(Here's your chapter)
(No apology with a ukulele though 😃)
[Revised a lil bit, no Emanator yet]
"What do you think? I think the uniform suits me, but I wanna hear your thoughts! Well?"
A little grin, e/c eyes radiant and glimmering with life.
"Do I look like a Cloud Knight now?"
M/n felt numb.
The world around her was silent. Everything moved, others went about their day. Time kept going forward.
But she felt stuck as she stared at her daughter's empty room, her body numb as she looked over another room that would be vacant. Forever, this time.
She still remembered how y/n felt in her arms as she'd died. M/n could remember how that last breath she took just barely stirred the air, she remembered feeling the life leave her child's body.
Y/n was gone. It didn't feel real.
As her child was taken away, M/n expected her to pop right back up. Kicking and laughing about how she wasn't dead yet. Or maybe she'd blearily awaken at the Ten Lords Commission, simply having been napping.
Ah... the Ten Lords Commission.
Because of her abnormal transition into becoming mara-stricken, a Judge from the Ten Lords had come to take her away. To ensure that she'd stay dead and couldn't cause any more damage.
"Mom?"
The woman didn't reply for a long moment. She felt weak, tired, but a tug on her hand from Yun caused her to glance his way.
The boy's expression was solemn, "Y/n's friends are here to speak with you. Do you... want to talk with them?"
M/n exhaled quietly.
Right, her friends.
She shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I... can't, right now."
Yun glanced at the stairs, then back at his mother, "Alright, I understand. I'll go let them know."
The Astral Express Crew were all waiting at a table, seated with the cups of puffergoat milk and tuskpir wraps Yun had offered to them.
The sweet treats that Caelus and March usually would've been excited to eat remained untouched. Welt nor Dan Heng seemed all that eager to eat either.
Thanks to Dan Heng's efforts, followed by some assistance from Bailu after Welt suggested a trip to the little Vidyadhara, Welt and March 7th were as good as new despite taking the brunt of y/n's attacks during her rampage back at the arbor.
They wouldn't have to worry about the wounds chasing them any problems, though March would need to take it easy for a while. The four trailblazers who had boarded the Luofu would be just fine, able to return back to the Astral Express.
Their fifth, however would be laid to rest on the Luofu. The home which she had dedicated her soul, body, everything. It would be the place where she would finally rest.
"I'm sorry, my Mom is... unwell at the moment. She would love to see you all, but I don't think now is the best time." Yun murmured with a solemn expression as he stood by the table where the trailblazers were seated.
His ears drooped a little, "I'm very sorry."
Caelus managed a weak smile, "Don't worry about it, Yun. We understand. Right now, your Mom just needs some time."
Yun nodded, his eyes fixated on the ground, "I, uh... I heard that there was going to be a ceremony for those many who passed during the Stellaron Crisis. My Mom and I won't be attending, but we did know many of the Cloud Knights amongst the fallen."
The boy took a deep breath before straightening up again, "I prepared everyone's favorite dishes! Every single one! If you have the chance, could you take them to Star Gazer Navalia and place them on their starskiffs. That way, as they sail amongst the stars, they can enjoy their favorite meals!"
"Yeah, we can do that. But how will we know which is which?" March questioned and the boy smiled.
"Don't worry, I-I've made a list! Hold on..." the young boy rushed away before halting and glancing at Dan Heng, "Uh, Dan Heng, was it? I dunno much about y/n, but you two were close. Before she boarded the Astral Express, right?"
Dan Heng frowned, "How..."
"Mom was looking at an old photo album once! It had a photo with y/n and a Vidyadhara who looked a ton like you! I thought it was a coincidence after you came here with Miss March and everyone else to talk to her, but I pieced it together after a bit." Yun explained, "If you don't mind, maybe you could talk with my Mom. I don't really want her to be by herself right now."
Dan Heng glanced at Welt who nodded before looking back over to the Foxian boy, "Alright, I'll go see her."
"Thanks a ton." Yun hummed before glancing at the other trailblazers, "Here, since you all will be delivering these dishes, you ought to know which is which."
Caelus and March were both a little slow, they still had yet to recover from the shock of watching their friend die for good right in front of them, but some encouragement from Welt got them to their feet.
