(Ok, so this is my other main project at the moment (The other being Tales Of The Abyss Rangers), and is a fanfic based on the light novel, manga and anime series Kampfer. As said in the main description, this is a retelling of the anime, as seen through the eyes of an original character named Tara. Much of the story will actually take place outside of the events of the anime, but most of the major scenes in the anime will be featured, albeit with Tara involved in them. The story will, for now, end at the same point as the anime, but the events of the finale will be slightly different, to hopefully be more satisfying. Of course, the main cast will appear in this fanfic, while a second OC will also be introduced later on as well. This won't be a particularly action packed fanfic, at least not at first, since I intend to focus on how Tara copes with being a Kampfer more than anything. Anyway, this chapter introduces Tara, and explains the events that lead to her becoming a Kampfer. Please read and tell me what you think!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Kampfer.

Chapter one- A New Life

My sword was a very big and heavy one. Standing it next to myself, the handle would just about pass over my head. But nonetheless, I was swinging it around like it was a toy. And just as well too, since it was the only thing stopping me from being peppered with bullets. I lost count of how many I'd deflected, or cut in half, but I knew I couldn't keep this up. My assailant stopped shooting for a second.

"Heh. Yer faster than I thought. But yer so fuckin' borin'…. Ain't ya gonna try to attack me, too?"

I couldn't answer. I didn't know what to say. I just stood there, shaking. I'm supposed to fight this girl, but even with my power, I was afraid. I was never any good in a fight, and even though I'm now some kind of warrior, I just couldn't bring myself to hurt anyone. Not even someone who's trying to kill me. Just why are we being made to fight anyway?

"Meh. Whatever. Can't be bothered to wait for ya to make a move…."

The shooting started again. Wearily, I deflected more of her bullets, still unsure of how much longer I could hold on. She was right, I had to make a move, and soon- otherwise I'd be as good as dead. I didn't want to do it, but if this was supposed to be my fate, I guessed I had to get used to it…

"YAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

I lunged at her, still defending myself from the onslaught of bullets as I rushed forwards. Close enough, I swung my sword at her.

Too late.

She'd already anticipated my attack and jumped it in a manner that Mario would have been proud of. The force of the swing was so great, I managed to knock myself over. On the floor, I reached for my sword, but my opponent trod on my arm- keeping me from even getting up, let alone rearming myself. The next thing I felt was the barrel of a gun pressed against the side of my head…..

"Game over, Bitch….."

I knew this was it. My first battle as a Kampfer, and it was also going to be my last. Knowing that I'd be dead in a matter of seconds, I counted down the time before my enemy pulled the trigger…..

…...

Before I go any further, I suppose I should introduce myself, and explain how I got myself into this mess in the first place. So, my name is Tara Goodman. 17 years old, born and raised in good ol' New York City. Never really cared much about my appearance, but according to the guys at my old high school, I was "One of the hottest babes in school.". So I guess I'm an attractive girl, just not one who really likes to brag about it. Though perhaps I should point out that I have blond hair that goes all the way to my hips. Oh, and my eyes are green. Just thought I'd share that …..

My interests? The usual, I guess. I love anime, manga, video games, listening to music, reading and cosplay. Yes, I'm a bit of a geek, but I don't really care. I'm a whiz at maths, English and science, and I can speak several different languages, too! My mom works for a major international company, you see, and she deals with a lot of foreign bodies. So, she's had to learn a lot of languages, and she let me learn with her. I'm far from unfit, but I'd never win anything on track day, and I have to say, I'm a terrible cook. Not to mention I have a bad habit of forgetting things. But still, I'm certainly a bright student. Certainly not your typical blond bimbo…..

I also have some pretty varied tastes. I adore things that are really cute, but I love action as well. My video game collection is a mix of cutesy platformers and ultra violent action games, with plenty of JRPGs thrown in for good measure. My MP3 player has a selection of classical, rock, metal and J-pop, so my musical tastes are pretty varied too. One thing I should say- as I mentioned earlier, I'm a bit of a coward. I could never step in to help someone in trouble, for example. Nor could I stand up for myself if I was ever attacked. I've always hated fighting, so I always try to stay out of trouble.

As for my parents, they're pretty cool. I already told you about my mom. As you'd expect, she's often really busy, but she's always been there for me at the best- and worst- of times. My dad is currently unemployed, so he spends his days doing the chores. Like Mom, he's been very supportive of me all my life, and I feel so lucky to have him. Although Dad doesn't have a job, the money Mom makes in hers means that we've lived a good life, and we've been happy and well supported.

