Chapter Text
Jean hadn’t thought her day could get any worse. She genuinely hadn’t. She had overslept, missed two meetings, and messed up a commission to find Margret’s cat and given the Cat’s Tail some random stray. It was, by far, one of the worst days of her entire knightly career. So, naturally, she had wanted to take care of this ley line problem quickly, so she could fall into Lisa’s arms, cry a little bit, and finally, finally fall asleep. She had even gotten Kaeya and Amber to join her, to make the whole thing go by faster. And that, apparently, was her biggest mistake.
She expected a couple hillichurls, maybe even a Mitachurl, nothing huge. What she hadn’t expected was three Abyss mages, all pyro, to surround them. Kaeya had grit his teeth, clearly panicking at the fact that none of them had elements that could pop their shields quickly. Amber had looked around, eyes jumping intelligently for a solution only to despair when she found none. Jean simply held her sword tighter, getting ready to call upon the power of anemo to blow them all away herself if she had to. Just as she had readied herself, however, one of the mages gave a curious chirp, and said something in their odd language, making all three of them turn to look at Kaeya. When she did the same, she found the cavalry captain with a forced smile, sweating nervously.
“What’s up fellas? Giving little ol’ me so much attention, hm?” Kaeya chuckled attempting to brush them off.
“We recognize you.” One of the mages spoke up, the one in the middle, his high-pitched voice taking on a haughty tone. “You are one of us! Yet you live with these filthy humans. You disgrace! Donning half our clothes while killing our kin, disgusting!”
If possible, Kaeya looked even more nervous at these accusations. Amber gaped, turning her head from Jean, to Kaeya, to the mages, and then back to Jean.
“Master Jean, are you hearing this? Kaey-”
“There is nothing to hear.” Kaeya snarled, turning towards Amber with a hostility he had never had before. “This is some monster’s nonsense, an attempt to make us turn against each other. And you, stupid bunny, fell right into their trap. Let’s just kill them and-”
“Now hold on Kaeya, we-”
“What, you’re telling me you believe this bullshit?” Kaeya’s eye now turned to her, full-blown panic clear. He was sneering, quietly desperate in a way Jean had only seen once before.
“Kaeya, calm down. I don’t believe anything, but we need a plan before-”
“Ha! A plan. Foolish mortals. Come, let’s expose that which hides in the light.” The other two Abyss mages chirped in agreement, and all three teleported out of sight. The knights whipped their heads around, searching for the spark in the air indicating where the monsters would pop up next.
“Ha!” Kaeya struck out the minute one popped up next to him, an ice cold blow making a dent in its shield.
“Stuck in the middle, the bigger the traitor!” It chanted, unbothered by the attempts to harm it.
“To be split in two, now that’s a favor!” Another one sang, popping up right next to it, overwhelming the trio.
“Befuddled no more, let the truth be your savior!” Said the final one, teleporting right next to the other two. With a flourish, the three struck a spell right towards Kaeya, who fell to the ground with an ‘oof’ and became enveloped in a cloud of smoke. The ladies coughed, attempting to clear the air and find their targets. Jean looked frantically from side to side, trying to locate the mages, only to clutch her hair in frustration.
“Ugh! We lost them. Shit, this is so-”
“Uh…Master Jean…” Amber’s unusually timid voice interrupted her search, making her turn to the outrider.
“Are…are you seeing what I’m seeing?” The girl whimpered, as Jean walked towards her, eyes unmoving from the sight in front of them. Just a few meters away from their feet sat the oddest sight they had laid their eyes on. There sat two men, back to back, identical in looks but that’s where the similarities ended. They both appeared to be passed out, yet both were undeniably Kaeya. The blue hair, the smooth pointed face, the slim yet muscular build. Both men appeared to be carbon copies of their beloved captain, passed out on the floor with their eyes peacefully closed.
“Master Jean, what on Earth-” Just as Amber’s panicked voice started up again, both sets of eyes snapped open, turning towards the terrified outrider and the shocked grandmaster, uncanny in their identical movements. The two opened their mouths, presumably to talk, before being interrupted by a wail from the gliding champion.
“I can barely handle one Kaeya, but now I have to deal with two? Master Jean please, we need to get those mages back, or get Lisa to fix this, or something-”
“Little girl, do you know who you’re-”
“I beg your pardon-”
The two Kaeyas started up at the same time, only to stop midway and stare at each other in shock.
“Who the Abyss are you?”
“I could say the same thing, strange yet respectable traveler.”
