Kessen leaned over to speak softly to the other nurse on monitoring duty. "He's getting worse. Look at his brain wave patterns!"
"I know ... I fear for the prince. Whatever his father has planned, it's not good. He may wish to kill the prince to try to regain his lost youth!" Nita said, her eyes wide with fear. A gaurd walked by, causing both nurses to duck down and appear busy to avoid being noticed talking.
The dual funeral had gone by without a hitch, albeit some of the guests hadn't arrived until late, as someone had stolen their clothes. As had their will requested, Gourry and Sylpheel Gabriev had been cremated, and their ashes placed in a single urn. Zel, Lina, Xeros, Firia, Valtiera, and Amelia now stood on high branches of the Holy Tree of Sairaag, ready to scatter the ashes to the wind.
Amelia, standing on the lowest branch, reached in a pulled forth a single handful of the fine grey ash. It slowly trickled from her fingers, dancing upon the wind. "While Mister Gourry was never very bright, his skill with the Sword of Light will never be matched. He was one of my best friends, and I will never forget him. Sylpheel too, was one of my best friends, always there when needed, always ready to help ... sniff She healed my son, when no one thought he would survive."
Amelia passed the urn up to Valtiera, who stood a few branches up. He too, scooped up a single handful of ash, letting it drift from his fingers. "I do not remember what they were like before my rebirth, but I remember their kindness afterwards, and playing with their children. I learned much about family from both of them."
Valtiera handed the urn up to Firia, his foster mother. She gazed out over the city as the ash was blown from her hand. "They spent so much time, so much of themselves in rebuilding Sairaag, in caring for their people, and it only made them stronger. His loyalty, her kindness, his strength, and her wit, all those things helped them bring Sairaag back to life ... But their love for each other is what pulled them through it all, through all the troubles and doubts."
Firia passed the urn up to Xeros, silently sending him a warning look not to do anything strange. However, the seriousness in his returning gaze made her shiver. He turned his gaze outward, seeming to be looking at something far away ... and long ago. "I do not feel many human emotions, and grief is not one of the few I do. However, I do know I will remember both Sylpheel and Gourry, and count them among the few I call anything near friends."
His handful of ash having joined all the others, Xeros passed the urn up to Zel. Zel closed his eyes to speak, his voice soft ... much like his grandfather's voice. "I thought him a fool at first, and her a greater fool still for loving him ... but I grew to realize that while both might be fools, they were happy together. And together, they were much more than they were seperate."
Zel gave the urn up to Lina, who stood at the highest part of the tree a human could go. Her voice wavered at first, then grew stronger. "Gourry was my first love, but he will not be my last. I knew then that no romantic relationship was truely possible between him and myself, never was truely possible ... but he brought my heart to life, and taught me to enjoy what I had. I am happy he and Sylpheel had a full life together. Gourry, Sylpheel, wherever you are now, I know your lives will be together, and I hope they are happy ones."
With those words, Lina lifted the last remaining physical trace of Gourry and Sylpheel Gabriev, and let the wind spread them throughout the world.