Chapter 1 - A Witches Disappearance
July 1944 - Britannia
Yoshika was pushing her striker to limit just to keep pace with the others. The five Strike Witches were rushing towards Sanya as fast as they could, all of them praying that they weren't too late. Eila was the worst out of them. She kept on frantically looking at her tarot cards, and judging by the concerned look on her face that kept on growing she didn't like what was on them. While Yoshika and Lynne were worried they both were more calm about it than Eila was. Minna and Trude on the other didn't seem worried or at least to any other person, but Yoshika had been with the 501st long enough to be able to read both of them. The way that Minna was rubbing her thumb up against her index finger and how Trude was holding her twin MG42s as if they were the last time that she would see Chris, were clear signs that the pair were worried about Sanya.
"Hey, Eila," Yoshika called out to the girl to try and get her mind off of Sanya. "What do the cards say?"
Eila looked startled a glanced at Yoshika for a moment before she looked down at her cards again. She seemed… hesitant, to say what was on her cards. That only peaked Yoshika's interest even more. Then Eila grabbed two of her cards and flew down to Yoshika's altitude, and showed her the cards, one of cards was a giant tower that was being struck down, while the other… was death.
Sanya was frantically looking around the clouds for any sign that the massive neuroi had followed her in. She calmed down after a few seconds of searching the clouds for signs of the enemy. After calming down Sanya tried to come up with a plan to last as long as she could until reinforcements could show up or somebody noticed either the massive neuroi or the fight. She knew that the comms were somehow being interfered with, so she couldn't call for backup anytime soon. What she could do though was try to hide in the storm until then but that was also a double edged sword. If she ran out of magical energy she would fall down to ocean, 3,050 meters below and if the storm dissipated before reinforcements showed, the neuroi would be on her and she would be in trouble. Not to mention the fact that she was hiding in a storm that meant that she struck by lightning and severely injured.
While she in deep thought she didn't notice the wall of clouds start to slowly gain a darker and darker tint. All of a sudden the bright red flash of a neuroi beam tinted both Sanya's vision and the clouds as she quickly conjured up a shield to block the giant laser. As soon as the neuroi finished firing the beam, Sanya thought up a crazy plan to get away and gunned the engines of her striker and flew straight towards the massive neuroi. When she got within ten meters of one of the platforms, she quickly swung her Fliegerhammer up to her shoulder and fired a missile straight down it's throat, or the neuroi equivalent of one. She smiled when the thing screeched in surprise and pain as she flew down the long tube, dodging many retaliatory beams that were fired off of the reeling neuroi, and flew back into the cloud bank.
Then as soon as she entered back into the cloud cover she came out and into the clear air. Sanya's eyes widened as she threw herself around, and looked on in horror as the storm cloud that she had been hiding in was now behind her. In her panic to get away she had flown out of the cover of the storm and into the open night. That was lit up brilliantly by the full moon that hung above. Sanya watched in pure and utter horror as the neuroi slowly flew out of the cloud cover and helplessly watched as the red patterns of hexagons began to glow brilliantly.
Is this it? Sanya thought solemnly, as the neuroi fired off a massive barrage of blood red glowing beams, that were all aimed at one target, her. Is this how I die? All alone, with no one around me. Put down like a helpless animal, murdered by something that's not even human in cold blood. Well I guess this is goodbye then. Goodbye, Lynne. Perrine. Major Sakamoto. Commander Minna. Barkhorn. Yoshika. Goodbye Mother, Father… Eila. She thought sadly as she closed her eyes and was brought into a memory, that occurred a few months ago.
Flashback, August 1943 - Britannia
Sanya was flying on a night mission with Yoshika and Eila, since a neuroi attacked Yoshika, Mio and Minna when they were coming back from a briefing on the island. While they were ten minutes into flight Yoshika told the two that was her birthday, the same day as Sanya's. Then she detected a neuroi in the area that was blocking their communications back with the base. Sanya flew straight up into the air as the neuroi fired at her destroying her right striker and leaving her hanging off of Yoshika's back in order to stay in the air once both Yoshika and Eila caught up with her. Then Sanya realized that the neuroi was after her for some reason and begged for the two witches to leave her and to get to safety, but both of them adamantly refused to leave her side. Eila took Sanya's Fliegerhammer and aimed it down at the cloud bank.
