Kaede sat in the dark apartment, Kayama's robe on her shoulders. Looking at photographs taken from their wedding, she smiled in the dim lamplight as a music box played "Hanasaku Otome" softly in the background. She suddenly came across a stray picture of her sister.
'Neesan...' she thought, wondering how it ended up with her wedding pictures. The picture was taken Taisho 12, about the time Ayame had started rounding up the members for the Hanagumi. In this picture, she wore her hair in a long ponytail with bangs that fell into her eyes. She seemed to be in leisure clothing, a slim summery dress as she stood at the beach. Kaede couldn't remember where this picture was taken.
'Neesan... I miss you so much... but I sometimes wonder that if you were here now, where I would be. Since we both went our separate ways, I wished our paths would cross again. In your letters you wrote of your love for Teito and the Hanagumi; I didn't think I'd have you back again... and then you were killed, protecting those you love... and through a twist of fate, here I am in your position. Your precious treasure have become my own... I've found my home, soshite... my love... arigatou, Neesan, for this final gift.'
A single tear splattered on the photograph. Kaede paused to wipe her eyes. She remembered the promise she made to her sister, that if anything would happen to her she would not cry no matter what. "Be strong, Kaede-san." Ayame said as they parted at the pier, "Someday, we will meet again."
But someday didn't come. Kaede never saw her sister in person ever again. They lived in two separate worlds and only kept in touch through letters. Still, Kaede loved her sister regardless. She was all the family she had. But now, things were different.
"It's late." she sighed, gazing at the clock, "Yuichi, where are you?" She climbed out of the armchair and walked to the window, peering out at the sky. "It'll be dawn soon..." A slow smile curled on her lip, "Perhaps you wanted to watch the sunrise on the ocean. Silly man..."
Just then, she heard someone approaching the door. She turned around just as the keys were jingling and opening the lock. "Yuichi!!" she chimed, running over, "Okaeri nasai!!"
But when the door opened, she didn't see her husband, but a tired-looking Oogami. "Kaede-san...!" he panted, stepping inside and taking her by the arm, "Please hurry...!"
"What's going on, Oogami-kun?" she stammered as he pulled her towards the door and got her to put on some shoes and a coat, "What's happened?"
"I'll explain on the way there." he replied, as they left the apartment and ran down the street towards the Teigeki.
* * *
"Masaka!" Kaede cried as she entered the battle room. The other Hanagumi were there, all of them wide awake in their pajamas. Yoneda wore his military uniform and gripped a bottle of sake, "Why didn't you contact me earlier?"
"We tried your kinematron, but it didn't work." Oogami explained, "And we just got news recently too."
Yoneda clenched a fist and glared at the floor. "The Tsukigumi were in search for the ship that had transported the dark koubu, but after getting a hunch, they mysteriously disappeared off the radar... we don't know where they are..."
Maria then said, "While Oogami-chuui went to get you... we received this final recording of the radio from the Hanayashiki network at the Tsukigumi ship's final coordinates." She pressed a button for them to hear the recording.
-- "Aa, we finally found them. We'll be sure to make them stop here... Are?? They've caught to us?? YOSHI! All arms on ship! We're going in!! Teikoku Kagekidan - Tsukigumi SANJOU!" -- This followed with sounds of explosions and then static.
"Sonna!" Oogami exclaimed, "Kayama is...?!" He turned towards the woman who had a pale face. "K... Kaede-san...?!"
"IYAAAA!" Kaede cried, breaking into a run. Oogami tried to take a hold of her arm, but she pushed him aside and ran out the battle room.
"Kaede-kun..." Yoneda uttered as the girls looked like they would go after her, "No, let her be..."
"Demo!" Kouran exclaimed, "The Shougeimaru has been activated!" Yoneda and the others stared at her in shock. "Sou ya!! Kaede-han has high-jacked the Shougeimaru!!"
The main street opened up, waking the sleeping civilians in the process. The Shougeimaru seemed to lift off in a hurry, zooming towards the bay. 'Yuichi...!' Kaede thought, tearfully flying over the water just as the sun was rising, 'Yuichi...!!!'
When she reached his final coordinates, she saw the remains of the ship, still partially in flames. The horrid vision blurred with tears
"YUICHII!!!!!"
* * *
"Kaede-kun!! Answer me!!" Yoneda yelled into the radio, "Answer me now! This is an order!!"
Oogami clenched his fists, his eyes becoming glassy. 'Kayama... you idiot... why did you go after them... why...?' All of sudden, their main screen flickered on an image. Oogami lifted his head and gasped, "Sore wa... masaka...!!"
"Kagekidan... soshite, Ichirou." said the woman on the screen, her smile ever so bright, "The Moon has fell out of the sky."
"ADIA!!!" Oogami angrily exclaimed, rushing to the screen and pounding a fist on it, "You did this, didn't you?! I'll never forgive you!! NEVER!!!"
"I'm hurt, Ichirou. After all we went through... this is how you treat me. We could've had something, y'know. Something real good."
