I don't own PMK or any of it's characters, I only own Din and Setsuna.

Enjoy and thank you for all of your comments!

Din, Yoshida, and Suzu walked down a rainy street with Suzu holding an umbrella over Din's head and Yoshida holding his own umbrella. Suddenly, Yoshida stopped waking, causing everyone else to stop walking.

"Din-san," Yoshida began. "I have some bad news for you."

Din turned to him. "What?"

"Your friend, Ayumu-san has been killed."

Din's mouth opened, and her eyes grew wide. She backed away from the taller man until she stood out in the rain.

"You did it didn't you?" she asked while her trembling hand moved down towards her waist. "You ordered it didn't you!!?"

Yoshida shook his head. "No. I didn't find out until a few moments ago. Now Din-san I have something to propose to you. I want you to join the Choshu, there is someone you hold very deeply that is associated with us, and I would hate for something bad to happen to him."

Din fell to her knees, tears instantly falling from her face. The rain fell onto her, starting to soak through all of her clothes and make them cling to her body along with her hair. She began to shake as she looked up towards Yoshida who looked so coldly back towards her.

"Setsuna-chan wanted me to have you join the Choshu once I found you, and soon all of the Shinsengumi will fall and I don't want you to die along with the Shinsengumi," Yoshida said glaring towards Din. "I will keep my promise."

"You can't…you can't do this!" Din protested. "Please just leave—"

"I can do whatever I please," Yoshida interjected. "The Shinsengumi is looking to destroy me and as soon as they find out that you were with me for these past three days did you honestly think that they would take you back so easily? They're most likely torture you until you confess and then cut your stomach."

"Fine I don't care!" Din yelled over the rain. "Just don't hurt him."

Suzu looked up towards Yoshida and tugged on his kimono. "Yoshida-sama, I think we need to get going. The Shinsengumi might find her body soon."

Yoshida turned away, and began to walk away. "I will come back to find you before the fall of the Shinsengumi."

Din stood up and began running. She ignored everything Yoshida had said as he walked away, thinking that she had to get home in order to try and save Ayumu. She ran as fast as she could, hoping that she would be fast enough.

As Yoshida walked away, Suzu turned around and watched Din run away from them. There, he promised himself that he would find Din once more, because that's what his master, and Setsuna wanted more then anything.

"…in!! Din!"

Din opened her eyes from her dream and saw Hijikata sitting over her with a smug look on his face. She sat up quickly and looked around the room making him move her so she was in his arms instead.

"Ayu-chan, is she really dead?" She grabbed Hijikata's kimono and tugged on it. "Is she?"

Hijikata looked away. "Her funeral is going on as we speak. But that's not why I'm here to talk to you."

Din covered her mouth as she began to cry. She pushed away from Hijikata, and fell against the wall behind her. She had been too late. Yoshida had gone through what he said he was going to so coldly and Din failed to try and protect her. Ayumu was dead and there was so much, in her own mind, that she could have done differently.

"Where have you been for the past three days?" Hijikata asked firmly.

Ayu-chan. Din thought, ignoring Hijikata's question. Ayu-chan is gone. It's my fault…if I had stayed behind she wouldn't have gotten hurt. Goddammit!

"Where were you?" Hijikata asked moving up towards her face.

I can't tell him. She grabbed the side of her head. I can't, if I do then something will go wrong.

"Where!" he yelled.

She twitched, hating to have him in her face. "Nowhere!" she yelled back. "Where I go is none of your damn business! I'm leaving."

Hijikata grabbed her right wrist. "You're not going anywhere. Tell me where the hell you've been for the past three days!!"

Din pulled her wrist back. "None of your Goddamn business! I left because of you and Yamanami-san so just shut the hell up and leave me alone!"

"Because of me?" Hijikata asked. "What the hell did I do to make you want to leave so badly?"

Din laughed sarcastically. "You didn't defend me at all when Yamanami-san was calling me a whore! You only care about yourself Hijikata!"

"So?"

