A/N:
This is my first ever fanfic ever! Inspired by the darkness of AdrenaVeris and my love for the show, somehow this story was born. I hope that you all like it and that I manage to keep the characters as canon as possible (There is definitely some OOCness in it though as it progresses). It takes place in an AU similar to the actual world that they live in and contains some canon events, although they are altered a bit.
Disclaimer: I do not own K-ON; it belongs to Kakifly and KyoAni. If I did…it would still be in the works xD
Prologue: Float On
The sound of rain dropping rapidly from the sky muted all surrounding sounds as two figures walked home under their black umbrellas.
Barely visible water droplets formed puddles as they collected on the ground. The air had a musty, damp smell that seemed to be engulfed by intensity of the humidity. Unlike most days, the weather had chosen this specific spring day to be chilly and humid.
Each of the girls that walked on the sidewalk wore a black dress and had a blank expression on her face. The elder sister had her auburn hair down, her bangs that were normally held back by clips flowed freely onto her face, and the younger sister had her brown hair up in her usual ponytail.
The elder sister, Yui, looked back at the Tainaka household with a slight pout before facing forward again. She closed her eyes as she tried to block out all of her unpleasant thoughts and focus on happy ones instead.
The Tainakas had invited Ritsu's close group of friends over to the wake because they were worried that their daughter felt that she was to blame for the tragedy that occurred. Seeing the lifeless body of Ritsu's younger brother, Satoshi, was not a pleasant image that Yui wanted in her mind. Recent headlines popped up into her mind as she unwillingly recalled the horrific news from the previous month that led them to where they were that day.
Hundreds Dead Following Riot in Central Plaza. Single Survivor found in Critical Condition. No, no, I shouldn't be thinking about this.
Supposed start of Riot due to Mayor's Re-election. No, happy thoughts! Happy!
No Suspect Yet Found Regarding Beginning of Riot. Ngh, happy, be happy.
Single Riot Survivor passes away at Sakura Hospital…Poor Ricchan. To discover that your younger brother was at the wrong place at the wrong time and have this happen to him. I can't bear to think about what would happen if it was Ui.
Remembering the grim details, Yui didn't understand why anyone would ever want to do such a thing; however, what bothered her most was that their Mayor acted like the riot didn't happen and continued trying to appease the upper class so they would support him. An uncharacteristic scowl appeared on her face as she thought about the man.
Mayor Wada... Ever since he was first elected four years ago, he hasn't done anything for this city. All he cares about is what makes him look good.
A slight tug on her sleeve snapped her out of her thoughts and diverted her attention to the girl next to her.
"Onee-chan?" her sister whispered, a concerned tone clearly sounding in her voice.
Yui looked into her sister's worried eyes and gave her a smile to reassure her before grabbing onto her hand and running forward.
"Let's go, Ui! Home sweet home awaits us!"
Yui heard the ponytailed girl giggle as they ran, their umbrellas now barely covering them as the water droplets attacked them from all sides. The sky had a silvery tone and was covered with various dark grey clouds that seemed to move as the girls did. It seemed to perfectly fit the melancholy atmosphere of the day.
When she left her friends back at Ritsu's home, the three girls had been sitting around a table in silence. Ritsu's eyes had a glazed look the entire time that they were there; meanwhile Mio and Mugi just gave her occasional worried glances. Yui had brought her sister along to ease some tension and also because she did not want the girl to stay home alone during these eyes looked up into the sky as the footsteps behind her began to gradually slow down.
I wonder if they're still sitting there...They all looked so empty. It was scary seeing the lack of emotion in their faces.
Noticing that her sister had suddenly stopped walking altogether, Yui turned around to face her with a confused look.
"Ne, what's wrong, Ui?"
The younger girl looked up at her with a slight smile before rubbing the back of her head.
"S-sorry, Onee-chan I need to stop by the store. I accidentally forgot to buy eggs so I need to go back!" Ui bowed as she apologized. Yui looked at her sister for a few seconds before giggling.
