UPON SPECIAL REQUEST...

I added yet ANOTHER final chapter. Haha. How strange. An epilogue for the epilogue! Anyway, read and review (if you wish, it won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t).

Honoring Vows...

An Epilogue for an Epilogue...

How long had it been? Countless minutes, ceaseless seconds? Maybe pointless days, for all I know, Kyo thought numbly, closing his tired eyes. When will he arrive?

With a final glance at the house he and Yuya had occupied since 1616, Kyo walked over the rocky shore in his grass sandals. He stared at the sea water laping against the rocks, feeling his heartbeat slow into a rythme with the water.

Not too long now, he thought titling his face up toward the salty sea air. Not too long, at all...

The footfalls of horses alerted Kyo that the time had finally come. He turned to see a smiling Yukimura, a jug of sake in hand, perched atop a white mare. Yukimura swung dangerously from side to side, singing off-key, “Kyo!!! Kyo, Kyo, Ky-oooooo! I brought some sake for the occasion! Where’s the misses?”

“It also seems that you have gotten into the sake yourself,” Kyo murmured with a faint grin.

Yukimura chuckled good-naturedly. “Ah, well. You know me! I must sample it, make sure it’s good enough for this fine day!”

Sasuke, from atop his brown stallion, rolled his amber eyes. His half-smile let Kyo know that Yukimura had gone through more than simple ‘sampling’ of the sake.

“Come up to the house,” Kyo offered, red eyes turning back to his home of a year. “Yuya would love to see you two.”

Yukimura smiled warmly at the still radiant Yuya, whose cheeks were flushed and whose eyes glowed. “Lady Yuya, you are still as lovely as ever.” He pulled her into a hug, feeling a small pang of longing. How he would have longed to have been like this: happy, living in a quaint home with the one he loved...

A startling cry snapped Yukimura from his thoughts. Yuya jumped, eyes alarmed, before she seemed to relax. “Oh, just a moment. I’ll be right back,” she said with an apologetic smile before sauntering into a joining room.

Yukimura looked over at Kyo, who was watching his wife with a look of contentment.

“Was that who I think it was?” Sasuke asked curiously.

Kyo gave a slight nod. “The ‘special occasion’ you all wanted to see.”

Even through Kyo’s blunt and calm tone, his look of pride and happiness was evident in his eyes. Yukimura smiled at his old friend. He looked away only when Yuya bustled into the room, holding a bundle of blue blankets.

Yukimura stared down into the youthfully round, plump face of Kyo and Yuya’s first child. It had Yuya’s calm disposition and blue-green eyes and Kyo’s fiery red hair. Yukimura smiled, tickling his cheek with a dainty, almost feminine finger. “Why hello there,” he cooed. “What is your name?”

Yuya, beaming with maternal pride, glanced over at Kyo. Her face glowed as she said softly, “We named him Saizo, after a brave soldier who was lost to us during the battle for the throne of Edo.”

Yukimura looked up at Yuya, and then Kyo, in amazement. They had named their first-born son, their heir, after Saizo? My Saizo?

Yukimura felt tears welling in his eyes as he stared down at the baby. He cupped the child’s face in his hand, whispering, “Saizo... may you grow up as strong as the first who graced the name.”

Author’s Note:

I know, that was probably: A) not what you expected, and, B) not what you wanted. I am so if you didn’t like it, but I have been on a Yukimura kick recently. Lol. And I love Saizo. And I thought it’d be a sweet, cute little ending.

I hope you all liked!

Review, please?

Love love,

Eternity