"That should do it…" Caelus muttered under his breath as he chucked another bottle out to the endless crystal waters of Scalegorge Waterscape, hoping that this "Saturday" fellow would finally make up their mind and stop beating around the bush…
…Or they could just stay at whatever amazing hidden island they'd found themselves stranded on, one of the many messages that the Trailblazer had received through the ever reliable bottle network had made it clear there was at least one other person with them.
Caelus swiftly pulled out his phone in one, clean, machine-like motion, it was scary even to him, how he could always pull it out in the same way regardless of the many miniscule factors, almost like it was directly coded into his muscle memory.
He shrugged that idea off and sent a quick text to Yueyan on the intense interaction between two used glass bottles and wondered on what to do next, the internet in an ancient site of great importance to the Xianzhao Luofu was close to nonexistent, so some peace and quiet playing video games was a no go.
Fend off a few more abominations? Caelus had already cleared the area, and despite never actually seeing her outside of a portrait, he had a feeling that Alisa Rand wouldn't appreciate a blessing from the Qlipoth be used for selfish reasons like fun.
As a Trailblazer, using the Space Anchors was always an option, though one seldomly used, as that defeated the entirety of what Akivili had stood for, and by extension, the Nameless. What was the point of creating something that went against what the Path of Trailblaze stood for? The longer he used the Simulated Universe, the more he understood Aha, and the less he understood every other Aeon.
The Space Anchor a few meters away from him ended up being ignored as he silently climbed up the steps leading to the statue of the former High Elder of the Vidyadhara. The resemblance to Dan Heng was uncanny, and made his brain start asking the really important questions. For starters, would Belobog consider making a minifigure of the Trailblazer and put it for display at the museum? His weapons were already on display, but this statue was really damaging his sense of accomplishment by existing.
I'm surprised that March is okay with…
…Oh, right.
March. She'd asked Caelus to go with her to the Divination Commission so they could find out about her past, although it was less to do with not wanting to be alone, and more so that there was someone to deal with the Master Diviner there for her.
The girl would never admit it out loud, and he both understood why and wanted to smack any unfounded fears of hers away. For starters, they'd fought off both the Destruction and Abundance into a state in which the Xianzhao could deal with the beasts themselves, and as monotonous Fu Xuan was, her words were the most direct of everyone on this ship.
…There was also the interest in sweet drinks that he and the Master Diviner shared, but enough of that.
The Stellaron lodged in his chest began to glow a faint blue, tapping into the Path of Trailblaze that Akivili left behind. Among all the Paths that Caelus had access to, this was definitely the one where he felt most at home. The Destruction gave him an overwhelming urge to pull out his bat and bust open every trash can in sight, while the Preservation took away all of his sense of self-preservation, ironically enough.
The Trailblazer didn't need long to find the Space Anchor he was looking for, and a plethora of colors flooded his vision as the Space Anchors resonated with the Stellaron, essentially deconstructing his body and reconstructing it at the Anchor. Given the surprising regenerative capabilities of the Space Anchor, it wasn't the strangest thing he'd seen.
The spectrum of light faded seconds later, revealing the familiar yet breathtaking sight of the Ambrosial Arbor, placed under a seal it may be, the creation of Abundance had been nothing more than a stump jutting out from the endless fog that took up the center of the Xianzhou Luofu.
Looking away from the view, Caelus found the Synwood Pavilion that he had been teleported to to be empty in spite of all the lanterns nearby being lit, the worrying feeling that always crept up his spine whenever March was nearby was gone, so for the moment, he was alone.
It was like this at the Outlying Snow Plains too… And it sucked.
He'd first realized this upon arriving at Jari– No, to Belobog, it didn't matter whether he was in an endless blizzard that would never end, or a city that held the last of the Planet's life, the sight of either of those without anyone was unsettling, perhaps not because he was used to the presence of others– He had no memories of his life prior to waking up at the space station, but because of the Stellaron, and how it almost seemed to enjoy it.
Even now, there was a strange elation prickling his chest, something the Trailblazer chose to ignore, opting for a can of Mung Bean Soda from the nearby vending machine, the cool sensation of the liquid running down his throat drowned out the partial disgust he felt.
"Got you!"
