Author's note: Hello there! How was your Christmas? Mine was great! ^_^ 2016 is just around the corner, can't say I'm pretty excited about it… Right, I'm really bad at writing fighting/training scenes and there's one somewhere along the way, so be warned…
Disclaimer: Hakuouki is not mine…
Warning: Bad grammar.
"I am the pillars of the house;
The keystone of the arch am I.
Take me away, and roof and wall
Would fall to ruin me
utterly…"
Any Woman by Katharine Tynan
Chapter 2: "Independence"
Aya narrowed her eyes and glared at the innocent flower in the palm of her hand. She sat on one of the wooden benches in her courtyard, her naginata laying close to her person on her right. Cherry blossom petals were scattered here and there across the yard. The trees were swaying from side to side as a breeze played with them.
The young noble had completely made a fool out of herself in front of her supposed bodyguards and nobody bothered to correct her. Yeah, right... Who are you kidding? As if they didn't… She let out a soft sigh. At least someone found this whole situation amusing…
{Family}
"Oh, dear lord… You're the Demon Vice-commander of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizo!"
She felt faint, as if she was going to pass out any minute now. Her father wouldn't be able to get out of it alive this time round… After all, the Demon himself is here. Aya braced herself, ready to defend her father. Since young, she was never fond of violence and bloodshed. However, she taught herself the art of naginatajutsu; the art of wielding a naginata. The redhead honed her abilities and yet, she would not use her weapon unless necessary. Human life is a precious thing after all…
"Hijikata-san, please don't arrest my father. He isn't the sort to do anything heinous. The man wouldn't even hurt a fly!"
The black haired man groaned mentally, knitting his brows. How can anyone be that pig-headed!? Before he could speak up, there was an amused chuckle. He rolled his eyes; there was only one person who could find this amusing, especially when it was at his own expense…
Aya blinked. The young lad she recognized to be the captain of the first division, Okita Souji, soon found himself in a laughing fit. His whole body trembled, shaking with mirth as the man wiped away the tears that were forming in his green eyes. She narrowed her own blue ones. How dare he laugh when her father's life is at stake!? Irritated, she threw him a menacing glare. If looks could kill, he would already be dead by now.
"Oh, you're so cute. Hajime-kun, you're in luck." He grinned at her, his emerald orbs glinting mischievously.
"Cute…?"
"Look, we're not here because of your father." Okita continued as if she didn't utter a word. "We're here because of you, for your own safety."
Wait, what…?
"Aya," She turned to her father, his face was serious and void of any emotion. "They, the Shinsengumi, will be your bodyguards from now on. These men are expected to accompany you whenever you go into town."
Aya froze, her blue eyes wide.
"Please, this is for your own safety. As you know, Kyoto is getting more dangerous lately… I do not ever want to see you harmed like that again."
The redhead spluttered and gaped at her father. How could he do this to her…? Of all the people she knew, she least expected him to be the one to restrict her freedom. She hated the feeling of being tied down. No… hate was a complete understatement. "I'm capable of protecting myself, Father." Her tone was freezing cold, like ice. "That incident was because of the fire."
Strange occurrences always happened whenever she came into close contact with fire. Her head would start to ache painfully, as if someone was pounding it with a hammer. On top of that, Aya would start hearing voices; even when she was alone. It frightened the redhead as well as her father. These side effects were unnecessary and irrational and it petrified her.
"That's precisely why you need extra precaution. What would happen if you're caught in a fire and unable to protect yourself…? Our enemies would not hesitate to exploit any weakness they find. We cannot afford to be careless."
Aya knew he had a point. Father always did. But that didn't mean that she had to blindly accept his decision. She didn't need them. She did everything herself since young, and it would not change. "You underestimate your own daughter, Father." She glared fiercely at him, fury blazing in her darkened blue orbs. "This conversation ends here. Please, excuse me."
Aya stood up, a rigid expression on her countenance. Bowing stiffly, she gave her father a displeased look before leaving the room not without slamming the door shut in the process.
"Well, that went well…" Souji murmured under his breath sarcastically.
Everyone else was silent, pondering over what happened within the last fifteen minutes.
The head of the Himura clan let out a soft sigh. He was at a loss; he really didn't know what to do. If only his wife was still alive… Himura Makoto could only hope that his precious daughter would come round soon…
{Family}
She parried with an imaginary foe. Cherry blossom petals were floating in the air as Aya danced with her naginata. Twirling her valued weapon with both hands, the redhead soon brought her weapon downwards, slashing in a huge arc. Her footsteps were perfect; no mistakes were made. With every strike, her hits were harder and more powerful, fueled by her raging emotions.
Ever since she turned fifteen four years ago, Aya bought herself the same weapon with the money that she accumulated from her allowance. Since then, she taught herself the art of naginatajutsu. The redhead simply started from the basics and trained hard, creating her own style along the way.
Not only that, Aya was skilled in the bow as well though, to be honest, she preferred the naginata. However, it doesn't mean that learning it was a complete waste of time. On the contrary, the arrows could reach up to a distance of more than three meters… It was perfect for long ranged enemies, something that the naginata couldn't really cover. Yet, the naginata was more practical.
Once she was done, the redhead wiped away the bead of sweat that was starting to form on her forehead. It was a good way to keep fit. She kept her body in shape. Aya was of average height, around 5'5 feet tall. Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck stood up, informing her that she was not alone.
Aya groaned softly. 'As long as they don't breach my personal space…'
Bracing herself, she whirled on the spot; only to come face to face with the man she would least expect herself to fall in love with.
The End! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Reviews and constructive criticisms are appreciated as always!
Next chapter: Aya goes into town, not without one of her bodyguards of course. There, she sees a young boy around her age scolded harshly by the man beside him. Much to her bodyguard's chagrin, the redhead immediately takes off and goes to his rescue. She then brings him back to her household where she tends to his wounds gently.