Yes! I actually got Heisuke's route without the assistance of a guide! (Watch out Keima Katsuragi! Here comes Shimohi Kagami! Also, I'm going to spend this post playing the Hakuouki drinking game! If anyone's actually reading this... Fat chance... Of anyone actually reading this...You can play along as well. There's a link to the rules.)
Warning!: This is based upon a game that's rated M for Blood, Strong Language, Suggestive (read 'Sexual') themes, and
Violence. If any of these things offend you, don't click on the link.
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-Chapter Four-
December 1867
'The Imperial Restoration shook Kyoto to its core. The Shogun and his government suddenly found the ground giving way beneath their feet. Domains that had long opposed the shogunate began to gather in Kyoto, with the Satsuma at their head. Yoshinobu Tokugawa fled to Osaka, and was soon followed by more and more of his ministers and associates. The shogunate had begun its withdrawl from Kyoto. The Shinsengumi followed.'
Of course...
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'Our standing orders were to provide protection for Yoshinobu, who had taken up residence in Osaka Castle. For that reason, among others, our headquarters was moved to the Fushimi magistrate's office, which was situated along an important route between Kyoto and Osaka.'
(Anyway...)
'The moon looked somehow different from the magistrate's office than it had from elsewhere in the city.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "What's going to happen to us...?
("All the steps we take, all the moves we make, all the pain at stake...") (No! No! You did this same gag in the last post!) (What!? This time the lead in is closser to the actual lyrics!) (*facepalm*)
'There was no one there to answer me. The rebel soldiers were growing more restless by the day. It seemed that war was inevitable now--the only question was "when." If one listened very carefully, it almost seemed as if one could hear the footsteps of war coming closer...closer...'
(Dude! I think someone's coming closer to us! For real!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "...Yes, just like--what?!"
(Told you.)
Heisuke Toudou: "Morning! ...Uh, what's with that look?"
'I struggled desperately to regain my composure.'
Oh, thank goodness. For a moment, I thought it was Chikage and Daemon doing another ambush... (Let me guess, almost gave you a heart attack.) (But still, it's clearly evening. Why did Heisuke say "Morning!"?)
Shimohi Yukimura: "O-Oh no, it's nothing. Um...morning? Did you just get up?"
(*facepalm* Shimohi, did you forget that Heisuke's a rakshasa now!? Of course he wakes up in the evening now!) (Don't you mean, "fury"!?) (No, I mean it when I said "rakshasa"!) Cut it out you two...
Heisuke Toudou: "Yeah, just a few minutes ago. ...Hm, I guess it isn't really morning, huh? It's weird though, you know? I get sleepy just before the sun comes up, and then as soon as it's dark I wake up."
'His smile turned bitter for just the barest fraction of a second. Heisuke had been a fury for two months, which meant he'd been sleeping during the day. I hadn't been able to see him as much, and I was beginning to get a little lonely.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "How are you feeling? Any...changes?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Nah, I feel...normal. Like, really normal. And it doesn't feel like anything's changed, honestly. Hijikata's the same hardass he always was, for instance... Shin and Sano keep saying they don't even know why I bothered coming back to life if I was just going to be as big of an idiot as I'd been before. When I tell them to shut up, they just laugh!"
(Yeah, just like always...)
'I was pretty sure that was just their way of trying to tell him that he was still the same Heisuke he'd been before...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "When it looked like you might die, Harada and Nagakura were really worried..."
'I had been too, of course, but that was neither here nor there.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Besides, there are a lot of people who think you are dead, and they're really sad about it..."
Heisuke Toudou: "Oh, the guys from my unit, huh? Yeah... I wish I could tell them I'm actually still alive."
(...!) (No! No Portal references here!) (Aw man...)
'Officially, Heisuke was dead, and his funeral had been well-attended. He was clearly missed. I found myself wondering... If I were to die, would my father mourn me?'
Shimohi Yukimura: "...I'm sure your family is worried, too."
'He frowned suddenly, and looked at me for a moment before turning away.'
Wait...! Is his family...?
'...Had I said something I shouldn't have?"
("Already dead?" Maybe.)
Heisuke Toudou: "...You know how when you came to Kyoto you told us you were looking for your family? For Kodo, I mean."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um...yeah? What about it?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Well, to tell you the truth I got a little jealous. I'm not really...allowed to go look for my parents."
'Not allowed...?'
(Oh, right, the heroic bastardry...)
Heisuke Toudou: "...Guess I might as well tell you..."
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Have you ever heard of a place in Ise called the Toudou Domain? Well, that's where I'm from."
Shimohi Yukimure: "Wait...then that would mean..."
Heisuke Toudou: "Yeah. My old man's the big guy. I don't know much about him, though. I'm just his...bastard, I guess."
(What!?) Well, it's technically true if he was born out of wedlock...
'Until that moment I hadn't realized that Heisuke had never told me anything about where he was from, or what his past had been like.'
Then again, usually those born out of wedlock have had the worst reputations ever. (Just look at the A Song of Ice and Fire series for an idea of what that kind of prejudice would look like.)
Heisuke Toudou: "Anyway, he sends me some cash every month, so long as I don't go looking for him. Hush money, I guess."
Shimohi Yukimura: "So you were jealous because I was looking for my father?"
'He laughed, but it was flat and without humor.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I was just an accident for him. So yeah, I don't think my parents would be sad to hear I died. Hell, the old man'll probably throw a party. He doesn't have to waste his money keeping some brat quiet anymore."
'I felt I had to say something...'
