(Kazuha x Tomo) Ephemeral Autumn Leaves

10. Outlander from Afar

The remaining chapters contains spoilers for the following quests in Genshin Impact's storyline:

Chapter II: Omnipresence Over Mortals

Prologue: Autumn Winds, Scarlet Leaves

Act I: The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia

Act II: Stillness, the Sublimation of Shadow

Act III: Omnipresence Over Mortals

Only read ahead if you have already completed these quests or do not mind spoilers!

                                                    ~~~

In the preceding months, Kazuha spent most of his time aboard the Alcor as it made its way to various ports across Liyue. It was shortly after the spring equinox when Kazuha had first arrived in Liyue Harbour, and thus if he were to travel to Dunyu Ruins to meet the Priest, he would have to wait a while until the summer solstice. He didn't particularly mind this fact—Kazuha was a patient individual after all. This also gave him time to process Cyno's theory that the violet Seelie which had appeared to him on numerous occasions was in fact Tomo himself. The Seelie hadn't made a reappearance since that day they'd met Mr. Zhongli, and Kazuha began to wonder if perhaps he was mistaken about it after all. As the Alcor spent the days and weeks sailing through Liyue's waters, Kazuha spent many sleepless nights atop the crowsnest with Tama perched on his shoulder, gazing upon the fullness of the moon as he played tunes with the leaves as his instrument.

It was shortly after they first departed Liyue Harbor that rumors began circulating that an ancient god had been reawakened, nearly submerging the city in a deluge before being defeated by a mysterious Outlander.

"They say this Outlander saved Mondstadt a few months ago from the menacing dragon Stormterror," one of Beidou's crewmates explained to Kazuha one evening. "Now, it seems they've saved Liyue as well! With Rex Lapis gone, the people of Liyue sure are lucky to have had someone come to their rescue!"

Kazuha was intrigued by stories of this Outlander, and wondered if they were the same blonde-haired youth he had encountered during the Rite of Descension earlier. If that was the case, it was certainly a strange coincidence that they would somehow be connected to events in Mondstadt, the death of Rex Lapis, and now the subduing of an ancient god of the sea. He began to consider that if this Outlander were to find their way to Inazuma, perhaps they would be able to upset the status quo in that nation as well...

"The winds are changing their course," he noted to himself, gazing out across the sea in the direction of his homeland.

                                                      ***

Kazuha felt that it was fate when he happened to meet this Outlander himself a short while later. The summer solstice was soon approaching, and the Alcor was returning to Liyue Harbor one last time before setting sail for Inazuma once again. Kazuha did not think it was a coincidence when he learned that this Outlander was searching for a means to travel to Inazuma, and that Beidou had offered for them to journey aboard the Alcor. This was no trivial matter—Beidou hadn't invited anyone aboard her fleet since Kazuha had first joined her crew months ago. It seemed that he wasn't the only one intrigued by the mysterious Outlander.

The arrival of this traveller aboard their ship coincided with an event that Beidou decided to host for Kazuha called "The Crux Clash." During the months that he'd been with them, she'd noticed how he would spend most of his nights in the crowsnest, clutching the lifeless Electro Vision of his deceased friend as he stared off longingly towards the horizon. Seeking to help him in his search to rekindle the Vision, she decided to host a tournament by which martial artists could compete for possession of the Masterless Vision. She hoped that perhaps the winner of such a tournament would possess the ambition capable of rekindling the Vision for Kazuha.

The Outlander agreed to take part in this competition, not to win possession of the Vision, but rather to be granted passage to Inazuma. Kazuha had already developed an interest in the Outlander based on stories he'd heard, but upon meeting them for the first time, and learning that they were able to master the elements without wielding a Vision, his curiosity only increased. Perhaps they will be able to rekindle Tomo's Vision, he thought.

Kazuha quickly found himself becoming close to the Outlander, and their strange floating companion who called herself Paimon. He recounted Tomo's story to the two, hoping that perhaps they would know of a way to rekindle the Vision for him, but alas they were unable to.

"I see...so you are also unable to rekindle the Vision," he smiled melancholically. "No matter, this was expected. I suppose this Vision is still mine to take for now."

Needless to say, he was disappointed with this outcome. Yet at the same time, he felt a strange sense of hope ignite in his heart after his encounter with the Outlander. If they had been able to save both Mondstadt and Liyue from the threats that those nations faced, would they be able to save Inazuma from the grip of the Raiden Shogun, perhaps? It was certainly a possibility.

                                                      ***

The Alcor would remain docked in Liyue Harbor for a short while to resupply before returning to Inazuma. Kazuha did not plan on returning to his homeland with them, but rather to stay in Liyue and continue his adventures on his own. After all, the solstice was in a few days, and he hoped to find the answers he'd been searching for at Dunyu Ruins.

Setting out towards Lisha, where Dunyu Ruins was located, Kazuha bid farewell to Beidou and the Alcor's crew as he disembarked the ship.

"You're always welcome back aboard," Beidou called out.

"I appreciate the hospitality," Kazuha smiled. He felt melancholic at the thought of separating from Beidou and the others. Over the last few months, he'd grown close to them, having been accepted as one of their own, and even began seeing them as family to an extent. He knew that this wasn't goodbye, yet at the same time, he was scared to be on his own once more. "May we meet again..." he whispered softly.

                                                       ***

Kazuha spent the next few days traveling alone with Tama as they trekked westwards through Liyue's mountainous terrain. He felt almost as if he were being taken back to the days when he would wander in solitude across Inazuma's islands. Liyue, however, was much more vast and expansive, the mountains taller, and the atmosphere less oppressive than that of his motherland. However, despite the freedom he felt wandering aimlessly across the landscape, there was still an underlying longing inside him for Inazuma. Perhaps it was not the nation itself that he yearned for, but the friends he'd met along the way that made Inazuma feel like home to him. As he traveled from Liyue Harbor to Dunyu Ruins, accompanied only by Tama, they encountered not another living soul.

Drawing near to the ruins on the eve of the solstice, the full splendor of the site's magnificence quickly became clear to him. He was amazed to think that an ancient civilization once existed, and even thrived in this area. Now, hardly anything remained, though the towering walls, archways and statues overhead were nevertheless awe-inspiring.

I suppose nothing in this world can truly endure forever, he thought to himself. For even the greatest of civilizations lasts for but a fleeting moment in the grand scheme of eternity.

As he traversed through the ruins, making his way further into its depths, he thought about how much Tomo would have loved to have seen a place like this. Before entering one of the passageways that led underground, down ancient corridors and likely to the Chasm itself, Kazuha paused and stared up at the sky one last time, rubbing Tama under the chin as she purred in delight. The light of the moon shone brightly above, the same as it always had. Though there was no trace of that purple Seelie in sight, he could sense that somewhere out there, it was watching over him at this very moment.

Perhaps, Tomo, you are here with me after all.

Clutching the Masterless Vision tightly in his hand, he and Tama began their descent into the darkness, the light of the moon disappearing from view behind them.