"…Where… am I?"
When Luna came to her senses, she found herself standing in an unfamiliar place.
Before her stretched a pure white horizon without a single obstacle, like a vast field of ice. The sky shimmered faintly like the Shinonome family's colors, and above that spread a night sky as deep as the void.
This was the underworld.
In a silence so complete that even the wind, sounds, and her own heartbeat felt distant, only her own existence stood out clearly.
"I am sorry for bringing you here so suddenly."
A familiar voice reached her from behind.
Luna slowly turned around.
There stood a woman dyed entirely in white. Her clothes, hair, skin, and eyes were all pure white, so bright they seemed to melt into light. She looked like snowlight given human form. She carried both a fragility that seemed like she might vanish if touched and a warmth that could embrace the entire world.
"......"
Luna's lips trembled, but no sound came out. The feelings that had built up in her chest overflowed before she could form words.
"It has been a long time—"
The white beauty smiled gently. Yet her gaze held a hint of hesitation.
After a short pause, she spoke again.
"Nice to meet you… Luna."
At those words, Luna gave a small shake of her head.
"…It is not our first meeting."
Tears welled in Luna's eyes as she finally managed to speak.
The white beauty's eyes widened.
"…Luuko."
Tears slid down Luna's cheeks.
Without hesitation, she ran forward.
"Titania!"
She called out and threw herself into Titania's chest. She buried her face there and let the tears flow freely.
"I am sorry…! I am truly sorry…!"
Her voice, mixed with sobs, spread through the white world.
"I… forgot about you, Titania…! Even though you were so important to me… even though I should never have forgotten you…!"
Her trembling hands clutched the hem of Titania's clothes.
"When I remembered, my chest felt so tight… I felt so ashamed…"
Her words broke off into more sobs.
Titania quietly stroked her head.
"It is all right, Luuko."
Her voice was full of affection.
"I have no intention of blaming you for forgetting. After all, you have come all this way to see me."
Every time her fingers combed through Luna's hair, faint white light swayed gently.
"When the world's time was rewound, I had prepared myself for death. I thought I would never be able to speak with you again. Yet now I can hear your voice. I can touch you like this. Just that is enough to make me want to cry with joy."
Titania's voice trembled.
"Thank you, Luuko. Thank you for coming to see me once more."
Titania's arms tightened around her just a little.
Their shadows overlapped, and light poured into the white world.
Countless stars twinkled in the night sky. Like a rain of blessings, soft light drifted down and enveloped the two of them.
◇
Once their tears had calmed and their breathing had steadied, Titania gently looked toward Luna's back.
"…You have always stayed by Luuko's side, have you not? Honestly, I did not expect you to carry out my wish so faithfully."
Following the prompt in her voice, Luna turned around as well. There was Pixie, the fairy who had always stayed close to her.
Luna immediately understood what was wanted and murmured softly.
"Fairy Manifestation."
At her quiet words, the surrounding air trembled. Countless tiny lights gathered around Pixie. They flowed like the wind, danced like flower petals, and eventually formed a single shape.
When the light converged, a girl in white stood there.
Her appearance was so similar to Titania's that it was immediately clear she was her child.
Pixie looked at her own hands and feet, as if confirming her new body.
"…Is this… me…?"
Having gained a physical form for the first time, Pixie let out a voice filled with both surprise and emotion.
Titania also caught her breath at the sight.
"When did you learn Fairy Manifestation…?"
"Fufu. Have you forgotten? You were the one who taught me this, Titania."
Luna smiled softly.
'Luuko, the last thing I can give you is the sensation of the current Fairy Manifestation. It will surely become your strength from now on. So do not forget the sensation of when I manifested. Even if today's memories disappear.'
Those were the words Titania had left her with just before the world's time was rewound, when she had manifested with Oliver's help.
Luna had now clearly remembered that sensation, which had once been lost beyond forgetfulness.
"…I see. So I really did manage to leave something behind for you, Luuko."
Titania smiled happily and stepped forward.
She approached the white girl — Pixie — and faced her.
Gently, she placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Pixie, thank you for protecting Luuko all this time. Thanks to you, she did not have to be alone. I am truly grateful."
Pixie lowered her eyes for a moment, then smiled.
