Author's Note:

Thank you to all for reading and especially those who posted reviews for the last couple of chapters:

AsthaRen: hope the catching up has been fun!

red1Rogue: thank you for your encouragement and sharp wit; I promise more Hijikata in the near future, especially with Cat-zama looming on the horizon. Also, the power outage demonstrated that I would be *horrible* company on a desert island. Such a whiner... ;)

CanadianGAAP: I'm sure that Shinsen-gummies will be the next favourite candy for fans!

AzureArchxngel: thanks for taking the time to review as you are working on your own stories! :)

kathryn1995: thank you for your guesses (usually accurate) and encouragement since the start.

nakigaoyuu: thank you for your great reviews and for sending me a PM when you find my mistakes for me! Very much appreciated.

I sincerely hope that I didn't miss anyone or that I at least sent you a reply! You've all been great. It's also been nice seeing some of you on my tumblr page.

- ImpracticalOni

P.S. I'm hoping to make Chapter 40 a lot of fun and excitement. I hope the characters cooperate... They can be awfully stubborn.

-(^_^)-

Chapter 39 – Loves, Labours, Lost

[With apologies to Shakespeare, who wrote Love's Labour's Lost: Love's Labour's Lost features the longest scene (5.2), the longest single word 'honorificabilitudinitatibus' (5.1.39–40), and (depending on editorial choices) the longest speech (4.3.284–361) in all of Shakespeare's plays.]

[I - Playing With Fire?]

Sen-hime was very pretty in her Oni form, Harada had to admit. However, it puzzled him a little why he would feel that way, as white hair, golden eyes and small white horns were not exactly considered attractive in the general way. In both forms she was rather petite, like Chizuru-chan, but as an Oni she seemed more like a young woman than a girl. It was hard to pin down, since her luminous eyes still dominated her face, which had become even more pixyish than before. On the other hand, the white hair and horns added a certain seriousness, while her form seemed to have more defined curves.

Harada blinked to banish the thought and recovered his equilibrium with an effort. He thanked Kimigiku-san for offering to make fresh tea. The shinobi-bodyguard-geiko bowed slightly and withdrew quietly from the room. Harada looked back at the young princess and once again felt a certain fascination that he couldn't quite explain.

"Were you expecting something else, Harada-san?" Sen asked him in a surprisingly shy voice.

He instinctively waved away the implication that he was somehow disappointed.

"I didn't know what to expect, Sen-hime," he replied honestly. "Thank you for your generosity. I really wouldn't have understood if you'd just explained in words."

She nodded gravely, and he found himself thinking that her hair and skin looked soft, and that even though she should look fiercer than in her human form, she didn't. In fact, she seemed more vulnerable, although it was likely just her slight uncertainty that made her appear that way.

Seeing her eyes made him realize why the other Oni seemed to be interested in him. Unlike the others, his eyes didn't really need to change hue, they just needed to lighten. He thought of Saitō's eyes earlier in the evening, not to mention the night before, and it made him think that the Oni form seemed to bring on a certain wildness. Yet it was a wildness, an almost-madness, that he was familiar with himself. If he was calmer now than he had been eight or nine years ago, it was only through hard work and occasionally bitter experience.

Harada leaned forward unconsciously, unaware that his pulse had become more rapid and that his eyes were almost as golden as his hostess'. Sen was a little startled by the change in him.

"Can Saitō take on an Oni form like yours?" he asked her.

"Yes, Harada-san." Sen wondered if Kimigiku or Amagiri had realized that her change might exert such a strong influence on the man. "But it is extraordinarily dangerous for a part-Oni to make the attempt – we would not have allowed Saitō-san to do so had there been any other choice. In fact, he was already trying to transform himself."

"But I might be successful," the spearman mused, one hand coming up automatically to rub at the back of his neck again.

"It is much more likely that you would die," said Sen, bluntly. "I thought that you were most concerned about not going through Saitō-san's ordeal."

"Ah well, I have a better idea what I'm missing now, right?" Harada's smile was just a little off.

Sen had been rapidly setting her mental shields in place. She should probably call for Kimigiku, but she was reluctant to admit that she might not be able to deal with one slightly… deranged… part-Oni.

Harada-san, she said directly into his mind, as firmly as she dared given unfamiliar territory. You must exert control. We can be calm together.

"I am calm," he said, sounding puzzled. "Well, mostly. I feel kind of bad, though, for not telling you right away how great you look like that. I was just caught off guard, and I think I worried you."

