The Second Archon War: Interlude 17

Interlude 17: Those Who Yearn for the Gods' Gaze

Sweat dripped down Lumine’s brow, but she ignored it, her gaze unflinching on the feet of her opponent. You always watched the feet, the arms, but not the face. The face could deceive you. She kept her sword on high guard, her entire body as tense as a wound spring. 

Her opponent, Raiden Ami, held a similar pose, her bleached blonde hair tied back in a topknot for the duel. Between them in the midst of a ring of packed earth, Murasaki floated, a little striped shirt on his chest, and a small whistle around his neck. He raised a small hoof, then dropped it. “Begin!” 

Lightning roared as Ami flashed forward, but Lumine used her teleportation to step through space and time. Months of arduous training had helped her to understand that everything, even air, had mass. She no longer had to see an object of similar mass to swap places with, but instead, could flash step to the air itself. Her blade met Ami’s with a roar of power, her own god-forged blade striking the princess’ in a burst of energy. 

Then, as soon as they clashed, both teleported away to attack from a different angle. The display was maddening to watch, with two girls disappearing and reappearing seemingly at random to the untrained eye. 

Lumine knew perfectly well that it was not random, but a deeply complex choreography of move and countermove, where one wrong teleport could mean death. Neither she nor Ami felt confined to the ground either, the only rule being that they could not teleport more than ten meters above the surface of the ring, nor could they leave it. Doing so was an immediate forfeit, and Lumine was desperate for victory on this day. 

She flashed into the air even as Ami appeared below her and swung down with all her strength, but Ami countered at the same time, and Lumine was forced to teleport away before she took a hit. The match was only to first blood, and even a minor cut was an immediate loss. 

Sometimes, she would teleport a couple of meters away from Ami, out of reach, striking out even as Ami appeared beyond the stroke of her blade. The frantic whirlwind continued, always either the combatants reading each other perfectly and their blades ringing together, or with a move too subtle or random for the other to follow and blades cutting only the wind. 

Outside of the ring, Paimon watched with her fists clenched, calling encouragement to Lumie with all her might. Beside her, Caelus had on a ridiculous cheerleader outfit that showed off his abs, with “TEAM LUMINE” on his chest and a pair of gold and white pompoms in his hands. 

Stelle was shouting random bits of advice to both combatants, which Lumine and Ami were steadfastly ignoring, as neither of them could “do a barrel roll” or “a pile driver.” Aether looked tense, but was shouting Lumine’s name in encouragement as well. 

On the other side, Sayu was pretending to take a nap, though she did forget herself and shouted when Ami got particularly close to giving Lumine an untimely hair cut. Clara was much more vocal, and, well, was also randomly tossing out Jumpty-Dumpties that were exploding into confetti and sparkling lights. 

Ami’s mother was also in attendance, though the Raiden Shogun observed the fight with her typical serene expression, hands folded before her almost demurely. Yae Miko was pumping her hands and whooping it up beside her mistress, though the pudgy little fox girl had also been taking bets on who would win the fight for two weeks now. Lumine had it on good authority that it was 60-40 in the Princess’s favor. Honestly, she was flattered. She’d have thought her odds were worse than that after her string of prior defeats. 

With the frenetic pace and tremendous expenditure of energy, Lumine was at a severe disadvantage: While Raiden Ami wasn’t a Vision Holder and was supposedly “merely” a parahuman like Lumine, with both of them having had their Shards modified by a divine patron, Ami was also the daughter of a god. As one of the anointed vessels of the Electro Archon, Ami was far beyond any mortal in strength, speed, and endurance. Her only slight disadvantage was that she couldn’t truly teleport like Lumine did: While Ami was literally as fast as lightning, she still had to traverse the physical distance between teleports, even if as a bolt of actual electricity. 

That was why Lumine was desperately trying to track Ami’s movements, while keeping hers as random as possible. She could only keep up this incredible pace for a few minutes at most. In comparison, Lightning Princess Ami had shown that the Shogun’s daughter had once spared with her sister for a day and a night, and had only stopped for fear the storm they were generating would consume the Izu Islands. 

Privately, Ami admitted it was because she got angry with her “younger” sister trouncing her for so long, and tried a death-or-glory attack that resulted in her getting smacked down into the Pacific and going lights out. And that she had done it after only six hours. 

