Chapter 13 Firewood
The stars were so bright out in the countryside; Ritsu had thought that on the first night they'd spent camping out but the full force of their beauty hadn't hit her till now. She hadn't been able to sleep, so she'd spent most of the night gazing up at the heavens, admiring the sparkling constellations and the crescent moon. It was tranquil in a way; Ritsu wasn't normally one to stop and look at nature but made even her feel peaceful.
She rested her head gently among the long grass, she was laying a little way from the others but she was still close enough to hear Yui snoring anything happened then she'd be ready to spring into action and protect them. Ritsu liked to think she was watching over them as they slept.
It would be difficult for her tomorrow, she didn't know what to say to the others about what she'd done and she wasn't sure they'd understand. Ritsu almost wished that this night would stay forever and that the inevitable dawn would never come.
There were no clouds in the sky tonight. It was completely calm. It was rare to see a night such as this uninhibited by smog or clouds. It made Ritsu feel better somehow, as if all complications and ambiguities had been removed from her life and it was just her and the sky. A gentle wind brushed past her, sending the long grass blowing across her face. After a few seconds it stopped and the stillness returned.
The campfire had died hours ago and all that remained now was a few charred remains. Every fire burnt out eventually, some went very quickly and others took longer but they all died eventually. Sometimes the campfire would last till the morning and Ritsu would have to stomp it out her self. If she didn't then it might create a forest fire and hurt people. It was a necessary task to do for everyone's safety but that didn't mean it didn't scorch Ritsu's foot when she did it. She heard a faint rustling behind her.
"Is that you Ritsu?" A voice said.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep."
Azusa crouched down next to her in the long grass "I couldn't sleep either."
The two sat side by side wordlessly for several heartbeats.
"Look at the stars Azusa," Ritsu pointed "Aren't they beautiful?"
"I guess."
Azusa raised her head and stared up with her, her nightmares had woken her up yet again but she'd done well not to disturb the others with them.
"Every one of them is a giant ball of gas burning in space," Ritsu told her "They're all just like our sun, with planets and moons and things orbiting."
"So what Ritsu?"
"I don't know I just always found that incredible."
The two of them gazed up in silence.
"You were right you know Azusa."
"Huh?"
"About what you said yesterday about this not being a game. Well you were right, this isn't about having fun, it's about survival. I think it took last night for me to realize how big my responsibilities are."
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
"Getting all of you back home alive," Ritsu said quietly "that's my job, my only job. Everything else is secondary, my health, other peoples lives, none of it matters if I can protect the people I love."
Ritsu clenched her hand around some nearby blades of grass in her hand and ripped them from their roots "you agree right? That's the role of a leader isn't it?"
"I guess so, I don't really know much about looking after others, I can barely look after myself."
Ritsu considered this "Do you think I'm a good leader Azusa?"
"I haven't been around here long I think you do it well, you make good decisions. It's not like when you were club president and you just messed around."
"No it's not like that," Ritsu agreed "Leadership is about hard choices, anyone could do it with it was easy, it's about deciding what's the best option for everyone."
She paused for a second "I don't think I've done that. I make decisions but I have no idea if their right. Was leading everyone home what's best for us? Was hitting that women best for us? Was stopping that jeep best for us? I don't know Azusa. I guess I'm just not much of a leader Azusa, I try to act all confident and put on a brave face but inside I'm as scared as everybody else. I always tease Mio for being a scaredy-cat but I'm just as bad as her really, worse maybe. At least Mio has a reason for being scared, I'm just a coward. I'm just some stupid drummer from a band who's trying to act tough and be a leader." She sighed and said sarcastically "I'm sure my dad would be very proud of me right now."
Azusa wanted to say something to make Ritsu feel better but she hadn't the right words "Well um it doesn't matter that you're scared, I mean everyone is but um..."
"It's alright Azusa," Ritsu quieted "You don't have to say anything."
They could see the sun beginning to rise beyond the hills as morning approached. Ritsu got to her feet and brushed some of the grass off of her "The others will be waking up soon; I guess it's time for me to lead again."
Mio rubbed her eyes and saw Ritsu sitting opposite her. "Ritsu? Why are you up so early, did you need to go to the toilet?"
"Yeah that's it," Ritsu figured it was easier to explain that way.
"What are we doing today Ritsu, do you have a plan?" Mio looked at her expectantly.
"The same thing we do everyday Mio, try to get back home," Ritsu said tiredly.