"Hehe, it's alright, Ui. Let's go!"
Yui gave her sister a warm smile as she walked up to her.
"No, no, it's getting late, onee-chan."
"Ehhh? B-but I'm not about to let my sweet little sister go all alone!"
"Don't worry onee-chan, I'll be alright! Besides I wouldn't want to take up time that you should use to get ready for next week!"
"Oh no, I forgot! We start school next week don't we?" Yui scratched her head.
That's right, how did I forget?
"Yes, we do," Ui smiled warmly at her before continuing, "That's why you need to go home and get ready! I want to make sure that your new uniform fits so I have to time get you a new one if necessary, besides onee-chan, the store is only a few minutes away from our house. I'll be fine."
"Hmm, um…well, when you put it that way…" Yui trailed off.
I mean she's right, it's only a few minutes away…not like anything bad can happen in such a peaceful side of town, right?
The elder sisterhesitated slightly before continuing, "Just be careful, ne?"
"Don't worry Onee-chan. I'm always careful," Ui said while slightly nodding.
Yui watched her younger sister nod and smile back before turning around and running the opposite way.
Hehe, Ui needs to relax a bit she's always working so hard… I know she's nervous about entering the same school as me, but wow... maybe I can clean up the house in order to help her relax a bit!
A bright grin appeared on Yui's face as she pumped her fist into the air.
Don't worry, Ui! Your onee-chan will help you out! That's a guarantee!
Yui grinned to herself as she ignored her umbrella and raced off into the rain. She did not care that she was getting soaked from the lack of coverage, all that mattered to her was thinking of ways to help relieve her sister's stress.
~ K-ON! ~
A Gibson heritage cherry sunburst guitar lay forgotten on the couch as its owner rolled around on the wooden floor. Yui had been playing with Gitah for at least an hour, she had forgotten to clean the house, but that wasn't the problem. A worried frown adorned Yui's face as she continued rolling around.
Ui was supposed to be back ages ago…she hasn't even called.
A distant buzzing noise caught her attention as she noticed that her phone was vibrating on the table. Hope streamed through her system as she hurriedly crawled over to it. The anxious girl bumped her head on the table as she approached it. She vigorously rubbed her head as her other hand reached up to grab her phone. Without checking the caller ID, Yui hastily opened it and answered the call.
"H-Hello, Ui? W-where are you?"
"Eh? This isn't Ui, its Mio… Err, Yui I think you should turn your television on to the news…"
"Mio-chan? Is everything okay?"
"I…really think that you should look. It might be better if you see it with your own eyes."
The hesitancy in the bassist's voice sent a wave of panic through Yui's body as she turned the television on. She flipped the channel to the news and nearly dropped the phone in her hand.
"I am here live in front of 711 where a shooting seems to have taken place. A masked vigilante was spotted coming into the store with a group of men and threatening to rob the place. It appears that one young girl had attempted to step up and stop the thieves, but was injured in the process. According to witnesses, she stepped between the men and a woman that was being harassed when they began to attack her for getting involved. At the moment she is being transferred to Sakura Hospital while we try to gather more details. As the story continues to unfold the police are looking at security cameras in hopes that we have evidence to apprehend these criminals."
The black haired woman on the television looked back at the ambulance that showed paramedics wheeling a bloodied brown haired girl into it. At the sight of the girl's familiar face, Yui felt her insides clench and something rising up in her throat.
Please tell me that this is just a dream. There's no way that the person in that stretcher is Ui. I mean Ui went to WokMart…right?
Her eyes continued widening in horror as the camera zoomed in toward the person being wheeled over. She shook her head violently to clear unpleasant thoughts.
No, it's not Ui. That girl just happens to have her…brown hair up in a pigtail.
Blank chocolate eyes locked onto the unconscious bloody features of the person being hooked up to an oxygen tank. There was no way that she could deny the truth any longer. With this, she felt the urge to run over to the sink and clear her stomach of its contents, but her legs felt like lead weight that did not want her to move.
It's just a horrible dream that will end at any second and get rid of this hollow feeling I'm having…right?
