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avengersassemble123 · 1 year

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Gentle and Thorough Lover

CHARACTERS: KAEYA, ALBEDO, GN!READER PAIRINGS: SLIGHT KAEYA X READER (ROMANTIC IF YOU SQUINT A BIT), ALBEDO X READER (PLATONIC, MODERN AU, TBBT AU

(cr:Google)

It was a pleasant morning so far for the pair of roommates, as the blue haired male sat by the couch, drinking his coffee, while the other blonde haired entered the kitchen.

"I bought some cereal. I feel so good I'm gonna choose from the low fiber end of the shelf." Albedo spoke, patting his hands on either side of his hips in refreshment as he searched through the shelf with cereals arranged according to their fiber level, choosing to go with Honey puffs for the day. Kaeya sat tensely across the room, on the couch, wondering what will go down today due to the past night actions.

*flashback*

You see the two roommates had sneaked into their neighbour's apartment, not to steal. Oh No. To clean. Albedo was a clean freak by his right, and since the day he saw Y/N's apartment, he made it a self goal to clean and organize every. goddamn. shelf. Meanwhile Kaeya over here was the almost sensible enough person, to prevent Albedo from doing that. But alas, the storm has to someday set its foot. Kaeya watched helplessly as Albedo used the key to their neighbor's apartment which Y/N entrusted them to, of course trying his best to stop the blonde, but himself couldn't get over the fact of the untidiness in the apartment. Needless to say, he finally relented and let Albedo enter the apartment and help him clean and organize it.

*present time*

Kaeya sat tensely across the room, on the couch, wondering what will go down today due to the past night actions, when,

"SON OF A BITCH!!"

Kaeya anxiously sighed, now leaning back against the couch, looking towards his roommate, who now also stared back, knowing that shit was about to hit the fan.

"Y/N's up." Kaeya declared nervously raising his mug by one hand and then taking a sip.

"YOU SICK GEEKY BASTARDS!" Y/N yelled across the floor, making the roommates wince at the choice of words, "How did they know it was us?" Kaeya asked, confused. Albedo nervously broke his gaze from his roommate, looking everywhere across the room, "I may have left a suggested organizational schematic for their bedroom closet." Kaeya groaned audibly, setting his mug aside on the table in front of him.

"KAEYA!!" Y/N yelled as Kaeya got up from his seat, walking towards the center of the room in panic, "God, this is gonna be bad."

"Goodbye Honey puffs. Hello Big Bran." Albedo muttered out, as he changed his choice from low fiber to a high fiber cereal.

Y/N slammed open the door of the roommates' apartment, "You came into my apartment last night while I was SLEEPING?!!"

"We-well it was only to clean." Kaeya said in gentle voice, trying to calm them down. "Really more to organize. You're not actually dirty per se." Albedo spoke up, making the blue haired male groan while the neighbor ran their hands frustratingly across their head, "Give me back my key!" Y/N demanded, to which Kaeya relented.

"I'm very very sorry.." Kaeya apologized,

"Do you understand how creepy this is??" Y/N exclaimed

"Oh yes we do," Kaeya nodded frantically, "we discussed at length last night." Kaeya added.

"In my apartment, while I was sleeping." Y/N continued emphasizing more on the last word. "And snoring." Albedo added, 'And that's probably just a sinus infection," Albedo explained, as he walked towards the duo in the hall, as if he was explaining a certain topic to some students, "But it could be sleep apnea. You might wanna see and otolaryngologist." Albedo continued.

Kaeya closed his eyes, facing his head towards the floor, while Y/N stood there astounded with their mouth open, staring at the blonde male. "The throat doctor." Albedo further added, assuming they did not know the meaning of the term 'otolaryngologist'.

Y/N rubbed their palms together, looking down and walking towards the blonde male, before looking up to his face and speaking, "And what kind of doctor removes shoes from asses." Albedo stared down at the person, quizzically staring into their face before replying, "Depending on the depth that's either uhh.. proctologist or a general surgeon."

Kaeya, who knew that his roommate had a certain difficulty deriving emotional tones of the people, had already walked over with a pen and paper, when Y/N had asked the million dollar question, scribbling on it something, before standing behind Y/N, displaying the word 'SARCASM' in bold letters to gesture to the blonde as a clue, that it was a sarcastic question the neighbor had asked, and not a serious one, making Albedo's eyes widen in realization, muttering out and 'Oh..' before diverting his attention anywhere except the neighbor's eyes.

"God!" Y/N groaned as they turned around, walking towards the door, before being stopped by Kaeya, "Look look Y/N, I think what you're feeling is perfectly valid and maybe a little bit later when you're feeling a little less, for a lack of a better word, violated, maybe we could talk about this some more-" Kaeya frantically said before being interrupted, "Stay away from me!" Y/N exclaimed, "Sure, that's another way to go." Kaeya muttered meekly, crossing his hands immediately.

"Y/N wait!" Albedo called out, making everyone halt at their places, "Hold on, just to clarify because there will be discussion when you leave," Albedo said, walking towards their door, where Y/N was standing, "Is your objection solely to our presence in the apartment while you were sleeping, or do you also object to the imposition of the new organizational paradigm?" Albedo questioned, making the neighbor taken back for the second time in the day, with their mouth slightly open, before turning around and returning to their apartment. Albedo turned around to find his roommate also looking down, rubbing his index finger and thumb between his eyes. "Well that was a little un-responsive." Albedo commented before closing the door.

