Work Text:
Sleep
“And after that, let’s think of something”
Silence befell the two after Chito said those words. They clutched each other’s bodies as a desperate attempt to warm themselves from the cold assailing them, their thick blanket doing nothing to stop their bodies from rattling. They closed their eyes and prepared themselves to fall to a dream that they may never wake from.
Chito lets out a sigh, not knowing if it is from the cold or the deathly fear that surrounds her very being as the clock ticks away. Each second serving as a reminder that this was to be the last stop of their journey, an ending to the two surviving remnants of humanity. Even if Yuuri tried to comfort her earlier, she still could not shake off the feeling that this has all been a mistake. That perhaps they would not have ended up like this had they stayed in the lower levels, forever scrounging for food to survive, or perhaps found a warmer place to live in..
Now they’re here, stuck in a vast expanse of space filled with nothing. Their food, all the books that they have collected, the journal she wrote, and the vehicle they treated as their home, all gone in pursuit of a place that turned out to be nothing more than an illusion. If they just turned back, perhaps they would still be riding in their beloved Kettenkrad right now. Endlessly bringing up topics to fill in the silence, imagining what it would have been like to live in an era where humanity is still at its peak.
“But living sure has been great, right?”
Yuuri’s earlier words stopped her darkening thoughts at their tracks, calling forth memories of the journey they had together. Of all the beautiful sights that they have witnessed as they went up the city, of the various things that they had discovered in order to sate their curiosities about the old humanity, of the people and creatures they met with each having taught them a lesson they carried on in their lives, of their white little friend they once thought as a cat who they helped reunite with its family.
And of all the time she spent together with Yuuri as they journeyed forth to an unknown future.
Yes. Yes it was.
Chito mentally chuckled at her silliness. Out of the two of them, she has always been the one prone to overthinking while her partner seems content in accepting things as it is with nary a single complaint. Perhaps that’s how she remained so carefree all this time. Unburdened by the crushing realities of this dyin- no, already dead , world by embracing the feeling of hopelessness that gnawed at their chests whenever they would meet failure upon failure in their time spent together.
She slowly opened her eyes to look at Yuuri for one last time and saw her peacefully sleeping with a silly smile on her face, no doubt dreaming about food again. She felt slightly envious of how easily her friend was able to accept it all. But as she observed with deep sadness of how her partner’s breaths steadily slowed with each passing second, she had the realization that perhaps it is also time for her to accept it too.
That their journey to the top layer is to be their last tour together.
They’ve done all they can, and lost everything they had.
In the cold embrace of snow, with no one around to remember their deeds.
Now, it is time to lay down and have a blissful sleep.
Satisfied at this, Chito closed her eyes once more as she went on to hold Yuuri’s hands for the final time. As she prepared herself to go to sleep, she pondered. Will the afterlife be a cold and perpetually dark place? Or perhaps a paradise wherein she and Yuuri won’t have to struggle together anymore?
Ah who cares?
As long as I can be with Yuu there again, then I’m happy with whatever it is.
She smiled and uttered her final words.
“Goodnight Yuu.”
Purgatory
Where am I?
What am I?
What is this place?
Chito mused as she floated in a dark void completely devoid of life. She’s been stuck here for what seemed like an eternity now. Under any normal circumstances, she should have felt terrified at this. Stuck in the middle of nowhere with no one and nothing in sight. Yet she felt a strange feeling of serenity within her heart, As if she’s in a peaceful dream, devoid of any possible threats that may bring her harm.
Despite this, she can’t quite shake off the feeling that something is missing. Like a lost piece to a puzzle that she can’t figure out the origins of. Every second spent in this place seems to be making her lose parts of her being. A terrifying thought but one she greeted with almost cold indifference.
She felt tired. So utterly tired. For reasons that she doesn't know and doesn't care much to find out at this point.
But that feeling of loss (or perhaps longing?) is stopping her from just letting everything go, to lose every part of herself and become a part of this pitch black void. Like someone is supposed to be there by her side. Laughing with her, smiling at her, playing with her, and holding her hands like an unspoken promise that she will never leave her side.
