August 19, 1812.
400 miles Southwest of Nova Scotia, the "British" ship H.M.S. Guerrière sailed alone, having been dispatched to find the elusive frigate, U.S.S. Constitution.
"You slipped between my fingers before, this time you will find yourself in my grip for good rebel scum."
Guerrière thought with great fluster on that cloudy afternoon.
Soon the British ship saw another ship-girl on the horizon as she knew who it was instantly.
"Constitution...."
The two warships sailed closer, eyeing each other up and down when Guerrière called out with a heavy French accent.
"Are you done running away!" Constitution smirked at the comment, tilting her head strangely.
"Your British accent is terrible." This mockery struck Guerrière deeply as she snapped.
"I'm French! You idiot!" The blonde American ship threw her hair back carelessly, her vicious smirk still in place.
"Ohhhh? Then that means you were... captured." This set the French ship-girl off as she yelled angrily now.
"That is none of your concern Rebel!" Guerrière threw open her red coat, summoning her cannons to battle.
"You're out of your league Frenchie, strike your colours. Do so and you'll be spared my fury, but know this, you will only find yourself in bondage to my country and me." Sweat beaded on Guerrière's forehead at the real threat of being taken prisoner again as she tried staring the larger ship-girl down.
"Fly them..., and you will be dealt with accordingly..." The Constitution was no longer smirking, her face serious as her declaration of terms.
Guerrière felt a slight chill run up her back, watching Constitution run up her colours for combat.
"Defend yourself L~ittle W~arrior! If you can!" Constitution opened her blue coat, her cannons at the ready.
"HOW DARE YOU RIDICULE ME SO FLAGRANTLY!" Guerrière screamed at hearing her name slandered sarcastically in English as her starboard guns opened up. The rounds fell short as the French girl cursed her guns.
"These damn British cannons and waves are going to be troublesome!"
The two traded rounds for half an hour, as the French girl noticed her cannonballs simply bouncing off of her enemy.
"Are her sides made of iron!?"
Suddenly Guerrière felt something snap on her back-rigging, her main mast had been blasted to splinters along with the others.
The large mast hit the water with a mighty crash, jerking Guerrière away from Constitution.
The American ship watched the wrecked French ship start to circle, her mast now acting as an inconvenient rudder.
The smirk returned to Constitution's face as she descended on the wounded French girl.
"Are you ready to surrender?" The blue-eyed Union girl questioned, slowly opening her coat.
"In your dreams rebel." Guerrière chuckled with blood running down her mouth.
"So be it..." Constitution sailed by and fired at point blank range as the French girl's body jerked violently from the cannonball hits.
"Strike your colours!" Constitution yelled, turning again and opening the other side of her coat.
"JAMAIS!" Screamed Guerrière in her native tongue as cannon fire smashed into her again. The French girl stumbled forward and fell to her hands and knees, blood pouring from all over her body.
"Just a little closer..."
Guerrière smiled, seeing Constitution's feet in front of her.
The damaged girl tried to rope the yankee girl's left leg, causing Constitution to become off balance.
Seeing an opening, the French girl lurched upward and stabbed Constitution in the left side of her ribcage with a french dagger. The blonde hissed furiously, gripping Guerrière's wrist to still the blade
"Damn you! I'll have your head turncoat!" Constitution raised her right hand as her sword appeared ready to cut Guerrière down.
"Not yet!" Guerrière's left hand gripped Constitution's armed wrist and held fast.
The two wooden ship-girls started to turn slowly in a circle as they struggled in each other's arms.
It may have even been romantic if they weren't trying to kill each other. The two grinned at one another as they pirouetted across the sea.
"You dance with two left feet." Chuckled Guerrière, causing Constitution to huff loudly.
"Since you're so concerned with my feet." The blonde brought her left foot up and kicked the french girl in her diaphragm, damaging it.
"Uuughh!" Blood spewed from Guerrière's mouth, followed by the horrid sound of someone trying to draw breath.
"I can't hold my attack form anymore."
