[The End of Osamu Ashikaga] Epilogue (Part 2) -- That Which is Most Precious

What holds humanity together after it endures a hellish catastrophe like Dark Dawn? Manami found the answer for herself, and when she did, she went to Hokkaido to visit Taeko’s grave. It was cool, quiet night bathed in pale moonlight. The leaves of the red maple tree swished and fluttered as the breeze combed through its leaves. Manami knelt before the graves of Taeko, Osamu, and the Shoku Twins, her once red hair now bleached white by time passed.

“Hey there…Taeko.” Manami aid, her shoulders slumped. “I can’t believe you actually wanted to rest here with these three. I guess the heart is more complicated than just loving or hating someone. Well…I came here to tell you…I’m sorry. I’m sorry I resented you so much. I’m sorry I forced your hand to start the war. I’m just…sorry for everything. I think my greatest regret is that I didn’t say that to you while you were still alive.

“Your son asks me about you all the time. He wants to know more about his famous mother and her legacy. I always tell him that there’s no storyteller on earth that could do your tale justice. Gekko was right. You did everything like it was your destiny to. Though, knowing you, you’d just say that you got lucky, or that you gambled against the odds. You were always good at making risky gambles like that, even better at coming out of them alive when no one expected you to.

“He’s a writer, these days. He’s going around the world with Osamu’s kids and documenting stories of human struggle, survival, and hope. He believes that documenting human history and social attitudes from this point forward is going to help mankind develop quickly and peacefully. He’s still writing it, so he’s also working as a Japanese and English teacher in the meantime. Kids love him, I hear.

“I must say, I never expected you to die before me. I’m starting to think you’re the lucky one. You get to pass away knowing that your life meant something to so many people, that you left a mark on this world for the rest of eternity. That you…unlike so many others…fought back against this cruel world and refused to go floating down the river of time.

“I, on the other hand, failed as a mother. I failed as a mentor. I failed as your comrade. I failed as a human being. My own thirst for vengeance enabled Dark Dawn and the war to happen. I went through with it, knowing you’d all get wrapped up in this. I wonder where you, Osamu, the twins, and Inari would be if I had made different choices. I’d like to think that, somewhere, there’s a timeline where everyone could’ve lived together in peace.

“This doesn’t make up for anything that I did, but…I want you to have this.”

Manami left a beautiful bouquet of red roses, pink lilies, and azaleas in front of Taeko’s grave. Her fingers were covered in small band-aids from the cuts she endured when she picked the roses by hand. She stuck her walking cane into the ground and pushed herself back onto her feet, taking one last gander at Taeko’s headstone.

“You and I went on one hell of a ride together. In the end…it was a great honor to have been your comrade. Rest in peace, Taeko. I hope…wherever you are…your family and your clan are happy to see you again.”

Manami would pass away a mere week after visiting Taeko’s grave. She died in the small, wooden cabin in Arashiyama where lived after the war. Her body was discovered by Shinju. She passed away in her bed, wrapped comfortably in sheets and blankets while she slept. Yoko and her family held a private funeral for her and laid her to rest in the graveyard down the street from their house. Manami lived a long and full life, and she died having learned from her own venomous hatred. In the end, it was no surprise that came to respect Taeko so much, the woman who fought to live everyday with love in her heart.

Five years after Manami’s passing, Yoko and her family commemorated her life with a simple ritual; gathering around the kitchen island together and having a wonderful meal. Yoko and Izanami served bowls of pasta topped with a rich, red wine bolognese sauce and fresh slices of homemade garlic bread. It was a meal that put smiles on everyone’s faces and seemingly gave them a second stomach in which to stuff more helpings into.

A thick flurry of snow made it difficult to see anything out of the windows. The snow banks had grown nearly twelve feet tall and stood like walls along the sidewalks of their neighborhood. Sharp icicles lined the frame of their roof like jagged, wintry teeth and the entire inside of the house was filled to the brim with Christmas decorations. A pine wreath decorated with glittering, red baubles and a white ribbon sat fixed upon the front door. Christmas lights hung from the ceilings and seemed to snake throughout the entire house. And of course, a pine tree three times the size of the girls themselves stood tall, wrapped in more Christmas lights, ribbons, baubles, and nutcrackers. The smell of cinnamon, cloves, and pine permeated throughout through every room.

