Blazepanzer here...and I've decided to write a small short story. Basically, I was watching Dir Film and something occurred to me when the KV-2's shell fired though the building...what if someone was in that building? Thus this short crappy story was born.
It's not much, just over 1.5k in words, but I'm kinda happy with it. Anyways, enjoy! Note: Blazepanzer does not own Girls und Panzer.
Hanoashi glanced up, deciding to take a small break from her math work. I don't know...I'm just not feeling it today, she sighed inwardly. Normally, I love these kind of assignments, viewing them as akin to a video game on paper, but...why am I so not into this assignment today.
"Katoni-san, are you alright?" Her teacher asked, apparently noticing her discomfort.
"I'm okay Sensei, thank you," Hanoashi smiled before gazing down and getting back to her work.
Before too long, she heard several cannons going off. Seems as though the Sensado team is fighting today. Unusual for a match to be held on a Friday though, she noted.
The next thing she knew, she felt a very brief but extremely painful burst of heat, followed by the sensation of flying. It happened so fast that she had no true comprehension of what had happened, but she knew something had gone wrong. She thought she could smell something awful, something burnt, but in less the two seconds she found herself going form being normal to everything going black.
"It's time for her trial to begin," a voice announced.
Hanoashi blinked open her eyes, gazing around as she stood up. "Trial?" she asked, dazed and confused.
"Does anyone disagree that young Katoni has earned her place here in Kuroguard?"
The voice came from a golden being, and although she couldn't see who he was, she could sense that he was smiling gently at her.
But there was no decent, no complaints from those who surrounded her.
"Very well then, shall she attempt the trials of life?" the golden being asked.
Once again, there was no words spoken. Are they speaking in silence? And...what is Kuroguard? Trials of life? Who are these...people...
She trailed off as she saw someone precious, someone she thought she'd never see again. Mother! But wait...if she is here then...Am I dead? Her heart sunk as she realized that somehow her life had just ended.
"Very well then," the golden being announced. "Hanoashi Katoni, welcome to Kuroguard! Your mother will give you the grand tour," he added before fazing out.
"Mother," Hanoashi whispered.
"Hanoashi!" her mother cried, running up to her and hugging her. "I...I'm so sorry, you shouldn't have had to die like that," she sobbed.
Hanoashi just embraced her mother, gently sobbing with her, but not really able to speak for a few moments. After a moment she gazed up, her green eyes still dull from the realization. "What happened mother? I briefly remember feeling really hot, like I was on fire followed by the sensation of flying before everything went to black."
"A shot from Pravda's KV-2 was fired into your school. Most in your class have died or will die in the next few hours...I'm sorry." Her mother sighed. "At least you died quickly."
"Everything happened so fast, so...is there anyway I can observe what is going on?"
Her mother nodded. "Normally, you need to have lived in Kuroguard for fifteen years in order to observe the earth like that, but you have somewhat of a vested interested, so you'll be able to observe some things early."
Hanoashi nodded. "Can you show me how?" she asked.
"Just focus on observing the Earth, and Saren will guide your vision," her mother admitted.
"Saren?" Hanoashi asked.
"The creator, that golden being you saw during your trial. Just don't call him a god, he hates being called that with a burning passion."
"I see...one last thing, I smelt an awful scent during the blast...not something that I normally smell from a fired shell. Was...that my flesh burning that I smelt?"
Her mother nodded. "Most likely," she sighed.
Hanoashi felt herself puke a bit in her mouth over the thought of smelling her own flesh burning. "Thank you for telling me mother...I know it's an unpleasant thought, but I...I needed to know," she sighed, before focusing on observing the earth.
Before long she saw herself in an office, the mayor of Ooarai discussing something with a man in a suite. For some reason she knew this man's name, dispute never hearing it before. Is...this something that automatically happens when observing? Knowing the name of everyone even if you've never met them?
"Renta...I know that we agreed to allow Ooarai to remain open for winning the tournament, even though no one from the Ministry of Education actually agreed with President Anzu's suggestion. However...I am telling you now...shut...down...that...school!"The Mayor shouted, before slamming his fist on his desk. "Now!"
"But Mayor Koto, please...if we close Ooarai, it would be nearly impossible to reopen the academy," Renta protested.
