A wonderful sound reverberated through the wooden walls of the dormitory. It sang of clean mountain air and carried the sweet breath of the yellow fields and green hills of home.
Gneisenau thought only of them as she deftly handled the bow against the hot strings of her violin. The others sat or lounged around her, taking it all in. In her music they could see it all clearly, and each remembered with stunning accuracy their friends and colleagues who might also wonder of them through their own virtuosos.
Scheer, however, sat in the next room and continued to write her daily report. The music reached her ears, but no further – where work was concerned idle music was, to her, of very little value.
The sharp strains of the violin also carried over to the next room, into the bedroom where Kongou, Hiei, Kirishima and Haruna now also lay draped over their bunks. They wore their nightgowns and robes, also ready to retire to bed.
"Amazing, no?" Haruna said, closing her eyes, smiling up to the ceiling.
Murmurs of agreement. Had Gneisenau known that her crush admired her so, she would have had a heart attack. Lucky the walls were so not so thin to permit that.
The bow slid into its final run, drawing out the last note and letting the sound fade away. Everyone around Gneisenau sighed at the brilliance and emotion of the music, and the Kongou sisters did the same next door.
Scheer opened her door by a small crack and everyone turned to look at her. "Bed time!" she barked.
"Jawohl!" they chanted in unison. Everyone clambered into their bunks and drew their blankets over, maintaining unit precision even in downtime. The lights went out.
In the next room Kongou stood and strode over to the light switch. "Time for us to go to bed too!"
"Eh? But it's not even past nine, Kongou-san!" Hiei protested.
"No excuses! Training tomorrow! Come on, sisters, we can bear an early-"
"Kongou-san," Haruna interrupted quietly, "tomorrow is the Doll Festival, remember? Nobody trains on festivals, and we'd get laughed at if we did."
"Oh!" Kongou slowly turned away and went back to her bunk. "I almost forgot..."
Night falls quickly on Okinawa.
The stars hung silently over the blacked-out base, the moon hiding its pale face, lending no light at all to the blackened land. Not a wind whispered; not a soul stirred.
Or at least, no human soul.
A door slid open, and remained open. A stealthy figure slunk out, a shadow in an expanse of darkness, like a drop in the ocean. The drop slid down the channels, but she did not follow the will of the currents – it followed its own course, switching currents as she pleased. Gliding effortlessly through the pitch-black corridors, the shade eventually found her destination; a nondescript sliding door, one out of many in the building.
A noise. The shade, her hand at the door, sprung back with a light step. Her keener senses could make out another form approaching her position in the darkness. But unlike her own quiet step this form lumbered clumsily down, making far too much noise.
So intent was the shade on this stranger that she did not notice another shade lumbering from behind, until it was too late – a muffled shriek from both of them as they collided, falling forwards together; in the darkness the shade was aware of the pattering of feet, growing closer-
She fell hard on the wooden floor, the other shadow atop her. She could not identify the other as her arms lay pinned under her own weight. Her clumsy assailant did not move, only letting out a low groan indistinguishable from anyone she knew.
Suddenly, light – a very dim light, peering from the door crack. Someone was inside the room already; confound it all! She tried struggling again, but to no avail.
Her mind raced as she thought of who could be in there, but no sooner had she developed a suspicion another light flared, this time from above.
She looked up. A small sea lantern shone flickering light over the sorry scene, and she could recognize the sleek black hair and pale face of Fuso looking down at her.
"Dear, dear, what's all this?" she said softly, tutting at the three at her feet. "Not vying for the Admiral's heart already, girls? Kongou, Shigure, and Nachi, of all people!"
Kongou and Nachi struggled upright. Shigure rolled out from underneath and lay flat on her back, gasping for breath. All of them averted their gaze, each unwilling to betray their intents.
"So, what to do with the lot of you…?" Fuso said in a mocking tone. "Oh, I know! The Admiral's going to receive a little note in the morning… or will I go myself? I haven't seen him yet… maybe I'll go in and pay my respects?" A thin smile crept on the battleship's face. "Maybe even let slip about three little birds out one night…"
"Fuso-san, you breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll-"
"But, but, but, Kongou-san!" Fuso interrupted, still in that same mocking voice. "You're all out here without permission – only I have the right to be out here. See?" She raised the lantern, and the light shone on the silver badge of the watch officer.
"Now, Fuso-sama," Nachi breathed quietly, now sitting in a kneeling position, "wouldn't it be better to let us all go? It's the Doll Festival today, and I'm sure you wouldn't want to…." Her voice trailed away into silence.
Fuso thought for a moment. "You have a point, Nachi-kun." She closed her eyes for a moment, and sighed. "No one deserves to be punished on such a happy day."
