Chapter Text
Mei had nearly sent herself stumbling to the floor in her rush to get her uniform on that morning. Her excited knocks had been met with a gently smiling Bronya in one room and the next… a Kiana that looked like she just lost a fight with a wild animal. The Kaslana standing in the doorway had the appearance of someone one step away from unconsciousness, dark circles under her eyes, messy rumbled night clothes, her thigh-length hair a mess of tangles and sticking out at odd angles and… was that drool dripping from the corner of her lips? She was a complete mess. A cute mess that was currently blinking at her slowly like a confused puppy. Their rooms were at the end of a hall and Kiana was now squinting against the morning sun spilling through the window a couple meters away from Mei.
“Kiana did you…” Mei tilted her head, lips twitching as she struggled to hold back a smile, “...Sleep well?”
“Mwuh?” A few nonsensical and extremely tired sounding noises tumbled from her lips. Her eyes seemed to only vaguely register that Mei and Bronya were standing in front of her. Unfocused blue eyes that had been locked on Mei’s face ever since she opened the door. Words seemed to tumble from her lips before she could truly think about what she was saying, “Has anyone told you,” A yawn, “That your eyes are really pretty in the morning sun?”
Mei blinked, “Um- p-possibly?” She squeaked. Goddess, why did she suddenly feel so shy? That was so cheesy.
Mei could almost feel Bronya rolling her eyes, “Even half conscious she never stops.”
“Ssssshut it, Bronya,” The sleepy Kaslana mumbled.
As Mei stared at the messy bedhead before her, there was a strange twinge in her heart. Like a wave of deja vu that gently washed over her at this sight, this situation. Almost unthinkingly she raised her hand and brushed away the strands of pale hair clinging to the side of Kiana’s face. Kiana for her part almost seemed to stop thinking at the physical contact, instead allowing her eyes to fall shut and leaning into Mei’s gentle touch, “Bronya, the rooms come stocked with basics like a hairbrush, right?” Mei asked, still fussing over Kiana.
“Yup.”
“Alright, I’ll be right back, if you don’t mind.”
Amusement but also a… soft fondness shimmered in the girl’s eyes, “Yeah yeah, take your time, I’m gonna go get Seele.”
Kiana seemed to come to her senses as she found herself being turned around and pushed back into her temporary room, “Wuh?! H-hey Mei, what are you doing?”
Mei kicked the door shut and continued pushing the girl further into the room, “You’re a mess and look like you’re about to pass out. Let me give you a hand.”
Kiana looked like she wanted to protest, but put up only miniscule resistance as Mei practically manhandled her into sitting on the edge of the bed. Kiana’s gaze lazily followed Mei’s figure as she threw open the curtains (much to the dismay of Kiana’s tired eyes) before wandering into the bathroom and rummaging through the drawers until she found what she wanted. The priestess quickly returned, hairbrush in hand, and snatched Kiana’s hair ties off the nightstand next to the bed. She took a seat next to Kiana, positioning both of them sideways but careful not to get her boots on the bed, her leg bent and resting between her and Kiana with the ankle hanging off the side. And so she began the tedious process of gathering together the mess of white hair before her and slowly working the knots out of the long strands. As she made her own progress, so did Kiana in her journey of gaining wakefulness.
“Gods that feels so nice,” Kiana sighed happily.
Mei let out a small noise of amusement, “Good morning to you, too, sleepyhead.”
“It feels like forever since someone else has brushed my hair,” Kiana groaned, “I forgot how good it feels.”
“Never asked Bronya to do it for you?”
Kiana snorted, “Are you kidding? She’s more likely to tie it into a loop and drag me around with it, the brat,” She seemed to curl in on herself a little after that, “Nah, she probably would if I really asked. I just…” Kiana shrugged softly, “I dunno, usually when we have time for that it’s when we’re somewhere like here and I feel like I’d just be interrupting her time with Seele. In-person or on a video call, either way they dont get a ton of time together these days.”
Mei hummed thoughtfully, “I suppose I can understand that. But it’s not wrong to want to be cared for sometimes, you know? Even I can tell Bronya really cares about you despite how you two usually talk to each other.”
“Yeah, I know, I just…” Kiana grunted in frustration rather than finish her sentence, pulling her knees up to her chin and wrapping her arms around them.
“Or…” Mei ventured, “Is there someone else you’d prefer to do it?”
Kiana let out a tired laugh but it was nearly impossible to miss the way her entire body tensed at the question, “Yeah, there was. A long time ago,” Her voice grew quiet, “It became a habit to braid my hair into twin tails because that’s how my mom would do my hair as a kid. Certainly makes it a bit easier to deal with when I’m running around.”
“I see… I remember you mentioned she had… passed… When you were young,” Brushing done, Mei began separating Kiana’s hair in preparation for the braids, “Do you mind if I ask what she was like?”
Kiana breathed out a small laugh, “She was amazing. She was already one of the strongest Valkyries in Schicksal by the time she had me. She was kind, but knew when to be firm. She was strong, but was said to have been incredibly gentle and easy going off the battlefield. Dad said he fell for her at first sight, but knowing him he probably tried using a horrible pickup line or two first and fell in love when she actually liked them for some reason,” She laughed softly. Bittersweetly, even, “If I try hard enough I can see white hair, blue eyes, and the kind of smile that makes you feel safe just seeing it,” Kiana held up an arm and gazed at her own hand while speaking, like she might find some trace of her mother within the lines of her palm or her fingerprints, “But that’s… it,” She clenched her hand into a fist, her voice wavering ever so slightly, “In the end she became just another life that was given to hold back the Honkai.”
“I’m sorry, Kiana…” Mei said with an empathetic softness, “She sounds like she was a wonderful woman.”
