Chapter Text
Save for the soft glimmer of stars in the night sky, the world that enveloped his sights was nothing but black. The transcendent feeling upon him was like having his soul ripped out of his body, and he wouldn’t exactly be surprised if that was what happened. He could feel the excessive thumping in his chest, and yet the expected sound of beating did not follow. His eyes shut, mind unable to process the pure silence around him.
When he opened his eyes once more, amongst the stars, he caught sights he could only describe as celestial. Green, purple, blue, all melded into one another and into the vast darkness of galaxies.
He wasn’t even given a second to show his awe when his whole body was pulled back by some force. His consciousness was shot back into his physical self, which in turn, came crashing back onto solid ground.
On the floor, Kazuha blinked once. Twice.
The darkness previously surrounding him was long gone, and now there was also a painful ringing in his ears, adjusting from leaving a world of complete silence. It went on like it was scraping the insides of his skull. He grabbed at his head, wincing.
But the pain seemed so meaningless in retrospect. Meaningless when he sat up and saw the delicate lines of constellations amidst the air, hiding away a face that seemed to be just as speechless as he was. Lips quivering, he called out.
“Mona?”
“Kazuha—“ Any more words she may have had after were lost, muffled as she pulled him into a hug.
“Mona?” He still couldn’t believe it. “How did you—? How did I —“
“Rest for now. I’ll explain everything to the both of you soon. Promise.”
Both of us?
Over her shoulder, he caught a glimpse of Albedo on the couch. His chest heaved up and down in rhythmic intervals, completely at peace.
An attempt at a light chuckle escaped him as more of a huff than anything else, but the message was clear to the astrologist. The only feeling that washed over him now was relief, and he thanked it for easing his mind enough to forget the soreness in his limbs—to forget the worries to be had.
For now, he had a few moments of respite.
————————————————————————————————————
His mind fluttered awake to a lovely scent in the air. The floors around the living room have gotten a bit more crowded than he remembered. Books scattered, scrolls rolled out allowing their contents be exposed to prying eyes; some mechanical items he dared not touch for fear of breaking them and having to pay the price.
Albedo laid still on the couch, strands of loose hair across his face. Kazuha huffed, unlike him who had been able to take a rest in Dragonspine, the alchemist had been awake the entire trip analyzing everything they had found. The fatigue must have really caught up to him now, and Kazuha wouldn’t forgive himself if he were to disturb the other at this moment. So instead, he maneuvered across a crowded floor, treading on the tips of his toes, towards the sounds of shuffling in the hallway.
Bubbling from a simmering pot greeted him as he walked into the kitchen, which was considerably much less messy than the previous room. There, Mona was found pouring the pot’s contents into bowls. “Since you’re finally rested, let’s discuss everything over a meal.”
Her straightforward tone reminded him that those moments of peace before sleep took over him and while he walked through her home were over. She followed after he pulled out his chair, placing a bowl of stew before him. The warmth from the first sip melted whatever remnants of the snow were left in Kazuha’s spirit, then the second and so on bolstered his strength.
Mona huffed, pleased to see her cooking being much appreciated. Her hair was a mess, strands sticking out place to place, highlighted by how she no longer bore the hat Kazuha associated her with only a day or so ago. The darker eye bags underneath her gaze only made the samurai further wonder what had happened in Mondstadt during the time he and Albedo were up in the mountain.
“You’ve heard our conversation, yes?” Kazuha stilled. Of all the things she could’ve started with, he probably should’ve expected that, but there was no point in hiding, so he nodded. The astrologist sighed, setting down her cup of tea. “Well, that certainly makes it a bit easier to explain.”
There was a pause before she continued. “I have the ability to, in a sense, “teleport” things and people—something I learned from my master. I won’t get into the details, but what you need to know is that I need to pinpoint exactly where I need to open the rifts you passed through, which is why it’s much easier done when I’m already with the things needed to be teleported. It’s definitely simpler to visualize and locate where in the stars are known safe spaces than also trying to find you along with it. Teleporting over such long distances also makes one’s mind and body weary, but those effects can be healed with time.”
Kazuha felt a mild sting at the back of his head at that last statement, but quickly shook it off. “How did you manage to precisely locate us, then?”
“Normally, I’m able to use the stars as guidance to pinpoint where people, especially Vision holders, are as long as I’m already familiar with the ins and outs of their constellations.”
A gear clicked in his mind as it rewinded her past conversation with Albedo like a record. He looked up, brows furrowed. “But you told Albedo that the skies were clouded; that the constellations above have shown nothing recently.”
“You forgot an important part of that: the constellations above Mondstadt. ”
Kazuha’s eyes widened. “So you used Acer Palmatum, my constellation, to find us.”
