Remember, for those of you reading, this fic has no set pairing yet. While it appears I might favor one pairing over others, it is simply because I am more comfortable writing for that pairing. Ie, I'll have an easier time writing SanosukeChizuru than ShinpachiChizuru. So bear with me if I act clumsier with other pairings… I am trying.
Unicornmeat3 – Well, I can't reveal that quite yet~ That would spoil the story, but I can say that stuff will be happening.
Jinxes – Plus, the uncensored version has Chizuru pretending to ******** and that eventually leads some of the guys to *****************************. But I can't have it here, so yeah, there'll be stuff missing or too vague because censorship and shit~
Guest – More gore to happen next chapter. But at least you get a werewolf transformation in this chapter, right?
Izzybearboo – I can't wait either! Guess I should hurry up, eh?
Mocha11 – If you're somehow reading this version, it probably will be the better choice, as werewolf!Chi Chi had some nasty thoughts about Souji~ And not the type you're thinking of. You've been warned!
By the way, I think only Mocha will get this reference… But I smell cookiez….
-::The Unfortunate Werewolf::-
-:Chapter III – A Pack of Wolves:-
xxxx
~*April 1864*~
"So, that's what happened."
Her father, his back turned, spoke those words softly, bowing his head. Chizuru bit her lower lip, eyes focused on the floor.
"Yes, sir." She heard him sigh, rub the back of his bald head before speaking again.
"I can't say I'm not surprised. For you to know remember nothing, yet you know just what you are." Nodding to himself, he continued, chuckling, "Although, you didn't have a name for yourself, nor what you are, you managed so well."
She nodded. Of course it was surprising, all things considered. She had no memory of her past, her earliest childhood memories wiped clean. She didn't know her own name, yet she knew what she was, even without having a name to call it. She had also managed to survive five months on her own, wandering as a small child through thick forests and wide groves, all the while avoiding detection. Well, until Kodo accidently, and quite literally, had Chizuru fall into his arms from a tree.
Kodo began to speak again, breaking her from her thoughts; "Even with that knowledge, you must never share this with anyone else. Understand? Even your fellow oni will not protect you if they know of your condition."
"It's fine. I'm used to it."
And it was the truth. She had hidden the truth so long from her adoptive father anyway. It was really child's play to continue to hide the truth.
"That also means no more nightly runs under a full moon. I know it will be hard at first, but you must stay inside when you transform. Promise me that."
Chizuru's voice was robotic when she replied, completely lacking in emotion. "I understand."
That seemed to make Kodo happy, as his shoulders relaxed. He finally turned his head to look her directly in the eye. "Then, in return, I promise to find a cure for your condition. Until then, please be patient with me."
xxxxx
Nightmares can take various forms, like shadows cast on walls. They can be ghoulish and hellish, terrifying the faint of heart with imaginary beasts and demonic threats. Yet those are never the most frightening, the most gut wrenching of nightmares.
No, it was often the nightmares that took on the forms of loved ones, of empty promises, of the real world and the horrors it held. Nightmares are truly terrifying when they make promises, show things that never happened, or even show the victim things that have already happened, forcing the victim to relive that moment again and again.
The event doesn't even have to terrifying; the promises don't have to horrible. It can be the dream of loved ones, alive and well. It can be the lover reaching out to intimately touching the dreamer. It can even be words once spoken in the past, harmless or even passionate.
It was these dreams that tortured the soul the most, because when the dreamer wakes, their fantasies are shattered, and the physical world invades their reality, reminding them of all the have not's or not meant to be.
Such was the dream experienced by Chizuru. A call to the past, torturing her with the reminder of what her father did, of the implications of what she couldn't do, the guilt over not acting swiftly enough, not fighting hard enough. She would even say that expressing the typical moon-fueled nightmare was better than this, as she had grown accustomed to dreaming of her attacking innocents, eating live babies and tearing her own father apart. These were, after all, only dreams, and dreams they would remain as long as she kept control. These dreams served as a solemn warning of what could become of her if she didn't remain in control, after all.
Yet this particular dream she was having was nothing more of a taunt. She could not control these circumstances, yet she felt regret for not attempting to. Her father was such a kind person. Why would such a terrible thing, such as a fire to his clinic, happen to him?
"Chizuru-chan."
A voice in the distance..? No, more like outside her dream. She hummed softly, cracking one eye open before slamming it shut. White light had burned itself into her eyes, causing spots to appear in her eyelids. She resisted the urge to groan; this might take it a bit.
