Birth

A grey sky hung over the cemetery. Rinako crouched and laid the blue flowers in front of the grave. It had been hard but she'd found the name. The crunch of footsteps came from behind her. 

Kurama stood above the grave beside her, the cemetery showing through his translucent body.

‘Chizuru said I’d find you here.’

Rinako stared, blinking.

‘Hey, don’t freak out. Seems like they managed to put me back together… with vanguard technology.’ He sighed, turning his wrist. ‘—Spend my life fighting them and end up being—‘

He stopped talking. Rinako’s arms were around him.

He hadn’t been sure she’d want to see him.

After a moment the tension left his body and he let his arms fall around her.

***

‘So you found her.’

‘It was the only way she could let anyone know.’

Kurama looked at the gravestone. ‘Use the memory bug to tell people about the memory bug. Pretty smart girl.’ He looked down. ‘I wish we could have helped her.’

‘I think maybe we did.’

Kurama looked at her. She was still crouched beside the stone. He decided to leave it. All the good things in the world were unanswered.

They stayed there for a while, looking at the girl’s grave. Then Rinako got to her feet and they walked back along the path.

‘What is it?’ He said.

After a few moments, she spoke. ‘I wonder how much my joining the force was me and how much was her.’

Kurama stopped and looked at her. ‘I met a lot of rookies. Most just ended up in the wrong place.’ He paused. ‘You were born a cop.’

A broad smile spread across her face and they turned back to the path. The clouds had already begun to part.