A tear dropped down from her face as her heart slowly felt like it was getting ripped apart. She searched her memories, desperate to find out who that person was. She could not, would not , give in to this barren space without finding out who that someone is. Knowing deep in her heart that if she gave up trying to remember now, she would be cursed to float away in this space with a deep aching hole in her soul. A wound that will never heal without her by her side-
Wait.
Her?
Memories suddenly flowed to her head, causing her to grip her head in pain from the cheerful voice that was assailing her mind.
“Chii-chan!”
"Hey, you think a tank tastes good?"
"You've always liked books, huh, Chii-chan."
"It's so blue, Chii-chan. It's like we're in the sky."
The blurred form of a girl with messy blond hair revealed itself in her mind. The sight filled her with relief and jubilation for finally seeing a glimpse of the missing piece of the puzzle. A piece she was missing without even knowing why and yet never stopped longing for.
"You sure are quick to turn into a coward when you're up high, Chii-chan."
"Nights where you can see the Moon really get you pumped up, huh?"
"Oh, but you know, even if we don't know about the past, we can know about the future. With enough time."
"Hey, Chii-chan. Maybe 'life' means something that has an end?"
Who is this person calling her? How does she know her name? Why is her heart bursting with happiness upon gazing at her smiling face?
“Chii-chan. Are you getting warmer?”
“I’m… not good with dark places.”
“I don’t know what would have been best to do or why we may be the only two people in this world!”
“But living sure has been great, right?”
More tears dropped from her face as the memories continued on. She could feel that with every memory watched, the closer she is to uncovering the girl’s name. So Chito watched, and watched and watched, barraging her mind with events from the past both bittersweet and happy. She watched until no more tears could be shed from her eyes, until her brain hurt from digging up her memories too much.
But she will never entertain the very idea of giving up again. Not before she can finally remember that ravenous, curious, airy, laid-back, warm girl’s name.
After minutes of recollection, Chito came across a memory she had never seen before. One that is so far back in her mind that it took her ages just to remember it. It was a scene when she was still little. It was late at night when she was reading a book that an elderly man (her grandpa?) gave to her before he went out to get some rations from the nearby town.
She was engrossed reading the book that time, so focused that she managed to ignore the growing worry pitting in her stomach as the blizzard raged outside of their home. But after more time passed without any sign of her grandpa returning, she began to feel restless. Concerned that something happened to him on his way to town.
Chito was about to go out of the house and find him herself when the door suddenly opened, revealing his grandpa cradling a freezing girl in his arms. She remembered being very confused at the sight of the girl but wasted no time ruminating on her thoughts when grandpa told her to help him warm the girl up by getting her near their fireplace.
Time passed by and the girl finally stopped shaking, giving Chito the chance to finally look at the girl a bit more closely. She has blonde hair, with lifeless blue eyes that spoke of untold pain beneath her gaze. With the dirty rags she wore and the scrawny look of her body , it was clear to both of them that she most likely had no more home to return to. And so her grandpa asked her a question.
“Would you like to stay with us?”
The girl looked at him, confused at what he’s asking her. She stared at his eyes for a while, trying to see if he had any ulterior motives for letting her in his house. Grandpa only gave her a kind and reassuring smile that shocked the girl out from her suspicions. She tore her gaze from him to look at the place around her, mouth opening in awe at how warm and comfortable the house looks before her gaze finally landed on Chito, who in turn froze up as well from being stared at.
Grandpa looked at them and just chuckled, “I see you finally saw her.” He moved to bring the girl closer to Chito before giving his granddaughter an encouraging gaze. “Go on. Introduce yourself.”
“I-I’m Chito. I-It’s nice to meet you.” She looked down, gulping from nervousness as her inexperience talking to other people other than her grandpa came to light. Slowly, she tried looking up at the messy girl who was staring at her with confusion and curiosity clear in her eyes. She doesn’t seem mad at the very least but she doesn’t seem inclined to talk either.
“Would you like to stay with us?” Grandpa asked the girl once more, shaking her out from her reverie. She thought for a moment and eventually responded with a meek nod, her answer making Grandpa smile in joy.
“Then, can you tell us your name?” The girl looked up at him, and spoke for the first time in a meek voice. “M-my name?”, her voice almost cracked with it seemingly scratchy from not being used for so long.
