Edited grammar and trimmed down some of the details. Special thanks to OrbitalHamlet over at AO3 for offering his beta-reading to help clean up this chapter!

Chapter 9: Open Wide Your Hearts

The warm sun had set, the cold October rushed in to take its place. Shivering a little, the three girls outside the Pho restaurant blew the air into their palm while they awaited the fourth member of the group. Today, they celebrated passing their final exams, but Heidi was late.

Her arrival explained why. She came out of the bus carrying three boxes, folded in sparkly papers and colorful ribbons.

"What's all this?" Fernanda asked the lone Kuromorimine student with wide eyes.

"Gifts." Heidi answered. Once she laid them all down, she counted. "That one is a cuckoo clock I got from Uncle Hawkhaussen. That one is a music box, with five scores you can insert and play."

"My dear lord…" Masala oogled the stack of boxes.

"That one is the nutcracker soldier. I thought it might fit you, Aurelie, but I don't know if you have any nuts to crack, so I bought some in here too."

"These soldiers do that?" Aurelie asked. "I thought it's just for decoration."

"I'm pretty sure they do. It's a special model."

"What the hell…" Aurelie joined the surprises.

"Heidi, this is just a dinner celebration. You don't need gifts this fancy." Fernanda said.

"I've always thought this is what you do for friends on special occasions." Heidi replied.

"These can't be cheap for you." Aurelie remarked. Heidi's face turned a little uncomfortable.

"If you don't want it…" Heidi said.

Masala laughed as she threw her arms around Heidi. "I love it! Thank you so much!"

Heidi was taken aback by the hug. Both black-haired girl stayed in embrace for a few seconds.

"Although, I hope you're not bankrupting yourself to buy us these." Masala said as she parted.

"I saved up from work, don't worry." Heidi said.

"Dinner tonight is on us then! No need to pay!" The St. Gloriana girl declared.

"I was supposed to buy them too."

"Nah, you already did so much! Save some for the next video game, the next Lego set, or for college! You said you'd want to go in the future."

"But-"

"Shh. It's fine! We're not going anywhere. Let us buy gifts for you too, otherwise, we're just takers." Masala pressed a finger on Heidi's lips. "That's what friends are for. We take care of each other."

Friends. It was a word she commonly used, but a new thing to Heidi. She didn't really understand it. Before Masala's warmth, before Aurelie's smile and Fernanda's goof, it seemed like an answer. She'd like to hang out more with them. They were good folks.

In the present, it was a normal Monday morning. Two people cooped up in a hangar, secretly looking at digital charts and cracking eyes over a piece of metal. Typical stuff.

"Uh oh, not again." Ricky heard the sound of the card reader unlocking the door.

Like a cat in a box, Fernanda dove into the Churchill again. The one who entered though wasn't the one they needed to be worried.

"Heidi?!"

Heidi didn't seem bothered by his response. She gazed a long hard look at the broken Churchill.

"Umm…" Ricky hesitated for a second. "H-How did you get in here?"

"I had access." She still looked at the Churchill when she replied.

"You had access? Did you know about my investigation?"

Heidi shut her eyes, lowered her head for a second.

"D-Did I say something I shouldn't?" Reverted back to the scolded school kid Ricky did, as Heidi walked up to him.

"No." Heidi answered softly. "Just give me a moment."

'Right.' He thought. This was where their friend died. It would have been overwhelming. Ricky quietly stepped to the side, looking down as well.

"Alright." After a moment, Heidi faced Ricky. "I'm ready to answer any question you might have."

Ricky nodded stiffly. "How did you get access to this hangar? Did you ask Mrs. Shimada?"

"No. Like Fernanda, I did not have explicit permission." She answered.

"You know about this?"

"I know something is going on in here, and Fernanda, from her unusual behavior, is in cahoots with you." Ricky widened his eyes to her answer. Heidi crossed her arms. "I don't know what exactly is in here though, until now..."

"As for how I got access." Heidi raised her access card with her name and picture on it. She didn't steal or rob anyone's card. "I asked someone from the Campus Operations team."

"And they just give you access?"

"It took some convincing. 5-ish minutes."

"That's not long at all. They must've known you're not allowed."

"Yes, but that is an arbitrary rule. On the other hand, Takara and I have known each other for years."

Was this what Fernanda referred to as that sense of community? Students in this team emerged from the same tragedy and now they were banding together?

"And I assume…" Ricky's final question. "You are here to help us out."

"That's a bold assumption, but yes." Heidi answered. "Or at least...I want to make peace with myself, and Fernanda."

Who was Ricky to deny a grieving loved one?

"I don't think I can truly feel your pain, but if being here helps you find peace, you are very welcome to stay." He said.

"Thank you." Heidi nodded.

Heidi's help would also be enormous for Ricky. She knew a lot of things about Senshado and about safety. And even otherwise, she would be an extra hand to sort through the documents.

"...Is it alright if you can leave us for a moment?" Her voice lowered to a whisper.

"Should I…" Ricky pointed at the door.

"You can stay, but don't join in until I say otherwise."

Ricky acknowledged and walked to the corner of the hangar, by the kettle. He found some comfort in the warm water left after brewing his tea, watching Heidi slowly approaching the Churchill.

You must not battle too often with one enemy, or you will teach them all your art of war. It didn't take too many battles here, but Heidi saw her captain's art of war collection handed over to her opponent, and watched in real-time as she devised an effective countermeasure on the fly.

