"So, that is the report then, Musashi?" Yin asked solemnly as he sat behind his desk in his office, Musashi, and the 31st destroyer fleets Yuudachi standing before him.
Musashi nodded, her arms tight against her sides, pressing her tattered and still damaged clothing against her skin. "Yes, that concludes the report that this Musashi and the 31st fleets Murakumo compiled of the events that transpired." Musashi said her voice on the verge of turning into open sobbing.
Yin nodded his head and picked up a small brown envelope that the 31st fleets Yuudachi had brought with her, "You still look pretty beat up, go on ahead and hit the baths to repair, Musashi. That'll be all."
Musashi nodded and briskly turned around, sending a single tear off of her face and onto the Admirals desk as she left the office, leaving Yin alone with the 31st fleets Yuudachi.
Not looking to speed anything along Yin slowly opened the envelope and took out the letter, written in the skillfully, but simply done handwriting of the 31st fleet's admiral. After a few moments Yin placed the envelope on his desk and looked up from it to Yuudachi.
Yuudachi's uniform was simple, a black skirt and black sailor shirt, and while Yin personally didn't like the color black on clothing very much, he inwardly took note that it suited Yuudachi well.
As Yuudachi noticed that Yin was looking at her, she suddenly tensed up and saluted him. "S-sir!"
Yin let out a sigh as he lifted up the letter and plopped it back down onto the desk. "Do you know what Kyousuke says in this letter?"
Yuudachi slowly, and almost robotically shook her head, the stress was making her slow to react. "N- No, I don't, Poi."
Yin nodded and leaned back in his chair. "Then let me explain something first. Kyousuke was my upperclassmen at the naval academy, but we were good friends. He's asking me to accept you into my own fleet."
"W-what?" Yuudachi asked in sudden confusion, breaking her attention and stepping up to Yins desk, placing her hands on it.
Yin nodded again. "He states that he asks this as a favor to help level you, and so that his other destroyers do not feel so underpowered, but I can easily tell he's thinking of it as penance for our own loss. He feels responsible for Tenryuu sinking." Yin said emotionlessly as his eyes began to water.
"But that's, that's not right, Poi! It's my fault she sank!" Yuudachi declared, tears already forming in her eyes.
Yin shook his head. "No, it is not your fault. If anyone is at fault, the abyssal fleet is, but that is not the point." Yin said as he stood up from his chair and walked over to one of the offices two windows and stared out it at the glistening ocean beyond.
"Th-then what is the point, Poi?" Yuudachi asked as she used her wrist and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Yin was silent for many minutes before turning around and looking at Yuudachi. "From a strength perspective, I should take his gift and have you joined our fleet, though it does say it would be temporary."
"Then please let me!" Yuudachi pleaded. "I- I need to-.."
"However!" Yin said, cutting Yuudachi off, "from an emotional perspective, I am unsure of what to do. Tenryuu gave her life to keep you and your friends afloat, but I am unsure how the rest of our small fleet will react if you joined us."
Yuudachi looked at Yin as his words punched right through her. He was right. Tenryuu had sacrificed herself, and because of that she was alive, but- "Please let me, I- I can't replace Tenryuu or anyone else, but I can do my best to help!" Yuudachi spoke up, tears again falling from her eyes. "I want to return what Tenryuu gave me! Poi!"
Yin looked at Yuudachi and raised a brow as he stepped back over to his chair and sat down, "what did Tenryuu give you, might I ask?"
"M-my life."
Yuudachi's words stung Yin like a poison dart, not become they were not sincere, but because of what they meant. To him it now sounded like she wanted to sacrifice herself just as Tenryuu had. It was an idea he would have to wean out of her. "Alright, I'll allow you to join our fleet. Your room will be number five. There will be no sorties today, so you can meet everyone else in the fleet if you like. Dismissed."
Yuudachi smiled thankfully and saluted Yin, turning and reaching the door.
"Wait, one more thing before I forget!" Yin suddenly said as Yuudachi opened the door, stopping her from leaving.
"Y-yes, Admiral?" Yuudachi asked, suddenly worried for what yin was about to say.
"About our fleet. One of our ship girls is a naval secret of this fleet. No words of her existence or name are allowed to leave the base, understand?"
Yuudachi slowly nodded the words Yin spoke reaching her, but confusion her as they did. "Um, which ship girl-?"
"You'll know her when you meet her. Dismissed."
