Chapter Text
Kiana was floating. No… falling? Everything felt… slow. Strange. Like she was both present and somewhere far away at the same time. A tingling in her limbs accompanied the strange feeling of watching her own body as if a passenger in her own mind. A strange… detached feeling. She could just make out the great eye of the Cocoon of Finality watching over her in the corner of her vision. Yet she could not hear it. At least, not clearly. Anything besides the muffled calls of the Cocoon were simply… absent. The comforting deep hum of honkai energy that always surrounded her when she was with the cocoon was just… gone. The cocoon wailed at her every so often, but try as she might she couldn't force out a response. What was she doing here? Was she dreaming? But she hadn’t dreamed since… since she became the Herrscher of Finality… Her face scrunched slightly in concentration as her thoughts struggled to drift through her murky memories like a fly struggling through honey.
She remembered… gold?
Her arm flinched.
She remembered golden fire burning through her veins, the phantom of its memory managing to pull a hiss from between her teeth. Her biceps flexed, her body reflexively straining against the miasma drowning her senses. There was a faint glimmer of imaginary energy suffusing this thick atmosphere surrounding her. The Herrscher grit her teeth as her senses stretched out towards that faint stream of energy. Like reaching out an invisible hand, she struggled to reach closer. Until she was able to just barely brush those mental fingers against the stream of energy. Her grunt of exertion echoed through the silent space until she finally managed to hook her “fingers” around the stream of energy and pull it into her grip. In her mind's eye, she pulled on that golden energy until it shifted direction. Flowing into her body the stream grew corrupted with a familiar purple hue. Like she was finally taking a deep breath after struggling underwater much too long, she felt as if life had been breathed into her as newly converted Honkai energy flowed into her. It was slow. But it was enough. The fog cloaking her mind slowly began to dissipate, the Cocoon’s whale song growing clearer and clearer in her mind.
Her memories flew through her mind almost faster than she could register them. The golden cogs. The cracks in the sky. The ringing bell. The Tree . At least, those ones were clear. When she tried to remember before that she felt a too familiar stabbing pain in her head. The Cocoon wailed, it’s great eye flashing with power. Kiana’s own eyes followed suit, and a burst of Honkai energy suffused her body, infusing her with a familiar strength so quickly it almost made her nauseous, like getting dizzy from taking a deep breath of clean air for the first time in days. Awareness of her body came flooding back like the tide, pushing a gasp of pain from her lungs. She reached for the Cocoon as it wailed once more, its cries echoing louder in her mind. Faster and faster and growing more and more comprehensible her memories rushed back through her mind one little piece at a time until-
Her eyes snapped open.
The pain was immediate. Her body ached more than she ever thought a body could ache. Not even when her body had been falling apart from Honkai infection had she experienced such a feeling of unraveling as she had felt in the hospital courtyard that night. Bright lights burned at her eyes and she instinctively screwed them back shut.
“Dim the lights!” A voice whispered.
The burning against her eyelids lessened and she chanced opening them to the world once more. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust but as she blinked the rest of the fog away, familiar faces slowly came into focus above her.
“Kiana-chan!”
“Oof!” The air was almost immediately squeezed back out of her lungs as a pair of muscled arms encircled her and squeezed. “H-hey- M-Mei- owowow!”
Mei quickly pulled back, but kept her hands on Kiana. One she left on her shoulder, the other cupping her bicep. “Sorry! Are you… okay?”
Kiana sank deeper into her pillow. “Everything kinda hurts.” She croaked. A moment later she hissed in pain and clenched her eyes shut. “My head is killing me…” Her eyes snapped open and darted around at the others gathered around her until they landed on the person standing opposite of Mei. “Papa?”
“Hey there, babygirl.” Siegfried smiled, relief creasing his eyes. His calloused hand gently stroked his daughter’s hair, Kiana subtly relaxing into the touch.
Bronya gestured at Kiana with her chin, “How’re the arms?”
Kiana stared at her blankly for a moment before snapping her arms up to get a good look, accidentally getting a startled yelp from Mei with the speed at which she moved. Kiana stared for a moment, rotating her arms and taking in the same sights Theresa had noted in her own observations. She tested her forearms with an unbelieving grip, moving up and down the limb in disbelief. Tracing over the scars with her finger also failed to elicit the sting of pain she seemed to be expecting. The inner light of these new scars seemed to gradually grow in intensity as they met the areas of her arm and hand that were stained with Honkai energy, going from a dimly glowing strip of gold to a bright and pronounced otherworldly wound against the dark purple of her hands.
