Midnight's Reign

Chapter 20 - Epilogue

The most heartbreaking word to exist, is the word almost.

He almost had his dream come true, of marrying her.

She almost got to live the life she wanted.

They almost made it.

When it comes to love, it's not always about how you feel about that person; It's about how that person makes you feel about yourself. She changed him. She made him better.

Asami was a force of nature. Stubborn when she wanted to be, compassionate when she needed to be. Even though she's gone, he still feels her presence. She's in the rain that falls from the sky. She's in the wind that carries the leaves and passes through his hair. The warmth he feels on his skin from the sunlight, she's there.

He's not the only one that she changed. He noticed a difference in Inosuke as well. No longer does he steal food from the kitchens. He's still always itching for a fight, but he seems to treat those around him with more respect, especially women.

Life onward was hard. God was it hard. Waking up to an empty bed twisted his heart. His soul screams for one more touch. One more kiss. One more anything. Some days he didn't want to get out of bed or eat. But he made a promise to her. To not shut down. To carry on.

And so he did. For her.

She is the reason why his heart still beats and his lungs still fill with breath. He won't let her sacrifice go to waste.

He ended up taking in a Tsuguko. Two of them, to be exact. Senjuro and Inosuke were eager students. He trained them in everything he knew and they absorbed every little piece of knowledge he taught them. The bond the boys had with Asami also strengthened their desire to become better. Because she would want them to be the best versions of themselves that they could be.

He would visit her resting place often with a bouquet of flowers, giving her updates on what was going on in his life. Even if she wasn't actually listening, it felt nice to talk to her, to have a conversation with her. If you could even call it that. Inosuke would visit her often as well, oftentimes sitting before her headstone, making a flower crown to put on her grave.

As seasons changed and years went by, it became easier to think about her without feeling pain in his heart. If he found himself struggling on a particularly hard day, he would touch the ruby that hung around his neck, bringing him comfort.

He bought a chunk of land in a forest and built a small cabin. With the help of Tengen and Giyu, the rustic home was finished quickly. It was quiet out here, which he liked. Tranquil and private. She would have loved it here. He hung up her sword above the fireplace; a daily reminder of why he continues to carry on.

The remainder of his life was, for the most part, normal. He never found love again; but he never went looking. Even when Tengen would tell him that Asami would understand. That he could open his heart to another woman, where he could have a family of his own and to grow old with. But he couldn't. How could he, when his heart was scored so deeply by the love that was Asami?

Because somewhere out there, he has someone waiting for him.

Kyojuro eventually retired from the Corps; Senjuro took up the mantle of the next Flame Hashira. He was beyond proud of his little brother; he grew up to become a fine man. Senjuro found love, marrying a kind woman who gave him three healthy children; two sons and a daughter. The day his niece was born was a day he'd never forget. When Senjuro came out of the hospital room, holding the small baby in his arms, he revealed that he and his wife named her after Asami. Even though Kyojuro never had any children of his own, he treated his niece and nephews as if they were his. To his delight, they called him Uncle Umai.