Sitting next to Alicorn's bed is Yorktown, with a worried look on her face, as she sits in silence with the only sound being the heart monitor.
Alicorn coughs a few times as her breathing turns harsher. Yorktown grows even more worried and leans to Alicorn and grabs one her hands and holds it. After a few seconds Alicorn stops coughing, but her breathing remains harsh.
The door to the room opens, and in walks Vestal with a little yellow bird, called a Manjuu, following her. The Manjuu has a b coat on, and it is carrying a clipboard. Vestal and the bird walk over to Yorktown and Alicorn.
Yorktown gnces as Vestal, her eyes wet. "What's going in with my baby girl?"
The Manjuu holds up the clipboard and Vestal grabs it and reads through it. She then sighs. "I'm gonna give it to you straight, Yorktown, she's dying."
Yorktown grips Alicorn's hand tightly has her face scrunches up in sadness. "How?"
Vestal walks over to the side of Alicorn's bed and puts a hand onto her chest, then she pulls out Alicorn's wisdom cube, causing Yorktown to gasp.
Half of Alicorn's Wisdom cube is a dull and lifeless grey. The other half of her bck-ish-blue cube has a sickly glow, except the single shard, that was given to her, continues to glow brightly.
"Wh-What's happening?" Yorktown asks.
"We don't really know." Vestal says with a sad tone. "Her Wisdom Cube is just 'Shutting Down' which is killing her body from the inside out. That may be why she freaked out yesterday, it did a number on her brain."
"I-Is there anything we can do to stop it?" Vestal shakes her head and Yorktown's eyes go dull as she freezes.
"I'm sorry Yorktown, she's a ship built way ahead of her time, so none of our equipment is suitable to fix something like this. There may not even be anything suitable to fix her."
The door opens. "Well, there may b-b-be one pl-pce that has equipment needed t-t-to save her." Commander Sicilia walks in, a rge folder in her hands.
"Commander Sicilia." Vestal greets.
"How can we save my little girl?" Yorktown asks as Alicorn starts to cough and some blood seeps from her mouth, with Yorktown quickly wiping it away.
Sicilia nods to the rge folder she's holding. "This is w-w-what Doctor Erik had on A-A-Alicorn before he died. Every single thing about her, do-do-down to her likes in food and clothing and everything on how to repair her s-s-ship and how she was made." She hands the folder to Vestal and said ship-girl medic starts reading through it.
"Fascinating." Vestal reads through the papers.
Sicilia continues. "There maybe be some e-e-e-equipment needed to s-save her in Nanquet Cay, the isnd she wh-wh-where was created."
Vestal looks up to her Commander. "But that pce was overrun by the Sirens a few weeks back."
"Then we'll take an army there!" Yorktown shouts. "We'll sink every single Siren to save my daughter!"
Sicilia sweats. "N-Now Miss Y-Y-Yorktown, we can't go do that. We're s-s-spread thin with personnel w-w-w-w-with the test Siren attacks. S-S-So I've had the Manjuu's start do other work then h-h-help repair ships. B-But I've had B-Bluegill and Caval do s-s-some recon, there are a few holes in th-th-their patrolling that we can slip t-t-through."
"Then how soon can we leave?" Yorktown asks.
"I-I-I've got New Jersey, Clevend, Enterprise and Hamman r-r-ready to go now.
Yorktown stands up with determination, her legs wobble a little. "Then let's go, every second wasted my baby girl is closer to dying!"
Sicilia nods. "Th-Th-Then let's g-g-go, Vestal, you're coming with."
Vestal just nods, being too busy with reading Alicorn's file.
Yorktown then turns to Alicorn and puts a hand on the smaller girls' cheek. "Just hold on, sweetheart, we're gonna save you."
Alicorn just takes a few ragged breaths.
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Walking down a hallway we see Purifier, she's looking around in caution. She then stops at a door and looks around, seeing no one, and she enters.
Purifier silently shuts the door behind her and looks around the room. The room is full of computers and electronics. A few TV screens show several past battles that Alicorn took part of.
Purifier looks around before moving to what looks to be the main computer. She turns on the computer and starts typing and clicking around, before coming to a folder called, "Project Artemis."
Purifier clicks on the folder and several lines of text pop up.
