Time skip - 2 weeks later
(Part1)
[Lloyd]
I decided to have a farewell service for Harumi on the Day of the Departed.
Her body would be cremated just the day before, and I am the one receiving her ashes.
Everyone's helping me to organise something small but memorable, we are keeping it secret so the media wouldn't invade our privacy. And we can say goodbye to Harumi, not the Quiet One or to the Jade Princess, avoiding remembering her mistakes.
I went back to the hospital only once to visit Iva, she received Harumi heart and she is recovering well, I have spoken to Flynn and invite him and his family to the service. I couldn't find Ruby , she was either not there, or she was busy elsewhere, so I left an envelope to her, with an invite for the service inside.
[]
Day of the Departed
We started at 4:30 at the Monastery courtyard. Pixal has carefully created a memorial table with flowers and beautiful pictures of the time we had Harumi living in the Bounty with us. I placed the urn of ashes at the centre.
We lighted lanterns and hanged the all around.
Flynn was there with his Family, Iva's mother was also there, Iva was still in the hospital, so she sent a beautiful handmade card explaining what Harumi means to her. There was also beautiful ginger hair, teen girl, that I find out when Flynn introduced me to her, called Jenny, and she had received a kidney from Harumi, allowing her to live without daily medical treatments.
We have music and poetry, Flynn said the most beautiful words any of us could ever say, and then it was my turn. I try to prepare a few words, but in the end, I thought it was not me or her, so left my paper in the pocket, and just said what comes to my mind.
-"Rumi... I am glad we have met, I know we haven't gotten the best side of each other for some time, and believe me, there was nothing in this world I hated more than being her enemy, trust me no one would like that. For quite a while I didn't know if I knew the real Harumi or not. I was very confused... But in the end I made my mind, Harumi was just a girl in need of love... " I pause a bit, to let the notch in my throat to go, and I saw someone standing at the back, a long dark hair, with deep dark blue eyes, I almost did not recognise in a black dress, it was Ruby , her smile to me made my last words to come easy -"somehow Rumi, you brought love to my heart, we shared moments that I will always treasure, and through you I got to know some amazing people that I know will forever be in my heart." - I smile to Ruby and to Flynn, to the ginger girl, and I would have smiled to Iva if she was there.
In the end, Jay walked towards me, I gave him the urn with the ashes, he placed it into his and Nya's invention, a small rocket power to reach above the atmosphere, it had a small camera connected to it, and the images were projected in 2 big screens Zane and Pixal created.
The fireworks display started, with an amazing soundtrack, Cole created, in the background. The grand finale was the rocket with Harumi's ashes inside. It was launched, and through the camera, we saw when it reached the stars, and then it exploded again releasing her ashes because she has always been a star, a supernova, a dangerous and fast, intense, beautiful, eternal sparkling light ... and now she is where she belongs, she has become "Star dusty".
Skylor and Kai were in charge of food and drinks. Everyone raise their glasses for the last farewell.
I went to speak to Ruby, it was almost 3 weeks since I saw her in the hospital last time. She had her hair loose, and I didn't remember having ever seen her like that before. I introduced her to everyone one, Flynn gave her a hug, and I see their relationship has grown a bit since last time. She also knew Jenny, the ginger girl.
Nya embarrassed Ruby by saying she has amazing eyes, which I agreed, I saw Ruby face going bright red, but soon they were getting along very well.
Later on, we pay our respects to all of our ancestors, and family and friends that are no longer with us, we light the lanterns and released to the sky. It was a very special night to remember forever.
(Part2)
[Cole]
Day of the Departed is my favourite holiday. I have an intimate connection with it, especially since I was turned back from ghost to human 3 years ago.
I worked with Jay and Nya to prepare the firework show to Harumi's Farewell, and after the display had finished, I left the others enjoying the rest of the evening in the Monastery to meet with my Father and his mates, they were also having a Farewell service for Mac's son Pete, that died of leukemia the same day of Harumi's.
By the time I arrived there, it was about halfway through, and my father gave me a funny look as I sit by his side. 'What? - I told you I had another service to attend' I whisper to him.
After everyone said their worlds and pay their respects, we all raised our glasses, and the Royal Blacksmiths took the stage. I felt a bit out of place as I didn't know (or remember) most of the people there, I thought I would better go and enjoy the rest of the evening with my friends in the monastery.
I just waited until Dad finished the last song so I could give him a hug before leaving.
