Brace for impact. Thus starts the Boshin war.
The sun was already initiating its afternoon course when it happened. All of us were on high alert, for the troops dispatched from Ōsaka by the Shōgun were due to arrive today. Strangely, all troops stood their ground in the streets of Kyōto. Cannons had been aligned on the Toba route – as per Yamazaki's data – and more SatChō awaited the Shōgun's troops on Fushimi route, nary a kilometer from our temporary and cramped headquarters.
From my rooftop, I couldn't distinguish more than a sea of heads and a bit of the bridge that controlled movements from Ōsaka to Kyoto. I sighed; I missed Neko. She had not followed us in our moving. I missed Hijikata's frozen room, and his warmth when we huddled together under the covers. The elvish armour was already clad upon my frame, except at my chest where the standard metal plastron had replaced leather. This thing was heavy as hell, but Fukuchō had been inflexible about it; I wouldn't be allowed out without the cuirass. It would deflect the bullets, provided they didn't come straight at me.
We were ready.
A loud boom rattled my bones, and I knew this was it. Cannons had been set loose at the north. Yelling arose then, the clash of metal, and loud neighs from terrified horses. I took a long breath and hurried down to the common room – our dormitory. Most of the captains had spent the entirety of new year day groaning about sunshine and too much booze; now, the room was a command center, and the mood solemn.
They all sat in seiza, hachigane upon their brow, light blue haori on their back and plastron shielding their chests. Dark bracers protected the back of our hands and forearm, a tad rigid, but efficient enough. Gaze serious, the captains awaited Kondō's orders. Antsy, I sat amongst them and shared a look with Hijikata. His nod, imperceptible, told me he was satisfied with the way I had arranged the plastron in the midst of my leather pieces.
From the determined gleam that danced in his eyes, I knew our strategy was laid out. Kondō-san exchanged a loaded glance with both his comrades, and nodded to Toshizō.
"Saitō, you get your men to Ryuu'un-ji and take that cannon down before it busts our ass."
"Hai, Fukuchō".
Saitō's voice was as expressionless as ever; he would deal with this order as he had dealt with any other; diligently, and without complaint.
"Be careful, Saitō-kun", Kondō interjected. The young captain bowed, before our Kyokuchō's attention turned to the Baka trio.
"Shinpachi-san, you will be in charge of the first and second division with Shimada-san. We need that bridge to hold."
"Hai, Kyokuchō", Shinpachi exclaimed, as brash and confident as ever. For once, I didn't feel the need to bash his head; his tone fuelled my determination.
"Harada-san, you will guard their back."
Sano nodded in turn, and my heart squeezed. Will we be separated ? Between leaving my heart behind, or my brother in arms, none of those options appealed to me. I shouldn't have worried, for the Shinsengumi had found use of me.
"Kitsu", a familiar voice rumbled. "You'll cover their asses from above."
"Hai!", I clamoured in tune with the others. My admiration for Hijikata's sturdiness only grew; I feared for his life as he no doubt he feared for mine … yet, he acknowledged my abilities by putting me in the face of danger. It also was a show of trust; to me and his captains alike.
"You're in charge of the riflemen of the first and second division. Find a good spot, and rain fire upon them", Kondō ordered with steel in his voice. I'd never known Kyokuchō in a battle mood, but he certainly was impressive. Overwhelmed by the trust they placed upon me, I simply bowed.
"And don't overtax your energy", our Captain added, brown eyes pining me in warning.
My innocent look didn't seem to convince him; my eyes slid to Toshizō, only to find a frown upon his face. Damn, they knew me too well ! What was the point of offering me a perfectly balanced sword, with just the perfect length of bohi to make it fast enough, without taking entirely the cutting weight of it, if I hid from the battle ? But I couldn't blame them from trying to keep me safe; it was a sound strategy, I had more experience with firearms tactics, and it would allow Shinpachi to jump into the fray in my stead.
In the best case scenario, I wouldn't even have to use that magnificient wakizashi. In the word case… well, I wouldn't come back at all. No. the worst case would be for me to return, only to realise the others did not. A shiver ran down my spine as my gaze reached out for Toshizō's. Fukuchō's eyes sparkled with threat as he looked down upon the Baka trio with an expression that promised hell should anything happen to me. Far from being annoyed, I only melted at the sweetness of it.
