****
Epilogue:
I stand watching Misao in the garden walking in the flowers. She hasn't had any of my memories again but she now knows what I have been through. I begin to silently and slowly walk towards her. Her back is to me and she is humming a small tune. She has not noticed me yet, as her mind is half on whatever she is thinking about and the other half is picking flowers while placing some of them in her hair. As I walk towards her I remember what happened a couple of weeks ago.
Misao had shockingly confessed that she loved me. I had no idea what to say to this. I knew I loved her as well but I couldn't get it out. My throat had blocked up at the moment she walked into the garden and confessed. She was wearing her bedclothes that fit her perfectly and her hair was blowing freely in the breeze. I stood to try and say something but she stopped me by hugging me around the waist and looked up at me telling me that she didn't care if I couldn't say that I loved her back. She had said that no matter what happened she was going to be here to protect me and give me comfort whenever I wanted or needed it. I chuckled quietly between us when she had stated that she was going to be with me whether I liked it or not. I smiled down at her and brushed my fingertips over her cheek. She lightly blushed and then quickly kissed me before I could react and ran upstairs to her room for the night.
I smiled as I could still feel her lips pressed on mine when she first kissed me all those weeks ago when I had woken her up. Before I knew what I was doing I had stepped in front of Misao who gasped at being surprised that I had appeared out of nowhere and wrapped her up in my embrace. I waited for her to stiffen but it never came. She placed her head against my chest and wrapped her small arms around my waist while still holding the flowers.
"What's wrong Aoshi?"
I had asked her to stop calling me "Aoshi-sama", as I wanted us to be equals. I just wanted to be Aoshi Shinomori again. I brushed her cheek like I had done a couple of weeks ago and finally spoke what I felt I knew was true in my heart.
"I love you Misao…"
I was shocked at how easy it was to say to her as when I had said this Misao looked more beautiful then ever. She still blushed when I would touch her lovingly but that made me fill at ease, as I know my Misao will always be the same cheeky and yet beautiful genki ninja I helped raise. Her eyes glistened with tears of joy and her bright smile lit up her entire face. I couldn't help but place my lips to hers and kiss her passionately. A small gasp escaped her put she never pulled away. Her arms snaked around my neck tightly making sure I was unable to leave her embrace. We finally separated to gather our breaths and Misao spoke and then blushed yet again at her confession.
"I love you too Aoshi…"
I finally gave her a real smile with my eyes as well as my lips and wrapped her up in my embrace once more. She returned the embrace furiously as well and spoke quietly into my ear so I could only hear this once and once only.
"I'll take care of you and protect you Aoshi. You never have to be afraid of being left alone again."
"You too my Misao, you too…"
And there we stood in each other's embraces finally finding comfort in each other. One more thought crossed my mind before I led Misao back into the Aoiya: Rest in peace my friends.
The End
