Dear reviewers, thanks so much for your support.  Lately I've been busy with so much school and planning for colleges that I don't have so much spare time on my shoulders, however to not let you all down, I finally was able to update this new chapter.  I hope I didn't make that much grammatical errors, please forgive me if I do.  All suggestion, questions, comments, even flames are accepted in your review.  Thanks and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin series.  I wish I did but I don't.

Outcome

Chapter Five

               It was the day of graduation.  The day that marked all ends of high school and a new beginning of life as an adult.  Everyone swarmed around outside of the high school campus.  Parents congratulated their kids on graduating high school.  They either received a kiss from their parents on their cheeks, or received a small present for their long hard work in school.

               Misao was among this group, however just by looking around, she knew she missed the most important person who deserved this moment as much as she did.  Three weeks ago, Kaoru disappeared without leaving a trace.  No one knew where she traveled to; they never knew when she left her house.  Misao ran to her house that evening when she found about Kaoru leaving.  She wanted to find out why Kaoru was leaving so fast.  She wondered if it had to anything to do with Kenshin.  But then if it did Kaoru would have left earlier.

               Misao walked down the path, when the principle of her school called out her name.  She could feel hundreds of stares staring right at her.  She felt nervous about walking in front of a group of people, but got over it, when the next student's name was called.  Normally Misao thought this day was a saddening day, while other students thought today was the best day.  They were happy about leaving high school and going on forward with their lives.  Misao on the other hand wanted to cry, because this school brought everyone together, whether they realize that or not.

               "Congratulations!" Sanosuke yelled as he ran to Misao and hugged the life out of her.

               "Thanks," replied Misao sadly.  She noticed Sano let her go when he heard the tears in her voice.  She knew the last thing Sano wanted to see her was cry before him.  She saw Sano stepped towards her and gently placed one of his large hands on her shoulder as if to comfort her.

               "I know why you are sad.  But please don't be sad today.  I know wherever Kaoru is, she's thinking about us as much as we're thinking about her."

               "But Sano she deserved this day as much as we did, and she's not here for her own graduation!" yelled Misao.  Tears welled up in her greenish-bluish eyes as she stared as her good friend Sano.   "She just left without giving an explanation to us!  She left and never personally said goodbye!"

               Sano hugged Misao.  He tried to calm her down by whispering nonsense to her.  He tried to make jokes, but as much as he tried to make light out of the situation, the more he heard her sob.

               "Kaoru should have been here!  I don't care if Kenshin loved her or not!  She should have stayed!  She should have stayed with us Sano!"

               Sano gently let go of Misao from his embrace.  "You know Misao; the graduation isn't over as yet.  You volunteered to make a speech about your four years of being in this high school.  Why don't you go up and make your speech right now."

               "I can't Sano.  I look like a mess from all this crying, plus I wanted the smart girl to go up before me, because I told her I'll need the time to cool off."

               "So you're using me to ease your problems?" asked Sano with a little sarcasm.

               "Yes you rooster head you," Misao replied as she jokingly hit Sano on his shoulder.  Misao finally smiled a real smile.  She mentally thanked Sano for always being there for her, when she needed someone, just by using eye contact.  Then she wiped her tears lightly from her face using her graduation gown, and made her way up on the stage where she had to say her speech.

               Sano watched as his friend made her way onto the stage to make the final conclusion of the graduation.  Everyone cheered for her as she positioned herself in a comfortable way before speaking.  He could see how nervous she was.  He saw he took deep breaths in and out.  She did not start until she made eye contact with him.

               To the principal and her staff.  To the teachers and my peers, I thank you all for the wonderful four years I had in this high school.  It just seemed like yesterday when I first walked into this school as a freshman, hoping that my next three years would turn out to be successful for me.  I didn't know where my classes were, and didn't know how to study properly.  But as the days turned into weeks, the weeks turned into months, the months turned into years, I grew to learn many new abilities in this school as well as make new friends.  I thank my teachers for giving the extra knowledge that I need to move on in college.  I thank my parents for motivating me and pushing me this far.  I thank the principle and her fellow staffs for making this school a better school for people like me to learn.  I thank my friends for being there and making my high school years as fun as they can be.  But most of all I would like to thank a dear friend who couldn't make it to this gradation.  Her name is Kaoru Kamiya.  Because of her willingness to help others, her kind nature to put them before herself, she was one of the fewest people who helped me to make it this far.  I thank her for that.   She helped me out in times of need, and she never gave up on me.  For these reasons I personally wanted to thank her, but she could not make here today.

               However this year has come to an end, and from now on, from this day forward we're young adults who are going to start our own lives.  I wish everyone luck, and best joyous days that are to come in the future.  For now let us enjoy our last day of high school and our times being with our friends.  Congratulations class 2004.

