Hey guys, I'm terribly sorry for the lack of updates! I've been loaded with tons of school work for the past few months and studies are my topmost priority! Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that I've given up my inspiration for my stories! Alright, enough with all of those and on with the story!

Disclaimer:Hakouki is not mine.

Warnings: Bad Grammar… and OOC-ness?

Ryunosuke appears in this chapter, yay! And so does Serizawa...

''The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." – Albert Einstein.

The central market place of Kyoto was brimming with life; it was not an uncommon sight to see townsfolk negotiating with stall owners, attempting to get a cheaper price for foodstuff essential for their own survival and well-being. There was a young woman of noble ancestry, garnering attention from the indigenous population for a brief second before they returned to their own tasks, knowing that it was rude to stare.

A small frown was spotted on her unblemished face and her cerulean orbs greedily absorbed all that was happening around her. Although there was a great capacity of unadulterated affection and respect for her father, it did not blind her from the truth. Aya knew she was naive and that the way in which she always saw the good in people left her a weakness that could be exploited by enemies. There was also the fact that the emotions that swell in her chest are felt much more intensely as compared to others and currently, her heart was heavy with confusion, sadness… and anger.

Aya felt betrayed by her father albeit she is aware of the reasons for her father's actions. It has been four days since the arrival of the Shinsengumi who were loaded with the responsibility of guarding her to prevent her from any danger. They were kind to her, treating her just as they would each other. Yet, her observant eyes noted that there was something odd in their interactions. No matter, she would not involve herself in their matters. Right now trailing silently after her was the mysterious blue-haired male she first laid eyes upon. He was someone she could not make sense of. Hajime Saitou was a man of few words, that she realized. It was something she appreciated. His silence was a welcomed blessing unlike her time with that Okita Souji. It was also well-known among the men that he had a deep respect for the vice-commander of the organization who speaking of which…

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. There was a moment of silence between the two as sky blue hues clashed with purple ones save for the melodious sounds of the birds chirping. Azure irises widened and soft pink lips opened to form a small 'o'. At that moment stood the one man whom she had allegedly accused to be a demon was standing in front of her, gazing down gently at her. His brows were raised in the most elegant fashion she had ever seen. Strands of long silky ebony hair fluttered due to the movement of air around them. No doubt aware that she was shamelessly staring at him, a pink flush found its way onto her alabaster skin, gracing her pale smooth cheeks. The seemingly magical moment that enraptured the both of them was soon broken by the simple action of the woman averting her eyes away from the handsome man in a futile effort to block him out of her peripheral vision.

"I knew you weren't a damsel in distress but the way you carried yourself with the naginata… How long have you been practicing the art of wielding the naginata?"

The sound of his voice captivated her and brought her attention towards him once more. "It has been four years since I've acquired the weapon." Aya glanced questioningly at him. "Is there a reason for your inquiry…?"

He shook his head. "Not really. It's just a rare sight to see someone of your status wielding a weapon."

Aya nodded silently for he was right. It was rare to see a woman who was able to defend herself in such a patriarchal society as the job of fighting and protecting would normally fall in the hands of man who were appointed as the lady's bodyguard. Her deep dislike of being tied down was the prime reason and justification in persuading her father not to do the same for her. The incident that had occurred weeks ago was probably the last straw and what tested the patience of the lord of the Himura clan. She had not known her mother for she had passed away after giving birth to her, leaving the burden of caring for their young daughter to the man she loved and married. Thus, to relieve that said burden from her father's shoulders, she decided to pick up the skills for her own safety; not wanting to worry him even more.

"Your father did this for your own good. You are his only daughter and someone whom he loves dearly. He informed us of the recent incident that happened and your… strange interactions with fire. If it still worries you, we would try not to pry into your matters. All that I ask as the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi is to allow us to protect you and save you from any harm."

A small sigh escaped the lips of the crimson-haired noble who turned and walked away, leaving the ebony-haired man alone with thoughts running in his mind.

She sighed softly; some of the anger diminishing as she recalled her moment with the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi. Aya felt a questioning yet silent gaze on her. The young noble shook her head and gave the stoic male an unconvincing smile. He watched her without uttering a word, his lips turning downwards, frowning.

"What concerns you, Himura-san…?" Saitou questioned her softly.

"It's nothing, I'm–"

The sound of someone crying out in pain caught their attention. Not paying any heed to the young male with her, Aya swivelled around to the direction where the noise came from, evidently concerned about what was going on. Her beautiful blue orbs narrowed slightly and she took off immediately without waiting for Saitou to come after her. Shouting was heard and her keen senses led her to the scene of commotion.

