Brightest of Shadows Chapter 12: Shangri-La
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Short chapter. No jokes. Keep an eye-out for one shots! Don't worry this story will still follow it's intended path! Until next time. Make sure you tell your family and friends that you love them.
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It rained the day of the service.
Not even the sun dared shine upon the world on this day, perfectly reflecting the friends and family gathered for the funeral of Akemi Tsukino. The Kisaragi group especially had made sure to be there, to see Yami through his darkest hour.
None supported him more through the service than the infamous 'girl in red', who refused to leave his side for the entire day, even when Yami broke down in front of his mothers casket, or when he began to shriek in denial as they drove to the cemetery. She was always there to pull him back to his feet, always a shoulder to cry on.
When he broke down on the podium giving his remembrance speech, Sachiko immediately came up and helped him finish it, holding Yami in a hug the entire time. A hug neither wanted to break even as they inched away from the podium, into the arms of Yoshiki and Ayumi, who had become quite a bit closer since the news of Akemi Tsukino's death.
News that Yami's father was missing had spread as well. It was a mixture of both happiness for his disappearance, and fear that he may return for everyone involved. However Yami felt nothing but despair. He had now lost both parents in one fell swoop.
The Kisaragi students along with their families slowly dealt with the situation in their own ways as well. The Mochida family was quick to offer condolences before retreating to the back, minus Satoshi, who stood by his friends to support Yami.
Even Seiko ended up crying on more than one occasion during the funeral, a far cry from her usual happy and perverted self. Replaced instead by a somber individual who, despite her best efforts, could do little in terms of keeping a smile on her face.
Somehow Yoshiki's sister even showed up to the funeral. While surprised at her presence at first, Yoshiki in the end accepted her presence, unable to summon the energy needed to question his little sister. Instead, he stayed with Ayumi and the two children, like a father watching over his family.
Of course Morishige and Mayu showed up as well, noticeably arm in arm with each other, along with Ms Yui, who had just been discharged from the hospital the previous day who claimed that she would still have showed up if her arm had been chopped off.
As the group of mourners finally lowered the casket into the grave dirt slowly began to fill into the hole thanks to a few volunteers. As Yami continued to watch his mothers casket disappear, tears once again flowed freely.
Until he felt her take his hand in her own.
Her voice raised above the funeral, silencing even the loudest of mourners as her words transformed themselves from a faint whisper to a song that failed to cease until Akemi Tsukino's grave had been completely filled in.
She sung for his mother, she sung for her own mother, and she sung for him.
It was a long journey, wasn't it?
Until that moment when we met
Like fragmented molecular symbols, if you're not with me, then…
I'd rather throw my defiled self into the rotting ark
and drown in a beautiful lie...
I want to see you, but I can't; where are you?
I still don't understand the truth, nor do I want to ask about it
The requiem of the birds that can't fly
echoes again in the heart of Shangri-La
The water dripping from the insomniac crescent moon can't go back...
During that season, I could laugh about how pretty things are pretty
I looked at it like it's fake.
Don't disappear, don't forget, the mirage is flickering
I want to cry, but I can't, so I call out your name…
But if my wish and warmth will melt away in the wind
Then I'll at least send my love and song to you now...
I want to see you, I want to see you, in a dream is fine
Hug me and whisper to me, ah, with that voice of yours
I'll overcome the misery of the birds that can't fly
and take off for the skies of Shangri-La...
Even if its outline is far away, look, I'm by your side!
I love you, ah, so much in afterlife that it moves me to tears…
Yes, I am who I am because I was able to meet you on that day!
So may my feelings reach you...
As he and Sachiko were embraced by Yoshiki and Ayumi, Yami could have sworn that, out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother standing next to a kind looking young woman. The same woman from his dream.
As the four walked away, Yami turned to give one last small smile to wear he thought he had seen the two figures, before turning back to the others, walking away with them. But not before one final thing had to be said. "Goodbye mommy. Goodbye Sachiko's mom... We love you..."