Hakuouki - A Butterfly in Your Sky ( Okita Souji x OC )

Chapter 3: An early departure

  I must admit, I must have looked rather unfriendly and also not really like someone who gets a lot of sympathies but I had to tell myself frequently, this was what I had to do. A lot had happened and now as I reached so far, there was no way for me to turn back. The Wolves of Mibu, that's how the Shinsengumi called themselves, had headed out of the cave and went after their usual business, playing the heroes of this city. I remained in this cage they had prepared for me, as someone knocked at the door.
"May I come inside?" A soft and warm female voice addressed me. I allowed her to enter.
The girl Hijikata-San had called Chizuru stood in front of me, dressed as a man and yet it was so easy to see through her disguise. She did not talk more but started to prepare some clothes for me and had brought tea. She obviously was concerned about me and her presence gave me a light hearted feeling. My mind did wander off for a second and a weak smile formed upon my lips.
"Sumimasen. We had no time to talk to each other yet. Uhm..." She seemed shy as she spoke.
"Ano. I am Ayaka. I heard that you had been changing my clothes and already took care of me before. Arigatou gozaimasu."
She seemed surprised about the tone of my voice and waved my gratitude off immediately.
"It was no big deal, really! I just thought that I knew how you must feel. I went through the same thing, you know..."
"So, you are also their hostage?"
"No, not anymore. I am more of a part of them now, I think."
I nodded.
"I am Yukimura Chizuru." She bowed and I returned the favor.
"Yukimura." I knew that name. It was familiar to me, somehow. Still, I couldn't tell where I had heard it before already.
"What is your family name? You only introduced yourself with ur first name..." She was no fool, one could tell.
"I have none." I smiled weakly and softened the tone of my voice.
"Ah! I am sorry. I didn't know!" Of course not. How could she? I calmed her, as she seemed eager to apologize frequently.
As she sat beside me, she started to explain me the situation in which she was. She told me how she had lost sight of her father and was then rescued by the Shinsengumi in a rough night. She seemed like an honest person and as I asked her why she told me all of this - since the Shinsengumi seemed to me as if they were not so pleased to blabber all of their secrets out to strangers - she remained calm and smiled at me. I realized that it must've been hard for her to live only with men, hiding her true gender and not being able to be her real self. But she didn't seem unhappy to me.
"They are really friendly and kind, you must know." She didn't stop to smile as her cheeks blushed softly.
"Ah, is that so..." I looked down, starting to lose myself in doubts and the fear of what might come.
"Ayaka-San, whatever it was that led you into the room at that night, you have to tell them. They would never just kill you off without reason!" She was so sweet. She really seemed to be concerned about me. Still. She didn't know. None of them did. And they couldn't.
I smiled a sad smile at her. "Maybe I will give them a reason if I tell the truth."
"Ayaka-san..."
We remained in silence for some seconds and I had not realized how the light had vanished outside and darkness took over the reign, sitting on the throne like a cold and merciless emperor.
The sound of fast steps, hard and in a hurry, came closer as a man in blue haori and a katana in his hand opened the door fast and harshly. "Oh! Chizuru! Did you see any of the commanders?!"
"I am afraid they are all in the city." Chizuru had stood up as the man seemed to be in a panic. "What is it?" She seemed as if it took a lot of her strength to dare to ask.
"None of the commanders have returned yet from the incident in the city." I also got up as I sensed the uneasiness of the moment. They were gone for several hours already. I had not realized it.
"A group of Choushuu is also heading towards the city's center now. We have to send reinforcements." Choushuu. I wanted to leave the room right beside the man.
"What do you think you're doing?!" He held me back, pushed me into the chamber and stared at me with blank eyes, only filled with fear and anxiety regarding the danger in the city.
"I have to go!"
"Ayaka-san?" Chizuru held my sleeve.
"Chizuru-san! You also have a reason why you are in this city, don't you? Mine is outside these walls and I am here as if I am hiding! I have to go! I have something that I need to do!"
"But... Hijikata-San. He said..."
"Please!" I held her arms and stared into her face as she avoided my look. She did not say anything but I already understood what her answer was. I had to go. I turned around but the man pushed me back again. As Chizuru left the room, he shut the door as fast as he could. He had locked me. My hands hammered against the wood and my voice shook as I shouted onto the barrier between me and my mission. "No! Let me outside! Open it! Open!" The window. Maybe they had not locked the window. I hurried onto it, tried to open it but had no success while doing so. They had locked me inside entirely and I knew that I would never have a chance of getting out of this wolves cave - at least none as good as tonight since all the wolves were on a hunt. I had to figure a way out, somehow.

~

I had not stopped banging at the door and I shouted so many times, my throat already hurt. But the despair had taken control of my body and all I was able to do was to wait and hope for just something to get me out of here. I was sure that somewhere along this corridor was another soldier. Somebody just had to guard this place as everyone else was gone, hadn't he? I had searched the room for anything that would be useful for my attempt of escaping. I eventually found a pretty vase for which I already felt sorry and grabbed it, held tightly onto it and went back next to the door. There had to be someone.
"Help! Help! Please! Help me! Someone is inside of here! Help me! Please, please! Kyaaahhhhh!" I heard the steps coming closer and how the person unsheathed his sword.
"What is it with this screaming! I come inside now!" I counted the seconds and as soon as he opened the door I rushed at him from the side and hammered the pretty vase onto his head. "Sumimasen!" He fell to the ground and I could not believe that I had actually made it. I grabbed his katana and ran as fast as I could through the corridor until, eventually, I found the exit. I felt sorry for Chizuru but I certainly had more important things to worry about. As I reached the yard I hid behind the thin walls that were built like in a castle's garden. I heard the men talking and preparing for battle and three of them returned to the headquarters, carrying an injured person back into the building. I was able to determine that it was one of their commanders. I awakened all the courage inside me and stormed past them. The person on the sluggish was the pretty young boy with the high ponytail - Toudou Heisuke, a commander.
"Hey! You! Stop!" But I had already gotten through the gate and stormed my way further onto the center of the city....