Matters of the Heart pt. 12 Final Farewells
As the rain continued to pour, he walked up to Hijikata's open door. Eyes closed as he smoked his pipe, Hijikata sat as the gears in his head slowly turned. Yamanami and Kondo sat quietly with him sipping sake.
"Hijikata-san," Susumu began calmly. "Reports of a mass murder and a seppuku in Shimabara."
Eyes still closed, Hijikata continued puffing on his pipe.
"Who was involved?" he asked.
He laid the body on the walkway.
"See for yourself," he replied still composed.
Hijikata's eyes opened. His pipe dropped to the floor with an audible clank as the ashes spilled out onto the floor. He stared shocked.
"Souji. . ." he whispered.
Yamanami and Kondo turned. Yamanami's jaw dropped. Sadly, Kondo turned away as he set down his sake cup quietly. Visions of the happy and tumultuous past danced through their heads. Slowly, Hijikata stood.
"I'm going to think," he murmured hoarsely as he slowly walked away.
Sniffing the ground, the small pink pig walk up. Saizou glared up at him.
"You won't find your master here," Hijikata said as Saizou shot him a questioning glare. "Follow his scent, and you'll see what I mean."
Saizou oinked and continued walking past him. The pig let out a loud squeal. Saizou rammed and nudged Okita's limp form squealing. As Saizou continued squealing, they sadly lowered their heads.
"WHAT!" Nagakura cried.
Tears began running down Tetsunosuke's face.
"Okita's dead! How!" Nagakura whimpered.
"Seppuku," Susumu murmured as he turned away hanging his head.
Sadly, the other captains stared at the tatami mat. Saitou prayed. Todou and Harada sighed. Harada reached into his kimono and ran a finger along the vicious scar running on his abdomen.
"I guess..." he began. "We can't all survive it."
Todou and Nagakura nodded.
Kondo watched as the men began digging the grave and making tombstones. (Author's note: a Japanese grave is nothing more than a place to bury the urns of the deceased person's ashes.) He sighed.
"It would only be right, if we buried those two lovers together," he said wistfully.
Yamanami nodded. Smoke rose from the end of Hijikata's pipe. He watched a rare drooping expression on his face. Susumu leaned against the sliding door's frame.
"I... Can only assume," he began quietly. "That Okita went crazy after Megumi's death, and then went to Shimabara and murdered those in the brothel. Then committed seppuku."
The commanders nodded.
He wiped the tears away from his eyes as he knelt near the tombstone. Comfortingly, Tatsunosuke placed a hand on Tetsunosuke's shoulder. Ayumu rested her head on Seishin's shoulder her tears staining his dark kimono.
"Why Okita, why?" Tetsunosuke whimpered as the tears continued to fall.
Saizou laid against his leg oinking quietly. A pair of black lacquer urns rested beside a hole. On one, cherry blossoms rained down in a carved rain as a man placed the urn inside the grave. He turned to the other urn as the carved samurai continued sipping his sake with a large childish grin and placed the urn inside the grave beside the first. Slowly, Nagakura walked up a bottle of sake in his hands. Clear sour liquid cascaded down splashing on the urns. He smiled a small smile.
"This is good sake you two," he said his smile slowly fading. "You two shouldn't have to leave this world without a taste of it."
He rested a spear quietly beside the urns.
"May this spear protect you both in the next life," Harada whispered his lips curving into a faint smile.
Todou waved.
"Goodbye you guys," he greeted as he continued waving. "See you.. Someday."
They watched as the diggers slowly filled the plot burying the two urns deep into the ground.
"Okita-kun. . ." a voice cooed. "Ookkiittaa-kun. . ."
He swam in a sea of darkness. His dark eyes opened as he searched for the sound. From the darkness, a hand reached out. He reached for the long feminine fingers. Light and sound suddenly flooded his senses. His eyes went wide as a grin lit his face.
"Megumi-chan!" he cried throwing his arms around her.
Megumi smiled her eyes filled with tears.
