Hakuouki: Dragon Circles in Quiet Summer

Chapter 6

She gets along with everyone. Everyone loves her. Mei is getting everything that I want her to, everything she deserves. She's becoming like a kid rather than a frightened fox past its years that defends itself and it alone. She's adjusting to the normal life and have found a family in each of us. She still grieves for her mother so at night when she can no longer smile, I tell her stories of her mom. And when she says no more I let her crawl into my arms for sleep where I stay up to watch her.

It's breakfast and she sits between Heisuke and Sano, her favorites and coincidentally the ones that spoil her from things to food to secret trips into town. They still think I don't know but I've really been monitoring them the whole time. I allow this because she needs this, she needs her freedom after being born a slave.

"Now that we're all here, I want to say something." We all look to Mei. She directs this to me so I set down my chopsticks and sit straighter. What was this about?

"What is it?" Hijikata asks when they see I will not speak. Souji eyes me skeptically wondering why the change in atmosphere.

"I want to learn to fight." She says.

"What!? You're still a small young girl!" Kondou says protesting.

"She's a fury. It is a natural instinct to fight. It would make sense she would feel the urge to know for future use. She is at the right age." I say with no emotion as I stared at her, analyzing her sweaty fisted hands.

"Oh. Then Saitou is an excellent swordsman-" He begins but is cut off by Mei.

"I don't want to learn human fighting." Here it was. "I want to learn the fury style of fighting, 'Ketsui.' The fighting style of resolve and determination." I do not react as everyone looks to me.

"Why?" I ask simply but I see it worries her.

"B-because only a few furies know it but never show it. My m-mom knew it. I want to be like her. You have to know something about it. Or someone or another fury who can teach me." She says almost desperately.

"Do you know who created it?" I ask wondering how much she knew.

"Someone nicknamed Futakuchi-onna. No one talks about who created it but when I use to ask they would tell me that she made 'Ketsui' to help us defend ourselves from the master and anyone who wanted to use us. I don't know why they called her that though. No one would tell me."

"And do you know what happened to Futakuchi-onna?" She thinks. She no longer had fists, believing it was only curious questions.

"No, no one likes to talk about her. I got scolded for asking. They just warned me that if anyone else heard me asking or if she heard someone was curious that there were severe consequences."

"Hey, isn't that a little hard for a fighting style?" Sano asks. But only Souji and Kondou realized why I was so quiet. Why I was so calm.

"If I told you that I knew the creator and brought you to her what would you do?" Mei still hasn't caught on to anything as she looked up in contemplation.

"I would ask her to teach me. I'd also ask about my mom and why no one wants to talk about her." I stared at her for a moment.

"Have you ever seen this fighting style? Have you ever asked how it looked or worked?" She shakes her head.

"I just want to be able to protect people and furies like mom use to do. She wouldn't let me see it though or how you learned."

"It's a long and hard style to learn. I don't think anyone has actually mastered it. But they called her Futakuchi-onna because of the second mouth that would use her and dictate her. That mouth would threaten her and force her to do things she didn't want to do, like the story. And the mouth was Dr. Osana. The girl was his tool and nothing more which was what pushed her to make the fighting style. It was one made from unwavering resolve to end it all and him. That could truly let the one who used it to be free."

"Really? What about my mom? How did she do?"

"No one is able to fully commit to the style. It is mostly used in desperate times and they use the more controlled method in other situations to avoid losing themselves. Your mother was one who could manipulate the style into a controlled and effective way. She was almost a natural but she had her limits." Mei bounced eagerly, holding her hands together to keep her joy down.

"Then you know someone who can teach me? Or you'll take me to see Futakuchi-onna?" So eager and hopeful...

"No, because you will not be leaning that fighting style." I say and pick up my chopsticks to continue eating.

"What? Why?"

"You're not ready." I say picking at things on my plate.

"Come on, Sakura, a fighting style wouldn't be that bad. We can make sure she knows how to use it so she won't hurt herself." Heisuke tries to help her out and nods. Sano vaguely senses the darkness in her blank eyes.

"Heisuke, I think there's more to it than that." He tries to help her by backing him down.

"Indeed, the style itself sounds dangerous and serious. It shouldn't be taken lightly. It will take commitment, hard work, and time to even learn but that goes for everything else you decide to learn." Saitou adds as well.

"But why can't I learn? Why are you being so mean?" She yells at me.

"Mei, I think it would be better if you just left it alone for now. I don't think it's the right time to ask." Souji warns but it has no effect.

"Y-yeah, how about you learn the basics and prove to Sakura that you have enough discipline to learn such a serious style of fighting."  Kondou also tries but it only makes it worse.

"No! I'm ready, I'll do whatever it takes!"

"No." Her eyes widen.

"I'll find other furies. I'll find Futakuchi-onna by myself. I don't need you!" In a blink I'm in front of her.

"Who do you think I am?" I ask wanting to know.

"A coward. You're not my mom's friend she talked about. You are-"

I begin to chuckle. "Yes I am but why do you want to learn?"

"My mom-"

"Than I'm afraid you'll never come close to even knowing. But because I owe your mom I will do you the favor of making sure you never use or learn it." I turn and calmly walk away.