One night, while Dad and I where preparing dinner (Well, I set the table anyway- like I said, if I cooked, it would result in an unprecedented disaster!), Mom arrived home from work with a life changing announcement- she'd been offered a major position in one of her company's biggest branches! The catch? It was in Japan, so if she accepted it, we'd have to move there….. As a huge fan of all things Japanese, I loved the idea, and Dad wasn't too fussed about it either. So it was settled. We'd be moving to a new life overseas.

While all my friends were naturally jealous that I was moving to Japan (Hey, I would have been too if it had been someone else going instead of me!), in truth, I was really sad to leave them. My last day at high school was probably the most emotional day of my life, and I spent most of that evening crying harder than I ever had done in the past. Mom came up to my room while I was crying and gave me a big hug, gently telling me that everything would be alright.

"I know you're going to miss all your friends," She said, "But just think about all the new people you'll be meeting. Not many people will get the chance you have right now, so try to think of it as an exciting new adventure. Don't worry, we'll come back here every now and again to catch up on how everyone's doing, so it's not like you'll never see your friends again…."

I fought back my tears.

"I know, Mom. I'm really excited about this move, don't get me wrong about that. But I guess it's kinda hard to let go of something you've known for so long. I still don't really know what's going to happen when we move there. I couldn't be more excited, but if I'm honest, I'm a little scared about fitting in…."

"Don't worry, sweetie. Just take it one day at a time. I face exactly the same thing when I start my new job, so you're not alone. So let's just do our best, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks Mom."

We spent that night in each other's arms, and I can't remember the last time I felt so comfortable. It was certainly was one night I'd never forget….. And so, with that, we were ready to move the next day. But although I knew my life was about to change, little did I realise that it would change in a way I wasn't expecting…

…...

The flight to Japan was fairly long, but nothing that really fussed me. I spent most of my time watching movies and reading, more or less what I normally do. From the airport, we took a taxi to our new home, and it was the perfect opportunity to take in the beautiful scenery that went past. I would have used the new camera I bought to take pictures, but I couldn't really do it justice cooped up in a moving car. When we finally arrived at our new house, I was curious to see what it was like. The house wasn't that much bigger than our old one, but it had everything we needed, and there was plenty of space in my room for all the stuff I was inevitably going to buy. Plus, the bed was nice and comfortable too. I spent most of my first night unpacking everything into my room, and then going over the details of my new school. I'd been accepted with a school named Seitetsu Academy Senior High, and I was surprised to learn that the boys and girls in the school were kept in separate sides. Almost no contact with boys….. That was quite unusual….. But still, as long as it was a good school, I wasn't complaining that much. I couldn't really sleep that night, mainly because I was still a bit nervous about whether or not I could fit into a country like this. But, as Mom said, I just had to do my best…

My first few days at my new school were certainly eventful. Most of the students there were surprisingly excited at the prospect of having an American student amongst them, and I was often asked about what it was like living in New York. I was even interviewed by one of the girls from the newspaper club. Her name was Masumi, and she seemed really enthusiastic about me. A little TOO enthusiastic if you ask me. I got to read the finished article, and it was greatly exaggerated…. I don't know what seemed to go through Masumi's head when I talked to her, but she seemed to think I was some burger eating cheerleader who spends most of my time chatting up boys. Well, she got the burger eating part right anyway… One of the other students told me that Masumi does tend to exaggerate her info, but she ultimately means well. I could see that. I wasn't bitter about it, in fact I actually saw the funny side of it. I even showed the article to my parents, and it now rests on the wall in the living room.

Once all the excitement about my arrival had settled, things calmed down a bit. I managed to make some friends pretty quickly, and I even found a great spot to study and read in the library. The actual journey to school was no problem for me to walk, though I preferred taking the bus. My studies hadn't faltered too badly either, despite the fact I was still learning how to write in Japanese. (Luckily, I'm a fast learner, plus I'd learned a lot when I studied Japanese with Mom, so it wasn't going to be a problem for too long.) Also, having cosplayed as several schoolgirl characters in the past, I initially found it pretty weird to be wearing a school uniform as part of my normal routine. It almost felt like I was cosplaying every day. But I soon got used to that, too.

