Previous story: "Such Sweet Sorrow"
Otto Apocalypse, the Overseer of Schickal, never spoke again. Throughout the halls of the ruined cathedral, the last remnants of his fading voice echoed and fell into silence. His absence was as imposing as he had been in life, but gradually, those in the cathedral came to accept it. The only sound they heard was Theresa Apocalypse quietly sobbing.
The heiress to Schicksal collapsed to her knees, no longer able to remain standing. Her legs failed her just as her resolve had. She had lost too much in too short a time, and now she too was lost.
Her anguished cries woke Kiana Kaslana from her shock. She was the first to approach Theresa and embrace her. "Aunt Theresa…it's okay…it's over now, and we're all going to be okay…"
"Kiana…" Theresa sobbed before embracing her back. "I…I don't know what to do, or how to feel…"
Kiana had no answer to that, so she continued to gently hold her. When another pair of arms enveloped Theresa, followed by more, Kiana looked up to see Bronya, Seele, and Bianka embracing Theresa with her. Kiana gratefully smiled at them before they helped Theresa to her feet. Theresa held onto Kiana before finally letting go.
"Thank you, all of you," Theresa whispered as she wiped away the last of her tears. The pain in her eyes was plain to see, but so was her determination to carry on for those beside her. "Kiana, Bronya, Mei, all of you…you all fought well today. You should be proud of what you've accomplished. I've never been prouder."
Mei…
At the mention of that name, Kiana remembered its owner and slowly turned to her standing a distance away from the rest of them. She was a woman with long, violet hair and two red horns that seemed to serve as a warning against Kiana coming anywhere nearer. Kiana ignored the warning and took a step closer.
Raiden Mei took a step back. Her face was a mixture of fear, pain, and above all, remorse.
"Mei…" Kiana said, reaching out to her. "It's over now. Otto is gone. You've come back. Let's talk…please."
Mei shook her head, no longer able to meet Kiana's eyes. She turned around.
"Mei, wait…"
Kiana started to run. Mei took flight, jumping out of a shattered window before soaring into the sky and away from her.
"MEI! Come back!"
Kiana chased after her, launching herself into the sky as fast as her power allowed, but she was too late. Mei was already a dot in the distance that grew smaller with each second no matter how hard Kiana exerted herself. Only a short distance outside the outskirts of Kolosten, her growing exhaustion sapped her strength away until she could barely remain in the air, let alone fly.
She heard voices speaking to her through her earpiece. "Kiana, stop. You don't have the energy to catch up to her after depleting most of it during your battle against Otto." Kiana recognized the speaker as Lieserl Albert Einstein. She and Frederica Nikola Tesla were watching her from the bridge of the Hyperion hovering near the cathedral.
"But…"
"Kiana, fight one battle at a time," Tesla said. "You helped defeat Otto, and congratulations for it. You can worry about Mei later. Just see to your friends. They need you, especially your aunt…"
"Theresa…" Kiana said quietly. "I understand, Tesla, Einstein. I'm heading back now." Kiana turned around and slowly made her way back to Kolosten.
"Kiana, it will be alright." It was Bronya's voice that spoke to her next.
Kiana did not respond.
"Kiana, Bronya knows Mei. We fought beside each other against Otto's clones, and she was happier than Bronya had ever seen her. Mei wants to come back to us one day in her own time, but only when she's ready to see you again. Kiana, please, have faith in her. Bronya always will."
Kiana shut her eyes. "I know. I won't lose her again."
...
The Hyperion was familiar and comforting to Kiana as she sat down at the table in the briefing room. With her were her friends and allies, the ones who had battled against Otto and were unsure what to do now. Otto had always been an unstoppable force of nature. It was almost hard to believe that he was finally gone. Much of Kiana's drive and determination died with him. She had long been fuelled by her motivation to bring him to justice, but now that she had, she felt only emptiness.
"...so it's clear to me that the first thing we should do is prevent word of Otto's death from spreading until we decide the time is right," Bianka Ataegina was saying, still wearing the black armour she had recently gained after her defeat by Otto's hands. "There may be factions within Schicksal, either loyal to Otto or just opportunistic, who will jump at a chance to exploit a power vacuum."
