By the time we'd finished our meal, the light was rapidly beginning to fade and I checked my watch. Sure enough, assuming nobody had tampered with it, night was approaching. Looking at both Atago and Takao, I could see they were thinking the same thing, so I decided to ask the question we were all thinking. "So, who's going to take first watch?"

"I will!" Atago quickly volunteered. "You two need rest after such a long day."

"Wasn't that the reason you sent us into the hot springs?" I asked, giving her a playful smile.

She giggled and shook her head as she relieved us of our empty bowls. "That was for your muscles, now it's time to give the rest of your body a break, Commander." As I opened my mouth to object, she quickly interjected. "If you're so eager to take watch, you can take the midwatch."

I glanced over at Takao, who nodded her assent and I turned back to Atago. "Very well," I agreed as I got to my feet. "In that case, I should probably get to sleep. Any suggestions as to where I can lay down?"

Atago gestured to the tent set up on the other side of the small camp. "You can use mine. It's big enough for two, so you and Takao can both comfortably get some rest while I'm on watch."

My eyes flicked between the tent, Atago, and Takao, and to my surprise, I didn't see the awkward embarrassment I had been expecting in the elder sibling's eyes. At least, not to the extent I was expecting. Knowing full well that an argument would be a waste of time, I simply bowed to both women. "I'll see you in four hours then. Good night, ladies."

"Good night, Commander," Atago replied.

"Sleep well, Commander," Takao said with a faint smile. I smiled back, bowed again, and headed off to grab what little sleep I could.


It felt like my head had just hit the pillow when I felt someone gently shaking me awake. My eyes snapped open and my body tensed up as I looked around, trying to figure out what would wake me up so soon. It didn't take me long before my gaze focused on Atago as she leaned over me, a soft smile on her face.

"It's time for your watch, Shikikan," she whispered, and I nodded as I relaxed somewhat.

"Be right out," I whispered back, and she smiled again before leaving the tent. As I sat up, I tried to collect myself as I looked around the small space. Much to my surprise, I saw Takao sleeping on the other side of the tent, using one of the towels we had taken into the hot springs as a blanket and the other one as a pillow. I wasn't about to let that stand, not for the woman who'd just saved my life hours before. Carefully, gingerly, I removed the towel from her body and gently draped the blanket that I had been using atop her. The pillow was a trickier matter, however, and the best I was able to do without waking her was to slide it next to the rolled-up towel so it would better support her.

Now assured that Takao was sleeping a bit more comfortably, I checked to make sure I still had everything on me and then exited the tent. Outside, it was pitch black, the only illumination coming from the small lantern that was beside Atago. I carefully made my way over to her and tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. She jumped slightly but smiled when she saw it was me.

"Sorry," I muttered apologetically. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"It's alright, Commander," she said with a shake of her head, "I just…don't like the dark. Reminds me of a few scary movies I've seen."

"Has it always been this dark?" I asked as I took a seat next to her.

"Mhm. And this quiet."

It took me a moment to realize she was correct. It was absolutely silent. No real breeze to speak of to rustle the trees, and with no wildlife, everything around us was as silent as the grave. "That's…unsettling. How'd you get through the first couple of nights?"

She gave me an uneasy smile as she shrugged. "Stayed in the tent, kept the light as low as possible and my ears open. The nice thing about the quiet is that you can hear someone coming a mile away."

"But you haven't heard anyone before us, right?"

"Mhm," she confirmed. "Not a soul. And you two ran into that Tester fairly quickly."

"Yeah," I sighed, "That's what worries me."

She peered at me in the dim light, trying to follow my train of thought. "You think you're being tracked somehow?"

"Or monitored," I added, staring out into the blackness as if I could somehow scry the future from that dark void. It was damn unsettling as if the world around us had simply…ceased to exist. "Not a fan of staying put for very long, not if they know where we are, but you were right. We needed to rest, regroup, take a breather. Hopefully, we'll find some way to get into that mountain and shut down this fog. Or cut through all the jamming, at least."

"You're worried about your fleet, aren't you?" Atago asked softly.