"But you can't see it!" Yoshika cried out as Eila turned head to look back at the two.
"Sanya, is going to tell me where the neuroi is hiding," Eila smirked a little bit, "after that I'll be able to predict the enemy's movements for a short term due to my magic. So I'll be fine. You are not the same as that thing, Sanya. It may be alone but you got us."
Yoshika looked up at Sanya and smiled at her after Eila's little speech, but still wasn't convinced by them. Sanya still gave the directions to Eila who quickly fired off three rockets at the neuroi, but the thing still did not surface above the clouds. However it was hit pretty hard by the attack. Eila looked around right quick clearly searching for the the neuroi, "Did I miss?!"
"No, it's decelerating. It's sustained heavy damage," Sanya said, "It's coming back."
"Oh, no you don't!" Eila shouted before firing off two rockets both missing.
"You missed it!" Yoshika shouted out in fear.
Eila fired of another rocket while she shouted, "Damn it! Show yourself!"
The rocket hit the neuroi and exploded against its hull, clearing away the clouds and giving a clear view of the neuroi. Which was a kind of stretched out diamond shape that screamed towards them at incredible speeds which Shirley could only dream of. Eila seeing this quickly switched out Sanya's Fliegerhammer with her own gun and quickly pulled down the trigger letting loose a hail of bullets on the neuroi, which continued its suicidal charge, shattering pieces of armor as it flew towards them. Sanya just watched on as Yoshika threw up a massive shield to cover them as Eila kept on firing.
I can't just let the fight this thing on their own can I, Sanya thought as she watched Yoshika and Eila fighting. No… no I can't, she thought with conviction as she activated her remaining striker and flew up a bit higher taking Yoshika's Type 99 and opening fire. Startling both Yoshika and Eila in the process who both looked at her for a second before turning back to the fight. Seconds later the neuroi's core was hit and alien imploded in a shower of white fragments that shot by the three at nearly the speed of sound.
After the neuroi fragments past by them they heard the song Sanya's father wrote for he when she was young, but it was being played by her father over the radio. She flew up and listened in to her father playing her song over the radio waves. Promising to herself that she would one day see her family again.
July 1944 - Britannia
Sanya was pulled out her memory as the beams came closer and closer to her. "No…" she muttered, her voice barely a whisper, but then it rose slightly, "...no." She lifted up her head while her eyes flashed is an uncharacteristic fire burned brightly in them.
"I WILL NOT DIE HERE! NOT NOW! NOT ON THIS NIGHT!" she screamed out as she threw up her arm up and formed a shield mere seconds before the beams all slammed into her. Then as soon as the beams subsided Sanya charged straight at the neuroi, as she did Sanya opened up a small compartment that was hidden on her Fliegerhammer. When she opened it she grabbed the gun that was hidden inside of it and pulled it out. It was a Orussian PPSh-41 that came along with several drum clips that each had 71 rounds of ammunition. She grabbed one of clips and slammed it into the receiver cocking the hammer back and let go, loading the 7.62x25mm round in the barrel of the submachine gun. Sanya dodged two beams before throwing herself forward past one of the giant pylons, and turning herself around firing into the long shaft of the neuroi wasting nearly an entire clip before breaking off.
She circled around and headed towards the front of the thing, coming in for a head-on pass firing whatever was left in the clip, rolling over and performing a split-S to get away for the neuroi. When she pulled out of her turn she hit mag release on the gun and let the clip fall down into the water. Reaching behind her, she grabbed a new and quickly reloaded her submachine gun. While she reloaded she prepared to make another pass on the neuroi, but just as she was about to charge in a strange whistling sound went through air as a light no bigger than her hand slammed into one of the pylons, completely disintegrating it.