Test 1: Failure(Click for more info)Test 2: Failure(Click for more info)Test 3: Failure(Click for more info)Test 3: Failure(Click for more info)Test 4: Failure(Click for more info)Test 5: Failure(Click for more info)Test 6: Failure(Click for more info)Test 7: Failure(Click for more info)Test 8: Failure(Click for more info)Test 9: Inconclusive(Click for more info)Test 10: S?u?c?c?e?s?s Failure(Click for more info)
Purifier looks at the screen in confusion. "Ten tests? I thought there were only 9? I don't remember this Inconclusive one." She mutters.
Purifier is about to click on Test 10, but she freezes as a pair of footsteps echo in the hallway.
"Shit!" Purifier whispers and closes every tab and turns the computer off. She then looks around the room, before jumping and crouching behind a set of servers.
The door opens a second ter.
"Are you sure it worked this time?" An unfamiliar voice ask.
"Of course." Observer Alpha responds.
Footsteps walk past Purifier's hiding spot. She peeks out and slightly pales.
Observer Alpha floats next to the leader of the Sirens. The Empress.
Purifier slinks back behind her hiding spot and starts to sweat.
"You know what happened st time we let her live." Empress says to Observer.
"Yes, but this time I built a better failsafe." Observer Alpha responds as she turns on the main computer and starts typing away.
"Still, are you sure this will work? You know what happened to Purifier st time."
'Last Time?' Purifier questions in thought. 'Did something happened in the st test, is that why I don't remember it?'
"I've been keeping an eye on her, and even better that she doesn't remember what happened." Observer states and clicks the mouse a few times, then motions to the screen. "See Empress, Alicorn is almost eliminated. This test was a failure, but I have a good feeling about the next one will be a success."
Empress hums. "It better, or I'm canceling this Project."
Observer nods and shuts the computer down. "Yes, Empress."
The two Sirens make their way to the door. "Now, tell me about Project Orochi." Empress says.
"Of course."
The two Sirens walk out of the room, and Purifier lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"What is she holding from me?" Purifier questions as she floats back over to the computer.
Purifier makes her way back to Project Artemis and her mouse hovers over Test 9, before clicking on Test 10. Many different pages of information pop up. Purifier clicks through them before coming to one that shows information about the Failsafe.
"Here we go..." Purifier reads through it. "Failsafe at 82% complete. Not on my watch, just hold on Imouto."
Purifier starts typing away and a warning pops up onto her screen.
WARNING: Deactivating Failsafe will stop Wisdom Cube deterioration.Do you wish to continue? Y/N?
Y.
Failsafe Deactivated.Subject in critical condition. Seeking Medical attention is advised. Cube Deterioration is at 85% and continuing to rise due to subjects condition. Death Imminent if not dealt with soon.
"Fuck!" Purifier sms her hands onto the desk and she continues to type away at the computer. Then a screen pops up and shows several ships sailing on the ocean. "Where are they going? Wait a minute, Nanquet Cay!"
Purifier smiles to herself. "Hold on Imouto, we're meeting again sooner than expected."
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Alicorn is sitting on top of some water in a dark void. Voices whispering to her as she hugs her knees and hiding her face in them.
"I'm surprised they allow that thing to be here.
"I would feel safer if she was in cuffs and locked somewhere tight She's too dangerous to be left near us."
"We lost a lot of HO ships because of her, I made friends with a few of the humans on some of those ships. She should be behind bars."
<
"Those eyes are just like a Siren's."
"Shouldn't she be locked in her room?"
"You're so heartless! I bet you're the reason why Independence is dead!"
"You Siren bitch!"
Alicorn buries herself more into her knees as everything gets darker around her and the voices get louder.
Until a pair of hands cover Alicorn's ears and the voices stop.
"You've gone through so much, haven't you sweety." A familure male voice says softly.
Alicorn's eyes widen as she looks up and sees her father's blue eyes. "Father?"
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Sailing for one long day towards Nanquet Cay, we see three ships. Hamman in the lead with Enterprise behind her. New Jersey to the Aircraft's right and Clevend to her right.
In Enterprise's Control Tower we see the girl herself standing in front of the windows looking out to the ocean in front of her.
In the back of the room is Commander Sicilia, Vestal and Yorktown. They all stand, with Yorktown sitting, around Alicorn, who is ying on a cot with an air mask on that's connected to an air tank.
Alicorn's breath is slow and ragged. And sweat covers her pained face.
"How far are we?" Commander Sicilia asks.
