NaNoWriMo is a bitch. I'll try to finish the 50,000 word challenge by the end of the month.
ArchimedesAckermann - Souji is very suspicious. Not much of him in this chapter, though. Next one we'll get some more. And in Chapter 9, too. :D I don't know much about Hijikata getting a surprise, but Shinpachi's getting a nasty one here!
Audrey Darling - The tension rises. And they'll meet her very soon. ;)
NOTE: REMEMBER THIS IS THE CENSORED VERSION. READ THE UNCENSORED VERSION ON AO3!
-::The Unfortunate Werewolf::-
-:Chapter VI – The Monster Under My Skin:-
~*July 19,1864*~
Its form was large, yet oddly human shaped. Or at least at first glance. With only the moonlight on his back, and the glowing eyes of the thing before him, Heisuke realized, in utter horror, that thing was far from human.
It wasn't just large, it was massive. Its head seemed to reach the ceiling, with a long tail twitching behind it. Its limbs were elongated, like a monkey's, even possessing monkey paws at the end of both arms. Its ears were long and pointed, and its black body seemed to covered head-to-toe in fur.
Heisuke remained perfectly still, silently cursing himself for not bringing his (short sword). Even though it was just a trip to the bathroom, it could very well cost him dearly. Worst yet, he was dressed in nothing but his night gown, bare-footed, his long hair hanging down. The only thing between him and this monster were his fists.
A grin began to work its way onto his lips. He might be smaller and severally unarmed, but he had faced against worse odds. The bandage on his forehead could vouch for him on that. Besides, size didn't really matter in a fight—
Suddenly, the shadow moved. Its tail flicking behind it, it twirled away from him and stalked back into the darkness. That was when Heisuke noticed the long snout the creature possessed. A large snout probably full of razor sharp teeth, ready to kill.
No longer thinking of what kind of harm he could get in by challenging the beast, he ran after it, his feet loudly slapping against the wooden planks. The creature was out of sight now, but it didn't matter; he was going to find it, or at least alert his fellow captains of its presence.
Indeed, as he suspected, doors began to slam open and commotion could be heard through the hallway. However, Heisuke had already exited the hallway, still pursuing the creature. Moonlight, thankfully, came back to guide him, picking up his pace as he feverishly chased after the fleeing shadow.
Seeing the tip of the tail disappear around a corner, one he knew led to a dead end, he burst into a sprint.
The dead end hallway was barren of life when he reached it.
Mouth hanging open, Heisuke slapped his hands against the wood. No! he cried inside. Something was wrong. He saw something. It couldn't have—
An outcry behind him didn't even break Heisuke from his frantic thoughts, even when Hijikata stomped up to him and yelled in his ears. His friends laughing at his foolishness didn't break him from his stupor, either. His mind was still reeling, struggling to comprehend what he had seen.
The creature was real. He knew that. He saw it with his own eyes. He saw it. The large monstrous shadow was not a trick of his mind. One simply did not imagine something as outlandish as that. And its eyes. Its eyes were so… yellow, like molten golden, shining in the pitch blackness of the unlit hallway.
He had seen it, whatever it was. And Heisuke swore, amongst the mockery and scolding, that he found prove its existence, whatever means necessary.
Xxxxx
Sano knew something was amiss in HQ.
Several things, actually. And it had nothing to do with the obvious 'project' of the Shinsengumi that would never disappear, no matter how much he wished it would, nor his little secret that he had been hiding since his little suicide attempt years ago.
His monthly visits to the washroom in the middle of the night bothered him, but that only really had nothing 'out-of-the-ordinary.' Men had needs. No, what had bothered him was he was beginning to notice a pattern.
The noises from Chizuru's room came only at night (which wasn't suspicious) always under the light of a full moon (which was a little strange, especially after four months). Sano found the pattern a little strange, especially since he realized it only came in the beginning of the night. But that really didn't mean anything. It just meant she had a pattern, and she liked to stick to that pattern.
And who was he to judge, anyway?
He wouldn't say Chizuru was unattractive. While she was forced to wear boy clothes and appeared very plain to most, he did find a certain charm about her demeanor. She was cute, but that been Sano's only opinion of her, outside of her being very unfortunate to be forced into this situation with the Shinsengumi. That is, until he began to find himself attracted to her. And not in the lovely dovey way.
Gods, she might not know it, but she had this ability to drive him wild. Last night was even worse than before, despite Sano readying himself. Heisuke and Shinpachi were both sound asleep, so Sano had slipped out immediately, resisting to play along with his mind until he reached the Yagi bathhouse.
