Journey | Albedo's Descent Book 3

Chapter 43: The End of The End

Klee smiled, "good morning!"
Kaeya wanted to cry just from looking at her. It had been almost a week and a half since he had retired to his room.
Klee embraced his legs, unable to reach much higher.
Kaeya placed his hand gently against her head, whispering, "morning..."
Klee pulled away, "how come you always wore an eyepatch??? I really like the gold, it's matches your earring!"
Kaeya hesitated. Did it look different now?
"Anyways!" She took his hand and started pulling him towards Jean's office, which was where he was headed anyways. "Jean said to bring you to her if I saw you!"
Kaeya sighed through his nose, "did she?"
Klee nodded excitedly.
Kaeya was jealous of how giddy Klee was. She seemed to have moved on just fine... and after so little time, too.
Klee barged into the Grandmaster's office, "Jean!!!"
Jean stood up in fright. Then sighed, realizing it was only Klee.
Lisa giggled from where she stood, leaning against the table, a teapot in hand.
Jean froze when she saw Kaeya. She silently cleared her throat as she sat back down, "good morning."
Lisa gave a small wave and conjured two more teacups onto the table before carefully pouring.
Klee dragged Kaeya in, "guess who's coming?!?!"
"Who?" Kaeya asked, trying to sound interested. Sounding anything but empty was difficult.
"My mom!!!" Klee danced on her feet, "Lisa helped me write her a magic letter!"
Lisa gave a small smile, "I figured she would want to know what happened. I wouldn't be surprised if all of Teyvat felt that surge of magic when Dodoco came to life!"
Kaeya furrowed his brow, "I didn't notice anything like that..."
Lisa chuckled quietly, "you were preoccupied. Come. Sit. Have some tea."
Klee pulled Kaeya over and forced him to sit down. He didn't really resist, but wasn't all that motivated to do anything, either.
Lisa passed out the tea and took her own seat.
"Oh!" Klee pointed at Kaeya, "tell him he shouldn't wear an eyepatch! His eyes look super cool!"
Kaeya sighed heavily as he took a cup into his hands.
The first thing Jean noticed was the cross-shaped scar over Kaeya's eye, rather than the abnormal color. Lisa smiled, "I think it suits you."
Jean took a small sip, "as Klee was saying, Miss Alice is planning on coming to Mondstadt soon. But, uh, who knows what her definition of 'soon' is..."
Klee giggled, "I hardly ever get to see mom!"
The adults were glad that Klee was able to look forward to something.
Then, Kaeya noticed something quite alarming, "Lisa, your arms..."
Lisa smiled tentatively, "ah, that." Covering her arms was a dark purple color, seeming like she had dyed her skin. She pulled her cape loose, revealing that the color was snaking its way across her shoulders in the form of tendrils that were shaped like briar vines.
Jean closed her eyes tightly, "we have... a lot to talk about..."
Kaeya made his decision.
"I'm from Khaenri'ah."
Everyone at the table faltered. Klee blinked a few times. Lisa almost dropped her teacup. Jean almost stood up again. Kaeya flinched.
Kaeya's eyes were fixed on the small cup in his hands, "it's about time I told you... and I think that thing is from there, too..."
Lisa coughed into her fist, "well, I figured that much was obvious, considering the star on the carvings, and all."
Kaeya nodded, "Albedo's creator... has at least been to Khaenri'ah... hence, the symbol on him as well..."
Jean was thinking deeply, "then... why are you here?..."
Kaeya sighed, "as you said, we have a lot to talk about..."

Alice wouldn't be in Mond until who-knew-when and Kaeya didn't want to keep looking at that vase every time he went to sleep. All it did was remind him of who wasn't going to sleep with him.
"Sorry, Klee," Kaeya whispered, "I don't think I should take you with me..."
She nodded, "that's okay..." she gave him a small smile, "do you know where you're going, exactly?"
Kaeya nodded, "I had a while to think about it."
Lisa hugged him, "be safe, okay?"
He nodded again, leaning into her embrace, barely holding himself together.
