Souls in Teyvat

"W-What is happening?" asked a fearful Elea, looking at the dark and purple sky filled with lightning.

"As I said, trouble appeared" repeated Sara, not bothering to hide her gloominess now that Elea had seen the storm. "And your mother is angry."

"But why is she that angry?" asked Elea, looking again at the cloudy sky.

Elea had seen her mother angry only when someone messed up in their jobs, but this level of anger, enough to create a storm, wasn't merely 'angry'.

But Elea, as the smart child she was, realized soon enough.

"Is about what happened with Paimon and Lumine?" asked Elea, making Sara sigh. "L-Look, I'm alright, there is no need to-"

"I'm afraid that is only the start" interrupted Sara, and her façade broke for a single moment.

But it was enough for Elea to sense the deep sadness and betrayal the black-haired woman felt.

"After you fainted" explained Sara with a tired expression. "Yae took you here, the nearest place where she could inspect you. After realizing that you were right, Yae asked those 2 adventurers to go with her to the Tenshukaku, where both your teacher and your mother would explain to Lumine what you needed to know."

"So mom is angry with them?" asked Elea, grimacing when a thunderbolt fell near the island releasing another deafening roar, that under Elea's ears, sounded full of hatred.

"No" replied Sara, briefly glancing at the storm. "But she asked those adventurers some things, and something she didn't like to hear was said."

"...it's about the Fatuis?" muttered Elea, dreading the answer, and realizing Sara had made a mistake.

The Fatuis had been involved in her father's death quite deeply, and if her mother hadn't exploded in anger and taken revenge, was because of another reason.

Sara only shook her head hearing Elea's answer, because she knew Elea was too smart for her own good and had tied the loose ends.

"No, it wasn't about the Fatuis" and yet, Sara's answer surprised Elea. "It was far worse."

"Wh-"

But the world turned white.

A blinding flash of lightning landed near them, reducing an abandoned house to charcoal.

Elea's world trembled, and she fell to the ground, disoriented by the flash and the deafening noise.

She looked up with a blurry vision, only to see Sara shouting at her, but the high-pitched ringing in her ears made her unable to understand what the older woman was saying.

Only after a dozen or so seconds, her world turned nitid again.

"This can't go on" muttered Sara, picking up Elea. "You need to convince your mother."

"C-Convince my mother?" asked a confused and scared Elea, who suddenly found herself trusted into a position she knew nothing about.

"I'm afraid that she will only listen to you now" Sara knew how difficult it was for Elea, but Ei was going on a rampage.

And a part of her couldn't help but agree with the former Shogun of Inazuma.

"W-Why me?" asked Elea, getting more scared by the second. "What about Yae? Or my mom?"

Sara understood that with her mom, Elea meant Makoto, but she shook her head.

"If things haven't escalated is because those 2 are trying to hold her back" replied Sara, scaring Elea even more. "Don't worry Elea, nothing will happen to you. No matter what happens, we all love you."

And that reassured Elea a little.

After all, she loved her mother.

-----------------------------

Elea, being carried by Sara, quickly arrived at the town, uncaring about the slight drizzle wetting her clothes.

It was deserted, as everyone was inside their houses, too afraid to leave.

This was a scene Sara had only seen around 10 years ago, before Kenshin made Ei open her eyes, and it was quite desolating to her.

But for Elea, it was shocking.

The previously bustling town exuded fear now, and she could sense the terror in everyone's hearts, even when they were inside her house.

As a young child, such an amount of fear quickly infected her, and knowing that her mother was the reason for it made it worse.

"Elea, calm down" Sara felt Elea's body trembling, and reassured her without stopping. "Everything will be okay, just remember that no matter what happens, we will all be with you."

And yet, this time those words did little to help Elea.

Sara but her lips, but a glance at the storm above showed that things were getting worse, so with a bleeding heart, she kept carrying Elea.

She hated bringing Elea with all her soul, but things would get way worse without the child's contribution.

'I'm sorry Kenshin' the thought with regret. 'But as sad as this might be for Elea, she will lose something far more important if I don't bring her there.'

So with a steely resolution, Sara kept running, quickly taking Elea to the Tenshukaku.

"Ei, stop this now!"

"Please Shogun-sama, let us solve this."

"SHUT UP!"

Ei's scream, full of hatred and anger, silenced all opposition, at the same time lightning fell on the middle of the plaza in front of the Tenshukaku, creating an enormous crater in the until now pristine floor.

And then, Elea saw her mother.

With a long purple sword in her hands, and eyes burning with fury, she had a line of people in front of her.

Elea recognized the Priestess of Watatsumi, Kokomi, and her aide, the man with brown hair and a tail who often smiled at her when he came to visit.

But she also saw Yae's back, radiating Electro energy that appeared as a purple aura around her.

"Let me pass" ordered Sara, making the spectators brave enough to look made space for her.

