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“The Legion is advancing! All personnel evacuate to the central control room! Quickly!”
Yui’s senses were filled with the flashing of emergency lights and the blare of alarms as she raced through the space station. Panicked researchers streamed past her, desperate to escape the invading monsters and get to safety. However, she ran in the opposite direction, sights set on a shadowy figure attempting to make their escape some distance ahead.
Having received intel from the Interastral Peace Corporation, Yui and her father had made the Tepes Space Station the next destination for their Astral Express. However, they were too late to stop the invasion.
A fugitive known only as the Stellaron Hunter had lured in monsters from the Antimatter Legion. Likely to cause enough chaos so they could steal the Stellaron that was kept on board the station for research purposes. This same fugitive had pulled similar stunts on other worlds, all to collect more of these dangerous objects.
As for exactly what dangers they posed, Yui was all too familiar.
She continued to give chase, soon reaching the loading area which was now devoid of personnel. Her steps slowed. She’d lost sight of the figure amidst the twists and turns, but this was a dead end. Nothing but long platforms spanning endless drops into space. There was nowhere else they could have gone.
Yui called out, “You can come out now. There’s no use hiding.”
For a while, there was no response. But a light chuckle soon came from behind one of the supply containers.
“Should have known that I could never get past you.”
A person slowly stepped out of the shadows, and upon turning to face her, had Yui’s eyes widening in shock.
“A-Amaya…?” She could hardly believe it, but there was no way she could ever fail to recognize her.
“…Long time no see, Yui.”
“It really is you!” Yui cried out as she took a step towards her. “I’m so glad you’re alright. Ever since you disappeared, I’ve been so worried. Where have you been? And what are you doing here?”
“I think you know exactly why.”
Taken aback by the coldness in her voice, the relief she had initially felt at seeing her again changed first into confusion, then into dread as a realization dawned on her. Suddenly, she began to notice all the ways Amaya seemed different from when she had last seen her. The long coat patterned with spider webs, the pair of silver sub-automatics underneath…and above all, the unnerving blankness in her once bright eyes. All features described in the bounty Yui had received from the IPC…
“You’re…You’re the Stellaron Hunter.”
The smile on Amaya’s face was both familiar, yet still twisted and wrong. “That’s right.”
There was no way… “But…that would mean that you lured the Antimatter Legion here…”
“I did.”
Yui couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She wasn’t even denying it? “But why!? This station is full of innocent researchers. And some of them…some of them didn't make it…”
“They were in my way.”
That uncharacteristically callous response only furthered Yui’s disbelief. “In…your way? Amaya…what happened to you? I know you! You would never do this.”
None of this was making sense. The Amaya she knew could certainly be sharp with her words, but never this cruel. Yui’s hands shook at her sides as she continued.
“Before, whenever there was a crisis on one of the planets we visited, you would be the first to insist we lend our aid… Because you believed that even the smallest life was worth protecting. It…It was what I loved about you!”
Amaya sighed, though she remained strangely unbothered. “I did used to believe that. But I’ve realized that sometimes choices need to be made.”
“What…? Even on our last expedition before you disappeared, it was you who rushed in to deal the final blow that sealed the Stellaron that had burst. It was reckless, but…it saved everyone. Since when did you…”
Yui widened her eyes in realization. “Wait, the Stellaron…! I always wondered why you left with it…and why you left in the first place. Amaya, what has it told you!?”
“…Like I said. Choices had to be made. And mine will lead to a better future.”
“Better…? For who?”
“Do you want me to say it’s best for the universe? Best for me, naturally. Best for us…”
“Best for us…? I just want you to come back with me! So we can go back to the way things were… Just you, me, and my father traveling across the stars, together…”
Yui took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she tried to think of a solution. “I-I’ll tell the Corp that you were brainwashed by the Stellaron. That it made you do all those awful things. Just come back with me, please. This isn’t you, it can’t be!”
However, her plea was met with nothing but a small laugh. “There’s no way an excuse like that will work on the Corp. And I have my reasons, so I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. Now if you’ll excuse me…”
But before Amaya could take a step, she found her path blocked by a large saw blade.