After Lisa released him, Kaeya made his way to Dragonspine. The mountain seemed to have fixed itself after only three weeks had gone by.
There must have been another avalanche or something because the Frostbearing tree was significantly deeper in the snow than it had been before and all the craters were gone. Life had returned to the mountain, many small creatures as well as Hillichurl camps littered the area.
Kaeya was on his way to the top of the mountain. Albedo was always searching for new things in life, in death Kaeya knew that wouldn't change. He had decided to spread Albedo's ashes as far as he could at once, and that meant letting the wind take him away.
Kaeya was making his way up the path, slowly getting closer and closer to the summit. He came to the archway leading to the spire before stopping. His body felt heavy and he wanted to just lay down in the snow and never get up.
But he couldn't. He knew Albedo wouldn't want him to lay down and die so easily... He smiled, realizing that Klee must have known this fact. Why else would she seem so unfazed by Albedo's passing? He chuckled.
Then, he heard the sound of crunching snow and two voices.
One laughed, the sound of a woman, "see? This is what you're capable of."
The other responded, "I see. Thank you." This voice was that of a man, the sound deep and rumbling.
"Ah, but I still can't believe how much taller you are than me..." she seemed about to sigh.
Then they stood in front of the arch, facing Kaeya.
The woman smiled, her expression small and refined. Her eyes were almost closed, her cheeks and nose red from the cold. "We've been waiting for you."
Kaeya couldn't believe his eyes.
This woman wore clothes rimmed with gold, her jewelry glittering with the same luster. Her eyes were the brightest blue, as if reflecting the waters of Cider Lake, with the slightest hint of green. Her hair was a golden blonde with streaks of silver-grey. She had cleanly cut bangs and her hair was partially fastened back by two thin braids circling the crown on her head and meeting into a bun. The rest of her hair lay behind her, swishing in the wind and glittering in the light.
She was the spitting image of Albedo.
Kaeya felt overwhelmed.
The man, too, looked very similar to Albedo. Though, he was much much taller and had a more rough appearance. His eyes were more piercing and darker. He wore black and red attire, his pale skin contrasting with it greatly. His hair was more of a dirty blonde and his expressions were muted, save for the aloofness of his posture.
Kaeya was finally able to open his mouth, "you..."
The woman smiled, "yes. I am Gold. Or, Rhinedottir. Or perhaps even The Greatest Alchemist. Whichever name you choose." She folded her hands in front of her, inclining her head politely.
There was something about her that struck Kaeya as odd. He expected her to be all frowns and scowls. Then again, he didn't have much to imagine. Albedo hardly ever spoke of her.
The man beside Gold slowly folded his arms, his eyes trained on the vase in Kaeya's grasp.
Kaeya shifted his weight, "what... what are you doing here?..."
Gold's eyes wandered in a way that Kaeya had seen Albedo's move so many times before, "hm... I suppose you can guess I wasn't just out for a stroll."
The man snorted, smoke puffing out of his nose.
Kaeya realized who this was. "Durin?"
He made eye contact, "yes?"
Kaeya was utterly dumbfounded. This certainly wasn't the way he had wanted to meet Albedo's family... But wasn't Durin supposed to be dead? Did this mean Albedo hadn't been seeing things?...
Kaeya felt like crying again. He didn't think he could process any of this.
Gold smiled, her eyes glittering, "Durin, you didn't tell me they are engaged."
Durin blinked, "they are?"
Kaeya bit the inside of his lip. He still wore the ring. He couldn't make himself take it off...
"May I see him?" Gold held out her hands to Kaeya.
He hesitated. He really didn't want to hand it over. He didn't know these people or what they might do.
"I promise I mean no harm," she beckoned, "he is my son. I wish to... right my wrongs..."
Kaeya could tell she was being sincere but he was still upset. "Do you even know what you've done?" It was her fault Albedo had to go through all this. Heck, he had to go though every challenge he had ever faced because of her!
