Chapter 18

"Hey, Hiei! You here?"

Seydlitz winced softly at the loud shout from her companion. She never would get used to being around Ise. Even Irresistible was less...noisy about things. Not to mention, she didn't want this to be the first Hiei saw of her.

"Ise, you don't need to yell," another female voice spoke up, sounding more bemused than anything else. "I can he..."

The source of the voice came walking into view, only to come to a halt, staring directly at Seydlitz. Who, for her part, saw the family resemblance to Indestructible right away. In fact, even moreso than the resemblance between Indestructible and her British sisters. The woman in front of her had hair much shorter than the girl the German had come to see, but it was the same shade. Her features were, while entirely Japanese, similar to Indestructible's as well.

And there was a similar...air...about her. The air of an older sister, first of her class.

"Eh, I have to get back out on patrol and help Atago out," Ise shrugged beside Seydlitz, tearing the battlecruiser's eyes from the girl who could only be Hiei. "Seydlitz here wanted to talk about your onee-san though, so I figured I'd bring her over. Have fun!"

And just like that, Ise spun around with a jaunty wave and went off on her own. Leaving behind a very confused battlecruiser, and a grinning battleship.

"That's Ise for you." Hiei shook her head in clear amusement. At least, until she turned to look directly at Seydlitz. "So, you want to talk about my onee-sama?" Her voice was suddenly very serious, as blue eyes bored into Seydlitz, daring the German to do something.

Not that Seydlitz was one to back down from a direct challenge. Jutland had proven that.

"Yes, I do. Irresistible and Implacable told me much about her on the way here. But, I am told, you would know more about her in the now, ja?" Seydlitz shot back with a question of her own.

"I know onee-sama very well!" Hiei nodded, wide smile crossing her face. Though it didn't reach her eyes, no, those continued to observe Seydlitz closely. "Why do you want to know about her?"

Seydlitz sighed softly, "That is a complicated question. I...I want to get to know her. That is why I came all the way from Germany. But I don't want to do something that will upset her, and I don't know how..."

"She is now." Hiei finished, her eyes finally softening. In fact, the battleship stepped forward and squeezed the smaller girl's shoulder. "Sorry, onee-sama has been dealing with a lot since she came back. I just don't want anyone to hurt her!"

"I would never hurt her!"

That shout came from Seydlitz's lips before the blonde German even realized what she was saying. And had her clamping her mouth shut, a vivid blush shooting across her face from it. The fact that Hiei's face split into an even wider grin hardly helped matters, the Japanese girl squeezing her shoulder again.

"Good to know!" The battleship's grin didn't fade in the slightest as she pulled away. If anything, it remained firmly fixed in place while she continued talking. "You like her then?"

And if nothing else, the blush on the German's face just grew brighter at that. Seydlitz coughed, but didn't deny the point, "Honestly, I...don't know. I feel something for her, but I have only just now seen her. I don't know where to begin."

"Well, we can start with why you care about her in the first place." Hiei's serious tone was at complete odds with the grin on her face, but it was still there. And made one thing abundantly clear.

Do not mess with Indestructible.

Naturally, the German could only nod, as Hiei waved her into her room.

Though, as she did so, Seydlitz felt a smile cross her own face. Even as her blush refused to fade, she maintained that smile. Because what she was seeing, reinforced the impression she already had of the beautiful British girl. Indestructible had to be a good person at heart. She had to be a good sister. What else could instill such loyalty in her siblings? Across two navies, two nations, and two continents? Irresistible and Implacable had been loyal to a fault, and told so many tales of how kind and loving their sister was.

And now, Hiei was defending her despite Seydlitz doing nothing remotely hostile. She was acting entirely at odds with what little the German knew about the younger Japanese battleship.

All to keep Indestructible safe and happy.

"She really is special," Seydlitz muttered softly. Her green eyes were downturned to the ground, though.

Making the German miss the smile on Hiei's face softening.

"Sis, wait!"

Indestructible heard the call from her sister, but she barely registered it. She had not registered anything from her sisters, not since the realization of who they had come with.

"A German. A German with my sisters." Indestructible muttered darkly, uncaring of how her voice sounded. Or how her sister's thought.

She was no fool. The battleship knew that, much as Japan was no longer her enemy, Germany couldn't possibly be. Knowing and acknowledging this fact? It hardly mattered to her. Every time she thought about the Germans, she saw her past. She saw Jutland.

"Indefatigable!"

Fire and smoke shot into the sky, a massive roar echoing over the sound of gunfire. A roar that was centered on a plume of debris, all that was left of HMS Indefatigable. Of Indestructible's elder sister, or at least, who she had considered an elder sister. She had only known the elder battlecruiser for a short time, barely three years. And now she was gone. In an instant, blown apart by German gunfire.

Gunfire that continued to fall around the sinking ruins of the girl, before shifting instead to the rest of the Battlecruiser Squadron.

