1st January 2022
Atlanta's POV
After she dashed out into the blizzard, we followed her into it while the rest would head to the dormitory preparing things to warm us up. Admiral Soiro asked her girls to help locate the missing carrier that's just disappeared into the blinding white blizzard she told them to RV at the Sakura dorms and proceed from there with the correct gear.
Our search party is based on my guess a carrier a light cruiser and 2 destroyers, after dawning on our gear we head out into the blizzard night.
Atlanta: "I just thought about it, but we never introduced ourselves, I'm Atlanta."
???: "I'm Shokaku." The tall girl that looks like 6.2 spoke first, followed by the girl on her left.
???: "I'm Jintsū."
???: "I'm Shigure." The girl standing at 4.5 followed by another one.
???: "I'm Yuudachi Poi."
Atlanta: "Poi?"
Shigure: "Think of it as a catchphrase."
Atlanta: "Got it."
Shokaku: "Any idea what she's wearing." She was of course asking about our friend that went MIA.
Atlanta: "Only caught it briefly, but she's wearing a I think some sort of Japanese dressing mostly colored in blue mixed in with some white and red Sakura flowers on her skirt and one red on the breastplate."
Yuudachi: "That's certainly odd poi."
Shokaku: "True but I think we'll know why when we ask her." We nodded our heads after a few more minutes of walking around we finally got a lead. "She's currently just a little further north till visual range." We proceed a little more and found her.
Atlanta: "Hey, what's wrong?"
Iwo: "Just leave me alone!" As I was about to continue Jintsū stepped in.
Jintsū's POV
I knew who I was dealing with, a girl that never got the taste of a battle, let alone even touching the water. So, I had to approach this with caution.
Jintsū: "Iwo," She stopped dead in her tracks. "Can you tell me what's wrong?"
Iwo: "It's just when I heard that I was getting a second chance at life I thought I'd be of use to the fleet, only to have that feeling of not being wanted!" As she was saying tears began to escape from her eyes while not facing us. How I could tell by the droplets that touch the ground.
Jintsū: "Is this about fame or combat record?" Iwo Jima nodded. "It doesn't matter none of it does. My question is, would you simply go out quietly or go down fighting." She stood at 6.4 with her black hair flowing with the blizzard as she thought before moving to me burying her face between my chest.
Iwo: "I'd rather go down fighting." I return the hug stroking her head.
Jintsū: "That's what I thought you'd say." They were all puzzled by her answer. "I looked up your namesake and read the summary of that battle and used that summary for my question."
Atlanta: "Well that's good and all, but we should head back now before she gets really cold."
I nod to her head and after a while, Iwo raised her head revealing a unique pair of eyes, her left eye was Crimson Red and her right Ocean Blue. We walked back to the Eagle Union dorms just as she collapsed from the cold.
Chiyase: "Thanks for the assist."
Jintsū: "Don't worry about it, but the four of us want to stay with her until she's better." The three of them nod their heads.
Chiyase: "Alright I'll inform Soiro about this, you girls get her warmed up."
We left the area and headed to the baths to warm ourselves up before heading to her room which we decided would be just near the staircase.
Iwo Jima's Room
The Shiriyatsuyu's would sleep on top of her to make sure she can't get up while Atlanta and Shokaku take either side, with me awake to make sure even if she got out of that she'd have to get past me.
2nd January 2022
Morning approached as I got up Iwo Jima was still asleep, I headed downstairs to get 2 cups of hot chocolate, one for me and one more for Iwo Jima. When I returned, I found a chair to sit on and slowly drank my drink, as I listened to music to pass the time.
Just as the song ended Iwo woke up and greets me in her sleepy tone.
Iwo: "おはようございます。" (Good morning.) I was surprised when she spoke our language with no stuttering.
Jintsū: "おはようございます、私はあなたのためにホットチョコレートを作りました。" (Good morning, I made hot chocolate for you.)
Iwo: "ありがとうございます。でも、昨夜はお名前が聞き取れませんでしたが、どなたでしょうか？" (Thanks, but who are you didn't catch your name last night.)
