WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH
A/N: I know someone is doing zombies already but I'm trying to get over writer's block and I felt like writing something sad so.
I'm going to try to write the chapters for my other stories but I'm really sorry if it takes a little bit for me to get back into things. I just have no motivation and ugh.
How long had it been? Days? Months? Years? The black-haired girl could no longer remember. Ever since the breakout, everything seemed like a dream. Or better yet, a nightmare. Day and day again she tried to wake up from this dream, to no avail. She kept herself going on memories of the past, which fed her slowly deteriorating mind.
Nico Yazawa trekked through the debris of what was once a super market. Tainted food items riddled the brown, broken tiled floor. Shelves collapsed atop one another, leaving few aisles remaining. She carefully stepped around large holes in the floor where the ceiling had caved in, gulping as the loose concrete floor instilled fear and paranoia into her heart.
Behind her, the other eight members of Muse followed. Those who once wore beautifully designed costumes made for magnificent performances now dressed in simple shirts and jeans, dirtied from their long journey. On them rhymes carried makeshift weapons, whatever they could find to defend themselves. The nine girls were lucky enough to be together at the time of the apocalypse, able to escape unscathed.
Nothing was left of their dear city Akihabara. It was left in ruins, where creatures roamed aimlessly day and night. As all communication and transportation was cut off, Muse was left alone. As if now, their goal was to head for Maki's mountain cabin, which lay more or less isolated in the woods. It was all they had, all they could possibly hope for in such a time.
The market was dark, only illuminated by the specks of light that shone in from the holes in the ceiling. It was quiet, maybe even a little too quiet. None of them said a word, Nico being the first to speak up.
"It doesn't look like there's anything here." The twin-tailed girl observed, taking a second glance around. "Also, why the hell do I have to go first?!"
Nozomi giggled, gently placing a hand over her mouth to suppress the sound. "You're the smallest, Nicocchi."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Nico snapped, continuing forward.
"You can slip right underneath them!"
"Hey! You-"
With a few sighs from the others, Eli intervened. "Put a can in it, you two."
"I can't help but feel uneasy here..." Kotori began, a frown evident on her pale face.
"Me too. We should rummage as much as we can, then get out of here." The blonde replied as she shuffled through the debris, slipping a can of beans into her backpack.
Muttering curses under her breath, Nico slipped under fallen shelves and debris to collect various edible foods. A horrid rotting smell came from the meat section, though thankfully it was blocked off. The former idol pinched her nose, breathing out of her mouth as she continued her search.
Suddenly, a shrill scream filled the tense air, emitting from Hanayo. Nico snapped her head in the timid girl's direction, her worried expression deadpanning as Rin stood behind her with a mischievous grin.
"Stop fooling around!" Eli growled, much louder then she should've.
A deep groaning sound came from the meat section, along with the sound of limbs dragging against the hard floor. For a second, Nico's body refused to move, regardless of her mind's commands. The last thing she heard before the creatures were upon them was a quick shout from Honoka.
The raven-haired girl pulled a kitchen knife from her backpack, holding it in front of her as she ran to find the others, who spread the moment they were attacked. No matter how many times Nico came face to face with the monsters, her mind always went blank. Her legs shook and she felt weak, as if she were looking at death itself. No, I have to stay strong. Not just for me, but for everyone else.
Reuniting with Eli and Nozomi, the trio rushed off to find the rest of Muse. The first years were nowhere to be seen, which wasn't a good sign. Umi was the most capable with her bow and arrow, so the three girls weren't as worried about them. But Rin, Hanayo, and Maki were the biggest concern. As Rin had stepped up once or twice to protect the others, she wouldn't be enough now. Maki hadn't said much at all since they went on the run, only answering when spoken to.
Eli spotted Rin and Hanayo behind a shelf, nearly cornered as the girl with the tangerine colored hair stood bravely in front of the other, although she was shaking in fear.
"You guys go help them, I'll look for Maki!" Nico commanded, wasting no time on arguments as she ran off in another direction.
"Be careful!" Nozomi called as she and Eli prepared to rescue their juniors.
Nico forcefully pushed the monsters away from her, hesitantly driving the knife into her predators as she swiftly escaped their grasps. Where is she? The building was fairly big, and with all the debris, the market was a labyrinth. "Maki!" She called the redhead's name over and over as she sprinted away from the unwanted company.
