The vewwy last chapter. ^.^ sad tho, I need to think up a new plot to spend
my time on.
-chapter 7-
Under the shade of the trees, three simple gravestones stood there. One was square and had sharp edges. Five feet away and to the right, there stood a stone that was a rounded rectangular shape. Then, five feet to the right again, there stood a smooth, rounded stone.
An old woman quietly walked to the stone on the far left. Her frail, arthritic hands grasped a small basket. Her hair was a soft gray tinged with a few strands of black that it used to be. She had gently wrinkled skin. Her eyes were a sapphire color that reflected content.
She sat down next to the sharp edge, wincing from the pain it gave her back. Her hands lovingly traced the words engraved upon the face. "Sanosuke Sagara," she whispered. "Kenji is doing very well," she murmured softly. "He is the famous master of Kamiya Kasshin. Oh, and he is getting married to Hikaru Himura next week. If only you were here a little longer to see this day."
She got out a small bottle of sake. "I know you love this drink, Sano. You always have. Oh, I knew you gave it up after we had Kaori. She misses you too, by the way. I have to leave. Kenji is relocating to Kyoto, and I am going with him. So, for the last time, here's a drink."
The liquid poured silently into the damp earth. She smiled. "I'll miss you a lot, Sano."
She stood up and walked to the next stone. "Konichiwa, Megumi." Her eyes crinkled in an amused way when she saw the chalk drawing of a fox scrawled next to the name. "I see that Shinta has a sense of humor." She carefully raised herself. "I'll take care of Hikaru and Shinta for you, Megumi."
Slowly, carefully, she stumbled over to the last stone. She got down on her knees and gently caressed the stone. Her hands stroked the name on the stone lovingly. "Kenshin Himura," she murmured.
She could still remember that day two years ago when he took his last breath.
-flashback! =)-
"Kaoru, please come over."
Kaoru quickly jolted out of her exhausted slumber next to the door. She had been tending to Kenshin for a week without sleep, since Megumi had already left to the spirit world. She gathered her graying hair into a low ponytail and softly stepped into the room.
On the bed lay a small, frail man. His silver tinged red hair lay askew upon the pillow, wet from feverish perspiration. His cheeks were flushed red, and his eyes were tired with bags underneath. "Kaoru," he gasped, his throat scratchy. He coughed a little, and Kaoru tilted a bit of water past his cracked lips.
Kenshin tried again. "Kaoru. I . think I am coming to my end."
"No, Kenshin, no ." Kaoru grasped his hand tenderly. So hot, his hands were, so hot .
Kenshin smiled a little. "I know I am, Kaoru. I feel it. Every minute, I feel weaker. I can no longer find the energy to move my legs at all."
Tears slid down Kaoru's slightly wrinkled skin. "Kenshin, you'll get better. You'll gain your health and then ." She stopped, patting Kenshin's back softly to help his hacking cough.
"Kaoru, I cannot defy life. A man has to come to his end. I am 63 now, and is considered a very old man. I have lived a happy life, and it is my time to go."
Kaoru could only kneel in shocked silence, tears streaming down her face.
"Perchance, one day, we shall meet again. That we definitely will."
"Oh Kenshin ." Kaoru held his hand to her cheek, tenderly caressing it.
"I'll wait for you. In this life, we are not meant to be, but in the next life, maybe we will."
"Kenshin ."
His lips turned into a small smile. "Sayonara, Kaoru. I shall never forget you. May we meet again sometime . sometime ." And with that, he shut his eyes.
Kaoru felt his hand become limp. She felt for his pulse. Nothing.
Kenshin Himura, the legendary Hitokiri Battousai, had died.
-back to real time-
"I am not ready yet, Kenshin." She said, resting her head against the smooth granite. "I am only 55, and want to see my grandchildren before I go."
From her hair, she untied her old blue ribbon. "I am leaving soon, so I might never see you before I go on to the other world. Here is something to remember me by." She slowly tied the ribbon to a flower next to the stone.
Softly, she kissed the stone. "Wait for me, Kenshin. I shall be there soon, when I am ready."
A tall, raven-haired man walked up the path. "Mother, it is dinnertime!"
She stood up and patted the stone one last time. "Till we meet again, Kenshin."
