here at midday in summer." He glanced provocatively at his other niece. "It is much cooler in Yase, of course, since we are in the foothills there. It's unfortunate that Osen-chan prefers the noise and dirt of the city."

Sen rolled her eyes, any thought of apologies forgotten. Her expression made Chizuru laugh softly, and for a moment the two girls looked so much like their respective mothers that Satoshi had to turn away before he gave in to the inclination to knock them out and lock them up somewhere safe. He reflected that Saitō-san would appreciate his position.

"I'm ready to go inside, Toshi-san," said Chizuru, keeping her eyes on Sen's expressive features, rather than on the empty garden. It was comforting to be with her uncle and cousin. They had an affinity for each other, and for Chizuru, that Chizuru could perceive, if not articulate. It was more obvious when the three of them were alone together like this.

"It's going to be another full day," murmured Satoshi, once they had relocated to Sen's spacious reception room and taken seats around one corner of the low, wide table.

"Hmm, yes," replied Sen. "I mean, there's the situation with Kenshin, Amagiri, and Kameko-san to deal with. And we have to do something for Haru-chan so that she can decide for herself whether to obey Chikage's demand to return home."

"There's also still a lot to do to sort out the Yukishima situation," interjected Satoshi. "At the moment, the estate is deserted, and the clan itself is made up of Kimiko-sama and her siblings, who aren't well. It leaves both you and Yase itself at risk, Osen-chan."

Sen looked conflicted.

"I know that I will need to return to Yase for a longer visit… quite soon. But it's difficult to see—" She suddenly broke off, using her hand to smother a wide yawn.

"Was that your subtle way of telling me that you're bored with this conversation?"

"No… I'm just tired. And so are you, Uncle, though you hide it well. I have no idea why Chizuru-chan isn't asleep already given her condition."

Chizuru frowned. She knew she was pregnant with twins, but that knowledge seemed oddly fuzzy.

"Chizuru-chan?"

"Yes, Uncle?"

"I had to conceal your pregnancy from you during the worst of last night's events. You were panicking, and fear for your unborn children would have overset you completely. Don't worry, you'll be able to remember everything normally very soon now."

"Oh… okay." Chizuru understood, but she realized that she wasn't happy about having her thoughts interfered with again after the shocking news about her other uncle—the one who had posed as her father for most of her life. But there was only one way to attain the power she needed to protect herself, and Hajime, and the twins.

"Which brings us to Chizuru-chan's Trial of Mind," Satoshi said at that moment, echoing Chizuru's thoughts with uncanny accuracy.

"I'm still not sure—" Sen began, frowning.

"I agree, Satoshi-san," said Chizuru, at the same moment. "I need to become stronger, and I need to control my healing ability, and that's that. Hajime doesn't even want me living in the Shinsengumi compound now, after what happened with, um, Kazama Chikage-sama. But if I can show him that I'm working on my Trial of Mind—right away, I mean—then he might change his mind."

"But Chizuru-chan—" Sen was interrupted again, this time by her uncle.

"I think you're right, Chizuru. You need the Trial of Mind for many reasons, not the least of which is to provide some comfort to your husband about the healing." He paused, and then added, "To be fair, we're all worried about the way you've been healing people."

Chizuru hung her head. Satoshi leaned forward and gently raised her chin with his long, graceful fingers. She found herself looking into his grey-blue eyes from much closer than usual and blinked. Any discomfort passed almost immediately, as warmth and understanding washed over her.

"You'll be fine." Satoshi spoke the words aloud as well as in her mind. "After all, you have my help—and Osen-chan's, I suppose."

Sen responded predictably, but was unable to repress another yawn before she could even finish her sentence. She shook her head in irritation—whether at her fatigue or her uncle was unclear.

"We all need rest," she muttered. "And there's so much to do…"

"Including planning for Chizuru's Trial of Mind."

"Yes, fine, I know—though it can wait a day, uncle."

"Well of course, Niece. None of us is in any state to conduct the ritual today in any event."

"It's not going to happen tomorrow, either!" Sen glared at Satoshi.

"Most likely not," he reassured her.

