Right next chapter.
I'm not gonna waste much of your time with some stupid talk so lets just read on.
Disclaimer: I do not own Honkai Impact or any of its characters, however the OC are all mine.
Chapter 4: New Beginnings
Location: Unknown/ Time: Unknown
Kiana woke from her slumber slowly, her head aching in pain and her mind fuzzy. She couldn't remember anything from the past few hours. Her head was foggy at best right now. Opening her eyes, the Kaslana took a few seconds to let her eyes adjust to the light. Once she had rubbed her eyes and adjusted to the light, the Kaslana took a look around the room.
It was a wooden building, almost like a lodge of sorts. Kiana was inside a bedroom from what she could tell, sleeping on the bed. AS she sat up on the bed, Kiana couldn't help but feel a little empty on the inside, almost as if a part of her had been stripped away, but she still couldn't recall why. Kiana tried to recall how she had gotten hear but any attempt to do so resulted in her getting further headaches.
"Aaaggghh!!" Kiana screamed as the pain became slightly intolerable. She didn't know where she was, and how she got here. At the moment it seemed as though she was alone but Kiana didn't like the fact that she was within a house that she didn't recognize, and the fact that she could barely remember the past few days only made her feel even more uncomfortable.
The door to her room was suddenly opened in a rush, and from it emerged an older woman. She was older than Kiana by a few years but visibly young, probably still in her early twenties at most, and held a strong resemblance to Kiana herself. She had snow white hair that was much like Kiana's, but hers was tied into a long ponytail that reached up to her waist. She also held the same blue eyes, and facial structure as the young Kaslana, though with minor differences that one.
"Aahh, you're awake, thank goodness." The lady said as she as she walked towards the Kaslana, before sitting on the left side of her bed. She then raised her right arm and placed it against Kiana's forehead before smiling gently, "Well your temperature seems to have finally settled, but just in case, how are you feeling? She asked the young Kaslana who was still looking at the older woman carefully.
"It hurts to……remember things. I can't remember anything…."Kiana said as she tried to think back to any of the recent events, only to end up clutching her head in pain once again
"Don't push yourself to hard, it will probably come back to you over time." The woman said as she rubbed Kiana's back soothingly, offering as much comfort as she could.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Kiana asked with slight confusion. Her curiosity had been peaked. It was only then that the Kaslana realized that she couldn't feel anything, her honkai senses were not working for one reason or another while she was in this place, and that frightened the Kaslana, though she did a good job at hiding it.
"My name is Kallen Kaslana…..and I am your ancestor…." Kallen responded sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head. No matter how one worded that sentence, it would always sound a bit crazy, "As for where we are, we are within the Stigma realm of your Kaslana stigma." The older Kaslana went on to explain.
"My ancestor…….stigma realm?? Do you mind starting from the beginning, you kind of lost me there?" Kiana said. She had long since accepted that as long as honkai existed, nothing would be impossible. They lived in a world where superhuman warriors were fighting against an alien life force capable of bending the laws of physics. However, that didn't mean Kiana wouldn't seek an explanation when she could find it.
"Hahaha, why don't we talk this over some lunch, I made some stew which should hopefully help you recover some more." Kallen said as she stood up, Kiana simply nodded and removed the blankets and got out of the bed.
The two of them walked out into the living room. And as Kiana had suspected earlier the building was a small wooden cabin. From what she could see it had two bedrooms, including the one she just came from, a bathroom, living room, and lastly a kitchen. While not that big, it was quite spacious for someone who lived alone.
"Why don't you take a seat, I'll bring the stew along with some tea." Kallen offered as she gestured to the nearby couch.
"Thank you." Kiana responded as she took a seat on said couch, her mind wondered back to what Kallen had said before they left the bedroom.
The Young knight didn't doubt that she was related t the older woman in one way or another, the resemblance between them was just too strong for her to even attempt to deny it. What she couldn't understand was the part where she claimed to be her ancestor. That would imply that she was born generations before she was born, making her hundreds of years old while she looked no older than 25 at most. Secondly she also wondered what this stigma realm she was in was. Would she be able to go back home or was she stuck here?
"Here you go, I hope you find it to your liking." Kallen said came back it the living room and placed a bowl on a wooden stool that was in front of Kiana. The older Kaslana then went on to make her way to the other side with her own bowl in hand. For a few minutes the two of them ate in relative silence, Kallen was aware that Kiana likely had questions that she wanted answers for, but there was no use in rushing things. They still had plenty of time before the girl woke in the real world. After they had finished their food, Kallen spoke, "I know you have a few questions, but before you do allow me to explain some things first. It'll make much more sense for you that way." Kallen reasoned.
"I suppose that is fair." Kiana responded, she needed some clarity on her situation, and if she had any more questions after the older Kaslana was done speaking, then she wouldn't hesitate to ask.
"Alright, I suppose that I should start with my history. As I said before my name is Kallen Kaslana. And I was born over five hundred years ago." Kallen introduced herself, as Kiana's eyes widened at the revelation, she opened her mouth to ask something but then closed it just as quick when she remembered what Kallen had said. The older Kaslana nodded in appreciation before continuing her tale, "I won't bore you with the details of my life, but I was born during the early years of Schicksal, as it still sought to spread its influence on a global scale. Some events occurred and I was forced to flee Schicksal and was labeled a traitor. I fled to the East, a village called Yae village, with a dangerous artifact that I had stolen from Schicksal after they misused it. Unfortunately said artifact corrupted someone I had gotten close to within that village, and I was forced to seal away they entity and girl into the stigma realm." Kallen further explained.
"Wait as in the same realm that we are in right now?" Kiana questioned, with slight alarm. She once again found herself cursing the fact the her ability to sense honkai energy was not working
"It's a similar concept, but she was sealed within a different stigma all together, one that I doubt will be seen anytime soon." Kallen eased the young knights' worries as Kiana calmed down slightly, though the unease in her posture was still visible, "With that act alone, my subconscious became tied t the stigma realm, but I didn't know this at the time. It wasn't until my death in the real world that my mind was also sealed into the Stigma realm, but I was sealed within the Kaslana stigma." Kallen explained as she showed Kiana their blue tattoo embedded at the back of her left hand. The young Kaslana recognized it immediately, it was their family's emblem after all, but she also recognized the fact that it was identical to the one that she had on her right shoulder.
"So does that mean that I……"Kiana trailed, not really wanting to finish that train of thought, luckily Kallen seemed to catch on to what she was saying and swiftly dismissed the younger Kaslana's thoughts.
"Dear god no!! You may be a warrior, but you are still too young to die." Kallen responded hastily, as Kiana released a breath of relief that she didn't know she had been holding.
"What is a stigma?" Kiana asked, as she subconsciously rubbed the other stigma on her upper back with her left hand.
