Chapter 1: Unexpected changes

"So, Kuga, what do you have waitin' for you at home?"

Natsuki Kuga, a soldier of the Fuuka Military, raised her head at the sound of her name.

"Nao? What is it?" She grumbled, opening a can of spam(1) with her survival knife.

"Mutt, I said what's waiting for you back in Fuuka?" Nao Yuuki, another soldier of the Fuuka Military, replied.

Natsuki growled at the name, but raised an eyebrow at the question.

They were currently in their quarters, which was only a medium sized tent with two makeshift beds made out of cloth on the ground with thin sheets which shouldn't really be called blankets. The door, which wasn't actually a door, was two dark green flaps on the side of their tent. Their rifles were resting on dirty rags in the corner of the tent, left of the entrance and bullets were scattered around the guns. A few handguns could be spotted, as well as some knives and two bayonets. This was life during war for the soldiers. Well, for now.

Slicing a chunk of meat off the spam, she shoved it in her mouth, chewing ferociously.

"Well," She said in between mouthfuls of the meat, "I have a girlfriend waiting for me." She stated, downing the food.

"Girlfriend?" Nao frowned, scrunching up her face in disgust at the thought of someone actuallywanting to go out with Kuga. "Who in the right mind would want to go out with you?" She scoffed, filing her nails.

Filing her nails was one of the few past times she had since she was recruited and forced to participate in the war.

"Shizuru Fujino." Natsuki replied simply, offering the last piece of meat to Nao, who gratefully took it.

Food was scarce in the battlegrounds. The Fuuka military had more than three thousand mouths to feed, and only had a limited supply of food to feed them. These foods included spam, canned vegetables, canned fruit, long life milk... Anything that can last in these conditions. Once in a long while, say, 3 months, they would have fresh meat or baked goods sent to then from Fuuka, be it from wives or from students that want to help. Anything will help.

Nao raised an eyebrow, thoroughly confused as she chomped on the spam meat, making a small unsatisfied face. She never liked spam. Canned spam sort of made her sick. But after what she's seen out here... It doesn't even affect her that much anymore.

Natsuki sighed, somewhat disappointed of Nao's stupidity. So she repeated what she said, saying it slower so that Nao the Neanderthal could understand completely.

"You asked who in the right mind would go out with me." She explained, pausing after each word and studying Nao's face to see if she'd understand. "And," She sighed, going back to original speed dialogue, "Shizuru Fujino has got a very right mind. And she goes out with me." She stated matter-of-factly.

Nao sat there, dumbfounded, spam sitting in her hand idly. Her nail file fell from her hand to the dirt; the floor of their tent. "Woah. She must have huge boobs..." She said absent mindedly, chuckling slightly to herself as she stared off into space. "'Cause you know the saying... The bigger the breasts, the smaller the brain..." She rattled, not noticing Natsuki take the meat out of her hands.

"Stop talking about Shizuru like that." Natsuki mumbled, shoving the meat into Nao's mouth, successfully making her choke.

After a massive coughing (choking) fit, Nao stood up, face red from either embarrassment or by the lack of air needed.

"Mutt...!" She snarled angrily as she swiped at Natsuki with her perfectly manicured nails.

Natsuki ducked under the swipe, chuckling as she ran around the tent, dodging each and every one of Nao's angry swipes.

"I'll get you, mutt!" Nao growled, but it had a playful undertone. She chased the bluenette around the room, blindly swiping at her like a cat, smirking all the while.

They were having fun, something that rarely happened during the half year they spent on the base. Most of the time they were training, or cleaning their guns, or helping treat injured soldiers that returned from the battle... And that's not very fun.

"You two!" A voice boomed through the tents flaps as a buoyant (A/N: This is an adjective, right?) blonde entered the tent.

"Stop messing around! You're needed at the trousers as the front line!" She boomed, crossing her arms as Natsuki and Nao blinked.

"Uh... Lieutenant Suzushiro, what are you... Why are you... What?" Natsuki blinked, giving a worried look to the lieutenant.

"Um... Haruka meant to say 'You're needed at the trenches as the front line.'" A small, mousy voice squeaked, and out came a small, short-haired brunette from behind Haruka.

Nao and Natsuki nodded in understanding.