Jintsū: "神通です。" (I'm Jintsū.)
Iwo: "では、この2つ？" (Then these two?) She was talking about the Shiriyatsuyu's on top of her.
Jintsū: "それは時雨と雄大だろう。俺たちが寝てる時に勝手に引退されると困るから、挟み撃ちにしたんだ。" (That would be Shigure and Yuudachi. We didn't want you to retire yourself when we were asleep, so we pinned you down.)
Iwo: "理にかなっている。" (Makes sense.) The rest soon woke up, and we headed to the office for their briefing.
Office
No POV
1st January 2022
In the office Admiral Chiyase is getting to report to her superior about who they managed to pull through, she thinks back to how she indirectly hurt Iwo Jima. She thought 'I'll have to apologize to her by the end of tomorrow, and as precaution, I'll look up every ship and class just to make sure I don't repeat this mistake again.' Her thoughts were interrupted by the Admiral on the other end of the line.
Chiyase: "Admiral Hartford."
Hartford: "Admiral Chiyase, I see you're doing well."
The man she was speaking to was Admiral Henry Hartford, Commander in chief of Eagle Union Pacific Fleet (EUPACFLT) or what was left of his forces, as the war has devastated his forces as well as his counterpart in the Atlantic.
Hartford: "So tell me who did we get?"
Chiyase: "Right, first we got Archerfish of the Balao class."
Hartford: "I'm guessing she's going to boast about sinking the largest ship from a submarine?"
Chiyase: "You're indeed right sir. After that, we got Laffey of both the Benson and Allen M. Sumner classes"
Hartford: "Well at least we got the duo who would not die easy."
Chiyase: "True, following them is The Sullivans of the Fletcher class."
Hartford: "Would be nice if she could see the ship that gave her name."
Chiyase: "Well sir you're in luck, because after her is Atlanta and Juneau."
Hartford: "We sure could use their AA firepower."
Chiyase: "Indeed sir, then came Vestal."
Hartford: "The Unsung Hero of the Pacific."
Chiyase: "I think that's a good way to put it, after that was Hornet of the Yorktown class."
Hartford: "Why if it isn't the carrier who did the impossible, we're on quite the roll with the famous group." She realizes what he was saying was indeed true, but the last two aren't part of the group.
Chiyase: "Want to take a guess at the last two?"
Hartford: "Maybe 2 battleships?"
Chiyase: "No, but you're somewhat close with one of them." He thinks of the next biggest.
Hartford: "It's either Alaska or Guam."
Chiyase: "It's Alaska, but."
Hartford: "But? What is it?"
Chiyase: "She's half Northern Union and the other half Eagle Union."
Hartford: "That'll make things interesting for them on base."
Chiyase: "True but the last one is the most unusual of all, not just by nationality but also by name, and appearance. Which I unintentionally hurt her by not knowing, care to guess?"
Hartford: "Tarawa?"
Chiyase: "No, just a hint she's a fleet carrier." He thinks for a while and couldn't come up with an answer.
Hartford: "No idea, care to give?"
Chiyase: "Her name is Iwo Jima (CV-46), had she been completed she would've been the youngest of the class." He was at a loss for words because of this revelation. "I know what you're thinking, I had the same reaction but as you can guess things didn't turn out well at all."
Hartford: "I can tell, I'll also apologize to her since we both expected ships that been commissioned to come through."
Chiyase: "Indeed which is why I'll take countermeasures should this happen again."
Hartford: "We'll apologize to her in the morning since she's still recovering from it."
Chiyase: "Agreed, I should head to sleep now since I've got a briefing to attend to in the morning."
Hartford: "Well then good night."
As she turned off her computer, she thought of how to fix things between them she took some time thinking and concluded 'You know what, I'll ask everyone for help in making the new furniture for her room and helping with carrying it up. I'll ask Soiro to ask those who'll help with my girls to show that she means family to them.' She takes out her phone and calls Soiro, after their agreement she went to bed.