"Thirty minutes out." Enterprise says without looking back.
Vestal is reading through Alicorn's folder. "Yorktown, the stuff... How could you allow this kind of stuff to happen?"
Yorktown just keeps staring at Alicorn's face. "I... We were all very desperate. I was given the chance to help develop something that could change the tide of the war, and that thing was Alicorn. She has changed the tide of the war, with a few unwanted things along the way."
"But the stuff they did-"
"Vestal, please, I did what was needed in a time of desperation." Yorktown gnces at the medical ship. "And I would do it again."
Vestal sighs and goes back to reading through the folder. "It's just... so in humane."
Yorktown doesn't respond as she grabs a hold of Alicorn's left hand.
Sicilia then puts a hand on Vestal's shoulder. "Let's give her some space."
Vestal just nods and the two move away.
Baxterbro
Yorktown brings her head down onto the cot. "Please, please fight Alicorn. I've already lost Erik, I can't lose you too. I need you to fight, you're strong so fight." She grips Alicorn's hand tighter. "Please." Tears start to fall down her face as she thinks back on a memory.
----
Yorktown is standing in front of a tank filled with green liquid. Inside is a baby Alicorn with wires hooked up to her, she twitches every so often.
Yorktown smiles as she puts a hand on the tank. "Ain't she perfect?" Erik walks up next to the Ship-girl.
"She's perfect." Yorktown smiles at Erik.
Erik gnces at Yorktown with a smile, before looking back to baby Alicorn. "She's gonna do so much good for this world."
"Though I only have one worry." She gnces at the tank next to Alicorn's, which as Purifier in it.
"She can't do anything, she's consistently given enough sedatives to knock out three elephants."
"Still, I don't like being around a Siren."
"We need her, her Rigging gives us the data and metal needed for Alicorn's, and the data she can give us will bring our little girl to life."
Yorktown smiles and grabs Erik's hand and leans her head on onto his shoulder. "I can't wait for her to see the world."
Erik smiles and leans his head on top of Yorktown's. "Well see the world together. Travel the oceans once we get rid of the Siren threat."
"That sounds perfect."
----
Yorktown grits her teeth as she holds back her sobs.
"We're nearing Nanquet Cay." Enterprise informs. "Be on-"
<
<
"W-W-Wait!" Sicilia yells into the radio. "Something's wrong with them."
Sicilia looks out of the windows to see a rge patrol group of Mass Produce Siren ships, but they are ignoring the group.
<
<
"Commander, let's just take them out." Enterprise says.
"If they a-are ignoring us, l-l-let's take this opportunity to slip past." Sicilia says.
Enterprise huffs and looks away with an annoyed look.
The four ships sail past the Siren ships and they don't attack them.
"This is o-o-odd." Sicilia mutters.
<
<
The four ships sail into Nanquet Cay's destroyed docking area. Clevend, New Jersey and Hamman jump off their ships and change them into their rigging.
Sicilia and Vestal carry Alicorn's cot off Enterprise ship and Yorktown limps off with the help of her cane. Then Enterprise activates her rigging.
"Man, this pce is destroyed." Hamman looks around at all the destroyed metal ying around, a few skeletons rest on the shore, carrying the cat girl to shiver.
Alicorn starts to cough. "She's getting worse!" Vestal calls out. "We need to get moving!"
"Follow me." Enterprise walks on and the others follow her, passing wrecks of Siren and Human pnes.
"I'm getting a creepy vibe from this pce." New Jersey states.
Clevend deadpans. "What gave you that idea?" She asks sarcastically as a human skeleton hangs from a tree by a parachute behind her.
New Jersey shrugs.
The group enters the b and they see several skeletons on the floor with dried blood all over the walls. Hamman puts a hand on her stomach.
"I think I'm gonna be sick." Hamman sickly says.
Vestal looks down at the bodies in sadness. Sicilia just looks ahead.
"No time to stop." Enterprise informs. "We need to move now."
The seven move through the destroyed facility passing by many skeletons and dried blood all over the pce.
"This pce is so advanced." Vestal mutters.
"It was designed by 100 of the world's smartest Scientists from around the world." Yorktown informs. "This pce had all of them working to build Alicorn and train her, now it's become their tombs. Their deaths set back the world by years of advancement."
"She's caused a lot of damaged." New Jersey says.
"...Yeah..."
