Collecting Children Like Pokemon - SkippingIntoHell - 崩坏：星穹铁道 (2024)

Chapter 1: Hugging the Sun

Chapter Text

Chapter One

He feels empty at first. Cold almost.

This is odd since the space station is temperature-controlled and of the eleven people he’d questioned, none of them felt hot or cold. They claimed the temperature was ‘optimal and comfortable for space living.’

The chill inside his chest had started when he’d first seen Ruan Mei’s creations. Caelus was uncomfortable but he didn’t need to shiver.

Caelus lingers at the top of Herta’s space station. March 7th and Dan Heng have been kind enough to wait for him as he finishes his last ‘errand’ for Ruan Mei. Herta and her unsettling dolls watch him run around.

“Finish your errands?” March 7th asks Caelus with a beaming smile. He nods and she snaps a quick picture of the three of them. She holds up two fingers to the camera and he assumes it means something but doesn’t want to ask and bring up his lack of memories. . . again

It’s . . . frustrating what knowledge he has and what he lacks.

Sometimes knowledge is simply inside his head and other times it’s like he reaches out for an object only to find it gone. A blank space he knows should be filled.

Dan Heng flips the page of his book, legs crossed, and sits in a chair that some scientist had vacated. The stoic man hums, not paying attention to either.

“Yes,” Caelus says. He rubs at the center of his chest, right over where the cold spot is.

In his mind, he cannot stop thinking about the begging jelly cats, how they’d fawn over Ruan Mei who’s left them without a glance back. He wanted to carry them all with him, until realizing he didn't have a room, a home, or anything. Caelus isn’t even sure his name is Caelus. He’s nameless and unfit to care for so many jelly cats. They also wanted to stay on the ship.

Dan Heng snaps his book closed and stands up. Golden eyes meet green, the two men staring silently until March 7th pushes herself in between them, waving her arms.

“Do you two share a telepathic bond?”

“No March,” Dan Heng says with a sigh.

“Are you sure? I could almost hear your silent thoughts,” she squinted at both of them, her hands on hips.

At once, all three of their phones chime with a notification from the Astral Express group chat

All Set Himeko writes.

“I’m ready for the next adventure,” March 7th cheers.

She links arms with both males, skipping as she drags them behind her. Scientists ignore the three Nameless, moving out of their way as March 7th chatters down to the Express. Dan Heng meets Caelus’ eyes over March’s pink hair, he raises an eyebrow at the amnesiac. Caelus notices that he’s been rubbing at the center of his chest the entire time. He drops his hand. Why is he doing that? Why does he feel cold and empty? People surround him and the room is not chilly.

Is it because he doesn't have a heart? Because he’s . . . well besides being a Vessel for a Stelleron, he’s not sure what or who he is. Or why?

“Welcome abroad,'' Welt is the first to greet the three as March tugs them into the cozy parlor car.

“Reporting for duty.” March releases them to salute. “I have so many new pictures to share. Let me save them and I’ll show you.”

“I look forward to seeing them,” Welt chuckles, the sound warm and fuzzy to Caelus’ ears. He’s seen three people aboard Herta’s space station hug, and he knows logistically what one is. Welt’s voice sounds like a hug. The coldness in his chest grows.

“I'm going to the archives,” Dan Heng says and leaves. March 7th skips after him.

Welt smiles at Caelus and when the young man tilts his head the older male nods and walks over to the back end of the carriage as he pulls out his phone. Himeko is not here.

“Welcome back,” a cheerfully familiar voice greets him. The coldness is gone for a moment.

Caelus looks around and finds no one around. Did he hear a voice?

“Down here,” says the same high-pitched voice.

He glances down. It’s a rabbit. He thinks?

Maybe?

Not quite.

“I’ve never been here before,” he says in a way of greeting.

Caelus’s not sure why but he knows he needs to squat down to speak to the odd rabbit creature. When they are at eye level the creature grins at him, literal stars in its eyes.

“Pom-pom hopes you have lots of fun and learn many things. As is the way of the Trailblazer.”

Caelus nods but doesn't understand.

If he starts asking questions he fears he’ll speak until his voice is hoarse and he runs out of words. He doesn't know how, but he does know that he knows a lot of languages. And yet Arlan, on the SpaceShip, had to explain to him how money and trade works. The holes in his mind are irritating.

“Oh good, you’ve met the conductor,” Himeko’s smooth voice cuts through Caelus’s spiraling thoughts.

He finds himself lost a lot in his mind. Adrift as if in a boat on the seas —not that he even knows why he has knowledge of the sea or what being on one feels like— Caelus stands to greet the navigator.

The rules of the Trailblaze are explained to him, he listens and nods. This he has full knowledge of. There are times during Himeko’s speech he wants to correct her or add something. Instead, he sits on the bench and waits. Welt adds in occasionally. They assign him a room on the train and he doesn’t step inside the plain room instead returns to the parlor car.

March 7th appears and pulls out her phone to show Welt her photo album. He patiently sits and admires every picture. Himeko smiles at the two of them indulgently. Pom-pom waters a plant, humming a familiar song. Caelus rubs at his chest, the coldness is there but smaller.

The Express is ready to jump.

*****

“Get some sleep, Caelus,” Himeko says with a small yawn, covering her lips with an elegant hand.

He shakes his head. “Not tired.”

“Rest in your bed if you need to, the galaxy will still be here in the morning,” Himeko leaves the quiet parlor car. She is the last to head to bed.

Sitting on the rim of the window, one leg curled up to his chest with his forehead pressed against the cold glass, Caelus stares out at the stars. The lights in the parlor car dim as time passes. The music box turns off.

In the reflection of the window, Caelus’ golden eyes are dimly glowing. He can hear a low humming, a pulsing noise. His left thumb rubs over where his heart should be and where his Star-Soul sings in rhythm with the muffled song of the millions of stars outside the glass pane of the train.

The door to the parlor opens and Pom-pom waddles inside. The rabbit creature holds a yellow circular pillow in its arms, larger than its head.

“I knew you’d be cold.” The conductor stops in front of Caelus, holding up the pillow. He reaches down and takes it. It’s warm.

“Thank you.” He hums aloud with contentment as he pulls the pillow close to his chest, curling around the warmth.

So this is a hug? He likes it.

