Author Notes: It is the third anniversary for 'Past is Prologue'. A lot of time has gone by since I began this story. While I may have had delays with producing chapters in the past, I'm happy the gap between the previous update and this one was significantly less.
While I have gotten a favorable response from my previous chapter, the review numbers were disappointing. The earlier chapters had a higher response level than the more recent ones which has contributed to the hiatuses I have put this story through which is unfortunate. However, I have an ending planned for this story, and I will do what I can to reach it.
In the meantime, I hope you all will enjoy reading this chapter, and please write a review. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
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Past is Prologue
Chapter 8: Gates of Fenrir – Part II
/
We have hit a wall
We came so far just to stop
Some won't take it well
/
Months before their eventual arrival at Fenrir, it was another day of exploring and scavenging for the Kannagi siblings. They were thoroughly checking every building that appeared to be intact for supplies. Their search was for anything useful whether it was canned food or some screws. They needed everything they found.
Azumi found herself in what appeared to be in a place filled with tools and a work table. She knew there was a name for rooms like this, but it slipped her mind. She picked up something that appeared to be a screwdriver attached to a gun. When she pulled the trigger nothing happened, so she discarded it. She then noticed the worktable had plenty of draws to choose from.
When Azumi opened a draw, she happened to find some screws lying around. Her eyes and smile widened upon seeing them. She grabbed them and placed them in her pouch.
"Any luck?" Yu asked as he walked in.
"A little." Azumi remarked as she zipped her pouch and patted it, "Minato is going to like this."
"He always wants something to work with." Yu replied.
"And you?" Azumi asked.
"Meh …" Yu shrugged with a smirk. "I think more people will like this." He pulled a can from his bag. Azumi could clearly see it contained food.
"Heh." Azumi chuckled before conceding, "You win this round. Now, keep looking." Azumi urged, "You never know what you might find."
Yu placed the canned food back in his bag before asking, "So how much longer do you think we'll need to keep doing this, Sis? We're heading to this place called Fenrir, right?"
"That's the plan." Azumi remarked as she kept opening the draws and managed to find more supplies of the 'mechanical variety' that she placed in her bag, "If it's where we think it is, it'll definitely take a while before we get there."
"But when we get there, we won't need to do scavenging like this anymore, right?" Yu asked.
"Nor will we need to worry about the Aragami." Azumi answered as she closed the last draw.
"Ugh …" Yu shivered, "I keep trying not to think about them."
"I'm afraid you'll have to." Azumi stated as she stood up straight, "The lookouts are doing the best they can, but they can only do so much. We have to always be on our toes."
"Yeah, I know, I know." Yu insisted, "That's how we survived and all that."
Azumi put her hands on her hips, "If you know that much, then get back to scavenging. The sooner we take care of this the better."
"Okay, okay." Yu went back to scavenging.
It didn't take too long for them to clear out the remaining rooms in the area thanks to some of them being destroyed. After they had finished their job, Yu spoke to his sister, "Do you think we'll have more groups to worry about? I still remember last time when …"
"Hard to say, but it's definitely possible." Azumi sternly warned her brother as her fingers ran along her cheek scar, "Like I said, we should never let our guard down."
"Well what about Fenrir?" Yu asked, "What if we make it there without running into Aragami or having any more 'human' trouble, and they don't let us all in? Do you think they'll be picky about who they let in?"
"I don't know …" Azumi looked down as she replied.
Yu asked, "What's going to happen if they don't let us in?"
"…" Azumi admitted, "I don't have a clue."
"You don't have a clue?" Yu asked.
"I don't think anyone does." Azumi admitted, "No one's really talked about it."
Yu inquired, "Why not?"
Azumi shrugged, "Everyone's just hoping they'll just let us in because we survived. I kind of figured if we didn't meet the criteria we'd go back to traveling like we always have."
Yu tilted his head, "Is that it?"
"Heh." Azumi shrugged, "It's not like we have any other choice. We wouldn't really have other destinations in mind. We never really did for a whole lot of years. You remember? We just kept moving around and just stopped where it looked good for a little while."
"Yeah …" Yu glanced down, "I remember that."
Azumi explained, "Yeah well no one wants to think about going back to that, especially after having a destination in mind."
"Is Fenrir really that special?" Yu skeptically inquired, "I get that it contains remnants of the old world, and it has those protective walls, but is it really that big of a deal? Can't those walls just fall down at some point like the way the Aragami knock down everything else?"
"…" Azumi closed her eyes and sighed, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you wouldn't understand since you were born on the road."
Yu was taken aback as his tone indicated he was 'slightly offended', "Excuse me?"
Azumi informed, "I'm saying that since you were born in this world to this 'nomadic lifestyle', you don't have a grasp of what the old world was like."
"Hey." Yu ran in front of Azumi which caused her to stop as he replied defensively, "I've been told a few things."
