"This will be my last visit, brothers," Lan Xichen carefully hangs the painting on the wall, still covered by the purple fabric.
Lan Xichen sits once again at the stone casket but does not touch it.
"Lady Feng . . . has somehow reached my broken heart. I hope you both would be happy for me. Would both attend my wedding."
For the first time, Lan Xichen laughs in this tomb, "I will be marrying soon. I never . . . thought it possible. I . . . never thought I would be a father to two little girls."
"Second brother, I am in love with a spirit that is finally not you," Lan Xichen says this aloud for the first time.
"Nie Mingjue, I don't think I have ever felt this way before. I am in love. I have not even told her yet in so many words. I think you would have called me a coward for this. She does not flee from battle. I have seen her rip nag to shreds with her hands. I think you would have approved."
Beginning to pace the room Lan Xichen keeps his eyes on the floor, "I think . . . you would have been outraged when I confided to you that she is a fox. That my future wife is a fox, and so are her little ones. But she is so brave. Makes me feel brave when I am with her. I think you would have met your match with her."
"Second brother," Lan Xichen looks up to the ceiling, "I am . . . not sure what to say to you anymore. I understand now that what we had . . . what we might have had would not have been healthy. It would have ended badly for us both. My . . . Minori she knows of you. She has accepted me for who I am. I genuinely believe that she will love me until the end of my days."
"I love her. She . . . is my firefly. Nie Mingjue, I know you would laugh at me for waxing poetically about a woman. I can hardly believe it myself. But . . . this last year we have healed each other. I . . . found her in my bed this morning, lit by the early morning sun. I had to force myself to come here. I . . . never thought I would find someone in my bed who wanted to be there."
Lan Xichen puts the flowers he is carrying upon the casket. A light breeze enters the tomb. Putting his hand on his sword, the clan leader is greeted with a faint scent of peonies. A gentle touch strokes his face, and then it is gone, and he is left alone once more.
"You were listening."
"Thank you so much for doing this, Daiyu. I don't know where I would have found silks around here. With everything going on . . ."
Daiyu put a spidery hand out to stop her, "My wife, whether she wants to admit it or not, misses her family. She has mine, of course. But it is not the same as having blood family." Daiyu gives Mimi an unreadable look, "I do consider you, Chen and Dumplin as my family."
Feeling a light blush streaking her cheeks, Mimi looks away awkwardly to study the area chosen for the performance. It was the dining hall currently closed off to serve her purposes. The main center area was perfect for what she is going to attempt. The large wooden beams on the ceiling especially.
"I would like either a thank you or hug. Either is acceptable," Daiyu comments briskly, holding up the finished silks.
No longer disguised as a human, Daiyu stares at Mimi expectantly with her eight spider eyes. Mimi chuckles and walks over to the jorogumo hugging her. The human arms wrap around her, as do four of the spider legs.
"Sorry, this whole thing just has me rattled. Especially after . . ." Mimi didn't want to think of how she had failed to retrieve The Reverent, "I do appreciate everything that you and Qiaolian have done for me, but thank you, thank you, thank you, for doing this."
"As I said, it is my pleasure. Besides, it gives me time to get to know you better without Qiaolian," the jorogumo releases her, and Mimi stumbles back.
"You have not even looked at my work yet," Daiyu scolds affectionately, holding up the silks, "I wish we had time to dye them. My mother's sister's cousin's niece's daughter has a wonderful talent for dying silk blue. It would suit the theme here nicely."
With no time to dye them, the silks were a pure white, almost translucent. Running her hands over the delicate fabric Mimi is nearly afraid to use them for what she has in mind.
"These silks are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," Mimi says reverently, "Are you positive they can hold my weight?"
Mimi holds them up to the sunlight, and the fabric nearly disappears.
"Darling, I have caught many creatures in my silk. Many of such beasts are nearly three times your size and weight."
Choosing not to comment on her sister in law's dietary habits, Mimi takes the silks and, with her mind, raises the silk to the highest beam and makes a knot. Hanging like a hammock, Mimi reverently strokes the silk before pressing her face into it.
"I'm sorry," Mimi angrily wipes the tears from her eyes.
The jorogumo ambles quickly to her side, strokes her back, "What is wrong? Are you nervous?"
"Yes, I mean, no, I mean . . . I just miss my old life sometimes. I would perform in front of people and with my friends. That is how my wife and I met, you know?"