2nd January 2022
It's already past 8, and the reason the briefing hasn't started was that they wanted to wait for them so they're in the know, better do it once than twice. As Iwo Jima and Atlanta entered, they were happy to see that Iwo Jima was getting better as they were worried about her. None of those present could avert their eyes from Iwo Jima due to her beauty.
Chiyase: "Iwo Jima, I hope you're feeling better."
Iwo: "I am, thank you."
Chiyase: "Right, since now everyone's here I'll start the briefing, but before that, I got Admiral Hartford on the line."
Hartford: "Thank you, first of I want to apologize along with Chiyase for what happened last night. Iwo Jima you have our deepest apologies."
Iwo: "Don't worry about it, I should've expected as much."
Hartford: "As compensation for this mistake I'd be willing to listen to any request and it doesn't have to be immediate, just take your time to think."
Iwo: "Thank you very much, but for now I'd like my room to be half Sakura and half Eagle Union."
Hartford: "Very well, now back to the briefing, Admiral I'll leave this to you."
Chiyase: "Thank you, sir." He ends the call. "Now then I assume most of you aren't familiar with the term abyssal right?" All except for The Sullivans and Laffey Jr nodded their heads.
Laffey: "What years is it?"
Chiyase: "It's the year twenty-twenty-two. For the briefing I'll go over major events, starting with the opening battle of this war 'The Battle of Norfolk'. It was quite literally a repeat of Pearl, first I'll show you from the cameras of the base." Bombs fell across the facility, torpedoes striking hulls, ships in flames.
Chiyase: "And if you want to know if it's real there's combat footage from the 2 ships that escaped." It shifts to the ship's cameras, shells from the 2 ships were lobbing at the enemy with everything they got for not even a scratch to them, soon after the ships took critical hits and soon sank. "The combat footage was recovered once the enemy left." She said with a saddened tone, and Iwo Jima knew what was up.
Iwo: "Sorry about your loss, wish we could've been there sooner." The rest took that hint.
Chiyase: "Don't worry about it they've been good parents. I was in Houston when that went down, and only came to know about their passing about a month later, but because of that event, I went on to serve in the navy. Because I wanted to take the fight back to them and avenge their deaths by living on and winning this war."
Hornet: "Then let us help you with that." The rest nodded.
Chiyase: "Thank you all. Back on the topic these attacks on for another almost 4 years where all the navies around the world suffered massive losses until early last year 'The Second Battle of San Francisco'." She shows them the footage, as the city was about to be destroyed shells rained down upon them, with dive and torpedo bombers releasing their payloads.
Chiyase: "That's when the Shipgirls or Kansens from Sakura appeared, following that, the Eagle Union decided to send someone over to take command of the nation's Kansens which turns out to be me."
Iwo: "I see."
Chiyase: "I have a question for both Alaska and Iwo Jima, I'll start with Alaska."
Alaska: "вперед, продолжать."
Chiyase: "That meaning in English?"
Alaska: "Go ahead."
Chiyase: "Well, why did you appear the way you did?"
Alaska: "I simply liked this better but more specifically, if you know your history, I used to be owned by the Northern Empire which changed names over the years."
Chiyase: "Well, I didn't exactly have time for that when I was memorizing just about every name when you girls appeared, but from now on I'll take note of it."
Alaska: "I see can't exactly blame you since our navy has ships in the thousands, just like the motherland that has thousands of tanks."
Chiyase: "Right, then your turn Iwo the same question."
Iwo: "Right for me it was more about identity, sure I'm named after an Eagle Union battle, but it's also fought on Sakura soil. I'm simply not the same as my sisters, and predecessors, though I'm not sure of my successors for that matter since all of them have a good amount of Western influence when including the Philippines, whereas I'm the only Asian among that sea of fleet carriers."
Chiyase: "Let me guess, like Alaska you didn't want to hide it even if there's some who'd want to attack you for who you are." Iwo Jima simply nodded her head. "Then if any harm comes to you let me know, but with that out of the way it's time for the Sakura Kansens to know you."
Laffey Jr: "How exactly?"
Chiyase: "By snowball fights, but not any ordinary snowball fight." Just then the Sakura shipgirls took the admiral away only after a minute did, they react because of the confusion.