Above one of the projectors built into the table, the holographic image of Welt Yang adjusted his glasses and shook his head. "That's certainly a possibility, but remember that Otto had already publicly named Theresa as Schicksal's next Overseer in a broadcast to the entire world. Any attempt to usurp control from her will be met with resistance."
"Mr. Yang," Bianka protested, "you may not be aware of how many in Schicksal view Theresa. They keep it to themselves, but whispers always spread. Some still see her as only a child at best and an abomination at worst. Not all will support her."
"Then we'll have to make them," Tesla said in a hard voice, the gauntlet around her left arm clenched into a fist. "She's the Overseer now no matter what anyone says. She hasn't had her coronation ceremony yet, but the ceremony is just that: ceremonial. As far as anyone is concerned, she became Overseer the moment that bastard Otto had the good sense to off himself instead of the past five hundred years of history."
"Miss Tesla, Theresa…" Bianka continued.
Their voices were background noise in Kiana's ears that soon faded away entirely, not that she had listened carefully from the start. She slumped forward in her chair and reached up to the red plaid scarf wrapped around her neck. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Fu Hua watching her with concern. In the other corner, she saw her aunt Theresa similarly slumped forward in her seat. Kiana worried for her. The weight of the responsibilities on Theresa's small shoulders must have been crushing.
Just as crushing were the emotions on Mei's face when she ran away from her for the second time. Losing one person dear to her was already painful enough, but to lose Mei again was almost more than she could bear until Kiana remembered Bronya's heartfelt words to her. They helped lessen her pain, if only slightly. She trusted Bronya and Mei with all her heart, and she knew Bronya had spoken the truth.
Bronya was speaking more of it now. When she and Seele stood up, Kiana's attention finally returned to the discussion at hand. Bronya looked to be in pain, but Seele standing beside her and gently holding her arm gave her the strength she needed to speak. Her voice was strong and carried the determination Kiana wished she still had.
"Seele and I agree with the consensus that we should support Theresa as Schicksal's new Overseer in any way we can," Bronya began. "We will provide her with whatever assistance she requires. But I know I'm not alone in this room when I say we should raise the subject of this battleship's captain…"
A muted silence fell onto the room. Kiana uncomfortably made eye contact with Bronya and the others. She wrapped the scarf around herself even tighter.
Seele spoke again. She would once be nervous to stand in front of so many, but no longer. "Otto…he sent him into a new world of the Imaginary Tree. I'd like to ask Tesla, Einstein, and Nagamitsu if they know if it's possible or not to rescue him…"
All eyes turned to the three scientists, who were likely prepared for the question.
"We won't know how feasible that would be without some preliminary experiments first," Einstein said. "These experiments may require more time than we can spare."
Nagamitsu gave a small laugh. "I'd be more than interested in tinkering with the Imaginary Tree and see how far we can get. Otto figured it out. Why can't we?"
Tesla looked at them both, then sighed. "If we have the time, we'll try."
There was another long silence. All eyes were on Theresa, still staring at the table in front of her.
Bianka walked over to Rita Rossweisse standing in a corner of the room and embraced her.
Bronya and Seele sat back down and waited. Rozaliya and Liliya waited with them.
Fu Hua had her eyes closed and did not move.
The hologram of Welt Yang watched.
Kiana stood up and walked over to Theresa. She placed a hand on her shoulder. Theresa looked up.
"Kiana?"
"Aunt Teri, you're the Overseer now, remember? What we do next is up to you. Whatever you choose, we'll all support you. I promise."
Theresa squeezed Kiana's hand on her shoulder. She sat up straight, and with newfound strength, gave her first orders as Overseer. Everyone in the room relaxed upon hearing the undeniable authority carried by Theresa's voice. It was what they had been waiting to hear again.
"Alright, I've made my decision. We'll focus on my ascension as Schicksal's next Overseer during this delicate transitional period and handle any resistance that may pop up. Durandal, I expect your full support in this. Schicksal will listen to you."
Bianka nodded. "I'll do what I can."
"Good," Theresa said. "Sovereign, can I rely on the support of Anti-Entropy during this trying time?"
"Of course, Overseer," Welt replied. "With Otto gone, whatever enmity that still exists between our organizations can finally be put to rest. I am glad he chose you. The man made many mistakes during his life, but naming you as Overseer was the wisest decision he ever made."
