Three years had passed. During the time, the conflict with the British against the German Nazi party escalated and it wasn't long until Winston Churchill declared war against the Nazi's. Now the British and the German forces were fighting with each other, air, sea and ground. As time went on, the German empire claimed Belgium and Northern France and their numbers grew. Britain became desperate for more recruits joining the fight and had asked America to send in soldiers to help them. America did so but refused to go to war so they could keep their peace.

The American people tried to make sure they were still at peace with other lands other than the lands where Britain were fighting. One of those lands was Japan. And so far, they were left hopeful that they would still be peace between them. But with Japan on the brink of war with China, all America could do was wait and hope.


It was July 4, 1941. Lots of battleships were steaming from the Pacific Ocean and arriving towards their home base on a lagoon harbor on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, west of Honolulu. It was called Pearl Harbor.

It is home to the United States Navy Pacific fleet with its base established back in 1899, providing berthing and shore side support to surface ships and submarines, as well as maintenance and training for new staff. There is even a small islet in the middle of the harbor that houses an air base for the United States Army, called Ford Island, named after Dr. Seth Porter Ford himself. The docks can accommodate the largest ships, but the quays didn't have room for all the ships in the fleet, so some had to be anchored in a row near it when they are packed. And it was because their waters are so shallow, they didn't worry about any submarine attacks.

On the quay, a Tennessee-class battleship with the name, U.S.S. CALIFORNIA, moored up and its sailors stepped down from the walkway. Along with them came some women, including Izetta and Fine, who were now fifteen years old as they stepped onto the concrete, where they were greeted by other navy men on the ground, giving them a proud salute.

"Aloha, ladies! And welcome to Pearl," greeted a young sailor with short blond hair.

"Jonas Gallea!" said a sharp voice, causing him to recoil and turn nervously over at his superior beside him. "Were you trying to come on to our new nurses again?"

"No, honestly, sir! I wasn't!" he answered until he saw his superior's look turn sharper. "Okay, maybe I was a little, but I was completely focused. I swear!"

"Right," said his superior sarcastically.

"Really!" begged Jonas.

Meanwhile, Fine and Izetta took a moment to look around.

"So, this is Pearl?" Izetta asked, astounded.

"It is," smiled Fine. "This will be our new station as nurses. Lots of sun, lots of ocean, considering it's Hawaii." she joked as Izetta chuckled in reply.

"Come on, you two," called a woman with curly brown hair. "Our transports are waiting."

"Yes, Ruth," replied Fine as she and Izetta followed.

The women were sat in their cars, which drove them only a little way until they reached their destination, Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital. Once there, the women got off where they met the chief nurse standing in front of the doorway to greet them.

"Hello, ladies," said the woman. "Welcome to Pearl Harbor Naval Hospital. I am the chief nurse, Gertrude Arnest. Before I show you around, I must show you to your lockers where you will change into your new uniforms."

So, they followed Gertrude inside towards the locker rooms, where they got changed out of their normal attire and into their nurse uniforms which had a black dress with a white apron and cap. As they were doing so, they were all talking about how excited they were to be working at Hawaii. However, while Fine got dressed, Izetta looked quite shy to undress in front of others.

"There's no need to be shy, Izetta," comforted Fine. "It's just us girls here."

"Are you sure it's okay?" Izetta asked anxiously.

"It's perfectly fine," Fine responded with a kind smile.

She still wasn't sure, but Izetta hesitantly tried to change into the uniform anyway, seeing how bold other girls were doing it around themselves. But while she changed, she was met with an unexpected surprise as two hands suddenly grasped her melons.

"AAH!" Izetta reacted and turned to find a woman with long blond hair and glasses, already in uniform.

"What a nice figure," said the woman. "I'm excited that this hospital's getting some new recruits. But about the hair, do you really take care of it much?"

"Evira, what do you think you're doing?!" Fine exclaimed.

"What does it look like?" asked Evira. "I can't help it if I have such an impeccable taste in fashion."