Righteous fury swelled up in her as she took in the sight of a teenager her age, kneeled over on the ground in pain, glaring up at the other man who was evidently much bigger in size than the blue-haired male was. His left hand was cradling his side and bruises were seen on his pale complexion. Blood was trickling down his lips where there was a small cut at. Aya was horrified; what had happened to the poor man...? She was pretty sure that no aid was administered to the young man and that realization struck a chord in her heart.

Aya growled softly, rushing into the scene as the horrid man raised the fan with his right hand with the clear intent to cause further harm to the young male.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Ibuki Ryunosuke cursed softly under his breath as Serizawa once again tasked him with the responsibility of acquiring more alcohol from the market place. He could see no reason why Serizawa couldn't have gone to get the desired drinks himself. Right… After all, why should he need to do it himself when he has a 'dog'? He scoffed softly, once more cursing his rotten luck to be under the hands of such a bastard.

His stay in the household owned by the bastard was not at all pleasant; he was treated like dirt there – those serving Serizawa oft looked down at him with utter disdain and contempt. Ryunosuke recalled an incident where he was reprimanded harshly by the kitchen staff just for retrieving the drink which his master had called for.

Those who didn't know his plight and situation would accuse him of being ungrateful for Serizawa's… decision – kindness as the staff had put it that way – to bring the brat with him to the brothel that he visited frequently; clearly to get his drinks poured for from him by that ungrateful brat that the kind Serizawa had saved from the brink of death. The young man had realized that everyone, well almost anyone, was dumb enough to consider Serizawa as their savior. They felt obligated to serve him, to allow him to do what he wanted to, in exchange for the permission to stay in his household. Much to the boy's chagrin, he reluctantly admitted to himself that it was a clever ploy on Serizawa's part to gain the loyalty of the household by offering them what they wanted. After all, he had the means to do so. And in return, they would all turn a blind eye to the man's crude and unpleasant behavior.

Ryunosuke rolled his amber eyes, deciding to banish such unhappy thoughts away from his mind. Around half an hour earlier, he had left the brothel to get the man what he wanted and that was the best and most expensive wine that anyone could offer in the capital of Kyoto. The blue-haired teenager shook his head. He was glad that he was even able to enjoy the fresh air, no longer feeling stifled as he normally would in the Serizawa household.

Once reaching his destination, Ryunosuke pushed the door open and entered the shop, leaving the wooden door slightly ajar. Inside, a middle-aged woman was seen tending to the rest of the customers with a small smile on her face, thanking them for purchasing her goods and their willingness to do business with her. Amber eyes softened slightly. Miyata Mayu, the current owner, was an acquaintance of his whom he had met because of Serizawa. Ryunosuke always looked forward to seeing her for she was only one of those few who was kind to him without demanding anything in return.

The kind smile on her face turned downwards into a slight frown as soon as she saw him, leaving him to ponder over it. Once the customers had cleared the area, he approached her, amber gaze looking at the woman questioningly.

"Ah, Ryunosuke-kun!" Dread started to crawl its way into his chest as he took in the sympathetic and apologetic tone of the woman. "I'm terribly sorry but we ran out of the wine that is specifically for Serizawa-sama…" Amber eyes widened in size, fearing for the worst. "You see… There was an accident this morning and the wine bottles in which the wine was stored in toppled over onto the ground… I'm very very sorry, Ryunosuke-kun…"

"What!? Damn it…" The teenager once more cursed his rotten luck. Serizawa would no doubt be furious over this and he had to face his wrath…

"I'm terribly sorry, Ryunosuke-kun…"

He shook his head and waved her concern away. "I guess I'll be going then… See you again soon, Mayu-san."

XXXXXXXX

Serizawa was relentless in his fury; unleashing blows and blows upon him, marring his pale complexion with bruises. Somehow or somewhere, they were at the entrance of the inn and the townsfolk gathered around them, whispering to each other and frowning at them disapprovingly. Despite that, no one came to his aid. Ryunosuke cradled his side, grinding his teeth. It hurt everywhere and he feared the worst when the other man raised his fan, ready to fling it at him when a flash of red appeared out of nowhere in his peripheral vision and his senses were filled with the scent of cherry blossoms.

"If you dare to lay another hand on the young boy, I will not be held accountable for my actions."

His amber eyes widened as a young woman his age stood her ground against Serizawa. The scene in front of him was ridiculous. Serizawa towered over her, cold amusement written all over his face. The lord of the Serizawa clan gazed down at her with arrogance and trailed his eyes down her body.

"And... what if I do? I'm not afraid to lay a hand on a woman. And one like you… should be grateful that I'm even considering to allow you in my bed."

