Chapter Text
Above her, all that lay beyond the confines of earthly existence beckoned—a cosmos brimming with eternity, hidden in a sea of stars.
Surrounding her was the tranquil town, a cherished haven that she and Mei had embraced as their own many decades prior, when aspirations soared as buoyantly as the ocean breeze that roved playfully through the familiar avenues. A town of exquisite charm, it had fortuitously eluded the grasp of development, a fate even less likely in later years as Japan's populace dwindled, rendering its expansion an unnecessary dream. Through the years, the two had woven themselves into the very fabric of the community, imbuing it with an essence of elegance—a unique style that turned heads and elicited smiles.
Within Yuzu resided a treasure of memories, a lifetime rich with triumphs and tribulations, a spiritual journal of both elation and sorrow. Vivid faces and long-stilled voices floated like clouds through the sky of time, each moment a delicate raindrop upon her soul. Joyful experiences were as cherished as treasures, while others weighed heavily upon her heart like ancient stones. Some recollections lingered like raw, imposing summits, yet every fragment endured, entwined in the intricate design of a life unapologetically lived and lovingly embraced. Whether tender or bitter, each memory rested gracefully upon her slight shoulders, a testament to the boundless resilience cultivated by a soul battened with time.
This diorama constituted the compass of her existence, these memories embodying the unfathomable depths of the elderly woman’s spirit.
Today heralded a momentous occasion, one that had awaited decades for its arrival, an important anniversary. Yuzu encountered few wayfarers during these twilight hours; those who crossed her path bowed with respect, greeting her as a beloved matriarch—a jewel cherished by this quaint town.
"Age is a construct made of memories..." she mused to herself…
In the echoes of her reminiscence, two young girls, a mere twenty-two years of age, stood at an altar, exchanging sacred vows beneath the watchful heavens…
“Mei, I vowed at seventeen to cherish and love you above all others, and that promise has blossomed, a thousandfold these five years later. I offer my heart, undying and unyielding, now and forever! I see my Heaven reflected in your eyes…” Yuzu's voice, soft and steady, momentarily paused before it surged forth again, “Join me, my love, in this chosen union, woven solely for us!”
“Yuzu, I shall follow you through joy and through sorrow! The moment you captured my heart, my soul became yours, my bride, my healer, my eternal love, keeper of my essence! Please accept the humble offering of all that I am…” Mei's words trembled, drowned by tears of unrestrained happiness.
“I pronounce you wives!” declared the officiant, as their voices echoed in the sacred space.
As she lifted her veil, Yuzu enfolded Mei in an embrace that pounded with love, their hearts racing in jubilant unison, the passion of their kiss stealing the breath away from all who witnessed it…
“We did it!” she whispered reverently, “Married! Against all odds! Look, Mei! Look at all those who have guided us here, reveling in our joy!”
Together they turned, beaming at the glowing faces of family and friends arrayed before them—together in celebration of the stardust woven from the arduous journey of a brave couple's epic struggle for unity...
The sweetness of that memory faded gently as a warm zephyr rustled Yuzu's snow-white locks, grounding her in the present twilight stroll. The couple had finally made their sanctuary within a beautiful abode, a refuge untouched by the tumult of the outside world. Financial burdens were absent; Yuzu’s flourishing business coupled with the Aihara family’s legacy ensured a life of comfort. Yet, change subtly crept through their peaceful existence.
In her mind, a new page unfurled…
“It alters one’s perspective!” she recalled Matsuri's exuberance, recalling the Aihara’s tenth wedding anniversary. “You two should think about adopting!” she urged, her eyes shining as she and Harumin showcased their first foster child, one of three they would ultimately claim as their own.
“If you had told me years ago that at thirty-two, this would be my life...” Harumin chimed in, rolling her eyes as love radiated from her ever-pink-haired soulmate.
Yuzu chuckled, “Ah...you know—Mei and I are the kids around here! Maybe we'll just enjoy everyone else's children coming to visit…”
Mei interjected, her voice pointed, “I wholeheartedly endorse that plan!”
