Introduction: Hello everyone! I am Lieutenant Bird, and this is my first fic. I still feel kinda nervous but I'd just like to get this thought out of my head. :)

(I am pretty deep into the Love Live pit. . . ever since that fateful episode back at season one where Nozomi was groping Maki.)

I'm interested in world history, (weird eh?) and I fail horribly at math. (who doesn't?) :D

I am also curious about the different nation's culture and traditions, and also about snow. (I wish it snows here) (TwT)

And during my free time after work, I just spend it on some research and a little bit of muse. :3

Okay, that's about it. may we be friends. *bows*

And, I don't want to incite any hatred against any nation featured here. The past is past, but we should not forget the sacrifices our forefathers had made during our world's darkest hours; whether they're American, Australian,Austrian,British, Bulgarian, Canadian, Chinese, Filipino, Finn,French, German, Indian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Russian, Romanian, Thai and any other nationalities that I may have overlooked.

All in all, everyone of them deserves to be remembered, no matter where their allegiances lay. and each of them has a story to tell, personified by the nine girls which I admire.

Please feel free to correct me though, for I am very prone to making a lot of grammatical errors. :(

Disclaimer: Love Live is the sole property of Sunrise alone.

War: the most horrible atrocity man could ever do on another human being. Nation versus nation, brother against brother, ideologies and religions clash, justice vanishes, brutality thrives. All these for the sake of satisfying the interest of leaders at the expense of people's lives.

Nobody wanted to participate in such grim endeavour, but were forced or obliged to join anyway because of duty, adventure, fame, patriotism, or being lured by the promise of riches and redemption.

But amid this chaos of war, will love ever have a chance to blossom and flourish?

Act 1. The Rising Sun

The year was 1940, barely four decades after the world entered a new century. Many new scientific breakthroughs were made in the field of medicine, engineering, and transportation that surpassed the discoveries of the last millennia combined. The Great War was long over, the world at peace, families reunited, and nations enjoyed harmonious relationship with their neighbours.

Or so they thought...

Secretly they were developing new weapons, better doctrines and tactics to be deployed in the battlefield just in case the need arises. Nationalism was the word of the day and dictators soon rose to power, taking the opportunity to convince the people to rebel against their own government with the spurious promise of restoring their country's former glory. But in reality, they are using "justifiable" causes to push forward their own hidden agendas...

There are indeed wolves wearing sheep's clothing . . .

Europe held its breath as one-by-one; territories were forcibly taken by an army that believed their righteous cause. People lost their homes, their families, and also their lives.

Europe is in chaos once again...

Meanwhile in the Orient, people were still busy engaging in their usual affairs unaware of the threat posed by their neighbour to the north, which had seized several territories belonging to the nation of Cathay in a matter of months and were expanding fast in the direction of the Philippine archipelago.

And now, a new chapter in the history of man unfolds; as told from the eyes of those who lived through it.

Chapter 1: Daybreak's Bell

The United States Armed Forces of the Far East, America's iron hand which stands guard over the Asian realm; established during the early days of 1941 to counter any "crisis" posed by the Nipponese Empire. Composed of almost 150,000 various personnel scattered throughout the jewelled islands; it was known to be a force to be reckoned with, backed by the mighty Asiatic fleet which was docked on the northern province of Zambales.

Composed of American, Filipino, and immigrants from the conquered lands, it worked hand in hand to bring security and stability on the entire region; and all the while, fostered fair equality within their ranks.

Among those who joined this ragtag group was a Chinese orphan; a silent witness of the brutalities committed by the Empire of the Rising Sun. She was a child who once believed on a brighter future, but was stripped bare of everything she held dear and now lived on a foreign land which she had already considered as her "second home."

The air was warm and crisp that fateful Monday morning; the loud howling of the bugle rang out a very familiar tune of the reveille, a call for every soldier to prepare themselves for another day of duty. Within a small dimly lit room; a young soul sat at the edge of her bed, looking out the window where the bright vermillion rays of the rising sun poked above the fort's imposing walls.

