Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Time Changes All ❯ Stark Black Sheets and an Awakening Night ( Chapter 28 )

Author Notes: This is the end. Kind of a chapter combined with an epilogue. I'll see you at the end! This chapter took forever for me to finish. I hope you enjoy this chappie. As a final input, please read and review! ^o^

Disclaimer: Kenshin doesn't belong to me in any shape or form. But this fanfic that has finally come to an end.

". . ." Dialogue

`. . .' Thoughts

(. . .) author's useless commentary

Stark Black Sheets and an Awakening Night

By Hoshi-ni-Onegai

Everything was dark; absence of light, the definition of dark. I tried to grab onto something but there was nothing there. My feet didn't touch the ground but there was no ground, more importantly I had no feet. I was just floating around in a surreal state. Time seems relative, how long has it been since I got here? A few minutes? Hours? Days? Years? I'm not sure, and I don't think I want to know the answer to that. I feel so alone right now. . . but it seems like I once had a distant dream where I wasn't alone. Maybe that's what it was: just a dream. I curl up in my mental corporeal body and continue floating around. Maybe someone will find me one day, then I won't have to be alone.

Suddenly I felt a gentle breeze on my back that whipped around my pigtails. What? A back? Pigtails? I slowly opened my eyes and there I stood in the opening to a porch. I was holding a tray with two tall, and one short glass of lemonade. They each had a straw, and the smallest one had the pink umbrella that I loved so much. My hands were small and slightly chubby like a small child's. The breeze picked up for a moment once again and it gently played with my pigtails that tickled my cheeks and nose. I had on yellow and white plaid dress with matching ribbons in my hair. I noticed my feet were bare as a wiggled them around. I was facing outside toward the porch and my back was toward the house. I looked out onto the porch that led to the backyard. It looked so nice out, not a cloud in the sky and the sound of birds could be heard as they sang merrily from the trees that scattered the yard. But what caught my attention was someone calling my name from behind me. It was a pleasant tender voice that warmly called to me.

I turned around, haphazardly balancing the tray and drinks in my small hands. I looked up at the voice and there sat a woman at a kitchen table. She had long raven hair that was tied half up and half down and wore a white sundress as she waved for me to come over. With ivory skin adorned with soft brown eyes beckoned me over. Lovingly holding her hand across the table sat a kind faced man with short-cropped black hair and blue eyes. He was also gesturing me over. The area around them glowed with warmth and safety, that's where I wanted to be. I want to be with two of the most important people in my life, I don't want to lose them again. I clumsily ran over to them as fast as I could while still balancing the tray. As soon as I set it down I jumped into the woman's affectionate arms as they circled around me in an embrace. The man walked around the table to kneel next to the chair she sat at and gently stroked my head. I peeked out from my safe place in the woman's bosom and giggled as he made a funny face at me. I set free one of my hands to grasp one of his as I continued to hug the woman with my other arm. I basked in the glow that seemed to surround the three of us. This is my bubble, I don't want anyone to burst it.

I jumped when there was an unexpected crack of thunder behind me. I turned my head to look and I saw an all out storm going on outside. Any remnants of the once clear day seemed to have vanished. The calm before a storm. Lighting flashed and reflected in my eyes, the thunder soon followed echoing in my ears. Unlike most children at a young age I didn't bury my head in another's lap, hiding from the storm. I stared at it, a bit mesmerized by the steady falling of rain. Letting go of the man and woman I turned my small body around and continued to be mesmerized by the downpour. Then I felt a hand reassuringly placed on my right shoulder. I looked to my right and there stood the woman smiling at me sadly with the man behind her with her shoulder clasped his hands. I turned to face her once again, when I did my body changed. I was taller now, the same eye level as the woman, my hair was longer and loose instead of a pigtail, and I was wearing a similar white sundress as the woman.

The woman continued smiling at me sadly and whispered, "Kaoru."