"Nico?" A frightened voice replied from a few aisles away.
Quick, heavy breaths escaped she small girl's lungs as she slipped between the ruins. Maki stood in a dark corner with a baseball bat in hand, her face frozen in consternation as two of the monsters trapped her, their arms aimlessly reaching for the girl. With all the energy she harbored in her little body, she pushed one aside with all her might, turning to find the other as she was knocked to the cold ground.
Everything went quicker than she could comprehend. A grotesque figure loomed over her, its weight holding her down as it reached for her. Flailing her knife at the creature, a sharp pain in her shoulder elicited a loud gasp. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before, the pain of being eaten alive. Shoving the zombie off of herself, Nico was able to make a clutch escape. Though the bite in her shoulder throbbed as she wiped up the blood, forcing herself not to scream as she wrapped it to stop the blood.
No one can know.
Of course things would do bad. Why wouldn't they, in this apocalyptic world? There was no happy ending. Not for Muse, at least. The group's nine members became eight, then seven, then six, continuing on until there were but two left. Others were caught out, taken by surprise, or broken under the pressure. Those who were thought to be most capable were unable to cope with their emotions after losing dear friends. Umi, who was most capable with her bow and arrow, had broken down after the loss of Kotori and Honoka. Each late member was a blow to the group's heart.
How did it come to this?
Maki sat on the edge of a stranger's bed, in a stranger's house. It was vacant, and the only viable option in their situation. Outside, dozens of the monsters roamed without purpose; empty human bodies without souls. A girl with faded ruby eyes and jet black hair lay on the unscathed bed, her skin pale despite her burning fever. On her shoulder a deep gash stained her light pink shirt, vaguely shaped to the form of a human mouth.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" Maki demanded, clenching her hands into fists.
A sad smile found it's way to Nico's lips as she dragged her gaze to the redhead. "I didn't want to worry you all. There's nothing you could've done about it anyway."
"Idiot!" She shouted in rage, a sickening poison drenching her heart with sorrow. "We...we could have tried, we could have..." Maki's shaking voice trailed off as a hand was placed atop hers.
"Don't worry." Nico reassured as she released a mucus filled cough fit. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize to me! Just promise you'll be okay! Promise you won't leave me."
Nico was all she had left in this crumbling, rotting wreck of a world. The sun that warmed her heart, the light that showed her the way. Without her angel, she would fall. Nico held her up with wings she no longer had. You idiot. You stupid, stupid idiot.
"Maki, you know I can't..."
"Shut up. You won't leave, I won't let you." Maki gripped onto Nico's small hand for dear life, squeezing it with what little strength she harbored. A lump formed in her throat as she spoke, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
Another violent wave of coughs flowed over Nico, who grew hotter and hotter by the second as if she were ignited by some unknown force. Her crimson eyes, once filled with life were now glazed over. "Everything will be fine. I'm scared too, Maki. I-I don't want to become one of those...those things." She croaked, weakly clutching Maki's hands.
"Stop saying everything will be okay! Without you, I..." Unable to continue, warm liquid trailed down the redhead's rosy cheeks. She could no longer contain the lament in her frightened heart.
With the last of her strength, Nico pulled herself up, wiping the tears off of Maki's cheeks. "Don't cry!" She whispered. "Super Idol Nico Nico Smile is here to turn that frown upside down!" Her voice was forced, as if it took her all to simply speak. "Put on that smile for Nico! Maki's is the brightest, after all."
Though Nico's efforts only brought more tears, from both Maki and herself. Gently embracing the ill girl, Maki wrapped her arms around the other, who was too weak to return the hug. This is unfair. We came so far, why does it have to end like this?
"Hey, do me one last favor." Nico mumbled, her voice muffled in Maki's shoulder.
"What is that?"
"I want you to sing for me, I'm so tired. Sing me to sleep, Maki. One last song." The ebony-haired girl leaned all her weight on Maki, unable to hold herself up any longer.
The redhead's vision began to blur as her tears dripped off her chin and onto the girl under her. Gingerly laying Nico down, she took both of the girl's hands into her own. Leaning in, Maki lightly pressed her lips against the others one last time as Nico closed her eyes, a smile on her pale lips.
Now!
Cheers for loving you!
With the courage to never give up let's enjoy the present
Cheers for loving you!
We can do our best so wave goodbye to yesterday and look forward...
BANG