Spoilers for the manga.

Three Graves

Lag Seeing knelt before the grave. His single eye glanced sadly at the name etched in the Amber Script. It had been a week since he had arrived from Campbell Litus. He had shared with Garrard-san about the truth, and about his mother. The boy's mind was not on the dark secrets directly affecting him, however. His thoughts were on the girl who had been buried here only hours before. He had been told that while he was away, Lily's body had died. The funeral had only hours before. "Lily…" he whispered. Lily had her heart taken by Cabernet when Lag had failed to save her. His shindanjuu had failed, and he was helpless as he watched as Lily's heart had been ripped away. She had admired him, and he had failed her. Lag remembered what Conner had said to him when Lag was weak in body and in mind. "Right now you're crying for yourself! You're feeling sorry for yourself! Maybe you should try...thinking about Lily instead! I don't remember…befriender a whiner!" His small body shook as he remembered the despair that had almost destroyed him, and Lag felt tears drip down onto the soft grass as he cried. I'm…so sorry…Lily. I'm…so sorry. I should have protected you! The shaking didn't stop. It became worse, and Lag encircled his arms around his weak body as sobs escaped from him. The agony didn't go away.

Zazie Winters glanced down at the grave before him. It wasn't a grave, really. He had just planted the seed. A seed that would become a magnolia tree. His dark blue eyes closed as he remembered the girl who had understood him more than anyone else. And she had betrayed him. Zazie still remembered of how she smiled and her touch. He remembered her ruthlessness and hate that had overwhelmed her as she attempted to destroy the town had made her life hell. Using the gaichuu that had eaten his parents' hearts. Emil… So many times Zazie wanted to say her name, but couldn't. It almost seemed physically impossible to do so. She had been like him, and had could have gone on a different path than she took, he knew. And yet…and yet, Zazie could not forget her smile that she had only shared with him. She had died, using up all her heart in an attempt to destroy the town that had destroyed her, and needing to feel Zazie's kind heart…for no one else had been kind to her. Zazie had planted a magnolia tree because the scent the flowers gave reminded him of how Emil smelled. Suddenly, a memory resurfaced before Zazie could stop it. Emil, singing him a song to sleep as she drove off his nightmares. Zazie had thought he had been dreaming, but he had been wrong. "Emil…if I'd…just met you…sooner…maybe I could have...saved you." Choking on the gaps that came from him, Zazie collapsed on the ground, tears coating his cheeks as he felt a gaping hole in his heart…longing.

Conner Kluff stared at the handmade grave in front of him. Thankfully a body was not under it. He knew how lucky he was. Conner could remember holding Sunny's hand, feeding her, and giving her comfort as she lay in her coma from Cabernet's attack. So many times Conner thought he had lost her, but he hadn't. Every day had been spent in agony, wondering and waiting. Would she wake up? Would she be the same Sunny that Conner had grown to love? He would have done anything to see her open her eyes, and one day, she did. He was so happy. Conner could only imagine what his friends Lag and Zazie were going through. Conner remembered the moment when he realized he had loved Sunny. I'm not sure…what it means to be in love. But…I…think maybe…I love you. A soft smile echoed on his face as he thought of her. He still had her.

The grave was empty.