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Five years have passed since the girls learned what it sounds like. It being freedom, honesty, and a love that doesn’t feel fragile.
However, they aren’t girls anymore, are they?
Mira and Rumi were both thirty, Zoey not far behind them. With maturity came a validation from the Honmoon, a confirmation that this new authenticity and comfort is the true golden, a gift, a miracle.
A baby.
Plagued with nausea and aches and restlessness, Rumi was assumed to be a victim of a sickness bug. An inconvenience that would pass in days. Days became weeks as the truth became undeniable.
Somehow, someway, she was pregnant. The test confirmed so, staring back at the three women gawking at it.
Eyes wide and sparkling, breath stolen from lungs in a gasp of wonder, Zoey beamed ecstatically, flailing her hands as she struggled for a coherent response.
Brows furrowed and eyes narrowed, Mira scowled at this defiance against logic before remembering logic hadn’t applied to the three of them for a long time, her scepticism softening into smiling disbelief.
Between glee and confusion was Rumi.
Rejection.
Freed from the silence stealing her words, she shook her head vehemently, her eyes wide and blazing, jagged patterns flaring hues of purple that hadn’t shown for so long.
“No, no, no,” she insisted as if the tests would simply bend to her will alone. “No, I don’t want it!”
Joy cracked open and released the poignant yoke of horror.
Sparkles replaced by glints of shock and hurt, Zoey staggered verbally for understanding. “You... you don’t?”
Feeling as if the rug had been pulled from under her feet and she was no falling into the unknown, Mira slowly voiced her uncertainty.
“Only last week we were talking about adoption or IVF? I mean well I... I just don’t understand, Ru. Please talk to us.”
There is a thin line between rage and grief, poor Rumi was being dragged along it.
“I wasn’t supposed to be the one to... to have it! It wasn’t supposed to be me.” She stammered violently, glaring at the test through blurred eyes. “My mother had me, a half demon baby and she died. What will a partially demon and god knows what baby do to me? Will I leave you to become like... like Celine?”
The name seemed to echo like far-off memories rearing their ugly heads and crying old tears.
In the five years that have passed since the defeat of Gwi-Ma, the creation of the Honmoon and the... incident by the tree, Celine and Rumi haven’t spoken.
Finally broken beneath the pressure of a motherly love that had always just fallen short of seeming motherly or loving, Rumi didn’t know what to say, what to be, to fix their bond, to build a bridge over the chasm between them.
On the other side of the coin, Celine didn’t think she deserved to walk across the bridge, she deserved to fall straight into the demon realm through the chasm, to be the final sunset.
So, the mother and daughter, who were simultaneously not that and exactly that, hadn’t been in contact.
“Rumi,” Zoey began, her gentle tone wavering with each word. “Your mother was... she was killed – the demon hoard attacked and they killed her. That wasn’t because of you. That was never your fault.”
“Well why did they attack, hm?” Rumi practically spat, shrugging off the comforting hand that trembled on her shoulder.
“Demons sent by Gwi-Ma killed my parents because my father betrayed him. They killed Min Ju too. And it all left Celine... left Celine endlessly fucked up which then made me fucked up and now here is history repeating itself!”
“We would never let that happen, Rumi.” Mira vowed, the low certainty in her voice bordering ferocity despite the tears wetting her cheeks. “Even if Gwi-Ma managed to slip free of his new prison, he would never harm you or...or...”
The three fell silent in the hesitation, all quiet with the knowledge that there could be four.
“It was never supposed to be me,” Rumi muttered quietly as if she were stuck in the aftermath of a nightmare, “It can’t happen again.”
Demons don’t have feelings. But this one does. And when her feelings are intense, she can react... inhumanly.
Rancid purple smoke spiralled around Rumi as she fell into a daze of denial, hardly noticing her coughing wives shaking her vigorously, calling her name desperately.
Without realising she was going, Rumi left as if she were never there, her crouched position replaced by bruised air.
Time passed in an irrelevant blur until Rumi finally came to.
Finding herself sprawled over soft grass beneath warm sunlight, Rumi almost felt content here, curling up due to sleepiness from her unintentional teleportation.
Then she saw it.
The tree.
That fucking tree.
“Why are you always near when my life is being ruined?”
Obviously, the tree didn’t respond despite the way Rumi could’ve sworn the leaves fluttering in the gentle breeze were mocking her. Before she could scorn the innocent landmark any further, someone spoke, not to her but startling her all the same.
“Hello Mi-Yeong.”
Soft and steady was Celine’s unmistakable voice as she settled at a familiar headstone across the small field, her back to Rumi who could hear clearly due to her demonically advanced senses.
Expression contorted by disbelief, Rumi stood and peaked around the thick bark, astonished by the ease in (-her mother’s) Celine’s body language and tone.
“Something has changed on the Honmoon, I can feel it. It’s good, warm and new, so it must be to do with Rumi.” Celine thought aloud as she replaced flowers in the small vase. “We haven’t spoken since... well, I’ve told you countless times. But she’s happy, I think. Huntrix have exceeded their previous excellence. Though I don’t care about that much. I just care that she’s happy.”
Rumi’s palm sealed the whimper fleeing her mouth but the tears still poured, her eyes wide as she watched in utter silence despite the deafening pound of her heart.
“This change feels warm and bright like how we used to be. I love it. I think I even love it better than golden.” Celine admitted as if she still expected her ancestors to rise and yell at her. “I’m ashamed that it took an unexplained shift for me to feel like this instead of your daughter.”
Shaking her head softly, the older woman couldn’t help the beginnings of a smile she was learning to finish curve her lips as she continued.
