Chapter 25: Where Will You Belong.
The Express was quiet with most of its Crew gone as Mei learned as she sat on a couch in the Parlor Car typing in some mid-term reports of her students with her laptop, a job she had taken with her whole heart that despite being in a middle of long-term assignment she still would find time to work on these reports.
She had to for it was her responsibility as a teacher, understanding the importance of academic achievement as much as fighting prowess of each of her students. To know the weaknesses and strengths of her students individually was paramount to cover them in battles, especially for team assignments in the future and Mei would always put everything into serious consideration, oftentimes to the point of headaches because some kids were just unique.
But Mei never complained. At least, not publicly in front of her students. She, of course, had her gripes on the matter that she would tell her family and only her family which meant Bronya and Kiana sometimes. Although, Kiana's approach on it was too liberal to her liking Mei would either scoff at her "Eh, let them have their fun" or rolled her eyes exasperatedly at her "That sounds hella cool and also you have to ease up a bit" so Mei would wisely consult to Bronya more, much to Kiana's chagrin.
It wasn't like Kiana was a bad teacher herself. She had her own students, in fact Overseer Theresa had been sending the more problematic ones her way to train and teach on the Moon Base, some returning in weeks while others in months, and the results had been overwhelmingly positive. Mei was not sure how Kiana managed to tame them down and she suspected the main reason Theresa sent them to the Moon for Kiana in the first place was to get back on her wife for all the troubles Kiana had caused her in her teen days so it's not necessary to hand them over to Kiana to begin with. Yet Kiana did it, defying all odds and expectations when her first few students returning with a sense of maturity previously not exhibited.
Mei was surprised while Bronya looked outright disturbed by the results of Kiana's teachings, especially considering Kiana was an idiot. Books were never her forte and she would always, always, bail on writing reports. Yet the kids under her care did not just improve but also show a great leadership and potential.
She had tried to take a peek before but even after marrying Kiana for years and knowing her for far longer, there were still times where she didn't understand Kiana. Her quirks, as one might call them, were many and equally confusing which naturally translated to her way of teaching things too.
"It takes one to know one," Bronya had commented when Mei brought the subject up during a lunch, referring to the fact that Kiana was an unruly kid herself back then. "She has ways to connect with the kids."
Mei could see that, actually, in the eyes of Kiana's students. The respect and adulation they had for her was reserved for Kiana and Kiana only that despite being far from the best sort of teachers, she was the one they needed the most to help them through whatever they're going through. Kiana knew people so it was easy for her to understand the deepest struggle someone buried in their chest.
"It's not like they choose to be like that," Kiana once said to Mei in the quiet safety of their bedroom, voice sending pleasant rumble on Mei's chest where Kiana had her head on. "Sometimes, being a troublemaker is the best option than whatever the other is."
She just wanted to help, Mei concluded as she treaded her fingers over Kiana's white mane absentmindedly, humming an acknowledging hum that had the Kaslana snuggling even further into her. There was never a glorified, nor righteous need in her action. No, what Kiana had was a simple desire to help a bunch of kids because in her eyes, a life was a life no matter how much she had saved before.
Kiana had ways with words. A smooth talker but not one to drown her words in lies. Rather, Kiana opted the opposite where she would lay down her earnest feelings to hear. The kids under her care had their own circumstances, rarely Schicksal's young Valkyrie candidates came from a normal family considering their line of work, and Kiana would take her time to understand each and every of them.
The first thing she did after introduction was to speak with her students and it was when Kiana would work her magic in a rather endearing way. Then, depending on the kids, she would take whatever measure necessary to guide them. Sometimes, it involved a spar, sometimes a good heart-to-heart talking between two women that was Kiana and her student. Regardless which, the result would always be Kiana earning her student's respect.
But relationships between Kiana and her students were unique as Mei had observed. They talked like old friends rather than pupils and mentor, joking and laughing together like a bunch of well-tuned people.
Kiana had always preferred to see her students as friends and now she did the same to the three teenagers of the Express. Moreover now she had her attention on a certain ashen haired girl. It wasn't without reason, too, with Stelle's well-being as the number one reason.
The girl was unique and not just 'having a nuclear reactor in one's chest' unique but also her predicaments. She was related to the Stellaron Hunter group at one point in the past and clearly still valuable to said group if Kafka's visit meant anything. Of course, Mei believed not a word the woman said and Kiana outright refused to prod on Stelle's locked up memory just to find out about her past, never liking the prospect of violating someone's head like that even if it was to help that someone. So, with her interest now on Stelle, Kiana decided to take up the mantle of guardian for the girl to make sure no harm might befall her.
She did it subtly, though, and not overly zealous either. Stelle would have to face hardships herself, paving her own way while Kiana offered a simple help of kicking away some pebbles that might hinder her journey. She understood the necessary of growth and the kids needed to grow up on their own accord.
Unless it was the most harmful of harm then Kiana would step back and let the three teenagers take the spotlight, watching from behind like an adult she was watching her successors. The world was beautiful, but it was also rife with ugliness. One couldn't exist without the other and the Universe was more black and white than what many believed.
What important was their ability to choose their path. To walk down their decisions they had taken until the very end. Because, whatever awaited them then, was what they believed the most. What they would come to cherish the most.
There would be a time where they would look back to their journey, reminiscing about the meetings and the inevitable goodbyes. Right now, however, the present was what most important as it was where they lived.
Mei closed her laptop down and sighed quietly, finally done with her work after sending it back home via the Quantum Beacons. She folded her hands over the silver case and leaned back on the sofa, amethyst eyes staring at the bright ceiling absently.
Hours had passed since Kiana and the rest left. Occasionally, she would feel a surge of giddiness and excitement in her chest she knew wasn't hers. The connection she shared with her Finality allowed her to feel Kiana's feelings and that was exactly that. Mei didn't mind at all despite it sometimes distracting, in fact she was happy to know Kiana was happy with her time together with Himeko, knowing she was right on her stance about her wife's view on the redhead.
They had talked before about this Himeko back in Belobog when they finally got a brief moment of rest. Thunder had been very vocal with her worry for Kiana she forcefully took over Mei's body just to make her point across, much to Mei's annoyance. She could still take back control if Mei ever so wished and locked her other self in a proverbial cage to prevent her from doing basically anything, but Mei didn't want to put shackles on Thunder like that especially when she was being vulnerable with Kiana.
Well, as vulnerable as Thunder allowed herself to be anyway.
Thunder had called Kiana a lot of things then, ranging from reckless to stupid. Through it all, Kiana was silent as she allowed her to vent her frustration towards their whole ordeal. Knowing that, beneath those harsh words was a concerned soul who wanted nothing but the best for Kiana.
But her best was what she decided, as Mei had learned to accept, so Kiana did what she could to appease Thunder in her borderline frantic growling and hissing.
A kiss so deep Mei could practically taste Kiana despite being on the backseat silenced Thunder, turning the static storm around her into a stunted sizzle that disappeared in both confusion and desire. Surprised, Thunder barely reacted when Kiana pulled away after a good ten seconds with a sly grin on her face while Mei chuckled in her own mind, mouth still open and tongue lolling out slightly from the way Kiana ravaged it inside.
"God, I wanted to do that since a long time ago."
"W-what?"