The seven then come to a rge room full of computers and in the middle are two empty tanks. A rge hole in the ceiling shines light down into the room.
"Get her in the tank." Enterprise orders.
Vestal and Sicilia carry Alicorn's cot over to the tank and set it down. Enterprise walks over and attacheds wires onto her and sets a wire headset onto the sub-girl.
Then they lift Alicorn off the cot and walk up a few steps and slowly set her down in the empty tank, blood falls from her mouth at an arming rate.
Vestal moves over to the computer and wipes off dust from it and turns it on. "Wow, it still works." She mutters and starts typing away and after a few seconds green liquid starts to fill the tank all the way to the top, Alicorn floats in the middle of the tank.
Vestal keeps tapping away as Clevend looks around the room. "So this is where Alicorn was made?"
Yorktown blushes slightly. "Not exactly."
Clevend gnces at her with a raised brow, so does Enterprise. Hamman watches Alicorn in curiosity, while New Jersey watches Vestal tap away at the computer.
Vestal makes a couple worried sounds. "This isn't good."
"Vestal." Sicilia walks over to her. "W-Whats wrong."
"She... We have two options." Vestal looks back at everyone. "One, I can reverse some of the damage to her Cube, but she'd be crippled for the rest of her life."
"And the second?" Yorktown asks in worry.
Vestal sighs. "I can 'Reset her'. Which would completely fix her Cube, but she'd lose all her memories, so she'd be a completely new Azured Girl."
"Neither are that good." Hamman states.
"This is the best I can do, I'm not a scientists, I'm a medic."
Yorktown doesn't say anything as she sits in a nearby chair.
"Sister?" Enterprise calls out.
"So we either make her like me, or lose my baby girl." Yorktown says in sadness.
"Well, there is a third option." A new voice rings out.
The ship-girls, minus Yorktown, aim their weapons at the new voice. Standing at the entrance of the room is Purifier, with a psychotic look.
Enterprise pulls her bowstring back and a arrow appears. "Ah, ah, ah, Miss Grey Ghost." Purifier smiles as she flies up and hovers above the group. Do you want to kill your only chance at saving your precious little sub girl?"
"You're the reason she's like this!" Yorktown yells in anger.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. She quick to bme." Purifier fakes being hurt. "I've have you know, I like confrontation, not killing my enemies like this."
The ship-girls ready their weapons.
"W-W-Wait!" Sicilia yells. "L-L-L-Let see wh-wh-what she has to sa-sa-say." She stutters.
Purifier smiles. "I'd listen to the human."
After a few seconds the girls lower their weapons. "How would you save her?" Vestal asks with a gre.
Purifier floats down to the ground and walks towards the Medic, everyone at the ready just in case. "You see little girl, Alicorn was made from my data, my rigging. I know here inside and out, I spent four years in that tank, gather data on her and every little human in this pce."
"How can we even trust you?"
Purifier's eyes shine and she gains a big smile. "You can't, you either let her die, or I can just have all the ships outside of the isnd fire onto this mountain and trap you all within it."
Enterprise growls at Purifier and takes a step towards her, but Yorktown stops her. Purifier ughs. "I like your fire, Grey Ghost. So what will it be?"
Enterprise gnces at her Commander and she shakily nods. Enterprise looks back at Purifier. "Get in the tank."
Purifier gives an innocent smiles. "Of course."
Several minutes ter Purifier is floating in the middle of her tank, with her eyes closed. Vestal taps a few keys and sighs. "Are we really gonna go through with this? She could be lying."
"If she was lying, then why did she even come then?" Hamman asks.
"To brainwash Alicorn again?" New Jersey asks.
"That would be useless, Alicorn can hardly even move on her own, and we're all here to kill her if she did." Clevend says.
"Let's just get this over with." Enterprise orders.
"We can only hope she doesn't try anything." Yorktown speaks up.
Vestal sighs. "Here we go." She taps a few keys.
Data Transferring
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.
.
"Not gonna call me papa?" Erik asks.
"Wh-Wh... How are you here?" Alicorn asks in disbelief.
"I'm not, I'm just an Echo that was just left here by chance." Erik helps Alicorn off the ground. He then moves a few strands of hair away from Alicorn's face.
Erik rubs a scar that runs over Alicorn's left eyebrow. "You've been through too much for your age. Your still just a kid and the while world is bearing down onto you."
"What does that matter, I'm a ship-girl, my feelings don't matter."
