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Forgiveness

Chapter 3

Forgiveness

Six months had past since Keitaro had been laid to rest. Lives were not the same, Hina-san left again to find something special she had said. Kanako, and Haruka took care of the grounds of Hinatasou, neither so much as speaking to each other, but in passing. Shinobu, had a mental breakdown, after she left the inn and refused to leave her mother's house.

Mitsune stood inside the criminal courts building, facing a set of twin doors, she had to go in, but she fought herself until the door opened and she forced to enter. She walked up the isle and sat behind her long time best friend Naru. Naru had physically changed in the past six months. Her hair was cut shorter than hers, the clothes she wore that fit like a charm half a year ago now hung on her, no longer did she greet you with a warm smile, but a shallowed expression that boarders between states of sanity.

The judge had entered and everyone rose, then sat back down as the docket was read. Her trial had made headlines, the prosecution had an air tight case against, as she didn't even protest her guilt. Her lawyer tried valiantly to show evidence of emotional problems, and had sited past history where it was proven that he had taken worse and walked away. The jury had only deliberated for an hour, before finding her guilty on all counts. That is when the pact was made between them, it would be fulfilled.

The judge had heard from both sides and the family of Keitaro Urashima before speaking, "Would the defendant please rise." Naru stood emotionless.

"Upon hearing all the evidence in case, and from hearing from the Urashima family. I can understand their rage in asking for the maximum penalty allowed. The thing that I found hard during this trial, is the fact that regardless of Keitaro's supposed immortality, you still brutally attacked him basically on a whim. Where I can understand from your defense team, that you have emotional problems, I find it inexcusable that a person of Keitaro's character as brought out during this trail was viciously abused by the one he loved most of all." The judge took a breath and continued.

"Therefore it is the decision of this court to impose a prison term of no less than fifty years. It is my hope that while you are incarcerated, you feel the same pain and anguish that you inflicted on your victim, may God have mercy on your soul." The gavel dropped "Court dismissed"

Mitsune and Naru's eyes met only one last time, before she was escorted away. What was said between in the silent look spoke volumes. Mitsune stood there in the court room until the door closed behind her friend.

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That afternoon, Mitsune made a visit to her bank and withdrew all the funds she had left, then she headed towards the law offices of Naru's Defense team. Upon entering she spotted her attorney, placing some files into a box and bringing them out to his assistant. "Excuse me Mr. Nataski?" Mitune stepped forward. He recognized her as Naru's friend that had visited her on a few occasions.

"Yes, your Kitsune? Right?" He returned the question.

"May I speak with you in your office?" He looked at her and answered," Sure please step in." She passed by him and stepped into his office. Placing a leather bound briefcase on his desk.

"How may I help you?" He asked.

"I need to know how much it will cost to leave this case for Naru, it is for her when she is released." Mitsune pointed to the briefcase.

"Well that's some time off, even though we are going to try and appeal the verdict until we reach the Supreme Court."

"I know you are a great fighter, but this is all of her personal papers, and a numbered bank book. I really don't think that Naru will get any appeals to be honest. And fifty years from now I will be long past memory."

"Ok then", he turns to his assistant, "Miss Sato, would you tag this case and leave a note that it is to be given to Naru upon her release." Then turning back to Mitsune, "Don't worry about any charges, you have been a great friend to Naru." Mitsune bowed to the lawyer and left his office.

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The red sports car was traveling well over one hundred and twenty miles per hour, taking the mountain road recklessly, Mitsune was driving the rented sports car, pushing it faster and faster, each curve was getting sharper. She downed another sake bottle, as she straighten the car out in the middle of a curve. The car broke the side rail and soared out in the expanse of the night. Mitsune on the verge of passing out, stuck her arms out wide as if she was flying, and whispered, "Please forgive me Keitaro, I never meant to harm you." As the car began its descent into the rocky canyon below.

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It was a strange request from Haruka, but Kanako didn't refuse the meeting. Mrs. Maehara, was the mother to Shinobu, and she was sitting in the tea house with Haruka when Kanako had entered.

"Ok I'm here, what's this about." Kanako asked immediately. Haruka shot her one of those stares, that made her sit down and shut up, before she got hurt.

"Its about my daughter, Shinobu. I know that the inn is closed and you are not taking in any tenants, but Shin-chan..." the woman started to cry and Haruka took her in her arms to comfort her. Then Haruka finished.

"Shinobu was alway frail, and before the incident she was the one that looked after your brother more than anyone else. To be a matter of fact, your brother always said how much she reminded him of you. We were hoping that you would allow her to back in, and help you with things. She's a great cook, and besides she can tell you all about your brother." Haruka said. Kanako was looking for the unspoken part to this story and asked, "And ...what's the catch?"

Haruka glared at her, but spoke the truth, "Right now she has some emotional problems, we are thinking that if she moves back in that you can help her as she helps you. Sort of mutual healing for the both of you." Kanako took all this in and let it digest for a minute. 'She never did hurt Oni-san, and I know she took his death the hardest.'

Kanado decided that she would regret her decision but she caved, "Tell Shinobu that she can move back in."

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Over the next few years, Shinobu and Kanako helped each other to heal. It wasn't easy from Kanako's eyes. When she first moved back in, she would cook meals for six people, and she would talk to empty chairs as if people were there. The holidays that were always celebrated in the house, were morbid if best. Neither of them had ever used Keitaro's room and left it as it was. It was the turning point for them both, the common ground. Kanako would sit and listen to stories about her brother and she could picture him doing the things that the other girl described. Kanako would tell stories about when Keitaro was younger, before they were split apart. Sometime they would laugh and sometimes they would cry.

