Chapter Text
“New Dong City?” Mira said, wrinkling her nose.
“New Donk City,” Zoey repeated, trying to stifle her laugh.
“I prefer my version.”
“Of course you do,” said Rumi. “And Zoey, I love your enthusiasm, but I don’t really think we want to end our hiatus just to play at some random benefit concert in a city we’ve never heard of.”
“Oh, I’m sorry if I’m interrupting your relaxy time.” Zoey leaned aggressively into Rumi’s space, up on her tip-toes to try and counter their height difference. “Who was it that barely let us sit down on Couch before dragging us into promo for Golden?”
Rumi leaned back, holding her hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay. Why is this so important to you?”
“Because my step-brother Jack is at college there, and he’s helping organize the concert. He’s the only person in my family who’s never disappointed me, and I want to help him.” Zoey looked up at her friends and unleashed her maknae powers upon them. “Pleeeease!”
“Okay, fine,” Mira said, folding like a Saja Boy on a game show.
“We need to talk to Bobby first…” Rumi began.
“He thinks it’s a great idea,” Zoey told her, with a hint of smugness.
“Devious,” Mira said, respect in her voice.
“Fine!” huffed Rumi. “But at least tell me he’s going to have found us a new jet by then…”
Since their headline set wasn’t until much later in the evening, the trio were sat in the performers’ area off to the side of the stage, to watch some of the earlier acts – mostly local artists. The current one was a teenager who was singing a mix of familiar anthems and original songs, and had won over the crowd with her infectious enthusiasm.
“Thank you so much!” Pauline shouted as the cheering died back. “Now, this is when I normally sing my favorite cover, but since we’re all looking forward to hearing HUNTR/X in person later…” she paused while the crowd screamed, and chanted their name, “…i’mma leave Golden to them, and play another one of mine instead.” With that, she launched into a high-energy song that had the crowd – and the hunters – singing along by the second chorus.
“Wait… did you guys see that?” Zoey asked, breathless with excitement.
“The Honmoon,” Mira confirmed. “It glowed.”
“How is she doing that?” Rumi whispered. “I thought only hunters could strengthen it.” The three of them stared at each other. “We have to talk to her.”
Pauline bounced off the stage, the audience’s cheers and applause still ringing in her ears. “What would you have made of that, DK?” she whispered to herself. Then, she saw the three women waiting for her in the wings, and froze. “Zoey? Rumi? Mira? Omigosh! I’m such a huge fan!”
“Oh, thank you!” Zoey gushed. “You were pretty awesome too.”
“You… you liked my songs?” An enthusiastic nod. “Oh wow, you’re like my favorite lyricist, so that’s the most amazing compliment.”
“Hey, when you sing Golden, do you have your own bridge?” Mira asked.
“I sure do,” Pauline said proudly.
When HUNTR/X first released Golden, they each sang a line in the bridge, before joining together for the final one. After Namsan Tower, though, Rumi had shyly shown her bandmates the original lyrics she’d written for it, a solo version she’d never imagined sharing with them. Zoey had immediately insisted that Rumi record it so that they could re-release the song as she’d first imagined it. Just to be fair, they’d ended up with an EP containing three new versions of Golden, one with each of them singing their own solo bridge. After that, it had quickly become tradition for any singer-songwriters covering the song to create their own, personal take on the lyrics. Zoey, of course, had a compilation of every single one she could find.
“How would you like to sing it during our set later?” Rumi asked.
Pauline gasped, and her eyes widened. “Really?”
“Why don’t you come down to our dressing room, and we can discuss the details.”
“Um, okay!” Pauline said, like there was any other answer she could give.
“Yay!” said Zoey, as Rumi led them backstage. “Oh, and I loved the animal theme in your set. Do you by any chance have a song about turtles?”
“No…”
“Turtles are the best! You should totally write a song about them. Or maybe we could write one together. I know so many interesting things about them…”
Rumi smiled fondly as Zoey continued to talk enthusiastically, barely stopping to breathe the entire way to their dressing room. When she stepped inside and saw Derpy curled up in the corner, though, she paled. He raised his head to smile at her as she turned to try and block the door, but it was too late.
“Kitty!” Pauline exclaimed, before rushing over to run her fingers through the tiger’s fur. He purred, and leaned into her.
“That’s Derpy,” Mira said, “he belonged to Rumi’s ex, and now we’re stuck with him.”
“He’s not my ex,” Rumi muttered, “and don’t think I haven’t seen the blue fur on your clothes in the laundry bin.”
“She’s got you there,” Zoey laughed, accompanied by an amused squawk.
Pauline turned to see Sussie strutting along the make-up stations, wearing his hat and with all six eyes out. “That’s not natural,” she remarked, calmly. The magpie somehow contrived to smirk.
“Uh…”
“Don’t worry, I’ve seen way weirder stuff than this. And also, before, when I was singing, I could see these glowing, multi-colored lines above the crowd.”
“You can see the Honmoon?” Mira exclaimed, her expression of shock mirrored on her bandmates’ faces.
“Is that what it’s called?” Pauline asked. “What is it?”
The others shared a long look, before Rumi finally spoke. “It’s a magical barrier that keeps the demons out of our world. Mostly. It was first created in Korea, hundreds of years ago. Every generation three women are chosen as hunters, to strengthen the Honmoon with our songs, and to fight the demons who make it through.”
“And now it’s your turn. Wow!”
“Only hunters – or former hunters – should be able to see the Honmoon,” Zoey said, “but you couldn’t just see it, we could feel you strengthening it too. It was during the song you played instead of Golden, and we were singing along during the chorus…”
“That must be it,” Mira said. “Somehow, when you sing at the same time as us, you can affect the Honmoon too. Has anything like that happened to you before?”
“Um… a few months ago I went on this crazy adventure in this amazing underground world, and I was able to help my friend DK by singing songs that gave him special powers.”
Zoey nodded like that was a perfectly normal thing to talk about. “So your singing gives power to other people, and with us that’s strengthening the Honmoon. That is so cool!”
“Okay,” Rumi said, “so let’s talk about how to get you into our set.”
“That’s who we’re born to be!” Rumi allowed the last note to fade away as the stage crashed into darkness. Pauline hurried forward, clutching her microphone in nervous hands, until the spotlight snapped onto her.
“I’ve been so far deep underground,
To find out what’s truly me.
Put my fears all in the past now,
Found a strength that I’ll make them all see.
No more hiding, I’ll be shining like I’m born to be,
’Cause we are singers, voices strong, and I know I’ll believe!”
A second spotlight found Rumi, and together they belted out the chorus
“We’re goin’ up, up, up,
It’s our moment.
You know together we’re glowing,
Gonna be, gonna be golden.”
They turned to smile at each other as Mira and Zoey’s voices harmonized with theirs. And above the screaming crowd, the rainbow waves of the Honmoon shone brighter than ever.