At three o’clock Sunday morning, an exhausted Stardust left Larry Miles’ instrument room. The sound of applause still rang in her ears, her fingers ached from the intensity of her playing, and was inflamed and irritated from singing. Though Seulgi had never been much of a singer, and therefore had never written any lyrics, Stardust had a wonderful voice. She sang mostly classic rock hits, flaunting her knowledge of music history in order to impress the older men in the room. As a result, none of the onlookers seemed to mind that she sang exclusively cover songs. Combine that with smokey eyes, tousled hair, and a few “accidental” flashes of extra skin, and the main targets in the audience - Jerry, the round-faced Malay, and the other nameless, lecherous, liver-spotted producers - were hers.

    Stardust had just finished a whiskey, on an ice cube while pretending to admire an abstract painting in Miles’ living room. Bogum was somewhere upstairs, likely accompanied by one of the many vacant, sneering blondes that Seulgi and Stardust had dubbed “ clones”. Stardust had been offered a plethora of drugs over the course of the night, all of which she’d refused. Seulgi refused to touch opiates or , and Stardust did just fine with the liquor.

    “That was quite the show you played back there,” Jerry said, walking up beside Stardust, running a self-conscious hand over the large bald spot at the crest of his head. “Bogum’s mentioned that you were a musician, but he never told me you were this good.”

    Stardust turned to Bogum’s manager and gave him a calculatedly mischievous smile, one that exuded innocence while sparking intrigue. Jerry blushed and looked away.

    “Thank you, Mr. Miles,” Stardust said. “I’ve always been very interested in music, rock in particular, and I’ve found that lately, it just comes naturally to me. A glut of inspiration, if you will.”

    “I can tell. You seem to have a talent for showmanship, too,” Jerry commented, fishing in the jacket of his oversized suit. “Here. This is my card. Next time Bogum is in the studio, you should join.”

    With a dazzling, almost-genuine smile, Stardust pocketed the piece of paper, tucked it safely away in her wallet.

    “Unfortunately, I’ll only be in California for the next week or so,” Stardust said, deflating. “I go to school in New Jersey, you see.”

    “Ah, that is a problem. The studio is probably booked all this week...” Jerry said, tapping his chin. “I might have to push some appointments around, but I think I can get you in.”

    Stardust practically swooned. “If that’s possible, of course!”

    “I’ll be in contact,” Jerry said winningly, giving her a lingering pat on the shoulder. Stardust endured this as best she could. As much as she and Seulgi hated to do it, she gave Jerry a quick hug of gratitude. It took everything within her not to wipe away the imagined grime that she felt coating her body as she pulled away.

    Stardust excused herself to go to the bathroom. There was an open window above the toilet, and the fresh air helped to alleviate the disgust that Jerry had elicited in her. Stardust splashed water on her face, and Seulgi came forward, inspecting herself in the mirror. She was doing a fine job of keeping Stardust’s features from overriding her own. The balance was starting to become unconscious.

    As Seulgi washed her hands, she glanced down at her ring, noticed that the bands of gemstones on its surface were beginning to undulate with light. It was a pattern she had never seen before; each gemstone lit up in turn, flashing on and off with increasing speed.

    You doing that, Stardust? Seulgi asked.

    Stardust turned her attention to the ring, offered an impression of confusion. I’ve never seen, or felt that before…

    Several seconds of pause followed. The flickering was growing dizzyingly rapid now, alternations nearly becoming full, fluid rotations.

    Something is coming. Stardust said, coming to full attention.

    Seulgi tensed, preparing to move, not knowing exactly what she should do, but knowing that she needed to do something.

    The light of her ring expanded, brightening exponentially, filling the room with white light. Seulgi hid her face from the mirror, irises seared by the brilliant reflection. She felt Stardust’s power coming to her by reflex, filling her with strength, eliminating the haziness of her intoxication.

    Just as the light began to diminish, something struck Seulgi in the chest. She landed on her back. A great weight pressed to her torso, and she struggled to breathe.

    Above her was a lithe figure, face obscured by a curtain of colorless fluid, continuously streaming around its head.

    “Wh-what?” Seulgi wheezed, squirming.

