Isaac laid in the bed, unable to move or see. He was awake, at least he felt like he was. His body was numb. His body tingled in areas that he knew were injured. He tried to open his mouth to speak but found himself unable to fight whatever painkiller that the nurses had fed him.
"Well... I guess I have no choice but to go back to sleep. Maybe some sleep will do me good. I haven't slept in well over a day. How long have I been out so far?" Isaac thought to himself as he allowed his body to return to the land of sleep.
"Alice, Status repot?" Odin asked via radio.
"Well. I have good news and bad news." Alice said softly.
"Bad news first then." Odin said.
"At some point we are going to have to pull him off the morphine drip. And based on the total information that we gathered from the procedure earlier today... it's going to hurt like nothing he has felt before." Alice said.
"What's the good news then?" Odin asked, sounding like she had just been slapped across the face.
"His burns were not as bad as Vestal and I originally thought. We mistook burnt and charred pieces of his suit as damaged skin. So his burns are more on the lower side of second degree." Alice said.
"How are the two correlated?" Odin asked.
"Second degree burns keep the nerves alive, damaging mainly the top and underlying layers of skin. That means that if he wakes up any time soon, the pain I mentioned will come to pass." Alice said.
"Alright. I want you to keep him out until we can be certain that his pain will be manageable. It should also give me plenty of time to put together a squad to find that Oceana. I need you to part with a few nurses for a while. Vestal has requested nurses over on the Z23." Odin said.
"Will do. They'll be on the way shortly." Alice said.
"She didn't explain, but I am assuming that it has something to do with Vengeance." Odin said.
"That would make sense." Alice said.
"...How does he look? Not from a medical standpoint... but as someone who knows him?" Odin asked.
Alice turned to look at Isaac, who had been placed in such a way that his weight was not on his burn, allowing it to heal.
"Aside from all the bandages and IV drip... he looks like he has come to terms with what happened. Whatever happened during emergency surgery... it pulled him through. I can't tell specifically, but he honestly looks peaceful." Alice said.
"I see. Is he accepting visitors?" Odin asked.
"On your orders, nobody has been allowed in. Friedrich is asleep in the bed next to Isaac, probably only doing so to keep her eyes on him when she wakes up. Belfast has made her presence known, and is standing by the door, ensuring nobody comes in and he doesn't get out." Alice said.
"It's been only one night. What could have happened to get him over that so quickly, I wonder?" Odin asked softly.
"I don't know. But whatever it is... It not only got him over it, it seemed to bring him an enormous amount of peace." Alice said.
"Looks like we finally managed to crack the fog situation." Observer Zero said as she looked at the sea from the summit of Mount Fuji, watching as fleets of Drone ships made it past the fog.
"I see. Congrats, Zero." Observer Alpha said via their neural link.
"So... when were you going to tell me that you were using the experimental units as mass produced spies and warriors?" Zero asked.
"Secret orders from the top. The Empress does not have faith in you or Tester to be able to put down the insect. So I was ordered to play a trump card." Alpha said.
"Which units?" Zero asked.
"Just Explorer and Oceana class. There are far too many Explorers to count, but I only released one Oceana so far. And based on her performance, Oceana's are the only thing we might need." Alpha said.
"Why is that?" Zero asked.
"Well, she and seven Explorers confirmed the death of one of the Insect's destroyers. She also managed to injure the Insect so severely that he has not been seen on the battlefield for well over 24 hours." Alpha said.
"Well send more! If one is that effective, then more should be better, no?" Zero asked.
"I can't. They take time to produce. The resources take time for the slaves to mine. At this rate, I only have resources for 50% of another Oceana class." Alpha said.
"Well, I guess it'll have to do." Zero said as she heard the whine of a plane in the distance. She looked to the north and saw a full squadron of Zero's flying towards her.
"Looks like that Carrier isn't dead. And she's heading north to boot." Observer said as she looked at the aircraft incoming. She aimed up her rigging and fired, amused that the planes dodged the fire and managed to drop their payload over top of her, littering the area around her in 100 pound bombs.
"Looks like you want a fight then." Zero said as she quickly made her way down Mount Fuji towards the north, noting that there was a high altitude aircraft tracking her movements.
