John was walking up a hill. In his arms was his daughter Tsubaki. The situation recently regarding his wife Shoukaku had brought back terrible memories for the man. Everything reminded him of his first love, who he lost years ago, Yorktown. When he woke up this morning, he promised himself that he was going to visit the memorial he had built for the aircraft carrier, and he was going to take his daughter with him. Zuikaku offered to come with him, but John declined. He told the crane to head to the medical bay to watch over her sister and her META self. The crane said that she would call him if Shoukaku woke up. John thanked Zuikaku and left his home with his daughter.
As he was walking, the half-KANSEN decided to ask where they were going, "Where are we going, Papa? Why isn't auntie coming with us?" the little girl asked her father. "We are going to see someone who was very special to me, sweetheart, someone who is no longer with us." John answered his daughters question with a hint of sadness in his voice. Tsubaki could sense that whoever this person was, they meant a lot to her father by the way he answered her. The half-KANSEN wanted to know more, "Were they special like Mama, Papa?" Tsubaki wanted to know clearly how special this person used to be to her father. John didn't know how to reply to that, Shoukaku was very special to him. The white-crane was someone who he truly loved, someone that he pledged to spend the rest of his life with. Yorktown, however, also meant a lot to him. When he lost the aircraft carrier, John was sent into his own darkness.
John thought he was a failure. In his mind, he failed the woman that he loved. John believed he had no right to command the KANSEN of the Azur Lane any longer the day he lost Yorktown. He thought about quitting, to let someone else have the position that he thought he no longer deserved. One day, however, another KANSEN, just like Yorktown, showed up in his life. It was the woman that he ended up marrying and having his daughter with. That woman was Shoukaku. Shoukaku was originally an enemy of the Azur Lane, but one day herself along with the rest of the Sakura Empire, re-joined the organisation that they originally split from. At first, John was hesitant about getting close to the white-crane. She reminded him so much of Yorktown. However, just like how he brought Yorktown out of her darkness, Shoukaku did the same for him. The white-crane brought light back into his life. She made him feel worthy of commanding all the KANSEN of the Azur Lane again. Yorktown would always be special to him. That was something John would never deny. The aircraft carrier was gone now, but he would never forget her. Now, he had a life alongside Shoukaku and Tsubaki. They were the two most important people in his world.
John carried on walking until he reached the top of the hill. When he arrived, both himself and Tsubaki could see two people were already at the memorial. The man knew who these people were. They were the sister ships of Yorktown, Enterprise, and Hornet. The two KANSEN could hear someone else had arrived. When they turned around, they could see the commander with his daughter in his arms. "Hello commander, I see you have brought Tsubaki with you." Enterprise said as she walked up to John and Tsubaki. The half-KANSEN gave a hello to Enterprise, and John simply nodded. The three then walked up to the memorial to join Hornet, who had laid down some flowers at her sisters memorial. Nobody spoke when they looked at the memorial. Even Tsubaki didn't say anything. The little girl could sense the atmosphere between the adults around her was very solemn. She could tell that whoever this memorial was for meant a lot to the three adults, so she kept quiet. Tsubaki didn't want to say anything that risked upsetting her father or the two KANSEN.
John wanted to say something to Enterprise and Hornet but couldn't muster up the courage to do so. While he knew the two didn't blame him for their sisters loss, he still felt immense guilt for what happened. He doubted that feeling of guilt would ever go away for as long as he lived. Hornet and Enterprise didn't hold it against John for Yorktown's demise. She was an unfortunate casualty of the madness that is war. Instead, they wanted him to forgive himself. He didn't need to carry around that burden. Yorktown wouldn't want him to hate himself for what happened. That was what they wanted to tell him. But like John, neither of them could muster up the courage. All they did was look at the memorial and remembered the times they had with their sister when she was alive...
After an unknown amount of time the four began to leave but John's phone began to ring, the man pulled it out of his pocket and could see Zuikaku was the one trying to get in touch with him. John answered his phone and was met with the voice of his sister-in-law, "John, Shoukaku has just woken up! She's asking for you and Tsubaki! Come to the medical bay!" Zuikaku shouted at John down the phone. The man's eyes widened when he heard this news. He wanted to see his wife immediately. John didn't want to take his daughter to the medical bay. He didn't want the half-KANSEN to see her mother in the condition she was in. He knew it could cause Tsubaki to get upset, but if Shoukaku wanted to see both of them, then he wasn't going to go against her wishes. "Okay! We are heading over now! Tell Shoukaku we will be there soon!" John replied down the phone.
