Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mondstadt was in ruins. The once-powerful windmills crushed under consistent strikes, the hard-built houses crumbled, shops destroyed, and the Angel Share, the tavern that held hundreds of memories and hearts, was barely standing. The city had been attacked. What had seemed like a peaceful day on a peaceful land now was the witness of a cold-blooded war. Knights were running trying to defend their unstable hearts. The lucky persons that still had people to look out for were protecting these with fervour.
Two years had passed, since the death of the bravest of the knights, since the death of docens of fearless men, and the death of a Ragnvindr. The last not in soul but in mind and heart. All these deaths had taken a toll on the citizens of the land of freedom. Many had died in the years after.

Diluc Ragnvindr had turned into a living statue, with an unmoving devotion and unshed tears in his heart. His loyalties had been broken from Mondstadt and to this day stood only by his family. His dead family. He had once been a lively child, a faithful teen, and a strong man. Not anymore.

When a portal had appeared on several places of the city and abyssal creatures had begun flooding the alleys and roads Diluc had been at Dawn Winery. Not setting foot on Mondstadt very often. The regret too deep and the grief too sorrowful. Maybe he was a coward, but he didnt care.
Charles had run into his office, had shouted breathlessly that Mondstadt was under attack of the Abyss before passing out. Diluc had lost the facade he had and had yelled at the head maid, Adeline, to send a letter to the traveller and had all but rushed to the city. Not for Mondstadt, he had cut ties, but because that was what Kaeya would have wanted. When he arrived he had found a broken land and even more broken mass of people.

He saw red, how dare the Abyss even try to fight after what they had done, and the knights, as inefficient as ever, were not helping, those without visions were sprawled on the ground and the ones that did have the ‘blessings’ barely kept up. He roared, outraged, running up to a cryo abyss mage and slaying it. Immediately he commanded the defence.

‘‘Healers On The Back! Those Injured must be taken, Those without visions stay in the middle, those with visions on the front! NOW’’ He Directed. At once the knights followed his orders.

Jean was running to the front, Amber was gliding over the city, commanding those on the ground and showing the citizens the way out. He saw Barbara healing all those with severe injuries and sending those already patched and ready to fight toward the lines, Noelle was helping her and keeping the monsters away, and Eula was with Rosaria all but Slashing at those beast-like creatures. Albedo was also helping, cutting up monsters and finishing them. Even Klee and Diona were helping, they were too young to fight but they still helped evacuate.

Suddenly he saw Venti on top of his statue, he was sending bursts of wind, helping evacuate the residents and throwing arrows full of elemental power to the beasts. Seemed like the anemo god was finally fighting, he wondered with distaste where he was when his brother was in danger. Where he was when both of his family members had been in danger. Why hadn’t he fought with Ursa, why hadn’t he been on that domain to help those injured. He was a literal god, but when most needed he hadn’t been seen. Still he couldn't reminisce now, he had to give it to Barbatos this time, after all even without a gnosis he was still fighting.

The battle was slowly but surely taking a turn. Those fighting to defend the land were fueled with grief and hatred to those that had once destroyed their spirits. When Aether arrived the fight was assured to the Mondstadians. Still the Abyss had one final surprise, a bomb was thrown. There were not many people in the range of the weapon but it would surely kill at least a dozen of knights.
Diluc didn't know what it was that impulsed him but he ran to the bomb, he heard cries of Amber, screams of Lisa, and shouts from Jean, but he didnt care, he felt a rush of cold from a weight on his belt. He suddenly threw a frigid blast to the bomb and kicked it with shocking strength toward the portal the abyss had opened to escape. He didn't have time to celebrate unfortunately, because feeling dizzy and having black and blurred splotches on his eyesight was definitely not a good sign. He fell down in exhaustion, his legs unable to hold him up anymore, and sighed. When he felt people getting closer and the familiar voices lulling him to sleep he finally let go of his conscience.

Chapter Text

Diluc woke up on a hospital bed, being temporarily blinded by the light. He heard a noise at his side, and when turning his head to see from where it originated he found a very tired grandmaster.

‘’Jean’’ he croaked out, noticing that his voice was a bit dry. Jean looked at him right away. ‘’Diluc, I’m glad you woke up, we have a lot to discuss’’ She mumbled, relief obvious in her voice.‘’Clearly you have to rest first, have you seen yourself sweetheart?’’ Lisa said, having just entered the room without any of the previous noticing. She held a cup of water, and she held it out to Diluc, who took it gratified and downed it in a second.