Laughter ensued, yet beneath their jest lay a resolute truth. In the end, the couple never pursued parenthood or adoption, nor did they harbor regret. Their lives shaped them into second parents to countless little ones, lovingly claimed by friends near and far. They were affectionately dubbed “Aunties” and eventually “Nanas.” Mei formed a special bond with the youngest progeny of the Taniguchi clan—a quiet, exceptionally bright child, who often graced their home. With her somberly reflective nature, she definitely reminded her of someone...
The elderly woman smiled, an illumination so radiant it could brighten an entire room. The spark in her verdant eyes—like brilliant gems—remained unyielding, shimmering with clarity and light. As she walked, her steps careful but firm, the memories of a well-lived journey flowed seamlessly around her...
At the age of forty-two, Mei unveiled yet another revolutionary volume on education, with whispers of a Nobel Prize nomination swirling around her name! Meanwhile, Yuzu declined a fortune to either author or permit a ghostwriter to encapsulate the life story of the enigmatic RyokuGyroku—her pseudonymous alter-ego that once graced magazine covers during her modeling days.
Another anniversary approached; their twentieth…
“Why does anyone harbor even a fleeting interest in my cast-off modeling persona? It's been ten years and more since I abandoned that world!” Yuzu inquired of the gathering, her brow furrowed in perplexity at the mercurial nature of public fascination.
“Because you were unparalleled!” her mother-in-law, Kaiya, proclaimed, her voice unwavering with certainty, while Mei’s mother, Amaya, embraced her spouse with an approving caress. Ume, perched beside Shou, radiated pride for her daughter, who blushed like a new rose, a vision of charm at any age.
Yuzu, ever modest, responded, “I’m not so sure of all that, Kai-Kai! You were my luminary when I started modeling, and to this day, you remain as splendid a woman as ever adorned a magazine cover…”
“I echo that sentiment!” Amaya chimed in, provoking peals of laughter from the attendees.
Mei, who had long since finished wrestling with the expression of affection, proudly pivoted towards her beloved, bestowing a kiss imbued with the essence of their shared history. “Kaiya is undeniably beautiful, but if I may be permitted my biases…”
As Yuzu rounded the corner, the plaza came alive with enchanting lights, the shopfronts displaying their alluring wares, a vibrant palate of understated commercial charm. Despite her acclimatization—time had worn a familiar path—she savored the vista, still a girl of the early twenty-first century at heart...
The couple looked around the gathering at a select group of intimates, friends and family who had seen each other through trials and triumphs. With a toss of her blonde locks, and mock-excruciation in her voice, “Fifty-two? Where did a thirtieth anniversary come from? Yuzu lamented to Mei, whose contemplative gaze fell as she sought the right words.
“Heaven!” was Mei’s enchanting reply.
The revelation startled Yuzu, eliciting tears fashioned from sheer love that cascaded down her cheeks, echoed on the faces of everyone in the room. After all these years, Mei’s words called like poetry, stirring her heart anew…
The green eyes, now softened by age, turned moist. “Hopelessly sentimental, aren’t you, old girl?” she murmured, her steps as silent as a cat’s as she traversed the cherished pathways—each familiar street a shade of long-lost faces and absent doors. A strand of once-blonde hair brushed aside, she recalled the day she ceased the relentless cycle of dye, allowing the silver to shine through...
Lambent with emotion, Yuzu—still resplendent—nestled within Mei’s embrace. The beauty of the moment eclipsed any expectation they had harbored of themselves in this time of life.
“Sixty-two? How is it that I still possess even a glimmer of blonde at this age?” she laughed, the sound rich with self-deprecatory mirth.
“Ah, I cannot fathom,” Mei playfully retorted, “how you ever were blonde to begin with! Yet so you were when I fell irrevocably in love with you, and that is how I wish you to endure!” Mei pressed a tender kiss against the delicate pink of Yuzu’s lips.