The Kaeya on the left glared, eyes imposing as he attempted to dissect his double. The one on the right simply stared, head cocked to the side in curiosity. Just as they were about to speak again, the world began spinning, and the last thing Jean remembered was the feeling of the cold, hard ground on the back of her head.
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“Sweetie? Wake up, please darling, I’m running out of smelling salts.” Jean’s eyes snapped open, and she shot up from where she was laying down on the duvet, looking around in confusion.
“Wha- huh- Li-”
“Shhhh, darling, you shouldn’t talk. You gave us quite a scare, collapsing like that. I’m going to have to drag you to bed more often.” Lisa giggled, putting her revival salts away. Jean looked around the room, eyes moving from her beloved, to Amber sitting nervously in the corner, to Albedo, scribbling furiously in his clipboard, to…
“Kaeya?” She breathed out, staring at the two men who sat next to each other. Both looked up at once, wearing two very distinct expressions. The one on the right had a warm smile on his face, wearing the proper knight’s uniform, complete with an out-of-place-looking turtleneck. His arms were open, chest pushed forward in the epitome of good intent. His hair was long, draped down each shoulder. His bangs were pinned up, out of his eyes, which were missing his traditional eyepatch. Instead, there were two clear blue eyes, crinkled in a smile, wide and true. The one on the left was scowling, dressed in what looked to be very odd yet lavish garb. His hair was cropped short, and messy in a way that conveyed extensive styling. Complete with a fur shawl, he had on excessive layers, with a corset underlining it all. His chest was exposed wider than ever, yet his arms sat crossed over his chest, giving off an unapproachable air. His eyes glared as they looked at her, also lacking his usual eyepatch. However, instead of blue eyes like she had known, there was a matching set of striking gold ones, boring into her with intent. They were mysterious, yet clearly powerful. The two nodded towards her, before the one on the left looked away.
“So…that wasn’t a bad dream then,” Jean said slowly, looking towards Lisa with dread. Lisa grimaced, shaking her head.
“Nope. There are two Kaeyas now. Twice as insufferable, and we have no idea how to fix it.”
The regal Kaeya let out a scoff, turning his ice-cold glare towards Lisa.
“Insufferable? If anyone is insufferable, it's all of you, succumbing to an Archon’s will. I demand you let me out, before I call upon my sword and slay you all where you stand.” The knight Kaeya seemed shocked at this, facing his double.
“Come now, don’t say that. We both know that these are great people, who simply-”
“We know nothing, you fool.” Regal Kaeya hissed, flaring his arm out with a dramatic swish of his cape. “I am alone in my duty, considering that you abandoned it a long time ago. And for what, these boot kissing-”
“That’s enough.” interrupted Albedo, with an air of finality. “Your highness, please. This is the safest place for you to remain, and so I request that you do so until we work this out.” The regal Kaeya let out a ‘hmph’, before turning away once more.
“Your…highness?” Jean asked, feeling more confused than when she had passed out. Albedo looked up, face impassive. It was good to know some things never changed.
“Acting Grandmaster. Follow me, I have some explaining to do.” He pushed the double doors of the library open, and gestured for her to follow him, which she did, feeling somewhat lost. Lisa gave a final squeeze to her hand before letting her go. As she joined Albedo in the hallway, she noticed the slight anxious air about him.
“Miss Jean. I must ask you to react to what I am about to say with patience and kindness. Your panic would immediately lead to the panic of everyone else here, which would result in a chaotic reaction which can only lead to something horrible. So please, collect yourself, and make sure to listen to what I say very carefully.” Jean took a deep breath, shaking herself slightly before nodding at the alchemist, face set.
“Albedo, just give it to me straight. I can handle anything.” Albedo looked doubtful but nodded anyway. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair.
“Kaeya…is not who you think he is.” Jean frowned.
“We all know that. I don’t care what he’s hiding though. I know he’s loyal to me.”
“Yes but…ugh. I wasn't built for this.” Albedo muttered, dragging a hand down half his face before collecting himself once more.
“Kaeya is… not from here. By here, I don’t just mean Mondstadt, I mean Teyvat. He’s from…much further than that. The lost nation of Khaenri’ah.” Jean felt her brows furrow, feeling more lost than ever. Before she opened her mouth, however, Albedo continued.
“There are still remnants from there, and he is…something of a descendant of those remnants. More particularly, the remaining descendant of the royal family. In other words, the prince of Khaenri’ah.” Albedo paused, allowing the words to sink in. Jean stared off into the space between her and the alchemist, attempting to make sense of his words.
“He was sent here by…someone, and apparently was to stay here for some unknown purpose.” Jean looked up at Albedo, who flinched at the pure heartbreak on her face.