Mio nodded and turned to wake Yui and Mugi up.
"Hey you two it's time to get up," She whispered gently as they stirred into consciousness.
"Uh," Yui groaned "I was having a really nice dream where I found Gita again."
Azusa was glad to hear that the others weren't suffering the same nocturnal torment she was.
"Yeah and then we all staged a concert to stop the war and it was so good that everybody just stopped fighting and listened to out music," Yui explained.
"If it were that easy to end the war then we wouldn't have anything to worry about now," Mio sighed. She crawled over to the dead campfire and started scattering the ashes.
"Hey Mio-chan what are you doing?" Yui asked curiously.
"I'm getting rid of the ashes from are fire, that way we won't be able to be tracked."
"Yeah that's how I followed you at first," Azusa added.
"Maybe I should stop carving my name into trees too," Yui considered.
"That's probably a good idea Yui."
Mugi joined them all by the ruined campfire "I could really do with a nice cup of tea," She mused.
"I'd love some cakes," Yui agreed "Do you think they'll still be some back at the club room?"
"Yeah there will be Yui, there will be," Ritsu confirmed "there's going to be all kinds of cakes back there."
Ritsu brought out her now well worn back pack "but for now we have to have rice and water."
They had been using the plastic bottles Ritsu had originally brought to carry their water, however there were only four of them and they got drunk quickly. Often they had to take detours in the hopes of finding a stream or at least a public tap, these detours cut hours into their walking time and sometimes they had to go thirsty for a while. The system they'd had of one bottle each had been completely thrown off by Azusa's arrival and they were now consuming more water than ever. Ritsu tried to impose a strict system of rationing on them but when her friends were tired and thirsty from miles of walking it was very hard to deny them water.
"One sip of water each okay? We need to save some for later," Ritsu handed out the bottles to her friends who accepted gratefully. Ritsu seemed a little off today Mio decided, she was a lot less stable than usual. As Mio stared at her she got drawn to something else on another of her friends. Mugi had a large cut running down her leg and it looked fresh.
"Mugi, where did you get that?" Mio asked.
"This? Oh I must have got it yesterday," she answered "why do you ask?"
"That's going to go nasty if you don't do something about it," Mio said "let me have a look at it."
She crawled over and held up Mugi's right leg, she didn't know how she hadn't spotted it earlier, they all had scrapes and bruises on their legs now, but this one looked a lot worse than normal.
"I'm sure it will be okay, there's no need to worry," Mugi answered soothingly.
"Yes there is Mugi, if this gets infected then there's no way of getting a doctor," Mio stressed "you've got to tell us about these things."
"We don't have anything antibacterial do we?" Azusa asked.
"No, nothing like that at all," Ritsu answered grimly.
"Maybe we can wrap something around her leg to keep the dirt out?" Yui suggested peering with interest at Mugi's leg.
"Yeah, that's a good idea Yui," Mio smiled.
"Yeah, I saw it in a movie," she admitted.
"We still need something to put on the wound."
"Here," Yui peeled off her tights and gave them to Mio "I don't really need these anyway."
Mio wrapped them around Mugi's leg tightly, "That will have to do for now," she said "I don't know how much that will prevent infection but it'll be better than nothing."
"We should go already," Ritsu said "We've been here far too long."
They packed up their blanket and remaining equipment and set off yet again for their journey, the sky was as grey as yesterday and there was a biting wind that rushed past them.
"Hey," Yui started as they began to walk "what happened to that nice Chinese man who was here yesterday? Where did he go?"
"You mean the prisoner?" Azusa asked "He probably just left in the night, right Ritsu?"
"Yeah that'll be it," Ritsu said.
"I don't think he would have done that," Yui mused "I think he would have stayed and said a proper good bye to us."
"No he wouldn't, just drop it Yui," Ritsu snapped.
"But Ricchan he could have stayed and looked out for us with his cool sniper gun, if he'd have stayed we'd be a lot safer. I mean it would be nice to have a grown up around here who knows what they're doing."
Ritsu turned on her in an instant "I'm the one who looks out for you Yui, me! I'm the leader you don't need some evil enemy solider to look out for you when you've got me okay!"
"Okay I just was saying…" Yui said, intimidated by Ritsu, she'd never had her friend turn on her like this; she was normally so laid back.
"Well don't okay, next time you want to say something about a stupid dream or how much you'd prefer to have somebody else as a leader just stay silent okay!" Ritsu bellowed.