Still, that meant that Lumine’s only real hope was that she somehow find a way to end this fight before she was gassed. And, after four prior bouts with Ami, she thought she had detected a pattern to the Lightning Princess’s movements. It wasn’t completely consistent: Ami was a canny enough fighter, but if she thought she detected an opening, she often defaulted back to a certain series of moves: Teleport in high, flash in to the right, below, then a killing blow from her opponent's blind spot just above and behind their head. 

It was harder to predict when Lumine was also teleporting…but Lumine let herself fall into a rhythm that she could only hope that Ami would pick up on. Fortunately, it seemed to be working, and Lumine forced herself to go off rhythm and stumble, then take what seemed like a series of panicked and more predictable teleports. 

Sure enough, Ami sensed her chance to go in for the kill, and began her pattern of high, to the right, below, and then-

Breaking off her own pattern, Lumine teleported so that she would be above and to the left of Ami as she went in for her finishing blow from behind where Lumine’s head should have been. Ami blinked into existence right as Lumine slashed down, teeth bared in a grin of triumph. 

Even then, taken off guard and having her moves read, Ami was too fast. She flipped herself about in midair and managed to counter Lumine’s blow before both of them teleported away to reorient themselves. Lumine took a moment to suck in a ragged breath and readjust her grip, while Ami reset her stance and grinned at her. 

“Match point,” the Raiden Shogun declared, breaking her silence. 

Everyone froze, then turned to look at the Electro Archon. As they did so, a single red drop formed on Ami’s cheek, where Lumine’s blade had just grazed her. 

“Victory to the Traveler,” the Shogun said, and Ami groaned and slumped slightly, before quickly straightening and bowing to the still shocked Lumine. 

“Arigato gozaimashita,” Ami said, her tone back to its normal cheerfulness. She winked at Lumine. “You got me!” 

“D-domo arigato gozaimashita,” Lumine managed, her heart racing. Then, she turned towards the Raiden Shogun herself, and raised her blade in salute. 

“You said when I defeated your daughter, you would face me,” Lumine said, her mouth feeling as dry as sand as she spoke, but she did not waver. 

There was the soft tread of sandals on the dirt, and she started to see Aether come to stand beside her, raising his spear. 

“I’m not one to pick a fight…but I’ll stand beside my sister in this. Forever, and always.”

“Hmm.” Raiden said, and a small smile played over her lips. For a heart-wrenching moment, Lumine thought the ruler of Japan would find a way to move the goalposts on her. To require more training, or that she wait a period of time, or even be able to beat Dalnim after training on the moon for years. 

Instead, Raiden plucked up a wooden training sword, and stepped into the ring. “Very well. I see you, Travelers from afar. Know that in this moment, were you bound to this world’s Fate, you would be granted a Vision in recognition of your dedication to your Eternity, Lumine. But, as you are one unbound by the stars, that is not to be.”

What that meant Lumine didn’t fully grasp, but she did understand one thing: She could finally fight the Raiden Shogun.

“The rules are simple,” the Shogun continued. “We fight until you either yield, or are ruled unable to continue the fight, or until you land even a single blow upon me. With your weapons, you are capable of drawing my blood, but this body does not bleed. Like my youngest daughter’s, it is of my own fashioning.”

“Wait, you’re a robot?” Caelus blurted, then coughed. “I mean, uh Go Lumine! You can like…hopefully not get your ass kicked too badly?”

“Gee, thanks,” Lumine huffed, but she couldn’t be mad at Caelus. Even with Aether and the months of training…they were still up against the woman known as the Martial Paragon, even amongst Archons. She claimed there were two others who had earned that title and that she was the least amongst them, but Lumine didn’t buy that. No one else had chopped an Endbringer in half with just one blow.

“Additionally, I shall not use any of my divine powers or blessings: Only my own skill with a blade, and I shall limit my strength and reactions to those of a mortal,” the Shogun continued, ignoring the byplay. 

“Aether, if you beat her, I’ll have your babies!” Stelle called, which made Aether blush so red that Lumine thought he might pass out.

What made it worse was that Caelus added, “I’ll have your babies if you beat her, Lumine!” 

“Idiot, you can’t have babies, you're a boy,” his sister snorted.

“Sure,” Caelus agreed with a shrug. “But I think the odds of me having kits are better than them beating the Shogun, don’t you?”

“Nah, I kinda want them to, it’d be fun to have Aether’s kits. Probably. At least making them sounds fun,” Stelle mused. 