    The figure drew back its arm, revealing a line of oscillating light extending from its fingers. Seulgi immediately recognized it as a blade.

Stardust came forward entirely, melding their personalities in full. Though Seulgi couldn’t see it, she could feel Stardust’s appearance superimposed over her own, her trademark shift-like clothing sliding into existence, features distorting, black lines stretching out from her eyes to spiderweb across her face.

The blade descended. Stardust grabbed the attacker by the wrist, causing the weapon to dissipate, then threw them both to the side. They slammed into the side of the bathtub. Chips of porcelain sprayed them as they wrestled across the tile. In terms of strength they were evenly matched, and after a brief struggle Stardust was able to kick her enemy off and find her feet again.

They separated from each other, crouched, sizing one another up. Stardust extended her hand, willed the light into her own blade. Seulgi had never done anything like that, but as she felt Stardust do it, the knowledge came to her.

“Who are you, and what do you want?” Stardust demanded.

The stranger, who was shorter and smaller of stature than Seulgi had initially thought, remained silent. There was a moment where both combatants were still, Stardust’s back to the sink, her attacker’s to the wall.

The stranger lunged.

Stardust parried the blow, but was met with a fist to the cheek. She was propelled backward, knocking the marble sink over, shattering the mirror and sending water cascading in every direction.

We’re in too close quarters here, Seulgi said, barely registering the punch as more than a momentary increase of pressure on her face. We have to get outside.

Stardust grunted and ducked as the blade whizzed by her head. She glanced up at the open window, her blade through the screen, braced against the toilet and kicked the stranger in the shoulder. Then, propelling herself with light that trailed from her ankles and calves, she shot upward and pulled herself through the window. It was then that Seulgi remembered they were on the second floor. She fell head first toward the ground.

Animalistic instinct screamed for Seulgi to seize command of her body, but Stardust resisted. The light at her legs flapped like massive ribbons, shoved the air, flipped her upright. Stardust continued to fall, but the sputtering glow she’d created seemed able to slow her descent. She landed gently on the loamy soil.

The stranger dropped down, then pushed off directly after landing in order to throw themselves at Stardust again. Stardust dashed backward, stumbled into the bushes. The stranger’s blade cut across her upper thigh, and unlike the punch, Seulgi felt as it tore her skin, ripped apart her muscles. She and Stardust screamed in tandem, whipped their own blade around in desperation. The stranger slashed again, knocking Stardust’s weapon out of her hand. It vanished in a burst of opalescent sparks.

Panic spreading like an invading mold in her brain, Stardust threw herself farther down the hillside, struggling to separate from the relentless stranger. From above, voices were calling out in confusion.

Seulgi jumped to the forefront of their consciousness and, using the knowledge she shared with Stardust, willed the light to rise around them again. It streamed from her ring, surrounding her like a cocoon, blocking another blow from the stranger. Seulgi redirected the energy into her feet, hoping it would produce the same feat Stardust had performed earlier.

The amount of force she generated was far greater than she expected. Seulgi flew through the sky, losing any sense of balance as the world spun before her, interspliced with streaks of white. Stardust took over, shoving Seulgi aside just as they smashed into one of the house’s many enormous windows.

Screams as glass shattered, heels clicking frantically against the wood floor as shocked partygoers scrambled to flee. A bottleneck at the staircase as people sought to distance themselves from the commotion. Stardust shook her head, mane of silver hair whipping about as she stood. The wreckage of a snack table lay behind her. Terrified eyes glued to her luminescent figure.

With a groan of effort, Stardust pressed her hand to the laceration on her thigh. A kind of opaque mist leaked from the wound. The gash sealed under her touch, and the pain receded. Seulgi caught a glimpse of the twisted, scarred impression left on her thigh before Stardust returned their attention to the ball of white that careened toward the house.

    He’s  too strong, Stardust, Seulgi warned, We’re getting our asses kicked. We have to run-

    No. I can take him. I’m not a coward!

