Mei found her life suddenly far more bearable with this friend. It seemed that whenever the darkest clouds would gather in would come Kiana: the light piercing through the gloom. When a group of students crowded around her desk, taking advantagd of her polite upbringing and gentle demeanor to spew hateful and hurtful comments about her father and insinuate she had a hand in the alleged crimes he took part in, Kiana suddenly charged in and stood protectively beside her. Kiana pulled no punches, demanding why "they thought such things about such an awesome person like Mei-senpai" and "do you think I'll just let you badmouth her". It took Mei by surprise, but she realized a gentle touch on Kiana's arm would bring her friend's hackles back down to the point she just glared threateningly for a few more seconds before turning and fretting over Mei herself.
"Are you ok? They didn't touch you right?" While Kiana was busy looking out for Mei she missed the warm smile that settled on her face, and Mei pretended to not feel the soft flutter of warmth in her chest as her new best friend acted as both protector and confidant. Soon she leaned into that feeling subconsciously as days went by. Of course that is not to say she only took from their friendship!
One day Kiana found Mei on the roof for lunch and happily offered to sit with her. Mei demurely accepted, pleased to have someone she could spend her free moment with. Or rather someone whom she wanted to be around choosing to be with her. They chatted idly about things until Mei opened her bento and Kiana's stomach let out a gurgle that actually silenced the white haired chatterbox. Mei suddenly looked over at Kiana worriedly. While Kiana was fit and she wasn't exactly too thin, Mei saw that maybe her friend wasn't getting quite enough to eat. So when Kiana looked at Mei's bento with undisguised yearning, she made her first contribution to what soon become a joy in her life.
"Kiana-chan... would you like to try a bit of this?"
Kiana's eyes lit up, and Mei found the innocence in them almost too endearing to ignore. She offered her chopsticks to Kiana, only now realizing Kiana hadn't brought any food. "Are you sure? That looks like it was made by a real pro and probably expensive..."
"Really? I just made it myself though..." Mei answered, flattered by Kiana's unknowing compliment. The other girl gently accepted the chopsticks and carefully took the first bite. Her eyes widened and she looked at Mei in almost shock. Mei couldn't help looking down, feeling worried by her friend's silence. "D-did I make a mistake, Kiana-chan? You don't have to eat-"
"Are you kidding me?" Kiana pulled Mei into a one armed hug and smiled brilliantly, making Mei feel warm in her cheeks. Embarrassed by close contact after the weeks of isolation, but somehow also something like disappointed when Kiana released her. "Mei-senpai's cooking is the bestest!"
"Oh? Then... would you like if I made you lunch tomorrow? We can meet here on this bench and share our meal?" Mei's expression was a mix of amused and surprised, and slowly a small genuine smile crossed her lips. Kiana for her part looked almost an excited puppy as she stared at for a moment, chopsticks forgotten halfway to the bento.
"Really? Mei-senpai would do that for me?"
Mei had a sudden realization as she looked at Kiana: she never saw the other girl around anyone else. She never saw Kiana around any other friends, or smiling her way through a conversation unless it was with her. But that makes no sense! She's so warm and lively but... is she as lonely as I am? Mei's expression, so carefully guarded most of the time warmed as she nodded. She would have to look into European style cooking recipes, maybe find something that Kiana especially enjoyed as a surprise.
Kiana gave a cheer as she smiled in a way that tugged at Mei's heart. She felt that pull in her chest towards the goofy but sincere girl that had become the only reason she was able to face every day. Kiana was giving her hope in a swirl of awful events. That smile just begged Mei to believe in it, believe in Kiana. Mei watched as the girl ate some of her food, but this first time she seemed afraid of eating too much.
Mei stood on the roof, two bentos laid out next to her on the bench as she waited for Kiana to appear in a blur of energy and motion as always. It took a bit longer than she expected, but Kiana did push her way through the heavy door with an excited cry, "Mei-senpai!" That eased the worry almost instantly from the dark haired girl's expression and replaced it with a fond smile. They had been meeting and sharing lunch for a couple weeks now, and Kiana was always a chatty and energetic companion that refused to let Mei stew in the horrors of her life. They had talked a bit about their pasts, growing closer as a result; though Mei already viewed Kiana as the most important person in her life. The heiress of ME Corp was wealthy beyond compare for a high schooler, even with her father's accounts seized and frozen. Yet with that wealth she still found more joy making food for Kiana and sharing stories and smiles on that rooftop than any of the money could ever hope to bring.
"I was worried Kiana-chan got in trouble again with the teachers... are you in detention again after school?" Mei asked, a note of sternness in her voice. She knew the reason she was getting less harassed by other students was the girl sitting beside her. A surreptitious glance down when she picked up the extra bento showed the bruises on Kiana's knuckles the white haired girl was trying to hide. Mei's voice softened as she turned back to Kiana and her eyes warmed considerably. "Do you need me to bandage your hand again?"
Kiana's smile faltered for a moment as her eyes widened. Instinctively her hands went behind her back as if a small child caught stealing cookies. However when she saw that Mei wasn't going to lecture or reprimand her, she relented with an embarrassed grin. "Yeah... thanks Mei-senpai..." she was trying to hide it well, but when Mei took the bruised hand in between hers Mei caught the flash of pain in her friend's eyes that was quickly pushed aside for a laugh. "Sorry if I worry you!"
Mei simply sighed, inwardly touched by the effort her only friend was going through. Still, she wouldn't have people harmed for her sake. "Kiana-chan, you can't fight everyone. Especially just for my sake." A long white bandage came from her bag, and some ointment for the bruising. Mei carefully rubbed the cream into Kiana's hand, carefully using her fingers to intertwine between Kiana's to evenly spread the medicine.
