Chapter 15: Foreign Emotion Part 3

(Hornet)

A warm cloudless day descended upon the land of the rising sun. The Sakura Empire's streets were buzzing with resident shipgirls doing their daily routine.

It was still early in the morning, so there was no end in sight to the streets being vacant. One would think that the early time would be perfect in terms of not having many people, however, much like the statement of the rising sun, they started their day just as the sun rises.

That proved to be a hindrance to Hornet as she bumped carelessly with random Sakura Empire residents. "Oof… sorry about that, lady," she said when she continued to collide with others to no fault of her own because of the busy time.

Her eyes warily looked forward, seeing Atago moving throughout the crowd with an effortless motion to her steps.

"Feel free to get a little aggressive back there. These streets can eat you whole if you don't push back," she said with a cheery voice.

"Really? You seem more or less okay with this chaos. Ugh… is it always this claustrophobic around here?"

Atago merely laughed and politely turned her head to acknowledge the Eagle Union. "All the time."

They reached a junction point where high-valued stores connected to form a crossroads of sorts. Atago had shown her a bench to their left that was Hornet's saving grace.

"Sigh… jeez, this place is a deathtrap. Good luck trying to walk against the crowd here—I do not recommend it," said Hornet while she realigned herself to the situation in the comfort of the bench.

"Oh, I somehow feel like this is my fault," said Atago with a frown.

"Huh? Well, kinda—if you want to add in that this was your idea to show me around the Sakura Empire."

Atago's furry ears angrily stood up from that statement. "No! I don't mean that being my fault. What I meant is that I foolishly allowed Takao to lose us after we left that warehouse and just before coming here. Ugh, she always does this. If she were here, then her presence alone would make some of these girls move out of our way."

"Are you saying that they don't move for you?" Said Hornet.

"Now why would they? I can freely move through any busy street of my choice without imposing my aura on the others. Takao, sadly, has this image where everyone sees her as a serious person with a lot on her plate. So, when they see her walking, they tend to move out of her way."

"Oh… sounds convenient for her, but I can understand why that might make her feel alienated from the others," said the twin-tailed Eagle Union.

"Hmm… she never talks about that being a problem. Oh well. Her departure won't make this tour any less amazing!" Atago shouted happily.

"All right then, tour guide. Where to?" Sarcastically said Hornet.

Atago gave the Eagle Union a sly smile and pulled out a folded piece of paper from her left wrist cuff. "I'm always prepared for a fun time. Here, we have all the hot locations scattered throughout the Sakura Em—!" Her words were silenced when she spotted a sign taped to a window that read, 'Limited time only! 75% off on all in-house sugary treats!'

Her chest started to palpitate, and her eyes widened with a terrifying scenario playing in her mind. "Ah! That's where I buy my chocolates! Are they insane!? To have a deal that amazing will render their supply depleted for the rest of the week!"

"Hey, a flash sale. Talk about neat. We get some of those on base when goods are nearing their expiration date. That might be the case here, but wow… the whole store?" Said Hornet with a hand to her chin.

"How utterly shameless!" Angrily said Atago with her teeth showing. "Kya!" Her shocked cries soon intensified when she spotted more shipgirls funneling into the store when they also noticed the sign. "Hate to do this, Hornet—but I must get in there before they are all gone!"

Hornet flinched when Atago had left an after-image in her wake. "W-what?! At least take me with you! I could use something sweet." Hornet tried to advance toward the store, however, more shipgirls crowded the perimeter of the store.

The only reason that Atago could have made it inside was because of her unwavering dedication to her chocolates, and her ability to gracefully move against the people.

Hornet didn't know how long she had waited for the black-haired cruiser to reemerge. The candy shop in front of her hadn't quelled the mass amounts of shipgirls that were pouring into their business, and that caused Hornet to impatiently tap her hat. She then reached the point of exhaustion, grabbing a random marker from a nearby outside tea shop table, and a flyer on the ground.

A minute later, the back part of the flyer rested on the bench that she had used earlier with a note on it. "Decided to wing it on that tour guide offer. Hope you got your candy affairs sorted out—Hornet."