“You catch on quickly,” she chuckled. “But you’re right. I spent the time researching your constellation—monitoring your movements among the stars. For once, I wished I didn’t need to put all that effort to use…” She sighed. “But that’s all in the past now. I’m just glad you’re back safely.” Mona turned her attention to her meal, subtly telling Kazuha it was his turn.
“Before I say my side of the situation, could you not use Acer Palmatum to scry the future, then?”
“Supposedly I could, but since your fate will intertwine with Mondstadt’s, your future becomes a muddle as well. The present was already difficult enough as is.” The room fell silent, both taking the time to think of what to say next. Mona, of all the things that should be prioritized, chose to thank the man before him instead. The sudden gratitude caught him off guard. “Thank you,” she repeated, “for listening to me and going with him. Because of you, I was also able to make sure he didn’t go off rushing to his death.” Her smile was one laced with both annoyance and fondness of her friend.
Albedo… Kazuha shifted in his seat—an unsettling discomfort growing in his chest. “Mona, when we were traversing the mountains, there was something—no. Someone that looked exactly like him. A copycat, a doppelgänger perhaps…”
The astrologist froze, and Kazuha could feel that she too had that same discomfort growing in her. He recollected the rest of their journey to her as she nodded, listening carefully and only interjecting when she had a question. By the end of it, the gears were running at top speeds in her mind. He waited, with bated breath, for an explanation.
“Kazuha, are you sure that the man with you is Albedo?”
But he was only met with another question.
Though his heart wished to say yes, the answer caught itself up in his throat. “That’s a question I was dreading to come across. I thought you’d know, for you’ve been with him far longer than I have.”
“I shouldn’t be the one telling you this, but since you’re part of this situation now…” Mona took a deep breath. “Albedo… He’s not human.” His brows furrowed. There was a stab at his chest. “He was made—created from the same alchemy he practices, but obviously it takes… trial and error to create a being as complex as a human person. So that failed trial? That was the other Albedo you saw.”
Kazuha put a hand to his head trying to take in the amount of information he had just received. In all his travels, he had gone through countless experiences—but this was like nothing else he had seen. This wasn’t just an illusion casted by a bake-danuki, nor a foregone legend. No, it was real. He was real, created by an art he never could’ve even dreamed of.
“Is there no way to perceive them differently?” was his indirect answer to her question.
Mona exhaled, teeth clenched. “There’s an easy way. That star—I suppose we can call it a birthmark—on Albedo’s neck. Subject 2, the copy, never bore it because it was a telling sign that made Albedo ‘artificial’, a thing that reminded him of his own failures to be the perfect human his creator wished for.”
“But I swear on the Anemo archon’s name that they both had it.” He searched the back of his mind, trying to find an error in his memory.
She nodded. “That’s the thing. He realized how easy it was, so he kept it on him. Now there’s no longer any physical difference between those two. It’s possible to tell them apart with their personalities, but Subject 2 had studied exactly what it takes to mimic Albedo’s life. With every passing day it became more and more impossible to find distinctions, even their auras seemed to have melded into one. I used to be the only other person beside Albedo himself who could reliably ascertain him due to the nature of his stars… but you already know our current situation.”
“What about Albedo’s Vision?” He quickly interjected, trying to find something . "Surely that… clone of his wasn’t blessed the same? He won’t be able to wield the power of Geo, no?”
“The art of alchemy does wonders in the hands of geniuses. Even that… he had found ways of copying.” She cracked a forced smile, trying to downplay the danger of the situation.
Kazuha’s heart sank. There was nothing he could do. If not even Mona could… He shut his eyes, and for a minute, neither made a sound. The answer the alchemist gave to him in the mountains rang in his head. He took note of each word spoken, the expressions the other showed, the tone of his voice as he spoke. Eventually, Kazuha opened his eyes, peering straight into Mona’s. He felt his throat clear itself of his doubts, relieving the pressure built up.
“I’m certain my judgment is not mistaken.”
Mona drew back. He didn’t blame her for still being skeptical, but his own mind was made up. After a short battle in her mind, she relented. “I still have my doubts, but I suppose I’ll need to trust you with this one. However, keep your guard up.” Kazuha nodded. He can get behind that.
They continued to talk, engrossed in every minute detail there was to be had. The innocent hustle and bustle of Mondstadt’s citizens could not pierce through the bubble of thoughts between them. That was, until shuffling within the very bubble they were in was heard. It came from neither of the two.
“It is comforting to see you both safe and sound.” Kazuha’s heart jumped with joy at the familiar voice, but the rest of his body betrayed the previous conviction he had. A glance at Mona confirmed she felt the same.
Albedo pulled up a chair at the table after he had gotten himself a bowl of stew. He blew lightly at a spoonful. “Mona, I assume Kazuha has already brought you up to speed on everything?” A faint smile etched on his face as he got the go signal to explain whatever was on his mind without limit. “We have to start thinking of a plan to shut down the Nail.”