He immediately set out to do his work, just wanting to end things, embarrassment burning his face. He didn't come as fast as he wanted to, though, which only frustrated and embarrassed Sano even more. Damn body sometimes had a mind of its own.
It was then that he realized he wasn't alone in the bathroom. Sano heard the slapping of bare feet on the cold stone floor, which caused Sano to freeze, his heart no longer hammering for release, but for fear.
Whoever had come inside the washroom seemed to have the same problem as he did. Sano listened in horror as he heard someone else.
Still, he would not do anything until the other individual left. Call it guy pride or whatever.
When the person left, Sano once again tried to finish his business. This time, he dug deeper, closing his eyes and allowing his imagination to take hold.
When he was done, he felt anger boil inside. Perhaps his possessive male streak was angry that Chizuru wasn't his, and that it was only his imagination. Perhaps he was angry at his possessive male streak for thinking Chizuru should be his. Or perhaps he was mad at himself, for everything he was doing to himself.
It was a constant struggle when these nights came, and he felt there was no real way to resist this madness as long as he found himself drawn towards Chizuru.
That's why, moments later, he was very grateful for Heisuke's apparent ruckus. Hijikata had been returning from somewhere when he discovered Heisuke chasing after, well, something. Only when Hijikata had caught up with the young captain, there was nothing there.
Sano heard it all from Shinpachi that morning. Sano had arrived late when the rest of the captains were scolding or laughing at Heisuke for whatever shenanigans he had gotten into again. He didn't hear everything, nor did anyone else know what was going on. He had asked Souji what had happened, but the 1st captain merely shrugged, having no answer.
The following morning, everyone finally got their answer from the horse's mouth.
Heisuke raved the entire morning, first at Hijikata for making a big ruckus when, in fact, he was not fooling around. Apparently, according to Heisuke, he had been in pursuit of something.
"What?" Shinpachi mumbled through a mouthful of food. Sano glared in disgust and slapped his friend upside the head. Shinpachi grunted in pain, rubbing his head and glaring daggers back at the redhead. Sano, however, was not in the mood.
"Swallow before you talk," Sano snapped, pointing at Chizuru. "Show some manners for the young lady here, okay?"
"Oh." Shinpachi blinked, glancing over Sano's shoulder at Chizuru. The young girl coughed nervously, picking at her food with her chopsticks, looking as sheepish as ever.
"It's okay, Nagakura-san; I wasn't looking," she stated, trying her best to smile at him, but only managing a tired grin instead.
Shinpachi, in turn, coughed in embarrassment. "My bad."
"Damn straight it's your bad." Turning to Chizuru, Sano added, "And you don't need to put on a brave face for Shinpachi, Chizuru. You've got my permission to scold him."
"Oh, I can't," she replied immediately, shaking her head nervously. Sano chuckled a bit and, unable to resist, reached out and ruffled her hair a bit. Somehow, that gesture not only calmed Chizuru, but it also settled Sano's inner conflicts as well. Physical attraction was physical attraction. There was nothing really there, and the only reason it was coming out was because he, Harada Sanosuke, 10th division captain, was frustrated over his own circumstances.
Chizuru was their charge, someone they had to protect and keep an eye on. She was an innocent victim, unfortunate enough to be forced into such grave situations yet still able to be so polite and kind, despite her circumstances. Sano wasn't attracted to her, really, he just admired her, and that admiration was just warped into something else due to unresolved tension.
Maybe Sano would take Shinpachi's offer the next time he suggested they go to Shimabara. He just needed to let off some steam on a more regular basis. That was it.
However, Heisuke seemed to his own ideas. Interrupting the moment Sano had found himself settled in, the young man spat, "Hey, aren't you guys concerned at all?"
"Not particularly," Souji stated, sipping his tea. "It's not like this imaginary thing you saw was real."
"It was so!" As if to add emphasis to the point, Heisuke slammed his mug on his tray, a decisive crack forming on the clay cup's side. "I saw it with my own two eyes. It was there. This huge, hairy—"
"Heisuke, if we wanted to know what your girlfriend looked like, I would have gone to meet her myself," Shinpachi replied, causing Souji to laugh hysterically in response.
Heisuke threw up his hands, snorting in disgust. "Fine. Whatever. But don't come crying to me when you wake up with it snarling in your faces."
"I'll be sure to remember that," Souji snickered as Shinpachi shook his head.
Sano sighed, rubbing his temples. Honestly, Heisuke had apparently been going on and on about this creature he saw last night. Sano hadn't been there to witness it, but he had a hard time believing there was some giant, hairy thing inside their headquarters. Surely someone would have seen it.
