A/N: The tragic event that took place on December 14th 2012 shook the entire United States and I along with it. Twenty innocent children died and seven responsible adults along with them in Connecticut. As I watched the news in Spanish, tears welled up within me until they were too much and slowly were released. Without knowing it at first, I began writing this angsty one-shot in their honor. If any find it offensive, please let me know and I'll gladly delete it.

I have been working on other chapters but this took over my priorities. Please read and comment if you think I did this scenario justice. It took a lot of effort to write without crying.

Thank you and may those little souls now rest in peace.

Warning: Angst and deaths

Life Goes On

Miku's P.O.V

"Miku get up! It's time to go to school!"

I groaned and rolled in bed, "Don't wanna..."

It was the last day of school before winter break. I was excited to finally be done with school if only for a while. I got dressed, put on some makeup and brushed my long teal locks. I looked at my reflection in the mirror and smirked. I looked attractive as ever~

I got my bag and cell phone and went down stairs. My brother Mikuo was already eating breakfast. I sat down and my mother put a plate in front of me.

"Are you wearing makeup?"

I rolled my eyes. I hated these stupid questions.

"Is that a problem?"

My mother scowled, "Don't talk to me like that!"

I pushed my food away and stood up, "You know what? I'm not hungry."

I walked out of the house, fuming. I heard Mikuo's utensils clatter as he ran to catch up to me.

"Miku, that wasn't very nice. You should apologize."

"Oh so you're going to scold me too? I might as well walk to school!"

Mikuo grabbed my wrist harshly, "I don't know what's wrong with you. You're PMS-ing like crazy but neither Mom nor I have to put up with it! You have everything many girls wish to have! Don't take anything you have for granted...not even your life."

I remained silent, not knowing what to say. I knew he was right but my pride had tied my tongue and I was unable to ask for his forgiveness.

We drove silently to school, not speaking a single word. We arrived at the VOCA Learning Complex. It was a big school that included two schools: one for grades 0 to 8 and the other was the high school Mikuo and I attend. We parted ways in still silence. My heavy heart was soon forgotten as I spotted the Shion siblings enter the building. Kaito, a junior in my class, had just dropped off his little brother Nigaito and was walking next to Kaiko, a girl who is a year younger than me.

He looked at me and I blushed. My heart began beating fast and I quickly turned away. It's been three years since I've liked him but I still can't find the courage to confess. The bell rang and shook me out of my trance.

I walked inside class and Kaito took a seat two rows away. I slumped in my chair and sighed. Can't wait until this is over...

O-o-O

The bell rang but the teacher was going to keep us in for another ten minutes. I was about to doze off when we heard a terrifying sound...

…A gunshot.

Some people rushed to the window but were thrown back as the windows shattered. Screams were heard and my heart went wild in fear. This wasn't a drill... it was real.

"Everyone lie low! Don't panic!" The teacher yelled over the shots but her wide eyes reflected our own fear.

It was 9:35.

Kaito stood up with tears in his eyes, "I need to go! My two siblings are out there!"

"I can't let you leave!" the teacher cried as she crawled towards the door to lock it. Kaito gave a frustrated, heart-breaking yell and crumpled to the floor, crying uncontrollably.

I curled up in a ball, trembling in fear, tears unwilling to stop. Every shot fired was as if it were fired at my heart. Every shot meant someone's death. Mikuo, dear Mikuo could be one of them. I looked at the clock, only a minute had gone by... a minute of hell. There aren't words that could actually and accurately describe what we were feeling. I couldn't think straight. My stomach hurt and my whole body was shaking uncontrollably. My insides screamed in agony, pleading for this to end soon. In any moment the killer could come here and kill us as well.

The gunshots began to sound closer, meaning the killer was getting closer.

A happy thought formed in my brain. If I were to die, this would all end soon. The paralyzing fear... No knowledge of who died and who had survived. The only thing I would regret would be not asking my mother for her forgiveness. Would she even miss such a horrible daughter like me?

Kaito stood up at the sound of the approaching shots.

"We must block the door! It will deter his killing spree! I might not be able to help those out there but that doesn't mean I'll curl in cowardice! I'm not going to let my friends die!"

Gumo and Len stood up with Gakupo following close behind. Using all their strength, they lifted up the teacher's desk and placed it against the door. Almost numbly, we all lifted our small desks and added to the weight.

We hitched our breaths as the door shook violently. The killer was trying to get in. The door rattled and was kicked until he began shooting. We all scurried from the door and we joined hands as family. Past enemies now cried on each other's shoulders. Isolated from the cruel, outside world we were now a family. Together we prayed for the end of our suffering. Even the few atheists pled for our lives and wept.

After what seemed like an eternity of pain and misery, we heard the sound of approaching sirens.

One shot fired, two, three, four, five and after a long pause a sixth.

