In every breath, life or universe

by FallenAngelItachi

A collection of multiple takes on the relationship of the same two people: Saitou and Tokio. AUs galore. Each take will span a couple of chapters, maybe three. Credit to legalronin, she did it first. Just wanted to try my hand, too.

11. The Priestess and the Grump, Part six

A/N: Hey hey hey! How are you lovely people?

Ugh, I'm trying to finish this story but it keeps getting bigger. I look at that document and all I can think of is "am I a joke to you? Why can't you just be finished?" I'm always saying "one more chapter" you'll stop believing me! But I swear, one more chapter left. JUST THE ONE. I just want to do justice to Shishio's fight that's all, coz basically it's all that's left. That and a couple of scenes later to tie everything in a pretty little bow. Sorry, not too sorry.

That being said, thank you all you lovely people who keep supporting me and my fancies, it means the world. Love you so much. Hope you enjoy this next to last chapter of this AU. And, to show you how most definitely I will be starting a new one, how about you tell me what you prefer next:

1) Harry Potter AU
2) Doctor - Patient AU
3) Hopeless one-sided love AU

Please let me know! Now, on with the story! Waring: no beta or spellcheck.

Title: The Priestess and the Grump.
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Humour, Romance
Alternative Universe: Fantasy, Pathfinder

---

"You called us here for this?"

Saitou almost threw the piece of paper in Enishi's snarling face, standing opposite him in the same room as yesterday night. Himura was trying his best to calm them down, hands raised flat in front of him, gesturing for peace.

Okita, who all but forced them to take him with, was highly amused and contented himself to watching. Everyone liked the short Shinsengumi captain, so cheerful and easy going as he was, so none complained at his arrival.

Sano tried not to smile, too; he loved antagonising Enishi and Saitou was doing only that. Souzou on the other hand, his sensei, sighed, all but exhausted by their constant bickering, following the mentality of a weary Tokio.

"We thought maybe you knew of any significance it might have," Kenshin explained.

"This is just a folk song," Okita remarked, a chuckle escaping him. "A new one, granted" he admitted "written after her highness returned to the throne, but a folk song nonetheless."

"Can I finally read it then?" Tokio demanded; Saitou obliged.

"This is the first time Shishio ever writes anything like this, though," Enishi barked at the tallest man in the room.

"Indeed; he's sent us threats a million times, his dogmas, some of the reports he stole from the Empress's men even but this...this is a first," Souzou backed him up. "Maybe it has to do with you; your arrival is the only thing that's different."

"Then why didn't he send it to us? We're right next to you." Okita countered.

Honestly, he hadn't cared for this argument, but watching Saitou chew Enishi out was worth it.

"Beats me...!"

"What am I reading exactly?"

All this time, no one had paid attention to the cleric, who was progressively intensifying her focus. Saitou became suspicious. "A new folk song."

She became restless. "When was this penned?"

"Two years ago," Kenshin informed, cautiously "with the fall of the Jade Regent."

She remained silent; the men exchanged looks. They weren't stupid, Enishi included, no matter what Saitou claimed; they could all tell this had something to do with her, or at least only she understood its significance, if she puffed up like that.

"Is this the first you hear of this, Tokio-chan?" She nodded yes, still reading. "It's very well known," he continued "I wonder how you didn't come across it while in the capital."

"...long story."

Short actually; minuscule: I was never in the capital, I just pretended to be; but that would lead to other questions so she refrained.

"Who wrote it?"

"...a foreigner."

They all watched as Tokio had to take a moment out of her life just to stand there and knead her forehead. "Dare I venture a guess it's called The Ivory Lady?"

"Yes," Saitou, was obvious from his tone, expected an answer of his own to all of her questions "that's how people call it."

"Did you figure it out, Tokio-chan?"

"May I inquire whether the end of the folk song is supposed to be as such:

Thus ends the tail
of the Ivory Lady,
head mounted on a spike,
awaiting in Purgatory."

Everyone stared shocked; Saitou grabbed it right out of her hands without warning, skimming over it again. "She's right; that's how it ends."

"Shishio has a twisted sense of humour," Souzou's disgust evident in the souring of his face.

"Thus ends the tail
of the Ivory Lady,
in the pages of history,
her feats forever unfading, is how it normally ends." Kenshin informed, head shaking. "How could we have all missed it?"

"The rest of it is the same; that's why," Saitou sounded very bitter by the fact though "he played with our expectations."

"But what does he hope to accomplish by sending us this? Does he think the Ivory Lady symbolizes your unit and his subversion of the end how he'll annihilate you?"

Tokio's smile had returned by their antics and confusion. "No, no, no; you have it all wrong. Shishio is...he is very perceptive. He figured out what all of you still haven't and wants to flaunt it, as well as scare us."

"How can you be in such a good mood about this?" Saitou protested.

"And what is it that we missed?" Enishi added.

"The message is much plainer than you give it credit for: all the man said is, he wants to see the Ivory Lady's head mounted on a spike."

The immediate clicking of everyone's tongue came, just as expected but she only smiled wider. "The Ivory Lady is a symbol, no one knows who she is," Kenshin wisely clarified.

"Shishio does," she shot back, highly entertained by their struggle.

"He can't," Souzou dismissed her.

"It isn't completely impossible," Sano was the only one on her side "the legend of the Ivory Lady must have started somewhere."

"Precisely!" She patted Sano on the back. "He knows; and I do, too."

"But you just said you've never heard of the song before." Saitou's are you kidding me, was implied.

She actually laughed now, short but boisterous. "You really don't get it, do you?" She gave all a chance to speak or maybe guess, but when none did, simply stared at her to go on, she only laughed louder. Sano seemed to get it, but not quite; shaking her head she looked at them for a short amount of time.

And then said: "I am the Ivory Lady."

Suddenly, all present seemed incapable of processing anything.

"The bard who composed this wonderful piece of literature but dreadful account of real events, is none other than Stewart Locke," ah, finally recognition shone in their eyes "one of my old party-members, who had decided to follow me when I returned; he left half a year after the throne was reclaimed. And the git never told me he wrote any of this...but I knew it's him because he always called me Ivory Lady; said it was because of my skin in contrast with the armor."

"Molded in the East,
forged in the West...of course..." Okita caught on fast, looking at her as if seeing her for the first time, as he recited the first two verses of the song. "Referring to your time spent in Avistan."

She nodded proudly.

"You are a woman of legend, Tokio-san..." Kenshin bowed his head to her as he finished his sentence.

"Tokio-san was always destined for greatness!" Enishi lauded exuberant.

"But if she's the Ivory Lady and the letter refers to her," Sano started, worried yet experiencing more clarity than ever "doesn't that mean Shishio wants to mount her head on a spike?"

The hurt, annoyed and affronted looks shot his way at his words or the lack of any tact to speak of were plenty. It was only her, in fact, who found it in her to laugh softly and pat his shoulder. Enishi twitched.

"Why do you laugh? He may be uncouth," Enishi accused Sano "but he's right."

"So?"

"He wants you dead" Enishi started losing his temper "and you'll be right there, an easy target!"

"Shi-chan," she used his old nickname for the first time; it wounded his pride a bit, but he could tell that was what she was aiming for "he wants us all dead. This is a simple intimidation tactic...that I am sad to see is working."

"But you're a woman," Souzou immediately stepped in "how could he target you so openly? So ridiculous, so...evil!"

"Maybe he only did it to rile you, ever thought of that?"

"I must say, knowing he focuses on you, I can't I approve of you going out there," Kenshin agreed "for no other reason than I know the way his mind works."

"Tokio-chan, maybe you should stick strictly to healing in the upcoming battle," Okita advised, anguish on his face as hidden as possible.

"Oh, not you, too!"

"She's right," Saitou's low, steady voice was heard "we're crippled without her."

"But, Saitou-san—"

"Saitou!"

"Hajime-san—"

"You asshole!"

Everyone had the same objection to make, in varying degrees of severity – Enishi even went as far as grabbing his collar at the front – but he was unaffected.

"Last I checked, Okita," he never even addressed the kid, just twisted the offending hand "she could take care of herself. In fact, she can take care of all of us." His eyes slid to her, to see her expression proud and satisfied. "Maybe Shishio intends for her to be at the back and this is his way to get her there; maybe he just hates her; maybe he only wants to unsettle us. No matter what, we can't just scare away; we have to trust in ourselves...and our allies."

That last part, he all but mumbled, shooting a very dark look towards Kenshin, as if daring him to ask him to repeat it. He didn't, but he had no need; that poorly concealed smile on his face was enough proof he heard him, loud and clear.

"Shishio is but one man," Tokio supported him "and one man can easily be defeated; what makes him dangerous is his army. There's strength in numbers. Let's make sure we are the same."

"Tokio-san, I know you've always been more gifted than the average person, cleric even, but this is entirely different," Enishi begged her, and those who seemed to be swayed by Saitou's words, to see reason. "Ivory Lady or not, you're only human!"

"Kid," Enishi shook with anger at being called that "she endured things that would kill ten of you; give her some credit."

"I am not staying back. In fact, in this battle, I will join the fray myself."

"You will be fighting, Tokio-chan?" She nodded; he smirked. "Oooooh, is the song true? Do you keep earthquakes in your band?"

Covering her mouth, she laughed. "No one can carry earthquakes, Okita-san..."

"Right, what am I saying?"

Then she looked at the lot of them. "If that is all on this matter, I suggest we go on other, more pressing ones: such as when do you think we should ride against him; formations; the situation with Seinaru."

"Truth be told, we discuss military plans in the evenings; we need the mornings for our city."

Saitou braced himself. "So you're telling us you brought us here, took us out of our training and briefings, for a simple piece of paper, without being fully prepared to discuss strategies once this was over?"

Kenshin nodded morosely; Saitou took a very deep, calming breath. He turned to Tokio. "Can I attack him now?"

Okita's laughter put everyone at ease, realising he was only joking...or at least, half of him was.

"You may not," she prohibited it "but I should like to take a walk about the city."

"No, Tokio-chan," Okita lamented "I promised to train with Harada-san this morning; move it to another day."

"How about I see the city today and guide you tomorrow?"

"I'd be delighted to show you—"

"Why would she want you to show her around?" Enishi stopped Souzou's proposal dead in its tracks. "She intends to meet with sister later, so I should be the natural choice."

"Forgive me, but I'd rather no one showed me around; I am capable enough to find my way, I think. I'll tend to your sister once I'm finished, yes?"

And just like that, she left.

The moment she was gone behind the door, all eyes turned to Saitou, quite unforgivingly. "If anything happens to her, it's your fault," Enishi barked at him.

"Of course; after all, a warrior riding out to war being injured is such an oddity," his sarcasm made Enishi's skin crawl "how could it not be my fault?" He shook his head. "And here I thought you put it behind you. Anyway, Okita, you go back to camp;" the man nodded "I'll follow Tokio."

"But she said she didn't need—!"

Kenshin took hold of his brother-in-law, stopping him from going after them; offended, Enishi attacked him, but Kenshin simply dodged, sighing. "Calm down, Enishi."

"Let go of me, damn it!"

"Stop being a baby, sister-complex-kun," Sano mocked him, actually poking his stomach, just to mess with him.

"She wants to go alone," Souzou tried to calm him, smacking Sano on the head for goading him. "And the stipulations say he must escort her, so..."

He relaxed enough for Kenshin to risk letting go; Enishi withdrew his hand a little too indelicately. "But I don't get Saitou, sometimes. I thought he wouldn't want her in unnecessary danger, the way he acts around her."

"Well," Okita started thoughtful "it has to do with the fact he was the first one to underestimate her abilities when she came to the unit; she humbled him and he isn't going to forget it any time soon." A smile graced his lips, one they couldn't know its reason. "He trusts her though and that is plenty for me;." He shrugged. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a certain Harada to beat."

.

"Will you wait," he called out, amused "or are you running away?"

She stopped her retreat to allow him to catch up. "Why would I do that?"

"Maybe all that talk about not being scared was just an act."

She smacked his arm, falling into step with him; he set a leisure pace which she was happy to follow. A lull of silence followed, tempered down by the sound of their feet tapping on the wooden floors. Then they reached the steps; descending them one after another, they slipped their shoes on, and then took the very long way of exploring the city.

"Thank you, Hajime," she said after some time. She sounded very appreciative and he couldn't help the small confidence boost. "That meant a lot to me."

He nodded. "That doesn't mean I'm not worried." She stopped to look at him; he did the same. "I know you can handle it, but I detest the fact he's put a target on your back."

"I understand that sentiment," she was very careful with her words and her body language "and to know you supported me anyway is even more important to me. Thank you, again." She actually bowed. "We've...come a long way."

We? "The unit you mean? Yeah, we grew even stron..."

Her soft chuckle forced him to leave his sentence unfinished. "No, Hajime, you and I. We've come a really long way." She gave him a moment to let it sink in. "I like it better like this."

He couldn't help the smirk. "And what is this?" She seemed a little confused. "How would you call it? Camaraderie; friendship; or something else entirely?"

A hitched breath; rosy cheeks and a modest smile. "Yes," was all she said, expression unreadable.

"To all?" he teased. "Don't you have to decide?"

"Yes," she repeated and now had to try very hard not to give away her thoughts.

"But you won't tell me yet," he concluded.

Her smile grew.

"Yes."

They both resigned to a self-depreciating chuckle.

Saitou took a deep breath. "Once this is over and Shishio is defeated, you and I are going to have a conversation." She sobered. "A serious, honest and long conversation." She nodded once, fully aware of what that entailed. "Till then, don't die, okay? I'd hate to have to use that orb thing you gave me."

"I promise."

She climbed on her tip toes and without warning planted a chaste, fleeting kiss somewhere on his jawline. It took him by surprise, but her smile was accepting. He sighed. "See? This is what I'm talking about. A long, long conversation."

"Anything you want."

Not much was said after that, they contented themselves to a soothing silence, one that gave them the opportunity to put their thoughts in order. It wouldn't be a big leap for him to conclude that Tokio did, in fact, harbour some feelings for him, as he'd never dared to hope before. Her teases and interest in him weren't the same brand as in Toudou or even Okita, whom she'd been far closer to, this entire journey. Her behaviour last night gave him the impression he had a chance, too.

