Tenryuu was sitting with Aoba, Akashi and Tatsuta in the engineering block on the 29th of May, and Tenryuu was grumbling about something as she sketched chibi images of her firing off a Blade Rush, which was her spiritual energy being focused into the edge of her blade and fired off in an arc, and she was taking out a bunch of Abyssals in the process, crossing out the Abyssals' eyes and drawing their mouths with tongues stuck out upon dying.
Tenryuu pouted as she complained offhandedly in order to pass the time,
"Ah, I wish my superpower was something a lot cooler, like summoning the Gate of Babylon or a armored Susanoo, hmm?"
Akashi leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table, commenting on how despite the fact that they were able to harness and replicate higher-level technology only by the grace of their spiritual manifestations who taught them its ins and outs, there were still limits to what they could do.
"Well, we're in the process of upgrading your Anti-Abyssal weapons, and this wouldn't be possible had your inner spirits not told us of the juicy information about the ins and outs of these weapon upgrades, but let's say that you wish to create a Gate of Babylon and summon weapons en masse."
Pointing a finger towards Tenryuu as she continued.
"Your entire body would have to be remodeled for the sake of withstanding the strain of summoning the Gate in the first place, and the sheer amount of items summoned would theoretically drain you faster than your current ability ever could.
To de-materialize and reconstruct a sword while transferring its deconstructed essence through what would essentially be a wormhole and without any flaw in the replication process, that's a whole other can of worms in which I don't want to open just yet.
The technology is there in the form of Fairies being summoned by the shikigami into their planes, but the bodies of the Fairies are naturally imbued with properties which protect them from being torn apart in the time-space continuum which they travel across in order to get here.
That isn't even getting into the insane amount of resources which would be poured into creating and maintaining the weapons that are to be stored inside the Gate, in order to be summoned as handheld weapons or flung at enemies as projectiles."
Tenryuu deflated as she laid down on the table, resting on her breasts while she defiantly puffed out her cheeks upon being shot down so easily, but Aoba was writing a report for something or another with a pen and paper as she looked up and wondered while her helmet shielded her head, the light being restored into her eyes as she now had something to ponder and report about.
"But I wonder, though.
Just where does this technology come from?
It can't just be conjured up from nowhere, and it only adds to the mystery of where we all come from.
The Fairies, our souls, the Abyssals possessing seemingly limitless resources, it all eludes us, but I know that there's a bigger story out there!
Oh, if only the Abyssals were a land country in which we could infiltrate and spy on, that would be so nice, but they instead possess an impenetrable defense in the form of the ocean depths, and are so tight-lipped about everything…
But that just makes me more determined to find out what it all means!
A great story is afoot!"
Tatsuta nodded, understanding the need to find out about their true origins in order to find some peace of mind, the kind that was only granted upon knowing how and where one was conceived or created.
"Yes.
I think that currently, we know the five 'W's and one 'H' regarding our creation, but I believe that the scope of the question simply isn't there, and it's up to us to find out more.
Who created us, the Fairies.
But who really created the concept of a 'ship girl' or Abyssal in the first place?
The Fairies don't know anything about our origins, while the technological prowess needed to create us is far beyond mankind's current capabilities, so who?
Why are we created?
To fight the Abyssals and protect mankind.
But that doesn't clearly explain the reason why we have this innate desire to defend mankind against the Abyssals who, on the other hand, have the desire to destroy mankind from the bottom of their hearts.
And…"
Tenryuu blinked as she thought about it all, patiently hearing her sister explain herself while she felt invigorated by the Kai remodel which occurred on the day before the Battle of Twelve Navies, since they had to get their remodeling process out of the way before the bulk of the casualties flowed in on the fateful day of the battle.
It still stung a little, to not be able to participate in it and shed blood, sweat and tears alongside her comrades who made up the 1st Fleet as well as the Yokosuka Naval Base, but that was the compromise which she accepted when she agreed to participate in Project Psyche, that she had to lay low for awhile and not reveal her powers to anyone.
Her sword, Ezekiel, wasn't ready at that point in time, and they didn't want to send her out into battle after having contacted the manifestation of her soul, but wouldn't be armed with her cutting-edge Anti-Abyssal weapon in order to protect herself in battle, and hadn't even been remodeled then.
And should she sink, the Abyssals might get their hands on her and get a New Wave ship girl as a freebie.
She had no counterargument to that, so she had fumed while she sat in the base and recovered from her successful remodeling process, which had been quite unique because of the need to install 'spiritual circuits' to transfer energy from her soul into her body and then into her weapon, and although it was all technological mumbo-jumbo which she didn't bother to understand, she felt different and more powerful in some way.
It wasn't immediately apparent, but she felt stronger as if her spiritual strength bled out from her soul and added to her reasonably potent light cruiser strength, but it couldn't be utilized in any useful way because she didn't have her sword with her.
It boiled down to a very simple explanation in Tenryuu's mind that their bodies were like rechargeable batteries powering a tool, say a fan, when compared to the modified Anti-Abyssal weapons which were powered by their spiritual reserves.
Their bodies were a physical vessel much like a battery, in which whatever created energy inside them flowed through the vessel and transferred energy into the tool for it to do useful work.
For them to skip the step of utilizing a tool in order to manifest their superpowers (or in the Tenryuu-Class's case, a super-weapon) was impossible, because that wasn't how their powers worked.
Their powers were deeply intertwined with their Anti-Abyssal weapons, and they'd be ordinary ship girls without them.
So no Kamehameha or Hadouken in the foreseeable future.
Damn.
But Aoba spoke up about something else which had been bothering her, especially regarding how they would keep this a secret from the 1st Fleet without being too restricted in their chances to use their power during sorties.
"But I wonder.
