Chapter 5: I Trust You

"Now, let us begin the ceremony." An old man stood at the sakura tree. The couple truly looked beautiful. Kagura was in a red and white chinese styled goddess dress. Her hair was snapped back with a butterfly hairclip. Gin was in his wedding kimono, "Make your vows, and seal the bond with a kiss."

"Kagura," Gin looked at her, speaking even without a script, "For the past 3 years, we've been through a lot. Our meeting wasn't exactly elegant, but over the time, I started to fall in love with you. I knew I wanted to be with you. One day, I had the courage to ask you out. I asked, 'Kagura, I love you. Let's go getf some ramen.' My hands were shaking. You replied, 'I love you too. Let's go get some ramen.' and laughed. We realized that we were both too shy to ask each other, and a common moment like that was enough. We've been going out for an entire year, and I know you're the girl I want to be with forever. I love you Kagura."

"Gin…" Kagura rubbed at her eyes and said her speech, "The person who took me in when I was lost on earth, you were like a father to me, but then I found myself slowly falling in love with you. All the adventures we had, they were dangerous, but so much fun at the same time. I always risked my life to protect you from the people who wished to hurt you. I never wanted to see you leave. I want to be with you forever, Gin. I love you." The couple, who had been just friends, then lovers, finished those histories in one kiss. They were now husband and wife. Everyone clapped, their cheers made the couple blush and smile.

"Let's sing!" Kagura laughed as she held her husband's hand, running to the stage, "Wait here, Gin. I'm going to sing with my mother and sister for a celebration."

"You can sing?" he chuckled. She conked him over the head.

"Of course I can!" All three of them took their places, but then her mother did something unexpected.

"Mama!!!" Kagura called as Kanade rose to her feet out of her wheelchair. She took her violin and bow to begin, but she went to the microphone.

"Everyone, I thank you for coming to my daughter's wedding. I am truly grateful." Today, Kanade bowed in a beautiful frilly sun dress with a white straw hat, "I used to be a rough yato clansmen who could think of nothing but killing. I admit my sins. However, my father, who had given up his ways, changed me with one item. This violin, which he so loved to play. Since then, I replaced my violence with violin. Because of my change in behavior, I was able to meet my husband when performing on earth, have 2 wonderful daughters, and now have an amazing son-in-law. Sadly, I will not be able to live for much longer. I may die today. I feel it. But I want to sing one last song with my daughters."

"Mama…!" Kagura sobbed with Kaede.

"Some last things… Okita-kun." Everyone turned around to the spoken, "You'd better hurry, or else the maple leaf will escape your hand's reach." Lots of people didn't understand, but Okita and Kaede did. They blushed, "Raizou, I love you, and I was fortunante to marry a good man, like my eldest daughter is today. Gintoki, I trust you with Kagura, my lovely daughter who I gave birth to." She took up her violin as her daughters wiped away their tears.

"Our song, 'Another World'." Kagura told everyone.

Tones of thoughts are running through my head.

Where should I start talking from?

You used to be my best friend,

But now it seems we can't get back to that.

Climbing up the steep road to my house,

Looking at the golden world, with you.

Smashed up pieces of my dreams of you, let me gather them together,

Close to me, close to you, I want to be beside you.

I won't let this end, another world is beginning.

Before the song ended, Raizou took his wife and hugged her from behind. Applause roared, but in between the praise, Kagura, Kaede, and even Raizou cried. Gin hugged his wife. He knew what had happened. Kagura and Kaede's dear mother, Raizou's wife… Kanade… Was 37 years old. And she died in Raizou's arms peacefully.

"Here, Kanade wanted to give this to you." Raizou passed Kagura the keys the next day.

"What are these the keys to?"

"Your new house. Sorry, it's a bit cheap, but Kanade wanted you to have it no matter what."

"Mama… Papa… Thank you."

"Are you sure you don't wanna come home?" he patted his daughter.

"I have a new life here, Papa."

"I know. It's just… I only have one daughter left…" she saw a tear fall from his eye.

"Papa…"

"Kaede!" he rubbed it off, "We're going now!"

"…Yes, Papa…" she nodded softly and held her bag in her hands.

"Come on, let's go." He brought his daughter outside.

"Goodbye Kaede…" Kagura hugged her sister.

"Yeah…" she looked over to Gintoki. Kaede ran over to him and hugged him.

"Ah…!?"

"Take good care of my sister, OK?" He nodded.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Okita?"

"Oh, I think he has work today…" she laughed it off, "See you!"

"Kaede…" Kagura sighed.

"Don't worry." Gin patted her on the head, "I think he'll know what to do."

"…Let's go, Kaede. We'll see mom back home at the graveyard." He mumbled to her at the Terminal.

"…Mm." she nodded. But from the corner of her hearing, she heard thumping footsteps, desperate ones.

"Kaede…!" Okita still kept his cool a little and panted. How far did he run???

"Okita-kun!" she was surprised.

"You're a great excuse for getting out of work." He smirked.

"Is that it? Well, I'll be leaving." She turned around, but no sooner had she done that, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a full-blown hug.

"Don't go. Who the hell am I going to fight with if you leave…?" he tightened his grip.

"Okita-kun…!" tears fell from her eyes.

"Do you want to stay, Kaede…?" Raizou walked up to them.

"…Papa… I know you're afraid of me becoming like Mama… Feeling the rays of the human sun and dying. But I want to stay here! Papa…!"

"…I thought so." He scratched his head.

"Eh?"

"I lied when I said Mama's home. She's been buried in the flower field where we met on Earth. I knew you'd fall in love with Earth so much, you wouldn't want to come back, just like Kagura. Before we left, Kanade and I decided to sell the apartment and buy two new houses here with money Kanade earned in the last year by performing her music."

"Papa…!"

"I'll be living at one of the houses, and the other was for Gin and Kagura. Come live with me, Kaede."

"I will, Papa…!" she nodded. Okita held her tight, not showing much emotion, but on the inside, he was so relieved.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Gin…" Kagura came into the room at night, her body wet from her bath, "Let's do it tonight."

"Kagura…?"

"I want you to hold me…" she lay by him, "Please…"

"Kagura…" He knew she was hurting. Her heart was hurt from her mother's death. Gin once again arched over her and started to kiss her passionantely. This wasn't like their usual kiss. Their tongues danced with each other as Gin pulled off his shirt, and Kagura pulling off hers. They embraced, feeling the sheets in between their legs. Kagura made slightly painful cries here and there, and he stroked her face.

"Sorry…" he told her, "It's harder for the girl than the guy, huh…?"

"A little, but… I'm fine." She pulled him down again, he licked her ear. Kagura felt like she was melting, melting into him. After, they both panted, and she turned over to him.

"Thank you, Gin…"

"Kagura…" he held her bare body in his arms, "I love you."

"…What's wrong?" Kagura said to a silent Gin, seeing his face was different than it was a few moments earlier.

"…Kagura. There's a training for troops that's going to last for a few months. I need to go." He kissed her, "I can't bring you with me. If the young guys knew there was an amanto…"

"…All right." She nodded, "You've got to do it, right? I have Sadaharu here. It's fine." She smiled.

"Thank you." He hugged her tight.