New chaper! Woot woot! Remember that this is the CENSORED version of the chapter. Read the UNCENSORED version on Ao3!
ArchimedesAckermann - I wouldn't call her werewolf side a badass, as she's more of a savage beast ;)
Miss Ragdoll - Don't worry. This version of lycanthropy is a bit different anyway, but it would help if you understand the basic rules, such full moon, biting equals infection, silver bullets, and all that Hollywood stuff. As for UST, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THE HALF OF IT. :D I'm just getting started!
-::The Unfortunate Werewolf::-
-:Chapter V – Encounter with the Third Kind:-
The various scents invaded Chizuru's nose, irritating it badly. She wanted to cover her nose badly, but she knew that she had to keep a look-out (or rather sniff-out) for her father.
This was the first time she was allowed to leave the compound since being captured. She hadn't bothered to leave even under a full moon, fearing what could happen if she attempted such a fret without probably preparing. The entire reason she had been caught was because she was careless. As a werewolf, she couldn't be so reckless again.
While keeping her nose pointing windward, she also did her best to remember certain features of the city for her nightly patrol. She still planned on leaving the compound to search for her father at night, but she still needed time to prepare. One way of preparation was getting a good idea of the city during patrols. It wouldn't due for her to get lost and not return to headquarters on time.
Okita seemed to let her be while on the job, which was good for her. He didn't bother giving her snide remarks or comments about any strange behavior she was sure she was doing. She knew, however, he was still watching her through the corner of his eyes. Most likely to keep an eye on her like he should, but still, Chizuru found his gaze unsettling.
Attention was bad. She had to keep to herself. She couldn't draw attention.
Xxx
Ironic then, not an hour later, she found herself to be the center of attention. A man swung his sword at her face, the blade hissing through the air as she launched back. Her instincts began to take hold, The Wolf snarling and clawing at the surface. Her hands caught her from behind, and she had begun to tuck her legs underneath when, suddenly, Okita appeared in front of her, slashing the throat of her assailant.
As the corpse fell, Okita glanced at her, frowning, before whirling his body around, slashing out, catching more flesh, scattering blood, as more warriors pulled their weapons out. The other captain patrolling with Okita, Matsubara, rushed towards the back, where the storeowner stood backed up against a wall.
The entire store erupted into chaos as Shinsengumi officers piled in and ronin drew their swords. Chizuru crawled on her hands and knees to the entrance. When she managed to exit the crowded building, behind her, one ronin jerked his sword toward at her.
He made the mistake, in her opinion, of announcing his attack. Had he kept quiet, he would have greatly wounded her. But she heard him, and at the moment, control slipped to The Wolf. Eyes burning amber, canines sharp, The Wolf leapt away before charging into the man, tackling him to the ground. She managed to swipe the sword from his hand and rise it above the ronin's head.
The blade pointed down, gleaming in the sunlight. Already, The Wolf could smell the copper, see the red liquid pool out of the man's broken. A savage grin worked its way onto The Wolf's face. Her first in ages—
"Yukimura!"
Her surname broke her out of her trance. Chizuru blinked, realizing just what she was holding. Gasping, she threw the sword away, horrified as to what she just did.
She was about to kill a man.
She was about to kill an unarmed man.
She was about to murder someone.
"Chizuru-chan," Okita whispered into her ear.
"Huh?" She jerked around, her face inches away from Okita's. His green eyes burrowed into her brown eyes, looking at her oddly. Her voice was completely caught up in her throat; she felt like she couldn't breathe. They stayed like that, him watching her face intensely, his green eyes narrowed, searching for…. Something, she didn't know what.
Finally, thankfully, Matsubara interrupted the stare-down by announcing he arrested a Choshu spy. Okita reluctantly pulled away, calling his men to round up the remaining ronin and take them into custody.
Chizuru kept close to Matsubara, who didn't act oddly. She continuously glanced at Okita, who in turn kept peeking a glance at her every so often. Once they imprisoned the men they captured, Matsubara reported to Hijikata while Okita walked Chizuru to her room. He continued his silent observation, not bothering to make a snide remark or even smirk.
Chizuru was terrified. Just what was going on with Okita.
Xxxx
He KNEW for certain he saw something during the raid. He didn't say anything while Hijikata worked on interrogating Shuntaro, the Choshu spy, because he needed to confirm for himself before he went blabbering like a fool to Kondo.
