"Yua, I'm back." Chen called out as she entered the room that she and her daughter shared in Rhodes Island. Looking around, the blue-haired lung could find no trace of said daughter, "She's probably training or doing something else. But I know people are watching what she does, and nobody has tried to look for me. So she's keeping out of trouble...for now at least." Chen calmly thought to herself.
Seeing that she had the room to herself, Chen decided to sit down on the couch in the room to take a rest after a meeting she, Amiya, and Kal'tsit had with the generals of the Ursus Army. The infamously deadly winter had just hit the country, providing both Rhodes Island and the Ursus Army with a few months of peace. The seaborn would not be able to advance in such conditions, so both factions would be preparing their defences for when the winter was over. Both groups knew that once spring came, the seaborn would return with a vengeance.
Ch'en was glad for this reprieve from the fighting. The last few operations had been a trying time for the lung. Mainly because it had involved her daughter Yua. During these operations, the blue-haired lung noticed something about her daughter. Yua had become more defiant than she was before. She was blatantly ignoring her orders in the field. Yua seemed to be hell-bent on fighting the seaborn, even if that wasn't the objective of the mission they were sent on.
The white-haired lung had become incredibly reckless. She didn't seem to care what happened to herself as long as she defeated as many seaborn as she possibly could. Yua was constantly ending up in the medical wing. This was starting to frighten Ch'en. She knew that sooner or later, if Yua carried on like this, her daughter would end up dead.
Ch'en noticed that the change in Yua happened after the orphanage incident. The lung was angry at her daughter, but mainly at herself. Ch'en wished she could turn back time and resist even harder to prevent Yua from becoming an operator. She never wanted Yua to experience war and its consequences. Now see was seeing the results of what it did to her daughter. No longer was she the innocent young girl that she used to be.
Yua was now nothing more than a fighting machine against the sea monsters. Ch'en wanted the old Yua back, the one that used to laugh and smile, the one whose dream was being a knight in Kazimierz, the one that Ch'en wanted to grow up happy, not what she was now. Ch'en wanted to get Yua away from all this. The blue-haired lung didn't care if people protested, Yua was one of the Rhodes Islands' best operators after all despite her faults, "I need a plan, Yua needs to get away from this. I don't care what anyone says. I'm not letting Yua die at the hands of these monsters."
Deciding that a change of scenery would help her think, Ch'en got up from the couch and decided to head up to the roof of the landship. Before she left the room, the blue-haired lung grabbed a thick winter coat that had been given to her by an ursus officer during a combined operation. It would help protect her against the cold of the ursus winter. Ch'en climbed several sets of stairs to reach the top.
Once she was there, Ch'en was immediately hit by a cold blast of wind once she opened a door to the roof of the landship. Looking around, the lung could see thick snow forming around everywhere. Walking through the snow, the lung then arrived at a balcony. She then reached into a pocket of the winter coat and pulled out an object. It was a locket of herself, the doctor, and Yua when she was very young.
Looking at the locket reminded Ch'en of much happier times, times that she wished she could go back to. However, for the blue-haired lung, those times had long gone. Ch'en now had to figure out a way of saving her daughter; she needed to get her far away where she would be safe. However, taking Yua away from Rhodes Island was easier said than done. The seaborn were all over Terra, and nowhere was safe. Even if the two of them tried to live remotely and in peace, there was always the chance that the seaborn would find them, and despite the fighting skill of both of them, the lung knew they could not take on a whole horde if they were found.
"What would you do, doctor? How would you get Yua out of this? I wish you were still here; you would know what to do to save our daughter. I need your guidance now more than ever." Ch'en began to think of the man she loved, who was no longer of Terra. She believed that he would have been able to think of a way to get Yua away from all of this madness.
He wasn't known as one of the greatest tactical minds on Terra for no reason; he had led Rhodes Island to incredible victories despite what odds were against them. Finding a way to make sure Yua didn't need to fight anymore would have been simple for him. The blue-haired lung tried to think how the doctor did but didn't have any success. Ch'en took some time, but no matter what, she couldn't think of any ideas.
Just then, a voice called out from behind the blue-haired lung, "You know, I'm surprised Yua isn't with you. You two always seemed joined at the hip from what I remember." Turning around to see who it was, the lungs eyes widened when she caught sight of who had spoken to her. "Mostima! What are you doing here?! I haven't seen you in a long time?! Where have you been?!" Ch'en exclaimed.
Before her stood someone who was rarely around Rhodes Island these days. She was always being sent on missions, specifically by Kal'tsit, Missions Kal'tsit didn't even tell Ch'en or Amiya about. This person was a former member of Penguin Logistics, the blue-haired sankta, Mostima. The sankta expected that the lung would be surprised, as the last time they saw each other was a few days before Yua discovered her originium arts, which was quite some months ago. Mostima wasn't aware of the situation between mother and daughter.
"I've been busy Ch'en, Kal'tsit sent me away to look for something. Something that could help us fight against the seaborn. But enough about me, how have you been? And where is your daughter? You two are always nearly together. Is she doing well?" the sankta asked. Ch'en dropped her head when Mostima asked her about Yua. The sankta realised that something bad must have happened, "What's wrong Ch'en? Has something bad happened to her? Is she alright?" she asked the blue-haired lung.
Ch'en raised her head and then looked at Mostima, "A lot of things have changed since you were last here Mostima. Me and Yua aren't as close as we used to be. If you have time to listen, then I don't mind telling you." Ch'en sadly said. Mostima nodded, which signalled that she was ready to listen to what the lung had to say. Seeing this Ch'en sighed, she then began to explain everything that happened in detail to the sankta while she had been away and what she wanted to do regarding her daughter...