Wearing only a white tank top with black cycling shorts; her figure shone through the smooth flaxen cloth, which kind of bothered her for she doesn't want everyone else to see whatever she was hiding underneath.

Everyone thought of her as an immaculate; a flower in full bloom under the moonlight's gloomy shade, glistening its vibrant glow for the eyes of men to cherish and admire from afar. But deep inside, she was nothing more than a demented soul who longed for revenge; a lonely orphan who experienced the horrors of war first hand.

Those lilac eyes which had kept its lustre all these years were always filled with spite and lustful regret; for she was unable to defend her loved ones from the hands of the soldiers of the rising sun. A bastard living on a foreign land, she clawed to gain her place within the ranks of the commonwealth just to get back on that certain footman: the imperial marine who didn't think twice of taking her mother's life away.

Her blood boiled at the mere mention of the word "Yamato" and "Family", for it reminded her of the suffering she had been through; while altogether rejecting her faith on the almighty which the redhead felt was asleep during her greatest time of need.

"There is no God, and I am a living proof of it. Everything only happened by chance, and I grasped every trickle of opportunity I could, just to live." The girl mumbled as her crimson hair covered those coveted amethyst orbs which glared out like that of a panther; filled to the core with hate.

Then something caught her attention, a succinct shade of vermillion spread across the floor; like that of her mother's blood which dripped through the woollen carpet. Seeing this almost made her cry out from the grief which brewed from within her callous heart; but then she realized that there was someone else with her, and took a quick glance below to see a young blonde who was still fast asleep like a rock while snoring as if it was her own castle, one of the contributing factors for the girl's rude awakening.

I remember now, that I am not alone anymore. . .

Careful not to startle the groaning Russian below; she carefully tread down the short wooden ladder and promptly picked up her brown ankle boots from underneath the bunk then sat on a chair overlooking the window.

I wonder how my countrymen are doing right now? Did they continue to fight, or cowered into the blackness just like me?

The girl thought as she picked up a couple of sable knee socks from her boot; then unrolled it over those porcelain white legs, which was clean and had no signs of a scratch whatsoever.

My body may look like that of nobility, but I lived a life of a peasant after I lost my home.

As she was unfurling the right sock, her mind flashed back the painful memories she had when her mother was murdered; and soon, bitterness crept into her heart like the looming jaws of night.

"Someday, I'll redeem my wounded pride . . ." She whispered under her breath after finishing the chore and proceeded to walk away from her seat and take her crisp khaki uniform which was neatly folded inside her olive green duffle bag.

They said moving on is the best solution for any problem; but if they were on my shoes, would they feel the same? If they witnessed their loved one being impaled right in front of their eyes, could they still mutter that cursed advice? I guess not, silly hypocrites.

"You are early as always Maki; can't you just take it easy for a while?" A gentle voice suddenly interrupted her chain of thoughts; and Maki turned around and saw her superior, crossing her dainty legs over the gray bed sheet.

"Easy for you to say officer." She quipped while putting on her pants; which made the blonde lieutenant giggle with joy.

"Don't tell me you're too shy to show off those legs of yours?" the Russian replied with a slight hint of teasing on her domineering voice.

"It's none of your business Eli." The redhead then returned to sit by the window to wear her ankle boots.

The blonde then flexed her arms and gave off a very loud yawn; which was then followed by a quick burp, making Maki cringe like she heard a pair of fingernails scratching a blackboard.

"Can't you act more decently Eli? Geez, hearing you burp gives me the creeps!" She then rolled her eyes and continued on to organize her clothes which was crumpled badly after she took the uniform off.

"Well, deal with it. Oh, a few days more and it's Christmas . . . So you should come with me to San Jacinto and shop for decors and additional supplies."

"Yeah, yeah . . . Whatever." The redhead's nonchalant reply made Eli frown, but she still flashed a shallow grin; then fixed her bunk just in case of inspection.

"Uhm, would you like to join for our Christmas party on the 24th?" The blonde lieutenant asked while folding holding the grey woollen blanket against her chest.