Caelus let out an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp as he barreled around to face his would-be attacker, a familiar pink haired Nameless, one that he didn't seem to notice this time around.
"...Oh, it's just you… March." He tried his best to save face, but was only left with uncontrollable laughter from March.
"What's with you today? I would've been recording if I'd known you'd act like that." March made a picture frame with her fingers, probably imagining him in the middle of it all.
"You're not nervous? If they let you do this…"
"...I won't be as cool and mysterious as before, should I just stop?"
That's what you're concerned about?
She seemed to see right through him, "Joking, joking." Her hand waved those worries away, "I really, really want to know, but at the same time, knowing about it won't change where I am now, right?"
"...Yeah." March had a point.
…The plains of snow and bulwark of Geomarrow didn't compel him to preserve what was left, it was the people.
…Even if Kafka hadn't been lying to Caelus about his past, he was one of the Nameless now, not a Stellaron Hunter.
"Let's go, then." The Trailblazer gave March 7th an encouraging nod, now or never.
"Alright!"
With all the determination in the world, the pair made their way to a vacant Starskiff, paid the fare to the ferryman, and spent the journey in silence, their eyes lost in the fallen leaves of the Ambrosial Arbor, softly illuminating the sky like floating lanterns. It was perfect.
"...Hey, is that Starskiff going faster than it should be?" It was not perfect.
A lone Starskiff roared past the two, causing theirs to violently rock back and forth for a ridiculously long four seconds and scattering all the glowing leaves in the vicinity away from them.
"That's way too fast! Caelus, can you call that guy you worked for?"
"No, that Starskiff… It's different." It wasn't one of the normal ones that were made for civilian use like one would usually see. The Jade Abacus was different, the hull was shaped differently, probably the ones meant for use by the Cloud Knights or the like.
…The lack of a visible pilot was concerning, though.
"Let them do their jobs, we're here for you." He decided as they docked at the outer edge of the Divination Commission, which, compared to the Exalting Sanctum, looked quite lively.
"Quite the crowd…" March remarked from behind him, "You didn't tell them anything, right?"
"No, I didn't…" Trouble seemed to follow him everywhere, a natural ability of his that he was less than fond of, though it did have its moments.
"Do you think there's a super strong monster only we can beat?"
"There aren't any cloud knights, though." There was an irregular amount of workers, though, was this the entire workforce of the Divination Commission?
"You're no fun…" She muttered behind Caelus as he waved at a nearby worker, clearly worried out of their immortal minds to the point that their glasses were falling off.
"Um, excuse me…" He had no idea how dire the situation was, might as well tread lightly.
"Yes?" A second pair of furry ears popped out from their gray hair as they turned to meet the Trailblazer, not noticing their presence at all.
"We're here for–"
"Sorry, only one divination per day, though it's not for the usual excuse of verifying the previous one…" That voice sounded familiar…
Only one divination per day… "Wait, Sanjin?"
"...Caelus?" They readjusted their glasses as our gazes met, and we were equally taken aback, while there weren't a lot of people with glasses that he had committed to memory, the Trailblazer had no idea they contributed to appearances this much.
"It really is you…" The Divination Commission Diviner sighed as they wiped their lenses with a cloth, "You've come at a bad time, I'm afraid…"
As if that wasn't obvious enough…
"Need any help? We were here to see Master Diviner Fu Xuan, but that can wait..."
"I had a feeling you'd say that." Sanjin sighed, what was with his constant sighing today? "This is a private matter of the Divination Commission, therefore, it is something we must solve ourselves."
"If it's not a personal matter, can't you use a divination? The entire Divination Commission being busy affects more than just you guys." It'd be a shame if the Luofu suddenly crashed into a planet so soon after making an alliance with the Astral Express…
"We considered that too." The diviner admitted, "Unfortunately, the person in question that the Matrix of Prescience requires to solve this problem is… unavailable."
"Must be pretty bad if even the Master Diviner can't do much about it…" March butted in, gulping down a Mung Bean Soda. There weren't any vending machines in the Divination Commission, so how…
"A-About the Master Diviner in question…"
"Well, we'll see you later!" She chirped, grabbing onto my shoulder.
"Wha–" Before Caelus knew it, they were at the Exalting Sanctum, right back where they'd first met up.