After Chen finished telling Mostima everything, the sankta had a look on her face that indicated she was thinking long and hard about what the lung just told her, "So Ch'en wants Yua to stop fighting. I can't say I blame her; Yua is the only thing keeping her going. If she dies, I can just imagine Ch'en ending it all. Well, I think it's time to bring her into the fold. This can help everyone; Yua gets a chance at a future, and this timeline could be averted." The sankta pondered over an idea. Mostima then spoke to the lung, "Chen, I want you to come with me. There is something I want to show you that could help us both." Chen was intrigued by what the sankta just said. She nodded, and the two of them left the balcony. They walked around the landship until they arrived at the control room.
"What is it you want to show me, Mostima? How can this help?" she asked genuinely curious. Mostima replied, "You will see, Ch'en. This is the reason why I have been away from Rhodes Island so much. You will understand once we see what's inside." The two walked inside the control room. Once they were inside, the blue-haired lung looked around but could not notice anything unusual. Ch'en was about to ask what the sankta wanted to show her but could see Mostima walking to another part of the control room towards another door, "I don't remember another door being there. Is what she wants to show me behind that door? What have you been hiding, Mostima?" Ch'en wondered as she got closer to the door.
She carried on following Mostima until they both were at the door. Mostima opened it, and they walked inside to another room. Looking around this room, Ch'en could see Kal'tsit and Closure around a strange metal device, "What is that? Some kind of weapon? I've never seen anything like it before." Ch'en simply observed, looking at the metal device. She couldn't think what it was but knew this was what Mostima wanted to show her.
Kal'tsit was looking through a book with a strange language; she was having trouble translating it; it was a language she had never seen before in all her long years. When the door opened, it broke her concentration; looking to see who it was, the ancient feline could see Mostima and Ch'en. Mostima walked up to her and spoke, "I'm back, Doctor Kal'tsit. This was all I could find at Rhine Labs. The seaborn have destroyed the place." Mostima handed Kal'tsit a file; on the front cover, it said, "Theoretical time travel."
Kal'tsit thanked her and asked about Ch'en. "Why have you brought Ch'en here? This was supposed to be top secret." Mostima responded, "Kal'tsit, I think it's time Ch'en learned about this. I have an idea that could help everyone. It does involve Yua, however." Kal'tsit was intrigued by what the sankta said, deciding to humour what she said. The ancient feline called the lung over to join them. Ch'en did so. Mostima then told Ch'en about what this device was and what the idea she had was.
"Ch'en, what this device is you see before you is a time machine. I know it sounds insane but listen to what I have to say. Long ago, as we have discovered, there was a highly advanced race on Terra. Their technology was far more advanced than what we have today. However, one day, they seemingly disappeared without a trace, along with their technology, culture, name, and history. But, from what we have discovered, they were researching time travel." The sankta explained the device and why she had been away so much.
Ch'en was stunned, "So that's why Kal'tsit kept sending Mostima away. She wanted Mostima to look into this race. But they no longer exist, did they achieve it? Is that why they are no longer on Terra?" Ch'en was fascinated by this. Ch'en wanted to know more. Kal'tsit could see this and was more than happy to oblige.
"We do not know if they were successful. However, from what has been uncovered about them, we do have a theoretical diagram of what they were researching. But, I find it difficult to translate their language, I have never seen a language like this before. So, I sent Mostima to Rhine Labs to see what they managed to discover about this race. It turns out they might have found out something we don't know. It will still take some time to see if their prototype is correct. Until then, Mostima is going to keep searching around Terra to find out more." the ancient feline explained to Ch'en.
Kal'tsit then looked at Mostima, "Now Mostima, why did you say about your idea? And how come Yua is involved? Please explain." Knowing that Kal'tsit wanted to hear her plan, the sankta was more than happy to talk, "My idea is to send Yua to the past. I'd we can decipher their research, then maybe Yua should be sent back in time. Think about it, Ch'en you want Yua to have a peaceful life and a future. Well, this might be able to happen, and she could warn the past. She could prevent all of this from ever happening." Mostima explained what her plan was.
Ch'en couldn't believe what she was hearing: "Send Yua to the past? That sounds extraordinary! Yes, I like that idea! Yua wouldn't have to fight anymore! She would be free! But would I ever see her again? Could I go to the past along with her? Could I see everyone and the doctor again?" Ch'en then asked these questions, and Kal'tsit and Mostima explained that there was still so much research to do. There was so much that they still didn't know; until then, they asked Ch'en to keep this a secret and to be patient. Once they found out more, the blue-haired lung would be the first to know. With a newfound hope, Ch'en agreed. She then left the room so Kal'tsit and Mostima, along with Closure, could go through the file from Rhine Labs in peace.
Once outside, Ch'en leaned up against the wall next to the control room and began to think, "Time travel, it sounds so hard to believe. But now Yua could have a chance at a future. She wouldn't have to fight anymore, even though it would be difficult to possibly never see her again, at least she would be safe. I'm willing to sacrifice that. Now, I just need to make sure she doesn't die until then. I don't want all of this to be for nothing. Don't worry, Yua! You will be safe soon, just please hang on." Ch'en thought with hope.
Now that Yua had a chance, Ch'en was going to do everything in her power to protect her daughter. Ch'en would not let this potential chance go to waste. She was more than willing to die if it meant Yua got a future. She would stop at nothing to make that happen...