“Heh, she would have loved to meet you,” Kiana grinned (sniffling only slightly), “Somehow dad knew I was one for the ladies before I did and took it upon himself to teach me how to flirt so I could get a girlfriend. I never questioned why he said it like that, it just felt right despite how everywhere else I always saw girls talking about their boyfriends, but I figured it out eventually.”
There was a small snap as Mei finished tying off the last hair tie, “Thank you, Kiana.”
Kiana fully turned around and eyed Mei in confusion, “Huh? For what?”
“For telling me, silly. I know it can’t be easy to dredge up memories like this,” Something pulled at Mei’s heart strings once again. As if on autopilot, she found herself cupping Kiana’s cheek and gently wiping away the wetness that had collected in the corner of her eye. It just felt… natural, “Maybe it’s inappropriate of me with the short time we’ve known each other, but there’s a part of me that delights in you trusting me enough to speak of these things with me.”
Kiana hesitantly pressed into the touch and exhaled in amusement, “And here I thought I was supposed to be the charmer,” Kiana allowed her eyelids to droop as she gazed back at Mei, relishing in the touch. The small smile and lidded eyes sent her heart fluttering in ways the priestess could hardly put into words.
It was the kind of moment that seemed to slow time to a standstill. The morning light filtered through the curtains like a playwright had set the scene just for them, the warm rays dancing in the violet of Mei’s eyes like reflections off a precious gem. Unbeknownst to Kiana, Mei was thinking the same about the way the light shimmered in the cerulean oceans gazing back at her. Sat on the bed as they were, Kiana’s shifting when she turned around had brought them so tantalizingly close. It was an intimacy Mei had never experienced before and that made it all the more intoxicating when Kiana’s eyes dipped to her lips for just a moment. The sun made the edges of Kiana’s hair glow with an almost ethereal light, like a lopsided halo resting upon her crown. She looked… Well, perhaps saying she looked like a Goddess was a bit on the nose considering the suspicious similarities she held to the Finality, but Mei also found she could not find a more apt description for Kiana in this moment. A light dusting of pink brightened her cheeks the longer their gazes held like this. The dark circles under her eyes just made her seem so much more real. She was still a bit of a mess. But oh, what a beautiful mess she was.
Inch by Inch, Mei did not know when they had begun leaning towards each other, but she was loath to stop now. Something pulled at her heart, telling her that this was familiar, that this was right . Even that storm of emotion constantly writhing in the recesses of her mind seemed to fall still for a moment, as if watching. Holding its breath. And so she allowed herself to lean closer still.
“Mei, I-” Kiana whispered, full lips beckoning the priestess closer like a siren amidst the waves. Until Kiana grit her teeth and pulled away, and the spell shattered like thin ice over their rivers of emotion, “We- I can’t, I’m- I’m sorry.”
Mei snapped back to reality in an instant, turning away and pressing both feet to the hardwood floor, her hands gripping the edge of the bed as if ready to push off and flee at a moment's notice, “I apologise,” She spoke quickly, “I-I don’t know what came over me, please forgive me.”
“No! No,” Kiana looked up at her apologetically, frustration and pain swirling in her eyes, “It’s not your fault. I… I can’t keep taking advantage of your trust like this,” Her voice was low, a self-flagellating frustration laced in her words.
“Kiana?” Mei reached out in an attempt to reassure her friend, “What are you talking about? You’ve been nothing but wonderful to me.”
“No!” Kiana jumped to her feet, her frustration finally boiling over, “You don’t understand, I-” Her breath hiccuped as hot tears began to trail down her cheeks, “You deserve better.”
“Then help me understand!” Mei stood, growing worry lining her face as Kiana seemed to retreat inwards, pulling away from possible touch, “Whatever it is, you can talk to me!”
“No! I-I can’t!” Kiana’s breaths came in heaves now, the Kaslana even biting into her forearm in a desperate attempt to choke back her sobs for several frantic breaths, “Please just leave. I’ll meet up with you and Bronya later.”
“Kiana-!”
“Please!” The Valkyrie begged.
Mei hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was leave Kiana alone right now. But respecting the woman’s wishes would probably be for the best. She did not know what brought on this onslaught of emotion, and at this point she at least understood she could do little to help by pushing her further. So Mei nodded, carefully moved past the distraught woman and slipped out the door with one last concerned glance.
As she walked away, Kiana’s voice wracked by tortured sobs followed her down the hallway like a vengeful ghost coming to take its due for sins she did not yet know she’d committed.
Kiana was sat back on the bed, a small metallic object in her hand as she stared off into space. The sun had moved a little higher into the sky and shone off the tear tracks that still ran from her bloodshot eyes. The light filtering through the window suddenly didn’t seem so welcoming anymore.
“I can’t keep doing this,” She lamented within her mind.
“Can’t do what? Continue lying to the most important person in your life in service of a mission that could end in failure either way and will seal the fate of this entire planet?”
“Yeah…”
The voice was silent for a moment, “Wow you must really be going through it if you’re agreeing with me that easily.”
“You saw what happened!” Kiana despaired, “I completely broke down right in front of Mei!”
“Yes, it was quite embarrassing. So? Does one uncomfortable moment undo everything you have done for her? With her? You face the consequences of your failure all those years ago and wish to flee from it?”
“I’m not fleeing from anything!” She snapped, “I’m well aware of the stakes and what is necessary! That doesn’t make it hurt any less! It doesn’t make living a lie with the shallow assurance that it’s all for her any easier!”
“I know, Kiana,” The voice came again, a rare softness in its speech, “I have watched you take on many burdens that would break lesser women in your quest to better this world you have pledged yourself to. You have far surpassed anything I expected of you when I first became an observer instead of an antagonist. Do not falter now and prove my past self- or my complete self for that matter- correct.”
Kiana’s thumb flicked against the circular object in her palm and a shining hologram flickered to life before her. Her gaze focused on this new sight, her thoughts growing quiet as she allowed herself this small moment of reminiscence.