Grandpa merely nodded, looking at her with the same kind eyes he always had from before. The girl looked down, twiddling her fingers as she did so.
“My name… My name is…” She paused, thinking for a moment before her eyes once again fixated on Chito.
“My name is Yuuri.”
The world stopped at that moment as those words reverberated in her mind, pulling her in a state of complete stupefaction.
Yuuri…
Yuu…
Of course!
How could I have forgotten?!
After all this time?!
Her shock wore off as feelings of shame welled up in her heart. How could she have forgotten the name of her friend?! Her only companion in a lonely, dead world?! It was simply unthinkable to her to have spent so long floating away in this place, always wondering why she felt like there was something missing. Had she not spent all her time just moping around then she could have remembered Yuuri sooner!
But it was not important to dwell on that now. Not when there are far more important things to worry about. Where exactly did Yuuri go? Is she also stuck in this place, floating away from a distance she could not hope to reach? It’s a horrible thought to imagine, given how much Yuuri feared being in the dark no matter how much she tried to hide it.
Chito frantically looked around hoping to find some traces of where her friend had gone but found nothing. Just a deep expanse of nothingness that seemed to expand infinitely. But she did not give up. Remembering Yuuri’s words when she tried to swim at the huge aquarium in an abandoned food factory, she used her legs to propel herself towards the endless horizon in front of her.
Chito searched and searched, and searched for what seemed like an eternity, but ultimately found nothing. As her search continued to yield fruitless results, she stopped for a bit. A feeling of hopelessness crawled upon her back, striking her will with every negative thought it creates within her mind.
What if she’s not here?
What if she went to a different place instead?
What if I really am all alone here?
Despair filled her as loneliness gripped her heart. Is she truly stuck here? Alone in this dark place? With the only person she knew having gone to who knows where? She felt afraid that she would just disappear here, the thoughts that filled her head, the knowledge she accumulated from reading all those books, the moments she treasured in her life, all gone and forgotten in this void.
But the thing she feared the most was not seeing Yuuri again. The one who comforted her in her darkest moments, the one who kept her sane in a world that does not want them no more, the one who was with her until the bitter end.
Knowing this, she clutched her hands into fists as a wave of determination coursed through her body. She wanted to find Yuuri, no matter how long it would take. She won’t give up until she fulfilled the final wish she had before she fell asleep in the top layer.
Suddenly, an orb of light appeared before her. Its tantalizing glow urged her to reach it, to take it within her cold hands. She doesn’t know how and why it appeared. But that moment of caution did not stop her from reaching out and touching the light that appeared before her. Its glow dimmed for a moment before it suddenly brightened up to the point where it lit up the entire void she was in. Chito closed her eyes as the light engulfed her. She knew not where the light would take her but something within her told her to trust it.
Yuu.. Please wait for me..
Reunion
“Yuu!”
Chito woke up with a start, heavily breathing as if she woke up from a terrible dream. She sat up only to end up covering her eyes as the ray of the sun dropped down into her vision. She stood up, rapidly blinking to get her eyes used to the sudden light while trying to look at her surroundings.
The first thing Chito realized was that she was on top of a small hill, looking down on a beautiful field full of thick glades of grass tall enough to go up her knees. Further into the horizon, she saw what looked like a wide pasture of flowers that she was sure she had only seen in the books she read before. Looking up, she saw not the harsh winds of winter that constantly buried her and Yuuri in its snow. What she witnessed instead was the lush afterglow of spring that bathed her body in its everlasting warmth.
It was beautiful. There was no other way to describe it. This place is so unlike the abandoned ruins that she and Yuuri constantly saw in their travels nor the horrible void she was trapped in after she fell asleep in the cold floor of the top layer. This place felt peaceful , in a way that she only ever felt when she was sleeping in Yuuri’s arms as they slumbered the night away from a long day of endless scavenging and traveling.
It’s almost like…. a paradise.
But that thought vanished as soon as it appeared when Yuuri’s image flashed in her mind. She can’t let herself be fully lulled into this sense of security when she hasn't reunited with her partner yet. So with a resolute gaze, she ran down the hill she was standing on in hopes of finding her.
...
