a/n: ONE MORE CHAPTER!
25. aftermath
While Utsuro had slowly began to die as a result of the Altana radiation permeating in his blood, he'd been wrenched back inside his subconsciousness at the hands of his alter-ego, who'd taken it upon himself to paint an image of a place that he thought he'd never see again.
The two of them were standing next to each other on the cliffs, but this time, it was Utsuro who was tightly bound, surrounded by the Naraku.
Maybe this had been the start of his death. The beginning, of an ending.
Yoshida Shoyou - a phantom by now - had stood in front of him, seemingly unfazed by the scenery, and had commented, "Was this all you wished for, that day?"
Utsuro looked at him, and was reminded of why he had always detested this part of himself.
Shoyou had always represented the better path - the path he couldn't ever manage to bring himself to do, for it meant that he would have had to acknowledge that not all humans were worthless. And if he had understood that, he would have lost himself in his despair, for his hatred for humanity had been the only thing to give him a reason to live throughout his seemingly endless life.
"How did you do it?" he snarled at his alter-ego. "How did you figure out my weakness, when I couldn't do it myself?"
Shoyou smiled. "Every action has a reaction. You might have destroyed a hundred planets, but each time you did, I noticed you became a little weaker. Taking in different types of Altana doesn't work for us immortals, I suppose."
Behind Utsuro was Gintoki, this time no longer in tears, his eyes resolute.
Takasugi walked next to him, equally as calm.
Neither of them could see Shoyou's ghost, but this time, without a word, the two of them had simply taken out their swords.
Silently, Takasugi plunged his sword into Utsuro's stomach, and withdrew it.
Then Gintoki stood behind Utsuro, shifting his stance ever so slightly before swinging his sword, cleanly decapitating Utsuro's persona.
And there was Katsura, standing nearby to make sure that it had been a clean job.
With a kind smile towards his beloved students, Shoyou turned away.
He still had his final goodbyes to say to them.
-x-
When Shoyou came to, he wasn't surprised that that Takasugi had been clinging on to him, weeping openly and without shame as Gintoki and Katsura stood next to him, their expressions just as heartbreaking as the ones they held the day on the cliffs.
He lifted his hand, stroking Takasugi's hair with what little strength he had left.
"Shinsuke... it's okay."
"Sensei!"
Now Gintoki and Katsura dropped to their knees, having recognized the gentle voice that had raised them since they were young boys.
Slowly, Shoyou turned his head towards them, feasting his eyes on his former students.
They were still so very young.
Unlike Utsuro, he wished for them to live long and prosperous lives.
"My little samurai," he said softly. "Thank you."
"Must you go, Sensei?" Katsura asked, his lip trembling. "Surely your blood would allow you to live once again."
"No. I must die if I am to fully vanquish Utsuro." At that, their faces were crestfallen.
He tried his best to console them. "Please do not despair. I have been waiting for this day for a very, very long time..."
His hand fell to the ground uselessly. "I am sorry that I couldn't protect you three back then."
"But you did! You always have!" Now Takasugi's voice - strangled with the swell of anguish - was reduced to a whisper. "Back when our school burned down - I always knew you left to protect us. We - we always knew that - "
His voice broke off, unable to continue.
"Nevertheless, I should have done more." Shoyou smiled sadly. Now his head turned to Gintoki, who had remained silent through the entire exchange.
"Gintoki... "
"Yes, Sensei?"
"I'm so proud of you."
He would never forget about the kind boy who had bravely persisted in lifting his sword that day on the cliffs, selflessly serving others without a second thought. Shoyou would never forget that, would never forgive himself for doing that to him, despite that it'd all been done to save his cherished students. That boy who had always lifted his bokken, again and again, no matter how many times Shoyou would knock him down...
"Sensei - I - " Now Gintoki's eyes grew damp as well, his throat seized with an unspeakable sadness, making it hard to speak.
Nevertheless, he persisted. "Sensei, I never told you thank you. For everything you did."
"What good is a teacher for if he expects endless gratitude from his students?" Shoyou remarked wryly, lifting his hand to place it over Gintoki's, to reassure him that there was nothing wrong with him. "You don't have to thank me for anything. Your soul is clean. You should be proud of yourself."
With his absolution granted, he now turned to Katsura.
"Kotarou, thank you."
He looked stricken, already bereft with grief. "But I didn't do anything."
"You brought Shinsuke to our school. And whether these two will admit it or not, you're the reason why this country, this nation... it will become an infinitely better place with your thoughts and actions."
