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Chapter Text

Zoey and Mira stood strong, weapons shining brilliantly, the ethereal blue-white glow a stark contrast against the deep crimson hues immited by Gwi-Ma and the rest of the Saja Boy’s concert lights. The relief she felt in her chest at the familiar blue glow of the blades almost made it hard to breathe, arriving here, at Namsan Tower just after midnight with Demon marks on full display had been undeniably risky, a massive gamble. When she had seen her fellow Hunters, her fellow Huntrix walking listlessly towards the purple-red light of Gwi-Ma she had almost lost faith, it had almost been too much for her soul to bear.

You think you can fix the world?

You can’t even fix yourself.

Gwi-Ma’s words echoed in her head, rang in her ears almost as deafening as the music had been as she’d approached the Saja Boy’s concert at Namsan Tower.

She had to admit, the move had been risky, stupid, suicidal even.

It was exactly the kind of move Celine would never approve of, but Rumi didn’t want her approval, Celine had taught her to bury, to hide, to feel a shame so intense and so deep she’d almost lost herself to Gwi-Ma, had almost let the voice of the Demon King in.

She was done seeking Celine’s approval, following in her mentors carefully laid footsteps, she would forge her own path, a new one. 

She could still remember the way the shame had sunken into her bones over the years, had given a cold aching sorrow, a void in her soul, at times she had wondered if Celine had ever thought of slaying her, of riding the world of yet another demon. Especially after her conversations with Jinu.

And now everyone finally sees you for what you really are.

The looks on Mira and Zoey’s faces when her secret, her shame, had been revealed was something she’d never be able to forget, the looks of betrayal, the shock, the horror, the barely there hints of disgust and the sorrow as the summoned their blades though they didn’t hold them with the confidence they usually did. She had been so relieved when the hatred and anger that not-Mira and not-Zoey had shown her on stage during their unplanned performance of Takedown it hadn’t even occurred to her to shun the sense of relief she had so desperately clung to at the time.

It had made her demon marks burn and her golden eye ache, a burning and freezing sensation, an itch and a pain that no amount of rubbing or meditation could relieve. It made it feel like her skin was crawling, setting her nerves a light and raising every hair on the back of her neck.

She had fled to Celine for guidance, to seek help and had been treated with a sickle pointed at her, a pale comparison to the once ethereal weapon of the former huntress but a blade that could still be welded with a lethal accuracy.

She’d begged her to kill her, to prevent her from causing more destruction, more suffering, more damage to the Honmoon, to save the world like hunters were supposed to.

Celine hadn’t been able to love her, not all of her, Celine had known her to be wrong, to be a mistake, something to destroy.

Just another demon.

How could she expect Mira and Zoey to react any differently from their ex demon hunting mentor?

Until she’d met Jinu she didn’t think anyone could love the hidden side of her, the darkness she constantly hid from the world, even from her best and arguably only friends.

Especially after the hatred and resentment that had been poured into Takedown.

Yet here she was, now reunited with her two best friends, her song alone, the song of a half demon, calling them back from the soul crushing ways of the Demons that preyed on peoples weakness from their deepest darkest fears to their most mild insecurities.

The hug had been exactly what she needed, their three part harmony resuming this time without any secrets or lies.

The truth was laid bare just like her marks, which now glowed white with a pearly sheen on them, something that had never happened before in all her life.

The beginnings of a new Honeymoon rippled out from under their feet as the three of them turned to face the Demon King.

“We broke into a million pieces”

Her sword made itself known in her hand, weightless and vibrating with energy just as it always did, ever faithful to her call.

“And we can’t got back”

With Mira on her right and Zoey on her left she confidently stepped towards Gwi-Ma, for the first time tonight no longer alone.

“But now we’re seeing”

The faint blue light of souls began making themselves known amidst the previous crimson void of fans.

“All the beauty in the broken glass”

She made eye contact with Jinu, his two golden eyes locking onto her purple ones.

“The scars are part of me”

She tilted her head up ever so slightly and couldn’t help the slight smile on the last word, giddy with relief of acceptance despite the circumstances.

“Darkness and harmony”

We are hunters. Voices strong. Slaying demons with our song. Fix the world and make it right. When darkness finally meets the light.

She finally had harmony between her darkness and light.

Mira and Zoey saw it.

She wanted Jinu to see that.

She wished Celine could have seen it.

She would make the world to see it.

“My voice without the lies”

Jinu held her gaze never blinking, expression as unwavering as his gaze.

“This is what is sounds like!”

Come on Jinu, she silently pleaded, wishing he could hear her thoughts just this once. I know there’s good in you, you’re more than just your darkness and shame.

“Why did we cover up the colors stuck inside our head?”

The other Saja Boys shoved past Jinu, sneering as they did so.

“Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead”

Another rift in the Honmoon appeared and more of the faceless demons poured out, clambering over one another in a desperate attempt to to attack the Huntrix and regain favor, and their faces from the king.

“Show me what’s underneath”

Please Jinu, show them the good I saw, the Jinu I fell in love with, give me a sign the Honmoon won’t seal you away.

“I’ll find your harmony”

Zoey and Mira pushed ahead, cutting aside the demons and giving her a clear course to continue her path towards Jinu and Gwi-Ma.

“Fearless and undefined”

Her fellow hunters made quick work of dispatching the demons, while holding back two Saja Boys each. Yet for all they cut down an endless stream seemed to pour from the void in the stage.

“This is what it sounds like!”

Gwi-Ma called back the faceless demons, drawing them into his gaping maw, consuming them just as he did with souls, his crimson eyes emerging from the flames turning him from an abstract inferno into a flaming something-like-a-face.

“ Your voices cannot defeat me! ” He roared, voice echoing with thousands of others.

