Nimbus Try I: Arpeggio of Hurt Steel [English Version]

~Rewrite 9~

They acted like it was easy – and fair, they slipped through without trouble until now – but two whole battleships? God. Fucking. Damn it.

Surprise was clear on all crew members' faces when the two, who without a doubt had noticed the humans, distanced themselves.

Confused eyes slid over to the commanding officer, confusion on his face as well before signalling to the others to continue with caution.

Affirmating nods and other gestures moved through the ship, every man still highly focused, but they made it to the pitiful platform without further trouble.

Two assigned crewmembers disembarked Kidd, one of them holding a broad flower wreath so thick, that one could very well just put four candles in it and call it a christmas decoration.

Normally, the ceremony would be a greater event, but they couldn't do that now so everyone else simply gathered on the deck and watched.

The two walked up to the platform and stopped when they saw the writings on the sotoba and, what was even more shocking, the two freshly brought flower wreaths and obvious signs of the ones of the past years.

They looked at each other, surprise and an emotion they couldn't define clearly in their eyes, before one of them whipped out his phone, took a picture of the whole thing and the inscriptions on the gravemarkers.

"What are you doing?", his comrade and friend whispered as he put his own flower wreath down between the others.

"Your wife is Japanese, yeah? I'm gonna ask her to translate when I'm over next time."

Finishing their duty, the two returned to board Kidd, who turned back to land immediately.

When their families were having the next big dinner together, said wife merely confirmed that the Japanese words beside the English inscriptions were the same:

To you who fell like the stars.

To you who sunk like the sun.

--

"They’re gone."

"Mhm."

The Black Fleet had decided to stay under water – it was very hot this time in August and they both had black bodies, so the cool water offered a nice relief.

Kongō jumped down from her pagoda to land beside Zeitwächter and Churchgrim, the two lazily lying on her deck: "Seems like you won't have a job next year."

"Depends entirely on how fast your bestie has a coming to God meeting with Flagship Command."

She snorted: "Maybe you're my "bestie"?"

Zeitwächter had her legs crossed, arms pillowing her head and a pleased smile playing on her lips: "Alright, then Iona is your sister-in-soul, Maya your bestie and I'm your wife."

Kongō rolled her eyes, amused.

A red eye slit open and peeked out from under purple hair: "I didn't hear a "no"."

"Awfully flirty today", the blonde walked away to sit by the piano.

"That's still not a "no"!", was called from behind her.

Sure, but also no "yes", so Zeitwächter mentally decided on "fiancée" and stuck her tongue out.

"Kon-chama~, I do nothing except my hobbies every day every year, I hope you weren't having expectations for exciting things~"

Churchgrim yapped as if confirming, then stretched only to curl into a ball again.

Kongō leaned back on the piano until she was practically laying on it and looked up at the rays reaching through the surface: "I've had enough excitement for a while."