Chapter Text
Because it’s about you.
The unexpected words swam around Kazuha’s mind before finally settling in and processing. Kokomi hadn’t made any effort to reach out before, even weeks after the fugitive had escaped. A surge of unease settled into the pit of Kazuha’s stomach, and after a tentative pause, he asked, “What did her message say?”
Kazuha watched as Beidou’s gaze shifted toward the ceiling and her eyebrows furrowed, visibly trying to figure out how to properly relay the contents of Kokomi’s message. It had been running through her mind all night, but communicating the details to Kazuha proved to be more difficult than she expected.
“Well, she’s put together a plan.” Beidou recalled, “According to her, a small camp located at Fort Fujitou is preparing to fight the Shogunate on the front lines, Nazuchi Beach. I’m assuming you know where that is. I know jack shit about Inazuman geography.”
Kazuha did, in fact, know where Nazuchi Beach was. He practically knew every blade of grass and spec of dirt on each of the Inazuman islands from his time wandering across them. But Nazuchi Beach..he knew of that place for a different reason.
He quickly heard himself asking Beidou if Kokomi had mentioned the name of the general who was in charge of the camp, a small feeling of hope (and also a little bit of dread) blossoming in his heart.
“If I remember correctly, I believe it was a ..General Garu? Gura?”
“Gorou.” Kazuha breathed.
“Yeah! That was it.”
Kazuha’s heart was beating so fast that he could hear the blood surging through his eardrums. He could do nothing but feel as a thousand different emotions flooded into his being, his body unsure what to do with any of them. This new information was overwhelming, making the poor boy struggle to keep his perfected composure under control.
Gorou was alive, but he was about to take the Shogunate head on. Part of him almost wanted to relax at the immense relief of knowing that his friend was okay, but the other felt pure and unbridled fear about the fact that he was going to be facing the Raiden Shogun’s loyal army. The conflicting feelings clashed in a swirling war inside his head. Kazuha looked down at the floor, his eyes slowly darting back and forth while his deafening thoughts ran wild.
“By the looks of it, his division doesn’t have what it takes to win this battle.” Beidou’s voice forcefully drew Kazuha out of his own mind.
Oh.
Fantastic.
“So,” Beidou quickly continued, “Kokomi reached out in an attempt to recruit help. When the Shogunate has the upper hand, just when they’re about to win, the entire Resistance is going to ambush them.” Beidou chuckled to herself, no doubt envisioning the looks on the Shogunate’s faces when they were hopelessly surrounded.
“And by ‘recruit help’, she wants me to return to Inazuma?” Kazuha finally spoke, now abruptly aware of how utterly dry his mouth felt. Beidou’s smile disappeared and she dipped her head down, which was enough response for the male.
The Resistance needed him. Gorou needed him. But it was dangerous to go back, especially now, when the Vision Hunt Decree was in full force and he was wanted throughout the entire nation.
That would never stop him from returning to aid the Resistance when they needed it, though.
“I don’t like it.” Beidou suddenly said. “I know how strong of a fighter you are, I’ve seen it myself, but if you somehow slip up and get caught..” She trailed off.
Ah. So she had the same thought process.
“Captain-”
“I don’t like it,” She repeated, cutting Kazuha off, “But I’m not going to stop you from going.”
Kazuha looked up and met Beidou’s eyes. They were overflowing with the unmistakable look of uncertainty, but there was a hint of something else, something darker, hidden in her irises.
“But you should know I’m coming with you.”
No.
“I cannot ask that of you, Captain. This is not your fight.”
“You’re right. It’s not. But it involves my crewmember. And no one messes with my crew without also messing with me.” She leaned on the arm of the chair and set her chin in her hand, never once breaking eye contact with Kazuha.
“It’s dangerous.” He spoke carefully.
“Why do you think I’m coming?”
“You don’t understand-”
“Kazuha. This isn’t up for discussion. I’m going to help the Resistance and you’re not going to fight me on this. That’s an order.”
No. No no no, he can’t let her get involved. He couldn’t risk bringing her into this... mess. He couldn’t let her enter Inazuma. Not now. He couldn’t-
But Beidou is stubborn, even more stubborn than he is, and he knows that. Attempting to change her mind was as good as trying to uproot an ancient tree that’s buried deep inside the earth. But the thought alone of Beidou getting hurt just to protect him sent him into a violent panic.
