fic [Bokurano] Those Left Behind: Trench Fever
Title: Those Left Behind: Trench Fever
Day/Theme: Aug 11 Trench Fever
Series: Bokurano
Character/Pairing: Seki, Tanaka
Rating: PG
Notes: for 31_days. spoilers for the later manga chapters.
Archive: LJ | ffnet
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"His voice is cracking. He can't sing for beans."
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Tanaka had recognized the off-tune melody that came through her headset. She often teased him about joining the military because of his favorite anime's influence. At the crucial moment, he had been quietly singing the theme song from that very anime. She couldn't understand what he was singing then--the words hadn't registered when both Seki and Kanji's lives were on the line. When she got back to her peaceful home after Kanji's battle, her husband and daughter were already asleep. She smoothed back her daughter's hair and pulled her blankets higher. With one last lingering look, she softly closed the door behind her.
Alone in the dark, she sat in front of the glowing monitor and remembered her recently deceased friend. On a whim, she looked up the lyrics to the song.
Her lips quirked up as she scrolled through the lyrics.
Had he been sweating while singing these ludicrous words? Had he smiled at the end?
Be the guide.
Take the bough to be the guide
and drop it at your feet.
She folded her hands and rested her forehead against them.
"I will, Seki. I'll guide them to the end."
-----
Seki had passed the responsibility of guiding the children on to her. Ironically, she had only lasted one more battle than he had. But like Seki, she was going to go down fighting. There was no illness or accident that could take them down.
They were soldiers.
She smiled in the face of doom, her hand still outstretched, her gun still pointing at the enemy. She was stuck, and she knew it. Millions of thoughts rushed through her mind--she wished she could have spent more time with her husband and her daughter, she wished had the chance to tell Jun who she was, she wished she could have died on her own Earth instead of this foreign one...
Jun was entirely alone now. She hadn't wanted to leave him so soon.
Did Kana keep her promise?
Her eyes closed, dreaming of peaceful times for her son.
Jun, please live on.
-----
the end
Day/Theme: Aug 11 Trench Fever
Series: Bokurano
Character/Pairing: Seki, Tanaka
Rating: PG
Notes: for 31_days. spoilers for the later manga chapters.
Archive: LJ | ffnet
-----
"His voice is cracking. He can't sing for beans."
-----
Tanaka had recognized the off-tune melody that came through her headset. She often teased him about joining the military because of his favorite anime's influence. At the crucial moment, he had been quietly singing the theme song from that very anime. She couldn't understand what he was singing then--the words hadn't registered when both Seki and Kanji's lives were on the line. When she got back to her peaceful home after Kanji's battle, her husband and daughter were already asleep. She smoothed back her daughter's hair and pulled her blankets higher. With one last lingering look, she softly closed the door behind her.
Alone in the dark, she sat in front of the glowing monitor and remembered her recently deceased friend. On a whim, she looked up the lyrics to the song.
Her lips quirked up as she scrolled through the lyrics.
Had he been sweating while singing these ludicrous words? Had he smiled at the end?
Be the guide.
Take the bough to be the guide
and drop it at your feet.
She folded her hands and rested her forehead against them.
"I will, Seki. I'll guide them to the end."
-----
Seki had passed the responsibility of guiding the children on to her. Ironically, she had only lasted one more battle than he had. But like Seki, she was going to go down fighting. There was no illness or accident that could take them down.
They were soldiers.
She smiled in the face of doom, her hand still outstretched, her gun still pointing at the enemy. She was stuck, and she knew it. Millions of thoughts rushed through her mind--she wished she could have spent more time with her husband and her daughter, she wished had the chance to tell Jun who she was, she wished she could have died on her own Earth instead of this foreign one...
Jun was entirely alone now. She hadn't wanted to leave him so soon.
Did Kana keep her promise?
Her eyes closed, dreaming of peaceful times for her son.
Jun, please live on.
-----
the end