"Self-condemnation: Noun- The blaming of oneself."

April 25, 1868: Itabashi Execution Grounds, Edo

It was a night she would never forget. A night when the clouds had blotted out the moon and stars as though to steal all light from the world. A night in which the air was cold despite the warmth of the coming summer that had preceded it. A fitting night, in all of its dourness. It was suitable that her failure be accompanied by such darkness. She would never forget the way that the earth had burned, a perfect circle where the girls had stood, holding tightly to one another. The way they had looked at her with trust, despite the fear they felt, as she had gathered her power. The terrible flash and the smell of smoke and fire. The moment when they were gone, and some innate sense within her told her that she had not done as she meant to. In her desperation and lack of training, her emotions had tainted her incantation. She would never forget the fear and grief and betrayal in the eyes of her longtime friends when she told them of her blunder. A blunder that had cost them their daughters.

She would never forget, and she would never forgive herself.

A tap on her shoulder pulls her from her memories. The memories of the blackened grass, a dead spot where her power had taken effect. Of the terrible physical drain, the exhaustion that had nearly driven consciousness from her. It had happened only a month ago and was still so fresh in her mind. Slowly, she opens her eyes, eyes so inky blue that they are nearly black, and looks up at her companion.

The oni before her gives a small smile, one that would have been larger if she had not sensed Nemu's dark mood and restrained herself. Her long white hair is gathered in two buns, one on either side of her head, and held with a set of red tama. Her gold eyes glitter in the darkness that clings to the heels of the setting sun, mischief and excitement in her narrow face. When she tilts her head, the last rays of light illuminate her pointed ears and the small, hornlike protrusions on her forehead, just under her hairline. When Nemu catches her eye, her smile widens into a grin, revealing canines that are nearly the fangs of an animal.

"Mikage-hime, it is nearly time," the oni purrs, her polite tone doing little to mask her anticipation, "Look."

Nemu sits up from the tree she had been resting herself against and peeks around the edge. Their vantage point from a stand of trees on a hill gives her a perfect view into the walled yard. As her companion said, the last of the men are finally departing from the yard outside the only building on the grounds themselves, a two story structure that squats like a bulbous toad in the grass, a prison surrounded by a field of murder. The men leave behind the pit where they buried the body of the once-great leader. Nemu's eyes narrow, falling on the patch of freshly laid dirt in the middle. It will take some work, but, it will not be impossible. She stands, dusting her black clothes off. The men's shirt clings to her curves while the pants billow about her legs before cinching at her ankles under her black tabi boots. Her dark hair was bound up in a tight knot before her departure on this mission, and a sword hangs at her hip. When did she become this? A warrior and an undertaker? Just a month ago, she was been tending flowers outside the tea shop. Was it in that moment when she realized her attempt to save her family had gone awry? Was that when she made the shift?

The oni at her side creeps forward. Despite her pale orange and white yukata, she makes no noise moving over the fallen leaves of the hilltop copses floor. After a moment, she looks back, baring her teeth in a grin again.

"They have left. You will retrieve the body, ne? And I will get his head."

Nemu's eyes remain steady and dull as they meet those of the oni woman. She gives a single nod, confirming their plan.

"Be careful, Yoko-san. We do not want them to discover who has done this."

Yoko titters, covering her mouth with one sleeve-covered hand. Amusement is clearly visible in her expression.

"They are only humans, Mikage-hime."

The response presses Nemu's lips into a thin line. How easy it is to forget after living so long among the humans that most of her kind think of them as lesser beings. Even those who are benevolent look down upon humanity in that condescending way in which an adult might look upon a misbehaved child. It is a sentiment that Nemu can never share.

Some of her allies have commented that she acts like a human rather than an oni, being worried about certain issues that, really, have little to do with the oni themselves. They are confused as to why she is so adamant in doing the work she is now, which lays beyond their common goal of foiling those pureblood lords who wished to rule over them all.

Her oni allies joined her because of her status as a pureblood female, and because she is backed by Sen-hime. Nemu herself, despite her natural status, would have garnered few followers on her own, besides those who believe firmly in the old traditions and ways. It was the words of another that caused others to respect her enough to follow her.

