Epilogue: A Fire Burning Forevermore
Atop a small tombstone is a diminutive candle, burning brightly in the early evening wind. The sun was not too close to setting but the stormy clouds hid it rather well and rain threatened the small blaze all day. Six people stood around the eloquently made tombstone...
The Savior Of The World
That No One Will Ever Know
May He Rest in Eternal Peace
Ryo Sanada
Mia kept her eyes closed as she let the epitaph echo in her thoughts, wearing a black dress piece she kept her tears inside, hoping that somehow some mystical power would deliver Ryo back to her, the he'll come flying through a dimensional tunnel between the two worlds, or just somehow come back alive.
"This feels kind of weird, his body is still in the nether world." Kento said wearing a thick black tuxedo with a long black tie as he stood over the tombstone.
"Well we couldn't just do nothing, it wouldn't be right." Sai replied dressed in a similar fashion.
"Why did we leave him there? Was it really all that honorable?" Sage answered wearing a tie-less tuxedo.
"We can do anything about it now, we should stop beating ourselves up over it, it will only make the situation worse. Ryo would want us to be happy with the freedom he gave us." Rowen explained, while opening his coat to let the heat out.
A thunderclap filled the sky giving warning that rain was now eminent. Sage wrapped his arm around Mina wearing her black dress and hiding her face with a handkerchief, "We should go before it starts to rain."
Mia looked out the corner of her eye at the two newly found lovers and fought off every angered and hateful emotion she had. She knew it wouldn't be right to blame them for everything but still, it did seem disrespectful to be carrying on in such a manner only a week after Ryo's death.
"I would like to stay... just a little bit longer," Mina said in a slight whisper.
"We'll get caught in the rain, and you're already feeling ill, you should stay where it's warm."
"All right," she conceded "You go on ahead, I'd like to talk to Ryo alone for a minute."
"Very well, but don't stay too long, and as soon as it starts to come down, you come to the car."
"Don't worry, I will."
Sage gave her a kiss on the cheek as he took his arm from around her and headed off with the others and as soon as they were gone, Mina let out a sorrowful sigh as she knelt down in front of the tombstone. She stayed there quietly for a little bit as she played with the blades of grass.
"You always were like that... you were always too nice a person. It amazed me sometimes, how someone could be so selfless, but it was like your way of life, like it was dedicated to everyone else. And now you have saved the world and at most, six people have thanked you for it. I know what you probably would say too. That you didn't do it to be thanked, it was just the right thing to do. I hope now that you are resting in peace with all the glory you should have had in life..."
Roaming her fingers of the engravings, she traced his name. "You know I still love you, just because I chose Sage doesn't change that, I didn't want us to be enemies. I was just acting distant because I was confused... and... I lost a little faith in you. None of that changes the fact that I still love you as a friend and like a brother. I just wanted you to know that, I didn't want to leave without explaining that to you."
She lightly kissed the top of the tombstone as she stood up and headed for the others. Along the way however, someone's voice caught her attention.
"Rain shall come soon," it said. It sounded vaguely familiar but not so much as she could recognize it.
"Perhaps we should go now," a young and female voice said.
"We will wait," yet another deep voice chimed in firmly.
"It's alright, it's probably best we go now, I just wanted to seem them together one more time," a voice spoke, so familiar that Mina gasped at the sound of it. She remained hidden behind some shrubbery as she watched the kneeling figure stand up and dust off his long black trench coat. The long collars placed upwards guarded his face from being seen, but as for the others the expressions were perfectly clear. Apparently none of them really knew the deceased other than the young man in the trench coat who left a small bouquet of flowers near one of the headstones.
"Are you sure? We can wait a bit more if you wish," the young woman said.
"No, I think this has been enough. I appreciate you coming with me, but there isn't much more I came here to do."
"You aren't going to visit anyone else this day?" a light yet determined male voice spoke up.
"That would only cause more problems in already difficult situations. Besides, there is much to do elsewhere."
"If you are sure..."
"Yes, I am. Lets go," and with that, he bent down and kissed the top of the older headstone, adjusted his tie, fastened his coat, and looked to the others, ready to leave.
The five people around him nodded solemnly as they followed him away from the tombstones. With their backs to her, Mina slowly stepped forward, too nervous to call after them. As they walked off into a small forestry of trees they seemed to disappear in the fog, and then were unable to be seen at all.
Mina crept over to the headstones, and noticed one was obviously much older than the other. Out of undying curiosity, she knelt down to get a closer look. Standing up against the stone, the bouquet of flowers that was left there were in fact white lilies. Nervously picking them up in her hand she smelled them a bit but when she picked them up, the name on the newer tombstone became clear.
With a light gasp she almost dropped the flowers in shock. She knelt in even closer to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her but sure enough, it said what it said.
"How... who...? No, it-it couldn't have been!" she said with a stutter.
Shaking her head a bit Mina simply smiled as she put down the flowers again. "I must miss him too much. I'm not thinking rationally." She told herself as she stood up. "That could have been anyone."
Now she headed off to meet the others, a bit of haste in her step to get out of the cemetery quickly, not looking once behind her to the gray tombstone.