“I seem… alright? If I can say that after watching my arms split apart.” Kiana shrugged. She gave her arms another once over, missing the concerned glance the woman sent to the doctors in the observation room.
“I’m glad you’re alright.” Seele said softly.
“Next time try not to do something so stupid.” Frowned her counterpart.
“Heh.” Kiana sunk down deeper into her pillow, “I’ll try not to get fucked up so bad next time.”
“Kiana.” Mei’s grip tightened. “Next time?”
“U-uh I mean,” Kiana winced, “Well, there won’t be a next time anyways.”
“What do you mean?”
“It was…” Kiana let out a small grunt of discomfort as she pushed herself into a more upright position, “What happened was a… warning.” She paused to take in a shuddering breath. The room itself seemed to hold its breath as the Herrscher’s eyes dropped to the golden veins snaking up her arm. “It… hurt. I broke the ultimate law. So I was punished.” She sighed, hollow eyes darting around the worried faces surrounding her, “I can’t do this ever again. I don’t even know if the lives I saved will stay saved. I hope so. But the thing that spoke to me was… furious.”
Her friends and family could only look on with worried eyes as Kiana's hollow eyes stared off into space.
After a moment Mei gently squeezed her wife's shoulder, “I am happy that you're still here with me- with us.” She corrected herself sheepishly. Half hearted laughter from the others echoed around the room
Kiana's eyes fluttered, as if she was blinking away a fog. The twin stars within seemed to regain a bit of their shine and she leaned against Mei's arm with a sigh, “Yeah. I'm happy I'm still here, too,” She chuckled softly, “We're quite the pair, huh? Im back on Earth for a couple days and we're both having misadventures through dimensions.”
“Getting into trouble will forever remain Kiana idiotka's greatest skill.” Bronya commented.
“She must get it from her dad.” Theresa added.
“Hey now-”
Theresa held up a finger, silencing the older Kaslana before he could finish, “Don't even try to argue with me on that one, Siegfried.”
Seigfried settled for rubbing the back of his head and smiling awkwardly.
“Tch, at least the rest of us didn't get dragged into whatever mad plan she cooked up.” Seele frowned.
Kiana groaned amd rubbed at her forearms, “I'll admit, deciding to do the one thing the Cocoon of Finality really did not want me to do under any circumstances probably wasn't my best idea ever,” Kiana paused to sink back into her pillows, “But as far as I could tell from the Imaginary targeting me, I am interesting enough that it settled for a warning instead of tearing my existence apart.”
“So this really was just a warning, huh?” Siegfried said quietly.
“Oh yeah,” Kiana grimaced, “I'm gonna have nightmares of the visions it showed me of what happened to the many others that tried what I did for months.”
“Christ, babygirl… I'm so sorry.”
Kiana grinned weakly, “Heh, what kind of Goddess would I be if I couldn't handle a little eldritch horror every once in a while?”
“This isn't funny!” Seele snapped. “Do you know how much you've been worrying Seele and Bronya?!”
Kiana grimaced again, “Yeah, I know, I'm sorry… To be fair it's not like I was planning on getting attacked by a manifestation of the celestial structure-slash-being that creates and holds every full world in existence because it decided I had finally gone too far.”
Seele growled, grinding her teeth and rubbing her forehead as if to soothe a headache, “I fucking swear…”
Anyone else's words were cut off by the hiss of hydraulics as the door to the observation room opened and familiar heads of light blue and red hair tiredly entered the room.
“Alright everyone I think that's enough for today, Kiana's only just woken up after all,” Einstein's voice was gentle, but all present knew better than to try and question an order from the doctor concerning her patient, “Everyone get out and take a break.”
“Mei, you can come back whenever you want, though,” Tesla added, “But you need to get some air too, you've been in here keeping an eye on Kiana for two days straight now.”
“I-” Mei began.
“No!” Tesla cut her off, “No ifs ands or buts.”
Kiana laid a gentle hand where Mei was still protectively clasping her shoulder and gently stroked her thumb against the woman's skin, “It's okay Mei. I'm not gonna go anywhere, I promise. I don't think I'll be recovered enough to use my powers in any real capacity for a bit, so you don't have to worry about me doing something stupid while you're gone.” Kiana's lips twitched upwards as she finished, hoping to impart some measure of comfort.
Thankfully it seemed to work, as Mei's shoulders slumped and she reluctantly nodded in acquiescence, “Okay…”
Kiana gave her hand a squeeze and shot the anxious woman a small, but earnest smile, “I know you're worried about me, but you need to take care of yourself too, babe. Okay? For me?”