The other three breathed silent sighs of relief. As the began to stand and dust themselves off, however, Fuso stopped them again. There was a mischievous glint in her eyes, even in the insubstantial light of the sea lantern.
"Before you go, girls, how about giving me the dolls you wanted to put up? Come now, don't look surprised," she said, as she registered the guilt on their faces. "Three dolls, or your confessions to the admiral. Not a hard bargain, hmm?"
With great reluctance they handed the intricate toys into Fuso's arms. They were similar in design to the empress dolls atop the stand, but she noted the subtle differences that they had each effected on their copies. Fuso admired them briefly, and put them under her arm.
"Your secrets are safe with me, girls. Run along, now." Her mocking tone floated after them as they slunk back into the shadows to the warmth of their beds.
"Come on, Shikinami-san!"
"Come on, Shigure-san!"
"Could you help me tie the bow please?"
"Ah, watch where you're stepping, please!"
The day was young, and already on the polished wooden floors of the dormitories the pattering of feet could be heard as the young destroyers raced to and fro, some dressed, others with their kimonos in their arms, others yet with nothing in their grasp. Voices called from above and below, left and right, a cacophony of delicate and squeaky voices bringing to life the staid dorm rooms.
But none of this mattered to Scheer and the others, who were already outside, stripped to their tunics. They ran laps around the quiet parade ground. Perhaps on a normal day they might have been idly observed by the unburdened girls, but there was no-one to be seen. They ran on without a second thought, not even the naturally curious Seydlitz making any comment.
When they returned to the dorm building they found chaos all around them. The little destroyers raced up and down the corridors, jostling everyone in their way. Even the more senior girls were caught up in the commotion, helping the girls with their dresses, trying in vain to restore order in the hallways.
"So colourful!" Seydlitz squeaked, as two more destroyers raced past them. "I hope to see you in one soon, dear Leberecht!"
"I hope so too!" she replied, eyes shining at the exquisite patterns of the kimonos. "I wonder what's going on today?"
The answer was not very far away. Ahead, Scheer spotted the severe Ise shepherding a few of the wayward destroyers back into line. The battleship saw her, and walked over.
"What's all this, Ise?" Scheer asked in her usual cold tone, not noticing the shudders of her companions behind.
"Ah, Scheer-san! How could I forget? You must all be very interested to know what's going on today, no?"
"Quite, Ise."
"Today is the Hinamatsuri, or Doll Festival!" Ise grinned, a full, hearty smile with lots of teeth. "Today we bless our little ones for the year ahead by ridding them of bad spirits-"
"Bad spirits? Superstition?" Bismarck disdainfully murmured.
"Silence, Frau Bismarck."
"-and burning those straw dolls at the tori. Then we celebrate with sake and rice cakes back here. How does that all sound?"
"Sounds great!" Seydlitz exclaimed, Gneisenau and Leberecht also grinning in anticipation. Behind them Konigsberg remained aloof and Bismarck looked apprehensive. Scheer, however, betrayed only the slightest interest in the details.
"Traditional, you say?" Scheer finally said. "Well, we are your guests, and I suppose it would be bad manners to refuse hospitality-"
"You have every right to decline, Scheer-san," Ise replied, smile still on her face, but her voice took on a new edge. "But I assure you we do this only as respect for our heritage-"
"No, no, Ise, you misunderstand me," Scheer interrupted, shaking her head. "We are more than happy to follow along with today."
"Ah, my mistake." Ise brightened, and then turned to the two youngest, Konigsberg and Leberecht.
"Only those young in the service – or young by appearance –" Ise bit her lip as two battleships and a carrier looked daggers at her, "-can wear the kimono for today. Would you like to join in?"
Leberecht nodded enthusiastically. Konigsberg looked uncertain, but the expectant gazes from her compatriots forced her hand. She nodded as well.
"Good! We're a little short on dresses today, and I'm not sure where Fuso-san is… Ah, there she is! Fuso-san!" Ise called out to a tall, pale-faced girl at the end of the hallway. Her hair was as long and as black as Scheer's, and she stood as tall as Bismarck.
"Ise-san? What is it?"
"Got any spare dresses around? We've got a few late." Ise nodded at the Germans behind her.
"Oh! Well, yes, I think I've got a few… hold on…" Fuso went inside her room, while Ise and Scheer waited expectantly. "Aha, there we go… perfect! Okay, send them in, Ise-san!"
"Go on," Ise said reassuringly to Leberecht and Konigsberg, who both shuffled shyly into Fuso's room. Then she turned to Scheer and the rest.
