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The impact was followed by a deafening roar, and shockwaves travelled throughout the entire length of the battleship, knocking some of the crew down and spreading panic amongst them.
"What the hell was that?" demanded the captain on the bridge, still reeling from the force of the impact.
"Nuclear fusion reactor four has been critically damaged," answered a high-pitched female voice from the speakers. "It looks like an Angel-class Honkai beast has somehow managed to slip past my defences and make its way inside me! NOOO! Get it out, get it out, get it out of me NOW!" screamed Ai-Chan, the artificial intelligence of the Hyperion who was fond of treating the battleship and herself as one and the same.
Crap. You aren't the only one who wants it gone, Ai-Chan. If that reactor melts down...
"The Hyperion has been breached. I repeat, the Hyperion has been breached. All valkyries, get over to the Hyperion's engine room and destroy any Honkai beasts you find. Defend the breach and don't let a single beast get through. Move, now!" the captain ordered. "And Ai-Chan, redirect all power and processing to the engine room. You need to prevent that reactor from deteriorating or we're all done for. Everything depends on you now!"
The Hyperion's valkyrie squadron wasted no time in racing their way to the engine room. True enough, several Honkai beasts had invaded the battleship, flying through the corridors and attempting to inflict as much damage as possible before they were inevitably destroyed. One on one, no Honkai beast was a match for the five superpowered women who cut their way through the horde with terrifying ease.
Kiana Kaslana made perfect use of the gun kata skills her father had taught her, peppering her foes with bullets before caving their carapaces in with a lethal kick.
Raiden Mei expertly used her swordswomanship to bisect each Honkai beast she saw in an instant, their halves falling harmlessly to the ground.
Murata Himeko, in a similar but distinct manner from Mei, just as easily cleaved through the horde with her two-handed greatsword, and in her case, she struck with so much force that the beasts often left no halves behind at all.
Theresa Apocalypse impaled multiple beasts at once with spears that sprang forth from her golden cross, using chains to bind the faster ones so they could then be dispatched with ease.
Bronya Zaychik, however, was different. Although she possessed martial arts and marksmanship skills exceeding those of her comrades, she preferred to let her robotic assistant do most of the work. Project Bunny 19-C had two clawed hands that could fire barrages of missiles and lasers, wiping out Honkai beasts with ease. It was therefore no surprise why she simply fired at injured beasts with her handgun to finish them off after Project Bunny had blown a hole through them.
The valkyries soon arrived at the engine room where swarms of Honkai beasts were assaulting the nuclear fusion reactors that supplied the Hyperion's immense energy needs. Knowing what was at stake, the valkyries quickly cleared the room of any threats and waited with bated breath for any further orders.
Fortunately, Ai-Chan had managed to keep her reactors from overloading, and the immediate threat was past. The Hyperion carried a total of six reactors, but could fly with only four. Two had been critically damaged, and much of the interior of the ship had also sustained damage from the Honkai attack. The captain ordered the Hyperion to be flown to the nearest Schicksal shipyard, where it would dock and receive repairs for…
"Six months? Are you joking? My squadron eliminated the threat as quickly as they could. I checked the damage myself. Everything could be fixed in four months, or even three if your repair teams worked fast enough. Where the hell are you getting six months from?" he demanded.
Not intimidated by the captain's outburst, the head of the repair team answered with "The Hyperion was due for renovation anyways. It was becoming obsolete, and given how easily an entire swarm of Honkai beasts could slip past its defences and damage it as much as they did, it needs some upgrades as well. As the ship's captain, surely you recognize the importance of this. You don't want to come here again next time its reactors nearly melt down again, do you?"
The captain couldn't argue with his logic. Major Murata Himeko, who was standing next to him, attempted to comfort him. "It'll be alright, captain. The girls' tour of duty is about to end in a few days anyways, and the school year is about to start. You were going to need to send the Hyperion here for upgrades anyways, so why complain? And besides...the girls have a surprise for you, captain," she said with a wink.
Puzzled, he turned to them. Kiana, Mei, and Bronya all looked at him and seemed to have something important to say. Kiana managed to speak first.
"Umm...captain...like Aunt Himeko said, our terms at St. Freya Academy are about to start in a few days...and...and…" she stammered, unable to look him in the eye, her hands behind her back as she nervously swayed back and forth.
"And we know how much you like spending time with us...so...we wanted to ask if you wanted to…" said Mei, blushing slightly.