“Ugh! I’m so full!” Tsukiakari groaned as she loosened the zipper on her black jeans. “That really hit the spot. We should make pasta more often.”

“Yeah, I’m tapping out, too.” Amatsuki said, neatly wiping her lips with a paper towel. “You’ve outdone yourself yet again, Yoko.”

Now in her sixties, Yoko’s long, red hair was tinged with stripes of white. She took off her white apron, keeping her hair in a ponytail that reached down to the middle of her back. She checked her red lumberjack shirt for stains from the pasta sauce, seeing none. Everyone handed their empty bowls to Yoko for her to wash, her new pasta recipe a smash hit in the household.

“It was supposed to last us a few days, but it looks like we’re almost out already.” Yoko said, a satisfied smile on her face. “Gekko, would you mind taking out the lamb?”

“Oh, sure.” Tsukiakari said, getting up from her seat and pulling lamb chops out from the freezer to thaw on the counter.

“Can I tell you guys a secret?” Yoko questioned, perking the ears of everyone in the room. “This was actually one of Isabella’s old recipes. I just tweaked it a little bit more to my liking. We have her to thank for this meal.”

“Damn, gone for decades and still feeding us…” Tsukiakari said.

“Mom always taught me that the best memories are made around the dinner table.” Yoko said as she turned on the faucet to rinse out the bowls. “A lot can be communicated through the food we cook, not just for ourselves, but for others as well. Culture, customs, even love.”

“Bless her soul.” Amatsuki said. “I know Manami would be proud to see you now, Yoko.”

Yoko turned around, leaning against the kitchen counter as she dried her hands with a paper towel. “I hope she is. Her, Isabella, Taeko…so many others. Even if they’re no longer with us, we can still share the love we had with them.”

“Love that is lost will eventually find its way back to you.” Tsukiakari said. “Right, Izanami?”

Izanami’s cheeks turned a rosy pink color. “That’s exactly right. All of you are living proof of that. This living situation of ours…it’s funny when you remember that it was all just an accident. Aika and Isabella needed a place to stay and we all just kinda gathered here. Of course, I came to keep the peace. Everyone was really at each other’s throats back then.”

“And then I joined the fray!” Tsukiakari cheered. “Man…that was a wild time. I even died!”

“You were certainly a feisty little piece of work, I’ll tell you that much.” Izanami tittered. “We experienced every joy and sorrow life had to offer us. We laughed, we cried, but most importantly, we were there for each other. This house sheltered some of the most genuine and kind souls I have ever met. It blows me away just thinking about it. I’ve lost so much in my life, but living here with all of you is what proved to me that I was right; the love you lose truly does come back to you, if you want it to.”

Izanami’s words stirred a wave of affection and inspiration in everyone’s hearts. Even Amatsuki, who usually kept her more intimate thoughts to herself, couldn’t help but offer some genuine words of her own.

“I couldn’t agree more.” Amatsuki said. “You all gave me a home when I had no one to turn to. A lot of people fought and sacrificed everything for my sake, especially my brother. Living here has made all of that pain and strife worth it. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Don’t make me get all sappy, now…” Tsukiakari sighed, certainly feeling the same rush of love, but reluctant to let it all hang out. “Look…there are no words to describe what you all did for me. I don’t mean that in a cheesy, avoidant way. I seriously just…don’t have the words. You saved me. More times than I can count. All I can say is thank you.”

“…Whether we like it or not…we owe so much of this to Osamu.” Amatsuki said, the mere mention of his name dashing away the smiles on everyone’s faces. Despite the polarizing nature of Osamu’s name and memory, none of the girls dared to argue against Amatsuki. They knew she was right.

Osamu was the man that risked his life to save Tsukiakari from the clutches of Bishamon and the corrupt gods of Heaven. Osamu was the one who was there for Satori in his final days. He was the one that nearly died retrieving Mizuhame’s gourd, which enabled Taeko to save Kagutsuchi from her curse. At every turn, Osamu was willing to sacrifice everything for them, not even willing to spare himself.

The thought of what he did to the world made their hearts drop to their stomachs, but remembering the years before that, when he was still just an earnest, genuine, and heroic young man breathed life back into souls. At the very least, that memory of Osamu deserved to be acknowledged. His life didn’t have to hang over them like a dark cloud or a phantom. Rather, the girls would savor it as a memory, like a beautiful sunset that gave way to night, or the fading smell of rain after the clouds part ways for the sun.

