Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

They were this close, this freaking close to being able to take over the mortal realm. Gwi Ma would have been satisfied and then all the Saja Boys could go slinking back to whatever rotten corner they all came from. But no. Of course not, Hunter/x stopped them, just like the heroes they were meant to be. Baby stood on the stage, silently wheezing after the “Your Idol” performance. He had given it his all, fully prepared for the Honmoon to shatter into a million pieces, when a voice cut through the silence.

Out of the corner of his eye Baby immediately spotted Jinu’s gaze break as he stared at the stadium entrance. He scoffed, internally wondering, waiting for how this next part was going to go down in history. Gwi Ma had almost fully manifested at this point, the air punctuated by the heavy sense of despair and ash. If the hunter wanted to win she would need a miracle.
A figure emerged from the darkness, her distinct demon patterns flashing pastel shades as she slowly stalked up to the stage.

“Nothing but the truth now. Nothing but the proof of what I am,” Baby groaned as she started to sing. The hunter’s most powerful weapon was their voices and distinct ability to bring people’s souls together. He turned to Jinu watching his face shift from impassive to a pained expression of longing and sadness. What have you done now Jinu?

“I broke into a million pieces and I can’t go back, But now I’m seeing all the beauty in the broken glass,” Oh shit, the song was picking up, the other two members of Hunter/x joining in, their voices punctuating the stadium as small fractions of magical energy started to gather.

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

“Stop them!” Gwi Ma growled as demons rushed out of the portals in a desperate attempt to stop the hunters from reuniting. Baby saw that it was useless, their voices were only going to gain strength and the low level demons were being crushed like bugs by the Honmoon weapons. He wondered if now was a good time to make himself scarce. Mystery shifted beside him, eyes, or at least what baby assumed were eyes, dead set on the hunter with buns. Was her name Zoe? Or Zara? She fought well, her blades eviscerating all the demons that stood between her and her friends.

The three of them reached the center, embracing in an astound act of delusional friendship that sent a shockwave over the entirety of Seoul. The new Honmoon shimmered all shades, the hum of magic even audible over Hunter/x’s voices. They released each other from the embrace, staring with adoration and apologies at each other’s hearts with all the things that friends did. The three now united under an impossibly strong force now turned to face Gwi Ma and the Saja Boys. All of them glared back down with stone cold faces. Baby wanted to hysterically laugh so badly but he shut his mouth before he could damage his reputation.

“Why did we cover up the colours stuck inside our head?” Baby took that as the cue to start doing something about the situation. Romance had already charged out ahead, the first one to take action against –the very obvious– one sided bashing. Abby shoved Jinu aside as he ran after Romance, just like always. Baby jumped down into the fray, choosing to go for Zoe, knowing that Mystery would also choose her. If he chickened out Baby would get a free kill. He didn’t bother looking back, Jinu probably still stood on stage like the dumb lovestruck idiot he was.

“Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like.” Oh they were harmonising now. Rumi stared defiantly at Gwi Ma with a slight smile on her face, as if knowing that she could beat his ass. Abby and Romance were crushing it on the other side of the battlefield, jumping onto Mira as she swung her Gok-Do to stop them dead in their tracks.

Mystery half heartedly jumped at Zoe, getting pushed back as she kicked him away. Baby just circled around her, presenting enough of a threat without actually having to get punched himself.
At this point Gwi Ma must have realised that the low level demons could do pretty much nothing against the hunters as he summoned them back into the flames, their life force crumbling away into deep magenta petals that burnt away in the heat. Everyone in the battle paused, stopping to scrutinise whatever the demon king was planning.

“Your voices- Cannot- DEFEAT ME!” Gwi Ma bellowed, drawing upon all the souls that the Saja Boys had reaped for him over the course of two weeks. His flames manifested into a ghastly face, set with eyes, a nose and a mouth. He was really angry now, Baby winced, calculating his chances of survival. Gwi Ma leaned forward, a massive blast of pure concentrated magic raged out of his mouth, heading straight for Rumi. She managed to block with her sword in the nick of time, getting pushed a couple steps back by sheer force.

Baby let out an oomph as Zoe kicked him back, running for her friend desperately. He clutched his stomach, groaning, he hasn’t been attacked in decades. Mira shouted out, reaching for her when Romance jumped in her path, splitting up her concentration. Baby backed away slowly, eyes darting for any sign of another threat. The entire stadium was bathed in Gwi Ma’s purple glow, eerily matching the tone of the battle that was currently being fought.

Baby could make out the outline of Rumi struggling to stand strong against Gwi Ma’s blast, her arms trembling with the effort of holding it back. Just then a dark shape darted off the stage and right in front of her, shielding her from the effort and heat of the attack.

Jinu looked up at Rumi with a small smile, a bare twerk of his lips as he stared into her deep brown eyes. Baby saw her panic, lips moving as her hands waved around, as if she was scared he was going to break apart if she held him too tight. Jinu spoke back, a barely audible “I’m sorry for everything.”. Baby cursed again, finally realising what Jinu was about to do. He had seemed awfully down over the past couple days after his little nighttime adventure. They were meeting up, a dark voice in Baby’s head called out accusingly. For once Baby listened to it, acknowledging exactly how deep Rumi and Jinu’s love went and the lengths that they would go to for each other.

“You gave me my soul back.” Jinu uttered, keeping his eyes only on Rumi, filled with longing and grief.

“And now. I give it to you.” He declared softly as a bright blue streak of magic twirled around, temporarily protecting Rumi as Jinu’s physical body succumbed to the flames. Baby mourned him internally. He didn’t know the older demon for that long but for what it was worth he tried his best to play Baby Saja. Rumi had her head down, taking in the revelation of her first soul. In a moment of anger she swung her new sword at Gwi Ma, splitting the flame right down the middle. At this attack she smirked, victory ensured.

Baby gaped at this, no one had managed to harm Gwi Ma like this in CENTURIES. Spirits renewed Hunter/x began to fight even harder. Zoe faced a mildly (barely) threatening Mystery as she punched him in the face, his hair flying back, revealing his face for the first time, even for Baby.

“You are just my type! Oh well, too bad.” She squealed, slashing him apart. Baby immediately backed away and jumped off the stage into the audience, hands fumbling to keep his hat in place on his head. Abby, Romance and Mira had all stopped to stare at poor Mystery’s demise, not a soul notice he was gone. Good, Baby thought as he teleported, still below the stage to where the three of them were fighting it out. As Mira turned her attention to Abby, screaming senselessly about his abs, Baby grabbed Romance’s ankle, yanking him down into the audience.

“Ahhh what the-“

“Romance shut the hell up right now unless you want both of us to die.” Baby whispered aggressively into his ear.

“Let’s go back for Abby, come on.” Romance whispered back, batting Baby’s hand away from his mouth.

They both looked up just in time to see Abby slowly disintegrating as Mira slashed him.

“Well there’s your answer. I’m leaving with you whether you like it or not.” Baby said, teleporting them both backstage. He quickly tossed his hat and robes to the side, sliding into an oversized black hoodie. Romance stood there, eyes glassy as he stared at the ceiling in shock. Baby
stomped over, slapping him across the face with a resounding clap. Romance jolted back, hand trembling as silent tears rolled down his perfect cheeks.

“You can cry over your boyfriend later, we have to go now before they catch us.” Baby said solemnly. Even though he had never been in a relationship before he knew that Romance was going to be moping for the next few weeks over Abby’s death.

