"My Immortal."
By: Careless Dreamer
Anime: Kenshin
Kaoru sat there under the Cherrie blossoms, crying over Shinta before Megumi found her. Then she saw Kaoru's body quaking with each breath. Megumi walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Please, Kaoru, don't cry over Kenshin," Megumi said softly, "he wouldn't want you to."
Kaoru sat up with Shinta still lying in her lap in what looked like a peaceful slumber. But Kaoru knew better than to think like that. She wiped the tears from her face hoping she wouldn't cry anymore, knowing that was impossible.
"I have nothing left..." She whispered.
"But Kenji's still here..."
"He's been gone for so long... longer than Shinta ever was..."
Her now dried up tears began flowing with freedom. She couldn't quit crying because Shinta was her whole life.
"Why do you call him 'Shinta'?" Megumi asked.
"He told me that 'Kenshin,' was the name that his Master gave to him. He told me that when he comes back, he wanted me to call him by his birth name, Shinta Himura," Kaoru explained.
I'm so tried of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
Because your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone...
Kenji was in the yard training when he got the strange feeling to go to the front of the dojo. He saw his father and his mother embrace each other as they fell to the ground. Then they drug themselves to the Cherrie blossom trees as their petals fell to the ground.
"I don't know which is better... when the Cherrie blossoms bloom or when they fall."
Kenji bowed his head, because he knew that his father's time had come. If he wanted to become the legend he wanted to be, his first step would be to stay with his mother until her time came. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Yahiko crying. Then he also learned that it was okay to cry at a time like this.
"Ms. Kaoru isn't the only one at a loss," Yahiko told Megumi later that night.
"Why do you say that?" She asked.
"He was like a father to me," he admitted while putting some rice into his mouth.
Kenji sat there staring off into space, thinking. Reality just didn't want to sink into him that his father was actually gone.
"Kenji..." Yahiko said.
He snapped out of it.
"I need to talk to you out side."
Kenji followed him outside of the dojo and Yahiko turned on heal to face Kenji. They stood in silence exchanging unspoken words with the expressions on their faces.
"I'm just wondering why do you want to learn your father's teachings?" Yahiko asked.
"I really wanted to be the legend that he was..."
"What? Do you want to be known as the "Man Slayer," trust me it's not the best title," Yahiko said sharply under his breath.
"That's not it at all. I want to be a better legend... hoping to protect people only. That is my intent and nothing more or less. The reason for this is because, I felt that my father could do more for the world, but never did. But I feel by learning what he learned, I can truly know what he was like when the Meji era, and still is, like for him. Only protecting people with your sword. I was also hoping to set an example for future generations that there is nothing more important than protecting someone you love or a perfect stranger," Kenji explained.
"Then promise me to not pursue this dream of yours, until you mother's time has come," Yahiko said, "it would just break her heart to have both the men in her life leave her alone."
"You're such a mind reader Yahiko, I was planning on staying... that is after my father passed away," he said.
"No!" Kaoru cried.
Yahiko snapped his head in her direction.
"Please don't... live your life the way you..."
She fell to the ground grasping her chest, coughing really hard.
"Mom!" Kenji cried.
He ran to her side and picked her up and placed her back in her bed.
"Kenshin would want you to..."
Kenji placed a finger on her lips. Yahiko came in with Ms. Megumi.
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase...
"She getting worse... look the virus use to come up to her neck when it was only on her chest and arms yesterday. It's raging through her body like a wild fire. I expect only for her to have a couple more hours.. There's nothing I can do. The only thing I can do is keep my promise to Shinta Himura."
Her body was hurting all over from her disease. At first the pain was too much for her but eventually it became nothing more than a pang letting her know that she was carrying Shinta's problems too. But to actually carry this much pain by yourself was difficult but she knew that she had to go on for Kenji, he now looked to her for strength and his only parent for guidance. Once again she began thinking about Shinta and their times together. Then everything up until his last breath. She knew that a huge part of her life was gone. And if she survived another couple months or years, time alone could never erase the past.