The words sounded alright, but Sen could easily feel the haziness in his mind. It was as if…

"Actually, you know what? I feel a little drunk. Which isn't possible. Not to be rude, but are you doing this?" He leaned even further forward, face quite serious, eyes bright yellow-gold.

Sen placed her small, pale hand across the large one that now lay on top of the table between them. As she explained later to Kimigiku, she was hoping that the contact would help her to alleviate whatever confusion was clouding his thoughts. Unfortunately, her touch didn't help matters; at least, not in the way Sen intended. She did gain a firmer connection to Harada-san's thoughts, but they were increasingly chaotic and her touch seemed to make things worse.

The red-haired captain caught the hand that lay on his and raised it swiftly to his lips. Sen felt an odd, swooping sensation just beneath her ribcage as his kiss imprinted itself first on the back and then the palm of her hand. She should have had both the physical and mental reflexes to avoid the contact, but she didn't move. A blush turned her cheeks bright red, and she finally pulled her hand away. It wasn't difficult, since Harada-san dropped her hand at the same moment, his own cheeks darkening.

"Ah! Gomenasai!" Harada jumped up and walked over to the window, turning his back on Sen. His mind felt clearer now, and he was torn between embarrassment and deep suspicion.

There was a tense silence, during which Sen simultaneously tried to calm her heartbeat and shift back to her human form. She could sense the conflict in the man at the window, as well as carefully suppressed anger.

"Did you do this on purpose?" Harada demanded, his voice a little harsh despite his best efforts.

"No," responded Sen promptly. She didn't make him clarify what he meant by "this".

She understood perfectly what was driving him and despaired a little of recovering the situation. He was wondering if they had set him up, first by telling him nothing – "forgetting" to explain things to him – and then blindsiding him with information and some kind of mental and emotional manipulation. What worried her most was that she didn't know what had happened. Ordinarily her ability to soothe and calm was outstanding, and although her control of her own emotions wasn't perfect, it was still very good.

She studied Harada-san's tall figure. His long red hair hung well past his shoulders, gathered into low ponytail at the nape of his neck with a white cord. His neck, shoulders and back were all stiff with tension; he gave every appearance of a lean hound with its hackles raised. Sen admired the lines even as she tried to decide what to do next. Trying to touch his mind again would be a very poor choice.

Harada-san turned, his face composed though completely unsmiling.

"Well, I'm a bit puzzled. Whatever Kimigiku-san may think I'm not really a guy who tries to get pushy with girls. Frankly, I'm pretty careful and I know myself pretty well. Also – you're a princess of some sort and an Oni. I'd either have to be more stupid or less experienced than I am to try to pull something like that on you. Even drunk. So…?" He let the question hang.

Sen was feeling rather overwhelmed. First there had been the heady rush of flirting with an attractive (and almost unknown) man, then the surprise of discovering that he did not have the usual human aversion to anything different from itself, and then that incredible sensation when he had pressed his lips into her palm. But now there was only – on his part – concern and suspicion.

She pulled herself together. She was not "a princess of some sort", she was the Princess of the Oni. Before she could say anything, though, the red-haired man walked back to the low table and resumed his seat, long legs folding easily under him. He offered her a tentative smile and even a hand, palm up. She felt an echo of the feeling she'd had just moments earlier as she found the courage to put her hand lightly in his. He squeezed it once, gently, then let go.

"Hey – don't look so sad, okay? What do I know? Maybe all men fall apart when they see how cute you look as an Oni."

She knew that he was still wary, and couldn't help but admire his kindness. At least, the main motivation she could sense from him was kindness. She also appreciated the compliment, even though it was hardly elegant. And he was obviously helping her to recover from a rather… complicated… moment.

"It's not really like that, Harada-san," she responded ruefully. Thinking about it, she added: "Well, none of my cousins have ever seemed to notice, at least."

"That you know of. Or maybe you're just not interested?"

She sighed.

"Either way… thank you."

Harada-san shrugged. "Nothing to thank me for. But maybe you can tell me something. Why is Amagiri-san helping Saitō? Because really… he's not exactly a friend, you know?"

Sen looked down for a moment, thinking.

"Well, he came because I asked, mostly. But I wouldn't have asked except that I could tell that he felt some kind of admiration and responsibility for Saitō-san. He was interested in all of you after – well, after the Ikedaya incident. I think he regretted that he wasn't able to prevent Chikage – my cousin, Kazama – from using the Soul magic."

"Yes, but at this point? Seems to me that he's going out of his way, especially since your cousin won't be too happy with him."

