Attention all workers of Half-Moon Manor. By order of her highness, Tsuyuki Chouko, the Star Fairy, The Void Herald is no longer permitted within the kitchens under any circumstances. Should anyone find her there, they are to inform the guards at once, who will alert the Sword Saint, Star Fairy, or the Lunar Prince himself to have her removed before lasting damage is done. This order is effective immediately. -An order posted in the Half-Moon Manor kitchens after the Star Fairy's 1756th birthday celebration.

With the threat to her garden being…eaten…by her plants, I invited Miss Ishida back to the inn for lunch, as well as to check on Xiaolong. The wood artist cast one glance at the shade being slowly devoured by the vines before shrugging.

"I was warned against accepting your cooking, but I would be happy to accept some tea."

I scowled. "The rumors of my culinary skills are blown entirely out of proportion." We began walking through the garden. On our way out, Ishida opened the shop windows to air out the foul fog that the shade had left behind.

"Tenri said that you could burn water. Given that you're a prince who lived in a palace that could support hundreds of servants, I'm inclined to believe him," she answered as we walked casually across the street.

"Believe it or not, I was a sect disciple and a farm boy before I was a prince," I answered with an eye roll. "I did actually learn to cook."

"Then this would be your opportunity to prove your sworn brother wrong," she said with a wink. I scowled at her.

By the time we stepped back into the inn, Xiaolong had come down the stairs from where I'd left him and was sitting quietly with Satoro. From that table, he had a good view of the whole street, but rather than looking at Ishida's shop front, he had his gaze pointed down the street towards the armillary square. With his chin propped up on his hand, he gave very much the impression of a widow waiting for his husband to return from sea.

"Xiaolong," I said. He startled, turning back around quickly as Ishida and I both sat down at Satoro's table.

"Demon Tsuyuki," he greeted, using my full title since there were no other patrons at the inn.

To my surprise, the title of 'Demon' didn't sting as much as I expected it would. Merely a few months ago, my position within the Demons of Devastation had stabbed like a molten knife into my heart. It was a constant accusation of mistakes I hadn't even made, of prophecies I had nothing to do with. Though that was still distinctly true, it didn't seem to eat a hole in me like it used to.

"What are you looking for?" I asked.

"Maybe he's looking for a bit of quiet?" Satoro grumbled. "Honestly, when did my table become the Emperor's court?"

Ishida rolled her eyes at him. "Since 'your' table has the best view of the street where my shop currently sits with open windows."

"Besides, it's technically mine and Lin's table," I pointed out. "By the way, how many times are you going to read a book whose events you lived through?"

"As many times as I want to," he growled back. I narrowed my eyes at him.

My feelings on Satoro were largely a mixed bag. He was curmudgeonly, sour, and definitely not the kind of person that I would actually want to be around. As the Oni Prince, he'd ignored nearly all the lands that swore fealty to him, leaving his corrupt council of advisors to do the actual management, yet he took the time to trade pointers with innocent young artists, many of whom were left on the very edge of death. Every time I heard his voice, I couldn't help but remember the day he beat me with an inch of my life just for standing in the same room as him by accident.

Yet, there was also something in his eyes that inspired only pity for the elder oni. I had known the Princess of Ren, albeit briefly. She was a lovely woman, and a kind spirit. She and Chouko would have been great friends if the Princess had lived longer. The legends said that she died at Satoro's own hand, and in his grief at what he'd done, he locked himself in a tomb, placed himself under a sleeping spell that no one could break, and left himself to rot for eternity. For his suffering, he earned the title of the Demon of Tragedy.

What I couldn't understand was why he felt the need to read the tale of his downfall over and over again. It almost seemed like he was trying to punish himself…

"There she is!" Xiaolong suddenly exclaimed, his face lighting up as he pointed out the window. Further down the street, Lin and Xinya looked exhausted as they trudged toward the inn. I quickly stood, grabbing extra cushions and putting the tea on the fire in preparation for their arrival.

