"Are you sure? I mean... your daughter really loved that sword, and I don't think she'd like it if it were just given away like this..."

A h/c haired woman stood in front of a merchant who happened to be in the Artisanship Commission at just the right time. She'd offered him a sword, one that couldn't be broken, and he'd decided it was worth a lot of money but was still weary about buying it.

The woman had no intentions of selling it, she simply wanted to give it away. Her child would never forgive her if she were to do so, she just... didn't want to hold onto it any longer.

It caused her too much pain, knowing that the dreams her child once chased with that sword were the very thing that took her baby away from her in the end.

Her child... taken away.

Just like her son and husband.

All of them... taken away by the same damned dream.

"What does it matter?" she murmured, her voice weak, "She's dead. Whether or not she cared for that sword makes no difference to me, she's gone. As far as I'm concerned, this sword may as well have killed her, I don't want to see it. Ever again."

The merchant hesitated as the sword was placed in his grasp. He'd traveled to the Luofu many times, and had the pleasure of meeting the owner of the blade before, so this still didn't feel right.

"Miss M/n, please, you should keep it." the merchant murmured but the woman shook her head.

"No, I refuse." she replied as she turned away, "Do what you will with it. Sell it, keep it, use it, it doesn't matter to me. I just hope to never see it again."

The merchant called after the woman, but she showed no signs of hearing him as she continued to wander the Artisanship Commission.

Ah... what a shame.

The merchant had a little ear for swords, sometimes he felt as though he could hear them talking to him, and this time... the sword claimed that it's owner was not yet dead.

It fiercely proclaimed that she still lived, and was eager to return to her so that it could protect her and strengthen her once more. Just as it was made to do.

So long as the owner was alive, the merchant would remain on the Luofu. He'd already made good money so far, he could stand to take a bit of a break.

. 　。　　⋆　　•　 　ﾟ　　。 .　.　.　。 .　。
⋆　　　。　　 ⋆。　 ඞ 。　 . • .  .   ⁎ 。　. 　。　.　　⋆. 　　。 .　 .　　 .  ⋆.   。.   ⁎ 。•　 　ﾟ　　。

"The Artisanship Commission? This is great!"

"Oh yeah! ...uhm, how exactly is this great?"

"There's something significant about this place, something important to my past! We can meet up with the Master Diviner at the roots of the tree, and investigate later!"

Y/n did some stretching, getting herself loose and awake again. Her wounds had healed thanks to her body automatically shutting down to get proper rest.

She wasn't exactly energetic, still weary from going so long without good rest, but she'd gotten enough to not immediately die after receiving another fatal wound.

"We just need to head for the tree, eh?" y/n murmured before grinning, "Easy! Just leave the enemies to me!"

"And me too!" Caelus exclaimed as he revealed his bat with a devious look, "I can't let you have all the fun to yourself!"

The place was practically overgrown with the tree's roots, coiling over paths and wrapping around buildings which had been torn to the ground.

It wasn't a pretty sight...

"Gardening time~!" y/n chirped, raising her broken sword as that same blue and purple shifting light burst from it.

She cut them a path, fending off the roots whenever they grew too close, and Caelus kept any whacking enemies away from the group as they made their way through.

Eventually, the came across a man.

A member of the Artisanship Commission, it seemed.
Although, he was a bit... disturbed.

"Upon Commissions grounds your feet do tread! Leave from whence you came or soon be dead!" the man shouted at them, "DEAAAD!!!"

"Listen old man, we're not here to fight." y/n scoffed as she began walking towards the frightened man.

"Stay away!" he snapped, "If you come any closer, I'll show you no mercy!"

"No mercy, eh?" y/n mocked as the little robot-puppet things closed in on her as she neared, "Alright then, you I'll show no mercy as well!"

No mercy indeed.

Destroyed those little robots with little effort before picking up the man by the back of his clothing and bringing him back to the group.

She presented him to Welt with a, "Here you go, Mr. Yang. One artisan for you to ask for information!"

March slowly raised her camera and snapped a photo.

"Kind of like a dog, right?" Caelus murmured.

"You can't talk, y/n told me all about what you did when you two were off infiltrating a cult!" March said with a little smile and Caelus shrunk back, his face heating up.