Elea, was put on the ground, and Sara lightly pushed her, but the child's body refused to move.

The emotions she was feeling from her mother were the most intense ones she had ever felt, and for a young child, such an intense hatred was stifling.

So Elea froze, and Sara knew that forcing the child would break something inside her.

And as much as Sara wanted Elea to appear in Ei's vision so the furious woman would stop and think, Elea was, and will always be, her priority.

"Ei, stop" said Yae with a cold voice Elea hadn't heard her use.

"Miko, move" ordered Ei, but the youkai didn't move. "NOW!"

Thunder accompanied her words, but Yae stood her ground with a tense expression.

"10 years ago I failed to act on what I thought was correct, but you won't make me move with a single order now" declared Yae, looking straight at Ei's eyes. "Ken-"

But trying to mention that name was an error, as the storm proved.

"DON'T MENTION HIS NAME!!" howled Ei, at the same time the storm unleashed a thousand purple flashes that impacted the sea around the island.

Sara looked worriedly at Ei, and saw an extremely pale Lumine with a terrified Paimon on one corner of the plaza.

"Why wouldn't I?" replied coldly Yae. "When you are going to destroy what he created?"

"Then move!" shouted Ei, with lightning appearing around her, showing that Yae would need to move pretty soon, or she would be moved by force. "I kill that man, and we return to what we have been doing these 10 years!"

And upon hearing this, both Yae and Sara looked at said man.

An old man, unremarkable in any aspect, stood calmly behind Yae, unafraid of the anger directed at him.

"Shogun-sama, please let us be the ones to deal the punishment!" shouted an alarmed Kokomi.

"You?!" shouted Ei, glaring at Kokomi, who despite her fear, didn't retreat. "The one coming from the same place he hails from!? No, I will be the one to deal with his punishment!"

"But Watatsumi-"

"You wanted equality!" shouted Ei. "And you got it! Now I will be the one to punish him!"

Elea felt 2 trails of tears streaming down her face seeing her mother like this, but her body was still frozen. She was terrified of the Electro energy in the air, of her mother's expression, and her emotions, far more tumultuous and painful than anything other she had felt in her short life.

Sara realized that she needed to intervene, and despite knowing she might make it even worse, stepped forward.

Elea vaguely listened to the screams coming from both women, but she wasn't hearing anything. The pain inside her mother, and also Sara and Yae were too much for her to bear, and yet, she felt herself taking a big breath when a hand touched her head.

Looking up, she found herself looking at a pair of golden eyes, that carried the strength of earth itself.

"Uncle Zhong Li" muttered Elea, looking at the former Geo Archon, who came after sensing the storm.

"Hmm" Rex Lapis nodded, and looked at the scene unfolding.

He had no clue of what was happening, but seeing Lumine and Paimon nearby, he quickly deduced a possible cause.

Still, this was not his place to get involved, it was Inazuma's problem, and how they solved it would affect their future. All he could do was to pray for Ei to make a decision she wouldn't regret.

But a small pull on his robes caught his attention, and when he saw a crying Elea looking at him with a wish in her beautiful purple eyes, he knew staying still wasn't an option.

So Rex Lapis crouched, touched his face, and stepped forward with a mask covering his face.

He had no role to play in Inazuma's business, and that hadn't changed.

But when Elea was suffering, things changed.

"Beelzebub"

His grave voice sounded in the plaza, and everyone looked at the new presence.

An imposing tall man with dark clothes, and a golden mask covering his face, made Ei widen her eyes in surprise.

But soon, her anger returned.

"Move" said Ei with a low growl.

"May I know what is happening?" was all Rex Lapis said, but stood to one side, showing that he hadn't decided to oppose Ei.

Because in the end, he wasn't, all he wanted to do was to calm down the furious mother.

And Yae, smart as she was, understood his intention.

"This man" she spoke before Ei could jump into action, and pointed at the unafraid old man. "Allowed the Fatui to plant a bomb in Inazuma, just under Yahiko and Mio's house. He was a former commandant of Watatsumi's army in the Civil War, and using his connections, avoided all patrols and guards, successfully planting the bomb when no one noticed, as everyone thought the resolution of the Civil War had been good for everyone."

Kokomi and Gorou grimaced, because the man in question came from Watatsumi, their island, who was fated to suffer the Lightning's wrath.

Rex Lapis immediately understood everything, even what was left unsaid, and his anger was also directed towards the man, who didn't seem to care.

"S-Still" said Kokomi desperately. "The bomb didn't explode, and nothing happened so-"

"Nothing happened?!" shouted Ei once again, pointing at the man with her naginata. "Kenshin was blackmailed and forced to fight that Harbinger for that bomb, or his parent would have died! WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOTHING HAPPENED?!!!"

And hearing that, both Kokomi and Gorou paled, as they had not been aware of that last bit.