“Find a disguise, there’s some face masks and hats around here. And hurry up.” Baby muttered, fumbling through several boxes of electrical equipment to reach for a surgical face mask. He jammed a Hunter/x cap onto his head, covering up the iconic blue curls as he gestured for Romance to follow him out the back door into their freedom.

Chapter Text

Romance was used to his wants being brushed off by the Saja Boys. He didn’t get to decide whether he joined, he was just one of the most normal looking demons, so the duty was assumed upon him. He wouldn’t say he regretted the choice, since he owed Jinu a favour. However, he stayed silent then and he will stay silent now. After their hasty getaway from the stadium, the duo found themselves crouched behind a bar, down a dank alleyway littered with broken glass.

Baby had been pacing back and forth for the past 5 minutes in silence. Romance was tired right down to his bones, he just wanted to close his eyes and take a nap but the walls were grimy and covered in gum and excrements. He closed his weary eyes for just a second, only to be awoken by a sharp jab to his shoulder.

“What? I can't even take a nap now?” He mumbled, rubbing his shoulders tenderly.

“Nope. We’re making a comeback.” Baby replied, clapping his hands together. Seeing Baby so intent on enacting a ‘revenge’ plan, Romance considered piping up. But, they had just experienced an incredibly embarrassing defeat. Their livelihoods disintegrated in front of their eyes, and Baby just expected him to just walk it off?

He stared at Baby’s pacing legs, and despite everything in his instincts screaming against it, Romance made the imbecilic decision to stay and hear the man out. After all, he wasn’t exactly the best fighter. Not because he was considered the maknae of the saja boys, he was actually one of the first to be turned into a demon among them (other than Jinu), but because Baby may look like a young 20 year old, but had the heart of a dying old man. What Romance was saying, Baby’s abilities to defend himself against serious threats shriveled away as years passed.

Baby was walking continuously, deep within his own thoughts. Romance was on his own too. Despite their differences, he enjoyed the Saja boys. Jinu, and his witness, Mystery and his confidence in his enigma and Abby with his-

“I GOT IT!”

Jolted out of his fantasies, Romance turned to look at Baby, raising an eyebrow.

“Ok, I know you’ll think this is dumb, but hear me out. What if we go back to the Demon World and retrieve their souls.”

Romance waited for a moment, allowing the true weight of those words set in, before fully realising what utter nonsense spewed out of Baby’s mouth. First of all, going back to the demon world, when Gwi Ma was pissed at them for failing, did not sound like a fun adventure. Second, even if they manage to get in, undetected, how would they find the other boys? How would they evade suspicion? How would they get out and get Jinu? So many questions, so little answers.

Baby started his pace again, planning his next line of attack. Weighing his options, Romance finally decided to start questioning Baby's whole plan.

“Alright, let's say we miraculously get back into the demon realm, how do you propose we get everyone back? How would we find them? How about Jinu, we saw his soul literally tear itself apart. Also, do you know how god damn dangerous it is to go there when Gwi Ma is about a hairs width away from imploding?”

Baby looked at him, bewildered, clearly not expecting any resistance. To his credit, he did actually give some thought to his words before speaking. Honestly, Romance didn't even bother actually paying attention to his rant, but the mere idea and thought that they would be able to pull off something so grand was pure delusion.

Baby, finally thought through his next words carefully.

“But if we don't go, Mystery and Abby are going to be stuck dead forever. Don’t you want to get your boyfriend back?” He said, putting on a sweet voice as he clasped his hands to his chest like a damsel. Romance felt a sharp pang in his chest, and before he could control himself, his hand shot forward. It clenched into a fist around Baby’s hoodie. He pulled Baby in closer, towering over his smaller stature.

“Don’t. “ Romance snapped “Do yourself a favour, and stay out of my business." He tossed the shorter demon to the ground as he backed away, eyes welling with frustration and almost… tears.

Baby smoothed out his ruffled clothes and adjusted his cap, giving the other demon a small shrug. That was as close to an apology as Romance was going to get.

“I’m just saying, Romance, we need to get them back. I honestly don’t give a damn about your situationship or whatever you want to call it with Abby. But you can’t deny, the guilt about leaving them to rot will eat you away forever.”

Romance narrowed his eyes, weighing his options. Despite being a demon, his moral compass still somewhat worked, so his ethics were being strained.

Should he go on a suicide mission with a sliver of a chance of getting his friends back? Or live, knowing he could’ve saved them from hell?

His brain hemispheres split in two, each juxtaposed on what he should choose.
He could leave this all behind, scuttle off to some remote corner of Korea and live the rest of his life in peace, but have it tainted by remorse. On the flip side, he could go on some dangerous journey to save his friends' souls, which sounded like the chance of it working was highly unlikely. Romance grimaced. He realised he only had one option. He let out a sigh, nodding in agreement.

“YES! Ok, lets get going, and if we’re quick about we can get there befor-”

“I’m going to stop you right there, Baby. Just because I agreed to be part of your delusional plans does not mean we go in with absolutely nothing. We are going to the old Saja Boy’s studio.”

“But-”

“No buts, cuts or coconuts Baby. If we are going on a literal suicide mission at least let me prepare for it.”

Baby gaze pierced Romance, but, with an indignant sigh, he leaned against the wall, curling into himself, before mumbling a quiet ‘sure’. Romance exhaled, he would live to see another day. Getting off the wall, he walked over to Baby, before grabbing his hoodie, dragging him slowly out of the alley.

The studio was pretty far from their current location so Romance resorted to pulling out the brand new phone that Jinu had purchased for him while they were practicing the choreography for “Soda Pop”. Romance never had any need to actually use it until now. In fact he could barely remember the password. He tapped in some random numbers, praying that it worked. Luckily the screen flashed to the homescreen, apps dotting the blank background as he searched for a travel app. Tapping at the uber app, he saw the ride was only a few minutes away, so he turned to Baby and asked the important question.

“Wait, do you have any money on you?” Romance asked him, panicking internally at the “slight” oversight.

“Romance, we’re technically legally dead. What makes you think I have money?” Baby scoffed, crossing his arms.

He fully realised the situation he was in, painstakingly cancelled the uber, he stood up his aching legs dreading the walk ahead. Baby faced warped into one of agony for a split second, before starting the complaining.

“We just performed a whole concert, fought a ragtag girl group, and lost, as well as seeing our king die. And we have to walk to the apartment. Could this day get any worse?” He muttered angrily, trudging a solid 5 meters behind Romance as they made the 2 km trek back to the studio.

To Baby’s despair, it indeed could. The walk there, which should have only been about 25 minutes, was double that, due in part to the little… mess made at the stadium. By the time the pair got to the studio, their legs looked more like Jelly than bones and muscles. Baby was wheezing as he stepped up the final few stairs into their ‘humble’ abode. Romance was somehow unbothered by the walk, still as perfectly presentable as ever. As Baby was gasping in the corner, sounding like a dying fish, Romance tugged at the handle, jiggling it, as if expecting it to open.

Unfortunately it didn’t budge, the duo effectively locked out of their own house. Romance punched the door in frustration, cursing the security of modern society. Baby, now looking homicidal, suddenly runs back, before sprinting at top speed and attempting to kick the damn door down. To no avail the door still stood strong.

Door: 1, Demons: 0.

Romance went next, shoving into the door with his shoulder, the thick wood not even creaking at his measly efforts. The only thing he got out of it was a throbbing shoulder

Door: 2, Demons: 0

“What if we just kick the handle?” Baby suggested, poking a finger at the metal knob.

