POV: Theresa
She wandered without aim for what felt like hours, lost in her indecision. Their heated debate still rang loudly in her ears, and she could not put it behind her. This was an outcome she had long dreaded. She always meant to tell him about her decision for Otto's legacy, but she never found the courage to bring it up. It would have been best for him to learn from her, not Mei, but now it was too late.
She laughed bitterly to herself. Is this the first fight every couple always has eventually? Maybe we're doing something right, after all…
Despite everything, his parting words to her meant that whatever happened, their feelings would not change. She still had not fully learned what exactly her feelings were. She was still carefully discovering and navigating the extent of her emotions and what it meant to feel so strongly for another. The first person she truly grew close to was Cecilia Schariac, a woman who treated her like the sister she never had. Losing Cecilia was a wound from which she still had not fully recovered. The second was Murata Himeko. For all her drunkenness and unbecoming behaviour as a valkyrie and a battleship captain, she was always a true friend to her. Losing her was the second great wound in her heart.
I can't lose you, too. I can't. I already did once…I can't go through this again.
Theresa was close to being overwhelmed. To distract herself, she called Rita.
"Rita? How are things on your end?"
Rita's calm voice answered through the phone. "As well as they can be, Overseer."
"Have you made any progress on that spy? Has he said anything else?"
"I'm afraid not."
"I see. Well, continue working on it. But this isn't the main reason why I called you. I want to ask you about a rather…sensitive topic."
"Nothing is too sensitive these days, Overseer."
Theresa took a deep breath before letting it out. "Alright. Rita, how should I speak of Otto at my coronation ceremony?"
Rita did not take long to answer. "If I were the one speaking, I would tell the world the truth. I would tell it that he was a despicable monster who lied to them for his entire reign as Overseer. I would describe how he saw and treated all of us like pawns on a chessboard to move as he wished and how the safety of this world and its people was never his priority. I would tell them that his memory is to be insulted, not celebrated." The bitterness and anger in Rita's voice was only too obvious to hear. She did not make even the slightest attempt to hide it. "But I'm not the Overseer. Theresa, you are. What you say is your decision to make, and as much as I dislike it, if it's more beneficial to the world to know a lie, then tell a lie."
Rita's response was not as helpful as Theresa hoped it would be, although it was obvious in hindsight. It worsened her indecision. "Thank you for your input, Rita. I'll continue to consider my options. For now, I wish you the best in your many duties."
"The same to you, Overseer."
Theresa ended the call, feeling no closer to a decision than she was before.
Maybe she will know what to do.
She found Kiana eating a large meal in the cafeteria. There were so many trays of food on her table that she wondered how Kiana's stomach could fit it all. She sat down across from her and waited for her niece to finish her current mouthful.
"Aunt Teri! I'm glad to see you," Kiana said after she finally gulped it down. "I already told you that we finished fixing up Schicksal HQ, so now I'm telling you this in person."
Kiana's liveliness was infectious. Theresa was beginning to feel more at ease already. "And now I'm thanking you again. You did really well. Both of you."
Kiana devoured another mouthful of food before answering. "So well that I was starving. I always need to eat after using too much of my energy, not that I'm complaining very much. Have you seen Johann yet? He can tell you more about what we did." Kiana must have noticed the change on Theresa's face. "Theresa? Are you okay?"
Theresa smiled again, more forced this time. "I'm alright. I'm just wondering why you're eating here instead of Mei's cooking."
"Oh, Mei's cooking is some of my favourite, but I can't expect her to cook for me all the time. She has her own things to do, and the food here is almost as good."
"I can agree with that," Theresa said. "And yes…I have spoken with Johann."
"How is he?" Kiana asked. "We…we talked about a lot of stuff back on Schicksal HQ. He's going through a lot right now, and I hope you can help him get through it."
"Don't worry about him. He's doing his best. And so am I."
Kiana seemed relieved to hear that. "That's good. So, did you need me for anything?"
Theresa shook her head. "I just wanted to see my niece and welcome her back."
—-
Just because we're having an ongoing argument doesn't mean we can't talk about other things. In fact, we should be doing that.
After she left the cafeteria, she wandered the base a bit more before she called him, feeling only slightly apprehensive.
"Theresa?"
"Johann, are you busy right now?"
"I'm not. Do you need me for anything?"
"I'm standing by the Hyperion. Could you meet me outside? I promise this isn't about where we left off."
A brief pause. "I'll meet you there."