"Give me a warning next time…" The average Mung Bean Soda didn't take the molecular manipulations of the average Space Anchor very well, as evident by the batch that he had just sent hurtling through his mouth and into the void, hopefully serving as a bioweapon to deter the Ambrosial Arbor.
"Sorry, sorry…" March skittishly replied, scratching her head, "...I just felt a bit uncomfortable back there.
"Like everyone there knew what you wanted to do?" He asked, wiping the last of the vomit as he held onto the smooth wooden railing.
"They're a divination commission, of course they do!" She playfully punched my shoulder, settling down next to him, just staring at nothing.
"...Didn't get to do much, but it was still pretty fun, see you!" Overwhelming positivity as always.
"...Yeah." And just like that, he was alone again.
A yawn ripped its way through his mouth, becoming another useless puff of air in the sky as there was no one to infect with the Trailblazer's drowsiness. Other than himself, of course.
A nap sounds good…
…But at the same time…
They were set to depart from the Xianzhou Luofu soon enough, might as well make the most of it while he was still here, maybe check in on Dan Heng's meeting with Bailu? The legendary fighter known as Cold Dragon Young wasn't exactly being well received even when they weren't alone, but Caelus was sure a Scion of Permanence could handle whatever devious plot might be thrown their way.
So… exploring the Luofu it was.
The Trailblazer didn't really have anything in mind when he started to wander the enormous ship, just absolutely winging it around the Exalting Sanctum, listening to a horrible poem for a few seconds, then watch as a rare few people perform what they call a rite of passage and get hungry in the process, which in turn resulted in the Rejuvenation Pellet that had no medicinal properties whatsoever that he was mercilessly chomping down on.
After finishing the poor thing off, the Artisanship Commission was in his sights, and with the necessary approval from the only member of theirs who wasn't in a coma, he could look for that voice that kept calling out to him from within as long as he cleared away any Abominations of the Abundance he ran into, the prospect of the unknown got his blood pumping again.
Then he found the chest that was calling out to him at the entrance, mission accomplished.
The Alchemy Commission "Journey" consisted of buying all the strange medicines he could manage, one can never be too careful, and the merchants of this area of the Luofu were fine with it as long as they made a profit.
After a long few hours of fighting monsters, syncing with a tester to pilot an arumaton, using the Shifting Screens so many times he wanted to throw up, and taking the entire stock of every seller he could find, Caelus wanted to relax a little, maybe eat a snack or two before the Astral Express made its final preparations to depart.
Ignoring the plenty of mouths gaping at the mountain of random items he'd bought across the Xianzhou, the Trailblazer's mouth drooled in anticipation and disgust at the Sugarball-Fried Viscorpi he'd ordered, all while holding the Sleepless Earl's signature Immortal's Delight in one hand, there were no better people to ask about cuisine here than the locals themselves.
Speaking of those people that recommended these to him, there was one nearby.
Caelus was never sure how he knew this, but the slight change of mood from the Stellaron proved to be close to an alarm. The Trailblazer looked at the other tables, finding the culprit of the change the moment he laid eyes on them.
A bit on the shorter side, with an emerald-green cloak concealing their entire body as they turned their back to pretty much everyone possible in Aurum Alley. He knew that Qingque wasn't the brightest, but this lack of subtlety was a new low, even for her.
Thinking back to the ongoing stampede that was occurring at the Divination Commission, the pieces started to click into place. So as to not alarm the likely Divination Commission worker who was skipping work as of the moment, the Trailblazer made sure to tip-toe.
"Excuse me?" As the not-so-mystery person turned their head, a dozen different ways of scolding the Door Guardian was already running to his head.
A sigh he never expected was heard, and all those rebuttal ideas shattered, "Oh, it's just you, Ca–" Pink hair. Eyes that glowed like Geomarrow. That familiar no-nonsense tone tinged with just a little bit of panic. Caelus blinked, hoping the illusion would disappear, there was something off with it, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
It didn't vanish, he blinked again. "Fu Xuan?" She blinked too.
"P–Please, take a seat." Those words were teetering on the edge between command and suggestion.
"Alright…" The third eye stuck to her forehead was gone, that was why looking at her now felt a little off, he supposed.