"Stigma is special marking on the human body that allows an individual to control honkai energy on a higher level than most individuals. They also increase ones resistance to honkai by a large margin but do not guarantee immunity to the honkai. Those born with Natural stigma posses strong genes that allows them to pass on their stigma in their bloodline. But it also possible for those without Stigma can also develop Natural stigma in a later stage of their lives, but the process of this happening is still unknown, some believe that if a person has a high enough resistance to honkai then they will develop a natural stigma. Most natural stigmas, aside from increasing our resistance to honkai, also grant a few special abilities. The Kaslana stigma for example, allows one to reduce their body temperature." Kallen explained to the best of her ability. Stigma were still a tricky subject for most of humanity, and they were still a lot of blanks on the subject that had yet to be filled, but humanity was slowly piecing the puzzle bit by bit.
"So what does that mean for me since I have two of them?" Kiana asked, this revelation had been useful for the young Kaslana. She hoped to be able to be able to make use of it all to better herself as a valkyrie.
"I noticed. The second one on your back, shaped like a flower. To be honest, I don't think I've ever met someone with two stigmas before. But it's a good thing though, it just means you have a lot more potential than most. And have a long way to go before you can fully master the powers of your respective stigma…..that is if your second stigma has a secondary ability like the Kaslana stigma." Kallen said with a small smile on her face. Kiana simply nodded as she had already guessed as much after Kallens' initial explanation on stigma.
"Alright then, what about this place……the stigma realm? What is it really" Kiana asked as she gestured all around her.
"The stigma realm is like a pocket dimension, or an extremely small world, within the stigma themselves. I can't really tell you if all stigmas have a realm of their own, or how to reach them as I only entered into this one after my death in the real world. I also learnt that these realms sometimes contain knowledge that is useful, such as the Kaslana stigma containing knowledge on the full extent of our family's fighting style."Kallen explained as Kiana's eyes widened in surprise.
"You mean the Kaslana gun-kata?!!" Kiana asked with minor excitement, if this was true, then she still had a chance to learn her family's style of combat.
"And a lot more Kiana, for the past five hundred years I have studied the way of our family, and came to the conclusion that there is more to the Kaslana arts than what our family has known all this time, and I am willing to teach them all to you." Kallen stated with a smile, as Kiana's expression suddenly shifted to that of an excited child.
"Really?!! My farther only taught me the basics of the gun-kata, learning the whole thing would be awesome!!" Kiana shouted in excitement, this was a major step towards becoming a strong valkyrie like she hoped.
"Well it only makes sense that I do, I can't make use of that knowledge here. And you're the first person to enter this realm since I've been here. You've already made great progress on your own Kiana. Physically you're strong, fast and instincts are very good, but there is always room for improvement. Your major weakness stems from your lack of proper training, in other words, you lack technique. That is what I hope to fix by the time we are done with our training. However I have come to learn that the Kaslana arts do not just focus on the physical aspect of one's training, we will also be doing a lot of mental and spiritual training, as well as teaching you to effectively manipulate honkai and use your stigma in battle. Are you prepared for all of that Kiana, because once we start I'll need you to put a hundred percent effort?" Kallen asked the younger Kaslana. She already knew the answer, but just felt that she had to see the girls resolve for herself.
"Of course I would, I'd put more than a hundred percent. I'm not going to let an opportunity like this one pass me like that. This is my chance to get stronger so I can fight the honkai like all those that came before me. I made a promise, no swore an oath, that I would fight to protect this world from honkai, and if this can help me do that better, then I want to learn." Kiana said with determination, her excited persona having gone down a little. Kallen saw what she wanted in the girls' eyes, resolve and determination to do what was needed to protect the humanity from the honkai. With the right guidance this girl would go far easily.
"Alright then, we'll begin our training the next time we meet. For now….It seems as though it is time for you to go." Kallen said as she gestured towards the younger Kaslana's body, Kiana looked at her body and noticed it was starting to fade away, becoming transparent. "It seems as though you a starting to wake up in the real world thus your consciousness is being pulled out of this realm." Kallen explained to Kiana, allowing the young girl to relax slightly.
"Will I be able to come back?" Kiana asked hopefully, she had a lot that she wanted to learn from Kallen, and it would be very disappointing if she couldn't simply because she failed to return to the stigma realm.
"Of course, you've managed to build a bridge to this place by entering it once, next time it won't be as difficult. I advise you to do it at night when you're about to sleep though. That will give us plenty of time, rather than short periods throughout the day." Kallen responded with a smile, prompting Kiana to also smile as a wave of relief came over her.
"Thank you again for this, and see you soon Aunt Kallen!" Kiana shouted with a small wave of her hand as she finally vanished from the room, leaving no trace of her existence.
"Aunt Kallen?" Kallen couldn't help but chuckle a bit as those two words rolled out of her mouth, strangely enough it made her fill warm and had her looking towards the future even more. She had a feeling that Kiana was going to grow to do great things in this world, and she would do her best to help the Kaslana reach that point in her life.
Within Kiana's mind: Time Unknown
AS she faded from the stigma realm, Kiana was greeted by a bright light that force the Kaslana to shield her eyes. It didn't take long for the light to dim down allowing the Kaslana to remove her hands so she could take a proper at her surroundings.
She was obviously inside a house, quite a nice one at that. She stood in the living room of the place and as she looked around she noticed a few pictures on the wall. Walking up to one of the pictures on said wall Kiana was surprised by what she saw. To the left of the picture was her farther, with the most sincere smile she had ever seen on her face. The person to the right was blurred to the Kaslana's eyes, she couldn't really see who it was but she could tell the person was female at least. Between the two adults was the small priest dressed girl that Kiana had seen after her fight with the ganesha beast in Chita, she seemed to be between the age of twelve and thirteen. And lastly, within that girls arms was an even smaller child, around the age of two who looked very identical to Kiana, she had her snow white hair tied into two large pigtails and had sky blue eyes
"Aunt Teri, Aunt Teri!! Did you come to play with me today?!!" a little girl asked excitedly, Kiana looked away from the picture and noticed the same child running in her direction, before the teenage Kaslana could move out of the way the small girl ran right through her, as if she wasn't even there.
'What the heck?' Kiana thought to herself as she felt her body, oddly enough her hands could still touch her own body, but that little girl had not been able to touch her and she didn't even acknowledge that she was in the room.
"Kiana!!" The teenage girl turned around at the call of her name, but was confused when the same girl she saw during the attack, the little priestess. What surprised her more was the fact that despite calling out to her she lifted the two year old girl and continued talking with her as if she wasn't there, "Of course I came to play, your mom seems to have gone shopping and you father has been called over for another awesome mission, so that means you're stuck with the cutest aunt in the world!!" Theresa aid happily as she lifted the little girl.