Dan Heng headed upstairs as his three companions followed Yun to the kitchen, the boy just barely holding back tears as he listed names and dishes.
As the dark haired man walked up the stairs, he found that he remembered it. While he didn't remember a lot about Dan Feng, he vividly recalled the moments Dan Feng spent with y/n.
The archivist continued on upstairs, looking around before spotting a room with an open door. He quietly approached and found M/n standing in the room. She was staring at the wall which was lined with countless weapons of various sizes and shapes.
It was a moment before she became aware of Dan Heng's presence, but she didn't look at him. Only sighed.
"I never through I'd see you again."
There was no sign of disdain or malice in her tone.
It was blank, weak, hardly audible.
Dan Heng looked to the floor. He remained silent.
"Don't just stand there. You're here to hold onto her a little longer, aren't you?" M/n murmured, gesturing for him to come closer, "You can come in."
Dan Heng hesitated before proceeding into the room, standing next to M/n and looking at the wall of weapons. A comfortable silence fell, only broken by M/n's, "How much do you remember?"
"Not much." Dan Heng admitted quietly.
"Mm. I suppose that doesn't matter though, huh? That day y/n first dragged you here and proudly declared that you helped her beat her brother in a duel, she was so happy..." M/n laughed quietly, "I'm friends with THE High Elder! We're gonna be friends forever! She'd shouted it so loud, our neighbors fussed at her the next morning for making a ruckus so late at night."
Dan Heng couldn't remember, he wasn't surprised, yet he could see her. Laughing, grinning with pride, demanding to spar again.
"She really meant it, I suppose. Considering she managed to find you again on the Atsral Express." M/n chuckled.
Dan Heng let out a small ha, somewhat amused.
"I made a promise to her. That, I remember."
"That girl and promises... those things were worth gold to her." M/n murmured, her smile beginning to fade. The pain in her eyes made her e/c gaze foggy, "The Ten Lords Commission took her away... she won't be able to be sent off with the others. Jung Yuan came by, told us that we had the option to join him to say our farewells to y/n one last time."
The woman glanced at Dan Heng, "I had my chance. As did Yun before the Judge came. I think you and the others ought to get a chance as well, don't you think?"
"Miss M/n—" Dan Heng began but she wasn't listening, picking up a sheathed sword and offering it to Dan Heng.
"Y/n loved March, Caelus and Mr. Yang very dearly. I can tell from the way she looked at them." M/n hummed, "And even the day you were taken to the Shackling Prison, she continued to love you just as dearly as she always had. I think she'll truly be able to rest peacefully if you all visit her one last time."
Dan Heng couldn't find words as he stared at the sword the woman was holding out to him. How odd... he still remembered some things.
"A sword that never breaks, something that can keep up with me and my unbreakable loyalty to you!"
"For someone who skipped classes every single chance she got, you've got a way with words."
"I don't need stupid classes to be eloquent!"
Yeah, there were some things that not even reincarnation could keep him from forgetting.
"Promise me this, you'll always be my friend. No matter what, through thick and thin, got that?"
"Very well, I promise."
"Really?"
"Mhm, it'll be a promise that I'll never break."
Dan Heng carefully took the sword, meeting M/n's gaze and nodding with a soft, "Thank you."
The woman shook her head before glancing back at the wall of weapons, "I should be thanking you. Now, go on. Don't wait around here."
Dan Heng went right back down stairs where March was trying to soothe a sobbing Yun who was still devastated over the loss of so many Cloud Knights who had been like family to him.
It took some time, but his tears eventually slowed enough for him to thank the trailblazers before bidding them farewell as they headed to Stargazer Navalia.
The trio there was quiet, bleak.
Without y/n rushing ahead to eliminate danger, her and Caelus fawning over Welt, or her and March occasionally stopping to go back and forth about something, it didn't feel right at all.
Especially not to March.
Things were different without y/n there.
There was an empty space, and it bothered March 7th.
Perhaps it was selfish of her to want y/n back. Having y/n back would mean that the darkness she was always fighting in silence would continue to torment her.
Fine, March would be selfish! But this time, she wouldn't take y/n's 🐂💩 lies about how she was fine and nothing was wrong.
March would let y/n know that she was there to talk to her too! Maybe she couldn't offer ridiculously bitter coffee like Himeko, or wise counseling like Welt, or the quiet comfort y/n sought Dan Heng out for but March was there too!
