Raine came in faster than the eye could track, firing his fists off to the woman with speed and precision.
But the woman was quick herself, eluding past each attack shot at her. She dipped and dodged the next punch and the one after with ease. Falling back into a flip, she kicked the tip of her foot up towards Raine's chin.
Raine hastily weaved past it, leading in with his own as the woman stood straight once more. Their blows were lethal, powerful, each one made the gigantic ship shake like a natural disaster had struck.
'Dammit,' Raine cursed to himself, shifting back from her, 'I can't apply too much power. Not right now, when they're still on the ship.'
At the moment, that was all he could do. Keep his strength in check. Applying too much power would destroy the ship, obviously. However, it was hard. Facing against an individual that was equal to his power, or even stronger. This is a situation where Raine would have to utilize pure technique, at least for now.
Raine felt something, however, his sixth sense kicking in. Like a nuclear alarm sounding in his head. He quickly weaved back, watching a black spear materialize from nothing, cutting through the air.
His hazel eyes widened, "what the—"
More spikes came from nothing; all aimed at whatever part of his body was available to be pierced. Raine continuously back flipped, slipping past the trail of spears that followed him.
'This isn't making any sense,' Raine thought to himself, 'this stuff is coming outta nowhere. Materializing. It's like she's controlling…—'
Just as Raine landed back onto his feet, he activated his telekinetic power, creating a shield of translucent energy around his body. A spear came whistling through and stopped just as it touched the protective layer of chaos. Raine inspected it closely, his eyes watching the dark, solidified energy lightly hiss.
"Matter…" Raine calmly stated aloud.
The woman chuckled, her voice sultry, poised, "interesting…you caught on that fast? I must say, you're very aware, hm?"
Raine kept himself indifferent, his guard never letting off as the spike disappeared from his shield, "what are you?"
"Nothing that matters. This was simply a horrible coincidence."
Raine didn't waste a second, flashing forward, shooting a barrage of attacks to the woman, but she continued to dodge each with swiftness.
Down in the bunker, red lights flashed without a limit. A small, rectangular sized room with four egg-shaped pods in total, placed to be sent off from a threat. Audrey with Elaine propped on her shoulder, took the girls to the closest one on their left.
After she pressed a button, activating the pod, the latch opened to a small room, similar to a mini-studio. Audrey softly sat Elaine to the floor and turned back to Ai Mei, "Mei, c'mon."
Ai Mei bit her lips, pausing. She couldn't just leave her parents here by themselves, especially when she can fight herself. But Audrey wasn't having it. She grabbed Ai Mei's wrist, pulling her in, moving herself out. Audrey squeezed Ai Mei's arm, tight, yet gentle, reassuring, "Mei…I need you to focus, please."
Ai Mei blinked, pulling herself out from darker thoughts, looking to Audrey, "what about you mom??"
Audrey shook her head, smile solemn, "I can't leave your father Mei Mei…"
"Wa—Wait mom, you can't…! Let me help then!!"
Audrey rubbed Ai Mei's cheek, "You can't—"
*STAB*
A masked man pierced Audrey's back with a knife.
Ai Mei's eyes had widened, stuck, frozen. Like she was unable to register what just happened.
Audrey coughed blood, but she quickly acted, kicking her leg back onto the man. He was shot straight into the metal wall, neck cracking on impact.
"MAMA!!" Ai Mei shrieked, quickly trying to aid her mother, "no-no-no!"
Audrey, however, raised a hand, pushing Ai Mei back, "don't."
"Mom what?? What're you doing?"
"You…need to go back home, somewhere safe, Mei Mei. You and your sister can't be here…"
"I'm not leaving you mom…"
Audrey brought Ai Mei in, hugging her closely, "you…are strong, Mei Mei, just like your mother… Always have. You and Elaine make me… so happy, Mei."—Audrey closed her eyes, her face growing stern— "But I need you to be strong for me…again, one more time. Okay?" Audrey gazed dead into Ai Mei's eyes, blood seeping from her lips.
"Mama…"
Audrey kissed Ai Mei's forehead, "we love you girls…from the bottom of our souls. Take care of your sister, Mei Mei." Audrey reached to the launch button.
"MOM WAI—"
But it was too late.
Audrey shoved Ai Mei back, pressing it at the same time. The latch closed, and the pod took off like a bullet, shooting from the ship. Audrey could see Ai Mei slamming her fists on the glass door, her lips moving as her pleading words never reached the ear.