"Okita-kun," she whispered burying her face into his neck as she entwined her arms around him.
"I thought you died," he whimpered nuzzling into her long dark hair.
"I did die, Okita," she replied sadly as she looked up to him. "Then.. You did too.."
He pulled out of her arms staring at her shocked. He turned. Diggers continued to fill the small plot as the others watched tears falling from their eyes. He turned back to her and smiled.
"I don't care," he smiled pulling her close. "As long as I've got you, I'll be all right."
She smiled.
"Excuse me," a depressed monotone voice said behind her.
"Ah!" she cried as she and Okita jumped. "Saitou-san!"
She turned.
"Don't scare me like that!" she scolded.
His drooping face smiled.
"I have to say," he began. "A lot of men felt that you, Megumi-san, died too soon. And you, Okita, you didn't give enough time for the men to adjust. Thus, you died too soon also."
They let out a nervous laugh. Sweat-drops rolled down their heads.
"Saitou-san.." Tetsunosuke asked as he turned. "Who are you talking to?"
"Just a couple of old friends," he said turning his drooping face to him.
Warily, Tetsunosuke nodded as he turned back to the filling grave.
"But.." she began still sweat-dropping. "I couldn't help it! I was sick!"
He turned to Okita.
"Ah.. W-well... Eh.." he stuttered as he stumbled for an answer.
Saitou let out a quiet chuckle.
"SAITOU!" Tetsunosuke pouted. "Who are you talking to!"
Saitou turned to him the day's dim light casting a ghostly shadow on his face.
"Some old friends..." he began chillingly. "A captain and a doctor..."
Slowly and frightened, Tetsunosuke turned away. A shiver ran up his spine.
"N-no way..." he twitched and stuttered. "Not possible..."
Saitou let out another quiet chuckled. He started off motioning for them to follow. In this room, they knelt before him as he poured himself some sake.
"I can offer you two options," he began his drooping face managing to maintain its droopiness. "You both can go to the afterlife, or you can stay here and haunt the compound. I can make the others keep your rooms as they were if you wish."
Megumi and Okita shot each other a glance. They smiled.
"Well..." Megumi began. "We'd like to stay here if we could.. As long as you men don't mind a few... extra guests..."
Saitou shook his head as a translucent figure walked into the room carrying his head in his arms.
"Hey, Saitou!" the head said.
Calmly, Saitou waved as the figure continued walking through the room and a wall. He shook his head.
"It should be o.k.," he replied sipping the drink. "You'd be surprised how many people are haunting this place."
Okita and Megumi looked past him their jaws lying limply on the ground. They twitched.
"MEGUMI-SAN!" a pair of voices screamed as two small translucent girls ran through the wall.
"You said you'd draw pictures with me!" Kagome cried crossing her arms with a pout.
"No!" Yumi cried as she clung to Megumi's kimono sleeve. "She said she'd play dolls with me!"
Kagome pulled on Megumi's empty sleeve.
"No! She's playing with ME!" she cried .
"No! ME!" Yumi screamed pulling Megumi to her side.
Kagome pulled Megumi back.
"NO ME!" she fought.
"NO ME!" the other screamed.
A nervous smile lit her face as sweat-drops ran down her head. Saitou stared.
"I know," Okita smiled cheerfully as he lifted Yumi onto his shoulders. "Why don't we all play together!"
Yumi stared down on him as Kagome looked up to him with a wide eyed expression.
"O.k.!" they chorused grinning.
Okita chuckled as he ran out the door the small girl still sitting on his shoulders as she let out peals of laughter. Megumi smiled as she slowly stood. Kagome took her hand eagerly. As she headed for the wall, she turned.
"Thank you, Saitou-san. . ." she smiled softly. "Thank you and the others.. For everything.."
Through the wall, she ran as she and Kagome headed for the peals of laughter. A genuine smile lit her face.
