Kantai Collection: The Flight of the Cranes (FF.net)
This is a story of a girl, who, despite...
This is a story of a girl, who, despite...
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Kantai Collection: The Flight of the Cranes (Rehost)
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Kantai Collection: The Flight of the Cranes (FF.net)
This is a story of a girl, who, despite her association with the birds of happiness and fortune, is anything but fortunate.
Picture source: Danbooru (1936150)
This is a story of a girl, who, despite her association with the birds of happiness and fortune, is anything but fortunate.
Picture source: Danbooru (1936150)
INDEX
Chapter 01: Sleeping Crane (Sunday, 6 December 2015, finished)
Chapter 02: Awakened Crane (date pending, work in progress)
Chapter 03: Wounded Crane (date pending, work in progress)
PrinceArjuna
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Legend says that if one can make one thousand origami cranes held together by strings, one's wish can be granted. One can even be granted eternal good luck and a long life. Why cranes, you may ask? What is so significant about cranes? What makes these birds so special compared to other birds, like crows or hawks, for instance?
In Japanese, cranes are known as 'the birds of happiness', while the ancient Chinese believed that the cranes were the symbols of wisdom. It was said that the powerful wings of the crane were believed to be able to convey souls up to heaven and to carry people to higher levels of spiritual enlightenment. Even in Greek and Roman myths, the dance of cranes was portrayed as a love of joy and a celebration of life.
It's not like other birds are less significant than the cranes. For instance, peregrine falcons are often associated with aggression and martial prowess, as well as nobility and aristocracy. Let's not forget the crows, the type of avian creatures that are closely related to death and rebirth in Buddhism. In Shintoism, there is even a three-legged crow God named Yatagarasu, who served directly under Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun herself.
Back on the topic regarding cranes, there are several instances where some objects are named after these majestic creatures. This is very likely due to the luck these birds bring. Even so, not everything can be blessed with good fortune just by being associated with these birds. Sometimes, Lady Luck can be quite capricious to those she wishes to bless.
This is a story of a girl, who, despite her association with these birds of happiness and fortune, is anything but fortunate.
"It's that dream again…"
Slowly, the girl opened her eyes before she sat up on her bed. She had been having the same dream again. Ever since the emergence of the creatures called the Abyssals from the sea, the dream became more frequent.
Rubbing her eyes, she looked aside to see her own reflection in the mirror in her room, and she was able to see her messy white hair. Sighing, she moved from her bed to the floor before she dragged herself to the wheelchair not too far from her bed. With little difficulty, she put herself on the wheelchair. She's used to this daily routine, so she only exerted little effort to put herself on it.
The wheelchair was an electric-powered one instead of being controlled manually. So, she didn't have to exert herself too much to move the wheelchair in order to move around. With the joystick controller, she was able to move the wheelchair to certain directions. With the help of the controller, she moved closer to the mirror, picking up her hairbrush before she started brushing her hair in order to put those stubborn cowlicks down.
After making sure that her white hair was neat and tidy, she went to the sink and started washing her face before brushing her teeth. Feeling refreshed, she looked into her reflection one more time. Feeling satisfied, she moved her wheelchair towards the drawers where she kept her clothes and underclothes. Despite her sitting on the wheelchair, she was able to change into something more comfortable easily. She put her nightwear into a basket which was placed near the drawers. She would deal with the laundry later that day.
Now properly dressed, the girl went to her desk. A whirring sound could be heard as she moved her motorized wheelchair over to the desk, which was located near the window. Her room was small, but not terribly so. It was fitting for a single occupant, and she was able to freely move her wheelchair in the room. At the very least, it was not cramped. Granted, the only things she had in the room were her bed, her desk, her drawers and her wheelchair. The room wasn't cramped, though, considering she had little in it.
She took a hard-covered book and was about to write something on it when someone knocked on the door of her room from outside.
"Tsuruko, are you awake?" A voice from outside said. It was a gentle, motherly voice. Upon hearing the voice, she put down her pen and closed the book before she moved her wheelchair over to the door, unlocking it.
"I'm awake, Iwa-san," the girl responded softly. After unlocking the door, she moved her wheelchair backwards, allowing the door to be opened from outside. As the door was opened, there stood a woman in her mid-thirties, wearing a yellow apron over her dress. Her black hair was tied into a ponytail, giving her the look of a typical housewife.
The woman, whom the white-haired girl call 'Iwa-san' gave her a gentle smile and said, "Good morning, Tsuruko. Did you sleep well last night?"
The girl, Tsuruko, smiled slightly. "Yes, I think…" After a pause, she added, "I dreamed of the same thing again, though."
Iwa-san furrowed her brow. "Again? Hmm… sounds rather worrying," she went behind Tsuruko and started pushing the wheelchair, wheeling her outside.
Tsuruko nodded. "Yes. I dreamed of the ocean and seaplanes…" She closed her eyes, recalling the dreams that she had been having lately. "Then, I saw a girl, holding a bow and arrows. She was pretty…" She sighed. "She wears her hair in twin-tails, just like this," she clutched on her white hair, splitting it into twin-tails.
Iwa-san chuckled. "Oh my, you're talking about that girl again, Tsuruko."
"W-well…" Tsuruko let go of her hair as she twiddled her forefingers. "I-it's just… she was pretty…" She repeated. "I-it felt like I knew her somewhere, but I couldn't put my fingers on it…"
"Is that so?" Iwa-san continued pushing the wheelchair down the corridor that would eventually lead them to the cafeteria. "Let's put it aside for the time being, okay? Go and eat breakfast. You'll be alright on your own, right?"
"I'll be alright," Tsuruko nodded before she used the controller to move the wheelchair, heading towards the cafeteria. "I'll see you later, Iwa-san."
"See you later, Tsuruko."
---
Tsuruko Yoshida had been living in Kobo Cottage Orphanage for ten years. Located at Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, the orphanage was established in 1952. It was started by a Japanese-American woman during the post-war Japan, in which most children were abandoned Amerasians. After the war, no one was willing to accept the children with American blood. As a result, they found themselves living on the streets. The orphanage was established in order to provide these unfortunate children a shelter after the end of the war.
While there were no more Amerasian orphans in this orphanage, there were still a few of the traces of its origin. Some of the workers of the orphanage had Amerasian ancestry due to them being the children or grandchildren of the orphanage's first occupants. The orphanage frequently received attention from the nearby naval base. Navy corpsmen would occasionally volunteer in the orphanage and most of the workers of the orphanage were the spouses of the officers who served at the naval base.
