Chapter Text
On that day, the sun shone warmly on everyone’s faces. The flower garden Eito and Shouma had been faithfully tending to together had finally begun to blossom, and to each of their friends, the two handed out a single petunia and a small bag of seeds. Today was the day they’d say goodbye to this place—the school that stood on the precipice of a dead world where they were the sole survivors. Some would travel in groups, and some would go on their own...to try and rebuild what they could. Along the way, they would plant the seeds given to them by the resident gardeners so they’d always be able to find their way back no matter how far their journey took them.
With high spirits they gathered one final time, uncertain of when next they’d all be together again like this. As the BBQ party neared its natural conclusion, everyone with a full stomach and the fire dying down...Kako called for everyone to form a circle. In the week leading up to this day she’d been positively beaming for some reason—a reason she was going to reveal to everyone now.
With all eyes on her, she put on a brave face and spoke loudly so all in attendance would be able to hear. “Everyone...! These past few months we all spent together...has been the best time in my life. And I’m sure that goes for everyone here too...! Ah, uhm...what I wanted to say was that...though the future ahead may be unknown, I never want us to forget the memories we made here with each other. So that...no matter how far we may go, we’ll always be able to find our friends again! That’s why I planned something in occasion of this day!” Surely there was not a single person here who did not feel the same way she did. Reaching into her front pocket, she pulled out the white petunia Shouma had given her earlier. “Please hold the flowers we each received out towards the center of the circle. And then...after I start us off, I want everyone to chant the phrase: ‘we pray to stay together forever,’ twelve times each! Once for each of us.”
“Dear sister, what is this for?” Ima asked curiously as he stood by Kako’s side.
“Well, I found this notebook in one of the abandoned rooms on the rooftop a while back, and saw this charm. A ‘Bright Futures’ charm, it was called.” Recanting her experience, Kako stated everything as a matter-of-fact. “According to the details listed underneath, it’s a charm that’s used when friends or loved ones are about to part and it promises to bring everyone together again one day. We can each imbue an item of ours to serve as our link that connects us, and I thought...the flowers Eito and Shouma gave out would be perfect.”
“Shouldn’t we choose items that won’t wither away over time?” Hiruko said stoically, realizing the glaring flaw in this plan.
“Umm...” At those words, Kako faltered momentarily before picking herself back up again. “We can seal them in resin before we leave! The gift-o-matic can make us some, and then they’ll last longer!”
“Brilliant idea, sister!”
As Ima clapped his hands, nobody else seemed to find issue with her idea and each pulled out the flowers as directed. Cheering Kako on with her support, Moko enthusiastically held out her flower towards the middle of the group and beat on her chest with her other hand like a gorilla giving a resounding roar. “I love this idea, Kako! Everybody get pumped! I’m ready whenever you are!”
“Guess we’re doing this, huh?” Smiling sincerely, Nozomi leaned forward slightly as she looked towards Takumi standing at her side.
“Uh, yeah!” Seeing her so positive made his heart skip a beat and he almost forgot to hold his flower out until Eito poked at his shoulder and gently reminded him.
“Your flower...” Eito beamed a little too innocently when Takumi got the hint and held his out alongside everyone else.
“Uh, yeah...”
With everyone ready for Kako to begin, the smallest girl in the group spoke up once again as loud as she could. “On the bright futures of everyone gathered here, we beseech the gods above to grant us one final wish! Now, everyone!”
Keeping track of the number of times they chanted in their heads, the group recited the phrase Kako had told them mere moments ago.
“We pray to stay together forever!”
The sound of their resounding voices collectively coming together in prayer somehow lifted the warmth in their hearts once again. This wasn’t goodbye, but a promise of reunion. The bags of supplies Tsubasa had packed in the bus alongside Yugamu and Hiruko would be where things truly began. Restoring the world to the way it was wouldn’t be a simple endeavour, but knowing the three of them, they’d set the groundwork for something wonderful. It wouldn’t just be those three either. Everyone had their own ideas they were excited to get started on.
After the ritual had concluded, Eito placed his flower back in his coat pocket before reaching for Takumi’s. Surprised by this, Takumi hummed as the taller boy took the red petunia and set it in his hair with a smile. “You almost lost it four times during the barbecue. This way you won’t misplace it until we set it in resin.”
Stepping around Takumi as he stood there dumbfounded for a minute, Eito did the same for Nozomi and tucked the stem underneath her headband. “Now you two can match!” Proud of himself, Eito gleamed with content.
“Eito...are you sure you don’t want to come with us?” Nozomi asked a question she and Takumi had been sitting on since the last time they brought it up. Why Eito insisted on travelling alone was beyond the both of them, but...
“You two hardly need to worry for me, I’ll be just fine. I’d only get in the way...”
“In the way...?” Nozomi pondered quietly for a second. Just as Eito parted his lips to explain what he’d meant, the ground started to rumble and caused Gaku to lose his balance and fall face first into the dirt. “What the...”
It felt like the beginning of an earthquake—and those that memorized the natural disasters guide Sirei had given them on their first day here began to scramble to safety. Hiruko was calling out to those left staggered in the shock to follow her instructions just as the ground shook again. What happened next was like straight out of a horror movie. The ground opened up like a black crater with no bottom and pulled each and every one of them down into its depths. Unable to forget the screams that everyone cried out in that moment of terror, the golden sun that had once shone so brilliantly was now being swallowed up by the darkness never to be seen by their eyes again.
----
When the dust had settled, Hiruko felt around the unfamiliar flooring she had awoken on top of. Rough, splintered wood lined up into panels. Her glasses had been knocked off and as she opened her eyes she found it difficult to accommodate to the sheer darkness all around her. The last thing she could recall was falling until her body passed out from the shock. It was an all too human response even she couldn’t will herself against—and why should she have? Having counted the seconds in her head since the moment her feet lost solid ground, she knew that there was no way she would survive the drop. Not given the velocity and how long she’d been plummeting through the black abyss. Dying should have been assured. And yet...here she was, very much still alive.