"Subject Captain, what Kiana Idiotka and Mei are trying to say is that St. Freya Academy has a vacant dormitory that you can stay at instead of returning to Schicksal headquarters," said the short, grey-haired girl who styled her hair in two drill-like braids in her typical deadpan tone. The captain, however, thought he might have heard something more in the way she said it. "We thought that you may want to see what our lives are like when we aren't fighting the Honkai. Please remember that valkyries are not living war machines, and beneath our powers and skills, we are still normal girls."
He laughed a little, running a hand through his red hair as he was apt to do when he was embarrassed. "Well...I'm honoured that you'd ask me something like this, girls. I was fine spending my off-time at Schicksal HQ, but I guess seeing nothing but clouds and the ocean underneath me gets old after a while. I'd be happy to stay with you at St. Freya. You don't need to worry about any living expenses; I'll pay for everything myself-"
"That won't be necessary, captain," said Theresa Apocalypse with a voice more commanding than what her youthful physical appearance ought to have. "I've already made arrangements for all your living expenses to be paid for by St. Freya. A strong bond between a commander and his valkyries is priceless and can't be bought, and I'm sure that in these six months, you'll get to know each other even better!"
So began one of the captain's happiest periods with the valkyries and one of the happiest periods the valkyries had with him.
...
The captain yawned and opened his eyes. In front of his face was a clock on the table next to his bed.
Six AM? Why'd I wake up this early? It's not as if I have anything important to do these days…
He slowly got out of bed and prepared for his day. He didn't really have anything important to do, so he was in no hurry. He admitted to himself that he was grateful to the girls for their generous offer; this really was better than whatever he had at Schicksal's headquarters floating high in the atmosphere. While he'd been thrilled to be at such an altitude at first, the lack of scenery quickly got old.
His dorm at St. Freya Academy, on the other hand, was far superior to his personal cabin onboard the Hyperion. As the only school in the world established for valkyries-in-training, it had to offer a high-quality experience, because after graduation, the life of a valkyrie would be anything but.
His bed was unspeakably soft, the colours in the room perfect, and the shower in the bathroom impeccable. The dorms exceeded the standards of the most expensive five-star hotels, and the captain was almost envious of the girls who lived in them.
After he first arrived, he had been given a brief tour of the academy by the three valkyries that had concluded with him being shown the dorm he would be staying in. Coincidentally or not, it was the one adjacent to Bronya's. She had blushed a little when she had pointed this out, and so had he.
He ate a small and unsatisfying breakfast he had made himself, and as he finished up, the first bell of the day sounded. He heard the bustle of students outside the door, making their way to class. He decided that he wanted to see what kind of classes valkyries-in-training had, and he stepped out of his dorm at the same time Bronya exited hers.
Slightly surprised, he looked at her. She wore the typical school uniform of St. Freya, and he couldn't deny how cute she looked in it. She looked at him back with her typical flat and emotionless expression.
"Good morning, captain."
Smiling, he replied "Good morning, Bronya. It's your first day of school, isn't it? Which class are you heading to first, then?"
"World History, taught by Professor Nokianen."
It was unlike any name he had ever heard before, but then again, he was in a school unlike he had ever been in. The subject taught, however, seemed as mundane as any school's.
"That sounds wonderful, Bronya. Do you think I'll be allowed to come and listen to his lecture, too? I've always been fond of history," he asked. He was being genuine; history had always been one of his favoured subjects, and he enjoyed having the opportunity to spend time with Bronya.
"Of course, captain. Classes are open to anyone. Please follow me."
She led him to a large classroom where dozens of students were already waiting for the professor to arrive. He sat next to Bronya, and he was surprised at the thickness of the textbook she took out of her bag.
"I've already read all of it. It took me precisely one hour, thirty-six minutes, and twelve seconds," she said matter-of-factly. If she was boasting, he could not tell.
He may have once been shocked at what Bronya was capable of, but having already known and battled alongside her for a year, he was no longer too surprised at her abilities.
Professor Nokianen stepped into the forum. He was a tall, brown-haired man who wore a pair of glasses. He radiated seriousness, and every student in the room knew he was not a teacher to be trifled with.