It always frustrated her how y/n would force down her struggles to match March's bright eyed, bushy tailed demeanor, lie about how she felt to avoid dimming her bright light. She shouldn't have had to worry about it, because it was a stupid thing to worry about!
March 7th was as bright as she was in hopes that she could share that light to bring others some relief. If y/n could just come back, March would surely refuse to accept her 🐂💩 and join her in those constant battles she had in her mind.
But... it was too late now, wasn't it?"
The pink haired woman couldn't seem to muster any energy to perk up as her and the others placed the meals in the respective Starskiffs. By the time they finished and it was time to head back to Starskiff Haven to watch the ceremony, she was feeling even worse than before.
While eavesdropping wasn't a good thing, she'd listened in on Dan Heng and M/n's chat.
While she didn't know a ton about the Ten Lords or Judges, she did get the message that y/n wouldn't be having the same ceremony as the rest of the fallen.
'Up there. She should be up there, gliding along with Miss Tingyun and everyone else among the stars.' March thought as they all watched the many starskiffs glide towards the Jade Gate, 'This isn't right. This isn't fair. She should be up there too...'
March frantically pat her face, squeezing her eyes shut, 'No, no, no, don't cry! Don't you dare cry! It's not like you won't get to see her again! We're gonna see her at the Ten Lords Commission or whatever!'
She'd see her again, but now how she wanted to see her. She wanted her to be alive, to be able to hear March's insistence that she's there for her.
...well, reality was cruel. At the very least, March could make sure y/n had Mimi by her side again.
She'd dropped the poor thing. She likely wouldn't be able to rest well until she had it by her side again.
March 7th hadn't been able to reach out to offer her comfort to y/n while she was alive, so bringing Mimi yo her so she could rest well for eternity was the least she could do.
She nodded to herself, 'Yeah, okay.' she glanced down at Mimi, the little beat up lion plush staring back at her, 'Let's get you back to y/n. It'll be up to you to keep her nice and comfy while she rests!'
March 7th dusted it off and heaved a sigh.
Caelus glanced at her before patting her on the shoulder, murmuring a quiet, "Come on, the General is here to see us."
March perked up a bit, then glanced over to where Welt and Dan Heng were waiting by Jing Yuan. Ah, his bum 🍑 kid was there too. He had a little patch over his cheeks, but the bruise form where y/n had socked him in the face was still very visible.
'I knew y/n wasn't the type to go easy on kids, but the fact that the patch couldn't even cover the bruise...' March thought wearily, then looked back down at Mimi, 'Are there kids in the afterlife? Will she punch them too? I hope not...'
But then again, if she punched enough kids, the afterlife would likely decide it was tired of her and boot her right back out into the land of the living, right? March wasn't sure if that was how it worked, but she sure hoped it did.
'On second thought, tell her to punch as many kids as she wants.' March decided as her and Caelus approached the white haired General.
He was very solemn, the smile on his face seeming much more sad than the others the trailblazers had seen on him. Yanqing looked pretty worried about him. Pretty understandable since, in Caelus' insensitive words during his attempt to try to cheer up March, "He got clapped pretty hard."
What the hell did that mean anyways?!
Whatever it meant, it wasn't funny, and Caelus' timing was about as good as having one's windpipe crushed.
"General, you should go rest now that the ceremony is over." Yanqing was advising the man as Caelus and March joined their other trailblazing companions.
"I will, but I have a few other things to attend to first." Jing Yuan assured the boy before glancing at the group of trailblazers, "First and foremost, I have some things I also wish to convey to my Astral friends." he offered them all a tired smile, "My apologies for being unable to get to you sooner. Yanqing made sure that I had ample time to recuperate."
"No problem, we're glad to see that you're feeling better." Caelus hummed with a nod and March side eyed him, appalled by the audacity of him to say such a thing after what he'd said before.
Clapped... what the hell did that mean?
"Before you leave the Luofu, there are two things I wish to gift the Express." Jing Yuan hummed.
"Two gifts?" March 7th mumbled.
"I'd like some talk therapy, please!" Caelus declared, before glancing at March, "...make it for two, please."
