I'm so happy I've made your day, Vivi! You've made mine as well, I'm glad you liked the chapter :DD
Thank you so much, Ciel G, sus vibes for Aya was exactly what I was going for XDXD
Noname, I'm happy you liked the chapter and proud you thought it was a great job, thank you for picking it up! :))
Yes, it really is lenghty, isn't it, Renner19? XD I unfortunately gave up on shortening it. I'm glad you found it interesting and everyone in character! Thanks for reading! :DD
K-chan, I hope you enjoyed all the Dadtoki moments, thanks! :))
Thank you again and I hope you enjoy this chapter :D
CHAPTER 12 – Guilty Until Proven Innocent
The blue hues swirling on the petals of a glowing tree reminded Katsura of a night almost twenty years ago.
It was late, as Takasugi had insisted on challenging every student of Shoka Sonjuku until both them and Takasugi himself couldn't lift a sword anymore. Katsura had stepped out and tried to find a better way to spend his time, but the moon hanging low in the sky surprised him and stopped him dead in his tracks. Maybe… just maybe watching Takasugi finally find a place where he belonged was more rewarding than Katsura had thought.
And where he could belong as well.
As he pondered on what to do now that he was all alone, Katsura spotted an eye-catching glint of silver making its way towards the dark line of trees. He immediately recognized who it belonged to.
Sakata Gintoki.
The kid was rowdy and coarse, always swaggering about like he owned whatever place he found himself at. Katsura would usually ascribe such behavior to lazy braggarts, but Sakata Gintoki could not be farther from that. Save for the lazy part, when the Shoka Sonjuku student gripped the hilt of his sword, the world came to a standstill and in that moment, Katsura felt every hair on his body stand in anticipation.
Which usually ended with Shouyo-sensei planting the silver-haired child into the ground.
So, when Katsura saw that aloof boy wander into the dark forest, he couldn't help but stealthily follow behind. This behavior would usually be below his principles, yet a childlike curiosity won out and ushered him forward through the low hanging branches scratching at his cheeks. After the arduous trek in the forest, Katsura finally reached a small clearing and hastily hid in the shadows of the surrounding trees. As his fingers gripped the rough bark before him, he leaned sideways to glance at the meadow.
The silver-haired boy stood still in the clearing, his back turned towards the moon as he gazed at the grass below him. He then raised his head and swiftly looked around, forcing Katsura to duck behind the tree as his heart thundered in his chest. Am I caught? What would even be his excuse?
As seconds slowly trickled by, Katsura didn't hear any shouts of accusation and he gingerly poked his head out of his hiding place. Sakata Gintoki now held his bokuto in hand, raised straight before him. Katsura frowned in confusion; did he come to practice in secret? Then again, for a boy his age, Sakata Gintoki was extremely skilled and masterful with the sword. It would be no surprise that he, just like his rival still going strong at the dojo, spent every waking moment with a sword in hand.
However, as soon as the blade between the boy's fingers moved, Katsura realized he wasn't looking at a student practicing with a sword. He saw a boy desperately searching for something, far out of his reach. The soft cricket sounds and lights of the swaying fireflies surrounded him as he cleaved the night air with his wooden sword. Somehow, the meadow glowed in ethereal pale blue that blinded Katsura, yet at the same time made him unable to look away.
Katsura sat down and stared at the boy for a long time as the sky above slowly brightened into morning, shrouding the distant stars beneath its golden veil and replacing the melancholy silver of the moonlight.
It felt lonely.
"I'm telling you, it's ~touch activation~."
"…Oi, just because you say it in English doesn't make it true."
After Katsura had hastily followed Shinpachi and Kagura all the way to the accursed Shinsengumi Headquarters, the last thing he had expected to come across was Gintoki and the Demon Vice Commander arguing under a colossal glowing tree. He was fully prepared to jump into battle or help Gintoki escape. Or both.
Katsura glanced sideways at the Yorozuya duo, giving them inquisitive looks, yet they completely ignored him after stringing him along as they rushed forward to gawk at the blue tree.
"Wow, is this the same dried-up tree we've seen before? Gin-san, we should ask for some tips from the Shinsengumi members taking care of it! Who knows, it might be useful for future jobs."
Kagura pushed between Hijikata and Gintoki and knocked on the wood as she pretended to study it. "Did you get this from Hedoro, Toshi?" She smirked as she stroked her chin. "I think this could sell well, Gin-chan. People like having flashy and useless things around."
Gintoki paled at her words. The police officer by his side seemed distracted for a moment before putting a hand on Kagura's head. "You should ask this guy", Hijikata said, turning her head towards the appalled Gintoki.
"Hijikata-san, what are you talking about?"
Before either of them could continue ignoring Katsura, he stepped forward with his arms tucked in the sleeves of his haori and coughed subtly to remind them of his presence. "I have heard you were unwell, Gintoki. I'm glad to see I was wrong. I hope the Joui Jouiful Healing package found you well."
"The hell is a Joui Jouiful Healing package?" Gintoki seemed disgusted by the notion. No, it must be the fact he didn't receive it.
"Fliers for Joui instructions on getting better, a pack of Uno, a Joui eye mask – "
"Katsura!" Hijikata suddenly yelled as he gripped his sword to charge forward at him and Katsura skillfully prepared for a counter, pulling out his own sword. Before he could do so, Gintoki smacked Hijikata on the back of his head and he immediately mellowed down and guiltily put the sword back into its sheath.
"… Sorry, it's a reflex."
"And a damn slow one", Gintoki threw at him as he walked towards Katsura and stopped to stand between the two. "Besides, wasn't it your idea to find Zura? I hope the things you did to me weren't just to use me as bait in order to capture him, Hijikata-kun?"
For some odd reason, the Shinsengumi dog's face flared up crimson. Ah, yes, perhaps he is ashamed of the Shinsengumi's ineptitude. If we weren't sworn enemies, I might've even shared some Get Your Act Together with Jouining the Joui fliers.
"Ahem!" Katsura coughed and smirked. "So you do need me to help you! Well, if it's you, Gintoki, all you need to do is join the Joui – "
"I need you to tell me everything, Zura." Gintoki's eyes pierced deep into his own and he needed no further explanation to know exactly what it was that Gintoki wanted to know. Katsura felt a pang of annoyance, at both Gintoki and himself.
Because whenever Gintoki truly wanted something, Katsura would always give in.
It was why he willingly sat in the main hall of the Shinsengumi Headquarters, deep in the enemy territory. To his right sat the man whom he reluctantly respected yet could not be more different from. Kondou Isao, the Commander of the Shinsengumi. They were in the middle of an intense staring contest as per a silent agreement to decide the better leader. And Katsura wasn't about to lose.