Azumi stopped walking as she told her brother, "That's just it. You've been 'told' things. You've never actually experienced it."
"Um …" Yu conceded.
Azumi explained, "Being told about other people's experiences and actually experiencing them are two totally different things."
"…" Yu offered no response.
"I may not remember much, and I didn't get to experience much, but I do remember what it was like to have a home. A 'real' home." Azumi opened her arms up as she said, "A place that surrounded and protected you with four walls. Not needing to travel. You can just come back to it every day. All you had to do was make sure the door was closed behind you."
"Really?" Yu asked, "Were things really that simple?"
"Yeah." Azumi confirmed, "I was always happy to go home after spending the day going to school or having fun, but I never got to go home again when this all started. It was … gone …"
"I'm sorry, Sis …" Yu looked down before he then felt something weighing down on his shoulder.
Yu looked to see Azumi was patting his shoulder. She smiled as she assured him, "You don't have to be sorry about anything. That's just what happened."
"Still …" Yu told his sister, "I'm doing my best to picture what you're telling me, but it just sounds too good to be true. I don't know if what I'm picturing 'could' be real."
"It was true." Azumi rubbed Yu's shoulder, "You can believe it was true. I was there for it." Azumi smiled as she told her brother, "When we lived in our home, we were able to feel safe. We didn't have to worry about someone or something breaking in. We were able to celebrate holidays and have real birthdays too."
"But …" Yu replied in dumbfounded tone, "But I've had birthdays."
"No, you haven't." Azumi insisted, "At least, not the kind I'm talking about." Azumi smiled as she told him, "I'm talking about a real birthday with toys for presents and a big chocolate cake for desert."
Yu tilted his head, "Chocolate cake?"
"Um …" Azumi rubbed her head as she told her brother, "Just believe me when I tell you, they were delicious. Something I'd want you to have someday."
Yu merely replied, "I see."
"The point is, if what I've heard is true, Fenrir will have walls that not only encircle the people who reside in it, but they do everything possible to ensure the Aragami will not break through." Azumi told her brother, "If we can get in, we might finally get a home. A home to call our own. We won't have to worry about the Aragami anymore. We wouldn't have to worry about scavenging or eating insects anymore. We might be able to have real food every day."
"As great as that sounds, what would we have to do if we really can live in there?" Yu pointed out, "I can't imagine they'd let us stay for free."
"You'd be right about that." Azumi crossed her arms, "Everything has a price."
"Then what do you think we'd have to do?" Yu asked, "Would we have to become one of those 'God Eaters' or something?"
Azumi shivered as she replied, "I hope not, but if that's how we need to earn our keep, I'll be more than happy to do it."
Yu asked, "Didn't you say you were on the fence about it before?"
"Who says I'm not," Azumi shrugged, "but it's one thing if its volunteer and another if it's mandatory. The more of I think about it, it'll probably be mandatory at least for one of us."
Yu cringed at the thought, "That sucks."
Azumi stated, "We won't really be able to do anything about that."
Yu asked, "It is what it is, right?"
"Uh-uh." Azumi held up her hand in front of her brother as she inquired, "What have I told you about that saying?"
Yu was taken aback, "Huh?"
Azumi leaned forward as she asked, "What did you just say?"
"I …" Yu took a moment to think, "It is what it is?"
Azumi snapped her fingers, "Bingo. What have I told you about that saying?"
"Uh …" Yu hesitantly replied, "Don't say it?"
"…" Azumi put her hand on her hips and narrowed her eyes as she asked, "Are you asking me or telling me?"
Yu affirmatively replied, "Don't say it."
"Exactly." Azumi placed her hand on her brother's head, "It's a defeatist, hopeless sentiment that makes it sound like nothing is in our control, and we should just accept it. That's not how we do things, Yu."
Yu attempted to remove Azumi's hand from his head, but he was unable to as he protested, "But there are things we can't control."
Azumi began ruffling her brother's hair as she told him, "That doesn't matter. Even though there are things we can't change, what matters is we make do with what we can change. Remember our words, Yu." She released her brother from her grasp as she instructed him, "I want you to say them."
"…" Yu looked Azumi in the eyes. She didn't say a word as she waited him to recite, "What's Past is Prologue."
"Those are the words we live by, Yu." Azumi grinned as she stood up straight, "Don't you ever forget that."
Yu looked down, "I … I try not to."
"Look up." Azumi's hand tilted Yu's head upward. "I know it's hard Yu. I know it is." Azumi put her hand on her cheek as she told him, "I can't do anything about the scars on my face and neck. That's in the past, but I try to learn from them. That's why the saying is important. Those other words makes it sound like we should just accept things and there's no point in trying to learn from them. It's really sad."
Yu replied, "I don't know if it really means that."
