Hallo~ Welcome to another chapter of fluffiness with the valkyries. I keep on my quest to bring some love to Honkai Impact, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did while writing it. Have fun~

Fiery Astilbes

"These are Captain's thoughts. I would be rude of me to look" The girl with glasses said, hiding her eyes behind the reflex.

Right now her friends were all sitting on the bed of Captain's room, and the little nun known as Theresa waved the book at her, as one would bait a dog with a treat. The fact that Theresa and Himeko, the adult ones, were also getting involved in this.

"Come on, the girls already saw some of it, and we're here anyway. Are you sure you don't wanna see?~" Theresa teased her, waving the book back and forth. Fu Hua cleared her throat and fixed her glasses once again. A warrior had to possess a will of iron.

"Since it has come to it..." Her will of iron could be put aside momentarily, though. Just a quick look wouldn't hurt, right? Taking a seat on the bed along with the other girls, Fu Hua got the journal from Theresa, slowly opening it as if the book had a bomb wired to it. Her eyes quickly scanned a few pages, then the little nun pointed somewhere on the page.

"Ah, there! This looks like the first page Captain wrote on you" The valkyries gathered closer, looking over Fu Hua's shoulders as the girl began to read.

"Let's see..."

Yo, Journal, guess what? I got to meet a new person today. She is one of the students at St. Freya, and she is even in the same class as the girls. She wears glasses and ties her gray hair into a loose ponytail. Her name is Fu Hua. Very polite girl, just like Mei, although a little too serious, I think. We met because she came to the Hyperion looking for Kiana, something about remedial classes. Tsk, tsk, if that bottomless pit Kaslana studied as much as she ate, she would have no problems with her grades at all. Well, I'm glad Kiana's classmates are there to help.

"Oi, that was mean, Captain!" Kiana whined as Mei hid her smile behind a hand. Bronya would have snickered if she could.

"It doesn't sound like he meant harm. And to say your intake of calories is above average is an understatement, Kiana" The class president said, adjusting her glasses. "Well, I don't see anything out of normal here, so I'll take my leave-"

"Wait a minute there, we just went through the first paragraph. Look at how much text there is~" Himeko cut her, also preventing Fu Hua from getting up. The girl with glasses glanced at the nun sitting on her other side, and her face full of glee told Fu Hua she wasn't out of the hook yet.

Ne, Journal, Honkai fighting aside, the valkyries at St. Freya are all young girls, right? I mean, this is still a high school and all, you know? It's just that… remember that girl I told you about, the girl with glasses? Of course you remember, I wrote that not long ago… Anyway, today I learned that Fu Hua is not only the class president but also the top student from the academy. Like, a true genius like Bronya, though the only reason why the Russian loli isn't top one is her minor struggle with History. It is a difference of two or three points. And you have to believe me, Journal, there is even more to be amazed about Fu Hua.

Today the girls had a simulated team training and Theresa invited me to watch from behind the curtains, just so I could get more familiar with their training methods. Kiana, Mei, and Bronya performed pretty well, albeit Kiana's impulsive nature proved to be a double-edged sword. However, when Fu Hua entered the team, taking Bronya's role as the "tactician", well, let's say that in a real situation, I would feel sorry for whoever stood in their way.

The class president not only managed to direct Kiana the loose cannon Kaslana with laser precision, but she also covered all of Mei's liabilities with expertise. It was watching a live operation of a special squadron with many missions on their belts. I can't even explain here how she managed to solve the most complex situations with the tranquility and elegance of a high ranked commander. It is hard to believe Fu Hua is a high school girl just like Kiana, Mei, and Bron, yet here we are.

"Wow, look at all that praise from Captain. I bet you're feeling very proud of yourself, Fu Hua~" The redhead lady teased Fu Hua, playfully patting her on the head. Meanwhile, the gray-haired girl slowly but surely hid her face in the book.

"Oh, I remember Captain asking if you were a former student that day. Hehe, his face when I said no was priceless~" Theresa added, smiling happily.

"It is only expected that the Class President would be recognized by her efforts. Unlike a certain idiotka" Bronya made her sharp comment, but before Kiana could start another argument, Mei intervened.

"Let's keep reading, shall we?"

Okay, okay. Let's think this through. Fu Hua is a young girl at high school and a valkyrie in training, right? Then how come she is so good at martial arts? Journal, you had to see it, the scores at the imaginary archives. She had the top simulation scores against a Chariot class honkai beast. A Chariot. Alone. Oh, and I got invited for a sparring session today. I was just passing and stopped to look at the girls training, them I noticed Fu Hua training alone. She also noticed me and Himeko told me to go a round against her. Let me tell you that I do have hand-to-hand combat training, Journal and that I graduated in the top ten of my class. I felt pretty confident in my skills, even if I was against someone who fought Honkai.