“They probably won’t work, we’ll just be even more stuck.”

“Yeah but I saw a video and the door just opens on its own when you break the handle.”

“Baby, you have the brain of an underdeveloped embryo. Don’t trust everything you see on the internet. I bet Jinu regrets giving you that ipad.” Romance gloated. Baby fumed, at this remark.

“Yeah but you also watched it while he made us all sleep outside overnight for that stupid fan signing.”

“You know what, fine, what do we have to lose?” Romance, raised his arms in mock surrender. “Our dignity is already gone, what more can this take.” He rolled his eyes.

The pair back up together, preparing with all their sparse strength to kick the handle apart. It took them several kicks- most missed the handle- for the metal to give away. Low and behold, the door somehow popped open, welcoming them into what was once the Saja Boys’ home.

Chapter Text

The penthouse was in complete disarray—though, according to Baby, even that was an understatement. He tread carefully across the floor, dodging the minefield of clutter: failed outfit choices, random takeout containers, and forgotten water bottles. By the time the Saja Boys had that concert, organisation had clearly become their last priority. In the corner, Romance crinkled his nose in disgust, conveniently forgetting that most of the clothes belonged to him.

“Let's check all the rooms, and see if we can find anything useful. Just collect our basics and go.”

Baby, deciding that this was actually a good idea. Honestly, the main reason he didn’t want to come here was because he wanted to bury it in his memory. Each turn had a different memory of the group, and between himself, he quite enjoyed his time. It felt… nice having that little community.

Compartmentalizing that thought to be dealt with later (never), he started searching. Truthfully, he has no idea why Romance wanted to come. As demons, there was no need for human necessities. Food? More of a luxury than actual nutrition. Water? Also no need. Hell, even the weather didn’t even matter, they could be wearing a swimming costume in the middle of a blizzard, and they’d still be fine homeostasis be damned.

The only reason that required them to come to the studio was to retrieve weapons, but Baby wasn’t a fighter and neither was Romance. After all, they were physically the weakest members in the group, Baby couldn't even remember the last time he exercised and Romance was built like a beanpole. After all, who could expect some girl group that looked like it was falling apart to suddenly mend itself from the brink of death? Jinu just… yeah, Baby wasn’t going to think about that wound, still fresh and scabbing.

Scouring around the apartment, he checked each of the Saja boys' rooms. Abby’s was first. It was immaculate. There was just a vanity, as well as a few weights in the corner, nothing particularly interesting. Upon closer inspection, Baby noticed that there was not a single speck of dust or crumpled bedsheet anywhere in sight, as if Abby deep cleaned the room twice before leaving. He shrugged, not bothering to shut the door behind him as he moved on.

Mystery’s room held a different flavour of chaos. It contained a concerning amount of hair products. Creams, gels, hair brushes and sprays. There were also magazines tapped to the wall, each displaying an increasingly difficult hairstyle to pull off, all purposefully chosen to cover most of his face. Since their initial meet up, Baby never says Mystery’s face, except when Zoe pummeled Mystery so fiercely his hair parted. That was… something.

His own room offered little as well, just some retinol and random poster stuck on the wall. Though, in between the dozens of books on voice control and dancing, lay a single record of a My Chemical Romance album. Despite being a demon, he was not going to deprive himself of human music.

Jinu’s door remained stubbornly stuck, and despite Baby calling Romance for help, it stayed firmly shut.

Finally, Romance’s room. Out of all the rooms Baby was interested in Romance’s, its contents something he was always quite enigmatic about. Unlike the previous Boy’s rooms, Romance’s was void of any life. His bed was well made with the bedsheets still slightly crinkled. Baby scoffed, expecting something more. He stepped over the threshold, throwing the door of the walk in closer open, jaw dropping at the sheer amount of outfits it held. Slowly walking around, hoping his companion couldn’t sense this intrusion of privacy, he started snooping for anything. He shut the door, wandering over to the bed before flopping into it and rolling around. Baby groaned, rubbing his face as he stared blankly at the ceiling, wondering how his life had ended like this.

Rolling off the bed he dropped into the carpeted floor, turning his head to peer under the bed. He perked up, spotting a shoebox tucked away in the far corner. Baby bit his lip as he crawled into the tight space, legs dangling as he reached out for the box. He winced in pain hitting the back of his head on the metal frame. Fuming he awkwardly crawled out, anticipating what secrets he would find inside the box. He prised open the lid, revealing a small book. It was bound in black fabric, cursive text on the front wrote out “DIARY”. Baby’s eyebrows shot through the roof. Never in his life did he expect Romance out of everyone to have an emotional support book. Whistling he flipped to a random page.

I don’t have much time but I’m writing this because-

“What are you doing!”, A hand ripped the book out of his grasp, the cover

Baby blinked, he had never seen his friend so angry before. Romance stormed off, the book tightly grasped in his hand, eyes cast away. Baby stood dumbfounded, thinking that his friend's reaction was severely out of line. It's just a stupid book. It doesn't seem that important. Pushing it to the corner of his mind, choosing to ignore the tense situation, Baby stalked off, determined to find at least one good thing in this damn place.

Finally, he came to the most abhorrent part of the penthouse— the common area. The floor was drowning with miscellaneous items, trash, clothes, anything you could imagine. Internally groaning, he wondered where Romance was, convinced that the Saja Boys had chosen to avoid that very area in order to assign him that responsibility. Baby started the search, sorting through the various pieces of mortal consumption.

After searching for what felt like a decade, but was most probably 5 minutes, Baby got to the last of the piles. His already short will to live had shriveled down to a small strand. As if the world senses his agony, it decided to play a huge joke on him

CRASH.

Baby seized up hands grabbing the closest defensive object he could reach— the tv remote. Romance paused too, still holding that stupid diary. They stared at the direction of the sound, both of them slowly beckoning the other to move. Baby gestured frantically, not wanting to go first in case he got beheaded by a sword. Romance waved back just as aggressively, neither of them wanting to risk their lives. As if sensing the stalemate, the sound of ominous rustling moved even closer to the living room. At this point, the pair of them started backing away fast, taking refuge behind the wall that separated the living room from the hallway.

Baby cursed under his breath as he saw a small flick of movement in the bathroom doorframe, jerking back and stepping right into a soda can which let out a loud crack of metal. Romance turned around, putting a finger on his lips, eyes locked on the shadow advancing ever closer. Baby pressed himself up against the wall, gripping the remote hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. Closing his eyes he lunged around the corner, only to jump onto a bulky, fluffy shape.

“That was very anticlimactic." Romance joked, peering around the corner to meet Derpy’s eyes.

The creature stared back at them, looking up with mild interest, eyes already drifting in different directions. Flapping slowly down, landing on his shoulder, Sussie glared at the pair, their eyes somehow extremely judgemental for a glorified demon magpie. Derpy turned his head away, now fully interested in something else, and stumbled over one of the piles, sending its contents streaming right across the floor again. Sussie gracefully flapped over, leading their tiger companion someplace. Derpy looked longingly at the pile of books that he had knocked over before leisurely following Sussie.

Instinctively, Baby and Romance followed the two animals to wherever they had to go. In the time they knew Jinu, the Saja Boys had realised that the two animals knew more than they let on, in the corner, watching, observing. Although, if you looked at the giant ball of fluff, stumbling over every minor obstacle, the image of a powerful omniscient demon was not conjured up.

Soon, the demon animals reached their location. Jinu’s door.