The last thing he wanted to do was complicate an already complicated issue. Keeping the girl in headquarters was already risky enough. And he got the feeling that her presence was only going to cause problems.
While waiting for word of what the spy confessed to, Souji decided to stand guard in front of Chizuru's room. Hajime came by once, asking if he had a particular reason for guarding Chizuru's room. Souji replied smoothly, making up an excuse he couldn't remember anymore, guarding his facial expression and tone. Even if he trusted Hajime, he was certain the captain would dismiss Souji's suspicions as ridiculous.
Honestly, he felt ridiculous for being this cautious. The girl was cute, dammit, not a threat. There was no way she posed any sort of problem to the Shinsengumi's safety. And yet…
The yellow eyes and wicked smile never left his mind.
~*July 8, 1864*~
The entire compound erupted into excitement. Shuntaro ended up confessing to a rather horrid plot of burning Kyoto and kidnapping the Emperor. This sort of threat required immediate action, so the Shinsengumi made the decision to raid one of the inns that would most likely house the traitors, as they would likely regroup and attempt damage control.
Chizuru, happily, was left home, away from the fighting. She was grateful, really, as The Wolf had been hard to wrestle back, what with a recent fight still fresh. However, this peace didn't last long, as Yamazaki soon returned to headquarters, bearing grim news.
The traitors were housed in the Ikedaya. This was bad, as they had only sent ten men to that inn. The heat had bedridden several men, and with such few at the ready, the Shinsengumi decided to split into two groups to make sure all possible locations were covered. Sure, the commander and five of the captains were there, but it was still risky, considering they had no idea how many Choshu extremists were there. A message needed to be sent to Hijikata and his troops immediately.
Surprisingly, Sannan asked if she would be willing. Of course, Chizuru didn't know what to say. Should she? He seemed fine with the idea of letting their prisoner out, yet Yamazaki voiced the same concerns as Chizuru was thinking. Still, though, an order was an order. Chizuru was going with Yamazaki.
"Yukimura-kun," he said as they dashed away from the headquarters. "I cannot guarantee your safety but, if I am in any way unable to deliver the message, you must continue. Understood?"
"Yes!" she declared, eyes focused on the path ahead. Turns out, it was a good thing Yamazaki gave her directions shortly thereafter, as ronin attempted to raid the headquarters with the other members out. With Yamazaki taking care of them, it was up to Chizuru to reach Hijikata's men in time.
However, it seemed so far away. Time wasn't on her side; she needed to get there faster.
There was no way she was relying on her Wolf anymore. While there was no full moon out, there was still light coming from the celestial body, still holding power over her body. How close had it come to killing someone? Just how thin of a rope was she walking on? No, she had to use her oni abilities this time. It was harder to be subtle with those abilities, sadly, as her father's bloodline had been so thinned out that he himself struggled to reach his oni abilities. Chizuru had no teacher, unlike with her werewolf abilities. She was running into this blind, but it was safer, this time.
She reached deep, drawing from her core the gentle fire that, as her father stated, burned in every oni. Stroking it, she beckoned it out, flames gingerly licking every part of her body, spreading from her core to her toes to her head.
Small horns sprouted out from her forehead. Her eyes turned gold, a warm glow unlike her werewolf eyes, and her hair gleamed white. As if wings had grown on her feet, she flew through the street, her feet barely touching the ground. She was a white flash to the human eye, invisible.
But she couldn't stay like that forever. Eventually, she needed repress her powers, as being an oni was yet another thing she had to keep from her guardians. When she was sure she was close enough, she pulled back, slowing down, color returning to her hair and eyes fading back to brown. Her horns no longer there, she continued to dash, until she saw the light blues of the uniforms.
Xxxx
The Aizu troops had yet to arrive. The more he thought about it, the more it pissed Toshizo off. But the night only got worse. Their charge, Chizuru, had arrived, gasping out a message from Sannan. Honestly, Toshizo was even more pissed that she was here; a battlefield was no place for a girl. Yet here she was, telling them it was the Ikedaya.
Toshizo swore. Of freakin' course. This night was planning out just as he had hoped. Sarcasm noted.
The Shinsengumi rounded up and rushed towards the Ikedaya. Toshizo fumed, his pace nearing a sprint. He wanted to get there as quickly as he could. Kondo and others couldn't handle the raid by themselves. He should have never let the commander take only ten men. It was idiotic.
But that was Kondo for you. He was painfully optimistic and too trusting. Still, that's what made following that man such a wonderful thing. He was a man who didn't let his group down, one to admit to his blunders and be humble with his men. A true leader.