"…You do not need to thank me. I… had fun. Queen, you told me, right? That I could act freely however I felt…"
Pixie continued speaking quietly, as if revealing her heart.
"…I have seen so many things together with Luna. The changing seasons, people's smiles, their tears, the good and the bad, everything. If you had not given birth to me, Queen, I would never have had these opportunities. So… I am grateful to you."
Pixie paused, then broke into a bright smile.
"Thank you for giving birth to me, Queen. No… Mother."
At those words, Titania's eyes widened in surprise.
Then her eyes slowly filled with tears.
"…I never imagined there would come a day when I would be called that…"
The sky of the underworld quietly trembled, as if the world itself was shedding tears at their words.
Faint particles of light had begun to drift from Titania's body.
"…Titania?"
Luna gasped.
Titania smiled quietly and looked at her own hand.
"…It seems my time is almost up."
Her voice was calm, without any trace of fear toward death.
"Say, Luuko. Do you know how fairies meet their end?"
At the sudden question, Luna lowered her gaze sadly.
"Yes. I have heard that even after death, they leave behind a magic stone called a Spirit's Eye that can be of help to people."
Titania narrowed her eyes happily.
"Correct."
She stepped closer to Luna and reached out toward her head. Her fingertips touched Luna's hair ornament.
"Fairies, even after they disappear, become a Spirit's Eye and serve as someone's light. So this is fine."
While whispering, she slowly poured the magic power that formed her body into the hair ornament. Faint light dripped down, and the ornament gradually took on a white hue until it became pure white.
Titania gazed at the light and smiled nostalgically.
"…After being defeated by the evil gods and sending off my comrades and friends one by one, I chose to become a mere observer. For hundreds of years, I was alone. But the one who saved me from that loneliness was you, Luuko."
Tears flowed down Luna's cheeks.
"Titania…"
"I am truly grateful. Do not forget. I will continue watching over you always."
Titania's voice trembled gently like the wind. Luna nodded desperately while holding back her tears.
"…Yes."
Titania then turned toward Pixie.
"Pixie, you no longer need to be bound by my wish. From now on, live for yourself. Live however you like."
Pixie blinked, then smiled brightly.
"…Understood. I will enjoy my life to the fullest."
Titania nodded in satisfaction. Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something, she let out a small breath.
"…Ah, that is right. There was still one promise I had not fulfilled."
"Promise…?"
Luna tilted her head. Titania smiled a little shyly.
"I still had not told you why I called you Luuko, had I?"
Luna blinked.
"The character for 'child' is made from 'beginning' and 'end.' In other words, it means one life — a lifetime. Your ancestor Stella taught me that. She wanted to give that character to her own child, but her wish went unfulfilled. So I carried on her wish and called you, her descendant, Luuko."
Her voice was quiet. Yet those words carried hundreds of years of feelings. Luna smiled through her tears.
"…Then you fulfilled our ancestor's wish, Titania."
"Fufu… It is not quite that grand."
Titania laughed as if it were a joke.
Her body was already almost completely dissolved into light.
Luna reached out in a panic.
But her hand passed right through Titania's body.
"…Titania!"
Her voice shook and tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I will carry the feelings of you and our ancestors and live my life to the fullest! So that when we meet again in heaven after I have lived a life you can be proud of, I can hold my head high…! So—!"
Luna's voice broke off in a sob.
Titania looked at her and gently narrowed her eyes.
"…Yes. Today is a special day, after all."
"…Special…?"
"Yes. Today is October 1st. In other words, the month of your birth. And the day you turn twenty. In the old era, twenty was considered the start of adulthood. So today, you have officially become an adult. That is why you will be fine even without me."
Her voice was filled with affection.
"Titania…"
Titania gave a small smile and nodded quietly.
"Luuko… Pixie… You two are my pride. I will always watch over your happiness from the heavens."
With those final words, Titania's body scattered into light.
Particles like white feathers dissolved into the starry sky.
In the silence, Luna slowly touched her hair ornament. Inside it rested a faintly glowing white gem — a Spirit's Eye.
Pixie gently moved to Luna's side.
Even as tears continued to flow down her cheeks, Luna smiled.
"…Thank you, Titania. I will definitely carry forward the lessons I learned from you into the future."
The stars twinkled in the underworld sky. As if watching over them from heaven, they quietly illuminated the two, turning their farewell into a blessing.