“If nothing else, do it not because it is your duty, but because we both long to hear the roar of thunder over Nagazora once more.”
The shimmering light reflected in her eyes held nothing but sorrow, despite the smiles hovering in the air before her. There in the soft light of the morning sun were two women. One with white hair and blue, crosshaired eyes that shone with an elation never felt before or since, gleaming white armor covering her body and a smile shining just as bright. Her arm was thrown around the shoulders of another woman as she held up a peace sign for the camera. In contrast to this shining knight beside her, this second woman had hair the darkest purple, sharp violet eyes that gave the impression this woman was not used to smiling, yet here they were soft, crinkling with the small but satisfied smile gracing her features. Crimson horns sprouted from her forehead, an intimidating image when combined with the black clothing that clung to her form and similarly crimson armor, yet when beside the first woman it seemed not like they were forces clashing, great representations of light and dark forming a boundary. Instead, they were merely two halves completing a whole.
Kiana allowed herself to drink in this happy sight, this nostalgic bittersweetness, for only a moment more before another flick of her thumb hid its light once again. It was not yet time to let such things still her feet. She had to continue onwards. Shouldering these worldly burdens… has always been her duty.
“I- I can’t.”
The words had echoed in her mind as she’d stalked down St. Freya’s walkways towards the administration building. She had heard those words before, though less clogged with tears the tone and cadence had still been recognizable. Still been the same. Just as they had been on the roof of Arc city’s Temple of Finality. She was not stupid, she knew where all these coincidences, hidden words, and half truths were pointing, even before she realized that Seele was the Mistress of Life herself. But still she held back. Still her resolve wavered. Still she convinced herself that she needed more concrete proof. The truth was that she was afraid. Unwilling to confront that road. But there was still a… curiosity, as to what purpose all this might serve. And so she had said nothing as she fled from Kiana’s dorm and out into the warming sun.
The wait with Bronya had Seele had been… awkward at best. It was obvious Bronya knew something had happened when Kiana did not arrive with her, let alone her own distraught and closed off body language. Seele seemed much the same as when they’d met, still just sitting on the edge of her desk swinging her legs. There was a slightly more pronounced tightness around her eyes and Mei now knew why she had felt that strange draw from the Honkai energy around her, but other than that nothing seemed to have changed. They suffered through awkward small talk for the thirty minutes it took for Kiana to arrive at Seele’s office. Cerulean eyes refused to meet violet, and Kiana remained strangely quiet for most of the ensuing conversation, however Mei was just relieved to have the girl within her sight once more.
“Kiana?” Bronya asked softly, “You okay?”
“I’m fine, Bronya,” Kiana snapped, though her voice lacked energy and carried a telltale hoarseness to it, “Can we start?”
Bronya held her gaze on the woman for a moment before slowly nodding. The tension was palpable and Mei nearly feared Kiana would be able to hear the rapid beating of her heart. Pushing forward regardless, Mei had unfolded her frantic work of art and explained what she had seen in her dreams. The silence as she recounted Sirin’s memory was deafening. When she got to the landscape she had seen and drawn, Seele silently pursed her lips and asked to be given a minute. The principal had opened her computer terminal and quickly pulled up multiple maps Schicksal had created and maintained as humanity regained and lost territory.
Seele's fingers flew across her keyboard as she pulled up multiple windows of specific geographical areas, the winding of rivers around the landscape clearly visible in the holographic displays “You know, this is an interesting challenge for me,” She began, “While I was one of the few Herrschers alive at the time, when the Great Eruption happened and the Herrscher of the Void destroyed Schicksal HQ I was stuck in the Sea of Quanta. Of all the Herrschers allied with Humanity, I probably know the least of what actually happened at the Battle of Schicksal.”
“Wait,” Kiana began hesitantly, “You told Mei?”
Seele cast a glance at the woman that seemed to carry just a hint of reproachfulness, “Yes. Mei and I had a… discussion with the Herrscher of Finality last night. Seele may have gotten a bit emotional, and from that little release of power Mei realised who I was.”
Mei leaned back on one foot and crossed her arms, “Was I the only one that didn’t know Seele was a Herrscher?”
Kiana quietly ducked her head in shame.
“Yup,” Bronya smiled, “She’s never exactly been the best at hiding it. Not that either of them try that hard.”
“Either of them?” Mei tilted her head curiously, “Seele, is that why you talked of yourself in third person?”
Seele giggled softly, “Yes, you’re right, Mei. As long as I can remember there has been another presence in my mind. She is like… the confident, strong, and dependable person I had wanted to be back then, when I was timid, scared, and weak. The powers of Death awoke in her, and through her, me. Once I became a Herrscher as well we became the guardians of the afterlife together, freeing it from the psychic troubles of the Honkai. We are both Seele. Both… two sides of the same coin, you could say. She has her own body now, but is still able to maintain a presence in my mind and even come to the forefront as you saw last night,” She held a hand to her heart and smiled happily, “She and Bronya… are my most precious people.”
Mei couldn’t stop the small smile that flitted across her lips, “Now I know who Kiana meant when she yelled about Bronya having two girlfriends. But...” Her expression quickly morphed into confusion, "You're telling me the Herrscher of Rebirth is two seperate beings? We were always taught that Death was merely another aspect of you, a singular Herrscher."
“We should stay on topic,” Came Kiana’s flat, expressionless voice.
All eyes in the room lingered on the woman for several seconds. That heavy haze of tension that had been chased away by the lighthearted topic returned with all the speed of a hurricane. Kiana’s arms were wrapped around her body like a protective shell, her shoulders hunched like she was trying to curl in on herself. Her eyes darted to each of her friends with an almost expectant defensiveness.