"I was just playing around so they'd think we were complete nut jobs and not agents trying to infiltrate..." he mumbled.

"And how'd that go, hm?"

They took a moment to remember y/n literally dying, a corner of Exalting Sanctum being set of fire and destroyed, as well as Caelus being forced to fight two mara struck alone.

"...let's not talk about that."

"Golden Cloud Toad... Illumination Dragonfish! ...are you alright? Wake up! I raised you like my own flesh and blood..." the man wept as he hung limply in y/n's grasp, "Did you really have to destroys my little friends? I demand compensation!"

March heaved a sigh, "We're not giving you anything, it was you who attacked first! We were here to come rescue you, but you started a fight!"

"Are you perhaps Master Gongshu?" Caelus inquired, "If not... y/n, drop him."

"I'm not a dog!" she snapped, "Here, you take him!"

"WAIT—!"

Y/n pretended like she was going to throw the man at Caelus, but stood him upright instead and dusted him off.

"Hmph! Did those hopeless brats send you here?" the man demanded, "I won't leave! They abandoned the Commission's preschools assets and ran off to save their own skins! I won't do the same! Even if you rescue me, all of them will fail their internships!"

Y/n groaned, 'What a lunatic...'

As the group continued talking, she looked towards the ruined area overgrown with massive roots. For a moment, she felt like she could see past them, into a time where the pathways were clear of roots and a trio wandered about the Artisanship Commission.

Two children and a woman holding each of their hands, a smile upon her face as she gazed down at her son and daughter with a loving gaze.

Hm...

"Y/n! Pay attention, we're following Master Gongshu!" Caelus exclaimed, grabbing her by her wrist and dragging her along after the group.

As they were wandering, Tingyun slowed her pace to match y/n's with a, "You seem to be in a bit of a daze, my hero. Is everything alright?"

"Huh? Well... yeah, I guess..." y/n mumbled as the artisan dude was ranting about something she didn't quite care for, "I believe I've been here before..."

"Is that so? Was your experience here a happy one?"

"Yes, a very happy one."

With the help of Master Gongshu's inventions, and some strange teleportation device which y/n forgot the name of, and they got closer and closer to the Creation Furnace.

"Miss M/n! Wait!"

Y/n paused, the others noticing this new presence as well as they all looked down towards the path nearing the Creation Furnace.

A man was running after a h/c haired woman, carefully clutching a sheathed sword as he made haste to catch up with the woman who was nearing the Creation Furnace.

She seemed lost, in a daze, unaware of her own surroundings. Ah... a scent... it was coming from that big 🍑 flower bud in front of the Creation Furnace.

"It's not safe down there!" y/n gasped, vaulting over the side of the pathway and using walls and lower levels to safely make her way down to the path to catch up with the duo who were nearing the Creation Furnace.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Caelus protested, hurrying after her along with March while Welt, Tingyun and Master Gongshu opted to take the longer, safer path.

As the two other trailblazers ran after y/n, that goofy thing where reality began to mix and blend with whatever memory decided to resurface was happening again.

Day was beginning to mix with night, empty pathways overgrown with roots seemed to clear and become dotted with artisans and merchants all doing their own thing.

All she could see was that woman who was closest to the flower bud, her back still turned. In an instant, the illusion seemed to break as there was a tremor that knocked the man who had been hurrying after the woman right onto his butt.

Y/n ran right past him while Caelus and March went to his aid, her focus entirely on the woman who shared the same h/c hair as her, "Hey! Wait, it's dangerous!"

The woman paused, beginning to look back in confusion only for the flower to bloom and cast a cloud of golden gaze throughout the area.

OH 🚚, THAT'S POLLEN—

(I know I'd be sneezing up a storm 😭)

Out of the flower came a weird looking deer. Whew, it looked so goofy. WHY WAS IT SHAKING OFF POLLEN, STOP.

Y/n skidded to a halt in front of the other woman, drawing her broken sword as she blocked the creature from the seemingly dazed woman.

Welt, Tingyun, and Master Gongshu all caught up only to come to a halt upon laying eyes upon the beast.

"What... what kind of monster is this?" Master Gongshu questioned in a trembling voice, eyes wide.

