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The battle was over with a litter of smoking Pravda tanks, the operators of which were gradually climbing out of feeling the sting of swift defeat brought down single handedly by one little tank. George's crew climbed out of the tank leaving their commander standing right on top to observe the aftermath of his work.

"Damn I'm good," George complimented himself.

"George!"

Hearing his name being shouted George looked back to find Kay, Alisa, and Naomi running to him, the excitement of the victory rising up their confidence as they rushed in to hug the boy.

"I can't believe you did it!" Alisa cheered in pleasant disbelief basically jumping into his arms to give him a peek on near his lips.

"You're the craziest tanker I ever met and I love you for it!" Kay joined in kissing George just as eagerly as Alisa did.

"You're all too kind," George thanked for their shower of praise like the at one of his recitals.

"I have to admit. That was the most balls-y thing I've ever seen," Naomi was the last to congratulate him.

Kay and Alisa cleared away so Naomi can come closer with hands drawn out and all, the two once again wrapped in loving embrace only for Naomi to feel a slight of hand reaching further down her rear than before.

"Hey! slow down there tiger," Naomi calmly shoved an "excited" George away making the others chuckle to themselves.

"Sorry," George quickly apologized, "That shoot out got me a little... roused..." he put it.

"Oooh, dose this mean we're gonna have seconds after all?" Kay asked her face slightly pink along with Alisa and Naomi hiding their blushes.

"I can't believe I lost to a tiny tinker toy!" the enraged tone of Katyusha roar from within her tank, "And to a boy at that! NONNA! KLARA!"

Looking over back to the disabled flag tank George was about to meet the Pravda Commander for the first time, two of the second hand commanders, Nonna and Klara, came running up to Katyusha's side waiting at the bottom of the Russian tank.

"Is this the girl that tried to get me kidnap last night?" George asked and all his teammates responded was a simple nod, "I'm gonna give her a piece of my mind."

"Careful, George, she's short tempered," Alisa warned.

"I've met way nastier people," George brushed it off.

Taking a few steps forward the sound of the turret hatch can be heard moaning as the steel rubbed off against each other, George stood waiting in anticipation wondering what the Pravda leader looked like by just her frustrated ranting. And when that lid popped open there was a moment of pause making George believe there will be a monster of a girl only to be see tiny fingers grasps the edge of the hatch and small little girl pulling herself out. George has finally met Pravda's top tank commander and she was the cutest girl he's ever seen. Leaping down Nonna and Klara caught their commander together then putting her gently on the ground.

"How dare you disgrace me! the great Katyusha!" she whined in outrage towards George, "... Well... ?"

Standing at her tallest Katyusha's blonde head can hardly reach George's waist, her face was flustered and red with anger, her cheeks puffed full with air while her blue eyes glaring right at him. George just stood towering over her, his initial thoughts already long gone before turning back to his teammates.

"Kay she's freak'n adorable," he shouted back making Kay, Alisa, and Naomi chuckle, Katyusha becoming more red, and Nonna & Klara restraining themselves form giggling.

"Careful, George, she can be a real diva," Naomi warned in amusement.

"Can we keep her," George requested making Katyusha steam from embarrassment.

"I don't know, George, it's a lot of responsibility," Kay humored him.

"I promise to feed her and take out on walks," George swore.

"ENOUGH!" Katyusha blew up calling a stop on the banter.

"Alright, alright," George cut it out kneeling do to look at the tiny tank commander eye-to-eye, "I didn't catch her name, can you remind me again."

"Eeeeerrrr...IT'S KATYUSHA! I AM KATYUSHA!" she cried out.

"Katyusha? like the song?" George spoke in surprise.

"Yes, and always the rockets that I wish I can use to blow into dust," Katyusha also educated with insults.

"No, I'm familiar with the song," George answered her.

"What does a yankee-boy like you know about the Soviet march song?" Katyusha dared asked.

But soon her question was answered when George started humming in perfect smooth notes that Pravda girls recognized, then George brought up his hands in front of himself, and started moving his fingers imitating the motion of pressing keys exactly. he hummed low and he hummed high while playing an indivisible piano, it's as if you knew the song by heart, then Klara and Nonna gradually joined, singing the words softly like a lullaby.

The Saunders girls were in disbelief as George was peacefully making music with the Pravda girls and Katyusha's anger has now disappeared as she was taken away by George's musical tone before ending.

"How do you know that song so well?" Katyusha asked her eyes now wide in wonder.

"Because it was the song I chose to play at my first piano recital," George told her, "I think I was about your size when I performed in front of the stage."

Hearing George admit that he used to be as small as her.

"Do you know even more Russian song?" Katyusha asked.

"I know plenty," he answered.

\Loading Bay/

After a pleasant and mutual bond Saunders brings their tanks back to the docks to depart to their last destination, with the top commanders sitting on top of a Sherman as everyone got ready to leave.

"You ready for the finals, George?" Alisa asked eagerly.

"More than," George answered in confidence.

