*III*
*MEGUMI*
She clutched the now open dagger firmly in her right hand as the petals swayed around it. The glow of the crimson sun reflected in the blade, making it seem like her blood had already coated it. Reflected too, were her eyes. They were wide, almost as if not believing what she was doing. But she kept the dagger gripped tightly and moved it closer to her throat. The single speck of Kenshin's blood that sat at its tip would soon be coated with hers. So soon, but not soon enough.
Suddenly a hand clasped around her right wrist tightly, pulling the dagger away from her throat. In shock, her hand jerked open and the blade flew out, landing neatly near her husband's side, the cherry blossoms surrounding it. "Shinta?" she called, frantically, believing it was his ghost that had stopped her. She felt a hard slap on her face and she turned around, abruptly.
"Me…Megumi?" she asked, her eyes wide.
The doctor stared at her in shock, her eyes moving from Kaoru to the dagger, before resting on Kenshin's body, his head still placed neatly upon her lap. "What the hell do you think you're doing??" Megumi cried.
Kaoru looked down at the grass, trying to keep her eyes away from her husband's body. "He…he died. And I just can't go on-"
"Kaoru!" Megumi cried again, gripping her friend's shoulders tightly, "Kaoru, please, I know this is hard to bear, but it was expected. I told you this day would come. You have to be strong." She shook Kaoru's shoulders, hoping the common sense would settle.
Kaoru kept her eyes on the ground. "You don't understand…"
"What do you mean I don't understand? Kenshin always encouraged people to live! It's how he atoned! It's who he is, the man obsessed with living! It was this that saved my life! Don't you remember? He was the one that stopped me. Now, I'm stopping you." Megumi was now starting to cry as she shook her friend with every other word as her memories came flashing back.
"That was different, Megumi."
Megumi was silent. "Different? How?"
Kaoru reached for the dagger, but Megumi allowed it, curious to see what she had in mind. She ran her hand over the blade, and kept her eyes low, her black bangs covering them. "This was Tomoe's. He gave it to me."
Megumi stared at the blade in wonder, almost as if seeing the whole ordeal reenacted again in the silver of the dagger.
Kaoru continued, "He didn't give you one, did he?"
Megumi shook her head, "No, but that just means he cared for you as a wife, and myself as a friend. But I have already known this. I see no problem with this. So what difference does it make?"
Kaoru looked up, placing the dagger back on the ground, but still below her fingertips. " When he said he would protect me, as he gave me this dagger, he was asking something as well."
"Asking…?"
"Asking for me to protect him. Like Tomoe protected him from killing himself. To be his sheath. But I failed."
"Kaoru, listen to me! This was a natural death! There was no way to stop it! He strained his body so much that the disease took over and it was inevitable!"
"But if I had only stopped him from going to the war…or stopped him from Enishi…or…or did something- stopping him, then…then he could have lived for another day."
Megumi sighed and stared at her friend who was gazing at the dead body, still lying peacefully on Kaoru's lap as the cherry blossoms began to coat it. "Kaoru…" She took her friend's hand away from the dagger and placed it between her own. "It is not your fault. You have to live. Kenshin would have wanted you too. Like I want you too. I know you're getting weaker, but you must live your final days and be happy. Kenshin would want you to live."
Kaoru's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "He is not Kenshin. He is not Battousai. He is Shinta. My Shinta. And my Shinta waits for me."
"Kaoru-"
" It doesn't matter what you say, Megumi. He is waiting."
Megumi sighed again and brought her eyes to her friend's. They were serious and dark. No tears remained. She wasn't kidding. Megumi was fighting a losing battle. "Kaoru, it is your life, and it is true, I have no say in it. I am leaving the choice to you, but just heed my advice."
"Just because you are a doctor doesn't mean you know everything."
"But because I am a doctor, I can try." With that, Megumi stood up, releasing her friend's hands and walking slowly away.
Part of her expected to Kaoru to come running up to her, saying she was right and that it was silly of her. That she should live out her final days. The other part expected the worse. But it was up to Kaoru. And she could say nothing. She paused for a moment about 10 feet away, almost as if allowing Kaoru time to catch up. But she never came. Megumi wiped away a tear and kept walking, not bearing to see the consequences.
*
a/n: That's all for chapter 3 and thanks for reading it again ^^. I'm just assuming Megumi knows about Tomoe…so lets stick with that ^^. Crystal Renee, glad you like the story and the imagery and all ^^ Yep, the red to blood connection works great in stories, least I think…anyhow, glad you like, and the next chapter probably has some of the best imagery, even though it's the shortest…Hope peoples keep reading and reviewing ^^ Thx! Will be updated again tomorrow at around 5pm-ish for school reasons….