Romance, clearly agitated by their glacial progress, shoved Baby aside as he aggressively rattled the door knob, demonstrating to the animals that it was closed. Sussie, unimpressed and radiating disdain, tilted their head. The moment Romance turned his back, the magpie launched forward with laser precision and pecked his hand—hard.

“OW! What the hell was that for?” Romance cried out, recoiling as if Sussie had run him through with a sword.
He clutched his hand like a wounded soldier, retreating from the door with exaggerated caution. His eyes, wide with disbelief and betrayal, locked onto the bird.
“I literally didn’t do anything,” he muttered bitterly, taking another cautious step back in case Sussie decided to double down.
Derpy ambled over, and lazily lifted a single pay at the door knob. Baby and Romance stared at each other, and their shoulders throbbed at the memory or ramming into the door with full force not even 20 minutes ago yielded no success.

The door swung open. The universe was really playing a sick joke, because the key to their problem arrived quite literally after they wasted their time. Jinu’s room, despite Baby’s wildest imaginations, was quite literally just a room. He owned a simple bookshelf with old classics and a simple desk and chair. It embodied the essence of a room. There was nothing that peaked Baby and Romance’s interest to begin with,

The two demon animals, finally proving their worth, waltzed in with a new pep in their step. Derpy now walked with the precision of a robot, his previous clumsiness evaporating into thin air as he agilely padded across the room. He wedged himself into the narrow space between the bookshelf and the wall, pawing at something behind the tall wooden shelf. Several volumes tumbled from the case as the whole structure shook, dangerously close to tipping over.

Sussie stayed close by, alert as if they were on standby for a tactical extraction mission. All six eyes trailed Derpy as he continued to dig around , tail swinging wildly. The second row of books fell off, a large blue paw visible behind the volumes as Derpy continued searching for whatever he was looking for.

Baby and Romance exchanged a glance and promptly dropped to their knees, pushing the displaced books aside with growing curiosity.
Then, with absolutely no warning—a Bipa fell from the shelf and landed square on their legs.
Baby recoiled with a startled yelp, the unexpected weight and timing jolting him out of the moment.
He blinked. “Did we just get treasure-dropped on?”
Romance rubbed his shin, wincing. “If that tiger had thrown a brick instead, we’d be dead.”
The Bipa sat between them, perfectly centered, as if placed there by fate. Or at least by one suspiciously wholesome demon tiger.

Chapter Text

Baby picked up the bipa, setting the instrument up straight as he wiped the fine layer of dust off the wooden surface. He opened his mouth to ask the animals what their deal was and why they would dump such a precious instrument on the floor but Romance beat him to the punch.

“What’s your deal, does the damn bipa owe you money?”

Derpy and Sussie stare back, their eyes flitting between Romance, Baby and the Bipa on the ground. They stare, expectantly, their eyes filled with a secret neither are ready to reveal. Derpy paws at the Bipa, pushing it further into Baby and Romance’s laps, trying to tell them something, yet the damn tiger wasn’t gifted with vocal cords capable of speech.

“Ok, what the hell?”

Baby finally breaks the silence, his voice laced with venom.

“You broke into our house, you broke our knees knocking the bipa off, and now you won’t even give a sign for why you did all this? What in the name of God is wrong with you? When Jinu adopted you, did he forget to check for a brain? Do you have air in your head? I have seen cabbages with more purpose than you, and don’t get me started on-

“Ok, Baby, insulting the animals does literally nothing. Their animals. Yelling at them is pointless. Maybe, they're trying to tell us to take the Bipa with us. Worst comes to worst, if it's dead weight, we’ll drop it off in some random ditch, and pick it up on our way back.”

Romance awkwardly patted the Saja Boy’s shoulder, the touch feeling like an electrical zap through his hand. Baby scoffed and turned away but his mouth stayed shut, anger still blazing in his eyes. He started up at Romance, his eyes narrowing slightly, before picking up his bag and stuffing some spare supplies strewn across the floor into it.

“Fine, but you're holding the stupid thing.”

And that’s how Romance and Baby ended up carrying a musical instrument into the depths of hell. Romance was a bit confused with Derpy and Sussie’s… odd choices. What was he going to do, swing the Bipa at Gwi Ma? Nevertheless, he continued, the instrument surprisingly light in his arms.

Despite the fact the Huntr/x Girls had created the Honmoon, since they were already demons, going back into their realm was much of an issue. It was getting out that might pose a challenge.
If they accounted for the search time the new Honmoon would have strengthened itself, creating that infamous impenetrable barrier that started this whole debacle in the first place.

Baby’s fingers snapped in front of his face, clearly trying to get him to focus on the task. Whenever the Saja boys used to go between the human and the demon realm, while it did require concentration, it wasn’t hard per say, more like time consuming, getting all 5 of them ready to transport. With just the duo, time might not be an issue, the Honeymoon was just a couple hours old, still flexible enough to slide through. Yet a barrier is still a barrier and one that was by no means easy to overcome.

Baby rubbed his hands together, cracking his knuckles as he knelt down, tracing a circle onto the floor. Romance watched by the side,jumping in when needed. The Honmoon rippled beneath the demon's touch, revealing its pastel waves of colours, pulsating flashes of light bright. Baby pushed his hand into the barrier, a light glow emitting as the Honmoon resisted his push. Baby frowned, clearly not expecting this much resistance as he pressed against the force with both hands, face scrunched up in concentration.

Romance joined him, fueling the magic into a small point. The barrier continued to waver, more webs emitted. Romance grunted as he stomped on the Honmoon, sending a shockwave of energy that knocked him off his feet. Baby laughed at him, only to be swept off balance himself. The Honmoon sparked arrogantly, having done its job far too well. Romance shouted in anger, punching the circle as purple tendrils erupted off his impact. He rubbed his knuckles sorely. At least there was progress. Baby sighed, adding his own magic into the second attempt. The duo pushed against the floor with their entire body weight, light now streaming off the breach in majestic bursts of blue and pink.

The Honmoon finally collapsed, the web of lines shattering apart like ashes in the wind. The circle crumbled to reveal a portal, dark with stark purple lines cutting across the obsidian surface. It was small, the slit slowly repairing itself the longer they held off.

Romance glanced at Baby one last time as they slowly stepped into the portal, descending through the new Honmoon. The soft pastel lines swirling around them as it bent aside, allowing the demons through to another realm. Romance examined his companion’s face- impassive and blank, eyes forwards, body stiff as if expecting a horrible revelation to hit him. Romance turned his eyes back forwards, already feeling the warm, dank air of the demon realm against his legs. He shut his eyes as his entire body sunk down, the ripple of the barrier cold against his hot skin.

When he opened them, the demon realm greeted him with open arms. The sky was a downcast purple, cloudy with the constant grey clouds lingering over the atmosphere. There was a light fog swirling against the ground, emphasising the emptiness of the rocky field they were standing on.

“Home sweet home.” Baby muttered bitterly, a clawed hand clenching his robe tightly. Romance scoffed, taking a step forwards into his realm. Ever since Gwi Ma had taken his soul, the demon realm was a common sight, Romance having spent the last couple decades residing in it. He knew the vast landscapes well. Large mountains of solid black rock, several crumbling buildings that housed demons. Rivers that cut through the landscape like a knife, water demons lurking within their depths. In the background, trees, grazing the sky, yet, they were greying, their branches bare and trunks wrinkled.

“Where to now?” Baby asked, raising his eyebrows at Romance’s sombre expression.

“We are getting Abby first.” Romance replied instantly, his brain immediately realising the opportunity to turn the tables in his favour. Baby rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what Romance was going to choose.

