Chapter One: Well-Earned Peace


"I'm home."

Gemma turned immediately, almost dropping her ladle. As it was, tomato soup sloshed onto her foot.

"Ow!" she screeched, quite unceremoniously, and hopped away. Chuckling met her ears as she nursed her wounded appendage. She whipped her head up to glare at the offender.

"You can't laugh when you're the one who caused this mess by popping up out of nowhere! Look," she exclaimed while pulling her soiled shoe off, "it's ruined. I'll have to ask the cobbler to make a new pair. And your boots will need mending, too."

"Sorry," the man apologised. "I didn't mean to cause a scene."

Gemma's eyes softened. "You never make trouble," she replied. "Welcome home. I missed you, Junie." The Luminary wrapped his arms around his wife, and the moment was cherished.

"What if – next time – you come with me?"

"Huh?"

Junichi withdrew from their hug so he could look into his wife's blue eyes. "We'll go on a world tour. I'll show you around; I've been pretty much everywhere. You'll love it."

Her gaze turned downward. "I don't know…" In truth, it was an overwhelming thought. She'd never dreamed of leaving Cobblestone – after all, everyone she cared about lived in the village. While she had been enchanted by the view from Cobblestone Tor, her forced expedition to Heliodor Castle hadn't exactly endeared her to the prospect of travelling.

As it had been since they were children, her husband knew how to sway her. "Let's explore Erdrea. Together." He squeezed her hands and, not for the first time, she marvelled at how his hands were so much larger than hers. They promised to protect her.

"Okay," she said. His face lit up, and that was all the reward she needed.

Then his brow creased. "I forgot about the soup."

"Oh."

They looked down. Junichi's boot was steeped in a crimson puddle.

"We'll have to put in a lot of elbow grease to get this all cleaned up before dinner," Gemma sighed, getting up. But she didn't mind in the least, because the love of her life had returned to her. By the smile he threw her, he was of the same opinion.

As long as they were with each other, Gemma would be happy.


Junichi burst through the door. "She's giving birth!"

His mother started, almost stabbing the needle into her forefinger. "Goodness, dear, you simply must stop that."

He cringed briefly before recovering. "But the babies are coming now; we have to go!"

Amber shook her head, putting her needlework down and rising from the table. "I haven't seen you this excited in a long while. There isn't much that can get through that stoicism of yours."

He grinned sheepishly as they exited Dunstan's home. Junichi led her across the village, greeting a few townsfolk on the way.

"It's just that, before too long, there'll be so many little ones running about," he explained. "I'm a bit worried they'll take after Gem and me in our younger days."

Amber chortled. "That'll be a while yet, dearie. You're looking quite a ways into the future!"

He fell silent, embarrassed. She slapped him on the back. "You turned out a fine lad. So will they. Now, you'd better get a move on, because I want to meet my grandchildren!"

Junichi flushed and hurried the rest of the way, her laughter chasing him. They arrived in much the same fashion, and he opened the door tentatively.

"Oh, good, you're here," said a breathless Gemma. "You missed the first one, but the next is coming soon. Hang on, why are you so red?"

"Nothing," he blurted. "I brought Mum."

Amber stepped forward. "I couldn't miss Sandy giving birth! She's part of the family."

Her daughter-in-law beamed. "That's right! I hope you've been thinking of names, darling."

Junichi froze.

Gemma stopped smiling.

"I. Have. Maybe. A few."

Hands went to hips.

Thankfully, Amber swooped in before a certain Luminary could come to harm. "There'll be time enough for that later. The pups are coming now!"

Sure enough, the dog's contractions resumed, and Gemma busied herself with caring for the puppies while the other two watched them come out, enraptured.

"It's funny how Sandy has barely made a sound," commented Amber, "but Yggdrasil would be deafened by the racket most human women make."

Junichi suggested that perhaps it was harder for human babies to fit, making it far more painful. A number of theories were proposed; however, the mystery went unresolved for the time being.

At last, Sandy's contractions ceased, and all three went to work making the pups comfortable. They were small and quiet, with little hair and closed eyes, content at their mother's side; it was difficult to imagine that they would grow to match Sandy in size.

"There's seven," Gemma said. "Better get to work naming them."

Her husband pointed to the firstborn. "That one's En. Second is Deuce, third Trey, Quatro, Còig–"

He was cut off by an exasperated Gemma. "You can't just number them! She's family, for Yggdrasil's sake, remember?"

Amber sighed while her son laughed. "I know," he told her. "The first one is Cam. Vera, Rina, Nora, Bertie, Martin, and Reggie. They'll be wonderful doggies."

His wife's eyebrows lifted. "They're pretty good names. Now I'm a wee less concerned about what you're going to call our kids."

Junichi turned away to hide his blush. His adoptive mother caught his eye, her stare slightly admonishing. He still acted like a boy with a crush.

"Today, our little family just got a lot bigger!" Gemma cried, oblivious to their exchange.


He was sleeping, he thought.

He didn't think he was supposed to be. Then again, he didn't remember what he was meant to be doing. He attempted to gather the fragments of memory together. But the more he tried, the more they slipped out of his grasp. Spheres of light floated away like bubbles in the breeze.

Except one.

Wreathed in violaceous smoke, it instead darted towards him in response to his call. He watched it vanish into his torso with some surprise.

You are in my power.

Then came the agony.

Black tendrils crawled where his heart had been.

Flames wreaked his body, but his bosom was frost.

Talons in his chest.

He clawed desperately at the air. It was all for naught. The anguish was intolerable.

He couldn't stop it. He was helpless to halt the darkness from taking what was his. He had grown so accustomed to this gift that it had become his very essence. And now, his core had been torn from him. He was rent asunder, and it was impossible to mend.

