Harada POV
Even if he tried, Harada would never be able to string enough words together to adequately describe stepping through Elena's portal. Walking through the opening wasn't unlike dipping oneself into a body of water, just without the sensation of your clothes getting wet. Once the entirety of Harada's body was submerged, things began to move; whether it was Harada himself that did the moving or the world around him, he wasn't entirely sure.
Everything passed by him in a blur as Harada was manipulated through time and space. The movement was so fast it robbed him of all breath. If that wasn't frightening enough, the farther along he went, the more the atmosphere around him seemed to squeeze. The suffocating grip on his body tightened and tightened to the point Harada was positive he would die of suffocation...and then everything was gone.
An immediate release of pressure was followed by a cool sheen of sweat breaking out across his skin. Harada opened his eyes, not knowing they had been closed all this time and took in the new environment. He sat sprawled on a plush colorful tapestry in the middle of an angular room. Other than the tapestry, the only color came from the lush green plants spaced around the floor in pots or hanging from the ceiling. Everything else was white or washed out wood, from the walls to the mismatched furnishings.
Behind him, near one of the three enormous glass walls, the portal was still open. It whirred, groaned, and pulsed as though it were alive. Through it, he could see the captains hall inside the Shinsengumi headquarters. Elena was still on the other side, held in the embrace of Kazama. If the journey back weren't so damn tricky, he would go through the portal once more and rip her out of his arms.
Heisuke came over to offer a hand and help him to his feet. The pair went to stand with Nagakura, who was doubled over on the elongated cushioned chair, attempting to hide his dry heaves. Sannan and Shiranui explored the space, running their hands over various foreign objects while the rest stood in a cluster, whispering amongst themselves.
"So this is Elena's home?" Heisuke asked.
Harada picked up a clipped poster of some kind protected in a metal frame. At the top was a portrait depicting a wavy haired brunet woman shaking hands with a greying old man. Beneath the picture were blocks of English writing. In a wooden frame beside the clipping was a small, quality portrait of a baby-faced redhead in a pastel dress beaming as she held up a small golden statue. He smiled.
"Yeah, this is her house."
The portal groaned louder, whining like a grand wooden door closing on worn hinges. Moments later, Amagiri appeared, followed shortly after by Elena and Kazama. As soon as they made it through, there was another shift in the atmosphere. All the air in the room was sucked towards the waning portal that disappeared in a flickering whisper.
A narrow trickle of blood streamed from Elena's nose, and she swayed on her feet. Amagiri and Kazama each took one of her elbows to steady her. Now thoroughly fed up with their 'help,' Harada took Elena into his arms and cradled her to his chest, turning his back to the oni.
"Hey, are you going to be alright? You don't look so good...." Harada wiped at the blood on her face and schooled his expression to not alarm her. "We should have brought Yamazaki with us. Do you want Sannan to take a look at you?"
Elena shook her head and buried her face into Harada's shoulder. "I just need a little rest...take me down the hall to the left of the living room, the door at the end...."
The room Elena requested was another marvel to Harada. The back wall was made from three pains of glass that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, not unlike the 'walls' in the living room. There was more washed-out wooden furniture placed aesthetically throughout the space. Still, perhaps the room's most notable feature was the western-style bed. Harada had seen them a time or two, but none quite so large and none with a bookshelf replacing the structure typically found at the foot.
"Is this your bedroom?" Harada asked her.
Elena shook her head and moaned. "It's my mothers. My room is across the house. I just don't want anyone in here."
Harada nodded and pressed his lips into her silvery curls. He laid her onto the bed and turned down the covers, helping her under. Elena curled up on her side and worked on falling into a slumber. As her forehead smoothed out and her breathing evened, Harada took a good look at Elena. He ran his hand across one of the horns framing the curve of her skull.
Seeing her in this form was strange, to say the least. Although nothing about her face or body structure had changed, he was still looking at Elena. However, seeing her practically leached of all her color was offputting in more ways than one. Still, even with all the oddities, he found her to be the most gorgeous woman in his eyes.
Amagiri cleared his throat from behind him and stepped beside Harada at her bedside. "Elena requires our care. If you could please give us a moment-"
"Haven't you already done enough?" Harada demanded. "Elena wouldn't even be in this state if it weren't for you."
"No, she would still be locked up at your headquarters, living a mediocre life of unfulfilled potential."
"Step out of my way, mongrel," Kazama stepped in, his mouth twisted into a snarl cutting across his face like an ugly scar. His garnet eyes smoldered with pent-up hatred and resentment that he knew he couldn't act upon. "Do you have any idea the toll creating that portal put on her body?"
Harada didn't respond. He could take a fair guess based on the bloody nose she had incurred, but he honestly had no clue what kind of damage her body suffered. Regardless, Kazama had no right to play savior. Not after he had caused her so much pain and stress in the first place.
"Elena is a strong woman. I'm sure she can recover from any strain the portal caused her. She doesn't need any help from the likes of you," Harada declared.
"You would honestly rather her be sick and miserable than allow me to help her? This is exactly why Elena doesn't belong with humans. You have no clue the power she truly holds, nor do you understand how to protect her from herself. Even with my help, she used more chi than she could afford. She needs my chi."
"Those are bold accusations coming from the one who stole her away and locked her up all to keep her from loving a human-"
"Step aside, Harada, let Kazama work," called Hijikata from the doorway.
Harada turned on the vice commander, ready to challenge his orders, but Hijikata continued. "A wolf has no right to call a thief dangerous; neither is better nor safer for Elena. Once Kazama is finished helping her, I will stay with her through the night to ensure she is taken care of."
"You can't be serious!" Harada roared.
"You are willing to let Elena suffer just to spite Kazama. Who would that really be hurting?"
Harada had no response. He looked to his vice commander, face scrunched up in betrayal.
"I know what having her back means to you, but this mission isn't about you. Take the night to get your head on straight. Sannan should be close by helping assign rooms and taking stock of the space."
Outnumbered three to one, Harada left the room in a huff to go find Sannan. He explained that the oni would dwell temporarily in the room they first arrived in. The Shinsengumi would divide ranks amongst the two remaining rooms he had found at the opposite end of the home. Harada hated the idea of being so far away from Elena.
Nagakura and Heisuke were assigned to what Harada guessed was Elena's room. Unlike the remainder of the home, her space was a multitude of colors and textures. Harada could see the embodiment of Elena as he looked around the space.
The over-plush covers and colorful mix-matched pillows on her bed looked cozy and bright. Her far-right wall was a hodgepodge of different bookshelves, varying in height, color, and detail. Unlike the ones in her mother's room, Elena dedicated some of the precious shelf space to pictures and nicknacks she found worthy of display. Perhaps the most exciting furnishing in her room was a dome-shaped chair suspended from the ceiling.
Heisuke was drawn to this fun piece of furniture. He tucked himself into the opening and allowed the wicker dome to sway back and forth. Harada imagined Elena using the contraption; did she swing in it too? Perhaps curl up with one of her plush blankets and read?
"This place is so cool!" Heisuke chirped.
Harada nodded absentmindedly.
Nagakura came up and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She'll be alright, smile. We got her home, right?"
Harada nodded again, a sense of dread settling into his stomach. He was supposed to feel happy for her. Still, he couldn't help but realize that this moment was the beginning of the end in one way or another.
YOU ARE READING
Hakuouki: Change of Fate
FanfictionOne hundred and thirty years after the Shinsengumi's eradication of the rasetsu, Kodo's research lives on and falls into the hands of a curious genealogist. She continues his research and creates the modern-day Water of Life, and a new breed of supe...