“Children,” Yae hissed, a great shadowy fox demon appearing behind them. “If you do not silence yourselves, you will BE silenced!” 

Both of the tanuki twins immediately zipped their mouths shut and transformed into their beast forms, though with clothes still on. They did hold up signs with LUMINE <3 YOU CAN DO IT! and AETHERIZE HER BOI TOI

“Paimon believes in you, Travelers! You can do it! Find your way home!” Paimon cheered, then she wilted slightly, and Lumine heard the fairy softly say, “Just take Paimon with you, please…”

“You may begin when you are ready,” the Shogun said, apparently unperturbed by the byplay. 

“Um, no offense Mom, but you can do it, my young Padawan! I trained you well!” Ami called, pumping her fist.

“You can do it, Travelers!” Clara cheered, and set off an extra large Jumpty Jumpty that put giant golden letters FTW in the air. 

“Ready, Aether?” Lumine asked, her heart pounding so hard she could feel the blood racing in her ears. 

Nodding, Aether raised his spear. “No, but let’s do it anyway. At the very least, we’ve got chicken.”

“Heh, for Leeroy then!” 

“FOR JENKINS AND HOME!” Aether declared, then threw his spear so hard that the sonic boom popped Lumine’s ears. She didn’t stand still though, teleporting at the same instant to strike at the Shogun from her right. 

Somehow, the Shogun saw both attacks coming. She didn’t move faster than the eye could perceive, she simply stepped out of the way of Aether’s spear at just the right instant, then countered Lumine’s attack with her wooden sword, striking the flat of Lumine’s blade so hard that she almost lost her grip. The follow-up that struck Lumine’s wrist and then the kick to Lumine’s legs would have sent her sprawling, but she instead teleported, grabbing her sword mid-air and slashing at the Shogun. 

But the Shogun wasn’t there. Even as his spear reformed in his hands, the Shogun had moved on the offensive against Aether, her training sword flicking out to catch him in the side, even as he desperately tried to get distance and use his reach. 

Lumine teleported again to support her brother, but the Shogun’s off-hand took her in the solar plexus and drove Lumine to the ground. The god didn’t even look at Lumine as she knocked the wind out of her, simply continued her assault on Aether, using the flat of her blade to strike Aether’s hands so hard he dropped the spear with a cry, the delivered a kick to his let so that he had his feet swept out from under him. 

Lumine tried to teleport, but she was seeing stars, and couldn’t manage it. She stumbled to her feet, hands blinding, raising her sword and expecting to be beaten near senseless, even as her brother managed to roll himself to his feet and hoist his spear. 

“Well, that didn’t work,” Aether panted. “Ideas?”

“We go in at the same time. Work as a team, together. If we stick together, nothing is impossible,” Lumien said, refusing to back down. She wasn’t giving in. Not now, not ever. 

“Right. You pressure her up close, I’ll use my reach to box her in and force an opening for you,” Aether agreed. 

“TOGETHER!” they roared, and charged. 

The next half an hour was the most painful lesson in humility that Lumine would ever receive. Paimon started crying after only two minutes, begging for someone to help them, but Lumine told her friend in no uncertain terms not to interfere. “This is our fight! Our way home! We can’t give up!” 

In the end, Aether went down first, his body a mass of bruises, passing out on his feet when the strain and pain became too much. Lumine held out only a minute longer, before another blow that sent her tumbling rendered her senseless.

When she came to, Caelus was cradling her as a frantic Paimon flitted about, sobbing and trying to apply bandages to Lumine’s wounds. Aether was already wreathed in bandaids, while Stelle gave him a lap pillow and cried, silent for once. 

“Oh, stand back, and quit making so much noise! Sheesh, they’ll be fine, just give me a second,” Yae harrumphed, striding over and rolling up her sleeves. She took Lumine’s head in her hands, and Lumine gasped as lightning arced over her, her wounds zapped away. 

“That was pretty fucking awesome,” Caelus told her quietly, smoothing away a lock of sweat stained hair from her forehead. “I don’t think I could have fought that hard. Next time…well, next time you’ll have to let me help, somehow. Just try not to pick a fight with the Narukami Ogosho.” 

“I…I’m OK,” Lumine gasped as Paimon tumbled into her arms and squeezed her tightly.

