Disclaimer: I hope I can apologize enough to Matsushita-sensei. Now I have to add Kurono Nanae-sensei as well. In case you're confused, Shinsengumi Imon Peacemaker is the name of the manga that the anime Peace Maker Kurogane is based on--and there is a manga done by Kurono-sensei called Peacemaker Kurogane that is the direct continuation of SIPM. Tetsu's older in that one and actually a part of the Shinsengumi rather than just Hijikata's page.

Okay! Now we've gone and added time travel to Watari's list of accomplishments...

Tatsumi: I was patient with you before. Now you're messing with Japanese history!

Shut up. Everything will be put back as it was, and we'll have fun in the process, and that's what's important, right?

Watari: What do I do this time?

You'll see.

Hijikata: What the hell is going on here? Who are these people?

Okita: Relax, fukucho. I think it's a great idea! ^_^

Thank you, Okita-kun. But then, you also thought it was a great idea to steal Hijikata's book of haiku, didn't you?

Okita: Erm... ^.^'

Hijikata: I'd almost forgotten about that. Okita, I order you to commit seppuku!

Yeah yeah. On with the story.

Tatsumi walked into the JuuOhCho lab and froze. Watari was hovering expectantly over a screen, watching something. And Watari being expectant was never a good thing.

"Watari-san," said Tatsumi cautiously, "what are you doing?"

Watari looked guilty. "Ah...Tatsumi...ano... I just...well..." He glanced at the empty beakers beside him.

Tatsumi closed his eyes in acute pain. Not again... he fumbled in his pockets for the rolaids. Ghosts should not have heartburn. "Please don't tell me that's Kyoto."

"Well, it is, but don't worry, it's nothing recent..."

On the streets of Kyoto the legend of the Miburo was...well...legendary. The Shinsengumi who were the strongest faction supporting the crumbling bakufu were both respected and feared by the citizens--both those who wanted nothing to do with the upcoming dissention, and those who openly sided with the Isshinshishi. Behind the closed walls of the Shinsengumi compound, mind and bodies were trained to defend the shogunate to the death.

The code of the Shinsengumi was strict. Those who were members had but one choice if their path diverged: seppuku. This was the iron command of the Oni fukucho, Hijikata Toshizo. With his imposing height and incredible skill, he was feared even by his subordinates.

Excluding the 1st fukuchojokin, Okita Souji, of course.

"Ohayoo gozaimasu, Hijikata-saaaaaaaan!" chirped Okita, pushing open the shoji to the fukucho's room. "Time to get up!"

Hijikata opened his eyes, glowering at his former page's bright smile. Nothing seemed to get Okita down. In fact, Okita was either irrepresibly genki and mischeivous, or terrifyingly cold. Of the two, Hijikata preferred the oni's child version. "Ohayoo," he said curtly, getting out of bed. "Where's Ichimura?"

Okita shrugged, setting the tea tray down on the floor next to the fukucho. "I think he's feeling better, but I told him I'd bring you your tea this morning, since you're probably still grumpy about him throwing up on you," said the kendo prodigy bightly.

Hijikata's face darkened. He was still annoyed with the boy for the unseemly display of physical illness on his kimono. He grunted something, picking up a cup and sipping the tea. He frowned into the cup for a moment. "Okita--this tastes a little odd."

Okita leaned forward, peering into the cup. He took a small sip, and shook his head. "You're imagining things, Hijikata-san!"

"Maybe." Nevertheless, Hijikata finished his cup. He wasn't about to waste the tea when he had much to think about that day.

"I'll go check on Tetsu-kun and see if he's feeling any better," said Okita, picking up the tray again.

"Aa," said Hijikata absently. "If you see Yamanami-kun around, send him to see me, will you?"

"Hai." Okita slipped out of the room, taking the tray back to the kitchen. Come to think of it, he wasn't feeling very well either. Maybe Tetsu's sickness was infectious. That wouldn't be very good. Okita frowned absently, and headed for his room. He'd feel better after a quick lie down. Then he'd go find Yamanami-fukucho and see Tetsu-kun.

It was maybe ten minutes later that Yamazaki Ayumu headed for Hijikata's room. She was really worried about Tetsu-kun; in spite of his illness, he was trying to get out of bed. It was all Tatsunosuke-san could do to keep the boy down. Maybe an order from Hijikata-san would prevent Tetsu from doing anything foolish.

