Darjeeling sat quietly reading a small book. It was red and had slightly edges, along with a gold trim coating the words "Diary - 2017". She thought to herself about how so much has changed in such short a time.

She chuckled softly, "You had it planned, you'd finally win a tournament and get to choose a university of your choice because of your grades and sports scholarship. You had chose Oxford, hadn't you?", she asked herself, still flicking through the pages at a slow pace. "But then, the last battle, you had the enemy in your sights, and all your plan had hinged on that one singular word...", a feeling of sadness quickly overtook her.

"You had opened your mouth to speak right before the emergency radio burst to life.", she began struggling to remember the exact details of that moment, her diary had changed from neat lines to a dirty and unreadable scrawl. "I remember Ami ending the match right then and ordering us to immediately return to our ships and leave the port. The sight of Japanese and UN flying overhead as we fled worried you, hadn't it? People running and trying to jump onto your tank, asking to take them with you, yet, you were told to not stop and keep going, that's what the helicopters were for, picking up the others, right?".

A small tear then formed in her eye, "The news had said there was some form of large scale outbreak.", she said, her thoughts continuing. "Your ship had left the port with hundreds of smaller ones flanking it, all manners of people running from whatever it was.". The captain of your large carrier failed to board, and seeing all those people on the shore, shouting and begging for help, you stepped up and vowed to protect your people, hadn't you? No one left behind was your motto and you sent out boats and took in as many as possible.".

"35,000 people along with the 80,000 crew crammed onto the super ship.", she smiled softly. "As you left the port, you wondered what might befall Gloriana... then you had received that call.".

The Gloriana people made you their leader, "The Crown Protector of the Gloriana Fleet, which was yet to become the commonwealth before you today.", she smiled again.

"After several days of sailing and dread, you hit that blockade.", stifling a small shudder, she sighed and closed the book. She remembered a name well, Captain James Parker of the HMS Valiant and Admiral of the Eastern Reaches. "You had been ordered by the UN to turn back, right? Every single tiny piece of equipment and anyone who was even just the slightest percentage able to fight, should fight, that's how the commonwealth had been formed, a new empire carved from ruins.".

"The UN had pulled out as Japan's central government began to collapse, then as the outbreak spread, other nations began to crumble. Five states had regrown and returned halfway to their former glory. Sustainability and Reconstruction was the official reasoning behind it. Each state had secretly hoped to expand influence in the region and perhaps neighboring regions and assist the new states from old ties. Gloriana had been approached by the Neo Britannic Union, who gave food, supplies, support, and even skilled training. Saunders has been approached by the United States of the American Republic...".

"The New Northern Irish Republic approached Shamrock, offering supplies and tank training. The Greater Empire of Europe approached Kuromorimine as had the Russian Federation approached Pravda, at least, that's what you think...", she returned the book to its place on the small shelf behind her desk.

"But, Oxford, the tournaments, and even that business, it doesn't matter now, they're no longer important in this new world. You just want to protect the others and lose no one else.".

She then sat down and hoped the voice in her thoughts would just stop. "But again, there was nothing you could've done to stop it, she never made it back to the ship. Just don't let anyone else down.".

A bewildered Rosehip stumbled into the room, holding a silver tray of tea. "Sorry, hope I'm not disturbing you!", she exclaimed.

"No, it's quite alright, you came at the right time.", the voice in her thoughts now silenced.