Kiana packed the rest of what they needed to bring inside of a duffel. All of the items were packed with great care and treated like they were extremely fragile. Her hand opened a drawer and she stared at the object sitting inside. A silver flask with the Kaslana Insignia on one side and the Schariac Insignia on the other. It was wrapped tenderly inside of a velvet wrapping. She smiled and took it out.
This was something she took out once a year on this day specifically. Their mother's gift to their father on their first anniversary or so she was told. Smiling, she pocketed it and continued packing.
"Kiana! I'm done packing!" Cecilia said. She peeked into her sister's room from outside the door.
"Really? Jacket? Extra clothes? Your Homu doll?" Kiana asked.
Cecilia blushed at the last question. She was too old to be sleeping with dolls but her sister still teased her over it.
Kiana smiled. "Make sure to bring your guns with you. We don't know if we'll encounter any Honkai beasts along the way."
"I… I forgot to buy flowers," Cecilia said.
"It's fine. We can buy some in town when we get there," she reassured her sister with a kind smile.
"Hey, Kiana. About what happened earlier today…"
"It's fine. If you say you're fine, I'll trust you. But, remember to come to me if you ever have any problems. We're the only family we've got left," Kiana said.
"Thanks, Kiana," Cecilia said.
She walked into the room and sat down in front of her sister as Kiana finished packing the last of their necessities. "Hey Kiana, do you think we'll see anyone else there?"
"Why would you say that?" she zipped up the duffel and gave Cecilia an odd look.
"Well, it's just that… Dad had to have parents right? Otherwise, Dad wouldn't exist but… we've never met Grandma and Grandpa before. I was just wondering if we should start reaching out to them now," Cecilia said.
"Our grandparents didn't care that we existed according to Dad so we won't see them there… or ever. We have no other family except each other," Kiana said bitterly.
Cecilia nodded, not wanting to push the topic any further. She was all too aware of the reason her sister felt that way about their family.
"Come on, let's go. We have a long flight ahead of us," Kiana said, slinging the bag over her shoulder.
Cecilia smiled. She grabbed and held onto her older sister's arm.
"Ah, you're acting like a child, Ceci," Kiana said.
"Just spoil me for today," Cecilia said, hugging her sister's arm tightly.
"Alright, alright," she replied.
"Kiana. Cecilia."
The two stopped as they were boarding their VTOL. The engineers had just finished fueling it and they had received an all-clear from Theresa for take-off. Himeko stood there with their diminutive aunt. Theresa walked over to them and handed them a bottle of Jack Daniel's.
"This is your father's favorite brand of whiskey. He and your mother would always pop one during their month-aversaries or on their actual anniversaries. Even when your mother died, Ziggy always popped one open for the two of them on the day of their wedding. I'm sure you two are very familiar with this," Theresa said. "If Siegfried's parenting skills are anything to go by…"
Kiana let out a laugh at hearing that while Cecilia just sighed. Their father had tried to get them to drink.
"Say hi to Siegfried for me. Tell him I'll visit him next year," Theresa said.
"We will," Kiana said.
"If anything, the old man's probably going to brush it off and say that your stubby legs won't let you walk from the office to the landing pad," Cecilia added.
A vein throbbed in Theresa's head before she sighed and calmed down. "That is something that fool would say."
"We'll be off now, Aunt Teri. We'll be back in a few days," Kiana said.
"Aunt Teri! Don't let Bronya touch my DS5! My Valkyrie Hunter Ascension save file is there and my new Judah Ring game! Okay!" Cecilia said as she boarded the ship.
"Yeah, yeah. Fly safe you two!" Theresa said.
The two watched as the VTOL took off and flew away from the school. Theresa had a whimsical look on her face as she watched it disappear into the clouds. Himeko noticed this and slapped Theresa on the back.
"Come on, Principal! Let's go play Cecilia's DS5!" Himeko said.
"Damnit! Can't you hold your strength back, Himeko?" Theresa said. The two turned and began walking back to St. Freyja.
Theresa smiled. Their kids were grown up now. Siegfried, Cecilia, I hope you're still watching over those two… because they're all grown up now, she thought.