Yes, that is my name isn't it? How did I even forget it? My name is Kamiya Kaoru, and these. . . are my parents. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks, I brought my fingers to my face and disbelievingly felt that it was wet. I looked up at the two and tears flowed even more. "Mommy! Daddy!" I flung myself into her arms once again as my tears soaked into her dress, but I didn't care. I grabbed for my dad's shirt bringing him into the bone-crushing hug. "I missed you so much! Don't leave me, please, don't leave me ever again."

"We won't, but you will have to." I look up at her, shaking my head in denial.

"I'll never leave. I want to be with you." I felt like a whining child, but I didn't care. I didn't want leave my parents after not having them with me for so long. But I think I knew, deep down, that this was only temporary.

My mom clasped my shoulders and turned me around to face the storm again. "Do you see the storm Kaoru? That's life, and you're going to have to continue on in that. One day, when you're very very old you'll come back with us. But, until then, go back to life and give that redhead some company." I felt her pushing me toward the porch, just before I stepped outside she whirled me around again kissing me on the forehead and pulled me into a hug. My father wrapped his strong secure arms around me and my mother, and kissed me on the top of my head. We stayed like that for a long moment, when we finally let go I looked at them longingly then turned around and stepped out into the pouring rain.

I ran around in the rain for what felt like an eternity, completely lost on where I was supposed to go. The house had disappeared the moment I set my bare feet on the grass. I was alone again, the rain fell around me like a blanket that reminded me of loneliness. Mom told me to go find Kenshin. . . where are you? How am I supposed to find you?

I let out an exhausted breath from all the running in the rain. I shouldn't have stopped running, because the strain caught up to me and I collapsed to my knees. I panted, trying to regain my breath. As I was doing so I whipped my head around in all directions, seeing if I could catch even the slightest glimpse of sign of life. But alas, the sky was black and grass below me seemed black because of the lack of light. I slumped over in the grass laying on my back, my face getting pelted with falling rain droplets. My eyes are closed so that the water doesn't disturb me, but I let it wash over me, hoping that just maybe it could drown me. With these thoughts flying through my head I felt my self slipping away from the living world. Was death really so bad? Won't I finally find peace? I was ready to welcome it as I lay in the grass, my arms spread and the rain soaking me from head to toe, when suddenly, an image flashed behind my eyelids. Then another, then another, of all the friends I would leave behind. Soujiro and his family, Sano and Sagara Sensei , Aoshi, Misao and the friendly Okina, Megumi, and even Saitou Sensei. But the image that came to me last, and stayed the longest was that of the red-haired boy that came back for me. With him in my life, who needs anything else to live for? I have Kenshin, that's all I need. With that epiphany I screamed barbaric and savagely calling on life and demanding for it to take me back.

The next moment the rain had stopped, I was no longer screaming, and I was warm and dry. I could hear a steady beeping to the right of my head, the feeling of bed sheets surrounding me, the black darkness gone and replaced with a fuzzy grayish yellow that one sees when their eyes are closed when there is light. The feeling of someone holding my hand. That's what brought me back here, the hand that continued to protectively clasp my hand within its grasp. I slowly blinked my eyes opened, allowing them to get adjusted to the light. A feeling of disorientation came over me as the sunlight streamed through the gaping white curtains. I hear someone saying something to me, but my ears aren't functioning perfectly as of yet. The only thing I hear is the beeping and a slight low melodic ringing in the background. My eyes start focus and I see a vague shape of person before me, at the same time my ears allow me to hear distinctive sounds once again. The figure before me is the culprit of the low ringing that I had heard before, but with my ears clearing up I can make out what it is saying. "Koishii? Koishii?"