While thinking of Heisuke's encounter, Sano noticed that, during the banter between the three, Chizuru had gotten very pale. Blinking in concern, Sano reached up and touched her shoulder. "Hey, you feeling okay?"
She broke from her stupor, staring up at Sano with… was it fear in her eyes? "Huh?"
"You know," Sano stated, jabbing his thumb at Heisuke, "I'm sure it wasn't something bad. Heisuke probably just saw a raccoon or a cat."
"It wasn't a cat, Sano-san!" Heisuke snapped.
"Dude," Sano snapped back, glaring at the young captain, hoping he would get the hint, "think about the people around you before you run your mouth again." His yellow eyes flickered over to Chizuru, and Sano watched as Heisuke followed his gaze.
Almost immediately, Heisuke got the message. "Oh. Oh!" Face burning bright red, he tried looking everywhere but Sano and Chizuru, stuttering, "S-sorry, Chizuru-chan. I, uh, I didn't see anything scary. It wasn't scary at all. In fact, it was really fluffy, like a cute, lil' monkey, only not so little…"
"Heisuke!" Sano barked, but it was already too late. Chizuru picked up her tray and stood up, bowing quickly. "Excuse me," she spoke softly before padding out of the room in a hurry. Once she was gone, Sano picked up one of the soybeans on his tray and threw it at Heisuke. "Learn some tact!"
"Sorry!" Heisuke blabbered, throwing his hands up defensively. "But I really did see something…"
"Even so," Shinpachi grumbled, looking at his tea mug, "Sano's right, man. You can't just go running your mouth off. Besides, we spent half the night looking for o' fuzzball and found nothing."
"But it was dark out!" Heisuke gesturing outside frantically. "You couldn't see your hand in front of your face!"
"Only for part of the night." Souji glanced outside himself. "But there was a full moon out. We had plenty of light. We even brought out lanterns out."
"Still," Heisuke didn't know when to quit it, "I don't think we looked hard enough."
"Then look for your fuzzy buddy yourself!" Shinpachi yawned loudly. "I'm tired from running around last night looking for something I never saw, okay?"
"Fine!" Heisuke gathered his things. "I'll find proof myself! Then you'll be sorry for not believing me!"
"Yeah, yeah. You go do that." When Heisuke was gone, Shinpachi threw up his hands. "Dammit, Sano, I think that head injury did more than we thought. I mean, come on! Hairy monster running around at night. Yokai don't exist."
"Maybe not." Sano glanced around before adding quietly, "But we certainly have things that don't exist next door." Shinpachi and Souji both nodded in agreement, their faces solemn. Whatever Heisuke saw was definitely unlike what they were familiar with. Sano hoped, and he was sure the other two agreed with him on this, that what Heisuke saw was nothing. After all, the implications of something sneaking into headquarters, something monstrous, something dangerous, would have dire consequences.
~*August 19, 1864*~
An important message came in, demanding the Shinsengumi's immediate attention. Chaos ensued in headquarters as everyone gossiped over what the message was all about and what it meant. Others bragged that finally people had begun to take them seriously.
The message contained an order from Aizu. The Shinsengumi were to report to the Aizu troops stationed at the Imperial Palace. It was urgent, demanding all able-bodied men to arrive for direct orders.
Apparently, from what Chizuru could gather from the tis-bit of gossip here and there, an extremist group had made a threat to the royal family, which itself was a grave crime.
Of course, Kondo was pleased to receive such a request from Aizu. To him and his men, their hard work had finally begun to pay off. Ikedaya was still fresh in everyone's minds, and the Shinsengumi's successful arrests were a testament to how efficient and hard working the troops were.
Chizuru was glad to hear that the Shinsengumi was finally getting the respect they deserved. While she had only stayed at their headquarters for eight months, she had seen how diligent and serious they were about their work, especially Hijikata. That man never stopped working, it seemed.
As the Shinsengumi prepared themselves for battle, Chizuru expected she would told to stay out of trouble and put under Heisuke's and Okita's watch, as they and Sannan were some of the troops they had to leave behind due to injuries. However, she got the exact opposite request. Kondo asked if she would like to join them.
The Wolf didn't even need to coax her to get her to say yes.
Xxxx
The campfire crackled in front of her. Her heart racing, Chizuru realized what a horrible mistake she had made.
Above her head was a nearly perfect moon. In fact, to the naked eye, it was full. But it had not yet reached its zenith.
She could already feel her skin crawl. Her hands were chappy and wet. She cursed herself for not bringing a razor, as her forearms and legs were now covered in a slick layer of black arm hair. Thankfully, she didn't have to roll her sleeves up, keeping them down and out of sight while the troops set up camp.