Her limbs ached with the pain one would feel after a tumble down half a flight of stairs. Holding back the urge to groan through the soreness as she propped herself up into a sitting position, she felt around once again for her glasses. If it wasn’t for her poor eyesight she might’ve adjusted to the darkness faster. It usually took a few minutes for the human eye to be able to see in the dark—but without her glasses she wouldn’t be able to tell anyways. It’d all be a blur to her regardless.
Even so, without the ability of sight on her side...her body adapted in other ways to process her unknown surroundings. It was then that she could hear the sound of breathing coming from two others in her vicinity. So she wasn’t alone at least. “Wake up.” She whispered cautiously, but with enough urgency to shake someone awake if they weren’t completely passed out still.
“Hir...uko...?” The familiar sound of Takemaru’s voice reassured her slightly, but she waited for the other person to stir before she let herself feel any true relief. “`S that you...?”
“Yes, it’s me. I survived without any major injuries, and yourself?”
Stretching to judge if anything felt amiss, Takemaru grunted his affirmation. “Where the hell are we...?” As Takemaru rose to his feet, she felt his every movement no matter how subtle through the vibrations of the floorboards.
“I...cannot say. My glasses must’ve fell off at some point, so I am unable to see anything. Not that it would make much difference in this darkness.”
Just then, Takemaru bumped into what sounded like a table, or perhaps a small desk going off of the number of legs she heard skid across the wood. “Shit!”
“I hope I don’t need to remind you to be careful.” Hiruko remarked coldly.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” With a groan, Takemaru ruffled his hand through his hair as he felt at the desk he’d just bumped into. “What the hell is this doing down here?” Feeling around the area in the dark, his hands quickly found purchase when it hit another similar sounding object. “It’s like we’re in a school or something.”
“A school...”
Wondering the logistics behind that being a possibility, she rationed it must’ve been an underground facility made necessary at some point during history. Perhaps during a war or the like...perhaps it was even crafted in response to whatever had ended all life on the surface. Sirei never did go into detail about the extinction event that left her and her allies the only remaining lifeforms on Earth. Too traumatic, he kept repeating...as if to spare them the truth.
“Mmnn...” To her right, she heard the grumbling of what sounded like Moko just now waking up. “Where...?”
“Moko!” Takemaru cried with glee, pushing a path through the desks to her side. It was in that moment of sheer relief that Takemaru forgot Hiruko’s warning to be careful as she then heard what must’ve been her glasses crushing under his foot. “Fuck am I glad you’re here!” For all intents and purposes, those two were the strongest physically in the student body brought to Last Defence. If she was the brain, then they were the brawn. With the three of them working together, there was hope yet. Dim, but perhaps they’d make it through this in one piece.
For now, there wasn’t a reason to give into despair. Despite their surroundings, Sirei was still on the surface most likely. As soon as he could launch a rescue mission, he’d surely find some way to extract them from this underground classroom. Failing that, there was always the possibility of finding another exit to the surface if the situation grew dire. Perhaps they might even find a light source to guide their way.
Either way, she didn’t want to stay put. Not knowing her other allies could be here with them.
“Takemaru? Where’s everyone else? What happened?”
“No idea, but we’ve got Hiruko here so that makes three of us. We survived, so that means the others must’ve too. Just gotta track em down!”
“Hiruko?”
Sighing a short breath to express her gratitude just enough to not seem dismissive of their circumstances, Hiruko let Moko know that she too was fine. “You needn’t worry about me. We should focus on finding the rest of our allies as Takemaru said.”
“Hold on a sec, it’s here somewhere!” Rummaging through her pockets, Moko pulled out a thick object that opened with a click. Suddenly there was light, though Hiruko could only make out the small aura it emitted and nothing more. “The Battle Maiden of Ever-dark Extraordinaire, Moko Mojiro, comes prepared for anything!”
“Nice one, Moko!”
Based on how thin the aura of light was, Hiruko naturally deduced that it came from the compact mirror Moko typically kept on her. It was better than nothing, even if she derived no benefit from it without her glasses. “What do you two see?”
“Right, you don’t have your glasses...” Takemaru grimaced.
“I’ll remind you again not to worry for my sake. Now, what do you see?”
Helping herself up by propping a hand on a nearby desk, Hiruko stood up after Moko and Takemaru had begun their investigation together. Being unable to see properly was exhausting, but she’d manage. “It kinda looks like a regular school, don’t it, Moko?”
“Yeah, but why are the windows covered with curtains? Shouldn’t we be underground?”
Tearing a curtain open without realizing the futility of it, Takemaru suddenly stopped moving altogether. Moko as well. “What is it? Is something amiss?”
Her words managed to bring them both back into their bodies, but what they said next completely distorted the reality they were faced with. “It’s...the outside. I can...I can see a big orb in the sky? Trees? It’s...raining.”
“...Excuse me?”
“C’mere, see for yourself!”
Easily finding his way to her with the faint light coming through the window now, Takemaru walked Hiruko over to the glass as if she’d be able to see what they did. Sure enough, despite the blurriness of it all...she could see a white orb in the sky as well as what must’ve been a forest. “This...isn’t possible.” Tapping on the window, she tried to see if there was some trick to it. Maybe it was just an LED screen projecting the image of a world beyond. But...it felt just like regular glass.
“Whoa, what if we’ve been spirited away, guys?!” Moko chirped confidently, finding a lighthearted side to the impossible nature of what was right before them. “Maybe we fell through some inter-dimensional time gate and ended up on the other side of the world!”
“...”
“...”
“Just where did you come up with that idea?” Hiruko broke the silence with a hard tone.
“You think the Interstellar Time Princess of Doom Eternal doesn’t know about time gates? Oouf, tough crowd...”
Deciding not to debate it further, Hiruko reached into her jacket and pulled out the notebook that was thankfully still there—Moko regaling them about the wrestling tournament she had to channel the forces of space and time to send her opponent to the shadow realm.
