Chapter 3: Planning

Ai jumped down from the tree but stopped short when she saw a familiar face in front of her. "Mai? Why are you here?"

Ai was confused, she was sure no one was following her when she came here, so she had no idea how Mai even knew she was here.

"Ai… I couldn't help but think that something must be wrong. The way your dressed today and your hair. Not to mention the words that came out of your mouth earlier. Did something happen at home? Did you get into an argument with your parents? If you need a place to stay for a while you can come to my house, there is no need to sleep outdoors..." Mai's eyes began to tear up. She was truly worried about her best friend.

When Ai first left in the morning Mai went to class and told the teacher that Ai was sick and went home. After the first class ended, Mai couldn't stop worrying and ran out of the school. She asked around the streets if anyone saw a young girl with unkempt hair in a school uniform with an untucked shirt. After asking almost ten people she finally found someone who saw Ai walking towards the forest. When Mai found Ai, she was already working out. Mai decided not to disturb her and watched from afar.

Mai could see the desperation in each movement that Ai was making. It was as if she had no choice but to work out and become strong. What amazed Mai was when Ai began to start her shadowboxing. Her movements were fluid and perfectly refined. Mai couldn't understand how or when Ai had learned martial arts. They had grown up together so she knew everything about Ai, even the brown mole on her butt! So it confused her how her friend suddenly knew how to do martial arts and why her attitude changed so drastically just overnight. Mai couldn't help but feel something was wrong.

Seeing how concerned Mai was for her, Ai really did not know what to say. She was not used to people caring for each other. When in battle she had seen these so called best friends toss one another in front of each other to block an attack. All because they did not want to die. It was a very common occurrence which made most people loners. Even she had used a few people as shields. But she always used people she did not know well. During that time, the survival of the fittest was law even in war. No one would blame you for doing it either.

Scratching her head Ai let out a long sigh. "Mai, even if I told you why I am the way I am now, you would think I was crazy and try to get me to go get my head checked."

She really did not know what else to say. If she tried to explain, she would just sound crazy. Who in their right mind would believe a fourteen year old girl who says that she had been reborn after spending ten long years in hell before dying at the hands of a machina? No one! They would think she was going through some kind of delusional fantasy to escape reality. Which is why she had yet to say anything to anyone. She did not want to come across as some kind of crazed lunatic.

"Ai, no matter what you tell me I would believe it. In all the years that I have known you, You have never lied to me. Not a single time. You have always been honest with me even if it would make me mad. I have complete trust in my best friend who I have known since we were born." Mai's eyes showed no hint that she was being sarcastic or lying. This made Ai let out another sigh.

"So if I were to say that I was just recently brought back into time from ten years in the future where we will need to fight for our lives against machines that were created by a sentient AI that will be created in six months. That I lived in a hell were just to survive you had to kill other humans. Would you believe me when I say I was almost r*ped many times and during those times that I have had to kill the person trying to force themselves on me? That I have watched people I considered comrades die in front of me over and over. Some of which died because I used them as shields. Who the fuck in their right mind would believe me!?" Ai did not know why but talking with Mai was like opening a dam on her closed off heart caused by what had happened to her in her past life. Tears rolled down her face as she let everything she had built up inside her out for the first time in her two lives. Those days were hard. Very hard! Wiping the tears in her eyes, Ai looked at Mai to see her reaction but was stunned to see that instead of looking at her like a crazy person, Mai was actually crying.

"You poor thing!" Mai yelled out as she bawled her eyes out. She ran over to Ai and hugged her tightly.

At that moment Ai's only thought was: 'There was someone not in their right mind right here in front of me.' Ai gave up and awkwardly rubbed Mai's back, she was not used this kind of skinship.

A few minutes later, the two sat below one of the trees leaning their backs against it. Ai had told Mai everything that had happened to her and how everything starts. She even told Mai that she had no idea what happened to her after the fall of humanity. The more Ai talked the better she felt. She found that Mai believed her one hundred percent. Without any doubt. Just having one person believe in her words was good enough for her.

"Mai. Over the course of the next few months, I will be preparing for the day when the apocalypse happens. If you wish, I can help you train as well. Also… If you would like the night before things happen, stay at my house. I would love to try to save your family as well but us being kids and them being adults, more than likely no matter what we say they will not listen. Unless we can come up with a plan to lock them all up in my house that night…. " Both Ai's and Mai's parents were very close. Hence why both daughters' names sound so much alike. They wished for the two girls to become like sisters and their wish was granted. The families would normally always have a get together once a week.

"I have an idea!" Both Ai and Mai said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed. "You go first Ai, you are in a sense the older sister now are you not? Obaa~ chan~!"

