The Last Words

A silent rumble shook their world as the earth was finally calm beneath their feet. Another duel won. Another for faced. Another friend lost. 

Yusei watched as Hisyao stumbled heavily past her friends and saviors, no destination in mind for the last few moments she had to remain upon this world. They all felt helpless to watch her, aware of her battles with darkness and the sacrifices she had made to ensure there was a tomorrow for them to see. Victory should have been sweet, but the bitterness of the slaying of a friend rendered no one satisfied. 

A sudden stumble finally rocked everyone from their shock and fear as Hisayo found herself collapsing into the rubble around her. In a panic, Yusei found himself calling her name, “Hisayo!” as he ran to her side for the last moments of her existence. 

A strong grip embraced the fading woman, pulling warmth into her cold vessel. A cradle of safety for only a few moments, but she knew it was all she would need. She opened her eyes slowly, clear and free for the first time in ages. She smiled upon seeing his face, “I never really was good at winning these things, was I?” She asked quietly, her voice already fading away. 

Yusei felt a small pitiful laugh choke him up before finding his expression falling once more “Why? Why did you do it?” He asked, no, begged for an explanation. Why sacrifice herself in such a way?

“I had to. You have a world to save, and you guys can’t have me slowing you down.” Her response was devoid of the humor she had possessed moments ago, though the smile remained on her face. Her vision was already clouding, though she couldn’t tell if it was because of the inevitable, or the tears starting to form in her eyes. 

“Hisyao...” He began, struggling to find words in response to her nonchalant answer. He didn’t find her a burden, he wanted to save her, like he wanted to save everyone else. “I should have been quicker, I should have done something. I should have come from you when it mattered... why didn’t I stop this?!”

Yusei began to find his own vision blurred, frustration and sadness overtaking him, but was soon calmed in a strange manner by a gentle hand on his face. Glancing down, Hisyao’s smile had disappeared once more as she spoke “You can blame yourself all you want Yusei. But you will never be responsible for what happened. We all have to accept responsibility for our own actions. I’ve accepted that I’m paying for mine.”

“No... You did nothing to deserve this. How could anyone deserve this...” he began to beg for some sort of reasoning, unable to grasp the situation in its full reality.

“I was selfish. Angry... it wasn’t fair. I wasted so much time on these emotions.... I should have moved on, and it costed me everything.” Hisyao began, looking around at those she had once called friend staring down at her fading form. “You all deserved so much better. But I was blind, stupid. There’s nothing I can do to change that. I can’t change the past...but I can help give you a brighter future.” Hisyao pauses to look back at Yusei once more, the smile returning to her face as tears finally began to flow from her eyes, clear and devoid of the darkness they had been consumed by as she spoke “I’m just sorry I won’t be there to share it with the person I love.”

Her final words sent shocked through her friends, Yusei finally feeling his own emotions spilling over as he pulled her tight into a hug. “Love” he thought, he was undeserving of such affections, be he didn’t want to let them go. He didn’t realize how he felt until that very moment, until she opened his eyes far too late. He wanted to beg her to stay, somehow, but was unable to find words nor reason. He was lost to the moment as he felt her slipping from his grasp. 

“Don’t stop fighting, Yusei. And don’t forget... you’re not alone. We’re all under the same sky...” Hisyao pleases in her finally words, finally fading from existence, laying her debts for her deeds and fulfilling her needs to give thanks for all she has been given by her friends. She was gone. Her friends devastated. Yet a sense of relief filled the air, knowing she had found peace as tears soaked the rubble around them. Final words echoed through the air as the dust settled around them all. 

“I’ll see you on the other side...”