However, the voice that had beckoned her from her dreams seemed to have other ideas. "Chizuru-chan…" This time, the voice sounded annoyed, as if it was such a tiresome task speaking her name.
In turn, The Wolf snarled in frustration. How dare this lowly human command her? Did this offender not know who he was dealing with? She was Yukimura Chizuru, sole survivor of the powerful eastern oni clan, and a werewolf to boot. One did not simply order her around least he wished to anger The Wolf.
She furrowed her brow and opened her eyes slowly. White light soon faded into colors, these colors eventually merging and shaping a face hovering above her. The face had green eyes and a mouth that was warped into a sneer. Confused, she rubbed her eyes and murmured, "Oki…ta-san?"
The smirk only widened. "Huh, and here I thought you knew that already? Did you hit your head at all last night?"
When she didn't answer immediately, nor did she react, the corners of his lips twitched downward. "Can you hurry it up a bit? I'm on a tight schedule here."
Again, The Wolf stirred. It snarled, causing Chizuru to physically frown. She turned under the covers, looking away from the young man leaning down next to her. "Well, if I'm causing you such an inconvenience, then please, don't wait up on me."
She didn't see his facial expression, nor did she know what he was thinking, as only silence came after her. Finally, she heard shifting, then a rhythmic warm puff of air as Okita spoke directly into her ear;
"You don't seem to understand the situation you're in. You get free room and board; the least you can do is not be a bother." He hummed when she visibly stiffened. Her gut literally dropped while her heart hammered against her ribcage.
Damn. Damn, damn, damn her mouth and The Wolf! She might as well pin a sign on her back that read, "Warning: I do not think before I speak," because of the damn full moon and her damn lycanthropy and her damn loose lips and her damn idiotically slow brain and its inability to catch this idiotic barter from escaping her oral cavity.
She glanced at Okita; he still had on that devilishly sweet smile on his face that promised her hell if she didn't obey him. Just how did she get herself into this sort of trouble? She had to find a way to cool down the situation or…
Slowly, she got up and, with her eyes focused on the ground, her heart racing, said, "And I appreciate everything you've been doing for me. Really. Thank you." She bowed, her shoulders completely tense.
Okita tilted his head, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. "Really? Then how about showing that appreciation by getting up quicker? I might be a more forgiving soul, but the others…." He let the sentence, his green eyes dark and narrowed, the smile never reaching them.
A chill ran down her spine, and The Wolf growled. Shaking away more comments she'd love to give him, she instead changed subjects, "Was there something you wanted in particular, Okita-san?"
Okita stood up, placing his hands on his hips. "Well, it is your turn on cooking duty. Although, by now, Hajime-kun's already done, given the amount of time it took to wake you up." His voice was annoyed, the smile gone from his face and a small frown on his face.
Upon hearing such a revelation, Chizuru lurched up, squeaking, "What?!" Her face was burning red, she began to remove her robe when she heard a, "Hey, what do you think you're doing?"
Looking over her shoulder, she noticed Okita standing there, his arms now crossed. She merely blinked, her robe's hem still in both hands, pulled away from her body and the belt already loosened. "Oh, you're still here?"
That took Okita be surprise, as he tsked and turned around, waving his hand dismissively. "Whatever. Just hurry up. Otherwise, you'll start to outlive your usefulness." Then he was gone, closing the door behind him.
The Wolf was snorting and growling to itself, upset that such a suggestion be made. This human knew nothing about her, her power nor what she could actually. He merely had a sword; what hope would he have against her claws? When the full moon rises, she should show him her true power. Horrific images of gore began to flood her, sick fantasies of destroying him completely.
Suddenly, she bit her tongue, drawing blood. Forcefully torn from her dark thoughts, she paused in mid-binding, her heart beginning to hammer against her chest. That hallucination felt so real, the scent of copper still lingering in her nose.
Quickly, she finished dressing in her male attire, hassling out of the room quickly, only to find the object of her daylight nightmare standing there, still having his arms crossed.
She didn't look at his face, the hallucination of his face masked in terror and blood flashing still fresh in her mind, and she hastened down the hall towards the kitchen. She needed a distraction, as the small of cooked fish and vegetables slowly began to replace the scent of copper.
xxxx
Breakfast wasn't much to talk about. After helping Saito and Okita finish making breakfast (and seeing Okita being reprimanded for inciting Chizuru could be killed for sleeping in), she was given the task of prepping the room for the rest of the captains. Of course, despite being both a pureblooded oni and a werewolf for over ten years, she still managed to run into Harada, throwing the miso soup off the tray and onto Nagakura. At least neither man was angry with her, which wasn't simply relief from being scolded.