"Doesn't matter." Azumi told her brother, "That's how I see it. 'It is what it is' doesn't make me feel any great prospects for the future. It doesn't make me feel any 'hope' whatsoever. All I feel is pessimism and defeat. I may not always be the most optimistic person, but I always push forward to survive, so we can have a future. That involves learning from the past. Not just accepting it for what it is. You got that?"
Yu nodded, "I … I do, Sis."
"Anyway," Azumi put her hands on her hips again as she looked to the distance, "if becoming a God Eater is what's necessary to live in Fenrir. I'll make the decisions, and we'll move forward from there. We'll do what we can to forge our own future, so we can do more than just survive. We might be able to finally live."
"Right, Sis." Yu sounded more optimistic as he told his sister, "We'll do what we can."
"Heh." Azumi placed her hand on her brother's head again as she proudly told him, "That's more like it."
/
After the God Arc compatibility test had been completed on every one of the group members, they discovered much to their dismay that none of them had tested positive to be potential God Eaters. There were only two exceptions, Azumi Kannagi and Yu Kannagi. The proof of their compatibility were the marks on their arms from the test.
Due to Azumi and Yu passing the compatibility test, this meant they along with their blood relatives could enter Fenrir and only them. Everyone else had to remain outside Fenrir's walls. Needless to say, this had angered the members of the group who began protesting against the Fenrir guards while others were quickly succumbing to despair.
Azumi and Yu happened to be away from the caravan at the moment when they saw the lack of positive results from the rest of the people. They were not swept up in the chaos that was erupting, but there was nothing they could do other than stand there silently with their mouths agape. Their eyes scanned at the crowd while their bodies remained perfectly still.
Sayaka and Lindow were standing next to them as they watched the reaction of their caravan unfold. They both glanced at each other before Sayaka spoke up, "I really don't know what to say …" Sayaka took a moment, "I'm glad you and your brother qualified to be God Eaters. I know you two would be great, but …"
"I know what's happening." Azumi interrupted as she curled her fingers. Her teeth began to bite her lips.
Before Azumi could say anything else, Lindow spoke up, "You don't need to be bitter to Sayaka about it. No one told her about this 'vetting' process."
"Ugh …" Azumi groaned as she looked down.
"I'm sorry things turned out this way for the rest of your group." Lindow sounded sincere as he spoke those words.
"…" Yu remained silent as he looked down.
Azumi sighed, "I … I'm sorry I just … I just don't know how to feel about this. My father is the leader of the group, so he isn't going to leave them on their own to come in with us."
"…" Lindow and Sayaka remained silent.
Azumi took a breath before looking toward the two God Eaters, "This is something my brother and I will need to talk about."
Sayaka nodded her head, "I understand …"
Lindow merely replied, "Take as much time as you need. If you come in, you won't have to worry about getting tested again. They'll recognize you and let you through."
"I'll keep that in mind … Hold on." Azumi asked for clarity, "My mother and father didn't test positive like Yu and me. You said they'd be allowed to come, right?"
"Yes." Lindow clarified, "Blood relatives of the people who tested positive would be able to come."
"I see … I …" Azumi glanced away before looking back, "What about a cousin? Could they come?"
"Hmm?" Lindow raised an eyebrow before replying, "I suppose. Are you saying you have a cousin or two in this group?"
"Yes …" Azumi looked towards one of the children as she told them, "That's exactly what I'm saying."
"…" Yu glanced toward Azumi, but his lips remained sealed.
"In that case," Lindow looked toward the large Fenrir walls as he told Yu, "I highly doubt the big shots at the top would make a fuss. However, your cousin would have to come with you. We can't let in only family members that aren't compatible. They can only come with those that are."
Azumi looked toward the God Eaters as she hesitantly said, "I understand …" She then bowed her head, "Thank you."
Lindow remorsefully said, "I wish we could do more for you kid. I really do."
"You've done what you can …" Azumi repeated, "Thank you …" She then excused herself.
Yu looked toward the God Eaters and bowed his head as well before following Azumi.
/
It took some time for the shock and anger of what transpired to wear off. Eventually, the caravan reluctantly decided withdraw from the immediate area. Their vehicles received some fuel from Fenrir, but that was all they could offer. Everyone packed into the vehicles, and they rode off. No one spoke a word for hours. At this point, no one bothered to take note that Azumi and Yu had remained with the group despite receiving the 'okay'.
When Azumi and Yu were alone, Azumi couldn't help but reflect on the irony, "After all that talk about us not getting in, we ended up being the only ones who 'could' enter. Pretty ironic, wouldn't you say?"
"Yeah …" Yu uneasily nodded, "Who'd have thought it? So what're we going to do?"
"Stay with the group a little longer I guess." Azumi stated, "But we won't stay long. We'll be heading back to Fenrir." Azumi clarified, "Probably in a couple of days."
"What about mother and father?" Yu asked, "They could come with us, too, right? They allow family members. They said that."
