"Ewwwww! Grandpa, that's gross!" The little boy squealed, scrunching his face up into a mask of disgust.

A smile crinkled at the corners of the old man's mouth. "Well, it wasn't for them, now was it?" He turned his head and called, "Taru! I need help with the final part!"

Footsteps echoed off the walls, and an old woman peeked in the room. "Again, Otso?"

His smile of amusement turned apologetic. "I can never remember what happened first," he replied guiltily.

Sighing in mock irritation, she said, "Okay, fine. Afterwards, the Tenma Okibi were dispersed by the remainder of The Shadow's men and The Shadow and Faith conquered the rest of the evil in the city." Hastily, she grasped for an ending to the story. "And they lived happily ever after," she finished.

"But wait, I still don't get some stuff! When did the Shadow become the Shadow first, and what was Faith's last name?" The child said in a high- pitched tone, whining.

Otso nodded to Taru, signaling that he would answer. "Well, The Shadow first became The Shadow after he left the Tenma Okibi after his mother just died, and didn't want to kill Faith's mother. He was, of course, also a good person and wished not to kill anymore. Faith told The Shadow her last name in private, we never found out. It didn't really matter. She didn't want to use it because it reminded her too much of her past."

"Why did The Shadow keep killing people after he left?"

"He didn't want to kill innocent people anymore."

Once again, the little boy's face scrunched up into a confused look. "But when did the story take place? It was kind of confusing."

Taru sat herself down on the bed next to her grandson, and answered, "With good stories, you can't tell when it's happening. You see; it really doesn't matter when it happens, only that it did happen."

"But Grandma, you told me that revenge only causes more pain. So why did The Shadow and Faith want to kill Sanosuke?"

"They were human, and they did regret it for a while. Sometimes vengeance can be justified. Sanosuke was crazy, and he was destroying not only his men, but himself. When he was killed the suffering of all was relieved."

"Where are Faith and The Shadow now?"

Nervously, the grandfather replied, "They're taking some time off now."

Taru shook her head, leaning and smoothing the small boy's hair down. "I think it's time for you to go to bed."

Pouting, the little boy turned on his side and snuggled under the covers. "'Night Grandma, Grandpa."

* * *

"Hey Rocky," the gray-ish blonde haired grandfather said as he seated himself next to the short man.

"Otso," came the gruff reply.

Tilting his head, Otso peered curiously at Rocky's side. "Where's your hip flask?"

Laughing, he replied, "I'm trying to cut down, finally. Don't want to damage my liver too much. After all, I'm hoping to last a few more years."

There was a comfortable silence between the two men for a few moments, before the bartender came back.

"What would you two like? The usual?" "I'll have a hamburger and water," Rocky replied. "No beer for me today, trying to cut down."

"I'll just have a glass of water," the other man said. As the bartender walked away, he sighed, and said lowly, "I still miss Jake and Hope a lot."

"They went out as they would've wanted to, and both were together," he replied quietly. "Their death prompted the police to take a bigger part in stopping the crime. It's what they would've wanted."

Nodding, Otso sipped his water silently, remembering the days where the water was so dirty; one needed a strainer to drink it.

The bell rang as another customer walked in, feet tapping lightly against the wooden floor. Sitting next to the graying man, he ordered a hot dog and water, as well. Otso raised his head and looked to the left of him in surprise, as he had recognized the voice.

"So, what were you old fogies talking about without me?" Michael, jokingly. "Your family," Rocky replied.

"Ah," Mike said with a sad note in his voice. "I still miss 'em, ya know. Hope turned out to be a damned good healer."

Standing, the grandfather of the three raised his glass and said, "A toast to the last true heroes. This is for you, Hope, Jake."

There were murmurs of agreement, and they all clanked glasses, gulping down their drinks. Everyone stayed silent after, taking time to remember the ones who brought about the change of the city, for the better, their lives the only large price.

"Speaking of which," the brother of Jake interrupted the silence, "How's that story you were writing of the two coming along?"

Smiling, Otso replied, "I finished it, just read it to my grandson, actually. At least Hope and Jake won't be forgotten."

~The End~

A/N: It's so sad! T-T Our first story that isn't a short story has been finished. * Sob sob* And just to let you guys know, we're both thirteen- year-olds. We wrote this epilogue together and we wanted to say thanks to our reviews, friends, and all the people who gave us the support we needed! * Cry * Oh, and to the real Otso. We hope that we didn't damage you too much! ^_^ ^_~

-Neko and Oni, Ranting Akumas.