Standard Disclaimer: I shouldn't have to repeat myself…
Chapter Nine, Part One:
Sorrow Returns:
Death of Hageshisa Ken!
"Why?" Was all he managed to say. She fell to the ground and landed on her side.
"I… love you… Haku…" said she. Haku took several steps backward. He raised his sword high in the air and then brought it down with force and speed. He stabbed himself through the heart and landed in a bloody mess.
Kenshin went over to Satsu and saw a smile on her face. She breathing heavily and small, slow trickles of blood flowed out the corners of her mouth. She pointed over towards Haku's sword as if saying that she would like to hold it. Kenshin went over and pulled the sword out of Haku. He was about to wipe off the blood but Satsu made a noise that sounded like no.
Sanosuke ran to the scene and saw Kenshin sit down next to his friend. Sanosuke then noticed Kaoru lying on the ground with her hands and legs bound. He decided to help out Kaoru instead of disturbing Kenshin.
Kenshin handed Satsu the sword hilt and watched as she shakily grabbed it and held it to her chest.
"K…Kenshin…" said she as she slowly moved her head towards him. His eyes were purple again as he felt ears swell up in his eyes. "I…I'm sorry…"
"Sorry? Sorry for what?" Kenshin asked lightly touching her forehead. He moved some stray bangs away and wished that this didn't happen.
"For going…against you… I shouldn't have done that…" said Satsu with a small smile.
"It's my fault for leaving you! I should've told you what I was going to do!" Kenshin said as stray tears fell. Satsu lifted her hand and used a weak, slender finger to wipe away a tear.
"Come on now, the Battousai doesn't cry, now does he?" She said weakly.
"No, but… but I beat him! The Battousai is dead and he will never return!" Kenshin said grabbing her hand and grasping it tightly.
"Good… I'm glad… now I don't want you crying over me… you got that?" She said while moving her other hand on top of Kenshin's hands.
"Don't die, Satsu, please don't…" Kenshin said as some more tears fell.
"Don't worry about me… I lived a wonderful life… I got a husband, I had a child, and I got to have you as a friend… see? It was great… right?" Satsu's breathing began to slow. Kaoru came over to Kenshin and rested her hand on his shoulder.
"Satsu, I… I…" Kenshin could hardly talk now. Satsu's grip tightened on his hands. She nodded her head at his sword. He picked it up and handed that to her as well. She let him go and grasped his sword blade. She cut a line across her previous scar and dropped his sword. She then grabbed her sword from its sheath the same way. She lifted her arm with all the strength left within her and did the same with his previous scar.
And like tears of blood, blood from Kenshin's new scar dripped onto her face as his tears did. She took her left hand and let it rest gently upon his left cheek and smiled at him. He then noticed something he never saw before. Tears were falling slowly out of her eyes as well. For the first time, Kenshin saw Satsu crying. Never had he ever seen or thought that such a thing could ever happen.
"Will you… do me… two favors, Kenshin?" She asked as she struggled for breath. Her son ran up and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his father dead and his mother dieing. Kenshin nodded as Shinta walked over and sat on the other side of his mother.
"Mother…" Shinta whispered.
"I want you to… burry my husband and I… together… and… and… I want you to take care of my son…" said Satsu. She turned her head towards Shinta. "Respect him as your father… love him as your father… and don't forget me…"
Shinta nodded as a single tear ran down his face and landed on her bloody scar.
"I will do that, that I will Satsu…" said Kenshin tightly grabbing her hand on his face.
"Thank you…" she said and looked up to the sky. Her breathing began to slow down and she began to shake. "I love you, Shinta… I love you, Kenshin…" said she. She took her hands and grasped her husband's sword hilt and held it upon her chest. Her eyes closed and her breathing stopped.
Kenshin looked across towards Shinta. His head was down and tears fell to the ground. His hands were formed into fists as his knuckles whitened. Shinta put his hands on the ground and lifted his head.
"MOTHER!" He shouted into the sky. He began crying harder and managed to speak again. "Father…" he tried to shout but his voice was cracked and low. Shinta crawled over to Kenshin and sat next to him. Kenshin turned towards Shinta and allowed Shinta to hug him. He wrapped his arms around Kenshin's neck and cried as a child would. Kenshin rested his head upon Shinta's shoulder and cried silent tears. Kaoru went behind Shinta and wrapped her arms around both Shinta and Kenshin. Sanosuke stood silently as Misao, Aoshi, Yahiko and Megumi ran to the scene.
Kenshin then let go of Shinta and stood up. Kaoru gave Shinta a hug and helped him stand. Yahiko walked over to Shinta and noticed that the two were the same age and looked almost the same except for their eyes and face.
"You guys go ahead back to the dojo… I'm going to do something…" said Kenshin. They all turned slightly and looked at him. His eyes were closed as if he were trying not to cry any more than he all ready has. Reluctantly, they turned completely and left.
Part Two:
Sorrow Ends:
Turn Tears of Pain to Tears of Joy
Kenshin returned to the dojo that night and walked in. Everyone was asleep, or so he thought. Went to a wall and sat down against it. He couldn't believe what had happened. But the war was over. Just after Kenshin was making a grave for Satsu and Haku, some members of the Shitogoru Hayamashiho showed up and wondered what was going on. Kenshin told them that Haku committed suicide because he accidentally stabbed his wife. That was enough explanation for them. Some left to tell the warriors that it was over, some stayed and helped Kenshin with the bodies and graves.
"Kenshin," said a voice from the doorway. He looked over and saw Kaoru standing there with a candle. She walked in and set the candle down on the floor near where she sat. "I'm sorry about what happened." Kaoru said sitting in front of him.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," said Kenshin thinking back to her seeing the Battousai. Kaoru looked at him softly and then remembered the real reason she was there.
"I have something to tell you," said Kaoru with her head facing the wooden floor.
"Yes?" Kenshin asked looking over at her. Kaoru lifted her head and slowly moved towards him. This time, no one interrupted. They, for the first time, kissed. Kenshin put his hands behind Kaoru's head as Kaoru put her arms around his neck. They kissed for a short while. Kaoru pulled away slightly.
"I love you," said she. Kenshin nodded and they went back to kissing. Sanosuke, Yahiko, Megumi, Ayame, Suzume, Misao and Aoshi all were hidden enough so they could see. Even Saitou and his wife's ghost were there to see this memorable time.
"I love you too Miss Kaoru, that I do," said Kenshin. They pulled away for a few moments.
"From now on, it's just Kaoru, got that?" She asked as they slowly went back to kissing.
~
(Epilogue type thing)
Kenshin and Kaoru get married and have a son named Kenji. Shinta and Yahiko grow up to be best friends and Sanosuke finally gets the guts to ask Megumi to marry him. She accepts and the two live happily. Yahiko and Tsubame are a couple and are practically inseparable. Japan was able to recover from its previous war. Though the revolt was only for a few days, it caused mass destruction and the cost of many lives of men, women, and children.
Misao and Aoshi soon get married and have a child also. Surprising enough, Aoshi actually is a good father and nice husband.
Though Kenshin is still haunted by his friend's death, he manages to live happily knowing that the Battousai is gone and that he can be with his friend even when she isn't alive. He visits her and her husband's grave everyday and prays that someday they will meet again.
In the end, everybody lives a happy life and even though many people lost their loved ones, they will always remember the wonderful times that they had. And though it's hard to face the facts of reality, they can still live a peaceful life, as their loved ones would have wanted.
And so heaven shines down upon the people as they go on with life but never forget the times shared together.
AN: Okay, so the ending's kind of sappy, give me a break! It's better than crying your eyeballs out isn't it?
