None of these Characters belong to me at all, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the creators of Grave of the Fireflies. Well, at least the story belongs to grave of the fireflies. I changed some stuff from Grave but it's not all that different. The characters are all Takahashi's though- . So without further adieu, here's my story.. be sure to bring kleenex's cuz it only gets sadder. This Fic centers around Nabiki and Akane. Ranma and the others don't come in till the end. Um, in my fic, Akane's 5 and nabiki is 13. I know, this is a big difference, but I don't care =PPPPP On with the shoooww!! Sad sad sad!

-Where Angels Fear to Tread-

-LMG-

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Nabiki pulled Akane along the side of the road.

Akane grabbed herself.

"Biki- I gotta go pee!"

Nabiki stopped and looked down at her cute little sister. She looked around her surrounding.

They were near a grassy knoll. The grass was tall enough for Akane to go without being noticed. She didn't see anyone coming. Nabiki nodded to her sister.

"Alright go on! But don't go too far so I can't see you!"

Akane ran into the field and pulled her pants down.

Nabiki sighed. Mom, Kasumi, I hope you guys are alright. She kept thinking about the recent events that happened. The mob, the man that shook her away from Kasumi, the old people that got crushed by the cart. Nabiki shut her eyes and tried to block the images from re-emerging from her mind. Just then she felt a little tug at her hand.

Nabiki looked down. Akane stood next to her with a little smile on her face.

"K, Biki I'm done! We can go now!"

Nabiki smiled in return. "Alright little sis, let's go!" She hiked the little tyke onto her shoulders and started walking. Akane tried to protest. "Biki- I can walk by myself!!"

Nabiki grinned. Akane's real light, carrying her won't be a problem.

"It's ok, 'Kane-chan, besides, with me carrying you like this, it'll be faster! You do wanna go see Kasumi and Mom don't you?"

Akane pursed her little lips. "Um. Oh- ok but Oneechan! H-How are we gonna find them? Where do we go?"

Good question. Nabiki thought as she walked on. She kept having to re- adjust her shoulders, because she was carrying her over-the-shoulder pack and Akane as well.

"I think I know where they are- I mean Mom and Kasumi- I think. We should head over to Grand Central in Central Square! Mom said to go there once, if we ever get separated or if anything ever happened. So- That's where they'll be."

Akane beamed. "Ok let's hurry up then Biki- Mama could be there now!"

Nabiki chuckled at this. Akane could be easily over excited and it was getting very catchy. Nabiki started to run. She had her hands circled around Akane's ankles securing the little girl from falling.

"Alright 'Kane-chan here I go!!"

Akane squealed in delight as the two ran towards Central Square.

When they got there, people were trying to side-step away from them.

"P-U kid! Get a shower!"

"Yeah- man you guys stink!"

Nabiki took Akane off her shoulders and sat her down in a corner. Akane tugged at Nabiki's jacket.

"Ah- Oneechan!! Why are those people saying those things about us?"

Nabiki threw them nasty glares.

"Well Akane what do you expect?" She said kindly roughing up Akane's short hair. "We've been crawling through a sewer duct! I gather we smell real bad!"

She peered down at her soaked pants.

Ugh! Nabiki couldn't stand the feel of the sewer water in her soaked boots. She made a disgusted face.

Just then someone called her name. "Nabiki? Nabiki Tendo?!?"

"Huh?"

That doesn't sound like Mom or Kasumi!

When she turned around she was confronted by a familiar person.

Fujiko Akita.

Fujiko was a good friend of the family. She often baby-sat for the Tendo's, Nabiki considered her more of a close Aunt of some sort.

Fujiko hugged her. "Nabiki-chan! I'm so glad that you're alright!!"

Akane ran up to the elder woman and tugged at her skirt. "Fujiko! Fujiko!"

Fujiko laughed at this and reached down to hold the little girl in her arms. "Oh Akane, I'm so happy that you've made it here too!"

Nabiki touched the older woman's shoulder. "Fujiko! Have you seen my mother? Or Kasumi?"

Fujiko turned her head sharply and the look in her eyes gripped at Nabiki's soul. Fujiko's eyes darted over to Akane and then back at her. Nabiki understood this kind of body language very well. Fujiko knew something about her mother and sister, but she wasn't willing to share the information in front of Akane.