Audrey closed her eyes and let her weakened body sink against the wall for support. Her back met the cold metal surface as she struggled to stay upright. Her strength was fading; her chest rose and fell unevenly as each breath grew thinner than the last.
"I'm... so sorry, Raine. My girls..." she whispered. Then the strength left her neck, and her head slowly bowed forward.
With her last breath, Audrey's eyes closed.
She was gone.
However, it wasn't long until a circle of darkness swirled from existence, right beside Audrey's body. Shadow-like tentacles slithered from the portal of midnight blackness, latching onto Audrey, pulling her in. In just a few seconds, she disappeared.
In the dojo, Raine and the mysterious woman were still going back and forth. Attacks flew, yet no blows were traded. Raine's expertise in the art of Shang Fu kept him fast, aware. Yet this lady was completely relaxed and calm. Precise but agile. She was holding her own with no problems.
'What is this woman,' Raine thought, 'she's not yuman. That much is obvious. She's holding off against me with no problem.' Raine slipped under a kick, sending his own to her ankle.
The woman flipped over, upside down, she brought her foot crashing down.
Raine hastily shifted to the side as her foot destroyed a part of the floor.
With distance now between them, the woman spoke, "there's one."
Raine kept his face stoic, yet concern drifted in his head hearing this, "what?"
The same black portal appeared beside the woman, she slid her hand inside, pulling something out.
Raine's eyes broadened. His breath hitched, "Au…Audrey…?" Raine gazed at his wife, lifeless, her eyes like a dead fish. Raine's body grew cold. 'Did…did the girls make it…?' Raine asked himself, 'yes, their chaotic energy is further from the ship. But… Audrey.'
Raine didn't even feel like this was reality anymore. His wife, love of his life, deceased right before him, "Audre—"
Something stabbed his stomach.
Raine looked down at the blackened shard lodged in his stomach. As it dissolved, he clutched the wound with one hand while blood struck the floor below. He lifted his gaze to the hooded woman and understood exactly where this was leading.
To death's door.
"…Dammit…"
**
Back in the pod, Ai Mei had her knees pulled into her chest, sitting next to her sister. Despite the beauty of space around them, her mind was in shambles. Her mother is gone. She couldn't help Audrey or her father. What of Raine, actually? Was he okay? Would he be able to defeat that woman? But Raine was the strongest man Ai Mei knew, her dad, her teacher. He'll find a way to get through it! Then Ai Mei's eyes went to her sister, 'what about Elaine…? What do I say?? NO. I…just like mom said. I have to be strong…'
***
Three months passed.
The people of Tayon had already received news about what happened. The Vale family is now split in half, two potentially dead. Although the citizens thoughts drifted with the possibility that Audrey and Raine were indeed deceased. It's been three months since that atrocious attack, after all.
Two elderly women sat under the umbrella of a table by a restaurant outside, merely conversing.
"How have the girls been?"
"I don't know, ever since the disappearance of the guild leaders, they've shut themselves off from the outside…Except for when we all had that memorial for their parents."
"Yes…they shut it down quickly…still, can you blame them?"
"I can't say that I do…they believe it's possible for them to be alive. It's…heartbreaking."
"I do hope they feel better soon. And understand that all of us are riding with them."
Everyone in the city is devastated. Truly. The end of an era. The Vale guild. Raine and Audrey had created something special within Tayon. And now they are gone.
As night crept along, in the closed doors of the Vale guild. Deeper inside, this establishment slowly altered into a home, a manor. In the dark lounging area, Elaine laid on the couch, in her father's large shirt and pants, hugging a pillow, watching the televisor placed on the wall. Lights flashing before her brown eyes. A plate of cold food beside her head. But Elaine herself wasn't focused on either, merely staring out into the shadowed space.
Ai Mei came from the hall, in her training Gi, walking past her sister. The girl stopped, looking back to Elaine, "you haven't eaten anything." Ai Mei said, monotonously.
"Not hungry…" Elaine whispered.
Ai Mei kept herself indifferent, and walked off, heading to the sliding doors. Opening them, she moved outside to the large backyard, filled with grass.
She stood near the center, staring at the stars. Closing her eyes, aura seeped from her body. Ai Mei lifted from the ground, taking off into the night sky.
But what Ai Mei didn't notice was her younger sister, watching from the shadows inside. Through these three months, Ai Mei has been dismissive, mean, stoic. Then at night, she would disappear into the sky. As curious as Elaine was, she was mad. Furious. And now she wanted to see what exactly Ai Mei had been up to.
