A Sage's Daughter (Complete)

Epilogue

(trigger warning)

Time passes. Days. Weeks. Years.I wait for as long as I have to, growing colder without her by my side.

Those humans, I will never forgive, still haven't suffered enough for what they've done, but because of her sacrifice, they ceased fighting and split apart for good. For her, I bury my rage and hatred, and wait for our promise to be fulfilled.

Finally, she came back, however she was just a little different. Even still, she was her. She was my Katsura.

She doesn't remember me, but that's alright, we can start over, start anew. Hundreds of years I've waited, I can wait a little longer.

This incarnation is just as sweet as the first. Kind to a fault, and strong as an ox. Her body is healthy in this life, I'm happy for her. She enjoys running and playing, singing her heart out to use her spirit abilities, it's new but not unheard of.

Time goes on and we fall in love once again, but they're here too. In this life, they aren't tied by blood, but they are childhood friends. She tells me not to worry, but after some time, yet another fight was started and I lost her again, the same as the first. At the end she regained her memories of us, and with no time to savor, said goodbye once more.

And so I waited.

And I waited.

And I waited.

My hatred growing deeper than it had before. The guilt of not being there to protect her growing ever more.

My one love's lifeless body in my hands once again.

Once...twice... Tens of times.

It always end the same.

Each incarceration is a little different from the previous one, but all are her... All are Katsura.

She always loves me, but always loves them more.

Over and over she meets her end in a fight between those humans.

Over and over I hold her body, begging her to live again.

Over and over, I hear the same sentence.

"I love you, but I still want to save them."

It plays in my head, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of times.

All I can do is beg her to stay... I forgot what I am.

Hundreds of years passed and my hatred couldn't be contained. Those humans took my love from me more times than I can bare. Darker and darker my heart becomes, nothing but misery making me feel alive. What am I? Oh right, Katsura, I have to wait for her again.

I wanted them to feel what I felt, so a war was waged... And she died again. Was it my fault? No...they killed her again. So another war, then another but this last fight was different.

Katsura was like no other, unlike before, this incarnation had no family. I may have forgotten what I am, but her warmth still reaches me. We complete each other, just us together.

Hikari, my last hope, my sweet earth spirit, live a long life...

...

...

Yet another war. I wanted her to hate them as much as I do. But they were friends. Unlike the other incarnations, these humans put an end to the war and Hikari lived, I thought that would be the end... But no.

I got possessive.. I hurt her myself I couldn't live with my own life force anymore, so I became one with her entirely, and so our clan was born. Poisoned by my hatred they became corrupt, and Hikari fell ill.

As different as it was, I still lost her.

Once again, in my arms, Katsura disappeared..

Time passed, I grew weak. My form unstable, my mind on the edge. The joy of causing misery sustained me, but for how long?

On my last legs, suddenly, I could see. Katsura was somewhere else, somebody else, someone with a heart as dark as mine.

This isn't Katsura, she's a coward.

This isn't Katsura, she's filthy.

This isn't Katsura...

This isn't Katsura.

This isn't Katsura!

"JUST DIE YOU CHEAP IMITATION!"

I want her dead, but no.. she has to suffer. How dare she stand where Katsura stood. Where Naiga, Kosubi, Jokuyo, Miyoki, and Hikari once stood!

This thing isn't her!

And it never will be.

So why can't I kill her...

She's my last chance.

She disgusts me, a disgrace to my wife's name! But... Katsura is in there. I can feel her soul, pure and untainted in this miserable body of someone so unworthy.

I hate her.

More than words can describe I despise her with everything I am, but...

For Katsura, I will let her live.

Until I can see Katsura for the last time, she will be my vessel, even if it kills her.