Chapter Text
The Sakura blossoms drifted slowly to the ground around me as I took a deep breath. Today was the start of my new life.
After all, I was an adult now.
From the moment I was born, the future of my family was bleak. Things had been falling apart behind the scenes for years already, and adding another mouth to feed inevitably led us to ruin.
And as such, it was no surprise that by the time I reached fifteen years of age, our pockets were essentially portable black holes- Completely irreparable, and all consuming.
It was sad, to say the least. In both the emotions we all felt, and in the perspective of our surrounding clans.
We came across as pathetic, and desperate- until the heads of our family collectively stopped resisting against the all powerful force of entropy, that is.
“It’s pointless,” they decided. “ It doesn’t matter what we do anymore; The clan will fall.”
That was about when people began to ‘stop while they’re still ahead’- Denouncing themselves from the Kaedehara name, often even leaving the nation of Inazuma before the consequences of the fallout caught up with them.
The first of these individuals just so happened to be my father, who entrusted me to the care of my mother, and grandfather.
My grandfather used to tell me many tales of his own travels outside of this nation we considered our home.
I would always be so enthralled by his detailed descriptions of the stone forests in Liyue, and all the strange types of people he met on his journey to restore our family’s social status.
In fact, there was one story in particular that really seemed to resonate with me, due to-”
“Are you going to buy something or not, kid?”
A voice drew me out of my musings, and I was greeted with the image of a fruit vendor’s face only inches away from my own. He seemed to be quite frustrated with me, judging by the way his brows were knit so tightly together, contorting his face into a scowl.
Had I been talking out loud that whole time?
“Ah- No. I’m afraid I have no Mora,” I answered, flashing him a sheepish smile as he walked off.
“Should’ve left an hour ago..” was the last thing I heard him say before he rounded a corner, out of sight.
I pushed the whole ordeal out of my mind and turned back to the gate of Inazuma city- Back to the path that lay ahead of me, just waiting for me to make my way into the new life the universe has in store for me.
Today was certainly a big day. And I was going to enjoy it to the fullest.
I took a moment to breathe in the fresh air all around me- To admire the floral scents wafting through the cool breeze of early spring.
Then I took another deep breath- This time to calm my nerves.
And finally, after what was perhaps an embarrassing amount of hesitation, I put out my best foot forward, and began to walk, savoring the feeling of the gravel beneath my shoes along with the feeling of a new beginning.
‘ Yes,’ I thought to myself. ‘This was the right decision.’
And it certainly was. It wasn’t an easy one, of course- Important decisions never are.
But when it really came down to it, did I really want to waste away, living a life of work and misery on the streets of Inazuma city? Of course not.
And sure, the idea of having nowhere to go when things go wrong- Having no roof over your head during the storms, and no shoulder to cry on when things are too difficult to carry on, wasn’t all that appealing either..
But I wanted to see more of the world than the same old stalls and street venders that I had grown so accustomed to.
I wanted to climb mountains, and swim in rivers.
I wanted to meet all sorts of strangers- Just like my grandfather did.
The right path for me was undeniably the one I chose that day.
Maybe I was swayed by my grandfather’s grandiose descriptions, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, right?
Surely not.
Even if some of those tales were a little… tall, there was truth in them somewhere.
I could see it in his eyes- The way he missed the outside world.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts before I got too caught up in reminiscing.
The focus was on the here and now. And right now, I was following the rough gravel path north, with no particular destination in mind.
It was fascinating, seeing the obvious differences between the perfectly pruned trees back home and these wild untouched branches.
I stopped momentarily to touch the base of one of these untamed trees, and was rather shocked to find that it was covered in sap.
The trees back in Inazuma city were consistently cleaned, with the sole purpose of avoiding such situations.
‘ As fascinating as this is, I think I should probably avoid touching things like this from now on,’ I decided as I made the arguably worse decision to uncomfortably attempt to wipe the sap off in the grass.
Much to my dismay, of course, that only seemed to make matters worse. Not only was the sap still stuck to my hand, but I seemed to have picked up some grass and even bugs along the way.
“My apologies,” I spoke softly to the bugs that were caught up in the same situation that I was.
“I’ll try to get you two back home safely.”