Iwo: "Girls after them!"
They exited the building, Archerfish was told by Iwo Jima to locate their missing admiral, after a good 10 minutes she found them, and everybody followed her. Once they arrived at a safe location, they formulated a plan.
The plan was to penetrate the left flank since the right was lightly guarded but that meant that the enemy's reserve was waiting there. The Atlanta's would provide suppressive fire and their loaders are The Sullivans, the Laffey's, Archerfish, and Vestal. While Hornet, Iwo Jima, and Alaska would penetrate their defenses. After a few minutes the battle commences as the Sakura shipgirls were pinned down and taking some losses from the Atlanta's while the Trio breaks through like the armored spearhead of the Blitzkrieg sprinting at full speed, they managed to find the admiral's location and promptly 'killed' the guards.
Afterwards Iwo Jima carried the admiral princess style and the trio sprinted out, after a few minutes all 10 of them ran. Before reaching all except for Iwo Jima broke off to introduce themselves to their Half Northern Union friend.
Alaska: "ура товарищи!" (Uraah comrades!)
They charged at the oncoming enemies, the Sakura girls were shocked by this move and the fact that there was a Northern Union girl among them. They didn't know that she was only half of that country that they were thinking about, soon after closing the distance, a melee ensued resulting in a complete victory for the Eagle Union, thanks to the fact that Alaska's yelling in Russian and the charge she led. Now post battle it's revealed that they've won a long time ago, and Iwo Jima allowed Alaska to greet the Sakura girls the Russian way. They introduced themselves and after that was over, they spent the rest of the day getting to know one another better.
Alaska's POV
After our greetings, I was approached by 4 of them wearing the same outfit.
???: "Hey Alaska, want to join our tea party?" She said with such energy, as for height they came in at 5.9
???: "Onee-sama you're forgetting to introduce yourself."
???: "Right, apologies I'm Kongō lead ship of my class."
???: "I'm Hiei."
???: "I'm Haruna."
???: "I'm Kirishima."
All four of them in unison: "We are the Kongo class."
Alaska: "You 4 sure have lots of energy and my answer to that question I won't mind." They led me to a table nearby on this cold winter day.
Kirishima: "So why are you dressed this way? No offense."
Alaska: "None taken Kirishima, to put it simply I used to belong to the motherland from 1743 until 1867 when my state was purchased by the Eagle Union. I didn't want to hide the fact I use to belong to the motherland, so I thought of something appropriate."
Kirishima: "I see."
???: "Come on we'll be late for the party, it's not like a lady like to be late." The way she talks is like trying to be a proper woman, she and the other 3 stands at 4.6. Tagging along with them is Laffey, Laffey Jr, and The Sullivans.
???: "хорошо."
???: "We can't understand what you're saying."
Alaska: "Maybe I can help since she's speaking in Russian."
???: "That'll be of much help."
???: "хорошо."
Alaska: "Ah, I see in English that means okay."
???: "Thank you very much, I'm Akatsuki."
???: "Hibiki."
???: "Inazuma."
???: "Ikazuchi."
Alaska: "Well then nice to meet you. I see that you brought the trio of our destroyers, let me guess you invited them." The four of them nodded their heads.
Hibiki: "I'd like to hear you sing in Russian, please?" The rest were also interested in it.
Alaska: "Sure just need the orchestra to play."
Kirishima: "Then here." She hands me an unknown device The Sullivans and Laffey Jr assisted me, and after some time I got my song.
Alaska: "It's my motherland's favorite song at least as far as I knew."
Laffey Jr: "It's still popular today."
Alaska: "I see, I'm just happy to hear that this song survived this long."
Kirishima: "How long has it been since the first time it was sung?"
Alaska: "It's been around for 84 years." They were all shocked by this revelation that's been around for so long and is still loved by many in the Northern Union and Northern Parliament.
Kongo: "Would you mind enlightening us about this song?"
Alaska: "Sure, its theme is that the soldier will protect the Motherland and its people while his grateful girl will keep and protect their love."