"The rest of us have much to do. There'll be a small festival on in the afternoon, games, activities, all the usual stuff. But I don't think that you'll be needed anywhere, so…" Ise's voice trailed off as she tried to think of something for the German girls to do. "I guess you can all take it easy until the main ceremony, I suppose." She started to walk away.
"Wait!" Bismarck called, "isn't there anything that we could do to help?"
"No, not that I can think of," Ise called back. "Go find Mutsu-san and ask her, I don't know, everyone's so busy."
"Mutsu? Who's that?"
"Sister to Nagato-san, short brown hair, somewhere in the office compound. You figure out the rest." Ise disappeared around the corner.
"Now what, Frau Scheer? They've left us all alone, nothing to do-"
"Nothing to do?" Scheer coldly repeated. "We have plenty to do. Operational notes to go over. Tactics to revise. Matters to attend to."
"But, Frau Scheer!" Gneisenau piped up, "Today is a Japanese holiday – shouldn't we treat as such as well?"
Scheer thought for a moment. Here it was again, the eternal conflict inside her. She heard two voices, one the spirit of her usual self, the cold, calculating, ruthlessly efficient ship that she was, and always had been.
The other voice was new. It had whispered to her from the very day she had set foot on Okinawa – ever since Ise had admonished her clumsy manners. It sent new feelings from the persona long suppressed, feelings that her old self had been unable to suppress, let alone ignore. There was a yearning to be free from cold chains and to become a wild wind, blowing freely across the seas. But she would not let herself become that. No. Not just yet. But even so, she wondered how long she would have to wait until she could.
"You are right, Frau Gneisenau." There was the quiet voice again. But the cold voice came just as quickly. "Perhaps a small holiday would do… But no more afterwards, you hear me? We have a duty, and we will not rest until that duty is fulfilled. Understand?"
Nods of understanding. Scheer viewed them briefly for a moment, and then turned away from them. "Go, then. You are free from me for today."
Seydlitz and Gneisenau hesitated, then skipped away. Bismarck remained, unsure in the face of her newly-acquired freedom.
"Frau Scheer, I-"
"Go, Frau Bismarck. You have earned your respite for today." This Scheer said in the same monotone, but without any of the icy edge to it. Bismarck took one long look at Scheer, then turned to follow the other two.
"There we are. All done!"
The kimonos fitted the pair perfectly. Leberecht stood in the red and green dress and admired it from all angles, using the mirror to look over every detail. Konigsberg's face was red as she fingered the soft pink fabric, stuttering her thanks to Fuso.
"It was nothing," Fuso calmly replied, adjusting the bow on Konigsberg's waist. "After this I really have nothing to do, so I do all I can before..."
"Thank you soooo much, Fuso!" Leberecht cried, literally skipping around the room in delight. Fuso smiled demurely.
"Ummm, Fuso-sama…" Konigsberg continued to look uncertain about her dress. "Is this okay? I'm really not sure about all of this…"
"You'll be fine," Fuso gently replied, walking around the light cruiser, inspecting the kimono, looking for rough patches. "You've already mastered the language so well and now you look like one of us… What's to fear?"
"Nothing, nothing, Fuso-sama. Nothing…" They walked out together, only to be met by an adoring Seydlitz, an aloof Bismarck, and a beaming Gneisenau.
"My god, Leberecht, look at you! So wonderful! So cute!" Seydlitz exclaimed. "That dress looks so perfect on you!" Leberecht smiled nervously before the drooling gaze of the carrier. "And you, Konigsberg, I never knew you could look so adorable!"
"A-adorable?!" Konigsberg spluttered, growing red in the face while all three battleships laughed. Far off in the distance, a bell sounded.
"Ah!" Fuso cried, "the ceremony is about to start! Come along, now," she urged, walking briskly down the corridor. The other three followed in her wake. Scheer was nowhere to be seen.
But not for long. To their great surprise and perplexed horror, they found her sitting quietly in the doll room, where Fuso led her two charges into next. It was crowded here, with perhaps all of the base's young girls in attendance. They immediately broke into excited whispers as Leberecht and Konigsberg appeared. The other Germans gaped at Scheer sitting serenely among the mass of Japanese girls, a blotch of grey alone in a sea of vibrancy.
The Admiral, a clean-shaven man of thirty, sat at the head table, flanked by his staff; the battleships Nagato and Mutsu, the carriers Akagi and Kaga. They smiled as the party filed in and sat at a vacant table near the back of the hall.
The bell sounded again. Multitudes of hands grasped the cups in front of them, bypassing the plates of soft rice cakes that lay in little piles before them. The Admiral stood.
"Ladies, it is my honour to toast the fortunes of all of you on this auspicious day." The Admiral spoke with a lofty tone, unusual for a man of his age. "I bless you all for the coming year - may we have even greater success – and may we forever live in harmony."
