Subject: [kenshinfanfics] ITZ OVER!!! Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 14:42:32 -0700 From: Mihoshi Reply-To: kenshinfanfics@makelist.com To: kenshinfanfics@makelist.com YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!! OH MY GAWD, ITZ OVER!! Ok, what I need is a load of E-mails from anybody that spots ANY mistakes. If you have concerns or flames, go ahead and BOMB me with them!! Here it is, the END of Tattered Angel!! Rurouni Kenshin The sun brought a fiery dusk to the horizon as everyone stood on the hilltop. The final stone had been put on the forest embedded grave. There lay Saitoh Hajime. Mibu no Oukami. Sanosuke was looking from afar. His neck brace prevented him from looking directly down, so he was watching the burial from under the shades of the evergreens. Megumi was beside him, holding his hand and keeping her tears from springing loose. Kaoru and Yahiko were busy praying with the villagers and so was Kenshin. When the prayers were finished, Kenshin walked up to the grave, sword in hand. "It was an honour to have you as my friend, and my enemy." He took his sword and dug it in to the mound of dirt and stepped back. "Here lies Saitoh Hajime, third clan leader of the Shinsen gumi, and police squadron leader of the Tokyo government." Kenshin closed his eyes. "May he rest in peace." The words were repeated one last time, before the people began filtering through the forest. Soon the only people that remained was the group that knew Saitoh the most. Kaoru wept beside Yahiko as they stood at the side of the grave. Megumi and Sanosuke joining them a moment later. Kenshin was at the foot of the grave, looking at the mound of dirt that was now Saitoh's home with misty violet eyes. There was complete silence as they paid their last respects. Wordlessly they made their way back to the village. Keshin was absolutely miserable the whole way. Kaoru wanted to say something.... But what could she say at a time like this. Soon they were once again in the exciting buzz of the village. For them, it was the day of celebration after a victorious battle. Kaoru spotted Shinji at the docks talking to a fisherman. She ran up to him, wooden shoes clanking noisily on the pier. "Shinji!" He turned and smiled. "Kaoru-San!" Kaoru was glad he was happier. Yesterday he had refused to budge from the tree. He had mourned all night long. Which resulted in bloodshot eyes and bags the following morning. She smiled the best she could. "Are you finished packing? We're leaving in a couple of hours." Shinji stood there for a moment looking absolutely torn. He shook his head. "No, Kaoru-San. I can't return with you and your friends. After all the things we've done to you, I don't think it's right and besides...." Shinji motioned to a boat waiting in the dock. "I need to go back to Kurokagei island and bury my elders along with every other Kurokagei that had risen from their graves." He looked wistful. "Maybe one day I can visit you." Kaoru looked at him, features twisted in worry. "Are you sure you can handle it? If you want I could go with.." "No." Shinji shook his head. "You need to be with Battousai, no, Kenshin." His jade eyes glowed warmly. "He loves you." Kaoru blushed a pale pink. Shinji smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "And you love him too." He turned around and waved the back of his hand at in goodbye. "I promise I'll visit." Shinji walked up the pier and boarded his boat. Kaoru watched him sadly. Shinji..... Kaoru turned away and walked up to the tall oak tree at the center of the village. They were waiting for her, her family. It was time to go home. She went to Kenshin's side and shyly took his hand. He wasn't cheery at all, but Kaoru felt if she was holding on to him, he wouldn't be able to slip away. From what? Who knows, his own guilt, his own shadow, maybe even from his own love. Heart of Sword. Kenshin and Battousai. One could not live without the other but now that the shadow was finished and the cross scar gone. Maybe they could finally gain peace and live. But what about Saitoh? Kaoru tried to push away the feelings of absolute sadness and regret she had. When she confronted Saitoh's wife and, it would be worse by a thousand fold. But Kaoru was strong. Time would tell... Three weeks later, Tokyo: The complex was a large wooden structure much like Aoiya in Kyoto. The big wooden gates towered over them almost mockingly. Kaoru felt horrible, Kenshin wasn't too great either. She drew in a deep shaky breath and knocked on the gates. They heard shouts from behind the gates and waited. After a couple minutes, the gate was flung open by a tall sharp looking woman with hard brown eyes. She took one look at them and said: "My husband's dead isn't he?" Kaoru could not even think of hiding the shock that played across her head. She nodded. The woman looked downcast for a moment and then smiled. "Did he die from sickness or bleeding from the cuts?" Kaoru blinked. "What do you mean?" She laughed a low husky laugh. Kenshin and Kaoru eyed each other surprised. "My husband had some uncurable lung disease from all the crap he fills his lungs with. On the day before he left he kept muttering about dying with honour." Kaoru blinked