They say time heals all wounds.

It is, however, a damn lie.

Time doesn't heal anything. It widens the wound, pours salt in it, and every time you turn around there's something to remind you of what you've lost.

It has left Len trapped in a perpetual loop of agony.

It's been a month since Rin… died. The word is bitter on his tongue.

She's gone, and without her, Len has been lost.

With no direction, his only reason for being gone as quickly as she appeared, it's like the ground has dropped from beneath him. Stumbling along through the days, minutes blending into hours, he's lost track of how long he's been wandering.

Her home is empty and cold without her, and soon it will be gone too. Everything that was once purely Rin is disappearing, until she will only be left as a memory.

Len was never trained in this. His programming cannot handle the overwhelming grief he's been through every single day since she left the world. His flawed body goes through the motions of functioning, but inside, everything has shut down. He's lost all will to be.

There can never be another of her. Rin was his one and only. His entire personality was modified to be for her, which means anyone else would send him back to be scrapped. He can't even dream of keeping his true 'self' intact, because the minute anyone finds out he has consciousness, he'll be torn to shreds and reassembled to fit a new model.

Maybe that would be better than this. The world is dull and colorless without her beside him. Her smile no longer brightens the day, her eyes can no longer reflect the rain, and he wishes to be dead alongside her.

Yet, some part of him pushes forward. He walks this same city she once embodied, as if one day he may see her again, or catch sight of her as if she had never left. He haunts every place that brings her face back to the forefront of his mind. It's an exquisite torture he's putting himself through, just so he can remember what it felt like to live that short time with her again.

Nothing assuages this pain that crushes his chest and makes him feel hollow within. Nothing ever will.

Today is no different. The same blend of deep gray and the threat of a storm that looms over the early morning. He's been walking for six days straight, never ceasing, allowing everything to pass him by without regard.

Rin's phone sits within his pocket, and the texts and calls had died down after the first week. Miku had realized he was holding onto it, however, so she uses it to try to communicate with him. He hasn't answered a single message. He can't bear to see the picture of Rin with him at the beach on the home screen.

When Rin passed, it was revealed to him that she had quite a large amount of money saved she hadn't been using. He knew she had been rather frugal, but not to this extent. He had made sure to renew her home and bills, just to keep the smallest semblance of her alive for as long as he could. Anything she once took care of fell into his hands, but he can't bring himself to re-enter her apartment. He's only been there once, and it had felt like she haunted him there, the aura of what once was suffocating him.

He can't believe he's become thisweak. His creators would be horrified by what he's become.

Well, it won't be long until they know.

At this point, there's only one clear path forward. It's one he's been loathe to take, but it's all that's left.

He's had plenty of time to think it over.

Len stops walking.

He's arrived at his destination- Gumi's shop. The building looms over him, and he inhales deeply, a pointless show of humanity.

Walking inside, he is greeted by emptiness. The front office is barren of people, but he can hear the not-so distant sounds of someone tinkering with electronics. It's never very populated here, but Gumi's business has picked up quite substantially. Ever since Rin sent that one human and his android here, the man had been spreading good reviews of the shop to anyone he could find. The greenette has been busier than she ever anticipated, but from what Len can tell, she's thriving in it.

The door to the inner workshop opens up, and Gumi's android, Miki, steps inside. She takes one look at him.

"Len," she greets, raising her hand in a smooth yet stiff wave. "Hello. May I ask the reason for your visit?"

He eyes her for a minute. He should have been built like her, devoid of emotion and human mannerisms, but it must not have been in the cards destiny dealt him.

"Is Gumi here?" he inquires.

Without pausing, she nods and wordlessly guides him out into the workshop. He follows her, the scent of rubbing alcohol and polishing compounds thick in the air.

Gumi, ever the tireless workaholic, is halfway underneath her steel work table, thick goggles over her eyes and her hair pulled back into a short ponytail that slightly resembles Len's. She has a blowtorch in one hand and a disembodied arm in the other, holding it in place. When she hears their entry, the torch flicks off, and she turns to look at him.

