Epilogue

"Should we tell him that there's no one there?" a nurse said as he passed a room. They stopped just beyond it.

"Why? He's perfectly content with whatever he's conversing with. It's not frightening him, and he's a dying man. Why should we, practically strangers, try to take his last comfort away?" the doctor said to the nurse. The patient was indeed dying of heart problems, at the ripe old age of 87.

"He has no family to help him through this?"

"None that I have seen." The doctor and nurse walked away, the nurse slightly perplexed at this new way of seeing the old man's madness.

,.--.,,.--.,,.--.,,.--.,

'Sit back down, Daisuke,' Satoshi said, standing behind the aged Daisuke. Everyone else that they knew had moved or had already died. Daisuke now resided in a hospital for the fact that he had no family left to take care of him, and his heart required constant supervision.

It pained Satoshi to see Daisuke grow so old... So feeble... From the contrast of knowing him as a teen... an adult... Strong and stable. No more, as the image in front of him clearly stated.

"I'm dying, Satoshi, I'm dying. It doesn't matter what I do now. I could jump out the window for all it mattered," Daisuke responded at he turned around. His hair had turned white, his face crinkly, and his eyes slightly less vibrant.

What hurt Satoshi the most was that he was unable to grow old with his love.

'You should at least be comfortable when you die,' Satoshi said, practically floating in front of Daisuke, his eyes insistent and skillfully hiding the pain he was feeling.

Daisuke's eyes, however, clearly showed the pain he was feeling, and Daisuke was an expert at reading Satoshi's face and seeing things no stranger ever would. "I'm so sorry for growing up..."

'No, you can't help it. You're human. Humans grow.' Daisuke finally sat down in one of the guest chairs that never got filled, save for a spirit of a friend and a ring.

"But you're human, too," Daisuke insisted.

'Not anymore. I'm dead remember? I'm the spirit of one of my ancestor's works of art,' Satoshi responded, dolefully. He perched himself on the arm of the chair and caressed his love's face sadly.

"You won't be there when I die..."

'No.'

"And you won't come for me?"

'I will do that. I'll bend as many rules as I can, do more than any other thing can, and I will come to be with you forever,' Satoshi said, wrapping his arms around Daisuke's neck.

"I'm holding you to that promise," Daisuke said, leaning his head on Satoshi's chest.

'You don't have to worry bout me breaking it. Wait for me, okay?'

"I will," Daisuke said. Daisuke closed his eyes and Satoshi stroked the man's hair soothingly. Satoshi listened to Daisuke's breaths against his chest, feeling them grow weaker and then… They stopped…

Satoshi felt his chest tighten as he looked at his dead friend. The friend that had seen him through life and even all of his death as of that moment. The friend that he intended to do the same for.

'I love you more that you could ever imagine, Daisuke. I will come for you someday, don't worry.'

Tears fell on top of Daisuke's head, and Satoshi pushed his friend's body into a position that would hold Daisuke up once Satoshi moved.

Satoshi stood, walked to the window, and looked out.

'My nightmare begins,' Satoshi said as he dissipated from the material world and returned to the ring.

The End