               With those last words of her speech, Misao threw her cap into the air.  Others among her followed in the same procedure.  Everyone cheered for Misao and for the last day of high school.  Everyone hugged their friends.  Some students cried because they realized they'll never get to see their friends again. 

               Sano saw Misao walked down the stage stairs to meet him.  He was both very astounded and proud at the way how she composed herself on stage.  Even though she looked so sad, she held back her tears, held her head up high, and spoke her wisely words from her heart.  By the time she was done, not only did she captivate her audience with her precious speech, but also with the way of how she presented herself in front of them.  Sano was also glad that she didn't cry in front of them when she mentioned Kaoru's name.  Instead she mentioned her name and handled her sadness, her grief in major way.  It was from then on Sano knew Misao was not only getting mentally stronger, but she was also growing up.

               "Was I bad Sano?" asked Misao as she walked closer to Sano.

               "No you were great Misao," said Sano honestly.

               "Thanks, I actually thought I was going to cry in front of them.  I didn't know what kept me strong for such a long time."

               "You know what I think?  I think you are getting mentally stronger, but I also I think you're growing up."  Sano saw the shock expression on Misao's face.  He knew she was shocked, mainly because he confessed something with seriousness in his voice.  He rarely ever was serious when it came to his friends.  He mostly joked around with them.  He spent most his valuable time doing something to get him in trouble, however since today was his last day, and because Misao's words touched his very core, he openly confessed what he truly he thought to her.

               "You know something Sano, I think someone else is also growing up," said Misao.  She turned around and walked away leaving Sano with a dumbfounded look on his face.

2 Years Later

               Misao got up from her long nap on her desk.  She was so tired from a long night of studying for her final exams.  She wanted to study along with Sano and his girlfriend Megumi, but they had very different schedules.  She was on her own to study on these exams; however she already knew the outcome.  If she was very lucky she can barely pass or just not pass them at all.

               Misao rubbed her tired bloodshot eyes.  She got up from her chair in her room, grabbed a towel, grabbed some extra clothes to change in, and headed towards the bathroom.  She wanted to get to class early, so that she can have sometime to review her notes before the test.  Maybe she needed the extra half an hour to cram a few things in her head.  She was the type where she can cram things last minute and still remember them when the test came.

               As Misao made her way to the bathroom, she heard a familiar voice calling her from down the hall of her college dormitory.  She turned around to see her favorite special person closing in on her.

               "Tomoe!" yelled Misao.  She hugged Tomoe, knowing the good news.  Tomoe now days were always happy.  Her relationship with Kenshin lasted for three years.  Ever since high school she never did give up on Kenshin, and vice versa with Kenshin.  Misao was very happy for them both.

               "I know and I'm so happy for you guys!" cheered on Misao.

               "Thanks!  Am I such an easy person to read?"

               "Well in a way you are Tomoe.  But I have to say it finally took three years for Kenshin to have the guts to ask you to marry him."

               "Yeah I know.  He can be such an idiot at times, but you know him Misao."

               "Yes I do.  Well I have to go!  I have classes to go to and final exams to fail."  Misao rushed through the crowd in the hall to make it to the bathroom.  The last thing she heard from Tomoe was, "every time you say you're going to fail, you end up making an A."

               "Isn't that the whole idea!" she yelled back.

               Sano rummaged through his notes.  He needed to pass his final exams, because he didn't want to have to stay back in the summer to try to make them back up.  Sometimes he wondered how he ended up getting a beautiful long raven haired girl, with extraordinary dark brown eyes, a intellectual woman of brain when it comes down to medical issues and even the simplest things.  She was the type of woman who can wrap anyone around her finger, but out of all the men she knew she picked him.

               Sano couldn't help but smirk at that thought.  Even though he wasn't as smart as her and Misao but he was still able to be lucky enough to have her, his precious girl named Megumi Takani.  He remembered when he first started college he met her the day he was moving into his room.  He bumped into her by accident and seeing how much help she needed to carry her things to her room, he offered her a helping hand.  Later on he found out she was majoring in the Medical field.  She wanted to be the first in her family to receive the honor of being a doctor.  She said her parents had faith in her but that really got her far was her ambition to achieve the best.  He told her he didn't know what he wanted to major in as yet, and that was why he was taking liberal arts.  Through that he was getting an experience from every different field there was to offer.  He impressed Megumi with his ways.  Eventually he found the guts to ask her out, afraid that she might decline his offer, he was prepared for the worse insult from her, and however, she never insulted him.  Instead she accepted his offer and went out with him on a date.  From then on Megumi became his girlfriend.

