Fate of Terra - Rise of Empires

Chapter 5.2 - Rewrite

Rin -

Rin continued her march through the halls, not caring where her random turns took her. When she eventually ran out of steam, she didn't know where she was. Somewhere among the residential quarters, judging by the various numbers and lettering. She found an empty seating area and sat alone. The window afforded her a view of the stars, though they barely registered. Instead she focused on her emotions. The anger and the hurt of being abandoned.

'He doesn't need us, he doesn't want us anymore. Just fucked us till he got bored and then at the first chance he got he shoved us away. Should've seen it coming. Having us blow him whenever he stopped walking around on Earth. Snap of a finger and we're expected to serve.'

Her thoughts continued to swirl, running over what he'd said to them both. Placating niceties and sweet words meant to disguise the underlying fact that Michael was leaving them. He was going to create his factory, leave them on it to 'manage' and that 'only them with their mindset' could do it.

'It's fucking bullshit. Pan could do it easy enough with nobody even in the place.'

"You know you're being unfair to him." Aki's voice broke her from her thoughts with a jump.

"What are you doing here?" Rin demanded, wiping away her tears.

"Come to talk some sense into you." Aki took a seat opposite her sister, all traces of childishness, youthful playfulness and naivety gone.

This was the side that few knew existed. Rin understood why Aki acted as she did. She'd argued enough with her about the antics. It was one of the few places where she refused to see Rin's point. Acting stupid and childish didn't help them establish themselves. It hindered their efforts to be taken seriously, to be respected, to be viewed as more than their role in a sexist society. That Aki would skip, actually 'skip,' to serve the tea for their father's business meetings...

"What's this really about?" Aki interrupted Rin's thoughts.

"It's not about anything," Rin tried, but Aki shook her head.

"It's about father, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

Sighing, Aki leant forward, placing her elbows on her knees as she did. "Michael isn't abandoning us like he did. Michael has and will never treat us like father did."

"I'm not-"

"Let me finish!"

Under the forcefulness of her words, the hard edge to her eyes; Rin held her tongue. It was rare that Aki was anything but frivolous and joyous.

"As I was saying. Michael never has and never will treat us like him. He loves us and the only reason he's done half as much as he's done is because of us." Aki explained, her tone losing its harsh edge but staying firm nonetheless.

"He's going to dump us on some derelict station and leave us!" Rin snapped.

"Because we're the only ones he trusts with running something so complex."

Rin snorted in derision, folding her arms and leaning back. "And here I thought you were going to say something wise and grown up for once."

"Fine!" Aki snapped, stepping up and standing over her seated sister. "You want something wise? Michael only brought so many people along with him to space to keep us happy. Do you think he did it for himself? Do you think he wanted to burden himself with catering for thousands of people? You bet your ass Pan could do everything for him, so then ask yourself 'sister.' Why did, he bring all of us along?" Flinging her arms out at her sides, Aki's harsh words had Rin shrinking back into her seat. "He did this for us! For all of us! Especially for you and me!"