"Um…" To Chizuru's surprise, both Okikurune turned to her at once. "Well, I just think it will be easier for me to decide what to do once I know more about the process. And first, I think that Osen-chan and Satoshi-san need sleep." Before the others could comment, she added: "I'm going to speak with Amagiri-san before I go back to sleep. I expect he's still awake, though he shouldn't be. And I'll see how Haru-chan and Kenshin-kun are doing."

"Chizuru-chan…" Sen was torn between dismay and laughter. "Are you going to order me around in my own house now?"

Chizuru looked a little embarrassed, but although she waved her hand in the gesture for "no", the set of her jaw and shoulders indicated that she didn't intend to back down from her proposed plan of action. Her soft brown eyes were clear and determined as they met Sen's deep pink ones, and her cousin was caught off guard by the strength of the mind—or more accurately, the will—behind that innocent-seeming gaze.

"You know," said Satoshi into the brief silence, "I think Chizuru makes a good point." When the girls turned to him, he smiled affably. "Amagiri-san most certainly doesn't want to see me, and he'd prefer not to see Osen-chan, but he can't refuse to see Chizuru-chan. In fact, I'm sure that he's probably starting to feel that he should check on her, despite a strong desire to avoid the rest of us."

Sen brightened, and Chizuru was struck once again by the thought that her cousin and uncle had certain… similarities… in their sense of humour. Right now, she could tell that they were in agreement that Amagiri-san would benefit from his liege lady's stubborn care. It amused them that his own sense of propriety would force him to acquiesce to whatever Chizuru ordered—not that she intended to order somebody like Amagiri-san to do anything. Unless he refused to rest.

"…I just want to see how he is doing for myself."

"Well, you were a bit distracted when Saitō-san first returned with young Kenshin," noted her uncle.

"Yes, that's quite true," agreed Sen, with false gravity and dancing eyes. "You weren't really paying much attention to anyone else…"

"Which is perfectly proper, of course," Satoshi added. "The Princess and I have great hopes for the future princes and princesses of the Yukimura."

"And the future lords and ladies of the Sakurai."

With great dignity—and only thanks to the previous coaching of Sen herself on how to handle such comments!—Chizuru ignored her burning cheeks and bowed politely. "The Princess and Prince of Yase are most kind."

Sen quelled a strong desire to giggle with an effort, and squeezed Chizuru's hand. "And we'll follow your advice to get some sleep. Won't we, Uncle?"

"Certainly. I will remain here, since there is probably a room free—in a corner somewhere—that I can use." Satoshi's expression became more serious. "I was taken aback—I think we all were—that Yukishima Kameko decided to come to her son's assistance, and managed it very well. It was a pleasant surprise—so unusual these days—and indicates a distinct improvement in her mental and physical condition."

Sen's mind communicated agreement, and Chizuru nodded.

"I suspect that her conversations with Amagiri-san have been helpful, no matter how difficult for the two of them. In any event, I feel confident that I can leave Yase in the care of the Yukishima for a few more hours at least." Satoshi's mouth twisted into a wry not-quite-smile. "I haven't felt that way for a long time."

A look passed between Sen and Satoshi. Chizuru sensed a lingering grief, tempered by determination. It reinforced her own resolve to become stronger so that she could protect those she cared about.

"I was going to check in on Haru-chan and Kenshin myself," said Sen to Chizuru, abruptly returning to the earlier conversation. "Why don't you come with me, and then you can speak with Amagiri after that? I promise that I—and Satoshi—will get some sleep as soon as I'm sure that Haru-chan will do the same."

Chizuru hesitated. Her natural—or at least, ingrained—diffidence was beginning to reassert itself, and she was conscious of imposing. Then she squared her shoulders, reminding herself that Saitō-san needed her to be more assertive with her relatives.

"Thank you, Osen-chan. And I promise that I'll go back to bed once I've spoken with Amagiri-san." She was feeling tired again, but her head didn't ache, nor was she queasy. And I'm not crying. Chizuru hoped she'd kept that thought to herself, and was moderately optimistic that she had. Probably. She had no doubt that her uncle only reacted precisely as and when he chose.

