A/N: So, this chapter will contain a bit more metaphorical stuff, so if ya get confused don't feel bad; I'm still trying to work on my metaphor skills.

Additionally, next chapter might be delayed by a week - I haven't actually started on it yet, since I originally intended for that chapter and this one to be one big chapter; but I realise it's getting too long and I'd rather split it into two, since this chapter ended on a good spot. I nearly didn't get this chapter done in time (half of it was written last night, and the last scene was done this morning when I woke up), so I think potentially adding an extra week of break will help me out decently.

Not saying a delay is going to happen, but if six~ days from now there isn't another chapter, then that's why - I'll probably post another fic to fill in the blank; and I'll mention in the author notes of that fic if that week's WoS chapter is indeed delayed.

Anyway, forewarnings aside, enjoy~


Whispers of Saturn

Chapter 20: Purgatorium

What is a Ship-Girl?

It was a question that Roon pondered often. One that fascinated her since the day she was created. She had searched all over for answers, going to various sources – whether it be Queen Elizabeth, the Commander, or even one of the original scientists who helped make them. None could satisfy her with their meagre and vague answers.

Ship-Girls came into existence thanks to the creation of the 'Wisdom Cube' – a congregation of human faith, belief, hope, and a whole host of other things. In essence, a Wisdom Cube was the conceptual thought humanity held, and when oriented towards a certain object, such as a warship, those conceptual thoughts gave it life. Mankind often referred to ships as feminine, thus they were created female. They saw them as protectors, so they were created with the instinct to protect humans. They were envisioned as weapons, so they were granted their old guns even though they bore human bodies, with all the strength of their former warship forms.

However, they were not static. They had potential to grow – emotionally, physically, mentally; they could become stronger. Their Wisdom Cube was their soul, and even though they weren't human, their soul acted just as a mortal human's would. Different origins but bound by the same laws. However while the same spiritual laws applied to them, they couldn't be more different.

Human souls were weak, but malleable. They were born as a spark; an ember. They blossomed into a pyre, but the brighter they burned, the faster they extinguished. Ship-Girls on the other hand didn't burn; they endured. They didn't age physically and their soul could theoretically last forever provided they didn't die. And unlike human souls, they weren't born 'blank' and new. They were born imprinted upon by the hopes and dreams of mankind, their ideals pushed upon them and shaping them before they even set foot upon the earth.

All of them were the same in that regard. All, except her.

Roon knew she was different. She was in a class of her own, a 'Prototype'. She was stronger in every way compared to her peers, and even though she had barely any experience, she could outmatch her seniors after barely a few months. However the real difference was deeper than skin and bone. Her soul was the same, she too held a Wisdom Cube in her being – but she was not imprinted on.

She was an impossibility. A ship who was never sailed, never built, never even laid down. She was nothing more than a half-hearted conversation between a group of engineers, throwing around 'cool' ideas. She was nothing. Where other Ship-Girls had histories, she had none. Her being, her very existence, was nothing more than a few pieces of paper and idle murmurings from a bunch of human officers before they discarded her. That, was the extent of her existence.

Until the Commander appeared.

He found her plans, pulled them up and ordered her to be built with experimental technology. He looked upon her plans with awe and excitement. He envisioned her to be a weapon fit to fight the Sirens. He saw her as something to ravage the battlefields, to fell the Sirens in droves. He still hurt from the loss of Bulker Bay, he wanted payback. He saw her as the ultimate recourse. His thoughts became the fuel for her existence.

It wasn't hyperbolic to say that he was the reason she existed. Without him, without his focused thoughts – she would be nothing more than a sheet of paper, her existence so miniscule that particles of dirt held more conceptual importance than her.

She never told him the significance of his decision. She knew he would never understand – he was a human, someone who was born innocent and learned with time. He couldn't begin to comprehend what it meant to exist as nothing more than a thought, to be unable to even think and only exist. But she made sure he knew how much she loved – nay, worshipped him. She protected him from the harlots seeking to claim and manipulate him. She slew entire fleets of Sirens, taking extra time to make their deaths as painful as possible, to inflict the pain and revenge he was unable to deliver. She protected his other subordinates when she needed to, making sure they got back to port as to not make him sad.

She was born into the world as his guardian angel. But she was a weapon. She was a tool for war, a creation born to ravage her enemies. His thoughts were her existence, her memories, her desires. He wanted vengeance, she was it. He wanted war, she became it. He wanted a demon to slay the devil, she took that bloodied crown with glee.

''Mm... Kommandant...''

Roon stood, reluctantly pulling herself off his lap. He was still barely conscious, his eyes half-lidded as they looked at her. He was waking though; just a few more hours, and he'd be ready. She knew that the others would come for him, to steal him away under some arrogant sense of ownership. So she would change him, make him able to protect himself when she wasn't able to. She did it with more care than she had anything in her life, weaving his soul with her own power, intertwining them on a level deeper than anything else on the planet.

She was the weapon that protected him.

He was the thing keeping Animaus' influence at bay, keeping her sane by a single thread.

Roon leaned in, gently kissing him on the forehead before pulling back. Animaus touched her mind but she brushed it off, fully aware of what was coming. She still had time left.

With swift steps Roon turned, striding throughout the house. The cute dog she now owned was waiting by the door, happily perking up and barking at her, tail wagging. She smiled and petted its head with amusement, gently pushing it towards the Commander. In the brief moment of contact she touched its soul, telling it to the protect the Commander; her thoughts transcending language. The dog barked happily in response and went over to its designated master's side, snuggling under the Commander's legs.

Roon chuckled and meandered through the kitchen, pushing open the back-door and languidly walking into the garden. Just in time too; an amused smile curling at her lips as she heard Ajax's foul cursing from down the alley behind the house – before a figure was thrown over the garden fence.

''Ah!'' San Diego hit the ground whimpering. ''Y-You said you'd be gentle~!''

''Shut up.'' Ajax hissed from the other side, her lithe fingers curling around the top of the fence before pulling herself over the rim – her face tightening at the sight of Roon. ''Oh great.''

''Welcome back~'' Roon pretended not to hear it, smiling genially at the duo – Atago slowly clambering over the fence a second later.

All three were in tatters. Ajax's right arm was broken and in the process of regenerating, tiny crimson tendrils stitching flesh and muscle back together; the slow speed hinting at how truly weakened she was. She walked with a limp, her left leg burnt badly and her clothes scorched to ruin. Numerous cuts had clearly occurred, judging from the long-dried blood on her stomach and torso, her lilac hair cut a diagonal angle at the back as if severed by a sword.

Atago was moderately better off; but she lacked the natural regeneration that Ajax's [Blood Manipulation] gave her. Numerous cuts marred her body and were partially closed by hardened blood, no doubt thanks to Ajax's intervention. Half her uniform was scorched off by what looked like lightning, her hair frazzled and the tips of her dog ears singed. Her stomach was dented inwards slightly and bruised an ugly purple, forcing her to lean on her right leg to compensate.

San Diego was the worst of the three. One arm broken at the forearm, a still-open hole was punched through her shoulder that was cauterized shut, multiple deep gashes were still bleeding, pale skin was bordering on ashen and littered with severe burns – she looked like she had walked out of hell itself. Unsurprising, considering who their opponent had been.

''Seems like you three had fun.'' Roon said cheerfully, ignoring the terse glare Ajax shot her. ''The result?''

''...Queen Elizabeth kicked our asses and got away. Last we saw of her she was fighting Taihou.'' Ajax grunted, grimacing as she leaned against the wooden fence; taking the weight off her foot. ''I'm guessing you saw that big explosion ten minutes ago?''