"Zura – "
Katsura whirled around and shrieked. "Zura janai, Katsura da!" Ah. He lost. Actually, true leaders would never waste time on things like that. Am I not the winner, because I stopped wasting time before him?
As Katsura thought of what to say and where to start, he observed the group gathered before him in the hall. There was, of course, the aforementioned Shinsengumi Commander annoyingly grinning about something. To their right sat Hijikata with a frigid look on his face, as if he had to constantly remind himself not to arrest Katsura on the spot. Not that he would let him. Gintoki sat lazily next to him, his back resting on the sleeping Sadaharu behind him as he poked his finger in his nose. Kagura and Shinpachi both kept firing whispered questions to Gintoki which he pointedly ignored.
Across them sat the infamous Shinsengumi First Division Captain, Okita Sougo. While Katsura expected a similar reaction to Hijikata's pointed his way, Sougo was seemingly busy with the red haired Amanto next to him, who turned out to be none other than Kagura's brother. They would have brawled a dozen times if it weren't for Kagura's father holding them back. As expected, leader's family is impressive.
"Terrorists, good-for-nothings, mercenaries and police officers sitting together in the middle of the Shinsengumi", Hijikata grumbled, his eyes not moving from Katsura. "I thought the day would never come."
"You had the good-for-nothing part down already, it was only a matter of time", Gintoki yawned and continued before Hijikata could protest. "Zura, you mind starting or would you rather I go ask Ren about it?"
All eyes bore into Katsura, dyed in different emotions, yet one prevailed above all others. Curiosity. It felt like the air was brimming with electricity as the hairs on his arms stood up. The time had passed quickly as Katsura rushed to the Shinsengumi Headquarters, however now it slowed down like honey dripping down a dipper.
Katsura returned Gintoki's gaze. For so long, he tried to shield Gintoki from the unknown and now it felt like that crushing burden was being lifted from his shoulders. "You were always different, Gintoki. It was neither good nor bad and I paid no mind to it as I continued staying by your side. However, as Sakamoto and I have begun investigating the Empire at the behest of Admiral Shijaku, I began discovering things." Katsura couldn't help but smile depreciatively. "Remember how I told you it's a theocracy, run by the religious elite? The Moon God", he whispered the words in dismay that the moniker was even connected to Gintoki, "was believed to be the personification of Altana streaming down on the Imperial planet from a moon named Tera. It was potent, granting the Imperials abilities and technological advancements far beyond their imagination. They were blessed with infinite energy and enjoyed a time of no wars and no famine."
Gintoki's eyes revealed no emotion other than curiosity, yet Katsura knew there must've been a whirlwind of thoughts behind that aloof gaze. Perhaps he wondered why Katsura didn't reveal this sooner, or how he came to obtain this information. It was hard and arduous work; tracking down escapees from the Imperial Arena, buying up the Imperial officials and spying on the First Celestial Order knights and even the Emperor themselves. But this was about Gintoki. And Katsura spared no effort into obtaining even a sliver of information.
The room was still and the silence palpable as Katsura gravely continued and looked down at his clenched fists. "However, what they thought was an infinite source of energy was no such thing; forty years ago, the Empire fell into what they describe as the Dark Age. Tera suddenly had no Altana to give and the Empire had no way of sustaining itself without it. Civil war broke out, dividing the nation as the people succumbed to poverty and famine. They were so reliant on the Altana, on their so-called Moon God, that they were unable to live on their own. While the nation wept, from its ashes arose a false phoenix dubbing itself the Celestial Order, envoys of the Moon God. They claimed that the Dark Age was punishment for the people's complacency and that the only salvation was complete devotion to the Order. And so, twenty years have passed under their oppression, until the appearance of the one called the Emperor."
Katsura noticed Gintoki's eyebrows quirk at the name. He frowned in alarm. How did Gintoki learn about the Emperor? "Hailed as a hero of their time, the Emperor brought an immense supply of terian Altana to the Empire, claiming to have obtained it from the Moon God and promising to one day bring their deity back not to Tera, but the Empire itself. A pledge that conquered planets and star systems and razed the universe, leaving only destruction in its path, spearheaded by a mighty spaceship and the Emperor's playground, the Arean."
And once again, Gintoki's expression shifted slightly at the name. Katsura's heart grew heavy; who was giving Gintoki all this information? His effort to keep the Empire's influence at bay from Gintoki appeared to be Sisyphus' task in the end, crumbling away like a sandcastle in the wind.
"Arean", Umibouzu suddenly interjected and shook Katsura, and everyone from what he had noticed, out of their stupor. "I visited it once, in my twenties."
"Papi, you were twenty once?" Kagura had quipped, yet Katsura could hear worry seep into her voice as she leaned towards Gintoki who silently ruffled her hair. Katsura thought he saw her flinch for a moment before dismissing it.
"The place was a glorified slaughterhouse. And they called it the largest battle arena in the whole universe." He laughed derisively and crossed his arms. "It made me sick. There was no battle held in that place. Only a gathering of freaks that claimed to be the ones worthy of defining the fates of those weaker than them, without ever stepping into the battleground. Yato had no place there. I see, so the master of the arena was promoted to an emperor."
As everyone in the room contemplated over what was spoken, Katsura noticed Hijikata's fingers tentatively move towards Gintoki's. He looked up to study their expressions but shifted his gaze at the sound of Kamui's voice. "The Harusame 13th Division", Kamui started as a look of understanding crossed over his face. "Also known as the Ghost Division, it separated from Harusame seventy years ago after trying and failing to absorb the rest. Instead of remaining mercenaries, they turned towards fighting entertainment and for some reason, Harusame never touched them again. It's called Arean, huh", Kamui grinned as he glared at his father, "I've always wanted to visit that place. You've beaten me to it, old man."
"You haven't missed anything important, brat", Umibouzu frowned and then hesitated for a moment as he stroked his mustache. "Well, maybe if you visited around twenty years ago…"
"That's all nice and swell", Gintoki interrupted, his body sinking even further into Sadaharu's fur, "but what does all of that have to do with me?"
Gintoki and Katsura stared at each other. Katsura knew what Gintoki meant; he was far from stupid. He wanted to hear it straight from Katsura's mouth. And it was high time for Katsura to do so.
"The one who the Emperor swore to bring to the Empire is you, Gintoki."
Gintoki almost looked like he was holding back a laugh. "Listen, it's not that I don't believe you about the Empire searching for their Altana battery, but that I'm the one they're looking for, is insane. Do you know how many times such a convenient thing could've bailed me out?"
Katsura got an irking feeling that those words weren't meant for him. "I'm not necessarily saying you're connected to Altana. I'm saying they think you are, either their god or his reincarnation. And they're planning to take you away as soon as the repairs on the Imperial Spaceship are over with."