“Paimon was worried sick! Don’t ever make her watch you get beat up like that again!” her guide blubbered, Paimon’s tears soaking Lumine’s already sodden gi. 

“I’ll try not to,” Lumine said, forcing a laugh.  Off to the side, Aether let out a gasp of pain as Yae finished healing him. 

“Guess you don’t have to have kits after all,” Aether said somewhat lamely to Stelle, one eye closed as he winced on her lap.

“Hmm, no. But I’ll give you this,” Stelle said, then leaned down and kissed Aether right on the lips. 

“M-my first kiss!” Aether gasped, his eyes wide. 

Stelle raised an eyebrow. “What, am I that bad at it?”

“Uh, let me double check,” Aether said, then sat up and pulled Stelle into a deeper kiss.

“Huh. I’m not sure how I should feel about this,” Caelus mused, watching his sister and Lumine’s brother play tongue hockey. 

“What? We’ve been making out for weeks,” Lumine said, poking him in the ribs. 

“You, what!?” Aether gasped, jerking away from Stelle in horror.

“Oh, relax,” Lumine said, then groaned and got to her feet, cracking her back and then stooping to retrieve her sword.  

She stumbled over to Raiden, who infuriatingly didn’t have even a single strand of hair out of sorts. The worst part was that Lumine knew for a fact that Raiden had honored her word: She had never moved or reacted faster than a normal human could. She was just that good. Even with teleportation and the ability to throw a weapon faster than the speed of sound, the Shogun had made dueling Lumine and Aether look like child’s play. 

She took a knee before the Archon, and gritted her teeth. “You win this round. But no matter if it takes one more battle, one hundred battles, or even a million! One day, we will defeat you, and make you show us the way home!” 

“Oh.”

Lumine glanced up at the embarrassed sounding word, and found the Shogun was blushing slightly. Ami groaned and slapped her palm onto her face, while the Shogun looked rather abashed. 

“Mom…please tell me you did tell the Travelers…” Ami sighed. 

“Travelers, it seems I must beg your pardon,” the Shogun said, not managing to meet Lumine’s eyes and reaching a hand to grip the hilt of her sword at her waist. “I…may have neglected to properly communicate the true nature of things.”

Lumine blinked, then slowly stood up. “And that is?”

“I cannot show you the way back to your original realm,” the Shogun admitted. “Nor did I ever claim as such. I thought you understood: this bout was merely to both satisfy my own desire to see you grow and face you in combat, and to train you properly that you might forge your own Fates.”

For a moment, the fire blazing in Lumine’s heart went out as though snuffed by the wind. All this time, all this effort…and she’d been chasing something impossible from the first. 

“You…you don’t know a way home either?” Lumine gasped, tears filling her eyes. She sensed Paimon zoom up to her and hug her, and Aether took her hand. 

“I am as trapped in this land as you. Though now, even should a way back to Inazuma present itself, I could not depart. This is now my home, as much as Teyvat ever was.”

Taking a shuddering breath, Lumine steadied herself and tried to clear her head. That was it. They had to find another way.

“You know…this could always be your home,” Caelus said, coming up beside Lumine and squeezing her shoulder. 

“I mean, I guess I’d be OK with you sticking around for a while. I’d even share my stuff and let you stay in my room,” Stelle said casually. “Not your dumb sister though.”

“S-Stelle! Not in front of Lumine!” Aether hissed. 

“What? I’m not mad, good for you,” Lumine said with a roll of her eyes, then focused back on the Shogun. “So…do you have any ideas at all on how we could get back home?”

“Your Fate is not bound to this world. Even I cannot perceive what awaits you at the end of your journey. Only that the time has come for you to continue on,” the Shogun stated. 

“Aw, mom, do they have to go!? They’re my friends!” Ami pleaded. 

The Shogun simply shook her head slightly. “I do not forbid them from staying. However, neither shall I compel them to do so.”

Paimon bobbed up and down beside Lumine, looking uncertain. “Well, Travelers? Paimon is with you, no matter where you go.”

“We need to see our journey to the end. No matter what. If there’s a way home, we have to find it,” Lumine said. 

Aether looked back and forth between Lumine and Stelle, biting his lip. At last, he nodded and said, “I’m with you, Lumine. We came into this world together. We’ll travel it together until the final parting.”

