Loved Ones Will Always Watch Over You
502nd Joint Fighter Wing Airbase, Petersburg, Orussia
Their lips were only a few centimetres apart when the door opened.
"Eila."
Eila jumped and jerked her head backwards instantly, caught completely unawares to her name being called. Her lips had just about grazed Nipa's when the door to her room had been suddenly opened with some degree of force. She immediately let go of the other girl and fell back into a sitting position on the floor, almost banging her head on the side of the bed. Nipa fell back the other way with a small yelp, surprised at being let go of.
Slowly raising her eyes to the doorway, Eila was greeted by the imposing figure of her sister, Aurora. The older girl wore a smirk on her face that barely concealed her irritation, and her narrowed purple eyes made her appearance frightening as she surveyed the room. One hand was on her hip, and the other was seemingly holding back someone behind her.
"A-Ari?" Eila, mustering up a weak smile, found that she felt a sense of relief that her would-be kiss had been interrupted. Everything about it had felt wrong, like she was betraying someone, but it had been too late to back out of it, especially since Nipa had latched onto her so tightly.
Speaking of Nipa, the other girl was now sitting across from her, rubbing her rear and pouting. She wouldn't look at Eila, but her cheeks were still red, and the remnants of tears still stained her face. Eila smiled apologetically in her direction, before returning her attention to her sister, who was now towering over her.
"Long time no see, sis." Eila said, nervously. Aurora was staring at her so intensely that her eyes were practically burning holes into her. Waves of discontent seems to be radiating off Aurora in waves, making the atmosphere in the room feel heavy, and Eila was starting to feel uneasy.
"Good to see you're doing well." Aurora said simply, then turning her gaze upon Nipa. "Nikka."
Nipa's eyes widened, as she realized she was now the focus of Aurora's attention. She simply pouted up at the girl from her place on the floor, seemingly upset that her moment with Eila had been interrupted.
"Thanks for taking care of my sister so far." All at once, Aurora's presence reverted back to normal, and Eila let out a small sigh of relief as the pressure lifted.
"O- … of course." Nipa broke eye contact with the older Juutilainen, looking to the side, a seemingly guilty expression on her face. Aurora smiled down at her, but there seemed to be something unreadable in her gaze. She extended a hand to each of them, pulling both to their feet as they accepted the offer.
It was only then that Eila saw who had been behind Aurora. Aleksandra was peeking quietly over the shoulder of Aurora, green eyes slightly worried as she tried to appraise the situation. She had not appeared to have witnessed what had just gone on. Eila felt a strong sense of relief, for a reason she could not explain.
Seeing Aleksandra, Nipa huffed and stalked out the door without a word, rubbing at her eyes.
"What was that all about?" Aurora asked. The question was a mere formality; by the look on her face, she had already figured out what had gone on.
"Oh … nothing." Eila scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. Turning to Aleksandra, her face brightened somewhat, and placing her hands on her hips, she feigned annoyance, "Aleksandra, you're late!"
The small girl seemed taken aback for a second, but then did a totally unexpected thing. She giggled. A smile with true, genuine happiness, not seen since the moment Eila had awoken, appeared upon her face. There was a sharp intake of breath from Eila in surprise.
Everything about the girl looked different. Aleksandra was now holding her head higher, moving with a purpose that seemed so unlike her. The internal struggle and sadness that had seemed permanently etched on her features were now gone, replaced now by a clear and peaceful expression. She had somehow undergone a transformation from the sad girl she had been before.
Aurora looked slightly bemused for a second. She looked over her shoulder towards the doorway for a second, seemingly checking for the arrival of their Combat Commander. Finding no such witch, her then eyes settled questioningly on Sanya, who looked back at her and gave a sheepish tilt of her head.
"I can't believe you." Aurora closing her eyes and giving a little chuckle, as she turned back towards her sister.
Now it was Eila's turn to look confused, her gaze bouncing between the two, finding she was jealous of whatever secret they shared. "What do you mean?"
Aurora shook her head with a small smirk. "That Sanya made you call her that."
Eila paused for a moment as Aurora's words sunk in. "Sanya? But Sanya is not …"As realization dawned on her, she slowly turned to the small, smiling Orussian. The broken images of her lost wingmate in her mind, so familiar yet so unknown, slowly pieced together, forming an image of the girl standing in front of her. Tears started to roll down her face unwittingly, as the pounding in her head slowly disappeared, chased away by the warmth of her partner. Can it be …?
Sanya.
[Distorted]
Eila.
Sanya's heart burst at the sight of the Suomi staring at her, with tears rolling down her face. Eila knew. She wouldn't have to hide behind her unfamiliar name any more. She wouldn't have to be someone else. She could just be Sanya again.
It took all of Sanya's willpower to not jump on Eila and hug her, kiss her, proclaim her love for the girl. She held herself back, however. She had wanted Aurora to be able to greet Eila first, but apparently it was all for naught, as Eila practically flew over to her in a hurry.
"Sanya!" Eila exclaimed as she wrapped the smaller girl in a tight hug. Sanya buried her face into the Suomi, sighing happily and clutching at her chest. She hadn't been able to do this for so long, and now that warmth and scent of her beloved was permeating her entire being, she felt herself relax as she grew dizzy with happiness. "I knew you wouldn't have left me." Eila was mumbling into her hair. "I just knew it."
"I'm sorry for lying, Eila." Sanya apologized, as they parted, gazing at each other. She bit her lip, suddenly feeling the magnitude of her actions. She had lied straight to the face of the one she cared for most, not being truthful as to who she actually was.
"Don't worry!" Eila replied, crossing her fingers into an "x" in front of her, "I was just so worried about what happened to Sanya, to find that she was safe and with me this entire time is such a relief." Her smile faded from her face as she glanced towards the door, where Nipa had left just a few minutes ago. "I'm sure you had your reasons …" She sat on the edge of the bed, as if suddenly tired from all the excitement. before turning to Aurora, who was smirking at her, arms crossed, "Good to see you, Ari. Took you long enough, huh?"