Once again Mei found that strange sense of deja vu washing over her, the image of a cold, unsure, and frightened Kiana holding herself just like that in an orange and white jacket appearing unbidden for just a moment before the thought slipped through her fingers, “Kiana’s right, lets focus,” Mei finally broke the silence, “We need to figure out where we need to go and once we have a target I will need to return to Arc city to prepare.”
Seele moved back into action immediately, “There aren’t many rivers with a sharp bend like this near the mouth that also have records of a city once existing there. However,” Seele typed in a few more commands and pulled up a specific satellite image, “Knowing how Schicksal tends to operate and my millennia of wandering this world, there's a few places Schicksal has records of I think you should have a look at.”
The image Seele had chosen to display did look similar, though if it was the same river time seemed to have taken its toll, it's great breadth having reduced greatly and the signs of erosion filling the landscape around it. There was no sign of a city anywhere around what was left of the once mighty river, however she could not rule out the possibility of Schicksal editing the satellite imagery.
Several others that popped up in succession as Seele accessed the files looked similar. Rivers that had suffered the effects of time yet the surrounding landscape gave hints as to their former shape as they met the ocean.
“What makes you pick these?” Mei questioned.
“The fact that there’s nothing special about them,” Seele smiled confidently, “Of everything I have seen, these locations remain particularly… unremarkable. Places that have never had any records of human settlement, or Schicksal has never physically scouted the area, or the only signs of anything ever finding this remote area of the wilderness is the Honkai corruption present in the satellite scans. Some have a suspiciously low level of Honkai radiation for how deep into the wastelands they are. If this river truly was as mighty in the past as what you saw, there no doubt would have been some level of human presence. Water is a necessary resource after all, and just as strong is the draw of easy access to the sea. This emptiness is too perfect. I cannot even ascertain its exact location of some of these scans due to Schicksal's tampering. I believe one of them must be the location you seek, and if you can get there, you may find something the Schicksal of the past didn’t want found.”
“I cannot question your logic,” Mei nodded, “It is certainly better than the nothing I had yesterday. With my mission being given to me by the Moon Goddess herself, the High Priestess will no doubt give me all I need,” The Priestess’s eyes danced around the holograms, searching for any other notable geographic features that would help her find either a hint to its location, or another similarity to her dream, “Hm,” Mei hummed thoughtfully, “Could that truly be…”
“What is it, Mei?” Bronya eyed her curiously.
“This jagged circular area in the nearby mountain range in this satellite image,” Mei said, pointing to the spot on the map, “Most might glance over it but to me it looks… strange. Too unnatural. Look at the way you can see blackened stone radiating out from the center and snaking through the mountains before fading away. Does it not look like the creation of some kind of explosion?”
Bronya nodded, “The Bronya thinks Mei might be onto something. What would that mean, though?”
“While I worship the Finality, we are also learned in the lore of the other Herrschers as well. This has reminded me of something the High Priestess taught us about the Herrscher of Fire before she passed her power to the Herrscher of Flamescion. When the Herrscher of Fire fell, it was in a mighty battle against the Herrscher of the Void within the peaks of a mountain range. As the story goes, so great was the Herrscher of Fire’s fury that the very stone melted under her fire and her greatsword cleaved mountains in two. The sky remained red like a mighty wildfire for days after her death from the might of her final attack against the Void, like the sun itself had been dropped on the mountains. No mountain range has seen something like it since, even the Herrscher of Flamescions battle against the Legion Herrscher, while just as catastrophic, took place in a pocket dimension over a populated city, not in the mountains like this. If I am seeing what I think I’m seeing… these have to be the Alsakan Mountains.”
Seele leaned forward and steepled her fingers with interest, “You know where they are?”
“Yes. Our temple lost dozens of good women on an expedition through those mountains several decades ago. The Honkai radiation is intense and it is crawling with Honkai beasts. Some say the anger of the Herrscher of the Void lingers there and drives humans mad. Our temple’s records indicate we lost contact with the exploratory team almost immediately upon them entering the mountain range. We never regained contact. The flying Honkai beasts that nest in the peaks prevent simply scouting from the air or flying over them entirely.”
Seele’s brows pinched with worry, “Perhaps even more reason for you to go, despite the increased danger it seems this area poses.”
“I must admit I… I’m not one-hundred percent sure. But the Herrscher of Finality told me to follow my instincts, and my instincts tell me that we will find Schicksal’s old HQ on the other side of the Alsakan mountains.”
“Alright then,” Seele smiled, “Then I just have one request for you.”
“How may I be of service, My Lady?” Mei said with a slight bow.
Seele pouted but did not comment on Mei's return to decorum, “Oh nothing much,” Her smile grew teasingly mischievous, “You are journeying to the epicenter of the western Honkai wastes. You will need aid on your journey and I believe I have just the thing,” She pressed a button on her desk and a small chime sounded outside the heavy office doors. A moment later they were pushed open, the black and teal colors of a valkyrie uniform topped by a head of white-blonde hair marched through and came to a disciplined stop before them, “I called her as soon as you started figuring out the landmarks. I want you to take Camellia with you to bolster your strength.”
Kiana turned tired, dismayed eyes to the rather pleased looking Herrscher, “Seele, why do you hate me?”
Considering they hadn’t really brought much with them, they had been able to prepare and set to the skies back to Arc city in only a few hours once the transport and pilots were ready. A very uncomfortable three hours between Kiana’s mood and the way neither she nor Camellia could stand each other. Kiana had been actively avoiding talking about that morning and would shut down Mei’s attempts to quietly breach the subject with a sharp but restrained tone. Mei didn’t know whether to be irritated that Kiana wouldn’t talk about something that affected her just as much as the Kaslana, or relieved that the girl was obviously doing her best to not direct her mood at the Priestess. Instead she had convinced the woman to train with her after breakfast for the couple hours left they had to wait, a move that Mei had been quite proud of when the cloud of despair that seemed to be hanging over Kiana lightened up just a little. Kiana even smiled a little as they traded blows and Mei demonstrated an improving control over her Honkai energy. The more she used it the more it felt less like learning a new skill and more like… stretching a muscle that had not been used in a very long time. Something to be pondered later when she wasn't focused on lifting Kiana's spirits.
