Everything's

Gone by so fast…

It's as if…

One day

You were beside me

And the next…

You were gone.

"Good morning, Nishikino-sensei."

"Morning, Dia-chan."

Dia smiled softly at the Christmas tree in the hospital lobby. She carried a small bag with a gift for her sister. She gripped the bag straps and gave a slight bow to Maki before making her way to Ruby's hospital room.

"Ruby, I brought—" Dia stopped in her tracks when she saw her sister, sitting on the ground. Dia set her things down and stepped over to her sister. "Ruby!" she cried. "Are you alright? What's wrong? Did you fall? Are you hurt anywhere?" Dia's head was filled with nothing but worry for her sister. Ruby looked as if… Was she in shock? She wasn't responding to Dia.

Maki was in the middle of making her rounds to Ruby. She saw the sisters crouched near Ruby's hospital bed and stepped over to them.

"Girls, what's wrong?" Dia turned to Maki with pleading eyes and then back to Ruby.

"Ruby!" she cried, calling her sister's name.

"Onee-chan…"

"What is it, Ruby? What's wrong?"

Ruby turned her head slowly to her sister.

"I… can't… walk… anymore…"

"How can this be, Sensei?! It's only been two years…" Maki sighed through pursed lips.

"Honestly… I'm not too sure, myself." Dia pursed her lips and bit down on her bottom lip.

"So, is it… is it really only a matter of time before—"

"No one knows that for sure, Dia-chan." Dia clenched her fists and the tears pricked at her eyes.

"I… I can't lose her… Not now… I just… can't…!" The older girl was on the verge of bursting, but she held it in. "Nishikino-sensei… Despite my looks and my demeanor… I'm actually a very weak person when it comes to my family… My mother passed away, my father… disappeared after my mother's death. If I were to lose Ruby…" Her voice broke as her heart shattered to pieces. "What else is there left for me to live for…?"

"Dia-chan…"

"We've been together forever… To lose all of those memories with her would be… just… too much…!"

Dia gripped her chest, the pain building and building with every sob that left her lips. She hunched down in her seat and bawled her eyes out.

Maki sat across from her. The doctor's eyes welled up with tears, but not a single one fell. She took a deep breath and got up from her chair to hug the distraught young girl.

"Dia-chan… I was completely unaware of your family circumstances. But I do know this — Ruby-chan… she needs you. You need each other. You lean on each other so much. I've been in your sister's hospital room enough to know that… you're all she talks about."

"Really…?" Dia whimpered. Maki chuckled.

"Yeah… 'I wonder what Onee-chan's doing right now.' 'I hope she and Riko-nee aren't fighting because of me.'" Dia laughed at that last statement.

"Of course, Riko and I are getting along…" she whispered to herself. Maki laughed at that.

"I and the other doctors, including my father, will be doing our absolute best to make sure that… Ruby-chan lives her life with no regrets." She pulled away from Dia and let the younger girl collect herself. "I don't want either of you to give up on each other. I would…" Maki bit the tears back, breathing deeply. "I would never forgive myself if that happened."

"Sensei…"

Maki placed a hand on Dia's shoulder.

"Promise me, Dia-chan… that you won't lose yourself… after your sister's time has come." Dia sniffled her tears away. "Can you promise me?"

Dia blew a breath, letting her shoulders drop. She wiped her eyes free of tears before giving Maki a nod.

"I promise, Sensei."

That night, Dia decided to spend the night at the hospital with Ruby. She sat in the chair near her sister's bed, writing in their exchange diary.

December 24th, 2019 (Saturday)

Ruby…

I'm writing this entry to you personally because I want you to know how much you mean to me.

We've been together all our lives. I've protected you, you've looked up to me. We've had each others' backs when things got rough.

I don't want that to ever change.

To be completely honest, I… I feel useless, just coming and going when you're in this state.

I know. I need to be strong.

But, it's just… so hard.

