So here we are again my friends, and I hope that you are as excited as I. This is the final chapter of this particular installment and there will be more details about my next project upon its completion. I guess I should take this time to, yet again, say how sorry I am for not having posted sooner, but ya know what? I'm really not. I mean, I love writing these stories and I hope that I never have to stop, but I am also very proud of myself in the fact that I'm in college, have a full time summer job, and have an active social life. I can only hope that you all have the same. In any case, I guess we should continue on. As this is the final chapter, as many of you already know, it is also the longest one. I hope that it is enough to fill your stomachs until the second course is served, and remember that the gracious guest does not take a second helping until the host has finished eating. ENJOY :)
I do not own jin and touya nor yu yu hakusho (now with 100 more soy!)
As the dust began to settle over the battle ground, a new calm began to set in over the forest. Sazuka was not dead, they were all sure of this, but with the clown youkai now unconscious the final phase of Koenma's plan could be put into action. None of them had time to think about this, however, as there were but a few minutes left before the end of their world would come to pass, and even as they drew into themselves the very air which gave them life the precious seconds were escaping from them. Now, they would have to act.
Both Jin and Hiei were still injured from the battle with Sazuka, and it pained each of them to even stand on their own two feet. But still they managed to struggle upwards and carry themselves over to where Supika now stood. She had about her a look of intense concentration, made all the more visible by the folds in her forehead as she gazed upon the limp form of her ex-lover. Neither youkai wanted to say anything to her, fore they knew that she had just caused herself the greatest pain anyone could ever feel. It was one thing to harm an enemy, and quite another to cause pain to one who had BECOME your enemy. And so, for this reason, they let her be, and would even in the future never mention what had transpired on this day of days. "Soudo komaiyo. Jima higan nainda yo tsu…We haven't much time. We must take the bottles from him.". This the warrior goddess said to no one in particular, and yet both the fire and wind demon knew that she meant for them to do it. And so, without further hesitation, the two youkai climbed down into the crater and retrieved that which was more valuable to them . . .then a thousand lifetimes. . .
!#$&()
It was over now, and to Jin it seemed as though a thousand years had passed since he had first set out on what had become his most amazing adventure, and as he rose higher into the heavens he reflected on all that he had learned. He now realized, perhaps for the first time, that those whom he surrounded himself with could not always be trusted, but he believed that he was indeed wiser for the experience. But beyond that, Jin now knew that no matter where he turned, there would be someone willing to help in his most desperate times of need. Help had come to the wind master in forms he had never expected, and even now as his journey led to a close, he felt a though those who had been there would continue to be until the end of his days. All these things Jin now understood and, though they were happy ones, those truths were also riddled with the pains and regrets he now held deep within him. Fore no good deed goes unpunished, and no action, however pure, is done with complete selflessness. The truth of the matter was, the wind master had done all he had for the sake of one other, and it was to him that he now flew. Had it not been for Touya, Jin knew he would not have succeeded, and the worlds which he had just saved would lye in ruin. But that hardly mattered now. They had won, they HAD succeeded, and now they were on their way to claim their most valued prize.
!#$&()
The trip to the spirit world seemed to take forever as the demons soared over the acres of twisted white clouds. Botan, having accompanied and aided Supika on her trip to Hanging Neck Island, had made it possible for all three of the hero youkai to travel together, in that she once more allowed Supika passage on her oar, while Jin, yet again, held the fire demon tightly under his arms. But things, as things most always do, were finally starting to look up, and now the demonic trio could see a light at the end of what once had been a very long and very treacherous tunnel. Once they reached Koenma's, their tale would finally conclude, and with this closing, a new chapter of their lives could begin. It was like reading a favored story, one that you have read many times before. Though the characters remain the same, each time is like looking at it from another point of view . . . and you love it even more. In this way, the demons had all created their own stories, ones that they would tell for eternities to come. And though embellishments would be made, and exaggerations told, and parts added in, the feelings would remain the same, and now there would always be a happy ending.
!#$&()
Surprisingly enough, Koenma's plan had come to pass without a hitch, and in but a matter of weeks the makai and nigenkai seemed to be getting back to normal (though what was to be considered normal no one really knew). The spirit hunters were now no longer searching for the missing souls, and in turn people were now being permitted to pass on. Sazuka, though still unconscious, had been taken into the custody of the makai's finest spirit detectives (one Yusuke Urameshi not included) and was awaiting trial baring the complete revival of the three worlds. The young makai prince had also begun the paperwork to have both Kurama's and Touya's souls delivered back into their respective bodies, and it would be little more than a month before everything would be in order. Now there was nothing to do but wait. . .
