Serenity

The HisteriAN RV-59b, a manta-ray-shaped reconnaissance ship, arrives in the meadow of Jhadea. Many passenger ships carrying enemy military soldiers follow. Infamous John Loid Histeria and his daughter, Ayaka Histeria arrive in search of their former-ally, Morris Jikuto.

“I’ll be with you wherever you are.” Said Chastity. The worry-full breaths of her daughter, Torikou, spanked her heart. She reaches for a small piece of paper and puts it in her front pocket, saying, “Here, have this. Read this when you are lonely and sad.” She hugs her daughter, “I will always remember you.” Morris reached out and gave her a hug.

Morris gathers his breath and says, “We have to go.” 

Chastity accompanies Torikou to the other side of the rocky mountain. They travel amidst the dark winds and when they arrived, Chastity begged, “Torikou, you must run my child!” And she lets her go, to the rainforest, where the Jefferyi family, Chastity’s family when she was a maiden (her full name is Chastity Jefferyi Jikuto), says the Flora and Fauna Core dwells. The two are sister Cores, meaning their beholders are siblings and their powers work together. The Jefferyis is a family these Cores trust and work together with, that’s why they were hunted down by the Histerians and Chastity is the last of her family.

Morris, wearing a pilot’s dress walks toward Doom’s gate, the face of John Loid. 

“Morris,” John Loid says, clenches his fists, and throws his entire weight to pull a punch to Morris’ face. Morris's face lies aloft to the dried grass on the soil. 

“How many times, I’ve given you the chance to go back to our allegiance? We can  be heroes, conquer the gods of this planet in the name of HisteriAN’s legacy!”

“You confuse progress with violence.”

John Loid stood bereft. “Where’s Jefferyi?”

“Our old rebel Chastity!” John Loid waves his hands across the meadow where Chastity stands. She looks with dominance towards him. 

At a speed of sound, she garners her ultimate strength, flies in the air, and pushes her entire strength to pull a flying kick on his damned face. He coughs out blood. Within a second, she grabs her stick and smacks him on the head. On second notice, a shotgun was aimed at her.

“Bang!”

Her head suddenly bled, and she lost consciousness and fell. 

It was Ayaka.

Her snake eyes glared toward the dead body. Her skin is as white as a snow tiger. She wore HisteriAN’s finest gown from the underground. She still looks - and still is - a young teenager.

The meadow reeked of silence.

“Good job, my child!” John Loid suddenly applauded.

Morris, in tears, crawled quietly towards Chastity and wrapped his arms around her. 

“What choice do you have now, Morris?” 

John Loid turned his head towards Ayaka and the other military soldiers that had just arrived. 

“Ayaka! Lead a search party. We cannot spare their offspring.” Morris, staying still with Chastity’s lifeless body, quietly gazes at the sky, in fear for his daughter’s life.

    … 

Torikou runs in a hurry. Despite the weathering rain and the slimy rocks around the forest, the plants make way for her. Soldiers run around carrying rifles in the jungle in search of her. But in the love of nature, they are led by the plants in the most unlucky spots. Many slip from the slimy, wet rocks and fall to the ground filled with poisonous frogs. Squirrels and eagles attack them. The others are pulled off by the trees toward the place of hot streams of water. Sea lampreys and piranhas rampage the poor soldiers. Others get lost in the jungle’s thickest bushes just like a maze—lost, including Ayaka. Thorns and scorpions fill the place. The Fauna and Flora Core expresses its loyalty to their fellow passed-away members by protecting a little girl they knew would bring hope to this world. But Ayaka perseveres and continues to search. Everything is a reckless oblivion of foliage surrounding the air. 

As time passes tick by tick, Torikou runs closer to the tree house, her hiding place. She runs close when on Ayaka’s lost stance, a small puddle of water in the ground shows a reflection, a reflection of a petite girl with lush brown hair, that’s Torikou. Ayaka started to get anxious. Falling behind her eyesight, she rushes to take a look at it, stares at the reflection, and looks around in search of the prey, but before she could do it, the reflection got lost and the foliage grew around, more massively. Crickets and spiders flew around - yes, flying spiders exist.

Torikou takes a hold of the moist, wooden sliding door filled with tough Japanese paper. She opens it and jumps inside, closing the door and locking it. A massive flock of foliage surrounds the Japanese house in darkness and comfort. It grows and moves slowly like it is consciously living. Raindrops began to pour. It rained hard. She sits down on the moist floor and thunder arrives. She lights up the lamp on the back of her backpack and puts it on the floor beside her. In stillness, thoughts of losing her only relationship, her father and mother clouded her mind. Her heart was racing, her body was shivering. The inside of her shivered, and tears burst out of her eyes. She couldn’t breathe, and her face was red. She just remembered the last letter her mother gave her.

“Read this when you are lonely and sad.”

She opens the letter, to see the ink wet and soggy after all the rain. Only the thought and promise of her mother, and the memories of her father's hugs to her, give her light.

“I will always remember you. I will be with you wherever you are.”

She was too tired and sad to sleep at all. She silently prayed, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can. And wisdom, to know the difference.”

She slept when the rain ended.

… 

The sun was rising in the east, and the flowers bloomed fragrances. The foliage was gone as the sun was shining. The treehouse was finally dry. The foliage was also gone so the sun reached the home. Torikou awoke to the sound of someone knocking on the door. She peeked from a small hole and saw a person wearing a gear full of engines and thick strings, with some kind of bow and arrow on his arms. He wore a red-orange helmet and leather armor. He was floating in the very tall tree the treehouse was in. Then looking at the uniform he wore, a sign said ‘Hideki Bernabe, Ground Region Mid-Tier Rescuer.’ Toriko thought that he was someone she could trust, so she opened the door.

He had wide eyes and a shimmering smile, saying, “I’ll rescue you. Come!"