"Of course I am," I all but exclaimed, "What sort of leader would I be if I didn't care about the people under my command?"

She paused for a moment, still looking at me. "And the ones who aren't under your command." When I turned back to look at her, she smiled and said, "When I first appeared and she told me to halt, you immediately took up a defensive stance. You were ready to protect her in a heartbeat. That tells me a lot about you."

It felt as though the temperature had jumped up several degrees, and I tried to play things off as casually as I could. "O-oh?" I stammered. Smooth. "What did you learn?"

"That you're brave, for starters. Even after that fight with the Siren, and how outmatched both of you were, you were ready to do it all again if you had to. It tells me you care about us, even if we're still technically your enemy." Atago leaned in close and began walking her fingertips up my arm as she spoke her next words. "And it tells me that I think you two have something together."

At this point, the Sirens clearly began experimenting with the artificial island, raising the temperature and humidity to near unbearable levels. It's the only reason I could've felt so hot and flushed. I sputtered and stammered as I tried to come up with words to explain the situation. "I mean…it's just…and then…"

Atago continued to smile mercilessly at me, her eyes boring into me. "Go onnnn…"

I turned my head to avoid her laser focus, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. "I don't know if it's because, for a second, we felt like we were the only two people left on the planet, or if there's an actual attraction, but…yeah, I think there's something between us. Or at least, I think I have feelings for her. Or might. I dunno. But…" I sighed as a smile crossed my face, "she's smart, driven, adorably stubborn at times, and damn cute when she's flustered."

When she didn't immediately, reply, I slowly turned back to her, almost too afraid to see the look I was sure she was giving me. The broad, if somewhat mischievous, smile on her face was a huge weight off of my chest. "I thought so," she cooed triumphantly. "You can't hide something like that from your big sis…" She leaned back and sighed happily. "And I wouldn't worry too much about the feeling being mutual, Commander. She thinks you're pretty cute, too."

My heart leaped into my throat as I stared at her incredulously. Infuriatingly, she simply gave me that same smile she'd been giving me the past couple of minutes as she stood and stretched. "Well, I should get some sleep as well. Good night, Commander!"

"W-wait, you can just drop a bomb like that and leave me alone for four hours to stew on it!" I hissed as she waved and walked away. "Atago! Atago, get back here right now!"

She turned, gave me another playful wave before she disappeared inside the tent, leaving me alone, in the dark, with the realization that Takao also seems to have feelings for me. I sighed as I picked up my rifle and prepared for a long watch…


Standing watch when everything's quiet is unbelievably tedious. Moored in port, everything shut down, is akin to watching paint dry. You're there to make sure that nothing happens, and for the vast majority of the time, nothing will. Standing watch at night is worse. Now you're alone, and the chances of running into anyone still awake are about as likely as something happening. On top of being bored, you're also fighting sleep.

Now add into the mix unsettling darkness, an unnatural quiet, and a sudden relationship issue that won't go away and you're starting to get what a nightmare those four hours were for me. I tried everything to get my mind off Atago's words that still rang in my ears. But when your light source only extends about forty feet and you don't want to make too much noise for fear of attracting unwanted company, there's not much you can do. I checked and rechecked my pistol and rifle, which took all of ten minutes. I tried walking it off, but again, limited space. I tried staring into the inky blackness that surrounded me, but when I started imagining things in the dark, I decided against it.

Every now and again, I heard a quiet shuffling noise from the tent, followed by a soft murmur. I wondered if it was Takao, if she was alright if she was getting a good night's rest and dammit, I was doing it again. As much as I wanted to keep my head clear, I just couldn't stop thinking about her. I checked my watch and saw I still had three and a half hours left, so with a heavy sigh, I sat down and turned my thoughts inward.

What was it I found so intriguing about Takao? I had to admit, a part of it was, in fact, due to our situation. Being forced to rely on one another, and where she'd saved my life, did a lot to endear her to me. However, there was something more. Not just her beauty, either. South Dakota had saved my life numerous times and was just as beautiful in her own right, but I didn't feel the same attraction to her as I did with Takao. I wanted to know more about her, her hobbies, her dreams, her fears, all of them. I wanted to see her calligraphy, I wanted to see how she made her own ink and watch her practice her form by the light of dawn. I wanted to just be with her, no matter what we were doing. Well, maybe not trapped on a deserted island surrounded by a mysterious impenetrable fog, but most other things.