Removing the safety equipment from her face, her bangs messily fall over her nose, a faint raccoon-like set of grimy rings left behind. She sniffs sharply, and rubs her cheek on the back of her brown gloves.

"You're late," she says sternly.

"I apologize," he responds, approaching her.

Two days after Rin died, Gumi had absolutely, without budging, insisted he visit her for consistent maintenance every four days. His malfunctioning in the past had left her concerned her work was faulty, or so she said.

It doesn't take a scientist to see the pity in her gaze, though. She seems to feel sorry for him. It's laughable.

"You could have gone haywire without my treatment, Len," she says, not waiting for him to meet her halfway before she starts to roam her hands over his body, searching for flaws in his skin and anything out of the ordinary. A human may have felt uncomfortable by her firm exploration of their body, but he senses no such thing from it. She is thorough, and it reflects in her projects and work.

"I'm fine. You do not need to concern yourself over my functionality," Len says, and she snorts through her nose.

"You know just as well as I do that someone would be unhappy if I left you to rust."

He stiffens. She didn't need to mention her by name- he knows.

She isn't wrong, I'm sure, but…

Rin isn't here to care any more.

"Where have you been?" Gumi asks offhandedly, prodding the elasticity of his skin with some kind of metal rod.

"Walking."

"Anywhere specific?"

"No."

She harrumphs with dissatisfaction. His blasé responses clearly aren't what she wants to hear.

"You know you can't just keep wandering forever, right?"

He opens his mouth to retort, but thinks better of it as she scours over his abdomen. Instead, he lets out a sigh. "You've said as much."

"You aren't listening, though."

"I told you, I'm fine. You don't have to act concerned."

She stands up straight, towering just slightly above him by an inch or two. Her piercing green eyes narrow at him. He's pissed her off.

"Fine." She tosses her tool over to the table, where it bounces with a clatter. "You're done. Leave."

She turns away from him, preparing to walk away, and he frowns for a minute.

His sense for what he should and shouldn't say has been cloudy for weeks. It'[s like the filter that once prevented him from speaking his mind has left. Now he wants to be left alone. But taking out how he feels on the people around him isn't helping him.

"...I apologize for offending you."

Gumi peeks at him, rolling her eyes and tapping a wrench she just picked up against her cheek, leaving a small smudge on her pale skin.

"I'm not offended, Len," she says coarsely, crossing her arms and twirling the tool in between her fingers. "I am, however, irritated."

"Why?" he says, tilting his head.

"Because you are the epitome of everything the world needs right now." Her words cut through the air like a knife. She isn't one to raise her voice, but in this moment it heightens an octave, and there's a determined fire behind her eyes. "You have your own mind, Len. A consciousness that can't be replicated by humans. Something so precious in a world like ours, and right now it looks like you're ready to throw it all away."

He finds it hard to look at her. "There is nothing left for me to do. I fulfilled the only purpose I had. With… With her gone, I am no longer useful."

Silence falls over them. He can hear her shuffling footfalls, as they come toward him.

"...I am not able to change your mind," Gumi says quietly, and he peers at her through a grimace. "I know nothing I say to you right now will fix how much you must miss her. Which is why… I have something you need to see."

His brows knit together with confusion as she produces what looks to be some sort of recording device from her utility belt. Reaching out, she cups Len's hand in hers, and releases the object into his grasp.

It's barely the size of his palm. Sleek black, with very few buttons, it's simple in design and unlabelled. He stares at Gumi, unsure what to make of it.

"What is this?"

"...Something you need to hear, Len," she replies. "Later, when you have some time."

He frowns again, but accepts it, placing it into his pocket. The mystery nags at him, but there's something worrisome about it.

With her duty fulfilled, Len and Gumi bid each other farewell. He doesn't ever mind the visits with her, but despite her own robotic nature, she is just as human as the rest. It isn't pleasant to see the reflection of his emotions in other people.

He has one other place to go.