“Yuu! Yuu! I’m here!” Chito called out, running as she navigated the field full of thick patches of tall grass. She has been running without rest for minutes now, her desperation fully kicking in as she still found no traces of her partner. Curiously however, she felt no tiredness despite running for minutes on end. Chito was sure that under any normal circumstances, she would have been struggling to breath at this point. Yuuri was the more athletic one between them after all, while she was mostly on the Kettenkrad in their travels.
“Yuu! Yu- Ow!”, Chito hissed as she tripped over a rock, falling flat on her face. Flustered, she picked herself up and noticed that she hadn't felt any pain at all from the fall. She brought up her knees to see if they were bruised, but only saw perfectly unblemished skin. ‘ Another peculiarity of this place, I suppose.’ , she mused while picking herself up, brushing off dirt from her clothes as she did so. But as she was about to run again, something caught her eyes.
Footprints?
On the ground are a set of footprints belonging to something that is most likely human. Chito’s eyes looked forward and saw that the footprints formed a trail that miraculously hasn’t faded yet. Hope welled up in her chest at the thought that the footprints may have belonged to Yuuri. Though her long weary instincts also warned her that the footprints may belong to someone else, someone or perhaps something she doesn’t know and may be capable of harming her.
But she waited so long for this.
For even a miniscule chance to see her again.
To touch her, to hug her so tight and never ever let her go.
To be together with her now and forever more.
Is she really going to let this moment of doubt cloud her mind?
No.
Never.
Not when her partner may just be within her reach.
As if a dam exploded within her, Chito broke into a sprint at speeds she had never run before. Grass scratched at her legs, rocks splintered at her feet, and the wind blew at her face. If Chito was in a calmer state of mind, she would have noticed that the tracks have eventually led her to an open field filled with beautiful yellow plants she only came to know as 'reeds' from the books she has read before. But right now, she didn’t care. The only thing that is on her mind right now is seeing Yuuri again.
Suddenly, the tracks stopped. Most likely eroded from the rich soil that hosted the reed that covered the field. Chito frantically looked around, trying to uncover more footprints but stopped as she saw a figure ahead of her. She slowly moved closer, opting to stay silent so as to not scare off the unknown figure. Trepidation and hope filled her as the figure became clearer, uncovering messy blonde hair, familiar clothes, and a feminine body. Chito moved until she was right behind them and called out in a shaky voice.
“Yuu?”
The figure froze and slowly turned around.. Their light blue eyes widening at the familiar voice that called out to her.
“Chii-chan?”
“Yuu! Yuu!”, Chito laughed as she slammed herself in her partner’s arms. Yuuri stumbled from the force of her embrace, her arms barely managing to catch her. Tears flowed down Chito’s eyes like a geyser, soaking Yuuri’s clothes as she completely lost her composure from the relief and joy that flowed through her being.
She slowly looked up, only to stop upon seeing Yuuri’s face. Her eyes are dull, its usual light completely absent. Like one would see in someone that has lost any sign of hope long ago. In someone that has lost everything they had been living for and is only wandering the world aimlessly like a ghost to be forgotten by time. It reminded Chito of the time when grandpa first brought her to their home. Of the child dressed in tattered rags, who gazed at her with lifeless blue eyes.
“Y-Yuu?” Chito called out in worry, agonizing panic filling her heart as Yuuri continued to listlessly stare at her. She hates seeing her like this, so unlike the carefree girl she always knew. Of the curious child who asked endless questions about the world. Of the lazy girl who would keep singing an annoying song whenever they would explore dark areas, something Chito realized she did only as a way to keep her fears at bay.
A thought came to her mind. Just how long has Yuuri been wandering in this place? Was she also stuck in that dark void, all by her lonesome? With no one to comfort her or hold her hand in the dark?
Chito was about to say something when Yuuri’s hand suddenly snaked up her face, holding it as tenderly as one would hold a priceless artifact. Her eyes desperately searched her, as if trying to affirm that the one it is gazing at is not just a trick of the mind. Yuuri’s eyes widened as she seemed to have realized something, and finally spoke for the first time in a long while.
“I-Is that really y-you Chii-chan?” Yuuri’s voice cracked at every word laced with a glimmer of hope long thought to be gone. Chito slowly nodded, and spoke with as much sincerity and reassurance as she could muster.
“I’m here.”
