Shuri slowly walks through the halls of the Wakandan palace, the silence of the night settling around her like a blanket. The lights are dimmed and only a few Dora are visible in the distance. Even though it had been mere hours since her mother's funeral, she felt emptiness rooted deeper inside her.
With each empty corridor she passed, she felt the weight of loss grows heavier. There was no sound except the soft click of her steps against the floor. Her heart ached with each beat.
Suddenly, she stopped. Her eyes closed, they were dry, and her empty tear ducts burned from the constant crying.
She tilted her head back, trying to empty her mind and find some peace. Instead, memories of her mother flooded her mind, each one a burst of emotions; love, anger, happiness, pain. It was as though her mother's death had cracked open a dam, unleashing waves of emotions that Shuri couldn’t control.
Shuri clenched her teeth and forced herself to keep walking down the hallway.
She passed a room that was partially ajar, the sound of sobs could be heard from inside.
The unexpected sound made her stop in her tracks. The sobs were deep and ragged, coming in bursts, as though they were accompanied by hiccups.
Shuri slowly pushed open the door to reveal Riri, curled up on the floor with her head on her knees. The girl was sobbing violently, her body shaking with the force of her tears. The sight of Riri's vulnerability made something ache in Shuri's chest.
Shuri stood frozen in the doorway for a moment, watching Riri as she cried. The sobs echoed around the room, raw and uncontrollable.
Finally, Shuri took a step forward and knelt beside Riri. She reached out and gently rested a hand on the girl’s back. “Riri?” she whispered.
Riri’s head shot up, her face wet with tears and her eyes red. She looked at Shuri with an expression of shock and shame, as though she was embarrassed to be seen so broken.
Riri scrambled up, backing away from Shuri and moving towards the wall. Her eyes were wide and her breathing ragged, like a cornered animal. She looked at Shuri with a mixture of fear and vulnerability as tears continued to stream down her face.
Shuri slowly stood up, her hands held up in a placating gesture. She took a step forward, toward Riri, but the other girl let out a guttural sob.
"Don’t!” Riri's voice echoed off the walls, rough and harsh from crying. She pressed her back against the wall, her eyes wide and her hands shaking.
Shuri froze, dropping her hands by her side. She took in Riri's panicked expression and the way she was shaking against the wall. It was clear that Riri was terrified; of what, Shuri wasn’t sure. She didn’t dare move or speak, watching Riri carefully.
Riri's hand shakily went over her mouth, stifling her sobs. She started to whisper the words “I’m sorry” over and over again, her voice barely legible through her tears. Every "I’m sorry" sounded more broken than the last.
The pain in Riri's voice was clear, and it was obvious that whatever or whoever she was apologizing for was tearing her apart. Shuri felt her heart ache as she watched Riri break down in front of her.
Shuri took a small step closer, her voice low and gentle. "Riri," she whispered. "What are you sorry for?"
Riri's eyes darted up to meet Shuri's, the tears still streaming down her face. Her breaths came out in ragged gasps, and she struggled to find words to explain.
Riri's voice trembled as she tried to speak, her sobs and hiccups interrupting her words. "Ev-verything," she managed to say between gasps. "This all happened because I built that stupid detector…and now your mom is dead because of me..." With each word, her voice got more choked up, and the sobs became more intense.
For a brief moment, Shuri considered the possibility that Riri might be right. Maybe Riri's invention was the catalyst for the events that led to her mother's death. But then she quickly chastised herself for the thought; she couldn't let Riri believe that she was somehow responsible. She wouldn’t.
"No," Shuri said firmly, her voice clear and unwavering. "No, it's not your fault. You didn't kill my mother, Riri. You can't blame yourself."
"Riri, listen to me," Shuri continued as she took another step forward. "You can't-" But Riri's body tensed, and she pushed herself further back against the wall. "No," she whispered, her voice small and scared. "Please don't come closer. I...I can't."
It was clear that Riri was terrified and overwhelmed. She continued to press her back against the wall, her eyes wide and her body shaking. Her arms were wrapped around her like a shield, trying to distance herself from Shuri and the comfort she was trying to offer.
Against her better judgment, Shuri stopped moving. Her eyes stayed firmly on Riri, taking in every detail of her shaken and vulnerable state. The need to reach out and touch her, to offer comfort, was strong, but Riri's terrified reaction held her back.
She wanted to pull the girl into a hug, but she knew it would only cause Riri more distress. Instead, she stayed motionless, wrestling with her own impulses.
Shuri's voice was quiet and almost timid, "Why are you so afraid?" She asked.
Riri's eyes darted to Shuri's face, and for a moment, there was a flash of something unreadable in them. She didn't answer the question right away, instead looking down and clenching her fists. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I can't... I can't let anyone get too close. Not again." Riri's voice wavered and broke.
"Every time...every time I get close to someone..." she began, her hands clenching into tight fists. "...they always... get hurt or-"
She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. The tears welled up in her eyes again, and she had to swallow hard to keep back the fresh wave of sobs that threatened to break free.
Riri's knees gave out, and she slid down the wall to sit on the floor. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and the tears continued to stream down her face.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, her voice small and broken. She pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly.
Her body was shaking, and she looked impossibly small and vulnerable sitting alone on the cold floor. Her shoulders hunched forward, and she looked like she was trying to shrink into herself, to become as unnoticeable as possible.
Shuri slowly lowered herself onto the floor, sitting directly in front of Riri. Her eyes were soft and understanding as she looked at the weeping girl.
"Riri," she said gently. "It's okay. You don't have to go through this alone."
"I shouldn't be going through this at all!" Riri cried out. "She was your mom, not mine!"
