A/N. I'll get into specifics later. For now, enjoy my semi triumphant return.
…
Blood on the Risers.
Konata Izumi was just a rookie trooper. A few months ago, she left her home and went to Fort Benning to join the Army. She did it because she wanted a better life for herself, or more specifically, to ensure a certain someone likes her enough to improve it. That person was Kagami.
That and a few months prior, one of her best friends, Miyuki Takara, enlisted to be a combat medic. She went to Fort Jackson. Konata decided to be an infantryman, err, woman. An 11B. Your average door kicker. Surprisingly, she was pretty good at what she did. So good in fact, that they added Airborne to her contract.
Miyuki, ironically enough, was also going to be airborne. The two even wound up going to Airborne School at the same time.
Which leads us to now.
Konata, the new trooper on the team, was pumped and ready for her first real jump. So pumped, she shook with fright. A drop from all the way up in the air terrified the shit outta. Yet for the same reason, it excited her.
The loud engines from the plane roared immensely, drowning out most sound nearby as it readied for take off. All the troopers came walking onto the plane, getting into their seats for take off. Konata was one of them.
She pulled all the straps on her uniform tight, making sure everything was properly attached. Miyuki also prepared her things for a jump.
"Konata." Miyuki called over to her friend with a sweet voice. Somehow Konata still heard her.
"Yeah?"
"Are you ready." She asked.
"Oh, you know I am." She replied excitedly. "I'm gonna be a paratrooper."
"Don't get too excited." Miyuki tried defusing her.
A few more minutes passed before the plane began its take off procedures. Konata began hooking on all the cables that needed to be hooked and, in a rush, attached her static line in a weird way.
"Alright. Everyone ready?" The sergeant yelled looking up.
Konata nodded her head and replied. "Yes Sergeant." With the rest of the platoon. The sergeant looked out the door and monitored the jump site.
Miyuki leaned over to Konata. "It's gonna be cold you know."
"I know that." Konata replied, attempting to brush away any thought of danger. "Besides. I'll be just like Goku, soaring through the air when I'm done. Kagami will love the helmet cam footage."
"I think she'd be more scared than anything to see it." Miyuki replied smiling.
"Private Takara. Shut the hell up over there." The sergeant yelled.
Miyuki panicked. "I'm sorry sergeant."
He looked back to the door. "Alright. Here comes your jump."
Konata mustered all the courage she had.
"Alright. Go! Go! Go!" He screamed as the troopers began leaping out. Konata followed after them, getting closer to the door. The seconds went by in a terrifying manner as she closed the distance with the door, with Miyuki directly behind her.
As soon as Konata reached the door, she jumped right out, closing her eyes in the process. She felt the cold and sharp wind blast her face, she felt the ground underneath her disappear as she began her descent.
Her fast and sudden descent. Her eyes shot open and realized something was very wrong. She was free falling, without her shoot deploying. Everyone else around her had their chutes open, hers was not. Konata reached around wondering why before making a horrifying realization. Her static line had unhooked.
"Fuck!" Konata screeched as she began to flip around in the air. "No no no no no no no." She repeated to herself unintentionally. She felt around her chest for the reserve chute. If nothing else, that would work.
She opened the reserve as best as she could, and managed to get it open. This would be good news, if it weren't for the fact that she was facing straight down.
Her reserve opened wide and engulfed her in silk, the force of the parachute was enough to crack her neck and break her legs. Konata was officially screwed.
Miyuki, who was a few hundred feet above her at this point, watched in horror as the canopy became her shroud and she hurtled to the ground.
"KONATA!" Miyuki screamed.
Konata twirled as she dropped faster and faster. She couldn't see the ground beneath her. "Ah ,Damnit!" she cried. Her first jump and this is how it'll end?
As she continued to fall, the thoughts of her life came running through her mind. She thought of the last time she was with her family. With her father. And most importantly, with Kagami.
An clear and sunny day as the sun came down upon the lake. Orange filled the atmosphere, plenty of kids playing in the grass and mother's laughing.
Konata and Kagami sat on a hill, in the grass overlooking the lake. Konata wore her OCP uniform. "So Kagami. What do you think of me now?"
"I think you're insane." she replied jokingly. "I told you already, you don't have to go to these lengths just to impress me."
"Come on, let me have this-"
"It's more impressive they'd let someone as short as you be in the Army in the first place." Kagami roasted her little girlfriend.
Konata smiled with her signature cat like grin. "Funny Kagamin…" she stretched back. "Airborne." She sang.
"Just stop it." Kagami smiled.