How are Tenryuu and Tatsuta supposed to use their powers and super weapons when they're sortieing with the 1st Fleet?
Unless we want them to sortie by themselves in order to allow them to use their powers without any witnesses around, I'm not sure if we can avoid the 1st Fleet knowing about their super-powers sooner or later.
And for the New Wave ship girls, where should we focus on sortieing them for the best results?
Sure, sortieing them out onto the ocean is ideal because that's where they're most comfortable in, but we'll eventually need their powers to be used on land, where the disparity in manpower and firepower is more apparent, so…"
Akashi nodded as she considered the question, finally coming to a decision as she answered Aoba's question.
"We'll try to keep your powers a secret for as long as possible, so unless it's a life or death situation, I forbid the use of your powers outside of specified situations or dire circumstances."
Tenryuu raised her head as she stopped her sketch in order to argue the point, but Tatsuta beat her to the punch by leaning forward and speaking up, looking more like her usual threatening self as she asked darkly.
"And does that mean we should not actively try and use our abilities to fight the Abyssals and save our allies whenever we can?
What's the point of gaining these powers if we can't use them to save others in the heat of battle?"
Akashi shrugged as she leaned back and coolly replied, looking nonplussed even when Tatsuta was threatening to give her the look which promised nothing but the promise of death, likely because the both of them knew that Akashi was far deadlier and damaged on the inside than Tatsuta was because of her mysterious past and bloody fighting style.
And however menacing and fearsome Tatsuta could be, Akashi embodied something worse, lying dormant within her but fully capable of lashing out at even allies, with her medical and anatomical knowledge being the tools of healing that were misused for the sake of destruction.
"Well, think about it.
Right now, there are only the two of you New Wave ship girls in the entire damn world.
And if you go around boldly displaying your powers, what do you think the Abyssals would do, since it's possible that they possess New Wave units of their own, who've likely been around for far longer than you have?
I'll tell you right now.
Yuubari and Sakawa are part of the Abyssal high command, which means that they get to order even the Abyssal Princesses around, and you don't jump up the Abyssal hierarchy like that without serious power-ups."
Tatsuta and Tenryuu relented upon hearing that, and Tenryuu understood that the activities of the Abyssals had been a mystery to them for the last decade or so, and while it was nice to imagine that they were the ones who had the upper hand by creating the first two New Wave units in the Abyssal War, according to rumors and reports about mysterious sightings, it was slowly but surely becoming apparent that the Tenryuu-Class certainly wasn't the first.
The twentieth year of this war was some sort of signal for the Abyssals to allow them sneak peeks at their own Abyssal New Wave units, and Tenryuu wasn't sure just how many of them there were, but the circumstances of their sightings were enough of a reason for her to understand that they were truly powerful and couldn't be approached halfheartedly.
Aoba then took out her notebook and flipped through it, speaking up about the situation and tried to give a quick summary about the suspicious occurrences around the world, several of which could only be explained by the possession of superpowers that were granted to the Abyssals by their own Project Psyche.
"Well, there have been several abnormal occurrences on the sea, most of which happened in the Pacific Ocean and can be easily explained by the presence of superpowers, although note that just because it's the simplest doesn't mean it's automatically true.
On the 16th of May, an expedition fleet from the Yakushima Naval Base spotted an Abyssal Amatsukaze with an as-of-yet unknown Beast guarding it, although 'spotting' is a slightly far-fetched term in this case, with the sighting occurring at night while the Abyssal and Beast standing at a distance…
Anyway, it managed to travel faster than any known unit on either side in the Abyssal War, and both Princess and Beast clearly shows signs of fire-based superpowers to enhance its speed to accelerate it to inhuman speeds."
Tatsuta considered the possible abilities of this New Wave Abyssal, speaking up as she held her chin with her left hand and supported her left elbow with her right arm as she hypothesized.
"A speedster Abyssal, hmm?
It's possible that this Abyssal also possesses fire manipulation abilities, and if her Beast can keep up with her super-speed, we have a problem here.
I'm not entirely certain that we can take on such a Abyssal just yet, not without experimenting and discovering new ways to utilize our weapon-based superpowers."
Akashi nodded, leaning back and speaking about the Abyssals' lack of ethics which likely contributed to the enhancements of existing superpowers by performing on their own New Wave units what the ship girl constitution protected them from.
"Look, I'm theory-crafting here, but I wouldn't discount the possibility that the Abyssals experimented on their New Wave units extensively in order to enhance their powers, and I won't exclude the possible use of feeding them performance-enhancing drugs.
I mean, ship girls and Abyssals alike have heightened resistance drug withdrawal symptoms, so why not milk it for what it's worth?
And because the constitution protects us from carrying out similar operations without a medical and ethics board reviewing the pros and cons of such a procedure and making sure that you gave your consent, there exists the problem of artificially-enhanced power levels."
Tenryuu puffed out her cheeks upon hearing that, but she admitted that she wouldn't dare to go under the knife (especially not Akashi's) in order to enhance her powers, much less take drugs to destroy her body for the sake of short-term performance enhancement.
And when she considered the fact that the Abyssals never had a choice, and were expected to only follow orders…
Tenryuu shivered as she suddenly felt very glad that their command structure wasn't like that, Tatsuta noting her anxiety and shooting her a concerned aside glance while Aoba continued, having regained some of her former reporter spunk as she continued.
"Well, there're also other strange occurrences happening elsewhere within the Pacific.
A blue whale carcass was found beached on Orchid Island, which is part of Taiwan.
What was unusual was that the blue whale corpse was partially eaten by gigantic beasts, and before you write it off as an animal-on-animal attack, know that the ship girls investigating the scene found the tooth of two different Abyssal Beast embedded into the flesh of the carcass.