"Shutting you up," Kiana grinned impishly as she draped her arms over Mei's borrowed shoulders. "You know, you're hot when you're like that I couldn't resist myself. No pun intended."
The unyielding Thunder whose will demanded submissions from all the world's lightnings practically shrunk down under Kiana's intense blue eyes, now merely centimeters away, as the Kaslana tiptoed so they were on eye level. The Herrscher closed her mouth and swallowed, blushing slightly at the familiar taste of Kiana that had the other woman's grin grow wider despite the subtlety of it, and scowled. "I'm being serious," Thunder growled but the intensity was lost with Kiana pinning her down with her stare. "I don't want to see you hurt."
Kiana's grin disappeared at that, in its place was a genuine smile. She could hear the wish in Thunder's voice, so similar with Mei's but also different, and it made her heart soar. She leaned in again and gave a quick peck to those beautiful lips, not wanting to startle Thunder for the second time that day.
"You don't have to worry about me," Kiana began as she pulled Thunder into a hug, arms tight around her. "I'm not the woman I was."
It took a few long seconds but then Kiana felt a pair of arms around her self, wrapped far tighter than Kiana's own around Thunder's. She didn't say anything back to Kiana, not even when Kiana felt Mei return in control but that was alright. Thunder had never been big with words anyway as her actions spoke more than anything her mouth might conjure so that hug conveyed everything Kiana needed to know of Thunder's feelings.
Thunder hadn't mentioned anything about it since then, seemingly content to sit back and quiet in Mei's head. Mei had been concerned but a short visit to her head had revealed that her other self simply didn't have anything to say.
"She truly has changed," was all Thunder said and Mei was inclined to agree. After all, it was her who told Thunder that first.
"Passenger Mei," a voice called and Mei blinked, looking down to see Pom-Pom with a mug of steaming coffee in their hands. Mei didn't mean to stare but to see Pom-Pom holding a mug while having no fingers baffled her so much it was all she could do. "Would you like a coffee?"
Mei cleared her throat and smiled, putting aside her laptop before taking the mug from Pom-Pom. "Thank you, Pom-Pom."
"It is no worry," Pom-Pom jumped to sit beside Mei on the sofa, little legs swinging back and forth merrily while Mei took a sip of her coffee and hummed at the rather strong taste. "Taking care of the Crew is also Pom-Pom's duty."
"You are very kind," Mei praised again as she offered the Conductor another smile. "Is it always this quiet?"
"Only when Pom-Pom is alone," they said with a nod so adorable Mei had to fight the urge to hug them knowing Pom-Pom wouldn't appreciate getting squished out of blue like that.
"What do you usually do when everyone's gone?" She asked instead.
"Cleaning and basic maintenance, which Passenger Welt and Navigator Himeko have been a great help especially with the youngsters and their mess." Pom-Pom huffed then, pouting. "Pom-Pom had to sweep the floor regularly because it kept getting dirty."
Mei's smile turned sympathetic, recalling the time Pom-Pom scolded both Stelle and Dan Heng that morning in the kitchen for leaving a mess after their return from Jarilo-VI. It seemed that Kafka's unexpected visit only affected the Conductor as much and they bounced back to their usual strict mood almost immediately.
"Sorry for the inconveniences we caused," Mei sincerely apologized, downing the rest of the coffee in one go before picking up her laptop and standing up to her feet. Through it all, Pom-Pom watched with a mixture of curiosity and intrigue in their eyes.
"Where are you going?" They asked and Mei sighed quietly.
"Dan Heng hasn't been feeling well so I think I'm going to look after him for a bit."
Pom-Pom frowned, or so Mei assumed they were since she wasn't all that familiar with the expressions of that fluffy face. "We have medicines onboard and if you feel it necessary, the Luofu should have plenty on sell. We can ask one of the Crew to bring some back."
"Good suggestion, but I don't think it'll be necessary. Besides, I'd rather to not bother them at the moment. I can take care of Dan Heng myself." Mei raised the empty mug briefly. "Again, thank you for the coffee, Pom-Pom. I really appreciated it."
"Well, don't mention it."
Mei nodded, making her way back to the passenger car towards her shared room. She walked through the carriage separator and glanced out the window towards a faraway place when her heart did another emotional equivalent of parkour, though this time it wasn't a feeling she'd felt before from Kiana.
Anxiety bled into Mei's heart, connected to her other half's a few dimensions away. The feeling was brief but it was intense enough Mei couldn't help but to bite her own lip as an instinctive response, feeling her skin crawl and stomach dropped. For a moment, Mei contemplated on whether she should contact Kiana or not but eventually decided for the latter, telling herself that if Kiana needed her help she would've asked it.
She had her assumptions on what Kiana was doing at the moment and all Mei could do was to trust her to pull through even if she wanted nothing more but to be beside Kiana, holding her hands Mei knew she would be using to fiddle with something right now as usual when Kiana was anxious about something. But Kiana had to make her peace with this Himeko. She had to tell both herself and the redhead that things were not the same, no matter how similar everything was, so they could finally start anew.
So they could begin a new story untainted by past tragedy.
With a shaky exhale, Mei wrenched her gaze away from the thick glass and continued on with her steps, this time focusing more on someone she could actually help. Mei's gaze briefly lingered on Dan Heng's door when she walked past his room and decided that the concern she felt from the action was hers and hers alone.
But first, she wanted to do something for the young man. Something that hopefully would help him recover from his illness, even if it's just marginally. The thing bothering him was not simply physical and Mei knew it, though she couldn't really just pry into whatever it actually was.
She meant what she told March about people like Dan Heng. They liked to keep things for themselves and that probing on their problems would only seal their mouths shut further. He wasn't the first person with such traits Mei had met and undoubtedly wouldn't be the last either.
Still, each and every of them were unique she couldn't just walk in and declare she understood just because she had experience on the matter. No, what she needed was the bigger picture which the only way she would get was by being patient with Dan Heng and if there's something Mei good at was that; patience.
Didn't matter how long it would take for Dan Heng to share his troubles with Mei and it certainly wouldn't be a problem if he decided to keep them to himself completely. Mei wouldn't hold it against him for not sharing it. Some things were just too hard to share, sometimes.
But first...
She wordlessly made her way to the kitchen and washed the empty coffee mug, going to the Omni-Synthesizer to acquire the necessary ingredients, and began to cook something simple for Dan Heng to eat. Mei noticed his low appetite that morning and his even lower intake of food, taking just the smallest amount and letting Stelle wolfed down the rest of his portion. Mei thought it might have been the food, not the taste or anything of sort because she knew it was sublime as usual, but rather the complexity of it. Sick people tended to prefer something more... economical, so to speak, since it would be easier to eat.
The first thing she did was to wash a small bowl of rice, letting the water run through the grains and occasionally turning them over with her hand to make sure it was thorough, before putting the rice into a pot and filling said pot with just enough water. She'd made this particular dish for too many times than she liked, oftentimes for when she visited one of her students in the hospital, so Mei was pretty much an expert at it. Then again, she's a master of a lot of dishes so something so simple wasn't something someone could screw up easily.
"I know someone who would," Mei heard a familiar voice reverberated from the depth of her consciousness and chuckled, knowing just who Thunder meant. "A disaster in the kitchen."
"Well..." Mei drawled as she put the pot over the stove and turned the heat up, briskly moving towards the refrigerator to get the shredded chicken from last night and dumped some into the pot. "Kiana has done a lot to improve that particular weakness of hers so something like this shouldn't be a problem."