Their teacher sighed deeply, wishing with all his heart that he had more time to spend with his students. "Our nation is on the brink of collapse. Kotarou... I wish for you to use your brilliant intellect to heal our country. Can you promise me that?"
"I can," Katsura answered, his eyes determined. "And I will."
It was with utter melancholy that Shoyou's eyes now turned to Takasugi, who had finally wiped his tears away with the sleeve of his uniform.
Shinsuke had always been the most sensitive of them all, even if he pretended otherwise. The day he stepped foot into the dojo of the school, green eyes intent on defeating Shoyou, life had changed for all of them, Gintoki included.
"Thank you for being so brave," Shoyou said quietly.
"But I'm not."
"You are. You are a hero to your men. Please never forget that."
"Sensei... I'm no hero. I'm barely a samurai."
"Shinsuke. You are more than enough." Shoyou's eyesight was beginning to fade, but he could still feel the warmth of his student's hand. "You have done so brilliantly well, to find your path as a proper samurai. So do not despair, or grieve for me any longer than necessary... And if you can... tell Oboro and Mukuro that I loved them, right to the very end... "
Takasugi gripped his teacher's hand, and rested his forehead on it, choking back a sob. "I promise that I will, Shoyou-sensei. I promise."
His eyes finally closed, and his heart felt at peace.
-x-
The inter-galactic space battle hadn't lasted too long, considering that the weapon of mass destruction had been rendered completely obsolete. Once the announcement came that Utsuro was finally defeated, the Naraku had scattered into disarray, escaping entirely as would be expected for an army of assassins.
The Altana Liberation army had thankfully rendered most of the zombies immobile with their synthetic Altana weapons - but they'd also have to burn the bodies soon. It was too much of a liability to leave such corpses behind, especially in the hands of a greedy, battle-prone universe. Mukuro supposed the battle had been lost when there was no general to lead them.
Her job wasn't over, though.
With a certain set of skills that shouldn't have been honed for a nine-year-old, she tracked down the location of Oboro - and had found the spaceship that he'd been lying on to be completely abandoned, deserted in the midst of their surrender.
His body was still fairly warm.
Gently, she turned him over, leaving the gaping wound to his chest exposed. The pool of blood was beginning to turn dark, but his heart was still beating.
Taking out a small vial of Shoyou-sensei's blood, she poured a very small amount over the wound, and then stepped back. The rest would be reserved for Umibouzu, who had deserved every other drop of the precious liquid.
Oboro never wanted to live forever. But as long as there were other members of the Naraku walking around, the nation would never truly be at peace. And so, when Mukuro saw her mentor rising up from death, gasping for air, she could only feel somewhat bittersweet about it, knowing which path Oboro would have ultimately preferred.
-x-
When Kankou woke up in the hospital wing, there were two things he noticed.
One was Kamui, who was quietly sleeping next to him, resting his small head on the side of the bed while sitting on his stool.
Two, was a piece of paper stuffed in his hand.
He gingerly unwrapped the note, taking care not to wake his son.
Under your pillow, it said. He lifted it, and found a vial of dark liquid.
Smiling, he tucked it quickly into his shirt pocket, making sure that no one could see. He then patted his son's head, thinking it was about time they all went home for good.
-x-
Takasugi wouldn't let go of his teacher's body after Shoyou-sensei died, and it had taken Gintoki and Katsura about half an hour to convince him to leave it in the Harusame's sick bay under strict orders that no one was to touch it except for them three.
The orders from essentially every planet that had sent troops to the Liberation Army had been very explicit about what to do in the aftermath of the battle - inject them with Altana radiation, burn the bodies, and dump the ashes into the nearest body of water. No one was willing to risk resurrecting another Utsuro if they could help it.
All three of them were tired to the bone. Still, there was a grand sense of triumph - a sort of general contentment as they made their way to a makeshift canteen, which was serving up hot meals to the surviving soldiers from the Altana Liberation Army.
Fuck, when was the last time they'd slept?
Gintoki yawned, and was thinking about curling up somewhere - maybe a comfortable chair, or a particularly soft patch of grass - when there was a loud commotion at the entrance of the building the soldiers had taken momentary refuge in.
"It's the Shogun!" someone shouted.
Instantly Takasugi reached for his sword, intent on pulling it out before Katsura stopped him.
"This one is different," he said.
"How?" the commander snarled. Shoyou's blood still was fresh on his uniform, and though he had been in a state of emotional distress only an hour ago, it wouldn't stop him from killing what he still considered - rightfully, in his opinion - his mortal enemies.
"Zura is right," Gintoki said, though his eyes were narrowed in suspicion. "This one is different. But he's definitely got some balls on him to come right into the enemy's den, if you ask me."