"Oh, that. Well, we – Oni – are obligated to care for family. And Saitō's family to Amagiri now."

Harada-san shook his head and leaned back on his hands. It was a posture she recognized from Shiranui.

"I've been thinking about that," he said calmly. "And sure, Hijikata-san and Saitō are cousins to Amagiri, or something like that, but Amagiri's being more like, I don't know, an older brother? A guardian? Somebody who considers himself both obligated to and has a certain affection for Saitō."

"But that's what I mean," the princess retorted. "Amagiri took on that role when he acted as Saitō-san's principal during the Trial of Body. This is one of those… cultural differences I suppose? But to the Oni, Amagiri is responsible for Saitō-san until he can adequately look after the effects of the change. Ordinarily it would be a father, or an older brother. And Saitō-san would be a young teenager, or maybe even younger, not a grown man. Plus, Amagiri only has a few days to teach Saitō-san what he needs to know. So he's in a bit of a rush, which is unfortunate."

"Wait, wait…" Harada was processing the information. "Okay, setting aside the rush – which I assume has to do with your cousin – Kazama-san I mean… Um, Sen-hime, don't you get tired of everyone being your cousin by the way? I mean, I've known villages like this, but…"

"Yes," answered Sen, her lips quirking. "I do get tired of it. So I'm happy that at least I now have new cousins and second cousins – and whatever degree of relative you are."

"Hopefully not too close," Harada murmured. Their eyes met and he shrugged. His expression was quizzical. "Well, what if you aren't just trying to manipulate me into something? Then it would be a shame to just walk away, right? Unless you aren't interested and I'm reading this all wrong?"

"Ah – no?" Sen had to force herself not to fidget uncomfortably. Gods, this man can be blunt. "You aren't wrong. But…" She hesitated.

"What about Chizuru-chan? Is that what you mean?"

Sen nodded, trying to study Harada-san calmly, but finding her heartbeat just a bit fast and her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"Well, I guess that's a fair question. But I never really got a chance to find out exactly how I felt, to be honest. The more I look back, the more I realize that they've been drawn to each other almost from the start – don't know why really… Saitō's a good guy but kind of awkward." He smiled a little at the girl across from him.

"Is this where I'm supposed to tell you how much better you are?" Sen asked demurely, dropping her eyes but continuing to observe Harada-san through her eyelashes.

"Heh. No, that's okay. I have a pretty good idea who I am, thanks. Not that compliments are a bad thing. But I don't need to be compared to anyone. You?"

"I don't want to be compared to my cousin – Chizuru-chan, that is," the princess said with a wry look that said yes, I know I have a lot of cousins but so do you probably, okay? "We're different people, but we have a number of things in common – potential powers and abilities for example, genetics being what they are among our kind."

Harada-san raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

"With Oni… what you think and feel matters. Always. That's something every Oni child is taught from birth. According to my family legends it goes farther than that: the Okikurune believe that we – the more powerful Oni – have the potential to make the impossible probable and the probable happen. But it sounds easier than it really is. Because if what you are trying to change is yourself, then you have to believe something so absolutely that you can defy the evidence of your own senses. Similarly, trying to change another person is very difficult, because then you have to affect their belief and bolster it with your own."

"That sounds like it could get complicated," commented Harada, looking troubled.

"Well, it is, and in many cases it creates problems. But you need to understand that it's a reason why many Oni tend to be a bit single-minded about things. Anyway – we were talking about Chizuru-chan."

"True. Also about whether, if I ask, you'll come out for tea with me sometime this week, if you – or I – have time."

Sen-hime brightened, she couldn't help it. However, she returned to her explanations.

"Well, Chizuru-chan's parents were both strong believers that no good could ever come out of violence. At least, her mother was and I think her father was very much in love with his wife (who was my aunt, in case you've lost track). To be honest, based on everything I've heard, Yukimura Kazuhiko-sama was not quite as much of a pacifist as his wife would have liked. But he was an outstanding healer and researcher and his loss has been devastating for all Oni. He was definitely in favour of operating within the confines of human society rather than either withdrawing completely or solving conflicts with humans by violence. To the best of my knowledge he stood by his principles and refused to be involved directly in human conflicts."

"Well, I can see that you're determined to instruct me, but what's your point?" asked Harada, patiently.