"Evira, we've been through this over and over," Fine said firmly. "You can't just sneak up to someone and do that."

"But don't you know a woman's body can fluctuate drastically from month to month?" asked Evira. "Your last check was last month. And now that I've checked hers, it's your turn, Fine."

"NO!" exclaimed all the other women.

"Besides, you already know all our measurements by heart anyway." added Fine.

With that said, she looked towards Izetta, who was sitting on the floor with her hands covering her chest, blushing madly red in the face and whimpering for being violated. Her friend knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Izetta. It's all fine now," Fine said in a comforting tone, patting her back for support.

It took a little time for Izetta to finally calm down and resume changing into her uniform.

She still wasn't sure at first. So, hesitantly, Izetta changed into her nurse uniform. And, to her surprise, it seemed that none of the other women in the room minded at all, which made her feel better.

After that, Gertrude gave the new nurses were given the grand tour of the whole hospital, letting them all know exactly where to go and which place the tools are whenever they were needed. They were all fast learners. Once the tour was complete, they all stopped at the lobby.

"Okay, ladies! Your training begins tomorrow." she said. "Now I expect you to all report here on time in your uniforms. And do not be late, for I will not wait."

with that, Gertrude left, and the nurses began to leave for the locker rooms to change back into their usual attire.

As Izetta and Fine walked outside, out of their uniforms. Another nurse with yellowish-green eyes and brown hair in a ponytail accidentally bumped her shoulder into Izetta's startling the red-haired girl as she stood back while the other nurse looked back at her in annoyance.

"Watch where you're going, rookie!" she snapped before going on her way before either Izetta or Fine could answer.

Izetta looked embarrassed until Fine stepped in.

"Now, hold it, Bianca!" Fine said sternly. "She wasn't the one who bumped into you."

"Well, she shouldn't have gotten in my way!" Bianca huffed.

"She never did," Fine replied. "She's not the kind of person to wander aimlessly. If anyone should really watch, it's you."

Bianca snorted distrustfully.

"Say what you will, but don't think this will bring your father back from the grave," she said before walking away while Fine glared until she disappeared.

"Pay no attention to Bianca," soothed Fine to Izetta. "She just always thinks she has to be suspicious of everyone around her."

"Still, I wish I said something," said Izetta sadly. "She talked bad about your father. Shouldn't she have some respect after he had fallen ill?"

"Honestly, yes," sighed Fine. "But we just can't let that get to us. Let's go."

And they proceeded on their walk.


The pair and the other nurses were driven to the road of Julian Ave, where a large row of houses was stationed by the sea. It was the perfect place where you can take a whiff of that sea air. The houses did indeed look lovely for a commute.

Izetta and Fine went into one of those houses and started to look around. It had a kitchen with a fridge and an oven, a living room with a radio and a television, and a bedroom with two beds, one for each of the girls. There was even a back door where the two girls would walk outside and take a look at the sea. Izetta was the first to check it out, catching that aroma and hearing the gulls in the air before she soon saw something that made her gasp in amazement.

"Fine, look!" called Izetta excitedly. "You can see the harbor from here!"

Fine came out and looked. And, sure enough, Izetta was right! There was the harbor and its ships in their stations. They could hear the sounds of horns from small boats in the distance. It was the most amazing thing to see.

"You're right," smiled Fine. "Now, let's get unpacking. We don't want to be late for the Independance Day fireworks tonight."

"Okay," said Izetta as she followed her inside.

They went up to their bedrooms and unpacked their belongings. Once they've done that, they began picking out clothes for the celebration. It was just about sunset, which meant they knew that now was the time to get ready.

"Don't you think this is a little revealing?" asked Izetta, holding up what looks like a white short dress in front of a mirror.

"Not at all," replied Fine, "I think that dress would look fantastic on you."

"You really think so?" Izetta asked hesitantly.

"Sure," Fine said as she began helping to fit the dress on her friend.

