Chapter 1
AN: Honestly, not sure where this idea came from, but basically I was trying to sleep and then I started to try to figure out when Kora was born, and as I did I realized that she and May could be close to being born at the same time, and next thing I know I'm writing this. Some things will be close to cannon, others will be further.
Also, I know I'm in the few but I am a Philinda fan who was HAPPY with how things ended, but I do have Philnda plans for this story. Hope you like what this is.
I'm trying to make sure I say what language May/Kora/Jiaying are speaking, but if I forgot it will likely be either English or Chinese, your choice. "
I'm posting this now, but it may be a few days before the next chapter. I start the placement potion of my law degree on Monday, so writing time will be limited. I'll post whenever I finish a chapter rather than my usual every second day schedule.
Afterlife, Napal. November 20th 1966
In her very, very, long life Jiaying has felt a lot of different types of pain, but even with all that pain, she knows, one the pain she is currently in is the worst pain she's ever felt.
"I can't do this, it's too much," Jiaying says, feeling incredible pain.
"Yes, you can," William May, Jiaying's husband says, as he squeezes his hand. "You're so strong, you can do this," William assures her.
"I can't," Jiaying says as she feels exhausted, and isn't sure if she can do what she has to do.
"Jiaying, I can see the first baby's head. You just need to give a strong push," An Inhuman doctor, by the name of Dai, says.
"Come on, Jia, I know you can do this, just push," William urges and using so much of her energy Jiaying pushes and gives birth to the first of her daughter's.
"Is she okay?" Jiaying asks, feeling terrified for her daughter, as even though she doesn't know for sure that the babies are both going to be girls, it's what she's felt for a while.
"She's perfect," Dai says, as Jiaying hears her daughter cry.
"I want to hold her!" Jiaying exclaims.
"You can't right now, any moment her sibling will be here too," Dai explains as he gives the baby to another Inhuman who is in the room, acting as a nurse.
Eight minutes after the birth of her fist child Jiaying gives birth to her second child, another daughter. Once she is born, and everyone is sure she that both the babies are alright Jiaying is finally able to hold her baby girls.
"They're incredible," Jiaying says as she looks between her daughters, feeling overwhelming joys, and as tears once more come to her eyes this time they are of joy and not pain.
"They really are," William says, as he looks at his daughters in amazement, honestly feeling like he has never seen anything so incredible. "They need names," William reminds Jiaying.
"They have names," Jiaying says. "Melinda Qiaolian," Jiaying says referring to the slightly older of the two girls. "Kora An," Jiaying says, looking at the younger of the two.
"Melinda and Kora, that's perfect," William says, with a smile.
"They're perfect," Jiaying corrects. "I love you both so much, I promise that I will never let anyone hurt you, you'll always be safe, loved, and protected," Jiaying promises her daughters, as she kisses each of their heads.
In her long life Jiaying has felt a lot of love, but she knows, without a doubt, that she has never felt as much love as she feels for her two baby girls and she knows that there is nothing she wouldn't do for them.
July 1969
For almost three years Jiaying and William have been raising their daughters at Afterlife. Even though they are twins Melinda and Kora, as they have been getting older, have been showing their differences.
Just like they do quiet often Jiaying, Kora, and Melinda are walking around Afterlife together, while Kora, just like she often does, is clinging to her leg, Melinda is running forward, exploring.
"Melinda don't go too far," Jiaying calls after her daughter, wanting to make sure that Melinda is safe.
"Let her run Jiaying," William, says, sounding rather annoyed, says as he walks towards Jiaying and Kora.
"I'm just trying to protect our daughters," Jiaying says as she smiles down at Kora.
"What you're doing is mollycoddling them," William explains. "They're children, they shouldn't be kept within the bounds of this place, they deserve to see the world," William says, knowing all too well that this will lead to a fight that he and Jiaying have had more than once.
"No, they need to be protected from it," Jiaying says as she picks up Kora and carries her over to where Melinda is. As he watches his wife and daughters William can't help but sigh as he can't help but fear what Jiaying's overprotectiveness will do to their daughters.
Horus later Jiaying has put her daughters to bed and is walking to the main area of the rooms that belong to her, William, and their girls, where William himself is. The second she sees her husband Jiaying knows that they are going to have a very familiar fight.
"You really want to go through this again?" Jiaying asks.
"I don't think I have much of a choice," William explains. "Jia, I understand why you built your place, that you want to protect your people, but it's not healthy for our girls," William tells Jiaying. "You're already teaching them to be afraid of everything, and that's not the way I want our daughters to grow up. I want them to be apart of the world, not scared of it," William explains.
"They have every reason to be scared of it!" Jiaying exclaims. "They will be feared and hunted just because of who they are! I will do whatever I have to do to protect them from that! Protect them from being hurt!" Jiaying says.
"If you keep doing what you're doing they're going to grow up afraid to ever leave Afterlife," William explains.
"Good,"
"That's not good," William says in disbelief. "And I'm not going to let that be the life my daughters lead! It's not the life I want to lead!" William explains.