"I do not care!" Koto growled. "Fifty students are either dead or lay dying because of one shell being misfired. And what about Ooarai's Aquatic Zoo? Dealing with the Preservation Society is going to be a big headache."
"If you are sure, then I'll inform the Student Council President and begin the closure post haste." Renta bowed, before leaving the room.
Hanoashi let out a small sigh. I feared this would happen. Still, getting expelled like that for saying that Ooarai's Sensado team needed to seriously review safety protocols was a jolt. Thankfully Aunt Shelia had come to my aid, convincing the land school to give me another chance.
She glanced down. Not like it did any good, regrettably, she sighed, before focusing again, curious to see what else was happening.
Soon she found herself observing a public bath, she quickly noticing some of her old classmates from Ooarai. Something drew her attention to two girls.
"Alina...we really need to be more careful about our Terrain from now on. Our tank is top heavy, so if we turn the turret on a slop, well...we'll tip over."
And if you fire in a school, students will die, Hanoashi sighed inwardly. Still...I really hope you don't find out what happened...enough grief has happened today.
"That's kind of a lax view to have on this, Katoni-san," a boy announced.
"Kazuni...wait...why are you watching girls in a public bath?" she asked, tipping her head.
"I'm not watching them like you are, just listening to them. Of course Seran isn't going to allow me to watch porn, not that I have an interest in it," Kazuni huffed.
Relaxing a bit, Hanoashi dropped her focus on the visible world, allowing herself to appear in a should of darkness. "If we're going to talk...then let's both talk in the same realm," she noted.
"Fair enough," Kazuni nodded. "I...there was something I wanted to tell you back on earth...but...well...now that we are kinda dead...I..." He trailed off, clearly unsure of where to take things.
"I know...I spotted you glancing at me a few times...though...I wish we hadn't died," Hanoashi sighed, knowing where he was going. She walked up gently, taking his hand. "We can't be a couple in the same way we could on Earth, but...if you want, we can become a couple in regards to the rules of Kuroguard." she offered.
"Thanks, I'd like that," Kazuni smiled, before hugging her, sobbing softly.
"Kazuni..." Hanoashi whispered...before wrapping her hands around him.
"Why...why did we have to die so senselessly," he whispered.
"I...I don't know, Kazuni," Hanoashi whispered, gently massaging his back to comfort him.
They stood like this for a while, ignoring the sounds of the girls in the background. After a bit, a chime erupted. "Student council president Anzu Kadotani, please report to the ship academy office immediately I repeat..."
"What's going on, I wonder," Kazuni mummered, breaking off from the embrace."
"I think...Ooarai's going to be shut down," Hanoashi admitted slowly. "I...observed the mayor yelling at a Education Minister about shutting the academy down. He seemed rather...pissed for lack of a better word."
"Never heard you cuss before," Kazuni mummered. "All the same, I can't blame you, given what happened."
"What if I told you I was expelled for telling Ooarai's Sensado Instructor that we needed to study safety regulations when a student nearly drove their tank off a bridge."
"I'd find it very hard to believe, but we're not able to lie here in Kuroguard, so..." Kazuni broke off. "Still, that's low of Ooarai Gril's Academy.
"Yeah, of course that's not the excuse they said publicly, Ami, the instructor, lied about me assaulting her, but about a week later an on campus bar owner reported that Ami was in her bar at the time she had claimed the assault took place, so there is that."
"I...I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that," Kazuni whispered.
"Yeah...I didn't." Hanoashi sighed. "Anyways, shall we observe Anzu?" she added, trying to change the subject.
"I'm sorry Anzu, I've done all I can," Renta huffed.
"But...you promised," Anzu protested.
"No, you announced that we wouldn't shut down the winning school. I protested when the word came to shut Ooarai down, but...no one is willing to listen. At best they did at least take into account your victory over Kuromorimine, but..." he trailed off. "Most people think it was just luck."
"He's not telling her the truth, is he?" Kazuni hissed.
"It's would not be easy to tell her that the school is being shut down because about fifty people died due to one stray shot, although I do agree, he should at least tell her the truth," Hanoashi noted.
"Yeah, can we go...I don't think I can watch anymore," Kazuni whispered.
"Okay...shall we take a walk together?" Hanoashi offered.
Kazumi smiled. "I'd like that."