I blink my eyes rapidly a few times and try to figure out where I am and who the figure is before me. My eyes clear and take notice that I am in a hospital room alone with one other person. I direct all my attention on the person that had been worriedly calling to me, and the moment I meet his now permanently gold and violet eyes my mind clears up along with my senses from their groggy state. I let out an uncontrollable contented sigh and smile, gripping onto the hand that still held mine. "Ken-chan."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was staring out the window, the soft white curtains allowing light to stream gently through. I sat next to the bed continuing to hold her hand. It's been a week since that night at the clearing and she has yet to wake up. I've been in the hospital with her, never leaving her for more than an hour to eat or take a shower. School? Well, I've been skipping that, but Soujiro says he's taking good notes for the both of us. They've been telling me to go home, get some rest, while one of them stays. . . but what if she wakes up when I'm not there? It's my fault she's in this state, I can't just leave her. No one seems to blame me, not even Sano. At first I thought he might, but then he punched the living daylights out of Enishi when he saw what he did to her. Everyone has been really nice, maybe almost too nice. They don't question me about everything that happened, that might be because they're abusing the information out of Saitou. They bring me food, I guess they see how reluctant I am to leave her side. I think we're all just desperately waiting for her to wake up, I know I am. The doctor says that it is more likely than not that she will wake up, and so I wait.

I look away from the window toward her tranquil face; if you didn't know any better you would think she was just taking a nap. She hasn't moved once since she lost consciousness. I thought maybe she might flinch, or spasm at times, but she didn't move. She was lying there like a corpse, and that scares me more than anything. I lay my head down on the edge of the hospital bed, the starch white stiff sheets coarse against my forehead. My eyes glide shut as I take in a deep breath. The medicinal smell of the hospital invades my senses, but I don't notice it anymore. I think I may have forgotten what fresh air smelled like. Even in if I am submerged in the hospital smell, a wave of peace washes over me when I hear the steady beeping of the heart monitor and the feel of her hand within mine.

Suddenly I feel the sheet pulling against my forehead. I quickly look up and notice that she is twitching slightly. Her eyes remain shut but her mouth is now gaping upon as if gasping for air, then she grows still. The beeping had sped up for a moment but was now slowling down. Maybe a bit to slow. It seemed like her heart had given up on living and ceased to thump. I can't let her go. As selfish as it is for me, I can't. So I desperately call to her but she doesn't respond. I grip the hand that is in mine, slightly tugging on it, hoping it would jerk her back to life. The moment before the heartbeat was to reach a dangerously low pace and sound the alarm, it climbed again. This time it went to the stable rhythm that I had gotten used to during the duration of the week.

After a few silent moments, solely accompanied by the persistent machine, she slowly opens her eyes. She blinks them slowly over and over, as if trying to clear her vision. I call to her again but she doesn't seem to be able to hear me. Her gaze is no longer glazed over, and she seems to be able to see me leaning over her. I see her scrunching her face, the same thing people do when their ears pop. I call to her twice more. "Koishii? Koishii?" I hadn't even noticed I was calling her that.

She rapidly blinks a few times, then finally recognizes me and our eyes lock. She lets out a sigh, as if she had been holding her breath until seeing me again. A small contented smile stretches across her face. "Ken-chan." And I think I have my warrior angel back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Normal POV~

"How long have I been out?" Kaoru asked as she took in deep calming breaths.

Kenshin smiled down at her and brushed back her bangs tenderly as he continued to hold her hand with the other. "A week."

"At least I caught up on my sleep right?"

He moved his hand to her cheek and she instinctively nuzzled it, relaxing into it. "Yeah."

She opened her eyes and looked toward the window, as if fascinated that light was coming through it. "What happened? The last thing I remember is Enishi throwing his sword at you. Everything after that is really. . .fuzzy."

The grip on her hand tightened slightly, but quickly loosened. "I thought you had died."

"Why aren't I?" She tilted her neck slight to look down her hospital gown to the bandage that was wrapped to cover the left part of her chest. "By the looks of it, it seems like I was stabbed right in the heart. Shouldn't that have killed me?"

"You're different Koishii, and I've been thanking God that you are for the past week." She looked at him confused at what he was exactly talking about. "The doctor explained that you're created like a reflection. Your heart is on the right side instead of the left. All your organs are in your body are situated like they would be in the mirror, backwards."

