𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐑 // 𝐒𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐈 𝐔𝐃𝐀𝐊𝐔

ＴＨＩＲＴＹ ＴＨＲＥＥ

saying goodbye

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ˚ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

Ada stood next to her girlfriend, dressed in all white as she looked at T'Challa's coffin.

She felt numb. Shuri felt numb. Ramonda felt numb.

Everyone felt numb.

"Sibulela ngesipho sikaKumkani uT'Challa. I-Black Panther. Unyana kaKumkani uT'Chaka. Inzala yeyona Kumkani ihloniphekileyo uBashenga, iPanther yokuqala emnyama. Siyakukhulula. Dumisani izinyanya. (We give thanks for the gift of King T'Challa. The Black Panther. Son of King T'Chaka. Descendant of the most revered King Bashenga, the first Black Panther. We release you. Praise the ancestors.)"

They took the cover off of the coffin and saw the engraved silhouette of the Black Panther. The Dora Milaje lifted it and carried it into town where they would have the celebration of his life.

They walked through the streets of Wakanda as everyone was dressed in white. The Dora led the Queen and Princess, who had Ada right by her side, through Wakanda.

Shuri held tightly onto the Black Panther helmet, trying hard not to break down in front of all of Wakanda. It seemed like everywhere they looked, T'Challa's face was right there. It all felt like a blur.

Ramonda held onto Shuri's right wrist as Ada held onto her left. Shuri was trying not to look up anywhere because she couldn't bring herself to face reality.

Everyone was in white, celebrating T'Challa's life. Ada never understood it, really. The same thing happened when King T'Chaka died. In Wakanda's culture, instead of having a funeral for the dead like the Americans do, they celebrated the dead's life. There wasn't a time for mourning except in private.

The Dora got to the place and set the coffin down. Shuri set the helmet right where the coffin stopped as everyone looked up at the ships that were soaring through the air.

Ada could feel Shuri's breathing change as the ship that would take T'Challa away had finally come.

Shuri and Ramonda had gone up to the coffin and insisted Ada come as well, so she did. One last time, they touched the coffin and said their final goodbyes quietly.

They stepped back and were ready, but that all changed when Shuri went back to the coffin and hugged it.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed quietly. "I'm so sorry."

Ada and Ramonda went up there to pull her back. They watched as they took T'Challa and lofted his coffin up so everyone could see it.

They all formed an X with their arms, saying goodbye to one of the best kings, and people, anyone would have ever known.

-

The next couple of weeks were the hardest. Shuri wasn't eating a lot, she wasn't working, and she's been mostly sleeping to stop feeling the immense grief she has been feeling.

Ada didn't know what to do.

Ada has tried her hardest to be strong for Shuri, but it's been so hard. She lost someone who was like a brother to her.

The only people in Wakanda that could possibly help her were her parents. But they weren't even in Wakanda. But she needed to see them.

Ada walked slowly onto the outskirts of Wakanda, the warm sun shining down on her back. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the cold embrace of loss. She and Shuri had been together for years, and Ada never expected this — that one day Shuri's brother, T'Challa, would be gone. But here she was, walking to her parent's home outside of Wakanda to seek comfort — and maybe to find a way to be strong for Shuri.

Ada's parents, Ime and Baako, saw her coming in the distance and ran to meet her.

"Ada, my child. What has brought you here?" Ime asked, her voice soothing and full of love.

Ada finally broke and sobbed into her mother's arms, unable to find the words to explain what had happened.

"Shuri... she's... she's been... grieving," Ada said, her voice trembling.

"Oh, my dear. We are so sorry," Baako said, embracing his daughter.

"I know she's hurting... and I want to be there for her, but I don't know how," Ada cried, her tears wetting Ime's shoulder.

Ime and Baako looked at each other, and then back to Ada.

"You have to be strong for her, my love," Ime said gently. "Shuri needs you now more than ever."

"Yes," Baako said. "But that doesn't mean you don't get to grieve T'Challa's death too — it just means that you need to be strong for Shuri. You need to be the rock that she can lean on."

Ada nodded, trying to find the strength within her to be the person that Shuri needed.

"You can do this, Ada," Ime said, her voice full of affection. "We are here to help you, whatever you need."

Ada nodded again, taking in her parents' words.

"We have faith in you, my love," Baako said, his voice strong and loving. "No matter what, we will be here by your side."

Ada hugged her parents tightly, feeling their love wrap around her like a blanket. She knew that no matter what, she could count on them for support — and that it was now her turn to be strong for Shuri.

She just hoped it would be okay.