Leaning over her shoulder, Takemaru questioned what she was up to. “What’re you scribbling there?”
“I’m drawing up a map.” Both light sources aided the return of her vision somewhat, at least enough that she could see the lines she made on the paper. “Knowing where we’ve been will be useful later.” Marking the square representing the classroom they were in now with an X, she decided for the group that they should get a move on. “From here on out, we stay together. Finding our friends come first, though if we come across the exit I will make note of it so we won’t lose our way.”
“I like it!” Takemaru cried with a hearty slap to her shoulder. She dismissed the action itself altogether despite the sting it left behind.
“We should open as many curtains as possible to bring in the natural light along the way.” With that directive now set, Takemaru and Moko quickly went about opening the remaining curtains in the room before meeting up at the sliding door leading into the hall.
The classroom they’d just exited from was at the end of a corridor, allowing only a single path forward. Relying on her senses, Hiruko noticed it before the others—a particular sounding creak in the floorboards that suggested a sizable gap. “Wait.” Extending her arms out on both sides, she managed to hold her allies in place before they injured themselves. “The floor feels uneven. Moko, use your light to check for any gaps.”
As Moko bent over to better direct her mirror at the ground, she hummed in awe. “No way...you must have some kind of third eye, Hiruko! Any later and any one of us could’ve fallen through!” With the two at her side now aware of the danger, Takemaru tore down a nearby curtain so they could assess the best course of action going forward.
“Looks like we can cross over here. You gonna need a hand, Hiruko?”
“For the last time, I can manage on my own. I’ll simply follow behind you.”
It was in Takemaru’s nature to care for others, and she could hardly fault him for it. Even so, she was none so weak as to need someone else to treat her like a child purely on the basis that she couldn’t see clearly. Moko understood her in that regard and backed her up. “She’s got this no problem! Heck, Hiruko noticed the gap before either of us did!”
“I guess yer right.”
Crossing first, Takemaru made sure the path was safe enough to hold their weight. Hiruko followed behind him so that someone was on both sides of her in case she fell. As expected, she had no difficulty in getting across having matched where Takemaru put his feet. Lastly was Moko, who Hiruko had to insist she cross normally and not by performing a dangerous stunt move to jump across.
Now alert to the dangers of walking carelessly, the three of them proceeded into the next classroom and went about the task of opening each window. Then the next...and then the same with the classroom after that. Only this time, something was different.
“N-No...that ain’t right...”
Takemaru mumbled to himself as he stepped into the room—freezing at the doorway and inadvertently denying access to the two women behind him. “Takemaru, explain yourself.” Hiruko goaded the statue stiff man with a stern voice before soon being pushed back into the hall alongside Moko. Slamming the door behind him, Takemaru began to breathe out with dark urgency that they should move on to the next room. “Tell us what you saw.” Of course, she was unwilling to permit that without knowing just what had stunned Takemaru cold.
“I...can’t. Lets just keep moving.”
“Takemaru!”
“Please, just drop it. Can’t ya trust me for once?”
Heaving a deep sigh, Hiruko relented for the time being. They needed to trust each other, that much she knew for certain. “Fine.” If it ended up hindering Takemaru later, she’d worry about it then. For now they could continue without—
Just as they’d begun walking towards their next stop, the door Takemaru had shut slid open. Moko couldn’t contain her curiosity. That, or she thought that she could handle whatever it was that shook Takemaru to the bone. “Moko, don’t!”
His plea came too late. Moko had already peered inside and saw what she could only describe as: “Are those...bones? Human...bones?” Ears perking at the mention of human remains, Hiruko decided that she couldn’t deny this even if Takemaru continued to insist otherwise.
“Dammit...!”
The fist Takemaru had thrust against the wall went ignored as Hiruko entered the room behind Moko, studying whatever context she could provide. “I think it’s a little kid. They’re sitting against the wall...with a backpack on top of them. Like they were clutching it tightly before...before...”
“...Likely a victim of circumstance.” She breathed out with a sigh.
“Looks ancient if you ask me. Like they’ve been here...for centuries.” Moko spoke as if she was holding it together fairly well, at least on the surface level. Even so, there was a bit of humanity in her voice...as if she was feeling the weight of a dead child on her back despite having nothing to do with it.
“Is...that the only one?” A dangerous question given the sensitive nature of dead children, but she had to know. Why that was exactly...was to scratch a small itch now presenting in the back of her mind.
“I think so. Hey...Hiruko, maybe we should leave this room be. I don’t wanna disturb them any more than we need to.”
“That’s fine by me.”
There was no longer any reason to linger in a space not meant for the living. Best to allow them to rest in peace now that they were assured that whatever took their life happened far too long ago to be of any danger to them now. Then, just as Hiruko had stepped back out into the hallway, she heard Moko whisper something softly to the child. “Do ya like flowers? I’ll let ya hold onto mine for me, m`kay? That way you’ll know that wherever you are...someone finally found you. After...all these...years. Hope you’re in a better place now, little guy.”
Having both heard those somber words, Hiruko and Takemaru waited quietly for Moko and continued on their mission in grim silence. That should have been the end of it. One body was enough for them. All they wanted now was to find their friends and leave this place behind them. However, this was only the beginning, and soon enough there would be no denying it.
“Did either of you hear that?” Stopping in her tracks, she questioned the validity of what she thought she heard when neither Takemaru nor Moko acknowledged what sounded like a scream.
“Hear what? The rain?” Takemaru answered, dumbfounded.
“I didn’t hear anything outta the ordinary.” Moko agreed.
“...It must be my mind playing tricks on me.”
There was no other way to explain it. She believed herself well adjusted enough not to hear voices in her head just because it was dark, though it seemed even her own mind held surprises up its sleeve. Then, she heard it again. This time it was a voice she recognized. “Stop! Don’t go, it’s too dangerous!”