“You are aware, I engage in this nonsense solely for you, right?” Yuzu bantered, feigning annoyance.
“Then, why not maintain those golden locks just a while longer—for my sake?”
Yuzu's gaze met Mei’s, a mixture of wonder and resolve, for the enchantment of their shared history lingered fiercely in her heart; the undeniable essence of the radiant young woman she had wed at twenty-two still flickered in every feature before her.
Mei savored the moment, pouting playfully, “You’re in my heart as that girl I married! And she was blonde!”
Yuzu sighed. Their discourse on the topic had traversed the seasons of the last few years, always culminating in surrender—her golden tresses remaining intact even as Mei surely endeavored to conceal the gray in her own deep raven locks. Yet, an ineffable air of difference lingered this time.
“Honey, we'll both be seniors in a few years, even as science would designate us these days! You're still lost in memories of our youth…”
“You will forever be that girl in my eyes!” Mei whispered, her eyes misty with sentiment.
“And you will always be the girl of my dreams—Forever! But I can't shake this peculiar feeling about my blonde hair…”
“You hardly resemble the forty-year-olds of our youth!” Mei laughed, lost in her thoughts of a friend’s daughter—and the jarring contrast in appearances.
“True enough! But reflect on this: Mama allowed her hair to turn natural at this age, did she not? So graceful, don’t you think?”
After Mei pondering that, Yuzu felt the tide shift, the victory at hand…
The venerable dreamer approached the threshold of the town, a nightingale’s gentle call piercing the tranquil veil of dusk, echoing like a distant longing within her heart. In her delicate grasp lay a bouquet—a vivid array of floral, a gift for one who held her soul. These astonishing hybrid blooms shimmered with an ethereal quality, their hues shifting and swirling like secrets in the dim light, revealing new facets with each glance. As Yuzu peered into a shadowed doorway, she was struck by the illusion of visages lurking in the dimness, specters of those who had long slipped into the recesses of time, resurrected in the conjuring of reminiscence.
Fifty years of marital bliss! Where had the relentless march of time escaped to? It could not be hoarded like treasure—they had spent it in the rich currency of love! Mei, her laughter a warm embrace, shone like a celestial queen, her silver-white tresses glistening as they shared tales with their loved ones, each story a mosaic stone of their shared history.
“Why on earth would I desire to voyage to the moon? My company dresses the lunar outposts! Do they expect me to visit on Mars next?” Yuzu marveled silently at the unexpected nature of the conversation, surrounded by attentive friends—Matsuri, Harumin, their children, now nearly in the crux of middle age, accompanied by sons-in-law and a flourishing generation of grandchildren, a joyful, sprawling yarn-work of lives enlaced with their own.
“Oh, come on, Yuzzuchi!” Harumin chimed, her eyes alight with mischief, “Mattie and I are going to do it! For heaven’s sake—live a little! When did you become so staid?”
“Since I was faced with the dubious thrill of being hurled into the void, with my backside tethered to a rocket!” she retorted, invoking raucous laughter among the gathering.
Here, among cherished comrades, they delighted in the warmth of nostalgia, each soul echoing the sentiments of the other, favoring agreement over dissent.
Time drifted by, golden and serene, a bounty of gentle abundance. As a weathered mariner knows the ever-mutable tides, the embrace of the open sea, so too did the two pilgrim souls hold dear the ever-shifting beauty reflected in one another’s changing countenance. Their shared wisdom allowed them to navigate the variables of existence: the flow of joy, the torrents of love, the sorrowful void of loss—as loved ones arrived and departed in the moments of their lives.
How many years of memories tangled together?
“How is it that we've both reached the age of eighty-two? I hardly feel a day over fifty!” Yuzu teased, her hands working through the tender soil of their garden.