"We can discuss it at the Seat of Divine Foresight." the man hummed, to which Dan Heng stepped forward.
March immediately perked up.
'Ah! Here it is!'
Just as expected, Dan Heng brought up the visit to the Ten Lords Commission that M/n had talked about. March really was as sharp as the sharpest blade!
"Miss M/n said that her and Yun weren't going to go, and suggested that we all see y/n one last time." Dan Heng explained carefully, "I was going to contact our other companions, but I didn't want to do so until we received permission to see y/n first."
"The Judges said they would keep the visits reserved for her family..." the General murmured and March's heart plummeted straight to her stomach, "I'm sure they wouldn't mind after all the Astral Express Crew has done for us. If you want to see her now, we can make our way to the Ten Lords Commission immediately."
March 7th's eyes lit up, Caelus nodded eagerly, and Dan Heng seemed to relax instantly. He looked to Welt who only nodded with a, "I'll have to send a message to Himeko first so she can come join us. If that's alright with the General."
Jing Yuan nodded with a gentle smile.
"Of course, I'm sure y/n would be even happier with all of you there to see her. Take as much time as you need, there's no rush."
There was indeed a rush, Caelus text bombing Himeko until she finally called. There was a bit of a hesitant silence when she did so, as they all collectively realized she had no clue what had happened, so they simply asked her to come on down to the Luofu.
It took some time, but when she arrived, Welt was the one to explain what had happened to y/n. Seeing the smile fade from Himeko's face, and sorrow dull her gaze made March 7th's heart hurt.
Himeko didn't quite bounce back, but she took a deep breath before asking to go see her as soon as possible.
At the Ten Lords Commission, they were greeted by a judge called Xueyi. She didn't seem too happy to see so many people that were not y/n's mother and brother, but reluctantly agreed to let them see her with some convincing from Jing Yuan.
Her only rule? One visit at a time.
That rule was immediately broken, as Caelus and Dan Heng accompanied March when she went to see y/n.
🚚ing horrible. The Ten Lords Commission was 🚚ing horrible. WHO THE HELL CHAINED UP A DEAD BODY, HUH?!
Y/n's body had healed itself, nothing new, with the exception of the spot where she'd stabbed herself. The wooden tendrils that once obscured her eyes were gone, allowing her friends to better see her face.
She looked peaceful, like she was napping.
For a second, March wondered if she'd just fallen into a really deep sleep and they'd mistaken her taking a nap for death.
...
March knew better than that.
She'd been set atop a strange table of sorts, like one used for surgeries. Her ankles and wrists were chained, the long bindings matched to the floor.
Wtf did they think she was gonna do?
Pop up and start rampaging again?
"Ahem." Caelus cleared his throat, "I dunno if you can hear us, y/n, but we wanted to say goodbye one last time. Y'know. Cause that's what decent friends do."
Dan Heng frowned, and March side eyed Caelus.
The hydrogen bomb continued, "I may not have known you for as long as Dan Heng or March, but I, uh..." he took a deep breath, "I'm really gonna miss you. D-Don't worry, I'll continue treating Miss Himeko and Mr. Yang like the gods they are! I'll keep the weapons in your cabin clean, I'll do the dishes too! I'll even help Dan Heng with being Archivist and Train Guard."
"You just get the rest you deserve, alright? Take as many naps as you want, do whatever you want! You've earned it!" Caelus exclaimed, "And, uh... thank a lot. For everything. I hope we'll get to meet again. I dunno how, where or when, but I'll use every bit of my willpower to will it into existence."
He coughed awkwardly, then glanced at his two companions, "Dan Heng? March?"
March 7th glanced back at y/n, giving the chains a disdainful look before sighing and carefully setting Mimi by y/n's side, "Just so you won't be lonely... I know we bickered a lot, and I hated how you treated me like some kind of fragile snow globe, but you mean a lot to me. Always have, always will."
"I hated that you would hide your pain all the time, and I wish I'd called you out for your 🐂💩 sooner, but... now I can't." March's eyes began to well up with tears before she fiercely shook her head, "But that's okay! I told Mimi to make you talk no matter what you say! Also— I saw the bruise you left on that kids face! If there's kids in the afterlife, don't punch them! No... actually, punch them! So you can come right back and do things right this time!"
"Damn..." Caelus mumbled.