When they finally entered, Lin blinked at the gathered people. I motioned for him to sit in the cushion next to mine. Xinya sat down next to Xiaolong before setting her forehead down on the table.

"Cultivator work is exhausting," she declared to the table, drawing smiles from both Lin and Ishida.

"How did the conflict go after I left?" I asked them both.

Lin shook his head. "Neither side will back down. The shades are scared, and the Chikara are prideful."

"A deadly combination," I muttered. He nodded in agreement.

"I did at least manage to talk them into retreating for the day," he said. "But, if we leave this, it'll only simmer until it boils over completely. The Oni are hungry and upset that they have to pay a small fortune for drinking water, and the Forgotten are scared of being corrupted into void shades."

My mind flashed back to the Shade trapped in Ishida's garden, slowly having its very qi and soul eaten by a plant. It was not the method of death I'd want for myself. I could hardly blame them for wanting to change their fate.

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"I couldn't get the core of the array," I admitted. "Lihua didn't have it on her, and I really don't think it wise to tangle with the one she gave it to."

"Why's that?"

"He," I paused, trying to find the right words, "gives me pause." I relayed the description Lihua had provided, right down to his indifference for his own cultivation. Lin grimaced. Someone like that was not to be messed with, and he knew it just as well as I did.

"So, we can't help the shades, then," Lin said with a sigh.

"I didn't say that." He raised an eyebrow, and I continued. "I think I might know where we can find a suitable replacement."

I could feel my heart creeping into my throat with every word. It was not a solution I was particularly keen on pursuing. Every eye was on me, and that just made it all the worse to say exactly where we would find our solution.

Without warning, Lin's hand was at my neck. I turned, startled by his sudden touch, only to realize that he wasn't focused on me. Rather, his fingers had gripped the chain that wrapped around my neck and shoulders. He tugged at it, and it loosened slightly.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Keeping you from strangling yourself with your own emotions," he answered simply. His emerald eyes met mine, and my confusion prompted him to explain further. "Didn't you know that your chains tighten when you're upset?"

"No," I admitted honestly.

He exhaled sharply. "You're so observant of everyone around you, yet completely oblivious to yourself. Honestly, how did you become an Ascendent like this?"

"Dumb luck," Satoro droned, not looking up from his book.

"Go crawl back in your tomb," I snapped back.

The Oni's eyes flicked up, flashing a dangerous red. "Make me, pipsqueak."

"Enough! Enough!" Lin said, standing to his feet. "I'm going to get some tea before your tempers set the place on fire."

"Oh, I already had tea prepared," I answered. Lin paled.

"Yoru, you didn't."

"I know, you can thank me later." I stood and retrieved the tea from the fire in the back room before returning to the rest of the table. "I promise, I'm not actually capable of burning water, regardless of the popular opinion."

I carefully poured a cup of tea for everyone present. Lin stared at the cup as if a great evil would emerge from the bottom while Ishida sniffed it gingerly, her brow furrowing. Only Satoro drank it without question.

"See, I told you that I could manage a bit of tea. It's not that-" I shrieked as hot liquid fell on my head.

Satoro stood behind me, having moved while I was distracted defending myself. Hot tea soaked into my hair and dripped down my back. Chiho flitted forward, having narrowly escaped in time. With complete silence reigning at the table, Satoro finished his display by dropping his cup on my head.

"Even I know this is an affront to tea everywhere," he stated without a shred of humor.

"It does seem to be over steeped," Ishida mused, sniffing her cup again. "And…there's an acrid smell to it that I don't recognize."

"Yoru, what did you put in this?" Lin asked.

"Nothing but water and tea leaves!"

"And people say I'm a bad cook. At least I can make tea," Xinya said. The little cultivator was struggling to hide her smile.

