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

Chapter 4: The light's real meaning

I could hear it.
Ayaka-San! They got him! They got him!
I felt the blood rushing through my veins once again.
Onee-San! Onee-San! Help me!
My breath escaped invisible clouds of heat into the air before it vanished into the cold of the night. Even though fear and anger mixed up with emotions of sorrow and regret within my body, I did not tremble, I did not shake off the anxiety that heated me up. I just continued running while my eyes were searching for the image I already saw in my mind. My ears inspected every small sound that caught my attention. I kept running, kept chasing for the noises that came from the center, that I know were caused by the people who were the cause for all my misery, the source of my fainted heart.

Onee-San! They are burning the hut! They have Toki-kun with him! Onee-San, please! Please!
I pressed my eyelids against each other, shaking my head and trying to chase these ghosts of the past away. The memory was still so clear in my mind and it stung my heart like a thousand sharp knives. Their blades were inked with poison and the venom had paralyzed me. I think I wanted to cry but the heat of the moment and the adrenaline that rushed through my whole body forbade me to do so. I had no choice but to keep on running. I heard the man's screams, the sound of blades that stroke against each other and the villagers that shut their doors and hid inside of their houses. That was the present, that was not in my mind, not like that small voice that finally had stopped echoing within me.
My hand clung onto the katana as if it was part of me, ready to strike any second if necessary. The lights in the city were dim and no life lay within them. Their very existence had shrunk down to one meaning: show me the way to the enemy. They were no longer pretty, nor filling one's heart and mind with warmth and security – they only revealed the truth of this terrifying night.
I didn't stop. Even when I saw the men in the blue haori, which I already knew so well by now. The Shinsengumi were still fighting and I was sure it won't have an end that soon. So, the commanders also had to be somewhere around here but I could not split my attention now. If they would see me, it would not take a good ending for me, for sure. But on the other hand, I could not imagine that they would put the act of catching a girl that has escaped over the attack of the Choushu scum. They had their fights to fight and their duties to fulfill and maybe I was one of their duties, but for sure not the highest priority.
As I left a small and narrow side street and finally hit the main street, a familiar voice split the air right before my eyes caught the sight of Hijikata-San and his men.
„They are at the Riyonari!" A messenger had reached to the vice-commander and now faced him with scared and wide-opened eyes.

My mouth formed an „o". I gasped for breath but now was not the time to take a break. They had not seen me yet and I fast hid behind a small fence, crawled into the shadow and observed the moment.
„Damn it!" Hijikata-Sans voice was filled with anger. „That means Kondou-San and the others are already fighting! Everyone, march!" They were gone in an instant and I thanked God for this chance. That meant I was on the right track. The Riyonari was a rather well-known inn and happily, I knew where its location was. I just had to take the other way around, so none of the Shinsengumi would catch me.
I followed another narrow street until I reached a floodlighted corner. I could not react fast enough but didn't step back as I realized who was standing in front of me, pointing his sword into a woman's face, who was crawling on the floor. I couldn't hold myself but jumped into the man, pushed him away with all the force I had and felt the ground hitting my body as I landed. The man muttered something inaudible and got back to his size. Quicker, Ayaka! Quicker. I forced myself to get up and as he stroke his blade I rolled to the side, put all the strength I had into my swing and cut right into him. I fell and as his last scream left his body I felt the agony as if I had cut myself.

„Boss! Look at this!" I looked at the man, who now entered the scene, with sharp eyes. His voice. was pitchy and I felt the disgust inside of me in an instant. They must've heard my small fight on the main street.
„Well, hello! Who do we have here, hmm?" The other man looked at me as if I was some prey.
I realized the symbol on their headbands.
„You are Choushu." I opposed them and something in my voice carried the sound of satisfaction. They looked at each other as if they were exchanging plans in mind.
„And you are who, pretty girl?" He smirked and something about this smirk made me feel uneasy. I saw this somewhere, already. I heard about smirks like this and I knew what these sort of smirks were longing for. My skin started to shiver.
„Isn't that obvious?" I got up to full size and pointed my sword in their direction. „I am your enemy!"
His laughter disgusted me. Everything about these men disgusted me and I had the longing to cut right through them, even though this was against all of my principles. But the yearning for vengeance made my blood go hot, even boiling and all that was left in my mind was pure anger and rage. They had attacked us. They had taken our peaceful life away and now I had to do the same. I had to.
„You are?" He didn't stop his ugly grinning.
„Boss. Wait! I recognize this girl." The pitchy voice whispered something into his boss' ear and I didn't have to hear anything, I knew what he was saying.
Bosses face lit up with excitement and I felt the fear rising up inside of me, as he called out to more men on the street. They were a group of seven men that stood in front of me. Behind me the dark and narrow street and the woman I had managed to rescue. I looked at her, sharp and calm at the same time. Why was I so calm? As she ran away I felt as if she was an allegory for my lifespan that had now met its end.
„Well, girl. I am not very happy with this situation. It seems you have killed two of my men. This one." He pointed at the corpse next to me. „And as annoying as it is, you did kill one of my guards in Edo." He clicked his tongue onto his teeth, creating a noise of disappointment. „Just what will I do with you?"
„Maybe you should ask yourself about what I will do with you!" I couldn't hold myself back anymore. These men were part of the group who had killed the children.

„I remember you!" A bold man stepped out from the group and opposed me with his katana. „You were that girl at the orphanage! You killed my brother! You nasty little rat!" It was him. It was him. I recognized his ugly face.
„You had killed children!" I screamed into the night and even I did so, the pressure inside of me could not be released. Nothing changed. I still felt the agony as if it was stuck in my throat, taking all of my air away.
He jumped in front of me, ready to strike me, but I duck down, rolled to the side and avoided him. I hoped that I did hit him and as I heard him crying out, I knew I must've had success. I did hit his leg and he lay on the ground, holding onto the fresh wound.
„Well, boys. Have you ever seen such fierce eyes?" Boss stepped forward and his two of his men rushed to me, holding me, pushing me down onto the ground. I couldn't deal with them. I simply could not deal with the strength of men and I realized that all the success I have had, was nothing more but mere luck.
Now, that he stood right before me, leaning his head down and staring into my eyes, I knew what his smirk reminded me of. „Come on little girl! If you want children so badly, I will make you some." He opened his arms, shaking his head and laughing directly into my face – my scared and angry and hurting face. „As many as you wish!" He screamed as if he was possessed. I didn't want to close my eyes, wanted to remain strong, but I couldn't hold the pressure. It was too much. My arms did hurt, my body was on a revolt and all the power had left it.