Aurora chuckled again, as she took a seat on the bed beside Eila. "Because unlike you, some of us aren't sleeping on the job. Those troops won't command themselves." She reached over and messed up Eila's hair, before wrapping her sister in a one-armed hug. "I'm glad you at least remember your dear sister, considering you seemed have forgotten a certain someone important, hm?" The older girl leaned her head against her sister's affectionately, eyes closed.
Eila shot the person in question an apologetic look at the statement, but Sanya, who had just taken a seat on the bed on the other side of Eila, just gave a small shake of her head. It wasn't Eila's fault, after all. Not to say it still didn't hurt to not be remembered fully, but at least Eila knew she was important to her. Just thinking this gave Sanya butterflies, and she became anxious to start rebuilding together with her beloved, after all the hardships they had gone through.
Sanya thoughts strayed to the departed Nipa, feeling bad for the girl. She wasn't sure what had happened between her and Eila before their arrival had interrupted, but by Aurora's reaction it had been unwelcome. For better or for worse, the older girl had been holding her back, blocking her sight into the room.
It was true, Nipa's tactics had been underhanded, but if she loved Eila just as much as Sanya did, Sanya would not be able to find it in her heart to hate the Suomi for it. She, however, dreaded the inevitable clash between them over Eila. Nipa had never been one to back down from something, and Sanya didn't know what kind of anger would be directed at her after this. She didn't want to be hated by anyone.
But that didn't matter right now. As she sat there beside her beloved, listening to Eila tell her sister about everything that had gone on while she was away, Sanya smiled. For the first time in awhile, she felt at peace.
[Distorted]
"… Is that right? A Capital-class Neuroi?" Aleksandra chewed on one of her nails, leaning against the edge of Gundula's desk. Noon had just hit, and she could see Waltrud and Edytha out on the runway heading out for patrol.
"I'm afraid so."
Aleksandra shook her head in disbelief. Capital-class Neuroi were the rarest of the rare, taking several months of construction before they were able to strike. Just the news of one being sighted was enough to instill a feeling of anxiety and fear within the surrounding communities, witches included. These types had been only appeared far and few between, possibly due to the large amount of resources involved in their construction, but every one of them had required a massive amount of firepower to bring down.
"And we're expected to hold it off on our own? I have faith in our squadron, but even this may be asking a bit much of them."
"Thankfully, no." Gundula replied, eyes still glued on notes she had made on the situation they had received from the higher ups. Her mind was working at a hundred kilometres an hour, mentally considering all the logistics she'd have to organize for this defence. "This'll be a joint operation. Command is delaying the 501st's future reassignment and sticking them with us, with the Suomus' 24th Squadron as a last line of defence."
They had been hailed on the radio late in the morning by High Command. Air Marshal Adolfine Galland, considered supreme commander of all witch operations, had been on the line herself to deliver the news. Scouts had been monitoring the main Neuroi hive located in Karlsland for activity, when a massive Neuroi ship was spotted exiting the hive with a large escort of smaller vessels and slowly moving north towards Baltland and Suomus.
"If it actually is the Neuroi type they think it is," Gundula continued, shuffling her papers away and locking eyes with Aleksandra, "And if it reaches Baltland or Suomus, or wherever it's headed, this whole area will be screwed. Which is why we need to stop it."
"Ugh… this is a nightmare." The Orussian mumbled, rubbing her face wearily. "How long do we have we have?"
"Three days. Our forces are already mobilizing."
[Distorted]
It turned out Aurora had quite the trove of stories to share with her sister, in which Sanya was a delighted witness to. It wasn't so much as a memory session, like with Nipa and her, but instead it was reminiscing about the times long gone. Eila seemed to have remembered as much, laughing at the ridiculous and blushing at the embarrassing. Aurora had seemed visibly relieved and more relaxed with every story Eila affirmed, and soon she had an easygoing smile, tinged with a hint of mischief that she shared with her younger sister.
Sanya, just a spectator in this joyful reunion of sisters, was quite enjoying herself as well, interested in the stories that Eila herself had never shared with her. It was only when Eila suddenly announced that she was hungry did they seem realize how much time had passed. Luckily, she hadn't been scheduled to patrol today, or else there would've been a witch barging in and letting her know.
The three had gotten up, and after sharing a chuckle at Eila's expense due to her stomach rumbling, began to make their way down to the mess.
It was only when they arrived did Sanya spot a familiar, yet out of place sight. A witch, clad in all blue, with blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, was sitting primly in the mess hall. A straight, perfect posture, and a delicate handling of silverware as she ate were all the signs to let them know exactly who she was.
"Perrine!" Sanya exclaimed happily, excitement rising in her voice. She paused for a second, and looked back at Eila, who was looking at the newcomer curiously. No flicker of recognition in her eyes at all, Sanya noted with a slight sadness. Aurora nodded towards Perrine, and headed in the opposite direction towards the kitchen, presumably to grab something for Eila.
Pulling Eila along by the hand, Sanya hurried them over to the Gallian's table, just as its occupant was raising her head in response to her name being called.
"Sanya!" The Gallian was all smiles as she set her utensils down. Carefully extracting herself from her seat and being sure not to knock over anything, she got up and accepted Sanya's hug. "How have you been?"
"Terrible." Sanya giggled, answering honestly. She doubted Perrine had any idea what had gone on with Eila, due to her visit to the Isle of Wight. "It's been awful."
"Oh?" Perrine cocked her head at her with a curious expression on her face, "You seem fine to me. Has it been really that bad?" When Sanya nodded in response, she shrugged, a confused look on her face.
She then turned to Eila with an amicable smile and a nod. "Good to see you well."
The Suomi, who hadn't said anything for the whole exchange, seemed taken aback by being addressed. "Er … yeah. You too … Perrine, was it?" She reached up and scratched the back of her head in thought as she squinted at the girl in front of her.
Perrine's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean 'Perrine, was it?' What kind of greeting is that? And stop squinting at me like you've never seen me before."
"Sorry Perrine, it's just that …" Eila lowered her gaze sheepishly, "I don't remember you."