Chizuru and Sen rose and made their way up the stairs to the second floor, trailed by Satoshi. Sen commented silently to Chizuru that their uncle was deriving some amusement by playing the role of solemn retainer. Chizuru smiled at Sen's image of Satoshi's stately figure pacing slowly behind them, but her thoughts were distracted. She had only confused impressions about the key events of the night before, and she was hoping that seeing Chiharu-sama and Kenshin would help.

They—Sen and Chizuru, since Satoshi elected to stay in the corridor—found Chiharu sitting half-asleep on a cushion beside a sleeping Kenshin. She'd tucked him into her own bed, rather than going next door to the connecting room that Kichirō had used. Kenshin's hand lay loosely in hers.

"Ohayō, Osen-chan, Chizuru-chan." Chiharu looked less tidy than usual, although she was outwardly composed. Chizuru had the impression that she'd been crying, although there was no tangible evidence of it.

"I suppose it still counts as morning for us," replied Sen, sitting down beside Chiharu. "How is Kenshin?"

Chizuru sat down on the other side of the futon and took her first good look at Amagiri-san's son. He had his father's colouring, and his shoulder-length dark red hair fanned out around his head. Chizuru's heart went out to him. She knew first-hand what it was like to have everything you knew about your family wrenched away from you. Quite a few people would have been amused—in a grim kind of way—by her thought that Kenshin was very young to have to cope with such a disorienting, frightening situation.

"He's—" Chiharu tried to answer Sen's question, but faltered almost immediately. Chizuru automatically reached out with gentle sympathy, and realized that the calm and refined Kazama Chiharu was near breaking between grief, horror, anxiety, and fear.

More than anything, Chiharu felt alone. She was a Westerner—a Kazama—in Eastern lands; at least, that's how Kyoto seemed to her. Her younger brother had returned home; her elder brother was implacably angry with her. Her youngest brother, the boy she'd helped to raise, had suddenly become a pawn in an unexpected and brutal power struggle. She knew what she wanted, but right now she was beset by difficulties and surrounded by strangers.

"That's not true!" Sen's voice was sharp, and Chizuru thought at first that her cousin was angry. Then she realized that Sen was hurt.

We're all very tired, Haru-chan. But you and I and Osen-chan are no longer strangers to each other. You are both important to me. Chizuru surprised even herself by how much she meant those words. She still felt shy with Chiharu-sama, but the other woman had shown Chizuru unstinting kindness, had accepted her as kin, had taught her about the Gifts… Chizuru believed in Chiharu's dream of becoming a strong and noble warrior—not that she wasn't already.

Well, I feel inspired now! Sen's mental voice was a little giddy.

So do I… Chizuru-chan… Thank you. Though I don't deserve your praise after letting myself get so overwrought. Honestly! Chizuru could tell that Chiharu was touched, but also embarrassed at having needed help.

"When we talked, Kenshin wavered between curiosity and anxiety over the events of last night," Chiharu said aloud. "He wasn't as exhausted as I'd expected—I think he slept through most of Saitō-sama's ride back to Kyoto. But he was tired enough to eventually fall asleep." She smiled ruefully at Chizuru. "He is very curious about Saitō-sama, I'm afraid. He told me that Saitō-sama is kind, but very strong, and a bit scary. Also, Kichirō told him to trust Saitō-sama, and that seems okay, because it turns out that Saitō-sama is Kyō-san's brother after all."

"Gods, I'd forgotten about Kyō being involved," murmured Sen, halfway between exasperation and laughter. "Though I doubt we'll find out exactly what happened unless Saitō-san tells Chizuru-chan."

"Um… You're talking about Shiranui-san?" ventured Chizuru.

"Yes. He's the one who helped Saitō-san find a horse so that he could make it back to Kyoto in time to meet the Vice Commander's deadline."

"Oh." Chizuru suspected that she'd already known, at some point, but it still seemed very unlikely, given how Hajime felt about that particular half-brother.

"Did Kenshin ask about his parents?"