“Does that mean…he…to Mondstadt…” Albedo hesitated, looking away.
“It’s…it’s complicated. If you want my true, honest opinion? I believe we should wait until the actual Kaeya comes back, and learn about his perspective. I can’t think of any other way to learn the truth. And don’t blame him for this Jean. He’s been carrying this for so long, and the last thing he needs is a premature rejection.” Jean looked through him, still lost, but giving a numb nod anyways. Finally, she shook her head and straightened up.
“You’re right. It doesn’t matter how unsure I am, I can’t afford to panic, not with so many people depending on me. I’ll…I’ll just wait for Kaeya. I’m sure he has an explanation for all this, and I choose to believe in him.” Albedo nodded, satisfied with her answer.
“I would also like to ask you to keep this a secret from everyone else. Sir Kaeya has carried this burden for his whole life, and it is only due to these unfortunate circumstances that I must tell you. It will be hard, and they will demand answers, but it’s the only option we have.” Jean nodded, determined. Kaeya was her closest friend for years. It was the least she could do.
The two walked back into the library only to be greeted by a tense atmosphere, the regal Kaeya posed standoffish to the side, while Amber and Lisa kept a safe distance from the somewhat awkward yet friendly knight Kaeya. Jean took a deep breath, before taking charge of the room.
“Alright. I’ve been updated on the situation, and I’ve decided on what to do. Amber, Lisa, until we figure out how to get Kaeya back, we will treat these two…guests exactly like Kaeya himself, with respect and patience. Kaeyas… uh…perhaps we can come up with names for you two?” The prince rolled his eyes, while the knight nodded enthusiastically.
“I can be Kae, if that helps. I doubt the Prince will want to be treated like us common folk anyhow.” The prince ignored this, despite the visible muscle ticking at his jaw. Jean sighed, pressing two fingers to her forehead.
“That…that should work. Now we just need to figure out how this happened, and how to fix it.” Kae put his finger to his chin, considering it while the prince continued to stare resolutely away from anyone in the room. Lisa and Amber, despite Jean’s orders, looked on wearily. Jean sighed. This wasn’t working, at all. Albedo quietly raised his hand, clearing his throat.
“I took DNA samples from the both of you for testing. I will work tirelessly for a cure. For now, I need you all to stay put, and out of trouble.” The prince sneered, surprisingly turning towards Albedo.
“Of course you want this resolved as fast as possible, right Kreideprinz?” Albedo’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes sharpened. The prince and the alchemist remained in a silent staring contest, like a conversation only the two of them could understand. Finally, the prince looked away with a snort, closing his eyes, and Albedo left the room, satisfied.
The room resumed its quiet, awkward atmosphere before Jean made a decision.
“Alright, I’ve had enough. I’m bringing in the only person who can understand this situation. The rest of you, stay put.” Three sets of eyes followed her as she stormed out, in search for the man who knew everything.
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“Jean, you’re lucky I can never hate you, or I’d cut your head off on the spot just for making me come to a building full of knights.” The last word was spit from Diluc’s mouth, bile rising in his throat just from the thought of those infernal knights.
“Diluc please, this is an emergency. I cannot think of anyone who’s more likely to be able to help out.” Diluc snorted.
“I’m sure. But the minute I learn its something silly like it always is, I’m walking out.” Jean gave a huff.
“And you’re free to do so. But for now, can you please, for the love of Barbatos, stop being dead weight for two seconds so I don’t have to literally drag you?” Diluc grunted, shaking her arm off him as he started actually walking. The minute they stepped into the building, Diluc could tell something was horribly off, as a shudder ran through him, but he dismissed it as stepping into a cursed place after so long.
As they walked to the library, the feeling got worse, and it finally hit him like a truck the minute Jean opened the door. There, sitting like a regal prince, in coats lined with furs and an open neckline, sat Kaeya, frowning as he looked out the window, as if he was the ruler of Mondstadt and hated what he saw. To his right, on the desk sat…Kaeya. In the traditional knights uniform, reminiscent of their youth, smiling at the view out the window as though it was his home. It was the same smile he had all his childhood, everytime he looked at Crepus, everytime he looked at…Diluc.
The redhead gaped at the sight, barely registering Lisa and Amber huddled in a corner, whispering to each other, before turning around to Jean.
“What-”
“Abyss mage spell.” She interrupted, looking so tired it was as though she had aged thirty years in the last five minutes. “Albedo’s working on a cure. We need to keep these two” She gestured to the Kaeyas on the desk. “Quiet and trouble free. Look, step outside with me for a second.”