"Lynne!" Sanya breathed out a sigh of relief and spun around to see Yoshika, Lynne, and Minna all flying towards her. Sanya smiled brightly and flew over to meet up with them.
A few moments earlier, the five witches at the position where they had last heard from Sanya before they lost all contact with her. They all slowed down and put themselves into a hover as they all looked around searching for any sign of the white haired night witch. Yoshika was worried about Sanya as she scanned the skies looking for any sign of her. Then she noticed the massive storm off towards the group's right, seeing the storm Yoshika called out to Minna.
"Commander, what if Sanya decided to head over to the clouds to try and hide?" she asked calling out Minna's attention to the storm. Minna look over at the storm right quick before turning to Yoshika a small smile on her face.
"You're right, Miyafuji. She probably went into the clouds for cover. Let's go!" she shouted out as they started flying towards the storm. The five approached cautiously as the did not want to be caught by surprise by the neuroi. As they were moving to the storm the five saw a bright red flash of light that tinted the clouds a dark red.
Minna noticed the flash first and immediately reacted, "Miyafuji, Lynne with me. We're going high to get a better angle. Trude you and Eila stay down here and head towards that light. Understood?"
"Roger!" the four sounded off, although one voice was less enthusiastic than the others.
Minna nodded her head in acceptance and looked back towards Yoshika and Lynne who nodded their heads in confirmation and then she turned her attention forward again.
"Alright then, break!" Minna barked out to the flight as the three witches zoomed climbed up higher. When the trio reached about 5,000 meters they leveled off and started to look for Sanya and the neuroi, as Yoshika looked around she saw the flash of a neuroi laser firing out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head over to where she had seen the flash and saw the massive neuroi and noticed a small contrail flying around it. "Over there!" she called out.
"Good job Yoshika! Lynne hit it!" Minna said moments before Lynne's Britannian made Boys Anti-tank Rifle barked out. Launching a 14mm round down towards the huge lumbering neuroi, completely destroying one of the four massive rotating pylons.
After the round had hit, the witches flew down to meet with Sanya. As they were flying down Sanya turned around and flew as quick as she could and gave Yoshika a huge hug. Both Minna and Lynne looked at Sanya as if she was a complete stranger with raised eyebrows and Lynne's mouth fell up at the sight.
"Thank you! Thank you, guys for coming for me!" Sanya cried out as she clung to Yoshika dearly. As though that would be the last time that she would ever see her.
"Of course we came, I could never abandon my friends," Yoshika said calmly to Sanya she embraced her.
Minna cleared her throat to gain the attention of the two's attention. Sanya and Yoshika broke apart and looked a little sheepish at what they were doing. "Alright, now that you two are done. We can get back to the task at hand and blow up this neuroi so that we can get ourselves home?" she asked sounding a little bit impatient. The mentioned witches just nodded their heads in response and turned around readying themselves for a fight. When they were joined by Trude and Eila, who had flown up to meet with the four after seeing Lynne fire at the neuroi.
Eila spoke up first, "Alright, so what's the plan now Commander. We got Sanya back. How the heck are we supposed to destroy that thing?"
"She's got a point Minna, how the hell are we supposed to defeat that thing?" Trude asked as she watched the massive neuroi sit down there still regenerating its lost pylon. Even though Trude enjoyed a battle, she was not suicidal, and up against that without having a plan of attack was just asking for a quick death. The rest of the witches nodded and turned towards Minna who was deep in thought. "Alright, I got a plan. Sanya how many rockets do you have left?"
"I have about three left. Why?" she answered.
Minna nodded, and started laying out her plan, "Okay then here's the plan. Trude and I will engage the neuroi up close while Eila flies around keeping the neuroi focused on her and busy. Lynne, you stay here. You're our long range sniper support since you're gun isn't good for close combat. Sanya, you and Yoshika go mid-range and support me and Trude when you can. Also Sanya, one last thing use the PPSh, save your rockets but if you see a chance to use them, do it. Everyone understand? Good." she said before throwing her arm out, declaring in a loud voice, "Attack!"