“Let’s get going then.”

They both stood there in silence, the revelation that neither of them actually knew where Abby’s soul resided within this realm. The sound of chimes rang out behind the pair. Romance spun around claws ready to strike before he saw Derpy’s blue form. He let himself relax as the tiger stalked forwards, rubbing his face against Baby’s leg. The smaller demon recoiled, a frown on his face as he awkwardly patted the animal.

“Do you know where to go?” Romance asked, his face warming up as he registered how stupid the question was. Derpy simply purred, batting a fluffy paw at the bipa on Baby’s back. Baby slung the ancient instrument off his back, facing the strings to Derpy. The tiger plucked a string, the singular note echoing through the realm sending oscillations of waves over the landscape. A ball of energy ascended from the bipa, a soft blue glow encompassing the ball. Romance’s jaw dropped, eyes wide as he tried to comprehend what just happened. Baby looked just as surprised, hands slacking as he almost dropped the bipa.

The energy ball drifted upwards, circling around before steadily drifting in a random direction. Romance raised his eyebrows, glancing at Baby to see that he had an equally skeptical look on his face.

“Are we just meant to follow that thing?” Baby asked, pointing at the orb. Derpy simply let his tongue roll out. Baby cringed, taking that as a yes. Romance chuckled hysterically. They had to follow a random ball that floated out of Jinu’s bipa through the hellscape of literal demons. That was perfectly okay. Life was perfectly okay. He was perfectly okay. He pressed a hand onto his face to stifle the hysteria. Now was not the time to lose his sanity. He began to follow the beacon, hearing Baby’s footsteps behind him after a while. Romance peeked over his shoulder, watching the smaller demon mutter curses angrily under his breath. Derpy had long since disappeared, it was just the duo now.

The floating orb of god knows what delicately floats through the air, looking as if it is traversing a field of dandelions instead of literal hell. Romance started at the energy ball, dumbfounded about how a ball of energy from a slightly cursed instrument belonging to a man whose soul was disintegrated was going to lead him to all the band members.

Romance’s back shuddered, a memory surging up, buried in his memory, yet digging itself out. It was just a passing dialogue really, something he really shouldn’t have paid heed to, yet, it stuck. It was Jinu, back when they were still in the demon realm, getting ready to face the slightly maniac Huntr/x girls. He was playing the Bipa, then, humming a tune Romance recognised, yet the name evaded him, somewhere in his memories. Jinu said something about the Saja boys staying connected? Romance couldn’t quite remember, the heat of the moment enveloping him, yet, each he distinctly remembered that each string glowed a slightly different coloured when plucked.

It was probably nothing. The insanity and hysteria of the situation was finally making Romance lose his mind. If he couldn’t survive 5 minutes down here without his brain combusting on him, how was he going to find Jinu and Mystery and Abby? The glowing orb was leading them to him, but Romance was going to lose it. His lungs were too small, and there wasn’t enough air in the world. He was going to suffocate and Abby was going to die alone here, and mystery's location is going to be a mystery and-

A sharp sensation, quick and merciless, hits his cheek. He’s been slapped. And the only person capable of doing so? Baby. Romance turns, ever so slowly, a vein in his forehead about to pop out, and he glowers at Baby. He doesn’t even look shameless, instead more annoyed than concerned about the little ‘episode’ Romance was having in the corner.

“Get your head out of your ass. Having a breakdown doesn’t do crap, so pull yourself together.

Romance is pissed. How dare this midget, half his size, slaps him, and then insults him. All his worries are reasonable ones, seriously what does Baby want from him. He already agreed to go to the fiery pit of hell with him, despite having no obligation to do so. Even if he did go, he only did it for Abby and Mystery. He could just leave this little spitwad and walk off. That’s it. And when Romance started arguing back, Baby had the audacity to start talking back.

Romance was getting tired, there was only so much two people could do together before the absurdity of the situation hit them. They traversed the planes of hell, planning to fight the demon king himself? Two men with questionable fighting skills, on a good day? Romance, with all his self worth and dignity, was not opposed to dropping a level of two down to get his way. He did the only thing he could do at that moment.

He walked away.

Chapter Text

As the pair continued to traverse the landscape, Romance a fair distance away, ignoring everything but each other, they failed to notice the conspicuous fog slowly seeping its way in. It dances through each gap between them, somehow pushing them even further apart, inch by inch. The glowing orb was swallowed whole by it, its aura no longer feasible. When Romance finally realised that Baby too had been swallowed by the fog, panic began to set in.

Baby annoyed the hell out of him, yes, sometimes, he considered punching the guy in the face, but he was still part of the Saja boys. Romance pivoted his head around, looking for some semblance of recognition. A reminder of what he was looking for.

What was he looking for again? The memories start to slip and slide around his mind like a badly made water slide— except he wasn’t enjoying the ride. They kept flowing around in his head, bursting at the seams. It was too much. It wasn’t enough. He could hear voices, voices from memories he buried in his memory. A soft motherly one turned cold and calculating. A man’s, monotone, never once showing emotion, and a girl, too happy, too bright for such a mournful occasion. What was the occasion?

Romance couldn’t remember, and the memories that he could, they floated out of others. The Saja boys, a loud, commanding voice, meeting Gwi ma for the first time. No, it was out of order.

A laugh echoed in his mind. It was a quiet one, something the person had learned to muffle down throughout their life. It was a man. He sounded so happy. Abby. That’s right. He was looking for Abby. His heart beat slowed down, just for a millisecond, before a new panic set it. Where the hell was he?

Romance scrambled through the fog, head whipping around as his eyes darted from side to side, desperate to penetrate through the thick cloud of vapour. No matter what direction he walked in the fog simply enveloped his body yet again. His hands were numbed with cold, fingers trembling as he grasped a stalagmite, sticking out of the ground like a giant spear, slashing through the earth. His breath came in short bursts, chest heaving as the panic began to set in.

Romance stumbled over a stray rock as he hopelessly ran in a random direction, tumbling down onto the hard ground. He laid there, eyes closing for a quick moment before he sat back up, pinching his arm. The fog was getting to him, swirling into his mind, infecting his memory, corroding, erasing. Romance grasped his chest, letting the constant beat of his heart anchor him within the moment. He shut his eyes, rolling a small memory over and over again in his mind.

He stood up, finding himself once again, walking through the fog. Romance’s mind was slowing down. His thoughts were sluggish, no longer a gushing river but a puddle slowly evaporating. His arms hurt, a gash along his forearm where he had fallen earlier. The pain was pulsing, a low dull pain that felt like a hand grasping the wound every time he moved it.

A blurry shape appeared through the white haze, short and stout it advanced at a snail’s pace. Romance stood his ground, eyes squinting to make out the figure through the thick curtain of unknowing. A water demon dragged past him, eyes empty as it dragged past him. Soft mutterings came from the demon’s mouth, senseless stories and memories that it could not retain within its fragile mind.

Romance gulped, walking away from the morbid sight. He could not scream, his throat dry with horror and exhaustion. His legs were shaking, each step slower than the last. Baby was long gone, Romance had no clue where his travel companion was, the cloud taking the pair in different directions.

This was indeed a hopeless search. It was ignorant of him to enter a place that not many have found their way out of. It was not a casual place, but one that would eradicate the memory of your story, your entire life and mind reduced to a rambling mess of insanity. Romance grimaced at the thought of his possible future, remembering the demon that had passed him earlier.
The more time he spent within this place the more the fog eroded away his mind. He had been walking for far too long now, what was the last meal that he had eaten? He chuckled, an empty sound that did not make it far into the fog. Romance kept walking, step by step. His combat boots crunched against the rough earth. Step by step.