Yuuri's eyes widened once more and tears slowly sprung forth from her eyes, steadily dropping from her face like the drops of the morning dew. She came forward and trapped Chito in a tight embrace, burying her face unto her shoulder as she wailed incessantly with multitudes of pent up anguish filling her voice while she called out Chito’s name like a broken record.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Yuu cry so much before.
It was true. Ever since they first met, Yuuri has always been the more impassive one amongst the two of them. It’s not as if the girl could not cry. It’s just that she's more attuned to the feeling of hopelessness that gnawed at them in their journey, choosing instead to accept things as it is and move on from their failures with naught a dwelling thought.
In a way, that attitude of hers is one of the things that kept them from sinking to despair together. Allowing them to better cope with the harsh reality of their situation and find what little joy they can have in a world that doesn’t welcome them any longer.
But now, seeing her like this brought out a fire in Chito. A sense of protectiveness and resolve flowed through her being as she returned Yuuri’s embrace, rubbing circles along the girl’s back all while whispering countless reassurances in her ears.
They stayed like that for a long time. Until the sun would fall and the moon would rise alongside the beautiful stars of the night sky. Until Yuuri’s cries die out as she falls asleep curled up in Chito’s lap, the latter looking at her with a gentle look in her eyes and a happy smile on her face. The fire in her heart refused to burn out as it beheld an unspoken promise that she will never want to break. A promise to Yuuri that would last for lifetimes upon lifetimes.
You will never be alone again.
Paradise
“Chii-chan?”
Chito woke up in a jolt. She gazed down on Yuuri who was lying upon her lap, looking up at her with a familiar, carefree smile on her face. “I just had the nicest dream in a while.” Yuuri said before she got up from Chito’s lap, yawning loudly as she stretched out her arms.
“You know, when we nodded off in the top layer, I woke up in this really weird place. It was cold, dark, and really reaaaally scary. I could not even remember my name or how I even got there. All I could think of was how scared I felt.” Chito paused as Yuuri suddenly began to tell her story, familiarity taking a hold of her as she continued to listen to her words.
“I could not find you. No matter how long I floated away or how many times I shouted your name. Nobody came.” Yuuri carried on, face turning into a frown as she tried her best to compose her next words. Chito noticed the slight tremors of her body, as if trying to recall the memory is proving to be painful for her.
“The longer I stayed there, the more I felt like the darkness was taking me. The cold touching my skin, the dark all spread out around me, the loneliness eating away at me. I could feel it all so clearly, like they’re becoming a part of me. Or maybe I was becoming a part of them?” Silence reigned between the two after Yuuri stopped speaking. Chito could not think of anything to say, not when she has now learned that Yuuri has practically gone through the same thing that she has in that dark void.
So she didn’t say anything, opting instead to offer her hand to Yuuri who looked at her with surprise. Understanding eventually appeared in her eyes before she reached out to hold Chito’s raised hand. ‘ It’s cold’ , Chito noted as she interlaced her fingers with Yuuri’s. They stayed like that for a while, neither of them saying anything as Yuuri’s hands trembled in Chito’s touch from time to time, the latter squeezing her hand back in an effort to help abate the terror the other girl must be feeling. Moments passed before the trembling stopped and Yuuri continued.
“Then just when I was about to fall asleep and let everything go, I remembered you Chii-chan. All the things we did together, all the places we went through, all the books you’ve read to me.”
“They made me really happy.” Yuuri smiled, a smile so genuine that it made Chito want to cry. But she held it in, not wishing to embarrass herself and cause her partner any more distress.
“Say Chii-chan, how did you get here too?” Yuuri looked at Chito, curiosity burning deep in her eyes. Upon seeing her questioning gaze, Chito let out a sigh and started to tell her side of the story.
“Well..” She drawled out before recounting the events that led her here. Starting from how she also got stuck in that void, of how she searched her memories in hopes of remembering Yuuri’s name, and how that same bright light enveloped her and brought her to this paradise they found themselves in. Yuuri’s expression ranged from wonder to shock, perhaps from realizing how extremely similar their predicament really was.
“So you were in that place too. Wait! Why didn’t you call me back then? That was really mean Chii-chan!” Yuuri pouted at the perceived injustice that was done to her by her most trusted friend.
