Author's Note: Because these two characters just suit this song so much.


You were my hero,

My Friday Night,

You wrote the soundtrack to my life.

"Hero" – Europe

Sado stood at the top of the hill – their hill – and surveyed the achingly familiar view before her. The last rays of the evening sun warmed the walls of the old shrine and kissed her bare forearms. She was still wearing her clothes from the funeral, but she'd shrugged off her black suit jacket and rolled up the sleeves of her collared shirt.

Slowly, she stepped along the well-trodden path leading up to the shrine. A cool breeze swept past, playing with her hair and making it tickle her shoulders.

She'd let it grow long recently with neglect.

She'd been spending too much time worrying in the hospital.

Having reached the shrine, Sado delved automatically into her pocket and brought out a coin. It was only once she'd tossed it in and clapped her hands together that she realised she didn't know what to pray for.

After a moment's hesitation, she turned away, leaving her wishes unsaid.

Halfway across the grass stained amber in the fading sunlight, she slumped down, lying stretched out, eyes squinted almost shut.

Through the blurred streaks of colour from the sunset, she felt herself reliving a memory; a laughing face, and a strong hand outstretched to help her up.

The grief rose in her throat again, but she didn't cry.

She'd cried so much recently that she didn't have any more tears left.

"Yuko," she sighed. A wry smile twitched her lips. "It's a gorgeous sunset. Can you see it from where you are?"

The wind rustled past, as if carrying a reply she couldn't quite catch.

She lifted a hand to shade her eyes.

"You were everything to me, Yuko," she whispered. "You were my hero. I would have followed you anywhere … but you've gone to the one place I can't yet."

Wearily, she got to her feet and turned back towards the shrine, facing it from several metres away. She placed her hands together and bowed her head,

"I hope you're happy now, Yuko," she prayed. A leaf, caught in the wind, landing momentarily on her shoulder before being whisked away again, felt like a slight pressure, the touch of a hand, an unspoken 'thank you'.

"SADO! What're you doing moping around up there? C'mon, we'll be late for the after party!"

She glanced behind her to find Torigoya at the bottom of the hill waving madly, with Gekikara and Black beside her.

The latter added in an unraised voice that was somehow still audible. "Yuko-san wouldn't have wanted us to miss a celebration in her honor."

"Yeah, I bet she's up there somewhere, plotting a way to gatecrash her own funeral party, pissed she didn't get an invite," Gekikara laughed.

Sado smiled. "Okay, I'm on my way."

She gave one last glance to the fading sunset.

"Keep an eye out for us, Yuko," she said, then turned away and started down the hill towards the others.