I still, however, could not figure out why, though, and then something an old friend said to me popped into my head. "Tom," he'd said, all those years ago when he told me he'd gotten engaged, "Sometimes, the heart wants what the heart wants. No rhyme or reason to it, things just click when you find that person."

At the time, I thought he was nuts, but now, as I faced the wants of my own heart, I understood what he meant. And with the knowledge that Takao, at least on some level, felt that same desire for me, I felt a bit more comfortable. My spirits buoyed, I checked my watch to see how much time had passed.

Thirty minutes.

With a long sigh, I settled in for a long three hours…


It was still dark when I went to wake up Takao for her watch, although, if the island continued to keep on the time of the outside world, things would begin to lighten up while Atago and I slept. As I pulled back the tent flap, I saw both of them sleeping peacefully, Atago with a soft smile on her face, and Takao with a serene expression. I quietly reached out to her and gently tapped her on the shoulder to wake her up. When that didn't work, I softly shook her shoulder. Her brown eyes snapped open as she looked around, her hand going to her sword immediately. "E-enemies?!" she whispered until her eyes focused on me and she relaxed. "Oh... It was you, Commander? Apologies, my eyesight isn't the best."

"Don't worry about it," I smiled reassuringly, "I woke up the same way when Atago got me. I'll be waiting for you by the lantern when you're ready."

Takao nodded solemnly and I closed the tent flap as I got back to my feet and headed over to the lantern. I hadn't gotten five steps before I heard a rustle behind me and turned to find her already exiting the tent, ready for watch.

"That was fast," I remarked. "All set and ready?"

She nodded dutifully as she surveyed the surroundings or lack thereof. "Always. Anything to report?"

I shook my head. "All quiet the past four hours, and Atago said much the same for her turnover."

"Good," she said as she finally turned back to me. Her usual calm, serious self was gone, replaced by quiet anxiety, her cheeks red, even in the dim light. "Did…did you two discuss anything beyond turnover?"

Ah. I suddenly understood where her anxiety was coming from, and I felt my own cheeks color slightly. For a second, I wondered if I should fully disclose my conversation with Atago, but in the end, she hadn't asked me to keep it in confidence so I decided to be honest. "She talked about me…and you…and, uh, that you thought I was…" I self consciously cleared my throat. "...cute."

"O-oh," she said, her whole face turning bright red. I half-expected steam to come out of her ears at this point. "A-and you?"

I thought about joking with her, teasing her a bit, but seeing how vulnerable she looked, how anxious she was for my answer, I decided to be straight with her. "I think you're pretty cute, too," I admitted. "Hell, I think you're amazing. You're strong, brave, steadfast, and I just…there's something about you that makes me just want to be with you. I-if that's what you want."

To my eternal relief, her anxieties melted away, replaced by a genuine smile. "It is," she confirmed with a brief nod. "A-at least to see how things work out." Her smile faded as she gazed out into the darkness. "Speaking of, how would we even see each other? We are on opposing sides, ceasefire notwithstanding."

I followed her gaze into the night and sighed as I weighed my options. None of them were promising, but that didn't mean I wouldn't try. "After this, I'm not sure. There's no way I could go to the Sakura Empire. Naval HQ would give themselves an aneurysm if I even suggested it. You could…come with me, though. We could try and explain it as an officer exchange or something. I mean, if your mission is to find out about me, I can't see your superiors objecting."

I looked over at her, studying her face as she gave it some thought. She cast a furtive glance back towards the tent where Atago was presumably fast asleep. Even though I didn't have siblings of my own, the look in her eye was unmistakable. "I don't want to leave Atago behind…"

"I'll…see what I can do," I hesitantly said. "She's clearly important to you, and given the fact that she'll have helped us escape, I think will help me convince Naval HQ." If I could convince them.

