Author's note : The long awaited chapter 8.. I won't give any comment. Read it yourself.

Kirika knew, that she could no longer pretend as if she had no cancer. As if she would be living longer than three months. Kirika let her tears flow down. She couldn't stand it anymore. It was too much for her.
Mireille hugged her from behind.

"It is all right, Kirika. It is okay. Don't cry..." while she herself cried for pain.
Kirika's blood stained her white clothes as she put down her hands. Because of shock she couldn't even sit uprightly. She leaned backward to Mireille, who didn't let her fall on the ground. Unexpectedly Kirika grabbed her arms.

"Mi.. Mireille..." she whispered weakly. "There is something.. I need to tell you..."
"Kirika, don't talk again. Let's go from here. You can say it later."
Mireille dragged Kirika up, but the latter could only hang on her.

"...can't... Mireille... I can't... I must.. say it now. There is no more time left."
Mireille's heart thumped hard. She knew it. So she knew it the whole time.
No way. Kirika couldn't have known it.

"What are you talking about, Kirika. Stop talking nonsense. Of course we have many time left. After we leave this place, we can talk about any thing. We could even go on a journey, like you wanted before we got involved in this matter, I..."
Kirika pressed her hands softly.
As their eyes met, Mireille knew there was no use to pretend any longer. Both of them knew what they were talking about.

"There is no more time left for me, Mireille," Kirika said under tears. She clutched on Mireille and they saw one another directly.
"I am going to die after three months..."

She said it. Mireille heard it just very well. Kirika knew everything. Mireille gritted her teeth and pulled the black-haired girl to her arms. Both of them kneeled on the ground.
"No way I am letting you die... No way..." she whispered in sorrow.
She knew that her words were based on nothing, but that was exactly what she didn't want to do. It was her deepest wish. Above everything, she just wanted one single thing now. Please, help Kirika. She begged. Please. I don't want to give her up. No way.

They were not even aware that now everyone had come to the place, watching the three girls in shock. Marie put one hand in front of her mouth, totally shocked after seeing Kirika vomit blood.
"What... what is it all about actually!" GraiPaul asked the girls.
The red-haired girl stepped aside, not wanting to be involved.
GraiPaul kneeled next to Kirika, who lied in Mireille's arms.
"What... I don't understand." He said, not being able to look away from Kirika, who was half conscious.

"Are you satisfied, now?" Mireille asked with icecold voice. She glared at all people there, full of hatred.
"Are you satisfied, now!" she yelled in pain.

Noone answered her. Everyone just couldn't understand and believe what happened. Noone had expected such things. Noone had even noticed something wrong with Kirika.

Mireille's expression changed as her tears ran down her cheeks. They fell on Kirika, who opened her eyes slightly, enough to see Mireille's face.
"Let us go. Please. We don't have much time left." She whispered.
"Please, just let us alone! Don't ever show yourself in front of us again! I don't give any shit on all of you!"

Her scream echoed through the place.
"Please, just let us go!"

Mireille and Kirika didn't remember exactly what happened afterwards. There was only one thing which relieved them, the fact that they were now out of Soldats' business.
They were now on a train which brought them to a small, remoted town. They were already at the place Kirika had wanted to go to. Back to Japan. Back to the place full of memories, where she woke up, and met Mireille for the first time. She was now sleeping soundly on Mireille's shoulder. Mireille herself was looking at a piece of paper GraiPaul had given them a day before they went back to Paris. It was a simple map with an address.

"This is the only clue of Kirika Yuumura's origin. Only Altena knew where she really came from. This is the only thing we can give you. Perhaps you will find more clues when you go there... To Japan. It is Ms. Yuumura's place of birth, anyway."

GraiPaul put off his hat in order to show them his honor for the last time.
"Have a nice journey, then. I wish you luck, Mademoiselle Yuumura."

Mireille sighed. It was not easy to follow the map. It was an old one, drawn carelessly and inorderly. But fortunately the address was clear enough. Mireille peered at sleeping Kirika. She smiled softly. Finally they came to this part of their long journey. Finally everything would went as expected. No more adventure. No more stress and tears. Everything would be allright from now on. Mireille knew it.

Walking side by side along the falling sakura petals, the two girls searched for the referred address. The main problem was that it was already twenty years ago as the address was noted. Many things had changed in Japan, and of course in the small town too. Many streets had been renewed, and many buildings had been destroyed. The map didn't give much help.
"Oh... it must be this way. Kirika, let's try this one. Kiri.."
Mireille turned at Kirika, who coughed badly and put her hands in front of her mouth. Mireille looked away. She knew that Kirika didn't want her to see her at her worst condition. Kirika's health hadn't been better even though the path they were walking on was now not so rough. The cancer slowly took over her body. It crushed her from inside.
A hand touched her elbow. Mireille looked at Kirika, who was now smiling at her, trying to calm Mireille. Mireille smiled back at her.
"So, where are we going?" Kirika asked cheerfully.
"This way..."

Like expected, the house they wanted to visit was already gone. And there was no information about who occupied the house twenty years ago. Mireille was quite disappointed, but she knew Kirika must be more disappointed.
"Come, Kirika. Let's go."
Kirika nodded. They walked along a street. Kirika looked around. So this was the place she was born. In Japan. She didn't remember anything. But it was nice to know that she had once lived here. It was nice to know that she had a home here, although this home was already gone. As they walked past a big field, Kirika stopped walking. Mireille frowned, looking at the girl, full of questions.

"... chan... Careful... see, isn't it beautiful?"
A woman with kimono and long, black hair held her arms. She tapped on the grass impatiently.
She heard someone laughing.
"She has been a big girl," someone commented. "So a nice girl."

She herself laughed happily.

"Mommy..." she whined.
"Yes, yes, I am here... I am here..."
Now she could see her face completely. A vey beautiful woman, her face full of love and gentleness. Kirika resembled her so much.
"Mommy is here, honey..."

Kirika smiled to herself. Right... she once played here with her mother. It was her mother. She did remember at least a very little piece of her childhood. A very little one...
Kirika turned at Mireille.
"Mireille... thank you for everything you have done for me." She smiled contentedly. "If my mother were still alive, I would really like to tell her how lucky I am that I met you in my life."
Mireille watched Kirika speechlessly.
"I love you so much, Mireille..."