"Honestly now. " Perrine crossed her arms, "I've put up with your antics before, but this is a new one." Bringing a finger to her chin in thought, she continued, "But I must say, you are being very convincing. Impressive, almost."
When Eila didn't respond Perrine sighed, looking at Sanya instead, "Please tell her to knock it off."
The Orussian shook her head, much to the Gallian's dismay. "She's not lying."
Perrine was quite taken aback by this, and as Sanya sat all three of them down and started to tell her all that had transpired over the past two weeks, she grew more and more troubled. Sanya told her everything. The crash, the coma, the amnesia. The lies. And as these events flowed from her lips, Sanya realized just how little time had passed. The whole ordeal had felt like an eternity with no end in sight, and she had been on a figurative roller coaster of emotions. She was quite frankly, mentally exhausted, and she was starting to feel it creep up on her as she had finished her recount.
Perrine, who had remained quiet throughout the recount, sniffed a bit, before taking off her glasses and dabbing at her eyes, which had gotten rather wet. "I had no idea this was all going on…" she said quietly.
"See what I mean? It was awful." Sanya gave a weak smile, slightly tired. She was not used to talking so much.
Placing her glasses back on, Perrine looked square at Sanya, "It's terrible. But you made it through." She gave such a kind smile, with care evident in her eyes, that Sanya could feel the warmth of it radiating off the girl from across the table, filling her with a quiet happiness. "I'm glad to see you so strong, Sanya."
"I don't feel that strong right now." The Orussian waved it away sheepishly.
Perrine turned to Eila, clearing her throat, "Please forgive me for earlier, Eila. I thought it was one of your old tricks." The Gallian offered a contrite smile.
"Heh… it's no problem." Eila gave a sheepish grin once more. Pausing for a second in thought as she gazed at Perrine, she continued, "Maybe you could help me out as well? Y'know, since we were in the same squadron."
"'Are' not 'were'. The 501st is still active. We're just … in between right now." Perrine corrected her, but nodded approvingly. "Why, of course I'll help you out. The things I could tell you." She rolled her eyes dramatically, and Sanya couldn't help but giggle. It was only then she realized something strange.
"Perrine, why did you come here instead of returning to the 507th?"
The Gallian's face grew serious, and she shrugged. "I was headed back to the 507th, but my flight back earlier was suddenly redirected to here instead. The pilot mentioned a joint operation, but that's about all I know."
"A joint operation is correct." Everyone looked up as Aurora returned to them, carrying a hot plate of food in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. Setting them both down in front of a surprised but delighted Eila, she took a seat on Perrine's side of the table. "Long time no see, Clostermann." She greeted the Gallian with a lopsided grin.
"Likewise, Ms. Juutilainen." Perrine offered her a polite smile.
"A mission?" Sanya wondered aloud, "We haven't been told of any mission recently." She watched Eila devour her food swiftly, smiling amusedly at the Suomi's swiftness.
"It's out of the blue, really." Aurora crossed her arms and leaned further back into her chair, narrow eyes flickering between the other three girls at the table. "I don't know much about it, honestly. But we know it's the reason Clostermann was sent here instead. I imagine they'll brief all of you once everyone has arrived."
"Everyone?"
"Can't be a joint operation without calling in other elements." Aurora continued knowingly, "The 502nd will most likely be reinforced by the 501st, judging by Clostermann's presence." She patted the Gallian's shoulder, earning an amused expression from the girl.
"So, all of them are coming here." Sanya concluded, slight excitement rising in her voice.
"It'll be nice to have the 501st back together, after so long too." Perrine was nodding approvingly.
"That's correct, provided that they can all make it here before the operation." Aurora nodded. She looked over at Eila for a second, before turning back to the other two and continuing, "Since the 501st is regrouping, why not get a few of them to help Eila with her memories before the mission? She already knows everything I could tell her. What she's missing is her time in the 501st."
"That would be great." Eila interjected, having finished her meal. She looked at each of them in turn with a serious expression, pausing a little longer on Sanya. "I don't want to be a burden for anyone anymore."
"We'll get you your memories back." Perrine replied, smiling kindly at her.
"It's a promise." Sanya finished, determination in her voice. She reached out and took Eila's hand, squeezing it and smiling warmly at the girl. Silently, she swore she would make it happen, come hell or high water. For Eila. For herself.
[Distorted]
Over the course of the next day, the normally quiet Airbase saw a sudden flurry of activity. The once quiet runways that saw maybe one or two aircraft weekly was now accepting dozens of planes as the local and international armed forces mobilized in preparation for the upcoming joint operation. Personnel were moved to and from the base, working on all sorts of logistics.
Most notable of the arrivals were the Witches of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, shipping in from their temporary postings all over Europe.
Gertrud Barkhorn, Erica Hartmann, and the 501st Commander Minna Dietlinde-Wilcke were the first ones to arrive, coming from their posting in St. Trond. Two of the Karlslanders made quite a scene, much to the dismay of Trude, as she was forced to drag her sleeping wingmate off of the plane, slinging the young ace over her shoulders whilst effortlessly carrying two witch's worth of luggage in her hands. The look on her face let any onlooker know that she was mentally preparing a very stern lecture for use on her wingmate at a later time.
The flaming red-haired Minna floated closely behind them, her warm smile immediately bathing the runway in an aura of motherliness. She only had time to exchange the briefest of pleasantries with the present 501st members, delighted to see them all. She inquired about Eila's condition, seemingly satisfied at seeing the Suomi up and seemingly no worse for wear, before hurrying off to meet with the other commanders of the operation, giving a little wave as she did so.
Yoshika and Lynette arrived from the 507th next, the latter already clearly worried for the big mission they had been sent for. She fussed over Yoshika, who didn't seem all that worried, and was instead excited to see everyone again. Sanya noticed that Eila stiffened up when they greeted the new arrivals, even looking somewhat annoyed at the unknowing Fuso healer, who seemed intimidated by this Eila. Perrine seemed to know what was going on, as she caught Sanya's eye during this encounter and gave her a nod. Sanya nodded back, not quite understanding its implications.