She stood outside of the fukucho's door, and said, "Hijikata-san, it's Ayumu. I'm coming in." She slid the shoji open and stepped inside. "Hijikata-san?"

There was a lump under the covers. Still asleep, she thought, shaking her head. She knelt at the head of the bed, frowning. That couldn't be right. Hijikata was much taller than that. A feeling of dread began to creep over her, and she took the edge of the blanket in her hands, pulling it up.

A little boy sat huddled in the middle of the bed, in a yukata much too large for him. His eyes and hair were very dark, and the scowl on his face was very familiar.

Ayu stared at him. He stared back. Finally he moved, crawling out, and said, "Dammit, Ayu, stop staring at me and figure out what's wrong!"

Pale, the Shinsengumi's cook and master spy said, "Hi-Hijikata-san?"

The intense glare he shot her cleared away all doubt that he was the short-tempered fukucho. "Of course!" he snapped, his boyish voice warbling in the middle. "Something's gone horribly wrong! I am not a child! And whoever did this, is going to pay!"

Ayu scrambled to her feet. "But how in the world-?"

Hijikata began to pace, accidentally tripping over the hem of his yukata. "It must have been the tea," he said. "I told Okita it tasted funny."

"The tea?" Ayu winced. "Is that the morning tea that's already been served to everyone in the compound?"

"I would imagine--to everyone?" Hijikata stalked over to the shoji, throwing it open. "Whoever is behind this, I will find him, and make him commit seppuku!"

Ayu managed by dint of sheer will not to giggle. It was such a Hijikata thing to say, but...he was so cute! He whirled, his childlike face in a familiar scowl. "Find them!" he commanded.

"All right," she said, climbing to her feet. "I'll see what I can do about stopping anyone from drinking the tea."

Unfortunately for Ayu-nee, Tatsunosuke and Tetsunosuke seemed to be the only ones who had not had their morning tea. Tetsu-kun was too sick to worry about anything, but Tatsunosuke looked extremely pained when the news was broken to him. Ayu could hear the acid eating away at his stomach lining from the door. "Please remain here and watch Tetsu-kun," she said quickly. "I'll gather the others and see what I can do."

"H-hai," Tatsunosuke managed to say, his face pale.

In the courtyard, Ayu surveyed the group of children assembled. Even in a youthful body, Harada Sanosuke was taller than everyone else. And his partner-in-crime, Nagakura Shinpachi -

"Nagakura-kun," she said.

"Hai!" he replied.

"Um...didn't you...that is...why aren't you any shorter?" she said.

He blinked. "I dunno. I'm just not."

Sano put one arm on top of Shinpachi's head. "You're chibi even when you're not chibi," he said.

"Shut up, you mountain," grumbled Nagakura.

"Enough!" Ayu turned to the next boy and blinked. "O-Okita-kun?"

The boy's smile was blindingly bright. In fact, he looked very much like an eight year old girl. "Haaaaaaaaaaai!" he sing-songed.

Ayu sweatdropped. "Ano...is Yamanami-fukucho here as well?"

A teenaged boy wearing glasses stepped up. "I didn't drink very much," he said apologetically. "I think that's why I'm still older than the others."

Ayu sighed. "That's fine. You can help me take care of the children. Susumu-kun! Stop hitting Shinpachi-kun!" Yamazaki paused in mid-hit, glowering, and desisted. "Ano...please tell me Isao-kancho didn't have any of the tea."

Okita raised his hand. "Yes, Okita-kun?"

"Isao-kancho said he was very thirsty, so I think he drank it all," the boy said.

She closed her eyes in acute pain. How in the hell did this happen? Is this Choshuu? No, they don't have anything that could do this... She opened her eyes again and sureyed the group of kids, which was rapidly disintigrating into the typical school yard alliances.

This is going to be hell.

When Toudou Heisuke opened the outer door to the Shinsengumi compound, he was met with a scene he did not expect. Although the faces were familiar, the bodies of his comrades had...well..shrunk significantly.

"Toudou-san!" cried Ayu, desperately grateful to have another adult around to help her keep control of the rough-and-tumble group of children.