Theresa did not answer to that. She continued giving orders, forming plans, and otherwise settling into her new position with surprising ease. It was as if she had been prepared her entire life for this. Perhaps Otto intended for her to inherit the throne from him long ago.
"...and Tesla, Einstein, and Nagamitsu, I have a special task for the three of you: find a way to bring our captain back to our world, no matter what it takes. I expect regular updates on your progress."
"We'll do what we can, Overseer Theresa. We'll get to work at once," said Einstein.
With that, the meeting concluded, and Theresa stood up. "Kiana, come with me." She started walking out of the briefing room with Kiana following close behind. The doorway shut behind them, leaving the two of them alone.
"Kiana, thank you for supporting me back there. I really needed it."
"We all did. Anything for my Aunt Teri," Kiana said, forcing a smile.
Theresa noticed it and stopped walking. "You know you don't need to hide anything from me. I can tell when you're upset."
Kiana did not answer. Her eyes locked onto some invisible interest on the wall.
Theresa sighed. "We all saw how you tried to stop Mei from leaving again. We all know what happened between the two of you in Nagazora, and we all know how much she means to you…Mei is important to me as well. She is to all of us. We want her to come home to us as much as you do. Kiana, you aren't alone, so if there's anything you need from me, anything at all, even if you just want to talk, just tell me."
Kiana looked back into her blue eyes that matched the sky and immediately felt better because she knew her aunt would always be there for her. "Thank you, Theresa…I just need someone to talk to right now, someone who can listen…"
Theresa just smiled. Kiana knew it was the cue for her to go on.
"I…I feel lost…I feel lost because I lost two people I love so much…Johann is gone, and I don't know if he's even alive…and Mei…Mei…"
Kiana could no longer stop her tears. She did not even try. They fell from her face as she sobbed into her aunt's shoulder. Theresa held her close to her and never let her go.
"There, there," Theresa whispered to her. "I miss them, too, but it's going to be okay. They aren't lost to us. They're somewhere out there, waiting to come back home to us because they also want to come back to us…you mean as much to Mei as she does to you, and I know she'll come back when she's ready. And Johann…I have faith in him and in Tesla, Einstein, and Nagamitsu. If anyone can find a way, it's them. Kiana, have faith in all of them…"
Her soothing words healed Kiana's soul. Kiana stopped crying. Another minute passed before they let each other go. Only then did Kiana notice the tears in Theresa's own eyes.
"Aunt Theresa…thank you…"
"Kiana, you fought very well today and for every day I've known you. I'm so proud of you. You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, and I'll always be here for you."
"She's right," said Bronya's voice coming from down the corridor. They turned and saw her accompanied by Seele, the twins, Fu Hua, and Bianka. "And so are we."
"Kiana, let's talk some more when you have the time," offered Seele. Kiana looked forward to that. She and Seele spent a lot of time together bonding as friends do.
"Kiana, remember that video game we were playing on the Hyperion during our flight here? We still haven't finished it!" said Rozaliya.
"Kiana beat you so many times, and you still want to play more with her?" admonished Liliya.
"Kiana, let me know if I can do anything for you," said Bianka. For some reason, she looked especially concerned for Kiana, more concerned than she ever had before.
"So will I," said Fu Hua. Kiana knew she would. She already had.
"Yes," Kiana said, smiling. "She is, and so are you."
...
The lifeless city sprawled over the land like a corpse that refused to rot. The many skyscrapers, buildings, and houses that still stood were familiar to her, but this made her pain worse. She knew they were all dead. She knew Nagazora was forsaken long ago. She knew she was the cause of it.
Raiden Mei stood in the sky, staring at what little remained of her home. Even years after the disaster, she could still feel a sense of familiarity from Nagazora. In the distance was her home, the large mansion that once belonged to her and her father and her mother before she passed away. There was the park where she and her father had often sparred with each other, unconcerned about those who gathered to watch them. The trees and plant life of the park still lived, though they had not been tended to for years. Perhaps Nagazora was not as dead as she believed. There was Senba Academy.
She did not want to remember Senba Academy. That place held nothing but pain for her. It was there she had spent the worst day of her entire life. It was there she had awakened as the Third, the Herrscher of Thunder, and in the process unleashed a Honkai eruption that none of Nagazora's people survived.