"Shut up!" Kanna snapped, she and Sumire rolling up their sleeves, "You've gone too far!! We're going to put a stop to you once and for all!!"
Adia could only laugh at them. Maria then stepped forward. "How dare you show your face to us. I should've killed you off when I had the chance."
"Life is full of regrets and disappointments. Learn from your mistakes, little girls." Adia replied, "But I really must go. Until next time, ojouchan-tachi, soushite, my beloved Ichirou..." She blew a kiss and disappeared from the screen.
Lobelia grumbled, "Connection terminated. We didn't get the coordinates of that broad so we can't go and kill her! Dammit all!"
"My, she seems like a totally different person than the one I met back home." Erica uttered, "I never knew anyone so filled with deceit."
"The world is filled of people like that." Glycine sighed, "I suppose you can't avoid it. But this one really sounds nasty."
Sakura walked up to the now silent Oogami facing the blackened screen. "Oogami-san..." she uttered, taking his hand, "I'm really sorry..." He just shook his head, sadly turning to face the other way. Sakura sighed and bowed her head.
"Kaede-kun, is that you?" Yoneda's voice startled everyone. They all gathered around him to listen to the faint reception. "We're all here for you..."
"I know..." Kaede replied, her voice choked up with tears, "I'm sorry... for reacting like this..." She clutched the speaker, sunlight pouring in through the windows. "Minna... I'm on my way home."
* * *
"And so like the cherry blossom, a life blooms beautifully, but only for a short instance. Precious is our time; we shouldn't waste not a moment of it. Surely as the cherry blossom wither away without warning, our lives too will end someday."
'This was the eulogy read at the funerary ceremony for the 13 members of the Tsukigumi on this cloudy October day.'
Oogami stood on a navel ship, alongside his troops, wearing his naval uniform as they formal dress. Yoneda stood in front of them, his arm around the shoulders of Kaede, whose eyes were filled with tears, that none fell in front of anyone them. They moved to edge to drop a bouquet of wisteria into the water.
'A burial at sea... what other way for such an Ocean man...'
Oogami lifted his hand to salute as the trumpet was played. His troops followed his example, each with sadden looks in their faces.
'Kayama Yuichi-shoui, died at age 25, for the sake of Teito...'
* * *
The group returned back at the Gekijou after the reception, entering the lobby quietly. Yoneda had moved away from Kaede to give her distance, now heading for his office. "I'm going to have some sake... if anyone calls, take a messege." He uttered, disappearing down the hall.
"Ne..." Airisu suddenly uttered, everyone staring towards her. "Where is heaven? Where has Kayama-nichan gone?"
Erica sadly smiled and pointed at the ceiling. "Up there, where our Lord is. Surely a good man like Kayama-san has gone there. And he will be all right, so don't you worry, Airisu."
"Kayama-nichan... is in the attic?? Airisu doesn't understand..." Everyone couldn't help but giggle at her confusion.
Kanna now suggested they go into the cafeteria for a snack. "Ara! Kanna-san!!" Sumire exclaimed, wearing some extravagant dress imported from London, "Didn't we just eat at the reception?! You have no self-control at all!!"
"What did you say, Cactus Woman?!? I'm gonna...!!"
Maria smiled. "We all could sit down for a bit before working on the play. Saa, minna, let's go!"
"W-Who wants tea??" Hanabi asked as she, Kanna and Coquelicot headed into the kitchen to fix up the snacks.
"Let's go, Oogami-san!" Sakura chimed, feeling a little cheered up. "Eh?" She stopped and turned towards him, as he was staring towards the silent Kaede by the doors about to leave. "Oogami-san, maybe you could walk Kaede-san home? I don't want her to be by herself."
He quietly nodded and gave her hand a squeeze. He then walked over to Kaede as she went into the hallway. "Eto... Kaede-san..."
"Oogami-kun," she replied, "I'll be fine. You mustn't worry about me."
"Demo na... everyone can't help it." he told her, "Look, it's late. Why don't you go home and get some rest. It's been a long day. I'll even see you home."
"Home..." she uttered, her hands dropped at her side and clenching, "I understand. Arigatou, Oogami-kun."
* * *
The two walked outside. It had started to rain and they hurried down the street, for they forgot an umbrella. One block away, they arrived at her apartment. She opened the door and switched on the lights to the dark flat. "Please come inside, Oogami-kun."
"Aa, excuse me." he uttered, coming in and taking off his muddy shoes. The place looked a little lifeless without the sunlight beaming in as he had seen it before. On the floor was a pile of photographs spilt. He knelt down and picked up a picture of Ayame.
"Would you like some tea or coffee?" Kaede kept talking as she walked back and got them some towels. She handed one to him and he quickly dried his face. She smiled slightly at the photo he was holding, "Neesan looks very young in that picture."
"Time freezes in photographs." Oogami replied, "But I never knew Ayame-san at this time. She might've been a different person from the Ayame-san I knew."
"Iie, chigau yo." Kaede said, going to sit down on the sofa, "Neesan was always the same person. Her love for Teito never shifted, never did her dedication to her duty. Just like Yuichi..."
