SPOILER ALERT…
This work of fan-fiction takes place after the ending of the "Girls Last Tour" manga.
The story takes into consideration the events that transpired in the anime, manga and some of the anthology comics.
Please feel free to read at your own pace and any feedback, thoughts, and critique are greatly appreciated.
(If you find any typos, poorly written paragraphs, or you just want to talk about the story please don't hesitate to contact me :) )
May this work of fiction bring you comfort and closure in the empty void in our hearts that the manga has left us with.
Chapter 1: Message
It was past noon when Chito woke up at the top of the last layer, above the vast mechanical mega-city they left behind just the day before. With barely any sleep, her vivid dreams seemed to skip through a lot of the events that transpired since they left their home up to the final climb. Dazed and confused it took her a moment to realize her current predicament. They spent all this time climbing up to the last layer to find just a 'concrete' monument settled long before their time. With no food and no home, they had to think of a new plan what they would do next.
Carefully Chito rose up from underneath the blanket as to not wake Yuuri up. Although she was used to sleeping on hard surfaces, it always left her cramped the next day. Soaking in the warm sun above, she stretched her arms and her back yawning softly "Mmm… the sun feels so much warmer on this layer." Chito thought to herself. Looking at the far distance, the sun was vastly illuminating the derelict city beneath them, melting some of the snow from the night before on the top layer. No matter how grave the situation seemed she couldn't help but enjoy the view of the unobstructed horizon as it went on forever in the distance. The sunbeams gently caressing her cheeks as the few scattered clouds float above in the sky.
Yuuri was sleeping down on the cold ground, mumbling in her sleep. Watching her, Chito with a smile on her face couldn't help but think about how she would be dreaming about all the tasty food she could round up in her dreams. "Even after all this, she is still probably dreaming about food." They spent the previous night the exhausting and dangerous climb up the stairwell to the last layer and a short hearty slumber was all that they needed. During the rest of the day, they had to come up with a plan of what they were going to do next. For now, she didn't have the heart to wake her up just yet, as her dreams were probably giving her more comfort than what this cruel reality could offer.
Feeling slightly peckish, Chito leaned to scour through their backpacks to see what has left again, maybe she missed something the other day. Besides a few items they managed to keep, she could feel the solid edges of the package they found back on their journey, containing the bomb. They used the other one to destroy the construction machine back at the water tank as it was dismantling the whole installation on its own will. "Oh well… at least we can use this to blow ourselves up when the situation is dire…" she thought to herself "I hope it will be painless, Yuuri doesn't deserve to suffer…" closing her backpack, the grim thoughts were always clouding her mind like the darkest shadow that follows you around in every dire situation.
Still, the whole concept of death seemed sublime to her, even after they were surrounded by it from the very start of their lives. Friends and family who were currently in their graves perished from hunger and war around them. They passed so quickly in their lives they never managed to learn their names and the killing never seemed to stop. It felt like blind luck they have lasted this long and managed to leave that war of hunger behind. Probably just like Ojiichan, they had to eventually accept their fate. Food was just so scarce in this world that the eventuality of giving up and dying from starvation was a normal occurance. If the concept of heaven was true everyone they loved waited for them on the other side. Nevertheless, even if this reality was hopeless and devoid of any happiness, she had that constant urge to keep fighting for Yuuri's sake. She would never abandon the only person in the world that brings her happiness and reason to live.
"Right… so our first priority is to look for food, we ate up all the rations last night." she thought looking down at the empty packets of rations and soup cans they had the last night, the empty remains were scattered around on the ground. Their backpack weighing even less could make traveling the remaining layer faster. "Maybe there is something edible up here on the last layer… I guess we will worry about that when Yuu wakes up, I just want to enjoy the warm sun laying next to her for now."
For the next hour, she kept repeating the same questions in her head. "What next? Why was this layer even here to start with? Could there be more to this layer that they weren't seeing?" She knew that it was crucial to make a decision right there and now if they were going to go back down or see what's on the last layer. The option to just sit here and accept their fate was far from what she had in mind since last night, but no matter what they decide it was still a 50/50 chance of survival. Either they will find something on the last layer, or die from starvation. Chito felt like she wanted to continue, at least fight for Yuuri's sake. Even if she felt disheartened and everyone they knew were gone from this reality, she wanted to spend what little time she had left with her friend.