Tears welled up in her eyes as her vision of the ambulance blurred and the newswoman reappeared on the screen.
No, there is no live sign flashing at the corner of the screen…. and Ui is not lying in a stretcher. It's just a dream! …Right?
Yui tore her eyes away from the corner of the screen and tried to shakily focus on the other things in view. With her heart pounding loudly in her ears and her vision slowly starting to blur, she began to ease her breathing to calm herself.
Everything's going to be okay…and Ui is going to walk right through that door with a shopping bag…right?
Brown eyes looked over at the door expectantly, but after a minute of silence, she sniffled and began to tremble.
Yui distantly listened as the bassist struggled with someone for the control of her phone. She blinked back tears as she remembered that she was on the phone while she waited for the voice on the other end to continue talking.
"Ugh, let go idiot!"
"No! This is importa- Ack! Just give me the phone, Mio!"
The ensuing silence led Yui to check her phone to make sure that it was still ringing. When she saw that the call was still in progress, she slowly lifted her phone back up to her head.
"Oi, Yui, you there?"
The brunette looked at the phone in her hands as she tacked a name onto the familiar voice.
Ricchan...
"H-Hai, I'm h-here, Ricchan. W-what should I do..?"
Yui flinched when she heard voice crack and felt warm liquid drip down her cheeks. Everything was falling apart around her and she couldn't do anything to stop it.
"Just stay calm, me and Mio will be over in a few. Whatever you do, don't panic. It's always the worst thing you can do. Wait a minute… are you crying? Listen here Private, we are at war! In order to help everyone we can't give into weak things like emotions! Do you understand?!"
Yui sniffled before saluting and then giggling to herself when she realized that the other girl wouldn't see it.
"Hai, Captain… We must be strong to…protect those we love…" the brunette trailed off as her eyes wandered over to the television screen. The woman was still talking about the incident and even the other anchors replayed clips of the incident as they started to talk about it. She looked up at the ceiling when the girl hung up. Unable to hold back all of the feelings inside, she began to sob and then gradually burst into tears.
This is all my fault. Why didn't I go with you, Ui? If I had persisted a little bit more I'm sure that I could have been there and have taken your place.
All she could do was to try to wait for the two girls to show up and head with them over to the hospital. Everything felt broken; she had never felt so useless in her life. After a few minutes of lying down and crying, she resolved that it waiting would not work for her at all; she needed to find her sister. She staggered onto her feet and rushed over to where her shoes where. She looked like a mess, her eyes were puffy and traces of snot were dripping down her nose. She hastily wiped at her face before opening the door and looking outside.
No, I can't wait for Ricchan and Mio-chan; I need to find my sister right now. U-Ui, I'll make sure that you're okay!
~K-ON! ~
The days following Ui's injury, Yui spent a majority of her day with her sister in the hospital. After that first day where she had run in looking like a mess with a frantic Mio and Ritsu on her tail, there lay a mass of reporters waiting outside to ask her questions. She merely brushed them off as she made her way into the building. Each time Yui found her sister, she felt her heart break a little as she constantly observed the surreal scene in front of her.
The churning feeling in her gut did not cease, especially since the younger girl would usually be asleep when she visited, her sister always seemed so frail and weak from the drugs that they had given her. Whenever she saw the girl's sleeping face, she felt the urge to stay by her side and keep others away, even doctors and nurses. The ones caring for Ui told Yui that she had managed to come out with a few broken ribs and a broken arm. It was decently good news, but to Yui it was still basically the end of the world.
On the third day, Yui sadly gazed upon her sister's sleeping face, struggling to fight the fact that early in the morning their mayor had edited the story of what had actually happened to make it look like it was Ui acting irresponsibly and that was why she had gotten caught up in the situation. He made her seem foolish in order to push her out of the spotlight that she had rightfully deserved. Growing contempt for the man increased as Yui gazed at her sister's peaceful expression. While Ui slept, Yui gently took hold of her hand as she created a promise to herself. Her voice was soft as she spoke,
"I won't let anything like this happen to you ever again, Ui. You don't deserve it…It should have been me… No matter what it takes, I am going to make sure that you will be safe in the future."