"What for? I had already told you that I don't want to take part on such absurd celebrations. Especially if it's about somebody who doesn't even exist." Then after finding out that her things were a snug fit; Maki closed it up with a zip, and turned around to confront her Russian superior.

"Sorry about that Eli, I hope you understand that I could be a bit of a jerk especially when it's early in the morning . . ." She meekly gave out an apology, which the blonde happily responded with a very sweet giggle.

"It's okay Maki, we've been buddies for the past four years . . . Of course I understand." Eli then neatly placed the blanket on the bed's head rest; and dropped on the floor to perform some push-ups.

"H-hey, remember when we first met?" the lieutenant inquired while struggling to push her weight off the floor; Maki then gave off a smug look on her face, and replied:

"Of course, how could I forget that? You made me look like a fool." She then did the same and dropped on all fours beside her best friend; synchronizing her motion together with the blonde's.

"Hehe, It is a long standing tradition amongst the corps to test the will of their plebes; and hey, you are one very strong gal Maki . . . You made others feel like they're girls." The blonde then gave a pant as she lowered her arms to suspend her torso a mere inch above the floor; all the while breaking off a sweat from the repetitive motion.

"W-what can I say? I am already immune to pain." Maki then looked at the gleaming waxed floor and saw a distorted reflection of her face; which appeared to have a tear dripping out of its blurry purple eyes.

Perhaps, I'm not that strong emotionally after all.

"Hey. . ." Eli then lifts her body up again, and looked to the sergeant who was also in sync with her and asked, "Wanna race until twenty?" She then finished the sentence with a very naughty grin drawn across her very smooth porcelain like face.

Already used towards the blonde's challenges; Maki smiled back and responded with a sarcastic tone: "Sure, and whoever loses will follow whatever the victor requests for a day."

the redhead then lowered her torso quickly, starting the wager against her stronger superior for a cheap shot at winning.

If I can't win against you in a fair fight, I'd might as well resort to cheating!

"Hey, no fair! I haven't given the signal to start yet!" Eli protested, but the sergeant was already crunching up numbers like a horse being chased by a horde of foxes; eager at gaining bragging rights against the blonde.

"L-look at that! I had already finished two complete repetitions, you better start now granny or I'll make you pay for our dinner tonight!" after finishing the sentence, Maki felt her arms were trembling horribly after the successive thrusts against the floor; causing her to stop even before making the third crunch, but pretended that she was fine by drawing a smile on her dainty cheeks.

Oh shit, I'm screwed.

"One, two, three- One!" the Lieutenant chimed in cadence while pushing her weight against the floor at each individual count; completely ignoring the redhead who was clearly in trouble, paralyzed from the waist down by fatigue.

Man, I don't want to lose against this blondie! Shit, shit, shit . . . I must think of a way to distract her attention!

Her lilac eyes panned furiously at room's darkened corners to find something that could ruin her superior's concentration; then remembered something which could make the blonde melt at her feet, while her pupils flashed a tiny glint of hope at the thought that she could make her superior forget about the wager altogether.

"Hey, Eli . . ." Maki called out, but Eli was still muttering the counts which was dangerously approaching the fifth mark; and much to her horror, successfully pulled off twenty push ups against her meagre count of three.

Damn it, too late.

The blonde then stood up and dusted her tank top; looking down at the redhead who was still stuck at the initial position.

"Wow, cheating does get you nowhere." She then puts a hand below her chin, like she was in deep thought. Maki then got up and tried to reason out why she lost, as always.

"Eh? I wasn't cheating! I thought you were already starting so . . ."

Eli then looked straight onto her lilac orbs that was stuttering out of guilt over her blue ones; and returned the wager like a huge slap against her face.

"Whoever loses will follow whatever the victor requests for a day."

Feeling that everything was lost, the sergeant just scratched her arm and looked away; trying to hide the shame of defeat as evidenced by her flushed cheeks.

"W-what do you w-want me to d-do, ma'am?"

