Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Pilot
The Astral Express was a marvellous piece of architecture to behold. If Sunday hadn’t been busy thwarting their plans to stop his previous… schemes… back in Penacony, he probably would have had more time on his hands to properly marvel at the intricate design of the train. Now that he was officially a part of the crew, well, it felt rather bittersweet.
Who would’ve thought that he would end up travelling through the cosmos with the people who were once his most formidable adversaries? Definitely not Sunday.
“Uh oh. Are you daydreaming again?” March 7th’s deadpan voice snapped him out of his momentary trance.
Sunday cleared his throat, sitting upright on the sofa and regaining his composure. “My apologies, Miss March. Were you saying something?”
March 7th was the most bizarre human being he had ever met. Himeko said they had rescued her from a block of ice floating through space. Despite her foggy past, she was a contagiously cheerful and optimistic girl, deviating a little from his little sister’s personality. Sunday couldn’t even tell if he liked it.
She sat down right next to him and furrowed her eyebrows, seemingly scrutinising his every detail. Sunday sighed. The aftermath of his… crime… back on Penacony must still be a traumatic experience for the rest of the crew. She probably still distrusted him in the present. Sunday didn’t expect forgiveness, much less immediate trust from the rest of the crew. If anything, he was content with the amount of animosity they would show him.
“Do you regret what you did back on Penacony, Sunday?”
Did he regret what he did? All he ever wanted was to alleviate the sufferings of the many people in the Asdana system. All he ever wanted was to guarantee his people’s happiness. He never intended to ascend to the level of a god, but it was what it was. The momentary surge of power granted onto him by Ena swept him up in the moment. But his time in prison and his confrontation with the Astral Express has grounded him, showing him what it meant to be human and that suffering makes one stronger and rise above the rest.
He didn’t fully comprehend its meaning, remnants of his past beliefs still embedded in the deepest trenches of his mind, yet, he was still holding on to the faith that there truly was another way to alleviate human suffering. He wanted to believe that humans could indeed pave a path for themselves and prevail from the trials and tribulations that life throws at them. He wanted to believe that humans could grow stronger from setbacks and letdowns. He wanted to believe that the will to live was worth fighting for.
And now in the present, these strange people were kind enough to have him on board the train with them. They were willing to have him travel around the cosmos with them so that he could find his own answer to his lifelong question: why does life slumber? At the present, he wasn’t even hoping for an immediate answer to his question. He knew that it would take a whole journey to discover the answer, either with the Astral Express or on his own.
Sunday closed his eyes. “No.”
March 7th huffed, interrupting him when he was about to elaborate. “Thought so.”
He pursed his lips. She didn’t even give him any room for further clarification.
Sunday figured it wasn’t a smart move to tick her off, but he was curious to see how she’d react. “I figured you’d want to probe into it a little more than you should.”
“And I figured you’d try to brainwash me into following your ideals again .”
Sunday sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Brainwash was a strong word. “March, I do not intend to repeat my past misdeeds, rest assured, I… I’m learning new things one step at a time,” he muttered under his breath, looking at his hands.
March 7th studied him carefully this time, looking a little more thoughtful than accusatory. She sighed, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry. I guess it’s not fair for me to keep putting a benchmark on you, either. I mean… you’re trying to change. You did remove that spider on my desk for me yesterday.”
Just the day before, he had heard incessant screaming coming from March’s bedroom. She was standing on her bed, holding onto her pillows for dear life when he happened to walk by. He picked up an empty cup and a book, trapped the spider, and released it outside. She sort of reminded him of his little sister, Robin, who was also afraid of insects when she was younger.
“Is it gone yet?! Tell me it’s gone!”
“I should hope so,” he smirked. “Would you like to check it for yourself, Miss March?”
She threw a pillow at him. “No! You meanie! Go away!”
“And here I thought you were incapable of teasing,” March, in the present, rolled her eyes at him in utter annoyance.
“I merely jest,” Sunday said calmly. “Do you still wish to see the spi-“
“Stop it, it’s not funny! Arachnophobia is no joke!” She grumbled. “Whatever. That wasn’t the real reason I came up to you.”
Now this was interesting. “Is there something you need me for?” Sunday asked cautiously.
“Yes. I need a companion.”
He scrunched up his face in confusion. The was very vague of her. It could spell disaster if taken out of context. “What for?”
“Well,” March hummed, “the Xianzhou Alliance’s leader, General Jing Yuan, invited the express over for an annual festival called the ‘Wardance’.”
Sunday was genuinely surprised. Not about the Xianzhou (he’d heard about them and their remarkable generals from one of his former retainers), but more about her request to have him accompany her. “You want me to accompany you to the Wardance? Wouldn’t you prefer Stelle or Dan Heng?”
“Everyone’s coming along while Himeko and Welt are staying back, but I’m sure Dan Heng’s busy with his Vidyadhara high elder stuff, and Stelle’s going around completing her errands,” March said in a straightforward fashion, “plus, she’s been obsessed with trash cans lately. Apparently, she believes they can talk now,” she whispered to him, afraid that Stelle could potentially hear their conversation.
Stelle’s unhealthy obsession with filth was beyond Sunday’s comprehension. Her brain would definitely be an interesting specimen to study.
“Besides, Himeko and Welt think it’s a great way for you to get back out there and explore the world outside. Don’t forget the food, it’s really good!” March attempted to convince him.
Sunday sighed. Was it too soon for him to begin setting his feet upon another planet? He’d only boarded the train a while ago and was still trying to settle in. Heck, he kept putting off decorating his room as well due to the lack of ideas and feeling overwhelmed.
Sunday blinked, realising something he had missed. “Oh. I just realised something: you dodged my initial question.”
March frowned. “Well, Sunday, I still don’t like or trust you, but hopefully, this trip could change my mind and we can find some way to bond.”
“ Bond ,” he repeated, muttering it under his breath, letting it linger on his lips for a moment. Could they really get along? Wasn’t this girl the most traumatised of them all aboard the train? The trailblazer was pretty much immune to anything, and had somehow forgiven him and shed him kindness since he had boarded the train; Dan Heng had showed him a semblance of solidarity due to their similarities; Miss Himeko and Mr Yang were more than willing to give him a second chance and guide him back on the right path. But March was a completely different story.
March gently nudged him with her elbow, her eyes sparkling. “Come on! We can visit an antique store! I know a bunch of antique stores you can see down at Aurum Alley.”
Dammit. Robin used to look at him that way too. On top of that, all it took was the word ‘antique’ for him to give in. “Alright. I concede. When are we heading down there?”
Her eyes sparkled. “In a minute.”
Sunday choked on air.
“ A minute ?”