As soon as she said that Siegfried came out of a room in the corner, catching the attention of the teenage Kaslana who seemed invisible to all present, The first thing she noted was that her father seemed to be visibly younger than the last time she had seen him, not to mention the smile he had on his face seemed to be that of a man who was happy and content with his life, something the teenage had rarely got to see during her time with him.
"Hey Teri, thanks again for doing this on such short notice." Siegfried said as he scratched the back of his head while grinning like a mad man, " Already called Cecilia to inform her that I was heading out, and of the fact that you would be watching over Kiana until she got back from the shops, all is cool." The elder Kaslana stated as he walked toward the 'younger' Kiana and Theresa already dressed in his combat gear and Shamash holstered in his sides.
The teenage Kiana in the room turned to face the two year old girl that was still the Theresa's arms and couldn't help but note that they did indeed share a lot of similarities between the two of them that the young girl could easily pass as a younger version of herself, the only reason that the teenage Kaslana could not confirm this was because she couldn't remember a thing from before she was nine years of age. That part of her life was filled with nothing but blank pages for her, but that only brought on more questions for the girl.
'If that's me at the age of two, does that mean I am somehow getting my memories back?" The adolescent asked herself, if these were truly the manifestations of her memories then why were they only starting to come back now, it was then she looked towards the girl her farther and younger self had referred to as 'Teri', 'Now that I think about it, she was the last person I saw before I passed out, and she also seems to be very familiar with my farther and I. Maybe seeing her is what triggered some of these memories' The teenage Kaslana decided to watch as the series of events played out, if these were indeed her memories of the past then she had to play close attention to everything that happened.
"Its fine, I don't mind spending some time with the second cutest girl in the world!" Theresa said excitedly as she tickled the two year old Kiana in her arms, prompting the girl to go into fits of laughter as she attempted to cover up her stomach.
"Hahahaha!!! Stop it Aunt Teri, besides I want to be the number one cutie this time!!" Kiana said as she puffed her cheeks into pout, making her look all the more adorable as her sky blue orbs became puppy dug eyes.
"Nice try Kiana but you're going to have to try a lot harder than that to be cuter than me." Theresa said as she put the little girl down and ruffled her hair. Siegfried couldn't help but chuckle at the scene, despite being older than him by a large number of years Theresa tended to act just about her physical age of twelve.
"Daddy Daddy, who's cuter between Aunt Teri and me?!!" Kiana screamed as she ran towards her father and latched onto his trousers in order to garner his attention, the father had to hold in his laughter upon looking down at his baby girls puffed cheeks an intent glare, who would dare say she wasn't cute with that look on her face.
"Of course you are, no one is cuter than my baby doll." Siegfried said as he lifted Kiana from the ground, the young girl immediately wrapping her arms around her father's neck as she snuggled her face against his, causing Siegfried to let out a chuckle.
The spectator of this heartwarming scene could not help the bitter smile that formed on her face as she watched the scene playing out before her. It was weird to see her father acting this way around her when she was younger, she practically feel the happiness between the father and daughter as if she was the little Kiana in his arms, but compared to the father she knew, this one was an entirely different person all together.
From the moment she woke after losing her memories, her father had always been emotionally distant from the girl, even going as far as to not give the now teenage Kaslana her name. He always spoiled Kiana and gave her everything she wanted, but never made much effort in being actual father to the girl. However that changed later on after a series of events, despite still being a terrible father he had started to try, that was until the day he abandoned her.
"Hey!! Kiana your fathers opinion doesn't count, he's a pervert and a womanizer!!" Theresa shouted frantically before pointing the accusation finger towards the father f the girl, the little girl in daddy's arms simply stuck her tongue out in victory casing Theresa to fold her arms and pout in frustration.
"Alright girls, I have to get going now." Siegfried said as he set Kiana down on the ground, He then crouched down so that he was on eye level with his daughter, "Alright baby doll, you know our drill." The father said with a smile as the little girl nodded her head rapidly in response.
"A hug for the road." Little Kiana said as she hugged her father, a hug which was returned by the older man.
"Two kisses for good luck." Siegfried said as he pulled back from the hug and tilted his head to the left, Kiana kissed his cheek before Siegfried turned his head the other way and Kiana kissed the other cheek as well.
"And three fist bumps so you can kick some butt!!" The little girl said happily as she bumped fists with her father three times before the man finally stood up.
"Now you make sure that you're a good girl while I'm gone." Siegfried said as he ruffled his daughters hair, he then turned to Theresa.
"You better keep your hands to yourself you pervert!!" Theresa said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest while shooting a glare at the man in front of her.
"Oh come on Teri, you know me better than that." Siegfried said as he pulled of a playboy smile.
"Yeah…I know you'll be ogling every girl you see out there!! Now go before I tell Cecelia that you're planning to cheat on her." Theresa said as she moved behind the taller man and began to push him out the building.
"Alright, alright, I'm going, but just so you know I'll be careful and miss you too Teri." Siegfried said as he walked out, but not before facing Teri and giving her a wink.
"Who said anything about missing you!! Just go ahead and die for all I care!!" Theresa yelled dramatically as her face was a bit red in embarrassment. The nerve of that ma….no that WOMANIZER….she was gonna pierce him with Judah's spears one of these days.
The teenage Kaslana who had been watching everything up until this point didn't quite know how to feel at this moment. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her father that had made him become so different than the man she had seen walk out that door right now. What she was seeing only made her have more questions than answers, but before she could ponder more on these thoughts, the world around her began to fade.
The Kaslana would be taken through numerous memories of her past that involved either her father or Theresa for the next few hours.
December 9th 2014: St.Freya Academy/ 13:41
Kiana's eyes suddenly began to flutter open within, her head still painful from all the internal events that had taken place within the stigma realm and the memories that flooded her mind. To be honest a part of her wondered how much of what he saw was true when it came to her memories. She had seen her father and Theresa in many of them, but her mother always came up as a subject, she never saw her in any of the memories that she went through. The Kaslana couldn't help but let out a groan in frustration at everything that was happening to her in such a short span of time.
"Glad to see that you're awake." A familiar voice suddenly spoke up from the Kaslana's right, the sudden awareness that she was not alone caused the Kaslana to sit up immediately in slight panic. This resulted in a minor pain shooting up on her right hand, causing her to wince slightly
"Whoa there, calm down, you still haven't fully recovered."
Kiana turned to the source of the voice and saw that it was none other than Theresa herself. She didn't look any different than when she saw her in Chita, and in her memories. The Kaslana still wasn't sure if what she saw in those visions were really her memories……or maybe something else all together.