She barely had time to raise her sword and channel her energy into her blade to create a shield before the blast of demon fire slammed into her, sending her sliding backwards.

The force behind the beam was crushing, despite her enhanced strength from years of dance and combat training as well as being half demon and her boots being made of the same material that the military used she could feel herself slipping, mentally and physically.

Her marks burned and her arms were beginning to tremble from the strain.

“No”

“Rumi!”

She heard her fellow hunters call to her but she couldn’t afford to be distracted now, she could barely hold her own as is let alone without her full concentration on keeping her arms raised and her song flowing.

Her legs began to tremble and despite her wide defensive stance she was forced to take a knee, barely able to keep her sword just in front of her head.

Opening her mouth in a silent scream of agony she felt her arms begin to fall.

She waited for the all consuming burn, the intense stinging, the nothingness that would follow yet none of it came.

Her arms ached and her legs felt like ramen noodles and the smokey air rested heavy in her longs with each breath she took.

How was she still alive?

Raising her head she met Jinu’s warm brown gaze, not a hint of gold in sight. 

His arms splayed wide, holding back the blast as he protected her once more.

“Jinu!” The relief and joy she felt at seeing the familiar face was quickly crushed as she realized how he had managed to hold back Gwi-Ma’s blaze. “No!”

She couldn’t figure out what to say, there seemed to be no good thing to say, no right line, no joke, no song…

Nothing.

“I’m sorry…” the demon in front of her forced out, “for everything.”

The pain lacing his words was obvious, “No.” She felt tears threatening to stream down her face “I wanted to set you free.”

Not like this.

Never like this.

“You did” he said gently, softly, as if e was afraid that speaking too loudly would break her “you gave me my soul back.”

His form began to flake away into magenta embers as it burned.

“And now…” he said with a slight wry smile, “I give it to you.”

He closed his eyes and bowed his head as his chest began to faintly glow.

“No, you won’t.”

Chapter Text

He couldn’t shake the hurt on Rumi’s face from his mind. He’d buried it in an avalanche of hatred, resentment, sorrow and scorn yet it always resurfaced no matter how many memories he buried it beneath.

He was so close to eliminating his memories, the sources of his guilt shame and torment for the past 400 years. So close to forgetting the way in which he’d abandoned his family, had selfishly sought relief from the constant gnawing of hunger in his gut and stiffness of his limbs, the rawness of his fingers as he played and played until they bled yet no one noticed him and his bipa. He was so close to the sweet sweet relief he’d craved for so long, as long as he could remember, maybe stretching back to even before he’d become a demon.

He was so close to his goal… he couldn’t give up now. Could he?

“Well done. Ready to forget it all?”

When he’d first proposed this plan to Gwi-Ma he had planned to get rid of the memories of his mother and sister, to free himself from the endless guilt associated with his memories of abandoning them, to free himself from the emotional shackles that the demon king kept him bound in.

Since he’d first become a demon it was their memory he wished to forget, their memory would have been the first he’d thought of.

Instead this time he thought of Rumi, of the quiet in his mind when she was near, of the way she had so strongly and sincerely believed in him, the trust she’d placed in him. The way she’d so plainly stated she’d been a mistake since the moment she was born as if it was an undeniable truth of the universe like the sun rising or Sussy stealing Derpy’s hat. How her hands felt in his, how her somg beautifully intertwined with his own, how warm and trusting her gaze was when she looked at him, like she saw him as something more. Something even he couldn’t see. 

How she seemed so trusting and ultimately so shocked by his inevitable betrayal of that delicate and misplaced trust.

She’d believed him, a lowly demon, to be a person.

And not just a person, a person deserving of freedom and peace and healing.

Someone not just to be saved for the sake of saving but thriving because she genuinely believed he deserved to enjoy a life that was wholly his own. She hadn’t seen him as some charity case, she viewed him as a lost soul, a desperate man led astray.

He had to admit it had touched him, her whole hearted sincerity had made him believe her, and even now he couldn’t really bring himself to completely shun the hope she’d buried so deep with in him. No matter how much he told himself otherwise there was no denying she’d left her mark on him, even if the only outward sign was the new charm on his earring, something so small that no one had even noticed. Even if someone had all the demons would simply assume he was improving his appearance to make the Saja Boys all the more popular.

But truly the earring was only for her, the smallest of nods to the kindness she had come to show him, the change she had made in the very core of his demonic being.

Yet he’d betrayed her, had revealed her secret to her friends and fans and then summarily abandoned her when she was clearly vulnerable and needed someone, anyone to accept her for who she was.

He was only a demon after all It seemed.

Rumi had made him believe he might still have a soul but he now remembered he was a fool for thinking as much.

Demons don’t have souls.

Demons steal souls since they don’t have their own.

That’s why he’d started Saja boys in the first place, the whole goal behind becoming human Juni once more, on the surface at least.

To collect human souls and give them to Gwi-Ma.

And in exchange he’d steal his peace of mind and thus his freedom from the demon king.

He inclined his head silently of the king.

“Good. I’m ready to feast.”

Derpy brushed against the back of his hand gently his soft and glowing blue fur sliding across his skin. The tiger typically vanished around the demon king, not being a true demon it seemed to fear Gwi-Ma’s presence just as much as the regular demons.

He didn’t need to look down at the tiger to know the wandering eyed expression he’d named the beast for was present. He felt the cool slide of silk against the back of his hand but he refused to meet the beast’s gaze. He knew exactly what Derpy had brought him, one had very few worldly possessions in the demon realm, most only had the clothes on their backs. The only fabric he wasn’t currently wearing was the bracelet given him to the old lady that had thought Rumi and himself would make a cute couple.