"Might as well hand us that trophy now," Kay boasted.

"Not unless these girls have anything to say about."

Entering the port the Saunders team found Daulton leading the Miho and her friends up to them, Kay, Naomi, and Alisa were shooting daggers at the Ooarai girls they stuck their neck out on occasions, now feel unease towards them. George however only paid close mind to Hana as he noticed the expression of guilt written across her face, he would insult, he threaten, but that was old George, he was now thinking before he acted.

"What do you snakes wants?" Naomi question raising tension between the two groups.

Miho, Yukari, Saori, and Mako becoming anxious of possible fight, Hana however remained stoic.

"Peace girls, peace," Daulton acted as the mediator, "Hana really wants to say something to George."

"Yeah she just wants to say something," Saori added.

"Like he'll give you the time of day," Alisa commented in disdain, "right George... George?"

George didn't respond to her instead he dropped down from the tank and started walking towards second party, Hana stepped forward to approach, and the two counterparts met in the middle. They both stood silently staring at one another, despite how they last met from the date that left them both broken hearted George can still remembered how she cried out to him, and Hana remembers how his face looked when he found out the truth.

"... You look a little different... "Hana stumbled trying to start.

"My hair starting to grow back," George responded running a hand through his scalp, "But that's not why you wanna talk to me. Is it?"

"No... " Hana confirmed having hard time looking at him in the eye.

Kay can see and hear the hurt in Hana's face and tone finding more understanding than Naomi and Alisa, but one day they will look back at this, and laugh. Hana struggled with choosing her words fearing that she might be rejected before she can even take back what she has done, the shame almost brought her to tears, but suddenly she felt the soft touch of George's hand grace her. George brought a hand up to wipe the unwanted tear away from her face, Hana was taken away by the act as George guided her gaze back to him.

"Don't cry. You're too beautiful for that," George told Hana with a small smile making her feel warm.

Seeing no animosity in his expressions, nor hearing it in his tone, was surprising for Daulton and stumped Alisa and Naomi as George's usual sudden outrages, but he was silent, so the rest of Anglerfish team stepped forward as if to shield Hana.

"It wasn't Hana's fault!" Saori exclaimed in hesitation confusing George first.

"It was our fault, we pushed her into it!" Miho came up to add.

"Yeah, I even taught her how!" Yukari admitted pretty much dropping to her knees as if she were sacrificing herself for Hana.

The Saunders had to hold themselves back from laughing, Daulton rolled his eyes as he stood back watching the girls needlessly throw themselves to defend Hana.

"Girls," Hana tried to get them to come to their senses, "There's no need," Her friends regained their bearings as Hana pushed herself to get back in front of George the two were mere inches away from each other, "I'm... sorry... "

George paused for the moment letting emotion sink in.

"It's alright... " George thankfully accepted, "It's wa- it's a game... some times we take it too seriously."

"Yes, it's just so much fun," Hana concurred happily.

"Such fun," he agreed.

"Before we carry onto the finals, may I ask you for a proper kiss," she shyly asked her face slightly turning pink.

George only needed a moment before leaning in to meet her lips, Hana's friends were speechlessly surprised that he actually fulfilled her request, Saori eyes sparkling for seeing love, Alisa and Naomi pouting from jealously, and Kay and Yukari blushing at the cute act before the two finally broke off.

"How was that?" George asked.

"It was... everything I hoped for," Hana stated to him, making it clear that she was satisfied.

"There. Is everyone now on good terms again?" Daulton asked of both parties. The Ooarai girls yelped eagerly with Kay smiling brightly with the rest eventaully giving in, they've been through too much with those girls just to throw to away. "Great! now that you both are here I like to tell you all that there's gonna be a festival at your last stop."

"ReallY?" Saori's eyes sparkled with excitement with others.

"Food? music? games?" Alisa asked.

"Check them all off your list because it's all happening," Daulton confirmed, "Everyone is gonna be there and George. I hope you like wearing robes in public."

With that the Ooarai girls followed Daulton off the lot cheering for the event to come leaving George confused with the other giggling right behind him as they hung around his shoulders.

"What the hell does that mean?" George asked clueless to Daulton's words.

"Hmm... ," Kay hummed as her friends put on smirks waiting to see the look on George's face, "Have you ever seen a kimono?"

And that it finally dawned on George, then Naomi held both his shoulders to push, and Kay and Alisa grab hold of his arms to pull taking him towards the ship without protest.

"C'mon, we'll help pick one out for you," Alisa offered.

"You're gonna look gorgeous," Kay said confidently.

"Yeah, pretty boy," Naomi added.

Now that all has been forgiven everyone can look forward to be friends once again, as the sun sets the ships have now departed to their final destination, the Ooarai team celebrating on making it to the finals like before, and Kay and her girls helping George be fitted into his new kimono. The previous challengers are on they way as well once hearing the news. Most were static making plans to enjoy the coming day or to wow their peers once they make it.

There was much to be excited about as it was a much needed reward for carrying on a proud tradition.