Chapter 6 - Belonging

A/N: AHHHHH X( I haven't been doing anything on this fic for like nearly a year - I am such a lazy person and I'm so sorry to those people who had followed me or favourited me. I don't deserve such nice people reading my stories. But honestly, I swear, for the last few months has been ridiculous. I've been in and out of hospital and school is getting ever so more stressful than ever. :'( I really do want this fic to continue and I will try extra hard to see this through.
And another thing, chapter 5 didn't have a title and I stupidly forgot to put one - anyways, for those who wanted to know, it was called "initiation".

"I knew that looking back on the tears would make me laugh but i never knew that looking back on the laughs would bring tears."

Lava opened a blank book with lines and wrote on the front page - "To My Mother and My sweet sisters." She began writing the first entry on the next page.

Dear mother in heaven,

I miss you so much. The thought of you is a bittersweet memory, so bitter that sometimes I wish I had forgotten you and the pain the thought of you brings to my heart.

I miss everyone so much. How's the wreckers? Are they still as bubbly up in heaven, or even more so, as they were down here on Earth? I wonder how they look now..I bet they both look beautiful and radiant as ever. I can remember how they always bickered and annoyed the heck out of each other - and I was their personal referee and servant.

I miss their beautiful laughs and the rosey shade that would cross their cheeks everytime I made them feel embarrassed or extremely happy. I miss your scent mother. I miss your cooking that you had poured in all your love and devotion into. I wish that everyone had been taken or everyone stayed alive, that way we'd be together, either in this life or the next. However, wishing, hoping, praying that you'd all come back to me won't work.

Nothing will ever bring you back to me...

Her tears came trickling down, down on her cheeks and onto her desk, on which she had her head currently laid on, with her arms used as support. Lava knew she shouldn't focus too much on her family, but she couldn't help it...

After her little crying session, she had gone to the shops, with some money (don't ask from whom or where) to buy some authentic looking clothing. Walking the streets, she saw little children run after each other in a game of tag, their eyes all sparkling in excitement. A vicious pain suddenly tugged at her heart as she remembered the times she would spend with her little sisters mucking around. One hand gripping over the place of her heart, she managed to pull her normal facade over her pained expression, acted like nothing happened and made her way.

She found a nice boutique, selling modest yet fashionable clothing for women of her age. Entering the door, which triggered a small jingle of a bell, she was greeted a beautiful lady, looking roughly the same age as herself, behind the store counter.

"Irasshaimase! Is there anything that you need in particular?" The lady asked with a smile.

"Ahhhaaha, yes, well no there isn't - thing is I need clothing and to be honest, I don't have that much of style sense, so could you help me out with that?"

"Of course, right this way." The beautiful lady gestured as she went down one of the clothing aisles. She halted, inspected one of the racks, pulled out an article of clothing and put it against Lava gently. "Hmmm...maybe not - I'll go for a darker tone..." She said as she continued through the racks.

This had gone on for half an hour and finally after finding and trying on some clothes, Lava was ready to pay for them.

"That'll be 6700 yen thanks!" She stated chirpily. Lava handed over money and looked at the lady's name tag: Tsuki.

"Hey thanks for that Tsuki. I really appreciate the help. You know... I'm new in town, and making friends is an absolute nightmare, and I was wondering if you'd like to hang out sometime and do something that girls like to do." Lava said with a slight blush of embarrassment.

Tsuki looked a bit shocked - and then she smiled. "Sure thing, but first thing - I always need to know a friends name."

"My name... is Lava". She said with a big smile.

Gin knocked at the door. "Yo Lava, we have to leave. So get your pretty arse out here and show us."

Lava struggled within the tight confines of what was now her room, to change into her new clothing. Oh gods in heaven, I hope I put on everything on right. Oh well, here goes nothing. She slowly opened the door, know seeing Kagura, Gin and Shinpachi were waiting for her. She stepped outside with her new attire and felt embarrassed with all the eyes on her.

She walked up to a nearby mirror and stared at herself. Her short sleeved sapphire blue Chinese styled top, much like Kagura's, went to mid thigh, with a gold trimming and to compliment it, she wore semi tight slightly shimmering black pants. To complete the look, her feet donned red ballet flats and with that was a cherry blossom ornament on her hair. To put it straight, she looked gorgeous.