Forensics couldn't match the two teeth to any known sets of Abyssal teeth, and any matches were found with major leeway regarding their search conditions, which leads us to believe that this marks the presence of new Abyssal Beasts, perhaps as a part of Apocalypse."
Tenryuu, curious and slightly fearful of this new development of Abyssal Beasts which could kill a blue whale, which was the largest animal ever to have existed, asked.
"And you think that this Beast is something created by Project Psyche?
I mean, if there are two sets of Beast teeth, that would mean that there'd be two Princesses, right?"
But Tatsuta instead chose to scrutinize their known assumptions about how Princesses worked, daring to question them as she countered with a radical suggestion.
"Right now, we've accepted the fact that Princesses only have one Beast.
But with the advent of powers and the like along with the Abyssals preparing for Apocalypse with a new wave of Abyssal mooks and boss units, is it really out of the question for us to wonder if an Abyssal can have more than one Beast?"
Akashi looked down, thinking about things as she answered sagely,
"Well, we can't dismiss any possibilities out of hand.
We might say that it's impossible for a Princess to have two Beasts, but in order to survive in a war this unorthodox, we need to keep our minds open and keep questioning the boundaries of what's possible and what's not.
Sure, it's possible for two existing Princesses to carry out this killing, but the Abyssals aren't known to wantonly kill sea animals as part of their 'humans-are-assholes-for-over-hunting' motif, and Princesses rarely work together, only doing so during major operations.
So for them to suddenly attack and kill this whale out of nowhere likely suggests a new Abyssal unit, which doesn't play by the existing rules that the Abyssals usually adhere to in their own twisted code…"
Tenryuu finished,
" … you suspect that it may be the work of a New Wave unit."
Akashi shrugged nonchalantly, and Aoba moved onto the next article which she researched on, which was about the two light cruisers of Yokosuka who had sank in the past, and are now all but confirmed to have been revived and promoted to the position Abyssal high command, in which the possession of superpowers would easily explain the reason why.
"Next, Sakawa and Yuubari, who were from our bases and sank in the past…
It seems as if they're revived as Abyssals and are part of the Abyssal high command.
Normally, a light cruiser, no matter how skilled, wouldn't even be considered for this coveted position, but with Project Psyche…"
Tatsuta followed that line of thought as she came to the logical conclusion.
"And with how the Abyssals use strength to distinguish the pecking order within their ranks, along with superpowers that no Abyssal can consistently and fully counter, it would elevate them to a position of strength where no one would dare to challenge them, especially if they possess potent superpowers."
Akashi looked concerned as she expressed her thoughts about the possibility of Tenryuu and Tatsuta going up against Abyssal light cruisers, who were capable of putting Abyssal Princesses in their place with their superpowers alone.
"So when you think about it, just how powerful do their superpowers have to be in order to dominate even Abyssal Princesses, and how well do you think you'll fare against them?
That's why we need you to lay low and experiment with your powers, otherwise you'd risk facing off against an opponent you can't beat and get captured as a result."
Tenryuu pouted, but she ultimately understood the reasoning behind laying low and training up their newfound skills instead of fighting Abyssals out in the open and risk incurring the wrath of the New Wave Abyssals.
Their importance as irreplaceable assets as well as being so few in number meant that they had to be on the defensive, and while that grated on Tenryuu's nerves as a ship girl of action and aggression, she knew she had to follow Akashi's orders.
Looking down at her sketch again, she was itching to begin her training with her powers as well as her newly-upgraded Anti-Abyssal weapon, asking about when she can expect the weapon upgrades to be finished.
"And…
I wanna start training soon, so when will the weapon upgrades be complete?"
Akashi and Aoba shared a look, and the repair ship turned back as she gave her an estimated time of completion for her to mentally prepare herself, leaning back and placing her hands in her skirt pockets in the process.
"Well, thanks to the Fairies helping us out as well as Akio and Kousuke working around the clock, we can expect the weapons to be completed next Monday, on the 1st of June.
So use the weekend to rest up, because I understand that you two are going to push yourselves to the limit with your powers.
And while I would advise against this course of action, seeing how we're at a disadvantage in terms of numbers and available time before the shit goes down in the form of Apocalypse, I guess I'll allow it."
Tatsuta considered something else, asking about where they could let loose with their powers without being spotted by anyone.
"But where are we to train up our powers?
Especially with Tenryuu's powers which involve flashy sword beam attacks, I'm not sure if we can train in Yokosuka without anyone spotting us or suspect that something is up, at the very least."
Aoba considered the question, before responding with the most reasonable answer.
"Well, we won't be training in Yokosuka, then.
I mean, I'm sure that the both of you are likely going to join the ship girl army along with your fleets should they agree to volunteer, right?"
Tenryuu and Tatsuta nodded, and Aoba continued with a suggestion.
"Then should we request for it, I think that an arrangement could be made such that a large clearing is prepared along with a no-entry zone as a buffer around it, where you can go wild with your weapons without the risk of anyone spotting you.
I mean, Japan is a large place, and Apocalypse would radically shift priorities such that you getting familiar with the limits and inner workings of your powers would rank pretty high up there, right?"
Everyone seemed to come to a silent consensus then, and Tatsuta changed the topic by asking Akashi and Aoba about her fleet members as well as their current locations and statuses.
"Hm, speaking about the 1st Fleet, where and how are they right now?"
Akashi responded in regards to the Shiratsuyu-Class destroyer,
"Well, Shigure's spending time with Saratoga, since the American carrier was killed in battle and is now recovering in the docks.
First time's always the roughest, and Shigure said that she wanted to be there to spend some time with Saratoga when she wakes up.
Same goes to Ayanami, who was with Ushio as the latter died in battle, and the both of them are now in the hospital after Ushio's condition stabilized.
Hiei's in the docks because she pushed herself too far in battle, and let's just say she won't be released anytime soon.
