OUT OF THE BLUE [SLOW UPDATES]

Chapter 23: What are you?

3rd P.O.V.

Meanwhile inside David's head, snow fell heavily and almost nothing could be seen. In the heavy snowfall, there was a wooden cabin. Its windows were alight and the chimney blowing smoke. Inside, a young boy slept on the sofa while another sat near the fire. The fire crackled as the wood burnt in the fireplace. The boy stirred awake and sat up. He rubbed his eyes, he smelled an unfamiliar scent, something burning, something different.

He jumped to his feet and saw the stranger poking the firewood with a fire poker. He reached for his revolver. But it wasn't there. The stranger stood up putting the fire poker against the brick fireplace and walked towards the young boy. "Who are you, where am I?" The boy demanded with his fists raised. "I'm you David." The stranger replied walking closer to David.

"Where am I and who are you!" David screamed. "We're in your mind." He said as the wooden walls collapsed. "I am your other half." The stranger replied, as a katana suddenly appeared in his hand. "I... am... Saburo Sakai." Sakai announced as the blade burned. His face was luminated by the blade's flame. David stumbled to the ground with something heavy.

He looked at his hand and saw a broadsword with in his hands. Sakai struck down katana but, David rolled away. He held up the broadsword and brought up his blade. He ran and brought it down with a mighty cry. Sakai swiftly jumped away and kicked David on the head. He staggered back, letting go of his sword and landed on his back.

David's vision was a blur. The kick concussed him. "You say you fight with honor, but from what I see, you fight with shame." Sakai mocked, kicking the broadsword beside David. He recovered his senses and clasped the sword. "I am not going down that easily." David replied as he stands up running at Sakai. David swung up his sword and was smacked by the pommel of the katana. His blade was thrown away from his hands again landing face first into the snow.

"A warrior is strong, not weak. Smart not stupid. Brave not cowardly." Sakai scowled, as he slowly approached him. David turned himself over and laid idle. He was cold and was shivering laying down, his breath misty and shaky, his hands were numb. "So, tell me, what are you?" Sakai asked, raising his blade over his head.

David P.O.V.

I closed my eyes. Memories flashed before my eyes. Nicci and Natalya were like my own sisters, their family became my own, I kept my grandfather's legacy alive, I see smiles of my friends in Azur Lane, I see Sheffield smiling, at me. As the memories flash reminding me of who I am, who had I become, why I choose to fight and what I am. I opened my eyes and I was greeted by the tip of Sakai's katana about to be thrusted in between my eyes.

I rolled away, as Sakai thrusted his sword into the dirt, regaining my footing. I knelt beside my sword. Sakai pulled his sword and recomposed himself. I picked up my sword and flicked some snow and dirt to blind him. As the dirt and snow was thrown at him, I jumped over behind him. As the snow cleared, he swiftly turned swinging his blade. I parried with the sword's fuller, locking our blades.

"New found spirit huh?" Sakai mocked. "Maybe, or it's because I'm one tough son of a bitch." I said pushing him away. Sakai thrusted his sword down to the ground halting him. "Well, now I can rage on!" Sakai screamed in excitement. "One shall stand," I said with an inside stance. "One shall fall." Sakai replied in an Waki Gamae stance. We ran to one another drawing our swords and clashed.

Thrust after thrust, and blow after blow, clashing and clanking echoed as we clash our swords. It felt like we've been doing this forever. I was slowly getting tired and I know he is too. His swings were becoming floppier by the second. I could see many openings from every swing he makes. Just as I was about to finish it, the snowy plains changed into an open windy field with forest trees rustling and the skies darkening. Thunder boomed and crackled as drops of rain poured. I slashed at him as he ducked under. He slashed his katana up as I spun away.

We leaned over with our hand on our knee, using our swords as support. "Had enough?" I asked through my breaths. "You wish. I'll never yield." Sakai scowled through his breath. We stood away far from one another. "Why are you even trying to kill me?" I asked through my breathing. "I am your opposite, a killer!" Sakai yelled. "So? You're still technically me. Just different." I said standing upright.

"Are you mocking me?!" He yelled angrily. "No! All I'm saying is just because you're a different me, doesn't mean I need to get rid of you." I said. "You are a fool." He scoffed. "Technically, you telling me I am a fool means, you are too." I replied. He opened his mouth to yell something, but realized that I was right. "Look, I know you're like a Japanese version of me," I said dropping my sword. "I am not." He denied. "Yes you are." I said walking to him. "I am a killer, your opposite." "No, you're not." I replied as he sheathed his katana. "You're my other whole." I said. "Am not." He denied. "Then, what are you?" I asked.

Sakai raised his finger. He was unsure what to say next. He slowly lowered it. "I...I, don't know." Sakai replied with a frown. "It's like you said. You're me. You're my other half. You're the legendary Saburo Sakai, samurai of the skies master of sushi and master of haiku." I said with a smile, "How did you know that?" He asked. "Other half remember?" I asked. We had a good laugh as the sun shone.

Suddenly everything started to fade to dust. My ears rang, my head spun, I saw a green blur. I awoke seeing a green surface. I rubbed my eye lids as I regained my vision. I looked beside me and saw Sheffield asleep while sitting on a chair. Her eyes were rosy red, she must have been crying. I heard heels clacking and saw Vestal. She gasped and nearly dropped her clip board. I put a finger to my lip, she quickly caught her clipboard before it could drop. I smiled and she sighed in relief. "Welcome back Mr. Howe." She whispered with a smile.

I nodded and Vestal walked away, supposedly to check on the others. I looked to my right and saw a bunch of bags, letters, bouquets of flowers, my pistol, and my katana. I smiled seeing how much they cared for me. I looked back at Sheffield and saw her crying in her sleep. I gently stroked her hair and her crying was replaced with a smile. I wiped away her tears and kept stroking her beautiful golden locks.

3rd P.O.V.

The following morning Nicci and Natalya were wearing their dress uniform. They were visiting the medical tent to see David. Before they could enter, they heard Sheffield giggling. They immediately ran to see sitting up on his bed reading his letters with Sheffield drinking a cup of tea. "Dear, David I hope you'd wake up soon because when you do, I'll challenge you to a cook off! Love, Nevada." He read. "Looks like someone thinks I'm looking to become the "Cheer up Pilot"." He joked. Sheffield giggled and noticed the twins.

"Tea Miss Nicci?" She asked. David turned his attention to his visitors as he closed the envelope. They stood still with tears. "Well don't just stand there!" David said. The twins rushed in and embraced their dear friend who has been comatose for almost two weeks. They were crying at his shoulders as he stroked their backs comforting them. "We thought you'd never wake up!" Natalya bawled. Nicci knelt up wiping her tears away.

"We?! You mean you! You started getting drunk like crazy with Laffey and the others." Nicci scolded her sister. "Says the drunkard when David "died"! At least I drank a few bottles unlike you who drank half a crate." Natalya yelled back sitting up. "He was gone for months!" Nicci defended herself. "You drank ten jugs!" She added. "Huh?! Did not." Natalya denied. "Did to!" Nicci walked up close. "Did not!" Natalya denied walking up to her sister. As the sisters argued, David and Sheffield looked at one another, shrugging their shoulders and drank their tea watching them argue about who got drunk the most.