As they rounded the corner, Diluc’s apprehension grew, and Jean’s grim expression didn’t help.
“Kaeya…is from Khaenri’ah. He’s the prince, planted here for some unknown purpose.” Diluc carefully kept his face still, though his heart was thundering in his chest. How had she known where Kaeya was from? And what does she mean prince? Her eyes searched his face, and apparently, his reaction had confirmed whatever she was thinking, as her mouth gained the tight line that meant her worst expectations came true.
“Albedo told me. I trust him, and above all, I trust Kaeya. So I’m going to wait until Kaeya’s back to normal to ask him about it. Do you think it’s the wrong choice?” Diluc shook his head, looking down at his feet.
“It's a level-headed decision, and a good one. I hope you get him back soon.” Jean nodded, somewhat glad he hadn’t argued with her. As they went back to the room, they were suddenly alerted by shouting in the room. As they rushed in, there stood Lisa, her face set, and Amber, anger clear on her face, as they faced off against the Kaeyas.
“The abyss mage’s spell made it clear. One of you is the real Kaeya, and one of you is the fake Kaeya.” Amber grit out between her teeth. Lisa nodded, static building up in the room.
“Little bunny is right. If she recalls correctly, that’s the best interpretation of the Abyss mage’s spell.”
“Back down now, all four of you. What’s going on?” Lisa dropped her build up in energy, turning towards Jean with a cryptic smile.
“Amber here recalled what exactly the Abyss mage said when he cursed Kaeya. We’ve come to the conclusion that this was a spell not to separate Kaeya, but to confuse us. We have to muddle out the real one.” Amber nodded behind her, eyes shining from having figured it out. Diluc’s eyes widened, taking this new information in, gears in his head turning. Jean sighed, rubbing her head once more.
“Like I said, we are to treat both-”
“Oh shut up. These two are already convinced of their cleverness. Regardless of how much power you hold, you’ll never get them to treat us as though we were one.” The prince snarled, glaring at the two ladies. Kae put his hands up defensively, an easy smile on his face.
“Guys, guys come on. Listen to Jean, she’s not the acting Grandmaster for no reason. Let’s let her decide what happens, ok?” Amber glared at him with suspicion from where she was standing.
“Good, now-”
“It’s him.” Diluc interrupted, pointing an accusing finger towards the knight Kae. “He’s the fake one. He has to be.”
“Diluc!”
“Luc-”
“Don’t you dare call me that.” growled Diluc, face contorted in anger. “I may not trust the knights, but I trust my instinct, and if Lisa says there’s a fake, it’s you.” A hurt expression crossed Kae’s face, and he receded, one arm clutching the other.
“Ah…right…uh…” Amber watched the exchange with wide eyes, rapidly moving her gaze from Kaeya to DIluc. Lisa lost her grin, a sort of morbid determination becoming set on her face. Jean watched all this, ears slowly starting to steam. Just as Diluc opened his mouth once more, Jean lost it.
“That’s enough!” She yelled, her voice booming across the room. “I’ve had enough! Lisa, Amber, go to my desk. Diluc, join them. Kaeyas, stay here, and don’t move a muscle. None of you even whisper a word while this happens.” Everyone in the room followed, glancing uneasily at each other. As she led the trio to her desk, she sighed. It would be a very long meeting.
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“I still think we’re correct. We need to find the real Kaeya.” Lisa said, sipping the tea Jean had made for her. Diluc tapped his finger on the windowsill where he was brooding, some sort of morse code he used to comfort himself. Amber fidgeted in her seat, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.
“Love, I know you think that’s for the best, but that isn’t what we’re going to do. I…Albedo knows a lot about this. I don’t know how, and once it's all over, I might even ask him what’s going on. But…these are my men. They are my captains, leading my soldiers in protecting the city, and if they don’t have my faith, then my faith in all the knights is null, and that can’t happen. Not right now.” Lisa nodded, placing a comforting hand on Jean’s.
“You should’ve lost your faith a long time ago. I know for a fact that alchemist’s up to something. He’s come up too many times in my information system for him to be some innocent scientist. You may trust these two, Jean, but I think you’ve got the two most suspicious men in the knights playing you like a fiddle.”
“Aren’t you the one who said I made a level-headed decision?” Diluc made a face at this, rolling his eyes.
“That was before I learned about this theory. Now I’m sure of it. It just makes too much sense, obviously we’d have to weed out the liar, because you could never trust half of what Kaeya says. One man in there is the mask, the face of the man who’s going to betray us eventually, and it’s not the one we’re gonna like.” Diluc said bitterly, closing his eyes as he finished.