It was annoying to have hair growth suddenly increase right before the full moon came. She already had enough on her plate, what with heightened anxiety causing her to jump at every little sound and The Wolf's rage boiling over. Twice she had nearly blown up, once when the Shinsengumi were turned away from the main troops, the second being stationed with the reserves and having to hear the reserves' complaints on being stuck with the 'Wolves of Mibu.'
She didn't even need to miss two Changes before she saw red, and it gave her a bit of a giddy feeling. And no, she felt no remorse for that image. If she had Changed at the moment, she would have felt no regret inflicting pain on these egotistical, brainless, spineless, pathetic, whiny—
"Chizuru, how you holding up?"
Broken from her internal rant, Chizuru looked up see Harada looking down at her, a charming smile on his face. Relaxing a bit, she replied back easily, "I'm fine. How's everyone else?"
"Good. Shinpachi's still peeved over us being bounced around like that." To add emphasis to his statement, he pointed to the mentioned individual, who, Chizuru noticed, was still griping to Kondo about the incident. She envied him a bit right now. Chizuru really didn't have to the luxury of letting her frustration out.
Sitting down next to her, Harada rested his spear on one shoulder. "But at least it cooled down. It was roasting earlier."
Her bones told her it would get worse tomorrow. "It will probably be even warmer tomorrow."
"You think?" Harada sighed. "Dammit. Where's a breeze when you need it?"
Giggling, Chizuru leaned toward him and blew in his face. When he stared at her in surprise, she laughed. "You asked for a breeze."
"Oh?" He smirked back. "I did, huh? Well, then, I should return the favor." He then blew in her face, sending her into a fit of giggles. He joined in, laughing merrily.
"Am I interrupting something?" Both stopped in their laughter to see Saito, as stoic as ever, standing near the campfire.
"Ah, nah. Chizuru and I were just having some fun. Right?"
Chizuru bobbed her head, sitting up straight. "Right! Oh, Saito-san—"
"Hijikata-san and a few others will be joining us here shortly." Saito pulled out a jar, holding it out to Harada. "Kondo-san managed to bring along some sake. Hopefully this will calm Shinpachi down."
"I doubt it." Harada took the jar nevertheless. "But hey, won't know 'til you try." He glanced over at Chizuru, winking. "I'll see if I can get us some real breeze makers." Harada then got up and left, missing Chizuru covering her face, trying hard not to laugh.
Saito watched her quietly. He never said a word, waiting for her giggling fit to leave. Finally, when she noticed he was watching her, she gasped and turned to face him, bowing. "Oh, sorry, Saito-san! I didn't know you were—"
"We could be called at any time. It is best if you try to get some rest before anything happens."
Blinking at his suggestion, she found herself slightly embarrassed. Saito was always such a quiet man; she felt bad for not noticing him coming up to her and Harada, and again when Harada went to get Nagakura.
She thanked him and laid down on her side. She had no intention of sleeping, as she knew there would only be nightmares plaguing her until the moon rose tomorrow. For now, she just had to appear as normal as possible, not even hinting to towards her true nature as the beast.
When she had spotted Heisuke, she had feared for the worst. She had stayed perfectly still, hoping he would look away, giving her a chance to flee. He didn't, though, which led her to make the first move. She fled from the scene, with Heisuke in hot pursuit. She tried to lose him, finally managing to do so by taking a corner and leaping onto the floor. Heisuke had taken the bait, but in the process he had woken the entire compound and told everyone who was willing to listen.
Chizuru was so terrified that morning as he retold hiss tale. She was just waiting for someone to bring the hatchet down, to accuse her of being a werewolf before attempting to kill her. She was only grateful that Harada had made an attempt to ease her worries; it told her that he had no suspicion of what she really was.
Chizuru had to choose her friends and allies carefully. She had always trusted Kondo, being as friendly and outgoing as he behaved, it was hard not to like him. Saito never questioned or seemed to notice the times she slipped up. Heisuke was definitely friendlier than most of the captains, if not a little on the naïve side. She did trust Inoue, as well. Harada she also began to trust. He seemed to have his heart in the right place, and he seemed to trust her, or at least give her a benefit of a doubt. He took her odd behavior as her being a frightened little girl, she suspected, which suited her fine. Anything to avoid suspicion.
But that left the rest of the Shinsengumi as unlikely allies. Sannan had become a rather nasty grump as of late, leading Chizuru to avoid him as much as she could, or at least avoid him when he was in a rather foul mood. Hijikata always seemed to be in a foul mood, and his rather hostile demeanor made her avoid him even more. A werewolf would not survive in the company of grumps.
