Author's Note: Still don't own anything!
I was startled awake by the sound of bells chiming out the alarm. We were for the second time that day under attack. To me it did not matter who it was, I quickly grabbed my sword and send my only barely awake sister, Kiseki, to go and help get the young children into the tunnels so that we could quickly get them out of harms way while I go and get Heero and his team and let them know what was going on. I was soon knocking on their door, when Heero opened the door he looked ready for anything, so I said, "Those bells are the alarm bells you should probably either come with me and aid me or go up to main common area, where we started our tour today and help defend."
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I was getting ready to turn towards the tunnel entrance to make sure things were going as smoothly as possible in that direction, Heero stopped me, by saying, "Sakura wait, Duo and Quatre will go with you, I assume the idea is to keep the tunnels clear so you can escape? Trowa, and Wufei will go with me and will help out in defending this place."
"Alright, Duo Quatre will come help me defend the tunnels and also keep the children quiet and safe. Be safe you three, if you need us, I assume Quatre and Duo have means to contact you? We'll contact you as well if we run into any problems, in which we need assistance. Go and good luck." I said, quickly turning to hurry off to the tunnels, assuming the others would follow.
Heero replied, "Good luck, and be safe, watch each others backs Duo, Quatre keep her safe."
"Will do, meet up with you as soon as we can. Call us when it's over if you haven't already." Quatre replied, quickly moving off to catch up to me, and we were on our way.
As we moved to the tunnels I explained what we would be doing upon reaching the tunnels, "Duo, Quatre, when we get to the tunnels we will be assisting those already there with getting the children to into them and to the rooms that we have set aside for them. Once the children have been moved to their new rooms for the moment we will assist with putting them back to sleep and settling any fears that they may have. When that has been taken care of we will attempt to get a few moments rest. Before going to see if we can help in any of the other areas of the tunnel such as with some of our older and sick or wounded, once every one that needs to be in the tunnels we will see about either meeting up topside with your friends for you to or work to keep up the defenses of the tunnels."
When I finished that we were at the children's entrance to the tunnels, I saw Kiseki waiting for us, when she saw us she said, "We managed to get all of the children in the tunnel, and to their rooms, I doubt that right now they're having much success in getting them all to relax. I have been asked to have to go and meet up with them immediately and help them get them get the children back to sleep. I have then been told to see if that is where you will be during the night and until it is safe, and to make sure that the different guard stations know."
"I will be starting there, after that it will depend on how things are going, have them check there unless I have sent word that I will be somewhere else, but I do not as of yet plan to leave the tunnels. Thank-you imouto-san!" Sakura replied, beginning to lead them all into the tunnels in the direction of the rooms that were set aside for the children during and attack or a very bad storm.
A few minutes later the group of four was in the children's room helping out, they each had a child on their laps and a child holding their free hands. Quatre and Duo were listening, with the children that had gathered around, me tell a story. It was a story I remembered from my childhood here, it was a story often told to the children living here when ever they had to come into the tunnels for the night. The older ones I knew could tel me the story and yet they were gathered around just as the little ones were and they seemed just as excited to be listening to this story. So I began the telling of my story as I always do, "It began a long time ago, right here in this very spot. A young boy was with his parents, there was a battle of wind and ice playing out, outside these tunnels. As you can all imagine it was quite scary to be hearing all of that…"
As I finished the story I noticed that most of children were asleep, only the oldest and the adults were awake now, so I quietly lay the child down that I was holding while Duo and Quatre did the same. Before we decided what to do Quatre called Heero to find out what was going on outside. "Yui." Heero answered.
"Heero, how is it going with you?" Quatre asked.
"It's a fight up here." Heero replied.
"Do you need any assistance?" Quatre replied. Heero did not answer immediately and I grew worried with the stretching silence. The longer the silence held the more I felt I needed to get up there and lend some assistance, but one look at Quatre and Duo told me that as soon as Heero had an answer he would let us know.
Finally after what felt to me an eternity Heero's reply came, "Could use the three of you! Come up now, need help, attackers have slipped by and we are worried they could be headed to your position. Coming to my position which is where the tour began, watch for attackers. Duo and Quatre will recognize the uniforms. Hurry."
I knew now that I could not leave the tunnel, before anyone could say anything to Heero in reply, I started quietly stating orders to the samurai around us, saying, "Go, gather those not immediately necessary to our defenses here, have them begin making there way to the entrance way to reinforce our forces there. Quatre what uniforms are they wearing." 'Not OZ. Please not OZ.' was all I could think waiting for Quatre's reply.
"Heero, are they OZ uniforms?" Quatre questioned to Heero.
Again silence reigned for a few moments before Heero replied, "OZ Uniforms."
My face fell, and I knew Quatre and Duo could see that I was upset. But I gave orders the orders anyway, "Leave as many as we may need to retreat out of here, everyone not necessary to that need to move to the entrance way and reinforce the attack. Quatre tell Heero they have reinforcements coming, not many, but some for now. Does he know what is going on in any direction except east?"
"Heero what do you know of the fighting in other places where you are not?" Quatre asked, "You have reinforcements coming."