"Alright you don't have to be so stressy Ricchan, try to be calm, relax," Yui advised with a nervous smile.
"I can't Yui I'm angry, why is it that I'm the one that has to do everything and you don't do anything for the group? I'm the one leading you home. I saved you when there was a bear, I went after Mugi when she was in trouble what have you done for the group? Nothing, you don't contribute, you don't do anything. Mugi cooks and Mio helps with the fire and such even Azusa helped me with navigation the other day but you Yui you don't contribute at all. You just sit around playing with grass or fire or whatever," Ritsu ranted "you need to start getting your head out of the clouds and living in the real world Yui."
The moment Ritsu saw the hurt on Yui's face she knew she's made a big mistake. Yui was beginning to cry.
"You think I'm useless Ricchan?" She whimpered "I'm doing the best I can." A tear ran down her cheek.
"No, I didn't mean that," Ritsu said hastily "I mean you helped Mugi earlier right?"
"I'm sorry Ricchan, I'm sorry for being a burden and I'm sorry for not doing anything," Yui apologized.
"It's alright Yui," Mio comforted.
"No, Mio-chan I really am useless I'm not smart like you or strong like Mugi-chan, the only thing I was ever good at was playing Gita and he's gone now," Yui said "I want to help you all but I just don't know how."
"Hey," Ritsu said softly "It's alright Yui, we're still all together just try to keep it together okay? You can still help by being alert and looking out for us okay? And you'll be great if we ever need a guitarist."
"Thank you," Yui said wiping her eyes "I just don't want to let the group down again."
They made good progress that day, they were already reaching more habitable areas, more people meant more chance of being caught but also it meant more opportunities for food and other resources. Signs of war littered the countryside, they didn't find anymore battlefields like they had yesterday but destroyed tanks, shot down planes and bullet ridden buildings were common place. Since they'd had a productive day Ritsu let them camp early that night a few hours before it went dark, she figured they could use the extra time to forage the area or just relax.
"Mugi is your leg any better yet?" Mio asked as she a vacant looking Mugi.
"Ah yes it hasn't been any trouble today."
"If you ever need us to slow down for you just ask okay?" Mio confirmed.
"To be honest I have been struggling to keep up," Mugi admitted "I don't think it's infected yet though."
While Mugi and Mio were talking and Ritsu, Azusa approached Yui with a bottle of water.
"Do you want some?" She offered.
"No thanks I'm fine," Yui dismissed, she was looking into the distance, across a large field there was a facility with a large car park.
"Okay," Azusa said taking a swig her self "You really should though you'll get dehydrated."
"Azu-nyan look at that!" Yui interrupted and pointed forwards.
Azu-nyan stepped on top of Yui in hopes of seeing "what is it, an enemy? A bomb? A tea shop?"
"No it's a bus!" Yui said excitedly, she pointed to the facility, inside were rows of buses next to each other.
"So what Yui?"
"Azu-nyan that's the same type of bus we went to the shelter in, the same bus that took away Gita."
"It just looks the same."
Yui shook her head "There's loads of them there. Ones got to be the same, its fate Azu-nyan! Me and Gita will be reunited."
"Are you sure they wouldn't have taken it away? Why would they leave it on the bus?"
"It's got to be somewhere in there," Yui said, practically bouncing up and down with energy "we can actually do something Azusa! I'm not going to be useless anymore!"
"What do you want to do exactly?"
"Alright Azu-nyan," Yui said seriously "We go down there, sneak into that place, get Gita, steal a bus then ride all the way home. It's a perfect plan! Ricchan will be all like...
Yui lifted her fringe up in an impression of Ritsu "'Wow Yui you got us transport and a musical instrument you are totally awesome and not useless you can be leader now.'
"Uh huh," Azusa looked unconvinced.
She'll be exactly like that," Yui nodded.
"I'm not sure it's a good idea to get ourselves in danger Yui," Azusa said "this plan could go so wrong."
"If it goes right then we have plus one Gita and a quick way home! The whole group will be so happy!"
Azusa had to admit the way Yui phrased it sounded tempting "Alright but we should consult Ritsu about it first."
"No, Azusa!" Yui shouted "You can't tell Ritsu, it has to be a surprise."
"A surprise? why?"
"Because it will be better Azu-nyan, Ricchan will be all like..."
"Not another Ritsu impression," Azusa sighed as Yui flipped her fringe.