-You know that's not true.-
-That means you're free.-
Dang, this is a tough one... (Most likely the first option's going to be a lie.) (Yet, the second option could have some bad implications... *sigh* You've gotten this far by, in a sense, "following your own heart". So, what would you're first impulse be to say?) ...That he's free now? (No, I think that the first one's the best option! I'd rather not think that his parents are that horrible.) (What!? But it's a lie!) (You yourself once said that the truth can be more damaging than a lie sometimes.) (True... But, if you're wrong, we're hitting the rest button!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "You know that's not true."
'I didn't know what kind of people Heisuke's parents might have been.'
(Indeed, for all we know, they could've been actual decent human beings...) (...Or, they could've been the kind of selfish assholes that would've been a demonic role model.) ... (You know what kind of demon I meant!)
'They could have been good, or bad, or simply indifferent. But right then I felt that they couldn't be completely unconcerned with whether or not he was dead.'
(*sigh* I almost can't believe I'm saying this but... Shimohi, you need your faith in humanity back! Otherwise, you walk though life always on edge thinking you're going to be attacked at any moment... *tears in eyes* That's the saddest way to live ever!)
'After all, they were his parents.'
(That doesn't stop humans from being shitty to their offspring, and you know it.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Maybe their circumstances meant they couldn't be with you as they'd like, but I'm sure your parents loved you very much."
Heisuke Toudou: "What kind of evidence do you have for that? I only just told you about them, and pretty much all I said was 'they exist.' Look, it's been a long time. I don't really need comforting, okay?"
'He didn't seem angry, just...apathetic. I shook my head.'
...! Hold it! There's another way to look at that money your father sent you! He could've been sending that money... As a way of caring for you when he can't do it in person! (...) (...That's an interesting point there.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Well, you're still getting money every month, aren't you? That means whoever's sending it at least wants you to have enough money to be happy, right? If they didn't care whether or not you lived or died, then why send you money in the first place?"
'The theory I'd formed was that his parents wanted to be with him but couldn't. They knew money was a poor substitute for a family, but at least it was something.'
(...) (Shimohi, this game is predicting your thought patterns way too well...)
'It seemed reasonable.'
At least to my previous, more idealistic, way of thinking...
'He was quiet for a few minutes, but at last his face burst out in a grin, and he laughed.'
(Hey! You got a flower point for that! Okay, Pansy, we won't hit the reset button for this.) And... Maybe... Maybe I can start trusting humanity to not be completely shitty to itself... *sheds liquid pride* (Aw... "Tears of happiness"...)
Heisuke Toudou: "Ha ha ha ha ha! Man... People ever tell you you're way too optimistic?"
As I recall, people also said that about Vyse. (And not only is he a badass air pirate!) Technically he's a Blue Rouge, but he's also one of the most optimistic people I know about. (Well, that was a dialogue option but still... Seeing the silver lining of HIS OWN BASE GETTING DESTROYED, among other things, is an... Well, awesome feet of optimism.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "N-No! I-I mean, I don't think... What's so funny?!"
Heisuke Toudou: "Nothing, nothing..."
'But he only laughed more. After I'd frowned at him for a while, his expression grew more somber, and the faraway look from before returned to his eyes.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Well, I guess if for some crazy reason you are right, them maybe there is someone out there who's sad I'm dead."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Then maybe someday you can tell them the truth. I'm sure they'd like that..."
(And... We cut to daytime...)
'The new year had come and gone. It was the 3rd of January. Before we'd even had time to let the excitement of a new year soak in, war was upon us. One of the major routes from Osaka to Kyoto ran by the Fushimi magistrate's office. A number of soldiers loyal to the shogun were traveling to Kyoto by that route one day when they found themselves confronted by Satsuma soldiers. Fighting broke out, and before long the battle had spread to the magistrate's office.'
(Well, that could only be called "inevitable".)
'The Satsuma had already set up their men on the high ground, and spent most of the day raining cannon fire on the Shinsengumi and anyone else unfortunate enough to be in range.'
(And it's night again...)
'As the light began to fade, the guns on the hill gradually fell silent, and it seemed that the day's battle was over. The men guarding the magistrate's office let out a great sigh of relief.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "You still alive, Sano?"
Sanosuke Harada: Barely... I really thought we were done for. It was practically raining bullets and cannonballs for a while there."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Bastards... They think they're so great just 'cause they got the high ground. Guns are for chumps, all right? A real man uses a sword."
(Sorry, dude, but... In the future, everyone uses guns. No, wait, scratch that. At this point in world history, practically EVERYONE uses guns EXCEPT the Japanese people! ...Even though they had guns, although primitive ones, in the Warring States Era. Fuck!)
'He spoke for everyone there. The bombardment had gone on all day with no respite, and the vaunted skill of the Shinsengumi meant little if they couldn't get close enough to their enemies to strike with a sword.'
(Oh, right, during the
American Civil War, both sides used guns of some kind and the only some
soldiers... Mostly officers and cavalry, had swords.)
'Nagakura and the rest had done their best to protect the magistrate's office, but they'd been forced into an entirely defensive battle, and had little to show for it.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "What's going to happen now?"
Hajime Saito: "We've been at a disadvantage thus far, but now that night has fallen, we can turn the tables. Their guns will be difficult to aim in the dark. We cannot afford to miss this chance. We must counterattack."
Toshizo Hijikata: "Saito's right."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Um, Hijikata... What were our losses today?"
'Even Hijikata was having touble hiding how tired he was. He shook his head slowly and sighed.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Bad. If we screw this up tonight, we might as well just surrender tomorrow."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Then it's finally time to take the fight to them! We aren't cut out for this defensive shit! To the front lines!"
Hajime Saito: "I agree. If these gun battles continue, our position will only deteriorate."
Sanosuke Harada: "Our biggest problem is just going to be getting together enough men. A lot of my guys are out of commission."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Yeah... Man, I sure wish we had Kondou or Souji right now."
