I'm still alive, and so is this story! I'm sorry for being a lazy butt, but this chapter isn't that long. I promise promise promise the next one will be better!
Spain: She's lazy, So I'm going to answer the reviews today!
Dawnshine: Haha, she will , and I'll throw tomatoes at her if she doesn't!
Professional Tsundere: I feel really cheery now so I have to return the favour!
Fusososososososososososososo sosososososososososososo!
Antonio walked along the stream, dragging his feet through the mud and panting softly. He wasn't sure how long he had been looking now, but there was no sign of the others. He stopped to catch his breath and looked up at the sky.
"L-Lovi, I'm sorry, I'll try find your brother soon," he mumbled.
A twig snapped behind him, and Antonio spun around, eyes darting about to see if anything around him could be used as a weapon. He saw a branch that had been snapped off a tree. The edge was pointed, so he picked it up, staring at the place where the noise had come from. A figure moved and Antonio panicked, throwing the branch. There was a thud, and the figure cursed loudly.
"Antonio calm down! Ow... You bloody wanker that hurt!" Antonio's eyes widened and he hurried towards the source of the voice.
Arthur Kirkland was cradling his hand, which was bleeding. The branch which Antonio had thrown lay on the ground beside him.
"Ah! I'm sorry mi amigo!" he exclaimed, "let me see the wound."
Arthur held out his hand, which had a gash running along the palm. Antonio took out his canteen and unscrewed it with trembling hands. He poured water over Arthur's hand, washing the cut. Arthur winced but said nothing. Antonio then ripped a piece of cloth from his sleeve and wrapped Arthur's hand with it.
"Git, look before you throw next time," said Arthur grumpily, "I'm lucky you have bad aim."
Antonio laughed sheepishly; he knew Arthur and himself weren't exactly great friends, especially with the whole Spanish armada v.s pirates thing….
"Is Feliciano with you?" Antonio's voice was quiet, almost worried, Arthur stared at him quizzically for a moment.
"He's back with the others, he's fine."
Antonio's face brightened, and he sighed in relief.
"Lovi…. Lovino would get mad if I let anything happen to his brother."
Arthur blinked, his green eyes softened a little. So that was what this was about.
"Don't worry, if you want to protect him, it's best if you come back with me," Arthur brushed the dirt and ash from his jacket, and looked at his surroundings, "this way."
Antonio followed him, humming a somewhat upbeat tune. The tune reminded Arthur of something, a song, long buried in his mind. He smiled, he had been so proud to sing that song, he remembered the joy he felt whenever he had heard it, pride for his people and himself. He could feel Antonio's pride, though it was somewhat subdued now.
"God save our gracious queen…." Arthur smiled as he whispered the words softly to himself.
He felt the familiar tingle of pride. He looked up at the sky. Panem could take away life, he could take away hope, but he could not take away a pride such as this.
"Arthur look out!" Arthur felt his stomach lunge as the ground disappeared from underneath him.
He was falling, then he hit the ground with a thud.
"ARTHUR!" Arthur could make out Antonio's face blocking out a portion of the sky.
"O-ow…" Arthur tried to get up, but cried out in pain when he placed his right hand on the ground.
"Are you still alive?"
OF COURSE I'M ALIVE YOU GIT, YOU THINK I'D BE TALKING IF I WERE DEAD?" Arthur yelled, he saw Antonio flinch at the volume.
"R-right, I'll see if I can get you out," Antonio reached down into the hole, "grab my hand."
"I don't think I can, I think my wrist is either twisted or broken," Arthur explained, managing to prop himself up using his other arm.
Arthur could see Antonio freaking out above him, which didn't do wonders for moral.
"Listen, if you can find one of the others they could help," Arthur told him, "if you go the way I came, you should be able to reach them."
"I can't find any tracks to follow though…." Antonio muttered.
Arthur sighed, how this man had managed to hold out for as long as he did against Arthur's pirates, only god knew.
There was a crack of a branch snapping, and Antonio whipped his head around. Arthur lost sight of him and ground his teeth in frustration. Why was he so useless all the time? Ugh, great time to be melodramatic Arthur, concentrate on getting out, Antonio can handle whatever is out there.
He heard two voices cry out in surprise, one was Antonio and the other…
"H-hey calm down mate, I'm a friend," he heard the other man stutter.
"This is a game of life and death, and you're telling me to trust you?" said Antonio suspiciously.
"I was following Arthur and Christian, but they split up so I picked a random trail of footprints followed them."
There was a pause, and Arthur cried out in frustration, already guessing who the other voice was
"If you're done with your bloody mothers meeting, you can both help me out of this hole,"
Antonio's face reappeared at the top of the hole, "ah, sorry mi amigo I was distracted."