"Not really… not after he asked me whether Amagiri-san was his father." Chiharu paused to quell an unruly rush of emotions. "…I think he'd taken in as much as he could, which is why he focussed on Saitō-sama. Though he's also just intrigued that there's a new Oni lord, and a first cousin, at that. He's very bright."

Chizuru and Sen heard the pride in Chiharu's voice. She loved Kenshin very much.

"I wonder what Saitō-san thought of all his questions," mused Sen.

"According to Kenshin, Saitō-sama was in too much of a hurry to really explain properly, but he did try. I gather that Saitō-sama was quite patient with him. I don't think he got angry or frustrated, which is impressive, given… everything." Chiharu sighed. "Kenshin was understandably distressed over the fight between Saitō-sama and Chikage-sama. I think he's still wondering if nii-sama is actually… okay."

"He had—there was—a sword in his chest. And a lot of blood." Kenshin's words were blurred by sleep, but the anxiety was palpable.

Chiharu leaned forward immediately to brush Kenshin's hair back from his brow with her free hand. She met and held his half-lidded, purple eyes. "Chikage-sama is alive and healing, Kenshin. I told you that."

"But… Saitō-sama… his sword… I don't understand, Haru-nee."

"Saitō-sama's wife, Yukimura Chizuru-sama, was able to help Chikage-sama to heal the sword wound, Kenshin."

"Is that true?"

To Chizuru's surprise, Kenshin turned to look at her. He'd identified her immediately, it seemed. They stared at each other for a few seconds, then Chizuru nodded. "Yes. I was able to… to help him heal. I am certain that he recovered from his wound."

"Saitō-sama was badly injured too," Kenshin told her, his eyes and voice very grave. "At least, I think so because of how his clothes looked, and also because he seemed unwell once or twice on our journey here. Is he—is he better now?"

Chizuru had to suppress an immediate wave of concern for Hajime, but she kept her tone as calm as she could. "Yes, Saitō-san is fine." That felt like a lie, or at best a half-truth. "If he was wounded by—I mean, earlier—then those injuries were already healed by the time I saw him."

"But he—"

"Kenshin. That's enough. Chizuru-sama is very tired, and so are the rest of us. You can ask more questions later." Chiharu's tone brooked no argument.

"Gomenasai, Chizuru-sama—I mean, Yukimura-sama. Thank you for helping Chikage-nii-sama. Now I understand why Kichiro-nii thinks you are very nice."

Chizuru blinked in confusion at the last part, but Sen and Chiharu exchanged a brief, rueful glance.

"I said that's enough, Kenshin. Go to sleep." The coercion in Chiharu's words was strong enough to make her companions yawn. Sen laughed; Chizuru was still thinking about Kenshin, her eyes on his young face. She hoped she could help him somehow.

"Will I see you again… later… Yukimura-sama?" Kenshin's eyes had closed, but he was fighting sleep with every fiber of his being.

"Oh—oh yes, I expect so, Kenshin-kun." Then, since she understood his anxiety—his desire to have something certain—she added: "I promise."

Chizuru and Sen left Chiharu a few minutes later, though not without a stern warning from Sen to lay out a futon and get some sleep herself. Chiharu bowed deeply, and promised to rest. Back in the corridor, they found Satoshi examining a hanging scroll.

"I'm not certain that this is genuine sixteenth century work," he told them by way of greeting.

Chizuru was nonplussed, but Sen ignored him and opened a nearby door. "You can rest in here, Uncle. Please try to sleep, at least for a couple of hours."

"As you wish, my dear. Chizuru-chan, please pass along my regards to Amagiri-san. I'll talk to you later." He patted Chizuru on the shoulder, and bowed to Sen with ironic formality. Just like Chiharu, mused Chizuru. By the way, said Satoshi's voice in Chizuru's mind, your Saitō-san has been welcomed back into the bosom of his comrades—or something like that—and it turns out that he'll be evaluating new recruits this afternoon instead of traipsing around Kyoto running people through. I thought you'd like to know.

"Everyone wants to talk to you," laughed Sen. "First Kichirō, now Kenshin, and of course my annoying uncle. Our annoying uncle."

