Sometime, before Our Silent Lives Conquer Worlds
—————

A mug was set on a coaster, and the creaking of a well furnished wooden rocking chair rung out. The only person present was the one to set down the cup, and they also sat down and let out a breath as they sat in front of the fireplace.

Her blonde hair had streaks of white in it, but they weren't of stress nor age, and were shiny and healthy just as the rest of her hair was. Her left eye was a dull yet still full blue that have seen over two centuries of life, and her right was a bright and almost unnatural pink.

These white streaks and her pink eye were all that was left of a dear friend.

She grabbed the cup, taking a sip of the cocoa that she loved so dearly. A content sigh was let off as she simply relaxed in front of the Fireplace's roaring flames.

...

'It's been months already...' She looked up to the picture above the fireplace, seeing herself and a smaller woman with brown hair and warm hazel eyes in the frame.

That was a picture of herself, Großer Kurfürst, and her greatest friend of the twentieth century, Senna Tamashii.

She reached across to grab her phone, looking to see if there was any messages from her kids or anyone else, so far there was only one.

Mom, are you up to spend the night at the base? -Spee

What for? -Me

She soon responded, and it brought a smile to her face.

To tell stories please. Everyone is curious about what has happened before any of us were real -Spee

She set the phone and mug down, looking at the clock on the device and seeing the time was roughly 8 am. She went to extinguish the fire, and once put out, she went upstairs to finally dress herself properly for the day.
——

Many smiles and photos later, Kurfürst had arrived at the Naval base stationed in Hawaii. This weather was something she had to get use too, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

Besides, the heat did wonders on her old bones.

Dressed in her classic and world famous armor, she was a sure imposing sight at first glance. Each and every concern melted away as she gave all a smile that let anyone approach and ask their questions that they wanted and grant the photos they requested.

"Tourist season is in large after all..."

The base was still guarded, but the men at the gate saw her approach and, even if they all knew who she was, still went through procedure. It was a short process, and soon enough, she was finally inside Pearl Harbor once more.

A deep breath of the ocean air was all she needed to center herself as she saw the personnel, shipgirls and Humans alike, going about their day doing their duties or enjoying their day off. Kurfürst went to the largest building, where she knew there were several people waiting for her to enter as well, as told by Spee's message.

That clear goal in mind, she made her way there.
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"Mom! Over here!"

In the crowded cafeteria, Kurfürst heard the shout of Z23 over top the talking, and off in the corner of the room was both her and Graf Spee enjoying sandwiches for lunch.

"Good afternoon you two."

She sat down as well, not going to get food as she found no reason too and decided to wait till dinner.

"Now what is this about story telling Spee?"

The Armored ship looked at her, swallowing the bite of her tuna sandwich. "Everyone is hoping to hear some stories later today, and as it's a free day, we asked if you wanted to come and share."

"That's...quite a tempting choice to do." She thought about the idea with a hand on her chin. Soon however, her eyes turned to the side as another person sat down with them.

"I would say do it, it'll be a wonderful way to share your experiences with us." The head of smooth white hair and Amber eyes told them all they needed to know. Prinz Eugen sat down with them at his table, further egging the idea onto her mother.

"I was already deciding to do so, I even had the idea to write a book on it and share what I experienced over these last two centuries of life."

The bell ring out, and that signaled the end of lunch. Nimi and Spee ate quickly before they threw out their waste and left the room with Kurfürst and Eugen.

Now with their plans set for later today, all they had to do was wait.
—-

Wait they did, and now it was time.

The atrium was full with the many ships on base, and there was also recording equipment set up so Kurfürst's idea can see the light of day. An audiobook would be created of her recounted experience, which she thought was a step down from a normal book, but it'll do.

"So, I suppose you all are comfortable with snacks?"

The room all raised their food and drinks, all eager to hear what she had to say about the past that none alive could tell.

"Good...now where to start..."

...

She smiled as she sat down in the teacher's chair, with a mug of cocoa next to her for when she needed it. "I'll recount my years of human life, from before I became a shipgirl first. Then I'll work my way upwards towards the modern day.

She looked around the room, seeing the recording equipment turned on and the many quietly chatting as they shared their thoughts and hopes about what they'll hear.

"Now, when I was young..."

———————————————————————

"Back then, life was quite simple, but it was still a chore to go about your day to day business as a young woman."

"Mathilde!"

A young German girl, Mathilde Hering, turned to the voice that called out to her. It was her father who had just come home from his new job at the factory, a fairly new building that was creating unbelievable amounts of textile that kept everyone warm and happy.

But such was life during the Industrial Revolution.

"Vater! How was your day?" She ran over to her father, and even if he had some soot on him, she nonetheless hugged him to welcome him home.

"As usual of course, long day but we are bringing in money to keep us going strong, right Mathilde?"

She giggled at his obvious cheeriness. "Of course Vater...where is Mutter?"

