Chapter Text
400 years after the Tatarasuna incident took place.
The former 6th harbinger decided to visit his birthplace once again. Since the Raiden Shogun abolished the Sakoku Decree, entrance to his home country was not as difficult as it was back when he was still with the Fatui. If his memory serves him correctly, the last time he went there was for a mission ordered by the Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon, which was deemed successful since the Electro Gnosis did end up in his hands.
He also ended up losing it after a battle with the Dendro Archon, Lesser Lord Kusanali. He remembers how heavy and painful it was the moment the God of Wisdom used her power to get the Gnosis from the chest of his artificial body. Looking back, it felt like he had lost his heart once again due to his shortcomings.
Shortly after, he temporarily lost his old identity as a harbinger, making him forget everything about his past including the number of atrocities he had committed out of spite and desire of avenging the betrayals he had to go through. Ironically speaking, it was thanks to Lesser Lord Kusanali that he was able to regain his old identity and memories. Due to this, he ended up being the Dendro Archon’s right hand and would always see to it to assist her with her duties such as getting rid of enemies who would get in the way of the Lesser Lord’s plan for the day. The Dendro Archon never obliged the puppet to be her follower nor be her assistant but he insisted on wanting to return the favor of everything that she did for him.
Including, having to go back to where it all began and face one of the biggest things he has been avoiding over the past centuries, Inazuma or to be more specific, his creator, the one who he considers his Mother, the Raiden Shogun.
—
“Wanderer, why don’t you join me in visiting Inazuma for diplomatic matters?”
The Lesser Lord hummed while she was busy with searching information about the Traveler’s twin in Irminsul’s core. The environment was truly like any other. The surface level of it was a sight to behold but the inside was something else.
“Heh… Is this really for “Diplomatic Matters”, Wise Deity? Or is this part of the “future” you planned for me?”
The Wanderer tried not to sound snarky but ended up sounding bitter to the Lesser Lord’s ears. Which she just brushed off and chuckled it away, she has gotten so used with his remarks to the point when the General Mahamatra heard the Wanderer snark at her in a joking manner, he almost attacked him with his claws and asked if she’d ask him to punish him then he’ll gladly do so there and then.
“Observant as always. Yes and yes.”
The Wanderer looked at the white-haired deity with surprise, his eyes softened and mouth slightly gaped. But he tried to mask this tension with a small chuckle, trying to stay calm.
“Why? Are you trying to throw me back to where I used to be? You don’t need me anymore? If so then-”
“No, it’s not about your utility.”
The Lesser Lord lowered her hand from the core of the Irminsul tree and faced the puppet with a tender smile plastered on her face, reaching out to his hand then caressing it gently like how one would comfort an anxious child.
“It’s more about letting it all out than abandoning you once more. If I were to abandon you just like how your creator did to you then I’d be no better than her, right?”
The deity let go of his hand carefully before walking past him to find the portal out of Irminsul, looking at the dumbfounded young puppet from her peripheral sight.
“Besides, I really do have something to discuss and give to Beelzebul so it is going to be a productive trip ahead.”
—
A week after his conversation with the Dendro Archon, he found himself standing in front of Tenshukaku, along with some guards from the Tenryou Commission and escorted him inside to meet the Electro Archon.
Nahida had tried to persuade him to wear a kimono, to be specific, a dark purple one with an electro crest on its back but he straight up declined the offer and fortunately, the Lesser Lord accepted his decision without any intent of persuading him further. If he was being completely honest with himself, he did not want anything to do with his homeland anymore despite telling himself that he was already moving forward to write his own fate and he has accepted everything that happened back then between him, the Raiden Gokaden, and the Raiden Shogun herself.
But what the Lesser Lord did made him reconsider his decision which led him to where is standing right now. The last time he was standing here was when he was on his knees, shouting out for his creator’s name to heed his will for the sake of his newfound family in Tatarasuna.
He scoffed bitterly which caught one of the guard’s attention, “Show some respect. You are about to meet the most exalted one in all of Inazuma.” The guard proudly smiled, seeing how he worshiped the Archon so much disgusted the puppet which made him snark back. “So what? Do I need to pray or something?” Nahida elbowed his waist and gestured to him to stay focused on their objectives.
The guard gasped, he never saw anyone had the guts to disrespect the Almighty Shogun right in front of him, let alone in front of her own dominion. “Why you!-”
“The Almighty Shogun awaits for the Lesser Lord and her retainers. You may now enter.”
Before it escalated to him being arrested just when they were about to meet the archon, Nahida took the initiative and apologized to the guards on her “retainer’s” behalf.
An authoritative voice coming from inside the walls of the palace, slowly opening the doors for the long awaited VIP guests of the Shogun.
The puppet did not have any form of organ that pumps out blood for him, he did not have any heart but he felt the need to keep a firm hold of his chest, suddenly it felt so heavy yet so empty. He took a breath in before exhaling loudly which the guard mistook for nervousness.
“Nervous now, aren’t we? Know your place, you’re a nobody.”
The last thing he heard from the guard before the doors closed, leaving Nahida and the Wanderer inside the dominion. It was his first time entering the palace, he was impressed by its interior design and how traditional the overall place was but for some reason, it still felt dark and gloomy in his end. The insides were not as gloomy compared with the Harbingers’ banquet with the Tsaritsa, on the contrary, some of the windows were opened which let the breeze of air be lingered all over the room and the sunlight gleamed on the huge electro crest on the wall.
“Oh? Buer, is that you?”
The puppet was frozen when he heard the familiar voice. He couldn’t move an inch from where he was standing, he was so busy reminiscing his old memories that he couldn’t feel his creator’s presence not until she spoke. Unbeknownst to him, she sounded so soft and gentle compared to the last time he was trying to seek her.
'Why does she sound like this?'
'Was she always this way?'
Everything went blank to him except now he felt her presence slowly approaching him from behind. He doesn’t breathe for he was a puppet created by her but he felt something choking him, as if he was catching his breath.
He was scared.
Not because he feared the possibility of being killed right there and then neither the fact that he was in front of the most powerful person of all Inazuma but rather
“Oh? You must be… the Wanderer? I do apologize if the guards referred to you as a retainer. Buer explained to me… that you are one of her precious friends. Pleased to meet you, Wanderer.”
'Was this person always this gentle?'
'It feels so heavy. I feel empty. I feel so angry. I despise her and her negligence but why…?'
'Why am I tearing up?'