Chapter 2: True Lie

After the arrival of news regard Kisaragi's missing and possibly sunk, Mutsuki shut herself from all reality, her mind tricked self-protection mechanism, believed that her sister would eventually come back. She denied all the fact led to Kisaragi's death, she insisted on waiting for her younger sister's return at the wharf ever since.

Today was one of those day too; while she tired of waiting in this evening and decided to head back to her dorm, she heard foot steps behind her. Automatically, she turned back and blurted out her sister's name "KISARAGI-CHAN!"

But that was incorrect person, the correct one was Fubuki, who sustained some damage all over her body, gazed back and met Mutsuki'eyes with sadness in her eyes. Kisaragi really disappointed, but she recovered in time before her friend felt the change in atmosphere. "Fubuki-chan! What happened to you?.. You got bruise all over your body. Are you alright?" No matter how much she missed her sister, her friend's well being was also her concern.

Fubuki did not said anything. She walked straight to Mutsuki and embraced her. "Fubuki…chan?" Not sure what was the meaning of her friend's action, so she let her friends embraced her without resistance. Nevertheless, the more time passed the more tighten of the embrace increased to the point that Mutsuki felt unformfortable. "Fubuki-chan, it hurts! Let me GO!" Fubuki ignored her friend's struggled. "LET ME GO! RELEASE ME!" Mutsuki shouted louder and louder, she felt angry and confused at the same time. Fubuki intended to made Mutsuki accept the fact that Kisaragi was no longer in this world, but she could not find the occasion to do so…NO…may be she was afraid herself that Mutsuki would got a mental breakdown for this. She could confess that she was not brave enough to bet on avoidance of such possibility. But she decided that her friend had to move on, so she did what she thought was the best she could do.

The stress on Mutsuki's mental stage reached its' limited, she then unleashed all the emotion for her sister ship like a beast growled.

"KISARAGIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII !..."

A heavy cried of Mutsuki echoed through the area.

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"You called? Onee-chan…" ?.?.?

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?!

Fubuki and Mutsuki quickly turned to face the sudden third party standing a few meters away from them, who interrupted, it turned out to be the person which Mutsuki missed the most. "KISARAGI-CHAN!" Mutsuki broke free from Fubuki's embrace and happily embraced her sister with all her might. "It is really YOU! Kisaragi-chan! You have returned. YOU HAVE RETURNED!.!.!" Despite Kisaragi did not know what to do with her older sister's extreme emotion out burst, she firmly returned the warm embrace. "I'm glad to see you again, onee-chan."

Fubuki felt happy with Mutsuki too. Suddenly, she just thought of forwarding this news of Kisaragi's return to the others.

"Mutsuki-chan! I will inform Admiral, take your time!" Fubuki sprinted out with her maximum force as she could muster, her repair could be wait, couldn't it?

"You said the last thing you remember is that you got hit and lost consciousness; and next thing you realized, you woke up at the same spot in a normal condition after black out for a few days?" Admiral concluded the story. A heavy interrogation event was arranged after Fubuki delivered the news that Kisaragi came back. In the admiral office, other than Kisaragi herself and Admiral, were Nagato, Mutsu, Oyodo, and Mutsuki.

"Yes sir!" Kisaragi replied with most confident voice she could muster. She accepted the fact that she was some sort of GHOST SHIP now, she was completely new about Demonology, but she was sure that it would not please her superior and friends at all if they knew her status. She was willing to do anything to hide this fact in the dark, not bother to threatened someone life…Wait!...Why did she thought that far? She was now fully aware that her contractor's mentioned, increase of aggressive behavior, was not to be underestimated. However, she hoped that she would be released from this room soon. May be?

AH! Just DITCHED OUT the MAY BE? part, she only wanted to catch up with others and relax for the day, tomorrow plan could be arranged later: might had to study more about Demonology things..?

