Haru awoke to coughing up water. Violent heaving coughs to wrench the water out of her system, her throat feeling dry and torn open. Her eyes weakly fluttered open, something that Haru despised feeling weak.
She forced herself to sit up despite the fact that it made her head swim and made her stomach roll, she was soaking wet her hair and gui soaked through Thank goodness it's heavy cotton and not see through right now she thought to herself. She felt hard stone digging into her back and finally registered her surroundings.
She was resting on a large stone staircase that lead up to a temple, a real authentic Japanese temple. She glanced down the staircase to see an entire town straight out of one of brother's historic books, where… where am I? She thought to herself feeling absolutely terrified and curious at the same time. Terrified because she didn't know where she was or how she got there but also immensely curious about her surroundings. She noticed that clenched tightly in her hand was her brother's sword.
She forced herself up to her feet stumbling for a few seconds before managing to reorient herself, she slipped the sword into her belt at her hip. "Okay Haru, let's not freak out right now. You may be in a weird place that you have never been before but it's probably just a bad dream, that's it a really bad dream." She told herself swallowing nervously.
"I'm just going look around and hope I can find someone to help me." She told herself wrapping her arms around herself and shivering. It was cold her breath coming out in white puffs before her and she was still soaking wet. Still feeling woozy and sick to her stomach she managed somehow to make it down the treacherous stairs without falling.
She managed to make it down to the street which was dirt and hard packed. She looked the buildings over, she felt like she was stuck in some historical movie with the wood and paper buildings surrounding her. The street however looked empty and the lights were out in most of the houses, "H-hello is anybody the-there?" Haru stuttered out partially from fear and from the cold, but was met with silence.
I'm just going to walk down a few streets and then go back to the temple if I can't find any help she told herself, she began to walk down the street looking desperately for someone to help her. She heard footsteps behind her, she instantly unwrapped her arms instinctively her martial arts instructor's voice resounding through her mind never occupy your hands when somewhere dangerous they need to be ready because you never know.
"Somebody there?" she called out and saw a shadow move, "Hello?" she asked and then they leapt at her from the shadows. She kicked out at them sending them back, "Who are you?" she demanded as the figure recovered and stepped into the dim light of the stars and moon.
They were dressed in traditional Japanese robes, familiar robes to Haru's eyes from her brother Braun's books, which were flipping through her mind. He was an avid history buff reading her those books since she was little heck she was even reading them herself now pestering him every week for a new one to read.
They came at her again lunging at her, she yelled and struck forward at their nose with her palm and stomping down on his foot, "I don't want to fight you but I will if I have to!" she shouted angrily in warning.
They staggered back into the light and smiled at her, it was then that she noticed the details about his appearance, "Come on walking around here at this kind of night you're just asking for trouble." He spoke to her clearly in Japanese, her ears heard it but understood it clearly. Haru knew she could speak a little but not a lot, but somehow her mind was able to translate it perfectly.
"Get away from me, don't make me hurt you!" Haru yelled at him in fluent Japanese before she could even begin to think about how her mind and vocabulary seemed to have grown by magic he rushed at her once again. She roared in anger and grabbed him around the waist throwing him roughly into the ground. Dirt and dust kicked up from his impact and she stomped down hard on his ribs before kicking him away.
Before she could make a run for it someone slashed at her with a blade from behind, her only warning was the soft swish of the blade being drawn, she twisted the blade just grazing her shoulder slicing the fabric of her gui open. She turned to face yet another opponent, this one brandishing a blade.
"Get away from me!" Haru threatened and he advanced on her thrusting his blade forward, she dodged to the side bringing her arms up to defend herself. She wasn't the top ranking sparring competitor in her dojo for nothing.
He's going to have the advantage of reach not to mention the fact it's a sword, I'm just going to have to get rid of it then. She thought to herself she launched forward sending out a right hook followed by a left jab to the head. Her right arm punched forwards with all of her strength for his gut, he bent over reflexively and she followed with three upper cuts to under his jaw.
He fell onto his back roughly in the dirt, the first attacker leapt at her from behind grabbing her and ripping at her hair, "Let me go!" she yelled grabbing onto him and struggling, after a few seconds struggle she pulled him off and threw him over her shoulder.
She backed away but in her fright tripped over her own feet falling onto her butt roughly, she scrambled to get up as her two attackers advanced at her, the one with the sword thrust his sword forwards her eyes widened in fright as she was unable to do anything.
Am I just going to die a second time? She thought to herself terrified when another sword stabbed straight through her both of her attackers' chests the bright red blood splattering over her face, she did what came instinctively and screamed at the top of her lungs only for a hand to be clamped down over her mouth to silence her.
"Silence or do you want to draw the attention of everybody in the city?" a masculine voice growled from behind her. She bit down hard on the hand and scrambled away from the new attacker getting to her feet.
"S-stay away from me!" she growled trembling in fear, two men had just died right in front of her. Sure they were attacking her-but what if it was because she was caught up in the middle of some weird gang war or something? She didn't know and she certainly didn't need people dying right on her let alone in such a horrible fashion.
