This actually happened, I actually updated! And don't worry, I'm not dead and neither is this story, its just writer's block plagues me so much more for this fic than any of my other ones. No long spiel though. The story is kinda sorta rolling into the final stretches, so here's the latest installment, enjoy! Also I am really sorry for not updating and a big thank you to all those who still remotely hold interest in this story, you guys are the real troopers!
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING
It was an agonizingly slow death; the wound he suffered was bleeding him dry. Like a cow slaughtered mercilessly, his body was drained of every ounce of blood and left there to hang, leaving a hollow being behind. He wished that this was the truth of the matter, he wished that the agony he suffered was physical, an actual tangible wound, instead of the overwhelming wave of emotions washing over him. Neither a sword nor bullet injury could hurt as much as the idiotic woman's actions. Why did she have to join the fight?! There she stood, dressed in uniform and ready for combat. In the sea of people he saw only her. That distinctive vermillion hair glowing bright as the sun, illuminating a world shrouded in gray. Okita wanted to pull his hair out at the mere sight of her. He promised that this time would be different. If history repeated itself then she would live, she had to live, no longer would they be star crossed lovers. He wholeheartedly only desired this one thing, such a small thing and yet the universe still conspired against him, taunting him with the cruelty of love. And it shattered his heart, dropped like glass, to see her obediently standing there. The woman never showed obedience and yet now she chooses to be docile and follow orders?! Why?! Why?! His mind screamed, wailing out in the pain of their tragic fate. His faith disappeared long ago with the bitterness of reality replacing it. He would die, Okita expected nothing less, but he would defy the heaven and stars to save her. Forget having faith and praying to a God that turned a deaf ear to his cries, this time he was taking matters into his own hands.
Okita gripped the scabbard of his sword tightly, the whites of his knuckles showing. He scanned the crowd for a familiar vermillion haired man. Spotting him took little effort; he stood with the rest of the commanding officers. Okita was going to need him executing his plan, and whether he wanted to admit it or not, the sis-con was currently his best resource. An alliance with Kamui needed to be formed.
The opening ceremony rolled to a closed as the swarm of male soldiers, and the small squadron of female soldiers, herded into trucks like cattle and were driven out of the city to their new home, Ground zero, the new home base of the Edo army.
Okita coolly ignored Yamazaki's invite to dinner at the canteen, he lied through his teeth, saying that he intended to sleep early. Okita wasn't fooling anyone. Hijikata and Kondo slyly exchanged glances, years of working together giving them an almost telepathic form of communicating, and moved on, dragging Yamazaki with them. They headed towards a large oval building in the middle of the encampment; it housed all the main commodities of the base. Gintoki and Shinpachi gave him sympathetic smiles, Okita would have spat in their faces but that wasn't worth expending the energy. He hated pity the most. The sight of those smiles, those eyes meant only to reassure a friend, as if they were a child unable of standing on their own two feet, disgusted him. He had not fallen that low to be pitied, not yet, not yet.
Okita fiddled with the collar of his uniform and proceeded to head west, opposite of all the others. With one destination in mind, Okita marched on, the sound of gravel crunching underneath his feet the only sound to remind him that the world still existed and that, sadly, this was not a nightmare he could awaken from.
Without any notice, Okita flipped the opening of the tent open and barged in. Kamui sat slouched on the immaculately made sheets. The smallness of the tent forced Okita to stand directly in front of the man, their eyes locked.
" I expected more from you, what if someone was ambushing you? You're getting rusty Kamui." Okita said, his gaze still set on the male doppelganger of his lover.
The vermilion haired man smiled his usual maniac like smile. It pained Okita to see such a smile, knowing full well it was fake, nonetheless, Kamui simply reminded him too much of Kagura. Everything reminded him too much of Kagura.
"If you were truly a threat, Okita-san, I would have decapitated you already. The military has allowed me free range. I am not longer accountable for seemingly inhuman deeds. War changes people doesn't it?" he said, his smile never wavering.
Okita stood stiff as a board, but his poker did not fail him. His piercing red eyes revealed none of his insecurities. " War was meant for monsters like you, Kamui."