“Of course.” Mei gave a small nod. It was hard not to see the wisdom in her wife's words.
Mei was startled out of her contemplation by a muscled arm wrapping around her shoulders, “Don't worry, Kiana,” Fu Hua gave her old friend a sharp nod (and then pushed her glasses back up), “I'll make sure she's taken care of.”
Kiana grinned at Mei's lighthearted moan, “Fu Hua you don't need to fuss over me like I'm a child!”
Fu Hua raised an eyebrow, “Come on, Bronya and the Seele's are waiting.”
“Hua!” Mei whined, “I can take care of myself!”
“Hm.” Was all the celestial said in response.
Kiana watched as the two continued to squabble as Fu Hua led them out the door, until the hiss of hydraulics and a dull clank silenced the room once more, “So how about you two?” She questioned the final two occupants.
Einstein released a weary sigh, “We still have to finish analysing the data on your condition over the last couple of days, then-”
“Shut it mophead, you're missing the most important thing!” Tesla shouted. Einstein held up her hands in surrender and watched as Tesla immediately whirled on Kiana, jabbing a finger at her, “What do you mean you spoke to the Imaginary Tree?!”
The refreshing caress of the night air was a welcome break from the heat of the computer filled observation lab. Fingers tapping against her chin, Einstein had long ago allowed herself to fall deep into contemplation, her mind only vaguely registering the kiss of the breeze against her exposed skin.
“It felt… angry .” Kiana had reiterated her torment hours ago, “ I was being battered, crushed. The moment it broke through it was like reality itself wanted to tear me apart atom by atom. It rifled through my head and every second of it hurt more than anything…” her breath stuttered as she exhaled, “Anything I've ever felt. It was less speaking and more like it was shoving information into my head. A warning that while the Cocoon may possess the power, if Honkai wanted to continue having free reign of its branches we would follow the one rule nobody should break. And there would be no second chances.”
Einstein doubted she would soon forget the queasy feeling in her gut when she saw the scars on Kiana's arms pulse with a golden light at that. The tree was sentient to some degree, it seemed. It had always been a theory among those in a position to study the structure that made up their and many other worlds. Though there had never been any concrete proof to back up such a claim.
Until it kicked down the door and sucker punched the Herrscher of Finality, at least.
The loud clanking of the door to the roof opening and closing finally pulled the doctor from her analytical musings. Though the footsteps approaching were soft and carried an even gait, Ein had spent enough time around these girls she knew there was only one other person that would be coming out into the cold at this hour.
“You're supposed to be in bed.” She stated matter of factly, not even turning around.
“I couldn't sleep.”
“Mei's gonna be worried if she wakes up and you're not in bed.”
Ein finally pulled her eyes away from the twinkling cityscape on the horizon and locked curious eyes on Kiana as she came to a stop next to the scientist. She had taken the liberty of wrapping her blanket around herself like a makeshift coat. No answer seemed forthcoming. “Bad dreams?” She offered again.
Kiana shook her head, “Ein, you know I don't dream anymore ever since I became the Herrscher of Finality.”
Einstein shrugged, “Maybe something changed, who knows?”
Kiana hummed in acceptance of the doctor's point. Silence returned for a moment, the two women simply watching the skyline and listening to the crickets. Eventually Kiana sighed, “I'm not dreaming, but I keep waking up to phantom pains. I doze off and suddenly it's like my forearms are splitting apart again except this time I can feel every excruciating moment,” A heavy exhale punctuated the exhaustion laced through her words, “I don't need sleep. But it sure would be nice right about now. The Cocoon is recovering just as much as I am, I'm sure taking the burden of my consciousness off for even a few hours might help speed up the process a bit.”
“Would that actually work?”
Kiana shrugged, “I don't actually know. But sleeping helps with healing in regular humans, why wouldn't it work for me too?”
Einstein shrugged in return and nodded her head, “A fair enough assumption, I think.”
Ein took a moment to study the girl. Despite the obvious exhaustion in her movements and laden in her voice, Kiana otherwise seemed completely healthy. Though, of course, medical computers couldn't detect troubles of the mind like they could troubles of the body.
“So what's next for Kiana Kaslana?”
Kiana took a moment to take in a deep breath, watching as her exhale formed a light mist, “I am completely unprepared to face the Imaginary on a level above the husks we've previously fought,” She began, “It has shown us a level of danger we could never have predicted before. My journey is far from over,” She finally turned and met Einstein's searching gaze, eyes alight with that comfortingly familiar inner fire, “If I am to be Earth's guardian, I must become strong enough to face down the Imaginary tree itself.”