Pom-pom hops up onto one of the velvet benches and pats the space to its left. Caelus jumps down from the window and takes the offered seat. The humming in his chest is louder, the coldness dissipating like a morning fog chased away by a warm summer sun. He didn’t even know what a fog was until this thought.

“I missed this song,” Pom-pom says.

Caelus tilts his head. There isn’t any music playing.

Pom-Pom laughs and pats its chest then points at him.

“You can hear the stars?” Caelus asks.

“I always have.”

The two of them sit in silence. Caelus expects the pillow’s heat to slowly leech away but it doesn't. The warmth and the weight in his lap are comforting in a way he lacks words to describe. Earlier, March 7th had told him that she is going to be his best friend. After asking Asta what ‘a best friend’ was, Caelus has decided this warm weighted pillow is his best friend. He loves it.

More times pass and yet his energy never wanes. He does not yawn. It’s been days and he has not slept. This is the first time he’s sat and yet he knows that if needed he could run more errands or fight. However, he also knows that sentient beings require rest and sleep to regenerate their energy and allow their brains to process information. He doesn’t feel thirsty, despite being able to drink if he chooses and he didn’t feel hungry the entire time he’d been on the space station.

The more he’s around humans, the more he realizes he’s not like them.

Pom-pom doesn’t seem tired either.

“Why don’t I sleep?” Caelus asks, tilting his head down to the rabbit.

“The sun does not rest when it sets in the sky,” Pom-pom points one of its paws out the window towards a colorful exploding galaxy in the distance, a smearing swirl of blues, greens, and yellows. “The planets orbit the sun.”

Caelus reaches out a hand and tugs at the conductor's ears. “That doesn’t make sense.”

The little rabbit laughs “Play a game with Pom-pom?”

“Sure?” He says with no understanding of what a game is.

“Pom-pom has been practicing. This time Pom-pom will win.” The conductor hops down and rushes to grab a box on the far end of the car and returns. The small creature opens the box and pulls out a flat surface that is unfolded to reveal a colorful scene that makes no sense to Caelus.

Well, he must keep going onward.

Chapter 2: What are Those?

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

Jurilo-IV is cold, a different chill than the one on the window pane or the ache in his chest (that only the warm pillow seemed to relieve).

The smile Sampo gives them is as cutting and freezing as the sharp winter winds around them. His laugh echoes with the tricky blizzard, there one moment and gone the next. Caelus senses the man hiding in the snow before they even meet. The suspicious man’s soul hums like a distant star (humans do not) but not quite the same, slightly less, slightly distorted.

Being betrayed feels hollow and oddly familiar. He’s not upset, merely exasperated at these tricks again.

March 7th takes photos as they walk through the warm streets of Belabog. She waves at the locals who stare at them. They have different clothing, colors, and attitudes.

On the way to the supreme guardian, Caelus stops mid-stride and stares at two parents swinging a small child between them as they walk from the booksellers. The small girl with soft brown hair has a wide smile and a joyous laugh as she is picked up and swung between her parents. Family, his brain supplies the word. The family has the same bright grins on their faces. Caelus watches them with a hunger he’s seen people eat with. His right hand comes up to touch where his star-soul hums its light tune. The sound is easily drowned out unless he is in a quiet place.

“Caelus,” Dan Heng places a hand on his shoulder. The quiet man glances around, checking for what made him stop.

“What's the hold up?” Gepard barks out an order, marching towards the two.

Caelus opens his mouth but lacks the words to explain. He doesn’t even want to. Why does it feel as if the guard has just asked him to take a knife to his chest and open it for everyone to see?

“Oh, look at this statue. Great eye, it’s stunning,” March 7th floats over towards them. She snaps a few photos and then physically pushes him and Dan Heng together, going so far as to force Dan Heng to wrap an arm around his shoulders. “Say cheese,” she sing-songs.

Gepard’s lips thin but he waits for the impromptu photoshoot. March turns the camera so she can be included in the picture and raises two fingers again. Dan Heng is flush against Caelus’s side, the closest another person has gotten to him in seven days, which is the entire life he can remember. March 7th finishes and then distracts Gepard by pestering him for information on the odd statue.

Caelus’s attention is caught by another parent, this time a man with a young boy on his shoulders. The child is curled over his father's head as his tiny legs swing against the man’s chest. They are chatting in their own world. Why does he feel hungry?

Dan Heng pats Caelus’s shoulder, diverting his gaze. They are still standing next to each other, Dan Heng’s arm around Caelus’s shoulder. Their eyes meet, faces so close Caelus can feel Dan Heng’s breath against his chapped lips. He licks his lips to moisten them. Dan Heng’s sharp green eyes track his movement.

There is a light melody floating through the warmed air but a chill remains. The streets are noisier than the sterile hallways on the space station and without a ceiling above him, the sky is vast yet the stars feel further away.

Caelus opens his mouth to ask Dan Heng about his parents and then reconsiders. March is a fellow amnesiac and Dan Heng has never given the impression he wants to talk about his past much less anything else.

Dan Heng notices his hesitation. “What?”

Caelus sends his eyes roaming around the street until his gaze catches on something else. It’s a small shiny metal can with a lid. He’s drawn to it. Compulsion dictates that he go to it and lift the lid, he needs to know what’s inside.

“What is that?” He points to the shiny can just as another parent and child passes by.

Dan Heng’s dark brows furrow. “A trash can.”

The word means nothing to Caelus. It doesn't register in his mind, despite knowing many languages and a vast amount of odd knowledge. He goes to open it and is surprised to find it filled with small knick-knacks hidden in sheets of paper and plastic. Dan Heng grabs him by the back of his shirt and pulls him away with a firm “No.”

March laughs at him for digging through the trash like a raccoon. Caelus does know what a raccoon is, his mind flashing the image of a tiny fluffy creature, the size of Pom-pom and as fat as the warm pillow. He wants to hug one. He needs to.

“Let's go meet the supreme Guardian then rest at the hotel. I need a nap,” March stretches her arms up to the sky and then yawns.

Dan Heng nods but Caelus suspects the young man simply wants to read alone. He doesn’t understand. Why would a person want to be alone? It’s cold and empty.

March 7th walks in the front, the two men behind her. Dan Heng is close enough that the back of their hands brush occasionally as they trot up the long stairwell into the castle.

There is a humming, distorted nose that makes Caelus twitch further up the journey. The air is warmed by the heaters but he feels cold, that hollow deep ache inside his chest.