March's tears began to pool over as she trembled slightly, "Don't ever forget us either, okay? I hope... I hope you finally get that peaceful rest you've always wanted."
Caelus looped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his side, offering his hoodie for her to dry her tears. As March rubbed at her eyes with the hydrogen bomb's hoodie, Dan Heng carefully rested the sheathed sword beside the table.
He was silent, his expression unreadable, but his mind was spinning like a whirlpool as his thoughts raced.
Heal her. He could heal her, couldn't he?
He'd healed Welt, March too.
Surely he could heal y/n as well.
Dying. She couldn't die. Not her.
Please, please not her.
If he could just help her cheat death-!
"Friends don't go against each other's wishes."
Y/n's back was facing Dan Feng's as the High Elder tended to her injuries. She'd been ready to disappear for another month until they healed, unwilling to face her mother in such a state.
Dan Feng didn't like the idea of his friend causing her mother so much worry, so he decided to heal her wounds himself.
"I heard somewhere that High Elders can negate the effects of death or something like that. I wasn't really paying attention." y/n murmured, "If I die, let me stay dead."
"What makes you think I'd try to bring you back?" Dan Feng inquired, brows pinching when y/n shrugged.
"Because, I'm your most precious friend. One of them, at least." she hummed, "Besides, being dead means I can be as lazyyyy as I want. You wouldn't wanna take that away from me, eh?"
A grunt.
"C'mon, promise me!"
"Yes, yes, I promise. Now stay still, quit squirming."
Dan Heng stopped and withdrew his hand, letting it hang oddly at his side. As lazy as she wanted, huh?
"Don't worry about us." Dan Heng murmured, "We'll be fine. We'll be safe. So you can laze around now."
He turned away and led the room without another word. Caelus and March lingered a little longer before they left, Himeko and Welt walking into the room next.
"I'm sad to see you go, but I suppose this is your stop." Himeko murmured, "You fulfilled your promise to your mother, didn't you? Knowing that brings me comfort and joy, and I hope that it does the same for you."
"It was a truly a joy having you on the Express with us." Welt added quietly, "You've changed since the day we first brought you aboard, and I'm glad that you were able to return to the home you'd been longings for after all this time. Rest well."
The next words the two senior members of the Express had for y/n were shared in silence. Their lack of speaking was fine, they believed y/n would hear them just fine.
After they said their goodbyes, wishing y/n all the best and an eternity of tranquility and rest, they left. There was one last visitor. Jing Yuan.
He stood idly for a very long time.
"I did say I owed you a chat. I intend to fulfill my promise and see it through." the man said quietly, "I don't mean to intrude in your resting time, but... I have a couple years' worth of news to share with you. I hope you don't mind."
Silence.
"Let's see... where to begin."
. 。 ⋆ • ﾟ 。 . . . 。 . 。
⋆ 。 ⋆。 ඞ 。 . • . . ⁎ 。 . 。 . ⋆. 。 . . . ⋆. 。. ⁎ 。• ﾟ 。
Y/n's eyelids were heavy as she blinked open her eyes.
"Jing... Yuan...?" she mumbled.
The woman rubbed her eyes, sitting up.
Oh... it was dark again.
She'd fallen asleep as she was telling her brother all that had happened. And now she was alone again.
Y/n heaved a sigh, "🚚ers moved my damned body, didn't they? I'd give them a piece of my mind but I'm kinda dead right now."
She got up, dusting herself off, the stared off into the darkness. Alright, where to... straight ahead?
She took to walking. She didn't know for how long she walked, as her body didn't grow tired, but she could practically feel the distance piling up.
As y/n strolled through the darkness, she was acutely aware of another's presence. She paused, then looked back.
Her expression grew wary.
"Ah... again?"
There stood one of those creatures. It was without a head, most of them lost their heads when she killled them, but this one felt very alive.
Of course. It wasn't real.
Y/n scoffed and turned away, "The afterlife is 💩... I'm going somewhere else, you're ruining my rest."
"Do you really think you deserve rest?"
Y/n halted as she came face to face with another one of those headless abominations. Not this 💩 again—
She immediately looked for escape routes but she was surrounded quicker than she could react. Tens of thousands— millions of those abominations she killed. Most she couldn't see, but she could feel their gazes on her. Hear them.