After getting Jean to lie down and rest she, along with Diluc, Lisa, Aether, Eula and some more, reunited at Dawn Winery. The city is now inhospitable and the citizens had to move to the neighbouring land, Liyue, who accepted them almost immediately. All those that had stayed were, either those rebuilding the ruins, or the little ones like Klee, Bennet or Fischl. 

At the moment they were residing at Dawn Winery, in the guest rooms. The winery was big enough to harbour all of them, and the staff was working efficiently, although Diluc had told them all to take a break, those loyal to him, especially those that still accompanied him in his grief, stood by his side and helped around the house. These included Adeline, Elzer, Charles, and some more maids. The ones that had been at the time Master Crepus was the owner of the Winery.

Jean was the first to speak, she claimed that the purpose and the fact that Diluc awakened another vision, most importantly his vision, was one of their first priorities. They all agreed, except Diluc, he with his emotionless mask said nothing. Lisa said that she had done some research, it seemed that people's ambition transcends death. This meant that Diluc did not awaken the Vision, but the original owner had. This meant that Kaeya had been the one to freeze the artefact, Diluc at this stilled, it seemed that Kaeya was still protecting them, even in death. 

Amber, the outgoing outrider, smiled happily at this. ‘’It seems that even if he is not here with us, he still does everything he can do to serve and protect the city he pledged his loyalty to’’ stated Eula, she admired the devotion Captain Alberich had in life for freedom and his land. Now, she was relieved to see that even without being there he was still standing up for them.

Aether added that he knew of someone that had also awakened a friend’s vision. He didn't say who, and everyone understood that it was a secret.

After everyone retired to their rooms Diluc went to Kaeya’s old room, still the same as it was when they were younger. A simple bed on the left wall, wide windows and a desk. Some shelves full of books and a jar of shells. Everything was so plain, nothing glamorous or flashy. 

Diluc took a vision from his belt, one of cryo, that was to always be beside his own pyro one. It was dull, shades of grey dancing on it, with two pairs of wings. Something unusual, as visions used to have three pairs, but it was just another detail that showed how clipped Kaeya’s wings were, how he craved a freedom that would never be his, that he would never get.  Having a Khaeri’ah heritage and possessing Khaenri’ah blood on his veins, 

The Ragnvindr knew why that burst of ice had flown from his hands, it was because of his brother’s loyalty. Aether had once said, when he returned to Mondstadt his trip : "Some ambitions have the power to heal wounds, to bring victory, to inspire hope. But some ambitions outlive their masters, long after their master ascends. They remain as they were in the beginning, burning bright and true for all eternity", he claimed that he had heard those words from a woman in Inazuma, Yae Miko. These words proved that the allegiance pledged to Mondstadt by the Cavalry Captain was still burning bright, not only in him but also on all those people he had inspired, Bennet, Klee, Fischl, even Diona. And not only those kids that had had to learn to grow up so fast, but adults too.

Unfortunately that loyalty had disappeared from Diluc after his father's death. Once upon a time he had been totally faithfull, had promised Kaeya that he would become the bravest of the knights and the greatest of the heroes. Kids play, all those promises were, all those words and smiles had soon vanished from his mouth. However, he missed them. All those gestures had been from a naive, gullible boy, but how he would die to make those promises to his brother again, to go to the beach and collect seashells, to smile happily and freely, to have gone into the domain with Kaeya, and have dragged him out. He would have been there, he would have at least given him a hug. Something so simple but at the same time so important. But now he wouldn't be able to. Kaeya was gone. And so was Diluc Ragnvindr. A corpse was what the younger Ragnvindr had left and a shell was what the older Ragnvindr had left.

That night he couldn't fall asleep, so he spent it drinking tea and researching a bit. At the end he finally fell exhausted to the floor, being catched by some lithe arms, Adeline smiled softly at the boy she had worked so hard to educate and teach. She knew all of his secrets, and all of his regrets. Both his and Kaeya's. When she had laid him on his bed, with Elzer’s help, she sat down on the couch that was situated in the late Master Crepus’s office, right in front of a large glass pane. Sipping a warm cup of tea Adeline looked up at the moon through the window, she had a wry smile.

Mondstadt has the protection of a ghost, but the winds still sing a song of death and despair.