From a daring but terrible frontal engagement in the beginning, leading to a loss of two Matilda III, Masala transformed her game plan into a fight of attrition. Using her Crusaders, which she deployed in larger numbers than her St. Gloriana contemporaries, they would constantly harass the Kuromorimine tanks from the most unexpected and inconvenient of timings, and then retreat before the Kuromorimine tanks could respond effectively. When Kuromorimine tried ignoring the Crusaders and attempted to go after the slower portion of Masala's tank composition, St. Gloriana's superior intelligence led Kuromorimine straight into a multi-pronged counter-attack that almost broke the infamous Panzerkeil formation if not for quick-thinking by the vice-commander to set up a hasty testudo-esque defense with the heavier Tigers as the shields. And then Masala's forces would pull away, having inflicted casualties and delayed Kuromorimine's attack to safely retreat.

It was effective, and the battle turned into a slow grinding fest. Constant harassment followed by quick and aggressive engagement, sacrificing tanks to do damage, for more activity, and to demoralize. Masala would not hesitate to put her own flag tank in the attack, taken on so many shots, some from Heidi herself that should have killed. It was only due to Kuromorimine's superior discipline that allowed them to minimize losses and trade effectively with Masala. Even then, it was close. Her captain's Tiger I, another Tiger II, and Heidi's Jagdtiger were the last ones alive versus Masala's Churchill VII. The battle had lasted over six hours. Everyone was at the breaking point of their stamina, and here, mistakes could easily be made that would snatch a championship from their hands.

Masala opted to lure the three Kuromorimine tanks into a town. It was down to an individual's tank skills to outmaneuver, out-shoot and out-position their opponents, and this was Heidi's specialty. She excelled at these chaotic positions, unchained by Kuromorimine's archaic doctrine.

Heidi's tank entered the town, turtled up in a safe corner while she surveyed the area on foot. The Churchill's position was confirmed shortly after, but she waited for her comrades to attack first, despite orders from her captain to engage. She wanted Masala to be distracted – her Churchill is more mobile – but more importantly, she wanted the kill-shot. She wanted to show the Kuromorimine girls that her assessment was correct. It was correct. Her Jagdtiger caught the Churchill at the top of a public auditorium, completely unaware of her presence.

"Full speed." Heidi pressed her thumb against her throat.

Masala had learnt well. She fought with all her might and had gone much further than Heidi had expected her to, but it all ended here.

Her command transformed to signals. The Jagdtiger's engine roared, the beast of metal charged, eyes locked on its prey, its jaws let out one last cannon fire before contact, which narrowly went behind the Churchill's radio box.

The Jagdtiger collided with the Churchill in sparks, throwing the tank off its path, damaging its tracks. In the split second Heidi had to decide, she could choose to tighten the jaws on her prey and apply even more power. That would give her captain the time to get away. Or she could back up and get the kill. Surely at point blank, that Churchill would not be able to survive. She chose the latter option without thought.

The order was given. Her driver pulled the lever back. Her loader rammed an armor piercing shell into its chamber, completely unaware of the catastrophe she was about to cause. Heidi plopped into the gunner seat, her eyes peered through the scope. The moment the frame of the tank met the crosshair, her finger clicked.

She didn't remember the sound that came, only the silence that filled the air for a minute afterward. Smoke blocked all visions around her tank.

Then the announcement came all over the intercom at once. St. Gloriana's flag tank was disabled. Kuromorimine's was not.

Every fibre of her muscles deflated all at once. Her school won, but the margin had been a hair's breadth.

"That was so close, oh my god."

"My heart was pounding so much…"

"Hell yeah! Four years in a row!"

Her crew celebrated. It wasn't new to them at this point, but Heidi gave them an approving nod. For years, they had been with her through thick and thin, with drama, but she was proud of their accomplishment together. But the mood didn't last long.

Heidi suddenly heard banging noises from the outside.

"Help!"

Heidi pushed the hatch open. Below was Ceylon, the Churchill driver. Her ghostly face would etch in Heidi's memories forever. Her lips trembled as she pleaded.

"Help! Our captain was shot! We cannot call emergencies!"

"What?" Ceylon's voice was drowned by the engine still running behind her, Heidi could barely make out the words.

"Our captain was shot!" A louder voice clarified.

"What do you mea-"

Finally, in horror, she saw. The Churchill in front of her had a large hole on its mantlet, exactly where she had shot a moment ago. The metal was red, smoke still fluttered from the jagged metal.

"We have an emergency." Heidi pinched her neck radio.

"I'm sorry?"

"We. Have. An. Emergency!"

One moment was shock. The other, immediate action.

"Hansa, contact emergency frequency, now!" Heidi barked out orders. "There's a hull breach. We need fire trucks and an ambulance!"

"Uh...I...r-roger!"

Heidi wouldn't stick around and could only hope Hansa wasn't too panicked. Two feet contact later and Heidi was on the ground, with Ceylon, running toward the Churchill.

The drone footage was cut out at this point. Only the Churchill and the two Tigers' crew would bear witness, a rival commander, seconds earlier was on each other's throat, hugging and pulling out her injured, blood-soaked counterpart. The Jagdtiger commander, seemingly blessed with super strength, lifted the St. Gloriana captain all on her own and descended down from the Churchill.

Before a gathering crowd of tankers from the four tanks, Heidi put Masala down on the ground as gently as possible.

"Spread out, spread out!" A St. Gloriana student extended her hands wide.

"We need a first aid kit!" Heidi bellowed.