Kongo: "I see then, let's get started with our teatime."
Hornet's POV
After our greetings, I went to sit on a bench nearby to relax after that intense game but was approached by two of their carriers guessing by height the first is about 6.1 and the other at 6.3
???: "You must be Hornet-san."
Hornet: "Yeah, I am, and you are?" The girl standing at 6.1 responded first.
???: "I'm Kaga second member of 1st Carrier Division." Followed shortly by the 6.3
???: "I'm Akagi first member of 1st Carrier Division and flagship of Kido Butai."
I was all too familiar with that term, Kido Butai. This was the unit that brought down the mighty battleships at Pearl, went on to beat Britannia in the Indian Ocean, and slashed our chances of holding South-East Asia by bombing Darwin, followed by killing Lady Lex and hurting Yorktown so badly during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Sure, we did win the Battle of Midway but lost Yorktown to submarine attack, once we went to Guadalcanal, we lost Wasp to submarine attack, and Sara being the usual unlucky girl sat out for a good portion of those battles say for Eastern Solomons and finally, as far as I knew, I was killed during the Battle of Santa Cruz.
Akagi: "I know that our past wasn't the brightest given what we've done to each other's nation, it'll be hard to put the past aside no doubt, but I'm certain everyone's thinking. 'We'll have to put our past behind us, nothing is simple as it was back then. Now I have a choice either put the past behind me and focus on here and now, or remember the past and potentially destroy the world we used to live in.'" As much as I hated the Sakura Empire for what it did back then, I knew her words have the truth.
Hornet: "I agree with you on that, but I'm not sure if my big sis would be this easy."
Kaga: "Which one?"
Hornet: "Enterprise." They knew that name well since she assisted in sinking one of them, and the other killed by her hands.
Hornet: "The reason for this is because my sister when she arrived in Pearl just after you bombed it saw our battleships quite literally torn to shreds by your bombs and torpedoes, then had to hear about Lady Lex's fate from Yorktown had to pass the message on her own to Sara since Yorktown was recovering. After that lost our big sister at Midway, Wasp being torpedoed near Guadalcanal, and finally me at Santa Cruz. There are still countless others in between who lost their lives, after my sinking she had to shoulder it almost entirely on her own as the weight of Asia rests on her shoulders." I knew they couldn't understand how it feels to have the weight of their entire of their continent on their shoulders almost alone, since we knew they were always in pairs.
Akagi: "That surely must've been tough on her." Kaga nodded her head. "But putting the topic aside I'm sure you want to start on practice soon, right?"
Hornet: "Yeah, I need to get a hang of things lead the way." They brought me to the shooting range.
Shooting range
When we stepped in seven carriers were lying flat on, their stomachs as if they'd been wounded in combat.
Akagi: "Who did this to you?" The girl that looks like 6.2 spoke.
???: "Don't take it out on her, it was just a competition." She plays 'dead' and soon from our rear came a knock.
Iwo: "Umm your deserts are here."
???: "Thank you very much, leave it there." Said the girl that looks like 5.4
Akagi: "So you're the one who defeated them?"
Iwo: "Yes, why?"
Kaga: "We shall be your opponent."
Iwo: "Just my luck." She said with a sigh.
They competed against each other, and Iwo Jima came out the winner, judging from her accuracy and the speed with which she shot her arrow, she's clearly a battle fought by marines. How did I know this was indeed a marine, well for me it was rumored from before the war kicked off, I heard about their ridiculous accuracy and the reload time so if anything, my guess should indeed be right.
Iwo: "Umm, are you ok?"
Akagi: "Aside from our pride we're good." Kaga nodded her head.
Hornet: "So how did this all start Iwo Jima?"
Iwo: "First thing, just call me Iō or Fuyumi since I find it cumbersome to use my full name, and I'll start from the beginning."
Hornet: "I think I'll go with Fuyumi since it sounds nicer."
(A/N) I'll use Fuyumi from now on for Iwo Jima's dialogue and POV.
Fuyumi's POV
Flashback
(A/N) All her description is up above.