“He saved us.” Yoko said. “He sacrificed the world to protect us. It’s the opposite of what a hero would do. But Osamu wasn’t a hero. He was an honest to god human, right up until the very end. We’ve all made terrible mistakes, heinous actions we can’t take back. Izanami and Gekko know what it’s like to be driven to violence for the people you love.”

“All too well.” Izanami murmured, shutting her eyes as if to block out the memory of the Black Death. Her genocidal rage nearly wiped out the entire European continent and its people, not even counting the droves of people killed across Asia.

Tsukiakari couldn’t downplay her own vicious actions of the past, either. Having been in the same clan as Taeko, she endured a monstrous series of events, struggles, and tribulations that would haunt anyone who heard the tale. It all culminated in her murder spree that claimed the lives of four of her fellow gods, including her own uncle, Oyamatsumi. That too was for the sake of her clan, who were used and betrayed by Bishamon and his co-conspirators. Intense, unyielding love drove both her and Izanami to spew forth equally intense hatred at the world when they thought they had lost everything.

“If everyone here was able to learn how to love me, despite everything I did,” Izanami began, “then I know we can all do the same for Osamu.”

“I’d like to…try.” Amatsuki added, her eyes clouded by heavy thought.

“I don’t know if I can, considering…I lost Chiya.” Tsukiakari sighed. “But…I do want to remember the good times I had with him. I mean…it wasn’t all for nothing, right?”

Yoko took Tsukiakari’s hand into her own. “It wasn’t all for nothing. We’re all still here, free from the threat of war, free from enemies. No matter how long it takes to come to terms with what he did, I’ll try my best to remember the man I knew.”

That day, the girls made a sacred agreement to remember Osamu, if not for the man he died as, then for the man he was. His kindness shaped each of their lives as strongly as his malice did, but the same could be said of both Tsukiakari and Izanami. There had to be a way to reconcile everything that happened during the war. The girls truly believed that.

The next morning, Yoko woke up much later than everyone else. By the time she sat up in bed, Izanami, Tsukiakari, and Amatsuki had already gone downstairs. The smell of maple pork sausages and eggs wafted from the kitchen and climbed up the stairs to greet Yoko’s nostrils. The faint sound of an explosive action movie playing on the television and Tsukiakari’s loud, vocal reactions to every scene all invited Yoko to join them. On that morning, however, Yoko was saddled by a strange feeling. Nothing was wrong, yet she felt that something wasn’t right.

She opened up the curtains, catching a view of the sun shining over the winter wonderland that was Kyoto, it’s bright light bouncing off the endless layers of snow that covered the city like a thick jacket. Once she saw the sun, she knew exactly what was happening to her. She smiled and whispered to herself, “I see. It’s time.”

It was a normal, winter day in that house. Everyone enjoyed watching movies together, eating, drinking, and simply being with one another. The heat was on all day to protect the house from the cold. It proved to be so comfortable that Amatsuki even cocooned herself in two warm, knit blankets and took a nap on the couch while the others continued watching movies. The sun hadn’t gone down yet when Yoko quietly peeled herself off the couch and walked upstairs to use the bathroom.

She flung open her medicine cabinet and pulled out some basic makeup. Black eyeliner, red lipstick, and a rosy, pink blush. Memories of her high school days with Osamu played in her mind like a long last tape reel. She remembered his gentle laughter and the way he’d close doors very quietly whenever he was leaving a room. How he’d get bits of eggshell in his omelette during home economics, how he excelled at physical education and creative writing. How he’d always get the same grape flavored fruit snacks at the corner store.

She remembered his face when she told him she was ready to have children, how the light behind his eyes grew brighter that day. She remembered the blood, sweat, and tears he shed for Kagutuchi, a girl he barely even knew. To her surprise, it was the little things she remembered most, the things that seemed so small and insignificant, yet made Osamu who he was.

After applying a small layer of makeup, Yoko stepped out of the bathroom and stood at the top of the stairs, watching Amatsuki, Izanami, and Tsukiakari sit on the sofa together, watching a black and white romance movie. The sight of it made her smile. Her heart overflowed with joy witnessing that moment and remembering every pleasant moment that came before. Just seeing them, just having the pleasure of having known and loved each of them, made life and all of its ups and downs worth it. And to think that it all started with one young man and a crazy group of ex-girlfriends.