The two had flown for hours. Kiana sat in the pilot's seat, watching the instruments. She looked back into the passenger's area. Cecilia sat there, fast asleep and clutching her Homu doll tightly. It was a battered, old white Homu doll that their father had gotten on one of his routine missions to protect the town near their cabin.
"No, Dad… don't eat all my pizza bread…," Cecilia groaned, moving in her sleep.
Kiana smiled.
"Ceci, we're almost there. Wake up," Kiana said. She didn't hear anything except for Cecilia's soft snores. Setting the VTOL on autopilot, Kiana got up from her chair and gently shook her sister awake.
"Huh? Wha…? Did Bronya touch my stuff?" Cecilia said, still in a dream-like haze.
"No, Squirt. It's time to wake up. We're almost at Belystevok," Kiana said.
"Oh, what? Oh, right." Cecilia shook off her sleep-induced haze. She got up from her chair and stretched before going to the cockpit with her older sister. "How long have I been out?" she yawned.
"About 2 and a half hours. Nothing's happened so far. We're going to land in 15 minutes," Kiana said.
"Where at?" Cecilia pulled out a box of Pocky and began eating.
"There's a landing pad in the village for Valkyrie operations. I'll land there using St. Freyja's clearance code," she replied.
After 15 minutes, the two landed at the airport in Belystevok and exited their VTOL where they were greeted by the local law enforcement.
"Ah, Valkyries! We're honored. We weren't aware that Lord Otto was sending another two here," the officer said in Russian.
"Oh, we're not here on a mission. We're here on a social visit. We lived in this town for a while before moving," Kiana replied in fluent Russian.
"Ah, then welcome home then. Do you need us to escort you two off the airstrip?" the officer asked.
"No need. We know our way around town," Cecilia said.
"Ah, then welcome home you two," the officer said, walking off.
"Come on, Kiana! I want some pirozhki!" Cecilia said, dragging her sister by the arm into town.
"Alright, alright!" Kiana said, laughing.
Belystevok was a sleepy Siberian town nestled in the Russian Far East. It snowed 60% of the year and was cold all year round. The town was old like most towns in Siberia. A mix of cobblestone and paved roads ran through the town. Old European-style housing lined the streets and stores that had been in existence since before the World Wars still flourished. The population was a mix of new and old. People who had their families rooted in these mountains for centuries and people who wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the cities. It was a town far removed from the politics of Schicksal and the rest of the world. A town that had preserved its traditions and managed to adapt with the times due to the new blood that was injected.
But for Kiana and Cecilia, this town was and always will be their home. The two shared fond memories of this place as well as tragic ones.
Kiana sat in front of her sister, who inhaled her plate of pirozhki. She took a bite of her own pirozhki, savoring the taste.
"So what do you want to do first?" Kiana asked.
"Mmm?" Cecilia swallowed her food before speaking. "I want to see if Mr. Brauer is still selling caramel apples and then I want to go visit the Gnarled Tree on the outskirts of town!"
"The Gnarled Tree? Really?" Kiana asked.
"What? I want to see if our names are still there," Cecilia said.
Kiana nodded and smiled. "Okay but remember that we have to get back into town to buy flowers since you forgot to buy flowers on the way over here."
"Why don't we just pick wild ones around the Gnarled Tree? Dad would love it more than some cheap preserved flowers from a flower shop," Cecilia said, sipping her lemon juice.
"I guess. It can save me some money too," Kiana replied.
"See? Problem solved. Aren't you glad I didn't buy flowers?" she asked.
"Prime A-Rank behavior there, Squirt," Kiana said.
"Hmph!" Cecilia huffed and turned away. After a few minutes, she smiled. "Come on! Let's get the check and go see Mr. Brauer!"
Kiana nodded and flagged down one of the waiters. "Check please!"
Misteleinn was a candy shop in Belystevok. It was founded by a family of German descent long before the World Wars. A Mom and Pop shop that had been here long before either of the sisters were born. And it was Cecilia's favorite candy shop. The shop had a wide variety of sweets to buy and peruse. Caramel apples. Homemade chocolate. To the two, the candy here had a nostalgic taste that could not be bested by anyone except Raiden Mei. But only Cecilia held that opinion. In Kiana's view, the candy here was the best in the world.
"Mr. Brauer!" Cecilia called out, walking inside.
