A True Friend

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Chapter 48
Nimi POV outside the pub
I ran out of the pub in tears, did Athena just use me, did my nightmare actually told the truth? I can't think straight, my head is clouded and waterfalls coming out my eyes, I just need to get away, anywhere but near her. I suddenly got stopped by crashing into something soft. I didn't know who it was but I just cried into her clothes. I was just hugged and looking up, after crying for a few minutes, it was the other person i cared about in the base the most, my lifelong friend Javelin. Javelin looked surprised but held me with a smile.
"What is wrong Nimi, whatever it is just let it out, sitting on your emotions will not help you. OK." She said and I fell into her crying.
"What is wrong Nimi, whatever it is just let it out, sitting on your emotions will not help you. OK." She said and I fell into her crying. We stayed like this for a long time.
After a couple of seconds of collecting myself, and javelin wavering her hand through my hair, I finally calmed down enough to form words.
"Thank you" I stayed with my heart aching.
"Now what's the matter dear friend, I'm hear for you" she says with a smile.
"Athena screamed at me that I am useless and I don't know what I can say anymore." I struggle out and tears form in my eyes. Javelin just hugs me and pats my back.
"She didn't truly mean that, we both know her long enough to know that, don't you think." Javelin said and smiled at me.
"But what if she did, what if she was playing me all along, getting a girl from each nation to love her as a get out of jail free card, so she could never get stuck in one place" I cry and put as I put my full wait on javelin because my legs could not support me anymore. Javelin still held me without problems.
"You truly think she would do that? How much do we know of her, she been here for about a month and what happened already in contrary to the years in the war that passed?" She said like asking a all known fact.
"But... but" my brain could not argue with that logic "for you maybe, for me I'm just her toy" I cried as I remember toys are chucked out when something better comes along.
"I read the reports, she has beaten you in combat but what did she do then in comparison what every other faction would have done?" Javelin said and dragged me down the hallway by holding up my shoulder.
"She... she... she..." Why can't I think of something she's done to hurt me, hang on why do I want her to hurt me "she's been nicer than my own sisters" I said with tears, I left my sister's for someone that dose not love me.
"Yes, but in fact she has treated you like a person and friend from the very beginning. She didn't see you as a prisoner. She has even used herself to protect you multiple times and did everything in her power to protect and take care of you. So, what do you think of her, does she really not care about you?" Javelin said as we arrived at her dorm. A beautiful dorm, but it had less than the one the queen has given me as part of re-joining Azur Lane.
I take a step in; spin around and then just look at her "am I over reacting"
"Maybe, she probably didn't mean it at you or in that context. Where did she tell you that anyway?" Javelin asked and sat down on her Bed. I walked up and down the small room and tried to collect my thought.
"At the bar, she looked upset so I walk over and asked her what was wrong then she said, leave me alone you useless hore I don't need company, and what hurt more is she was staring right at me and I could see she meant every word"
"Hmmmmm." Javelin seemed to think. "The bar you say, no wonder, she has been through some really heavy stuff in the last days." She finished and turned her eyes directly at me. "And Nimi what do you do in a bar?"
"I... Well..." You try and think away out of the fact you where there for Orange juice "to study the differences between difference sailors of different factions in a place of rest" javelin dose not look impressed at your answer.
"Oh poor Nimi." She hugged me. "You don't know half of it. What did Athena drink?"
"It looked like a clear liquid" you say as you remember a funny smelling clear liquid in a small glass.
"Nimi, that was alcohol, Athena is drugged at the moment. "she said and bopped me in the nose, causing my beret to fall.
"But beer dose not do that to you in that small of portions" I said, and it's not clear, I think
Javelin put my beret back on my head and straightened it. "Oh Nimi I thought iron blood was more into that stuff, beer is yellow but what is clear alcohol?"
"I don't know the answer to ether off those" I say as you scratch the back of my head
Javelin smiled and lightly smacked me. "Nimi come on look outside, who made this revolution possible. Who was the barkeep, it was Gangut wasn't it?"
"Yes, but that's just one ship girl, what affect dose that have" I ask
"If there is one of the Northern Parliament then there are bound to be more. Plus, the bring like half of their ships weight in vodka with them everywhere they go so Athena was drinking something way heavier than beer." She said.
"So what dose they mean for me" I ask, it has hard for most iron blood to get drunk and then that normally meant a fight, not this.
"Well Athena has been in this body, if I can trust the reports, for not that long now so maybe her tolerance changed but I can assure you she never meant that seriously. Alcohol does stuff to your mind, I bet she would also see the queen as stacked in her state. Trust me, just approach her when Athena has slept a good day over it and survived the hangover." She said and took out her weapon, a javelin, out of the closet. I winced and remembered how bad hangovers can be. "Come, I know what could take this of your mind for now." Javelin said and gestured out of the room.