Caelus was hoping that some sort of conversation would spark afterwards, the Trailblazer had more than a few questions that he hoped would be answered, but the Master Diviner in front of him pulled all her focus into the sweet, pure air that encompassed the table.
"So what–"
"Wait." Fu Xuan held a finger up as she took the deepest breath he'd seen anyone take, "Allow me to explain my current… circumstances."
"Alright, alright, take your time." He held his hands up in surrender, with how much sway she held over the Xianzhao Luofu, that one finger might as well be a gun.
"The Matrix of Prescience, it…" Another breath, "...Predicted that I would cease divining in the foreseeable future."
"W-What?" A lump formed in Caelus' throat, "So the huge commotion back at the Divination Commision…"
"There was no such thing when I departed from there, word spread fast…" She mused bitterly, slumping down on her chair.
"You just… quit?"
"...Remember Ruoyue?"
"...Right." "The Trailblazer's head drooped, and snapped back up moments later, "But wasn't that just her job? This is…" Much worse than that.
"Indeed, but you remember what I said, right?" Now that it's come to this, he could do nothing but remember.
Caelus: If one day the Matrix of Prescience told you to quit your job, would you do that?
Fu Xuan: If such a day comes, then I will do it.
"First of all, I'd like to clarify that my message had nothing to do with what happened… probably."
"The Matrix of Prescience doesn't work like that, your fears are unfounded, a part of me would like to put the blame on you, however." Caelus could see why March brought him along now…
"Alright, let's say you stay away from divinations forever, what do you want to do next?"
"...I haven't planned that far ahead," Fu Xuan admitted, "But I'd like to see Ruoyue for now."
"Then…" He was probably going to regret this. "Need some help getting there?"
"As a matter of fact, yes." She gave him a weak smile, "Though, how exactly do you plan on getting us there?"
I stick out like a sore thumb… and her, even moreso…
The search was spreading beyond the Divination Commission at this point, Fu Xuan would be found quickly if they stepped out of Aurum Alley as is, could he smash a pot to draw attention as she made her getaway? They were probably used to his antics by now, so it would be a no go…
Wait…
"Your face is alarmingly contorted…" That's it.
"Wait right here." Without giving the former Master Diviner a chance to explain, Caelus stood up and ran like his life depended on it, searching for the one thing that might grant them salvation, which was ironic considering how many of its kind he destroyed on nothing but a selfish whim.
Come on, come on…
And soon enough, he found one of them, standing up high with its shiny, gleaming coat of pride, steadfast as stone in carrying out the only purpose they had in a world that has all but forgotten them. The Trailblazer planned on giving them another reason to exist, and so he returned to Supreme Spices, confusing everybody that saw him, including Fu Xuan.
"...This is precisely what I assume it to be, right?" She glared at the messiah he'd brought forth, "Do tell me how a vase won't attract any suspicion?" Her fingers lightly tapped on the porcelain surface of the masterpiece, a faint melody piercing the air.
"Pretty much everyone in this huge ship thinks I have some fetish for whatever can be broken with my bare hands, they'll see this as me just being me, not to worry." He grinned and flashed a thumbs up at her in reassurance, there wasn't a single soul on the Xianzhou who would see this coming.
Caelus fell on one knee and presented the vase like one would a carriage. "Hop inside, Lady Fu Xuan."
"...Whatever it takes to get there, I suppose." She sighed and tugged on her hood, fully obscuring her face as she squeezed into the admittedly cramped space, "If we get caught and I die of shame, I'll make sure to ruin your next trip on a Starskiff on purpose this time."
"Oh, that was you?" Culprit found.
"M–moving on…"
"Leave it to me." Bending his knees slightly, he gripped the edges of the fragile construct and carefully lifted it onto his shoulder, doing so normally wouldn't be much of an issue, but the added caveat of there being an actual person inside made managing his strength in a way that he could handle it without accidentally crushing it between his fingers quite the challenge.
"You okay in there? Knock twice if yes, once if no." The two knocks came, she was good to go.
"Alright, let's go." Taking another step forward, Caelus was ready to face whatever horrors that were lying in wait beyond Aurum Alley, after all, that was what a Nameless did, right?