Several weeks passed, and things were looking up. Mom was doing well with her job, We were getting along alright with the neighbours, and I was fitting in better than I expected at school. I couldn't have been happier. But then came that fateful evening….

School had ended for the day, and I made my way to the bus stop, as usual. Feeling like a little music while I was waiting for my bus home, I opened my backpack and searched for my MP3 player. Let's see….. My stationary box, a plastic bag I used to keep my lunch, my reading glasses, a flier for a minor anime convention (I wanted to show it to one of my friends and ask if she wanted to come along…), my text books….. Wait a second- one of them's missing! That's when I realised that I must of left my maths book in class! Crap, I needed that to go over my homework in the evening….. I had to get it right now, but my chances of catching the bus would have been slim if I'd have done so. No other thing for it- I ran all the way back to my classroom to get my maths book back. After a slight scolding from my teacher- telling me not to be so forgetful in future- I made my dash back to the bus stop. The bus was right there as I got there- maybe I could make it! Sadly, by the time I got close, the door closed and the bus left. Damn.

Knowing it would be ages until the next bus showed up, I figured it'd be quicker if I just walked home. It had been raining during the day, but that had thankfully passed by now. So at least I didn't need my umbrella….. As I made my way home, the sun had begun to set, and I couldn't resist looking at it. It may not have been the most beautiful part of the country- certainly not when compared to the scenery we passed on the way to our new house, anyway- but the setting sun still managed to make everything look beautiful. As I walked on, I soon came to a park. I knew I was nearly home now! I carried on my way, but then something caught my eye. I turned my head to get a better look at it.

It looked like some kind of plushie. It was a turtle one, and from where I was standing, it seemed kind of cute.

As I walked closer to it, I noticed a rip in it's side, and stuffing was coming out of it. How sad. Some poor child must have dropped it or something…. I figured the best thing to do would be to take it home, wash it, then repair it. Then I'd see if I could find it's owner tomorrow. I got the plastic bag I had in my backpack and went to pick the plushie up. It was soaking wet, and it was pretty dirty too. Then I saw it face to face, though, and I realised it wasn't quite as cute as it looked from a distance…. It had the creepiest face I'd ever seen, and that was before I even noticed the guts hanging out of it- not to mention the harpoon that was lodged in it's stomach….. Ewww… I quickly remembered- this must be one of those "Entrails Animals" that seemed to be so popular at the moment. I knew a girl at school who was completely obsessed with these things, god knows why. Now what was her name… Sakura! That was it, Kaede Sakura! She loved these things. Again, I couldn't help but wonder how someone as popular as her (She's actually considered one of the two "beauties of the school"!) could possibly have such a major obsession with something so…. gross….. Thinking about it, I wouldn't be surprised if this plushie got thrown out or something. Still, it must have belonged to somebody, so I felt obliged to clean it up and find it's home. And if I couldn't, perhaps Kaede would be happy to take it off my hands…. With that, I put the plushie in my bag and carried on home.

…...

Naturally Dad was home when I got back.

"Hi, honey. You're back a little late aren't you?

"Yeah, sorry about that." I replied. " I missed my bus, so I walked home. Hey, we're not using the washing machine today, are we?"

"No, I did a whole batch of washing yesterday. Why?"

"That's good. I found this stuffed animal on the ground on my way here, and I wanted to fix him up. But it needs a good wash first."

"Okay. Just try not to use too much detergent, alright?"

"I won't. Is Mom working late again?"

"'Fraid so. She won't be joining us for dinner tonight."

"That's too bad. But I guess it can't be helped…."

After my little chat with Dad, I threw the creepy turtle into the washing machine and turned it on. I had dinner and went over my homework while it was drying out, then I sent towards repairing it. There was quite a lot of stuffing missing, but luckily I had plenty left over from my own ill-fated attempt at making my own plushie (Not really something I wish to talk about, if I'm honest….), so I could fill this thing out , no problem. Within half an hour I had it good as new! Actually, looking at it, that stitch seemed to suit the repulsive creature quite well. My work done, I put it in my backpack ready for tomorrow. I glanced at my clock. Wow, 22:17 already? I felt beat after the long day I just had, so I decided to call it a night. Briefly heading downstairs to kiss Mom and Dad goodnight (The former of which had come back home a couple of hours ago), I went back to my room, got changed and went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be another long one….