Then when he’d denied the claim and said she wasn’t his type to elderly woman has promptly told Rumi to get a better one, a statement he couldn’t bring himself to disagree with, after all.

Hopeless the lady had called him and that’s exactly what he was.

Hopeless.

He narrowed his gaze to prevent any of his emotions from making themselves known on his face. He couldn’t afford to show weakness, especially now when his centuries long goal was now tantalizingly within his reach.

It was time.

Emerging onto the surface realm in the Namsan tower was surreal.

The fans chanting Saja and the stadium awash with crimson lights.

Looking out across the sea of souls in front of them, the kind of audience he never would’ve dared dream of when he’d wished for fame and fortune for his voice and old bipa back when he was human.

Raising his head he began the pre-chorus in the voice all demons had, the voice that let Gwi-Ma and the other demons know the plan was now in motion.

Now it was show time.

“I’ll be your idol.”

Abby took the lead from there

“Keeping you in check, keeping you obsessed”

“Play me on repeat, kkeuteopsi in your head”

“Anytime it hurts, play another verse”

“I can be your sanctuary”

“Know I'm the only one right now ”

“I will love you more when it all burns down”

Oh if only they knew.

“More than power, more than gold ”

“Yeah, you gave me your heart, now I'm hеre for your soul”

He tried not to flinch at that lyric, thinking of how Rumi had bared her soul to him, had so openly admitted the fear and shame of what she was, how she believed so desperately in him and the Honmoon because she believed she was even less deserving of a chance simply because she had been born a half-demon.

“I’m the only one who'll lovе your sins”

He couldn’t love, that was somethings demons didn’t do, you needed a soul to love and he had sold his all those centuries ago.

“Feel the way my voice gets underneath your skin”

He has always been good at that, getting under peoples skin, whether with song or with biting words, Rumi could attest to that he thought bitterly.

“Listen 'cause I'm preachin' to the choir”

“Can I get the mic a little higher?”

The fans began to take on the wide eyed and empty look and the screaming intensified.

It was working.

He was almost free.

“Gimme your desire”

“I can be the star you rely on”

But not for Rumi, he’d shunned her, betrayed her when she needed someone, anyone, him most.

“Nah hwanholae chwihea, yeah, you can't look away ”

“Don't you know I'm here to save you”

“Now we runnin' wild”

“Yeah, I'm all you need, I'ma be your idol”

Gwi-Ma teleported them towards the center of the stage, giving him the indication the demon king would make his appearance soon.

Baby took the lead this time.

“Unh, bichinaneun fame, gyesok oecheo, I'm your idol!”

“Thank you for the pain 'cause it got me going viral”

“Oh, yeah, nahi anneun fever, makin' you a believer”

“Nareul wihae neon jonjae haneun aideul”

The demon kings flames became a near all consuming back drop, ready to feast on the souls of the fans.

“Living in your mind now”

“Too late 'cause you're mine now”

The fans were desperately, mindlessly reaching out to him and the others with blank eyes and awestruck expressions.

“I will make you free”

“When you’re all a part of me”

“ Listen 'cause I’m ”

Gwi-Ma teleported them back to the main stage.

“Preaching to the choir”

“Can I get the mic a little higher?”

They rose into the air, allowing their voices to carry even farther, the fans’ gazes followed them and they began to listlessly stumble towards them, arms outstretched as if they would grab them out of the sky should the Saja boys float down to be within reach.

“Gimme your desire”

“Watch me set your world on fire”

The fans began to walk forward towards Gwi-Ma’s flames.

“Nae hwanholae chwihae, you can't look away”

“No one is coming to save you”

Not after the way they’d publicly and privately split the Huntrix up, not after the way he broke Rumi despite her fervent belief he was more than just a demon.

“Now we runnin' wild”

“You're down on your knees, I'ma be your idol”

He had barely had time to process the completion of the performance when a distant voice echoed out.

“Oh!”

The voice was achingly familiar, it tugged at the strings of his nonexistent heart.

The power behind it was undeniable, even the fans despite still being under the spell of his song parted and turned to face the new voice.

“We are Hunters. Voices strong.” Something was wrong, this was a demon’s voice. “Slaying demons with our song. Fix the world and make it right. When the darkness finally meets the light.”

Rumi stepped forward, a single eye glowing with the same intense demonic gold as his own, her normally perfect hair and polished look gone, her demon marks spreading onto the edges of her face and her right arm had a purple hue with clawed fingers just like his in his demon form.

“You come here like this?” Gwi-Ma asked and he couldn’t deny the dread that pooled in the pit of hi stomach. “You think you can fix the world? You can’t even fix yourself.”

No Rumi didn’t need fixing, she wasn’t a mistake, she was perfect just as she was, kind and true, forgiving, trusting, good and so warm, a guiding light for wayward souls.

“I can’t.”

The demon voice remained and her eyes stayed downcast, her shoulders slumped, she looked a shadow of her former self. All the confidence, light and spirit seemingly drained from her body.

“And now everyone finally sees you for what you really are.”

“They do.”

No. Rumi shouldn’t sound like this, so easy to give in and be brought to heel. She’d always had a lively and fighting spirit. Hell even during there first meeting in private she’d snuck up on the mannequin and decapitated it with practiced ease, not backing down no matter what.

“And the Honmoon is gone.”

“It is.”

It felt as if the air was stolen from his lungs, he didn’t need to breathe but he could barely fight the urge to gasp for air, to do something, anything to convince himself this wasn’t real. This wasn’t Rumi, this wasn’t the girl who refused to give up on anything or anyone, even him.

This was wrong, so incredibly wrong.

His hunter had always been so passionate, so full of life and fiery. This wasn’t his hunter, this was her husk.

“So we can make a new one.”

The gold eye vanished and her gaze raised for the first time sine she’d entered the stadium.