Down a few small steps, narrowly avoiding a half-drunk customer from another restaurant, all the while everyone else gave me exasperated stares as I did what I usually did. Ignoring them was easy, he could see the truth, below those eyes of theirs was a completely different attitude, gratitude for keeping Aurum Alley out of the hands of those who planned to change it completely. It wasn't much, and the Trailblazer still thought of it as so, but he could have a little pride for the future he'd changed, right?
That pride would have a price to pay in the future, Caelus was sure of it, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.
"Ah, perfect timing…" His blood froze, not now…
"B–Boss Du…" He didn't need to pass out from another one of the crazed teahouse owner's brews right now.
"You appear to be quite distressed, friend, fret not, this new flavor of Flaming Potent Tea grants all who gaze upon it's wonderful valor superb vitality, inspired by the Ambrosial Arbor that had come to bloom upon the Xianzhou Luofu once more, the Ambrosial Flavor!"
"That's the most enthusiastic you've been about one of these, so I'm hoping it's good, but I'm in the middle of something right here…" Caelus lightly shook the vase he was carrying to emphasize, at least until he felt a thud coming from the inside, probably should have given Fu Xuan a warning.
"Just one cup of Ambrosial Flaming Potent Tea, and I'll pay, of course, what say you?"
Well, as long as he stops pestering me, what could go wrong?
Steeling his nerves, he put the vase down and discreetly put a Healing Spray inside, apologizing in the lowest tone he could muster, and so he turned to face the strongest enemy of his day so far.
Ambrosial Flaming Potent Tea, Level 100. Only one bar of health (Cup), but if one looked at all his other encounters with powerhouses of such magnitude, a battle of endurance with these were impossible, he had to strike it down in one swift blow.
One… With all his energy, he held the antique cup that he'd drunk from many times before.
…Two… The Stellaron within him loosened its grip out of fear.
…Three!
…
…
…Caelus couldn't even tell if he drank it or not, but he felt more alive than he'd ever been, how he wanted to throw the cup in his hand right at Boss Du, pick the vase back up, and sprint to Ruoyue, and beat up every Cloud Guard he encountered along the way, in fact, he was going to do just that.
As the Trailblazer motioned to the vase, he realized that there were more than one now, no, they were everywhere, blotting the sky, circling around him like vultures, talking like the average citizen of this ship would.
The usual headache that the tea brought was beginning to rear its spicy fangs, this was bad…
…Something smelled off.
A little minty, but contained an overwhelmingly bitter core, it was familiar, like he'd encountered that smell many times before…
…Right, it was the Healing Spray he'd given Fu Xuan, it seems like she used it.
Using what little brain power Caelus still had access to, he pinpointed her location, hefted the vase back on his shoulder, and ran with all his might, the surroundings becoming a blur as the Ambrosial Flaming Potent Tea lived up to its name.
Seconds later, they made it.
With the last of the Trailblazer's strength, he put her down before the world faded to black. "Made it…"
When he came to, someone was standing over him. "You're…"
"You're awake!" A blurred face shined in excitement, "Quick, listen, I have something to ask of you…"
"Ow…" Fu Xuan rubbed away at her aching hand, the skin red from someone mishandling the vase that would become her coffin at this rate, as Caelus ran at speeds so unbelievable she felt her insides churning from his exertion.
Her world rocked once more, "Made it…" About time.
Making sure her cloak concealed her entire body, she cautiously climbed out of the horrible, horrible idea that this Nameless had conceived, and she was just about ready to berate him for the slight bump in the journey…
…And saw him passed out on the floor, a smile on his face, the once Master Diviner knelt down and placed a hand on his forehead, the temperature indicated nothing was wrong with him at all, just what did he do?
"It's quite difficult to keep a Nameless out of anyone's business…" She mused, taking her hand off and squinting at the curtains that concealed the Diviner of the place within, while debating if she really wanted to do this without it acting as a buffer…
"...Thank you, Caelus." …Fu Xuan's fingers went up to her forehead, this was the least she could do.
