Snowy: "Now, review what we just learned."

Gen: "Hah...hah...hold up..."

Snowy: "The enemy won't hold up for you."

Gen: "Though...you will..."

Snowy: "Will I?"

Flower: "Okay, Snowy, please don't exhaust him farther. I suppose a break is an order."

Snowy: "You can recite during then."

Urgh, she's a totally different person when she trains. It is still around the middle of the night Day 10 of their training program and Genzui is steadily getting it down. Sort of.

Gen: "Ack-!...tsk!"

Genzui sharply inhales through his teeth and bites back a scream.

Gen: "C-cramp...cramp, cramp, cramp, cramp."

Flower: "Ah, hold on, I got this."

Gen: "...thank you."

Snowy: "Now."

Gen: "Ugh...um, the back-hands, uppercut, roundhouse, sides-swing, the sword version of those, I mean, uh, the sensory scan for enemy count and..."

Snowy: "Use. Your. Sense. Though, as I said before, the enemy will play around you a bit since they know your blind. They will take you for granted. So use that as an advantage."

Gen: "Yeah, though I completely forget I'm blind sometimes."

Flower: "I wonder how's that the case. Sorry, I've never been blind before, but I wonder what it's like."

Gen: "Oh, it's not bad, once you get used to it...which took me about a couple weeks."

Flower: "So you memorize where everything is, I suppose?"

Gen: "Exactly, and since I can't see you guys, I have only mental guess what you look like."

Snowy: "True, it is not like he gives us physical exams all the time."

Gen: "Wha-?!"

Genzui kept his images to himself. He did have dreams about what the girls looked like and what the base looked like, too. Though he can't fell color. He has every sense heightened all because his sight can't work. Or more like it's being blocked.

Flower: "Soldier, you are lucky that Wolf's hearing goes down to human levels when she is unconscious."

Snowy: "Soldier? You fell silent."

Gen: "Sorry...just wondering what you guys...really look like."

Snowy/Flower: "...!"

Snowy: "Well...I want to know what color your eyes are."

Gen: "Oh, they're hazel. You?"

Snowy: "Silver..."

Flower: "Light brown! Just like Sword's eyes."

Snowy: "Me and Claw have the same eyes, too. We both share the same room."

Flower: "Sword has this very soft dark brown hair. It's like yours, but just a touch lighter. She wears her hair down most of the time."

Snowy: "Though on patrol, she has to wear it up, like the rest of us."

Flower: "Though I wear my hair up mostly all the time."

Snowy: "Besides when you sleep."

Flower: "Wow, I cannot believe you monitor that."

Snowy: "Flower's hair matches her eyes, though it's a bit lighter. Lighter than Sword's by a landslide."

Flower: "If we're talking about matching eyes, Claw fits that description."

Snowy: "Yes, she has dark silvery hair and very light silver eyes."

Gen: "Whoa...I was expecting a...yeah, brown but like...dark brown or something with a scar on her face, I don't know."

Snowy: "You thought she had a scar on her face?"

Gen: "She was called Claw for a reason, right?"

Flower: "Oh, right! Wolf has these deep blue eyes and Snowy has this metallic silvering in her light purple hair."

Snowy: "For Wolf the matching is just like Claw. Same color, darker for the hair, lighter on the eyes."

Gen: "Purple? Deep blue?"

Snowy: "Not human?"

Gen: "Sorry, I'm still not used to it Though, I do want to still see you guys."

Flower: "Haha, yes, it is still a lot take in in just around a month."

Gen: "A month...yeah...it's been almost a month since Sword disappeared."

Flower/Snowy/Gen: "....."

The 3 of them fell silent. Gen didn't really like the unusual silence so he decided to break it.

Gen: "Well, hey, we're gonna go get her back. Someday."

Snowy: "Yes, training you was a bit easy. Sort of. Though it strikes me how you know so much already."

Flower: "Well, wasn't it Sword who named him 'Soldier'? I figured she knew him beforehand, and he just didn't recognize because she blindfolded him."

Snowy: "And we're not even..."