"Really, now? You don't sound convinced yourself."
Mei grinned as she twirled the ladle absently between her fingers, watching as the porridge began to boil and stirring them languidly. "She would still require supervisors, at times."
Kiana wasn't a great cook and that was a fact. But these past few years, Mei had been rather adamant with the betterment of Kiana's diet her wife really hadn't a choice but to learn to cook for herself. Mei could tell that, if left alone, Kiana would go on with her days eating instant noodles and she simply couldn't allow that.
"Just because you can't get sick doesn't mean you can eat these everyday! They're not good for your health!"
"H—huh?! Wait, wait, Mei! Where are you taking them?!"
"Into the incenerator."
"Noooooooooo not my Indomie!"
"But her cooking is edible now, which is a massive improvement if you ask me," Mei smiled at the memory as she turned off the stove and sprinkled some salt onto the porridge, giving it a quick taste test and humming to herself when she found it to be perfect. Taking a bowl, tray and spoon, she began to fill the bowl with the Congee before putting the now full bowl on the tray along with the spoon.
Last but not least, she filled a glass with water and put it on the tray right beside the bowl, storing the rest of the porridge still on the pot in the refrigerator. Kiana would eat it later as usual with their leftovers, often waking up dead at night to snack on something. After washing the ladle and making sure she'd taken care of the mess she made, Mei exited the kitchen and made her way to Dan Heng's room with the freshly made porridge.
"Dan Heng? Are you awake?" Mei called out, giving his door gentle taps with the tip of her foot. There's no sound from the other side and for a moment Mei thought he had fallen asleep again, at least until Dan Heng's voice resonated from within.
"Mei?" He called back, a hint of surprise and confusion in his tone. "I thought you went out with everyone."
"Himeko did. I volunteered to stay back and watch the Express," and you sat at the tip of her tongue but Mei swallowed the words back. "May I come in?" She said instead.
"Of course."
Balancing the tray in one hand, Mei pressed the door open and stepped inside Dan Heng's room, smile turning curious as her gaze shifted about its interior. March had told her that Dan Heng was responsible for the Express' Data Bank but she didn't tell her that his room was it.
"Are you here for the Data Bank?" Dan Heng asked and Mei blinked, amethyst eyes settling on the young man sitting on the mattress below with piles of books surrounding him.
"No," Mei started casually. "I'm here for you."
Dan Heng tilted his head ever so slightly. "Me?"
"Yeah," Mei walked towards him, careful to not step on the books. "I saw you weren't eating very well this morning so I made you something." She gestured at the tray with her head before offering it to Dan Heng who accepted it quietly.
"Thanks," he eventually said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to turn down your cooking then but I couldn't really work the appetite."
"Don't worry about it. Stelle got you covered on that matter," Mei joked with a chuckle which turned into a grin when Dan Heng smiled at her. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," he answered simply as he scooped a spoonful of the porridge and put it into his mouth.
Mei nodded. "That's good to hear. Do you mind if I take a look around?"
He shook his head. "Feel free to do so. Everyone's done that."
"So, what have you been doing?" Mei began anew as she interacted with a terminal on the wall, giving Dan Heng a subtle glance from the corner of her eye.
"Reviewing some past indexes," he said. "In case there are errors."
"I see," her fingers flexed as she typed in her inputs, slow as the holographic keyboard was arranged in a rather odd way. Well, odd by Earth's standard anyway. "Are you comfortable here? I didn't know your room is the Express' data center."
"I am. Himeko offered me an actual room before but I turned her down. I prefer it here since I can do my works more efficiently this way."
"Is that so? Well, as long as you're comfortable."
Silence descended upon the duo then. At one point of Mei's reading her interest Dan Heng had finished the porridge and downed the water which both the bowl and glass now sat empty on the tray once more. The only sound was the occasional beeping of the holographic keyboard as Mei's fingers tapped the display, writing and deleting words important to her quest.
Through it all, Dan Heng stared in contemplative silence at Mei and the information on the terminal from his position on the mattress.
"You're from Xianzhou, right?" Mei prodded casually, still not turning her gaze from the terminal. Had she looked, she would've seen the way Dan Heng's fingers twitched and balled into fists on his lap. "Can you give me a first-hand knowledge about it?"
"Where do you want to start?" He asked, voice level betraying his emotions.
"The leadership." Finally, Mei turned to face Dan Heng after shutting down the terminal, having seen what she was looking for in the vast Data Bank. "Tell me about this General Jing Yuan."
So he told her, about everything the Xianzhou was. Be it from what's written in the travel brochure, Astral Express' very own database or his personal opinions, all was told. Mei listened through it all in a measured silence, arms crossed and eyes sharp and only speaking when asking more questions.
But the questions were secondary as she cared more about Dan Heng than whatever Xianzhou was at the moment. They weren't as important as the necessity to have him talk so to understand the underlying sadness in his eyes. Mei noticed its existence almost immediately when Dan Heng entered the kitchen with Stelle despite his best attempt at hiding it under his usual aloof expression.
"Their eternal war against the Abundance blinded them of reasons."
Mei blinked, her once neutral expression turning into a deep frown. "How so?" She asked when Dan Heng fell silent.
The look Dan Heng gave her was new, one she hadn't seen on him before, so although brief Mei saw the flash of guilt and shame as clear as day before they disappeared.
"The Xianzhou Alliance prided themselves as Lan's unbending arrow, swift and certain with its target, and nothing can stop them from completing the Hunt's will. They kill and destroy with purposes, but those purposes have led them to commit countless crimes against life itself."
"Crimes against life...?"
"Yaoshi. They are the symbol of life and its abundance." Dan Heng leaned against the wall behind him, eyes downcast as he mulled over his words next. "Mei, do you know the origin story of the people of Xianzhou?" He asked with a resigned inhale as he closed his eyes.
Mei slowly shook her head, approaching the young man and joining him on the mattress beside him. "I haven't gotten to that yet."
Histories were important, but with so little time learning about the present it was all she could learn and even then it was just a quick glimpse.
Dan Heng hummed in acknowledgment. The question was more rhetoric than anything, anyway. "A very long time ago, a civilization finally embraced the stars, leaving the cradle of their birth. Then, they learned that they were not alone in this vast Universe and created an alliance with the other intelligent races they encountered. This ancient alliance held true through millennia, fighting, learning and prospering together until they become one people."
"When their technology could no longer satisfy their needs to pursue inventions, they turned their eyes on the Divine to reach the height of paradise."
Mei sucked in a breath at that, the quiet inhale loud enough for Dan Heng to hear. He opened his eyes and gave her a look that was borderline helpless.
The promise of paradise, the life after life itself. There was only one thing that's unattainable in this life but available in that life.
"Immortality," Mei mumbled in realization.
"Immortality," Dan Heng repeated with a nod. "And there's only one being capable of granting that, then."
It was obvious enough what that being was saying it would be unnecessary. Then again, if the people of Xianzhou worshipped them before, why did they become an enemy? Even going as far as to change deity whose Path was the other side of the spectrum? The Hunt was not the hater of all life, that would be the Destruction, yet they still went against Abundance whose gift was presented to all life.
Gift...