Mio was the last to arrive for the day, appearing just as Sanya returned from patrol with Kanno, late in the evening. Her usual booming laugh heralded her appearance as she strode down the runway to greet them. Like Minna before, she seemed especially interested in the conditions of both Eila and Sanya, and seeing them seemingly well, led the group into the mess hall for a meal, talking all about various military operations happening around the world.
They went to sleep that night, the joy of reunion still warming their hearts. Lucchini and Shirley arrived sometime during the night, and the next day, the members of 501st Joint Fighter Wing found that they were whole again. All of them sitting them in one of the unused briefing rooms in the morning light, chatting and catching up with each other. They sat both in chairs or on the edges of tables, and snippets of military exploits and personal lives were heard being exchanged, broken up by the occasional laughter. Aurora had bade them good luck and farewell earlier, as she had to return to managing her own troops.
Many of the other 501st members seemed to know something was up with Eila, as she didn't seem to be her usual self. Lucchini had seemed visibly confused and slightly betrayed when the Suomi didn't join the Romagnan in making the rounds of their usual chest measuring antics. The only ones other than Perrine who knew were the two Commanders, who sat at the head of the room, watching over their group and chatting.
Sanya sat with Eila the whole time, as the latter talked quietly with Perrine, who sat on her opposite side. The Suomi seemed disconnected, glancing at everyone else curiously, but never trying to engage anyone else in conversation. She nodded along as Perrine named and pointed out the other members, but didn't give any sort of reaction, other than giving Yoshika an warning look when the healer made a move to give Sanya a hug.
It broke her heart to see Eila like this, who had always fit right in with the rest of the wing, now looking so out of place and isolated at the same time. Sanya reached over and squeezed her hand comfortingly, earning a small smile from Eila. We'll get through this, Eila. I promise.
Minna looked over at them at this moment, and meeting Sanya's eyes, seemed to decide that it was time. The Wing Commander stood up, hands clasped behind her back, and faced the room. The chattering immediately ground to a halt as each witch noticed Minna, and all heads turned one by one to face their leader, quieting down.
"It's good to see you all well." Minna started, giving everyone a warm smile, "I trust you'll all do your best in the operation tomorrow. I can tell you it won't be easy."
"Speaking of which, when will we briefed on exactly what this operation is, Commander?" Trude spoke up, arms crossed in front of her as she addressed her superior. She smacked at Erica, who was falling asleep against her shoulder.
"Unfortunately, only before the operation tomorrow. The 24th Suomus Airforce, who will be taking part as well, has yet to arrive, and Command wants everyone present for the briefing." Minna's expression grew serious as she continued, "Also, there is another situation I must inform you about."
The red-haired Karlslander looked over in Eila's direction, and upon getting a nod of affirmation from both the Suomi and Orussian, she took a breath before speaking once again.
"Some of you may be unaware, but Juutilainen here was shot down about two weeks ago."
There was a small gasp from Lynette, and a confused murmur rippled across the 501st as they all turned to look at the aforementioned witch, who was sitting quietly, gazing at Minna. Mio looked on from behind Minna, expression stoic.
Trude was the first to break the silence. "Witches get shot down all the time. To be fair, it's a surprise considering we're talking about Juutilainen, but you look fine to me." The Karlslander nodded to Eila, who gave a small nod in response. Trude turned back to Minna, "I mean, it's terrible getting shot down, but I didn't think it'd warrant an announcement, so there's more to it, isn't there?"
"Did she lose her magic?" Lucchini cried out, rising to her feet as a she came to the wrong conclusion, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "We need you Eila!" The Romagnan grabbed Shirley's pencil right out of her hand and hurled it in Eila's direction.
Eila's magic spiked, and her familiar's ears and tail sprouted for merely a second as her foresight kicked in. Without turning around, she grabbed the pencil out of the air. "It's not that." She turned and smiled at Lucchini as she tossed the pencil back. The Romagnan was apparently so relieved that she didn't bother catching the pencil, giving a small squeak as it bounced off her forehead.
"Not quite, Lucchini." Minna echoed. She paused for a second, looking over at Eila, before continuing. "I'll let Juutilainen explain." The Commander nodded raise a hand toward Eila, nodding at her as she took her seat.
Eila rose to her feet and looked around at every witch in the room. She took a deep breath, and gave a small glance down at Sanya, who smiled up at her. "Everyone, I messed up. I got shot down, and went into a… coma." Eila began. There were gasps again, and not just from Lynette. A wave of murmuring flowed across the room.
"But you're okay now, right?" Lynette asked, worry evident in her voice.
"Almost." Eila replied. "But I found I had amnesia." She trailed off, and there was a pause as the sentence slowly sunk in. Even Erica, who had previously been half asleep, was now sitting up, eyes wide. "I … I don't remember anything that happened in the 501st. I didn't remember any of you. I didn't even remember who Sanya was."
There was silence in the room, as girls looked at each other in shock. The fact that she had forgotten Sanya of all people seemed to drive the point home in how serious it had been.
"W-what? You couldn't have forgotten us!" Lucchini cried out, getting onto the desk, looking like she was going to lunge at Eila. Shirley pulled her back off the table and down onto her lap, holding the girl as she thrashed about. "Eiiilaa! It's me! Lucchini! Don't forget me!"
"I-I'm sorry everyone!" Eila said apologetically, lowering her eyes and squeezing Sanya's hand, "I've been trying to remember! Really!" She looked back up at them, eyes pleading. "But I need you guys! I want to remember all the times we had together. The good and the bad! I want to remember all of you! So, will you please help me?"
A hand slammed on the desk, startling everyone, as Trude rose to her feet. "Forgetting us? Forgetting Litvyak? This is unacceptable." She pointed directly at Eila, steely expression on her face. "We're going to make you remember us. We'll make sure you never forget us ever again. Understood?"
Eila, feeling tears coming to her eyes, slammed them shut and looked down with a watery smile. "Yeah. Thanks."
Sanya's heart warmed as the other witches called out their support, and her eyes began to water as well. They truly had a family that would support them.