Yuudachi nodded, wiping her face with her wrist as she quickly left the room, leaving Yin alone in his office. After many minute of sitting motionless Yin turned his chair and picked up the paper wrapped package that Yuudachi and Musashi had brought back with them by Kyousuke's order. Taking the long heavy package he placed it on his desk and began to unwrap it. As the last piece of paper fell off, tears began falling from Yin's eyes, and landed on Tenryuu's sword.
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Yuudachi walked down the hall of the naval base for many minutes before stopping and letting her pent up feelings be released. Meeting with any admiral was always hard for her, but the fact that she was now part of this fleet as a sort of atonement for Tenryuu's loss made it even harder for her to bear.
"Hm, you returning to your base? You'll have to move fast if you want to get back before nightfall!"
Yuudachi turned to see the fleets Shimakaze standing in the hallway before her, looking at her with a gaze that held absolutely no interest in her. "Um , no I – I've been made to join this fleet actually." Yuudachi said before turning completely to Shimakaze and bowing at the waist. "I'm Yuudachi kai, Level 29; I hope I can meet your expectations, Poi!"
Shimakaze stood there for a few moments before huffing and turning around and walking away without saying a word, leaving Yuudachi alone in the hallway once more.
Yuudachi looked down the hall and sighed to herself, not noticing the other presence that stepped up behind her.
"Do not let Shimakaze get you down. She with Tenryuu were the first ships of the base, this Musahsi does not think she truly knows how to deal with the situation."
Yuudachi turned to see Musashi standing before her, her clothing now pristine and in perfect condition. "Oh, Musashi, I- I didn't hear you, Poi."
Musashi smiled. "It is alright, but know that it will be a while until Shimakaze actually welcomes you. She still hasn't welcomed Wo yet, after all."
"Wo? Is that, the other ship girl here?"
Musashi nodded. "Yes. She was close to Tenryuu, and Shimakaze just told me a few minutes ago that she hasn't left her room since she heard the news last night. She is taking it hard."
Yuudachi's face became pensive, "Um, what room is hers, I – I should probably talk to her. Introduce myself at least."
Musashi looked at Yuudachi and let out a heavy sigh as she crossed her arms. "This Musashi does not believe that is the best idea, but can see you are determined. Wo's room is room number four. Continue down this hall then turn right, and it'll be on your right." Musashi said as she turned and began walking past Yuudachi."
"Um, thank you again for rescuing me and my friends, Musashi," Yuudachi said carefully.
Musashi stopped walking and nodded her head, but did not turn to face Yuudachi. "It is nothing. This Musashi will be heading to sleep soon, and suggests you do as well when you can."
Yuudachi nodded as she watched Musashi leave and once she had turned back around and began following the direction Musashi had given her. Down the hall Yuudachi stopped right outside the room with the number four on the door in golden bronze, and the name Wo directly under it. "Th-that has to be a nickname, right? There no way that-," Yuudachi muttered to herself as a sudden chorus of sobs cut her off from inside the room.
Leaning closer and pressing her ear to the door Yuudachi could hear small sobs and an equally small voice crying to itself, and instantly began rethinking what she was doing.
I – I can't do this, if she was close to Tenryuu then I can't bring that to her! Yuudachi thought as she turned on the spot and took a step away from the door.
"I- is someone there?" A small crying voice asked from the other side of the door, stopping Yuudachi in her tracks.
Yuudachi swallowed hard and stepped back towards the door. "U-um yes. I'm sorry to disturb you, but I've been t-transferred to this base, so I- I thought I'd introduce myself."
Nothing was said for many moments, until finally Yuudachi heard the girl's voice, almost like a whimper. "Okay. . . .you can, come in, I guess."
Yuudachi swallowed hard and took hold of the doorknob, slowly opening it and stepping into the room.
The room had no lights on and subsequently was extremely dark, but Yuudachi could make out the outline of another ship girl kneeling on the floor, with what looked like a bed sheet draped over her body. And she could hear her sniffling and crying. Seeing this Yuudachi took a step forward and knelt down on the floor across from the silhouetted girl. "My name is Yuudachi, I – I'm from the 31st destroyer fleet, reassigned here as of today."
The girl turned her head and then slowly squirmed her body until she was facing Yuudachi. In the unlit room Yuudachi could not tell much, but she could see that the girl was wearing a white top of some kind and a red skirt, telling Yuudachi she was likely a carrier. As the girl looked up, Yuudachi noticed both the girl's long white hair, and her brilliantly bright blue eyes, eyes filled with tears that were still slowly pouring down her face. "You- you said you came from the 31st fleet?" The girl asked with a sniff as she ran her arm across her face.