I glanced around for a water source, and was very relieved to see a small pond only a few minutes away. “You’ll be safe soon, friends.” I comforted them as I sat down beside it and began to wash off the sap.
I carefully dipped my finger into the water and started to work away at the uncomfortably sticky substance- taking extra care to avoid hurting and/or drowning the poor things.
“There we go. All better now. Have a safe trip home, my friends.” I gently placed the bugs on the ground and watched them run off into the grass as I bade them farewell.
After that, I turned back to the water and continued to scrub away until all the sticky residue had gone, leaving none in between my fingers or anywhere that would inconvenience me.
Once my hands were finally clean, I made my way back to the path and continued walking north as the sun began to rise higher into the sky, bathing the sky in a striking blue color that contrasted beautifully with the pure white clouds drifting by slowly.
I walked, and walked, and walked some more, cherishing the feeling of the rough gravel beneath my shoes with each step until it began to smooth out.
‘I must be near a village,’ I realized with a feeling of relief.
My stomach had been all but screaming at me for the past few hours, due to me not having eaten since a little before sunrise yesterday morning.
But the thought of eating came with a feeling of dread, as I remembered my current predicament-
A man whose last name brings no safety, and certainly no mora.
” Ah-“ I sighed to myself as I continued onwards into the small village ahead of me.
‘Perhaps someone will be willing to let me work for them temporarily in return for a full meal?’
As I walked past the threshold that signaled the official entrance of the village, I could immediately feel many eyes fall upon me.
Not that this was too surprising, of course. After all, I was a stranger. A city man, here to disrupt their daily life.
“ Who is that?” “He must be a tax collector from the city”
“Where are his parents?”
I heard every whisper said about me as I walked by.
“Hello,” I hesitated before introducing myself.
“I am Kaedehara Kazuha. I was wondering if any of you had any work for me? I don’t ask for much payment in return- Only a small meal to keep me going through the day.”
”He shouldn’t be here.” Another whisper.
It was clear to see how quickly everyone’s expressions turned sour, but I tried to ignore it.
“I know how to mend clothing, and I consider myself to be decently strong. At the very least I can carry a few buckets of water back and forth if needed.”
“Go back to the city, bootlicking scum!”
One of the elders shouted.
“We don’t want you here!”
“Go back to the hellhole you crawled out of!”
A few more village members joined in.
“I see,”
I wasn’t surprised in the slightest at their reaction towards my offer. Food had been scarce as of late- And more often than not, people from the city were only interested in showing off their self proclaimed wealth.
“ Go fuck yourself!”
“Haven’t you scammed us out of enough food?!”
“Not to mention Mora! You city slickers steal everything we have, then claim that you earned it!”
‘I understand that you have no reason to trust me, but if you could just give me a chance,”
“ We don’t have enough food for our own children. What makes you think we’re gonna give you any of our hard earned resources?”
“Very well- I’ll leave your village alone, then. I am deeply apologetic for the disturbance I may have caused by coming here, and pray to the Electro Archon that you are all blessed with bountiful harvests this year.”
I bowed in respect as I began to back out of the village.
“Hey, what’s all this about?”
I felt a heavy hand fall upon my shoulder and I froze in place.
“Tomodachi! Perfect. Will you please throw this greedy pig out of our peaceful town?”
“ ‘Pig’? Where? I only see a boy!” The stranger behind me- ‘Tomodachi’ spoke in return.
“You fool! That ‘boy’ is from the city!” One of the elders spat.
“The city..? Oh I see what’s going on then,”
His hand pulled away from my shoulder, and he took a step in front of me.
“I have to say I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed with each and every one of you. Is this who we are now? Is this really what we stand for? Bullying a child out of our village all because of where he came from?”
“How can you say that?!” A younger woman yelled- Or perhaps screamed would be more accurate.
“You’ve seen with your own eyes what those from the city think about us. We’re no better than dirt to them. And yet you still think it’s acceptable for one of theirs to come into our village and demand food with no payment? ”
“But I-” My sentence was cut short by him grabbing the woman firmly by the shoulders.
“Tell me. Do you truly believe that this child is to be held responsible for the actions of those he likely doesn’t even know?”
But the woman held her ground and kept a stiff upper lip.
“If he is truly as hungry as he says he is, then he would have begged for some food back home. He wouldn’t have come here if not to steal us of what little we have left.”