Einstein smiled. Beaten, yet still bouncing back unbroken. This Kaslana never changed, did she? “I think I have a good idea where we can get you started.”
The Hyperion's transport shuttle skimmed the clouds as it raced across the world back to its mother. While space capable, it did not need to brave such a harsh environment today. After another long exploration mission into the solar system, the Hyperion had finally returned to its home planet and docked at the floating islands that made up Shicksal HQ. And inside was a quite important cargo of four women.
Kiana was now clad in casual wear, deciding that instead of her elegant Herrscher battlesuit she would instead stick with something more comfortable. Her body was adorned with simple jean shorts, a white t-shirt, sneakers, and a cream colored sweater with brown hems that she allowed to hang off one shoulder. With her hair in its usual ponytail, one could be forgiven for mistaking the most powerful woman in the solar system for an ordinary girl if it wasn't for the shining pink stars in her eyes.
Bronya and Mei kept to their usual Battlesuits, both seeming to treat this trip more like another mission than anything else. Meamwhile Theresa was clad in her usual jade and white overseer's outfit.
“Alright, can you girls please just tell me who you're bringing me to see?” Kiana spoke loudly over the rumble of the engines.
“Kiana, don't try to change the subject!” Responded the affronted voice of one Raiden Mei, “Next time you feel the need to go stargazing, wake me up and bring me with you so you don't scare me half to death!”
“But Mei-senpaaaaiiiiiiii,” Kiana whined, “You were out cold! And needed your sleep! I don't need sleep! I was just stepping out to gather my thoughts!”
Bronya watched on disinterestedly. She missed Seele already. Just a little longer until the transport reaches its destination…
“Wake. Me. Up.”
Kiana sighed in defeat, “Yes ma'am…”
“Whipped,” Bronya murmured under her breath.
“Shut the fuck up, Bratnya,” the Herrscher of Finality punctuated her statement by pulling her hands into the sleeves of her cream-colored sweater and flopping the empty sleeves while sticking out her tongue.
“Oi!” A muffled voice from the cockpit halted further bickering, “You two better quiet down back there before I gag you so I can have some peace and quiet before we get to the Hyperion and that woman drives me insane!”
Kiana slumped down in defeat, “Yes Auntiieee…”
“Apologies, Theresa.”
Kiana shot her best friend a glare, Bronya valiantly attempting to ignore the way Kiana mockingly mouthed her more formal reply.
Once it became clear she would get no reaction, Kiana sighed and shifted her tired gaze towards the front of the vehicle, “Sooooooo… whoever it is Ein said could help is on the Hyperion?”
“Yes! Again!” Theresa yelled back.
“So who is iiiittt?!”
The engines pitch whirred higher as the transport slowed down and lowered until a muffled clunk signalled the landing gear hitting solid ground.
A few seconds later, Theresa appeared from the cockpit, “You should know who I'm talking about, Kiana. She's only the most annoying woman in the solar system!”
The others followed after the diminutive Overseer, Kiana scratching her head in confusion as they waited for the exit ramp to lower, “Huh? Bronya's right here though,” she said, jerking a thumb at said woman.
“I'm going to send Project Bunny to set your instant noodle stash on fire.” Bronya shot back.
“Yes, THE most annoying, irritating being to ever curse this solar system!” Theresa continued as they stepped down onto the Hyperion's deck, ignoring the jabs thrown between girls.
Kiana frowned, “Aren't those basically the same thing?”
“You don't understand! I had to work closely with her while you were in that coma years ago and she's so completely horrible that both words apply!”
Kiana quirked an eyebrow. She was fairly certain who this woman was at this point. Only one woman Shicksal dealt with could drive her aunt up the wall like this at the mere thought of her. “I'm sensing a ‘but’ here.”
Mei grinned, “The ‘but’ is that Miss Theresa is well aware she's the only other person with powers similar to yours that has travelled the solar system. Enough that she might have knowledge on how to challenge the power of the Imaginary.”
The four women squeezed into one of the Hyperion's lifts straight up to the command center.
“Hey now, I don't want to take the fight to the Imaginary tree or something, I just need to be able to defend myself and Earth if the thing that attacked me suddenly decides I'm more trouble than I'm worth.”
Bronya shrugged, “We could have tried asking Griseo first, but she's not on the Hyperion and having her in the same country as her… situationship… is just asking for trouble.”
Mei grimaced, “That's certainly one way to put it.”