They finish and I made my way to the backstage to say goodbye, but before I reach the location I was taken by surprise by this huge voice, charged with so much emotion, sign only with an acoustic piano, which she plays herself, one of my favourites (https://youtu.be/cQokN7vK2cg):
"I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything"
I stop where I was, and focus all my attention in the owner of the voice, a tall slim girl, with long light brown hair, I felt as if I know her, but I cannot place a name to the face. She was so emotional as if she meant every single word she was singing.
"What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know
Goes away in the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
If I could start again
A million miles away
I will keep myself
I would find a way
She finishes singing, and I was still there completely static, impressed by her stunning performance.
-"I am sorry, I am not as good in the Piano as Pete, and I really missed his second voice in the Chorus" - she said that and leave the stage wiping her tears. And the way she has spoken about Pete, I assumed she was his sister: Kimberly.
As she walkway, she passed by me, and I call her name:
-"Kimberly!" - she stops and stares at me - "is that you?"
-"Yes, I am Kimberly, who are you?" - she asked me quite abruptly, and suddenly I remember her child version.
-"Cole!?" - She looks as if she has no idea who Cole is... - "Lou's Son" - Still pulling a blank face -" Lou and Lilly's Son Cole"
-"Cole? Auntie Lilly's Cole! Really?"
-"Really!" - I give her a smile, I forgot they always refer to my mom as their Auntie Lilly, they adored her, who wouldn't, mom was the most wonderful person in this world.
-"You look so different, so..." - she seems to struggle to find a word -"BIG"! - we laugh
-"You too! I mean no BIG, big... Grown up I suppose."
-"Yes, I guess that is the word!" - She agrees with me.
-"I am sorry for your lost! I guess it must be quite hard for you to sign, as it reminds you of him, by the way, it was amazing!"
-"Thank you! - Fancy a drink?" - she passes me a beer before I can answer, and grab one for herself. -"I haven't seen you for what?" - she asked trying to figure out by herself.
-"12 years" - I remember that quite well, because it was Pete's birthday, and the two of us, me and her, end up in a massive fight, and my mom took me back home, that day I promise I would never attend another event were Kimberly would be, and here I am, well I guess I have really grown up.
-"That much! How old were we? 11?"
-"I was 12, I guess you would be 11 then!"
-"Yep, I am really sorry I haven't attended to your mom's funeral, I was really upset when she dies, and I didn't want to see her any other way than I remember her adorable face. I miss my Auntie Lilly!
-"Who doesn't? That is OK"
-"To Auntie Lilly!" - she raises her bottle, and I toasted back
-"To Pete!"
-"It is true what they say, hum!?"
-"What?"
-"Only the good die young"
-"Speak for yourself!"
-"Oh come on! You are far worse than me"
-"I beg to disagree!"
-"When did you learn to be so polite?"
-"Well some of us has really grown up"
-"Ok, back to normal, here we go again"
We carried on chatting and offending each other for hours, but somehow she didn't manage to get under my skin as she used to, at least I didn't felt like I want to punch her face like I used to feel 12 years ago, maybe we have really grown up!
We move from beer to tequila shot, and we both got quite drunk.
-"Hey, do you still climb?" - she asked me.
-"Some times, if I don't have anything more challenging to do" -
-"Ok! I dare you to race me to the top of the Unclimbable Mountain!?" - she challenged me, and I suddenly remember how every single one of our fights started, she was always teasing and challenging me to do whatever she invented, and the thing is, she was always able to beat me, but not this time.
-"When? Now?" - I accept the challenge
-"Now? Are you crazy? I don't think either of us can make to the door." - she said that referring to the fact that we were both drunk.
-"Again, speak for yourself!" - I stand up, take another shot, and hold a tree position in perfect balance. -"I dare you can do the same?!"
-"OK perfect balance boy, here I go!" - she did try, but almost fell over me.... We laugh.
-"Maybe we should stop drinking!"
-"As we see from Pete, life is far too short, and anyway, Mom and Dad are here to save my butt!"
-"Well, so I better stop drinking, because I still need to go home! - where is your phone?"
-"Why do you want my phone, don't you have yours?"
-"I am just going to put my number in, so you can call me when you decide to lose a climbing race for me."
-"Oh man! You are so dead, and Auntie Lilly will not be there to protect you this time, just remember" - she starts teasing, exactly as she used to do, at the same time she gives me her phone. I add my number, and save my name as 'Cole the winner' ...
-"I would never think I would say that, but it is nice to see you again Kim."
-"It is nice to see you too Cole. - however, I am not sure I will remember that tomorrow."
-"Oh but I will! Trust me, I will...