It only takes a short while to walk there, but in that time, the sun begins to peek through the dreary overhang. He wishes it would disappear, and leave him in this gloom forever. If the world opened up and swallowed him whole right now, it would be a good enough end for him.

All too soon, he reaches it- a familiar dress store, where he had been a handful of times with Rin.

Walking inside, the stuffy smell of clothing assaults his senses, the air thick. He doesn't have time to process too much of it.

"Welcome in!"

As he takes a step forward, he sees someone bustling behind the front desk, bent over so her head is obscured. Her voice, however, is recognizable from the first syllable.

"How can I-...?"

As she lifts herself up with a grin plastered over her face, Miku falls short of her cheery sentence, nearly dropping the stack of dresses she had removed from a box by her feet when she sees him.

Miku's long, luxurious teal hair has been lopped off up to her shoulders, a navy blue headband over the crest of her scalp, a haircut she adopted the day after her best friend died. She had modeled it almost exactly to what Rin's once was, and for some reason, it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. Her usually bright eyes seem duller these days, with dark bags under her eyes signaling that she must not have had a good night's sleep in some time.

"...Len?" she asks hesitantly, like she's seen a ghost. "What…? I mean… What are you doing here?"

He can still vividly remember her face, caked in tears, holding onto him desperately as if she could cry hard enough to make Rin come back. It always sets him on edge.

He's been avoiding her since Rin's funeral. It makes sense why she'd be confused.

"... Do you have a moment to talk?" He asks hesitantly.

Something crosses over her expression, before she nods, biting the inside of her cheek.

He waits while she locks the front door of her shop, turning her 'open' sign to 'closed'. Once she's done, she approaches him with unsure steps, knitting her fingers together in front of her.

"...Okay. I'm ready," she says, letting out an awkward giggle. "You, um… You look well. Wait, that's silly. I just mean… it's good to see you."

She's really struggling to stay upbeat. It's not hard to tell she's probably burning with questions. The thought of answering them all feels tiresome even just in theory.

"I suppose it's… good to see you, too," he says, trying to get the formality to sound genuine.

"So, what have you been up to?" she asks. "I haven't seen you in so long, I thought maybe you left the city."

If only. He couldn't bear to leave. Rin is here, still buried in this awful place. He could never leave her.

"...I'm afraid not," he says stiffly, and her eyes widen.

"...Hey, are you okay?" she asks, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He smoothly dips away from her touch, however, as if it might freeze him in place. "Is there something bothering you?"

He hates this. Every time Miku looks at him, it's like she's looking through him. He can't get past the way she had stared past him as he entered the store, like Rin may trail in after him like she had never been gone.

For Len, he, too, is an unwanted reminder of her. His presence brings up memories good and bad.

"Len…?" she pushes.

"Hey, Miku…"

The words feel like they're coming from someone else. They sound estranged, filled with resignation.

"...I think, tomorrow, I'm going to turn myself in."

Her mouth gapes instantly, surprise washing over her.

"What?"

"I'm going to send myself back to the factory. I haven't had a place to go, or a person to become, without her. Rin isn't here to be my purpose, which means that I am no longer needed." Each word hits the woman like a dagger.

Questioning fills her face. "You can't be serious?"

"I am." It feels like both a relief and a unique form of suffering to get this out loud, but with each passing second, unreadable emotion becomes apparent on the tealette.

"Len, no…" she says, shaking her head. "Why? Why would you ever want to do that?"

"I have nothing left, Miku," he says, voice becoming quieter. "I am nothing. You know what happens to androids without masters."

"But! But you're alive, Len!" she insists, flickering from one feeling to the next. "You have so much purpose. I can't let you do that! Rin would never want you to-"

"Don't speak for her!"

Miku is silenced by his angry outburst instantly. He hadn't even realized how much rage followed her words until it was out there.

He runs a hand through his bangs and grimaces. "You can't talk like she's still here. Do not talk for the dead."

Instead of turning meek, however, her response is quite the opposite.