Chito only sighed, “I did try, remember? I guess we were just too far from each other at that time.”
“Still, I can’t believe we just missed each other all this time.”
…
“Chii-chan, back when I was stuck in the dark.. Was that how it felt like to you too when we were climbing those stairs to the top?”
Chito went quiet as Yuuri’s words dug up painful memories of a time when they were forced to climb up a certain spiral staircase on foot with nothing but the cold, dark, and the deafening silence to accompany them along the way. A miserable memory, its remembrance only serving to leave her feeling cold and dreary.
“Like we’ve become one with the whole world? Like the darkness is taking us back like it's always meant to be?
Yuuri’s hand shakes, her words seemingly striking a cord within her.
“Yeah.. Something like that.”
Yuuri sighed, looking on ahead of them as she spoke her next words, “I never really understood what I was feeling back then. All I knew was that I have to hold your hand and keep moving forward or else… the darkness might take you away from me.”
Chito squeezed her hand.
“Now that I understand it all now though, it’s something that I never want to feel again Chii-chan.”
Yuuri squeezed back harder.
“Me too..” Chito hummed in agreement before smiling, “It was pretty scary.. But I didn’t feel alone either.”
“Hm?”
Chito nodded, “Even if it felt like the world was crashing down around us, you still held my hand throughout it all. It’s not just at that time either. No matter how many times we failed, you were always there to pick up the pieces for me.” She further stated, remembering all the times her friend saved her from fully falling into despair.
“When I was in that dark, I felt really afraid too. It really felt like I would be doomed to be in that place forever without even remembering your name. That’s what you felt too right?”
Yuuri nodded and remained silent, not wishing to interrupt what Chito wanted to say.
“A light in an endless darkness.. That’s what you were like for me and that’s what I want to be for you too”
“W-what if we get separated again?” Yuuri asked, voice slightly shaking from the vulnerability she was feeling from voicing out her unspoken fears. Feeling like this is something she was not really used to and so she could do nothing but desperately seek out comfort and reassurance from her only friend.
“It’s simple. If we do, then I’ll just keep looking for you until I find you again.” Chito looked at Yuuri with resolve in her eyes.
“Even if the dark swallows us whole?”
“Even if the dark swallows us whole.”
“Even if we are really really far from each other?”
“Even if we are really really far from each other.”
“Even if I eat all of our rations?”
“Even if you eat all of our ratio- Hey you can’t do that!” Chito flashed her signature dead fish eyes at Yuuri causing her to laugh merrily at her joke. Chito held on to her expression for a bit before she hopelessly descended into giggles too. Eventually their laughter stopped, replaced with a happy look on their faces.
“Chii-chan, thank you for always being there for me.” Yuuri sincerely thanked Chito as she looked straight at her eyes, “I really wouldn’t have known what to do without you.”
“Yeah me too.” Chito simply said, but not with any less gratitude that her friend showed to her.
Their conversation came to a halt as they both let out contented sighs, the loneliness and uneasiness that plagued them before completely evaporating in the company of one another. Silence once again enveloped the two as they looked up at the sky above them. The gentle glow of the morning sun rising up from the horizon greeted their eyes, lighting up the world around them with its golden rays as time passed by.
Enraptured by this sight, the two stood up from their seated forms. The seemingly boundless field of reed around them swayed with the gentle wind. The golden rays of the sky shined down upon them and emboldened the world with its almost ethereal glow. The two girls stood in awe, fully appreciating for the first time the sheer beauty of the place they were transported in.
To Chito, it was a sight she wasn’t able to fully admire at first as she was too focused on finding her partner.
To Yuuri, it was a sight she never really noticed as she was too haunted by the thought of losing Chito forever.
But things are different now as they both stood together once more. Different emotions flowed through their being as they watched the sight around them. Happiness, admiration, contentment, and above all else..
Peace
“Chii-chan, is the afterlife supposed to be this beautiful?”
“Hm?”
“It doesn’t feel cold anymore nor does it feel too hot either. We’ve been here for a while now but we don’t feel tired or hungry at all. There’s nothing above us anymore and best of all.. ” Yuri stopped for a moment before looking straight into Chito's eyes.
“You are here with me Chii-chan.”