"Where to first then" I ask javelin
"Well." She seemed to think and stop. "The shooting range, you were always better than me so I wanna see you do it and also give me tips." She said and dragged me on the beach and activated the targets. "We will start with shooting from the beach and then move to the sea. Ok?"
"Ok" I say as you manifest you rigging
I take a deep breath and aim. A second passes and i pulled the trigger.
BOOM
I hit the target straight through the engine bay. Javelin was amazed and pulled up a target ship at a farther distance. Good that the test area changes my rounds to non-lethal ones and is soundproofed unless everyone would be awake now. I take aim again and fire. Yet again I hit my mark, this time straight through the centre of the ship "Now your turn" I say as I smile at javelin
The ship dematerialised andII switched my place with Javelin who already summoned her rigging. She didn't look that smug anymore and I pulled up the test ship at the first difficulty. Javelin aimed and shot, but didn't sink the ship in the first salvo like me.
"Try aiming for something important, not just anywhere" I said encouragingly
She took the advice and shot another time. It hit the bridge, so it disabled the ship, but it didn't sink yet. She steeled her gaze and shot for another time, this time hitting the engine room and causing an internal explosion that sunk the ship. She beamed with joy but that quickly faded as all of her shots missed at the next attempt with the more difficult target. "Ups." She said and rubbed the back of her head.
"Try to aim higher for targets at longer distances"
Javelin did that and shot, landing all of them on the deck and doing moderate damage. But one penetrated into the ammunition storage, sadly siren ships don't have normal ammunition so it didn't explode through one hit. "Now shoot that spot again and the ship should explode. "I advice her, god this feel like back when I trained my sisters. As she did the ship went up in flames "right what do you want to do next" I asked
Javelin walked over to me and we went onto the waves, they were calm for now but that is changeable with the controller on the shore. "I said that we will do shooting from the shore and then the water but I still need to improve there so lets get to something where we both are at the same level at Torpedoes. "She smiled after looking down and the simulator summoned multiple test ships.
"What you are way better than me in that stuff Javelin. "I say out, we were about the same level but I still find her better with that stuff.
I'd skated Past javelin and head to one of the ships and released all my torpedoes in to the side of one of the ships and it went down quickly "your turn" I said to javelin
Javelin did the same but hit critical spots that brought the ship down faster, nonetheless the result was the same.
"Try aiming for the engine to make the ship slow down." Javelin says after me as I went to one of the moving targets.
You follow javelin tip, and you manage to hit it the engine and slowed it down so your torpedoes and it went down quicker "like that?" You ask
"Yes" you reply
"Well then, wanna see how fast we can sink the remaining ten ships together." She proposed and I agreed. "But with both shooting and torpedoes." I add to the challenge, lets see how bad she really is with shooting while moving.
"O-ok" she say, she isn't going to use her guns you think with a smirk
You both sprint ahead, both in opposite directions and I shoot and land an ammo explosion of the first while heavily damaging a second with torpedoes, its listening and basically out of the fight but still firing so I dodge the few lasers it shot and the ones from the other ships. My torps need to reload so I am only able to use my gun at the moment.
I turn around after firing and sinking the second ship to see that Javelin was at roughly the same and also had no torps left. She was missing shots on the third ship which was firing at her despite her efforts, she wasn't even aiming while shooting so that explains it at least. I dodged a few shots and aimed taking out the two foreword guns of the test cruiser. With the cruiser not able to fire at me from this angle I used my reloaded torps to sink a test destroyer and disable the movement of another. I shot at that one and penetrated the armour. The ships armour at the sides were blasted away from an inside explosion but the ship didn't go down yet.
Javelin torps reload and she launches them at the cruiser that the guns are disabled on, you take aim an another one and shot it in the turret and it blows up, so you send your torps to sink it.
Turning around and shooting past Javelin after aiming, i destroyed a destroyer that was aiming at Javelin and put his gun out of commission before it exploded from the front to the back.

"Puuh, I totally didn't see that one thanks." Javelin said. "Stay focussed." I lightly scream at her, I have seen this happen to often with my sisters. I do a quick look around. "There are only three left now, we will take those out with a pincer attack ok?"
We both sprint to the sides of the damaged cruiser and shoot our tops at it. The damaged cruiser didn't have enough time and guns left for firing nor evasive measures so it didn't escape its fate. It blew up in a majestic explosion and sunk soon after. Now it were only two destroyers to destroy.