At the same time, the news of this morning were a proper smack in the face. To think she was a person of legend; to think Shishio put it together so easily; and to think his sights, for whatever reason, held her with such intense focus, it was disconcerting. He honestly hoped he wasn't positioned anywhere near her—he wouldn't be able to take her eyes off of her and that was all but suicide, on the battlefield.

At the same time, he didn't dare disturb their status-quo before they faced off with their barbaric enemy. No matter the outcome of their fight, which she seemed to be convinced would be in their favour, he couldn't confront her if their foe wasn't defeated.

The good thing was, he held this stance with conviction and didn't bother himself with those thoughts too much, which gave him ample time to enjoy their walk about the ronins' city at her side. At first, Tokio appeared a little tormented with her own thoughts, but she easily relaxed, the more they walked and saw what the place had to offer.

In Saitou's opinion, the best thing this city had to offer was their gardens: some corralled and embellished with wooden fences and plaques, or other small structures to tell one section of flowers from the other; others completely open, a natural garden of plain, tall green grass and the occasional tree to relax under. Some held low grass and that was where the warriors of this city, those who trained in sword or bow, would practice their skill.

Tokio, on the other hand, appreciated the river most of all, and the life it offered to its residents. The part closest to the entrance of the city, was laid with beautiful rock and tile, all hand-crafted, leading to and away from bridges, extending for a long way. It served as a sight for visitors, or at least it would, if anyone knew of this place, for the long road alongside the riverbank was paved and well maintained, while sakura trees surrounded it on both sides. This time of year the blossoms had all fallen, but even so, it was still beautiful. Then came the part close to the square, brimming with local vendors who sold their stuff at small booths, like an everlasting river festival. Citizens came and went, hurrying mothers and fathers or idle teenagers; they all held something in their hands, food or trinket, or simply browsed.

Prosperous town indeed, she mused, and she couldn't help the smile that touched her lips.

The last part was the most important, the one close to the residential area. Although it didn't stop there, they had managed to create something closely resembling a riverbed, where women and men gathered to wash their clothes, draw water for a bath or even swim in it, despite the chill of the weather.

As for the romantics, small boats went up and down the river, offering them a beautiful passage, or an idyllic view for the perfect date.

"Makes you long for that city of yours, doesn't it?"

His question pulled her out of her thoughts instantly, mostly because she felt she heard her thoughts spoken aloud; her eyes raised to his, a fragile hope of understanding reflected in their depths. His smile was crooked. "Not too hard to guess what you might be thinking as you look at strangers go about their daily lives so wistfully."

She had to chuckle at that. "It shows, huh?"

"Only because I know; if I didn't, I'd just guess you really wanted to ride one of those boats." Now she had to laugh. Still, Saitou gave her no chance to speak. "But the Kamifushi mountains aren't the same: no grasslands or greenery; only slopes, cliffs and dells." Their eyes met, for a long moment. "It wouldn't be the same as this, but there are advantages in a mountain city."

"Such as?" she asked meaningfully, knowing what he was trying to do.

"Mountains have a beauty of their own; and a mountain city it's easier to maintain. Plus, you can hide and fortify much easier."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Not to mention, trade will be your main source of income thus you'll be able to preserve ties to the general community and receive news from the outside world."

She said nothing, simply smiled. He was making excellent points, but the truth of the matter was, her sights were simply too focused on exactly what she wanted, she was that particular. Time to change the subject. She never managed though, as he spoke again. "But you have already made your decision," he was careful, slow, but clear "and it isn't a favourable one."

Alright, time to really change the subject. "Actually, I do want a ride on one of those boats," she admitted, out of the blue "although I do know it's unnecessary," she assured him, trailing off.

He shrugged. "So?" Her eyes became smaller at his very nonchalant tone. "Let's."

That was not the reaction she expected; she was dumbfounded. "Bu, but I have to—"

"—tend to Tomoe, yes? We are at the far end of the other side of the city and we already saw all it has to offer since it wasn't that much; with nothing left to explore and no fixed schedule, let's take the scenic route back."

Her chin hang; she tried to object, finger raised in rejection, but she couldn't speak. Nothing of what he said was irrational. In fact, he was right: they hadn't set a time anyway; besides, this could be faster, for all she knew.

She considered. "...it wouldn't hurt."

"And the rower could easily give us some inside knowledge on anything we might have missed."

That was it; she was sold.

Beaming, she nodded wildly and allowed him to guide her to the edge of the water where one of the little boats waited, while its rower rested. "Good afternoon," Saitou made himself known to the young man who was eating his lunch with his back turned "have the time to take us up the river?"

"Oh, sure! Just give me a moment to finish my manju," he hurried to stuff it in his mouth, cleaning his hands on his clothes. Grabbing the hat, he headed to his boat. "You must be those Shinsengumi people, yes?" he asked, overtly staring at Tokio's armour and Saitou's katana.

"We are! And we just finished seeing the beauties of your wonderful city," she easily struck up conversation, carefully stepping into the small boat, in fear of it toppling. "Or at least, all we could find."

"If you're looking for the insider's knowhow, you came to the right place!"

Once both had sat down next to one another, he pushed off the bank with his paddle; the way he moved them, they jolted, shoulders colliding. Strangely enough, none was too bothered by it. Saitou remained serious, hands in his sleeves, listening to the conversation next to him; Tokio on the other hand, wouldn't stop talking to the rower, making note of a location or learning about this most peculiar haven in the middle of nowhere and how it came into existence.

By the time they arrived at their destination, Tokio had learned all there was to know about Ronin Camp! It had been a very educational half an hour they spent up on that boat and, to his surprise, a pleasant one. He had suggested this on a whim, maybe using it to spend some more time with her, but he'd feared he made a terrible mistake. And yet, her voice soothed him; the man's equally enthusiastic tone was bearable, mainly because it offered valuable information.

Watching her have a good time rubbed off on him and by the time their ride was over, his mood was better than it had ever been, in, well, many years.

"Since you lot are soldiers, I bet you'll love those narrows I told you about;" he reminded as he steadied the boat for them "visit them as soon as you get the chance, alright?"

"Yes! Thank you, Yagi-san." She put the money in his hand; after a deep bow, she followed after Saitou, who was already walking away, deeming his one nod sufficient as a goodbye. She caught the rower's surprise at his reward with the edge of her eyes and she couldn't help the smile.

"What did you give him?"

Yagi had informed them that the fee for the ride wasn't a set amount of money; each person gave what they could afford or felt the rower deserved.

Her smile grew bigger. "A ruby." His disapproval was evident, but her smile never wavered. He said nothing else for the remainder of their walk to Tomoe's residence.

"The Himura residence," she corrected amused, standing in front of the quaint dwelling, savouring a little too much of the old style of Minkai. In fact, all of the ten houses in this part of the city were the same. "Let's go inside."

"I'll wait outside."

"Oh?"

"She's pregnant; feels wrong."

She shrugged. "I am certain Tomo-chan wouldn't mind you entering, but do whatever you want."

When he didn't move, his intentions became clear; he gave a nod and ascended the small steps, leading to the entrance. She knocked; waited; then the door was drawn open by Tomoe herself who bowed deeply, allowing her in.

"What are you doing standing here?"

Ah, the kid; why was he not surprised? "Waiting for Tokio."

An eyebrow raised. "Out here?"

"I don't make a habit out of bothering pregnant women." Dumbfounded, Enishi moved. "I suggest you do the same and wait out here; it hasn't been long we came."

"She's my sister," he spelled out for him.

"Thus, not your wife."

In a rare show of compliance and acceptance of his misconceptions, Enishi looked away from the man, but came to stand beside him. Though the way he wore his clothes offered little room to put one's hands in one's sleeves, he did it anyway.

"I came here to ask you to attend the meeting; Himura is ready."

"Once she comes out, we'll head there."

An awkward brand of silence drifted all around them. Saitou was used to the quiet, but it appeared the young man next to him was most decidedly not. He kept opening his mouth to say something, only to change his mind and close it back up; then he would fidget, crumble the fabric between his fingers or bite the inside of his cheek. Saitou tried hard to ignore him, but he was almost abuzz.

After the hundredth failed attempt to speak, Saitou snapped. "Out with it already."

"Do you...do you know if..."

He stopped; whatever it was, he couldn't say it. But if he was looking for sympathy, he lucked out, for Saitou felt his temper rising and turned to glare at the younger man. Adequately prompted, Enishi took a very deep breath and hurriedly asked "do you know if Tokio-san is attached to anyone?"

A long, uncomfortable moment of silence stretched; for what felt like an eternity, none of the two people would react in any way. But then the moment was gone and Saitou burst out laughing!

"Why are you laughing? Just because she's unwed, doesn't mean she can't be attached."

"Kid, get your mind off your sister, concentrate on being a good uncle and find a girl to distract you; that's what you need. Not running after a woman six years your senior, just because your sister loves her."

Enishi changed three colours, none of them stemmed from anger though; it was pure shame and awkwardness for being treated so lightly by another man, almost a decade older than him. The simple fact there was not a malicious bone in his suggestion, drove the point home all the more, making Enishi truly feel like a child.

"That's not true! I love Tokio-san just as ardently all on my own."

"But you're still a kid and she won't see you as anything else."

"You just say that because you want her for yourself."

He chuckled good-naturedly. "I'd tell you the same even if I didn't. Just find a girl your age to associate with; or even a couple of years older, if you're really into older women, but you're still fifteen; more than two years a difference it's too much."

Enishi blinked. "You're not even going to deny it?"

"Deny what?"

"That you want her for yourself?"

"No. Why? Should I?" Enishi was flabbergasted; Saitou merely shook his head. "Listen kid, maturity is important and sometimes isn't tied strictly to age. Take your brother-in-law for example; you think he went around asking your sister's friends if she'd have him or if she was available?"

Subconsciously, Enishi nodded no.

"Exactly. When I was sixteen, I didn't sit around, wondering whether Yaso would have me or not, I went ahead and asked her." A snort. "I hope this serves to show how immature you are and, instead of asking Tokio to go out with you the moment you see her again, you think about what I said."

"No one asked for your advice; both you and Himura stick your nose in where it doesn't belong..."

Although he did not appreciate being likened to the Battousai, he didn't comment. "You did ask something, giving me a chance to say all of these." When he pouted in response, Saitou nearly laughed again. "All I'm saying is, your sister and future niece or nephew, deserve a better version of you. I've been a younger brother to a beautiful sister, I know what it feels like. So, take it from me, you're way past overreacting."

Despite shooting him a resentful glare, Enishi said nothing. Ten minutes later, when the women came out, he still said nothing, other than warm words of greeting to both. Tomoe laughed in her hand then.

"Did Saitou-san keep you out, Enishi?"

"He did," the brother barked.

"Amazing," Tokio remarked "we found one who defeated Enishi's stubbornness."

"Not much of a battle..." Tokio's disapproval made him cough and clear his throat. "We are requested in the war room."

"Himura sent me to find you," Enishi supplemented.

"It's Kenshin," Tomoe corrected in that calm tone of hers.

"Whatever."

"Then let us go; see you tomorrow, Tomo-chan."

"Tokio-sama."

The walk back was awkward to say the least. She was situated between the two men, who did nothing but try to assert themselves as silently as possible. Enishi was all but posturing, either to impress her or scare Saitou, but none seemed to work. Thus, he was left preening like a peacock and they had to watch him slowly realise what he did was useless yet too stubborn to give it up. Cool and unaffected, Saitou paid no attention to him; it almost felt like he was the one leading the party, too, despite being the "guest". That's what a good spatial memory does for you, she supposed, for she always had trouble orienting herself.

Once they arrived in the meeting room, they saw Kenshin and Souzou waiting for them, in the presence of the effeminate-looking young man from yesterday as well as Okita.

"This is Shinomori Aoshi," Kenshin introduced him immediately "he and Okina used to be the Regent's spies."

"It's been five years we ran," Aoshi informed "the moment we found out who the Regent truly was."

"That explains the outfit," Okita quipped, putting in words exactly what the other two thought.

"At least he stopped fighting for the Regent before the future Empress showed," Souzou snubbed "unlike some."

"The Shinsengumi never fought for the Regent," Okita clarified, before Saitou became visibly upset "we fought for law and order. Ain't our fault if some believed the only way to oppose a dictator was by wreaking havoc."

"You must have done something to give people the impression you were affiliated with the Regent," Kenshin contradicted.

"Ameiko recognised them as friendly to her cause," Tokio cut in "we'll leave it at that. I don't care about your common past, if it affects relations now."

"Forgive me, Tokio-san, you are correct," Kenshin conceded, a small bow accompanying his words. "Let's focus on the matter at hand."

"Our spies in Seinaru Heikiko inform us there will be trouble to come from there. Their trading post is completely taken over by Shishio and his men; they use it to store all the superfluous goods from their raids, as well as a solid link between the mountain and the grasslands. Officials who were linked with the Regent have taken quite the liking to Shishio, seeing him as a second coming of sorts."

"Maniacs," Tokio declared.

"The worst part of it is we have something more tangible than tolerance to fear from them: it is rumoured they will gladly lend their strength to him, should an all-out scuffle between us take place."

"They'll go that far?" Okita spat.

"Even with our presence looming over them?" Saitou asked, a calculative look in his eyes.

"Yes. Representatives of her Highness or not, they don't care."

"If that's the case," a smirk appeared on his lips "I believe paying them a visit is a must."

"Saitou-san," Okita drawled "didn't you hear the nice spy? They want us dead; they'll gladly set up a trap for us."

"We won't go unannounced," he continued, words full of double meanings that only few seemed to grasp, namely Tokio and Kenshin, who chuckled and sighed respectively.

"That's a risky venture," the short man warned "and might not end the way you want it."

"But if we send a formal letter, signed with the Majesty's authority, they'll have no way around it—they'll have to accept they were aware we were the representatives of her will. Thus, any steps they take against us, they take against her."

"That's all well and good," Kenshin objected "but there is no chance all sixty of you are going to be accepted; and if you think they can't make five or six people disappear and claim it was an accident, you are too naive."