“Regardless, she turned out the best of you, even the best of me though I doubt she thinks I have any bests.” The laugh the tickled her tome was completely unheard of but ever so comforting. “I know Mira and Zoey don’t. It’s fair though. I remember you and Min Ju hating my mother the same way, I guess the apple doesn’t rot far from the tree.”
For the last five years, Rumi has resented Celine, understandably so, and yesterday she would’ve agreed that she was rotten. Now, as she finished refreshing the flowers, she didn’t sound anything but sweet.
“I hope you feel this new sunshine wherever you are, jagi-ya I hope it keeps Rumi warm.”
By the time Celine rose from the grass that knew her knees well, her chest feeling lighter as it always did after talking to someone she couldn’t help pray was listening, Rumi was long gone.
Still lacking control for her teleportation abilities, Rumi found her way home by simply begging for it, closing her eyes and wishing to return to where she hadn’t meant to left.
Mira and Zoey were waiting anxiously on the bathroom floor, torn between needing their beloved girlfriend home safe and giving her space to process the situation, trying not to crumble in the dreadful sense of Deja vu.
As soon as Rumi materialized beside them, she was yanked into a hug that was more home than this building or any other ever will be.
The day bled into night as Huntrix discussed their course of action, vowing to walk every step of any journey together.
After hours of communication, tears, hugs, kisses, apologies and so much love, the conversation ended like this:
“I want to keep them.”
The change from ‘it’ to ‘them’ alone was progress enough – a burden, a nightmare of the past to a person, of some sorts.
But Mira and Zoey confirmed anyway.
“Are you sure, Ru?” Mira asked steadily, her sharp eyes soft around the edges and tender in the middle as she squeezed Rumi’s shoulder. “Completely certain?”
Meanwhile, Zoey hugged her not quite human but oh so perfect girlfriend closer, resting her head on her shoulder and murmuring. “Don’t do anything you don’t want too just for us. We’re with you no matter what.”
Chest no longer feeling tight with panic, mind clear of racing worries, Rumi nodded, her voice soft and warm like sunshine.
“We’re having a baby.”
That was seven months ago.
Within those seven months, many things happened.
Firstly, Rumi visited Celine while Mira and Zoey waited in the car, close enough to offer support if needed but also give space. The conversation was tense then eventually eased into something that wasn’t perfect but breathable like initial relief that promised to be something more one day.
“I want you to be in their life, I want you to be in mine.”
Secondly, Bobby was asked to be a godfather by the women who will always be his girls.
There was not a dry eye in sight.
Thirdly, Huntrix announced their retirement.
After mounting every chart for a decade and fighting evil for half of that career, the musicians began their graceful descent. Vowing not to disappear completely, Huntrix performed a farewell concert with the promise of future work.
“Remember us through our songs and all the love we made them with Never forget us because hunters are forever.”
Now, pink and blue leave no colourless aspect to Huntrix tower.
A building once housing liars now held nothing but the truth.
The baby shower theme is of course under the sea, a green sea turtle shaped balloon holding a sign reading “How warm is the sand?”
Zoey gleefully explained the joke to Bobby while Rumi and Mira snickered nearby.
“Oh, I’ve heard that fact before.”
Celine’s voice announced her entrance with a content calmness that had evaded her for so long, old wounds still leaving aching scars but no longer bleeding, not staining others anymore.
Patterns glowing yellow like the sun, Rumi smiled brightly, lopsided due to the growth of her fangs but still a sight for sore eyes.
“Hi, baby bear.”
The nickname felt like a gift Celine didn’t think she’d ever deserve to give since the first time she told Rumi to cover up, a crime she can’t believe she committed now. And the hug that followed felt like heaven a sinner like her wasn’t allowed in.
Still, Rumi welcomed her mother with open arms despite the difficult swell of her stomach.
The party only got happier after that.
Games played with smiling faces and kind fingers amusingly pointed at Celine’s struggle to pin the tentacle on the octopus.
The gender reveal was nearing but presents were gifted first, Rumi flushing terribly with all the attention, still an awkward girl at heart.
Then tears came but they were happy, bittersweet, but happy too.
“The pictures aren’t ordered since I thought it’d be more fun,” Celine explained, still not too familiar with the concept of fun yet trying her best all the same. “But I thought it’d be nice to start with the beginning.”
The photo album spread across Rumi and Celine’s lap was opened to show a picture of three young women picnicking by that tree.
Min Ju, signature space buns released into a short afro of curls, grinning widely. Celine, black hair free of silver streaks, smiling like she wasn’t used to it but still meant it so sincerely. Mi-Yeong, alive and happy and, encased in an embrace that no one seemed eager to leave.
“She was really pretty,” Rumi managed weakly, tears spilling down her cheeks like fresh streams.
“She was,” Zoey agreed softly, squeezing her girlfriend’s shoulder in an automatic gesture of comfort.
Mira kissed a pattern thrumming a sad blue then spoke against it, “I can see where you get it from, jagi-ya.”
“You’re her spitting image, Ruru,” Bobby sighed gently, squeezing his girl’s hand the way he used to do when she was nervous before shows.
“Practically her reflection only a little more...” he paused to glance at the ‘tattoos’ that were revealed to be demonic patterns along with everything else a few months ago. “Purple.”
“She’d be so proud of you, baby bear.” Celine hummed softly, her voice not sounding as affected since it was always a little sad, a little grieving. “So proud.”
This was freedom, honesty, and a love that doesn’t feel fragile.
And every day that passes, Huntrix learn what it sounds like.
And they know it is better than golden.