I really had tried, though…

Chiho trilled in irritation, inspecting the soggy state of my hair. A moment later, it flew at Satoro, poking him in the forehead before returning to my hair. At least someone was still on my side, even if the reason had nothing to do with the matter at hand.

"Clean yourself up before your boyfriend's pin throws a tantrum," Satoro instructed. I sighed. I didn't really have much other choice.

Channeling the qi of the moon, I rewrote reality. Simple changes were easy, requiring a Silver's control, but only a fraction of my total qi cost. In an instant, my soaked hair was replaced with a reality where I'd just brushed it, and my clothes were cleaned and dried. Save for the flush of my cheeks and the damage to my ego, it was as if nothing had ever happened.

But, rather than stop there, I continued fixing up my outfit. The hems of my tunic were lined with intricate embroidery resembling flowers and moon moths. I even wove beads of qi into the inky blackness of my hair to resemble stars in the night. It was regal and refined, the perfect image of a ruler, even if I didn't feel like one.

"Yoru, you were saying about where we can find a new power core?" Lin prompted. His eyes were still on my chains. I looked away, keeping a tight rein on my emotions so as to not give him the satisfaction of making fun of me again.

"The answer is obvious," I answered in a tone that was a touch sharper than I intended. I cleared my throat and began again in a softer voice. "We need a qi artifact aligned for the protective energy of the moon, so it can compound the effects of the armillary. We have a treasure trove of such artifacts not far from here."

Lin raised an eyebrow. "We do?"

"Of course we do. I left it there," I answered. "My palace, Half-Moon Manor. It is filled with a dozen objects that I can think of to do what we need."

"That would be suicide." Ishida shook her head, setting her tea aside. "Don't you think that the sects of the Black City would have already plundered the place if they could? There are traps everywhere, and they're the kind that will incinerate any artist, no matter their advancement."

I waved a hand in dismissal. "I set those traps. I remember where most of them are."

"Do you really?"

"Probably." Why would I worry? I figured I could remember at least 70% of the traps I set. The other 30% I could avoid with Flash Forward. It would be fine.

"So, that could help us with the Forgotten, but what about the Chikara?" Lin asked. Several eyes flicked to Satoro.

"Don't even think about it," the Oni Prince said. "Their chief has already pissed me off twice. He practically threw his daughter in my path, and when I said I wasn't interested, he just said he'd get his son, next."

I had to stifle a laugh. I pitied anyone being pushed towards an arranged marriage with the sour old oni.

"But what about food and water?" Ishida offered. "They do need to eat and drink, yes? What if we solved those problems for them?" She shifted forward, holding out a seed. "Tsuyuki, your light, if you would?"

I still wasn't sure I believed her conclusion about my light, but I provided a mote of voidlight anyway. The usual threads of misfortune wove their way towards Ishida and her seed. I tried to pull away before she was hurt, but she just held my hand in place. Slowly, the seed began to open.

"Your qi helps plants," she explained. "I'd like to experiment with it. If we can make an appropriate delivery system, we could grow our own rice."

"That would cut Shattered Moon out of it entirely," Lin mused.

"Exactly."

Ishida finally released my hand, and I pulled it back. She'd feel the effects of my misfortune later, but there was no telling when it would happen. Her concern was less than what I felt it deserved.

Before I could dismiss the voidlight, a flittering moth descended from the ceiling. A good host of the creatures had been dwelling in the canopy branches that made up the ceiling of Half-Moon Harbor. Ishida's tree had grown strong out of the counter during the blackout, and there was no moving it now. Branches and roots had grown into the structure of the building until the two were inseparable. In its canopy, the blue moon moths had taken up residence on account of the proximity to me.

That moth danced and fluttered around my light, seemingly immune to the threads that normally latched onto any creature that drew near. I smiled at the creature. Powder fell from its wings in a dazzling array of glitter.

"So pretty," Xinya said.

"Pretty, and possibly useful," Ishida mused, rubbing her chin in thought. "I think I have just the idea to start my experiments with your qi."

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