Hmm now how long has it been since I had actually touched this story? If not for the reminder of a certain friend, I may have already left this one in the shelf.
Well here's the second act of the intended 3-shot story, Zodiark. It's littered with foreshadowing for the last act really.
Enjoy~
=={Zodiark}==
=={ACT II}==
=={Fleeting Contentment}==
It was frightening thing, what lay below the water. To an existence like herself that was made to fight above its surface, to go below it was the same as death.
She was afraid of it, what was in that endless void of darkness, what was waiting at the very bottom of the abyss. All of them had thought of it, feared it, dreamed of it and imagined it but only those submarines had ever had any idea. There were books, images and films that showed it, but all of them had simply generally avoided such things.
She had always wanted to ask them what it was like but there was this unreasonable fear tugging at her consciousness, always preventing her from voicing out her curiosity.
She regretted it. She regretted not asking that question. If she had then she might have been able to appreciate the wondrous beauty that was offered by the depths of the ocean.
She felt a slight tinge of jealousy towards the submarines; they were the only ones able to marvel at this great sight.
Marine life of all shapes and sizes, illumination from cute little critters, a garden of corals that could easily trump any human made marvel above ground. If she could have, she would have taken her sister and admiral to enjoy the sight.
Yamato would've been hesitant but she would easily be able to convince her. Her admiral would definitely jump on the chance.
They could've held hands, the three of them as they enjoy the view, relaxing as they allowed the waves and currents to gently rock their bodies as they bathed in the small amount of light that pierced the depths of the ocean from the surface.
It would have been a wonderful experience but now…
Now that was only a fleeting dream.
However even then she was rather satisfied. She was satisfied with the life she's lead, the battle she's fought and the image she'd left behind. All of them were strong so she didn't have to worry, they would live on and fight without her. They'd shed tears and mourn yes… but all of them would emerge with renewed vigor, ready to overcome any obstacle that may come their way.
If there was one thing that she could've absolutely done, the one thing she truly regretted was not being able to tell both her sister and admiral her feelings.
She laughed at herself. She carried an air of dignity and grace despite her daring attire but when it came to expressing herself, to saying three simple words to the two most precious people in her life she felt as useless as a carrier in a night battle.
Now that was saying something.
…..
The light from the surface gradually faded. She was actually surprised how slow her descent into the dark depths was going. Her weight was no joke though there may have been some kind of logical explanation that she didn't want to bother with.
She simply closed her eyes, content with what she had seen, only one question floating in her mind.
'Where do ship girls go when they die?'
=={Zodiark}==
=={Unneeded Anxiety}==
*Poke* *Poke*
There was strange feeling of being touched. She couldn't exactly place where or what was touching her but she really didn't want her sleep to be interrupted.
*Poke* *Poke*
She bristled at the persistent poking but she was adamant in ignoring the sensation. She had no intention of losing to whomever or whatever was intent on interrupting her glorious sleep.
*Poke* *Poke* *Poke* *Poke*
This time the poking became faster and more numerous. She really wanted to ignore it, to simply go back to the joys of her dreams but it looked like the thing that was bothering her needed a good shot to the face for their troubles.
"Exactly why can't you just—"
She sat up and held the offending hand that was poking her, fully intent on unloading a few shells to get her point across but she was frozen solid at the sight before.
The hand she was holding tightly was small and feeble. It looked like a twig that could break at any given moment if she were to press hard enough. She took in the appearance, of the child, one that was clothed strangely.
She seemed to be wearing a white one piece dress without sleeves. The hands that had been poking her seemed to be in mittens while she seemed to have been wearing a peculiar collar. Her long white and messy her as well as her red eyes that showed fear melted any sort of anger she was able to muster up.
They were frozen like that for a few seconds before some kind of round object suddenly flew and attempted to ram her, likely in defense the child. She was able to defend easily but she didn't understand why looking at that round object made her dread so much.
"Hnnn….?!"
The look of fear in the eyes of the child in front of her seemed to worsen as she could feel the child trying to escape her grasp. She actually found it cute how she was trying hard to make her let go with by repeatedly hitting her with those tiny mitten clad hands.
"H-hoppou-chan….?"
"…?"
She suddenly heard a meek voice laced with concern from the other side of the cavern.
'A… cavern…?'
She only now realized that she was indeed inside a cavern of sorts. She looked around and tried to determine her location, trying hard to remember why she was here in the first place.
She was inside a dark cavern. She was surprised she was even able to see so clearly despite the lighting being limited to the small sources of light on the walls. She had no idea what those lights were but they generally resembled lanterns.
She looked down to behind her so see a large body of water, probably an underground stream. What she found strange was how deep it seemed. It felt like going that deep would be a point of no return.
'Where do ship girls go when they die?'
A strange yet familiar voice had entered his mind. She knew what that voice was but couldn't for the life of her place where she had heard it. For a moment, the image of being sinking in water, surrounded by metallic debris had flashed in her sights, surprising her enough to let go of the child she was holding.
"Oof…!"
The child, unprepared, had landed on her butt. The various round flying objects fussing about her like mother hens. She puffed up her cheeks as she stared at her but she was far too preoccupied with trying to understand what significance the image held.
