Prologue Arc: The Escape from Desolace's Bastion

Disclaimer: Azumanga Daioh is the property of Kiyohiko Azuma and J.C. Staff. No copyright infringement intended. This is the second part of the prologue which focuses primarily on the orphans' escape who were mentioned the first part. I also credit Watanagashi-hen for his prologue in his upcoming fic, Lasciva Morbida and Beef Monkey for his The Pervert, The Officer, The Hero both of which gave me the conceptual idea for my Kimura horror fic. I forget to give them this credit on the first chapter.

Think not, O King! thy sceptre or thy power
One moment can arrest the destined hour

-Shahmaneh(The Book of Kings) Iranian National Epic

The clock struck at the appointed hour. Its chime resonating across the dark halls. The four girls slowly and silently got out of their futons. Like wraiths, they paced their steps, careful not to leave a sound on the old creaky boards of the floor. They replaced on the futons large pillows arranged to resemble their former occupants. At one side of the wall Hisako carefully loosened the boards and removed its contents, everything they stole in preparation for their escape: some food from the canteen, supplies from the tool shed, some clothing from the storeroom which Amaya believed were from donations withheld by the personnel, and some notebooks that their 'elder sister', Midori Endo, wanted them to keep before she was taken away by the guards to,some of them feared, where the dreaded Oni-sama stays. She then replaced them back in their original positions. Amaya, the leader, turned to her friends, "Alright, everyone. This is now or never."

"I wish us luck." Said Hisako patting her back.

Then Amaya turned regarded to her two other friends. "Mai, Sora. Are you ready?" The two nodded, their faces showing their determination. "Let's do this!" She whispered. Sora stepped forward and dug into her pocket. She produced a key. She carefully slipped inside the keyhole. A sound broke out! The sound of heavy shoes taking astride on the floor sent the girls in near panic. They scrambled back to their futons and hastily hid their things. The footfall stopped, there was a click and lights began dancing on the crack of the sliding door. He just turned on his flashlight. The girls shuddered as they fear discovery. Then the footsteps began again. They moved on echoing menacingly before fading into the surreal stillness of the night. Amaya counted from one to hundred before she gestured the girls to stand up back again. Sora placed her ear against the wall for a few seconds. She told them, "I think his gone."

"We can't be sure."

Amaya said. She took out a pencil just in case. At that Sora noticed the key was still in the hole. It was a miracle that the man didn't check their room. But she has no time think about that and she turned the key. It gave a short click. It's unlocked. Amaya took out a jar of oil used in household machines. She coolly poured it at the bottom of the door. Then they slowly pushed it away. One by one they tiptoed out and closed it. Wasting not a second they began their tension-filled trek to freedom, Mai taking point. They moved single file along the darkened corridor. They arrived at the stairs. They stalked the steps down to the second floor and went to the corridor. At the first three rooms to their right, the selected the one with the number 203. Amaya tapped it. Then there were two taps in reply.

She whispered to its occupants, "We're here. Don't worry, we'll let you out." She took out the jar once more and poured oil on it. Mai took out a key and unlocked the door. Then they opened it, letting out their co-conspirators: two emaciated boys emerged.

"Amaya, we thought you wouldn't make it." Said one boy, clutching a backpack on his arms.

She replied, "We did, Ryu, but we have no time for that. We have to keep moving."

They closed the door and the party, totaling to six, moved on. They reached the ground floor. The escapees darted to the kitchen before a guard opened the backdoor. That took them by surprise. They recoiled in fear, their frightened feet sending them back to the common hall. They got inside the broom closet and crowded in it. They huddled inside, fearing the terror that awaits them should they fail.

Kenta felt his hair stand on end. He told the others, "He's coming!" And it seemed he was right. The man lumbered towards their hiding place. It seemed like only a matter of time before they get caught. As suddenly as it started, it abated. They were mystified. The man proceeded by them. They opened the door sligthly ajar and saw him walking to the front door. The escapees silently closed the door. "That was close," He sighed with relief.

At the back of the room Sora winced, "This is too much. What should we do?"

"Hush!" Amaya whispered harshly, "We must keep going."

"But what if that guy is waiting for us?" Kenta said worriedly.

It was a good point. They didn't know if he saw them or not. They do, however, made some noise during their rush for a hiding place. While they silently debated their next course of action, Hisoka was tapping her feet in anxiety. She noticed something on the wooden floor she was standing on. It was loose and it sounded hollow. She noticed a crack on it. She said to the others, "Hey, I found something."