"We thought they could grant us that. What started as few, turned into a mass by the end of it. Everyone wanted a taste of that sweet promise, not knowing it would be the beginning of eternal suffering."
Mei understood it rather intimately. Making deals with the Divine rarely ended in good regards, at least unless that Divine was Kiana but that beside the point. What they called as gods in this Universe were not the ever-loving and merciful of beings, despite what many might claim them to be. They, for all intent and purposes, were also a thing living in the Tree that was bound to their own agendas. Mei had tried to understand the Aeons and the more she read, the more it sounded like they were the monarchs who couldn't be bothered by mortal's fleeting existence.
There was not a single shred of humanity in them and thus they were unable to appreciate humans and their struggles. For them, humanity was akin to an ant living in a pit of giants, so utterly insignificant even a single mistake from them could erase it from existence.
Akivili might be on the other side of this, yet the most human of Aeon was dead a long time ago. Other Aeons who might consider walking with humans were either doing it in search of hedonism or because of said agendas, not because they wanted to appreciate the beauty of the weak.
Humanity fought for its existence every day against forces incomprehensible originating from the deep cosmos. Wars, diseases and catastrophes happened on every corner of the Universe constantly. Every second, every inhale of their breath, was a galaxy being obliterated and swallowed by the Sea in a ceaseless cycle.
"Everything could be holy, but not everything could be human," was what Kiana said and Mei was bound to agree because the Divine was numerous while Humanity was one and only.
"Death, for us, is a faraway concept," he continued. "For people who live for hundreds of years, today's nothing but a fleeting gust."
"But you do die, correct? Does that mean Yaoshi failed?" Mei finished when Dan Heng nodded.
"They didn't. An Aeon rarely fails in their aspiration as long as it's correlating with their Path. It's just that the Abundance's view of life might be different than what we know."
Mei frowned at that. "What do you mean?"
"The Abundance sees life as what it is. As long as it's breathing, as long as it's growing and prospering then it is life. Their gifts don't discriminate and they can also become twisted."
The Herrscher grimaced at that. "Everything has a price," she concluded for Dan Heng. "What price did your people have to pay?"
"Madness. The wars we waged against the Abundance were meant to erase the abominations it created and put an end to everything life itself was not. We don't hate all life as we are also people with our own lives, we hated the mockery of it created from our mutilated friends and family."
"How could you know all of this?"
For the first time ever, Dan Heng's face twisted with hesitation and Mei had to fight the urge to grab his hand to comfort him, knowing the contact wouldn't be appreciated. The question alone was far from harmful, but it seemed it was all she needed to hit the point of his deepest agony despite Mei lacking the intention to begin with.
"Mei, I..." Dan Heng drawled and Mei watched the way his jaw clenched and unclenched repeatedly as the words got stuck somewhere in there. "I have something to tell you."
"... who?" Stelle asked, both confused and perplexed as she stared at a certain white haired woman. Said woman was grinning from ear to ear and bouncing on her feet like an overexcited puppy.
After hours of talking and discussing their intentions to the Xianzhou officials, time in which Stelle herself spent trying to not glaze over the talk itself and failing, the sight of Kiana being excited over someone that wasn't Mei for a once was both unexpected and endearing to see.
Frankly, she didn't know what to expect to start with but this was definitely not it.
"Sushang!" Kiana exclaimed again, still looking like she was going to explode from the excitement. "She's here!"
Stelle closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose exasperatedly. "That's cool and all but literally who the hell?" she reiterated but Kiana had had Bronya to bother with the information to respond. The other woman looked intrigued but definitely nowhere as thrilled, though to be fair Stelle had never seen Bronya got excited at all over something.
It was Welt who went on to explain. "Li Sushang is Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie. She's a master swordwoman whose skills are rivalled only by her master." He paused to watch as Bronya nudged Kiana's side hard to silence the Kaslana and Kiana proceeded to glare at her as she clutched the point of contact.
"Idiotka, what did you do this time?"
"What?!"
"There's a little girl glaring at you there."
"Little girl? Who the— Oh, shit. I almost forgot to pay for the food. Be right back."
Welt chuckled. "Sushang is a good friend to them so to see a version of herself here on the Xianzhou must be very exciting."
"You said she's an S-rank Valkyrie, Mister Welt? Does that mean she's strong?" March piped in, voicing Stelle's own question.
A nod. "Her martial art skills are unparalleled and her affinity with swords is not to be scoffed at either. She's also one of four people who've mastered the Edge of Taixuan at present time."
"Edge of Taixuan?"
Welt pulled his glasses off, staring at the clear surface for a moment as he worked on his words. Bronya saw his thoughtful expression from the corner of her eye but didn't say anything, letting her gaze locked on Kiana as her best friend began to apologize profusely to the little girl.
"During the Second Honkai War..." Welt began slowly as he slipped his glasses back on. "The Second Herrscher who had acquired six Herrscher Gems threatened to destroy our world. We fought back but she was protected by the Will of Honkai and its guidances, making it not just difficult but also almost impossible. It was when our plans were on the brink of failure we saw it, a burning blade of pure Honkai Energy that pierced and cut through everything including the Second Herrscher's link with the Will of Honkai. It was the ultimate technique that saved us all."
And it costed them much, too, but nobody paid the price more than Fu Hua. A lot of people sacrificed themselves to stop the Second Eruption, be it in the hand of the Second Herrscher or Otto, but Hua quite literally burned everything she was so humanity could win, giving up all her body and soul for the greater good. Back then was a desperate time everything just seemed acceptable as long as victory was the result.
"Why's so few people know it?" Stelle asked, tilting her head to the side curiously. "Is it hard to learn?"
"It is. It has five forms with each requires you trainings achievable only in a lifetime for a normal human with the fifth form being the hardest one to learn yet." He offered both Stelle and March a gentle smile then. "But maybe you girls can go and try to learn it, after all. We won't know unless we try, right?"
March laughed nervously, unsure with herself, while Stelle shrugged. "Sounds good to me. Will you teach us?" the latter asked casually, eliciting a small laugh from Welt. "What? You said it was worth a shot."
"My apologies, but I'm afraid that is beyond my capability. Besides, you're asking at the wrong person."
"What do you mean?"
Welt gestured to behind them with his cane and they turned around just in time to see Kiana accidentally stepped on a puddle on her way back to the group.
"Kiana there is one of those four people."
They blinked, dumbfounded, as they stared at the woman who now muttered curses under her breath while Bronya snorted at her predicament in amusement. Kiana, oblivious as she was, glared at Bronya. "Real funny," she grunted, all but amused.
"Not my fault you're an idiot," Bronya quipped back.
"Prick."
"I wouldn't believe it if I didn't know what she's capable of," March mumbled to herself, ignoring the two bantering women as they threw insults at each other.
"Is there an end to her awesomeness?" Stelle asked rhetorically. At the first glance, Kiana seemed like a goofy airhead whose thoughts escaped her like smoke in the wind but the more she learned about her, the more it was revealed that her act on the outside really didn't justify the real her.
Or rather, the goofy her is the real her while her awesomeness is just a byproduct of it...
"Never judge a book by its cover," Welt advised the two teenagers. "Not all those pages are white and pristine. Some are wrinkled from uses, some are printed in a different color altogether so until you see them for yourself, don't be too certain."