"Miraculous... it creates life at will..." Tingyun breathed with a look of awe, "Such incredible power."

Y/n and the stag locked gazes, neither of them moving for a split second before the damned thing stomped.

Some weird root 💩 came out of the ground and surged towards the two, y/n immediately shoving the dazed woman out of the way before being swarmed in an instant.

"Y/n!" Caelus began to run to help only for more roots to surge from the ground, blocking off his path, "Damn it, I don't want a boss fight, I wasn't prepared!"

March wasn't wasting time, though, firing off an arrow made of ice that struck the deer in the eye and immediately sent ice creeping across its head.

It recoiled as more roots shot from the ground, heading right for the pink haired young woman only for tears to appear in space and shred the incoming roots before they could reach her.

Y/n... or deer. Y/n or deer.

'She's not going to die, but suffocating really isn't a good way to go...' Caelus thought as he prepared to attack with his lance.

He noticed that the man who's gotten knocked on his 🍑 had rushed to check on the woman y/n had gotten attacked by a tree to save, and figured it'd be wiser to handle the one commanding the roots first.

Inside the little root cocoon, y/n was in a pickle.

She... couldn't move.

Her sword was in her grasp, but the roots had trapped her arms at awkward angles and would tighten whenever she so much as twitched a muscle. Any tighter and they'd snap them like twigs.

She heaved a sigh, careful not to move too much, 'Well. This sucks. Better me and not that woman, though.'

As she listened to the commotion outside, she couldn't help but think of the expression on that woman's face. She had the look of someone who was just barely hanging on, drowning in sorrow but still clinging to something as best they could.

It was a very sad expression.

"Hey! Are you okay in there?" the voice of the man who had fallen on his 🍑 called out to her, and y/n caught a glimpse of him through a gap in the roots.

"I'm alright." she replied, grimacing when some roots tightened a bit more around her neck and began to restrict her breathing, "Probably gonna die, but I'm okay for now."

"Okay, you're alive, that's good! Hold on a minute, I'll try to get you out!" the man said and y/n heard the sound of a sword being drawn before something struck the roots.

She waited patiently, although slightly anxious, as the man struggled to free her and she listened to Caelus' occasional demon screech.

"WHY IS THIS THING NOT DEAD YET?!" he cried, "STOP HEALING, DAMN IT!"

The deer kept healing. Everytime they got it down to like 75% health, it just healed itself yet again. What a pain...

"No matter how much damage we do, it just heals it all in a split moment! Not fair!" March complained.

"We'll have to retreat for now, it's no use continuing to fight like this." Welt told them before casting a glance over to where y/n was still trapped in the roots, "As much as I hate to say it, we won't be able to help y/n right now. Not with this thing constantly healing and attacking."

"I could stay behind! I don't want to leave her here by herself!" Caelus protested and Welt seemed to be thinking about it.

"Just get out of here! Take these two as well!" y/n decided for them from where she was still trapped, "I'll be fine! If it kills me, I'll just come right back!" 'If it hurts enough, I'll come right back, but they don't need to know that.'

March seemed to be debating but Caelus had already snatched up the dazed woman and the frantic man by the back of their clothing, the one who'd been trying to help free y/n dropping the sword with a yelp.

Welt didn't give March any more time to think about, ushering her away as him, Caelus, Master Gongshu, and Tingyun all fled for safety.

Alone. Y/n was alone again.
She didn't want to be alone.

Each second she spent trapped in the roots, the tension growing each moment as her breathing was further restricted, the more she began to panic.

The pain of the roots tightening around her began to feel like countless blades weapons piercing her body. Dying... she was dying again, wasn't she? Y/n didn't want to die again, she hated the feeling—

Not again. Please, not again-!
No more! No—

Light caught her eye and she looked over between the cracks of the roots, spotting the sword the man had left behind. It was beautiful, something about the way the light touched it and made the blade seem to glimmer with tones of blue, purple, and pink momentarily whisked away all of her fear. 

She'd seen it before, hadn't she?

Not just the way it glimmered.

She'd held it.

Admired it countless times.

She wiggled her arm a little, reaching out for it and ignoring how the roots tightened. There was a crack, a pain seized her entire arm, forcing her to stop trying to reach for the sword.

