Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“When you make a choice, make one you know you won't regret…”

Getting a new member on the Express normally wasn't much hassle. Just like the case of you and March 7th, both parties had to agree to joining the Express. By parties, you meant Himeko, and Pom-Pom, the Navigator and Conductor respectively; and whoever wished to join the starward voyage. For March, she joined on default. She was just defrosted from a space popsicle to a human, and had nowhere else to go. For you, it was due to Kafka awakening you. You had an opportunity to join the Herta Space Station instead, but rather you settled with the Express. Trailblazing was fun.

But for the case of Misha, this was vastly different. You saw it first hand. 

First of all, Misha had to be a “stowaway”. You put that in parentheses because he really wanted to join the Astral Express, but alas, fate had different plans. Also because Misha ended up being the Watchmaker's Legacy, Mikhail’s GRANDSON , the streets of Penacony turned into a bloodbath in an attempt to find him and to get their filthy hands on him (the latter being the case of the Family, the former being everyone else since Mikhail was heavily famed in story and legend). The poor boy had to be stuffed in one of March's many suitcases and covered in an insane amount of Clockie merchandise she'd somehow bought from Golden Hour. After that plan worked because the security checkpoints were empty (and after you internally cussed at the Bloodhound Family for abandoning their posts) came the other problems Misha had upon coming onto the Astral Express. The poor boy had to deal with nightmares, jarring personality switches, and guilt. So much guilt. It came to a point where he was pointing Mikhail’s greatsword at everyone he saw, even at you. It got so bad that Kafka, of all people, had to visit the Express for some memory suppression. Thankfully, it was just Kafka that came. If Blade was here, Dan Heng would’ve been cooped up in his room, door bolted shut. 

“I don’t think this has happened before.” the wine-red haired lady sighed, “Usually, my Spirit Whisper can work on Bladie and other people, but…” 

“So…you can’t help Misha?” March 7th asked as you turned your gaze to the sleeping boy on the couch. 

“I’m afraid not. It seems like Misha has some kind of…immunity.” Kafka sighed again. You noticed she’s been sighing a lot since the start of the visit. 

You decide to speak up. “Kafka, if it helps, Misha has a Stellaron in his body.” 

The normally reserved Kafka’s jaw falls slack. “I-I’m sorry, what?” 

You decide to repeat your sentence. “Misha has a Stellaron in his body.” 

Welt, or rather Mr. Yang, decides to speak up. “That explains it. When Misha came onto the Express, his eyes were orange. Orange, and…” 

“His pupils were the shape of a black hole.” Himeko said, finishing the old man’s sentence. 

“Wait, no. That’s Acheron.” Welt corrected Himeko. 

“But they share the same shape, don’t they?” Himeko asked.

“No, they don’t.” Welt turns back to Kafka. “Anyways, according to the Trailblazer, Misha normally has purple eyes with his pupils shaped like a keyhole.” 

“That explains it.” Kafka sighed again. “Well then, sorry to say, I can’t help you. My apologies.” 

“That’s no problem. At least you tried.” You reply. 

Kafka smiles gently at you. “I’m also sorry Firefly couldn’t come along. If she came, I’m certain you two would be chatting the whole time.” 

The mention of Firefly summoned a cascade of memories. You remember how she revealed to you that she really was Sam, the suit of armour that worked for the Stellaron Hunters, how she took you all over Golden Hour, how she shared her favourite snacks and songs with you, and so much more. The reveal was frustrating, but relieving at the same time. Frustrating due to how she faked her death and how she really was a Stellaron Hunter, but relieving because Firefly really was okay the entire time, and she really left unharmed. You also managed to pay her back the money you borrowed during the first dinner date you two had together, so it was all fine and dandy. 

“It’s alright. Firefly probably has something to do right now.” You can’t help but feel a little crestfallen, but alas, you had to keep trucking forward.

“But if Kafka can’t help Misha, what can we do?” March 7th asked, looking at Himeko and you. “Will Misha stay the way he is?” 

Dan Heng, the quiet man standing the furthest from the sofa, raised his hand to his forehead and sighed. It was obvious that Misha had brandished his weapon towards him at least five times, so the uncanny resemblances to Blade was unavoidable. “As much as how Misha wants to join the Express and how I’m okay with welcoming him onboard, I’m afraid he’s not mentally fit to join us.” 

“But where do we drop him off? We can’t leave Misha back at Penacony.” Himeko snapped. 

“We also can’t drop him off at the Luofu! We can’t trust anyone there to take care of him, can we?” March 7th added. 

“We could drop him off at the Herta Space Station, but there's no point…” Welt pondered. 

You look around, listening to Dan Heng arguing with everyone else, seeing Himeko and March fighting to keep Misha on the train. 

Suddenly, an idea comes to mind. “I know a Memokeeper.” 

Black Swan

Memories are soft amber

Trailblazer: Black Swan, could you help the Express with something?

Black Swan: Sure, what’s going on?

Trailblazer: You know how a Memokeeper suppressed March 7th’s memories, right?

Black Swan: I believe you told me about that when we were talking about the Divination Commission. What seems to be the problem?

Trailblazer: Could you do the same for another member of the Express?

Chapter Text

A lone rabbit, lost within the seas of time…

“How much will he remember?” 

“Not much. I’m quite surprised, however. He has so many forged memories, like someone has been tampering with them.”  

Your body feels heavy. You are sitting on a plush chair, a sofa, maybe?

“I mean…you can’t blame him. He IS the ████████████ ██████, after all.”  

What…what did she say?

“Well, this was a bit messy, but I’ve managed to take advantage of the Stellaron in his body. From now onwards, Misha is just a little bellhop who managed to meet Welt and join the Astral Express after the Charmony Festival. I’ve erased his memories of ████████ ███ ███████ ███████ ██ █████████ ███ ██████ ███ ███████████ ███████ ███ ██ ██ █ ██████ ███████ ███ █████ ██ ████ ███████████…as for Mikhail, the Stellaron, he will hold these memories for safekeeping. Take it as two souls sharing one body.” 

“But what about the ████████████ ██████?” 

“It’s just now a simple family heirloom that Misha has to protect with his life. He will discover how it works in his own time, and the greatsword will be imperative to that cause.” 

“Whoa, Mr. Yang, did you take apart the sword for yourself?” 

“I didn’t. I simply saw how Misha ████ ██ ██████ ██ ███ ██ ██████ ███ ██ █████ ███ ████████.”

“He’s subconscious now. I’ve managed to filter what he can and can’t hear, but watch your language.”  

The other me…

“Now then…”

You hear a slight glimmer. You don’t know what it came from. 

You hear faint murmurs, then the soft dread of your memories slipping away. They flash before your eyes, before turning to dust in your hands. 

You hear a faint voice, inescapable and despondent. 

“Mikhail…where are you going? Don’t leave me.” 

It takes a second to realise the voice was your own. 

You remember a warm smile from someone familiar. The last smile you ever saw from that someone. 

The very last smile you saw from Mikhail, your own grandfather. 

A claw forces its way into his chest. Mikhail is still smiling. Scarlet blood stains his coat, dripping onto his shoes, onto the shiny floor. 

“I’m sorry…” Mikhail winces. “I couldn’t protect you, Misha…” 

“Mikhail! Are you--” 

You collapse onto the ground as soon as you took off running. Your body starts to lose all its strength, slowly shutting down. 

“You will forget me. You’ll forget everything. And that’s okay, Misha.”  

I don’t want to forget you.

“It’s for your own good, Misha.” 

No, I don’t want to…

“I don’t want you to cry over me anymore. I’m gone. You’re free now. You don’t have to wait for me anymore. Explore the stars on your own, and I’m sure you’ll meet new friends along the way.” 

You hear yourself crying. You’re sobbing so much you’re about to stop breathing. Grief strikes at your heart, and so does guilt. The monster should’ve killed you, not Mikhail. 

You’re about to faint, but before you do, a pair of damp hands cradle your cheeks, a pair of thumbs wiping your tears. 

“█ ████ ██ ██ ███. I love you, Misha.”  

Outside of the dream, a solitary tear slips across Misha’s face.

Chapter Text

Where…am I?  

“Is he awake?” 

“I’m not sure if he’s breathing. He looked so pained earlier…” 

“He’s not a mannequin. He’s here, and surely alive!” 

“March, can you do CPR? His breathing and pulse is weak…” 

“Eh?! Hey, Trailblazer, could you do it instead of me?!” 

“But…I don’t know CPR…” 

“Uggh, fine! Just this once!” 

Just before someone puts her hands on your chest, your eyes flutter open. You meet the gaze of a sakura-haired girl with glittering eyes in pink and blue. A dark-grey, gloved hand pushes her face away. 

“Wait, he’s awake!” 

You weakly look up at the other person. They have grey hair, a dark jacket with yellow lining, a white baggy t-shirt, and a calm golden gaze. Your hand grasps your forehead, your head’s spinning and it’s suddenly hard to keep your eyes open without searing pain slicing into your retinas. Your back is slumped against the back of a soft, scarlet sofa, your head lolled downwards. 

“Are you alright? Can you hear me?” the grey-haired person asks as your senses regain their bearings. You weakly manage a nod. “Do you remember your name?” 

“Trailblazer!” a peppy voice shrieks behind the grey-haired person. 

“...I’m Misha.” you weakly stammer. “Where…where am I?” 

“You’re on the Astral Express.” a strong masculine voice replies. You look up and see a familiar face: brown, short hair, strict demeanour, warm clothes, shiny glasses. 

Welt Yang. 

“W-Welt? What’s going on?” you ask. You manage to tilt your head upwards to meet his gaze. 

“It’s a long story.” a red-haired lady in a fancy white-and-gold dress said. “You probably don’t remember much about what happened, but getting off Penacony was a mess. You must’ve fallen asleep in the mad rush.” Her chuckle echoes warmly through the room.  

Wait, not a room. Looking around, you see stars. 

“This…is the Astral Express?” you manage to say. 

“That’s right.” a calm voice spoke. You look back at the source of the voice, and see a dark-haired boy in a dark grey turtleneck and a messily worn overcoat in white and jade. He was trying to smile. “I’m Dan Heng, the Express’s Archivist and Guard.” 

“I’m March 7th!” says the pink-haired girl, cheerfully grinning brighter than the overhead lights. 

“I’m Himeko. I’m the Express’ Navigator.” the red-haired lady said, a warm smile playing on her lips. 

“I’m Welt Yang. We must’ve met in Penacony, where I gave you your insignia.” Welt said, introducing himself for the second time, just in case you forgot him. 

Everyone in the room turned to the grey-haired person. After a moment of hesitation, they introduced themselves. “I’m the Trailblazer. It’s nice to meet you again, Misha.” 

You look on in awe of the group standing before you. 

“I’m Misha. It’s nice to meet all of you!” 

As you get to your feet, Dan Heng steps towards you with a greatsword. The gold-plated blade glimmers in the light, akin to a starry sky. Under the golden shell was a gentle platinum mechanism hiding a gentle tick-tock heartbeat. The hilt was wrapped in red, rough cloth, gently fitting into your hands, like a lock and key. 

“We found this weapon with you while you were a bellboy.” Himeko said, talking about the sword. “I presume this is a family heirloom of yours?” 

“Yeah. This belonged to Grandpa!” you reply. You recognise the sword, but yet, despite it being Grandpa’s sword, everything about it was fitted for you. From the hilt to the weight of the blade to the mechanical clock heartbeat, this greatsword was fitted for your delicate hands.

Deep inside your heart, you can’t help but feel accomplished. 

Grandpa may have left a long time ago, but you kept his promise. 

This was your reward. Grandpa came back to Penacony, too old to trailblaze again. 

After Welt gave you your Trailblazer’s Insignia, you ran back to Grandpa, excited by the news. Grandpa was seated in a quiet corner of the room, the overhead lights bright but dimmed. The hotel carpet was slightly soiled, the ornate tables were shifted, but you didn’t care about that. 

“Grandpa, look! Someone from the Express gave this to me!” 

“Great work, Misha. Now run free, little rabbit. Go as far as you can.” 

You remember a plush rabbit being pushed into your arms. 

“Take me to the moon, Misha. Take me past the moon and the stars above.” 

Grandpa hands you the greatsword, tilting the hilt forward, swinging the blade towards your feet. You grasp the weighted shaft, gazing wondrously upon the sword’s metal shell. 

“Go now, Misha. Go, and never return to Penacony. You’re no longer trapped by time, you’re freer than the birds in the sky.” 

“Soar through the stars and far beyond, little rabbit.”