"Ceci! Don't run off like that! And mind your manners!" Kiana said, walking in after her.
"Don't be such a stiff, Kiana. Look, caramel apples," she said, grabbing a few.
"Don't grab too much, Cecilia. I spent a lot of money on our lunch just now," Kiana said, browsing the shelves for her favorite chocolates.
"Oya? Is that you two? It's been a year already?" an elderly voice called out from behind one of the shelves.
Kiana and Cecilia perked their heads up and saw an elderly man walk out from behind the shelf. The man had a kind air about him. His faint blue eyes filled with youthful energy upon setting his sights on the two girls. His glasses glinted as he pushed it up. He wore a knitted sweater and had a wooden cane in his left hand. The man walked over and smiled at the two.
"Mr. Brauer!" Cecilia chirped, walking over to him.
"Oh, Ceci. You're so big now. I feel like it was only yesterday you were up to here," Brauer said, holding his hand above his knee.
Cecilia pouted. "Mou! Mr. Brauer! I'm much taller than you now see? Kiana says we won't be as tall as Dad but we'll be as tall as Mom!"
"Hopefully you become just as strong as them. Siegfried was always protecting this town from the beasts. And having you two here all the time was a treat," Mr. Brauer said.
"Mr. Brauer, you should really tell Cecilia off sometimes. She has a habit of developing cavities," Kiana said, smiling at the old man.
"You're asking the impossible here, Kaslana. Your sister here is my biggest source of money whenever you show up," Mr. Brauer said. He walked over to the shelves and grabbed two bags. "I knew you two were going to come this week so I prepared a batch of your favorite candies for you and for your dad."
"O- Oh! You didn't have to go this far to-"
"You do this every year. I'm sure Siegfried would be happy to have some caramel apples to munch on," Mr. Brauer said.
"I don't know what to say," Kiana said.
"Just take the apples, sis. Dad… Dad would love to have some," Cecilia said, smiling.
"Yeah… thanks," Kiana said, clutching the bag of caramel apples in her hands.
"You two are going to the Gnarled Tree next?" Mr. Brauer asked.
"Yeah, we're going there this time instead of the flower shop," Cecilia said.
"I see. Say hi to your dad for me," Mr. Brauer said.
"We will!" the two chorused in unison.
"Gnarled Tree?"
"Gnarled Tree."
The Gnarled Tree was exactly as its name implied. A tree that had been twisted beyond normal limits. Struck multiple times by lightning from the sky and from the errant valkyrie attack. It was a tree that withstood the test of time and was speculated by the townspeople to be at least a few hundred years old. Many a people had come here to carve their names in this seemingly immortal tree so that they may live on. Couples believed that if their names were carved into it, their love would be prosperous and endure an eternity and a half.
"Kiana! Look, wildflowers!" Cecilia said.
"Just grab a few. Some daisies and edelweiss would be nice," Kiana said. She walked up to the tree while Cecilia picked some flowers. Her hands traced across the bark until she laid eyes upon a scorched portion of the tree. A soft smile graced her face.
Kiana was here! Cecilia was here! Ziggy was here!
"Oh, you found it!"
"I did. Did you get the flowers?" Kiana asked.
"Yeah. A few daisies. Some edelweiss. A couple of dandelions. So? Better than grabbing some roses huh?" Cecilia said, holding out a handful of them.
"Yeah, it's a lot fresher than the ones in the shop that's for sure," Kiana said.
The two stayed silent for a minute before Kiana spoke up.
"We have to go see Dad now," Kiana said.
"Yeah, I know… I'm always like this on this day," Cecilia said. A tear streaked down her face. She sniffled before putting on a big smile. "I'm a big girl now. I'm not supposed to…"
"Let's go," Kiana said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
And the two sisters left the tree.
"Do you think Dad will like all of the stuff we got him?" Cecilia asked, taking a whiff of the flowers.
"Of course. This is Dad we're talking about. Even if we got him year-old milk, he'd drink it down with a smile on his face. Come on, we're almost there," Kiana said.
The two trekked through the path. There were patches of snow on the ground. The trees were beginning to gain their green again. A change from when they departed their home all those years ago. She glanced at one tree that had been completely charred. Her eyes flashed with sorrow and she relieved the sheer heat of that day.
"Kiana?"