Eila and the Karlslanders charged ahead, while Yoshika and Sanya moved up a little closer to the neuroi firing their guns pelting the massive alien with rounds chipping away bits and pieces of its armor. Then the loud whistling sound of a large bullet pierced through the air as Lynne fired off another round from her large rifle towards the enemy. Lynne's shot hit the neuroi in the long tube section of the neuroi blasting a large hole in the side as the three witches closed in. Eila started shooting at the neuroi first, pelting rounds off of the thick neuroi armor, but succeeded in getting the giant monsters attention focused on her. Allowing the two witches to get in closer to the neuroi before they themselves opened fire. Rounds from all six witches slammed away at the neuroi's armor, all of them rapidly searching for the core before they all ran out of bullets to shoot.
The fight continued on for several for minutes with the same attack pattern. Eila flew in firing grazing shots on the neuroi garnering its attention and keeping its fire concentrated on her so Minna and Trude could get with their three MG42s, wreaking havoc on the neuroi as they searched for its core. While Sanya and Yoshika were a little farther back, supporting the the three witches that were making passes over the neuroi, with their PPSh and Type 99 machine guns, respectively. Then there was Lynne in the back, who was taking careful aim at the neuroi carefully watching how much ammo she had left in both her clip and her spare clips that she had on her.
And after hundreds upon hundreds of passes on the giant neuroi were made and there was still no sign of the neuroi's core. Then Yoshika had an idea occur to her, so that they could distract the neuroi long enough to get both Mina and Trude some breathing room. "Lynne, shoot at one of the panels on the one that's rotating there in the front!"
"Roger."
The loud sound of Lynne's Boy's Anti-tank Rifle firing sounded in the air as a bright light flew through the air and slammed into the head of the neuroi, a large cloud of smoke appearing blocking the witches view. Yoshika noticed a red glow in the cloud and opened fire. Seconds later there was shattering sound and a shower of white shards fell out of the cloud as though they were snowflakes. The rest of them breathed a sigh of relief before they all noticed the same thing... the neuroi wasn't dead. The six witches stared on in blatant horror and disbelief as they watched the massive neuroi slowly glide out of the large
"Keep firing!" Trude yelled out as she threw up a shield to protect herself from a neuroi beam. Yoshika shook herself from her stupor next and shook Sanya's shoulder slightly, startling the other girl slightly, before she turned around and flew up to Lynne. When she got there Lynne was in a state of shock, her eyes glazed over as she gazed off into nothing, her hands were pale and shaking so badly that she could possibly drop her massive gun into the ocean below. Yoshika's face grew more worried as she watched Lynne for a moment before grabbing the scared girl's shoulder. Startling her so badly that she had nearly dropped her gun in fright and whipped her head to look over at Yoshika, eyes widened in fear and her breath quickened violently. The frown on Yoshika's face grew deeper at Lynne's response.
"Lynne, it's okay. You're, okay. Alright. Just take a breath and calm down. This is just like any other fight with the neuroi. So just take a deep breath and get it together, okay?" Yoshika said in a soothing voice, desperately trying to calm Lynne. It seemed to pay off however as Lynne's breathing slowed as she closed her eyes for a moment.
"I'm… I'm okay. I'm alright. Thanks Yoshika." Lynne said gratefully.
"No, problem. I was happy to-" "DAMMIT," Yoshika was about respond, interrupted by the irritated scream of Trude who couldn't even get in close to the neuroi as it fire off hundreds upon hundreds of lasers at the two Karlslanders, who were now taking the brunt of the counter-attack by the massive alien. Then Yoshika remembered how she took out the first core and turned to look at Lynne.
"Hey, Lynne. How many rounds do you have left?" she asked.
"Three in the clip and then I'm down to my last clip, why?"
