Shuji coughed, looking at the hologram that sat beside him. Time was taking its place in the world and it would come in sad final segments. Chise still retained her younger form, the look he would always remember her by. He stared at her quietly, through his old grinning face, knowing, that she knew what was going to happen. Though Chise was able to produce items that have aided him through the years. Food he didn't ask where it came from. Nor the medicine that has kept him well. It seemed that she couldn't fight the whim of time.
"Shuji..." Chise whispered into his ears. He could talk but it seemed to be too much of a strain on him, he wanted to stay with her for as long as he could. He began to hum, Chise joining in making the gruff noises come out much more pleasant and peaceful, turning it into a magnificent lullaby that granted him sleep. "Shuji I love you, and I don't want things to end this way. I want to touch you and hold you. I know that is has been the hardest time of your life. You've had nothing to touch in years. You had desires that could never be fulfilled. And we never were able to share and raise life." Chise moved her hands to her stomach.
"Just hum Chise (cough) it's going to be alright okay?" Shuji's throat was in pain, though he was still breathing properly, he fell a cold chill climb down his spine as he felt his body giving out.
"I know." She hums again feeling the life leave Shuji's body slowly. A tear climbed down her cheek. There was nothing she could do.
Eventually it would all come tumbling down and she would have to face the world all by herself. There would be no one to keep her company, nobody to play video games with or someone to talk to. The world was going to fade into abrupt nothingness.
"Chise things will work out alright." He was smiling, and Chise was having a difficult determining whether or not it was a smile of happiness or regret. Chise watched his chest as it his breathing became more erratic.
"Don't speak Shuji..."
"No I need to tell you this..." He's gasping for air now and a small tear rolls gently down his cheek. Chise pleads him to stop talking but he goes on. "I love you... Though you may be machine now, you have always been human in my eyes." he laughs and begins to breath hard. "Though it was funny when we were trying to do it once before, and I was trying so hard to jerk off." He laughs again feeling his throat go into some rather deep pain.
"Shuji... Please." Chise placed her face on his chest, as though she was listening to his heartbeat.
"Chise." He reached one arm into the air and acted as though he had grasped something. "I'll be waiting for you along with the others." The ship tilted in another direction and though he knew she was picking up speed, he didn't ask what it was that she was doing. "Just hurry alright?" He looked down, and his hands dropped. It went quiet.
"SHUJI!"
"You don't have (he's gasping for air now) to yell." I'll be waiting for you at the staircase to heaven. "I guess that my time is up..." His breathing slows down. And he smiles back at Chise, who is now sobbing. "I love you even past death... I love you from the day I die and forevermore." Chise begins to hum and he joins her, singing the last love song on the planet... She kept on humming even until the time he stopped. It was going to end for her soon also. Without Shuji's knowing for the past few years she had managed to move close to the sun, and had kept the temperature within her cool so he would not notice.
"They're waiting for me..." She said to herself as she plunged towards the sun, never feeling the pain... She stayed beside Shuji's body until the time she was no longer able to maintain the hologram, she would be with him now, where ever death would ring her...
Saikano End...