*WARNING* This chapter is not meant to follow history. I played with Okita's past. I must have his past this way for his character to be as it is and to add to the story. This story is AU for a reason, after all. ^_^ Please enjoy!
Okita relaxed against the wall with his katana by his side. The air was cool outside with a light breeze blowing. There was a breeze on that day, too, he recalled - the day he had met Sei again. He had threatened her life. It was what he normally did for people he cared about. He knew if they got too close they'd get burned after all, so how could he not scare them away? What he didn't get though was why he cared about Sei. He hadn't known her for long at all.
He raised his thumb and forefinger, and stared at them as he rubbed them together. He could still feel her strand of hair there. How gorgeous that one strand of hair was, somehow. And her soft cheek… her spirit… her determination…everything about her intrigued him. He couldn't figure her out and he wanted to know more. He wanted to knowher.
The door to the room slid open and Okita saw Hijikata standing behind it. "Yes, Hijikata-san?" Okita asked sitting up slightly.
"You have another duty tonight," Hijikata replied calmly. "Be prepared. I'll tell you more about it later so report to my room when the sun goes down."
Okita nodded. "Yes, sir," he replied, smiling. It wasn't his real smile. He hadn't really smiled in a long time. He only wore this fake smile as a mask to hide his emotions.
Hijikata nodded and left.
Okita sometimes questioned why he did his heartless job. All it was, was murdering. But then he remembered. He always remembered, and never after he remembered it did he regret doing it.
"Mama! Mama! Look! I made a rice ball out of mud!" Soujirou called, proudly displaying his creation to his mother. "Isn't it great?"
His mother bent down and admired it. "My, what a gorgeous rice ball. I'm sure your Papa would like it." She smiled at him.
Soujirou smiled back widely. "Really? I can go put it on Papa's grave? Can I?" Soujirou asked eagerly, completely thrilled at the thought of giving his Papa an offering.
His mother nodded softly. "Yes, you may. Go on now." His mother shooed him along and Soujirou skipped off to his Papa's grave to put his rice ball by it. When he arrived he bowed and said good morning to his father.
"Here, Papa! Look what I made for you!" He placed it down by the grave, happily. "It doesn't taste very good but I hope you like it. I made it for Mama, but she said that you'd like it. Do you, Papa? Do you think it's good? I hope you do, Papa. I never did much to make you happy. I don't even… know you that well…" Soujirou looked regretfully at his hands. He missed his Papa, though he hardly remembered him. He bowed again. "I'm sorry, Papa. But I need to go back now, okay?" He ran back home, only to be terrified. As soon as he slid open the shoji doors he saw his mother having her fingers cut off one by one.
His mother noticed him quickly. She told him to run, to get away and survive. Tears were running down her cheeks as the words were spoken. "Run, Soujirou! Get away! You have to survive-!" She was cut off abruptly as someone decapitated her.
Soujirougaspedinterror.Tearsflowedsteadilyfromhereyes. "Mama?" Hiswordswerebroken,scared,andunsure.Hecouldn'tstopshakingfromfear.Whatwashappening?Howwasthishappening?Why wasthishappening?
The people who had just executed his mother moved onto one of his sister's, Rin, who fought and struggled, doing whatever to be safe, but they grabbed her and began torturing her as well.
"O-Nee-chan… Mama… why…? I don't understand…What's going on…?"
Soujirou couldn't comprehend what was happening. All he knew was that one by one, his family was being murdered. First his mother, now Rin, and next Mitsu. He couldn't imagine why. He couldn't even think of any reason at all.
After everyone was gone and dead, the demons turned toward him. Their eyes were dark and evil, full of bloodlust. They wanted his blood too. "So, kid, do you want that to happen to you?" They were bloodthirsty. They were crazy. He hated them. But he was too scared; he couldn't do anything but stand and shake as they towered over him. Nothing made sense. He turned and dashed away. Tears were blurring his vision as he ran and ran and ran…
"Mama… O-Nee-Chan… Mama… O-Nee-chan… Mama…! O-Nee-chan…!" Eventually he felt his small body collide with a leg. He looked up to see a much older man looking down at him, confused.
"What happened?" the man asked, bending down and wiping a tear from Soujirou's eye.
"Mama… O-Nee-chan… People… oni, they… they…" words wouldn't come out any longer. He simply let himself cry into the older man's leg, capable of nothing else.
He knew nothing. He didn't understand anything in that moment.
Okita trembled. He still couldn't remember it without being scared. He was five at the time. He was five and that's what they'd done to him. He still hadn't found them but someday he would. He would, and he knew it. And when he did, they'd regret what they'd done to his family.
Am I excused for having Sou-chan act the way he has been now? I believe this could traumatize him enough to change him, but correct me if I'm wrong. I hope it was enjoyable. I certainly loved writing this chapter. As terrible as it was, it was so cute… Sorry… ^^; You have to admit he was cute making mud rice balls it's just after that it was a little… yeah… Five-year-olds should not experience that. But anyway, I would like to thank and dedicate this to PrincessZeki15 and kaedenoha. You both made my day. Thank you so much for the reviews! This update is for you. ^-^