It is a nice day on base, the sun's shining, and the birds are singing. On days like this, ships like Reprisal… are sleeping.

"poke. poke poke."

I turn my head away from something poking me. "mhmm…"

"wake up."

I roll over, groaning out "Five more… minutes…"

"Laffey says wake up."

"...huh?" I sit up, raising an arm to block my eyes from the sunlight peeking through the tree's grove. "Laffey… what's wrong?"

"Your Mom called you. It's important."

For once, Laffey looked almost fully awake, and not about to pass out into the nearest comfy spot. Usually me.

"Alright, lead the way."

I'm walking to the common room with Laffey. When I asked her why, she just mumbled something to herself and kept walking.

'Y'know, looking back on it, I'm glad Mom got me to hang out with Laffey. She's a great reading buddy… even if she doesn't read, but just naps on my shoulder while I read to her. Eh, it's still nice, and she somehow still remembers most of what I read.

Although I do miss the other girls, Atago,Takao and Akagi. They can't return until tensions settle, lest they get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. '

"almost there."

'Ugh, it's dumb that it works like this, Atago and Takao were even building up the suspense for my… birthday…'

As we enter the room, I see Enterprise, Yorktown, Hornet, and Vestal all standing around a table with party hats on. The table holds a cake on it, with two candles on it, spelling out 20.

'It's weird how my aging works, apparently I grew at the pace of… well, I guess dogs are a good example. Regardless, it suddenly slowed down around what should be 16 years old for humans, and I have been aging normally since.'

As Laffey walks around the table to join the others, I notice a large screen behind them, as well as a camera above it with a flashing light, indicating that it's on.

'I suppose that's for Yorktown, so she can remember these moments.'

Everyone shouts in unison, big smiles on all their faces. "Happy Birthday Reprisal!"

'I'm lucky to have them. If only the others could be here for this.'

"Thank you, everyone." I say this, my voice trailing off at the end of the sentence, which they recognise. Their smiles falter ever so slightly in response, and I hang my head in shame at that. 'I really made them frown at my own surprise party? It's not their fault the others can't be here right now.'

Yorktown walks up to me, grabbing my cheeks and lifting my head up to look at her. "Sweetie, it's alright. I know you want to see them again, and you will."

My voice cracks up as I speak, my eyes threatening to let tears fall, "But not now, and not for a while… sorry, I shouldn't be like this now, it's my birthday after all, and you were all so nice as to throw me a party, so… thank you."

"I'm glad to hear it sweetie, now come up and make a wish."

"Yeah! And hurry up, we're all waiting to dig in!" Hornet adds on, trying to hype me up. 'Though she might seriously just want the cake, I'm not sure.'

"Laffey is hungry, it looks yummy." 'She's definitely just hungry.'

I walk up to the table, leaning down a little to reach the candles, closing my eye and blowing them out in one puff. 'I wish that everyone could be here… Atago, Takao, Akagi.'

"Happy birthday!"

'Wait, those voices?!'

I look up from the cake and to the screen, seeing the three previously mentioned girls looking at me from it. 'So that's what the camera was for. Wish I had thought of that.'

Atago's doting voice plays through the TV's speakers. "Are you handling yourself well without your big sis there to help you?"

And like any good siblings, one cannot speak without the other joining in."She can take care of herself, I told you not to worry."

'It's been a while since I've seen those two… They treat me like a little sister, despite my anomalous existence. The only other (besides family) to treat me normal is-'

Akagi looks at my outfit, seeing that I still wear her coat. "Reprisal, you look so good in that! And don't worry, we've all been missing you since you've gone!"

I look up at everyone, the tears falling from my eyes now. "Thank you, everyone. Thanks for making my birthday wish come true."

Even Enterprise's eagle was there, although he still stayed a distance from me. 'He's never gonna like me, huh?'

It seems Enterprise knew what I was thinking, and patted my shoulder. "Now, now. I know he keeps away from you, but he's like that with everybody. He'll come to trust you eventually."

Hornet was quick to back up her sister, "Yeah, he doesn't even let me near him! Besides, why would you be upset about a bird, when there's still the best part of your birthday to come?"

I look up at her confused, "Best part?"

She gives me a smile, "Presents, duh!"

My eyes lit up at the word, excited by the prospect that they cared enough to spend time or money on me.

Atago accidentally whispered "adorable", although everyone else in the room was thinking it as well.

We sit around the table, and I'm handed a gift by Hornet. It says "From Hornet and Enterprise.". I open the gift, finding an eyepatch inside. I put on the patch, fitting neatly around my head, and not bothering my other eye.

It has a black leather belt that goes around my head diagonally, going over my left eye. The patch itself is almost like a goggle, with black leather pressing against my skin to keep anything from getting in, a metal frame that it is attached to, and a glass pane covering the bulk of my eye.

Hornet grabs the wrapping paper, saying "We knew your eye bothered you, so we thought this might help you."

Enterprise followed up after her, "We wanted you to be able to think of something positive when you were reminded of it, rather than thinking negative thoughts about it."

I nod my head, a few tears leaking out. "T-thanks guys. Let… let's finish opening these presents."

I see Enterprise grab something from behind the screen, revealing a sword-shaped object wrapped in paper. It has a tag saying "From Atago, Takao & Akagi".

I open the gift, finding a stylish box that has an image of a moon on the front. I lift the lid, and reveal a blade inside. It is a katana with a rounded guard for the hand at the bottom. At the end of the pommel however, there is a dagger attached.

I lift it out the box, giving it a few test swings. Atago says, "Twist the dagger, and pull it apart."

I follow her instructions, and the blade snaps off, giving me a second weapon. I swing them around a bit, before flourishing a bit with them by spinning them in my hands, and snapping them back together quickly.

I hear Laffey clap in the back to my show, and I blush. As I place the blade back in the box, Takao speaks up, "You tend to rely on your Moon-Piercer, but just in case you end up in close quarters, you will have the Rakuyo. Akagi thought of the idea to have a dagger in the hilt."

I close the box, looking up at Akagi on the screen. "I heard about them planning to get you a katana, but with how you are so aggressive, I thought a more aggressive weapon would fit better. Plus, that way you always have a weapon to attack with after a block!"

I nod, before Mom hands me the last gift. I open the box, and I find a leather notebook inside.

She grabs the box, stuffing the wrapping paper into it. "I know you like to read a lot, so I thought that a notebook would be a good place to write down the thoughts you have while reading it. And, since I figured a regular notebook would be boring, it can also be shrunk down and stored in the pocket of your jacket."

"T-thank you, mom. You're the best." I give her a hug, and everyone else joins in a moment later.

'I hope that, soon, I can see you all again, so I can show you how much I've grown.'

Some people believe in a deity or god that watches over us and answers our prayers. Most of these individuals think this god to be benevolent, all knowing, and all seeing. Many use them as an explanation as for why this world was created, or perhaps as the reason the sirens were created, citing the rapture. However, none considered the notion that perhaps they are as flawed as any man, woman, or child, with only emotion as the guiding factor. After all, if emotions are what we live for, and love is the emotion we strive for, then… what does that say of the gods themselves? - Excerpt from Reprisals journal.