A part of her wanted them to be true though, she had felt everything that her younger self felt while she was there, and as such a part of her felt as though she a though she already knew the girl, even though she was too young to do so at the time. She remembered how close Theresa was to her mother, even though the Kaslana had failed to see the woman herself, she knew the girl in front of her probably knew her on a similar level to her father. She also remembered the weird relationship between Theresa and her father, Kiana had always called her father out on his perverseness but Theresa probably took it to a whole new level. And lastly her own relationship with the girl. Though Kiana didn't see her as often as her parents, Theresa had still played a major role in her life.
All of this made the Kaslana want to get to know the woman even more. She could only hope that those truly were her memories and not visions of some sort.
"Aunt Teri?" The Kaslana questioned after a minute of gathering her thoughts, her tone a bit timid and unsure. She wasn't sure how Theresa would react to being called that, especially if the visions turned out to be false.
Theresa's entire body froze upon hearing the Kaslana say those two words. The small principal almost felt her heart stop for a second when she registered what had been said. It should have been impossible for Kiana to remember her, the last time she had seen the Kaslana she had barely been two years of age, but that didn't mean she didn't want the Kaslana
"K-Kiana…..y-you remember me?" Theresa stuttered slightly, her tone was hopeful, but she didn't want to get her hopes up without some sort of confirmation. If Kiana did recognize her then she would be able to get back in her life as her aunt, and not just guide her as she originally intended to do.
Kiana nodded her head in response, she wasn't quite sure how to respond to that question. For a long time after her father she had assumed that she had no other family aside from her deceased mother, and now she had family in Theresa, her aunt. She wanted to get to know Theresa again, and not just remember her from her memories, a lot can change in the period of fourteen years. However, Kiana had also decided that she was someone the Kaslana could trust for now.
"I don't know….to be honest, it's all just coming back to me." Kiana responded, she noticed Theresa's slightly questioning look and went on to elaborate, "I lost my memory when I was nine years old. I shouldn't be able to remember you, but somehow while I was unconscious, memories revolving around you and my father came back in a series of flashback. My head still hurts thinking about it. I know that you were close to my parents….and to me…..close enough to be considered family." Kiana explained as she turned her gaze down towards the blankets of the bed. She couldn't help but clench her fists slightly.
The Kaslana expected Theresa to do a lot of things, but the last thing that she expected was for the Apocalypse to tackle the Kaslana onto the bed and hug her tightly. Kiana was surprised, but didn't push her away, instead the Kaslana also wrapped her arms around the principals' smaller frame. The Kaslana felt certain warmth in her chest that she only felt once in a while over the past four years. One she felt whenever she visited Mrs.Ryuuki and Kasumi. Wait……
……..Mrs.Ryuuki, Kasumi, Chita and the attack.
It all suddenly came back to the Kaslana, everything that happened that night. From how peaceful the evening had started out as she celebrated her birthday with everyone at the orphanage, to how the honkai beasts attacked the city and she was forced to leave everyone so she could help. She remembered her encounter with Kasumi, and how the Kaslana was forced to…..kill the girl. And lastly her battle with the against the honkai beast, Ganesha.
The sudden realization of everything that occurred made her unconsciously pull away from the hug, surprising Theresa a little. The tiny principal was about to ask the Kaslana what was wrong, but cut herself off when she saw the expression on the Kaslana's face. It was one of pain anguish and horror and guilt. Theresa didn't even need to ask at that point. She knew the Kaslana had recollected the events from the attack on Chita.
"W-what happened to Mrs.Ryuuki and the other children from the orphanage?" Kiana asked shakily. She already knew about Kasumi….there was no point asking, rather she was more concerned if everyone else made it out in one piece.
"…..yes, most of the children made it out okay, unfortunately three of them were infected. None of the other caretakers of the orphanage were injured either." Theresa said with a small frown, she had known that these questions would come, and had prepared to answer them by making sure information on the residents from the orphanage had been delivered to her office as soon as it was available.
"What about Mrs.Ryuuki?" Kiana asked, having noticed that Theresa didn't say anything about her, and that more than anything filled her with a sense of dread.
"Ren Ryuuki wasn't within the bunkers during the attack, nor afterwards." Theresa started as Kiana suddenly felt her blood run cold, "Mei said that according to Kasumi, her daughter, the mother had pushed the child out of the way as the building was collapsing. Is that right?" The principal continued, she noticed the Kaslana's right hand twitch slightly at the mention of Kasumi.
"That's what she said. Just as they were about to get into the bunkers themselves, the cathedral collapsed and the two were separated. Kasumi assumed her mother made it inside since she was on the opposite end." Kiana relayed as she felt her heart begin to beat faster, and she tried to stop the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.
"She never made it to the bunkers, she was trapped under the rubble the entire time, unconscious. Unfortunately her legs were crippled……and she's in a comma as we speak." Theresa explained as the tears began to openly flow from the revelation.
She had failed to protect the people that she held closest to her, all that training in Ulan-Ude and there was still nothing to show for it in the end. She simply hadn't been fast enough or strong enough.
"Can I see her?" Kiana asked, as she tried not to openly cry in front of the Apocalypse, but the tears would not stop flowing.
"Unfortunately no……she was relocated along with the rest of the survivors of the attack." Theresa explained, she could see how much everything was hurting Kiana, but she figured it would be better if the Kaslana was made aware of everything right now rather than later. She would be there for the Kaslana if she needed comfort.
"I see…….Is it okay if……if I have the room to myself for some time?"Kiana asked as she was barely holding back the tears that threatened to escape. Theresa immediately understood why the Kaslana wanted some time to herself, but she couldn't leave Kiana alone at a time like this. Not when she was this vulnerable, this broken.
"I don't think tha-"
"Please." Kiana cut her off, her voice broken but the pleading tone lying underneath it did not go unnoticed by Theresa.
The principal bit her lip in slight frustration, she knew that she couldn't force Kiana to talk it out, and that the Kaslana would only come to her when she was ready. This wasn't something she could rush, Kiana was currently emotionally unstable, and the only way that Teri could help was by letting the girl come to her otherwise she would be making things worse in the end if she pushed too much.
"Alright…..I'll go, but I'll be sending someone over within an hour or two, medics should have you cleared by then." Theresa said, the only response she got was the young Kaslana nodding in acknowledgment. Theresa sighed at the unresponsive girl, but decided to do as requested and got off from the bed before making her way towards the door of the room. Upon reaching it she turned towards the Kaslana once more with a solemn expression, "Kiana, I know that you've been through a lot. More than I could possibly imagine, but I want you to know I'll be there to talk or listen when you're ready……whenever that is." Theresa said reassuringly. Kiana didn't respond or move as her head was still buried in her knees and the principal could hear her sobbing into her knees, regardless Theresa knew that Kiana had heard her and so left the Kaslana to mourn her loss.
Theresa entered into her office with an audible sigh, she was sure that Kiana would recover in time before classes resumed. But she was worried about how this loss would affect the girl in the long run, and if she would be willing to be open up after the whole ideal.