“I love you.” Yoko whispered, slinking back into her bedroom. She shut the curtains and climbed into bed, laying on her back with her hands clasped.

The others didn’t think much of it and just assumed she went upstairs for a nap. Three hours later, when it was time to make dinner, Tsukiakari raced upstairs to fetch Yoko, only to find a tragic, yet beautiful sight before her. Yoko Akiyama, her dearest friend, lover, and wife, had passed away happily and peacefully. She died with a heavenly, genuine smile on her beautified face. Tsukiakari didn’t exactly know why she decided to do her makeup despite not having any plans to go out. She could only surmise that Yoko knew she would be seeing Isabella, Taeko, and so many more of her friends and family again. Yoko must’ve wanted to look her best for them.

The following spring thawed the frozen city of Kyoto and bathed in warm sunlight. The skies were bluer than they had ever been, with not a cloud to blemish them. After Yoko’s passing, Izanami, Amatsuki, and Tsukiakari all came to a bittersweet agreement, but one they felt was the right thing to do. That house belonged to Yoko. It was with her permission that everyone began living there in the first place.

Though she was hilariously unwilling to play house with everyone in the days following Osamu’s return to Kyoto, Yoko quickly found she had a natural ability to nurture and take care of people. She was somewhat of a matriarch for the group, being the head of the household and a reliable pillar of strength and compassion for everyone that lived in it. She was the soul of that house, and when she passed, that soul flew out from the bedroom window and joined with the great, blue sky above.

As such, the girls agreed it was time to move out. Izanami reached out to Hima and Carmilla, who offered not only their deepest condolences for the loss of Yoko, but also some helping hands to pack boxes and move furniture. They also brought a large moving truck with them that would move their belongings wherever they wanted them to go, all free of charge.

After three weeks of packing, moving day arrived. Hima, Carmilla, Borya, and Inadora all took time out of their immensely busy schedules to help with the move, bringing four SSK agents with them to aid with wrapping and lifting the heavier furniture. Even Kagutsuchi and Shinju came to help patch up the walls after taking down curtains, bookshelves, and artwork. The SSK agents, no doubt puzzled as to why they were acting as movers, did as their queen asked them to and hauled everything into the moving truck parked outside the house that morning.

It wasn’t even noon yet, but it had already been a long and tiring day, as moving day usually is. Hima wiped the sweat off her forehead and rolled up the sleeves of her black, long sleeve thermal before taking off her cotton gloves.

“Whew!” Hima exclaimed, patting the exhausted Borya on the back. “Excellent work! So, where you guys moving to now?”

“Oh, about that…” Izanami said, passing a box to one of the SSK agents standing in the back of the moving truck. “We all decided that we’re going to go our separate ways. Well, kind of.”

“Oh?” Borya gasped. “That’s surprising. I thought you were all going to stick together.”

“Nah, I’m gonna live with Shinju just down the street.” Amatsuki said. “Someone has to keep her company in that big, orange house of hers. Some of this furniture is going there to accommodate me, but you can take the rest of it to charity.”

“I’m really just doing it so someone else can wash the dishes and steam the floors for once.” Shinju joked.

“Oh shut up, you know you love me.” Amatsuki jabbed back.

“Wow, and what are your plans, Kagutsuchi?” Inadora asked.

“I’m going to be traveling up and down Japan!” Kagutsuchi exclaimed with a fiery excitement in her eyes. “I’ll be helping other regions in the country rebuild and get back on track. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Oh, I’m glad to hear that!” Inadora sang. “If you want some company, please feel free to give me a call. This was my father’s nation, so I feel it’s only right to give it the extra help it needs.”

“I’d be glad to have you, Inadora.” Kagutsuchi said with a smile.

“And what about you, Izanami? You splitting off, too?” Carmilla questioned.

“Well, Gekko and I will be sticking together, for the most part.” Izanami replied. “We thought about what we should do, and we decided that we’re going to rebuild the palace in Heaven. We won’t be rebuilding the pantheon itself, though. I think it’s best that we stay as a normal family, rather than a nation.”

“Are you sure?” Hima asked. “You’re more than welcome to rebuild your nation and acquire more gods.”