Tears streamed down her face, and her breaths came in ragged gasps. Her hands tightened into fists, her knuckles turning white.
"I didn't deserve her kindness, I didn't deserve her love," Riri continued, her voice growing more strained and choked with emotion. "And now she's gone because of me! I killed her...It's all my fault…"
Shuri's heart was torn with conflicting emotions. She was struggling with her own grief and the whirlwind of recent events. On one level, part of her did blame Riri for the events that led up to her mother's death. But, she knew that it wasn't Riri's fault, not really.
On another level, she felt a deep protective instinct towards Riri. Here was this girl, who was barely more than a child, filled with so much guilt and pain, blaming herself for a tragedy that was entirely out of her control.
She was angry at the injustice of the situation, but most of all, she couldn't help but feel a strange sense of softness towards Riri, a blossoming affection she couldn't quite understand.
Moving closer, Shuri gently touched her shaky knees.
"No, baby, no," she whispered, the nickname coming out smooth and unexpected. "You can't blame yourself for this. It's not your fault. You didn't cause this, and you didn't kill her. Please, don't blame yourself."
Riri's shoulders slumped forward, and she closed her eyes as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
"You should hate me," she whispered, her voice broken and defeated. "You should be angry”
"Hell," she continued, her voice still soft. "I wouldn't be surprised if you decided to give me over to Namor."
Her body visibly shuddered at the thought, and a deep well of fear and helplessness seemed to open up in her eyes. The idea of being handed over to Namor, the man who had caused so much damage and heartache, was terrifying to her.
But she sat there, she sat there and waited, waited for Shuri to confirm her worst fears.
There was a moment of silence, tense and charged, as Riri waited for Shuri's response, silently dreading what she might say. Then slowly, Riri looked up to where Shuri was sitting.
She expected many things; anger, hatred, disappointment. But the sight that met her eyes was not what she expected.
There were tears, streaming down Shuri's cheeks, clear and glittering in the dim light.
Riri's eyes widened at the sight of Shuri's tears, and she gasped quietly.
"You really think I would do that?" Shuri asked, her voice whispered and sad, cut through the silence shaking with emotion. "Give you up to Namor?"
Riri's voice was choked with emotion as she looked down, “I wouldn't be surprised if you did..."
The words hung heavily in the air, charged with the weight of Riri's guilt and fear. Although Shuri was clearly upset by the idea, a part of Riri still believed that being handed over to Namor was a possibility.
Shuri shifted forward and gently placed her hands on Riri's face, lifting it so she could look directly into her eyes.
"I would never give you to him," Shuri said, her voice soft but firm. Her thumbs brushed against Riri's cheeks, wiping away the tears. "I would die before I could even think of it."
Riri's eyes locked with Shuri's, filled with an array of emotions - shock, disbelief, hope. She held her breath for a moment, then slowly began to lower her knees, her body shaking with the weight of Shuris words.
“Really?….” She mumbled, voice barely above a whisper.
"Really," Shuri whispered back, her voice soft but full of conviction. Her hands were still cupping Riri's face, her thumbs gently stroking the younger girl's cheeks, wiping away tears.
Shuri shifted closer to Riri, her face moving slowly toward hers. There were still a few inches between them, but the closeness was intimate and charged with emotion. Shuri's eyes were full of love, her gaze steady and unwavering.
"I could never do that to you," she continued. "I would protect you with everything I have."
Shuri's hands lingered on Riri's face as she slowly closed the gap between them. She leaned in closer, closing her eyes and gently resting her forehead against Riri's.
Riri's head lifted a little, her chin rising to bring her lips closer to Shuri's. There was a moment of hesitation, a breathless pause, and then their lips touched.
It was a soft graze, a simple brush of mouths, but it sent a shiver of heat through both of them.
Riri's eyes widened slightly, her lips parting in a soft gasp. She almost pulled back, almost flinched back in surprise, but then the sensation of Shuri's lips against her own overwhelmed everything else.
Without thinking, she leaned forward a tiny bit more, pressing their lips together.
The kiss was soft, almost hesitant, but full of emotion. The taste of their combined tears was salty and bitter on their lips, but it only made the moment more poignant.
They didn't move, simply relishing the feeling of each other - the warmth, the softness, the shared vulnerability.
They slowly pulled apart, breathing softly, their eyes finding each other again. There was a moment, a pause, where all they did was gaze into each other's eyes - a silent communication that spoke louder than any words could.
Then Shuri gently lifted Riri, pulling her close and wrapping her arms around her tightly. She held her against her chest, her embrace protective and strong.
Riri trembled but was still, her body melding against Shuri's. She buried her face in the curvature of Shuri's neck, letting the steady thumping of her heart soothe the last remnants of her shaking.
Shuri held her tighter, one hand rubbing soothing patterns along Riri's back, the other resting on her waist.
Shuri's voice was soft but resolute. "I have a plan," she whispered into Riri's ear.
Riri pulled back slightly, looking up at Shuri with questioning eyes. She didn’t ask anything, her face asked for her.
Shuri took a deep breath, her expression hardening with resolve. "I'm going to recreate the Heart-Shaped Herb," she stated firmly. "I'm going to become the new Black Panther."
Riri's eyes widened in shock as the words sank in. She looked up at Shuri, her breath catching in her throat.
Shuri tightened her hold on Riri, pulling the younger girl back into the embrace. Her arms wrapped around her once more, holding her closely and protectively.
"So don't blame yourself," Shuri whispered, her voice deep and soft. "No more sorry's, okay?"
Her breath brushed against Riri's ear, sending another shiver down her spine. Shuri continued to run her fingers along the smallers back, pulling her closer against her chest.
End….