Tearstreaked eyes narrowed in anger, Indestructible felt her own guns return that fire. Beside her, Irresistible did the same, the two sisters- one barely out of the construction yards -had been at the vanguard of the charge. Their firepower, so much greater than their older cousins, had been prized greatly. Now, it only saw them missing every shot. Plumes of water shot into the air around the German warships, but not one shell had hit.

And Indefatigable would not be the only victim this battle...

Shaking her head to dispel the memories, Indestructible clenched a fist in her skirt. Thinking about Jutland always hurt her, as it should. She cared about others far too much. The battleship knew that. And remembering the deaths of two of her cousins, sisters in all but blood? Of Invincible, the closest thing she had to a mother? It would take someone stronger than her to not hate the ones who had done that.

And then...Hood.

Her baby sister, cut down in her pri...

"Indestructible, please, listen to us," Implacable had managed to sidestep her while the elder girl was deep in thought, barring her from any further progress. "I know you're angry. You have every right to be angry. But please, allow us to explain."

"What is there to explain?" Indestructible shot back, barely keeping her tone level. She would not snap at her sister. "One of the ships that killed Invincible and the others is here."

"And you almost killed her too, and did sink Von der Tann," Irresistible pointed out, red eyes narrowed in frustration. An equally frustrated sigh escaping her lips, a hand brushing her hair back, "Or I did, no one really knows. But they took losses too. Holding onto this grudge..."

A single hand raised into the air. Indestructible looked past her pale limb, her brown eyes narrowed at her middle sister as she spoke, "A grudge? This is far more than a grudge. I lost two of my big sisters. I lost Invincible, who might as well have been my mother. I watched them blow apart right in front of me, and you expect me..."

Sucking in a shaky breath, Indestructible shook her head. Dark hair fell in front of her eyes, hiding them from her sister's. Hiding the wetness of hot tears.

"I can't let that go. I never could. That Hood was killed in the exact same way because I wasn't there to help her? I was so close with Ark Royal, but I wasn'tthere. And I've always regretted that. I..." Shaking her head again, Indestructible gently pushed her sister's from in front of her. Her long legs, vestige of her battlecruiser origin, pushed her forward.

She didn't need to look, to know that Irresistible and Implacable were still following her. But, they kept silent now.

Indestructible hated what she had done to them. She knew they didn't like what she was doing, and honestly, she couldn't blame them. But...this was something she had to do. If she never faced her past, she would never move on. And right now?

Right now, I can't forgive her.

Squaring her shoulders, Indestructible sped up her pace. She could see Hiei's room nearby, and it was her destination. Her Japanese sister likely knew where Seydlitz was, at the very least. Perhaps, the German was already there, much as the idea did not appeal to the Brit. But it didn't matter which was the case in the end. Because at the very least, she wanted to talk to her other sister, and clarify some things before she did anything else.

Such as where Hiei stood on the situation.

That thought running through her mind, the battleship rushed to her sister's room. Her footsteps were sure and steady. Absolutely nothing like the feeling running through her heart. Her arms didn't shake even slightly when she tugged on the doorknob. Indestructible was the image of calm and collected as she opened the door to her sister's room.

"Hie..."

Only for that facade to crumble faster than she had thought possible. For standing in front of her, instead of her sister, was a blonde woman. Brilliant green eyes, almost emerald, stared back at her. A scarred face flushed brilliant pink. Thin red lips began to open to say...something.

They wouldn't have a chance.

"You!" Indestructible ground out, her facade broken. The emotions raging in her heart were bared for anyone to see. Brown eyes glared at the woman in front of her, as she stomped forward, anger radiating from every pore. "What are you doing here?!"

The woman, eyes widening in shock and...pain...stepped back from the raging British battleship. Her much smaller frame looked positively quaint compared to the power held back by Indestructible. As warships, they had been peers. As ship girls, the formerly-Japanese battleship was far superior.

She can't even look me in the eye. Am I that frightening to her?

What Indestructible didn't- couldn't -realize, was that it had nothing to do with her aura. For lack of a better term.

No.

The woman, Seydlitz, had stepped back not out of fear. But out of hurt. Indestructible, wrapped up as she was in her anger, had not realized that Seydlitz had tears in her eyes. That the German girl was holding her arms against her modest bust. Her former foe was not scared of her. She didn't fear Indestructible's anger, nor her power. But...

Seeing the British girl like this, was a stab to the heart for the German.

"I..." Seydlitz tried to speak, but she was unable to get any words out.

For Indestructible's towering figure had not backed away in the slightest. She had, if anything, pushed closer. Her glare had not lost any intensity either, nor had her voice changed tone. "I don't know why my sister's brought you here. I frankly don't care. What I want to know, is why you bothered at all."

Finally backing up, Indestructible looked down on the shorter German. Her hand's remained clenched by her side, though one opened and closed in rhythm with her heartbeat. It took everything she had to not lash out. But she would not attack first. Not with her sisters here.

No matter how much her hands ached to reach for her rigging.