I looked around. My fellow classmates were huddled together, crying and mourning. I raised my fearful teal eyes to the clock.

A sudden announcement made us jump but we cried out in joy when we heard the message: All clear. It's safe to leave the building. All clear.

It was 9:55.

We had just survived twenty minutes of hell on earth.

We rushed to remove everything but once we were outside we felt a strong urge to go back in. Glass was scattered all over the hallway. Papers were strewn everywhere. But the most terrifying of all was the sight of blood. Some of the rooms had already been evacuated and splotches of blood on the walls and ground signaled people had been injured or killed. In other cases, the teens circled their wounded peers and refused to move until the paramedics took them away.

I flinched as I saw many familiar faces contorted in pain and others with eyes forever closed. It was all too much for me and I had to look away from the open, vacant, glassy eyes of the man who used to be a dean and was now one of the corpses on the floor.

A police officer escorted us outside where the media and officers awaited. Parents and family members anxiously waited for their loved ones. The younger children were crying even if they didn't really know the severity of the situation. The youngest ones were confused and hugged their mothers. My sea blue eyes scanned the crowd and my throat knotted when I saw her.

I ran to her with all my might and she did the same. I embraced my mother like never before.

"P-Please forgive me! I'm so sorry! I'll never do it again I swear! I-I love you Mom!" I cried into her shoulder, "I'm so sorry! I've been a horrible daughter!"

"Shh, it's okay I forgive you sweetie." She looked at me with tears streaking her face, "I'm just glad you're alive...that God returned you to me."

Her eyes looked around, "Where's Mikuo?"

My heart dropped and I searched for his face among the kids that were being escorted out. He was nowhere to be found.

"I don't know..." I confessed and prayed that he would be alright.

The paramedics carried out three bodies on stretchers, covered in white sheets. A lady next to us asked their grade level and the medic replied they were found in a room of juniors. My mother's eyes widened and her nails dug into my arm painfully. She gave a hysteric cry and shook her head violently. Mikuo couldn't be one of those bodies... He can't be! If one of us had to die it should've been me! He was always nice to Mom and I no matter what. Mikuo was the perfect student, friend, son, and brother... He couldn't be dead!

My mother was shaking so badly that she couldn't move. With heart in hand, I feebly made my way towards the corpses. My hand shook as it slowly reached for the white sheet. I was terrified by the idea of what I could find within...

It's true, you don't know what you have until it is gone... I never appreciated what an awesome brother I had and now it is too late...

I bit my trembling lip and looked away, trying to build up enough courage to take what was to come. Then, like the greatest miracle of the heavens, Mikuo emerged from the entrance. I jerked away from the bodies and ran towards him, tears of utter joy flying into the air. His face looked more radiant than ever... It was like seeing him come back from the dead.

I slung my arms around his neck and hugged him tight, making sure he wasn't a beautiful ghost. I was surprised I still had tears to shed after I cried more than I ever had in less than an hour. His taller, slim figure began shaking and I knew he was crying too. We shared an intimate moment of silent understanding, a strong bond that we had long forgotten we shared.

"Miku... I was scared to lose you," Mikuo sobbed, something I hadn't seen in a while, "But you're okay... You're okay..."

That's when I noticed that his left arm was wrapped in bandages and his shirt was bloody. I had been too overwhelmed by the joy of him being alive that I hadn't noticed it before.

"M-Mikuo, what happened?"

"I got shot but luckily it was just a graze."

I wanted to ask more but he asked to see our mother. Afterwards, he told me his story.

His classroom hadn't been as lucky as ours. The killer had reached their room quickly so they didn't have time to barricade the door like we did. Mikuo and a few others barricaded the door with their own bodies. Some, with panic and fear controlling their brain, jumped from the shattered windows of the second floor and onto safety. Just like with us, the door was shot and the boys protecting the door were injured but did not let go. Others joined for it was not only a struggle against this one man but against death itself. The guy gave up and moved on so the students took the opportunity to tend to the injured. Kaiko, a freshman genius in Mikuo's class, had mended his arm. Then he helped her provide first aid to everyone else but for three it had been too late... Their wounds had been fatal. I teared up for what seemed the hundredth time at the thought of him being one of them... it could've easily been him instead.

At the mention of Kaiko, I remembered Kaito. He, like Mikuo, had been a hero today. My eyes searched for his handsome face. He was sitting down next to Kaiko who was being hugged by her mother. I awkwardly walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me with reddened eyes full of recent tears.

"Kaito... y-you saved us back there..." I muttered shyly.

Then out of nowhere he got up and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into an embrace. My eyes widened in shock as he buried his face into the crook of my neck and began crying like a little boy. Would this have been any other day I would've been overjoyed to have him embrace me. Yet, as he hugged me his sorrow transferred into my soul. I returned his hug.