"On that subject,” Mei replied, her smile reflective, “remember my old friend from the school council days, Touko? Just the other week, she and her Yuu pondered the same mystery! I told them what I’ll tell you: we are simply fortunate. True love arrived at my door but once, and that love is you—forever cherished. You are the one who sees me wholly, the one who pieced my shattered self back together. Undoubtedly, come what may, we always found our way back to one another, for we are halves of one soul. The moment I claimed you, my heart and essence were no longer mine."
With that, Mei paused, her gaze lifting, the depths of love and beauty illuminating her face in a way that made Yuzu’s heart swell with adoration.
“Because they were blessed to walk beside me for all eternity, unfettered and nestled within your heart.” she whispered, each word a soft caress.
Yuzu halted her labors, enveloping the teary-eyed woman in an embrace that transcended the confines of time—a poignant reminder of their unwavering bond.
Aging, it seemed, wove itself from the threads of memory rather than anticipation; the journey into twilight was, in many ways, a symphony of farewells. Seventy-five years since they vowed their lives to each other—a span that felt condensed into mere moments.
And now, she found herself, standing upon the familiar path that wound homeward, pondering the sands of time that seemed perpetually elusive. “Our Diamond Anniversary! How swiftly time has flown!” she murmured, hastening her steps. “I’m on my way, Mei! I’ve wandered down the lane of nostalgia like a foolish old romantic!”
Her small feet glided over the cobbled stones, guided by familiarity, a path well-traveled through the seasons of their love. For decades, these evenings had become sacred, moments of solitary contemplation meandering through the peaceful embrace of dusk. Her vibrant form, though graced by the wisdom of her years, willingly fulfilled her needs as she strode forth; turning once more, she left the town’s fringes behind. A further half-mile brought her into view of their cherished abode, nestled behind the copse of sentinel trees that they had planted six decades prior. These stalwart sentinels now towered, reaching skyward, reflections of the dreams forged by the youthful couple who had once watered them with hope.
Not far beyond, the sea shimmered with a beautiful blue glow, caught in one of its whimsical moods, teasing her sensibilities—perhaps a blanket of phosphorescent algae, though Yuzu preferred to think of it as a quiet miracle. The sea air no longer held the same warmth of salt-mystery as it once did;
It reminded her uncomfortably of tears.
She breathed in the familiar essence of home as she crossed the threshold, entering the familiar embrace of the living room.
A visage, still radiant and graceful, adorned with thoughtful eyes the hue of twilight, emerged from repose, cradled by strands of ethereal silver-white hair, gazing eagerly from where its bearer nestled in a plush, antiquated chair within the embrace of the peaceful room.
“My apologies, Mei! I nearly lost track of time! I found myself adrift in memories, and…” Yuzu cradled the bouquet in both hands, pouring forth a love that transcended the boundaries of time itself into the serene countenance of her beloved. Seventy-five years had unfolded since they, mere twenty-two-year-olds, had pledged their eternal bond beneath the canopy of the cosmos.
A voice, familiar as the dawn, whispered back gently, “It's alright, Yuzu! I knew you would return to me soon!”
Before her, Mei's beauty shimmered timelessly, a beacon of comfort.
“I discovered these at the flower shop and instantly thought of you! They're your favorites—Prism Roses…” Yuzu presented the blossoms tenderly, but as Mei extended her hands...
...the petals fell through the elegant fingers like a mirage, cascading like fallen stars to the floor.
A sudden recollection pierced the tender veil of illusion.
Because even the most exquisite of artificial realities holds within it an uncrossable chasm of truth.
For it is an illusion.
Yuzu had pushed the grim reality to a shadowy recess of her mind, permitting days to pass in blissful ignorance alongside the flawless simulacrum that her beloved had left to her. Yet, in that moment of clarity, the truth emerged cruel and unyielding:
“Mei is… gone…”
Slowly, she sank painfully to her knees, her weary frame creaking under the weight of years, as tears, long contained, broke forth in a quiet deluge. She wept silently, achingly, while the interactive specter of a smiling Mei gazed outward, radiant yet blind to the sorrow enveloping Yuzu. Precious were those lingering echoes of the last day they spoke, months aching yet distant, with Mei's head lovingly cradled in Yuzu’s numb embrace.