"There'll be no need for so grand a number," Saitou coolly confirmed "we only need her, him and myself."

"Right," Okita finally understood "small, mobile and agile."

"Her word carries weight with the court, too," Saitou continued "so if she says we have been attacked, she won't be challenged."

"And if we manage to lure them into attacking us, we'll have ample reason to forcefully take over the post, establish a second base of operations." Tokio's eyes shone as she turned to the spy. "What do your men say about the populace in concern of Shishio?"

"Against, crushing majority; but they have no say what the rich and powerful do. They won't fight for them, if that's what you're asking, that's not one of the dangers. But, the few who would, they cannot stop either."

"That poses no threat," Okita waved him away "they will be flushed out when we go to them."

"I am in favour of this plan," Souzou admitted "but I should hate to leave them unescorted. How about one of us joins them?"

"I will do it," Kenshin volunteered immediately "I am the most skilled."

"Pardon me, Kenshin-san, but having two Shinsengumi men and adding you to the mix, feels wrong," Tokio joked "besides, seeing you are the perceived leader of the ronin, it'd be wiser to bring someone lower level. I would suggest someone unarmed even, to pose no visible threat, but who is good with his fists."

"That would be Sano," Souzou immediately referred "kid's nearly as good with his fists as he's with a greatsword."

"Then we found the perfect candidate." She seemed satisfied. "I'll pen the letter tonight; it will be sent tomorrow morning. A reply will arrive the day after tomorrow at the latest, if they know what's best for them. The morning after that, the five of us will be there."

"Sano will be ready," Souzou assured.

"Unless either side has any breakthroughs or emergencies, until word from Seinaru arrives, I suggest we leave each other alone, to formulate our plans," Saitou worded his order as a suggestion.

"Or explore your lovely, scenic city in the company of our ambassador of good will!" Okita added as an option.

The way Saitou rolled his eyes told them all he thought about that; Kenshin tried not to smile. "You need no permission, so long as your conduct is appropriate."

"You bet!"

"Then let's take a break from each other for now." Kenshin agreed whole-heartedly. "Tokio-san, you will continue visiting my Tomoe, yes?"

"Of course," she nearly took offense he had to ask "and if there are any remaining wounded or sick, please send them my way."

They exchanged bows and the Shinsengumi was on their way.

.

.

"That sure was fast of them, though," Okita mused out loud, as they were having their five minute break. "To think it took them precisely one afternoon to reply."

"That only serves to show you how determined they are to get rid of us," Saitou commented, morbidly amused, once he had finished swallowing his bite.

"The higher ups are rotten to the core," Sano darkly muttered, eating his own ration from his spot on the ground.

"Most, yes; but not all form of authority suffers from the same problems, Sano-chan."

The boy cringed. "Don't ever call me that again; it sounds wrong." Then he sobered. "And you're wrong; I've never met a person who had power and didn't serve their own purpose first and foremost."

"Where did you grow up, Sano-chan?"

He glared at her for calling him that again, but pushed past it. "I'm from a small, rural village in the Hiyosai province," he mumbled, looking down, hands on his knees.

Recognition shone in her eyes. "The Hiyosai province is well-known for it's silk...as well as the terrible men who ran its trade."

"Exactly," he spat, never looking up "they ran simple men to the ground, taking advantage of weaknesses and how they are the representatives of the throne, so, they intimidate, any action against them is treason."

"I have heard of their ruthlessness; when did you leave?"

"I was still a child..."

"Maybe you'll be a little happier to find out her highness has managed to temper them down significantly."

But he didn't seem convinced, nor caring. "Either the Regent or her Highness makes no difference."

"Kid," Saitou gave a warning, but Sano ignored it.

"They are only one person; how can one person know what's right for everyone, everywhere? This system forced upon us is flawed; the people should decide for the people, not some strangers in a foreign place..."

Tokio looked at him impressed; Saitou groaned, remembering a conversation he had with the cleric not too long ago. She too expressed such revolutionary concepts, to his chagrin.

"Sano-chan," Okita started, upbeat as usual "never speak of such things in front of people you don't know well; you never know who might be listening."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he fired up immediately.

"Ronin or not, if you think the highness doesn't have her own agents mixed in with the lot of you, you are mistaken," Saitou explained calmly. He had finished his own ration and was simply resting, thus was quicker to stand firmly between the short man and the tall boy. "And you speak of things that, should someone feel like scoring points with her highness, sound like treason."

"Are you saying you are going to turn me in?"

What was it with the fifteen-year-olds in this camp that saw fit to grab Saitou by the front of his clothes? Sighing, he twisted this boy's hand to let go and wearily answered "I couldn't care less about you. Trouble usually comes from within, in such cases."

"It was just a piece of advise, Sano-chan," Okita pouted "no need to be violent."

"Sano-chan, you have a long life ahead of you," Tokio put her hand on his shoulder, effectively calming him "and if you play your cards right, we might yet see amazing things from you. Make sure to trust the right people."

"We should be going now though," Okita reminded everyone "we rested enough. Next stop, the city of Seinaru; and may Shizuru be with us!"

Saitou repeated the wish; Tokio made a quick prayer to Qi Zhong, too and they were ready to leave.

It took them another couple of hours to reach their destination; it was an uneventful trip, despite being watched the entire time—or at least from the moment they passed the Shouchi river and forward. When they saw the officials and their muscle waiting for them at the gates, they were certain. Probably so these people could properly lay their traps.

Good thing Tokio had warded the four of them against most evils with her divine magic—though she did warn them that physical traps, such as spikes and the like would be almost exclusively up to them and there were few things she could do. But that was alright, all three men had honed reflexes. Sano, maybe, she'd have to keep an extra eye on.

Their welcome was warm and sickening; sycophants, with their saccharine words, their too-friendly manners and reaching hands. They offered them food and drink, too, which they accepted, after a nod from Tokio, and then, the oddest thing happened.

They offered them a place to stay.

That was too suspicious, to say the least, considering they had turned away all of her highness's diplomats prior to this, for one reason or the other.

"Masters, wait here by the fire, won't you," one of the servants asked them, as he led all four into a spacious room, mostly bare for its size: a fireplace at the far end, with two luxurious armchairs facing it. On the walls, pictures of great victories or successful hunts were painted with bold brushstrokes of all colours. There was a table just at the left, by the entrance that held nothing on it. The rest of the room was empty, but the large carpet on the floor.

And yet, their eyes could not be fooled: this room used to be choke-full of furnishes and other embellishments both on the floor and the walls. There were places where the paintings' colours were more vibrant than others, as well as patches on the floor where the wood was more polished or the impressions on the carpet that existed without something currently weighing it down...

"We'll come get you the moment your rooms are ready."

The four people looked between themselves, satisfyingly on the same page.

"Of course," Tokio spoke for all and nodded for them to head towards the fireplace, which they did until the door closed behind them.

Then, they immediately grabbed the two chairs and brought them together, dragging them to the middle of the room. If they had taken such pains to empty this room so their precious furnishings wouldn't be destroyed along with them, that meant they were first of all, cheap and secondly, already underestimating them, thinking they wouldn't notice something so basic.

Another good thing was they hadn't asked them to leave their weapons behind. That only meant whatever they'd be facing would be something completely different than a dozen of armed men, but Tokio didn't mind; she had taken great pains to insure none of them would be vulnerable to elemental damage, such as fire and so on so forth.

But Sano was sharp: he was the first one to reach for anything to keep the two armchairs together to form a solid wall to hide behind; prompted, Saitou grabbed the rope and with Sano's help they had formed their little fort. The three men rushed behind it, barely fitting them, but they still managed, as Tokio made sure the door was locked and they were indeed trapped.

"Tokio-chan, quickly now!"

Saitou reached out for her; at the same time, a buzzing was generated and all four of them turned to the fire place alarmed. Whatever this was, it was coming; she had no time to take shelter. Oh well...this was why she cast all those energy-resisting spells. She dived! Using her shield to protect herself from the upcoming disaster, she lay on the floor, a good two metres behind them.

They braced themselves.

The buzzing turned into a roar and a second later, fire erupted! It surrounded them in a flash, all encompassing and suffocating. It burnt bright and hot, incinerating the armchairs. But as fast as it came, it left. It dissipated just as abruptly, leaving only smoke and ashes behind it, to prove its short existence. It had originated from the fireplace, as they calculated, and it was indeed a trap, set for their sake alone.

"Is everyone alright?"

"...yeah," Sano admitted gobsmacked "I am unharmed, somehow."

"I saw the fire lick my arms, too," Okita stated just as awestruck, inspecting his hands "but not a single burn left behind. Whatever it was you did, Tokio-chan, it worked too well."

"This is mid-level stuff," Tokio huffed for the umpteenth time in her career with them "it shouldn't be such a novelty to you two."

"Whatever it is, it helped; but if that," Saitou showed the fireplace with his thumb "keeps happening, I bet even your magic won't be able to save us. Let's get a move on."

He dusted himself down, pulling Tokio to her feet who was too busy complaining about them to stand on her own. His eyes held warning and displeasure, two emotions Sano did not seem to accept or appreciate that showed up the particular moment.

"What are you glaring at her for?"

"She knows," he simply said and headed for the door. "We should try opening it."

"I'll do it!" Okita exclaimed. "I learnt how to pick locks three years ago; I've been practicing."

"Just hurry up; if there's another burst of fire—"

Saitou didn't get to finish his sentence; a breath of cold served as the only warning of the upcoming wave of frost that hit them! Thick as a blizzard and sharp as ice, it descended upon them with ferocity!

"Fuck! That was cold damn it!"

"Language!" Tokio scolded Sano.

"It was nearly as cold as it was meant to be;" Saitou observed "Tokio, what sort of resources did you spend on us?"

"For the love of Qi Zhong, these are typical spells! Mid-level, typical spells; Okita are you quite done with that lock?" she asked impatient.

"I'm afraid my tool froze onto the lock itself; I can't do anything."

"Stand aside," was all the warning Saitou gave before he kicked at the door with a vengeance!

"Yes!" Okita triumphed. "It yielded!"

"Let's go, quickly, before the burst of electricity!"

Tokio had just finished saying it, shoving people out the door, when the cracking sound of thunder was heard. Not even a second later the, the currents followed! Thankfully, they were already out the door by that time, making a run for it.

"What the hell?"

"Catch them!"

"How did they even escape?"

There were six guards on standby who did nothing but fumble with their spears or ran into one another as they tried to give chase; it was obvious they were underestimated, to think they had given them no direction on the chance they managed to escape. But that was even better; now they could escape faster and deliver the good news to their allies sooner.

A deafening sound pierced their ears; they had to fight with themselves not to cover up, but keep running. "Was that the alarm?"

"It's safe to assume so, kid, yeah."

"Tokio-chan, can you do something about it?" She shook her head. "Then what do we do?"

"Keep running; we'll face each challenge as it comes—wow!"

Just as they rounded the corner, Okita almost ran into a sword! With an impressive move, he fell to his knees, sliding down to avoid it.

"They're here!" the offender shouted loud enough to be heard by the rest of his comrades; he couldn't avoid the punch in the face Sano sent his way though. "Uh...!"

In the blink of an eye, the three men had him surrounded, just as Tokio started casting her spell; the moment his reinforcements arrived, seven people from the side of the corridor they were running towards, she unleashed it! As if by divine providence, light appeared and struck them down all at once but each individually! Screams of pain filled the air, followed by some other, dramatic moans.

"I...I can't see! I can't see!"

"I can't see, either!"

Panic seized them, looking blindly left and right, fumbling with their swords and shields. Surprisingly, though the four of them who were washed down by the same light, none had anything happen to them.

"The loss of your sight is a testimony to your sins;" Tokio's voice cut in and everyone stood ramrod straight "the pain you feel is caused by the sepsis in your heart. Those who serve a noble cause, a just and good cause, don't feel the burn of this searing light. Ask yourselves, what purpose do you serve? What lord? If the answer leaves you unsatisfied, then try to change yourselves. If not, I have plenty more of these, to teach you the lesson. Now," she touched their foreheads one by one, as they all whimpered, unable to swat her away "take the light back in your eyes and as you gaze upon me, decide on your path: repent for your sins or keep fighting us, to whatever end?"

All eight men were honestly confounded when they saw their eyesight returning with her touch; shaken, they looked at each other for a long, tense moment; they might have been frightened but the awe was palpable. Then, the one who had initiated the fight, let his sword drop hands raising in defeat; the rest followed instantly, disarming themselves with haste.

"Keep the shields," she advised "and use them to make your own escape."

They needn't telling twice.

A smile reached Tokio's lips and reached down to collect their weapons. "We'll need them in our fight against Shishio, so I'll take them with us; these are certainly magical, good swords..."

When she turned to look at them, they all had a different expression of appreciation and surprise on their faces, with Sano being the absolute cutest, chin hanging open, cheeks turning rosier by the second. "Yes?"

"Wh...at was that? Did you really gave them their eyesight back with a simple touch? How? Are you not human?"

He rushed to catch up with the rest, seeing he was the only one left hanging back. But her laughter was short and hidden behind her hand, as she tried to stay undetected. "I might have overplayed my hand; that spell I used causes temporary blindness, but they didn't know that. I did. And, you know Sano-chan, I'm a cleric; this is what clerics do: try and put people on the right path."

"But you were right about how it affects you only if you're a bastard," Okita half-observed, half-asked "right?"

"Yes, only non-good people are hurt by it and only evil people receive the full burnt of it." A smirk. "It's good to know everyone's heart is in the right place."

"I know I've said this before," Saitou started begrudgingly "but if you could always do shit like this, maybe you should have done them from the beginning."

She smirked wider. "That was not my purpose."

"It is now, though so whatever it is you can do, Tokio-chan, keep doing it."

"Aye," she assured and they kept making their way to freedom.

It hadn't been five minutes, they ran into their next opponent.

This one, they were sure they wouldn't scare away with a spell and some pretty words—they had to fight. For the towering, muscled man in all-black traditional Japanese full body armor stood right in front of them, intent clear when his katana, twice as big, was already drawn. The only visible part of him was his eyes, deep blue and ominous.