"Wow, really? I guess that explains why I always had a hard time looking for my heartbeat over there on the left, my heart wasn't there." She closed her eyes and sunk back into the pillow. "Being a freak of nature is what saved my life, not that there is anything wrong with being a freak."

"You're not a freak." Kenshin sat back down in the chair that sat directly next to the bed.

She turned her head to be able to look at him as she still laid against the pillow. "What about Enishi? What's going to happen to him?"

"The government put him behind bars, and no one will ever find out about what happened. As far as anybody else knows, you were mugged. The orphans that are trained don't have an identity, its better that way, no local police can match fingerprints to a person that doesn't exist. Enishi doesn't exist so he can't be tried in a conventional court, but he will get what he deserves."

"I don't think he meant to turn out that way. I think he was desperately misunderstood."

Kenshin let out a tired sigh and sunk forward to the bed crossing his arms on top of the sheets and resting his chin on his arms. "You're too forgiving sometimes."

"Oh, I never said I forgive him. I just mean that I understand. . . kind of. It's overwhelming when everything is taken away and you're submerged in this completely new world. You went through the same thing as I did, you should understand as well."

"You're amazing like that aren't you?" He chuckled and smiled at her.

She tugged on his hand, "So what else happened?"

"You became unconscious again?"

She let out an exasperated growl, "Oh for the love of God! This is `The Freakish Never-ending Chronicles of Fainting Kaoru!' How many times have I fainted, knocked out, or blacked out since you've arrived?" She waged a finger at him in a scolding fashion, "I'll have you know that I was not a fainter before you arrived. I was healthy as a horse and tough as bull."

He smiled widely, "Glad to hear you're out of your farm animal stage, I'd probably like you better as a human anyways."

She looked him flatly, "That's not the point Kenshin."

"Oh well, at least you're doing well right?"

". . . Yeah, I guess so."

"Oh, I almost forgot."

Kenshin reached around his neck to take off the necklace he had been safekeeping for Kaoru. He took her hand and placed the chain in her palm. She brought her hand up and dangled it before her face. The sunlight from the window caught on the ring and key that hung comfortably next to each other, and now she was about to separate the long time companions. Letting the key come off the chain and into her hand, then she gestured for Kenshin to take back the necklace and ring. He took it from her and looked at it quizzically as it rested in the palm of his hand. With the sound of her voice he looked back up at her. "Hold on to that for a little bit longer."

"But I gave this to you, you should keep it."

She shook her head, "No, no. I have the new ring to remind me of our promise, you need a little reminder. I can't have you forgetting can I?"

"I highly doubt that I'm going forget now."

"Oh well. You know, just in case. Also, let's open up that locker of yours before something else gets in our way."

***************************** Flashback ******************************

"A key Ken-chan?" A seven-year-old Kaoru asked as she and Kenshin were sitting on the front steps of her house.

"Yeah, I found it in my mommy and daddy's dresser."

"What is a key to?" She inquired as she turned the key in her small hands.

"I'm not really sure. . . maybe a door?" Kenshin responded as he kicked around the pebbles at his feet.

"Aren't door keys bigger? It's too small."

"What else does a key open?"

She sat pensively for a moment, then with bright eyes she exclaimed. "A treasure chest! A pirate treasure chest! Jewels stolen from the kings of the seven seas!"

He looked over at her with wide disbelieving eyes, "Pirate treasure? For some reason I doubt that Koishii."

"Fine. If you're so smart what do you think it opens?" She huffed as she thrust the key back in his direction.

Taking the key in his hand he brought it closer to look at it. "There's something written on here. . . roka 2A? Roka? What's a roka?"

"Let me see!" He passed the key to her and she brought it up to her face to read the small engraving. "That's not roka, that's locker! It's a locker key!" Then her face suddenly saddened. "It's a locker key. That's not exciting at all!"

"Maybe it has a treasure map inside?"

She whipped her head toward him with a hopeful look, "Do you really think so?!"

Kenshin smiled and nodded, "Maybe Koishii, maybe."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A seven-year-old Kaoru was hugging Kenshin at the train station. "K-ken-chan, w-why d-do you have t-to leave? C-can't you s-stay w-with me?" Her sobs interrupted her words.