"What is it?" Mai asked. Hisoka stepped away and crouched down. She dug her fingers into the crack and tried to pry it. It won't budge.

She called the two boys, "It's stuck. I need help."

"I'll help." Ryu replied stepping forward as he lowered his bag to the floor.

Kenta joined in, "Me too." They dug their fingers and lifted up the seeming large board. It creaked and they realized it was a trapdoor. It was opened all the way. The trapdoor revealed a ladder leading down to some unknown darkness. Everyone looked at it with apprehension. Kenta asked Amaya, "Where do you think it leads too?"

"I don't know but if it leads to the outside, we'll take it." She replied.

Kenta cautioned, "But..."

"No 'buts', we have to take our chances." She turned to Sora, "The flashlight, Sora." Sora produced one from her bag and step forward, clicking it on and shining into the drop below. She turned to the rest of the party, "Who's going first?" Not one of them would step forward for a while. She knew that they are to scared to go down.

"Alright, I'll go first." She finally said. She prepared to enter to the fissure.

But Mai stepped forward. "No. I'll go ahead. You covered my back many times. I want to thank you for everything." Amaya paused. She remembered the few times she took punishment for her friends. Especially for Mai and Hisoka.

She mentally thanked her. She told her, "Okay, we you go first. Kenta, watch the door." Mai stepped into the ladder, steadying herself on the rigid steps. She clambered down cautiously into the darkness. The next to go was Sora, who was getting cold feet as she went in. Amaya shone the flashlight on them to light there way although it could not reveal the bottom of the ladder, baring only inky blackness and letting out dry musty air. They had cold sweat about what they will see down below. It was an eternity before Mai and Sora touched down. Their bare feet touched the cold soft dirt below. Sora took out another flashlight. It was another room, only older and disused. It must have an air raid shelter used during the war. She looked up and made several flashes with her light telling Amaya it's all clear. She turned to everyone else and gestured them to go down. One by one they went down, leaving only Amaya and Kenta at the top. She said to him softly, "Kenta, you go ahead."

"Alright." He quietly answered. He snucked himself into the chasm. Amaya looked around to make sure everything is alright. Finished, she finally went in closing the door on her descent. At was now dark save for the candles that were lit at the bottom at mark it. She looked down and realized just how sheer a drop it was. She couldn't breathe. It was her first time down a ladder and she couldn't move. Her hands became cold and sweaty. Fear held its grip on her heart as she hesitated. She felt her grip was going to slip and that she would plummet to her death. It seemed like a thousand years have passed before an echo from below knocked her back to her senses. Her friends were calling to her from below. She held her breathe and began her descent. The going was at first slow, trying to acquaint herself with the ladder's steps and the entire height of the shaft, its ancient earthen walls brooding over them with unseen abhorrent eyes. When her feet stepped halfway through, she felt something soft. What she felt on her feet was bent. Pliable. It creaked. Regardless, she had to get down to join them.

SNAP!

The step broke in half under her weight. Her right hand lost its grip and she let out a short shriek. Some of her friends almost screamed. Mai almost screamed when Ryu and Sora grabbed her and put their hands on her mouth silencing her, keeping them from being compromised. Without thinking, Amaya grabbed the side with both her arms. She held tightly to them. She dangled on the ladder, sucking in air like a trapped fish. She looked down and she almost went dizzy. Her friends are calling out her name. It echoed in her ears for a full minute before she restored her senses. At the bottom Kenta shouted, "Amaya, are you alright!"

She looked down and finally said, "I'm...alright." She inhaled a mouthful of air. She carefully shifted her body like a cat and was back on the ladder. She hesitated again. Her thoughts were conflicting in her mind as she looked down. It's all my fault! I should have never talk them into this in the first place. If they find us here, we're finished! Her mind wept as agonized with regret. Then she remembered Midori's words, If you could believe in something so strongly that you can feel it, you can find a way to make it come true. Recalling them gave her back the strength she had when they started it. She wanted to be free and have a good life with her friends. Now she can lead them to freedom. Amaya straightened her back and continued on, making short brisk steps and cautiously watching her footing.

"Amaya, thank God you made it." Mai cried a sigh of relief as Amaya stepped off safely.

"We thought you were a goner." Ryu added.

She assured him. "That's okay. We still have get over the walls. Where are we, anyway?"

