by Suiren
"Perhaps."
I murmur, closing my eyes in thought. Yes.
Yes, I will go back and I will master the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu style Yahiko uses. I will become stronger than my father -- without becoming like him.
After all...I would rather protect than kill. I would have liked to protect my mother.
I bet you'd like to protect Chizuru, too..
That little inner voice inside of me snickered from the back of my mind. I rolled my eyes and swatted my conscience away as I thanked Hiko, and left the master by himself.
I wonder what he'll do now...
I didn't ponder it for long. After all, I was on my way home, where my teacher, friends, and a very interesting girl were all waiting for me. I would bury my Mother next to my Father and perhaps, they would both find peace.
~*~Kaoru's POV~*~
I cannot believe this...the realization of what has happened hits me like thousands of bricks, weighing down my soul. Tears escape my eyes, but these are not the cold tears one cries in an ignorant hell, like what I had been trapped in -- these are warm; but I am sad all the same.
Shinta has exchanged his position for my own. It's not fair. Surely after all we've been through in life, the universe would have something better planned.
He joined with me...He came back to stay..
I reach out for his face, and he lets me touch him, and I gaze into dulled golden eyes.
"Ne, Shinta?"
"What?" He asks in a voice as calm and deadly as Battousai's. In fact, I think that is his hell. To be stuck as Battousai and never able to escape. I find my voice, and soft as a whisper comes the solution..
"Close your eyes."
~*~Sano's POV~*~
Megumi and I returned to the dojo, together. Now that's a nice thought, and an even nicer word, one that I'm not used to. Together.
She and Misao have gone out to the market to start preparing for the funeral, along with Tae and Tsubame. And now, Yahiko's seated on the floor with his sword resting against his shoulder, looking oh so Kenshin-ish; Aoshi leans coldly against the wall, and I lounge on the dojo floor, chewing thoughtfully on a fishbone. You see, I have an endless supply of them. We're in a comfortable silence when Yahiko decides to break it.
"I wonder..."
"What?" I ask, annoyed, because I had almost fallen asleep and was certain there were dreams of a beautiful, dark-eyed doctor with nice legs waiting for me.
"Where do you think... people go... when they die?"
Aoshi shrugs, but neither of us are fooled by his cold act anymore.
"I'm sure there's a place for them, Yahiko." I murmur, with a yawn. "Kenshin and Kaoru deserve that."
"And you think they're happy?"
Aoshi surprises me this time with an anser. "They never knew how to be anything else around eachother, ne?"
We let this answer settle in the dojo air, and I take a deep breath. I'm starting to feel lighter. Yes, I think Aoshi's right. Kenshin and Kaoru could be happy anywhere -- as long as they were with eachother.
~*~Shinta's POV~*~
What a curious sensation.
I feel like I'm drowning.
What is going on? Who is this woman?
I'm wet, but I'm weightless.
I'm surrounded by water...
And there is light for me at the surface.
My thoughts are jumbled as I feel myself sinking in the ocean that surrounds me. What is this insanity? Where is...Kaoru?!
Instantly my hands and feet go to work as I head for the dazzling rays of light that I can see through the water I'm drifting in. The surface. Something tells me I have to get to the surface.
I sit up suddenly in my futon, blinking as I take in my surroundings. The dojo.
Well, not the Earth one...it does appear that I'm still dead...but back in heaven. I spring to my feet.
"Kaoru?"
My nose catches something I had not smelled before in the dojo.. a smell that said home, and reminded me of my life, later on, as a Ruroni.
Jasmine.
~*~Kenji's POV~*~
I look down at Tokyo with a vague smile. Home.
And for once, it feels like home, too. My feet head towards the dojo, but then I pause...there is somewhere I must go first.
I get directions to the house of Raikouji, and knock politely on the door. To my surprise, Chizuru is the one who answers it.
"Kenji! You're back!"
She says, greeting me with a warm and cheerful smile. I nod solemnly.
"For good, this time?"
She asks, and I find myself nodding again like a dumb idiot.
"Yes." I manage to add. Way to go, Kenji, you can now answer questions with gestures and one word.
"Chizuru..."
"Ne?"
"My mother's funeral..is tomorrow...will you come?"
