The Second Prelude
Herta's space station was still a mess. Stelle thought to herself as she slammed her bat towards another creature of the Antimatter Legion.
The lance was cool, extremely cool, every now and then she would just hold it because of how amazing it looked.
It felt right for her to hold it, but it didn't come close to this bat.
This bat felt right in her hands. This bat is her and she is this bat.
"Boink!" Another swing, another monster down.
"Bonk!" Another swing, another beast killed.
Yup, this bat felt right in her hands.
She suddenly stiffened. Quickly looking around, making sure that no one heard her. She already got caught rummaging through the trash barrels on Belobog, she doesn't need more ammunition for the others to tease her.
She was outside the Control Center, and deep within the storage area, fighting off the remaining creatures of the Legion because the giant Wubbaboo lost its little brethren again. They were cute creatures, despite the amount of mischief that they can bring.
No one else is around this area, and most of the people who are actually able to fight off the creatures were too busy being guards for the safe areas or were helping elsewhere on the station.
So it was up to her to clean up the mess. She isn't complaining, it's a great stress reliever.
It's been a day since the incident with Silver Wolf, and Stelle truly couldn't wrap her head around the whole thing. It's not that she didn't understand what happened, it's more like she didn't understand how it happened.
When they finally confronted Silver Wolf, she (Stelle) put on this air of confidence– in other words she was bullshitting.
But how could she not?! Screwllum looked just too cool at that moment, it got to her head.
Stelle is smart, but most of the time she would rather just turn off her brain. It's not exactly "trailblazer-like" to be lazy but this is just how she is.
And can you truly call her lazy? She was the one who was cleaning up the Antimatter Legion on the space shuttle. She has no idea how so many are still left.
Her inner monologue was broken by the shrieking of the creatures. This time those shrieks weren't caused by her. She turned around.
Across the large storage room, close to the door, a large alien-looking centaur stood completely still. Stelle assumed– based on how loud the screech was– the sound came from a Trampler (or she assumed that's what they're called, she doesn't exactly remember).
The alien centaur split in half and crashed into the floor. A cloud of dust appeared after the impact.
"Are you the one they call 'Hero'?" A mature and feminine voice echoed from the dust.
Walking out and appearing in her vision, Stelle saw a beautiful woman. She couldn't see much of the woman because of the distance but she was able to tell that it was definitely a woman.
"Yeah?" Humoring the woman, Stelle responded back– raising her voice so the woman on the other side could hear her. "And who are you?"
She blinked, and the woman was gone, a breeze flowed through her hair. A breeze? Inside a room, far from the vents?
"My previous friends called me Rosemary." The voice did not come from in front of her, no, this time the voice whispered from behind.
Stelle leaped, turning around midair and with her bat to the ready.
"But I really go by–" Stelle got a good look at the woman.
Long honey-blonde hair with a bang that covers one of her reddish-pink eyes. Her dark purple frilled dress– decorated with glowing violet roses– left very little to the imagination.
"Rita." She spoke, her seductive voice left a calming feeling in Stelle's ears. She bowed forward. "Nice to meet you, Hero."
Has such a beautiful woman always been here? Stelle thought to herself.
"Are you with the space station?" Stelle asked, to most, that would be a dumb question, but for this specific scenario it was a fair question because, "I've never seen you around here before."
Stelle doesn't have a bad memory (despite the amnesia), but it's not like she remembers every face she comes across.
She definitely would have remembered someone as eccentric as the woman in front of her. Maybe Rita arrived with Screwllum? No, probably not, she would have seen her there if she was.
She heard a small noise behind her, and then remembered the reason why she was here in the first place.
"Ah, look, I would love to listen to whatever you have to say, but um…" Stelle clapped her hands in apology, and turned her head towards the small Wubbaboo's cowering in the corner. "I gotta return these little guys."
"Wubbaboo's?" Rita asked, slightly in curiosity and slightly in amazement. This would be the second time that she's seen one.
She walked towards them, all of them expressing different emotions but still cowered in the corner.
She kneeled down and held out her hand.
A cackle of electricity sparked between her fingers.