Kamui laughed and reclined on his bed, making himself comfortable. "You're as much of a monster as I am. There is no need to hide behind a humanity you no longer possess." His smile faded. "We both would do anything to get what we want, bloodshed and all. And for once we have a common goal." His cerulean eyes locked with Okita's crimson ones, " I would murder anyone for her, even you."
Okita scoffed, "If the circumstances were right I would accept that blatant challenge of yours. God knows how much I want to wipe that smug look off your face." His hand unconsciously hovered over his sword, the adereline surging through his veins urging him to fight but he didn't move. Neither did Kamui." But we both know where our priorities lie. You also don't need to murder me, I would gladly die for her."
Their eyes continued to stay locked, both holding unmatchable ferocity and yet clouded with weariness. " It must be difficult to be star crossed lovers. She could have done worst, for a human anyway." Kamui said quietly.
" I'll take that as a compliment. Enough with beating around the bush, how are we getting her out?"
Kamui ran a hand through his hair, slightly disheveling his braid. " We can't. Once you've join, be it through conscription or voluntarily, there is no option of returning back to the city. Though there is no city to return to, the civilians have already begun their evacuation to Kyoto and further north."
"There has to be a way!" Okita was shouting at this point. "There will be a way even if I have to defy this whole fucking system!" His poker face was long forgotten in the fit of rage, a loss of deposition that he had not experienced since his tantrums as a child. Okita did not shout when his parents failed to return, he did not shout when the paramedics said they could not save his sister, he never shouted, but this time it was different. Everything was different when it came to her. " Please, Kamui. Save her, I'm begging you." He pleaded, agony lacing every word. "I will get down on my hands and knees and beg if that's what you want. I will grovel; I will do anything, just save her!" Okita was willing to forgo all semblance of pride, a sin his held close to heart, but if it was for her he would do anything, even become a lowly peasant groveling at the feet of a monster such as Kamui. Anything for her.
Kamui sighed and ran another hand through his hair" That won't be necessary. I know you think me inhuman but I am not a sadist. I want to save her as equally as you do but it's not that simple, it's never that simple. I could care less if I have to slaughter a mass of people to save her life." He cocked him head with another fake smile."Like you said, I'm a monster. But we're trying to win a war here and munity from the HQ base will break morale and spread like wildfire to the other bases. Can we both sacrifice the livelihood of a whole nation for one girl?"
"I would." Okita replied without hesitation. This godforsaken nation meant nothing to him without her. This godforsaken world meant nothing without her. He would gladly fuck the whole world over to save her even once, it was a promise that he simply could not break.
An unnatural laughter filled the small tent, "Then you are the true monster among us! But this is history! Just as the Trojan War was waged over Helen, you will sacrifice this nation for Kagura. History tends to repeat itself in the cruelest of manners. Be prepared then, she won't leave easily."
"Nothing is ever easy when it comes to her."
Kamui's smile was strained, and for once it held emotions, so unlike his characteristic joker grin. " It never is with sister dearest. I will make the arrangements. The female squadron has to adhere to a strict schedule but I will figure a way for you two to meet. My second in command, Abuto, will inform you when everything is ready." Kamui sat up, determination set on his face." Are you ready to defy the gods?"
Okita looked the older male dead on, "I've been ready long before this lifetime."
Okita lacked faith in Kamui's ability to coordinate this rendezvous with Kagura, he severely questioned the man's ability to walk down the street without causing havoc, let alone command an army. The man was incapable of competently completing any task that did not require his monstrous brute strength, Abuto, on the other hand, was god's gift to Kamui. Thank the lord for the godsend Abuto. All the attributes that his superior lacked, which essentially was everything, especially common sense, Abuto compensated tenfold with a miraculous steadfast will. How else could anyone survive working under Kamui for so long?
Four days passed uneventfully at the base before Abuto arrived at the Okita's bunkard. With his good sense, Abuto inconspicuously called Okita to the Lieutenants office for a talk, making it evident with his facial expressions that Okita had possibly done something wrong. Abuto even pushed Okita, albeit lightly, to solidify the situation for the onlookers. Okita just shrugged when Hijikata eyed him skeptically.