“What’s wrong?” Dan Heng whispers as the doors are opened.

Caelus is hit by a distorted intensity of noise, an unbalanced song that scrambles his thoughts and makes him feel carved inside like an empty bowl. He tries to listen to the supreme guardian when she talks to them but can hardly get past the layered voice behind her soft tone. Caelus doesn’t know what it is, but he doesn’t like it. There isn’t an evil sticky sensation like what he gets from the anti-legion gang. It’s not the warm and cozy feeling he gets from the Astral Express members or the gentle humming he senses from the stars around him. It’s wrong but not bad. Twisted.

When asked again what’s wrong, he lacks the words to describe the sensations. So he shakes his head and lies, claiming he’s tired. And he is tired. Exhausted with not knowing, with having half the information he should, and knowing how off other people find him. He’s tired of the sympathetic looks the crew or the scientists on the Space Station give him when he asks a basic question, reminding them how incomplete and different he is.

The three part ways for the night and while he wants to ask to stay with one of them, he keeps the words locked inside his mouth, unsure why it feels wrong, as if he should curl into himself.

The hotel room is quiet. The hum from the stars above is so muted he can barely sense them. Only his Star-soul sings and it is . . . he struggles to place the word for the emotion he is feeling. Maybe loneliness? Which seems silly since there are people all around him. The bed makes him uneasy. He walks around the room, opening drawers, touching items, and thinking of their names. When he gets to the closet he’s surprised to find it empty. It’s large enough to fit a person snugly. Perfect.

Taking a pillow off the bed, Caelus climbs inside the closet and shuts the door. He curls up inside the dark space, his eyes glowing, giving the tiny cubby a dim glow as if a candle is alight inside his skull. The pillow isn’t as soft or warm as the one Pom-Pom gave him but it eases the sharp cold pain inside his chest.

Why? Why? Why? His thoughts scream at him. A jumble of information with no known source.

He spends the next few hours curled up with the pillow listening to his star-soul hum and drifting into a hazy place in between sleep and awake. His mind replays the Belabog city square, the sounds of children and parents' laughter ring in his ears as the coldness spreads through his chest and down his arms to tingle his fingertips. He recalls how warm Dan Heng’s arm was around his shoulder and how the quiet young man’s hands brushed against his making his skin tingle.

He wants yet lacks the words or the understanding of what exactly he wants.

When the morning begins it’s a relief to leave the small space and oddly a relief to be doing something which distracts his questioning mind and the never-ending spiral of uncertainty.

March greets him in the morning with a chipper greeting. “I miss my bed. Let's hurry back to the express.”

Caelus considered asking why she didn’t use the space anchor before realizing he'd never seen either of them even glance at the space anchors. Did they not know where they were? Did they not know how to use the space anchors? He never got the chance to ask before Bronya chased after them.

Seeing Sampo again is a mix of feelings.

“Hello again, my friend.” The man’s smile is wide like a knife cut across his face but his eyes are warm this time, a lot like fireworks in the sky. “It’s been so boring lately.”

Something is about to happen and Caelus knows for a fact it’s going to be chaotic.

***

“Was I asleep?” is Caelus’s first question when he wakes up in an unknown room.

The doctor in charge, Natasha, has a calming voice. “It was the chemical reaction Sampo used. You were unconscious much longer than your friends. Have you been sleeping lately?”

No. He hasn’t slept in nine days. He isn’t even tired. Caelus knows better than to admit this to a strange woman even if she says she’s a doctor. He takes the Dan Heng route and shrugs without an answer. Natasha sighs and hands him a glass of water.

“Drink this. You should eat something too.”

He sets the glass on the bedside table and stands. Pressing a hand to his chest he considers the low hum of his Star-soul. It sounds normal. He isn’t in pain. Nothing has changed.

Did he sleep? Don’t people dream when they sleep? For him, it’s as if he closed his eyes and then opened them seconds apart but now in a different place. He isn’t rested or groggy.

The only difference is that now he has even more questions. The word “why, why, why” bubbles in his stomach and he swallows it down. Just another question with no answers. It's the one constant in his life. That and the coldness inside his humming Star-soul.

“Where are my . . . friends?” he asks.

Natasha points to the door and explains where they are. She asks him for a favor to retrieve a box of medicine. Caelus has noticed that only he gets asked to go on errands or quests by strangers. It is odd to him that he’s trusted so quickly yet at the same time it feels right.

“I will do my best.”

“If you see the moles, play along with them,” Natasha says.

“Moles?” Caelus asks. His brain pulls up empty information. He knows it’s a word but has no image or definition of what that could be.

“A group of unruly children. They cause minimal mischief. I pay them with candy.” Natasha reaches into her skirt pocket and hands Caelus four lollipops. “If you can take them on your errands, it’s best for business when they’re not underfoot of the miners or townsfolks.”

Ah, so moles are what a group of children is called. He files this information away. “I will watch the moles.”

Natasha gives him that look —the one he’s used to now, which means the person is amused and confused with him. He nods and leaves the clinic. Outside (sort of) the town is darker than Belabog. There isn’t a sky and the stars are even further away. It’s him alone, underground. Hidden. He is reminded of the comfort of the small closet but also the thought of being buried and hidden like the knick-knacks in the trash and it brings a gross mix of emotions in his stomach.

March is surrounded by three small children. Caelus approaches and listens as they harass his friend. He wants to put his hand on their heads. They are so small, something inside his chest is twisting.

“Caelus help me,” March 7th whines.

The three children turn to follow the pink-haired girl's gaze and jump at his appearance.

“Who are you,” the middle girl in bright yellow demands.

Caelus tilts his head. He likes the yellow color on her. It reminds him of the stars and the warm yellow pillow. “I am the Lord of the Trash cans,” he says, attempting to go for a joke.

The information in his brain tells him that children like jokes. March groans and covers her eyes with a head shake. The three children exchange bewildered looks. Was his joke wrong? The yellow girl steps forth.

“I am Pitch-Dark Hook the Great.” The little girl points to her left at a small boy, “This is my second in command, Julian of the Thousand Faces.” Julian frowns when March waves at him. Hook motions to the girl beside her, “And Terry the keeper of the keys.” Terry has long black hair and a belt with bulging pockets around her hips.