"I'll just think of it later. Anyway, see you on the showers!" Eli then grabbed a towel from her bag, and ran out of the room like an overhyped toddler; leaving Maki to enjoy her newfound peace.

That blondie is getting to my nerves. . .

She then meticulously tied the boot's laces until it formed a bow; and repeated the same process with her other pair, all the while deep in thought about the notion that the Japanese are already making their move to conquer the rest of Asia.

They weren't content of invading my nation, and set their eyes once more for greater glories to satiate its greed for resources; while the west just looked away from the plight of my people, and only gave them stern words instead of suppressing their lust for battle with an iron hand.

Maki then hurriedly picked up her pink towel that hung by the bunk's side railing and hurriedly rushed towards the showers; passing by a long corridor filled with doors and mumbling snores.

"Wow, the reveille had already been sung; and they're still fast asleep?"

Turning left, the redhead stopped by the locker room and sat on a long wooden bench; initially undoing the bow tie with ease, while sweat dripped down her brow for she was on a hurry before the boys came thundering in to take a bath.

Girls were selectively inducted into the commonwealth's armed forces during that time; for after passing a written exam and a rigorous selection process, they will undergo the same duration of training just like the boys: Six months for grunts and a whole year for aspiring officers. Then to further add for their woes, the tradition of hazing were common among the plebes; as seniors would beat their junior's posteriors with paddles and punch their abdomens after giving them a stroll on the deep woods behind their training centre, in utter blackness and blindfolds.

This was something which these two souls had endured just to accomplish their respective goals; that they will never forget as long as they live at the difficulty of earning a rank, patch, and uniform which signified their commitment to the country they served.

A country which gave them another chance at life.

And after that painful graduation, they were forced to share the same facilities together with their male counterparts; and to make things much more awkward than it already was is the fact that . . . Eli and Maki are the only belles on the entire Marine Regiment, while the rest who did enter service were distributed among the army and medical corps; each of them on their respective barracks with the same situation.

Then they were assigned only to non combatant roles; as Eli was charged at supplies and logistics, while Maki is her sole assistant. Every week they would venture into the cobbled streets of neighboring San Jacinto just to buy food for their comrades, but now that it's Christmas; it's going to be one hell of a trip towards the market.

"Damn it!" Maki cursed while feverishly undoing the criss-crossing lace on her boot; when suddenly, a very cold hand touched her exposed nape.

"W-what the?!" the startled redhead jumped off from the bench and faced the conceived apparition, which just turned out to be Eli; already covering her body with the white scruffy towel.

"Next time, don't be shy to ask for a pair of slippers." She then puts a pair of yellow slippers on the bench; while Maki breathed a sigh of relief and responded like a very meek sheep.

"Okay, I'll remember that . . . Thanks."

"Well then, I'll be standing guard outside just in case some guy would love to take a peek of your . . ." Eli jests while opening the locker to grab a fresh, neatly folded uniform; earning a very rude reply from the flustered sergeant.

"Shut up!" Maki's face suddenly displayed a very lush shade of red; then immediately grabbed the slippers and trudged towards the showers that were connected to the room by a small corridor.

"What the fuck is wrong with her?" She grumbled as she stepped into the shower room; where individuals could take leisure of cleaning off, separated by only a very thin piece of varnished plywood.

Imagine if I shared it with men . . . Ugh, the horror.

After observing the entire area for a while; the redhead then stepped into one of the cubicles, which was devoid of any sort of cover to keep others from watching her nude body being caressed by the cooling waters.

Man, Eli is so fearless . . . I wish I could be more like her.

She thought while turning on the lever which responded with a very sharp creak; followed by a stream of pure crystalline water which poured like a gentle sputter of rain.

"So . . . Cold. . ." the girl then looked down to see her hands; now twitching from the eerie chill she felt crawling through her arms. Soon, a stark memory followed; together with an apparition of her dead mother lying limp on her arms, emitting the same ghastly chill she had experienced before.

"N-no . . . What's the meaning of this?" Her face became distorted from the pain bickering within her chest; thinking of the incident she'll never forget for the rest of her life. And as she sulked on that small cubicle; Maki saw the water became tinged by a crimson hue, making the poor girl shriek out of fear.

