Epilogue
The rain poured down as Sei stood at the lone grave inside the small temple. Her eyes were red from crying and her hands shook as she knelt down, too weary to stand. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she nearly jumped.
"Kamiya?"
"Saitou-san.." She whispered.
He smiled slightly at her. "Okita-kun told me to watch over you. I intend to make good on that promise that I made to him."
"I am a soldier, Saitou-san. I can take care of myself."
"You are a young girl posing as a soldier," Saitou responded lowly. He chuckled at her shocked face. "Don't worry. I've known, and I still won't tell. I've made arrangements for you to go elsewhere until the war is over, at least, and then we'll see from there."
"I will not leave the Mibiro."
"Yes you will, Kamiya, or whatever your name is. You will do as I say."
Fresh tears came to her eyes, but she fought them back. "I will fight. I refuse to step aside!"
"I'm sorry, though Okita told me to take care of you, and this is the best way. Things don't look good for us. You heard that Hajikata died?"
"I hadn't."
"Well, he was shot to death out on the battlefield."
"You're in charge now, aren't you, Saitou-san?"
"Yes." He handed her a piece of paper with an address scribbled onto it. "It's here in Edo. You've met Tokio, haven't you?" Sei nodded. "She begged me to have you go to her and live with her."
"Why?"
"Heaven knows. Just do it." He paused. "You'll be close to his grave if you stay in Edo."
She nodded. "All right."
*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~~*~**~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sei knocked lightly on the door and took a deep breath. She had met Takagi Tokio a while back and remember her to be a very charming woman. Very intelligent.
The door opened and a woman not much older than she stood before her. "Kamiya-san?"
"Hai." Sei bowed.
The woman smiled pleasantly. "We met once before. I am Takagi Tokio."
"Yes. I remember you. Saitou-san said to come here and that you wished for me to stay."
"Yes! Come in!" Tokio led Sei into the house and into a room with mats set out and tea being prepared. She poured it into a cup and offered it to the young samurai, who took it gratefully. "Hajime-san told me after Okita-san went into the hospital of your story. Apparently he had gone to see Okita- san right before you did and he had told all of the events. After Hajime- san finished his story I told him that he should bring you here instead of trying to protect you on the battlefield. It would be dangerous for the both of you."
"With no disrespect, Takagi-san, but I do know how to protect myself."
Tokio smiled slightly. "I am not in the least surprised that you do know how, but Hajime would have kept too close of an eye on you and put himself at risk. He promised Okita-san that he would protect you." She paused and sipped her tea. "Hajime said he would marry me when he returned from the war. I look forward to it. To some sort of companionship, ne. Though I long for someone like me as well. Will you stay here with me, Kamiya-san?"
Sei smiled. "Of course, Takagi-san." She bowed deeply. "Atashi wa Tominaga Sei. Please call me Sei."
Tokio smiled. "Then you are to call me 'Tokio,' ne?"
Sei nodded and looked out the window. She would miss him, there was no doubt, but she would move on. For him, she would move on and live.
A/N: And that's it. That is my STILL untitled Okita story ^^ I hope you liked it! I'm actually thinking of doing a sequel ( I never do just one story. I always have to do at least two it seems.) and it will be VERY AU for reality (but who needs reality, right? ^^) and semi-AU for this story, but it will still refer back to this story. Confused? Me too.. @_@ lol. I stay that way. Domo Arigatou!
The rain poured down as Sei stood at the lone grave inside the small temple. Her eyes were red from crying and her hands shook as she knelt down, too weary to stand. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she nearly jumped.
"Kamiya?"
"Saitou-san.." She whispered.
He smiled slightly at her. "Okita-kun told me to watch over you. I intend to make good on that promise that I made to him."
"I am a soldier, Saitou-san. I can take care of myself."
"You are a young girl posing as a soldier," Saitou responded lowly. He chuckled at her shocked face. "Don't worry. I've known, and I still won't tell. I've made arrangements for you to go elsewhere until the war is over, at least, and then we'll see from there."
"I will not leave the Mibiro."
"Yes you will, Kamiya, or whatever your name is. You will do as I say."
Fresh tears came to her eyes, but she fought them back. "I will fight. I refuse to step aside!"
"I'm sorry, though Okita told me to take care of you, and this is the best way. Things don't look good for us. You heard that Hajikata died?"
"I hadn't."
"Well, he was shot to death out on the battlefield."
"You're in charge now, aren't you, Saitou-san?"
"Yes." He handed her a piece of paper with an address scribbled onto it. "It's here in Edo. You've met Tokio, haven't you?" Sei nodded. "She begged me to have you go to her and live with her."
"Why?"
"Heaven knows. Just do it." He paused. "You'll be close to his grave if you stay in Edo."
She nodded. "All right."
*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~~*~**~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sei knocked lightly on the door and took a deep breath. She had met Takagi Tokio a while back and remember her to be a very charming woman. Very intelligent.
The door opened and a woman not much older than she stood before her. "Kamiya-san?"
"Hai." Sei bowed.
The woman smiled pleasantly. "We met once before. I am Takagi Tokio."
"Yes. I remember you. Saitou-san said to come here and that you wished for me to stay."
"Yes! Come in!" Tokio led Sei into the house and into a room with mats set out and tea being prepared. She poured it into a cup and offered it to the young samurai, who took it gratefully. "Hajime-san told me after Okita-san went into the hospital of your story. Apparently he had gone to see Okita- san right before you did and he had told all of the events. After Hajime- san finished his story I told him that he should bring you here instead of trying to protect you on the battlefield. It would be dangerous for the both of you."
"With no disrespect, Takagi-san, but I do know how to protect myself."
Tokio smiled slightly. "I am not in the least surprised that you do know how, but Hajime would have kept too close of an eye on you and put himself at risk. He promised Okita-san that he would protect you." She paused and sipped her tea. "Hajime said he would marry me when he returned from the war. I look forward to it. To some sort of companionship, ne. Though I long for someone like me as well. Will you stay here with me, Kamiya-san?"
Sei smiled. "Of course, Takagi-san." She bowed deeply. "Atashi wa Tominaga Sei. Please call me Sei."
Tokio smiled. "Then you are to call me 'Tokio,' ne?"
Sei nodded and looked out the window. She would miss him, there was no doubt, but she would move on. For him, she would move on and live.
A/N: And that's it. That is my STILL untitled Okita story ^^ I hope you liked it! I'm actually thinking of doing a sequel ( I never do just one story. I always have to do at least two it seems.) and it will be VERY AU for reality (but who needs reality, right? ^^) and semi-AU for this story, but it will still refer back to this story. Confused? Me too.. @_@ lol. I stay that way. Domo Arigatou!