Inspiration: "You Can Still Be Free" by Savage Garden
Setting: Post-mission
Characters: Tuuri, Lalli
Relationship: Tuuri & Lalli
Warnings: Major character death
Other Tags: Finnish mythology
It was early, to journey to the Silent World safely. Winter had not yet set in; the last of autumn still hung in the air, now a brief respite of bright light to break up the constant drizzle of rain. It was too still, too warm, with too little light.
A ship hovered on the edge of the coast. Even as its bulk bobbed in the waves, never coming close to the shore, something much smaller detached itself from its side and began to move toward land. The lone human, when it did touch solid ground, separated itself from its transport in favor of slumping heavily against a nearby rock. A few minutes passed like that before it pushed itself to shaky feet.
In the broken-down husk of a former military base, one of the shadows stirred. If it still had eyes to blink, at that moment it would have; as things were it only flickered and shied away from the light, even while straining towards the skinny figure that was now approaching.
The silver-gray head, when it cautiously peeked into the gloom of the building, was greeted by a single shadow, a wisp that hovered insubstantially and seemed to flicker in and out of existence. When it approached him, he stiffened, a brief glow infusing his eyes, but its touch did not harm him, and for a moment they simply stood there, shadow embracing light and light wrapped in shadow.
"Are you ready to move on?" His voice was soft; barely more than a whisper. There was a brief moment of tension—no words passed between them, no gesture, but presently he relaxed, as if he had somehow heard assent. "Come with me."
"You will have to cross a desert," he said as he worked. "The ferryman will take you the rest of the way…" The shadow said nothing. Then, because he needed one last reminder, because she did not seem to remember who she had once been, he began repeating her name: "Tuuri Hotakainen. Tuuri Hotakainen. Tuuri Hotakainen."
Finally, his preparations were done. Lalli stood, and began to sing.
The light, when it flooded the building, burned. At first the shade cringed away from it, but he pointed, showing her the way to the great desert expanse that she would have to cross in order to find rest. I know it hurts. I know it's been hurting ever since you succumbed. But this is the only way to free yourself.
The spirit moved past him.
Keep going, he urged as she trekked through the endless desert, thirsty and hot, several weeks in her time and barely a few hours in his. Keep going, as she boarded the ferry that would take her to the place where the living could not follow. Keep going, as she met, at last, with a great beautiful swan, and at last closed her eyes in an eternal rest.
The sun had set. His throat was dry, his voice hoarse. He was on his knees on the floor. He stopped singing, and closed his eyes.
She's gone. Not for a week or a year—she was gone. Half of his family, and he would never see her again.
He stood, and sighed. He had done what he could—the ship would be waiting, and he had to get back to the family that he had left.
"Goodbye, Tuuri," he said as he stepped out the door.
A/N: And with that, I think I've finally got this whole "Hey, let's kill/trollify/ghostify Tuuri!" streak out of my system. Next chapter we're back to something... er... fun?