"Thank-you, not much, the fighting is not bad to the North." Heero responded, "What's your and Duo's ETA?"
"We haven't left yet Heero, we are in the middle of helping Sakura get you reinforcements and figure out what to do with the children, and the others in the tunnels, and it sounds like she's planning something." Quatre responded.
"Need your and Duo's help." Heero responded tensely.
"Be there as soon as we finish coordinating with Sakura here." Quatre replied.
"Those not going to reinforce will act as a guard for those leaving the tunnels to go to the villages to the North, where hopefully they will be safe. After we have left gotten everyone out of the tunnels, those not needed to guard will circle back and meet up with those defending sounding the all clear to retreat if needed. I hate to leave but if the tunnels are compromised at all then we need to protect them, and leave and go get help." I said giving the orders that I knew would be the hardest orders any of us had ever had to follow or even give. But at least if this worked the children would be safe, and maybe most of us would be able to get to safety, and once it was safe we could rebuild.
Heero had responded while I was giving the orders, so I didn't know what he had said, but I knew it couldn't be good if Quatre was looking like that, "What happened?"
"Heero isn't happy we aren't there yet. Nor is he happy that you sent reinforcements that didn't include me or Duo." Quatre said.
I replied, "Too bad. Did you get what I was saying?"
"Yes." Quatre responded to me, before responding to Heero to tell him what we were going to do, "Heero; Duo, Sakura and I will be taking the children and others to a tunnel entrance to the North, and hopefully it wont be too bad and we can send them to the villages to the North with some guards to make sure they get there, then those not going north will come back and join the fight leaving the tunnels empty."
"Hn. Just hope it works." Heero responded.
"So do I." I muttered to no one in particular, "after all it's only my family and friends that I could be sending in to a blood bath."
"Do not be blaming yourself if this goes bad, it's a good decision considering whose knocking at your door." Duo said, having heard her.
"Fine, it's just that this decision could hurt my sister, and I don't want anything to happen to her, or any of the others, they in their own way are a part of my family." I said.
"We understand, everything will work out." Duo said, "We will be there for you even if this all goes terribly wrong. But we are all hoping for right."
"Thank-you, for that." I replied, watching everyone start moving to get their tasks done quickly.
Quatre quickly finished with Heero telling him that they would call when they were on their way to help him, but for now we are going to help me. I was the last out of the children's area of the tunnels, before we started heading to the North, following the small markings that help us navigate while down here to the north.
The large group of kids joined the flow of older adults and those who had been injured during training or even during the battle earlier heading out of the tunnel. Several people were at the entrance to the tunnel, which emptied into a forest that those going to the Northern towns would travel through before coming to a path. We could only hope that they would make it. When the last person leaving was no longer visible in the forest I turned back into the tunnel to rejoin Quatre and Duo.
When I rejoined them Quatre quickly called Heero, "Yui."
"We are on are way, where should we go to?" Quatre said.
"Do not come to our last position, it was over ran, just before other help arrived. We have been force to change our tactics we are moving in your directions stay put and be prepared to lend assistance when we arrive. We have gotten as many of the Samurai out as possible through in many directions, had to call a retreat." Heero replied.
"Should we start moving towards our Gundams? What about Sakura and the others with us?" Quatre said.
"Send all but Sakura to the North, keep Sakura with you, will need her knowledge of the territory. Especially to get us safely out of this, they over powered us." Heero responded.
"Sakura, are you alright with this, will you help us?" Quatre asked before replying to Heero.
"Yes. Everyone who stayed behind, please start heading north, please be quick and safe, we'll cover you. I hope you all stay safe, I'll see you all as soon as I can." I responded.
"She'll be with us. Be safe." Quatre said.
"Understand." Heero said, and with that the connection was cut and it was a waiting game for the three who were left to wait and hope that everything would work itself out in their favor.
Ten minutes later Quatre, Duo and myself were safely hidden in the trees just outside of the tunnel, I had placed us so we could see what was going on around us while we waited for Heero, Trowa and Wufei to arrive at our position. Five minutes later Heero and the others were almost under us and we caught our first sight of the number of OZ troops, at least I knew they would not be going through the tunnels so they were safe. Quatre saw Heero move under his tree and that is when he made his move to alert Heero to his position and relay our positions as well. When Heero understood I saw him make a sign and watch as the other Trowa and Wufei each took a tree to climb wherein either myself or Duo were in while Heero took Quatre's tree. They had made it up into the tree not a moment to soon, as I saw when they were first settled that the OZ army following them could just see our trees and knew if they had been a second later they would have been spotted.
For now though the plan was to wait, until it was safe and we could move. So I settled down and decided to rest a bit, as it had been a long day, and I was sure that Heero, Trowa, Wufei, Quatre, and even Duo would agree on that point. Before drifting off to sleep to the gentle sounds that the forest makes at night, I thought, 'It was a long day, two battles, little sleep and new friends. Tomorrow I will have to help them get to their Gundams location and from there I don't know what I'll do but for now I'll offer what assistance I can. And if they need assistance past tomorrow's journey I'll be there to help. I just hope everyone, especially, Kiseki and Kenji are safe tonight where ever they are.'