Still, everything changed after the emergence of Abyssals, the abominations that emerged from the seas that brought destruction and devastation in their wake. The corpsmen had rarely come to volunteer due to this new threat. The threat of these Abyssals was worldwide, and the oceans had become the hells on earth. Thousands of lives were lost in an attempt to fight these invaders from the seas. Despite the cutting edge technology that had been developed for naval warfare, these Abyssals were tenacious, indestructible enemies of mankind.
When all hopes seemed lost, humanity was once again given a fighting chance. The spirits that were laid dormant under the seas, were stirred awake in order to deliver humanity some kind of salvation in its hour of need. These spirits, or rather, these gods, who were resting within the sunken machines beneath the seas, the literal deus ex machina, emerged to the surface world, taking the forms of young maidens, armed with the weapons that could bring harm to those invaders from the seas. Their emergence had renewed humanity's strength, and soon enough, they became the beacons of hope for humanity against these Abyssals.
They were the spirits of the warships from the past era, the proud vessels that once known as the queens of the oceans. The first ones that emerged from the seas were the spirits of Imperial Japanese Navy warships. Soon after their emergence, they were given many names; the Valkyries of the Seas, Nereids, the Guardians and many more. But most well-known name for these maidens was Kantai Musume, or Fleet Daughters. But they became known as 'kanmusu', or shipgirls, and these maidens were referred as such ever since.
Soon after that, the spirits of the ships of other nations answered the calls of their people. The existence of the kanmusu, or shipgirls had evened the odds in this battle against the Abyssals. While the end of the line was nowhere in sight, the chance for victory and survival had been granted for humanity.
Tsuruko sighed as she recalled the special documentary about kanmusu on television that she watched a day before. When she first heard about them, it felt like something that came out straight from a fantasy story. These kanmusu looked like normal human girls, but they were able to glide on the surface of water while fighting the Abyssals. They were clad with the same weapons of their old steel selves. She had seen the video recording of these girls fighting an Installation-Type Abyssal, ripping through its previously thought to be indestructible flesh with relative ease with their weapons.
Tsuruko shook her head. While she tried to be ambivalent about the existence of the Abyssals and kanmusu, she couldn't help but think about them. Somehow, there was a pang of nostalgia whenever she thought about them. She couldn't describe it well, for some reasons. Still, she decided to put the matter aside for the time being as she headed to the cafeteria to get her breakfast, moving her wheelchair with the controller. She hadn't eaten since last night, and she was starving. She was so hungry, she could eat a horse.
In the cafeteria, the other occupants of the orphanage could be seen having their own breakfast. The youngest among the orphans was six years old while the oldest being twenty. The orphans were chatting among each other, as they had considered each other family. Due to the fact that they were sharing a roof to live under, the orphans had become a tight-knit group of people who took care of each other.
But, when Tsuruko showed up at the cafeteria with her wheelchair, the orphans abruptly stopped their conversations and they became awfully quiet as they stared at the white-haired girl approaching the food counter to receive her food. They continued being silent as Tsuruko received her tray of food before she placed the tray on her lap. After that, she moved her wheelchair over the direction of the exit, leaving the cafeteria.
As soon as Tsuruko left, the orphans let out a collective sighs of relief before they resumed their activities. Some of them were talking about Tsuruko.
"Umm… who's that girl?" A girl, who seemed to be the new resident of the orphanages asked her fellow orphans.
"She's the Ghost Girl…" Another girl whispered, as if worrying that the 'Ghost Girl' she mentioned might hear her. "I mean, look at her hair. It's white as snow."
"Umm… I don't think she's a real ghost, though," said another girl. "Still, she's kinda creepy. Whenever she's around, there's this strange feeling we have, you see?"
The orphans continued their conversations about the Ghost Girl on wheelchair. Supposedly, no one among the orphans seemed to be willing to approach her. One of the reasons was due to her unnaturally-white hair. Her white hair gave her a ghastly, ethereal appearance. Sometimes, when some unruly orphans decided to pull nasty pranks on her, they were disturbed by some strange creatures, small and humanoid in shape. Already learning their lessons, they decided to leave the girl be.
Meanwhile, Tsuruko headed back to her room so that she could eat her breakfast on her own. She didn't want to trouble her fellow orphans with her presence. She was aware that her strange appearance was disturbing to them, and she could hardly blame them for it. She sighed as she run her fingers through her white hair.
Her hair was originally black. But after losing her parents in a traffic accident, herself grievously injured as well, her hair turned white due to her experiencing extreme amounts of stress and grief after losing her parents. The sudden whitening of hair was called Marie Antoinette syndrome, which was named after the person herself, Marie Antoinette, whose hair reportedly turned white at some point of her life before her execution.
The traffic accident had also permanently crippled Tsuruko, and she was unable to use her legs as a result. That was why she had to use the wheelchair in order to move around.
Still, despite being isolated from her peers, Tsuruko was never completely alone. Besides the kind caretakers like Iwa-san, she also had her companions with her whenever she's on her own.
When she arrived at her room, she placed the tray on her desk. Now that she was on her own, her 'companions' showed themselves, popping their heads out of their hiding places.
"Come on now, let's eat…" Tsuruko said to those small creatures, which resembled the chibi characters from the anime she loved to watch. They were humanoid in shape, but they were small and could be lifted with one hand. Three of those creatures trotted over to the direction of her desk before they waved their small hands.
"Desu!" Three of them chorused. Smiling, Tsuruko took them into her hands, picking them up before placing them on her desk.
"Don't be shy. There's enough for everyone," Tsuruko told the little creatures. Happily, the creatures ate their breakfast together with Tsuruko, seemingly delighted by the taste of the treats.
Tsuruko was happy to see the small, mysterious creatures happily eating the treats. Because she ate a lot, there's enough for everyone. And due to their size, she didn't really mind sharing the food.
When they were done, one of those creatures let out a cute burp while another heartily patted its tummy. Tsuruko giggled before she used her finger to ruffle the hair of one of those small, cute creatures. Now that she was done eating, she placed the tray aside. She decided to send the tray back to the cafeteria later that day.
She noticed that the small creatures had disappeared, probably hiding somewhere inside her room. She sighed. They might show up again later when they were hungry. Now that she had eaten, she decided to resume the activity that she wanted to do earlier. She took out the hard-covered book and her pen before she started writing something in it.
"Hmm… what should I write today?" Tsuruko muttered to herself after writing the date and the day at the corner of the page. Unlike other orphans, she mostly spent her time writing poems and short stories. She had a whole collections of them in her drawers, but she never tried to publish them despite the insistence from Iwa-san and the other caretakers to have them published. Her reason for her refusal to publish them was due to her believing that they weren't good enough to be published.
