Just like in All or Nothing, I will be answering all reviews given to me. And one fan mail. ^-^
221bbakerstreetirregular – I told ya to prepare for the gore fesh. So a bit of gore is in the first chapter on the Ao3 version. (Sorry, here in rated T, and I ain't changing the rating here. I get more reviews that way. ^-^)
Jinxes – Well, then I'm glad to provide! And I think you'll be happy to know that there are cute moments planned for them, even though there's no plans for a pairing yet. (BTW, my friend Mocha is also rooting for them, so you're not alone. ;) )
ArchimedesAckermann – Thanks! I did just that!
MagiCrackPairings – Thanks so much! Kaoru is actually a fav of mine, as well. I just love him to death~ And yes, he's actually a VERY important character who's going to be making an appearance… in about two chapters. :3
Maro75 – Updated~
So yeah, this chapter is censored! Go to my Ao3 to get the uncensored version!
-::The Unfortunate Werewolf::-
-:Chapter II – Sharp Teeth:-
Blood soaked her clothes, pouring out of wounds struggling to heal. Deep claw marks mauled her pale skin. She tried to speak, but the only sound she could utter was a weak cough, her glowing yellow eyes staring fearful into the mouth of death.
White, long, sharp teeth were all that encompassed her vision, and she knew that only spelled death for her, even at this young age. Her tiny body couldn't put up much of a fight either way and, with the wounds, all hope was lost.
She was going to die here. That much was fact.
Only the young girl suddenly realized, when the sound of a sliding door seemed to overcome all other noises, that this was nothing but a dream. Opening her eyes forcefully, the young girl was now a young woman, disguised as a boy. She blinked rapidly, trying to shake off sleep and gather her bearings.
A gag covered her mouth, preventing her from speaking, and her hands and legs were bound. Her body was resting a tatami mat, the pillow and blanket long since cast aside in her fitful sleep.
Not that any of this mattered. Considering her strength, she could easily rip the bindings apart, but she needed to be careful. Slowing her breathing, her pounding heart still beating rapidly from the nightmare, she closed her eyes and used her sharp hearing. The sliding door that had woken her opened and closed again, followed by voices, masculine, speaking in hushed tones. The voices were muffled, too far away to be heard clearly, yet she managed to catch bits and pieces as they moved away from her location.
"… witness… too risky… What… Hijikata… execution?"
Despite the lack of information, she knew instantly something was going horribly wrong, and she was in the center of it. Resisting the urge to groan aloud, as trouble did tend to find her wherever she went, she instead furrowed her brow, drawing from deep within her body the strength she needed.
It was unusually rather effortless, to be honest, since she wasn't exactly human. But with the Change so close, and her nerves completely shot from both the livid nightmare and her situation, she had to focus much harder to draw the strength to snap the ropes. Once she removed the gag in her mouth, she slowly made her way to the door, sliding it open to peek around the corner.
Only to realize someone was standing just inches away from the door. She choked on the gasp she was trying to suppress, throwing herself down to the ground, wishing again, desperately, for the full moon to be out.
The man that had been standing guard slammed the door open, glowering at her, the ropes scattered behind her, and then back at her face. She couldn't help but stare at the face of the man, his purple eyes narrowed and glaring. She knew those eyes, or rather, she knew that face. From last night. He was the one who brought her. Him and two others. Resisting the urge to sniff the air to confirm her memory, she instead broke away from his gaze, wanting to look anywhere but at him.
"How did you get those ropes off?"
She tried to open her mouth, gaping like a fish as she searched for her voice. She couldn't get the words to come out, though, and the man didn't seem too particular to wait for an answer.
"Come with me." He didn't even wait for her reaction, just reaching out and grabbing her wrist to pull her up forcibly to her legs. Her body seemed to have gone numb, however, unable to probably respond, causing the man to drag her along, her feet uselessly stumbling after her. She could only wonder where she was being dragged to and hope somehow, some way, she would make it out alive.
xxxx
She was taken to a room, or rather, thrown into a room, full of men. She hardly had time to get onto her knees before she was questioned, calmly, by a kindly looking man wearing glasses. She answered as best she could, as simply as possible, her body tense, ready to spring at the hint of trouble.
"Child, do you know why you're here?"
Pause. "No sir."
"Do you know who we are?"
"The Shinsengumi, sir."
"Do you remember what happened last night, then?"