Welt stopped suddenly, a dark expression adorning his face before it disappeared quickly. Clearing his throat, he called to Kiana and Bronya to gain their attention, putting their little verbal battle to an immediate stop. Kiana gave him an inquisitive look before it turned into a scowl when Bronya grabbed her by her jacket collar and dragged her closer to Welt.
"I'm not a damn dog!" She protested as she yanked herself free from Bronya's grip.
"No, a dog is a better listener than you are," Bronya deadpanned, ignoring the growl Kiana sent her way with an expert ease to ask Welt instead. "Are we good to go?"
"I think it's time we tell them both," Welt said with a nod towards Stelle and March. "Will you do the honor?"
Bronya nodded, turning to the two teenagers with face set in a serious line that made them stiffen on their feet. However, just when she was about to speak Kiana suddenly threw her arms around both girls' shoulders and ushered them away with her.
"I'll do it," she stated, uncharacteristically serious and although Bronya seemed annoyed at first she quickly recovered and nodded.
Kiana dragged them away from both Welt and Bronya, arms still locked around their shoulders. Her expression was sharp as she regarded her surroundings and for a moment Stelle was treated with the sight of Kiana the warrior whose experience was forged in the anvil of war. Someone who, as she understood, mastered a technique only a handful knew as Welt mentioned.
"What's wrong?" March asked loudly when they stopped, right at the peak of the arc of a bridge connecting the two major streets of the sector. She had to speak up since the buzzing of military Starskiffs constantly flying below them practically drowned any other noises.
Kiana shifted her arms so she was now grabbing them by their shoulders, gesturing with her index fingers for the girls to come closer still. When Stelle hesitated from the weirdness of the situation itself, Kiana simply shook her head and smiled.
"Come on! Don't worry, I don't bite. Unless you're Mei, that is," she added with a cheeky grin.
Stelle wrinkled her face but did as told. "The last time we hunched up together, we hit each other's heads because March couldn't keep it cool."
"I said I'm sorry, okay?" the pinkette whined, earning a giggle from Kiana. "So?"
Kiana's grin disappeared, in its place was a tight line that reflected on her thought. They waited as the Kaslana gave one quick look around before sighing deeply.
"What I'm going to tell you, you must not tell anyone else other than the Crew," she began, tone serious not leaving a room for argument. Her blue eyes pierced through March's colorful ones and Stelle's golden ones, the latter realizing the unasked affirmation in that gaze.
"I can keep secrets," Stelle assured as she elbowed March lightly. The pinkette got the memo and nodded in support immediately.
Kiana waited for precisely three seconds before the lines on her face disappeared. "Good."
Then, she explained and with each word she uttered Stelle couldn't help but to widen her eyes in shock while March seemed like she was about to collapse from both fear and surprise. Stelle didn't blame her, though, especially after learning how close they were to something so dangerous even if that something was wearing a skin of someone so likeable and kind.
Kiana let them digest the information patiently, watching both teenagers with keen eyes all the while subconsciously keeping tracks of their surroundings with her Void Authority, seeing everything without the need of her eyes including things invisible to said eyes.
It was a little surprising that March was the one to break the ensuing silence, though, pretty much voicing Stelle's own question.
"Are you going to do something about it?" she asked, tone hopeful with a hint of wariness in it. She didn't know how strong Kiana truly was but she should be able to take out something as strong as an Emanator, right?
Right?
But Kiana simply shook her head with a grimace. "As much as I want to, I can't."
"Can't or won't?" Stelle shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. "You seem to have a clear line between the two."
Kiana locked her gaze with Stelle's, silent as a Foxian woman crossed the bridge behind them. She was not alone, carrying with her her child in her arms who laughed merrily about something her mother told her. Said woman barely gave them a glance until she and her child were gone further down the street.
"Whatever she is planning to do on the Luofu..." The Kaslana drawled after making sure they were on the clear. "We have to wait and see before we can determine our next course of action. For now, trust nobody but keep your act as natural as possible around people. Got it?"
They nodded, wary and troubled. Kiana saw the unease in their eyes and swiftly changed the mood with her usual grin. "Don't worry, we've got your back," she added, patting both girls on the shoulders affectionately. "Come on, then. I believe we still have things to do."
Welt quickly brought Kiana up to speed, explaining the deals they made with the Xianzhou officials regarding their visit and intentions. Apparently, the Helm Master turned down their offer for help and refused their involvement in Xianzhou's internal affairs, citing that the Knights were more than enough to stem any troubles that had and might arise on the ship even if it's something as terrible as a Stellaron.
The Luofu had a garrison of tens of thousands of Cloud Knights ready to deploy at any time so they didn't doubt Yukong's words nor confidence. They also didn't condemn her way of thinking, knowing that the Luofu was more than experienced in the art of warfare. They had fought against threats so large and numerous they could easily run over a star system and won so something as trivial as outbreaks and criminals on the loose were nothing to them.
That was precisely why the Crew were worried because the Stellaron Hunters were more than just mere criminals. Countless civilizations and worlds had underestimated them before and many found themselves either burned to the ground or missing important head figures in the morning only to find them dead in a ditch somewhere, if they were ever found at all.
The Hunters were skilled. They were cunning and powerful befitting a group who pulled strings behind the scene to make the symphony of fate go on and on to whatever their leader had prophesized for all involved.
Fortunately, the General wasn't one of those people. He and his wisdom had found it fit for the Crew to go and apprehend the Hunters encroaching their territory, overriding Yukong's authority as it was within his rights as the leader of the Cloud Knight for military matters. He tasked them with one and only goal, not wanting to stretch their limited numbers to the limit, and gave them a guide to help them navigate the crowded ship.
Said guide happened to be a very familiar Cloud Knight Captain, much to their surprise.
"We have intel that Kafka is hiding in Stargazer Navalia," Jian Dao told them as they boarded their designated military Starskiff and Stelle was surprised to see a full squad of Cloud Knights already onboard waiting for them. The Captain himself had his helmet off and tucked under an arm as he addressed them, showing a face of someone in his late thirties if he were a short-life species. Stelle couldn't help but to stare at the scar running vertically up his right eye all the way until it disappeared under his brown scalp.
The man himself didn't look as thrilled as the Crew thought he would be and Welt decided to voice that particular thought.
"Is something the matter, Captain?" He asked just as the Starskiff took off to the sky heading for their new destination.
"I'm a soldier, Mister Welt, and it is my duty to follow orders," Jian Dao firmly replied as he slipped his helmet back on. "That said, that doesn't mean I get to like all of them."
"You don't want to be here?"
"No offense to you and your companions but that would be a no. It's nothing personal, I like you for saving me and my men from perils but I don't enjoy getting pulled out from the front line while there's still a clear threat. I'd rather be there and fight alongside the others."
"Don't worry, I completely understand," Welt assured with a nod. "Camaraderie between soldiers is not something to scoff at. I must thank you in advance, however, for your help."
He nodded and the conversation died down afterwards, leaving the Crew and Knights in silence for the rest of the ride. The Knights were rigid on their seats, appearing uninterested with the Crew as they stared into nothing ahead of them. If Stelle didn't know any better, she would've thought them to be a bunch of robots instead of people with how stiff they were being.
Aside from the occasional murmurs between Bronya and Kiana, there was nothing but the hum of the engine as the Starskiff carried them further into the Luofu's many sectors, passing gates after gates, until they arrived at Stargazer Navalia and docked.