Nabiki swallowed.

Something's wrong. Her eyes pleading. Please don't let this be true!

Fujiko didn't say anything.

She just stood up and touched Nabiki's shoulders.

"Biki- " She paused. She smiled sadly. "I- I think that you should come with me. There is something I have to show you!"

Nabiki bit her lip.

Fujiko grabbed Akane's hand. "Alright little one, I think that you and your big sister need a bath! And you won't get one here! P-U- you guys stink!!"

Akane laughed at the older woman's teasing. "Hahahaha.. ok Fujiko- but Auntie! Where's Mama?"

Fujiko smiled at the little girl. "S-She's alright Akane, you'll see her soon!"

Nabiki followed Fujiko as she lead them to a nearby hospital. As they walked, Fujiko asked Nabiki what happened and how it was that they got separated. Nabiki told her everything. Akane was humming a favorite nursery tune.

Nabiki sighed wistfully. I wish I was a child again... They seem so innocent and oblivious to everything....

She shook her head.

No- I can't be thinking stupid things like that! If what I fear is true, then I'm gonna need to be strong now then ever!

When they got inside, Fujiko lead them to a furo. "Here, you guys need to take a bath and after you do- you'll need some fresh clothing..."

Nabiki nodded. She took her clothes off and helped Akane out of hers. They both stepped in and started washing. Fujiko came back a few minutes later with some towels and new clothing. She set them down and picked up the old ones.

"I'll have these washed for you. They should be good and clean for tomorrow! When you're done, just come out to the waiting room and I'll be out there with your rations."

Fujiko stated with a smile. Nabiki thanked her and the older woman left the two sisters. After they were done scrubbing and cleaning themselves, they got out of the bath and dried themselves off and put on the new clothes.

Nabiki smiled at Akane. "There sis, fresh and clean!"

Akane nodded happily. "Uh hm...." She chirped.

Nabiki held Akane's hand and lead her out of the room. They walked into the hospital waiting room and waited for Fujiko to return.

Nabiki placed her younger sister in a chair and told her to wait.

"I'm just going to ask some questions about Mom an Kasumi an Auntie Fujiko ok Akane?"

The little girl nodded and hopped out of her seat. She started to play hopscotch with the marble tiles on the hospital floor. Nabiki stared at her sister for a moment longer making sure that she was positively in no danger and turned to go to the front desk.

There were nurses and doctors running around frantically trying to take care of the patients.

The hospital was so full and overworked that there were bodies literally flooding the floors. There were bodies laying on cots and stretchers out in the waiting room.

Nabiki stepped over them cautiously as she meandered her way towards the desk.

When she reached it, she tried to question the Nurse there about her mother.

The women waved her aside and told her to go sit and wait for her turn. Nabiki clenched her fists.

She saw a nearby doctor run past her. She grabbed his arm.

"Excuse me sir-" was all she could get until the doctor roughly yanked his arm out of her grasp.

"Let go! Will someone please take this child back to the waiting room?" He said annoyed.

Nabiki stared at him in shock as he walked away.

Then she felt some big hands around her shoulders roughly shoving her towards the seats and Akane.

"You git outta here brat!! Stop gettin in trouble!!" The burly man pushed her into a seat and spun on his heel.

Nabiki rubbed her bruised bottom.

The nurse behind her hmphed. "Feh- Kids! You'd think they'd be more cooperative after the bombings and what they been through- but no! They're still the same!"

Nabiki glared at her and clenched her jaw. These people are horrible!!

A little voice inside reasoned with her, they're only that way because they're overworked and they're probably tired.

I hate being treated like this, just cuz I'm a kid!

She drew her knees up and sulked.

Little Akane saw what happened. She teetered over to Nabiki and tried to wrap her tiny arms around Nabiki.

"It's ok Biki- those people are mean!"

Nabiki withdrew her knees and lifted Akane up into her lap.

"Ah- It's ok 'Kane, they're just acting like a buncha jerks because they're probably tired and sore from all the work."

Akane gave her a serious look.

"But Onnechan- If they're so tired, then why don't they just get more people to help?"

Nabiki shook her head and squeezed her sister tight.

"Because 'Kane- There's no one else..."

-End-