She nods. "Yes."
I peer around the door quickly, and noticing no parental figure to worry about, quickly lean over and kiss her on the forehead.
"Arigatou."
She's blushing, and I feel one coming on for my rash actions, so before she can say a word, I run off to the dojo as fast as my feet will carry me. It's home, and I have friends waiting there.
~*~Misao's POV~*~
The funeral was small, and quiet, early in the morning with the sun rising from the East. Aoshi-sama was the one to come up with the time suggestion, and I asked him why.
"Because everything begins in the East. This is not the end for them."
I had smiled and hugged him tightly at the time, but now I merely hold his hand, watching as Kaoru's coffin((NOTE: Author is clueless on burial rites at the time of Meiji Japan)) was lowered into the ground right as the sunrise reaches its most glorious moment...
~*~Shinta's POV~*~
I step out into the dojo's garden, right as the sunrise in heaven easily becomes the most beautiful I've seen.
However, my eyes fall on something far more dear, and far more beautiful to me.
"Kaoru..."
She turns to me with a smile, the best medicine, and I'm by her side in a flash, quickly embracing my wife.
"You came back for me.." She began, resting her head against my chest.
"No. I came to stay with you. Forever."
She smiled and looked at the sunset.
"In either place."
"Yes."
"So this is the beginning of our happiness."
Two figures approached and Shinta smiled warmly.
"Kaoru...there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Tomoe, and her husband Akira."
They stood face to face for a while, and then Kaoru launched forward to give Tomoe a hug.
"Thank you.."
Tomoe looked startled.
"For what?"
"For making a Battousai...into a Rurouni."
Akira elected to shake my hand, and I grinned at him.
"I told you, you didn't know us."
"Guess not. You're not bad, Shinta."
"Ne, you too."
He smiled suddenly. "Today's a day for gift giving, a celebration of the arrival of one Miss Himura Kaoru."
"Oro?" I asked, and Kaoru laughed. Yes, Oro may sound stupid, but it is a response that works well in almost all unexpected situations. Or so I'd like to think.
"We have a gift for you, Kenshin." Tomoe said solemnly. "Would you like to see your son one last time?" Akira finished.
Kaoru and I stared at eachother for a moment in amazement, and Akira laughed.
"That is enough thanks for us."
And suddenly, I felt like I was flying..
~*~Kenji's POV~*~
After the funeral finished I sent Chizuru back to the dojo with Misao, Aoshi, Sano, Tae, Tsubame, Yahiko, and Megumi, telling them all that I wanted some time to sit by their graves and just talk to my parents. I wasn't sure where to start.
"I hope you are happy." I started, sincerely, but it sounded fake to my ears. "I'm going to be lonely without you, but...."
"You'll be fine."
That voice...
Those ki..
I turn around to stare at my parents, standing behind me. Father places a hand on my shoulder, and I can feel it, it's tangible.
"I'm proud of you, Kenji." He murmurs. "You have become very strong."
Mother nodded.
"You will be a great man someday.."
She and my Father smiled at eachother and down at me. Their happiness was tangible, and I felt like a weight had been lifted off of me.
"Ne, he already is."
They both nodded and smiled.
"We have to go. Look after the others."
"Yeah, especially Yahiko-chan."
They faded away and I was left smiling a somewhat dazed smile. Then it widened into a grin.
Yahiko-CHAN?
I bowed to their graves in respect, feeling tears slide down my face despite the feeling of peace and happiness their presences left me with.
"I love you...both of you."
Suddenly there's another hand on my shoulder and I whirl to find myself face to face with Chizuru.
"Is everything okay?" She asked quietly.
"Everything is going to be fine." I assured her, taking her hand and leading her back to the dojo where our friends would be waiting.
~*~Later on that Evening~*~
"WHAT?! I'M NOT YAHIKO-CHAN!!! YOU....YOU..."
Yahiko searched for an insult, glaring down at his grinning student...
"BAKA DESHI!!!"
--owari
A/N: And thus this story ends...OR DOES IT?! (I'm debating on a sequel.) Sorry for the long chapter, I wanted to get everything finished. I'm also going to upload a preview of what's coming in the sequel. Love you guys, thanks for all your support.
-- suiren