"Good morning, class. Welcome to World History. I'm Professor John Nokianen, and I'm honoured to be guiding you through the journey that is the history of human civilization. History is all about questions, and unfortunately, not all of those questions have answers. I'd like to ask yourselves now: why are we here? How are we here? Where are we going? And the largest question of all…"
He placed his belongings on the table in front of him and turned on the screen. A large white creature streaked with luminescent pink light appeared.
"What is the Honkai?"
...
Bronya and the captain ate lunch in the cafeteria. Like the rest of the school, the meals it offered surpassed the quality of the best hotels in the world, and he wasn't sure how he'd managed to subsist on the comparative table scraps that were the Hyperion's rations he'd been eating until then. Mei, whose culinary expertise surpassed even St. Freya's, cooked for everyone onboard the Hyperion as often as she could, but with such a busy schedule and fresh supplies being flown in only every few months, the unparalleled culinary delights she gladly provided were a rare gift that only temporarily satisfied their cravings. In a way, this made Mei's cooking all the more special, and everyone looked forward to the next time they could enjoy the results of her talents.
Bronya had ordered borscht, which she soaked a piece of bread in before taking a bite out of. The captain had had so much difficulty deciding on which delicious, mouthwatering meal to order that Bronya had sighed and ordered a second serving of borscht for him, which he had no complaints about. He made sure to send the fee to St. Freya, not wanting Bronya to incur any cost on his part.
"This borscht has to be one of the best things I've ever tasted," he said, marvelling at the way its flavours mingled with each other. "Even the bread that came with it is better than the breakfast I made myself earlier."
"This borscht is inferior to the borscht that I can make within a few minutes. If the captain is interested, I can show you how I do so. I am almost ashamed that you had to sully your taste buds with this false imitation of what true borscht should be," Bronya replied. Again, he wasn't sure if she was boasting.
He laughed. "Really? I'd love to learn how you make borscht. I certainly wouldn't know...but you're the expert on borscht here, Bronya. It must remind you of home…"
Bronya didn't answer. The captain enjoyed a few more bites before noticing her silence. Her face was lowered, and her eyes were closed.
"Hey, Bronya...did you hear me? Are...are you okay?" he reached forward and gently put his hand over hers. To his surprise, she was trembling slightly. She quickly withdrew her hand and resumed eating.
"The captain is correct. Borscht does remind The Bronya of home. Please enjoy the rest of your meal. The Bronya is leaving for class now." She didn't elaborate any further and said no more. She finished her meal and prepared to go to her next class, Practical Combat Applications.
The captain watched as she walked away. He wasn't dumb, and he knew something was bothering her. If he had to guess, it was Professor Nokianen's lecture earlier that morning. He was an excellent speaker and had covered thousands of years of human history in great detail in the mere hour and a half he had been allotted. When the class ended, he had been about to discuss the Second Honkai Eruption in the year 2000, where millions had died at the hands of the Herrscher of the Void.
The former Soviet Union had been one of the worst affected countries. And it didn't take much knowledge to realize that Bronya, having been born in that very same year, had been personally affected, too. The captain knew she was an orphan, and it didn't take a genius to know how she had become one.
He'd also known Bronya long enough to recognize that she shifted to referring to herself in the third person when she had been upset by something.
...
The rest of the day went by quickly. Each subject was tailored to provide a valkyrie-in-training all the skills she would need in a real combat situation, which was why the captain enjoyed watching their combat simulation classes the most. The virtual enemies stood no chance, and from his personal experience as the commander of a valkyrie squadron, he knew that most of the girls were already close to being ready, at least in terms of combat ability. Bronya, Kiana, and Mei in particular excelled at this. He'd cheered them on from the audience during their combat trials, and they happily returned his feelings.
After all classes for the day were finished, he returned to his dorm. To his surprise, he met Bronya returning to hers at the same time, a repeat of the morning earlier.
He reached forward and patted her head, running his hand through her soft, grey hair like he had done so many times before. Every time, she enjoyed it very much. But this time, she didn't seem to react.
"You were amazing today, Bronya. St. Freya must be so easy for you. You probably don't even need to be here," he said, trying to cheer her up.
"But I am. There are no shortcuts to being a valkyrie, captain," she said before finally relaxing like she did whenever he did this. She looked him in the eye.
"Captain, I would like to invite you to play video games with me in my dorm."
"Oh. Uh, sure. I'd love to do that, Bronya." They'd played together many times in the Hyperion. Each time had the same result: Bronya utterly obliterating him without giving him the slightest chance at a win. Despite this, he enjoyed playing with her anyways.