The spectators, most of them part of the small army, started looking with anger towards the man, understanding little better now the shogun's fury.

"So you are going to kill him?" asked Yae coldly.

"Do you think he deserves anything less?" asked Ei, with her naginata shining with purple Electro energy.

"Do YOU think YOU deserve anything less?"

The old man's calm voice echoed in the plaza, making everyone look at him with astonishment.

Ei fell silent, but her cold gaze spoke volumes.

"You killed my only son in the civil war 10 years ago" said the man, with some heat in his voice. "Do you think you deserve anything less? My pain is far bigger than yours as I have nothing to remember him for. No grandchildren, no letters, no photos. Nothing, only cold memories that will soon disappear."

Elea looked at her mother, but her mind had stopped working a while ago, just after learning that someone from the country she loved so much had been involved in her father's death.

"I know you" said Sara, glaring at the seemingly calm man. "You were in that meeting room where Kenshin offered Watatsumi that deal. Am I right?"

"Yes" nodded Kokomi, her mind racing to find a solution that still eluded her.

"Kenshin basically pardoned your people" said Sara, even if a few spectators grumbled. The civil was a relatively recent wound and a sensitive topic for many. "He could have killed all of you, but he offered you all a branch, one that you all accepted. It was supposed to be a new beginning, and it worked. The only army of Inazuma is composed by people from both islands, we have our festivities together, and people started to marry each other and form families."

"And yet, my son still died in her hands" replied the calm man, pointing at the eerily silent Ei. "My son fought, bled and died for Watatsumi, that's all I have left from him."

"So you felt it was your duty to continue with such a foolish task?" asked a growling Gorou. "We all fought just like your son, but all we cared about was the happiness of our families, which we have gotten now thanks to Kenshin. Tell me, what did you get from your actions? Is Watatsumi independent? Is anyone happier because of your acts? Is the world better now that the one who helped us is gone?"

But the old man didn't reply, and his face didn't change.

"You have caused only pain" said Kokomi, looking at the man with a solemn face. "You caused pain to the entirety of Inazuma, and even outside of it. But the one you damaged the most is an innocent man's family. You were there when we negotiated, Kenshin hadn't hurt anyone in his whole life, as he hated the war like the most. What did you get from killing an innocent man who helped us?"

But, once again, the man didn't reply, his cold expression directed towards the murderer of his son unchanging.

"Speak" ordered Yae with a frigid voice. "If you were acting on behalf of your son, there should be no shame in revealing your reasons."

"The Harbinger promised me money to fund the Rebels" replied the man calmly, making Gorou growl again.

"That army disappeared 10 years ago, along with that heartless war!" he shouted in anger. "You did what you did because you lost your son, do you want more families to live through the same?!"

"As long as the memories of those who fell in that war remain in our hearts, the Rebel Army that fought for Watatsumi will never disappear" argued the man, always keeping his calm.

"Are you aware of what you are saying?" asked Kokomi, now with a serious expression she rarely used. "You would put into jeopardy our peace for your revenge? People have lost their trust in us, they will take distance, making a rift appear where only a common ground lies. You are destroying what everyone fought hard for. I will ask you again. What did you gain from your actions?"

But the old man didn't reply.

"In the end" said Yae, with a dangerous edge to her voice. "You are angered by your son's death, and only wanted to cause the one you blame for his death the same pain you tasted. You want nothing more than that. You don't care about Watatsumi, independence or even your son. You only care about yourself."

The man didn't reply, but his expression twisted.

"Your son belonged to the extremist army that disobeyed my orders" said Kokomi, looking at the man. "I don't like to speak ill of the dead, but he had stopped being part of the Rebel Army the moment he decided to put his ideals over Watatsumi's well-being. He didn't care about Watatsumi, he cared about himself, just as you do."

And the man exploded.

"HE WAS MY SON!" he shouted with anger and sadness in his voice. "HE WAS MY LOVED SON! AND HE WAS KILLED BY THAT WOMAN, WHO CARED ABOUT NOTHING BUT HER ETERNITY!"

And yet, no one replied.

"What right did she have to take my son away from me?!" shouted the man, a bit lower now. "All we wanted was to live independently, following our God's teachings, but that woman only sent her army from her high throne. My son was proud of Watatsumi, of his ideals, beliefs, people and history. He didn't want all that to be lost, absorbed by the bigger and more powerful Inazuma, so he tried to preserve what he loved in the best way he could. Why did he have to die for that?!"

"True" said Yae, making the man look at her. "Every life is a life, no matter who does it belong to. Such is war, a heartless machine that turns something as precious as life into ashes the wind will scatter."

"LIES!!" shouted the man once again, but a coughing fit made him unable to continue.