Pause.

Step by step.

His eyes drooped down onto the ground, head hanging low as he stumbled yet again. This time he didn’t get up. He still laid there, several moments later, step by-
Romance let out a sigh, watching his breath drift upwards. He scoffed, wondering if this was how his life was going to end. He closed his eyes, retreating into his memories in a last attempt to grasp at the edges of what was left.

Hey Ro! Look at this cat, isn’t it so cute?

Abby’s voice filtered through his brain’s white noise. Apparently, now that he was on the verge of losing his mind his memories flooded into his consciousness.

Yeah duh, it’s a cat. Of course it’s cute.

He heard his own voice reply sarcastically.

Abby puffed up his chest and crossed his arms in mock anger. “Nah no matter how cute this cat is, dogs are still cuter.”

“Whhaaattt no way in the Honmoon are dogs cuter than cats!” Romance shot back with a smirk. He pointed his finger at the cat which had now laid down in the sunlight, eyes closed. Abby gasped and grabbed his chest, feinting death at the sheer extravagance of the animal. Romance laughed, clutching his stomach in pain.

“Am I being overtaken by that furball?” Abby choked out through tears of humour.

“Don’t worry, you are still the king of this heart.” Romance smiled, leaning in for a kiss. Their lips met in the middle, his lips melting into the warm embrace of a pair of strong arms. He could live here for all of eternity.

Romance blinked. His vision had blurred significantly, eyes barely open as the dense water vapour continued to dull his senses. Another fuzzy shape had appeared in his line of vision. A large figure stumbled out of the fog. A very, very familiar figure. Romance jerked up his brain rebooting itself. He first saw the energy orb levitating about the figure’s shoulder, then he saw who it was.

“Abby!” He screamed, scrambling forwards. The energy ball flickered before fading away, the light getting dimmer as Romance got closer. He paused 10 steps away from Abby, a sudden chill spiralling down his back.

“Hey, say something.” He called out, warily taking another step forwards. He didn’t even have time to blink before a massive force slammed into his body, sending him flying backwards. Romance gasped as he clutched his abdomen, pain spiking through his body like a thousand small cuts. He scrambled back only for a strong hand to seize his robe, pulling him upwards. Abby’s eyes held nothing but fury and emptiness. A kind of hopelessness that leeches into your very essence and rips you apart.

Romance tried to push Abby back, only for his head to split open, a massive wave of agony before nothing?

He downed another coffee, letting the caffeine gush through his veins before settling. He had an exam the next morning, and still he had yet to pick up a pen to study.

“Hey ■■■■ lemme guess you still haven’t studied yet?”

“Ah don’t say that, I’ll study eventually.” He heard himself reply on autopilot.

He knew he wasn’t going to actually. The man who asked the question let out a booming laugh, patting him aggressively on the back before leaving the room. He turned back to the screen, scrolling through the mind numbing army recruitment process. He felt himself click several more buttons, the sound of keys clacking filling the empty room. The glow of the monitor displayed 1:47 AM, it was late, or perhaps early he did not know. All he knew was that he wanted to get out.

Romance jerked back, releasing his hold as Abby slammed him up against a boulder. He felt his lungs hyperventilating, the panic of the moment consuming his mind.
“ What was that?” Abby growled as he landed another punch in the gut, earning a resounding cough of torment from Romance. He had seen this before, on a medical show. It was an episode about a World War 1 soldier beating his wife after a truck beeped outside. It became so bad that the man had to be hospitalized, his mental state too degraded to live a regular life.

Shell shock. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder if you’re feeling fancy. A whole experience summed in two tiny words. They did practically nothing to describe the severity of it. Romance’s body was tossed around like a ragdoll, and he let it happen. He cried out in pain as his knees smacked against the ground. He groaned, rubbing the tender joints. Abby stalked closer, his empty eyes roaming the landscape in search of something. Me, Romance thought bleakly, retreating into the fog.

He cursed at his own cowardice.

Cursed at how his legs trembled.

Cursed at how despite everything he was still a lowly, pathetic demon.

Romance contemplated, paralysed as Abby stalked closer, face blank, mind far away in a battle long fought. His movements were sluggish now, steps heavy with a tiredness that fell upon his shoulders like he was carrying the weight of the sky itself on his back. Through the haze of pounding blood and adrenaline in his ears, he saw a small shift in Abby’s expression. Where there once was a bittersweet look, there now laid a kernel of clarity. Romance lunged for him, wrapping his arms around Abby’s waist as he felt a familiar pain he hadn’t experienced in years.

“Private ■■■■! GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER NOW!” He forced himself not to flinch at the command. He barely understood the english, slowly piecing the strange language together in his head one syllable at a time. The American soldier stood dead straight in front of him, his sweaty face red with anger. Romance had done barely anything. He felt his blood boil, seeing several more Americans standing around, snickering behind their hands. His fellow Koreans all stood to the side, eyes averted, mouths silent. They did nothing to defend him.

“I’m very sorry sir, I will not make that mistake again.” He said, bowing down, face heating up with embarrassment.
“That’s sergeant to you.” He heard a scoff as he heard footsteps walking away. He straightened himself immediately, his mind ruminating about the event long after he went back to cleaning the grotty table.

From that day onward, every time that same soldier walked past him he kept his head down, eyes avoiding his gaze. Until he was on the field, he saw the same face. This time the man was pale, skin cold and waxy, the life drifting away from his face like smoke in the wind. He looked away, but the thin trail of blood running down the ground kept in his vision still.

Romance groaned as he rubbed his temples, waiting for the vertigo to fade away. Abby dug his claws into Romance’s back. His fingers tore at the fabric. Romance clung on like a parasite, slamming his eyes shut to prevent any tears from falling. Abby switched courses, clenching his hands around Romance’s thin neck instead.

"Please." He strained out, voice breaking as he flailed aimlessly at Abby's arm.

"Come back. We need you. I need you. Snap out of it please." Romance felt the death grip release from his neck by a fraction of an inch. He stared at Abby, watching his eyes flicker between senseless violence and a lashing of guilt. He let himself fall onto the ground, still watching Abby’s movements. Romance felt the hot tears running down his cheeks before he registered the emotions.

Abby collapsed right in front of him, hands shaking. Romance reached out, cupping his lover’s face in his hands as he leaned in, wrapping his arms around his broad shoulders. Abby buried his face in Romance’s neck, silent cries shuddering his entire body as he sobbed. He shuffled closer, drawing himself into Abby’s warmth as he settled, resting his head on his chest.

“It’s okay.” Romance uttered softly, giving Abby a small squeeze of reassurance.

“It will all be okay.”

Chapter Text

The fog encased him entirely. Baby could not even see his own hand in front of his face. It was all consuming, all containing, and he could feel it pulsating. It wasn't just fog, it was alive. And hungry. He had read about it before, in the years of silence and isolation after becoming a demon. Its name, he couldn’t quite remember, but it fed off memories, muddling the mind of the ones that lost themselves within its territory. He had to get out. Despite everything that happened, Baby valued his memories deeply. Well aware it clashed with certain demon opinions, he believed that it built character. Something his dad used to say, but he never quite got it till now.