The group stepped out into the fancy wood floored recreation room that took up a long rectangular space near the top of the warship/exploration vessel hybrid. Across the room stood a much wider lift that went up to the bridge proper, their destination. As they crossed the room Kiana was acutely aware of the swirling maelstrom of quantum energy roiling just above them. She filed the feeling to the back of her mind, letting her attention wander through the room. Kitchen, rest areas, even a small game area with table tennis and foosball, Kiana was almost tempted to complain she didn't get this in the moon rec center. Though what really drew her eyes was the various pieces of feathered decorations with an intricate and beautiful peacock feather pattern. The brilliant emeralds and cobalts stood out against the empty whites and browns of the room.
“Alright, here we are,” Theresa announced, “You three can go talk to her, if I have to see her again I'm going to lose what little sanity I have left.”
“Don't worry, Auntie, I've got this,” Kiana grinned.
The tiredness was still there, underlining Kiana's every word and action, but seeing her niece's brilliant smile come out again did hearten her greatly. Theresa replied with her own wry grin, “I'm sure. I'll be waiting here when you're done.”
With that, the trio stepped onto the circular platform and Bronya keyed in the command for it to raise them to the top floor. As soon as the lift began its noisy ascent Kiana felt a tug in the back of her mind as that maelstrom of energy suddenly shifted and became a tightly controlled stream, like someone was gently pouring the energy of the sea of quanta out of a bottle. Kiana couldn't help the grin that flickered across her lips. She wasn't one to be fooled that easily.
The lift came to a stop soon enough and the trio disembarked into a darkened bridge. Kiana's eyes shone like beacons as her gaze darted around the room in front of them.
“Ah~” a voice broke through the dark, “I expected Theresa to show up for one of her boring inspections, but I wasn't expecting her to bring friends for a visit as well!”
Kiana's eyes finally locked onto the source. A humanoid shape in the darkness, topped with glowing pink eyes staring back at her from the shadow, “Uh, hi?” Kiana waved awkwardly, “I think I kinda know you but I don't think we've properly met before?”
“Oh I see~ This is a surprise, I finally get to meet the Herrscher of Finality face to face!” The shape leaned forward, a single light snapping on in just the right spot to illuminate crossed legs and a feminine face as it leaned forward from the darkness, “Theresa wouldn't have been keeping us apart on purpose would she?” Vita tilted her head and frowned, her beautiful gray hair spilling over her shoulder, “That would be quite rude, wouldn't it?” she sighed, “She's lucky I'm partial to cute girls or I wouldn't be helping her on these exploration missions, they can get quite boring you know. Maybe I'll go off and do my own thing again now that this one is done.”
Mei scoffed, “Since when has anything stopped you from doing your own thing behind our backs?”
“My dear Mei, I thought we were friends? Not even a ‘Hello’ before you sling accusations?”
Mei simply continued staring with a guarded air about her.
Kiana took the moment to observe the woman before her. She was incredibly pretty. Her outfit looked like an elegantly crafted pantsuit with one leg cut off to expose Vita's left leg. Its black and greens matched perfectly with her hair and the peacock feather earrings she wore. Kiana suddenly felt rather underdressed in comparison. She needed to make a good first impression, “Uh…” she began dumbly, her eyes flicking down to Vita's single stocking clad leg as she gracefully uncrossed her legs and seemed to purposely show off her exposed thigh. Kiana swallowed thickly. “I uh- I need your help-”
“Oh I know~” Vita winked, “I'm actually only here because Theresa sent me everything I need to know about that incident a few days ago. It's not every day something happens that spurns the tree into taking action itself! It's quite interesting, isn't it?” Vita stood from the captain's chair, lights flicking on fully as she floated down the group.
Mei and Bronya stood protectively on either side of Kiana.
“Little Theresa rightfully sook me out, I've spent a long time travelling the sea of quanta and the solar system. And if the Tree is all powerful, why didn't it stop you before you broke its precious laws?” Vita put a finger to her chin and flicked her eyes up as if thinking hard about her own words.
The next moment a mischievous smile broke upon her lips, the woman bowing gracefully in midair before extending her hand, “Shall we expose the Tree's fallibility together~?” Her eyes glimmered like precious gems, the woman's playful tone contrasted greatly against the guarded stances of Bronya and Mei. Kiana had heard many stories of a woman her family and friends had journeyed with that hid her duplicity behind smiles and mischievous playfulness. This was who she would be studying the powers of the Imaginary with?
Kiana hesitated for but a moment.
Then she took Vita's hand.