"Your son participated in a war" continued Sara, her voice breaking half-sentence. "A war where people from both sides died. We all decided to bury our dead, and step forward towards peace. Your son attacked during a war, and was killed as a combatant, where both sides respected their dead ones. But you killed a man in times of peace. If you want to ignore how much he helped you, you can't deny that your son died as a warrior, but Kenshin died as a civilian."

But the man kept coughing, unable to reply.

"I heard enough" Ei spoke again with a calm voice, but no one was fooled.

"As I said, you can't do it" but Yae stood in front of Ei again. "If you kill him, it will be the people of Watatsumi the ones who will take distance."

"We signed into the agreement that criminals from Watatsumi will be judged by their people" said Sara, gesturing to Kokomi and Gorou. "Even if your Excellency is the Shogun, breaking the-"

BOOOM

But lightning fell in front of the plaza, silencing Sara.

"I said" repeated Ei slowly, with lighting arcs around her proof of her anger and hatred. "That I will be the one to kill him."

"Are you sure?" asked Rex Lapis, his identity hidden by his plain golden mask and unassuming black attire.

"Don't get involved, this is not your business" said Ei, still looking at the old man, who had recovered his calm.

"All he wants is you to kill him, so the rift between Inazuma and Watatsumi will appear again" said Rex Lapis, making the old man frown.

"I don't-"

"Maybe you will care" interrupted Rex Lapis, making Ei frown. "When you see your daughter's face."

And Ei immediately stopped.

Looking desperately at the crowd, she finally saw her daughter's face.

With traces of tears, wide-open eyes that showed unadulterated fear, and messy hair.

And seeing that, Ei knew she had messed up.

Once again.

"So that's his child" mused the old man, also looking at the girl. "I should h-"

"Silence"

A tall man with blue hair stepped from the crowd with an icy face and punched the man, making him fall to the floor.

"Shogun-sama, we brought the rest" said Ayato, and the crowd parted ways to let a group of 10 or so tied-up people approach the front. "After hearing the adventurer's tale of how a bomb was planted in Inazuma, we started investigating, and quickly found the group in charge of patrolling that day thanks to the army's records. They confessed instantly, but we are still investigating to see if there were more.

"You people...." muttered Kokomi in sadness, looking at the 10 silent people looking at the floor with nought but desolation in their faces.

Had Elea been able to look at them, she would have sensed nothing but regret coming from them. The Civil War had just ended, the wounds were still open, and the humiliation of defeat and guilt of failing all those who died in the war, including their friends, lovers and family, weighed heavily in their minds.

So when the chance appeared to....

It didn't matter, because even now, they weren't aware of what their intention had been at that time.

Their emotions in disarray had made them not immediately reject the offer, and listening to the older man who carried too much pain inside him, they had agreed, pushed by their youth and emotions so strong they hadn't been able to manage by themselves.

Only for the 10 next years to prove how wrong had they been, as Watatsumi had only flourished. Their lack of trust in Inazuma had led them to believe everything they loved about Watatsumi would disappear, consumed by the hungry wolves they believed ruled the Nation of Eternity, but things had been the opposite.

Inazuma, under Kenhsin and Makoto's efforts, had embraced everything Watatsumi had to offer, further preserving what they loved, and closing the distances even more. The small festival they put all their effort into preparing, and one that always made them feel guilty for not being able to put enough resources into it, was celebrated in the middle of Narukami, showing that indeed, the Shogunate was one with them, that the Lightning Archon's heart was big enough for everyone in Inazuma, including Watatsumi.

So they regretted it.

They regretted taking away the man who had made it possible, but alas, the past, no matter how close, was unreachable.

But Ei's mind had already left everything behind, her whole focus was put on her daughter, who stood still.

But someone pushed Elea forward.

"Go" Yoimiya's voice, which Elea associated with calmness and fun, had its effect, so Elea stepped forward.

"Enough to see, scram" said Ayato, making the spectators go away, realizing that they would be the ones detained.

So before long, Ei, Makoto and Elea were the only ones in the middle of the plaza, with the rest of the involved people standing from one side.

Elea walked step by step towards her mother, her mind still reeling from everything, until she arrived at her mother's side.

Ei looked at her daughter, realizing that Elea had not only heard every single word, but also felt every single emotion.

But when her daughter looked up, she gave Elea the hug she felt those purple eyes were asking for.

"Mom" muttered Elea, feeling her mother's arms around her, and hugging the older woman back.

Ei didn't reply, and only hugged Elea, not knowing what to say.

Elea was too confused by everything that happened, hurt by the betrayal of that old man who she felt pain radiating from, and everything else.

But she was sure of something.

She didn't want to see her mother, taciturn and strict as she was, killing someone so mercilessly. Not even the responsible for her father being absent from her life, because for Elea, death had caused only pain.

And she didn't believe her kind mother, both Ei and Makoto, would feel better after killing someone.

But before she could tell her mother what she hoped for, she fainted again in her mother's arms.