She still saw flashes of her daydream while cooking next to Okita, The Wolf creating more horrific images after he had made a crude remark over her undressing when he was still in the room with her.
The Wolf was far more agitated, having not been released during the past three months, clawing continuously at the corners of her mind, lurking, waiting for a moment of weakness. When enraged, The Wolf created visions for her, possible scenarios of what could occur should The Wolf's wrath be further incited.
After setting the room up, she was sent by Sannan and Inoue to retrieve Hijikata and Heisuke respectfully. Of course, both had been rather awkward encounters, although more-so with Hijikata than Heisuke, as the demon vice commander was in the middle of dressing while Heisuke was fast asleep, hugging his pillow.
She managed to have a good conversation with Kondo, however, while waiting for Hijikata to finish dressing, something she was grateful for, even if she never shared exactly why. It certainly calm her down (Hijikata was considered a very handsome man), but it also managed to soothe The Wolf.
When breakfast came and went, Hijikata introduced her to the men of the Watch; Shimada Kai and Yamazaki Susumu. Both seemed reliable, yet such a reveal sent a temporary wave of panic. Where these men watching her room? Had they seen her behaving strangely during the full moon? Had they caught her eying that delicious-looking squirrel a couple of days ago?!
She only calmed down when she found out they mainly take missions outside the compound. Harada seemed to have caught on her panic, yet he thankfully mistook it as embarrassment on being watched while changing. Of course, Okita had to bring up that event this morning, which again, Chizuru saw flashes of gore, The Wolf practically roaring for revenge.
When the meeting concluded, the captains and Chizuru were dismissed. Returning to her room, Chizuru finally had time to herself until lunch, to which she will begin to prep herself for the full moon.
xxxx
Of course, calamity was certain to befall the misfortunate. Werewolves brought bad luck everywhere they went, even indirect kinds. Such as a cat ransacking the kitchen.
At least, that's how it was described to Chizuru.
Barely any time had passed before the captains once again invaded her privacy. She no longer had guards monitoring her room 24/7, which she was grateful for, yet she was still not allowed to come and go out of her room as she pleased. In fact, she was still very much aware of the fact that she was an outsider, so this sort of behavior from the captains confused her.
Why in the world would they want to enlist her aid in catching this animal? Were these not the same soldiers who were rumored to be blood-thirsty killers, no different from wolves, or even the werewolf she could easily become?
Yet, as strikingly odd as it might sound, they were practically begging for her aid. She was even given a choice; help Heisuke with distracting the commander, vice commander, and general commander, help Harada and Nagakura make lunch, or help Okita and Saito in catching the cat.
The choice should have been obvious; she should avoid Okita as much as possible, terrified of what could come if she continued to hear his banter. Yet she was also terrified of Hijikata, although in a different sense. Harada and Nagakura were offering the safest scenario, a no-brainer.
So how did she manage to rope herself up with trying to find the cat?
"We should begin our search over here." Saito led the way, the kitchen long behind them, where Nagakura and Harada were currently being lectured by Inoue. Her excellent hearing caused her to still her Inoue's yelling, despite having moved past the kitchen long ago. She did not know how Heisuke was faring. She had heard Heisuke managed to rope in another poor soul, the 4th unit captain, Matsubara Chuji, but having only encountered him a few times (as he had been given night to dawn shifts watching her), she had no real opinion of the man.
Shaking away the thoughts, Chizuru went to focus on the task at hand. She had an inkling as to why she choose this job; the hunter was hungry. Not necessarily hungry for meat, but hungry for a chase. Pursuing a nimble cat sounded like a perfect challenge to give her Wolf, something to truly distract herself from the goreish hell she kept imagining. It seemed even Saito wasn't immune to The Wolf's rage, having made a comment that, while not condescending nor witty, managed to wound The Wolf's pride considerably.
Pausing in her search, she glanced around. Saito was off to the left, bend on one knee, hands ruffling through the bushes. Okita was off more on the right, checking near the small pond. Neither of them were truly paying her any mind, which was exactly what she needed if she was going to help them as best she could.
