As winter progressed, many things changed...
Kuu's departure, the Sin-Bound illness...
the death of the bird...
I recovered my cocoon dream and obtained ajob.
But Reki is still under the Sin-Bound curse...
and is struggling to find the dream she cannot recall.
Lucky him! Sleep over.
I want to go, too!
Next year, Shorta.
Why does only Dai get to go? It's not fair.
Dai.
Take care of yourself.
Of course!
Parting Darkness in the Heart Irreplaceable Thing
I like the smell of the river. It reminds me of something.
It does?
Are you hot?
Reki made me wear this. She said I'd catch a cold.
Are you going to miss her while you're away?
Why should I? It's only half a month.
But you know...
I wonder if something's wrong with her.
She's a lot quieter and looks spaced-out.
Maybe she already misses you.
She makes me feel funny.
It's not like I'm going really far away, you know.
Oh, right.
Over here!
There.
I wonder if anybody's home.
Did I scare you?!
What was that for?!
They're valuable! Don't waste them!
We'll be out before the festival!
I'm just saying hello to the visitors.
Huh? It's that messy-haired chick.
Wow, thanks a lot.
You didn't have to do that.
Did you make these yourself?
No, Hikari did. Well...
Oh, I know! The girl who works at the bakery, right?
What's your name?
I'm Rakka.
Try it.
Hey, don't let him get hurt!
I won't!
Really, he's such a child.
Well, I guess that makes him a good playmate for the boy.
Are you angry?
What?
At Hyohko, I mean.
Oh, not at all.
Good.
But anyway, thank you for taking in Dai.
No, it's the other way around.
We've had you take care of our kids all this time.
We should be visiting Old Home to thank you guys...
but we've grown apart from each other because of that trouble, you know.
And we really didn't have a chance to break the ice.
What trouble?
Oh, right. You're still new here.
Well, things that happened in the past. Right, Midori?
I don't know!
Oh my, she's so pigheaded.
Hey, wait up!
I forgot.
Give this back to Reki. She let me borrow it.
OK.
She's still the same old do-gooder, isn't she?
Say...
you really don't know anything?
Well, I saw you guys and Reki arguing here before.
And?
And I heard that Reki and Hyohko of Abandoned Factory tried...
To run away, right? Give me a break.
Isn't it true?
Reki got Hyohko involved because of her selfishness.
He almost died because of her.
Reki... Reki doesn't do such horrible things!
You know nothing about Reki! Nothing!
Reki would never hurt anyone.
Reki's always been kind.
She is always considerate of others, even when she's suffering inside.
But I didn't realize it for a long time.
When Kuu left and when I became Sin-Bound...
it was Reki who suffered more. But I was always leaning on her.
Oh, no!
Wait!
What is that?
Wow...
These letters...
Are you finished?
Reki has come to get you. She seems concerned about you.
Reki seems to be a little nervous these days.
The fact that the Day of Flight has not come to her is weighing on her mind.
But, at the same time, she wishes that it will never come.
It hurts me as well, to see her suffer.
But I don't want her to go.
She is still lost in the dark.
Rakka, you had the bird come to you...
enabling you to fill in the missing pieces of your memories.
However, Reki has no one.
She must face the darkness in her mind, on her own.
It is a trying ordeal.
Reki keeps painting the scenes from her dream.
I saw them once but could not tell what they were.
I don't think Reki knows, either.
Not much time is left for Reki.
I know not when...
but by the end of this winter, things will have come to a conclusion.
If Reki is still in a state of spiritual darkness at that point...
she will remain here.
Is it possible to remain here?
It is quite rare, but some do remain.
However, they are no longer called Haibane.
They lose their wings and halos...
and live away from both the humans and Haibane...
and sooner or later, they grow old and die.
It is a quiet and peaceful, but Ionely life.
l, or rather, the Haibane Renmei wishes for all the Haibane...
to take the flight without problems.
But as it is, Reki refuses me.
