Author's Note:

This is based on the story of the Tanabata festival. If you're unfamilar with it, Wikipedia sums it up pretty well (.org/wiki/Tanabata). Or you can just read the story. That's okay too but either way, enjoy! ^_^

"I won't be able to say your name again…I won't be able to see you anymore…Juliet…" Romeo closed his eyes and all became black.

* * *

The first thing Romeo saw when he opened his eyes was the sky. He lifted a hand up. Am I…dead? He sat up and saw he was in a valley, filled with sweet grass and white irises. The wind blew gently and the sun felt warm on his face. He heard the sound of a stream trickling water nearby. He smiled. Juliet would love this place. He stopped. Juliet. Where is Juliet? He took off down the sloping hills.

"Juliet!" he cried out. "Juliet, where are you!" He came to a place where the grass and sky suddenly stopped. Beyond it, there was black. He put out his hand. It was like there was an invisible wall that kept him inside the valley. He ran to the other side of the valley. There was the same invisible wall keeping him. All around, there was this force. He fell to his knees.

"Juliet!"

* * *

Juliet opened her eyes and sat up. She looked around. She was surrounded by trees. This must be the afterlife. It looks like a forest. She smiled. Just like the one Romeo and I went through that one time. Her smile became replaced with a look of concern. Romeo.

"Romeo!" she called. "Romeo!" She ran through the forest, her feet pounding the soft ground. She came to a point where the ground suddenly disappeared and the sky vanished. Dark lay beyond it. She ran towards it.

"Oof!" she said as she ran into the black. It felt like a wall and had sent her reeling towards the ground. She pressed her hand against the black. It felt like there was barrier keeping her from going into the black. She kept calling as she circled the forest.

"Romeo! Romeo!" she called. At last, she realized that she had searched every inch. She leaned against a tree. "Romeo…"

* * *

How long has it been? Romeo wondered. An hour? A day? A year? He had been lying down for so long that he lost track. The auburn hair and pale skin of his beloved, Juliet, had been the only thing in his mind since he got here.

"Juliet…" he whispered. Her name was beautiful, just like her.

"If you want to see her that badly, just wait for the day," a voice said. Romeo sat up quickly and whirled around. An old man sat cross-legged on the ground, smoking a pipe.

"Who are you?!" Romeo said, startled.

"That is of no importance," he replied, exhaling a cloud of purple smoke.

"What is this day that you speak of?" Romeo asked.

"The day, my child, when the two worlds draw together," the old man answered.

"So, I can see Juliet?" Romeo asked, excited.

"Yes, you may," the old man said, exhaling smoke that was now green.

"When?" Romeo asked.

"When fate feels the time has come," the old man said.

"How?" Romeo asked.

"If the strength of your love is strong and true, you need not worry," he answered, exhaling yellow smoke.

"But," Romeo started but then stopped. He needed to believe. He stood to thank the man. "Good sir, tha-"The old man was already gone.

* * *

As soon as Juliet stopped crying, a new set of tears made their way to her eyes. Why? She wondered. Why has fate become so cruel? Why us? She had lost track of the amount of time she had been here as the sun did not move. She had thought solely of Romeo since she arrived. Romeo…

"Ya know, if you wanna see him so bad, just wait 'til the day," a squeaky, little voice said. Juliet looked up. Above her was a little fairy-like creature, no taller than her ring finger.

"Who-who are you?" Juliet asked, wiping her face.

"Why should I tell you?" the creature said, sticking out her bottom lip. Juliet couldn't help smiling a little.

"But what is this day you speak of?" Juliet asked.

"Ya know, the day where the two worlds come together and stuff," it said.

"Two worlds? So Romeo is somewhere here too?" she asked, hopefully.

"Well, ya. I mean, he's not alive anymore," it said.

Juliet's feeling of hope faded. "But, for how long? And I'll only get to see him once, right?"

"Well," it said. "Depends if Fate's gonna be nice,"

"How so?" Juliet asked.

"How am I supposed to know? I ain't Fate!" it squeaked. Juliet smiled.

"Thank you, my friend," she said.

"Hmph," the creature replied.

* * *

Romeo walked around the valley for hours. It never became night there and he did not feel tired or hungry so he walked and thought.

Juliet, how long until I see you again? He sighed.

"Juliet…" he whispered. Suddenly, there was a flash of light. His body was thrust into a black hole. He was falling.

But Romeo didn't care. Everything was bleak without Juliet.

* * *

Juliet sighed as she looked up at the sky.

Romeo, where are you? She thought. She had lost track of how long she had been sitting under this tree, although it felt like forever without Romeo.

Romeo…she thought. All of a sudden, there was a flash of light. Her body was thrown into a black hole. She closed her eyes as she felt the wind rush past her ears.

Romeo.

* * *

Romeo opened his eyes. He sat up, bewildered.

Where am I? He thought. He swiveled his head to look at his surroundings. The church? It looked exactly like the church in which he and Juliet had had taken their vows in after they escaped. He stood up. The church remained the same as when they had been there. He walked around the altar, running his hand along the stone walls. Together shall we be, henceforth till the end of eternity.

He felt tears spring to his eyes. He slumped against the wall. Juliet, why? Why is fate so cruel? To say we are to meet but then to take me to this place filled with memories? Is it all just to torture me?