“Yeah, we’re sure.” Tsukiakari said, her shoulder-length hair fluttering in the fragrant, spring breeze. “We talked it over with Amaterasu and Uzume as well. We’re all in agreement.”

Hima smile and gave a nod of approval. “Very well then. I wish all of you the very best in each of your paths. I know Yoko will be watching you everyday from here on out.”

“Damn right she will.” Tsukiakari assured. “That’s why we’re doing this. Like Taeko, she lived everyday of her life with love. She took good care of us for so many years. We’re going to make her proud and give that love back to the world in whatever little ways we can. A lot of our late loved ones are watching us. This is all for them.”

Hima, moved by Tsukiakari’s headstrong aspiration to keep moving forward, extended her hand towards the goddess. “We will be there wherever and whenever you need a helping hand. Count on it.”

Tsukiakari smiled, gladly shaking hands with Hima. “Thanks, Hima.”

“Well, we’re all loaded and ready. You sure you got everything out the house, girls?” Borya asked.

“Oh, there’s just one more box.” Izanami said. “We’ll grab it and take one last look-around.”

“Gotcha, we’ll wait here.” Borya said.

Izanami walked back inside with Tsukiakari and Amatsuki. While Amatsuki and Izanami checked the upstairs rooms one more time, Tsukiakari checked the living room and kitchen, making sure to check every drawer and cabinet for anything left behind. There was just one last box of last minute items such as toiletries, cleaning supplies, and tools sitting in the middle of the living room, the very heart of the house.

Izanami and Amatsuki came downstairs after finding that nothing remained but the one box.

“Okay, that’s everything.” Izanami said.

“Looks like we’re good to go, then!” Amatsuki sang, a proud smile on her face.

Tsukiakari looked around, her eyes scanning every corner, every wall where family pictures used to be, where curtains used to hand, the kitchen island where so many meals were had. A lifetime worth of memories happened right there in that house, many of them with beloved friends and family that were longer with them.

The weight of all those years hit Tsukiakari all at once when she saw how empty the house was, how even Izanami and Amatsuki’s voices echoed without any furniture to dampen the sound. The house felt and looked so much bigger with everything gone. It was such a strange feeling to see it empty, but with all of their belongings packed away, the house was just a house, no longer a home.

Tsukiakari quietly sat on the large box in the middle of the living room and let out tired, bittersweet sigh. Izanami sat on the box next to her. Then Amatsuki after that. After everything that happened over the years, it was just those three left. They had to carry on the memories of the people that lived in that house, the memories of joy and sorrow that happened within its walls. The girls didn’t say anything to each other for a few minutes. They were all thinking the same thing, and thus, no words needed to be said.

Tears filled their eyes as each one remembered everything that happened in that house, the memories too plentiful and dear to speak aloud. Izanami and Tsukiakari always knew that it would end up like this. They were gods that could live forever, but Yoko and the others were just normal human beings. There was always going to come a time when all of their mortal loved ones would pass away, leaving just a few members of their family left. Still, none could say that it wasn’t worth it. It was not all for nothing. The love they built in that house would remain etched in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

“We’ll always be together.” Izanami said, sniffling. “We won’t always be there physically, but nothing can take these memories from us. We’ll always be family.”

“Yeah…” Amatsuki nodded.

“It was the greatest honor of my life.” Tsukiakari said. “I’d do it all again.”

Tsukiakari extended her hand to Izanami, then to Amatsuki. The three of them linked hands, their frowns turning upwards into tearful smiles.

“Forever and always.” Tsukiakari said.

“Forever and always” Amatsuki repeated.

And finally, Izanami finished it. “Forever and always.”

With that, the girls picked up the last box and hauled it onto the hand truck waiting for them in the hallway. Tsukiakari wheeled it out while Amatsuki held the box to make sure it didn’t fall off as they passed through the front door. Izanami trailed behind them, taking one last look at the place she called home for so many years. A mix of bittersweet, nostalgic emotions swirled and churned inside her massive heart. She held every moment, every person that was a part of that house incredibly dear to her.

She was sad to leave, even more sad having lost so many good people. And yet, more than anything, she was happy. Happy that they were there. Happy that the lived. Happy that they were real, that they existed, and that they all had the privilege of knowing and loving one another. That alone put a blessed and bright smile upon her pale face.

