Shinsengumi and Me (COMPLETED)

Finding Saito

Ekō POV

"Run Ekō-chan!" my mother begged me as she held back a large man with her katana. "Take your fathers katana and run! Do not look back! Go!"

Confused, frightened and tired I grabbed my fathers katana, although it was very long and slightly heavy, and ran from the house in to the village and to the fields. My foot caught on a ledge and I fell scraping my knee.

Sniffing I pulled up my yukata and saw the blood beading on my white skin. The moon shone brightly in the night sky like a light just for me, so I got to my feet and began running again.

Lights lit up the not so far distance and I raced towards them, realising it was a city. I can find help there!

"E-Excuse me?" I called to the mass of people walking past me. "Hello? I need some help! My mama, she's in trouble!" I tried to get some attention, pulling on women's kimonos but was swatted away like a bug.

I squealed as a large cart was pulled past me, knocking me onto my back. My lip quivered at the hundreds of feet threatening to step on me; I scrambled on my hands and knees to an alley behind a few stores.

Pulling my yukata tightly around me, a wave of tiredness hit me and I curled up in a ball, falling into a cold, nightmare filled sleep.

Saito POV

Doing my nightly rounds brought nothing unusual to my attention, until a small group of ronin were huddled together around a small bundle of cloth. "Hajime-Kun go see what that's about, I'll attend to these guys." Souji smirked beside me.

I nodded silently and stepped closer to hear what they were saying, "Little brat, thinks it okay to steal from Samuari do yeh?" a man grunted down at the cloth.

Brat? I thought. As if to answer my question, a mass of brown waves of hair popped up as the child got up and ran in my direction. The rogue samurai turned to chase it and locked eyes with me.

"Eh, shinsengumi huh? Well I'll just take care of you boy." he growled at me. A faint tugging on my hakama had me staring at the bright blue eyes of the young child. Her face full of terror as she clutched to my leg.

"What is your reason for harassing this child?" I asked them and one tsked. "Little brat stole our food, step aside!" he roared at me. Stepping defensively in front of the small child, I drew my sword.

"Surely you samurai can excuse the actions of a child?" I said to them calmly, the child burying their head into my side. Kneeling down to her height I whispered in her ear, "Go and hide behind those crates and don't come out till I say so." She nodded, her blue eyes still terrified, and hid.

They began to charge at me as I spun round, I had drawn my sword and killed one before he knew what hit him. Taking down the other five was a slightly more challenging than I anticipated, but I managed to cut the last one down.

His blood spattered on my face, my skin now matching my blood stained uniform. A crash behind me, startled me and I whipped around ready to attack - but froze.

The young girl, was staring wide eyed at me, her mouth a gape. Understanding I must look rather frightening, covered in blood and holding a sword, I replaced my katana in its sheath and wiped my hands clean.

She walked up to me, raising her arms to be lifted. I looked at her hesitantly, "Up." She said so I obliged. She hugged around my neck, breathing deeply. "Thank you, you save me." She whispered into my ear, like I had hers.

"What did a youngling like you do, to cause so much trouble?" I asked her and she blushed. "I was hungry, and I hadn't eaten in days so I taked one of dere buns. I shouldn't has." She looked ashamed of herself.