When Sen-hime found her through their mutual link with the Shinsengumi organization, she immediately knew who she was. Apparently, word of Nemu's exile and subsequent disappearance had spread through the oni world like wildfire, and Sen had been searching for her for some time, afraid of what may happen to a lone oni woman ostracized from her family. However, because of Sen's youth, the exile itself had occurred when she was still a child. By the time she began to actively search for Nemu, the elder oni had already settled into human society and gathered a new family about herself.

"Mikage-hime?"

Yoko is waiting for her signal. Nemu nods, pulling her black scarf up over the lower half of her face.

With another titter, the oni flits away. To the human eye, it would seem that she simply vanishes and reappears near the door of the two-story building, completely circumventing the walls. That is hardly the case. Nemu saw every step the woman took, despite her enhanced oni speed. It is just that they could move so very quickly when the situation warrants. To her knowledge, Nemu herself is the only one with the power to simply move to another place without a need to physically cover the distance.

As Yoko slips in through the door, still as silent as a night breeze, Nemu darts down the hillside and leapt the wall. She is less accustomed to her superhuman attributes, and has a bit more difficulty than Yoko in simply flogging the human defenses. The idea is that, once someone enters Itabashi, they do not leave again. However, that only applies to those who are brought in wearing chains, it seems.

Using the fading light and the shadows it creates Nemu drops over the wall and skulks along its edge, creeping until she is a scant ten meters from the grave. There, she stops. A careful glance to the windows tells her that many have been shuttered for the coming night, only a few remaining open. The only guards standd at the main gate on the opposite side of the prison. This is a place that criminals are brought to be executed. No one expects two women to break into it. Nor do they expect the dead to escape.

In a burst of oni speed, Nemu moves to the graveside and crouches in the grass, her tabi touching the freshly turned dirt. With little trepidation as to what she is doing, she plunges her gloved hand into the soft soil, pushing until her fingers meet a firm, still warm body. It has been less than an hour since he was beheaded. Nemu and Yoko bore witness to the spectacle themselves, watching from the trees as the sword swung down through his neck. Nemu had barely changed expression, despite the sick feeling that wrenched her stomach when the blade sliced through him and his blood had splattered. Yoko had covered her mouth with her sleeve, murmuring something in distaste. Despite her disgust, she had still been more than willing to retrieve the man's head.

Nemu's fingers clench in the material that lay between her hand and the man's skin. Then, she plunges her other hand into the soil so that she has a firm grasp on him. She is forced to her knees, her arms nearly up to her shoulders in the dirt. Gritting her teeth, she gives a mighty heave, arching her body back. The lack of leverage foils her. Even with the strength granted by her oni blood, she struggles. Oni or not, she is still a woman, naturally weaker than the oni males, and one who has not done a great deal of physical labor to exercise her muscles. The dirt fights against her, clinging to its captive and weighing him down, and, her target is not a small man. All of these factors leave her making little headway. She lets out a breathless huff, trying to think of a solution.

If Kadan were here…

She cuts that thought off quickly. She can't think about Kadan. She has stopped herself from thinking about Kadan for nearly fourteen years, ever since her exile. To think about Kadan is to give in to weakness, which she cannot afford right now. But, she cannot deny how much she wishes he were at her side.

Her solution comes to her the way a weight might remind the one wearing it of its presence. She closes her eyes briefly, pushing all thoughts of Kadan aside. She has known that, in order to accomplish her goals, she will be required to use her power. However, after her blunder with the girls, she has not been able to bring herself to do it more than once or twice, and then only in desperate situations. Her eyes open and flicker to the prison. How long will it be until someone decides to let in some fresh air or catches a glimpse of her through one of the still-open windows as they pass by? She has to move, now, despite her misgivings.

Resigning herself, Nemu tightens her grip on the corpse and turns her gaze to the trees she and Yoko hid within. Her eyes narrow as she focuses on them, willing herself to return to the place she was sitting before their venture. The power flickers, barely responsive for a moment in the pit of her stomach. Then, it suddenly rushes, filling her with warmth from her fingertips to her toes. She does not have time to blink before she is kneeling beside the tree, gripping a headless corpse tightly. She casts her wide eyes back to the grave, watching the dirt begins to cave inward to fill the hole where the body once was. She winces slightly. That will have to be remedied.

