"... Hello?"

It was tentative, as though the asker didn't really believe she would receive an answer.

"Yes?"

"Uhh... Umm... How have you been?"

"Fine, thank you. And you?" The voice on the other end was cool, dispassionate. Ever so courteous. Something he had never been before...

"Ehh... Good."

There was a long, pregnant pause.

Finally, she found the voice to go on. "... Umm... So... How's everyone? I suppose you're all settled back in... After all, it's been six years, ne?"

He was silent for a fraction of a heartbeat, then disinterestedly, almost carelessly, "No, not really. Time travels differently here, you know."

"... Oh."

A little gentler, "Around eight months."

"Ah." Only eight months.

The voice regained its detached edge, and that polite tone she so hated returned in full force. "I assume that you didn't call for me expressly to ask how everyone is doing?"

"Yes, of course. I mean, no... That is... I'm getting married next month. Would you all...?"

The question was implied, hopeful, pleading.

This time, he was quiet for much longer than a heartbeat.

When he next spoke, there was an odd, new note in his voice. "I see. Do I have the honor of knowing the bridegroom?"

"No, not really... He's... Niiyama-inspector's son."

"I congratulate you. I didn't know that he had any children... Is he good to you?"

"Umm... Yes. He's a very nice person."

"Ah."

Again, she was the one to break the heavy silence.

"So, are you all coming?"

There. She said it. Laid herself bare... For good or bad, she didn't know. Closing her eyes, she prayed...

"I'm sorry, but no."

Her eyes opened again, and she could feel her vision dimming with tears. As she mentally shook herself, she assumed a cheery tone.

"I guess it's quite difficult to come down here, so don't worry about it, okay?"

"I... Thank you for your consideration."

"You're quite welcome."

"Then, if there's nothing else, I'll leave you now."

"Oh, that's perfectly fine. Good bye, Loki-ku... Loki-sama."

"Good bye, Daidouji-san."

There was a clicking sound not unlike that of someone putting down a phone, and the earring that his son had given her in memory of their friendship flared with an unbearable heat, and shattered.

As she knelt to scoop up the pieces of white stone from the floor of her bedroom, she blinked once, and let the tears fall.

Sayonara.

Owari

Authoress: I don't question the muses. /shrugs/ I honestly do like LokiMayu. I DO. Blame sad songs.

While I actually got the idea for the conversation during my dreams, (Yeah, I dream of angsty scenes. Sad life I have.) the idea for the earring came from the manga. I needed something to explain why Mayura could communicate with Loki.

In case it wasn't clear, Loki went back to Asgard. Without clearing her memory? Yep. I told you I'm a LM girl. Hurray for painful, angsty love!

And, err... She knows everything because Yamino told her, 'kay/shifty eyes/

And... this is just a nuance, but in Japanese, "Sayonara" is a very final way of saying good bye. It's used mostly when you won't meet a person for quite some time; or forever, in this case.

On the bright side of things, I don't like unhappy endings. Therefore, I'm working on another piece, probably a fairly short chaptered one.

Disclaimer: Matantei Loki Ragnarok doesn't belong to me.