There was the Rumi he knew.

“Nothing but the truth now”

Her voice carried into the air as she took her first step forward.

“Nothing but the proof of what I am”

The tone of this song was completely foreign to the normally upbeat and confident songs the Hunters normally performed.

“The worst of what I cam from”

Oh.

“Patterns I’m ashamed of”

She shouldn’t be ashamed of any part of herself, she was thoroughly beautiful, she had said she was everyone’s type and he had to admit she wasn’t wrong. Who wouldn’t fall for the charms of a girl like Rumi? He knew he’d denied it but no matter how much he tried to convince himself of the fact he never could succeed, even he was susceptible to her light, helplessly basking in it. Worshipping it, the closest thing he could offer to love without a soul. 

“Things that even I don’t understand”

Her voice grew in power and volume, carrying farther as she drew closer to the stage.

“I tried to fix it”

He watched as her marks shifted, changing from the dull dark purple to a pearly, shimmering white, something he’d never seen before.

“I tried to fight it”

“My head was twisted”

“My heart divided”

“My lies all collided”

“I don’t know why I didn’t trust you to be on my side”

The pain in her voice was undeniable, the sorrow in her song would’ve moved a lesser demon to tears.

“I broke into a million pieces”

His chest ached.

“And I can’t go back”

“But now I’m seeing all the beauty in the broken glass”

He noticed the two blue lights that were beginning to shine to his left and right.

“The scars are part of me”

Oh.

“Darkness and harmony”

The two blue lights began to move, pushing down through the crowd towards the center stage.

“My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like!”

And what a beautiful voice it was, a voice he’d missed and despite what it meant for him, had longed to hear just one more time.

“why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head?”

A new voice joined into the song, another Hunrix, Zoey if he remembered correctly.

“I should’ve let the jagged edges meet the light instead.”

Another voice, the three hunters were beginning to sing together once more, the other two girls stepping onto the other ends of the main stage.

“Show me what’s underneath”

“I’ll find your harmony”

The three voices merged into a single accompaniment.

“The song we couldn’t write this is what is sounds like!”

The lyrics resonated briefly before Gwi-Ma issued an order. “Stop this song!”

Voids formed in the floor and faceless demons began to pour out, he barely held back the minute flinch, this would be his fate if he failed Gwi-Ma. The demon king would leave his memories but strip him of all other forms of identity.

“We’re shattering the silence”

“We’re rising, defiant!”

Rumi’s sword materialized in her hands, its brilliant blue light illuminating her beautifully.

“Shouting in the quiet”

“’You’re not alone!’”

The other two Huntrix harmonized and materialized their respective blades.

“We listened to the demons, we let them get between us”

Ouch, but fair.

“But none of us are out here on our own!”

The first swing of the blades sent ripples of blue out over the fans.

“So we were cowards”

Blue begin to faintly glow.

“So we were liars”

Demons began to join the faceless demons in an attempt to stop the progression of the Huntrix.

“So we’re not heroes”

Debatable.

“We’re still survivors!”

True. 

“The dreamers, the fighters”

“No lying, I’m tired”

“But dive in the fire”

“And I’ll be right here by your side”

The relief and honesty in their voices felt raw.

The trio shared an embrace and a completely new Honmoon materialized and rippled out from beneath their feet.

In a brilliant white flash they separated, the trio now all completely in white.

“We broke into a million pieces”

The trio turned to face them.

“And we can’t got back”

They took a step towards the main stage, towards himself, the Saja boys, and Gwi-Ma.

“But now we’re seeing”

The faint blue light of souls began making themselves more vibrant amidst the previous crimson void of fans.

“All the beauty in the broken glass”

Her gaze locked onto his, purple meeting gold, a slight smile bare gracing rhetorical corner of her mouth.

“The scars are part of me”

And they were just as beautiful as her.

“Darkness and harmony”

He could feel the resurgence of confidence in her voice as she and her fellow hunters continued at an unwavering pace towards them.

“My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like!”

It was a beautiful voice, radiant with hope. It made him wish he was in the audience so he could experience the beauty of it unabated. To give her voice the full attention it deserved, to bask in the comfort it provided without any reservation. 

“Why did we cover up the pieces stuck inside out head?”

The other Saja boys shoved past him, snarling as they did so, intent on stopping the hunters’ song.

“Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead”

He couldn’t bring himself to move, his limbs felt like they were made of lead and he was rooted to the spot.

“Show me what’s underneath”

Rumi held his gaze for this line, was she still trying to save him?

“I’ll find your harmony”

The other Huntrix surged forward and began to cut the demons down.

“Fearless and undefined this is what it sounds like!”

Gwi-Ma inhaled and called back the faceless demons, dissolving them.

“Your voices cannot defeat me!”

The demon king roared, eyes appearing and a face forming.

Come to think of it in all his centuries he’d never seen the demon king as anything other than a ball of flames.

He barely had a second to ponder the thought before Rumi disappeared behind a beam of magenta flames.

No.

He couldn’t lose her.

The world couldn’t lose her.

He felt like he could breath again when a fain blue-white glow made itself known, with her sword raised above her head and a shield of shimmering light in front of her she fought to hold her ground.

He watched in horror as her legs began to buckle and her arms began to shake.

“No”

“Rumi!”

He could hear the other two hunters voicing what he had been thinking, they were too far, they wouldn’t be able to get to her in time.

She screamed under the effort, forced to take a knee under the force of the demon king’s blast.

She wouldn’t be able to hold him off much longer.

It was impressive she had been able to hold him off at all.

But then again this was his Rumi, defying expectations at every turn.

Before he fully realized what he was dopign he was moving, shielding her just as he had before.

He could see the moment of shock on her face at the fact she was still alive.

