* Take Care, Buddy*

by: WhiteGloves

"We wish for things to never change but that is beyond impossible.

So we keep on holding to this feelings until we are ready to let go."

Enjoy Reading!

Katsura Kotarou opened his eyes with a sudden start, and nearly threw himself forward from where his back was leaning with cold sweat running down the side of his face. For a moment the long haired samurai didn't know what made him react in such a way. He felt his lips and throat too dry and found himself breathing rapidly with his heart racing in his chest as if something had excited it; his eyes were also wide open but actually seeing nothing in the near distance for then his mind was preoccupied. What was the matter with him?

He felt his heartbeat. It was too loud to ignore.

Yet nothing could have surprised Katsura even more than to find his right hand closed at the tilt of his sword.

The long haired samurai gave a long pause with eyes on his sword.

Then slowly, he heaved a sigh and gradually extracted his hand from where it clutched and tried to compose himself. He closed his eyes to calm himself for a moment but the beads of sweat on his forehead proved otherwise of his success.

"..." in futile, Katsura let a sigh out of his lips and opened his eyes instead. He remembered where he was. He was inside a dark room seated on the tatami floor. The room was quite empty with only a table and the futon he slept on placed at one side. The lone window above his head was closed but Katsura knew from the bright light stubbornly trying to peek on from an aperture that it was midday already. He was also aware of the sounds from the outside like people walking by and children laughing; but he doesn't have the heart to go out at all.

For one thing, he was injured from a recent encounter against his pursuers and he was burning.

Katsura closed his eyes and touched his chest. The wound ached, causing him a clenched jaw and a crease on his brows. The long haired samurai remembered his pursuers and knew they were a danger not only to himself but also to others. The fact that he was grievously injured by them caused him to retreat in that shack, yet he could not help worrying of what was happening outside.

For then his enemies, were also his friends' enemies.

Katsura opened his eyes and remembered that person who nearly took his life away. A man whose eyes were deadly and cold; a man whose expression didn't belong to a human— that man whom he swore he saw in his past at the execution site where his friends and himself and his sensei were captured...

The person who took Takasugi's eyes.

Something in him burned and yelled; something in him wanted out. He wanted to believe it was because he was feverish. He believed that.

Katsura tried to settle the memory back in its place and tried to settle his heart—for if he didn't— heaven knows where he would be rampaging right now like Takasugi. But he wasn't like him. He didn't strive hard to be like him—no—it was that other man he strived to be. That person who, for the life of him, would shoulder everything even if it meant burying himself in the ground.

Even if it meant taking the life of the person he held dear to save his comrades.

The long haired samurai's thoughts became blank after that.

No. It didn't become blank. He just didn't want to relieve what happened that day a long time ago. Not when he was in his most vulnerable state.

Yet he could not stop his thoughts flooding in... for then he was sick and compelled to think...

'Gintoki killed their master. A fact none of them three tried to forget but never tried bring up either. That day once left alone to themselves with their master's head at their heels, the three of them separated ways but neither went after Gintoki's head. Takasugi had tried but failed, losing his eye even, yet he, Katsura knew from the start what had happened. Their master willingly sacrificed himself to save them and Gintoki granted him his will; thus being the person who appeared to betray his master. But it was not like that. Above all else, they knew it was Gintoki who sacrificed himself to grant his master's wish.

'How can the two of them ever be so carefree—sacrificing themselves without seeking approval or even consent and doing whatever it is they please? Katsura had wondered about this somewhere in his heart, yet he knew both master and disciple were as stubborn as the other. That the only way to get in their way is to really cut off their heads. But Katsura never wanted that. He never wanted to lose his master...and especially never wanted it to lose to Gintoki. How he had wished many a times it was him his master had given the task.

'But would he be able to do it?

'...

'Then above anyone else... how could Gintoki...?

Katsura had often wondered of ever putting himself in the position of Gintoki. Yet even his heart fails at the attempt. He could never harm Shouyo... but more than anyone Gintoki had probably felt it stronger than anyone.

'That was why he considers himself never in the league of Gintoki. It was not Gintoki's strength nor courage of heart that made him do his master's will. It was his belief in what Shouyo wanted and what Shouyo pleased.

'At the end of the day, maybe even Gintoki had thought in his mind how selfish their master was. How cruel, even, to make him do what he did.

'But there was no one in the world to better do it than Gintoki. Katsura knew Shouyo had acknowledged that. It was not a sin that Gintoki bore; it was a final request. Gintoki knew that too for then no master would ever lay such a task at a student he does not trust.

'And as for Takasugi's hatred... He, Katsura, knew that hatred too.

'Of their master's death... and above all else, for their comrade to be forced to do it.

'It was their weakness that made it so.

'And Gintoki never took up his sword. This did not anger him like how it did to Takasugi. Takasugi wanted Gintoki to fight, thereby giving him more reason to destroy... but it was truly ironic that Gintoki didn't for the Yaksha then knew the meaning of lost... and the meaning of the life sacrificed and the weight it carried.

'More than anything Shouyo, when facing his death, only has one wish left... for his students to live.

'Not to die a dog's death. Not to lose such precious lives. To not realize the weight of their lives until their master's death was stupendous.