Give yourself to misery.

"Junichi!"

He jolted awake. Gasping for precious oxygen, he clutched at his chest. Warm hands encircled him; their presence grounded him.

"Nightmare?" Gemma asked softly, though she knew as much.

"Yeah," he answered hoarsely. She noticed instantly and rose to fetch water. He waited for her to do so, taking the time to calm his breathing. When she gave him the cup, his hands had steadied enough to hold it without trouble. He expressed his gratitude to her and received a smile in return as she settled next to him.

"Want to talk about it?"

He didn't. But Gemma was his wife, and Junichi was learning to depend on her with each day that passed. Even if she couldn't laugh his issues away like when they were youths dashing around with not a care in the world, she would listen. Although she likely would never understand the torture he went through – by Yggdragon, he hoped she never would – she would love and respect him, and share his burden.

"I dreamed of when we went to Yggdrasil for the first time." He hesitated. He had already told her that he was a time-traveller, of course; he could not possibly keep such a secret from his beloved. However, Junichi had not gone into detail and she had never inquired before. She placed her hand on his thigh to reassure him. So, he continued.

"We climbed Yggdrasil and found the Sword of Light resting in Her heart. But we didn't know that Jasper was following us. He blasted me just as I was about to claim the blade."

He felt Gemma tighten, but he couldn't stop. "We couldn't lay a finger on him. He had his own orb; He struck us down. Then Mordegon came; he stole the powers of the Luminary from me. He…"

Junichi swallowed. He shut his eyes and forced himself to keep going. "He plunged his hand into me. It was the worst thing I've ever felt." He began to shake.

Gemma drew him into her embrace, and he finally let the tears flow freely. They stayed in that position for some time as he poured his troubles out for the first time. He hadn't been able to as yet, what with saving the world several times over. He wept until his cries dwindled into sniffles.

At last, Gemma spoke, her voice quiet. "I can't imagine what it must have been like. But I'm here for you."

He glanced up at her, grateful beyond words. "That's all I've ever asked for."

They drifted off to restful sleep after that.


Gemma closed the door quietly, ready to hit the hay after a long day of sewing and delivering finished articles of clothing. The sun had retired long ago, so her eyes had already adjusted to the dark. She crept towards the bedroom but a flickering light stopped her.

"Happy birthday."

She blinked, turning towards the glow. A modest chocolate cake topped with two candles sat on the dining table. "I forgot that it's my birthday."

"Our birthday," her husband corrected.

"Our birthday," she repeated. "It's been so busy today." He said nothing, but as she made to sit beside him, his eyes encouraged her to share.

"Grandad got me to patch up his coat since winter will be here soon. I finished Connie's dress yesterday evening, so I went to deliver it to Noah this morning," she continued, "but I ran into Derk's wife and we ended up swapping a few titbits. Did you know that Derk bought a doll the other day? He's been treating it like a real human, chatting to it, dressing it up, even pretending to feed it."

He laughed at that, and she joined in. "He's so excited for the baby. Why, just this afternoon he asked me to make a whole closet's worth of clothing! They don't even know the gender yet."

"It never hurts to be prepared," Junichi contributed, mirth tickling his lips.

"Well, yes, but that's a bit much, don't you think?" She leant forward, examining the birthday cake. "That's enough of that, for now; we still haven't blown out the candles! The wax is dripping."

The couple took a moment to wish, and blew out a candle each, plunging the room into darkness. After a moment, Junichi struck another flame to light the lantern so they could eat.

"Did you bake this?" Gemma asked, mouth full. Chocolate had been difficult to obtain in those parts, but Derk's skill and effort had improved their commerce immensely.

"Mum helped me," he replied easily. "We didn't make many sweet things on the road, so I'm not an expert."

Gemma hummed. "I guess you'd focus on mastering filling, savoury dishes. I reckon I'll have to cook a lot of desserts to even it out."

Her hero grinned. "I suppose so." He finished his slice and she soon followed. She rose, gathering the plates and forks to wash up.

"Thanks for the cake," she voiced. "And… really, just for being here. For me."

He didn't reply. He didn't need to. She propped the crockery and cutlery up to dry.

"Gemma?" Junichi called. She twisted to face him.

"I want you to have this."

Clasped in his hand was a brilliant green gem, shaped like a droplet, secured at the end of a golden chain. Curious yellow symbols marked its interior.

"It's beautiful," Gemma breathed.

"It was my mother's. Biological mother," he clarified. "It's called the Jewel of Dundrasil."

She scrutinised him. "Then you should keep it. It's a national treasure on top of being a family heirloom."

"I won't wear it," he responded. "It would look great on you. And I think she would want you to have it. Grandpa Rab would agree."

Tears filled her eyes. She went to wipe them, but Junichi's finger got there first. He brushed her face tenderly. "I love you," he murmured. "Everything I do is to show you that."

Gemma wanted to cry more at that. "I know that, silly. Next time, it'll have to be me who does something for you." He kissed her forehead, then went to fasten the necklace.

When they set off on their grand tour, she would have to thank Yggdrasil for gifting her such a man.


AN:

Cross-posted on Ao3. It would mean a lot to me if you could take the time to leave constructive criticism :) I will only mention it once throughout this fic, but the request is on the table.

Why is the character list on this site so limited? Gemma's not there, so I can't even tag the canon pairing!

I'm finding it a bit odd writing the Luminary since we never get spoken lines from him. Hopefully, I'll ease into it. I'm also trying to get back into just writing. Let me know how I go!

Next instalment: Short a Hero. Viewing a restored world without the Luminary proves to be a difficult task.