By the time they had lifted into the air with another prayer to the Lady of Wind and an update sent to the High Priestess and her parents, things had slowed down enough that Mei’s own emotional turmoil from that morning's events and mental exhaustion finally began creeping up on her. Luckily the flight back was at least eight more hours during which she could rest.
That is, if she wasn’t more worried about Kiana and Camellia going at each other’s throats when she wasn’t looking.
The Valkyrie had been decidedly unhappy that Kiana had gotten off with what she considered too light a punishment for her crime and was going to be part of their little squad. Mei could understand, she supposed, where the woman was coming from if she put herself in Camellia’s shoes. However, she found herself decidedly unwilling to do that, and instead found her mind drifting to the wish that Seele had not insisted on sending a Valkyrie with them. The politics of Schicksal did not concern her and she would much rather continue travelling with just Bronya and Kiana. Mostly Kiana, but she quickly shoved that thought back down. Besides, what could be stronger than a trio wielding the power of Herrscher gems? The combination of her mental exhaustion and the rumble of the engines easily lulled her into a relaxed, almost trance like state as she allowed her thoughts to wander. This unfocused wandering continued for several minutes until her mind stumbled across the memory of the way Camellia had needled and insulted Kiana when they first met. The more clearly she recalled it the more a flash of violent desires shot through her mind, an upwell of emotion unexpected in both its presence and its ferocity. The sudden mental image of beating the girl bloody and wrapping her fingers around her neck was… startling, to say the least. Rising out of her relaxed state, the thought to teach this woman her place for daring to look down on Kiana washed over her like a wave. Kiana was her Kaslana and to insult her was to insult Raiden Mei. The thoughts dissolved as quickly as they had arrived. Mei was left to wonder just what had come over her, and shudder at the disconcertion at these sudden violent, yet protective, almost possessive thoughts.
As much as she tried to dismiss them as the intrusive thoughts of a tired mind, that storm of emotion ever in the back of her mind seemed to pulse and writhe gleefully in response to these thoughts running through her head.
“Mei?”
A soft touch on her arm put pause to her worry, her eyes chasing the sensation and finding cerulean gazing back anxiously.
“Are you alright?” Kiana asked softly.
Mei quickly attempted to assuage her worry with a nod, “Yes, Kiana, I’m okay. Why?”
Cerulean searched her face for some clue as to the priestess’s inner thoughts, “You had lightning jumping around your body.”
She had? How could she not have noticed? “Oh,” Was all she could say at first, “I apologize, I did not mean to frighten you. It was nothing.”
Kiana looked like she didn’t quite believe her friend, her expression falling for a moment as she leaned back into her seat and let it drop regardless. Instead she settled on resuming her glaring contest with Camellia. The Valkyrie had taken up a position opposite the three friends and had been giving Kiana the stink eye for the entire flight so far. She was eager to please Seele and prove herself on a mission personally given by the Herrscher of Finality, but that did not mean she was particularly friendly. The only one who seemed even slightly amused about the whole situation was Bronya. Somehow she lasted the entire flight on the opposite side of Kiana while she grumbled and complained with a small smile on her face, though if Mei had learned anything about the girl her minute expressions hid a far deeper worry for her friend. Thankfully, the overall trip was uneventful other than those strange intrusive thoughts that had apparently triggered her own Honkai energy. Or it would have been, had her communicator not pinged with an incoming high priority message.
Mei pressed the button that would project the holographic video feed of whoever was calling her, her earpiece dutifully filling the air before her with the visage of the High Priestess, “Your Grace, I take it you received my message?’’
The older woman nodded, her air of authority projecting itself even through a simple hologram, “I did. I am happy you have made progress, however there has been a change of plans,” Mei furrowed her brow at her superior’s words but otherwise said nothing, “You are being redirected south to Nagazora.”
With perfect timing, the shifting of gravity beneath them signalled the transport executing a sharp turn to a new heading.
“What?” Mei was incredulous, “Why?”
An annoyed smile flickered across the woman’s face, “It was your father, actually. Raiden Ryoma has… requested … that you be redirected to the Temple of Seven Thunders before you set off. To shorten the amount of time you have to spend hopping around cities, I have sent the Moonbeams to meet up with you in Nagazora. They will be joining you on your mission and Ryoma and his temple are just as capable of preparing you for this mission as we are, as much as I hate to admit it.”
Mei squeezed her eyes shut, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration, “First the redirection and now the Moonbeams? With all due respect, Your Grace, could I not at least be part of the discussion of these preparations and additions before the decision is made for me?”
The High Priestess raised a placating palm, “I understand your frustration, Mei, not everything happening here was our first plan either. If I’m honest, I would usually have pushed back against your father but it sounded like whatever it is he needs you for is quite urgent, and I can only pry into his business so far. I know how much you care for your parents, so I agreed. As for the moonbeams, well…” She sighed heavily, “That is partly politics. Even though you are leading this mission, it would tarnish our public image if you went off with only three Valkyries and no support from your own sisters.”
“With how dangerous the region appears to be, would a smaller team not be better so we can sneak through?”
“No,” The Priestess’s answer was immediate and sharp, “The first expedition into that mountain range, I…” A shadow passed over the woman’s eyes, “Some of the women on that expedition were even more skilled than the Moonbeams, and yet they still vanished without a trace. You and your friends make three gem bearers more than the last expedition had. I can only pray the addition of our best warriors will give you the strength you need and more eyes to… watch iut for each other. My instincts tell me you’ll need them. Those mountains are… evil.”
“Very well,” Something about the woman’s tone sent shivers down her spine. She had never heard the High Priestess sound so… afraid? Despondent perhaps. Whatever it was chilled her blood, “I will gratefully accept their help, then.”