As she thought of what she wanted to write, she heard someone knocking on her door from outside, followed by Iwa-san's voice. "Tsuruko, do you have a moment?"
"Wait, Iwa-san," Tsuruko moved her wheelchair towards the door, opening it. The caretaker entered her room, giving the white-haired girl a smile. "What's the matter?" Tsuruko asked.
"Oh, I'm just here to tell you that the people from Yokosuka Naval Base will show up today," Iwa-san informed. Tsuruko frowned after hearing that. It was normal for the people from the naval base, which was located rather close to the Kobo Cottage Orphanage, to visit to do charity works. It's just that after the appearance of the Abyssals, they rarely came to the orphanage. She had also heard the rumors about the relocation project for Kobo Cottage Orphanage due to the orphanage being located near the seashore, which was rather hazardous due to the danger of the Abyssal attacks.
Seeing Tsuruko's confused expression, Iwa-san smiled.
"Unlike before, the ones who'll show up are kanmusu…" Iwa-san added.
"K-Kanmusu?" Tsuruko gasped. "Y-you mean, those girls who are fighting the Abyssals?"
"Yup, in flesh," Iwa-san nodded. "Other kids are quite psyched too. They're looking forward to meet Naka-chan in person. She's quite popular, you know?"
Tsuruko remembered seeing the recording of her concert. Naka was one of the Kanmusu who made herself famous by becoming an idol, in order to make Kanmusu more approachable by the masses.
"So, if you feel like it, you can see them, Tsuruko," Iwa-san said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have something to do. The Kanmusu will show up at ten, so feel free to show up if you want to meet them," and so, the caretaker left.
"…" Tsuruko didn't immediately close the door after Iwa-san left. She mulled over the news that she received from the kind caretaker. The kanmusu, the protectors of humanity would show up to do charity works at the orphanage. When she thought about it, she felt rather overwhelmed. Those girls could be considered superheroines whose job was to protect mankind from the dangers of the Abyssals, and yet they were willing to spare some of their time paying a visit to the humble orphanage.
At the corner of her room, one of the small creatures was staring at her, its expression unreadable.
"Desu…" It muttered.
"Kanmusu, huh?" Tsuruko said softly, placing her hands on her chest.
---
Later that day, the arrival of the Kanmusu from Yokosuka Naval Base was welcomed by the residents of Kobo Cottage Orphanage with great fanfare, as the orphans threw confetti and cheered at the arriving kanmusu.
"Fleet idol Naka-chan! Nice to meet you, everyone!" One of the kanmusu was a teenage-looking girl whose dark brown hair was fashioned into twin buns, clad in orange sailor-fuku blouse and black skirt, and she was recognized by most as Naka, the idol of the fleet. As a kanmusu, she was the personification of light cruiser Naka. She was the most enthusiastic among the kanmusu who came to visit the orphanage.
Following Naka was a long-haired young woman garbed in white and red shrine maiden attire. She wore a pair of thigh-high white stockings. When she was welcomed by the kids, she gave them a friendly wave, giving them warm smile along the way. Beside her was another young woman, whose hair was tied into side-ponytail, who was also attired in shrine maiden uniform, with her skirt being blue instead of red. Unlike the young woman who was with her, her thigh-high stockings were black in color. She was stoic and expressionless as she walked alongside the rest of the kanmusu.
"Hey, aren't they Akagi and Kaga?" A boy said.
"Seriously?! They're the 1st Carrier Division Akagi and Kaga?!" Another boy shouted.
"Holy crap! This is real, right? Tell me this is real, dammit!" The first boy exclaimed.
"Boys…" A girl nearby sighed as she rolled her eyes.
Seeing the reactions of the kids made the one in white and red attire giggle. "It's quite a sight. Don't you think so, Kaga-san?" She spoke to the young woman beside her, Kaga.
"Hmph…" Kaga let out a non-committal sigh. "Such a lively bunch, all of them."
As for the other kanmusu, there was a girl clad in kariginu-like coat over a white shirt and a black skirt. She also wore a visor cap and had her brown hair done in twin-tails. Beside her was a young girl in sailor-fuku uniform whose black hair was tied into a small ponytail.
"Uwah, so many people here," said the young girl before she looked at the kanmusu beside her. "R-Ryuujou-san, aren't you feeling nervous?"
The kanmusu named Ryuujou just chuckled and said, "Nah, not really. Just stick with me, Fubuki. We're on an official visit, after all…" She gave the young girl a grin.
"Umm… y-yes!" The young girl, Fubuki, responded.
As the kanmusu were surrounded by the orphans, Tsuruko was watching them from a distance. For the white-haired girl, it was her first time seeing the kanmusu right in front of her eyes. Before, she had only seen them on the televisions and magazines.
Soon after that, the kanmusu gave the residents of the orphanage a slideshow presentation regarding the Abyssals, headed by Kaga and Ryuujou. The presentation showed the pictures of the Abyssals as well as the pictures of the captured Abyssals. Due to some reasons, the presentation felt like a manzai comedy routine, with Kaga as boke and Ryuujou as tsukkomi.
And then, there was also a demonstration by Akagi on how a kanmusu like her launch her planes, due to her being an aircraft carrier. The demonstration was held at the courtyard of the orphanage. She fired an arrow, and in a blaze of light, the projectile became several small aircraft. The orphans were amazed by the demonstration shown by Akagi.
For the sport event, some boys among the orphans challenged the kanmusu for a tug-of-war. For the Kanmusu, they sent Fubuki as the representative. Despite the skeptical looks the boys gave her, the kanmusu assured them that it would be fine. Ten strong-looking boys chose to represent the orphanage with Fubuki as their sole opponent. Ten against one. The result should be obvious from the very beginning. The boys were confident that it would be their easy victory against the young girl as they pulled the rope.
Needless to say, the boys lost, badly. With just a slight tug, the boys were sent sprawled on the ground. After winning the match, Fubuki apologized to the boys, telling them that she should control her strength next time.
Somehow, the boys were infatuated with the ponytailed girl, who seemed oblivious of them being attracted to her.
The next activity was a mini concert from Naka. A lot of the residents of the orphanages were enjoying the performance from the fleet idol. And there was also a surprise performance from Kaga, who performed an enka song. Things got a tad chaotic when Ryuujou joined in.
Still, everyone was having a great time.
As for Tsuruko, she watched everything from a distance, isolated from the other orphans. When Naka was on her fifth song, the white-haired girl decided to retire to her room.
