Upon their immediate exit, Y/n and Ei turned away from the main grounds of the city. There was no need to falsify their identities as a result; the pair enjoyed a peaceful, uninterrupted walk, during which they discussed various topics. Eventually, they arrived at the venue.
As Y/n marvelled at the building's exterior, Ei slowly felt herself begin to relax. She held the door open for the soldier, inviting her into the darkness within.
Immediately, a light flickered on.
"Happy birthday!"
There, waiting patiently in the darkness, were all of the people who had contributed to making this day happen. Y/n gave a shocked laugh, kindly thanking everyone for their wishes and efforts.
Miko smirked as she stepped towards the birthday girl. "My, don't you look gorgeous?~ I assume my gift had its intended effect?"
The soldier nodded; they shared a knowing smile. At once, the pair glanced over at Ei. "It did. Thank you, Miko~"
"Hehe, my pleasure. I trust it's to your liking? I'm almost certain that it's in your style, but then again, you have been wearing atypical outfits recently..."
"No, you're right. I adore it. Those outfits are Tenshukaku's only clothing so I really have no say in the matter. I was actually wondering what to wear when you delivered this; it seems you indeed know me far more than I anticipated~"
The kitsune's ears slightly raised in surprise as the girl embraced her, however she soon returned the gesture. Miko hid her amused smile, aware of a certain Archon's vicious glare on her back.
"...Thank you."
Now met with the realisation that this outfit was all Yae's doing, Ei gave an awkward cough. She acted nonchalant when Y/n turned towards her, refusing to fall to the fox envoy's ploy. She huffed.
No matter how captivated she secretly was, Yae Miko would not get ahead of her.
"It seems I left something behind in Tenshukaku... I'll return shortly."
As she dashed away, the Guuji and the soldier shared another glance. Deciding to forget about it for now, Y/n shook her head. She turned her full attention back to the fox envoy beside her.
"So you prepared all of this? How long did it take?"
"Don't you worry about that, little fox. It was a joint effort, after all. Even Kujou Sara pitched in~"
Y/n's eyebrows raised in surprise. Upon inspecting the area, she finally noticed the general, still tied to a post. That surprise gave way to a clear expression of entertainment and understanding.
"I see."
Yae hummed. "Your other guests should be arriving soon, if you would like to greet them as they enter."
Y/n nodded. "I will. Thanks again, Miko."
"My pleasure~"
True to Yae's words, people began to turn up after a few minutes. Y/n shook their hands as they entered, smiling brightly and thanking them for their wishes. She also guided any gift bearers over to a table, where- to her dismay- the neatly-wrapped parcels had begun to pile up.
Watching a young girl attempt to carry a package larger than her own body, Y/n gasped. "Oh my Archons! You didn't have to!"
The girl grumbled to herself. "I know. Guuji Yae forced me to."
Y/n was unsure of whether she had heard her correctly. "What?"
For the first time, Y/n's pint-sized guest met her eyes. She beamed. "Oh, nothing! I just wanted to. I really like your dress by the way."
"Awh, that's so sweet of you! Thanks. I like your suit too."
"Hehe... I'm Hi-"
"HISA! You're here! Did you-"
She sighed, glaring in the fox envoy's general direction. "Gee, I'm coming, mom. Let me make some new friends for once, would you?"
Yae pouted, walking over and draping her arms around Y/n's shoulders from behind.
"Not if you're trying to take my little fox from me. Now, was that attitude you just gave me, young lady?"
The soldier continued to watch their interaction in amusement, waving to Hisa as Yae literally dragged her away. It was only when they were out of sight that she slapped on a smile again and turned her gaze to the next guest.
Y/n extended her arm in preparation for another handshake; she was back on autopilot.
"Welcome! I-"
She had opened her eyes; her words had caught in her throat. Y/n found herself staring into familiar royal purple irises, ones filled with a vast mass of swirling emotions. They painted the most alluring of images; told the most bewitching of tales. Ei's tale. It was one that the soldier could have simply admired for hours on end.
Ei lifted her hand, slowly sliding it into
Y/n's. Neither of them broke eye contact, the sensation of their intertwined palms appearing almost natural. It was as if they were made for each other: a perfect fit.
The Archon shook hands with the soldier, and in that instant, an eternity could've passed. It was only upon the moment of their parting that the spell was finally broken. Y/n cleared her throat, a light blush dusting her cheeks upon grasping the intimacy of their exchange.
"Y- you've returned."
Ei smiled, nodding her head slightly in response. "Yes."
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"I did." The soldier had been too busy getting caught up in Ei's radiance to realise that her other hand had remained behind her back. Now, The Archon extended it to Y/n, and she was faced with a moderate package.
"Happy birthday, Y/n."
The soldier's eyes rounded in surprise, and she hesitantly accepted the gift from the Archon. She noted how Ei's expression lit up as she did so, thus didn't wait to pull on the ribbon and reveal its contents.
Peering into the parcel, she gasped. "Oh, Ei..."