None except for one girl with blue eyes and silver hair. The light shining through her darkness.
The thought of her sent new pain spearing through her in a way no physical wound ever could. It was here that Mei died and was saved. It was here that she started a new journey with the one person in the world who could care for her, and it was here where she had thrashed her to the point of unconsciousness before abandoning her.
And for what? What did World Serpent offer her in exchange for her service?
She was uncertain. What she had learned so far was enlightening, but she was uncertain how it could help the people of this era. The secrets of the dead were many, and not all were good to know.
Leaving her once had changed her. Leaving her again, and losing the one they both loved, nearly destroyed her.
Mei took one last look at the forsaken city, then transformed into a bolt of lightning and flew back to World Serpent's headquarters.
...
The Sire was sitting on his throne when Mei returned to the underground chamber. He watched her with cold, blue eyes that held none of the warmth of the eyes of a different Kaslana she knew. A sword rested by the throne, burning brightly with the might of a Herrscher. Mei stopped a distance away and waited.
Kevin Kaslana regarded her without rising. "You return. What of the mission?"
"It's done. Otto is dead. His plan to reset the world by five centuries died with him." Mei's face was devoid of emotion as she relayed a brief description of the events that transpired in Kolosten. When she finished, she continued to stare into his eyes, refusing to be cowed.
"Well done. Congratulations are in order, Raiden Mei. You've done World Serpent a great service today."
"It wasn't for World Serpent," Mei said quietly.
Kevin was silent as he considered her standing before him. "No, of course it wasn't. The world itself matters more to you than this organization, as it should."
"I'll go write up a complete and detailed report of the mission now if you'll excuse me."
"Very well. You're dismissed," Kevin said. Then he rose from his throne and stepped down. Mei watched him with wary eyes as he approached her. "You seem upset. Did something happen in Kolosten?"
Mei turned away and started walking to her private quarters. "Anything of importance you can read in my report."
...
I was such a fool. Of course it ends like this…
She lay defeated on the floor in mortal agony. A warrior wreathed in flame approached her to land the killing blow. The faces of all those she loved raced through her mind before she saw nothing but black.
...
This psychic MANTIS is infuriating. She may have saved my life after predicting my death, but she never gives a straight answer. How many times have I entered her domain now just for her to tell me another riddle?
Enough times to know that her journey into the Elysian Realm was nearing its end.
...
She rose into the air after leaving the Elysian Realm. It was clear there was little more she could learn from it, at least for now. Perhaps she would return to it one day, but not today.
The skies were clear, cool, and calm. She shared it with the birds that gracefully flew by, taking no heed of her. In some ways, she envied them. She followed a flock that must have been migrating to warmer, safer regions. After a while, she stopped and watched them vanish beyond the horizon.
Mei loved flying. It was one of the few things in the world she still truly enjoyed. The sheer freedom it gave her was indescribable. She could go anywhere she wished, and no one could tell her no. She was as fast as lightning. None could match her speed.
Not even her.
Mei's heart grew weak with pain. Kiana's anguished face as she chased after her was engraved into her mind forever. The moment never left her thoughts, not even in her dreams.
Mei floated among the clouds, no longer exerting any effort and allowing the wind to take her where it would. She watched the world below her change from land to sea to land again until she was looking at a very familiar place. It was St. Freya, the school for valkyries established by Theresa Apocalypse. For years, it had been her home, the home she shared with Kiana, Bronya, and others she cherished. Now it was in ruins, destroyed by the Herrscher that had lain dormant in Kiana's body for the sole purpose of spiting her.
Mei often repeated the events that transpired since then in her mind. She could see them as vividly as the school beneath her. She could feel her fingers gripping her throat, those cruel, golden eyes mocking her before she unleashed destruction on all those who dared oppose her. She could hear her captain's frantic orders and futile attempts to restore some semblance of order amidst all the chaos. She remembered reuniting with her here, where their joy was not to last.
Mei did not fight to hold back her tears. They fell to the ground like raindrops. When she descended onto what had once been the school's main courtyard, she at last realized how much she had erred.
I thought I was lost, but I was wrong. All this time, I knew exactly where to go and what I must do, but why am I only realizing this now? I'm so sorry…wait for me, please…
She took to the air once again and flew westward, leaving St. Freya behind to return to another day.