That was why Toshizo had to make it there. He had to protect his commander, the one who saved him from the hopelessness of his birthright.
"Vice commander!" Saito shouted from the left. Toshizo grunted in response, granting him permission to speak. "Yukimura is far ahead of us. Should we worry?"
"I doubt it!" Harada replied, laughing breathlessly. "Got some legs, though. Faster runner I ever saw. Maybe we could put Yukimura to use as a page like we originally planned?"
Toshizo snorted. Among the men, the captains had decided to avoid using gender terms when referring to Chizuru. They also decided to call her by her surname in public, as to help hide the fact that their young charge was female. Of course, just using gender neutral terms and using a surname only got you so far. Chizuru's behavior was problematic in the sense that she was sometimes too feminine. There was only so much you could excuse as shyness before it crossed the line into femininity. That was why Toshizo hadn't used Chizuru as a page. Even though it technically was his idea (although it certainly was NOT his idea to have her as HIS page), he had only suggested it as a cover. Something to tell the soldiers as to why there was another young man not working for the Shinsengumi. He didn't have Serizawa around anymore to blame, although that wasn't necessarily a compliant.
However, Toshizo did note that both Saito and Harada was correct. Chizuru was far ahead of everyone else, and she kept fading into the distance until she rounded a corner—no, went inside a building.
That's when Toshizo knew. The battle had begun.
Xxxx
The battlefield inside was absolute chaos.
A shiver ran down her spine. Chizuru could smell the scent of the fresh kill. The Wolf roared and clawed at its cage, demanding release. Destruction was its name. It must kill. It must hunt.
IT. MUST. EAT.
"Yukimura, what are you doing here?!"
Jerking her head up, she saw Kondo standing there, red smearing his face and clothes. His normally warm eyes were wide in shock, his mouth agape. She was about to respond when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder.
"She delivered a message to the vice commander." Chizuru looked up behind her and saw Saito. Removing his hand from her shoulder, he stepped up to Kondo. "Hijikata-san is standing watch outside. Harada is in the back."
"Excellent!" Kondo's eyebrow furrowed, and he stole a quick glance towards the upper level. "Saito-kun, I hate to ask, but could you please check on Souji for—"
A scream erupted from behind Kondo, and he turned, slashing the ronin with his sword. The man fell back, dropping his sword. Chizuru covered her mouth as The Wolf roared again.
"Yukimura, please join Hijikata-san outside," Saito stated, holding his sword out, his blue eyes searching the darkness of the inn. She was about to do what he told her, thinking it best to wait outside when suddenly, in the distance, she heard a distinctive cry and a thud.
She knew that voice.
"Please, let me help!" she said suddenly. The stench was unbearable, but she heard it. Okita was in trouble. A oni had her pride, as her father taught of their culture. An oni must ensure all debts are paid.
Okita had, directly and indirectly, saved her twice today. Once when a ronin attacked her. The other stopping her from killing a man. While nether would have ended with her death, both were close to signing a death sentence. She had secrets to guard, and Okita had given her the cover to guard them. However perceptive he might be, she still owed him a debt.
Saito looked reluctant and was about to respond when Nagakura rushed from the back, red covering his body like war paint. "Where's Heisuke? I can't find him!"
Worry lines were clear on his face; Nagakura was near panicking. Kondo jerked his head upstairs. "He went upstairs with Souji."
"Shit." Nagakura wiped his face, smearing more red onto himself. He winced and looked down at his hand, Chizuru noticing a large gash on his hand. It was hard to make out if it was still bleeding, due to how bloody his hand already was, but it was large.
"Nagakura-san, your hand!" She went over to him, reaching out to help. But Nagakura gripped his fist closed, pain flashing on his face. "Ah, it's nothing. Just a scratch. But Heisuke—"
"Yukimura and I will check." Saito dashed towards the stairs. "Yukimura, stay close to me!"
"Yessir!" With that, she ran behind him up the stairs, towards danger.
Once they reached the top of the stairs, Saito turned left. Chizuru went the other direction, hoping to find either captains unharmed, or, worse possibility, still breathing.
The door she came across was wide open, yet she couldn't see anyone. Until she stepped into the doorframe, where she saw Okita and his opponent.
xxxx
Souji didn't know how this was possible. He was the best swordsman of Shieiken Hall. He never lost a match, except to Shinpachi or Hajime. Facing against Choshu bastards had always been a walk in the part for him.
