"Oh Viatrix, how brilliant and radiant you shine, a holy light in the dark so sublime. But what can I do, when the shadows want to consume you, oh goddess so divine?"
With the arrival of summer, newly weds, Xiao and Lumine finally take the journey t...
[A/N: With this we start the Fantasia Arc here now that 2.8 is tomorrow night and with it a new anime opening theme~!! Going start with Kazuha quest~! With the arrival of end of June, that night Lumine seal bares it fangs without warning.]
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Soft sound of cicadas and crickets in the dark of the July summer night, all seemed calm. Inside the shrine sitting on the window cast in moonlight sat the lone dark haired yaksha. A stoic frown as tiger-like eyes gleamed in the darkness, his tattoo casting a faint glow. Alerted to a whimper across the room where the blonde lay curled up. Concern as he sensed fear coming off her.
"N-No..."
"Lumine?"he whispered in worry. Were her nightmares back? Lumine was beginning to toss and turn her distress growing. Prompting Xiao to go to her side as he gently shook her. "Hey wake up." But was taken aback at the ripple of dark cub-like shackles as her distress grew before she awoke with a frightened scream. It was as freaky as it was the first time as time distorted briefly around them. It was brief but Lumine's pupils had changed shape images of what happened to her on the night of the Moonchase festival, a figure with a very distinct mask and pale bluish silver hair.
..."Bring her to me, don't just stand there, get her!"the man hummed.
"Run Lumine!!"...
Xiao's blood ran cold burning the image of the man into his memory like some record player. Then it vanished before this time seeing something frightening. The same man leaving a frozen church behind with a sickening grin. Lumine in tears and in agony as Xiao swiftly brought her into his arms, holding her tight. The image this time of a truly massive tree burning within Sumeru and at the base was the man himself but younger. "STOP!! DON'T BURN IT!!"came her sudden wail. Outside the sakura tree was reacting, glowing brightly. Actually it was as if the very earth and ley lines were crying in agony. He had to calm her down but how!?
"Lumen, Lumen snap out of it!"he hissed.
No response the fit once again making the elements go haywire. Time distorting again in brief intervals. "Enough!"he thought at the growing terror of his beloved in his arms. Softly, gently whispering words in her ear as he covered her eyes with one hand that began to glow. He could smell the salt of her tears, feel the trembling of her body, and smell her fear. But whatever was happening he would not let it break her!! He'd never used a dream trawler like this before. No...this was no longer Dream Trawler, this was different, completely unique to him. It worked as Lumine froze but in turn the images Lumine was experiencing flashed before his eyes again as she fell limp and exhausted in his arm, panting as her hands sparked with the red and black static.
Before him he saw that same man with the mask over his eyes talking to the girl he did not recognise."I must say you're looking rather young today, Doctor."hummed the maiden falling in beside the man. By his posture he didn't seem to take that complaint kindly as he scowled faintly.
"You know very well I don't take that as a compliment, Lady Columbina."he huffed.
Who was this human?
By their clothes they were definitely Snezhnayan and quite high up the ranks. The woman had called the man that he now knew had pursued and almost killed Lumine last year was this man. "So where is the Segment in the prime of his life then?"this woman, Columbina asked. Xiao's brow furrowed as from there the vision changed to a much more crystal clear vision of a burning tree and his heart jumped into his throat. "Hmph. He's busy in a lil' experiment in blasphemy."...
"What in the name of the archons was that...?"whispered Xiao. He knew that tree and knew it far too well. That had been the tree the first dendro archon had planted. His grip tightening protectively around his poor wife barely conscious in his arms. His gaze turned to her at her soft sobs wiping away her tears. While in some expert maneuvering he had grabbed the quilt off the futon to wrap around them. "What the hell happened to you just now?"he whispered, keeping her close until she finally was back into a dreamless slumber. Safe and sound in his arms as he hummed and looked back outside.
The moon he had noticed was not behaving as it used to. Not once in his entire life had it ever glowed this bright nor began to change its size. Lumine was three months into this pregnancy that left about six more to go. So why did the moon and sun seem to be changing? There used to be only 22 hours in a day but now it is inching towards 24 hours; It was just...bizarre. But the face of that man with eyes of scarlet hidden by his mask made him snarl, his pupils dilating in anger.
Karma be damned if he ever encountered that man. He highly doubted he could control himself now that he had no contract to bind him. His only contract was to himself and Lumine and his little ones she carried inside her. "To whomever you are, you are dead if you come after her again."he thought in determined spite.
"...Al...atus..?"came her sudden mumble in her sleep. Breaking him away from his thoughts and turning his attention back to her. Gentle hand caressing her arm as he kissed her head.
"Shh...it's alright, I won't leave. So just have only sweet dreams...dreams only of happy memories."he soothed. Whether she had heard him or not she had relaxed, falling into a deeper slumber, comforted by the scent she knew far too well now. Innocently his hand went to rest around her hip and belly. That budge wasn't too visible yet but it was noticeable to the touch. A fond, adoring smile as he gently stroke it. "I can't wait to meet you, my little ones. But stop giving your mother such a hard time in there."he softly grinned. Just what would arrive come January?
Girls?
Boys?
Maybe one of each? He was not sure but while admittedly he was excited it made him worried and anxious. The sooner he could get her to his tribe's old territory the better. For now what concerned him was what he saw from Lumine's fit and nightmare. That...had not been an ordinary dream. Has something happened back in Sumeru? His brows furrowed as he remembered lumine had gotten very sick a few months after the assassination attempt. He didn't know much of the Old Ones, he only knew what he did from those forbidden books and what little he had known growing up.
The next morning though Xiao was surprised by Miko, Ei, and Lumine kicking him and Paimon out of the teapot. Something about reworking the abode and the house and well, everything. Lumine asking if he'd go to the city and pick up a package they had been alerted had been sent by somebody. So with one chatterbox glutton in tow, Xiao quickly headed out.
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A/N: I did promise to show you guys the nursery. I've been working on it during my down time and here's the sketch of the nursery but also will be what their room in teapot will look like.
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You can see the little wooden toys that made Lumine think of Xiao and the other 4 yaksha generals mentioned in Shinobu chapter. I did take some creative liberties since we don't know what the Sumeru teapot looks like. But Miko's helping Lumine change the entire abode layout to mimic Sumeru's jungles which Xiao was born into. My favorite has to be the slime plushies by the hanging cradles though. <3 I'll try and reveal a completed picture if I find time to do a colored good copy. There are clues about the twins by the way in the picture sketch here around the cradle and outside the door. Lets see how many of you guys can spot them. But if you want a big clue look at Skoll and Hati.
