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This is strange, Lumine thought as she finally reached the Grand Narukami Shrine. Scanning the area, she couldn’t help but notice the unnatural stillness of the place.
No maidens nor visitors could be seen roaming around and, as if that wasn’t reason enough to put the Traveller on edge, she could almost feel the tension in the air. Hands at the ready, her sword a flick of the wrist away, she carefully made her way through the wooden buildings, mindful to keep her paces light. No need to alert anybody of their arrival just yet, though her fairy companion certainly seemed not to have such problems.
Opening her mouth, to spew some indignant question no doubt, Paimon was met with a sharp look from Lumine that swiftly put an end to it. She understood this was not the time to make loud remarks.
When the two reached the back garden, they quickly made note of the situation at hand. Several maidens were firmly rooted in place around the area, as if scared to even breathe too loudly. Judging by the sight of Guuji Yae, the girl was sure her assumption was not too out of the realm of possibility.
The always composed Kitsune looked, for the lack of a better term, pissed. Her ears were pinned to her head and she was harshly pacing back and forth, all while grumbling loudly.
“That fool! Childish, no-“ Miko turned sharply towards the nearest maiden who looked ready to faint “-insolent, absolute moron of a being with the emotional capacity of a slug shell,” the fox continued, wild electro particles flying around her.
Paimon took a quick peek at the scene from where she was hiding behind the Traveller and whimpered. That was a mistake as raging purple eyes immediately flicked to their forms. If they had any chance of escaping unscathed until that point, suddenly their demise seemed imminent.
Now, Lumine had faced countless dangers and battled enough foes to make even the most seasoned of warriors tremble at the knees, but the image of a smiling Yae Miko with murder in her eyes would forever haunt her nightmares. It seemed Paimon agreed with her, if the trembling of her friend was anything to go by.
“Little ones,” Miko purred, “what a convenient timing.” And oh, if that didn’t sound ominous.
Years of training were the only thing keeping the blonde from bolting and she found herself gaining a newfound appreciation for all those lessons on schooling her expression that her parents had once forced onto her and her brother.
“Lady Yae,” Lumine respectfully greeted back, meeting the gaze of the raging Guuji, “how do you do?”
“Certainly a lot better now that you’re here.” Somehow a simple line made the situation ten times worse. Between a scheming Miko and an angry Miko, Lumine would pick throwing herself off the nearest cliff each time, thank you very much.
Still, she forced herself to ignore Paimon’s iron grip on her shoulder and asked with what she prayed was a smile on her lips, “Anything we can help you with?”
“As a matter of fact, there is something you could do for me.”
Lumine liked to pretend the shrine maidens’ sniffles of relief were actually ones of deep grief for the traveller who just threw herself into the line of fire for them.
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Heading towards Tenshukaku, Lumine couldn’t help but grimace a little at the sight of the imposing building. It was at times like this that she missed the background noise Paimon’s mindless chatter would supply, keeping her thoughts from straying too far into dangerous territory.
The knowledge that her friend was enjoying herself in the city with Thoma, albeit bummed she couldn’t tag along, was the only thing that put a part of her at ease. After a quick chat with Yae Miko, the blonde girl came to the conclusion that the task would be best tackled by her alone and, thankfully, the little fairy gave in without too much fussing. Most probably because Lumine had promised to buy her five of her favourite dishes when she was done. Oh well.
Her heels clicked on the stone pavement and the sound echoed painfully in her head.
A column of electricity and a desperate scream- Not now, she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other as she walked underneath the torii, I have more important things to focus on. And yet, she could almost swear the smell of ozone burned her nose.
As she reached the doors of the palace, the Shogun’s soldiers stood to attention and brandished their spears, blocking her path.
“Halt, Traveller, and state your business,” one of them intoned.
Adopting the same mannerism as easy as breathing, Lumine nodded in aknowledgement, “I am here for a meeting with Her Eternal Exelency, the Almighty Narukami Ogosho.” As she said that, she thought of Yae Miko and the moment she must have been turned away by the ones guarding the doors. The idea didn’t sit well with her. If Ei was against the Kistune’s presence, a person she actually cared about, what would her reaction be when faced with Lumine? Would she dismiss her on the spot?Would she summon her polearm and finish what the Raiden Shogun didn’t?
A glint of electro infused metal, a swinging arc through the air No, she thought, Ei is your friend. She wouldn’t do that. Turning her attention back to the guards in front of her, Lumine ignored the paranoid part of her mind that tried to convince her she would.
The soldiers nodded and retracted their weapons, letting her pass. As the grand doors closed behind her, the Traveller steeled herself and started searching for the elusive Archon.
“Ever since your outing, and a couple of other instances where I dragged her into the city,
she seemed to close herself off from everybody,” Miko explained, her arms crossed over her
chest. “I tried asking her about it, but she refused to elaborate.”
