"Zui... kaku, is that how you pronounce your name?" The amber-red eyes of the Grey Ghost closed as she called out the slim, bow-wielding ship girl.
Zuikaku shot a quick glare at the offender, a blond haired, curvier young woman, uniformed in a cream-white Navy-collared blouse and matching skirt. Her hair was held in place with a black hairband, a black bow as its sole decoration. In her left hand was her peaked hat, and in her right was her packaged bow.
Enterprise did not need to say her name. Zuikaku's glare gave her all the things the Japanese carrier needs to know. With the memories of her past life swelling up inside her, Zuikaku closed her eyes too.
---
Zuikaku remembered her first mission, the strike that sparked the war that sealed the fates of everyone she knows and eventually herself. She remembered Kaga and Hiryuu quietly swearing, unable to find any carriers within the harbor. She remembered Coral Sea, when Shouhou was sunk, when Lexington was sunk. When she, depleted of her air wing, carried her battered sister, Shoukaku, back home. When she could, in the corner of her eyes, see the lone remaining American carrier, Yorktown, hobbled away alone.
She remembered hearing about Midway, where a 'rookie carrier' managed to sink Akagi, Kaga, and Hiryuu, almost single-handedly. She was called Enterprise.
She remembered seeing her first-hand in Guadalcanal, when the two Shoukakus dueled with the two remaining Yorktowns while the Japanese and American surface fleets battered each other with gunfire. Ryuujou was gone after a strike from Saratoga. Zuikaku herself mortally wounded Enterprise's younger sister, Hornet. She remembered seeing Enterprise, sobbing and clutching her last of kin, while Hornet, her voice fading, tried to comfort her. She remembered if she would experience the same thing with her sister. Or was it Shoukaku clutching her?
She remembered seeing Enterprise swearing revenge.
She remembered Shoukaku, dying to a devastating submarine strike. What were her last words before she went into the deep abyss? Did Enterprise saw her?
And she remembered Leyte. She remembered the America planes blanketing the air, and, stood in the distance, was Enterprise, along with her Essex pupils. Her eyes were like a hawk's, but Zuikaku swore that a bead of tears was swelling at the corner of her eyes.
The last thing she remembered was her, sinking into the abyss. Zuikaku thought that she had a smug face on her. Enterprise, you dummy, I was the decoy. Yamato will avenge me-
Zuikaku opened her eyes again. There is nothing more to remember. Enterprise is still there, but her right hand, relaxed and open, was reaching towards the surprised. The former occupant, the bow, was slung on her shoulder.
"Zuikaku, I know that we have a lot of history between us." Enterprise began. "But, I've always wondered if we would get along when that war was over. You know, as both the second ship of the class and having a lot of fortune behind us. I still wondered about that when I was heading to the scrap yard."
"I was transferred to Sasebo not just to assist you in the goal of eliminating the Abyssals, but also to make amends. Especially with you."
Enterprise, finishing her little speech, gave out a slight smile. "I wish you would give me that chance... Zuikaku."
Zuikaku's mind was racing. Dammit, if she wants to make amends that badly, I'll make sure she'll have to work extra hard for it!...
...but...
...everyone in the naval base either looked down on me or placed me on a pedestal. This girl talked to me like I was her equal. Zuikaku, isn't that what you want? Someone that doesn't treat you as either a scum on the floor or a demigod?
Well...
Zuikaku turned to face her former rival. Her nervousness of her red face was found to be unwarranted as she found that Enterprise was blushing a little, too.
Zuikaku took Enterprise's hand. "Sure," she responded, with a wider smile of her own. "I'll take up your offer."
Used November's Enterprise, since that's the standard for judging all other fan depictions of Enterprise from other artists.