Chapter Text
Prologue
The world burned. The Honkai had won in the end, and it left a broken shell in its wake. Kiana stared at the ruined remains of the flying battleship known as the Hyperion burning in the distance.
“So, this is it. After everything we did. This is how it ends. Can’t say I’m happy about it” Kiana muttered into the still air before coughing up blood. She gripped the wound in her side and felt the heat in her veins begin to slowly fade. “Hey Mei-Chan. Think it was worth it in the end?” Kiana looked over to her best friend. No, they were more than that. Kiana looked at the woman she had fallen in love with so long ago. “Mei-Chan?” Kiana asked again.
Kiana shuffled closer and gently touched the cheek of her beloved. Only to pull back at the bitter cold of it. “I see. You went ahead already. Not that you had a choice I’m betting.” Kiana said, biting back her tears. She gently grabbed Mei's left hand only to find it and the wedding ring on her finger missing entirely. Raising her non-bloody right hand, she gently closed Raiden Mei’s eyes. “I wish that I didn’t burden you with going first, Mei-Chan. Guess I’ll have to try and make that up to you if we meet again.” Kiana said, flipping herself onto her back to stare upwards bitter tears dripping down her face.
“Hey, Mei-Chan… think Bronya and the other survivors have left the solar system by now? I hope so. At least that way… Bronya won’t have to wallow in misery about not being with us at the end… Yeah, I bet she and Seele made it. They’re too stubborn to not have done so.” Kiana stared into the sky, slipping between consciousness and a black void. Coughing up blood with every other breath. “If only… if only we had been a little better at saying what we felt to one another… then again, that was always the biggest issue between us… wasn’t it?” Kiana said her head turned to stare at her beloved wife. Kiana reached out her hand and grabbed Mei’s right hand.
And slowly as the sun set for the last time on this destroyed world, the light left the eyes of Kiana Kaslana. And the eyes of Kiana Snow flew open as she shot up, drawing a deep breath. Panting, the young bastard child of Eddard Stark let go of the coarse furs that made up her sheets and got out of her bed. Unsteadily she walked over the cold stone and warm furs of her floor to the basin of cold water near her window. After splashing her face with freezing cold water several times, she looked out of the window at the rising sun beyond the battlements of Winterfell. “That dream again. What does it mean?” The young Snow asked into the empty air.
Shaking her head, Kiana begins to get ready for the start of her day. Pulling on a dark set of breeches and a tunic, she grabs a Great sword near her wooden wardrobe and straps it to her back. With that done she opens her door whilst putting on her boots and begins the walk to the training grounds. All the while she tries to block out the dreams she remembers. A ship that flew in the air. A great white dragon that called down lightning. Golems made of metal and great explosions whenever they were defeated. Friends that she loved as family, and in one case so much more.
Beginning a light jog to the training grounds, Kiana suddenly stops as if she had been punched in the gut. Feeling the air exit her lungs in a short breath she whips her head around, white hair flying around to sting her opposite cheek. Out of the corner of her eye she saw long silky black hair. Whipping around she saw a serving girl walking away, her hair the same texture, but in a completely different style to the one she loved. Her rough spun dress showing just enough of her to remind Kiana this is not who she was looking for. ‘Loved? I have loved no one! I am not whoever I see in my dreams! They are fantasy, just as Maester Luwin says! And so, I refuse to look for anyone who appears in them either!’ thought Kiana reproachingly as she resumed her jog. As she jogs, she thinks back to the serving girl, comparing her lack of muscles to those of a warrior woman. Kiana can’t help but feel that the calluses on her hands are also not the ones of the woman she called ‘Mei-Senpai’ or ‘Mei-Chan’ in her dreams.
As she reaches the training grounds Kiana does thank her dreams for one thing. Without them she would never know how much stronger she would be using a great sword for training her eleven-year-old body rather than waiting until she was an adult to begin trying to use such a large sword. Drawing forth the sword she gets into a simple stance, then begins swinging the sword downwards and then she brings it back above her head before swinging down once more. ‘If there is one thing I must be thankful for, it is the ideal of fearing the person who has done a single strike 1,000 times over someone who has done a thousand strikes once.’ Kiana thinks to herself as she begins her training of 500 swings in each stance. Luckily there isn’t anyone else in the yard to distract Kiana from sinking into a meditative fugue during her exercises.
Kiana swung. Sometimes it was a lunge. Sometimes it was from the side or an overhead strike. Often it was a full body slash that devolved into a spin around to a different stance. Sweat poured from her and left freezing trails as she continued to train, her muscles burned with an almost physical fire. She continued until eventually she reached the end of her one-hour time limit. “Barely met the goal again. I need to get stronger if I’m gonna amount to something more than a stain on Lord Stark’s reputation.” Kiana said aloud whilst wiping the sweat off her forehead with her sleeve then the early rising guardsmen and knights began coming out to the yard, Including sir Rodrick.
Kiana quickly sheathed her blade and began to walk quickly from the training grounds. Hoping to avoid a confrontation with the master of arms of Winterfell. Kiana suddenly felt an iron grip around her right arm, dashing her hopes. “Kiana.” The aged master of arms said. “Sir Rodrick.” She responded not turning to face him. “I do believe I said you weren’t allowed to use such a large sword for practice. Nor are you allowed to be in the yard without supervision.” Kiana cringed knowing she was about to get a lecture. She also tried to slip out of the tight and uncomfortable grip. Unfortunately, all this meant is Sir Rodrick grabbed her by the back of her shirt collar and dragged her away to listen to a lecture for the next half-hour. “Sir Rodrick!” Kiana shouted in anger. “I am not a kitten to be dragged away and groomed so let go of meeeeee!” Kiana cried out, struggling to get away from this situation perpetuated by her mentor. The embarrassment was only made better by the fact that no one would openly speak of it, lest they face her wrath in the ring.
Finding herself sat down on a bench, in the ‘Corner of shame’ as some men at arms had dubbed it, Kiana rapidly turned away from her mentor and refused to look at him. Ser Rodrik sighed and bent down to look her in the eyes. “You know I’m worried about that sword stunting your growth, amongst other things Kiana. Add in the insane exercises you do, and it is scaring everyone. More than one guard has come to me asking if you aren’t trying to kill yourself with this regime!” Kiana ‘hmphed and turned further to stare into the corner that the corner of shame was named for. Ser Rodrik sighed again before standing up. “Will I have to tell Lord Stark about this young lady?” Kiana’s eyes shot open as she jumped up and grabbed a hold of the front of his armor. “You wouldn’t! You promised!” she shouted pleadingly. “I also said that your safety comes first Kiana.” Ser Rodrick says, crossing his arms. “Now come on, you should get cleaned up.”