Chapter Text

“When you make a choice, make one you know you won't regret…”

Trailblazer, March 7th, Dan Heng, Welt and Himeko’s Group Chat

Dan Heng: What is this for?

Trailblazer: I got paranoid

March 7th: Paranoid? 

March 7th: Do you think Silver Wolf managed to see our messaging history????

March 7th: [Cry]

Himeko: I don’t think this is the case. 

Himeko: Remember how Misha had his memories wiped? 

Welt: Precisely. Black Swan came aboard the Express for that, remember? 

March 7th: Oh, yeah! The Memokeeper.

Dan Heng: But still, why do we need to hide this chat from Misha?

Trailblazer: Misha’s memories aren’t properly wiped.

Trailblazer: Remember how me and Misha both have Stellarons in our body?

Welt: Yes.

March 7th: Yes

Dan Heng: Yes. 

Himeko: Yes. 

Trailblazer: So basically, unlike the Stellaron inside me, Misha’s Stellaron has a consciousness

Dan Heng: [Gasp]

March 7th: I'm sorry, WHAT

Himeko: This…is surprising.

Welt: So what I’m getting from this is, the Stellaron is holding Misha’s memories for him?

Trailblazer: Yep

Himeko: I don’t understand why Black Swan didn’t just downright erase everything. 

March 7th: I guess it’d be too confusing? 

March 7th: Just imagine, Misha wakes up in the Astral Express

March 7th: With absolutely no memory of his past

March 7th: And all he has is his greatsword, the Watchmaker’s Legacy, the Stellaron and the clothes on his back!

Welt: …

Welt: …I see your point. 

Welt: Only thing is, you got your bow a while later. And you were basically a human popsicle before we somehow managed to defrost the Six-Phased Ice. 

Dan Heng: Yeah, I can see how that can be disorienting for Misha. 

Dan Heng: Take it from my experiences when I woke up in the Shackling Prison and I had no idea what I did. 

Himeko: But yet…we don’t know anything about Misha. He’s only trusted the Trailblazer so far. 

Trailblazer: Hey, hey, hey! Don’t look at me. 

Trailblazer: Misha didn’t tell me everything! 

Trailblazer: It was just some kinda…

Trailblazer: …

Trailblazer: [Can’t See Me] 

Dan Heng: Is it a lot for you to remember? 

Trailblazer: Yes..

Trailblazer: [Crying] 

Trailblazer: I do remember hearing that after Mikhail died in front of his eyes, he was taken away and imprisoned. 

Trailblazer: Remember the time we entered the true Dreamscape and saw Misha hooked to an insane amount of life support? 

Himeko: Oh yeah

Welt: We saw handcuffs on his wrists and ankles

Dan Heng: Given his physical state, I’m not sure how he’s able to wield a greatsword. 

Welt: So…what can we do now? The Stellaron can take over Misha’s consciousness any time. 

March 7th: We can bring him clothes shopping! 

March 7th: Where are we stopping next for supplies? 

Himeko: Our next stop should be the Xianzhou. 

Dan Heng: Good. We can get him a new phone as well. I’ll act as a bodyguard for him in case anything happens. 

Welt: Dan Heng? I thought you were against going on the Luofu. 

Dan Heng: Did you not see the news? 

Dan Heng : [Attached image of a smear campaign going viral of Misha, albeit with his face blurred out. The campaign was started by the Family.]  

Dan Heng: THE FAMILY IS AFTER HIM.

Dan Heng: THE. FAMILY. OF. PENACONY. 

March 7th: Huh? This isn’t issued by the IPC! 

Himeko: Didn’t Misha hand Penacony back to the IPC as the Watchmaker’s heir? 

Trailblazer: He did, yes

Trailblazer: I guess Chicken Wing Boy and his goons are still vengeful over it

Welt: Okay, so…Misha cut his hair and changed his hairstyle before the memory wipe. 

Dan Heng: DID MISHA BREAK HIS PHONE

Dan Heng: DID MISHA BREAK HIS SMARTPHONE

Trailblazer: I think it’s still intact…?

March 7th: Oh, no…people can track his cellphone signal…

Dan Heng: TRAILBLAZER

Dan Heng: TAKE YOUR LANCE

Dan Heng: BREAK THE PHONE, NOW

Trailblazer: But…

Dan Heng: JUST BREAK THE PHONE, FOR THE LOVE OF THE TRAILBLAZE

Trailblazer: But Misha won’t have a phone!

Dan Heng: HE CAN BORROW HIMEKO’S OR SOMETHING 

Dan Heng: LIKE A CHILD

March 7th: Isn’t Misha already a child?????

Dan Heng: THAT'S THE POINT

Dan Heng: JUST BREAK THE SMARTPHONE

Himeko: I…think this is a bit overkill…?

Welt: Dan Heng has a point, though. It is quite easy to track someone’s smartphone signal. 

Welt: I wouldn’t be surprised if Misha already got doxxed, but that only raises my concerns so much higher than they already are. 

Trailblazer: I broke his phone

Trailblazer: Misha’s sleeping, so I can say that he accidentally dropped his phone too hard while taking a nap

Dan Heng: Good. Don’t tell him about this. Head to the Luofu ASAP. 

Himeko: Got it. I’ll inform Pom-Pom. 

Welt: But for the time being, don’t talk about his past around him. 

Welt: Password-lock this group. 

Welt: And whatever happens, don’t talk about the Watchmaker’s Legacy. 

March 7th: Got it!

Dan Heng: Understood. 

Trailblazer: Yes, Mr. Yang

Himeko: Get ready, everyone. We’re warp jumping in ten. 

Himeko: And March, seriously, please don’t stand while we’re warping. Please sit down.

Chapter Text

A lone rabbit, lost within the seas of time,
Drifting between life and death, an uphill battle…

“Misha?” 

“Misha! Wake up!” 

You groggily sit up, sleep dust in your eyes. You realise you’ve fallen asleep on the sofa, and the Trailblazer has gently shaken you awake. 

“What…did I fall asleep?” you tiredly murmur. 

“Yeah. We’ve arrived at the Xianzhou Luofu.” they reply.  

“The…Xianzhou…?” The name rings a bell. You remember reading about it and hearing about it from the other hotel guests. 

“Trailblazer! Is Misha awake yet?” March 7th yells near the entrance of the parlour car. “We’re heading off!” 

“We’re coming!” the Trailblazer yells back. 

You look around, and find your phone on the ground. 

Oh, crap. 

You hastily pick it up, and try turning it on by pressing the side button. The screen is shattered, and the display isn’t working. 

“Wait! My phone isn’t working!” You look up at the Trailblazer. “What happened?!” 

“Oh, um…your phone must’ve fallen off the sofa during the warp jump.” The Trailblazer replies, chuckling nervously. 

You feel a pit of dread in your throat. Your phone was broken. You were stranded. How would you be able to contact everyone else now?

“Don’t worry. Himeko’s gonna buy you a new one.” They give you a smile, and pat your forehead. 

“Oh, thank goodness…” At least you’re getting a new phone. Your current phone was lagging so badly, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it around…5 years out-of-service? 

“Wait, you can’t go out like this.” The Trailblazer reaches behind their back, and pulls out an oversized hoodie. They pull the dark blue garment on your body, pulling the hood up to cover your face. 

“What’s going on?” you ask. 

“It’s not safe to go out the way you are. Once we get you some new clothes, you can return this hoodie to Dan Heng.” they explained. 

You nod cheerfully. 

“Alright then. Let’s get going.” 

The Trailblazer offers you their hand, and you gladly take it. 

However…

“Misha…be careful…” 

Who’s there?  

“...”
“The Family…” 

…

You ignore the little voice in your head. Maybe you’re just imagining things. 

You’re greeted by azure skies, oriental red-roofed buildings, and the gentle hustle-and-bustle of the Central Starskiff Haven. The first thing that you go through was a short briefing, courtesy of Himeko. 

“Misha, you will be staying with Dan Heng and March 7th.” Himeko said. “Me, Welt and the Trailblazer will be going to see Jing Yuan at the Seat of Divine Foresight.” 

“Yes, Miss Himeko!” March 7th cheerfully replies. 

“Understood.” Dan Heng replies, monotone. 

Himeko whispers something to March 7th, and the pink-haired girl nods in reply.

“We will be off now.” Welt said, taking the Trailblazer and Himeko with him. “We’ll be back.” 

“See you!” March 7th cheerfully waves back at them. She then turns to you, sparkles in her eyes. “Well then…what should we do first?” 

The first stop was at a clothes store. March 7th made you try on multiple outfits, some frilly, some simple, some…strange, and after almost an hour, you couldn’t decide on what you really liked. 

“March, stop trying to push your interests onto Misha…” Dan Heng sighed. 

“Aww…but he’d look so cute in that!” March 7th motions to a frilly dress. 

“For the last time! I’m not your doll! And I’m a boy!” you scream, desperately using your hands to push down a pair of insanely short shorts. You were so sick of your old bellhop uniform, especially since people gave you weird stares while you were in it. If only you had something to cover it up…

While March 7th and Dan Heng were arguing amongst themselves, you catch a magician’s suit on a mannequin from the corner of your eye. The colours were similar to your old uniform, but instead of the weird jacket you once wore, it was a fancy blazer coat with faded cerulean accents and gold lining. The shorts had safety garters, it had a cool cape…

You point to the outfit. “I’ll take that one.” 

After Dan Heng was promptly robbed of his Credits, March 7th declared, “It’s time to head off somewhere else!” 

“Like…where?” You ask, pulling at the shirt collar and the indigo tie you bought impulsively to tie off the outfit. Your Trailblazer Insignia was pinned to your left blazer collar, and March 7th even included a headband with rabbit ears just for the fun of it. 

“Aurum Alley, of course!” said March 7th after the three of you left the shop. “We’ve got to let Misha try some of the local delicacies, remember?” 

“Actually, I’m fine…” you stammer. 

Suddenly, Dan Heng perks up. He quickly pushes you behind him. 

“Dan Heng? What’s going on--” 

“Hello, everyone! I’m Little Gui~” said an orange-haired girl holding up a selfie stick. “Today’s another IRL stream! I’m here at the Central Starskiff Haven! They said they have some cool stuff here, so I’m gonna check it out…” 

“Oh, fuck.” Dan Heng mutters. 

“Hey! No cussing!” March 7th gasps. She turns to you. “Misha, you didn’t hear anything.” 

“There’s some pretty interesting people here…oh, look! It’s some of the Trailblazer’s friends!” Gui turns her focus to you, Dan Heng and March 7th. You hide further behind Dan Heng’s back. Dan Heng curses again under his breath. Little Gui’s chat starts flooding with comments. 

Aloy_Sobeck: holy shit is that who i think it is

nahida!: ITS THE BOY FROM THE SMEAR CAMPAIGN

CynoMahamatra: why tf would anyone want to put a child as a target for a smear campaign anyways

2AppleπOrNot2π: That’s Misha, isn’t it? 

2AppleπOrNot2π: The destroyer of Penacony. 

FIREBIRD: The Family did say something about him being a scum or something…

Amiya_RhodesIsland: oh daang the wanted criminal

Shiroko: SOMEONE CALL THE FAMILY

Texas_PL2: OH MY GOD SOMEONE REPORT THIS STREAM WE ARENT JUMPING AN INNOCENT CHILD 

quasoPenguinLogistics: oh dear heavens

LaviniaFalcone: How many people from Luofu are watching this right now?

LaviniaFalcone: This can be dangerous. 

WKaboom: WE FOUND HIM, LADS! THE RAT OF PENACONY!

“Oh, no…” March 7th murmured. 

Dan Heng grabbed both you and March 7th, and took off running. You accidentally bump into the lady with the selfie stick, knocking it out of her hands. She wails, and falls down. 

“I’m so sorry!” you cry. 

But it’s too late. 

Now the whole world knows where you are, even without a smartphone. You hear some mutters seeping through the cracks. 

“That’s the boy on Little Gui’s stream!” 

“A simple clothes change won’t be able to do anything.” 

“Get him before the Family does!” 

“He’s the reason me and my parents can’t go to Penacony!” 

The dread starts rising again. What could you do? All you had was a greatsword, your stuffed bunny, and…

…And you’re surrounded by an angry mob. Angry citizens of the Xianzhou surround the three of you. Dan Heng pulls out his spear. March 7th prepares her bow. 

“Oh, no…everyone, please calm down!” March 7th stammers. 

“Three of a kind…” Dan Heng murmurs. 

You crank your head from left to right. 

“Two pair…” 

Your brain goes foggy. You’re trapped. 

You’re trapped. 