To her relief, she had heard nothing different about his voice. No strain, no tension, no trace of the long argument they recently had.
The warm sun was comforting on her face as she beheld the magnificence of the battleship that held so many memories for her. If nothing else, the one thing she and Johann would always agree on was their shared fondness for the sleek war vessel. Despite Otto's many mistakes, the construction of the Hyperion and the other ships in her class was not one of them.
Footsteps approached her from behind before coming to a stop beside her. She looked up to see Johann's calm face. "Thank you for coming," she said.
"What is this about?" he asked, gazing at the battleship.
Theresa moved in front of him so they stood face to face. "Would you accompany us to the return to Schicksal HQ in a few days? We'd all be happier if you were with us. Besides, it's only right. You had a hand in its quick repairs. You and Kiana deserve a place there more than almost anyone else."
Johann placed a hand on her shoulder. "I made many memories there, both good and ill. I will go wherever you go. I won't abandon you."
She reached up to her shoulder and covered his hand in both of hers. "If you'd like, you could captain the Hyperion again. When I offered you this the day I gave you a tour through it, you said that you'd consider it. I think we'd all like to see you on the bridge again, just like old times. It's up to you. If you want me to take charge instead, I'll do that, too."
Johann looked at his battleship. When he looked back at her, he was just like how he used to be. "I'll be your captain again if you want me to."
Theresa reached up and held his face in her hands. She stood on her toes as she pulled him lower until their lips met in an enduring kiss. The strain of their recent argument washed away as she lost herself in his warmth.
"Thank you. This means a lot to me and to all of us," she said after their kiss. "I think it'll be good for you, too."
"I hope so." Johann stood back to his full height. "Are you ready to sit the same throne as Otto?"
"I have to. It may just be a fancy chair, but it's also more than that. It'll give me the legitimacy I've been needing."
Johann gave her an understanding look. "It wasn't a throne or a title that gave me legitimacy as Overseer. It was my uncle, Nikolas Apocalypse, the Overseer before me, who named me as his heir. My coronation ceremony cemented it. But for all that pomp and talk, it's power that decides who has power. I was the only one who held true power in a way no others in the world did. Theresa, remember this. You're so strong yourself, and you have my backing and the support of so many who are all the strongest combatants in this world. No one can challenge you as Overseer, throne or not."
Theresa begrudgingly agreed with his point, but it still disconcerted her. "So, what you're saying is that might makes right. Talk is cheap, and at the end of the day, it's the one with the biggest stick who decides what happens. This sounds like something Otto would say."
Johann sadly nodded. If he were offended at being compared to his cousin, he did not show it. "It always has and always will. The Honkai itself follows this rule. The world shouldn't be this way, but it is. What matters is that you use your strength for good. You already are."
Theresa turned back to the Hyperion. Their discussion had drifted uncomfortably close to the direction of their earlier debate. She was only glad that neither of them had been willing to bring it up.
—-
The next few days passed with startling speed, but none of them were wasted. They all continued to improve themselves as they prepared for their upcoming flight. Theresa met with them often and did all she could to help them with their worries, which they returned in kind. She and Welt in particular remained in constant communication about the complex workings of their two organizations. The two of them worked tirelessly to bring the two partitions of the world closer than ever before. Some unruly talk still remained, but she hoped to silence them soon enough.
As the days passed, she and Johann still had not found common ground regarding their impasse about Otto's legacy. They spent as much time together as they could spare, and they enjoyed it greatly, but the hidden tension underneath never left. Neither of them ever spoke of it again, but Theresa knew it never fully left his mind even when he smiled with her, laughed with her, and kissed her. Nor did it ever leave hers. They could not continue like this forever. She needed to come to a decision, and soon.
On the day of their departure, they stood close by the Hyperion as it finalized its system checks. Welt, Tesla, Einstein, and Raiden Ryoma were there to see them off.
"We'll miss your company," Welt said to both of them. "At the same time, we're glad to see Schicksal in such capable hands."
"Thank you, Welt. We'll always be grateful for the hospitality you've shown us," Theresa said. "One day, we'll invite you to Schicksal HQ, too. And besides, we'll be in touch."
"I've always had an interest in the technology that powers Schicksal HQ," said Einstein, running a hand through her blue hair. "If you'll permit it, I'd like to run an inspection on the island when we visit."
"Of course. Schicksal doesn't keep secrets from our friends," Theresa replied. "As long as you share the secrets of the Moonlit Throne with us, too."