Saitou stared down his opponent in defiance, taking his stance. His own sword was drawn.

"I got this." was all he said.

Next second, he kicked off the ground! Launching himself against the black samurai, their blades clashed...! Only for the man to fail to block and watch helpless as the blade found an opening in his armour and slashed; blood sprayed, as Saitou drew the sword in a flawless arc. Furious, the black samurai stroke back! Saitou did his best to avoid the hit, but the reach of this weapon was ridiculous! It grazed his sides unforgivingly and he still had to twist his body to avoid the worst of it. A whistle and Saitou felt the small hair at the back of his neck standing straight; instinctively, he knew to bend his knees and sweep his head right. Some of his hair was cut, but thankfully, the head remained intact.

"This is your last stand; today is the day you die," the black samurai taunted, even as he missed his attack. "Say your prayers fast."

"Goddess Shizuru," he started; then he disappeared.

The black samurai felt his entire body electrified, a feeling of impending doom overwhelming. He turned around to block, but there was no one there. Instead, he felt a piercing pain from his left, rendering him unmoving for an entire second...which was all it took for Saitou to aim better and bury his sword deep in the neck crevice of his opponent's armour.

"Ugh...!"

The black samurai would have screamed if he could, but he must have found his voice box or a lung and nothing but a gargle came out, pathetic and weak.

"Thank you for keeping watch over me. May you rule forever in the heavens." As the light left those bright blue orbs, he took his katana out of the man's body, causing another fountain of blood; annoyed, he dodged the most of it, wiping his blade clean. "Let's go."

"You're all so ruthless," Sano commented something between inspired and incredulous.

"If you've been in the trade long enough, you know what to do," Saitou admitted as they all took to the halls once again.

"With adequate experience, you'll see that sometimes ruthlessness is at the same time a precious mercy;" he winked "stick with us long enough and you'll soon be an expert, Sano-chan."

At the same time, Tokio was inspecting Saitou's wounds, but he shrugged her off easily. "Don't waste resources just for this," he waved her off "it's just a scratch."

"A little deep for a scratch," Sano noticed.

"Yes, but still, just a scratch."

"As you wish," Tokio gave in "it isn't serious."

"You know at a glance?"

Sano kept being amazed at everything and it brought her a sense of joy. "One of the spells I cast on you before we went through the gates, allows me to keep track of your every condition. It was a precaution."

"You really do have an answer for everything," Saitou sounded nearly desperate "Shizuru have mercy on us."

That palace they put them in was a regular maze; so many rooms, hallways, balconies and storage places, they could barely navigate! It was no wonder it took them another half hour to find the exit...which was swarmed by men in studded leather armour and naginata in their hands. Twelve, in fact, while the ones who welcomed them in the city where nowhere to be found – they'd probably already ran away from the building, the cowards – .

The moment both sides took one another in, processing the information, they spurred into action! But no matter what the others tried to do, paled in comparison to Tokio's plan: slam the doors closed and run back a good distance!

"Stay where you are; draw your swords and get into position; Sano, let them come to you. And be ready for a fight."

"But why did you close the door?" Sano was still curious.

"Because now they'll have to waist precious time to open the door and we'll be the ones expecting them. Plus, this is a narrow corridor, barely three metres wide; they won't be able to align themselves and hit you from all sides—we have the advantage."

"Basic strategic maneuvers, kid."

"Like I said before," Okita teased "stay with us, Sano-chan, and you'll be an expert before you know it!"

"But why aren't they coming?"

"They are expecting us to come back out," Saitou explained.

Okita smirked. "And once sufficient time has passed, they'll start worrying we are looking for another way out; thus, half of them will come bursting in while the rest will wait outside—or better yet, leave for that other way out and let us be."

"And even if all stay, six at a time is far better than twelve," Tokio finished, shrugging, having just finished her spells. "Now, be prepared." she performed a last one and that hit all of them at the same time. "Perfect; but stay sharp."

Their "come out!"s and their threats stopped; she could picture them looking between themselves, hesitating and nodding silently, uncertain of what the right course of action should be. She moved closest to the door, its height away, and raised her mace. If they were comrades, fought more than five times together, then they'd finally make up their minds right...about...now!

The door shook off its hinges and fell on the floor! Two by two, eight men stormed inside, charging towards them. When they found them all lined up and waiting for them, they took some pause, but not enough to stop their ferocity.

It was a shame, really; Tokio didn't want to kill anyone. But, if they came for blood, there was nothing she could do but offer it right back. The moment the first man was in range, her hand came down! The mace found the man right at the face, knocking him backwards! The one behind him managed not to fall to the ground by a hair; instead, he jumped over his comrade, away from the cleric, heading straight for the only one without a weapon drawn. The man next to the first fallen soldier turned on her easily, swinging his sword wildly. She simply angled her body to the right, sword clanking on her black armour uselessly.

The fourth man sidestepped her entirely, too, aiming for Sano as well. Who, by all intents and purposes, was doing great with his opponent! He had gotten hit, but it was obvious it was nearly as serious as one would have thought; the hit, in fact, only served to anger him, a terrible cry escaping him, his aura turning even wilder. With a strong right hook connecting right on the guy's nose, he caused more damage than was inflicted upon him! The second punch found his opponent at the side of his face, substantial damage in the books.

But that second man was about to ambush him. Okita saw right through him though, and his sword descended upon him, hitting him right at the sides, stopping the attack dead in its tracks.

"That's not very polite," he taunted then, smile infuriating as usual "he's the youngest. Attack me first, I'm the oldest." A second swing followed, blood spraying in a morbid fountain.

"Aaaaaaah!"

The sixth man had reached Saitou, followed closely by the seventh, while the fifth had been stricken down by the cleric's mace. They didn't have time even to react; he moved; two gushes appeared on number six, gurgling blood; then number seven felt the stab in the gut and fell forward. "What...in the name of our lord and general are you people?"

"Pissed," Saitou answered, just as he reappeared, flicking the excess blood off of his blade.

The eighth and last member of the first wave, was cut down by Tokio, as she made her third and final attack. The only ones left standing, the one fighting Sano and the second guy who came Saitou's way, where soon dispatched by a coordinated, team effort.

"Four left," Okita warned as Sano was about to lower his fists.

"From the looks of it, we can just sit back and let her handle it," Sano commented, gesturing to the cleric. "She took three people out, one hit each; why were we needed again?"

"Get used to it, kid," Saitou mumbled, a little annoyed, yet a little proud, but she simply shook her head.

"If you knew better, you wouldn't be saying that. Oh, here they come!"

Only one slipped past her defenses; he was quickly dispatched by a bored Saitou. "Is that all they have to offer us?"

"Um, no, I don't think so," Tokio answered thoughtful, as they all moved to the exit "the convoy of horses I see out there, running away in a haste, I am guessing is the rest of what we have to fear."

"Fearsome indeed," Okita mocked "their retreating backs is a sight to behold."

"Wait; does that mean the remainders of the Shishio-friendly faction just booked it?" They all nodded and Sano gaped. "They are going to the trading post to fortify themselves!"

"Relax, kid; that was our purpose from the very beginning.

"Indeed!" Okita hit him on the back for encouragement. "Flush them out and take over the trading post to make it a base of operations. Should that happen, you won't even need to see us anymore, other than the last battle."

"Why?"

"We'll set up camp there, you idiot," Saitou scolded him; Sano's nostrils flared.

"I'm not an idiot!"

"Can we please go back and report now?" Tokio stopped the fight before it really gained traction. "I have so many things to do, my head hurts."

"Touchy, priestess."

Tokio hit Saitou with her shield out of spite; Sano truly appreciated her for the first time.

.

.

It was so easy to take over the trading post.

Once Hijikata was briefed and her highness was made aware of the situation – that Tokio didn't describe in full detail, in fear not to upset her for no reason now that she's with child – the decision to take it back was reached instantly. With their sixty strong, even without the ronins' help, they would have made it with no real sweat; but since they did help, the siege was ten times easier and over the same day.

The men behind the walls were too few to compare and too panicked to pose a real threat. They were all either killed in battle or apprehended by the Shinsengumi, who had already gathered their things and moved them close to the trading post. Then, twenty men – twice as many as the prisoners – under Nagakura's command, escorted the officials and their closest lackeys back to Seinaru to await trial. All but Nagakura and two more would return to the trading post; the captain would stay in the city to function as a ruler, in the absence of the real, traitorous one and the men would make sure the snakes didn't slither away. Of course, he would participate in the battle against Shishio, but till then he'd stay back and be informed through missives.

One of the biggest upsides to this victory was the loot!

Or, as Hijikata preferred to put it, the spoils of war. Shishio had a lot of emergency provisions in this small enclosed space, barely fitting all of the Shinsengumi in its bowels, be it in money, jewels, rations, or weapons. With this, there would be a surge of money in both close cities, Seinaru and Ronin Camp, as they were certainly going to trade with both, in preparation of the upcoming battle.

"Did you really find all this equipment in there?" one of the merchants in Seinaru asked them, dumbfounded. "This is high spec; in fact, I can recognise the craftsmanship on this one and it suspiciously resembles one of our own. Good crafter, steady hand; and fast! She can forge anything skillfully and swiftly."

Harada was confused. "So, this was stolen from her?"

"Oh, no," the man waved them away "she never made any mention. But maybe you should go meet her; she could have weapons or armour you are interested in. And with all the money you've been milking from me, you'll have enough to pay her."

"Let's go meet this person."

If she was being honest, she expected a dwarf and not this slip of a person, a halfling, hacking away over her furnace, sweat visible on her forehead.

"Greetings, my name is Takagi Tokio. We heard you are the most skilled crafter around thus came to see what you can sell to us."

"I've everything," she said in a heavy accent, amber eyes flicking to her wares all around, never stopping labouring over her project "from bucklers to greatswords. Take yer pick."

"Are we allowed to look around, then?" Okita asked cheery.

"Well, I ain't standing, am I? Look all ya like; just don't touch anything."

"Yessir~!"

That look she gave him, Saitou understood completely.

"Madam," Tokio started but the way the woman cringed made her stop. "How may I call you?"

"Teru's the name," she wiped sweat off her forehead with her elbow, short green hair gluing as a result.

"Teru-san, I'd like you to take a look at my armour; it has suffered a lot these past months and I haven't been able to take proper care of it."

Teru's eyes flickered to her; they widened but a fraction, truly seeing Tokio for the first time, and put the sword she was forging to rest for a moment. She stood. "Is that really an adamantine full plate armour in mah shop?"

The way she closed in on her, fixated on the material caused her to take a small step back. "Yes?"

"...I see it's enchanted;" she said, although she had her hands all over the material, feeling its rough texture, its sharp edges "I am good with magical items."

"Perfect."

"Take it off; I'll work on it as soon as I finish this sword. You can come pick it up tomorrow, bright an' early."

"That's great to hear!"

Saitou clicked his tongue. "No it isn't; you've nothing to change into."

"I don't mind," Harada interjected then, as he was inspecting an impressively carved elven longbow.

"I don't mind, either," Okita lightly added from the side, eyes never leaving the katana he was staring at.

"I do," Saitou retorted and there was no disputing him. "But there are shops that sell clothes; go buy some. Okita'll come with you, bring over the armour."

"Oh come on."

"Shut up, Harada."

"If ye're done measurin', I'mma need a bunch'a' diamond dust," she said the last part to Tokio "about five thousand. Go fin' that...too...are ya kiddin' me?"

When Tokio immediately produced the ingredient, obviously knowing the amount from past repairs, the woman seemed almost pissed. "Ya have it on ya?"

Tokio nodded, amused. "Can't afford to let things to chance; take the dust for now and I'll be back in ten-...twenty minutes tops."

"Sure," Teru gave in, looking amazed. Once Tokio and Okita left, taking a bow at the same time, the smith turned to Saitou. "Never seen that much money pulled out so casually 'fore, it gave me palpitations. Have you?" Both men nodded no. "Deep pockets, that chick o'yours..."

"Tokio-san is amazing for many more reasons than her fortune."

"'s the one that matters ta me, though." she tried to come to terms with the fact she was now holding a pouch worth so much. "If ya need anythin' else, please, look around; even if somethin's too expensive for ya, I've a feelin' she can spot you a golden piece or two."

Approximately an hour later, and not the twenty minutes she had claimed, they returned; when Harada pointed it out, Okita grew defensive, saying how everyone was out to get him and his great fashion sense. After bickering for some time, the armour was finally put on the only bare mannequin in her smithery.

"It's fortified," Tokio noted before they left "heavily."

The woman's eyes sparkled. "A'right! I'mma work on this all day an' night!"

"How much will it cost? Maybe we can include it in our deal," Saitou offered, and then promptly explained the deal to those who were missing: all new armour would be purchased from here, including shields, and any weapons in need of maintenance passed through here.

"Ain't happenin', mate; chick just dissed out five thousand like it was nothin'. Lemme make some profit off of her, she can handle it."

With Tokio's discreet laugh serving as the okay, they all left, bickering, to head to their camp, until the cleric informed them she'd be visiting the ronin. Saitou's tongue clicked. "Let me guess, you don't want to leave your patient unattended, even for a day." Her smile was guilty. "Fine; let's go associate with Himura's wife."

"She was my friend long before she ever met Himura-san, Hajime," she protested "I'd thank you not to refer to her as such."

"Sorry, you're right: let's go associate with your irresponsible, love-sick childhood friend."

"You're insufferable. And if you mind her so much, you can always not come."

He snorted. "As if...! And I never said I minded her; I think she's very proper."

Clicking her tongue, she let out a tired "of course, proper; your favourite character trait..."

As they became smaller and smaller, going the opposite direction from the other two captains, their banter got lost in the wind and distance. Harada turned to Okita then, knowing he wouldn't be heard, perplexed. "Okita-san, do you ever get the feeling of being someone's child again, although you're too old and they too young for that?"

Okita looked at him; then the retreating couple. He repeated the motion a couple of more times until he deadpanned "yes." But then he reconsidered. "Actually, no; you're not the child, they just act...old...er."

"Parents-age older."

"Yeah; the way they go on and on about things you'd say they've been married for twenty years but no; they aren't even twenty five years old." A moment passed. "Huh."