You’re trapped. 

You’re too weak to fight against the crowd.  

Your hands tighten their grip on your weapon, trembling. 

You can’t do much now. 

The panic rises, higher and higher.  

“Everyone…” March 7th tries pushing people away. You’re struggling to breathe. You can’t breathe. Your heart is beating out of its chest. 

You grip the greatsword’s hilt tighter and tighter. You pant in panic, your eyes darting from face to face. 

The sea of panic nearly drowns you…

I wish I could stop time.  

Dan Heng was about to strike. 

All seems unwinnable, a lost cause. But within you, something clicked in place, cogs perfectly merging and meshing into each other. 

I wish I could stop time!

Chapter Text

“When you make a choice, make one you know you won't regret…”

Unbeknownst to the chaos that was going to ensue, Himeko, Welt and the Trailblazer arrived at the Seat of Divine Foresight. There, Jing Yuan sat at his desk with his retainer, Yanqing, standing guard. 

“You’re back. How was the trip to Penacony?” Jing Yuan asked, his sleepy disposition causing him to shift his weight onto the desk. 

“It…was quite a mess.” Himeko replied, politely. “We’re actually here to ask you for a favor.” 

“I…see.” The general stood up, and did a small stretch. “What favor do you ask for? The Nameless has helped the Xianzhou Luofu on multiple occasions, and I’ll be willing to pay it back on behalf of everyone.” 

“Actually…” you start. “It’s quite a long story.” 

You tell Jing Yuan and Yanqing about the whole incident in Penacony, from discovering Mikhail’s legacy at Dreamflux Reef, awakening Misha from his prison, to Misha being a member of the Express Crew. By the end of it, the two people behind the desk had dropped everything in their hands in shock. Even Yanqing, who was polishing his shiny sword blade idly while listening in, dropped his sword at the end of everything, the weapon clattering on the ground with a metallic crash. 

“What…in the?” Yanqing whispered. 

Jing Yuan, for once, was at a loss of words. 

“We also have something to add regarding this.” Himeko spoke up. “Something regarding the Trailblazer’s accounts doesn’t make sense.” 

“Yes…what is it?” Jing Yuan asked.

You think for a second. 

“The life support wasn’t properly hooked onto Misha’s body…” 

“Misha’s clothes cover his whole body, and it’s quite hot in Penacony…” 

“Misha’s hands were cold when I touched them.”  

“M-M-Misha’s a ghost?!” Yanqing stammered instinctively. You couldn’t blame him; he got possessed by a heliobus almost three months ago…ish.  

“Yes, something’s not right.” Welt added, “When I went to check on the prison cell, I noticed that the main aim was to monitor a prisoner, not to preserve one’s life. The heart monitors were flat.” 

“So…how is he still alive?” Jing Yuan hummed. “If he doesn’t have a heartbeat, then is he even alive?” 

“What if he’s um, uhh…” Yanqing scrambled to pull his smartphone out, tripping over his feet in the process and tumbling to the ground with a yelp. It clattered to the ground, and lay at Himeko’s feet.

“Yanqing, it’s okay. It may not be one of those urban legends you read about on Ghostly Grove.” Jing Yuan etched a small smile towards Yanqing. He turned back to the Crew once Yanqing stood up and got his phone back from Himeko. “I can start guessing, maybe he’s dead, as in physically dead, but he has a living spirit?” 

“That wouldn’t make any sense.” Welt said, “A living thing needs a proper heartbeat and proper signs of life, if not it’s all for naught.” 

“And isn’t death…eternal?” Yanqing added, scrolling on his phone. “And this Misha…is he by chance…” 

Yanqing clicked on a photo, and showed it to everyone. “I found this smear campaign going viral recently. I didn’t think much of it, but now, I’m guessing ‘Misha’ is an alias for another name.” 

Himeko seemed to have lost her words for a second. “We’ve seen that campaign. It’s part of the reason we’re here, actually.” 

“The campaign is against a person named Mikhail Char Legwork.” Yanqing read, paraphrasing an entire wall of text. “The Family is asking to bring his body back to them, dead or alive.” 

“Body? Dead or alive?” Welt sighed. “Well, this seems hilarious. Why do they want an empty shell, anyways?” 

The room was silent once more. You could hear a slight, ominous hum, vibrating, oscillating. 

“...Mr. Yang, do you know something we don’t?” you ask, breaking the silence.   

“Of course I do. It’s something I wanted to tell you, but I never got the chance to. Alternatively, I could keep this a secret, till death do us part.” Welt said, turning to Himeko and you. He turned back to Jing Yuan and Yanqing. “While we were in Penacony, after we freed Misha, Dan Heng and I observed some abnormalities. After being in a coma for over thirty years, Misha had no difficulties in movement, speech or fine motor skills. In fact, he got accustomed to being awake too quickly, faster than a normal human. Dan Heng wasn’t even sure how he could wield a greatsword that’s almost three times his weight, just after waking up.” 

Jing Yuan’s eyebrows turn up, interested. 

“We will ignore the meltdowns because they’re trauma-related, but on one instance, I remembered entering his room on the Express to try and give him something to eat. I noticed his stockings were rolled down, and then I saw it.” Welt adjusted his glasses, and declared, “ Misha isn’t a human. Rather, he’s a puppet with a human soul, the Watchmaker’s final creation before his passing. ” 

Jing Yuan was speechless. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” you ask. 

“Well, I wanted to, but never had the chance.” Welt replied. “I’m sorry, Trailblazer.” 

“That explains it.” Yanqing gasped. “That explains how he doesn’t have a pulse.” 

“But how do you extract a human’s soul?” Jing Yuan asked. “I’m not sure if the Abundance is able to do that.” 

“Memoria.” Himeko replied, her voice wavering. “Mikhail must’ve taken his final daydreams, put them in a memoria bubble, and created a human consciousness with some otherworldly technology…but really, I’m not sure. The Watchmaker was long dead when we found him.” 

“It’s still something incredible. Misha’s body may be robotic, but it functions like a human’s.” Welt noted. “He still needs to eat and sleep like a normal human…” 

“Why are you telling us this?” Jing Yuan asked, sternly. “And why now, of all times?”  

“It’s because Misha also holds a Stellaron, but not in a way where he’s going to blow up the Luofu. The Stellaron is his heartbeat. It’s the driving force that keeps his body alive.” Welt explained. 

“I see…” Jing Yuan scratched his chin. 

“We’re simply asking, if anything ever happens, if Misha can stay here on the Xianzhou for safety purposes. The Family might be chasing us as the Nameless already have a bad press in Penacony.” Himeko explained. She seemed to be pleading, but was still remaining calm at the same time. 

“I…get what’s happening, especially since I presume this smear campaign involves him one way or another?” Yanqing asked. 

“He is the Watchmaker’s grandson, so…” you rub your palms together, looking around the room anxiously. 

Yanqing looks at the Express Crew, puzzled. “Just what in the name of the Reignbow Arbiter happened on Penacony? First, Robin leaves the Family, and now a smear campaign involving Mikhail’s grandson?” 

“Wait, did I catch that right? The Watchmaker…” Jing Yuan looked at Yanqing. “Who was the target of the campaign?” 

Yanqing scrolled back up. “Mikhail Char Legwork, former Nameless and…the Watchmaker of Penacony?! Hey, they’re dealing with you guys! You guys literally stopped Phantylia back then! They’re fighting against the Nameless! That’s bringing a piece of paper to a gunfight!” 

“Agreed. If anything, the Family are the criminals. From what I hear on the news, Sunday is facing criminal charges right now. Abuse of power, coercion, kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, unlawful imprisonment of a child, and now slander? All I can say, he’s getting a life sentence.” Jing Yuan said. “I may be a long-life species, but this is long for me, too.” 

Yanqing idly scrolled up, then down, refreshed the page, and yelled, “HOLY MOTHER OF LAN! General, look at this! Now!” 

Yanqing shoved the screen in Jing Yuan’s face. “This is…Guinaifen’s stream?” 

“Read the comments!” Yanqing screamed. 

“Right, ah…how do I work this thing?” Jing Yuan’s finger hovered over the screen, as if pondering what to do next. 

“Just scroll. Like this.” Yanqing scrolled downwards. “And click this to open comments.” 

Jing Yuan scanned a few, and his eyes lit up in fury. 

Susie_GGlitter: The blue haired boy…I think I saw him somewhere. It’s clearly not @IZUMIKun~ , surely not. 

IZUMIKun~: susie why did you ping me--HOLY SHIT ITS MIKHAIL ITS THAT GUY THE FAMILYS LOOKING FOR

ShangshangOfficial: OH MY GOD GUI WHAT DID YOU DO?!

MrTail’s Sidekick: Guinaifen!!! Turn off the comments!

SaibaMomoi: someone doxx this fucker lmaooo

SaibaMidori: oh my goodness lmao whats he doing here????

SeminarTreasurer: OH MY GOD YOU TWO HAVE SOME COMMON SENSE. WHY THE EVERLOVING FRICK WOULD YOU WANT TO DOX SOMEONE WHO HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG?! I SWEAR TO GOD ONCE I GET MY HANDS ON YOU TWO--

SilverWolf: agreed with @SeminarTreasurer , this kid’s innocent, why tf would i doxx him? i mean i have the capabilities to but hey even a Stellaron Hunter has her morals >:P

TileGamer4ever: cmon pleeeaaassseeee throw your moral compass out the window its so boring at the Divination Commission 

2AppleπOrNot2π: wait a minute, isn’t Mostima travelling to the Xianzhou? HOLY SHIT @mostimaPL5 GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! 

Pinus Slyverstris, Assemble!: oh dear God, i love watching this shit go down

Sampo: @Pinus Slyverstris, Assemble! SPARKLE IS THIS YOUR ALT OR ARE YOU SECRETLY A MASKED FOOL

Pinus Slyverstris, Assemble!: …No? This is Flametail?

Amia_N25: Preparing to jump this kid~! Hey, @yuki_N25 , can I borrow your archery kit? 

LeaderOne: im with you! wheres this? 

Aloy_Sobeck: but still holy shit we found this little piece of shit. who’s with me? imma jump this kid

LaviniaFalcone: @Aloy_Sobeck , NO. YOU CAN GET ARRESTED FOR ARMED ASSAULT. 

Traveller: ALOY, NO

Traveller2: ALOY, NO. JUST DON’T. MY BROTHER KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU CAN DO. I’M NOT LETTING SOMEONE WHO CAN DESTROY A WHOLE ARMY OF ROBOT DINOSAURS SINGLEHANDEDLY JUMP A CHILD. 

EmergencyFood: ALOY, NO (2)

FIREBIRD: I don’t know you, but ALOY, NO! 

mostimaPL5: heya lemlem <3 yep i can confirm i was there when it happened! apparently littlegui said the small kid was a Nameless? but yes i saw everything. check my page i promise its not clickbait

Yanqing checked out the user’s profile, and sure enough, he saw March 7th, Dan Heng, and a blue-haired magician crash into Guinaifen, and sprint off. All on tape. 

“Oh my goodness.” Himeko gasped. 

“I’m gonna DM the user now.” Yanqing said, pulling his phone back and frantically typing. 

“Do it! DM the guy before the comments shut!” you scream. 

“Trailblazer, get in contact with Dan Heng. Let’s get ready to move out.” Jing Yuan ordered. 

You pull your phone out. 

Dan Heng

For anything related to the data bank, come find me.

Trailblazer : Dan Heng

Trailblazer : Dan Heng

Trailblazer : Dan Heng where are you

Trailblazer : Please tell me you and Misha are safe

Trailblazer : And March as well

Trailblazer : Please tell me all of you are safe

Trailblazer : Reply ASAP

mostimaPL5

Catastrophe Messenger at work~ DND unless it’s for doughnuts

UltimateSwordmaster123 : I’m Yanqing, Lieutenant of the Cloud Knights. I’m investigating this case as it involves the safety of a guest on the Luofu. 

UltimateSwordmaster123 : Can you please give me details regarding the video you took? [attached link]

mostimaPL5 : oh shoot

mostimaPL5: the Cloud Knights are on my tail

mostimaPL5: tell Exusiai i love her 

UltimateSwordmaster123 : …Ma’am? You’re not in trouble. You’ll return to your husband in one piece. I just need to know where this happened. The Realm-Keeping Commission will compensate you for your help. 

mostimaPL5: oh good sigh of relief

mostimaPL5: ok first of all, Exusiai is a girl. she’s my gf’s friend’s little sister that i used to babysit back in Laterano but alas we all moved to Lungmen when we grew up. after Terra managed to get space travel i travelled here to get some cool stuff for Exu ahaha

mostimaPL5 : but if i can say something about this, i can  give you the location ping as to where this happened. i cant tell what happened after the mob surrounded the pink haired girl and the dark haired hot man tho

UltimateSwordmaster123 : I’d appreciate a location ping! Thank you! 