Earlier in the day, Katsura had infiltrated the Imperial Ship as part of the ragtag repair crew.
"So, who do you think blew up the ship?" One of the workers in front of him whispered to his colleague as they boarded the ship.
"Shh!" The other hissed and nervously looked around. "If you say something wrong, you can kiss your head goodbye." He stayed silent for a few more moments before pursing his lips and whispering back, "I heard it was the higher-ups of the Celestial Order."
"No!" The first one gasped dramatically as he turned to face his colleague. "The Imperial Prince bombed his own ship?"
"Don't say bomb, you idiot! Anyway, I wasn't talking about the Prince. I meant the faction under Lord Canus."
"No way! Why would they do that?"
"Because – "
As Katsura leaned forward to listen in on what they were saying, a wrench from his messily put together toolbox slipped out and clattered on the metallic floor, landing in front of his foot and Katsura accidentally punted it right in the back of the knee of the man providing all the intel. The man shrieked in pain and turned around, jumping on one leg as he desperately held onto the other.
"Oi! What are you doing!?" he cried out. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"
Katsura straightened up and puffed out his chest. "It's me, Matsura!"
"Who – "
"It's Mario!" The uninjured worker exclaimed in excitement as he gawked at Katsura's bright red uniform. "Oh, this job will be a cinch with him around."
"Mario is a plumber! How is he supposed to fix a crater in a ship!?"
"I'm sure there are some broken pipes around." Katsura picked up the wrench off the floor. "And Mario janai, Matsura da."
The injured worker sighed and let go off his leg. He limped forward and Katsura and the other worker followed after him through a maze of the spaceship's corridors. "Yes, yes, Matsura. Be more careful, alright? Our clients aren't the most forgiving types around", he quietly warned as they entered into the ship's damaged area.
The interior was enormous, extending as far as the eye could see, just as Tatsuma had described it. They were near what was supposed to be the center of the ship, where access was barred for anyone other than the Imperial Prince and his First Celestial Order knightage. The repair works were nearing its end, the showers of sparks and sounds of welding scattered into the dark depths of the ship's hull.
"Just stay away from that area, alright, Mar… Matsura?" The worker said dejectedly and massaged his leg.
"Why? What's there?" Katsura probed innocently, trying his luck as he hoisted his toolbox to pull out a tracking device. While they didn't have any luck locating Arean, maybe planting the tracker here would eventually lead them to it.
"Like we'd know – "
"Oh, I know this one!" His colleague piped up and slung his arms over both their necks, bringing them closer in a conspiratorial whisper. "I overheard the knights talking yesterday. It's a prison… no, a chamber for the VVIP from Earth the Emperor and the Celestial Order have been searching for! They're taking him as soon as we're done here."
Katsura frowned in confusion as the other worker smacked his loose lipped colleague. "What are you blabbering on about? You really want to see me die today?"
"But it's true! I heard it myself." His next words made Katsura's stomach drop. "He's the one…."
"…who accompanied the Imperial Prince on the night of the Imperial Ball."
"Tch. How convenient, Zura. You didn't find it strange that a crucial piece of info fell right into your lap? Also, when are you going to get an actually inconspicuous outfit!?" As Gintoki's voice strained with incredulity, Katsura finally realized that this wasn't the case of Gintoki not believing him.
He was denying it.
They were miniscule things which he only picked up because of the time they had spent together since they were children. Gintoki's skin was paler than ever, his breathing a bit quicker than usual, his eyes bouncing around the room before returning Katsura's gaze. For someone that was hounding him for the truth, it seemed that the truth only hurt Gintoki.
"You were right on the money." The Demon Vice Commander shifted as he scooted closer to Gintoki, almost hiding him away from Katsura, and frowned in apprehension.
"…What?"
Hijikata sighed and waved his hand around. "He is that. The reincarnation, the god himself, whatever it is."
"How – "
"That tree you saw. It was a dried-up husk that Kondou-san ruined and Gintoki brought it back to life in seconds. And not only that…" Hijikata took Gintoki's hand into his and gently squeezed it. "He can even do that with people; after training together, I didn't even feel the need to sleep later. He's able to transfer energy just through touch alone."
Before Katsura could wrap his head around what Hijikata said and did, Kagura and Shinpachi jumped up from their seats.
"Do you know how much I could have saved up on coffee, you baldie!?"
"You don't drink coffee, dumbass."
"Didn't Hedoro-san have a problem with his plants before? Why don't you take this chance and spread your name in the gardening industry, Gin-san?"
"Oi, don't even mention his name. And is coffee and gardening the best you two can come up with!?" Gintoki rose from his position next to Sadaharu and put the Yorozuya pair in a headlock. "Besides, I couldn't do those things before! You think I wouldn't have tried to squeeze money out from it?"
As relief washed over Katsura for witnessing a moment of their usual banter quell the strained atmosphere, he noticed peculiar looks on the faces around them. Both Yato sat tense on the floor, lust for battle coiling around them like a crimson python, and Katsura's heart started beating faster in alarm. Why are they suddenly hostile? Next to them, Sougo's hand snaked its way towards his blade as his eyes remained passive and emotionless on Gintoki. Katsura waited for the inevitable, yet the fight never started, only desire for it boiling under their calm pretense.
But the one Katsura found the strangest was Hijikata's expression. He looked at the bickering Yorozuya with something akin to fondness and it reminded Katsura awfully of the face Tatsuma had always donned when he made sure Gintoki wasn't looking.
Strange.
"I can't really imagine it."
The voice by his side startled him out of his thoughts. Kondou observed the scene before him, his eyes filled with a tinge of sadness.
"He's a troublemaker through and through, isn't he?"
Katsura followed his line of sight and sighed mournfully as he nodded in agreement. "Right. Not a boring moment ever since we were kids." He stood up and tucked his hands in his sleeves, coughing to bring the attention back to himself. "Now that you're aware of everything, Gintoki, be prepared to leave in two days. I'll let you know when Sakamoto is done with preparations."
As Katsura reached for the door, Gintoki pried Kagura and Shinpachi off his body, their protests following him as he stumbled up to go after him. "Zura, wait – "
Behind Gintoki, both Kamui and Sougo couldn't keep their bloodthirst under control any longer and they finally blew up, with Sougo twisting Kamui's braid and Kamui gripping Sougo's ear, both trying to rip them off. Umibouzu and Kondou jumped up to separate them, only to be swept up in the chaos. Throughout all the commotion, Sadaharu continued to sleep peacefully with puffs of air escaping through his sharp teeth. Hijikata tried to follow Gintoki out of the room but got blocked by Kagura and Shinpachi diverting their attention to the next victim of their questioning.