"Onee…chan…"

Dia lifted her head from the diary to see her sister stirring in bed. Ruby's eyes fluttered open and she smiled tiredly to her sister. "You're… staying… the night?" Dia nodded.

"It's late right now, Ruby. Go back to sleep; you need your rest." Ruby tried her hardest to keep her eyes open, but failed as they soon fluttered closed. She fell asleep with a soft smile.

Dia pursed her lips before continuing her diary entry.

You may be angry with me after reading this, but… no matter how many times you tell me to stay strong and keep looking after you… I don't know if I'll be able to live up to that promise before you're… gone.

She felt her lip quiver and bit down on it. Even then, she still wasn't able to stop the overflow of tears rolling down her cheeks. She set the pen down and muffled her cries, so she wouldn't wake her sister.

Oh, Ruby… please… Please, don't leave me…

The minutes turn to hours and soon enough, Dia has cried herself to sleep. Her cheeks were littered with dried-out tears. Her eyes were puffy.

She slowly fluttered her eyes open… to see Maki and some other doctors surrounding Ruby's bed.

Maki glanced up from Ruby's bed and paced over to her sister.

"Dia-chan," she whispered. "Listen closely. I need you to leave the room for a while, alright?"

"… Why?" Dia questioned tiredly.

Maki looked back over to Ruby, a pained expression on her face.

"Your sister needs our help right now."

"Sensei…?"

Dia was slightly awake now. Her eyebrows furrowed with worry. Maki brought her hands on her shoulders.

"Please. Just let us handle this."

Dia anxiously waited outside of her sister's hospital room. Nipping at her fingernail, she bounced her leg as she stays seated. As she sat outside, she swears she hears a voice beside her.

Onee-chan… I'm sorry…

Dia looks up from the ground and furrows her brow when she realizes no one was there. She breathed deeply, hunching over on the bench. She suddenly felt a chill in the room. She rubbed her arms, feeling the goosebumps forming. What is this…?

Then, she hears the voice again.

Onee-chan… I'm so sorry…

Dia snaps out of her reverie when she looks up to see Maki and the nurse, Eriko, exiting Ruby's room, as well as all the other doctors and nurses.

Maki takes a few steps closer to Dia. She couldn't hear the doctor's footsteps hitting the floor as Maki slowly approached her.

The other doctors and nurses leave the scene, leaving only Maki and Eriko behind with Dia. Dia furrowed her brow. Her shoulders suddenly felt heavy. The weight was pushing against her. Heavier. Heavier.

Seconds later, without uttering a single word… Maki and Eriko bowed lowly to the Kurosawa sister.

"Dia-chan… I… Your sister, she…" Maki couldn't form the right words as her voice trembled.

"We… we tried, Dia-chan, we really did, but…" Eriko bit down on her lip to keep from whimpering. "Ruby-chan… She's…"

Neither of them could utter any more complete sentences. Even then… Dia felt it.

The chills returned throughout her body. Her eyes widened as she finally realized the situation.

No… God, please, no…!

She quickly paces to Ruby's hospital room.

No, no, no, no, no…

She stands outside her sister's room. Suddenly, her legs won't move. Her hand trembles as she reaches for the door handle.

She opens the door and holds her breath. She takes a step into the room. Then another. And another. And another. A few more until she's finally at her sister's bedside. She glances at the heart monitor. It's turned off.

Ruby was completely disconnected from the monitor. The younger Kurosawa lay in her bed, peacefully. But, this was far from a peaceful scene.

And Dia hated that.

Her chest tightened. Her breathing quickened. She took these few minutes to calm her breathing. Breathe in through your nose. Out through your mouth. In. Out. In. Out.

She blew a final breath before peering down at her beloved sister's innocent face. She crouched to Ruby's level. She reached a trembling hand to her head and ran a hand through Ruby's red locks.

Before she realizes, the tears are flowing freely down Dia's face. She feels it on her cheeks but doesn't bother to wipe them away.