“Do you have any advice on where to travel next?” Lumine asked, very forcefully not looking at Caelus, who was pouting at her. Stelle was just making funny faces at the back of Aether’s head, then doing her best to look maudlin when he glanced at her. The effect was…novel. How had her brother fallen for such a goober?

“I can only tell you to avoid the Tsaritsa’s grasp for now. I foresee that if you find yourself ensnared by ice, your journey together will end. As for the location of the Hydro Archon…she is yet hidden from me. This new Archon takes the name of Focalors, but something is different. Her stars are not the same as the one I knew.”

“As for the Pyro Archon, I have known dozens over the centuries, and there were dozens more I did not meet. Where they will appear I cannot know, but look to the South. Where war brews and the people cry out for a leader, there shall the Archon of Battle ride.”

“Of my old friend and sometimes rival Morax…” the Shogun frowned, and looked away. “I cannot say when. Only that I have grievously wounded his people.  I see that now, with Buer and Barbatos’ help. A reckoning must come before he arrives, else our contract be broken before it is formed. The path forward is one of trials, but it is what Eternity demands. You could travel the broken lands for a time, but do not be sucked into the wars raging there. There will come a time when they quiet. When that happens, seek out the Archaic Lord.”

“Yeah, let me just translate that from Ei-ese to normal people speak,” Yae said, stepping in front of her mistress. “We’re pretty sure the Pyro Archon will show up either in Africa or South America. The cultures there bear the most resemblance to Natlan, based on the books Buer has provided us from her own records. She has basically every Teyvatian reference on file, and has shared them freely.”

“That is what I said,” the Shogun said, sounding mildly perplexed. 

“Sorry, boss, but no it ain’t,” Yae sighed, taking the Shogun’s hand and patting it like an elderly grandparent’s. “You’re good at the stabby stabby, fighty fighty, but not so good at the talky talky people stuff. Which is why you have such a charming and charismatic retainer such as myself.” Yae batted her eyes, and Lumine had to fight back a smile at seeing what looked like a kindergartener claiming such abilities. 

“We straight up can’t get a read on the Hydro Archon. Best we can figure: She’s somewhere in Western Europe. But Italy, France, Spain, and England are a pretty big area to search. And we also could just be wrong: we thought Buer would show up in India for example.”

“As for Morax, and it’s probably going to be Morax since there was only ever one Geo Archon in every version of Teyvat we know of, he’s a slam dunk for China. But when he shows up is anybody’s guess, and he’ll probably be a bit put out that we sort of wrecked the place. Even if the Yangban had it coming.”

“Um, thank you for telling us…but aren’t those super sensitive state secrets?” Aether asked. 

“Er, yeah. Especially since, you know, we plan on leaving, and aren’t loyal to Japan,” Lumine pointed out. 

Yae shrugged. “Meh. Ei trusted you enough to let you around Ami, and she gave you weapons she made herself. She likes you, and as bad as she is at social situations, even I have to admit she’s a good judge of character. Besides, I’m trusting you with the virtue of my two retainers, which is more precious to me than anything!”

Everyone gave Yae an odd look, even as she clasped her hands and took on a simpering tone. 

“Is she talking about someone else?” Stelle asked in a stage whisper. “Because I sold my virtue for a really nice and stinky dumpster full of trash.”

Caelus huffed. “Hey, speak for yourself! I have virtues!”

“Forging IDs and lockpicking aren’t usually considered virtues,” Lumine pointed out, and Caelus deflated slightly until she patted his arm. “Don’t worry, I find thieves’ skills highly attractive.”

She turned to Raiden and bowed. “Thank you. Even if you didn’t show us the way to our home, you shared yours with us. In a different life, I think we’d have liked to stay here with you all. But…but I just can’t stop here. Something calls us onward. Our feet cannot rest until we find our way back to our home.”

“Then depart with my blessing, and know that should you ever wish to return, there shall be a place for you here,” Raiden said. 

Lumine and Aether bowed to her, then slowly turned and walked away.

Caelus and Stelle immediately scampered after them. “You’re leaving now!?”

“Not now, now,” Lumine said with a roll of her eyes. “We’ll pack and stuff, and leave in the morning.”

“So, one last night of passion?” Stelle asked, looking Aether up and down. 

“Yes, we can go dumpster diving,” Aether sighed, and Stelle pumped her fist in excitement. “But we’re not visiting another girls bar for you to ogle the waitresses!” 