"Oh, I think I know how that went…" Himeko said.

Before we started Himeko said "don't go too much overboard", and I really thought she was telling me to take it easy with Fu Hua. Well, I think it is safe to say that my sorry butt got served to me on a silver plate. Then Himeko showed me her simulation results. Paint me impressed, Fu Hua is in another league when it comes to martial arts. If not for her looks, anyone would mistake her for a master of the highest grade, which makes me wonder… since when does she train?

"Ah, I remember that day too. Captain went flying and landed like a sack of potatoes" The white-haired girl with braids said, drawing the trajectory in the air with her hand.

"Kiana, please be a little more considerate of Captain" Mei lightly pinched Kiana's ear, though poor Captain really got tossed like a rag doll.

"Ahem~ Since it was Captain, I didn't expect him to be, well…" Fu Hua tried to justify herself but that would lead to making even less of his image, so she quietly looked down with a slightly embarrassed face.

"Don't worry, Fu Hua. It's not that Captain is hopeless. You're the one above-average here" Said the small nun, showing a little of her "Principal wisdom".

~sigh~ They just look like high school girls, don't they, Journal? I was talking with Himeko about the girls, rather she was complaining about Kiana sinking her bonifications, and I asked her where Fu Hua was from. Well, turns out they are not completely sure. Fu Hua is certainly from somewhere in China but anything beyond that is a lucky guess. I asked her if Theresa didn't search up on her past or something, and Himeko told me she did. Not a single conclusive clue was found as if everything about her past has been erased.

Later on, I got to talk with Fu Hua and somehow dragged the chat over that topic. Fu Hua doesn't remember much of her past either. Parents, siblings, nothing. She can tell each and every village or city she lived in, but as far as she can tell, the girl had been by herself. And during all this time, she has been training. Apparently, Fu Hua does it out of instinct, having taught herself based on some ancient scrolls she found in an old temple. It all sounds so… sad.

The Valkyrie were all aware of Fu Hua's condition, and she didn't make a big deal out of it. In her own words, the reasons to live should be taken from the present and directed to the future. Wise words for someone so young. Still, upon reading the thoughts of the captain of Hyperion, Fu Hua felt something stirring inside her chest.

I can't imagine how tough it must have been to her, Journal. No one? Really? If I was in her position, I'm not sure how much longer I would handle it all. But Fu Hua, she… she looks so at peace with this. It's like she does not have any reason to bother that she pretty much grew up alone in this world. Yet…

...

Ne, Journal? Do you believe in auras or these things? I mean, I think this is silly but… the other day I came to observe the valkyries training and again, Fu Hua put quite the show with her skills. Only this time, maybe because I know she doesn't remember her past, I saw her in a different light. I started to wonder, why does she fight? What is motivating her? We are all in a battle against an alien force beyond our reach and most of us fight to survive or protect something dear to us. So, what is she fighting for? Is it simply because she could do something about it?

While I don't have any doubts about her selflessness, I think it is something else. Back to the aura thing, Fu Hua looks like she is waiting for something. I don't know, she gives out that vibe of someone patiently waiting. Is it because she meditates a lot too? Hmm, I wonder… maybe she is waiting for someone to come looking for her…

That's it, I gotta do something. Even if Fu Hua thinks she is alone in this world…

As always, Journal, it is easier said than done. It's been a week and I'm out of ideas. It's not like I can drop by the classroom and have a casual chat with her every day. Actually, I heard a few things around and Fu Hua might have a schedule tighter than mine. The big question is, how to make her feel included and important? I mean, sure, everyone at St. Freya recognizes her efforts and looks up to her as a role model, but it has to be something beyond the academic life, right? Hmm, how does she spend her free time…?

Okay, okay, just asked Himeko and Fu Hua has a few hobbies. Surprisingly, she likes to play games. That's a little unexpected, coming from the strict and mostly always serious class president. Perhaps I could set a game night along with Bronya too… umm, maybe going slower would be a better approach. Oh well, I'll think of something in the way. Time to impress miss Martial Arts with my amazing gaming skills~

"Ah… judging by the date here, it's around the time Captain challenged me to a duel on Soukai Street Fighters V" The girl with glasses said.

"And how did that went?" Theresa asked with curiosity.

"Well…"

Once again I have sabotaged myself, Journal. Fu Hua, she…

She is an absolute beast at Soukai Street Fighters! And I thought all these plays with Bronya would have honed my skills…

"Subject Captain is persistent, but he has a long path ahead of him if he wants to be on the top ten," The Russian loli said.

"Umu. He is a promising player, and I think he would be a serious contender if he followed the path to pro gaming" Fu Hua said with a confident smile.