It hurts…
Thanks to her somewhat short stature, there was no need to duck in order to enter, her steps echoed across the relatively simple room, where there were only the bare necessities, a Jade Abacus for Divining, rows of candles hung around the walls to cover any who entered in a dim orange glow, at the other end were a table and two chairs that the Divination Commission regularly used, one was empty, while the other seated…
"I certainly didn't foresee this…" Seeing Ruoyue now made the last of Fu Xuan's regrets about that incident vanish, the other Diviner certainly seemed happier here.
"Neither did I." Shaking off the last of her doubts, she sat down on the other chair and faced the person who was once her colleague for the first time in… who knows how long.
"The Matrix of Prescience predicted that I would stop Divining as a whole…" Even after explaining it to Caelus, she still had no idea how to follow up on that bombshell without outside intervention.
"So you wouldn't have made any exceptions for anyone back then, even yourself…" Ruoyue closed her eyes, "The Divination Commission was and still can be in good hands, are you sure about this?"
"I'm certain." That much she was sure of.
"No matter what we try to do, the futures we see truly feel unshakable…"
"It has been like that since the Xianzhao first learned foresight, there is little need to point it out." Perhaps Fu Xuan should make an exit now.
"But aren't you the one who says so the most? You can try to hide it all you want, but this is much more severe than in my case." That was true.
"After all, didn't you begin to practice it because of–"
"That…" Hearing that being brought up again made her hair stand on end, sending a chill down her spine that controlled her, made her stand up…
"...Is something I am ill-equipped to face at the moment, thank you, Ruoyue, it was nice to see you again." She shakily brushed her bangs away, the third eye was still gone with no way for it to return.
…Made her run away.
"Oh, you're back, how'd it–" Caelus paused in his greetings, she didn't do very well at hiding her expression, if he was any indication.
"...I won't ask, want to go anywhere?"
"I can't think of anything…" Trying to think hard was starting to bring up memories that Fu Xuan would rather be left behind, of the atrocities that she had witnessed in what felt like millennia ago.
"Let me ask this then, do you want to stay here?"
"What?" His eyes had a strange look in them, she didn't like where this was going.
"...If you have no destination in particular, why not stay at the Astral Express for a while? It's kind of our thing."
"B–but… Fu Xuan shook her head, "...I can't just intrude like that." She needed to calm down, focus on the conversation, and nothing else lest the memories crash like a tidal wave into her mind again.
"It might be a bit unbelievable, but most of us got there by accident, I'm sure they'll understand if you ever decide to catch a ride."
"..." Fu Xuan closed her eyes, "...Let me ponder on it for a moment." Was she seriously considering this option?
"Alright, you might want to get in the vase again." He gestured to the death trap that was her main mode of transportation, which had somehow made its way to a trolley for the comfort of both him and her. "There aren't as many people searching for you here, but it wouldn't hurt to be safe, and there's somewhere I want to take you to."
"Where?" She made her way inside, the even elevation making the inside actually somewhat comfortable.
"It would kill the fun if I just told you, right?"
"But–" Her retort was cut short by a shout resounding nearby, alarming her enough to duck into the vase.
"Fine." What's the worst that could happen?
"Got it, you won't regret it." His voice sounded off, but she chalked it up to the vase, even if its new configuration allowed them to speak to each other from here.
The journey was devoid of the bumps the previous one had, so she was free to look at the artificial sky the Luofu provided, and beyond that…
"How's your hand?" Caelus suddenly inquired, peering down at her as he slowed down by a meager amount.
"It's fine."
"Good, and I'm sorry."
"You already apologized when you handed me this, move on from it." She waved the empty can of Healing Spray in the limited space that she could.
"Yeah, but I'm talking about something else here…"
"What are you–" The sound of something shattering tickled Fu Xuan's ears as light flooded her retinas, confusion filled her brain.
"I hope you'll forgive me for this." Oh, he didn't.
"Fu Xuan." She felt like praying to the Reignbow Arbiter to smite her down right now after hearing that voice.
"...General." Jing Yuan still looked winded from his battle with Phantylia, his cheeks sunken in with bags under dull eyes, "You shouldn't have come here."
"It's not just me, fortunately."
"Master Diviner!" Oh no.
Fu Xuan didn't need her third eye to sidestep away from the incoming door guardian, "I see you're the same as ever."
"But I even went so far as to ask Caelus…"
"...Did you, now?" She glared at the cowering Nameless, "I presume it is the only thing you have contributed, where is everyone else?"