She led him into her dorm and started the game. Like usual, it was based on HOMU, a yellow, bunny-like character that she was a massive fan of, which the various HOMU paraphernalia in the room made obvious. A HOMU doll rested between them as she held the controller and expertly manipulated her character with frightening ease.
The goal of the game was to collect as many coins that rained down from the sky as possible. Bombs disguised amongst the coins fell intermittently, and after one landed on the captain's HOMU and blew it to smithereens for the tenth time, he groaned loudly with disappointment. Bronya, in contrast, had dodged and evaded the bombs as easily as she did the same to Honkai beasts she faced in battle.
The final score was a million to fifty, and he never wanted to see another coin or bomb again. He had to convince himself that Bronya hadn't been cheating.
"I win. And as we agreed, you now need to perform one request of my choosing for me. This is your punishment for your unforgivable abuse and mistreatment of a HOMU," she said, an unmistakable tinge of satisfaction in her cute and high-pitched voice.
He mentally kicked himself for agreeing to such a bet, especially against such a formidable opponent. Maybe a part of him had thought his video game skills had actually improved after the brutal beatdowns Bronya had handed to him so many times already. Apparently, what didn't kill him didn't always make him stronger.
He groaned loudly. But he was a man of his word.
"Yeah, Bronya...you won. And I lost...haha...alright, just tell me what you want me to do and get it over with," he said. He hoped that he knew her well enough to be confident that she wouldn't ask anything too outrageous of him.
She turned her head to his, gazing into his eyes. They were sitting right next to each other, their legs and elbows touching, and he could feel the gentle warmth from her body. She leaned to her left and rested her head on his right shoulder. He was surprised at her behaviour, but didn't mind it.
She breathed softly with her eyes closed, as if imagining what she was about to ask of him.
"I would like captain to watch the stars with me on the beach at night. Tomorrow night will be perfectly clear and free of any obstructions. Soukai City's beach is also the perfect location, as it isn't too far from here."
Oh...that's...a sweet request...but why? Well, I won't complain about it, and I'm always happy to spend time with Bronya like this.
He reached over with his left arm and patted her head again. She made a soft and quiet humming sound, letting him know how much she enjoyed it whenever he did this.
"I'd love to watch the stars with you on the beach, Bronya. And like you said, tomorrow night is perfect, not that I have many responsibilities at the moment anyways. Heh…"
"I'm happy to hear you say that, captain." She sat up straight again. "I challenge you to another round. Don't worry; we won't bet anything this time. This time, it's just for fun."
He groaned again, but with a smile, he picked up his controller.
...
The following day was similar to the first. Professor Nokianen described in detail the Second Honkai Eruption, the Herrscher who was the cause and focus of it, and the efforts of the valkyries and all those who had struggled and sacrificed so much to defeat her. The class was rapt with attention, but Bronya's face was lowered the entire time.
Lunch was even better than before. This time, the captain was able to choose for himself and savoured every bite of the red braised pork belly that melted in his mouth and suffused it with an overpowering sweet and savoury sensation. Bronya had chosen pirozhki, which she seemed to enjoy more than the borscht she had chosen yesterday.
Kiana and Mei had joined them. As usual, Bronya was at ease upon seeing the latter and the opposite after seeing the former.
"Wow, I've always wanted to try pirozhki! Can I have a bite or ten, Bronya? Pleaseee?" begged Kiana, drooling. "And wow, captain! You actually got red braised pork belly!? That reminds me of how much I love it, too! You've got excellent taste, captain!"
"Kiana Idiotka, if you want to eat pirozhki, then you may order it yourself. But you will never be able to eat mine. Not unless you can defeat Project Bunny 19-C in combat," Bronya replied curtly.
"Haha! A Kaslana will never lose to some dumb robot! Robots can never replace valkyries! I'd be out of a job then!" Kiana declared.
"Let's not argue when we have such delicious food in front of us already, you two," Mei and the captain said at the same time. Upon hearing the other echo their own words, they looked at each other awkwardly and blushed.
"Fine, fine. But just know that I won't let this insult stand, Bronya!" Kiana huffed before storming off to order two servings each of pirozhki and red braised pork belly.
"I'll go after her and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid," said Mei with a laugh. "Enjoy your meals, Bronya and the captain." She walked off after Kiana.
Bronya angrily swallowed a few more bites.