“Since she has actually given order for me to not be allowed entry into Tenshukaku, I’d assume the subject was even more sensitive than she let on,” drawled the shrine maiden before she resumed her pacing. “Ha!” she chuckled dangerously, “I can’t decide if I should be offended that she believes some common soldiers could inconvenience me in any way or that she chose to push me away.”
At one point, she reached the balcony on the second floor where, sure enough, the one she was looking for was seated cross-legged on a mat, quietly nursing a cup of tea while looking at the sky, deep in thought. The blonde froze in place as she looked at the other woman, Miko’s voice (from a rare moment of seriousness) resounding in her ears, “I am willing to give her space. Painful as it might be to be brushed off, I am well aware there are some things even I can’t fully grasp, despite being her familiar.”
“Are you going to join me or do you intend to stay there until nightfall?” asked Ei from where she was stood, eyes still trained on the horizon. Lumine didn’t need to be told again as she seated herself on the right side of her friend.
Cutting straight to the chase, the Traveller stated, “Before you ask, I am not here to interrogate you and then report everything to Miko.” Ei looked at her, but just for a fleeting moment. “She explained what happened and she did ask me to come see you, but this is something I would have done either way, Miko’s request or not,” she firmly assured, leaving no room for doubt. At that, the Archon nodded, seemingly accepting her explanation. A moment of silence and then, “Also, I should probably warn you she’s not too happy with your latest decision.” At that, a light pink tinge tinted the Archon’s cheeks.
“Yes, I’d imagine she isn’t,” she replied, a bashful look on her face. “I have to admit this was not one of my brightest ideas.”
“Probably not,” agreed Lumine with a chuckle. A mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes as she added, “Though you’d do well to settle things sooner rather than later. I’m not too sure the other shrine maidens can endure her wrath much longer.”
Probably imagining what the situation would look like back on the mountain, Ei took an awkward sip from her cup. As if just realising what she was holding she bowed her head in shame and apologised profusely, “Traveller, please forgive my thoughtlessness! It did not even occur to me-”
Lumine waved her off, “Don’t worry, it’s quite alright.” The embarrassment on the Archon’s face, or at least as much of it as she allowed herself to display, seemed to diminish a little at her words, but there was no doubt in her mind that Ei, ever the perfectionist, would continue to take this minor mishap as a personal failure. With that idea in mind, she felt compelled to emphasize the honesty of her words, “Truly, Ei, there’s no need to worry about it.”
Although no more words were exchanged, Lumine could feel the other’s tense form relax a little.
The two settled into an easy silence, happy to just bask in the warmth of the sun. Still, the easy-going atmosphere didn’t for much longer and clouds soon covered the sky as if foreshadowing the heavy topic about to be brought up.
“So, are you going to ask me about it?” Ei inquired with a sigh, putting her cup down in expectation of the questions soon to follow.
“No.” Lumine caught the woman’s surprised gaze before she could glance away. “If you wish to tell me, you’re more than welcome to, but I am not here to pester you about what is clearly a sensitive subject. I just thought you shouldn’t be alone.”
The blonde was the one to look away now, but she could feel Ei’s eyes studying her face, searching for something. Signs of deception? Of dishonesty?
A dripping trail of cold caressed her cheek and she brought her hand to swipe it off. Her minuscule effort was rendered useless though as another joined it and then another and another. With a start, she realised it had started to rain. Her companion seemed to come to the same realisation and the pair made quick work of gathering everything up and heading inside. They did not go too far, content to watch the rain fall behind the open doors.
Time passed. It could’ve been minutes or hours, but at last her friend let something escape the shackles of her soul, words so quiet they were almost drowned out by the sound of heavy rainfall.
“It’s hard,” Ei admitted with a defeated sigh. “Going out and talking to people... I was never prepared...,” she trailed off, seemingly frustrated with her own inability to put feelings into words.
Still, the Archon tried her best to explain her issue. And oh, how her words struck a chord deep within the Traveller’s heart. Because a part of her resonated with everything laid between the two of them in the form of whispered words. Every bitter sentence and every silent respite lodged itself in the very core of her heart and twisted, causing even more pain as it settled down. Cowardly, maybe even a little selfishly, Lumine wanted that part to shrivel up and die.
“It should come as no surprise to know I have never been the most adept at socializing. Deciding that Makoto would take charge of the diplomatic affairs of Inazuma while I would do so with the military was only natural,” Ei finally settled for. She took some time to find her next words, but she needn’t have as Lumine could practically visualise the things about to leave her mouth. Gripping the skirt of her dress as tightly as she would allow herself in this rare moment of weakness, the blonde found herself once again the punchline of some crude divine joke. Still, she would endure it, time and time again, as long as she was the only one burdened with the suffering they demanded. And yet, some higher entities really liked to push her buttons.