Some were screaming, others crying. Voices enraged, confused, desperate. Begging begging please don't kill us. Cursing, cursing her, wishing death upon her.
Ha. Death. Even in death she couldn't escape them.
"You don't deserve rest." one hissed.
"You may have died, but your sins won't just fade away." another spat. "You'll pay for what you did."
"Pay for it?" y/n mumbled, "I wiped all of you out and you still don't get it. I don't pay for jack 💩."
"Ignorant Xianzhou filth."
"You'll pay for it."
"Pay for it all."
"We'll torture you here until you have no choice but to return to living. And we'll continue to follow you then."
Y/n grimaced. Holy cow, why was she still getting migraines?! Dead people don't get migraines!
Not dead... she wasn't truly dead yet, eh?
What was holding her back?
Something wasn't letting her die.
Was it them?
Y/n pondered over this as they closed in on her. Her thoughts were rudely cut off as searing pain seizes her. Thousands of deaths, replaying at once, level and over all in that moment.
The pain was blinding, but y/n could still think.
Thinking... fragmented words amidst the pain.
What did she need to do?
What... to be free of these abominations.
Y/n's irritation shifted to fear as she relieved being killed over and over. Bullets, blades, hammers, falls, it hurt so damn much. She couldn't take it—!
She couldn't take it anymore!
Y/n wrenched herself free of them all and ran, eyes brimming with tears. Behind her, they were so close behind. Screaming, shrieking, enraged.
She could feel their hands pulling and tugging at her. Y/n continued running forward. Stopping and letting herself be dragged back meant she'd lose herself again.
Not again, she didn't want to hurt anyone else!
She just wanted sleep... rest. She wanted rest.
"Those Astral Expressers. It seems that during the time you were gone, you became very close with them."
Y/n halted. That voice...
"It's to my understanding that they're preparing to leave soon, back to traversing among the stars. Visiting so many worlds... I wonder, during your time with them, did you grow to love trailblazing?"
Of course she loved it.
She loved the people she met along the way too!
And the people she got to travel with!
"It hurts to see another friend go..."
Jing Yuan.
"But, I won't ask you to do anything else. You've already given the Luofu your all. I hope that the Judges can find a way to guide you to the Hall of Karma so that when my time comes, we can see each other again."
Hey.
"I was thinking... a game of Xianzhou starchess? Perhaps a few rounds of Celestial Jade. I have a list of activities I've been wanting to enjoy with you when we both retired."
Y/n blinked. Those games—
She huffed, "You always cheat..."
"I know how competitive you get, and your tendency to attack me with a stick when I pull sneaky moves, but I don't mind. I'm fact, I sincerely look forward to the next time I get to see our break to board out of excitement. I should leave now, I apologize for talking to much."
"Hey, wait, don't go!"
"Until next time, y/n."
Y/n whirled around and recoiled. All of those she had killed had come together, one big ugly mass in the darkness. Eyes all trained on her, bloody hands reaching out for her and grabbing her.
She stepped back to retreated but one hand clamped around her face, stopping her. Y/n flailed, struggling to free herself, but they only seemed to draw her in.
'Damn it... I can't—!'
'Not again, I won't let them!'
'I can't hurt anyone else!'
It was all dark as y/n was submerged. It was hopeless as all the pain and sufferings came right back. Tormenting her, breaking her bit by bit, nudging her closer and closer to losing her mind again.
Still, she fought.
Kicking, screaming, clawing for freedom.
And then, I'm the midst of it all, there was a glimmer of light. Y/n thought she was just imagining things, but then she saw it again. An... arrow?
She could hear voices from it. Sounds.
Not the hateful, angry voices of the abominations.
Gentle, kind, loving. Familiar sounds.
Sounds that made something within her stir.
Almost as if waking up from a long nap.
Starskiffs racing one another, a sword cutting through the air, the crackling of flames in a forge, the whizzing of multiple arrows flying by at once, the rush of water.
Y/n began to try to make her way towards it, choking on the fury and lingering resentment of the dead.
She could hear the low, delighted rumblings of a lion, the calm breeze accompanied by starchess pieces.
She neared, the arrow growing nearer and the voices and sounds becoming louder, clearer. Almost-!