“Goodbye…”

Izanami shut the door behind her, leaving behind the empty house, but taking every ounce of the love and memories made inside with her. The final box was loaded onto the moving truck. Borya gave the signal to the SSK drivers that they were all done loading and would be stopping at Shinju’s place first.

While everyone prepared to head out, Izanami, Tsukiakari, Amatsuki, Kagutsuchi, and Shinju all exchanged tight, tearful hugs goodbye.

“Take care of yourself, Amatsuki. Don’t drive Shinju mad, you hear me?” Tsukiakari joked, crying at the same time.

“I will…” Amatsuki cried. “See you later, Gekko, Izanami.”

“We’ll make time to visit you, don’t worry!” Izanami said.

“I’m already looking forward to it.” Shinju said.

Wiping her eyes dry, Tsukiakari turned towards the house and stood with a straight and rigid posture. “Okay, everyone. Line up.”

Izanami, Amatsuki, Shinju, and Kagutsuchi all joined her, linking hands together. They all bowed to the house and all that it represented in one final show of respect and gratitude.

In unison, they offered a few gracious words. “Thank you for everything!”

After that, everyone unlinked their hands and prepared to go their separate ways for now, their hearts and souls still deeply connected.

“I love you guys! See ya!” Amatsuki said as she hopped in Shinju’s car.

“Bye Amatsuki! Bye Shinju!” Izanami shouted, waving goodbye as Tsukiakari blew kisses their way.

Hima, Inadora, Borya and Carmilla hopped in the moving truck and started the engine while the SSK agents returned to their black SUV’s.

Borya rolled down the driver side window. “Good luck to you!”

“Thank you so much for all your help. Take care of yourselves!” Izanami said, waving goodbye.

With that, the moving truck followed Shinju’s car down the street with the SSK trailing close behind, leaving just Izanami and Tsukiakari in front of the house. It was all done. All of it.

“Well…” Izanami sighed. “I guess we should get going, too.”

Her hand over her fluttering heart, Tsukiakari nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Hand in hand, Izanami and Tsukiakari walked down the opposite direction towards the abandoned bowling alley, which Hima had plans to demolish soon to build a new one. Knowing it would probably be the last time they’d get to see their favorite hangout spot, Izanami and Tsukiakari ventured inside the bowling alley once more, their eyes dazzled by the vibrant colors being filtered in by the row of windows behind the pews. For some reason, this place always seemed like its own separate world. It was always the perfect place to talk, to think, and to just be.

Izanami stood back to back, taking in the sight of the place just one last time. It was decrepit and dilapidated, broken and moss-covered, and yet, it was like a second home to them.

“So?” Izanami asked. “Any regrets?”

Tsukiakari smiled. “It was one hell of a ride. It had its ups and downs for sure. But…no. I don’t regret anything. I can finally say that now.”

Beyond pleased, Izanami turned to face Tsukiakari, opening her arms for a big hug. Tsukiakari practically fell into her embrace, holding her beloved grandmother as tightly as possible.

“I don’t have any regrets either.” Izanami said. “Time to start a new chapter together. It’ll be just one of many more adventures.”

“Yeah. I’m glad I get to do it with you, Izanami.”

“I am too, Gekko.”

Suddenly, they heard the loud call of a very familiar voice outside. “Yoo hoo!”

Izanami and Tsukiakari marched out of the bowling alley to find Amaterasu and Uzume sitting in Heaven’s golden chariot, the very same one that Tsukiakari once rode with Osamu. The chariot glittered spectacularly in the sunlight, its four, brown horses kicking their hooves in anticipation.

“The move went well?” Uzume asked.

Izanami nodded. “Yep! Everything went perfectly. Hima and the others were a big help.”

“Glad to hear that.” Uzume responded.

Amaterasu extended her hand towards the two, her smile radiating like the sun of a brighter tomorrow. “Shall we, then?”

Tsukiakari and Izanami exchanged assured glances before answering in unison. “Yeah!”

They hopped on the golden chariot with Amaterasu and Uzume, taking off into the sky like a shooting star in reverse. That chariot rode onwards towards the future. It would take them on their next adventure where all the love they lost would surely come back to them, where the people they held dear would surely watch over them like the angels they were.

For as long as their love was true and strong, the precious and people memories etched in their hearts would never, ever fade away.

THE END