Carefully, Nemu pulls the body to lean against the tree, avoiding looking at the severed neck as much as she can. It is disturbing, the perfect cross-section displaying his bloodied muscles, backbone, and a hole that she assumes is his gullet. She pauses as a thought occurs to her: would the dirt have fallen down into it? Revulsion fills her as she involuntarily leans forward to peer down the hole in his neck. Does it sit in his stomach and lungs even now? With a shudder, she jerks back and stands, forcing herself away from the corpse and back down the hill. She again climbs the wall and hurries along it to the graveside. The sun is nearly completely set and the moon hangs in the sky overhead, dimmed by the remaining daylight. Nemu is all too aware of this as she quickly moves the grave soil so that it again forms a lump. A smaller lump than before, but a lump nonetheless. Hopefully, no one will take notice.

A movement from the building catches her eye and she looks up sharply. To her great relief, it is Yoko, carrying a bag under her arm. Nemu leaves the graveside to catch up with her as she crests the hill and again disappears among the trees. Yoko looks down at the headless corpse leaning against the tree, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Then, she turns to Nemu, her lips stretching in a wide smile. She holds up the bag, which is just large enough to contain the man's head. Already, Nemu can see a growing dark spot where she assumes his severed neck to be. Oddly enough, she also detects the scent of alcohol coming from the bag.

"They had just put his head in spirits," Yoko says, giving the bag a small shake, "It should not have had enough time to do lasting damage," she cocks her head then, "I still do not see why we could not rescue him before he was decapitated."

Nemu bends and, painstakingly, pulls the corpse onto her back.

"Because he had to die in order to throw our enemies off the trail. If Kaito caught word," she stands with a grunt, "Of us saving members of the Shinsengumi, he would take measures to stop us."

Yoko cocks her head the other way, considering Nemu with her narrow eyes.

"You really believe they can be some sort of trump card against your brother?"

Nemu gives a nod, reaching up with one hand to pull down the scarf so that she can breathe properly under the weight of the corpse.

"Perhaps. If Kaito's curse has taken effect on the leaders of the Shinsengumi, then they are undead. When Kazama-sama spoke to me, he said that they would not be able to be killed by the weapons of men."

"This man has been beheaded," Yoko's tone is colored with doubt.

Nemu readjusts the weight on her back and begins to walk awkwardly away.

"Yes. But, is he truly dead?" she staggers slightly under the body, "That aside, it will spite Kaito to have his 'playthings' taken out of his reach."

She steps past Yoko as the oni stares at her without expression. It is a few seconds before the foxlike woman catches up with her. They walk in silence for a long time, trailing through those uninhabited places where they will likely not be discovered. It is slow going, simply because Nemu is lugging the weight of the man's body.

"Does he yet breathe?" Yoko asks after a mile or so, obviously having taken the time to consider the conundrum of their target's state of undeath.

Nemu shakes her head. The blood from the man's severed neck has soaked the shoulder of her shirt and is creeping toward other parts of her torso.

"I cannot say. If he does, then it is too shallow to notice."

Yoko wrinkles her nose once more at the corpse before pressing onward again.

"Hmph. I do not like this distortion of the natural order. The dead should stay dead," she grumbles, eyeing the bag in her hands. By now, a good portion of the fabric has darkened with blood and spirits.

The beleaguered Nemu gives no response, re-adjusting the weight on her back as it begins to slip. It is disturbing how, more than an hour after his beheading, the body is still warm. When she grips his arm to pull it more firmly over her shoulder, it feels as though life still flows through his veins. Perhaps it does.

They go another quarter mile, Yoko murmuring her distaste concerning their mission and Nemu wearily carrying the body on her back. They have just dared to step out onto the main road when another form appears at Nemu's side, taking the corpse from her and pulling it onto a much stronger back.

"What delayed you, Mikage-hime? I worried that you had been discovered and outnumbered."

Nemu looks up tiredly. The male oni, Katsuki, towers head and shoulders above her. He looks back, his true form hidden from the world much like hers is, dark eyes serious. His commoner's clothes billow around him as a night breeze picks up. With the corpse on his back, he is a hulking shadow in the darkness. The sun fully set some time during the trek from Itabashi, sending the world into night.

"And why does it smell of alcohol?" he continues, directing the question to Yoko.

Yoko brandishes the bag containing the head.

"They were going to soak his head in spirits," she explains, "And we were slow because of the weight of that," she points at the corpse.

Katsuki turns his dark gaze on the female oni. He dwarfs her considerably, looking practically brutish in comparison to her small, slight frame.

"Did you not offer to assist Mikage-hime in carrying the load?"