    With a snarl, Stardust charged at the assailant, met him as he dropped in through the broken window. As their blades clashed, a shockwave sprouted from them, sending the miscellaneous decorations of Jerry’s home flying in all directions. Stardust’s skill with the blade was greater than Seulgi expected, so much so that it barely made sense to her. After all, wasn’t the Representation just a piece of herself? Despite Stardust’s performance, however, the stranger’s blows were delivered with a suredness, a prowess that suggested complete mastery. After her initial strike, Stardust was forced on the defensive. Each parry produced a shower of multicolored scintillations, peppering any surface they came in contact with. Stardust backed up, approaching the far wall of the room as her enemy’s relentless barrage grew ever closer to overwhelming her.

    Seulgi joined Stardust, performing the metaphysical equivalent of standing by her side, offering whatever assistance she could. Seulgi found that, in this state, her awareness of the environment was more general, similar to that of a spectator watching the events unfold from an elevated view. Utilizing this vantage point, Seulgi was able to read the stranger’s moves more efficiently, conveying them to Stardust through wordless, complicated flurries of emotion. They worked as one, Representation and host, switching seamlessly between both, as if they were the same individual rather than two separate entities.

    It wasn’t enough to overcome their opponent’s frank superiority. Each counter, each slash, each jab was delivered with the precision and ruthlessness of one who had long practiced with the blade. There was an art to it, a dazzling flourish that accompanied the flurry that was meant to distract, keeping the Stardust from being able to accurately predict the next development in the fight. To her credit, Stardust put up an impressive defense - due in part to Seulgi’s help - but she was being worn down. Even with the strength of the cosmos within her, Stardust couldn’t block such swift, continuous blows forever.

    Seulgi scrambled to find a way out of the situation. She pulled back from her consciousness slightly, thinking, trying to ignore the images of the stranger dancing in front of her. If she took control, she would surely falter and get herself killed. As much as Stardust would hate to admit it, they needed help. It would put them at risk for garnering Eodum’s attention, but Seulgi had to prioritize. She turned further away from reality, deeper into the Astral Plane.

    Joohyun! Seulgi called out mentally, I’m being attacked! Help!

    To Seulgi’s surprise, her attacker faltered for a moment, hesitating, allowing Stardust to connect with a . The blade skimmed off the side of her foe’s abdomen, and the assailant retreated back with a throaty exhale.

    Seulgi cried out again, but the assailant ignored it this time and jumped forward again. Stardust dodged, parried, and launched herself back into the fight. She was back on the defensive within seconds.

    Seulgi’s pleading spread throughout the Astral Plane, traveling into the distant void. She had no idea how to direct her communications at a specific individual, so instead she continued to call out.

    Shut up! Stardust hissed as she narrowly avoided being bisected at the hip, You’re distracting me!

    Seulgi paused mid-yell, then allowed herself to be magnetized back to the present. She hadn’t heard a response from Joohyun, Eodum, or any other Representation that might be floating around the Astral Plane. She turned her attention outward, desperate to save herself. At this point, she would settled for Tyler. He was strong enough to help, at the very least, but he seemed to have left the party after their conversation. The only consolation she had was that her brother wasn’t nearby to get caught in the carnage.

In the distance, sirens sounded out. Faint, but growing nearer by the second. Someone had called the police.

    We have to run, Stardust, Seulgi said, We can’t win.

    Stardust conveyed a sense of exasperation, anger at being distracted from the combat. Even if we tried, he would follow us.

    There are innocent people here! Seulgi implored, still hesitant to exert any direct influence on the Representation’s actions. Bogum is still somewhere in the house!

    No answer from Stardust, though there was a noticeable shift in her fighting style. She continued to retreat, but with purpose now. Rather than merely allowing herself to be pushed back, she directed their attacker in a full circle around the room, positioning herself so that her back was to the shattered window. Seulgi could detect her intention: Stardust meant to throw herself outside, take off into the air again, and flee down the mountainside.

    Stardust exploded on the offense for a moment, throwing rays of light across the room as she spun about, using the nuances and techniques she’d picked up from her opponent in order to deliver strategically timed attacks. The masked assailant was faster, but in raw physical strength Stardust was able to match him. She took advantage of this, smashing down with both hands on her blade, throwing all caution and self-preservation aside. It was frenzied and dangerous, leaving her entirely open for attack. However, it managed to catch their opponent off guard for two fleeting seconds.