A weak smile graced her face as she saw her sister shift a little in response. Her sister's serene expression kept her at ease, but seeing how bandaged up she was made her uneasy and guilty. Yui made her way toward the window and saw the group of reporters still outside being kept at bay by police officers.
I wish that people would mind their own businesses. If it was their family or sister, they wouldn't want random strangers interrogating them about things that no one needs to know. Of course Ui is a good person that Mayor of ours just made her seem like a criminal.
She let out a sigh as she glanced up at the clouds outside the window. The white, puffy clouds contrasted greatly with the darkening blue sky.
"Excuse me, Hirasawa-san? Sorry to bother you, but visiting hours are now over."
Yui jumped slightly before turning around to face the two nurses that had walked in. She gave them a weak smile before nodding and walking over to her sister. She gently squeezed her hand before heading over to the door. She could just barely hear the whispers of the two women as she went to leave.
"Poor girl comes here every day, lucky for her that this one is being released in a few days."
"Yes, but is that really a good thing? You heard what Mayor Wada said, this girl is a crimin-"
"Don't say that, whenever she's awake and I talk to her, she seems very polite!"
"Well, you know what they say about judging a book by its cov-"
Yui closed the door to stop hearing the conversation that was jabbing at her insides. She clenched her fist and wiped away the traces of tears as she left the hospital with a heavy heart.
The sky had started transitioning from the dark blue that it had been moments before to a silvery grey. A distant rumble of thunder told her that rain was on its way which meant that she had to hurry. The sweet old lady from next door stopped her before she reached home and gave her a small package.
Gran told her that Ui would be out of commission for a while so she would have to be a big girl and take care of herself. All Yui could do was put up a strong front and pump her first into the air to promise the sweet old woman that she could do it. As soon as she turned her back toward the old woman, the smile dropped from her face at the thought of her sister being gone for such a long time.
After entering her home, she slumped toward the table with a sigh. The entire house was silent because there was no sister bustling around the house working to get something done. Soon after, the soft patter of rain could be heard through the windows. A quiet buzzing noise alerted Yui's attention to the phone in her pocket. She looked at it for a bit and recalled what happened the last time that she had used her phone. It was when she had discovered that her sister had been caught in a burglary.
She opened the phone and before bringing herself to answer it, the brunette took a deep breath.
"Hey Ricchan, what's up?"
"Hey Yui, are you busy right now?"
"…No, not really."
"Okay good! Let's hang out, okay?"
"Wait what? When are you comi-"
"Now! Open the door! I'm getting soaked!"
The sudden knock caused Yui to jump and scramble toward the door. When she opened it, she saw a soaked Ritsu. Her tawny hair was plastered to the side of her face and her clothes looked as if she had taken a shower in them. The girl hastily clambered into the house before removing her shoes.
"Argh, it's really bad out there," the drummer laughed as she shook the water out of her hair.
The drummer continued shaking her head before putting her arms behind her head. Yui ran upstairs to a closet and hastily searched for a towel.
Did she plan on coming here…?
Yui walked downstairs and examined the drummer before handing her the towel.
"Well, now that I'm here I'm saying relax… Ui will be okay! She's in a pretty good hospital," the amber-eyed girl laughed weakly as glanced down at the towel in her hands with a sad smile.
…Ricchan. How badly are you hurting? That's the hospital where Satoshi-
Ritsu had the look of a person that forced themselves to go through the daily motion of life. Ever since the death of her brother, the boisterous girl lacked the shine in her eyes that had been there in their first year. As the girl dried herself off, Yui could see that partial empty look in her eyes. The two walked over to the table and sat down on opposite sides. Neither girl spoke as they both stared down at the table in a seemingly stagnant silence.
"Yui," Ritsu whispered softly as she looked down at the table.
"Ne, what's up, Ricchan?" Yui remarked just as quietly as the other girl.