"So!?" Din's mouth dropped. "What the hell do you mean "so"?"

"Why do you care that I care only about myself?" Hijikata laughed and sat back. "What do you have to lose by my caring for myself?"

Din looked away. "Because."

"Because why?"

This was it. She couldn't hold in what had been bothering her and what she had realized the first time they had met again. She took in a deep breath, as she got ready to say it, causing Hijikata to look at her strangely.

"Because I still love you," she blurted out.

Hijikata was taken back by that. He released Din and moved backwards, unable to think of what to say back to her. He didn't think that she still loved him; he thought that she hated him, and if she didn't, she was putting on a very well thought through act.

"I know you do and…a part of me hates you."

Remembering Ayumu, he stood up. "Don't say such foolish things. I'm going to the funeral. You had a fever earlier so I want you to stay in bed." He walked over towards the back door. "When I return I want you to tell me where you were."

He had too much on his mind to worry about Din. He would settle everything later, when he would be able to sit down and think things out but right now, Ayu had earned and deserved his full attention.

Hijikata walked into the room where Ayumu's funeral was being held and sat down in an open spot beside Kondo.

"You're late Toshi-kun," Kondo pointed out.

The group grew quiet as they all sat with their heads down, Ayumu's body sitting in the front of them with a white sheet over her face. They were all thinking about her, all wishing they could have done something for her, and hoped that she was happy on the other side.

"We're to move out," Hijikata said bluntly. "We have to arrest Masuya-san before he tries to get away with what he has done."

Hijikata stood up and began to walk out, only to have Souji chase him. Hijikata walked out of the room, mumbling to himself.

"Hijikata-sama!" Souji called.

"We're going to kill that bastard," Hijikata said, still walking.

"Hijikata-sama!"

"Get ready to move out!!"

"Hijikata-SAMA!"

"What?" he hissed, stopping in his footsteps.

"This," Souji began, "isn't your fault."

Those words bounced off of the older man, but still had a slight effect on him. Hearing that someone else didn't think it was his fault even though he was telling himself over and over again that it was his fault, brought some kind of comfort to him.

The anger and accusation inside of him got the better of him, causing him to lift up his left arm. Gathering anger and hate, he punched the wall beside him, and hoped that it would relive him of some of the pain inside. It failed.

In Hijikata's over lasting absence, Din slipped out of the room she had been placed in, and walked into the room where Ayumu was lying. She walked in, to see that everyone else had left and that there was only a memorial to her now, so she sat down in the middle of the room and bowed.

"Ayu-chan," she whispered. "I cannot apologize enough for what has happened. If I had just stayed behind maybe this wouldn't have happened. Please Ayu-chan, be happy on the other side."

"Din-chan, are you alright?"

Din looked up to see Tatsunosuke standing in the back doorway. He stepped in, sat down beside her and bowed to Ayumu. Silence passed between the two as Tatsunosuke prayed for the woman who had given her life for the place where he and his little brother now lived.

"I wasn't able to pay my respects earlier," Tatsunosuke said as he sat back up. "I'm sorry if interrupted anything."

"Tatsunosuke-kun," Din whimpered, catching his attention quickly. "I…I'm scared."

"Scared?" Tatsunosuke moved closer towards her. "Of what?"

Din moved forward, placing her head with her eyes covered by her hands in to Tatsunosuke's neck. He blushed a bit but the blush soon left as he began to feel tears stain his green kimono. Feeling bad for her, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently, much like the way he talked to Tetsunosuke.

"I just feel like something bad is going to happen," she whispered. "I've got this horrible feeling in my gut that something horrible is going to happen here. Please Tatsu-kun; allow me to tell you something. Promise me what I'm going to tell you won't ever be repeated to anyone else."

"Tatsu-kun, if you hear anything from Din, you are to report it to me word-for-word. Do you understand?"

Tatsunosuke remained quiet for a moment, ignoring his willingness just to say yes and move on with the conversation. Would he be betraying Hijikata by listening and then not telling him? He wanted to know what was wrong with Din, he wanted to try and make her stop crying; he wanted to help her.