Tesla stepped forward and pointed at Johann with her gauntleted finger. "You. Don't think you can run off from us like this. We'll be seeing you again." There was a strange hint in her voice, but it passed quickly.
Johann nodded. "I won't forget any of you. I have duties to attend to, though, and assisting Theresa is my priority for now."
Welt offered Johann his hand, which he shook. "Do all you can for her and Schicksal."
Ryoma shook hands with Johann next. "Mei asked me to come with her, but sadly, I have to stay behind because of my duties to Anti-Entropy. But we'll always be in touch. Do continue to care for my daughter. I know she's in safe hands."
Johann promised that he would.
The others soon arrived. Theresa and Johann held hands as they waved farewell to their hosts. They boarded the Hyperion and made their way to the bridge and waited for the others to join them. Theresa looked outside the windows and saw Mei tearfully hugging her father as they bade each other farewell before Kiana joined in on the hug. Bronya did the same with Welt. More familiar faces soon arrived; they had all come for the same reason. They were all there to support her, their new Overseer.
"It's been a while since she's flown for real," Theresa said, turning back to the bridge. "The Hyperion's new engines could do with a test run."
"Haven't you tested them already? I don't want us falling out of the sky," Johann said.
"I was joking! Of course we've made a few test flights, and we found nothing to be concerned about. Besides, I'm sure you'll catch us if anything happens. You're strong enough to carry the entire battleship on your back even though it weighs a few hundred thousand tons, aren't you?"
"I am, with and without telekinesis. But I'm confident that things shouldn't come to that."
They waited for everyone who had come to join them to gather on the bridge. They were Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Seele, Rozaliya, Liliya, Fu Hua, Bianka, and Amber. She was glad to see them all.
"Thank you all for being here," Theresa began. "As you all know, we'll be making a permanent move to the newly repaired Schicksal HQ. Anti-Entropy has been a generous and welcoming host to us, and we'll always have fond memories of our stay here, but it's time we had a home to call our own. The Overseer of Schicksal belongs at Schicksal." She gestured to Johann, who wore the white uniform and distinctive cap bearing golden wings that only the captains of Schicksal's aerial warships were permitted to wear. "Johann Apocalypse will be our captain today, and if all goes well, he's agreed to remain our captain for as long as we need."
"Really? That's great to hear," Kiana said.
"We're happy you're doing this for us," Mei agreed.
"The Hyperion isn't the same without you," said Bronya. "We're all glad you're back."
The others said similar words of encouragement. Johann heard them all and stepped forward. "I'm grateful for your acceptance," he told them all. "As your captain, I promise to do everything I can to ensure your safety during this flight. Ai-chan?"
"I'm always here, captain!" answered the cheerful voice of the artificial intelligence within the battleship. "I'm so happy that you're back to fly with me again. We have so much to catch up on."
"We do. Ai-chan, initiate the Leonov anti-gravity engines. Let's fly."
"Aye-aye, captain!"
The engines of the Hyperion whirred, lifting the immense but graceful battleship high into the air before its rear thrusters accelerated to top speed. The Hyperion soared through the sky, rising higher and higher until even the vastness of Anti-Entropy's Salt Lake base shrank to no more than a small shape far below them before it disappeared entirely. They rose beyond the clouds, surrounded by an endless expanse of blue and white. Theresa had experienced this many times before, but it never failed to amaze her.
The others soon left to their assigned cabins, leaving Theresa alone with Johann on the bridge aside from a small number of crew members. She watched the clouds rush by them, always captivated by the sight. She had seen it more than enough times when she captained the Hyperion with Bianka, but now that Johann was at her side again, she almost felt like the old times were back.
"It's always so beautiful," Theresa said.
"It is. No matter the time of day. There's something special about the view from up here," Johann agreed.
"Himeko must have seen the same view many times when she was the captain," Theresa said. "I wonder what she'd say now." He was uncomfortable, she could tell. "Sorry. I shouldn't have…"
"Himeko would tell us how proud she is of how far we've come. She would say that we're doing what we ought to do, and she would be happy for it."
The death of Himeko was still a painful memory for her and always would be, but Theresa was glad Johann could speak of her so strongly. She squeezed his hand. "I know she would."
"She would be proud of Kiana the most of all," he said. "Kiana learned well from Himeko's last lesson."
Theresa knew she had.
"It's been so long since we were like this," she said after a few minutes of silence.