''Of course. Quite the display.'' Roon deliberately cast her gaze back to the house. The windows were shattered. Not hard to clean up off the floor, but it certainly snapped her out of her snuggling mode.

''You don't seem too disappointed we lost.''

Roon hummed, sliding her gaze back to the trio and approaching San Diego. ''I never expected you to win. At best, you'd cripple her. At worst, you'd die and slow her down.''

Ajax's lips thinned and she clearly wanted to say something, but wisely held her tongue. Roon pretended not to notice, walking past the terse cruiser and kneeling down beside San Diego. The cherry-haired girl looked up at her, sniffling, but Roon merely laid her palm over her subordinates face – and pushed.

''IYAAAAA!''

San Diego screamed, suddenly going into violent spasms as eldritch energy was forcefully shoved into her soul, threatening to rip her apart – for the second time. She kicked her legs, flailed like she was being shocked, her voice reaching such a pitch it cracked and dried up. In a matter of seconds her arm forcibly snapped itself back into place, the hole in her shoulder sew itself closed, her cuts and burns healed shut.

Then with a final, mental push, Roon shoved the last of Animaus' power into the screaming girl's soul.

The cruiser spasmed briefly, buckling like someone struck her with a bat. She remained stiff, her back arched off the dry grass – before finally collapsing back down with a twitch, her skin slowly regaining its fair hue.

''There.'' Roon smiled, withdrawing her hand. ''That wasn't so bad, was it?''

San Diego tried to speak – only to roll over and throw up, a thick black liquid splattering down onto the grass. The cherry-haired girl heaved, shoulders shaking and coughing like a drowned man. She sniffled, made a retching sound; and more sickly black fluid erupted painfully from her throat.

Roon paid the vomiting girl no mind, turning to Atago with a smile.

Atago gripped her katana. ''Touch me and I'll cut your arm off.''

''Hm, that's not very nice...'' Roon took a single step closer, cracking her lidded eyes open just a touch. ''...Atago-chan.''

The dog-woman stiffened, some primal part of her instinctively shrinking back. Roon took advantage of her weakness, lunging in and grabbing her by the face – slamming her into the side of the house so hard the wooden exterior splintered. She shoved Animaus' power Atago, unheeding of the swordswoman's mute spasms, both her hands flying to Roon's arm and clawing at it, doing little more than scratching her skin.

''Hmph...'' Roon pushed the last of the energy in, retracting her hand. ''There. See? Simple.''

Atago fell to her knees, vomiting up the same foul fluid that San Diego had. A by-product of a god's presence. Mortal souls weren't meant to touch such titanic beings, so it was only natural part of them were... decayed, by the exposure. Just as how gravity can rend things to dust, so too can the weight of a godly soul on all those weaker than it. And if they decayed too much...

''Ah...'' Roon remembered something, prompting her to crouch down next to Atago. ''Say, do you still have those souls I gave you?''

Atago couldn't speak; settling for a shaky nod.

''Good.'' Roon petted the taller woman, giggling when she twitched. ''Make good use of them. Ripping them out of the void wasn't easy, you know?''

Roon shifted her gaze, smiling slightly when she found Ajax trying to shift away to the end of the garden, towards the bushes as if to hide in them. She stood up, locking eyes with the cruiser and held out a hand, the offer clear. Come here and take it, or she'd be forced to the ground and have it shoved inside her soul, whether she liked it or not.

Ajax remained still for nearly a full minute before begrudgingly creeping closer, repulsion clear on her face. Roon pretended not to see the disgust, grabbing Ajax by the arm and yanking the sadist close – before gripping her face and shoving Animaus' power inside. Ajax was more prepared than the other two; gritting her teeth and only trembling slightly, her soul more receptive to the eldritch power thanks to her reluctant willingness.

Once the transfer was done Roon stepped back, smiling placidly at Ajax as the sadist fell to her knees, dry heaving from the ordeal. Roon sped up the process by kicking her in the stomach, helping her throw up the acrid fluid before she wasted time – pointedly side-stepping the foul liquid. She'd rather not have to clean her legs up, after all.

''Feel better?'' Roon asked in a chipper tone.

''Fuck... you...'' Ajax dry-heaved, coughing. Broken bones snapped back together audibly and made the cruiser grit her teeth tightly shut, enduring the agonising sensation of her body rapidly fixing itself.

''You're welcome.'' Roon clapped her hands, not bothering to hide her mirth. ''Now, I have a task for you, Ajax.''

''Joy.'' The cruiser's tone was anything but happy.

Roon giggled, cupping the sadist's chin. The cruiser jerked her head back like she had been stung but Roon simply gripped her chin tightly, forcing her to be still. ''I'm serious. There's not much time left.''

That caught Ajax's attention ''What...? The hell are you-''

''Taihou is approaching.'' Roon cut her off, smile unfading.

Ajax stared at her for a second. Her eyes widened in slow realisation on the next second. Her jaw slowly hung open on the third second.

''You're kidding...'' Ajax whispered in rare, open-mouthed shock. ''Queen Elizabeth... lost?''

''Yup.'' Roon smiled cheerfully, releasing Ajax's now-slack chin. ''And judging by how fast she's racing over here, I'm willing to bet she'll try and kill me, so she can keep the Commander to herself. So I'll have to teach her where her place is...''

She leaned down a bit, staring deep into Ajax's eyes with her own lidded ones. ''But the Commander is too close, you see. Our battle won't be small. So, I want you to take him, and run. Get out of the city; head east, towards the ritual site I've been setting up. He'll be fine there.''

Ajax shook herself out of her shock. ''Why not the others?''

''San Diego isn't fully... present.'' Roon shot a brief side-glance at the cherry-haired girl, watching her groan and writhe on the grass. ''...and I don't trust the Commander's safety to Atago. Plus, both are tasked with slowing down the inevitable invasion. You're the only one I can rely on, you know?''

Ajax grimaced deeply, stumbling to her feet. ''How do you know I won't... you know, kill him?''

Roon giggled, walking past the sadist. ''Easy.''

''Because I'll hunt you down and rip your guts out if you do~'' Roon chirped, bumping shoulders with the sadist. ''And I'll make sure you'll never see Leander-chan and Achilles-chan ever again~''

The Light Cruiser swallowed. ''Right... understood.''

Roon smiled, pleased. ''Good. Then best head off; Taihou will be here soon.''

Ajax nodded slowly, walking away. She only got a few steps.

''Say, Roon...''

''Mm?'' The Host of Animaus tilted her head slightly, glancing back.

''...are we really that easily disposable to you?''

Roon paused, blinking in honest surprise – before she giggled.

''Of course, silly.'' Roon gave a wide, shark-like smile. ''You and the rest of the planet will be dead in the end. I'm just keeping you around until you're no longer useful.''

Ajax swallowed and said nothing more; merely turning away and heading back inside, no doubt collecting the Commander and what little belongings she had on her – mostly things like changes of clothes, some memorabilia and little trinkets. Roon didn't mind; whistling an innocent tune under the late evening sky as her three subordinates shambled around their little home, grabbing what they could before departing; her transcendent mind detecting their souls leaving the area. A handy little trick she got recently.

And because of it, she sensed Taihou nearing long before the civilians did. The air grew humid and she could see distant smoke columns rising from the igniting trees. A fiery spear rushed over the horizon towards her, unheeding of what it burned down beneath it. Houses caught fire, car alarms went off as the vehicles began to melt, wooden houses started to ignite – it was like the carrier brought hell itself alongside her.

