Kanade would periodically paint the shoreline at sunset, bundled in a knit sweater against the chill sea breeze, sitting on a simple wooden bench and trying to capture the delicate shift of the horizon from blue to indigo to black.

She was painting on an early autumn evening when Yukino came back from the doctor for the last time.

Yukino sat down next to her and said nothing for a time, just looked back and forth between Kanade's painting and the far horizon. In turn, Kanade said nothing but focused on her painting, filling in details and colors as the evening progressed.

Finally Yukino spoke, starting with a sigh that betrayed a catch in her voice. "So... the doctor got the test results back. And they do explain why I've been feeling so tired lately."

A few seconds passed, and Kanade casually replied. "Oh? What did they show?"

Yukino paused again, for nearly a minute, before saying, quietly, "Cancer. They don't... it's... not the treatable kind."

Kanade nodded, but kept painting. After another pause, she asked, "How... how long do they think... what will the progress be? How long will you be... able to..." She stopped, unable to finish.

Another sigh from Yukino. "A few weeks. After that, it could be a very long and..." She stopped, and shook her head. "They recommend that I take the euthanasia pill before it gets to that point."

Kanade kept painting, not looking at Yukino. "They... they do say it's... painless, almost pleasant, the formula they offer these days. I... I know it's still scary, but... but we'll be going through it together, so no matter what, we'll-"

"Oh no, no NO, Kana! Please, not you too!" Yukino started crying for the first time, hugging her sister and burying her head in her shoulder. "I don't... you're fine, you've got to keep... I can't stand it if you..."

Kanade hugged her back, and stroked her hair as Yukino broke down, sobbing hysterically. Kanade herself said nothing but rocked her back and forth making gentle shushing noises until Yukino's sobs had calmed.

"Yuki, I... I know this isn't what you want to hear, but whatever happens, you know I... I have to come with you. There's not... The idea that there's any kind of life for me without you, we settled that a long time ago. This is-" her voice broke, and she sobbed once herself. "This is just the last step on a journey we started after that damned video. And-" She sobbed again, but laughed at the same time. "And maybe it's just the next step, you know? Whatever happens after we go... we'll discover it together, Yuki-chan. Together."

Yukino sobbed a littler harder, and squeezed her sister more tightly. After a few more minutes, she asked, almost in a whisper, "You... you're sure there's nothing I can say-"

"No." Kanade cut her off almost immediately. "Where you go, I go, my love. That's all there is to it."

Yukino held her tighter, and, after a few seconds, gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. Then she took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, shuddering once or twice as she did so. She stood, and reached down to offer Kanade her hand.

"Ok, then. Let's go inside and talk."

And Kanade left her brushes and canvas behind, following her into the house where they planned out the rest of their lives.