Here Lies The Body Of A Man
Taken From The World At His Prime
Father To A Courageous Son
Husband To A Lost Wife
May He Have Eternal Rest
Hayter Sanada
Atop a small tombstone is a diminutive candle, burning brightly in the early evening wind. The sun was not too close to setting but the stormy clouds hid it rather well and rain threatened the small blaze all day. Six people stood around the eloquently made tombstone...
The Savior Of The World
That No One Will Ever Know
May He Rest in Eternal Peace
Ryo Sanada
Mia kept her eyes closed as she let the epitaph echo in her thoughts, wearing a black dress piece she kept her tears inside, hoping that somehow some mystical power would deliver Ryo back to her, the he'll come flying through a dimensional tunnel between the two worlds, or just somehow come back alive.
"This feels kind of weird, his body is still in the nether world." Kento said wearing a thick black tuxedo with a long black tie as he stood over the tombstone.
"Well we couldn't just do nothing, it wouldn't be right." Sai replied dressed in a similar fashion.
"Why did we leave him there? Was it really all that honorable?" Sage answered wearing a tie-less tuxedo.
"We can do anything about it now, we should stop beating ourselves up over it, it will only make the situation worse. Ryo would want us to be happy with the freedom he gave us." Rowen explained, while opening his coat to let the heat out.
A thunderclap filled the sky giving warning that rain was now eminent. Sage wrapped his arm around Mina wearing her black dress and hiding her face with a handkerchief, "We should go before it starts to rain."
Mia looked out the corner of her eye at the two newly found lovers and fought off every angered and hateful emotion she had. She knew it wouldn't be right to blame them for everything but still, it did seem disrespectful to be carrying on in such a manner only a week after Ryo's death.
"I would like to stay... just a little bit longer," Mina said in a slight whisper.
"We'll get caught in the rain, and you're already feeling ill, you should stay where it's warm."
"All right," she conceded "You go on ahead, I'd like to talk to Ryo alone for a minute."
"Very well, but don't stay too long, and as soon as it starts to come down, you come to the car."
"Don't worry, I will."
Sage gave her a kiss on the cheek as he took his arm from around her and headed off with the others and as soon as they were gone, Mina let out a sorrowful sigh as she knelt down in front of the tombstone. She stayed there quietly for a little bit as she played with the blades of grass.
"You always were like that... you were always too nice a person. It amazed me sometimes, how someone could be so selfless, but it was like your way of life, like it was dedicated to everyone else. And now you have saved the world and at most, six people have thanked you for it. I know what you probably would say too. That you didn't do it to be thanked, it was just the right thing to do. I hope now that you are resting in peace with all the glory you should have had in life..."
Roaming her fingers of the engravings, she traced his name. "You know I still love you, just because I chose Sage doesn't change that, I didn't want us to be enemies. I was just acting distant because I was confused... and... I lost a little faith in you. None of that changes the fact that I still love you as a friend and like a brother. I just wanted you to know that, I didn't want to leave without explaining that to you."
She lightly kissed the top of the tombstone as she stood up and headed for the others. Along the way however, someone's voice caught her attention.
"Rain shall come soon," it said. It sounded vaguely familiar but not so much as she could recognize it.
"Perhaps we should go now," a young and female voice said.
"We will wait," yet another deep voice chimed in firmly.
"It's alright, it's probably best we go now, I just wanted to seem them together one more time," a voice spoke, so familiar that Mina gasped at the sound of it. She remained hidden behind some shrubbery as she watched the kneeling figure stand up and dust off his long black trench coat. The long collars placed upwards guarded his face from being seen, but as for the others the expressions were perfectly clear. Apparently none of them really knew the deceased other than the young man in the trench coat who left a small bouquet of flowers near one of the headstones.
"Are you sure? We can wait a bit more if you wish," the young woman said.
"No, I think this has been enough. I appreciate you coming with me, but there isn't much more I came here to do."
"You aren't going to visit anyone else this day?" a light yet determined male voice spoke up.
"That would only cause more problems in already difficult situations. Besides, there is much to do elsewhere."
"If you are sure..."
"Yes, I am. Lets go," and with that, he bent down and kissed the top of the older headstone, adjusted his tie, fastened his coat, and looked to the others, ready to leave.
The five people around him nodded solemnly as they followed him away from the tombstones. With their backs to her, Mina slowly stepped forward, too nervous to call after them. As they walked off into a small forestry of trees they seemed to disappear in the fog, and then were unable to be seen at all.
Mina crept over to the headstones, and noticed one was obviously much older than the other. Out of undying curiosity, she knelt down to get a closer look. Standing up against the stone, the bouquet of flowers that was left there were in fact white lilies. Nervously picking them up in her hand she smelled them a bit but when she picked them up, the name on the newer tombstone became clear.
With a light gasp she almost dropped the flowers in shock. She knelt in even closer to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her but sure enough, it said what it said.
"How... who...? No, it-it couldn't have been!" she said with a stutter.
Shaking her head a bit Mina simply smiled as she put down the flowers again. "I must miss him too much. I'm not thinking rationally." She told herself as she stood up. "That could have been anyone."
Now she headed off to meet the others, a bit of haste in her step to get out of the cemetery quickly, not looking once behind her to the gray tombstone.
Here Lies The Body Of A Man
Taken From The World At His Prime
Father To A Courageous Son
Husband To A Lost Wife
May He Have Eternal Rest
Hayter Sanada