Words echoed in Chito’s head from a faint memory of a time where they entered a huge and dilapidated temple. A place where they first discovered the existence of gods and what the old world believed to be a life after death.
May you be released from your sadnesses and worries, and find happiness in the world beyond us..
“Maybe this is what the old world referred to as ‘Paradise’ back then. A world without sorrows and pain.”
“A world without sorrows and pain…” Yuuri looked pensive as she put her hand on her chin before excitedly looking at Chito with stars on her eyes, “Does that mean there’s also lots of food here?”
“... Well, I would not want to leave this place if that’s actually true.” Chito smiled a little, deciding to indulge Yuuri’s love for food for the first time in a long while.
“Right?! Who knows what kinds of foods are out there! Maybe we can even find stak- umm what was it called again?”
“What?”
Yuuri mumbled to herself, trying to recall a dish that Chito once discovered in a book she was reading. She wasn’t able to understand any texts written about it at the time but she would never forget its delicious appearance that haunted her dreams for weeks straight, taunting her of how she will never come to engorge upon its steaky flavo-
“Oh that’s it! It’s steak! Oh what I would give to taste it at least once” Yuuri’s eyes shined like stars and drool ran down her mouth as she imagined herself gorging upon it. Chito deadpanned at her daydreaming friend although deep down she could not deny that the thought of eating steak is proving to be very tempting for her too.
Chito looked at the horizon, watching the endless fields of reed sway in the gentle breeze before a question came to her mind.
“So.. what do we do from here?” Chito’s question snapped Yuuri from her daydream, making her think a bit for an appropriate answer before smiling at her partner.
“Just the usual right?”
“Hm?”
Yuuri took hold of Chito’s hands, rubbing it as she looked on at the horizon with her.
“We learn new things, eat a lot together, sleep a lot together..” Yuuri smiled and looked at Chito as she paused, waiting for the latter to understand what she’s trying to say. The wait wasn't long as a look of realization appeared in Chito’s face, making her look back at Yuuri and tenderly smile back.
“And live a great life together.”
Chito and Yuuri paused as they said those final words before laughter suddenly came spilling out of their mouths. Elation flowed through their beings as a feeling of victory they never felt before warmed their soul. The dark veil of hopelessness they were so accustomed to slowly vanished as the morning sun illuminated their forms, invigorating them with warmth and hope that perhaps..
Things will finally be alright.
It took them a while before their laughter subsided, leaving them both to clutch their stomachs as they tried to catch their breaths.
“Where do we go first though?” Yuuri asked as she recovered first, snapping Chito out of her reverie as she pondered her partner’s question. She looked at the world around her, unsure of where they would go first until an idea came up in her mind.
“Oh that trick again? That’s pretty smart Chii-chan!” Yuuri exclaimed as she watched Chito pop a finger in her mouth before taking it out and holding it up to the air. She stayed silent, not wishing to disturb Chito from focusing on figuring out where the wind was blowing from. A few seconds passed more before she pointed to the East.
“There.”
“That way it is then.” Yuuri said in an unworried tone, fully trusting partner’s decision. She looked at the direction Chito is pointing at, marveling at the wondrous sight from the distance.
“It sure will be a long walk from here though.” Chito noted, feeling a little annoyed at the prospect of walking such a great distance despite not having felt any sign of tiredness ever since being transported to this paradise. 'It’s a shame the Kettenkrad is not here’.
“No worries! I’ll carry you in my back if you get tired Chii-chan.” Yuuri offered, unknowing or perhaps uncaring, that she would completely forget what she said a few hours later in their trek.
“.. You better not forget that then.” Chito sighed before asking, “Should we get going?”
“Yep!” Yuuri cheerfully nodded before stopping, “You know Chii-chan, we should totally build a house when we get there.”
“Eh? Why? Do we even know how to build that?”
“Uhh.. We’ll figure it out.” Yuuri shrugged. “Besides since this place is so pretty and all, I thought that maybe we could finally build our dream house here! Think about it Chii-chan! A place to eat, a place to bathe, a place to sleep in, a roof above our heads.. It will be so cool!” Yuuri gushed, bursting in excitement at all the possibilities forming in her head.