It was Takumi’s voice. A pang in her head forced her to clutch onto it tightly, though she pushed it aside quickly enough. “It’s Takumi. I heard him.” The urgency in his voice was alarming, to say the least. “He needs our help.” The urge to run towards the voice ached inside her brain as she battled with the desire to go to his side and the need to stay calm and collected. With the floor damaged in segments, running off headfirst would surely result in someone hurting themselves. Who knows what other sort of obstacles might await them besides. Even so, she had to go. She had to make sure Takumi was safe.
Walking towards the voice she was brought to a halt as she felt Moko grab her wrist. “Hiruko...we didn’t hear anything.” The way the two behind her were breathing suggested concern. “I’m worried for them too, but we should stick to the plan.”
The plan, right...
Was she truly just hearing things? For it to happen a second time served to hammer the nail in. Perhaps she wasn’t as put together as she thought, if her brain was already conjuring auditory hallucinations. “Alright.”
All she could do was relent to the logic she herself had put forth. It was the wisest course of action. Chasing after nonexistent voices wouldn’t help anyone, let alone guarantee them a way out of here. They would find Takumi and the others sooner or later, of that she had no doubt. However, the next voice that rang through the halls was one everyone heard loud and clear. “Get out, get out, get out!!”
A flashing red light blinked through the hall, making a beeline straight for them. They hardly had any time to react, and when it met with Hiruko’s chest, she felt herself being knocked back by some sort of heavy force. Luckily her two companions had swift reaction times and each grabbed onto one of her arms to keep her from landing on the floor. “Hiruko!” They both shouted as she then felt a scorching heat run through her torso. It burned like a whip lashing her hard and she repressed the need to scream. The sensation only disappearing when the red light vanished further down the hall until it was no longer in sight.
Taking a long moment to catch her breath, she brought herself back to her feet once more and rose a hand to readjust the glasses that weren’t on her face. “Did...either of you see what that was?” Finding out what had just ran through her like a bull on fire took a higher priority than the pain she endured because of it.
“I think...” Takemaru started, stumbling over his thoughts as he did. “It was...a kid, I think.”
“Mhm, that’s what I saw too.” Moko confirmed.
That was impossible, and all three of them knew it. Suggesting they take refuge for a moment in the room just ahead, the others agreed and shut the door behind them. As the curtains were pulled open by Moko and Takemaru, the blurry shapes of desks she’d grown used to appeared longer and more spread out. This room was unique at first glance, though she would need one of the others to confirm her theory on where they were. “Kinda looks like the bio lab, don’t it?”
A science lab, just as she suspected.
“Yeah, but a lot more old school! No creepy half-naked models or weird, neon coloured substances!”
“It would be worth looking around.” Seeing as they would be here a while longer than normal as they waited out whatever thing attacked her outside, Hiruko thought now would be as good as time as any to learn more about where they were. Failing that, there might even be something of use in here.
Feeling around the lab tables, she joined in the search as best she could. The last thing she wanted to do was knock over a volatile substance searching the cabinets, so she stuck to flat surfaces.
“Hey guys, I think I found something.” Moko called out first, rustling something that sounded like crumpled paper. “Looks like a newspaper.”
“Does it say anything of interest?”
Shining her little light on the page, Moko read out what was there as the others continued browsing the lab. “It’s weird. The language looks nothing like ours but I can...kinda read it somehow.” Odd thing to note, but for now she was more interested in what information they could gleam from its contents. “It says...‘Bright Futures Junior Academy welcomes students back after the head of state issues a peace treaty with...the Invaders from...beyond the sky? Invaders?” Bringing attention to that words, Moko debated it in her head just as Hiruko did, but she continued her reading not long after. “The war has left many families wondering whether or not their lives would return to normal, and it is our hope that with the reopening of our esteemed halls, we as a people, community, and civilization, can reclaim a semblance of order once again.” Trailing her fingers down the crinkled paper, Moko settled on another article that she began to read aloud. “The activist group ‘Merteira,’ denies any attempt of peace made between the Invaders and claims the recent treaty is no more than a deceptive ploy to instill a false sense of security amongst us. They have announced plans to launch a countermeasure against the Invaders, rallying all who will listen to their cause. Authorities have issued arrest warrants for any claiming to be affiliated with ‘Merteira’ and encourages civilians to report any suspected or known activity to them.”
How long ago did this all take place, she wonders to herself. The body they found in that classroom...would suggest it was quite some time ago. Long before they were born. Could this war between Earth and these so-called Invaders been what annihilated humanity...? If so, then when did it all begin, and how exactly did it end? Even if Sirei was here, he wouldn’t tell them the honest answer. But here...perhaps they’d find the truth of the matter that had been denied to them. The right to know what really happened should be something they decide for themselves, not decided for them by someone else.
The life she remembered before arriving at Last Defence Academy was one without hardship or threats from an invading force from space. Those peaceful days knew no violence, not from her neighbours, nor from beyond the sky. The sky was...was...the same as it had always been. Clear, blue, the sun shining hot throughout the year...and at night, she could see only the stars. And yet...something prodded at the deepest parts of herself and told her that was wrong.
“Wait, did the first article you read say that this school was titled ‘Bright Futures?’” Like a code trying to reprogram against errant malware, the nagging thoughts were pushed aside for something less destructive to the system.
“Yup! Oh, but isn’t that what the charm Kako had us do was called?”
“That’s correct. It could be that the ritual she found was tied to this school instead of the literal meaning.”
“So if we find Kako, she might know how to undo all of this! Hell yeah!” Punching his fists together, Takemaru put his faith in that slim possibility as if it was promised to them. In truth, nobody knew but Kako whether or not there was a way to reverse the charm.
“...?” On the tip of her shoe she felt something soft brush against it. Kneeling down to check, she moved her hand around the area and grasped what felt like a petunia stem—two of them, rather. “I believe I have found evidence that our friends passed through here.” It only took a moment for the trio to regroup around her—Moko’s light shining onto the flowers to reveal the colours of black and blue. Before the barbecue, Eito and Shouma had a multitude of differently coloured petunias, so narrowing down who these two flowers might’ve belonged to took a moment to confirm with herself. As she recounted who held out which colour in the circle when they performed that charm, she could speculate that they may have belonged to Eito, Gaku, Ima, and or Yugamu.