You charge of to the one on the left and javelin goes to the one on the right, you both about to torp them but then they both blow up, I turned around to look behind only to freeze when I see are most deadly ship glide over, lithen, no one knows where she came from, just one day she showed up and said that if she could have a good fight she would fight for us, so we agreed but is she here to take you back?
Javelin put her weapon down and sighted. "Thanks Lithen but we would have done that our self." Javelin said and cruised to the shore, the test ships were already disappearing. I just stared at Lithen with uncertainty and a bit of fear. This monster of a ship was only defeated by lord Bismarck, Friedrich, Tirpitz and Graf Zeppelin.
You know of lithen's achievements, holding dragon's gate, operation silver tongue and many more, some so clarified that even Bismarck don't know about them. But one thing you did not realise about her is how tall she is, she's at least a head height above Bismarck.
And that is like more than double my height. Looking at her sides I spot her massive guns. Her main guns alone are bigger than all of mine combined into one. And now, I stood in front of her alone and she doesn't look like she is in the mood to just talk.
She charges at full speed, witch is not a lot, but is scares me enough to freeze me in place
She launched a punch at me but stopped it mere centimetres before my face. She had a sick smile on her face.
"Bravery or stupidity, confidence or fear, witch one do you process" she says as she retracts her hand
I was confused and scared of her so I didn't know what to answer. Looking to the side I saw Javelin exiting the training area, she didn't even realise that I was in grave danger. I was suddenly forced up, Lithen grabbed my shirt and pulled me up to her face. She snickered. "Na,Na,Na Nimi. Hier spielt die musik. The action is up here so where are you looking so sheepishly. Be glad that we don't have live ammo here, so for now lets just talk." She pronounced the 'talk' hard.
"W,w,What do you want to talk about mistress lithen, the demon of the sea" you hope that your flattery will save you
She laughed a bit and petted my head. "Its nothing important, just you agreeing on staying away from my love."
"Your love? Defiantly if it means you don't have to speak with you again"
"Of course so if you stay away from her for all time we wont have a problem." She said with a smile. That would have been comforting if she wasn't holding me almost 2m above the ground. I nodded. "I will stay away from her so if you could put me down I will go to Athena and sleep, its late."
"What did we just agree, you will stay away from my LOVE" as she screams as she throws me across the waves
I came to a hold after crashing through a couple of waves. Standing up shaking I barely had enough time to block her fired shots. Those were non lethal rounds but they still knocked me to my knees again. Her guns were so powerful that even training shots hurt like getting boulders thrown at you.
"NOW IF YOUR GOING TO PROMISE SOMETHING DON'T CHANGE IT A SECOND LATER" she screams, then she releases her skill 'love, hate and war' witch fires everything she has with pin point accuracy, and much of her weapons are unknown
How does she throw torpedoes, and why are the flying after me, I wondered as i did my best to dodge everything? I was incredible more agile than her but that didn't matter because I got no chance of winning this fight anyway. I couldn't even respond in the first few minutes.
"Come on fight me" she yells
She continues firing but I still cant dodge all of it. A stray flying torpedo hit me in the back and exploded, throwing me onto the sand at the shore. I need help so I began to run to the exit, she is way to strong but I can use her slow speed against her.
That's when you hear a plane, good helps on its way. But I look to see lithen standing on top of one, "Oh come on" I shouted
She crashed it in front of the exit and stood there. "Wo willst du denn hin du kleine Ratte!" (Where do you wanna go you little rat!)
"Some where" please back down, I silently prayed
Lithen smiled creepily and I couldn't respond before she started again. "Hats dir die sprache verschlagen oder hast du deine herkunft etwa vergessen?"("Have you lost the language or have you forgotten your home?") "Nein."(No) I answered. "Ich rede nur meine Muttersprache nicht da niemand mich hier verstehen würde."(I just dont speak my mothers tongue here because no one would understand me if i did.)I yelled back
"And where were you at the beginning of the war, oh yeah, sulking about losing Athena, you failed her and your taking it out on me" I'd scream at her, then I saw all her guns locked on to me
"I lost her ok, she protected us and never came back, we all thought she died." Lithen shouted at me while tears beginning to fall from her eyes. She shook herself and seemed to become even more mad. "Verreck."(abstract word for die/perish) she screamed and was about to shoot but something yanked her rigging down causing all of her shots to barely miss me.
"I don't know what you girls do over at home port, but there's no friendly fire" says a new woman, then lithens secondary's lock on to the new women and all fire
The flying torpedoes flew at her but the new girl just sidestepped them causing them to miss. She looked sternly at Lithen and stood between her and me, her majestic silver rigging as big as Lithens and certainly as well armed, she was definitely a battleship. I must lean to the side to look past the girl's white coat that was fluttering in the wind to look at Lithen now.