''Mm.. she's certainly grown stronger.'' Roon smiled lightly, watching the flaming serpent approach. ''No wonder she felled Queen Elizabeth with that kind of power.''

In a matter of seconds Taihou arrived, crashing down into the house opposite theirs and utterly obliterating it – a screeching pyre shooting skyward and incinerating anyone unlucky enough to be inside. The raging bonfire ignited the wooden fence around the house and carved a path for Taihou to walk through, her silhouette visible before her face was.

''Roon.'' Taihou breathed her name like a mad beast, face finally becoming visible as she stepped out past the apocalyptic flames.

Roon paused as Taihou stepped into the waning sunlight, soaking in the sight of the carrier's mad visage. 'Hm... she lost her sanity faster than I anticipated. I would've thought it'd have taken at least three more deaths...'

'...how pitiful.'

''Good evening, Taihou~'' Roon said with saccharine sweetness, smile returning. ''Did you have fun?''

Taihou chuckled deeply, eyes wide and bloodshot. ''I did. And thanks to that old bat... I've grown a lot stronger.''

''That's good to hear.'' Roon replied cheerfully, her lidded eyes cracking open a touch wider. ''...unfortunately, it's not enough to beat me.''

The carrier smiled. It wasn't a kind smile.

''That's where you're wrong, wench.''

Ungodly hot amber fire shrieked into existence around Taihou, so hot that the air warped and the earth blackened in microseconds. The fire surged out towards Roon in a roaring wave, the fire licking at the earth eagerly, ready to utterly devour her in its raging grasp. Roon made no move to dodge the torrent of amber fire, her placid smile remaining firmly in place – then she bent her knees.

''Not enough.''

The fire reached her and Roon sprung forth, leaping straight through the raging fire, unheeding of the pain nor the fire that slowly bit through her superhuman durability. She crossed the distance in two fast lunges, and Taihou's eyes went wide as the Prototype woman burst through the fire – and grabbed her by the face, nails digging into her skin. Momentum carried her forth and she yanked Taihou with her, slamming the carrier into the ground so hard it splintered beneath them – jagged ruptures of dirt and rock splitting upwards around them.

Roon released Taihou's head, her smile evolving into a bloodthirsty grin as she reared her hand back – and punched the woman in the face, smashing her nose and burying her deeper into the earth. The sharp pain snapped out Taihou out of her shock; and her shock quickly devolved into frothing rage, an incoherent screech leaving her throat and causing the ambient temperature to skyrocket.

''Hn?!''

Scorching hot fire screamed skyward, the heat so intense that Roon was forced to leap away; her bloodthirsty gaze replaced with a light frown. She glanced at herself, noting the light burns marring her skin. Nothing serious, but the fact Taihou managed to burn her at all in her current state... it seemed she had underestimated the carrier somewhat.

There was no more time to think. Taihou lunged out of the baleful fire with a nasty scowl, sweeping her arm out and utterly blanketing the area between them in amber fire. Roon leapt over it, twisting mid-flight to avoid the twin streams of fire that shot up at her and landing behind Taihou. She ducked under the arm that swung for her head and leaned away from the fist sweeping for her gut – and replied by grabbing a handful of Taihou hair and yanking her head down, straight into her incoming knee.

''Nn!'' Taihou screeched through gritted teeth; half-regenerated nose audibly crunching.

Roon didn't let up. She pushed Taihou back and slammed a fist into her gut, lifting the carrier off her feet before socking her in the face, cheek bones audibly snapping before Taihou went flying into the house across the street, blowing a hole through their front wall and causing the brick walls to blacken. The entire housing area around them was on fire, but Roon blocked out the distant fire engines and panicked cries with ease, deeming them of no concern. There was nothing humanity could throw at her. Not anymore.

One second passed, two; then on the third Taihou launched out of the rapidly-igniting household with a vengeance, snarling furiously and swinging both arms out; summoning half a dozen fireballs into the air around her. With nothing but a thought they launched, prompting Roon to leap back and avoid them; watching with idle interest as their former back-garden was incinerated instantly, blackened and burned to nothing.

''Ah... that's a shame.'' Roon tilted her head, smile dimming. ''I actually liked that flowerbed.''

With a flash of murky light, her rigging manifested around her – twin turrets mounted upon semi-sentient shark-like riggings, snapping hungrily after being contained inside her soul for so long and their maws drooling with black fluid, hissing as it hit the rooftop beneath her feet. Her cannons raised themselves and fired at the approaching carrier, utterly eviscerating her right arm and part of her torso; but as expected, the carrier just charged through it with berserker-like madness.

Roon leapt off the rooftop and onto the top of a garage, watching with mild amusement as Taihou crashed into the old house she formerly stood on; someone inside crying out for a split-second before their voice went hoarse, then silent. The heat probably killed them before the fire, Roon mused idly. It was a little hot, after all.

The old wooden house crackled – before a shrieking streak of fire shot out, thick and in a wide line. Roon hummed and side-stepped it, watching part of the building beneath her rapidly disintegrated into nothing; yet the streak of fire carried on down to the next four row of houses behind her, scorching a hole through them. There went any chance of subtlety... though, then again, subtlety wasn't needed anymore.

''GET BACK HERE!''

A half-human, flaming projectile smashed down onto the roof Roon was standing upon, causing it to crack and crumble. The cruiser fell down into the collapsing garage, ignoring the molten concrete landing on her back – and instead lunged, upper-cutting Taihou with such force her neck audibly snapped back. Without pause Roon struck her straight in the cheek, smiling widely as the carrier stumbled down to her knees, wheezing in shock.

A kick to the stomach lifted her off the ground and sent her flying through the wall, smashing through the next house and into the third shop further down the row. Roon stepped out the human-shaped hole in the wall, avoiding the collapsing building behind her and allowing her to see the miniature typhoon of fire surging inside the unfortunate house – before with a screech it skyrocketed up, a sentient serpent of fire swirling in the sky, and making a beeline straight for her.

''Hmph...'' Roon's smile became toothy. ''This... is actually quite fun...!''

Taihou crashed down with the force of a small meteor, the concrete path beneath them shattering and the nearby buildings trembling; one even outright collapsing from the shockwave. Roon didn't notice it, her hand outstretched and holding the semi-reformed fist aimed for her heart, a razor-sharp smile on her visage as she held Taihou's punch back – completely unbothered by the flames slowly burning her skin.

''My turn.''

A whisper. That was Taihou's one and only warning – before from Roon's palm erupted a massive, unholy shriek of pitch-black miasma, blossoming out like fire but reeking of death itself. The putrid miasma warred against the regenerative fire and pushed it back, eating through Taihou's fist with the speed of lightning and the efficiency of maggots.

[Zerfallen]. Her Gift; one befitting of a weapon of war such as herself. A tool to bring destruction and death to all those that stood against her.

''N-Nn...!'' The carrier leapt away hastily, skidding across the road and to the other end of the street, snarling.

''Hmhm...'' Roon giggled, turning to face the pyromancer – her smile growing to face-splitting levels as she created more deathly miasma around her, rotting the grass beneath her. ''What's the matter, Taihou? Scared of some smoke?''

Taihou, even in her insane state, wasn't blind – restraining herself from lunging forth. ''Wretched wench... do you think I'm afraid?!''

In response – Roon laughed. A pretty, fluttering sound that utterly failed to mask the malice that rapidly bubbled inside her.

''Haha... afraid? My dear Taihou... you've not even begun to know fear.''

For the first time in several weeks – Roon opened her eyes fully.