"You would make a great actor, did you know that, Abuto?" Okita said as they headed further west and out of sight from his bunker.
The much older man released his hold on Okita's arm and scoffed. " I wish that was the case. The life of an actor sounds much more pleasant than Kamui's lap dog."
Okita bite back a chuckle, even Abuto conceded in the notion that he was the Yato Lieutenant's errand boy. He cringed at the thought of catering to the whims and demands of Kamui. " Rough life, Abuto, maybe in the next life you'll get lucky and finally be rid of Kamui."
Abuto sighed, " I have this gut feeling that I will never be rid of the psycho-maniac. It's like we have some sort of disgusting affinity for each other." His face cringed.
Okita looked down at the gravel and kicked a small stone. "Some things just won't change will they?" and for the nth time his thoughts wandered to Kagura. He forced himself to stop. His thoughts often spiraled and left him thinking about the grimness of the imminent future.
"We're here." Abuto said, breaking Okita from his trance like thoughts. The older man pulled open the flap of the tent and stepped inside along with Okita.
Kamui was sitting at his desk this time, a sad excuse of a slab of plywood that somehow managed to fit in the claustrophobic tent.
" They need to give you an upgrade, Kamui." Okita said as he sat at the end of the bed, the only free space left.
"Hmm, should I kill the General to get his tent? It is much nicer than this." He said, continuing to scribble illegibly on a piece of paper.
Abuto glared at the vermillion haired man, clearly not amused.
" It's a joke Abuto, a joke. I wouldn't actually kill the general, well not over a tent anyways." He said smiling.
Abuto rolled his eyes; he was done with Kamui's shit. "Lets get on with this, I have YOUR paperwork to finish filling out."
"So hasty I see Abuto. I will have you know that patience is a virtue." Kamui said, wagging a finger in Abuto's face." One, that I must say, you are currently lacking."
"Just like you lack a brain." He mumbled under his breath. Eight years he had been stuck with this imbecile! Eight years! It should be illegal to subject anyone to this form of torture. After the fifth year Abuto's patience, one that could fill the Pacific Ocean, was sucked dry. This man would be the death of him.
" Okay, okay. Enough bickering." Okita said as he could see the direction of this conversation." Can we actually get to the point? I want Kagura out as soon as possible."
The two men stopped their bickering and Kamui nodded at Abuto. " You brief him."
From one of his coat pockets Abuto pulled out a hand drawn map of the base. He pointed to the northern most area. " The female squadron is here." Okita nodded. " But their schedule is the exact opposite of the male squadrons to avoid intermingling, therefore the window of opportunity to meet up is extremely limited."
"What can we do then?"
Kamui grinned from ear to ear, " You can leave the distraction to me."
Abuto continued talking. "Kamui will make a scene, as he always does, and that will give you enough time to lead her outside the base. Security up there is not as fortified and I'll do something about the few patrolling officers. Kamui also will cover for why Kagura left, if it's one person, especially the Lieutenents sister, an excuse can somehow be made."
"Is this going to be clean or will I need my sword." Okita asked. He would not restrain himself if necessary, morals be damned!
"Clean." Abuot assured. "No needless killing, and I am referring to you Kamui, not Okita here."
"I had no such intention, perhaps a few injuries, but no deaths. I have at least that much common sense." Kamui replied with a confidence that the other two men severely questioned.
Okita and Abuto both exchanged glances, "Well then, let's get this show on the road, the sooner the better." Okita said.
"Tomorrow. At the break of dawn. Be prepared." Kamui said, all jokes aside.
I feel that Kamui can be portrayed two ways, as a crazy loving older brother or a heartless psycho-maniac. I tried to make him a caring psycho-maniac brother, if that even remotely makes sense. Also, I just love interactions between Kamui and Abuto. I can imagine Abuto constantly asking himself why he hasn't quite yet. Also, hopefully the next chapter wont take an eon to update but no promises. I think you guys can see where the ending is head, kinda I hope. But nonetheless this fic will probably be wrapped up in another two or three chapters, hand on for the final stretch! I hoped you all enjoyed and thanks for reading!