Y/n bit her lip to hold back a whimper, just barely fighting off tears. Damn it, she could take a sword to the gut without crying, but a slow and gradual increase in pain just wasn't it—

The nap she'd taken earlier had its uses as her broken arm repaired itself, the pain increasing only for a moment due to the restriction of the roofs before fading away into a dull ache.

Her eyes fell upon that sword again, her breathing slowing as she calmed herself. There was no point in panicking, it'd just make the roots tighten again.

She could still feel the broken sword in her other hand, just barely keeping her hold on it as smaller roots tried to pry it out of her grasp.

No way. No way was she letting go of it!

"You know, the sword will talk to you if you'll listen."

Who the hell said that?

Y/n paused, but there was nobody else there.

"An ore that takes the human will and stores it. It doesn't produce energy, give off some sort of incredible power, or anything special like that, but the will whispers to whoever holds the sword. Almost like... a mini cheerleader coaching you through every battle."

"It doesn't physically strengthen you in any way, but the will of those who held it before you are always there. Whispering to you, encouraging you, pushing you forward! As corny as it is, I find it helpful. Hearing father's voice when I wield the sword in battle."

"One day, when it's your turn to use it, I hope that it's my voice you hear when you're in need of a cheerleader."

Oh. Y/n could see him clearly now.

H/c hair, short and messy every time y/n saw it. Kind e/c eyes, and mischievous smile to match her own. He was always smiling, even in dire moments, and always seemed to be in high spirits.

He liked to tease y/n, joke around with her and poke fun at her. He was always on her side, even when being on her side meant doing laps or extra chores.

He liked eating, he liked visiting the Artisanship Commission, he liked watching y/n's skills progress, he liked watching her weapon collection grow, he liked tending to his sword, he liked watching the fake sun rise and set, he liked flying fighter jets.

Y/n hadn't seen him die, but she'd seen what killed him, watched as that beautiful light which descended from the sky obliterated him and the Borisin fleet which had nearly killed them all.

She didn't cry when he was confirmed to be dead.

Nor did she cry when his all but broken bow and what was left of his sword were handed over to her.

She didn't cry when she saw the despair on her mother's face, nor did she cry when the woman broke down into tears right here in front of her.

She kept his broken sword close, hugging it and finally allowing her tears to fall as she sat on the roof of her home and watched starskiffs fly by.

How could she forget?

How the hell could she let herself forget him like that?

She'd memorized the way he'd moved in battle, the way he used his sword and fired arrows so quickly and gracefully. She'd memorized it through the way she fought, even when she'd forgotten him.

'I'm a pretty bad sister, aren't I?' she thought with a shake of her head, a small smile finding its way onto her face, 'I hope he can forgive me for that. Forgetting him, hurting our mother even more.'

Their mother. She was becoming clearer and clearer in her mind as each second passed. She'd told both of her children that being a Cloud Knight was dangerous, but still let them pursue their goals.

And she lost both of them in the end.

Damned tree. Y/n hated trees now. 🚚 the trees!

The deer who was kinda just standing there, waiting for the goobers to come back so it could kill them, looked towards the spot where y/n was still wrapped up nice and snug with all those roots.

Light. There was light.

Flickering tones of blue and purple in the air like flames, almost as if the air itself was glitching out.

The deer squinted, if it could squint. Are deers able to squint? Doesn't matter, it squinted anyways. Furrowed it's little deer brows and 💩, even out on a pair of glasses to make sure it wasn't just imagining things.

A person.

If people looked like glitched out wispy figures of light. It held a sword made of the same light that made up its body.

Suspicious...

The deer looked at the root cocoon and— oh 💩, that h/c haired ♀🐶 was gone, where the hell did she—

The deer screeched, yes, it screeched, when y/n descended from above and stabbed it through its face with the sword she'd picked up from the ground.

She was biting onto the handle of her broken sword, one eye shut from where one of those downed roots went and gouged her eye out during her attempt to escape. She was only working with one arm since she had to leave it behind to tear herself free, but that was fine.

The deer bucked and kicked only for that second figure to slice off its hind leg, momentarily causing it to stumble.

Healing... it needed to heal!

The tree did not respond to its pleas for help.

"MMRGH MMPH HRRGHN KRRGH