Everything I say makes Reki close her mind.
I want to help her.
She was suffering all this time, but she hid it and helped me.
So this time...
...I have to help her.
Saving Reki means parting with her.
If she leaves here, you may never see her again.
Are you prepared for that?
Thanks for coming all this way.
I had to come buy some paints anyway.
With snow like this, I won't be able to ride this for the rest of the winter.
How's your work? Going well?
Yes, and you? Are you painting?
Oh, It's nothing more...
...than smearing paints all over.
Oh, yes. I was asked to give this back to you.
From Midori?
Yes.
A friend of yours?
She was, once.
Did she say something mean to you?
No, she didn't.
Don't be mad at her.
She says nasty things, but she's really a good person.
It's been five years already.
Oh well, both of us are being stubborn.
We couldn't go back to being friends, after all.
Reki! I'll do my best!
Yeah, good luck. Yourjob sounds a bit of a drag, but...
you're not a full-fledged Haibane unless you work.
Thanks for the breakfast.
Damn, you're lucky Rakka. Your work starts in the afternoon.
Don't be such a complainer.
But Rakka, I'm glad you found ajob.
Yeah.
What's wrong?
I think I have a cold.
What? Oh, no, don't give it to me.
You're all heart. Where's Reki?
Painting, so she says.
So I'm cooking for the kids again today.
She's always doing that these days. I wonder what's going on.
Oh, I was hoping she'd take the scooter to the library...
and tell them that I'm taking the day off.
Why don't you ask Kana?
Me? No way, I'll be late for work.
Only ten minutes or so, right? It's OK.
No, for Master, it's not OK.
I'll go. I have some time.
You will? Thanks.
No problem.
Kana will give me a ride. Right?
Thanks!
Nemu is?
I see. It did get cold all of a sudden.
Thanks for coming by to let us know.
This is...
Hey, Rakka! What are you doing here?
Sumika.
It's almost due.
Is it okay for you to go out?
Oh, sure.
I'll suffocate if I shut myself in the house.
We have to get ready for the passing of the Year...
and I need to at least take a walk once in a while.
It's mysterious, isn't it?
Yes, it is.
Sometimes I find myself wondering where this life came from?
By the way, where's Nemu?
Oh, she has a cold and won't be in. I came to tell them that.
Oh, that's too bad.
Hmm? A fossil of a book?
Nobody knows what it really is...
but the story goes that there was a ruin deep in the Western Woods...
...a long time ago, and this was buried in the stones.
It looks like it was turned to stone by some sort of force, doesn't it?
What does it say?
I don't know.
See those pattern-like things engraved on it?
Some say those are letters, and others say ancient drawings.
If they are drawings, they kind of look like human hands, I guess.
Darn it!
Re...
You know nothing about Reki.
Reki!
Nemu?
Oh, that's unusual.
I should've bought some canned peaches or something for her.
Oh, I didn't know peaches were a remedy for colds.
Come on, Rakka.
Haven't you ever heard, "canned peaches for colds?"
It's just something you get for a sick person as a sort of get-well present.
Oh, that's all?
We walk with empty smiles plastered on our faces.
Reki is always kind.
Because she doesn't want to worry anyone...
and because she doesn't want to lean on anyone, shejust smiles.
Why didn't I realize it sooner? I was always right next to her.
I wish tomorrow would never come.
Where did that come from, all of a sudden?
I wish the day after today was today.
And the next day, and the next day, too.
I wish it was always today. Then I'd be able to be with you forever.
There is no such thing as forever.
Everything ends sooner or later.
Just as it should.
Because now is only now. And this moment... is so precious.
Yeah, I guess... you're right.
Off to work, huh? Good luck.
You, too.
Don't cry! I'm the one who will help Reki!
Smile... Rakka...
Smile!
Nemu, thanks for everything over all these years.
If you ever see Kuramori someday...
tell her that I said "sorry and thanks."
I don't think I'll make it into that world.
Reki...
It's time to end it.