"Wow, you look like someone your puppy just died." Himeko suddenly spoke up, causing Theresa to suddenly jump as she hadn't noticed the major's presence within the room, "I take it the girl isn't doing too well then." Himeko stated with a frown, after their arrival back at St.Freya Theresa had gone on to explain everything to the major about Kiana and the relationship she had with her.
To say the redhead was surprised would be an understatement. Theresa had been best friends with Schicksals former ace valkyrie, Cecilia Schariac. What really surprised her was the fact the woman was married, and to a Kaslana no less. The fact that the two of them eventually had a child didn't shock her as much afterwards, but she did wonder how Schicksal had hidden her pregnancy and child for so long. But to an extent she understood, the girl was born of both Kaslana and Schariac households, two of the founding houses of Schicksal itself.
However Himeko became further confused when Theresa told her that Kiana's father left Schicksal not too long after the Second Impact, and had taken Kiana with him. When the major asked why, the principal said she couldn't answer anymore than that.
"She killed the closest thing she had to a sister, and the closest thing she has to a mother is crippled waist down and in a coma as we speak…….she's grieving." Theresa responded with a frown of her own as she moved towards her desk.
"Give her a few days, a week at most, and I'm sure she'll come around. At the very least she'll probably speak to you about it." Himeko reassured the worried principal.
"I get the feeling that she blames herself for the event. Fu Hua's report said that Phil bought honkai cores from Kiana every time she returned from Ulan-Ude, she speculated that was what drew the honkai beasts towards Chita." Theresa explained, Fu Hua had voiced her opinion to everyone at the time, meaning Kiana could probably be wallowing in self guilt right now…..the worst part was that all the signs were pointing towards Fu Hua's theory being correct.
"Yeah, I read that part too. Look, if she asks, it's better to just come clean, I mean the girl probably already knows this based of the report. I'll try doing what I can when she moves in with us to help her get through this." Himeko offered.
"Thanks Himeko, I'd greatly appreciate it." Theresa said in gratitude, at least this way she was assured that even if she wasn't around Himeko would be there to support Kiana. The best part was that Himeko had gone through similar things to what Kiana was experiencing right now and thus that made her the best person to help the Kaslana through everything.
"Right, now that that has been sorted. What's this in yours and Mei's report about Kiana facing off against multiple honkai beasts, and then an emperor class beast on her own?" Himeko asked, she was still a bit reluctant to believe that a brat as young as Kiana was that strong…….then again Durandal wasn't that much older than the Kaslana, and yet she stood at the top of the valkyrie hierarchy.
"She's strong Himeko……Phil wasn't lying when her said she was on par with veteran A-rank valkyrie, hell she could probably make S-rank given two years or so. However from what I observed during her fight with the Ganesha beast, she still lacks formal training, I'm guessing her father only taught her the basics of her family's gun-kata. From then on she probably developed her skills through her stay in Ulan-Ude." Theresa summarized her analysis on the girl, inwardly she was proud of how far Kiana had come despite her young age, and she was bound to go to great places.
"I still can't believe the girl was stupid enough to use a honkai infected city as a training ground. If what Mei said is true then Kiana only had an average 9mm gun and a baseball bat when she was there. Talk about being underequipped." Himeko said with slight disbelief as she shook her head sideways.
"Heh, that's probably part of the reason she is as strong as she is today. She would have to learn to adapt and grow physically." Theresa put in her own two scents.
"I guess her sensory abilities can also be factored into helping. It's not uncommon that a valkyrie, especially those with natural stigma, can to an extent sense the honkai energy in an area, but the way Mei described it was like the girl could literally identify people and honkai beasts using said ability. The applications for such a skill could be almost limitless, detecting your enemies, tracking down allies and enemies alike and even honkai imbued objects!!" Himeko nearly shouted out.
"I know, and that's what worries me. HQ will probably want her that side if they hear of her skill set." Theresa said with a frown, she just found her niece again, but Theresa knew that if her grandfather found out about Kiana's abilities then he would most likely want her working close to him.
"Let's not forget the fact the fact that she has two natural stigmas. That alone is more than enough to get the overseer to fly here personally. I mean damn, I didn't even know such a thing was possible." Himeko said as she once more shook her head sideways, this girl was a lot more baggage than she had originally thought.
"Let me worry about that, I'm sure I can handle Gramps." Theresa said unsurely, she herself was sure if she'd be able to actually convince her grandfather to have Kiana stay at St.Freya, "On another note, have we learned anything on the sword that Kiana was using?" Theresa asked, the principal had taken the sword to be studied. She knew the weapon had most likely been crafted by Anti-Entropy, and she wanted to make sure that it wasn't rigged in any way.
"Yeah, our R went through it a couple of times. The things a master piece, capable of absorbing honkai energy from the environment, releasing large waves of honkai energy and it can even channel said energy into the user to boost their physical capabilities." Himeko said as she couldn't help but shake her head in envy, "Problem remains in the fact that we don't know how the blade was created, the mechanics are simply too complex for us duplicate it without the original design of the weapon. The good news is that it's not rigged or bugged or anything of the sort." Himeko responded with a satisfactory nod.
"That's good at least that's one problem taken care of." Theresa said as she looked at the clock on the wall to her left, it had already been thirty minutes since she left the infirmary, "Fu Hua should be showing Kiana around within half an hour, she'll drop Kiana in your office afterwards for her registration as well as subjects and club selection. So you might want to go ahead and get ready for that." Theresa said as Himeko dramatically sighed.
"Yeah, yeah more stupid paperwork. I'll be done before the two of them even get there." Himeko grunted as she waved her right hand off handedly. The major turned towards the door and left the room, leaving Theresa to her own work. The principal new there would be some work to put in before Kiana could properly settle and be happy here, but she would do what she had to make that it happened.
15:17
The Kaslana within the Infirmary had long since stopped crying, she knew nothing would change if she went on, but she had just need to let out her emotions one way or another. That being said, that didn't mean she wasn't sad. No, a part of her had died with Kasumi on the night of that attack, and another part wallowed in guilt over Mrs.Ryuukis' condition. She wasn't sure if she'd be the same person after that, this would also go on to mark the second time that she had hurt someone she cared about.
' Don't let this bring you down. You're…..the strongest person….I know Kiana. And I know you'll get even stronger as time goes on, but promise that you won't shut yourself from the world because of this'
'Its fine…..we both knew that it was going to happen. But since I won't be around you have to promise you'll make new friends, and not drown yourself in training like you did while you were here. Promise?'
The Promise she made to Kasumi suddenly rung out in her ears, she knew that have a hard time fulfilling that promise. But she had to try, no matter how painful it was, that was Kasumi's last request to her. For Kiana to live her life to the fullest. And so Kiana would at the very least try and do that, try to move on from the grief and pain that she knew would dwell deep in her heart for a long time to come.