Yoshika smiled slyly and turned to Lynne quickly explaining her plan to her friend .
Lynne nodded her head and flew back down to the fight with Yoshika, firing a round from rifle as the flew. Yoshika turned her head towards Lynne, who nodded in response before stopping and bringing her rifle up to bear and aimed at the front of the neuroi firing off another round at the neuroi. While Yoshika flew towards the neuroi firing her gun as she came screaming in. Pausing for a moment, Yoshika spun around and yelled out to Lynne who responded with firing the last round in her clip, before swiftly reloading.
The large round slammed into the neuroi exposing another core, which Yoshika promptly shattered with a quick burst from her machine gun. Yoshika noticed a few neuroi beams coming towards her and she quickly dived down to try and avoid the glowing blood red lasers, she managed to avoid most of the beams but had to block one or two of the as she moved back into position. Then two rapidly fired shot from Lynne's rifle and as soon as the two rounds impacted the neuroi revealing two neuroi cores, which were quickly destroyed, courtesy of Yoshika and her gun. The other four noticed the shattering of the cores and flew back towards the front to regroup.
"How is that thing not dead yet?!" Trude exclaimed seeing that the neuroi was still flying somehow with four cores destroyed. Eila was exhausted responded first with a snide remark. Which sparked up an argument between the two witches. While the six were talking and arguing amongst themselves, the neuroi had swung itself around so that its long tail faced the six. Minna was about to speak up and break up the fight before a loud ear piercing screech sounded out drawing everyone's attention to the neuroi.
The long tail of the thing was was open revealing that the was in fact a large cannon that a sickly yellowish green color glowing down the long barrel.
They all stared at the thing for a moment before Trude muttered three words that summed everyone's thoughts perfectly. "What. The. Fuck."
"EVADE, EVADE!" Minna screamed out as she shot herself straight up alongside Eila, while Sanya, Yoshika and Lynne sprinted left and Trude went right. The neuroi fired as soon as Minna shouted, a large emerald color beam, with a yellowish tint to the large laser, shot past the witches and struck the once large storm cloud behind them.
What the six witches did not notice was that when that super-charged neuroi beam hit the storm it changed something. The beam discharged into the clouds altering it, changing it. The massive clouds of pent-up energy began to crackle and flicker as the thousands and thousands of water particles that made up the large cloud of gas began to garner a green tint to them.
Then moments later the clouds of water vapor began to move, but not down, no. The droplets began to spun in an unlikely circle that began to encroach towards the center on the cloud. The storm cloud growing smaller and smaller with each passing minute.
"Holy shit!" Trude shouted in surprise on the large laser, before Yoshika called out her voice carried over the winds, "We need to knock out the last core!"
"That would great… if we could even find it! Do you even have a plan?!" Eila called back to her in annoyance.
Yoshika just nodded her head in response before answering, "Yeah I do. You, Barkhorn and Commander Minna keep it distracted. While Sanya, Lynne and I find the core and destroy it."
Eila, Trude and Minna stared at Yoshika's surprisingly good and sound plan. Minna thought it over and nodded her head before turning to look at Yoshika, "Alright, we'll follow your lead on this Miyafuji."
"Yes, ma'am!" she replied instantly, throwing up quick salute before her face turned serious. "Okay here's the plan. Eila, Barkhorn and Commander Minna fly to tail of the neuroi keeping it and that huge cannon off of me, Lynne and Sanya as we go attack the point just behind the giant pylons and try to find the last core. Any questions?"
Lynne spoke up, "Just one. What makes you think the last cores near the head?"
"Because that's where I would put it if I wanted to hide it," she said as she turned around to face the neuroi, Yoshika took in a deep breath. Sending out a silent prayer that she was not wrong before hardening her gaze before calling out one word that scattered them like flies, "Break!"