"Shhh. . .I'm sorry Koishii, I have to leave. My father's friend is my legal guardian now. But I promise I'll be back." Kenshin was rubbing the back of the small crying girl in a form of comfort.

"Really? You promise? You'll come back?. . . for me?" Kaoru started wiping her tears away.

"Of course, I have no other reason to come back except for you."

Smile crept across Kaoru's face, "I'm going to hold you to that. If you don't come back I'm going to hunt you down!"

Kenshin chuckled, "Nothing could keep me away."

With that Kenshin let go of Kaoru and went onto the train. Kaoru's parents had to hold her back as to prevent her from following him. As the train went in motion Kenshin opened the window next to his seat, "Koishii~! Don't forget me! Because I won't forget you! The next time we meet-" But the rest was not heard by Kaoru for he was too far away. "-meet we'll open the locker and find our treasure!"

**************************Flashback Ends**************************

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Two Weeks later~

"Oh for God sakes Kenshin! Open it!"

"But how disappointing will it be if we open it and there is nothing in there?"

Kenshin and Kaoru were standing in front of a row of lockers at the train station. Kaoru was let out of the hospital a week after she finally woke up and the Monday after, she was in school. Not exactly normal for the fact that everyone knew about her injury, although thinking it was a mugger instead of a crazed assassin. All her friends were able to give a sigh of relief since she was released from the hospital. All of them watched her like a hawk, jumping in front of her at any sudden movement. Megumi did her share of bodyguarding everyday after school when she met up with them. Saitou didn't exactly hover over Kaoru, but during homeroom and practice it could be subtlety noticed that he was keeping an eye out for her. It seemed as if everyone in the tight knit circle was being overprotective of her, especially Kenshin.

"And how disappointing will it be if there is 14karot diamond in there and we never get to it because of the possibility that it might not be there?!"

Kenshin looked at her flatly, "You're really expecting there to be some sort of treasure in there aren't you? Haven't you grown out of that fantasy yet?"

"What can I say? I'm a kid at heart." She shrugged as she gestured for him to open the locker.

"It seems you're also sometimes a kid in the head."

"Don't start with me Kenshin."

The key was now in the lock, a place it had not occupied for at least ten years. The two teenagers had searched lockers in the area in which they used to live in and had finally found one that had a matching key. Now the lock and key were finally united, and the secrets that waited inside, revealed.

He looked over at her then back at the locker, taking a deep breath. "Well, here it goes. . ."

The locker creaked open from infrequent use and inside laid a sole package covered in dust.

"What is it?" Kaoru was standing next to him looking at the strangely colorfully wrapped small package. "Is it a bomb?"

Kenshin glanced over at her flatly, "Why would my parents have a locker key in their drawer for a bomb? On top of that, look at the frighteningly festive wrapping paper. Unless Bozo the clown is a serial bomber, I think we're safe."

"Well, you can never be too sure with people now a days."

He shrugged and reached in, any threat of it being a bomb completely flying out of his head, and rightfully so. Pulling out the wrapped small box he blew the gathered dust off and brushed off the particles that continued to desperately cling on. His eyes widened when he read the small tag that was tied on to the package or more a gift with a bow.

"To Kenshin, with lots of love from mom and dad." Kaoru read aloud next to him.

"I-it's my birthday present from when I saw seven. . . my parents, they died a few weeks before my birthday in June. They knew that I always went hunting around the house to find out what they got me. . . I can't believe they went as far as to put it in a locker."

Kaoru looped her right arm around his shoulder and smiled, "Well, they accomplished their task. You didn't find you present before your birthday. Better late than never right?"

"I guess. . . should I open it?"

Kaoru shrugged while still having her arm around his shoulder. "That's up to you. You can either still maintain a sense of strange mystery by keeping it a wonder of what is inside, or you can just open it and see what fantasy of a seven year old boy you parents fulfilled."