"Huh?" Kiana snapped out of her reverie when she heard her sister's voice.
"Who's that?" Cecilia asked, tugging on her sister's sleeve to get her attention.
"Who's what…?" her voice died when she followed her sister's gaze.
In front of the remnants of their former home, a woman was seen kneeling before it. She wore a black cloak with golden insignia on her back. Kiana and Cecilia recognized it immediately. Their father had a necklace with the same insignia on it. A sword with a pair of wings. And to top it all off, her white hair was the exact same shade as theirs.
"I know you two are there," the woman said, standing up.
The two got a better look at her. She wore a black uniform with multiple medals on it. She had form-fitting black leggings and calf-high combat boots. There were a pair of pistols attached to each side of her hip respectively. Her blue eyes locked onto them and her gaze softened when she saw them.
She looked very much like their father only she was female. One could even say that she looked like Kiana and Cecilia.
"Who are you?" Kiana asked, reaching for the familiar black-barreled pistols with white grips holstered to her hips.
"Don't. I'm not here to fight. I'm just here to…" the woman trailed off.
"Here to say hi," she said in a somber tone. Her blue eyes glanced at the small headstone sadly. "I see that you have the Judgement of Shamash. Siegfried would be proud of you. You two have grown up so well… but I guess you two don't remember me at all. It's only natural. Big Brother did cut off all ties with the family," she recounted.
"Remember her? Kiana, who is she?" Cecilia asked.
Kiana bit her cheek. She had a vague idea of who the woman was. She had come across a picture of her and her father when they were just kids. Her eyes sharpened and the temperature in the area dropped a few degrees.
"You're our Aunt… Aunt Kriemhilde," Kiana said.
"Our Aunt?" Cecilia turned to the woman in shock.
"Oh, so you do know me!" Her face lit up in joy and relief.
"I know of you. I don't remember you at all. Dad never talked about his family," Kiana said.
"That's… understandable. Your father and I never did leave on good terms," Kriemhilde said.
Cecilia remained quiet. Her older sister's face had darkened when she saw the woman and Cecilia knew better than to interfere whenever Kiana was angry.
"Now you saw us. Leave," Kiana said.
Kriemhilde's face fell at her words and Cecilia could see the pain being etched across the woman's face.
"Kiana, don't you think that's a little…?"
"Stay out of this Ceci. She never wanted anything to do with us so she can go on and walk out on us like she's done for the past decade," Kiana spat.
"I'm… I'm sorry about…"
"Don't apologize. You don't mean it anyway," Kiana said.
"Kiana," Cecilia said.
Kriemhilde smiled sadly. Her eyes were full of regret and sorrow. She nodded and walked over to them. She stopped when she was standing in front of Kiana and Cecilia.
Cecilia could now see just how much she resembled their father and she knew Kiana was becoming more uncomfortable and agitated by her presence.
"I hope you two know that… for what it's worth, I do regret everything. I'm sorry for not helping you two when you needed it most. If you need me, just ask Theresa to contact Schicksal HQ and I'll be on the first plane out to St. Freyja," Kriemhilde said.
"Leave," Kiana said a bit more forcefully.
Kriemhilde nodded and walked away.
"Did you have to be so harsh?" Cecilia asked when the woman was out of earshot.
"Do you remember this morning when you asked why we haven't reached out to Dad's family?" Kiana asked.
Cecilia nodded.
"I did… I did reach out to them after…" Kiana trailed off. "Anyway, she and the others rejected my calls for help and left us and Dad to suffer what we suffered. And even after, I kept calling asking for help. Help with you. Help in finding us a home where we could be safe. In the end, I was ignored and that's why we ended up hopping from town to town. Country to country."
"Oh." That was the only answer Cecilia could muster. What else could she say to that?
Kiana sighed and rubbed her temples. "Come on… enough about them. Let's go see, Dad, shall we?" Kiana said.
Cecilia had a small smile on her face. "Yeah."
The sisters trudged forward. The air around them was a mixture of happiness and sadness. The two had somber faces yet they were happy in a way to see their father again. Even if he didn't talk back to them, they would tell him everything that had happened as they always did. As they always will.
Cecilia knelt and placed the flowers in front of a gravestone.
