Dear Traveler, I know what you're thinking. You're eager to see how Ritsu feels about going up against the only sun clone he has ever idolized. You're dying to see the two of them face off before the main event, sizing each other up, exchanging glances loaded with meaning and implied feelings that go way beyond the Divine Cave of Three Stars arena. You want to witness their auras clash and time slow down around them, locking them inside that special space of sleeping godhood and badassery – Oh I know exactly what you want. And guess what?

You get nothing!

NOTHING, DEAR TRAVELER!

Just as I have been denied that eighth finalist spot in the Sevenfold Peach Championship, so will you be denied that sweet emotional build-up between our thief of a hero and his beyond worthy rival.

I don't care if you didn't do anything to deserve this! I'm a bitter ape! Since I can't take it out on that fake Fry Cook Hero, punishing you is the next best thing.

Hmph!

Ohhh, quit your crying. Don't you realize by now that I'm contractually obligated to tell you the story without bending the truth in a way that compromises the integrity of the tale? You'll get it all in due time. There's nothing in my contract that says I can't stall certain events in order to create stress and anticipation within the reader. Some people call that good storytelling. Plus it's fun.

So anyway. Brace yourself, Dear Traveler, for a little skip through time. It's necessary in order to give the perspective of our wary sleuth and assassin, the spider.

Her account takes place the morning after Sun Zhaoling's tiebreaker over Sun Terra. His and Sun Ritsu's one-on-one match has already been announced. Team Lemon Lime have gotten to work on preparing Ritsu as best as they can for his final and possibly most challenging test yet.

But on this same morning, Anari the Spider is on a gondola with her boss, Sun Bai, touring the more pristine tributaries of the Heavenly River. This side of the Village is even more quiet than the hilly bike trails and more beautiful due to the iridescent body of water pushing them along...

Anari

"You're leaving?"

It was strange to see Bai outside of a paper space when he wasn't en route somewhere. He did not enjoy being out in the open where a threat had a clear view of him. But if Anari knew one thing about Bai, it was that there was something about the wetness of early morning that called to him.

Morning dew was, he had mentioned a few times in passing, frustratingly difficult of a thing to get right in the simulated environments of the paper space. His snake genius engineers were working on it, but until then Sun Bai would have to suffer with the glitch-work and laughable imitation of the dewdrop tapestry that he and Anari sailed along in this moment.

Other for the dew on the grass in the morning, Sun Bai preferred the safety of the indoors – or better yet – the safety in the crease of a paper space. So when he invited Anari for a boat ride inside the maze of grassy knuckled hills that the Rabbit Province countryside was known for, the spider began to suspect that her boss was about to go away.

"This place makes me tired," Bai said, not so long after Anari had asked her question.

The silence after that made Anari realize his point.

"But you want me to stay."

Bai turned his head away from the scenery slightly, meeting Anari's gaze. "Represent me at the Banquet of a Hundred Delicacies."

The tropical blood in the spider's veins turned to winter's ice. All eight finalists were expected to be there. Them and one spirit from their team. Meaning that flanked by someone from his dedicated cadre – which, Anari's Saboteur reminded her, does not include you these days – the Fry Cook Hero would also be at that banquet.

"I've made the arrangements," Bai said, probably assuming that Anari worried about the excuses and all the explaining she would have to do.

"Thank you," she said, her voice still uneasy. Damn her. Even now when Bai was giving her thoughts room to breathe? Even now, she struggled to hold onto her cloak of professionalism and coolness. Sweet immortal peaches, Bai was about to leave and she could not keep her hiccups over the one she guarded under control –

"I'll be back before the last trial, I promise," Bai said, facing her now, looking clearly at her through his lenses. A moment of warmth from him. Of apology. Because he thought she hated this giant tourist attraction as much as he did.

He embraced her then. She held onto him out of instinct. She had not realized how tired she was too. She was tired and there was so much work to do.

"Get some rest while I'm gone," Bai whispered against her cheek. Soft yet commanding. "And after I come back for the staff, I promise you a real vacation."

Anari's eyelids became heavy, her jaw went slack against Sun Bai's shoulder. His ghostly stray hairs interrupted her view of the dewy rolling hills.

So much work left to do. Her venom was not potent enough. Her web in motion, it was, but not yet set.

She could not rest until she had what she needed to put Sun Bai down for good.