Yuudachi nodded and could fee her own regret poring back out, small tears forming at her eyelids. "Yes."
"Th-the fleet that Musashi and Tenryuu-onee-san went to rescue?" the girl asked, her crying increasing slightly as she sniffed again.
Yuudachi could feel tears now slide down your cheeks, and as the first one dropped off her chin, she couldn't contain herself any longer. "I'm sorry it's my fault!" Yuudachi cried as she dropped her arms to the floor and stared at the ground, watching tears fall from her face onto the floor.
The girl jumped back a bit as Yuudachi fell forward crying. "W-what? What are you-?"
"I was the flagship of our own rescue fleet!" Yuudachi said with a sob. "We got ambushed and couldn't pull out, but Musashi and Tenryuu came and gave us the chance we needed to escape! I wanted to stay and help them but they told me to run as well."
"Th-that doesn't mean-."
"The enemy Ru-class chased after us so Tenryuu chased after it to stop it! She couldn't hope to beat it alone and it sunk her! If I had stayed and helped I could've caught up to it! I could have helped her! I could have saved her instead of having her save me!" Yuudachi sobbed as her emotions and feelings about what had happened finally pouring out like high pressure water.
"No, you- you were told to run so you wouldn't sink." The girl tried to explain to Yuudachi, having trouble as she herself was still in the throes of weeping.
"But I should've stayed and helped, and then you wouldn't be going through this either!" Yuudachi moaned as she looked up, and allowed the girl to see the tear streaming down her face.
Without thinking the girl suddenly crawled forward and hugged Yuudachi, holding her close and crying over her shoulder as her shoulder was cried over, and let her own emotions out. "I should've gone with them! I wanted to go with Tenryuu-onee-san! I couldn't but I wanted to! Maybe I could have helped! Maybe I could have stopped it!"
"I know I could've helped! I should have helped!"
"Me too, I should've helped I should've been there with Tenryuu-onee-san!"
"I - I'm so sorry! I should've helped her but I couldn't!"
"No I- I should've have been there, you're not at fault, I – I augh!"
"N-neither of us are at fault! I – I'm so, so sorry!" Yuudachi cried as the two girls sat holding the other, tears falling down the others backsides as they used the other as an emotional outlet.
"I- my name. It's Wo."
"Yu- Yuudachi."
Both girls sat there after exchanging names, and just let the presence of the other provide what they both needed, eventually falling asleep on the floor of Wo's room, both of them earning a decent sleep.
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Yin stepped out of the headquarters building and let the cool ocean wind blow over him as he looked over the note that Kyousuke had sent. On his initial reading he hadn't noticed, but after Yuudachi had left his office he had notice a piece of paper slip out from within the paper of the note itself, a hidden message from Kyousuke.
"If Yuudachi really was the one who killed the enemy Ru-class, why doesn't she remember. I guess I'll keep a watch on her like Kyousuke is asking. I just hope nothing more goes wrong!" Yin said to himself as he walked back into his office, and headed to bed. He would need a good rest to be strong and keep his ship girl's moral up, even if it was just a little.
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It's cold, so cold! Why is it so cold?
Embrace the cold!
Who's there? I know you're there where are you? Why can't I see anything?!
Embrace the darkness in your heart!
I don't have any darkness, now back off or I'll make you really afraid of me!
You are the one afraid, afraid of your failure and afraid of your loss! Don't you want to return to those that care for you?
Return to, but that means-.
Yes, realize your failings!
No, no no no no no no no! I can't have I- that must be a mistake!
It is no mistake, you have failed and left behind all those that cared for you, how horrid of you, how weak of you!
No I did that to save people and I'd do it again!
But don't you want to be with them? Don't you want to help your friends! Don't you want to feel the light and warmth of the sun once more! Don't you want to see their faces!
I – I do but-..
Then let it embrace you, let the darkness feed you and embrace the cold! Embrace them until they become your warmth, only then will you be able to see them again!
But that's. . . . . No, no no no don't touch me! I don't want to embrace the darkness! I don't want to embrace the cold! Don't touch me!
Too late, you're already one of us, now go and bring ruin to those above!
No! no! no! No I don't want to I, I, I, nooooooo! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
YES!