"You're going to march yourself over there right now and apologize." Kaeya ordered, to which Albedo chuckled, which made the former make an offended expression at the laugh. "What's funny?" Kaeya asked, still offended, "Wait that wasn't sarcasm?" Albedo questioned, now with his eyebrows raised. "No!" Kaeya exclaimed, pointing and gesturing his roommate towards the neighbor's apartment. "Oh boy you are all over the place this morning." Albedo commented, as he walked over to the area.

Albedo knocked while muttering, 'I have a master's in two PHDs. I should not be doing this." Y/N opened the door, "What?"

"I'm truly sorry for what happened last night. I take full responsibility. And I hope that it won't color your opinion on Kaeya," Albedo spoke, as Kaeya slightly hid himself behind his apartment door, listening in to the apology, "who is not only a wonderful guy but also I hear a gentle and thorough lover."

Kaeya who was listening in to the apology, as soon as he heard the last four words, put his hands on his head in absolute devastation and exasperation, sitting down on the couch hopelessly as if he lost a whole tournament by one miscalculation, his mind going blank but at the same time running with hundreds of thoughts, mostly cursing his roommate the most, his brown cheeks showing a huge tint of red, almost matching his brother's hair.

Y/N looked at Albedo in shock and surprise, their mouth being wide opened for the third time in a day, slight pink shadowing on their cheeks before slamming the door on Albedo's face.

Albedo walked inside his apartment, standing near a sat down Kaeya, who held his head in his hands, surprisingly warmer than usual. Albedo stood there for a few seconds before speaking out, "I did what I could." and walked to the kitchen counter to make his cereal bowl.

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Since I was having Kaeya brainrot and was in the mood for writing, here is a gift for you kaeya stans. Have fun! Don't forget to like and reblog!

#genshin impact x reader #genshin kaeya x reader #genshin impact kaeya x reader #genshin impact albedo x reader platonic #genshin albedo x reader platonic #kaeya x reader #kaeya alberich x reader #genshin kaeya alberich x reader #genshin imapct kaeya alberich x reader

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writing-badger · 2 years

Text

Reminiscence

Can be read below or on Ao3

Summary: Abyss Heralds have a formidable talent for showing up where they are least wanted or needed. They sow the seeds of discord as easily as they breathe. Yet no Herald has caused so much turmoil as the one facing the Traveler. Having infiltrated their group under the guise of a friend, it works with ruthless efficiency, taking out ally after ally.

But deep underneath its armour is an uncomfortable truth, this Abyss Herald is too human.

Genre: Angsty, angsty, angst

Word Count: 7,315

Warnings: Blood, Possible Character Death

The Abyss Herald stands in the centre of the room; any trace of its original form is now obscured by its impenetrable armour. Its feet are planted firmly on the ground, but its body hangs loosely like a puppet hanging from strings. Once warm, the stone chamber's air is quickly cooling to a dangerous temperature; threatening frostbite on anyone who dared to stay for too long. Despite the danger of the room, it doesn't move; instead keeping a close eye on those who have dared to challenge it.

It isn't going to be the one who makes the first move.

That duty is left to the Traveler who stands in a defensive position; their dull sword held in front of them. Their face looks like the perfect portrait of calm except for their eyes which contain a multitude of unchecked emotions. The Herald recognises none of them, placing it all under the singular title of 'weakness.'

Clearly, the multiple betrayals the Traveler has suffered through are beginning to weigh down on them, putting the creature at a clear advantage, Still, it has to be careful. Any advantage can quickly spiral into defeat if its confidence grows too high.

And so it waits.

Behind the Traveler, Paimon hovers nervously; bouncing up and down while keeping her limbs drawn tightly in. Usually, the little imp would try to encourage her companion or send some harsh words in the direction of the enemy, but she is silent.

Instead, her large eyes clearly broadcast her fear.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

The voice coming from Its lips is smoother than it remembers; mixing into the melodious air of Angel's Share. Paimon, however, stands out like a sore thumb; her face is wearing a painfully angry expression as she crosses her arms in a huff. It can see the pout on her lips as she looks away; refusing to make eye contact. The Traveler had long since left the pair, choosing to strike up a jovial conversation with Charles as he makes yet another Death After Noon.

"It was just a little joke," It says, trying to calm Paimon down although it is becoming a nearly impossible task as It tries not to laugh even more, "you weren't supposed to believe me!"

"Well, Paimon thought you were being serious," she says, her face scrunched up like an angry boar as it tries harder and harder not to laugh. "You are so mean!"

"Seriously though, who thinks that singing a lullaby to a Mitachurl is going to make it fall asleep." And just like that, the dam burst and laughter rippled out of Its body. It desperately clutched at Its stomach as the laughs ricocheted through the tavern. The other patrons are looking over in their direction, clearly a little annoyed. But, in that moment, It doesn't care. How could It be when Paimon looks so funny? Its carefully constructed façade is briefly cast away as It continues to laugh and, while the façade would be carefully pulled together the next morning, It decides to enjoy the moment while It can.

"Promise me you'll never change, Paimon!"