"How do you mean?"
"Standing on the bridge together. Flying to our next mission. We did this so many times that we got used to it, but…after Otto…sorry…I shouldn't have said this…"
Johann involuntarily moved his hand over his chest. He must have remembered the pain of Otto's Divine Keys butchering his body, one part after another. The gruesome sight assaulted Theresa in turn. She would never forget the sight of the golden weapons piercing through his flesh and eliciting those horrible screams from him and the others, forced to watch…
"It's alright, Theresa. In a way, I'm grateful to him."
"You are?"
She never received an answer. He spoke no more of Otto and asked her to rest in her cabin and let him focus on his duties. Theresa retired to her cabin and browsed her phone to pass the time, thinking of what she would do upon their arrival. There were many options before her, but not all were wise. Then she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in."
It was Kiana, followed closely by Mei, Bronya, Seele, Rozaliya, Liliya, and Fu Hua.
"What are you all doing here?" Theresa asked them.
"We just wanted to thank you for all you've done for Johann," Kiana said. "Seeing him as our captain again…well, it was nice."
"We're happy for what you've done for all of us," Bronya said. "So we wanted to give you this."
Kiana opened a portal and reached inside. She pulled out a scroll and unrolled it. It was a beautiful and artistic painting of all of them standing on the bridge of the Hyperion.
"Wow…this looks amazing…did you all work on it?" Theresa asked.
"Fu Hua was the one who painted it, but we all offered suggestions and inputs about the details," Mei said, smiling at Fu Hua, who nodded.
"Well, thank you. All of you. I'll keep this safe. For now, keep this in your pocket dimension, Kiana. We'll show it to Johann later."
They all smiled at her before leaving. Now, she felt more hopeful than when the day began.
—-
Schicksal HQ became visible over the horizon. As the Hyperion flew nearer, the floating fortress's sheer size loomed over them until it was all they could see from the bridge. It showed off its glory in full with no trace of the devastation that only recently ravaged it. Like Schicksal itself, Schicksal HQ was ready for a new era of history.
Theresa glanced at Johann. He was staring intensely at the island. He had unwelcome memories of that place, she knew. If he still felt them now, he did not voice them. She, too, felt apprehension as the Hyperion finally docked at a large hangar situated at the perimeter of the island. The battleship's engines settled to a halt, and Theresa addressed them all on the bridge.
"We're home." This was all she said before she took Johann by the arm and led him out of the battleship and onto the island. The first step was the easiest, but then her apprehension started to grow.
"It looks as good as new," Fu Hua commented. None of them mentioned the Herrscher of Sentience's rampage.
"It's all thanks to Kiana and Johann and of course the many hundreds of workers who all worked together to make it as good as new," Theresa said. "Now, let's get going. Follow me."
They boarded the maglev train at the opposite end of the hangar, which raced them across the island at even faster speeds than before. They had been told that repairing the tracks for the island's high-speed rail system was one of the most time-consuming tasks of the repair process. They soon arrived at the center of the island that housed Schicksal's seat of power. It was a large, temple-like area that housed the administrative center that drove Schicksal forward. Nearby was the residential complex. They stepped through the front gates and made their way through a long set of halls and rooms before finally, they stepped into the Overseer's Sanctum at the very heart of the island.
Their footsteps echoed throughout the vast chamber as they approached the empty throne ahead of them. Tall, painted portraits of men and women, all important historical figures, many of them past Overseers, adorned every wall. Theresa could almost feel their eyes watching and judging her. She also noted Johann's growing discomfort the closer they stepped to the throne.
The group stopped just in front of the staircase of the raised platform the red throne rested upon, which awaited her. She stared at the seat that now belonged to her and her alone. Not Otto, nor to any of the long-dead Overseers whose lifeless eyes stared out of their portraits, but Theresa Apocalypse. The throne was of a great size. Twice the height of a man, it would make her look even smaller on it. Two red armrests were at its sides, and ornate decorations made of gold lined its back, ending with the sigil of House Apocalypse high above. The sigil was visible above the head of even a tall man like Otto Apocalypse when he was still the Overseer sitting below it. The open eye seemed to stare at her. She stared back.
The eye symbolizes House Apocalypse's perpetual, all-knowing gaze. We have always been the leaders of Schicksal. Before our watchful gaze, Schicksal blossomed like the flower petals in the sigil. The eye used to be Otto's. Now, it's mine.