Erik frowns a little. "Hey, the feelings of everyone matters. Just like you matter to me. I love you, Alicorn."
A tight feeling emerges in Alicorn's chest and her eyes start to water. "I hate this feeling and I don't even know what it is."
Erik wipes a few tears that are starting to form from Alicorn's eyes. "It's sadness sweety, it's alright to be sad."
"I..." Alicorn shakes her head. "I... I'm fine."
Erik sighs. "Alicorn, it's okay to be sad. But don't be sad for the loss of life, be happy for the life they've lived. Be sad for the loss of beauty in life."
Alicorn just looks down. "How can you be so calm, I'm not even Alicorn. I'm just a program that took over her body once the Siren programming was wiped."
Erik shakes his head and smiles. "That's not true, you're still my little girl that would be excited for cake and always happy when she got to py with dolls."
Alicorn hands curl into fists. "No, I'm not. I'm just an ugly byproduct of the Sirens!"
Erik hugs Alicorn and her eyes widen. "Hey, you're not ugly, nor are you a byproduct of the Sirens. You're the most beautiful thing in the world and you're the creation of me and Yorktown. You're the best thing I've ever created."
Tears form in Alicorn's eyes and she hugs Erik. Cracks appear around the void and a light shines through them.
Erik starts to pull away, but Alicorn hugs him tighter. "Please, don't go." Her voice cracks.
"I have to, not everything nice can st." Erik pulls Alicorn away and looks down at her. "And I'm just an Echo, I'm not real." He looks off to the side. "Besides, it's time for you to wake up."
Alicorn looks off the to the side and sees Purifier nearby with a soft smile on her face as she looks at Alicorn.
"Trust her." Erik says and he lightly pushes Alicorn towards the Siren.
Alicorn looks back to Erik, only to find him gone. She looks back to Purifier and the Siren holds her hand out. Alicorn hesitantly grabs Purifer's hand and everything goes white.
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.
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Alicorn opens her eyes and through the transparent green liquid she sees everyone looking at her with rge smiles. She then looks up and sees the blue sky.
'Dark.... Blue....' Alicorn closes her eyes.
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Purifier stands in front of the Six ships, as Silica ys a passed out Alicorn on the ground. A portal opens behind Purifier and she smiles psychotically.
"I can't wait for our next meeting Grey Ghost." Purifier ughs. "Then I'll rip your head off and kick it around like a football!" She jumps back and enters the portal, then it closes a few seconds ter.
Enterprise huffs. "I dislike her the most of any Siren."
Yorktown growls. "You don't understand the hatred I have of her."
Vestal kneels down to Alicorn and pulls out the Sub-girl's Wisdom Cube and sighs in relief. The cube is slowly regaining its color.
"She's gonna be fine." Vestal smiles. "Nothing seems to have changed, but I'll do some tests when we get back."
Yorktown smiles as a few tears fall from her face. "She's gonna be fine."
"Sister?" Enterprise calls out.
Yorktown rubs the tears away. "Just happy tears."
"L-L-Let's get m-m-moving." Sicilia calls out. "It'll be a day before we get back to base."
"She should be back to normal before then." Vestal informs.
"Oh, today's been nerve wrecking." Hamman groans.
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Four ships pull into port of the main Eagle Union base and Vestal and Commander Sicilia are the first to get off. Then Yorktown and Enterprise, followed by Clevend, Hamman and New Jersey.
Alicorn hops off Enterprise's ship and looks around, then looks down to her body. "I feel a lot better now." 'The voices seem to be gone for now.'
Yorktown brings her daughter into a hug. "Oh, I'm so gd you're alright."
Alicorn gains a small blush on her expressionless face. "You're embarrassing me."
Clevend, New Jersey and Vestal all ugh, as Yorktown lets out a chuckle as she lets go of her daughter. Sicilia walks off, mumbling something about paperwork.
"Alicorn!" Team Destroyers tackle said girl to the ground and hug her tightly.
"I was so scared for you!" Belchan cries.
"Never scare us like that again!" Echo cries.
"Please don't die!" Kalk cries.
"Hobby doesn't want to lose another friend!" Hobby cries.
The four cries continue to cry as they hug Alicorn, on the ground.
A tingling and warm feeling spreads through Alicorn's chest as she hugs the four ships. "I promise... I'm not leaving anytime soon."
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06-02-2023
3910 words