He smiled at her, "You make life so much simpler for me don't you?"

Grinning back at him, she unhooked her arm and grabbed his upper left arm. "I do what I can. Now, let's go somewhere less crowded for you to make your decision."

With that, the Kaoru dragged off her longtime friend and short time boyfriend out of the train station. The locker, completely forgotten with the door left swinging open. The key that had accompanied Kaoru for so long was now left in the keyhole, waiting for the next person to deposit 100 yen to use the locker to keep guard their important things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So what will it be Ken-chan? Will your present remain a mystery or will we find out the magical wonder that is in store for you?"

He smiled and settled himself against the wall on his side of the stairs. The place that Kaoru deemed quieter was the back stairway of their apartment that opened to the back parking lot of the apartments. No one was around, and only a few cars filled the nearly empty parking lot.

"You make it seem like it's the most exciting thing of the year." He smiled as he looked down at the wrapping paper that was now crinkled in some areas due his constant fumbling with it.

She also leaned against the wall on her side of the stairs, so that now they were facing each other. "Life is boring sometimes, might as well make something seem more exciting. Oh, wait, my life isn't boring. No, the most exciting thing this year was me getting stabbed. Let's not try to top that act for a while, I need my rest."

"You sound like an old lady."

Kaoru grinned and shrugged, "I feel old. Okay, now back to that gift. Open or leave alone? The choice is yours red."

With amusement evident in his voice he peeled the tape off on end of the box. "Red?"

"It seemed appropriate."

He now had the box completely detached from the festive birthday wrapping paper. He set the box to his side and started folding the paper.

Kaoru sighed, "Oh, you're one of THOSE people."

"It's perfectly good wrapping paper!"

"It's ten years old Kenshin."

"Well. . . I want to save it as a fond memory."

"Fine, fine, that I can forgive."

He smiled and set the wrapping paper aside picking up the box. Lifting the lid he peeked inside to see what the small white box had in store for him. Greeted with colored tissue paper that had discolored through the years, he dug his hand through the chaotic array of colors and finally he felt something touch his seeking digits. Pulling out the object in question, he was to discover that it was a watch. A Mickey Mouse watch where the hands told the hour and minutes as Mickey himself kept track of time with a smile on his face.

"A watch? That's what you wanted for your seventh birthday?"

"I. . . I remember wanting a Lego set that came with pirates. . . but do recall my parents saying something about needing to teach me the importance and value of time. . ."

Kaoru smiled and took the watch from his hand. "Well I think it's cute." She took each side of the strap in each hand looped it around Kenshin's left wrist. She securely, but not tightly, fastened the watch upon his wrist.

He blinked down at the watch that seemed entirely too small for his teenage wrist size. "It doesn't have any batteries."

"Worry about the little things later."

Looking at her quizzically he answered, "I think batteries are a big thing. What's the whole point of a watch if it doesn't keep track of time?"

She smiled brightly, "Well, now you have the comfort that for you time stops. Time is against you, and it won't change your world too much. And who cares? The concept of time is something we humans came up with, we wouldn't be so worried about it if some dude hadn't wanted to know what time of the day it was."

"Time is on my side. . ." He said as he stared down at his now occupied wrist.

"You bet. But change will come, but his time, it won't be so sudden. You'll be changing along with everything else. So maybe, we won't have to worry about time changing all, right?"

Kenshin grinned at her, "I guess so."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A Period of Time Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on Kaoru-chan!" the short girl called as from the doorway of the classroom.

"Calm down Misao, the ceremony won't start for another thirty minutes! Don't rush me!"

"If I don't rush you, you'd never get ready." Misao huffed as she fisted her hands set them on her hips.

"Fine, fine. Go on ahead, I'm right behind you." Misao grinned and shook her head and left down the corridor. Kaoru turned around to look at the mirror and saw the reflection in the mirror. "Let's take these clothes down the aisle shall we? I can't believe it's time already."