“Jinu! No!”

The pain in her voice hurt far more than the intense burning that was radiating along his back as he could feel himself begin to slowly dissolve.

“I’m sorry for everything” he managed to force out, voice barely above a whisper as he struggled to keeping from gasping or screaming in agony.

“No. I wanted to set you free,” the sincerity and sorrow in her voice as tears began to well in her eyes made him smile slightly.

“You did. You gave me my soul back,” something he’d never anticipated, but he loved her so much eh couldn’t imagine a better reason to leave this world. “And now… I give it to you.”

He focused on pushing his soul towards her, seeing the fain blue illuminating her face.

Closing his eyes and bowing his head he was ready to accept the inevitable

“No, you won’t.” She used a voice that could’ve commanded Gwi-Ma himself.

His eyes snapped open.

“I love you Jinu, and you’re not dying on me until I get a photo of you in teddy bears and choo-choo trains.”

He couldn’t help the slight chuckle he felt rise in his chest, oh how he’d missed her stubborn passion. “Stubborn hunter, I lo-“

His voice was cut short by a gasp as the pain became too intense to speak.

A blue light erupted all around and then everything went black.

Chapter Text

She watches as his eyes snapped open.

“I love you Jinu, and you’re not dying on me until I get a photo of you in teddy bears and choo-choo trains.”

That earned her a disbelieving smile and a slight head shake.

“Stubborn hunter, I lo-“

His voice was cut short by a gasp of pain, wavering slightly as if he was about to faint, his voice losing the strength necessary to deliver the words she had longed to hear all her life.

She grabbed him, pulling him into a protective embrace just as he had for her when her marks had first been exposed.

Swinging her sword up and around him so it was behind his back she forced more power through her blade, turning it’s light from blue to completely white.

She felt him slump the second the blast was no longer searing into his back, the adrenaline from the pain was likely the only thing that had been keeping him going for so long, that and an unhealthy amount of desperate, stubborn determination.

Careful not to touch the burn marks or open wounds she centered her shoulder on his chest, holding him up while simultaneously holding her blade in the same defensive position as before, desperately protecting the man in her arms.

“Oh!”

She heard the voices of the fans begin to rise in song, joining into the Huntrix’s harmony.

The renewal of the songs power caused Gwi-Ma to briefly cease his blast, allowing her gently lower Jinu to the ground, a faint blue glow still pulsing weakly in his chest.

For the first time since she’d finished training her blade transformed, from a single tipped straight blade to one with two and a slight curve at the end. Celine taught them weapons change during formative experiences, hers had settled into a sword fairly quickly, it was Mira whose weapon had taken a few years to fully stabilize into the curved and bladed staff she used today.

Barely holding back tears she swung with the full force of her song and that of her fans sending a line of energy straight at Gwi-Ma temporarily splitting the demon king into two.

“This is what it sounds like”

She heard more than saw Mira and Zoey finish of the remaining Saja Boys, taking a defensive stance in front of Jinu, holding her sword at the ready to defend them both she continued the song.

“This is what is sounds like, hey!”

“We broke into a million pieces and we can’t go back”

She felt herself begin to lift off the ground as more and more fans joined into the song, souls pulsing a brilliant blue as they lended their voices to the fight against Gwi-Ma.

“But now I’m seeing all the beauty in the broken glass”

Mira and Zoey raced to her side, both carrying the song as they did so, harmonizing just as they always did.

“The scars are part of me”

The three of them floated, each wielding their own sphere of voices and souls.

“Darkness and harmony”

“My voice without the lies”

“This is what it sounds like!”

She grabbed Zoey and Mira’s hands, holding onto them like a life line, she needed to remind herself that they were real, they were by her side, that this was actually happening.

“Why did we cover up the colors stuck inside our head?”

“Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead”

“Show me what’s underneath”

“I’ll find your harmony”

The voices of the fans blanketed the entirety of the arena, wrapping around them and the hunters like a protective blanket.

“Fearless and undefined”

She closed her eyes for the final verse.

“This is what it sounds like!”

The force of the magic that erupted from the trio surged out into the world, vaporizing Gwi-Ma and sending a new Honmoon rushing out over the globe like waves through an endless sea.

Touching down she barely had a moment to appreciate the new Honmoon glowing brilliantly beneath her feet before her eyes fell on a burned body.

“Jinu!”

Racing over to the only non-fan left in the arena she quickly knelt in front of the still unconscious man.

“Please Jinu!”

Please don’t be dead.

————————

Kneeling beneath the tree she’d spent so much time training under she took a deep breathe.

“Are you sure this will work?” Mira asked. “Ouch! Zoey what was that for-“

“Our duty as hunters is to fix the world and make it right,” She said calmly, voice not betraying the anxiety that was roiling just beneath her skin. “We can fix this.”

Derpy bumped his head gently against her shoulder, he hadn’t left her side since she’d arrived here carrying Jinu, he had also stood between her and Celine as the two had faced off regarding saving Jinu.

Celine was passionately against it but eventually conceded, saying she was too much like her mother for her own good before leaving in a huff.

Jinu looked peaceful laying on the cot but she knew that was only thanks to the sheer volume of IV pain relief that was flowing through his veins, ensuring he had enough fluids, blood, and comfort.

Stepping back she grabbed Zoey’s hand in her left and Mira’s hand with her right, Derpy, in all his strangeness curled protectively around Jinu’s head golden eyes blinking up at her.

Mira made a face and she couldn’t help the soft smile that formed on her features, when Derpy and Suzy had first appeared in front of the other two hunters she had been worried they would try and slay the animals given their other worldly appearance but it soon became apparent that Suzzy and Mira got along fairly well, having the same sass.