!#$&()
Touya couldn't really remember much of anything anymore, and he really didn't want to try. After his soul had been placed back within his body, everything seemed unfamiliar, almost scary. Koenma had told him that it would take awhile before he would be able to move, or even regain consciousness, but somewhere deep inside of him the ice demon had wished the he would be the exception. Quietly, almost painfully, he waited while he became himself and could do little more than think as he rested in a constant state of limbo. But Touya didn't mind, if it meant that he would once more be alive to be with his beautiful Jin. In truth, this whole ordeal had had an impact on the ice warrior, and it was only now that he was able to see what was truly important in his life. His friend, his companion had fought for him, and in so doing put himself in incredible danger. Sure he made a few mistakes, but that could be overlooked. After all, hadn't HE also done things that he now regretted? Yes, he could overlook them, and any other mistakes that were sure to come about, fore that was just the way of things.
WHAT WAS THAT SONG HE USED TO SING TO ME? The ice demon now thought. HOW DID THAT GO? SOMETHING ABOUT ROADS? "ROADS GO EVER, EVER ON, OVER ROCK AND UNDER TREE. BY CAVES WHERE NEVER SUN HAS SHONE, BY STREAMS THAT NEVER FIND THE SEA. OVER SNOW BY WINTER SOWN, AND THROUGH THE MERRY FLOWERS OF JUNE. OVER GRASS AND OVER STONE, AND UNDER THE MOUNTAINS IN THE MOON!" SUCH AN IDIOTIC SONG, AND HE NEVER DID FINISH IT. BUT. . .BUT STILL I CAN HEAR HIM SINGING IT. . . EVEN NOW.
"Roads go ever, ever on,
Over rock and under tree.
By caves where never sun has shown,
By streams that never find the sea.
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June.
Over grass and over stone,
And under the mountains in the moon!"
WHY DOES HE KEEP SINGING THAT? CAN'T HE SEE I'M TRYING TO REST. HUH . . . ALWAYS LIKE HIM. NEVER GIVING ME A CHANCE TO SLEEP. WELL, NOT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TELL HIM STRAIGHT OFF.
And the ice master opened his eyes then, guided by the voice of his long time friend and protector, and it was as though he were doing it for the first time. His eyes were new and had been replaced by the finest doctors the makai had to offer. But Touya seemed not to realize that now, as he had been in the dark for far too long. All he knew now, was that he was staring at perhaps the most beautiful creature in all the three worlds, with eyes that shined like diamonds and hair that burned like fire when the sun shown upon it.
"Hey there Touya, glad ta be seein' ya awake. Thought that maybe ya'd be sleepin' forever on me . . . but then . . . ya never really were one for wakin' up on time were ya?" He winked and then turned his face towards the field that lay before them. They were outside, at Touya's favorite place, where he had once told Jin that felt the most alive, and it was all the ice demon could have asked for. "I uh. . . was finishin' somethin' while you were bein' asleep. Though ya might like ta be hearin' it.
Roads go ever, ever on,
Over rock and under tree.
By caves where never sun has shown,
By streams that never find the sea.
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June.
Over grass and over stone,
And under the mountains in the moon!
Roads go ever, ever on,
Under cloud and under star.
Though feet wand'ring have gone far,
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen,
And horror in the halls of stone.
Look at last on meadows green,
And trees and hills they long have known. . ."
For a long time after that the wind master said nothing, fore everything that needed to be, had been through his song. And Touya himself wouldn't have had it any other way. Like them, their song now had an ending, and it was one in which everything seemed to come together. It was enough, and for Touya there could be no greater joy than this. And though he had already passed on and had seen the heavens, the ice master felt as though he were back there. Of course, it was not exactly the same, but it was close enough. Yes. And even as he lay there unmoving in the meadow with nothing but the lingering notes of Jin's song upon the wind to embrace him, Touya was indeed in paradise.
YES. He thought. EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT AMONG THE CLOUDS, I MUST SURELY BE THERE AGAIN. JUST BEING WITH HIM . . . IT MAKES ME . . . HE MUST BE . . . MY SOMETHING CLOSE TO HEAVEN. . .
Wow, this has certainly been a long road for us hasn't it? Thank you all for being there for me and for being so supportive through this entire series. I know we've had a few rough patches and other nasty bumps, but I like to think that there were more good times than bad. We shared laughs, tears, and heartache as we traveled through this tangled web. We bit our nails and sat on the edge of our seats together and waited even though it seemed like there was no hope. I think, in that respect, we truly are a family and it will be hard to see you all go. Ending this series is like saying good-bye to an old friend. It is part of me, and part of all of you as well. I hope you take this series as being more of an experience than just simply a story, fore that was what I was hoping for. I wanted all of you to get a glimpse of who I was, and I hope that I have become a worthy person for your praise. But I hope to one day write more stories (though I can't say exactly when or what about), and I hope that you all will send me ideas that you would like to see written. Who knows, maybe it could turn out to be a whole new series. :) I would also like to ask the same of any new readers that happen to come across my stories and read them to this point. Please feel free to review me at anytime, even if it's a year from now or even a day. I love you all. . . and. . .thank you.
Love always,
The-Sixth-Shinobi
ENJOY:)