She smiled again, this time more timidly as she nodded. "Thank you, Commander. I…I hope they listen to you."

"I hope so, too. I'm not sure if a long-distance relationship would work out too well," I joked weakly. She laughed softly, then paused.

"As much as I would prefer your company for the rest of the night, Commander," she sighed. "You need your rest."

As much as I wanted to protest, I knew tomorrow would bring new challenges that would require me to be at my best, and that included being as well-rested as possible. "Yeah," I slowly conceded as I got to my feet. "Have a quiet watch, and I'll see you in four hours. Good night, Takao."

"Good night, Commander," she replied with a bow. As I turned to leave, she called out to me. "C-Commander?"

I stopped and turned to face her. "Yeah?"

Her face flushed as she avoided my gaze, fidgeting nervously as she tightly gripped her scabbard. "I-if it would not be improper, may…may I know your name?"

"Thomas," I smiled. "It's Thomas."

"Thomas," she repeated slowly, then nodded once. "Thank you."

"My pleasure. Good night." With that, I crawled back into the tent, grabbed the rolled-up towel, and closed my eyes.


Later that morning, I awoke to the sounds and smells of someone making breakfast. I sat up and looked around to find the tent empty. After stretching a bit, I checked my watch and saw that it hadn't quite been four hours yet, which would explain why Takao hadn't roused me. Now that I was up, however, I had best get out there and at least lend a hand with breakfast.

I lifted the tent flap and was greeted with the soft light of the sun as it filtered through the fog. Atago was by the campfire, tending to the pot again, along with a small grill she had set out next to it. Takao stood next to her, diligently watching as her sister cooked what looked like some sort of fish and rice.

Ever vigilant, Takao over at me first and graced me with a thin smile. "Good morning, Commander," she greeted me. "You're up early."

"We were going to let you sleep a bit later," Atago chimed in. "At least until breakfast was ready."

"Couldn't sleep with that delicious aroma wafting in the tent," I grinned. "But I appreciate the gesture all the same. Is there anything I can do to help?"

The sisters shared a glance before Takao spoke up. "It's alright, Commander, you don't have to-"

"I know," I preempted her, "but I hate sitting around and feeling like a fifth wheel while you guys do all the work."

Takao slowly nodded in understanding and Atago gestured to a group of boxes off to her right. "If you want, you could grab us a few bowls from over there, Commander. It's almost ready!"

"Smells delicious," I said as I began rifling through the boxes. "What is it?"

"A traditional Sakura breakfast: miso soup, rice, and salmon," she called back.

After another several seconds of searching, I found the bowls in question and brought them over to Atago, who had just extinguished the small campfire. "Excellent timing, Commander," she smiled up at me. "It's done!"

As she portioned out our meals, I inhaled the wonderful aroma again. "Can't believe you've made something this good with just a few simple utensils. Always wanted to try Sakura cuisine, but I never got the chance."

"You have?" Takao interjected as she took a seat next to the campfire.

"Mhm," I nodded as I sat next to her. "I've always had a fascination with the Far East, even as a kid. Managed to become the naval attache in the Dragon Empery for a while, and I had hoped to be assigned to the Sakura Empire next, but…war broke out and that got tossed out the window."

"Perhaps we will be able to forge this temporary cease-fire into a more lasting peace," Takao said softly. "And you would be able to visit our home at long last."

I looked over at Takao, gazing into her brown eyes as I smiled softly. "I'd love to see it one day."

We held each other's gaze for another few moments before Atago chimed in. "Ara ara, as much as it warms my heart to see you two growing closer by the second, eat up! We've got a busy day ahead of us."

Takao and I shared an embarrassed smile, our faces flushing once more as we turned to our meals. Despite everything that happened so far, this may have been the best thing to happen to me in a long time…

A/N-Hope you enjoyed the quiet, because next chapter, it's Man(and Kansen) Versus Mountain! What secrets lie within? What questions will be answered? What questions will be raised? Who knows! …oh yeah, me. I know. But I'm not telling! Until next time, fair winds and following seas!