"Then you don't have to stay here any longer," Jiaying explains, her voice cold.
"What?" William asks shocked.
"You're not an inhuman, I asked for special permission for you to stay, and now I'm revoking it, you're no longer welcome at Afterlife," Jiaying reveals.
"You can't do that! You can't keep my daughters from me!" William says.
"Mommy?" A voice says and both Jiaying and William look over to see Melinda and Kora standing in the doorway, though it almost looks like Melinda is standing Infront of her sister, it being Kora who spoke.
"Watch me," Jiaying says before walking over to her daughters, who she picks up and walks out of the room with them, heading outside. As he doesn't want to lose his daughters William chases after Jiaying outside.
"NO! YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KEEP MY DAUGHTERS FROM ME!" William exclaims, and he tries to grab Jiaying, so that he can get his girls back, but before he can get them, he is grabbed by Inhumans who work as security.
"Remove my husband from Afterlife, make she he can never return," Jiaying instructs, as William looks at her with a look of betrayal on his face. "This is the easy way," Jiaying informs William, and as he sees an anger, a protectiveness, and fury that he has never seen before William doesn't fight as the Inhumans tear him away from his family.
"Mommy? Where's Daddy going?" Melinda asks curious.
"Away," Jiaying answers. "From now on it's only going to be us and our people," Jiaying explains, as she kisses each of her girls on their respective heads.
April 1972
Since she banished William from Afterlife Jiaying has never regretted her decision, it has been two years and there hasn't been a single moment where she regretted her actions. Every time she looks at her beautiful daughters Jiaying knows that she will do whatever she has to do to keep them safe, no matter the cost.
"Mellie wait up!" Kora, who is now five years old, calls after her sister, in Chinese, as the two of them are running along the path that leads through Afterlife. While both speak many languages and a lot of the people at Afterlife speak English when they are together, with their mother, they speak Chinese.
"NO! You're too slow Kori!" Melinda calls back, also in Chinese, as she dodges around other potentials, and those who have been through the mist, but keeps running.
"AM NOT!" Kora yells after her sister as she tries to keep up her.
Together the two sisters continue to run together, and after leaving the path they run down the hill and to the place they both love; a field that is full of daisies. Forcing herself to run faster Kora manages to catch up to her sister.
"Got ya!" Kora says, with a grin, as she goes to tag her sister, but because she is running so fast she accidently trips over and causes both of them to fall into the field of daisies.
"Are you okay?" Melinda asks worried, at the same time that her sister says.
"I'm sorry," Kora responds, and once they do both of them just laugh and hug each other.
"Well you two look like you're having fun," A voice says and the sisters look up to see their mother who also spoke in Chinese.
"We are!" Kora says, with a proud smile.
"Mommy, do you want a daisy?" Melinda asks as she picks one of the nearby flowers.
"I'd like that," Jiaying says as she walks over to her daughters, and she takes the flower from her older daughter before sitting down with them both. Even though she has many things that she could be doing to here there is nothing more important than her daughters, and no where she would rather be than with them.
Once Jiaying sits down Kora and Melinda both walk over to their mother and look up at her.
"Mommy, can you tell us a story?" Kora requests, as she snuggles into her mother.
"What kind of story?" Jiaying asks, as she plays with her younger daughters hair, and at her questions both sisters exchange looks.
"The Blue Angles!" Melinda requests, and once she does Jiaying smiles.
"Of course," Jiaying answers, not at all surprised that they asked to hear that particular story. "Girls, I need you to know that while some stories have witches and dragons and bad men, and I will always protect you both from all of it," Jiaying explains, looking between her girls.
"What if you can't?" Kora asks worried.
"I will," Jiaying stresses. "No matter what, I will always protect you, my beautiful girls," Jiaying says, as her girls hug her, and she kisses both their heads. "Once, a very long time ago, there were Blue Angles that fell from the Heavens…" Jiaying says, and she proceeds to tell the Inhuman origin story. With every word her daughters listen in with great interest, taking in every single word their mother says.
September 1974
Since that day where she sat in the field of daises with her beautiful girls Jiaying has told them the story of the Blue Angles who fell from the heavens more than once, but every time she tells it she adds more details, explains somethings a little more. Even though how much of the story Jiaying tells changes every time she tells it what doesn't change is the promise she makes her daughters; that she'll always protect them no matter what.
As they get older Melinda and Kora's different personalities become clearer, but what also becomes clearer is how much the sisters love each other.
While they may not attend a typical school Melinda and Kora do have lessons, one of which is the rather boring one that they are currently in.
"Let's sneak out," Melinda whispers to her sister in English, as one of the elders of Afterlife has her back to them as she is currently writing on a blackboard and this elder doesn't speak great English.
"No! we can't!" Kora tells her sister, hissing back at her, in English. "This is important, Mellie"
"No, it's not Kori," Melinda responds. "Let's go have fun,"
"We can't!" Kora objects.
"We can!" Melinda responds, and it becomes clear to her that her sister isn't going to join her. "You're no fun," Melinda tells her sister, before sneaking out of the room.