When you'd cry I'd wipe away all tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all me
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
But now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face haunts my once pleasant dreams
Your voice chased away all the sanity in me...
"Ms. Megumi," Kenji said.
"What is it, Kenji?"
"My Mother has requested to see you..."
Megumi took off running to Kaoru's room thinking it was an emergency.
"Ms. Kaoru?" She asked as she entered.
"I've been thinking..."
Kaoru sat up on her own and faced Megumi, she smiled.
"My cure has come and judgment has been passed..."
"Kaoru?"
"My cure has come..."
"That's impossible... I'll run a few more tests for you."
Megumi took what she needed for a sample and left. Yahiko caught up to her and began helping her. He noticed that something was bothering her.
"Megumi, what's wrong?"
"Kaoru said that judgment has been passed and she's had her cure... but I think she's lost her mind, somewhat, because Kenshin... no Shinta has been gone for a week. She didn't even have the energy to walk the distance to the Cherrie trees and now just out of the blue she sat up. I'm confused..."
Megumi held her head in her hands and began crying.
"You go and take a nap. You deserve it. I'll finish up your tests and watch over Kaoru," Yahiko said leading her out of the room, "where's Tsubame? I haven't seen her in a while."
"She went with Chizuru to my office to check on things... they should be back soon," Megumi said. "But are you sure about taking care of things?"
"You've been breaking your back over us since the funeral, it's time you had a break. Don't worry about us. I'll get you if anything gets out of hand."
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There is just too much that time cannot erase
When you'd cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I've held your hand through all of these years
But you still have all of me...
Yahiko made lunch for Megumi and brought it to her. He did the same for Kaoru, while Kenji sat at the table with him. When they started eating they heard footsteps coming down the hall. Yahiko popped some of the fish into his mouth and leaned back.
"What's up Sano?"
"Is it true that Kenshin's gone?"
Kenji looked up at him and nodded.
"Did he get to..."
"Yes... they had their last few moments together before he went on.:"
Sanosuke sat down and told them of his journey and how he met up with Kenshin before he had sent him home.
"Thank you for bringing him home Sano..."
Sanosuke turned around to face her. He saw what Kenshin looked like the last time he saw him, then figured that Kaoru wasn't too far from it.
"You must go back to bed Ms. Kaoru," Yahiko insisted.
"I'm fine... my cure has come..."
I've tried hard to tell myself that you're gone
And though your still with me
I've been alone all along
When you'd cry I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I've held your hand through all the years
But you still have all of me.
Did you know it's hard to tell yourself someone's gone? My Mom had a hard time doing the same. They're both still with me but still I'm so alone. We found out that the virus stopped in her body for one reason or another. Then she died a month later of natural causes. Not because of her disease. Miss Megumi made that a point to everyone.
When I think about my childhood I seem to smile. When I'd cry about a scrapped knee, she'd wipe away my tears and told me to try again. When I'd scream in the middle of the night about the boogie man, she'd beat him up for me. She has held my hand through all the years and I still all of them. Love is something that keeps us together. Not even death could part us. I love you Mom and Dad.
Now I know why Mom would always wait for Dad, because she loved him. Then she carried his burden, because it showed her devotion to Dad. Because Chizuru would do the same, because if I leave the house and she'd be there all the time, waiting for my return.
Japanese Version:
Yasashii te dane
Anata ga itta
Namida ga deta yo
Totemo shizukani
Haru no sunahama
Hiza de nemutta
Anata no kami o sotto
Yubi de suita toki
Fui ni subete ga wakatta ga shita
Kurushimi tachi ga sora e to kaette yuku no deshita
Anata no hoho ni
Ochita shizuku wa
Nami shibuki da to itta
Mekakushi o shita yo
Koko ni ite, koko ni iru yo
English Version:
Your hand feels gentle
You said so
Tears come out
Very quietly
Seashore in spring
Your head on my knees and fell asleep
Your hair, gently
When I combed with my fingers
Suddenly, I felt like I understood everything
All the pain in the heart goes home to the sky
On your cheek
The drops of the tears
I told you its spray from the sea
I put my hands over your eyes to blind
Please be here with me, I am here with you