"I-I promise." Tatsunosuke squeezed her a bit tighter to make sure the world wouldn't fall apart when he said so.

Din pulled away from the younger man and took a quick breath. "Setsuna-chan was with the Choshu. She was married to Yoshida, the man Hijikata is looking for."

Tatsunosuke twitched. Yoshida was the man he had seen at Shimabara that scared Tetsunosuke so much. Him, the man who Tetsunosuke thought killed his parents was married to Setsuna, Din's sister? It was just too much of a coincidence to the dark red head.

"Please," Din begged, "don't tell Hijikata anything. If he finds out that…my connections with the Choshu he'll kick me out or…force me to commit Seppuku."

"Din-chan." Tatsunosuke reached out and gently grabbed her shoulders. "Don't worry I won't tell Hijikata but please do me one favor in return."

"What?" Din wiped her eyes.

Tatsunosuke blushed. "I was just wondering where you went. You just left without saying anything and I was—we were very concerned about you."

Din let go of a small smile. "I was out, visiting my sister."

Night had fallen once more, and everyone was preparing for the next morning where they would move out to capture Masuya. Hijikata had his usual guests in his room: Kondo, and Yamanami with Din sleeping in the corner of the room.

"So we're moving out early in the morning," Hijikata finished with a sigh. "We'll try to capture Yoshida while we're at it."

"Sounds like a plan." Kondo leaned against the wall behind him. As he sighed also, his eyes moved over towards Din. "How is she?"

"How the hell would I know?" Hijikata leaned back onto the wall. "She won't talk to me when she's awake at all and other then that she's always sleeping."

"Why?" Yamanami asked.

"She's sick." Hijikata rolled his eyes. "When she came back last night she had a high fever, and couldn't stop coughing. I gave her some medication so she should recover soon."

Kondo shifted around a bit. "Toshi-kun, did she tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Hijikata raised his right eyebrow.

"That…well, that she still loves you?"

Hijikata twitched. "How do you know that?"

"She told me a few days before she left," Kondo confessed. "And dammit I think it's time that you knew so…"

Hijikata looked away. "Yeah she told me."

"She still loves you?" Yamanami asked in surprise as his mouth widened.

"What are you going to do?" Kondo asked even though he had already mentally guessed the answer.

"Nothing." Hijikata shrugged. "Nothing will happen again."

The next morning, as everyone was getting ready to raid the inn, Tatsunosuke was getting ready to leave and pay respects to his parents. He gathered a small bag full of incense, and began walking out of the Shinsengumi gates when he felt someone grab his right wrist. Turning around, Din was standing behind him with a smile on her face.

"Oh good morning Din-chan," Tatsunosuke said with a smile. "What can I help you with?"

"I was hoping you could help me," Din answered. "I was wondering if I could pay my respects to your Father and Mother along with you this morning. If you want to go alone I understand and I'll go some other time."

Tatsunosuke blinked and thought about it for a moment. "I'd like it if you came with me."

"Thank you." Din walked up beside him.

Walking down the street together, they walked towards a place Tatsunosuke knew too well, and a place Din had been looking for so that she could thank the man who did so much for her when she needed him.

"Oh dammit!! I can't believe they left so early!!" Tetsunosuke yelled to himself as he ran down the crowded streets and over towards where he knew the raid was going to be.

He didn't know the raid was so early in the morning and hoped that he hadn't slept through it. As he ran, he hoped that Susumu hadn't done anything or killed anyone in his anger. In fact he had been in such a hurry that he had forgotten to put on his proper kimono and was wearing his nemaki.

The inn came closer and closer into view and Tetsunosuke saw the troupes walking away with a few men tied up. Stopping, he stood in front of the inn to catch his breath.

"Dammit! I missed it!" Tetsunosuke cursed.

"You didn't miss anything important."

Tetsunosuke looked towards the inn's door and saw Susumu walking out in his ninja outfit. He perked up a bit and walked towards him.

"What happened?" Tetsunosuke asked.