Don't know about Junyou, though."
But Aoba had the answer to that, turning to look at everyone as she added.
"Actually, I might have the answer to that.
After recovering from a hangover resulting from pulling off a drunken fist duo with a Kai Ni Junyou from another naval base while actually drunk - "
Tatsuta and Tenryuu hummed understandingly as a signal for Aoba to continue on.
"She's helping Zuikaku out to win Kaga's heart to, y'know…"
Leaning in conspiratorially and shielding her mouth with her left hand to hide her words from no one in particular, she whispered.
" … To advance that ZuiKaga ship."
Tenryuu lifted an eyebrow upon hearing the news that Junyou was actively helping Zuikaku out to get together with Kaga since Tenryuu, along with pretty much everyone else in Yokosuka, knew that the Shoukaku-Class carrier loved the stoic Kaga-Class carrier, but it had become an unspoken consensus to not say anything to Kaga, who was surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly) oblivious to love.
She asked out loud out of curiosity,
"Well, just what are they doing?"
Aoba smirked, having never truly lost her news-gathering skills as she answered knowingly,
"Well, let's just say…"
"We're holding a celebratory party?
Why?"
Zuikaku asked as she pressed down on the lever of a brown beverage dispenser in Junyou's room in order to fill the Styrofoam cup in her hand, and Junyou replied as she reached into the plastic bag in her laps which contained mountains of food which had been brought into the room in order to feed the dozen or so bird carriers who had taken some time off in order to chill in Junyou's room, the Hiyou-Class light carrier pulling out a snack before answering.
"Well, first of all, we need an event of sorts as a catalyst for you to talk to Kaga.
And besides, I think that we deserve a reward of sorts for training so hard and performing so well in the Battle of Twelve Navies, and also to throw a belated celebration for Souryuu obtaining her Kai Ni remodel.
So just use this time to enjoy yourself and try to strike up a conversation with Kaga, alright?"
Zuikaku still looked rather uncertain about what she was to do in that situation when the time came, sitting down on a chair beside a snacking Junyou as she asked while looking at the distant Kaga with a shy gaze, the 1stCarDiv carrier speaking with Souryuu as the twin-tailed carrier now had a bandanna wrapped around her forehead just like Hiryuu, along with longer white ribbons holding her twin tails together.
"But what am I going to talk to her about?
I certainly don't want to quarrel with her when we're supposed to be celebrating, but she's the person I like, so…"
Junyou nudged Zuikaku's shoulder with her own, leaning in to speak to the discouraged carrier about her problems with a serious voice, trying to help her recover the spunk and vigor which she always had when dealing with anything.
"Look.
I'm not you, so I can't exactly say what you should or shouldn't talk about when conversing with Kaga, although you certainly can't talk about your crush in front of the person you like.
But the thing is that being your senior, I'm sure that Kaga cares for you in her own way, so I know that there's a chance for you to get through to her with your love.
She's a career woman, but she's still human after all, and the stress of war weighs down on us and often forces us to confide in someone else."
Munching loudly on the delicious snacks and savoring the taste in order to stimulate her sense of taste and keep her brain juices flowing, she swallowed the mouthful of food before leaning in close as she had a flash of inspiration, thinking about how Zuikaku could also try to paint herself in a more positive spotlight in Kaga's mind by lending a listening ear to the Kaga-Class carrier.
"Hey, I just had an idea!
I'm sure that Kaga isn't infallible, and playing the sempai to everyone and upholding the reputation of the 1st Carrier Division stresses even her out, so why not turn the tables and offer a listening ear to her in order to hear her problems out?"
Zuikaku took a sip of the lychee-flavored water which filled her Styrofoam cup, still a little unsure of how that was going to work with the relationship they had right now.
"But how's that going to work in the first place?
She'd literally trust anyone else other than me, especially since I butt heads with her so often - "
" - and that isn't exactly a weakness, if you play your cards right."
Junyou's eyes twinkled as her mind whirred with ideas to help nudge Zuikaku along the right path as if playing a real-life visual novel in order to help the twin-tailed carrier raise another flag in the quest to pair the both of them together.
"Sure, she has Akagi, Souryuu and Hiryuu.
But although she's strong, it's lonely at the top.
There should be some things even she can't tell them, and while you may be the last person she would open up to, under certain circumstances, perhaps the person in last place can learn things that those before her can't."
Junyou looked down at her lap, thinking about everything which transpired recently and the relatively heavy air which gripped the naval base, and despite everyone doing their best to wind down and either celebrate or relax after a recent large-scale battle, she could feel that deep down, everyone was silently waiting for the shit to hit the fan ever since the Abyssals sent out their own jet fighter-ripoffs to engage in dogfights with the human jet fighters, a harbinger for something far more nefarious lying in wait.
"Personally, I feel that everyone's simply holding their breath and waiting for the other shoe to drop ever since the Flying Dutchman and the Abyssal jet fighters which it spawned in the Battle of Twelve Navies made waves around the world, much like the Princesses back in the early 2000's…"
She could feel Zuikaku tensing up and gulping at the thought of the Abyssal War sliding even further down the crapper and worsening their odds of victory, but Junyou continued nonetheless and tried to explain herself to the patiently-listening carrier.
"I know that even someone like Kaga would be concerned about everyone's well-being, but according to Akagi as well as what I've observed, Kaga isn't the kind of person to share these things with Akagi or the Second Carrier Division; she doesn't like bogging them down with these things since they're too precious to her.
You feel me?
They're dear to her because of their bonds and their pasts together, and in some sense, Kaga wouldn't want to be the Debbie Downer while in their presence, but she still has to share these concerns with someone, right?
You can be that person."