Tomodachi released his grip on her, and sighed.
“Then so be it. Come on, kid. I guess I have to throw you out.” He turned to face me, brows furrowed in frustration as he towered over me.
“You don’t have to do that- I’ll leave on my own and save your energy-“ I stumbled back away from him.
His eyes met mine, and I felt a shock run through my whole body.
They were so bright- And piercing.
It was a terrifying sight to behold.
“I’m afraid I have no choice, kiddo. Sorry,” He roughly wrapped an arm around my shoulders- A threat, I decided.
“If I don’t do this, they’ll have me thrown out next. So just play along, mkay?” He kept his voice just barely above a harsh whisper as he led me out of the village and down the path.
Once we were well out of view, he let me go.
“Sorry about all that,” He sighed, bringing his hand up to his neck awkwardly.
“They’re not usually like that, but I guess the hunger is getting them more than they’d like to admit.”
“It’s alright. I expected no less than the reaction they gave. While it may not be desperate enough to call it a famine yet, I am fully aware of how little there is to go around.”
“Even so, to threaten a child who is just as hungry as your own is unacceptable behavior.”
“And if I’m not a child?”
Tomodachi gave me a weird look.
“What do you mean?”
“If I were to tell you that I am not a child- That I am an adult, would you still be so quick to defend me from their anger?”
He appeared puzzled.
“An adult? All due respect, but you must be lying to me. How old are you?”
“I’m fifteen years old as of six months ago, sir.”
A long moment of silence passed between us before he broke it with a sigh.
“Kiddo,” He paused, looking for the right way to word what he was going to say next.
“Fifteen isn’t an adult.. Sure that used to be when you ‘came of age’ but that was a long while ago. These days you’re still considered a child.”
I couldn’t contain my confusion as my thoughts went wild.
‘ What? This man must be delusional.’
But I couldn’t say that to his face- That would be all kinds of rude.
“I think things must be different in Konda Village than in Inazuma City,” I said carefully.
“Back home, everyone considers fifteen to be an adult. That’s when the family business and clan’s responsibilities are put onto your shoulders as well. Once you turn fifteen, it’s made very clear what is expected of you, and you must meet those requirements or else be punished the same way any older adult would be punished.”
“How would you be puni- You know what? Never mind. Let me ask a better question; Who is ‘ everyone’ , hm? Do you mean the common folk? High society? Your family?”
He kept direct eye contact until I answered.
“Everyone I had ever met-” “And how often did you meet someone of the lower class?”
“Um..” “How often did you meet someone who wasn’t directly related to you?”
“I wasn’t sheltered , sir. I was often introduced to people my family was making trades with, or negotiating with.”
“And what class were they?”
“…”
I wished I could have proved him wrong- Wished I could have said I met even more than just one person of the lower classes.
But when I tried desperately to remember meeting anyone like that, I realized he was right.
“Alright, fine. I suppose it’s not a matter of location, rather a matter of.. Well, of class. Either way, that doesn’t change the fact that I am legally an adult.”
“Not anymore, no. The laws have since been changed. Tell me, kid; When was the last time you actually sat down and looked at the law books? When was the last time you asked the Tenryou Commision questions about what was legal and what was not?”
I had never done either of those things, of course.
There was never a need to.
“Well- When’s the last time you checked the laws? I highly doubt that your knowledge on the subject is any better than-“ “Two months ago. Some guy in our village was being a creep to a sixteen year old- Who, by the way, is still considered a child by law. I got him locked away because I actually cared enough to do my research.”
“Oh. Alright then, if you know so much, then explain to me; Explain why my parents would insist fifteen years of age is adulthood when it’s not? Why would every other high class family agree with this ideology?”
“Because the higher class is corrupt, kid. Use your brain for a moment and think. What does an adult with high political power get out of putting their kid in charge?”
“I don’t know-”
“Anonymity, kiddo. They take the credit when things are going well, and let their child take the blame when it all goes to shit. And because the kid has been trained for this moment they fully believe that it’s their own fault when the parents do something wrong. Then, when that kid finally grows up and has kids of their own, they’re so fed up with being held responsible that they turn around and repeat this sick cycle of abuse. Don’t believe me? Take a look at yourself. Stop and think about who you believe is responsible when things go sideways for your family.”