Titling her head skyward, her mouth slightly open, she breathed in the air. Various scents filled her nose; sweat, blood, cooked food, body odor, and human and animal waste. However, there was a certain scent she was hoping to find. Digging through the mountain of odors in the air, she got a whiff of a nervous squirrel hiding in the tree obvious Okita's head, the field mice hiding under the floorboards behind her, and—
THERE!
Her feet no longer under her control, she began to relinquish control to The Wolf, her inner beast eagerly meeting the challenge. Her senses narrowed, focusing only on that one scent, following it away from the compound to the Yagi's house.
She couldn't even hear Okita and Saito's commands to stop, her will all but dominated by the Hunt and The Wolf's need to pursue. She ducked and dived as if she were the cat, ghosting its movements until she came upon a wall. She merely paused, brown eyes brightening to gold, her nostrils flared. She sniffed before jerking her head up, as if a string had yanked her skyward.
Not even considering the wall a formidable foe, she scaled it barehanded, her hands and feet blurs. She was on the roof before Okita and Saito turned the corner to catch up to her. Hunching down, she stalked slowly, her eyes narrowing as the cat came into view.
There the fool lay, sunbathing, having no idea the danger that was near. The Wolf growled low, crunching on all fours while carefully moving, not making a single noise. The cat realized too late it was now the hunted, but by the time it did, The Wolf was already upon it.
Snatching the cat up with both hands, The Wolf was ready to release a howl of victory when a single voice broke through the tunnel vision, shattered the possession.
"You caught the cat!"
Looking down towards the voice, Chizuru blinked, brown eyes wide in surprise at the sight of both Okita and Saito looking up at her, equally shocked to see her, although for perhaps different reasons.
Suddenly, she remembered what she was doing. A small, timid mew caused her to look at her hands, where she held the cat, its ears flattened against its head, tail coiled up and legs hugging slowly to its little body. The animal looked so terrified; it broke Chizuru's heart.
Looking back at the guards, she called in return, "I'll be down in a bit." Gingerly, she cradled the cat to her chest, murmuring, "I'm sorry," to the small furry animal before sliding down and off the roof. She managed to land, albeit clumsily, nearly using her footing and taking a face plate before straightening up.
Both men were looking at her oddly, as if she had grown a second head. Then, finally, Saito spoke.
"Was that why you ran off like that? To purse this cat?"
Looking at the animal cradled in her arms, Chizuru shrugged, a lie around forming on her lips. "I saw it running this way, so I chased it." She bowed, careful to not let the cat escape as it was now squirming in her arms. "I apologize for an inconvenience I caused."
"We'll overlook this for now," Saito replied, with Okita adding, "But don't think we'll let it slide again. Remember, you may be a guest, but you're kinda on borrowed time here. Right?"
Another horrific image flashed in her eyes. She shook her head, loudly proclaiming, "I understand!" She then held out the cat to Saito. He took her it from her, nodding before departing. Okita merely smirked down at her before roughly taking her hand, reminding her of that night, three months ago.
xxxxx
The moon was her enemy, yet, it was also her only friend.
Chizuru had always possessed mixed feelings toward the celestial body that hung in the sky. To many normal humans, the moon offered guidance, light in the darkness, and was a beauty to behold. She had no idea what other oni thought of the moon, as she only had her adoptive father, and his opinion of the moon was warped like hers.
As the sun began to set, the moon slowly began to rise. Her bones sung of the coming Change, her muscles tensing, and any semblance of exhaustion left her body.
Only when the sun finally disappear into the horizon did the Change begin. Moonlight bathed her body through rice paper doors, the windows closed for privacy. Upon contact, her bones began to snap, her skin stretching, tearing, and regenerating over and over. She bit her tongue to stop the scream ready to escape her lips, knowing fully well it would not last.
Her body morphed into a lupine-like creature, bearing the head of a wolf and the body of a man. She sprouted a tail, her hair turned white, eyes yellow, and horns jotted out of her forehead. Pain was all she felt, everything morphing and changing all at once.
Finally, a wave of nothing. Coming like a cool breeze on a hot summer day, it washed over her, the pain gone, the sore muscles disappearing as The Wolf began to emerge. Releasing her arm, she looked down at the well-developed bicep, white fur red with blood. A long flat tongue lapped out of her mouth, licking the tender marks carefully, cleaning the arm completely.
Raising her lupine head, pupils dilated into narrow slits, she crouched on all fours towards the door, her long ears twitching, listening.
There was talk outside, somewhere to her left. Tilting her head, she caught the murmurs of men, not quite catching the words. Still, they were far enough away, therefore, it did not matter. Rumbling in satisfaction, she dragged a thick finger towards the door, nudging it open.