               Sano losing himself in his thoughts that he never heard when Misao called his name quietly in the library.  He was to busy dazing off in his past, thinking about his Megumi when he should be studying for his final exams.

               "Yo Sano, hello, would you wake up?" demanded Misao with a harsh whisper.  Sano felt a tug at his sleeves.  When he turned around to confront the person who jerked his shirt so violently, he caught his breath, when he only saw Misao standing next to him, trying to get his attention.

               "Do you know how long I tried to get you out of la la land?  Don't you have to be studying right now instead of daydreaming?" asked Misao as she sat down next to Sano.

               "Well in ways I just can't keep my mind focus on this stupid Calculus book!  All these problems look more like gibberish then real equations," said Sano.  His frustrated actions towards his Calculus book had Misao nodding her head.

               "Sano you have to ask me for help when you need it right away.  You shouldn't wait till the last minute to study because you won't get far like that."

               "How do you do it then?  How can you study last minute and still make good grades?"

               "It's all about knowing your materials Sano.  If you don't know the basic, then you can't do it."

               "Fine thank you for your help then," said Sano with an annoying mockery on his face.  He was mad at Misao because she couldn't tell him something to make him feel better.  She always said something to make him feel more worst then he already felt.  He turned his the other way, so as not to look at her.

                 "Anyways I didn't come to tell you that, I came to tell you something else," Misao replied, but her voice became dead serious.  That made Sano turned his to look back at Misao.

               "What is it Misao?" he asked with a deadly serious tone.  He lost his feelings of anger towards Misao moments ago.

               "I found out it has something to do with Kenshin."

               "What?"

               Sano saw Misao repositioned herself in her seat.  She looked the other way before she spoke.  "Tomoe and Kenshin are going to get married."

               "What?  That can't be!"  Sano literally jumped out of his seat when he heard of the news about Tomoe and Kenshin.  "Tell me I'm hearing the wrong things?  Please tell me that."

               "No you're not.  You're hearing the right words."

               "But what about Kaoru?  I thought we planned to seek her out after high school was over."

               "Yes we tried Sano and we failed.  We looked everywhere.  We searched the internet, checked up the phone book, and other resources we thought of, but there was nothing.  It was like she disappeared off of the face of earth."

               "Let me guess?  You're happy Tomoe and Kenshin are getting married?" Sano stated as he narrowed his brown eyes at Misao in an accusing way.

               "Yes I do like Tomoe, and I've learned to accept them being together a long time ago.  I once told Kaoru to let go of the past and move on in the future.  I guess when she moved she did that.  Sano it's time that we let go the grudge that we have on Kenshin and be there to support him as we once did in high school.  I bet you Kaoru has moved on in her life and is contented with it," said Misao as she looked deep into Sano's brown eyes as if challenging him to a staring contest.

               "What about Kaoru's healing process?  Have you forgotten about that?" asked Sano.

               "No I haven't forgotten, but I also remembered her assuring me that she will move on with her life one day.  Look I know we made a pack a long time ago going against Tomoe and all, but when I really got to know her, I realized how much of a fool I was.  Tomoe isn't bad Sano.  She makes Kenshin happy.  At first I thought Kaoru was stupid for the way she acted towards Kenshin.  I saw Kaoru as a young girl who was obsessed with something she could have if she put up a fight, but she never did that.  I always wanted to know why Kaoru never fought for Kenshin, or why she let Kenshin do all the things he did to her.  Now I know why."

               "Why Misao?"

               "Because Kaoru put others before herself.  She knew if she did get Kenshin she can never replace Tomoe.  No one can ever replace a first love.  She wanted Kenshin to be happy and Tomoe brought that happiness.  She once told me while she can bring a smile on Kenshin's face, Tomoe can bring out the shining laughter in his eyes.  While she was there to only support him and his ideas, Tomoe taught him her idealistic, and convinced to believe in them and her.  Kaoru believed when a person truly loves another, they can always change and bring out something better in that person they love.  Kaoru told me she was able to bring out the coldness in Kenshin, but Tomoe was able to bring out his personality he kept deep inside himself.  While Kaoru was just follower, Tomoe was a leader," replied Misao as she got up from her seat.

               "I believe you," said Sano.  He got up with Misao and walked out from the library with her.  "I must admit I never looked at it that way.  Kaoru really did do a noble thing.  She sacrificed her love just to see Kenshin contented with his life, however like she also once said, love truly never dies, it stay within the heart, linger within the mind, and ravel itself within the soul."

               Misao turned around and looked at him with a smile on her face.  She was quite astonished to see he still remember Kaoru's poem three years ago.  "Do you know what I believe though?  I believe faith will bring them together again some day."