"'Oh leading is so hard I wish I had some music to cheer me up'Then We'll appear with Gita and she'll be really happy!"
"Well I'm not sure this plan is going to work," Azusa started "But I guess we can give it a go."
"Of course the plan is going to work it's a really good plan."
"Okay," Azusa said nervously.
"We need a way to sneak off," Yui figured.
"I've got one," Azusa volunteered "this should work."
She walked over to Ritsu quickly got her attention "Me and Yui are going to get some firewood."
"Firewood?"
Azusa nodded.
"Alright but don't go too far the whole areas dangerous."
Azusa returned to her co-plotter "I've said we're getting firewood, this is our chance to sneak off."
"Alright," Yui said "Ritsu is going to be so surprised."
The two walked through the trees surrounding camp and into the field separating them and the facility housing the buses. There were no crops growing in it, simply a large area of bare earth. They could see the buses clearly but they were still well over a hundred meters away. The field was somewhat eerie in its emptiness; the only feature was a collapsed sign at the side now rendered unreadable through weathering.
Yui walked several paces ahead of her Kohai, striding confidently while Azusa looked around nervously.
"I'm starting to have doubts about this," Azusa said "it's stealing you know."
"It's not stealing, they took Gita so this is fair," Yui explained.
"I'm not sure that's how it works," Azusa said "anyway do you think this place is part of the shelter service? If it is then do you think they could get us into another one?"
Yui looked at Azusa strangely "Azu-nyan, why would you want to go back to a shelter? It smelled really funny in that place."
"It's safe though, a lot safer than home," she pointed out.
They were about half way into the field now and Yui started to spot some people staring at them from the sides of the fields. A few of them appeared to be waving their arms and shouting.
"Look Azu-nyan those people are waving at us!" Yui smiled and waved back "Hi everyone."
Azusa stopped dead in her tracks "Yui something's wrong."
"What the matter Azusa? Those people are just waving at us."
"No," Azusa spotted an abnormal bulge in the ground a few feet from her.
"Come on Azu-nyan let's go," Yui started to walk forward.
Azusa grabbed her by the arm and held her back. With panic in her eyes she whispered "Yui, don't walk another step."
"Azu-nyan why not?" She could see Azusa was shaking.
"Yui," Azusa said weakly "we're in the middle of a minefield."
A/N: Sorry about the wait and length on this one. The thing is I have a second round of exams next week so I have loads of work. I can't do this and my work without sacrificing the quality of one or both. Therefore I'm going to have to take a little break from this for a while. My last exam is on the 10th of June and after that I have loads of time. After that I'm going to update really often, like every three days or something. Then I'll finish this properly and give it all my attention. I think for the last bit it's important to keep flow by doing it all in one bit so it won't lose impact by spreading it out. So it will be a while before I update next but after that I'll update really fast and finish this quickly. I want to give this enough time and attention so it is good but I can't do that when I have other things.
Now that's out of the way Review replies.
Yo: Unfortunately I don't think I'll find a way to put that it, I have to cut out loads for this. Also I don't want this story to go on for too long so I can't put everything I come up with in. I'm worried that if it drags on people will start to become bored and stop reading and also I want to work on other things after this so I want to do that. Also emoticons are really easy if you copy and past them (^_-)- ＼(o)／！ They can be dangerous though, I tried to copy one and it made my webpage crash. I had to type this whole Authors note bit again! Those invalid symbols are annoying too ^^ Anyway thank you for keeping reading even though I'm taking ages!
Sam: Thank you! I'm still a way off being a successful writer though. I have loads of ideas for stories but I often can't execute them well. I'm probably not going to do anything else until this is finished though. I think I could achieve it if I work hard though. I always think that if you don't go after you're dreams then they have no chance of coming true. Like if someone wanted to be an astronaut but they tell themselves that it's unrealistic and never going to happen then it never will. Whereas if they believe they can and pursue it then they probably will. That was a bit of a stupid metaphor but the point is that people should pursue their dreams in life. I'm going to try my best to keep improving my writing then one day I can make a career out of it. The next step towards that is trying to submit a short story to a literary magazine, which is what I'm going to try to do over the summer. Anyway that's enough about me. I'd be happy talking to you outside of ffn, I'm not sure how though. You could make an account and PM me maybe? You seem like a nice guy so I wouldn't mind staying in touch with you after this had ended. ^^
InoYashuOuranKyoFan: Ritsu is a massive badass, but she gets to be even more of a badass later!