"Saw right through us…" The ground rumbled, and it was only then that Fu Xuan realized that Caelus had taken her to a place she hadn't been to in years.
Dozens, even hundreds of people began to flood behind the General, everyone from the Divination Commission that she had been in charge of not long ago, the cloud knights, because of course Jing Yuan had to, and, even stranger than that was the Artisanship Commission, backed by a lot of Arumatons.
"That's one way to convince me to come back…" She couldn't help but chuckle at the display, didn't they have anything else of importance to do?
"...Are you really sure of this?"
"Yes." Fu Xuan had answered that question three more times than she wanted to.
"Then, allow us."
Without a word, the sea of people parted and the cloud knights stood at attention, the Golden Cloud Toad Arumatons began to exhale smoke, obscuring everyone present.
Jing Yuan gave her the smuggest look he's ever had, "Well?"
"Hmph." She crossed her eyes, looking away, "What would you have done had I decided to return?"
"Well…" The General, the Door Guardian, and the Trailblazer were all at a loss for words.
"Whatever." Fu Xuan shook her head and walked into the fog, taking note of everyone bowing around her, she'd take the Matrix of Prescience showing her Phantylia's scheme for the Xianzhou over this any day. And especially…
…Beyond the smoke did fires rage, within it were thousands of corpses, written of collateral damage after the war ended, yet she couldn't do the same, these were her comrades, her friends, all gone. The person who would go on to become a Master Diviner watched as the bloody pass she bore witness to drift further and further away. Out of fear, she stretched out her hand to the past, she didn't want to forget…
…The smoke parted from her touch, revealing Caelus smirking next to her, looking ahead at something that was brighter than the stars she'd seen in the sky.
"Well, welcome to the–"
"Hey, over here!" A vaguely familiar voice called out to two of them, the source of it being at the back of the impressive ship, where March 7th, Dan Heng, Welt Yang, and a woman she didn't recognize were occupied loading cargo into storage.
"How long have they known?" She looked over at the man beside her waving back at them.
"About as long as everyone else, Qingque was right in my face when I woke up, apparently one of her buddies saw us…" They already had this prepared before they contacted Caelus?
"...Enough about that, how about a tour around the Astral Express?" He extended a hand towards her.
"I don't remember saying yes…" Fu Xuan resisted the urge to raise her arm.
"I don't remember you saying no, either." Yet he only reached out farther.
"...Alright, show me around." And so she took it in hers.
So with the professionalism of a Xianzhao tour guide he did show her around, calmly explaining each section of the Astral Express as they leisurely strolled along the ship. Once they had reached the lounge, Fu Xuan was met with scrutinizing eyes from the little furry conductor, Pom Pom.
Beyond the lounge were the personal rooms each member of the Astral Express had, the one she found most fascinating being the Data Bank that Dan Heng was in charge of, perhaps she'd look into it more later. In contrast to the Data Bank, and perhaps the rest of the Astral Express was March 7th's, with swathes of pink plastered perfectly onto everything, the stuffed toys were fairly cute,too.
The next two were locked, followed by a fair amount of vacant rooms.
"Wait, am I getting a room of my own? I didn't bring anything…" There wasn't exactly a lot in her home to begin with, and she'd gone out of her way to avoid it as it was too obvious a hiding spot.
"Yeah, about that…" He opened the next door of what Fu Xuan had assumed to be an unused room, the interior as grayed as she'd expected it to be, with the exception of an enormous window that bathed a bunk bed and simple wooden table with light.
"This is yours? It's quite…" There weren't many nice words to describe this place with.
"Barren? Pretty much, I haven't had much time to stay on the Express itself since I arrived." Caelus sighed, sitting down on a chair with wheels for legs, similar to the ones that those of the Interastral Peace Corporation used.
"How long have you… Nevermind." Not her place to ask.
"It's fine, I'd say it's been around six months since I joined, but most of it was spent outside, not much time to work on my room." Caelus scratched his head in embarrassment, "As for your room, it's the one right after mine, it should look similar to mine."
"Alright…" Fu Xuan let out a yawn she didn't know was there, "...This day was exhausting."
"Go get some rest, you don't wanna miss the view later." He spun around in his chair to face the window, smiling at her.