"H-Hoppou-chan!"
The voice that she had heard before, now louder, had taken her attention away from the fleeting image. It felt like she was about to recall something important, something that would take away the sudden feeling of emptiness in her chest.
A feeling of nausea assaulted her and she felt like fainting. She attempted to rub her forehead but had noticed something far more surprising.
Horns, small appendages that grew from the base of her hairline and extending upwards. She felt strange, feeling that the horns should've always been there but at the same time shouldn't. She traced the horns with her fingers, trying to understand why she was doubting she ever had one when she had seen the reflection of her face on the water.
She looked different.
She felt different.
Those two thoughts dominated her mind. The black dress she wore, the horns on her head, the red color of her eyes and the long flowing jet black hair on her head. They all felt familiar, felt like they should've have always been there from the start, that she was born with these things.
Yet for some reason, she felt like she was looking at a face that was not hers.
Her mind and heart were in turmoil. Her mind told her that the body and appearance she had now was what she always had, while her heart made her feel like it should've been different.
She pressed her hands on her head and closed her eyes, trying hard to sort herself out, trying to make sense of the conflicting thoughts and feelings.
'Ad…miral…!'
Who was it, who was it that she was calling for?
"A-ah… a-are you okay…?"
The concerned voice broke her out of her reverie and once again, those strange thoughts and emotions vanished into thin air, like it never existed to begin with. In that moment she felt inexplicably calm but at the same time worried.
'What was it? What did I fail to grasp?'
She didn't like being in such turmoil but for some reason, there was something tugging at the back of her head, telling her to never let those feelings go.
'…or I'll lose something important'
"I… I'm fine…"
She spoke and she was surprised how different her voice seemed to her just like her appearance. She stood up with some effort, feeling like her body didn't seem to respond as well as she had hoped.
"You are… a comrade… would you like to… join us…?"
She looked at the figure of the voice. She was tall, more so than her. She had long flowing white hair and wore a white dress that showcased her rather amazing proportions. The child that was poking her awake was hiding behind woman's legs, puffing her cheeks and looking at her like she was some kind of mean spirit.
"Join… you?"
She uttered the words to make sure. When she heard the white woman call her a comrade, she felt like she was saying the truth. So she decides to utter the phrase itself, to see if it would cause some kind of disparity or contradiction in her emotions.
Thankfully there were none.
"I… I guess I will…"
There was some hesitation in her voice but if she didn't want to stagnate then she needed to move. Hopefully something would let her recall the memories that seemed to escape her grasp.
"Name… what is your name?"
The white woman asked her and that question brought her to a pause.
'What is my name?'
She closed her eyes again and bit her lip, unwilling to show such an unsightly display as she had done so earlier. She felt like she should carry herself with pride and dignity and nothing less.
"I… am… Symbiotic Hime…"
There was a name, a different name that was sitting on the tip of her tongue but no matter how much she tried she just couldn't remember what it was.
So she went for that, a name that sounded more like a title, a name that felt fitting of her current state for some reason.
"Symbiotic Hime… yes, you are one of us"
The woman in white as well as the child hiding behind her legs seemed to visibly relax when they had heard her utter her name. She didn't understand why they had done so or why they seemed to know what she was but it seemed like her behavior was natural for them.
"Let us go… follow me and Hoppou-chan. We will explain things there"
She had questions, quite a lot of them in fact. Hopefully… she'd get the answer to them soon.
=={Zodiark}==
=={Strange Camaraderie}==
Abyssals
That's what they were all called. They were existences that were supposed to do battle with humans and ship girls.
After following the pair, Wanko and Hoppo as they the child had name them, she was able to meet fellow abyssal ships. There were in all shapes and sizes, some looking far too revealing and daring, a sentiment in which she strangely approved of.
At a glance they looked menacing. Merely looking at all of them, despite feeling a sense of camaraderie, put her on edge. The strange weapons they had that seemed to have some form of sentience sounded alarms in her head.
She felt like there was a need for her to be ready for an attack, like all of them were her enemies.
Oddly enough they smiled at her in sympathy when they saw her inching away from them with a look of wariness. When all of them gave her a warm and gentle smile, it felt like all her suspicion flew right out of the cavern walls.
"It's fine"
One of them spoke gently. She remembered that the child had called her Midway onee-chan. She had an elegant vibe form her posture. Her mature appearance made it seem like she was the calmest and most collected among the other abyssals.
"We have all gone through what you had felt before. You remember things that are out of place, feel that the body and appearance you have are not yours and that there is something, a memory or emotion that strikes you but can never grasp."
She was surprised at how specific the sentiments were.
"Is it… natural for us to have this?"
"Yes… it fades and disappears in time"
The reply surprised her.
"You… the feelings fade and disappear? Why would…"
She asked in worry. She didn't want it disappear. She wanted to keep feeling it and to be able to grasp it. Doing so felt like she would be able to regain something important.
"Yes they will. Do not worry… the feelings of despair, anxiety, fear and regret that plagues your heart and mind will be gone. You simply have to wait and ignore them. We will make sure you don't have to suffer anymore"
'Despair?'