"Don't worry I'll keep her out of the way", Shinpachi's voice rose from beside me. I addressed him a questioning look, to which he responded with a genuine smile – one so different than his flirty self that I actually blinked.
"Il'l hold you to it", Fukuchō commanded.
The second captain only nodded as I caught the deep, swirling dark eyes of my beloved. It didn't last long, but the message was clear enough. Don't make anything foolish, and come back to me. His concern only echoed to mine, and I gave him a determined bow. This wasn't goodbye. Not yet.
Having finished chewing us off, Fukuchō turned to Kondō-san with a smirk.
"What do you say to attacking the empress's shrine and dislodge those blasted SatChō?"
The edge of cockiness to his voice caused me to smile; he certainly knew how to inspire his audience. Kondō's gaze turned steely.
"I say let's go."
"Sanan, you join us as soon as you can."
Which meant as soon as the Rasetsu corps were operational.
"Yamazaki will report back to you while we're away", Hijikata went on. "You decide where you are most needed."
The Colonel just nodded; his own features so sharp that he could have cut glass. The dark hachigane upon his forehead seemed strange as it messed his usual groomed hairstyle; it called the warrior forth.
The meeting was short, and to the point. Our units already awaited us in the courtyard, and I sent one last look of regret to the Sarmatian bow. Too outdated for battle…
I'll take you hunting, old friend.
"Kitsu, we're up", Harada called after me, a strange bundle bunched in his left hand. "And wear this, Fukuchō's orders."
I received the whitish fabric with interest and, upon unfolding it, found a hachigane that matched theirs. The iron plate was heavy in my hand, and sported a few scars already. When I turned it around, the inscription inside struck me.
To serve our country with loyalty, Hijikata Yoshitōyō" (盡忠報国志 土方義豊)
Yoshitōyō ? Who the hell was that ? A brother ? My confusion called a chuckle out of the tenth captain. "That's his", Sano murmured, his hand landing on my shoulder. "The one he used to wear on patrol."
On patrol ? Then it could only be…
Sanosuke's eyebrows rose, as if to say 'uh uh' and I shrugged it off. Our men were waiting, their attention firmly set upon us both. Now wasn't the time to interrogate my friends about naming habits, but to know Hijikata's forehead protector would watch after me caused fondness to bloom inside my chest.
I attached the hachigane tightly, swallowing the rising emotion with a jab.
"I really clashes with my style," I whined playfully.
"Nope, suits you well. Now you look like one of ours".
I nodded at that; my armour was very different from their own attire, but with the hachigane and plastron, I could blend in and still remain the infamous Kitsu.
"Better messed up than dead", rumbled a familiar voice in the distance.
And not negotiable either, I surmised, finding Hijikata's hard gaze as he got ready to engage, Kondō by his side. Dressed for battle, he really looked formidable; people would tremble in their waraji when he released his wrath, and rightfully so. I addressed him one last, long look before I tore myself away from his sheer magnetism and turned tail.
This wasn't goodbye. Chaos, for sure, but not goodbye, right?
Passing the gates of the magistrate felt like throwing ourselves in the wolf's den. We separated from Saitō's group one street down. The enemy greeted us by the river. Already, the SatChō were fighting the Shōgun forces on the other side of the bridge. What worried me was the line of riflemen aiming right up the street; they would break our charge.
"Give me two minutes", I yelled at Shinpachi.
"Uh ?"
I chastised myself for my stupidity. Ittoki hours weren't fixed in the Edo period, and minutes not even a thing. "Count to about 200, then charge. Shoots, with me !", I shouted.
I spotted a hanging roof. Behind me, both Harada and Shinpachi stopped their troops, except for the men who wore rifles.
No pressure.
I marvelled that both second and tenth's unit captains would trust me so easily, and resolved no to fail them. I trod cautiously around the main body of soldiers, and slowly made my way around a surge in the roof, counting seconds down. A dozen men followed, some more easily than others; traipsing around with a rifle and a heavy plastron was more difficult than with my gun, but most made it.