"Captain, please be aware that Project Bunny 19-C has always been able to eliminate Honkai beasts faster than Kiana Idiotka's gun kata," she said. This time, he was pretty sure that she was indeed boasting.
"I know, Bronya. I've seen you both in action myself. Still, fighting Honkai beasts is a lot different than fighting other valkyries…"
Bronya stared at him before changing the subject.
"I hope you haven't forgotten about your promise from yesterday."
"I could never forget anything I promised. Especially a promise I made to you, Bronya."
At this, she averted her gaze. She blushed slightly.
"Good. Please meet me in my room at nine o'clock this night."
She got up and left for class.
...
The night sky was cool and clear. Gentle sea breezes caressed them as they gazed upwards at the sky dotted with bright points of light, each impossibly far away. Yet they were still close enough to shine lights of hope into their souls.
The gentle tide made a soft rushing sound as it receded and returned in endless repetition, helping them to feel even more at peace.
He gently rubbed the top of Bronya's head as she sat in his lap, and she hummed softly in response.
"I always love it when you do that, captain…"
"I'll do it for as long as you need, Bronya."
To his surprise, Bronya had materialized Project Bunny 19-C when they arrived at the beach. She often travelled by having it carry her in its arm. But he had never thought that he would have an opportunity to do the same.
Both of them sat in its protective embrace, with her in front of him. They leaned back and tried to count how many stars they could see. He lost count at fifty. Bronya was still counting at five hundred when she lost patience and ordered Project Bunny to analyze the sky and count them for her.
"Two thousand stars? Is that reasonable?" she said to herself.
He'd heard her. "That's two thousand reasons why we're here tonight, Bronya. Thank you for asking me to come here with you. It's beautiful." But not as beautiful as you.
"I'm glad I can watch the stars with you too, captain."
They were silent for a while. The stars continued to shine down at them, unreachable. But in the minds of Bronya and the captain, they had reached the stars together already.
He heard her breathing softly and wondered if she'd fallen asleep. He wouldn't blame her. He wouldn't mind sleeping below the sky, with a girl he cared about so much in his arms, with them in turn in the protective embrace of her personal robotic bodyguard.
He felt his eyes drooping and his fatigue gradually overtaking him. He rested his chin on the top of her head, her soft, grey hair a perfect cushion for him. He wrapped his arms around Bronya's slender waist, hugging her as gently as he could.
But she suddenly spoke, so softly he almost didn't hear her.
"Captain, I have one question."
"Of course. What is it, Bronya?"
"...If you had won our bet, what would you have asked of me?"
"Uh…"
He hadn't really thought about it. He'd never taken their bet very seriously to begin with, at least until now.
"Well, Bronya...let me think about this...I want...I want to get to know you better, Bronya. I'd have asked to spend more time with you...maybe I'd even have asked you to watch the stars with me here tonight, too…but I didn't win, so it doesn't matter now…"
He felt her shuddering slightly. He was concerned at first, but he realized she was laughing a little.
"It does matter, captain. What you've wanted has always mattered to me. And because you've been so good to me, I'll let you win this once...just this once, I'll grant you your request...I'll spend as much time with you as I can, and we'll get to know each other as well as we can…"
He laughed awkwardly. "Alright, Bronya. Thank you. That sounds great, and we can start right now."
They continued gazing at the stars for a few more minutes, the captain softly stroking her hair all the while, his other arm gently wrapped around her waist. They had never felt so much peace and tranquility before then, and they were loath to end it. They were finally forced back to reality when Bronya checked the time and saw that they had to return to the academy.
"Captain...I don't want to say this, but we need to head back now. It's getting late, and it's against school regulations to spend too much time outside premises without prior permission."
He sighed. "I know, Bronya. It's okay, though. This won't be the last starry sky in the world. We can always come back again."
She nodded. She had Project Bunny fly them back to St. Freya, and he took in the beautiful sights of nighttime Soukai City below and the night sky above as they gracefully travelled through the air.
They landed in the courtyard and began walking back to their dorm rooms. When they arrived, they took another look at each other.
He wasn't sure what to say for a while. He hadn't felt as many emotions as he had for so long. And Bronya was the same. They stared awkwardly at each other before looking away in embarrassment.
"Well...good night then, Bronya. Thank you for tonight. I enjoyed it very much."
"I did too. Good night, captain."
They turned to their respective rooms, still not far apart from each other, and walked in at the same time.
...