“I can open any door,” Terry brags in greeting.

Caelus considers this information and squats down, as he had when talking to Pom-Pom. “If I need a door opened I’ll come to you,” he promises.

“A big person who understands.” Hook nods, her stance confident. “Play Hide-and-Seek with us and we’ll help you.”

“What’s that?” Caelus tilts his head. His mind doesn't have any prior knowledge but he can define each word individually.

Hook, Julian, and Terry exchange confused glances. When neither March nor Caelus laugh the children realize it’s a serious question. “Didn’t you play hide-and-seek when you were small?”

Caelus is technically a baby at only nine days of life. Who knows if he’s older? He feels ancient and brand new at the same time. In answer, he shrugs. “I’m nine.”

Hook throws back her head with a laugh. “It’s easy, we hide, you count to twenty, and then come find us.”

“And if I do? What then?” Is there a point to hiding? Caelus doesn’t think it seems fun.

“Then you can become a Mole.”

Oh, she wants him to join in and be a kid with them. Caelus lifts his chin to stare up at March 7th. Technically the two of them are kids. Knowledge in his head tells him that children can easily or accidentally learn secrets no one knows about and make good sneaks. The three children in front of him look to be about 5? 15? 47? He’s not very sure how ages work. One hundred feels physically very old compared to his nine days of existence but also in his mind, it’s very young (merely a speck of time to endless life)..

“Sounds like fun. I want to be a mole,” March cheers.

Caelus agrees. Why not? The spirit of the trailblazer is to try new paths.

“One. Two—”

“You have to close your eyes,” Julian points out.

Caelus puts his hands over his face. Is this a game to teach children how to hunt?

“One. Two. Three . . .”

He hears tiny feet clopping against the stone ground and high-pitched giggles. A smile tugs at his lips. His Star-soul is humming at a higher frequency.

“. . .Twenty.” He finishes

He stands and twirls in a circle. All four are gone from sight. However, if he closes his eyes and follows the tugging in his chest, following the golden path, he’s led right to each one of them within seconds. Hook screeches that he’s cheating. March 7th is equally baffled. He agrees to play again and again and again. By the tenth game, Hook bows out.

“You are our newest Mole, Caelus the Seeker,” Hook dubs him.

“What about me?” March asks.

The three children huddle up and whisper before agreeing. “You are March of the Camera, taker of memories,” Hook says.

March 7th puffs up at the name. “I will do my best.”

She then takes a photo of everyone as a memory.

“Where is Dan Heng?” Caelus asks.

“He’s at the fighting ring,” March answers with a careless shrug and a shake of her head. “He’s always going off on his own. He’ll sniff us out.”

“Like a dog,” Terry giggles. March joins the girl in laughing.

Caelus remembers the candy Natasha had given him, which he hands to the children. Their large eyes widen to impossible sizes, sparkling like stars. Since he has four, he hands one to March. She has a similarly excited expression.

A word comes to his mind as he watches them giggle and eat the candy, cute.

How does he get a child? Where do they come from? He knows that parents have children, yet he’s not exactly certain how one becomes a parent? Are children born like stars? Can he simply pick one up and take them? Watching Hook, Caelus has the impression that she would enjoy traveling on the express and he wants to show her the sky. The two of them are on the same path of destruction.

Terry offers Caelus a bite of candy that he refuses. He much prefers to watch them eat and enjoy it.

Caelus’s golden eyes flicker to the glowing blue space anchor that floats in the town square. People pass by it without a single glance. Can he bring another person with him while traveling through the anchors?

Hook steps up to Caelus’s side and grabs his hand. She wraps her entire hand around three of his fingers and tugs. “Caelus the Seeker. Your leader Pitch-Dark Hook the Great requires your gifts.”

Chapter 3: I want one!

Chapter Text

Chapter Three

A quest from Hook sends Caelus on a winding journey through Boulder town and then the great mine and into the abandoned rivet town. The young girl wanted him to find something at the playground.

Dan Heng twirls his spear as he finishes his move and the fragmentum monster disappears in a glimmer of sparkles. March 7th cheers at their successful cleaning of the town. Caelus swings his bat in the air, unwilling to dissipate his weapon.

“They won’t stop spawning,” Dan Heng warns the two.

“I’m on the grind for the next level of stardom,” March proclaims, lifting a hand in the air and her opposite foot, striking a cute pose.

Caelus has no idea what that means but he thinks it is positive. The star particles around the ice archer are growing more brilliant with every monster they fight. Dan Heng reaches over and brushes Caelus’s cheek.

“You have ash,” he mumbles.

“Thank you,” Caelus says. Why do his cheeks feel warm?

“You’re so good with the moles,” March 7th says as the three walk down the dark stone pathway up towards the playground. Natasha had also asked for some items.

“They are small, like Pom-pom,” Caelus states.

Dan Heng chuffs in the way Caelus thinks of as a laugh. March nods.

Two more fragmentum monsters later they reached the top of the stars and finally reached the playground. When thinking on the word “Playground” Caelus hadn’t had a mental image to go with it. The metal and wooden structure baffles him. Why are their wooden planks on chains? What's the purpose of the curved tunnel? March cheers at their victory and begins flitting around like a butterfly taking pictures of the odd structure, the dark and gloomy view, and the various art drawn by children on the walls.

“How do children play?” Caelus asks Dan Heng.

The quiet man stares down at his shoes. His thin lips pressed together with a frown as his shoulders round slightly. “I wouldn’t know.”

Caelus’ hand moves before he can think and he grabs Dan Heng’s arm. The pretty boy looks up with wide eyes. “There is always time to start over. The past has happened but we have the choice of the future.”

Dan Heng’s lips twitch upwards. “Choice for the future? Yes. I like that. Pom-pom said something similar when I . . . boarded the Express.” Dan Heng squints at the amnesiac boy and the energy vibrating all around him. If his tail was out it’d be swishing behind him. The gold in Caelus’ eyes calls to him in a way no other gem ever has.

“Come on,” March urges them. “Let's get the box and leave before another monster attacks us.”

Dan Heng and Caelus exchange small twitches of their lips and follow after the pink-haired girl. The playground is left as they continue their search.

Some time later —twenty-six minutes later, which March 7th is impressed he knows— they find Hook’s missing doll and the box of medicine. The small doll has a frown with a large rip in its side. Cae cradles the doll, his body moving without thought. He wants twenty more of these. It’s cute.