"You look so cute Lava! Whaaaaaaaa! I wish I was that pretty!" Kagura exclaimed and kept on making whining sounds.

Lava rubbed the back of her head, even more so embarrassed than before. "Ahahaha...erhemm...thanks."

Gin deadpanned at Kagura and smirked. "Kagura, please, just stop before you embarrass yourself."

Kagura looked at Gin and pouted. "What? You don't think that I'm pretty? GIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNN-CHHAANNNNNNN am I pretty?" Her attempt at looking sexy failed big time and Gin deadpanned even more.

"No I don't. Go chew on some seaweed or something, to keep your big mouth busy." The both of them kept on arguing, throwing around senseless topics such as seaweed, Gin's Jump, strawberry milk and Sadaharu's shedding of fur .

Shinpachi, caught in the middle, popped a vein in his forehead and officially lost it. "EVERYONE! JUST SHUT UP!" The both of them immediately ceased their arguing, turned to the person and squinted.

"Huh? Whadyaa gonna do about it short stuff?" Kagura yelled in a Kansai accent, attempting to mimic a Yakuza.

Gin followed suit. "Yeah, according to viewer polls, you were ranked 8th! Right after Kagura's snot nosed brother! So don't go telling us off!"

Lava just sighed. "Guys, guys...its no biggie. Besides, weren't we going to do something? Like, oh I dunno, go to the Shinsengumi Tailor today?"

They all turned back to Lava and realized they were wasting time.

"Right, we were weren't we? I'm sooooo sorry Lava!", Kagura whined as she ran to Lava and hung onto her arm. "Stupid Shinpachi, it's all his fault!" She said, pointing her tiny digit at the eyeglass wearing boy.

"It's all good! Don't worry; let's just go and get the uniform fitted!" Lava said, and both Kagura and Lava walked out of the apartment with big smiles.

Gin mumbled something about a parfait and followed the two in front. Shinpachi, absolutely flabbergasted about what just happened, internalized his anger and frustration and chanted something to himself, forcing himself to smile and move on with them.

The foursome (A/N: no sexual innuendo intended) made their way into the Edo business district and god, it was bustling. So many creatures and humans alike were all there to do business. Lava's eyes sparkled at the sight of all the buildings around her and the population that came through this area. Wow, this is just too good. We have got to come here again! I can't wait to explore this place even more!

She was looking around and something caught her eye. Her eyes widened so much and she made an uninvited squeal, immediately bringing her hands to her mouth. Catching her breath again, she looked again. Her line of sight caught a couple making out underneath a Sakura tree - it wasn't the kissing that got to her head, it was the people doing it. A girl, with with dark blonde hair and pink eyes, was pressed against the tree by a...humanoid amanto! His light green skin and dark green hair tussled in the breeze as he kissed the girl, looking at her with his striking yellow eyes. They looked so... happy together.

That is so bizarre...and exciting...and oh my god, so romantic! AHHHHHHH! I want to be kissed now! Lava thought.

"Hello? Lava? Lavinia? Are you stupid or something?" A voice broke her little romantic trance. She looked at the hand waving in front of her face and deducted that it belonged to Kagura.

"Ah gomen Kagura - I was just a bit..erm...distracted." Lava said with a slight blush.

"I'll say! Anyways, we gots to get going if we wanna see the old guy thats gonna fit ya up today."

Oh right, that's why we're here. Ahahahahahaha...I'm a total doofus.

They spent 20 mins inspecting every crook and cranny of the CBD until they stopped in front of a medium sized shop with an elegant looking sign: The Official Tailor for the Shinsengumi.

One by one, they entered the store and the first distinguishable thing that hit them was the smell; the stench of strong tobacco infiltrated their noses, and Lava being an asthmatic in the other world, detested the smell, and put her hand over her mouth and nose.

The store had a massive counter, on which only a small bell and a light laid on top. Looking around the store, there were different sorts of materials mainly in the darker tones, all there organised in shelves and what not.

Ringing the little bell, Lava waited anxiously for the arrival the tailor, so did the rest of the group, with Gin and Kagura having ulterior plans to spending their day rather than at the tailor.

