" He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison... Because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen... For the things that are seen are transient. The things that are unseen are eternal." Kurt Wagner gave but one of the eulogies for the deceased Brian Cruz.
The day after tragedy.
The remaining school body at Xavier's gathered together to bury their dead and deceased.
" We have come together to honor a life that has touched many. All of us who knew him, we were blessed to be a part of his journey."
Ian listened on to Kurt's speech, his fingers digging into his hands so hard that his white skin was turning red.
Flashback.
" Oh god.... No! Brian!" Ian screamed. He ran back into the wreckage filled of smoke and flames. He coughed hard from the smoke invading his lungs, he felt his stomach burning, but the moment the smoke lifted, and he could see more clearly. And when he could, all that was afforded to him were the bloody and mangled bodies of the students on the bus.
" Kluh! I-"
" Brian!"
Brian had been nearly cut in half by the bus's shrapnel and was lying in a puddle of his own blood, dying.
Flashback end.
Ian clenched his fists together so tightly that he started bleeding from his palm.
Laura, who had been standing beside him, placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed.
" Are you... Okay?" Laura asked the boy.
Ian grabbed Laura's hand and looked at her, tears in his face from his own anger.
" Is this your first time? Seeing someone die?" Laura asked.
" No. I've seen death before. I've killed before and I can do it again without concern Laura... But nothing anyone does... Can ever change how painful it is to lose those you care about. Nothing ever can." Ian told the girl. " This could have been avoided... This could all have been avoided, Laura. Damn it all!" Ian cursed.
" Today we must remember the life, not the death, of our fallen friend... For our memoires are what keep our loved ones with us long after they have left our side." Kurt spoke
Flashback.
" NOOOO!" Cessily screamed. She collapsed to the ground, grabbing her head in disbelief as she stared at the burning bus.
Noriko ran past the girl and into the wreckage to try and help, but despite the girl's bravery, even she wasn't prepared for what she was going to see.
" This can't be happening... This can't be... Oh, no... Andrea... Help! Someone help me!" Noriko yelled as she laid her eyes on the remains of her friends.
Flashback end.
We return to the present to see a young Noriko staring blankly at the grave in front of her, her face still singed, and her shoulder injured from debris.
" The value of a life is not judged by its length but rather by how it is lived... It is what we do with the time we are given that matters. Did we do more good than harm? Did we make more friends than enemies? Did we do all that we could for those we love? Those are the questions we should ask ourselves." Kurt spoke.
The students were affected so badly by what had happened. But none of them, not a one of them felt more powerless and helpless than the gentle rock giant Santo.
Flashback.
Santo looked around as his friends tried their best to help, but no matter what happened the poor boy just couldn't find the strength to move forward.
" Help! Someone help me!" Santo heard Noriko scream.
Cessily and Julian both ran in after the girl to try to help her, but Santo just stood there.
" W-What happened?" Santo asked. He fell to his knees and started searching his mind for answers that he just couldn't find.
" Santo!" Julian yelled. " Get up, Santo!"
Flashback end.
" As I look around at the sad faces gathered here today, I can see what a deep impact this life made on all of us. Today we must say goodbye to a dear. I know I speak for everyone when I say we love and miss you, Brian." Kurt spoke.
Julian, stood quietly as Kurt continued his speech, his mind flashing back once more to last night's tragedy.
Flashback.
" BRIAAAAAAN!" Julian floated into the air and tore the remaining pieces of the bus in half with his telekinesis and flew into to help Noriko look for survivors. " Brian! Where are you? Come on... You're okay... You've got to be... Brian where are you?! BRIAN! I'm coming Brian! Just hold on!" Julian screamed and shouted as he looked for his friend. But before he could go any further the bus's wreckage exploded once more.
Flashback end.
" Such friendships are what we live for. They are not to be cast aside but rather honored as we move forward in our own journey. Brian will always be a part of us. For these are the very bonds that make us human."
We now go to Laura Kinney, who remained unfazed by the deaths of it all.
Flashback.
Laura clawed her way through the burning bus, doing her best to try and help find survivors.
" Help... Help me." Laura heard the sot cries for help coming from DJ, who had been run through by a large piece of Shrapnel. " Hehk! You're pretty." Were the last words Mark, DJ, Shepard spoke before passing on to the next life.
Laura stood over the boy as Josh came running to Mark's side to try and help him, but no matter how hard Josh tried he, he couldn't revive the dead.
Poor Sooraya was the last one to remember as Kurt finished his eulogy.
" Oh Allah! Cause him to become a means of salvation for us and cause his loss to become a means of reward and recompense for us and make him for us an intercessor whose intercession be granted by thee." Sooraya said her prayers quietly to herself in her native language, but even they could not stop the poor girl from crying from just thinking about what it is she saw.
Flashback.
Sooraya used her powers to try and blow away the fires surrounding Noriko and went to help the girl. Noriko's arm had been injured badly from the explosion, but Soraya couldn't do much other than help her out of the danger area.
" Noriko! Hold on, I'll get... help." Sooraya spoke. She looked up from Noriko at the bodies of all the students in front of her and she began to cry. " Help. No... No... Allah, no. No!" Sooraya yelled. She was so distracted by the sight that she did not see the debris falling towards her. Thankfully Cessily used her body to block the falling matter from hitting the girl.
Our flashbacks end with one last note from Kurt.
" May God have mercy on our souls. Amen." Kurt ended Brian's eulogy and moved on to prepare for the next. Leaving everyone else behind to still look at the boy's grave.
" Look at the world we've given these kids." Scott said to Logan. " How are we supposed to deal with this?" Scott asked the man.
" They'll learn. Or they'll die. Simple as that." Logan told the man.
" And whoever's responsible for this?" Scott asked.
" They'll just die." Logan replied.
" Fine by me." Scott stated bluntly.
" Fine by me too." Ian told the man. He walked up to Logan and stood in his face.
" Kid..." Logan started.
" No, Logan." Ian spoke, cutting the man off. " You're right. You taught me how to defend myself. But that's not enough anymore. I want you to teach me how to kill. Nothing more needs to be said." Ian exclaimed.
He walked away to grieve alone. But he would not be the only one. In fact, the students weren't the only ones to grieve.
Emma sat alone in her office, staring down at pictures of all the dead students, her thoughts weighing heavy on her mind. Her body began to turn to diamond as she dug her nails into the desk. The wood itself began to splinter and tear from the strain the woman was placing on it and even though it was difficult, if you looked close enough, you could see one tear continuously falling from the woman's diamond eyes.