Gen: "Not even what? You guys keeping secrets from me again?"

Flower: "Well, I don't think we have any reason to keep them from you.'

Snowy: "Unless we want Wolf to ruin our lives."

Gen: "I won't change outer-wise and Wolf isn't awake."

Flower: "Well, we aren't-"

Snowy: "Guys, we need to get to sleep. Now."

Besides Wolf, Gen has a very good hearing sense. The trudging way the footsteps sound and the pawing against the wall, still probably half asleep, was only done by one person in the base.

Gen: "It's Claw-!"

Flower: "Move to the left side of the base, all the windows are high, but crouch down."

*pitter, patter*

They dash as quietly as they could to the left side (their right, but by front view it's called the 'left half'; they followed Flower). As directed they crouched down, pressed their bodies on the side of the wall and listened.

*shoom*

Claw: "Ugh, what the heck...?"

Flower/Snowy/Gen: "....!"

Claw: "...Huh, full moon tonight. Usually Sword would be out here...doin' whatever...then Flower or someone would be...huh...it's so quiet."

Genzui probably guessed that the scary face that he imagined on her was probably softening up. He can't exactly imagine it at the moment, but he's trying really hard to. He decided to ask Flower and Snowy later. Suddenly...

*tap, tap*

Gen: "...?"

Flower: "...!...?"

Snowy: "....?!....?....?"

Snowy's touch was easy to figure out. It was always to scatterbrained on him, it felt like she was trying everything she could to not hurt him or something. Plus it was always cold, typical. That was what was touching them. Except this time her movements were more faster and fidgety. Genzui felt his head being gently (he assumes that was Snowy, too) lifted up to look up at the wall. Where Flower said the windows would be in their crouched position.

Gen: "...!"

He knew what the were trying to do. But being quiet and secretive while blind and not to mention that he's never been at this part of the base before, outside.

Snowy: "Stay. Still. Don't. Move. A muscle."

Snowy's voice, hushed, frantic and choppy, spits out near his ear, quiet enough for only him to hear. Then he left his body being picked up almost with ease. His hands flew to the limbs supporting him. He heard a one of the windows slide open and Claw's fingers drumming on the porch. He's glad that Claw does that, so that way they ensure that she's still there, probably moon gazing. Suddenly he felt one of their presence vanish. One of them were missing.

Gen: "...?!"

There was a strain on whatever was holding Genzui. It reminded him of Sword's hold. But the stamina in her arms were different. Maybe she just didn't expect him to panic and move. He immediately remembered what Snowy said. Stay. Still. Don't. Move. A muscle. He froze up instantly. He felt the limbs underneath him relax but then pushes him up. A new set of limbs catch him right away and pull him through a smaller space. He felt warmer when he came inside. Snowy must've was waiting for him inside and carried him in.

Snowy: "Got you."

Gen: "It...we're in...? Where are we?"

Snowy: "Hold up, can you stand?"

Gen: "Right..."

Snowy: "Flower?"

Flower: "...I'm in."

Snowy: "The lighting is very dim with one window open."

Gen: "Where are we, again?"

Flower: "Let me close the window."

Snowy: "Soldier, guess."

Gen: "...It smells like the kitchen."

Snowy: "Good, he can at least tell by the smell."

A hand guides him out of the kitchen and back to his room. The tense events of sneaking blindly into a high window without making noise over hushed voices made Genzui's mind freeze up a little, so the help was appreciated.

*****

Next night...

Snowy: "You slept pretty far into the day."

Gen: "I'll be needing it. Where's Flower?"

Snowy: "She's asleep."

Gen: "Good."

Genzui had something planned this night. He gripped his sword handle until his knuckle was white. Snowy noticed and lowered her head, though he could feel her gaze on in harden a little. Though the worried vibe coming off of her wasn't all exactly hidden.

Snowy: "What are you planning?"

Gen: "Tonight's the night, Snowy."

It didn't take Snowy more than 5 seconds to figure out what he meant. Genzui was planning to go look for Sword tonight.

Snowy: "...I don't really think your ready."