The Kaslana was disturbed from her thoughts when she heard the doors to her room slide open. The Kaslana saw a brown haired nurse walking into the room with a tab that probably had her medical report. Next to the maid was the navy blue haired girl that Kiana had met along with Mei in Chita, her name was Fu Hua if the Kaslana remembered correctly.
"Ah, it's good to see that you're awake Kiana-san. How are you feeling?" The nurse asked as she approached the Kaslana.
"Fine I guess, my body still has some minor aches but it's nothing much." Kiana said as she moved her shoulders in a circular motion experimentally.
"Yes, that should be expected. You pushed past yourself past you limits during combat, and you've been lying still for the past two days since you came in. Your muscles will be tense for a while but that's nothing a few stretches and exercise can't fix." The Nurse spoke as she nodded to herself, "Anyways, I just need to give you one last examination before you're cleared." She added on two which Kiana simply nodded. As the nurse got to work, Kiana turned to the other person in the room.
"Fu Hua right, I take it you're the person Aunt Teri sent to get me." Kiana guessed, the burse an Fu Hua both couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the way that the Kaslana addressed the principal. Fu Hua shook her head sideways and chose to ignore that, opting to answer her instead.
"Yes, the Principal asked me to show you around campus." Fu Hua responded as she adjusted her glasses by pushing them up her nose.
"Campus?" Kiana repeated in confusion. It suddenly hit the Kaslana that she didn't even know where she was, she never got the chance to ask Theresa with the emotional roller coaster she had been going through. The only thing she had been certain of was the fact that she was in a hospital room or sorts, "I never got the chance to ask Aunt Teri, but where am I?" she decided to ask.
"You're at Schicksals Far East Branch, also known as Saint Freya Academy. A valkyrie training school in other words. Theresa Apocalypse is the principal of the Academy, and has helped a lot of refugees from honkai eruptions find their way here to be taught to combat the honkai." Fu Hua explained as she watched the Kaslana process the information. Fu Hua remembered Kiana's claim about wanting to become a valkyrie, there was no doubt in the class monitors mind that the girl would make an excellent addition to Schicksals forces.
"A valkyrie training school huh." Kiana repeated as she sunk into her own thoughts. Based on what she knew about Theresa, Kiana could already tell this wasn't going to be some military school or something of the sort. It was probably going to be more balanced, to give the students a sense of normalcy as they trained, before going out into the world for the real thing.
Kiana supposed that this would also work well for her, if her guesses were accurate. She would not only gain the training that she needed, and have access to the means to improve herself, but she would also have the chance to have a social life of her own if this place turned out to be even slightly similar to the average high school. It would allow her to keep her promise to Kasumi, and give her a proper work-life balance.
"Alright, that just about does it. You're as healthy as a horse. Just take it easy for the next two days, if you train then don't push yourself too hard. Okay?" The nurse said as she looked at the Kaslana expectantly.
"Yeah, I hear you." Kiana agreed, she doubted she would be doing any training for the next three days or so, she still had to get settled and there was also the matter of how psychologically drained she was.
"Good, now the principal had me bring some spare clothes for you to wear." The nurse said as she gestured to the neatly folded clothes next to the bathroom entrance. Kiana looked down and, for the first time since waking up, noticed that she was actually dressed in a hospital gown.
Deciding to take the clothes, the Kaslana entered the bathroom to get changed quickly. She had a lot of questions running through her mind, most of them were directed at Theresa, but she supposed some could be directed at Fu Hua since the martial artist had been sent her way. It didn't take longer than five minutes for the Kaslana to get changed, she came out of the room dressed in a black skirt that reached down to her lower thighs and a blue and white striped top with sleeves that reached up to her elbows. The Kaslana took a moment to look herself over before commenting on the choice of clothes.
"I'm not much of a skirt person, but I guess this is okay." Kiana commented, due to the training she did in Ulan-Ude Kiana would often opt for leggings rather than skirts as they usually felt more like second skin to her.
"You look fine, now go along. I'll alert the principal and give her the medical report." The nurse said as she turned to Fu Hua on her last statement, prompting a nod from the martial artist.
"Very well, come along Kiana." Fu Hua said as she prompted Kiana to follow her, the Kaslana walked up to her and the two walked out of the infirmary side by side.
As the two walked along the large corridors, Kiana took the time to look outside the windows. She was greeted with a large green pasture of land, with many buildings most of them white in color. She could see a few people, presumably students given the fact they didn't look much younger or older than her, walking up and about the campus. Most of them seemed to be laughing and conversing with each other.
"You said this was a valkyrie training school right." Kiana spoke up, earning Fu Hua's attention.
"Yes, most who graduate this school end up being assigned to other branches of Schicksal, while some stay here." Fu Hua answered.
"So why does everyone seem so relaxed and happy? You'd think things would be more……I don't know, strict." Kiana gave her opinion
"Most Schicksal training facilities are, but Principal Theresa wanted this school to be different. Most valkyrie are usually people who are Schicksal born, survivors of honkai disasters or recruits from military forces worldwide. They are usually taken to training camps where they are taught to fight. They aren't that different from military training camps if you want a comparison."Fu Hua explained, to which Kiana nodded in understanding. The Kaslana had expected that. After all, when training people to protect humanity as a whole, you can't do things half way.
"So why a school?" Kiana asked, she had a vague understanding of why Theresa would want to introduce a much better training environment for potential valkyrie.
"Most candidates are usually recruited at a young age, around fourteen to fifteen, in order to properly before they are sent onto the field. The principal just felt like giving them a chance at experiencing a normal high school life before they became fulltime valkyrie." Fu Hua answered.
"Does it work, that system I mean? There's bound to be a difference between valkyrie that are trained here and at other branches right?" Kiana asked, she could already see a few flaws with such a set up if Aunt Teri was too lenient, which given her character…..and height….was sort of a given.
Fu Hua glanced at the Kaslana for a second. If she didn't know any better she would have assumed that Kiana was trying to find out if they were better training facilities than St.Freya. She would have to answer her very carefully, least she make the principal upset if Kiana decides to go elsewhere.
"Those trained at training camps are usually more prepared and know what to expect, but that's mainly due to the strict training that they go through. St.Freya on the other hand trains its students on a more steady level. However there have been a few who were a cut above the rest. I guess it truly depends on ones on determination and resolve to grow stronger." Fu Hua answered. It was as much of a truth as she could offer without outright getting the Kaslana to leave St.Freya.
"I suppose that makes sense. 'You can take the cow to the river but you can't force it to drink.'" Kiana said with a nod. She didn't doubt her own desire to get stronger, if St.Freya had the resources then there was nothing she couldn't do here that she would have done at any other training facility of Schicksal. As the two continued walking, Kiana turned to Fu Hua once more, "Fu Hua, I noticed that you didn't use any weapons during your back when we were in……back in Chita, is there a reason for that?" Kiana asked, hesitating slightly in mentioning the city that was once her home.