Mona waved a hand in protest. “You just got back, and you’re planning to go out there again already?”
“We’re wasting time. The longer we stay put, the sooner they’ll finish their plans.”
“And what makes you say that? You said as long as they don’t have the architectural plans of the Nail, no one can figure out how to control it,” Kazuha interjected.
Blue eyes peered at him and Mona. “That was what I was thinking—until I saw Subject 2 working with them. I know he’s been studying the Nail for a while now.” It didn’t make sense. Could just one person turn the tides of favor that easily for the Abyss? “Yes, it may still take a while, but who’s to say they need to stick to the original workings? To them, it doesn’t matter how they get it functioning just as long as it does. ”
Truly, they did not look for anything other than destruction to fuel their revenge. What monsters…
“If we shut down the Nail, then it may hinder their plans so far back than what it’s worth—that’s my theory anyway.”
Kazuha snuck another glance at the astrologist. She was lost in her own mind, nodding along but didn’t appear completely onboard. Albedo turned to her. “Once they retreat, I’m certain the Abyss will clear the skies as well, then you can confirm every single detail you wish for. They know better than to exhaust so much energy for a plan that’s been put to rest.”
…
This was the best plan.
Kazuha, on the other hand, was already set on whatever they decided on. “We should get help, then. It’s not wise to set foot in the state we’re in after seeing for ourselves just how ill-prepared we were.”
“We can’t attract too much attention,” Mona added. We should just get a few capable warriors. The plan isn’t to take down the Abyss Order itself anyway. That’s not our part to play in the grand scheme of things.”
A certain traveler came to mind at the mention of those words. Was it possible that she had managed to see that far past? Kazuha stopped himself before he could think about it further. The present must be prioritized. Maybe another time he could let those thoughts run loose. Maybe ask Mona herself. Another time.
“Actually…” He turned to Albedo. “You shouldn’t come with us. If they manage to capture you, then we might as well have given the papers itself.”
The alchemist paused, eyes narrowing. He expected expressions of indifference, or at the very least disagreement, but hints of anger? Definitely not. Albedo sighed after noticing Kazuha shift. “Who else is going to shut it down?”
Kazuha and Mona shared a look. “We can do it,” he said, shrugging as if the level of danger in his words was not even worth batting an eye at.
“No.” Albedo’s answer was firm, immediate, and cold.
He glanced back at Mona. “Then us three and a few extra pairs of hands.”
“We should inform the Knights as well in case of any further support,” she added. Albedo’s features grew tense; hesitant. “You know we can’t keep this forever. What if they strike Mondstadt when we’re gone? Lisa may know a bit already, but when was the last time we updated her?”
Silence filled the room for a few moments as Albedo glanced across, though never made proper eye contact with the others. Kazuha could only imagine the pressure on his shoulders. For one, the secrets that could turn lush lands into a snowy graveyard that spanned miles across miles. From the highest mountains, to freezing the very depths of the lakes and sea around Mondstadt—perhaps even until the borders of Liyue.
And on another, his past—painful for all he could tell. A secret slowly being dug up, one shovelful at a time.
Albedo broke the silence. “Who are your candidates for the journey ahead?”
“For one, we need a Pyro Vision holder.”
Kazuha paused. A strange thought crossed him. “We’re… we’re not thinking about bringing Klee, are we?” A thought that he probably shouldn’t have voiced out.
“Of course not!” The answer came in unison, and the samurai couldn’t help but chuckle.
An exasperated sigh with a hint of a smile came from Mona. Stupid as the question may have been, he was happy he at least lightened the mood. “We also need someone who knows the ins and outs of Dragonspine—actually, I might know someone. It just depends if she’s willing to help.”
“Rosaria.” His fingers tapped against the side of the bowl, the rattling of the spoon being shaken around echoed as he lost himself in thought. “We can ask Master Diluc as well. I’ve worked with him before, and both already have experience in warding off Abyss Order forces in the past.”
Once Mona agreed, the air around Albedo shifted. The plan was taking shape. “I’ll…” Kazuha noted a pause from him that was hesitant to continue. “I’ll call for a meeting with the Favonius Captains. Mona, could you be the one to convince Rosaria and Master Diluc to lend us their aid?”
“What can I help with?” Kazuha interrupted, and he was met with silence and shrugs.
It was off putting, not being able to directly help in this phase of their mission. But he supposed there was no problem with laying low for now. No problem in simply keeping the secret from innocent ears who had done nothing to deserve the underlying fate planned by those against them.
Whether as crucial as it was during the time of the Vision Hunt Decree or not, his role to play would come soon enough. That, he was sure of.