Gen: "Well, I think I am."

Snowy: "What gave you that impression?"

Gen: "..."

Snowy: "Tell me your thoughts. It's hard to read off of you without seeing your eyes."

Gen: "You...it's just...the dream I had last night."

Snowy: "...What was it."

Gen: "...Sword, she's fighting out there. She hadn't stopped ever since she disappeared. She's badly wounded. Only I know where this place is. It's different this time. I saw her, she..."

Genzui stopped short and trailed off. It felt weird saying 'I saw', since he couldn't see. But since him, Snowy and Flower gave him descriptions of them and since he can't really see them, his unconscious mind worked and created a brand new Sword and placed her in a surprisingly realistic looking dream. It was more clearer than any dream he had before.

Snowy: "You saw her?"

Gen: "Yeah, she was wearing a headband with a metal center. Her hair was up and went down to about the middle of her back. She wore tied on armbands, which the sleeves were sky blue with spiked white edges. Instead of a jacket, yukata, or even a kimono, she had bandages across her chest."

Snowy: "...!"

Gen: "Her pants were similar. She's barefoot, too. Her swords were on fire. Sometimes she's grab the handles with her feet and spin around and slash at Sakera. She also had swords floating on her back like wings. They were on fire, too."

Snowy: "She really looked like that to you."

Gen: "That was my image."

Snowy: "Hmm, where did you get the colors sky blue and white?"

Gen: "Sakera mentioned her name was 'Sword Shinsengumi'."

Snowy: "You know what the Shinsengumi is?"

Gen: "Yes...they..."

He stopped and trailed off again. If they're some female, supernatural version of the Shinsengumi and he was the enemy of the human version, he wonders if they'll look at him differently.

Snowy: "They...?"

Gen: "Well, I didn't know there was any nonhuman female members."

Snowy: "So they're all male?"

Gen: "Yeah, the base there is bigger."

Snowy: "...where you from?"

Gen: "Mibu, the base is down the river from where I live."

Snowy: "Mibu...so that's where we were."

Gen: "Never been inside the town?"

Snowy: "You know that description that you gave me of Sword?"

Gen: "What about it? It was entirely wrong, or something?"

Snowy: "No, surprisingly, you were spot on for what she looks like. At least you know exactly what she looks like without actually seeing her. That dream must've been given."

Gen: "There are people who can create dreams?"

Snowy: "Yes, and implant them. Sakera...USED to have that ability...but she's not supposed to have it anymore. She's actually much more weak than what she was 6 centuries ago."

Gen: "6-?!"

Snowy: "Not human, remember. Sword is pretty old, I'll have you know. Anyway, yes, those clothes you saw Sword wear is what we wear all the time. Except the headband and wearing you hair up."

Gen: "Oh...I guess you wouldn't wear those clothes around town."

Snowy: "Yes, though our cleaning method is of like you humans and suppose it is quite useful that you cannot see us."

Gen: "Oh, well, if you ever go into Mibu again, make sure you visit your base then go up the river from there. There's a restaurant named Otento up there. That's where I live."

Snowy: "Otento?"

Snowy's voice had a suspicious tone in it. Genzui thought back to what he said. Did I say the name wrong? No, there's no way I could mess up the name. What's wrong with the name Otento? 

Gen: "Is there something wrong with it?"

Snowy: "Do you know who founded the restaurant? Was it your family?"

Gen: "Well, I guess you can say a part of my family...it was the Yoshidas."

It was an ancestor of Maro, but she doesn't know who he is and she'll maybe hate me if there's a warring supernatural version of us against them.

Gen: "There wouldn't be a supernatural version of a clan called the...Choshu, would there?"

Snowy: "...As a matter of fact, there is...they're all female, too. They also have similar powers to us, as well."

Shoot.

Snowy: "And you said Yoshida, correct? That family is of the Choshu Clan, too, right?"

 Gen: "Uh..."

Snowy: "And there part of your 'family'..."

Gen: "I can explain. I don't hate you guys or anything, I just never knew you guys were in the Shinsengumi and..."