As soon as the shrill was heard; Eli immediately ran towards her friend's aid, and saw the redhead sitting at the corner of the cramped space, hugging herself while the shower kept pouring water on her very smooth pale skin.

"M-maki? W-what happened?" the blonde then tapped her subordinate's shoulder, which responded with a twitch.

"E-eli . . . Oh, it was . . . Nothing." She then rose up from the tiled floor and covered her private parts accordingly; and flushed again once more after realizing that her friend had seen her body.

"Nothing? But I heard you scream out in torment! Is there something which I need to know right now?" Eli tried to squeeze some bit of information from her, but Maki just turned her back and quipped:

"I told you, it's nothing . . . I just saw a huge cockroach running along, so please, can I have a moment of privacy?"

Hearing the girl's response, the lieutenant then returned to the lockers to do what she was previously doing; leaving Maki to curse herself for refusing any kind of help, especially from a dear friend.

I hope she understands . . . that there are some things which need to be kept under lock and key.

After a few minutes of freshening up; Maki returned to the locker room and saw Eli, neatly dressed up like a respectable officer she is. Her crisp tanned uniform clearly compliments her hourglass figure; while those golden locks were tied into a pig tail by a white ribbon. The redhead covered her mouth just to hide its gape, and pretended to ignore her superior who also busy at organizing her stuff.

"Eli . . ." She asked while stealing some glimpses at the blonde, the latter then closed the locker's door and replied: "What is it Maki?"

"I have a gut feeling . . ." the redhead replied with a bit of uncertainty on her voice. Eli then crossed her arms and faced the sergeant who was still draped by the towel; nervously scouring her things inside the cast iron hull of the locker.

"About what?"

"I think the Japanese are going to make their move on these islands." She then closed the iron door and faced her friend who was now sporting an ice cold gaze towards her. Seeing this, Maki was blushing once more from sheer embarrassment and hid behind another set of lockers; making the blonde giggle while calling out:

"Hey, there's no need to be shy! We're of the same sex, so what could you possibly hide from me?"

"Shut it Blondie!" She retorted with a groan, and hurriedly puts on her underwear as the blonde replied to her previous statement.

"So? What are we going to do about it if they made a move then?"

"Nothing . . ." She then leaned against the steel skin; then turned her head in hopes of maintaining eye contact with the blonde while putting on her pants.

"Good, and don't worry about them Maki . . . because just in case they do, we'll easily turn them back from whence they came." Eli confidently bragged while combing her hair. Hearing this, Maki then turned her gaze away in disgust and buzzed,

"Don't be so sure about that Eli . . . I saw them fight, and they're way fiercer than you think they are."

"You are such a worrywart dear, there's no way that those gooks would dare rise against the might of our nation." The blonde then sat on the bench and wore her skin toned stockings.

Maki then got out of cover and sat right next to her superior, toiling once more on cross-tying the laces on her boots. While doing so, she turned her head and continued once more with the solemn exchange of opinions.

"But, what if they did . . . aren't you scared that you will lose your home Eli?" This time her voice's tone was like that of a child, something which tugged at Eli's heart for it sounded like it was held by an orphan; begging for a loaf of bread on the side of a road. Her blue eyes then met with lilac ones while the once stern and bland voice was replaced by that of a mother's; in order to soothe the fear within her best friend's heart.

"Yes, I am scared at the thought of losing everything I hold dear Maki. And I also wish to express my deepest condolences for losing yours . . . Then hope that they won't set their sights upon this land." She then saw the sergeant look away and busied herself on tying the other pair.

"I'm sorry for putting up that silly topic, it's all because I had observed that our regulations are lax and discipline was almost non-existent within our ranks Eli . . ." Maki then puts her left foot up the bench to wear her knee high black socks; tediously rolling it once more over her smooth pasty skin.