Meanwhile, one of the kanmusu, Akagi, noticed that one of the orphans was about to leave. She noted that the orphan was using an electric-powered wheelchair. Curious, Akagi approached the girl, leaving the concert. No one noticed her leaving as they were preoccupied with the performance, in which Kaga and Ryuujou once again hijacked Naka's performance, this time dragging poor Fubuki alongside them onto the stage.
"Hello," Akagi said to the white-haired girl, startling her. "Why didn't you join your friends?" She asked the girl with gentle tone.
The girl glanced over her shoulder, looking at the kanmusu who spoke to her. For a while, she did not say anything.
"T-they… they wouldn't mind me not joining…" She eventually said.
"Hmm? Are you sure?" Akagi asked, tilting her head.
"Having me around makes them feel uneasy," said the girl.
"Ah…" Akagi gave the girl a sympathetic look. "Well, would you like to talk? By the way, my name is Akagi. Just Akagi. We Kanmusu don't have last names, obviously. What's yours?" The kanmusu asked.
"…Tsuruko," she said. "Tsuruko Yoshida."
---
As the mini concert continued, Akagi talked to Tsuruko. The white-haired girl told the kanmusu the reason why she lived in the orphanage, as well as the reason why she was wheelchair-bound. Tsuruko seemed to have some reservations in telling Akagi about herself, but Akagi patiently listened to her, giving her an encouraging smile as she did so. Such a smile made Tsuruko feel like she could tell Akagi everything.
"I see…" Akagi mused after Tsuruko was done telling her about herself. "I'm sorry to hear that, Tsuruko-san."
"That's okay," Tsuruko smiled at Akagi. "It feels nice to have someone listening to me. Before, I only told Iwa-san about my problems, but I didn't tell her everything."
"Iwa-san? Ah, do you mean that caretaker over there?" Akagi pointed at the ponytailed woman who was among the audience watching the concert. Now Naka and the others were having a sing along. "She somehow reminds me of Houshou-san…"
"Houshou-san?" Tsuruko blinked.
"Ah, she's, well… she's my mentor," Akagi told the white-haired girl. "Like me, she's also a kanmusu and the personification of light aircraft carrier Houshou. She's among the first kanmusu who emerged to save humanity from the threat of Abyssals. She's retired now, though."
"Akagi-san…" Tsuruko said. "Were you afraid when you're fighting Abyssals? I mean, from the slideshows earlier, those Abyssals are dangerous. Didn't you feel scared when you fought them?"
Akagi looked into the girl's eyes and smiled. "Of course. I was afraid, and still am. Those abominations had taken countless innocent lives, and would have taken more if we Kanmusu did not appear. It's normal to be afraid to such monstrosities." Then, she put her hand on her chest. "Even so, I'd rather die than to submit to my own fear, because more lives would be lost. Whenever my fear started overtaking me, I kept reminding myself of what was put at stake. Just remembering of the things that matter the most to me allowed me to overcome my fear."
Tsuruko stared at the Kanmusu. She said nothing as she did so.
"The same goes to you too, Tsuruko-san," Akagi said before she took out something from her pocket. It was a piece of paper. "It's probably hard for a young, inexperienced crane to take her first flight. But, as long as the crane is capable of overcoming her fear, she can extend her beautiful wings and soar into the sky…" She folded the piece of paper, making an origami crane. "Before she knows it, she becomes the most beautiful bird that flies in the heaven."
Akagi gave Tsuruko the origami, and the white-haired girl accepted the origami crane in bemusement.
"Take it," Akagi insisted. "It is said that paper cranes can bring good fortune. Remember it well, Tsuruko-san. Even if the crane believes that she cannot fly due to her seemingly-clipped wings, as long as she overcomes her fear, nothing can stop her from gracing the clouds in the sky."
Tsuruko stared at the beautifully-done crane before she gave Akagi a grateful smile. "I'll remember it, Akagi-san. Thank you."
Akagi gave Tsuruko a gentle pat on the head. "You're welcome."
Soon after that, the concert ended. After taking a group photo and cleaning the courtyard, the Kanmusu prepared to leave the orphanage, but not before promising to visit again sometime.
The kanmusu, who were in the SUV that was on its way back to Yokosuka Naval Base, were chatting among each other. Naka was updating her Twitter account. She had taken several pictures with the orphans back at the Kobo Cottage Orphanage and had given them her autographs. She was delighted to meet her fans among them.
"Akagi-san…" Kaga spoke to Akagi who was seated beside Ryuujou at the back seat. "Did you see her?" She asked.
Smiling dryly, Akagi nodded before she took out something from her gi. It was shaped like a bottle cap and seemingly made of metal.
"Yes, with the help of this fairy-powered compass…" Akagi said. "To be able to detect ship spirits, fairy technology is something that exceeds everything that humans have developed." Then, she sighed. "Sadly it can only be used once." As she said that, the compass let out a popping sound before smoke came out of it. "Ah, it broke. Still, it already served its purpose."
Kaga looked at Akagi as she put the broken compass aside. "So, what did you find, Akagi-san?"
"I found one of the cranes…" Akagi said with a smile.
Hearing Akagi's answer, Kaga groaned. "Another one of those pretentious CarDiv 5 brats. Great."
"Now, now, please don't say that, Kaga-san," Akagi said as she took out a paper from her pocket. "As expected, the crane is still sleeping, and her wings clipped. As long as the crane is not forcefully awakened, we can exorcise her spirit out of her human body and summon her safely without hurting her human host."
"The exorcising ritual…" Kaga mused. "We haven't done it for quite a while, have we?"
"It's because it's rare for the ship spirits to use humans as their hosts. As long as the spirit is not fully awakened, its human host will not be disturbed," Akagi said. "But, if the spirit is forcefully awakened, it will take over its human host."
She folded the paper that she took out earlier into an origami crane. There was a strange glow on the crane's head as she held it on her palm.
"If the sleeping crane is to be forcefully awakened, the life of the girl named Tsuruko Yoshida will be extinguished, leaving behind the soul of the Soaring Crane."
The paper crane was instantly incinerated and reduced to dust.
"And that's the scenario that we will have to avoid at all costs," Akagi said, dusting off her palm. Ryuujou, who was sitting beside her, grimaced.
"Watch out with the fire, pal." Ryuujou deadpanned.
Giving Ryuujou an apologetic smile, Akagi then spoke, "Well, as long as Tsuruko Yoshida is not in mortal harm, the crane will continue sleeping. As long as she's not in danger, aircraft carrier Shoukaku will not be in danger of committing the sin of killing an innocent…"
Author's Note: This is the first chapter of Kantai Collection: The Flight of the Cranes, starring my crane waifu, Shoukaku. I was inspired to write this fanfic after reading other magnificent KC works here in Spacebattles. So, this story focuses more on the occult side of Kantai Collection, and several aspects from Shintoism and Buddhism can be seen here and there. Thank you to MissingJimbo for beta-reading this chapter. So, what do you guys think about this fic?