The Priestess almost immediately slumped in relief, “Thank you, Mei. Knowing they are with you will be a weight off my mind. I wish you luck in your mission. May you always walk in the Moon’s light.”
“Thank you, Your Grace, may your path always be lit by her silver light.”
The hologram blipped out of existence.
From the worry and anxiety she saw in her companions eyes, she knew she was not alone in the churning knot forming in the pit of her stomach, one that would twist for the entirety of their several additional hours of flight.
Nagazora… her home. It was a glorious city, from the highest skyscrapers to the lowest flat the city hummed with an undeniable energy. A confidence and trust in their patron that was unmatched by any except perhaps those who follow the Finality. Perhaps this pride in their patrons’ greatness was what led to their followers having such a rivalry, despite the tales of the two Herrschers in question being rather close. Extending past the coast were magnificent sea walls stretched just as high as some skyscrapers, constructed with the aid of the Herrscher of Ice and keeping the ocean itself at bay. The impressive construction bristled with defensive emplacements, many more hidden behind armor plating and under the waterline to defend against any aquatic Honkai incursions.
Opposite the water and defensive walls, the buildings spread up a steep hill that gave the city an almost tiered look to it, the structures built here looking over the rest of the city like lords over a kingdom. Of course, the most familiar of these to Mei was the proudly standing four-storied Chiba Academy. It was right near one of the steepest parts of the hill, the old track and field having the school along one length and the sharp decline of the land on the other. It was a symbol of the city's pride, the academy lauding itself as having played host to the Raiden that became the first human to meet the Herrscher of Thunder.
About two kilometres away and even higher still, the land fell away into a sharp-edged cliff of rock and earth. Sitting upon this cliff was a brilliantly shining structure of black and white with intricately formed decoration and tertiary coloring of red lining the black like ribbons. Seven towers rose from the main building like lightning rods, stretching high to the sky and visibly crackling with electricity even from this distance. A small localized storm swirled overhead, though its thunder had long since diminished. The landing pad was low enough that the sound of the constant crackle of red lightning along the towers was not too unbearable, jutting out of the cliff-face itself and allowing access to the parts of the temple built deep into the rock of the cliffside. Both the towers and the main building itself were constructed in a cultural style of old Nagazora, not too dissimilar to her family homes in both Arc City and Nagazora itself, the main courtyard large enough to comfortably fit several hundred people. In a similarly more ancient practice, the leader of the Raiden clan was usually the one to lead the the Temple of Seven Thunders, as the legends say the Herrscher of Thunder held a special connection to the Raiden family.
Though in truth, her father was a more De Facto leader who extends the Herrscher of Thunder’s influence far beyond Nagazora, the actual religious ceremony and rituals to be only conducted by the miko of the temple and thus while he had some level of power as head of the Raiden family, he was not officially the head of the temple. Of course, that did not stop the man’s ego and the high level of pride he took in his family name. After all, he was rather close with the true leader of the Seven Thunders. His wife.
Speaking of her father, the descent of the transport had brought him into view through the viewport. Though seeing her father standing there with a straight posture and hands behind his back was expected, her mother standing beside him was rather unexpected. Mifumi’s appearance beside her husband at the temple only further cemented the seriousness of the situation in Mei’s mind, the woman now clad in elegant loose robes of black and red, a stark contrast to her father's pale purple business suit.
As soon as the ramp lowered and they once again exited the ship, Kiana’s attention quickly fell on the Raiden Matriarch, “Woah, hey, your mom’s here too!” She seemed to shrink in on herself, lips pulling back in a grimace, “Do you think she’s still gonna kick my ass for cussing so much last time I was at your house?”
Mei bit back a smile, “My mother never forgets, Kiana Kaslana.”
“Ah, shit.”
Camellia scoffed, “Of course you would disrespect a miko of the Herrscher of Thunder in her own home.”
“What?!” Kiana looked aghast as they approached the Raiden in question, “Well I didn’t know she was a miko! Aren’t they supposed to live at the shrine or temple or whatever? She just seemed like a normal mom when I met her! A mom that almost shot my best friend, but still!”
Mei laughed softly and cut in before Camellia could fire back, “Maybe other shrines still hold to the practice, but it is thousands of years old. I hear the Herrscher of Thunder personally modified the rules she expected her miko to live by to allow them more freedom to live their lives while also striking a balance with their religious fervor.”
The group halted as they got within a respectable distance of the heads of the Raiden Clan, all bowing respectfully, as was expected in a setting such as this. Well, three of them bowed respectfully. Kiana stared expectantly before she noticed what everyone else was doing and frantically rushed to mirror Mei. Camellia scoffed again- quieter this time- and Kiana stealthily (not so stealthily) shot her another glare.
Ryoma pursed his lips, disappointed but not surprised. Still, he did not voice his opinion on Kiana’s conduct, instead waiting for Mifumi to gesture for the four of them to rise before speaking, “Thank you for coming at such short notice, Mei. There is something we must do before you set out on such a dangerous mission. Please follow us.”
Her parents ushered them inside, Mifumi introducing the others to a fellow miko who led the rest of the group away. Mei cast a glance back at Kiana, quickly reassuring her that they would meet back up as soon as she was done. One last smile and Mei reluctantly turned away from the worried face of the Kaslana as her parents led her deeper into the belly of the temple.
“What is so important, father?” Mei’s voice echoed off the polished corridors, modern construction in the deep, private parts of the temple a stark contrast to the more traditional wooden construction that made up the public grounds above them.
Ryoma's ponytail swished side to side frantically in time with his speedy steps, “It is better that you see it for yourself before I attempt to explain anything,” He said quietly.
