trans_9 | Dust in the Wind [Open!]

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Dust in the Wind [Open!]

|| Attention, crew, Attention. All personnel who wish to attend the funeral of Howard Bassem and Cedric Diggory, please report to the Observation Deck. ||

Once again, the Observation Deck is prepared for a sending-off of the dead. A hard pod containing Howard's body sits in the center of the room, with a much smaller pod containing Cedric's wand sitting beside it. The observation window is open, showing the attending crew a stunning view of a nearby fiery red star: the final resting place of the two fallen crew members.

Before the launch, though, there are goodbyes to be said.

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Of the two, Billy had only briefly spoken to Howard once, but from what he gathered he was resourceful and a friend. More importantly, they were Kaya's friends.

And so he was here for her. Billy walked to her side, tugging her into his shoulder.

She would miss them both, and she could think of nothing so unfair than Cedric had hardly gotten to be here long, and there wasn't even one single piece of anything to remember him by.

It wasn't fair.

She clung to him, clearly too hurt to care who saw.

Billy held her more tightly than usual, longing to keep her safe there. Kaya was his friend, his sister, his rock. Even with all the defenses they'd put in place, seeing her hurt still shook him terribly.

"I'm sorry, Kaya. I'm so sorry," he whispered from atop her head.

Kaya trembled, sobbing quietly. She knew that she should have been stronger, that she should have been quieting herself, but two? Two of them, neither of who deserved to die, one who didn't even have a body, and the other one dying slowly.

"I...I should have been there," she sniffed. "I should have been with them before it happened."

"I know. You couldn't. None of us can," Billy reminded her, sounding broken up about it himself.

"We're just forced to go or stay at random. And...the rescue team that was there was good, really good. Those monsters were something awful."

Kaya started. Billy was there?! He actually went?

"Please, can you tell me...did Howard suffer much? Did he knew we would miss him?"

"No, I wasn't. I've just overheard things. From what I heard, Howard died before any rescue team got there."

Billy had wandered over to hear the news, hoping he could help. That signal had come in at long last, they needed their wayward crew back, but he hadn't been chosen for the rescue mission. He'd just watched them go and return.

"Oh. I tried asking Diana, but she was tight lipped on the subject. I think she's gotten used to people she knows dying, because of the FAYZ. She'ss definitely more guarded than when I first thought."

She looked down. "I wish Cedric at least had come back too. But he...blew up."

"I wish I knew why," Billy sighed, curling close around her as if she might be next if they weren't careful.

"They should be here with us. And we're just going to keep losing people."

Kaya was not going to shrug off the close contact: she needed it right now, more than anything. Knowing that Billy was a least around made her feel a little less scared.

"We've known that for awhile, Billy. It's what war does; kills people before their time. But its all so pointless. It's such a waste."

"I know, I know," Billy clung to her, wishing there was some way to keep them all safe. Any one of them could have been on that mission in the same hopeless situation.

"Sometimes I feel helpless against that fear, but I can't let myself."

"I feel that too," she said quietly, "maybe more after all of this. Howard and Cedric were two unique, wonderful people, and they made a difference to people who met them and really got to know them. I know that the death toll on the ship isn't very big, but I'll miss them."

Who would play Quidditch?

"But all we can do is our best, since we never know what will happen next."

Billy nodded, squeezing her tightly once more. "We will. And...I want to hear all about them sometime, since I didn't have the pleasure of knowing them."

Kaya smiled. "They were both very different. I'll admit that Howard and I did not see eye to eye more than once. But at the end of the day, I knew he went through more than a lot of us, and he didn't have special powers or anything like that. Cedric was...well, he reminded me of you a little bit."

They both sounded like interesting people. Billy felt a pang of regret for both of them, and what would never be. "I heard you talk about him and cynicism. Your conversations must've been so interesting!"

That brought him to Cedric. Billy thought back on what Kaya had said. "How? Am I one of those Hufflepuff people?"

Kaya chuckled. "We were always riffing on each other. GLADOS made us date before. We argued and stuff, but we still had fun going on rides and laughing and competing. I really...really liked hanging out with him."

Here, she smiled. "They are supposed to be loyal and brave, willing to put the needs of others ahead of their own. Cedric was dead in his world, so he was happy to live at least. I can see you flourishing in that house."

Billy felt his regret grow with the more he heard. They were interesting people, kind as well. Cedric and Howard had deserved a chance.

"Really? There wasn't a house for self-avowed geeks?"

Oh, they deserved more than that. Kaya knew that personally. But they were not going to just be faceless deaths, that much she would be sure of.

"Actually, I think that was Ravenclaw. All the smart kids went there. I think you would have fit right in, Billy!"

"If I could ever fit in with the magic-using crowd," Billy chimed in. "I just wasn't fortunate enough to come from a world where it's really possible for humans to use it."

But such was life. He settled, looking out the window in thought. So many worlds to try to save, so many places the two men would never see.

Kaya hugged him. "Neither did I. I was just a bender. At least you come from a time where technology is so much more advanced. We just try to catch up as best as we can. You're pretty amazing as far as I'm concerned."

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Dust in the Wind [Open!]

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