Stay tuned for the next chapter, Chapter 02: Awakened Crane. In the meantime, hope you like this chapter.
Prince Arjuna (2015)
In Japanese, cranes are known as 'the birds of happiness', while the ancient Chinese believed that the cranes were the symbols of wisdom. It was said that the powerful wings of the crane were believed to be able to convey souls up to heaven and to carry people to higher levels of spiritual enlightenment. Even in Greek and Roman myths, the dance of cranes was portrayed as a love of joy and a celebration of life.
It's not like other birds are less significant than the cranes. For instance, peregrine falcons are often associated with aggression and martial prowess, as well as nobility and aristocracy. Let's not forget the crows, the type of avian creatures that are closely related to death and rebirth in Buddhism. In Shintoism, there is even a three-legged crow God named Yatagarasu, who served directly under Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun herself.
Back on the topic regarding cranes, there are several instances where some objects are named after these majestic creatures. This is very likely due to the luck these birds bring. Even so, not everything can be blessed with good fortune just by being associated with these birds. Sometimes, Lady Luck can be quite capricious to those she wishes to bless.
This is a story of a girl, who, despite her association with these birds of happiness and fortune, is anything but fortunate.
The Flight of the Cranes
A Kantai Collection / Kancolle Fanfiction
Chapter 01: Sleeping Crane
A Kantai Collection / Kancolle Fanfiction
Chapter 01: Sleeping Crane
"It's that dream again…"
Slowly, the girl opened her eyes before she sat up on her bed. She had been having the same dream again. Ever since the emergence of the creatures called the Abyssals from the sea, the dream became more frequent.
Rubbing her eyes, she looked aside to see her own reflection in the mirror in her room, and she was able to see her messy white hair. Sighing, she moved from her bed to the floor before she dragged herself to the wheelchair not too far from her bed. With little difficulty, she put herself on the wheelchair. She's used to this daily routine, so she only exerted little effort to put herself on it.
The wheelchair was an electric-powered one instead of being controlled manually. So, she didn't have to exert herself too much to move the wheelchair in order to move around. With the joystick controller, she was able to move the wheelchair to certain directions. With the help of the controller, she moved closer to the mirror, picking up her hairbrush before she started brushing her hair in order to put those stubborn cowlicks down.
After making sure that her white hair was neat and tidy, she went to the sink and started washing her face before brushing her teeth. Feeling refreshed, she looked into her reflection one more time. Feeling satisfied, she moved her wheelchair towards the drawers where she kept her clothes and underclothes. Despite her sitting on the wheelchair, she was able to change into something more comfortable easily. She put her nightwear into a basket which was placed near the drawers. She would deal with the laundry later that day.
Now properly dressed, the girl went to her desk. A whirring sound could be heard as she moved her motorized wheelchair over to the desk, which was located near the window. Her room was small, but not terribly so. It was fitting for a single occupant, and she was able to freely move her wheelchair in the room. At the very least, it was not cramped. Granted, the only things she had in the room were her bed, her desk, her drawers and her wheelchair. The room wasn't cramped, though, considering she had little in it.
She took a hard-covered book and was about to write something on it when someone knocked on the door of her room from outside.
"Tsuruko, are you awake?" A voice from outside said. It was a gentle, motherly voice. Upon hearing the voice, she put down her pen and closed the book before she moved her wheelchair over to the door, unlocking it.
"I'm awake, Iwa-san," the girl responded softly. After unlocking the door, she moved her wheelchair backwards, allowing the door to be opened from outside. As the door was opened, there stood a woman in her mid-thirties, wearing a yellow apron over her dress. Her black hair was tied into a ponytail, giving her the look of a typical housewife.
The woman, whom the white-haired girl call 'Iwa-san' gave her a gentle smile and said, "Good morning, Tsuruko. Did you sleep well last night?"
The girl, Tsuruko, smiled slightly. "Yes, I think…" After a pause, she added, "I dreamed of the same thing again, though."
Iwa-san furrowed her brow. "Again? Hmm… sounds rather worrying," she went behind Tsuruko and started pushing the wheelchair, wheeling her outside.
Tsuruko nodded. "Yes. I dreamed of the ocean and seaplanes…" She closed her eyes, recalling the dreams that she had been having lately. "Then, I saw a girl, holding a bow and arrows. She was pretty…" She sighed. "She wears her hair in twin-tails, just like this," she clutched on her white hair, splitting it into twin-tails.
Iwa-san chuckled. "Oh my, you're talking about that girl again, Tsuruko."
"W-well…" Tsuruko let go of her hair as she twiddled her forefingers. "I-it's just… she was pretty…" She repeated. "I-it felt like I knew her somewhere, but I couldn't put my fingers on it…"
"Is that so?" Iwa-san continued pushing the wheelchair down the corridor that would eventually lead them to the cafeteria. "Let's put it aside for the time being, okay? Go and eat breakfast. You'll be alright on your own, right?"
"I'll be alright," Tsuruko nodded before she used the controller to move the wheelchair, heading towards the cafeteria. "I'll see you later, Iwa-san."
"See you later, Tsuruko."
---
Tsuruko Yoshida had been living in Kobo Cottage Orphanage for ten years. Located at Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, the orphanage was established in 1952. It was started by a Japanese-American woman during the post-war Japan, in which most children were abandoned Amerasians. After the war, no one was willing to accept the children with American blood. As a result, they found themselves living on the streets. The orphanage was established in order to provide these unfortunate children a shelter after the end of the war.
While there were no more Amerasian orphans in this orphanage, there were still a few of the traces of its origin. Some of the workers of the orphanage had Amerasian ancestry due to them being the children or grandchildren of the orphanage's first occupants. The orphanage frequently received attention from the nearby naval base. Navy corpsmen would occasionally volunteer in the orphanage and most of the workers of the orphanage were the spouses of the officers who served at the naval base.
Still, everything changed after the emergence of Abyssals, the abominations that emerged from the seas that brought destruction and devastation in their wake. The corpsmen had rarely come to volunteer due to this new threat. The threat of these Abyssals was worldwide, and the oceans had become the hells on earth. Thousands of lives were lost in an attempt to fight these invaders from the seas. Despite the cutting edge technology that had been developed for naval warfare, these Abyssals were tenacious, indestructible enemies of mankind.