The crowd parted, the Amanto knowing better than to tread on the Shogun. He hadn't signed at least fifty inter-galactic treaties by now for nothing.
He was dressed in simple, but elegant clothing - and there was nothing in his eyes to suggest that he was intent on arresting them. Next to him were a few members of the Mimawarigumi, and some of the stronger Oniwabanshu had tailed him. Despite their many differences in ideology, Katsura was oddly glad to see that the leader of the country was still alive.
In fact, he had been the first one to stand up from the table, giving the noblemen a short bow. "Shogun-sama. To what do we owe the honor?"
Shigeshige shook his head. "No... it is I who owe you gentlemen the honor."
Without further ado, he gave them a deep bow.
Now both Takasugi and Gintoki jumped on their feet, alarmed by his posture. "No need!" Gintoki said, his hands raised in modesty. "We were just doing what needed to be done. That's all."
The Shogun straightened himself up, but his eyes were still incredibly kind and forgiving. "No. What I saw today from a protected fortress wasn't simply men who were fighting against the country."
He paused, clearing his throat for a short moment before continuing. "Jouishishi or not, you were fighting for the soul of the nation. And I, as ruler of this country, would be ashamed if I didn't recognize that."
Takasugi sneered, one not fooled easily by easy praise. "And what good are your pretty words, Shogun-sama, if our own men were slaughtered and imprisoned by the Bakufu?"
He was not afraid of being imprisoned anymore. If Shoyou-sensei had wanted him to kowtow to the government that had thrown his beloved teacher into jail, planned or not, he would have much preferred to commit hara-kiri than to do so such a thing.
Katsura gave him a sharp glare. "Takasugi - "
"No, no, he's right you know." Now the Shogun smiled sadly at them, knowing at least in theory their struggles; he was intelligent enough to understand the implications of his presence in uncharted territory. "But with Utsuro's defeat, my uncle's death, and the eradication of the Tenshoin Naraku, I am sure we can turn the tide against the sins we've inflicted against our own people."
Slowly, but surely, the Shogun had been gathering a few more allies on the way. He would do anything to repair the divisions sown during the civil war.
"I'd like to invite you all to my castle, so that we could talk about the future of our nation. I understand if you can't, but... I've always been kept away from knowing the struggles of the common man. It would be useful, for once, if I understood what I could do for the samurai."
He turned away, his message given. It was up to them to decide what to do after that.
"My men will be waiting for you outside - just send the word if you are even half-way interested. And of course... thank you for all that you've done."
-x-
They had argued about it for an hour.
Katsura had been supportive of it. Gintoki had been neutral, as he always was when it came to the matter of politics. Takasugi had flat out refused, but Katsura was starting to change his mind bit by bit.
"They'll arrest us and cut our heads on the spot," Takasugi argued.
"But he set foot here - knowing that his head was in danger - "
"They've betrayed us more than once," the commander said, growling. "Remember the Kansai Purge, remember the damn villages we set foot in - or have you already forgotten those things, Zura?"
Katsura turned to Gintoki. "What do you think?"
The samurai tilted his head. "I think you're both right."
"Gintoki... "
"On one hand... God knows how many friends we've lost out there fighting the Bakufu's lackeys. On the other hand... I saw what he said, the day of the battle. He's someone who believes in what we fought for."
Now his eyes were lowered. "I just think that for all the time Sensei put in, to save this world, even when humans hated and despised him... I'd like to protect it, now that there's a chance that things might change for the better. So that's why I'll go to the Shogun. If they arrest us, I'll just have Umibouzu's men break us out again. It's only fair. We're practically galaxy war heroes at this point, don't you think? We should have immunity by now."
Takasugi couldn't argue against this.
Deep down, he'd been tired of feeling bitter and angry all the time. He wasn't sure of the full extent of what Gintoki or Katsura had known - but he'd read enough of Shoyou's journals to understand the utter depths of Utsuro's suffering through the thousand years he'd been alive.
He'd be damned if he turned that way; Utsuro's extent of hating humanity had been cruel and unusual.
And so they found themselves in different suites - the Shogun's castle had been spared most of the damage thanks to the combined forces of the Oniwabanshu and the Mimawarigumi troops - and the three of them had gathered once again in Gintoki's room, now freshened up and no longer grimy from the aftermath of battle.
He'd even managed to sneak in an hour long nap.
Even though the Shogun had personally invited them, he was still an incredibly busy man, dealing with the aftermath of the battle - and so they were still waiting for the meeting to come. Katsura had - of course he had, the zany genius that he was - brought a deck of UNO cards, and while the other two never cared for such things, they found themselves playing the game anyway without their usual complaints.