Zoey gave her hand a re-assuring squeeze and offered a warm smile.

Taking a deep breath Rumi closed her eyes and began to sing.

Chapter Text

The first thing he felt was warm breath ghosting across his forehead, the second thing he felt was the dull ache in his back and a warm even weight resting across his chest.

Was this what death was like?

It wasn’t so bad.

Felt like waking up from a dream.

Gently he sat up, opening his eyes before shutting them again with a hiss as the light was too much for them.

How was there still pain in death?

This sucked.

A song of which he couldn’t quite hear the words echoed softly in his ears, it sounded like Rumi, he couldn’t help but smile slightly at the thought, the melody gentle and warm.

Taking a deep breath he slowly cracked his eyes open.

The afterlife looked strangely familiar… almost like an apartment building?

Looking down at his hands he was crushed to find the marks still there, despite now being a faint white, almost like scars.

Upon closer inspection he realized they were slightly different, more rounded, looking like waves in some areas yet in others they split to produce holo centers and rounded edges, looking more like Derpy’s back than the jagged marks that had adorned him the past 400 years.

He could hear voices just down the hall, drawing closer but the words were indiscernible as the unknown beings conversed with one another.

“-is he doing?”

“-progress… not sure…checking”

“Let us know if you-“

A door pushed open, somewhere just out of his line of sight and he resisted the urge to run and hide.

The muffled sound of heavy paws and a familiar raspy call made him pause rather than laying back down and pretending to still be out.

The door was shut and footsteps began again.

“Jinu! You’re awake!”

There, with iridescent demon marks shimmering in the light, stood his hunter.

A familiar trill and screech echoed and suddenly Derpy lunged at him.

“Nope,” Rumi managed to catch the tiger and hold him back, “no tackles until he’d better.”

Derpy turned to her with a sad expression and stared at her for a moment before slowly padding over and flopping on the bed next to him, Suzzy fluttered over taking perch on the tiger’s head.

“Jinu…” Rumi spoke softly drawing his attention away from the tiger, though he continued the rhythmic stroking pattern he’d begun through the soft blue fur. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”

The tears began to well in her eyes and instinctively he pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her, shielding her from her sorrow as best he could.

It had taken a while for Rumi to get a grip on herself and to stop clinging to him like he was about to dissipate.

“You have questions,” she said wiping the last remnants of the tears from her eyes.

“Just a few.”

“Alright, I’ll answer as best I can. In all honesty I don’t think I have all the answers either,” she said plopping down on the other side of Derpy earning a soft grunt from the calm tiger who blinked slowly, eyes seemingly staring at both of them at once. It gave him a chance to take her in, the exhaustion rimming her eyes, the way her purple hair was done in two braids as opposed to her signature one. She was in a loose sweatshirt with fine line flowers and sweatpants, she looked like the weight of the world had just barely begun to be lifted from her shoulders.

“No teddy bear and choo-choo train pants this time?” He couldn’t resist the urge to tease.

“Nope, since you’re wearing them.”

“Wait what?”

Glancing down sure enough he was.

“Choo-Choo!” She giggled, hands concealing her face as she barely contained her mirth, especially with the indignant look he sent her way. Collecting herself with a few gasping breaths she settled on a slightly mischievous smile, “In all seriousness most of your robes were burned away and it didn’t seem fair that you wake up in those and smelling like smoke. They’re not the same pair since you’re not my size but I figured since I was already buying you clothes I might as well give you something with a semi-decent memory attached to it.”

“I see…” he tried not to ponder what she’d seen. Now was not the time to be shy. “So what happened?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” She countered.

“You… said you loved me and I told you I loved you too.”

She nodded, “okay so right up until you collapsed.”

“I guess so.”

“Alright, just to cover the main events Gwi-Ma and the demons were vanquished, a new Honmoon was formed, and Huntrix is currently a week into our 3 month hiatus.” She listed counting it off on her fingers.

“But your marks…” how was he still here? How were his marks still present?

“The original Honmoon was destroyed so the one Mira, Zoey, and I created a new one and I didn’t want to get rid of my marks. They’re part of who I am and have been for so long… and a certain demon helped show me they weren’t all bad.”

“They’re beautiful,” he spoke softly, mostly to himself, the shimmering white lines that raced along her skin reflected the light flashing with hints of rainbow when she moved. His marks on the other hand… while they were different they still hinted at their demonic roots.

Seemingly sensing his thoughts Rumi reached put and took his free hand in hers, “when we worked to heal you the Honmoon helped hold your soul to your body while you recovered.”

“But it doesn’t look like just the Honmoon.”

“It doesn’t” she agreed easily, “But they don’t look like demon marks either. In all honesty Derpy might’ve had something to do with it.”

The look on his face must’ve shown the sheer incredulity he felt at the mere suggestion that the slightly crosseyed tiger had helped pull him back from the brink of death.

“I know how it sounds but he never left your side and he was glowing…. More so than normal but you get the point.”

“I still find that a bit suspicious but I don’t really know how to disprove it other than,” he gestured at the now sleeping tiger, trying to convey exactly why he was struggling to believe it.

“How am I still here, forget the fact I should’ve died, why am I not.. you know…”

“Sealed away?”

“Yeah that.”

“Do you want fact or opinion?”

“Fact?”

“I don’t know.”

“Alright opinion then.”

“When you took the force of Gwi-Ma’s blast and began to burn Mira, Zoey, and I believe that the demon was literally burned out of you. It’s part of why your soul returned but also gave you the ability to stay above the Honmoon and ultimately be healed by it.”

“Mm.” He didn’t really know what to stay to that statement, or even what to think of it. Rumi’s theory made sense, he din’t really have a better idea. Honestly he was just released at the possibility of his humanity being restored and Gwi-Ma’s voice being permanently gone from his ears.