"At least you could warn him that you are the number two player in most global ranks" Himeko added, making the class president scratch her head and laugh nervously.

That won't do at all, Journal. Despite being an awesome player, I can't say Fu Hua really likes to play at all. It's mostly about the scores for her, you know? I get it the everyone wants to be the best but if she focuses solely on that, there will be tons of other things she'll miss. Like having fun, for example. Seriously, Fu Hua is serious about everything she does… Don't get me wrong, Journal, this is a commendable trait to have, but I wish I could help her to take it easy some times.

Huh, today was l an odd day. Fu Hua seemed awfully distant, even if she looked normal to everyone else. Am I seeing too much into it? Maybe, but still, that look in her eyes… even if she hid it behind her glasses and her role as the class president, something was bothering her. I think I saw that before, back at school. One of our instructors was a former squad leader and she had been through some serious operations. It isn't anything uncommon that she was the only one remaining from that team. She was a good instructor and a good person, and she always motivated us to fight for what we cared about in any way we could, yet she had that look in her eyes. The look of someone who lost something precious and couldn't do anything about it.

It is the same eyes Fu Hua had today, or at least it is what I think. Perhaps she has days like this now and then. I refuse to believe she doesn't mind in the slightest that she doesn't know her family. Can someone miss a person they don't have any memory of?

To the valkyries around, it sounded like Captain being a perceptive person as usual, at least based on what they've read so far. However, to the grey-haired girl with glasses, these words written on that book that they shouldn't be reading held a deeper meaning.

"Captain…" She said softly under her breath, barely audible even to the girls close to her. Fu Hua's mind started to wander.

"Even before that day, you saw completely through me, didn't you…?"

Fu Hua had many secrets, things she had to conceal in order to achieve her goal. She built up the facade of the Class President as she did many times before. She had a purpose and she had to fulfill it. A promise has been made and she planned on keeping it. She honestly cared for her classmates, especially for the squad close to her, but some parts of her life should not be disclosed. It wasn't like she lied about losing her memories. It was simply a matter of how much she actually remembered.

Looking at the date of this last part, Fu Hua figured why Captain managed to see through her. In that day, she remembered… rather, she forced herself to relive a shadow of her own past, finding memories long lost that she was very fond of. She was glad that she could have a tiny part of them back, but that put things into perspective for the gray-haired valkyrie.

How much of her life did she miss? How many precious moments we're tossed into the dark abyss of forgetfulness? Fu Hua knew from the beginning that her path was one to be walked alone, yet she failed every time. Again and again, she failed to keep completely detached, and honestly? Who could blame her?

Having wandered the lands for so long and seen empires rise and fall, it was inevitable that she would make bonds, only for them to be broken by the pass of time. At least the memories would persist in her mind, or so she thought.

And in the middle of these feelings, these swirls that put her heart at such a state of unrest, he came to her. Captain, apparently not more perceptive than the average person, somehow read her like the open book in her lap right now. Her eyes followed the lines with great focus.

I felt that I had to say something, you know, Journal? So I walked to her before she headed to her dorms, or to the gym, probably. It was at the end of the afternoon and despite Fu Hua saying she was fine when I asked, her eyes told me otherwise. So I took every bit of courage I had and said what I had in mind. I wasn't really sure if it would do any good to her, listening to my opinions, but I felt that she deserved to know I was there for her.

The class president could recall his words from that afternoon as if they were written on the pages. After all, Captain helped her see her situation under a new light.

That afternoon...

"Umm, Fu Hua, I know I'm not really into position to say anything but… I think it is really sad that you don't remember your past. I mean, it is good to live in the moment and all but… sometimes it looks like you're still waiting for something, you know?"

The girl with glasses looked at the captain with a surprised face but didn't say anything yet, so he went on.

"It may sound a little silly, but I think you definitely can miss someone, even if you don't remember them. And that got me thinking that you might carry this with you all the time. But-"

Captain softly held her shoulders, surprising Fu Hua even more.

"If you can't have these memories, then let's build more. It won't replace what you've lost, I know, but you can have something else to fight for. I mean- What I want to say is… I… I care for you, and everyone around you does too. So you don't have to carry this weight alone. If you ever need to cry or shout or something… just tell me, okay?" He finished with a wavering smile.

Fu Hua let his words sink for a moment, then her surprised face softened and she sighed, eyes closed, and gently moving his hands from her.

"Thank you for the consideration, Captain. You didn't have to go all the way to cheer me up, but you did anyway. I'm really glad for having people like Principal Theresa, Major Himeko, and the girls around. And I'm glad I could meet you too" Fu Hua said.

The young Captain stood still for a moment. What now?