Gintoki closed the door and abruptly cut off the sound of the pandemonium inside. Unlike the warm light in the room, the engawa they were standing on was filled with a silver, almost cold moonlight. However, bouncing around in Gintoki's hair it seemed playful and gentle, and Katsura realized with the same dread he watched Gintoki's performance all those nights ago, that he was someone that could slip out of his fingers so, so easily.
"That was embarrassing. Can't remember the last time I acted like that, seriously…" Gintoki groaned and threw his head back as he spoke to the ceiling. "Why didn't you just tell me the first time you found out? And what the hell were you thinking involving Gengai for that damn recording?"
All the tension that constrained Gintoki's body seeped out with his words and Katsura couldn't help but smile sadly as he leaned on a nearby wooden beam. "You seemed occupied with a lot of things after the final battle, Gintoki. We wanted to tell you, but at the same time… You had enough burdens to shoulder. I waited for the right moment, and yet it never came. As for the tape", Katsura paused and sighed in regret, "I was supposed to show it to a spy we won over on the Emperor's side and confirm your origins. Though I suppose it wasn't necessary with your and the Vice Commander's efforts and with the fact that we lost it."
Katsura noticed Gintoki smirking devilishly and once again sighed, but this time more light-heartedly as he stared up at the moon floating across the night sky.
"You've worked hard."
Gintoki's warm tone pulled Katsura's gaze away from the moon. He flinched at the sudden proximity as Gintoki's lips parted in a blinding smile and his eyes glazed over.
"Apparently not hard enough", Katsura muttered, still rattled by the change in Gintoki's demeanor.
"You're too strict with yourself, Zura." Gintoki's were words slurred, yet they pierced Katsura's heart. "You know it's your fatal flaw, right? You expect to do everything on your own perfectly."
And then Gintoki rested the palm of his hand on Katsura's cheek. He hadn't done that… ever. Katsura could only stare at him in shock with Gintoki's expression unchanging, still full of contented smiles. Katsura's mind raced as his heartbeat sped up, the blood rushing through his body waking him from the exhaustion he didn't even know he was bearing all this time. It was only seconds of them staring at each other, yet it felt like an eternity to Katsura, when he at last realized what he had been seeing in Gintoki all evening long.
Guilt.
Your fatal flaw is thinking you're not worthy of help, Gintoki. And I'll never forgive you for that.
"Gintoki – "
The door rattled open and through it spilled the entangled mess of Hijikata, Kagura and Shinpachi. With the sounds of chaos going strong behind them, they stared in silence at the pair, with Gintoki's hand still cupping Katsura's cheek.
"What are you doing?" Kagura asked, quirking an eyebrow as she clung onto Hijikata's jacket, her cheek squished against his elbow.
Gintoki barely acknowledged their entrance. "We're… well, we are…" Katsura prattled on, trying to explain something he didn't understand himself. "Gintoki…"
"You feel energized and well-rested, right?", Hijikata asked and stepped forward, dragging Kagura along as she refused to let go. He gently pried Gintoki's fingers off Katsura's face and held them in his own. "All that training, wasted", Hijikata smiled as Gintoki's focus shifted to his face.
Gintoki's eyebrows twitched slightly and he paled, gripping the back of his neck in annoyance. "Again? Seriously… you suck at teaching", he shot a glare towards Hijikata.
"I suck!? How am I able to properly teach someone how to transfer energy when I can't do that? You were supposed to figure it out with my help!"
"I feel sorry for the Shinsengumi members under your guidance, Hijikata-kun", Gintoki complained as he yanked Hijikata along and away from the group. "But I'm willing to give you one more chance. We could continue the training that we were interrupted in the middle of before. What do you say?"
"As if I'll help you after what you just – "
Hijikata stopped dead in his tracks and his hand slipped out of Gintoki's grasp. Katsura could almost see the steam coming out of his ears as he gawked at Gintoki, his skin aflame.
"You're right. You need a lot more training."
Hijikata then rushed forward with renewed vigor, once again taking Gintoki's hand in his own and pulling him down the engawa, with Gintoki's laughter ringing in the silver night. Katsura stared at their backs until they rounded a corner, flabbergasted by what he had just witnessed.
"Oh, they're a thing now." Kagura piped up nonchalantly as she poked around in her nose.
"A thing?" Katsura massaged his chest as his heart rattled against his ribcage. Is this the Moon God's power?
"…They like each other, Katsura-san."
"…"
HUH!?
"Fuck."
Hijikata whispered in Gintoki's ear, his lips brushing against his skin and down his neck in a way that made Gintoki's body shudder from head to toe. Hijikata brought them to his room, rattling the door shut before pushing Gintoki into the wall and caging his body with his own. He stopped at a place just under Gintoki's jaw and sucked gently while burying one hand in Gintoki's hair and placing the other on the small of his back. Gintoki couldn't stop his pelvis bucking into Hijikata at the touch and he grabbed his collar and pulled him into a violent kiss.
Gintoki's eyes travelled over Hijikata's shoulder around the darkened room until they zeroed in on the futon laid out on the floor, lit up by the moonlight streaming through a window.
Perfect.
He walked forward and forced Hijikata to follow his lead and stumble backwards. Hijikata tripped on the bedding and fell flat on his back, his eyes widening as he watched Gintoki's yukata sensually slide off his body. At least Gintoki hoped it did; he was a bit rusty in that regard. However, the way Hijikata's eyes travelled up his body, leaving a blazing trail, assured him that he did something right. Gintoki lowered his body and straddled Hijikata's hips as he smirked down at him, tugging at the collar of his black shirt. Now for the main part –
"You're beautiful."
Gintoki's hands stuttered and he fell sideways, heat erupting from his chest and up his neck to his face at Hijikata's unexpected words. "Th… thanks", he muttered and nervously tried to get back on track with what they were doing.
But it seemed that Hijikata wasn't done. He raised his upper body and put his arms around Gintoki's waist, hugging him tightly as he buried his face into Gintoki's chest. "You should see yourself. You look unreal in the moonlight. Sometimes I just wish the world would stop and I could keep looking at you forever." The place where Hijikata's face was resting on Gintoki's chest grew gradually warmer. Gintoki's mouth strained as he fought against a smile threatening to rip his face open.
Who knew Hijikata could be so adorable?
Hijikata raised his head. "I want to see your sword dance again, Gintoki", he demanded as he cutely frowned and Gintoki had to pinch his reddened cheeks.
"…Fine. I'll let you see it as many times as you want." Gintoki held Hijikata's face in his hands as he bent down to once again plant a kiss on his lips. Is this what being in a relationship did to a man? Wait… Are we even in a relationship? Are we dating?
