Grey clouds loom over the Main Azur Lane base. Soldiers move about the base as not a ship girl is in sight. Inside Head Quarters Alicorn is slowly walking down the hall, dragging a hang on the wall as she keeps the other over her stomach.

  Her yellow eyes have a dull glow to them as she stares at the ground. Having just got discharged from the hospital, she was summoned by her Mother to the Commander's office.

  After a few minutes of walking Alicorn finally arrives at the office, and at the moment as well; Enterprise steps out. Enterprise's Lic eyes and Alicorn's yellow eyes meet. Enterprise's face softens as she moves out of the way, and lets Alicorn walk in.

  "Thank you." Alicorn mutters as she walks past Enterprise.

  The older Ship-girl reaches a hand out to Alicorn and puts a hand on her shoulder. Alicorn looks back at her as she stops, and they stare at each other for a few moments, before Enterprise walks off.

  Alicorn enters the room and closes the door behind her. She looks over to her mother as she walks over to the desk and stops in front of it.

  Yorktown has her hands csped in front of her face, as she stares down at her desk. Her eyes are red and puffy. She lets out a sigh and looks up at her daughter.

  "4 Azured ships dead, hundreds of humans dead, and 3.2 million dolrs in supplies destroyed." Yorktown starts. "What... happened."

  "Equus was there, and she had a nuclear armament." Alicorn informs. "She was able to fire and kill them."

  "In the report it says you refused to fire through Purifier to kill Equus, why is that." Alicorn remains silent and Yorktown's stare hardens. "Why... Is that?

  Alicorn grits her teeth as she looks down, and grips the hem of her dress. "I... I couldn't kill my... sister."

  "She's not your sister." Yorktown says in a low angry tone.

  "She's my family!" Alicorn looks up to her mother, but flinches as Yorktown sms a fist into her desk and yells.

  "I AM YOUR FAMILY! THAT MONSTER IS NOT!"

  "She my be a monster, but she's still my sister."

  "She's a Siren! A monster, a threat to humanity and peace!"

  "...I'm a Siren, does that mean I'm a threat." Alicorn stands up to her mother.

  "You are not a Siren." Yorktown straightens up. "You are a living Bio computer. You are my daughter. Purifier is nothing, she's just a monster that was used as a basis for your combat coding."

  Alicorn lowers her gaze as Yorktown continues.

  "And you chose her over your real family."

  "I didn't-"

  "YOU CHOSE HER! Over four of the best ships I had to offer, your family, your sister. And you let them die for a threat to our very existence."

  Alicorn grits her teeth as tears prick at the corner of her eyes.

  "We're holding a funeral for this Sunday..." Yorktown spins her chair around, looking out the window. "But I need you prepared for a mission to assist Commander Sicilia on Monday night, so I need you in the water Saturday morning to rendezvous with them."

  Alicorn eyes widen. "But I'd miss the funeral. You can't-"

  "I will do what I want, Alicorn. This is your punishment. Now, leave my office and get some rest... you'll need it."

  Alicorn opens her mouth to say something, but after a few seconds she just lets out a grunt. She turns around and stops out of the office, tears dripping from her eyes.

  The pain of anger and loss numbing the pain of her wounds, as she stomps down the halls and back to her room. But as she reaches outside a robotic eagle screeches and nds on her shoulder.

  A small smile forms on Alicorn's face. "Avis..." She scratches the bird's chin and it lets out a few chortles.

  Alicorn then stretches her arm out and Avis takes back to the sky. Alicorn watches as her bird flies around freely in the sky. A look of envy fshes across her face, before she shakes her head and moves on.

  .

  .

  .

  Hour into the night Alicorn is tossing and turning in her rge bed. Her eyes are clenched shut as she flops back and fourth, trying her best to fall asleep. After a few seconds of turning, she sighs and opens her eyes.

  Alicorn pats the empty spaces beside her a few times, feeling the coldness. The loneliness of the cold hurts more than the burning pain of her wounds.

  'I'm surrounded by people... yet I feel so alone.'

  Alicorn closes her eyes again as she pulls up the covers, trying to fall asleep again. But then a loud commotion outside her room catches her attention.

  Alicorn sits up as she hears yelling and the thundering of footsteps move past her room. Her brow furrows as she climbs out of bed, her bare feet quickly move across the cold carpet.