She wasn't mad, maybe irritated, but she saw this as a good thing since she didn't have the heart for a sightseeing tour. What bothered her more was the fact that she inadvertently went against the crowd, in the hopes of reaching the living space of the Takao-class ships. Space was tight, and she found herself bumping into more shipgirls. To add to her misery, a lot of them were giving her odd looks when they passed her. It didn't take that much thought process to understand that it was two things that made her stand out like a sore thumb—the fact that she was an Eagle Union among all Sakura Empire, and the choice of outfit that she wore.

The Eagle Union opinion was probably more tamed considering that they were all allies now, and some Eagle Union had already been adventurous enough to make a trip to the land of the rising sun.

She played it cool and grinned whenever someone would give her an odd glance. In the end, she didn't mind what they thought. Her outfit was her own and no one could make her feel anything to go against that.

The grinning Eagle Union soon found her world turned upward when she smashed violently with someone else. It was her fault since she had her eyes closed while grinning at others. Whoever she had hit, she could sense that they had a bag of ingredients without opening her eyes. Even worse, she had also heard the bag fall to the ground shortly after.

"Ah! Watch where you're going you—!"

Hornet weakly smiled, her eyes still closed, when she landed on her bottom on the hard ground. "Ouch… hey, that's on me, sorry for the interception on my part." Her eyes opened and the first thing she saw, was a bottle of tempura dipping sauce near her feet. "Hey, neat…" she commented on the bottle.

"Give me that!" The bottle was then snatched away from Hornet's hand. "Huh? What are you doing all the way out here?!"

The voice was familiar. Hornet finally moved her eyes toward the woman she had collided with for the first time. "Shoukaku!? Oh shoot, my bad—here, let me help you." Many items had fallen out of the brown bag that the Sakura Empire carrier had. Hornet being spontaneously nosey, proceeded to name all the things she picked up. "Flour, pepper, cornstarch, baking powder, and… shrimp?"

"I don't need the commentary, thank you very much," said Shoukaku as she grabbed all the things that Hornet had given her. She stayed on the ground while she fixed all the contents in her bag. "Phew, the eggs didn't crack. You live to see another day, young Eagle Union," said Shoukaku with a stern look in her blue eyes.

"Young? I mean, you're not that older than me, Shou," replied Hornet with a funny grin.

Shoukaku sucked in air, as she swallowed down malicious words she had in her mind when she heard her nickname come from the mouth of the twin-tailed Eagle Union. "Ugh… I'm too busy for this," she concluded. With all her things back in her bag, she got up from the ground and stared at Hornet. "You didn't answer my question. What compelled you to venture to the busy streets of the Sakura Empire?"

"Oh, that…" Hornet then explained her adventure with Atago, leaving out no detail.

"Pfft—haha! And that's why you should learn not to expect anything from the higher-ups," she said with an amusing smile.

Hornet made a face, that was one that emulated indifference to her earlier situation. "I guess. I love chocolate as much as the next person, but she did leave me high and dry like that. Say, what are you making, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Why should I tell you?" Asked Shoukaku with a schoolyard-like pout infused with her words.

"I guess you got me there—hey! I did answer your question, so come on."

The white-haired carrier softened her eyes and sighed. "Fair enough. It's nothing grand to concern yourself with, as I merely bought ingredients to make Zuikaku some shrimp tempura. And don't tell her that if you see her."

"Got it. That's a very nice thing that you're doing for her," said Hornet as they began to walk back to Shoukaku's living area.

A bothered expression appeared on the crane sister's face. "She's my precious sister, which is something you can understand. I figured that she deserves a meal that will fill even her soul from all this drama lately."

Hornet was taken aback by how small the crane sister sounded. "There's more to this, isn't there?"

Shoukaku halted her pace and stared defensively at Hornet. "Why would you say that?"

"Hmm… I can just tell. If I were making a meal for my sister, then my mood would be brighter than the sun. But… you don't look radiant about it," replied Hornet.

"Sigh, I'm trusting you to not run your mouth about this, okay?" Dangerously said Shoukaku with eyes that made Hornet quake from her knees.

"Hey, who am I going to tell in this place? But—got it!" Smiled the blonde carrier.

"Zui had a horrible nightmare last night. She tossed and turned in her sleep as she shouted vicious insults at someone. When I shook her out of it, she looked pale and covered in sweat. There was a period after she awoke, that she was out of it. She muttered, 'I'm not strong enough,' several times before she made sense of her surroundings," said Shoukaku.

Hornet adverted her eyes from the crane sister, as she wasn't surprised to hear that. "She didn't mention anything about the incident with E-2 yesterday, right?"