Matters of the Heart Epilogue: Summer's Hopes
Ayumu stared blankly as she slowly stirred the boiling pot. Outside of the kitchen, the men idly picked at the food. Nagakura stared out at the seemingly dim early summer sun and sighed. Seishin sat under the shaded walkway meditating as the gears in his mind slowly turned.
Megumi popped her head through the kitchen and eating hall wall.
"Ah..." she sighed as she looked around. "Look at all the depressed faces! Well.. Except Saitou. . . He's always like that..."
Saitou shot her a droopy look. She giggled. She turned to the Jokers and knelt beside Nagakura.
"Oh, Nagakura-san," she sighed. "Don't be sad!"
She placed a small peck on his cheek. Nagakura's slouching form shot straight up. A goofy grin grew on his face.
"An angel!" he slurred dreamily. "I just got kissed by an angel!"
Todou and Harada shot each other worried looks.
"Grief must be getting to him," Todou whispered.
"Oh yea," he agreed.
Nagakura glared.
"Oi!" Nagakura cried. "I'm not going crazy! I tell you! Something kissed me!"
Megumi giggled. Sighing, Harada and Todou shook their heads.
"Guys!" he whined.
She giggled and made her way to Todou's side. She pecked his cheek. A rosy patch spread across his face. He let out a childish chuckle. Harada shot him a worried look.
"You're right, Shinpachi," he said. "I just got kissed by an angel too!"
"Told you," he smirked.
Harada worried. Megumi continued giggling and scooted to Harada's side placing a peck on his cheek. He gasped. His dark eyes shifted around the room worriedly. Tetsunosuke and the others watched their heads turning and watching the few dim shadows in the room cautiously.
"Am I going crazy?" he wondered frightened.
Paranoid delusions continued running through his head.
"Ah... What's going on here?" Okita's ghostly voice said as he walked through the wall with a grin.
Megumi giggled again.
"Just playing a few tricks!" she grinned. "It's fun!"
Okita chuckled as he patted Harada's head. Harada stiffened as his eyes continued shifting his head turning at sharp and sudden angles. He held his chopsticks up in defensive pose. Okita laughed. She smiled as she slowly stood and made her way outside. Okita made his way to the kitchen.
Drowning out the noise as she thought, Ayumu sighed sadly. Oh, Okita. . Megumi. . She thought. Why on earth did you have to go? Okita popped his head through the wall and frowned at her sad and drooping expression.
"Why?" she whimpered.
Okita watched her worriedly slowly walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her in a comforting embrace. At the warm feeling wrapping around her, Ayumu looked up from the boiling pots. She looked around the room. She nodded. A smile lit her face.
"Ah.. Seishin-san," Megumi smiled walking up to him. "When will you ask Ayumu to marry you?"
"Quite soon, actually," he replied making her gasp and jump. (Author's note: I know this seems a bit random, but I guess my partner at the time wanted to make him somehow react to her question...)
She leaned in close her face inches from his still shut eyelids. The eyes remained shut.
"Can you see me?" she wondered.
"No," he replied still meditating. "I could hear... But never see."
She nodded and pulled away.
"Well," she smiled. "When you do finally ask her, tell Ayumu she can use the old hair ornaments that are still in my room."
Seishin nodded as his eyes opened. Slowly, he stood. He stepped inside and made his way to the kitchen managing to ignore the worried and newly frightened members.
"Ayumu?" he called out into the kitchen as Okita quickly disappeared.
She turned to him. Her smile grew.
"Yes?" she asked.
Seishin dropped to a knee taking her hand in his.
"Ayumu-san," he began nervously. "Would you do me the honor of marrying me?"
Ayumu gasped. Suddenly, a loud, joyous scream echoed through the compound. The skittering men jumped ten feet into the air out of shock and fright.
"OH SEISHIN!" she cried grinning a large grin. "I'D LOVE TO!"
Megumi let out a nervous chuckle as she sweat-dropped. Wow, she thought. She turned hearing two loud girlish giggles come running through the open sliding cafeteria door.