Siegfried Kaslana
1972-2010
A loving husband to one
A loving father to two
"Hey, Daddy," Cecilia said. Her voice cracked as tears pooled at the edges of her eyes. "We're home." She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Ahaha, I promised myself on the VTOL that I wouldn't cry."
Kiana smiled sadly and knelt next to her. She reached out and touched the headstone. Her eyes shined with tears. "It's been a long year, Dad. Lots of things happened while we were gone. Cecilia and Fu Hua went to Singapore to go retrieve something. Things happened and Cecilia came back unconscious I guess."
"I told you not to tell Dad about that…" Cecilia grumbled. She chuckled through her sob.
"I also went on a mission in Soukai City, Dad. Bronya got brainwashed by something… I forgot what Aunt Teri said but it had to do something with a thingy at the base of her neck. But don't worry! I didn't even need Kiana's help to put her down! I went pow pow and pow! And then Kiana went bam bam with Shamash! And I was like Neko Charm and then it was bwaaaah!" she made exaggerated hand gestures as she recanted her story to her father.
Kiana smiled and listened to her sister prattle on. Their father would most likely burst out in laughter. A memory of her father laughing at a story Cecilia had told him when she went into town and got into a fight with one of the village boys floated to the forefront of her mind.
"And… Dad, I became an A-Rank. I finally became an A-Rank Valkyrie like Kiana!" Cecilia said, smiling through her tears. "And Kiana… I heard she's on track to becoming an S-Rank!"
"Don't listen to her, Dad. I'm still a long way from becoming an S-Rank. But, Cecilia's really growing up. She's not a little kid anymore who sneaks into my bed at night after she has a nightmare," Kiana said.
"Shut up!" Cecilia barked, swatting her sister's shoulder.
The two remained silent for a few seconds before Cecilia spoke up. The tears flowed freely from her face this time.
"Dad, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know I say this every year but… I'm sorry! If only… If only that didn't… If I was stronger, then maybe-" she was cut off as Kiana engulfed her in a tight hug. Her eyes widened slightly before she began sobbing into her sister's shoulder.
Kiana held Cecilia tightly in her arms, crying silently. "It's not your fault. How many times do I have to tell you that? What happened here was no one's fault," Kiana cooed, rubbing soothing circles on her sister's back.
"I know I shouldn't but…" Cecilia croaked.
"Shh, I know. I know," Kiana said.
The two stayed like that for several minutes before Cecilia pulled away from her sister, rubbing her reddened eyes and sniffling. She glanced at the wet spot on Kiana's uniform and looked away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry I got your uniform wet, Kiana."
"Don't be, Ceci. You don't have to act strong in front of me. I'll be here for you if you want to cry," Kiana said. She brought her forehead and touched it to her sister's. "If you want to cry, remember what I said?"
"The places I can cry are the bathroom, my bedroom, and… my sister's arms," Cecilia said, saying the last part in a hushed tone.
Kiana smiled and turned back to her father's headstone. "Dad, I brought you something. Aunt Teri said that you popped one of these during your anniversaries with Mom. I'm sorry about not getting Mom a proper headstone yet. I've been trying to get to Schiksal HQ to try and get something from Mom's to bring here so I can have you two together."
"Pour me some," Cecilia said.
"Are you sure?" Kiana asked, pouring some into the flask. "The last time we did this, you didn't finish."
"I can… I can finish this time." Cecilia gulped and eyed the bottle of whiskey warily.
"Whatever you say, Ceci," she said. She pulled out a shot glass from her bag and poured some for Cecilia. "Here ya go."
"Isn't this too much?" Cecilia asked, looking at the glass.
"Ceci, that's not even half a glass of water. Just drink up. We only share a drink with Dad once a year," Kiana said. She pulled out another shot glass and poured some into it. She placed the glass on the grave and toasted to her father. "Cheers, Dad." She began drinking the flask.
"Um… cheers, Dad," Cecilia said. She took one sip of the glass and gagged. "How the fuck do you and Dad even able drink this shit!?"
"Pfft, I told you you couldn't finish it," Kiana said.
"I can! Just watch!" she bit back. She looked at the glass tentatively before downing the entire shot glass. She tried not to recoil when she felt it burn her throat. After a second, she wiped her mouth and let out a small burp. "God, that fucking burns!" Cecilia said.