"I can't give up for Yuuri" grasping her hand beneath the blanket she thought to herself. "I can't…"
Some time passed before Yuuri woke up from her slumber, mumbling as she brushed her eyes and drool from her mouth… "Uhhhh….. hey Chii-chan… looks like we are still up here…" she said yawning and stretching her arms.
"Hey, Yuu. I did not want to wake you up. You looked so cute sleeping and mumbling there next to me." Chito smiled responding to her, as Yuuri continued stretching her arms. "If I have to guess, you were dreaming about food again?"
"You know me too well Chii-chan…" she smiled "It sure was a tasty dream. Just you and me eating all the fish we caught from a lake - I really want to have a fish again… soooo tasty" slightly smacking her lips. The thought of eating fish was making her peckish again. "Ahh, the sun… it's so warm. Chii-chan, I love this view, look how far the city is below. It feels like I can reach the sky from up here if I just held out my hand." she smiled reaching up to the midday sky, covered with just a few clouds one could hope for on a clear day.
"Yeah, at least the view was worth coming up here Yuuri." Chito smiled looking into the far distance, but with worry in her eyes as she wanted to ask her the question that has been troubling her ever since they reached the last layer.
"So, Yuu? What do we do next?" she asked looking at her "I mean we got up here… but we have no food and our Kettenkrad broke. So far we only found this old square monument. I thought Ojiichan sent us for some reason up here but… we found no one and nothing."
Yuuri looked back at her as her expression changed. "Oh right… yeah… um..." sitting back on the ground she looked around, she was left speechless about their current situation as well "…maybe we can explore this layer or go back down and look for something? There must be a place where we can call home Chii-chan" she said scratching her head. "But… hey, at least we reached the top together. Wasn't that our plan all along?"
Yuuri seemed unsure what to say next as her eyes filled with worry staring back at Chito. It was the first time since they left their village that they were unsure what to do next. Up to this moment, they had a goal to survive and reach the top of the city in hopes of finding anything, but the sight of a desolate layer and hopelessness up here was devastating.
"Do you think we made a mistake climbing up here Chii-chan?"
"I don't know… I really don't Yuuri." Chito said with tears in her eyes as she looked back at her.
"I was thinking of it before you woke up Yuu. Honestly… Even if there is nothing up here… I don't want to die from hunger. I don't want our light to go off Yuuri." Chito squeezed her own hands looking down on the ground with sadness in her eyes… "I really don't want us to die Yuu…" slowly tears started clouding her eyes as little droplets fell down on the ground "Please Yuuri… please promise me that you won't ever leave me… Let's just keep on trying to live and be together… even if it's for a little while…" she could barely muster any words as tears streamed down her face, unable to keep herself from crying.
"Please… Yuuri. Promise me… I don't know what I will do, without you…" sobbing loudly she laid her head down on Yuuri's chest, holding her tight. She felt as the whole world fell on their shoulders and losing her only friend in the world, was the worst thing she could ever imagine. "Please Yuu… Even if the world and everyone else we know is gone, I know that we only have each other... Even if we are forgotten… and there is nothing after this. I know that while we were alive you were there by my side…"
Yuuri looked back down at her trying to hold her tears in, composing herself just to try for a few words to come out her mouth. "Chii-chan… please don't cry…" Yuuri said clinging her arms close around her. "We will figure something out. You are the smartest person I know… Don't cry please…" She laid her head on top of hers, tears streaming down her face as well "I hope you know that I will also go to the end for you… I hope you know that. You are my shining light Chii-chan…" Yuuri wiped the tears of Chito's face with her hands looking down at her "I never wanted to give up on us Chii-chan… Let's explore this layer as well there must be more here." Yuuri hugged her closer, crying as well. "Let's continue our journey. I know we don't have much time left without food, but even until the end. I know we will be together. I want to be strong for you Chii-chan. I want to find that lake in my dream with all the fish, even if it's impossible…" gently holding Chito's hand she placed it near her heart "as long as my heart beats… know that I will be here for you Chii-chan..."
Chito looked up to Yuuri sobbing, her hand shaking as she felt the rhythmic beating of Yuuri's heart. The organic machine that pumped life through every human's body in their lifetime was pulsating only for her. Sobbing even louder she felt helpless at this moment. "Yuuri… You are my whole world…" holding her close as she sobbed even louder on Yuuri's chest. It was like mountains of pain that she accumulated through their journey was rushing out of her, in a form of emotion that she could only feel for her close post-apocalyptic friend. The bare thought of her friend gone from her life was devastating.