"What are you–" Before Stelle could finish her question, one of the tiny spirits jumped towards Rita's hand, nuzzling its head into it.
"Hmm, now that's interesting." She gently scratched at its head, and it released a small coo.
"How did you do that?" Stelle asked, staring at the cooing ghost.
"I suppose it could be because," She paused and a ring echoed, followed by another ring. Stelle moved her gaze towards the woman's dress (where the ringing was definitely coming from) and found a small lantern hanging off of the dress from the woman's waist– like a small keychain.
"I'm very familiar with mischief."
The giant Wubbaboo gave a gleeful cheer before vanishing from sight, along with the smaller ones that Stelle gathered.
As it turns out, Rita had followed Stelle the whole way. A few weird glances were cast their way, but since everyone was too busy with their own duties they waved it off– perhaps it was just another member of the Express. There would have been an awkward silence between the two if it were not for the delighted coo's of the Wubbaboo's. Everytime Stelle tried to pet them they would back away from her.
She definitely wasn't jealous, she wanted to pet the cute ghosts too!
Now it was just the two of them. The room filled with complete silence, if they truly listened they could even hear their own breathing.
"So…" Stelle started, wanting to break this awkward tension. "What is it you wanted?"
Rita side-eyed her with a mischievous smirk. "Nothing much, just wanted to take in the grace of the Hero of both Belobog and the Space Station."
She leaned in close, their faces inches away from each other. The height difference was noticeable from a close distance. The top of Rita's head reached only to Stelle's eyes. "You really are tall."
"Thank you?" The entire conversation felt weird for Stelle, but at the same time it felt so similar. The image of another flirty mature woman with a purple theme came to the back of her mind.
Rita backed off after fully analyzing the Trailblazer, and her gaze changed from teasing to serious in a split second.
"What do you know of your past?" She asked, completely throwing Stelle off guard.
"My past?" She knew nothing about herself before she woke up on the station, the last thing she remembered before then was a woman's voice.
Kafka…
"Nothing." She answered truthfully.
"Hm, well I suppose that's to be expected." Rita hummed.
Why did Rita mention it in the first place? Stelle thought. Could it be– "Do you–"
Rita cut her off with a shake of her hand and a sympathetic smile.
"Nope, sadly I know as much about your past as you do. Sorry." That is to say, she knew nothing.
"However, I do know of something that can help you." She pulled out a small device (from where? Stelle couldn't see any pockets in her dress) and held it between them. The screen turned on and a hologram of a certain planet appeared.
(Although he isn't here, Welt would know exactly what planet it is; sadly, for him, it isn't exactly the same planet).
"This is Terra. A planet near the edge of the universe. What makes this planet different from most like it is one factor. There exist creatures on Terra that exist solely for humanity's destruction."
An entity that lives along with humanity and exists solely for humanity's extinction. Isn't that a familiar story? Rita had released an amused–and tired– scoff when she first heard of it.
"They evolved along with humanity, neither side growing stronger than the other, that is until five hundred years ago– according to Terra's calendar– when certain humans on Terra were born with something special."
The hologram of the planet changed to one of a humanoid figure, one covered with different elements.
"Humans born with abilities different from most, it became a time of hope. Even when no one knew the source of these abilities, they knew that it could become their greatest hope against their enemies."
It was an interesting story, but one question entered Stelle's mind. "Who exactly are their enemies?"
The hologram changed again, this time into a familiar figure– a Reaver.
"Naturally born Antimatter Legion, or so that's what many think. No one finds the risk of visiting the planet worth the rewards, if there are any. Terra resides in a solar system that is considered 'outcasted' from the rest of the universe. The only reason we know of its existence is because of Akivili."
"Are they really the same, the Antimatter Legion I mean?"
Rita shrugged. "No one knows, outside of those who live on the planet, of course. I call them similar simply because of their looks, but their similar appearance could just be a coincidence."
Rita clicked on the side of the device, the hologram disappeared, and the screen turned off. She placed her hand behind her back and the device seemed to vanish.
Does she really have pockets? Stelle asked. That question is definitely going to haunt her for a while.