The wind stilled. Sound briefly muted itself, time slowed to a crawl. An invisible weight suddenly crept upon the entire city, not so heavy as to hurt, but far more insidious – growing stronger by the second and foretelling of the demon that approached. The sky itself darkened, nightfall suddenly arriving far faster than it physically should, as if the world itself was spinning faster in an attempt to outrun the devil stood upon it.

Taihou could say nothing, something primal inside her briefly urging her back, quivering in fear. Roon's eyes gazed upon her. Eyes; plural. Eight irises and pupils gazed at her in unison, four in each eyeball and with bloodshot-white sclera between them, the inhuman sight made all the more unholy by the face-splitting grin marring Roon's visage.

''What...?''

''Enough talk.'' Roon whispered, and took a step forwards. ''Just scream.''

Roon was moving in a heartbeat, launching across the distance with a bloodthirsty smile on full display. Taihou surged her flames out in a screeching mass but Roon blew right through them, laughing as she grabbed Taihou's neck and kept moving – slamming her into and straight through one house, then the next, then another.

Taihou snarled, clawing at the hand on her neck with burning-hot fingers while melting the city around them from the sheer temperature – but Roon's near-godly durability protected her from the worst of it, her wild smile unfading even as parts of her forearm began to blacken. Just as it began to reach bone she let go, skidding to the stop and watching gleefully as Taihou skipped across the open street, smashing into a brick wall and collapsing it atop her. For a half-second before the bricks were vaporized, that is.

''BITCH!''

Roon cackled, unheeding of the raging typhoon of amber fire that corkscrewed into the sky – her eyes wide open with mad glee. Black miasma appeared around her and rotted the earth beneath her, decaying the concrete street to nothing. At her mental whim it surged out to the meet the fire, waging war with the blinding amber tide and holding it at bay. No matter how much fire Taihou manifested, Roon rose to meet her challenge, outputting even more deadly miasma to counter it.

A hole was punched in her defence as Taihou came screeching through, half her body still fire while the other half was reforming into flesh and bone. She crashed down onto the disintegrating concrete and shattered it from the impact, wasting no time in lunging at the Host of Animaus like a mad dog, snarling so hatefully she would've been spitting had the flames not evaporated it.

Roon grinned widely at the incoming fist, raising her hand – and caught the blow.

A shockwave blew out around them, briefly dispelling the torrents of flame and miasma – their very souls contesting each other for dominance, so powerful the air around them trembled. For a long, single second, they remained locked like that in a contest of spiritual strength; before Roon tapped into her [Zerfallen], causing black miasma to rush out of her palm... and ravenously shoot up Taihou's arm.

''HYAA!''

Taihou's screech of agony was dwarfed by the roaring flames that blossomed around her, rushing to counteract the semi-sentient miasma that hungrily chewed away flesh and moved onto bone, rotting her arm with frightening speed. Her regeneration fought to counter it but the pain was clearly putting a toll on her already-unstable mind, resulting in an agonising stalemate as she tried to wretch her hand free from Roon's tight grip, a continual stream of miasma fuelling it.

It took Taihou several agonising seconds to think to counter; all her searing flames rushing straight at Roon instead of her own wound, forcing the Host to release her foe's fist lest she be burnt. The cruiser hopped back two dozen paces, giggling to herself even as the garden beneath her feet began to rot; plants withering and dying while metal fences rusted and crumbled. Nothing was immune to entropy, after all.

Even the sun and the stars would one day extinguish. The flames of a false-phoenix, were of no exception.

''Mm... not bad, not bad...'' Roon drawled in rich amusement, her burns beginning to sow themselves shut as she drew upon Animaus' power, shunting it to her wounds and healing them shut. ''You'll certainly serve your purpose well.''

Taihou bore her teeth in a mad snarl, hate burning so brightly that her gaze caused the air in front of it to heat up. ''What are on about, wretch?''

''Nothing~'' Roon crooned, flexing her fingers. ''Let's test that regeneration of yours~''

Roon lunged with deadly speed, grabbing Taihou by the scruff of her kimono and yanking her off her feet. Taihou responded with full force, the air around them ionizing as blinding amber flames shrieked into existence, so hot it melted the concrete around them and reached the gas pipes beneath the street; causing a chain of explosions to rupture the entire neighbourhood, dozens of houses imploding as gas turned to raging fire.

Neither fighter noticed the chaos. Roon bore her teeth in a face-splitting smile even as parts of her skin began to disintegrate, showing no concern for the exposed bones in her forearm as she reared her free arm back – and punched Taihou straight through the chest. Taihou wheezed but Roon wasn't done, uncurling her fist and unleashing a ravenous wave of black miasma; the black smoke hungrily attacking Taihou's insides from all angles.

''G-Grrk...!'' Taihou grit her teeth, agony clear on her mad visage as she pumped out even more fire, combating the wretched miasma decaying her insides.

Roon didn't give her the chance. With brutal efficiency she reared her hand back and grabbed Taihou by the head, unheeding of the apocalyptic heat around the woman, and grabbed her shoulder with the other hand – then pulled.

''Nnnn-!''

KRRCH!

Bone, sinew and cartilage tore, and with a final yank – Roon ripped Taihou's head clean off.

Instantly the raging pyroclasm around them wilted, the flames petering out into wisps and fading in seconds. The air remained scolding hot even in their absence, the entire neighbourhood around them left in utter ruin – streets destroyed and melted, rows of houses on fire if not outright destroyed to their foundations; there was even a few human corpses here and there, though even they were becoming blackened skeletons from the intense heat that plagued the area.

Roon chuckled under her breath, dropping Taihou's head and stomping on it, making sure to use her Gift to reduce it to nothing. Then, she stepped back; watching Taihou's headless body with earnest curiosity, waiting for her to regenerate. In the meantime she patched up her own wounds, hopping from foot to foot like an impatient child even as sixth-degree burns mended themselves back to pristine flesh.

Ten seconds became thirty, then sixty. One minute became two.

'Did I overestimate her?' Roon wondered honestly, her enthusiasm dimming. '...perhaps she wasn't worth the effort. Atago would've provided a better boost.'

With a displeased frown the Host of Animaus turned-

SKREEE~!

-and hissed as a burning pyre erupted right as she turned her back, causing a cataclysm of even stronger flames to scorch her back; searing through her natural defences. The cruiser leaped away and landed further down the street, torn between annoyance and relief. Annoyance that she had to now heal her back... and relief that everything was still going according to plan.

The frothing maelstrom of fire raged for a full thirty seconds before it calmed, the flames abating and leaving the street destroyed. Or rather, left the landscape that was once a street destroyed – nothing but a circle of indistinguishable black soot left in all directions around the now fully-healed Taihou.

''Nice try wench.'' Taihou sneered, teeth flashing under the rising moon. ''But you can't kill me.''

In response, Roon gave a gleeful grin. ''Let's see about that, hm~?''

As one both women lunged, black miasma backing one while raging amber fire following the other, the reigning moon the only witness to their battle. A battle in its purest form, not for any justification nor any moral right, for they had been cast aside when it started.

Now, it was a battle for dominance – a battle to the death.

And by the time the morning sun would rise, only one would remain standing.

X-x-X

Warspite was tired. Oh so very, very tired.

But now wasn't the time for sleep, no matter how much it clawed at her eyes.

''Are you serious?''

The air inside the command room was thick with tension, an intangible weight bearing down on the Battleship. Tables had been rearranged and chairs thrown out, making room for the four large TV screens positioned on the north wall; a mass of wires tangled behind them and currently being worked on by Sheffield, the maid bearing an irritated frown on her face as she tried her hand at keeping the connection stable.

