Alarms were going off as Yuko was being carried through the halls on a gurney.

There was a mask over , trying to help her breath, but she found herself feeling as if she was drowning, unable to catch her breath. Her heart rate was slowing and her pulse almost gone.

The doctors rushed to get her heart started again, shouting in chaos that only sounded like muffled, alien language to Yuko. Her vision was blurred and she could only see the colors.

As she felt a sudden shock in her body, a bright light shined in her eyes and she saw a vision of a girl. Someone she had longed to see, but knew she probably never would.

“Hikari… -chan….”

…..

“Yuko!”

We all rushed into the hospital, running up to the front desk.

“We’re here to see Yuko. Oshima Yuko.”

“I’m sorry. You’ll have to wait. Oshima-san is in the ER room.”

“Eh?”

“She’s in cardiac arrest. We’ll call you as soon as she’s able to see you, but if not, that means she’s gone.”

We all decided to quietly wait until we could find out if Yuko was okay.

The atmosphere around us was so tense. Miichan looked shocked, no words to say as they were all choked up in .

“So… I guess that means…” Miki spoke up.

“Yes.”

“Then, Yuko-san is going to…?”

Miichan didn’t say anything. Meru was starting to get tears in her eyes, everyone else fighting them somewhat it seemed.

I could just tell, by Miichan’s eyes, that soon, everyone would be crying nonstop.

“Say, Miichan,” I said.

“What?”

“Tell me about Yuko. What was she like in the past?”

“Well, she was always funny and liked to crack jokes. And whenever she was changing in the dressing room, she was never really embarrassed with her body. And of course, Nyan-Nyan always—”

“No, I meant… in Eterna.”

“Eh?”

“You guys lived in Eterna, right? What did she do there?”

“Oh…” She went silent a bit, clearing . “She was a caretaker. For Princess Hikari.”

“Really?”

“Yes. She would always take care of her, whether it was with her studies or playing together. Yuko very much loved Hikari.”

She did…?

“******-chan.”

I suddenly had a vision and saw myself in a library, lying my head on a book. Yuko was in front of me, smiling.

“Morning, sleeping beauty.” She giggled.

“It’s sad. Yuko never got to reunite with our Princess.”

“Un…”

What is this? My chest… it hurts.

Then, one of the nurses walked up to us.

“Oshima-san is awake.”

“She is.”

“Yes, but she may only have so much time. She said she would allow one person to come in and speak with her.”

Miichan looked at all of us.

“Who should go?”

After a few moments of silence, I stood up. “I’ll go.”

Everyone seemed to agree on that, and Miichan looked at me.

“Okay.”

…..

“Here we are.” The nurse said as she showed me to the room. “If something happens, tell me.”

I nodded, understanding what she meant.

I opened the door and slowly stepped inside, a single sound first entering my ears.

*Beep*

*Beep*

*Beep*

I looked and saw Yuko hooked up to a few machines, her body resting in the bed. She looked weak and more pale since we last met.

“Yuko…”

Yuko smiled weakly as she saw me come in.

“Hey…”

“So… today’s the day, huh?”

“That’s what the doctors said… I’m glad the last person I get to say goodbye to is you… Well, you and Takamina.”

“Takamina was here?”

“A few days ago… She got me a present…” She and I looked over at a small music box on the desk. “And.. she asked me to be her best friend.”

“What did you say..?”

She didn’t answer. She just reached out her hand and took mine.

“Mako… one day, you’re going to realize.. there is so much more to this world.. than you ever thought possible.”

“Eh..?”

*Beep*

*Beep*

“I’ve been here long enough to know… It’s scary at first… but, once you finally break free.. the world is so beautiful…”

*Beep*

*Beep*

She leaned closer and hugged me.

“Don’t lose that smile of yours, Mako.”

Wha..?

“Yuko, what do you..?”

“My only regret in leaving this world… is that I never got.. to see the one person I treasured most… But, I’m glad.. I came this far.”