Her hand slides down to Ruby's neck. Her fingers gently touch the locket that she gave her sister for her birthday.

Dia reaches her other hand to unclasp the necklace off of Ruby's neck. She opened the locket. She looked at the tiny photos of herself and their mother. As she peered at the photo of Youko, Dia bit down on her lip. She sniffled before blinking the tears back. Her eyes went back up to Ruby's lifeless body.

"So… you're… you're really…" You're really gone. "We… We didn't even… get to…" We didn't get to say goodbye to each other. "I won't be able to…" A deep breath. "… hear your voice anymore." Another breath, as the tears continue to fall. "We can't sing together anymore…" Slowly… the realization hits her like a truck. She laughs through her overflowing tears. "What am I doing…?" She covers her eyes for a second, taking another deep breath. She uncovers her eyes, hoping that what she's seeing is all just some horrible dream. "You can't even hear what I'm saying, so… I'll never…" Her voice breaks. "… I'll never be able to hear your voice… ever again…" She clenches her fist, gripping her sister's necklace. She hovers over her sister's body… and wails her anguish out on Ruby's stomach.

She cries. The Diamond slowly begins to break. Her shoulders tremble as she sobs.

She doesn't utter any words. All she does is cry. Seconds later, the reality sinks in even harder, and she's sobbing. Wailing. Until her voice is hoarse and raw. She screams. She grips her sister's necklace until her palms bleed.

All at that moment, it's as if the two Kurosawa sisters are the only ones in the entire hospital.

Dia mourned her sister for a good hour and a half. She knelt beside Ruby silently, reduced to sniffles and whimpers. She doesn't have any strength left in her to stand up.

She doesn't want to leave Ruby.

Dia just stares at Ruby's face as it slowly pales.

These two sisters' bond… had come to an end.

That promise that they had both kept… had been broken.

Even Ruby's wish for her seventeenth birthday… no one would ever know what it was.

Riko wouldn't be able to make another scrapbook with her, Ruby and Dia.

Ruby wouldn't move on to graduate from Uranoshi…

Dia's breath hitched as she remembered…

Oh… Hanamaru-san… she'll be devastated…

Dia stared over Ruby's bed and noticed the Christmas gift she had gotten for Ruby. She purses her lips and slowly gets up off the ground. She goes over to the bag and sits down on the chair. She picks up the gift bag, glances at Ruby and opens the gift on her behalf.

She reaches into the bag and takes the gift out. She rips the wrapping paper and tissue paper off to reveal a picture frame. She smiles sadly, getting a good look at the photo inside the frame.

It was of her mother holding a baby Ruby and a little Dia smiling in awe at how tiny her sister was. Youko is seen smiling endearingly down at Ruby.

If I remember correctly…. Father took this photo.

Dia purses her lips. She peers down at the text at the bottom of the frame.

The text read…

To My Sweet Ruby, Merry Christmas. Love, Dia

She took in a shaky breath before letting it out, slightly parting her lips. She gently sets the frame down and stands up from the chair. She crouches down once again to Ruby's level. Brushing a stray hair away from Ruby's forehead.

"You've been… so brave this entire time," she whispers. "You've… done well, Ruby…" She leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead. "I know I don't say this enough…" The tears drop down onto Ruby's cheeks. "…but I hope you know that I am so proud of you." She places one final kiss to Ruby's forehead. "Say hello to Mother for me. I…" Her voice breaks again. "… I love you, my dear, sweet sister." She presses her forehead to Ruby's. "I love you. I love you. I love you…"

Dia whispered these same three words to Ruby, over and over, hoping and praying that she would say it back.

Dia hadn't noticed, but a presence wrapped itself around her. Dia had suddenly felt a chill down her spine, but she didn't lift her body from Ruby's.

Then, a familiar voice echoed in Dia's head.

I love you too, Onee-chan. Thank you for everything. I love you. I love you. I love you…