The brownish leaves crackled under her feet as she walked through the empty cemetery. Her long, waist-length brown hair swayed in the wind, as she let it flow freely. The grass was still very green, which was in contrast to the auburn-colored trees that groaned in the breeze.
Stepping off the leaf-tattered path, she made her way past a few headstones and some water-filled pots to find herself at a familiar place. She crouched down low and let her hand rest on the engraving that said who was resting in the cold ground. Her fingers traced the lettering as old wounds were opened, and memories of her past came flooding back to her.
It had been five years since that incident… five years filled with lonely nights and plagued dreams. She longed for her best friend, but nothing could be done, it was all over.
"Saki-chan… how I miss you so…" her other hand pulled out a bouquet of freshly arranged flowers, and she put them down inside the pot next to the engraved headstone. She found a waterspout somewhere close by, and carefully filled up an empty bowl filled with the clear liquid. After pouring the contents into the flower-filled pot she stood up and bowed.
Her thoughts were filled with the visions of Sakaki's smile, her memory was filled with the touch and feel of how her kiss was, but her heart felt empty. She looked up at the cloudy gray sky and sighed.
"Are you looking down at me now… Sakaki?" thinking of her friend made her sad, and it almost brought horrible thoughts of that fateful day back. She remembered that her best friend had spared her life, and she didn't even tell her she was doing it.
'You told me to take off your helmet, and I put it on my own head… You did that to save me from the explosion… you knew the brakes were cut…you knew…' she thought. She was so busy reminiscing that she did not notice the crunching of leaves arriving closely.
Lowering her head back down, she saw everyone walking towards her.
Koyomi Mizuhara, also known as Yomi… she didn't change much. Large glasses still rested on the bridge of her nose. Her hair color had darkened to a dark oaken brown, and it fell just about three inches past her shoulders.
Tomo Takino, her vigorous energy was toned down over the few years, perhaps seeing Yomi had brought her down a bit. One could say she was late when it comes to maturity, but it was there, along with her adolescence. She grew her hair out since high school, and it was almost as long as Yomi's, but her girlfriend made her cut it.
Kasuga Ayumu, better known as Osaka thanks to Tomo's efforts. She had continued to stay spacey all throughout her life, but she managed to get a boyfriend who liked her, despite her mind wandering off. She too stayed relatively the same, with her hair smoothly down to her shoulders, and her empty eyes gazing off into space.
There was Kagura too. She landed a spot on the Olympic swimming team. After going through high school being a major MVP for the swimming club, some scouts had seen her potential in the state competition relay swim race and drafted her from there. The swimming required for her to keep her hair short in order to keep it inside of the swimming cap, but her lean body now had more tone to it. She too got a boyfriend, and even tied the knot with him two years ago.
Behind them all, another came shuffling by, staring at the ground and not wanting to look up; it was Kaori, better known as Kaorin due to the 'n' diminutive that got stuck on the end of her name. She had grown out her hair long in the past five years, in memory of Sakaki, and she had changed ever since the incident. She distanced herself from everyone, but she had eventually come to accept what she had done.
They all came, and each one had a bundle of flowers in their hands. One by one, they placed their flowers on the grave, and bowed respectfully to their lost friend. Kaorin came last.
She placed a heap of flowers on the ground, and bowed her head for a long time, most likely talking to herself or praying. After a few minutes, she stood up with tears in her eyes, and turned to face Chiyo-chan.
"I'm sorry for the unforgivable trouble that I have caused… no… sorry doesn't even come close to the regret that I feel. How do you go on like this? It feels as if my heart has been wrenched out, and I can't get it back. She's gone; she has been for so long! How do you bear the pain every day?"
Chiyo-chan looked at the gravesite with cloudy eyes and hid the emotions that were bubbling up inside. "I… don't know how I deal with the sorrow and pain that comes my way…but all I can do is hope that one day, I may come to join her peacefully, wherever she is."
Kaorin broke down and the tears began to flow out like a waterfall as the sad memories of her friend filled her mind. Chiyo-chan walked over and put a comforting arm around her, and sighed.
"Don't worry about all that has happened… it's just how destiny and fate treats us. Sometimes we cannot help it, and all that is done is done…" Kaorin opened her teary eyes and managed a weak smile.
"I… I guess you're right…" Tomo walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "She is right, there isn't much we can do now. Sakaki is gone, and no amount of hatred or love can bring her back, so there's no use in doing anything stupid. I know that-" Yomi nudged her, whispering something like, "Don't say that." Tomo frowned, "What did I say?" was her retort.
Chiyo-chan smiled at the two and decided that she should say something now or else Yomi would smack Tomo for doing, or saying, anything more.
"Everyone… Sakaki may be gone, but she isn't forgotten. Her death does not only mark the end of her life, but also the beginning of a new one. Her passing has marked a nascent opportunity for all of us, and we should try to make the best of our lives with what has been given to us. It's only once we've lived can we experience death."
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Author's Notes
Sorry for the really short epilogue, but my mind has kind of died on me. I'm no good at writing epilogues, and the ending wasn't as impactful as I would have liked it to be, but eh, I guess I tried, right? If you didn't now, Alpha and Omega signifies the beginning and end of something. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet.
Thank you for reading this story, and a special thanks to Akitoko and Kamehameha for their wonderful comments all throughout the writing of this story. It kept me going! And sane for that matter! Not that I was insane or anything…