"It's okay. It had been a long time since we had a tinge of seriousness on our discussion Maki." The Lieutenant then stood up and looked at her silver plated wristwatch; and saw that it was almost seven, its minute hand slowly ticking towards the 10th mark.

"Anyway, shall we go now? It's almost seven . . . and we must beat the others at procuring the much needed supplies."

The sergeant then quickly buttoned the signature white gaiters to cover just below her knee; as a means of added protection and conformity to the regulations of the Armed Forces.

"Yes ma'am, I am ready." She then tapped against the ground; impressing her officer who wore a garrison cap over her crown.

"Now that's my sergeant!" Eli giggled and continued on, "Okay then, guard me while we graze through the markets for goods; pickpockets are quite rampant these days . . . And I don't want to lose our entire budget of five hundred dollars."

"So, you have a list of what to buy?" the redhead then wore her NCO's garrison cap; further identified by a small pin which was shaped like the signature triple chevrons of a full-fledged sergeant on its right broad side.

"Of course, now let's hurry up before we run out of time!" Then they dashed out towards the corridor; the pitter patter of their shoes reverberated through the halls, making the boys open their doors as they passed.

The two then stopped their skittery escapade through the hall when they saw someone walking towards them at a leisurely pace; a very tall old man with grey hair, wearing a pair of black aviator glasses and a lopsided grin on his face while his khaki uniform bore a pair of red shoulder boards with two silver stars nestled at its centre.

"Great, it's that weird general again . . . Eli, er I mean ma'am . . . do what you do best." Maki then yielded and stood at attention; while the lieutenant stepped forward and gave off a snappy salute to the fort's commander.

"Well, there's no need to salute me for now Ayase . . . don't be so uptight, at ease." He then gestured to turn it down; and the blonde returned her hand to its rightful place.

"Anyway, I was also on my way to find you; and thank goodness we met on this whitewashed corridor!" He gladly exclaimed while laughing like he had no care on the world whatsoever; the duo just looked at each other and the redhead hunched her shoulders, kind of speechless at the moment.

"Ayase!"

"Y-yes sir?!" the blonde immediately straightened up and the old man continued on, "I have a very simple request for you."

"Fire away sir!" Maki then saw her superior's fist clenched like a rock which made her think:

What the fuck kind of reaction is that? Why does she respect this old fart so much? She then locked her amethyst orbs towards the man's coat and saw the surname: Mc Arthur.

"Hoho, I'm going to entrust you five hundred bucks; and go buy me the finest wine from a bar situated in Binondo." The general muttered while pulling out the crisp bills like a flush of cards.

During those days, five hundred dollars was roughly the same wage as that of a Master Sergeant's; which increased by increments of fifty at each elevation of rank. Maki earned three hundred for being an NCO while Eli, a full-fledged commissioned officer is being paid for five and a quarter; plus some bonuses from her logistics department and extra pocket money from doing this old man's errands.

"Sir, I'd like to ask a question though; what is the name of the bar?" She tried to make sure just in case, for the last thing she'll ever want to do was to make her superior disappointed over a cheap bottle of wine.

"Look for a restaurant with some Korean sounding word on it. . . It kind of rhymes with kimchi, bibinbap and stuff like that . . . Man, It had been a long time since I visited the mainland so my memory is kinda rusty; but I am forced to plant my foot here because of the very high pile of reports that I should relay to main headquarters, not to mention the Moro insurrections on the south and communist insurgency on the Cordilleras. So I'm counting on you Eli, and in case the bartender asks . . . Tell him that it's for the pied piper, and he'll immediately give it to you without any more hassle."

He then picks up a gold encrusted pocket watch and remarked, "Well, you better hurry; the boat will leave sometime when the minute hand strikes nine."

Eli then replied with a nod and taps on Maki's shoulder, and took their strides once more through the white washed corridors of the Marine's five storey barracks.

"Those kids, I reckon that they'll have a bright future waiting for them." The general then pulled out a pipe, poured some tobacco on it, and proceeded to light up with a match; billowing grey puffs of smoke which covered his weary visage.