Her smiled grew sad as she dropped her eyes, "I understand your anger... I don't think I've ever been qualified to raise children... and I don't know if I ever will. But, I spoke with someone recently who showed me that even I can change."
Gold took a deep breath, "I know I'm asking for a lot, but give me a chance. Please, allow me to be the mother I couldn't be before."
Kaeya stared at her. He didn't want to trust her after all she had done to Albedo, but... He knew how she felt. He knew what it was like to want to change. With a hard breath and a heavy heart he carefully handed over the vase.
She smiled, offering him a quiet thank you. She slowly turned the vase around a few times, "ah, I see Barbatos knows his way around art." She chuckled, "but this won't do."
Kaeya was about to speak, but was interrupted before he even opened his mouth.
"Why don't you join us, Albedo? You've kept us waiting long enough."
And with that, Gold tossed the vase into the air where it burst into millions of tiny particles of dust and chalk.
Kaeya almost screamed, but his throat caught.
The dust stayed still in the air for a moment. Then, in a sudden surge of movement, all the particles shone bright gold and came together in the form of a person. In the form of Albedo.
He lay suspended in the air, his face tilted up to the sky. His body slowly lowered down, shifting so his feet touched the snow. There was a long exhale from his mouth.
As his boots crunched the snow under his weight he jolted, his eyes blinking awake. He stared at Rhinedottir and Durin for a long time.
He opened his mouth, "am I... dead?..."
"No," Gold chuckled, "you're very much alive."
Albedo's eyes welled with tears, "then, you..."
Gold smiled, folding her hands in her polite little way.
"You came back," Albedo choked on his words, his fists clenching tightly. "This means I did it, right?..."
"Yes," Gold nodded, closing her eyes, "you succeeded... Though, I will admit... you were not expected to..."
Albedo wiped his eyes, "what?..."
Durin heaved a sighed, "I hate to say I told you so, but I did."
Albedo couldn't keep a smile from his face, "you're really here?..."
Gold stepped forward, holding out her hands, "I am."
Albedo hesitated before placing his hands in hers. Then he looked up at her, overcome by emotions. He threw himself into her embrace, his eyes overflowing with tears that soaked into her thick coat.
Gold was a little startled and seemed unsure what to do. She placed her hands against Albedo's back gently, "I'm sorry, Albedo..."
"I fulfilled my purpose," Albedo sniffed, pulling back from her and squeezing her hands, "does that mean you know what I fought?..."
She nodded with a tired sigh, "a long time ago... I was not nearly as powerful as I am now... They couldn't control what they had created and so I stepped in. I knew one day it would reawaken... I shouldn't have put such a heavy burden on you," she placed her hand against Albedo's cheek.
He leaned into her hand, "how long has it been?..."
"Too long," she smiled. "I'm going to try and be better to you. And to Durin, too." She removed her hands, much to Albedo's refusal, "but, first, I think there's someone else waiting for you." Her eyes traveled past Albedo.
Albedo turned around.
The moment he did, he was bombarded by someone crashing into him. He stumbled back a step, his boots almost slipping on the snow.
He was encircled by powerful arms and encased in the sweet scent of mint and Cala Lilies.
"Stop dying on me or I swear to Celestia I'm going to kill you myself!"
Albedo's eyes became waterfalls again. He held Kaeya back as tightly as his could, "I'll try harder, I promise..."
"One of these days I'm going to die of grief if you keep scaring me like that..." Kaeya was sobbing again.
Albedo had to lower them both to sit on the ground so that they didn't fall over.
Kaeya was shaking uncontrollably, "please, for the love of Barbatos, stop getting yourself killed or possessed or whatever!!!"
Albedo laughed, weeping as well, "I can't promise any of that, but I promise that I'll try my best."
Kaeya buried his face in Albedo's neck, completely overcome by relief.
Gold smiled, patting Durin's arm, "well, we have some time to kill before Alice gets here to mentor me. What do you want to do now that you're able to leave the mountain?"
Durin paused, "... how would you feel if I told you that you have, possibly... seventy grandkids?"
Gold gasped, "grandkids?!"