A Kuromorimine student came hugging a red little bag. Heidi did her best to patch Masala up, having bleedings on both her head and her neck. It was too severe to finish before rescuers arrived. With her hands soaked in blood, Heidi passed her body and fate to the rescuers.

Heidi was ordered to stand down and regroup with Kuromorimine. She refused. She would not leave her friend alone. She stayed with Masala, holding her pale white hand, until the very moment the girl was taken into the ambulance, where Heidi could no longer follow. Even then, when she rejoined the main venue, she stayed with the St. Gloriana students for the rest of the day, helped to calm the devastated members, answered questions from them the best she could, and guarded the Churchill crew members from journalists, knowing they were in no emotional state to be talking to them. For St. Gloriana, Heidi's exemplary act of sportsmanship that day were desperate solace amidst crippling tragedies, but it was cold comfort for Heidi.

When the moon reached its zenith, the clocked tipped over, the passenger plane Heidi was on landed back on the Zeppelin, the Opel Blitz stopped by her dorm, the dorm room closed, the events no longer kept her distracted, the only thing Heidi could look at that moment was reality. She had lost her friend, forever, and she killed her.

That night, alone in her room, she wept.

Two days later.

Everyone had returned to the carrier, life seemed to continue on as normal. Classes weren't on for the day, as per usual after every Senshado tournament. It was a day for celebration, or a day off for those who preferred the serene embrace of the solitary. Bars started selling early, movie theaters tickets were at discounts, the museums were open doors. There were banners hung on walkways and entrances, celebrating the 4th consecutive tournament win for the Senshado powerhouse.

There were students out and about, yet it was so quiet...

There weren't any big gatherings. Instead, groups of two or three friends just paced about the school, having quick exchanges, getting a drink or two, maybe checking out one of the countless World War 2 blockbusters that had been made, or just aimlessly wandering around, wasting time so nightfall comes, they could go to sleep and forget what just happened. The usual energy that should have accompanied the occasion were missing, only the Kuromorimine stoicism remained as they continued their day with their thousand-yard stares.

For Heidi, she sat by the fountain beside the main school block, her cheek sank into her palms. On the other side, a Kuromorimine student stroke her violin. Ave Maria, a curious case of collaboration between Bach and Gounod, musicians who never met or even lived in the same era. A new life breathed with every crescendo.

"Heidi."

A voice called out to her. It was Alena.

"How are you feeling?"

Heidi didn't reply. Her lips shut tight formed a weak smile.

"I'm sorry, I really am." Alena said. "If there is anything I could do for you, let me know."

Heidi looked thoughtful for a moment, then gestured to an empty spot next to her at the fountain.

"Please, sit a while with me." Her faint of a whisper barely heard.

Alena did as was requested. For a long few minutes, they sat watching the flowing water.

"Can you be very honest with me for one thing?" Then Heidi broke silence.

"What?" Alena looked over.

"Do you think this was an act of fate?"

The olive-green haired girl brushed one of her two long braids over her shoulders. Her yellow eyes wandered back to the flowing water and the coins scattered the bottom of the fountain - a common superstitious act for good luck.

"Sometimes I wonder." Heidi continued. "That all this was some...higher being watching over me. Gave me signs, tried to knock me down a peg for being too zealous, or arrogant. And now it's punishment."

Alena shook her head.

"We'll find out when we die, I guess. I don't think that's the answer you are looking for." Alena replied. Heidi looked on. "I don't know if you want to hear this so soon after, because the last time I said it in a casual conversation, some people were uncomfortable."

"Go for it. I asked specifically."

"...I don't think what you did was at all arrogant."

Alena still wondered if she should say it. Normally this topic would have been a no-go. It also went against what Kuromorimine had taught both of them, but this was Heidi. She never cared for that.

"But bad things happened anyway. It's total nonsense. You have a right to be angry, to cry, to be sad."

Alena took a deep breath.

"But nonsense is how the world works." She said. "If there are reasons other than the banality of this unthinking universe, I fail to see it. And in a way...it's probably more uncomfortable than a divine entity pulling the strings behind the curtain."

Heidi thought for a moment. "It is a little bit."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Alena shrugged. "But it helped me to accept it. I'm weird, I know."

"Everybody's different, I suppose." Heidi nodded. "Thank you."

"Let's talk something else maybe?" Alena suggested. "Also, stop by my house tonight for dinner? I can make you some omelette sandwich. The baguette kind."

"I would love that." Heidi stood up with Alena, joining the mass of students in their distraction.

Kunamoto, Nishizumi's Residence.

Over a week had passed since the accident. Heidi had received a letter summoning her to Shiho's home.

"Sit down." Shiho gestured to the seat in front of her desk when Heidi arrived. Once she was seated, Shiho began. "I want to talk about your future. For now, you are a student under my guardianship, but soon, you will no longer be a student, and no longer eligible for our accommodation. I understand it would be difficult. Thus, just for you, I would like to propose to you this."

Shiho handed Heidi a pamphlet, depicting a row of Kuromorimine students standing in perfect order. A slogan painted in red said: 'Honor, Strength, Discipline – Your Path Begins Here.'

"This is our talent recruitment program. You will be working to find new students for our school."

Heidi knew about Kuromorimine recruiters. Being a recruiter was seen as an entry servant job in the Kuromorimine professional hierarchy. It was easy, and didn't require much technical expertise, well-suited for a lot of Kuromorimine alumni.