“I’m going to let the others no your up and give you a moment to yourself, there’s a phone on the nightstand it’s unlocked, if you need anything just call me and I’ll come as soon as I can.”

——————

“I want to get a tattoo.”

“What?!”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the tone of Mira’s voice. The other two hunters had taken a while to accept him but seeing the way Rumi loved him and the way he was now able to love her in return they warmed up. Bobby had given him a ‘shovel talk’ to the best of the small mans ability since he barely came up to Jinu’s chest but the Huntrix manager made it clear that if he hurt Rumi that Bobby would make him disappear. Celine still hadn’t warmed up to him but the Huntrix hadn’t really forgiven her either so he figured that wasn’t too bad all things considered.

“Where would you even get one?” Zoey asked.

“On my back,” it was the only place he had no marks whatsoever, not even burn scars or lines from the Honmoon’s healing. He found it a little unnerving, completely unused to the unmarked skin.

“What would you want to get? Tattoos are permanent after all and you’ve still got all your new marks,” Rumi said, holding her coffee between her hands like a life line.

“I’ve got a few ideas,” he grinned, glancing over at the two animals that had made themselves at home in the Hunrtix’s penthouse home.

It took a while to find an artist that was trustworthy especially considering it was a grey area in the eyes of the law, something restricted to licensed medical professionals which had resulted in an incredibly complex underground tattoo scene.

Eventually he’d found an artist whose style he liked, after weeks of collaboration he finally got a design he liked and the Huntrix approved.

He was quite happy with the result though the experience was no one he was eager to repeat, the burn had nothing and the one dealt by Gwi-Ma but he’d been so focused on protecting Rumi he hadn’t really paid that much mind to it but lying in the chair he didn’t have anything to distract from the needle piercing his skin other than the Huntrix on repeat in the tattoo studio. He was honestly relieved since Rumi hadn’t been able to come with him to all the appointments since she needed to do choreography prep and various other Huntrix duties.

The blue line tiger with its tail coiled around a bipa which had a black magpie perched on the top with a norigae hanging off of it had healed beautifully within a few weeks. The artist had found the little hat on the magpie to be an odd touch but he’d insisted and was very glad he’d done so since he planned on never getting another tattoo again… well at least not for the next few years.

The norigae had been a secret and he’d been quite pleased with himself when Rumi saw it and recognized it as the one she always wore, a subtle acknowledgment of the major role she played in his life.

———————

“Thank you,” she said handing him a hair tie.

Taking the hair tie from her he quickly wrapped it around the end of her braid before tying Rumi’s signature golden ribbon around it. “Of course, love.”

“I have a lot of hair I know how much work it is,” she said with a shrug, standing and stretching before giving him a peck on the cheek.

“Concerts are a lot of work, besides I’m quite proud of the fact I can braid hair, let alone do a braid as complex as your signature with as much length as you have.”

“That’s fair,” she grinned. “I need to go carb load, wish me luck!”

“I love you, good luck!” He called as she booked it out of the room. He needed to get better at braiding quickly, Rumi’s hair could easily be an hour long process, time she simply just didn’t have on her concert days.

“I love you!” She called from down the hall, he smiled his hunter didn’t know how to slow down.

——————

Some days were better than others, both for himself and for Rumi. 

There were days where he hid from the world, tucked away in a corner with Derpy wrapped tightly around him and Suzzy in his lap listening to Rumi gently sing or speak to him. Always about nothing material, her soft vocalizations as she experimented with lyrics and rhythm or shared stories ranging from fun encounters with fans to the time Derpy was distracted by a flower pot to her talking about the latest carb load she’d done.

The days he desperately clung to her voice was the days he needed reassurance she’d be the only voice he’d be hearing on repeat, which is just the way he wanted it. No more Gwi-Ma no more Saja Boys just Jinu and Rumi with Derpy and Suzzy and the Huntrix to keep them company.

Sometimes in the middle of the night Rumi would shoot awake screaming in terror, sometimes begging for her fellow Hunters to forgive her others pleading with someone to spare her life. Those were the nights that Zoey and Mira had a sleepover in their room, the two dragging in beanbags and making makeshift beds to offer their friend comfort.

The guilt he felt on nights like those were immense, the reminder of the damage he’d done to Rumi in his quest to please Gwi-Ma haunted him even when the Huntrix harmonized a lullaby to help remind Rumi everything was okay and there was nothing to forgive. 

Other times still he’d wake to Rumi calling out his name, sobbing in her sleep grieving a loss that might’ve been bet never happened. When that happened he’d pull her into his arms and sit them up letting Derpy wrap around them both and sing softly to her, assuring her he was safe, that she had saved him, that she had been enough. 

There was only so much he could do for the hunter but he was sure he’d do everything in his power to show her the live she deserved.

If she couldn’t go back to sleep they sometimes went out to wander the streets of the city, getting street food from various carts and people watching. They would go and watch the Honmoon glow or stargaze. 

When the night was particularly intense they would make ramyeon and binge whatever comfort movie or show they felt like at the time, sometimes even rewatching series more times than they’d care to admit. 

These nightmares helped forge new traditions and further solidify the trust they had in one another. Their emotions laid bare made them more open, more willing to share.

He’s even started therapy, something the hunters also underwent to help deal with the stress of the world almost ending and their status as international K-pop sensations. 

There had been many changes to the world he’d left behind for 400 years. Yet none of the changes compared to those he made for the stubborn hunter who refused to give up on him.

Nothing compared to the one who had saved his heart and soul. 

Chapter Text

It was on one such night, after a particularly harsh nightmare on both their parts that he asked a question that had been gnawing at him for a while.

