The White Wolf

Chapter 23 - Goodbye Captain

A few meters away you could see the Captain's casket on the ground beside the hole that had been dug. This was it. You took a silent deep breath, looking down at the box in your hands. You all stopped round the casket. A part of you wished the inside was just a ruse. That the Captain was still alive. You lifted your head off of the box, and what caught your eye instantly was the grave you'd spent countless days crying against. Morgen. He was situated right beside your captain would be buried. Your brother and your captain, best friends, How ironic. 'Brother... please tell me you're looking after the Captain...' You looked at his grave sorrowfully before looking back at the casket before you.

The captain's knew this was their final chance to say goodbye to their fellow captain, their friend. No one knew how to start of what to say, so Kaiser to the lead for everybody. "Thank you for everything you did, Ofelia. You welcomed me to the captains without hesitation. You showed me the same warmth everyone else felt. Goodbye, my friend." Jack went next, "we've had our fair share of spats and spars. And your strong, I couldn't slash you ever, I'll give you that. See ya at a later date, Ofelia." Dorothy stepped up, placing her hand on the casket, "I'll see you later, okay? Because even if you're gone, everything you've done for me will always stay. And we'll always be friends. Girls night will be weird without you. See you later, Lia." Rill was next, he was crying before he could speak, "this sucks, you know. You believed in me from day one- I mean you helped me before I even became a captain! I don't know I'm supposed to do without your guidance. I don't want to say goodbye yet, it's not fair. But I don't have a choice. Goodbye, Ofelia!" He really was hurting. They all were.

"You treated me as a friend, not because of my status, power, or name, you did it because you cared. You treated me as an equal, which I realise is what I needed. So, thank you. You were a good friend, from the beginning. I was never royalty around you" Nozel let out a short chuckle under his breath, which was confusing for everyone, "Goodbye Ofelia. I hope you're resting in piece." Next was Fuegoleon, "you were a strong fighter until the end. The kingdom and I owe a lot to you. I thank you, Ofelia. May you rest in peace, my friend." Charlotte was shaking as she stepped forward. Her hand gently slid onto the casket, "I..." Her words caught in her throat. "Your word was the one I valued most above anyone's. I don't know what I'm supposed to do without you. What suits me, what doesn't. What I should do, what I shouldn't. I'm going to be a walking disaster without you. You were the one who gave me the courage to speak up and speak my mind. You didn't give a single damn about my curse; you became my friend, and it stayed that way until the end. You were my best friend. I'm sorry I couldn't be such a good friend back to you as you were to me. Dorothy's right, girls night won't be the same without you. But, no matter what, you'll always be my best friend, and you'll always be in my heart. We'll meet again, I swear it. For now, rest in peace." Charlotte stepped back, and Dorothy and Fuegoleon comforted her as best as she could- wordlessly.

"Ofelia..." William raised a hand to his unmasked face. "You showed me, that I wasn't a curse. I wasn't a burden. You showed me that who I was, was my smile. You protected me all these years. You welcomed me to the squad with open arms and treated me a friend from the moment I met you." William's words hit Zenon hard. It was the same for him, only different circumstances. "Despite everything that happened with the elves, you accepted me right back and never gave up on me. You forgave me without a seconds thought. You opened my eyes and allowed me to see the world on a new angle. You brought me hope when I had none. And you have taught me so much. I can never thank you enough for everything you've done. I will never forget anything you did for me, or anyone else. It was an absolute honour to work beside you as equals, as comrades, as friends. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything. My superior, my Vice-Captain, my comrade, my friend. Please rest in peace. Rest well." William finally stepped back.

Now it was Yami's turn. You were curious to see what he would say. They always bickered whenever you saw them together. Yami was a boorish brute and had barely any brains, so this would be interesting. Yami pulled the cigarette from his lips before speaking, "ya know, I can't help but think you're an idiot." Were you really surprised by this? The captain's and Julius didn't say anything, this was just his way of coping. "I'm not good at these things so you'll just have to deal with it... When I met you, you were this tiny feral thing that wanted to find who killed her family. Your eyes reflected your unwavering ki. That's how I knew we could be friends. I mean, even you got along with that bright go-happy friend of ours. We made a good team, huh? There was darkness, light, and you, in our little trio." You saw Yami glance at the grave behind for a moment. "Now, don't get me wrong, I don't regret a thing. But if I could go back, I'd tell you that you're an idiot. You never asked for help. You'd just appear, drenched in your own blood, grinning. In reality I don't know how you did it. Kept smiling. Smiled for all of us when we couldn't." Was Yami actually being deep? "You treated me as a friend and an equal. You were never afraid of me- if anything you treated me like a bloody infant. You didn't give a single shit where I was from, I was there now. That's all that mattered. And because of you, I became strong. I built my squad the way we agreed we would. And now I'm able to live happily because of you. We may have had out banter and sparring, and you may have been an idiot. But you were my idiot of a best friend. So, thanks. Thanks for showing me this side of life. Rest well, ya idiot." Yami put his cigarette out, "goodbye, Ofelia. I'll see ya later."