Yui’s hand shook as she held up her weapon, fighting to keep her voice steady as angry tears threatened to fall from her eyes. “You’re not leaving.”
“Oh?” A wine-red sword materialized in Amaya’s hand. “Then just try and stop me”
Perhaps it was her hurt channeling itself into extra strength, but the fight was over in seconds. With one strong swipe, Yui sent the sword flying out of her hand and into the abyss below.
Amaya’s hands went to draw the guns at her side next, but froze when she found cold metal inches from her throat. She stood completely still, feet teetering on the edge of the drop. A smirk formed on her face.
“If I recall, the IPC’s bounty has me down as wanted, dead or alive. Are you going for the former?”
Yui lowered her saw, retracting it back into its case. “You really think I could?”
For once, Amaya didn’t have an answer for her.
Taking a shaky breath, Yui tried to calm herself down. “I think I understand what happened now. Sealing the Stellaron that day exposed you to too much of its energy, causing you to hear its voice.”
Amaya kept her eyes down, neither confirming or denying her words.
“It must have made you some kind of promise in exchange for complying with its demands. You were…acting strange before you left… I should have noticed back then that something was wrong… Maybe I could have stopped this…”
Yui trailed off, but shook her head, knowing now wasn’t the time for regrets. “But you can’t listen to it! No matter what ‘better future’ it promised you, you have to know it’s a lie. Whatever it might say, Stellarons cause nothing but destruction.”
“So please…” Yui reached out her hand. “Come back with me. I’ve missed you.”
It took a while before Amaya responded. “You really do see through everything…”
Slowly, she reached backwards and dropped her guns over the side of the platform. Relief flooded through Yui, and she was about to run towards her, but the feeling was short lived.
When Amaya looked back up, the coldness in her eyes still remained. “But unfortunately, we’re out of time.”
Right when she said that, a deafening roar filled the air. A shadow flew up from below, and Yui had to shield her eyes from the sudden gust of wind. Circling above them was an enormous skeletal creature that vaguely resembled a dragon.
“The Doomsday Beast…?” A powerful monster belonging to the Antimatter Legion. If it was here, then the space station and everyone in it was in even greater danger.
“It’ll be alright.”
Yui’s attention snapped back to Amaya, whose smile was hauntingly serene.
“You can beat it. Everything is going exactly according to plan.”
Her foot hovered dangerously on the edge, and Yui’s heart nearly dropped to her stomach as she lunged forward to grab Amaya’s wrist. She squeezed tightly and buried her face into her shoulder.
“Please…don’t go. Don’t leave me…not again.”
At first, there was no response. But Yui soon felt a hand reaching its way to her cheek, tilting it upwards. The next thing she knew, a soft pair of lips had moved in to cover her own.
“Hm!?” Yui let out a muffled yelp, but she couldn’t stop herself from melting into the unexpected kiss. The familiar warmth continued to pull her in, and for a moment it felt like nothing had changed.
Amaya pulled off slowly, and it took a second for Yui to come out of her daze. When she finally opened her eyes, she found that her smile had returned to that one of adoration that she had been missing for so long. She gently stroked her cheek with her thumb, and Yui noticed with a start that the shine had been restored to her eyes as well.
“Whatever happens, just know that I love you.”
“Wait!”
But it was already too late. Before she could react, Amaya had already taken that last step back over the edge of the platform.
Yui made a desperate grab for her hand, but the fall was much too fast. All she could do was sink to her knees and watch helplessly as Amaya continued to fall, arms outstretched, until her form was swallowed up by the emptiness of space.
She wasn’t sure how long she stayed in that position, arm extended as if she could still reach her. But a familiar voice soon broke through the numbness spreading through her mind.
“Yui!!”
Turning around to the sound of her name, Yui spotted a man in a dusty brown coat wielding a cane and a young girl with mechanical joints running towards her. She recognized them as her father and Krul Tepes, the owner and namesake of the space station. Well, one of her puppets, to be precise.
Overhead, the Doomsday Beast let out another roar before swooping down and landing heavily on the platform before her. Iits wings crackled with energy, causing her long dress and coat to billow out behind her.