Tilting her head towards a surprised Zuikaku, she saw that Zuikaku was still a little confused about things, but she was eager to learn how to help Kaga out whilst inching closer to her heart, Junyou elaborating as her mind worked like never before.
"You're headstrong, and that's your charm.
Not always wanting to be like her, wishing to become, perhaps, something better…
I think that she sees you as a friendly rival, and in some sense, I don't think she sees anyone else in the same way, and that's the beauty of your relationship.
To dare to stand beside her instead of behind her, I think that she might be able to entrust her more pressing and deep-seated concerns with you, because while you may dare to challenge her as a rival, you respect her as a senior and can be quite prideful, but not in the haughty sense.
You won't spill her secrets, and she knows that because I believe that's a trait you both share, being prideful enough to test each other's limits, but respect each other enough to not sabotage or defame each other."
Zuikaku was considering the merits of her existing relationship with the stoic carrier, and Junyou broke out into a serene smile as she convinced Zuikaku of her plans by finishing with the next point.
"You're strong, self-willed yet respectful, and although I can't help you strike up a proper conversation with Kaga like I did last time, I can say this.
I know that you can make this work, and we're all here to help you.
And to that end…"
Junyou produced a six-pack of beer cans and thrust it into Zuikaku's face, the Hiyou-Class light carrier smiling merrily while Zuikaku sweat-dropped at how the light carrier managed to produce alcohol in almost any situation in order to be consumed, Junyou explaining herself to Zuikaku who had a 'Do Not Want' expression on her face as she placed the six-pack on her lap along with her snacks.
"Oh come on.
Getting wasted is one way for you to find an excuse to get Kaga to carry you back to your bedroom, although know that if you wish, I have more cans stashed elsewhere in my room for you to bring back and get Kaga intoxicated, to the point where you two…"
Sticking her tongue out and winking cheekily while forming scissors with her middle and index fingers, she then brought the web which was in between said fingers together in order to insinuate one of the many ways two girls can get physically intimate, Zuikaku's face instantly exploding into a glowing blush as she got up and hissed at a shocked Junyou,
"NO WAY!"
Before noting that everyone in Junyou's room was silenced by her raised voice, blinking nervously and starting to sweat before performing a small bow and muttering loud enough for everyone in the room to hear,
"Sorry for the interruption."
Before sitting herself down politely as the idle chatter resumed at a more subdued volume while the Shokaku-Class carrier lowered her head so as not to meet anyone's eye, Junyou now leaning over and stretching one arm over Zuikaku's tense shoulders as her voice morphed into a rare, apologetic one while her expression dimmed.
"Ah.
Sorry, Zuikaku-chan.
I didn't think you would react so strongly to the thought of you two…"
But Zuikaku shook her head as her blush was still luminescent despite having had some time to cool down, and she relaxed a little as she interjected in order to stop Junyou's apology.
"No, Junyou-san.
It was all my fault, I know that you genuinely want to help me.
It's just that…
Part of me doesn't want to be misled by false hope that our relationship would develop to such an extent, and another part of me really dislikes taking advantage of a drunk Kaga-san in order to sleep with her, although …"
Zuikaku's voiced lowered into that of a mousy squeak, prompting Junyou to lean in close in order to hear her next words.
"S-Should our relationship really develop to the point where we are comfortable with performing such acts without anything hindering our decision-making abilities and it's done with mutual consent, I'd actually look forward to it."
Watching the Shoukaku-Class carrier squirm in her seat and rub her legs together nervously, Junyou's smile widened into that of an understanding one as she took on a kinder and more encouraging tone in order to address the twin-tailed carrier.
"So that's how it is, hmm.
Well, if you want to play fair, I can respect that, you know.
So no sex tonight, but I expect you to get closer to her by pretending to be drunk to the point where you're unable to get back to your room by yourself.
One of us will get Kaga to accompany you back to your bedroom, and that's where you two will have the chance to have a heart-to-heart with each other."
Zuikaku exhaled as her body deflated, uttering a sincere,
"Thank you, Junyou-san."
Before inhaling sharply and picking up one beer can, Junyou hearing the familiar crack of the stay-on tab being punched in and the carbon dioxide in the drink inside going pshh as it fizzled whenever an opening was exposed, Zuikaku gulping nervously as she held up the opened beer can to her lips and addressed both Junyou and herself.
"Well, this might help me hide the blush which'll creep up my face whenever I'm getting friendly with her with the intention of getting closer to her romantically.
And I might need this to give me the courage, so…"
Junyou applauded as Zuikaku shut her eyes and brought the can to her lips, lifting it above her head and downing it all in one go, and Zuikaku could feel everyone spectating in awe as her throat burnt from from the liquid flowing down her throat, feeling her cheeks start to tickle as the blood rushed to her head, and…
"You shouldn't drink so much, even when we're celebrating after a hard-fought battle.
What were you thinking, 5th Car - I mean, Zuikaku?"
Zuikaku hiccuped again as she hobbled back to the bird carrier's dorm room while Kaga supported her.
Although she had downed the entire six-pack and as well as a few more cans (for good measure) in order to grant herself the courage to carry out Junyou's plan, her five senses and mental judgement were unimpaired, and she was pretending to be a lot more wasted than she really was.
Everyone had been all smiles in the party, so as Junyou predicted, Kaga, being the stoic one of the group, took the bullet for everyone by excusing herself from the party in order to carry Zuikaku back to the dorm room.
She drawled,
"Ahh, Junyou-san bet some money that I couldn't finish a certain amount of beer cans.
And as a proud carrier of the 5th Carrier Division, I just couldn't let that challenge slide, no?"
Her mind then started to swirl a little, causing her to stumble as Kaga had to exert some of her carrier strength in order to keep her on her feet as she chided, her tone a mix of genuine concern with a good measure of annoyance and a dash of disappointment.