She heard her mother making songlotus cakes, Yun pouring a glass of puffergoat milk.
Her hand neared the arrow and the many hands grabbed at her, screaming and trying to pull her away from it. It hurt, their voices piercing into her like knives and splitting her mind.
Splintering... it was all splintering-!
She could hear March's laughter, Caelus' hushed jokes, a cheery Pom-Pom, Himeko making coffee, Welt quietly sketching, the hums of the Data Bank.
Y/n mustered up one last burst of strength and rugged herself free. The screams reached a shattering new volume, prickling, sharp needles piercing every nerve in y/n's body yet she still grabbed it.
The moment her hand grasped the arrow, there was blinding light and y/n shielded her eyes from the literally flash grenade that'd just been set off.
The screams faded as the darkness melted away, and y/n waited until all was silent. Only when the pain faded away did she open her eyes.
She was floating in space, surrounded by countless stars. There was a streak across the sky, quicker than y/n could see, but for a moment, she saw them.
Difficult to tell where their eyes were with the mask-like feature concealing their face, but y/n could tell.
She just barely caught a glimpse of them, but she could tell that they hadn't looked at her. Fitting... considering what she had become.
Just as quickly as they came, they were gone.
All that was left was a glimmering trail of a plethora of colors, leaving gorgeous streaks of light across the starry expanse of space.
"I guess I know what this means, huh..."
There was a laughing noise, one y/n immediately recognized as a songlotus cake and she looked to her side.
Her brother was there, admiring the colors in the sky.
He paused, glanced at her, then smiled.
'Doesn't seem to be showing signs of coming back. It may be too late, but the General asked that we try our best to get her to the Hall of Karma.'
Xueyi rubbed the back of her neck with a sigh.
"I suppose we can try, might take some time, though."
The Judge had confirmed that the h/c haired woman would not become stricken with mara again and come back to life, so it was safe for an attempt to guide her soul to the Hall of Karma to be made.
The Astral Express Crew had left, the General returned to the Seat of Divine Foresight to discuss some matters with them, so Xueyi figured she could get on with it now.
She turned around to wheel the woman away, only to stop. Her expression remained blank as she watched y/n, sitting upright and looking very alive, rub her e/c eyes blearily.
The h/c haired woman let out a long yawn, wiping a tear away from her eye before glancing at the Judge.
Xueyi stared at y/n.
Y/n stared right back.
"I swear. I'm not crazy." y/n said quickly.
Xueyi glanced at the control panel where she'd been working, then back at y/n who seemed to grimace.
"I'm not mad. Do I look mad? I don't sound mad. Perfectly sane. Not mara-struck. Sanity intact."
She winced.
"Mostly intact."
Xueyi blinked before slapping the button which caused an alarm to blare and the lights to flash red.
Y/n cursed, attempting to scramble off the table. Xueyi didn't expect her to go anywhere, she was chained down for 🚚's sake, but the iron binds were snapped like twigs as y/n hopped off the table.
Xueyi began to lunge into action to stop her but y/n wasn't having it, grabbing ahold of the chains still attached to her wrists and slinging them to strike the puppet across the head.
Mind you, those were heavy chains.
They flung Xueyi across the room effortlessly.
Y/n grimaced, shouting a, "Sorry!" before snatching up Mimi and the sword leaning against table she'd been on before fleeing. The giant metal doors of the exit began to close but she ran right through them, knocking them right off their hinges.
Xueyi could hear a ruckus from the rest of the Commission as y/n fled, unintentionally wreaking havoc.
While she didn't seem mara-stricken, there was always a risk. She was practically a ticking time bomb! That, and the Luofu was still tense after the Stellaron crisis.
Xueyi couldn't let y/n leave the Commission.
If she was seen, people would start panicking.
News of y/n's rampage had spread fast, and her suddenly appearing again would definitely make people panic and lose their minds.
The Judge couldn't allow that.
Xueyi pushed herself back to her feet, dusting herself off and adjusting her arm which had been twisted awkwardly.
She adjusted her head, then proceeded on after y/n, simply following her path of destruction. From the sound of it, she'd already gotten far ahead.
That's fine.
Xueyi would find her and drag her right back.
(Jing Yuan 🥰)
(I don't care if this man is in his 80s, he's fine asf)