Mei had known fragility well, an inheritance wrought by time and genetics. Though science had spun miracles, granting the gift of years far beyond her life's expected sum, the toll of mortality, inevitably, took its due. Though she had grappled valiantly against the grasp of fate, life’s final mystery ever beckoned.
Time; the relentless etching, a slow unwinding of the flesh…
No triumph escapes the inexorable truth.
Months spiraled into weeks, then fell to days, dwindling into hours before fading into silence…
In the misty recesses of her mind, Yuzu drew forth the resolute image of herself, steadfast by Mei’s side—an unwavering sentinel guarding against the encroaching shadows. The Taniguchi children and grandchildren had been there only the day before, their youthful hearts attempting to coax sustenance into Mei’s frail form. They had shared fleeting moments with her, their beloved Nana, who had sought solitude for a tender farewell with her life’s partner, clinging to her own existence with all the bravery she could muster. Mei sent Yuzu on some small errand, then...
Their hearts shattered, recognizing that their cherished matriarch was entangled in worry for Yuzu’s tender spirit; she had lingered in this realm, grappling with the certainty of her departure, tethered by a love that verged on desperate.
“Tell her, Nana.” The youngest had whispered, Mei's favorite. Still so young, yet possessing the wisdom of ages.
“But how?” Mei pondered, eyes glistening with a sorrow no words could speak.
“In a manner that reflects your hearts, that will weave closure and significance for you both, something to hold dear, which you both can accept.” the thoughtful girl imparted, planting a soft farewell kiss upon her cheek before taking her leave, carrying with her the unspoken weight of eternity.
As twilight unfolded through the windows, Yuzu arranged her beloved upon a mound of sumptuous, antique pillows, a futile gesture meant to cradle the waning spirit of the one she cherished. It was palpable—the elderly woman was slipping through the fingertips of life, and the weight of it crushed both their hearts, a shared ache that echoed in the silence between them.
Mei gazed deeply into those familiar, soulful eyes, as tears cascaded unbidden, mingling on gentle cheeks scarred by time. “It must be spoken now,” she declared finally, her thoughts piercing through the fog that bound them, “while time still graces me with a voice…”
“I am so sorry, Yuzu,” her voice was a brittle whisper, laden with sorrow. “I don’t want to go... I swore I’d never leave your side again… I longed to see our anniversary…”
“Mei! Hush! Oh, darling… it’s alright…” Yuzu begged, wanting to cradle away the despair suffocating both their spirits.
“I am... fighting to remain… but there’s a current, a pull… I love you so fiercely! You are my sun, my very existence…”
“Oh, Mei… my heart is yours,” Yuzu implored softly, “Please… don't suffer, my sweet baby…”
“The pain… has diminished... It’s the thought of leaving you… the agony of seeing you suffer...”
In her gentle, aging visage burned a love that only the years could truly fathom—a sadness interwoven with the most profound devotion.
“Yet time… it ebbs away… I wish to confess…” Mei struggled to impart, her voice breaking like waves against the shore.
“Mei…” Yuzu urged, gripping her beloved’s hand tightly, fighting back grief with every ounce of her being.
“Life itself is a whisper in the vast expanse of eternity… Fleeting… Don't suffer for my loss. My essence… was forever entwined with yours! Always! Because... I gave it to you long ago!”
Amid this moment of bittersweet clarity, Yuzu wondered—is it the twilight of Mei's mind, fraying under the weight of mortality? Stress ignited turmoil within her—a torment unparalleled in all her days. They had faced the loss of so many, family members laid to rest, friendships faded like colors in the sun, and yet... unprepared for the inevitability of this farewell.
But this was Mei—her Mei.
Yuzu had always been the resolute spirit, a beacon illuminating the shadows of their shared trials. Yet today, she was adrift, a solitary leaf upon an ocean.