The captain slept more peacefully that night than he had for years. He dreamed of his time he had spent with the valkyries and of his life before he joined Schicksal. He dreamed of having a woman in his arms again, and when he did, he looked at her and saw that the woman was Bronya. In his confused dreamscape, he saw nothing wrong with this. He leaned forward and opened his mouth to kiss her as she prepared to kiss him back.
Suddenly, Bronya started crying. She sobbed so loudly and with so much sadness and pain that he started crying himself. He hugged her as tightly as he could. He wanted to help her. He would do anything to help her, to make her feel better, to make her happy. But Bronya's despair and agonized moans only continued to worsen.
He was unable to remain asleep, and he forced his eyes open. His tears had been real.
He was breathing hard, and he didn't know what was happening. He looked to the side, and the clock told him that it was two o'clock in the night.
He shook his head, repositioned his body into a more comfortable position, and tried to fall back asleep. It was only then when he realized that the crying had not stopped. It was more real than ever.
He sat up as quickly as he could, trying to clear his head so he could hear it more clearly. It was a woman's voice, a woman's pain. She was crying and screaming with utter fear and despair, and they struck into his heart like icy daggers. He got out of bed and stood up, and he realized that the sounds were coming through the wall. The wall that separated Bronya's room from his.
"B...Bronya?"
Her crying continued, even louder than before.
"BRONYA!"
He ran over to the wall and yelled her name.
"BRONYA! It's me! Are you alright!? Are you hurt!?"
She only responded with more terrified screams.
"Nyet! NYET! Pozhaluysta, ne delay mne bol'she bol'no!"
He ran out of his room and next door to hers. He desperately pounded on the door, trying to open it. When that failed, he panicked before remembering that he'd been given a master keycard, a reward for his high rank.
He ran back into his room, throwing objects off his desk in search of the keycard. He finally located it and ran back to Bronya's door, fumbling with the keycard and nearly dropping it before swiping it on the lock as quickly as he could. It made a beeping sound, recognizing the keycard, before he pulled the door open and ran inside.
To his shock, Project Bunny 19-C was floating in front of him. Behind it, he could see Bronya tossing and turning in her bed, crying out in pain.
Project Bunny seemingly registered him as a threat to its master. He could see it preparing to attack him. Before it could react, the captain did the only thing he could. He dove into Bronya's bed and embraced her in his arms. If he really had been an attacker, Project Bunny could no longer defend Bronya without risking harm to Bronya herself. It continued floating there, awaiting orders from her.
Bronya kept crying out, and he didn't know what to do except continuing to hold her as tightly as he could, trying to let her know that he was there for her and that she was safe. He quickly checked her body for any injuries and found none. Her pain was in her mind. But that did not make it any less real.
He hugged her even tighter and tenderly stroked her hair in hopes of comforting her.
"Shh...shh...Bronya, it's okay, it's okay. Bronya, you're safe...I'm here...your captain's here with you…"
She continued sobbing, but they were quieter and in less pain than before. He heard her gradually calm down. Her breathing slowed down and softened. Finally, he could tell that she had awakened.
"Ka...kapitan?"
He smiled, teardrops flowing from his own eyes. "Yes, Bronya. It's me. It's your captain. I'm here with you...you're safe now with me...you don't need to cry anymore…"
"Captain...why are you in Bronya's room? Why are you in Bronya's bed…?"
"Uh…"
"If Project Bunny is here, it means it detected that Bronya was in danger or distress. Is it because of you, captain?"
"No, I…"
"Bronya knew you were a pervert, but she didn't think you'd go this far…"
Was it just him, or did he feel like she was jesting?
"Uh...Bronya...I…"
He felt her laughing. It was a silent laugh, but with his arms still wrapped closely around her, he could feel the amusement coursing through her body.
"Project Bunny, stand down. Return to quantum state. Your master is in no danger."
Project Bunny instantaneously vanished from view.
"Bronya...I...I'm sorry...I heard you crying from the other room, and I was scared that you'd been hurt…"
"So I...I was having a nightmare...I hadn't had one for so long…"
"It's okay, Bronya...it was only a nightmare...none of it was real."
They lay in silence.
"Captain, can you please keep stroking my hair?"
"Of course, Bronya."
Her breathing was back to normal now, and so was her heartbeat.
"Captain...you need to know one thing…it was real. What I dreamed about tonight...all of it happened. And tonight, it all happened to me all over again."