They all had missed the easy comradeship, the shared brotherhood that had lasted more than a decade, and then some. Even with the everlasting grief of losing their teacher not once, but twice at their hands, couldn't dampen their spirits, not when grudges were momentarily lifted.
"How did you guys find out about Sensei?" Takasugi finally asked, when Gintoki had crowned himself as the victor of the first round.
He hadn't asked the question yet, because during the battle he hadn't wanted to tear apart that fleeting, fragile, moment of coming together again. Not when Sensei's wish was still looming in the air and the threat to humanity was still hanging over their heads. But now seemed a better time than any to get to know all of them once more.
He'd have to speak to Gintoki soon about what had happened that day with Sensei - but something told him that maybe they'd have a bit longer this time, to talk about everything.
"Believe it or not, the Amanto were the ones who showed me the freaky footage of Utsuro coming back alive," Gintoki said. "That baldy broke me out of jail, and I didn't believe him at first."
Katsura lifted his eyebrow. "It was Gintoki who told me about it. He was recruiting for the army at the time."
Gintoki was now shuffling the cards, passing them out one by one. "And what about you?"
Now Takasugi laughed darkly. "You wouldn't believe it even if I told you."
"Oi, oi, I was the one fighting with a goddamn saber beam. We're not being traditional anymore," Gintoki said, annoyed at Takasugi's melodramatics. "Give me your worst shot."
Now the commander smiled. "It was Oboro who told me everything. He was the crow who stabbed my eye."
The looks of horror on their faces had been worth keeping it a secret until now.
Gintoki leaned towards him, cards already forgotten. "No fucking way."
Katsura was just as shocked. "How on earth did that happen?"
He'd remember this, and would cherish the memory. Even later, when the Shogun had finally met them in his expansive hall, and had talked to them for hours and hours on end about more important matters, such as reparations for the samurai, justice for the wronged - it would be these things that would be burned into his memory, for the little meetings, the banter, the reconciliation that they all wished for - they were ultimately the things that had always made life worth living.
They were all students of Shoka Sonjuku - and he'd been a fool to turn his back on them. That was what he had realized, at the end of it all.
-x-
When they stepped out of the palace, the morning sun was just starting to break over the horizon. The three of them stared it for a while, knowing that it was time for them to separate ways again.
A new dawn. It was symbolic, like so many things they shared together in the past.
"I have to go see my men," Katsura said, breaking the silence as they looked at him. "They're waiting for me back in Choshu. Things have changed, and for the better."
"I'll be looking for the rest of the crows. I have to fulfill Sensei's promise, and to bury his ashes properly," Takasugi said. His sword was still fastened to his back. "And what about you, Gintoki?"
"Look at you two. What a fine time to become proper samurai, serving the Bakufu," Gintoki complained. "Unlike you assholes, I have no more intentions of serving this ungrateful country anymore. My job is done. I'm going to Yoshiwara, and getting myself a proper drink. It's what I deserve after saving the goddamn galaxy."
Katsura had sighed with disappointment, but Takasugi simply looked amused. Though all of them were tired to the bone, what Gintoki had just said had reminded him of a memory from long ago.
Gya gya gya gya gya... How annoying; are you guys in heat? If you wanna train, do it at your temple school. Haven't you spoiled brats learned how to play hooky?
He started to laugh, turning away from the white haired samurai.
"Never change, Gintoki," he said, grinning, and if someone had been looking more carefully, they could've sworn there was a twinkle in his eye.
Katsura just smiled at the two of them, content.
He knew things were going to be okay now.
-x-
This time he simply just sat on one of the rooftop balconies with a flask of spirits for company. There had been a bit of damage to the red light district, but as it'd been a fair enough distance away from the now destroyed Terminal, people had already made their way back, and life was mostly back to normal.
She'd spotted him from afar, and eventually made her way, sitting next to him without a word.
He swirled the sake in his cup, smiling at the sight of the Shinigami Dayuu. "Want a drink?"
Tsukuyo chuckled. "Don't think so. I tend to destroy things when I've had anything to drink."
"Heh, so you're saying that you're a drunk terminator?" He finished his cup easily, and poured himself another drink. "That's too bad. I was in a mood to celebrate, you know."
Maybe it'd been the sun or something in the air that would cause her to say reckless things. "We could celebrate in other ways."
He nearly choked at that, and she had laughed at catching him off-kilter, for once.
