A/N: Hello to you dear reader! Approaching chapter 6 really means a lot to me. Thank you for putting up with my not so good writing all this time!
Shoutout to Putxi, thankfully you found the last chapter funny! I have been mixing the fic with humor, not that successfully though since it is very difficult to duplicate Gintama's amazing humor. Still, thank you for appreciating the attempt you guys.
Before reading this chapter, there is something I have to clarify to you guys. I know this this fanfic has been following the manga all this time, but at this point, I am going to have to create my own plot. If you are following the manga, then you should know that the final arc is not yet finish and still far from it. So I am going to have skip to an ending I had created myself. To Sorachi-sensei and to all of you, I am so sorry for getting ahead of myself and creating something like this! Let's get on with the story so you guys get the whole idea.
CHAPTER 6
Goodbye
Kagura proceeded to the port where her brother waited for her. Or else, what remained of it. The war left the place as barren as it was before industrialization was introduced to Edo. She didn't know how the place and the people would ever survive after the war. There was no food, no water, no electricity, and no help from anywhere to come.
They survived the war. Most of them. Everything that happened was still a blur on her head. All she ever made out was how she fought for her life, for her family, and for everything else she held dear on the blue planet.
Kamui came along with the Yatos that supported him. The one-eyed Takasugi came too. They helped kill that space void Utsuro together with Gin-chan and the rest of his old gang. And she was there too and fought alongside together with everybody.
And Papi, he came too. He brought what he had promised to bring. He brought what ended Utsuro. He came to save the planet with the rough price of his own life.
Yes, her Papi was dead. Her bald idiot father decided to die whilst he protected the planet she had called home. He staked his own life to protect what was important for her. And there she was, leaving after her father did everything to save them.
The girl with fiery locks walked silently along with her giant mutt. She didn't want to stay anymore. More like, she couldn't. It was aliens like her who destroyed the whole country and disrupted their peace. It was only fitting that aliens like her left the place after they had ruined it.
F L A S H B A C K
Gin-chan and everybody she knew tried to talk to her out it. Shinpachi threw a fit when she told everybody she was leaving. Anego cried and said that Earth was her home. And that she had a place in everybody's heart. They all begged for her to stay.
She gave them a small smile as she thanked them for all the memories and kindness that they gave her. She will never forget every single one of them. But she wanted to give her father a proper burial. She said she wanted it to be beside her mother back in their home planet. She promised them she'll comeback. She might not know when but she knew she will. She joked about wanting to go on an adventure for a while or try to be an alien hunter like... Like her Papi.
Everybody fell silent when she mentioned her father. War was definitely meant nothing, win or lose. All it brought was chaos, damage, and loss. And sorrow, great sorrow. She thought she couldn't be any more sad after her mother left them. But when she heard the news that his father had been killed by Utsuro, her whole world stopped. She couldn't make out anything. Not even the sound of her own screams as she fought Gintoki and her own comrades when her Yato instincts usurped her and she tried to kill anything that moved within her peripheral, enemies and comrades alike. She couldn't remember what stopped her, only to wake up in a futon and asked for forgiveness from everybody.
She excused herself curtly among the crowd of people who had gathered there for her. There was no changing her mind.
"Kagura."
It was Gin-chan who spoke.
"Are you really going?"
She slowly turned to face her foster father.
"Gin-chan.."
Her eyes rested on the left arm of the silver-haired samurai that wasn't there. Her face subtly grimaced. She didn't want to show him pity or hurt but she did not do well in hiding her emotions in front of the man. His face didn't suggest anything and he clutched his wooden sword which hung on his waist.
"I can understand if this is your decision Kagura. I know that this isn't easy for you. But I hope you would remember that you will always have another father figure right here in earth."
Shinpachi also cut in the scene. He adjusted his glasses, he slightly bowed his head in shame after his earlier outburst.
"Kagura-chan. This is also about your brother is it? Maybe you just couldn't leave him alone after all."