"Eli! Hey, wait up!" Maki yelled out as the blonde quickly turned left on the corridor; her blonde locks waved through the air like a scarf, while the redhead huffed and puffed for she was still quite a weakling when it comes to running as opposed to her mountain dwelling superior.

"You better quicken your pace granny, for this is the last boat to Manila Harbour . . . and I can't let this chance come to pass, so come on!" She hollered back; ignoring the subordinate's feverish panting from a distance.

"But . . . *Huff* I can't . . . *Puff* go any faster!" the sergeant squirmed while leaning against a wall. Eli heard that her friend's pace had abruptly stopped; so she backtracked her steps and tried to give a small sense of comfort to her ailing friend.

"Just a little more buddy, and we'll hitch a ride as soon as we leave this building." She cooed while patting the girl's sweat drenched back. Maki then looked up with a very pitiful look on her face, making the blonde giggle at her expense.

"What the hell is so funny? Don't you see I'm suffering here?" Her pitiable look was soon replaced by that of frustration; but Eli kept on tittering and replied, "Okay, okay . . . But you look so innocent when you're like that."

Upon hearing the blonde's seemingly sarcastic response; the redhead's face became flushed once more, not of because of embarrassment . . . But of sheer annoyance.

"What do you even mean by that?! Are you trying to prove something here?"

The lieutenant then locked her arm against hers and beamed, "Nothing buddy! Calm down, I'll help you carry your weight around the hall."

Maki felt her friend's muscles rubbing against her own, making her feel quite uneasy at the fact that the Russian could easily pin her on the ground when the need arose.

She's too strong . . . and I can't resist her at all. Is this what I would've become if I became even more diligent during training?

"Hold on okay? We're almost there!" then she felt her legs being pushed by a force much stronger than hers, further adding her admiration on the blonde superior.

Eli . . . I can sense that I could trust you with my life.

She then looked at the front and saw a blinding light emanating from the windows which bordered arch leading to the field; making the redhead draw out a lopsided smile under her tomato red cheeks.

Finally, my trial is over . . . for now.

The lieutenant managed to drag her subordinate through the short flight of steps down the barrack's entrance; where a green drabbed jeep was waiting for them. Eli then dumped the weary sergeant on the backseat while she rode shotgun; much to the driver's amazement.

"Good morning ma'am, going shopping again?" He beamed while cranking the gear stick; causing the automobile to roar as it prepared to roll down the circular track towards the main gate.

"Yes, and make it quick . . . it's almost seven thirty-five, and I can't afford to lose the boat." She answered with a very cold demeanour, making the private gulp down and step hard on the pedal.

"I assure you that this will only take a few minutes, so hold on tight ma'am."

"Surprise me." She raised an eyebrow, making the man blush as he diverted his gaze towards the road ahead. Meanwhile at the backseat, Maki was just staring blankly at the clear indigo sky; hoping to shrug off the heavy feeling she had on her chest.

I have a gut feeling about this day . . . something's not right here.

The jeep rolled through the rough dusty terrain, kicking up clouds of dirt on its wake while making the blonde holler out like the giddy girl she was. Meanwhile, the Chinese exile just rested against the brown leather seat; holding onto a small white sun patch, a constant reminder of her identity and the cause she stood for all these years.

Her lilac eyes was covered by a thin mantle of tears as she looked onto its gleaming visage, for it once guarded her cherished homeland; which was now engulfed by the blood stained rays of the rising sun, which fell like a wilted rose under their proud martial strides.

She couldn't move on from the bitterness she felt within her heart; for years she had been preparing herself in case she meets that soldier once more, to exact the brewing vendetta she kept under her immaculate guise.

Someday, I'll kill you . . . together with all of your wretched kind.

Maki's memory about the murderer was somewhat blurry, and all she remembered was that it possessed a very strong shade of red on its eyes; something which haunted her dreams ever since that fateful event.

Her thoughts were then interrupted by the sudden jolt of the jeep when it hit some rocks; which startled the redhead and caused her to plant her face against her superior's nape.

