Blossoms

Chapter 17

We walk through a foreign town the next morning searching for any sign of this new potion on the black market. "Psst, doesn't everyone here look slightly related to Chikage?" Heiskues nervousness does not settle my own nerves as I too notice the uncanny resemblance.
The day soon turns into night as between the seven of us, the amount of information was got was minimalistic consisting of a few rumours and a couple flirtatious remarks sent to Shinpachi and Harada, the pair on a high from this.
"I'm beat," sighs Okita as he slumps against a lamp stand, casting a glow into the still busy street. "Same here, let's head back," adds Harada as they begin back to our boat at the dock. Their forms suddenly halted as they shh-ed, listening to something. I couldn't quite make it out until an all too familiar laugh sang through my head like an old song I knew all the words to. I ran past them, tracking that sweet sound, not realising they were following behind me. Shinpachi soon overtook me and lifted a little girl, swinging her above his head. Wait, that's my little girl! I was so relieved until she started screaming, a scream that as a parent was deafly heart wrenching.
"It's my, uncle Shinpachi," Shinpachi says as he tries to calm down my screaming daughter. "What's wrong, Lalia?" Saito joins his side slightly concerned as Lalia fights against Shinpachi, screaming and crying.
"Put my daughter down," emerges a familiar voice from the shadow. Shinpachi turns around as do I and the others as we watch a pissed Chizuru step forward. "I will not ask again. You out her down now or I cut those arms so you can never grab a child again, creep." Her lips held in a snarl as Shinpachi nervously let go of the now calmed Lalia that runs to Chizurus side, clutching her red satin dress into her tiny hands. "C-Chizuru?" Okita stares at Chizuru holding sparkle out, her hand not shaking once. "Fool, you do not know me. Do not use my name and its Miss Chikage to you." My heart stops as my chest tightens, what did she say? Upon further inspection m, she and Lalia looked different. Their eyes had an amber tinge as their hair looked far lighter, even noticeable in this light. Lalias once unmistakable ebony hair was turned to a dirty fair shade that did not suit her entirely. Chizurus hair also looked much straighter against her face, the bouncy wave missing as its ironed out by the blandness if this straightness. "You pervert, just who on earth do you think you are grabbing children?" Chizuru Spits as she looks at a gobsmacked Shinpachi. "You must be their superior," she turns to me, a cold glint in her eye as she lifts Lalia up. "You know, this is a quiet town. My family doesn't need mutts like you coming here and disrupting the peace. Put them on a lease at least." This cannot be Chizuru, the woman that once hit a man in the face with a fish when he referred to us as dogs and yet, here she is, her face contorted in disgust as she snarls at me.
"Come along dear, they aren't worth it," the man I'm assuming is behind us speaks as he wraps an arm protectively around Chizuru. "They just grabbed our daughter in the middle of the street," Chizuru spoke softly as she looked at him with living eyes that I know all too well. "You know their kind, they see something innocent and take it, making it as dirty as them," Chikage slurred as he kissed Chizuru on the cheek. "Papa, bad man," Lalia reached to the beast as he lifted her up into his arms, rocking her like I do. "Shh now, my love. Papas here." He looked to me with burning Amber orbs as he turns around, walking away with my family at his side. My family.
I stand there like a concrete statue as I watch Chizuru and Lalias bodies disappear into the night. "It was like we never existed," mused Shinpachi as he looked to me.
I, on the other hand, am not as ready to give up so easily...