The Final Chapter

Forgiveness

Chapter 15

Diluc looked over the the sea. The night had been crystal clear until a few hours ago where a thunderstorm began to rage. They all had been standing in the rain for quite some time now and got used to it. In the distance he could see their destination. Narukami island. Fleets before it like small dots on the ocean, smoke emerging. The rain extinguished all fires immideatly, which was a hige advantage for them. He turned his on the sea looking up to Jean, but someone else caught his attention. Kaeya came straight towards him stopping right next to him and starring in the same direction he did just a few moments ago. "Seems brutal out there...", he said. The redhead next to him scoffed. "Maybe that informant could have been a little more precise in telling us numbers or strength of the enemy..." He looked down on Kaeya who let his shoulders down as his eyes fixated on the wodden floor beneath them. "Look...", he began quietly, "I'm sorry for not telling you..." "Yeah why would you... Instead of standing on my side when my father died and the Knights kept it under wraps, you stood with them. So why are you sorry, exactly? You've betrayed me before..." Keaya lifted his head looking at Diluc, who turned his head away from him. "I did not betray you. I understood the reason they kept it a secret, they wanted-", the cavalry captain began to explain but Diluc cut him off with a loud angry voice, "... to save the diplomatic relationship between us and Snezhnaya by denying my father the justice he deserved! That's not okay Kaeya... If that's even your name... Tell me, how much of it was a lie?" He looked his former brother. "All of it and nothing of it at the same time",  Kaeya answered him avoiding the eye contact. "So nothing was real?", Diluc asked. Had he really betrayed him all of the time? His whole life? Were there never any honest feelings from him? Did he just sneak into their family to betray all of them in the end? "No! But...", Kaeya sighed, "I'll tell you everything okay? Please just listen to the end of it..." The cavalry captain searched for eye contact again and Diluc saw honesty in his eyes. "Allright, I'll listen", he said crossing his arms. Kaeya turned around and began.
"When I was young, my father really did abandone me. But it was not your father who found me first, but a man named Dainsleif. He worked for Lumine's brother at the time and brought me to him. They knew immideatly that I was from Khaenri'ah and made me a part of their plan. At first I had been so enchanted by them because they were so kind and tought me so much, they were the first people I called my family. But for them I was just someone in their plan. Dainsleif left us soon enough and Aether was just concerned with the plan and his sister. But when we started the plan I met your father. He really was kind and only kind to me. You and him showed me what family really meant. The whole time I was acting as a spy for Aether, telling him everything about Mondstadt and the Knights, but it got harder and harder to do it, because their ultimate goal was the destruction of everything I was growing so attached to. So I told you all the plans he had made... So yes I came to you with a lie and mission, but I betrayed that mission, because I love you, Brother. I really do. It hurt my soul to betray you and ten times more to see you hurt by it... "
Diluc looked at him not knowing what to say. Yes he did mistrust Kaeya in the past but not this time. Why would he lie to him now? His identity was revealed and the enemy certainly won't take him in again. Gaining his trust? Why? Why not flee into a nation where he would be a stranger?
By the gods he was so stupid. Even distrusting him, when he decided to open up. "And the Knights?", he asked Kaeya. He had to be absolutely sure. "I did not agree with them. Yes their choice was reasonable for the nation, but it completly ignored your feelings.  I pondered leaving the knights and already revealing myself to you back then, but you pushed me away, so..." A small pause. "I know what you mean...", Diluc answered. He looked down then in Kaeya's eyes. The, now not covered, golden eye, was still strange to him. Then he hugged Kaeya. "I am so sorry... I should have listened sooner. Shouldn't have been such a prideful dickhead and should have tried to understand you...", he said his eyes filling with tears, "I'm so sorry..." "No I am... I should have told you sooner", Kaeya answered. Diluc hugged him tighter: "No need to be sorry, Brother"

Jean looked down to the two brothers hugging. Finally they made up with each other. Just in time to face death together. Her look went upwards to the battlefield. Fires had rampaged on the mountain and Inazuma city seemed in ruins. But most importantly no Liyue fleet, only wrecks drifting on the sea. Did they got here too late? Nothing seemed to move here. No horn blew for their arrival. No Jade Chamber was up in the sky. What happened here? "Prepare troups!", she commanded. Soldiers formed three small troup for the landing. Jean signaled the captain of the ship right next to her to take command. "I'll lead the troups, let's go!", she said standing in front of them. Kaeya and Diluc lead the two other groups. She motioned for them to come to her and said quietly: "Something is odd here. Be careful" They both nodded and returned to their posts. "So. Team A with me, we enter the city. Kaeya with Team B joins the front and Diluc with Team C inspects the coast line. Come now everyone, in the boats!", she spoke to rest of the soldiers they began to man the boats. Jean lead her group to Inazuma, but her feeling worsened as no enemy passed by them and no soldiers were seen. They really were too late, were they?