Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

All was not well in the demon world.
Morale was low and the tension was so thick, you could cut it with a large blade. The demons shuffled around, occasionally grumbling or moping. In the center of it all, a weakened Gwi-Ma fumed in silence. He watched his minions wander aimlessly. His defeat in the hands of Huntr/x was both devastating and humiliating. Gwi-Ma glanced up into the sky where he saw the bright rainbow colors of the honmoon. His pink flames grew as did his rage.

“This can't go on,” he growled, “We were so close to victory, but now the honmoon is stronger than ever!”

His voice rang throughout the realm, frightening many of the demons. Gwi-Ma’s fury subsided for a moment as he continued to stare at the honmoon.

“But it isn't gold,” he pondered, “so we may still have a chance…but how?”

His flames flickered and that's when he felt something amongst them. He had felt it ever since he was banished back to the demon world.

“As I was pushed back to this realm,” he explained, “I managed to grab something on my way down. It's a spark. Its presence is unusual, and I felt it everywhere on earth. This spark is nothing like the honmoon. It's giving off a different sort of power…”

The demons curiously watched Gwi-Ma who fell silent for a moment. Then, he appeared to smile slightly.

“...a power I could use.”

Gwi-Ma held onto that spark and like a leash, pulled it towards him. He felt that mysterious power give way a little and he pulled harder. The power became stronger the closer the source of it got. The demons stared in awe as they saw a million other sparks gather together in the sky. With every tug of the proverbial leash, the more sparks gathered and the closer they became. With one last pull, Gwi-Ma gathered the rest of the sparks all at once. As they all came together, it turned into a blinding light that caused the demons to shield themselves and shriek. Even Gwi-Ma winced from how bright this light was. This light became smaller, yet its brightness remained. Once it was all compressed, it burst like a supernova and faded away. Everyone gazed at the sky, wondering where the light went. That was when a sound of screaming could be heard in the distance. The sound gradually became louder and soon a small figure could be seen falling. It quickly plummeted faster as the screaming became clearer. Suddenly, the screaming was silenced the moment the person hit the ground face down with a comical splat. The demons gathered around the fallen figure.

It was about two and a half feet tall and appeared to be male. He wore a dark suit and had blue skin. Most notably, he was as flat as a pancake. To the demons’ collective shock, the little man raised his arm and grabbed his own head, which he proceeded to peel off of the ground like a sticker. When he was completely upright, his flat body wiggled around for a moment before popping back into shape. This gave Gwi-Ma and the demons a better look at this odd fellow. He had black hair that was bald on top where two little antennae stood. He had a pink pig nose and under his suit jacket, he wore a yellow vest, a white shirt with a red bowtie, and white shoes with yellow spats.
The little cartoon man brushed himself off with a grumpy expression.

“Well, this a fine how do you do!” he removed his yellow straw hat to shake off dust before putting it back on, “There I was spending eternity in my luminous landscape, and now here I am in this dingy place with a bunch of–”

The cartoon looked around him in confusion at the crowd of demons staring at him.

“Ick,” his pig nose wrinkled in disgust, “What are you characters?”

“Demons,” Gwi-Ma answered, grabbing the little man’s attention, “and I am their king. I am Gwi-Ma.”

“Your Majesty!” the little blue man removed his hat again and took a deep bow, “It is such an honor to be in your presence! However, what is a king next to a god?”

Some of the demons gasped and whispered amongst themselves. Gwi-Ma glared skeptically,

“A god?”

The cartoon adjusted his bow tie and grinned widely.

“Lux Imperator, The God of Light.”

“I see,” Gwi-Ma mused, “What kind of light?”

Lux straightened his posture and sneered,

“All light. It gives me power.”

Gwi-Ma hummed in deep thought before speaking.

“Look up for a moment. Do you see that?”

Lux looked up at the sky and saw a vast sea of colorful lines that appeared to be made of pure light. Lux’s eyes widened in wonder at the way they shimmered.

