"Forever turning, this world goes on. Finally, the aftermath…"
Haise stood facing Kaiko Kaneki as the former leader of V nods at him in greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Haise Sasaki. Kaneki wanted me to do something for you?" Haise nods and shakes his hand. "This world has lost its guiding hand. Never mind the fact that Yasuhisa was not the right person for the job, you're already experienced in leading from the shadows. Now I ask that you lead from on high. To effectively take the place as Keeper…."
Kaiko raises an eyebrow. "Well no that is a hefty task. So what you're saying as is that I'm the only person who can keep an eye on everything considering my… past experience… What makes you think I'm trustworthy?" Haise simply cocks his head slightly to the side. "Well because you were defeated by Ken Kaneki of course. You've changed. Don't try to hide it…" This had been Kaneki's last request of Akhira Kanou who now lay dead along with the Keeper and Rize Kamishiro. Haise now looks to the railing at the side of the rood where three newcomers had just arrived.
Tooru Mutsuki and Saiko Yonebashi stood beside a hooded man who pull it back and smiles at him. "Haise Sasaki. It's been a long time since we last spoke together. Congratulations". Sasaki smiles at the old man and opens his arms wide as the two women Investigators rush into his arms. "Well met, Leader of the Clowns, Donato Popora…" The Clown raises an eyebrow. "I'm impressed. Kaneki sure knew a lot in the end didn't he? Many secrets that he took to the grave, or perhaps not…" He looks Haise up and down. "You are the next chapter. What Kaneki wished he could have been. You're a lucky man Haise".
As Uta and the other Clowns gather around their leader Haise pulls back from his old students and a rush of warmth flows through him. It wasn't over. But the highest hurdle had been jumped. "Maman… I…It's about Urie he's… he died. Arima too…" Haise feels sadness creep into his heart and he relishes in the feeling. Urie had led the CCG for many years and served him, Ken Kaneki until the very end. His last words came to his ears now. Arima too, he had been a father to the both of them, Haise and Kaneki and now that he was gone Haise wept along with his old friends.
As he pulls away from them again, he sees Hideyoshi Nagachika still cradling Rize's body and he walks over to kneel next to Ken Kaneki's best friend. "Hideyoshi I…" Hide cuts him off. "I don't care if you're a different person. You are like the brother of Kaneki so you can call me Hide… Sorry, it's just that we knew something like this would happen anyway. But we've been together for almost 40 years… It's going to be so empty now that both she and Kaneki are gone…" Haise places his hands on Hide's shoulders. "No matter what, there will always be someone who cares about you. I learnt that the hard way…" The two of them stand to see everyone facing them. Hanzo and Li had arrived, and so had Banjou. All of them watched as Sasaki approached Kuzo…
"Kuzo I… I'm sorry that your father is gone". The Investigator smiles weakly as he shakes his head. "He told be earlier you know. That he was going to die, that he had to die… It's unfair. But he accepted it… Ken Kaneki, my dad, was the strongest of us all…" Haise nods slowly. "He'll always be with us in here". He thumps himself on the chest. "Look. I know that you don't know me but ever since Kaneki became aware of you I did too. Truthfully, I'm the only family you have left. Will you let me be your family Kuzo?" The young man stares at the salt and pepper haired man in front of him.
Sure he wasn't Kaneki but at their very core they were identical in nature… He takes a shaky breath and hugs Haise tightly, surprising the One Eye. "Thank you, Uncle…" Haise rolls his eyes. "It really does seem like everyone considers Kaneki and I as brothers…" He looks around at everyone. "The Keeper is dead, Kaiko will take his place. What happens from here on out is up to you. You may choose whatever path you want, because I already know what I want to do" He grins as Hide frowns. "What's that then?" Haise grins even wider. "I want to go to High School!"
…
Haise walked towards the edge of the tallest tower in his dream world and leans on the railing, staring out into Oblivion when Kaneki joins him. "So you did it. Well done Haise… I'm glad that I could keep my promise. I made a world fit for you to live in". Haise smiles as he glances at his snowy haired "brother". "Everyone is happy now. They're all going down their own paths now. Some of them may even join me at High School in a year or so". Kaneki laughs. "Why High School? You're over 40 years old already. Granted, you only look 22…"
Haise shrugs. "I've always wanted to experience it for myself you know. School. I think it'll be fun. And what about you then?" Kaneki blinks. "Me? I sacrificed my life for yours and everyone else's. That's enough for me…" Haise gives Kaneki a knowing look. "While you don't appear to me as a child anymore I might just treat you like one. You're a terrible liar Ken Kaneki. You won't just sit around in my subconscious forever will you? You've already been working on a way to live in the real world with us…" Kaneki sighs and nods. "Can't hide anything from you can I? Yes… I've been working with Kanou and I can solidify this form in another "human mould". I want to see the future alongside everyone, can't just sit in the dark here can I?" Haise laughs and the two of them sip ethereal glasses of spirits as they stare together into the rising sun of this darkened world….