[Distorted]
Away from all the clatter and chaos of activity, sat one witch in particular, isolated from the world. Head down in between her knees, Nipa sat leaning against the wall of her quarters, ignoring all the bedlam that was a mobilization of armed forces.
She had been so close with the kiss, and yet she knew she was so far away, despite all she had done. She had twisted the stories of Eila's exploits for her own gain. She had painted an imaginary version of herself, one who was careful and caring of her beloved, into Eila's mind. But it had all been for naught. She had known, deep in her heart, that Eila wouldn't have reacted in the way she wanted, but she had gone for it anyway. It had been her last chance.
And so, Nipa cried. Cried for her love that would be forever one sided. Cried that while she had to build herself up into a different person in the eyes of Eila, Sanya had washed the perfect version of herself out of Eila's mind, leaving nothing behind. She cried, desperately wishing to actually be that person. One that Eila could rely on, and take comfort in, not the imperfect version of herself who lies to the one she loved in a desperate attempt to light a spark between them.
Nipa glanced up, through tired, reddened eyes, and looked once more at the photos scattered about her bedroom floor. Many versions of Eila and Sanya started back at her, faces frozen in permanent happiness. She had found the photos in Eila's pack, when she had went looking for things to help the Suomi with her memory. Looking through them, and seeing the two so happy together filled her with jealousy, and regret. She instead imagined herself in Sanya's place, being happy with Eila.
She had pocketed the photos, instead of bringing them to Eila.
Knock knock
"Nipa?" Aleksandra's voice came through the haze of her mind, muffled by the doorway. "Are you alright?"
Nipa grunted in reply. She desperately wanted to shoo the Commander away and be by herself, but on the other hand, she didn't want to be lonely. The crushing combination of sadness and guilt was enough to keep her on the floor. She didn't protest as the door opened, and Aleksandra walked in.
The Orussian, with worry apparent in her eyes, glanced at the photos littered about, before taking a seat on the floor beside Nipa. She laid her hand on Nipa's far shoulder and gently pulled the girl towards her, until she was leaning against the Commander. The Suomi trembled at the contact, and upon feeling the warmth of her companion let her tears flow free once more.
Aleksandra said nothing, closing her eyes, knowing it was best to let the Suomi cry herself out before asking what was wrong. Not that she didn't know already. She had spotted Aurora and Sanya heading to Eila's room yesterday morning, and with those photos on the floor, so she could probably guess what had gone one.
The Suomi's sobs soon died down into sniffles and slight trembles, but before the Commander could even say a word, the girl's mouth had opened and the whole story started spilling out in a torrent of words.
Nipa told her everything. About all the lies and modified stories she had told Eila in order to get closer to her. She had convinced Sanya and herself that she was doing this for Eila's happiness, and it had been true in the beginning. But the temptation that amnesia had brought had set in, and she had painted the best version of herself for her beloved, but deep in her heart she knew she was doing this all for herself. That she had been a selfish, stupid girl who only thought of her own happiness.
Aleksandra remained silent, until Nipa had finished speaking. Pulling the girl closer, she held the trembling Suomi against her chest and stroking her hair. "It's okay. You made a mistake, but it's okay. You can still fix it," the Orussian whispered comfortingly, "Besides. There are others who care about you." She squeezed the other girl tightly.
As she felt the hug, Nipa could feel the weight melting away, warmth filling her heart and body, slowly but surely driving the sadness out. She could make this right. Although she realized she could never be the one for Eila, she could always support her and be her friend. She could always see her smiles, hear her laughter. And if Eila was happy, she would be happy.
"Did you love her?" came Aleksandra's voice.
Nipa looked down at the photos of Eila and Sanya, scattered on the floor like leaves in the wind. Her own face that she had desperately imagined, happy and carefree alongside Eila's smiling face, slowly faded back into the shy smile of a small, timid Orussian girl. As it had always been. As how it always should be, she realized.
She would always be jealous of the quiet girl. That Eila seemed to have eyes only for her when she seemed pretty unremarkable. But under that timid smile, maybe there was a pure, true love. Maybe there was something special that only Eila could see. Maybe Eila was her happiest when they were together. How could Nipa hate a girl who had made Eila happy.
Looking at the photos once last time, the collection of happy moments of Eila and Sanya, frozen in time, she realized that it didn't sting as much any more. "Yes." she whispered, closing her eyes as her pain began to melt away under the warmth.
[Distorted]
After letting them know about their patrol schedules for the day, and reminding them of the incoming missions, both Minna and Mio left them to their devices, heading out to reconvene with the rest of the operation leads.
Though Trude's statement has roused everyone and filled them with determination to help with squadmate, they quickly ran into some obstacles. The most obvious method was to copy Georgette's prescribed memory sessions, as Sanya and Nipa had done previously. This was quickly brought to a halt as each member's story seemed to overwhelm Eila.
"The memory sessions didn't quite help me as much as I had hoped," Eila admitted to them sheepishly, "I feel like you're telling me about someone else, like I'm an outsider. It hadn't really jogged any of my memories, it's almost just making new ones."
"Eh? How else are we supposed to get her memory back?" Lucchini asked. She had gone back to being her sleepy self, resting her head on the desk as she watched the rest of the witches brainstorm a plan.
"Now hold on," Perrine closed her eyes, thinking for a minute with a finger on her chin. "Instead of telling her, why not have her relive some of them?"
"How so?" Shirley spoke up, "We can't exactly remember every detail of every encounter. Besides, we're in a very different environment." There were a few nods of agreement around the room.
"Very true." Perrine nodded, "But the circumstances don't have to be exact. All we need is it to be similar enough to a significant memory. Something that's emotional would be a bonus. Something we can re-enact. Any ideas?"
There was silence as they all pondered the question.
"Tower." Came a lazy voice.
Everyone turned to the source of the voice. Erica was seated right by a window, chin resting in her hands as she observed the outside world quietly. Despite being the top ace in the world, the blonde witch was so incredibly lazy on the ground that most of the time it seemed like every movement and word took almost too much effort. Due to this, she never really talked much, unless she had something to relay.
