Kondo-sama had been called to the shogun and was away from headquarters with a dozen of the soldiers. The half full moon stood high in the night sky, as the sound of metal clashing and the cries of the attacking warriors woke Chizuru of a restless sleep. She wrapped herself in a kimono, grabbed her sword and made her way out. Careful to stay hidden in the shadows, the female Shinsengumi followed the sounds of battle into the country yard of their home. There, half a dozen unknown men were attacking the soldiers. More were coming through the portal. Not stopping, the pregnant woman crept along the walls.
She passed Sannan, whose white hair reflected the moonlight, fighting two intruders near the dojo entrance. On the other side of the yard she could see Sanosuke wilding his spear against three others. Her second bodyguard had made his way to the portal and was trying to close the entranceway. Okita was fighting of the incoming enemies with Saitou covering his back.
On her way around the houses, Chizuru found Heisuke, red enraged eyes and white hair, battling a tall warrior, whom they had met before. She remembered him being one of Kazamas men and Heisukes declared rival.
Why she had rounded the buildings and run into harms way, Chizuru did not know. The only thing the brunet was sure of was, that she had to be there. Something, or someone was calling out to her and she had to reach them before it was too late. Silently she passed the two fighters, ignoring the groaning of sword against sword, and continued her way.
She had nearly returned to the point she had started from, when she saw two shadows in the gardens. As she approached, she could make out long black hair dancing in the wind, two swords gleaming in the moonlight. In front of Hijikata stood none other than Chikage.
"You will not go any further, Kazama." The demon commander warned the Oni.
"And why is that? I'm here to retrieve my future wife." Chikage taunted his opponent. "She has been your hostage long enough."
Hijikata attacked first. Katanas clashed fast and strong against each other. A dance under the moonlight had started, wherein the second of the Shinsengumi seemed to have the upper hand. Step by step he draw his opponent out of the garden, through the small yard with the well until he could see Heisuke engaged in his own battle. Chizuru followed them silently in the shadows.
"My, you are a fierce one tonight, Hijikata." With this words Kazamas eyes changed colour, his hair turned white and four little horns appeared on his forehead. "Let's see if you can stand your ground if I go all out on you."
And the dance started again, faster, stronger than before. None of them wanted to relent. The Shinsengumi was the first one to taste the bite of his opponents sword, but Hijikata kept standing and fighting. Kazama had to take a step back, as the humans sword graced his arm and draw blood.
Enraged he countered harder and they returned into the garden, out of the yard.
The quiet spectator followed once more, she found them locked in a raging battle of wills, swords crossed and bodies pressing against each other. The demon commander was loosing terrain, but holding up as good a stance as humanly possible, while Kazama tried hard not to show how frustrated he was, for not being able to defeat a simple human. The oni disappeared from in front his opponent and reappeared behind him, slashing at his back in an attempt to win the fight. Hijikata dodged the attack, but fell to the ground landing on his wounded side. Chizurus breath caught in her throat and a silent, strangled cry escaped her alerting the prone human of her presence.
The man stood up with renewed purpose, he had to get his enemy out of Chizurus reach as soon as possible. But Kazama had other plans.
The oni had grown tired of the sword play and with one swift movement, combining his magical speed, agility and force, impaled his katana in the demon commanders body. His opponent fell to his knees, despairingly holding at his chest and coughing blood. Satisfied, Kazama draw his sword back, freed it of blood and sheathed it. A helpless cry pierced the night and Chizuru run out of the shadows that had been protecting her all along. Blinded to all but the wounded man on the floor, she stumbled and fell from the veranda, landing in the outstretched arms of her wanna be kidnapper. Taken by surprise because of Chizurus increase in weight, Chikage lost his balance. He was mindful enough to cushion the young woman's fall.
"What the h...?"
The brunet had scrambled out of his arms and was holding the lifeless body of his fallen enemy before Kazama could even finish his question. Big tears were rolling down Chizurus cheeks while she was holding the nearly unconscious warrior to her chest, murmuring incoherently.