Yoko scoffs, her expression turning sour.

"I snuck into the prison and retrieved the head. I've carried it all the way here. Besides, carrying that thing would have gotten blood all over me."

Katsuki's brows furrows and he opened his mouth to respond. Nemu holds up a hand, silencing him.

"It is fine, Katsuki-san. I am well and was not harmed by the mission. Come, we must get him to Kimiko-san, before the injury does lasting damage. I do not know what the nature of this curse is, aside from what I was told."

The male oni gives a nod.

"Understood, hime. We will depart immediately. I have brought the wagon, as you requested. Kimiko-onee-san is waiting for us."

Katsuki leads them to where he has hidden a horse and cart around a bend in the road. It is a simple thing, used for farming, and the horse is a weathered old mare. Yoko immediately springs onto the bench at the front, silently conveying her refusal to ride in the back where she risks dirtying herself. Katsuki lays the body in the back of the cart, spreading a blanket over it. He then helps Nemu in next to it. She murmurs her thanks and sits with her back leaned against one side, her knees pulled up to her chest. The blood on her shirt has turned cold and uncomfortably sticky. She hardly notices.

A moment later, the cart is rattling down the road. Nemu closes her eyes, ignoring the jouncing and jolting of the cart beneath her. The warmth of the body, lying just close enough to exude its heat to her, reminds her of their venture. She sighs. She knows that this was the first of many such missions. Undoubtedly, the remaining members of the Shinsengumi's leaders would fall soon enough, and she will need to retrieve them before they can be disposed of. It would be problematic if, when they awaken years from now, they had lain underground for decades. If they awake.

A frown touches her face as she remembers the first time she had come into contact with Kazama Chikage. She has played the meeting over and over again in her mind, picking at details and agonizing over every word spoken. It was that meeting that set her on this path. That meeting that prompted her to send the girls away. That meeting that led to her horrible blunder.

Kazama, she has realized, can be a cruel and calculating man, yes. But, he is also honorable, and it was his honor that had brought him to her. He could have left her to be taken by surprise at her brother's actions. After all, she had not been allied with Sen-hime and the others at that time. She was alone, defending the humans who had taken her in when she was cast out of her clan. He hadn't, though.

Her frown deepens as she remembers rounding the corner in her small home and finding the oni lord standing in the common room, as straight and proud as ever. She remembers the trepidation that ran through her when his gaze fell on her. What purpose did he have? Had he finally given up on the Yukimura girl and come instead to take her, an unclaimed pureblood female? She had heard of his pursuit when he came to the area in service of the Satsuma. Even when working alone, she had kept her ears and eyes open. His quest for his bride was not unknown to her, and, she confessed to herself, she had done her best to avoid him, wary that his attention would switch to her. He must have seen something in her eyes when their gazes met, because he had smirked.

"I am not here to take you, Mikage Nemu, if that is what you fear."

Nemu felt immediate unbridled relief. All throughout her time growing up within the Mikage clan, she had heard of Kazama's iron hand and proud demeanor. She had no desire to be bound to him. Still, his answer did not relax her. She subconsciously reached for her power, on edge and preparing to defend herself if need be.

"Then why have you come, Kazama Chikage?"

She was pleased that her voice did not tremble when she spoke to him. It was soft, but firm. The male oni watched her for a moment before turning away, pacing to the side and observing the quaint kitchen in the next-door room.

"Hmph. You have become much like the humans during your exile…how unfortunate."

Nemu gave no response, having none when he disregarded her question. She cared little for his disapproval, but, she was still wary of his presence. She was keenly aware of it, as a wolf is aware when one not of its pack has entered its territory. The blonde oni took his time in observing her abode. Then, he turned back to her. His lips twisted just slightly in a wry smirk when he found her unmoved.

"How patiently you wait…" he stepped closer, pausing only when he was close enough that she had to look up to see his face, "I have come to bring you a warning."

Nemu's brows furrowed in confusion then.

"A warning?"

Kazama's red eyes lingered on hers as he gave a small nod.

"Your brother, Mikage Kaito, has made a move that I doubt you know of yet. It seems that, after your father passed, he received word of your current location…and your relations with the humans you call your 'friends'," he turned then, and paced away once more, "He then traced those 'friends' back to the Shinsengumi and found me," he paused, looking back at her, "You should know that he offered an alliance, which I refused."