Guiding Mimi to a cushioned seat, Daiyu cuddles her close, "Why don't you tell me about it?"
Sniffling, Mimi begins, "I was performing at this college fair at the university she was working at. I hadn't been paying much attention to all the faces that passed me by. You just don't do that. I hate making eye contact with people when I perform. Apparently, she had been watching me for hours. She told me later that she had been talking to one of her students in her office when she saw me out the window."
Mimi takes the silk handkerchief that Daiyu waves in front of her face.
"Continue," Daiyu says, her mandibles clicking together.
"She caught up to me when I was taking a break and invited me out to coffee," Mimi smiles, "I told her no. I told everybody no. I didn't want to get close to humans, but she didn't give up. I would get these baskets of fruit. But the fruit was shaped like flowers," Mimi chuckles, thinking of all the teasing she received from her fellow performers.
"I didn't respond until she started sending me books," Mimi laughs, "These long lifetimes wouldn't be as bearable without books. There was nothing for it. I marched into her office and demanded she explain her annotations to me. She likes," Mimi wipes her eyes, "liked, likes, writing in books. I couldn't stop seeing her after that."
The spider legs tighten around her, and Daiyu says, "I wanted to kill your sister the first time I saw her."
Chuckling, Mimi lifts her head to look at Daiyu, "Was she as much of a chatterbox as she is now?"
"Worse," Daiyu mumbles, "I was extremely solitary and ate many of the visitors I did receive. I developed a reputation for being a terrifying voracious being. The stereotypical man-eating beast that seduces men to their deaths."
"Why are you so nice now?" Mimi can't help asking, seeing a bit of a discrepancy between the description and the spider woman massaging her back and knitting her handkerchiefs.
"Do you remember what I told you about my husband?" Daiyu asks hesitantly, "I became the monster I thought I was."
"I understand," Mimi says quietly.
"Your sister somehow saw it too. She broke her leg somehow on the cliffs near my cave after I tossed her out for what I thought was the last time. I couldn't just leave her there. She convinced me to return to my family, and I became better. She kept bothering me and hanging around, finally tricking me into marrying her."
Daiyu said this last part in a joking matter, but there was no disguising the love in the jorogumo's many eyes.
"I want to give you something," Daiyu says softly after a moment of comfortable silence.
Leaning away from Mimi, Daiyu digs a spidery arm into the depths of the billowing half kimono she wore and comes up with a bundle wrapped in red silk embroidered with little golden spiders. Daiyu unwraps the bundle and presents Mimi with a golden hair ornament. It was a golden phoenix and spider sitting upon a rose.
A little stunned, Mimi looks to the jorogumo questioningly.
"It is a mark of our clan. It would mean the world to your sister and I if you would wear this tonight and always. It would make us very proud," Daiyu smiles a very spidery smile and offers the hair ornament.
"We would not announce it until after the wedding. Even if we cannot have you for eternity, we would like you to be a part of our clan. Qiaolian has already discussed it with the Gusu clan."
Dumbstruck, Mimi stares at the beautiful ornament and begins nodding her head.
"Can you put it on me?" Mimi hates how childlike her voice sounds.
Taking the adornment, Daiyu gently creates a top bun at the top of her head and places the accessory over it.
"I think it suits you," Daiyu chatters excitedly, smiling with pride, "Will you be hiding your tails tonight?"
"No. It's not like it is a secret anymore," Mimi says quietly.
"Then, you can use the robes I made for you!" Daiyu claps her human hands together excitedly.
"I will go get them! The robes will go perfectly with the ornament," Daiyu's form shrinks, and her human form is once again present.
Giving Mimi a quick hug, Daiyu darts out of the room.
Feeling a bit bereft, Mimi stares at the door. Lifting her hand, Mimi feels the golden hair adornment. Keeping one hand on the firmly placed hairpiece, Mimi approaches the silks. These silks were the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
Grinning like a child, Mimi summons foxfire to her. The shining green ball of fire immediately rose in the air above her head. An instrumental song began to play from within the foxfire. Mimi runs her hands over the silk. Choreography she had done for past performances passes through her head. But what would please a clan leader?