A world stained Crimson has at last been cleansed…
In the weeks following the final battle with the Keeper, Haise had organised the conversion of the CCG into the International Center for Ghoul Rehabilitation, the ICGR. A place where Ghouls that had been turned into humans from all over the world could come to learn how to adjust to human lifestyles and plan for the future. Its founders were Haise Sasaki, Hideyoshi Nagachika, The Yasuhisa Sisters and Hiyori Arima.
Hide and Haise also started working as teachers at Ohjakki District High School. Haise teaches Ghoul Biology and History while Hide teaches Maths and Chemistry. Hide grew out his hair and now wears it in a ponytail with a trimmed goatee. Kuzo Kaneki began attending senior classes as he had an unfinished education anyway.
The Clowns helped in the reconstruction of the Kami Cemetery after it was destroyed in the Chinese attack. They rebuilt the Helter Skelter Bar nearby and Yomo's grave and Sakura Tree lies outside in the beer garden. They maintain their information networks out of habit, and Donato died at the great age of 114.
Kaiko created a network using the now humanized Aogiri Tree over the whole globe whereas he kept an eye on things as the Keeper's replacement. Banjou rose within the ranks of the organisation to become Kaiko's main department head in Japan itself.
The Chinese Ghouls returned to Sanctuary where they maintained a steady alliance with the Aogiri Tree and the ICGR. No longer a Sanctuary for Ghouls, it became the city of Han Jinn. Lord Ebara passed away in his advanced age, and the next in line for the new position of Mayor was given to the much younger Lord Ennis Koori.
The city of Tokyo expanded even more, becoming the world's centre for Ghoul Education and Scientific discoveries. Ex-Ghoul children went to school with human children, and the few remaining One Eyed Ghouls lived perfectly with normal society, their natural hunger for human flesh gone forever.
Kaneki, despite having the means to be given a new body, chose to stay within the dark recesses of Haise's mind. He had done enough, and so now it was his turn to at least die happily. There was an introduction of an annual celebration called "King's Night", where the people of the world stood sentinel in the face of the great amount of sacrifices made that fateful day. At last the world was left to its own devices, with its most powerful watching from on high and the deepest low…
…
50 years later…
Haise strolls out into the park, a large expanse of water that was the Akhari Lake spreading out before him. He looks to the western shore where a gathering of people stood beneath a shelter. He raises a hand in greeting as Hide runs his hand through his read scraggly beard and hold out his wrinkled and spotted hand for Haise to bring them together in an embrace. "It's been while Haise. Still teaching at Ohjakki? I hear Kuzo's left to work as one of Kaiko's agents".
Haise grins, his own clean shaven face starkly contrasting Hide's own. "I retired 10 years ago Hide. I've been helping out at the ICGR out on Rushima for the last two years. They managed to get me a position as a lecturer for the 6th Years student visitors. A little tough on my lungs these days but it's very enjoyable". He looks up towards Hakka Tower in the distance. "And Kuzo? Well he's still calling me Uncle Haise. And I saw him last week at the Airport. He's headed out to America on a collection mission. Apparently some old Ghoul folk were living out in the New York Woodlands eating human flesh on campfires".
