The grave was a small, traditional one, small monument placed on the thick marble slab with her name carved into it accompanied by another name, which letters were covered with a thin layer of red paint. The second name was the name of the beloved one who was left in the world of living. In front of it stood a woman, not very tall, very petite actually dressed in a black kimono. She was alone there, friends and the family left, wishing to give her a final chance to bid farewell to her beloved. Her hair were shoulder length, loose they waved in gentle breeze, she usually kept them tied in a pony-tail which extended out of the side of her head. Her head bowed, her shoulders slumped and slightly trembling, barely holding tears.
"Konoka"
Was the only word she spoke, her voice hoarse from crying, her eyes puffy. She stood there, looking at the grave as if still not believing that it happened.
"Konoka"
Yet again, as if trying to wake up her beloved, as if calling to her, as if begging the lover to come back. Her voice was falling apart as was she.
"Konoka!"
Yet again she called but there was no answer. Once again grief took her over and she sobbed. Her wail quiet, modest, but her tears, running down her cheeks were like a river, an unstoppable, cleansing river which was supposed to bring relief but brought only more grief. She cried, and cried and cried, cursing the world, the fate, the life itself for taking away her beloved.
It was only natural, the tiny voice in her mind tried to convince her, humans live for only a blink of an eye, they are like mayflies in comparison to other beings. It was only natural that at some point she would grow old and die. But it is only a tiny, weak voice, a tiny piece of sense and meaning which remained in the woman's mind, overshadowed by enormous sadness and grief.
"Setsuna"
She turned her head slowly to look at the one who spoke. A tall handsome man, his hair red, he was wearing a black suit with white shirt. His face solemn, sad but resolute, he slowly approaches the sobbing woman and embraces her gently. Stroking her head gently as she sobbed, her hands gripping on his suit. He knew better than to ask stupid questions like "Are you alright?" or saying even more stupid things like "It will be alright". He just stood there, giving the grieving woman all the comfort he could.
They stood there, she sobbed and he calmly stroked her head. Long sad minutes passed as the woman cried her last tears and now only silently stood leaning against the man, drinking in his warmth and comfort. Her ragged breath grew calmer, her quiet sobs turned into silence as grief lessened and for the first time in what seemed to her as ages she could think clearly.
"Say Negi"
Her voice silent, almost impossible to hear for a human, but the man in front of her is not a human and neither is she.
"What is it Setsuna?"
His voice gentle, caring.
"Do you think we could go and hunt down Death?"
Her voice is sad, melancholic and yet there is a grain of self-mocking humor in it. She lived her life as a warrior, following the path of a sword. Protecting her beloved from all the dangers of this world. With Setsuna by her side Konoka could walk through battlefields, storms, catastrophies and she was safe as in the embrace of her mother. And yet... and yet for all her power she could not protect her beloved from this one final fate.
"We can certainly try, after you rest a bit"
At first a bit humorous, a soft sad smile on his face and then serious his voice chides her gently for the way she neglected herself.
"Yes... we can try"
She admits, her voice weak, tired. She turns around once more to look at the grave, pain visible on her face
"Wait for me Kono-chan. I'll come to you one day, and then... we will be finally together again"
Her voice wistful, sad and yet there is hope in it.
"One day... we will be together again"
She whispers and allows the man to slowly take her away, back home where friends and family awaits. Where warmth and love, which kept her from following her beloved, reside. Maybe there she could fin peace.