Hidden underneath the jovial laughter, however, is a deep sincerity to Its words. It can feel a clear fondness towards the floating imp that wears her heart on her sleeve.

After a couple of seconds, she spins to face him. Her cheeks glow a soft pink out of embarrassment before she shakes her head quickly; chasing her bashfulness away.

"Of course, Paimon won't! But you can't change either, ."

The sudden absence of sound breaks the Herald out of its thoughts, thrusting it back into the moment.

There is no time for memories in this fight.

The Traveler, sensing a slight break in the Herald's focus, places pressure on their left foot as they prepare for a charge attack. They think that they will be taking the Herald while it has lowered its guard. This couldn't be further from the truth.

As the Traveler leaps forwards, the Herald simply jumps over them; flawlessly avoiding the sword and allowing the attacker to be carried by their momentum. It knows what it needs to do, shake its enemy's foundations. And the best way to do that is to take out the weak link.

Clearly, the Traveler had not been expecting the Herald to move so quickly and neither had Paimon. The companion tries her hardest to return to the Traveler's side, but the Herald has her blocked in a corner.

Before she can even beg for the Herald to stop, it raises its fist and sends her flying into a nearby wall with a sharp punch. The cracking sound that follows sends the room into stunned silence as she drops to the floor, leaving behind a noticeable indent in the wall.

It is an undeniably cruel move, something that the Herald wouldn't look back on fondly. But that doesn't matter in a battle where any move could be its last.

"Paimon!"

The shout comes from a girl with long brown hair as she looses a flaming arrow in the Herald's direction.

It nimbly dodges the projectile, but it is more than enough of a distraction for her to dart forward and grab the unconscious Paimon, getting her to safety.

"Nice work, Amber," It says, revealing Itself from being one of the Whispering Woods' many trees, "although your footwork was a little bit sloppy at the end there."

Amber freezes on the large branch as she tries to find where It is standing.

"Nobody was meant to be here," she says as her face turns a bright shade of red as she nimbly jumps down to the ground. "I didn't want anyone to see."

It isn't unusual for the Outrider to train alone. Her particular skillset doesn't really fit in with the current structure of the Knights of Favonius. While she would have made for a stellar member of the Reconnaissance Company, Amber is more useful when she is allowed to have free rein. There is nothing quite like watching her confidently jump from branch to branch. It always feels something akin to pride welling up in Its chest.

"I know, but you have to make you don't hurt yourself," It says, burying Its emotions dep down as It walks over to her. "Aren't you lucky to have such a wonderful teacher!"

"But you haven't taught me anything," she counters with a cheeky grin. Rather than answering with words, It swings Its sword toward her and she instantly dodges with a small spin. This allows her to gracefully draw her bow while putting a healthy amount of space between It and herself.

"I taught you that move if I'm recalling it correctly."

"I wouldn't call 'hitting Amber repeatedly with a tree branch' training," she responds, chuckling slightly, "I had bruises for days after."

"But you did learn something vital, distance is..."

"An archer's greatest ally," she begrudgingly finishes, "Oh great , what would I have done without you."

Her tone is mocking, but It can't help but reach out and fondly ruffle her hair a little. She reaches up to try and stop Its hand but quickly realises that her attempts are futile. Instead, she grumbles about what will happen when she finally has her much-deserved growth spurt.

"It'll be the other way around and I'll be the cool one."

"Sure you will kid, whatever you say..."

Long-range fighters are a dangerous presence on any battlefield, especially one as close-cut as this.

While Amber is checking on Paimon, she has her back briefly turned to face the Herald. It really thought that it had taught her better than to make such a rookie error. Without hesitating, it moves behind her and swings one of its clawed gauntlets down.

It should have been a clean blow, but some invisible force stops it.

It turns its head in time to spot the Traveler running at it with rage in their eyes. Rather than wasting its energy trying to fight whatever is stopping it, the Herald moves in the direction it is being pulled. This allows it to dodge the Traveler's blade and move into a better attacking position.

"You need to keep your guard up!"

The voice is an unfamiliar one, causing the Herald to briefly look in the direction it came from. Standing near the entrance of the chamber is a blond man that it has only heard of in stories and long forgotten memories. His eyes are a constant reminder of what once was and what longs to be. Erupting from his hands is dark and familiar energy which struggles to entrap the Herald.

It's clear from the pained look in his eyes that he is in agony, but it doesn't stop him.

"I'll hold the Herald back for as long as I can," he says, his breathing ragged as the energy tightens its grip; slightly cracking some of the armour.

It can feel tears rolling down Its cheeks as yet another creature charges forwards. Its clawed hands swing wildly as it becomes lost in an uncontrollable rage. No one can say how many others have died by its claws, but two more are about to be added to that number.

Closing Its eyes, It crouches down and waits for Its inevitably painful death.

But death never comes.

Slowly opening Its eyes, It sees a man with striking blond hair blocking the attack. His dark cape billows out behind him, making him look like a hero from one of the lullabies Its mother would sing to It during the quieter nights. It can't even remember what she looks like now, only remembering her voice; a quiet melody that continues to haunt Its dreams.

Before It can fully understand what is happening, a strong hand wraps around Its wrist, forcibly pulling It up into a standing position.

