They were infamous words Antiope had boldly proclaimed as she once again found herself at the Praying Falls. Sure, the last time the girl had been overwhelmed physically by the sheer force of the water coming down and pushing her away from the base.
There was this thing called determination, and Antiope had an overwhelming amount of the stuff.
Rolling up her sleeves, she jumped into the waters, ditching the shallow end completely this time around. She was still a bit annoyed by the fact she couldn't outright ditch the uniform she wore, but it made things more challenging. The greater the challenge, the more Antiope would exert herself. It was what drove her to keep training in the Northern Mantis style, perfecting her muscle memory to the level of subconscious.
She swam once more with all the effort she could muster, working up quite a sweat as she moved. Her sweat merely melted into the water. As she continued to try and push her way forward, the sounds around her seemed to soften to the point of merely being a memory.
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The Falls looked beautiful this time of year. The light of the stars twinkled upon the water's ever moving surface, dancing for the Antiopian women and the foreigners that came to stay.
A familiar face with less paint decorating her features was nearby, smiling gently as she gazed over the water.
"...I... I have something to tell you, little sister..."
In a boisterous tone, the reply came "You better not be confessing to me, big sister! I would be sorely disappointed if that was the case... you could do better!"
Lan's face flushed as she signaled with wild hand gestures for Sailor Antiope to stop teasing her. "N-no! It's nothing like that, little sister!" She approached until she was by her side, hand curling over a sleeved hand.
"I asked you here, little sister, for a particular reason..."
An intrigued "...and that is...?" was the response.
Lan took a deep breath before she explained, as if she was trying to calm her nerves. "I met someone... someone... who I think is my soulmate. I invited you here, little sister, to tell you... I am thinking of confessing to her my feelings..."
A sleeve went to brush Lan's hair lightly. "I see... you want to settle down... you want my blessings before you bring your lucky girl here to confess." She glanced away from the falls to the Antiopian Palace and the Royal Bath House, both lit up dimly with candlelight.
"...you would be willing to give up the good life you have here at the Palace, big sister?"
Lan smiled. "I would."
"You know that it is only a story that confessing here makes your bond unbreakable."
Lan was still smiling. "I know... it might be a child's story... but I would still like to have something to believe in!"
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How she had even gotten to the waterfall, Antiope had no idea. However, as sound seemed to return to her reality, she was behind the waterfall. There was a ledge which led to the rushing waters, as if it was used many years ago for the task which the senshi was about to attempt.
"I win."
She might not have known how she got there, but as far as the little senshi was concerned, she had conquered the waterfall. Even if the waterfall was too much for her to handle, that didn't matter. She had made it, and that small victory was enough of a victory for Antiope!