"Look we're only here to help you." The voices from behind her now dead attackers said, she jumped away from them for her back to bump against the wall behind her. She realised the three of them had her trapped she was going to have to fight her way out.
"I-if you leave me alone I swear I won't call the cops on you or say anything. I just want to go home!" she offered hoping the insane people would leave her alone.
The one who had come up behind her advanced he was a large man easily bigger than her brothers with a green bandana wrapped around his head and brown spiked hair, "Look we'll explain everything but you need to calm down." He pleaded, a small part of her mind registered that this was still all in Japanese and that her mind had miraculously figured out how to translate it all for her to understand.
"Like hell I am!" Haru exclaimed sending a front thrust kick at him but he simply absorbed the kick and stared at her surprised at her out-burst, she re-chambered her leg and tried for a side kick sending him stumbling a few steps back. She twisted switching kicking legs and sending a round house kick for his face, his head cracked to the side and she used his distraction to use a hip throw sending him to the ground and getting him into a wrist lock.
"One wrong move and I'll break your wrist got that!" she yelled, "Now get to your feet and put your free hand on your head now!" she barked at him violently reefing roughly on his arm, "I said now!"" she ordered and violently tugged, he groaned and got up placing his hand on his head as she ordered him. She had effectively turned him into a human shield from his comrades and rendered him incapable of fighting her.
"We're going for a walk to the nearest police station you hear! Now where is it?!" she yelled out.
"What are you talking about-" her attacker started and she applied pressure on her lock causing him to yelp in pain.
"The police station, I'm reporting you for murder and assault! And whatever else you've done wrong you criminals!" she accused them. Suddenly from the dark a sword cut through the darkness and placed itself against her throat.
"Release him right now." A voice ordered from the shadows, Haru gulped in fear and released the brunette, the new attacker stepping into the light. She gasped in surprise he too was wearing the traditional robes with amber eyes and red-brown coloured hair.
He drew his sword back, "You should've just killed her!" the new swordsman exclaimed and went to drive forwards with his sword, Haru involuntarily flinched and squeezed her eyes shut waiting for the killing blow wondering what a sword thrusting through her throat would feel Like.
"Wait, I think she's a foreigner!" called one of the figures still in the dark, he stepped forwards into the light. Haru opened her eyes, he was small a lot smaller than the others, even shorter than her. He had long wild brown hair contained in a ponytail behind his head. He grabbed the sword and pushed it away, "It could cause problems if we kill her!"
"You, are you a foreigner?" the one with the sword demanded knocking aside the smaller boy's hand and pointing the sword at her again.
"I think?" she replied and shook her head, "I have no idea where I am right now but if you have to now I'm from the States!" she yelled in a nervous rush, "I just want to go home!"
"So she is a westerner, I guess that explains the weird outfit." The one with a sword stated, Haru glanced down at her wet, dirt and blood covered gui that was torn and wrinkled, she was missing a shoe on one foot it must have fallen off sometime during the fight. She sneezed from the cold and wrapped her arms around herself.
"Look, I think we should bring her back to the base for tonight, she's lost and scared. We can think over what to do with her tonight." The short brunette offered, "I mean look at her she's shivering cold and she's just a little girl." Under normal circumstances Haru would've snapped at someone calling her a little girl but she bit her tongue now was certainly not the time to anger people.
The sword bearer snorted through his nose but relented pulling his sword back and sheathing it, "Fine, and by the way foreigner are you stupid or just brave?" he asked her.
Haru blinked in confusion, "Excuse me?" she asked him politely.
He nodded his head at her sword, "A foreigner, a girl and I'm assuming low in rank carrying a sword at their hip. That's very bold of you… I'm going however with the stupid." He stated.
She flushed red in anger and stomped her foot down on the ground, "I'll have you know I am not stupid I've been on the honour roll at my school since sixth grade and I'm a math elite! My brother John was head of the chess club and I learned from him!" she snapped angrily.
"I didn't know they let girls go to school in the West." The short brunette stated.
"West... foreigner… where am I?" Haru asked them.
The fourth man stepped into the light, he had amber eyes and bright red hair, "Don't tell me you sailed all the way to Japan without knowing that you're here." He said.
Haru glanced around herself confused, "I'm in Japan?" she still glanced around everywhere in absolute confusion, "But… but you guys are supposed to be like super high tech with packed cities… this looks like a history text book like you know from the eighteen hundreds or something."
"Miss have you by any chance hit your head recently?" the one she grabbed asked her worriedly.
"Well I was hit by an oncoming truck and flung into a river and nearly drowned less than an hour ago but that was -" she started oh my god I must be dreaming or dead, this is all some drug induced hallucination or pain induced. I'm tucked into bed and fine or in a hospital bed or some horrible afterlife
"Well that explains her being wet and her stupidity, she drowned." The red-brown hair coloured one remarked smirking.
"I say that we get her to rest, she's been through a lot and we won't be able to get anything out of her right now." The short one stated, at least somebody around here has a head on their shoulders maybe I can talk some sense into him or at least get information out of him she thought to herself.