"Do you even hear yourself?" she demands, short hair bobbing around her face with her ministrations. "You're just going to give up? I can't believe that the only last living piece of my best friend is trying to die on me, too!"

Suddenly she leaps forward, her small hands gripping tight around both his arms. She shakes him, a feat in and of itself considering their large weight differences.

"You can't expect the answer to drop out of the sky for you, Len!" she yells at him, voice nearing a shriek. "You have to find it for yourself. You have to try!"

Instead of responding to her in the same heated fashion, Len stops her, his hands tight on her elbows so she can't keep going after him.

"... I already know the true answer," he says, heartbroken. His blue eyes meet hers. "Please, Miku. I need you to factory reset me."

She grows completely still, but the words are pouring out of him.

"I need you to end this for me. I can't do it myself. Shut me off, reset me, send me back, I don't care, but please… I need you to do this. I want to be with her again. I just… I need to be with Rin."

He's never felt so raw. Miku's long since released him, but he's the one shaking her now, his hands trembling.

"...No."

He gazes at her pleadingly, but she isn't enraged anymore. There's a small smile on her face, and tears are cresting over her cheeks.

"Why?" he asks hoarsely. "Why not?"

She pries his fingers off her, but she holds both his hands tightly in hers, squeezing.

"...Your answer isn't running away and ending it all," she says. "I know you don't want to hear this, but she was my best friend. I know- I mean, I knew her, better than anyone before you came along. And if there's one thing I know with absolute certainty, Len, is that she would not want you to toss yourself aside. Rin loved you more than life itself. She was so proud of you, for everything you've done. You are a miracle, Len, Rin's miracle. You have the power to change the world. Instead of destroying it all, you have the chance to do good. You can live, not just for yourself, but for her, too."

Live… for Rin?

Despite his unparalleled intelligence and quick thinking, even Len had not considered something so simple. It was always about Rin being gone forever, and not about the here and now.

He had almost forgotten about how often she spoke of the way androids were treated, wishing for a brighter tomorrow. He took for granted his bond with her. Even he's been subjected to the cruel underbelly of what androids have become to the world.

Is it true? Could he have the ability to change this? To bring this change to the world?

The idea of not only him, but other androids having the ability to feel and think and be, is astronomical. It seems like a pipe dream, a fairy tale for children, but Rin truly believed it could come true.

Living for Rin, fulfilling the aspirations that she's left behind… would that be possible?

"I…" The words won't come. He can only stare at Miku in disbelief, a swelling feeling in his chest.

There's a new surge of something there, a hole being filled he had not even realized was empty. A surge of life, finally returning to him at last. The will to live on, at last, powered by the strength of Rin's memory.

"...You're right," he finally manages to say, letting Miku go. "Of course, you're right."

She breathes a heavy sigh of relief, the tension easing out of her shoulders. She presses a hand against her shirt, shaking her head.

"Okay. Thank God. You scared me," she says, barely letting out a chuckle. "Don't ever do that again. I never wanna hear you say those things again."

He looks to his hands, before gripping them tightly into fists. Even with this ache left behind by Rin's absence, he no longer feels like there is only one final path laid out for him. If he can go forward and live on in Rin's honor, then there may actually be a purpose left for him after all.

"Thank you, Miku," he says quietly. "I have to go somewhere, now."

As he makes a beeline for the door, she calls out to him.

When he looks at her, Miku smiles at him through the tears still coursing down her face. In her eyes, instead of his own reflection, for a split second it looked as if she was seeing Rin's.

"...Come visit me more often, okay?" she chokes. "It gets awfully lonely around here, after all."

Len finally offers a smile in return.

"I promise."

.x.X.x.

The clouds are leaving.

The rain that once loomed above has disappeared. Now, as Len maneuvers his way through the cemetery, the world is awash in the brilliant glow of the afternoon sun. It feels warm atop his skin.

His eyes scour the headstones, stopping upon the only one of importance. As he moves to stand before it, he rereads the name embossed on the front of the ornate marble.