"I understand that I'm not one to talk, but one who embodies pride as sacred like that shouldn't concern themselves with such petty challenges.
Such small victories do little to help us in any way, and this was more of a challenge to your personal pride than anything else."
Zuikaku nodded idly as she thought to herself,
'Huh, trust Kaga to inject some sting to her truth, and drop it hard on others without tact.
Not that what she says is inaccurate, should Junyou really challenge me like in the made-up story, it'd be more about protecting my own pride rather than that of the 5th Carrier Division.
So she isn't wrong, I guess.'
She saw the both of them walking down familiar corridors, and she knew that the time was close as Kaga blankly stated.
"We're here.
I'll get you tucked in before turning in for the night."
Zuikaku chose not to respond, although she started to feel something well up within her chest just as Kaga opened the door and guided her in without turning on the lights, the tidiness of the room and their powerful memories allowing them to find Zuikaku's bed without any fuss, the Shoukaku-Class carrier starting to feel her heart beat faster and her face become hotter than ever.
And as Kaga slowly lowered her onto her bed, her body became hotter than ever as butterflies fluttered in her stomach, reaching out to grab Kaga by the left sleeve of her uniform as she panted heavily while feeling her that her heart was working its way out of her,
"Kaga-san…!"
The Kaga-Class carrier looked down in shock as her expression betrayed some elements of surprise at the move, and Zuikaku pulled her face closer to her crush while she felt the skin on her own face tingle, picking up all the signs of excitement and nervousness as she saw Kaga's pupils contract, their gasps of bated breath increasing in both frequency and intensity while Zuikaku's warm skin became glossy with sweat, and Zuikaku could feel both their heartbeats inexplicably beating in unison and reverberating throughout her warm body.
And maybe, just maybe, she saw hints of a blush coloring the stoic carrier's face, daring to speak up as her feelings began to erupt from the depths of her heart within her, starting to breathe heavily as she called her crush's name again.
"K-Kaga-san!"
Right before her throat started to burn, releasing her hold on Kaga in order to press one hand against her stomach while another clapped over her mouth as her cheeks puffed up, fighting the rising bile for as long as she could before Kaga realized what was going on and hurriedly reached for anything within arm's reach for her to vomit into.
A drunk Zuikaku emptied her chunky, food-and-drink-filled 'feelings' into the bottom of a wastepaper basket in a pathetic display, disappointingly thinking to herself as Kaga lightly slapped and massaged her back in order to clear her throat.
'Oh god.
There goes not just the pride of the 5th Carrier Division, but also any shred of respect I managed to build up in the eyes of my crush…
Fuuuuu-'
She felt better after two drinks of plain water, although she was starting to reek a little of alcohol much like Junyou's room and uniform after an intense drinking session, starting to curse Junyou in her mind for her idea to ingest alcohol (despite the fact that it worked) before she heard Kaga start to leave her side after having done all she could for Zuikaku.
And in her panic, she called out as she sat up on her bed while Kaga turned the doorknob and partially opened the door in order to exit the room,
"Kaga-san!"
And Kaga turned around as she flinched, asking tersely as she seemed ready to rinse and repeat her earlier steps to help Zuikaku again if need be.
"Again?"
Zuikaku blushed a little as she retorted with a sharp,
"No!"
Before catching herself and relaxing as she softened her demeanor, asking meekly.
"I mean, during the party, I noticed that you looked worried about something or another.
But I believe you didn't want to ruin the mood by discussing them with everyone, and I could see that it ate away at you from the inside."
She could see Kaga's eyes widen slightly in genuine surprise at her apparent mind-reading prowess while Zuikaku powered on, looking away and retreating into herself before she continued.
"And I know that we don't have the best relationship amongst us bird carriers, but I just want you to know that as a fellow rival and friend, I want you to face the battlefield with a clear mind."
This was where the alcohol helped to conceal her blush, because even in the darkness, she was still afraid that the 1stCarDiv carrier could see her colored cheeks as a result of their enhanced carrier eyesight as well as the light which leaked in from the corridor and into the room, which activated during nighttime and currently illuminated Kaga's silhouette.
"I-I know that they're dear to you, and you likely wouldn't want to bring them down by bringing up this depressing topic, but…
Everyone needs a listening ear every now and then, and especially after the Battle of Twelve Navies, I'm sure you have tons of concerns weighing down on your shoulders, and you need to tell someone about them in confidence.
I just want you to know that I don't mind hearing you speak your mind about anything, and that I'm here for you.
I-In my own way."
Kaga didn't respond for a long while as Zuikaku looked down at her bed and anxiously waited for the deathly silent carrier to give her answer, and before she could add anything to try and convince her crush, Kaga turned towards the door and caused Zuikaku to quietly exhale in disappointment at her inability to get through to her crush-slash-senior.
But Kaga strangely chose to shut the door without exiting the room, enveloping the two carriers inside in darkness as Zuikaku's heart pounded upon feeling and almost seeing Kaga walk towards her bed in the darkness, even without the use of her night-vision.
But her hopes were subverted yet again as Kaga passed by Zuikaku's bed without sparing her a second glance, and instead headed for the drawer at her bedside.
Hearing the click of the bed lamp being turned on as it cast Kaga's shadow upon Zuikaku, she felt Kaga sit right behind her and leaned back on Zuikaku's back, speaking monotonously and in a no-nonsense tone.
"Do not say anything.
Do not do anything.
For all intents and purposes, I am speaking to thin air right now, understand?"
Zuikaku's heart leapt upon understanding what Kaga was doing and why she was doing this, thinking to herself.
'She's concerned enough with her image to not wish to display any weakness in front of anyone, but understands the need to share your concerns with someone else?
And to that end, she deliberately allows me to listen in on her self-confession while choosing to ignore me, since 'out of sight, out of mind' applies in the darkness in this bedroom?
