Chapter Text
Just one minute ago she was stalking off – not the most apt description when one is formless and without a body anyway – away from her…
Her what? Friend? Other half? Mentor? Something closer than partner? She does not know – all these titles had disappeared when she turned her back, picked her side and drew the line in the sand. Not with her, no – against her.
The best description would be her enemy. The one whose empty body she had awoken in, the one who she had retrieved, revived and in a way, reunited with. The one who had patiently walked by her side as she retook her old abode.
And again – the one whose betrayal had stung the most.
She remembers her face well – cold and grim, eyes devoid of light or love, a hard-set line for a mouth. Standing between her and the white-haired heroine, ready to choose whose side she would take.
Of course she would take her side. What was this random girl in relation to her? She was faster, stronger, far more adept at harnessing Honkai energy, and what’s more – they had shared a body and mind, for goodness sake.
Privy to each other’s thoughts and emotions in the weeks they spent travelling to the mountain, ascending the mountain, clearing out the mindless beasts. The elder one giving sage advice, imparting techniques and methods to utilize her grand powers far more efficiently.
Gentle reproaches when necessary, but nothing too harsh – even now she still believes that she genuinely wanted to help her – of course when faced with the revelation of her true identity, it would be easy to back away, to say that she had not been aware.
She realizes that she is going off on a tangent – what was it again?
Ah yes, betrayal.
She had crossed the line in the sand and taken the white-haired girl’s hand, leaving her all alone once more. She had no words, and surely she must have had so many regrets. Why did I even teach her? Why did I even guide her? She is dangerous, she is the enemy, she is a Herrscher of all things.
So a Herrscher she was – she should have known. Honkai energy levels spiking where she walked, beasts and monsters bowing down before her only to be thrown down, the eerily natural and comfortable way the energies responded to her beck and call.
A Herrscher she is – fated harbinger of destruction, each more powerful than the last. Awakening when her predecessor was killed to assume her fated role, to weed out humanity and prevent them from growing too strong.
And thus the powers of a Herrscher she displays. Throwing herself into vicious battle against her enemy and her white-haired mentee. There is another one, and she is easily dealt with – just a finger’s touch on her mind and she is out for the count.
But this white-haired girl is different – carrying the powers of several Herrschers in her heart, and having been trained by her enemy. She is strong, but the Herrscher is stronger. She would have overpowered and killed her had it not been for that…
She snaps herself out of her reverie and looks around. So she is back again in the old timer’s mindscape.
What…what happened? Just one minute ago she was defeated, utterly trounced by the power of the Edge of Taixuan. Clever conniving snake – she had been reserving her true power for the last stretch of the battle.
Of course, she had appeared before her to say goodbye. Exchanged words, her enemy even putting on a façade of regret and sadness as she lamented their situation. She, on the other hand, had no such qualms saying what she really meant.
“Oh, it is only now that you feel like this, huh? After all we’ve been through, after all that I’ve said, after what you DID – you dare apologise?”
“I…I only mean to—”
She closes her eyes, sighs and tries to blot out the next memory. Alas it comes back all too clear, and despite herself she blushes a little.
What had she done to shut the old timer up? Why, she had crossed the distance between them quickly, grabbed the back of her head and placed an angry, hate-filled kiss firmly on her lips.
And what had she said afterwards?
“Now we’re even. For…that. Don’t expect to ever see me again.”
“But without the body…”
“And you still dare to show concern? No, you don’t get to do that. Go away.”
Silence had followed in the short moment after, and the Herrscher finally raising her head to reveal the trembling lips, furrowed brows and angry tears.
“Did you not hear me? Go on, get out of here!”
And that brings her finally back to the present. She is the Herrscher of Sentience, the great and mighty warrior gifted with power over minds, the cradle of a living thing’s entire being. She is the fount of all sentience, master of it all.
Yet she is confused, wondering greatly at the familiar surroundings. A great white realm of nothingness, glasslike mirrored floor stretching off as far as the eye can see, ringing where she takes steps with heels clacking.