"S-she told me a lot of things about what happened. Like how that woman freaked out while she was knocked out because of some nightmarish flashback battle. C-could you tell me what was so freaky about the battle?"

Before Hornet could go further, she carefully picked her words, trying to find out what else the other carrier knew. Her smooth choice of words rewarded her with the knowledge that Shoukaku had been informed about everything that happened, except the battle in its detail, which also entitled Zuikaku's death.

The pause in the air infuriated the crane sister. "What gives? You suddenly stopped talking after I gave you my last response. Was it that bad? —oh, I knew I should have been there. Ugh, to think that the situation was handled enough for me to go about my daily tasks was so shortsighted of me!"

"H-hey, sorry for keeping you in suspense. I just didn't know what to say. The truth is, something did happen during E-2's observation, but it's not my place to say. What happened hit Zui on an emotional level that is best you hear it from her."

Shoukaku pouted excessively at that response. "That's not fair! I worry about her, but she doesn't ever want to talk about it, even if I insist." The memory of the time she saw her sister punch the wall in the Azur Lane medical wing entered her mind. Even then, her sister refused to open up to her about her inner turmoil. And that was only one of the times, as more incidents where her sister looked bothered, yet didn't confide in her gathered in her mind.

"Hmm… I can relate. My sister became very reserved when our eldest sister passed away. She silently berated herself, thinking that it was her fault that she couldn't do anything about how events unfolded. All she did afterward, was hold herself in her room, eat pre-cooked meals, and only go outside to maintain her assignments. In fact, she started to undertake more of them. Looking back, I should have done more than what I did. I should have taken a page from Belfast and never left her sight until she could get over whatever hardships she was dealing with. I'm pretty thankful for Belfast for doing what I should have done." Her words echoed back toward her, and an image of E-2 flashed in her mind.

"That… sounds troubling. At least your sister's spirits seem more uplifted. And I'm sorry about your oldest sister—"

"—stop, there's nothing to say on that front. I've made my peace with what happened, and I know that she was the kind of person to let grudges go if it meant a brighter future for all. Dealing with a Siren war is already bad enough, but I think we needed to knock each other around a bit before we all could realize the bigger picture without any more reservations."

"Hornet… you appear a lot wiser than I initially thought. I guess I'm the fool. Still, I'm having a hard time understanding," said Shoukaku.

"—butter her up. Force her to confide her problems to you. And I think you already have the perfect butter—or should I say batter?" Hornet gave the other carrier a trademark smirk, while she pointed to the brown bag.

Shoukaku softly chuckled at the Eagle Union's joke. "Of course, Zui folds whenever I make her my tempura. The answer was always in front of me."

"That's good to hear," said Hornet. She wished that she could say the same about the main issue she faced with E-2.

Their walk to Shoukaku's living area was filled with aimless conversation, just so that it wouldn't be awkward. However, after dropping off Shoukaku's supplies, the air between them grew awkward. "Ahem… I do have some time to waste before I get to making the food. How about it? Are you interested in a more reliable guide around our homeland, rather than one who leaves you behind?"

Hornet smirked, feeling relaxed around Shoukaku. While she had no immediate interest in scouting the unique places of the Sakura Empire, she felt like she didn't want to refuse the woman in front of her.

The Eagle Union didn't know what had her mood so high. During their tour around the Sakura Empire, she found herself enjoying all the sights that they had to offer. From the shops with their wide array of items to breathtaking landmarks that were always accompanied by cherry blossom trees around them.

The end of their tour landed them gazing at a small river channel with a red bridge to the right of them that went across the body of water.

Hornet had her arms folded and whistled randomly. "Gotta admit, I think this place is my favorite. It's so peaceful."

"Eh, you live here for enough time and the romance kinda goes away," flatly said the white-haired carrier.

"Romance!?" Said Hornet, completely caught off guard.

Shoukaku suspiciously turned her head, confusion shown all over her face. "Yeah… I'm talking about the beauty of the area around us," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh… haha. That makes a lot more sense." Even though the Eagle Union had laughed to kill the tension in the air, it proved useless as the other carrier remained silent. "So… what do you think about our captive doppelganger?" She said, applying the only question that came to mind.

Shoukaku looked bothered by the question, yet anything was better than the oddly awkward tension that encroached around them for no reason. "My thoughts are nothing earth-shattering. I do find her to be unique and very dangerous. Why?"