The Crew waited for the Knights to completely disembark before stepping out themselves, taking in their new surroundings immediately.
At first glance, it looked a lot like the Cloudford with containers and Starskiffs placed and parked in the vast majority of the sector, turning it into yet another maze of metals. But as they looked on further, they could actually see that the area was meant for something else, too.
"The Starskiffs are grown?" Stelle asked, baffled, as she stared at one of the growing Starskiffs currently floating inside a large container as they walked past it. "You mean they're alive?"
"They technically are," Jian Dao replied casually, gesturing at another one further down the line of production with a quick nod. "They are grown en masse from embryo stages and then separated into their respective breeding tanks after they've grown into certain sizes."
"Why don't you guys just build them?"
"Supply and demand. It's faster this way and the results are reliable enough."
Stelle's gaze lingered at one of the growing Starskiffs and for a moment she swore she could see the tendrils inside the green liquid twitching the closer she got to it as if sensing her presence. Suppressing a disturbed wince, she shook her head and tried to forget what she had just seen.
"A little unsettling, don't you think?" March mumbled at her side and Stelle nodded.
"Fascinating, too."
"I'm sure it is to you."
After a short discussion, the group decided to branch into three elements to shorten their search time for Kafka with each having at least a Herrscher with them to communicate with. At first, Jian Dao was skeptical with the idea until Welt assured him that their means of communication was foolproof and instantaneous.
Bronya took a team of five Cloud Knights with her while Welt went with four including the Captain, leaving Kiana to lead the remaining two in their search. The teenagers, naturally, decided to stick with Kiana to boost the numbers, giving her a total of four people under her command.
"Remember, if you find her, do not go in alone. The Hunters rarely hunt alone so she must have some backups. Call for support and keep an eye on her and your surroundings," Jian Dao reminded his men before shifting his gaze to the Crew. "The same goes to you, too."
"We understand, Captain. We're a team."
So Welt said but the Knights accompanying them were hardly what one might call 'teammates'.
They did their job alright, but they also barely spoke a word to the Crew during their whole search. They did what Kiana asked them to do without questions and reported curtly back when questioned about them. Other than the bare minimums, the Knights didn't seem as interested to make friends with the Crew and it was actually a little jarring to see.
Kiana made it work though, with smiles and gentle yet firm words. No signs of frustration was visible in her eyes at their predicaments even when the search turned fruitless by the hours it went on.
By the time the artificial sun had dimmed and moved down the horizon and the shadows were long, the Crew decided to call it off. Knowing that continuing search in the dark would be too dangerous and risky.
They knew Kafka was around and tweaking with the sector's cycles would alert her that she had been found out, despite it being an option. Kiana herself had tried to locate her with her Void Authority but the amount of civilians and Knights made it impossible to find the female Hunter, not to mention she had to severely tone down her power so to not mess with the space-folding technology itself.
"It's like searching for a needle in a haystack," she told the girls as they made their way to the rendezvous point to regroup with the rest. "I could find her precise position if I knew her aura but alas we haven't truly met for me to get a zero on her."
The walk was a long one, the sheer size of the sector alone was enough to stretch them to the limit, and was mostly spent in silence. The Knights behind them barely uttered a word to the Crew, content to speak in hushed whispers to each other. At least, Stelle knew one of them was a woman from her voice earlier.
The lights around them had just began to lit up when Kiana suddenly stopped dead on her track while Stelle who had been walking right behind her almost crashed to her back. She was about to ask the Kaslana the reason she stopped when a bloodcurdling scream interrupted her, making the hair on her nape and arms rise.
Kiana had just finished unholstering Shamash when the large container before them exploded in a gory display of golden viscera, just in time to shoot the giant gorilla Abomination that bursted out of it, to little effect.
Then, before they could recover from their initial shock, a flood of Abominations rushed out from the hole like water from a dam straight towards the group, hissing and screeching like a bat out of hell.
Kiana unceremoniously turned around and shoved Stelle back, not a second later a purple energy barrier sprung up between the group and Kiana, separating the Kaslana and the Abominations with the rest of them.
Stelle was still recovering when she found herself flat on her bottom, ears ringing from the rushing of her blood in her veins. She saw a flash of pink on her periphery before she realized it was March.
It took her a second to realize the pinkette was screaming in both terror and desperation as she banged her fists against the barrier.
"KIANA?! KIANA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Run! I'll cover you! Don't look back!" Was all Kiana told her back before she smashed Shamash together and turned it into its sword form and rushed forward to meet the approaching horde.
"NO! OPEN UP! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!"
But Kiana could no longer hear her, too far and too busy fighting the monsters. Stelle slowly stood up to her feet and grabbed the hunching pinkette, pulling her into her embrace to shield her from the carnage Kiana created.
"Let's go, March," she whispered gently as she tugged on the pinkette, swallowing thickly when she heard March sobbed and cried quietly on her shoulder. "We have to go."
March nodded against said shoulder before she backed away to wipe her flowing tears. "... yeah. Let's go," she finished more firmly.
Stelle grabbed March's hand and used it to pull her along with her, sparing one last glance behind her to the flurry of red and orange that was Shamash's flames. Although Kiana was nowhere in sight, it was enough affirmation that the woman was at least still fighting.
"Where to?!" Stelle asked one of the Knights who replied almost instantly.
"This way!" he exclaimed urgently as he took point.
"We need to report to the local commander immediately!" said the female one. "Hopefully your friend's sacrifice is not for nothing!"
"Kiana is not dead!" March denied with such a heat and certainty it caught Stelle off guard.
"Look, girl. I know you're mourning but nobody could survive that."
"Kiana is not a nobody. She's super strong something like that is nothing to her."
The Knights shared a glance, one shrugging while the other shook his head. Stelle knew what was going on in their heads and she too would think the same thing had she not known what Kiana was truly capable of doing and what she'd seen was supposedly barely a fraction of it.
Even Bronya was not sure what would happen if Kiana were to use her full power.
Her thought was interrupted by a loud bang from their side and Stelle reacted immediately on instinct by throwing herself aside towards March to cover the pinkette when the wall to their left exploded, sending a cloud of dust and concrete flying.
She coughed and blinked rapidly, trying in vain to spot the two Knights running ahead of them with the dust still thick, before her hands patted March up and down to ensure the pinkette was alright.
March felt Stelle shift and groaned to herself. "I'm fine," she declared, grabbing Stelle's hand to assure the ashen haired girl. "Are you okay?"
Stelle was about to respond when a loud gunshot stopped her, the sound piercing through the ringing in her ears and brought clarity back to the girl. She turned her head towards its source just in time to see a very familiar silhouette amidst the dust, not a second later a flash of gold followed by another deafening bang made Stelle flinch right over March.
Her grip on the pinkette's hand tightened to the point of pain but the fear in those golden eyes stopped any protests from leaving March's throat. Instead, she wiggled her body to look at where Stelle was looking only to gasp at the sight she saw.
The two Knights accompanying them were on the ground, unmoving, with crimson pooling around their body originating from the hole in their heads. But what made her truly afraid was the familiar woman standing over them, her magenta eyes transfixed on the girls still on the ground with teasing coyness in them.
"Well, that is truly a sight to behold," Kafka began, stepping over the dead bodies of the Knights towards Stelle and March. "Has my dear Stelle finally found a love interest?"