UltimateSwordmaster123 : However, can you elaborate regarding what happened after?

mostimaPL5 : honest answer general no fuckin clue

mostimaPL5 : someone was shouting something, time seemed to freeze (i have experience with slowed time but time ACTUALLY FROZE.) and then they were gone and the crowd scattered and its a wnole ass search because people went “WHERE THE HELL IS HE” and stuff like that 

mostimaPL5 : my thoughts are a mess bc after all this happened someone bumped into me and i dropped my wallet in a drain D: trying to use my staves to  get em out 

mostimaPL5 : here’s the location ping though! [Location]

mostimaPL5 : it’s not much but i hope it helps out ;)

UltimateSwordmaster123 : Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Mostima. The Realm-Keeping Commission will compensate you later. 

mostimaPL5 : its not problem haha 

mostimaPL5 : if you see a Fallen Sankta using two staves to try and break a drain cover open its probly me haha  

UltimateSwordmaster123 : I won’t question it. I hope you get your wallet back! 

“I’ve got a location.” Yanqing said. 

“Dan Heng isn’t replying. I think his phone’s off.” you reply. 

“That’s fine. We’re heading off!” Jing Yuan bellowed. “Call the Cloud Knights!” 

“Yes, General!” Yanqing shot a quick text, pocketed his phone, and grabbed his sword, now leaning against the wall. 

Welt and Himeko ran for the door. Himeko pulled it open, and Yanqing, Welt, Jing Yuan, and you flooded out of the hall. 

“Let’s get moving!” you yell. “We’ve got a kid to save!”

Chapter Text

A lone rabbit, lost within the seas of time,
Drifting between life and death, an uphill battle…

“Okay, hopefully nobody will see us here!” March panted. Along with Dan Heng and you, they arrived in the dim bustle of Aurum Alley. They ducked behind a wall, then crashed onto the floor with a sigh of relief. 

“Okay. We're all good here.” Dan Heng nodded. “I'll get food for all of us.”

“Yay! What'd you recommend?” March piped up. 

“I'll get you anything. But don't complain if I get anything too spicy.” Dan Heng let out a small chuckle as March started a light-hearted protest. 

As March and Dan Heng argued, you peeked at March’s smartphone. She’d left her phone screen on, and she had no privacy cover. 

Your eyes widen in shock. People were going after Grandpa. Calling him a traitor. A monster. The person who destroyed Penacony. 

Surely, this was a mistake, right? Grandpa wouldn’t do such a thing. He’s a loving grandpa. He raised you. He loved you. 

You feel someone grip your shoulder. You turn back, and see nobody. 

“Misha, did you forget me?” 

Deep inside your own head, you see a boy who looks just like you. Blue hair the colour of cotton candy, a simple bellboy uniform, with a sad smile and amber eyes. 

“Who are you?”  

“I’m you. The true you.”  

“...What do you mean?”  

The doppelganger smiles wider. “Did you forget your true self so much you forgot your own name? How silly of you, Mikhail.”

“Mikhail is Grandpa’s name, right?” 

“Oh, come on. Stop following the memories that dumb Memokeeper gave us. This isn’t you, Mikhail.”  

“But…I’m happy with being me. I lived a happy life. I managed to travel the stars.”

The doppelganger steps closer to you. “Do you… know the truth?”   

“What do you mean by that? I’m Misha!”  

“Then how could you freeze time like that? How did you know how to activate the Dream Prison? Why did you save those Nameless who are clearly frightened of you?”  

“...Frightened? No, there’s no way. Dan Heng was just tired, and March 7th was just too excited.”  

“Haha, how dense, Mikhail.”

“What-what do you mean?”  

“They’re afraid of you, Mikhail. You’re the Watchmaker’s Legacy. You’re the Watchmaker’s final creation, the weapon to destroy Penacony.”  

“The…what?” 

“Your grandfather created Penacony. He’s the Watchmaker.”  

“...” You feel your hands start to tremble. “What do you mean by creation?” 

The doppelganger pushes his body against yours, pinning you against an invisible wall. “Stop acting stupid. Why am I in your body? Answer that simple question.”

“I…” You struggle against your mirror image. He’s not letting go, not one bit. 

“It’s so simple, and yet you have no answer. I’ll just tell you.” 

“Mikhail Char Legwork, you’re not human. Not one bit. You’re the Watchmaker’s final daydream, the legacy he left behind.” 

You stop struggling. Your arms fall limp, and so do your knees. “Then…who are you?” You managed to stammer something coherent after the shock. 

“I’m your heartbeat. I’m the Stellaron in your body, keeping you alive. Get rid of me, and we both perish. ” 

The two of you stay in a tense silence. Why, just why did this monster only tell you now? Why keep it a secret? 

However, a bigger question weighed on your own mind: if I was meant to destroy Penacony, then why was I created?   

“Don't worry, Clockie. The Nameless will wake me up later. Stay with the Trailblazer for now. I'll rest here for now.”  

Memories, snippets of them, faded into consciousness, then got ripped away from your own grasp. You remember the dream you were once trapped in, how every death you experienced led to a painful reawakening, the memories of your own Grandpa, the warmth of a Stellaron--

“Penacony must save itself.” 

“Don’t come any closer!” 

“Get him! Don’t let him escape!” 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Misha…” 

“It will surely protect you from harm…” 

“Surely, things would be so much better if I died when I had the chance.” 

No wonder my hands are so cold.

Chapter Text

“When you make a choice, make one you know you won't regret…”

“So… you said time just froze?” Yanqing asked, amidst the deafening chatter of pedestrians.  

At the Central Starskiff Haven, Yanqing, along with you and Welt, were interviewing a young lady with long blueberry hair, a black messenger hoodie hiding a baggy, white t-shirt and shorts, and a pair of boots. She held a pair of staves in her hand, leaning on them like a pillar. Her halo was tainted with a shade of black, and her wings seemed to be deteriorating by the second. She had a pair of black horns peeking out of her hair and a pointy tail from her hoodie. Meanwhile, Himeko and Jing Yuan were observing the crime scene and interviewing more people on the street. 

“Yeah. It’s quite shocking, however. I’ve never experienced this before, and I've toyed with time before.” the lady replied.  

“What do you mean by that?” Welt asked. 

The lady looked around, craning her gaze, before leaning in with a mischievous grin. “You sure you wanna know? It’s why I’ve got my Sarkaz horns.” 

“I don’t mind. Any help is useful.” Welt replied. 

“Alright then.” The lady put her free hand on her hip. “But first, I’ll introduce myself. I’m Mostima, former Catastrophe Messenger from Terra. If you want to know why I said ‘former’, it’s because Terra doesn’t exist anymore.” 

You look at Mostima. “Did a Stellaron destroy your planet?” 

Mostima hummed, and sighed, “I don’t know if it’s a Stellaron or what. The Catastrophes on Terra got so severe, that even nomadic cities like Lungmen got utterly destroyed. Honestly, without the help of Rhodes Island and Rhine Lab, nobody would’ve been able to leave Terra at all.” 

“So, where are you from?” Yanqing asked. 

“You might know her name as Rhodes Island. I’m from the Rhodes Island Ark, the final Ark of Terrans, as Dr. Kal’tsit said.” Mostima gave a hearty chuckle. “It worked, though. We got blasted into space, and the Xianzhou Luofu decided to help us out as soon as we got spotted on their radar. We’re thriving, and it’s gotten so good that Emperor’s thinking of starting a Penguin Logistics branch here or in Aurum Alley, and he’s dispatching me and Exusiai as the first two riders.”  

“That’s great.” you give her a smile. 

“What about the time stopping and stuff?” Welt asked, pressing the topic forth. 

“Oh, yeah! The Black Lock and White Key!” Mostima gasped. “I got my hands on these bad boys and fell in the process, but how it works is that it slows down the perception of time for my enemies. If I were to use its powers on you guys, you’ll notice that the starskiffs would drift slower, and my voice would sound distorted.” The Fallen Sankta reached out her gloved hand, gently tracing the drifting starskiffs with her fingers. 

“And I’m assuming you don’t get affected by it?” Yanqing questioned. 

“Nope, not at all.” Mostima grinned. “It’s just a good chance to slap my enemies in the face when they’re not looking at all.” 

“We’re back.” Himeko announced. You turn to face her. 

“Welcome back. What did you find?” Welt turned to Himeko. 

“Nothing much. It’s like you said, they disappeared out of thin air.” Jing Yuan said, with a sigh. “Ms. Mostima, we’re going to need more from your testimony since you’re the only neutral party we have.” 

Mostima stared at Jing Yuan. “Riiiight, General. What do I need to give?” 

“Besides a witness form at the Realm-Keeping Commission, what else did you notice? Any sounds, disturbances, anything?” Jing Yuan stared into Mostima so deeply, Mostima couldn’t help but find him intimidating. 

“Okay, can I start with how people went batshit insane once the shopkeeper yelled ‘THAT'S THE GUY THE FAMILY’S LOOKING FOR!’?” Mostima started. “It then led to people saying things about a legacy and a Watchmaker, and then my wallet ended up in a drain…” 

“We’ll get your wallet out as compensation, Ms. Mostima.” Yanqing nervously smiled. “If we fail, we’ll compensate you to get any cards or currencies replaced.” 

“I’d prefer the former; I’ve got a precious photo in there. One of me and Lemuen and everyone else.” Mostima glanced at Yanqing, then turned back to Jing Yuan. “I think I heard the little magician say something, however. Something about stopping or freezing time, I dunno…” 

Suddenly, someone tapped your shoulder, making you jump. 

“Missed us?” came a deep, masculine voice. A blonde-haired man in a fancy peacock suit and a familiar Galaxy Ranger stood tall and welcoming. 

“So we meet again, Aventurine.” Himeko craned her head to meet the executive’s gaze. 

“Nice to meet you again, Boothill.” Welt hummed, a pleasant smile on his face. 

“You’re also here for the Watchmaker’s Legacy?” you ask.  

“No, not really. I came here on my own accord.” Aventurine lightheartedly laughed, trying to hide an aura of insurmountable rage. 

“Yeah, definitely on our own accord!” Boothill added, trying to hide his anger as well.  

“Okay, I’m completely not in the know! What is this Watchmaker, why do they have a legacy, what is going on?! All I know is that it’s some online slander campaign, and…” Mostima gasped, politely yelling at everyone. “Is this my punishment for hiding everything from my girlfriend’s friend’s sister?!” 

“...It’s a long story.” you say. “Too long for us to properly explain.” 

Suddenly, your phone vibrates. It’s March 7th. 

You pick up the line. 

“Hello? March?” 

“Trailblazer, get over here, now!” March screams. “Some automatons have gone rogue in Aurum Alley, and Misha’s gone missing!” 

Oh, shit. You think. 

“Okay, stay calm, we will be there soon.” 

“Thank you--wait, Misha--” 

“March? What’s happening?” 

You hear scattered noises on the line, but you manage to catch some voices. 

“Misha…? What’s happening?” 

“Misha, wait--MISHA!” 

“March, get down!” 

“Gwaah!” 

You hear the sharp metal strike of swords. 

“Misha, what’s happening? Stop it--” 

You hear a scream, a scream of desperation. 

Misha. 

Oh, fuck.  

“March, I’m hanging up! I’ll get there as soon as I can!” You hang up as panic starts to choke your throat. “Himeko, we need to get to Aurum Alley. Now.” 

“What’s going on?!” Yanqing asks, trying to use his sword to pop open the drain cover. 

“Misha’s in danger.” you reply. 

Almost instantly, Himeko and Welt started debating in panic. Jing Yuan and Yanqing ran to the drain lid, trying to rip open the metal lid with their weapons. 

“Wait, peacock boy. Misha’s the…” Boothill murmured to Aventurine. 

“Yep. He’s what the Family’s looking for.” Aventurine replied, coldly. 

“Holy forkeroni--why would the Family be hunting after a child?! Those little lady dogs, I swear to the Aeons…” Boothill spat, clenching his fists. He turned to Aventurine. “I may forkin’ hate the IPC, but if we’re gonna protect this kid, I’ll stand with you. Just this once.” 

“Glad to know the feeling’s mutual. Wanna head to Penacony and beat the shit outta Sunday after this blows over? I’ll personally pardon you.” Aventurine spat. 