...
The town of Kolosten was a hive of activity when Mei landed near its outskirts and walked the rest of the way. The streets were filled with people going from one building to the next. There were stalls along every road that were selling food and trinkets of all kinds. The large billboard in the town square was plain white, the old message removed in favour of a new one. Mei wondered what it would soon have to say.
Mei made sure to exit her Herrscher state before she met anyone. She did not wish to attract unwanted attention or cause undue alarm with her horns. Now she looked as she did before accepting her full power, although with longer hair that she allowed to fall down her back. She wore simple, black clothing that could be found in any clothing store in the world to better avoid standing out from the crowd, but as she stepped into the town square, someone took notice of her. He raised a hand in greeting.
Mei stopped in front of him. He looked to be in his forties, wearing casual clothing and a welcoming smile.
"Hello," Mei said calmly, neither friendly nor hostile.
"Welcome to Kolosten, miss," the man replied jovially. "I haven't seen you around here, so you must be a visitor here for the celebration. The more, the merrier! I'm afraid you're a bit early, though."
"The celebration…yes…" Mei slowly said.
The man turned around and gestured at the entire town. "The new Overseer will hold her coronation ceremony right here in a few weeks. Kolosten used to be the headquarters of Schicksal, but even though they moved away years ago, we still keep close ties with them. So we were honoured when she told us she'd chosen Kolosten for such an important event."
Mei looked around. It would be a modest, but respectable ceremony. She could envision it already and felt happy for her principal. Theresa certainly earned it.
"Otto Apocalypse stepped down and named her his successor. I saw it on the news," Mei said, more casually this time. "I'm sure he must be delighted for her. He seemed very happy in that broadcast to the entire world."
The man looked at her strangely. Mei did not understand his change in expression. "You haven't heard?"
"What haven't I heard? I'm afraid that I've been busy lately without much time to check the news."
The man shook his head. "Miss, Otto Apocalypse is dead. Theresa Apocalypse announced it to the world a few days ago. He died bravely in battle against a massive Honkai threat, though the exact events are classified. May he rest in peace after serving the world so well."
Of course Theresa and the others had a cover story for Otto's death. Mei knew that his death could not be kept from the world forever, but it was still jarring to hear the common people praise him as a hero. Let them believe that. It did no good for the truth to be told.
"Let him rest," she agreed. Then she asked him, "I heard that the battleship transporting the new Overseer and her entourage was here in Kolosten not long ago. But I don't see it anywhere. Did it already leave?"
"Ah, you wanted to have a look at them? I'm sorry, miss. They left in their battleship ages ago. To where they didn't say, but that's when they announced that Kolosten had been chosen for the ceremony, which will also double as the former Overseer's funeral. But come back a few weeks from now. You won't regret it! For now, why not stay a few days and see what Kolosten has to offer?"
Mei fought the urge to scream. Instead, she thanked the man for the enlightening conversation. She tried to leave then, but he insisted on offering her the best room in the best motel in Kolosten, which he just so happened to own. Mei was grateful for his generous offer but said she had already booked a room elsewhere, after which she could finally have some time alone.
Mei sat down on a bench beneath a tree. The day was cloudy, but she welcomed the sight. It reflected the state of her thoughts.
If they aren't here, then they must either have returned to Schicksal headquarters or more likely Anti-Entropy's. Has Schicksal's headquarters been repaired after the Herrscher of Sentience nearly destroyed it? If not, then there's only one place I can go.
Mei walked out of the town. When she was certain no one was looking, she leaped into the sky and flew.
...
Locating Schicksal's floating fortress was close to an impossible task for most. Its location was kept classified to friends and foes alike. Only the most trusted members of Schicksal were permitted to know such sensitive information. In addition, the levitating island boasted the latest technology developed within the past year that could mask its presence from a would-be attacker: a cloaking field that rendered it nearly invisible to all but the most discerning of eyes along with technology that shielded it from most means of detection. The island was also capable of powered flight, letting it move across the sky from one location to the next if the need ever arose, as it did every six months per standard protocol. In all of its decades of history, Schicksal's headquarters had never once been discovered by an enemy or attacked by one not already on it.