They were sitting, Rumi cross legged on the floor with her back to him and Jinu on the couch, fingers tangled in her hair brows furrowed in concentration as he worked to finish the fence braid he had started. It was something that soothed them both, it gave him something to focus on, to ground himself in and Rumi liked the fact that it reminded her she wasn’t alone and that he was okay.

“Have you ever thought about your dad?” He said gently, tying off her braid careful not to let go of any strands or break them by tying it too tight.

“What do you mean?” She hummed, fingers running through Derpy’s fur, not taking her eyes away from the window as she watched the Honmoon rippling softly in the night.

“Like have you ever wondered who he is? What happened to him?” He certainly had, after all it was hard not to be at least a little bit curious how a Hunter and a demon had come to be so… well acquainted with one another.

“I guess…” Rumi said slowly, her hand never stilling. “Celine always emphasized how much I was like my mom, she wanted me to be just like her, right down to her signature look. To remake the Sunlight Sisters and completely ignore my demon heritage. The only real time she acknowledged my dad was to blame him for my marks and my hair.”

“I’ve seen some childhood pictures of you, it’s naturally that color?” He didn’t bother keeping his surprise out of his voice, after all no one had naturally purple hair, except for demons, and that wasn’t exclusively purple but any color really.

“Yeah, Celine tried to dye it when I was younger so I wouldn’t stand out as much because let’s be honest, the 6-year old daughter of a Kpop superstar having purple hair? It seemed to the Media like she had been prepping me for the spotlight my whole life… granted that isn’t an inaccurate depiction but still.” Rumi shrugged, “The dye never took, I used to go to bed with my hair soaked in dye, anything from box to professional to fabric or even henna on occasion, Celine tried literally everything it didn’t matter what shade of brown or red or black it would end up just so long as it wasn’t purple. I ruined so many mattresses and sheets and pillows it got on everything, but no matter how long it sat or how dark we tried it never lasted more than a few hours, or until it got wet.”

“Huh,” he sad softly, running his fingers through it as he began the next braid. “I’ve never seen a demon with your exact hair color in all of my 400 years, and let’s be honest the Demon Realm isn’t that big… especially to have not run into someone in all that time. I didn’t really interact with many of them, mostly spending my time with Derpy and Suzy except when Gwi-Ma commanded my presence but still I feel like I should’ve run into him at some point. But it also matches Gwi-Ma’s flames so it could just be a residual coloration that would’ve formed more marks.”

She hummed softly, “yeah I don’t really know, I always liked to believe he was a good demon. Someone who had found a way to free themselves from Gwi-Ma’s control, had maybe sought out my mother for help. It’s probably just a childish fantasy but…”

“You were so ashamed of your marks you desperately clung onto any potentially goodness demons could have as a way of convincing yourself you were not an irredeemable wrong.”

“Exactly, I was definitely a mark on the Hunters’ record, I mean seriously Celine always said she tried too look past it, to love past it, to love me but she never really could love all of me. She even said it herself, everything she had ever learned told her that I was wrong, that I shouldn’t exist.”

Yikes. He knew Celine had struggled immensely with accepting Rumi, had been the one to plant the idea in her head of getting rid of the demon marks on her skin for good. The other Hunters didn’t really speak to their mentor much and he was immensely relieved by it, he didn’t think he’d be able to face Celine more than the limited times he already had to and not berate her for planting so much doubt inside Rumi.

He tied off the other braid. “Do Mira and Zoey know?”

“Nope.” She popped the P. “They’ve already got a strained relationship with her thanks to the whole not telling them about me being a demon and all that other stuff. Plus it’s not going to really fix anything, the two of them can hold grudges like you wouldn’t believe and despite it all Celine did still raise me, she’s the only family I’ve ever known outside of the Huntrix until you came along. On some level I still hope she’ll accept me, all of me, but I think it’s going to take some time. Maybe my opinion will change, who knows but it’s not fair to burden Mira and Zoey with it.”

“You’re a better person than I am,” was all he could say. Not trusting himself to not begin a rant about Rumi’s adoptive aunt, and besides he did truly mean it. He could think of no one else who would have so much faith in a person, as far as he was concerned Celine was a lost cause. But then again… he’d considered himself a lost cause until Rumi had shown faith in him, so maybe she was right this time too. His love was almost never wrong, no matter how much it pained him to admit it.

They settled into a natural silence before he broke it once more.

“You know… Gwi-Ma knew you bore his mark but he couldn’t control you, yet every single other demon who had even so much as a single mark he was able to control just like a puppet on a string. Maybe your dad did manage to rid himself of the guilt that made him a demon, maybe it’s why you’ve always been able to resist Gwi-Ma’s control even if you heard his voice and were in your full half demon form.”

“Maybe… I also could’ve just been too stubborn it always used to drive everyone crazy, it still does.”

“Hey you’er not stubborn your head strong there’s a difference.” Her phone buzzed on the floor beside her, the screen lighting up.

“Whatever you say my love,” the exasperated amusement in her tone was undeniable as she picked up her phone and scanned the message that came in.

“C’mon! If you weren’t headstrong I wouldn’t be here, you like to see the good in everyone but yourself. You need to believe in your own goodness just as much as you believe in mine, Celine’s, Zoey’s, or Mira’s.”

She rolled her eyes fondly, “sure Jinu, whatever you say. Now, let’s go! Zoey and Mira found a new 24/7 corndog spot and they’re going to meet us there in 10!”

“Alright, alright,” he could barely contain his fond smile, “let me put a sweatshirt and shoes on at least.”

“They said last one there is paying so you better get moving!” She sing-songed as she jumped to her feet. 

“Wait what?!”

“You heard me! Get your demon butt moving! And make sure to wear the matching Derpy sweatshirt Zoey bought all of us!”