“You guys need to get to Aurum Alley, right?!” Mostima yelled. 

At that moment, Yanqing managed to pop the drain cover open, sending it flying and clattering onto the nearby pavement. He hurriedly pulled out a light blue pouch and handed it to Mostima. 

Mostima turned the pouch over, gazing at it. “Thanks for the help, lieutenant. That’s my wallet.” The Fallen Sankta hurriedly pocked the pouch. “Anyways, I rented a freight starskiff for Penguin Logistics business, so…” 

Mostima pulled out a set of starskiff keys. She popped up, her lips curling in another sneaky smile. “Need a ride, all of you?”

Chapter Text

“Miiiisss!” Yanqing squealed, desperately holding onto a stack of boxes. “You’re going too fast!” 

Together with you, Himeko, Welt, Aventurine and Boothill, you were all stored in the carriage of the freight starskiff. It was quite obvious Mostima was speeding and swerving and breaking too many traffic laws at the rate she was going, and it was a miracle that she didn’t bump into any other starskiffs on the way. The wind whipped through your hair, and you were overly cautious that you didn’t drop anything off the open-air carriage. 

“Hang on! We’re almost there!” Mostima yelled, looking back at you and the Crew. “We’ll be there in two minutes!” 

Boothill loaded his pistol. He glanced at Aventurine. “You ready, gambler?” 

“More ready than I’ll ever be.” Aventurine nodded, adjusting his gloves and rings. 

Himeko prepared her drone, while you pulled out your lance. Yanqing pulled out his sword as he regained his balance. 

“Everyone, what’s the situation?” Yanqing asked, turning to Welt and Himeko. 

“From what we know, some automatons went rogue, and they might not be subdued yet.” Himeko replied. 

“And the yelling…Misha might be hurt.” Welt added. “We need to be vigilant and cautious.” 

“Understood.” Aventurine gave a curt nod. 

“So, we beat the shoes off those robots, and try to save the kid?” Boothill asked, staring straight ahead. 

“Pretty much.” Himeko said. 

The starskiff slowed down, and screeched to a halt. 

“Everyone, we’re here!” Mostima announced. 

The carriage reached the unloading dock of Aurum Alley. 

“Everyone, go, go, go!” Jing Yuan yelled, leaping out of the passenger seat. 

At the cue, Yanqing vaulted over a stack of cargo. As he landed on solid ground, Himeko and Welt followed behind him with a brisk sprint, together with Jing Yuan, guandao in hand. Boothill took Aventurine’s hand, together with yours, and propelled forward with the might of a rocket. 

“Thank you for using Penguin Logistics! Transport fees are on me!” Mostima yelled as you and your party ran off. After a deep breath, she added, “You can do this! Save Misha!” 

“Thank you!” you yell back, looking back for a second, then focusing on the blurring scenery in front of you. Boothill was propelling himself so quickly, you couldn’t focus on a specific point to drop yourself off. 

Once everyone arrived at Tall Auntie’s food stall, Boothill halted his advance, dropping you and Aventurine on the ground. As you plunged your lance into the ground to support your descent, a pair of towering automatons, a Gatekeeper and a Spectral Envoy, were about to strike March 7th, who was shielding Misha with her own body. You notice several spectators recording the scene on their phone, some fleeing the scene, some hiding like mice, and others calling the Realm-Keeping Commission. 

“Think fast!” Yanqing yelled. 

Yanqing, with Himeko’s help, leapt into the air and kicked the Gatekeeper’s head in the face. 

“A well-matched opponent.” Jing Yuan said, brandishing his weapon. 

“Going all in! Tab’s on me!” Aventurine laughed, calling upon the will of Preservation. 

Boothill took aim, then let out a series of gunshots on the Envoy. Almost immediately, the Envoy collapsed in weakness. 

“Take down the Spectral Envoy first!” Himeko yelled. 

“Got it.” You pulled out the hat Mikhail gave you back in Penacony. As Clockie popped out of it, you slid the hat on your head as a shower of chips rained on the automaton. “Dreams do come true!”  

As Clockie climbed on your back, you twirled and stepped, fancily beckoning your allies forward. “Let the show…begin!” 

Out of the blue, Dan Heng stabbed the Gatekeeper’s head. He turned to Jing Yuan. “General! Now!” 

Jing Yuan gave out a chuckle. He gripped his guandao , lightning surrounding his form as the glimmering silhouette of the Lightning Lord materialized behind him. “Time for the masterstroke.” 

“Radiant spirit, heed my word. Show no mercy!” 

Next, Himeko called an airstrike just as the Gatekeeper collapsed. “Target located. Strike them down!” 

A shining lazer hit the ground, surrounding the automatons in its destructive glaze. The Envoy broke into a million pieces as it crashed onto the hard floor. 

As the Gatekeeper got to its knees, Yanqing stepped forward, a backdrop of icy blades following him. “Practice is over!”

Yanqing leapt into the air. Once he was able to see the tallest rooftops, he plunged to the ground. 

“Swords…descend!” 

With a flash of blue, the Gatekeeper shattered into scrap metal. 

Yanqing looked back at everyone, flashing a bright smile. “Look, General! I did it!” 

“Great job.” the General nodded, seemingly dismissively. 

Himeko and Welt ran to March. Her bow had been tossed aside, strewn on the floor. 

“Is he okay?” Himeko asked. 

“He’s fine, but…” March slowly got up, and looked at Misha. 

Misha was slumped on the ground, his eyes glazed over. His hands weakly gripped the handle of his greatsword, the clock still ticking. 

Clockie leapt off your back, running to Misha’s side. 

“Misha, are you okay? It’s me, Clockie!” he yelled, using his tiny cartoon hands to shake him awake. The clock hands on his face started turning faster as he started panicking. 

“He’s unresponsive.” Welt noted. “Trailblazer, you still have your Clockwork, right?” 

You give Welt a quick nod. You squat next to Misha, and connect with his inner emotions…

Misha seemed…despondent. You and Clockie try to shift the gears, trying to readjust the connections and how the gears interlocked with each other. But no matter what, nothing budged. The gears in Misha’s heart…were frozen in place in icy despair. 

“It’s pointless to be alive.” 

“One child’s simple playful dream…”

“Covered in invisible wounds…”

“In a world bloomed from my choked past…” 

“There’s no hope like this, right?”

“Yes…I’m trapped in such a horrible nightmare…”

“Was the very act of being born a mistake?” 

“Yes… so it is. Someone like me…is better off dead.” 

Misha leapt upwards, and slammed the blunt end of his greatsword into March’s side. 

“March!” Dan Heng yelled. 

The poor girl flew and crashed into a pile of tables, scattering some nearby chairs due to the impact. Welt and Himeko ran to her side. March 7th had a gash on her forehead, and it was bleeding profusely. 

Yanqing ran to Himeko. Jing Yuan pointed his weapon at Misha. 

“Don’t take another step.” he ordered. 

Misha was silent. His eyes widened. His body trembled, despite him standing straight up. 

“Misha…” Aventurine muttered, sympathy filling his eyes. 

“...Are you afraid of me?” Misha uttered quietly, tears about to spill from his eyes. 

You and Clockie stand in silence. You exchange gazes. Normally, Misha would be cheered up with Clockwork, but it seems like it didn’t work this time. 

Misha lifted up his weapon with seeming ease. Just before he could strike--

“Gotcha!” Boothill tackled him, pinning the child onto the ground. He held Misha down with enough force to prevent him from squirming, but not enough to hurt him. However, Misha still got up and tried to run off, only for the cowboy to grip his wrists to hold him down on his knees. Aventurine ran to Misha. 

“Misha, it’s okay. We’re here to help you.” the peacock executive murmured. “We’re not going to hurt you.” 

“Stop it…” the kid stammered, pulling against Boothill’s grip. 

“Ssh, it’s okay.” Aventurine shushed. “We’re here to help you. It’s oka--” 

Aventurine froze as his hands grazed Misha’s cheeks. They were a human-like shade, that’s for sure. However…

“Misha, dear, why is your body so cold?” Aventurine gasped.

Chapter Text

A lone rabbit, lost within the seas of time,
Drifting between life and death, an uphill battle…
For you, silenced by despair and despondency…

Misha didn’t utter any answer. 

“Hey, peacock, the trembling’s gettin’ worse.” Boothill spoke. “What do I do?” 

Aventurine looks up at Boothill. “Loosen your grip. You’re scaring him.” 

“Right, uh…” Boothill gently loosened his grasp, allowing Misha’s body to slacken. “What now, peacock?” 

Yanqing ran over to Aventurine. “March’s alright, thankfully. The wound wasn’t that severe.” 

“That’s great.” Aventurine nodded, looking up at the kid. 

As the two of them chatted, Misha’s head began to swim. His blurry vision sighted the dropped greatsword, the scattered tables, the pink-haired girl who he tossed into the mess…

…or rather, the pink-haired girl Mikhail threw into the mess. That dumb Stellaron, preying on stuff that might not even be true in the slightest. 

But what if it was true? 

What if Misha really was meant for destruction? He’d already seen it first hand, how he could’ve killed March 7th if he wanted to. All he needed was a bit more force, and she’d be gone. Six feet under the stars. 

He looked up at Aventurine. He was no different. Misha could kill him with no hesitation, no regret, all in the blink of an eye. 

He turned to Yanqing. Even though he had swords, Misha could still kill him after putting up a fair fight. 

He turned to Himeko. Even though she had a planetary cannon that could decimate his body from space, he could still kill her if he had a proper strategy. 

He turned to Welt. Even though he had synthetic black holes and a Divine Key, the odds were not a complete zero. 

Wait, why was Misha thinking of killing everyone?

You’re the Watchmaker’s final creation, the weapon to destroy Penacony.

Mikhail Char Legwork, you’re not human.

Dread wrung Misha by the neck. Despair reached out, plunging his head into a dark ocean. Even though Misha wasn’t exactly human, he felt as if his throat was closing in, suffocating him, depriving him of air. He broke free of Boothill’s hold, knocking Aventurine to the ground. 

“Misha--” 

As he tried to grab Misha’s shoulders, the child pushed him away. Boothill tried catching him, only for Misha to run off, causing the cowboy to crash onto the hard ground. Misha dashed forward. He pulled the heavy greatsword off the ground, barely managing to block a blow from one of Yanqing’s swords. 

“Misha!” Yanqing screamed as their weapons clashed with metallic clamour. “Stop it!” 

Driven by panic and fear, Misha ignored the lieutenant. He attempted to strike the blonde-haired boy’s head, only to be parried by his quick reflexes. 

Take him down. Take him down, now. 

“Misha!” Yanqing yelled, his voice filled with desperation. 

You have to be alone. You have to be isolated. They’re afraid of you. They’re fearful of you. They’re not here to help you. They’re just presenting empty lies. 

Yanqing knocked Misha down, plunging his sword just an inch from his back. As Misha’s greatsword left his grasp, Yanqing looked down at Misha, sweat slipping down his face, dripping onto the stone ground. His breath condensed into tiny cloudy puffs. 

“Yanqing! To your left!” a loud voice yelled. 

Jing Yuan was about to launch his guandao towards Misha, lighting surrounding the golden blade. 

Misha’s head went blank. He kicked Yanqing off his feet, yanked the sword out of the ground, and used the cerulean blade to knock the guandao out of the general’s hands. Caught off guard, Jing Yuan ended up being knocked into a pile of empty cargo. 

March 7th and Dan Heng were about to draw their weapons. 

“Don’t.” Himeko sternly warned the two, raising her hand as a barrier against their actions. 

“Tick-tock! Misha! What’s wrong?” Clockie yelled. He tried to run to the boy, but the Trailblazer picked him off the ground. 

Standing in the midst of the chaos, Misha glanced around his surroundings as he slowly recovered from his panic-induced daze. Yanqing was knocked out cold, his body limp and scattered on the ground like a torn-up rag doll. Jing Yuan wasn’t badly hurt, rubbing his head as if he had a bad bump. Aventurine and Boothill were hiding behind Welt, presumably out of fear. 

Misha dropped Yanqing’s sword, the crash of metal on stone falling on deaf ears. He grabbed his face, his knees buckling under his weight. 

“No…no, no, no, no, no…” Misha muttered. “Why did I…”  

Look at you, Misha. Looks like I was right all along. 

How about you end it all before it’s too late? Nobody wants a living weapon, after all.  

Boothill sprinted to Misha, his pistol still in his hand. As he knelt to his level, Misha pulled his arm upwards, pressing the barrel into his chest.