Mei found it as soon as she exerted her authority over electromagnetism.
The ebbs and flows of electricity throughout the entire world were as clear as daylight to her. She could feel the currents powering entire nations as easily as she could feel them in the smallest electronic devices. She could follow electric currents like a trail of breadcrumbs, and to her expectations, she found no trace of Schicksal's headquarters on the land.
Though largely powered by Honkai, the base still relied on electricity for many of its needs, so when Mei detected a large mass of electrical energy inexplicably hovering in the sky, she knew she had found it.
The island currently hovered far above the Gobi Desert. If Mei had to guess, this location was chosen due to its scarce population and lack of important infrastructure that would be crushed by its countless tons of mass crashing down after the island's anti-gravity engines failed. Her suspicions were confirmed when she sighted the island; its cloaking field was not active, meaning it was either still in need of repair or lacked the energy required to sustain such an intensive process, which also spoke for Schicksal's confidence that it could remain aloft. The island still bore numerous traces of the havoc the Herrscher of Sentience had wreaked upon it. There were large crews of brave workers busy repairing the damage and otherwise restoring the island's tarnished glory, but no Hyperion. Only a few smaller airships were docked by one of the hangars. They were enough to carry Theresa and the others, but Mei saw that they would not have chosen this place for the planning of their next moves.
Mei took one last look at the hangar where the Hyperion had been docked when she and her friends boarded it for the very first time and entered a new phase in their lives. She had been truly happy then, and although she saw darkness ahead of her, Mei vowed to make the future just as bright.
Only one more location remained to her. Mei decided she would not surreptitiously approach it like she did Kolosten or Schicksal's headquarters. She would be among her closest friends and companions soon. She was done hiding.
...
A different desert housed Anti-Entropy's primary headquarters in the American state of Utah. It was an empty, barren expanse perfect for conducting various operations away from prying eyes.
One set of prying eyes hovered in the sky, watching and waiting. She waited for her mind to decide what to do next. She had told herself she would simply walk through the front gates of the compound, but now that she saw it, her nerves were failing her. It had been so long since she had seen any of them. Did they forgive her for abandoning them a second time? Would they forgive her for hurting Kiana so much?
Mei's indecision paralyzed her. She was not going to turn back after coming this far, but neither did she have the courage to press forward. She stayed still in the sky until she noticed the front gates of the base open. A vehicle drove out between them. It looked to be a motorcycle.
Mei flew lower so she could see it more clearly. Its shape was familiar, as was its blue colour. So were its two riders. The motorcycle drove through the desert at high speed, kicking up dust and debris in its wake. Mei carefully followed it a safe distance behind. She wondered where Bronya and her companion could be going in such a hurry.
Bronya soon stopped at a large lake. She dismounted the motorcycle before helping Seele do the same. The two stood facing the lake in silence.
When they heard footsteps approaching them, they quickly turned around, but instead of surprise on her face, Bronya wore a warm, joyful smile.
"I always knew you would come back, Mei."
"Thank you, Bronya…I…" The words her closest friend deserved to hear eluded her.
The girl with blue hair and blue eyes stepped forward. She looked slightly shy, but her voice was warm and welcoming. "It's so good to meet you, Miss Raiden…my name is Seele. I've heard so many good things about you from Bronya and the others…"
Seele's gentle warmth made it easy for Mei to speak again. It had been so long since she could feel this way. "It's nice to meet you as well, Seele. Please, just call me Mei. I've heard a bit about you from Bronya, and I'm glad you're here with her. What brings you two to this lake today?"
Bronya and Seele glanced at each other before looking back at Mei. "To revisit memories made here," Bronya said.
Mei gazed across the lake. It was a large one, but she did not see anything particularly unique about it. "I have memories to revisit, too."
"They must be Kiana's memories as well," Bronya said calmly. Mei only nodded.
"If you want to see Kiana, she's at the base busy working with the scientists on portal experiments," Seele told her. "She would be so happy to see you again."
"Wouldn't I be intruding?"
Bronya placed her hand on Mei's shoulder. Her grey eyes were intense with emotion. "Mei, you already know the answer to that. Look within your heart."