That's… rather prideful, but it's somehow endearing when she does it.
Maybe even a little… cute.'
But she said nothing as per her senior's instructions, and she finally heard Kaga's relieved,
"Good."
Before sighing again, Zuikaku feeling Kaga's back heaving in the process as though releasing all the pent up stress and frustration within her in order to gather her thoughts, finally speaking up after some time.
"I… am worried.
In front of everyone else, I refuse to admit that I'm afraid of what's coming next, but I admit that I'm getting there.
The Abyssals have played their next hand, and I can't help but think that much like the introduction of the Princesses in the past, the world will be plunged into chaos once more.
And…"
Another sigh escaped Kaga's lips, and Zuikaku felt the fatigue escape from Kaga's very being which did her best to keep it all in, rolling off of the 1st Carrier Division's shoulders and onto Zuikaku in order for her to shoulder with her crush as Kaga continued.
"If the Abyssals have already developed air and sea-based vessels based on past and modern designs to be used in war, then who's to say that they haven't created land-based vehicles in order to pull off another land invasion like they did to America, except doing it right this time?
I can feel the tides of war turning, and even after winning this battle, I can't help but feel that it's the beginning of the end."
Kaga's voiced then hardened, and Zuikaku felt Kaga recover some of her mojo and transformed back into the 1st Carrier Division's professional and hardened carrier as she spoke up.
"But I don't want to bring down their spirits just yet.
At least, not tonight, not when they're celebrating a major victory after a hard-fought battle.
I'll shoulder this burden by myself."
The 'not anymore.' was heavily implied, and Zuikaku exhaled sharply as she looked down and mentally sympathized with Kaga's concerns about just what the Abyssals might be up to.
There was naught but silence for quite a while as Zuikaku internalized the silence between them while beams of light entered her field of vision from behind her, feeling Kaga's steady breathing be disturbed by a sharp intake of breath before continuing.
"I, I also think about sisters sometimes, and how… my tale and that of Akagi's are so pitiful.
To have my sister ship taken from me, and how I was to share the same fate of being scrapped, I was sad, but somehow content to die along with my unborn, or rather, unfinished sister.
But the heavens took away Amagi in the Great Kanto Earthquake, and that incident meant that I was recreated as a carrier in Amagi's stead and was able to fight and sink alongside Akagi.
But now, Akagi is able to find solace in Amagi the carrier, who can be seen as a reincarnation of Amagi the battlecruiser, if not in spirit then at least in name.
Although I'm genuinely happy for Akagi, I believe that there will never be a Tosa-Class battle-cruiser, and I see this as a divine punishment of sorts, for the price of living on borrowed time in order to serve in World War 2 alongside everyone is Tosa's life.
I know that the loneliness has abated over time with the addition of so many carriers, but without even a replacement of my sister ship to help quell this hole in my heart…"
Zuikaku looked down dejectedly, trying to put herself in Kaga's shoes as she thought about how it must have felt, to live because of someone else dying and allowing you to take their place, and to be unable to even see your own sister ship in your next life because she never lived to even see the dawn of the Second World War…
She couldn't even begin to wrap her mind around the loneliness she would feel should she know that she was supposed to have a sister ship, but would never know what she looked like, how she behaved or get to even talk to her, almost like an aborted sibling who would never see the light of day.
It was soul-crushingly sad, in a sense, and despite having so many friends to try and help her get over this pain, it was just a hole in her heart in which no one, not even Akagi, could truly fix, and they could only patch up the wound.
Kaga continued with a pitifully forlorn tone.
"I also can't help but wonder sometimes, what would Tosa think of me if she were looking down at us from Heaven?
Would she be happy that I'm living my own life, or would she be angry that I lived while she died?
Sometimes, I also wonder what life would be like if she were to be chosen to live on as a carrier instead of me, and what if the 1st Carrier Division consisted of Tosa and Akagi instead?"
Zuikaku's heart broke a little upon comprehending the morbid thought that there would be a world out there where Kaga herself wouldn't exist and would be replaced by her sibling, and she wanted to do nothing more than to turn around right now and hug Kaga from behind, before taking the chance to gently reassure her that everything was going to be alright.
Except she couldn't.
Kaga's orders were absolute, and she had to be content with gritting her teeth until her gums hurt as she endured the sinking feeling in her heart, Kaga continuing.
"I know that these are nothing more than idle fantasies about a sister ship who never was, but…
I question if everything about me, whether it's my drive to perform well, my clinging to Akagi, who also lost her sister back then, as if she were my sister ship, my aloof attitude towards everyone else…
Is it all because I somehow blame myself for Tosa's death, and keep my distance from others as some form of self-inflicted punishment and see Akagi as an expy of Tosa?
Or am I staying close to her just because she understands my loss on some level, and not just because we're part of the 1st Carrier Division?
Who would I be without my sister?
The same person?
Radically different?"
Zuikaku felt emotionally drained somewhat upon hearing all these woes flow from Kaga's heart like a dam bursting, but she reminded herself that Kaga was likely feeling ten times, if not a hundred times worse.
She made a controversial claim in her mind that it would arguably feel better if Kaga scolded her, as masochistic as that sounded in her mind right now.
Kaga continued, likely on a roll regarding sharing her woes after keeping them in her heart for so long, and Zuikaku patiently listened to her all the while.
"And I also worry about losing everyone, because my belief is that we are who we are as a result of all the people whom we interact with, not just because of our predetermined personalities.
I let everyone down once when I was sunk at Midway.
Although my mildly antagonistic feelings towards Enterprise and American carriers in general aren't going to get in the way of working with them, my heart feels more bitter about letting everyone down, both the bird carriers who shouldered our responsibility from then on as well as everyone else who had survived until that point in time.