"Well… I don't think she's a threat like the Sirens. I want to believe that she's confused and can be reasoned with," replied Hornet.

"Oh, Hornet. That logic of yours is weird and absurdly dangerous. Fate will make you decide sooner or later who your heart tells you to stand with. I get that she shares the face of your sister, but I don't see a future where both can co-exist. That doppelganger is dangerous as she shares all the tactics, skills, and weaponry of your sister, one who is renowned in strength. A rampaging Enterprise is already a scary thought, pardon my rudeness if any of that offended you."

"Yeah… you and my sister think alike." A depression ensnared her heart. She desired nothing more than to extinguish all wicked negative notions from her heart. However, she felt like everyone around her couldn't share her feelings of wanting to save E-2. In the end, she felt Shoukaku's words to be the decisive blow for her. She wanted to protect her sister, her true sister.

Even though their sightseeing had ended with a gloomy chat, Hornet respected the straightforwardness and honesty of the Sakura Empire carrier.

Their tour had ended with Shoukaku politely excusing herself to begin the meal she had planned for her sister.

It was afternoon now, and the sun was descending gradually, and she felt like her purpose of direction had lost itself somewhere down the line. Maybe it was the despondent mood at the end that made her grimly conclude the unavoidable reality of her predicament. That she couldn't save someone that wasn't looking for it. Her last shred of hope that she held in her heart brought her back to the dock where the warehouse resided.

Her eyes stared at the metal doors that housed her sister's doppelganger to the point that she was surprised that she didn't burn holes into the metal. Without thinking, her hand reached out.

"Hey… don't waste your breath on that phony."

"Huh?!" Hornet wildly turned her head left and right when she heard someone else's voice.

"Up here, Hornet." From the warehouse that was across from the one where E-2 resided, Zuikaku laid with her back against the diagonal roof. She had her katana that she flicked out of its sheath repeatedly with an impulsive impatience.

"Zui! What are you doing up there?"

"Standing guard. What else?" She said flatly. Her actions felt suppressed along with her true emotions which said a lot more than her words had revealed.

"I see… wouldn't it be better if you were inside?"

Zuikaku darted her eyes away from Hornet's gaze. "Sure, but at the risk of wanting to punch her in the face, I'll keep guard out here." There was a lack of confidence behind her words that sounded more like a kid trying to act tough in front of someone else.

"Listen, Zui… about what happened yesterday…"

"No! There's nothing that I want to get off my chest or confide in. Pfft, so what if there was a version of me that was fighting her—should I even call it that? Those moves were amateurish if you asked me," she said with a harshness that stemmed from within her turmoil-ridden heart.

"Is that what you feel? That the version of you wasn't strong enough?"

A red blush flashed across Zuikaku's face like lightning. "O-of course. If it was me there, then I'll do it better. I can do better! I… I… just need to—I will be better!" Zuikaku's gaze was aimless. It looked like she was locking eyes with the Eagle Union, but her gaze laid somewhere far off. The grip on her katana sheath trembled from her shaky hand.

Hornet could see it all. In front of her was a woman who donned the guise of someone unmoved by the horrific projections she saw, but it wasn't that way when looked passed her bravado. Passed it, was a woman already dead on her feet from fighting with herself, for she knew how she would fare in a battle with the shadow of the woman she admired. "Why don't you go back with your sister. Earlier, she told me that she was looking for you, and it would be rude to keep her waiting."

Zuikaku sighed as she reached a mental wall with herself. "Sister… she must be worried about me. We haven't seen each other all day except in the morning. What about you? Are you going to stay and keep watch?"

Hornet turned her head to look behind her to the door that led to E-2. "I don't know, probably not," she said defeatedly.

"I don't blame you. The sooner we can find a way to unlink Enty from her the better," bitterly spoke Zuikaku. She grabbed the side of a storm drainpipe and slid down to the ground. "Please don't worry about me, Hornet," she said with the most truthful smile she could muster.

Hornet could only hope that Shoukaku would be able to get through to her sister. She looked behind her with a final regretful expression and walked out of the area.

(Zuikaku)

It had been about half an hour later, making it nighttime, when Zuikaku had entered the home area that she and her sister shared. Upon entering the homey environment, the delightful smell of seafood assaulted her nostrils. Her stomach then growled in response to the smell. "Shou! Are you cooking what I think you're cooking?!"