As Fine worked, Izetta sighed.

"I still don't understand, why does Bianca always have to be so distrustful of me?" she wondered out loud. "Is it because I'm a Jew?"

"Of course not," Fine chuckled. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, I heard about that other evacuation ship filled with refugees that was denied entry two years ago," said Izetta solemnly.

"The MS St. Louis?" Fine asked as Izetta nodded. "Well, I can't imagine why it happened, but be thankful that US officials still managed to get them a safe haven at all."

Izetta couldn't argue about that. She only hoped those people haven't been caught.

Meanwhile, in the building beside the one where Fine and Izetta were staying is where Bianca was staying at. She was looking around the house while her butler was unpacking her things. She began looking at the view outside her backyard, wearing some sunglasses. She didn't smile, but she did have a look of interest.

"It's not a barrack," she murmured. "But I do like the view of the sun to catch some rays. I'll take it."

"Well, your parents did say they wanted to give you a much better life than the army, my lady," replied the butler.

"Shut up! I'd be much happier as a soldier!" Bianca snapped. "I've trained my hardest, but I won't accept that they wouldn't take me in just because I'm a girl! Anyway, have you set all my clothes and everything else in my new bedroom?"

"Yes, madam. Your clothes are all hung in your closet and all your other personal belongings have been set up."

"Thank you," smiled Bianca.

As she began walking away, her butler continued to speak.

"One moment, my dear," he said. "Do you plan on going to attend the Independance Day celebration tonight?"

"Well, of course." she scoffed. "I am American by law, so I might as well celebrate myself."

With that said, she walked away and disappeared leaving the butler to sigh in relief. He always had such a hard time with this girl and was giving him a run for his money. She always made him feel so worn out. He was so worn out, he slumped down into a chair.

"Damn, people like her are going to run me out of business!" he muttered. "Being her butler is hard!"

Then suddenly,

"JIVES! GET IN HERE!"

The butler jumped and rushed towards the bedroom, where he was met with a disgusted Bianca, staring at the net that was surrounding her bed. She didn't like the look of it at all.

"I have to sleep in that?!" she asked angrily.

"Well, that's to keep the mosquitoes away from the bed while you sleep, my dear," explained the butler. "You wouldn't want any of them to bite you during the night, do you?"

Bianca thought for a moment. She always hated mosquitoes.

"Hm, perhaps," she said thoughtfully before she went over to the bed.

Once she approached it, she began feeling around the net until she found an edge and pulled it open. Once that was done, she sat down on the bed. The mattress did feel rather comfy. And the more she looked and felt around, the more she thought.

"Well, this does feel nice," said Bianca. "It'll do."

"Oh yes, dear," smiled the butler. "A perfect bed fit for a princess."

Hearing this made Bianca smile. She already felt like a princess already.

"Thanks for the compliment," she said. "After all, I always do feel like a princess sometimes. Now, get out so I can change!"

"Yes, madam," replied the butler as he left and closed the door.

When night came, everyone was gathered at the park, including Izetta, Fine, Bianca, and all the other nurses who came with all the other guests and residences of Pearl. They all wanted to see how this show would play out. Luckly, Sophie was far away from where Fine and Izetta were standing, so they had no worry to bother with them. They all waited for the fireworks display to start, getting more excited by the minute.

At the harbor, soldiers were already on the scene, standing on the deck of the battleship, Arizona, getting ready to shoot them as they loaded the rockets from their boxes and into the tubes for launching. Then they waited for their leader to give the command signal. Once he did, they lit the fuses, burning them to the rockets.

WHOOSSHHHH!

The rockets fired into the dark sky above.

KABOOM!

Then they exploded and lit up the dark sky with many colorful sparks. One by one, each of the rockets flew up and blew up in the sky with a colorful explosion. Red, green, blue, yellow, all kinds of colors that brought awe and joy to all those watching them.

"What do you think, Izetta?" asked Fine.