The candlelight dimly illuminated the chamber casting shadows that seemed to dance evilly over them on the background, shapes that distort randomly at the candles' flickering flames. In front of them was a wall with chunks of plaster falling from it like dead insects. Kenta felt somewhat frustrated, "Great...we're stuck. How are you gonna get us outta here, Amaya?"

She didn't reply. She looked at the wall, scanning it for any discernible weakness. She noticed a lightning-shaped crack ripped across it. Sora said to her, "I think we can get through it."

"How?" Mai asked.

Sora replied, "Look. There's wood inside the plaster. It's probably weak and rotting. If we pry it apart, we can find another way out."

"That's a great idea-!" Kenta cheered.

But Hisoka silenced him, "Shhh! We have to stay quite."

Everyone dug their fingers in and started clawing the plaster away but not the wood. They barely scratched it. Sora looked to her right and find a heavy plank of wood.

She raised and told her friends, "Stand back."

They did. She crashed the business end into the wooden wall. It yielded to the blows of her makeshift club banging loudly in the chamber. It created a small gap to which everyone lost no time tearing it apart. They were able to make an opening big enough for them to crawl in. Kenta went in first and was greeted by the sight of school uniforms hanging above him, shone by the lights of the candles.

"Hey everyone, look at this." He pointed to all of the school uniforms inside the room. Everyone had just emerged from the hole and we're astonished by the amount of school uniforms inside. All of them for girls. Amaya got back out and killed the candles. When she got back, everyone was shining lights on the rather odd collection. What is it doing here?

"This is strange," said Sora, "I never seen anything like this."

"And scary," Hisoka whimpered. The sight of of so many sailor uniforms in one place is something that would both baffle and disturb them. The flashlight illuminated the door.

Mai absentmindedly asked, "Where does this door lead to?"

"Who knows," Ryu said brashly, "It'll take us one step closer to get out of this dump-"

But Amaya cut him off, "Hold it. Look down." They did and they saw dim light emanating from the bottom of the door. She was right. Everyone seemed to shiver at that point.

"We're in trouble. What should we do?" Kenta fretted, frightened out of his wits. He felt his heart sink to the ground.

Amaya said to everyone, "We're already gone this far. We can't turn back. It's now or never."

Everyone braced themselves for whatever lay ahead of it. She twisted the cold brass knob. The door got lose. She budged it and everyone had a sight they will never forget: The room was lit by an anemic lightbulb suspended in the air and swaying slightly. They also saw ropes hanging on hooks at the walls. But there something caught their eye: at one side of the room is a row of cages. They were box-like wooden frames that are no bigger than a safe. The front and sides are meshed with chicken wire, their hexagonal latticework crisscrossing the facades of the pens. There was a figure that lay prostrate inside the center cage. The children felt there hairs stand on end at the sight of that thing obscured by shadow.

"What is that? Is it dead?" Sora asked, her voice betrayed her horror and the flashlight in her hand trembled.

Amaya slowly, "I don't...know. We have to check it. Shine some light on it, Sora." Sora did as she was told. The light revealed a girl with disheveled hair and a crumpled sailor uniform covering her body loosely. Their hearts waned in anguish as they knew at once who the wretched figure is - it was Midori Endo.

"Heavens no! It's Nee-chan!" Hisoka exclaimed with horror. "What happened to her?" Then they noticed her arm stirred. She raised her head and looked at them.

She croaked, "Hisoka...what are...you doing here?"

"We're going to escape, Nee-chan," Amaya said sadly.

Then she comforted her, "Don't wory, we'll get you out of here." Midori rose to kneeling position, her hair wildly promiscuously covering her face like a banshee.

She spoke slowly to Amaya, "Amaya, you can't get out of here. You need to get the key from that room." She pointed to the door. The leader of the band noticed that she had rope marks on her wrists.

"There?" Amaya asked with apprehension.

Midori added with caution, "Oni-sama sleeps inside." Those very words seemed to have turn the entire room cold. Everyone shuddered.

"Oh my God!" Kenta muttered. They all murmured with fright.

But Amaya quieted them. She said to her, "I'll go get the key." It was an insane proposal.

"Don't go, Amaya. It's too dangerous." Mai warned her, holding her friend's arm as if to restrain her from entering the horrifying chamber.

The leader turned to her. "We promised ourselves that we would get outta here. We will make it. Trust me."