They maintained eye contact for several moments before Mei drew Bronya into a close hug. "Thank you, Bronya…and thank you, Seele. I needed to hear this from you…"
"I look forward to gaming with you again," Bronya said with a smile. "Last time, I let you beat me."
Mei let Bronya go before bidding both of them farewell and saying they would see each other again soon. Mei took to the air and flew in the direction of Anti-Entropy's headquarters, leaving Bronya and Seele together to gaze at the lake.
...
"Hold your power steady, Kiana…don't overdo it or fall below your current output…"
Kiana grunted with effort as she tried her very best to follow Einstein's direction. The experiment aimed to use her command over the void to probe through the many branches of the Imaginary Tree in hopes of linking with the new branch Otto had created. The delicate and meticulous process exhausted Kiana. She had never attempted anything of this scale. No one had before, except Otto.
Kiana, along with Tesla, Einstein, and Nagamitsu, had laboured tirelessly for weeks, using the best of their knowledge to comprehend exactly how Otto accomplished his feat of creating a new world parallel to their own. His deed was likely the greatest ever performed by any human. If the three most brilliant minds living could not learn how, it was unlikely that anyone else could.
Before her closed eyes, Kiana could see hints of other worlds along the infinite branches of the Imaginary Tree. They were faint, indistinct images, but she could feel that none of them was the world she sought. The worlds rushed past her eyes faster and faster as she inadvertently poured more of her energy into her task, so fast that they became nothing but a blur.
"Kiana! You're exerting yourself too much! Pull back!" shouted Tesla, but it was too late.
Kiana yelled with frustration when she lost control of her power and was forced out of the Imaginary Tree for the umpteenth time. There was a brief sensation of countless other worlds rushing by before she opened her eyes to see herself still standing in a laboratory in Anti-Entropy's base. The portal in front of her blinked out of existence, leaving them with nothing to show for their past hours of experimentation.
"Don't be discouraged. You got a little closer than last time," Nagamitsu reassured her as she checked various monitors that kept track of the experiment.
"'A little closer' doesn't mean anything when it comes to the Imaginary Tree," Kiana muttered. She turned to Fu Hua, who was busy with her own task of projecting her consciousness through the tree and directly into the mind of their target with the help of a device powered by Fenghuang Down, which was designed to be capable of piercing through even the most resilient of mental shields.
"How is the communication device working out?" Kiana asked, hoping Fu Hua had seen more success than her.
Fu Hua shook her head. "I'm sorry, Kiana. It's likely operational, but it won't be of any use until you manage to find him. We're all relying on you, and we know you will succeed. As Nagamitsu said, you got farther this time, and any progress can only be a good thing."
Kiana grunted a short reply before storming out of the laboratory. Fu Hua and the three scientists watched her leave, worried.
"I'll go after her," said Fu Hua, but Tesla stopped her.
"She needs some time to herself. Let her rest. She'll come back when she's ready."
In the corridors outside the laboratory, Kiana wandered without aim. She was lost. Though the experiments served to focus her mind and attention on something she held most dear to her, they could not mend the gaping wounds Mei had inflicted in her heart, first in Nagazora when she left her and again in Kolosten when she had fled from her, this time for all their friends to see.
The look of fear on Mei's face never left Kiana's thoughts, not even in her dreams. Kiana could still clearly see her even now, that beautiful face contorted with such pain, fear, and anguish…
Bronya and the others believed wholeheartedly that Mei would return to her in her own time, but weeks had passed without a sign of her. Kiana was no longer as certain as she had been before. Mei was avoiding her. Mei no longer wished to have anything to do with her. Mei no longer loved her.
That final thought was more painful than all the others combined. How did Mei still feel for her? When they had first met in Nagazora, Mei was dismissive of her. But soon, they had grown close, closer than most friends could ever be. So close after Kiana saved her life that Kiana was confused as to why Mei never took the first step to develop their friendship into something even more.
She just wasn't ready. I was ready for her at any time, but Mei…maybe she was still scared of getting this close to someone, even me.
Kiana truly loved Mei starting that day. After Kiana's father abandoned her in the snow, she had finally found someone she truly wished to protect. Mei deserved to be happy, and Kiana would protect her at any cost. Even herself.
Kiana adjusted her hair styled in a ponytail before walking out of the front gates and into the sunlight. It was a warm and welcoming day. She needed to feel something this soothing on her skin after spending hours in a laboratory.