Nemu cocked her head, still wearing an expression of confusion. She did not understand why he was telling her this, but, she did not interrupt.

"I have no wish to dally with a clan that values its females so little as to cast them out…your offense must have truly been great, but, it matters little when we are dying out so quickly. When I turned him away, I believe I provoked him into taking action…against you and against me."

Nemu was surprised by this. Against a Lord of the West? Kaito must be feeling drunk on his new power as recently the ascended clan patriarch. Normally, he was much more calculating.

"What action?" she asked warily.

Kazama said nothing for a moment, continuing his slow walk to the window. He took a seat on the sill, gazing out.

"I am sure you are aware of the nature of his power."

A shudder ran down her spine. How could she not be, when she had spent so long under the same roof? Every oni's power manifested in a way unique the oni themselves. Nemu had been able to move across spaces with a mere application of will. Kaito had been able to cause misfortune as was his wont. A curse-bringer, of sorts.

"Who has he used it on?" she breathed, feeling dread building in the pit of her stomach.

Kazama leaned against the side of the sill, his red eyes sliding back to her.

"The Shinsengumi themselves. I can only assume it was done to spite both of us, me through depriving me of true victory and you…through harming your young humans."

Nemu's thoughts had flickered to the girls then. The daughters of the women who had saved her life after her exile. They had found her lying in an alley, slowly starving to death as her oni healing abilities worked to save her life, which only served in dragging out her end. The girls she had watched grow up from tiny sprites in brightly colored yukatas to refined young women in flowing kimonos. Young women who had, in an unlikely turn of events, found love among the feared Wolves of Mibu. Nemu's eyes flickered in something like panic. It was just like her brother to learn everything about someone and then slowly break them down. He would harm those men just to watch the girls suffer. For her to watch the girls suffer. Then, he would harm the girls, knowing that it would drive her mad to lose them, members of the only truly loving family she had ever had.

"What has he done?" she managed, her voice almost cracking.

Kazama's red gaze colored with something almost like pity.

"He requested to meet with me, in Edo. There, he told me that, as a token of goodwill, he had dealt most cruelly with my enemies. When I questioned him, he explained that the curse he wrought over those humans is the most difficult he had ever performed. I did not doubt his words, as he was obviously feeling the effects of using a large amount of power."

Nemu could see it. Her brother's face, already pale, pallid in death's tones from using his power to the fullest that he possibly could. The dark shadows under his golden eyes even as they glittered victoriously. The cold twist of his mouth as he spoke.

"I asked him about the manner in which he had taken it upon himself to interfere in my business. He replied that he had crafted a 'curse', and explained to me that this curse will only truly take effect when its victims fall in the war that is brewing. The curse itself, as he explained it, is that they will not find peace in death. Instead, they will reawaken after a long sleep in a time when the way of the sword is gone and everything they have fought for is left in the dust of history. They will be unfitting for this future world, but, because of their undead state, will not be able to be killed by traditional methods. Blades, bullets, poisons, even the elements themselves. They will be left to wander the Earth, unable to be anything but what they are. Ageless, timeless, with no end in sight," Kazama's eyes were steady as he watched her, barely any inflection in his tone, "He then shared that he plans to collect the young human women you concern yourself with. That he believed you undeserving of such camaraderie," he harrumphed, "He concerns himself overmuch with the stipulations of your exile."

Nemu barely heard his addendum. In that moment, her very blood turned to ice in her veins. Her breath stopped and her mind halted in its tracks. Her heart stilled and her eyes glazed. She felt nothing but horrific understanding in that split second. Then, the world suddenly crashed down. She drew a ragged breath.

Those girls, who were so much like her own family, were in the greatest danger they would ever be. Kaito had always been vindictive. She had known that, if he ever knew of her human friends, he would find a way to harm them. Despite the ruthlessness of the Mikage clan, Nemu had always maintained a caring heart and gentle spirit. He had exploited that in their youth and would continue to do so now. Human lives meant nothing to him. He would recover from his use of so much power, then, he would claim the girls, knowing that Nemu would be most hurt by the pain of the children she had watched grow up. They would be trapped in his grasp, subject to whatever horrors he wished to inflict upon them. And he would inflict horrors. Horrors that would make them wish for death. What made it all worse was that this was not even a true revenge against her. It was simply his way of reminding her that she was not outside his power. He would use her beloved humans as his playthings for as long as they amused him, then he would kill them in the most painful way he could. That was his nature. The added casualty of the Shinsengumi was an unfortunate one, most likely caused because they had been drawn to his attention as being powerful enough to stand against pureblood oni. They were a moderate threat to him, and it amused him to put them under his power. That they were affiliated with Nemu's human family had simply made cursing them all the more enjoyable.