Oh, how she wished she had her powers back, if only to march into that thrice-forsaken Celestia and drag the damned place and everything in it into the depths of the fiery Underground or whatever equivalent there was on this wretched world. Because how dare they? How dare they, those who pull the strings of Teyvat, crow in pleasure at tearing families apart? How dare they disregard time and time again the sacred bond between those of kin?
“I alone am to blame for relying so heavily on Makoto,” the Electro Archon muttered with a distant look, so unlike the woman Lumine grew fond of that she wanted to punch something. Was this how she looked in the beginning of her journey?
“She used to say it was her duty as my older sister to protect me, even if those I needed to be protected from were commissioners with far too much free time,” she chuckled melancholically before swiftly sobering up at the prospect of yet another failure. “I grew far too complacent.”
“I suppose it never occurred to me that I would ever get to live in a world where she wasn’t by my side. Perhaps it was wishful thinking on my part”
I’ll always be with you, Lumi
“Give my brother back!”
“I never prepared myself for such a turn of events.”
Purple eyes found golden ones and Ei pursed her lips in thought before confessing, “Being in a similar situation, I thought if there were someone able to understand at least some part of it, it would be you.” She diverted her eyes. “I apologise if my assumption was too far reached.”
Lumine shook her head. If anything, she was honoured her friend chose to disclose something so private to her. She concentrated on the sounds of the storm now raging outside. You would know how it feels to have a dead twin, wouldn’t you, Lumine?
Thunder broke the heavy atmosphere that settled on their shoulders. Musing quietly, she decided it was only right to repay in kind: a secret for a secret.
“When Aether and I were born,” the blonde began, breaking Ei out of her reverie, “our future was already set in stone. Being the older one, he was meant to inherit the title of Emperor from our mother while I was to replace our father and become General.” If the woman was surprised by the information, she didn’t show it.
“We prepared for this our whole lives. Eventually, I began to find the companionship of weapons and strategy books far more enjoyable than that of my peers. The needless chatter of court lords and ladies got on my nerves and I was far too impatient for their convoluted ways of getting things across,” Lumine trailed off, swallowed by the memories of a time long passed.
Walking through marble halls, enormous windows overlooking the capital, war rooms
covered in maps
Clearing her throat, she continued, “Aether was my voice. Having the ability to read me like no other, he was always the one to inform the rest of the world about my thoughts and feelings on certain matters. This habit continued even when we began to traverse other worlds,” Lumine said with a meaningful look thrown at her friend. Understanding shone in her purple eyes and they both recalled her earlier words “I grew far too complacent”
“When he was taken from me-“ Outlanders, your journey ends here, “I felt trapped. I was in a new world where I didn’t know anybody, not to mention the language. Fortunately, after some time, I found Paimon, but we still had a rocky start.” She remembered with perfect clarity the frustration building up in her chest when the pixie would ask an insufferable amount of questions. Not used to it, Lumine used to silently stew in her anger, though understanding enough to not snap at her self-proclaimed guide. The little fairy sure had godly patience when it came to dealing with the Traveller’s early moods.
“I’m afraid I could never say I fully understand what you went through,” Lumine finally concluded. Gently, tentatively, she took Ei’s hand and looked at her. “I am not you. I would never be able to grasp the full extent of your emotions,” she continued with a bitter smile, “but I do have a pretty good idea of what it’s like. I’ve been there and I won’t lie to you, it isn’t easy adapting to this change.” Still grasping the Archon’s hand, she raised to her feet,
pulling the other up with her. Stepping out onto the balcony, she led her to the railing where they could see the setting sun peeking through the dispersing clouds.
Taking a deep breath, she faced Ei and smiled sadly. Both of them could relate on some level to the other’s experience. Some details were so alike that it unnerved Lumine, others not so much. But, at the end of the day, they were not alone. Perhaps that loss of their other halves would forever loom in their shadow, ready to pounce and rip into their barely healed wounds. Or maybe, they would be allowed to close until nothing but a bitter memory remained.
Whatever the case might be, those who had wronged them would be called to justice. Maybe not now, maybe not in a thousand years, but it would happen. After centuries, Lumine was nothing if not patient.
We have always had enough time
“We were never meant to rule, but that doesn’t mean we won’t give it our best shot”
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“Hotaru, you’re finally back!” was all Lumine got in preparation before a blur of white crashed into her stomach. Fortunately, she managed to keep her balance, lest she tumbled to the ground in front of half the city. With an omph, the Traveller smiled and hugged back the little fairy clutching at her dress.
“Paimon!” she matched her excitement, “how have you been?”
That was all it took to start her companion’s ramble, the pixie explaining in great detail everything that had taken place during the past day she had spent with Thoma. Just noticing the boy’s distance from the pair, Lumine worriedly shot him a look to where he was standing in the middle of the road, head bowed.
“Thoma?” she gently called out, hoping to catch his attention, “are you al-What happened!?” she cried out wide eyed at the sight of silent tears running down his face.
A sob was heard and then, “I’m broke!"