"I'm a martial artist, I fight with my bare hands and feet. I'm sure you noticed the gauntlets I was wearing that night." Fu Hua replied as Kiana thought back to the white and orange gloves she had seen Fu Hua wearing that night, she then responded with a nod allowing Fu Hua to continue, "Just like honkai weapons augment ones combat prowess so too did the gauntlets increase my prowess along with other abilities." The class monitor finished off.
"So in other words, the gauntlets are your weapon of choice." Kiana stated more than asked, to which she received a nod from the class monitor, "Still, I have to respect the ability to go up close and personal against a honkai beast like that. I've tried it a few times, but it didn't exactly go well for me hehehe." Kiana admitted with a chuckle as she thought back to the early years of her arrival in Ulan-Ude.
"If you don't mind me asking, what was it that encouraged you to dwell in a city that was roaming with honkai beasts?" Fu Hua asked with an eyebrow raised, the Kaslana had mentioned something about training while they were in Chita but there had to be more to it than that.
"To be honest, I was supposed to be travelling east during that time. But I wanted to improve on the skills that my father had trained me in, no matter how basic they were, and because there was a promise I made to the old man. There were more than a few moments where I almost die, but I simply used that as a motivator to get stronger." Kiana said, she then took a look at her right hand, before clenching it into a fist, "Now I have even more promises to keep and more reasons to go stronger." She said in all seriousness, Fu Hua could feel the determination behind those words and knew the girl would go far.
"Then I wish you luck, perhaps the two of us could spar sometime." Fu Hua suggested, Kiana simply responded to her words with a smirk that spoke volumes of her excitement and determination.
"Sure thing, I'll look forward to it." Kiana said with an enthusiastic nod.
The two of them spent the next two hours going around the school grounds and classrooms, with Fu Hua doing her best to show Kiana what the school had to offer. Fu Hua had taken Kiana through various places such as the classes, labs, training facilities, the library, dormitories, apartments and many other buildings. The places that really stuck out to Kiana were the training facilities which included the training grounds, weapons facility, battlesuit facility, MA battle simulation, Abyss battle simulation and a few others that she couldn't remember. However the Kaslana was excited to try all of it out.
As it currently stood, the two of them were approaching Himeko's office. FU Hua had told Kiana that she would be dropping the Kaslana here so the major could get her settled down with a place to stay and her classes would be sorted. Fu Hua had also warned the Kaslana to expect remedial lessons throughout the rest of the month until school opened up again. Upon standing in front of the door to said office, Fu Hua knocked.
"Come on in." Himeko responded from the inside. Fu Hua opened the door and walked in, with Kiana close behind her. Himeko could be seen behind her desk doing paperwork, tat Fu Hua assumed was for the Kaslana's enrolment into the school.
"I've showed Kiana around the key areas of the school as asked." Fu Hua said as Himeko lifted her head from her paper work and looked at the two of them, more particularly Kiana. The redhead had yet to actually meet Kiana unlike everyone else who had taken part in their previous mission.
"Right, thank you Fu Hua, you're free to go now." Himeko dismissed the navy blue haired girl. The girl simply nodded before turning to Kiana.
"We'll probably be seeing a lot more of each other in the near future, and I'll be looking forward to that spar." Fu Hua added with a small smile and a nod before walking out of the office leaving the Kaslana and Himeko alone.
"Alright sugar, take a seat." Himeko said as she gestured to the seat that was on the opposite side of her own. However she noticed the Kaslana looking at her hesitantly, with a lot of caution. "Don't worry I don't bite." Himeko added upon seeing the girls' distress. Kiana sighed and took a seat on the gestured chair, but Himeko could tell that the girl was still heavily guarded around her, something that confused her seeing as she hadn't been that way around Fu Hua.
"You're staring." Kiana commented after a minute of silence between the two, Himeko had the decency to laugh nervously as she looked away.
"hehehe, sorry about that. It's just that everyone that took part in the events that occurred in Chita has had a lot to say about your performance. Especially Theresa, so I guess I was just curious as to what the hype was all about." Himeko explained before introducing herself, "Anyways I'm Major Himeko, the Ace of the Far East Branch of Schicksal. Our paths never crossed, but I was also around Chita when the attack occurred." Himeko explained to which Kiana raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Kiana Kaslana. I don't remember seeing you there, or even sensing your energy for that matter." Kiana mentioned as Himeko smirked lightly at the response.
"I was outside the city with Theresa, we prevented quite a number of high class beasts from entering the city while letting Mei, Bronya and Fu Hua deal with the evacuations and the beasts that got past us." Himeko explained as a small frown formed on Kiana's face.
"Somehow I find that hard to believe, especially given your condition." Kiana said as a look of surprise came over Himeko, the expression swiftly became neutral before she answered.
"What are you talking about?" Himeko asked with slight caution, there was no way this girl had known about her condition. She doubted Fu Hua or Theresa would tell her since they both knew how private and sensitive the matter was for her.
"You don't have to lie to me. I can tell that you're sick from honkai overload in your system." Kiana said, before her frown deepened once more, "No, not sick, more like you're dying. It's like looking at a glass cracking under the pressure of water. The only reason you're alive right now is because that water has been drained from the cup reducing the rate at which the cracks are growing, and you have a decent resistance to honkai. But exposing yourself to too much honkai radiation would only damage your body further." Kiana explained as Himeko frowned.
This girl had described her condition perfectly without any medical examination, and if she was a bit honest that kind of frightened her. She could see things that no one else could even see just by sensing the honkai energy alone and analyzing it.
"Man, when Mei explained your sensory abilities in her report I was a bit skeptical to be honest. But now…damn. Anyways everything you said is true, but I hope I can count on you not to tell anyone about this. The only ones who know so far are Theresa, Fu Hua and our medical staff." Himeko said seriously, with a look that promised proper punishment if word went around.
"You have my word." Kiana said with just as much seriousness, making Himeko smirk as she relaxed into her seat.
"Alright onto the reasons that you are here, one, we have to talk about the classes that you will be taking before schools open early next month. Two, we have to talk about you living conditions while you're here. Lastly, the remedial lessons you will be taking during the rest of this holiday." Himeko said with a grin as Kiana nodded in understanding.
"fu Hua already warned me about the remedial classes. They are lessons I will be taking to help me try and catch up, as well as get a gist of things before the schools open up. I'm also going to assume that they will be based on the subjects I choose to do." Kiana guessed, Himeko nodded in agreement.
"Guess that means we can cross that out. Anyways I won't bother asking what career path you want o follow since you obviously want to be a valkyrie. Now most of the subjects for that career path are compulsory, meaning you can only choose two among the optional ones."Himeko said as she slid a sheet of paper towards the Kaslana.