She looked at Midori, she hung her head like slave, almost from some sort of heinous degradation. Amaya's fear for the Oni-sama turned to hate. Hate for whatever unspeakable ordeal he put her through. To her, he wasn't a monster anymore but a bastard who deserves the most cruel punishment that exist in this world. She made a move for the door. She stopped in front of it and placed her against it. She could hear snoring from it. She hesitated. The girl put her hand on the knob and slowly twisted it. The door opened and she entered. Now, Amaya is in the den of the beast. The room before her consisted of a desk with a lamp on it, a table with a chair, and a bed with its occupant: the very beast at his slumber. Amaya walked slowly spreading her feet with every step to keep the noise down. She approached the desk and slowly searched the drawers. She found inside some condoms, some money, and other things but no keys. She pocketed the money with the forethought of needing at some later time. She made her way on the table. There was nothing on it, nothing on the chair and nothing under them. There is only one place left to search. She shuddered as she approached the man known as Oni-sama. She went to the bed, the heavy snoring made it seemed that he was really a beast. She cautiously slipped her hand in under the blankets The man stirred. Amaya quickly hid under the bed. She heard a grunt. The bed rocked and and there was again snoring.

She muttered under her breath, "That was close."

She crept out from under carefully and continued to her task. Amaya took out a smaller flashlight and and lifted the covers. It was a sight to shudder the soul. In front her lay a large pulsating body of a man in boxers. He rolled over to his left showing his back at her. She shuddered and hesitated. The beast later settled down. Amaya pushed on. She climbed over the edge of the bed and crouched on all fours. From there she approached him and carefully slipped her hand into the boxer's back pocket. He stirred a bit and grunted loudly. She ceased briefly fearing the worst. When it was certain he would not wake up she pressed on. She felt a something ductile and metallic. She found the keys. She slowly got out of the bed and out the door.

Her friends closed the door behind her. They fumbled on which key would open the door and cage. They finally found out which. The party unlocked the cage and the door. Amaya and Kenta help Midori out. The escapees were heart broken when they saw her stand up. Her blouse was torn open at the front, revealing the front of body. The skirt was rumpled as though from some hard struggle. There were rope marks on her hands and feet. She walked rather limply and her face bore silent testimony of her unspeakable suffering in that horrid chamber. They fed her some of their provisions.

"I never believed you would pull this off." Midori started quietly.

"We did. You should have seen us." Amaya stated, "We still have to complete the escape. Can you walk?"

"Yes." She answered.

"Good. Okay, everyone. This is the last step of our escape. Let's not make any mistakes this time."

The party cut the wire fence slowly with some heavy duty wirecutters. They made a hole big enough to get through. Amaya exclaimed silently, "It's open!"

"Hey!" A shout rang out from behind. Some light shone on them. They froze on the spot. A guard looked angrily at them. He shouted again as he took out his nightstick, "What hell are you doing?"

Midori quickly flung hard a heavy rock she was holding at him with both hands. The rock made contact with his face and struck his nose causing a sickening crack of the bones. He fell on the ground. Another guard came out and shouted for his colleagues to move. Everyone made it out of the hole. One guard dove to the ground and grabbed Sora's legs. She squealed. The man grinned like a shark, "Gotcha!" He muttered.

A large plank brutally smacked in his jaw with a crunch. He let go of his grip as he staggered back.

Midori, who was covering there exit, dropped the plank and picked Sora up, "Let's go!"

Sora stood up and ran with her held hands together. Everyone rushed into the nearby woods with all the speed they could muster. Mai is in the lead and everyone behind her followed to wherever she was going as she knew the way. They dare not look behind for they are afraid they would freeze up in fright if they do. The adrenalin shot their systems full in fear making their legs more powerful than they should be. The guards frantically shouted orders and directions to each other were not far off and are rapidly gaining on them. Deeper and deeper into the darkness the party whisked forth remained as close together as possible so they do not scatter and get lost. The ground pricked their bare feet and twigs cut their legs but the pain they felt is nothing to what they will expect if they get caught. They climbed over gnarled twisted roots, dodged low-lying branches, and remained very close to each other as close as possible.

Mai shifted heading and they entered the darker and heavily sylvan part of the woods whose bowels are sparsely frequented by human folk and sojourned only by animals that lived in it since time immemorial. Everyone was hindranced by the woody branches but made headway. Sora, however, lagged behind the rest of them. The fringes of her skirt is torn by the underbush. Suddenly, a woody branch ensnared her feet. She let out a shriek as she shot forward almost falling to the ground, pirouetting her arms wildly to maintain her balance before she tottered on her back. The concussion knocked her on the head and she almost blacked out.