Theresa took a tentative step on the staircase. She felt the eyes of Johann and all the others watching her as she ascended the steps and stood on the platform. She rested a hand on the throne. It felt no different from any other seat. When she sat down, it also felt no different. Nor did she feel any different.
"How is it?" Kiana asked her.
"It's comfortable, at least," Theresa replied. "But it's just a seat. I wasn't expecting too much from it. It's not the seat that gives me power, but it does help the perception of my power. Now that I'm here, I expect things to go a lot more smoothly."
"They should," agreed Bianka. "I've been waiting for this day. You should be proud of yourself, Overseer Theresa. You've earned that throne."
"I guess so," Theresa said. She gestured at them. "All of you, you should settle into your new home. You can choose any rooms in the residential area you want."
"Alright," Kiana said. She took Mei by the hand. "Let's find a nice one."
Bronya and Seele smiled at Theresa. "You look good on the throne," they said before leaving in turn, as did the others, especially the twins who excitedly talked about all the new hiding spaces they would find. Soon, Johann was the only one who remained with her.
Theresa stood from the throne, descended the staircase, and took his hand. "Do you remember your old room here?"
"Are you suggesting that I go back to it again?"
"You don't have to if you don't want to. Like I said, you can have any room you wish, as long as the girls haven't taken it first, of course."
"Then we'd better go quickly."
Together, they exited the Overseer's Sanctum. Johann seemed to instinctively know the path to the room he once lived in back when he called the island home so many years ago. He must have traversed the same path many times whenever he was called to meet with Otto. When they arrived, Johann opened the door. They went in. Each room in the residential area was large and luxurious. They befit the expectations of an accomplishment like Schicksal HQ. They put even the rooms of St. Freya and Anti-Entropy's Salt Lake base to shame. Every necessity a resident might need could be found here, from a king-sized bed with electric heating to an automated cleaning robot and an adjoined bathroom, which was also equipped with all the modern conveniences Schicksal's wealth could buy. Decades ago, Theresa once also lived on Schicksal HQ, but when building St. Freya, she made sure to emulate the design of its rooms for the comfort of her students.
Johann stared at what had once been his home for several minutes before Theresa spoke.
"Is it like you remembered?"
He wordlessly nodded.
"Johann, you look uncomfortable. Is everything alright?"
He walked around the room, staring at his former home, before he collapsed into a chair at a table. "I remember. I still remember what he did to me. I thought I was prepared to step into that room again. I wasn't."
Theresa sat beside him and held his hand. "What do you remember?"
His face was contorted with pain. "The massacre. The throne room. Fenghuang Down. Rita…it was in that throne room where he erased my memories of her and all those innocents he murdered. It was in that throne room where my life changed and was never the same again."
"...Otto hurt you so much," she said in her gentlest and softest voice.
Johann looked away. "He did. That bastard hurt me so much, so many times…he's dead, but the scars he gave me will never leave me. I'm glad he's dead…but you know what? I still love him. I love him as much as I hate him. I love the boy he used to be, the boy who accepted me as his brother because his brothers never did. I loved building a glider with him and watching it fly into the air. I loved making him laugh and making him happy. I loved him for finding a cure and saving my life from the Black Death. I loved the man I thought he was, the man he used to be, and despite everything he did, I love him because he is the reason I met you and all the other valkyries I came to love. I love him for giving me a chance to live a happy life with Kallen again and to raise the daughter I never knew I had. I love him for giving me a body with the strength to protect them…Otto…why…why did you change so much…I don't know why someone can change so much from who they were…"
Theresa let him release his emotions. It had to be done.
"I should know. I changed so much myself. I was just a boy when I became the Supreme Commander of Schicksal's armies. I harmed the world so much. I committed so many wrongs, and I have never forgiven myself, even ten years later…after I became Overseer, I did all that I could to undo the damage I did, to make amends for all the people I hurt, but I know it will never be enough. They will never forgive me, and they never should."
"I forgive you."
His tearstained eyes looked into her bright blue ones. "Theresa…why…"
"Because you've always been who you are to me. You've always been that kind, caring man who lives to protect those he loves. You've never been the Supreme Commander or anyone like that who hurts others. You shouldn't worry about the past, only the future. The future you have with me."
She kissed him. She kissed him with more passion than she had ever shown anyone before, even to him. She embraced him tightly and deepened their connection, and to her joy, he returned her passion just as strongly.
But this time, she wanted even more.