"I see." Natsuki mumbled, thinking of the consequences of going into the front line in the trenches. She and Nao could die there, but they could survive as long as there wasn't going to be a-

"There's going to be a charge." The brunette squeaked, looking away. "Field Marshall Ahn Lu is preparing a charge to go into no mans land to try and even out the odds." She said quietly.

At this, both Nao and Natsuki paled.

"... Oh." Nao managed to choke out, before looking to Natsuki, worried.

"Stop lilly lilacs around and get your rifles!" Haruka shouted, before spinning on her heel, going to fetch the rest of the front line troops.

"That's 'dilly dallying', Haruka." The brunette squeaked, following the loud blonde.

"I know that, Yukino!" The lieutenant growled back, their voice fading in the distance.

Nao glanced at Natsuki, who was lost in thought.

"... Oi, Kuga. Let's go." She urged, grabbing her rifle and poking Natsuki on the shoulder with it.

"... Yeah." Natsuki mumbled in reply, picking her rifle up from the corner and heading out, Nao in tow.

-0-

Shizuru smiled happily; she was holding the most recent letter she received from her girlfriend, Natsuki.

Natsuki was currently fighting in the war, and she was to come home in just a months time! Shizuru was so happy. She hadn't seen Natsuki in so long. It's been half a year since she last saw the bluenette. It felt like an eternity for Shizuru.

Each month, Shizuru would receive a letter from the soldier, telling her all about what's happening in the base, be it gossip, incidents or just how she felt. Shizuru would always gladly read the letters; after all, it was the only contact she could get. The phone signals were cut over in the Garderobe border, where the war was happening, so she couldn't call the bluenette. These small letters that they send each other console them, knowing that each of them are okay.

But this was the last letter she would get. In just a month, she would be with Natsuki in person. Natsuki wouldn't have to use a pen and paper to tell her about her day, her feelings or anything at all really, and neither would Shizuru.

But... Shizuru didn't see how many reasons that this was the last letter there were. She couldn't.

After all, she wasn't at war. She wasn't in Natsuki's shoes.

-0-

Natsuki let out a shaky breath as she stood in the slightly flooded trench; her combat boots felt squishy as the muddy water seeped into them. She surely would get trench foot if she made it out of this alive.

'If' being the keyword.

She was currently holding a pen and paper, quickly scribbling down her last notes to her beloved. She flinched every time she heard a gunshot, and the rain was staining the paper with small drops, smudging the ink of the pen.

"Oi, mutt, hurry up. I think they're calling the charge pretty soon," Nao urged, trying to lighten the mood by the nickname, although fear was evident in her voice.

The bluenette ignored her.

Finishing her letter, she got her survival knife and some tarp she brought along with her, wrapping the paper in it and stabbing it into the dirt wall of the trench, pinning it up to the side. This was most likely her last letter. She needed it to be comprehensible.

She looked over at Nao, who had nothing pinned up, nothing left in the trench and no pictures in her hand, unlike most of the other soldiers that were in the front line.

"Hey, snake," She started softly, dull lime eyes meeting bright emerald. "Who've you got waiting for yo-"

"Nobody." Nao interrupted, "Nobody's waiting for me."

Natsuki paused, contemplating whether or not she should say something. In the end, she responded with a nod, not saying anything but giving her a response none-the-less.

A small awkward silence followed, Nao regretting that she answered and Natsuki regretting that she asked.

Then a certain lieutenant's voice saved them from the awkwardness.

"Over the top!" Haruka boomed, raising her rifle as she began to climb over the trench.

Nao gulped nervously, lifting her foot up and placing it into a foothold on the side of the trench. She glanced over at Natsuki, a wan smile toying at the corner of her lips.

"Mutt... You ready?" She asked.

Natsuki chuckled darkly, already halfway over the ledge.

"Let's do this."

"Charge!" Haruka boomed at last, sending the troops off- as well as herself- over the ledge into battle.

And with that, Natsuki and Nao nodded to each other, before climbing over the ledge, shooting their rifles blindly.

-0-

– Spam is basically canned processed meat. Icky it is.

A/N:

Hey people. This idea came to me while I was watching a very sad war movie. My dad was a Vietnam Veteran, and he was in war too. I thought this would be a good plot for some ShizNat... Angsty goodness now, poofy fluff later.

Sorry about the short chapter though. This is more of a test to see if people like it... So if you do...

REVIEW!