Yuuri leaned and hugged Chito tightly… "I will be there for you Chii-chan… I promise." smiling as being close to her was comfortable enough even in this situation. "We will figure something out… I want to spend the rest of my life together with you Chii-chan. No matter how short it might be."
Chito slowly started composing herself, feeling serene as she held Yuuri close to her. With tears in her eyes, she started reminiscing about a past dream she held very deeply in her heart. "Yuu…Do you remember back in the place where we watched the moving pictures?" Chito said laying her head on Yuuri's chest "I was a bit shy to tell you. But I had a really vivid dream when I fell asleep. It almost had a feeling we were in a completely different world where we were happy. We had a place we can call home, and we made all these plans about getting married, traveling the world and try all the delicious things we can eat. And at the end… You lean to kiss me… but just before you did I woke up." she smiled as her face flustered. "Do you think our dreams are just our lives in an alternate reality and our happy versions of ourselves really exist somewhere? Is it selfish of me that I only ask our reality to be a happy one as well Yuu? I want to be happy with you, I really want that more than anything in my life."
"Chii-chan… even if the circumstances are not on our side… I will try to give my best to make this a happy reality for you… you are my beautiful shining beacon" Yuuri said blushing still holding her close. "We will keep trying. If not at least we will be together at the very end Chii-chan."
"Yuuri… I love you more than anything in this world…" Chito said blushing as she finally confessed her true hidden feelings for Yuuri that she held tightly hidden in her heart. Her friend that she felt like she spent a whole lifetime with since childhood. Holding her close in her arms she felt at peace, expressing her feelings felt like tons of rock fell out of her shoulders.
"Hey, Chii-chan…" Yuuri said through her smile "What if I were to kiss you right now? I remember a scene when they kissed on that moving picture… and I wanted to do that with you ever since." she smiled her cheeks flushed as she locked her eyes with Chito. "I know it's what people do when they love and care about each other, and even when the other person feels bad they kiss to feel better. It would be the least I can do for you now, so you can feel better." Chito looked back and through her tears, she lets out a gentle smile. "I want nothing else in this world right now, but to kiss you as well… Yuu." looking up to her friend as she leaned down locking her lips with hers, blushing as if their faces permanently would stay red.
Kissing for the first time felt like the world stopped in its tracks. For them, nothing could ruin this moment, not even the cruel reality they were sadly put in. It was as if for a brief moment they were transported in the dream that Chito cherished forever. It was where they could plan their future together, where they would get married, travel the world and eat mountains of delicious food they could find. It was where the warmth of their home that gave them comfort, happiness and all they wanted in life. And when they would eventually grow old and perish, they would have something to show to the world that they were there and nothing could tear them apart.
Not even the mountains of hardships one human could endure in their lifetime would tear them apart.
Shortly after they broke off from their kiss, both of them blushed and giggled as they looked at each other… embracing as they laid back down on the ground, it didn't feel so cold anymore. "You should have seen the look on your face Chii-chan." Yuuri said as she giggled softly and blushed holding her tight "I'm so happy every time I see you smiling." Chito smiled at this serene moment made her warm all over "That was so amazing Yuu. It's like that time we drank that mysterious beer drink. It made me feel so warm and happy inside… I've never been happier in my life being here with you, even if it's up here..."
"Chii-chan I love you more than food…" Yuuri said giggling, still embracing Chito. "Oh, Yuu… You always think about food, even now when we kissed. I swear you will eat me one day." Chito said with a wide smile on her face. "Hey… it's Chii-chan first… then all the yummy food second…" Yuuri grumbled playfully.
"Yuuri… you are sooo, crazy…" Chito smiled unable to help herself as she laughed… "I swear I will drown you in a hotpot when I get the next chance…" she said laughing in her grasp. Yuuri was giggling as well still embraced together, laying down on the cold ground. Laughter felt like the right medicine at this moment, they could just feel the frustration lift from them, even if it was just for a bit.