She couldn't help but be confused. The feelings and memories she had made her anxious but remembering them always gave her a pleasant feeling.
'Am I… different..?'
Before she realized it, Midway had already approached and pulled her into an embrace. It felt oddly pleasant, like being reunited with a long lost sister. Soon she could feel the others gathering behind her.
When Midway had let go she pulled her arm while the others followed from behind.
"I will show it you now… our home"
There were many things she was still uncertain about but at the very least she knew that being together with this strange collection of entities similar to her was a good decision at the very least.
=={Zodiark}==
=={Precious Hesitation}==
Life as an abyssal was actually surprisingly fairly simple.
They live in peace and spend some time around each other. Greet and take care of whatever new comrade would arrive like she had and then do battle when the ship girls would arrive at their respective areas.
The last one in particular though had been extremely difficult for her.
When the first time she had encountered the ship girls, she found herself unable to point her weapons at them and shoot. She didn't know nor could she understand why it felt so wrong to fight them.
All she knew was that the image of the ship girls, their sworn enemies, hurt or even the slightest bit damaged was so dreadful that she couldn't even bear the thought of attacking.
The first encounter had ended in her utter defeat. Her heart wasn't in the battle and when she had gathered up the will to fight back, her attacks didn't hit. The sentiment wasn't shared by the enemy however as they did everything in their power to take her down.
Yet even when she was being shot down, she still couldn't bring herself to hate them.
The other abyssal were so worried when they had found her damaged. Her clothes were in tatters and her weapons in disarray. Wanko and Hoppou, the two she had grown close two, were in tears as they tried to patch her up.
When she was laying down to rest, Midway had approached her to talk to her about what happened during the battle. She spoke of how it was natural to hesitate and how it was simply another normal thing for an abyssal to go through.
She was told that like the memories and emotions that she would feel from time to time, the hesitation to attack the ship girls would fade in time as well.
… but just like the way she didn't want to let go of the memories and emotions, she also didn't want the hesitation to hurt the ship girls fade. Even when they were so intent on taking her down.
It was a strange sentiment… but she had this strong urge to protect the ship girls instead.
She nodded to Midways words, pretending to understand, keeping her thoughts and intentions to herself and telling them the next time she would try to fight.
She didn't lie of course. She would fight but she had no intention of hurting the ship girls at all.
…
…
…
She continued on like that. Days, weeks, and months passed by and she spent her days as an abyssal. She would go into battle at times and defend herself but never did she attack seriously.
Unlike what Midway had said, instead of the feeling of hesitation fading in time, the more time had passed and the more she saw the ship girls, the more the feelings and memories got stronger. Every time she fought and saw the enemy, she would yearn for them, every time an attack would hit them, her feelings of wanting to protect them grew stronger.
To date, she was the only abyssal that had yet to actually majorly damage any ship girl, something that even the small Hoppou had already achieved.
The others found her strange but eventually simply accepted that despite her battle capabilities, she was simply far too gentle and kind to hurt her enemy. During serious large scale battles they would opt to leave her at home usually to take care and watch over Hoppou or a new comrade that had arrived.
She was fine with it. She preferred not fighting at all.
Right now however she was simply sitting on a random rock formation in the middle of the sea. There were no major battles recently and she sometimes just liked to go out to wander about, lost in her own thoughts. The others would often scold and tease her for doing it but she felt like this was the best way for her to concentrate and try to remember more of the emotions and memories that would often pay her a visit.
Even now, even though a long amount of time had already passed, she was still unable to fully grasp what the emotions and memories that would strike her mind and heart meant.
Recently though the images and memories had gotten a tad bit clearer. There were two images in particular that inspired strong emotions in her whenever she thought of them.
One of them was a girl with long brown hair in a ponytail. She moved with grace and elegance and her style was excellent. She knew she was the gentle sort, someone with that had the tendency to be shy at times but willful when necessary.
The other was a man, one who held himself with dignity and strength. The scar across his eye was the one detail she could remember vividly. She could easily imagine the man to be commanding and a figure of authority. She felt like she'd do anything if he were to command her to.
She couldn't remember their names or the sound of their voice but she felt like the two were more significant to her than any other memory she had. Just getting a glimpse of their image in her dreams was enough to put a smile to her face.
"Eh….?"
Suddenly a voice from behind her interrupted her time of contemplation.
'Huh? Had the others already want me back?'
She thought to herself. Sometimes she would get far too lost in thought that she would lose track of time and someone would come to pick her up.
When she turned around to take a look however, she could just barely restrain a scream of shock.
In front of her was a full fleet of ship girls, four battleships and two aircraft carriers fully armed and ready for battle.
The shock on the ship girl's face told her that they weren't exactly expecting to see her either.
There was a short moment of silence filled with tension. Neither of them moved, not really knowing what to do. When a breeze blew by it seemed that the halted time resumed.
"S-symbiotic Battleship Hime!?"
Her cry brought everyone to action. The ship girls took distance and prepared their weapons.
She on the other hand summoned her own.
'Haah… now… hopefully I can return without getting too damaged…'
Was the only thought that flashed in her mind.