"Mother will come with us." Azumi stated.
Yu unsurprisingly asked, "And father?"
"I doubt father would want to leave the group." Azumi stated the obvious, "They wouldn't last long without father."
Yu then asked, "Do you think they would last without us?"
"Mother and father would want us to stay in Fenrir, but we can't just leave the group like this." Azumi pointed out, "Even with the fuel Fenrir gave us, almost all our supplies were used up to get this far. At the very least, we'll help replenish those supplies and head back to Fenrir."
"But … But …" Yu glanced down, "Do you really want us to be separated from everyone else? I know we don't get along with everyone … I know we've had rough times, but they're the people I've known my whole life."
Azumi knelt down, "I know Yu. Neither do I, but this is something we can't pass up on. We need to do this, so we can start taking control of our futures."
Yu gulped as he asked, "Wouldn't that mean becoming God Eaters?"
"I would become the God Eater." Azumi assured her brother, "I would do what I can so you won't have to become one if you don't want to."
Yu then asked, "Even if you could do that, what would I do?"
Azumi reminded her brother, "You're only thirteen years old, Yu. I'm sure we'd be able to think of something for you to do. In the meantime, maybe you can actually experience what it's like to be a kid."
"Huh?" Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Don't act like you've forgotten." Azumi reminded her brother, "We talked about how things were different when I was a kid."
"Yeah, but I just remember about this thing called 'chocolate cake'." Yu answered.
"Hmm …" Azumi looked away for a moment before she sat on the ground. She pointed down to the ground in front of her, and Yu sat in front of her, "In that case, let me explain it like this. Most kids your age would be at school and hanging around with friends not going through garbage to find food and supplies. That's what mother and father always told me, anyway. I want you to have that chance, and Fenrir is the only place where that's possible."
"…" Yu sat in front of his sister and remained perfectly silent as if he was waiting for her to continue speaking.
"Well …" Azumi shifted where she was sitting before then stating, "It'll be like what I said before. If we go to Fenrir, you won't have to survive anymore. You might be able to live."
"We wouldn't just leave without saying goodbye," Yu hesitantly finished with, "would we?"
"Far from it." Azumi assured her brother, "After we get enough supplies, we'll say our goodbyes, and we'll head back. I'm sure they'll be fine with our choice or at the very least they'll respect it. We don't have to worry about getting all their approval. We never had to before, and we're not about to start now."
"Yeah," Yu nodded, "that's true. So what should we do now?"
"There's something I'm gonna need to speak with father about." Azumi instructed her brother, "You get some rest. Come tomorrow, we'll help the group replenish the supplies, and we'll be on our way after we do our share. I'll also make sure that our motorcycles are ready for us to take."
Yu eyes widened, "Motorcycles?!"
"Yeah." Azumi shrugged her right shoulder as she inquired, "You didn't think I'd ask them to waste truck gas to bring us back to Fenrir, did you?"
"Well ... um …" Yu struggled to provide a response.
"No." Azumi answered her own question. "They'll need to use the gas for themselves, and I have all the motorcycles filled with their rationed gas, so we won't have any trouble driving one to Fenrir. Normally I wouldn't be so cool with using a motorcycles, but there didn't seem to be any Aragami nearby, and we're close to Fenrir, so I'm very sure we'll be fine as long as we keep our eyes open. Which means I'll need you to watch our back." She then finished with her trademark, "You got that?"
Yu nodded, "I got it."
"Good." Azumi stood up as she told her brother, "Now get some sleep."
When Azumi began walking away, Yu began to stand up as he called out, "Wait."
Azumi turned around and asked, "What is it?"
"Let's say we get into Fenrir, and …" Yu trailed off as he looked away.
"Yes?" Azumi took a step forward.
"Do you …" Yu looked up and asked, "Do you really think they'd have a something like a school there?"
"Well …" Azumi tilted her head and considered it for a few moments before admitting, "You know, I didn't really ask, but I'd like to think they would."
"What makes you so sure?" Yu inquired.
"Fenrir is trying to keep mankind going," Azumi rationalized, "so I'd like to think that'd include educating kids."
"Hmm …" Yu didn't bother trying to argue with that. On the contrary, he seemed somewhat interested as he said, "School … What was it like?"
Azumi shook her head, "Don't ask me. I barely got to go."
"Oh …" Yu sheepishly looked away, "right."
Azumi turned around with her back to her brother as she told him, "You'd be better off asking mother or father, but from what I know it's a good thing to go to because it'll help you become smarter. Mother and Father may've done their best to teach us, but they told me it wasn't a replacement for a real school. We'll talk about this in the morning. Good night." Azumi then began walking away.
Yu didn't try to stop Azumi this time. Instead, he simply told her, "Good night."