Nagakura seemed very close to Harada and Heisuke. He seemed trustworthy, if not a little dense (something that could work in her favor if it was true). But she still didn't know much about that man. He was far too interested in men, and he had been one of the guys in favor of killing her in the beginning. For now, she will keep her guard up around him.
Okita was another matter. He really set her on edge as of late. He never stopped watching her whenever she was around him. He always had something to say, some snarky remark or an insult disguised as a compliment.
There was no way Chizuru could let her guard down near Okita. No matter her own feelings in the matter, she had to value her survival over her desire to quell her loneliness.
Her eyes closed and breathing relaxed, Chizuru pretended to sleep. A slight frown began to form on her lips as she thought about the Ikedaya incident. She had run to find Okita, only to find him in the worst case scenario. She had risked her life to defend him, and for what exactly?
Her good nature had gotten the better of her, she supposed. She remembered her adoptive father scolding her about running into danger, all reckless abandon. She even recalled how her biological father was apparently very much like that, always rushing to others' aid with little thought for his own. She remembered the sting of Kodo comparing her father's fate to her own, telling Chizuru that she needed to value her own safety more, or else she will be killed, much like how her own father had been killed.
If Kodo had learned what Chizuru did at the Ikedaya, he would have had a cow. He would have raged and ranted over how the consequences didn't even make sense. Save a man's life and he continues to observe you like a hawk? She should have not interfered. Especially if there was the chance of Okita knowing the truth. Not just about being a werewolf, but about being an oni as well.
There were two sides to every coin. Chizuru was no exception. That night at the Ikedaya, she had opted out of using her Wolf abilities in favor of her oni ones. More rusty than The Wolf, her innate abilities were more trustworthy in terms of being controllable. She could unleash her inner power without fear of losing control, and she had control over making appear whenever she needed it.
Admittedly, she had gone overboard that night. She had rushed in, her inner oni flaring out, catching Okita falling and holding him up as best she could. Her strength let her easily hold him up, but there was the opponent she worried about moreso.
She had hoped that the glowing eyes, white hair and horns would scare him away. She had done this before, only in her werewolf form; one could say she was an expert on frightening people. And even though the man was a ronin, she had been so certain that her oni form would frighten the man away.
It didn't.
Instead, the man began to bombard her with questions. Why was she there? Why was she aiding these humans? So many questions, yet Chizuru had refused to answer any of them. She demanded he leave now, or face the consequences. He did not know that she meant to dabble straight into her Wolf powers, already feeling the beast clawing the surface with an angry snarl.
It was only after Okita had gotten up and regained conscious that the ronin left. He had smirked at her, a knowing smirk, before leaping lazily out of the window, vanishing into the night.
That smirk had sent tremors down her spine. That smirk might have well be a threat, because she got the sickening feeling she knew what he meant by that gesture.
He planned on seeing her again.
After they had returned from making the arrests, Chizuru had berated herself for being so foolish. Certainly it was better her oni side be revealed than her werewolf side, but that had still been a massive risk. If Okita or another captain had figured out that she wasn't human, they would most likely take her completely captive, or even lock her up and torture her for intel.
Even if someone like her, a fellow oni, found out she was an oni, she ran the risk of being kidnapped. According to her father, this was sadly a common thing in a world where the oni were losing power. Powerful female pure-bloods like herself were hard to find. Families had too many sons and not enough daughters. Females were practically forced to marry male oni in order to preserve their bloodline, no matter how little it was. More and more male oni had no choice but to seek human wives, and many families sought females like it was their lifeblood, which, technically, it was.
Kodo had done everything he could to keep it a secret that Chizuru, the last living Yukimura, a pure-blood female, had survived. He knew what would happen if word of her existence reached the surface. Oni suitors would come from every neck of the woods, never giving them peace. Under normal circumstances, Kodo would know he could never, or should, keep her existence a secret forever, so he would have sought his own suitor for her, careful to select the mate for her and keep the engagement secret from the rest of the oni world until he knew she would be safe.
But she had no normal circumstances. She was infected with lycanthropy, and she could easily infect another. Just one bite from her could turn another, human or oni, into a rampaging lunatic. She was a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. That was why Kodo went even further than he should normally have. He never reported to the princess of Yase (the monarch of all oni in Japan) to Chizuru's existence. He had no intention of finding a suitor, either, until Chizuru was cured. That was his promise. Until then, he will keep her company during those lonely nights, where the monster came out to play.