She started walking. To where, she did not know. Anywhere away from the base where she was trapped. She left the gates behind and stared into the boundless expanse of the desert that housed them. There was nothing of note for miles around, but Kiana started walking anyway, simply enjoying the sunlight and the serene silence of the desert. Others might have found the heat uncomfortable, but she was the Herrscher of Flamescion. She was heat.
A distance from the base, she looked back. It had become small, dark shapes on the horizon. Kiana turned back around. In the distance, she saw the shape of a person.
She froze. No, it was impossible. It was an optical illusion or some mirage. Her eyes were playing tricks on her.
After blinking her eyes several times, she was still there.
Mei.
Without consciously ordering them to, her legs started walking her forward. They gained speed with each step. Soon, she was running. She saw that Mei was doing the same. There was still a great distance between them, but it grew smaller each second. They stopped face to face.
Mei looked worlds away from their last unfortunate meeting. Her violet eyes were solemn but strong. Her face was somber, but she looked more determined than Kiana had ever seen her. Mei must be here for one reason, and Kiana dared to hope she had guessed right. Her horns were gone, leaving just her longer, beautiful hair behind as Kiana recognized it. She must have transformed out of her Herrscher state. Kiana knew it was a symbol that showed she was not here to fight. That she was here to talk.
As much as she yearned to, Kiana could not bring herself to speak. The hours she had spent in her mind rehearsing this very moment, scrutinizing, discarding, and choosing what to say for their eventual reunion, all of that failed her now. It was fear that held her back. Fear of making a mistake that would ruin their chances of ever reuniting with the one she loved so much.
Mei saw the hesitation in Kiana's face. She once felt the very same, worse, but no longer. It was Mei who had to make the first move. It fell to Mei to reach out to her and mend the rift between them. She owed Kiana that.
"Kiana."
Kiana did not look away from her or answer.
"Kiana…please, just hear what I have to say, and then you can do whatever you feel is the best for yourself…"
Kiana still did not speak, but neither did she back away. Mei took this as her blessing to continue. Her gratitude to Kiana for this alone gave her the strength she needed.
"Kiana…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything that I did to hurt you…I never should have treated you the way I did in Nagazora. I never should have lashed out against you. I never should have run away from you again just as we had finally reunited…"
Was that a faint hint of emotion on Kiana's face, or was Mei only hoping to imagine it? Mei no longer gave careful thought to the words she said. They poured out of her by instinct, driven by pure emotion.
"But Kiana, while I was alone, I had a lot of time to myself. I thought about you every day, and I spent every moment worried for you…I was so scared for you, but when I saw you again in the cathedral before we confronted Otto, I was so happy. It felt like nothing had ever changed between us, that I had never left, that the two of us were fighting side by side again like we always had…"
All the moments Mei and Kiana had shared together, both joyful and not, rushed through their minds. They were overwhelming.
"And when we finally had the chance to speak to each other like we always had, I failed us. I was scared. I was weak. I didn't know how I could ever face you again, how to possibly start making up for what I did…so I ran from you."
Before her courage failed her, Mei spoke the words she had longed to say.
"Kiana, I'm here to make a promise to you, one I swear to keep. I will never run away from you again. This time, I'm here to stay. Because Kiana…I love you."
By the end, Mei was crying. But with those words that had been trapped within finally uttered, Mei felt a crushing burden lifted from her shoulders. Whatever Kiana did next, it would be after Mei had made her confession. Whatever Kiana chose, Mei would always support her.
When Mei finally opened her eyes, Kiana stood directly in front of her, close enough to hug her. And that was exactly what Kiana did.
The warm embrace of Kiana's arms around her caused her tears to fall anew, this time ones purely of joy. She healed her. She accepted her. She forgave her.
"Mei…"
"Kiana…?"
"Mei, I'm so happy you're here with me."
Mei raised her arms and embraced Kiana back.
For how long they held their embrace, neither could say. When they finally released each other and stood back, Kiana spoke first, not that Mei was capable of forming any words at that moment.
"Mei, let's go somewhere. Together." Kiana reached out to her with an open hand. Mei took that hand. As one, they rose into the air.
Below them, two figures standing by a lake smiled and watched them fly away.