"Fine." The one that was severally annoying her relented, the short one then roughly grabbed her by the arm dragging her over next to him.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she demanded angrily trying to pull away.
"I'm escorting you and making sure you don't run away." He stated and the one who she had in a wrist lock grabbed her other arm and with that she was towed along rather unwillingly by the four strangers.
"What about my shoe?" she asked and they all stopped, she sniffled and lifted her soaking wet foot and wriggled her foot in the air, "I lost my shoe in the fight and I want it back." She demanded weakly. They all paused and looked at her in confusion, "I want my shoe back!" she demanded and so a search for a small sneaker in the dark alley way began. Admittedly Haru felt very stupid for demanding her shoe and very childish, but she was tired, exhausted, confused, and hurt and knowing she had both shoes would make her feel somewhat comforted.
"I think I found it!" the one with the long pony tail called out, he examined the small shoe in his hand with great curiosity, "I don't think I've seen anything like this before, this is the weirdest shoe I have ever seen." He said as he turned it over in his hands pulling on the odd strands that hung from it. It was bright orange and blue with writing in English across it that he could not decipher.
"Did you find my sneaker?" the foreigner asked him excitedly her grey eyes shining brightly, she reached her hands out to him. He hesitated, "I don't want to seem rude but did you find my shoe or not? I just want my shoe." He handed it over to her, she looked down at the small shoe in her hand, he noticed how small her hands looked as they held the shoe. It's amazing that she held her own, she held them off with her bare hands. The strange foreigner knelt down and slipped her foot into the shoe using the strings to tie it in place. She stood up knocking her foot against the ground.
"I'm fine now, I can tag along with you all now." She stated as she straightened up. Everyone regrouped and they put her in the center of the group to ensure she wouldn't run off. Haru didn't know what it was but something in her made her complacently go along with them. Perhaps it was because she was unwilling to fight them and risk her life. They walked in silence to the base, and told her to remain quiet as they slipped into their base.
"I don't get it, if this is your base why do you have to sneak in unnoticed?" Haru hissed at them under her breathe and they shssed her in response, "I'm just saying…" she muttered rather annoyed. They managed to slink into the building unnoticed.
"So Heisuke now what do we do with her?" the reddish-brown haired one hissed.
"I-uh didn't think that far ahead?" he admitted weakly Haru looked at him in disbelief I'm surrounded by idiots, idiots with swords that want to kill me.
"Well wherever we put her we have to keep our eyes on her… and I say that Heisuke since it was your brilliant idea, you have to keep her in the room you share with Shinapchi and Harada." The one with reddish-brown coloured hair stated.
"What?!" the one that Haru realised was called Heisuke exclaimed for his two friends to clamp their hands down on his mouth to silence him.
"You were the genius that said to bring the foreigner here, she's your responsibility." The reddish-brown haired one said.
"That's no fair Souji." Heisuke sighed.
Wait a minute… Shinapchi… Heisuke… Harada and Souji, plus those outfits these guys can't really be, "Shinsengumi?" Haru squeaked and they all turned and looked at her confused, "You couldn't be the Shinsengumi by any chance?" she asked confused.
"Shinsengumi who are they?" The reddish brown haired one asked her looking at her confused.
If they're not the Shinsengumi at this time then this must be before… that means that they must still be the Roshigumi Haru quickly deduced, "Then you must be the Roshigumi." She stated correcting herself.
"Did the uniform not give it away?" the reddish-brown headed one snapped at her sarcastically bringing up the fact he didn't have one. You'll get a uniform eventually genius she snapped at him mentally.
Haru stared at him unamused and was forcing herself to remain calm so as not to snap it wouldn't do her any good. The Roshigumi and later the Shinsengumi may be revered as heroes in the future, but Haru was wise enough to know that many history books also said they were extremely capable killers and considering she was a foreigner she didn't really want to test her luck. She was actually surprised her being a foreigner hadn't gotten her killed yet.
She huffed, "Well I'm sorry you weren't exactly what I expected." She retorted, I guess what they say about meeting your hero is true she thought to herself sourly.
"Were you looking for us or something?" continued the one with red-brown hair who Haru was supposing was Okita Souji, she turned to see him behind her scowling and eyeing her suspiciously.
"Not exactly, I just know a lot about the Roshigumi and have a lot of respect for them." Haru replied.
Souji Okita turned and regarded the odd foreign girl they had saved, she didn't really look foreign at all but it was her clothes and her behaviour that gave her away. He wasn't quite sure what to make of her, killing her seemed like a very viable and very intelligent move. But then again she just seemed like a lost kid who didn't know better and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"You have a lot of respect for them?" he repeated wanting her to elaborate.
She nodded her head vigorously, "Why yes, you serve a very noble cause so whole heartedly, and I've always been so amazed at your passion for your beliefs-it's so motivating and infectious. And you're all so amazing and skilled. Not to mention the fact you don't discriminate based on rank or status and see a man truly for the work he does with his own two hands." She paused and all the men could see the smile stretch across the face and the dreamy quality he eyes took ,her voice became breathy as she spoke, "Not to mention the humble origins that Hijikita Toshizo and Kondou Isami had."