The Archon nervously twirled a strand of her hair. "Yes, well... Now that I plan to stay in this realm forevermore, I no longer have any use for it. What better than to give it to you, the person who managed to persuade me into facing reality herself?"
Y/n was astonished. Inside the box lay a chibi figure, about the size of your average teddy bear. It was switched off; its eyes were closed in a deep sleep. However, even despite this it was a clear duplicate of Ei. She could only assume that this was all that remained of the Shogun; what had lately been the heart and soul of Ei's work.
"So this is why I couldn't see her..."
"I wanted it to be a surprise... Your birthday came as the perfect opportunity for me to finally gift it to you. Do you like it?"
Y/n looked up at the Archon, a warm and genuine smile on her face. She hoped to convey her immense feelings of gratitude. "Thank you, Ei. I love it."
Relieved, the Archon let out a breath she hadn't quite realised she was holding. "I'm glad. I do recommend that you activate it only upon our return to Tenshukaku, however. Believe me, it's near impossible to shut down."
The soldier laughed, knowing exactly what she was referring to. "Okay, I will. Does this mean that you'll be returning to your previous work now?"
Ei sighed. "Yes, well... Let us leave such matters of discussion for the future. Today, we are here to celebrate you, first and foremost."
Y/n nodded and the pair split off to rejoin the celebrations. It was a night of exhilarating dancing, light drinking and frivolous chatter. A warm, uneventful night, with an absence of any imperfection. Everyone seemed to enjoy it to the fullest; there was not a single dull moment.
Y/n spent most of the evening forming new friendships and rebuilding old ones anew. She even tried to talk to Sara a few times but the general seemed to be having none of it. Yae Miko, on the other hand, couldn't get enough of her; she was constantly asking for details on Ei's gifts and discussing various other topics just to keep her by her side.
A few hours later, Y/n watched as the kitsune poured herself yet another drink. Miko's words were beginning to slur yet she showed no indication of slowing down. If anything, she seemed to be doing quite the opposite. Feeling as though she had also had enough, Y/n excused herself and headed out onto the balcony.
She breathed deeply, inhaling the crisp, fresh air into her lungs. Compared with the muffled music coming from within the venue, the silence outside was deafening. Y/n could even spot the first stars appearing in the sky; the place was now shrouded in a veil of darkness.
It was unbelievable how quickly time had passed, considering it was morning when she arrived. The soldier shuddered. It was chilly, she realised. Just as Y/n fixed her dress, Ei decided to join her out on the balcony.
"Hey." she smiled. At the sound of her voice, Y/n looked back over her shoulder. She returned her friend's gesture.
"Enjoying yourself, Ei?"
The Archon nodded. She took a step towards the soldier, resting her elbows on the balustrade just as she was. Their shoulders grazed each other, providing a welcoming warmth in the crisp weather.
Ei still held a half-empty glass in hand, sighing as they fell into comfortable silence. Her body was quivering, Y/n noticed. She was just as cold as she was.
"It's quiet out here... I can finally hear my own thoughts."
The soldier hummed. "It is. You're a good dancer, by the way."
Ei laughed, the atmosphere seeming to grow lighter with the simple sound of her melodic voice.
"Thank you." Her tone turned playful. "I'm disappointed that you didn't join me."
Y/n's eyes glinted in amusement. "Miko wouldn't have let me out of her sight either way."
"And here I was under the impression that we were to spend this day together." Ei huffed. "It seems that our old friend never changes her meddling ways. Did you two discuss anything of interest?"
"Not particularly. She just wanted to know about your gift to me."
"Hm... I see. Did she appear satisfied?"
Y/n smirked, remembering the conversation fondly. "Not particularly, actually. She was convinced that her gift was superior."
"Ah, your outfit. I desire not to indulge Miko, however, I must admit... It does look wonderful on you."
The soldier felt heat rise to her cheeks, and mumbled a quiet 'Thank you.' Silence enveloped them once again. Ei seemed conflicted, concealing words at the tip of her tongue. It was a bad idea. Perhaps even a terrible one. She took a deep breath; a sip of her drink to still her racing heart. When she finally gained the courage to speak, her voice was almost a whisper.
"...The Shogun wasn't the only gift I had in mind for you."
Y/n turned her head towards Ei in curiosity. She was unsure of where this sudden statement was coming from, and what came next was so bizarre that her own actions even left Ei in disbelief.
She didn't know what Y/n wanted. She had no idea how she felt. Nevertheless, under the low light of the moon, she decided to take a risk. As they now gazed at each other, eyes half-lidded, Ei was overcome with a newfound confidence. The confidence to finally give in to her yearning, once and for all.
Perhaps it was the alcohol in her system, or the adrenaline pumping through her heart. But, as the Electro Archon of Inazuma held a hand to the face of her beloved soldier, she hoped that this moment- their moment- wouldn't end before it began.
And before Y/n knew it, a pair of soft lips had crashed onto her own.