Original Peice - Raid on Ikeda
This is another peice I had to do in my Creative Writing Class.
Title: Raid on Ikeda
Author: Strata Taisen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,453
Summary: It's about the Shinsengumi. Nuh said.
The night was cold and desolate, like a prelude to death, a setting that fit rather well for that particular night. Blood was going to be spilled that evening, most by my own hand, and I had felt uneasy about it. Even though it was not like I had never killed a man before. No, taking another man’s life was not the reason I had felt uneasy, it was something else, something elusive that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Like some misfortune was going to happen and I could do nothing to stop it. I brushed the thought aside casually; thinking my uneasiness was simply due to my lack of sleep as of late. Suddenly, a cough ripped forth from my lungs and I feared that there was going to be blood accompanying it again.
“Okita-san? Are you feeling alright?” asked a deep and commanding voice from behind me. “You’re not coming down with the cold Yamanami-san has, are you?”
I mentally sighed in relief. For a moment I had thought my illness had been discovered. I turned around smiling cheerfully at the Vice Commander. “Iie¹, Hijikata-san. I merely had something caught in my throat, that’s all.”
He looked down at me with suspicious, piercing eyes, “Well, alright, but if you are starting to feel ill at all, tell me immediately. I do not wish to search for a new captain of the First Squadron just because you were stupid enough to go in to battle sick.” A small smile graced his lips as he patted me on the head as if I were a child. Then again, he was nine years my senior, so in a way, he had every right to treat me so.
“Of course, sir,” I replied, a smirk forming as I continued, “I wouldn’t want to be any trouble now, would I?”
A deep chuckle escaped from Hijikata’s. “Of course you wouldn’t. Like all those other times you never gave me any trouble.” He grinned at me knowingly.
I gazed up at the Vice Commander, trying my best to look as innocent as possible. “I have no earthly idea of what you are talking about.”
“Sure you don’t,” Hijikata shook his head at me before he turned around. “Go get your Squad ready - we will be moving out soon.” With that, he left me and walked over to Commander Kondo.
Following his order’s promptly, I saw to the gathering of my men and that they were fully prepared for battle before we received our orders from Commander Kondo. Little did I know of the danger on my life from an enemy within myself. My tuberculosis, which I had been hiding for quite some time from everyone I know, had decided to take a turn for the worse that fateful night. Not only did I cough up dangerously enormous amounts of blood, but I also fainted in front of my enemies on the battlefield. If it was not for my comrades in arms, I would not be alive this day. Of course, when Kondo-san and Hijikata-san heard what had happened they sent me straight to a doctor. The doctor had told us that I only have a few more years, at best. Even with such a short time left, I am going to live my life to the fullest to my very last breath.
*Okita Souji died on May 30, 1868.