“Those lights…” he cooed, “they’re beautiful…what is it?”

“That is honmoon,” Gwi-Ma explained, “It is what keeps me and my minions down here.”

Lux gazed at the honmoon for a moment longer before looking back at Gwi-Ma. He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

“What does that have to do with me?”

Gwi-Ma’s flames flared up as he gave his order.

“I want you to get rid of it.”

“Don’t make me laugh!” Lux waved his hand dismissively.

“Do you not feed off of light?” asked Gwi-Ma.

“I can too,” Lux retorted, “but that doesn't mean I can make light go away or anything like that!”

“This light is different,” Gwi-Ma grew brighter, “It's not physical, but spiritual. It can be destroyed.”

Lux looked up at the honmoon again and watched the colors flow like celestial rivers.

“Spiritual, huh? I don't see how that can help meeeeEEEEEEEE!!!”

All of a sudden, Lux was picked up by an invisible force and was lifted up off his feet. Gwi-Ma carried Lux higher and higher until the light God was face-to-face with the honmoon.

“Go ahead,” coaxed Gwi-Ma, “Have a sample.”

Lux furrowed his brow before raising his hand towards a strand of honmoon. He curled his finger around it and gently pulled. He let go of the strand, causing it to make a low strumming noise. Back on the ground, the demons covered their ears and hissed. Lux curled his finger around that same strand again and pulled it further towards him. He stretched the honmoon strand to the point where it became taut until it suddenly snapped in half like a rubber band. The demons gasped at what they just saw. The honmoon strand floated in the air for a few seconds before rushing into Lux’s mouth, forcing him to inhale. When he breathed it all in, Lux gasped and held his chest. He breathed heavily as he tried to process what had just happened. Lux then felt something pulse against his hand. He quickly realized it was coming from his chest and he soon put together what it was.

It was a heartbeat.

“Oh my gosh.” Lux softly muttered, not knowing that Gwi-Ma was lowering him back down.

Even when Lux was placed on the ground, he didn't pay mind to anything around him even as Gwi-Ma spoke to him.

“Well? How was it?”

Lux barely noticed what Gwi-Ma said, and he answered, still clutching his chest.

“My heart…” he shuddered, "I have a heart. This…’honmoon’… Do you think it can give me a body? One I can feel and walk in?”

“You tell me.” Gwi-Ma grinned.

A quivering smile started to appear on Lux’s lips until he heard a voice shouting nearby.

“AAAAAAH! THIS ISN'T GOING TO WORK!”

Everyone, including Lux, turned towards whoever said that. A panicked demon was trembling and grabbing his own head in distress.

“This plan is stupid! STUPID! We're never gonna get those souls! If the Saja Boys couldn't help us, what makes you think this guy will?! Don't you get it?! It's over! It's overrrAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHH!!!!”

The demon burst into pink flames, and the others backed away in fear. Lux watched in both shock and fascination as the demon crumbled into ash.

“Does anyone else object?” Gwi-Ma asked calmly but threateningly.

The rest of the demons immediately shook their heads, their lips tightly shut so as to not offend their king further. Lux turned to Gwi-Ma questioningly.

“The what boys?”

“Our recent failure,” the demon king grumbled, “A group of demons that became celebrities to steal souls and kill Huntr/x.”

“And who are they?”

“Demon hunters. Our enemies. They created the honmoon that seals us away.”

Lux tapped his foot and crossed his arms.

“What exactly are you proposing, King Hothead?”

With newfound passion, Gwi-Ma burned brightly and his flames grew taller.

“Destroy Huntr/x. You will have the honmoon and we will have the souls.”

Lux lowered his head and paced around. He considered whether or not he should listen to Gwi-Ma. If he disobeyed, would he end up like that demon? Could that even happen to him? Could a demon king kill a god? Lux decided he didn't want to take that chance. Another thing he considered was how the promise of a body tempted him like nothing else. He tried hard to piece together a plan in his mind. He didn't have all the information he needed at the moment, but something was starting to come to fruition.