Yoshika shot down towards the neuroi firing her machine gun as she flew, both Sanya and Lynne flying in right behind her. Meanwhile Trude grouped back with Minna and Eila as they themselves dove down towards the neuroi's massive cannon all of them firing their MG42s as they charged towards the neuroi. As the got closer Lynne swung her massive gun around and placing the rifle firmly against her shoulder and fired one of her last two rounds at the base of the rotating pylons. However the three didn't get a chance to observe the damage that was done to the neuroi as it fired of a barrage of beams at them, forcing the group in closer to the neuroi. Yoshika turned back to the place where Lynne had fired at only to find that it had already regenerated over the damage. Gritting her teeth, she turned to Lynne again who had noticed and placed the barrel of the gun onto the neuroi and fired her last round point-blank into the neuroi. A large cloud of dust sprung up and blocked Yoshika and Sanya's view of Lynne, but when the dust had cleared away the pir were horrified at what they saw. The neuroi had regenerated over the Boys Anti-tank Rifle and Lynne's left hand!
"Yoshika, Sanya! I can't get my hand out! Help me, please!" she cried out as she tried to yank her hand out of the neuroi's armor. As she did her rifle began to shift and change as it turned black and it gained a hexagonal pattern to it, not unlike a neurois. Lynne, saw what happened to her gun, and turned back to her hand, panicking and frantically clawing at her hand to free it from its imprisonment. Yoshika and Sanya also turned to help Lynne. Sanya going behind Lynne and grabbing her from the waist and lifting her up, while Yoshika went down to Lynne's trapped hand and tried to pull it out. Seconds later Lynne cried out in a massive pain as if she felt she were on fire. Yoshika flinched at Lynne's loud cry and grabbed Sanya's PPSh and fired it around Lynne's hand disintegrating the neuroi skin that had entrapped it. When Yoshika freed Lynne's hand the lack of resistance cause Sanya to shoot up and away from the neuroi. Yoshika stayed for a moment and and grabbed Lynne's gun and accidentally pulling the trigger, the rifle fired out a beam not unlike a neuroi's but blue for some reason. The blue beam disintegrated the neuroi's armor and blew a hole straight through. Yoshika saw the core, right where she thought it would be, but couldn't get a shot on it as the neuroi shot at her, forcing her to evade and fly up to Sanya and Lynne. Once the three got to a safe distance away from the neuroi they stopped and turned to look at Lynne's hand and what they saw had them recoiling in surprise.
Where pale human skin had once been was now dark grey hexagons that went up to her wrist. And a small patch of red ones on both the palm and the back of her hand. The two witches looked at each other and at the unconscious Lynne in Sanya's arms. The two stared at Lynne both worried for how she was going to take the fact that one of her hands was no longer her own.
Yoshika looked at Sanya for a minute who nodded her head at in response to Yoshika's unasked question. Yoshika smiled, gave Lynne's rifle to her and spun around diving towards the neuroi and the ensuing firefight below her.
Trude fired her twin MG42s into the neuroi's armor as she flew up and down the tail. She was starting to get worried seeing as the three should have found and destroyed the last core by now. But she was still firing at a neuroi that should've shattered long a ago.
Trude was broken out of her thoughts as she heard a loud scream of defiance and rage followed by a string of gunshots behind her. She turn around and saw something she thought she would never see, Yoshika Miyafuji firing her gun in anger and her face full of rage. Trude stared on for a few seconds before she quickly turned back to firing her guns. Before she could let off a shot though, she was tapped on the shoulder by Eila, who was gesturing for Trude to fly up. She grew curious and flew alongside Eila as they met up with Minna and Miyafuji. Moments later the four were met with the last of the six witches, and Sanya was carrying an unconscious Lynne
"What happened?" Minna asked she saw Lynne's unconscious form on Sanya's back.
"Look at her hand and I'll tell you," Yoshika responded in a low voice as she looked over her friend.
The three of them looked at Lynne and they were horrified by Lynne's now neuroi left hand.