"We caught a few people but missed Yoshida," Susumu answered, leaning against the wall of the inn.

"Susumu-kun," Tetsunosuke looked away, "you didn't kill anyone did you?"

Susumu looked down towards his red, swelling fist. "I couldn't do it," he answered. "I just couldn't bring myself to kill him, Masuya."

"That's good!"

Susumu looked down towards Tetsunosuke and saw him smiling. He blinked, not understanding why he would be happy that he didn't kill someone but seeing that smile on the smaller ones face caused him to grin a bit.

"Well whatever." Susumu crossed his arms. "Now why don't you run home and change your clothes, what kind of moron runs around in their nightwear?"

Tetsunosuke looked down at what he was wearing and blushed. "Well I was in a hurry to get here!"

"Well hurry up and get home." Susumu jumped upwards, back onto the inn's roof.

"Fine." Tetsunosuke puffed his cheeks up.

Tetsunosuke watched as Susumu ran along the rooftops and disappeared into the shadows just as he always did. Feeling happy that Susumu hadn't killed anyone, he began to walk home.

"Tetsu-kun," a voice whispered.

Tetsunosuke looked around and saw Suzu standing between two buildings with an upset look on his face. Wondering what was wrong and wanting to see his friend, Tetsunosuke walked over towards him.

"What's wrong Suzu-kun?" he asked.

"Just come with me," Suzu requested.

"Sure."

The white haired boy led the red head down a small alleyway, clenching the handle of his sword in his hand and wondering if he could really do what he was about to do.

Suzu led the talking red head to a small, abandoned shack and let him walk forward first. Tetsunosuke kept talking about the last time they had hung out together, and how he wanted to do it again all while Suzu debated within himself.

Kill or not to kill. Tetsunosuke was his friend; Tetsunosuke was a young boy like him, just on the wrong side. His master had ordered him to kill the small boy and orders could not be disobeyed. But this was his friend, a person who made him feel so good when he was around him and made him laugh.

Kill? Suzu thought. Or not kill? Kill or not to kill?

"What's wrong Suzu-kun?" Tetsunosuke asked.

Wanting everything to hurry up and happen, Suzu pulled out his sword and slashed quickly, hoping he hit Tetsunosuke, and praying he didn't. When he opened his eyes once more Tetsunosuke was sitting down on the other side of the dirt yard with a look of surprise on his face.

"What…was that for?" Tetsunosuke asked.

Suzu couldn't take this. He fell down to his knees and began to cry only to suddenly feel someone grab him from behind. It was his master, he grabbed him and picked up him by his throat, choking him and teaching him a lesson at the same time.

"Suzu-kun!" Tetsunosuke yelled.

The red head eye's landed on Yoshida causing fear to rise up in him once more. Scared, he turned around and ran into the shack behind him, leaving Suzu. Yoshida dropped his page, and walked over towards the shack.

"Tetsu-kun," Suzu whimpered through his tears.

Yoshida walked over towards the shack and spilled gas onto the floor around the shack and threw the last of it onto the shack. He dropped his pipe onto the floor, igniting the fire and causing it to light up and begin to burn the wooden shack.

Tetsunosuke in the meantime ran until he found a small closet. He opened it, slipped in and closed it, praying that Yoshida wouldn't find him.

Tatsunosuke and Din bowed down to the two small memorials left for his parents and began to pray. The incense filled the air between them and made the two of them relax as they prayed.

Suddenly, Tatsunosuke felt a pain in his back and a sickening feeling filled his stomach. He groaned and fell over, holding his stomach.

"Tatsu-kun!" Din moved and bent down to him. "Tatsu-kun are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Tetsu-kun," he managed to say. "He's…he's in trouble!"

Din stood up. "I'll go look for him. Is he back at the Shinsengumi?"

Tatsunosuke stood up. "I think he might have gone to that raid."

"Help!! A fire!!" a voice yelled in the distance.

"Shit." Din ran off, Tatsunosuke trailing behind her.

R&R please!