“You’re holding it like a baby,” March teases him.

Dan Heng glances over his shoulder as he easily hefts the two boxes of medicine into his arms. His green eyes widen and he sucks in a sharp breath, staring wide-eyed at Caelus with flushing cheeks. The silent boy almost drops the boxes, fumbling them.

“f*ck,” he curses and collects himself.

March giggles loudly and slaps Dan Heng’s back. “Like what you see?”

“March,” Dan Heng growls at the girl.

Caelus swears he sees a pair of greenhorns on the boy's head for a second before they vanish. March keeps laughing but jumps back a few steps with her hands up. “Don’t be so stiff, Dan Heng. You could always ask—”

“March 7th,” Dan Heng says in a darker tone.

She sticks out her tongue. “Fine, fine. Dance around each other forever. I’m just trying to help.” She flicks her short hair over her shoulder with a huff.

“I don’t need it.”

“Sure.” She rolls her eyes and walks back down the stairs away from the playground.

Caelus steps closer to Dan Heng and stares down the boxes when they shake in Dan Heng’s usually steady hands.

“Do you require help?”

Maybe the boxes were too heavy.

“Ah, oh, no, not with this. It’s light. I can easily pick up anything. Even you, or, uh, or that boulder.” Dan Heng babbles before swallowing and glancing away.

There isn’t even a boulder nearby. Caelus has no idea what the spearman is talking about. Is Dan Heng bragging? Seems a bit out of character. Or is this a normal human thing to discuss one's physical prowess? Should Caelus tell Dan Heng that he could flatten a solar system with his thumb?

No, probably not.

Caelus thinks he’s interpreting the other boy's reactions as nervousness, but he can admit he’s not always great with understanding people. Being quiet seems to work best so he nods. Dan Heng makes a nervous chuckle and licks his lips. Caelus’s eyes are drawn to Dan Heng’s pink lips and he doesn’t understand why he wants to lean forward. There's some information in his brain that’s missing, something he instinctively knows but doesn’t understand.

Hugging the doll closer, Caelus turns and follows after March. She’s waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, playing some colorful game on her phone.

Her two-toned eyes flick between them and must discover something because she rolls her eyes with an exasperated sigh. “Boys.”

Caelus opens his mouth to dispute that since he’s not sure he is a ‘boy’ or a ‘girl’ or a ‘person,’ but decides to let it go. He has a body of flesh and blood that occasionally feels too tight but is his. He’s confused enough as is. No point in adding more.

***

Natasha patiently teaches Caelus how to sew, a task he takes to like a duck to water. Whatever a duck is. The doctor is so overjoyed from the crates of medicine she even gives Caelus extra fabric and spends an hour showing him how to cut clothing for the small bear. Dan Heng and March also participate in the odd class. While March is the best at drawing and designing clothes, Dan Heng is superior to all of them –even Natasha at embroidery. Under Caelus’s instruction, leaning against the dark-haired boy’s back, his chin on his shoulder, Dan Heng makes flowing golden suns and stars on the bear's cape and shirt. Once done, the three high-five.

“Hook will love this,” Natasha places a hand on her cheek.

Caelus hugs the bear to his chest and before he can think, his mouth opens and asks the doctor, “How do I get a child?”

March 7th screeches loud enough that the people in Belabog must hear her. Dan Heng drops the spear in his hand and gapes at Caelus.

Natasha covers her mouth and cuckles. “My my, aren’t you adventurous. Most people discuss this with their partner first before coming to me.”

Ah, that does make sense. Caelus knows that a child comes from parents, and every child he’d seen up top in Belabog had been with two adults. Caelus’ golden eyes flickered between his two friends. They are his partners. Having a child with March doesn’t sit right in his stomach, however, when he considers Dan Heng his cheeks flush. Dan Heng would be a good guardian, dependable, handsome, strong, serious, and patient. March gets along with the children, however,Caelus cannot imagine her having one.

“Dan Heng, how do we get a child?” Caelus asks his partner.

March holds her stomach as she sinks to the floor laughing so hard tears are flowing down her cheeks. “He asked . . . he asked . . . you and him . . . children. . . Dan Heng. . . I can’t breathe. Too funny.”

Natasha joins March in laughing. “This is a conversation you should have in bed, alone. However, I’m happy to provide lubricants and information for the local orphans.”

What's an orphan? Why do they need to talk in bed? Caelus doesn't like beds, they’re cold, too large, and serve no purpose. Other than the gas Sampo used, he hasn’t ‘slept’ since his awakening ten days ago and he suspects he doesn’t need to.

Dan Heng’s normally pale cheeks are flushed bright red as if he has a fever. “Later.”

Pleased that his partner has agreed and that Caelus will get a child soon, the golden-eyed man nods with a small smile. “I look forward to it.”

Dan Heng covers his face and walks away, almost running into the wall as he mutters under his breath. “I need air.”

Caelus leaves March and Natasha howls with laughter to return the bear to Hook. Their laughter is perplexing but enjoyable nonetheless.

The dark alleyways and streets are distant from the humming stars but finding Hook is something Caelus can accomplish with his eyes closed. The small yellow girl is a min-sun underground. She is a warm destruction that calls to him.

“Junjun, you found him. Thank you.” Hook throws her small hands around Caelus’ neck and hugs him. The warmth radiating from her is incomparable to the pillow Pom-pom had given him. Caelus wraps his arms around her tiny body, pressing her close and nuzzling into her neck. She smells sweet and cozy like a fire made of sugar.

“You give good hugs,” Hook proclaims.

Her stomach growls. Unacceptable, her needs should be met. He wants her always to be smiling and taken care of. No, he must make sure. Caelus turns to the nearest merchant and demands food for his mini-sun. Once he has procured the substance, he fills the small girl's arms with it. The grin she gives him is even more blinding. “Thanks.”

“Play safe.” Caelus places a hand on the top of her head. “If you need me, call. I will be there.”

Hook blinks her large honey eyes up at him. “I believe you.”

A sentence appears in his mind, go forward with my protection. Caelus doesn’t know how, but he knows she’s protected now. There is a golden thread between them. She is bathed in a small film of golden light, his blessing.

Is this a power from the stelleron?

Caelus had no one to ask and was tired of asking questions.

Whatever he did is good and not worth the effort of asking.