It was several minutes of nothing but the sharp rap of their shoes against the floor before they arrived at their destination. Mei had been in the temple before, though her time here had been brief and she had mostly been focused on leaving as soon as possible before her father could continue pressuring her to become a miko. As such, this door before her was entirely foreign to her.
She watched in silence as her mother stepped forwards and gently placed her hand in the center of an emblem emblazoned upon the heavily reinforced metal doors before them. The arrowhead shapes forming a winged diamond and a wider more octogonal body was familiar, for it was the same symbol that had appeared on her skin after the Gem of Conquest had been inserted into her body. The stigma of the Herrscher of Thunder.
Purple lightning arced from her mother’s fingertips, the power tracing the edges of the shape until the sparks then converged and criss crossed all through the symbol, eventually converging on a circular contraption in the center of the door. The electricity coiled into a ball of pure energy before disappearing in a small rain of sparks. The stigma lit up a bright purple, glowing bright with Honkai energy as the door rumbled open with purpose. Her parents ushered her inside.
This inner chamber was immense, its size alone an awe inspiring sight as the vaulted ceiling of polished marble rose several stories above their heads, neatly hidden underneath the already inspiring upper level. While the room was lit just enough to see with a warm light, a beam of white in the center of the room pierced through the gloom from a hole far far above, illuminating the purpose of this chamber. Upon a raised pedestal, tip pointed downwards, and hoving in mid-air just a few centimeters off the stone was the most magnificent katana Mei had ever seen.
Its hilt was an elegantly crafted material she could not quite make out from sight alone, decorated in an angular pattern of black and red, with golden trim snaking around the handle as well as the half of its downward swept wings of the guard aligned with the sharp of the blade. The other side of the guard’s two downward curved prongs as well as the length of the blade itself shone a brilliant, electrifying purple. The back of the blade as well as a portion of the flat sides were reinforced with what appeared to be a black metal that stretched up the blade before it tapered off along the back end at the midway point. In between the wings of the guard was a diamond, star-like ribbed pattern that shone like a gem lit with an inner light, a centrepiece that drew the eye and cemented the regal, almost reverent feel of the blade’s craftsmanship. It was this blade that her father stopped in front of, just outside of its halo of white light and well away from the steps leading up to the blade, as if he did not consider himself worthy of approaching further.
“This… is what we needed you to see,” Ryoma’s voice echoed through the chamber, empty of all except support columns and its central pedestal, “Before the Herrscher of Thunder fell silent she came here. I was only a child at the time but I still remember… the unbearable intensity of her gaze, yet the gentleness with which she interacted with the people. I still remember the awesome power you could feel at her very presence, the lightning she commands tingling along your skin and ionizing the air. And I remember… the solemn look on her face as she came to this chamber with the Herrscher of Finality. And placed her sword upon this very pedestal,” He turned, eyes swirling with some untold emotion as he locked eyes with his daughter, Mifumi gently placing her hands on Mei’s shoulders, “She looked right at me then. I’ll never forget the sorrow I saw in her eyes. A woman who carried an impossibly heavy burden I would never be able to understand. She smiled at me. The Thunder and Finality both. And then… they vanished in a flash of crimson lightning. The Herrscher of Thunder has been silent ever since. I did not understand why I of all people would garner the attention of such mighty beings, but as time passed, I believe I understand what they saw in my future.”
Mifumi’s thumbs gently pressed circles into Mei’s shoulders, “After all these years, we believe we finally know who this blade has been waiting for. The day you woke up with the Herrscher of Thunder’s stigma on your skin, we knew. Many have tried, but nobody else has ever been accepted by this blade.”
Mei’s face was lined with a worry that dug deep into heart, a frightening, yet all too human thing, as she listened to her parents’ words, “But… I’ve never been the strongest warrior, or best leader, or even the best Priestess. Why would I be…”
“You are all those things and more, Mei,” Mifumi said, a warmth in her voice as she circled around her daughter so she could look her in the eyes, “Look no further than the fact that the Herrscher of Finality chose you to wield not one, but two Herrscher gems. Gems of Conquest are fickle things. They do not allow just anyone to wield their power. The fact that you are so readily able to draw upon the Queen of Thunder’s lightning is proof that the Herrscher of Finality was correct when she said the Queen of Thunder has chosen you.”
“The sword, however, may not,” Her father frowned, “I have brought you here to receive its judgement. If it deems you worthy, you will have a mighty weapon with which to cleave through the Honkai cowering in the mountains.”
“And if I’m not?” Mei asked.
“Then it will reject you. It’s as simple as that. The Queen of Thunder is hard to please, but she is not cruel. It simply means you must grow stronger before attempting to wield her power. However, if it does accept you, then you will become unstoppable to all but a Herrscher.”
“Step up to the pedestal, Mei,” Mifumi gently pulled Mei forward, “Grab the hilt, and allow the power of the Herrscher of Thunder to flow through you.”
Mei’s steps grew hesitant once her mother’s touch left her. While the entire temple always had an undeniable charge to the air, the closer she got to the blade the more the intense power filling every inch of the space grew like a pressure squeezing her head, as if an unfathomable gaze had been turned upon her that she simply could not comprehend. Yet as she took her first step up to the pedestal, something in that air changed. The pressure lifted and swirled, darting to and fro as bolts of lightning encircling the blade. They touched her skin as she took step after step, yet they did not burn or electrocute. The Queen of Thunder’s crimson lightning instead greeted her like an old friend, the current flowing through the air travelling through her body as she met the final step and caressing the gem buried within her flesh, the sparks almost… gleeful as they jumped along her body.