"Have you heard of Elio?" Rita brought Stelle's attention back to the conversation, having only heard the name once or twice.
"The leader of the Stellaron hunters, and 'destiny's slave', right?" She remembered Herta called him (her? them?) that once. She knew for a fact that he was the leader of the Stellaron Hunters, confirmation that came from Kafka herself.
"A figure of his past hides on Terra, I don't doubt that he could have some answers for you." The second part was a lie. Rita did not know if he knew the purpose behind Stelle either, but if it meant getting to see him again, if it meant knowing that he was okay–
One or two little lies won't hurt anyone.
"That…" Stelle doubted it, but at the same time there could be truth in her statement (she didn't know).
The existence of that solar system is only known because of Akivili, so that means that it's definitely a stop on the Express. If she persuaded the rest of the crew enough, she could convince them to visit the planet–
But then she would be forgetting something. "I would love to go." I would love to have some answers. "But… there's a crisis on Luofu that needs settling."
"A hero, through and through, huh?" Rita hummed, actual satisfaction present in her tone when she heard Stelle's answer.
But she didn't come here for nothing. Didn't sneak on here just to be booked for another time.
She found some of her answers when she finally met Elio. She remembered that day, that moment.
A dark cloak covered most of his form, but his glowing yellow eyes pierced through that darkness. She bowed merely to show respect.
"You have a question." He stated simply.
"I do." Rita nodded, then stood up. "There is someone I need you to see for."
With that manhaving been lost within this vast universe, Rita found herself slightly fortunate that the first person she met was a universal fortune teller– or at least Rita assumed so, from what the rest of the Stellaron Hunters say. She was here to ask this question just to confirm for herself…
And to know of the whereabouts of that man.
She pulls out a picture and flips it over. "Are you able to find this person?"
And his reaction was not one she expected. Rita was all too familiar with cloaked figures, so she was able to tell the physical responses of one who wears a cloak.
His figure stiffened, as if in surprise. He took a step forward, closer to her, and he held out his hand.
She handed the photo to him, and she heightened her own senses.
A photo of a familiar young man– apparently one very familiar to Elio too.
"No wonder you weren't on the scripts before." He released a heavy breath along with a soft murmur. If she wasn't paying close attention, she wouldn't have heard him.
He gripped the photo tightly in his hand, and his breath began to waver. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths through his nose. This occurred within a single second, but Rita was still able to see.
He knows, on a level that Rita was not expecting, but he knows who that person is.
He gave back the photo.
"Are you able to find him?" She asked again.
"What's your relationship to him?" He asked, with a strange tone in his voice.
"He's my most precious person." She answered without hesitation.
"I see…" As Elio continued to gaze into her eyes, analyzing her, she did the same. A small tint appeared in Elio's eyes, one of realization.
"I'll see what I can do." He gave his final answer. A heavy tone in his voice that Rita recognized greatly, it was one that filled her voice when she lost him.
She left the room with a bow right after.
The very next "day", Rita sneaked towards his location– having never left.
She heard him murmuring the same phrase over and over, but each time his voice was filled with a different emotion.
"He's alive." Filled with rage.
"He's alive." Filled with grief.
"He's alive." Filled with relief.
"He's alive." Filled with sorrow.
"Terra, he's alive on Terra." Elio spoke, as if speaking to another person, but Rita couldn't hear anyone else in that room besides him. "Terra isn't appearing in the scripts anymore, he must be there!"
He took a few seconds to calm himself down, before asking, "What about the woman? It's not to the same extent, but she's a familiar existence to him. Like him, she has no place in the script."
Rita knew that he was talking to someone else, but no matter how hard she listened, she couldn't hear any other voice.
"Is she? Is that so?" With a sigh of resignation, Elio sat down, Rita could hear that but she couldn't hear the voice speaking to him.
"Then, I'll send Kafka to Terra, if she fails me this once then I'll go myself." Elio got up and Rita heard his footsteps growing louder– closer.
He swung the door open, fully expecting someone to be there.
There was no one there. Only a small gust of wind.