Elaine followed suit, and took off into the sky, behind her sister.
After ten minutes, Elaine arrived at the snowcapped mountains, the one where Taekhyu stayed, and now rests. She landed onto the cliff, transporting inside. Now in the alienated sanctuary, Elaine could hear the air shift, like a person was attacking.
Elaine creeped through the line of trees, Taekhyu's white tomb in the background. Then seen Ai Mei near the lake, working on the Shang Fu art. Punching, kicking, elbows, flipping across the grass. Ai Mei's mind was blank, focused on training, doing everything her father taught her.
Elaine's eyes had sharpened, pissed. She couldn't believe what she was watching. Ai Mei had been practically ignoring her, coming to train. For a span of three whole months. Elaine had been trying so hard to be there for Ai Mei, but it always resulted in dismissal, or anger.
Elaine's blood was boiling like tea in a pot. She stormed from the trees, stomping towards Ai Mei, "is… this all you've been up to, for the past three months?"
Ai Mei came to a pause. Breathing heavily, a bit of sweat on her forehead, back facing Elaine, eyes forward.
Elaine gnashed her teeth, "Ai Mei, say something…answer me."
"…"
Elaine could feel every bone in her fingers tense, harden. She grasped her sisters' shoulders, turning Ai Mei to face her, "Mei…speak, say something. Anything!"
"…"
"ANSWER ME!! WHY WONT YOU SAY ANYTHING!!"
"And then what, Elaine? What will me, saying anything, do?"
A moment of silence. Nothing but utter quietness.
Elaine was seething.
She brought her arm back, and punched Ai Mei straight onto the jaw. Sending her crashing through the ground, hitting the rock where they used to sit with Taekhyu.
Ai Mei didn't do a single thing, however. She simply stood, expressionless, facing her sister.
Elaine growled, venom in her tongue, "what do you mean, Mei??? All you've been doing for the past three months is train-train-train! You haven't cried, you haven't spoken to me. The only time you do is when people come by the guild or when I haven't eaten anything!" Elaine let a sharp breath escape from her lips, scoffing, "you don't even speak of their name, Mei… Mom and dad are gone! And this is all you can do…? DO YOU EVEN HAVE A HEART??!!"
"WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ELAINE???" Ai Mei screamed so loud that the very sanctuary shook.
Elaine grew quiet from Ai Mei's outburst.
"I'm doing this for dad…MOM!! This is what she asked of me… to be strong. And I'm trying so…so hard Elaine…" Ai Mei's voice broke, tears coming down her eyes. "She asked of me to be strong for the both of us. To take care of you… but I don't know…I don't know how I'm supposed to do that, OKAY?! I wasn't even strong enough to help them!! Neither of us!"
Ai Mei gritted her teeth, the grip of her fist tightened in rage, "I couldn't do a single thing when mom got stabbed that night… Couldn't help dad fight against…against that woman! WHAT MORE CAN I DO THAN THIS??!!"
"I couldn't do anything either!" Elaine shoved Ai Mei back, "I was knocked out the entire time Mei!! How do you think I feel??" Elaine cried, "Mom or dad isn't here…I only have you now. Aren't we sisters…family?? All you do is ignore me, like I'm some kind of mistake Mei!"
Ai Mei looked to the ground, she knew Elaine was right. All this time, she's done nothing but simply make sure Elaine was fed. A minimum. Below that, even. She could hardly even console Elaine that day when they returned without their parents. Ai Mei had it all wrong on what her mother meant by being strong.
Sure, grow stronger physically, grow her chaos.
But Ai Mei was never alone in this.
Elaine is here, right beside her, breaking down just like her. Ai Mei needed to be strong mentally. Handle herself, be there for her sister in this time of dread.
Elaine cried, "I miss mama, dad…grandma. We're never gonna see them again now..." She fell to her knees, hands covering her eyes.
Ai Mei gazed at the tomb of Taekhyu further in the back. She always knew what to say to them when sad. But now things have changed. 'What would she say…?' Ai Mei asked herself, overwhelmed.
She wanted to hide.
Cry.
Vanish.
But the longer Ai Mei looked at her sobbing sister, she understood what was most important. The half-fellen took a deep breath, trying to clear her thoughts. Focus on the one thing she needed to do. That mission was to be there for her sister, nothing else in the Omiverse mattered at this moment.
Ai Mei took a knee, and hugged Elaine, tight, pulling her close. "I'm… so sorry, Elaine. I should've been there for you."