"Hey, Chii-chan…" Yuuri exclaimed looking at Chito "Marry me when we find a home!" her face flustered as she faced her with this question out of nowhere. Chito flustered with a surprised reaction on her face looking back at her. "You know on the moving picture, that guy gave the girl a ring and they got married and they loved each other deeply..." Yuuri said smiling as she left Chito dumbstruck by the sudden request she made. "Look... I even found this at the bottom layer that looks like a ring." Yuuri pulled out a grenade pin from her pocket she found way back on one of the layers they passed before. "I was keeping it all this time to give it to you someday when we found a home. But… I want to give you the ring right now." Yuuri smiled as Chito blushed like crazy. "Yuu, that's a grenade pin. it could barely stay on my finger… it's so wide" she said giggling and blushing in her arms. "I hope you didn't pull it from a live grenade."
Yuuri with an ominous grin on her face replied back "Yes I did! I have the grenade right here in my pocket!" she said to the bewildering sight of Chito as she almost screamed running up from the blanket… "I'm joking! I'm joking!" exclaimed Yuuri pulling out her tongue at her, as she laughed loudly looking at Chitos look of momentary terror, this was only moments before she was smashed by a snowball hurled at by her annoyed friendo.
"You crazy idiot…" Chito screamed at her hiding behind a rock… "Empty brained... IDIOT... that scared the hell out of me… You are such a mor-" she couldn't finish her sentence as she was hit by a flying snowball thrown by Yuuri, still giggling like crazy as she got up from her blanket. "Marriage is war as well Chii-Chan!" Hurling melted snow at each other, they couldn't stop laughing before Chito tackled Yuuri down on the ground. Blushing as she looked her deeply in the eyes, sense of Déjà vu overwhelming them as they have done this bit so many times before. But this moment for them felt like the happiest moment of their life.
"Oh, it's war you say? And you pointed your rifle at me for a chocolate ration back then. Isn't that right Yuu?" Chito smiled looking at Yuuri pinching her softly. "Ohhh... As I remember, I never had the finger on the trigger Chii-Chan. I'd rather starve than never have you in my life. But then you love my crazy jokes Chii-chan." Yuuri pulled out her tongue at a grunting Chito laying on top of her. She indeed enjoyed riling Chito up sometimes, to the point that she loved driving her crazy.
Laying down on the ground, Chito held out her finger to see the grenade pin up to the sun. The pin used to house a live grenade years ago as corrosion had to show for it, discarded in the wars that were raging on for years on the bottom layers. "Yuu, I really hope the grenade didn't kill someone. It's sad that these are the remnants of the world before us. I will never completely understand why humankind was so spiteful to each other and every living being. Instead of happiness, they kept inventing every possible way to ruin each other. I'm really happy that the bomb we found was never used to kill someone. But it makes me sad that we had to destroy the construction machine."
Holding the pin tight in her hands, she moved it down to her heart "I want this pin to give us hope Yuuri. In its previous life, it might have done damage or taken a life, but for now, it's the burning candle that unites our destiny. And maybe when we will be old like Ojiichan, I will know that it was the symbol of our new life that we will share together… even up here in the last layer no matter how short or long. And I will find you a beautiful ring for you as well Yuuri…"
Moment of tranquil washed over them as they laid up there on top of the world, even at the edge of existence they could still find happiness in just being next to each other. Who cared if the rest of the world was gone, it was just this moment that had its significance to them. If this existence was complete and utter garbage, they could try and somehow make it work for them.
"Sooo… Chii-chan let's see what's up here." Getting up to check on her surroundings, Yuuri looked around the area of the concrete block. The light of the sun lit up much more of the layer and the hidden features they never noticed the day before. Long lines aligned around the edges all pointing towards something in the distance.
"Yuu... I didn't notice this yesterday when we arrived, but there are tiny holes underneath us on the ground." Chito said running her finger down, the little holes of the layers were barely noticeable, occupying every single layer of the metal sheath that consisted the top of the last layer. "And layers of lines and tubes all point from the pillars, to something in the distance… We didn't see this last night as it was full of snow and really dark… I was thinking that this layer could have collected rain and water from the atmosphere to supply the rest of the city below. Could this layer be the one that was responsible for the life of the layers beneath? Even up to the edge it's filled with these holes and pipes." she said looking around inspecting their surroundings.
