Thanks for reading! Of course, the story's not finished since the Meiji Arc is yet to come. I really enjoyed writing this one, since the Bakamatsu arc was still my favorite.

Tomoe's death never ended up quite how I liked it—nevertheless, I deemed it satisfactory since I couldn't find a way to make it perfect. The ending was also a bit rushed, but I wanted to depict Kikome's change in her personality and her willingness to ally herself with the Shinsengumi (who will always be better than the Ishin Shinshi.)

Even in the end, Kikome is still the same immature child who believes herself to have matured to the point where she can take care of herself. However, I intend to create a sense of womanly maturity around her in the sequel, since Kikome will have grown ten years, in solitude and away from the acquaintances that she so recently acquired. They'll all come back, of course, and I daresay it's about time for Kikome to open up her heart again. 

The next sequel will be about the Meiji era, and how Kikome meets up with her old acquaintances. (I don't want to say friends, since at this point, she really has none, unless you count Saitou and Okita. But Okita sadly dies before the Meiji era, and well, Saitou is probably the closest thing to a friend that she has…but neither will spend time on petty words and relationships.) She'll meet Aoshi, a new face and a refreshing new relationship, but I really haven't planned out the rest. 

Again, thanks for reading! I don't get to update that often, but thank you for supporting me!

--Jenniko-chan