*Oohmf!*

"Ouch! Hey!" Eli then turned and saw the sergeant laughing sheepishly; and scolded the driver for being too reckless.

"Watch the road will you?! You almost threw us off!" The private just responded with a sarcastic smile; pissed off at the fact that it was the blonde who ordered him to drive like he's the king of the road.

She then returned her attention to the redhead and said, "You too Maki, behave yourself."

Maki then returned to recline against the seat, supporting her elbow against the railing while muttering something under her breath: "It wasn't my fault, for it was you who gave out tall orders in the first place."

Then after the nostalgic panorama of lush groves of trees and sparse bamboo houses, the red haired sergeant breathed out a sigh of relief when she finally saw the cerulean waters of Manila Bay; gleaming in all its glory as the sun's golden beam struck against its mirror like surface, even if it has risen at the opposite direction.

Beautiful . . . Just like what I saw when I was a child, staring at the sunset on Hangzhou Bay.

Their ride slowly ascended on an incline, towards the harbour where a large barnacle ridden chartered boat was docked; its skipper blowing its high pitched whistle warily to beckon any interested parties to quicken their pace or wait for another day.

Corregidor was a tadpole like Island situated at the centre of the bustling bay; making it a strategic guard post against invaders. Not surprisingly, a town was situated at its tail, and its inhabitants reaped the benefits of having a military installation close by. Shops were erected complete with everything they needed, and Eli together with her grumpy sergeant shopped for supplies there many times over; but the thought of crossing the bay and step upon Manila's metropolitan atmosphere was something which this pair would never want to pass, making Maki forget her woes altogether and became as hyped up as her superior.

"I can't wait to step once more on Manila Eli!" She beamed out while stepping off the plank leading towards the boat's mold infested deck.

"Me too! For it's going to be my first time!" Hearing this, the redhead raised an eyebrow and replied,

"How so? I thought you came through there on your way towards this island?"

Eli shook her head in sheer disagreement and retorts, "I came through Bataan, because I live on the mountainous region of the Cordilleras."

"No wonder you're as tough as the carabao." She then ended the sentence with a laugh filled with a hit of sarcasm.

"Anyway, prepare yourself for our wager once we arrive there . . ." After hearing the dreaded word; Maki then zipped her lip and tried to divert the blonde's attention.

"Hey look, a seagull!" She mused while pointing at a portion of the gleaming sea; but Eli didn't fall for the trick and remarked, "How mature of you, trying to divert my attention . . ."

"B-but . . ." the sergeant tried to reason out, but the blonde's blank stare went through her soul like a gorgon's gaze; causing her to stutter some more; which was silenced when the skipper blew the final whistle, a sure sign that the ferry would leave for the bustling metropolis.

"All aboard!" he then requested his assistant to pull the boarding plank on the deck; while the dock master untied the rope which held the boat into place, and waved goodbye to the passengers as it tediously skimmed through the sky kissed water.

It was just another Monday, but half the world away it was Sunday; the seventh of December 1941. People were going about on their daily lives, woefully oblivious of the danger which lurked on the high seas and lush jungles of the Pacific; for Yamato secretly massed troops on the fringes of their targeted neighbours, namely the 21st Army on the border of French Indo-China, tasked to seize the important oil fields and sweep towards Malaya, the 14th Army on the island of Formosa, already on its way towards the Island of Luzon, the 15th Army which was tasked to occupy the scattered Islands of western pacific to act as a barrier against the Americans, and the 13th Army to overrun the Dutch and British installations on Indonesia and New Guinea. While their far advanced navy were also dispatched to aid the landing operations, namely the Second Imperial fleet roving the waters near the oil rich countries of Indo-China; responsible for the entire South East Asian region, and the notorious First Imperial Fleet steaming towards the islands of Hawaii, ready to induce a crippling blow against the American fleet stationed at Pearl Harbour.

And little did they know, their lives will never be the same again as their world will be plunged into utter darkness by the storm that was about to rage over their land.

I wrote this in memory of my late grandfather, a soldier who served under the Philippine Army during the Second World War.