"What was your mother's name, Okita-san?"

"Chiyo."

"I like that name; my father's was Shunsuke." A glint in his eyes. "And from now on, that's what we call them. It'll drive them mad."

"That is the stupidest, craziest, bravest idea you've ever had; I love it! Let's."

When they came back that afternoon, both people were left wondering what happened, when everyone referred to them with names different than their own. Tokio went as far to check for any active spells or curses, but nothing.

.

"Chiyo-chan~! Hijikata-san wants to see you."

"Will you stop calling me that?" It fell on deaf ears. She went to the vice commander disappointed. "You asked for me, Hijikata-sama?"

"I heard you are to head to Seinaru today again."

"Need my armour back; I gave it for maintenance."

"Then take the carriage—and two more men; we have some things we need to take to her and many to take from her."

"As you wish. But I won't return with them, I'll visit Ronin Camp."

"Yes, I know; your pregnant friend Tomoe." He waved her away. "But since you'll make the trip, deliver this to Himura." He threw her a sealed scroll. "News from her Majesty for their eyes only. But stay until after he reads it; if it's anything bad, I wanna know."

"Yes, yes, I am no idiot...I'll be going."

It cost her seven thousand to fix her armour; five in diamond dust, one for the wizard Teru contracted and one for her. Really expensive, but, oh well, she could afford it; better give something back. Changing into her armour, helped by the woman whose eyes were still sparkling every single time they fell upon her black cocoon. The men with her, dumped about thirty swords at the crafter's doorstep, but took most of her stock in armour, so she didn't complain. In fact, it was a great deal for Teru, with the only downside being, she had to prioritise them before anyone else. After all, Shishio had no schedule. He could choose to attack at any moment.

Although, after the disaster he suffered with the trading post, it'd take him a little while to replenish. Of course, he could always choose to make a surprise attack to take back what was his, but even for him that was too risky. His actions might seem random, but if one stepped back, they'd see the pattern: strike at the most profitable caravans or where most fear would be generated. His moves were ridiculously calculated, in fact, especially since he made it feel so random.

"We stopped two raids; Shishio is not happy," Kenshin informed her the moment she walked in. "I know the way that man thinks and predicted his locations, the moment the trading post was reclaimed. I think...he's soon to move against us."

"This is for you, by her Majesty," she said instead, producing the scroll "wax and everything," her smile was crooked "you're important people now, Himura-san."

He snorted "lucky me," as he opened his letter. He skimmed over it, a smile started to form; oh good, the news were pleasing. "Well, it seems her highness is not joking around. This became as serious as it can ever be."

He exhaled shakily, drawing her attention.

"Tokio-san, I must ask you to do this for me: in case I don't make it back, please take care of my wife and child; please keep an eye on Enishi, too."

"Kenshin-san—"

"I know this is sudden." She silently agreed. "I've been meaning to tell you this for a while now, but, to be honest, this is the first time it's just the two of us."

"I see..."

"I don't want to make my men think I'm not planning on returning, because I am—it's all I want. But in case I don't, please, Tokio-san; please take care of my own."

She could see now why his breath was so shaky, hers wasn't any better. "Do you trust in me so much?"

"I do, because Tomoe smiles for you." They shared a look of mutual respect and understanding.

"Is this prompted by the letter, too?"

"...in a way; the Empress just finalised everything stated in that piece of paper you gave me when you first arrived. That means, now, I fight for a cause much bigger than me. I must make adequate arrangements."

"Then how about this: before taking care of your wife and child and brother-in-law, I pledge to take care of you on the battlefield, so you come back and watch your child being born. Or, if the worst should come to pass, I can...bring you back. You know, as in, from the dead."

He blinked. "You can what?"

"Well, it messes with the natural order of things and it's very expensive, as well as exhausting, but I can do it. If you want me to. Some don't."

"...allow me to give you an answer at a later time."

"Take all the time you need, discuss it with Tomo-chan, too. Just give me your final answer before the final blow, should it come to pass."

He chuckled. "As you wish. Thank you. And, please tell Hijikata-san, Souzou, Okina and I will be joining him tomorrow, for a war council. I think it's gaining on us."

"I shall; have a nice day."

She left, feeling prepared for a number of things...but absolutely not running into Okita, in the company of a certain Toudou, chatting up a couple of the local unattached women, as they took a walk around the grounds.

"Gentlemen," she made herself known, as she walked towards them.

They both jumped in surprise first, but smiled a second later. "Chiyo-chan!" Oh god, not again...

"Chiyo-san, what a coincidence. What are you doing here?"

She felt her eyes twitch. "I am keeping an eye on Tomo-chan; she's pregnant, remember?"

"Ah, right."

"What about you? Out for a walk?"

"You bet!" Okita sneakily wrapped an arm around his date's middle. "There's a big chance we will be allowed to stay around even after the battle; we decided to form ties!"

The sweet brunette under his arm blushed; the impressive one Toudou was offering his hand to, smiled. "We decided it would be a shame if we never walked about this beautiful place at least once, too; and we needed an equally beautiful partner!"

"I see; well, I'll leave you to it, then."

"Come with us, Chiyo-chan!"

"I must head back," she kindly declined "besides I have already walked most of the city. Though, I did hear the narrows are very interesting for warriors; why don't you head there?"

"Oh, yes, that would be educational!" Okita's date exclaimed. "And I do love walking there."

"What an excellent suggestion, Chiyo-san," Toudou's date applauded "I haven't been there for a long time, too."

She was determined to slap both Okita and Toudou for this, she was.

"It's decided then! Buh-bye, Chiyo-chan!"

She waved her goodbyes, fearing she'd snap if she spoke and these women did nothing wrong to suffer her wrath. Besides, the ride back was certain to be soothing; just her, her horse and the green expanse of nature...

...or not.

She hadn't been an hour in her four-hour journey that she felt something sinister approaching. She couldn't put her finger to it; only that she felt something approaching, even before she saw anything out of the ordinary. Would it be a trap? An ambush? An aerial attack? She didn't know—only that she was lucky this happened after she got her armour back.

Five minutes later, she heard it: deafening crows of tengu, somewhere in the distance. A moment later, they appeared, too—an entire damn flock of the winged bastards, heading straight for her. No time to lose; she reinforced herself with her spells before the tengu got too close and promptly stopped her horse. "Go hide, beautiful," she whispered in its ear and jumped off!

Instead of falling to the ground, like one would expect, she stepped onto the air! As if it was solid ground, she took step after step skywards, until she found herself on the same altitude as the fast-approaching creatures. If they were upset by this, they didn't show it, kept flying towards her. So be it; she would wait for them right there. Drawing her mace, pulling out her shield, she braced herself. Any moment now.

And just as she was about to think that Shishio was obviously underestimating her, sending a simple flock of evil tengu against her, she saw the last thing she on her list of potential enemies: three huge dragons headed her way, coming through the clouds. Their serpentine bodies slithered in the air as they approached in break-neck speed, colours glistening in the late noon sun. Their whiskers were long, which meant they were old, which only spelled trouble; their claws, sharp and deadly. Two of them were dark red, almost black—the colour lava gets when it stops oozing from the volcano; one of them was the colour of the throne, the colour of their forests, with antlers, instead of horns as the other two.

And their snarling snouts headed straight for her, ready to spit fire and earth.

Huh. Now that made things a little interesting.

.

.

Okita and Toudou had spent a heavenly day with the two beautiful local women, so it had been no surprise to be prompted to leave only by the setting sun; a four-hour journey after dark would be dangerous, too, but being two of them helped their odds. Plus, with the threat of Shishio hanging in the air, even the creatures of the wild took care not to cross anyone's path.

That said, it was understandable for their comrades to be a little upset with their belated arrival—close to ten. Just an hour before going to bed, too, how reckless. Still, not out of the realm of possibility for these two young men; hence, to find half the unit waiting for them at the gates of the trading post turned fort, birthed curiosity in the two captains.

But when they noticed their arrival caused more concern and alarm rather than alleviating it, they were at a complete loss.

"What happened?"

Hijikata was the first to accost them, looking behind the two horses as if searching for something, but it was Saitou who first asked "where's Tokio?"

Those words made them freeze; another, more potent, type of alarm coursed through their bodies as they looked at one another.

"She should be long here by now."

"We last saw her at...three!" Toudou explained, both dismounting. "She run into us and we asked her to stay but she said she'd head straight here. We haven't seen her since."

"She hasn't been back all day," Hijikata informed, pointer finger tapping on his arm, crossed his hands as they were "and we thought she was with you."

"But she wasn't so now, there's a seven hour window she's unaccounted for," Harada summed up.

Saitou felt the blood in his veins pumping, fight instinct in full effect."Did you see anything on your way that could have indicated she's in trouble?"

"No."

"Are you positively sure?" Harada repeated.

"There was nothing out of the ordinary. If..." Okita stopped to consider his next words, looking straight at Saitou. "If anything happened, it's off the beaten path; and if one were to look for her, they'd have to start ten minutes away from Ronin Camp."

"No! Saitou, no; you can't go looking for her," Toudou all but cried out and nearly jumped on his friend to restrain him, for Saitou was already going to his horse. "It's dark, we can't see anything!"

"Let go of me. Now."

"Saitou, think of what you're doing: one person lost, is alarming; her, is devastating; but having you go missing, too that's crippling!" Harada begged him to see reason. "We'll form parties tomorrow—look everywhere, leave no stone unturned. But we can't ride out now, it's suicide."

Just as he was about to become violent with all of the captains who now held on to him tightly and weighed him down, Hijikata put a hand on his shoulder. "They are right; we cannot go looking for her now. You won't either and that's an order."

"But Hijikata—!"

"I can't imagine her losing either," he said as calm as he could "so I have to hope she's hiding somewhere. We move with that mindset tomorrow at the break of dawn and that's final."

His jaw was set and it wouldn't relax; his fists were almost painfully tightened. Tried as he might, he could not fight the will to take a single step in any direction that wasn't his horse in the stables.

"Saitou-san," Okita faltered a little, when his burning glare thundered him "tomorrow; for her. We'll be less tired and we'll give her the proper—...respect..."

His words died out; it was only a glimpse at first, but then it became more visible, coming closer and closer by the second. He thought he was going mad, seeing something like that in the middle of the night, but before he could disprove himself, he noticed how everyone, Saitou included, were gazing up at the sky, eyes locking in on that approaching figure.

It was huge and slithery; its almost black scales offered it great cover under the darkness of the night, but its burning breath, the red sparks lingering in its horrible mouth, gave it away. And just as Okita thought he'd seen it all, he watched as an Imperial dragon descended upon their fort.

"Is that...?"

"It is," Toudou confirmed, mouth agape, "and it's definitely not the friendly type."

"Is it coming here?" Harada's question was much more nervous than Okita's; an electric current went through them at the same time.

"It is," Saitou answered. "Gather your weapons; we have a dragon to fight."

"MEN!" came Hijikata's swift reaction "GATHER YOUR SWORDS AND EVERYONE, GATHER OUTSIDE THE FORT RIGHT NOW!"

But before anyone could move, Toudou noticed something very peculiar. "Is that a horse in its talons!?"

Okita's breath caught. "That's Tokio's horse in its talons!"

"But it's alive," Toudou repeated, awestruck "I can see it flail."

Just as they were about to think they were too late to react after all, seeing the dragon covered remarkable speed in a very short amount of time, they all stopped. Something incredible happened then and they were left staring in mild disbelief. Its mouth never opened to breathe fire down on them, as they feared; it only released a pitiful shriek. Sparks flew from its mouth, but nothing more. And the gargantuan beast came crushing on the ground right outside their gates.

Petrified, they waited for something, anything that could explain what had just happened.

And it came.

The horse, unaffected, maybe a little annoyed, stood on its legs and begrudgingly strutted to the side of the dying dragon's head. With shock, joy, and an immeasurable amount of relief, they watched as the very familiar figure of their cleric stood to her full height, right behind the monster's head and dislodged her katana from its nervous system. Then they watched her do the same to herself, taking out what appeared to be a knife from her side.

Saitou felt the world imperceptibly shift into focus again; sheathing his weapon, he rushed forward!

She sheathed her weapons, too and, very slowly, slid down the dragon's side. There to catch and support her was her trusted stallion, nuzzling its snout in her arms, until Saitou reached her, who all but shoved the horse away and gave her his hands to keep steady.

The rest followed after a couple of seconds, giving Saitou ample time to mask his absolute horror at the state she was in: the open, most possibly self-inflicted wound on her side, the certainly enemy-made gushes on her face, her hands and other hidden by her armour spots on her body, as well as her one closed eye, raw flesh replacing it.

"Tokio-chan," Okita breathed "what did they do to you?"

"Who did it to you?" Saitou asked darkly.

"It looks so painful," Harada was nearly in tears.

"I'm...not as bad as I look..."

She tried to remain standing on her own; not that she didn't manage, but no one seemed willing to let her walk alone, so Saitou and Okita served as her crutches.

Hijikata gave her some room to breath before he finally asked flabbergasted, gesturing all around them, "what happened? Why ride an evil dragon? Why are you like this?"

"I was ambushed," she nodded with her thumb to the now dying beast behind them. Taking a deep breath, she cracked her neck. "Busy day...which reminds me! Kenshin-san said Shishio is pissed and ready to strike so he'll come by tomorrow first thing in the morning for a war council with his two men."

"Thank you for the information." A pause. "You really do look terrible; can't you heal yourself?"

"I have no energy left for that; only my one emergency, but that I save in case the attack continues here, too."

"But you're hurt," Hijikata kept pressuring "this is ridiculous."

"You can call on one of our healers," Tokio suggested, "even simple spells will do the trick. But even if they have no more energy, too, don't worry about it. Come morning, I'll be as good as new."

"As if!" Saitou snapped. "No one can recover so easily, you've said so yourself. I don't care what those two were up to, they better help. And you should really use your emergency provisions—this is the very definition of an emergency."

A chuckle escaped her and he nearly squeezed her in retaliation. "This is nothing compared to the Jabberwock, yes?" She shook her head. "I'll accept the help gladly, but I am not dying."