'And until then Gintoki is living under Shouyo's will. To live his life as what Shouyo had wanted.

'Peaceful and happy.'

Katsura opened his eyes and found his lips dry again.

He had fallen asleep with his head leaning back on the wall. He pulled it back gently and blinked at the semi dark surrounding. He felt his body cold and clammy but his head was still holding on to that last line of thought...

Peaceful and happy.

Remembering his two old comrades, a sudden realization hit the long haired samurai. He was dreaming about them too back when he suddenly woke up in confusion.

It was the reason why he woke up with a hand on his sword. It was because in his first dream he saw his two comrades—Takasugi and Gintoki— clashing swords with each other while both bathed in blood. It was also then that he saw a long blade hidden at what appeared to be a staff struck Takasugi from the back—causing him, Katsura, to sit up startled by the event and to wake up completely in his current state.

But it was all just a dream and Katsura had to convince himself this as he touched his wounded chest again where the pain still remained. There was no way Takasugi and Gintoki would engage in battle now. It was a mere coincidence to see the Kiheitai leader in his dream for he, Katsura, got struck by the same blade.

There was no way those two would fight without him noticing for then—if indeed those two faced each other—won't there be such a war by this time already?

Katsura felt reassured as he settled his back on the wall again and tried to calm down.

But then was there really no war?

Katsura opened his eyes and steadied it on the ceiling.

What if something was happening outside that he didn't know? He had been staying there for days after all, hiding from those who, he knew, were still silently pursuing him.

The fact that Oboro was there hunting him...

The long haired samurai frowned.

"..." he breathed his sigh out and had a hard time speaking for he was not accustomed to it, "Elizabeth?" his voice sounded hoarse and throaty.

Something at the other side of the shoji door shook as if something was leaning on it standing guard. Katsura knew it was his friend waiting outside and keeping eye at the shack's entrance.

"... Is there any news outside?" he went on quietly. He watched then as the sliding door slightly opened and then saw a white board appear at the outside enough for him to see. The white board appeared empty at first as if the amanto was hesitating, but after a moment, Elizabeth's reply came.

There are some rumors going on around. You won't like it. But are you okay?

Katsura wanted to ask further but knew it was futile. He could barely speak, let alone move his body.

"The fever's gone down... I will be better soon. Won't you at least...tell?"

Our men are still getting information but something big is going on.

"Does it concern people I know...?"

Elizabeth paused, before giving a short Yes. But you know you can't yet.

Katsura knew Eli was correct but he couldn't help feeling concerned as he dropped his heavy back on the wall.

"Not a dream after all..." he whispered more to himself as he shut his eyes close.

Elizabeth peeked inside the room and saw the long haired samurai leaning on the wall again with no sign of any hurried movements. This satisfied the Amanto as he closed the door gently and turned his back on it.

But without further warning the shoji door was pulled open swiftly again and there stood the long haired samurai whose face was pale and full of beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Let's go." He told the surprised Amanto and then his eyes travelled to three more Jouishishi men seated at the end of the corridor, all looking at him in astonishment with hands filled with UNO cards.

"K-Katsura-san?"

"What are you doing, Katsura-san? Your injury—"

Katsura stepped forward and stood in front of Elizabeth who raised his board.

?!

"My injury is nothing." Katsura whispered as he walked pass them with eyes closed, "This body still has its duty to protect what its master willed. That's the purpose of this life... to keep those two other idiots alive."

"But Katsura-san!" the Jouishishi members rushed around the injured leader with anxious and indignant faces, "You're not fit to go outside—you've just recovered! You'll die if you keep that up!"

The long haired samurai paused on his way and shook his head slowly.

"No. I won't die... at least," he looked up ahead, "I won't die before those two did. I'm the sanest one of us three after all."

"K-Katsura-san?!" all the men looked confuse and helpless at the stubbornness of their leader but then—

"H-huh? Elizabeth-san?"

For then Katsura felt somebody took hold of his shoulder and steadily held him by the arm. Looking beside him, he saw the white Amanto standing by and supporting him quietly.

"Elizabeth...?" Katsura's eyes widened but Elizabeth remained silent. This made Katsura smile.

"Thank you, Eli."

Just don't die on me.

"Hmm..." he smirked as they walked on, "I won't fall. This is not why my master gave me the chance to live. I think now I understand what Gintoki's been trying to tell me, Eli... yet I don't think my master also wanted to let Gintoki live the way he does. A lazy good for nothing, don't you think?"

...

"But my master knew Gintoki better than anyone. I'm sure... he knew Gintoki would end up like that one way or another... but Eli... what do you think my master thought of me?"

...

"I know... he had probably wanted me to become like him too. I know he never worried about my future. I told you I was the sanest...Takasugi and Gintoki... I've got to hurry..."

We will get there just don't push yourself.

"... those two..."

In his mind's eye, Katsura then again saw a flash of Gintoki's angry face at the fall of his comrade and wished he was there already to help. He hoped still that it was only all part of a dream... like how he wished his master's death was also a terrible dream... yet.

Everything went dark and the last thing Katsura remembered was a glimpse of his master's face telling Gintoki his heartfelt—

'Thank you.'

"Live."

-The End-