It was just after our greetings when Shokaku approached me, she said that since I'm worried about experience then we'll do it one step at a time, so she took me to the carrier range to begin my training. After she showed me the reins, I let loose the arrow.
Shokaku: "Bullseye first shot? I've never done that, then I'll challenge you. Fastest to draw and hit closets to the bull's eye wins."
Fuyumi: "Sounds good to me."
She had us both shoot three targets each after our shots were fired and it turns out that I did win, her morale was damaged by this soon after another figure of the same height as Shokaku entered the room.
???: "Onee-chan who did this to you?" Shokaku was lying down to rest, my immediate assumption is that this must be Zuikaku.
Shokaku: "Don't take it out on her." She continues to rest after saying.
Zuikaku: "So, you're the one who defeated Shokaku right?"
Fuyumi: "Yeah, why?"
Zuikaku: "Then challenge me!" And so, I challenged her which resulted in my victory, after that the 2nd carrier Division, Hōshō, Zuihō, and Shōhō all were defeated. Now I also have these 2 to my tally of defeated opponents.
Present
Hornet: "So that's what happened."
Fuyumi: "Yeah, I didn't even want that to happen, and everyone had misunderstood."
Hornet: "You know what, I'll sleep with you tonight onwards until you found yourself a roommate."
Fuyumi: "Thank you, Hornet-san." I proceed to hug her by the waist.
Hornet: "Woah, we're going to fall you know."
Fuyumi: "Yeah, but you didn't so all's good and well."
Hornet: "Jeez." I proceed to hug her properly.
Shokaku: "Since that's the case I'd like you two to follow me out of base to buy things."
Fuyumi: "もちろん。" (Sure.) I just realize that my Japanese slipped out due to my own excitement. "I mean sure." They obviously heard that and were all perplexed by it.
Shokaku: "We should be going now."
Hornet: "Yeah." We soon leave the carrier range.
City
When we entered the city outside the base she led us around, we ate, and went sightseeing among other things before we headed into a shop that sells accessories.
Yuki: "Welcome, oh Shokaku it's been a while."
Shokaku: "It sure has."
Yuki: "So what brings you here?"
Shokaku: "I was thinking of getting something for them as a gift."
Yuki: "Let me guess they're from base? Don't worry I'll keep it secret you know me."
Shokaku: "Yeah, knowing you for so long you sure are good at it." Yuki smiles. "They're from the Eagle Union Navy, USS Hornet, and USS Iwo Jima."
Yuki: "Which ones are we talking about, I mean no offense."
Shokaku: "Hornet (CV-8) and Iwo Jima (CV-46)."
Yuki: "Wow, we got the legendary lady who bombed us from across the Pacific, as well as a rookie."
Fuyumi: "You know about me in my old form?"
Yuki: "Yup, I always like ships from the Eagle Union and from the former Sakura Empire. Since after all the battles between them are legendary." I feel happy that I've not been entirely forgotten, and there are still some who know of me even if there's only a handful of them. "Feel free to have a look around."
As we split up and look around, my eyes caught an unusual Kanzashi that was colored just like my eyes.
Yuki: "So that one interests you?" I turn around seeing Yuki behind me.
Fuyumi: "I'll look somewhere else, just in case something else caught my eye."
Yuki: "I think you look great with that since it's as unique as you."
Fuyumi: "You think so?"
Yuki: "Yeah, leave the placement to me just close your eyes for a bit."
I nod my head and closed my eyes, after some time she asks me to open my eyes I open to see a mirror in front of me with Shokaku and Hornet on either side.
Shokaku: "She's really become a beauty."
Hornet: "Yeah, seeing her this morning was good but this is even better." I looked at myself through the mirror and smiled at their compliment.
Shokaku: "I'll buy it, think of it as a gift from me. I'm sure you'll have a good memory."
Fuyumi: "What?"
Hornet: "It was part of the plan we came up with once we left base."
Shokaku: "I confronted Shigure about how to deal with nightmares since she's had it the worst out of all of us. She said maybe having fond memories, but since we all knew you didn't have one, I decided to make one."