"Sir, this is surely enemy's trap. We already confirmed that we lost her signal completely, We had provided wide area search for her at the fullest of our fleet ability after her signal was off, but we found nothing. I think she already sunk, and the abyssal fleet, they repaired or possibly REVIVED her, or maybe this Kisaragi is a Faker, and was sent back to us for their own plot like spying on us or self-destruct time bomb, or any other negative case which I'm unable to think of. Kisaragi, I'm sorry that my words sound harsh on you. But this is the possible truth" Nagato gazed upon Kisaragi in disbelieved and cautious. Kisaragi's rage started to build up inside her as she was offended by Nagato's blunt words, but she did her best to keep her emotion in check. She glared back to Nagato without breaking eyes contact even she perceived the threat in Nagato's eyes.

"I'm Happy to see you again, Kisaragi. Still, Nagato and I shared the same thought on this matter. As much as I want to welcome you back, but this entire fleet is my responsibility and I have to ensure their safety as top priority." Admiral gave a sad smile.

Dead Silence filled the room; everyone was deep in thought, unsured of what to proceed next. Mutsuki's both hand shakily hold Kisaragi's left hand. Admiral, Mutsu, and Oyodo had unreadable expression. Meanwhile, Nagato and Kisaragi had been on a staring contest; Kisaragi, or destroyer-level warship, could not bear intimidated gaze from stronger opponent that long normally, but her devilish instinct made her realized that she could at least fight on par with Nagato if the fight broke out, it eased her mind and calmed herself greatly. However, she knew that she must train herself more to control over her mental state better, as in a split second, she actually felt her bloodlust want to have a fight with the battleship.

"Alrgiht! We will have a BIG check up on Kisaragi for counter-measure. You all dismiss for today, although I must give Kisaragi a detention that you only stay within your dorm area and along the way to cafeteria only for the time being, waiting my further order after some analysis. Nagato, you stay behind. I have more to discuss with you." "Thank you, Admiral!" Much to Kisaragi's relieve that at last she was released from this room, detention was not her concern as long as she can live with her sister, she saluted to admiral and Mutsuki followed her. After the duo destroyer left the room, admiral ordered "Nagato, assign some of the destroyers and heavy cruisers to watch over Kisaragi, any abnormality must be directly reported to me. Mutsu, tell Akashi to prepare the check up dock."

"Yes, Sir!" The Battleship left the room.

"Oyodo, what do think of my action?"

"Which one, sir?"

"EVERYTHING"

"I agree with you on this, sir. We can't let emotion goes ahead of us, any action must be base on logic. But…to tell you the truth….I felt sorry for the girl" Oyodo solemnly admitted.

"I know that it's going to hurt her feeling now, but I hope the result from check up will be OK. Otherwise, I might have to issue execution order for the worst." Admiral sighed.

The news of Kisaragi's return spread like wild fire throughout every area of the naval base. The optimistic group as minority of the fleet cheerfully welcomed her, while the pessimistic group as majority of the fleet kept their distrusted or worry eyes on her from safe distance. Kisaragi was led by Mutsuki to her room, they were greeted warmly by Yuudachi and bandaged Fubuki. "Welcome back" Fubuki did not want to wait for fully heal as she eagerly want to formally welcome her missing friend back.

"Fubuki-chan, do you mind if I switch room with you temporary? I miss Mutsuki-chan very much so I want to sleep with her for the time being." Kisaragi asked and she really MEANED it.

"No, I don't mind. Um..actually..I think it is better to let you two have private room for chit-chat. Yuudachi-chan! Do you agree?" She threw the question to Yuudachi. "But where will we sleep, Poi? Kisaragi-chan's bed can't fit the two of us, Poi." Yuudachi quickyly protested.

"Well, there are lots of empty rooms left in this dorm, so just pick one of them. Come on! Get moving. Let's finish eating and decide for a room." Fubuki encouraged her friend and dragged Yuudachi out. "See you in the cafeteria!" Fubuki shouted back after walking for some meters to the Mutsuki sisters which the latter glanced at each other and smiled.