"Tower?" Lynette echoed, slight confusion in her voice.
"Rocket." Without looking at them, Erica pretended her pencil was a rocket, raising it slowly into the sky as she mimicked a rocket engine noise. "Space."
"Oh, you mean the tower Neuroi?" Perrine brightened up, "That could work."
"Minus the tower. And the actual boosters." Trude commented. No way they could get ahold of either of those, not that they would want another of the former anyway. Turning to her companion, she continued, "How did you want to go about doing this?"
Erica finally looked around at them, and suddenly produced a few sheets of paper. "Read this." she said simply.
[Distorted]
"I want to say this is ridiculous, but I'm also impressed you remember this." Shirley commented as she read over the page one last time. "But why this in particular?"
Sanya read over the sheet that was passed to her, realizing what exactly they were doing. Eila had been sent out of the room, and Erica had directed the other witches in reorganizing the room into a different layout. They all sat in their respective places, in a scene that was vaguely familiar. What had been placed in front of her was indeed a script. They were actually going to act something out. Sanya giggled at the absurdity, but decided to be optimistic about it. Her lines were incredibly simple after all, on the account of her always being rather quiet.
"It's not exact. It's my interpretation of it." Erica replied, ignoring the second question. "Now I'll be playing the part of Mio instead of myself, and Perrine back there will be my lovely Minna. Minna, get Eila."
Eila was led back in and looked around, seemingly bemused by the sudden change in layout of the room. Lucchini pulled her over to sit on a bench beside Sanya, who smiled at her, before returning to her own place with Shirley.
"Alright, Eila. Just react to how you would naturally." Erica said, pocketing her own version of the script. "And make sure you volunteer first."
"Er… volunteer for what?" Eila started, clearly confused at just what she was supposed to do. She looked for Sanya for help.
"Just go with it." The Orussian whispered to her.
Eila nodded, just as the lights were shut off.
"HA HA HA." Erica boomed out suddenly, startling everyone with a surprisingly good impression of Mio's laugh. Her face quickly returned to normal as she composed herself; a startling shift in appearance. She quickly pointed to the board at the head of the room, where she had stuck a line of papers with one long black rectangle drawn on it. "Hey guys, it's me; Sakamoto Mio. This Neuroi was spotted earlier. This is a combination of all of the recon plane's pictures. It's 30 000 meters high. I think."
Sanya recognized this tower. She remembered she had had a fight with Eila that day, but it had been resolved when Eila was able to come with her and protect her with her newly learned shield. She had remembered the beauty of space, from being higher than the sky. Eila had whispered a promise to her up there, in the coldness of the atmosphere. Surely, she would remember such an important moment between them.
Sanya snuck a look at Eila. The Suomi's eyes had widened slightly, and she seemed to be mouthing something, but hadn't said anything yet.
There was a pause, as Erica shot a pointed glance at Trude, who momentarily realized that she was up next. "That's 30km. That's tall! I will go get Erica some choco – Now wait a minute!" She gave a look of disbelief at Erica, who ignored it and glared at the next person, Yoshika, who seemed to be reading it right off the page.
The healer was clearly nervous and read out in a halting voice "Compare it to a Fuso mountain."
Erica squinted at Yoshika in disbelief for a second, before sighing as she continued with what she had remembered of the event. She described the magic draining rocket boosters, the core of the tower being at the top, and how they needed to carry someone up there as a team. The other witches chimed in with their lines at their appointed times, with varying degrees of success.
"Now," Erica continued, "I, Sakamoto Mio, need a witch who can blow a lot of stuff up in the shortest amount of time possible." She made a big show of looking around the room, before settling her gaze on a certain Orussian. "Sanya, you will do it."
Sanya nodded in affirmation, giving a small "Okay."
"Now who will I send with her?" the Karlslander scanned the room again, shooting several pointed glances at Eila whenever she passed over her. When Eila didn't react, she sighed, "Now who will volunteer to go with her?"
Eila perked up, realizing she was supposed to say something. "Uh … me. I'll go with her."
"Ah, Eila." Erica stroked her chin, "Tell me, have you ever raised a shield?"
"Yes."
"Say no."
"What? I couldn't raise a shield back then?" Eila was visibly confused. "Isn't that dangerous?"
"No and yes. Sanya needs someone who can shield her." Before Eila had time to respond, Erica whirled around and pointed at Yoshika, who started visibly sweating. "Miyafuji! We'll send you … for some reason."
"Accept, but somewhat reluctantly." Yoshika stammered out.
All heads turned to Eila, fully expecting to turn on Yoshika in jealous fervor, just as she had done the first time. Eila simply sat there, looking back at everyone in a confused way.
"That's … that's pretty high." The Suomi offered, grasping for what's she was supposed to say.
[Distorted]
"Pretend I'm your Sanya." Perrine had told her, voice slightly muffled by a red scarf wrapped around her face and neck. "Defend me."
Eila gave Perrine a confused look. The Gallian had dragged her and Lynette out into the cold for some reason, and now they were hovering hundreds of feet in the cold air together. The skies were cloudy, and a cold wind whipped snowflakes at their faces. Curiously enough, Lynette had brought along her anti armour rifle, and was hovering quite a way away from them.
"Eh?" Eila replied. I guess this is another event from before? She turned to face Lynette, who was just a speck in the distance. Defend her from what though?
"Do it, Lynette!" Perrine called into the radio, barely being heard over the wind. A muffled and nervous "Okay!" was heard over the radio before there was a gun blast from the Britannian's direction.
Eila reeled with surprise, her foresight kicking in and warning her of the incoming danger. She deftly threw up her shield and blocked the shot with relative ease. "Isn't this dangerous?" she cried out, turning towards Perrine.
Perrine seemed as shocked as she was. The Gallian was holding her shield up as well, ready to protect herself from the shell. The blonde looked up at her in confusion, as if she hadn't expected Eila to do that. Three more shots crashed into the shield, but it held strong.
"You actually shielded?" she sputtered out, "Why didn't you dodge like usual?"
