Disclaimer: I do not own The Last of Us or The Walking Dead, or any references to a band that may pop up here. Timelines are ignored for this story. Also ignoring plot of 400 Days and any possible TWD or TLoU sequels.

HUGE thanks to i refuse to prove that i exist for helping me find the awesome story image! (if you can't tell, it's Clementine and Ellie) Click on it to show the picture, apparently it just shows up as pixels at first.

If you like this story, feel free to check out my other The Walking Dead stories, Blink: The Last Shot and Through The Kaleidoscope.

Warning: Language may be inappropriate.

Remember me

Remember me

Remember me

Remember me

It's autumn again.

The leaves have started to change their color and drop to the ground. Crunch. My foot snaps the leaves and twigs that litter the streets as we walk towards the town. Ahead of us, the path is bathed in the warm autumn sunshine that leaks through the cover of the trees. I stop for a while and just listen to the sounds of nature all around us. It might have been unsettling years ago, when this place was a city where cars whizzed on the streets and there wasn't a tree to be seen. Here, the only sounds are the twittering of birds and the scampering of wild animals. And the sound of my heart beating.

I reach behind my back to check my quiver and bow. In this quiet, any gunshot will draw all the infected within a ten-mile range. It doesn't seem like I have that much arrows left - only three. I'll have to scavenge around again or try to make some by myself. Joel said he'll learn how to make more arrows, but he never gets around to doing it. I know he prefers either using his knife or a gun. I don't like using my knife that much. Even touching it brings back bad memories.

We walk in companionable silence. A strong breeze has kicked up and it blows my ponytail into the air. I smell leaves and wood and something else. A fruity smell that I can't recognize. I glance at Joel, and see that he's smelt it too. He lifts his eyebrows. "Ellie, do you know what's that?"

I shake my head. "No, I don't. What is it?"

"It's apples," he says, and grins. He starts walking faster, his long legs breaking into a stride, and I have to hurry to catch up with him. The scent wafts past on the air and - what was it called again? - the smell of apples brings an image so vivid that I am drawn into it. Of a time when apples grew in a backyard and you could go out to pick them from your own apple tree, and bite into it with juice running down your chin. I hear high-pitched laughter and footsteps running. Not in fear. They were going home. I look ahead and for a moment I see a blond-haired girl walking alongside Joel, looking up at him with a smile as dazzling as the sun. I blink, and the vision is gone.

"Come on." Joel beckons impatiently, and I quicken my pace. He's standing at the foot of a tree laden down with fruits that I have only seen in books. A for Apple, B for Ball. I gaze up at the overhanging branch. In this small space, the smell is almost overpowering. Joel's already plucked off an apple and has bitten off a piece, leaving the imprint of his teeth along the apple. He sees me watching him and takes another apple for me. "Try it."

I cup my hands around the apple and stare at it, marveling at its shiny, red surface and smoothness. Hesitantly, I raise it up to my mouth and take a bite. It's sweet and tarty and I savour the taste of it in my mouth. More than anything, it tastes of autumn. An autumn in a world without sadness.

"You know, Sarah and I used to have an apple tree in our backyard," Joel tells me. He's gathering more apples into his backpack.

I know, I want to say. "Right." Now that I've finished my apple, I want to get out of this place. The sun overhead has gone down further, and the shadows are lengthening. I feel so exposed, out in the open with no cover around. "Joel, we need to get going."

Joel's expression doesn't change. His eyes get darker, though. "Let's go." He slings his well-worn backpack over his shoulders and walks on without a word. I follow him, trying not to stumble over any loose twigs and end up with mud on my face. We make our way over a hill and pause on the top, looking down at the crumbling field spread out in front of us, with the town just behind it.

Joel points at the town. "There's our target. Savannah."

A flash of white catches my attention, and I instantly nock an arrow and draw my bow. "There's something there," I say, determined to shoot it before it causes any trouble. The white thing is moving about and I curse, trying to keep my arrow locked on it. "It's probably a runner."

"Cover me," Joel says, dropping to the ground and moving forward. "I'll flank it and stab it." He starts moving to the left, using the trees as cover as he sneaks up on the thing - whatever it is. I walk forward slowly and squint at it, before gasping and running through the grass, heedless of the noise I'm making. "Joel! Stop! Stop!"

Alarmed by my cries, Joel abandons his cover and makes his way towards me. "Ellie," he pants, reaching my side. "Ellie, are you all right?"

I'm standing in front of it. No, not it. Her. A little girl with her black hair tied up in bunches and a baseball cap on her head. She also happens to be holding a gun aimed dead center at my chest, and although her grip is shaky, I have no doubt that she'll shoot if she needs to. At this range, she can't miss. "I can shoot you." Her voice comes out in a nervous squeak, betraying her nerves. "I've-I've done it before." Her finger rests on the trigger.

It's strange how strongly she reminds me of me a year ago, all alone and against the world by myself. I drop to my knees and gently push the gun away. "Don't worry," I say, taking her hands in mine and staring right into her large amber eyes. "We're friends. We won't hurt you." Her lip starts to tremble and she lets the gun fall to the floor. "I'm... I..." she stutters, before burying her head in my shoulder and grasping me tightly. I fold my arms around her and hug her to me. I don't feel like ever letting go.

"Who is she?" Joel asks, crouching down beside us.

I straighten up with the girl clinging to me like I am the only thing in life that's securing her to this world. "Doesn't matter. We've got her."