Chito remembered a distant memory upon listening to Yuuri's words. Of a distant time when they were still happily living together with their grandfather in a big house. Of a time when her grandfather would sit her and Yuuri down in his lap, reading stories to them beside a warm fireplace.
Another memory came to her mind , when she and Yuuri would dream of a house of their own, putting in whatever furniture that came to their mind before they blissfully slept the night away.
A bookshelf for Chito.
A pantry filled with food for Yuuri.
A stove heater to stave off the cold nights.
A bathtub to clean themselves in.
A collection of plants to decorate their house with.
A bed with two levels for the both of them
And chairs that they could rest in.
“Yeah, that does sound pretty nice.” Chito finally said after a long bout of contemplation, a smile forming in her place at the thought of finally being able to fulfill what once were mere dreams into reality with Yuuri at her side. Yuuri grinned back at Chito before she took her hand, dragging the surprised girl with her as they ran down the fields of reed.
“Hey! N-not so fast Yuu!”
“Come on Chii-chan! Our home isn’t gonna wait for us.” Yuuri joyously laughed with her partner in tow, the latter joining in with unrestrained giggles. Both of them are utterly excited at the prospect of another journey ahead of them.
For as a chapter of their life ended, a new one unfolded
In the warm embrace of light, only happiness awaits them
Hand in hand as they head forth to a promised land
The girls’ next tour will be just as joyful as the last.
Epilogue
XX Years Later...
A white being gazed upon the snowy tundra, its elongated form resembling that of a mushroom stood tall upon its snowy ground. Its kind has traveled the world endlessly, searching for any scraps of highly unstable materials in the dilapidated ruins that once were called ‘Earth’ by its inhabitants. But now that their search has ended, most of the members of its kind have left this world for the next.
But instead of leaving with its brethren, this being stayed. All in the hopes of meeting the humans that took care of it in the past. Its memories of them are still clear in its mind even after so many years have gone past. Its search for them has been relentless, scouring every piece of land for even a sign of them. Alas, it was not to be as it hasn’t even found even a speck of them in all the areas it searched. That is, until a realization hit it, that there is one last place that even their kind dared not to traverse in.
The very top of the world.
So the being took off, hopeful at last that their search will finally bear fruit after all these years. Yet, a deep seated fear ran though its gut as it beheld the desolate appearance of the top floor. It searched and searched and searched, a sense of desperation fueling its actions as it searched for the two humans it once called its friends.
Until it found them.
The remains of the last remnants of humanity rests in front of it, their corpses devoid of flesh as the process of decomposition took its place so many years ago. Grief struck the being’s heart as another realization took hold, that it had been too late for the passage of time had already claimed the lives of its beloved humans.
Memories of the two humans assailed its thoughts as it studied their still forms. Of the bright haired one who would carry it in its arms and teach it new words. Of the dark haired one who would affectionately pat its head and read it books whenever no one is looking. The being’s time with the two has been fleeting but it was nonetheless a beautiful chapter in its long life.
The being shuddered with grief as it tried to compose its words. The words it never got to say to the two when they brought it to their care. Words they have not been able to receive when they helped reunite it with the rest of its brethren. After a long bout of mourning, the right words finally came to its mind.
“Thank you… for everything.”, The being that was named ‘Nuko’ said in a voice only it can hear, to the two humans who have long since departed this world and gone on to the next.
‘Is this what humanity called hopelessness?’ Nuko thought as a rain of snow gently dropped from the sky. its gaze studied the remains of the humans it so greatly cherished. Their forms are huddled together, garbed in a huge blanket that protected them from the cold… at least for just a little while. It almost looked like they were just sleeping, no doubt resting from the long journey they must have had to get to the very top of the world.
It offered Nuko a little comfort, that perhaps its humans did not suffer for long when they perished.
Nuko was reminded of a poem that the two humans discovered once. In a dilapidated building out of the middle of nowhere, memories of a small machine endlessly scribbling the poem's contents on a table came to its mind.
‘Do not be sorrowful, soon it shall be night,
Then, over the pale land, we shall see
The cool moon secretly laughing
And we shall rest hand in hand
Do not be sorrowful, soon the time shall come,
Then we shall have rest. Our little crosses shall stand
Together at the bright roadside.
And it shall rain and snow
And the winds shall come and go.’