Another, familiar, face appeared alongside Antonio's and grinned down smugly at him.
"Whatcha doin' down there?" asked Ralph, his grin widening slightly at Arthur's anger.
"I'm having a tea party with the flying mint bunny," Arthur seethed, then paused, feeling regret wash over him.
Poor mint bunny, who knows what had happened to him….
"Shove love, I'm coming down," Arthur barely had time to drag himself out of the way, before Ralph landed in the hole with him.
"What good is that going to do you git, now we're both stuck!" Arthur could see Ralph grinning, even in the dark.
He felt strong arms lift him to his feet,
"You up there, I'm going to lift the pom up to 'ya, ok?" said Ralph, ignoring the string of curses being uttered under Arthur's breath.
"O-okay!"
The ground disappeared for the second time that day, and Arthur was hoisted up by Antonio, who dropped him on the ground and went to help Ralph out. Arthur blinked at the sudden brightness, then resumed his cursing. Of course, he didn't actually curse Ralph, that would be dangerous, but it didn't stop the steady stream of foul language being uttered by the Brit.
"Come off it mate, you're out aren't you?" Ralph laughed and clapped Arthur on the back.
"So, who are you again?" asked Antonio, still wary.
"Ralph K-Darwin," Ralph frowned, but it only lasted a second, "district twelve"
"K-Darwin?" asked Arthur.
"K is my… middle name, yeah, Kyle…" Ralph laughed again, though it seemed a little forced.
"Antonio Carriedo," Antonio beamed, finally deciding to trust Ralph.
Arthur sighed, nursing his injured wrist. Stupid Antonio trusted people too easily, though it was hard to not trust Ralph. He just had the feel of someone he used to know. But who?
##########################
Two figures stood guard by the ruins of what once was district thirteen. The wind tossed their black hair about, and they stood silently looking out at the empty landscape. Their eyes were dull and their faces weary.
"Cold…" muttered the taller one, his once boisterous face downcast and shivering.
The shorter figure did not reply, but merely took of his coat and handed it to his shivering sibling, who nodded in thanks. The silence descended upon them once more. Even the wind, though it blew strongly, seemed dull and quiet.
"Do you think we're the only ones left?" the taller figure spoke again, breaking the deafening silence.
"You ask me that everyday aru…" sighed his older brother, "and I will always tell you, I don't know."
The wind died down, and the shorter brother held up a hand to silence the other.
"Someone's out there," he explained softly.
They each gripped their weapons tightly. Ever since the failed rebellion, they had found themselves grouped with the other survivors from their district, and built a well hidden fort in the ruins. If they were found by spies…
The shape in the distance came closer, and the guards were able to make out a figure in a peacekeeper uniform, making it's way steadily towards them.
The shorter guard drew his bow and trained it on the peacekeeper, his brother brandished his rusted sword.
"Do not attack unless I command it, stay low and silent," they both crouched, not once taking their eyes from the figure as it approached.
The shorter guard got a clearer view of the peacekeeper, no peacekeepers, there was another, barely visible, walking in the shadow of the first. They both had shoulder length blond hair, and one of them seemed to have something on his face that glinted in the sunlight.
The guard lowered his bow a little. Glasses? Usually peacekeepers would have been able to receive surgery on their eyes should they require it. Glasses on a peacekeeper was unusual.
He frowned, scratch that, glasses were unusual. They were hard to make, as barely anyone in the districts knew how. The capitol didn't need them, so why was this peacekeeper wearing them?
The guard edged forward, signalling for his colleague to stay put.
"There's nothing here Mathieu, we have no food we're going to starve for nothing," moaned the more visible peacekeeper.
The guard's eyes widened. That voice, how many times had he heard it before. He had never once thought he would have been glad to hear that man whine and carry on as he did. Never once thought he wouldn't hear that voice without instantly feeling anger and slight fear for the safety of his vital regions.
He stood slowly, startling the peacekeepers. They took a few fearful steps back, which made sense, the guard's appearance had probably changed greatly over the years. The taller peacekeeper held a protective arm across the chest of the one with glasses.
The guard heard movement beside him, and found his brother staring at the peacekeepers, light seeping slowly back into his dulled eyes.
"Yao, Yao, Yao!" cried his brother, tugging at Yao's cloths and pointing excitedly at the peacekeepers, "I knew it, we aren't the last ones da-ze!"
Recognition flitted over the face of the peacekeepers, and they approached the guards.
"Papa Francis, is that...?" asked Matthew.
"An old ally," Francis smiled.
PANDA-MAN HAS ARRIVED!
Yeah, China's to overpopulated to die from something like this massive disaster thing. He's got citizens everywhere. And as for Korea, it was a toss-up between him and Hong Kong, and he won.
Thank you for reading and being patient, I will try update more often from now on. Promise.