The buffeting numbed her perception and her constitution almost at the edge of slipping into torpor. She looked through her blurry vision a figure seeming to wallow over her. Sora could make of its face in the darkness. The ambiance seemed to echo around her as the figure shone light on her. She was paralyzed, her limbs couldn't move. It was a guard and he was gloating over her. She felt a powerful kick on her chest knocking the wind out of her and rolled her over belly flat, her head ramming a tree root. Then a boot crashed on her back and she whelped in pain. The man let out a grin that was very evil.

Her hearing filled with ringing echoes she heard him, "Stupid brat! We'll teach you a lesson for trying to escape."

He lifted her by the collar of her dress. It seemed like the end. She coughed blood. She felt defeated and dejected, knowing she was going to experience even worser hell than before. A figure suddenly darted out of the bushes in front of her. There was a thud before she faded out of consciousness. She opened her eyes and saw a tall lanky figure in a torn sailor uniform repeatedly bashing the helpless figure lying the ground, with raised arms vainly shielding him from the large piece of wood punishing him mercilessly. The figure raised her wooden club even higher. It crashed with an ear-splitting braaak! However, all throughout the scene that played before her eyes, all she saw was blurred distorted figures moving in slow and fluid motion, the echoes muffled in the stark moonlight night. Her mind remained foggy, no doubt from the concussion a while earlier and the slight beating she received plus her present state of mind.

The final stroke came and out came a pain-ridden howl that sounded halfway from human to animal. The howl curdled her blood. The man slumped lifelessly. Then the figure slow turned with club in hand. At such hideous sight her foggy mind slowly went awake and tried to coax the rest of the body to move but its only response is her hard breathing. The figure got closer seeming to kill her. She couln't move. She knew the worst is to come and hope it went away. She get just hear heavy breathing. A moment later it vanished.

She opened her eyes. Everything seemed misty to her. She could see figures standing around a fire in a dark chamber. Her mind, it seemed, wanted to go back to sleep.

"Hey, everyone! Look! Sora's awake!" Rang one of them. The voice caused her to be fully aware. She tried to stand but a soothing hand grasped arm.

"Rest, Sora. You were badly injured back there." She realized it was Midori, her soft voice radiated calm. She laid her head back on the pillow that she did not notice on her waking. She rolled her head slighlty and spoke.

"Yes, Midori onee-chan," she looked at her with eyes that seemed very innocent. She looked at Midori. Her 'elder sister' gave a smile that was both calmed and bouyed her mood to an unexplainable sensation. She does not what it was but it seemed to caress her as soothing as the night wind. She continued, "Nee-chan?"

Midori regarded her, "Yes?"

"Thank you for saving me." She smiled and closed her eyes. Midori stroked her hand on her head gently.

"I will always be there for you. I will protect till the the very end," she whispered to her. The other children are getting ready for breakfast

"You know, we're lucky to have escape but where do we go from here?" Kenta asked as the cold wind blew into the large and small openings of the ancient derelict house that they are taking refuge in. He bit into his food slowly and took a chunk.

"I don't know...but I least don't have to stay there for the rest of my life," she said firmly as she held more tightly the blanket around her body.

"But we have no family or friends to go to. Who is gonna help us?" Mai winced as fidgeted her feet. She shivered from the cold. Midori joined them and took a seat on an empty spot near Amaya.

"Oh, Midori onee-chan. Wanna join us?" Amaya asked.

"Yes," she timdily replied as she took some food from the bowl. Her face shone in the crackling fire.

Rin then asked her, "What about you, Nee-chan? Do you have family?"

Midori replied slowly, "I don't but my parents told me about some family friend before they died. We''ll go to them." She turned to Hisoka, her face downcast and her eyes watery.

"What's wrong, Hisoka?" She asked putting her arm on her shoulders.

Hisoka turned. She then spoke to her softly and uneasily, "Nee-chan, I'm worried about the others. We escaped while they stayed behind. I feel we left them."

"We won't live them behind, Hisoka. They will not have to stay long in there," she reassured her. Both of them embraced each other tightly.

Amaya suddnly recalled something. She took out one of the notebooks from a bag. She then asked her, "Nee-chan? Tell me what's the notebook us?" She showed the notebook to her.

"I'm going to give this to them when when they come here," she took the notebook into her hands, "We're going to be safe with them. The good thing is we're all together. And that you are my family." Her lips widened with a smile. Everyone smiled too, their spirits raised once more in determination. Outside, the sun casted its rays from the horizon ready to start a new day. A new hope.

The last part would come soon. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review.