"Thank you," a deep voice says from somewhere behind It, but the man pays them no mind.

"If you have time to talk, you have time to run."

Despite the harshness of his words, his voice is strained as he pushes back against the monster. After a couple of seconds, he manages to force the creature to stumble backwards. The second space is put between them, the defender summons a dark power that spreads out from his hand; wrapping around the creature like tendrils.

The person behind It begins to pull on Its arm, dragging iI to some unknown place. But It fights back.

"We can't leave him," It cries out, desperately trying to reach out to their saviour, "he's really hurt."

" !"

Its name sounds harsh as it snaps into the air causing It to freeze in place.

"We will just be holding him back." The words are cruel and leave no room for argument and so It remains silent as It gets pulled away.

This would be the first and last time that It would meet the fabled Twilight Sword of Khaenri'ah; the man who is praised as a hero by some and a fool by others. But It sees past the titles and names to the man with numerous scars covering his worn-out body.

To the man who looks tired.

So painfully tired.

He is too dangerous to keep around. Like Amber, he has a fighting style that is difficult to deal with when at a distance. This man could easily disrupt everything that the Herald had been working towards, but it can't immediately attack him. Instead, it would need to slowly get closer; something which it can do thanks to the Traveler. As the fight progresses, their movements have grown more and more erratic.

The Herald moves with the Traveler's flow, allowing them to push It backwards. The Bough Keeper, despite still having a firm grip on it, is clearly running out of energy as his concentration wanes. He doesn't notice that the Traveler is pushing the Herald closer and closer to its target.

"Traveler, watch out!" Amber shouts, her voice is filled with panic as she realises what the Herald's plan is.

But she is too late.

With no further warning, the Herald's clawed gauntlet shoots out behind it and grabs tightly around the Bough Keeper's wrist. It then tugs him forward, breaking his concentration completely. Using the momentum from this movement, it spins and uses its tremendous strength to throw him at Amber.

The two collide with a thump, their heads knocking together.

"Amber! Dainslief!" The Traveler tries to call to their allies, but neither stirs. They quickly run over to the pair, desperately trying to shake them into consciousness. Neither of them respond.

With the long-distance fighters dealt with, the Herald can finally focus on its target.

It slowly takes a couple of steps forward, knowing that a cornered fighter is all the more dangerous.

"Why are you doing this?" The Traveler's voice shakes as the question sits unanswered in the air, "Why now?"

The Herald stops for a moment, its mannerisms completely unreadable under the heavy armour.

"Why not?"

It is looking at a very confused-looking Traveler. In Its hand is a Fruity Skewer that is cooked to perfection; a beautiful aroma drifting into the cold air. It can't help but twist the skewer slightly so that It can appreciate just how delicious the food looks in the firelight.

"It's good, trust me," It promises as it hands the skewer to them.

On the other side of the fire is Paimon who has fallen into a light slumber.

"So you keep telling me," the Traveler says while they try to stifle a yawn. It's been a while since It last heard them talk. Usually, Paimon would carry most of the conversation for them, something that keeps the two of them in such tight sync. "But why did you decide that now is a good time for a cookery lesson?"

"What?" It asks, a cheerful lilt to the question, "doesn't this incredible scenery inspire you."

Just as It says this, a powerful gust of icy wind sweeps into the small cave, nearly extinguishing the fire in front of them.

"We are halfway up Dragonspire, ," they say with a stressed tone, "and we still can't find a way to get to the top."

"That's what makes it all the more fun," It replies, knowing that the frustrating journey has been wearing them down. It often wonders whether It should have forced Diluc to take Its place when they stopped by Dawn Winery. He would have been easily able to fight off the cold, becoming a shining light that would guide them to safety. "You should take a page out of Paimon's book," It said, gesturing to the imp who looks peaceful.

The Traveler's eyebrows furrow as they think over Its words. It can't help but feel concerned about them as they push both their body and soul to the edge. It has started to hear more stories of the Traveler spreading throughout Mondstadt, a testament to their bravery and skill but also a sign that they are slowly losing their freedom.

Suddenly It stands up, examining one of the camping bags that has been abandoned in the cave. Inside, It finds two thick, woolly blankets which are perfect for staving off the cold. It gently places one over Paimon, smiling fondly as she snuggles into it.

"Here," It says, wrapping the blanket around the Traveler; making sure that they are completely covered, "sleep for a little bit; I'll keep an eye on you and Paimon."

It sits back down as the Traveler becomes drowsy, their body swaying from side to side. It reaches out and pulls them close, allowing them to rest against Its shoulder. 'They really need a break,' It thinks to Itself as the final rays of daylight disappear into the night, leaving only the flames of the fire to fight off the encroaching darkness.

The Herald catches the Traveler's sword with ease, preventing them from landing a blow on its head. It then snaps the sword in two, letting the dull blade's shattered remains fall to the floor. With the Traveler now defenceless, it kicks them hard; sending their body flying across the chamber.

As it walks up to the body sprawled across the floor, it wonders why the other Heralds and Lectors seemed to struggle so much. All they need is a clear method of attack, and a little bit of inside information, rather than relying solely on power.

Before it can pick up the Traveler, however, a small object hits its back; immediately exploding on impact. While the armour shields the Herald and, thankfully, the Traveler by extension, it can still feel the heat from the bomb's flames spreading over its back.