"Ranger, lead the way."
"You're not a ranger."
"No, but that's my next goal." Konata replied. She pulled out her cell phone. "Come get a picture with me. One more for the road."
"Your dad took enough pictures, we don't need anymore." Kagami replied harshly.
"Not even one more from the great Kagami Izumi?" Konata asked her.
"No, I'm tired taking pictu- wait. Izumi?" Kagami stopped. "Konata."
"Or I can be a Hiiragi, that works too." Konata joked. "Just like out of Strawberry-"
Chop.
Konata was cut off by Kagami's less than playful karate chop to the head. "Kagami you're so mean."
"If you're going to joke around like that at least-"
"Well maybe I'm not joking around." Konata replied. "Maybe… I actually love you. More than you know."
Suddenly the air around them became something new. As the sun hit the horizon, Konata lightly grasped Kagami's hand. "Come with me."
"Ko… Konata?" Kagami replied.
Nearly 20 years prior, Sojiro and Kanata were in the same position. Now, it was their turn.
"Hey Kagami." She asked her.
"Ummm… yeah?"
"Do you wanna. Uh, how do I say this." Konata stalled.
Kagami saw exactly where she was going. "Yeah." She pulled her in close, slowly pulling away layers of camouflage from her uniform. Konata slowly unbuttoned Kagami's shirt as the two rolled into the treeline in each other's arms, away from prying eyes.
Her eyes shot open as reality came crashing back. She was never going to see her again. She was never going to be in her presence, never going to the ceremony that was planned for the week after Airborne School.
As the seconds go rolling by, another terrible thought was in her mind. What the hell would the medics find on the ground? That answer would be soon found out.
There were jeeps and ambulances already on the ground. The medics on standby watched the blue haired girl drop faster and faster. They rolled up their sleeves and prepared for a sight they haven't seen in a very long time.
It had been at least a week since the last time a chute had failed. This time, however, there'd be some serious consequences.
The medics showed up, watching as the green cocoon slammed into the ground, making a thud noise as it bounced. Blood came from the chute and flew high as she settled. One of the troopers coming down simply muttered to himself. "Oh that's a hell of a way to die."
Meanwhile, the medics hurried over to the site of the incident and pointlessly asked if she was alright. They began checking to see if there were any vital signs, even though they knew their was none. Miyuki came in slowly from the air, closing in on their position. She descended quickly and landed about fifteen meters away from the sight. She landed and fell flat on her face, making sure her legs were limp to avoid breaking them.
She was a combat medic, so she was one of the few people who would be authorized to be in the spot at this time. She hurried over, not wanting to see the gore, but at the same time, wanting to see her friend. Miyuki got in close when one of the medics tried to stop her.
"Okay, stand back." The medic tried stopping Miyuki, but of course she had other plans.
Miyuki practically shoved him out of the way. "Get out of the way, Konata!" She hollered.
She quickly got up next to her best friend and was immediately greeted by a less than nice sight. There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute. There were even intestines dangling from her paratrooper suit,
she was a mess to say the least. They picked her up and almost literally poured her out from her boots.
Miyuki suddenly lost her own stomach and threw up. Konata's body was almost unrecognizable. Not even dental records could identify her, it was that bad.
"Konata…" Miyuki mumbled to herself. "Kagami. I'm so sorry…"
A few minutes passed and before you knew it, the ambulance was pulling up. "Damn. I feel bad for her." The medic nonchalantly said to himself, zipping her up in a bag and hauled her away.
Miyuki sat in complete shock of what just happened. The cause of the incident was a mistake made with her static line. It was never properly attached, so Konata's main never opened. In her panic, she deployed her reserve in a bad falling position, wrapping her up in it, causing her to hit the ground.
It wasn't something anyone wanted to see. It was going to be even worst for the one who had to tell Kagami Hiiragi was going to be attending her fiance's funeral, not her wedding.
…
A/N who knows the Army Cadence "Blood on the Risers?"
Well that was what I based the plot of this on. It tells the story of a rookie trooper who jumps and messes up and dies. Moral of the story? Air Assault, not Airborne.
All jokes aside, I'm finally back. I figured I'd come back and do a one shot before jumping right back into my usual fic writing. Get warmed up.
So yes, this story was the guinea pig. I actually got inspired to do this particular story because of the user "HaloWarrior56" shout out to you. Your fic about the yellow ribbon cadence made me go "hmm. I could probably do that. Except even better."
I'll admit this isn't my best work but… I'm monologuing, aren't I? Okay thanks for reading. Leave your review and or comments down below.
Good night.