'Kondou had been shot before the new year, and had gone to Osaka to recover under Dr. Matsumono's care along with Okita. He was doing much better, but he was still in no condition to fight.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Guess we'll have to use the Fury Corps. They should still be fresh. ...I'm sure Kondou would've done the same thing."
(I just hope the enemy doesn't have any silver bullets...) Uh... Aren't those for werewolves? (Not quite, first of all...they must be shot through the heart with silver, gold, platinum and diamond bullets with all the precious metals in ascending order, staked through the heart, decapitated and shot in the brain, then the head must be buried in hallowed ground, the body burned, the fire put out with holy water, then burned again before sunup.) (That's only in "Beyond Belief"!) (Point is, silver bullets, they're not just for dealing with werewolves...) Oh no...
Heisuke Toudou: "The Fury Corps...?"
'He looked surprised.'
Keisuke Sanan: "Why so surprised, Toudou? At last, we've been given our chance to shine!"
Heisuke Toudou: "...Oh! Yeah, I guess we have, huh?"
'There was something strange in his voice.'
Uh oh...
Shimohi Yukimura: "Is something wrong...?"
Heisuke Toudou: "Oh, no... I just...hadn't really thought about how I'm part of the Fury Corps. I mean, I know I am, I guess it just hadn't really hit me yet. Well, time to make up for all that sleeping during the day!"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Awesome! Way to go, Heisuke! Let's go get ready for--"
(Cannon ball incoming!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ah!"
'The roar of a cannon interrupted Nagakura, and the room immediately fell silent.'
Hajime Saito: "Are they here already?"
'We leapt to our feet at the sound of a second report followed almost immediately by the crack of splintering wood. I clapped my hands over my ears instinctively, and when I pulled them away Hijikata was aleady issuing orders.'
Toshizo Hijikata: "Sounds like they've got us surrounded. Damnit... All right, let's move! We gotta push 'em back!"
'Just as Hijikata had guessed, Satsuma troops had surrounded the magistrate's office. The cannon had been used to blow the gate open, and soldiers were already streaming through the breach.'
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Heh. So, they decided to come pay us a visit, huh? Well, that suits me fine! Now I don't have to walk my ass out there!"
'He grinned, and set off for the gate with a handful of other men. Sanan drew his own sword and looked over at Heisuke.'
Keisuke Sanan: "Well, let's get going, Toudou. Time to show those Imperial fools why they should learn to fear the fall of night."
(In other words, "Are you afraid of the dark?" If not, you should be!)
'His smile sent a cold shiver down my spine. I felt bad for being suspicious of him, but Sanan had changed. The man I'd met long ago was someone I would have trusted with Heisuke, but Sanan the fury was...scary.'
(I know Daemon's with Chikage but... I also have a bad feeling about Sanan as well.)
Sanosuke Harada: "...Hold on, Sanan. We're short on men. You think you can leave Heisuke here?"
Huh?
Heisuke Toudou: "What?"
Sanosuke Harada: "Heisuke, I want you to keep an eye on Shimohi here, all right?"
Oh, in that case, I wouldn't mind that...
'Had he guessed somehow...? Harada caught my eye and grinned, then grabbed his spear and ran off after Nagakura. Sanan watched him go, then shrugged.'
Keisuke Sanan: "I suppose it doesn't much matter what you do. I mean, look around us... The front line is everywhere!"
Did you just swipe your sword at us just after that pause and before you finished that line?
'He drove his sword through a nearby Satsuma soldier in one lightning-fast strike, laughed, and ran toward the gate. The Fury Corps followed behind him, yelling battle cries. ...He looked like death.'
("Ghost rebels in...the swamp!") (Really!? Monster, no one reading this is ever going to get that's supposed to be from a Civil War Re-enactment song called "Ghost Yankies in the Swamp"...) Or, at least, that's what I call the song.
'I shivered.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Stay close! I'll keep you safe, but you have to stick with me!"
'And that was all he had time to say before the battle was upon us. Blood and bullets fell like rain, and all around us were the cries of the wounded and dying. I felt like I was going to throw up.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Damnit, they just keep coming! ...You all right?!"
Yeah. You?
Shimohi Yukimura: "Y-Yes, I'm fine! Are you okay?!"
'The battle had been going on for some time, and he'd been hit by both guns and swords in several places.'
Heisuke Toudou: "...Don't worry about me."
'Blood still leaked from his wounds, but the flow was quickly lessening, and his wounds were closing themselves.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I'm not human anymore, remember? This kind of stuff isn't enough to kill me..."
... (What?) ... (Uh... Hello? Earth to Shimohi?) Oh, right, it's just that Heisuke looks really hot with white hair and red eyes... (And we have a gender-inverted example of "distracted by the sexy".)
Shimohi Yukimura: "What...?"
His hair and eyes turned back to normal, but he's still hot. (*sigh*)
'Then something happened. I wasn't even sure what, only that for a second, something wasn't...right. Even the soldiers we were fighting paused fora fraction of a second, as if they weren't sure what they'd just seen was real or an illusion.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Damn!"
'Another bullet tore through his shoulder. I reached out to staunch the flow of blood, but before I could the wound closed. Heisuke's glance lingered momentarily on his now-healed wound, and for a moment I saw sadness in his eyes.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I told you, it doesn't hurt me!"
(And the white hair/red eyes look is back.)
Heisuke Toudou: "Go away!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Ah!"
'It happened again, and this time I saw it; For a moment, is hair was white. Whenever a bullet or a blade hit him, I saw a look of sadness flicker in Heisuke's eyes as he watched his supernatural body mend itself.'
