The Midway Tragedy (A KanColle Fanfic)

The Grief

Kaga opens her eyes, finding herself sitting with Akagi at that same seat in the cafeteria that fateful day. Kaga wanted to leap for a hug, but she couldn't, as this is a memory of that time.

"We fight not by choice, but responsibility."

After saying those words, Akagi casts her hand forwards. Kaga refused, tears falling down across her face. Akagi gave her a puzzled look.

"No, Akagi-San. I just can't."

"What's wrong, Kaga?"

"It's just, I can't accept it. I don't have the right to hold your hand."

"I don't understand, Kaga. Why is it?"

"You're always there for me. I treated everyone, even you like you're below me. Why did you still want to forgive me?"

"You're family, Kaga. I love you, and you knew it as well, don't you? What happened is already in the past, whatever it is. You can let go of it right now."

"Of course, Akagi-San... No more... No more sorties. No more Kaga."

Kaga then reaches out for her hand, accepting it, but inches before that the phone in her room rang. Her eyes popped open, realizing that it was just a dream.

"Akagi-San... I'm so sorry."

The phone continued to ring. After a moment, Kaga went on to answer it. It was from the admiral.

"Kaga, this is your admiral speaking. Would you tell me your reason why you have been missing sorties, and training? The only times the others reported seeing you is entering/leaving your room, and the cafeteria."

"You know the reason why, admiral."

"Oh, right. You still haven't moved on yet.... Sorry about that. Take your time, and please, whatever it is you want, you can ask me anything."

"I want Akagi-San back."

Silence filled the other end. The admiral can swear that he can hear Kaga forcing herself not to sob.

"Kaga, whatever you do, please don't do anything rash." The admiral's voice had a tone of worry in that sentence.

"I won't."

The admiral then hung up. Kaga went on to the cafeteria to have her breakfast. She sat at her usual seat, looking across from her is a picture of a smiling Akagi. Flowers were put in front of it, being replaced regularly whenever they wilted.

"Let's eat, Akagi-San."

Kaga is about to grab the chopsticks, and use it to pick some of the rice up, however, when she glances at Akagi's smile, she puts it back down.

"Thanks for the meal."

Kaga stood up and left.

"Hmm? Kaga-San, you haven't eaten any of your breakfast!" Takao said.

"I don't feel like eating."

Takao looked at her with worry, as Atago approached from behind and patted her shoulder. Takao looked at her, and she shook her head slowly.

Kaga went to the field where she and Akagi would train when the latter was still around. However, unlike how she usually performed amazingly, every each one of her shots missed. Not even one of the target rocks were blown up by her planes as well, because they just won't spawn.

After the 44th arrow, Kaga finally stopped. She drops down to the ground, this time sobbing heavily.

"I couldn't do anything if you're not there."

Kaga went back to what she was before she met Akagi. An inept carrier who can't even attack a static target. From the distance, Zuikaku and Shoukaku watched on with frowns on their faces. They worry over what will befall on Kaga if this continues. But they accepted it, that the Kaga that everyone looked up to is no more, just like Akagi. Kaga is just a shell of her former self.

Meanwhile, at the admiral's office a picture is slammed into his table.

"What's this, Hamakaze?"

"This is my reports after a patrol this morning. I can't believe what I saw, but doesn't she look familiar?"

The admiral then looked at the picture. Elsewhere, Kaga walks onto the coastline, sitting on the rocks overlooking the sea, it's waters crash against the hard surface as she looked on with an empty look in her eyes. What she didn't notice is the bubbles forming up from her left.

"No way..." The admiral said, widening his eyes upon seeing the picture carefully.

"Where is Kaga?"

"That's the problem, admiral! Nobody has seen her since the fifth watched her training this morning."

"Spread out and find her!"

"Roger!"

Back at Kaga, she is being assaulted by enemy aircrafts coming out of nowhere. And she noticed that she does this in a familiar way. Shaking that thought off, she tries to shoot down as many as she can in her broken self, until the Abyssal carrier that controls them shows itself.

"Found you!"

It rose from the waters just a step away from Kaga, who readied her bow to shoot at it, only for her to drop the arrow upon looking at who it is.

A woman with long white hair, with similar hairstyle as her albeit with disheveled bangs, pale white skin, and red glowing eyes. Abyssal fangs adorned her neck, like a bear trap.

The abyssal raised both of her hands, and cupped Kaga's cheeks nearly causing them to bleed thanks to her long sharp nails, as she knelt down in denial at who is she looking at right now.

"... Akagi-San?"