Before he could ask or do anything else, a thundering sound barreled towards their room and Gintoki shoved Hijikata down, pulling the blanket underneath him and wrapping him in it like a burrito just as the door to the room exploded open.
Gintoki panted and held down the squirming Hijikata and turned to the intruders, thinking it was Kagura and Shinpachi.
"Woof!"
And so here they were, Gintoki and Hijikata cooling off as Sadaharu refused to peel away from Gintoki's side, whining miserably until his puppy eyes won out in the end. Gintoki lay against his fur and Hijikata sat next to him and away from Sadaharu's teeth. It seemed that he still felt wary after Sadaharu had snapped at him when he visited with Sougo five days ago. What's happening with you, Sadaharu? Don't tell me you've decided to finally warm up to me?
As Gintoki absentmindedly pet Sadaharu's head, feeling as calm as ever by his side, he noticed Hijikata wearing an odd expression. "We'll get more chances", Gintoki said with a teasing grin.
"That's not it, you…" Hijikata hesitated for a bit before asking, "How are you feeling?"
"Ah." Gintoki winced at Hijikata's gentle tone as he remembered the way he acted in the room with Katsura. "I gave Zura a hard time, huh? Well, I sort of had this ominous feeling that everything was about to go to shit. Just didn't expect it to happen so soon. And like this." Hijikata stayed silent as he stared at the tatami, brows furrowed in thought. Cute. "Well, I was planning on leaving Earth anyways, so hitching a free ride doesn't sound bad at all."
"What?" Hijikata raised his head in alarm. "Why would you leave?"
"To go after Aya, of course. I'm still pissed about the way they just left after making me go through that hell of a performance." I'll find you and make you pay for all the emotional damages too, Aya. Hijikata frowned at the mention of their name and Gintoki remembered their last encounter. Ah. "I promise you, Aya isn't usually… that murderous."
"Whatever you're going to do, I'm coming with you."
Gintoki stared back into Hijikata's eyes steeling over with determination. With how focused he was on Aya, Gintoki never thought that doing that might separate him from Hijikata. Relief bloomed in his chest as he leaned towards Hijikata and stopped inches away from his lips. "I suppose I could ask Tatsuma to make some space for you on his ship."
"Please do", Hijikata smiled and cupped Gintoki's cheeks. "Otherwise, I'd have to turn to… not so policeman-like methods."
Gintoki was almost tempted to hear exactly what Hijikata would come up with, but the tightening in his lower abdomen forced him to shut up and just kiss the handsome bastard in front of him, finally closing the aggravating distance between them.
A growl reverberated around the room.
…Sadaharu. What do you want? I'll give it to you, so stop cock –
Hijikata laughed, doubling over and sagging into Sadaharu's fur next to Gintoki. This time, however, Sadaharu remained silent. Hijikata took Gintoki's hand and started playing with his fingers, brushing over his knuckles in a slow and gentle manner. "So, you're a god now?" Though his tone was amused, Hijikata's moonlit face revealed the worries he carried under those V-shaped bangs.
Gintoki placed Hijikata's head on his shoulder and rested his atop Hijikata's as he stared out at the starry sky. "…Does that change your liking status?"
Geh. He couldn't keep the nervousness out of his voice. Gintoki waited for a response, his heart almost beating out of his chest, but the answer never came. Hijikata's eyes were closed and his chest slowly rose and fell in the rhythm of his breathing. And to think that Gintoki was more worried about what being a god mean for his relationship with Hijikata, which he finally managed to forge, instead of the actual godhood part.
Guess I'm the one who's bewitched, Hijikata.
The moon shone brightly in the midnight sky.
Two days later, Gintoki awoke ready to leave Earth.
"Gin-chan, wake up!" Kagura banged on his door, almost putting her fist through. "Or we'll leave you behind!"
…Then what would be the point of the whole plan?
Gintoki squinted at the first rays of sun peeking through the window. The futon he was in felt incredibly comfortable, but he relented and dragged his body out of the warm covers and stretched. He felt great; there were no weird pangs in his chest or murky thoughts weighing on his mind.
"Gin-san! Five more minutes!"
Well, there was one dark thought. "I'm coming! Are you all going to come knock on my door?"
After the quickest shower of his life, whirling around the room and frantically throwing his clothes and yukata on, he noticed a glint in the corner of his eye and he stopped in front of a small cabinet.
It was his phone.
Gintoki picked the phone up and held it in his hand, carefully brushing his fingers over the cracks in the screen. Somehow, the familiar weight felt soothing to his mind and instead of forcing him to relive the memories of that night, it made them dissolve into nothingness like mist in the wind. Stupid Hijikata tried taking it and replacing it. But only the screen was cracked and the phone itself worked perfectly fine, so why throw out something that wasn't broken?
Knock.
"For the love of – " Gintoki stomped to the door and pushed it open, only to find Sougo's aloof eyes gazing up at him and hand raised for another knock. "Did they send you for knocking duty, Sou-kun? You can go back to bed", Gintoki tiredly ruffled his hair and passed by him into the corridor, but instead of going away, Sougo's footsteps only got closer.
"You think I'll let you two have fun in space?"
Gintoki looked at Sougo who smirked wickedly at him, his mouth agape as he pinched Sougo's ear. "You're going with us? What about your gorilla commander? Will he be okay without you two?" Or maybe Kondou deserved a little break from the two police officers.
As they bickered on the way out the Shinsengumi Headquarters, Gintoki noticed a shift in the atmosphere of the cool morning air. Before rounding a corner, Sougo suddenly rushed forward and put a hand up to stop Gintoki from moving. His gaze turned sharp and bloodthirsty as he looked at something out of Gintoki's sight. He tried to shake off Sougo's hand, but Sougo refused to let go, his eyes glued forward.
"I have come for Sakata Gintoki."
Ren.
The last thing Gintoki expected to hear was Ren's voice. He almost stepped forward in his stupor, but Sougo once again pushed him back.
"You'd have better luck trying his address", Hijikata said sardonically. "I'm surprised you even have the gall to show his face around him, after what your subordinate did to him." Gintoki noticed Hijikata's tone wavering, deviating into deeper notes of rage, however only subtly so.
There was a pause. Gintoki heard shifting and clanking of swords, but other than that it was dead silent; no one dared to speak and break the fragile calm. Judging by the sound alone, there were probably around forty people gathered in the courtyard alone. If a fight was to start, it was going to end in a bloodbath. Gintoki rolled his eyes and silently sighed before whispering in Sougo's ear. "Change of plans. Board the ship without me. Meet you at Arean."
Sougo whipped his head towards him, anger flashing in his eyes, but this time Gintoki sidestepped him and evaded his grasp. As soon as he stopped on the top of the stairs leading into the courtyard, all eyes shifted to him in unison.
Creepy.