"Do you want to talk about it, Bronya?"
Silence.
"...I do. But not right now."
"Of course, Bronya. It's all up to you."
He kept stroking her hair while his other arm cradled her delicate and petite body, letting her know that she was safe with him.
She rolled herself around until they were face to face. They gazed into each other's eyes. He saw pain and sadness in them, but also happiness and hope.
"I feel so much better whenever I'm with you, captain…whenever I'm with the captain, I'm very happy..."
"That's what a captain is for, Bronya."
With her eyes closed, she smiled.
After another few minutes, he assumed that she had returned to sleep, a much more peaceful one this time. He carefully tried to release her and get up from her bed, but she quickly and firmly wrapped her own arms around him, refusing to let him go. Being a valkyrie meant she had superhuman strength far surpassing a regular human like the captain, and he knew he wasn't going anywhere.
"Don't leave me, captain...please, stay with me tonight…"
He gently kissed her on her forehead as he embraced her back.
They fell back asleep, safe and sound in each other's arms.
...
The captain yawned and opened his eyes. In front of his face was one of a beautiful girl, sleeping peacefully. He smiled and ran a hand through her hair. She stirred slightly.
"Good morning, captain."
"Good morning, Bronya."
She opened her grey eyes and looked into his. She smiled.
"I slept well last night, captain. Did you?"
"Yup."
She slowly sat up and got out of bed, followed closely by the captain. She took a look at the time. Six AM. There was time to make breakfast, and she had just the idea in mind.
"Captain, I once offered to show you how I make borscht. Would you be interested in learning that now? We have some time before class begins…"
"That sounds great. If the school's borscht that I ate really is nothing next to yours, then I'd like nothing more than to know by how much."
She smiled again and walked over to the kitchen area in her dorm. She located the necessary ingredients and began preparing them. Cabbage, beetroot, onions, potatoes, and carrots. She began slicing them with a knife as she explained the process.
"Slice the vegetables into square chunks. Fill a pot with water, pour the chunks into it, and wait for it to boil. And…" She was missing the most important ingredient.
She went back to her bed and took a box out from beneath it. She opened it, and in it, the captain could see several canned containers.
"So, these are…"
"Spetsreserv beef stew. Emergency rations."
"Good idea, Bronya."
She took a can back to the kitchen and opened it. It had a generous quantity of diced beef, which she sliced into pieces before adding them to the pot of boiling water.
"Mix diced beef and chopped potatoes in the pot. Add some salt once the water boils. Then switch to simmer." She placed the lid back onto the pot.
"Normally, I would then need to wait for thirty minutes. But because we don't have that much time, I'll accelerate the process with Project Bunny's heat ray."
"Heat...ray?" he asked, in no hurry to see the murderous machine again.
After materializing it, she had Project Bunny focus a concentrated beam of energy onto the pot. Within seconds, it was nearly ready to eat.
She removed the lid and added a spoonful of sour cream.
"Don't forget to add some sour cream to the soup."
She poured a plate of her special borscht for the captain along with a loaf of bread to dip it with.
From the delightful smell alone, he knew that Bronya's special borscht was far better than the cafeteria's.
"Thanks, Bronya. This smells delicious." He dipped the bread into it and took a bite. His eyes widened at the wondrous sensations that suddenly flooded his mouth. The sour and savoury sensations were simply incomparable to the "borscht" that he'd had the misfortune to consume in the cafeteria, and he'd become addicted to Bronya's cooking with a single bite.
"God, Bronya, you're such an amazing cook. I've only tasted something this good when it was made by Mei…"
She blushed.
"Captain...I know you mean well, but please don't use false flattery and compare me to Mei. My cooking can never live up to hers. I have learned to cook out of necessity, but she is simply on a level of mastery that I'll never reach, and while I'm glad you appreciate my cooking, there's no need to compare it to anyone else's."
"No, Bronya. I really mean it. You're right: Mei's cooking is incredible...and so is yours. I can't believe I'm only finding this out now and that you don't cook for everyone like she does. Everyone is missing out on your talents. And this is another thing that you can hold over Kiana's head, right!"
Her face reddened even more, and she forced herself to look him in the eye.
"Then I accept your compliments, captain. Thank you. I'll continue to improve on my cooking skills...and...I'll continue to cook for you…"
"That sounds wonderful, Bronya. And I'd love to help you cook, too, if you'd let me. I can't believe that I dared to make something as atrocious as that "breakfast" a few days ago…hopefully, I can start by making some borscht of my own with your recipe..."