Maybe it's because I keeping thinking about what else could I have done to protect myself, Akagi, Hiryuu and Souryuu back then, although I often shut these thoughts down by telling myself that the past is unchangeable, and that this disaster of a battle, in some sense, helped to mold us into who we are today."
Zuikaku thought about that, understanding that their sinkings were integral to their personalities in some way, as twisted as that sounded, and for the 1st and 2nd Carrier Divisions, part of their fame came from the Battle of Midway, and how they sank in a disastrous, tide-turning battle.
This was one issue she could empathize with, since Kaga, Akagi, Hiryu and Souryuu sank at Midway while Shokaku and Taihou sank at the Battle of Philippines Sea, leaving her all alone.
The urge to say something ate away at her, and she couldn't take it anymore as she looked down and reached for Kaga's palm on the bed, and although she felt the carrier jump at the hand-to-hand contact, she took the initiative and made her own thoughts known to Kaga, the alcohol in her system helping to push her on.
"Look, you had your turn to talk, and now it's my turn.
First of all…"
Feeling a blush creeping up upon her as she thought about what she was going to say, she went ahead with it anyway as she continued.
"In response to the first issue, you're right in that the Abyssals are likely up to something, and that we're all in danger.
But in case you forgot, we're all soldiers who've fought in a World War before, so don't think that we're gonna go down without a fight.
We're not so weak to the point where we need you to save the day all the time."
Clearing her throat as she failed to hear anything from the silent Kaga-Class carrier, she continued as her fingers intertwined with Kaga's, adding to the intensity of her blush.
"As to the second, I won't say that I know Tosa-san, or have a bond with her in the same way you do, but I believe that as your sister, she would have been happy to see you live.
To see you excel and uphold the honor of the 1st Carrier Division so professionally, any sibling of yours would be proud.
Again, I'm not her, but…"
Her mind and heart was a whirlwind of thoughts she wanted to get through to Kaga, and the 1stCarDiv carrier exhibited patience in spades as Zuikaku took several deep breaths, sorting out her thoughts and points before she finally managed to continue her monologue.
"I'm not Tosa, but if Shoukaku lived on while I died, but she managed to live her life to her fullest by excelling in her duty and becoming strong in order to protect everyone whom she holds dear, I'd be the happiest sister ship in the world.
And as to whether who you'd be with or without your sister ship, if you became a happier and kinder battlecruiser with her, or lost her but gained Akagi in order to become the…"
Lowering the volume of her voice, she muttered the next two words under her breath, phoning in the frigid description as she did her best to sound as non-confrontational as possible,
" … ice queen…
Carrier, you'd still be the same person.
You're right in that our personalities are molded mostly by unique circumstances, but the two distinct personalities simply show the same person developing differently under different circumstances.
You'd still be Kaga, but had you lived through different circumstances and lived your life as a happy-go-lucky battle-cruiser Kaga, I'm certain that your personality would similarly change as a result, but you'd still remain you.
You're still you, and no other theoretical 'alternate-universe' you is worth any more than you currently are simply because they were raised under radically different and possibly better circumstances."
She could almost feel Kaga softening up to her ideas, and she moved on by sharing her own feelings during World War 2.
"And as to losing everyone…
I know how that feels, but although it hurt, we're all soldiers, and I had to push on regardless.
Sure, you lost the battle at Midway, but was that due to a lack of effort on your part?"
The ensuing silence was all the answer she needed in order to continue on,
"You're right in that we're all a slave to circumstances.
And to my knowledge, there was nothing else you could have done to change the outcome, not with luck favoring the Americans in that battle.
You went down fighting, and that's what others will remember you for.
Few, if any, carriers dare to say that they could have changed the final outcome had they been in your position, and that's saying a lot about the cards you four were dealt on that day."
Zuikaku moved onto the final part of her monologue,
"And look…
Everyone's here for you, alright?
Even if we can't replace the sister which you've lost and fully patch all the holes in your heart, we can do their best to fill it with new bonds and experiences, and we'll help you honor her memory by living your life to the fullest and doing your very best.
So don't do anything rash, because…
Because we're here for you."
Before uttering her last words at a volume which she was fairly certain that Kaga wouldn't be able to pick up even with her ears, these words flowing from the portion of her heart that was in love,
"And I'm here for you too."
She could feel her blush intensifying while Kaga turned around behind her, and in order to hide her own face, she grabbed her blanket and collapsed back on the bed where Kaga previously sat in order to feel the soft comfort of her pillow on the side of her face, using her blanket to hide her mouth and blushing cheeks while she peeked over the blanket's edge, no longer acting as she whispering tiredly while the bed lamp partly illuminated both their figures.
"Ah, I'm tired.
I've said my piece, so there.
Stay with me until I've fallen asleep, please; I don't have anyone else to count on should I go through that again."
She saw the look of consideration on Kaga's face as she managed to remain cool and collected for the most part, eventually settling into a serene smile, a rare sight in and of itself as her calm expression brightened relative to her usual deadpan expression, Zuikaku hearing Kaga address her with a tender voice for the first time in her life.
"Yes.
And … thank you."
Zuikaku then allowed herself to drift off to sleep while Kaga kept watch over her, likely to ensure that she wouldn't get sick and vomit due to the alcohol again, and as the Shoukaku-Class carrier's mind started to swirl and blank out from fatigue, the last thing which she saw was the partially-lit figure of Kaga, and her mind made an inexplicable connection in its last waking moments.
'Hmm, having her by my side while I sleep feels good.
Here, her face is partially illuminated, just like the waning moon…
Graceful, serene, introverted and beautiful, and yet so far beyond my reach…
Wait, does that make me the sun, outgoing, hot-headed, extroverted and vibrant?
Huh.
Really makes you think.
Really… makes …'