Fuyumi: "翔鶴ありがとうございます。" (Thank you very much Shokaku.) I bowed my head.
Shokaku: "Don't worry about it."
We paid Yuki and left, Shokaku said that her name was Yuki Amano a good friend of hers since she first came outside and since then they've been good friends. After that, we had our meal before heading back to base.
Base
Canteen, Night
We headed for our dinner my first day wasn't as bad as it looked, as we entered the Admiral greeted us.
Chiyase: "So how was outside? I heard from Soiro."
Fuyumi: "It's been fun going around to various places."
Chiyase: "Good to hear, Iwo Jima I've got something ready for you in your room."
Fuyumi: "Thanks, by the way, can everyone just call me Fuyumi would do since it's cumbersome to use my full."
Chiyase: "Understood Fuyu."
Eagle Union Dorm
After our dinner, we headed to my room. The first thing I saw at the door was an emblem with Sakura with the wings of an Eagle expanding out to match the petals of the Sakura, when I entered, I saw the furniture completely moved around.
What used to be just one room, now looked like two entirely different rooms with the left portion being an elevated Tatami floor with a Futon all laid out, some Zabutons as well as a Kotatsu with storage for the Chabudai nearby.
The right portion of the room was mostly retained as it was aside from shifting one of the beds a little more to the right so that I could safely get out of the Futon without knocking into the bed, as well as a mirror. I checked the closet to find varying clothes from shirts and pants to the Kimono and Yukata, several of them patterned the same way as what I'm wearing, with some variation in terms of spacing and number. While the rest were normal, my guess is for when I'm going off base.
Chiyase: "So is it to your liking?"
Fuyumi: "Yes, thank you very much."
Chiyase: "No problem, if anything you should also thank the rest of them too since they helped as well."
Fuyumi: "Right."
Vestal POV
Couple Hours earlier
After some time since we were dismissed, we were called back to the Eagle Union Dorms for our mission. Since we don't have our gear, my guess might be something to do with Iwo Jima. Once I arrived, I saw all the other girls on base say for Hornet, Shokaku, and Iwo Jima as they had gone into the city giving us the opportunity to redo her room. The Admiral's orders were simple the left side of the room's furniture was to be removed to make space for the half Sakura side while the right will need some shifting around.
I went with Yūbari to help make the furniture along with our Admiral and Chōkai, the rest were helping by moving the furniture out. As for the Carriers they're coming up with their own gifts, once we arrived at an armory, we set about getting to work we split into pairs, with Chōkai and the Admiral together while Yūbari pairs with me.
Vestal: "Isn't lonely for you to be here most of the time?"
Yūbari: "For the most part, but it can't be helped because I need to make sure the equipment is well maintained for use."
Vestal: "Then how about I join you, that way we both can finish the job faster and you won't be lonely."
Yūbari: "Sure, I'll train you on maintenance starting from now." As we were doing our job, I couldn't help but wonder why she paired those two together. "I'm sure you're thinking about why I paired them together, right?" I nod my head.
Yūbari: "To put it simply they have a connection related to our past." I think what she meant by it.
Vestal: "Could it be that her grandfather served on her?"
Yūbari: "Yup, he was the fleet's commander during the Battle of Savo Island. So, I wanted the two to catch up with each other."
After some time, Hōshō requested to make a flight deck table so that Iwo Jima could train, but that left me wondering how her air group hasn't arrived.
Vestal: "Umm Hōshō how would she exactly train?"
Hōshō: "That's easy, Akagi and Kaga would re-paint some arrows and aircraft, the girls who finished their gifts sooner will help. As for crews one of our carrier divisions will lend until her rigging comes."
Vestal: "I see, thank you for taking care of her."
Hōshō: "Don't worry about it, as a fellow carrier it's only right that I help where I can."
Vestal: "Then why didn't you do the same for Hornet?"
Hōshō: "That's because she's more familiar and hence would require less time to train."
Vestal: "It's certainly logical when you put it that way."