He scanned where the horizon line used to be, now just a pile of smokey fog. It was swirling around him, hugging each corner, enveloping him in itself, till moving his limps felt nearly impossible. Yet, he did. He kept moving, kept lifting his leg forward, up and down, despite the burning pain within. Because he had to get out. For himself, he needed to get out.

He stared up, a flicker catching his eyes. He darted his eyes around, attempting to locate the light. Oh, right, the glowing orb. It emerged from Jinu's Bipa, and now it floats around, floats away. It moves slowly, its aura masked by the heavy fog, yet, it was still discernable. Barely. The soft blue glow emitting from the orb. Baby, seeing no other viable option, followed it.

He couldn't say much about the surrounding, not when all Baby could see was an ocean of wispy fog. As he moved forward, he kept reciting his memories in his mind. An anchor here, something to make sure he doesn't drift away, becoming one of the lost, caged within the prison of the mind.

"I am part of the Saja boys, I am here to find Abby and Mystery. I came here with Romanc-"

Crap, Baby had forgotten all about Romance. He whipped his head around, his efforts in vain, as the fog continued to hide his surroundings. Ruthless in its methods. A pit caved in his stomach, and dread settled itself on his chest. Yet, his attempts were futile. By the time Baby had realised Romance's absence, the fog began to transition, ever so slowly. First, he could see his hands, then the ground around him, then the decaying trees passing by as he traveled. After what felt like an eternity, the fog was a distant memory, a stain washed repeatedly till it was nearly gone.

But Romance was still in there. Hidden within the many layers of pain and suffering the fog provided in excess. Despite the two boys' differences, Baby still cared about him in his own twisted ways. Romance’s personality may be grating and irritating at times but Baby still cared. Not in a large explosive love way but a quiet tug of assistance and comfort.

The orb made an abrupt stop, and he nearly tripped over his own feet to stop himself from bumping into it. The orb may not have a face, Baby could almost see it turn around, counting one less member than they began with. It halted for a few minutes, perhaps calculating what to do, perhaps glaring at Baby in annoyance, or perhaps doing both, before spinning 180 and returning to the fog. He wanted to yell at the object, tell it to bring back Romance, scream his fury to the universe but he remained silent instead. It knew what to do. Probably.

Impatience flooded his system, a deep sigh emerging, his muscles relaxing ever so slightly as he sat down on a boulder overlooking the realm. He was at a temporary peace, knowing the orb, for whatever reason, has a sense of loyalty. All he had to do was wait for Romance, then all will be well, and they can go find Abby, wherever the orb decides to take them. And so he waits.

After about, what Baby estimates, 2 hours and a bit, he’s getting genuinely annoyed now. He knew the fog was not a place for the weak, but Romance had a bit more survival strength than that. Not many made it out alive but those that did became renowned for their vitality, even if their mental sanity was lower than when it started. Baby himself had suffered some consequences despite only being within the fog for a fraction of time. His brain was still running diagnostics, checking that all his memories slotted into place like puzzle pieces. Only some were missing and others were randomly stuffed into slots where they did not belong.

He thought about one of these moments. He had run away from the studio after a spectacularly failed dance practice.

Baby panted as his legs kept moving. Always moving he never belonged anywhere. He stopped for a second leaning against a wall he watched his breath condense into mist in the air. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes but he blinked them away, never would he let anyone see his own disgusting weakness. He had no idea where he was, the backstreet signs flickering in the night, lighting up the darkness in neon pinks and yellows.

Baby continued to walk down the strange new streets, his new shoes were muddy, Jinu would not be happy. He looked happy after the fan signing. And after he snuck out to see his girlfriend. Baby shook his head in disappointment at his band member’s pining. He was so whipped for that hunter. His mind drifted to Romance and Abby’s relationship. They always spent time together, fingers linked, small grazing touches that implied something deeper. Apparently they had met in their time as humans and that relationship passed onto their time as demons too. Mystery was the only one who was similar to him.

Never being in his own relationship, never showing interest. Until now. He saw Mystery buy posters for that girl, the one with the buns. He felt a spark of jealousy shoot through his veins at that. He thought that he had someone. Not anymore. He didn’t care that Mystery liked someone, he cared that he could not bring it within himself to feel that ‘spark of love’. While he was still in high school his parents constantly pestered him, asking when he would get a girlfriend. Funnily enough he never did, even after his death.

Baby did not care for relationships, he didn’t need love within his life, satisfied without the luring nature of lust. Yet it still stung when his companions all moved on with their lives, leaving him behind. ALONE.

Baby cursed as he opened his eyes, blinking rapidly to clear his mind. He lowered his head into his hands, letting the cold of the demon realm penetrate his bones, freezing every blood vessel, towards his beating heart. He was alone. With 2 full realms of people to choose he was still alone.

He felt a sharp hand grasp his shoulder, 5 pricks of pain radiating from the joint.

“Hey, Baby? Wakey wakey.”

Baby squinted as he raised his head.

“Romance?” He rasped out, uncurling himself from his ball of safety.

“Real and in the flesh. Glad you made it out too.” Romance chuckled, patting him on the head. Baby batted his hand away, a frown on his face.

“What about Abby?” He questioned, watching as Romance’s face paled, the smile sliding off like rocks on ice. He glanced behind him, below the boulder. Baby peered over the edge, see Abby’s tall form. He grinned, happiness bursting inside his stomach like fireworks. He was about to jump down when Romance grasped his shoulder, yanking him back.

“What was that for?” Baby grumbled, sitting back down.

Romance peered over the edge before replying, “Look we went through some shit in there and he needs some time to recover okay? No shouting, no screaming, no sneaking up, no sudden movements alright?”

His voice was so soft and tender that Baby wanted to vomit. It was nothing at all like the Romance he had expected.

“Fine.” Baby spat out, sliding down the boulder making sure his landing was clearly audible. Even then he saw Abby flinch a little. Baby waltzed over, careful to stay within line of sight, before ever so slowly raising his arms, and held onto Abby. He heard a deep chuckle from the man, before he returned the favour.

“I’m not a porcelain doll, Baby, you don’t have to be that careful.” He joked, voice laced with exhaustion.

“Not according to Romance.”

Romance glared at him, clearly unappreciative of that sudden jab. Deciding to gracefully ignore Baby, he walked back around, huddling with the group, before ruining the mood entirely.

“Soooo, Mystery. Any plans for him?”

Baby inhaled deeply, and he could see Abby tense up, clearly forgetting that the other Saja Boy was down here with them. The enigma of the group, so mysterious, that even his location was a mystery.

Chapter Text

Romance paced around irritatedly at Baby’s comment, mind whirling with unsaid ideas. Abby had settled himself upon an undead tree, eyes glazed over, mind lost in thought. Striding from the tree to the boulders and back Romance muttered quietly to himself. Baby could barely catch what he was saying. Luckily he did hear ‘Mystery’ and ‘find’ in the same sentence so the prospect of a plan brewing was not far off. However he was still slightly concerned about a variable that would throw an entire wrench into their journey.

Baby cleared his throat before speaking up, “So Romance… How do you think we should get Mystery?”

“I’m working on it, shut up and let me think.”

Baby snorted, “You’ve been thinking for the last 10 minutes, leave the rest of us with some brain cells.”

Romance grunted in acknowledgment but didn’t actually share anything, continuing his dizzying pacing.

“You know, does this plan have anything to do with a certain musical instrument we have at our hands in the current moment?” Baby grinned, picking at his claws.

Romance gaped at him, a light flush emerging on his cheeks. His eyebrows knitted together as another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. Abby snickered in the corner, stifling it when Romance indignantly whipped his head around, giving the taller demon a dirty look.

