-Prologue: Day S e v e n -
Soundtrack: Calendar Marks; My Favorite Highway
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Time always passes. Even for the slowest of people. Even for me.
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The sun was shining. The wind sent out its regards in the form of a gentle breeze that kept Rikku from sweating in the heat. Watching a preacher as he read from his little book, Rikku let her mind wander. She dabbled in thoughts of detention, dipped in feelings of devotion, and dove into images of death. It had been one week since Gippal had died.
Funny, it felt like a year.
Rikku inhaled the scent of freshly dug earth and willed herself not to cry. She was a tad shocked to find that it was unnecessary: she felt strangely complacent. She had spent the past week mourning.
Rikku wanted to let go.
She watched as the casket was being lowered into the ground and held her breath. This was it, this was the last moment she would ever be remotely close to Gippal in her entire life. She would jump in the dirt and snuggle with the worms if it meant she could be with him. But she couldn't.
She realized that. Rikku mentally took inventory of all her negative feelings, her sad thoughts and mourning memories and gathered them up in an imaginary plastic bag. She tied the top and chained it shut, to amuse herself. She envisioned herself tossing the bag into its own grave alongside Gippal's. She smiled lightly to herself as she felt weight being lifted off of her shoulders.
Rikku lifted her head to the blue sky and fully broke into a smile. She would be with him again, someday. She would see him in heaven.
She would find love again. She would be happy. All for him. Gippal left her feeling inspired and newly ready for life. She watched as people offered each other condolences and tossed flowers into the pit. She tossed her own bright yellow rose into the grave and sighed.
"Love you."
She turned, finished, and walked away from him. But not forever.
She would go back, to visit, always. She looked into the distance and felt like she was falling into the sun itself it was so bright.
Rikku would remember him. Rikku would love him. Rikku would let go. Letting go was growing up.
She smiled as she walked away and into the rest of her life.