(I'm counting that as "Heisuke angsting about being a monster." Everyone take a drink!) What are you drinking anyway? (*takes out a sake cup* Here... *pours out a...red colored liquid*) *sniffs red liquid* Smells like chocolate. (Monster! That looks like blood!) (Sorry, but this isn't blood.) It's likely a mix of corn syrup, chocolate sauce, and red food coloring. (I'm so going to give myself a sugar high...)
'Why, then, was a grin beginning to stretch its way across his face?'
(Am I going to have another drink, this time for "rakshasa bloodlust"?) (Excuse me, the rule clearly says "fury bloodlust"!) "Fury"... "Rakshasa"... Either way, I know what you're talking about.
Heisuke Toudou: "...Is that all of them?"
'His grin reminded me of the grotesque smile I'd see on the face of a fury mad for blood. I felt terror rise like fire in my breast, and before I knew it I was crying out to him.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke, that's enough! Let's go back now!"
Heisuke Toudou: "What are you talking about? There's still more, right? Where's the next one... Where's the blood...!"
(Yeah, rakshasa bloodlust confirmed. Everyone take another drink!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh!"
...No. This isn't good at all...
'There could be no doubt about it now. His hair was white as snow, and his eyes shone with a hideous thirst for blood! Heisuke pulled his sword from the stomach of the last Satsuma soldier with a wet, sickening sound. His lifted his hand, covered in gore, to his face, and stretched out his tongue--'
Shimohi Yukimura: "No! Heisuke, you can't!"
'I threw my arms around him, and tried desperately to pull his arm down and away.'
Heisuke Toudou: "What are you doing?"
'It was a stupid thing to do, and I knew it. I knew quite will just how dangerous and uncontrollable furies could be. ...But I couldn't bring myself to believe that Heisuke could be like that.'
There may be a way to save him. (How...? Oh, right, Sanan's theory about demon blood. Are you thinking about testing it out here and now?) If that's what it comes down to, I will. (In that case, one more drink coming up...)
'I cursed myself for not trying to stop him sooner.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "It's all right now... There's no one left for you to fight!"
'At first he looked at me with anger written plain across his face, furious that I had tried to restrain him, but then his eyes caught on the blood covering his hands and sword.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Wha...what did I...?!"
'The white suddenly left his hair, and the hand holding his sword fell to his side. He took one wavering step, then another. When he turned back to look at me, his face was twisted with grief, fear, and most of all despair.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I...I don't think I can take this anymore... I feel like a get a little bit less human every day. It's...it's freaking me out. And...and I want to drink blood all the time! It's driving me crazy..."
(And... Heisuke's angsting about being a monster again. That's another drink!)
'He looked small, frightened, and sad.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "It's going to be okay, Heisuke. You're going to be fine! You're still human!"
(*faceplam* Making a "white lie" again...)
Heisuke Toudou: "No! I'm...I'm... Evening looks like morning to me! The moon's the sun! I'm covered in blood and it...it feels good!"
(Yet another drink, same reason.)
Keisuke Sanan: "Of course it does, Toudou. That's how it should be. Trust your instincts."
(Sanan might as well be saying "Come to the dark side, we have cookies.")
Shimohi Yukimura: "Sanan...?"
'Dead men littered the ground, but Sanan stepped over them with no more concern than he would have afforded stone. He held out his hand to Heisuke and beckoned.'
Keisuke Sanan: "There's no reason to hold back. If you desire blood, then you should drink it. How else can you quench your thirst?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Stop it, Sanan! You're going to confuse him!"
Keisuke Sanan: "Confuse? No, I don't think so. What I'm suggesting is only natural. If your body needs blood to survive, then why shouldn't you oblige it? Telling a fury not to drink blood is like telling a human not to eat. Are you saying you'd rather her starve to death?"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Well...I..."
Only if there's a way for the "donor" to still live after the fact.
Keisuke Sanan: "We aren't human anymore. We're furies. I can understand the pain he feels in a way you never will. In a sense, Heisuke and I are...brothers, you might say."
'He was right. As a fury, he would know what Heisuke was going through far better than I could.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "..."
'With no real rebuttal, I hung my head in silence. I still felt he was wrong, but I had nothing to say.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Sorry Sanan, but she understands quite a bit. More than you, I think."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke..."
'The pain he was feeling had brought him to his knees, but he looked up at Sanan and me with a grin.'
Heisuke Toudou: "...Don't worry, okay? I'm not gonna drink blood. That's not something a human would do, right...?"
Keisuke Sanan: "You still consider yourself human? A shame. You aren't. Binding yourself to human morals and values is foolish. But...I too was once where you are now. I understand what you feel. If you are determined to refrain from blood...here."
Shimohi Yukimura: "What's this...?"
(Likely either blood substitute or dried and powdered blood, one of those two.)
Keisuke Sanan: "A medicine Doctor Matsumoto made for us. It can suppress the bloodlust."
'I paused for a moment. Could such a thing really exist...?'
(I'm mostly thinking it's actually dried and powdered blood that's being passed off as a blood substitute.)
'But a muffled groan of pain from Heisuke brought me back to my senses. If it could help him, there was nothing to contemplate.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Th-Thank you, Sanan."
Keisuke Sanan: "I'm hardly doing him a favor. This is a temporary measure, at best. In the end, it will likely only prolong his suffering. A fury's pain will never truly depart until he drinks blood."
(And if it's the blood of our protagonist, in this case named "Shimohi", that's another drink!) Is that the one you mentioned earlier? (Yes.)
'Then he turned and walked off, but I had better things to do than watch him go.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Argh! *Cough*"
Yeah, much better things to do.
'Heisuke's hair had turned white again, and his eyes were now a deep red. He moaned in pain. I had to do something to help him...'