"My point is that Chizuru-chan was literally born and bred – and raised, from what I can determine – to use almost any means necessary not to injure others. She and I are also very strong with our Soul and Mind – things that affect emotions and thoughts. The differences, though, would come from things like the fact that each family tended to hold one or two greater Gifts that were passed down along the main line. If the main line died out, the Gift would tend to reappear a generation or two down the next family branch, probably because of the inculcated belief that it would do so. Oh… sorry. I got carried away. Clan history is kind of important to my family…"

"I forgive you," Harada responded generously. He smiled when she looked a little embarrassed. "So, about my other question?"

"Oh, that's right, you didn't understand about why Amagiri is spending so much time and effort on Saitō and I didn't explain properly about the Trial of Body! We got side-tracked…"

"You can tell me about that another time. I'm quite sure now that it can wait. My other – and far more important – question, especially before the others get back, was about going out sometime this week. Do princesses do that kind of thing? Do you think that Kimigiku-san would let you go out without her? Also, not to get side-tracked again, but did you notice that she's been gone an awfully long time?"

He grinned at her, eyes once again amber and good-humoured. Whatever had affected him earlier seemed to have passed.

Sen, on the other hand, was discovering that it was much harder to deal with her own feelings than with other people's. Also, she did want to go out – for tea, maybe – with Harada-san, and for some reason that was making her blush. Finally, yes, she had noticed that Kimigiku had been gone a long time. She wondered if Kimigiku had expected things to go well or badly when she left them alone.

"Thank you… I'd be happy to meet you for tea sometime later this week, if you are free. You can send a note here with anyone who has been here before – or any Oni or part-Oni, of course – or you can send a note to the teahouse at which Kimigiku works."

"I'll figure something out," promised Harada, looking genuinely pleased. "And now –"

"Yes, I hear them too," Sen agreed.

"You're cute when you blush."

Sen-hime, Princess of the Oni and Lady of Kyoto, blushed. She also promised herself to find a way to return the favour.

[II - Distracted]

Not far away, Saitō was rapidly coming to the conclusion that he was not ready to wield a weapon in his Oni form. The power and speed in this form were incredible – he now had an even better sense for what it would be like to go from a human to a fury by drinking the Water of Life – however, his accuracy and precision were awful. It was embarrassing. In fact, he thought moodily, everything seemed to be embarrassing these days, and he could have sworn that he almost never used to get embarrassed. Or at least not so embarrassed that he let it show.

Amagiri-san remained as cool and professional as ever, which was both a relief and a rebuke. It was a relief because it meant that he likely wouldn't always feel so emotional in this form and a rebuke because he hadn't gotten there yet. Overall, it was frustrating because with all the power, speed and skill in the world it was useless if he couldn't hit his target.

"That is enough for today," announced Amagiri as Saitō once again failed to connect. "This training is concluded for tonight. We will continue tomorrow, with Hijikata-san's permission. Please find out when he can spare you."

"Hai." Saitō bowed, bruised face impassive (despite what he thought).

Saitō quickly washed up with cold water and a towel that had been left for the purpose, and changed back into his black kimono. As he tidied his hair, he realized abruptly that he was still in Oni form. He finished straightening himself up and went back to the training room. Amagiri-san was waiting for him; as Saitō expected, he was already in human form.

"We will sit for a few minutes before we join the others, Hajime-kun," said Amagiri.

Saitō bowed his acquiescence and knelt in his favourite position, working to calm his mind and breathe out the accumulated frustrations of the last, punishing half-hour. He thought fleetingly how much he appreciated training with a master who felt no need to comment on the obvious – not once had Amagiri-san said "you need a lot more practice", since it was self-evident – and who understood the importance of proper meditation.

Ten minutes later, Saitō was fully in command of himself, even in his Oni form. When Amagiri-san told him to open his eyes, he did so, content to feel more like himself again.

"What have you learned, Hajime-kun?" the big Oni asked him quietly.

"I need a great deal more practice… Kyūjyu-san. Also, I need to eat more." Saitō paused, formulating his next words. "I have also gained a new perspective on how difficult others may find it to learn new techniques. I believe that I will be more patient with those I train."

"Not a bad start then. Although I believe that you have also noticed again that self-control is more difficult in your Oni form. What about Yukimura-sama?"

Saitō blinked, caught off-guard. "Yukimura?"

"Yes," said Amagiri patiently. "We discussed this before we changed form."

"… I will try to remember to trust myself and to trust her decisions as well."

"Very well. Now you will change back to your other form."

Saitō met Amagiri-san's understanding – but unyielding – expression. He bowed again.

"Yes, Kyūjyu-san."