Boothill stared at Misha in shock. “...Misha? Kiddo, why would you…” 

“Don’t let him shoot!” Welt yelled. “The Stellaron will become unstable!” 

The cowboy dropped the gun as tears started streaking down Misha’s face. 

“Why…don’t you let me die?” he whispered. 

“You’re just a child.” Boothill replied, his words stabbing the kid’s heart. “No child deserves to think about dying. No child should ever think about dying.” 

As Boothill opened his arms for a hug, Misha staggered away. He felt his body shutting down, his eyes growing heavy from exhaustion. 

I’ve travelled far enough. I’ll stay here, and this is where it ends. 

…

I’m sorry, everyone. I’ll go to sleep, and never wake up again. 

Chapter Text

Warmth slowly washes over your body, followed by the crackling of a fireplace. You feel the softness of a warm duvet, the fluffiness of a soft pillow and the squishiness of a familiar sofa. As your eyes flicker awake, you find yourself in a familiar room. The simple off-white walls and chocolate brown flooring, the spiralling grey playmat, the coffee table strewn with teacups and saucers…

“Misha…” 

You look upwards, your heart suddenly filling with glee. Grandpa sat in his wheelchair, smiling warmly at you. 

“Grandpa Mikhail!” you gasp. “What are you doing here?” 

“It’s nothing much.” he replies, with a hearty chuckle. “Misha, you’ve been sleeping for a while now.” 

“Eh? How long, exactly?” you ask. The mention of oversleeping sparks a sort of worry within you, a fear of being late. 

“Around…three hours or so?” Grandpa looks upwards, seemingly in thought. “But don’t worry, Misha. You can rest here. Just take things easy.” 

You breathe a sigh of relief. You slowly sit up, pushing the soft duvet aside. As you glance at it, you notice the swimming fish pattern. Little colourful schools of fish were printed onto the aquamarine fabric, with the occasional seahorse and starfish and maybe even a stray, yellow jellyfish. Little water bubbles decals also dotted the fabric.  

It was the blanket you brought along to the Astral Express, the same blanket your body was wrapped in while you were imprisoned. 

“Misha? What’s wrong?” Grandpa asked. 

You look back at him. Your heart is overcome with sorrowful disbelief. “Grandpa, I had a dream. I had a dream where you died.” 

Grandpa stared at you. “Died? There’s no way. Uncle Gallagher left the Bloodhound Family a while back.” 

“Uncle Gallagher…why are you talking about him?” you ask, shooting a question in reply. Does Grandpa know something you don’t?

Grandpa shrugged, and smiled. “That's unimportant. I’m here now, Misha. You’re safe here.” 

You leap off the orange sofa, into Grandpa’s frail arms. The wheelchair lurches backwards, but stays upright. As Grandpa holds you in his arms, you cry and scream into his shoulder. Grandpa gently rubs circles on your back. It doesn’t do much as you don’t exactly need to breathe, but at least it’s emotionally comforting. 

“Misha, dear, did you have a nightmare?” Grandpa whispers. 

You look at his aged face. Grandpa is smiling. 

You manage to choke out some words through your sobs. “It’s…a lot of nightmares, actually. Nightmares where people went and hurt you, hurt me, and now…” 

There were so many things you wanted to tell Grandpa, but how could you explain everything in a way he could understand? Grandpa didn’t know about the Family, about you joining the Astral Express, about your imprisonment, about everything else you had to endure to get to this point. 

“Misha, Misha, it’s okay. You need to breathe.” Grandpa rests his hands on your shoulders. Even though you were a puppet, you were created in the eyes of a human. Even though your body doesn’t need oxygen for respiration and energy, breathing still helps you regain your senses. You’re sitting on Grandpa’s lap, gently holding his hands. 

“Grandpa, I feel like killing myself.” you finally mutter. The words felt so heavy, heavier than the Stellaron in your chest, but so relieving to say. 

Grandpa’s eyebrows perk up. “And why so, Misha?” 

“The nightmares…I can’t tell what’s reality and what’s a dream anymore.” you stammer, “And now, there’s this big, angry voice in my head, telling me that I’m a monster, and I’m the reason why Penacony is suffering, and I don’t even deserve my own life, and…” 

You break down into tears once again. Grandpa is consoling you again. You feel your body shaking as tears continue to stream down your cheeks. Your voice hitches, trapped in your throat. You allow everything to spill out like a water collapsing from a broken dam, about the Stellaron, the Astral Express, everything. 

Silence soon falls upon the two of you. 

“What do I do, Grandpa?” you finally ask. “How can I stop feeling sad forever? How can I make this feeling disappear forever?” 

Grandpa takes a deep breath. “Misha, you’re not a mistake. You’re not a burden. You’re not a monster, either. I never intended to make a weapon, you were never a weapon, Misha.” 

“Then what am I, if not a weapon?” you ask. 

“You’re the key to saving Penacony. You’re the child I wished I could have, but could never conceive. You’re the dream I wished to carry into the future.” Grandpa replied, gently holding your hands a little tighter. “Even if it seems like the stars are against you, even if it seems like everyone’s out to hurt you, even if the whole galaxy wants you dead…remember that I’ll always be there if you need me.” 

You let yourself cry a little longer. Grandpa pulls you into a warm embrace, but you don’t feel the warmth. 

This is where the realisation kicks in: this is a dream . If this truly was reality, then you’d feel Grandpa’s warmth. After all, isn’t Grandpa already gone? You feel like your heart’s drifting through space, and now you’re stuck in the coldest place in the cosmos. You’re trapped on one of the unknown planets, the furthest planet from Asdana’s sun. You’re at the very bottom of Lushaka’s oceans, deeper than the midnight zone. You’re freezing into ice, drowning at the very bottom of the sea where nobody can save you. 

Or can they? Someone will surely find your body in the ocean and bring you back to the surface. Someone will surely find that planet and give it a name, and maybe they’ll name it after its only inhabitant. Someone might also take you away from that planet and bring you back to a safer place: the IPC, the Astral Express, maybe somewhere else. 

In short, there was still hope. Misha can still be saved before it’s too late.  

It was hard to awaken from a blissful, beautiful dream. But alas, all dreams have to end. 

You stand up onto the floor, wiping your tears on your sleeves. “I have to go, Grandpa. I’m a big kid now.” 

Grandpa gives you one, final, tender smile. “Remember that I’ll always be here for you, even if you can’t see me.” 

Grandpa reaches out his hand, gently stroking your hair for the last time. “Because I love you, my son.” 

You smile at Grandpa tearfully. You turn to leave, beginning your ascent to the surface of the ocean, finding your way back to the sun. 

“Oh, Misha!” Grandpa calls. You turn back to see him holding your duvet and a familiar rabbit stuffed toy. He wheels over to you, gently placing the duvet and stuffed toy in your arms. The blanket spilled out of your hands onto the floor, the stuffed toy tucked in neatly like a nested bird. “Mustn’t forget your travel companions, eh?” 

You notice the pocket watch nestled next to the stuffed rabbit. It’s finally happening, isn’t it?  

You walk over to the door, the playroom’s exit. 

You look back at Grandpa for the last time. “Goodbye, Grandpa Mikhail. And…thank you.” 

As the sun rises, you’re lying in a hospital cot. Tilting your head, you notice the pocket watch on a bedside table, as well as a glass of water. Your headband was placed on a coat stand, so was your blazer and cape. The stuffed rabbit was cuddled in your arms, and a familiar warmth enveloped your body. Sitting up, you saw the ocean-print blanket. It was perfectly sized for you, as if it was tailored for you. Your feet didn’t peek out of the blanket, neither did the blanket slide off the bed like a mermaid’s tail. 

At dawn, Misha woke up from his dream, a tear rolled down from the corner of his eye.

Looking around his bedroom, he noticed the pocket watch pressed against his chest, and the mirror had fallen off the wall.

Wiping away the tears, Misha felt as if he had lost nothing, yet he had lost everything.

However, this time, Mikhail Char Legwork had truly lost everything. He’d said goodbye to his Grandpa, and now, he lives on in an artificial human body. He wished he’d stayed asleep, within that sweet dream. 

“...Grandpa…you didn’t tell me how to make this painful feeling disappear.”

Chapter Text

It’s been almost two days since Misha drew his sword against you. The revelation that the child isn’t, was never human, still lingered like a fresh wound. While waiting for him to wake up, you sit on a stool next to Misha’s bed, and to avoid your heavy eyes from drooping, you decide to scroll on social media…

Earlier that afternoon, Jing Yuan texted you. You just finished eating some instant noodles, the styrofoam cup and wooden chopsticks dumped in a nearby dustbin. You pick up your smartphone from the bedside table, shielding the screen from the sparkling sunlight that streamed through the window. Your fingers trace the plastic ultramarine casing adorned with pink and pastel blue ribbons and white birds. Clicking the side button, you noticed the notification. 

Jing Yuan

I’m not at the Seat of Divine Foresight

Jing Yuan : Yanqing? 

Jing Yuan : I hope you’re awake

Yanqing: I’m here

Yanqing : I just had lunch

Jing Yuan : I see

Yanqing : Apologies, General. I had instant noodles.

Yanqing : Misha isn’t awake yet

Jing Yuan : I see

Jing Yuan : Does he seem distressed?

Yanqing : I can’t tell

Yanqing : Trailblazer and the rest dropped off some of his stuff earlier this morning

Jing Yuan : Right

Jing Yuan : Yanqing, I will need to ask a favour from you. 

Yanqing : Yes, General

Yanqing : What is it?

Jing Yuan : I’ve received news that the Family of Penacony is coming to the Luofu, presumably to take Misha. 

Jing Yuan : I will be negotiating with the head of the Family, Sunday, together with a member of the Strategic Investment Department. However, in this time period, I’m not sure if the Family will pull any underhanded tricks. 

Jing Yuan : Given whatever the Family is doing nowadays, there’s no way we can trust them. 

Yanqing : What do I do, General?

Jing Yuan : Can you be Misha’s bodyguard for the time being? 

Jing Yuan : Along with Dan Heng, of course.

Yanqing : Isn’t Dan Heng a wanted criminal? 

Jing Yuan : I’ve already pardoned him. You two need to work together to ensure Misha’s safety. I will give you two explicit permission to use force if necessary. 

Jing Yuan : Boothill, the Galaxy Ranger, will stay with the Astral Express. 

Yanqing : Understood, General. 

Yanqing : I need details of the meeting. Is my presence needed?

Jing Yuan : In short, yes. We will be negotiating in one to two weeks’ time. We’re not sure when or if the Family will even come. 

Jing Yuan : And to settle your worries, the Luofu will be standing with the Astral Express to protect Misha. 

Yanqing : Yes, General. I will not let you down. 

Jing Yuan : Thank you, Yanqing. 

Jing Yuan : Oh, and one more thing. 

Jing Yuan : This is a personal request from Himeko. 

Jing Yuan : Misha was quite disturbed the last time we saw him. She’s asking to see if you can help cheer him up. 

Jing Yuan : It’s not a magic cure, that’s for certain. Misha is clearly traumatised in more ways than one, so all you can do is to persuade him to keep on living. 

Jing Yuan : But no matter what, make sure Misha does not fall into the Family’s hands. 

Yanqing : …I will do my best. 

Jing Yuan : I’ll treat you later. 

Yanqing : [Shocked]

Yanqing : Yes, General!

You close the messaging app, and head over to Chirper. You idly scroll through headlines and posts, hoping to pass the time. 

Suan_NiLingYang: heard some random stuff on the grapevine regarding some criminal in the cosmos. i dont think ive seen a blue haired boy in a bellboy uniform here in Solaris-3 though? also heard some stuff that this is all bullshit. pls confirm if this is fact or cap 

Sonetto: Suan, it’s all nonsense. Don’t believe everything you see online. 

ReReReRegulus!: NAAAH ITS REAL! SOME CHICK FROM THE XIANZHOU HAS SOME VOD OF THIS KID. HES NOT A BELLBOY, LINGYANG HES A MAGICIAN 

TheCoolRover: Where’s the proof, Regulus? I refuse to believe anything unless I see proof.

2AppleπOrNot2π : @TheCoolRover here’s the screenshot i took of chat and a vod i recorded on my phone. hope this helps! 

Texas_PL2 : Exusiai, what are you doing here? Get back to work. Stop texting in the toilet, goddamnit. 

vertinthetimekeeper: Hate to be that person, but I did search it up. It’s real, Ling’Yang. However, the official VOD that @2AppleπOrNot2π recorded has been taken down, presumably by the Realm-Keeping Commission. I believe the RK-C is taking down videos left, right and centre. I’d give my two Sharpodontries on the situation, but it’d sound like nonsense. 