Why not? I could use a real body, after all.

Lux looked at Gwi-Ma with a wide, menacing grin.

“Do they still have projectors in their world?”

Chapter Text

“Zoeyyyyy,” Mira groaned tiredly, “we've been walking foreverrrrr. This teahouse better be worth it.”

Huntr/x walked down the street donning disguises to prevent themselves from being recognized by fans. As much as they appreciated the attention, they wanted to have a day out with just the three of them.

“It is!” Zoey bounced with every step, “Trust me!”

Rumi simply smiled at her friends’ banter.

“Come on,” she lightly nudged Mira, “just give it a chance.”

Zoey stuck out her tongue at Mira who rolled her eyes.

“Whatever it's like,” Rumi encouraged, “if it's something you or Zoey enjoy, I'm bound to give it a try.”

~~

“We're heeeere!”

Zoey hopped in place as she presented the building behind her. Rumi and Mira stared with eyes wide in astonishment and a little horror.

“It's a DURIAN cafe?!” shouted Mira.

“I know, I know!” Zoey waved her hands excitedly, “I thought it was weird too when I came across this place, but I fell in LOVE with the food here!”

“Well,” Rumi shrugged, “I did promise to try it. What about you?”

Rumi saw that Mira’s brow was furrowed and her arms were crossed.

“I'm not going in there,” she stated bluntly.

Mira was determined to stay where she was until she looked at Zoey. Her trembling lip and sad puppy eyes melted Mira’s cold exterior.

“Uuuuugh,” Mira let out a defeated sigh, “fiiiiiine.”

The trio walked into the cafe and they took their seats. As they looked through the menus, Mira wrinkled her nose and Rumi raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“These don't look so bad,” Rumi remarked, “How did you even find this place?”

“Well,” Zoey grinned widely, “I got lost because I fell asleep on the train, and I somehow ended up here. Remember when I came home really late the other week? That's why.”

“Oh yeah,” Mira chuckled, “Bobby was so worried about you that he actually considered calling the police. He didn't even think to call you first, he was THAT scatterbrained from the stress.”

“Yeah, poor Bobby,” Rumi giggled and shook her head, “I think he's still embarrassed about it.”

“It’s sweet knowing that he cares so much,” Zoey blushed, “just like these desserts! So, what are you getting? I’m gonna have the durian double cheesecake!”

Rumi looked back at the menu and tapped her finger against it.

“I don't know. These all look interesting. I think I'll just have the same as you.”

“Mira?” Zoey turned to her pink haired friend.

“Cheesecake me.” Mira tossed the menu onto the table.

“Great!” Zoey clapped her hands as the waitress approached their table, “Three orders of the durian double cheesecake, please!”

Before the girls knew it, they each had a plate of cheesecake in front of them. The pungent durian odor wafted up their nostrils and each girl had a different reaction. Rumi hummed nervously, Mira grimaced, and Zoey giggled.

“Weeeell?” Zoey chimed, “Dig in!”

While Zoey enthusiastically took bite after bite of cheesecake, Rumi and Mira simultaneously picked up a mouthful with their forks. Rumi was the first to take a bite, expecting the worst. To her surprise, it tastes good…really good.

“Mmm! Oh my gosh!” Rumi swallowed enthusiastically, “Mira, you have to try it!”

Mira hesitantly brought the piece of cake closer to her sealed lips. She glanced at Zoey, then at Rumi. She opened her mouth and closed it around the fork. A few seconds passed as Rumi and Zoey watched Mira in anticipation. Mira slid the fork out from between her lips and she let the flavor spread across her tongue. She inhaled through her nose and let out a sigh as she lowered her head.

“It's good.” she murmured.

Zoey squealed in approval, Rumi giggled, and Mira smiled softly.

~~

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey sat in the subway train as it sped through the tunnel. Rumi was scrolling through her phone, Zoey was peering over Rumi's shoulder, and Mira was stuffing her mouth with breath mints.