again. "You mean he knew he was going to die?" The woman nodded. "Yah, either from that lung disease or from blood." Shocked. That was the word for the moment. Absolutely shocked. The woman cleared her throat. "So what did he die from?" Kaoru and Kenshin tried to speak but their mouths weren't working. The woman shook her head, and looked at Kenshin with her hard brown eyes. "You killed him didn't ya?" Kenshin took a deep breath and nodded. Her eyes crinkled up as she smiled. "Don't worry about it kid, he was on Death's doorstep anyways." Dumbfolded, Kenshin nodded. Kid? That reminded her. "How is your son going to handle this?" Kaoru's voice's was once again miserable. The woman blinked. "Son?" There was a minute of silence before the Mrs. Saitoh began laughing hysterically, tears springing from her eyes. Through her laughs she managed to speak. "Do you want to see... his son?" Another train of laughter. This was getting pretty dang confusing. Kaoru tried hard to look sympathetic, but it was so damn hard to when there was a woman clutching her belly and laughing hard enough to cough up some lung. This was definitely turning out opposite from what she had imagined. She turned away and began to walk, laughing the whole way. Kenshin looked at Kaoru with wide violet eyes. "Oro?" She'd be damned if she knew. The woman returned five minutes later, holding something behind her back. Kaoru put on the best solemn expression she could...under the circumstances. "Here's my husband's 'Son'." The woman thrust a long slim object in to Kaoru's hand. Kenshin and Kaoru looked at each other with complexions white as a toilet. A sword? The woman snickered as Kenshin and Kaoru gazed at the sword with eyes rounder than baseballs. The woman regained control of herself....almost. "So what did he say about his ..son?" Another barrel of laughter. Kaoru shook her head, clearly dazed out of her mind. "He said, tell my son sorry....I don't understand." "Yah...sorry he didn't use him in battle!" She sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "My husband always did have a sense of humour. You see, this sword was with him since Shinsen Gumi. He ALWAYS had it with him, so he decided to name it Musuko, or Son." Now they were both beyond 'Shocked'. It was best to say they were baffled. His son...was his sword. Kaoru began to smile and then she too laughed. Kenshin tried his best to keep serious, but the situation was getting to him too. Now all three were laughing. They talked for a while longer before Kaoru handed Mrs. Saitoh a slip of paper. The woman raised her eyebrow. "A fishing village?" Kaoru nodded. "Yes, in a clearing in the western forest." Mrs. Saitoh smiled. "Thanks for dropping by." Kenshin and Kaoru turned to leave but Kaoru remembered something. She turned around and looked at the tall slender and sharp woman that was Saitoh's wife. "He said to tell you that he loves you." The woman smiled, this time sadly. "Took him death to finally spit out the words eh..." The two departed from Saitoh's house. It was nearing the end of Summer now, the sun was setting extra early today. Kaoru watched the fireflies come out of hiding and skim across a small lake. Kenshin stopped. Kaoru looked up at him. "What's wrong?" He reached a finger up to trace the smooth skin that used to be his cross scar. It was his second chance, life had never seemed better. But life was too damn short. It was now or never. He turned to face Kaoru, eyes warmer than the setting sun. "Kenshin?" Eyes sweeter than any angel. Kenshin felt his heart beat faster as he pulled the small warm body in to his arms. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes. "Kaoru-dono. I love you more than anything in the world." Kenshin cupped her face and tilted her chin up. The flames of the sky danced in her sparkling sapphire eyes. a faint blush crept along her cheeks. He opened his eyes and his breath was nearly taken, for the beauty that was in his arms now, out did any sunset the world had ever seen. Lost in her beauty, his words flowed strong and true. "Marry me..." Nothing could explain the joy that filled her heart at that moment. The glow of the sunset was lost as she looked up into his burning violet eyes. Strong with life and promise. Kaoru cried tears of pure happiness. "Yes." She held him closer. "Yes...yes.." He found her lips and they kissed a promise to the heavens. They had created their own fate from a world which did not approve. And so he remained... Rurouni Kenshin Forever. And so my first RK fic has come to an end! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!! This fis is OVER!! Now all I need is to do corrections and then I'm moving on. I might write a fic I hinted in the last chapter with Shinta. But not until I'm totally done correcting and illustarting this fic!!!!! YESSSSS!! FLAME ME, BOMB ME, INSULT ME!! Itz ok, I can handle it! ^________________________________^ -Mihoshi "Cognito erguem. I think therefore.....I am." ---- Read this list on the Web at http://www.makelist.com/list/kenshinfanfics/ To unsubscribe, email to kenshinfanfics-unsubscribe@makelist.com To subscribe, email to kenshinfanfics-subscribe@makelist.com -- Start a FREE E-Mail List at http://www.makelist.com !