"Hmm… maybe Ojiichan told us to come here for a reason Chii-chan but he couldn't tell us why at the time. I remember he shouted back at us but I couldn't hear him well because the firefight started." Yuuri looked around inspecting the ground and the square monument they found the other day. "He always feared that if other people found us they could hurt us. He told us to come up here to escape them, but maybe there was something else he knew."
"Even the hum of the machines is different, listen…" Chito laid her head down on the ground, placing her ear down on the ground listening for the slight vibrations underneath the layer. It gave off a calming noise and vibration as if water and air were running through. "Maybe what we are seeing is not there, but far into the distance. Or inside the layer?"
The lines that consisted of the construction on the last layer was all moving to the far distance, they couldn't notice the other night but it felt like there was something in the distance, almost like a huge wall that connected the ends of the layer. "Yuu… what could that place be in the distance?" She would check with her scope but they seemed to have lost it in the layers below and the sun was too bright to notice exactly what that structure could be.
"Chii-chan…" Yuuri called her just behind the stone "Come check this out…" Chito walked around to where Yuuri was standing just near the stone slab. They never noticed the night before but there were was something illuminating in the stone. The words are written on the wall.
"Towada-Hachimantai Experimental Unit?" said Chito reading the words aloud, flickering in a soft illumination with an electrical short buzz just barely noticeable. "What does it mean Chii-Chan?"
"I really have no idea Yuuri. Maybe the name of the layer?" Chito said as she ran her fingers on the smooth surface of the stone just trying to look for any clue why this concrete slab was here "Maybe there is something in this layer that is worth looking into Yuuri?"
"Sooo… Chii-chan… Let's go explore the layer before the night falls?" Yuuri exclaimed smiling as she looked back at her "Even if there is nothing there… at least we will spend our last moments together enjoying the warm sun and the view from up here. Maybe we will be able to find another stairwell to go down if we don't find anything."
"Oh… wait I have an idea." Chito ran at the back of the other side of the stone monument where they slept the night before. Grabbing the knife from her backpack, she ran back to where Yuuri was standing…"I want to leave a message…"
"Ahh... But I wanted to blow up the slab with the bomb…" Yuuri said frowning as Chito started scratching on the stone surface, etching her message. "What does it say?" Yuuri asked after she finished writing.
"Just a message of hope… for our lost friends"
Taking what was left of their belongings and their helmets, Chito and Yuuri started their long hike towards whatever was there in the distance of the last layer. "Chii-chan, you better keep your word for drowning me in a hotpot!" Yuuri said smiling as they walked into the horizon, hand in hand towards the center of the mysterious layer…
Years of mechanical advancement made these machines in the city virtually self-sufficient. It all had its own place in the circle. The atmosphere provided energy and water so that the machines can produce electricity to supply itself and run its own gears. The machines needed oil, as mankind needed food to run its course. To feed the machines, mankind stripped mother earth of its own creation, searching for oil and resources on every conceivable spot on this planet. Eventually, they ran out… It's what ruined the human race, their greed, persistent hunger for humanity to achieve self-sufficiency and toying with the course of nature through the use of machines, drained their home. It pretty much drove them insane. The lack of food played a gigantic role in the destruction of the human race. Suddenly mother earth couldn't feed them any longer as they depleted her of every natural resource they could. It was later when they resorted to violence. Every single weapon and tool of mass destruction that they produced, turned on them. It felt like the solution was simple, eradicate all other life so you can feed your own glutenous needs. Taking out humans and organic life out of the equation, meant that the machines might take every living corner of this world, making itself self-sufficient in a rudimentary kind of way. This in a way could be what was happening in the layers of these cities and why in some way it continued to live on even without humanity's constant need for interruption. Once used to house mankind and their needs, they learned to adapt without their help and run on its own. It's the reason that there was still electricity, water, and oil and the machines continued to work in some way even with the absence of mankind to bask in its glory. Some of the species and life that were left learned to adapt and even evolve to be able to devour humanity's last creation, Nuko's species could survive eating on human's metallic garbage. Somehow the layers were consistent in a way to provide self-sufficiency, the top layer in a way could be the one that could use the atmosphere to its own needs and provide water, electricity or maybe fresh and clean air to the layers beneath.
Back at the stone, the message on the concrete slab that Chito left was:
Kanazawa, Ishii, Ojichan, Nuko
We made it, we are up here!
Come find us, we miss you.
Chito & Yuuri.