/
When Azumi was walking around the camp, she stopped for a moment and looked around. She could see the mood of everyone by a glance. It wasn't hard for her to understand why they felt the way they did, but she decided it would be for the best not to approach any of them. Not even the children seemed interested in playing with her at this moment. Instead, she opted to head straight to where her father was staying. No one appeared to hear her steps, except one.
"It always works out for you …" Azumi heard a familiar voice after she had passed most of the caravan but just before she reached her father. Regardless, she continued walking until she saw Moto Kouta standing in front of her, "Why? Why does it always work out for you?"
Azumi placed her hand by her knife as she narrowed her eyes. She inquired, "What do you want, Moto?"
"Bah." Azumi's words appeared to be lost on Kouta as he repeated his inquiry, "Why? Why are you and your brother the only ones who can go through the gate?"
Azumi's eyes continued to narrow, "How should I know? We just happened to be compatible to be God Eaters, so I guess we were just lucky."
"Oh!" Kouta clapped his hands together, "That's even better!" Some eyes were moving toward him as she spoke, "They actually want you to be a God Eater."
Azumi coldly replied, "I'd make a better God Eater than you, asshole."
"Grh!" Kouta gritted his teeth, "What … Why you?"
"Enough." Nakahara Shin stepped forward and warned Kouta, "I'd stop if I were you."
"But she needs to be ta-" Kouta began to say.
"Taught respect?" Shin mockingly asked. "You're the one who antagonized her."
"It's over." Everyone looked to Haru who entered the conversation as he berated Kouta, "Arguing amongst ourselves is pointless. My wife is trying to sleep, and you do not have to be hostile toward my daughter just because she passed their blood test."
Kouta protested, "Easy for you to say. You can go with her if you want."
"I'm not." Azumi was not surprised to hear her father tell his people, "I'll be staying …"
Kouta berated the leader, "Then you're a damn fool!"
"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm not going to abandon …" Haru moved to put his hand on Kouta's shoulder before feeling Kouta's hand on his shoulder. Before Haru could react, he could feel the strength of Kouta forcing him to step back. Azumi narrowed her eyes and nearly walked towards Kouta until she heard her father shout, "Hey!" As Kouta walked away, Haru began to follow, "I'm not done with you."
Kouta looked over his shoulder as he told Haru, "Well, I'm done with you, asshole!"
"…" Haru briefly stopped walking as his eyes widened, and he pointed to himself in disbelief, "I'm the asshole?! You're the …"
Azumi stepped in front of her father before he could continue his pursuit, "Let him go!"
"But …" Haru attempted to protest.
Before Haru could say another word, his daughter held his shoulder and told him, "I agree with you. You should kick his ass, but save it for later. Moral isn't exactly high, right now."
"She's right." Shin spoke up.
Haru took a moment to look at the caravan. Eyes were all on them. He wasn't sure what to do before he heard Shin say, "You and your daughter have some things to discuss. I'll calm things down here." Shin motioned them, "Go."
"…" Haru sighed and looked down before reluctantly agreeing, "Fine …" He then walked away with Azumi in tow while Shin did his best to quell any further problems.
/
After entering a room where they could be alone, Haru sat down with less than perfect posture on the makeshift chair. He leaned his elbow on his right knee and rubbed his forehead as he eyes gazed downward. He wasn't able to say much of anything other than pointing to another makeshift chair that Azumi could sit on.
When Azumi sat on the makeshift chair, she figured that her father must be having trouble processing anything at the moment. She uncomfortably shifted in her seat before she decided to stand up and speak, "Anyway, I do hate to do this, but Yu and I are going to Fenrir, but we're only going after you make some kind of plan, and we help you resupply."
"What plan? This was the plan …" Haru continued to rub his head, and his eyes refused to meet hers, "We were supposed to get to Fenrir and …" Haru groans as he leaned over. Both his elbows were on his kneecaps as he put his hands on his head.
"Father …" Azumi put her hand on his shoulder, "We were able to survive out here for years before we even heard about Fenrir. You can do it, again."
"…" Haru sighed, "I'll admit … I did think there was a chance we weren't going to get in …I had no idea it would involve taking some kind of blood test …"
"And?" Azumi asked.
"There wasn't exactly a backup plan …" Haru stood up as he admitted to his daughter, "… Heading to Fenrir has been the closet thing we've had to a concrete plan in years."
"Are you serious?" Azumi asked in disbelief.
Haru pointed out, "You know we've been on the move ever since this began Azumi. You've seen what happens when people settle in one area for too long."
Without needing help, Azumi answered, "The Aragami come."
"They always do. It's like …" Haru shook his head, "No. It 'is' inevitable. But Fenrir appeared to be the exception. Unlike any other place we've been to, they had the walls necessary to shelter people, and they had the protection of the God Eaters."
