Old Edo Days

FINAL

AN: This is it, you guys. This is the finale. I was a new writer when I wrote this, and I thought this would just be an underground story that so little people would read. But while I wrote, determined to continue, I realized that quite a few of you liked it! Not only that, but you guys read my other stories.

On behalf of my readers, my reviewers, and my ability to only speak three language and not the rest of the world's:

Thank you.

고맙습니다.

Gracias.

Merci.

ありがとう.

Grazie.

謝謝你。

Danke.

Salamat sa iyo.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Google translate better work for three of them.

Spring had come, and Shoyo's students were "graduating" into their next year of learning. Technically, they did not actually leave the dojo or get another teacher. But as they each grew a year older and they entered a new area of learning, their Sensei decided that they could celebrate by "graduating".

For the ceremony, Sensei wanted them to be traditional and formal. They were to wear proper hakamashita, white or black in color, for the actual ceremony. Afterwards, when the ceremony was over and the formality was unneeded, they would be allowed to go outside for the rest of the day, lessons forgotten.

There was much to prepare for. The students had to help Sensei grocery shop, buy their formal wear, and set up the dojo for the ceremony. It took about four months to prepare, and Gintoki actually had fun helping out Sensei with preparations. The best time he and his friends had was when Sensei wanted them to go buy vegetables.

"Should we buy this one or this one?"

"Which one is more expensive? We'll buy the cheaper one."

"This is a graduation, Gintoki! We have to splurge!"

"We don't HAVE to. Besides, it's all going to taste the same, you know. Just buy this one."

"It's only 300 yen less! What's wrong with this one?"

"Alright! My god, just buy it! We argued for an hour over lettuce?!"

After the major grocery shopping, the majority of the students were sent to cleaning up the dojo and decorating and washing out the hakamashita and keeping the school house organized. But Sensei decided that Gintoki, Takasugi, and Katsura would be entrusted with the job of cooking.

"Why do we have to?" they argued as the other students ran around, busy with their assignments.

Sensei only sighed. "I'm trusting you to cook everyone's meals for the graduation, you three. It's a very strenuous task but I believe you three can do it. Can I belive in you?"

"Yeah, but..." Takasugi hesitated. "Why not Ichi? She's a girl, can't she cook?"

"You know she's skittish around fire**. Can I trust you three?"

"... Yes, Sensei!"

Stuck in the kitchen all day wasn't as bad as they thought. Takasugi was given charge over the side dishes of pickled vegetables and preparing rice. Katsura had to broil and burn all the meat and prepare miso soup in a giant vat. Gintoki was assigned to- of course- dessert.

"There's more dessert than rice," Takasugi said in wonder, looking at the final project; plates heading with rice cakes, mochi, designs of fruits and at the center piece, a very strange creation influenced by the amanto; a wonderfully colorful piece of sugar and ice, a parfait.

"What is that? It looks like snow."

"It tastes like snow and sugar. It's amazing and- hey! Nobody touch it!"

The day of their graduation was in the spring, the day of March 13*, during the soft afternoon. Everyone wore their new gradation clothing in the dark formal colors of white, gray, and black. The children filed into the dojo, tittering in their pillow seats silently. The aura of the day was so special and elegant, with their smiling Sensei standing at the front of the dojo under the sign "Working Towards the Sword". No one was rowdy.

Finally, Sensei started by holding a hand for attention. Everyone looked at him. "Today is everyone's graduation. Many of you have learned from me and this dojo for three years. Some of you even more," and he looked at Takasugi and Gintoki and Ichi and Kyoshiro," and some of you less," and he looked to Gintoki. "But all of you deserve this graduation. Every single one of you."

He held out a sword- a real katana with a steel blade and a beautifully gilded hilt. The class seemed to gasp at the sight of it. Their teacher continued, "Every one of you will receive a sword as a present from me for graduation. It is a special gift, one for protection and a masterpiece of art. I hope everyone will take care of it."

"Yes, Sensei," chorused the class.

"I will call each of you up to receive a diploma of sorts," Sensei said. "And of course, your sword. First is; Akitoki Jishirou."

Each and every student walked up to receive their diploma proudly. But once they were given the sword, it was like a whole world of joy and possibility fell on their shoulders as they carried their sword back with trembling hands.

"Katsura Kotarou." Zura walked up to the front nervously, nearly falling over his diploma and new blade. He trembled back to his spot and collapsed in the formal sitting position, out of breath.

"Takasugi Shinsuke." Takasugi rose and went. He returned with the biggest smile anyone had ever seen, holding his blade as one would hold a child.

"Sakata Gintoki."

The last name to be called, Gintoki rose. While everyone wore white and black, or some kind of grey and black, he wore a surprising array of silver and white. He walked steadily to the front to get his diploma and then his sword. The dark hilted blade was full of promise as it promised the other students. But when Gintoki walked back to his spot, he carried another world of burden on his shoulders with it.

The class all rose and as one, bowed to their Sensei. "Thank you, Shoyo Sensei. Thank you very much."

Yoshida Shoyo smiled and gestured for them to all have a seat. "This graduation will end with a feast and with break for the rest of the day," and the class cheered. "But eventually, the graduation will begin another period of learning. All of us will not stay together forever, though some of us think so. In time, we will separate. But please remember, as students of mine. Graduation is not for sorrow, or for goodbye. It always ends by beginning something new.

"You are all dismissed."

The class erupted and burst outside, their swords in their hands to safely put away in their rooms. They were all hoping to get to the feast quickest, judging by the shouts of:

"I'm eating the sugar ice!"

"Heck no! That, and the rice cakes mine!"

"Back off, you're stepping on my sword!"

"Will there be meat?"

Sensei laughed as he watched his students run off towards a cheerful time to eat in a flurry of black, grey, white, and a dash of silver just in the middle.

** Many of these themes were allusions to the actual Gintama. Fire will soon overwhelm the dojo, and maybe all of them will be skittish around fire. Same with the cooking; Gintoki is actually a good chef- he makes great parfait, and in Episode 2, he made a cake.

* March 13 is a special day for me. Not any birthday or special celebration that I know of, but it's a special day. That's all that needs to be said :)

The graduation was supposed to symbolize the end of this story. You've gone through a lot, but this is the end, yes? And many of you have followed me throughout the story. Soooooo...

Aw, it hurts to end here, but- goodbye! I'll see you guys in my other stories.