TWO GIRLS
Hey.
What?
Why are we fighting?
Because we must.
Why?
The sun was setting behind the mountains, its brilliant rays flaring one last time before being eclipsed by the great Earth. The encampment sat below, milling away at its preparations to cross the great barrier. It risked the exposure of its location with its campfires, the men preparing meals for the evening. They did not bat an eyelid, however, because they felt safe. They had a new weapon under their command, after all.
The two orphan girls were crouched uphill on one of the tall, twisting great trees. They observed the camp like vultures, perched high above, waiting to swoop down. One had dark hair, dark eyes, and dark clothes that blended her long hair into her slender figure. The other had reddish brown hair, bright eyes, and a beige-colored uniform. Her hair was shorter and messier than her adopted sibling, and she was much more lean. Neither of them were very tall.
“Must you ask such ridiculous questions all the time?” the shorthaired chided.
“… Sorry.”
She sighed. “If I knew a better answer, I would’ve given it to you long ago.”
Her partner sunk her chin under her crossed arms, resting on top of her knees, still staring at the encampment. Thoughts raced through her mind, but she did not announce them. She was tired and hungry, even though she hadn’t moved for a while.
“Haruna.” The shorthaired recognized her sib’s exhaustion and rested her hand on her shoulder. It began to glow with soft, red energy. “Don’t push yourself too hard. Let me know if you need my help.”
“Don’t.” Haruna turned her head and placed her hand on top of her sister’s. “You need it more than I do.”
“It’s okay.”
“…” Dropping her hand, she sunk back down and accepted the gift.
They heard a loud shout below. One of the men’s banter. They were a rough and tumble lot whenever they sat by the campfire. Under other circumstances, it would be hard to imagine they were in a war zone.
A soldier was climbing up the great tree with three canisters under his arm. “Haruna. Naoki.” When he reached the branch with the two girls, only the shorthaired showed him any attention. “Dinner,” he said.
Naoki nodded, and stopped her grooming, prodding her sister. Haruna sluggishly straightened herself and turned around, still crouched. The man gave them their canisters. He then leaned back against the trunk, with one leg bent and the other stretched out in front of him, opening his. Haruna graciously ate her soup with silent satisfaction, blushing a little from her crudeness. It was her first food since the morning.
The soldier took a small sip. “You know, you girls don’t have to hide up here. The rest of the men wouldn’t mind your company.”
Haruna lowered her canister without looking up at the man. “It’s easier to do my job up here.”
Naoki glanced at her sib, then smiled apologetically. “It’s fine. I need to provide Haruna some company while I’m off duty.”
The soldier nodded, “Fair enough,” and didn’t speak anymore of the topic. The three of them carried on eating without the sun. A slight breeze began to caress the mountains, ruffling the tree leaves above. The man and Naoki conversed about the day’s duties.
“We didn’t find any signs in the mountains. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a scouting party didn’t go through it before.”
“Right.” The man finished up his ration and rested the empty canister at his thighs. “Though, the higher-ups seem confident enough to cross now. All at once, as ridiculous as that sounds.”
“Hm…? Wouldn’t it be bad to split up our unit?”
“Having such a large unit move together would be easier to spot.” He crossed his feet and gazed down at the camp. “Though I suppose, we’re fighting a different war now.”
Naoki looked at Haruna, then back over to the soldier. “I see. We’ll do our best then.”
The man nodded. “Don’t overdo it though. You’ll only hinder yourself.” He turned his head back to the girls. “And remember, nothing is guaranteed on the battlefield. So don’t beat yourself up if something happens.”
“You make that sound too easy.”
The soldier laughed and tapped the patch at his shoulder. “Hey, working here for several years will thicken your skin.”
Naoki chuckled along. Haruna did not, but finally looked up at the man. “Ken, have you ever had anyone die in your hands?”
The man grew understandably somber. “Yes, several times.” He paused. “Some of which weren’t even soldiers.”
“… I see…”
“Haruna…” Shorthaired grew concerned.
But the younger girl did not show any emotion.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind talking about it if I must,” said Ken. “Normally I wouldn’t discuss this with children, but you two have probably been through just as much of hell already.”
“I’m only here to protect. Not to kill.”
Ken sighed. “Honest to goodness, I hope you two will never have to. I thought the same when I was recruited, but in the heat of things, it’s surprisingly hard to stay pure.”
“Already too late for me.” Smiling tepidly, Naoki grasped her hands tightly around her canister. “Even if it’s hard to tell when I’m randomly exploding things.”
There was silence amongst the three once again, only with the scrapping sound of their metal canisters and the laughter from the camp below. It was Ken who finally spoke again. “Such is the world we live in. Take what happy moments you can from it. The best I can do is remind you girls about your mental health.” He screwed back on the cap of his canister, prompting the girls to quickly finish up their meals. “If this terrible war ever does end, post-war trauma is a real problem to endure.”
“No, the best thing you could do for us is save our lives,” Naoki joked.
Ken laughed a little. “Well, let’s hope it doesn’t come down to that.” He collected the empty canisters from the girls. “I have a few errands to finish before curfew. You two know where to find me if you need me.”
The two girls thanked him, and Ken climbed down the tree. Naoki stayed with Haruna, who perched herself towards the camp once again, now with renewed strength. The shorthaired observed her sib in silence, then elbowed her. “Hey, I’ll try and sneak up some scraps next time. The men are generous enough to share some scraps of their rations if you’re down in the camp.”
Haruna smiled. “Thanks. Don’t get in trouble.”
Chuckling, Naoki let her feet dangle. “You forget we’re very valuable. We can get away with almost anything, as long as we’re not skipping our duties.”
“Well, I’d rather not push the lieutenant’s generosity.”
“It’s not like you don’t have a ration for lunchtime. It’s just everyone is too busy to fetch it for you. Then climb up the trees. And you always have an air that you should not be disturbed.”
Haruna blushed. “Really? I didn’t realize they saw it that way.” She twirled her hair with her finger. “I just need to concentrate to do my job.”
“I know,” laughed Naoki. “And I’ve been telling them the same. But I can’t tell if I’m reaching them.”
“I know you know. We’re the only ones who could ever truly understand each other.”
“Well, yes. I know you know I know,” the shorthaired giggled. “I only say it to have a coherent sentence, you know.”
“I know.”