She had left the Stellaron Hunters quickly thereafter and did research on her own time. Research about the Hunters' existence, about Terra and its solar system, about everything that she found to be connected in some possible way.
And near the end of it all, it led her to one possibility. One element that can lead her closer to her goal.
From the Hunters, she heard of their latest experiment, of a person holding a Stellaron within their body. She heard of an express that can move across the galaxies, visiting a multitude of planets. She heard of a hero that came from a space station that belonged to a powerful and famous genius. She heard of a hero that saved a planet from its crisis.
She heard of the "Main Character".
"I see, I understand your decision. I'll respect it, but if you ever wish for answers, you know what to ask for." Rita did not leave after her statement, instead she stayed.
"However," She paused, "Can I ask for a favor?"
Rita was mysterious and weird, but that wasn't anything new for Stelle, so she agreed.
"Thank you, can you close your eyes?"
It was a weird request, but who was Stelle to reject such a beautiful woman? She closed her eyes.
She felt Rita's soft hands cup her cheeks, and then her hot breath near her face. Rita's soothing voice whispered–
"Seiðr. Galdr Farið."
That was the last thing Stelle heard before her mind fell into unconsciousness.
The One Who Shouldn't Exist
They stood on the broken Hyperion, small pieces of the battleship began to float away into the distance, to be forever lost within the vast everything of the Sea. A figure stood tall, and behind that figure was a large branch. Underneath all of them was a large leaf.
And underneath that leaf, a million small bubbles floated "downwards", to be engulfed by the Sea below.
The Captain had brought them here to bid his farewells, the crew did not take that well (more specifically, Rita and Kongming did not take it well).
He stubbornly kept his reasons to himself, not attempting to explain, causing a fight to ensue. The entire quarrel passed like a blur. Bronie disappeared, Kongming was unconscious, Rita was defeated, and Kasumi was nowhere to be seen (she just recently joined their crew too).
"You're an idiot." She spat, not from hatred but from love.
"I know."
"You're an idiot."
She wanted to understand why it had to end up like this. She wanted to know how it ended up like this. She knew Captain like the back of her hand, but she wouldn't be able to understand his reasoning if he never gave context. She saw the signs early, but for his sake she never questioned, because she knew that he would only give subtle hints. His eyes, ones that once brightened her own world, hollowed and grim.
"What's the point of a crew—" she sobbed, wanting to scream at the jerk, but the man cut her off.
"If a Captain doesn't use it, I know." He finished her sentence, as if he heard it a hundred times.
It was then she realized.
"How many times?" She asked, she did not need to elaborate, he already knew what she meant.
"I've long since lost count."
"Why?" She asked another question, but did not finish it, she assumed that he understood.
And he did.
"I shouldn't have touched the Tree," he said, glancing at the giant and sturdy branch behind him.
"I've unintentionally made an enemy, and it will not let this crew exist and it won't let me live.
"Many, many times you two were able to convince me that I wasn't alone, that I didn't have to suffer alone."
He took a deep breath before continuing, "But I can't take it anymore, I can't let your lives end like that anymore."
The large piece of debris that they stood on began to float faster. Behind Rita a smaller "bubble" appeared.
"A Being that calls itself the Finality has its eyes on me and only me, but when it begins to understand your existence I don't doubt that it'll go after you too."
He took a step backwards, the platform that they were on began to move closer to the smaller "bubble". Rita understood his intentions, as if by instinct.
"Tell Kongming I said this too—" He spoke, just one step away from the edge.
She quickly—yet gently—placed Kongming down and shot upwards onto her feet.
He placed a foot off the edge. "Thank you, and,"
"Captain!"
"I love you."
She leaped forward, but he was already falling.
"CAPTAIN!"
A solemn smile graced his face as he fell into the emptiness behind him.
She held her hand, grabbing onto absolutely nothing. The large piece of debris they were on vanished into the bubble.
The very next moment, Rita found her and Kongming in a different setting. She laid on the ground, the grass covered her form with a green glow. Right behind her Kongming still lay unconscious, but still alive.
She's never seen or heard from him since.