“What can I do, Mei?” she pleaded, cradling the dying woman's fleeting warmth in her palm.
“Tell me it’s alright…” came the frail request edged with desperation.
“But…”
“That you’ll be whole, that you'll continue… when… when I go… that I may…”
Understanding dawned within Yuzu like the first light of morning; “Y-Y-You can... Go?” she stammered, internal dread twisting tighter around her heart.
A trembling nod, almost imperceptible, punctuated the stillness.
“…Far away?” she choked out, hardly able to hold the truth.
“It’s time… to say goodbye…” came the serene whisper, each word a fragile petal floating on the wind.
As Yuzu caressed Mei's familiar features, reverence washed over her, for even in this harrowing blight upon their love, the wondrous woman before her emanated a grace that defied the awful despair of this moment.
“Yes... it’s alright, Mei… You can… go.” The words fell like lead from her lips, laced with anguish, her heart shattering under the weight of goodbye.
In return, the radiant smile that illuminated Mei’s face mirrored the heavens themselves; a reflection of all the warmth and light she had ever given.
“Thank you… My Angel…” she exhaled, her spirit brightening momentarily.
“Thank you, Mei, for filling my days with beauty, for our time entwined, for being the most extraordinary soul I’ve ever known. You are my eternal love… my everything…”
The tears flowed anew as Yuzu's voice wavered, her heart caught in the snare of sorrow.
“Farewell… and thank you… for… loving me… for the precious gift that is you! Keep my spirit close... Because I will be together with you again. Next time, forever! …
Yuzu kissed the beloved lips. "Oh, please, yes!"
"I love you… and that love is for always…”
“G-g-goodbye! … I l-l-love you forever, Mei!…”
There was a moment of silence. Yuzu's breath trembled. Then...
"Y-Yuzu?"
"Mei?"
She squeezed Yuzu's hand, and for a moment, seemed to be the girl she had fallen in love with so long ago, looking up at Yuzu with an indescribably beautiful smile. "We did it, didn't we?" she asked.
With that smile that strengthened with the serenity of acceptance, Mei surrendered to the impending embrace of eternity, weaving a bond of everlasting love through the veil between their worlds, as Yuzu made a desperate attempt to capture one last heartbeat, one last breath of life shared; her heart, a fragile vessel, felt ready to shatter, yearning to join her beloved wherever she might wander.
Now alone, enveloped in silence, Yuzu’s mind spiraled into depths of longing.
Did Mei yet watch over her, an angel cloaked in the tranquility of the afterlife? Were their departed friends and family waiting, arms open to welcome her home?
That cherished generation, dispersed into shadows… only Yuzu remained, a vessel of love and grief intertwined. They were but memories, flickering like soft shadows, loved and missed in forms immeasurable save for one deep, aching void…
“Oh, Mei…” her voice quivered at last, grief etched into every syllable, “How I love you!”
In the shimmering holographic visage of her soulmate, Mei lifted both hands to her heart, whispering softly, “I love you too, Yuzu!” A final act of love forged in technology, Mei herself had programmed it—an echo of her spirit meant to soothe the desolation that she knew threatened to engulf Yuzu.
Yuzu raised her hands to her own painfully beating heart in return.
In that moment, she wished for a world where the ephemeral could become tangible again, where she might feel Mei’s warmth against her skin, where reality blurred with tender dream.
Her heart, a fortress assembled from seasons of love, responded as her trembling hands reached toward the ephemeral form. No words alone could articulate the tempest within; she longed for mere contact, a single touch that transcended realms.
The pristine visage drifted off, gazing into infinity, but Yuzu was convinced somehow that Mei understood the depths of her soul, every unuttered word reverberating in their shared silence. Just then, a thought surfaced amidst the sorrow—a tender spark of hope.
“I'm Ninety-seven… Surely it can’t be long now… I will find you once more, and follow you again Mei… We'll be together, forever…”
“Hidden in a sea of stars…”