A simultaneous cry arose as all, including the Germans, raised their glasses and saluted the Admiral. As soon as the Admiral's rump settled on his seat the room descended into chatter as the girls, never mind keeping their kimonos clean, grabbed at the rice cakes. The sake flowed freely, but a close watch was put on the jug being passed around.
Then a strange thing happened. One by one, heads turned to one direction, chatter ceased as eyes scrutinized, and frowns sprang up in the place of jolly grins. All eyes turned towards the magnificent doll stand that stood next to the Admiral's table. They travelled upwards, beyond the exquisite figurines of courtiers, animals, and the staples of the emperor; they stopped at the emperor himself.
The eyes then swivelled straight onto one in their midst. They travelled back and forth between the fake and real; suspicion turned to comprehension, comprehension turned to outrage. The chatter arose again, but this time slowly, menacingly. The Germans were at a loss to understand this new phenomenon – they looked all around them, but no eyes were on them – instead, they looked towards the girl closest to the Admiral: Nagato.
Whispers became cries and some started pointing the aberration out to their less-aware neighbours. Knuckles whitened. Only now did Nagato notice the massed stares of the girls, and where their gazes switched from. She, too, looked upwards. Her face turned red, and down her head went, avoiding everyone's gaze.
It was now that Bismarck, Gneisenau, Seydlitz, and those seated at the far table noticed what was causing all of the commotion. There, where the empress doll should have sat unblinkingly, sat a replica of Nagato. It struck them there and then how uncanny the resemblance was.
The hubbub continued all around them. The crowd seethed with suppressed rage, but could do nothing in the presence of the solemn Admiral.
When the rice cakes had been exhausted and the sake jug safely stowed away, the girls rose as one and saluted their Admiral, who dismissed them with a casual wave – and a wave the girls became, an unstoppable tide of anger and retribution that sought one thing only: Nagato. But she was nowhere to be found. While some of the less passionate proceeded to the festival lights that now surrounded the local shrine, others ran the length of the base, baying for the blood of one particular person.
The Germans, too, could not find their commander in the torrent that separated the moment they left the grand hall. Leberecht and Konigsberg were swept up in the tide and were carried, albeit not unwillingly, to the stalls. Bismarck and the rest were far too proud to indulge in the games. They strolled casually in the afternoon sun, along the piers.
"Bismarck-san!"
It was Ise. She ran up out of breath and the Germans politely bowed to her. "What is it, Ise?" Gneisenau asked.
"Have any of you seen the emperor doll, by any chance? We were packing up the stand and we couldn't find it at all – I was wondering if you may have seen it-"
The murmurs of negativity gave Ise all the answer she needed. "Thanks, Bismarck-san. Where's Scheer-san?"
"We don't know. She disappeared after the ceremony."
"Well, if you see her…" Ise ran off. The German girls turned and continued their walk up the pier. They did not talk, but appreciated each other's presence in the silence. Bismarck looked down at the shining sea, Gneisenau merely felt the sea breeze on her hair, and Seydlitz ran stumbling among the flowerbeds.
"Isn't that…?" Gneisenau murmured, as they rounded the curve, and saw a lone figure by the quay. She had long black hair, and her grey dress seemed rather familiar-
"Frau Scheer!" Bismarck hailed. The girl turned her head, and all three could see the glimmer of cold eyes and stony face.
All three ran over. It was her, alright, but she seemed different, somehow; she held herself in a more relaxed stance than before, and did not look upon them with the slightest disdain.
"Frau Bismarck. What are you all doing here?"
Seydlitz pointed. "Frau Scheer, is that not-"
"This?" Scheer held up the object in her hand. It was the emperor doll, and close up they realised it was not just the emperor in depiction – it was a finely carved facsimile of the Admiral himself.
"Why do you have it? Frau Ise said she's been looking for it-"
"It… reminded me of home."
The other three stared at her, and she continued. "I have tried my hardest to assimilate myself into Japanese life, but I can't. I can't do it. My home is the west. I thought the Admiral doll looked much like Herr Erichsen, so here I am…"
The others could not believe their eyes. Scheer seemed so innocent, so fragile, that it was hard to believe she was their commander, the lady of war that so skilfully led them across two great oceans. She was like another being now, as if the Scheer of the old days did not exist.
"Frau Scheer-" Before Gneisenau and Bismarck could both comfort the changed Scheer and speak a few words of encouragement, the squeaky voice of Seydlitz drowned out whatever thoughts they had in that moment.
"Look! Look over there!"
All four girls looked towards the blue horizon. There, in the far periphery, tiny columns of smoke had appeared, too far to identify precisely, but close enough to herald their arrival.