"I was pursued by ronin until your men came and rescued me." Straightening a bit to look around the room, she managed to spot a familiar face, a young man smiling wryly at her. "But I should thank him for saving me. I would not be alive if not for his interference."
But, bitterly, she thought, she could have easily removed the problem of survival if there had been a full moon out last night. She wouldn't have needed anyone, especially the Shinsengumi. Of course, the moment she thought this, she resisted the urge to shake the Wolf-inspired thoughts free from her mind. She should still be grateful, even if she was questionable circumstances.
"I was informed of what transpired last night." The man adjusted his glasses, pausing for a moment before continuing, this time on a new subject.
"You don't seem to be from around here, am I correct?"
"Yes sir."
"Where are you from, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Edo, sir."
"Such a distance for a child such as yourself. What brings you to Kyoto?"
"I'm looking for someone, sir."
"Oh, and who might that be?"
"My father, sir."
Her body was growing more and more rigid, mentally wishing for this interrogation to be over with. If this continued, they might torture her to information. Nothing was apparently too low for the Wolves of Mibu, as the rumors say. She feared what they would find if they tortured her, especially if they waited until night…
Actually, no, that would be in her best interest. Then she could escape. Nothing might not too low for these metaphorically wolves, but, for her, nothing was impossible for the Wolf.
"And your father's name would be…" trailed off another, this man bearing a genuine look of concern on his face. He sat by the man with glasses, and to his other side sat her guard, the one who dragged her into this room.
She bowed her head. "Dr. Yukimura Kodo, sir."
There seemed to be a collective gasp, followed shortly thereafter by silence. She had purposely bowed her head to hide her face from view, allowing her time to finally sniff the air. With her heightened senses, she literally heard and smelled the tension and apprehension in the air. What did she say that caused such a commotion? Did it have something to do with her guardian, her adoptive father, Kodo?
"And might I ask," came the low growl from the man with violet eyes, "just who are you?"
Not daring to meet him in the eye, fear struggling desperately to keep the beast at bay, she quietly responded with two fateful words.
"Yukimura Chizuru."
xxxx
Chizuru was strange.
Surely, there was a lot about her that wasn't quite… right. She acted demure and naïve, like how most girls her age should act. And she really wanted to be like most girls her age, she really did. And for the most part, her behavior was genuine, yet there were still some things off about her.
She hated to admit it, but the moon, even when not in the sky, held a powerful spell over her body. She felt sick yet powerful at the same time, her body worn yet pulsating with energy. Beneath the layers of a seemingly normal girl lay a dormant power that she wished she did not have.
Yet it was such a sweet temptation, her body calling for her to give in. Every part of her body was under the Wolf's control, her stomach, her nose, her mouth, other... parts. She salivated when the scent of meat reached her tongue; even her most private places seemed to invaded by its power. Her entire body was the enemy, and she had no power to combat it.
For the most part, she just continued to play the role she knew so well, hoping that no one would notice the subtle changes to her posture, how her back straightened as the moon grew in size, how her tone became more forceful, how she looked out with confidence. This was not how Yukimura Chizuru, daughter to the Western trained doctor, acted, yet she played the role, continuously fooling all around her.
She had been getting better at hiding the signs, granted, but this incident was truly testing her. The fear inside her was honest. She was afraid that they will kill her, and even the Wolf feared this.
After telling the men her story, they had dismissed her, and a guard, one she did not recognize, stood outside her door. She could tell by placing her ear against the door, catching the slight ruffle of cloth and a steady breathing. While she didn't like the idea of having her fate discussed by strange men whom she had no experience with prior to this, she was also relieved for the small break.
What's going to happen to me? she thought. She desperately wished to flee with her tail between her legs, to run to her father and take them both back home, far away from this city of crime.
xxxx
An hour passed, and there was no sign of them deliberating. Chizuru realized there was high probability of her life ending today, if she didn't do anything. Biting her lower lip, she paced around the room like a caged animal, ironically feeling just as such. As long as there should a guard, there stood a chance of her getting caught.
She would have to find a way around the guard. However, he practically towered over her, and even with her heightened strength, she was afraid her body would fail her at the wrong moment. Still, if she didn't try, she would definitely meet her end here.
Yet… She found herself staring at the door, her brown eyes filling with hope. And yet, if she could convince them that her life was worth sparing, that she did nothing wrong, that whatever she did she will never do again, then maybe she could make it out alive.
