*Kure Naval Base – Military Naval District Quarters*
A few hours pass… Osaka feels well rested, and really warm. "Ah… Cozy bed and a sweet comfy rest and… Wait a minute!" – She stops her thought remembering something… She jolts up on the bed, looking around very nervously. Its night time and the moon already envelop the night sky, the stars closely illuminating around it… That's what she sees' out the window of the room. She turns her attention to the room itself, a moderately decorated room, with what looks to be mementos from the past… A particular wall of this room has old black and white pictures… They seem to be from old times…
Suddenly she hears something move! She looks to her right and witnesses a figure sit up right on the ground. It was Nagato… She looks to Osaka who nervously realizes she's probably in her quarters…
"Glad to see you're awake." – Nagato greats her – "I should apologize for not introducing myself properly…" – she stands up and directs her a salute, before saying in a low tone of voice but with a smirk – "I am Nagato, lead ship of the Nagato Class Battleships."
"O-Osaka… T-T-T-Tugboat…" – is the awkward reply of Osaka, who is still bewildered by the presence of Nagato…
Nagato gets up and walks towards the wall with the pictures… She pulls two chairs from the corner of the room and sets them besides said wall, she signals Osaka to come and sit with her… Albeit reluctantly at first, curiosity gets the best of her and she goes to sit beside her… She looks upon Nagato with an astonished gaze, like she still has trouble believing…
"I'm sure you might have a lot of questions…" – Nagato starts and soon enough Osaka follows her lead…
"First Question: How are you alive!?" – Osaka "fires" off immediately! But realization soon hits her – "Oh Shi- I dint mean… Want I wanted to ask was…"
"I know what you mean…" – Nagato says, disarming the situation with a warm smile… But lowers her head and loses the smile as she proceeds to explain…
"The war was over… Japan surrendered." – She explains – "So now I was merely a thorn in the sight of the victorious ones… Honestly I do not blame them…" – She pauses… "So next came the decision of my fate: I was to be sunk in a "Special Operation…" – She pause again, and seems to stutter on those final words – "But someone would not have it that way…"
"Uhm… You make it sound like you wanted to be sunk." – And realization once more – "Oh shi-"
"Tell me Osaka… Would you rather live the rest of your life, as a husk of your former self? Or would you prefer to leave this world at the peak of your life?" – Nagato's eyes seem to exude pain and regret…
"I uh… don't think I'm qualified to answer that question." – Osaka responds, a bit confused and feeling a bit uncomfortable…
Nagato waves her hand and smiles once again – "Well at least someone still holds me to this world…" – she glances over to the couch were Zuikaku is in a deep sleep…
Osaka glances at the wall momentarily, as she can now see the pictures much closer… They are mementos from the war… Nagato is in most of them, alongside other ship-girls… In most photos she is smiling… in others she holds a serious expression…
"So you survived… but why aren't you like, famous and stuff?" – Osaka asks.
"The only fame my existence brings, would attract hatred and aggression… As would Zuikaku's…" – she denotes as she keeps her eyes on her friend…
"Ok, like… Yeah, I know it was a World War and we were out of line, but… You were like a hero!" – Osaka expresses with enthusiasm that last bit…
"You truly look at me like so?" – Nagato asks perplexed – "Some strange hero I must be…" – she concludes eyes closed and with a sad look…
"So you were "saved"… By who?" – Osaka asks nervously…
"USS Missouri…" – is all she says, again looking towards Zuikaku, her eyes exuding care, but Osaka notes that Nagato bites her lip, as if holding back something…
"I know her. She's a museum ship by now… her rigging I mean." – She says with a small chuckle at the end…
"You have something in common with her… Both naïve to a fault…" – Nagato concludes with a bitter expression…
"Sounds like you hold a grudge…" – Osaka concludes again, getting a bit nervous again…
"Well… Then listen closely…" – Nagato says…
*flashback – 2 week before Operation Crossroads*
"TO HELL WITH YOU!" – Nagato screams from the other side of the table…
"Calm down, Nagato!" – Missouri demands but to no avail…
"My country stands defeated! "I" stand defeated! There is nothing else for me! My life will end with a fiery storm! I welcome it!" – Nagato shouts at Missouri, her expression of fury inflicting great results on the American battleship, which stand in awe at what she hears…
"Are you insane!? Most of the ship-girls have decided to leave their riggings to sink! They all were given a choice! Why are you refusing your right to live!?" – Missouri retorts, whit a serious tone…
"What do you know about loss!? If you know it, then you know little about it." – Nagato says furiously…
"December 7, 1941! Match it and I won't stop you!" – Missouri shouts with an angry but determined attitude…
Nagato violently rises from her chair, slamming her hands on the table while leaning forward. Her eyes, a violent red glow, and her tone like a vicious roar from a monster – "You really want to know, "Yankee"? Fine then! Then listen well, for I shall not repeat myself: Souryuu… Hiryuu… Kaga… Akagi… Shoukaku… Zuikaku… Fusou… Yamashiro… Yamato … Musashi…" – with each name, she forced the table forward, almost like attempting to impale Missouri, but she then says – "Mutsu…" – And the last push does put some pressure on Missouri's chest, but as the American battleship looks at her, she sees her expression burning with fury and rage… but her eyes are filled with tears… They stream down her cheeks, but not a sound comes from Nagato. She simply holds her infuriated expression, while letting her eyes be the gate to her emotions…
"I can name them all if you wish…" – she scowls at her, but Missouri is too stunned by the purity of her hatred to even demand such a thing…
Nagato sits down once more, head hanged low, tears still streaming down her face, but her "iron will" dictates she not let herself cry or suffer out loud… With a swift push, the table goes back to its original position, and Missouri try's simply to comprehend what just happened…
"I don't want you to die." – Missouri declares after what seems like an eternity – "This cycle won't stop if we let others "fall through the cracks "…"
"You don't want me to die, yet you wish to not go against my will… I know not if I should be flattered or insulted…" – Nagato states very stoically...