"Just tell us what happened," Saitou forced himself to say, instead of all the things that roared in his chest "and start from the beginning."

And that's exactly what she did; she explained about the sudden appearance of the tengu, coupled with the three Imperial dragons, followed almost a second later by the oni; once those were cleared, and she'd hoped she'd had a breather, came freaking undead Samsaran! Those things were tough; and if they weren't enough, two more imperial dragons made their appearance and then earth elementals crushed the party. And just when she thought they were done, once the last earth elemental was vanquished, there came the last batch of dragons, two more and strongest of all.

One she killed, one she almost killed and proceeded to use as means of travel; too bad the damn monster would stop and try and fight her all the time—that's where the contraption came to life: she united her dagger with her katana by a chain and stabbed the dragon with it, embedded it deep into its nervous system; the dagger she used on herself, to make sure she stayed in her place, as well as in control of the beast's mentality.

Long story short, they had gone so up north, it took her more than three hours to fly back, which was why she was late. "I believe Kenshin was right; Shishio is pissed. Bet it took him a long time to gather all those groups to attack me."

"What if he attacks you while you sleep?"

"Okita-san, if he could, he would have done that already."

"Maybe he was waiting for you to be at your less powerful," Harada agreed with his friend "like tonight."

"I don't think so, captain," Tokio tried to tease, but they all glared. She sighed. "What do you want me to say? Sleep is the one thing I need right now—can't stay up and wait for one of Shishio's men to make an appearance."

"Of course you can't; you'll get all the sleep you need," Hijikata assured. "But one or more of the captains will keep watch."

Her displeasure was obvious; everyone else though was ready to shoulder the duty with pride.

"I don't need babysitters."

"Apparently, you do," Hijikata coolly retorted.

"Okita and I will be sufficient," Saitou decided for all of them "and I think it wiser to move her, too; I suggest she takes Harada's room. He can sleep in either Okita's room or mine."

"That sounds reasonable;" Hijikata agreed before anyone had the chance to argue "so be it." The complaints came immediately, but the vice-commander would hear none of it. "My mind has been made, there's no swaying me. You should have taken the initiative instead and—..."

For the second time in the same night, something coming from the sky distracted Hijikata. It crowed and flapped its wings as noisily as possible; they all looked up to see a black...eagle? It wasn't a crow but not a hawk either; it did resemble an eagle—a twisted, sickly eagle that carried something in its sharp talons. Instead of attacking them, he dropped whatever it carried, right in the middle of their little huddle and...and left.

Just like that.

Tokio's first instinct had been to kill the bird; then it was to smash to pieces whatever the eagle delivered them. Then she held everyone back, making them form a large circle around and away the thing, as she edged closer to examine it.

This was a mirror.

Her eyes grew; this was not too different from the mirror she had in her own tent to talk to her highness...she grew suspicious. She focused on it for a long time, but no evil auras came off of it—only the standard type of magic one would expect from a magic mirror. She considered.

"Hijikata-sama, with the utmost care and precaution, please pick up this mirror and give it the command to speak."

"Speak?"

"Yes, speak, it will...what did I say?" She slapped Hijikata's hand just before he touched it. "Put on gloves and prepare for the worst."

Whence he did, she allowed him to lift it off the ground, bring it to eye level. When nothing terrible happened, she egged him on and he told the mirror in a firm voice to "speak." For a couple of seconds, nothing happened. But then, slowly but certainly, the images shifted: Hijikata's reflection was replaced with a young man's figure, no older than fifteen. He had a pleasant face and a wide smile; his hair were short and fluffy, the same light brown with his eyes. Behind him, random people could be seen ithat they had no idea who they were, as well as the interior of a place they had never laid their eyes on before.

And then he spoke.

"Hello everyone! How are you?"

Hijikata didn't answer but the young man didn't care.

"My name is Hatake Heisuke and I am a bearer of bad news."

More men gathered behind Hijikata then, trying to understand what the hell was going on.

"I see you are confused. Let me explain: I am with Shishio-sama! We wanted to contact you, so we had our trusted falcon deliver this mirror to you so we can speak, for we have some very important news to deliver; important but, like I already said, bad." His smile was pulled downward a huge, fake frown replacing it. "Your sweet, cute cleric has gone missing, yes?"

Hijikata looked at his men; Hatake Heisuke took this as a sign of him being right, so he continued. "Poor woman; we watched her being attacked by some huge Imperial Dragons...because, in fact, we sent them upon her. You see, she's been a thorn in our side ever since you've arrived and Shishio-sama wanted her gone. So, we took care of it. Thus, I am very sad to announce to you your cleric passed away; she's no longer of this world. She was brutally murdered. And if you don't want—!"

"The hell are you talking about, shortie?" Harada barked, before anyone could stop him. "Tokio-san is alive!"

Hijikata turned to glare at his man, death in his eyes; Saitou felt like slapping him; Tokio slapped her forehead; Harada wasn't deterred. "She came back, you bastard. She didn't die, like you wanted her to."

The young man gaped; he closed his mouth in an instant and seemed to be doing some very quick thinking on his feet. "Are you terribly sure that is the truth?"

Tokio shook her head; the cat was out of the bag, might as well make herself known. "Yes. I'm very much alive," she admitted, still behind the mirror.

"Hm...I see..." He looked over the mirror. "Shishio-sama," he drawled "Shishio-sama, can you hear me?"

A very bored "what do you want, Soujirou?" was heard and the Shinsengumi tensed.

"No, I told them my name was Hatake Heisuke, don't give my deception away!"

"...what do you want, Soujirou?" the voice repeated, just as bored and apathetic. That's when they were sure; the voice belonged to Shishio! Whoever this kid was, was powerful enough to be so casual with him.

"You didn't hear? They said their cleric is still alive; she just admitted herself."

"What?" Finally, some concern in the bastard's voice. "Are you sure they aren't pulling your chain?"

"Yes! I heard a I'm very much alive, in a very womanly voice; sounded pretty disappointed, too."

There was a long moment where no one said anything.

"Tell them this, then: the time for the battle they've been planning is nigh; we will meet them head on, two days from now. Whoever gets ready first, strikes the other. And they better hope that damn cleric of theirs is as good as she seems."

"Yes, Shishio-sama!" All this while they were able to see only Soujirou and some of the background people, who appeared surprised by their leader's declaration, as much as the young man before them. "Shishio-sama says—"

"We heard him," Saitou cut him off.

"So rude," Soujirou commented cheerfully.

"Now you tell him this:"

But Hijikata was cut off by Tokio's intervention who, quite unceremoniously, ripped the mirror out of the vice-commander's hands to declare: "Tell him I'll look for him on the battlefield, so, this once, he better come face me himself."

"Oh. Alright; I will! Shishio-sama, the cleric says—ow!"

The mirror was snatched from the boy's hand, too and everyone watched with extreme interest as a new man appeared...his entire body wrapped in bandages. Whatever left visible of his skin, was burned beyond recognition, but his eyes burned with another type of fire. "Rude," Soujirou commented again, pouting, but he was brushed aside.

"No one has ever accused me of running away before." The smirk in his face spoke of amusement and concealed anger. "As penitence, once I find you, I'll make sure my sword runs through your heart and right out of your back."

Hijikata felt Saitou tense behind him; before anything too telling happened, he used his body to stop any telling movements. Tokio, aware but purposefully ignoring the going-on behind her, smirked right back at Shishio, amusement more dominant than arrogance.

"If that was meant to intimidate me, allow me to inform you your actual attempt at ending my life just a few hours ago was a little underwhelming, so your words mean nothing to me."

Soujirou, still visible next to him, started laughing uncontrollably, earning himself a smack on the head by a...hand; an effeminate-looking hand. Huh. Could this be Hanahomura? She smirked.

"I will say this, however, before I smash this mirror to pieces: your wizard better try harder at sneaking an enchanted two-way mirror in our very base than this and, warn her, if this is the best of her ability, to hide as well as she can, because once I'm done with you, I'm coming for her." The smirk disappeared from the man's face; he didn't become angry, but they could tell, he didn't enjoy the specific threat. Soujirou's eyes darted to the direction the hand came from, too, alarmed, and Tokio felt satisfied.

"But if she tries to curse me, or any of my people again these two remaining nights we have at our disposal, tell her she'll change status to target number one."

They all watched as the man said absolutely nothing in return, but simply looked on haughty, bothered, but unflinching. She inclined her head as some sort of challenge. "That'll be all."

And just like that, she ended their talk.

Shaking her head, she wrapped the mirror in fabric. "I'm going outside." She headed straight for the now dead dragon. Once she was sure everything was all tight and nice at the mirror front, she took out her mace and, using the handle, smashed the glass to pieces! "I'm going to chuck it into the dragon's mouth now, make sure nothing remains out in the open." And she proceeded to do just that. A sigh later, she was going back inside.

"Seeing my not-death escaped Shishio's notice—"

"Until someone corrected that misconception," Hijikata all but hit Harada for it.

"—it is more than safe to assume he has no means to attack me in the middle of the night; thus, there is no need for any of the captains to lose sleep over me."

"Tokio-chan!"

"There is no need for you to guard me, Souji-kun," she pressed on, brushing them aside.

Most of the crowd had dispersed at this point, giving her ample time to head to her tent. Despite being in a place with real rooms, they didn't have enough for all; and some were already sleeping with a comrade, making it a two or three people room, she didn't want to impose on any of them further...or break chain of command and have two captains share one room. Hence, she kindly decided to keep to her tent, which was housed inside the post, on the second floor as the rest of the captains, at the only open space big enough for it.

"There's every need to guard you, Tokio-chan! My heart would be at ease, for instance, especially tonight."

"I understand that," she tried not to smile and give in "but I think inconveniencing you and keeping you up the entire night is needless. Tomorrow a new enemy might come and descend upon all of us here, in this fort; what will we do if you two are not rested?"

"...she has a point."

"No, Hijikata-san! Don't be fooled by her well-constructed arguments and bleeding heart act!"

"Act? You wound me, Souji-kun. Besides, all I'm saying is, if I made it back alive from that, I do not need to be watched over like a child. Yes?"

Hijikata peered at her face; it was...not a pretty sight. Her entire left side was mangled, her eye having suffered the most of it. She hadn't lost it, but it was in a bad shape. There were small spots of her bleeding without the point of origin being visible, only the evidence on the armour, as the blood seemed to ooze out of it. She had many cuts and bruises wherever visible, too which wasn't much and yet...she was standing, speaking and walking as normal. Apparently, these weren't as detrimental to her as others, for she even made light of them in her posture and resolute expression.

He turned to look at Souji's pleading eyes then. The puppy look was in full effect and he was known to be occasionally weak to it...so, he turned to Saitou.

Huh. There was a look he had not expected. The man was all but indifferent, nearly bored of the conversation, as if he couldn't wait for it to be over.

Odd; but so be it.

"She should be left alone," the man finally decided and went on his merry way.

"See? You should go now, too, get some rest. I'll be fine."

She hadn't been alone in her tent for ten minutes when she was already regretting everything about her decision. Somewhere along the way she remembered she would need help to get off this full plate armour, given the state of her as well as that one blasted thing wedged between her armour and her skin that prevented the one from leaving the other.

She couldn't just turn and ask for help now though, otherwise Okita would feel free to walk all over the commander's decision and end up staying up all night. She sighed. If only she had asked someone before that happened.

"Can I enter? Are you decent?"

Her deliverance came in the voice of a certain tall captain, who stood right outside her door. She smiled. "I always am."

"Tokio..." His voice held warning and she had to laugh.

"Yes, come in, please."

When he did, he was surprised to see her in her gear. "Still haven't undressed? Thought you said no one can sleep in full plate armour."

"That is correct, but...I can't get it off. And, don't take this the wrong way, you'll have to help me out of it." He gave her a look. She shook her head. "There's a...thing stuck at my back, can't take it off, though I've undone all the latches; it's digging in and it's driving me crazy."

He pointed at her back. "Can I...?"

"Yeah, go ahead." she turned around for him. "I'm fully clothed beneath the armour you know..."

"I do; still, feels a little...intimate."

She said nothing; simply brushed her hair aside and waited for him to take whatever that was – a dragon's chipped nail, turned out – out of her back. "I think I got it; hold still, hold still...okay. It's out." She felt a sharp pain and then sweet, sweet release. "You missed a couple of latches though."

"I know, I couldn't get them; my hand is a little...never mind, just undo them for me."

"You know," humour seeped into his voice "whenever I thought of the hurt warrior needs help taking off armour scenario, usually the warrior was me and the woman was the helping hand, not the other way around."

"Oh hush, you," she waved his teasing aside "just help me out of it."

"You're so demanding," he complained, but all in good humour. "There, tis done; you pull the front piece, I'll take the back."

She took a sudden intake of air and her breath hitched; despite the protection it offered, it also weighed a ton and for maybe the third time in her life, she really felt it—not as she wore it but just at the moment she took it off.

"Dear Shizuru, you look terrible," Saitou remarked, hanging her armour on the mannequin. Effortlessly he pried the rest of the plate from her hands and did the same. "Sit down, rest; do you need anything?"

"I'll be fine Hajime," she chuckled, but took his advice and sat "this isn't all that terrible. I'm just a little beat up. You come to me looking ten times worse."

He knelt to reach her level. "But we are men; and usually the offense; besides, I thought you were stronger than us. You are not supposed to get this bad."

"No, don't," she started a little panicked – and maybe a little offended – and withdrew her foot as he took to unfastening the rest of her armour but he kept it in place, and continued like she never even spoke.

"Because if you are this hurt, what will happen to the rest of us?"

"Nothing, this was all a trap; one that didn't even work."

"It worked some," he admitted, "I couldn't sit still for hours," finally bitterness and worry showing through. "It was sheer luck that mirror landed after your arrival; I wouldn't know what to do with myself if the timing was reversed."

She was going to be honest with herself, when he was so calm and collected earlier, not caring whether they posted any guards outside her tent or not in the end, left her a little baffled and, should she admit, bothered. Even if he did decide to put whatever this thing between them was aside until Shishio was defeated, it still felt a little cold. But now, it pleased her. She was petty, maybe, but happy.