"Why...let out... rasetsu...don't leave... don't..."
The blond oni had to look twice to comprehend the scene in front of him. Chizuru, heavy with child, sitting in the bloodstained dust with her kimono hanging open, clinging despairingly to the fading man at her side and nearing hysterics. Of all the outcomes he had envisioned for this night, this one, had never occurred to him.
"Shit!" cussing loudly he made his way to the broken woman. Kneeling at her side he tried to part her away from the demon commander. She screamed again, her wailing intensifying. Not knowing what to do exactly, Chikage tried to calm her.
"Let go of him, Chizuru. Shhhhhh... He will be all right, I'll bring him back for you... Shhhhh, please calm down and let go."
Completely out of his element Kazama talked to the crying woman in soothing tones and even dislodged her hands form the fallen Shinsengumi warrior before quick footsteps coming from the yard alerted him to another's presence.
Rasetsu and oni alike stopped at the entrance to the gardens in bewilderment, made up their mind and run to the three figures on the ground. Heisuke warping his arms around Chizuru could not hold back his accusations.
"What the shit were you thinking?! How could you have let her see..."
His red headed opponent had faced the oni prince too.
"What is going on here, Kazama?" bewildered he looked on as his superior lowered the injured human to the ground and started to draw his own sword. Chizuru did not take to well to that motion and her screams intensified calling more spectators onto the place.
"Do something useful boy and get her inside. If I had known the two of them mated already I would have renounced my claim..."
Kazama Chikage slit his wrist against the sharp blade and lowered it to the perishing man's lips, purring ringlets of blood into his mouth.
"Stop talking crap, you creep!"
"I fear we should stop arguing among ourselves," Sannans calm voice bought them back to reality. "Chizuru-chan needs our help right now."
Okita and Saitou, who had just arrived followed his line of view. Their hime-chan had gone into hysterics, crying uncontrollably and clutching at her belly in a pained gesture.
"We should take her inside and lay her down on a futon." The bespectacled captain took command. Okita helped Heisuke lifting the pregnant woman up, together they carried her the few steps up to the house and into her nearby room.
"The shock was to much for her, she seems to have gone into labour." They heard Sannan instructing the remaining men. "Saitou, I need you to get Dr. Matsumoto. I may know a bit about medicine, but definitively not enough to bring a child into this world."
Saitou departed with a quite spoken "Hai."
"You, I would appreciate it if you could tell those idiots in the front yard to stop brawling." Sannan addressed the red haired man completely seriously. The oni understood that something more important than their petty quarrels was taking place and stood up. "Tell them to fetch clean sheets from the storage house and boil some water. Chizuru is giving birth tonight."
Okita and Heisuke had put their friend to bed, freeing her of the obi and the outer layers of her kimono and making sure she was kept warm. Heisuke stayed at her side, holding and soothing her all the while. Okita returned to the gardens. He found Kazama and Sannan trying to revive Hijikata and speaking in hushed tones.
"He has lost to much blood. I do not know if this will be enough", the oni said, while still trying to feed the vice commander his blood.
"I am wondering why he has not transformed as of yet", commented the scientist, holding his comrade up.
"It crossed my mind. But he really seemed adamant on staying human. It may be because of our dear Oni girl?" Chikage wondered aloud. "We should move him too, before the screaming oafs get here with the supplies." Kazama concluded and picked his enemy up, lifting him into his arms. "Lead the way."
Sannan made his way to the porch and passed Okita, followed by the oni. They entered the room next to Chizurus. The young warrior could hear the rustling of clothes before the door was closed.
At that moment the running footsteps of his comrades got him back from that surreal scene.
Sanosuke was carrying a stack of blankets and Shimpachi had a smoking basin in his hands.
"Is it true, Okita?", asked the first.
"Is our Chizuru really giving birth tonight?", asked the second stopping in front of the young captain.
"I think so..." Okita still had problems grasping the concept himself, but he let them into the young woman's room, following and sitting near the door.
The last chapter will be up shortly, hope you enjoied this one^^