Now that I think about it, considering that they can be centuries old, they might be the true founders of the Shinsengumi. Genzui's face paled at the thought and he heard Snowy do something that he didn't expect her to do.

Snowy: "Haha..."

For some reason she started chuckling. But not in a way that was taunting or pitiful. Like she found the situation genuinely funny.

Gen: "Did I say something funny, something?"

Snowy: "No, not exactly, I guess, but your thinking the Choshu and us as the Shinsengumi don't get along because, perhaps, you as the Choshu and the human Shinsengumi don't either, am I right?"

Gen: "You mean...you guys get along?"

Snowy: "Of course we do, the Choshu is the second half of some twin groups here."

Gen: "Twins?"

Snowy: "Yes, there's a few members there, but that's because we have twins."

Gen: "Like...?"

He wondered if there was one that represented him.

Snowy: "The oldest is Tanamari...oh, whoops."

Snowy's voice, was just lighthearted a few seconds ago, trailed off at the first name. Tanamari? Like...Maro...? Toshimaro? Seriously? She's the oldest? That means...she's Sword's twin sister. I wonder if she knows if her sister is missing.

Gen: "Tanamari, I can remember that. What are the others?"

Snowy: "Okay, then...just, don't tell anyone I told you all this stuff. Sword maybe, but not even Flower, please."

Gen: "...Okay...?"

Snowy: "Well, Tanamari is Sword's twin sister...'

...Glance at Genzui. Sees that he's good.

Snowy: "There's the second oldest, Wolf's twin sister, Shinsen..."

That must be Shin...Shinsaku. I wonder if she's good at making soba? I wonder what Snowy's twin is?

Snowy: "Then there's Flower's twin sister...what are you thinking?"

Gen: "What? Oh, I was just wondering what you twin is."

Snowy: "Oh, mine is Itanu. She's really nice and lively. People we're opposites or something. I don't see why."

Ito!

Gen: "Well, heck, I can't either."

Snowy: "Haha, though Claw and her twin get along quite well, even though she's very harsh on everyone else."

Gen: "Oh? I thought she was just harsh because I am here.'

Snowy: "Maybe, her twin is Ryuko."

Ryoma? Even him? Well, I can see the resemblance.

Snowy: "Oh, and there's Flower. Here twin is Juno. She's really good at making soba, like Shinsen. Plus she's also considered the doctor for the Choshu group on our side. Makes sense since she's Flower's twin sister."

Genzui froze again. Snowy saw and put a hand on his cheek. Juno definitely sounded like Gen, or Genzui. He just realized that his name, Gen/Genzui, hadn't been used for about, yes, a month. Snowy doesn't know his real name and he now isn't even sure if that's her real name. She now became very distant for some reason. For some reason his past before he came here flooded back into his mind. He wonders if he should still be here.

Snowy: "Soldier, I feel something."

Gen: "What...?"

Snowy: "I feel...this is probably the last night that I'm going to see you."

What? Snowy?

Gen: "What do you mean?"

Snowy: "I really hope that isn't the case. Just do your best out there. And please...don't die..."

*****

Those words keep on echoing in the back of his head. Once those words were out, Genzui had slowly stood up and broke into a sprint away from Snowy and ran across the familiar hills once again for the second time. The atmosphere felt familiar, so did the situation.

Gen: "Like...when...I ran...away."

The pain was creeping up his face and now there he was crying again. Out in the left he heard the battle noises of the fire and explosions from that one night. The night when Sword disappeared. He ran into that direction, tears squeezing down the side of his face. Slowly, getting close to the battle, the blaze getting louder, he began pulling out his sword.

"...OUT....AWAY...!"

Genzui started running faster. His sword was already to strike. Adrenaline was pumping really hard pushing toward the battle ring not worrying if he was to be killed or not. He was going to take Sakera out, head in hands, and run away again. He didn't want to show his face back at the base after this. He started hearing the voices more clearly. There was a certain voice that he'd been waiting to hear. And it sounded like that voice was loosing.