From a hallway at the back of the store, a shadow emerged of medium height, and smoke emitting from what seemed its mouth. As the shadow came closer, the light shone onto the figure, which revealed an old man with short gray hair, striking blue eyes and a cigar in his mouth. He walked over behind the counter and turned to them.

"What da ya want ya scoundrels? The milk bars down the street. You have no business here." He said, looking at the group with an evil eye.

Gin's face scrunched up into a scowl. "HUH? What da we want, old man? We're here for a uniform fitting, like every other bugger, ya old geezer!"

The man's evil stare increased ten fold for a few seconds and then he squinted at Gin. "So I guess you're the bloke who's he for the uniform? Kondo said a new recruit was coming for a fitting."

Lava looked at Gin and then back at the man. She coughed out loud, catching the old man's attention. "Hahah, well you see, it's actually me who's here for the fitting."

The man spent a full ten seconds staring at Lava with a blank expression before he full on burst into laughing. "Lady, you are one funny bird! You just made my day! Hahahahah!" He laughed grabbing his stomach, trying to gasp for air.

The expression on her face was mixed with confusion and anger. "Sir, I think you misunderstood me. I really am here for the uniform fitting. I am officially the first female member of the Shinsengumi!" She said, holding her head high and puffing out her chest in pride.

The laughing from the man eventually ceased and there came back the evil eye on his face. "Huh? Is that so? Wow, the Shinsengumi have gotten worse, accepting a girl. Anyhow, I won't question the authority of Kondo. Let's just hope he knows what he's doing, when obviously he's made a big mistake." He sneered.

Lava's eyes went wide. How dare he, the ignoramus! Stupid old people, they just don't know when to shut up and keep their opinions to themselves!

The man came around the counter with a measuring tape on his neck and a pen in his hand. Looking at the rest of the group, he told them to move away from Lava. He moved close to her, a lot closer than she would deem appropriate, and began measuring her. She seemed fine with the touching part, until he came to measure her bust. He put the tape around her chest, where his head just barely reached in terms of height (A/N: she's a pretty tall girl), and smirked. "At least you got one good attribute about ya, Chesty La Roue - the boys will just love you over there."

Lava blushed, despite being quite offended. She had plenty of things in her mind to rebut against his comment on her quite filled out chest, but decided against it and stayed silent.

It took a few more minutes for the measuring to finish. Lava sighed and relieved herself of a breath that she didn't know she was holding. The man finished jotting down some numbers on his hand and looked back at her.

"The uniform will be done in 2 days and I'll send someone down to the Shinsengumi HQ. Now, be gone - and good luck, you're going to need it." He said with a worried frown.

2 days later

"Okay, guys, this is it - I'm packed." The girl said with a sad frown on her face.

"EHHHHH! Why do you have to go, Lava-chan? We need you! I need you!" The fiery red head cried.

"Good luck Lava-san; may you succeed in all your future endeavors." Shin said, with a sad smile.

"Tschhh, shut up seaweed breath. And pachie, seriously, what's with shitty goodbye? All you have to do is this." Gin said, and then suddenly he got close to Lava and without hesitation, put his around her and gave her a big hug. He put his mouth near her ear, with his breath tingling on her skin. "Come back okay?" He whispered before he let go of her.

Lava stood there, mouth open and as red as a tomato. She couldn't keep her eyes off Gin, who watched her smugly.

She couldn't trust herself to say anything in the state she was in but she had to try. "I-I-I will m-miss you guys. I-I will t-try to meet y-you guys when I-I c-can."

A taxi driver beeped its horns, irritated at waiting for the group to say their goodbyes.

Gin carried Lava's luggage down the stairs and into the car's boot. Lava walked up to the passenger door, opened it and sat on the seat, one leg outside on the road. She looked back at the trio. This is definitely not the end of the road for us; there are so many things to do together, so just hold on for a while, okay?

A small tear escaped her face and she quickly wiped it off. "Take care guys and don't get into too much trouble, okay? Sayonara Shin-san, Gura-chan...Gin-san."

She closed the door and gestured for the taxi driver to go. Slowly, but steadily moving, she watched three figures steadily become three dots at the edge of her eyesight.

It took 15 mins to get there by taxi; a quick unload of the luggage, courtesy of the taxi driver. A person was waiting outside for her arrival, and looked relieved at the sight of her. Lava immediately recognized the face; the one and only anpan loving Yamazaki.