"Hehe!" Kagome giggled as she flipped through a small book. "Look what I found in the demon-man's room! It's a book of funny haiku!"
Giggling as she looked over Kagome's arms on her tip toes, Yumi giggled as she read. Demon-man? Megumi wondered. She grinned. Ooh..
"Hehe!" Yumi giggled. "They sound weird!"
Next to Megumi, Okita knelt grinning. Suddenly, Kondo slid to a stop in front of the door his face pale and running with cold sweat.
"Anou..." he began nervously. "Has anyone seen Hijikata's haiku book?"
"WHERE IS IT!" a loud booming voice roared as the ascending speed of running sandals clacked wildly down the walkways.
Tetsunosuke, Nagakura, and Harada shivered with fear. We ran around Mibu Village 24 times just to not even get away from Hijikata-san! What do we if we don't find it! He panicked. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small open book lying idly on the floor as silky black kanji ran along the pages breaking off into sections after seventeen syllables. Nagakura gasped. Quickly, he snatched the book up and threw it out the door.
"Hey!" Kagome and Yumi cried as their voices fell on Nagakura's spiritually deaf ears.
They rushed outside.
"Did you check outside?" he asked frantically.
Kondo looked out into the walkway and sighed a large relieved sigh. With a nervous grin, he picked up the book and walked off Yumi and Kagome jumping at the book in his arms crying out for it. The loud bellowing and rushing angry footsteps stopped. The others sighed in relief. Okita and Megumi smiled.
They knelt in a simple tatami, wood, and paper room. The shiro-maku pooled around Ayumu's knees and draped over her feet. A light blush stained her cheeks. (Author's note: a shiro-maku is the traditional Japanese wedding kimono. Bride's hair would be pulled into a bun-esque style called a "Bunkin Takashimada" which is decorated with "Kanzashi" or hairpins/combs. "Shiro" means "white," and "Maku" means "pure." The bride also wears what is called a "Tsuno Kakushi" which if I'm doing it right translates to "Disappearing Horns." The tsuno kakushi covers up the two kanzashi which symbolizes obedience as the two combs represent the bride's "horns." For a picture go here: h t t p / w w w . j a p a n e s e k I m o n o . c o m / w e d d I n g k I m o n o . h t m just copy and paste and remove the spaces and capital "I"'s.) Combs and hairpins decorated the large bunkin takashimada her hair wound into. Her tsuno kakushi rested lightly covering the two pins on the front of her head. Seishin knelt beside her dressed in gray hakama and a dark blue kimono and haori. Nervous sweat trickled down his face. Ayumu placed her hand on his as she sent him a smile. He beamed back at her. Susumu knelt behind them. (Author's note: in a Japanese wedding only the bride and groom's immediate family (mother, father, siblings) could attend.)
Megumi watched leaning against the wall just inside the door. Okita leaned beside her.
"Ah..." she sighed dreamily. "How romantic! Ayumu-chan is getting married!"
Okita nodded grinning.
"Hm.." she sighed dreamily again. "I mean... This is all a girl could ever hope for in life... How nice it would be..."
A blush spread across her face. Her hands cupped her face as her eyes closed the gates to her imagination opening. Okita stared a small smile growing on his face. She felt his eyes softly burning into her.
"Eh..." she started nervously as her blush grew darker. "Well... Ah... I better stop rambling."
He continued smiling as he placed a small peck on her cheek.
A red and white robed priest held up a small cup of sake. (Author's note: Japanese weddings were done by a Shinto priest, I believe the couple would say some vows then exchange three sips of sake. I think that's right.) In his hand, Seishin took the cup and sipped. Ayumu smiled taking the cup as he offered it to her. She sipped. He sipped again. The priest smiled.
"Megumi-chan. . ." he began. "Can we get some sake?"
She nodded.
"Hai," she replied. "They'll probably have at the reception."
Okita smiled as a small plan formed in his mind.