"Alright." She felt something in her head after seeing him, a cold grip capable of freezing a planet, a warmth that protected any in its vicinity, hopefully including her. She climbed up the ladder and laid down onto the unused cushions, draping the blanket over her.
"W-wait, that's–" It was.
"Our rooms are the same, right? I don't feel like walking all the way there." And that was a flimsy excuse.
"They're right next to each other…" Truth to be told, she didn't want to be alone at the moment. "...Well, sweet dreams."
If only… Was all Fu Xuan could think of before sleep overcame her.
She was trapped, cold, rough bodies suffocating her in ash and death as she could only look on at the transparent barrier that protected those on the other side. On the other end, there was… her? Amber eyes stared back at her, ones that had been crying for a long time, and their short, pink hair was an absolute mess. Fu Xuan reached out to the other side, wishing she could save her, wishing that she could be saved. Their hands joined…
…Fu Xuan's eyes opened, and she found herself grabbing someone's hand, just not her own. Caelus sat on the opposite end of the bed, his legs dangling off the ceiling as he looked at her with concern.
"Sorry…" The past was returning to her at a pace she was not comfortable with since removing the third eye, each time the details were skewed.
"Don't be…" He replied as she let go of him, leaving behind marks that were a sign of her holding on too tightly.
"...Want to talk about it?" Did she?
You can try to hide it all you want…
"Very well..." Fu Xuan sat up faster than she'd originally intended, almost passing out at the wave of nausea that hit her afterwards, only able to hold on on the tiniest of threads.
"...Have you heard of it before? The disaster that befell the Luofu…" She rested her head on her knees as longing eyes looked at what lay beyond.
"Is that the same war that Yukong told me of?" So the secret was already out.
"...So you do know of it." That saved her from every trouble imaginable that she would get from trying to explain that carnage.
"I wasn't sure if it was the same as yours." Caelus explained, situating himself next to her.
"I'm the only one who's left, thank you for agreeing to take me to the Astral Express, but for all I know…" They could all just leave too, even more so when they weren't long life species. Her friends back then were, and they still died, so what was the point?
"...Can't exactly deny that." A magnified voice started to announce something she couldn't pick up properly, and the room began to shake.
"It's started." He said, bracing himself, she did the same.
"You might want to hold on to something." There wasn't much to hold onto on a bed, however.
Moments later, Fu Xuan's vision went black and a warmth engulfed her, embracing her until the intense pressure she never felt disappeared, Caelus was overexaggerating.
"You okay?" It sounded like he hadn't been shaken by it, either.
"Yes– what?" It was only now that she did realize that everything went well because he had tightly embraced her right before the Express jumped. Upon closer inspection, there was something shining inside his chest.
"That's the Stellaron inside my body." He saw her gaze and began to explain, "When I first woke up, the first thing I saw was Kafka shoving it into my chest." She hurriedly scrambled away from the awkward position and regained her original location.
"I asked her once, you know…" Caelus looked at Fu Xuan, his expression dead serious, "...If destiny was predetermined."
"..." Was he about to call her out? It was something she'd expected to happen, but not right now.
"I still can't tell if she was lying or not, but if there's even a chance it was the truth, I'll grab onto a brighter future the first chance I get." …He didn't, why?
"I can't guarantee that I– we will stick around forever, but I look forward to trailblazing with you, Fu Xuan." He could've told her that she was just running away, that every effort she had done as the Master Diviner was for naught.
Fu Xuan didn't know…
"...Then I shall do the same." …But perhaps she could get to know him and everyone on this ship, and find the answer for herself one day.
AN:
Just a little something to bid farewell to 1.3.
Writing away at this made me realize that I should've just started off with oneshots instead of a full-blown story, oops. Had this idea for a while but no good thoughts on how to go about it, ranging from going back a couple thousand years to the past, all the way to having the Luofu crash land on some backwater planet. Like a savior from above, that one message from the game lit my brain up like a light bulb, so here we are.
As a side note, the whole vase thing felt a bit contrived to me, until I went into the game and realized that yes, Fu Xuan's ingame model wasn't just similar in height, it was actually shorter if you disregard the hair. What kind of stuff are they putting in these?!