“I can't believe I ate durian and liked it.” Mira grumbled with her mouth full.

“More like you loved it,” Rumi smirked and she noticed Zoey’s drifting gaze, “What are you looking at, Zoey?”

“Your patterns,” Zoey whispered.

She gently tugged Rumi's jacket sleeve to reveal a little bit of the pale rainbow marks on her arms. Rumi smiled at Zoey's almost childlike curiosity. The sight comforted Rumi especially after being insecure about her patterns her whole life.

“They do look nice, don't they?” Rumi tilted her head.

Nearby, a group of teenagers walked past Huntr/x as they chatted away.

“Didn't you hear?” one of them gossiped, “They're dropping a new single!”

“No way!” another gasped, “I thought they broke up!”

“I hear they went on a hiatus,” a third voice chimed in.

“Well, whatever,” said the fourth girl, “This new Saja Boys song is gonna be so cool!”

Rumi, Zoey, and Mira gasped all at once, and Mira nearly choked on her mints.

“What?!” Rumi shouted before quickly disguising her voice, “I mean– what?”

The group of girls turned towards Rumi, luckily not recognizing her.

“Hm?” The shortest girl turned her phone to show Rumi, “Yeah, the Saja Boys are releasing a new song tomorrow. It's been, like, forever since they even made a public appearance.”

The tallest girl scoffed.

“I’d take a break too after all those theatrics.”

Hearing that remark reminded Rumi of the outside interpretation of previous events. According to what fans theorized, everything was staged and predetermined by the music industry. The rivalry, Huntr/x's break-up, defeating Gwi-Ma, it was all an elaborate stunt to engage the fans that turned out to be wildly successful. This theory sounded insane, yes, but Rumi, Mira, and Zoey agreed that if it prevents mass hysteria, it's best to just go with the flow.

Rumi glanced at the girl's phone again and examined what she's seeing. It was a visual of a movie theater screen displaying the countdown to the upcoming single. Rumi walked back to Mira and Zoey with a blank expression.

“21 hours until the premiere.”

“This doesn't make sense,” Mira placed her hand on her temple, “How are they still alive?”

“It's not possible,” Zoey turned to Rumi, “is it?”

Rumi's gaze lowered all the way to the floor. She was as lost as her friends were.

“I don't know.”

~~

The girls exit the elevator into their penthouse where they are greeted by their manager, Bobby. He was scrolling through his phone with his usual high energy.

“Girls, you're back!” He made a beeline towards them and showed them his phone, “Are you seeing this?! The Saja Boys are making a comeback! Can you believe it?!”

All three girls silently shook their heads. Despite not hearing a verbal reply, Bobby continued his rambling.

“I thought it was just a rumor, but sure enough, it's happening! Fans are going NUTS. They've been describing this event as ‘nostalgic’ and how it ‘takes them back’. It's only been a few months since they last performed! Then again, time passes differently on the Internet. Anything is possible, I guess.”

Bobby continued to stare at his phone and talk to himself as Rumi turned on the TV. The first thing she sees is a celebrity gossip show discussing the Saja Boys’ new single. Zoey and Mira walked to either side of Rumi and they watched in stunned silence. The voices of the show hosts morphed into a buzz in the girls’ ears. Mira put her hands on the back of the couch to brace herself.

“I'm gonna be sick,” she gripped the cushions more tightly, “and not because of the durian.”

“Rumi,” Zoey fidgeted with the hem of her hoodie, “what are we going to do?”

Rumi was still for a moment before her eyes cast down. She stared at her hands for no particular reason. Then, she gently pulled up one of her sleeves, revealing her patterns. The array of colors were a reminder of how far she had come as a person. Her fears and insecurities began to fade away as she looked back at the TV. It displayed old footage of the Saja Boys during their career. Her gaze focused on Jinu whenever he was shown. Her heart ached before it quickly subsided. Confidence took over as Rumi straightened her posture and relaxed her face.

“We're watching that premiere.”