“Do you wanna, like…play Diablo 2 and eat junk food until an unreasonable hour at a net cafe?” Caelus asked hopefully. 

“Caelus, I’m leaving first thing in the morning,” Lumine told him, then grabbed his arm. “So fuck yes, gods only know when I’ll get the chance for another epic gaming sesh! Come on, time’s a-wasting!” 

They ran off, leaving Paimon floating in the air behind them with the Shogun. 

“Paimon isn’t sure what to do, Ms. Narukami O’Shogun,” Paimon sighed, her halo drooping slightly. “On the one hand, she is sad that the Travelers are sad, and didn’t find a way home…on the other…Paimon is glad the journey will continue, and she can spend more time with the Travelers! Is…is Paimon a bad friend?”

“I do not think so. Partings are ever bitter sweetness, especially if you know that never again shall you meet your companions,” Ei said, sounding weary herself. She gave Paimon a small smile. “Transcience is to find meaning in each passing moment, to embrace the Eternity in each breath. You are neither selfish nor a poor companion to desire longer with those you treasure.”

“That’s good. You must have had to leave behind a lot of people you really cared about, too, haven’t you?” Paimon put a little hand to her forehead and winced. “Paimon…Paimon just knows she’s forgetting people. It makes her sad sometimes…but Paimon doesn’t want to focus on what she’s forgotten, or she’ll be sad all the time! Instead, Paimon is grateful for the new friends she meets! Like you, Ms. O’Shogun.”

“Mmm. Tell me, Paimon, do you know of the Heavenly Principles and Celestia?” Ei asked, sounding somewhat curious.

The little fairy winced. “Paimon…Paimon doesn’t know…but those names scare her. They make Paimon think she’ll have to abandon the Travelers…that all of Space would separate them…Paimon…Paimon just wants to be Paimon.”

“And so you are, for now. But Fate will reassert itself even upon you in time,” Ei said. 

“Mmm,” Paimon said, bobbling slightly lower and looking gloomy.

“Now, to other matters. As you are departing, will you accompany me upon an excursion to my preferred dining establishment for one final farewell? I shall act as hostess,” Ei offered.

Paimon gasped and instantly bobbed up, beaming in delight. “Yes! Paimon would love to share one last meal! Can we go to Paimon’s favorite place too!?”

“I believe our favorite is one and the same,” Ei said, with a knowing quirk of her lips.

“”WCDONALDS!””

Groggily, Lumine put a few scant belongings in her backpack. She picked up her old baseball bat, and hefted it. The Shogun had left it for her after gorging herself and Paimon silly on WcDonalds the previous night. It was now etched with kanji, and when Lumine uttered a short incantation, would transform into her sword, Homeward Path. She could sense the power waiting within, and tucked it into her pack, the grip sticking up out of it for easy access.

Aether’s spear was disguised as an ordinary walking stick, albeit one similarly marked with special kanji. He had dark circles under his eyes, and a few smears of lipstick not completely cleaned away from his neck and check. He had ended up with Stelle at a Girl’s Bar after all, and ended up staying out even later than Lumine. Neither of them had gotten more than a couple of hours of sleep, but they departed with the dawn regardless. 

“Oof. Paimon is still almost too full to fly,” their guide sighed, patting her belly as she floated beside Lumine. 

“Just how much did you eat?” Lumine laughed, poking at the greedy little fairy. 

“Um, Paimon isn’t sure…but they did run out of Happy Meals, and apple pies. And ice cream,” Paimon admitted. 

They stepped out into the hall, heading towards a side exit. They hadn’t gone far when they spied Stelle and Caelus waiting for them. 

“Oh, Archons,” Lumine groaned, and put her hand over her face, even as Aether gasped, and Stelle waddled forward. Paimon let out a startled cry, and zoomed around the Travelers in a panic. 

“Aether, you can’t leave! I’m pregnant!” Stelle gasped, flinging herself on the much shorter Aether. Her breasts were enlarged and flopping about comically, while her belly looked like she was at least eight months along. 

“Aether, how could you!? You, you should at least tell Paimon if you are in love and going to have kids! Oh, oh, does this make Paimon a godmother?! An Aunt!? Paimon isn’t ready for this!” the fairy babbled, as panicked as Aether was. 

“B-but how! I, I don’t remember…wait, was this after I passed out!? Oh, oh gods! Um, I will take responsiblity, b-but I do have to help my sister get home first! Oh, gods what do I do!?” Aether paniced, pulling at his hair.