In Kuromorimine, there were always winners and losers. Some winners were quite obvious: the commanders, the captains, those exceptional that struck fear in the hearts of opponents. And the losers were the dropouts, the expelled, those overwhelmed, stress given way before they reached the top. But those in the middle were murky.

Heidi deserved to be a winner – her alien approach to Senshado earned results. Stubbornly, the team still wanted to be rid of the challenge she posed to tradition. They could keep winning without her. So no one wrote her words of recommendation, but unable to outrun the scandal that chased her, Heidi needed those words more than anyone. Without them, she was a loser, a dangerous one. The lower deck had been cleared out. She had no parents, no family, not enough money for a place to live. Was this her only option?

"I believe you have eyes for talents, Heidi."

However, Heidi had been through this before. There was a caveat. There always was.

"However, in order for me to fully offer you this role, your conduct needs to change."

And there it was...

"Your behavior has been on the fence, but on the day of the championship match, it is not acceptable. Twice your captain issued direct orders, the first to engage the Churchill, and the second to stand down and rejoin our students after the incident. You did neither, a violation of rule number 03 of Kuromorimine's code of conduct."

Heidi's mood turned sour in an instant. This was what she chose to hone in on?

"Are we really talking about this?" Heidi crossed her arms. She was not impressed in the slightest. The reverent Shiho, here to discuss a petty rule break?

"Yes, unfortunately." Shiho maintained her glacial countenance. Maybe this was a front she put up to intimidate other students, or maybe this was truly who she is inside. Who knows at this point, but Heidi was not cowed.

"I have been lenient on you due to your exceptional skill as a Senshado practitioner, and your personal circumstances. And thankfully, our victory was not affected by neither the incident nor your trangression. Still, if you want to join our crew, you need to readdress those behaviors."

"Incident?" Heidi scoffed. "Someone died from this. Is staying to help calm those affected that big of a deal to you?"

"It is not our fault, Heidi. That much seems clear from initial findings." Shiho replied. "And victory sometimes require sacrifice. I'm certain they can handle it among themselves."

"Sacrifice? This is a sport. The most you win is an ugly flag!" Heidi recoiled. "While you held celebrations, many in St. Gloriana are having the worst days of their life! Is having some empathy too much?!"

"Enough." Shiho cut her off. "I did not summon you to question me."

"And I did not come here to be lectured on trifles." Heidi overrode. She stood up from her chair, no longer seeing the once revered Nishizumi heir worth sitting face-to-face.

Shiho sat still, coldly stating.

"If you are to leave right now, you will be immediately expelled."

It stopped Heidi, only for a chuckle.

"Do I need to strip naked right here? I don't want to wear this depressing uniform anyway."

All her usual threats had failed. For a rare moment, even if just briefly and very slightly, Shiho's glacial countenance faltered.

"Heidi, calm down. It does not need to go this way. I only wanted to talk."

She stood up after Heidi, facing her like an equal. But after years of neglect, this was too little too late. Like two hard-earthed landmasses, the two had drifted far apart from the relationship they used to have. But as if unwilling to let go of the Shiho she wished she knew, Heidi stood awaiting, begging for an answer.

"All I am asking is for you to correct yourself. Listen to your superiors, be loyal and true to your values. You will be a great employee, and a great woman."

Why did she even expect anything…

Her eyes turned dull, many times to Shiho already, but this would be the last she would see it.

"Is that what you did when you were younger?" Heidi asked.

"Yes." She replied.

Heidi turned and looked at the door. Two young girls nibbled behind a wall, one with dark brown hair, the other auburn orange. They were the headmistress's daughters, Maho and Miho. Heidi had seen them around a couple times. The older sister was always dutiful and obedient, while the young one was more cheerful, but quite shy when Heidi was around. Today would be no different. The argument drew tension that reminisced the old days under the deck of the Graf Zeppelin. Inside the house on the other side, another lady, this one older than Heidi was, in her kimono, strolled past from behind Shiho's back. Heidi's glance caught her attention, she looked back, but quickly returned to her routine.

A happy family it seemed like, but it was a Potemkin village.

Heidi took a deep breathe, her chest rose and fall before returning to its equilibrium, the last of her pent-up emotions gradually drained out. The few times Kuromorimine's stoic philosophy triumphed over Heidi, it was for reasons against the school.

"You and I are not the same, Mrs. Nishizumi." Heidi said. "I do not have a prestigious family name to have to live up to. And I sure as hell do not want to devote my name to you."

It was easy to miss, but Shiho's lips opened in shock.

"You have no home to return to."

"Like every orphan, I am a student of human nature. If I survived before, I'll survive after."

The cap slid off Heidi's black hair, dropped onto the table below.

"Thank you for everything you have done for me these few years."

Shiho's gaze was undecipherable. Was it apathy, or regret?

"If that is your wish." The headmistress lowered her head. "Let me know if you need any accommodations."

Hatsu nodded and left.

On her way out, the girl in kimono was there. The talent scout, Kikuyo, if Hatsu's memories served her well.

"I'm sorry it had to go this way, Miss Heidi." Kikuyo bowed.

"It's Hatsu from now on." Hatsu corrected. "None required. It's my choice to leave. We're just not compatible, and I'd rather leave rather than put on a mask I'd suffocate wearing."

"Before you go." Kikuyo stopped before Hatsu stepped out of the gate. "I've had a long history with Shiho. I will admit, it hasn't been easy for me either. She's married to her work, more so than her own husband."

"That doesn't surprise me." Heidi sneered.

