"Here today we lay to rest a well-loved woman. Jadzia Idaris was a host of the Dax symbiont. Though her life was short it was meaningful and her memories will be carried on to future hosts. I know that to her friends and family this is little comfort, but rest assured that her memories will last forever." The Symbiosis Commission official stopped speaking then as Jadzia's body was lowered into the ground.
They were on Trill Prime, and her friends and family had all come to be there when her body was finally laid to rest, with the exception of Benjamin and Jake Sisko. It was about a month after she had died, but this was the first time that her friends from the station were able to come. So Jadzia's body had lain in stasis for that time.
The cemetery was located in Trill's capital city of Leran Manev, and the gravestones were marked with colors indicating if the deceased was unjoined, or if they had been joined and their symbiont was either still used or not. Yellow was for the unjoined, green was for the joined whose symbionts were no longer used, and purple was for the symbionts who were still being used. When Jadzia was lowered into the ground her grave marker was lit up with its hopeful shade of purple.
Worf stood closest to the torpedo casing as it was lowered, and he chanted ancient Klingon songs. When he finished he left swiftly, not wanting to be near anyone. On the other side stood Jadzia's family. Her parents and sister as well as other family members of her family. Their faces were tearstained, yet they seemed more placid in their emotions. They all passed by saying something to her as they went. Odo, Nerys, Julian, and Quark were the next people in line. Each said their parting words to her as they passed by.
"You were someone who could understand what it means to be an investigator," Odo said. "It was never dull to have a conversation with you."
He walked a few steps forward allowing Nerys to stand next to the casket. He placed a loving hand on her shoulder as she spoke. "Jadzia, you were my best friend. We had such amazing times together. Why did this have to happen to you? It's been a month since you died, but the pain hasn't gone away. I want to be able to move past it, but I also don't want you to be gone."
Kira began to cry, so she stopped speaking and moved on with Odo holding her in his arms. Julian stood next to her then, and laid his hand on the smooth torpedo casing.
"I failed you. I couldn't save you, and you died. I should have been able to." Julian then turned away bitterly and walked off.
Quark spoke to her about enjoying the games they played together, and about how much he card for her.
The crowds died down after awhile, and the hole was covered. When there was no one else in the cemetery, one lone figure stood before the grave. She was a small woman, with short dark hair.
"I never wanted to be a host," Ezri whispered into the gathering twilight. "You never deserved to die. They still want you to be alive, and so do I. I'm not equipped to handle this. Why can't you still be alive, then we'd both be happy in our own lives, instead of this complicated mess." Ezri fell down and cried at the end of the freshly churned earth. From the gathering mist a voice and figure seemed to appear and give her comfort.
"I died so that you could have a chance you never dreamed of. Make the best of it. They need you, don't let me have died in vain," Jadzia's spirit whispered to Ezri.
Ezri heard the familiar voice, and felt Jadzia's touch on her heart. So Ezri arose and left the graveyard behind with a new sense of courage. She was still unaccustomed to the voices in her head, but she knew that somehow things would work out for the better, she had to make it up to Jadzia. So her first task would be to help someone that knew Dax best, she would go see Ben.
THE END