She took in a deep breath, reaching deep in for the confidence the Wolf always granted, before, speaking loudly;
"Excuse me!"
xxxx
Tonight would be the full moon, she could feel it deep in her bones.
She had thought of escaping this night, but after learning that the Shinsengumi's goals and her own matched, Chizuru decided to stay a little while longer, hopeful that staying here will take her one step closer to her father. And since the commander swore to return her father to her, she couldn't help but put a little faith in this human.
Yet that didn't stop the full moon from arriving. Living over ten years with her condition, she had become quick to notice the signs that appeared days before the Change. She constantly craved for feet, the hair on her arms and legs grew quickly, and she couldn't get herself to sit still.
What was worse was the constant presence of her guards. She didn't trust herself transforming without fully knowing what their rounds were, and who took what shift. And she also didn't trust any of these men with her horrendous secret, no matter how she desperately wished for a companion during these restless, anxious nights.
As the sun began to sit, Chizuru was glad she was supposed to stay in a room, made for herself, at all times. Even though she was certain this was another form of imprisonment, she was grateful for the privacy. She decided to use that old trick she had developed back in Edo, knowing fully well that resisting the Change would cause more harm, yet she had little choice.
When the moon's light began to reach out from the night's sky, she hid under the blankets, moving her tatami mat into a far corner, behind a screen. As long as the moonlight didn't touch any part of her, it could not Change. However, just because Chizuru wasn't going to change didn't mean she could sleep through the night. The Wolf would not allow her rest, demanding her to remove the covers and allow the brilliant rays of moonlight touch her pale skin.
There she laid, in complete silence, feigning sleep, wishing the night to end and the Wolf to be still.
"Hajime-kun, is it your time finally?" A playful tone sung out, breaking the dead silence. Chizuru blinked, turning her head a bit to the side to listen in.
"Yes, it is." Another voice responded, this time in a drone. "Also, the vice commander would like to see you."
She heard the first voice sigh dramatically, then the rustling of cloth. "Oh man. What's he want now?"
Chizuru furrowed her brow a bit. If she remembered correctly, the one who was guarding her before the moon rose was Okita Souji. Thinking back to a night ago, she recognized the playful timbre of a handsome man dressed in blue, his green eyes full of dangerous and mischief.
The other individual was harder to identify, but thankfully Okita had provided her with a vital clue in the name, "Hajime." Saito Hajime will be her next guard, and he will most likely watch her until sunrise. Not able to help the smile growing on her face, she let out a gentle sigh of relief. Saito was a quiet man, from what little she had seen, which played in her favor.
Okita and Saito changed posts, as Chizuru heard footfalls moving away from her location. Once Okita had left, silence once again claimed the night.
Forcing herself to relax again, Chizuru closed her eyes, daydreaming of her home in Edo and her father waiting at the front steps. While it wasn't as good as dreaming, it steeled her resolve.
She will find her father. She will leave Kyoto alive.
xxxx
A week had passed since her capture. Since the moon's passing, Chizuru felt her energy and over-all happy attitude return with vigor, along with the departure of the dark thoughts that tended to follow her with the moon's growing strength.
Not Changing under the light of the moon had thrown her body completely out of a loop, causing her to be more moody and tired, but she tried to hide the signs by putting on a brave front.
Unfortunately, these men were more perspective than she originally gave them credit for. Harada Sanosuke, for example, seemed especially sensitive to her glum mood, having taken the time out of his day to visit her in her room and asked her if she wanted any food from the market. It had surprised her so much that Chizuru had fumbled through her words for the next few seconds, with Harada chuckling softly in front, before reaching out and playfully ruffling her hair.
Toudou Heisuke, the youngest captain of the Shinsengumi, found time in his day to talk to Chizuru. He had insisted she call him, "Heisuke," as most people did anyway. Even Nagakura Shinpachi, who had originally been against letting her live, softened up to her, teasing her that, since their discovery of her gender, they had to treat her kindly. Other members, such as Sannan Keisuke and Inoue Genzaburo, were also kindly, yet they also were both very busy and didn't offer much time.
The commander himself was also a very kind man, although he didn't spend much time with her, understandably. The only one-on-one interaction she had with Kondo Isami was a short "interview," to get a better understanding of Kodo's character and perhaps a clue where he might be hiding or who might have taken him.