“Sorry my mind is still everywhere.” Romance apologised as he slumped onto the tree trunk, picking at the flaky bark.

Baby made a noise of concession, watching Abby walk over to his lover’s side for comfort. The couple started muttering fervently to each other, Baby feeling slightly incriminated at the fact that he was excluded from this meeting. He decided to be productive and attempt to play the Bipa, the wooden instrument splintered and battered from hundreds of years ago.

Baby reminisced, flicking through his memories about anything that Jinu had done with the instrument. It had always held significance to their leader, apparently it was the singular connection to his human era. The Bipa was very underwhelming, the instrument was warm to the touch, the surface rough, four strings wound lightly around the strange neck.

He remembered how Derpy had casually plucked one of the strings, summoning the orb in all its glory. The string that had once lightly glowed had returned to the original state. A very ordinary, very very old string. Baby experimentally played a tune on the instrument. The notes were wobbly at best, straggling at worst.

He grimaced at his own miserable playing, fingers trembling slightly at the feeling of performing yet again after so long. When composing for the Saja Boys Baby had exclusively used modern technology, letting the others struggling with learning chords and finger positions. Jinu had joked that they should give Baby the head job because he was so lazy. The leader had found all his popsicles gone the next morning.

Baby wanted to fling the stupid instrument across the realm. Even after messing around, there was still nothing to prove his effort. Romance and Abby had stalked closer, squatting with him to see the Bipa. Abby’s eyes softened, clearly sympathetic about the whole situation. Romance on the hand, was still agitated at the slow progress.

“Give me the damned thing!”

Roughly Romance yanked the Bipa from Baby’s hands, plucking each string in rapid succession to no avail.

“If you think your magical hands can save us all you are delusional.” Baby retorted, crossing his arms as he turned away. Nothing that the trio had done was going to make a difference. They were repeating the same actions as before. Same Bipa, same strings, same chords and progressions.

“We are so stranded.” Abby groaned as Romance repeated yet another round of notes.

“Hey just a suggestion but I think we need Derpy.” Baby remarked, flicking a pebble at Romance. He picked at the dirt, waiting for the heavens to open up. Sure enough the sky stayed solemnly silent, stubborn in its dreary greyness.

The sound of crackling sparks erupted behind Romance, sending the demon leaping up and away. Landing in a tumbling ball, Derpy picked himself up jostling the trio as he licked the Bipa.

Baby stared at the other two, eyes prompting them to do something. Romance’s attention was only on Abby. Abby had seized up, his eyes darting around as if expecting something to jump out and drag him into a volcano.

Romance continued to keep his gaze on Abby, his face tense, distress flickering in his expression. Baby sensing yet another intimate moment between the couple, decided to step away. The familiar feeling of bitter jealousy had made itself known in his chest, Baby immediately squishing the feeling down before his mind ran with it.

Sighing he folded himself beside the Bipa, safely back from Romance’s hands. Derpy sat calmly next to him, tongue rolled out, his bulging eyes holding layer upon layer of secrets. Or nothing at all, Baby was still working that one out. Despite the ridiculously long wait, Baby resigned himself to the side. He doesn’t blame Abby for his reaction in any form. As clueless as he was, sometimes the short demon could still read the room.

Derpy, sensing his impending boredom, flops down lazily on Baby’s lap, his ears perking up at the sight of Baby’s raised hands. Snickering he pressed his hands into the soft, feline fur of the creature. Derpy purred softly, clearly prideful of his manipulation tactics. Baby found himself raking his fingers into the dangerously soft fur, earning himself several sounds of satisfaction from the tiger.

The heat from Derpy cuddled on his lap was comforting, like hot chocolate and a big fuzzy blanket in winter. The slow, meticulous purrs escaping from the creature was comforting, it had been a long day.

Or a few days. Baby couldn’t tell, the weather and lighting in the demon realm were consistent. Unless Gwi Ma got angry.
Yet his bones ached with an exhaustion he wasn’t sure was ever going to leave his rotten soul.

His eyes dropped just for a second. And for that second he was alone, in blissful darkness. Baby could hear nothing but the sound of his pounding heart, the hum of white noise in his ears and the sounds of affection from Derpy. It was serene for once. It was the calm before the storm. It was everything he craved for.

“WAKE THE HELL UP!”

Startled out of his momentary daze, Baby woke up yet again, to Romance’s stupid face. He and Abby were towering over Baby’s slumped form, their eyes so sympathetic it bordered a sickeningly sick pity. Abby looked down upon him with some sort of mix between sorrow and an unspoken apology that lingered in the air between them. Romance on the other hand, was fuming, clearly expecting Baby to take some sort of action.
Derpy, clearly annoyed by Romance’s insistent behaviour glowers, yet the look had little effect since his face still looked as silly as before. Still glowering, he pounced off Baby’s lap, positioning himself next to the Bipa. Then, he raised a single claw.

It was as sharp as a knife, the edge illuminated by the low glow of several crystals embedded in the ground. He kept it raised, for dramatic effect or purpose Baby did not know. Then the thin claw descended, cleanly slicing the second string right in half.

Romance screamed, Baby stared in shock and Abby slapped a hand onto his forehead. It had let out a singular hum before being broken, the string now laid across the instrument, the vibrations of its last notes still palpable.

Yet Derpy looked about as unconcerned as a dead fish, tongue lolling out to reveal the second orb. As if being let free from its constraints, the orb ascended above their heads. It had changed in colour, while the previous one had been an ironic pink red, it had shifted to a cool icy purple. The ball made several rounds around the trio, leaving a light trail of swirls behind in its wake.

Abby gawked at the energy ball, his first experience with something of pure, mysterious magic. Baby glanced away, recognising that Derpy had already made his grand exit. The familiar had slipped away into the shadows to some unknown corner of the world. Baby wished him good luck.
The orb, completing its flaunting performance, slowly floated in a random direction. Left of the Fog. It beckoned the trio to follow its lead, bobbing slightly as if it was surfing an unheard melody.

Romance and Baby glared at each other, hopelessly unprepared for the perilous torturous and frankly monotonous journey the orb forced them to endure yet again.

He cursed the forsaken thing in his head. He cursed Jinu for making the Bipa the most inconvenient clue possible. Would it not have been far easier if the instrument had a built in teleportation device. The three of them started dragging their feet through the dry terrain for the second leg of the journey.

Baby’s feet felt as if they were about to fall off. The orb had been leading them for what felt like hours of undiluted nothingness. Romance’s impeccable posture was failing. Baby himself was also dying, his side had been burning with the sensation of a stomach ache for the past forever and it still had not subsided. Only Abby remained, back as straight as a metal ruler. A true soldier in his efforts.

Baby turned to face the couple, mouth open, ready to preach into the awkward silence with some nonsensical small talk.
“Hey bros and hoes, how are we all doing-“

He yelped as he slammed into something- hard. His arm was throbbing with the pain of the strike, his head had banged into what he assumed was a wall.

“God damn it world!? Are you not going to let me finish a singular sentence?!” Baby screamed to no one in particular.

Romance coughed before twirling his finger, “You should turn around.”

Baby clutched his head in agony, spinning himself around on his heels. His eyes followed the movement up the wall, and up, and up, and yet there was still more up. It was a towering brick fortress, looming menacingly in the middle of nowhere. The orb had vanished over the large wall, disappearing into the confines.

Baby sighed, “I guess this is where Mystery is.”