Epilogue Part Three

-A Final Farewell-

Hiro had hated that place. The memory of numerous gravestones lying in gloomy silence across acres of trimmed grass and watching his brother's coffin being lowered into the ground with silent anguish nearly two months ago had made him depressed and secretly dreading to go there the night before.

Yet, as he reluctantly walked through the iron gates, he was greeted by a much lighter scene. The grass, made greener by moisture; the flat marble slabs, whose surfaces gleamed in the sunlight; and the faint chirps of birds heard in a distance added to an oddly peaceful air in the cemetery. Beyond, the surrounding forest seemed alive, and the bay, drenched in hues of gold, sparkled brilliantly as the Sun set over its edge. The boy took a breath at this sight.

"What's wrong, Hiro?" He opened his eyes and turned his head around to find a concerned look on his brother's face.

"Nothing, just wondering which gravestone is theirs," he shrugged his thoughts away, to which Tadashi smiled.

"It's a little deep within the cemetery," the man said, gazing at the wide blue skies above them, "I haven't been there for a long time."

"How long?"

"Ten years, maybe. I stopped coming because I hated this place. It reminded me of how they died, and what I felt over their deaths."

"Do you still feel the same way?"

Tadashi paused to look at Hiro, who stared back at him with empathy. He then shifted his sight to the skies again and let out a breath.

"Just a little," he admitted, "it'll take some time to completely let go of them…and my regrets, too."

"Regrets?"

"Yeah, the ones that Aunt Cass talked about as my 'guilt' and 'fear'," he explained. "They were actually just regrets from not being able to help Mom and Dad that night and to be the person they wanted me to become. She talked about them that way, so that it makes sense to me. If not, I wouldn't bother to listen."

"True, you just shut me out when I only mentioned about them. Talk about being rude," Hiro said dryly.

"Hey, I already apologised!" Tadashi raised his hands in resignation.

"I know, I was just saying," Hiro chuckled softly before he was stopped by Tadashi who placed his arm in front of him, as his eyes searched through rows of gravestones on the slope right of their path.

"They're there," he finally said after a few moments, pointing to the one that lay at the beginning of the last row. Following which, they proceeded towards them.

"In loving memory of Joshua Hamada and Hiroko Walter, a talented, devoted and kind couple whose untimely departure will forever be grieved by their loved ones," Hiro read almost quietly once they reached it.

Tadashi simply stood in silence, his right hand grasping a bouquet of roses tightly. Then, slowly, he knelt down in front of the gravestone and gently placed the bouquet on its surface.

Hi, Mom and Dad, he began within his heart. Hiro and I are here to see you. I'm sorry that it's been a long time since we'd come here. I think Aunt Cass had already told you everything in our lives when she visits you every year, so I'll just tell you about those that happened recently...

For the next five minutes, Hiro watched his brother maintain his position quietly and nearly without flinching. He wondered how life was like for Tadashi when Mom and Dad were around; in fact, he realised he had only heard about how they had reacted to his birth, and that the parents simply died in an accident and Aunt Cass adopted them as their only living relative.

Maybe it was too painful for him to say, he reasoned, looking down onto the ground.

He soon heard a subtle sniff and saw Tadashi wiping away his tears, to which he quickly walked towards him and give him a consoling pat on his back.

"Thanks, Hiro," Tadashi briefly looked up and mumbled, his eyes slightly red. He then turned his attention back to the gravestone with his clenched fists on his thighs.

Now that I'd told you everything, he resumed, I wish you could see how much we'd grown, and the happy and sad times we had together. I hope both of you can finally rest in peace after knowing how well we are now.

He proceeded to kiss his own hand and touched the gravestone with it.

I love you, and I miss you very much, Mom and Dad. We'll see you soon...

Hiro cautiously observed his brother as the latter stood up and stretched himself, taking a deep breath in the midst.

"Shall we go?" Tadashi eventually asked.

"Sure," Hiro replied. They then began to make their way back towards the gravel path when the boy suddenly turned back to have a last look at them.

"Goodbye," he whispered a little unsurely, "Mom and Dad."

Tadashi was slightly surprised upon seeing this, though he quickly hid behind a tender smile and extended his hand towards Hiro.

"Let's go," he told him softly as a gentle breeze blew by.

Hiro nodded and grasped his warm hand firmly. After which, they walked away from the gravestone, leaving their shadows behind.

-End of Epilogue Part Three-

Author's Note: The story is now complete. Meanwhile, a friend of mine had read the story and said the dialogue needs reworking because it's a bit far off from their characters (reading Jane Austen before writing is a bad idea, after all). Also, grammar editing.

Otherwise, I'll start working on the prequel, and may write an extra for this story as well. Thank you very much for walking through this journey with Tadashi and Hiro, and I hope to see you again :)