A trickle ran down her nose. She didn't realize she was crying, nor did she realize she had begun to fall asleep as she went deeper into her mind, lost to all her worries and fears. She didn't just think of her adoptive father and the kindness he had given her. She thought of the family she had lost, the mentor she barely had time to know, the friends she will never make due to her curse.
~*August 20, 1864*~
"Werewolves are considered monsters. Do you think that's true?"
A young Chizuru looked up at the shaggy haired man sitting in front of her. Frowning, the four year old kicked at the ground. "Werewulfs aren't scawy."
"They're not?"
Chizuru nodded vigorously. "You're a werewulf. Imma werewulf. We're not scawy."
Her mentor chuckled lightly. "No, I don't suppose so." His gray eyes narrowed slightly. "But what about under a full moon? Are we scary then?"
The little girl looked down. "Maybe…"
"It's okay to be scary, sometimes, though."
Chizuru looked up again, meeting her mentor in the eyes. "Weally?"
Her mentor nodded. "Sometimes, we need to protect people."
"Why?"
"Because werewolves, like people, need family. And like wolves, we need a pack."
"'An alpha must always pwotect his omega,' wight?"
"That's right. And that's why it's okay to be scary sometimes."
"So I can pwotect Alpha-jiji!"
"Yes, little one. And I'll protect Omega-chan."
Chizuru jerked awake, a large hand on her shoulder. Looking around in confusion, she saw Harada looking down at her. She barely had time to process what was going on when she heard Hijikata shout, "Men, get moving!"
"Probably should listen to Hijikata-san," Harada stated, giving her shoulder a little squeeze. "He's not in the best of moods right now."
"O-okay." Getting up, she raised her hand to wipe the sleep from her eyes only to find wetness. Tears, she realized, after sniffing them quickly. She must have been crying from her dream last night. No, not a dream. A memory. A cruel reminder of what she had lost.
Alpha-jiji, she thought sadly. Old wounds were took time to heal, but every time she thought of her kindly mentor, the more it hurt. It was more than losing a friend. It was like a piece of her heart was ripped out of her chest.
Clenching her fist to her chest, she took in a deep breath and then exhaled. Now was not the time for sentimental feelings.
Xxxx
The Wolf was already awakening once they reached the charred gates. Cannon fire riddled the layout. Voices shouted at one another, and gunpowder invaded Chizuru's nose. Behind her, she heard Hijikata giving orders out, each group giving a specific task. She was partially listening, but another part of her was being tugged in a particular direction. Inclining her head, she sniffed the air.
An image flashed before her eyes, a daylight nightmare. Her mentor, dead, and beside her late mentor was a group of men. One man held her mentor's heart high above his head, laughing jovially. A clean shaven face, the crest of a clan on his headband, and a small scar on his chin.
That scent. She knew that scent.
The Wolf roared, howling for blood. It clawed and barked, kicking its feet and snapping its jaws. It knew that scent. It would never forget that scent.
Murderer. Alpha-jiji is dead. Alpha-jiji is dead because him! MURDERER!
Her eyes shone yellow. Her fingers itched into claws, and her canines sharpened. Nostrils flaring, she bolted, no longer paying attention to her surroundings. Anger, no, raw hatred flooded her entire system, The Wolf charging through, overtaking all rational all.
MURDERER!
MURDERER!
YOU KILLED ALPHA-JIJI!
DIE!
DIE!
KILL!
MUST KILL!
KILLKILLKILLKILLKILL!
Xxxxx
Toshizo swore when he saw the Shinsengumi's charge bolt. He had honestly not expected her to try to flee, and yet there she went. Running after her, he shouted over his shoulder, "Nagakura, go after those bastards for me!" He didn't wait long enough for a response as he picked up the pace, his charge slowly gaining distance.
They ran for a bit before Toshizo made a startling discovery. Chizuru should have known by now that, in order to escape, she would have to take less traveled roads. Moreover, she should also not be heading the same way those Choshu bastards apparently were heading.
Toshizo opted to follow her instead of catching her. In fact, that was perhaps the better option, he realized, as he paid attention to the way she ran and moved. After chasing so many criminals and arresting so many ronin, he knew the sight of a fleeing criminal. They always looked over their shoulders, always ran in a more panicked fashion with large jerky movements. Normally, their arms flared out and their posture leaned back.
Chizuru had none of those signs. She ran postured forward. Her steps were guided, like she was in pursuit of something. Her arms were held closer to her sides, hands crunched together. She never once looked back, either.
This was not the stance of a coward. This was the stance of someone out for blood.