It was a late January night, when Kanako saw her faint dead away in the hallway. She went to her friend and felt her head it was burning up. She had called a doctor and he had spent almost an hour in her room with her. When he came out, he was suggesting to take her to a hospital, and he was calling for an ambulance. Kanako stayed by her bedside for days, waiting for her to get better. It was when the doctors had told her and her family that there was nothing that they could do, that Shinobu asked one last favor, and Kanako wasn't going to refuse her friend.

Kanako was standing in front of the doors to her brothers room. It hadn't been opened for almost four years, she was afraid that if she opened it that all the hurt and all the misery would come back. She steeled herself and unlocked the pad lock that she had placed. The room was dust covered, a test book lay opened on the table, along with a pot and a cup. She closed the image in her head and took the mop to the floor, and brought in another futon.

Shinobu was brought back to the Inn, by her family, and she was laid down in the futon in Keitaro's old room. She looked better for just being in here again. Some color had come back to her pale face, Kanako was holding her hand and kneeling next to her. Shinobu's breathing was becoming troubled and shallowed. Then a calm feel over the room as Shinobu tightened her grip on Kanako's hand.

"Your brother is here in this room, if you want to know about him and really know him, this is where he was." Shinobu's face blushed a deep red and she looked at Kanako, "I always wanted to know what it was like to sleep in here, within Keitaro's futon." She giggled and then her grip lessened as her finial breath was released.

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A little over fifty years had passed since that night, and Hinatasou wasn't the grand building it used to be. A fire twenty years ago claimed most of the main building, forcing Kanako to move into the secondary building near the hot springs. Life hadn't been fair to Kanako either, though she was in her mid sixties, and still considered to have many years ahead of her. She had suffered a hip injury, and was mainly crippled having to use a staff to walk around. With the lose of her brother and her friend, she never became social in any aspect of the word, becoming a hermit at best. She held onto the property as best she could, selling off other Urashima family heirlooms and property, to keep up with taxes. The people of the village, had two opinions of her, the older ones understood and respected her very much, and the younger ones looked at her as a bitter old hag, that they would try and play tricks on. Everyday she would travel up to the old Shinto temple, clean the leaves or whatever off the graves and sit and talk with her relatives, it was the only place she really felt at peace.

Kanako was getting ready for bed, when she heard a noise outside on the grounds. She lifted herself off the floor holding her staff and walked out towards the noise.

An older woman, carrying a leather case, walked up the steps to the Hinatasou, the fire had taken most of what she remembered. A tear had come to her eye seeing the estate in such a shape. Her legs were aching as the arthritis in her knees was burning up her spine. She walked on however, walking towards the back, where it had all happened. She gained entry into the hot springs, through the changing rooms, and walked out to see the aged spring in disrepair. The water had a greenish tint to it, and rocks were all but covered in moss now. She stopped at the exact spot, and a cold wind crossed her. She stepped forward one step and she felt warm, like someone had covered her with a blanket. She wanted to hear the laughs and the chatter that was suppose to be here, but nothing was, only silence.

She left the hot springs and headed towards the temple, not noticing that she now had a follower far behind her. The steps were hard and stone, and her knees ached badly. The Urashima family plot was in front of her, and she wove her way around the stones, until she found the one she came to find. 'The granite marker suited him.' she thought. She opened the case up, taking a few candles and lighting them, then placing them onto of the headstone. She read the inscription, "Keitaro Urashima...beloved son, brother, manager...His Heart Was Our Honor" Tears swelled up in her eyes, and she started to sob slowly.

"I'm sorry Keitaro, for everything I ever did. I never had the guts to say this to you in person...but I love you." She broke down and feel onto her knees, as the sobs and tears increased. She reached back into the bag and felt the only item that she really wanted more than anything else, pulling it out she whispered again, "Forgive me Keitaro, I would take it all back if I could..."

Kanako had followed the stranger up to the family plot and listened to her confession, she knew who it was, and why she had come. But then...

BLAMMM

Kanako walked carefully up to the body, a briefcase lay open next her and she could make out a piece of paper illuminated by the candle light, "Prisoner Release... Subject : Narusegawa, Naru"

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A warm sweet wind blew across her face, all she could see was the cherry blossoms being tossed around on the currents of the wind. There were steps in front of her leading down, and the sound of voices and laughter coming from the distance. The wind had caught her hair making it wave along the currents, as she walked down the steps to the joyous noise. She felt full of energy and she wanted to run, but she was afraid of falling, as the blossoms blocked her view. The laughter getting louder and louder, she started to smell food, wonderful aromas teased her nostrils. And soon she was out of the blossoms, looking at the back of Hinatasou, There were people everywhere, that she could see, young and old, children playing with balls, or chasing each other. She felt nervous, but she wanted to be there and she let her feet carry her closer. A voice called out, that surprised her.

"Look she made it!" People all around her stared at her, but no in a recriminating way, they were all smiling at her, leading her deeper into the populated yard. She noticed that she was now surrounded by all of them, she was scared, she wanted to be welcomed. Four familiar faces came out of the crowd and hugged her, she looked into the faces of her friends Mitsune, Su, Motoko, and Shinobu. There was tears and sobs coming from her as she squeaked out, "How are you all here?" The smiles and warmth of the girls only increased more and another person walked out of the crowd, taking her hand and lifting her into a gentle hug.

"That would be me, Naru, I forgave you a long time ago." He pushed her back just a bit, as her face lifted to see Keitaro smiling back at her.

There was another observer watching the events down below, Kanako could see all the love and warmth that was given, she sniffed and was about to turn away, when a voice addressed her.

"You can come too, Kan-chan, that is if you want." She turned to see your Oni-san standing there, she dropped her staff and rushed into his arms.

The End...