"She took over as headmistress around seven years ago. One of her first action was to intensify Senshado training, all the while reducing break time for students. Some couldn't take it and left, leading to a shortage of practitioners for a year or two."

Heidi knew most of this already from inside gossips.

"What is your point, Idegami?" She was tired of the rambling.

"I'm worried. This...obsession with victory and showing strength. That's what the Nishizumi style teaches her. That's what Kuromorimine has always taught us, but I can feel that she's letting it take over every aspect of her life. She's not always this cold. I know you don't want to hear that right now, but..." Kikuyo said, Heidi rolled her eyes.

"...I just want the old Shiho back. Do you think that's possible?"

Heidi sighed. Her heart wanted to say no, but her mind once more warred to be better.

"I don't know." She crossed her arms behind her back, walking with Kikuyo out of the gate and away from sight of the family. "It takes will to work towards a difficult end, but it takes more than will to pause and see if it's all worth it. She loves sacrifices, but if she doesn't know how to stop..."

The iron will that was drilled into every Kuromorimine students from the first day of school would end up being the proverbial 'Titanic's iceberg'. Seeing it didn't stop the ship from sinking.

"I see…" Kikuyo nodded. Strangely enough, despite disagreeing with Hatsu on her conduct, the Nishizumi servant looked on this junior a few years younger than her with myriad curiosity, tinged with perhaps heretic admiration. This was a girl who had everything to gain from being with the Nishizumis, and nothing to fall back on otherwise. It was almost unthinkable she would choose to walk away and yet she did.

"Despite it all, I wish her the best. Or rather, I wish she realizes the errors of her ways before something truly terrible happens."

Hatsu's final melancholic parting words were said. Within days of holding that graduation paper, she was off the Graf Zeppelin and into the mainland. The orphan had returned to her cradle.

Hatsu would scrape by for a few months with a warehouse job she found, while a familiar rival and friend allowed her to live with her family temporarily. Then, by some Cinderella miracle, both of them were personally offered to join the All-Stars University Senshado Team, sweetened with full scholarships for any university degree of her choosing, free accommodations and even prospects of on-campus employment, all for her measly contribution towards the Senshado team. It felt almost too good to be true, but Hatsu was a phenomenal tanker in the eyes of the Shimada heiress, and the manpower situation that year was equally desperate.

The name Heidi continued on. She took full advantage of the scholarship she was given and enrolled in Yokoyama's College, taking on business administration and public policy on top of the already extensive Senshado program. She wanted to minimize having to rely on another stubborn woman to give her the future she wanted. Going even further, she occupied free time with more work, more Senshado training. The more she had to do, the less time she could have having to think about Masala. The irony was like the tank shell. She went to Masala when she wanted to escape the stress of school, and now she went to school to escape Masala. But the shell eventually caught up to her.

At first it was just a rumor she dismissed as baseless. But it then more information continued to spread, not like raging wildfire, but a seeping contamination that went from person-to-person, mouth-to-mouth. A casual gossip at dinnertime, a harmless question when passing by the inaccessible hangar, some open honest inquiries inadequately answered opened the secret bit by bit. Heidi still refused to entertain that, but when Fernanda was brazenly risking her own Senshado career, her heart finally won over her will.

"How long are you going to sit in there?"

Heidi banged on the Churchill's armor. Fernanda emerged from the Churchill's hatch, and the two faces met. Not the playful Fernanda of Blue Division towards the serious Heidi of Kuromorimine. Not the All-Star head of logistic towards the team's trainer. Fernanda was hesitant, her lips scrambled for anything to say at all, while Heidi had stripped herself of the anger, the coldness, and the stiffness she always had. For this moment, these were two people who had lost a dear friend in a mausoleum, the relic of her brilliance stood witness.

Fernanda stood solemnly, her eyes drooped. She almost didn't want to look at Heidi directly.

"Hatsu…" She called Heidi's real name. "I'm sorry…"

Heidi wasn't expecting that. "For what?" She asked.

"For dragging you in all this. And for never being there for you."

"What are you talking about?"

Fernanda's hand clenched her chest.

"I know you went through a tough time as well losing Masala. It wasn't just me, and yet I never did anything to help you recover."

Heidi sighed.

"I didn't do anything to help you either." She replied, her words straight, but her returning gaze soft. "I should be saying sorry to you, Tohru. I killed your best friend, and I drowned myself with work to run away from having to think about it."

"No no, this was not your fault." Fernanda reassured.

"Even still, you had a reason, I didn't…" Heidi bit her lips, struggled to find a proper expression.

"Hatsu…"

Fernanda kept in her instinctual response. It wasn't Heidi's fault. A friend who truly brought her life some joy died, by her hands even if she absolutely did not mean it. The tidal wave that would have washed over her for months and years on end, she had to face alone, in a hostile environment that did not understand that pain. She was in no position to think about anybody but herself.

At the same time, it was not Fernanda's fault either. Her childhood friend had died, at the happiest moment of their lives. Their future together was destroyed in a day, and she was left to pick up the pieces. For the first few weeks, she could barely function. She neither cried nor screamed. She droned on her day, doing random things, lazing around on her bed, often forgetting to eat or shower. Months onward, loneliness would engulf her, when everyone had returned to their day to day lives, and she was forced to march forward with them like nothing happened. She did not want to trivialize that of herself, not in the slightest.

Fernanda came up to Heidi, and wrapped both arms around her. Heidi slowly returned the gesture, her hands gripping tightly on Fernanda's shirt.