Guerrière shrank down as her ship appeared broken and unmaneuverable.
The French girl stood in the middle of her deck in a pool of her own blood, holding her chest with her left hand and pointing her pistol at her enemy with her right.
Constitution summoned her own ship and pistol as she pointed it back at Guerrière.
The brown-haired girl's aim drifted away from Constitution and fired behind herself then crumbled to the deck.
"Finally...."
Constitution came alongside Guerrière and boarded her.
Heavy footfalls followed as the beaten girl looked up at her enemy, smirking down at her.
"Do you surrender now?" The Constitution asked again.
"Well, madam, I don't know. My mizzen mast is gone, my fore and main masts are gone. I think on the whole you might say I've struck my flag...." Guerrière announced slowly, lifting her right hand as her sword appeared hilt up.
"I'm sorry, but I can't accept the sword of someone that fought so gallantly." Constitution shook her head, her heart aching slightly at the sight of the French girl bleeding out.
Suddenly to Guerrière's complete surprise, Constitution leaned over, cradled the heavily injured in her arms and lifted her up.
"W-What are y-you doing?" The French girl asked nervously as the blonde started walking.
Constitution headed for Guerrière's cabin and kicked in the door. Entering the humble domain, the blonde cleared the captain's table with her arm and laid the French girl down.
"Tell me what you're going to do to me UGGH!" Guerrière lost her patience leaning up only to cause herself a great deal of pain.
"Be still." Constitution ordered as she palmed the girl's chest and back to the table.
"Why should I listen to you?" Guerrière snipped, her temper returning.
"Because..." Constitution came face to face with Guerrière and smirked darkly.
"You belong to me now...." Gurrière's heart skipped a beat as her enemy's face moved closer.
Their lips began to close the distance as someone cleared their throat loudly.
The image of the damaged ship girls about to kiss began to fade quickly as a classroom replaced it.
The class of young, modern ship-girls looked to their teacher, sitting at a large wooden desk.
"That's not what happened Miss Texas." The now older Constitution glared with her hard green eyes.
"I know, but it's better than what really happened." Texas smiled widely, missing her two front teeth.
The older blonde looked to the class as some seemed interested in the dreadnought's little fairytale.
"W-What really h-happened?" A young french Richelieu asked nervously.
"Constitution set Gurrière on fire and she exploded, in fact she got a real kick outta setting ship-girls alight, she did it a couple of times." Texas said with an ugly tone as the Constitution stood up threatening.
"Hold your tongue young one, your grade depends on what you say next." Texas's demeanor changed as she spoke softly.
"Aye tear her tattered ensign down
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,
And burst the cannon's roar;-
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more." Texas's voice began to pick up as she continued more passionately.
"Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood,
And waves were white below,
No more shall feel the victor's tread,
Or know the conquered knee;-
The harpies of the shore shall pluck
The eagle of the sea!" Constitution was frozen in place as tears stung her eyes.
"Oh, better that her shattered hulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the God of Storms, The Lightning and The Gale!
By Oliver Wendell Holmes." The whole class was stunned into silence as they watched their teacher standing motionless with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Suddenly the bell rang as nobody moved.
"You're dismissed." Constitution said just above a whisper and sat back down still in shock.
The classroom emptied quickly as Texas still stood at the front of the class.
"A-Are you ok?" The dreadnought asked sheepishly.
"I'm fine, it's just been awhile since I've heard it read like that." Constitution wiped her wet eyes and face.
"It's just a poem though." Texas assured lightly as Constitution shook her head and smiled.
"Those words are spoken in Gurrière's honor, for without her or that poem, I would not be here today...."
The two were silent for a few moments, when Constitution cleared her throat again.
"A-, and next time stick to the real story Miss Texas, is that clear?" Texas nodded as she collected her things and left.
Leaning back in her chair a warm French voice whispered in Constitution's ear.
"But that is the real story...."
"Maybe when they're older."
The blonde smirked, touching her dagger scar through her shirt.
"Maybe...."