She runs off with her friends.

“My friend, you look pleased,” Sampo appears next to Caelus as he waves goodbye to Hook.

Caelus’ annoyance at the odd man isn’t enough to dim the smile on his lips. “Dan Heng and I are having a child tonight.”

Sampo leans against the dark stone wall with a manic smile. “A child? Well, my friend, if anyone can blaze a new path unknown to us it would be you. I’ll send my blessings when your bundle of joy arrives. The others will also want to know.”

Caelus tilts his head at the purple-haired sneak. Sampo talks as if the two of them have known each other for years, despite only having talked for a few days.

“Caelus,” Dan Heng appears, his aura glowing golden. A pair of translucent horns and a muscled dragon tail appear behind the man.

“Woah, cold young, put away those Eyes of the dragon.” Sampo holds up his hands and jumps back with a nervous chuckle. “We’re long-lost brothers, right friend? I’m the oldest, obviously, looking out for my troublesome younger star.”

Caelus wants to deny the smiling con-man but pauses. Why does it feel like a lie if he rejects the creepy man?

“Scram,” Dan Heng growls at Sampo.

“I’ll bring toys next time. Children love toys and candy.” Sampo disappears into the shadows of the nearest wall. His manic white smile and echoing laughs are the last things to vanish.

Dan Heng exhales slowly. He wipes his hands on his pants, shaking out his claws into normal hands before addressing Caelus. “That man is suspicious. Don’t talk to him.”

“He won’t hurt me,” Caelus says with full confidence. Although he cannot deny Sampo won’t inconvenience, annoy or humiliate him. But he’s certain the trickster won’t cause him serious damage. Others, he’s not so sure.

Dan Heng’s lips flatten as he crosses his arms. “Seele needs our help. There is a camp of machines and vagrants. If we can convince them to join us, there is a chance the underworlders can survive.”

Caelus wants to roll his eyes. Another mission.

“March is insisting we eat before we meet up with Oleg.” Dan Heng takes Caelus’ wrist, wrapping his long warm fingers around his skin and tugging.

Caelus follows despite feeling no hunger. Dan Heng is quiet as they walk back to the inn and then cram into March 7th’s room, sitting around a small round table overlooking the dark streets. The three’s knees knock together as plates are set up and cups are filled with a liquid. Caelus’ attention is drawn to the utensils next to his spoon. It had three points in the end. As if a spoon was stabbed and made into tiny knives. What is its purpose?

March begins to eagerly eat and Dan Heng joins at a slower pace. Caelus ignores the food and picks up the utensil. He observes March using said device to stab the food on her plate and bring it to her mouth.

“What is this?” Caelus holds up the utensil.

Both pause and stare at him.

“A fork,” March answers. Her brows furrow. She sets down her fork and points to his spoon. “Do you know what that is?”

“A spoon,” Caelus says dryly.

“Do you remember how to use a fork?” Dan Heng asks. Caelus shakes his head. “It’s fascinating what you know and don’t.”

March giggles but keeps eating.

‘Fascinating’ is a word that could describe it but Caelus would call it annoying. Setting down the fork, Caelus glances around March’s room. He’s not interested in eating and has no desire to even pretend. Seeing her bed he recalls what Natasha said. Does getting a child need to occur at night or simply on a bed? Wouldn’t it be smarter to get a child and then go on their next mission?

Why wait?

“When can we get a kid? There’s a bed righ—”

March spits out her drink, choking as she laughs. Caelus pats her back while Dan Heng stands up so abruptly his chair falls back.

“I-It’s, It’s too soon,” Dan Heng says.

There’s a time limit? Is it like how Caelus has to level up and gather ascension materials? Does he need to grind more? But what skills does he need to grind for? Should he bring his partner with him as he grinds?’

“Caelus, you are my favorite,” March wheezes out as she wipes her mouth.

“When can I get a child?”

“There’s children everywhere,” March says, waving her hand out towards the window. “We were just at an orphanage. Many kids don’t have parents.”

“No parents?” Caelus tilts his head.

“Some die, or abandon them.” Dan Heng picks up his chair and sits down.

“I can . . . have a child that . . . lacks a parent?” Caelus says slowly.

“If you can take care of them, you can have as many kids as you want,” March says with a shrug. “Lots of people adopt children.”

Chapter 4: Put some shoes ON!

Chapter Text

Chapter Four

Some errands feel pointless. The reward doesn’t equal the effort and yet Caelus is unable to resist seeking them out or finishing them.

His least favorite errand was the ‘escort ones.’ March called him ‘trigger happy with violence,’ but he insisted that he only uses the proper amount of intimidation. Despite the jade and rewards, Caelus should have made Seele and Bronya stay behind and just go to find the robot camp with Dan Heng and March alone. Why did Caelus need to be around between Bronya and Seele’s . . . budding . . . friendship? If they had scores between them it would be SS+ and all they’ve been doing was arguing and goading each other.

March stands next to Caelus, her arms crossed, nodding in agreement to the girl's twentieth argument of the night. “Enemies to lovers,” March whispers to him as Seele grabs Bronya’s lapel as their voices rise. Their faces are close enough that when they yell at each other, their breath makes the other girl's bangs sway.

“Are they going to battle?” Caelus asks.

“Probably not,” Dan Heng says, flipping the page to the book in his hands as he leans on the wall next to Caelus. Their shoulders are pressed together and anytime Dan Heng turns the page Caelus can feel it. “I . . . knew two others like them. Fighting and then.” Dan Heng raises his book to cover the lower half of his face as he averts his eyes. “Other physical activities.” The top of his cheeks are pink.

Oh.

“They’re going to get children together.”

Bronya and Seele peel themselves from each other and turn to Caelus as one. “I would never.” They say in unison.

There is a strong connection between them. A line that is golden and shimmy when they are around each other. They fight well together. Caelus can see them as good partners and thus good parents to a child.

“ Your journey together will be bumpy yet successful .” Caelus proclaims with full knowledge.

March squints at me. “Why are your eyes glowing?” She summons her bow. “Do you sense an enemy?”

Dan Heng straightens, his book vanishes and his spear appears in his waiting grasp. Both of them face away from each other, scanning the mineshaft for an enemy.

“My friends, my friends, it’s just little old me.” Sampo slitters into view, holding up his hands with his manic grin and eyes that squint with a smile void of humor. “No need for aggression. I’m here to help.”