With a deep exhale, Yui got to her feet, wiped her eyes, and picked up her saw once more. She set her sights on the monster above, her glare burning as brightly as the embers that began to dance through the air.
Despite how quickly she had slipped out of her grasp, Yui could still remember the expression on Amaya’s face right before she had fallen out of view.
She had been crying…
Yui still might not know the exact circumstances that led to her leaving the Express, but that singular fact told her everything she needed to know.
Whatever the Stellaron had whispered to her, and whatever its goal was in luring Amaya down this twisted path, she was going to make it pay. If it was using her to seek out others of its kind, Yui would strike first, sealing them so they could never cause harm again. No matter how long or difficult the journey, she was going to get her back. Whatever it took.
With that resolve in her heart, Yui calmly connected to the Express’s remote weapons system and set the target to the enemy before her.
And the first step to doing that, was to blast this infernal beast into the next dimension.
***
Meanwhile, on a lower level of the space station, all remained quiet except for the faint sound of uneasy footsteps.
Amaya’s breathing was strained as she stumbled through the abandoned corridor. Just as the Stellaron had predicted, she was able to survive the fall intact but it had still taken a lot out of her.
Spotting a corner where she would be out of sight, Amaya made her way over and slowly lowered herself to the floor. This would likely be her only chance for a rest, and she was going to need it in order to get off this station in one piece.
But as she tried to catch her breath, she couldn’t help but think back to the events from earlier. Couldn’t help but be haunted by the look of betrayal on Yui’s face, and the desperation in her eyes when she had taken that fateful jump.
Meeting her here today had been inevitable. But no matter how prepared she’d thought she was, it still hadn’t stopped her from wanting so badly to run into her arms, to apologize for leaving and beg for forgiveness, to let everything spill out. But…
You know what will happen.
Amaya gripped her temples, wincing at the Stellaron’s voice echoing through her head. “I know, but…”
I have shown you every possibility. Unless specific steps are taken, Yui Komori will continue to walk towards her demise. The choice is up to you.
The voice soon faded into silence, and Amaya took a deep breath as the throbbing subsided. As if she needed the reminder.
The entire station suddenly rattled and the sound of a faint screech came from above. Amaya knew it had to have been the Express’s orbital cannons hitting their mark. She couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at that. Yui could truly be terrifying when the situation called for it. She had no doubt the oh-so-terrifying Doomsday Beast was careening into the depths of space with a smoking hole directly through its engine right about now.
Which also meant that there wasn’t much time left to make her escape.
Forcing herself to get to her feet, Amaya continued forward until at last, she reached the space elevator she had first arrived in. She reached up to call the car, but found her fingers hovering hesitantly over the button.
Maybe, just maybe, if she were to wait here a little longer, Yui would find her again. The chance was slim, but with her influence, perhaps she really could convince the IPC to drop the charges against her. She was already tired. It would be so easy to sit back down and let it all—
A high pitched ringing filled her ears, interrupting that thought and causing Amaya to keel over. A series of images flooded her mind. Of Yui with her back towards her, weapon in hand. Of her turning around to her once more with an assured smile. Of hearing her own horrified screams as she watched her falling, and falling, and falling…
“S-Stop it…please…”
Her destiny. Yours to change.
Gritting her teeth, Amaya raised her fist and slammed it against the elevator button.
Once the car arrived, she forced herself onboard and slumped against the rails on the far wall as the doors slid closed.
I’m sorry, Yui… I wish we could go back too. But I’ve gone too far for that to ever be possible. Even if you can’t forgive me, with what I know, I can’t stand by and let you die.
Amaya took a deep breath as the elevator slowly began to descend. Truthfully, she knew that Yui was probably right about the Stellaron using her. But even so, there was no denying the future it had shown her and the options it presented. And if there was one thing she believed, it was that you could always take fate into your own hands. That no script was written in stone, and that with the right choices, she could change the outcome.
The elevator doors soon opened with a pleasant ding, and as Amaya stepped out of them, she had only one thought in mind. Yui Komori would not die. No matter the cost, she would save her. Even if that meant burning through her own soul.