“Think they’d be close by?” Takemaru wondered aloud, the evidence speaking for itself.
“I can only assume.”
What seemed odd to her about the flowers was how that the stems seemed glued together. Tangled together in a way that was impossible to tear apart. Why they were left behind might’ve been a way of letting any who were looking for them know that they’d been here. Setting them down on a more prominent location on a lab table, she saw no reason to tamper with them beyond placing the petunias somewhere actually noticeable. “We should carry on. Whatever may have attacked us earlier should be gone by now.”
The quiet reassurance that their friends were here renewed their motivation to proceed onward. Though no one mentioned it, they were certainly feeling it. How strange it was...that they had not found even a single person beyond their small trio despite falling into the same pit and in relatively close proximity. Her working theory at the moment was that they had landed on separate floors. Having yet to discover a stairwell impeded their progress in that regard.
Thankfully it wasn’t long until they found a staircase that connected to the first floor and above. Deciding it would be best to work their way from the top down, they proceeded upwards. “Damn, this place is huge. Our school’s no joke, but there’s like a gazillion more rooms here if ya ask me.” Venting his frustrations in a joking manner, Takemaru crossed his arms with a huff.
“No kidding! But even if there were a thousand more rooms to search through you’d best believe Moko Mojiro will check em all! We’re finding our friends and getting the heck outta here!”
“In that case, there might as well be two thousand rooms but that won’t stop me from bringing our friends back in one piece!”
“...Let’s not make this a competition.” Please.
“C’mon Hiruko, lighten up! We’re gonna find everyone in no time flat. Even if it—”
A gasp hitched in her throat as her heel slipped on something oily going up the stairs. Before anyone could react, she could feel herself falling through the air, counting the seconds until impact. There was no warning, no nothing. In the span of a millisecond she was torn away from solid ground, all the breath ripped from her lungs. What came next was the sound of something cracking and the thud of her landing at the bottom of the stairwell. Still unable to breathe, she repeated calming exercises in her mind as Takemaru and Moko both rushed to her side. When air finally returned to her lungs, that was when she realized something was terribly wrong. The shock had delayed her nervous system just long enough to believe she came out unscathed from the fall. But...when the pain finally kicked in—when Moko’s compact mirror shone its light on her—she bit her lip and let out a repressed wince. Her leg was broken. The bone was poking out underneath her left knee and blood was leaking from the wound.
“Hiruko!” The voices of her friends blended together in one singular cry. Moko knelt down beside her leg, and Takemaru at her shoulder, lifting her off of the ground. That she only broke her leg was fortunate. Had she landed any other way, she might’ve died. Hah...death. What a...foolish concept. Somewhere in her memories, she remembered what death felt like. Remembered the futility of it. The hurt. The grief. The acceptance that came with living through it over and over and over, never able to truly taste it herself.
Takemaru and Moko were talking—yelling—berating—arguing—amongst themselves using words she drifted in and out of consciousness for. This...wasn’t good. She had to...get them to work together. Lead them. If they fell apart now, then...
“We need to set the bone. Find gauze, a splint. There must be an infirmary nearby, or if not then a first aid kit kept in one of the classrooms.” Her voice pierced through the rift forming between them, if only for a moment.
“I’ve set bones before! It’s basically common knowledge amongst pro-wrestlers! It’s gonna hurt like a truck though, are ya sure you can handle it Hiruko?”
“I have to.” With no other way around this, she gave Moko the go-ahead.
“Takemaru, can you hold her down for me? This ain’t gonna be pretty and her nerves will try to fight back.”
“Can do. Is this okay, Hiruko?”
“I’m fine. Do it.” Held down by her arms, the weight of Takemaru’s leg atop her other one, she braced herself for what came next. On the count of three, Moko hammered down on her bone with a fist and forced it back into the socket it popped out of using all her might. Each impact made her want to scream—her limbs desperate to break from Takemaru’s restraint and fight back. Each crack sent electricity roaring through her body to her brain. It took everything not to completely shatter from the horrendous pain but somewhere within herself the dam was already breaking. She wanted to see him. Wanted to see Takumi. The boy she first met in that classroom along with the rest of them. The boy who always seemed so close but so far away. What was it about him that made her yearn so? He was normal, just like the lot of them, and yet...she couldn’t help but want him at her side right now.
Takumi was...the boy who came back in time to save them. To save her.
No, not her...he came back to save Nozomi. The girl he loved.
“Haaah...hah...”
Settling in her gut was a familiar emptiness. Even now, after being given a fresh start on life...the sins of a past no one wanted to remember...Takumi still chose her. The place she had in his life was minimal compared to Nozomi’s. Let it go. Let him go. Forget everything again and return to...the Hiruko Shizuhara that could live in blissful ignorance.
But she couldn’t.
Not knowing the truth about why they were the last living beings left on this planet.
“Still hanging on, Hiruko?”
Moko’s words were light on her ears. The worst of it was over now. “Yeah.” Her voice was hollow. Deplete of energy—exhausted from the reawakening of her memories and the aftershock of having her bone reset.
“What a trooper! Here, lemme carry you—”
“I got her, Moko. Back off.”
“Huh, but...”
“Lemme handle this. A man’s gotta carry his own weight, ya know.”
“It’s no problem for me either, Takemaru! I’m Moko Mojiro, pro-wrestler and bearer of the championship belt for the world tournament!”
Not again. “Now’s not the time. Until we find a place to rest, you two can operate on shifts as necessary.”
