The Sun Sets on Greatness

For those that would look at Chidori, they would notice that she currently had a 1000 yard stare, looking only in the direction of her father's casket. It was still sinking in that this was happening, and the only thing that brought her back from her mind was her aunt leaping onto her sister's. For a moment, because she wasn't paying attention, she assumed it was just a random cat that waltzed in but she quickly realized it was her aunt after it began speaking. She then decided to look around to see who has joined. A couple of faces were recognizable, those people being: Shishiyuki Koizumi, Byakuya Kuchicki, Yoko and Kumanai Tsunayashiro, and Abalia Kyoraku. There were also a lot of other noble family members there, but those were the most notable and significant of the bunch. There was also Kokoro and Yahiko, some of her relatives. Kokoro was in tears, which was expected, and Yahiko was brooding or sulking, which was expected. While scanning over the crowd, she noticed her former cousin had attended as well, but was standing in the back of the crowd like some stranger. That wasn't going to happen, not on her watch. Chidori glared at Yugiri while signalling for a servant to come over and relay a message to Yugiri. The servant then approached her and spoke.

"Mistress Chidori asked me to tell you this: She is happy that you are here, but say that you must either go up to the coffin, pay your respects, and sit in your designated seat next to her or you must leave. She wonders if you can swallowed your pride for a few hours and respect his memory. She used much harsher language, I must add." There was a bow from the servant before they rushed off to tend to other matters. Now with that out of the way, Chidori returned back to talking with her family.

The first thing was Hakuyou. "Oh Rio, this must be the man you were telling me about then. Hi, I'm Chidori, Rio's older sister." A friendly had was extended out to him. This behavior was a bit peculiar of her, as she would normally be crying along with her sisters if she was the same person that she was a few months ago. A lot has changed, and she's learned to take a couple of hits physically, mentally, and emotionally. "Thanks for taking interest in my baby sister when no other man would. She's not that bad of a girl when you get to know her." After he would accept her handshake, she would then move to grab her aunt and pick her up to her face. "And hello to you too Auntie. Long time no see, I guess your family doesn't even get a letter I assume?" There was a playful grin to accompany her words. "I'm glad you're here."

She placed her aunt back in her sisters lap and shot up. The service was supposed to start soon, but she'd give it a few more moments for people to show up. In the meantime, she walked up to the casket and placed her hand on it, speaking under her breath. "Goodbye Papa. I-I love you. This isn't fair."

Chidori nodded to Yugiri as she returned to the seats, but was a bit confused when someone in a wheelchair was rolled in by her half-sister. Knowing of the incident, the girl must be Keiko. Papa didn't talk much about her but she was in the letter that most people received. There was a lot in that letter, something crucial, but she didn't want to say it out loud because it was hers to tell. Yugiri would find out whenever she read it. Before Yugiri sat down, Chidori would try to give her a half-hug, wrapping one arm around her as she moved towards the podium next to the portrait of her father. She would whisper to her very quickly: "Thanks for being here, it's good to see you. I hope you'll be here for the ceremony, would mean a lot to me if you did, but I understand if you don't want to." With that same arm she would pull in Yugiri's head to her shoulder and give her a quick peck on the side of the face.

Now, at the podium, Chidori was ready to get the service started.

"Excuse me!" Shockingly, Chidori was loud and demanding. She's been practicing. "The service is starting. I would like to ask you all to please be seated so we can get this going." There was shuffling and whispering as people began to take their seats. Normally there would be someone else who would be doing the majority of the service with speakers sprinkled throughout, but since this was a noble funeral held on the noble's land it was going to be lead by the noble. In this case, Chidori.

"I would like to thank you all for coming here today, to not mourn over a death but to celebrate the life of Yushiro Shihoin, but as he was known to those close to him, Papa. Just looking over the crowd, I can tell that he has had touched many people's lives in one way or another. You all don't know how much it means to me, my sisters, and my cousins that you are here today."

"Papa was a kind man, he was a loving man, he was a patient man. He lived his life not for himself, but for others, and after a long battle with cancer, he decided to die on his own terms, feeling as if he has had a full life. In his dying moments, he had opted to write a letter instead of last words. For those who it concerned, they received their letters. Except for you..." She looked at Yoruichi. "You'll get yours too, just see me later."

"I'm sure a lot of us have fond memories of Papa, and so to start us off I'm going to tell mine." It should be noted that Chidori wasn't reading from anything. Everything she was saying was from the heart and off the top of her head, just how she liked it. If she had to rehearse something, she was most definitely going to fuck up somehow.

"My father and I were close. Being his oldest child, and a girl, he always tried to protect me from everything. Me, being the kid I was, I would always try to run right into danger." She chuckled a bit. "And even when I did eventually get hurt, Papa was always there to help me back up. There was never a scolding, there was never a beating, but there was always a lecture, always a lesson. He had an annoying trait of going on wise rants whenever he was able to because he found a lesson in everything, and everyone can learn something. To him, there was nobody that knew everything so he would tell them something when he got the chance."

"Papa's love was something that everyone was given, even if it was undeserved. He very rarely gets angry, but even behind his anger there's a reason. As some of you knew him, there were burn marks and scars all over his body. As a kid, I had a poor control over my reiatsu and would sometimes explode. It was terrifying. Some nights I would wake up in a black inferno." She felt herself starting to tear up, this time it was inevitable. "D-during those moments, he would bare the flames and walk right through them and hug me. H-he would tell me: 'Don't worry Hina, I'm here. I'm here. The fire won't hurt you, I'm here.' And me, being the dumb kid I was, I thanked him and found solace in his arms. Little did I know how much pain he was in, how much he had to suppress his screams and anguish in hopes to make me feel better. There was never a sacrifice too bold or too crazy for him. He would have given his life up for his family, and I would have done the same." She took a moment to wipe the tears flowing down her face. There was a moment of silence as she tried to compose herself and continue with the service, but every time she was almost ready she would break down again. A picture of him flashed in her mind and it broke her down all over again. After a few minutes of this, she just decided to speak through the tears.

"T-t-this was a song he and my mother would sing to me and my sister when we were young. It was the song they got married to, their song they would share together, and a song that they would pass on to us." She signaled a band of servants off to the back of the area, all of them conducting the said song. Chidori would rush back to her seat to try and get out of the limelight, actually wailing now as her tough exterior was forcibly removed from her due to circumstances outside of her control. This wasn't fair. Life was unfair. And she had to deal with the cruelness of reality.