And gazing down at her from the four screens, were the representatives from the four major navies of the world. Commander-General Matthews of the Eagle Union on the upper-left; King Alexander of the Royal Isles on the upper-right; High Emperor Hiro of the Sakura Empire on the bottom-left; and Chancellor Luthermann of the Ironblood on the bottom-right.

''Of course we are serious.'' Chancellor Luthermann intoned with a sharp, crisp tone. ''You cannot expect us to sit by idly while that monster ravages the land?''

Warspite gazed back at the Ironblood man with disbelief. ''Human troops won't be able to even slow Roon down! You'd be sending them to their deaths!''

''And what would you have us do?'' The Chancellor replied curtly. ''You are unwilling to fight her. If you are unable, we will do it ourselves, even if it costs our nations dearly.''

''Unwilling?'' Warspite's words were a dangerous whisper. ''Half of our strongest fighters are incapacitated or critically injured. Several might not even make it. Queen Elizabeth, our strongest, is dead. Bismarck, Graf Zeppelin, Prinz Eugen, Z46 and Admiral Graf Spee are MIA and potentially our enemies too. We do not have the fighters to deal with Roon.''

''Not all of you are incapacitated.'' Commander-General Matthews remarked simply; tone firm. ''Yourself and Mikasa are powerful yourselves, correct? You should be able to hold Roon back for some time.''

''And then what?'' Warspite countered with increasing heat, her temper slipping. ''Leave my comrades to their own devices? Leave them without leadership or tactical guidance?! The Ironblood forces are without a leader! Mikasa is struggling to coordinate the wounded and manage the Sakura! If Roon decides to launch an offensive, we will not survive it!''

Her shout echoed throughout the sound-proofed room, ringing clear through the stilted silence she had created.

''Warspite.'' Belfast called out from the corner, voice soft.

Warspite breathed a rough exhale, one hand coming up to nurse her eyes. She wasn't meant to be the diplomat; that was always Elizabeth's job. She was the guard, the sword that cut down the enemies. She didn't have the patience to explain to upstart humans who thought they knew better from half a world away, snug in their offices without ever having to see the bloodied and burned bodies lining the infirmary halls. She certainly didn't have the patience when her heart was torn in a dozen places, grieving for her lost sister while maintaining the facade of leadership.

It was all just too much. On her best day, she could handle it. This, safe to say, was the farthest thing imaginable from her best day.

''We cannot, and will not, launch an offensive. Not now.'' Warspite breathed, slowly letting her hand slip off her eyes and gazing up at the four leaders. ''We aren't in the position to. If we do, we risk drawing Roon's attention to us, and give her the idea to wipe us out. What we need to do is to keep our heads down, to focus on healing our wounded and organising an attack. That, is our only hope of taking her down.''

''And what of Taihou?'' King Alexander asked in a curious tone. ''I'm sure you've heard about her... cataclysmic battle, currently occurring in Saffrona.''

''With any luck, they'll exhaust each other so we can swoop in and eliminate them, or even wipe each other out.'' Warspite replied simply, leaning on her broadsword for support. ''Yet another reason to not pull out our big guns and fight; it risks them deeming us a greater threat, and working together to wipe us off the map.''

''Understood.'' High Emperor Hiro finally spoke, voice quiet but refined. ''I shall send several military detachments to the continent to slow the menace down.''

''They'll die, High Emperor.''

''Of this, I am aware.'' The Sakura man replied in the same quiet tone, his head bowing slightly. ''For that, they will make the ultimate sacrifice. I pray to the gods that it won't go in vain, Warspite of Royal. Make every second count.''

With a buzz the screen went to static; a disconnect sign showing as the Sakura lord left.

''I will arrange for artillery to support Hiro's forces.'' Commander-General Matthews added. ''Our united forces should be ready to launch an offensive within twelve hours.''

King Alexander breathed a low hum. ''I shall call for the Royal Guardsmen to be deployed. My Captains will be in contact, Commander-General.''

''As will mine.'' Chancellor Luthermann added, crisp tone unfading even as he addressed his equals. ''The Heer will be mobilised immediately.''

Three flashes, and the remaining leaders disconnected, rushing to set forth their emergency war plans.

Warspite breathed a deep sigh, hanging her head. Part of her wondered if she could've done that better. Part of her, honestly, didn't care. She was too tired.

But the night wasn't over yet. She still had a lot of work to do.

Slowly the blonde shifted her gaze to the window to her right, giving a narrow view out to the moonlit ocean. The stars seemed brighter tonight; reminding her of the star-wielding carrier currently in the hospital, still locked in a coma.

'Wake up soon, Enterprise.' Warspite mentally murmured, turning away from the window.

'Otherwise... there might not be anything left to wake up to.'

X-x-X

''Y... Yorktown?''

Enterprise ran a hand through her hair, the words ringing clear in her skull. It was, without a doubt, Yorktown's voice.

The carrier shook her head. No, that couldn't be right. Yorktown was dead – she'd seen her die at the hands of that Siren Warlord. She had seen her die, mourned her, even moved on somewhat. Yet something in her heart told her it really was Yorktown, and not some macabre facsimile created by her mind.

'...hm?' Enterprise paused as she noticed something odd, disturbing her from her thoughts.

She listened intently to her surroundings, knowing that the walls weren't thick enough to mute sound.

It was quiet. Too quiet.

Enterprise swallowed, gripping the edge of her bed and shifting her feet onto the floor. Her knees buckled briefly and she tightened her hold on the bed, gritting her teeth as pins and needles stabbed at her soles, but after a moment the discomforting numbness eased enough that she could stand. She shambled over to the bedside table and leaned on it for support, her fingers sliding over to the flawlessly-smooth wall.

Her footfalls were slow and soft, yet seemed infinitely louder in the haunting silence, not a single sound echoing through the hospital walls. She reached the sole door in the room and tentatively grasped it, the low creak of the handle fluttering through the air with ominous slowness. The hairs on her neck stood on end and she immediately opened the door, swinging it wide open as if to surprise an opponent-!

But nobody was there.

Nobody.

''Hello?'' Enterprise called out; her voice ending in a trembling lilt, betraying her bubbling anxiety.

Not a single soul responded. The hospital hallway was utterly empty; stretchers sitting idle against the walls, overhead lights buzzing nigh-inaudibly, the whole place was spotless and perfect. Almost inhumanly so; not a single speck of dust visible to the eye nor a single mark on the floor. The air felt thick, a strange unwelcomeness to it; as if she wasn't meant to be breathing such unnaturally still air.

Enterprise shook off her hesitation, but couldn't dispel the growing unease in her heart. She shambled down the hallway to the right, casting her gaze ahead while leaning onto the right wall for support. Her mind slowly shifted back to her last memories – of fighting Akagi, of watching Essex take a hit for her and die in her arms, of... transforming? Her memories got fuzzy at that point, everything blurring into a mass of silver lights and intense heat. The last thing she remembered was Akagi snarling at her, before everything just went black, her memories abruptly stopping.

'Did I black out?' Enterprise wondered with a frown, casting an uneasy glance behind herself. '..if so, where is everyone? Surely Vestal and the others would be in here...'

She was disturbed from he thoughts as something creaked ahead of her; the sound echoing down the desolate hallway. Enterprise snapped her gaze ahead and tensed, waiting – until another creak echoed, coming from one of the door further down. Anxiety bubbled and twisted in her gut but she slowly approached regardless, something deep inside her begging her to back away... but, curiosity killed the cat, after all.