"I understand why you wanted us all to go. You don't need to tell me anymore, but …" Azumi desperately asked, "Did you really not consider that you might need a backup plan? That doesn't sound like …"
Haru sighed, "As a fallback, I considered one possible solution." He then noticed a few small pebbles that he picked up. This caused Azumi to raise an eyebrow as she walked over to see what her father was getting at.
Azumi looked over to see him place the pebbles on the table. He placed one pebble in the center. She then placed several other pebbles around the center one at about equal distance. He pointed to the one in the middle, "For a while, I was thinking that if worse came to worse we could travel around the area near Fenrir." He then pointed to the different pebbles as he told Azumi, "It stands to reason that they would send God Eaters to kill off any Aragami in the surrounding area to eliminate any and all threats to Fenrir. They even said that some Aragami have gotten through the walls."
"Hmm …" Azumi put her hand on her chin as she remarked, "It's not the worst idea, but couldn't that put us in the crossfire?"
"…" Haru glanced to his daughter before telling her, "There are ups and downs to every plan." Haru then looked down at the pebbles as he told her, "We could either stay near Fenrir where God Eaters might be regularly deployed to wipe out Aragami while risking the chance of being caught in the crossfire. Alternatively, we could move further away to avoid crossfire, but we'd be heading further into Aragami infested land with a higher chance of encountering them. There is no good option since we weren't accepted into Fenrir."
"I understand." Azumi nodded her head, "It's not an easy choice. I get it …" Azumi took a breath, "I'll try to do what I can …"
"Hmm?" Her father looked toward her.
Azumi clarified, "Father since I can become a God Eater, I'll see if I can do something. I doubt they'll listen to a new recruit, but I can ask them if I can help protect wherever are you decide to live. Maybe we might be able to even help you create a settlement …" Azumi tried to sound hopeful as she suggested, "One that doesn't depend on Fenrir. Maybe if I talk to them, maybe they'll be willing to help. I mean humanity can't exactly live on if they leave too many people out here …"
"It would be very nice …" Haru sighed as he changed what he was about to say, "Very well. I'll leave it to you to decide how you go about it. It might be the best shot we have."
"Anyway, I understand that you want to remain with the group." Azumi informed her father, "When Yu and I head back to Fenrir, we'll take mother with us."
"Your mother …" Haru didn't try to refute, "Yes. She would be better off in Fenrir. Maybe someone could …"
"In addition to her," Azumi interrupted her father by telling him, "we will bring one other person."
Haru tilted his head, "What?
Azumi explained, "I asked the God Eaters, and they said I can bring a 'cousin' with us."
"A cousin? You don't …" Haru stopped when she looked in Azumi's eyes and realized, "Oh …"
"Yes." Azumi confirmed, "I'll take someone else, and I'll say they're my cousin. I can only take one. I'd rather not push my luck."
"But …" Haru glanced away briefly before then looking back at Azumi, "who're going to choose?"
"I don't know yet …" Azumi rubbed the side of her head as she stated, "Right now, I'm leaning toward choosing one of the kids. It'd be better if I choose one of them."
Haru repeated, "Then, which one are you going to choose?"
"I don't really know if I can I'll try talking to Yu about it, but …" Azumi hesitated to say, "I might have to choose randomly."
"Randomly?" Haru asked in disbelief.
Azumi replied, "Depending on how things go, it might be the only fair solution."
"Hmm …" While Haru wasn't going to disapprove of this possible method, he wasn't about to endorse it.
"I'll talk to Yu about this in the morning." Azumi stated, "I need to talk to Minato and Yasuko first. They …" Azumi glanced down as she told him, "They need to know …"
Haru couldn't bring himself to look up as he told his daughter, "If you think you have to, then do it."
/
Azumi decided to do the wise thing and decided to speak with the person most necessary to allow things to progress smoothly. She approached Minato in his current makeshift workshop. He had set up a little ways from where the rest of the caravan were currently residing.
When Azumi walked in, she could see he was working on a new weapon, but she knew it was meant as a distraction. Even he felt broken by his rejection at the Gates of Fenrir. Even though she knew this wouldn't be a pleasant conversation, she knew it was one she had to have. Her only hope was that he could understand.
After listening to what she had to say, Minato summed it up in a melancholy voice, "So you'll be leaving the caravan with one of the kids, but I wasn't up for consideration?"
Azumi bluntly but honestly replied, "No."
After hearing Azumi's answer, Minato bit his lower lip and looked the other way. He put his elbow on the table and placed his hands on his head, which pushed his hair up.
"…" Azumi uncomfortable glanced downward. She couldn't bring herself to look at him as she said, "Minto … I …" The words were stuck in her throat. When she took a moment, she tried to speak again, but she failed to say a word. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.
"It's fine ..." Azumi heard Minato speak, but he was still looking away from her, "I get it …" You just want to look out for one of the little kids." Minto stood up while still facing away from Azumi. "I'll get the bikes ready, so don't worry. You'll be able to leave whenever you want to." Minato didn't wait for Azumi's reason as he walked away.