He had moved up to her armguards now, taking more time just holding her arm than undressing it. "I was upset. It isn't like you to disappear for so long without a word."

"Forgive me, it was not on purpose."

"I know; doesn't make it any easier."

She smiled; he had finished taking all of the armour off and now he was just kneeling there in front of her, his calloused thumb running circles in her palm. He was decidedly not looking at her face, but instead, staring at her arms. "Hajime," she tried to get his attention but failed "why are you here?"

"...to make sure you are as well as you claim."

That was a rehearsed answer. She tried not to click her tongue because that look in his eyes, it was almost haunted. "I'm asking, not Hijikata-sama. Be honest."

He finally looked up at her and all the emotions he seemed to be keeping repressed came to the surface all at once, burning up her face! No man had ever looked at her with such...concern before, such intensity.

"I admit, it wasn't the main reason, but it is not a lie; I wanted to see for myself, if you are truly as well as you claim to be. As to why I was mostly moved, I think it's obvious." Not to her, turned out, if her curious, wordless what was any indication. "I don't care what Hijikata thinks, you need someone to keep an eye on you."

"Hajime...!"

"The only reason I didn't argue was because, quite frankly, I had no intention of spending my night in Okita's company." Just as she was about to speak, he continued. "Change and go to sleep Tokio; I'll make sure you are safe."

"I already am."

"I don't think so."

"If you're only looking for an excuse to worm yourself into my tent—" his tired I'll be outside, you idiot, went unnoticed "—I don't mind." She hadn't realised he was still tracing circles on her skin until what she said stopped it. Despite the fire that was now her cheeks, she pressed on. "But you have to be honest."

He looked at her for a long moment.

"I want to keep you safe, yet you keep getting hurt. You're always out of reach. How is that possible? I didn't come with you just this once and look at what happened. Can you blame me for wanting to be near you?"

Her heart beat so fast, she felt she would faint. "So then, why are you here?"

"Because every night I've spent sleeping in my tent without you in it felt cold; and this new room they gave me is too big and...empty."

She could pin point the exact moment her heart stopped: at that short pause he took to gather his thoughts, his breath and his feelings before he spoke the final word.

"I'd much rather spend the entire night standing watch outside your door than sleep alone in my bed. So don't ask me why I'm here; ask how I didn't come sooner."

"...you said we'd have this conversation later," was all she could say, eyes alternating between him and the carpeted floor.

A sigh escaped him, as he ran a hand through his hair, ruining the high ponytail. "I know, forgive me, but," he showed all of her, as if that explained everything "feelings happened and..." Just like that, all his energy was spent. "I'm sorry, you are right." Another sigh, heavier than the first and he let go of her completely. "Forget I said anything."

She caught his hands just as he was about to stand. "I can't just forget that now."

"You should; and let go. I will still stay outside your door, even if it makes you uncomfortable."

"I can't let you do that, I'm sorry."

"Tokio—!"

"I mean," she rushed to explain, hands raised in a peaceful gesture "if you wish to stay, stay; but I can't, in good conscience, allow you to sleep outside in the cold." Her heart hammered in her chest but she was determined to get this out. "It's a big tent, Hajime; sleep wherever you like. Besides, I...I've been feeling a little lonely since, too."

She moved.

Suddenly, she hated leaving tasks unfinished and seeing all of her leg and armguards lie on the carpet around her drove her crazy. She needed to put them in their place, take herself out of her seat, away from him. So she left. Quietly, lightly, she moved about the room some more and he only realised she was going to change after she disappeared behind the rice-paper screen with something draped over her arm.

Twenty minutes later, she came out refreshed, wounds somewhat dressed, while donning her usual red sleeping gown. He had repositioned himself in her bed, armour discarded, sitting up rigid and uncomfortable, at the side he had chosen last time they had slept together. Trying to feel less like the asshole who jumped at the first opportunity, he concentrated on watching her go about, doing this and that, long hair dancing behind her. It was ridiculous how different she looked with just her hair down, actually; and right now, they also served to hide the mangled part of her face, the least addressed of her problems.

Then she grabbed a book and moved directly to her side of the bed. "I would like to read a little if that's alright with you," she informed, taking the oil lamp close to her "but if the light doesn't bother you, just go ahead and sleep."

"I am supposed to watch over you, you know." She waved him away; he shook his head. "This feels wrong."

"Sleep, you big baby; I will be done in an hour, at most. Besides, after what happened today, I think Shishio doesn't want a surprise attack, so tomorrow will be slow...take tonight to rest well. At least I will." She shrugged. "So, I'm indulging and reading till late."

"I see." He considered. "Then allow me to do the same."

"Certainly; I have all sorts of boo-oh."

When he put his head in her lap, as he lay on his back, she felt her whole face heating up! So big her bed was, his feet, as tall as he was, still didn't exceed the bedding, so she couldn't scold him to lie properly. "Oh, I see..." she mumbled as she realised he meant he too was going to indulge in something, and not read till late.

When he moved no further than that, her heartbeat settled. "...goodnight, Hajime."

He only hummed in return, unwilling to spoil his victory or the moment; smiling, she decided one hand was more than enough to hold the one-thousand-page leather-bound tome she brought to her bedside for some light reading, and the other should concern itself with his hair.

And so it was done. Ten minutes later he was fast asleep; an hour and change after, she decided to extinguish her light and lie down herself.

When she opened her eyes again, it was at the break of dawn; per usual, she-...no wait, this wasn't a usual morning. She remembered last night and an odd sense of serenity came over her, feeling the warmth of another person next to her. He was enveloping, she had to notice, for his arm was so long, it draped all over. Her back at his chest, the rhythm of its rise and fall had lulled her to sleep yesterday and woke her this morning. Slowly stretching, she rose and moved to a corner to pray, leave him in peace.

And yet, her absence seemed to stir him awake, too, for when she returned half an hour later, there he was, looking at her bleary eyed. "Forgive me, did I wake you?" she asked a little worried as she knelt beside him, on top of her tousled bedding.

"Not really." His arm instinctively reached out for her, circling around her middle. "Come back to bed," he murmured, still half asleep, and didn't wait to see if she'd conform to his wishes or not, simply dragged her close. The warmth returned immediately and, despite her surprise at his forward gestures, covered herself again.

He'd closed his eyes again, but as he felt her bury her face in the crook of his neck, blush rising but ignored, it made him feel relaxed. "'s better."

"Let's just go back to sleep," she squeaked when both his hands closed around her, lips lazily grazing her forehead. But when his reply was nothing but another sloppy grunt, it dawned on her, she was the one who had trouble going back to sleep. Mentally scolding herself, she forced her body to relax.

"Tokio-chan...!"

A familiar voice.

"Tokio-chan, are you awake?"

It came from somewhere close by.

"Tokio-chan, are you decent?"

A persistent one, too.

"Tokio-chan, we sort of have an emergency~" the familiar voice sang right outside her tent's door. "Open up~!"

"Make that idiot shut up, or I'll strangle him..." Saitou complained in her ear, voice sleepy but raw. She had to chuckle, disregarding the impossibility of her situation right this moment, and looked over her shoulder to find him in a frown.

"Hush, you," she shushed him, a light smack on his hand following "or I'll tell him to come in." He actually growled but obeyed. "Okita-san, give me a moment," she spoke louder, earning a cheery "Tokio-chan!" from the man out her door. "I'm coming."

But just as she was about to stand, he dragged her back down. "Thought you said we could oversleep today," he grumbled.

"Judging by the fact Okita is already up, we certainly have," she whispered and tried to pry her fabrics away from his grasp.

"More."

"Are you a child? Let me go."

He growled some more but did it. "At least put on something else." The slap that came his way, he expected. That knocked some of the lethargy out of his system though and he opened his eyes enough to watch her exit the tent.

"What is it, Souji-kun?" he heard her ask.

"Himura-san is already here for the war council!" Her reaction must have been comical for Okita laughed. "It's barely half past nine; he said he couldn't sleep."

"And you want me to join you; I'm coming."

"Well, we want you to come and then maybe help us find Saitou-san so he can come, too! I went by his room but he wasn't there. Hijikata-san looked for him in the training grounds but he was nowhere to be found; he wasn't in the mess hall either—we circled back to his room but still came up empty." There was a pause. "We tried everywhere, even the stables. His horse was there at least...but as you can guess, we are slightly upset. Hoped you'd help us find him." Another pause and Saitou was now actually lying on his side, facing the door, interested in this conversation. "Tokio-chan, don't laugh! This is a serious matter, he could be hurt."

"He's fine, Souji, I can assure you."

"How can you know that? Tokio-chan, stop laughing...!"

"I'll, I'll go put on my armour now; I'll meet you there."

"Stop laughing Tokio-chan!"

She was waving him away, still shaking with mirth when she walked back in, hand covering her mouth. "Just go, we'll meet you there," she called out, heading straight for him. "Heard your friend? They have an emergency."

He smirked. "Why didn't you tell him where I was?"

"Oh? What's this? You suddenly don't mind people prying into your private matters?"

"That's fair..." But just as the light caught her face properly, all of his arrogance was swiftly replaced by surprise and he actually shot up to his knees, hand grabbing her face a little indelicately. "Tokio, you're healed! All, all of it, it's gone; your face is back to normal."

"I know; I told you so."

He seemed too shocked by the concept though, kept touching or poking, a little roughly, too. "This is unbelievable...it would take me days, weeks even, to heal that with no intervention!"

She shrugged. "I never lie. I simply heal faster than normal people."

"That's remarkable."

He finally let his hand fall, shaking his head. "To think I was so worried over nothing," he lamented "how pathetic."

"It wasn't nothing; and it certainly wasn't pleasant," she defended his past reasoning. But then she did something so forward, he felt himself itching to touch her in a completely different way than three seconds ago. She actually swooped down low, very close and inclined next to him in a womanly way, shoulders bearing accidentally but almost on purpose. "What followed was though. And I would never call it pathetic..."

She gave him a long, torturous moment to think about what she just said in detail before she easily stood, tossing her hair. "Now let's go. You heard the man: there's a war council to attend."

"You're really not fair; you can't just charge through topics like that, we were having an entirely different conversation."

She shrugged, arrogant. "Save it for when you have to explain yourself to your superiors and colleagues."

"I'll just tell them I came here to make sure you were alright and you almost forced me to stay."

"Oh, is that what happened?" He nodded. "Because I remember it a little differently; I remember you being very insistent abou—"

He grabbed her hand just as she had taken the first step away. With flourish, her pulled her towards him, effectively stopping her blabbing, while she made a perfect little arch before she crushed into his chest...and lips.

He kissed her.

All of his words were spent and this was all his lips were useful for, from now on, no more talking. With the last of his inhibitions, her own defenses came undone and let him have his way with a sigh, eyes fluttering closed. He was being careful with her and slow, taking his time. He dared, but not too much, yet it was fine; he had made his statement and that was enough...for the moment.

When he pulled away a heartbeat later, he saw her flutter her eyes open at the same time he did, lips slightly parted as she tried to regain her breath.

"Go get dressed now," was all he said, smirk ever growing, as he nudged her towards her rice-paper screen.

Wordlessly, she complied, a smile faintly forming on her own lips, too. That was a good sign and, despite his outward appearance, he needed all the encouragement he could get. What he was about to say needed a strong stomach. He took a deep breath as he headed towards his gear.

"So," he started only after he made himself busy with putting on his breastplate "if I promise I'll behave, can I join you tonight, too?"

There was a pregnant pause between his question and her eventual answer that caused him to miss his clasp twice. He had made his sentiments known last night as well as ten seconds ago—especially ten seconds ago. Her answer would indicate is she was going to accept or deny his intentions. She could have ignored him, but that path she walked away from, thankfully.

Then he heard a giggle and his body almost sagged with relief. "I can't say I mind the prospect."

Fifteen minutes later, they were exiting her tent, to attend the council; twenty minutes later, she was greeted by four amazed captains, as well as two leaders, who were all but gawking at the fact she had managed to heal so much damage overnight. Even Okita, who had seen her before, hadn't really registered until that moment.

And their guests, Himura Kenshin, Sagara Souzou and Okina, became just as awed as any of her comrades when they heard the extent of the damage she had received—and the fact neither she nor the other clerics had any magic left to help her made everything more shocking. But after she assured them once more she was fine, she was not pretending and all of that, she tried to steer the conversation to the point of Himura's visit: how to deal with Shishio.

"After what he said to y—"

But Himura was cut off by a very annoyed Okita who slapped his tallest friend's shoulder. "Most importantly, where the hell have you been?" He turned to Tokio. "Where did you find him?"

"I didn't; he found me."

Harada almost attacked him. "You were watching us look for you and did nothing!?"

"I had no idea you were doing anything of the sort."

"Saitou, we looked everywhere!" Harada was quick to clarify, thoroughly ignoring poor Kenshin's attempts to bring their attention back to the matter at hand.

"And you were nowhere to be found," Toudou accused, the only one actually upset by his absence. He legitimately feared he might have gone off at the break of dawn for a surprise attack on Shishio. "We worried. Why weren't you in your tent? Where were you?"

"Who cares," Kenshin complained under his breath but he was still paid zero attention.

"I never left the camp, if that's what you're implying" he countered, but shared no further knowledge.

"Himura is right, this is insignificant right now," Kondou took over the conversation a little annoyed, but glared at his man all the same "just don't let it happen again. Now, we were discussing when would the best moment be to attack Shishio. We informed these men how he made it perfectly clear he'd be coming tomorrow morning but left it up to interpretation when the actual battle would take place."

"He did say, whoever comes first," Hijikata mused aloud "so maybe he's planning on a night raid."

"No chance," Okina cut him off "he needs his rest; if he was able to pull of something like that, he would have long done it before. He isn't merciful; yet he always strikes out at day. A midnight attack is out of the question."

"Then we march at the break of dawn and descend upon him in his mountain!" Himura suggested, a little more excited than one would have expected.

But Tokio shook her head. "Not at the break of dawn; forty five minutes after that."

"Why?" was the collective question.

"She needs to pray," Saitou explained, but everyone expressed a different type of dissatisfaction.