The paper outlined the compulsory subjects and what they entailed as well as a list of the optional subject as well. In short the compulsory subjects were Battlesuit and weapons practice, History, Math, Physics, Honkai biology, simulation training and physics. In the list of optional subjects were English, Combat training, survival training and Physical education.
Kiana found herself already liking a good number of the practical subjects just by their names. She already believed to know which subjects she would choose from the optional list. But before she could make a decision she had a question she needed to ask.
"What happens Physical education class?" Kiana asked as she turned to the major.
"That's mainly a workout class of sorts, focuses more on training the body physically rather than in skill like most of the other classes. Really good class to take if you're a close range type, like Fu Hua for example." Himeko said with a smile, "Are you thinking of taking it?" the major asked, the Kaslana was more than physically capable as she was right now, she couldn't help but wonder how much the girl would grow overtime if she joined this class.
"Yeah, along with the combat training. I originally thought of doing survival training instead of physical education but thought against it when I realized that I have at least some basic experience when it comes to survival." Kiana said, she looked at the major when she heard her snort.
"'Basic experience' she says, kid you've got more than enough. Anyway your reasoning is sound, so you'll be taking combat training and physical education." Himeko stated as she took the paper back from the Kaslana, Kiana simply nodded in response. "Alright then onto the other issue, your living arrangements. So you have three options as it stands, one, you can live within the school dormitories. Two, you can rent your own apartment, the rent is manageable even for B-rank valkyrie. Lastly, Theresa suggested that you come stay at my apartment." Himeko laid out the options. Kiana couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the last one.
"Why would Aunt Teri suggest that?" Kiana asked with slight confusion, she didn't even know Himeko until a few minutes ago so why would Theresa suggest the Kaslana stay with her.
"Three reasons. The first being that Mei and Bronya are also staying with me so you'll be around familiar faces. The second being that Theresa didn't want you to be alone after everything that you went through recently. And lastly she thinks I can help you recover since I've been through something similar." Himeko explained as Kiana frowned at the last one.
"I don't mean to insult you or anything, but I doubt you know what I'm going through." Kiana said as her eyes softened at the thought of Kasumi.
"Kid, you're not the only one who's killed someone close to them. I've had to kill a good number of my own students after they became corrupt during missions." Himeko said as Kiana's eyes widened at that, her attention now on the major. "Now I probably wasn't as close to them as you were with Kasumi, but that doesn't make taking the life of someone in your life any easier." The major continued as her expression became soft. It was one thing she usually dreaded whenever she went out on a mission, that one of her teammates or students would fall to the honkai and she would have to put them down.
"…..I'm sorry…." The Kaslana had the decency to apologize. Himeko simply shook her head sideways with a small smile, she knew the Kaslana hadn't meant to insult or offend her, and she had just been speaking her mind.
"Don't worry about it, besides this isn't about me. I already have my methods of coping, this is about helping you find closure." Himeko said reassuringly, the Kaslana nodded her head in understanding.
"It's not that easy." Kiana said as she suddenly found her hands to be more interesting.
"Of course it's not. Look we just want to help, at the end of the day the choice is yours. So what's your pick?" Himeko asked as she turned to the Kaslana. She wouldn't force Kiana o do anything she didn't want to.
Kiana took a moment to think about the options that had been laid out before her. She honestly preferred staying in her own place, mainly because she had grown to be independent and more than capable of taking care of herself. But she was also aware of the fact that she was not in the best set of minds. She wouldn't be stupid enough to hurt herself or something of the sort, but she was still traumatized by the events of Chita. Going to the dormitory was none starter for her, due to the fact that there would be too many people there, she wouldn't get the peace of mind she needed to recollect herself. Living with Himeko was a tempting, but there was the fact that all three of them had been there on the mission, Mei especially had been there when Kiana killed Kasumi. The last thing the Kaslana wanted was to be treated or looked at as a charity case, she didn't want to be treated with pity or care. Then there was the fact that the Kaslana could simply rent an apartment of her own. True she would be on her own, but this would give her the space to do as she pleased, and it's not like she wouldn't be able to visit Himeko whenever she felt like talking, the woman was going to be her remedial teacher throughout the month.
"I would prefer renting out my own apartment if that's okay." Kiana stated a Himeko's gaze narrowed on the girl. She wasn't upset by any means, she had just expected the girl to come along with her since Theresa had suggested that, Guess she should have known better considering that the girl had been making her own decisions for years now. Kiana noticed the majors' expression and decided to elaborate, "It's not that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do, but I would feel better if I had my own space, I'm just used to it that way. However, I would still like to take you up on the offer to talk about…..you know….." Kiana trailed with slight frustration. Himeko then smiled at the girls response, at the very least the girl had agreed to come to her for help.
"I understand, I'll get the paperwork done and show you your new home. As for the other matter you can come to me anytime you feel ready to talk." Himeko responded.
"I will. There's also one more thing I've been wondering. Would you happen to know what happened to my sword after the attack?" Kiana asked as she finally remembered the blade that had been gifted to her by Kasumi. She sincerely hoped the blade had not been lost after the attack, it was the only reminder she had of Kasumi other than memories.
"The blade is currently being examined by our scientists to make sure it wasn't bugged. It was formed by a rival organization that's not on very good terms with Schicksal, so this is just standard procedure, you should have it back by tomorrow morning."Himeko explained, Kiana knew that she didn't have the full picture right now, but would probably be told later. She was simply content with knowing that the sword was still in one piece.
As Himeko continued to fill in the paperwork for the property Kiana would be renting, the Kaslana stood up and walked to the window of the room. Looking at the green pasture of land and the numerous building that were all over. This would be her home for as long as she trained to be a valkyrie. This would be where the next chapter of her life started. Where she would work hard to keep the promises she made to her father and Kasumi. And an opportunity to become far more than she currently was. An old saying suddenly came into Kiana's mind
Pain brings clarity. Clarity brings focus. And focus brings Opportunity. Take every injury as a reminder that you are alive. So long as you live, victory is a possibility. Do not squander that opportunity.
The Kaslana would not squander the opportunities she had
Authors Note:
Alright, this chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I originally planned for it to be, but I'm not going to complain. Not much was covered in this chapter but I just felt it was important to emphasize the fact that Kiana had begun to slowly get her memories back.
So far the only ones she has remembered are those that have to do with Theresa and Siegfried, as she doesn't know her mother I thought it would be illogical to have her within the memories until a later period.
Anyways the other thing to talk about is the whole stigma realm thing, so yes, Kallen will be training Kiana in the complete version of the Kaslana fighting arts. This will involve physical, mental and spiritual training.
Please feel free to ask questions in the review if there is something you do not understand, I will answer them in the next chapter.
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