"Klee, stay back," a calm and familiar voice commands as footsteps close in on it. The Herald turns around in time to see a pair of striking blue eyes, framed by messy golden hair. It quickly dodges an attack from behind, being pushed further away from its target.

"Lighten up, it's nothing dangerous," It says, drawing a cross over Its heart before adding, "I promise."

"You shouldn't be spoiling her so much," Albedo says, sighing as he watches It crouch down by Klee. A warm smile is spread across Its face as It helps her dig into the soft earth.

"There's no harm in having a little bit of fun," It says, "after all, she is the daughter of a famous adventurer." Anyone can see that side of Alice in her daughter, especially with the ways that Klee's eyes would light up at the mere mention of action. They promise mischief and an untameable energy that can wear down even the most stalwart of individuals. As Klee uncovers the treasure chest, It stands back up and whispers to the alchemist, "besides, Huffman needs some time to himself."

It makes sure that Klee doesn't overhear them. She may be the strongest knight they have, but she's still a kid and so the idea that not everyone wants to spend every second of the day with her seems like a slight against her. And poor Huffman did not need to wake up to find yet another bomb under his bed. Albedo, however, is a little more sceptical sensing a hidden motive for Its actions.

"Look, , Big Bro Albedo! It's the pirate's treasure," Klee cries out, her voice filled with awe as she pulls a small bag of mora from the chest. Underneath the mora is a handmade pirate's flag which bores an eye-patch-wearing skull. It subconsciously fiddles a little bit with Its hands as It remembers the repeated needle injuries from the night before. The different scraps of fabric match up fairly well, although a couple of knights are going to find their shirts missing in the coming week.

"Wow, that's a real trove you've found there!" It cheers, allowing her to really enjoy the moment, "I guess that makes you Captain Klee now." It gently lifts the girl up in Its arms and spins in a couple of circles. Albedo, meanwhile, sighs and picks up the flag; carefully dusting off some of the dirt. He bites his tongue about how the anatomy is completely unrealistic, instead appreciating the effort that went into making it.

The three of them end up spending the rest of their day running around, pretending to go off on grand adventures and fighting terrifying sea monsters. The unlucky local slimes, meanwhile, are having the worst time of their lives as Klee bullies them with endless bombs while saying things she doesn't fully understand.

"Monster on the starboard side!"

"Captain, I do believe that that is the port side," It gently corrects.

"Klee said what she said, First Mate," Klee maintains, "or do you want to end up like the traitor."

She gestures to Albedo who, currently tied to the tree with a long rope, had made the foolish mistake of telling Klee to maybe not terrorise the slimes quite so much. She is, at least, kind enough to leave Albedo's' arms untied so that he can read a book while she continues to have fun. 'What a thoughtful captain,' It thinks, wondering if she would grow up to be even kinder.

And if It would live long enough to see.

Albedo stands in front of Klee, his weapon is drawn and pointed at the Herald while his free hand is stretched out defensively to make sure that she won't become an easy target.

The Herald recognises him as a remnant of Khaenri'ah finding it almost a shame that they have to be opponents on the battlefield. If they had joined forces, then none would have been able to stop them. If it had the time, it would have tried to lure the alchemist over to its side. But he has been corrupted by all the emotions that the Herald has cast away. All for the sake of their homeland.

It waits for a moment, wondering whether Albedo will make a move, but he stays as still as a rock. Klee gingerly peaks out from behind him. She looks a little bit older now, but her eyes are filled with tears. For a brief moment, the Herald's chest tightens; its very foundations shaking at the sight.

It needs to rid itself of them.

Quickly dashing forwards, it takes three clawed swings at its opponent before attacking from behind. Albedo does his best to keep up, his sword clashing with the gauntlets but he isn't fast enough. The Herald tears through his left shoulder, blood pooling into his clothes.

"Albedo!" Klee screams, watching in horror as the alchemist drops to the floor. A puddle begins to pool on the floor around him and the Herald can't help but admire Rhinedottir's work. It gives him a sharp kick, sending the body to the other side of the room in an instant; leaving only a bloody streak where he once lay.

It turns to Klee but, as it stares down at the defenceless child, it freezes. It can feel something screaming in the back of its mind, begging it to stop while there is still time. Slamming its fist against its head, the Herald tries to squash the voice like it would a fly. Again and again, it hit its head until the voice falls silent.

Satisfied that its thoughts have been silenced, it walks towards the girl, the sound of its shoes hitting the stone floor echo through the space.

It raises its hand, preparing for its next attack.

And then it swings.

With the amount of power that it pours into the attack, there are very few things that would be able to deflect it. Yet, just before it makes contact with the girl, the Herald is thrown off balance by a golden shield.

"I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

She says this with as calmer a voice as she can muster, but there is an underlying excitement within her. She swings her claymore at the large group of treasure hoarders who had been ambushing passing merchants. Her maid outfit makes her look completely out of place with her surroundings, however, she quickly deals with the hoarders.

A few manage to escape the initial fight, and they make sure to keep their distance.

"Noelle," It says as It knocks out a treasure hoarder who had managed to sneak up behind her, "we've talked about this before."