A shudder ran down his spine as pure unadulterated fury radiated off the noble woman. He stilled as she shifted her stance, ready to attack the man. Tension surrounded the entire atmosphere and his eyes widened as another man came to his aid.

XXXXXXX

Saitou came to her aid after all. She watched as his mesmerizing blue hues darkened into midnight blue. The man had turned the tables, unsheathing his sword and pointing it at the bastard's neck with such alarming speed that she would have missed it completely if she was not observant enough. Tension surrounded the four of them and the audience was completely silent; none dared to utter a word for fear of inciting their wrath. Stormy blue narrowed as the two men stared at each other.

A sound of amusement escaped the horrid man's lips as he chuckled, unbothered by the commotion that he caused. "You must not fear death if you dare to challenge my authority. Either that… or you are very foolish. Very well. I will let this go for now. You can take the dog with you. He is no longer welcomed. Keep him if you wish."

Aya bristled at his tone; angered at how he dismissed them so… It angered her to see someone her age treated as such. It was inhumane. It was derogatory. It was getting harder for her to restrain herself by the minute. "You… fiend…"

Her snarl seemed to amuse the man even more for the smirk on his lips widened, his orbs glinting with curiosity and amusement. Annoyance grew in her as Saitou shielded her from Serizawa's sight albeit to protect her from any harm. After another tense silence, Serizawa chuckled amusedly and took a step back from them; backing down. Peeking out, Ryunosuke watched in slight amazement as Serizawa was unfazed by the combined wrath of his two saviours. The threatening aura emitting from both of them could have caused even one of the boldest man he knew to run away cowardly.

"I can finally get rid of the burden now even though the dog has done an excellent job in achieving his set tasks. Thanks for giving me this opportunity, lass. I'll see you soon sometime eh…? It's not common to find someone so bold enough to stand up to the great Serizawa without shitting their pants. I'll give you courage for that. And you, protect your young miss well…"

"What we do is none of your concern, leave us now." Aya growled softly, peeved at the audacity of the man who simply grinned at her before turning to walk away.

No sooner than he was gone, the current audience began to leave after the commotion has ended. Aya clenched her fists as she watched them leave without a care. Was mankind really that heartless to not come to the aid of the helpless…? The young man could have sustained even more injuries if she didn't step in… Speaking of which… A pair of azure hues turned to glance at the injured man behind her, frowning as she saw his injuries. A cut lip, bruises on his body… A small growl left her lips as she stalked towards the man who froze.

Her gaze softened considerably as she extended her hand towards him. He blinked twice before his own hand reached out to grab hers. Aya pursed her lips in concern as the young man hissed softly in pain. Aya pursed her lips worriedly before bending down to help the injured man together with Saitou's aid and soon they were making their way back to the Himura household; unaware of the blonde man observing them silently from his corner in the alley, his red orbs focused intently on the only woman in the group.

XXXXXXXX

"Ouch!"

The blue-haired male hissed in pain as the wrapped ice came into contact with the bruise on his face. Curse that Serizawa… Ryunosuke clenched his fists as the woman whom had saved him from that brute tended to his wounds gently. The crimson-haired lady had turned out to be the reputable young heir of the Himura household; a woman that was highly sought after by many men. He was aware of the kind of rumours that were associated with her, both pleasant and unpleasant ones.

He was immensely grateful to the ruby-haired woman who saved him from the evil clutches of Serizawa and not to mention, the mysterious man with the long sapphire locks who actually turned out to be a blasted samurai. A soft sigh escaped his lips. It wasn't that he did not appreciate the other man's help but rather what the man was. He disliked the Samurai despite their honourable actions. His own father had wanted him to become one of them just as he had but the young man had no intentions of conforming to those expectations.

"Penny for your thoughts…?"

Amber eyes turned to face his benefactor who glanced at him curiously. He was sure she was around the same age as he was and not to mention, beautiful too… Her alabaster skin that looked so soft… Strands of beautiful long red hair that eerily resembled the colour of blood fell beneath her shoulders to just above her waist. Her eyes were the colour of the sky, decorated with perfect lashes that seemed to enhance her own beauty and those lips… Ryunosuke gulped, resisting the urge to place his own lips against hers for he knew that the consequences would be… terrifying.

"Ibuki-kun?" Himura-san blinked innocently as she called out to him, snapping him out of his entranced state.

"…Oi, who are you and why the heck are you sitting so close to her?"

The end! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Ryunosuke falling in love with Aya was unplanned although it will most likely be an unrequited one LOL Reviews and constructive criticisms are always appreciated!