Susie_GGlitter: I think I understand what Vertin means. Misha could be innocent. Besides, isn’t the Family practically a group of criminals right now?

WANDAHOI!!! : yall are living under a rock lmaoooooo

Yanqing sighed, and leaned backwards. Just how far did the news spread?  

He turned to Misha, who was still asleep, maybe dreaming. 

“Misha…I don’t understand why everyone is trying to get you. You really didn’t do anything wrong.” Yanqing muttered. 

Yanqing reflected upon what happened two days ago, or was it three? Misha looked terrified, like a scared puppy. When he picked up his limp body to bring to the Alchemy Commision, he noticed how artificial his body was, how inhuman it was. But…

…Could a robot, or even an artificial human, become human? Could they gain humanity?  

Yanqing had heard stories of faraway planets, where robots meant for war and genocide became caretakers, gardeners, members of society that posed no harm to humans. One such robot from a planet of ice and snow eventually took care of a young human girl he found in a junkyard. 

And wasn’t Misha simply a puppet body with a human soul, a human consciousness ? 

“Ugh, darn it. I’m overthinking again.” Yanqing pulled himself up. He prodded to the door, the exit of the room. The boy needed to stand up and move around, especially since he was perched at his watch station for quite a while, without any rest. He gently slid the door open. He peered back at Misha. Yanqing was supposed to protect Misha. However, he had a nagging thought at the back of his head, shouting, blaring, every possible way Misha could get attacked. Through the window, the air vents…

Yanqing pushed the worries aside, and stepped outside into the corridor. 

Outside, he saw healers running here and there, chattering like baby birds. The bright sunlight reflected off the wooden floors and stone walls. The lieutenant took a deep breath, the smell of antiseptic and medicinal herbs filling his nose. 

“Wait, shit!” Yanqing gasped. 

He forgot the fact he left his sword in the room. At the rate Misha was going…

Yanqing ran back into the room. To his relief, the cerulean blade leaned against the chair untouched, the room was not disturbed in the slightest…

…And Misha was awake, sitting up in bed, staring down at the ocean-print blanket.

Chapter Text

“Misha! You’re awake!” you gasped. You ran to Misha’s side, slamming the door shut and scrambling onto the stool next to the bed. Misha stared down at the blanket blankly. 

You crane your head, trying to catch a view of his face. “Misha? Are you okay?” 

When you received no reply, you added, “It’s me, Yanqing. General Jing Yuan asked me to protect you.” 

Misha didn’t say a word. After some hesitation, he mumbled, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…” 

As Misha broke down in tears again, you wrap your arms around him, trying to comfort him. “It’s okay! It’s really okay! I’m not mad at all! I was just shocked that you’re really that strong, and I only have a few scrapes, and I’m generally okay, and--” 

“Wait.” Misha said. He turned to face you. “You…said I was strong?” 

“Yes? Yeah, I said that.” You replied. “Honestly, for someone who woke up, that’s pretty impressive. You even shattered one of my swords.” 

“I…broke your sword?!” Misha wailed. “Yanqing, I’m really, really sorry!” 

“No, it’s fine! I always buy two of the same sword!” You nervously rub circles on Misha’s back. Honestly, this boy…

The door slid open. Dan Heng stood in the doorframe, with Cloudpiercer, his spear, mounted on his back. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Misha. 

“Misha. You’re finally awake.” Dan Heng smiled. He turned to you, his expression steeling once more. “Yanqing, if Misha’s okay, we have to leave the Alchemy Commission, ASAP.” 

“Yes…” you reply, looking up at Dan Heng. “How are the negotiations going?” 

“Sunday insists on speaking with Misha himself.” Dan Heng let out a sigh. “This guy…after destroying the Watchmaker’s Dreamscape and being defeated by a group of Nameless, a Galaxy Ranger, a Stellaron Hunter and a Self-Annihilator… he’s still willing to dig so low.” 

Dan Heng muttered a swear under his breath. You noticed that since the Express landed on the Luofu with Misha, Dan Heng had started cussing more than usual. 

“Maybe try cussing in poems, please. Misha’s still a kid, and so am I, haha.” 

“Sunday’s coming?” Misha asked. “What does he want? Does he want the Stellaron?” 

“Probably.” Dan Heng replied. “They’re trying to resurrect Ena, and they’re not stopping a bit.” 

“They’re…trying to resurrect a dead Aeon?” You gasp, feeling dread wash over your body. You’ve heard of people following The Abundance, The Hunt’s first, top-priority enemy. You’ve heard of the Annihilation Gang, whose leader was recently slain on the way to Penacony, their sacrifices for The Destruction all in vain. You’ve heard of Oswaldo Schneider, a former Nameless who eventually became the reason why Boothill and Aventurine have lost their homes, the reason why the two of them were victims of genocide. 

And now, the Family is trying to resurrect The Order, a fallen Aeon, a dead God. 

“I’m not surprised. Grandpa never trusted the Family, even from the start.” Misha snapped. His eyes lit up in determined vengeance, mainly for the Watchmaker. “These little fuckers…” 

Dan Heng froze. 

You snapped your gaze towards Misha. 

You look back at Dan Heng. 

“You better be grateful you’re in a hospital right now.” you sternly warned. 

“I-I didn’t teach him that.” Dan Heng said, waving his free hands. 

An awkward silence fell upon the room. Misha stared at you and Dan Heng, confused. “Did I do something wrong?” 

“Misha…you know how to curse?” Dan Heng asked. 

Misha lit up, innocently. “I mean, Grandpa always curses! He always calls Uncle Gallagher some very funny names, like--” 

You press your hands on Misha’s mouth, silencing him. “Misha. No. Just no.” 

“Mkay…” Misha quietly nodded. 

Back outside of the Alchemy Commission’s general hospital a couple of hours later, the three of you walked towards the starskiff dock. Dan Heng had his spear in hand, ready to shield Misha if anything happened. Concerned onlookers muttered at the sight. Misha had his face shielded by another of Dan Heng’s zip-up hoodies. A few days ago, someone wanted to meet with you regarding Misha. After much discussion with Dan Heng, you two agreed to talk it over. Whatever this person told you could make or break your case to defend Misha, especially since you two were defending against the equivalent to an entire planet’s government. 

“We're going to take a starskiff to Cloudford,” you told Misha, “Hey, Dan Heng? Can you drive?”

Dan Heng glanced back at you, uncertain. “...Kind of. I saw how Mostima worked the controls. It's similar to a car, isn't it?”

“Well…I don't know. Jing Yuan won't let me drive one.” You let out a sigh. You wonder if this information broker would be useful. Although you wanted to bring a fleet of Cloud Knights over in case anything happened, the broker insisted on just meeting Dan Heng, Misha, and you. 

As you helped Misha into the starskiff, you couldn't help but wonder who the broker could be. 

Cloudford was a maze of cargo containers. Rusty red and jadeite green containers formed walls and walkways across the cloudy grey road. The broker gave you specific instructions on how and where to meet them. 

Unknown

Unknown : You should see a violet and snowy feather on some of the cargo containers. Follow the feathers, and you'll find me. 

As the three of you weaved past the gaze of nosy Cloud Knights and through the cargo container maze, Dan Heng muttered something about always getting lost in the area. You nearly lost Misha thrice in the process. 

Finally, a person in a cape the colour of the midnight sky, accented with the trails of purple comets, came into sight. They had lavender hair tied in a bun, with a matching hat. They didn't face the three of you mysteriously. 

“We're here.” you said. “I hope you didn't wait long.”

“It's okay.” the broker said, their voice a soft melody. 

Misha piped up. He seemed to recognize her. “Robin? Is that you?” 

She giggled to herself. Then, in one swooping motion, she tore off her coat and hat, revealing her white evening dress and purple heels. Her hair cascaded in a light amethyst waterfall, and she placed her Halovian halo back atop her head like a crown. You stood, amazed at her disguise. 

“It's nice to finally meet you, Misha. I am Robin, a former member of the Family.” Robin said, a gentle smile on her lips. 

Misha was stunned for words. It took a second for him to begin speaking again. “I, um…”

“Why are you here?” Dan Heng asked, his voice piercing through the silence. Before anyone could stop him, he continued, pulling out his spear. “You used to be with the Family. You used to side with Sunday. Before I try to hurt you, give me one good reason I should trust you.”

Robin’s smile faltered. “Gopher Wood groomed Sunday. I didn't know about this, I swear. I genuinely thought we were following The Harmony, not the Order.” 

You remained silent, but your hand left the scabbard of your sword. 

Robin continued, “The thing is, after Gopher passed away, I did some digging into the Family's records. I discovered what really happened, everything about the Watchmaker's Legacy, everything about Gopher and Sunday's plans to turn him into an Aeon.”

“So, why are you helping us?” Misha asked. 

“Because it's not just you guys fighting for Misha's freedom. I'm also fighting for Sunday's freedom. Ultimately, he isn't at fault. He was just a pawn in everything, and he didn't deserve that at all. As his sister, I will do whatever it takes to ensure he gains his freedom. Even if it means we will never meet again…” 

Robin paused, crestfallen. Her eyes glazed over, her tangent coming to a pause. “Mr. McCoy is the Acting Executor of the Oak Family as of now. He's following Gopher's orders to hold Sunday as a pawn. Although Sunday has the power, he's just a puppet.”

Just like Misha , she wanted to say. 

“I see.” you say, stunned. “Alright then, we will help you too.”

“Thank you,” Robin gasped. “You have no idea how much this means to me.” 

Misha replied, “It's okay. We're uniting against a common enemy, aren't we?” 

Robin giggled, “I suppose so. We're an alliance now, aren't we?”

“I guess so.” Dan Heng sighed. “I'm sorry about what happened earlier. I was overcautious.”

“Don't worry, that's how the whole galaxy saw me once I announced that I was leaving the Family. But now, I'll provide my help; my intel, and some technical help.” 

“Technical…help?” Misha asked. 

Robin pulled out a pair of shackles. They were shaped like gears, and they weren't chained together like a pair of handcuffs. Rather, they looked like a pair of wrist cuffs some crazy cosplayer would wear in public. 

Misha recoiled at the sight. Not again , he thought. The Stellaron in his chest tried to reach out and blast them away. 

“Misha, wait!” Robin gently took his hand. “These shackles aren't to bind you. They're there to maintain the power of the Stellaron.” 

Misha’s hands were trembling. You place a hand on his shoulder. “Misha, it's okay.”

Misha gently took deep breaths, forcing air through his nose. He regained his composure, and asked, “How do they work?”

“It allows you to gain proper control over the power output of the Stellaron.” Robin explained, her tone growing serious. “The first thing I did once leaving the Family was to find a way to control a Stellaron that was on the edge of instability. I managed to speak to a member of the Genius Society, and after a strenuous amount of testing and almost 10 million Credits worth of research…” 

“10 million?!” you gasp. “That’s a lot of money!” 

“Isn’t that more than your net worth, Robin?” Dan Heng asked. 

“That doesn’t matter. If I can help Misha gain control of the Stellaron, then the proceedings can run smoothly, as well as the fact that we can prevent him from overstraining.” Robin said, “I should also add that the shackles can only be controlled by Misha.” 

Robin turned to Misha. “I don’t know how your Stellaron works, but if you feel like it’s teetering out of control, all you need to do is to pull the shackles tight, and the Stellaron’s power will be restrained until you let it go.” 

“But…how?” Misha asked. 

“It’s a mental game,” Robin explained, “When Dr. Ratio and Herta were testing it in the Simulated Universe with the Trailblazer, they noticed that they could pull their Stellaron like a dog on a leash.” 

“That makes sense, but it’s different. Misha’s Stellaron has a consciousness.” Dan Heng explained. “The Stellaron in the Trailblazer is just a ticking bomb that can’t think for its own. It’s just a parasite leeching off their body.” 

“I don’t think ‘parasite’ will cut it.” you reply. “I don’t even know how it works.” 

“Yeah, maybe we shouldn’t discuss that.” Misha added. After some thought, he said, “So, I just imagine I’m restraining the Stellaron?” 

“Yeah, I guess so.” you reply. 

“Pretty much.” Dan Heng nodded. 

Robin looks at Misha. “If you’re ready, I can fix these onto your wrists and ankles. Don’t worry. You’re going to be in control of your own body.” 

Misha stared at Robin. He seemed doubtful, probably due to whatever he went through before. He turned back to you and Dan Heng. 

Dan Heng gave him an affirming nod. 

You grip his shoulder tighter. “If anything happens, we’ll be here, Misha. We’re not going to leave you.” 