"The neuroi regenerated over her hand and her gun, it did that to her hand before we could free it. It changed her gun too. Sanya if you please" she said in a quiet voice before she turned to Sanya and give Sanya her machine gun as she grabbed Lynne's now shifted anti-tank rifle. Yoshika shouldered the massive weapon with a cold expression of her face that startled Trude as she recognized it, after all she had worn it herself after Chris had fallen into a coma.
Then Yoshika pulled the trigger, and instead of the loud retort that the massive gun was known for, it fired out and large blue beam not unlike a neuroi's. The beam streaked out and slammed into the side of the neuroi chewing a large chunk out of the side of it. The other witches stared in shock the amount of destruction down with a single shot. Yoshika turned back around and started to lay out another plan.
"Alright I have another plan. Eila, you stay here and defend Sanya and Lynne. While Barkhorn and Commander Minna go and attack the last core after I…" she seemed to pause for a moment before speaking again, "...after I use Lynne's gun and give you three a clear shot at it, I'll distract the neuroi as you two hit the core." The four witches were appalled by the plan and the began to voice out their arguments to her immediately, but they were instantly cut off and silenced by Yoshika who glared coldly at all of them. Who all, including Minna, flinched at the gaze.
"You ALL know that it has to be this way! We're low on ammo and we can't contact the base for reinforcements! Hell, even if we could it would be close to twenty minutes before they even get here!" she screamed at the four who lowered their heads as she soften her voice and expression, "I know that you're all scared. I am too. But it has to be me. Lynne's hurt and Sanya and Eila have to stay here and protect her. And you two are our best aces, you're the only ones who can get in close enough to destroy that core. So that leaves me as the distraction, and I can give you two an opening. Now let's finish this thing and go back home, alright."
Trude was moved by the little speech that Yoshika gave out, she was trying to quell any remarks about her risking herself but she did more than that she calmed them down she had motivated and inspired the others to finish this fight. There were nods all around as Yoshika faced the neuroi and readied herself for the final charge at the neuroi. Taking in a deep breath Yoshika turned her head and glanced over towards Sanya and cleared her throat. "Hey Sanya, take care of my gun. I'm going to want it back after this is over, okay?"
Sanya looked at her for a moment before nodding her head, Yoshika smiled for a few precious seconds before diving down towards the neuroi firing off a shot from Lynne's rifle as she dived at near full speed towards the neuroi. Trude watched Yoshika as she dodged many of the beams that were fired at her and blocked some of the others, as got closer and closer to the neuroi the more and more beams were fired off trying desperately to knock her out of the sky.
Trude watched on mesmerized by the younger witch's movements across the sky. It seemed is if Yoshika was not flying but more dancing throughout the night sky, as she dodged laser after laser and moved closer and closer to the neuroi. The young witch weaved in and out, pulled tight turns, and rolled over the beams. Perform complex maneuvers and incredible feats of performance as though she were something as simple as walking or breathing.
"Wow," Eila muttered over the wind and the sounds of the raging battle below as she watched Yoshika split-S down to avoid a shot from the neuroi, "that's not flying that's dancing or something close to it."
Minna, Trude and Sanya all nodded in agreement as they to watched on captivated by Yoshika's flying. Suddenly Yoshika flipped back to avoid a laser that shot past her. She stay in the flip and twisted around and fired the gun at the neuroi. The shot flew straight into the neuroi and carved out a large chunk of the neuroi, revealing the bright red glow of the last core.
"There's the core! Let's move!" Minna shouted over to Trude before they both pitched over and dived at full speed. Trude opened fire first with one of guns trailing behind her as she tried to conserve ammo by only using one gun at time. Minna on the other hand waited until the pair were close enough. Trude spared a glance over at Yoshika to see how she was doing, and saw that she was twisting and turning through the fired beams as if it were dance routine. Trude shook her head in amusement and turned back to the neuroi core, noticing that the neuroi had already regenerated over the core once again. She gritted her teeth in annoyance and turned around to call out to Yoshika.