Usually, he’d never question the word of his Captain, but this was too urgent. So he did one thing he never dared do before: Fought her orders.
“Beidou, please, listen to me.” He spoke with his usual soft, slow mannerisms, but there was a firm undertone to his voice, “Not as your crewmember, but..as your friend. Do not get entangled in the disarray that resides in Inazuma. I’ve seen too many people-”
“Kaedehara!” Kazuha winced and stopped talking instantly. She never used his last name, nor did she often raise her voice, especially at him.
“Are you really going to defy my-”
“I already let Aether go alone! I can’t risk losing you too, Beidou!”
...
Silence has never felt so loud.
“I-I mean-” Kazuha uncharacteristically stumbled over his words. His composure was completely lost now, and he sank into his seat as if he was trying to disappear completely. His voice was trembling and quiet, a stark contrast to the shout moments prior, “I-I don’t doubt your martial ability. But- I- You don’t-”
“Kid.”
Kazuha stopped immediately. His eyes followed Beidou’s hand as she slowly reached up and placed it on his shoulder, looking at him with kind eyes and a soft smile. After a moment, then two, he felt his breathing become steady and his panic settle.
“I’m sorry.” He breathed, breaking eye contact and looking down.
“It’s okay, kid. I should be sorry. I know how hard this is for you.” She paused before finishing, “And.. I know you’re scared.”
That was it.
That’s all it took for Kaedehara Kazuha to release a choked sob as he completely crumbled in on himself.
The Captain hit right on the mark. He’d never admit it himself, his fear of vulnerability keeping the boy from expressing his true thoughts and emotions. For so long, he had been in the dark on the inner workings of Inazuma. Not knowing if his friends were okay, if the Decree had gotten worse, how many more lives were lost to the Musou no Hitotachi.. .it had been silently tearing him apart.
Beidou slowly climbed out of her chair and guided Kazuha to follow, until they were both kneeling on the hard floor. She took his shaking form and placed him protectively under her chin, pulling him into a tight embrace as she pet his ivory hair soothingly. She let the room stay silent, aside from Kazuha’s broken cries.
For a long moment, she just held him.
It’s not the first time Bediou has been the boy’s source of comfort. As Captain of the Crux, she made it a priority to be there for her crew. Kazuha was no exception. She didn’t know of his whole story for quite a while, only minor details and that he needed to leave Inazuma as soon as possible. For days, he stayed silent. Even so, Beidou made sure to care for the damaged boy. She forced him to eat meals, to get rest when he was unwell, and offered as much support as she could.
When he did finally open up about the events that transpired before his escape, it had been hard for both of them. Throughout his retelling of the incident, he remained calm and his voice steady. But it was in his facial expressions and the way he carried himself that broke Beidou’s heart. His eyes carried a dull emptiness that no one of his age should have the burden of holding. Though he kept his expression straight and bare, Beidou didn’t fail to recognize that it was painted with a dark anguish that would etch itself into her mind for the rest of her life. His demonstration of real, unadulterated grief was so strong that it was almost too much for the Captain to bear.
But he hadn’t cried.
Not like he did now.
After Kazuha’s sobs turned into soft cries, he pulled away from Beidou, and shifted until he was comfortable sitting cross legged on the floor. He wiped the remaining tears from his damp eyes. They were red and swollen, displaying his pain for the world to see.
Beidou hated it.
“I’m sorry. I usually don’t..um..”
“Don’t apologize, kid. I know you’ve been keeping all these fears and emotions locked away ever since you first stepped foot on the Alcor. It’s not healthy. It’s okay to cry.”
He nodded in response, not knowing exactly what to say to that.
“Your fears are valid, Kazuha.” He shifted uncomfortably, “But if you think the Shogunate is enough to take me down, I’m afraid you underestimate me.”
Kazuha laughed pathetically, “I could never underestimate you, Beidou. But once you get involved with Inazuma, it stays with you. The Shogun likes to hold grudges. If we mess with her beloved eternity, she will not take it kindly.”
