Percy suddenly figured out how to flash, reappearing outside Estelle's home where Hanatarou and Kenjiro were supporting their grandmother on the porch, eyes looking up at the stars. 

"Estelle. No!" Percy screamed, grabbing her hands. "I don't get to lose you to!" 

Estelle smiled gently. "I told you, I was too stubborn to die before seeing you again." 

"That doesn't mean you get to die that day I wake up." 

"Percy. Please. I'm old. Its time." 

"No! I am a god! I can save you!" 

His hands began to glow but Estelle held his, stopping him. "I'm sad Harutora isn't here, but I get to be with my dear Renji and Kimiko and Menma again. People come back here, Percy. Everyone, living life after life. I may not recognize you but I will be back. I promise, but this life is over. I'm ready to move on. I was only waiting for you, big brother." 

Tears were streaming down Percy's face as he pleaded. "Please let me save you! Don't leave me!" 

"Percy." Estelle said, voice growing soft. "I only ask, as my dying wish, for you to continue to protect our family. Don't hide yourself away from the world. You need people in your life. I'm sorry I can't be there."

"I love you, Estelle. Never forget that." 

"I love you too, Percy. I love you Hanatarou, and Kenjiro and little Ayako." 

She looked up. "How lovely the stars are tonight. I think this place, surrounded by my family under the sky is a good place to-" 

Her hand fell from Percy's grip, eyes blank and a peaceful smile on her face.

Hanatarou closed his eyes, hands shaking and Ayako cried into Kenjiro's shoulder, the hunter fighting back tears. 

Percy screamed to the heavens, but no rain fell. Estelle wanted to see the stars and she would have them. 

"I release your spirit, dear sister and cast your memory into the night sky that you so loved, even if you were not born under it. May all who see you know what love you had for your people and the world around you." Percy said through tears, focusing on what he wanted.
 
Estelle's body began to glow, fading from view as a thousand silver sparks rose into the air, flying over the village until it reached for the sky.

A new constellation bloomed to life, a bright central star and seven others that circled it. 

"She's gonna love that, Oji-san." Ayako said, looking up at the sky. 

Percy could only mourn as his world once more was ripped from him for the second time that day. 

_______________
It had been several days since Estelle's funeral, a grand affair that many pretentious and uppity nobles attended, rumor having reached them that the sleeping God was awake. 

Percy had hidden amongst the villagers, hair pinned up under a hat and in commoner clothes. The nobles had ignored him and the villiage let him mourn with them.

And then Percy had retreated to the shrine, and hadn't emerged until Ayako pestered him into fleeing a week into his isolation. 

Percy hadn't talked to anyone else who wasn't Ayako either, even if it was just to tell her to go away but the youngest Jackson had a sixth sense for where her immortal grand uncle was hiding and an unnatural ability to reach it. 

Percy had promised Estelle he would stay but he kinda wanted to be alone, if only because he didn't quite trust himself not to hurt anyone on accident. Death, was still something he could not reverse. 

Ayako sidled up next to him on the shrine roof, which was probably blasphemous but as the god of said shrine, Percy was prepared to let it slide. 

She had a bento in her hand,  having managed to keep ahold of it on her rather precarious climb and leap to Percy's chosen spot. "Wow! You can see the entire villiage from up here." Ayako said, swinging her legs off the edge. "Here, Oji-san. I made these for you. Minako-san from next door helped.  They were grandma's favorite even though they taste the same as regular mitarashi dango." 

Percy hesitantly opened the bento and saw several sticks of blue sweet balls. 

"She remembered." Percy smiled sadly. 

"Minako-san helped boil the red cabbage to make the color. It was stinky."
 
Percy gave out a startled laugh.  "Well, it seems I can't eat all of this by myself. Would you like one?" 

Ayako grinned and took one of the sticks. "Yummy!" 

Percy chewed on his own, happy he finally found something sweet and better yet, blue. 

"We found out why dad was late." Ayako said, looking even sadder than she had yesterday. "Bandits." 

Something cracked deep in the forest, taking the brunt of the god's anger rather than something a bit closer. 

"I'm sorry." 

"It's okay. We knew that might happen. That's what happened to Grandpa and Menma-oji. Being a merchant is dangerous. Hanatarou-nii says he's going to see if he can find and salvage the caravan. If we're lucky, he might find Tou-san nearby. Bandits don't usually kill because then the soldiers from the capital come. They are also kinda scared of you since trees keep falling on them." 

Percy gave a small smile. "I think I will go with him." 

Ayako's eyes widened. "Okay. Be safe, Oji-san." 

Percy nodded, and vanished, but not before carrying Ayako down to the ground, the empty bento in her hands.