Azumi raised her hand and took a step forward, but she stopped herself. She let Minato walk away as she was left behind in the makeshift workshop. Her hand fell to her side. Her fingers then curled up until her nails were digging into her skin. She then punched her fist into the closest wall.
The impact only made a 'thud' sound. Azumi had to rub her knuckles as she opened and closed her hand. Azumi then walked out of the workshop leaving it empty.
/
Shortly after leaving Minato's 'workshop', she ran into another friend, Yashiko. Apparently, Azumi was wearing an 'obvious' expression on her face when Yashiko saw her.
Yashiko rhetorical asked, "Something didn't go well with Minato?"
Azumi answered, "I came to say goodbye."
"Hmm …" Yashiko stated, "I shouldn't be surprised. You were able to pass their test."
"…" Azumi looked down as she told Yashiko, "I'm sorry, but this something my brother and I need to do. After we help you guys out, we'll be bringing my mother and one of the kids with us."
"Ah …" Yashiko mouth was left agape, "I see … So that's why Minato would be upset …"
"I'm sorry. There really isn't enough …" Azumi wished to finish, but the words became stuck in her throat."
As Azumi struggled to say the words, she felt Yashiko's hand on her shoulder. She looked to see Yashiko tell her, "I understand …"
"Hmm …" Azumi looked down as she told Yashiko, "Thanks …" Yashiko let go of Azumi as she walked away.
/
After her two preliminary goodbyes were down, Azumi felt the need to return to where her father was. Even dead into the night, her father was still up pondering. He was standing by the makeshift table when Azumi entered.
Haru didn't have to turn around to know when Azumi entered when he asked, "How are your goodbyes going?"
"About as well as I should've figured …" Azumi put a hand on the wall and rubbed her head with the other. "I'm telling them that I'll be leaving for a 'Safe Haven' that they can't get into, and I didn't ask them to come along …"
"…" Haru looked at his daughter before sighing, "It's not your fault that you're allowed in, and they weren't. It's just how Fenrir's system works. It's screwed up, and they aren't without justification in vetting us either."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it …" Azumi leaned on the wall, "Limited food and resources and all that stuff, but don't they need laborers?" Azumi pushed herself off the wall as she suggested, "People like Minato and Yashiko would be pretty useful. They might not be able to become God Eaters, like Yu and I, but they can do plenty of other stuff. The kids might not be compatible, but I'm sure they can do other stuff when they get older."
"You're preaching to the choir, Azumi, but they might not be so patient." Haru reminded Azumi, "We don't know what going on within Fenrir, and it might not be as simple. You of all people should understand that."
"Yeah, but something needs to be done." Azumi groaned, "If they just keep turning people away, there won't be much left even if the God Eaters beat the Aragami."
Haru sighed, "My thoughts exactly …"
/
The following morning, Azumi informed her brother of the plan. As usual, he remained silent as she spoke to him in detail. After she was finished, she asked him for his opinion. To describe his opinion as being 'mixed' would be putting it mildly.
"Sis …" Yu looked down as he shook his head before then looking up, "Are we really going to do this? Are we going to take one of them with us and leave the rest out here?"
Azumi bluntly replied, "It's a lot better than leaving them all behind."
"Yes, but …" Yu attempted to protest.
"Listen to me, Yu." Azumi knelt down and held up her brother's face. "Just because I think this is the 'best' thing to do doesn't mean I like it. You've seen how we had to survive. We couldn't do everything we wanted. We had to make choices. I never wanted to kill those people, but I had to. The choices we have to make may not be what we want, but we have to do what we can to make the 'best' decisions. In this case, we can save one more person and bring them with us. That 'is' the best thing we can do here. Do you understand?'
"…" Yu took a moment to process what his sister had just said, "I … I understand …"
"Good." Azumi let go of her brother, "Any ideas who we should take?"
"Um …" Yu sheepishly replied, "I hadn't thought about it …"
Azumi stood up as she told her brother, "Well you're gonna have to start thinking about it otherwise we're gonna have to choose at random."
"Random?" Yu asked in disbelief.
"First," Azumi ignored Yu's question as she instructed, "we'll have to think about which group we should focus on. I think we should take one of the little kids. As much as I'd like to take Minato or Yashiko, they can survive out here. The kids … not so much …"
Yu concurred, "Okay."
Azumi then asked for assurance, "So you're fine with taking one of the kids?"
"I guess …" Yu's voice was filled with uncertainty, but Azumi could see that Yu understood her reasons.
Azumi then asked, "What do we need to focus on next?"
Yu raised his head. "Next?"
Azumi repeated, "What else do we consider when making a decision?"