I struggled to keep my mouth from hanging open at this insanity.
“Sharing responsibility is vital to your contribution to your family, Tomodachi. And if you think otherwise, then that’s your own problem that you should sort out with your parents.”
“Gods. They’ve really drilled that into you, haven’t they?”
The longer I listened to him, the crazier he sounded- And inevitably it dawned on me that I could be in danger if this continued.
He was tall- And strong. He could probably pick me up with great ease if he wanted to.
Archons, he could probably throw me if he wished.
“I suppose we’ll have to agree to disagree on this matter,” I spoke quietly, careful not to anger him.
“I have to get going anyway. There’s a lot of ground to cover, after all.”
“Oh yeah- Where’re you going anyhow? I can give you directions if you need them.”
“No need. I am simply traveling to see the world, with no particular destination in mind. I have spent my whole life within the walls of Inazuma city, so I wish to experience what the outside is like.”
I paused before adding, “That is not to say I’m sheltered, of course. I have plenty of political experience and know about many current events.”
“Hm..” He didn’t sound too convinced, but honestly? I couldn’t care less.
“Well, if you’re just trying to sight-see, then I’ve got a pretty cool place I can show you- If you’re interested, of course.”
“That’s alright- I think I can manage on my own.”
“Your loss- Then again, I suppose the forest can tend to be a little scary at night- It would probably give a little kid like you a heart attack.”
“ Wh-? ‘ Little kid’?! You don’t have to agree with me being an adult, but I am certainly not that young! Even if you believe me to be a child, I still expect you to treat me like you would an adult, since that’s my mental maturity! Archons, I thought this would be obvious. Don’t treat me like some immature brat!”
“I’ll treat you like an adult when you start acting like one. Unfortunately for you, I still have yet to hear a single mature sentence come out of your mouth.”
“Then you must be deaf! When have I been immature? Go on, tell me. That’s right- You can’t. Because I have been nothing but mature. In fact- If anyone here is acting like a child, it’s you!”
“Says the one throwing a temper tantrum.” He chuckled before rubbing the top of my head- Effectively messing up my hair.
“I’m not throwing a- Ugh!”
I took a moment to breathe deeply- A method my mother taught me to use when I get upset.
“fine. Show me this mysterious spot of yours, and I’ll show you that I’m not scared of the dark. Deal?”
“Alright, deal. Follow me this way then.”
We walked alongside each other in silence for what had to have been hours, as it was nearing sunset.
“We’re almost there,” Tomodachi spoke up as we neared a Torii gate placed in front of a woodland edge.
“Mm.” I responded quietly, the numb realization of my exhaustion dawning on me all too late.
It had to have been about forty hours since I had last eaten, and even longer since I had a proper night’s sleep.
“Hey, kid- Are you okay?” He stopped walking and put his hand on my shoulder- A habit of his, I noticed.
“Not a kid,” I took a deep breath. “And I’m fine. No need for concern, thank you.”
“…”
My words didn’t seem to persuade him, but he didn’t push the subject further.
Instead, we began to walk once more.
“This is Chinju forest- Have you ever seen it during the day?” He asked as we entered the misty woods- Dark now that the sun had set fully.
“No. I’ve never been outside of Inazuma city, remember?”
“Ah, right. Well you’ll have to see it in the day some time to fully appreciate it’s beauty at night,” He shrugged. “But there’s no real harm in showing you the way it looks right now. Come on, this way.”
He grabbed my arm and pulled me over to a ledge, then began to climb up with relative ease.
“It’ll look better from up here!” He laughed.
“Oh-“ I stood at the bottom for a moment, struggling to figure out an easier way up.
“Pfft- Need help?” “It would be appreciated, yes.” Tomodachi held out his hand and I took it, scrambling up over the edge with very little grace.
“Thank you,” I tried to ignore his laughter.
“No problem. Now, where were we? Oh yeah- this way.” He led me a little further to a spot where we could see a large clearing in the trees, adorned with a swiftly flowing river and little glowing flowers that gathered around the base of the sturdy trees- All with a goofy grin spread across his face.
“Isn’t it beautiful?”
He inhaled deeply before falling over flat onto his back in the grass.