When all hopes seemed lost, humanity was once again given a fighting chance. The spirits that were laid dormant under the seas, were stirred awake in order to deliver humanity some kind of salvation in its hour of need. These spirits, or rather, these gods, who were resting within the sunken machines beneath the seas, the literal deus ex machina, emerged to the surface world, taking the forms of young maidens, armed with the weapons that could bring harm to those invaders from the seas. Their emergence had renewed humanity's strength, and soon enough, they became the beacons of hope for humanity against these Abyssals.
They were the spirits of the warships from the past era, the proud vessels that once known as the queens of the oceans. The first ones that emerged from the seas were the spirits of Imperial Japanese Navy warships. Soon after their emergence, they were given many names; the Valkyries of the Seas, Nereids, the Guardians and many more. But most well-known name for these maidens was Kantai Musume, or Fleet Daughters. But they became known as 'kanmusu', or shipgirls, and these maidens were referred as such ever since.
Soon after that, the spirits of the ships of other nations answered the calls of their people. The existence of the kanmusu, or shipgirls had evened the odds in this battle against the Abyssals. While the end of the line was nowhere in sight, the chance for victory and survival had been granted for humanity.
Tsuruko sighed as she recalled the special documentary about kanmusu on television that she watched a day before. When she first heard about them, it felt like something that came out straight from a fantasy story. These kanmusu looked like normal human girls, but they were able to glide on the surface of water while fighting the Abyssals. They were clad with the same weapons of their old steel selves. She had seen the video recording of these girls fighting an Installation-Type Abyssal, ripping through its previously thought to be indestructible flesh with relative ease with their weapons.
Tsuruko shook her head. While she tried to be ambivalent about the existence of the Abyssals and kanmusu, she couldn't help but think about them. Somehow, there was a pang of nostalgia whenever she thought about them. She couldn't describe it well, for some reasons. Still, she decided to put the matter aside for the time being as she headed to the cafeteria to get her breakfast, moving her wheelchair with the controller. She hadn't eaten since last night, and she was starving. She was so hungry, she could eat a horse.
In the cafeteria, the other occupants of the orphanage could be seen having their own breakfast. The youngest among the orphans was six years old while the oldest being twenty. The orphans were chatting among each other, as they had considered each other family. Due to the fact that they were sharing a roof to live under, the orphans had become a tight-knit group of people who took care of each other.
But, when Tsuruko showed up at the cafeteria with her wheelchair, the orphans abruptly stopped their conversations and they became awfully quiet as they stared at the white-haired girl approaching the food counter to receive her food. They continued being silent as Tsuruko received her tray of food before she placed the tray on her lap. After that, she moved her wheelchair over the direction of the exit, leaving the cafeteria.
As soon as Tsuruko left, the orphans let out a collective sighs of relief before they resumed their activities. Some of them were talking about Tsuruko.
"Umm… who's that girl?" A girl, who seemed to be the new resident of the orphanages asked her fellow orphans.
"She's the Ghost Girl…" Another girl whispered, as if worrying that the 'Ghost Girl' she mentioned might hear her. "I mean, look at her hair. It's white as snow."
"Umm… I don't think she's a real ghost, though," said another girl. "Still, she's kinda creepy. Whenever she's around, there's this strange feeling we have, you see?"
The orphans continued their conversations about the Ghost Girl on wheelchair. Supposedly, no one among the orphans seemed to be willing to approach her. One of the reasons was due to her unnaturally-white hair. Her white hair gave her a ghastly, ethereal appearance. Sometimes, when some unruly orphans decided to pull nasty pranks on her, they were disturbed by some strange creatures, small and humanoid in shape. Already learning their lessons, they decided to leave the girl be.
Meanwhile, Tsuruko headed back to her room so that she could eat her breakfast on her own. She didn't want to trouble her fellow orphans with her presence. She was aware that her strange appearance was disturbing to them, and she could hardly blame them for it. She sighed as she run her fingers through her white hair.
Her hair was originally black. But after losing her parents in a traffic accident, herself grievously injured as well, her hair turned white due to her experiencing extreme amounts of stress and grief after losing her parents. The sudden whitening of hair was called Marie Antoinette syndrome, which was named after the person herself, Marie Antoinette, whose hair reportedly turned white at some point of her life before her execution.
The traffic accident had also permanently crippled Tsuruko, and she was unable to use her legs as a result. That was why she had to use the wheelchair in order to move around.
Still, despite being isolated from her peers, Tsuruko was never completely alone. Besides the kind caretakers like Iwa-san, she also had her companions with her whenever she's on her own.
When she arrived at her room, she placed the tray on her desk. Now that she was on her own, her 'companions' showed themselves, popping their heads out of their hiding places.
"Come on now, let's eat…" Tsuruko said to those small creatures, which resembled the chibi characters from the anime she loved to watch. They were humanoid in shape, but they were small and could be lifted with one hand. Three of those creatures trotted over to the direction of her desk before they waved their small hands.
"Desu!" Three of them chorused. Smiling, Tsuruko took them into her hands, picking them up before placing them on her desk.
"Don't be shy. There's enough for everyone," Tsuruko told the little creatures. Happily, the creatures ate their breakfast together with Tsuruko, seemingly delighted by the taste of the treats.
Tsuruko was happy to see the small, mysterious creatures happily eating the treats. Because she ate a lot, there's enough for everyone. And due to their size, she didn't really mind sharing the food.
When they were done, one of those creatures let out a cute burp while another heartily patted its tummy. Tsuruko giggled before she used her finger to ruffle the hair of one of those small, cute creatures. Now that she was done eating, she placed the tray aside. She decided to send the tray back to the cafeteria later that day.
She noticed that the small creatures had disappeared, probably hiding somewhere inside her room. She sighed. They might show up again later when they were hungry. Now that she had eaten, she decided to resume the activity that she wanted to do earlier. She took out the hard-covered book and her pen before she started writing something in it.
"Hmm… what should I write today?" Tsuruko muttered to herself after writing the date and the day at the corner of the page. Unlike other orphans, she mostly spent her time writing poems and short stories. She had a whole collections of them in her drawers, but she never tried to publish them despite the insistence from Iwa-san and the other caretakers to have them published. Her reason for her refusal to publish them was due to her believing that they weren't good enough to be published.
As she thought of what she wanted to write, she heard someone knocking on her door from outside, followed by Iwa-san's voice. "Tsuruko, do you have a moment?"
"Wait, Iwa-san," Tsuruko moved her wheelchair towards the door, opening it. The caretaker entered her room, giving the white-haired girl a smile. "What's the matter?" Tsuruko asked.