“Sounds good to me.” Takemaru agreed without argument and Moko followed suit. What persisted in his tone despite his words was a heavy unease covered up by brutish confidence. When he lifted her into his arms she could sense it, though she could not place it. The manner in which he gripped her thigh could’ve simply been him overcompensating lest he slip up and drop her...and if that was all it was then she could let it slide. Something dark was beginning to present itself, though for what reason? Takemaru was a resilient, hardheaded man that could easily be moved to tears by a heartfelt speech or show of passion. He was also...not human. The memories they’d been fed were all lies—there were lies then, and there were lies now. All of their friends were nothing more than tools of war, morality be damned. Acknowledging that cruel reality had her questioning just how much she believed she knew about the man carrying her now. If she could break just from having her leg reset, then had he already begun to unravel? And if so, then how far along was he...?
Keeping up with her cartography as they searched the nearby rooms, they hit a small well of fortune when they came across the infirmary. Setting her down on one of the beds, Takemaru repressed a sigh of relief as a display of strength. For whatever reason he did not want to present himself in any way that showed weakness. Not in front of her, and definitely not in front of Moko. This behaviour of his only started recently since arriving here...it gave credence to her theory that cracks had appeared in Takemaru’s memories. Nothing actionable quite yet, however. Discussing such delicate matters would have to wait until they were safely removed from this uncertain and potentially dangerous environment.
“You two stay here. I’ma keep looking `round.”
“Takemaru, stop.” Hiruko commanded firmly.
“Yeah, we should stick together.” Moko reached out to grab Takemaru’s arm—his body turned away from the both of them so neither could see his eyes. “If anything, I should be the one to poke my head around. You should stay here and rest with Hiruko.”
Separating now was a bad call, though if she had to pick anyone to continue the search for their friends, it would be Moko as the woman appeared in better health body and mind at the moment. Just as she was about to give her insight on the subject before it became another squabble, her vision crossed and the scene of a gently lit infirmary faded into a different one altogether. What she saw was...Moko...standing with her fists held in the ready position as if she was to engage in combat. In what appeared to be a cafeteria, she stood in place, bouncing back and forth on her feet in a display of showmanship. Whatever she was defending herself from she wanted to frighten it off rather than take it head on, and just who that person might’ve been made all too much sense the second she saw them. A glowing red spirit of a child—cackling as it threw plates at her from across the room. Moko endured the impacts head-on, hardly intimidated by the childish assault. “Is that all ya got!” Moko rallied—at once proving she could take anything the kid had to throw at her and she wouldn’t back down, as well as issuing a challenge for the spirit to keep it coming. To what end, she could only imagine was to wear it down. Yet...the spirit only burned hotter and what it threw at her next was an entire cafeteria table at breakneck speed—pinning Moko against the wall, her raw muscle barely managing to have kept it from crushing her on impact. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, she had no where to go. She couldn’t even push the table off of her regardless of how hard she pushed against it. Now completely blindsided, what came next was a barrage of metal pipes thrust through the table which held her against the wall—each penetrating through her like a toothpick through paper. The last thing she heard was Moko’s death curdling screams before the scene dispersed in front of her eyes and returned her to the infirmary where Moko and Takemaru were now bickering over who would continue the search.
“Takemaru.” Hiruko stated all of a sudden, unable to give any real thought to it besides the horror she just witnessed. “You should keep looking. Moko will stay here with me.”
“Ya hear that, Moko? Two against motherfuckin’ one! You can count on me!”
Looking like she wanted to protest, Hiruko shook her head once their gazes met. Moko had no choice but to let it go once she saw she meant business. After Takemaru had left, Moko sat down next to her with a first aid kit in hand. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. I didn’t get ya too hard, did I?”
Reluctantly forcing a smile against herself, she dismissed Moko’s intuition. “Nothing like that. I simply determined Takemaru would be best suited for recon at our current juncture. I don’t believe he has any practical experience with patching someone up. Not the way you do.” That wasn’t exactly the truth, but it wasn’t a white lie either. The Takemaru of back then certainly knew his way around a first aid kit...after all, his false memories had instilled in him all the necessary skills to be a useful war asset. The Takemaru of today...knew more of peaceful times without hardship and thus she couldn’t confidently say he knew much of tidy bandage work.
War asset. Just thinking of it made her sick to her stomach.
“Well, I can agree with ya there! Just leave it all to Moko~”
As Hiruko watched Moko carefully disinfect and wrap the wound with gauze, she admired how the young woman managed to hold herself together throughout all of this. Cheerfully humming a delightful tune, Moko presented the same as she always had. A strong-willed champion with no room for weaknesses. But was that really the case?
Shortly after finishing with her leg, Moko stood to browse the shelves for any medicine. Antibiotics and pain medicine if there was any. Nothing turned up in her search however. They should be grateful for what they did find given the sparse supplies that yet remained.
It was only after a period of silence that Moko gave any sign that she was battling thoughts of her own. Sitting on the bed next to Hiruko, Moko stared up towards the dark ceiling and whispered the doubts which had taken root. “Hey, Hiruko...we’re getting out of here, aren’t we?”
“Of course. I won’t settle for anything else.”
“I mean, all of us. You, me, Takemaru...and all our friends.”
Letting a slow breath pass through her lips in a moment of pause, Hiruko said what she could to alleviate Moko’s worries. Worries that she did not share, as she knew she would not stop until they were all safe and sound. Broken leg be damned, she’d crawl through these rickety halls if it’d ensure the survival of everyone she cared for. “We will find them. Have you ever known me to be someone who simply gives up?”
“No, but...”
“Then you have your answer.”
“You’re right. It’s just, I let you get hurt and we haven’t come close to finding anyone yet, and—”
“And what?” That came out a bit too harshly than she intended. “I need you and Takemaru to settle whatever nonsense you have going on at the moment and focus on what’s important. If you two can’t decide on a matter, I will decide for you just as I have been until now. That is how we get through this in one piece. Understood?”