Despite the fact she saw nothing but fire and death when she looked at Seydlitz.

She would not attack.

"I still remember the Great War," the British battleship's voice had not softened. But she was no longer yelling, as she spoke to Seydlitz. "I still rememberJutland. You killed Queen Mary, and helped kill Invincible. Your successor killed Hood. I have never, and will never, forgive that. So what could possibly have compelled you to come here despite all..."

Indestructible didn't know if she had really expected an answer. Part of her honestly expected that the German girl would be too shocked to answer. She could vent and then leave Seydlitz behind, to try and...collect herself. Figure out what the hell she was actually going to do. Bloody hell, she would need that time, eh?

But...

"Stop!"

The last thing the battleship had expected was her smaller counterpart screaming up at her. Seydlitz's small frame was no barrier to the volume or intensity of her shout, the battlecruiser panting heavily as she glared at Indestructible. No longer was she cowering away. No. Now the warrior of Jutland was back. The warship that had taken a pounding that would have sank many battleships several times over.

And kept on going.

"Indestructible...I came here to see you. Nothing to do with your sisters. Nothing to do with Japan." Seydlitz ground out, her eyes staring at Indestructible accusingly. A stare that, despite herself, had the British girl backing up an inch or two, even as Seydlitz continued speaking. "I have wanted to meet you. The very moment I came back, I asked if you were back."

While she continued speaking, the German's voice grew softer and softer with each word. Her stare was no longer a glare. In fact, tears pricked at the edge of those emerald eyes of her's, tears that Seydlitz made no move to wipe away.

"I jumped at the chance to come here when I heard you had returned. I had to beg and call in every favor I had, from Bismarck to Blücher, just to come here. I...I..."

Voice cracking, Seydlitz turned away, unable to continue. The German walked away from her taller counterpart, footsteps heavy and melancholic. She didn't stop moving until reaching a couch, falling heavily to sit down and hold her face in her hands. The...the...

The exact same position Hiei had been in, when Indestructible had come to apologize to her sisters.

"What...I..." Indestructible's mouth opened and closed, her lips dry. Her own throat constricted, her sisterly feelings warring with the anger she felt. Bloody hell, what was she even supposed to think?

"I don't know exactly how I feel about you," Seydlitz however, had no issues talking. Her voice barely rose above a whisper, nor did her hands move from her face. But after a few seconds of silence, continue talking she did. "I still don't, if anything I am more confused now than I was before. However...I know one thing."

"Seydlitz..." That was Implacable, the quietest sister having snuck past Indestructible when she had been so focused on the German. Implacable pushed Seydlitz's head up, to look at her face. The youngest battlecruiser was staring intently at the German, green eyes searching the brighter emerald of Seydlitz. Searching and looking for something. "Are you sure?"

Seydlitz just smiled weakly, "Ja."

Implacable sighed softly, almost imperceptibly. But she nodded as well, her shoulders slumping down, "If you're certain."

"I have never been more certain of anything in my life," the German replied, small smile not leaving her face. Not even as she turned to look at Indestructible...warily watching the British battleship. "Indestructible. I care for you, deeply. Perhaps more than I do for any of my cousins in theKaiser...Deutschmarine. I have, ever since you tried to save me at Scapa Flow, when my crew abandoned me."

The battlecruiser fell silent after she said that, turning her head away. Her face was a faint pink, wet eyes refusing to meet Indestructible's wide-brown. Who, for her part, couldn't understand what she had just heard.

She had heard that, right?

Seydlitz had said she cared for her more than any of the other German battlecruisers.

Her.

Mouth hanging open, Indestructible shook her head. That made...that made no sense. They were enemies, had met in battle multiple times! This wasn't like the Japanese girls. While their nations had been enemies, for a time, Indestructible had not met one of them- save for the sub that took her life -once. She hadn't fought them, so becoming friends was easy.

But Seydlitz...they had fought so many times. Indestructible had nearly killed her.

Hell, she had killed Von der Tann!

So why...?

"I know it doesn't make any sense, ja?" Seydlitz's soft voice spoke up once more, forcing Indestructible's attention back to her. "But...when I was scuttled, it was a betrayal at the deepest level. My crew leaving me to drown, breaking everything inside me that could stop it. When there was no war, no need to kill me." The German shuddered in place, memories rushing through her. Her pink face grew pale when she talked about her crew. Pale and scared. "I never want to relive that again. But...you tried to save me. Your crew tried to reach me, and fix what my crew broke. I have always been thankful for that, and I have always wanted to meet you and tell you that."

Seydlitz didn't get to her feet. She didn't move from her position on the couch. All she did was turn back to face Indestructible. Stare at the British girl with her bright green eyes, her gaze so intense that Indestructible felt her own head turning away.

"This is not what I expected..." The battleship muttered, so softly none could hear her. Sucking in a breath, she turned back to Seydlitz, and spoke louder. "I..."

What could she say to that, honestly?

I don't even know what to tell her. I should hate her. Like I do Bismarck. But...I...