"I apologise ," she says meekly, hiding her hands behind her back as she usually does when she's in trouble, "it's just that I... I couldn't stand by and do nothing."

She says this with so much determination that the stony expression on Its face softens slightly. It reaches out a hand to gently ruffle her hair, watching as a light blush spreads its way across her face as she looks down at the ground in embarrassment. Noelle has been pushing herself lately, desperate to become one of the Knights of Favonius.

"I know," It says, removing Its hand from her head, "you have one of the most important qualities of being a knight, but you need to think before you act.”

It knows that one day, she will achieve her dream and become one of the best they have. She is kind and courageous, and physically stronger than most grown men, I t just wishes that she would enjoy her childhood first. She's charging head first into a world of responsibility and struggle. If only she had the patience to wait, rather than trying to get there faster.

But when have children ever been known for their patience?

"What the...!?"

A gruff voice comes from behind It, belonging to a particularly menacing treasure hoarder who It assumes is the boss. As he looks over his unconscious lackeys, a rage-filled expression dances across his face. The muscles of his right arm ripple as he lifts a large sledgehammer; swinging it easily in the air. A couple of the remaining hoarders have gathered around him.

"Well, Noelle, I guess this is going to be some impromptu training," It says with a sly grin on Its face, "so make sure you pay careful attention."

"That goes without saying, !"

It raises its clawed gauntlets, bringing them crashing down on the shield over and over and over in hurried strikes. But the shield doesn't even crack.

Growing more frustrated, the Herald increases the ferocity of its attacks until it feels a sharp, stinging sensation under the left side of its ribcage. It wildly swings its right arm in the direction of the injury, narrowly missing its attacker who smoothly pulls the sword out of a gap in its armour.

The wound has a steady stream of scarlet blood flowing out of it and, for the first time in so long, the Herald starts to panic.

"Well done for holding out, Noelle," a warm voice says, soothing the nerves of both the maid and Klee with just her presence. Without letting even a second pass her by, she swings her sword around; aiming for the Herald's head.

As the blade gets within range, the Herald raises its right arm and blocks the attack. While it is doing this, its left hand hovers over the wound, blasting out a quick gust of ice to block the flow of blood. The move causes it to wince under its helmet, a stinging sensation shooting through its nerves as the ice attaches itself to its flesh.

Now it is in the precarious position of having two healers on the field and, while Noelle isn't too much of a concern, the Acting Grand Master could quickly have the Herald in a dangerous position. Fortunately for it, most of their allies are unconscious, but it cannot afford to have anyone becoming conscious.

"Klee," Jean says, directing her attention to the girl crying by Albedo's side, "I need you to stay calm. Barbara is on her way." And just like that, the Herald has a time limit. A fight that had an outcome set in stone has now become as shifting as the sands of Sumeru. But, if it can take out Jean, then there would be little that could stop it.

Summoning more power than it would have liked, the Herald's gauntlets begin to freeze over; a long, icy blade forming in its grip. Before the blade has fully formed, it swings at Jean, refusing to hold back as the ice clashes with her blade.

"I know you're in there ," she says, her voice warm and eyes filled with worry.

The Herald's mind burns at the name that spills so easily from her lips. The furnace tries its hardest to fight off the ice that threatens to consume the remnants of the human it once was.

"We are not going to abandon you."

It can hear the child crying in Its arms as It dodges the blast of ice from a Cryo Regisvine. It knows that Its best chance at surviving is to run, but a large group of whopperflowers have blocked Its only path of escape; leaving It trapped.

"You're going to be ok," It whispers soothingly to the girl, "I'll get you out of here."

It leaps backwards as the plant's giant corolla smashes into the ground where It stood only moments before. It is aware of the extreme disadvantage that It has, especially with the extra weight in Its arms. Despite this, Its grip on the girl tightens so that It can make sure that It doesn't drop her.

Even if It has to die, It will get her out of there alive.

According to her father, she had gotten lost when flower-picking with her sister and managed to stumble into the Regisvine's cave without realising the danger she was in. It, however, is under no illusion as to how slim the chance of It getting out alive is.

As It dodges for what feels like the hundredth time, Its final sliver of luck runs out.

Ice quickly closes in on Its feet and, as it jumps to dodge the attack, Its left leg gets clipped by a rogue shard. Pain immediately shoots through Its body and it takes all of Its strength to not yelp out in pain. It doesn't want the kid to start panicking. Unfortunately, Its grip tightens even more out of reflex, alerting the child that something has gone wrong.

"Your leg!"

It doesn't look. The moment it acknowledges the state Its leg is in, It would most definitely pass out. However, even as It battles to ignore the pain, It cannot move. It can't be sure whether this is due to the ice that spreads through the limb or because of the injury itself.

"Can you run?" It asks the girl. The question hangs in the air as the girl looks at him with a stunned expression.

"Can. You. Run?"

She nods and It quickly lowers her to the ground. If It isn't able to move as freely, then It can at least distract the plant long enough for someone else to rescue her.

"But what about you?" Her voice is filled with concern, but it doesn't answer. Instead, It gently pushes her back; encouraging her to move. Thankfully she doesn't need a second hint.