The call ended, and John put his phone back in his pocket. John then turned to Enterprise and Hornet, and both could guess what had happened and told him to be with his wife. John nodded and began walking with Tsubaki down the hill and towards the medical bay. The half-KANSEN heard what was said over the phone. This left the little girl with so many questions. "Is Mama hurt Papa? Is that why she didn't come home with Auntie? Tell me papa what's wrong with Mama?" the little girl asked, sounding worried about her mother. John didn't want to tell Tsubaki the truth that her mother was nearly sunk by another KANSEN so he told her a lie which he knew would ease her worries, "It's okay sweetheart, mama just had an accident but she's fine now. So there is no need to worry, we will see her soon." John felt guilty for lying to his daughter, but he knew he couldn't let her know the truth. She would definitely be in tears if she knew someone tried to kill her mother. This did ease the worry of the half-KANSEN, Tsubaki thought if it was just an accident, then her mother was fine. To the half-KANSEN, her mother was a hero, and heroes didn't let accidents stop them.
John carried on walking with Tsubaki still in his arms until he arrived at the medical bay. When John and Tsubaki were closer, the pair could see Zuikaku standing outside. The crane had been waiting for them to arrive. John put Tsubaki down, and the half-KANSEN ran towards her aunt and hugged her legs. Tsubaki then looked up towards Zuikaku, "Is Mama okay, auntie? Can I see her?" the little girl asked her aunt. "Yes Tsubaki, your mother has been wanting to see you." Zuikaku replied while looking down at her niece. The half-KANSEN detached herself from her aunts legs and then ran inside the medical bay when Zuikaku opened the door for her to begin looking for the white-crane. John then walked up to Zuikaku to question her on how his wife was doing, "How is her condition? Has Vestal said anything?" He asked his sister-in-law.
"Vestal has said that she has taken some damage but should recover. Vestal wants to keep her here for the next few days just to monitor her. If nothing else happens, then she should be able to come home, but she will need to take it easy for a while." Zuikaku told her brother-in-law what the repair ship told her when Shoukaku woke up. This gave John immense relief. He was worried about the extent of the damage Taihou had inflicted on her when the phoenix attacked his wife. John thanked Zuikaku for telling him this, he was about to walk inside to see the white-crane, but Zuikaku stopped him, "John, I don't feel comfortable that Akagi is also here. If she is responsible for all of this, what's stopping her from destroying Shoukaku or Taihou? I know you have others watching her all the time, but I know how cunning and crafty Akagi is. Also, what if my META self sees Tsubaki? How will she react? I know she is looking for her own Tsubaki, but what if she loses control if she sees her?" Zuikaku raised her concerns to John.
"I understand your concern, Zuikaku, but trust me, Akagi wouldn't dare try anything. I've told those watching her that if she tries to harm Shoukaku or Taihou to destroy her immediately. Akagi isn't stupid enough to do anything if she's being watched, and I've given that order. As for your META self, I'm sure Vestal is keeping her isolated for now. But we both know she will see Tsubaki eventually. We can't deny that. I just hope she doesn't react negatively when she does see her." John told the crane not to worry about the kitsune. She would be punished if she tried anything. John knew it was inevitable that sooner or later, Zuikaku META would see Tsubaki, especially if she was staying at the Azur Lane base. He knew he needed to think of a plan if the META went berserk when she saw this version of her niece. John didn't want to think about that for now. For now, he just wanted to see his beloved wife.
Zuikaku's fears about Akagi were eased when John explained what would happen to her if she tried to harm her sister or Taihou in any way. The crane was still uncomfortable that her META self was here and could potentially see Tsubaki, Zuikaku hoped that her META self could keep her emotions in check when she saw her niece. Like John, she also knew it was inevitable that her META self would clock eyes on Tsubaki if she was staying here. Zuikaku just didn't want it to be today. The crane stepped aside and allowed John to walk inside, Zuikaku then followed him inside and shut the door behind her. Zuikaku and John walked towards Shoukaku's room. They could see her door was open, and they heard a loud cry of "Mama!" Both of them knew Tsubaki had found Shoukaku.