"Um … Hmmm ... Maybe …" Yu pounded his fist into his hand as he asked, "Oh what about parents who would be more open to us taking their kid to Fenrir?"
"Yes." Azumi seemed relieved as she told her brother, "It won't matter who we choose if their parents or guardian is onboard. While I'm sure most would be open to it here, I'm sure a few parents won't wish to be separated from their child."
"What?" Yu tilted his head, "Wouldn't that be selfish?"
Azumi crossed her arms, "Yes, but it's understandable."
Yu raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"
Azumi waved her hand, "Best not to get into it. Anyway, we should consider who would be open to talking to us in the first place. The kids may like me, but not all their parents do."
Yu nodded, "Right?"
"Not to mention," Azumi held up one finger, "There's also the most important thing we need to consider."
Yu leaned closer, "What's that?"
Azumi informed her brother, "If we choose to take someone, we'll basically be adopting him or her into our family."
Yu was taken aback, "You mean ..?"
"Yes," Azumi explained, "I would expect Fenrir would want us to take care of and provide for the kid. They've got enough things to worry about besides playing babysitter. We'll be taking a huge responsible we may not be ready for, and we'll need to be ready for it anyway."
"Ah …" Yu's eyes widened at the realization.
"We'll need to think careful about our choices, Yu." Azumi suggested, "Or perhaps it might be for the best randomly in the end. I honestly don't know."
"Neither do I …" Yu replied.
The Kannagi siblings remained in the room as they contemplated what their next move should be. Eventually, they would head out to help with scavenging to replenish supplies.
/
A distance from the caravan, a woman was sitting on a rock looking upon it through a pair of binoculars when she heard someone call out to her, "Estuko-sama, we brought a gift."
The one referred to Estuko smiled as she excitedly said, "Excellent. Let me see! Let me see!"
With his hands tied behind his back, Kouta was being escorted to Estuko before being forced to his knees before her, "So you're a member of that girl's group, aren't you? How interesting. What made you decided to walk so far away from your people?"
"I …" Kouta was slow to bring his head up. He couldn't bring himself to look Estuko in the eyes as he nervously asked, "You … Are you the ones that Azumi messed with?"
"Azumi?" Estuko was quick to put two-and-two together, "I take it that Azumi is the name of the girl that butchered all of my people?"
"Y … Yes …" Kouta hesitantly replied, "Sh … She's always been prone to violence. She's always gotten a free pass because of her father."
"Her father, eh?" Estuko inquired, "Her father is the leader of your group?"
Kouta nervously nodded his head, "Y … Yes."
Estuko clapped her hands together, "I see. I see. That certainly would explain a lot. Daddy's little girl would get to do what she wants."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Kouta keep nodding his head, "That's exactly what happened …" Kouta gritted his teeth as he looked up, "I'm getting sick of it! We all are!"
"How interesting." Estuko grinned as she inquired, "So, on top having an oversized brat like her, I take it that Fenrir turned you away. I saw you all heading there, but you turned back."
Kouta stated, "Almost none of us passed their test."
"Well you're not the first …" Estuko paused, "Almost none? Who passed?"
Kouta answered, "Azumi and her little brother passed."
"…" Estuko looked toward the wall, "Is she already in there?"
Kouta stated, "No …"
"Really?" Estuko raised an eyebrow, "You're saying she's still here?"
"Just for now," Kouta cautioned as he struggled to look up, "but she will be handing back. You don't have much time. Once she's in, you're not gonna get her."
Estuko then asked, "Then, you're going to make a proposal?"
"I know them …" Kouta suggested, "If I give you Azumi and her father, will you let me and the rest of my people join your group?"
"Hmm …" Estuko scratched her chin, "Interesting. Anything else you'd like to tell me?"
"No." Kouta shook his head, "You're clearly people who can survive out here. I'd like nothing more than to side with you."
"Hmph." Estuko smiled, "Flattery will get you everywhere. I accept your proposal, but we'll do it my way. They need to understand what it means to cross me."
/
Author Notes: It was always my plan to have someone decide to stab Azumi's group in the back like this. It would be a clear example of 'Moral Myopia' for Kouta and Estuko. The Kouta criticizes Azumi for being prone to violence while Azumi only killed Estuko's men because they were holding Yu hostage and tried to kill them. Additionally, Estuko wants Azumi dead for killing her men even though said men were trying to kill her in the first place when she didn't do anything to provoke them. Such things can be quite frustrating in fiction, but we all know that is also true in the real world.
Anyway, Azumi and Yu aren't in the easiest position. They are the ones who can enter a safe haven while leaving the remainder of the group. While some of the older group members don't like them, the children like Azumi, and they have friends. These people are the ones that Azumi and Yu have known almost their whole lives. They have every intention of heading back, but Azumi knows it will be more than 'a little awkward'.
What did you all think of my handling of the different situations? I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review because your written feedback is appreciated. Until next time.