Meditation
Why?
I
was a fool.
Why?
I do not know. I cannot understand. I was a damned fool.
Why do you mourn?
Because they should not have died.
Why should they not have died?
They
never had a chance.
A chance for what?
To live. To gain the respect of
others.
The respect of whom?
Of
those they fought for. Of those who scorned them, those who knew nothing of
their true worth.
Who did they fight for?
For the shogunate, for the honor of
Who did they fight for?
For themselves, and for the Oniwabanshuu. For
honor and glory and battle for battle's sake.
Who did they fight for?
...
They fought for me. For me...
Their beloved Okashira.
It
was my fault they died.
Why?
...
They died for me.
Why did they die?
They
took the bullets that were meant for me.
Why did they die?
I
was a fool. Kanryuu was scum, and I knew it! But
still I...
Why did they die?
Because... they would not have their Okashira
die.
They wished for me... to live.
I
do not deserve to live.
Why?
Because I should have put the lives of my men before
anything else. Because, in that one moment... I was afraid.
Why were you afraid?
I...
Why were you afraid?
I...
There were many reasons.
Why were you afraid?
Because…
as strong as we were, against an advanced firearm like that, we were still
nothing. We were nothing. Battousai had defeated us, Kanryuu had betrayed us. We were nothing.
Why were you afraid?
Because...
in that one instant, I saw that
Why were you afraid?
Because...
in that one instant, I saw that the old traditions were already lost to the
ways of the gaijin...
Why were you afraid?
Because...
I did not want to die.
Why did you not want to die?
...
I was selfish. A pitiful, selfish fool.
What will you do with the life that has been given you?
I
do not know. I was a fool. I wished to live though I had nothing to live for.
I
have nothing to live for. My men are dead. And I am alone.
There
is nothing left for me in this world.
But Himura --
Himura knows nothing!
Do you love her?
...
Yes. As I loved Okina and my men.
I love her, for she is the little sister I never had.
Do you love her?
Yes...
For she is the only family I have left.
Do you love her?
Yes,
for she is pure, and innocent, and all that I never could be...
Then what about her?
...
What about her, she who haunts your
dreams, she who betrayed you, she who destroyed you, she who bewitched you, she
who is the cause of all your pain?
She...
if I had never met her, I never would have --
What about her?
If
I had never met her, they never would have...
What about her?
I...
I do not know...
Why do you mourn?
...
I do not know.