The younger girl turned around at him. Her emotions almost bursted out of her, she let out a small sob and bit back a tear.
"Shinpachi..."
They all huddled in closer. With a sad smile across Gintoki's face, he ushered his foster family to a warm hug. These children surely made their own way into his heart.
As much as possible, he didn't want to have them fight in a war. He didn't want them to learn how it destroyed everything. But these children were different. They were much stronger than he ever was. The war wasn't able to destroy them. If it was anything, it made them grow.
The Yorozuya family huddled in together into a warm hug. Gintoki had a contented smile on his face. On his right side, Shinpachi wiped snot and tears away which was very unmanly of him. Kagura was on his left. She was small and she trembled as she cried in his unpresent arm silently. It broke his heart more than he let on. But she was Kagura, and she would be strong enough to stand up on her own after all of this.
"Geez, what are you guys crying for? Listen you guys, I think it is about time you chose your own career path. You are old enough and you guys have a whole life ahead of you. Just imagine it as me sending you to the bigger city's university to study. You don't have to cry, Gin-chan will always be here for you."
Shinpachi was the first to let go of their foster father. He wiped the remaining tears behind his glasses and made himself presentable enough again.
"Gin-san is right, Kagura-chan. And you have another older brother right here. I will always support you in the things you want to pursue Kagura-chan."
Both men gazed lovingly towards the younger girl. She slowly broke free of her rib-crushing hug. Her eyes were swollen, sweat, tears and snot unintelligibly mixed around her face. Gintoki's face snarled in disgust as he saw his hakama covered in excessive juices from the Yato but brushed it of his face as swiftly as it formed.
Her lips was still upturned as she tried to stop her tears from falling.
"They are right, Kagura-chan. You've got a older sister here for you always."
Otae showed up uninvited and flashed her usual smile. Tsukuyo was beside her too along with Sa-chan.
"Me too, Kagura-chan."
"Anego, Tsukky... "
"Right, and I'll be your mommy once me and Gin-san are married little girl. And you better watch out, this stepmother won't go easy on you."
Sarutobi crossed her arms and adjusted her glasses to glare at the girl. She attempted to appear as the evil stepmother with a cloud of dark aura emitting behind her.
"What the fuck are you appearing for if you're just going to change the atmosphere you masochistic pig?! Make yourself scarce! You're not helping!"
Gintoki roared at the voilet haired ninja stalker.
"Gin-san, I'll be your left hand! I'll be the one to feed you and I'll even wipe your ass for you if you'd like!"
Gintoki ran off to beat up his stalker.
"This old woman could also be of help, Kagura. If you get tired of this worthless silver-permed samurai, you can always come to this grandmother and we can rant together about his uselessness. And there is always rice in the rice cooker to dine with."
Otose also appeared in the scene with Catherine beside her. The two of them gave off a dark and aged atmosphere where in the 5-meter radius they stood upon turned black and white. They seemed to make everything around them turned dry and dreary. They felt lacking with out the beautiful Tama to at least adorn the surroundings with her youth and good manners.
"You don't have to say anything Catherine. I don't need your hideous presence in my life."
Kagura choked as she pulled herself together. It was not like a refined lady like her to be seen crying in front of everybody.
"What did you say bitch? I actually brought your luggage for you to bring with. Good riddance, I can now easily become the beautiful heroine in this story."
"In your fucking dreams, ugly. Who would want to watch an anime with a grotesque character like you as a heroine?"
And a fight broke out as usual. Kondo appeared behind Otae and she stabbed him right immediately with a iron debris lying on the ground with a record breaking speed. Gintoki managed to shake off Sa-chan with a kick in her ass when she crouched on the ground. She was sent flying with a contented shout of glee. Kagura also kicked Catherine flat on the face which made her appearance more unsightly.
Katsura entranced tardily with Elizabeth. He crossed his arms and laughed at the sight before him. He probably didn't know what the situation was all about before he invited himself in as he was nodding in agreement.