Still, there were those in the Shinsengumi who still treated her coldly, the most prominent being the vice commander, Hijikata Toshizo. The one who had advocated the most for her life to be spared, and the one who wound up with Chizuru being nominated as his "page," as cover-up, seemed to be the least concerned for the girl whose life he just saved.
And there was Saito, who seemed, for the most part, disconnected and apathetic. Then again, he seemed to be like this for everyone, so Chizuru didn't exactly feel like she was missing out of anything. It's not that she didn't enjoy his company whenever he was assigned guard duty, as he never bothered questioning her, nor did he comment about anything that she did that would be considered unusual.
Okita, however, was another matter, entirely different from Hijikata and Saito. He was wily and perceptive, traits that Chizuru wished to avoid at all costs. He always ended up making some kind of comment, and Chizuru had such a difficult time covering up her reactions. It was almost as if her feelings, her very being, were like a giant game that he picked up whenever he was bored. When with her mood improved, she still had to watch over her shoulder carefully to make sure Okita wasn't noticing anything odd.
Like the way she ate. Her condition prevented her from enjoying certain foods, like certain greens, while at the time fueled other aspects of her diet, such as meat. Fish really didn't cut it, but she had always gone hurting under full moons while her father slept to catch a duck or other wild game in the nearby woods. Now, without that outlet, at least until she got a better idea on how the Shinsengumi ran things, she would have to settle for fish.
The small tray of food she got three times a day did not help. She felt like she was being starved, yet she had to convince herself to pull through. Her father was worth it. Finding him was top priority, not just because she wished to return to her mundane life, not just because she wanted to know if her father was safe or not, but because she owned him everything.
Still, thinking of her father made her wonder when she'll be allowed to search for him. She had been stuck in this place for over a week, and there was no sign of progress or even rumors of his appearance in the city. Surely he couldn't have just disappeared?
Standing up, Chizuru moved towards her door and opened it. As she suspected, Okita was leaning against the wall, his katana cradled in his lap with his legs crossed in front of him. He glanced over at her when she opened the door, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Ah, the little rabbit decided to poke her head out of the hole now? Need a bathroom break or something?"
His tone, as always, was impish and nonchalant, yet those emerald eyes of his never left her face the moment she came into view. He watched her like how a fox watches a hen, causing the Wolf in her to stir, to glare back with equal intensity, to show him she was the dominant one, that she was not a force to be reckoned with.
Shaking her head, Chizuru broke eye-contact and looked down, fumbling with her hands, trying to find something to distract herself as she worded her question carefully. "Okita-san, I was wondering… when Hijikata-san and Sannan-san return, will I be able to leave the compound?"
"Leave the compound?" Okita laughed, slapping his knee jovially. Glancing back up at her, his face was stretched out into a light, teasing smirk. "Sorry, little lady, but I'm not the guy to ask. But if you behave, maybe I can throw in a word with Kondo-san."
"Really?" Chizuru couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice at that point. Okita only grinned wider, tilting his head. He opened his mouth, about to speak when another voice interrupted him;
"Souji, it's time for dinner."
Sighing, Okita turned to look behind him, Chizuru following suit in looking up, surprised by the appearance of Heisuke, carrying a tray of food. Okita huffed and stood up, leaning his sheathed katana on his shoulder casually. "Well, that's all well and good, Heisuke, but someone's gotta keep an eye on the girl."
"Well…" To this, Heisuke titled his head back a bit, eyes unfocused and looking upwards before focusing back on Chizuru, and then Okita. "Why not let her eat with us? I'm sure it won't be a big deal, since she'll be with us anyway."
"Hmm." Okita glanced between Chizuru and Heisuke before flashing a grin. "Not a bad idea. Besides, it gets boring watching her eat. She doesn't talk much."
I'm right here, Chizuru thought, sighing softly to herself. Still, she looked up expectantly at Heisuke. He smiled at her widely, chirping, "Hey, then we're good! Come on, Chizuru-chan!"
Chizuru followed Okita and Heisuke to the large room that, ironically enough, once served as her possible death sentence, now serving as a warm and welcoming place, full of laughter and mirth.
But little did the young girl know that, the moment she set foot inside the room, she had come one step closer to tragedy, one step closer to losing everything she held precious, and one step to closer to having her heart broken. For such was the fate of the unfortunate werewolf, Yukimura Chizuru.