The Hunter's gaze settled on March and although there's no malicious intention behind it, it was enough to make her shiver in a newfound fear.
"Kafka," Stelle hissed through gritted teeth. This was bad. She had no backups, no way to communicate with the rest of the Crew and no clear way out through the maze of containers without risking of running into the Abominations. Yet, as she looked down towards March, so small and fearful she's practically on the verge of tears, Stelle decided to take that risk if it meant of getting away from Kafka.
With that in mind, Stelle yanked March off the ground and began to haul her away, grunting when pain flared from her left leg with each step she took.
Kafka for the most part only seemed amused by it.
"Aw, leaving already?" said the woman with fake dismay and a frown. "We haven't even talked yet!"
Fuck that, Stelle thought to herself, adrenaline rushing in her veins dulling the pain into an incessant throbbing. She had no idea where to go but she knew she needed to keep as much distance between her and Kafka. March was still unresponsive and the disgusting slick on her leg told her enough she was losing too much blood.
Then, it just became too unbearable for Stelle to power through and she crashed down with March still in her arms, vision blurry and head swimming from blood loss
Despite it, she still managed to drag March into cover before slumping down completely.
Stelle risked a glance to her injury, grimacing when she saw her leg had been completely coated in crimson from thigh to toes. The source of it was a chunk of metal that pierced through the skin of her upper left thigh, embedding itself in her tender flesh and forcing blood out of her body. Even now she could see the steady flow of her life source seeping out and that was not good.
"March," Stelle called thickly through the lump in her throat to the pinkette. "March, I need help."
The desperation and urgency in Stelle's voice finally pulled March out of her stupor, the pinkette recovering enough to move and begin searching for her first aid kit. Her eyes were wide, pupils blown as she stared at Stelle and her injury.
"Oh, God..." she mumbled in horror, pressing a roll of bandage around Stelle's thigh to stop the bleeding. "I'm... I'm so sorry! I—I couldn't do anything at all!" she cried out. "I'm so useless!"
Stelle grabbed the pinkette's arm and shook her head, staring into those wet pink hues with as much assurance as she could muster at the moment. "Patch me up and we're even, March."
March took a trembling breath and nodded, steadying herself as she worked on Stelle's injury again. Her hands were wet with blood and the metallic smell of it practically filled the small alleyway Stelle dragged them into.
The piece of metal jutting out of Stelle's flesh made March wince every time her fingers brushed it, knowing nothing she could do unless she wanted to risk Stelle losing even more blood. Biting on her lower lip, March was about to inject Stelle with painkiller when her friend stopped her.
"No, not yet. I want to keep a clear mind."
"But you're in pain!" March protested.
"Geez, it's not like I would know," she replied sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. When March didn't show the reaction Stelle was hoping she would see from her quip, she sighed and gave the pinkette a small comforting smile. "I can manage. Don't worry about it. But we really have to go now."
March was obviously hesitating, but she also knew that Stelle was right. Staying in one place with such an adversary hunting them would be a terrible idea considering Kafka was also a skilled hitman. They had to keep moving if they wanted to lose the woman, no matter how small the chance itself.
Wrapping an arm around Stelle, the pinkette carefully helped her friend up to her feet, grimacing when she heard Stelle grunt in pain. She had to keep a tight hold as Stelle kept swaying from the blood loss, making it difficult to traverse the narrow alleyway.
"Do you know where to go?" March asked Stelle. When no response came from the ashen haired girl, she glanced at the injured girl only to see the way she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her jaw. "Stelle?"
"J—just go wherever," Stelle answered through her teeth.
"Okay," March said, hiding the resignation in her tone with a fake smile. "I'll get us both out of here so you just hang in there, okay?"
Stelle couldn't answer verbally so she settled with a nod, focusing her attention to her steps as she limped ahead with March supporting half her weight. It was painful as hell but the only thing keeping her awake was the pain itself so Stelle had no choice but to bear it through, knowing full well that March wouldn't stand a chance if she were to carry her whole weight the entire way.
This was the only way, the only modicum of comfort even if it's a false one as she knew that deep down the only reason Kafka didn't stay on their toes during her mad dash was because the woman let her and March away, knew that the Hunter was playing with her preys like a panther stalking in the dark.
It was only further confirmed when March suddenly stopped and went rigid on her feet and Stelle didn't need to look up to see why.
"There you are, little puppies."
March sucked in a deep, terrified breath, arm tightening around Stelle protectively as she positioned herself so Stelle was now slightly behind her. Her eyes, usually bright and full of joy, was now wide with dread and conviction, both equal in measure.
Kafka stood there right at the exit, her purple hair glowing with the light of the artificial moon in the sky, framing her face in an angelic beauty. But she was no angel and as she unsheathed the sword strapped to her hips, its blade colored in the same color of her hair and eyes, March realized that nothing of the woman was holy.
Rather, it was as if she was staring at the devil herself, if the impish smile on the woman's face meant anything.
"Are you going to run again, little pups?" Kafka teased, smile widening as she took the first step forward. "Or are you going to lie down and show me your bellies in submission?"
March weighed her options, biting her lower lip anxiously as she pondered on it. Kafka was taking her leisure time, walking in a slow and deliberate strut towards her. The Hunter was obviously toying with her and despite the situation, March couldn't help but be mad at that fact.
Still, she forced herself to swallow the feeling and assess the situation as calmly as possible which was not much with death practically staring at her in the eyes. She knew she couldn't run, not with Stelle barely hanging on reality, and she was sure as hell didn't want to surrender in the face of such a terrible woman like Kafka. There's no saying what she would do to her if she showed even a moment of weakness and March was sure Stelle wouldn't want to find out, either.
In a move that surprised Kafka, March chose the third option instead.
The pinkette gently set Stelle down, back propped against the wall and comfortable, before she turned to face Kafka. With the one desire she always had in abundance she chose a path defying the lain options, a desire to protect those she held dear with every and all of herself.
With shaky hands, she summoned her bow and nocked it, aimed true at the woman before her. Stelle's blood on her fingers turned the translucent arrow she created crimson, giving it a more sinister look as it lit up the alleyway in a red glow.
But her heart was still true, pure and kind befitting the one and only March 7th.
"Don't come any closer!" March warned, fear apparent in her voice and eyes yet she didn't let it stop her or to drown her desire to protect her friend. A desire that outmatched said fear if the size of her arrow meant anything.
"Oh? This puppy seem to bite," Kafka remarked, unfazed and amused. "March, right? I'm happy to learn that my dear Stelle has someone like you by her side."
"Stop! I'm warning you!"
"So brave and selfless..."
"March... just... run..." Stelle mumbled just loud enough for the pinkette to hear.
"No! I'm not leaving you! Not again!"
"You can't... you can't win. N—not against her."
"I don't have to win! I just need to stop her long enough until someone comes to help us!"
No one is coming, Stelle wanted to say but a sudden flare of searing white pain interrupted the words before they could escape her mouth.
"Don't worry, dear," Kafka said with a look to Stelle. "I'll be gentle with your friend. I promise it won't hurt," she finished as a predatory grin settled on her face.
With a yell, March released her arrow, sending the crimson projectile forward towards her target. Then, without rest, she did it again and again, each intensifying the sound until her throat was raw and sore.