Misha smiles at you. He turned back to Robin. 

“I’m ready.”

Chapter Text

“When you make a choice, make one you know you won't regret…”

Dan Heng

For anything related to the data bank, come find me.

Dan Heng: We’ve met up with Robin

Dan Heng: Misha’s awake, too

Dan Heng: We’re heading back to the Seat of Divine Foresight now

Trailblazer: Thanks

Now, the remainder of the Astral Express Crew, March 7th, Welt, Himeko, and yourself, were cooped up in the now-docked Astral Express. Jing Yuan was away at the Seat of Divine Foresight to prepare for the negotiation, while Aventurine and Boothill agreed to crash in the spacefaring train. Just almost an hour ago, Yanqing had met up with the mysterious broker, who turned out to be the one and only cosmic popstar, Robin. While March 7th would normally be starstruck, she didn’t seem fazed this time.

“Any updates?” Himeko asked. 

“So firstly, Misha’s back.” you reply. "They've met with Robin, and are heading back now."

“Oh, that’s a relief!” March 7th gasped, brushing away parts of her pink hair while posing with a camera. She’d recovered surprisingly quickly. Just two days ago, she was covered with plasters and bandages. Now, she’s perched on one of the Express’s squishy sofas, taking a few selfies to savour the moment. 

“You seem surprisingly cheery.” Aventurine noted, glancing at March. 

“Yeah, didn’t Misha knock the fork outta’ you a while back?” Boothill snapped. 

“I’m fine, really!” March 7th replied, pushing herself upwards so she could stand up. “I’m a pretty strong girl, you know!”  

Welt let out a sigh. “Well, that’s March for you.” 

You look upwards to face Boothill. “What’s going to happen now?” 

“Well, I kinda asked for some external help to escort Misha and the gang.” Boothill said. 

“What do you mean by ‘external help’?” Himeko spoke. You could hear her uncertainty in her voice, as if she was hesitating on making a big decision. 

Before Boothill could answer, a shrill ring echoed through the car. Boothill pulled out his phone and answered the call. 

“Heyaaaa!” an energetic feminine voice cried on the phone speaker.

“Who is this?” Aventurine asked, seemingly suspicious. 

“You must be the Ultimate Lucky Ninja!” the voice replied. “You may address me as the Dazzling Ninja Hero: Rappa!” 

You can clearly hear her infectious enthusiasm through the phone line. Was this really the ‘external help’ Boothill mentioned?

“Say, Rappa?” you ask. “Boothill mentioned some extra help. Are you…” 

“Precisely! I have agreed to assist my fellow ninja allies with my own talents!” Rappa replied. “I must admit, though. Silvergun Shura made me aware of a new ninja scroll collection, and he agreed to help me obtain it after I provided my assistance.”  

“Okay, Rappa. What’s the update?” Boothill snapped. 

Rappa was silent for a second. “We might have faced a great peril.” 

Suddenly, you could feel an unnamed tension in the room. It wrapped around the train car like a ribbon, constricting its space like a snake. Whatever would happen next would determine if the snake would end up eating the car, leading to a strange mental image of a boa constrictor that swallowed the Astral Express. 

It would be truly one long hat. 

“During my mission, I’ve had to silence some evil ninjas. I was able to use height as an advantage due to Ninja Hiryû and Ninja Hidaiken’s request to stay hidden.” Rappa reported. You could sense that she’d sobered up, as if being a bodyguard or a hidden assassin was no longer a fun adventure for herself anymore. “It was hard, and it truly was complicated. Every time I struck one down, another came to replace it. Ah, not like those ninja scrolls I’ve read! They aren’t regenerating ninjas! They just come in vast numbers, a gigantic force of evil!” 

“This isn’t good.” Himeko muttered.

“There's another problem! They’re coming for both Ninja Tracer and Ninja Singer!” Rappa added. Now, she wasn’t just sober. She was now sober and panicking at the same time. 

“Hold up, hold up!” March 7th cried. “Who’s Ninja Tracer, who’s Ninja Singer, who’s everyone!?” 

“Eh? The young boy in blue is like Tracer, is he not? You know, the main character of the London Calling ninja scrolls I managed to find in the vast digital sea of knowledge.” Rappa replied.  

“I’m…not so sure if he can Recall like Lena Oxton.” Aventurine added, awkwardly. “I think Topaz used to read those strips. I just remember Topaz calling her ‘the orange time-travelling pilot’ or something.” 

“Anyways! We have to lay low, very low. Fellow ninjas, are you all aware that we are supposed to return to the Safehouse before the sun falls?” Rappa continued. 

“The Safehouse is the Astral Express.” Boothill hissed. 

“Well, to put things bluntly…we have no choice but to lay low, like what one has said before.” Rappa sighed. “After defeating a massive wave of the evil ninjas, partially with Ninja Tracer’s time-stopping ninjutsu, we managed to catch a shred of one of the ninja’s garments. Upon further discussion with Ninja Singer, we can confirm one thing is certain.” 

“The evil ninjas we’re dealing with are the Family of Pinecany.” 

“The Family is still after Misha?!” March 7th yelled, nearly dropping her polaroid camera. "Don't they know when to quit?"

“This isn’t good. Robin is with them, too.” Welt said. “What if the Family is trying to silence them all?” 

Aventurine stepped closer to the phone. “Rappa, should I enlist some extra help? The IPC can send a proper escort, so you won’t need to--”

“There’s no need for that, Ultimate Lucky Ninja. I believe in my own strength and ninja training.” Rappa replied, somberly. “Even if one shall perish, as long as Ninja Singer and Ninja Tracer are safe, my mission will be complete, and I can leave this existence with a sense of accomplishment.” 

Boothill groaned. “Rappa, darling, you’re just a child. Just like Misha. You shouldn’t be doing this tomfoolery. I’m not lettin’ you die.” 

“And why does that matter?” Rappa replied. “Master Kucha chose me for a reason. I am able to wield Dazzling Ninjutsu because of his guidance. If one is able to use her power for good, then nothing else matters anymore!” 

Boothill opened his mouth to argue, but ultimately didn't even bother.

“Got it, got it. Just get back as soon as you can, Rappa.” Boothill said. 

“ Ossu ! I shall return victorious! Silvergun Shura, I shall not disappoint you!” Rappa said, and hung up. 

Boothill pocketed his phone with another long sigh. “That’s Rappa for ya’. Poor girl. She’s been through hell and back, and yet she’s still so energetic. Honestly, she sometimes exhausts me.” 

“Why the…talk about ninjutsu?” Aventurine asked. “I’m genuinely curious.” 

“Rappa…she was made to be a weapon. She loved ninja mangas as a kiddo, and due to the experiments she went through, the only way she could retain her sanity was a motherfudgin’ memetic virus. Those little shirtbags…if I could go back in time to beat the fork outta ‘em, I would.” Boothill said. 

As Boothill delved into a long, angry, rant, you decide to take a peek at whatever’s happening on the Internet, or rather, the ‘vast digital sea of knowledge’, as stated by Rappa. 

Destroyer of Penacony Caught on Camera!

[This video has been taken down, and the post has been locked. No new comments or reactions can be made.] 

LenaTracerOxton : honestly whose idea was this??? blimey what has the internet come to why are we doxxing children???? i swear to God this better be some sick prank 

timetravellingmahoushojou : its probably some old hag using a vrchat avatar or smth idk

Widowmaker : …this isn’t the dreamscape??????????????????????????????

D.Va : wow what a time to be alive

LaviniaFalcone : @LenaTracerOxton is right. I think it’s wrong to target a kid for no good reason. If anything, all blame should go to the Family.

ThePaleLibrarian : This comment section is so divided…even Roland can’t properly explain what’s happening…

Walpurgisnacht_No.2 : Faust believes that the Family started a smear campaign to target this child. Although Faust has some idea as to what’s happening, she cannot speak openly about it as it is apparently confidential information. 

SuenoImpossible_No.3 : One is very confused! Who is on  the side of justice, and who is on the side of evil?!

Roland_BlackSilence : honestly this is such a confusing piece of news…ugh. i’ve gotta force Angela to sleep, man. shes hyperfocusing on the news so much it concerns me shes watching this shit like a tv drama

PeniParker : this comment section really is something. first we have head librarians from the Library, members of Overwatch and Talon, a literal judge, even members of Limbus Company. just how far did this news spread

Sonetto : Count in the St. Pavlov Foundation. 

2AppleπOrNot2π : there’s ppl from Solaris-3, too!

ReReReRegulus! : this is crazyyyyy 

LenaTracerOxton : @PeniParker very far, very very far. its somehow spread across watchpoint gibraltar like wildfire like holy shit 

Emily : this is what Overwatch connected to the cosmos for 

ValkyrieofMercy : Even so, please refrain from spreading rumours about the incident. Apparently, according to a few online friends of ours (Jett, Waylay, and a few others), this has become a full-on legal case within the IPC and any involved parties. 

FIREBIRD : WHAT THE FUCK IS VALORANT PROTOCOL DOING HERE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

With how widespread this case had become, you couldn’t help but have a sense of worry. Even though you were certain that Himeko didn’t install any CCTV cameras in the car, there was now a constant pressure of being watched. Not just by the whole Xianzhou. Now, it was the whole universe. Probably the Aeons, too. THEY’re probably watching all this shit go down by the second. 

Dread often accompanied pressure. If you made one wrong move, the universe that inhabits the Internet would be a dreadful force to be reckoned with. Now that everything has exploded out of proportion, it’s like the Astral Express has been thrust into the spotlight. 

Your thoughts are interrupted by a sharp knocking on the door. 

“Password?” Boothill called. 

“Oh! Ahem, ahem…” Rappa’s voice said, “Cheers, love! The cavalry's here!” 

Boothill turned to Pom-Pom, who was standing in a shaded corner of the Express. 

The door slid open as five figures stepped into the car. Leading the group was a green-eyed girl with messy, pink hair, abstract streetwear, and a black cap with scarlet oni horns. Yanqing ran off, collapsing onto one of the sofa chairs.

“Welcome back.” Welt said, a small smile on his face. 

“We managed to escape in time.” Dan Heng replied. “He’s probably managed to imprison a good amount of the Family’s henchmen in Dream Prisons.” 

“Truly a blessing.” Robin hummed. 

The pink-haired girl walked towards Boothill. “Silvergun Shura, I have returned.” 

“Welcome back, Rappa.” Boothill said. “I thought you said you’d come later.” 

“There was a sense of urgency. One has managed to see what the rest of the cosmos has to say. May I enquire when the negotiation is?” Rappa muttered. 

“They’re actually coming to the Luofu.” Aventurine replied. He projected his voice as if he was delivering an urgent announcement. “According to what Jade sent me, we will negotiate in a week’s time.” 

“So, it’s really happening, huh?” Misha asked. 

“Yep.” March nodded. “How do you feel, Misha?” 

Misha didn’t reply. 

Even after everything, Misha was still very afraid. You can’t blame him, the Family--

A sudden crash sent the whole Crew tumbling. While it wasn't a physical impact, the noise was deafening enough to disarm the whole Express. 

“What was that?!” Yanqing gasped, having leapt so high, one of his swords was keeping him dangling above the ground. 

Rappa dashed to one of the gigantic windows. “The evil ninjas are here!” 

Aventurine let out an annoyed scowl. “Right. Are we going to fight them, or…” 

“How did they track us?!” Robin cried. 

As Himeko and Welt prepared their weapons, they barely noticed Misha stepping forward. 

“We don’t have a choice.” Misha spoke. 

Surprisingly, there was a strange hollowness in his voice. Everyone in the car turned to look at the young boy. With a small splash of light, his greatsword formed in his hands. 

“They’re here for me. Grandpa’s ultimate weapon. The one who can destroy the Dreamscape.” Misha continued, dragging his feet to the door, seemingly reluctantly. The greatsword’s blade scratched the floor, leaving slits in the carpet and scratches on the marble. 

“Misha, what are you saying?!” Boothill asked. 

“Ninja Tracer! The senior ninjas should be handling this! You’re just a ninja initiate!” Rappa yelled. “Stand back!” 

However, Misha appeared determined. There was a light in his eyes that you’ve never seen before. You couldn’t tell if it was Misha or the Stellaron who was speaking. You couldn’t tell if he’s being arrogant or afraid. Even so, you couldn’t help but be afraid of him.

“If they want a weapon, they will get a weapon.” Misha breathed, a murderous glimmer illuminating his exhausted-looking gaze. 

“I’ll crush them into pieces, and burn them to ashes.”