Chuckling at Hiruko’s heavy handed commandment, Moko rubbed something away from her eyes. “Gosh, Hiruko...I sure am glad you’re here to keep us in check. You’re like a rock, or maybe even a boulder! No, a whole mountain!” Warmed by that ridiculous analogy, Moko decided on something else to keep her mind off things. Searching herself for a moment, she brought forth a small kit of some sort that had her beaming. “How about a little girl time, Hiruko? Just you an’ me!” Revealing what she had just found, Hiruko saw it to be none other than a mini makeup kit. Letting out a soft sigh, she agreed without hesitation as Moko pranced to her side and pulled up a chair. “I don’t think we’ve ever got together and did our makeup before! When we get outta here, let’s change that, alright? I always thought you had the prettiest complexion outta all of us girls, save for me of course~”
“Is that so...” The tender smile that eked its way through her lips was genuine this time. Nothing would be able to erase the truth that haunted her even now, but...perhaps Moko had the right of it. So long as they made it out of here, they could still make new memories together. Happier ones. “Then in exchange for letting you do mine today, I’ll return the favour once we make it back to Last Defence.”
“I’m gonna hold you to it, Hiruko!” After a quick resounding cheer, Moko hovered her miniature brush over her kit and hummed. “How do ya feel about pink? I think you could totally rock a nice soft pink around the eyes and maybe a little blush!”
“That’s all you have, isn’t it?” Hiruko noticed.
“Haha, you got me~ But I seriously mean it! Maybe I can even give you a whole wardrobe change when we get back!”
“I’m...good.”
“If you say so! The offer’s still on the table any time you change your mind!”
Closing her eyes as Moko ran eye-shadow over them, she felt her worries fading away for the time being. No matter how Moko appeared on the surface level, she was quite a gentle, calming person when it came down to it. “I think any guy who saw you like this would be head over heels. This really is a great colour on you, Hiruko.”
“Oh please, I’m not letting you do this just to impress some boy.” With a scoff, she crossed her arms as Moko continued to push the subject.
“Really? You don’t secretly got the hots for anyone? Man, if I was a guy I’d think you were quite the catch!”
“Then it’s a shame you aren’t one. All the boys here are...beneath me. I wouldn’t want any of them so much as looking my way, unless—”
“Unless?”
Catching herself before she got too ahead of herself, she let out a fake cough and waved it off. “Nothing. This is the last we speak on the matter.”
The humoured noise Moko made at her sudden decree suggested she wasn’t going to let this go. She’d let it simmer for a bit and then bring it up again in a way that struck at her very soul...if she wasn’t already going through a mental list of the boys in her head, ticking off ones she thought Hiruko might fancy. Hiruko was already dreading that day it inevitably came to bite her in the back.
“And there!” Proclaiming her mission a success, Moko brought out her compact mirror and let Hiruko see her handiwork. “Pretty darn good if I say so myself! What do ya think?”
“...You did a fine job, Moko.” Even if nobody else but her and Moko would know how she looked in this moment given the dark veil that hovered over this entire building, she appreciated the kind gesture nevertheless. Pink may not have been her go-to colour, though Moko made it work subtly well on her. Not too much to be obnoxious, and not too little to go completely under the radar (in the light, that was).
“Anytime, Hiruko. I’m glad we got to do this.”
“As am I.”
Welcoming Moko back on her bed, she lingered on this tender moment longer than was wise. Right as Moko begun to inspect her bandages, Takemaru slammed open the door and took them both by surprise. “T-There you are, Takemaru! How did the hunt go?” Try as she might to alleviate the sudden tension, Moko didn’t get Takemaru to budge.
“It went.”
“Hey...don’t be like that. Did something happen?” Moko persisted, Hiruko unable to get the blank expression Takemaru was giving them out of her head. She too would like to know what happened.
“No. Just give it a rest!” Venting out whatever he was going through with a non-descriptive shout, Takemaru turned around as if he was going to leave again. Letting him go in the first place was a foolish idea, and she was understanding that now. Why he seemed more upset by returning to them than he did by Moko asking him a simple question only took a little thought in retrospect. Seeing Moko tending to her leg set him off again, and she wouldn’t have it.
“Takemaru. Calm down. Now.” Her bold words made his shoulders twitch, yet he refused to fully acknowledge them. “Come inside and sit. We will discuss the matter like civil, human beings.” Civil. Human. The irony wasn’t lost on her, but she needed Takemaru to listen.
“Stop acting like you know shit. You don’t.”
At that, Takemaru barrelled out of the infirmary again and down the hall—his footsteps loud and frustrated.
“Takemaru! Takemaru, wait!” Spurred into action, Moko leapt off the bed and chased after him.
“Moko, don’t!” But this time Moko chose to ignore her plea to do what she thought was right.
Sighing deeply, she had no choice but to follow after them. She would not let that vision come true. It seemed the time had come to keep her word to herself and crawl through this dreadful place to ensure they were safe. “...Hh...!” Forcing herself onto her good leg was one thing, but setting down the broken one instantly sapped her of her strength. Then, managing a position where she could hop forward ever so slightly using the wall as support, she felt around for anything she might be able to use as a crutch. The white light from the glowing orb outside helped her find her way and though it took far longer than she would’ve liked, she found what she was looking for and quickly set her foot on the support. It was a crutch meant for a child far shorter than her, but it would do. She got the hang of it relatively fast and immediately pressed on to find her friends.
“Moko, Takemaru!” Calling out in the direction she heard them running, she paced herself lest she make it worse for by falling through a broken floorboard.
No reply.
She wasn’t going to panic. So long as she followed the path she knew was safe, she’d find them. Trusting her instincts, she proceeded into the blackness.
“Moko!” Though futile, she continued to call out their names from time to time. “Takemaru!”
Then, silently she’d whisper in a voice no one but her could hear, “Takumi...”
Find them. Find them now.
Occasionally she’d have to shake away the vision she had of Moko in the cafeteria. If she let it upset her now, that’s when she’d truly lose it. But perhaps it was a sign of where she should look. They hadn’t come across a cafeteria in their previous search, yet if she had to guess, it was most likely on the first floor of the building. That meant she’d have to make it down the stairwell that nearly took her life. No, it didn’t matter. She’d do it. For Moko.