-x-
Part of what makes Sakata Gintoki such an excellent swordsman was his ability to play along with leaps and adjustments to the mood in the battle, his willingness to throw one line of action overboard as soon as it was exhausted, attacking the problem from a different angle with no pause for breath.
This time isn't any different, even if this isn't exactly a battle.
He adjusts his attitude again when Tsukuyo keeps her hands to herself, smirking. There's a subtle shift in their power dynamic now, and he's half convinced that she's torturing him with her keeping an almost painful distance away from him, her body language reading neutral as they walk the entire way to an almost empty teahouse. He doesn't get his hopes up even when she books a room for the two of them. As they walk upstairs, he's already resigning himself to a night of disappointment.
That is, until she unlocks the door to their room with the key, pulling them inside. And then all of a sudden, her hands are all over him, cupping his face while they're kissing, and then her fingers get tangled in his hair, sliding down his back, over his hips, pulling him close to her. He steers them into the bedroom - a long, staggering path, right until he throws her onto the futon - and before she realizes it, he finds himself on top of her, heavy and solid.
"Fucking tsundere," he growls, and she giggles, because she thinks him being angry at her like this is sexy. "You almost tricked me."
She stops laughing when his expression softens, and one of his hands move to take off one of her hair clips.
"Hey, Tsukuyo."
"Yeah?"
"I love you. You know that, right?"
Maybe the timing isn't perfect. He's not great at these kind of interactions, because for a long time, all he's ever known is how to hold a sword. But if there's one woman out there in the world who might be able to handle him for who he is, it's probably the one lying underneath him, right now.
She reaches out, and places a hand on his cheek. "Yeah."
Then they get straight to business, never ones to beat around the bush. He peels off all her clothes, pressing his mouth to her neck, and she starts panting as he pushes a finger inside her, wet and warm and willing.
As usual, the wave of pleasure rolls over her like a hazy drug. His fingers are relentless, and if he kept that sort of pace up, she was going to reach climax pretty soon.
"Hah - Gintoki - "
"You're not allowed to come yet," he orders her, as if he can read her mind. "I've worked really goddamn hard for this, so you'd better make it worth my time."
It occurs to him that this is the first time that they've been together during the daytime rather than the night. There are still things he hasn't noticed about her, even though this isn't their first time rolling in the hay. The nicks and small scars scattered across her skin that match his own - they just add to the intrigue, rather than detracting from it.
He thinks there's a chance that this could go on forever. So he selfishly indulges himself this time, right in between the folds of her skin, her lips, and her body.
-x-
She smokes on the balcony, wearing his haori after a whole, lazy afternoon of pure debauchery. He'd convinced her to take off work for today, and in a bout of complete insanity, she had uncharacteristically agreed.
In between rounds of sex - because at this point, there's really no use pretending that such activities isn't what they're really here for, especially in the middle of Yoshiwara - they talk. He sort of gives her a short summary of everything that's happened since the last time they've met, but she also has questions. He tries his best to answer them all.
After their third roll around the hay, she goes down to ask the receptionist to order the two of them a late lunch and comes back fifteen minutes later.
"You know, you're pretty famous," she says, lighting up her kiseru. Gintoki hasn't bothered to put his clothes back on - one, because Tsukuyo's wearing them at the moment, and he likes the look of them, draped over his woman - and two, it's also because he's hoping for another round before she has to leave for her evening shift. Instead, he just pours himself another drink, enjoying the fact that no one's here to boss him around anymore except for the one sitting in front of him. For today, he's a free man without any more obligations to weigh him down.
"Oh? Would've never guessed."
She hits him on the shoulder. "Dumbass. I mean with the last event that happened in Edo. There's talks of press conferences all around the universe. Rumors of peace treaties. The government releasing classified information of what happened during the war."
He yawns. "The only thing that matters to me is that I'm not a war criminal anymore. I know the Shogun's in charge of all that stuff, but I just asked him to clear me of all charges."
It's not that he's one hundred percent scot-free from all his duties; the battle isn't completely resolved yet. In a few weeks, he's going to a funeral; he's going to return Enshou's beam saber, and pay respects to the prince's grave. Maybe he'll even do one press conference, to find out what it's like to see himself on TV. But after that, he's done with this life.
He doesn't want to be the Shiroyasha anymore. He just wants a simple life, without the burden of any more promises he can't keep.
She blinks. "You're not going to get involved?"
Now he rolls over to his other side, facing her with a smile.
"Nah. You're more important."
-x-
- tbc -
-x-
a/n: Epilogue coming up. WOW. I can't believe I'm finally here.
Also, writing this stuff made me miss being in a long-distance relationship, LOL.