Promise Me

02

Previously on Promise Me:

"Mom and Dad! Where are they?" Aruru asked, positive they were still alive. Phoenix gulped not wanting to explain what had happened to them. "What's wrong?" Tiamat asked, placing a hand on her older sister's shoulder, she had suddenly gone silent and that couldn't be good. "They are still alive. Right?" Sylph asked, hoping their parents hadn't left them forever.

Phoenix remained silent. If she told them that they were dead, her sisters would be traumatized forever but on the other hand, if she didn't tell them, they'd remain happy and have the false sense of hope that they'd see them again. Phoenix sighed, having made her decision, she straightened up and took a deep breath. Ready to to answer their question.

"Answer us!" Tiamat shouted, adding to the drama. Phoenix glared at her, telling her that she had interrupted her. "Sorry." She apologized, a hand over her mouth. "It's fine." Phoenix reassured her, her glare fading. "Get on with it! The suspense is to much!" Aruru encouraged her, trying to get the answer out of Phoenix. She badly wanted to know if their parents were going to be there for them like they had promised so many years ago. Taking another deep breath, Phoenix prepared to answer them.

"Yes, mom and dad are still alive."

Months had passed since the attack on Shiganshina. Thousands of people had been crammed into the Trost district, causing more than just a famine. The poor living conditions had made it nearly impossible for anyone to survive, most of the refugees had either died of starvation or been driven mad by hunger. But still, after what had been lost months before, this was nothing. The refugees had lost everything, every last thing. Their everyday lives, their homes, their loved ones and worst of all, the security that came with the Walls.

There were those who had changed completely after the attack and those who were just confused. And then there was the Yukimaru quadruplets, the eleven year old girls who hadn't changed even a bit. Three of them were waiting for their parents to come get them while one of them knew the truth.

"I'm hungry!" Aruru whined, clutching her stomach and crying. "Me too!" Tiamat chimed in, copying the actions of her sister. Sylph face-palmed at their antics and returned to whatever she was doing. Phoenix was silent, none of them had noticed her presence since they woke up and till now, they hadn't bother to think about what had become of her.

"I'll get us something to eat." Phoenix finally spoke up, startling her sisters who (as mentioned before) had not noticed her presence. "You're awake!" Tiamat exclaimed, pointing at Phoenix with her mouth hanging open. Aruru was too excited for words, all she did was clamp Tiamat's mouth shut before finally deciding on what to say.

"WHO CARES??!! JUST GET US SOMETHING TO EAT!!!!"

Phoenix nodded, getting up and walking past them. "I have a bad feeling about this." Sylph said, shivering as Phoenix walked past her. "Knowing her, she's probably going to beat up someone till they can't even stand and take their food." Sylph continued, thinking of all the methods Phoenix might use to get them food.

Phoenix walked past the residents of Trost, hands in her pockets. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a few people staring at her and whispering. Phoenix averted her gaze from the group of people and continued her quest to find food for herself and her siblings.

After a while, she managed to find her way into a market square. As a result of the famine, there wasn't a lot of food being sold but, despite that fact, the crowd of people outnumbered the number of food being sold.

Just my luck

Phoenix thought, contemplating how on earth she was going to steal food now. Her eyes darted around every corner of the market square, looking for a place selling food that wasn't completely surrounded by people. That place was non-existent. Phoenix sighed, irritated by her inability to think of an idea that would actually work.