Lisa narrowed her eyes, while Amber had a confused look on her face. The outrider finally decided to say what was on all their minds.
“Uh, Master Diluc, I don’t mean to be rude, but how do you know all this?” Diluc sighed, attempting to figure out how to provide an explanation that wouldn’t completely destroy his brother’s image.
“We had a falling out years ago. He told me the truth about him, and it… it wasn’t one I liked. My whole life, all the time I spent with him was a lie. And that lie is exactly what the Knight Kaeya we left back in the room is. He lives to deceive, it’s how he survives. Like some sort of parasite.” Amber nodded, taking it all in.
Jean sighed. She knew the young outrider had her suspicions about the man, but she had hoped her power and influence as acting grandmaster would override that.
Lisa let out a small chuckle, before zapping Diluc slightly. The man let out a sound of pain, before glaring at her.
“What a quaint little theory, firecracker. There’s only one problem though. All that evidence you just provided is anecdotal. As a former knight, hopefully one who spent some time in the library, you should know that we can’t act based on that alone.” She let him growl slightly and glare at her before continuing.
“Half a lie, you say? Then how can we guarantee that your whole experience was a lie? Perhaps it’s the strange outlander who’s lined in furs who’s the true falsity. We don’t know what’s going on in Kaeya’s psyche, nor do we have enough information to figure it out, regardless of what you think Master Diluc. I understand that this is personal for you, and it is precisely because of that we must put your surety in the backseat.” The witch turned to Jean, a comforting smile on her face.
“Darling, I’m sorry for not listening back there. I suppose I was a bit caught up in the excitement as well. It’s easy to throw a mysterious figure such as Kaeya under the bus, regardless of how wrong it is. But if you’ll allow me, as someone who has extensive experience with curses, Kaeya’s sounds much like what I described. We need to weed out the objective truth, and figure out which Kaeya is ours.”
Jean put her hand on her chin, mind racing. There was so much new information, and it was overwhelming her. The only way to get to the core of the issue would be to bring Kaeya back, which they couldn’t do without, well, Kaeya, the whole and complete cavalry captain she knew and loved. Acting without Albedo would be foolish, yet completely disregarding Lisa’s advice would be even worse.
Perhaps there was a way to compromise?
Opening her eyes from her small moment of meditation, Jean addressed the room with a determined expression on her face.
“Alright, here’s what we do. We befriend both Kaeyas. We treat them exactly the same, like Albedo said, and like I ordered earlier.” Sensing the protests coming from Amber and Diluc, she quickly made sure to continue.
“However, we don’t completely disregard this potential solution. All the time we spend with the Kaeyas, we make sure to watch their every move. If we manage to come to a solid conclusion, we can get rid of one of them and hopefully, solve the curse.” This seemed to placate the two pyro users, and Jean was glad she wouldn’t have to elaborate on what exactly ’getting rid of one of them’ would entail. Lisa had a grim expression on, but smiled the minute anyone looked at her. Jean nodded to herself, before deciding to defer to her captaining abilities.
“Diluc,” The ginger’s head snapped up to her at the mention of his name. “Are you ok with being a part of this mission? Am I to include you in further plans, or expect you to leave us? Either way, I will understand completely.” Diluc sighed, annoyed.
“Do I have a choice? This involves the safety of Mondstadt, and if I choose to work on my own, it would complicate things to the point of no return. You have my compliance, but only for as long as this ordeal lasts.” Jean nodded, internally grateful that she had met little resistance.
“Alright. Lisa, you and I will accompany the knightly Kaeya. He should be working as a knight for his time here anyways, and it will be easiest for us. Diluc, I’m sorry to impose this on you, but Kaeya only has one room in the barracks. I’d like to request that you keep our Prince Kaeya on your property, so that you may keep a close eye on him.”
Diluc looked like he wanted to argue, but sensing the dark smile Lisa had and the tired look on Jean’s face, he just sighed and nodded, accepting his fate. This would have a lot of explaining to do, particularly to Adelinde, but Jean’s logic was mostly reasonable anyways.
“Amber, as outrider you have the most freedom. I know it’s a difficult task, but I’d like you to keep an eye on the both of them. If you see any discrepancies, anything to let us figure out who the fake is, let us know.”
Amber nodded enthusiastically, bringing a hand up to her forehead in salute. Lisa smiled, while Diluc fixed his glove and brooded at the thought of the upcoming challenge. Jean took a deep breathe, before turning to the door.
“Alright everyone. Let’s go bring Kaeya back.”