The Phoenix's Clipped Wings | Kaedehara Kazuha

Au: What if?

What if Tomo doesn't die but it comes with a cost?

—

I remember that day so well although it's been almost two years and my memory has become a bit hazy. That day when Tomo challenged the Raiden Shogan and lost to one of her soldiers and he alone faced divine punishment.

The Musou no Hitotachi

That moment when he asked me to run with Sora, I refused, I refused to let him face his death alone. But when we witness the divine punishment, something inside told me that neither of us should die like this. So, I did what I could to delay the punishment and jumped in front of Tomo, shielding his body with mine.

But the cost of delaying this was the permanent scar running down my back and the cost of his arm, which he wrapped around me due to shock.

This seemed to pause the Raiden Shogan actions and I took this chance to flee with Tomo, Sora running after us as we stumble down the stairs.

On the verge of bleeding out and carrying the weight of Tomo's unconscious body, we arrived at my family's estate.

From there, my mother was able to tend to our wounds and she decided to send out of Inazuma for we knew that the Shogan's army would com find us at some point.

With her connections with a woman named Captain Beidou, she agreed to take us on her boat and leave Inazuma.

"Find a woman near the borders of Liyue and the next nation, she is the guardian of a hidden village. Tell her I sent you and she will help you."

That was my mother's last words on that day we departed.

—

"Lady Phoenix! The barrier around the village is weakening!" I'm snapping out my thoughts as I hear a voice from outside the temple, quickly putting down what I was working on.

I rush outside to see Tomo and a couple of children behind him.

I sigh as I shake my head, "Tomo, dear, I can't keep coming outside everytime you call for me. Or else I won't finish what I'm working on." He smiles as he scratches the back of his neck.

"I thought maybe you would want to take a break?" He replies nervously.

I let out a sigh before noticing, "alright, I'll take a break but just this once! Okay? Then I really need to get back to work." I smile as I crouch down as a small toddler comes running towards me.

"Yuki!"

"He missed you a lot you know," Tomo says as I hug the boy warmly. "Always asking where you are."

I frown, "I'm sorry, being the guardian of a village and a mother is hard work." The child plays with a strand of my hair as I shut the doors to the temple so no one else can go in.

"Its alright, but you do realize that you spend more time in the temple than your own family. Yuki needs not only needs me but you as well if we want to raise him well." Tomo says as we walk down the stairs, my lips turn into a frown. "That is what we promised Miss Fuka."

My eyes avert to the side at the mention of my missing teacher, she had left all of a sudden without a word to me or the people.

"How much time has passed in the temple for you?"

I think, "I say...about 5 years."