Hide sighs and shakes his head sadly. "Some of them went mad and killed themselves and others. Others did atrocious things like this but only because they didn't know how to live as a human… Ah well I'm glad the young man is getting out there now. He shouldn't spend all of his days in Tokyo after all". Haise chuckles and he follows his best friend towards the gathering. "Young man? Kuzo's 60th Birthday is coming up soon you know. He's only 20 years younger than us old men…"
Hide snorts. "20 years… The whole slowed aging thing never really hit me until I started getting wrinkles. I mean, you're a One Eye but not even Ghouls can live much longer than you have already… You're 80 next week but you've lived more than 100 years Haise. But let's stop talking as if we have one foot in the grave already. The others are already here". As they step into the shelter, Haise is greeted by a barrage of old faces and friends. Banjou, Uta, Nico, Roma, Itori, The Yasuhisa Sisters, Tooru and Saiko, even Tashi and Hanzo who had never gone back to China in the first place were smiling at him. Hanzo pats him on the back. "Haise! Consider this an early birthday party ok? Now we need to get some drink into you come in come in…"
Much later, after the celebrations and drink had been passed around, Haise and Hide sat on a park bench overlooking the lake and the city beyond. The Autumn Sun was filtering down through the brown and yellow leaves, and Hide was snoring. Haise smiles contentedly and takes a deep breath of fresh air. "It's been such a long life, hasn't it Kaneki?" Of course he didn't answer… Kaneki has passed on years and years ago. But Haise smiles all the same. "80 years old… I bet you planned to make me stick around this long anyway huh… I've travelled the world, seen many things. And it's all thanks to you… But you know what Kaneki... I think I'm finished here. I wish you could have been here to see it. See your son grow into a man. Heh… Well I guess I'm turning in for the day… I'll see you, tomorrow… Hide…"
Hide shakes his head to clear the hangover and grunts. "What was that? My hearing isn't so good anymore. Hey did you say something or what? Oi!" He turns towards Haise. The old man's eyes were closed, and he no longer breathed. Hide's face softens and he smiles while sitting back next to the dead man and taking another sip of Sake. "Who would have thought you would have gotten a happy ending after all this, Haise…"
…
Lord Ennis, the Mayor of the City of Han Jinn opened the drawer of his desk and pulled out the strange looking device. Ebara had stolen it from the corpse of Yasuhisa, the Keeper about 50 years ago and had given it to his successor. As he presses the button on the cylindrical device's side, a small electronic chip pops out and lands in his hand. Promptly, he swallows the chip, and feels it passing though his stomach and the gastric lining before embedding itself deep within his flesh. As the familiar rush passes through his body, his left eye suddenly turns a greyish colour, his iris and pupils turning red. He grins as he looks out of the window of his office to the training yard below. Looks at the 100 hundred strong division of "Enhanced Humans". All of them with one pale grey Kakugan…
…
Kaneki passes through the field of flowers, hand in hand with Touka, and Hinami on his other side. Death had been kind in letting him reunite with the people he had lost, and the years in the realm of the living had passed by unnoticed by those already dead. He did however feel the moment when Haise Sasaki passed on and entered the Garden himself, being greeted by more long dead people who emerged from the flowers themselves. He smiles at Touka and the two of them share a lingering kiss before strolling off towards a clump of trees.
"He's here. Haise I mean". Touka smiles. "I know. I could feel it. I'm glad he's happy and I'm sure he can tell us all about it…" While all was seemingly at peace, a strange tugging feeling once again shudders through his ethereal body. It had been happening a lot recently but Kaneki had no idea as to what it was. In death, everything was supposed to be perfect, but something had always bothered him that seemed to elude all of the other denizens of the Garden. Eto still hadn't emerged within the Garden, and Kaneki had never felt that pang whenever someone he loved died.
He sighs and sits down on a smooth rock. "She's still out there somewhere Touka. The woman that I first loved is still alive and our son had no idea…" Touka pats him gently while Hinami smiles at him. "It's ok Onii-chan. Nothing can go wrong here you know that. You've been dead a long time now. You don't need to worry about life in any way…." Kaneki nods slowly. "I guess you're right Hinami. I needn't worry about a thing. Should we go and visit Kuzen? He likes some company up at his fishing hole every now and again…"
Ignoring the tugging sensation, Ken Kaneki passes Haise as the three of them go to meet with Kuzen, and the two brother's smiles while nodding.
"This Tragedy has ended. Those who gave everything have had everything returned unto them. Such is sacrifice. Such is life…"
"The last page of this story has closed. More shall come, but for now, you may rest a while…"
End Tokyo Ghoul: Crimson [Final Chapter] 13
A/N: Guys… We've finally made it. This trilogy is finished at last. I really hope you enjoyed this and will stick around for everything to come. I may do some short stories based after this series, and I already have a Bleach/Tokyo Ghoul crossover going.
For now, I'll be very soon releasing an updated version of the whole trilogy in one story, edited and revised all in one place. That's all from me for now. Peace out
~Deathbringer