“She doesn’t scare me. I won’t let her take anything more from you.” She said gently, then, after thinking, “Wait, you mentioned that traveler before.”
I already let Aether go alone.
“What was that all about?”
Kazuha stopped. He hadn’t even realized he brought Aether up.
“I’m..I don’t know.” He refused to meet her eyes.
“C’mon, Kazuha, you have your way with words, I know you can do better than..”
She trailed off as she followed his heartbroken gaze to his bandaged hand, which he was holding gently with his other.
Oh.
Oh.
“Aether reminds me of him, in some ways.” Kazuha confirmed Beidou’s thoughts. He had a smile on his face, but there was nothing but grief behind it. “Seeing him step into Inazuma was..difficult.”
At first, Kazuha despised how much the traveller resembled Tomo. His bright smile, wonderful laugh, and courageous heart were all qualities Kazuha admired about his late friend. To see the same qualities plastered on someone else felt wrong. It was almost as if the universe was mocking him.
But Aether was the type of person you simply could not hate for long. Kazuha changed his initial judgment of the blonde as soon as he got the chance to witness him fight. Even in the confines of a nonlethal battle, Aether was still able to demonstrate just how capable he was. The precision of his steps told a thousand stories of combat, and his controlled restraint spoke loudly of his character. That alone was enough to sway the young samurai.
It didn’t even take ten minutes of being in his presence for Kazuha to start taking a liking to him. And soon, Kazuha started to notice the differences between him and his late friend. Unlike Kazuha, Tomo was always an open person, constantly telling stories about his family or what his life was like before meeting his anemo visioned friend.
Aether, on the other hand, had some mystery behind him. He talked a lot, but he never revealed much about himself. Paimon liked to boast about the travelers past achievements, but he would always brush them off and shush her, even when the story was an incredible feat. She once started talking about how he faced Osial, a god that had been awakened by a Fatui Harbinger, while channeling the power of multiple adepti. Aether stopped her before she could go into much detail, “I only wanted to help out. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the adepti, and I would've fallen to my pitiful death if it weren’t for Xiao.”
Though he didn’t get to hear much of the story, Kazuha was thoroughly intrigued.
He made a very simple realization not one day after meeting the strange traveler. He enjoyed his company more than he had anyone else’s in a long time. Kazuha was very reluctant when it came to giving out his trust, taking weeks before he befriended anyone on the Crux. Beidou was the only exception, he had no choice but to trust her or he wouldn't have made it out of Inazuma alive. Plus, she was the type of person who would adopt you into her life once she took a liking to you. There was no escaping her, and Kazuha didn’t mind that.
But Kazuha felt safe giving his trust to Aether. In fact, he confided in him, and told him the story of Tomo when they were talking on the beach, right before Aether’s final duel to compete for the empty electro vision. Some of his crewmates didn’t even know the whole story.
“I can imagine why,” Beidou’s voice dragged Kazuha out of his thoughts, “You..don’t want him to suffer the same fate.”
He looked up at her quickly. He wasn’t expecting her to outright say it, but she was right. He didn’t want to regret growing attached to Aether so quickly, because if something happened to him while in Inazuma..
Well. He didn’t want to think about it.
“He told me that he was looking for someone. I can only hope he sticks to that and doesn’t get involved with the Electro Archon.” Kazuha stated.
They both knew that the young traveler would probably end up involved anyway. He always did whatever was asked of him, whether it was saving someone from a group of Hilichurls, or helping someone with their groceries. It was almost infuriating seeing him give out his help when he got none in return. Everyone seemed to forget the entire reason he’s on this world in the first place.
“Well, knowing him, he won’t have a problem in Inazuma. The stories circulating around that boy are more than enough to give me the confidence to say he’ll be alright. We can check up on him when we arrive, yeah? We should make a bet out of it. 5,000 Mora says he’s fighting the Shogunate with Gorou when we show up.”
Kazuha chuckled in response, “Then I’m afraid I’d be out 5,000 Mora.”
“Damn, I really thought that would work.”
They laughed together in the soft glow of the lantern. Maybe everything would turn out in Kazuha’s favor, for once. With a supportive Crux and determined Beidou at his side, he felt confident he could make a difference among the Resistance.
Not even Inazuma would change that.