For Stelle, however, it was all a blur. All she saw on her periphery were flashes of red and purple followed by the sound of ice and electricity clashing until everything just fell silent to her ears.
It was then the first roll of tears fell down her cheeks, and then another until they became a steady flow as she sobbed on the spot, unable to move a muscle with how much blood she'd lost.
She hardly react when she felt gloved hands tenderly wiping her tears and if she didn't know any better she would've found it comforting. But she knew and that was why it was tragic.
"Let your sorrow run, my dear," Kafka whispered lovingly, cupping her cheeks in her hands and guiding her face so their gazes met. "You were always one to care for your companions and I'm glad it hasn't changed even after all that."
Her voice was soft and smooth like honey while her touch was gentle like a silk, but under all that Stelle could see the cruelty behind those magenta eyes. Pooling and reflecting from the depth of Kafka's soul.
"... why?" Stelle rasped out.
"Why what?"
"Why did you do all of this?"
"Would you believe me if I said I didn't do it?"
"Liar."
Kafka chuckled, smile broadening. "You think so lowly of me, dear. I will never lie to you. To others maybe, but you are special in my heart you deserve nothing but the truth."
Stelle swallowed, feeling something worming its way deep inside her. Something akin to a soothing whisper that eased her aching heart and body until all she could feel was serenity as she stared at Kafka's glowing eyes.
"What did you do to me?" She asked, voice louder than before now her mind wasn't being occupied with pain. "What is this?"
"Nothing that will harm you. If anything, it'll help console you."
Kafka brushed a strand of ashen hair out of Stelle's face and tucked it behind her ear, the same adoring look still on her face. Stelle was too confused to properly react, only able to stare at the woman with her big, golden eyes.
The woman before her was a lot of things and contradictive was one of them. Perhaps, it was necessary so she could sow chaos and confusion, or perhaps she did it because she found it amusing. There was no certain way to tell so it was very frustrating to try and figure Kafka out.
She knew she couldn't believe the woman before her yet Stelle still asked her, anyway.
"Why are you here?"
This time, Kafka's smile showed teeth and whatever it meant Stelle had no way to understand it.
"The same reason you are," the older woman replied casually. "Exciting, don't you think? For us to work together for a common goal. Ah, but do apologize, I reckon you won't know what I mean." She leaned forward, breath tickling Stelle's neck and making her hair stand. To her ear she then whispered, "just like the old time, you and me."
Stelle eyes widened, mouth hanging open as she tried to look at Kafka's face, just to see whether she was genuine or not, but the hand still cupping her face stopped her from moving her head.
"What do you mean? What... What were we?"
Kafka retreated and shrugged, digging through her pouch to find her injection of painkiller. "We were what we were, a past forgotten for tomorrow." Without warning, she jabbed the needle into Stelle's good thigh before continuing on, ignoring the hiss the girl let out in the process. "That's not where you will belong, now."
Stelle closed her eyes and shook her head to clear the sudden rush of cloudiness as the drug did its job, when she opened them again the woman before her had stood up and had her hands up in the air in surrender. Confusion blossomed in her chest until she heard a very familiar voice reverberating between the walls.
"That's enough, Kafka. Game's over."
With great difficulty, Stelle craned her neck to its source, inhaling a sharp intake of oxygen when she saw Kiana standing there in all her glory.
The white dress she was wearing formed a tight fit on her body, hair set in a single ponytail on the center with streaks of red on it, while her cloak billowed back and forth from an invisible force behind her, its inner part colored with the same red and orange of flames.
Those eyes which were normally filled with joy and compassion were now set in a fiery determination, glowing so bright they're almost burning as she stared at Kafka coldly.
She raised a gauntlet and Stelle's gaze followed the movement, only then she realized that beside Kiana was March standing on her feet. The pinkette's eyes were vacant as she stared into nothing, some kind of purple thread that started from nowhere going into her chest where her heart was. If Stelle could scream, she would with the pure relief and joy she felt at the moment at the sight of her friends being okay.
The moment Kiana's hand made contact with March's shoulder, the thread was cut and March jolted awake, clarity returning to her eyes as she looked around frantically. It took her a moment to realize who was holding her.
"Kiana...?" she whispered, disbelief clear in her tone. Kiana looked at the girl and grinned, all the coldness gone just like that.
"Hey, March," she replied warmly and laughed when March threw herself to hug her. "Alright there, darling."
"I knew it! I knew you would be fine!"
"Well, yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence. Something like that is nothing to the good old me, y'know? Easy peasy lemon squeezy." Kiana's smile disappeared as she patted March's back apologetically. "Let's talk about my awesomeness later, okay? I need to take care of Stelle."
At the mention of the ashen haired girl, March immediately stiffened and released Kiana, turning around to face the source of their problem she had completely forgotten. Kafka was still there with the same smug look on her face, just this time she had her hands up in the air.
Almost on instinct, March summoned her bow and prepared herself for another battle.
"That won't be necessary, dear," the Hunter said with a shake of her head. "I surrender."
"... what?"
Kiana casually strode forward, the sound of her heels clacking on the concrete floor too loud in the ensuing silence. March watched, fascinated, as her dress and cape disappeared in a burning ember until the woman was back in her usual outfit.
March didn't miss the way Kafka stepped out of her way as she walked to gather Stelle from the ground even without Kiana uttering a word.
"You know what to do," Kiana told Kafka indifferently, hardly sparing the Hunter a glance as she scooped Stelle up into her arms.
"Yes."
Kafka unhooked the belt holding her sword, then her guns and grenades. When it came to her coat, the woman visibly hesitated for a brief moment before she also shed it off her body.
They fell onto the ground with a thud, Stelle's blood immediately seeping into Kafka's coat and turning the color darker but the woman paid it no heed as she stepped over it to follow Kiana out, now dressed in her white dress shirt.
It was all so weird to March she could only stare. The Hunter who had killed people in cold blood surrendering without a fight?
Is this some kind of ploy?
But Kafka didn't seem like she was going to stab Kiana in the back, despite having a clear and unhindered access to said back. Instead, she just seemed... casual. Not even resigned, just neutral, as she kept a respectable distance from Kiana.
Kiana, meanwhile, simply cradled Stelle close to her chest and the girl snuggled further into Kiana, finding her warm not just comforting but also familiar. The painkiller Kafka gave her did wonders but even so it couldn't block the lingering warmth the Scion of Flame used to burn the malice of the world.
And her wound... it simply stopped leaking blood the moment Kiana touched her, though it's not like she would know that. March did know, though, as she fell a step beside Kiana.
"How are you feeling?" Kiana asked her softly, gone was the bitter coldness from her tone as she addressed Stelle and its place was her usual sunny warmth.
"Like shit," Stelle mumbled and Kiana snorted.
"Yeah, dude. You do look like one."
"Eh, no wonder."
Kiana laughed and Stelle found herself smiling along. "You just sleep, okay? We'll take care of everything."
Stelle hummed and closed her eyes, once again focusing on that gentle heat Kiana emanated and allowing it to lull her into the sweet embrace of slumber. It was a nice feeling, like lying on a field in a bright Summer day, and it washed over her aches and worries like the calm and sweet breeze.
"Kiana?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
"Anytime, dear."
Stelle let go and fall, into the darkness that gave off nothing but warmth.
TBC.