"Ohayo! I'm Yamazaki and I'll be your guide around the Shinsengumi today. It's very exciting that we have a new female member of the force; everyone's been talking about it non stop, all like old women they are." He said with a chirpy tone and a big warm smile on his face.

Lava felt at ease. Thank god it's Yamazaki- hmm...maybe I should buy him some anpan as a thank you gift or something...

"Oh, and Lava-san was it? I'll be taking your luggage; today will be the only day that any sort of chivalry will be shown. Once you're in your uniform, you'll be a fully blown member of the Shinsengumi, meaning that you'll be equals with your fellow members." He picked up the luggage bag in an effortless sort of manner and began to walk whilst talking. The main topic that Yamazaki kept on coming back to in their conversations was anpan; not surprising really.

He showed her around the layout of the Shinsengumi - the meeting room, the dojo, the mess (A/N: it's a place where people eat) and finally the sleeping quarters. Lava showed a sign of distress on her face, with a frown donning her face and the sudden strike of a dry mouth. She gulped and waited for what Yamazaki would say.

"Here are the sleeping quarters, where all the Shinsengumi sleep. Usually we are bunched up in rooms with two to three members within one room, but considering the special circumstances under which you have come, Kondo san has made a separate sleeping quarter from the males."

Upon hearing those words, Lava ran at Yamazaki and hugged him tightly. "THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH!" It took a few seconds to realize what she had done, awkwardly breaking the hug and looking a big flushed. "...Sorry about that, I couldn't help myself. I'm just REALLY glad I didn't have to sleep with the rest of you guys!"

Yamazaki had gone into a love struck daze, blushing and full out day dreaming; nobody had ever thanked him like that, let alone any girl even coming close to hugging him. He was one to scare off all the girls with his anpan obsession, but this girl, this girl seemed different. He was going to like his time here with the new female member after all.

Lava was getting settled into her new room. Whilst it didn't have the aesthetic quality that a normal teenage girl's/young woman's would usually appreciate, it did have a built in wardrobe and had much space for her to make improvements.

A knock came at the door and a voice spoke through the slide door. "I have your uniform."

Lava walked to the door and opened it. A Shinsengumi member with dark brown hair with burgundy eyes looked at her, with a plastic package in his hand. He handed the package over and walked away. She poked her head out the door and looked down to see the man walk off. I wonder who that was...

Not losing any sleep over the mysterious man, she closed the door and ripped at the packaging. Her eyes sparkled at the finery of the uniform, the expert needling and threading, only done by the top of professionals. Hmmm...that old geezer is actually good for something - no wonder he's the official tailor. Okay, time to get out of this clothing...

She pulled off her purple shirt and then took quickly took her pants off. All that was left on her was a matching pair of red cotton underwear that she had bought in Edo whilst being with the Odd Jobs Trio.

Picking up the undershirt, which was part of the uniform, she slipped her arms through the sleeves. Unbeknownst to her someone was making their way to her room and opened her door suddenly without warning. Red eyes met brown. The expression on Lava's face was priceless; a mix between shock, embarrassment and total and utter confusion. For a second there, she lost her voice completely, her will to speak.

That will came back quite quickly and she was not one to hold her tongue. "OKITA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" She yelled, quickly trying to cover up as much of her body as she could with the mere undershirt, which was a bit transparent.

Those devious red eyes danced with delight, as they ran all over her body. "Nothing, just taking in the sights." He said with a smirk.

"WELL GET OUT!" She ran at the door and slammed it right in his face.

How dare he? Doesn't he have any sort of respect for me, for my privacy? Ah, I will have such a tongue lashing for him when I get to see him next, that he'd wish he was a masochist!

Gripping her hair in frustration, she decided the best way forward was to calm down and get changed.

It was quite easy to change into her uniform and it was a very comfortable fit. She looked in the full length mirror connected to her wardrobe and breathed a sigh of relief. Hmmm...my butt doesn't look so fat in this one, wooohoo!

Now, finding that sadist and making him pay for the predicament she was in, was the only thing on her mind.

Okay ;) I'm ACTUALLY making some progress with the pairing =) Please, PRETTY PLEASE review ^-^ I know I don't deserve it, but I need some indication on whether you guys like this story or not.