"Ayu-sensei! Susumu hit me!" shouted Shinpachi.

"Ayu-sensei! Sano hit me!" warbled Yamazaki.

"Ayu-sensei! Okita stole my pocky!" clamored Sano.

"Ayu-sensei! I have to go to the bathroom!" announced Okita.

Toudou just stared for a minute. Then his eyes welled up with tears, and with random flowers appearing in the background, he hurried toward the gathered children. "KAWAII!" he caroled. He grabbed the nearest child, who happened to be Shinpachi, his eyes sparkling. "You are like an adorable little baby raccoon!"

Shinpachi smacked Toudou between the eyes. "Hanase!" He dropped to the ground. "Weirdo."

Toudou picked himself up. "What happened, Ayu-nee?" he asked.

Frazzled, she said, "I don't know. They had something in the tea that I made this morning. Isao-kancho is having nap time right now. He's the youngest. It got most of them--oh no. Where's Saitoh-kun?"

Toudou glanced around, but he didn't see the third fukuchojokin anywhere. "I don't know."

Ayu sighed. "He's probably slipped off again. You stay here and watch them-I'll find Saitoh-kun."

"Ryoukai!" Toudou looked around at the children who tumbled in the dirt, wrestling and arguing, and his eyes filled with tears again. "THEY'RE ALL SO CUTE!"

Okita tugged on his sleeve. "You are the cutest of all, Okita-chan!" Toudou said, glomping the boy. "You are as cute as piglet!"

"Toudou-sempai, I have to go to the bathroom!"

Ayu walked around the corner and nearly tripped over Saitoh. The boy, his lids drooping over glassy eyes, was seated cross-legged with his back against the wall, a lit cigarette between his fingers. Ayu sniffed the air suspiciously.

"Saitoh-kun!" she said sternly.

His eyes opened briefly and he looked up at her. Like Yamanami-fukucho, he hadn't imbibed much of the tea-just enough to turn his clock back to those turbulent teen years. "Yo, Ayu," he said lazily. "What are you doing tonight?"

With difficulty she contained her temper. "Saitoh-kun," she said, "I don't know what it is you're smoking, but you need to stop and rejoin the other children."

He climbed lazily to his feet, slinging one arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, Ayu," he purred. "Let's go somewhere quiet..."

She sighed. "Forgive me, Saitoh-kun," she said, and aimed a jab at his kidneys.

Even as a stoned teenager he was too fast. He melted out of the way, reappearing several feet further down the walk. "Fine...I'm out of here," he said sulkily.

Ayu watched him go over the wall. "Why do they always get so rebellious in the teen years," she said. She headed back to the compound where hopefully Toudou would have everything under control.

As she entered the courtyard, she heard footsteps approaching from the far side. Staggering, Tetsu-kun viewed the scene in the courtyard with eyes as big as dinner plates. Behind him, Tatsunosuke, radiating waves of gastric distress, crawled to try to valiently stop his brother.

"Teeeeeeetsuuuuuu....."

Tetsu-kun began to make little choking sounds, then he burst into wild hiccuping laughter. Maybe it was Hijikata trying to look serious with an oversized pipe in his mouth. Maybe it was Yamazaki and Shinpachi having a schoolyard tiff. Maybe it was Okita playing with the piglets. Maybe it was Toudou's expression of sheer ecstasy at the amount of cuteness around him. Maybe it was a solemn Yamanami acting like an older brother to Sano-kun, who was still the tallest.

Hijikata, palpably annoyed with Tetsu's amusement, stalked over as best he could on short legs. "What's so funny, Ichimura?" he demanded, flushing as his voice cracked in the middle.

Tetsu was laughing too hard. He was beginning to feel kind of sick again...

Tatsunosuke's eyes widened in horror. "Tetsu! Nooooooooooooooooo!"

After she'd cleaned Tetsu and Hijikata off again, and made Hijikata promise not to force Tetsu to commit seppuku for being ill, Ayu sent all the children to bed. They slept in the dojo, quarreling as they made their beds.

"Ayu-nee! Tell us a story!" Okita demanded.

She sighed. "Fine. Once upon a time, there was an old man who found a baby girl in a stalk of bamboo..."