//------------------------------// // Funeral, Conclusion // Story: Before the Friendship Games: Sunny Flare // by CapNTilfy //------------------------------// After her display of emotions next to the podium, Sunny Flare remained quiet for the remainder of the service up until the funeral procession. She sat in the back of the family car, staring out the window. "I still can't believe he's gone." Sunny said, then sighed deeply. "Just last week we were happy together. Hanging out, watching a movie while eating pizza...and now today, I'm going to watch him get buried." She pressed her forehead against the window, her breath slightly fogging it as her voice broke. Sunny's mother held her daughter's hand as she leaned on her mother, closing her eyes and letting out a sniffle. Glaze gently stroked Sunny's hair in an effort to comfort her. Her daughter had been through more than her fair share of trauma recently, and seeing her shed so many tears had made her feel powerless to help her short of simply being there for her. She understood how her daughter felt. She, too, was devastated by Rutherford's death. Not to the same degree as Sunny herself, but Glaze had considered Rutherford family. Always treating Sunny with respect and love and being there for her whenever he could. Stellar would occasionally glance at his wife and daughter in the backseat, feeling the same way as Glaze. He and Glaze had always been there for Sunny when she needed it, and even sometimes when she didn't want it. Seeing her suffer so made him suffer. Stellar always thought of Rutherford as the son he never had, and was heartbroken over his death. He felt a single tear run down his cheek as he heard Sunny sniffle again in the back. Despite her best efforts, Sunny slowly felt herself drift off to sleep. The energy she spent mourning on the podium had to be replenished. Glaze smiled sadly, still stroking her daughter's hair as she began snoring. "How much longer until we reach the cemetery?" asked Glaze. "Probably about ten minutes, though I imagine she needs more sleep than that." said Stellar. Glaze nodded in agreement, then sighed heavily. "I wish there was more we could do for her. It's really hard for me to see her like this. No doubt you feel the same way." Stellar sighed. "Of course I do, honey. I don't like seeing her this upset, but for now all we can do is be her moral and emotional support." --------------------------------------------- Once the family arrived at the cemetery, Glaze woke Sunny up. She gave her daughter a sympathetic look. "We're here." she said softly. The trio slowly walked towards the gravestone. HERE LIES RUTHERFORD FRIEND, SON, LOVER Sunny Flare nearly burst into tears at the sight. "Oh god, this is it." she said as the full gravity of the situation landed squarely on her shoulders, causing her knees to buckle. Shimmering Glaze held her up as her husband, Rutherford's father and others carried the casket towards the rectangle-shaped pit in the ground. Sunny fought against her instinct to bury her head in her mother's chest with every fiber of her being. If she didn't watch the whole ceremony, she felt as though she would never forgive herself. She took a deep breath and shuddered as the casket reached its destination. She felt each of her hands being held, and she looked to see both of her parents holding them. "I love you two so much." Sunny said, blinking back tears. "And we love you too." Shimmering Glaze said as tears streamed down her face. "We're here for you, Sunny Flare." Stellar Tycoon said, his voice cracking. Sunny sniffled as the casket was slowly lowered into the ground. "Goodbye...Rutherford." she said as she felt her tears fall. She watched as her boyfriend's casket became covered with dirt until it was no longer visible, her parents by her side the whole time. Once the men were done shoveling dirt, they and all the other people had left. All that remained were Sunny and her parents. Sunny let go of her parents' hands and turned to face them, her eyes red and puffy. "Can I have a minute?" she asked. "I want to say goodbye to him one last time." "Of course, honey." said her father. "Take your time." said her mother, and her parents walked towards the car. Sunny slowly walked up to the grave. "Hey there." she said. "What do you say to the man who sacrificed his life so that the one he loves could live on?" she sniffled. "At the very least, I'm grateful. But I wish this cost wasn't so high. For everything you have done for me, I am eternally grateful." she gulped. "Words alone can't express how much I still love you and miss you..." she nearly lost what little composure she had, but pressed on nonetheless. "You will always be in my heart, Rutherford. You will always be my Prince." Sunny felt tears falling from her eyes. "I'm going to do my best to move on. For both of our sakes. I know you would have wanted it that way." Sunny Flare found herself stuck on the spot she was standing in. "Goodbye...and may you rest in peace." Sunny gathered all of her willpower to slowly turn away from the grave. Don't you dare look back, Sunny Flare. Don't. You. Dare. Moving forward was perhaps the most difficult thing for her to do that day. She kept the family car within her line of sight as each step she took felt heavier than the last. She knew she could visit him again sometime, but the finality she felt from the situation made walking away harder for her. Sunny could see her parents waiting for her patiently, understanding that she was going through an internal struggle of sorts. Her slow walk turned into a sprint, then she ran to her parents with their arms wide open. They all embraced each other in a tight hug as Sunny Flare let out all of her emotions for the final time of the day.