Narrowing his purple eyes, Toshizo grasped his sword hilt as he ran. He had no idea if she was attempting to lure him away from the Shinsengumi or what. He didn't even know if that idea held any water. Chizuru had plenty of chances, admittedly, to attempt an escape. She never once took any of them. Toshizo had become convinced this girl was an idiot for not even trying. But then again, there was her missing father. It made sense that she would stay with the last people who saw her father alive.
So this attempt at escape made no sense. The way she was going about it made no sense either. Just what was going on.
They were almost at the bridge that would soon lead to Mount Tennou. Looking around Chizuru's slight frame, he noticed a figure standing on the bridge, alone.
It seemed Chizuru noticed the figure, too, as her pace began to lose focus, and she stumbled to a halt. Toshizo gave no warning as he came up behind her, grasping her sag shoulder with his free hand (noting her flinching as he did so) as his sword hand tightened its grip. "Oi, you! On the bridge! Bad day for a stroll, you know?"
The individual straightened up, moving away from the railing he had been casually leaning on. Chizuru flinched again when he called the man out. Leaned down a bit, he hissed into her ear, "You better have a damn good reason to run off like that."
"Hijikata-san," she whispered back, her body shaking slightly, "he's from Ikedaya. Okita-san was the one—"
"Him, huh?" He snorted ruefully at the figure now standing in the middle of the bridge. "Pathetic. Souji won't hear the end of this when I'm done with this guy." Releasing her shoulder, no longer fearing her fleeing, Toshizo walked forward, towards the man on the bridge, no, the man from Ikedaya.
The man was slender in build, scrawny in Toshizo's opinion, with only one sword at his side. He scrunched his nose at the sight of the man's expensive looking kimono and haori. Rich boy. Great. Looks like Choshu couldn't even afford to offer up decent men to stale the Shinsengumi and Aizu. Typical.
The man said nothing as Toshizo approached, his hand relaxed over the hilt of the katana at his side. He didn't look worried at as the demon commander unsheathed his blade, pointing it directly at him.
The stranger smirked at the sight of the bare blade. "Well, well. My luck would have it that I ran into another from the Shinsengumi. Tell me," slowly, the man pulled out his own sword, "are you going to fare better than my previous opponent?"
"You're the one who took out Okita-kun, huh?" Toshizo snarled. Okay, he had full intention of ragging on Souji later. First, this guy's head. "Let me ask you something, bub. Did Choshu honestly think they could flee the battlefield without so as much as a peep from anyone?"
"I suppose that's why I'm here." The stranger shrugged, glancing around Toshizo. "But nevertheless, I could be asking you a similar question. Did you country bumpkins honestly think allying yourself to Aizu would immediately grant you samurai rights?"
"Cute," Toshizo snorted. "Well, I hope your sword hand is as good as your tongue."
Then he charged.
Xxxx
Chikage didn't think his luck could get any better.
The female oni he had encountered in Ikedaya appeared again before him. While he did wish they had encountered each other under less… inconvenient situations, he was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
What's more, he had a job to accomplish. Buying the fleeing Choshu samurai time to commit seppuku had been the order, and it was a job he was going to see through.
Although, it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun.
The human known as the 'demon vice-commander,' Hijikata Toshizo, was as hot tempered as rumored. He swung his sword with cold fury, metal hissing against metal as Chikage lifted his sword up to parry the blow.
As the two exchanged blows, Chikage easily keeping up with the human's thrusts and jabs, the oni occasionally spared a glance over at the female oni. She stood there, watching, her hands clamped together. Was she worried for the human?
What a strange girl, he thought as he casually moved away from the human's attack. What is her relationship with these humans? Honestly, this was why he wished they had met in a more private setting.
He managed to catch a glimpse of her sword hilt as he parried and danced away from the human's eager attacks. The hilt seemed very familiar to him, yet he couldn't put his finger on it. Not only that, but only half of his mind was on identifying on the kodachi she carried, the other was on the battle.
Interestingly enough, the human called out to the female oni. "Chizuru! Go to Mount Tennou! Stall for time!"
Chizuru…? The character 'sen' was in the name 'Chizuru.' That meant that—
He couldn't finish his thought as he heard the girl reply, "Yessir!" before running past the two battling warriors. Chikage grinded his teeth. There went his chance of learning more about the oni girl. At least for now. Just that thought made him want to finish the battle all the more quickly.
And then came the cavalry, as the human saying goes.
Xxxxx
Chizuru allowed The Wolf control once more, this time with more restraint on it. The scent of her mentor's killer still fresh in the air, she ran up the mountain. She was certain Nagakura and his unit were on their way. Most likely, they were already reaching the bridge and the ensuing fight. Chizuru only had to keep the Choshu rebels occupied enough for Nagakura's unit to arrive.