"How did we get here?" – Missouri asks with sadness, almost as if running out of breath as she says it – "How could we let it come to this?"
"Truth be told… I bear the burden of how it got to this… So now I must face the consequences…" – Nagato states once again stoically…
"Stop it! I've had enough of it, alright!" – Missouri shouts now – "I can't let you die… I won't…" – she calms back down on the last part…
"It's not your decision!" – Nagato straights her head back to look at her, that fury still deep in her eyes… - "You can't stop fate."
"I can and I will!" – Missouri speaks aloud again, and rises from her chair… She heads towards the door of the interrogation room and opens it. Two destroyers walk in, bearing a patch saying "MP"… Nagato looks confused, but Missouri soon clarifies by looking at her and pronouncing…
"Nagato! In the name of the United States Navy, I hereby declare you arrested as an enemy of the United States of America! By the power invested in me as lead-ship of the US Fleet Command, I strip you of your class and I declare your hull confiscated! You are to be imprisoned and released only upon further investigation to your actions conclude and sentence is casted within due process!" – She declares in front of them…
"No… No! No! You can't do this!" – Nagato says shocked, realizing what this means… The American destroyer girls lift her from her chair, holding her by her arms and bring her towards the door – "STOP! LET GO OF ME!" – Nagato shouts as she attempts to free herself…
"May God have mercy on your soul." – Missouri declares…
They take her out into the hall, Nagato all the while attempting to resist – "NO! NO! LET GO! NO!" – As she realizes what just happened she turns her head to gaze upon Missouri and shouts – "MISSOURI! YOU DENYIED ME MY DEATH! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! YOU WILL PAY-!"
*flashback end's*
"I'm sorry…" – Osaka professes with a sadden look…
"It's not your fault…" – Nagato answers – "I was lost back then… I still feel lost today, even if less than before…"
Both hear movement in the blankets. It's Zuikaku who wakes up and looks around the room until she lays eyes upon them…
"Why are you awake at this hour?" – Zuikaku says after yawning…
"Oh did we wake you up? Sorry, we dint mean to…" – Nagato responds with a smile…
Zuikaku notices Osaka and smiles at her while saying – "Hi there. Nice to see you awake. Feeling better?"
"Yes, thank you. I ahm… just dint expect to meat such amazing people out of nowhere…" – she says nervously while having a bit of a blush on her cheeks…
"Ah! Where are my manners…" – Zuikaku states as she sits up straight on the couch – "Second Ship of the Shoukaku Class Aircraft-Carriers, I'm Zuikaku. A pleasure to meet you." – She says ending with a wink of the eye and a cheery smile…
"I'm Osaka, a pleasure to meet you as well!" – Osaka states rapidly and very nervously, while performing a slight bow of her head…
"She's a Tugboat… You know, Zuikaku. For when you get damaged in combat." – Nagato states with a smirk and a joyful look upon her…
"The hell is that supposed to mean!?" – Zuikaku now says with an angry tone and crossing her arms, while getting a bit flustered…
"I'm joking! I'm joking!" – Nagato says this as she waves her hand dismissively while giggling at her friend's reaction…
"Yeah, yeah…" – She scolds her while pouting – "Anyway, you two should get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day." – She says as she yawns one more time…
"Yes, we should rest." – Nagato rises from her chair and goes back towards the pillow on the ground besides the bed, Osaka noticing this realizes something…
"Y-You were sleeping on the floor because of me!?"
"Yes. I wouldn't let someone in distress be forced to sleep on the ground." – Nagato states…
"No! I can't allow that! – Osaka answers with passion in the sentence, which draws surprise from both Zuikaku and Nagato. Osaka noticing gets considerably flustered and states with a very red blush – "I uh… It would be fine for me to share the bed." – She says nervously…
"Ok…" – Nagato says with a smile – "Zuikaku, you go ahead and sleep alongside her, ok? I'll take the couch."
"No! I… I couldn't!? You…" – Zuikaku stammers a bit embarrassed…
"It's alright Zuikaku. I don't need any special place to rest." - Nagato gently states…
"A-Alright then…" – Zuikaku gives in… So Zuikaku and Osaka now sleep side-by-side on the bed, Nagato takes the couch as her resting place… While the others are fast asleep, Nagato takes some time to fall asleep, looking out the window to the night sky… pondering…
"I'm gonna have to explain something's to Admiral Tsujihara…" – she mumbles before letting her eyes close once more…
*Author Note*
Uau! I have to say I did not expect to have so many views in two days but Hei! Since people are taking notice, I decided to crank out another chapter. Hope you enjoyed this second chapter and I'll see you on the next chapter ;)