The handle creaked in her grip, and the door swung open far easier than she anticipated. The handle slipped out of her grip yet the door swung inwards, pulled open by some invisible force not caused by her – and Enterprise froze.

''Any luck?''

A distinctly familiar hospital room greeted her. Dim lighting, overhead lights tilted towards the table in the centre – and laid in the centre was a body. Mutsuki.

Vestal stood on the other side of the table, gazing down at Mutsuki's lifeless body with calculated eyes. Behind her was Zuikaku, standing near a door... and to her left was Enterprise herself, staring at Vestal's back with veiled concern.

''...depends on what you call 'luck'.'' Vestal replied to Zuikaku, poking around Mutsuki's ribcage in a terrifyingly familiar manner. ''I can safely say-''

Enterprise grabbed the door-handle and slammed the hospital door shut. Silence rung heavily around her, seeming so much louder as her mind tried and failed to make sense of what laid on the other side of the door. That... that scene was just like when Mutsuki died. It had been a memory. A memory taken not from her own eyes.

'What the hell...?' Enterprise swallowed and stepped back from the door. Paranoia made her look left and right, gazing down the halls. Since when had the hallway been so long? She hadn't noticed it immediately, but there was far more doors than physically possible.

'Where am I?'

The thought frightened her. It honest to god scared her. This wasn't the real world anymore. Real world doors didn't open to reveal a memory you had weeks ago, didn't defy the laws of physics – didn't show a memory with you in it. Her mind circled back to that one thought, her eyes flickering back to the door. Logic would dictate that if she could view memories, it'd be through her own eyes. Yet she stood in a doorway, looking at herself, and not one person in the room acknowledged her. As if she was some invisible observer, like-

-like Helios.

Her mind clung onto that thought. 'Helios?! Are you there?! Hello?!'

A mental rumble, like a mountain slowly turning to face her. It didn't answer with words, but she felt the urge to suddenly check on the other doors. She didn't want to, but her desire to leave this place was stronger – and so with stumbling steps she shifted over to the next door over, grabbed the handle; and swung it open.

''AHHHH!''

Enterprise flinched back at the sudden screech – eyes widening as she witnessed Akashi lunging at Vestal. The cat-girl seemed to move so much slower than the first time, her hands moving with wild but visible swipes and clawing at Vestal face; extendable claws ripping moderate gashes through skin and eliciting a terrible scream from Vestal; blood splattering across the nearby walls. Enterprise's clone lunged in and swung at the mad cat with her bow, knocking her off and sending her sprawling across the room to a stop, unconscious once more.

With frantic words her past self ran over to the cabinet, grabbing some medical supplies and rushed to help her love. Enterprise watched it all completely motionless, a strange discomfort warring in her heart. On instinct she wanted to move in and help, to soothe Vestal, but her higher brain told her it was just a forgery. A lie. Just a memory.

That didn't make seeing Vestal nearly get slaughtered any easier.

Enterprise shut the door swiftly, holding tightly onto the handle. She tried to reach out to Helios again but it rebuffed her; wordlessly willing her further down the hall. The carrier gripped the handle tighter before sharply stepped back; gathering her courage with a deep breath and obeying the deity's orders.

She had barely taken five steps before she heard it.

''Enterprise~''

The carrier spun. A figure stood twenty paces away, black jacket fluttering in an impossible breeze and a gentle smile curved at her pale lips; silver-white hair indistinct against the sterile hospital background.

Yorktown.

Her sister suddenly spun around, grabbed the door handle to her right – and then rushed inside, disappearing out of sight.

''Wait!'' Enterprise immediately rushed after her sister, feet hitting the tiled floor with long strides – and before the door even slid closed she shoulder-barged it open.

BOOM!

Rain stabbed at her cheeks. A raging hurricane whipped up ferocious winds and rumbling storm clouds overhead. Frothing dark water splashed and crested all around her, saltwater spray hitting her coat and soaking her right sleeve. Peels of lightning cracked overhead, forking through the dark sky and illuminating the world. The scent of smoke curled in her throat and her eyes watered, the unforgettable smell of cordite lingering in the high winds.

She knew this day. She could never forget it.

The Battle of Bulker Bay.

A cacophony of booms erupted further ahead, snapping Enterprise out of her paralysing thoughts. She caught a flicker of silver-white hair and threw aside her fear, sailing full speed across the raging waters, unheeding of the murky water that soaked her legs and splashed viciously into her eyes, as if the seas themselves were cursing her for returning here.

''Yorktown...!'' Enterprise shouted as loud as her voice would let her – but her words were easily drowned out by the hurricane around her, stealing her words and muting them.

The raging waves descended briefly and she caught sight of Yorktown – rushing towards her still sister in desperate panic. She was only a few feet away when Yorktown slowly turned to face her, a familiar little smile on her lips and her eyes as warm as she remembered. It was a look she often gave, accompanied by a fond giggle and pleased glint in her eyes.

Lightning flashed overhead, the thunderclap echoing a second later. The illuminating light revealed the gaping hole in Yorktown's chest, blood still dripping out of the spot where her heart was. The back of her jacket was still in-tact, almost deceiving Enterprise into believing the hole was just a trick of the light – but as the scent of blood reached her nose, she realised the wound was all too real.

''You need to let go, Enterprise...'' Yorktown smiled. It was a smile filled with hidden pain; her eyes crinkling at the corners as she held back tears. ''Everything... will be... alright...''

Yorktown went down like a marionette with its strings cut. She hit the dark water back-first, the frothing tides sweeping her under.

''No!''

Enterprise dove right in. Utter darkness consumed her vision, the blinding flashes of lightning only sending dim spikes of light through the black water around her. She caught a glimpse of Yorktown's fluttering hair and swam down after her, the water feeling so horribly thick around her arms and threatening to slip in past her pursed lips. She refused to let Yorktown sink again, she wouldn't – couldn't lose her again.

However Yorktown was sinking impossibly fast. Enterprise tried to keep up but she felt the water grow thicker, her limbs struggling to move in the blackness around her. She could barely make out her sister's blue heeled shoe as she descended deeper, the darkness swallowing her up.

Burning in her lungs reminded Enterprise she needed to breathe. Her heart tore itself apart, trying desperately to save her long-lost sister, even if she was just a memory – but instincts finally took control, and she began to ascend. Her arms felt heavier but she kicked her legs harder, fighting against the unnatural darkness clinging to her arms; the weight transcending water and becoming something more malevolent, more sentient. More hungry.

Something pulled on her leg but she kicked her leg at it, her gaze briefly looking down at the abyss beneath her. Something was there. She could sense it. Like a gnawing tendril eager to pull her down into its abyssal maw; to devour her very soul for its own hunger. The thought sent a sharp shiver up her spine and she kicked her legs harder, the burning in her lungs becoming painful as they begged for air. The faintest glimmers of light hung above, just out of reach.

The burning reached her throat, her lips instinctively parting for air. Thick, unnatural black water slipped in and she coughed; inadvertently breathing in more. Her legs slowed and she flailed more than she swam, the creeping black tendrils slithering up her legs, eager to pull her down into the abyss. Her chest grew heavy with waterlogged lungs and her vision grew dark around the edges. The glimmering light seemed so close, she reached up, desperately trying to reach it-

-when a glowing silver hand plunged into the dark water, and grabbed her own.

''I've always got your back, senpai.''

Something primordial beneath her screeched and let go, allowing the glowing silver hand to yank her up – and Enterprise sucked in a reflexive breath. Instantly she bent over coughing, her fingers hitting sand as she coughed up the black water in her lungs; heaving in stuttering gasps of air when she could.

