hakuouki fanfiction

Chapter 2. Att the Jikan

Melissa woke up her head throbbing and her legs aking. She had scraped her knee. She felt relieved for not waking up in a ship cabin, but this room was so unfamiliar to her. Melissa got up and stretched her hands to the ceiling. She could hear people outside her room going about. Footsteps and chatter all around her. She folded her bedding and opened the door, just when a maid was passing her room. "Excuse me, but where am I?" Now that she said it, it sounded stupid. Normally people would know where they are, but if the maid found it odd than she didn't show it. 

"Yes miss. You are at the Jikan inn." Melissa wished for some more information, but the maid was in a hurry and left after answering her. She soon realized that she was in a so called love hotel, meant for use for a few hours or an occasional night for couples. She certainly wasn't here for that reason. That much she knew. Melissa began remembering the events of the night before. All that horror, but how did she end up here. Somebody must've helped her after she passed out. It was hard for her to deal with the fact that it had happened, Melissa hated the idea of passing out like some helpless lady, especially now that, she didn't have to behave like one, not anymore at least. While walking to the front desk she met someone she thought was the innkeeper and started asking questions.

Soon she found out that a couple of samurai had brought her here. Thankfully the innkeeper knew one of them and was able tell that they were part of Roshigumi a group of newly founded wannabe samurai that had been causing some ruckus around Kyoto. Melissa was beginning to dread that she asked the innkeeper anything, the woman wouldn't stop gossiping. 

While getting her ear chatted off, a man came from behind and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Miss would you come with me." Melissa jumped at the demanding request.

"Don't sneak up on her like that Saito." Melissa turned around and saw two strange men. She backed away a bit when Saito kept his hand on her shoulder. She looked him hoping to figure out what they wanted from her, but his face  was blank.

Normally Saito would have given the woman some space, but her sea-blue eyes were too captivating. He didn't usually care about such things and soon he came to his senses and let go of the woman after she had sifted her gaze to Heisuke, who was grinning from ear to ear. " Hi lady! You sure run fast. Stumbling on Souji like you did." Finally Melissa realized that they were the ones that helped her the other night. Well at least one of them. "Um... Thank you for last night. I m Melissa sorry for being such a klutz and bumping on you last night." And she really meant it. Being helped by strangers was something new to her and she had to admit she didn't like feeling helpless like that.

Not like she remembered what happened after passing out.

They seemed satisfied with her answer and introduced themselves. Melissa felt like trusting the men even though the innkeeper had mentioned that the Roshigumi were a somewhat violent group of warriors. But if they really were violent monster they wouldn't have helped her so she gave them the benefit of a doubt.

She was about to ask about last night, but she was cut off by a third man. "Oi Heisuke, Saito. She needs to come with us Hijikata and Kondo have some questions for her." Souji stood at the gateway of the inn and looked bored. He didn't seem the kind of man that would have taken any part in helping Melissa so she didn't feel like he deserved her thanks, and the way he talked was frankly rude so she didn't make a move to leave with them until Heisuke tugged her hand gently. "It's good that you speak Japanese. Where are you from? What are those funny clothes, are they normal where you are from?" While Melissa was being led to god knows where Heisuke kept shooting questions at her. She did her best to answer. 

Heisuke seemed energetic and happy go lucky kind of person so she didn't even come to think why was she being summoned for questioning by strangers. "Oh yeah you should also thank Souji for carrying you, even though you bumped in to him." Heisuke whispered in Melissa's ear.

What!? Melissa couldn't believe how wrong she had been. With a tiny blush she turned around while walking with the men and seeing that they kept the pace, she walked backwards and gave Souji a small bow "Thank you for last night. I hope I didn't hurt you in any way." and with that she turned again. Souji was completely caught off guard for a moment. He wouldn't have helped her if Heisuke wouldn't have been such a brat about it. And besides her way of thanking him seemed a bit insincere. That was what Melissa had been aiming for, the man had helped her yes, but the air around him made it obvious that she wouldn't like the man. 

They walked along the streets and made many turns. Almost too many she figured. They must've made a few extra turns so she wouldn't find her way back if she needed to. They were being cautious. And no wonder considering that she had just last night witnessed a carnage. Maybe they suspected her... or maybe they were the ones behind the attack. The thought's she had kept getting more and more ominous. Heisuke noticed that she hadn't been answering his questions for a while and looked at her ghost white face. 

He figured that she must be thinking about the scene she had been running away from. He didn't believe she had anything to do with it, but  they had to make sure. After all she was somehow connected to what had happened at the manor. At the very least she had more answers than anyone else.

Flashback

After Souji and Heisuke had taken the unconscious girl to the nearest inn. They began to wonder why had she been running like death itself was chasing her. They weren't far off. Souji had noted the direction she had came from and the two went ahead to the only place that would have made sense. 

The manor of some European ambassador. 

Souji could smell the blood from far away, Heisuke on the other hand realized what had happened only when they reached the manor's gate. They unsheathed their katanas and walked in slowly and quietly. They didn't need to walk far to see that there were at least dozen bodies laying around the yard. A few maids and servant were impaled neatly and fast, but the guards and the ambassador had been mutilated painfully. 

They both went around the building, hoping to see someone alive or at least find the attackers, but there was no sing of life anywhere. With a sigh Souji sheathed his sword and looked closer to the bodies. One them was still warm, unlike the others that had gone cold. The warm body was still bleeding and it seemed like he had just been killed. Souji was the one to broke the eerie silence. "We need to report this to Kondo and that girl... she was here, she is now our witness." Souji wasn't showing it but the scene made him exited, not the bodies or the bloodshed, but the feel of  a battle. 

End of flashback.