“Are you okay?” I stared down at him in mild horror.
“Well,” He brought his hand to his head. “I gotta admit I fell harder than I meant to, but yeah- For the most part I don’t think any harm was done!”
Again with that grin of his.
He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself.
“C’mon,” He patted the grass next to him, signaling for me to join him.
“You gotta be tired from that long walk, surely.”
I nodded as I sat down next to him. “Mhm. I’m exhausted, actually.”
And dizzy, nauseous, breathless, etc., of course. But he didn’t need to know that.
“Yeah, you don’t look too good right now- Er- No offense. You just look like you’re dying or something.”
“Hm.”
“Hey, kid,” He rolled onto his side and propped his head up with his hand.
“What made you go into Konda Village in the first place? I mean you seem to have known that you wouldn’t be very welcomed, so why bother?”
“I just needed something to eat. I thought that maybe somebody would let me work in return for a meal.” I laid down in the grass and put my arm over my eyes.
“I haven’t actually had anything to eat since a little before sunset yesterday, so I’m not feeling the best right now.” I continued apologetically. “So I’m sorry if my answers seem too sharp or to the point.”
Tomodachi bolted up and reached into his shirt, pulling out a small mound of fabric.
“Archons, kid- You should’ve told me sooner. Here, eat this. It’s nothing too extravagant but at least it’ll get some food in your system.”
He placed the mound of fabric in my hand, untying it for me.
It was an egg roll.
I stared at it quietly for a moment before speaking.
“Thank you,” I said. “But- I’m afraid I can’t give you much of anything in return. I may be able to help with some physical labor, but even then..”
I had quickly come to terms with how weak I had gotten after climbing the ledge with Tomodachi previously .
“Who said anything about payment? Just eat it, simple as that.” “But what about you? “I’ve eaten more recently than you. Plus you’re still growing. You need the energy.”
“I’m not that hungry. This is your food and you deserve to eat it. I will eat something when I earn it.”
I held the egg roll out to him.
‘There is.. Way too much to unpack in that sentence.” He shook his head, pushing my hand back towards me.
“Eat it, kiddo. Please.”
I swallowed any arguments I might’ve had, and decided to just bite the bullet.
It was only after I had eaten the whole thing that he looked satisfied, and he laid back down in the grass again.
A glowing light that was the same piercing purple as his eyes floated in front of my face, and I let myself relax a little.
Fireflies.
“See? You should feel a little better already.”
“I do. Thank you.”
He flashed a smile- A genuine one, it seemed. One with no underlying threats, and no strings attached.
“So tell me, kid-” “Kaedehara. My name is Kaedehara Kazuha.” “Very well,” he chuckled.
“Where are your parents? Are they back in the city?”
I debated telling a lie- Making up a story about how they were at home awaiting my return- But for some reason, when I looked into those electric eyes, I just couldn’t.
“I don’t know,” I said simply. “They left many years ago.”
His expression turned pitiful, and he nodded in what he believed to be understanding.
“So that’s why you’re traveling then. To find your parents.”
“Of course not.” I shook my head at the ridiculous idea.
“They left to distance themselves from their previous lives. It would be needlessly cruel of me to track them down again like that.” The corners of my mouth turned upwards against my will as I continued.
“No. I am simply traveling to see the world. Just like I told you before.”
“But don’t you want to talk to them again? Aren’t you mad at them for abandoning you while you were so young?”
“They didn’t abandon me!” I raised my voice in an attempt to get my point across.
“What they did was logical, and I don’t blame them for their decision. My family was-” I stopped myself before going any further.
“Forget it. I forgive them for leaving. And no, I do not wish to talk to them again. That part of our lives is over. We are our own people now, that have grown in separate directions. There is no need to reverse the progress we’ve all worked so hard for.”
He wore a slight frown on his face, but he dropped the subject nonetheless.
“If my parents left me like that, I wouldn’t stop searching until I found them again. Even if they didn’t want to talk, I would force them to listen to what I had to say. I can’t imagine just accepting that they’re gone like you did.”
“Even though it would cause pointless stress and turmoil?”
“It wouldn’t be pointless, it- Agh, forget it. I suppose we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one. In the end it’s your life, and you can pick and choose who’s in it. But please tell me you haven’t been living so long without adult supervision?”