So why the hell was he losing?!
His stomach hurt. He was coughing up blood. He was dizzy and sweaty, and he had difficulty breathing. His body was so disoriented that he could no longer stand straight up. His vision blurred in and out of focus, and all the while, his opponent glowered down at him, a smug look on the ronin's face.
Smug bastard. Souji swore he'd wipe that smirk right off along with his head.
"Okita-san!"
The cry had come so suddenly, Souji nearly lost what little focus he had managed to keep. His opponent, however, wasn't so tactful, turning his head to look at who had interrupted them.
An opening. Souji jerked his body forward, swinging his sword out towards the man's neck. However, it was too slow, as the ronin noticed right at the last second and, with inhuman speed, moved away. Souji found himself close to losing his footing again. Dammit, the entire world was spinning!
It was in this moment of disorientation that his opponent once again struck out, again kicking him in the midsection, sending Souji flying back into the wall. He was sure something broke, but he wasn't sure if it was one of his rips or the wooden framing that caught him. Either way, he was dazed. The world was completely jumbled up; he couldn't see straight.
Colors faded, darkness edging from the corners of his vision. Was he going to die here?
An image of Kondo appeared in his mind; he was still fighting downstairs. No, no, Souji couldn't die here. He had to protect Kondo. "I can still fight…" he choked out, forcing himself up, although he wasn't sure if he was still on his knees or standing up. His ears were ringing; his vision still out of sorts. But he would not lose; he cannot lose.
Suddenly, he felt something warm envelop him. He couldn't tell what it was, but he tried, focusing all his strength into his senses. He couldn't move his sword arm, and he could only manage a strangled groan as the thing holding up held him close. His body suddenly felt warm, the sensation spreading through his entire body. It felt nice, like a warm breeze on a chilly night. It was then, from what little he could see, a light overtaking his sight. It wasn't intense like a sun, more like moonlight.
Moonlight, warmth, losing sensation, losing consciousness.
NO!
He forced his eyes to concentrate on the thing in front of him—it was a person—only to realize the danger this individual had put herself. A rush of energy surged through his body, instincts telling him to grab her and get her behind him. She mustn't get hurt; he had to protect her.
Grabbing her forearm, Souji jerked her petite body back as he stumbled forward. His sword pointed out, held clumsily in his left hand—at this point he envied Hajime's left handedness—his weaker right arm acting as a shield to her, spread out with the palm facing towards her. "Your opponent is me!" he declared in a clear voice, his own voice sounding muffled in his still ringing ears. His opponent, the ronin, grimaced, perhaps scuffing at his insistence on continuing to fight.
But then again, that was how Souji had always been. He didn't understand the definition of "give-up." Quitting wasn't in his vocabulary.
The man, however, didn't seem keen on continuing the fight. He sheathed his blade and turned to leave. Rage boiled in Souji's veins at this part. This ronin dared to pick a fight, then just decides to walk away all willy-nilly. Well, he wasn't having any of it. Taking a step in the direction the ronin was walking, Souji snapped, "Hey, get back he—"
His remaining word was cut off. He lurched forward, dropping his sword and hitting face first into the floor. The world begun to spin violently; he was light-headed. Pain encompassed his entire being, everything just hurting and quaking uncontrollably.
A distorted face appeared before him, muffled words pleading him to stay awake. He felt a smirk work up on his lips. That girl, did she even care about her own life?
It then struck him. 'She' was Yukimura Chizuru, the charge they had to care for. She was in danger's way, willingly. He had protected her without a second thought, no hint of hesitation or even rationalizing his actions.
His words from that morning came back to him; "Just so we're clear, if we happen to get into trouble along the way, I'm ditching her."
While it was meant as a joke, he had no intention of going out of his way to protect her. Did he? He didn't know anymore. His mind was still reeling from the blood lost and pain. Sleep. He needed sleep.
Xxxx
~*July 1864*~
It was a few weeks later, under the light of a full moon, that Souji found himself frustrated with himself. It was strange how he couldn't stop thinking about this young girl and his actions several nights ago. He didn't get it.