"I—suppose so?" Chizuru automatically accompanied her cousin to Sen's quarters. She was thinking about Kenshin, and Chiharu, and how suddenly their lives had changed. And Kichirō-kun had been through a lot as well. It had been very brave of him to go back to his older brother, in Chizuru's opinion, although she might not mention that to Hajime.

"Chizuru-chan?"

"Hm?"

"I'm going to bed and hopefully to sleep. Promise me again that you'll do the same very soon?"

"I promise. I just hope that Amagiri-san can get some sleep as well. And that—well—that he isn't too badly hurt." Because of me, I mean.

I know what you mean, Chizuru-chan. But whatever happens we'll sort it out, okay? Sen looked back over her shoulder at Chizuru and winked, before sliding shut her door. Remember, you told me I had to sleep, so you're off to see Amagiri on your own. Ganbare!

"Oh…" Finally taking proper stock of her surroundings—and the closed door directly in front of her—Chizuru hastily returned to the main second floor corridor and then walked down to the kitchen. Although she was quite sure that Amagiri-san already knew she was there, she took a deep breath to settle her nerves before approaching the door to his temporary room. "Amagiri-san? It's Chizuru."

To Chizuru's relief, Amagiri-san didn't make her wait. "Please come in, Chizuru-sama."

"Shitsurei shimasu." Chizuru slid open the door to find her host seated in seiza near the raised bed. She couldn't help an exclamation of concern. "Amagiri-san! Surely you shouldn't be up like this…"

"Iie, Chizuru-sama. I am fine." The big Oni still looked unhealthy to Chizuru's critical eyes, and she winced internally to see strands of silvery gray in his dark red hair. Her actions—specifically, her lack of control—had brought him to this.

Somehow, she wrestled her first reactions out of sight. "I have just been to see Kenshin-kun and Haru-chan. They seem to be doing well. Kenshin is sleeping."

Amagiri nodded, features impassive. Chizuru hurried on.

"I wanted to find out how you were, after everything last night. I'm sorry for—"

"Sumimasen, Chizuru-sama. There is no need to apologize. Please… try to understand. I promised Saitō that I would guard you. Such a promise would be meaningless if there were no risk. Truly, I am not troubled by the outcome. If anything, I am grateful to you for saving Kazama-sama from the anger of the Sakurai lord, Kiyoyuki. If Kazama-sama had died, the breach between the Kazama and the Princess of Yase might have been beyond repair."

"But Kichirō—"

"Even Kichirō-sama—as the head of his clan—most likely would have bowed to the dictates of family pride and the legacy of the difficult history between the clans of the East and West. You underestimate the effects of assuming the four-pointed crown. And remember: Kichirō-sama would have become the head of his clan before passing the Trial of Mind. Who would guide him through that ordeal, undertaken in the shadow of his brother's death?"

Chizuru was silent. She'd been warned that Amagiri-san would see his injuries—whatever they were—as minor compared to the risk, especially as Saitō-san had returned safely—more or less—with Kenshin. She focussed on assimilating Amagiri-san's explanations.

"Please forgive me for being so blunt," said Amagiri after a short while. "I did not mean to be rude." Before Chizuru could protest, he bowed with commendable formality for a man so badly injured.

"Amagiri-san… please…" Chizuru heard tears in her voice, and forced them back. "I understand, and you weren't rude—I was just thinking. I'm not as aware as Osen-chan, or Haru-chan. I still have a lot to learn."

Amagiri resumed his kneeling position. He seemed to be considering what to say, or possibly how to say something difficult. As Chizuru was engaged in a similar task, there was silence.

"I would like to help you, if I can," Chizuru said at last. "I mean—if you'll tell me what's wrong. But that's up to you. I suppose the best I can say is that I plan to undertake my Trial of Mind as soon as possible—or at least as soon as Osen-chan says I can. I'm hoping that once I pass my last Trial, I'll be able to do more as a healer, even without my father—Yukimura Kazuhiko—to teach me."