“Of course not. I was four when my father left, and twelve when my mother followed suit. After that, my grandfather was the one who raised me. When he finally passed, I was in the care of my servants,” I shrugged awkwardly, deciding to skip the part where I was evicted from my childhood home.
“Now I’m here. Overall, I would say I’ve had a fairly good life- despite what you seem to think.”
“All due respect, ki- Kaedehara, but your view of life may still be skewed due to your youth. Perhaps by the time you’re my age, you’ll see things the same as I do.”
“And just how old are you then, since you claim to be so knowledgeable?” “Eighteen. And I’m not saying I know all there is to know about your situation, but I am saying that because you’re so young-” “You have no right to lecture me like some child, when you yourself are only three years ahead of me, Tomodachi.”
“Oho no, you don’t get to pull the youth card on me like that, kiddo. Just trust me on this, will you? When you’re a little bit older you’ll realize more than you’re able to piece together right now.”
“And why should I trust you? I know nothing about you! I only know your name because your girlfriend said it earlier-” “Okay, first off, she’s not my girlfriend. Second off,-” “I couldn’t care less about what she is to you. The point is that you are in no position to treat me as anything less than an equal to you. Especially considering the fact that you are far less mature than I am.”
“This is getting ridiculous.” He groaned as he sat up.
“Fine. Believe whatever you want. Who am I to challenge someone’s view of life, I suppose.”
“Exactly.” I let out an exasperated huff of air as I sat up as well.
“...’”
“...”
We sat in silence, staring off in different directions.
The cool fog wrapped it’s ghostly arms around us as we remained still for several more minutes.
“That woman is not my girlfriend,” He broke the uncomfortable silence.
“But my name is Tomodachi. I work with my parents, on a farm in town. It’s- Well, it’s not much, but it’s honest work.”
I could only keep myself stubborn for so long, before I gave up.
“I see. I can only imagine how rough you have it, then. The village must depend on you for a lot of different things, huh?”
He snorted, waving his hand through the air in dramatic emphasis. “It’s not that tough. All they ask for is little favors here and there- Things like carrying tools, or help patching up a roof, y’know? And as far as the farm stuff goes, my parents are the ones who deal with the complaints from hungry villagers. I figure it’s their farm, so it’s their responsibility to handle it when things aren’t working out. I’m just an (underpaid) employee.”
“But isn’t it your farm as we-.. Ah- ” He stared at me, as if ready to begin arguing again.
“Never mind. I forget myself.”
“Hm.”
“Anyways,” I continued. “That still sounds like difficult work. I don’t think I would be able to fix a roof even with an instruction manual.” He reached out and ruffled my hair (again), with a laugh.
“When you’ve done physical labor all your life, you start to get used to it.”
“It still seems like you’re trying to sell yourself short.” “Me? Sell myself short? Archons, kid- you really don’t know me.” He joked, but I could see a slight blush on his cheeks.
“If you insist,” I stifled a yawn as I spoke.
‘Right,’ I remembered.
I had gone far too long without rest, and while the meal may have helped ease the fatigue slightly, at the end of the day I still needed to sleep.
“Ah-” Tomodachi glanced around. “It’s like- Really late. I should probably be getting back to the village now. Everyone must be getting anxious to know that I wasn’t ‘brutally murdered by the city slicker’ or something.”
He stretched as he stood up, before reaching his hand down to help me to my feet as well.
“I suppose you proved your point,” He smirked. “Turns out you’re really not afraid of the dark after all!”
“I almost forgot all about that,” I smiled back awkwardly. “But I’m glad you came to your senses.”
“Certainly. Hey, it was nice talking to you- Even if we still can’t agree on many things.” He shook my hand before he turned to leave.
“Same to you. Oh, wait- Tomodachi?”
“Hm?”
“Thank you.”
“For?” He looked back at me, a puzzled expression all over his face.
“For taking me here. And for the food as well, of course.”
“Don’t mention it, kid. I hope you have fun on your little tourist mission.”
“And I hope you get a raise back at the farm.”
He left with a laugh that lingered in the air long after he was out of sight.
Despite how little we seemed to get along, he seemed to be a pleasant person, I decided.
‘ It’s a shame we’ll never meet again.’