After Anari saw Bai off on the monorail, she put her plan in motion: first, get a message out to Bodhi where they would find it. Then she would need to call upon Sun Surina for a favor. Locating that personal stylist who used to work under Sun Bai was back on the menu and Anari believed that Sailor Sun had the right connections to get the spider closer to a meeting with whoever they were.

Or had been, Anari thought, realizing this individual's essence could be floating around somewhere at the bottom of the Lake of Ninefold Darkness.

She really, really hoped that wasn't the case.

Anari did her best to not let her anxiousness get to her as she waited for Bodhi to show up.

"You called?"

This wasn't the first time Bodhi had shown up to her paper space, but for some reason, today felt different. Anari didn't hesitate to meet Bodhi at the entrance. She embraced them as a greeting. The spider could feel the human go still in her arms. She had never done this before and they probably didn't know what to make of it.

"Bai's gone," Anari whispered. Bodhi relaxed, rubbing her back now as if in understanding. And then, if only to not let herself get too comfortable, she added, "Temporarily."

In their easy, knowing way, Bodhi said, "Take all the time you need."

Anari drew back, cupping the monk's face and kissing them soundly. Time wasn't really something Anari could spare, but she did need this. There was nothing Bodhi could really do, yet their support – them simply showing up for her – was everything. It brought the relief of being off the clock to a new level for the spider.

"How are you doing?" Anari asked, coaxing Bodhi to make themself comfortable among the plants and the clutter. She went to make some tea for them both.

Bodhi wandered to the small center table and concerned themself with a bowl of fruit.

"I'm overwhelmed."

There wasn't any trace of such in their voice. When the spider glanced over her shoulder, she even caught the monk smirking while they studied a bruised pear.

"Sun Zhaoling," Anari said. This made Bodhi look up. Now the spider could see the cracks in the monk's smirking facade.

"The good news is, Ritsu is taking this very seriously. His disadvantage comes with experience. Zhaoling has too much of it. I don't know if I can get Ritsu where he needs to be in time."

The tea was ready. And so was Anari.

"I want to talk to him."

Bodhi blinked. They slowly put down the pear.

"Bai won't be here for the banquet," Anari clarified, pouring the tea. "I'm not going to spend the whole evening trying to hide from Sun Ritsu. And I won't recruit you to help me do it. Enough is enough. I need to tell him about what I am and who I work for."

Bodhi looked torn. They closed their eyes, gripped the back of the nearest chair, and gently cursed.

"Legs, I'm not sure if Ritsu..." They cursed again and covered their face.

"He needs to know. From me – my mouth – while there's still time. I don't want him finding out in the worst way. All Sun Bai has to do is say the word and he's in a room with Ritsu, where I'm a cold statue who can't do or say anything. I am trying to keep that from happening, but I am also terrified that it will."

Bodhi lifted their head. "You wouldn't be alone, Legs." The gray in their eyes was hard and resolute. "I wouldn't let you or Ritsu go in alone."

"You can't be his shield, Bodhi. Not in this."

The look in Bodhi's eyes melted. They were back to that strained look of uncertainty.

"I agree that he should know, but I don't have a strong sense on what Ritsu can handle these days. There are things that can really break him down."

Anari looked away. "I know." Her leaving the cadre had been one of those things. Sometimes she thought to herself, how dare I think about getting close to him to fix a wound that I put there myself.

"But there's other things..." Bodhi took their gaze to the window. "There's other things that set Ritsu on fire. And he finds a way through whatever is standing in his way. I don't know which one will happen when he's with you. But Legs."

Bodhi had joined Anari in the kitchen. They placed a hand on her back and rubbed until she looked at them.

"Can I be your shield in this? I won't let you go into that conversation alone."

Assassins didn't need shields. They didn't need emotional support from wayward monks. Or the forgiveness of a monkey king.

Even so, Anari nodded. Because if she spoke words, she'd only choke on them. The monk embraced her once more. Another wave of relief washed over the spider's perception.

Enough time had passed since Anari nearly blew her own cover that night she ran into Ritsu down by the shoreline of the Heavenly River. He had been there alone. He must have heard the wailing. She suspected that he felt the sorrow of it deep in his soul.

Anari was sure that even if Sun Ritsu rejected her at the Banquet of a Hundred Delicacies, he would not walk away from those voices trapped under the bridge. No matter how he may come to hate her.

He would go on being a hero.

If that were the case, it would hurt. It would really, really hurt, but the spider would understand. And she would watch him become the thing everyone in this broken spirit world needed.