"She can pray the previous night and after the battle if she so wishes," Kondou began annoyed "but we won't wait for so long for no reason." The woman's chuckle only served to incense the men around her. "What is so funny?"

"I do not pray at the break of dawn out of fancy; that is when my consciousness is directly linked with the esteemed Qi Zhong and I am granted my divine powers."

"Oh."

"What she means is, no morning prayer, no powers."

"Then, we march once Tokio's ready," Kondou immediately complied and everyone nodded in agreement.

"That leaves another problem," Hijikata finally spoke up "how do your men get from there, here, on time? We can't force them to wake up earlier."

"Oh that's easy," Okita waved his vice-commander away "they come now. It only takes four hours. We send a message and in five hours tops, they're here."

"Are you serious? We have no room as we are!" Toudou argued.

"We can always pull out the tents," Hijikata offered.

"Or, we could have everyone sleep together in half the rooms and leave the rest for our guests," Tokio gave another option "where there are two, have four men and where there's one, put two."

"Hey!" Harada immediately complained, knowing this meant he would have to share "I don't wanna sleep with a guy." Suddenly an idea was born in his mind, a moment too late, for four out of five captains said the same thing at the same time: "Maybe I could sleep in your tent with you!"

Just as they had finished saying that, or some variation of it, they turned to glare at each other...and proceeded to fight about it. She sighed; so did the two commanding officers; Himura and Okina on the other hand, was watching with amusement playing on his features, especially when he noticed the calm, lofty expression on Saitou's face.

"See? I told you, first day you arrived even, you'll be the cause of a fight sooner or later."

"Oh hush," she waved him away and he chuckled.

As the captains kept bickering, Saitou continued, very relaxed. "I guess it falls to me to stop it...so, do you think I should bring any stuff with me for tomorrow?" He hadn't bothered lowering his voice but none other than Hijikata, Himura and Okina paid him attention and both almost chuckled at the way he sprang this on her.

And when she shook her head amused, they could tell she was not going to decline. "Just that which you might need for the battle: armour, weapons, any potions, things like that."

"Alright, I can do that; so the rest should be as obvious, but I'm guessing Hijikata-san and Kondou-san will room together," Hijikata nodded affirmatively "Toudou with Harada and Nagakura with Okita;" the vice-commander nodded again, so, purposefully, he raised his voice for the next part. "Since it's all settled then, maybe we should talk about strategy."

All arguments stopped in an instant and all four men turned to glare at Saitou. "What's settled?"

"The sleeping arrangements," Himura answered with an involuntary smile and continued before all hell broke loose "but I'd rather we held off talking about strategies until my men arrived. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to send them the order to come now and consequently put this meeting on hold."

It was Kondou who nodded this once, and Himura bowed to excuse himself, but before he left, he turned to the cleric. "Tokio-san, can I have a word outside?"

She followed after him seamlessly and good thing she did, too for the men behind her exploded, shouting all sort of profanities at one another! Kenshin had to walk a little further away to be able to speak normally but once he found the spot he was looking for, he stopped to level an honestly concerned look at Tokio.

"What should I do about Tomoe?"

Ah, of course; the subject of his wife was eating him up, how could she miss it?

"I want her out of harm's way but if she stays back you won't be able to look at her; plus, I'll be here and how will I know if she's safe? While we're off fighting Shishio, I'd be calmer if I knew she was as far away from the battlefield as possible, but at the same time, I wouldn't be able to act if anything happened, and—!"

"Himura-san." Her voice demanded attention; he gave it. She could see his mind was running in circles and she felt bad for him; she couldn't even begin to imagine his anguish, but she could certainly see it end. "Your wife is safer closest to you and me; she'll come here with the rest of the troops."

"Oh thank the gods, you agree."

"I do; I think she should brave the trip. I have the suspicion Shishio won't attack a secondary location, he'll want all of his forces on this one battlefield; so I think she'll be safe. We always have emergency personnel hanging back anyway."

"I see; thank you Tokio-san. It means a lot."

"What does?"

Saitou's voice cut in and made both people turn his way. Tokio had to roll her eyes at his insistence to shadow her every step, especially when around the certain man, but Kenshin didn't seem to care. In fact, he looked at the tall man keenly and for a long moment. "Tokio-san, would you mind if Saitou and I had a word in private?"

"What words could you and I exchange she doesn't need to hear?"

"Humour me," he all but pleaded; Tokio simply made her exit by bowing and leaving them alone but Saitou stared at him for a long time before finally giving in and jutting his chin out. "I...love my wife very much." Saitou had to blink at the statement. "I asked Tokio for the best course of action concerning her, and she advised me to bring her here."

Saitou clicked his tongue at him. "I'm not that guy; of course you'd want your wife safe, who wouldn't? Whatever, do what you want."

"No—well, yes, thanks, but that's not my point, wait. Listen. I will do anything to keep her safe; I love her." Saitou was visibly losing patience with him. "If anything happened to her, I don't know what I'd do." Saitou nearly tapped his foot on the floor. "Which is why, I would never, under any circumstances, ever bring her to a battle with me."

"She doesn't even know how to fight, why would you?"

"Even if she did know how to fight," he countered then "even if she was better at war than I ever hoped to be," he pressed on, emphasizing and finally something seemed to click in Saitou's head "I would never willingly go in the same battle as her with her by my side." A pause, to look at him. "I'd be too distracted by how she was or what she was doing; was she well enough? Is she safe? Is she still alive or has Shishio killed her?"

Alright, he saw where Himura was going with this; crossing his hands, he expected to hear his point...so he could bring it down altogether.

"I believe bringing someone you care deeply about on a battle with you, is extremely foolish. You'll be too preoccupied with her to pay attention to anything else. And even if she comes out unscathed, you might lose your life for it. It only takes one moment...and, I do know this: you and I are alike in matters like these."

"So, what's your point, Himura?"

"Do you really want Tokio to be in this Saitou? Front lines, too; will you be able to fight properly?"

"Don't ever compare yourself to me again, no matter the subject." It was spelled out for him, dangerously, by an almost seething Saitou. "If you worry about me, who gave you the right? Just because we fight on the same side now, doesn't mean we're friends. And if this is some misguided fear for Tokio's life, you can't be more wrong; she doesn't need my concern, or protection: we need hers."

Despite the insults, Kenshin couldn't help the smirk, because, turns out, he was right. "So, you won't deny you care for her." How unexpected.

"I am not in the habit of lying; nor do I give a crap about what you think."

Yet Kenshin's smirk only grew as a chuckle escaped. "But does she care for you?"

A knowing smile grew on Saitou's own face and he couldn't help the quip that came out, even if it would give the Battousai the false idea he was somehow allowed to make such inquiries about him from now on.

"I think that will be decidedly settled tonight."

Realising now they shared some sort of secret or whatnot, watching the Battousai mirror his expression, he cleared his throat to dispel the too-friendly atmosphere all around him. "If that'll be all of your meddling, I'll go now."

"Yes," he rushed to be less informal with him, too "forgive me for assuming."

They nodded quite curtly to one another, as if finishing with civil conversation was too horrid to imagine, and went the opposite directions.

.

"What do you mean, we should bring down the mountain?"

Every single man was staring at her incredulous, Okina's question unspoken but very much there on all of their faces. She simply shrugged. "I don't know how to say it in a plainer manner: I think the best course of action is to bring down the mountain on them; I do not believe they'll have left it by the time we arrive."

"But that takes time," Kondou reminded her, thinking her daft for even mentioning it "we need too many explosives, time to plant them—we should have left already."

"Ah, too true; forgive me for not clarifying: I think bringing down the mountain is the best course of action and I am more than willing to undertake the task tomorrow."

Okita had to chuckle, disbelieving. "You mean to tell us you can just...do that?"

She nodded. "I hate it as a tactic and I almost never approve of it, but I think we have all established the urgency to deal with this matter, thus, this is my solution."

"Tokio-san..." Souzou begun, a little awestruck "you mean to say...you can make the mountain crumble?" She nodded; everyone gaped. "Are you serious?"

"Why would I lie when we are making our strategy?" The very notion offended her. "And even if they aren't inside the mountain, and they wait for us outside, I can still shake the earth beneath their feet."

Okina blinked. "How?"

She pointed upwards. "My God grants me the power to do it."

"You can actually do that then? We should trust in you?"

Tokio could slap Kenshin right now. "Yes, you should; and you should trust in the plan I came up with. We shall be successful."

"I have no issue following a woman's lead," Kondou said in the end, a little numb "her highness is a woman, too after all, but if this fails...we'll all be exposed, in the sense we'll have trusted you and you'd have led us astray."

"And then there's her majesty to consider, who'll be wanting a report and a visit here."

"I say we do it her way," Nagakura chipped in then – who had arrived first thing in the morning after Hijikata's midnight letter – "she was saying what we thought to be nonsense when we faced the Jabberwock, too but look at how that turned out."

"Don't just say nonsense, Nagakura-san," Okita laughed at his friend's surprising sharpness "that's not polite."

"But it serves its purpose," Saitou assured, nodding his way. "I too think we should listen to her. She has not led us astray so far."

Looks were exchanged then and Toudou sighed. "She was pretty amazing when she defeated that Jabberwock; she knows her stuff."

Harada snorted. "That she definitely does."

When the remaining eyes turned to Okita he appeared innocent. "Don't look at me; I'd jump off a cliff if she told me to. Do what you want."

"Alright," Hijikata concluded impressed "seems my captains are unanimous about this. How about you?"

"Your men aren't idiots, that much we know," Okina opined "I think we should go with her plan."

Kenshin held her gaze for a long time; all the things spoken between them, her promise to bring him back to life if he so desired and all that implied, as well as Saitou's surprisingly unwavering faith in her...he couldn't do otherwise. He sighed, nodding. "So be it," he agreed, looking at Souzou "we will follow her command."

"Τhere's no command to follow," she waved him away "things will happen and each one of us will see to their role; we all know what we do best, let's just do it. Now, if you only feel secure knowing there's someone to turn to in a time of crisis and you think I should be that person, so be it."

"And this concludes our council. Be prepared. Oh, and Himura," Hijikata turned to the short redhead "you can have your wife barricade herself in here when we march, if you so desire; it's the safest place."

He nodded in gratitude.

"If there are no further questions, you are all dismissed," Kondou gave the order and everyone moved for the exit.

"I do, only one question:" Souzou started stopping everyone dead in their tracks "just what in earth happened with that Jabberwock?"

He was thoroughly and completely ignored save Kondou, who shook his head and tried to comfort him, admitting "they haven't told me, either."

.

That same night, earlier than anticipated, Saitou walked into her tent, dragging the "essentials". He'd chosen to change into his nightwear before he left his room and take anything he might need separately. His room was to be given to the Enishi and Sano, to his dismay, so he might have taken a couple of things extra. When she saw how much he brought, she broke into laughter.

He didn't care.

"At least, because we had to allow the ronin into the post, the men now know where to find you," she teased, as she watched him sort through his things.

"If you're implying I was somehow ashamed to admit I was here, you are mistaken."

He finished with the last and turned to her. He was surprised to see her rearranging the pillows to be next to one another while she half removed the covers to accommodate him. He couldn't help the smirk.

"Then why didn't you tell them?"

"Because I feared they'd get the wrong idea about why you let me in and I was in no mood to swat away men all day."

"So proud," she teased, the smile on her own face huge. "Hope not too proud to listen to me when I say we should lie down."

For some unfathomable reason, despite this being her bed and her who suggested it, she still found herself second to perform the task, her who was reaching for him when she lay. One hand supported his head, lying as he was on his side, and the other found her waist once she pulled the covers, still facing him, and brought her close. "No man is that proud," he spoke in hushed tone "to decline such an invitation from the woman he loves."

Her reaction was too good: cheeks gaining colour by the second as the full gravity of his words sank in, shyness mixed with surprise. "At least, I'm not," he continued and brushed a lock of hair out of her face; he simply stared at her for a long time, savouring how despite her outward shame, she was smiling fondly at him, not backing away from his touch.

And then he opened his mouth and said the last thing she expected to hear. "You've made your decision, haven't you?"

This must have been the last thing she wanted to talk about, too because now she was looking away, trying to turn her back on him. But he didn't let her. "Judging by your reaction, the answer is not the one I'm looking for."

"Hajime, I don't want you to think I'm deserting the unit or you; if anything, being you who asked me made this decision harder that I ever thought it would be. I mean, there was no dilemma to begin with, until you brought it up, but..." she struggled to find the right words, eyes downcast "but...I...I don't,um don't—"

"—don't want to compromise your dream," he found the words for her and so shocked she was to hear him articulate the essence of her point so well, she looked up at him wide eyed. Slowly, she nodded. "I knew it."

"Hajime, I—"

"I am not upset." That startled her. "In fact, it was because I knew that I have taken steps."

Her eyes narrowed. "What sort of steps?"

"You'll know, once Shishio is gone. Won't jinx it by talking about it before that." She almost gaped at his shamelessness. He decided that was the best moment to lie properly down, too. "Why do you think I decided not to follow you the day you were attacked? Hijikata and I needed to talk."

"I see." There was a pause. "Will I like it?"

"Hush," he ordered. "The longer I stay awake the less inclined I feel to behave."

"You keep springing things on me, of course I'll be curious." He clicked his tongue and tried to turn her around but now it was her who wouldn't budge. "At least tell me one thing about it."

"Alright, one." He considered. "For the first time in my life, I know exactly what I want; now you must decide on what it is you want, too and if these two things coincide, we'll both get what we want."

"So what do you want?"

"Sleep."

For a moment, she actually thought he meant he wanted to sleep but once he nudged her to turn on her side, she realised he was actually withholding that information and was asking to be left alone. "It's only a day away. Besides, if you still haven't figured it out, you deserve to be kept in the dark."

She almost turn to face him again, an annoyed "Hajime!" escaping her, but he only hugged her closer. "Sleep, Tokio."

And sleep she did.

---

A/N: That was it! One more to go and we can all move on. i can finally start writing in my other fic, too that I keep putting off because I just. want this one. finished! The time is near. As always, thank you for being awesome, I love you, stay healthy!

Kisses,
FAI~!