Ultimately, they both came to realize what was logically right, but their heart beating with love that had no place to go continued to convince them otherwise: this was nobody's fault. Masala had died to a sudden accident no one was prepared for. There was no reason. There was no fairness. There were only those who stayed and having to live on.

They eventually let each other go.

"No more." Heidi straightened out her shirt. "I'm here now. I want the same thing you do."

"You do know what you're getting into right?" Fernanda asked.

"Absolutely." Heidi's response left little doubt. "What may only matter is losing that scholarship, which I'll manage with my saved up money."

"To hear that from the Kuromorimine student before a big tournament is just…" Fernanda said.

Heidi chuckled, the first time Ricky actually saw her smile. She looked over to him, allowing him back into the picture.

"...I'm glad you two can…" Ricky sniffled, having witnessed the emotional conversation between the two.

"Are you crying?" Heidi crossed her arms, her eyes flattened unimpressed.

"N-No…" He denied, but his stuttering and sheepish tone said otherwise.

"Sentimental man." Fernanda affectionately jabbed.

Heidi rolled her eyes, but kept the smile for a second longer. "Now that the emotional stuff is out of the way, what's on the agenda?"

"Right." Ricky recomposed himself. "I'll help you catch up."

Ricky introduced Heidi to the dramatic whiteboard they were using, went through everything with the 'secret report', the quick science behind Senshado armor, the hypothesis Fernanda had, and the maintenance record.

"The trail of evidence seems to be heading towards a heat-damaged plate of mantlet. It can be caused by a manufacturing defect, environmental damage, or improper maintenance." Ricky explained, pointing at each potential causes with his marker, which were written out on the board. "We want to see what it is, and for the third one, we had hoped to secure maintenance record from St. Gloriana, since previous reports don't have them."

"But they said no." Fernanda followed up. "They don't want to reopen old wounds anymore."

"Hmm." Heidi tilted her head. "How about the other causes?"

"Manufacturing defect will require microscopic analysis of the plate." Fernanda said. "Environmental too if you want to be thorough, but that at least has a good chance we can recreate it with our own tanks."

"Either way, we will need access to a laboratory." Ricky said. "Do we have any here at Turtle Bay?

"No, though..." Fernanda raised a finger. "I believe the main campus in my university have it. It's often occupied by researchers and other graduate students, so you'd need to book it quite a while beforehand, at least a month."

"That will have to do." Ricky shrugged. "The bigger question is, are we going to have to smuggle the piece of mantlet out of the bootcamp?"

"...Yes." Fernanda replied with a sigh. "I can maybe cut it out into a smaller piece that we can hide it in your car or something."

"There are metal detectors at the gates." Heidi reminded. "They're going to know either way."

"Even that, how are we going to test out the environmental damage?" Ricky asked. "It will require a lot of organizing and coordinating. It's not possible to test that out without Mrs. Shimada's knowledge."

It seemed like as they avoided a road cone, they ran into three more.

"Again, I can ask her to do these steps and pretend like these are my ideas. I don't know how long it might take."

"Or…" Heidi alternated. "We can do it under her noses, and if she asks…we'll just come clean."

"I thought we're keeping this a secret?"

"It will be, until it's all over."

Ricky looked over to Fernanda. "I don't think this was part of your plan when you joined. Would you...you know…"

She brushed through her wolf auburn-hair, shaking her head. "I already crossed the Rubicon, I might as well go all the way to Rome. If this is the kind of environment we're in, I don't see the point in doing Senshado anymore."

"The feeling is mutual." Heidi concurred, raising a finger to Ricky. "I know what you might be asking. One, I will cover if Chiyo goes off on you. And two, we will need the full cooperation of everyone on campus."

She was correct, he was going to ask those two things. She had this all thought out, so Ricky kept himself quiet for now.

"To do that, we will need Aurelie's help." Heidi said. "She is the team captain, she can help with the organizing, coordinating and swaying people to our cause."

"We're going for the full house I see." Ricky chuckled.

Funny that Chiyo warned him not to get anybody involved, especially these three, but here were two of them, and the third one may be joining too. At this point, it might be as easy as asking.

But at the same time, he wondered why this investigation was supposed to be secret in the first place? He understood that some confidentiality was necessary, but why only he was to take part in this? Why were these three especially excluded? His first thought being that Chiyo didn't want them distracted on the investigation was still the most probable cause, but they were aware of things way before that. It could be the emotional shock of it, but that wasn't an issue at all seeing how these two acted. Was that just it, that Chiyo didn't give these girls enough credits for their perception, or was there something else?

"As for me, I can take a swipe at the maintenance record." Heidi said. "I will come to St. Gloriana this Thursday personally and ask."

"Is that necessary?" Fernanda side-eyed Heidi. "Wouldn't an email work?"

"A faceless voiceless email is much easier to reject. I want to hear their rejection in-person, especially to me."

Ricky thought it was just a certified Heidi moment, but it wasn't that simple. In St. Gloriana, Heidi's name was revered like Rommel after World War 2, this time for the right reasons. Even to this day, she still received occasional gifts of tea and coffee from them, a rare sign of great respect beyond just a worthy opponent and also the reason for Heidi's recent coffee addiction. If it hadn't been for some missed communication, Heidi might have been invited to St. Gloriana's College team instead of All-Stars, and hearsay persisted that she might be inducted into their list of honorary students. There in such, it would be quite difficult to reject a request from such a figure directly to her face.