-Give him blood.-
-Give him medicine.-
-Make him endure it.-
(The last one's got to be the absolute worse one.) (And, like Sanan said, the second one's only going to prolong the inevitable. Which means... One more drink coming up!) That and... I, sort of already promised I'd do it. So...
'Sanan had been right about one thing: I couldn't possibly understand the pain Heisuke was feeling--I wasn't a fury. All I could do was watch him suffer. ...No, I could do more than that. My path was clear.'
Heisuke!
Shimohi Yukimura: "You said you wouldn't drink blood, but... I'm sorry, Heisuke."
(Dude, this is like a medical shot; you won't like it, but it's good for you.)
Heisuke Toudou: "Wh-What are you...?"
You have to eat me, literally!
'The pain was so great he could barely speak. I didn't respond. Instead, I drew my kodachi and slid the blade across my arm.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Wh-What the hell are you doing?!"
(Taking after Sera from Quantum Devil Saga, obviously.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Sanan said something to me a while ago... He said that my blood--my demon blood--might be able to suppress the fury bloodlust."
Heisuke Toudou: "I-I've heard that too, but nobody knows if it's really true! I can't let you do this!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "And I can't bear to watch you suffer any longer..."
'If he had to drink blood to live, then I wanted it to be my blood. My arm shook as I held it out to him.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Please... I'm always being protected. Just once, I want to help someone..."
(And... Shimohi's angsting... About "wanting to help more". One more drink down the hatch!)
'The blood dripped from my arm like thick, red tears. For a long moment Heisuke simply stared at it. Then, finally, he nodded.'
Heisuke Toudou: "...I feel like a real jerk doing this, but..."
...I gave my consent, so it's okay.
Heisuke Toudou: "...Thanks, Shimohi."
'We fought as best we could, but it wasn't enough.'
(Although we never saw it, I say it still counts.)
'Before long, the magistrate's office was in flames and we were forced to retreat.'
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'Even that was nearly a failure as well: The Imperial Army's weapons were far more advanced than anything we'd seen before, and we didn't know how to counter them. Our retreat degenerated into chaos, and Heisuke and I found ourselves separated from the rest of the Shinsengumi. There was no way for us to know who else might have survived, but we both knew where those who had would go...'
To Osaka! (Ho!)
'Osaka Castle. Yoshinobu was there, as was Kondou. What other destination could there be?'
(The final one?) (Seriously?!) (No! Wait, I have another gag! "No items! Fox only! Final Destination!") (*facepalm* Why...!?)
'Heisuke and I chose to go through the forest and thereby avoid the Imperial Army, but it was January and the forest was dark and cold.'
(I just want to check something...) And...? (Yeah, drinking your blood actually LOWERED Heisuke's corruption rating!) Huzzah! (Might want to watch it with the exertion. Blood loss and all.)
'The black, frozen trees surrounded us, and before long I began to feel as if they were the bars of a cage that had suddenly closed around us.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Are you doing all right? I know it's kind of rough getting through here, but it's gonna be a lot worse if they catch us."
Shimohi Yukimura: "I'm fine, really. I just...are you okay?"
Heisuke Toudou: "'Course I'm okay. I'm a city boy at heart, but the forest isn't so--"
(You were saying, Heisuke?)
Shimohi Yukimura: "No, no, I mean... I mean your...fury...thing..."
(Oh. Still, we're really resorting to Buffy speak at this time...? Heh-heh, I just said "Buffy" speak...)
'Encyclopedia updated.'
'He's been taken by the bloodlust during the battle at the magistrate's office, but since then he'd seemed fine. Still, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't happen again. In fact, it was very likely that it would, and that worried me.'
Still, if it does happen, I'll be his Sera...
'He must have felt my eyes on him, because he sighed and lowered his sword from hacking away the underbrush.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I don't want blood. I was just...thinking about Sanan."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Sanan...?"
'He'd become a fury long before Heisuke, so he'd been dealing with the bloodlust much longer. How was he coping with it? Heisuke turned and looked at me, and I could see that the very same thoughts were going through his head. He leaned closer to me ans spoke in a whisper, as if he were afraid someone might be listening in.'
(In a way, he is...) (By us!)
Heisuke Toudou: "I think...I think Sanan's been drinking blood. I think that on the nights he goes out on patrol with the Fury Corps, he drinks blood from the men they kill."
Shimohi Yukimura: "What?! Don't you think that's a little...far-fetched?"
(A duck carrying a leek outside of the Pokemon universe, that's "Farfetch'd"!) (*facepalm* ...)
Heisuke Toudou: "Well, you remember all those times the Fury Corps got in a fight and afterwards the bodies of the men they'd killed had way more sword cuts than they shold have? I think that was them trying to cover up what they were doing."
Either that, or they just went slash happy with the swords. (And not what Shimohi considers the "fun" kind of slashing...)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh no..."
'There was no denying that his argument made sense.'
(Of course, logical argument is logical.)
Heisuke Toudou: "I'm a fury. If nobody was there to stop me, there's a good chance I'd end up doing the same thing too..."
'He looked at me with a sad smile.'
...
Heisuke Toudou: "I remember what it felt like at Aburano Kouji. My chest hurt, and I could hardly breathe. Everything looked kind of...dark..."
That was... (..."when he was dying"? I can kind of see that.)
Heisuke Toudou: "I wasn't thinking 'You can't die until you see justice done!' or anything like that when I drank the Water of Life... The truth is I was just scared. I didn't want to die."
(*sigh* That's understandable, especially for...) ..."a human." (Exactly.)
'The wind whipped his hair across his face, hiding it. I kept silent. Whatever his reason was for telling me all this, it wasn't to get me to give him advice.'
Heisuke Toudou: "So I became a fury so I could live, and now I'm wishing I'd never done that."
... (Shimohi? Are you...feeling a bit guilty about this?)