"They're so beautiful," Izetta smiled.

"On this night, these fireworks dedicate the lives of all the American soldiers who fought for this country in the past," said Fine.

"All of them?" asked Izetta in amazement.

"That's right," smiled Fine. "If it weren't for them, America would never be the peaceful country it is today."

"Will it still be?" asked Izetta hopefully.

"They are all doing everything they can to keep the peace," said Fine. "For example, they are still suggesting peace with Japan."

"Japan?" asked Izetta curiously.

Fine nodded.

"And as long as America continues to stay peaceful as much as possible, it will never go to war," replied Fine.

With that, they continued to watch the fireworks display, still lighting the sky with colorful booms. Seeing the fireworks shining and hearing the cheering of all the other happy people around her, Izetta couldn't stop smiling with her eyes twinkling. She could already feel a glimmer of hope in her heart.


In the islands of Japan, far away from the Hawaiian Islands across the Pacific Ocean, the citizens were living their usual daily lives, living in their own peace. But however, in an atoll in the central Pacific called the Truk Lagoon, all was not peaceful. There is a navy base stationed there, home to the Imperial Japanese Navy, who were all currently having a meeting. The empire's council was there too for the hearing.

Very soon, the admiral walked in to address everyone, wearing his admiral's uniform with the nametag engraved in Japanese, "Isoroku Yamamoto."

"My fellow Japanese soldiers. I'm afraid I have some terrible news," he said to them gravely. "The United States navy has decided to move some of their Pacific fleet to the battlefield on the Atlantic."

The men muttered to each other, all wondering how that news was so terrible. But the admiral wasn't done yet.

"Now as you know," he went on, "The United States have always provided us with oil for our navy. But after France fell, the Americans can no longer export us anymore oil, which you also know is our lifeline! As of now, we've got enough until the coming of next year."

With that said, the murmurs from the men went changed into worry, wondering what would happen to them.

"So, what do you propose we do about it?" asked one of the council members.

"For now, we proceed to take rich oil from the Dutch East Indies as planned," said Yamamoto. "But, in the meantime, we must make a preemptive strike before we run dry."

"To where?" asked another council member.

Yamamoto rolled down a map of the world for everyone to see. Grabbing his stick, he pointed it right on Hawaii.

"Right there," he said.

Everyone's murmurs turned into shocked gasps at hearing this revealation.

"But Yamamoto, sir, that's an American country!" exclaimed another council member. "Forgive me for speaking out of term, but I was told that we were considering peace with them. You know the law, sir! Don't you suppose that will drive the Americans to..."

"We have no choice!" snapped Yamamoto. "War is inevitable! Trust me, I've spent all year planning for this in case something like this were to happen. So, I can assure you it's not revenge for taking our oil."

The entire council looked unsure.

"Look, there's no doubt that the Americans will try to intervene with our plans for Britain, Netherlands, and the United States with their Pacific Fleet. They'll do everything they can to stop us, air and sea. Which is why we have to strike first before they do! True, there may be casualties, but that's a risk we'll have to take," he continued. "As of now, we are making the Americans think we are considering peace with them, that way they won't know that they'll be waiting for a surprise attack by us! And once we're done, they won't stand in our way."

Everyone and the council looked at each other, deep in thought. They all felt sure that their admiral was right about everything he said. But they still wondered if it was the best action to take.

"So, where exactly on that country should we strike?" asked of the members. "Surely, you don't expect to do this to all of the islands."

"Of course not," said Yamamoto. "To prove this attack as humane, it will be just only at that one place where it should really hurt the most! And that's where all their Pacific Fleet and their U.S. air bases are housed at."

And he pointed his stick on the Hawaiian island, Oahu, showing not only three air bases on it, but also Pearl Harbor!


Author's Note:

So, now you see where this story's going, do you? But just wait, the inevitable will come in a few chapters. For now, it's just planning. I hope you're anxious to know how it plays out. Until then!