Kazama cocked his head slightly, observing her. He took in the way she paled, her eyes shining as though tears might fall. It was pitiful, how deeply she was affected by this news. Nonetheless, she was a precious pureblood female, foolishly cast aside by her family because of her disobedience to her father. He inwardly scoffed. Everything about the woman was pitiable.

"What will you do now?" he asked, mildly curious.

Nemu was silent for a moment, taking the time to gather herself. He could see the thoughts flickering behind her eyes as she scrambled for a solution. Then, after a few moments, something within her clicked. She looked up at him.

"I'm going to put them out of his reach."

The red eyes blinked lazily, nothing changing within them.

"How?"

In response to the question, Nemu's lips pressed into a thin line and her dark eyes became guarded again. She had relaxed just slightly as they spoke. With that question, though, she slipped into wariness again. Kazama read this and smirked.

"I am merely curious," he stood. Then, he looked at her contemplatively for a moment, "…you will not be swayed to return to your people? The Mikage clan alone has exiled you. Were you to return to the West with me, you would be safe. Your brother would not be able to harm you. You could find a husband, continue your line, live out your days with a family of your own making."

Nemu stared at him, not having expected this. He moved closer, continuing.

"Leave the humans to their own devices. They are not your concern."

At that, Nemu's surprise wore off and she immediately shook her head.

"They are my concern, Kazama-sama. They saved my life and took me in. I owe them a great deal. They are my family now, and I must repay them in any way I can."

She left out the other thought that flickered through her mind. The thought that she could only settle for marrying one man, and he was far beyond her reach.

The oni lord sighed in response, though, she caught a glimpse of something like respectful understanding in his expression.

"If you feel it is your duty, then I know I cannot convince you."

He turned away, then, striding at an unhurried pace toward the door. Nemu watched him, thrown off by his sudden departure. In the doorway, he stopped and turned, facing her again.

"If you endeavor to stand against the Mikage clan, you will need allies. Seek out Ayumi Suzuki and her brother, Katsuki, on Mount Kurama. They are descendants of the original line and still hold true to the old ways. They will grant you aid, though, of what kind, I am not sure."

Still in a state of shock that he was helping her, Nemu murmured an "arigato" without truly realizing what she was saying. He gave a regal nod. And then he was gone before she could think clearly enough to question his motives.

Nemu jolts when the cart rattles to a stop, torn from replaying the conversation in her mind for the umpteenth time. She was in a sort of half-doze, nearly asleep as the cart clattered down the road to the small village outside of Edo. They could not go far because they did not know how long they would have before too much lasting damage would be done to the corpse they carry with them. Still, they had to be far enough from the city that they will not be caught. Nemu looks out and sees that they have stopped before a small house, really more of a shack, in which a faint light shines through the window slots in the wooden sliding doors.

A moment later, Katsuki is at the end of the wagon, extending his hand to her. Nemu takes it, and he pulls her from the cart with as much ease as if she weighs nothing. She sets her feet down with a small word of thanks, watching as he retrieves the body.

"Please, Mikage-hime, let us go inside. You must wash the blood from your skin and change into more comfortable clothes."

In another time, Nemu would have smiled at his concerned tone. As it is, she gives him a nod of thanks. He and his sister have done a great deal for her in these past weeks, coming all the way with her from Kyoto to undertake this endeavor, even contacting Sen-hime and informing her of their alliance with Nemu, thereby resulting in her ties with the influential young oni woman. It was only out of his respect to Nemu's wishes that Katsuki had not gone to retrieve their target himself. It had taken her putting her foot down to convince him to simply wait for her and Yoko to complete the task when the plan was conceived.

Yoko flits onto the porch that wraps around the small house and raps her knuckles against the wood door. As Nemu steps up beside her, the panel is pulled aside, revealing a lone woman. She smiles and ushers them inside. As soon as they gather in the room beyond, Ayumi closes the door once more and turns to them. She approaches Nemu and gently lays her hand on her upper arms, ignoring the blood that has soaked into Nemu's sleeve.