I descended on the other side, hidden in the shadows, men trailing me faithfully. I prayed that the roof would accommodate our weight, else…
One minute left.
Cries rose in the air, and the acrid smell of blood and burning caught at my throat. Fuck. War never got easier. I shut down my empathy; I was about to kill men to protect my own. Politics didn't make sense, but preserving lives did. But who was I to choose which ones held more values? To decide I could kill the SatChō? The only solution was to trust the Valar had thrown me here for a reason. So I closed my eyes and called forth the guardian.
Thirty seconds, more or less, before three units charged down, Kitsu or no Kitsu.
"Fire !", I cried, bracing myself for the thunderous noise of rifles screaming in my ears. The first salve hit true, reaping through the first rank of SatChō efficiently. But it wasn't enough, and those stupid muzzle loading rifles took forever to reload. Already, the men were frantically working on it, but our little spot wasn't safe anymore; we were spotted.
Cries rose from the ground, indignant, insults, and the distinct sound of steel being drawn for a charge. In less than fifteen seconds, Harada and Shinpachi would charge and meet their end; too many guns remained in the enemy lines still.
Blood running cold, I dropped from my hanging rooftop, and unsheathed the elvish blade. My palms were sweating, heart beating a hundred miles a minutes. I tried to shield myself against the suffering happening at my very feet. I needed happiness, needed purpose to find the connexion. I called forth Harada's gentleness, Masa's smile. The blade remained silent in my hands.
Five seconds, maybe less.
I frantically searched for something else, and called to the light that resided in my chest.
I am the guardian of Kyōto, the Keeper of Time. And no matter what happens, I always find my way back.
It was the memory of Toshi's soft expression that did the trick as I recalled the comb he gifted me. The blade flared to life, and I hung onto this feeling with everything I had, fuelling it with the purpose to protect my men. Men who trusted us.
I released an unhinged cry and charged. For a moment, I felt like Saint Michel releasing the wrath of God. People screamed – Harada ? – but I kept attuned to the blade as it lifted to swat away a stray bullet. Over me, a second salve rained down upon the SatChō, covering me. Then I was slashing into their riflemen. Men fled, others tried to counterattack; to no avail. The flaring blade cut through everything that came remotely close to me.
Confusion was my best friend my enemy hesitated; I moved in wide arcs like Sanan had taught me, spinning around to keep them out of reach. Everything went so fast; given I was surrounded, I hardly hard time to note the positions of the people I slashed before I moved to the next. I just swirled instinctively, looking for any flash of metal that reminded me of rifles.
Like a Rohirrim sprouting out the depth of Helm's deep, I wreaked havoc into the enemy's ranks. The meditative tranced tuned out the cries and suffering, but didn't erase the fountains of blood that gushed past me.
No distraction, I scolded myself, seeing the blade stutter.
There was no resistance; my dance the only movement that kept me twirling, blade unimpeded by the obstacles it sliced in. Until something slammed into my ribcage. Ow! I whirled around, cutting a whole leg out by reflex. Another hit nearly landed, and I felt my control flicker upon the blade. Shit. I grit my teeth and kept going forward, mowing people and weapons alike.
Keep moving. Keep moving. O mighty Valar, grant me your light !
But the blade was flickering.
Relief flooded me when my ears recognised a mighty kiai; the Shinsengumi were charging. I was tiring, getting slow as I struggled to keep the blade alight. A sharp pain at my temple startled me, and the sword's light died down. A collective cry of triumph rose in enemy lines. I groaned, and unsheathed the wakizashi at my hip in a flash.
Those who believed me helpless without the light trick would eat the magic of Glorfindel. Pain pulsed at my temple but it wouldn't prevent me from fighting like a lioness.
Now that my mind wasn't fully consumed by the meditation process, I could use all my skills. Shinpachi was pushing through the lines with the strength of a grizzly, fending the crowd of soldiers with those muscles he liked flexing. The Valar bless his power !
A feral grin curled my lips as I jumped in again, all claws out. Elvish sword and wakisashi danced around me, slicing and dicing without mercy as adrenalin fuelled my will to survivre. Blocks and parries came as naturally as thrusts – thanks to Saitō and Sanan. If I evaded most blows with my crazy flexibility, the ones I took head on threatened to overtake me. I was but a woman; trained, for sure, but still underweight compared to their muscle mass. And tired.