"Heard you were looking for me, Ren?"
The Imperial Prince was easy to spot, his cold and imposing figure standing across Hijikata. His knights gathered around them, each sporting a grim expression. His long black hair was tied up in a high ponytail and he wore a uniform like the one on the night of the Imperial Ball. As Gintoki studied his face, he noticed Ren looked paler than usual in the muted morning sunlight and as he met his eyes, he saw that they were a shadowed silver of their past self. He felt regret. Misery. And a small part of him felt a wicked flicker of happiness.
Gintoki frowned and glanced away from Ren. He could never get used to weird feelings bubbling up to the surface when he faced the enigmatic man. His eyes met Hijikata's and Gintoki recoiled from the pain he caught in them. Everything's going to be okay. He hoped the sentiment would translate well in his gaze.
"Gintoki…"
Ren stepped towards him. A heartbeat later, a dark flash passed Gintoki and before he could stop him, Sougo unsheathed his sword in a lightning-fast draw. The blade glinted in the sun as it marked its course for Ren's neck.
"Don't - !"
Gintoki rushed after him, but it would be too late. Ren didn't even move his clouded gaze from Gintoki when another blade parried Sougo's vicious strike, inches away from his carotid artery. Sougo took only a second to shift his stance before trying again, gravel scratching the ground under his feet, as the knight who countered his attack stumbled back from its force. This time, Gintoki wrapped his arms under Sougo's and pulled him back. "Trust me, Sou-kun", he whispered nonchalantly. "Just take care of everyone for me, okay?"
Gintoki noticed that among the gathered in the courtyard, there was no sign of Shinpachi, Kagura and Sadaharu. Good. Once he got Sougo's reluctant nod as he refused to look back at him, Gintoki carefully let go and moved away from him. Before he could reach Ren, Hijikata raised his arm between them and stopped Gintoki. "He's not moving an inch before you say what the hell it is you're doing here."
While he didn't burst into a fight like Sougo did, Gintoki could tell just from the way his voice cut through the courtyard and the strain in his fingers that he was ready to kill.
Silence stretched on and Gintoki thought he was going to go mad from the eyes piercing into his body like knives. The beating of his heart throbbed in tandem with the strained air he breathed in. And at last, Ren opened his mouth. "Sakata Gintoki, you're under arrest for colluding with the enemy of the Empire and conspiring to assassinate the Scion of the Empire."
Gintoki had to stop himself from laughing out loud in the startled silence that followed. "Phew", he whistled in amusement, drawing shocked looks from both Shinsengumi members and First Celestial Order knights. "How brave of the Imperial Prince to come take away his assassin himself."
So, this is how they're doing this… Gintoki was glad there was no mention of Shinpachi and Kagura.
He gently moved Hijikata's arm out of the way and stepped towards Ren, holding both of his hands up with his wrists touching. "What's wrong? Don't you have to handcuff me?"
"Gintoki", Hijikata's voice imbedded a thorn into his heart, but he didn't turn around even as he felt a desperate pull on his shoulder. "Don't."
Struggling to ignore Hijikata at his back, Gintoki raised his hands in a mocking gesture as no one moved to handcuff him. "Well, this treatment sure is generous for a criminal. Or wait, maybe the Empire doesn't use handcuffs", he mumbled to himself at the dismay of the knights and the Imperial Prince.
"That won't be necessary." Ren's eyes lingered on Gintoki's wrists and his eyes grew even darker. He beckoned to his knights with an elegant wave of his hand and four of them surrounded Gintoki. "Escort Sakata Gintoki to the vehicle."
Gintoki craned his neck and spotted a car outside the gates of the Shinsengumi Headquarters. There were at least fifty more knights crowding the street around it. Just how many people are there in your Order, Ren? "Tch. I was looking forward to riding in a chariot. I thought that was the theme you were going for", Gintoki complained loudly as he tapped at the royal uniform of the closest knight.
The four knights at his side all started talking at the same time, flustered by his words.
"We could make one and bring it here – "
"Would you like something other than a chariot?"
"I'm never washing my uniform – "
"Enough." Ren's voice chillingly cut through theirs and he turned his attention back to Hijikata. "The trial will be held four days from now. I expect you to attend, Vice Commander. And", Ren paused and gave Hijikata a hard look, "I will ignore the fact that you harbored a criminal to repay you for saving my life."
But Hijikata paid him no mind as he went after Gintoki and the knights. Gintoki only had enough time to give him a warning glance before the surrounding knights threateningly gripped their sheathed swords, raising them to strike at Hijikata. You idiot. Gintoki whirled around and swiftly grabbed one of the sheathed blades and blocked the other with his forearm. His bone throbbed dully with pain. Just let me go. The knights immediately backed down with mortified looks on their faces, dropping their swords on the ground with a loud clatter.
Gintoki used this chance to whisper in Hijikata's ear. "Take care of Kagura and Shinpachi." He gave him his best reassuring smile, knowing it wouldn't help one bit, before he felt a tug on his uninjured arm.
The last thing Gintoki saw before Ren ushered him into the car was a distraught Kondou running up to Hijikata and holding him back.
Hijikata desperately shouting his name seared itself in his mind like a curse.
Even if Gintoki wanted to, he couldn't find anything in his prison cell to complain about. Even calling it a prison cell felt wrong. For the last four days, he lounged around in a chamber that would put to shame even the Shogun's. The food delivered to him was exquisite; the highest quality Wagyu beef, soft-shelled turtle soup, oysters, lobsters, hell, probably the whole ocean kingdom sat at his table, yet he could only pick at a stray strawberry cake that sometimes found its way to the feast. He slept not on a futon, but a king-sized bed that could only be made from clouds. However, every night he woke in sweat, panting as he rose from yet another nightmare. The air inside the room was fresh and held a faint aroma of lotus flowers. And soon it started getting stuck in his throat.
Gintoki was worried.
Worried about what happened to Kagura and Shinpachi. About Sougo and the rest of the Shinsengumi members. Heck, he even worried about baba and if she was going to rent out the place above to someone else.
And of course, he worried about Hijikata. Damn it, liking someone sucks.
"Is the food not to your liking?"
Gintoki was lying on the bed and staring at the intricate golden ceiling of his prison cell when Ren's voice woke him from his musings. He propped his upper body on his elbows and gave him an exasperated glare. "I like it. So much so that it makes me sick."
Ren's hair flowed around his body freely as he closed the distance between them, stopping only inches away from Gintoki's knees slung over the edge of the bed. He stared down at Gintoki's sprawled body and Gintoki was once again overcome with a sense of guilt and despair. It didn't make any sense. Why the hell would he feel that way towards Ren of all people? But before he could realize the cause of such feelings, Ren kneeled before him in one dignified movement and reverently looked up at him.