Kagura turned and scanned the surroundings. The whole area was a mess, and so were the brains of all the people she knew. But it was good to know that nothing changed, or will ever change even after everything they went through. She was so sure her father up in heaven would laugh boisterously over them at the moment. He wasn't wrong to lay his life for all these people as stupid as they seemed. They all made her happy, and she was sure his father was too up in heaven. Probably busy as he chased after his mother while he begged for forgiveness after how he lived is life and neglected their children after she died.
And then she laughed. She laughed so hard that everybody around her turned their attention to her. She probably looked like the maddest person among them right now. But she didn't care. She was sad that she lost her father, but she's got everyone else who would always be there for her. Gintoki, Shinpachi, Anego, Tsukky, Sadaharu, Soyo-chan, Kyuubei, Nobume, Otose, Zura, Gorilla, Mayora, and the Sadist..
Her thoughts trailed off. The sadist wasn't around. Gin-chan told her he was last seen together with her father Umibozu and then he came back heavily wounded. What could have happened?
Her laughed trailed off and Gintoki was the first who noticed.
"Kagura.."
He caught her attention.
"Kagura, when you're in space, could you send me a prosthetic arm just like one of your father had? You're going to be an alien hunter right? I guess you would be able to afford one. You love Gin-chan so much and you wouldn't be able to stomach it knowing that I'm having a hard time having only one arm right? I wouldn't be able to go on doing jobs like before."
There was a goofy grin on Gintoki's face as he scratched his unruly perm. To his advantage, he tried to look helpless and stupid to persuade the girl to do his bidding.
"So, Gin-chan. That's the only reason why you're agreeing to this right? You think I'll be sending money your way once I start working? No. Way. In. Hell. Gin-chan, I'm sorry."
She shrugged him off immediately. Shinpachi faced Gintoki with disappointment all over his face.
"What are you talking about Gin-san?! You never even paid us! You think you can live off of us when we started earning for ourselves?! No way! From now on I'll also be quitting Yorozuya and find a job of my own! Shame on you Gin-san!"
Gintoki was heart broken. He thought he could get away with it if he used his disability to garner their hearts.
"That is so cruel you children! I didn't raise you to become heartless grown ups! You know, children are supposed to support their parents after they have retired from their work. What do you think you can go on and do away with your lives after I fed and raised you? To hell with that! Do you know how much I sacrificed for you guys?! Sakamoto won't even let me have one of his prosthetics saying I owe him too much! To where have the value of friendship and family gone?"
"Shut it Gin-chan! Do you even hear yourself? Retirement? You are still good enough to work! Don't even use that handicap to excuse yourself! And didn't you say to think of it as sending us of to study in a big university? Parents are still supposed to pay for their children's tuition during college! Don't you dare slack off you old man!"
Kagura exasperatedly reasoned with the disabled samurai. He had an amputated arm, a limp being, and a rotten brain. What would be left of Gin-chan after she left?
E N D OF F L A S H B A C K
She turned to look back at the city she once had lived. One day when the city welcomed amantos like her, one day when she could walk together with these humans and feel like she's one of them, one day when she won't become an alien when she walks this planet, when that day finally happens, then she would be the first one to comeback.
That's it for this chapter! This was the hardest chapter to write, it took a lot of time and inspiration to come by. But the length is satisfying, I didn't think this chapter would sum up to 2k words.
I'm sorry (not sorry) for killing of Umibozu like that. I even amputated Gintoki's arm. But wars will always have casualties. Perhaps my point of view has been altered, being a Game of Thrones fan lol. I don't know how you guys would feel after that. So please leave a review!
All of us must have speculations on how it might end. And this one is mine, OkiKagu centric. All I can do is promise you an OkiKagu interaction in the next chapter to compensate. I'll try to make it longer than this one. If you're curious then please continue to follow the story! Thank you for your time, good day to you.