The Regisvine takes this moment to attack; its corolla smashing into the ground and sending a wave of ice in their direction. Without hesitation, It pushes itself out of the way and narrowly misses the shards of ice which fly through the air. As It lands on the ground, It can hear a loud snapping sound coming from Its leg. Its body begins to tilt to the left as Its leg gives out from underneath It.

Forced to kneel on the ground, It can only look up as the Cryo Regisvine prepares for a fatal attack. It can hear the girl's sobs over the creaking of ice, her begging for It to move, to live. But It can't, even if It wants to.

As It closes Its eyes, bracing for an attack, It hears a sickening crunching sound and so It waits and It waits for the pain to start. But the pain never comes.

Slowly opening Its eyes, It sees that the Cryo Regisvine has been crushed into the ground under the weight of a plunging attack.

"You could have left a clearer note, ," Jean says as she jumps down from the Regisvine's body. Despite the calm look on her face, It can see a sombre glaze as she looks down at It.

"I thought that my handwriting was as beautiful as always," It jokes, trying to move Its leg but the pain that ricochets through Its body immediately stops It.

"It was, but you left no details," Jean looks exasperated, but seems relieved that It at least has enough energy to talk, "you really should learn to be more like Diluc in that regard."

"What? Reclusive and grumpy? I don't see how that would have helped."

"No, to the point," she sighs before realising that her suggestion is a lost cause, "just be more careful next time, okay?"

"But then the Dandelion Knight would never have come to rescue me."

A strong gust of air knocks into the Herald, forcing it to stagger backwards. The Dandelion Knight follows the gust, her sword threatening to break through its armour once again. The Herald smoothly deflects her sword, pushing down on the blade in an attempt to knock it out of her hands.

Just as it reaches her sword's guard, a piercing pain shoots through its left shoulder. Jean uses its brief pause to put some space between them.

Turning around to see what attacked it, Amber collapses to the ground having used her last bit of remaining strength to fire a single arrow. The Herald goes to pull the arrow out, but a rising gale stops it in its tracks. If Jean uses her vision while the flaming arrow is still in the area, then not even the forming ice shield will be able to protect it. Using its shield is an absolutely worst-case scenario, leaving it more defenceless to fire.

But the Herald still has one ace it still has up its sleeve, and that is that the Dandelion Knight has no idea what it is truly capable of.

As she prepares for her elemental attack, all her power being poured into her sword, the Herald is given the perfect opportunity. Using a small amount of the magic it has mastered, it summons a large ice crystal. The limited light of the chamber filters through it, causing to glitter as though it was a real crystal and not just a cheap imitation. It then sends the crystal flying forward, watching as it pierces Jean's right shoulder.

The sheer force of the impact knocks Jean off of her feet, sending her flying backwards until she slams into the wall. The sharp tip of the icicle digs into the wall, pinning her in place as blood begins to seep from her shoulder. Her hands are desperately grabbing at the icicle, but its slippery surface makes it impossible for her to gain purchase.

The Herald stalks towards her, preparing to permanently take out the Dandelion Knight.

"Don't hurt Jean!"

Klee's scream is so desperate and primal that the Herald briefly freezes. The young girl darts out of the golden shield, desperately trying to reach Jean in time. Noelle, shouting for Klee to stop, reaches out to grab a hold of the Spark Knight, but she is a second too slow.

Klee quickly pulls out her catalyst and throws a bomb directly at the Herald, but it easily dodges.

The bomb bounces twice, coming to a rest near the unconscious Traveler.

The Herald turns to Klee, deciding that the Spark Knight is too dangerous to keep around. With the bomb somewhere in the background, it prepares to attack when an intense heat begins to build up. Flames soar through the air; engulfing the shield as the bomb rolls to a stop at its feet.

It tries to kick the bomb away, but it's too late.

The explosion sends the Herald flying across the chamber, scorching pain ricocheting through its body as it collides with a wall. Its body drops to the floor, its armour cracking slightly from the pressure.

As it starts to pick itself up off the ground, it notices minuscule cracks beginning to form in its shield.

"Since when were you so weak?"

Endless rain falls. Flames scorch the ground. Blood flows from skin. Yet ice is all It can see.

The voice burns its way into its brain, tearing at all that it tried to lock away. Those damned red eyes that look at it, not with anger this time, but with pity.

They are such kind eyes. It never knew that someone could look so kindly at another. They don't hold any malice, or resentment, or fear. These kind eyes wouldn't last forever, but just for that moment, even a second felt like an eternity.

The Herald tries to ignore the searing pain, dragging its injured body back towards the centre of the chamber. It will not let all its sacrifices be in vain.

"You can't keep this up!" The young red-haired boy swings the stick in his hand. There is a bright smile on his face, one that seems to be lost to time.

It swings wildly, aiming at the man's eyes. If it could just get him to stop looking at it like that.

His strikes are systematic and well-paced, easily staggering It. It takes a step back, nearly knocking into one of the barrels which are dotted around the winery.

The man is unfazed, his claymore gracefully swinging around his body; looking more like a dancer than a swordsman.

"Why don't you go a little bit easier on each other?" The question comes from an older man, with striking red hair, who sits gracefully underneath a tree. Despite his words of concern, he has a joyful smile on his face as the two children nimbly dodge each other's swings.

"Please, stop!" Klee screams, her throat hoarse from all her shouting. For a brief, flickering moment, it wants to. It wants to collapse to the floor and cry. But it can't.