Once there, she found it difficult to balance herself on both the crutch and the steady path leading downwards. In what would’ve normally taken her a few seconds, she instead took over five minutes. It was time she didn’t have if she wanted to prevent that vision. “Moko, answer me!”
“Hehehehehe~”
Startled by the sound of a child’s laughter, she looked around to see a blue light flickering nearby. “Miss, Miss, do you want to play a game with me?” It asked innocently, as if she had no reason to distrust it. “It’s a fun game! It’s called tag and go-seek!”
Reluctant to respond to it yet not wanting it to get in the way, she let out a harsh: “I don’t have time for you,” and hurried on her way the best she could.
“Hehehehehe, but I’ll give you something nice if you do~”
“Get out of my way.”
Walking straight through the blue light, she did not let its words deter her.
“I’ll tell you a secret! You like secrets, right?”
Ignoring it from then on out, she pressed forward and let it say whatever it wanted without giving it the time of day. Then, right before it faded, it said one last ominous thing.
“We can play later! When you’re dead! I’ll be waiting!”
Refusing to let it get to her, she denied it any place in her head. Each step forward was one step closer to finding everyone and getting out of this cursed place. Each step forward was two steps back. Then three steps back. And four. Then five and six and seven and eight and nine and ten and—
She felt it before she saw it. The foot of her crutch smashed into something both pliant and hard. Not expecting it, she fell forward, unable to catch herself. Yet...she did not collide with the wooden floor. Instead, it was...what felt like a person. Not just any person, but someone she knew could be none other than Moko herself. “Moko, wake up. Talk to me.”
Feeling around her upper body, she reached for her neck to check for a pulse. When she found none, she knew she couldn’t delay. Her torso felt intact. There were no obvious injuries so perhaps she’d suffered a heart attack. If she issued CPR right away then perhaps there was still a chance. Every nerve in her body tried to convince her otherwise as she slid off the woman and to the side so she could begin chest compressions. Her limbs weren’t right. They were twisted they were wrong, they weren’t right, they were wrong, wrong, wrong
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty,
Tilt back the neck, pinch her nose, breathe in deep, breathe out—breathe in deep, breathe out. Two.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.
No sign of heartbeat. She couldn’t feel the faintest breath of air leave Moko’s lips. Moko wasn’t waking up.
But this was all wrong. This was out in the hallway, not the cafeteria. How could she have...
How could she have died like this? What happened? Why couldn’t she have prevented this from happening?
Her promise to Moko...it was going to go unfulfilled.
“Moko...I’m so sorry.”
Placing her head against Moko’s she let it linger until the last bit of warmth completely left her body. As she ran her hands over her again to confirm her cause of death, she was mortified by what she uncovered. Her arms and legs were twisted into unnatural shapes—an impossible feat to say the least. What could’ve done this to her...? Certainly nothing human.
Ah, but that vision...a red spirit was able to control the objects around it through telekinesis. If this was what they were up against, then did any of them have any hope?
Stop. Don’t think like that. Don’t give up. Not now, not ever. You can still find him. You can still salvage this.
“...What do you think yer doing out here?”
Behind her, she could hear the heavy breathing of Takemaru as he stood over her. “Moko is...”
Before she could finish her statement, Takemaru plucked her off the ground like a toy doll. Tossing her over his shoulder, he made for the stairwell she’d just come down. “What do you think you’re doing! Moko is dead! Put me down, now!”
She’d soon realize no amount of pleading would get through to him. Not if Moko’s death didn’t make him react even slightly. Kicking her good leg into his chest—beating on his back with her fists—nothing stopped the man from bringing her back to the infirmary and tossing her onto the bed like she weighed nothing. “Takemaru, what’s gotten into you!”
“You just...you just stay there. You need to rest. I’ll take care of everything.” The tone of his voice was inconsistent. Soft, gentle, as if he was talking to a young child—rough, angry, as if he was addressing someone he hated.
Not letting herself be pushed around, she sat up and tried reaching out to him again with her words. “Takemaru, listen to me. This isn’t you.” But he only forced her back down onto the bed and grumbled in annoyance.
“`S for yer own good...” Takemaru insisted as he reached for the first aid kit Moko left open and pulled out the roll of gauze. He took her by the wrist and attempted to strap it to the metal bed frame. As soon as she realized his intentions, she wound up her other hand and punched Takemaru clean in the face. He didn’t so much as even flinch.
“Stop it! What the hell do you think you’re doing to me!”
Warring with the other with all the strength they had, she eventually lost the fight as her arms were securely fastened to the bed frame. He wasn’t listening, nor was he even seeing her as a living person right now.
“I’ll fix that leg right up...she did it wrong, so it must hurt pretty bad, huh?”
“...What?”
Now at the foot of the bed, Takemaru gripped Hiruko’s bad leg and bent it until she heard it snap. “Hhh...! Get off of me! You’re making it worse!” Hissing through the pain of having her leg once again bent out of shape, she could do nothing but kick at him with her other one as he wrapped it back up like an amateur.
“See? I’m good at carin’ for people. It’s what I...what I...”
When he clutched his head, she thought maybe he was coming back to his senses. However...instead he got up and walked away. “I’ll bring ya some water. You must be thirsty. I’ll be back, don’t you worry.”
Breathe in, one two three, hold, one two three, breathe out, one two three.
Guiding her breathing back to a measured state of calm, she did the only thing she could do in this situation and plotted out a means of escape. If she could not free herself of her bindings before he returned, then she had to think of how she could get through to him. He slipped right at the end before he left. If she could just figure out how to break through whatever had spellbound him, then perhaps...
The gauze was starting to give. Thankfully he hadn’t used something sturdier to bind her with, as gauze was rather elastic in nature.
She was going to get out of this one way or another. Then she’d find Takumi and they’d get through this nightmare together. Holding onto that firm belief, she tugged at her restraints, continuing to loosen them. As it gave away bit by bit, she felt a spark of hope returning. As it gave away bit by bit, she started to believe that she was going to escape. As it gave away bit by bit...