Heisuke Toudou: "What the hell's wrong with me?"
'He laughed again, but it was easily the saddest sound I'd ever heard.'
(The sound of a man trying his best to laugh at his own tradegy...and failing.)
Heisuke Toudou: "I feel like this is just like when I left the Shinsengumi to go with Itou. I made my own choice then too, but I regretted it pretty much right away. I missed my friends... I think a lot about what I'm gonna do, but it seems like every time I make the wrong decision, and then I regret it and just want to quit... It's pretty pathetic."
I'd say it's more like a string of bad luck.
Shimohi Yukimura: "You're not the only person who does that... I do, and I'm sure all the other guys have regretted their choices sometimes, too."
(Indeed.)
'I couldn't stay silent any longer. I reached for him, and when our hands met, I felt him shiver. My hand wrapped around his.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Sometimes all I can think about is the things I've done that I regret. There are days when I hate myself..."
(No kidding...)
'His hand felt cold, and I gripped it tighter. He didn't pull away.'
(Wasn't there a saying in another game? I believe it goes "Cold hands, warm heart"...) (Monster, don't talk about that awkwardly titled game.)
Shimohi Yukimura: "But even on days like that, I just have to look for one thing that can make me happy. If I can find that one thing, then I can deal with whatever else is bothering me. ...I think that's how we get through life. I'm happy, you know... You might be a fury, but you're still alive."
(...!) (What did I just say regarding singing that Portal song!?)
'It was selfish of me to think that, let alone say it, but I didn't want him to die, no matter what. Even if that meant he had to become a fury...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "I guess I'm kind of selfish, huh?"
(*looks up* You know you're predictable when even the Pansy can be genre savvy regarding your own reactions and motivations.)
'I laughed awkwardly.'
Heisuke Toudou: "...Yeah, I guess you are kind of selfish. So I think it's only fair for you to let me be selfish."
Indeed, fair enough.
Heisuke Toudou: "...I want you to stay with me. When we're together, that makes me happy."
*shedding liquid pride* Of course...! That's what'll make me happy as well. [simultaneous] (We know that already.) (We know that already.) [/simultaneous]
'H-He didn't mean...forever, did he? No, surely he meant until we were out of the forest. Or...something.'
But that still doesn't mean I can't hope it's to stay with hin in "that" way...
'But my attempts to temper my expectations meant nothing to my heart, which beat rapidly against my chest.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Are you sure? I mean...you're really suffering right now, and I couldn't do anything to help you..."
(Bullshit! You let him drink your blood for Satans sake! Speaking of the drinking game, you're angsting about not being more helpful again... *takes a drink*)
Heisuke Toudou: "Couldn't do anything? Are you serious? Man, you're even slower than I thought..."
(*facepalm* Shimohi, I know you don't want to end up an arrogant asshole like Daemon but... This is ridiculus in the exact opposite direction!)
'I stared at him, doumbfounded, but he only laughed. After a moment he looked at me, and through his laughter faded his grin did not.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Thanks, Shimohi. I think... I think if you weren't here, I would've gone nuts a long time ago."
'He let go of my hand and stood, then turned and held it out. This time, he was making the move. I felt happy.'
Hurray for recriprication!
Heisuke Toudou: "All right, we gotta hurry! If we don't get there soon, they're all gonna get lonely!"
Shimohi Yukimura: "Right!"
'It didn't matter how far away Osaka Castle was: So long as I was with Heisuke, everything would be all right. That was when I heard them.'
([sarcasm] Great, even the game's playing the pronoun game. [/sarcasm] Who do you mean by "them"?)
Enemy Soldier: "There! Shogunate soldiers!"
(Fuck our luck!)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke--!"
Heisuke Toudou: "I know! C'mon!"
'Heisuke pulled me through the woods as the voices of our pursuers echoed behind us. The forest reflected the sound in such a way that at times if felt like we've been surrounded. Heisuke gripped my hand tighter.'
(Bless it! What if we are surrounded? Then we'd really be fucked.)
Heisuke Toudou: "Don't worry. I'm with you, and they can't shoot at us here."
Shimohi Yukimura: "R-Right..."
At least I hope so...
'Eventually the voices behind us began to fade. It seemed we'd finally lost them when a new problem appeared. A far, far worse problem.'
Let me guess... (...Chikage and Daemon.)
Heisuke Toudou: "Kazama?! Amagiri?!"
[simultaneous] Fuck! (Fuck!) [/simultaneous]
Shimohi Yukimura: "What are you doing here?"
Did you two seriously just use the word "Fuck"? That's not very lady like. (First of all, I'm anything but a lady...) Second, you're anything but a gentleman.
'Two of the people I least wanted to see had been waiting for us, and we'd run right to them. When it rains, it pours.'
"Whenever you're here... In Oregon!" ("A quaf and chilly brew!") "With hearty lads and lasses fair..." [simultaneous] Do salt...a slug...or two! (Do salt...a slug...or two!) [/simultaneous] (*facepalm* Did you two really need to start singing some obscure song at a time like this!?)
Chikage Kazama: "This war is approaching its climax. I din't want to take the risk that you might die somehow in the coming conflagration. Afterall, this fool with you is useless. He'll doubtlessly abandon you the moment he's faced with any real difficulty."
[sarcasm] Right... And I'm actually Mary Queen of Scotts... [/sarcasm]
Heisuke Toudou: "Shut your hole, pal! I'd never abandon her to save my own ass. No way in Hell!"
What Heisuke said! And I'd do the same for him! But... No! Shut the FUCK up!
'He stepped between Kazama and myself and reached for his sword.'
Kyuju Amagiri: "Will you need my assistance?"
Chikage Kazama: "...Are you mocking me, Amagiri? I can't forgive that, you know. Not even from you. Do you really think I could ever lose to this runt?"