"You're my Sanya right now, aren't you?" Eila replied quizzically, "Is it not better to shield you instead of dodging?"
"Well .. y-yes." Perrine replied, composing herself. "But that wasn't really the aim here." She tilted her head in Eila's direction, wind blowing her hair all out of place. "The reason we're out here is because you used to not be able to raise a shield, and I tried to teach you how. Remember?"
"No, I guess I did end up learning, didn't I?" Eila gazed at her own shield, a spinning circle of energy glowing with magical runes, before letting it fade into the wind. "But why did I only learn when I was with the 501st? I apparently survived several battles up until then without one."
"It's because you wanted to be there to protect Sanya." Perrine said quietly, flying closer to the Suomi. "You relied on your magical foresight so much up until then, but Sanya made you want to change that." Her gold eyes gazed at Eila intently, as if trying to force her into remembering. "You wanted to protect her."
Eila was silent, and slowly raised her eyes skywards, closing them as she did so. The sky was cloudy and dark, but she knew beyond that, there had been the blackness of space. She had recognized the spire from earlier, and it seemed like it was dumb luck, or maybe just fate, that had led Erica to pick that exact event. Sanya floated into her mind. The Orussian had been a reason she'd changed.
"Did I really go up there, Perrine?" she whispered, in wonder.
"Absolutely." Perrine nodded serenely, following her gaze upwards. "You two went more than 30km up. Almost higher than the sky." She noticed that tears seemed to be streaming down Eila's face, mixing in with the melted snowflakes. "Are … are you okay?"
It seemed impossible to Eila that she had been there, that it had just been some dream of hers. But it had been real. Her happiness on the edge of space had been real. If I could just go back up there, maybe I would remember.
Eila opened her eyes and smiled at her companion. "Yeah, just happy." She rubbed at her eyes a bit to clear the tears and snow. "It's pretty terrifying not to remember a part of your own life."
"I'd imagine so," the Gallian replied, relieved to see Eila smiling. "But that's why we're trying to help you out."
"I'm thankful." Eila said with a grateful smile. She flew in suddenly and wrapped a surprised Perrine in a hug.
"Eila?" Perrine said, confused, "This is not what I meant when I said treat me like Sanya." When she received a muffled, "I know." from Eila, she just shook her head and smiled, returning the hug delicately, not even minding the cold wind blasting her face.
[Distorted]
Sanya let a long sigh as she stretched and sank below the surface of the hot water, enjoying the feeling of the heat against her bare skin. She felt her tense muscles begin to relax, weary after the events of the day. Eila sat beside her with her eyes closed, enjoying herself while looking relaxed in the heat.
She had been sent out on patrol with Erica and Trude, and while uneventful, her thoughts had kept straying back to Eila. The Suomi had seemingly reacted upon hearing about the tower Neuroi, albeit a bit strangely, but Sanya was hopeful that more memories would follow, and that they'd have the old Eila back.
After Perrine had returned with Eila and Lynette, they had decided to partially re-enact the launch sequence, despite the freezing cold outside. They only went up a few thousand metres, as high as they could go in the inclement weather, but Eila unfortunately had not reacted the way everyone had expected. Unlike before, as Yoshika and Sanya separated from the rest of the group, Eila had not given chase, even when Sanya looked back down at her. The Suomi had been gazing upward, not at Sanya, but past her. She had seemed enthralled by the very sky itself and had a wistful expression on her face.
Although Sanya had been disappointed with the lack of development, she was also secretly happy seeing the squadron come together to help Eila out. It was honestly heartwarming to see the amount of care they had, considering other squadrons had been known to have cohesion issues. The 501st had had their fair share of infighting before, but they had learned over time on how to see eye to eye with each other. Unfortunately, night had fallen, and they were out of time. They would have to continue their efforts after the operation.
The Orussian greeted Perrine with a smile as the blonde appeared from behind, delicately testing the water temperature before sitting down near them. Her long hair had been tied up in a bun, and she offered a smile in return, squinting due to her lack of glasses.
"Sanya, right? The water feels nice, no?" Perrine let out a similar sigh of pleasure as she settled into the water comfortably. There was a sound of water in the background and a yelp as Erica splashed water at Trude, who was under one of the showers. Most of the 501st had convened in the hot springs to relax, as they were oft to do.
"Yep!" Sanya replied, half submerged in the water. She went to close her eyes, but suddenly remembered something she had forgotten up until now. She shot up into a sitting position, startling the other two, and turned to Perrine. "Perrine! I forgot to ask you about your trip!"
The Gallian laughed, "That's fine Sanya. It was a peaceful one, to say the least. Thanks for asking though."
"But how was Amelie?" Sanya prodded, surprising herself at her own persistence.
"Oh. As clingy as ever." Perrine tried to hide a smile, "And cute. I won't deny that things may have happened between us." She attempted to hide her blush, turning away from the other two and fussing over her hair.
Sanya's heart leapt at the news. "I'm so happy for you!" And it was true, Perrine had been such a supportive friend all this time, and was heartwarming to see attain the happiness she had been seeking, especially with the world being the state that it was in. Sanya just wished for a happy end for her Gallian friend. For all her friends.
"Good to see you girls doing well."
Everyone looked up at the new voice. Minna had come over to them, not looking quite as weary from all the meetings she's had to attend as before. She gave her usual warm smile as she sat down on the edge of the spring. The Commander had always had a comforting, caring aura to her, and being near her seemed to induce the feeling of safety and relaxation.
"You as well, Commander." Perrine replied. She didn't even need to squint to see who it was, the red flash of Minna's hair was enough of a tell. "How went the meetings?"
"Oh, the usual headache inducing chaos that comes with coordinating large joint operations." Minna replied nonchalantly, waving her hand, "We have quite the task force mobilizing. Thankfully, I'm not the one that has to deal with logistics of it all." Her expression grew serious as she surveyed the room, before returning her gaze to the three witches in front of her, "This is a major operation, so I want you all to be prepared for heavy combat tomorrow."
The other three nodded solemnly, and a smile returned to Minna's face as she continued, "But, enough of that for now, how did you fare with Eila's memories today?"