  She opens the door and sees several ship-girls run by.

  "Come on!" One of them yells.

  "It is true?!" Another one yells.

  Alicorn steps out of her room and sees Georgia running towards her.

  "Georgia, what's going on?" Alicorn asks.

  "Dave was found alive!" Georgia shouts as she runs by. "She arrived just a few minutes ago by herself, and she's in critical condition."

  Alicorn's eyes widen as she takes off after Georgia. After running her way to the dogs she sees a rge crowed of people, both humans and ships, behind kept back by people in hazmat suits.

  "Please, keep your distance." A hazmat soldier shouts.

  Alicorn makes her way through the crowd and spots a pair of hazmat soldiers carrying a stretcher. Her eyes widen in horror as the soldier move by.

  Laying in a stretcher is Dace. Half her face is missing, as most of the skin on her arms are burned and blistered. Her legs are covered in blood and bits of her skin are ripped off. Her hair is falling out, as her eyes dully look to the sky. Her chest lightly heaves up and down, her lungs trying to get any air they can.

  A pair of hazmat soldiers follow behind the two, tanks on the back hocked up to some hoses. The two soldiers spray the ground behind the two carrying Dace.

  "She doesn't look so good." Texas mutters beside Alicorn. Texas' right arm is in a sling as half her face and her neck are covered in bandages. "How'd she make it back in the first pce."

  Minnesota steps up beside the two, her right hand covered in bandages, she's missing a couple fingers, and she's using a crushed as her left leg is in a splint.

  "Wasn't she looking for a way around a mine field when we got attacked?" Minnesota asks. "She could have been just on the edge of the bst radius."

  "Poor girl." Texas sighs. "Even if she makes it through... she'll be in a lot of pain."

  Alicorn hands curl tightly into fists, as she watches the soldiers carrying Dace away and to the Infirmary.

  .

  .

  .

  In a dark room Equus is sipping some tea with a smirk on her face. In the corner of the room sits Purifier, a few shallow cuts cover her arms as they bleed yellow blood.

  "So you are her weakness, hmmm~" Equus looks over to Purifier. "That'll be fun to exploit ter."

  "Why don't you just end this now?" Purifier quickly asks as she looks over to Equus, her eyes dull and tired.

  "Why?" Equus lets out a ugh. "I want to enjoy this for once, so I'm gonna let this timeline bleed like a... stuck human. Besides, I want to see the look on her face as I take more away. Oh, the look she had was just so... HMMM!"

  Equus licks her lips, and drinks more tea. Purifier gres at Equus, as she clenches her fists. Anger bubbling up in the Siren.

  '...Maybe Alicorn is right...' Purifier starts to think about her Imouto.

  .

  .

  .

  Morning soon arrives as Alicorn paces outside the Infirmary, dozens of ships are also nearby. Suddenly a door opens and out walks Vestal, wearing a hazmat suit.

  Everyone gets up as the medical ship takes off her mask. "Dace will live." Everyone lets out a sigh of relief. "But, she'll be in intensive care for a while... and most likely never be combat fit again."

  Alicorn lets out a breath, as everyone starts to talk to Vestal. Guilt starts to bubble up in Alicorn.

  'Dace will... be crippled forever because of me.' She runs a hand through her hair. 'Why... Why must I cause so much suffering!'

  People keep moving past the conflicted sub girl, anxiety and guilt start to eat at her. Until a hand is pced on her back. Alicorn looks back and sees Montpelier, with blood shot eyes and tear stained face.

  "Hey, you good." Montpelier softly asks.

  Alicorn swallows her feelings and nods. "I should be asking you that? How are you and your sisters?"

  Montpelier looks down. "We're... trying to cope. It's not easy, Alicorn."

  "I'm... sorry."

  Montpelier shakes her head. "It's not your fault. None of us bme you."

  "But I-!"

  Montpelier lightly flicks Alicorn's forehead. "Don't worry, just... take down that girl. That'd be the best way to make it up to us."

  Alicorn stares at Montpelier, before nodding firmly. "I will."

  A smile forms on Montpelier's face as she brings Alicorn into a hug. "Thank you."

  Alicorn slowly returns the hug, the Pain of Loss slowly eating away at her.

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  01-18-2024

  1542 words