FINAL CHAPTER !
Hijikata didn't reach Benten Fortress.
Even with the reinforcements Hijikata had sent, the fortress couldn't hold against the Imperial Army and surrendered.
Eventually they took Hakodate as well, and the army of the Republic of Ezo was forced to surrender.
Just as spring came to Ezo, the war the Shinsengumi had fought for so long came to an end.
I heard later that it had been Otori who convinced the army to surrender peacefully.
Better to live and see the future than die and be denied it. …Just the sort of thing I expected from Otori.
The Imperial Army had recognized Enomoto's skill, and spared his life, sending him to prison instead of the executioner.
Somehow, Shimada had survived the final, fierce battle, and escaped unscathed.
When I'd asked what he intended to do, he'd laughed, and said he'd probably open a school of swordsmanship in Kyoto.
Every time I see cherry blossoms bloom, I remember what had happened at Ezo.
How many lives were lost, and how many patriots had fought and died for what they'd believed in.
But perhaps most of all, I remember the time I spent with Hijikata.
"They're so beautiful…"
Pirouetting and dancing on each breeze of wind, the cherry petals brushed against my skin like silk, each one bringing a tiny wiff of the smell of new life.
Whenever I see the colors of spring, I remember that wonderful time.
…The time he spent by my side.
"You really like cherry blossoms that much, huh?"
He looked at me, his mouth twisted into a small grin.
"Yeah."
I probably looked rather silly but I didn't feel embarrassed by it anymore.
"I like them because they remind me of you."
He looked at me in serene contemplation for a moment, then let his grin spread across his face into a smile.
"Well, I like 'em too. They remind me of you."
His voice, soft and quiet, threw my mind into chaos.
I could feel my face flush. When he spoke to me like that, there was no hiding my feelings.
I doubt I'll every grow used to his voice. The very sound of it sets my heart to beating.
"I've been worried about the end coming, lately…"
Suddenly, his tone is serious.
"I never get bored when I'm with you. Sometimes, I wish I could live forever."
"Oh…"
It was a wish that I secretly shared.
As a fury, Hijikata had spent his future in exchange for power in the present. How much he had spent, we couldn't know. His life could end tomorrow.
If he could live forever, then that fear of the unknown would disappear.
…But I knew that could never be.
"It'd probably be an easy way to go… Just accept that I'm used up, and wither away…"
His voice was still calm and gentle, but his gaze had drifted somewhere far away.
"…But I don't want that. I'll fight to stay alive as long as I can."
As he finished, his eyes turned to me and his mouth curled up into a warm smile.
"I don't want us to be apart…"
I would stay and fight with him, until the end was last upon us, so that I could look death in the eye and say we'd made the most of what we'd had.
"I want to stay with you as long as I can."
His smile twitched with a momentary smirk.
"…You cry so easily, I'd feel pretty bad if I left you behind."
"Oh…"
He was right. Without my even noticing, tears had begun to roll down my cheeks. I blinked in surprise, but that hardly helped.
Just when I thought I'd learned to put on a brave face for him…
"Sorry, Hijikata. I didn't mean to make you worry…"
He grinned.
"You're mine, right?"
"Hijikata…"
His words were short and to the point, but his voice was full of tenderness.
"If you're mine," he continued, "Then that means I'm responsible for you. I'm here to look out for you. I worry about you 'cause I want to, so don't be blaming yourself. And that's why it's also my duty to wipe your tears. You'll never have to cry alone."
"Then…"
I looked up at him and smiled.
"You're mine too, right?"
All mine, every wonderful part of him.
"Then I'm responsible for you too. If you cry, I'll wipe your tears."
He laughed.
"There's no beating you, is there?"
Surrounded by cherry blossoms, we sat as springtime returned to the north.
Next year, and the year after that, I wanted to watch spring unfold with him. I wanted more happy memories like this one. And I wanted the day that we would be separated to never come…
FIN
(And there you have it! Now be sure to buy Hakuoki for the PSP, 3DS, or in the near future in May for the PS3 so that you can see the other stories and also so you can experience every intense moment of Hijikata the proper way! I'll be buying that one(PS3 Hakuoki) next! Can't wait! Bye now!)