Dimensions

A Life For A Life

Hajime and Shun found themselves waiting for Sen to come by the next few days.

Kakeru and Koi had gotten themselves into trouble on patrol with Harada, and they were being chewed out by Hijikata.

Iku and Rui were sitting near the pond, apparently searching for fish.

Chizuru was no longer bed-ridden, but it was obvious she was in pain when she walked. Her speed of walking had slowed down immensely, and it took a lot of explaining to Hijikata and the rest. Hijikata looked incredulous that someone would do something so crazy.

Souji seemed to be feeling guilty for the whole mess, and was making up for it by acting as Chizuru's caretaker.

Hajime, Shun, Haru and Kai had a patrol that night, as Hajime wondered whether it would be their last. The thought gave him a sense of relief. Wandering the streets of Kyoto with the other three, he almost felt like it was the same. The same as when they went out to grab some tea after work, just the four of them.

Shun sighed. "Again."

Hajime knew exactly what he was talking about as he looked around, searching for the cause of Shun's annoyance.

Kazama stepped out of the shadows, either annoyed or exasperated, Hajime wasn't sure. Amagiri and Shiranui followed close behind.

Haru and Kai pulled out their weapons, but Shun and Hajime simply watched.

"What do you want now?" asked Hajime.

"What happened to Chizuru?" asked Kazama, and that was when Hajime knew that Kazama had already known something had happened to her.

"Nothing," said Hajime, recalling Sen asking him not to tell Kazama.

He clicked his tongue, his patience quickly fading. "Who gave her the Ochimizu?"

"Someone named Kaoru Nagumo," said Shun, who had heard the story from Souji earlier. Hajime wondered if it was okay to break their promise to Sen, and then remembered that Sen had asked him to keep it a secret, not Shun.

Kazama nodded his thanks, as Amagiri bowed lightly. "He'll pay for this."

"You're not going after Chizuru anymore?" asked Kai, lowering his weapon when he was sure none of them were going to attack.

Kazama's eyes were conflicted as he looked at the four of them. "I have no use for a dying demon." And with that, the three of them disappeared.

"You're right," said Hajime. "I've gotten used to it."

Shun laughed, as Haru sheathed his katana. "When did you become so friendly with them?"

"We never did. They're not that bad. We have a mutual understanding to stay out of each other's way unless necessary," said Hajime, running a hand through his hair.

Sen returned later that night, when Saitou, Harada and Souji were still awake. The three of them had wandered over when they saw Gravi and Procella gathered on the grounds, with Sen in the center of it all.

The look on Sen's face told Hajime he wouldn't like her solution at all.

"We can send you home—" Sen looked around, holding all of their gazes for a moment "—But one of you must die."

"What?" asked Haru, as Hajime felt his breath hitch in his throat.

"The death of one of your own will tear the fabric of space, leaving you free to return to your own dimension," said Sen, her eyes sympathetic. She held up a knife with a jade embedded into the handle. The knife gleamed, as if sensing the presence of people who tore through space. She felt genuinely sorry for them, and it was this, more than anything else, that told Hajime there was no other choice. "So, what will you do?"

He felt pure dread at her words. All he wanted ever since they stepped foot here was to leave. To leave with all of them. And here Sen was telling them one of them would have to die to give way for the others to leave. Hajime hadn't felt the urge to punch and break a wall in so long.

"Dimension?" asked Harada, as Saitou and Souji shared a confused look.

"It's... a long story," muttered Aoi.

"One we have time for," said Hijikata, appearing out of nowhere. "What's this about?"

And so Hajime explained, all the way from the beginning. He told them about Saitou and the bells, the dimension they stepped in from.

"But why would you hear the bells when you saw Saitou?" asked Hijikata, looking at Saitou.

Saitou held Hajime's gaze, his expression unchanging. "I heard them too."

Hajime blinked as Shun smiled, as if the universe had spoken to him and handed him the answers on a silver platter. "Here's my theory," said Shun, stepping forward and spinning around to face them all. "The Saitou from our world—the parallel of this Saitou—is the great-great-something-grandfather of Hajime. Perhaps in a few hundred years from now, there will be a Hajime in this dimension too. Either way they are bound by blood." His eyes hardened. "If Chizuru's wish opened the gateway, Saitou's relation to Hajime is what called us here."

Saitou and Hajime shared a look, and then they both looked away. Hajime ran a hand through his hair again.

"But now, to the main problem," said Shun, nodding to Sen, who had stood by quietly as they ignored the future pain looming over them. Maybe a pain they would never recover from.

Shun put a hand on Hajime's shoulder, his eyes focused on Sen, his mind reeling. But if Shun had an alternative, he would have told them by now. Kai stepped beside Shun, his breathing unsteady.

Kakeru, Koi and Iku looked rather pale, while Rui started playing with his clothes. Hajime was sure he was going to tear a hole through them. Arata and You looked ill, while Yoru and Aoi seemed to be thinking, or perhaps they were steeling themselves for the inevitable.

"Is there no other way?" asked Iku in a last-ditch effort, searching for a ray of hope.

Sen shook her head, her eyes pitying the humans before her. "This was the only one I came across, after searching through a thousand scrolls. I'm sorry fate is never kind."

Haru stepped forward, his eyes determined as he nodded to Sen. "Let me then."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll be wrapping this up next chapter.