"I would sign the day off for you then." Fernanda said. "Though Thursday is when 'Baldur' arrives, isn't it?"

"Oh, right. Then maybe Friday or Monday…" Heidi said, but then tilted her head and eyes over to Ricky. "Or you can conduct the supervision in my stead."

"Sure…" Ricky accepted, still a bit confused. "What is this all about though?"

"Very basically," Heidi explained. "The JSDF outsourced some Senshado research and development work to universities. Our engineering team has taken a commission from them."

"The commission is to modify a giant self-propelled mortar called the Karl Gerat 040." Fernanda joined in. Ricky had heard that mentioned by her before. "The historical version of the weapon used cranes and ammunition carriers, and are all done externally. This, rightfully, cannot be permitted in a Senshado match. We do not allow any vehicle that exposes crew to direct fire."

"Exactly." Heidi nodded. "To make them rule compliant, the mechanism needs to be modified. Sure, it's not going to be authentic, but you get to see them in action."

"That thing also takes up 21 people to operate. Even if it's allowed, no school would allocate that many students into one defenseless tank." Fernanda added. "So the task is to somehow make that beast safe and reduce the crew size to something manageable. That's not our problem though. We are to make sure the engineering girls carry out their modification in compliance with safety rules. Let's just that...uhh...they are a little bit loco."

"Urgh…" Heidi groaned loudly. That obviously instilled a lot of confidence in Ricky.

"Don't worry, I'll back you up this time." Fernanda whispered to Ricky.

"Alrighty." He nodded. "Back to our job. I assume we all know what needs to be done?"

It was still a long way to go before this investigation comes to a close.

Thursday.

Haneda airport was split into two separate areas, a 10-minute shuttle trip away from one another. The main area for commercial aviation and the other for Senshado aviation.

In the mid-1970s, as Senshado seeped deeper into post-war Japan's culture, turbulence swirled with the advancement of technology clashing with the need to preserve the authenticity of old vehicles of the era past. Planes of the old era could land with relatively little runway, but required utmost attention from pilots due to the lack of onboard radars and automation features. Airframes of the time were also not designed for low-visibility, heavy wind conditions to name a few, and many lacked terrain/traffic avoidance systems. Near-misses and mid-air collisions were rampant at the time among school ships planes. In 1981, a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 and an Anzio Caproni Ca.133 collided off the coast of Shizuoka. The Caproni was smashed into thousands of pieces upon contact, killing all six students and three adults onboard, while the 747-100 thankfully retained enough control to make an emergency landing.

The horror of the accident was the catalyst for change in the Senshado world. One of the lasting changes was a concession to putting transponders on Senshado planes, so air traffic controllers can see the plane's location precisely on radar with proper altitudes and headings. To add an additional safety layer, air routes into and out of major airports were also separated, so no Senshado aircraft would even cross path with a commercial airliner. Effectively, they made separate airports for these schoolboys and girls to play pilots. But these changes came at the cost of at least nine lives, several more from previous accidents that escaped the public ire because it wasn't 'shocking' enough.

Yet another reminder that the tombstone was the best surface to write your regulations on.

The breathe of changing weather gave Heidi a hug in the neck and cheeks. She tightened her scarf as she headed into the check-in counter for St. Gloriana. Her flight took off within the hour, she only got to grab an onigiri and a bowl of miso soup to keep her warm on the early morning flight.

Heidi watched the familiar terminals of the aerodrome zip by her eyes, as the plane touched down gently onto the runway. She had been here multiple times, on field trips with Kuromorimine, or just an occasional visit to Masala, but this was the first time since her friend's passing. Everything looked the same, but something felt different. Heidi couldn't put it into words. From the green lawns before the school, the blue dome of the main building basked in the sunlight, the 18th-century inspired architecture in every window corner, every roof tile, every door frame, all she had seen before, there was something that had lensed her vision permanently. She could not see the same St. Gloriana that she once had many tea parties and camping trips there anymore. This was a new St. Gloriana, one without Masala.

Arriving at the main entrance at the eve of noon, Heidi caught the attention of several St. Gloriana students with her All-Stars uniform. She dialed for someone to pick her up outside. The one who did wasn't in the blue uniform, but in a brown suit and a familiar face.

"Heidi! You're here!"

Heidi's smile grew as she gave the dark blue-haired girl a casual salute.

"Good morning, Ceylon." She greeted coolly.

"Good morning! I hope you had a pleasant flight. The fly-girls were pre-informed of your VIP status." The former St. Gloriana Churchill driver responded cheerfully.

"Am I now?"

"Of course! That's why I'm greeting you personally instead of having our students do so. Earl Grey!"

A girl with long blonde hair marched over upon her name being called.

"Ma'am."

"Do you have the gifts prepared?"

"Yes ma'am. I will bring it."

"Oh no, no need!" Heidi protested. "I still haven't finished the last one you gave me."

"What, really? It's been over a year since I last sent you something."

"Yes, but most of it is tea and I don't drink them everyday." It came as a surprise to Ceylon and the St. Gloriana girls that not everyone shared the same aptitude to tea as they do.

"Well, get them anyway." She instructed. Earl Grey nodded and headed off. "Come in, we have a lot to catch up!"

Ceylon's office felt cozier than Chiyo's, ornamented with various rugs and boutique curtains. A fireplace, albeit a fake one with a heater and lamps, nicely cooked pastries on the table accompanying the classic cups of Chai tea complimented the warm homely feeling it radiated.

