This is the first and only time that my OC for Metal Fight Beyblade will ever appear.
The group grew silent as a young woman stood up. Her very long, very bright white hair was tied back in a neat braid, which swung like a pendulum as she stepped up to the podium.
"My name is Akela," she said softly. "I know you have never seen me before, but I... I had to say something." She leaned on the podium, not meeting the eyes of any of the assembled mourners. "I would like to say that part of me still isn't sure why I'm here. After all, I didn't know Kiara. To the best of my knowledge, she didn't know me. We never met. We never spoke. But she was a blader, as I am, and therefore she was my sister-in-arms."
She drew in a breath. This was harder than she had thought.
"I would have fought alongside her in battle. I would have shown her around my home. I would have helped her train, improved her skill... but I cannot now."
She closed her eyes. "We all come from such different backgrounds. We might all be similar, but none of us are the same. Kiara was unique and beautiful, and now that she is gone there is one less light to hold back the darkness."
Her eyes opened. "We gather here to mourn the fallen, those whose sparks have vanished from the earth. I know how the weight of grief can make our heads stoop low to the ground and our eyes see only the darkness where once there was a burning flame. It hurts too much to lift our eyes and see emptiness where there should be someone smiling across from us. But if we can just take that one small step, and look up..."
She lifted her hand towards the sky.
"If we look up, those sparks haven't gone. They have just sprung up, up into the sky, blazing against the deep peace of the heavens as the stars that they are.
"I know that isn't much of a comfort. The stars are an awfully long way away, and sometimes the clouds block them out. But they're there. They're always there, day or night, cloud or sun, hope or despair. As a wise man said, one hundred years ago almost to this day, 'There is music in the midst of desolation/ And glory that shines upon our tears.'
"I have lost many people dear to me this year. All I have left of them are my memories and my regrets that I did not say what I should have said at the right time.
"Kiara, you died as a true blader, and I and all of Koma Village, all those whose lives you touched, will never forget that. You walk with Ryuga and L-Drago, and it is their turn to protect you now. Goodnight, Kiara. Sleep peacefully."
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
Taken from "To The Fallen", Laurence Binyon, 1914.
I would like to take this moment to ask you all for some help. In her "Tears for Flame", KeepCalmAndFanfic wrote a very beautiful song for Flame. With her permission, I intend to write the music for that song, and was wondering if there were any singers or musicians around the globe who would like to help take part in making a musical version of this quiet and dignified outpouring of grief; Flame's Requiem, as it were.
I would write the music and sing the demo track. Then if anyone who wanted to join in could record themselves singing along to the same tune and send the track to me (I will sort this out as needed, probably with temporary email addresses or something for the sake of internet safety and security) I will mix them all together and post them as a Youtube video on my channel. You could even do it with instruments if you like.
It may not be something you are interested in, but if so, please head over to the forum 'Flame's Requiem', and tell me that you'd like to take part. Singers, musicians, even artists to do some pictures perhaps - anyone. If nothing else, I could use some of the more beautiful lines from the various "Tears for Flame" that are around if you wanted to contribute that instead.
As Akela said, I did not know Flame, but she was a member of this fandom and therefore she was my friend. This is my gift for her.
I hope it can be our gift.