As she predicted, no one was around. No one expected Chizuru to run away now, and, for once, they were correct. Chizuru had no need to depart, just yet. She had some uses for these 'wolves' of Mibu, although, she snorted to herself, there were far from the wolves she was familiar with.
Slowly creeping out of her prison and closing the door, she kept her steps light and nimble, her tail flickering out behind it. Ears twitching again, she sniffed the air carefully before, in a single bound, leapt onto the roof. Landing like a cat, she raised on two legs, the wind gently stroking her body.
Here, alone with only the moon as her company, she was free. Free from the world of man, free from the danger of being killed, absolutely free from the pack of wolves that now controlled every aspect of her life.
Lifting her head, she let out a soft howl, a song of promise and hope, calling out to her father. "I will find you, and I will bring you home," was her vow locked in the cryptic song of The Wolf.
xxxx
The howl carried out through the compound and beyond, yet only few actually took notice of it. The captains on patrol would pause, shrug off the cry as nothing special before continuing their rounds. Men sleeping would be momentarily aroused from sleep before returning back to their dreams.
A cat tilted its head and mewed, tail twitching before darting down the street for fresh mice to kill.
Yet another individual truly took notice of the sound, walking down a crowded street moving away from Shimabara. His two companions chatted ahead of him, or rather, one of them chatted while the other only spoke a few words here and there when they were necessary.
Stopping dead in his tracks, he narrowed his ruby eyes and glanced around. No one really took notice of the howl, either being too drunk or too oblivious. Huffing in annoyance, he looked back at the two in front of them, noticing that they had both stopped talking and were listening just as he was.
"A wolf in these parts?" the more chattery companion mused, brushing a blue strand of hair out of his red eyes. The more silent companion nodded, stroking his red goatee in thought. "It seems to be coming from the Mibu district."
"Hrm." Smirking, the first man shook his blond hair, shoulders shaking lightly in laughter. "How amusing. A wolf's cry from Mibu? Perhaps the Shinsengumi really are wolves."
"Ha! Nice one, Kazama," chirped the blue haired man. "Although, I bet I could come up with a better one than that. Like, they must be "howling" mad over not arresting anyone tonight."
Kazama, the blond haired man, narrowed his eyes at the blue haired man. "Shiranui. Shut up."
"Oi, Amagiri!" Shiranui laughed, slapping the more silent companion heartily. "Kazama told me to shut up! You'd think he'd learn about now."
"Indeed." Amagiri shook his head. "Either way, it is nothing more of an animal's cry. I suggest we all return to our assigned duties. There's still the missing Western doctor Satsuma is interesting in collecting."
"Yeah, yeah." Shiranui shrugged. "Anyway, I'll be seeing you guys later." He waved before retreating into the crowd, disappearing completely from sight.
Kazama sighed in annoyance before looking up at the bright moon above his head.
"It is a beautiful night out, isn't it?"
Tsking, Kazama grumbled, "Do not lecture me about finding a wife, Amagiri. I've heard enough of that for today."
"I did not mean that," Amagiri replied, holding up a hand. "Even if that is still a subject of interest I intend to continue discussing with you, I was simply making a remark to start conversation."
"Trying to probe my thoughts again, aren't you?" Kazama chuckled, beginning to walk away.
"You're curious about the wolf, aren't you?"
Kazama didn't stop, nor did he slow his pace. When he didn't answer immediately, Amagiri quickened his pace a bit to catch up, now walking beside Kazama. "You do realize that it could simply be a hound? There is a very small probability of an actual wolf making its way into Kyoto."
"But a probability none the less." Kazama shrugged. "Either way, it doesn't matter. If a wolf did manage to sneak within Kyoto's borders, we will hear about it."
"So you'll just wait and observe?"
Noting the hint of relief in his companion's normally stoic tone, Kazama gave a sneer in return. While the idea of an actual wolf managing to sneak into Kyoto did not interest him, it was the thought of something else being behind the wolf's appearance. He was curious no doubt, but he wanted to wait and see if this was something worth pursuing. After all, he had gotten enough lecturing from Amagiri and his mother about his inquisitive nature, not to mention he had a job to do and really couldn't afford wild goose chases.
No, while the Shinsengumi intrigued him slightly, and he found it mildly ironic that a wolf's cry would be coming from the Mibu district, he did not see any reason to act.
Yet.