𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴 , shuri udaku - discontinued

FUNERAL BLUES

CITY OF STARS.
43. ❛ funeral blues. ❜

RUNNING HER HANDS over the white dress, Shuri blinked away her tears as she stared into the mirror, releasing a shaky breath.

From Shuri's point of view, Aria didn't know the pain she was going through. Aria didn't know what Shuri felt as she stood there staring at herself in the mirror with tears blurring her vision and internally begging herself to just hold on and be strong.

Feeling a pair of arms snake around her waist, Shuri blinked out of her daze and noticed her blue-haired girlfriend give a small smile through the mirror.

Shuri sniffled and cleared her throat, "Hey."

"Hi." Aria leaned up to kiss Shuri's cheek gently with a sigh, "Are you ready?"

"No." Shuri shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to hold it all together.

"That's okay," Aria nodded and intertwined her finger's with her girlfriend's, "I'll be with you the whole time. And just so you know," She gave Shuri's hand a comforting squeeze, "You don't always have to be strong around me. It's okay to be vulnerable around me, I'll be strong for you."

Shuri's lips twitched up and turned her head to kiss Aria's forehead, "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

ARIA STOOD NEXT TO SHURI as she stared down at T'Challa's coffin, wearing a traditional Wakandan white dress in honor of the late king. With a inhale, Aria blinked away her tears and wrapped her arm around Shuri's waist to provide comfort.

Shuri's dark broken-hearted eyes lifted up for a moment to look at her girlfriend then she stared back down at the ground, her hands gripping T'Challa's Black Panther helmet tightly.

"Sibulela ngesipho sikaKumkani uT'Challa. I-Black Panther. (We give thanks for the gift of King T'Challa. The Black Panther.)" A woman spoke in Xhosa as she poured some liquid into the dirt beneath her feet. "Unyana kaKumkani uT'Chaka. Inzala yomfundisi uKumkani uBashenga, iPanther yokuqala emnyama. Siyakukhulula. Dumisani izinyanya. (Son of King T'Chaka. A descendant of the revered King Bashenga, the first Black Panther. We release you. Praise the ancestors.)"

The Dora Milaje uncovered T'Challa's coffin, showing the Black Panther symbol at the top, and lifted it from the ground. Aria unwrapped her arm from Shuri's waist and watched as one by one people followed the Dora Milaje back into the city.

Everyone singing T'Challa's name as they walked down the street sent a whole new wave of emotions into Aria's heart. She walked a few spaces behind Shuri and Ramonda with her head down and arms wrapped around herself.

Finally coming to a stop, Aria lifted her head up with tears clouding her vision. She watched the Dora Milaje set down the coffin and up above, two jets zoomed past the city, crossing each other to make an 'x' shape.

Shuri set down T'Challa's Black Panther helmet and she and Ramonda put their hands on her brother's coffin, not ready to say goodbye. Ramonda stepped back with Shuri and watched as Aria stepped forward.

Aria took slow unsteady steps toward T'Challa's coffin and stroked the smooth black vibranium. She took out a piece of corn from her pocket and placed it on the coffin where T'Challa's head was supposed to be, a Talokanil tradition. They believed corn symbolized the rebirth of the soul and provided food for the afterlife journey.

She leaned down and closed her eyes, her head on the coffin, "Je'el u páajtal a je'elel bejla'e'. (You can rest now.)"

Stepping back, Aria inhaled sharply and tried to prevent tears from falling. T'Challa's death was truly tragic and it hit everyone hard. How can someone so noble and pure be ripped away from this world?

Hearing a sob, Aria looked up and saw her girlfriend rush forward and cry softly on T'Challa's coffin, mumbling 'sorry' over and over again.

Ramonda set her hand on her daughter's shoulder and it took Shuri a minute before she swallowed thickly and backed up to her spot beside her girlfriend and mother.

The aircraft above shot out a beam that pulled T'Challa's coffin from the ground and tilted it into an upright position. All at once, the citizens of Wakanda bowed their heads and crossed their arms over their chest creating an 'x'.

Shuri bit her lip and looked up as her brother's coffin was taken into the aircraft. The feeling of familiar arms wrapping around her waist made Shuri turn and sob quietly into her girlfriend's shoulder.

a/n: is there any interaction you guys would like to see happen in this fic? this is the last act until another movie releases and i'm so devastated to stop writing aria and shuri's love so and if there's anything i can add, i'd like to.