"You'll need every advantage. I'm heading the fleet this time. If you manage to escape... there is no doubt that this theater will fall." Zero whispered to herself.
Unknown to Observer, the planes were a diversion to lead her away towards the North. In all reality, Shinano had made her move and was steaming away at full speed towards the south, on a heading towards New Guinea.
"Isaac." Shinano's voice played in Isaac's head. Isaac looked around, noting the darkness that once filled his mind had been replaced entirely.
"Lady Shinano." Isaac said as he sat in the middle of the same dewy field that Nimi had showed him.
"I have made my move, Isaac." Shinano said as she slowly came into view in front of Isaac.
"That is truly wonderful to hear." Isaac said.
"I see the fields of Germany have captivated you." Shinano said as she walked over to Isaac.
"My love showed me the beauty that such a place can bring. It's peaceful... Serine." Isaac said as he ran his finger across the petals of a rose.
"This is how you have attained peace?" Shinano asked as she sat next to him.
"Peace of sorts. I still have a burning hatred for the Sirens that stand against me... but I have found my peace. I think being able to hear her voice again... after being forced to accept that she is in fact dead... it helped in the end, I guess." Isaac said.
Shinano gave him a smile. A smile that seemed to warm the field they were in, as if her smile was a ray of sunshine.
"Maybe you are not so hopeless, after all." Shinano said softly as her hand graced his hair.
"For a fox that spends most of her time asleep, you sure do love to touch me when you're here." Isaac said as he leaned against her.
"Does it displease you?" Shinano asked.
"Not in the slightest. Your hands are surprisingly gentle and delicate." Isaac said.
"Hmm? They feel better in person, I can assure you. Ask that gentle soul, Yukikaze. She'll tell you." Shinano said with a small chuckle.
"The fields symbolize peace. But may I show you another?" Shinano asked.
"Sure. I don't see why not. From the looks of it, I'm going to be here a while." Isaac said.
Shinano nodded slowly as she rested her head on his shoulder. Isaac looked at her for a few seconds before a slowly falling pink petal caught his attention. Standing behind them was a stone staircase, enclosed by torii gates. The view in front of them took Isaac's breath away.
"Kyoto. Although it is late August, dreams have no date. This is one of the most peaceful cities in the Sakura Empire. A sight like this would only be caught at the height of Cherry Blossom season, my dear Isaac." Shinano said softly as she held out her hand and caught a flower petal as it fell.
"It...It's beautiful." Isaac said.
"This is what you are working to save. Once we manage to save it... I can bring you here to see with your own eyes." Shinano said as she looked up at him.
"You know... that would be quite nice." Isaac said as he brought his hand up and rubbed Shinano's head between her ears, eliciting a soft mew as she pressed her head against his hand.
"Are all of you Sakura girls so sensitive?" Isaac asked.
Shinano blushed a bit before wrapping a tail around Isaac's waist.
"You will not remember this when you awake... but don't worry. I will. And you can expect it once again in the waking world as well." Shinano said as she scooted into Isaac's lap before placing one of his hands on her head.
"I'll take that as a yes." Isaac said as he willingly continued to rub her head.
"I don't think I have ever seen him so at peace." Eagle said from the doorway. Belfast turned to look at her.
"He is quite interesting, if you ask me." Belfast said
"How so?" Eagle asked.
"Well, he put a ring on your finger for starters. Then the Ironblood destroyer, bless her soul. And I believe I saw a ring on that Ironblood Battleship." Belfast said.
"Is that all? Usually it takes more than that to amuse the head maid." Eagle said as she leaned on the doorway.
"Well... he does call her Majesty by the name 'lizzie'. So I also find that to be of interest to me." Belfast said as Eagle stood with her jaw wide open.
"And he is alive to talk about it?!" Eagle said.
"Apparently... and this is just my guess, she likes him. For the first time since this war began and ended, she has taken a liking to a human commander." Belfast said.
"You're right. This truly is an interesting development." Eagle said
"Indeed it is." Belfast said as she stood straight , maintaining her post. "indeed it is." She repeated softly.