Something in her heart told her to respond in kind. She opened herself to the ever more familiar embrace of the Honkai, the increase from a steady trickle to a roaring river of power flowing through her veins breathing new life into her senses. Purple met crimson, her own lightning dancing with that of the Herrscher of Thunder’s in a brilliant display as her hand approached the hilt of Seven Thunders. Now that she was actively tapping into the Honkai she could feel the way the sword manipulated it, a hurricane of Honkai constantly surrounding the blade a dozen meters in diameter and growing more and more intense closer to the blade itself. The Honkai was so thick it was like a barrier held close around the blade. Mei reached for the hilt, yet the physical pressure of the tightly wound energy being manipulated and expelled as crimson lightning pushed her back. It was like trying to push her hand forward against the rush of a river’s current. The unexpected resistance slowed her for a moment, but did not stop her. Slowly, but surely- and with no small amount of anxiety- her fingers closed around the elegant hilt of the katana. It fit her hand perfectly.
The immediacy with which the Honkai in the room stilled sent her heart beating rapidly in fright. She did not take her eyes off the blade, the gleaming ribbed gem set into the hilt shining in the bright spotlight, like an eye staring back at her. Whispers flitted through the unnatural stillness and for a moment Mei was struck with the terror that the thing that had attempted to invade her mind had returned. Indeed, there was a sudden and intense pain that seemed to stab through her skull. However, before she could react, her surroundings fell away like so much smoke. The room dissipated even as the lit portion in front of her stretched and distorted, shifting past her at incredible speed as if she was being launched down a corridor. A dark void at the end of the tunnel overtook her, and in this blackness a purple sparked to life. A woman wreathed in branches of lightning with dark hair that framed her face and fell down her back like a waterfall, red horns piercing her forehead and red pupils artfully surrounded with two circles above and below like a strange number eight in her violet irises with a bulging center around her pupils. Mei stared back at this woman that looked so similar to her yet felt so completely different for only a moment before the feeling of being shot down a tunnel returned and she disappeared.
Her ponytail blew in a nonexistent wind, scenes flashing before her eyes. There were the events she saw in her dreams, yet soon they melted away and were replaced by things she had never seen before. She fought that white haired girl, but they were younger. School uniforms flapped in the wind as they charged at each other. She saw that same red-horned woman darting to and fro with a blonde woman clad in elegantly crafted white and blue armor, her lance striking in perfect unison with the flash of her katana, the being of ice and earth before them intent on freezing them both where they stood, and yet there was a fire in the warrior’s heart that would not be quenched.
Her heart was heavy as the people screamed. A new city appeared before her, sprawling as she hovered high above, a pink light below her and a kilometre away lingered in the air and pulsed with malicious intent as its waves washed over all below, the indifference she held on her face belying an intensifying all consuming hatred for who she was becoming as she watched herself undo everything her love had worked so hard to prevent.
Another shift, and a reversal. Now she was the one in the grip of a girl bearing golden eyes, but this was not the long purple hair and angelic clothing of Sirin. This was a girl with white hair, her six-tailed, black and white clothing and furred collar writhing as her brows pulled down in a visceral hatred. All she could think was that her face was not suited to such a negative emotion, even as her fingers closed tighter, eyes flickering blue and tears welling for just a moment before Mei could not fight against the pressure crushing her neck any longer and cupped her face in one last apology.
The rush of more wind, but this time sweet and inviting, sakura petals fluttering past her as the dark tunnel shot her towards a light. Golden, bright, it had an undeniable pull, warmer than the gold of the eyes she had just witnessed, a dazzling room forming around her with the clink and angular lines of crystals falling against each other and building reality. But there was also… a pink. Blue-eyes and a teasing voice, she instinctively sneered and tilted her head up, pulling up a hand to protect horns that were not there. A smile and trust that despite the unbearable ache in her heart she could learn to open it to more than just that single point of light she chased with desperate abandon.
“These memories” , the wind seemed to whisper to her, the scenes flashing by again and again in her mind's eye, “They are your legacy and your burden. A load that only one can bear, one that has been waiting for your return. An embrace of the end. Of your Origin,” It fluttered through her mind like lovers softly conversing in the gentleness of morning, “Her throne stands empty yet the people will shout ‘Lo! The Queen returns’! A savior wreathed in crimson, a demon, one who defied Death herself. This is the burden of the Herrscher of Thunder. This is the burden of the betrayer, the redeemed, the one who’s clouds shield the Moon. A burden you are far from ready to shoulder again. You… are too weak.”
The room snapped back into focus with the clap of thunder, crimson burning through her veins, a force slapping her hand away from the hilt and a blast of energy striking her in the chest. Her world went white. The pain quickly faded, seeming to disperse amongst her own energy, the priestess blinking rapidly as the world came back into focus, the fearful eyes of her parents looming over her as she finally had the presence of mind to unclench her jaw and suck in a gasp of air. Mei shot up, her hands supporting her weight as she brought the blade back into her vision just in time to find the crimson thunder that had struck her crackle and fade into the aether, her confused eyes for a moment believing they had caught the faint crimson outline of a woman within the storm of electricity, so much like herself yet carrying so much more with her, looking at her with disappointment as the static and lightning dissipated.
Her heart raced, chest heaving and limbs tingling with the remnants of the Queen of Thunder’s lightning. Her mind, while unharmed, raced with the visions she had seen, a fuzzy heaviness settling over her thoughts and making it difficult to think even as these images continued slipping through her fingers. She desperately tried to focus on them, to make sure they stuck in her memory. The pink… something told her that pink haired girl was important, but her attempts to hold her teasing smile in her mind were accompanied by a sharp pain behind her eyes.
Violet eyes met those of her mother and father, their hands hovering over her hesitantly as purple sparks still shot up and down her body. If she had looked in the polished tile, shining like a mirror, she may have seen the way her pupils shifted and writhed.
Perhaps she would have seen the pink- not violet- that stared back at her parents, pupils stretched into an angular diamond flanked by four wings of the same. Perhaps she would have realised that the voice in her head had originated not from the sword, but from somewhere far closer, and far more intimate than she could have ever imagined. Perhaps it would have made the strength to hold onto every last detail of those visions well up within her.
Perhaps.