Mei let out a surprised noise as Kiana's fingers clasped hers, and soon Mei was pulled into Kiana's lap and her good arm wrapped around Mei's torso as Kiana held her back to Kiana's front. "Kiana-chan?! What are you doing?"
"Mei-senpai... you don't understand..."
Mei looked up and found herself lost in those sky blue eyes. Her own violet felt like a good compliment to them in her head, a flash of a thought that slipped away before she truly grasped it. Kiana was oddly serious, even if the fondness Mei found in them was the same as ever. "I know I don't talk a lot about my family and life before enrolling here. I'm gonna say some stuff that is kinda sad, but I want you to promise not to look at me different?"
Mei blinked once at the sombre tone from her usually sunny friend. She slowly nodded, both loving the opportunity to know about her friend and suddenly very uneasy about what it was her friend would reveal.
"I would love to know more about you."
Kiana's eyes did brighten and the arm around her seemed to tighten slightly for a few seconds. She took a deep breath, then started to talk.
"I never knew my mother. She died in the Second Honkai War, fighting the Second Herrscher. My old man, he also fought and scraped through. He raised me for a couple years, early as I could remember. We didn't have much, and neither of us could really cook. He was very distant for a year after mom died, those are my earliest memories. I was alone because he had to work so much, but I understood he had to go." Kiana had a strangely fond exasperation in her expression that made Mei realize Kiana missed her father, possibly as much as she did. However she simply held that similarity in her heart, silently listening to Kiana's story.
"One day, he came home hurt. Real bad. I bandaged him up," Kiana smiled at Mei, for a moment touching their foreheads together. "Just like you do for me. Anyway- he was too hurt to answer the call to help people. I saw his phone message, and I decided that he needed to rest. I had never seen the old man that rough. I took his guns and ran to the coordinates on the map."
"But-!" Mei couldn't help cutting in, drawn into Kiana's story. ME corp made Valkyrie weaponry, even her own katanas that her father commissioned were Valkyrie caliber. If her father was wielding something like that a small girl would be terribly injured!
"Yep!" Kiana cut her off with a cheery smile. "I was overwhelmed by the monster attacking the town. Before the thing could finish me off, my dad appeared." Mei noticed the subtle shift in fondness and respect for Kiana's father in her soft voice. "He beat it with his bare hands, then held me close and told me how he was of me." Kiana's embrace tightened again, and Mei let herself be pulled closer, worried that this story didn't end here and happily. "He told me that I was living the family motto, and held me tight. That day was my birthday... The one I hold most dear. He reminded me who I was: someone who fights to protect those close to them. While I never finished my training with that old perv, it was more than enough to shut up bullies and the people who try to target my friend."
Kiana flushed slightly, not really used to sharing her past. She decided to change the subject, noticing how Mei had finished bandaging her hand while she spoke. She decided that was enough serious stuff. She pulled Mei to her feet and gave a giggle. "Now I have someone to protect, and I will always do everything I can to protect you Mei!" She spun then around, linked hands giving the started Mei a sense of safety as they were suddenly just a pair of high-school girls again, sharing lunch and laughing together. Mei couldn't help joining Kiana after a moment and laughing as well.
Each girl made a promise that day to themselves: I will always protect you.
"Matushka, the Bronya reports that Subject Kaslana has not only grown closer to Subject Raiden and is actively working to improve her daily situation. The two are becoming inseparable, and the Bronya has begun to suspect that furthering the X-10 retrieval of Seele will require elimination of Subject Kaslana."
Somewhere in Japan, hidden in one of Anti-Entropy's bases, Cocolia stared at the monitor with one of her orphans on it. She frowned, her expression serious as she realized what it was Bronya was suggesting. "Please remember Bronya- I do not kill children. Kaslana is only sixteen, so I do not wish for us to dirty our hands. However... I do have information that may be of use in this case." Cocolia despised resorting to this, but she needed Raiden Mei to awaken to the Gem of Conquest hidden under Nagazora. Her stigma was prepared to awaken and that combined with the negative emotions of losing her only friend should be enough to push her over the edge.
"Bronya, I think you should read the file I'm sending you now. Asakura Mizuki. She should take care of the issue of Kiana Kaslana for us, and move our plan forward. I think it would be best if you could arrange for Kaslana to be in position to see how Mizuki is treated. The fool girl will try to play hero and not realize the dangers Asakura poses. After all, she is the one who is responsible for the students who have gone missing lately."
The girl with silver hair emotionless typed on the console in front of her and pulled up the girl's file. Had she been able to feel, she may have objected to such a fate for Kiana. Observable data showed while Subject Kiana was not intelligent or particularly of any notable skill- she was very reliable and quite loyal. However, projections of possible positive outcomes was limited if her interference was allowed to continue. The file on Asakura Mizuki showed that exposure to Subject Kaslana's noble streak could end in the removal of subject Kaslana from the equation.
"Mission confirmed, Matushka. Eliminating variables."
Author's Note- I am going to be playing with the lore of GGZ and HI3 a bit to pull in one of the most controversial villains of MiHoYo: The Herrscher of Sexual Desire. In my story, I will be treating this as an incomplete Herrscher transformation, fueled by the power of the Gem of Conquest. Please be warned that in the next chapter there will be a major difference between my story and the two canons of the games and that there will be references to the serious topics of bullying, assault, and unwanted advances. I will attempt to be as cautious as possible, as this is meant to be an event that will act as a trigger for development and not is meant to be any kind of glorification of the situation. It will be dark, and I will add another warning at the top of further chapters as well as scene breaks with warnings for any mature content.