Giving the silk a good tug, Mimi climbs into the hammock, standing up. After adjusting the height a little, Mimi decides to just move with the music. Trying to turn off her mind, Mimi finds herself doing the choreography she had used that day at the college. Twisting around in the air, calms her like nothing else possibly could. The silk biting into her skin is familiar. Hanging by her legs, Mimi felt a strange calm overtake her. Pulling herself up to sit high above the floor as if on a swing, Mimi leans back. The door to the hall opens. Daiyu must be back, Mimi thinks, closing her eyes and letting go of the silk she had in her hands. Hanging upside down, she twists to the side and holds herself parallel to the ground. Rick always thought that I had the best lines in my legs, Mimi thinks. Keeping her hands on the silks, Mimi stretches her free leg over her head. The tune of the foxfire changes slightly, and Mimi can clearly hear the sound of a flute.
Mimi flips herself around until she is several feet above the ground and sitting in the silks. Looking down, she sees the clan leader. Flute to his lips, he is watching her closely, harmonizing to the music. Warmth fills her chest. Mimi flips forwards and slowly slips downward. Unraveling her leg from the silk, Mimi smirks and drops. Relishing the flute faltering before resuming. Her other leg, still wrapped in the silk, catches her from falling.
Wrapping her arms, Mimi allows her legs to dangle freely.
"Sneaking up on me, clan leader?" Mimi calls, finally loosening herself from the silks and landing on the ground with a light thud.
The flute disappears, and Lan Xichen takes her hands in his own, "I only wanted to check and see if everything is set up to your liking. Is this space adequate? Do you have everything you need for tonight?"
Is that a blush on his cheeks, Mimi wonders? She reaches out and touches his cheek.
Realizing he is waiting for an answer, Mimi stutters, "Yes, of course. I . . .think tonight will be successful."
"I am glad," Lan Xichen smiles tenderly, and Mimi feels her heart flutters about in her chest.
"Can I ask you something?" Mimi sits down in the hammock. To the clan leader, it appears as if she is serenely floating.
The clan leader steps closer and runs his hand over the silks in fascination, "Of course. You should know you can tell me anything by now."
Looking down at her hands, Mimi says, "Well, I thought perhaps I would perform with my fox tails exposed tonight. To show that fox spirit magic is not something to be afraid of."
"I think this would be wise," Lan Xichen says after a moment, but if he was honest with himself, he wanted the fox spirit all to himself.
"Perhaps you should see me like this first. Before anyone else," Mimi suggests quietly, standing up in the silks and leaning against one side.
Mimi removes a couple of layers of her skirts, tossing the cumbersome fabric to the side. The eleven fox tails shake themselves and fluff out eagerly, enjoying being free. Lady Shen had not been showing her foxtails off as much as her sisters, the clan leader realizes. The foxtails tremble before the clan leader. Without saying a word, the clan leader slowly moves toward her.
Relieved, Mimi steps closer, looking him in the eyes, "Does this still not bother you?"
Even after nearly a year, she still manages to surprise him. It took his breath away, seeing her flip through the air like a goddess. Of course, he had seen her hang from the air in her fighting, but this was angelic.
"This could never bother me," he refuses to let her hands go.
They stand looking at each other for a moment before Mimi asks, "How was your trip?"
His face crumples, and Mimi lightly caress his cheek, "Are you alright?" Mimi's tails tremble behind her, and the clan leader is fixated on them.
He awkwardly holds their hands between them before finally pulling her into a hug, holding her to him like a lifeline. His hands bury themselves in her hair, seeking his forehead band for confirmation. His fingers finally feel the ribbon, and he sighs with relief.
"What's wrong?" Mimi finally breathes, her head securely tucked into the fold of his neck.
"I am nervous," he whispers, "this is the last task. I . . . can hardly believe it. I almost want more time with you to prepare. I feel as if you are more confident than I am."
"Perhaps you absorbed all of my nerves," Mimi teases, leading him to a nearby cushion and sitting them both down on it.
To his surprise, she brings his head down to lay on her shoulder, and her fingers comfortingly thread this hair.
"Tell me why your nervous," Mimi asks patiently, nuzzling the top of his head with her own.
"I feel as if you are going to disappear on the wind," Lan Xichen confesses and hears her let out a breath.
"Just because I am what I am. It does not mean I will just disappear. I am far too invested now," Mimi teases, but this does not help as it usually does.
One of her tail's unbidden strokes his cheek, gently removing the tears it found there.
"Is this about Guangyao?" Mimi asks quietly.