Chizuru ducked her head, abruptly embarrassed by her lofty goals. It still felt very strange to her to be talking about magic, and Oni politics, and being the head of a clan. Amagiri-san probably thought it was presumptuous of her even to ask to help him. But although she was a little shy about what she hoped to achieve, like Chiharu, she remained convinced that she would get there somehow.

"There is nothing wrong with your goals, Chizuru-sama. In fact, you are wise to believe in yourself so wholeheartedly." Amagiri frowned, but Chizuru didn't sense that he was upset with her. "As for whether I need healing, I was going to speak with you about that later, once I had my thoughts in order"—and my emotions under better control—"and once you were better rested."

"Amagiri-san?"

"…There is something odd about how I am healing at the moment—since aiding you with Kazama-sama's recovery. But it has only been a few hours." Amagiri looked away. This is a just a story-teller's cheat, he scolded himself. I am spinning things out to create suspense and delay, so that I do not have to hear a negative opinion regarding certain… conclusions.

"Nobody has examined you carefully since you, um, helped me," noted Chizuru. She was aware that Amagiri was tense about something other than being reunited with Kenshin. "I know that Satoshi-oji-san looked after you when—when it all happened. But he was looking after all of us, wasn't he? Including poor Yamazaki-san." Chizuru had to fight down another wave of guilt—Yamazaki-san had also been hurt trying to contain her healing power gone awry. She hoped it hadn't made his existing problem with the spy's magic worse. She cleared her throat. "If you'll let me, I'd like to try a combination of Soul and Body magic that Osen-chan and Haru-chan helped me to develop to visualize, um, regenerative healing. Even Satoshi-oji-san said it might be a useful technique in rebuilding our knowledge of my particular Gift."

If His Highness is able to employ this new scrying lens, then he probably already knows what I suspect, thought Amagiri sourly. He'd meant to keep that opinion strictly to himself, but Chizuru replied as though he'd spoken aloud.

"I suppose he might, Amagiri-san, but not only is he as tired as the rest of us—though he's very good at hiding it—it's not as useful for him as it is for me. He told me that although he understands the structure of the lens, and can recreate it, he doesn't get much information from it unless we are working together and I am sharing my perceptions."

"I understand." Amagiri found the Okikurune prince annoyingly whimsical—and powerful—but he doubted that the man would lie outright to Chizuru-sama without very good reason, especially about the Gift of Healing. Either way, it was time to stop stalling. "Chizuru-sama, in providing my own life force to allow you to heal Kazama-sama, it seems that I have aged enough that the curse inflicted by the Doujigiri has attenuated almost to nothing. Even the worst of my wounds are healing normally again, if still very slowly by Oni standards. More importantly… my hand has started to regenerate. It is uncomfortable, but it appears that I will have to wait through mere weeks or months of healing, rather than years."

Truthfully, Amagiri had shared Sen's concern that the hand might never regenerate, because a considerable part of him believed that he had deserved his punishment. He had tried not to speculate, and had been mostly successful at accepting the loss stoically—a price to be paid for trying to serve two masters, as well as his own conscience. It had not been easy, however. When Chizuru-sama had drawn on his life force—or rather, when his promise to Saitō had demanded that he sacrifice himself in Chizuru-sama's place—he'd had to fight with everything he had just to stay alive and conscious enough to moderate the outflow of power. Ironically, by diverting his attention from the missing hand, the ordeal had allowed his body to triumph over his mind and begin restoring what he'd thought lost for good.

Meanwhile, Chizuru was considering Amagiri-san's words. After her first surprise, she'd been pleased to know that there might be an up-side to the life-draining process. On the other hand, gone was gone. Amagiri-san was older. Also, she didn't like his use of the word 'uncomfortable'. In her experience, 'uncomfortable' meant 'I'm in pain but it's tolerable.'

"May I try to verify your conclusions?" she asked at last, not sure what else to say.

"Hai." Amagiri waited patiently while she constructed the lens. Chizuru had improved a great deal in a short time, but like Prince Satoshi, he was angry at Yukimura Kodo for having robbed her of the years of training that she should have already had.

