"Nagato? Hello? Earth to Nagato."

I slowly came back into reality. I must have been daydreaming. I'm getting careless, this isn't the time to daydream. We have an important mission today.

"S-sorry, this isn't the time for me to blank out like that…"

Akagi looked at me.

"Hey we all daydream every now and again. It's alright."

"But this mission is of the utmost importance. I can't afford to just sit around daydreaming."

She smiled.

"It's fine Nagato, now come on we better go."

We meet up with the rest of our fleet for this mission. The Admiral made me the flagship. I've gotta do my best today. I'm responsible for this fleet right now. After launching we go over the plans.

"Everybody got it? We're almost at our destination."

Everyone nodded and soon after we arrive. We wait at this spot for the right time to attack.

"Looks like the enemy fleet has 6 submarines. Everyone be on alert for torpedoes."

We initiate the fight.

Akagi gets the perfect shot and an enemy sub goes down.

My cannons take down another.

The rest of our fleet manage to take down another 2.

2 enemy subs remain.

"This is it everyone, get ready for torpedoes!"

We launch out a couple torpedoes and so does an enemy sub. The sub that shot at us goes down and luckily the torpedo misses. But why didn't the other sub launch one? I looked around and I see a torpedo right in front of Akagi. How could I forget about oxygen torpedoes?!

"AKAGI! LOOK OUT!"

She looks directly at the torpedo, but before she can do anything, it hits.

"AKAGI!"

I screamed in pain and agony as I see my close friend fall into the ocean. My eyes widen and I stare directly at the last enemy submarine. Without hesitation I blast it with my cannons and it goes down. With our mission complete, we head home with heavy hearts, and for me, a horrible guilt. When I arrive home Mutsu greets me.

"How'd it go today? Feel good to be flagship?"

Tears well up in my eyes, I try not to show it. Mutsu sees right through me.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I'm a horrible leader…"

The tears that were once welling up are now rushing down my face.

"I'm the reason we lost a ship out there… She was one of my closest friends…"

Mutsu hugs me tightly.

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault."

I'm a mess, the tears running down my face, the pain in my heart. Mutsu brings me to bed, and luckily, I fall asleep quickly. I wake up and Mutsu is just coming through the door.

"Oh you're up."

She said with a smile.

"I went to the rest of the girls that were in your fleet yesterday, they wanted me to give this to you."

She hands me a letter. I opened it and begin reading.

"Nagato please don't put all of the blame on yourself for losing Akagi. We all are to blame. We all talked and realized that we all ended up forgetting about oxygen torpedoes, and just how stealthy they can be. Please don't beat yourself up about it. We're all responsible."

I still can't help but feel responsible. As flagship I should remember everything important. But I didn't, and it cost us Akagi. Mutsu sits beside me.

"If you need anything, anything at all, remember I'm here for you."

"Thank you Mutsu…"

A few days later the Admiral asks for me. He wants me to be the flagship of another fleet. I try to tell him that I'm unsuited for flagship. But he has faith in me and tells me I can do it. I head out, it's the same fleet as before… but with an empty spot? Why didn't the Admiral add another ship? It's too late to ask now. We arrive at our destination and the enemy fleet appears. We take them down pretty easily, but then another approaches. A high ranking Abyssal! She seems to be walking towards me so I walk towards her. Is she being non-hostile? We meet face to face. I examine her face. It resembles… Wait no… It couldn't be?

"Akagi?"

She had a glaze over her eyes. Tears ran down my face.

"Akagi I'm so sorry… I had forgotten about oxygen torpedoes… I couldn't save you in time…"

I looked back up at her and saw her crying as well, as the tears were flowing down her cheeks, her eyes started to light up again.

"N-Nagato? Is that you?"

"Akagi…?"

My tears halt for a second as we stare at eachother.

"It's good to see a friend again, Nagato. Seeing you and your pain has brought my senses back to me. Thank you."

I stare at her again, tears are now slowly falling.

"Your eyes were glazed over and almost empty. I thought you were lost forever."

"They brought me back without my senses, emotions, the things that make us human. But seeing a friend in pain brought me back in full."

She turns away and begins to leave. She looks back at me while she walks.

"We may be on opposites sides now, but I can't fight my friends."

She says to me and the rest of the fleet, who are still in shock of what just happened.

"Tell the Admiral that hopefully I'll be back one day."

She turns back towards us. She smiles brightly with tears in her eyes.

"I miss all my friends back at the naval district."

She takes her leave and as we sob and cry, we return to the naval district, the mission accomplished.

"Admiral…"

"Let me take a guess, you found Akagi?"

"How did you-?"

"I knew deep down that if we went back there we'd find her! Nagato I'm getting a fleet together as we speak, will you be my flagship again?"

"Yes sir! But for what, if I may ask?"

"Abyssal or not, it's time we take our friend back!"

Tears begin to run down my face, but this time they are of joy. I keep my face straight and stern, tears still running down my cheeks. As I stand at attention, I salute the admiral.

"Sir, yes sir!"