"Oh, I'm just here to tell you that the people from Yokosuka Naval Base will show up today," Iwa-san informed. Tsuruko frowned after hearing that. It was normal for the people from the naval base, which was located rather close to the Kobo Cottage Orphanage, to visit to do charity works. It's just that after the appearance of the Abyssals, they rarely came to the orphanage. She had also heard the rumors about the relocation project for Kobo Cottage Orphanage due to the orphanage being located near the seashore, which was rather hazardous due to the danger of the Abyssal attacks.
Seeing Tsuruko's confused expression, Iwa-san smiled.
"Unlike before, the ones who'll show up are kanmusu…" Iwa-san added.
"K-Kanmusu?" Tsuruko gasped. "Y-you mean, those girls who are fighting the Abyssals?"
"Yup, in flesh," Iwa-san nodded. "Other kids are quite psyched too. They're looking forward to meet Naka-chan in person. She's quite popular, you know?"
Tsuruko remembered seeing the recording of her concert. Naka was one of the Kanmusu who made herself famous by becoming an idol, in order to make Kanmusu more approachable by the masses.
"So, if you feel like it, you can see them, Tsuruko," Iwa-san said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have something to do. The Kanmusu will show up at ten, so feel free to show up if you want to meet them," and so, the caretaker left.
"…" Tsuruko didn't immediately close the door after Iwa-san left. She mulled over the news that she received from the kind caretaker. The kanmusu, the protectors of humanity would show up to do charity works at the orphanage. When she thought about it, she felt rather overwhelmed. Those girls could be considered superheroines whose job was to protect mankind from the dangers of the Abyssals, and yet they were willing to spare some of their time paying a visit to the humble orphanage.
At the corner of her room, one of the small creatures was staring at her, its expression unreadable.
"Desu…" It muttered.
"Kanmusu, huh?" Tsuruko said softly, placing her hands on her chest.
---
Later that day, the arrival of the Kanmusu from Yokosuka Naval Base was welcomed by the residents of Kobo Cottage Orphanage with great fanfare, as the orphans threw confetti and cheered at the arriving kanmusu.
"Fleet idol Naka-chan! Nice to meet you, everyone!" One of the kanmusu was a teenage-looking girl whose dark brown hair was fashioned into twin buns, clad in orange sailor-fuku blouse and black skirt, and she was recognized by most as Naka, the idol of the fleet. As a kanmusu, she was the personification of light cruiser Naka. She was the most enthusiastic among the kanmusu who came to visit the orphanage.
Following Naka was a long-haired young woman garbed in white and red shrine maiden attire. She wore a pair of thigh-high white stockings. When she was welcomed by the kids, she gave them a friendly wave, giving them warm smile along the way. Beside her was another young woman, whose hair was tied into side-ponytail, who was also attired in shrine maiden uniform, with her skirt being blue instead of red. Unlike the young woman who was with her, her thigh-high stockings were black in color. She was stoic and expressionless as she walked alongside the rest of the kanmusu.
"Hey, aren't they Akagi and Kaga?" A boy said.
"Seriously?! They're the 1st Carrier Division Akagi and Kaga?!" Another boy shouted.
"Holy crap! This is real, right? Tell me this is real, dammit!" The first boy exclaimed.
"Boys…" A girl nearby sighed as she rolled her eyes.
Seeing the reactions of the kids made the one in white and red attire giggle. "It's quite a sight. Don't you think so, Kaga-san?" She spoke to the young woman beside her, Kaga.
"Hmph…" Kaga let out a non-committal sigh. "Such a lively bunch, all of them."
As for the other kanmusu, there was a girl clad in kariginu-like coat over a white shirt and a black skirt. She also wore a visor cap and had her brown hair done in twin-tails. Beside her was a young girl in sailor-fuku uniform whose black hair was tied into a small ponytail.
"Uwah, so many people here," said the young girl before she looked at the kanmusu beside her. "R-Ryuujou-san, aren't you feeling nervous?"
The kanmusu named Ryuujou just chuckled and said, "Nah, not really. Just stick with me, Fubuki. We're on an official visit, after all…" She gave the young girl a grin.
"Umm… y-yes!" The young girl, Fubuki, responded.
As the kanmusu were surrounded by the orphans, Tsuruko was watching them from a distance. For the white-haired girl, it was her first time seeing the kanmusu right in front of her eyes. Before, she had only seen them on the televisions and magazines.
Soon after that, the kanmusu gave the residents of the orphanage a slideshow presentation regarding the Abyssals, headed by Kaga and Ryuujou. The presentation showed the pictures of the Abyssals as well as the pictures of the captured Abyssals. Due to some reasons, the presentation felt like a manzai comedy routine, with Kaga as boke and Ryuujou as tsukkomi.
And then, there was also a demonstration by Akagi on how a kanmusu like her launch her planes, due to her being an aircraft carrier. The demonstration was held at the courtyard of the orphanage. She fired an arrow, and in a blaze of light, the projectile became several small aircraft. The orphans were amazed by the demonstration shown by Akagi.
For the sport event, some boys among the orphans challenged the kanmusu for a tug-of-war. For the Kanmusu, they sent Fubuki as the representative. Despite the skeptical looks the boys gave her, the kanmusu assured them that it would be fine. Ten strong-looking boys chose to represent the orphanage with Fubuki as their sole opponent. Ten against one. The result should be obvious from the very beginning. The boys were confident that it would be their easy victory against the young girl as they pulled the rope.
Needless to say, the boys lost, badly. With just a slight tug, the boys were sent sprawled on the ground. After winning the match, Fubuki apologized to the boys, telling them that she should control her strength next time.
Somehow, the boys were infatuated with the ponytailed girl, who seemed oblivious of them being attracted to her.
The next activity was a mini concert from Naka. A lot of the residents of the orphanages were enjoying the performance from the fleet idol. And there was also a surprise performance from Kaga, who performed an enka song. Things got a tad chaotic when Ryuujou joined in.
Still, everyone was having a great time.
As for Tsuruko, she watched everything from a distance, isolated from the other orphans. When Naka was on her fifth song, the white-haired girl decided to retire to her room.
Meanwhile, one of the kanmusu, Akagi, noticed that one of the orphans was about to leave. She noted that the orphan was using an electric-powered wheelchair. Curious, Akagi approached the girl, leaving the concert. No one noticed her leaving as they were preoccupied with the performance, in which Kaga and Ryuujou once again hijacked Naka's performance, this time dragging poor Fubuki alongside them onto the stage.
"Hello," Akagi said to the white-haired girl, startling her. "Why didn't you join your friends?" She asked the girl with gentle tone.