“Sampo,” Seele snaps. “You are late.”

Sampo shrugs with a fake laugh. He puts his hands in his pockets and saunters towards them. He glances around the dim tunnels. “Where’s your bundle of starlight?” He asks Caelus.

Something fluttered in Caelus’ chest, an uneasy feeling laced with shame. He’s embarrassed. “Not yet.”

“Stop wasting time, take us to Svarog,” Bronya says in a haughty commanding tone.

Sampo’s smile vanishes for a moment as his eyes flicker over the gray-haired princess. Then his grin returns. “Right this way.” He mocks a bow.

The man leads the small group of five through the mine and then the abandoned Rivet town. He stands back when the group is attacked by vagrants or robots, claiming he’s not ‘upgraded’ enough to survive these fights. Caleus thinks Sampo is lazy and calls him out on it, the man shrugs.

Everyone they come across is defeated.

“I will go no further my friends, a silly little fool needs my help,” Sampo says at the end of Rivit down. “The girl will be waiting for you.”

Before Seele can shout profanities at the sly man, he disappears like a shadow.

Caelus twirls his bat in hand. In his two weeks of existence, Caelus has learned two important life lessons, one, violence is the answer to every problem, and two, he can have any child without a parent. He makes a mental note to ask Hook how many parents she has.

“We will go forward,” Caelus steps up and tells the team.

No one refutes his words and they go deeper into the core of the planet.

Why is there snow underground? How did it get there?

“Excuse me,” a small voice calls out, “can you help me.”

Caelus glances up. There is a small barefooted girl with a red coat and hair the color of snow. She sits on a ledge of a giant rock wall with a quivering stoplight robot that beeps.

“Clara, do you need help?” Seele calls up.

“My friend got stuck,” Clara explains. She strokes the side of the robot as if the machine needs comfort. “Tor is nervous about falling and breaking another leg. I helped him fix one a week ago.”

Caelus glances around the area. There’s nothing to reach the small girl, just rocks and snow. Maybe if three of them got on each other’s shoulders.

“March, can you build a slide with your ice?” Dan Heng suggests.

Said girl lights up. “One stairs coming right up.” She activates her bow and shoots arrows into the side of the rock face creating a downward ledge for the robot to slide down and then the girl.

Clara giggles as she descends down and almost tumbles at the end. Caelus is quick to scoop her up into his arms. The small child is light as a snowflake. Why doesn’t she have shoes? Isn’t she cold? “Are you okay?”

Seeing her tiny feet is a reminder of her vulnerability. She is tiny amongst the robots, all of them larger and heavier than her organic parts. They have wheels that could crush her, the snow that could freeze her, or vagrants that could kidnap her.

“Yes, thank you.” She jumps down and scrambles to the robot, cooing at the machine. It makes a few whirring noises, shaking as if cold, and then scuttles off.

Something warm, like a small exploding star, blazes in Caelus’ ribcage. Like Hook and Caelus this child is on the path of destruction yet her hands are gentle and caring. She reminds me of Dan Heng, serious and dependable.

“Clara.” Seele steps forward, waving her hand at the Trailblazers. “These people are not only from the above but also from another planet.”

The white haired child’s pink eyes open with wonder. “Really? How large is the sky?”

“Infinite,” Caelus answers.

Clara’s eyes sparkle, “I want to see that.”

Caelus already had plans to take Hook to the surface, but now his plans are shifting to include Clara. Their connection is profound and instantaneous, as if a small part of his brain is whispering “ mine ,” over and over again.

“You will,” he promises with absolution. He pats the top of her head. “ Go forward with my protection.”

She gasps and reaches up to press her small hand to his cheek. “You have the sun in your eyes.”

“We need to talk to Svrog,” March kneels down to be at eye-level with the girl. Bronya hesitates in the back, her eyes full of nerves. Seele whispers taunts at the princess. Dan Heng rests a hand on the small of Caelus’ back leaning in.

“You want to take her.” He says with a knowing look.

Caelus turns his golden eyes to meet steady green ones. Is it good or bad that he knows that Dan Heng would help him kidnap someone?

“Yes.”

Dan Heng hums and leaves his warm hand around Caelus’ middle. It’s like a hug, but partial. He decides he likes it.

The best hug has been from Hook, then the warm pillow, and now a partial hug from Dan Heng. Caelus tilts his head. Would Dan Heng give arms hugs? He must. His hands are always so warm.

Caelus decides he needs more hugs to determine if everyone gives off the same warmth or not.

“I’ll take you to Mr. Svrog,” Clara says and then scuffs her toes in the cold snow around them. “He’s not mean, he just wants to help everyone and Wildfire doesn’t like all the robots but they can’t help how they are programmed.”

Caelus wants to hug this child. He nods to show his support. Clara smiles up at him.

“We won’t fight him if he won’t,” March reassures the small child.

Dan Heng and Caelus exchange a knowing look.

“We all want the same thing,” Seele steps in. “All of us want to be free and safe and see the sky.”

Bronya covers the lower half of her face, hiding her grimace.

***

The artificially intelligent robot has a mind that both intrigues and repels Caelus. He feels understood and alien to the machine at the same moment. They speak with the robot, telling the machine their plans and goals. Svarog’s giant red eye stares at Caelus. Dan Heng has kept his arm around Caelus’ waist the entire walk to the robot settlement and their occasional side quest. Caelus doesn't want him to stop, and he’s not sure why.

“Denied,” Svarog says. The giant robot steps in front of Clara. “Stay back Clara.”

“Peace talks are over,” Dan Heng agrees. His spear appears in hand. “March, get ready.”

“Clara, go hide,” Bronya calls out to the child.

Caelus calmly summons his bat. In his veins, power sizzles and crackles. He exhales and then opens his glowing golden eyes on his next inhale. “Let’s make it quick.”

***

“Please,” Clara throws herself in front of Svarog’s downed form, “don’t hurt Mr. Svarog.”

Caelus shoves Bronya’s gun to the side. All combat ceases. Caelus kneels to be at eye level with the girl and the machine. He holds out his hand to the teary-eyed girl and she takes it, her posture tense.

“Do you comprehend our strength?” Caelus asks the machine. Glowing golden eyes meet a singular glowing lens.