"Hey, Miyafuji! You mind giving us that opening again?!" Yoshika's response was a mid-air turn and firing another shot at the core. Trude smiled slightly as she spun back around firing her gun as she did so. As she did though, she noticed that the neuroi's regeneration rate had slowed dramatically. Trude paid no attention though and started shooting into the neuroi, but seconds later she heard a loud shriek of surprise behind her. She spun and quickly and was quickly horrified by what she saw, and watched with wide eyes.
Yoshika had been knocked off balance by a neuroi beam and was stumbling around in the air, trying. And the neuroi's main cannon was charged up and aimed right at her. Trude quickly spun around and flew as quick as she could trying to reach Yoshika before the neuroi fired at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sanya, minus Lynne, in screaming dive as she tried to reach Yoshika also. The two of the had their arms outstretched and reached out for Yoshika. Hands flayed out ready to grab something, anything and pull her away for danger.
But when they got close to her… the neuroi fired it's terrible cannon. A bright green beam shot out from the neuroi's tail and slammed into Yoshika.
However, unseen by both Sanya and Trude as they were blinded by the light. Yoshika had managed to throw up a shield just in time. Due to the massive power behind the laser though, Yoshika's shield broke in less than a few seconds. It managed to do its job long for Yoshika regain control and move herself out of the deadly beams direct path. The thing still landed a grazing hit on her back, shredding the back of her uniform and melting the skin on her back. Yoshika passed out from the huge amount of pain and slumped over. Falling down into the small cloud that had once been a massive storm cloud just mere moments earlier.
Second later the swirling mass of gases and mystery, along with Sergeant Yoshika Miyafuji, disappeared that night.
When the bright glare of the yellow light died away. Sanya and Trude looked on stricken with horror as they did not see the form of Yoshika sitting on the other safe and sound. They looked on in rage as they realized that the beam must have disintegrated or vaporized her.
Sanya stared at the last place that Yoshika was in, as she looked on silent tears fell from her face and fell onto the gun that she was holding, Yoshika's gun. Sanya looked down at the weapon in her hands, and being feel an unfamiliar emotion begin to build up inside of her. It built and built inside until she realized what she was feeling. Rage, she was feeling rage. Rage at Yoshika's death, rage at the neuroi and rage at herself for… for not getting to her friend in time to save her.
Sanya twisted herself and glared at neuroi with a crazed glint in the girl's eyes. She dropped the Type 99 to let it hang by her side, as she swung her Fliegerhammer and fired all three rockets simultaneously at the neuroi. The rockets impacted the neuroi blowing off it's tail and exposing the last core. Trude had turned around by that point as well and watched as Sanya picked up Yoshika's Type 99 and charged in with a loud scream of rage and defiance, fire all the way. One of the bullets struck the core and massive neuroi that had tormented them that night, and taken one of their fellow witches had, shattered and died after fifteen minutes of fighting.
There was silence as the four witches that had fought that night just stared off into the night. Something had changed in all of them that night and drew the five of them closer together as they witnessed a fellow witch die that night.
"Hey, Sanya… that your kill wasn't it," Eila said in a quiet, reserved tone, that the normally energetic witch never had before.
"No… that was Yoshika's," Sanya replied as she looked down at the Type 99 that she still held in her hands. The other three nodded in silent agreement to Sanya's statement.
Minna turned to the witches and looked at the long and beaten faces. "Let's go home, girls," she said before turning around and flying off.
The five flew off back, no saying a word or noticing Trude's silent tears.
TBC = Chapter 2 - A New Life for an Old Witch
A/N: Hey guys sorry I am soooooooo sorry this one is so long, over 6,000 words! But I got sucked into writing and couldn't stop. I hope the you guys are loving this story and please leave a review.
Also I am thinking of writing a BSG and SG1 crossover based around the idea that Kara Thrace is Sam Carter if you guys want to read that one it will come out after I get a few chapters of "TSWRS" out and then I will put up to more stories.
The next one probably will not be out for a few weeks because I will be in Washington D.C. and will not have an internet connection. Anyway, hope you all have a good time. DesertWriter01 out!