Ai shook her head and laughed. Sadly she could not refute what Mai said. It was true her mentality was much older than Mai's. "Well, it's simple really. We can force our parents to have a get together the night before all hell breaks loose. They usually drink quite a bit when they do so all we have to do is spike their drinks with some sleeping pills. Then it's just a matter of locking them up in the basement."

"I was thinking the same thing about the dinner but did not think farther than that. This will work out well. But you said your house collapsed. How are we going to survive if it collapses?" Mai was confused, Ai had said that their whole house was demolished on that day.

"The basement will be fine. Actually… I will need your help. We will need to dig a large hole in my basement. There is a small room that only collects junk and no one ever goes into it. If I remember correctly, the floor there is still dirt and was never cemented over. If we work together and dig a large hole there to make a small bunker we can hide out there for the first week. It might be a bit cramped, but it will be worth it in the long run. No one will get injured and only after shit has hit the fan, will I be able to explain things to everyone. If you truly believe me Mai I will need your help. There will be no more school for us. We will need to set things in motion now. Any slacking will be bad. What do you say? Do you believe me enough to basically drop out of school now and help me prepare or will you go to scho.. "

"I will help you! Ai, do not look down on me. I do not say things and mean something else. When I said I believed, I truly believed you, my best friend for the past fourteen years. If you say our lives are stake, I would rather reach out and grab the hand that is there trying to give me a path to survival. School? Who has time for that!" Mai stood up and placed her hands on her hips as she scolded Ai. Ai could only let out a laugh. This was her best friend. The same girl who always stood on her side, even if it meant she would get in trouble as well.

"Alright, alright. Then starting tomorrow morning you will need to meet me at the entrance of this forest. We need to train our bodies. For the next two weeks, our bodies will hurt so bad we will wish we were dead. But after those two weeks, our bodies should be a lot stronger and used to the daily routine. We will train here in the mornings and then work on digging the bunker until evening. I will go get the necessary tools to do this tonight." Ai was happy she had some help and at the same time, she could at least help her best friend survive the first onslaught of the apocalypse. What happens after the machina appears is up in the air. That will to survive at any cost was imprinted deep in her soul.

The two walked back home saying their goodbyes at the door. They lived right next to each other so this made things easier for them. Even their bedroom windows were right next to each other. If either one was willing to make the leap of faith they could climb into the others window with ease.

Ai walked through the door to her house to be greeted by her mother who had her arms crossed across her chest with an angry expression on her face. "Ai! Where did you go all day? Your teacher called me at work and said you skipped school!"

Ai felt bad about what she was about to do since she knew it would hurt her mother's feelings but she had no choice. It would be better that they yelled at her every day for being a "delinquent". When six months pass they will see that she did this for their own safety. "So? It's just school. It's not like it will help me much anyway. I rather go out and play games and read magazines than go back to that boring place."

Ai's plan was simple, she would use the soft approach and just say it as if she was going out to have fun. If things really got to a point where her mother was forcing her to go to school, she would always use a trump card that will make her mother feel more pity for her than anything. But for now, she will start soft, so she doesn't traumatize her mother. "Don't give me that look, mom. I will go to school tomorrow okay?"

Her anger fading a bit, Ai's mother, Shizue's face softened a bit. "You better! I understand you are in your rebellious stage but you need to go to school so you can get a good job in the future! If it happens again you will be grounded. Go wash up and then come eat."

After washing up and a filling dinner in her belly, Ai returned to her room and pulled out all the black clothes she had. After picking out some skin-tight black clothing she quickly went downstairs to find one of her father's black beanies. It was just the right size to cover her face. She cut a few holes in it for her eyes and mouth. Once she was done she put her clothes on and tucked the beanie in the hem of her pants before climbing into bed. She now only needed to wait for her parents to go to sleep before she climbed out the window.

Her bedroom window was relatively easy to get out of since it had a fire escape leading down to the ground. Not to mention it was only the second floor and Mai's house was about three feet away. She could also easily brace her body between the houses and slowly climb her way down that way as well.

It was around midnight when Ai's parents finally went to bed. Ai slowly opened her window and quietly climbed down the fire escape. As soon as her feet hit the ground she dashed off into the night to begin her search for the tools she would need. Her first stop was the supermarket, in hopes of finding a shopping cart that was left out. She needed something to use for transporting the items she was going to need.

The moonlight shined down lighting up the darkness of the night. This part of the city was at the cities edge. So although part of it was heavily populated there were still a few places that had wide-open yards. To the south was where Ai's school and the forest was located. To the north was where the shopping centers were. This was her current destination.