"Mikage-hime, you took longer than expected," she says softly, her brown eyes full of motherly reproach and relief all at once, "I am glad to see you well and whole. You worried me."

"My apologies, Suzuki-san. It was not my intention. Unfortunately, our patient was heavier than I anticipated."

Ayumi's gaze shifts briefly to the body that her younger brother is laying out on a cot in the center of the room, near the flickering lamp. She frowns just slightly then. Nemu knows what has puzzled her. Ayumi is a quiet and reserved woman. However, her personality belies her great power. Though her line has a streak of human blood, she has inherited an ability that Nemu herself is envious of.

"…you spoke the truth," Ayumi murmurs, "He yet lives," her eyes dart between the body and the bag that Yoko laid near the severed neck, "I can sense his life even now."

Her grip on Nemu's arms tightens, and the younger oni can see the disturbance in the elder's expression. She believed Nemu when she told her of the curse, however, she did not fully comprehended it. This is not right. When a man loses his head, it means the end of his life. Indubitably. Yet, here is one whose life has been confirmed by Ayumi herself.

Yoko, who seems to have been waiting on this affirmation, gives the decapitated man a look of renewed revulsion. She again raises her hand, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

"How barbaric," she says, her voice almost a hiss, "The Mikage surely know no pity."

Katsuki shoots the foxlike woman a look, as though to remind her that a Mikage stands in their presence. Nemu pays them little mind, only humming in agreement. Her gaze remains on Ayumi, who is still processing her shock. After a long moment, the healer take a deep breath.

"I can make an attempt, Mikage-hime. But," she looks up at the taller woman, "I can guarantee nothing. I have never reattached a man's head before. I have no idea of how long this might take or how much power will be required. Nor how well his functions will return."

Nemu gives a nod, her expression turning encouraging.

"I understand, Suzuki-san. All I ask is that you try," she looks back at the body, "This man has demonstrated honor, and he deserves more than to be caught in my brother's whims."

Ayumi's expression softens and she squeezes Nemu's arms slightly.

"You are right. I will try, Mikage-hime. For your sake, and for his."

Nemu smiles, stepping aside as Ayumi releases her. She gives a small bow.

"Thank you. It means a great deal."

Ayumi bowes in return and hurried over to the body. She murmurs something to Katsuki and, together, the two of them begin tending to the man. Nemu turns to leave, opening the door to a small side-room in which her meager belongings have been stored in a trunk. It would do her good to clean up and put on fresh clothes. She smells distinctly like blood and grave soil, an unpleasant combination. As her hand rests on the door, one of her feet already inside, she is halted once more by Ayumi's gentle voice.

"Mikage-hime, what did you say this man's name was? I don't quite recall."

Nemu looks over her shoulder, her eyes falling on the dark-haired woman and her brother, their features made even more similar in the flickering light of the lamp. Yoko stands off to the side, watching Nemu from the corner of her eye.

"His name is Kondou Isami. Commander of the Shinsengumi."

Ayumi gives a nod of recognition. She looks down at the head, which she has removed from the bag.

"Ah, yes…he has a good face. Kind and gentle. I did not expect it from a warrior."

Nemu's dark eyes flicker down to Kondou Isami's head. Indeed, his face is caught in a soft, peaceful smile, which he was undoubtedly wearing in his final moments. She stares at him expressionlessly for a brief pause. Then, she turns away.

"Hai. I have heard that he was of a kind disposition. I only spoke with him once briefly."

How long ago that seemed, when she had gone to fetch a young Jun from the Shinsengumi headquarters when her visit with her captain went overlong. An age, a lifetime, an eternity. Quickly, before her guilt can consume her again, she steps into the room, leaving the Suzuki siblings to their work. Ignoring the weight of Yoko's eyes on her back, she slides the door shut, sealing herself in darkness.

Hello, dear readers, and welcome to Iridescence, the rewrite of Wisps of Smoke. I'm very much looking forward to the development of both the plot and the characters that will take place in this story and can't wait to share it with you! I'm hoping it will completely outshine the original story.

I'd like to throw out a big thanks to Melissiaew and 14Phantom for betaing this prologue! Lord knows I needed it desperately!

And, a quick note to Wisps readers, if you have any ideas to throw at me concerning certain future aspects of this fic, shoot me a message. I'm always open to them, though following up on them depends on their relevance to where the plot is going :)

Thanks for reading! Please, leave a review!