“Yuko…”

“I miss them… My old friends, like Sayaka… And I’ve seen how much Sae and Ume have grown and changed… And Nyan-Nyan… I still love her, even if she doesn’t accept me sometimes… And, you, Mako…”

She broke the hug and looked at me.

“You… still have a future. There are still things.. you need to do… okay?”

I nodded simply as she laid back down on the bed.

“Don’t… lose your light.”

“My… light?”

*BEEEEEEEP*

Her hand dropped weakly and her eyes were closed, a slight smile curved on her face. The tone resonated inside the small room.

She looked peaceful, as if she were sleeping…

I cried. My tears fell on her white gown as she simply laid there, finally able to rest in peace.

“Yuko… thank you.”

…..

Ano koro utatta ai no MERODII
Ima koko de hitorikiri utatte mita
Nante suteki na uta nan darou
MESSEEJI ga kokoro ni shimiru

Mariko started walking towards the short girl, her chestnut brown hair flowing down past her shoulders, and hearing her sweet song.

Nakama to utatta ai no MERODII
Omoide wo furikaeri utatte mita

Yuko was singing to herself, holding the small box. She was kneeling on the ground, waiting for someone.

Naze da ka namida ga afurete kuru
Koukai wa nai
Zenbu zenbu yarikitta

Mariko tapped her shoulder and the shorter girl looked up, seeing Mariko take off her hood. She held out her hand.

“Let’s go.”

Yuko smiled and took Mariko’s hand.

…..

One month later…

After Yuko’s funeral, we decided to take a break from our activities. We all deserved it; losing Yuko was a heart-breaking matter, even for the fans.

Me and Takamina went to visit her grave by ourselves.

“New flowers?” I asked, seeing the fresh bouquet in her arms.

“Yeah…” She took out the old, wilted bouquet, and put in the new one. “The Amaryllis means pride, the crocus means cheerfulness, and the dandelion means happiness. They were all the best qualities of Yuko. That she held her pride and lived cheerfully and happy to the end.”

“I brought one, too.” I held a pink carnation.

“I’ll never forget you.”

“Eh?”

“That’s what it means.”

“Really? I just liked it cuz it’s pink. Haha.”

We both giggled as I set the flower into the bouquet, centering it.

“It’s beautiful…”

I looked at Takamina, who was at the verge of tears.

“Yuko told me… you asked her to be your best friend.”

Takamina’s eyes widened a bit. She wiped away her tears and nodded.

“What did she say? Did she say yes?”

After some silence, Takamina got up and I saw tears in her eyes again.

“No…”

“Eh?”

“She said no.”

“What?! Why?”

“She said, because… she didn’t want me to be sad and cry.. because my only best friend had died.”

Wha..? Her only best friend?

“I was always alone, y’know… I didn’t have a single person I could truly call a best friend. Even now…”

I walked up and hugged her.

“She wasn’t your only friend.”

“Mako…”

“You aren’t alone. Everyone is here, with you. Me too…”

I felt her hug me back and noticed my shirt was getting wet as she laid her head on my chest. She was crying.

“Thank you, Mako… You.. have the purest heart.”

“Eh..?”

“You have the purest heart… ******.”

“I…”

“Never forget that, okay?”

I simply nodded and returned the hug.

I still don’t understand, though… I need to know….

“Takamina…”

“Hm?”

I looked in her eyes.

“There’s something I need to ask you.”

“Eh? What?”

“Did the Senate erase my memory?”

“…Eh?”

There was silence. Nothing but the wind.

“M-Mako…”

“I need to know. Has the Senate been erasing my memory?”

“I…”

I backed away from her.

“Do you guys know something? Is there something you’re hiding?”

“Mako, listen, I—”

“I need to know.”

She looked away from me.

“It’s… complicated.”

“Why? Can’t you just tell me?”

“No! I mean… not yet.”

“Not yet?”

“Mako… All of it, it’s just… it’s just too complicated right now.”

“Do you promise you’ll tell me?” I said, coming closer.

“Yes, I promise… When the time is right, I’ll tell you. Everything.”

We got back into the car and drove back to the agency. We didn’t speak a word to each other since.