Svarog is sparking and shaking but is upright and functional. “Your strength is noted. What other powers do you possess?”

“We are Trailblazers,” Caelus explains.

Under his power, the robot stands. Caelus does the same. Clara’s eyes dart between him and Svarog, hesitating about who to go to. She remains standing between them, unable to choose.

“We will take care of the Stelleron,” Caelus says.

“Evidence submitted proves your ability,” Svarog agrees.

Seele steps forward, her eyes hopeful. “You’ll help us?”

Svarog glances down at Clara. “You asked many times as a baby to see the sky.”

Clara’s puffy cheeks pinked like her eyes. Caelus wanted to lean down and pinch them. She nods.

“We will do what we can,” Caelus agrees.

“I will go talk to the supreme guardian,” Bronya stiffly announces. She bows and marches off, followed closely by Seele. The girls only make a few steps before sniping at each other again. Despite their bickering, Caelus can tell their golden threat is secure and glowing brightly.

Caelus takes the moment to reprieve the glance around the robot settlement. His eyes see even in the shadows and dim lighting of the underground. There are few vagrants around and none of them have any similar physical features as Clara.

“Where are your parents?” Caelus asks Clara. Maybe she only has one?

She glances up at Svarog, placing a tiny hand on his large metal biceps. The robot glances down to stare at her with his glowing red lens. “Mr. Svarog is my guardian”

“Not your parents?”

“Cae,” March hides a laugh behind her hand.

“Correct,” Svarog answers. “Clara is without biological creators.”

Oh!

Caelus reaches behind him and blindly pulls Dan Heng forward. He wraps his arm around the green-eyed man this time. “We will be your parents.”

Clara’s mouth drops open. A nearby robot beeps loudly and shakes. March begins laughing.

“But Mr. Svarog?” Clara says.

“Will still be your guardian. You can spend time with both of us.” Caelus says. “On my path, you will thrive and be under my protection. I can take you to see the infinite vastness of the sky.”

She digs her feet into the snow around them, embarrassed with flushed cheeks. “I’ve always wanted parents. Are . . . are you sure?”

Dan Heng kneels and offers her a wide smile. Caelus’ heart begins thumbing hard enough he can hear it ringing in his ears. “All children deserve to be cared for, protected, and loved. You do not need to do anything to earn this.”

Clara’s eyes well with tears. March coos from the sideline. The little girl throws herself into Dan Heng’s arms. She mumbles into his shoulder wetly as she cries. He hugs her, gently running a hand down her long hair and humming a song.

“Your skills, power, and resources are noted,” Svarog observes them and then nods. “Acceptable.”

Caelus nods in agreement. He holds out his phone. “What’s your number?”

Svarog answered and Caelus saved the information. Clara is sagging in Dan Heng’s arms, exhausted. Dan Heng scoops the girl into his arms, she leans into him, her face tucked into his neck, small bare feet dangling from his arm. March takes a picture and then tells Clara about the Astral Express and all the exciting things she will see.

Svarog and Caelus watch the three for a few moments. Clara yawns and rubs her eyes. Caelus stares at a nearby glowing space anchor that the robots and vagrants walk by without notice. He doesn’t know why he’s the only one who can see them and interact with them. They need to go above to rest and then fight the supreme guardian.

Clara needs a bath. And shoes. Probably?

Are there books on how to raise human children? He should ask Dan Heng later. Clara yawns again.

“Sampo,” Caelus calls.

From the shadow, the man merges. He’s carrying a lumpy brown sack. Svarog doesn’t react or try to attack the suspiciously helpful man.

“You caught a falling star. How cute,” Sampo coos.

“Take us to the surface,” Caelus demands.

“Always so demanding my friend,” he tusks in fake admonishment. “You’re lucky I’m a forgiving older brother.” Sampo wiggles closer and then waves giddily when Clara peeks over Dan Heng’s shoulder at him. “Hi, little star, I’m your uncle Sampo.”

“No fair,” March whines. “I’m your Aunt. I’m first and better than him.” She sticks her tongue out at Sampo who clutches his heart in mock pain. Clara giggles.

Dan Heng glares at Sampo over Clara’s head. He holds the girl closer and takes a step back when Sampo steps forward.

“I brought my favorite niece some toys,” Sampo drops the sack into the snow.

Caelus takes the item into his inventory. “Later. She needs a bath and sleep.”

Sampo’s grin is wild. “Are you going to teach that tainted Stelleron a lesson?” Caelus nods and Sampo giggles. “I can’t wait to see you fight again.”

****

Unsure if their hotel reservation was still active but unwilling to ask the front desk, the three trailblazers and their young child sneak up into the hotel. Their rooms are empty and they split into two groups.

“My blankets and the souvenirs I brought are still here,” March announces as they check their rooms.

March goes into her room while Dan, Heng, Caelus, and Clara share another.

The little girl is amazed at the sky and the people. The light burns her eyes and she has to keep closing them to adjust. They close the blinds to help her. Inside the bathroom, Dan Heng draws a bath and dims the lights. He teaches Caelus how to wash her hair and then how to braid it. Clara keeps yawning, barely able to sit up in the warm water. She’s half-asleep as they dress her in too-large soft pajamas and settle her between them on the bed. She lies on her back one hand holding each of theirs.

“This is the best day I’ve ever had,” she mumbles and then drifts off into sleep.

Was this what Natasha had meant by talking to one's partner in the bed? Caelus grins down at his child and then over at his partner. His mind wanders to Hook. After taking care of the Stelleron he will go down and find out if she has parents. He can picture Clara and Hook laughing and playing silly Hide-and-seek games on the Astral Express.

Lost in his thoughts Caelus doesn't realize Dan Heng has also fallen asleep until he hears a second steady breath. Using his phone he snaps a photo of them and then sends it to the Astral Express’ group chat.

Our New Member, he writes.

Oh My, Himiko is quick to write back

Pom-Pom is excited for new crew mates, the conductor replies.

Whose child is that? Welt asks

Mine and Dan Heng’s. Her name is Clara, Caelus says and then sets down his phone.

He ignores the buzzing of the device and spends the next few hours watching the two sleep peacefully as warmth crackles and burns in his chest. He’s growing stronger.

It's the best day for him too. He has a child. The stars, much closer now that he’s not hidden underground, sing to him. There is a call in the distance, a further destination and someone else waiting for them at the next stop.