"Romeo?" he heard a sweet whisper. Now I am hallucinating? Fate is cruel, indeed! He turned.

Juliet was standing at the door. "Romeo? Is that you?" she whispered again. Her pale skin was wet with tears and her eyes were red.

Romeo took a step toward her. "Juliet?" he whispered. She let out a gasp and ran towards him. He took her in his arms and buried his face in her soft hair. She rested her head on his chest and listened to the rapid beat of his heart.

"Juliet, Juliet," Romeo whispered clutching her tightly. Juliet blinked back tears. They held each other for what seemed like an eternity, neither wanting to let go of the other. Romeo finally tipped her head let go of her head so he could look into her eyes.

"Romeo, how I have missed you," Juliet said, gazing into his sapphire blue eyes.

"As have I," Romeo replied with a smile. "On another note, do you happen to know how got here?"

Juliet's eyebrows knit together. "I was hoping you knew," Suddenly, a thought dawned on her. "That creature…"

"Juliet?" Romeo asked, puzzled.

"Nothing, twas nothing," she replied shaking her head. She took his hand and began to walk towards the door. "Come, we should explore a little,"

* * *

"So, we must be dead," Romeo said. Juliet nodded slowly. They both looked down at the soft grass they sat in.

"Romeo?" Juliet whispered.

"Yes, my love?" he answered.

"When…when you died, did it…hurt?" she asked, biting her lip. He smiled.

"Not as much as being apart from you," he said, blushing slightly. Juliet looked up at him, smiling. Romeo lay down in the grass, looking up at the seemingly endless sky. Juliet lay down too, resting her head on his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat, his gentle breathing. She looked up at the sky. Thank you, little one, she thought. All of a sudden, there was loud crash. They sat up and looked around.

"Wh-What was that?" Juliet said, looking around the peaceful land. All was still and nothing looked different. There was another crash. Romeo took Juliet in his arms, protectively. The crashes grew in number, becoming louder every time.

"Do not fret," Romeo said, though his eyebrows were creasing in worry. Then he cried out.

"Romeo!" Juliet exclaimed. She soon cried out too. It felt as though something were ripping them apart. Soon they were only connected by their wrists. They were surrounded by black nothingness.

"Juliet!" Romeo yelled above the crashing. "If I don't see you, just know I-"He was torn back into the dark.

"Romeo!" Juliet cried before being torn back into the black too.

* * *

When Romeo opened his eyes, he saw the sky that he saw when he first arrived here. He sat up quickly and looked around for any signs of life.

"Juliet!" he cried, standing up. "Juliet!"

"She's not here, if that's what you mean," a voice said. Romeo whirled around. There sat the same old man from before sat on the ground, smoking his pipe.

"Where is she?" Romeo demanded.

"Apart you shall be. Tis the will of Escalus," he said, exhaling blue smoke.

"Escalus is dead!" Romeo yelled. He refused to believe that anyone else had to experience what Juliet did.

"Yes, but her will lives on," the old man replied, unfazed.

"But…why?" Romeo whispered, sinking to his knees.

"Do not fret, my child," the old man said, exhaling red smoke. "The will of Escalus has been kind,"

"How so?" Romeo asked, stricken. He felt Escalus had been anything but kind; first killing his Juliet and now torturing him with a short meeting with her.

"The princess will meet her prince every year when the stars align," he replied, vaguely. Romeo wanted to shake the man for more information but stopped himself. He needed to believe, just like before. He turned to look around the valley and then turned to thank the old man.

"Tha-"he began but the old man was already gone.

* * *

Juliet opened her eyes, only to see the forest. "Romeo…" she whispered. Had it all been a dream?

"If you just listened to her will, you wouldn't be so surprised by this!" a voice squeaked. Juliet sat up and looked around. It was the little creature from before.

"The…will?" she asked.

"Yes, the will!" It squeaked. "Ya know, Escalus?"

"Escalus?" she whispered. "It's…alive?"

"Technically speaking, no," the creature said. "But it's sorta still there, which I happen to find a little creepy,"

"So…I'll see Romeo again?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, yeah. Yeesh, is this what all humans in love are like?" it said, sounding somewhat disgusted but Juliet didn't even notice. She was just happy she would see him again. She just had to believe.

* * *

"Grandpa Antonio, that's a weird story," Julie whined.

"Yeah, yeah! I agree with big sis!" Robert said. Antonio smiled.

"You don't believe me?" he asked, innocently. The children shook their heads. They had been sitting out on the porch, telling them stories while their mother made dinner inside. "Well, look up," he said. They all looked up at the night sky. "That star over there is called Vega," Antonio said, pointing to a star. "And over there," he said, moving his hand a little. "Is Altair,"

"So?" Julie asked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Robert echoed.

"It is said that when those two stars meet, the two lovers can see each other," Antonio said.

"Kids! Dinner!" A voice called from inside the house. The two children started for the door but then Julie turned around.

"I still don't believe you," she said.

"Yeah, yeah," Robert agreed. Antonio shrugged his shoulders. The two ran inside and a head poked out.

"You going to come eat, Dad?" Odette called.

"Yeah, I'll come in a sec," Antonio said, waving his hand. She disappeared back into the house. Antonio looked back up to the night sky and smiled. Don't worry, Odin. He thought. We're always with you.