"N-Nigaito... h-he didn't make it..." he explained between choked sentences, "H-His class had been taking a trip to the library when the man w-walked in…he was one of the ones shot."

I felt my body grow stiff and I couldn't breathe. I had known Nigaito. He had always been such a sweet and innocent boy... I can't believe he is gone...

I squeezed him to show my support. I felt really useless because all I could do is hug him while he suffered the worst moments of his entire life. I began to notice things then… His royal blue hair was jutted out on ends, not neat how it usually was, showing that he had tugged on it with immense strength. His mother, who now looked up for a moment, had red marks slashing vertically on her face…she had scratched herself in despair and agony. Kaiko's cheerful smile was now a dull grimace as she hugged her mother tightly, most probably trying to stop her from hurting herself any further. I stroked Kaito's hair as one would do for a baby. It was all I could do. I was lucky enough to still be alive and have my beloved brother next to me but Kaito and Kaiko…they would never see Nigaito grow up, never see their little brother's smile ever again…

Another tear rolled down my cheek and who knows how long he and I stayed there, amid the rustling crowd. Eventually my mom told me we had to leave but I promised Kaito I would be there for him whenever he needed me. We didn't live that far away after all. He wiped his tears away and nodded.

As I walked towards my family, I faintly heard the radio in the background:

"For those of you who believe in God and the Devil, the latter was present here. For those who believe in good and evil, only malice took action today. It was a tragic day in which a demented man took the lives of thirty individuals, twenty-three students ranging from ages six to eighteen and seven adults to later end his own. What a sorrowful day…"

I didn't hear the rest. I saw my reflection in one of the cop cars nearby. My face looked like it had aged twenty years, one for each minute of hell that had passed.

O-o-O

I fixed the black bows in my hair and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I saw a gruesome face look back at me, the ghost of Miku Hatsune. That's what I looked like…a ghost. The cheerful, arrogant girl from before who's biggest problem had been what to wear for school the next day was now long gone. All that was left was a girl who had escaped from death's grasp but saw others taken by its cruel claws.

I flattened out my long, black dress and walked out of the room that held memories from my past life.

Accompanied by my mother and Mikuo, I arrived at the cemetery. Over the winter, school mates and I had planned to gather. I even thought about inviting Kaito as well…

This was not what we wanted. I'd give anything for the horrible event to have never have happened, even if it meant I would never get closer to Kaito.

Souls gathered in black attire to give our last farewell to the deceased. I looked at the pain-stricken faces surrounding me, all suffering a great loss. They couldn't even have the satisfaction of seeing the murderer suffer for he took his own life after the massacre, the coward. As the coffins were lowered, I felt little pieces of my soul get buried with them as well, leaving an empty void in my heart. Nothing would be the same way ever again…

We lit candles and sang at the graves. We were all now united by the pain, the memories of what had occurred. It is something that would most likely haunt us for the rest of our lives. If I tried hard enough, I could still hear the deafening gunshots resound in my mind. The screams, the dizzying fear, the blood, and the tears are things that none of us will forget soon.

Yet, all of this served for a purpose I guess. The past event made all of us present more sensible to death and made us realize how fragile life truly is. I, who didn't use to give a damn about others most of the time, now cried my heart out for them. I learned that nothing in this life lasts forever and anything could disappear in a whim.

I looked up at the sky and closed my eyes, resting peacefully for a while at least.

I learned so much I wish I had known without this tragedy having to take place:

Never leave home while angry at a family member for it might be the last time you see them.

Never bully someone or treat them badly for you never know when you might find them covered by the white sheets of death.

Never wish death upon anyone for when it comes, it can never be taken back.

Never think that something like this could never happen to you, for I once thought the same.

Don't leave what you could do today for tomorrow, for you may not have that opportunity.

Don't wait to tell those around you that you really care for them; it can't wait for an undetermined tomorrow.

Live life to the fullest and enjoy every minute of it for you never know when it might be your last breath.

Live life with joy, excitement, and love more than fear and hate.

Hold onto life dearly and appreciate everything you have. Don't take anything for granted, for you don't know what you truly have until it's gone…

I opened my eyes and gripped my brother's and mother's hands. From every tragedy blooms hope and life goes on… Together, we will strive for a brighter future, never forgetting our loss but never giving up. We must not dwell on the sad events in life, but rather focus on the joyful future…

Life goes on…

A/N: So that was that. As I mentioned, this was really hard to write. Not only was it hard because I suck at writing angst but also because it really hurt me to hear the news so early yesterday morning. So hopefully I wrote something good, being that it was a slight haze to me. I give my most sincere condolences to those who have lost a loved one to a school shooting, especially to the family members of those little angels. Yet, life goes on and we must strive to pass by these difficult times and seek a better future.

Thank you for your time to read this and hopefully I'll post less angsty stuff (my other chapters) later on…

Sincerely,

PerfectAngels98