"I went to see him in his tomb with my third brother," Lan Xichen, stares down at their conjoined hands.
"That is why you left," Mimi confirms, having already known what the note meant.
"It is foolish," Lan Xichen says, "of all the horrible things he has done. He still had my heart."
Her fingers momentarily stop but then continue her ministrations. She trusts the clan leader. That he would never hurt her.
"I wanted to tell him goodbye. That . . . I would be married soon. That this was the end. That I needed to move on. That I found. . ." he looks up at Mimi, and she nods her acceptance of this.
He is about to continue when Daiyu bustles into the room holding bundles of red fabric. She sees them and stops.
"Lady Feng, my apologies. I was just leaving," the clan leader unwillingly leaves Mimi's arms.
"I can come back," Daiyu says, backing towards the door.
"I shouldn't have interrupted the practice," the clan leader leans toward Mimi and whispers, "Walk me out?"
"I'll be right back, Daiyu," Mimi smiles as she follows the clan leader out the door, and he leads her to the wall of discipline.
"Your message said you wanted to say goodbye to old ghosts," Mimi prompts.
"I wanted to tell him that I am happily getting married," he says, tucking her hair back behind her ear.
"Did you get an answer?" Mimi asks, playing with his hair, trying to restrain herself from kissing him. She knew that if she did, she would not be able to let go.
"Silent as the stone," he lays his forehead against hers, sighing in contentment.
"I am not going to fall, I am not going to fall, I am not going to fall," Mimi wipes her sweaty hands over and over again.
"Cub, you have to calm down," Ying takes her hands and wipes them down herself; her eyes watch her knowingly.
"Look, you should know that even if your hand slips, the clan leader would be sure to break your fall," Ying says unhelpfully.
"Quit it, you old umbrella," Qiaolian steps into the converted dressing room and pulls Mimi into a close hug, nearly impaling herself on her own clan hairpiece.
"Oh," Qiaolian looks her up and down, her face shining with pride, "you look every inch a Feng. Just look at you!"
Mimi pats the delicate red silk; it is a brilliant garment. Daiyu had outdone herself. She had created a gown that cleaved delicately to her figure like gossamer. The fabric nearly floats as she moves around. Creating a near angelic display that displays her eleven tails. Qiaolian readjusts the hair ornament and pointedly stares at the forehead ribbon, braided in her hair, and graced her forehead for the first time. Shaking her head, Qiaolian tweaks the band, so it is not crooked.
"You will do fine, cub," Qiaolian kisses the side of her head, "this is just another show. You know the choreography. This will be a breeze."
Looking at Ying, Qiaolian says over her sister's head, "That is how you comfort. You don't tell someone they are going to fall if they are nervous!"
"I am sorry, this is new for me," Ying hops over to her sisters, who warily take her into the hug.
When the time came, Mimi slips from her sister's embrace and into the shadows. Materializing in the darkened room in front of her silks, Mimi presses her head to the silken fabric. It is just another performance; Mimi thinks as she summons ten balls of foxfire and has them slowly rise to the ceiling. Lilting music begins to play. Taking a deep breath, Mimi wraps her hands and begins to climb. She dares not to look to the audience as she steadily begins to relax. This is a breeze, she thinks, twisting herself backward and then forward again. Holding herself aloft, with just her hands, Mimi pushes her legs back towards the wall before flipping entirely upside down and dropping towards the ground. She grins as she hears low gasps from the crowd as they realize she had done this on purpose. Hanging from one silk, Mimi grazes her fingers against the ground. Giving herself a little wind, Mimi pushes off the ground and floats around the room. She could hear the clan leader once more playing his flute. Playing for her. Mimi looks down on him from the heavens. Quickly spotting him standing on the edge of the room, Mimi smiles, and he nods. Once again, climbing to the middle of the silks. Mimi once more flips in the air. Her music is dying down. Trying to emulate a falling flower Mimi slowly spins down to the floor until only her leg is entwined. She leans forward one last time and freeing herself. At last, she lies on the floor.
She does not hear the applause, only the clan leader who had run to her with the flute still in his hand.
Sitting up, she embraces him. He was trying to say something to her, not caring about her audience. Mimi caresses his cheek, "What are you trying to say?"
Laughing, he holds her close, "Can't you hear?"
"Uncle is shouting at whoever will hear him that you have passed the task," Lan Xichen holds her close, "it is over."