    Stardust raised her blade to strike again, feinted instead, used the momentum to corkscrew herself. Pushed by jets of light from her limbs, she spun madly as she flew backward. As she did, her enemy’s blade caught her. A line of flame erupted from her shoulder to her back, sending her entire left side into a terrible, quivering spasm. Seulgi and Stardust cried out yet again as they fell, paralyzed by the injury.

    Stardust landed with a harsh, crunching thud. She screamed as the pain erupted, ripping through her, consuming her. Holes in her vision appeared, gaping, swallowing invitations into unconsciousness, threatening to her in. Mist leaked from her back, lifeblood evaporating into the air around her, fading into nothingness as it was carried away by the wind. Under normal circumstances, her body would be resilient enough to take a much larger fall, but she had landed on her wounded side.

    The sirens were close now, almost loud enough to muffle the footsteps that approached her. Each step chimed out, echoing as if to announce the coming of Stardust’s doom. With barely enough strength left to move, she threw herself into a supine position, held her right arm up in a useless display of defense. A veiled face drew near, hovering above, partially illuminated by the glow of the upraised blade.

    “I’m sorry.” the assailant whispered. Through the dazed detachment of her agony and fear, Seulgi was able to recognize the voice as distinctly feminine.

    A gunshot-like crack sounded through the air, and a white radiance spun itself around Seulgi’s body. Its quality was salient and stark, bringing a familiarity that caught Seulgi’s attention, allowing her to briefly drag herself away from her pain. Numbing warmth filled her wound, and she could feel her flesh reforming along with the delicate viscera of her spinal column. She pushed herself up on her side, found that she was still weak, and allowed herself to slump back to the ground.

    Joohyun stooped over her, a shadow against the light that blossomed from her limbs and hair. She placed a hand on Seulgi’s cheek. To Seulgi, the tenderness of Joohuyn’s caress was more a blessing than the healing she’d received.

    Joohyun stood and straightened. From the angle Seulgi lay at, she could see Joohyun’s heels, as well as the bare feet of the woman who had just been seconds from killing her. The woman’s toenails were painted in alternating, gaudy colors, from pastel brown to radioactive green. Seulgi couldn’t help but let out a weak, coughing chuckle.

    “Leave now,” Joohyun said, tone dangerous.

    “Sister,” that feminine voice replied ruefully, taking a step toward Joohyun.

    Sister? Seulgi thought. She exhaled forcefully, pushing herself upright with her right hand. The healing was working much slower than Stardust’s had prior, but perhaps that was due to the extent of the wound.

    “No!” Joohyun growled, “Leave right now. We will talk about this later.”

    “Your sister?” Seulgi Stardust said in shock. “Seungwan?”

    “Shhh, Seulgi,” Joohyun said softly. “Rest.”

    The sound of the sirens were close enough now that they drowned out what Joohyun said next, but Seungwan flinched back in response, then fled. Tracers of white followed her retreat as she exited reality.

    “There are people coming,” Joohyun said, turning back to Seulgi as Seungwan disappeared, “We have to go.”

    Without pause, Joohyun reached down and scooped Seulgi into her arms. Seulgi winced and gritted her teeth, expecting the pain in her back to flare up again, but it only continued to tingle dully. Though she could feel Stardust’s reproach at the vulnerability of their position, Seulgi finally allowed herself to relax in Joohyun’s hold.

It was, after all, the safest embrace in the world.

    “Where are we going?” Seulgi asked, looking up at her savior, her guardian angel, trying to stifle the coming tears that threatened to choke her.

    The telltale sounds of police radios and shouting voices had replaced the din of the sirens.

    “The Astral Plane. The only Touchstone I know nearby is Newport Beach, but it will have to do,” Joohyun said as a ripple in the air spread before them, unraveling the fabric of space.

    Seulgi gave a weak nod, one that she wasn’t sure Joohyun even noticed, as they’d already entered the portal.

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A shorter chapter, but I didn't want to have two double chapters in a row, so I decided to split it up.

This fight probably won't be good for Stardust's ego, and I wonder how Seulgi will react to knowing that it was Seungwan who tried to kill her.

Next one will be another Joyri chapter, so we can find out what they've been up to this whole time.

Thanks for reading!