She had walked off, and yet come back to the same point.
“O Fate, what a cruel joke you have played. I want nothing more than to get away from her, and yet you still bring me back to her?”
May as well try an experiment. The Herrscher draws her spear smoothly from its sheath, spinning it with a flourish before planting it point-down in the floor. No cracks or splinters, just the floor opening up to accept the speartip.
Now, to walk. She begins running, black and crimson feathers floating in her wake. She runs and runs with grey hair flying out behind her, looking back as her spear grows smaller and smaller until it is just on the verge of disappearing.
Aha. And now—
She turns back too late, and the varnished wood laced with metal that comprises her spear shaft smacks her cleanly in the center of the forehead. And at that speed too – the Herrscher has experienced worst, but this stings more, for whatever reason.
Ouch.
“So, I’m truly trapped here?”
The Herrscher rises to her feet easily, retrieves her spear and stows it away.
“Well, better make the most of it.”
“Class Monitor, look up ahead.”
Hua narrows her eyes, briefly harnessing a portion of her powers of Sentience – as much as she can take without full-on pulling it from her core. She focuses on the minds of the Legion Puppets - yes, there it is. Silken gossamer threads still connect the puppets to the minds of their hosts – should they be destroyed…
“Bronya is ready to engage.”
“No. We cannot risk endangering the hosts.”
The puppets sway and stagger in place, their arms and legs and heads held up by seemingly invisible marionette’s strings.
Brief ideas run through Hua’s mind, and naturally the riskiest plan promises to yield the most fruit.
“Bronya, keep your weapons locked on. I will parley with the Herrscher of Sentience.”
“Bronya advises against that. You know what she is capable of – she may try to steal your body again.”
A little smile flits across Hua’s face as she composes herself.
“Then that is something I’ll have to leave to chance.”
Time grinds to a halt as the warrior dives into her mindscape.
There is something very different about her mindscape, Hua notes as she opens her eyes to find herself in a summer courtyard. She can best describe her surroundings as a seemingly infinite sea of clouds, with only mountain peaks visible in the distance.
Ahead of her is a bamboo thicket, and framed in by the green shoots is a circular stone table, set out with a teapot and some cups. A little wisp of steam issues from the neck of the pot – someone must have made tea.
Right now she can only think of one person who could have made such changes in her own mindscape, and that person had walked away from her weeks prior.
She is a Herrscher – the very thing that she was trained to fight against, even underwent the MANTIS surgery to be able to stand a better chance. So why had she felt concern when the grey-haired girl turned her back and walked away?
Why should she even feel anything for her? She is her enemy, she is dangerous, and she is wild and unpredictable – this is at least what her logical side is telling her.
And yet when her thawed-out heart speaks, it can only say that the Herrscher is lost, confused, alone in a strange world wielding powers that she does not know how to control. She is wandering, and she needs guidance, perhaps someone to call friend.
Hua has some suspicion as to why she followed her heart – her journey with Kiana in Arc City, her days spent in St. Freya, all the bonds she forged over the years – they helped her to warm her cold heart and open up to the world for good.
Hua briefly reminisces on the weeks that she spent with the Herrscher.
Before the great revelation came, it had been happy, nearly carefree as the girl led her on a walk through the clouds, speaking about the past and passing her unhesitating judgment on all things big and small.
Loud, confident and brash, quick to joke and laugh. That had been what the Herrscher thought Fu Hua was supposed to be after returning from death. A clean slate for lack of better words.
She had been very physically close as well. Whenever she succeeded at something – be it destroying Honkai beasts, or making some small progress in controlling her powers – she would wrap Hua up in a tight hug, a brilliant smile on her face.
“Old timer, I did it! C’mon, praise me, praise me!”
Hua would smile despite herself, reciprocating the Herrscher’s embrace with a brief pat on the back.
“Well done. You’re learning fast.”