Walking in, they could see the white-crane had her daughter in a hug with one of her arms wrapped around the half-KANSEN in a gentle hug while she was slightly sitting up on the bed. Shoukaku also had a content look on her face. Shoukaku noticed other people had arrived and looked at who was in the doorway, she had a beautiful smile on her face when she saw it was her husband and sister were the one's who had come to see her. John didn't know what to say or do. Upon seeing the white-cranes smile, he thought he could have lost her. John could feel himself tearing up with relief but did his best to not show it, Tsubaki was in the room and the little girl would surely want to know why her father was crying if she saw him.
Tsubaki also heard that others had arrived and turned around to see her aunt and father, "Auntie! Papa! Mama's okay! No accident will stop, Mama! Mama's a hero, after all!" Tsubaki declared to the pair. Shoukaku chuckled at her daughter's praise of her and so did Zuikaku and John, The white-crane guessed that either her sister or husband made an excuse to explain why she was here in the medical bay. Zuikaku and John took seats in the room and began talking to Shoukaku about how she was felling, she replied that she was fine and was just glad that she was awake now and with her loved ones. Tsubaki also spoke to her mother. The half-KANSEN wanted to know what the accident was that got her mother hurt. "It was just a really bad bump, Tsubaki. But I'm fine now, I promise." Shoukaku gave an excuse which hopefully sounded plausible to her daughter.
The half-KANSEN thankfully brought the lie and then snuggled up against her mother. The little girl had no doubts that a bad bump wouldn't stop the white-crane. John and the two KANSEN felt guilty keeping Tsubaki in the dark about what truly happened, but they all knew it was for the best. They carried on talking for a bit until Zuikaku could see John wanted to talk to Shoukaku in private, the way he was looking and his body language was telling the crane that he needed Tsubaki to be away from here while the two talked. Zuikaku looked at the clock hanging on the wall and thought of an idea to get the half-KANSEN out of the room, "Tsubaki it's lunchtime, I'm sure your mother and father are hungry. Why don't you and me go and get something for them and come back here when we are done?" Zuikaku posed her idea to her niece. Tsubaki looked at her aunt and replied, "Okay auntie." She then looked at her father, "Look after Mama, papa." She told her father. John replied that he would, and Tsubaki left Shoukaku's side and then left the room alongside her aunt.
When the two were alone, Shoukaku looked at John and could see a tear fall from his eye. John grabbed his wife's hand closest to him and held it. "I'm sorry for this Shoukaku. I was just so scared that I lost you. I didn't want Tsubaki to see this. Words can't describe how happy I am you are still alive." He told the white-crane. Shoukaku could see her husband was struggling to hold it together, and she could understand why, Shoukaku was aware that John had already lost someone whom he cared about before and couldn't go through with it again. He was still dealing with the trauma of losing Yorktown several years ago, "It's okay John, I'm still here. I know you were scared, and I know it still hurts what happened. I'm still here, and I'll always be here for you." Shoukaku tried reassuring her husband. In truth, the white-crane was also trying to reassure herself, Shoukaku wouldn't lie that she was terrified of being sunk by Taihou. Shoukaku knew that if she was sunk by the phoenix, it would have destroyed the man. She didn't want to think about what he would have done if that had happened. She was also scared about what would become of her sister and daughter. The thought of never seeing any of her loved ones again nearly caused Shoukaku to cry herself.
Taihou had nearly destroyed her family, but Shoukaku couldn't understand why. The white-crane knew that Taihou was here at the medical bay as well. That was something that Zuikaku told her not too long after she woke up. Akagi was also here and was suspected to be the cause of all of this. Shoukaku wanted answers, but right now, Taihou still wasn't awake, and Akagi was constantly being watched by other KANSEN round the clock. She couldn't confront either of them at the moment, but when she could, the white-crane promised to do everything in her power to get the answers she deserved. If Akagi was truly behind the reason that Taihou attacked her, then Shoukaku knew she couldn't let this slide. Payback was needed against the kitsune. She didn't give a damn about the consequences.
For now, however, all Shoukaku could do was wait for the phoenix to wake up, then she could get the answers she wanted. But Shoukaku would focus on recovering and being here with her loved ones, especially John. Despite John being such an incredible man, he had his weaknesses. His trauma over losing Yorktown was his biggest weakness. "I promise you, John, you won't lose me like you did Yorktown. I need to find a way to become stronger, not just for myself but for John, Tsubaki, and Zuikaku. They won't lose me...they can't lose me!" The white-crane promised herself to find a way to become stronger so John would never have to fear losing her again. She had to find a way... she needed to find a way...she couldn't become a lost lenore...