Once she has successfully gotten out of her classroom Melinda looks around and tries to decide to where she wants to go, what she wants to do. After a few moments of debating Melinda decides what she wants to do and knowing that before long her mother will be told what she has done she hurries off.
As she is currently unaware what her older daughter is doing Jiaying is in a meeting with more senior members of the Afterlife council.
"I agree, he is the best choice," Jiaying says as they are currently debating who will be the next decedent to undergo Terrigenesis and just as she finishes giving her opinion there is a knock on the door. "Enter," Jiaying requests, and the elder who is meant to be teaching her daughter, along with Kora, walk into the room. As soon as she sees her younger daughter, and the person who is meant to be teaching her girls, walks in Jiaying feels dread rise up inside of her. "Where is Melinda?" Jiaying asks worried, as she stands up.
"I don't know," The elder says, looking guilty, as Jiaying walks towards her. "I was writing on the blackboard and I turned around and Melinda was gone," The elder explains, and once she is close enough Jiaying squats down in front of her daughter.
"Kora, where is your sister?" Jiaying asks, trying to sound calm as while she knows it is basically impossible for someone to enter Afterlife that doesn't mean no one could.
"I don't know," Kora answers.
"Kora," Jiaying says in a serious voice, drawing out her daughters name.
"I really don't know!" Kora exclaims. "Mellie wanted to sneak out and have fun, I told her no, but she went anyway," Kora explains. "I really don't know where she is Mom," Kora explains.
"Okay, I believe you," Jiaying explains. "Kora, I need you to stay here, stay with Li and the others, until I get back. Can you do that?" Jiaying asks.
"Yes Mom," Kora says, with a nod.
"That's my girl," Jiaying says, with a proud look and she leaves to go in search of her oldest daughter.
For over ten minutes Jiaying, with help of other Inhumans, has been looking for her slightly older, daughter. With ever second that passes Jiaying becomes more and more concerned for her. Finally, after a lot of searching Jiaying finds her daughter sitting in the gazebo which has an incredible view of the mountains and other surrounding area.
"Melinda! There you are!" Jiaying says, feeling thrilled to find her.
"Hi Mom," Melinda says, with an innocent smile, looking like she has no idea how much panic she just caused her mother.
"What do you think you were doing! You know you're not supposed to leave your lessons without telling anyone," Jiaying says, as she sits down next to Melinda.
"It was boring!" Melinda explains.
"I thought you liked your lessons," Jiaying comments.
"I like combat lessons, and languages, but history is boring!" Melinda complains.
"History is important. It teaches us the mistakes made in the past so that we don't repeat them," Jiaying explains to her daughter, and Melinda just pulls a face, so she decides to try a different strategy. "Why did you come to this place when you left class?" Jiaying asks curious, as she puts her arm around her daughter.
"I like the view," Melinda admits. "I like seeing everything, imagining what's beyond the mountains, about seeing it myself one day," Melinda explains, and Jiaying really doesn't want to think about how much that desire worries her.
"Well, history can tell us how the mountains came to be, about everything that happened beyond our home, what's happened to our people," Jiaying explains.
"I guess that's kind of cool," Melinda admits, as she snuggles into her mothers side a bit.
"Melinda, I need you to stay in class, even if you find it boring, it's important, can you do that?" Jiaying asks curious.
"Can I skate on the pond when it freezes over?" Melinda asks curious.
"Yeah, I guess you can do that," Jiaying informs her daughter.
"Then I guess I can stay in class," Melinda responds, feeling like it might be rather difficult for her.
"Good girl," Jiaying says, as she bends down and kisses her daughters head.
Hours later Melinda and Kora are both in their bed, asleep, Jiaying on the other hand isn't. After her earlier scare with Melinda Jiaying is standing in the doorway to her daughters' room, watching them, reassuring herself that they are both okay; that neither have been hurt.
"Mom?" A quiet voice asks, and Jiaying realizes that Kora is awake.
"Yeah, go back to sleep Sweetheart," Jiaying says as she walks over to her daughter.
"Are you okay?" Kora asks worried, as Jiaying sits down on the edge of her bed.
"Yeah, Honey, I'm fine," Jiaying assures her, and to her confusion Kora just hugs her. "What was that for?" Jiaying asks, though she can't deny that it wasn't exactly what she needed.
"You looked like you needed it," Kora explains.
"Oh, my beautiful girl, you have such a good heart," Jiaying informs her daughter, who can't help but smile. "Never let anyone take that away from you," Jiaying tells her.
"I won't," Kora responds, and once she does Jiaying moves a little more so that she is sitting and holding her daughter.
"Mom?" Melinda's voice asks, having woken up by the noise.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, either of you, up," Jiaying admits.
"It's okay," Kora says, and Melinda walks over and climbs into bed with her mother and sister.
Once her older daughter has joined them Jiaying moves the blanket so that it is covering all three of them, and together the three of them drift into silence and before long both Melinda and Kora have fallen asleep being held by their mother.