"What are you doing?" Gintoki rushed to get up, disturbed by Ren's action.
"If you peacefully come with me, I will give you what you want."
Gintoki scoffed in disgust. He had to fight the urge to kick the man in front of him, yet when he imagined doing it, a wave of sickness arose in him. "What, do you think strawberries are enough?"
"I promise you that no harm will come to your companions. I promise you that I will help you get better. And above all", Ren paused as he gazed in Gintoki's eyes, "I promise you that I will help you get rid of the Emperor."
Gintoki's heart sped up in his chest. It was as if Ren was reading his mind. For the first time in these four days, he felt the stifling pressure in his head let up. Ren's eyes suddenly cleared up and they shone pure silver as tension left his entire body. The more Gintoki looked into his eyes, sucked in by their radiance, the more he forgot his surroundings. His hand unconsciously rose, tenderly taking a lock of Ren's silky black hair in his fingers and he realized too late what he'd done.
"Shit", Gintoki murmured and pulled his hand in as if it was burned. The training did pay off in the end, Hijikata. He stood up and paced around the room as he mockingly said, "Do I have a say in this matter or are you just saying this as a formality?"
Even if Ren was telling the truth, Gintoki was planning on using him to get to the Emperor and finally catch up to Aya. And if Ren was lying, then Gintoki would do so with no remorse. He turned around when no answer came and found Ren still kneeling on the floor, as if frozen in time holding the same lock of hair Gintoki did moments before.
"One more thing." His voice finally reached Ren and he turned his head to look at him, his expression dazed. "Make sure Aya and their brother are safe."
"That I cannot promise. However, I will try." Ren stood up and headed straight for the door, but not before stopping and reaching down for Gintoki's arm. Gintoki recoiled from his touch, but Ren didn't seem to mind, his eyes filled with concern. "How is your arm?"
Gintoki frowned in confusion. He then remembered the blooming bruise on his forearm when he blocked the hit meant for Hijikata. He smirked. "I've dealt with worse. I'll live."
Ren nodded as relief filled his eyes and he reached into the pocket of his uniform, pulling out two familiar objects. Gintoki's eyes widened in surprise when Ren held them out. "Kagura and Shinpachi sent these for you."
It was Shinpachi's silver watch and Gintoki's phone. He gently took them from Ren and held them in his palm, studying them as if he was seeing them for the first time.
"You must value them greatly."
"Yes." Gintoki wondered why they would send these. He doubted they would be useful in an elaborate escape plan. Still, it brought him great comfort just holding onto them. He almost felt thankful to Ren for bringing them to him. Despite everything that had happened, Gintoki returned Ren's stare and smiled. "I do."
A few hours later the trial began.
The courtroom looked more like a prison cell than Gintoki's own, reminiscent of a cave carved into a cliff. It was dark save for a few gloomy lanterns lit up here and there, the air was musty and the stone walls and flooring cracked with age. It was almost amusing seeing all the Earth and Imperial dignitaries cramped inside the tiny room.
Gintoki kneeled in the middle on a plush pillow, the curtesy of the First Celestial Order. This whole thing almost felt like a play with the way Gintoki was treated, like he was a prisoner in name only.
Princess Soyo sat on a humble throne in front of him, worry evident in the way she bit her lip and the shine in her eyes. Behind her, Nobume blended into the shadows as Gintoki only caught a red glint of her eyes boring into him, the air around her spiking as she raised her guard. Ren sat on a twin throne next to Princess Soyo, his face cold and haughty that Gintoki was just starting to get used to. Long gone were the days when he was teaching him how to catch goldfish at a festival, or nights where they shared strawberry delicacies Ren was allergic to.
And even now, as Ren stared down at him from his throne, he couldn't shake off the accursed sense of fondness nestling in his heart.
"The accused", a short man with a squeaky voice started, "Sakata Gintoki now stands trial before Princess Soyo and Prince Ren. The charges against the accused are as follows: sheltering a fugitive named Aya, conspiring with said fugitive to assassinate Prince Ren on two occasions and aiding in the bombing of the Imperial Ship. The accused will be provided with a chance to prove his innocence."
Thought there would be more. I'm almost disappointed.
The short man disappeared from a shabby wooden podium and the one taking his place was a chubby man decorated in all kinds of heavy jewelry. The platform creaked under his feet as he pompously shifted on it. Gintoki's eyes flitted over the man when someone else caught his eye. Ah, it was Lord Can… Cann… Cannis? Cannes? It was Lord Can, the head of the Imperial religion as Ren had told him during the Imperial Ball. The pudgy man on the podium kept stealing glances behind at Lord Can as he waved his arms around in an overbearing manner.
"We are gathered here today…" Is this a wedding? "… to bring justice and right the wrongs of the past! Sakata Gintoki!" the man yelled and pointed a finger turning purple from all the rings constricting it, "You have knowingly aided an infamous criminal – "
"Oh, I didn't know Aya was a criminal."
" - and… Huh?"
"Yeah, I didn't know. We're the Yorozuya", Gintoki started explaining nonchalantly to everyone present, "which means we help out with anything reasonable for a price. They asked for a replacement for the performance and we gave it to them, as well as protection and accommodation during their stay." Shinpachi would be proud of the free advertising.
The man grew redder in his cheeks, starting to resemble a tomato, and continued. "Fine! There is plenty of evidence to go around! I call in a witness to the assassination attempt on the Prince during the night of your performance! The Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toushirou."
Gintoki almost stood up in surprise when he heard the heavy oaken door behind him creak open and saw Hijikata walk into the courtroom. He searched his face for clues, yet Hijikata revealed nothing, only giving him a reassuring glance. He stopped next to Gintoki and bowed curtly to Princess Soyo as the gathered crowd murmured in anticipation. Gintoki had to give it his all to restrain himself from hugging his legs right there; he didn't realize how much he had missed seeing those V-shaped bangs.
"Hijikata Toushirou", the plump man theatrically began speaking, "did you or did you not discover a blade used by an assassin during the night of the celebration performances?"
"I did", Hijikata said calmly.
"And is that blade made of terian iron, only found on Tera, birthplace of the fugitive Aya?"
Terian iron. The words drummed inside Gintoki's mind and he finally remembered where he first heard those words. Weeks ago, he accompanied Aya to Gengai's workshop where Gengai fanboyed over their armor made from that exact metal. So that's where Aya and their brother are from. Interesting. Listening to Katsura's story, it didn't occur to him that the moon Tera was a habitable place.
"Yes." Hijikata frowned as if he tasted poison telling the truth. There might've been something else on his mind, but before Gintoki could ask what it was, he was interrupted by a shrill voice of the man on the podium.