Elaine remained silent as Ai Mei wiped her tears, sniffling.
"I don't know what I was thinking," Ai Mei combed her fingers through Elaine's hair. "I guess I thought that if I tried hiding my feelings, something would change…" Ai Mei's eyes drifted to Taekhyu's tomb once more, then looked down to Elaine, "but it's not the right thing to do…"
Ai Mei gazed to the entrance, "how about we go outside. Give grandma a break from our arguments?"
Elaine didn't reply right away, hugging her knees, but she gave a subtle nod. Ai Mei helped her up, heading outside. The sisters floated from the cliff, slowly soaring into the night sky. The blood-red moon shining above, stars shimmering with utter beauty.
As the girls flew, Ai Mei broke the silence, "as much as I tease and bully you, Elaine. I love you. And that will never change."
"I love you too, Mei Mei…"
Ai Mei came to a stop, grasping Elaine's hands, tightly. She gazed into her sister's eyes. The two are nearly identical. The calm wind blew through their hair, trees below dancing in sync. Air-borne beasts and birds flying under, peacefully.
"As…" Ai Mei spoke, "as much as I wish this whole situation could change…it can't." Ai Mei lowered her head, and looked back up, "but what matters now… Is us. And it's only us from here on out."
Elaine felt her chest tighten. Every single day. She's been reminded that there were only two now. Her and Ai Mei. Still, it was far better than one.
"And even though it's only us. We STILL have each other," Ai Mei sternly stated. "we're family. Sisters. Close enough to be twins…" —Ai Mei took a pause— "No matter what, no matter how many times I get stuff wrong, say the wrong thing…"
Ai Mei's voice steadied. Stronger. Certain. "You will always be the most precious thing in the Omiverse to me. Always."
Elaine sniffled, her lips slightly quivered, still holding Ai Mei's hands, "you too, Mei Mei. I'm…sorry for punching you. I should've tried to be more understanding…"
Ai Mei shook her head, "don't be. I don't blame you. I shouldn't have acted that way." She rubbed Elaine's head, making a small, solemn smile, "how about this?"—Ai Mei raised her pinky finger up— "let's make a promise."
"Okay," Elaine nodded, lifting her own, latching it around her sisters, "a promise to what?"
"We will…build the guild back up in mom and dads' legacy. Grow stronger. Mentally, physically. And no matter what, even if we get to the point of us hating one another… We'll always stand by each other."
A light flickered between their eyes as the two smiled.
""Promise,"" the girls said in unison, tears coming down from their eyes.
A pair of stars had come shooting through the sky. Parallel. Spinning around each other, spiraling like a drill. Wisps of white light trailing behind.
Although their hearts carried the insurmountable weight of grief, pain, even despair. They did not break. The girls understood something fragile, yet undeniably unshakeable.
This was NOT the end.
No.
This was a step into something unwritten. A demand for them to keep their heads on their shoulders. To keep pushing forward.
A promise born from darkness.
A promise shared between two souls shining in the blackness of a void.
Across the Omiverse, shooting stars mean more than just a fleeting light. They are belief made visible. Hope streaking across the depths of the dark. Proof that even the smallest burning candle can still be so beautiful.
And so, beneath the night sky, their promise took shape. Not as two separate lights, but as one. A bond that wouldn't fade. Would not fracture. Never be swallowed by despair.
This was survival.
This was faith.
This was them.
A Twin Star Promise.
****
Present Time:
Elaine's light brown eyes shot open from thinking about the past. The promise she and her sister made.
Those eyes sharpened with light.
Something lit within her soul!
Aura began to swivel around Elaine's body, rubble and debris steadily floating into the air.
Yuer raised a brow, "oh my… The rabbit still has fight in her?"
'My…body hurts too much…' Elaine planted her hand onto the broken floor. She gritted her teeth, fighting through the blistering pain within her limbs, her head, everywhere. But she slowly stood, slouched, and her eyes remained on the target.
Yuer.
"You…" Elaine growled, "disrespected my parents…stealing from our guild. Orchestrated this entire attack to take both me and my sister out. But…" Elaine's fist balled, blood creeping down from her palms.
This was anger.
Rage.
Fury.
Elaine couldn't stand this any longer. She had to do something. She must! Everyone, Skysin, Crim, and Ai Mei. Elaine knew she couldn't hold them back.
She had to survive.
Win!
FIGHT!!
Elaine screamed, aura exploding, "YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY WITH THIS!!!"