Both Sanya and Perrine looked at each other before turning to her and outlining what they had done for the day. They hadn't been quite as successful as they had hoped, but it was a step in the right direction. There had been a few more ideas, but they hadn't been able to get to them. Eila had gotten up in the middle of their recount of the day and went over to one of the showers to wash her hair.
Minna, seemingly pleased with the report, soon said her farewells, deciding that she'd retire for the evening in preparation for the next day, leaving just Sanya and Perrine together. Sanya found her eyes wandering over to Eila, watching every move closely as the girl scrubbed soap into her long hair, running her fingers through the pale locks carefully. The wounds on Eila's body had finally faded, leaving nothing but faint redness, thanks to the efforts of Georgette, but Sanya worried that new ones were soon to come.
"Think she'll be okay?" Perrine spoke up, following the Orussian's eyes to Eila. The Suomi was just a blur to her at this distance, so she settled her gaze back on the closer and less blurry Sanya.
"I hope so …" Sanya replied quietly.
"And what if she doesn't get her memories back?" Perrine asked, thoughtfully. "I don't mean to be negative, but it's a real possibility. What will you do then?"
Sanya remained silent. This was a very real possibility that Eila may not ever remember what she had forgotten. Sanya knew this, but had always suppressed the thought to the back of her mind in fear. She hated the concept of Eila never being able to remember all the good things and memories they had made with each other. Such thoughts always filled her with a heavy sadness, and she always drove them away, convincing herself that it was impossible, and that the old Eila was still in there somewhere.
"I guess I'd have to start over with her …" Sanya admitted quietly.
Perrine nodded. "I dearly hope it doesn't come to that."
"It won't." Sanya said, strength returning to her voice, "After this mission, I'll work with her until she remembers everything! I mean it!" She held a fist out of the water.
The Gallian smiled in relief, "That's what I like to hear."
Perrine eventually excused herself, and Sanya headed over to the showers to wash her hair, thoughts swirling in her head. Eila will remember eventually, I'm sure of it. There was no sign of Eila however, and Sanya sighed. Guess she left already. Reaching for the soap, she turned on one of the showers, and lathered some of into her hair.
Suddenly, Sanya jumped slightly as she felt two hands land on her head. Hands still entangled in her hair, she turned around, fully expecting an attack from Lucchini while she had been preoccupied. Instead, she turned and looked right into a pair of purple eyes.
"Sorry, did I scare you?" Eila gave Sanya a sheepish grin, slightly blushing. She had her hands in the Orussian's hair, and didn't retract them.
"O-oh … a little …" Sanya replied back. "What are you doing?"
To her surprise, Eila turned even redder, even averting her eyes in embarrassment as she replied, "Can I wash your hair? It just feels … right."
Sanya almost squealed in delight, turning around swiftly to hide her blush when she finally realized what a familiar position they were in. Eila had always insisted on washing her hair whenever they bathed, for whatever reason. The Suomi would always fuss over it and make sure she was thorough. Even when Sanya offered to wash hers, Eila would always refuse, telling her to not trouble herself. She remembers ... even if only by chance.
Still facing away, she smiled to herself with happiness, tears coming to her eyes. "Okay …" she whispered.
[Distorted]
Moonlight flooded through windows, lighting up the hallway Sanya walked through with a pale white light. The clouds had apparently cleared, and stars filled the night sky, happy to finally be able to shine their light on the world below.
Though the majority of the inhabitants were already asleep, there was a slight tension in the air, as if everyone was collectively holding their breaths in preparation for the incoming mission. Several squads of Suomi, Orussian, and Karlsland warplanes sat quietly in the hangars outside, awaiting the chaos and trials the next day would bring. They were strong machines, piloted by skilled men and women. Though not as deadly or effective as a witch, they would bring down their fair share of Neuroi in the fight to come.
Sanya was restless. She had already seen Eila to her quarters, desperately wanting to sleep in the comfort of her beloved, and barely being able to resist asking to do so. Eila had looked like she wanted to say something as well, but just blushed and said goodnight, closing the door behind her, intensifying the regret in Sanya's heart.
She should be resting up for the mission, as they were due to rise at a very early hour to travel, but she just couldn't sleep. Her head was filled with pre-mission anxiety, and the usual thoughts of worst case scenarios flew through her mind. Sanya shook her head, and took a deep breath, trying the clear the darkness out.
Sanya then turned her thoughts to Eila instead, filling her heart and mind with images and feelings for the girl. Eila had always been her muse when she needed to be strong. She needed to remind herself of what she was fighting for.
By chance, her wanderings found her back in front of Eila quarters. She stared longingly at the door. They had not shared quarters since Sanya had shipped out to the 507th for a week, and she missed it with every fibre of her being. Maybe it was time for that to change.
Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to the door and knocked lightly.
The Orussian was shocked at how fast the door opened. She had barely gotten to the second knock before she was suddenly face to face with the Suomi girl. The girl's hair was all messed up, but Eila looked wide awake, not half asleep as Sanya had predicted.
"O-oh! Sanya…" Eila exclaimed, after a pause, trying to act as casually as she could. Sanya could tell the Suomi had not slept, despite heading to bed around half an hour ago. Her purple eyes were wide and awake, not a bit of tiredness in them. Instead, there was a strange redness to them. "What are you doing here?"
There was a pause, as Sanya gathered her courage. Finally, she looked up, gazing softly into her beloved's eyes.
"Can I sleep in your room tonight?
Eila gave a start, the surprised in her eyes fading into a happy glow. She slowly opened the door, allowing Sanya into her quarters.
"Only for today…" she said, with a small smile.
[Distorted – End of Chapter Ten – Loved Ones Will Always Watch Over You]
I'm still in this. We're closing in on the end of "Distorted" and there's only a few chapters left. I'll probably do another pass over the earlier chapters before I post the final chapter, just to polish up the whole story. This chapter is surprisingly the longest yet, but I still don't feel like I'm great with dialogue or detail. Oh well. Next time, we get some action, and of course, pain.
Let me know what you thought, and thanks for reading.