The girl glanced over her shoulder, looking at the kanmusu who spoke to her. For a while, she did not say anything.
"T-they… they wouldn't mind me not joining…" She eventually said.
"Hmm? Are you sure?" Akagi asked, tilting her head.
"Having me around makes them feel uneasy," said the girl.
"Ah…" Akagi gave the girl a sympathetic look. "Well, would you like to talk? By the way, my name is Akagi. Just Akagi. We Kanmusu don't have last names, obviously. What's yours?" The kanmusu asked.
"…Tsuruko," she said. "Tsuruko Yoshida."
---
As the mini concert continued, Akagi talked to Tsuruko. The white-haired girl told the kanmusu the reason why she lived in the orphanage, as well as the reason why she was wheelchair-bound. Tsuruko seemed to have some reservations in telling Akagi about herself, but Akagi patiently listened to her, giving her an encouraging smile as she did so. Such a smile made Tsuruko feel like she could tell Akagi everything.
"I see…" Akagi mused after Tsuruko was done telling her about herself. "I'm sorry to hear that, Tsuruko-san."
"That's okay," Tsuruko smiled at Akagi. "It feels nice to have someone listening to me. Before, I only told Iwa-san about my problems, but I didn't tell her everything."
"Iwa-san? Ah, do you mean that caretaker over there?" Akagi pointed at the ponytailed woman who was among the audience watching the concert. Now Naka and the others were having a sing along. "She somehow reminds me of Houshou-san…"
"Houshou-san?" Tsuruko blinked.
"Ah, she's, well… she's my mentor," Akagi told the white-haired girl. "Like me, she's also a kanmusu and the personification of light aircraft carrier Houshou. She's among the first kanmusu who emerged to save humanity from the threat of Abyssals. She's retired now, though."
"Akagi-san…" Tsuruko said. "Were you afraid when you're fighting Abyssals? I mean, from the slideshows earlier, those Abyssals are dangerous. Didn't you feel scared when you fought them?"
Akagi looked into the girl's eyes and smiled. "Of course. I was afraid, and still am. Those abominations had taken countless innocent lives, and would have taken more if we Kanmusu did not appear. It's normal to be afraid to such monstrosities." Then, she put her hand on her chest. "Even so, I'd rather die than to submit to my own fear, because more lives would be lost. Whenever my fear started overtaking me, I kept reminding myself of what was put at stake. Just remembering of the things that matter the most to me allowed me to overcome my fear."
Tsuruko stared at the Kanmusu. She said nothing as she did so.
"The same goes to you too, Tsuruko-san," Akagi said before she took out something from her pocket. It was a piece of paper. "It's probably hard for a young, inexperienced crane to take her first flight. But, as long as the crane is capable of overcoming her fear, she can extend her beautiful wings and soar into the sky…" She folded the piece of paper, making an origami crane. "Before she knows it, she becomes the most beautiful bird that flies in the heaven."
Akagi gave Tsuruko the origami, and the white-haired girl accepted the origami crane in bemusement.
"Take it," Akagi insisted. "It is said that paper cranes can bring good fortune. Remember it well, Tsuruko-san. Even if the crane believes that she cannot fly due to her seemingly-clipped wings, as long as she overcomes her fear, nothing can stop her from gracing the clouds in the sky."
Tsuruko stared at the beautifully-done crane before she gave Akagi a grateful smile. "I'll remember it, Akagi-san. Thank you."
Akagi gave Tsuruko a gentle pat on the head. "You're welcome."
Soon after that, the concert ended. After taking a group photo and cleaning the courtyard, the Kanmusu prepared to leave the orphanage, but not before promising to visit again sometime.
The kanmusu, who were in the SUV that was on its way back to Yokosuka Naval Base, were chatting among each other. Naka was updating her Twitter account. She had taken several pictures with the orphans back at the Kobo Cottage Orphanage and had given them her autographs. She was delighted to meet her fans among them.
"Akagi-san…" Kaga spoke to Akagi who was seated beside Ryuujou at the back seat. "Did you see her?" She asked.
Smiling dryly, Akagi nodded before she took out something from her gi. It was shaped like a bottle cap and seemingly made of metal.
"Yes, with the help of this fairy-powered compass…" Akagi said. "To be able to detect ship spirits, fairy technology is something that exceeds everything that humans have developed." Then, she sighed. "Sadly it can only be used once." As she said that, the compass let out a popping sound before smoke came out of it. "Ah, it broke. Still, it already served its purpose."
Kaga looked at Akagi as she put the broken compass aside. "So, what did you find, Akagi-san?"
"I found one of the cranes…" Akagi said with a smile.
Hearing Akagi's answer, Kaga groaned. "Another one of those pretentious CarDiv 5 brats. Great."
"Now, now, please don't say that, Kaga-san," Akagi said as she took out a paper from her pocket. "As expected, the crane is still sleeping, and her wings clipped. As long as the crane is not forcefully awakened, we can exorcise her spirit out of her human body and summon her safely without hurting her human host."
"The exorcising ritual…" Kaga mused. "We haven't done it for quite a while, have we?"
"It's because it's rare for the ship spirits to use humans as their hosts. As long as the spirit is not fully awakened, its human host will not be disturbed," Akagi said. "But, if the spirit is forcefully awakened, it will take over its human host."
She folded the paper that she took out earlier into an origami crane. There was a strange glow on the crane's head as she held it on her palm.
"If the sleeping crane is to be forcefully awakened, the life of the girl named Tsuruko Yoshida will be extinguished, leaving behind the soul of the Soaring Crane."
The paper crane was instantly incinerated and reduced to dust.
"And that's the scenario that we will have to avoid at all costs," Akagi said, dusting off her palm. Ryuujou, who was sitting beside her, grimaced.
"Watch out with the fire, pal." Ryuujou deadpanned.
Giving Ryuujou an apologetic smile, Akagi then spoke, "Well, as long as Tsuruko Yoshida is not in mortal harm, the crane will continue sleeping. As long as she's not in danger, aircraft carrier Shoukaku will not be in danger of committing the sin of killing an innocent…"
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's Note: This is the first chapter of Kantai Collection: The Flight of the Cranes, starring my crane waifu, Shoukaku. I was inspired to write this fanfic after reading other magnificent KC works here in Spacebattles. So, this story focuses more on the occult side of Kantai Collection, and several aspects from Shintoism and Buddhism can be seen here and there. Thank you to MissingJimbo for beta-reading this chapter. So, what do you guys think about this fic?
Stay tuned for the next chapter, Chapter 02: Awakened Crane. In the meantime, hope you like this chapter.
Prince Arjuna (2015)