-=Last Respects=-

10 days had passed since the decimation of the village hidden in darkness. This period of time was filled with much hardship and continued grief as the survivors worked night and day to give each and every one of the dead a proper burial. The majority of the village grounds were used, with one section reserved for the ninjas and rogues, and another set aside for the villagers. With no suitable materials left for grave markers, the survivors chose another method: the graves of the ninjas and rogues were each marked with a weapon, and the graves of the villagers were each marked with a piece of rubble from the remains of the town hall.

This mass burial of almost all village inhabitants lasted 9 days, with a final blessing given to all of them at once at the very end.

On the tenth day, however, a more unique burial was held; the burial of the young girl named Yuka.

Requested by Shadow Viper and Lord Scorpion, Yuka was given her own place to rest: on top of a fairly tall grassy hill that was somewhat far from the village. The top of the hill gave way to a magnificent view of the surrounding area, including the village itself.

In addition, the two rogues also requested the day to be set up so Yuka would have her own funeral, one that would give her the last respects they thought she deserved.

Upon the day of the funeral, all of the survivors worked hard together to give Yuka the final send-off she would’ve wanted. Her body was cleaned and wrapped in two bedsheets: hers, and Shadow’s on top of that. Afterwards, Shadow and Scorpion worked together on carrying her to the top of the hill, with the other survivors right behind them. Upon reaching the top, Yuka was gently set upon the center of the hilltop. Everyone gathered around as Shadow gave a speech for the funeral, with Scorpion at his side.

“You’re all probably wondering why we decided to make Yuka’s burial a true funeral compared to the others,” he explained. “In addition to being a very dear friend to Scorpion and myself, she was the significant other to the greatest hero we once had. Ryu Hayabusa II was mourned by all as he was given a final send-off. Yuka may not be a true warrior like us, but she did have many qualities that are as valuable as any warrior is.

“Yuka was a kind, gentle, and loving soul, who worked as part of the maintenance crew for our school. Her biggest area of expertise was cooking. She knew every day we defenders were working hard to make life easier for the village, whether accomplishing missions or safeguarding it from attackers. In exchange, she put her heart and soul into every meal she helped make for us. If she ever heard even one complaint about the food, her immediate forethought was fixing it. She kept us satisfied, which in turn gave us the strength we needed to keep defending our home and our people.

“In addition, Yuka always opened her heart to people who ever needed help. She did that for me, and I’ll never forget it. If it wasn’t for her, along with Ryu, finding me as I fled my old home when it was besieged, I wouldn’t be here, living my dream.

“When Ryu was returned deceased, I immediately thought of Yuka. I took whatever time I felt necessary to help her if she ever felt any pain from her loss. Now, that pain is forever washed away, as I do one last favor for her in being properly reunited with her boyfriend, Ryu.”

Scorpion then knelt down by Yuka and placed a lotus blossom in her hand. Then, Shadow knelt down next to her and said, “Let this final gift symbolize our eternal gratitude for everything you gave us. Know that you will always have a place in our hearts, as you embark on your final journey to the one you love. Farewell, Yuka.”

A group of the other defenders began working on digging a grave as everyone else left for the village in silence, during which a light rain began to fall upon the land. Shadow’s grief ascended as the raindrops descended. “Nature is adding tears to our own,” he said softly.

Eventually night fell, long after Yuka’s burial was finally completed, her grave lacking a marker. In the village, Shadow, Scorpion, the five elders, and all of the defenders prepared for bed in the last remaining combat training school, using every bedroom available to them.

Shadow and Scorpion agreed on sleeping in the same bed that night. They used Scorpion’s bed, since Shadow gave up his blanket, and the dry blood on his mattress still unnerved him.

“Thanks again for sharing your bed, Scorpion,” Shadow said rather wearily as he climbed in under the covers. “With everything I’ve had to endure thus far, I’ll need all the comfort I can hope to have.”

“No problem, Shadow,” Scorpion replied. “With everything you helped to do for Yuka today, you certainly deserve a spot on a nice bed.” As Scorpion spoke, he took a look out his bedroom window, towards the hill in which Yuka would forever sleep. “I only hope she’s resting easy.”

Shadow looked out the window as well. As he did, his heart began to burn. “I’m sure our assistance gives her some peace,” he surmised. “However, she will never know true peace. Not as long as the evil that stole our home and fellow people still lives.”

Upon hearing this, an ugly truth came to Scorpion. “….Yes,” he said hesistantly, a sadness in his heart beginning to rise. “Tomorrow is the day you said you would set off…. to the maple world. Alone.”

This reminder only increased the fire in Shadow’s heart. “That’s right,” he declared, his voice prominent in a furious determination. “I’ll go to maple world. I will empower myself to a level of strength no one here has ever reached. I will find the evil Dark Lord, and perhaps the greater evil power Ryu mentioned in his final letter. Yes, I will find them. And when I do, I’ll use my power to put an end to them for good, to make them pay for everything they took from us. Only then, Scorpion, will Yuka, and even Ryu, finally know full true peace.”

They both nodded their heads in agreement to that declaration, then laid themselves down to sleep.

<Shadow’s dream that night>

*I see them in front of me. Ryu and Yuka, together again at last, standing in a field full of lotus blossoms on a bright sunny day. They show great joy in being back together. They dance with eachother to the tune of a beautiful song that plays somewhere in the distance. They laugh as they dance. I watch them in their bliss. In this moment, I find great joy of my own.*

*The music ends, and Ryu and Yuka stop dancing. The laughter has subsided, but they still smile at eachother, their hands interlocked. They look eachother in their eyes, looks of warmth and happiness on their faces. Then, they kiss eachother. They hold it for a minute. The passion that radiates from them tells me how much they’ve missed being with eachother. They continue holding eachother as though there were no tomorrow. In this moment, I find great warmth and happiness of my own.*

*However, this uplifting scene of love and celebration doesn’t last long. After the kiss, their smiles fade as they look to me. Worry, concern, and even fear are reflected in the eyes of Ryu and Yuka. The bright green fields turn to dark, scraggly grass. The blossoms wither quickly. The blue sky and glowing sun are replaced by dark stormclouds, vicious lighting, and deafening thunder. Then, I see the evil Dark Lord in the distance. Yuka immediately becomes frightened. Ryu quickly unsheathes his korean fan, pointing her towards me and then dashing towards the vile lord. When Ryu is within striking distance, a bright flash appears, both of the thieves disappearing in it.*

*Upon their disappearance, Yuka falls to the ground. I rush to her aid. She begins bleeding heavily from a massive wound suddenly appearing in her abdomen. She looks up at me with tears in her eyes, the tears of a victim who still lacks true peace. Then she points to a city in the distance. From that city, a figure heads toward me. I know this figure as soon as it reaches me.*

*It is the good Dark Lord.*

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Hello everyone! Well, my laptop has been a pain all day, so I finally decided to continue the story. I am pleased to announce that the next pre-story part will be the final one, after which the main story will begin. Thanks to all who read and enjoy my story. I know it’s not the most spectacular fanfic on this site, but I continue writing it no matter what, always believing that it will keep getting better. *Leaves behind a soda machine filled with nothing but cans of Mountain Dew*