As the bright crimson uchikake adorned with growing chrysanthemums and lotuses, trailed behind Ayumu and Seishin, a door opened. The Jokers popped out cheering and grinning as they showered them with origami flowers. (Author's note: an uchikake is another, prettier kimono that's placed over the white bridal kimono for the reception. And at this point, the bride can remove the tsuno kakushi too.) The Jokers and the others eagerly handed over parcels of money. (Author's note: traditional Japanese gifts: money and household useful things. Grinning, Todou handed her a wooden spoon. Ayumu smiled. Susumu slipped a large parcel of money into Seishin's hand.
"Take care of her," he whispered a small smile on his face.
"I promise I shall do my utmost best to protect and provide for her," he replied nodding affirmatively.
Susumu nodded and slowly walked off blending into the shadows of the crowd.
The men crammed themselves into the sliding door cheering as Seishin slowly led Ayumu away headed for their room. A light blush streaked his face. Ayumu's smile grew into a grin. The Jokers whistled. Megumi and Okita smiled as they watched. Slowly and drunkenly, the men dispersed headed for their rooms red faced and singing out of tune. Tired commanders trudged back a light blush on their cheeks. She continued smiling as she spied a filled sake bottle out of the corner of her eye. Eagerly, she filled two sake cups.
"Okita-kun," she called out smiling offering him a small filled up. "Didn't you want sake?"
In her free hand, she sipped from her cup. Okita took her offered cup grinning. His hand scratched at his head.
"Now all we need is a priest," he muttered still scratching his head.
Megumi's small sake cup dropped onto the table with a small clink. Shining liquid spilled out. Her face grew hot and pink.
"N-nani?" she stuttered.
Okita smiled.
"I wanna marry you," he smiled.
Her face grew red. A large smile grew as she threw her arms around him.
"Oh, Okita!" she grinned as he hugged her tightly. ". . . Hm. . . Maybe Saitou-san knows someone..."
"Already taken care of," a droopy voice murmured as a droopy face rested just above her shoulder.
Okita jumped. She screamed clinging tightly to Okita's kimono.
"Still scaring people... Even when they're dead," Okita smiled sweat-dropping.
Saitou smiled motioning to a translucent priest standing behind him. They grinned.
"Oh thank you, Saitou-san!" Megumi cried.
Saitou nodded with a small smile.
As the sweet sake pushed past his throat, Okita smiled. Megumi drank. Kagome and Yumi knelt nearby grinning. The early summer light shined through the paper clad door. (Author's note: I know Yumi and Kagome aren't family, but it's as close as these two will ever get to having one now that they're dead.. Unless ghosts can have kids... In which I highly doubt.)
Saitou stood just outside watching the other soldiers walk by. It looks like a good day, Saitou thought. Hopefully, it will be.
The last drops of sake slipped down their throats. They grinned giddily.
"Yay!" Kagome and Yumi screamed as they leaped to their feet. "Bishonen-san and Megumi-san are married!"
They danced around spinning around the room as their childish giggles filled the air. Okita placed a hand on her transparent cheek and slowly leaned in. Megumi's arms wrapped around him. Their lips locked eyes closing passionately.
"Ooh," the two girls chimed curiously as they stared.
Blushing, she pulled away lowering her head shyly. He smiled pulling her close placing kisses over her face.
The door slid open. Smiling a small smile, Saitou walked inside.
"Saitou-san. . ." she purred as Okita nipped at her neck with a grin. "Do you mind watching the kids for tonight?"
". . . Sure..." he replied cautiously.
"YAY!" the girls cried as they ran off. "We get to the stay with the weird man tonight!"
A loud crash resounded from Saitou's room. Saitou turned towards them his mouth opening to speak. Before the words came, Okita and Megumi slipped through the wall suggestively grinning and giggling. Slowly, Saitou nodded to himself and sighed walking out of the room in search of the little ghosts wrecking his room.
(Author's note: Yes... I know ghosts probably can't have sex either. But you never know.. I've found lemons on this. O.o! Anyway, that's the end! Hope you liked it. : ) )