For the next few hours, we finished the table as well as a new bow for her to use, and after all the things that needed to be assembled apparently everyone helped repaint the things Hōshō mentioned it was a good way to bond over. Who would've thought that a runaway carrier would bring both sides this close? Many were at each other's throats since they heard of our arrival.
Fuyumi's POV
After leaving the room she leads me back to the canteen and once we entered there was a party for all of us in the Eagle Union, it was quite a nice time with Akagi and Kaga giving me some arrows that we repainted with my own emblem on it, Hōshō gave me a table shaped like my flight deck as well as a bow, Zuihō and Shōhō asked if they could sew the emblem they made onto my right sleeve tomorrow which I agreed, Sōryū and Hiryū gave me a Hachimaki with the slogan '珍しい勇気' (Uncommon Valour) with the emblem right in the middle. All the girls from the Eagle Union went to see our Admiral since she's got something for us.
Chiyase: "Now I'm giving you all a handphone so you can contact anyone wherever you are, by default you already have my number." She then asked me.
Chiyase: "I'm just curious, but since you don't have a birthday? That means your birthday was yesterday."
Fuyumi: "Sure."
After some time, I excused myself to get an early sleep.
Hornet: "You won't retire yourself, will you?"
Fuyumi: "No, because now I have everyone here who's looking after me. If anything, Hornet you should be catching up with Vestal on E."
Hornet: "Yeah, see you tomorrow."
Fuyumi: "Yeah." I nodded my head and left, after walking some distance I heard someone calling out to me.
???: "Umm, do you have spare time?"
Fuyumi: "Yeah, you are?"
Jintsū's POV
After seeing Iwo Jima leave, I also excused myself since I needed to get some sleep before training tomorrow, once I left, I saw her and asked because I had a gift for her.
Jintsū: "うーん、暇なんですか？" (Umm, do you have spare time?)
Fuyumi: "はい、なぜですか？" (Yes, why?)
Jintsū: "君に渡したいものがあるんだ。" (I've got something for you.)
Fuyumi: "道を切り開く。" (Lead the way.) I lead her to my room.
Jintsū's Room
My room is shared between me and my sisters, I opened my cupboard and took out a Katana which it's the handle is blue with a white Sakura flower on either side, and the casing is painted red with four white Sakura flowers on either side, as well as a charm bearing her emblem which I saw the carriers make along with the Uwa-obi. I hold it with two hands holding the middle, she takes it with her two hands holding either end.
Fuyumi: "これを持ちたいとずっと思っていたんです。" (I always wanted to hold this.) She inspects very carefully and places the Uwa-obi on her waist, she looks just like a samurai.
Jintsū: "鎧兜がないだけで、侍のような顔をしていますね。" (You look just like a samurai just missing the armor plates.)
Fuyumi: "ええ。" (Yeah.)
Jintsū: "では、あなたの部屋で寝ましょうか？" (Then, shall we sleep in your room?)
Fuyumi: "もちろんです。" (Sure.)
I followed her to her room. We were standing outside I saw a new emblem that replaced the old one, when we entered it was beautiful as it represented who she is, a girl that's half Sakura and half Eagle Union. She even has a pair of Zori near on the other side of the door, we changed our pair of shoes into the Zori and walked onto the tatami.
Jintsū: "うーん、明日の朝、トレーニングする？" (Umm, do you want to train tomorrow morning?)
Fuyumi: "はい、ちなみに好きな曲はなんですか？聴いてみたいですね。" (Yes, by the way, what is your favorite song? I'd like to listen to it.) I let her listen to four of my favorite songs, which I think have meaning in her heart.
Fuyumi: "うーん、アラームとして設定するにはどうしたらいいんだろう？" (Umm, how do I set it as an alarm?) Right, she's new to this 'equipment' and so I thought her things she needed to know, soon we slept.
Hi guys today is the day 8th of August, two years ago I started this girl's life not knowing what would happen in the future two years have passed since then and I found myself enjoying everyday writing about her though that isn't to say I won't do the others in this story like what happened last time. Speaking of her two-year anniversary I've decided that this month I'll release three chapters two of them today since it's a special occasion for me. Do look forward to what I have in store for the future.