With that she left through the door to follow Misao to where the ceremony was being held.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to celebrate a great day. Countless obstacles have been overcome to reach this point. Now, everyone, please join me in wishing the graduating class of 2005 for the best of luck in the present and the future."

The audience applauded as the superintendent took his seat by the administration and the principle went up to the podium. He coarsely cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone with a confident booming voice. "Thank you Superintendent Yamaguchi. The students that will be filing out here one by one as I call their names have gone through twelve years of education at the very least. Depending upon their plans for the future, some may continue on with their education or immediately enter the work force. Either way I am proud of each one of the students that march out here today. They have finished one of the early stages of their life to progress onto the next one. I hope, they know, that they can swing by my office anytime in the future to tell me of their progress. I will miss them, but I am happy to see them moving on. Now, without further ado, allow me to call out the graduating class of 2005." Another round of applause resonated through the school entrance where the ceremony was held outside. "The first person on my list of long names is Abe Tanaka."

A boy of average height and black hair went walked out of the doorway from the school where all the students were lined up. He went up to the podium and shook hands with the principal then moved on the secretary that stood next him that had a pile of card board tubes that she handed to him. The principal continued on with the names.

"Kamiya Kaoru." She took in a calming breath as she walked up to the stage and nervously shook the principals hand. The old man smiled at her and reassuringly patted her shoulder. He winked at her and said in a low whisper that the microphone couldn't pick up, "I will surely miss your strange but oddly refreshing antics. Good luck Kamiya-san."

Kaoru immediately calmed down and smiled back, "Thank you Gensai-sensei."

She moved on to the secretary that gave her a friendly smile and handed her the tube. "Congratulations."

"Thank you." Kaoru made her way off the stage to join the other students that had been called that now stood lined up neatly a half a meter away from each other before the podium. She took her place at the ground and watched as all her friends were being called.

"Sagara Sanosuke."

"Shinomori Aoshi."

"Seta Soujiro."

"Himura Kenshin."

"Makimachi Misao."

With the last of the names called, Gensai faced the now former students. "Congratulations to all of you and the best of luck. Now, I would like to call up the student that you all voted to give the final words to the class. Please come up, Kamiya Kaoru-san."

Her eyes widened as the students around her urged her forward. Taking in a gulp of air she got up to the podium once again as Principal Gensai stepped away from the microphone. She nervously stepped up to the microphone and could have sworn that her heartbeat would be picked up by it. Her eyes searched through the masses of faces that were all familiar to her and when she met eyes with an encouraging Kenshin she finally settled down.

She put on a genuine smile then spoke as the students, "If you're wondering, no, I didn't know I was the one voted until Gensai-sensei just announced it. I glance at all your faces and what I see aren't faces, but memories. Sure, they're not all the fondest of memories, but memories nonetheless. We came out of high school with all our fair share of cuts and bruises, but we all came out of it with all our limbs. In the end, isn't that the most important thing? Adults have been telling us that now we'll be stepping into the real world. To honestly say, if I ever find out that my hectic high school life has any resemblance to the real world. . . I'd end up really happy. You probably know about the action packed life that I seem to be stuck with, but even after everything, I enjoyed my time with the people I care about. And so, I stand before you today, not saying that we're now headed into the real world, but that our life is continuing. We just finished one of many chapters in our book. Only time will tell what will happen to us. Until we can finally say `this is who I am' we have a lot of writing to get through for our book. So, as a final word, I would like to say. We made it! Watch out world, here comes class of 2005!"

The students roared and clapped in enthusiasm as Kaoru smiled and waved to the student body. She looked over the crowd, and her friends that she could spot here and there. Maybe now, she could finally put the past where it is, behind her. Maybe now she can look back on life and not break down in grief. Maybe now she can look forward and actually see a potential future.

The ceremony ended soon afterward and the students mingled saying their goodbyes to each other. Kaoru raced down the stage steps to reach her friends that had already congregated together. She ran to Kenshin and threw herself into his open arms to hug him tightly. After a long moment she let go and hugged the rest of her friends.