What exactly did she see her as? A student? A junior figure awaiting guidance and training? Not so, given her innate talent and knack for combat. Almost as if she was born for the role of a warrior. Perhaps something of a familial figure, since she had been born in her body and shared so much of her memories? No, not that either.
Certainly not, now that she remembers that night they had spent in the little cave near Mount Taixuan’s peak. She remembers them talking long into the night about life in general, slowly inching closer and closer until their hips had been touching.
She now knows it had been something spawned in the heat of the moment, but at the time she had thought it to be a sign, an indication that perhaps their relationship could have a place in this world, amidst all this uncertainty. Whatever came, they might be able to survive if they worked together.
Whatever the case, the Herrscher had paid her back for the kiss, and that was that. No more.
The rest was history. She had chosen Kiana, and Kiana had fought with the Herrscher, at key moments having to rely on Hua’s assistance to survive otherwise crippling blows. She had harnessed her Blade of Taixuan, won, and the last Hua saw of the Herrscher had been her turned back, fading away into the distance.
The past weeks that she had spent working with Kiana, Bronya, Seele and Theresa on the mystery of the Legion puppets and disappearance cases had been a blur, but it had been a welcome respite from all the heavy things related to her. What she needed after revival was some rest.
In any case, she shakes herself from her thoughts and returns to the present. The scenery and the courtyard have not changed, yet the likely author of this scene has not yet made her appearance.
As if on cue, the bamboo shoots rustle as a slim figure pushes through and emerges from the thicket, hands on hips and glowering at her. She has not changed at all, still wearing the flashy asymmetrical black robes with golden armour, the red jewel sparkling at her forehead, the grey hair flowing behind her.
Despite everything, a little hint of relief touches Hua’s mind, and her body language must have showed it, for the next thing she sees is the blade of the Herrscher’s sword, pressed against her throat. Their positions have changed too – the Herrscher is atop her with an icily calm grin on her face, and she is on her back, arms somehow pinned beneath her.
She didn’t even see her coming. What a show of speed.
“Give me one reason not to end you right now.”
Hua is silent for a moment. Should she be straight with her, or spin a little truthful tale? The Herrscher’s sword is in direct contact with her skin – she can feel the Herrscher’s hand tremble ever-so-slightly through the blade; she doubts that she truly wants to kill her.
Still, one can’t be too careful.
“If you put that sword away, I’ll tell you.”
“Oh, sure. Then you’ll have the upper hand and I’ll be forced to lose. Again.”
“No, no. You’ve got it wrong—”
The Herrscher shifts her body weight forward slightly, her grin turning murderous now and growing. The blade’s edge is in danger of breaking the skin, yet all Hua can do is to remain perfectly still. Her legs are unrestrained and could be used to easily disable the Herrscher swiftly, and yet she doesn’t lash out.
Why?
Her train of thought is interrupted as the Herrscher removes the blade from her throat, but still keeps it close to her neck. If she wanted to, she would be able to slit her throat just as swiftly.
“You must be truly desperate to come to me for help.”
When Hua doesn’t say anything, the Herrscher cocks her head, drawing back her sword arm and aiming the tip at Hua’s throat.
“Well? I’m fine if you won’t have any last words; it’ll save me the guilt—”
The Herrscher stops speaking suddenly, eyes widening and taking in a sharp breath. Hua remains as still as a statue, eyes tracking the girl’s every move as she takes in another breath, releases it and returns her gaze to her.
Then she sheathes her sword, rises to her feet and looks down at Hua.
“…Get up. I won’t kill you, but you better watch out still.”
Hua slowly gets to her feet, never letting her gaze leave the Herrscher. Crisis averted, but she mustn’t let down her guard. The Herrscher’s back is turned to her, but then she turns her head slightly to gaze back, and a strange feeling wells up in Hua’s heart.
“I…Have you been well?”
The Herrscher is silent, then nods reluctantly. She still doesn’t turn back to face Hua, keeping her back turned. The MANTIS looks at the ground for a little while longer, then raises her head and offers her proposal.
“The reason why I came…is to ask you for help.”