"Wow, Ceci. You really are an A-Rank Valkyrie. You managed to keep it down," Kiana teased.
"Shut up!" Cecilia said.
"You're not drunk, are you Kiana?" Cecilia asked as the two made their way to the VTOL.
"No, I'm not Himeko. I can tolerate alcohol better than she does. Kaslana genes and all that," Kiana said. "Come on. Let's head back before Aunt Teri gets worried."
In the distance, atop a ridge, Kriemhilde watched as the sisters boarded their aircraft. She crossed her arms and furrowed her eyebrows.
"Lady Kriemhilde. The Overseer is requesting your presence," a Valkyrie behind her said.
"Tell him, I'm busy," she said, waving her off.
The valkyrie nodded and walked away to leave the older Kaslana woman to her thoughts. Kriemhilde crossed her arms and stood there on the ridge. Her blue eyes twinkled as the aircraft took off. She hadn't seen Kiana in a long time. Nor had she seen Cecilia… at all. The last time she saw her brother was when he brought two girls with him to her front door asking for help. But… she clenched her fist. If she could take it all back… but they always say regret comes last.
However, there was one thought that pervaded her mind as she watched the ship fly off into the distance. When her older brother introduced her to Kiana and Cecilia, he referred to them as twins and even she could not deny that the two looked like copies of each other with hairstyles to match their parents. Kiana's hairstyle matched that of her late mother's while Cecilia styled her hair after Siegfried. She could see the features of both of them in the two girls so she had no doubt Cecilia didn't cheat on Siegfried nor did Siegfried cheat on Cecilia. So the thought made their relationship stranger.
"Siegfried and Cecilia never had twins…" she muttered.
Kiana sat in the pilot's seat, watching the clouds pass by. Cecilia snored peacefully in the chair next to her, clutching her Homu doll tightly. "Dad… don't use Shamash to cook the pizza bread…"
She smiled warmly. This visit was what they needed. A quick getaway from it all. Several questions still remained unanswered. Why did Anti-Entropy send the Selene to Soukai of all places? And if her hunch was correct, why target Cecilia? She clenched her fist.
Bzzzt
[Incoming call from Mophead]
"Dr. Einstein?" Kiana raised an eyebrow.
"Hello?" Kiana answered.
[Miss Kaslana, congratulations are in order for your sister.]
"Cut the formalities, Doctor. Why was the Selene sent to Soukai?" Kiana asked.
[Soukai? So that's where she sent it to… Kiana, we're currently having a breakdown of our chain of command. The Sovereign has disappeared and Cocolia has taken full advantage of his disappearance. And now…]
"Now?" Kiana said. Cocolia. That name brought a bitter taste to her mouth. That woman was responsible for the imprisonment of Raiden Ryoma and the reason why Raiden Mei had become the Third Herrscher. She had met her a few times.
[Listen, in a few days, Theresa will get a notification that one of her old students needs to be extracted from the Oceania Branch in New Zealand. We're too busy handling the disappearance of Welt to go over there and safely extract her ourselves. But that doesn't mean that Cocolia won't stop.]
"You want me to go there and stop her?" she said.
[You're our only operative within Schiksal and the only one who can do this. We need you to get that student to St. Freya at all costs. Otto Apocalypse and Cocolia. Neither of them must get their hands on her.]
Kiana sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Got it. Can you give me a name?"
[Wendy. She is the carrier of the Gem of Desire and the 4th Herrscher.]
Here we are at the end of the first arc. It only took 1 year to finish. One friggin year. I'm so sorry for that.
Anyway. We're going to start the Herrscher of Wind Arc next. Prepare for badass Kaslana sisters. And as for Kriemhilde... I always found it odd that we never got to explore the entire Kaslana family beyond Kevin Kallen, Siegfried, Kiana, and Dudu. Kriemhilde will be my addition to that. Siegfried's sister. She'll have a weird relationship with the sisters, especially Kiana. You'll see it after a while like during the New Zealand Mission. As for Abyss Flower, I gave Kiana Shamash. It felt right to me to give it to her. Sorry for anyone who wanted her using Abyss Flower.
Welp, that's it for now! Remember to review and follow! And also, have a great day or not, the choice is yours.