Time. She had to buy them time.
The Wolf howled impatiently. It emerged outward, baring claws and fangs. Her face twisted into that of a beast.
The Wolf was out to hunt.
Xxxx
They had all prepared to cut their stomachs open when they reached the summit. They had everything prepared. Nothing had been left to chance.
And yet, none of them had factored in an encounter with a werewolf.
Then again, most of them knew nothing of these creatures. They did not know that a werewolf a wolf in human (or oni) skin. They did not know that werewolves were as savage of their beastly counterparts. They did not even know they existed. Until now, that is.
The beast, in the form of a human charged one Choshu retainer, snarling, fangs bared, mad yellow eyed craving blood and flesh. He, out of all the men on top of Mount Tennou, was the only one who ever encountered a werewolf prior to today. He had killed one, cut off its head and removed its heart.
Ironic then, that was how he met his own death. He had made the mistake of moving away from the group, having heard a strange noise. He immediately regretted, seeing the face of a monster he knew too well. He never got the death he had hoped for, torn to shreds by the very creature he had killed years ago.
The monster roared, a brutal high-pitched scream. It had looked so human once, until rage twisted its innocent face, revealing the beast within.
The remaining men heard the cry; there was no time to waste. They tore into their stomachs, cutting through kidneys and liver. Fluids poured out, and a few passed out, the pain too much to bear.
When the monster arrived in the clearing, only one had succeeded in killing himself. The rest soon met their fate by the claws of a monster.
Xxxxx
Shinpachi was met with a grizzly sight when he reached the top of Mount Tennou. Chizuru, poor, little, innocent Chizuru, was there, curled up in a ball, drenched head-to-toe in water. He recalled a small stream on the way up the mountain; she must have fallen in on her way here.
Removing his haori, he placed it on her shoulders and told one of the foot soldiers to stay with her as he and the rest looked for survivors.
There was none.
It was not the work of an assassin nor a swordsman.
It was hell on earth on Mount Tennou.
"Damn," Shinpachi murmured, pitching the bridge of his nose. "What the hell happened?"
"Captain," the soldier in charge of watching over Chizuru walked up to him. "The page wants to speak to you. He might know what happened, since he came here first."
"Yeah." Shinpachi turned and walked over to the young girl. He couldn't stop pitying the poor girl. Could she ever catch a break? First her father, then the Shinsengumi's secret, Ikedaya, and now this. Misfortune seemed to follow her everywhere she went.
Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, Shinpachi asked softly, "What is it, Yukimura? Are you okay?" He remembered Sano saying something along the lines of comforting a woman befor questioning her. He hoped this worked on Chizuru.
It seemed to, as she slowly raised her head and mumbled, "A monster did this."
"A monster, huh?" Shinpachi glanced over his shoulder. "Couldn't have said it better myself." He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "But hey, it couldn't have been a total monster if it left you alive, right?"
He had hoped those words would calm her. Instead, he got the strangest look from her. He couldn't pin just what she was thinking with that look, but it didn't matter. A soldier called for him, and Shinpachi got up, patting Chizuru gently on the back. "Hold it together, Yukimura. We'll be off this hellhole in a bit."
He then turned back to the carnage before him.
Xxxxx
Chikage watched Kyoto burn from the hillside. Amagiri stood nearby, his arm crossed.
"Kazama, are you not listening again?"
When do I ever? he thought mildly as he sighed. "You're still going off about my challenging a human."
"You had a simple job to do. Yet you allowed a captain and his unit to reach the top of Tennou."
Chikage shrugged. "A simple miscalculation. I had forgotten wolves hunt in packs."
Detecting the sneer in his tone, Amagiri sighed. But, thankfully, he decided to let the topic go. However, the change in subjects was not pleasant to listen to, as Amagiri informed Chikage;
"There's news towards the fate of the Choshu rebels who fled. All of them dead, yet only one by seppuku."
"What?" Chikage glared at Amagiri. Did the Shinsengumi manage to make it all the way to the top before they could complete the ritual? Or did that little female oni have something to do with it?
Amagiri shook his head. "The Shinsengumi were not responsible. In fact, they are trying to keep the cause of death secret, but I managed to overhear one of them discussing the issue."
"And? Cut to the chase, Amagiri." Chikage was growing impatient with each passing second. If it wasn't the Shinsengumi or the oni girl, then who was it?
Amagiri's face was grave as he replied grimly, "The bodies were mauled to death. By what, no one knows."