"So where do we go from here guys?" Sano said as he threw around the tube that contained his diploma.

"I'm not sure, I guess a short spring break then college?" Misao was leaning against Aoshi, as now they were an official couple.

"Where are you going to school Sano?" The red haired boy asked as he stood comfortably next to Kaoru.

"I'm going to Hosei along with Soujiro."

"I'm going to Jouchi with Aoshi so we can go on the exchange program later! America here we come!" The cheerful Misao exclaimed from her spot.

"We're all scattering apart. . . Megumi, Kenshin, and I will be attending Tokyo Daigaku." Kaoru looked toward her friends solemnly, "We're going to drift apart aren't we?"

Soujiro smiled widely at her, "Do you think it will be that easy to get rid of us after all these years? I can't speak for everyone else, but you're stuck with me forever."

Aoshi gave a rare smile, "As you are with me."

"Me too!" Misao bounded over to Kaoru brightly grasping her arm.

"What else am I going to do without ya Jou-chan?"

"I'll be seeing you in my classes." Megumi said as she walked up to the group.

Kenshin grinned and shrugged, "I have a promise to keep."

Kaoru beamed at him, "I guess you do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ten years later, it could be seen that Sano was still part of the Sekihoutai, as was Megumi. Instead of being a fighter for hire, he was now one of the leaders of the organization. Megumi, still secretly affiliated with the Sekihoutai, became a renowned doctor; although, most of her skills was used to patch up her fiancée, Sano.

Soujiro found a nice girl by the name of Sayuri a few years back, and they have a two-year-old child named Satsuki. They are expecting another child, a boy this time, and hope to find another name that starts with an `S.'

Saitou continues to teach, no one is really sure what subject besides homeroom and kendo (which aren't subjects at all). He continues to be as sadistic as ever, and strangely keeps in touch with Kaoru, Kenshin, and the motley crew.

Aoshi and Misao took over as the principal leaders of the Oniwabanshu, a school teaching ninjutsu. They have been in a relationship for many years, and it seems they are also in it for the long haul.

Hiko Sejiro, although he never came up in the story lives peacefully in Hokkaido warming up with sake in the cold weather. He is not dead by the way. He did teach the succession technique to Kenshin, but he taught it with a wooden kunai. He plans to visit his Baka Deshi sometime soon, just to cause him trouble.

Kaoru became a child psychologist, still working through her parents' death much like Kenshin. Kenshin is now a litigate for the state court, he continues to protect Kaoru with his life. Now that he can sustain himself comfortably, he has bought another ring, this time a platinum diamond one.

He plans to give her the ring, tonight. And Kaoru is happy to accept. They are getting married sometime next spring.

Did they live happily ever after? Only they can answer that question. Kenshin never got his wish of living a mundane life. He seemed okay with that, as was Kaoru. Who wants a boring life anyways? Isn't it the important thing that they lived? Yes, they moved on and changed slowly through the years, because time changes all right?

And it can be happily noted that Kaoru never fainted ever again.

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A/N: I'm sorry if I made you guys suffer with the supposed death of Kaoru, but in all fairness I did say in earlier author notes that this story will end well. I avoided finishing this. I just couldn't let the story go. It was my first, and it will always hold fond memories in my heart. This was a process that took a year and a half. Being as young as I am, a year and a half has changed me. So much has changed. My writing has changed drastically. I have changed as a person. I consider this fanfic as more of a growing experience than my final masterpiece. It is so difficult to let go of the first isn't it? I may write a RK fic once again. I highly doubt there will ever be a sequel to this, who would want to read it anyways? Well, I should bid all you farewell but I find it extremely hard to do so. I thank all of you that have followed me from the beginning. I thank all of you that picked me up from the middle. I thank all of you that just sat in a chair for a few hours and read the whole thing. I hope to see in future reviews at future fanfics. I love you all. Arg. I'm postponing my goodbye far to long. But let's not make this goodbye, let's make it a see you later. So this is Hoshi-ni-Onegai waving to you good naturedly. . . for now. ^o^