[simultaneous] Yes. (Yes.) (Yes.) [/simultaneous] [sarcasm] Wow, you sure have a lot of faith in this little beta male... [/sarcasm]
Kyuju Amagiri: "My apolog--"
'Heisuke leapt forward, not giving the deom time to finish. He moved so fast I could barely even see him, but Kazama seemed to have no such difficulty.'
Heisuke Toudou: "Damnit!"
'Their swords met with a metallic clang, and for a few seconds they fenced back and forth. Then, without a word, Kazama simply grabbed Heisuke by the face.'
Chikage Kazama: "You are too slow. Too weak. Too pathetic to be her protector. You have already lost."
Indeed Shimohi, you're mine bitch!
'He slammed Heisuke's head into the forest floor.'
Never! I'd commit suicide before I'd ever be your wife...and/or concubine. (And even then, she'd do her best to murder you before even suicide.)
Chikage Kazama: "One... Two..."
Dude, this isn't some wrestling match...
Chikage Kazama: "Three. Now, begone. I will take her."
Nope! Never ever in a thousand, or even a million years!
'He sneered at Heisuke, ground his face into the dirt, and finally threw him back to slam against a nearby tree.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke...? Heisuke!"
Chikage Kazama: "He's gone. You, Shimohi Yukimura, will be coming with me."
NO! Like I keep saying over and over and over again. I'll NEVER go with the likes of you OR Daemon!
Shimohi Yukimura: "N-No I won't! I'll never do that!"
'His voice showed no more remorse for what he'd done to Heisuke than a normal human might have for killing a fly. I glared at him as furiously as I could. Then Amagiri spoke.'
Kyuju Amagiri: "Intriguing... It seems your fight is not quite ended. He seems...different from what he was when last we fought."
Chikage Kazama: "What? What are you--"
*LOL* You sounded like a croaking frog... HEY BITCH! Don't you dare laugh at THE GREAT ME!!!
'A streak of cold steel appeared out of nowhere and slipped across Kazama's cheek, leaving behind a thin line of blossoming red.'
Fuck yeah!
'I followed the steel to its wielder...'
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke! Oh, thank goodness!"
Now that's what I'm talking about! Go Heisuke!
Chikage Kazama: "Still alive, bastard?!"
Yes, he's still alive and he's an illegitimate child. Your point?
Heisuke Toudou: "Yeah, of course. You really think that was enough to kill me? Please."
'He snarled at Kazama, then turned to me.'
Heisuke Toudou: "I've spent my whole life making crappy decisions and then regretting 'em, but... Even if it means I gotta become a fury to do it, I want to protect you. I've never been so sure of anything before."
*shedding liquid pride...again* Heisuke...
'The bruises Kazama had given his face were already beginning to color, but he still look...heroic.'
(*sigh* I'm thinking that was supposed to read "but he still looked...heroic.")
Shimohi Yukimura: "Heisuke..."
Chikage Kazama: "Hmph. You've gained a few abilities that were never meant for you, and it's gone to your head. Very well... I will cut that head off and tear out your heart, you fake!"
Heisuke Toudou: "Let's see you try!"
(Oh! Chikage calling a Rakshasa a fake! *takes a drink*)
'Kazama lifted his sword again, fully prepared for battle this time. Heisuke, on the other hand, only stayed upright by leaning heavily on his sword.'
Things don't look so well for your little beta male...
'Before they could attack one another, a strong gust of wind swept across their battlefield.'
???: "Fake, fake, fake... You know, I really think it's rather foolish to have anything to do with a man who says such things."
What this mysterious individual said!
Shimohi Yukimura: "Sen?! Kimigiku?!"
'What were they doing here?'
(Yeah... There was once a bit of custom internal monolouge just below Shimohi's last line, but the next line just made it redundant.)
'Kazama and Amagiri seemed surprised to see a stranger suddenly appear as well, but not nearly so much as I. She gave me a warm smile, and glanced around until her gaze landed on Heisuke.'
Princess Sen: "Um...Toudou, was it? You've done well."
'He frowned, and his eyes flicked back and forth from me to Sen. Of course! I realized He'd never actually met her before.'
Chikage Kazama: "Who the hell are you? Perhaps more importantly, are you here to get in my way?"
Princess Sen: "Oh, you don't know who I am? I suppose I'm not terribly famous yet... Though your companion seems to recognize me."
'She ws right. Amagiri did seem to know her.'
Kyuju Amagiri: "Are you...one of the demons of Kyoto?"
Kimigiku: "Indeed she is. My lady is from the demon clan of Kyoto. Her family barely interacts with the eastern or western clans, but she is a direct descendant of the legendary Suzuka Gozen."
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Chikage Kazama: "Ah! The rumored princess of Yase. To think I might meet you here... Nonetheless, what does the descendant of Suzuka Gozen want with me?"
'Suzuka Gozen...? I couldn't make much of what they were saying, but from what I could tell, Sen was of a similar, or possibly higher, station than Kazama. But it was what she said next that truly surprised me.'
(Let me guess, if the princess offers to be Chikage's bride herself in Shimohi's place, I'm going to drain the entire cup! And, no, this isn't an actual drinking game rule. I'm just making a bet with myself.)
Princess sen: "Why am I here? That is simple. You have made it clear that you wish to have Shimohi, a female demon, give birth to your offspring. However...You have another option. A superior option. Right here."
'...But the only other female demon present--indeed, the only other female demon I was aware of--was Sen herself! Surely, she couldn't mean...'
(Am I going to take my prophecy drink?)
'Kazama frowned.'
Chikage Kazama: "What are you saying?"