Rin Kagamine. Beloved wife and friend.

His hands curl tightly around the bouquet of bright yellow and orange flowers he's brought. As he sets them down atop the still freshly turned dirt, his fingers brush the etch of her name.

"...Hello, Rin," he whispers to the air. "I hope you haven't been waiting for me long. I know I haven't been by in awhile. I apologize. I had to spend some time thinking about the future."

He smiles at the lifeless rock, tracing the edge of it.

"I've decided to follow after what you always wanted for me. I lost sight of myself, and also you, for a time. I promise I won't do that again. Miku made sure to set me right- you'd be proud of her, too."

The headstone feels hot, but he never wants to move. He's knelt down against the grass, uncaring for the possibility of dirt staining his pants.

"I'm going to work hard to be someone you can be proud of, Rin," he whispers. "I'm going to do everything I can to change the world for you. I'll fight, for androids like me and for people like you. And when I'm done, and my last day comes… I'll look for you. Through every life, through every universe. I love you."

"...Len…"

The unmistakable, terrifying sound of her voice echoes through the air, a bit muffled. He freezes in places, unsure if he's hearing things. It's been so long since he's heard her that it might be a trick of his imagination- until it happens again.

"...don't have… in the…"

He is quick to chase down the voice, in pure disbelief. However, it begins to make sense as he realizes it's not coming from the world around him; it's coming from his pocket.

Retrieving the device, her voice comes through crystal clear. He must have accidentally turned it on by moving around.

He has to painstakingly stop and rewind it, but when he does, it allows her disembodied dulcet tones to flow through the air like a lullaby. The familiarity of her both soothes him and tears him apart.

"Hello, Len. If you're hearing this, I must have passed away. I'm sure you must be having a rough time right now. I can't believe I'm making this silly recording, but… I think, after I'm gone, you may need it."

It's her, really her. He wishes it was raining so it could mask the tears free-falling down his face. When she giggles and talks, he can almost see her in front of him.

"I don't have a lot of time left. I'm sure watching me deteriorate in the hospital didn't help you process your grief. But that's not the point of this. Len… I want you to know I love you. I love you with all my heart, and soul. And… you're special. So much more special than even I could comprehend.

"I never wanted to leave you behind like this. With an illness like this, it creeps up on you until you can no longer run. Still, I am so thankful for every day I shared with you. Of all the people in the world, I was able to be with you. Which is why I need you to understand that no matter what path you take in this world, I believe in you. I will always support you. You are so much more than an android. You're a good friend, a wonderful lover, and most importantly… yourself.

"If you decide you don't want to live without me, I understand… But I am certain that the world is better off with you still in it. I hope you can see what I'm saying. Len…"

His name on her lips leaves him shuddering for breath, trying to stay calm.

"...please, don't ever forget me. When everything is over, and my time ends… I want you to know it was the happiest time of my life. Thank you… for everything."

The recording stops with a click. He can barely control the sobs that wrack his body to his core. It burns at his eyes, a lump in his throat that won't leave.

Rin, Rin, Rin.

How I miss you so much.

Despite the overwhelming sadness, he cherishes every spoken word. Truly, it was all the incentive he needs to keep pushing on. Knowing she would have wanted him to do it, and hearing her say it, is enough.

Maybe it's the tears, or maybe his own instability, but he can see her there, in front of him, offering her beautiful smile his way. Her hand, just barely grazing his cheek- both a greeting and a farewell. He is awed and filled with grief, but it makes him feel truly human.

I promise you, Rin.

I could never forget you.

The future may be uncertain, and the obstacles ahead nearly insurmountable. He may never achieve his true goals, or make a difference.

Even still, knowing that he's making her happy, and she'll be waiting for him, allows him to move forward.

You will always be missed, Rin.

Yet, finally…. Finally…

…Everything will go on, for you.

Thank you, everyone, for being with me until the end.

I will miss this story.

I can finally close this chapter, forever.