"I don't know, weren't you the one home all day?"

She shook her head. "No, I was out learning how to sew with Herr Godth."

Her father stood back up to full height, scratching his short beard a she looked out the window. "Ah! There she is now!"

Mathilde looked out the window, seeing her mother waking to their little home with a basket in her hand carrying milk and some assorted vegetables. She opened the door and welcomed her in, taking her basket from her arms and engaging in small talk as she closed the door.

"Those times were a simpler one. Not now where the common folk would generally know what the whole world is doing, but rather what your town and your cousin from three towns over was doing."

We cut to an older Mathilde, in 1840 where she was 22 years old.

She was walking down the street in her hometown of Schönhausen, heading home to her parents after her day's work at the store. It took quite a bit of convincing on her part to get both her parents and the owner to completely accept her job, but it was appreciated on all sides nonetheless, for she was a diligent worker.

"Back then, I was the town's so called 'Pretty Girl' and men from even other towns have come to speak and hopefully swoop me off my feet to a marriage of their dreams."

She had politely turned down another suitor who wished to have her hand in marriage, and even if the fellow was torn, he took it on the chin and thanked her for her time.

"However...there was one man who was always there to muck it up, much to my chagrin."

She heard slow clapping from behind her, and she sighed as she turned to see the redhead that annoyed her so much.

"Wow, turned down another man have you? You'll never be settled down at this point Mathilde." His clapping was incessant, but he was a joker with her and she hated it.

"Otto, can you not annoy me with your ceaseless pestering?"

"Ah, but it's the only thing that brings joy whenever you're around. Besides, a 'Junker' such as myself shouldn't be worrying about you right?"

She rolled her eyes, turning away from the man who never tried to woo her, only pester her, like a flee that simply never had enough.

"I would ask you to stop following me, but it's pointless."

"Of course it isn't, you just don't put enough power into it." He walked a bit past her and smiled, making her groan and roll her eyes.

"That man was Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, the future Chancellor of a united Prussia, a man who changed Germany into the great Empire we knew...and a major pain in my ass."

The days flew by, which turned to weeks, then months.

Each day, Otto would find Mathilde after work, and pester her to find herself a man to wed and settle down. Each day, she would deny all offers and live on as she felt her high of youth still going strong in her veins.

Despite the bickering being a constant annoyance, they grew closer as a pair of adults who always rode their trains high and kept Spirits going when the rest of the worlds is low. It even grew to the point that they "worked" alongside each other in politics, something that Bismarck loathed.

He worked alongside his father and would also consult Mathilde, who helped him refine whatever speeches and beliefs that he had, and even acted as a listener so he may vent out the day's frustrations.

It wasn't wrong to call them siblings from different parents with how close their bond was, and it was also where they realized how much of a knack Mathilde had in these environments.

Thus those months turned to years, and even then Mathilde never wedded, instead dedicating her life to a goal she always dreamed of.

Uniting the many small states to make Germany whole.

This dream was implanted in her with the help of both Otto and her own thoughts on the people she indirectly helped govern. Bismarck fully accepted her into "office" once he stepped up to replace his father, and where his own ideals and his own carving paved the way to high status in Prussian politics.

Of course, behind closed doors, he was always there with his wife, Johanna von Puttkamer, and his greatest associate and partner in crime, Mathilde Hering.

Those years were ones of surprising happiness. I never would have thought politics would be fun to govern when you never directly took place in them.

Now imagine my surprise when he was suddenly able to rise to be Minister of Foreign Affairs! The 44 year old heart of mine could barely believe that he had come so far from the snobby and rambunctious young man he was to the tough and stalwart bastion of Prussian politics...

Click

Otto, now in his early 50s, sat down on his office chair with a great sigh. His ideals have been put to the test time and time again, and all he really wanted was to relax after the day's events.

His talks with Russia were smooth and rolling, same as with France, but now with his day through, all he wanted was to rest.

...

The door opened once more as he sat there in peace, and in came someone that brought a smile to the man's burgeoning face.

Mathilde has definitely settled lightly over the many years she has lived, but even at the ripe age of 49, she still looked quite youthful and life full, somewhat unlike the man in front of her. "Another tough day Otto?"

"You wouldn't believe the half of it." His response made her smile as she sat down on the couch in his office.

"Well as usual, I'm here if you need to let out some words of frustration." She offered the seat next to her, which may seem strange to most, especially Johanna, but she quickly learned that her husband saw her as a comrade far more than a lover.

Otto did just as she proposed, and together they spoke just as usual about what they planned and what they should do. During this time, Mathilde's involvement was still under wraps, but they both had agreed that it needs to finally come to light.

But why now? Of all times, why did they decided to do it now?

My involvement would spark uproar in any time period that was peaceful and quiet. A great new age that we had cooking up was approaching, one that would allow me to finally step into the light and share this glory alongside the man who changed my life as much as I have changed his.

The unification of Germany