He had made it clear he cared little for her. Sure, he could relate to her in some sense; he didn't hate her, either. He found her interesting, yet his opinion of her constantly charged the more he got to know her. She was an enigma. He couldn't figure her out. It frustrated him, yet it fascinated him, as well. She was a young girl lost in a big, scary world, but survival of fittest was a rule Souji knew too well controlled this reality. If she couldn't handle it, she was better off dead. Not only that, but her mere presence was inconveniencing the Shinsengumi, and Kondo especially. Souji had remembered Kondo going to his sponsors and pleading with the Aizu. He remembered Kondo doing his best to accommodate her as best as he could, and the hint of jealousy and anger Souji had first felt. There was no grudge against her, per say, but he did wish several times that this girl hadn't stumbled across their little secret.
So much happening. Souji was honestly beginning to wonder if he should even bother when he heard strange sounds. Cocking his head, he listened for a moment, realizing shortly thereafter what the sounds were.
It was a woman, judging by the sounds of the pitch. Souji didn't want to listen anymore once he made that discovery, but his gut told him, reminded him, that women weren't technically supposed to be in HQ. Well, with the exception of one.
Careful not to wake his roommates, Souji tip-toed out of his room and proceeding slowly down the hall towards the sounds. As he proceeded down the hall, he realized he was on his way to Chizuru's room. Everyone should be asleep, minus Hijikata, as that idiot tended to hit nights long and hard. That included Chizuru, and yet…
His green eyes narrowing, Souji realized the sounds stopped suddenly. Did someone know he was nearby? He waited, listening intensely when a sound came. The sound shot straight downstairs. Clicking his tongue, Souji ignored the discomfort and stood still, waiting.
Nothing happened. Realizing his missed opportunity, he began to make his way back to his room when a thought struck him.
Hijikata. Chizuru. It couldn't…
Glancing around him, he passed his own room and went by Hijikata's room. It was dark, unusual for this time of night, only increasing his suspicions.
Huh, he never took Hijikata as being THAT type of man.
Normally, Souji would find this hilarious. He found something to dangle over the vice commander's head, so he should be happy over this piece of information. But he wasn't.
Souji couldn't explain it, but he was suddenly very angry at Hijikata. Not the "I'm-angry-you-did-that," kind of mad, but more of a, "How-dare-you," kind of mad. Why, though? Why was Souji so angry all of a sudden?
Growling in frustration, Souji tried to prevent himself from stomping as he made his way back to his room. The discomfort only increased, though, various images of Hijikata and Chizuru, them together—
Stop it! He can't think like that! This needs to stop! It needs to—
This needed to be taken care of. Passing his room a second time, he hurried to the bathhouse. It would provide some privacy, at least, and a place to clear his thoughts.
The bathhouse was empty when he reached it, as expected. The screen that normally leaned at the wall closest to the door wasn't in its usual spot, but Souji didn't care.
Squatting, he made quick work. He was a little rough, mind you, but the frustration and confusion had built up. It took longer that he wanted it to, but soon it was done.
It was enraging to think he was so bothered by this. What was Hijikata's business was his own damn business. Souji didn't care if he slept with one woman or twenty. It was a non-issue.
Yet the thought of Hijikata sleeping with Chizuru, something about that sent him over the edge, plaguing Souji was jealousy. But why? What made Chizuru so special?
And what if it wasn't Hijikata? It made sense, though, to suspect him, since Hajime and Sano were both out on patrol, and Shinpachi, well, while it made sense for Shinpachi do try something like that, he had heard Shinpachi's distinctive snore while on his way to the source of the noise.
Heisuke was bedridden, like Souji was supposed to be. There was no way Sannan or Kondo or Gen would do something like this. And Yamazaki and Shimada were both on assignments. And he wasn't going to suspect the remaining captains, as none of them had expressed any interest in getting to know Chizuru at all.
It made sense. Bringing Chizuru back alive, advocating her life, suggesting she be someone's page. It made sense, in this sick, twisted, conspiracy way. Chuckling to himself, Souji dressed himself and made his way back to his room. Honestly, though, why was he worried? He had no real interest in Chizuru. He was just bored and enjoyed her reactions. Nothing more.
But, was that really the truth?
Xxxx
Heisuke's head hurt bad. Like, really bad. It was this constant throbbing right behind his eyeballs, which made it all the more difficult to move up and around.
Still, nature called, and Heisuke had to relieve himself. Once business was done, he made his way back to his room, slightly disgruntled he'd have to go back to sleep with Shinpachi's snoring in the backdrop.
He had just entered the hall when he saw… something. Blinking, he halted, staring into the darkness, making out a large shape of something standing there, unmoving, staring right back at him with glowing yellow eyes.