Epilogue

Dearest Himura Kaoru,

For years I have despaired at the memory of losing you so quickly after we found happiness together. I am afraid you would probably be disappointed with some of the choices I have made in life, especially those directly after your 'death'. I ask you to forgive me for my stupidity- I did not think to remember all you had told me while still in my presence.

But I remembered. I remembered there was hope that you were not truly dead. And though I cannot be sure for certain, I believe it strongly in my heart. It is the only way I can go on with life.

Kenji has grown into a noble, strong, young man. I am pleased to say he found love early on in his life, when he was sixteen years old. Forgive me for sneaking, but I couldn't help myself when I heard our son speaking with a girl and then caught him kissing her! Imagine my surprise when I stepped outside the dojo for a simple stroll when I found our son speaking with a lovely young lady. I did not even know he knew any girls at that age! Fortunately for them, when they were too embarrassed after their first kiss, I pretended to act like I was looking for Kenji and saved them several moments of embarrassment and awkward conversation. The girl's name is Sakiko. After that, they continued to meet each other regularly and after two years of courting, they married.

They married at the same age we did.

Kenji is wonderful, Kaoru. I wish you could see him. He is so strong- I am afraid I was not always able to be there for him when he needed me, but he is wise beyond his years. He was always looking out for me- he saw how frail and sad I was. He always made sure I was comfortable and that everything was fine. I'm ashamed to say he sometimes acted like more of a father than I did. However, Kenji is a wonderful child. You would have loved him. He is a son any parent would dream of.

I am dying, Kaoru. I know I am. I can feel it. Even though I am only forty, I know life does not hold much else for me now. After Tomoe's passing and Kenji's marriage, I am left alone in this dojo. I am left alone with my thoughts and sadness. However, I hope that if this is the end for me, I will soon be united with you once more.

Do not be sad for me- that is not what I want. But I know that if you really have returned to your own time, you will want answers. You will want to know what has happened in your absence. It is weird for me to consider, but both Kenji and I will be dead long before you even receive this letter…

I have told Kenji everything about us. My past, yours, our life together, brief as it was. I've instructed him to pass these stories down, along with my journals and my letter.

I miss you so much, Kaoru. I can only hope that the afterlife does not experience time quite as slowly as we do here. I hope I may be reunited with you soon. I love you so much. Never forget that. And though I am not physically there, my heart and my spirit will always lie within you.

And one last thing before I close this letter. Remember that document you loved so much? Well, after much deliberation, I decided that the only way information about a manslayer would be recorded was if the manslayer did it himself. So, yes, I made that document, as closely to your descriptions as possible. I hope you like it. It is one of the few presents I can give you.

I love you.

Kenshin

THE END.