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The noise of laughter and celebration rose high above the streets. Children ran together, their hands holding precious toys and sweets. The various races aboard this ship mingled together, as they always do, but this time there were smiles to share, cups to empty, stories to tell, and promises to make.
Promises about the next year, another beginning.
From his perch high above the streets, he sat alone, watching the festivities below with a strange detached feeling. He rarely felt this way having long since learned how to leave the past behind and walk hand in hand with the future. Yet…
A loud, familiar voice cut through his thoughts. He turned his head towards the sound, spying a face he could recognize anywhere.
Yukong.
She was smiling, a rare sight, as her daughter pulled her through the crowd of denizens, pointing left and right at different activities and food to try. It seems that her relationship with her daughter had finally turned around. Yanqing had mentioned the situation to him offhandedly once and, since then he had periodically checked in on the situation himself. While he had no kids of his own, he knew how reckless some were when anger and frustration got to their heads. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Although he hadn’t had time to observe them since the fight with the Emanator, he had assumed that something had changed when he visited the Sky-faring commission and found Qingni diligently filling out official papers for becoming a Starskift pilot trainee.
It seems that the day the Nameless had visited him concerning Yukong was a fruitful one.
He sighed, letting his eyes wander back over the crowd. New year festivities were always a sort of a strange topic given the long lives of some of the species here. However, after the successful defeat of an Emnantor, the heads had met up and agreed that holding a larger celebration this time would be a good idea.
A breeze of cold air swept by him.
Ah.
It seems that some of the Vidyadhara and members of the Alchemy Commission had decided to add a little something extra special for this night’s celebration. Raising his hand, he watched as a delicate, white petal fell onto his hand before melting away as quickly as it had come.
Pure. Ephemeral.
And it would all disappear without a physical trace, leaving behind only memories.
He wasn’t one to get sentimental too much anymore, now that he had the weight of the Xianzhou Luofu on his shoulders and the expectations of many to uphold and surpass. When she had sent for a gathering between friends… past friends …he had allowed himself a moment to reminisce. Even if that spar was one with a desire for death, even if those minutes were a little too quiet, a little too tense…
He would’ve liked it to have lasted a little longer.
The fight had ended as fast as he dreaded and the memories were but dreams that slipped between his fingers. One had left them behind, another had burned them away. The other never knew them and the last….the last no longer had any connection to them.
Their paths had spread like branches of a tree, yet he was the only one who still strove forward on the original path.
But that was okay.
For time will always flow and life will always continue. Some day, perhaps many eras later, he will meet them again in the place where all warriors go after their duty here is finished.
He chuckled to himself, shaking his head before downing the gourd of wine he had brought with him. It wasn’t like him to get so emotional anymore. Truly.
A light step sounded behind him and a voice spoke.
“General! I finally found you!”
“Well well, it took you long enough. What were you looking for me for? I thought you were spending your time at home.”
“Well…um, Lady Fu Xuan had this idea of having a banquet and stuff and wanted me to come get you before the food gets cold.”
“Oh? So suddenly?”
“Er, not really. She had already planned out most of the things, but she didn’t feel like telling you just yet.”
“Hmm…then why couldn’t you find me immediately when she sent for me?”
“She didn’t tell me your location. She just said ‘Just go look. You’ll-’”
“Find me eventually.”
It was no surprise to know that Fu Xuan probably had let him have a little extra time to himself. After all, the General doesn’t exactly have holidays or days off.
“Alright, lead the way then, Yanqing.”
“Yes, General!”
As he followed Yanqing across Xianzhou, he saw many things.
He saw the laughter of his people, the smiles of the children, the peacefulness of the scenery, everything that confirmed to him that what he had strived so hard for was there. And he would continue to protect it all.
So while he acknowledged them in his heart, he paid no mind to the star that shot through the sky, burning itself out.
He paid no mind to the leaves that fell from the surrounding trees, disappearing into the crowd.
He paid no mind to the artificial snow, dancing as they fell and melted on the ground.
He paid no mind to the mirror-like water in the center of the plaza that slowly became full of ripples from the splashing of children.
What was lost in the past will stay in the past as that was what was right for them.
The Jingyuan of today lived in the now and strived towards the future, one strong and sure step at a time, accompanied by his companions in the present.