Chizuru herself wasn't dwelling on might-have-beens. Instead, she was examining Amagiri-san's wounds from the perspective of an initiate of Body and Soul magic, and trying not to cry at the damage revealed. She drew on her memories of Osen-chan, and Haru-chan, and Kimigiku-san, who had all taught her to control her emotions while using magic. She made herself examine the earlier injuries—those inflicted by Kazama-sama—as calmly and objectively as possible. Once she did, it was immediately apparent that the taint of the demon-slaying blade was gone, sloughed off by the body as it renewed itself each day. But how many days had been lost to the unnatural healing? That answer was beyond her at present. As for the hand, there was still some residual magical damage, but Amagiri-san's powerful regenerative faculty was winning the battle against the ugly cautery. There was new flesh, and Chizuru could even perceive the slow rebuilding as it occurred; the complexity was breathtaking.

"You are right, Amagiri-san. The cuts are finally free of malign magic, and the hand—" Chizuru cleared her throat. "The hand is growing back. I don't know how long it will take, but the difference between now and yesterday is incredible." Chizuru felt Amagiri-san relax at her words. It occurred to her that some of his tension was fear that she might attempt to heal the wounds immediately. Well, she wouldn't; it was imperative not to. "Unfortunately, I cannot assess the scope of the damage caused when I healed Kazama-sama. I can perceive that there was damage. There are thin places that are still healing—and that will require rest and time to recover."

Amagiri bowed, but without the previous formality. "Arigatou, Chizuru-sama. It is good that you were able to verify what I could only sense at a general level."

Chizuru smiled at him; she could feel herself relaxing. "I'm glad I could be of some help, Amagiri-san. I know that everybody needs me to be more careful, but I wish that I could do more. And now for my other question. Can you—please—help me convince Saitō-san to let me return to the Shinsengumi compound? I need to be there and he needs me to be there." This time, she was the one who bowed, and Amagiri-san was the one who hesitated.

In fact, Amagiri had been completely taken off-guard by Chizuru's request. He'd never once imagined that she might ask for his advice in such a matter. And now what was he going to do? There was justice in Saitō's view that it was dangerous for his wife to be in a place where injury was a fact of daily life. On the other hand, he strongly believed that the couple should not be separated any more than absolutely necessary. Ideally, Saitō would give up his career with the Shinsengumi, but that was not only contrary to Saitō's clearly stated personal preferences, but arguably dishonourable at a time when his comrades were on the verge of war.

Chizuru still had her head bowed to him, and that brought him back from his stunned silence. "Please raise your head, Chizuru-sama. It is not appropriate for you to bow to me."

"Yes, Amagiri-san." She looked up, and Amagiri sighed inwardly. Whether she knew it or not, he could not easily refuse her. Giving in to the inevitable, he finally began to consider her question in earnest. How could she convince Saitō to let her stay with the Shinsengumi, especially at a time like this?

"They're not bad, on the whole," Nagakura commented grudgingly.

"Aa." Saitō had been more silent than usual that afternoon, but he'd been efficient, and he'd taken the time to speak with some of the more gifted of Kondō-san's new recruits.

"But we both know that sword skills aren't useful if you can't use them when it matters."

"Aa."

"What did you think of that last group.?"

"The one man—Sakoda—is a troublemaker."

"Yeah. Damn—I'd hoped I was wrong."

"Perhaps we're both wrong."

"Sure, and maybe Sannan-san will give us all a raise."

Saitō and Nagakura turned to watch the last of the new recruits file out of the training yard toward their temporary quarters. Saitō seemed to be turning something over in his mind.

"Shinpachi-san," he said at last, "are you and Harada free once we're done here?"

"I'm free," Nagakura replied at once. "Why don't we go see if Sano's around? He has patrol tonight, so he should be nearby now. Something on your mind?"

Saitō started to say no, then stopped. Why not be honest? At worst he'd risk some embarrassment and possibly disappointment.

"I want to ask your opinions on something. I'll bring the sake."

[END]

A/Note: I've been wanting to write this chapter for a long time-and the next one. Your comments and reviews are very much appreciated. There is more action to come, but first, let them all get some sleep