"Kaede-san..." he uttered facing her. She abruptly got up, sobbing into his shirt. Oogami slowly lifted his arms around her, letting her cry out her grief. "It's all right..."
"No... it's not...I... I promised Yuichi I would... I wouldn't cry if... if something happened... like I promised Nee-san... demo... I... I just can't help it... once again... I've lost the one person I loved..."
"Kaede-san, you aren't alone." Oogami loosened his hold and cupped her face, wiping away the tears, "I have lost my best friend, someone I truly admired... just as I lost a woman I loved years ago... Ayame-san... Kayama... they were two important people to me as well."
"Oogami-kun..."
"Yoneda and everyone... they too mourn for Kayama... they too are suffering. You are not alone, Kaede-san. You will never be alone. I promise you."
Kaede slowly smiled, going to wipe away the tears in his eyes, "Oogami-kun, arigatou... you've made me feel a lot better."
"Yokatta ne." he said, moving away and turning towards the window. It was pouring really hard outside. "I better head back to the Teigeki now..."
"Do you need to borrow an umbrella?"
"Iya, I'll be fine. A walk in the rain would feel nice right now." he explained, bowing his head, "Please get some rest, Kaede-san..."
"Aa, chotto!" she called, getting him to turn around. She folded her hands together and said, "Oogami-kun, I was married for six weeks... demo, it was the happiest time of my life. If I could, I would freeze that time and live in it forever in a photograph... demo, that's not possible. There really isn't anything called 'forever'."
"...Kaede-san?"
"Time is precious, Oogami-kun. Be with your loved ones and treasure every second with them."
Oogami slowly nodded. "H... Hai."
* * *
After a walk in the rain, Oogami was completely soaked. Entering the Teigeki, he saw that everyone had all gone to their rooms and were resting. It had been a long day; everyone had been up since dawn. He silently went up the stairs and approached his room.
'Are?' He stopped in his doorway to see Sakura, asleep in his chair. Closing the door gently, he walked over to her and knelt at her side. "Tadaima." he softly whispered.
"Aa... Oogami-san..." she uttered, her eyes opening, "Okaeri nasai." She took one look at him and saw his terrible state. "Waah, you're soaking wet! You're going to catch cold if you stay like that!"
"Thanks for waiting up for me." he said as she went to the closet and got him a towel, "Kaede-san is going to be all right. You mustn't worry at all."
Sakura put the towel on his shoulders, "Yokkata desu ne. Demo, I'm also worried about you. Kayama-san was your best friend for a long time..."
Oogami stood, putting his arms around her waist. "Daijoubu da." he said, looking her in the eye, "I'll miss him... but I know I'm not alone."
"O...Oogami-san..." she stammered, gazing into his intense expression, "Ano..."
"Sakura-kun, stay with me tonight."
"Heeh?"
"Onegai." he uttered, tightening his hold and brushing his lips against her neck, "I... I need you..."
"HEEEH?!?" she gasped, completely red in the face. "Chotto, Oogami-san! Dame desu!!" she exclaimed as he tried to kiss her, "We mustn't do this!"
Oogami backed away at this tone of voice and stared at her, "Sakura-kun... but I..."
Sakura tearfully shook her head. "I understand a lot has happened and you're suffering for your friend... I want to comfort you all I can... demo... I... I'm just not ready for this... I'm really sorry, Oogami-san."
"Iie, I'm the one at fault. I shouldn't have suggested a thing." he replied, "Gomen, Sakura-kun."
"Jaa..." she said, moving for the door, "I'll be going now. Please get some rest, Oogami-san." She then left as quickly as she could.
Oogami sighed and dropped his head, still longing to be near the one he loved. He fell into his chair, gazing at the raindrops that rolled down the windowsill. 'Sakura-kun... will our time end shortly as well...? I want to spend the rest of my life with you...'
* * *
The hours passed. Oogami couldn't get any sleep. He sat at his desk, gazing at old photographs taken from a long time ago, from his graduation. He came across his class photo, he and his buddies lined up in uniform for the formal picture, and then the outtake photo of them goofing off.
'Kayama...' He smiled at the image of him and his friend, grinning at the camera, arm around each other and fingers making a victory sign, 'We promised we'd protect Teito together... I'll keep that promise for you.'
Putting the picture down, he sat back and gazed at it. In his mind, he could hear the guitar play and the crew singing 'Kanpan Fura Fura' on deck as they mopped up for the night. This memory will always be the same in his mind as though time had frozen.
'Sayonara... old friend...'
************************* Preview! Reni: Preparations for the enemy have begun... as well as preparations for the Hanagumi's annual winter play. Airisu: Demo, a lot of strange incidents keep happening on and off the stage. Airisu is scared! Kyaaa!! ...Mou, it was just Lobelia-san and Kouran! Both: "One Final Gift" next time on Sakura Taisen. A storm of Romance in Taisho cherry blossoms! Airisu: Nee, Reni, is there such thing as ghosts? Reni: ...Anything is possible, Airisu.