"How's St. Gloriana these days?" Heidi made herself comfortable on the sofa, as she took a sip and grabbed a bite.

"It's been pretty lively. Lots of bickering amongst our alumnae about how we should proceed from here." Ceylon replied. "Senshado, it's business as usual. I'm still trying to convince the school to phase out the Matildas, but they still won't budge."

"Let me guess, because they want to drink tea and eat cake in battle without spilling."

"Yes!" Ceylon looked a bit shocked Heidi just called out exactly, almost word for word, the rationale used by her political opponents. Heidi let out a sad smile leaning her cheek on her palm.

The Matilda III is an infantry tank in a sport without infantries. Even still, it was a good tank boasting great armor protection. Against weaker schools, they could fight pretty well. But against the more competitive schools like Saunders, Pravda or Kuromorimine, where the majority of their vehicles consisted of M4s, T-34s and Panthers, where the Matilda's 2-pdr guns couldn't unbolt a screw off them, they were outclassed, and their heavy-hitters were the Firefly, the IS-2 and the Tigers, the Matilda's horrible mobility made them food for these predators.

Ceylon, having done Senshado in the meta of mobility and reconnaissance-focused strategies that girls like Masala, Aurelie and Fernanda pioneered, advocated hard for the Cromwell or the Comet to take over the Matilda and make the school composition a lot more mobile and flexible, but unfortunately, St. Gloriana politics weren't as much of a dictatorship as Kuromorimine or Pravda. The alumni group that the younger members tended to join were unfortunately crippled by the accident. Their political powers were greatly diminished from the trauma, and the members in other organizations got their say, even if this was unfair. Rules were rules.

"Those thick-headed women, I tell ya." Ceylon grumbled, as Heidi burst out an earnest laughter. The laughter of true pain and suffering. "On the other hand, we had a few promising students in the Fast-Track program. The girl you saw earlier, Earl Grey, is one of my personal pick for commanding roles."

"You think she can win?"

"I don't know, it's too early to say, but she has quite a lot of traits that reminds me of…" Ceylon stopped as she was about to say her name.

"Don't worry Ceylon." Heidi reassured. "You can mention her."

"Thank you, Heidi." She nodded softly. "She reminds me of Masala. Energetic...eccentric. Though I won't hold my breathe for it."

"As long as she has fun."

"Yeah." Ceylon clasped her hands. "How's Aurelie and Fernanda doing?"

"Cool and cheerful respectively. Like usual."

"Congratulations on passing the qualifiers. I know you guys can do it."

"Thank you." Heidi sipped her cup of tea. "I want to visit Masala while I'm here. But before that…"

She laid the cup down on the table, finished the pastry she was middle of eating. She did not want to have its taste soured later.

"I want to ask a favor from you." Ceylon also put down her cup of tea. She wasn't mentioned of this at all, but it's Heidi, so she was going to grant whatever she thought was in purview. But she halted for what Heidi said next.

"Do you still have the accident tank's maintenance records? I was told it wasn't handed off to Mrs. Shimada."

Ceylon was silent. Her lips tipped open.

"That investigation is closed for over three years now." She stated.

"I know." Heidi said. "However, someone is looking to prove it wrong."

"What do you mean prove it wrong? Isn't it pretty clear what happened?" Ceylon's eyes narrowed.

"No, it is not." Heidi replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "There's so many holes in their theory that even I struggle to believe it."

"Such as?"

"Our test experiment that showed that a similar defective shell cannot reliably penetrate the mantlet armor." Heidi sighed, as if she already knew the next question, even though she didn't. "Yes, we did a test for that. And yes, our entire team is on this. Fernanda and Aurelie included."

"U-Umm." Ceylon scratched the back of her neck.

Heidi's assertiveness was quite a persuasive force, and it was exactly what Heidi had wanted. She laundered the information quite a bit, if not outright lied. But if one were to lie, one should lie with confidence and follow up with a grain of truth.

"It is good for us to learn what the actual truth is, regardless if we are right or not." Heidi said, leaning forward. "But that required us to continue to open our hearts to the pain of others."

She had played her cards in the exact way she wanted. Now, she could only hope it worked.

Okay, sorry for the long delay. Job search was painful, and I was preparing for my graduation ceremony and a vacation this and next week, so I was so booked. The first and last part of this chapter was written while I was on the train, trying to finally finish up the chapter.

Right now, we finish up Heidi's chapters. It is a really long chapter and the exposition can feel a little long-winded, I apologize. I have to resist creating and dumping more lore when it comes to these safety related stuff.

Shiho's stuff. I will say, the more I analyze Kuromorimine's school structure (info from the wiki) systematically, it looks even more bad on her, especially the bullying that happens after the 62nd tourney. But at the same time, she did have good portrayals of being or at least trying to be good, though I say most of it is due to it being a light-hearted waifu anime, so they can't be too bad. I will try to inject some head-canon nuances I thought up for her. It won't be as negative as some portrayals I've seen, but I won't hold back any punches either.

For Heidi, I really enjoyed writing her, from the relationship to the main group and St. Gloriana to the backstory. It's not the end of her yet, as with Fernanda too. But the spotlight will have to go to the tall charismatic captain and predecessor to our beloved Alice, Aurelie. This next one will be quite emotional, and does have a lot to do with grief. You probably know this given the premise of this story, and literally the last three chapters, but like safety, these trigger warnings are multi-layered, so have another one.

Anyway, enjoy and I will see you in the next chapter!