A dull ache started to settle in my arms, and something warm was flowing down the side of my face. Blood, probably.
"Kitsu!", Shinpachi yelled. "Hold on !"
He was close, his men pressing down upon the bridge. My surroundings started to clear out, and soon, blue coats overtook me. I breathed a sigh of relief when the second captain passed me with a wink, blood splattered all over his face and haori. Harada was cleaning up behind, his spear dancing its own mesmerising dance. My temple stung like bitch, and I my reflexes were waning; I needed a short rest from taxing all that energy.
A tall man appeared by my side, katana held out protectively as he offered his hand. I recognised his face; he was one of the tenth unit – my unit. The soldier led me away swiftly, cutting down an opponent skilfully before he nearly threw me over a low hanging rooftop. I nodded my thanks, and heard Harada's quick exclamation several yards upwards.
"Pause! (Take a break)", he ordered.
For a moment, I lay there, panting as the blue skies winked down at me. Now that my life wasn't in immediate danger, I felt the familiar pressure over my chest increase as my lungs struggled to get enough air. Damn it !
Then I wiped my temple with a wince. My sleeve was covered in blood; good thing the t-shirt underneath the armor was black; it would be salvageable. I wondered, for an instant, what colour was painted Toshizō's hakamashita. I sent a silent prayer to the Valar, and my thanks for the mighty gift they had bestowed upon me. May their grace guard my friends, and the man I loved.
The noise of the battle was deafening, cries and slashes, parries and yells of agony. Sometimes, the sound of innards spilling followed that of an efficient slice. In any other situation, I might have vomited, but survival instinct was a strong ally.
After a moment, my vision cleared out completely and I felt well enough to stand. I crawled upon rooftops once more, gun at the ready. Our riflemen were nowhere to be seen, probably out of bullets. Even though chaos was spreading, it was easier to pinpoint the enemies ready to fire; they were the only ones standing still. I took aim, arms trembling slightly, and took a deep breath.
Bang !
A man went down as my ears screamed in protest. My elbows dug into the rooftiles uncomfortably, and I adjusted my stance, regretting my glock with everything I had.
Bang ! Bang !
Two, three men fell. The fourth missed, but not the fifth. The sixth and last SatChō had been about to shoot Shinpachi in the back. He didn't see it coming; neither did the bastard when I lodged my bullet into him.
I set the gun down with a shuddering breath, struggling against the tightening in my chest. The cannons were still pounding in the north; if only I could get to them! The blade would shut them off effectively. I dedicated a thought to Saitō, and reloaded.
This time, all my bullets connected, albeit one only impaired a shooter rather than incapacitate him. There was no time to reload a third time; Satchō reinforcements were coming hard and fast, threatening to trap Shinpachi and his men on the bridge. From my point of view, I could see the alleys flood with men wearing the western uniform.
"Sano !", I yelled.
Harada turned around, and even if he didn't see me, he took a good look at the scene and seemed to understand. Bless his quick mind! The tenth captain gathered his unit and pressed forward. They cut the road that followed the river, guarding the second division's flanks. Unfortunately, Shinpachi was getting deeper and deeper into enemy lines. Soon, there would be nothing left to save; his whole unit – and that of Sōji - would be eradicated.
Fuck.
I slid down the rooftop, nearly crashing as I caught the last tile badly. There was no way for our men to tear down this bunch of swordsmen … and since we had no warhorses to charge in the middle, that left only one solution…
I actually walked down to the mouth of the bridge, positioning myself at the entrance as I started the meditation process. The blade flared to life. I probably looked a fright as my gaze hardened, jaw slick with blood, wild hair on fire in the sunshine, and that terrifying look that promised a thousand death. The flaring blade, though, would never get old as it hummed in my hands. Japanese people were superstitious, and it would work in our favour.
Time to play the Kitsune.
"Yield!", I yelled at the top of my lungs, capturing some attention amongst the chaos. "Yield, or face my wrath!"
To care and protect.