Chapter Two:
The Funeral
"Arise, my friend. Embra commands it..."
Meggy awoke with a start, gasping desperately for air. Her eyes shot open as her body heaved violently. Something felt very wrong. She was lying on her back in some sort of container, but she could barely feel anything below her. It was dark, so dark she couldn't even see her hands in front of her face.
It was hollow, howling, cold...so...cold...
"Wh-Where am I?!" she screamed, trying in vain to bang on the top. She began to hyperventilate, not helped by her body already being so bereft of air, and her banging continued. Meggy continued to yell, "HELP! HELP ME!"
"Sssshhh...it is okay, my child..."
"Wha..." Meggy stopped, her chest still heaving and her breath still staggered, "Wh-Who's there?!"
"It is all okay...just rise, from this space. You will pass through, unharmed. Well...as unharmed as you can be..."
"What do you mean?" Meggy cried out again, only for silence to reach her ears in response.
She took a second to calm herself, before looking up at the box. She thumped on it a few more times...but, it made no sound. She could barely feel it. She had been so distraught; she wasn't even registering if she could. She swallowed her fear and responded again, "R-Rise? Okay..."
With eyes closed, she rose. She felt nothing but air as she slowly ascended from this dark prison, a chill wafting through her body as the dark and noise of the box slowly vanished. She opened her eyes, looking around her new location.
"What the..." She said, surprised by what she was seeing.
"I'm so sorry..."
It was a graveyard, a dark and stormy graveyard, littered with stones and trees stripped of their leaves. It was night and it was raining, though Meggy could feel the droplets pass through her. Around her was a bunch of people; some Inkling, some human, some of whom she recognized.
SMG4 stood at the front, followed by Saiko, and Tari, and Luigi...and Mario. All decked in dark, funeral clothing and holding bunches of flowers. Sad. Distraught.
'Oh no.'
SMG4 cleared his throat and began speaking "We are gathered here, today, to say goodbye to our good friend, Meggy. She was..."
"What the hell?!" Meggy screamed, her panic drowning out the talk. She rushed over to the others and frantically waved in front of their faces, desperately trying to get their attention, "Guys! Guys I'm right here! I'm okay! G-Guys? GUYS!"
No response. No-one looked, no-one even blinked. Meggy's fear rose at the meaning of all this. She looked down at her hands. They were transparent. Pale. Almost...ghostly.
"Oh God...a-am I...?"
"I am afraid, so..."
Meggy turned to the voice. Standing before her, ignored by the patrons and enveloped in thick fog, was a being; A tall being, Female. Meggy could only tell because of her soft, sultry voice. Anything identifiable was simply hidden by a massive cream-white cloak, pattered with angelic yellow markings and symbols.
Her feet ended in simple black boots, her hands covered in gloves, her head obscured by a hood drowning all features in shadows. Except, that is, for two white eyes and some locks of bright blond hair, spilling forth from the darkness.
Meggy's panic rose to overdrive levels; "What the HELL is-"
"Ssssh..." The figure silenced Meggy with a gloved finger to her lips.
Now, Meggy felt compelled to obey, and became silent. The figure sat herself down upon the ground, almost casually, and pat the ground next to her, "Come. Sit a while and calm yourself. Watch the proceedings with me..."
Meggy did, and watched the funeral with worried interest.
First, Tari stood up to the microphone to talk. Her face was an absolute mess; hair was frizzy, tears leaking from her eyes, clothes filthy and skin pale. She drummed up the courage to speak, "Thank you, f-for turning up to our little s-sendoff to...M-Me..." She began to falter, sobbing pitifully into the microphone, "I can't do this..."
"It'll be okay, kid. We've got this..." Saiko came up next, patting Tari on the back and taking the microphone. She tried to continue, but she didn't much further before the tears came, "So...M-Meggy was a friend of ours...of course..."
"Ah jeez, let me try," SMG4 sighed, taking the microphone from Saiko and letting the two embrace and cry for a bit. He cleared his throat, "For about a year now, we have been behind her as she tackled all of her greatest challenges. From meeting us, to dealing with her rival, to pulling through on the trauma of Anime Island..."
Meggy flashed back to those events on cue. All that suffering...to die like this? No... this had to be a dream. It HAD to be!
SMG4 plucked his hat off of his head and held it respectfully, "We've been so proud of her for coming this far. I just...wish it didn't end like this. I never planned this. No-one could have...should have. It's horrible luck, I am aware. But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. May she rest in peace..."
"Well said, SMG4..." Luigi said through a broken smile. He turned to grab the microphone and turn to Mario. Mario...was not his usual self. He had been completely silent, completely still the entire time. No messing around. No yahoos. Nothing.
Luigi gave the plumber a nudge, "Bro, would you like to say some words?"
Mario took three steps towards the grave. It had to be hers. It even had a neat plaque upon it; "Meggy Spletzer, 2001-2017. May she enjoy Splatfest in Heaven."
Mario stared at the gravestone. He brought the microphone to his quivering mouth. Seconds that felt like days passed. And then...he dropped the microphone. He dropped to his knees. And he sobbed.
"Red! NO!" Meggy cried out in agony, tears were streaming from her eyes. She rocketed up from her seat and rushed towards Mario, desperately trying to embrace him. But her ghostly arms went right through. She continued, pleading, begging, "RED, PLEASE! I'M RIGHT HERE, LOOK AT ME! PLEASE!"
Meggy felt someone grab her torso and pull her back, it was the angel, who it seemed was the one creature she could interact with. The angel dragged her backwards, while Meggy roared and kicked like a spoilt child.
"Miss Spletzer, please calm yourself down. There is nothing to gain from freaking out at this moment."
"PUT ME BACK!" Meggy roared in anguish, "DO WHATEVER WITCHCRAFT YOU'VE DONE, PUT ME BACK IN MY BODY! I can't be dead..."
She felt the last of her strength ebb away, Embra let go of her, and she dropped to her knees. She looked up at Mario, still crying at the grave as Tari and Saiko bawled into each other's arms, and she began to cry too, "I... I CAN'T!"
"Sssssshh..." the figure cooed, slowly picking up the crying Meggy and holding her in her arms. She stroked the ghost girl's beanie-laden head, slowly and softly, "It is okay. This is just...how ways will go, I can help you, comfort you. Just please, remain calm and allow me to help."
Meggy looked up at her guardian angel, her face was a mess from crying, "B-But..."
"Sssh. No more tears, we can fix this, together."
"...O-Okay..." Meggy nodded solemnly. The entity once again let her go, but this time she managed to stand up on her own two feet. She looked up at her new friend, "Who...who are you?"
"Call me Embra," she placed her hand upon her chest as a greeting, before stretching it out to Meggy, "Lady of the Lost. Now, come with me, child. We have so much to discuss. Come, talk a walk with me..."
Meggy took one final look at the proceedings, they were calming now. Some people were trying to disperse, but the main group still stared at the grave, crying and sniveling. Meggy sighed, took Embra's hand and they walked away towards the darkened city streets.