Brown eyes looked up to meet amber before the drummer gathered the courage to speak up.
"Yui, I-I have a request for you!" Ritsu half-yelled, her chair nearly falling as she abruptly stood up and placed both of her hands on the table.
"E-Ehhh, w-what?" Yui jumped back, nearly falling off of her chair, due to being startled by the girl's loud voice.
"Yui, b-become a hero with me!"
Yui looked at the girl in front of her with wide eyes. Ritsu had the most serious face that she could only think that the girl was kidding. The guitarist began to giggle as a lack of response. Seeing the serious look remain in Ritsu's eyes made Yui's insides freeze up when she realized that she meant every word of her request.
"I-I mean that we can, uh, help protect people and stuff. We don't have to do anything major just…patrol and stuff! You know, like Captain and Private normally do!" Ritsu continued as she began to nervously scratch her cheek and look down to hide her blush.
All Yui could do was stare at the increasingly embarrassed girl in front of her as she thought of a response to her request.
"A hero..? You mean like the ones who fly around and save damsels in distress?" Yui stalled as she flashed Ritsu a weak smile.
Ritsu slowly nodded before looking discouraged and turning her gaze toward the ground. Yui could see that the girl was really hoping that she would agree. Her brown eyes darted off to the side as she looked for anything to look at except the drummer. What she found was a picture of both her and Ui smiling happily while they sat in front of a Christmas tree.
Back then…those were happy times, weren't they? What if…this is the answer to all my problems?A small smile graced itself on Yui's lips as she faced the tawny haired girl in front of her.
"Err- Alright, why not, Ricchan? It'll help me keep my promise to Ui after all!"
"R-Really, you mean it?" Ritsu exclaimed as her eyes widened in slight surprise before she began to grin. Her fists were balled up as she began to squirm in excitement. Yui couldn't help but giggle in amusement when she saw the girl in front of her fight the desire to bounce around and rejoice.
Bringing a hand up to her head, Yui saluted Ritsu to signify that she meant what she said.
"Aye, Captain! From now on I will follow your orders and we will protect innocent civilians!"
Ritsu brought up her hand up to her head and imitated the gesture. The two girls smiled at each other as they finished up their silent promise.
"Haha, perfect, just you wait, Yui; I know this will work out! No one will have to suffer for the actions of our mayor ever again! I mean, beforehand people just stood by as he did cruel things, but know there will be defenders of civilians! There'll be keepers of peace!"
Yui watched as the drummer pumped her fist into the air and continued babbling. It's been a while since I've seen her this happy… I made the right choice, didn't I?A fond smile grew on her face as she looked out at the cloudy sky from her window.
That's right, Ricchan. I know that we can do this. Don't worry, Ui. Never again will I let the carelessness of our Mayor or anyone else get between us. I won't let anyone lose or watch a loved one get hurt! The school year is coming up and all, but I know that I'll be able to do this. With this, I will become the best hero that this town has ever known! That's a promise!
As both girls sat down at the table to discuss their plans for their newfound partnership, the sky began to clear up outside. The rain halted as the skyline began to fade from the dark silvery color it had been before into a brighter blue. The dawning azure sky in the horizon served as a symbol of hope that symbolized a break in the seemingly never ending storm.
A/N: Hm, well I hope that you all liked it! This is my first time ever actually writing a story for a fandom…I'm more of a "I'll draw my stories" type of person, but I feel like I can really complete this if I work hard. I'd like to thank Genki Collective for recommending my amazing beta-reader Musician74. Hehe, I feel bad that I bother her every week while she's busy doing college work, but she has really taken the time to help me perfect this.
I'd love hearing some constructive criticism. Since I'm still a novice at this, I'd love to hear what others think. Thanks for taking the time to read it! :D
[Edit] 10/7/10: Oh gosh...this is SO descriptive haha. I tried to fix some things up, but dang it's a lot more descriptive than I remember. Welp, back to rereading the other chapters. Hope you guys enjoy!
~imuffinator out