"I'm glad I could meet you too, Fu Hua" She smiled at his response and turned to leave, but then she stopped to say one more thing.

"Well then, let's build more memories from now on, Captain"

"Hm, let's do it," He said with a nod.

...

After saying this, Fu Hua looked like a weight had been removed from her chest. We didn't get really close in the end, mostly because she is almost always busy, and so am I. Given how things are moving now, she would probably be a part of the squad, along with Kiana, Mei, and Bronya. I'm definitely looking forward to having Fu Hua aboard the Hyperion.

Ah, and I'm slowly breaking that strict side of her. We play some games now and then, and regardless of me still getting wrecked, she seems to be less focused on the scores alone. She even offered to teach me in the ways of Six Fists. I would have accepted without thinking but something tells me I'm in for some spartan training. Maybe sometime later on...

"Aw, isn't it the cutest thing you had ever seen?~" Himeko said, teasing the girl with glasses, who kept a straight face.

"Captain is a gentle person, it is only natural," Fu Hua said with confidence, fixing her glasses to hide the tiny rosy tones in her cheeks.

"Oi, that's all? Where are the embarrassing parts?!" Kiana piped up, looking over Fu Hua's shoulder and almost making them fall forward.

"Kiana, don't jump on Captain's bed," Said Mei as she held the white-haired girl back.

"It is highly unlikely that the Class President would have any embarrassing moments written down. Kiana Idiotka, on the other hand…" Bronya stated in her flat tone.

"Calm down, you two, I'm still reading here" Theresa turned back to the book and then something caught her eye. "Hmm, about that for embarrassing?~"

Haha, Journal, hear this. The other day I caught Fu Hua sulking at a corner and I went to see if she was alright. I didn't even say anything and her head shot up, looking at me like a kid that lost her toy. She whined something about grinding and bad luck, then I noticed. In her hands was a phone and what seemed to be a famous gacha game I saw somewhere else. But the best part was when I commented about a few rare pulls I got in another game. She might also know this game because with the flip of a switch, Fu Hua got up and with sparkling eyes. Now I'm her unofficial pull lucky charm.

"There it is!~" Kiana exclaimed, getting up and pointing at the book with a triumphant pose. "Not even the top student Fu Hua could escape, fufufu~"

"Well, it is one embarrassing moment for Fu Hua. How many did Captain write about you, my dear niece?~" Theresa said, holding a smug smile as Kiana's confidence waned and she fiddled with her fingers.

"Erm…"

"~ahem~ It was but a moment of weakness. I have been doing better at pulls lately…" Fu Hua said in her defense. Meanwhile, Himeko picked the book from her lap to keep reading it herself.

Astilbes. Each stem holds clusters of flowers that look like plumes of tiny feathers. It comes in colors of pink and red, white, lavender and peach. This fluffy summer flower is very strong despite looking so delicate, and she originates from the mountains and woodlands of China and Japan. It totally matches Fu Hua, you know, Journal? The astilbe is a symbol of patience and dedication, especially to someone you love. If you give one to a person, you're basically saying that you'll be waiting for them. I can't tell exactly what is she waiting for, but I'm sure Fu Hua cares a lot about it. Hmm, does she like flowers? I probably shouldn't assume all girls like flowers, but wouldn't it be nice if…

"Oh ho, Captain certainly has a way with words, the smooth-talking silly boy," Himeko said, closing the book with one hand, only to have it snatched by Fu Hua.

"That's enough prying on Captain's belongings. We should be somewhere else" She said, trying to be the voice of reason. However, a certain nun had other plans.

Acting faster than the grey-haired girl could react, Theresa got the book to herself, taunting Fu Hua by waving it like a fan.

"Fufufu, not so fast, miss Astilbes, I didn't get to see Captain's thoughts on me yet~"

"Principal, please set the example. How are we supposed to enforce the rules if we don't follow them?" Fu Hua said, reasoning with the small nun. As much as she looked like a twelve years old girl, Theresa was the principal of St. Freya and a powerful valkyrie, definitely someone deserving of respect. However…

"Erm… can't I just take a quick look?" That respectable image often clashed with the completely opposite one of a childish and at times mischievous young girl.

"Hmm, you are saying that but you already went through it yourself, miss Astilbes~" Said Himeko, also putting Fu Hua in a difficult position.

Shifting in her place a little, Theresa took some time to think and decided herself.

"Well, since we're here already… it's not like something bad would happen at all" She said, opening the journal and flipping through the pages to find any entries about her.

"Oh, here. Let's see…"

End of Chapter

There you go. It's always good to see these chapters done, reread everything. Really warms my lil heart. Anyway, hope you guys have enjoyed, thanks for your time reading this and for the support. Leave a review if you feel like and see y'all soon(I'll try) bye~