Shoukaku, who was in the kitchen with ingredients spread all over the place, like a mad scientist's work lab, turned her gaze to her sister. "Indeed! So, you better have amassed an appetite," declared the white-haired crane sister.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll gladly eat twice as much even if I was stuffed from earlier meals. Say, what's the occasion? Usually, you make me work for this?" Said Zuikaku.

Her sister gave her a bashful smile, thinking of all the funny conditions she made her sister undergo, from cleaning the bathroom to giving a marvelous performance effort during navel fights and exercises. "S-sometimes you don't need a reason. Is it too much to ask that we reconnect with each other as sisters? I feel that we've been pushed apart," she said with a sad yet honest smile.

"Shou…?" Zuikaku's heart painfully diminished, like the sting that she had felt when E-2 had shot her katana out of her hand coupled with the fact that, at the time, she thought E-2 was Enterprise, and something sinister had taken over her. "Is this how you feel? Then I really am a horrible sister for failing to take in your feelings."

"Don't stand there and beat yourself up. This act alone that you feel horrible after realizing it makes you a good sister in my book," kindly replied Shoukaku.

"R-right…" said an ashamed Zuikaku.

All the dirty dishes were piled into the sink, and the kitchen had been cleaned up. The only dishware that remained was on the table that the crane sisters were using for their meal. They both sat on pillows and stationed themselves across each other.

Zuikaku looked to her left, a pot of freshly cooked rice resided. She then looked slightly to the right to see a bowl of broccoli with the distinct smell of soy sauce. Her eyes then observed to the far right, where the dipping sauce and a plate with napkins on it, housed a massive pile of shrimp tempura just begging to be eaten. "Ahh… t-this is so much more than you regularly make, Shou!"

"I might have gotten carried away. Oh well, make sure you clean your plate and prepare yourself for repeated portions," instructed Shoukaku, the ability to allow refusal absent from her mind.

Zuikaku grinned at her sister that was the widest and brightest that Shoukaku had seen in a while. That alone, made the whole dinner worth it.

Laughter associated with miscellaneous topics filled the room. On one end, the brown-haired carrier surged with joy, while she countlessly chomped away at the delicious shrimp tempura. And on the other end, the white-haired carrier absorbed the wonderful and magical time created by her hard work.

Time rolled on, and the large plate that housed the shrimp tempura only had one left.

"Ah…. So full…" weakly cried Zuikaku. Her head had hit the table, perfectly outlining her fullness.

Her sister had taken it easy on the shrimp tempura and had filled her stomach with the rice and broccoli. "There's one more left, Zui."

"Ugh… you can have it, sister. Anymore and I think I might turn into shrimp tempura myself," she said with a dizzy expression.

The white-haired carrier accepted the last one without any words.

"Wow, this was such a good meal. Now all that's left is to turn in for the night," replied Zuikaku.

"You should wait a bit for your food to digest," insisted Shoukaku.

"Yeah, you do have a point." Zuikaku stretched and yawned loudly.

Seeing her sister nearly wiped out made the white-haired carrier courageous for the burning questions that she had. "Would you like some more tea?" She asked.

"Yes, yes… ah…. Thank you," happily spoke the brown-haired carrier. She lifted it to her lips and hummed while she sipped it.

"Say… Zui. I ran into Hornet today, and we got to talking."

The laidback aura that the dinner had created, rapidly vanished as Zuikaku looked at her sister with cautious eyes. "You did? Hmm… what did she say?" She asked with worry shown on her face.

"Nothing much… however, her absent response to a question I told her was all I needed to let me know that there was more that you didn't tell me. At the risk of souring this moment, I ask you… was there anything else that you didn't tell me?" She said with an unwavering look toward her sister.

That intense stare was too much for the other carrier, and she responded to her while her eyes were turned away. "It's nothing. Just a stupid scene that holds no power over me."

"Pfft, you are a horrible liar, dear sister. You might not want to say it out loud, but your dreams are the opposite. Your dazed look the other night said a lot about what you're struggling with. I remember the words, 'I'm not strong enough,' being uttered by you."

A sharp intake of breath originated from Zuikaku. "So what? It was just a random dream, nothing else happened during our analysis of that woman."