It had not been an accident that Amagiri-san had asked about Yukimura before telling him to change forms. But it was fair. If Saitō had not avoided referring to that part of their discussion, then the Oni likely wouldn't have made this so challenging for him.

He closed his eyes once more and concentrated. It was frustrating how the practice of a lifetime seemed to desert him so quickly when he thought of Yukimura. He had never quite understood the abstraction of others who found themselves in this position; now he knew it first-hand. Amagiri-san had implied that the loss of concentration was partly his own fault because he was still trying so hard to keep himself tightly under control around the girl, even if it was for laudable reasons. Well, his control was laughable, in his opinion.

Or maybe his mentor was really telling him that his reasons were less laudable than he thought? Yes… the more he thought about it the more he realized that Amagiri-san was telling him that he might be protecting himself at least as much as Yukimura. But he was honestly just trying not to rush her – well, not to rush either of them. It still seemed insoluble to him. And… he wasn't changing form.

He took several long, slow breaths and stopped worrying about Yukimura, and whether he was doing things right. He tried to accept that she was there in his thoughts and that it made concentration more difficult. Finally, he reminded himself to trust in his abilities. A moment later he was done.

He opened his eyes slowly. He didn't sense any frustration or impatience from Amagiri-san, who was sitting in seiza, much as Saitō had been. Not long after, the Oni stood up and nodded for Saitō to do the same.

"Kimigiku is bringing tea to the main receiving room. We will join her and the Princess and Harada-san there. I understand that Sen-hime and Harada-san have been discussing various aspects of Oni culture."

Saitō saw a fleeting smile on Amagiri-san's face before the Oni turned and led the way to the main room. He wondered what the Oni, or maybe Harada, had been up to.

[III - Only the Lonely]

At the Shinsengumi's headquarters, Heisuke was sitting out on the engawa chatting with Sōji, both men finding themselves at loose ends as Hijikata had ordered them to get as much rest as possible – and not to leave the captains' area of the compound. Since they had seen the Vice Commander a short time ago, returning from (they suspected) Sannan-san's research area in a less than desirable frame of mind, they had decided to stay put.

"My head hardly hurts anymore," Heisuke grumbled for the tenth time. "And what the hell are Hajime-kun and Sano-san doing with the Oni anyway. Seems weird to me."

"The big one's probably afraid to come near you," Okita laughed, "so he's training Saitō out in the city where you can't get at him."

"Yeah, yeah, funny man. You got carried out on a door same as me, remember."

"Exactly – I remember. You were unconscious."

Heisuke glared at his companion. He hadn't found Sōji's jokes very funny lately and he didn't think he was the only one. Still, he decided to let things go, sensing that the man really was worried about something serious.

"Hey Sōji, what do you think of this Oni business – I mean Chizuru-chan and Hajime-kun and Sano-san? Nagakura said it was all very weird the other night."

"I don't have enough information, which is annoying. I can tell that Hijikata-san's at the point of thinking the colour of the sky is a state secret he's wound so tight. Maybe he's worried that Chizuru-chan will stop bringing him tea now that she's cuddling up with Hajime-kun."

"What, really?!"

Sōji gave him a flickering smile.

"Yes," he deadpanned. "I think he's really worried about the tea. He said the other day that only Chizuru-chan makes it the way he likes."

Heisuke rolled his eyes.

"Tch! You know that's not what I meant."

"No?" Sōji easily dodged the pro forma punch to the shoulder. "But yeah, he had his arms around her and everything. Like I keep saying, Hajime-kun's had a rough time of it in some ways, but he's doing pretty well on the whole."

"But Hajime? Really?"

"Cross my heart and hope you die."

"Not funny Sōji," Heisuke groused. "And you know what I mean – he barely even looks at girls when we go drinking!"

"I know. Did Shinpachi-san ever tell you about the time he and Sano-san tried to convince him to consider something other than sake?"

Heisuke suddenly blushed.

"Um, no."

"Well… you'd never get this from Sano of course, and Shinpachi was pretty gone when he mentioned it to me… Anyway, I gather Hajime-kun went all red – kind of like you now, by the way – and then turned them down flat. Said that swords were more interesting than women as far as he could see and walked out of there. They've never dared to try the experiment again."

Heisuke gave a low whistle. "I guess not!"

"Still, it makes me wonder how he'll manage with Chizuru-chan. Apparently she's more interesting than a sword…"

Heisuke, who had been gloomily pondering his own interest in the girl, didn't even manage a smile.