After what felt like a small eternity she could breathe again, spitting out the last few salty wads of water that clung to the back of her burning throat. She blinked away the stinging tears in her ears, only now registering the sand beneath her fingers; grainy against her skin when she curled her digits inwards. She looked up, her eyes widening as she found herself not in a stormy ocean... but on the beach in front of the base.

'What...?'

It was the base. She could tell that much... but things were different. The sky was a murky, blood-red hue. Black clouds lazily drifted over the crimson sky – and flying around were massive eyes. Each the size of a small living room and attached to dark blue tentacles that fluttered behind them, they struck a terrifyingly alien image.

Movement caught her eye, making her look slightly to the left; spotting what looked like a giant hand that had been cut off at the wrist, a bright crimson eye in the centre of its open palm. The floating hand rose into the sky and one of the lazily-floating eyes suddenly shifted; and before Enterprise's gaze she watched a horizontal line split open the massive eye – to reveal a gaping maw of hundreds of impossibly sharp teeth, its macabre mouth forming a snarl.

A heartbeat. That was all it took before the snarling eyeball crossed half the base in an instant – and chomped down on the hand, tearing its thumb and index finger off and shredding them between its teeth. The hand made no sound but the glow in its eye grew brighter – and with godly swiftly it spun, smacking the eye and crushing it inwards; a dented white globe crashing down onto the cafeteria building.

The commotion had drawn attention however. Three more eyes grew mouthfuls of teeth and lunged impossibly fast. The hand smacked aside one but the other two tore vicious chunks out of it, ripping it to shreds in a matter of seconds. Within ten seconds nothing was left of the sentient hand, and the horizontal slits across the eyes closed shut; reverting back to a far less intimidating eye. As non-intimidating as a ten foot tall eye could be, that is.

''Hih...'' Enterprise's breath hitched as one of them noticed her; its black pupil suddenly honing in on her.

She blinked, and the eye was in front of her.

Uh'eogoth ot epfm'latgh

PRINCESS OF ASH

Enterprise flinched back; the etheric voice booming loud around her. ''H-Helios...?''

The eye blinked once, and she felt a thrum of agreement. ''What are...? Why is...?''

Wahr'rot mgehye'bthnk

WAHR'ROT ENCROACHES

'Wahr'rot...?' Enterprise glanced back at where the sentient hand had been. Was that supposed to represent Wahr'rot then, while eyes were Helios? Some kind of spiritual manifestation?

Enterprise swallowed, taking a deep breath to organise her thoughts. A task twice as difficult when a massive eye was staring at you, while being fully aware of the drooling maw hiding behind its piercing gaze.

''Where am I?'' The carrier asked firmly, forcing herself to look the deity in the eye.

Helios blinked emotionlessly at her, its eyelids making a disgusting squelching sound.

Ymg' orr'e

YOUR SOUL

It took Enterprise a moment to register what the god said, her eyes widening as she processed it. ''My soul...?''

A wordless affirmative brushed her mind.

''Is that why... why I can see my old memories...?''

Another affirmative thrum.

''I...'' She had so many questions. Why did she see Yorktown, why did this place defy physics, what was the thing trying to pull her down, was that Essex who just pulled her out – but something about the deity's intense gaze made it clear this wasn't the time for questions. So she went with the one question she knew would get her an answer.

''How do I get out of here?''

Helios glanced to the right. Enterprise followed the deity's gaze, and her eyes landed on the hospital. She looked back at Helios but the massive eye was suddenly gone; leaving her blinking owlishly at the sudden disappearance. She spotted several more eyes in the sky but they all looked so identical she couldn't tell which one was the one she had just been speaking to. Presuming that each one was even independent, that is.

Swallowing her nerves Enterprise turned and set off for the hospital. Her pace started slow but instinctual anxiety made her speed up, her gaze flickering back to the ocean. The water was black with a tint of red, reflecting the sky above. Waves lapped against the shoreline with increasing roughness – rearing back further only to surge in farther. Sign of an approaching storm. A hurricane.

'Yorktown...' Enterprise's heart twisted in sorrow, her feet pelting the ground as she picked up into a run.

She reached the hospital doors and nearly slammed them open. Nearly.

Her hands had barely brushed against them before they swung inwards, pulled by two shadowed figures waiting on either side. Their bodies were masculine in nature but completely indistinguishable, as if they were wreathed in shadows – solid, but wavering lightly from the slightest change in light. They had no faces to speak of nor eyes, yet she could feel their complete attention on her, staring at her with faceless intent.

''Get in, girlie!'' The one on the left suddenly spoke, his voice still young and a touch croaky, like a teen still stuck in puberty.

Enterprise tried to speak, she really did. However words failed her and she managed to only stare at the shadowed figure in disbelief. There was a strange sense of familiarity when she looked at the two, yet she didn't recognise them. Hell, she didn't know many men in general – the Commander and some male dignitaries from the Eagle Union being the exception. Yet as she gazed past the two, she found herself staring down a hospital hall filled with hundreds of shadowed men, all talking amongst themselves in a rumbling murmur of tones.

The youngish-sounding man repeated his request and this time she hesitantly obliged, stepping inside the building. The two shadow-men immediately slammed the doors shut and began shoving metal stretchers in front of it, muttering to each other about 'hurricanes' and 'buying time'. She didn't listen to their conversation any further, her eyes instead drawn to a single figure that approached her with firm but slow strides. Even though his frame was no bigger than any of the other shadow-men, something about the shadow-man commanded an air of authority, beckoning attention without a word.

''Lass. We don't have much time.'' The shadow-man's voice was deep and smooth.

Enterprise found her voice. ''Who are you?''

The shadow-man's face didn't shift, but she got the impression he was smirking at her. ''Heh, let's just say I'm good at riding the waves. But that ain't important; like I said, we don't got much time.''

The carrier nodded, dimly wondering if everything about her soul was so damn vague. She understood urgency, but the lack of information was driving her insane. ''Understood... Helios told me to come here, I'm guessing you can help get me out of here?''

''Ahh... maybe. That depends on you, lass.'' Replied the shadow-man with a heavy lilt to his voice, shifting away.

Something uneasy sparked itself in Enterprise's chest but she followed after the nameless man, letting him lead her down the hallway. The halls no longer stretched on for infinity but were more logically built; she couldn't tell due to all the shadow-men littering the halls, but she was sure it was normal-sized once more.

Several shadow-men shot her comments as she passed. Some greeted her, others murmured supportive comments, others just whistled and waved, not unlike sailors bidding goodbye to their loved ones. The thought felt strangely apt, her mind oddly finding such a comparison accurate. They had that uproarious charm that sailors had. Besides the whole shadow-body thing.

Soon the lines of shadow-men thinned, and eventually Enterprise found herself at the very end of the hall, a single door to her left. The commanding shadow-man grasped the handle and turned it down, letting the door click open; swinging inwards with a slow creak. He didn't enter and she shot him a confused look, seeing nothing more than one of the regular rooms. When he gestured for her to enter she hesitantly did-

-and found two people in the beds to her right. Herself... and a glowing silver body in the shape of a woman.

Enterprise felt her stomach drop, slowly creeping into the room. A single silver thread connected from the glowing silver woman's chest to her immobile body, and as she crept closer she spotted the clipboard hanging from the end of the metal bed, a single name present upon it.

''Essex...'' Enterprise whispered, her eyes trailing up to the glowing silver figure – only now taking notice of how the light curved up, forming a vague ponytail and her thighs had a distinct curve to them; courtesy of her wide hips.