Dinner's atmosphere at the cafeteria was the worst. Everybody focused their attention on Kisaragi and it affected pressure to share to Fubuki, Mutsuki, and Yuudachi too. Suddenly Nagato walked to them and said "Kisaragi, your schedule check up is the fifth day ahead of today in the morning: 8 o'clock at the repair dock." "Yes, Ma'am!" Kisaragi acknowledged.

"Don't worry, Kisaragi-chan. I'm sure that the result will be OK, Poi! Then everything will be back as usual." Yuudachi spoke.

"Y..Yeah. I hope so…" Kisaragi wondered, still attached to Yukari's words.

In a certain distance from Kisaragi on different vantage point; all the Shiratsuyu-class destroyers (except Yuudachi of course!) and Myoukou-class heavy cruisers observed her as instructed from the secretary ship.

After the fleet finished dining, it was already night time so everyone prepare to go sleeping. Shigure tagged along with Yuudachi. When she saw that she could exclude her younger sister for private conversation, she grabbed Yuudachi' shoulder "Yuudachi, come with me for a second." "OK, Onee-chan, Poi. Fubuki-chan, I will catch up with you later, Poi!"

When Yuudachi and Shigure were out of sight, Fubuki suddenly realized that she and Yuudachi had not decided about their new room yet. "Ah! I haven't decide with Yuudachi-chan about our new room yet!?" She exclaimed and face-palmed.

"Yuudachi, how is Kisaragi-chan doing after she was back?"

"She's doing well, Poi. But I don't understand why almost everyone seems so suspicious of her return?! They should be gladden that she came back! She may got lucky that the bomb just knocked her out without inflict damage. Well, just like Yukikaze-chan, she had perfect condition after going through some hellish mission, Poi! And Shigure, you also experienced something like Yukikaze too if I remember correctly! Poi"

"Yuudachi, Don't get so work up. OK..Ok I believe you." Shigure calmed her sister down.

"…Don't tell me you are one of those Meanie? You make me a little mad, POI!" Yuudachi sulky questioned.

"I'm sorry Yuudachi, I'm just a little curious. Oh! It's late already Good Night" Shigure, who did not want to have a quarrel with Yuudachi, urgently retreated.

"So mean, Poi! Anybody isn't fair with Kisaragi-chan, Poi" Yuudachi sympathized for her friend's sister. She continued walking back to the dorm, and she pause in front of the main entrance when important realization struck her mind. "Opss! I forgot to discuss with Fubugi-chan about the new room, Poi" She double face palmed.

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"This child was highly fit for the role" a suspicious entity hinted.

No one in the base ever knew that the entire time after Kisaragi came back, the mysterious figure was roaming around the entire naval district freely. She ran many simulations on every ship-girl she saw. The conclusion fell upon Fubuki and Yuudachi. However, Yuudachi was marked to be a better option since she was excluded from the crowd.

Perfect opportunity presented itself when Yuudachi paused in front of the building main entrance with no third party in the area. The entity effortlessly yanked Yuudachi into the bush.

Suddenly, Yuudachi felt herself was pulled from behind. Then she felt like she was electroded from some low voltage energy source. She rapidly loosed her consciousness; the gravity took control over her body as it was beginning to fall, her knees slumped. But before her body crashed with the ground, her attacker hugged her to prevent that. From Yuudachi's last strength before everything faded to black; she glimpsed at that person(?), she was blonde as Yuudachi, she was tall as Yuudachi, she had green eyes as Yuudachi, she wore same clothes as Yuudachi, she had ribbon tide on her hair as Yuudachi,…, well, her physical appearance matched Yuudachi perfectly,..Wh.. why the hell! should she forced herself to analyze many details in this critical time? Just ignored them and concluded that YUUDACHI attacked Yuudachi already POI!

WAIT!..POI...The only different was that HER eyes was stern and cold: for some reason, HER aura was more terrifying than Nagato-s..a...-