Sakera: "My! Loosing you EDGE, I see!!!"

Sword: "Urgh...!!!"

Gen: "AAHH!!!"

Swinging his sword so hard that it could catch fire from the burning atmosphere, he shot it straight for Sakera's face, which he had been calculating for what felt like ages, just for this moment. He didn't stop there for her to regain what's going on.

Sword: "What...?"

Sakera: "ACK-!?"

According to where Sakera's voice came from and her reaction, brute force by human blades can still hurt her and that he struck the back of her head. Though he knows that won't knock her out completely, let alone kill her when if she was human, she'd have a terrible concussion, or even death.

*WHACK, WHACK, WHACK*

Genzui batted her away. Thanks to Sword, she was very weak and was more like a super-powered human. By human, her power energy had been exceeded.

Sakera: "You're that human-!"

Gen: "NO WORDS FROM YOU!!!"

*CHOP, CHOP, CHOP, WHACK, WHACK, WHACK*

Sakera: "Gack-! Augh-! AHHH....!!!"

This continued for about only 10 minutes before Sakera was able to flip Genzui over and kick him aside. Genzui's senses scanned his surroundings. Oh no. There was a cliff edge that was who knows how low down. There was growling over in Sword's direction. Genzui quickly scrambled to his feet his adrenaline slowly leaving him. No, no, not YET...!!!

Sword: "DON'T YOU DARE!!!"

There was a strong smell of fire everywhere. Genzui heard fire bursting up around them, like a ring of flames swirling around them. Though the raging sound wasn't where the edge. She isn't planning on knocking Sakera off the edge by herself, is she?!

Sakera: "O-oh, huh...?! You're still alive over there-ACK?!"

Genzui : "Not so FREAKING FAST!!!"

Sakera: "Urgh...augh...I'LL KILL YOU FIRST!!!"

Sword: "No-!!!"

Sakera: "Urgh, go to your grave, you insignificant human and owner!"

Sword: "Soldier!"

Genzui steeled himself for the attack but then felt her body glomp on top of him, sort of squashing him in the process, for he really didn't expect her to do that. Her body felt lifeless and dead, like a rag doll. She...didn't just die on me...did she? He wrapped his hands around her back, getting ready to throw her off, but then met with bones instead. Genzui felt her body crumbling into dust, leaving nothing but hot bones that were falling apart all over him. Freaking out, he scrambled away nearing the edge, now about a few inches at it, though not worried about that.

Snowy: "It's a fire category. As before, manipulate and manifest, can light herself like a torch, can coat her weapons in fire, can burn things at a distance, and can change the property to her fire, which is a bit rare."

...can burn things at a distance...did Sword do that?

Gen: "Sword...?"

Sword: "Oh, wow...you're...pretty beaten up...this had to...*cough, cough* be the fastest part of the battle...haha..."

Gen: "So...you've been at this...for a month...?"

Sword: "...How'd you...know somethin' like that...?"

Gen: "I...saw you..."

Sword: "You...saw me? How?"

Gen: "Sakera sent me a little battle clip...last night..."

Sword fell silent. Though Genzui was thankful enough to hear her voice, just a little bit. He was also glad that Sakera was nothing more than bones now. She was dead, and she was gone. It was over.

Sword: "Hold up, I'll get you."

He heard her stand up and wobbly struggle to walk toward him. Her steps were jerky and slow.

Gen: "No, no, I'm coming..."

Genzui stood up with a playful smile on his face, happy for the first time in forever and relieved that she's alive. He just really wished he could see her right now as she is.

Sword: "Finally, a smile outta ya."

Genzui involuntarily smiled wider at the compliment. But their happiness was short-lived. He was still really beaten up and shaky from the battle and judging by how far away Sword's voice sounded, she was about 5-6 meters away. With how damaged she was, she couldn't reach him in time. There Genzui fell off of the cliff and smashed into the slope with Sword at the top scrambling to get to the edge, screaming both in pain and Genzui's called name. He heard her crying in the distance, though that was easily drowned out by his own cries of pain until he knocked out.

*CRACK*