With that, she walked off in the setting sun, her son by her side.
-chapter 7-
Under the shade of the trees, three simple gravestones stood there. One was square and had sharp edges. Five feet away and to the right, there stood a stone that was a rounded rectangular shape. Then, five feet to the right again, there stood a smooth, rounded stone.
An old woman quietly walked to the stone on the far left. Her frail, arthritic hands grasped a small basket. Her hair was a soft gray tinged with a few strands of black that it used to be. She had gently wrinkled skin. Her eyes were a sapphire color that reflected content.
She sat down next to the sharp edge, wincing from the pain it gave her back. Her hands lovingly traced the words engraved upon the face. "Sanosuke Sagara," she whispered. "Kenji is doing very well," she murmured softly. "He is the famous master of Kamiya Kasshin. Oh, and he is getting married to Hikaru Himura next week. If only you were here a little longer to see this day."
She got out a small bottle of sake. "I know you love this drink, Sano. You always have. Oh, I knew you gave it up after we had Kaori. She misses you too, by the way. I have to leave. Kenji is relocating to Kyoto, and I am going with him. So, for the last time, here's a drink."
The liquid poured silently into the damp earth. She smiled. "I'll miss you a lot, Sano."
She stood up and walked to the next stone. "Konichiwa, Megumi." Her eyes crinkled in an amused way when she saw the chalk drawing of a fox scrawled next to the name. "I see that Shinta has a sense of humor." She carefully raised herself. "I'll take care of Hikaru and Shinta for you, Megumi."
Slowly, carefully, she stumbled over to the last stone. She got down on her knees and gently caressed the stone. Her hands stroked the name on the stone lovingly. "Kenshin Himura," she murmured.
She could still remember that day two years ago when he took his last breath.
-flashback! =)-
"Kaoru, please come over."
Kaoru quickly jolted out of her exhausted slumber next to the door. She had been tending to Kenshin for a week without sleep, since Megumi had already left to the spirit world. She gathered her graying hair into a low ponytail and softly stepped into the room.
On the bed lay a small, frail man. His silver tinged red hair lay askew upon the pillow, wet from feverish perspiration. His cheeks were flushed red, and his eyes were tired with bags underneath. "Kaoru," he gasped, his throat scratchy. He coughed a little, and Kaoru tilted a bit of water past his cracked lips.
Kenshin tried again. "Kaoru. I . think I am coming to my end."
"No, Kenshin, no ." Kaoru grasped his hand tenderly. So hot, his hands were, so hot .
Kenshin smiled a little. "I know I am, Kaoru. I feel it. Every minute, I feel weaker. I can no longer find the energy to move my legs at all."
Tears slid down Kaoru's slightly wrinkled skin. "Kenshin, you'll get better. You'll gain your health and then ." She stopped, patting Kenshin's back softly to help his hacking cough.
"Kaoru, I cannot defy life. A man has to come to his end. I am 63 now, and is considered a very old man. I have lived a happy life, and it is my time to go."
Kaoru could only kneel in shocked silence, tears streaming down her face.
"Perchance, one day, we shall meet again. That we definitely will."
"Oh Kenshin ." Kaoru held his hand to her cheek, tenderly caressing it.
"I'll wait for you. In this life, we are not meant to be, but in the next life, maybe we will."
"Kenshin ."
His lips turned into a small smile. "Sayonara, Kaoru. I shall never forget you. May we meet again sometime . sometime ." And with that, he shut his eyes.
Kaoru felt his hand become limp. She felt for his pulse. Nothing.
Kenshin Himura, the legendary Hitokiri Battousai, had died.
-back to real time-
"I am not ready yet, Kenshin." She said, resting her head against the smooth granite. "I am only 55, and want to see my grandchildren before I go."
From her hair, she untied her old blue ribbon. "I am leaving soon, so I might never see you before I go on to the other world. Here is something to remember me by." She slowly tied the ribbon to a flower next to the stone.
Softly, she kissed the stone. "Wait for me, Kenshin. I shall be there soon, when I am ready."
A tall, raven-haired man walked up the path. "Mother, it is dinnertime!"
She stood up and patted the stone one last time. "Till we meet again, Kenshin."
With that, she walked off in the setting sun, her son by her side.