"Enough! Please, Zui. We're sisters, and we can tell when the other has troubles. I don't need Hornet's silence or your nightmare provoked screams to know that you are keeping something that is eating away at you. You can stay there and be silent about it, refusing to accept the reality of things, or you can let me in. I feel this all started when I saw you punch that wall when we were in Azur Lane—is this the same as that?"

Zuikaku finally looked at her sister, and her eyes widened at the soul-crushing look of depression she had on her face. "Okay… sis." What proceeded, was Zuikaku telling her the lost details that she didn't disclose earlier.

She soon finished the explanation in its entirety, along with the grim details of seeing herself getting killed by the doppelganger they had captive.

Shoukaku stood in horrified bewilderment from the truth revealed. "Dear… sister—" Her words could not hope to comfort her sister's fears, so she let her actions do the expression with a heartfelt hug.

The brown-haired woman relaxed into her sister's embrace once she had finished all the details. "I ask myself why I even care that some look-alike got killed while I'm perfectly fine. But then… I remember when she knocked my sword away, and at that moment, I felt the power gap between us. It was like running into a wall of concrete. My frustrations and my fears are on par with each other, and none give me room to breathe."

Shoukaku soothed her sister with light motions directed toward her back. "That's understandable. You're one to run in head-first toward any challenge, and to add in the fear you feel for that woman shook the foundation of your fighting philosophy."

Zuikaku reflected on those words. She wouldn't outwardly declare that she was afraid of the doppelganger, however, she wouldn't act overly confident if she had to fight her. There were outlined fears in her heart that related to that woman. Even if she denied it, there was a feeling of trepidation when the possibility of fighting her was the topic. "This is something I'll have to work through, right? I doubt it will go away on its own."

"You have me, Zui. Your sister will always be there for fire support, so just don't worry about that. And while we're at it, the next time you see her, make a big face at her and show her how not scared you are."

"B-but…"

"You can be scared but never show it to the one that scares you. In time, you'll find yourself not having the impulse to be terrified around them."

Zuikaku light-heartedly sighed at the supportive words. "Thanks, Shou."

"Of course, you know that I'm here for you whenever you need me. Now, I don't want you hiding painful burdens like these at all, so if I find out that you were still keeping woeful emotions such as these from anyone else, well… just savor this tempura meal, as there might not be one for a while." She calmly explained, her serious aura masked by her nonchalant attitude.

"Oh, yikes! Very well, sister," she said with a small smile. Her eyes still held conflict, but she was happy that she could talk it out and ease her pain. "Umm… since we're on this topic. There is one more thing I would like to say."

She earned her sister's attention who had taken a sip of her tea. "W-what is it?"

Zuikaku had felt elevated by their last topic, that her face retained a dreamy smile. "About woeful emotions. While I don't see this as woeful in the general sense that it brings me pain, it does make my heart heavy… in a good way."

Shoukaku raised an eyebrow, her attention undivided now.

"This woeful feeling comes from how helpless my heart is to tell the one I love how I feel. I'm sure you have seen me feeling quiet and distant. I was so close to telling her how I felt but I chickened out at the last second. The rest, well, you saw me punch the wall in frustration."

Shoukaku leaned forward, captivation shown on her face. One could say she had a suspenseful awestruck that was on the tipping point for she had a strong idea of who it might be.

"Know that what I feel for her is strong and true. In time, I would like your support on our relationship when I do muster the courage to tell her how I feel."

"Enterprise?" She knew the name of the 'her' her sister continued to use to evade. It all clicked in a heartbeat just by the fact that Zuikaku had been with the Eagle Union when she had punched that wall. Her ideas were also reinforced by how clingy Zuikaku had been around the Eagle Union. Of course, she had other personal reasons that she thought might have been the case, but love was not one of them.

"Yeah… who knew that love could sweep me off my feet like that. I hope that you can accept my choice of partner," said Zuikaku, unable to properly look at her with her blush in full effect.

"I can't say that I expected this at all. All along, I noticed your behavior changed. I greatly believed that whatever was pulling you toward Enterprise was that of a sisterly connection—boy, I was wrong!" Playfully remarked the white-haired crane sister with a brush of her forehead from her hand.

Zuikaku could see an expression of relief plastered all over her sister's face. "You thought I saw her as a sister?!"

Shoukaku released the pent-up joyful laugh that she had been holding back. "I did. That, I consider being something more momentous than your secret feelings for her. As that is not the case, then yes… I would accept your relationship if you can tell her your feelings. That's my only condition."

