dont own YYH
there is a surprise for you at and after the end of the chapter
Chapt. 62
The End Is Only the Beginning
The back of the blade cuts into my palm under the weight. My hand tries to slide down to the tip on the blood that begins to seep from my palm, but I hold it strong. Tanashi can smell the blood and looks at my hand, and then he grins even wider. Fear strikes me hard, but I remain without emotion. At least, it doesn't show on my face.
Death is only the beginning of another journey. Only the beginning.
I smile up at him. "Even in my death I have won, Tanashi. Even then."
"You aren't dead yet!" a female screams. Tanashi suddenly disappears from my sight. And with the release of his weight and pressure, my arms shoot up and fall out, creating a cross-like pose.
A hand looms before me.
"Here. Ain't nothin' more pathetic than lyin' in mud that looks like blood." I take the hand and it pulls me up.
"Osadyro, you came."
"Only 'cause Hiei told me. I can't believe you didn't!"
"When did he tell you and what took ya so long? And, sorry."
"He told me two days ago. As for the other thing…let's just say it slipped my mind." Even through the rain I could make out a slight blush on her cheeks.
"After this is done, you get to tell me 'bout it." She nods and races off to waste some panthers. I see Tanashi laying on the ground, stirring slightly. Before he gets up, I walk over to him and hold the point of my katana at his throat.
He feels the point as he tries to sit up and stops. The smile is gone from his face.
"Any last words before I kill you?" I growl, venom dripping off the words.
"Yea. I watched them die. And I laughed as they begged me to spare the other. And the loo- "
I stabbed him through his throat before he finished.
"Shut up." I pull the blade from him and wipe it on my pants, but it doesn't do any good. So I just let it hang at my side.
The rain still beat down on my head, still warm and red as blood. I fall to my knees, the mud splashing up as I land. I stare at the dark clouds and cry.
"Mother, Father, Oshi, my work is done. I have fulfilled all of your wishes: Father, the murderers are dead; Mother, my peoples are united; Oshi, I have found a man to love me as you did.
"Please, I beg of you now, let me live my life in peace. Let my deeds and debts be done. Give me the life I once lived so that I may live it again. Don't make me wander again to find a reason to live. I beg for my happiness to return to me again."
"Your life is still yours to live. You no longer have to wander, for you've found your reason to live. And has your happiness not yet returned to you?" a man says, stopping behind me.
The rain becomes clear and cold, washing the blood from my sword and me. Then the clouds begin to part and the sky clears to reveal a bright moon.
The fighting had lasted into the next night.
"Hiei, arigato. You reminded me why I came back," I whisper, standing up and facing him.
"Any time," he smirks.
A howl sounds in the distance. I immediately take off towards the voice, but stop short when I see who it is.
"Miho," I gasp. And then I see whom she's holding. "Ronin!" I fall down next to her and hold her tight. We rock back and forth a bit, crying over his lifeless body.
Kiyo stood behind us, not sure whether to cry or curse or beat up on something. But tears dripped silently all the same.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, wiping away my tears.
"He lived by the sword and so he wished to die by the sword. And he did. He died for a cause he believed in strongly, and he doesn't regret it. I could swear on it," Miho sniffs, standing up.
"He would've wanted you to have this," Kiyo says, holding out Ronin's katana and scabbard. "Keep it well." I take the items and bow deeply with respect.
"I will. Are you returning to your home lands?"
"Yes. There we shall give him a proper leaving. Take care," Miho smiles. With that, they race off towards the horizon.
"I tried to save him, but he wouldn't have it. He was as stubborn as you," Yusuke smirks, walking to my side. "He died with a smile planted firmly on his face."
"Thank you, Yusuke."
"What're friends for?" He drapes his arm over my shoulders and rubs them gently.
"Mamoru and Tsubasa left not too long ago. They said that if you lived I should tell you hello for them," he grins.
"Had a lot of faith, didn't they."
"Exploding with it." We both laugh heartily.
"When you and Keiko gunna tie the knot?" I inquire after we settle down.
"When I get back and cleaned up."
"So you asked her already?"
"Nope."
"Gee, Yusuke. How do ya know she's gunna say yes?"
"I don't."
I just laugh at him.
"Darkfire, you're ok! I knew it." It was Kuwabara. He picked me up and spun me around and around 'til he nearly fell over.
"Unlike Urameshi here, I asked Yukina already. She said yes, as long as we waited for you to come back. I told her that was my plan."
"How'd you know I was comin' back?"
" 'Cause I knew you couldn't stay away."
"Didja know that Kurama and Botan were engaged?" Yusuke asks.
"You're serious! Wow! When?"
"When…?"
"Are they getting' married?" I say happily.
"Soon as you came back and could attend."
"You guys are such good friends." I notice Osadyro off in the distance. Saying my 'excuse me's, I catch up to her.
"So, what took ya?" I ask.
She blushes again and whispers, "He asked me to marry him."
"And?"
"And I told him he'd have to wait a bit. But that was before I found you. As soon as we had, I told him yes. I just couldn't get away until early this morning."
I smile devilishly because I knew what that meant. "You go girl!"
"Shhh! Not so loud!" she whispers, covering my grinning mouth.
It has been ten years since Tanashi fell. Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara all have lovely wives. Botan, Keiko, and Yukina all have loving husbands. As for me, I still have Hiei. And he still has me. Marriage just wasn't something I saw coming from him, and I didn't mind it in the least.
But tonight he's walking up to me with something hidden on his mind.
"Darkfire?" he says.
"Hm?"
"Could you come here for a moment?" He leads me into the living room of Koenma's palace type thing. It was the same room where so many of my memories take place.
It was quiet and our scents were the only ones.
Suddenly he gets down on one knee before me.
"Will you marry me?" he asks, holding out a small box. Inside was a ring with a ruby carved into the shape of a heart.
This was when I notice what he's wearing. A deep red tunic that reached his knees was tied at the waist with a black sash. His pants were also black and he still wore those boots. Around his neck was his tear gem.
The words got caught in my mouth and all jumbled up in my head. I couldn't speak. I didn't know what to say.
Just say, "Yes." That's all you have to say.
I look around and see everybody standing around the room. Even Koenma was there. I turn my eyes back to Hiei and stare into those red pools of blood. But they weren't blood this time. At least, not evil. They were kind and gentle. Gentle pools of blood.
They gave me confidence.
"Yes," I say finally. "Yes, I will marry you." He stands up and kisses me while pulling me tightly to him.
If I told you this was the end, I would be lying. Because it's not the end. Rather the beginning of a new and exciting journey. But this is the end of my tale. The end of the life I have to tell. The rest is for you to guess at. But "the end" is just a six letter word for "the beginning." So, instead, I shall tell you this is only the beginning of a life yet to be lived.
arigato - thank you
A/N: that's the last chapter! again, i just want to thank all of you who have stuck with me through all 62 chapters. i know that it's a lot more than you're used to. a sequal will be coming. when, i'm not quite sure yet. but there will be one. so, this is the end for now, until another beginning comes.