Princess Sen: "Exactly what I appear to be saying. If you are so set on having a child, then I shall produce one for you. I ask only that you cease your pursuit of Shimohi."
(And... That's my prophecy drink! Down the hatch! *gulbs entire cup-worth of fake blood*)
Shimohi Yukimura: "Wh-What...?!"
(Well, at least if Chikage takes Sens offer, you won't have to worry about him anymore!)
'She really didn't intend to take my place!'
Chikage Kazama: "I see... Then you are offering to become my wife?"
Princess Sen: "Wife? Oh goodness no. No one said anything about wives! I do not intend to marry you, or become a part of the Kazama clan in any way. This is merely a...contract would perhaps be the best word. In the interest of maintaining a strong demonic lineage."
'Her own glare easily matched his. Kazama smiled.'
...Akurei? (Right... "Plus nine-thousand and one dead puppies." That's Seto Kaiba and not Chikage!) Well, he has as big an ego. (Fair enough.)
Chikage Kazama: "I see. Well, if you will bear my child, then that is certainly more than I could hope for. However, I see no reason to abandon my current--"
(Dude, you are the most thick-headed demon I've ever had the misfortune to meet! Either you accept Sens offer or Shimohi's going to end up killing herself. With the first option, you get a child! With the second one, you get a dead woman and no child. Your call!)
Princess Sen: "You insolent, ungrateful knave! Know your place!"
'Kazama jerked as if he'd been struck. I could never have imagined that she could be so...furious. The look she gave him was almost haughty.'
Princess Sen: "What clan could possibly offer you a more presigious lineage than mine? Your child would be a descendant of Suzuka Gozen! You could take as many wives as you wished but you would never sire the like again! To even consider any other woman as mother to your child is utter folly. You are the head of the Kazama clan. Surely, you have the foresight to see that."
(Unfortunately, no. See my aforementioned "most thick-headed" comment above. Must be the Daemon influence.)
Chikage Kazama: "You have an impertinent mouth..."
'His eyes narrowed to angry slits. ...But his fury lasted only a moment, and a thin smile split his face.'
(*sigh* ...+9001 dead puppies. Again.)
Chikage Kazama: "...Nonetheless, this is an interesting proposition. I see you have not inherited the elegance of your predecessor, however. Very well. Once Satsuma have overthrown the shogunate, I will come for you. I suspect that will be soon."
What!? Are you serious Chikage!? We had our bitch just within our grasp!
'He gestured to Amagiri, and they turned to leave. They had gone several steps when Kazama looked back over his shoulder at Heisuke and grinned.'
Chikage Kazama: "You wer lucky this time, fake. I won't kill you now, but if--or should I say when--that mind of yours does break, I will."
Heisuke Toudou: "..."
'Their footsteps faded, and then disappeared altogether. They were gone.'
(If this was the Drinking Game of Thrones, I'd so take a drink right now. But still... *refills cup*)
Princess Sen: "At last! ...And such a rude departure! I've no doubt he would call you a fake with his dying breath."
'She smiled softly, somewhat at odds with the excessively regal bearing she had adopted for Kazama. He sudden changes in behavior had left poor Heisuke rather confused. I knew it wasn't exactly the time for it, but I found his consternation funny.'
Shimohi Yukimura: "U-Um, thank you both for helping me."
No, seriously, thank you. (Those two have been a huge "proveribal", as Shimohi would call it, pain in our side ever since we got here.)
Kimigiku: "No, you needn't thank me. It is my lady who deserves your gratitude. I have done nothing. ...However, we must go now. Those men were the greatest threat, but the Imperial Army is still nearby."
'I'd almost forgotten!'
Heisuke Toudou: "Right, kinda forgot about that..."
(You too, Heisuke...)
Princess Sen: "Perhaps we can catch up when next we visit Edo? In any event... Where will the pair of you go now?"
Heisuke Toudou: "We're heading to Osaka Castle. The rest of the Shinsengumi should be gathering there."
Princess Sen: "Ah, Osaka Castle... Well, that seems like an excellent plan, if I do say so myself. Wouldn't you agree, Kimigiku?"
'Encyclopedia updated.'
Kimigiku: "Yes. I hear that Yodo Castle has aleady betrayed the shogun, but if you can make it past Yodo, then you shold have no trouble reaching Osaka."
Shimohi Yukimura: "Oh... Well, thank you again. Is there anything I can do for you?"
Princess Sen: "Another time, perhaps? Let us depart, Kimigiku."
'And with that, they disappeared into the woods.'
"Into the woods!" ("Into the woods!") (No! Not just another musical number, but one that's a title drop as well!)
'Without Sen and Kimigiku, I had no doubt that our encounter with Kazama and Amagiri would have ended very badly.'
(Yeah, with both our hero and heroine dead.)
'Our own safefy assured--for the moment at least--I fell to wondering how the rest of the Shinsengumi had fared. One look at Heisuke confirmed that his thoughts mirrored mine: We needed to get to Osaka as quickly as possible.'
(Later...)
'Upon reaching Osaka Castle, we discovered that the rest of the Shinsengumi had already found their way there. Our relief was to be shortlived, however.'
(Oh no...) What happened this time?
'As the rebels' advantages became more apparent, formerly loyal domains began to betray us, and the shogun's retreat to Edo gave us no choice but to follow him. In the short days before our departure I looked for Inoue and Yamazaki, but couldn't find them.'
(Oh snap!) You think they might be dead? (Most likely.)
'How many other men had we lost, I wondered... The battle at Toba-Fushimi had been intense, but Sanan had returned from it unharmed. I should have been glad--so many had died--but all I felt was apprehension and fear. He made me...scared.'
Something went...wrong with him...
---------------------------------
And that's the first part covering Heisuke's route. Next time we start Chaper Five!
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