She awoke to her mother shaking her and yelling for her to wake up.

"Hilde, wake up!!" Her mom screamed, pulling Hilde off the couch and dragging her outside. Hilde's eyes widened in terror as she looked at the scene before her. The sky was filled with smoke, and the putrid smell of blood, death, and fire was in the air. Her mother pushed her away from their home.

"Run Hilde! Go!" Her mother screamed, turning and running back to the house.

"Mommy! Hilde yelled, terrofied, and began to run after her but stopped when her mother turned and yelled at her to run. Tears welled in her eyes as she spun around and ran quickly, the dark wind stinging her face and drying her tears. She ran until she collapsed out of exaustion, praying that someone find her...

She awoke in a sunlit room. Blinking back the sun, she sat up and walked drowzily into a larger room, where two young bows sat, watching television. Another boy was being talked to by a nun. Hilde blinked.

A nun?

The boy has noticed her stare, and smiled at her. The nun looked over and smiled at her.

"I see your awake little one. We thought you may have left us!" The nun said, chuckling to herself. Hilde blushed lightly, not questioning how she had gotten there. The nun stood and gestured to the table, which was full of food. "Please, help yourself child."

She had made it through breakfast, until the news came on the T.V. The newscaster's voice echoed through the room, "And in the Alliance attack yesterday on the rebels, none were left alive..." Everyone's eyes turned to Hilde as she let out a startled gasp and tears began to form. She ran from the table, finding refuge under a staircase. Curling into a ball, she sobbed helplessly. 'Gone, they're gone. Dead.' Her mind kept telling her. A few minutes later, she heard light footsteps approaching. Looking up slowly, she saw the boy that had been talking to the nun. He was crouched a little ways in from the entrance, his long messy brown hair falling around his face, his strange purple eyes glittering in the semi-darkness, his happy features creased with worry. He crawled closer and whispered softly,

"I know it's tough, but you learn to get over it. Death I mean. You should be thankful that they gave their lives knowing that what they did wouldn't be in vain." He smiled kindly at her. "My name's Duo."

Hilde smiled a little. "I'm Hilde." She wiped away her tears slowly.

Duo smiled. "I have the feeling this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

~End~

*looks around at all the angry people* Uhm, sorry this took so damn long, I have a reason, I swear. ^^ I forgot about it! *gets smacked in the head with a shoe and other random objects being thrown at her* Hey, I said I had a reason, not a good one!! Anyways, for anyone who cares, I have a few announcements. This story ties in with Haunting memories, one of my other stories. Read that too if you want ^^, Second, I'll have the rest of the struggle out before Christmas. *hears gasps* yeah, I finished it ^_^. Third, I'm accepting story ideas. The requirements are: it has to be Duo and Hilde, and it can't have yaoi in it or lemons. E-mail those to Lynnyuy@hotmail.com please, thanks!!