''Ah.'' The shadow-man's affirmative hum snapped her out of her thoughts. ''When you activated that power boost thing, you dragged a part of her into you. I don't understand half the shit that invisible fucker tells me, but from what I'm understandin'... she's weighing you down, lass.''

''What...?'' Enterprise felt something cold stir in her gut.

''You can't wake up. Your soul or whatever is too damaged...'' The shadow-man's faceless visage seemed to grow heavier, conveying emotion without expression. ''...and it can't heal with her still attached to you.''

It took a moment for the faceless man's words to sink in. ''You can't...? You want me to...''

Silence. It spoke more than any amount of words could.

Enterprise shook her head quickly. ''No! If she's here, then that means I can bring her back! Helios can-!''

''Can what?''

''Can bring her back to life!'' Enterprise snapped back with more heat than she intended. The man didn't seem phased.

''And how will the invisible bastard do it, huh?'' The shadow-man asked her pointedly, shifting closer. ''D'ya think if it could do it so easily it'd do it? That we'd even be in this situation if bringing people back from the dead was simple as takin' the dog for a walk?''

''What do you-'' Enterprise froze as his words hit her. ''Wait, I'm...?''

''Dead?'' The man shifted, and she got the impression he was grinning grimly. ''We nearly are, lass. Why d'ya think you're here in the first place? To protect your pretty little head until you can fight back against the ol' abyss and wake back on up.''

To that Enterprise had no response, casting her eyes back onto Essex's etheric body uncertainly. Logic dictated that severing the cord was the wisest thing to do, if it meant waking up and rejoining the fight. Logic didn't have a say in this argument. Her very heart rebelled at the thought of being the one to kill off her lover, even if she was just a wisp; a fragment of the original. Even if she was just a single particle, she was still Essex.

Wind howled against the walls outside and she heard the shadow-man utter a grumbled curse, but she didn't pay him any mind. Her gaze flickered to the rope connecting her and Essex. It looked so thin and fragile, barely wider than her finger and glowing with the same hue as her [Starlight] did. She could snap it with a casual drop of her hand. That's all it'd take. That was all she'd need to do, and then...

''...what would happen to her?'' Enterprise quietly asked.

''Can't say myself.'' The shadow-man replied honestly, striding up next to her. ''If I were to guess... I'd say she'd rejoin the original. Become whole and all that.''

''Take your time... we don't got much time, but we do have some before your soul fucks itself up. Settle your debts.''

Enterprise murmured a quiet thanks, slowly approaching Essex's bedside. The longer she looked the more she could see the resemblance, from the faint curve to her glowing face to the shape of her lithe hands, barely masked by the ambient glow she was giving off. Even in death a part of her refused to let go of her kouhai, to let death take her away. She had lost too many friends and loved ones to handle one more.

Tentatively she reached out, taking Essex's hand in her own. It was solid despite its ethereal nature; an inhuman, brick-like firmness beneath the layers of light. Little more than a hollow shell containing the part of Essex dragged along for the ride. Slowly the carrier shifted her gaze onto Essex's chest, Yorktown's image briefly overlapping hers. Two loved ones, both dealt a fatal punch through the torso. One through the heart, the other through the stomach. What were the chances of that? Was that some cruel joke, done by fate?

'Essex...' Enterprise tightened her hold on Essex's glowing hand.

She didn't want to let go. A part of her rebelled against it like a raging tide, refusing to let her beloved pass on. But it had to be this way. There was no other way. It was either let her go gently... or drag her down with her to the void. Maybe they'd be reunited there or in the next life; she didn't know... but she did know that she wasn't ready yet. She still had a war to fight, people to save, friends to protect and loved ones to love.

She had a life to live. She wouldn't do Essex and her sacrifice the disservice of throwing it away.

''H-Haah...'' Enterprise shuddered as she released Essex's hand, fighting her instincts to grab it again.

If you loved something, let it go. She never understood the significance of such a phrase. Now she felt like she knew it better than anyone in history.

With trembling shoulders Enterprise stood, leaning over the hospital bed and placing a single, final kiss on Essex's forehead – before grabbing the chain protruding from her chest, and squeezing.

KRRSH~!

The etheric rope shattered into motes of light. For a moment the world was still – before the glowing silver body of Essex began to fade. Within seconds her body became transparent, revealing the underside of the hospital bed as she left the world of her soul. It wasn't a fancy or grand departure. There was no final words to be said, for they had already been uttered not even five minutes prior.

'I've always got your back, senpai.'

Enterprise's shoulders buckled and she sucked in a sharp breath, blinking away the sting in her eyes. In the time it took her to wipe away the unshed tears Essex was gone; nothing more than an empty bed left.

The shadow-man by her side was respectfully silent, not saying a word until she looked up at his faceless visage. ''What... what now?''

''Now... you just need to get back in your body.'' The shadow-man replied, stepping back. ''Just act like you're climbing inside a submarine; your soul should do the work. At least from how I understand it – I didn't major in fuckin' spiritual teachings, after all.''

Enterprise's lips twitched up into a weak smile. She got the impression he was grinning back at her.

She walked past the partially-translucent man and over to her immobile body, just taking a second to soak in her own visage. She looked like she asleep, but her chest wasn't moving and her face was distinctly pale. She frowned softly and laid a hand over her face, closing her eyes as she focused. She felt a light pull on her soul – but before she entered her own body, she had one final question.

''...may I have your name, sir?''

''Heh.'' The man's voice took on an oddly familiar lilt. ''That's Captain to you, lass.''

The dots connected in her head and Enterprise smiled, strangely at ease despite the sorrow in her heart – and as she pushed her will into her immobile body, her vision went black.

X-x-X

A sprawling field of white flowers stretched on to the flat horizon. Foggy skies hung overhead, hiding the hazy silver sun that shone down on the flat world below; a similar fog masking the truly infinite distance of the land.

Yorktown stood amongst the infinite fields of flowers; her own personal purgatory, as she waited to finally move on to the afterlife. Held back, by her newfound benefactor.

''Enterprise has now awoken.''

The voice came from behind her, and when Yorktown turned she found herself gazing at a familiar figure, bringing a smile to her lips. ''That's good. I was worried that she wouldn't be able to move on...''

''She still hasn't.'' The familiar figure replied evenly, wading through the flowers towards her; short hair swaying from the movement. ''She has accepted Essex's death. Yours, not fully.''

''Ah, I see...'' Yorktown frowned slightly. ''Is there... anything else I can do?''

''No. It is out of our hands now; Animaus' interference is growing too strong for me to deal with, without intervening directly. Your duty is now done, and you may pass on peacefully.''

Yorktown dipped her head. ''Understood... thank you for allowing me to see her, even if the circumstances weren't ideal.''

The person shifted, gazing down at her. ''It's fine. If it's anyone you should thank, it would be Helios. They're the one who told me to guide you.''

''Ahh. I'll be sure to thank them, when I next see them.''

The figure chuckled softly, lips twitching up in amusement – turning around to hide it. ''I'll let you move on then. Give my regards to Saratoga when you see her.''

''One more thing.''

The familiar figure paused. ''Yes?''

''May I have your name?''

...

''I threw aside my true name long ago, but if you wish to call me by a name...''

''...you may refer to be, as 'Ash'.''

[END]


A/N: And thus, Enterprise has finally come to terms with Essex's death. Can't have her going into denial when she wakes up to find the truth, now can we~? And how fitting that Roon's Gift is death itself, ja~?

Also, due to the addition of another chapter (since this one was split), the Dead Don't Sing Arc will continue to chapter 22; the fourth and final arc will start on Chapter 23.

See ya'll next time in Chapter 21: Awakening~

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