"And here it is! Evidence that Aya was the one who tried to murder the Prince!"
"Ha?" Gintoki raised an eyebrow and matched the tone of the man's voice, leaning back on his heels in an exasperated motion. "What evidence is that, of your stupidity? I'm wearing a Zunboran jersey right now, do I look like a Zunboran brat in P.E. class to you? Overruled!"
Hushed snickers arose all around the room, echoing in the cold dimly lit courtroom, and the man panicked as he looked around. "You can't say overruled! I overrule your overruling!"
Gintoki rolled his eyes and dismissively waved his hand. "Move on to the next one, will you?"
The man looked like his eyes will pop out any second as he resembled a red frog with each passing moment. "…Thank you, Vice Commander. You may depart." Hijikata didn't budge an inch and Gintoki gazed up at his straightened back and cold eyes pointed forward. He stealthily shifted his knee to touch Hijikata's ankle. "…Or not. Now for the final evidence!"
Finally. The man looked like he would croak before delivering it, however, as a maniacal smile ripped across his face and his eyes bulged out of his skull. "Aya has a previous count of bombing. In fact, they have destroyed part of the Emperor's ship, Arean, twenty years ago. And now, that same bomb was used to target the Prince! And you, Sakata Gintoki, you were with them that night."
Aya… You really don't match your wild past, huh? That same Aya who talked like a medieval robotic knight and marathoned dramas? The same one who fainted at the slightest ray of sunlight and obsessed over machinery with Gengai? Then again, the last time he had seen them, Aya also didn't seem like their normal self, staring down at him like a vicious beast waiting to pounce. Gintoki swore that he would get to the bottom of that encounter when they met again.
"True. I don't know about the bombing part, but I was with them that night." Gintoki scratched his chin and hummed like he was deep in thought. Before the other man could gleefully claim his victory, however, Gintoki continued. "So? I went to the ball at Ren's invitation and brought a friend, and I was at Ren's side the entire time. You know, for such an infamous fugitive, Aya managed to get on your spaceship just fine. And you could have used that chance to warn poor old me that he was in the presence of a dangerous criminal", Gintoki said sadly and wiped an imaginary tear of his cheek.
The crowd on both sides murmured sympathetically at his emotional display. Gintoki looked up to wink at Hijikata and he shared a small smile in return. As Lord Can silently fumed at the incompetent man on the podium who started sweating buckets under his gaze, Gintoki raised an eyebrow at Ren, questioning whether this was their best attempt to jail him and take him away. At this rate, he would be a free man. He might even manage to catch an evening episode of a new drama sweeping through Edo. Ren just shook his head slightly, but Gintoki saw a shadow of a smile on his face, like he found the man floundering on the podium terribly amusing.
Right. They're not exactly on the same side, with Ren wanting to murder their Emperor and all.
"But… surely this wasn't all a coincidence", the reddened man said defeatedly, nervously avoiding Lord Can's gaze. "If you'd only give me more time – "
"Enough!"
The room went deadly quiet. All eyes bore into Princess Soyo who stood up and stared down at the man in dissatisfaction from her throne. "Are you making a cheap show out of this court? How much longer will you continue to besmirch Sakata Gintoki's honor for? You may not know, but he is a man of great integrity and a hero to the people of Edo. He was one of my brother's, the former Shogun's, most treasured friends and mine as well! And above all", her voice rang out in the stone-walled chamber and rose in intensity as emotion gripped her heart, "he was the one who performed the Lunar Aria, meant as a bridge between two nations that instead connected us to hundreds more. I demand that you cease these senseless accusations and release him at once!"
Princess Soyo… You really can't imagine the hell the Shogun went through each time he was with us. Gintoki felt touched as she looked back at him with pride, and for a moment, he was a visage of her brother by her side. She always had the makings of a leader, Gintoki thought as he caught Nobume's eyes and shared a proud smile.
The room that was previously hushed filled with rising voices of support to Princess Soyo. The atmosphere shifted instantly and the man on the podium now cowered in the face of protests from both the Empire and Earth, Gintoki noted in surprise. While Gintoki tried to ignore it as guilt climbed up his throat, a spark of hope kindled in his heart that perhaps he would be set free, boarding Tatsuma's ship with everyone. And then -
"Hmm."
A quiet hum.
Barely a whisper, it cut through the air like a whip, splitting the noise ringing in the chamber in half.
A crackle of electricity.
The sound of heels echoing in the oppressively silent cave.
All Imperials tensely bowed in unison.
Ren's eyes clouded over in wordless fury as he looked over Gintoki's shoulder.
"I suppose I could annihilate your puny planet afterwhisking… Gintoki away."
The female voice was brimming with endless boredom, yet Gintoki could pick out a note of elation buried deep within it when she spoke his name. His skin crawled as the sound of heels grew closer.
"What say you, Princess Soyo? One man for an entire planet. How could you possibly refuse my generous offer?"
He hated it. Gintoki hated that mocking voice from the moment he first heard it. It scraped against his skull, burrowing into his brain and igniting magma in his blood vessels. He barely kept himself from slouching forward as his sight grew blurry and he panted in agony. Hijikata knelt next to him in hurry, but he seemed far away, his words unintelligible. All of it seemed far away; Princess Soyo's ghostly pale face, Nobume's furious crimson glare, Ren's eyes filled with repulsion.
"Who are you to dare disturb this court?" Princess Soyo asked, uncertainty shaking her voice like the flames flickering weakly in the dismal chamber. Nobume protectively moved forward in front of her.
"Oh", the voice behind Gintoki purred, "I think you are already aware of my identity, Princess."
She was right behind him.
Hijikata hastily stood up to shield him from the threat, yet as Gintoki's sight shifted in and out of focus, he could hear his sword swish through the air and hit… nothing.
"The judge."
A prickly whir of electricity filled Gintoki's ears as he watched in terror at transparent, glitchy fingers obstructing his vision of Princess Soyo, Nobume and Ren.
"The jury."
He knew they couldn't physically touch him, yet Gintoki's body lethargically obeyed when holographic fingers gently gripped his chin and lifted it upwards.
"The executioner."
If malice had a face, Gintoki would be staring right into its abhorrent, black eye. The metal mask on the right side of her face couldn't cover her possessed grimace leaning over him as she gazed down into the depths of his soul, consuming it with the eternal abyss of her hungry eye.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Gintoki."
Gintoki was frozen, yet he felt his entire body scream at him to pick up a sword, anything, and run it through her body, no matter if he couldn't wound her. Her mouth suddenly slit into a depraved smile that didn't reach her eye, as if she saw right through him.
"I am the Emperor."
She leaned closer to whisper, the buzz of electricity growing stronger as the freezing cold gripped Gintoki's entire body.
"My name is… Aria."