She didn't want to know the specifics, but she was glad that he wanted to learn from her and glad that she had the opportunity to teach him. She filled another plate and sat down at the table to eat it with him. She still considered Mei's culinary talents to be well beyond hers, but she allowed herself to admit that she was certainly an above-average cook herself.
After they'd finished, the bell rang. It was time for class.
Crap. I enjoyed Bronya's borscht so much that I forgot that I had a meeting with Theresa at this time. Bronya will need to head to class alone. I'm sure she'll be fine…
He explained this to Bronya, and she closed her eyes. "Of course, captain. There's no need to accompany me to all of my classes. I hope your visit with Principal Theresa is a productive one."
...
He exited the room after Bronya to avoid giving off any unwanted impressions. After he turned back around after shutting the door, though, he was dismayed to discover that it hadn't worked.
The fiery redhead stood in front of him, the worst of coincidences. She had been on her way to class, and her route sent her through the hallway that Bronya and the captain's rooms were in.
"Oh? What am I seeing here, captain? You just walked out of Bronya's room when you already have one of your own. What reason could there be for you to be in hers?" she asked him coyly.
Trying his best to appear as calm and unperturbed as possible, he said "Good morning, Major Murata. I realize that this may not be the best look for me, but rest assured that I was in Bronya's room simply because she wanted to teach me how she cooks borscht. Her borscht really is the best in the world, you know. Even St. Freya cafeteria's borscht comes nowhere close. You can ask her yourself the next time you see her. Maybe she'll even agree to teach you."
Himeko laughed, a beautiful sound to behold. "First of all, I'm not Major Murata here. I'm just Professor Murata. And second, I hadn't realized that you and Bronya had grown close enough for her to teach you anything. That girl doesn't open up to people unless she trusts them wholeheartedly, and…" She walked up to him, her face uncomfortably close to his, "You should be glad that she has. Bronya is a special girl, and you're lucky to be such a good friend of hers. That's why you're even here at St. Freya in the first place, aren't you, captain?" She winked as she stepped back.
"Yes, Professor Murata. I'm glad that I'm her captain. I need to head to the Principal's office now, if you'll let me."
"I won't - since I want to tell you something of my own." She leaned in again. "I may not know much about borscht, but I do know a thing or two about wine. I keep only the rarest and most expensive ones in my room, and if you're ever interested…" She smiled before heading off to the class she was about to teach. "I'm glad you're settling in so well already, captain. I look forward to seeing what kind of man you'll be like in six months. Ciao!"
He watched her head off, unsure what to think. He checked the time again and began speed walking towards Theresa's office. Hopefully, he wouldn't need to run.
...
"...the aftermath of the Second Honkai Eruption was in some ways worse than the eruption itself for the victims affected. One of the world's foremost superpowers, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, collapsed into various infighting factions in the wake of the destruction the Herrscher of the Void inflicted, as they remain to this day. Hundreds of warlords fought each other to seize whatever power and territory they could, and, short of manpower, many resorted to forcing children, most of them orphans, into military service and sexual slavery," lectured Professor Nokianen.
Bronya's grip on her pen tightened. She was unable to look at the gruesome pictures displayed on the screen.
"...the Silver Wolf of the Urals is believed to be one of these unfortunate child soldiers. While her identity and fate remain unknown, she has been said to be female, and she became the most feared assassin in the region. Before her unexplained disappearance in 2012, she killed dozens, if not thousands of targets without fail. Her notoriety became such that it was even rumoured that Honkai beasts avoided the areas she was known to operate in…"
A teardrop escaped from her eye and stained the textbook beneath her face. She wanted to scream. She wanted to tell Professor Nokianen to shut up and never speak again. She wanted to stand up and run away from that abhorrent classroom and never look back.
But then she remembered the way he gently embraced her in his arms. The way he whispered softly in her ears that he was there for her. The way she always felt safe whenever she was with him.
She remembered the stars glittering in the sky above them, and she remembered the hope and happiness she had felt with him. That hope and happiness outweighed whatever pain she felt, at least momentarily, and she smiled as she looked forward to the next time she could see him again.
More teardrops joined the first, but this time, she was glad to shed them.
A/N: thanks for reading. This was originally posted to Archive of Our Own.