The boy's final swing is a well-placed one, aiming straight for Its heart. However, at the last possible second, It dodges and appears behind him. It gently taps him on the back with the stick.

The flames coming from the edge of the claymore are searing, drying the moisture out of the chamber. It wonders how many others have met their fate at such an awe-inspiring sight.

“I can’t believe I did it,” It says as It holds a hand out to Its brother, pulling him to his feet. Diluc has a big grin on his face as he wrapped an arm around Its shoulder and ruffles Its hair.

The claymore is swinging towards its face, but Diluc has to move within striking range to deliver a final blow. All the Herald has to do is reach out and it could impale his chest. But it doesn’t.

“You should believe in yourself more, Kaeya!” Diluc says as the sun's rays illuminate the scene around them.

The blade slices through the shield, hitting the thing that once called itself Kaeya across the face. The crumbling sound of metal fills its ears as half of its helmet falls to the ground. What were once blurry images of people it knew are now painfully clear. The floor is painted a frightful red with all the blood that has been spilt.

"You can stop this, Kaeya," Diluc says, repeating that name. That cursed name which has haunted it, a name given by those who abandoned it, a name used by those it abandoned in turn.

"Get out of my head," it shouts, preparing to attack again. As its uncovered eye looks at the man opposite, however, it finds itself unable to move. Rather than a look of rage, all it can see is sorrow. A sorrow so profound that it feels as though it is drowning.

Its limbs are shaking uncontrollably as it takes a step forwards. Diluc matches its movements.

For a moment, they pause as if forging some unspoken agreement.

And then, with no warning, they charge.

When its clawed gauntlet reaches out, Diluc nimbly dodges to the side; pulling his claymore upwards so that the blade connects with the armoured chest of the Herald. It, however, makes no attempt to dodge or even counter-attack.

Instead, it takes the full force of the blow before collapsing to the ground in a bloody pool.

"It's safe," Diluc manages to call out as he stabs his claymore into the ground for support as his strength floods out of his body.

Barbara, who had been waiting off to the side, immediately runs over to Albedo who Klee is now desperately trying to shake awake. While Jean is also in terrible shape, Barbara knows that her sister is tough enough to wait it out while she ensures that the Alchemist will be okay.

Noelle is moving the other unconscious fighters over to Barbara to make healing them an easier process.

"Why..?"

The question floats through the air, barely reaching his ears.

Diluc turns to look at Kaeya who is laying on his back. The ice that once contained his wounds quickly melts causing more blood to soak the ground around him.

"Why does it hurt... so much?"

Diluc lets go of his sword, feeling his body nearly collapse in on itself as he moves to what remains of the Abyss Herald. His body feels so painfully heavy, but he doesn't stop until he's reached Kaeya's side. It might be argued that others are more deserving of his attention, but Diluc can't do it. He can't abandon Kaeya as he lays in a puddle of his own blood.

"It's alright," Diluc whispers, unsure of what he should do as he kneels down. He's never been one for comforting words, often sounding very patronising when he tries, or worse, he sounds like he is being forced. But, as his trousers begin to soak up his brother's blood, the words and actions start to flow like water.

"I'm here now."

Kaeya's eye is glassy, struggling to focus on Diluc's face. But that doesn't stop him from trying to reach out to the blurry, red shape. With each little movement, more of his armour crumbles away to reveal the Cavalry Captain's broken body.

"I'm sorry..." His voice is growing weaker, struggling to be heard.

Without thinking, Diluc lifts up Kaeya's upper body slightly; allowing his brother's head to rest on his lap. He then gently holds onto the hand which is still reaching out to him. It feels so cold that it could easily have been mistaken for that of a corpse.

"You're going to be alright," Diluc says, mostly for his own sake. Despite claiming to be someone who looks to the future and disregards his past, he still finds himself haunted by the look on Kaeya's face that night. He always found himself wondering, in those late hours when your mind becomes your harshest critic, whether there was another way. If he had found it, would this have come to pass? Is this his fa-

"It- It's my fault," Kaeya manages to choke out, the strain clear on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Diluc asks as his grip grows tighter. He can feel his eyes burning as he tries to fight back his tears. He knows exactly what Kaeya is doing, no matter how much he wants his brother to stop. It's a repeated pattern where Kaeya will absolve others of their guilt by fashioning himself into the bad guy.

It's a cruel tactic that Diluc has been a victim of multiple times.

"Can... Can I ask for one favour?" Kaeya asks, his words getting slower and slower.

Diluc nods, gently running a hand through Kaeya's hair in an attempt to comfort him. It always used to work when they were kids; now it feels like a fruitless endeavour. But he doesn't stop.

"Could you smile?" It catches Diluc off-guard, his eyebrows furrowing. He's sure that Kaeya can barely see him, but his brother still takes the time to explain, "I still see that face... from all those years ago..." He takes a shuddering breath, "I'd like to see your smile... one last time."

And so, with great difficulty, Diluc smiles a pitiful smile as the man in his arms falls silent.

Once he is sure that Kaeya is no longer able to see him, Diluc's shoulders start to shake and the tears, that for so long have been buried away, begin to fall with no sign of stopping.

Epilogue 1 - In Progress

Epilogue 2 - In Progress

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