"Right, back down before I have to put you down" says the new girl, I giggle a bit at this.
"Black dragon, a worthy opponent, this will be fun" lithen says as she summons her axes
The black dragon or however Lithen called her just smiled and aimed her guns. "Be glad that we shoot non lethal shots or else this might end badly for you. What are you doing anyway, bullying a destroyer because you can? Time for the indomitable black dragon of Eagle Union to stand for the right thing again." she said and finished aiming. I hid behind a crate on the beach. The two battleships stood apart from each other and waited for one to make a move.
I started to shake because if I got caught in the cross fire I will die
"Looks like she has had here lesson, I don't need to teach her any more" lithen growls as she walks away
She desummoned her rigging and walked of the training grounds. I fall to my knees and start crying. Suddenly I felt a hug and looking up it was that black dragon that stood against Lithen, now all smiling and not looking serious. "Did the dragon save ya little girl, the bad one is gone so your smile can come back now." She said as she snuggled me into her big chest.
I cried into her chest for a bit before letting go. She stood in front of me and gave me a kind smile. "Thank you, miss." I thanked her and stood straight again. "Its New Jersey little one, Nimi was it, what did Lithen want from you, she looked like she wanted to kill you." The girl, now New Jersey, said. However, before I could answer her she began again. "Nah better not let us get caught up in that, its finished now and I will protect you should she come back, the dragon and dragon fight will be legendary anyway. You need somewhere to be." I was amazed at the positive the girl showed and even smiled a little. "Lets get back to Javelin." I said to her and was about to go but she grabbed me and put me on her shoulders. "One dragon ride coming up." She said and began running.
New Jersey ran, faster than I would ever be on land, stupid short legs, and soon we made it to the Royal Navy dorm. Athena also had her room here but we stopped at Javelins. "Everyone we have arrived I hope you liked the ride." New Jersey chuckled and put me down. "Whenever someone is bothering you just call the black dragon of Eagle Union ok. I will leave you and your friend alone." She said, smoothened my hair and beret and left me in front of Javelins room.
I open the door to see javelin looking out her window "everything ok jav" I ask
"I was wondering what took you so long so I was looking for you, you didn't enter through the front door." She said and shook her head. "Well you are here at last and not sad anymore right?"
"Well" I begin to cry and remembering what lithen did to you, how far was she willing to go to put me in my place
Javelin ran at me and hugged me sending my beret flying, again. "What's wrong now?" she asked me and wiped way my tears. "I though you understood that Athena wasn't mad at you."
"I do, but it's not that" I say then start to cry
Javelin dragged me to her bed and layed me down. "Then what is it?" She asked and got my beret from the ground. She layed it on the table beside the bed and gave me a glass of water.
"It's lithen, she... she" I broke down in to tears
Javelin just took my hands. "What did Lithen do?" She said trying to comfort me but it didn't do anything.
"She... She shot me and told me to stay away from Athena" I cried out
"She did what!!!" Javelin shouted and pouted. She would look mad if she wouldn't be as tall as I am.
"You heard, and I think she will do a lot worst if I don't listen" I said
"I thought you were friends so i thought you arguing was usual under Iron blood ships and didn't thought anything bad." Javelin said trying to justify herself but failed quite dramatically.
"You Just left me because you where scared" I screamed
Javelin stumbled to the floor and her knees. I felt bad for saying that but it wasn't a lie. "You are right." Javelin said quietly.
"I'm sorry I did not mean to shout, just with what's happened today, I could not cope"
"I know but you are right." Javelin started and sat down beside me. "Lithen is on our side but she scares me. Almost no one can beat her when she gets mad and that is so often. She has helped us so much but she doesn't seem to care for us either. She was always on a mad hunt after Athena. To be true the only time I have actually seen her getting beaten was by that siren that helps us, she could stop her but barely anyone else can and no one was there to help you or me against her so i am sorry."
"I know how you felt, it took both lord Bismarck and Tirpitz to stop her last time when I asked who Athena and the blood blade where" I said to Javelin and took her shoulder.
"Its ok Javelin I don't blame you. Like you said we could have done nothing, the only thing we have is that we are a lot faster than her. "I said with a slight smile.
We both were tired so we changed into sleepwear, Javelin lent me one of hers, and soon after went to sleep while cuddling into the same small bed. I need to talk with Athena again but that can wait for tomorrow.

I want to thank following muscle and my girlfriend for writeing this togever for me, I've been going through shit and this helped me get a grip so I will start writing the next one

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