“Aether, Paimon,” Lumine said, peeking through her fingers and fighting back a smile. “Even if you did sleep together last night, she wouldn’t be eight months along first thing in the morning. She wouldn’t even be pregnant yet, probably.”

“”What?”” Paimon and Aether said in stereo. Seriously, how could Aether be this clueless? Paimon at least had the excuse of not being human as well as…well, Lumine wasn’t sure how old her friend was, but Paimon seemed like a child most of the time?

“Huh? Wait, how long does it take? I thought like, you did it, and then, you know, poof. Kits!” Stelle said, letting Aether go and clutching at her comically inflated chest. 

“How are you so dumb? Even I know it takes months for a human to give birth, almost a full year!” Caelus huffed. Then he hesitated. “Uh, we didn’t do anything that would, you know…I’m not supposed to leave, but I wouldn’t just abandon you if, I, uh…we didn’t, right?”

“Despite what your sister might have told you, me giving you a hickey won’t get either of us knocked up,” Lumine giggled, which resulted in a very relieved Caelus.

“What’s a hickey?” Paimon asked, sounding suspicious.

Lumine and Caelus both slapped hands over suspicious lumps on their necks. “Nothing!”

“I’ll tell you later, it’s very dirty,” Stelle said confidently, making Paimon gasp. Then she leaned over and whispered to Aether, “You know what a hickey is, right?”

“Stelle, I’m sorry, but…we do have to continue our journey,” Aether said, taking Stelle’s hands and making her blush. “I…I think I’m in love with you, Stelle the Tanuki. Even if you do take me dumpster diving and make me sing karaoke with you at girls’ bars with your bra on my head.”

Wait, what?! Lumine had to do a double-take, and Caelus looked gobsmacked. 

“One day…I hope to come back. But…I do have to find my way home first. At least, for my sister. I just…I can’t explain it…but this is something we have to do. Together.”

Then, Aether pulled Stelle into a kiss, bending her over his arm so far her hair touched the floor. A pillow slid out from under her shirt, along with two bean bags that had been stuffed up there as well.

Lumine glanced at Caelus, then jumped on him and thoroughly kissed him as well, both of them clutching one another tightly. She wasn’t sure what it was about this kooky gremlin who spent all his time stealing things he went back and paid for and picking locks he had the keys too…but she liked it. 

After they all caught their breaths and Paimon uncovered her eyes, Lumine and Aether waved goodbye one final time, and headed towards the doors.

“Your what on his where?!” Caelus demanded, turning to his sister. 

“Oh shut up, we’re both adults,” Stelle mumbled. 

“Yeah, but you’re my sister! I’m supposed to be like, protective and jealous and stuff!” 

“Are you?”

“No, but it’s gross and disgusting when you do it. It makes me wanna puke just thinking of you doing things like that!” 

“How do you think I feel about you macking on my boytoy’s sister where I can see it!? Urk, huuuur, ppuuuuukkkkeee!” 

The door swung shut, blocking out the rest of the very articulate and intelligent conversation. 

But outside was one last obstacle. Ami and the Shogun were waiting for them, with brown, grease-stained bags in hand. 

“Good luck!” Ami said, and pressed some tickets into Lumine’s hands. “Here, these plane tickets will take you anywhere JAL flies. I hope we meet again soon, Lumine! You were the best padawan a sensei could hope for!” 

“I have procured you breakfast,” Raiden said, and proffered the bags to Paimon, who took them eagerly. 

“PAIMON, NO!” Aether and Lumine wailed. 

 But it was too late, Paimon had already opened a bag, and put some of its contents into her mouth.

“What?” she said around a mouthful of food. “It’s just wcmuffins we got last night. They’re cold, but still good!”

“I could heat them if you wi-” the Shogun began, but Ami clapped a hand over her mouth.

“Absolutely not! You know what happened last time you tried to reheat food! They still can’t build where that hotel was!” 

“Ah. Yes. Well. Farewell, Travelers. May your Journey’s End grant you the Eternity you seek,” Ei told them. 

Tickets in her pocket, Wcmuffin in her belly, Paimon’s hand in her left, and Aether’s in her right, Lumine set off on the next stage of her Journey. 

She didn’t know where her path would take her. But she would walk it until its very end. 

Author’s Note:

May your journey lead you onwards…