"Seems to be doing okay, from what you said. You know, some people just have things work out right for them, you know?"

Okita nodded. "That's how it is. Well, enough doom and gloom, I think I'll go talk to Sannan-san for a while. Bring him a bottle of sake to be friendly."

Heisuke gave a crack of laughter. "Right! Well good luck with that. I think I'll go nap until Shinpachi-san's back from patrol."

The First Division Captain got up with him, but headed off in the direction of the kitchen. He really wanted to know what Sannan-san was up to that had Hijikata-san so pissed off. The truth was that he was bored and he was worried about the damn cough and… well, he wasn't going to think about the rest. He'd do better once Kondō was back to put the brakes on the Vice Commander's mother-hen tendencies. It was a bit strange how fast the bruises and aches had faded, but anything that got him back out on patrol was good.

[Part IV - Shinobi and Shiranui]

For the third day in a row, Yamazaki watched the boy who was watching the headquarters. It wasn't easy to keep an eye on him, as he moved very quickly. Also, the moon was bright but too high to cast much light. However the Vice Commander had been very clear. The boy seemed to be stalking Yukimura and they needed to know why.

He suddenly sensed a presence behind him and whirled, a knife and a shuriken dropping into his hands. His eyes narrowed as he looked into eyes as purple as his; they reflected strangely in the moonlight. He recognized the man from various descriptions. Plus, he'd seen him near the house that he understood belonged to the young lady called Sen-hime. He had wondered if she actually were a princess as the title implied.

"You're slow," said the strange-looking man with the pistol in his belt. "I could've shot you a dozen times over."

"Six at most," replied Yamazaki.

"Yeah, whatever." The man waved dismissively. "Which one are you?"

Yamazaki considered his options. If he refused to answer, the man might kill him out of hand. Not that he wouldn't do his best to escape and let the Vice Commander know that there was an escaped Chōshu running around loose, but escape didn't look like a strong possibility. He had been briefed on the capabilities of the three strange men the Shinsengumi had encountered at the Ikedaya.

"Yamazaki, Second Division," he stated briefly, deciding that it was better to wait and see what happened.

The stranger closed the short distance between them, moving as silently as Yamazaki could have with an easy grace. He peered at the roof that the shinobi had been watching.

"Good. I was looking for you. I hear you've had a visitor."

"Yes."

"Don't see him now."

"No. Somehow he must have noticed us."

The other man seemed to actually consider that for a moment.

"Makes you wonder…" he said at last. Then he turned to Yamazaki and scowled.

"Shit. You really do have the Yukishima eyes. Look, could you do me a favour and stand still while I cast a spell on you? I thought I'd find out how many of Dad's bastards are running around Kyoto tonight."

Yamazaki re-evaluated his options. He didn't like them much.

"I'm afraid that I don't understand you," he said, playing for time.

"Yeah, yeah. Gotcha. Too bad for you an' all."

The man was drunk. That explained things… a little.

"Would you prefer to go somewhere to discuss the problem?" Yamazaki asked, still stalling.

"Nope. Night night ninja."

Yamazaki felt something like a cudgel to the mind and then the world went away.

[V - Shadows of the Past]

Hijikata had stopped swearing. Aloud anyway. He knew what Sannan was thinking and it was a terrible idea. The Ochimizu, the so-called Water of Life, was evil stuff. It took good men and broke them – there had been a few, at the beginning, who had volunteered for the Shogunate's "special medicine". They thought they would be heroes. Those who hadn't died immediately had died soon after in screaming agony.

Unfortunately, Kondō, Sannan and Hijikata hadn't known about those first, very secret experiments. They had been carried out by Serizawa Kamo's chief lieutenant, a man called Nimi Nishiki. Serizawa had been the joint leader of the Shinsengumi with Kondō when the group first arrived in Kyoto and was known as the Roshigumi.

Between them, Serizawa and Nimi had just about ruined the reputation and future of the Shinsengumi. Both had themselves taken the Ochimizu and both had died on Hijikata's orders and on his blade. The fact that Serizawa had in many ways been vital to the Roshigumi being established as the Shinsengumi was just one of Hijikata's personal demons.

Hijikata stopped pacing for a moment. A slightly twisted smile transformed his face from ominous to wryly amused.

Except I really do have my own personal demons now. Well damn.

A/Note:

OK, maybe I need to write shorter chapters; this one just kept going... Hope you enjoy all the fun!

~ Reviews always appreciated, but you can also send a PM if you prefer! And thank you again to all readers. :)