Zuikaku feared that if she kept smiling, then her face would eternally be stuck that way. Her night had many transformations, from simply eating shrimp tempura to confiding in her sister about her fears, to now expressing the love she had for the Eagle Union carrier. Knowing that her sister was on board with her love, all she needed was to capture the white-haired carrier of her heart.

(Enterprise)

In Azur Lane's base, the white-haired carrier gazed at the moon from the window that resided in her room. Her face looked at peace, yet inside, her mind assaulted her with the encounter with the mysterious winged creature. Sensing that a storm was brewing due to the surfacing of the creature, she sneakily made her way out of the room.

In the hallway, she sneaked until she reached the reception desk of the medical wing. She had the ability to go off grounds if she desired, but she preferred to not stand around and explain her reasons. Seeing that the reception area was empty, she dashed to the exit doors.

"Miss Enterprise?"

That voice. Enterprise could never mistake it for anyone else that made her retract her previous statement. If she were forced to stand around and explain things, then the one who owned that voice would be an exception. "Belfast? You're still here?" She said when she turned around to face her.

The maid stood outside a doorway that was connected to the hallway that the Eagle Union came from. In her hands, she held up two disposable coffee cups. "I am. The thing is…" she looked embarrassed and evasive. "… I was wondering if you wanted some coffee."

"Well, I'll never say no to a cup if offered. I see two though."

The Eagle Union's words smoked out any hidden agendas from the other woman. "Quite perceptive and a bit aggravating. But then again, I should always be honest with you. I came back to see if you wanted company. It wouldn't feel right to leave you unattended while another incident could arise."

"Coffee and company with Belfast, I don't think I can possibly say no. Could you wait for me though," she said while her eyes looked at the exit.

"Huh? Where are you heading off to at this time of night?"

"There's something I want to check up with my eagle and that's the truth," replied Enterprise with a smile.

Belfast could see that Enterprise was telling the truth by looking into her eyes. However, the reason for it was hidden behind something deeper. "Is it serious?"

"No—at least, I don't think it is. If it were, you know that you would be one of the first to know," said Enterprise.

Her response vibrated with the truth that put the maid at ease. "Very well. Don't keep the coffee waiting!" She blurted out, hoping that Enterprise wouldn't notice that her tones to her words could replace the word 'coffee' with 'me'.

Enterprise softly chuckled. "Of course. Five minutes," she said and dashed out of the reception area.

A short run later, Enterprise was outside in the darkness where the dock was located. She whistled and waited. For some time, all she could hear were the sounds of the sea. Then the night responded to her with the sound of fluttering wings.

Her bird, in all his glory, descended from the night and landed on a wooden mass near the edge of the dock.

Enterprise raised her left arm for her eagle to come closer.

The confusion was evident on the bird as he tilted his head in bewilderment.

This caused the white-haired woman to sigh. "Sorry, pal. My right arm is out of commission for a bit. I know you prefer landing on that one, but just humor me…"

The eagle cried out in acceptance and landed on her left arm.

"Good. So… what you been up to?" She didn't expect her bird to respond in any coherent language, so she continued. "Me? Faced a look-alike that wants to kill me, lost the ability to freely use my right arm, and I'm faced with a scenario where if my look-alike dies then so do I. Hope you haven't been going through the same? Maybe you have…" she said gravely when she thought back on the dark-winged beast from earlier. "Hey, there's something I want you to look into. Keep your eyes peeled for any competing eagles out there—primarily dark and creepy ones, but I'm sure you'll know what I mean when you see them. Don't get close to them and let me know right away if you see any eagles like that."

Her eagle stared at her and bowed its head slightly.

The bandaged right arm of the Eagle Union carrier slowly raised, and she slowly stretched her middle finger and index finger to offer a light pat on her eagle's head. "There… now fly."

Once it had its fill of being praised, the eagle took to the skies to carry out its assignment.

I originally was going to have a Zuikaku and Enterprise moment in this chapter but decided on pushing it to the next chapter, as I couldn't find a perfect place to insert it without throwing off the events. I'm not sure if it's going to be the next chapter or the one after that, but there will be a pivotal chapter that I'm eagerly excited to write and will lay out most of the key points of the story, primarily the backstory of E-2. Expect that soon within two chapters at the most.