A/N: I am so sorry for making all of you wait, 3 more chapters to go before the ending of this story! Oh my Gosh, I want to thank you all for supporting me from the first to last 4 chapters of this story! I don't know how to thank you all! You guys are awesome! Thank you so much!
Disclaimer: Gintama was entirely not mine, All rights reserved for Sir Hideaki Sorachi *salute!*
A Different Beat
Chapter 9 – The price to pay
*Kagura's P.O.V*
I woke up seeing nothing but a complete shade of white tainted walls, I feel like I'm in a void with nothing but a complete emptiness.
I stood up and try to roam my eyes around this 'place'; The only thing I can hear is my own footsteps echoing every time I took a single step, I try to call someone but my voice won't just come out,
I feel so empty, I feel nothing…
This place was so calm that the silence was deafening,
The pure color of white was blinding.
I looked at my hands, I'm shaking.
I'm scared.
-#-
I clenched my fists and continue walking to this never-ending path of insecurities, frustrations and fears.
I gulped, seeing a big door on my front, I looked at it for a minute or two and decided to try opening it, and I'm surprised that it bulged,
Inside this door was a place full of nothing but green grasses and flowers, a sky with its natural components, and a woman standing in the middle of it.
…!
I almost lose my balance when that woman faced my way.
I fell on my knees and tears won't just stop from flowing, when she spoke,
"How have you been, Kagura?"
I wanted to run to her, I wanted to hug her, after so many years, I wanted to embrace her, I want to say I love her, I want to hold her hand, I want to cry into her arms.
"MAMI!"
-#-
*Sougo's P.O.V*
My knees fell onto the ground when the illuminating light disappeared,
"CHINA YOU IDIOT!" I shouted on top of my lungs,
I feel so exhausted seeing her vanishing, my eyes feel irritably painful, I can't help but lay down the ground and clench my fist,
"Sou-chan…"
That made me stop,
"Kagura-chan i-is…"
I can tell that she was about to cry, she who I want to embrace right after she left me, she who I wanted to say 'sorry' to, she whom I vowed to protect but didn't at the end,
"I-I'm so-!"
I lifted my head and rest it unto her shoulders, I slowly lifted my shaking hands and hugged her,
"Aneue…Aneue…"
She hugged me back tightly and cried alongside me,
"I'm back… Sou-chan…"
-#-
"Can we still bring Kagura back?" Aneue asked, my and her eyes went down to the old lady in front of us,
She flinched for a moment but replied back,
"You can't possibly resurrect a dead person."
That made me pause for a while,
"But isn't there any way to reverse the-?"
"Death is inevitable… You should have thought of the consequences first before making me create a potion like that…" she said,
A sweat flowed down from my forehead,
She's right, I should have-!
"We don't have time to blame anybody, Okita-kaichou did his best to help Kagura-chan-!"
"Stop it Kamiyama… She's right." I sighed,
The old lady looked at me and shrugged, she heaved a sigh and turn her head to me,
"If I tell you that there's still a way, would you let me bargain that as my bail?"
Everyone looked at me, I returned her stare,
"I will, if you guarantee to stay until that stupid China girl's soul goes back to her body completely."
She smirked,
"Fine. But let me say that to be able to conduct that I'll need you to get me something."
"What will it be?"
"I will need a Betolinia Sentosa."
"Betolini wha-!?" I repeated,
"Betolinia Sentosa, It is a very rare type of herb located at the peak of Mt. Fuji."
"What does it looked like?"
"It looked like a daisy with a bright lilac sprouts in the middle and it stands out the rest because of its colorful petals."
"Mt. Fuji huh? " I closed my eyes and let out a shaky air out of my mouth, "Then be it…"
"But Kaichou-!"
"I started this problem, that's why I'll do my best to end it,"
"Sou-chan…"
"Yamazaki, Kamiyama, bring that Baa-san on the headquarters now."
"But Kaic-!"
"NOW!"
They flinched but saluted and obeyed my request,
"You should go to the headquarters too Aneue."
"But how about you..?"
"I need to find that herb."
"Just by yourself?"
I stopped walking and replied,
"Aneue, sorry."
"What for?"
"I really wanted to say this word to you ever since the day you've died, when I'm holding your hand back then, there's a part of me that died. If only I have the power to bring you back then I've definitely did that just to prevent myself from losing you."
"Sou-chan…"
"…And that applies right now too."
She was sniffling as I faced her way,
"China was special…"
She walked towards me slowly,
"She fills the emptiness I felt back then; she helped me regain myself when I'm drowning on my feels…"
She smiled and said that China did the same to her too,
"That's why I need to help her; I'll stand alongside her right before she'll lose a life."
She was in trance for a while, but smiled, saying those words that made me stop,
"Was that concern for "friend" relationship only or was it exceeding to a whole new level?"
"What do you mean Aneue?"
She locked me on her arms and patted my back,
"… I wouldn't mind becoming her sister in law…"
My eyes got big when I heard her say that,
"WHAT!?"
"Was I wrong?"
"How could you think of something like that, Aneue! I would never like her in that way!"
"…Your eyes a while ago contradict those words you are saying right now…"
"B-B-But T-That's…"
She let out a faint laugh,
"You may not recognize it right now, but I'll be looking forward for it Sou-chan…"
I scratched my nape and raised an eyebrow,
"Tsk, yeah…right…" I said while imagining China's grotesque face, leaving shivers in my spine,
"That said, I will tag along with you!" Aneue demanded,
"No." I calmly responded,
"Why not?"
"I want you to take care of the old woman Aneue, and one thing is…"
"What?"
"You don't want that?"
"Want what?"
"You'll be able to see Hijikata-san.."
My face deadpanned when I saw her face flushed after I said that, she turned bright red and face the other direction,
"Mou! Sou-chan you teaser!" she mocked, I just shrugged,
"Then, I'll take my leave…"
I was about to go when she hugged me on my back,
"I'm really thankful of Kagura-chan for letting me embrace you like this after a long time that I couldn't…"
I remained silent as I listen to her,
"Whenever I roam around this place when I was an undead and see you healthy and happy every day I really wanted to give you a pat on the back and hug you like this, but I just couldn't…I thought I could never do this to you ever again"
"…."
"That's when Kagura-chan showed up, vowed me a promise and even sacrificed herself just to let me say and do this to you…"
For once China's face lingers on my mind, smiling brightly to me and to be honest my heart throbs a little,
"I want to stay alive Sou-chan…"
I reached on her hands and grips it,
"…But if staying alive is a loss of someone who became a special someone of my beloved brother, I would die peacefully for her and my brother's happiness…"
"Aneue…"
"Being an undead was lonely, but there's nothing as painful as seeing my loved ones grieving…"
"…"
"I want Kagura-chan back, I want to say thank you to her, I want to help her Sou-chan… so please take me with you…"
"No…"
She was stunned; I removed her arms around my waist and smiled at her,
"I would never want to see you getting hurt again Aneue, even for the last time I never want to see you in pain anymore that's why I don't want you to put in danger, This may b selfish but…"
"…"
"I want to save her by myself and settle this sacrifice of hers in a fair deal."
"Sou-chan…"
"I want to bring her back, not because I need to…"
"…"
"I want her back because that's what this mind and heart of mine tells me to…"
-To be continued….