Chapter Text
The Honmoon guides, but doesn’t choose.
It is chosen.
Celine knew that.
She’d known that ever since she herself had awakened to see the Honmoon shimmer before her in all its glory.
She had hoped beyond hope, that Rumi wouldn’t choose the Honmoon.
That she would be part demon, yes, but not a hunter. Someone she could protect.
Someone she could hide.
But Rumi had different plans at age eight, her eyes wide and dazzling as she took in the ripples of the soft Honmoon around her.
It hummed at her touch, string twirling around the young girls hands.
But Celine had a strict policy of “no weapons for eight year olds” and thankfully, the Honmoon seemed to agree, as all Rumi manifested, was a glowing stick.
Her lightsaber, as she called it.
Celine wasn’t altogether sure if those movies were good for the girl, as she watched Rumi swing it around in flashy, unprotected motions.
She breathed a heavy sigh.
This sealed it.
She always knew she would have to somehow find and train new hunters. But she had hoped it would be later.
And someone else.
Someone who wasn’t exactly what she would train them to kill.
Someone she wouldn’t have to hide from her teammates, or she may be killed by them.
Celine's heart clenched as she watched Rumis happy face.
She would have to hide Rumi with all her might for the coming years.
Rumi would have to hide herself.
Just so her teammates could never accomplish what Celine herself had failed, and kept failing to do.
—-
Of course, Celine first had to find those teammates before worrying about them killing Rumi.
A feat that used to be simpler.
Hunters were restricted to areas they could find themselves in.
Travel was difficult, so they would be able to find themselves usually within a certain geographical space.
Not anymore.
Not since airplanes.
Celine had personal beef with the wright brothers at this very moment.
Or Santos-Dumont. Or Sir George Cayley. Or birds at this point because they inspired the whole damn thing!
Yeah- she had beef with all of them she concluded.
At this point in her searching, she was starting to have issues with the wheel itself.
She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to shake off the jet-lag that she received from flying from Honmoon knows where at this point to the United States.
The flight had reminded her of just how large the task at hand now was.
The Honmoon guided, yes. But only the girls to her. Not her to them.
And how would a child ever find their way to Celine?
Her best try at this very moment was a tour. Using the Sunlight Sister’s fame, a sliver of hope that any new hunter would be attracted to her old team.
It wasn’t working very well.
Most of the fans she had met, spanning 48 countries and counting, had been adults her own age.
Which, flattering, yes. It was always nice to meet those who helped keep the Honmoon strong.
But she was looking for a child.
She had had to leave Rumi back in South Korea, she would only get in the way.
Rumi’s current babysitter, and though he didn’t know it yet, almost certainly her future manager, Bobby had been left in charge of her, with strict instructions on how to keep her on track.
Celine wasn’t quite sure she could trust the young twenty something idol with that task- but he was the only babysitter that Rumi accepted, so here they were.
She just hoped that Rumi didn’t blab. Or push off her duties. Or heaven forbid just straight up summoned her lightsaber.
She was ten- slowly old enough to learn how to fight, if Celine's own experience was anything to go off of.
Which meant she better keep up her regiment.
Her secret! regiment!
Celine had been very clear on that before leaving.
Rumi needed to be strong enough to fight multiple demons at once. And if necessary, multiple hunters.
Plus- Celine needed replacing soon. Her previous nights demon hunting activities were taking a toll on her. She wasn’t twenty anymore and it showed.
“Ehm-“
Celine was ripped out of her thoughts by the sound of a soft cough, clearly aimed to get her attention.
Her eyes snapped up, face sharp.
Visitors hours were over.
Her booth was closed.
Why couldn’t anyone leave her to be broody in peace already!
Her eyes scanned the area, not catching who had made the sound.
Until two small hands grabbed onto the table, as a child’s face grinned up at her.
Who had lost their gremlin and could they get her.
“H-Hi..!”
The little girl, no older than eight Celine was sure, beamed up at her, soft black hair in braids, freckles dotting her face.
Celine took a moment, relaxing her own face. She was not about to take out her tired anger on a poor child.
“Hello darling.”
She made sure her voice was warm and inviting as she stood up and walked around the table, crouching down to be closer to the kid.
The girl was decked head to toe in turtles, Celine noted in amusement as her eyes fell on the turtle shoes, shorts, shirt, backpack and hair-ties.
The girls eyes shone.
“Are you lost?”
The girl shook her head, looking around shyly, clearly trying to muster the courage to say something.
A few seconds passed before-
“I love you!”
Well that was unexpected.
The girl looked proud of herself, her little braids bouncing as she gave a small hop.
“Can you sign this?”
The girl held up a CD.
A Sunlight Sisters CD.
A Sunlight Sisters CD they had never released.
Celine blinked and took it into her hands, opening it up.
Clearly homemade.
By an eight year old?
“Is it for your mom?”
The girl shook her head.
“For me! I love you Celine! You’re so cool!!”
The shyness seemed to ebb away as the girl rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, waiting for the signature.
Celine sighed.
Usually these cost and technically she was closed.
But she wasn’t a monster.
“Thank you honey.” She signed the case, fully forgetting and frankly being too tired to ask the girls name, instead opting to doodle a turtle, and handed it back to the now beaming child, who let out a screech of delight.
The Honmoon rippled.
Something in Celine's jet-lagged brain halted to a stop.
Wait.
“Here! I made this for you- I’m sorry I couldn’t bring it before- Mom told me you wouldn’t like me making up stories about you and drawing them but I had to give it to you!!”
The girl handed Celine a crumbled up paper, serious expression on her face that Celine couldn’t help but giggle at.
She was probably going to throw it away, but it was sweet of the girl to make.
But more importantly. She needed to know who this girl was. Just in case.
The Honmoon hadn’t given her any indication per se- just a ripple, which was not a guidance sign, but she had to at least know some basics.
“What’s your name kiddo?”
The girl beamed.
“Zoey! And I’m Eight and..”
She held up her hands and counted.
“10 months old!” She declared proudly, clearly happy her arithmetic worked out.
Celine made sure to store that name in the back of her mind.
“And what is your last name-“
“MOM!!! LOOK!! I GAVE IT!!!” Zoey screeched an interruption at a woman who was walking hurriedly nearby, in the still open area of the convention.
The woman’s face broke into relief as she gestured towards Zoey to come over, bowing apologetically to Celine.
Before she could further react, with a quick and enthusiastic “BYE!!” Zoey sped off, towards presumably her mother.
Celine sighed, sitting down again.
She knew that this Zoey girl wasn’t going to be a future huntress. There was no indication from the Honmoon.
And frankly, that was hyperactivity that Celine could probably not deal with well. And would be distracting for Rumi, no doubt.
But it was her first real lead at all.
Glancing at the paper, Celine decided it would be cruel to throw it away without even looking at the drawing that Zoey had made for her.
What met her eyes once she’d smoothed out the piece, made her blood go cold.
Soft ripples.
Weapons.
Her.
That was the Honmoon. That was her. That was her sickle. And those were demons.
Zoey had seen her.
Zoey had seen demons.
Zoey had seen the Honmoon.
And now Celine had lost Zoey.
Fuck.