Girls und Panzer-The Accident

Chapter 21: Welcome to Ooarai

A/N-There will be a sequel to this story. That is the reason that I am doing this at the beginning, so all of you guys will have a better chance of seeing it.

Hana couldn't sleep, so she grabbed her iPad and walked down stairs. She was reading about a flower arranging competition Yuzu had entered.  She had been teaching Yuzu everything she knew about flower arranging. She heard someone on the stairs from the Nishizumi's room. She didn't look up but saw Maho Nishizumi out of the corner of her eye.  Maho walked over and sat down in the chair next to her. "Can't sleep?" Maho asked.

"No." Hana said, feeling the butterflies in her stomach.
"Hana." Maho said.

"Yeah." She responded, keeping her eyes on the article.
"We need to talk." Maho said putting her phone down.
"Ok." Hana said closing her iPad.

"Hana, I have noticed you are even quieter than Miho told me. I don't know you that well, but I do know something is bothering you. I want you to tell me what it is so I can help you.  It pains me to see one of Miho's closest friends suffering like you are." Maho said. Hana shifted in her seat.

"Well ever since the accident I haven't really been able to sleep. I have nightmares about it." Hana said meekly.

"What kind of nightmares?" Maho asked.

"Well, there is one I keep having where, when Miho runs to the tank, and it explodes, she lands so hard that it, um, Kills her." Hana said, feeling tears run down her face. Maho got up and sat next to her and hugged her.

"Hey, it's ok. It was traumatic, it scared me so much that cried myself to sleep the first night she was in critical condition. But she is fine now." Maho said, still holding Hana. "You are impossible to figure out Maho, I steal a victory, injure you, and nearly kill your sister, things that would bring out major emotions to anyone else, but you can hold them in." Hana said. Maho connected the dots.

"Is that why you asked what I thought about you?" Maho asked.
"Yeah." Hana said.

"So you're afraid that I'm angry at you because of the accident." Maho asked
"Well, yeah." Hana clarified.

"Hana, listen to me. The shot you took that match was the exact thing you should have done." Maho said rubbing Hana's hairdo comfort her.

"But the explosion..." Hana started.

"No it was, the likelihood of an engine deck fire and a fuel tank combustion in tankery are long, it just happened this time."  Maho said.

"Are you sure?" Hana asked.

"Yes, and as for me, what I told you earlier, I ment it. You are the shyest sweetest girl I have ever met. You shouldn't let this accident, which is exactly what it was, destroy you. You could not have predicted that is what was going to happen, it didn't really hurt me, and Miho is nearly recovered." Maho said.

"But I almost killed Miho." Hana said.

"No, you didn't.  I did." Maho said, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "What." Hana asked.

"She ran back to get a picture of us that I kept in the tank. Miho gave me a picture of her, me and my mother before she left, and I promised to hang it in my tank. she must have seen it when she pulled me out. So she ran back to get it for me, and by the time I figured out what she was doing, she was already there and the ammo exploded." Now it was Maho's turn for tears to fall.

"If its anyone's fault, it's mine.  I couldn't stop her in time, and if I could have defended her before she transferred, she might not have gotten hurt at all." Maho said.
"Yeah, but we never would have met her either." Hana said.

"I know, and I think she was right to transfer to ooarai, she found her own style, I just wish she could have found it without me having to hurt her." Maho said.
"I don't think she holds any resentment, you spent years protecting her by being the perfect daughter for the nishizumi school, I remember Miho always speaking highly of you whenever she mentioned your name." Hana said

"I want to thank you Hana, you gave Miho a new outlook on tankery, I ruined it for her by following the nishizumi style, you guys saved it for her giving her a chance to spread her wings." Maho said. She and Hana fell asleep on the two couches in the living room that night.

Maho was awoken at about 10:30 by Miho. Saori had arroused Hana already. "I thout you were in bed?" Miho asked.

"I was, I woke up, came out here, sat down for a minute and was out." Maho said getting up. They all had breakfast outside once again. They all decided to go swimming, and after changing, maho pulled Hana to the side.

"Thanks for telling me what was going on, it makes me feel better." Maho said.

"Oh, uh sure." Hana said. The 6 of them all went swimming and hung out by the pool to the stereo set up for the rest of the day. That was the first day they all really had fun together.

Miho walked over to her sister. "Thanks." She said

"For what?" Maho asked.

"For being here, I have missed you." Miho told her. Miho knew maho would enjoy ooarai, and Miho knew she would enjoy the tankery program. Miho and Maho sat together as friends for the first real time in three years.

That night, Maho went out to get gas in the car, while the others put together a little welcome to Ooarai party.

"This is gonna be awesome!" Yukari said, nearly unable to contain her excitement. "Miss nishizumi is throughing a party that I am at again!"

"Yukari doesn't get anymore sugar." Saori whispered to Miho. After everything was set up, they saw the headlights of the Impala in the windows. Maho walked into the room. "What's going on?" She asked.

"Just a little welcome to Ooarai party sis." Miho said
"You didn't have to do this." Maho said.

"Oh we wanted to." Saori said.

"We didn't think you got a proper introduction to Ooarai, so we decided to give you one." Hana said.

"Yeah, and you have already done so much for us, we decided to return the favor." Yukari added.

"And you seem to understand us." Mako said, cracking a smile.

"We'll I appreciate it guys." Maho said walking over and putting an arm around Miho. The six of them partied for a while.

"Hey, can I make a toast." Miho said. Everyone looked at her.
"Right." They all said.

"To Maho, for having the courage to protect her little sister no matter what." Miho said raising her glass.

"Here here." They all said

"I got one too." Maho said. "To Ooarai girls academy, and to the five of you, for making me feel welcome in your family. I am truly honored to call you my friends and will be with you in the good and the bad, the easy and the hard, and the fun and sad. Oh and let's kick some serious ass next season." She said, shooting a glance to Miho, then Hana.

"Here here." They all said. They all then said "to Ooarai tankery."

"WELCOME TO OOARAI!" They all shouted and cheered. Maho blushed. She really felt at home for the first time in three years. Miho and maho nishizumi were a team again and nothing was going to break them apart again.

A/N. Thanks for reading you guys. Don't know when the continuation will be, but there will be one.