The Death That Follows

Aftermath

TW: Funeral (Death Ig?), Mentions of Gore, Mentions of Body Shaming

A week later

Niki

There are no words.

No words to describe how any of us feel, standing here, listening to everyone speak.

I don't know who made funerals a thing, but I want them dead. Whoever thought it was a good idea to bring a bunch of grieving people together to relive the pain should die.

So many of us. Gone.

So many of us broken beyond repair.

There were five coffins, each one holding a person we can't live without.

One for a father, his only goal to save his sons.

One for a lover, whose two men would wait here alone.

Two for a couple who would at least be happy in death.

One for a brother, who no one thought we would ever lose.

"We all know why we are here." Charlie said, and it was the first time I had seen his eyes completely devoid of light. Who was he, without his second half? "Dream, George, Sapnap, Philza, . . . Tommy." His voice broke, and I looked over to see Tubbo in tears, Michael clinging to him. Ranboo was still in the hospital, but at least he was awake. The doctors didn't even think Wilbur would survive.

"I can honestly say they were the best of us. The wildness, the kindness, the protectiveness, the humor. . . they made us who we are today. No one who has ever met one of them would disagree. They are a light to even a passerby." Tears were streaming down my face, just like everyone else's. It still didn't feel real that they were . . . gone. "I'm sorry. I can't do this." Charlie gasped, holding back a sob, and he ran back to his seat, curling into himself.

No one got up to speak for a very, very long time. No one could. Until Techno, slowly, painfully, made his way to the table, picking up the microphone. He had cut all of his beautiful hair off, and wore cargo pants and a black shirt, his piercings empty holes in his ears.

"You all know me, so I will bypass the formalities. I have not been a good brother or son. I have lied, and pushed everyone away, and cheated, and I can't say that is going to change. But I wish, more than I wish for anything else, that I could have told my dad and my brother one thing." With this he turned around, facing the closed coffins.

"I love you both so much." I heard the tears in his voice, even if I couldn't see them. And he sat down.

This time, I got up. I was wearing a thick, black dress, and I knew the salt from my tears was ruining it. I was surprised I could even cry anymore, after the last week, but I guess there was no limit.

"We fought." I said, giving myself a moment to look around. Quackity and Karl were sitting next to each other on the far left, both staring into the distance. Techno was still trying to make it look like he wasn't crying. Charlie was in the back, a puddle of green slime around him from where he had been sobbing.

Tubbo now had Micheal in his lap, and they were both weeping openly, grasping to each other.

"We fought so hard. And we lost more than we could ever imagine. But they aren't gone. They live on in our struggles, in our stubbornness, in our kindness. They live on in our hearts. And I know each and every one of us is going to make them proud. Even if they aren't here to see us grow." I said, tears streaming down my cheeks like waterfalls. I quickly sat down, and buried my face in my hands.