Chapter Text
That stupid- liar! Betrayer!
He’s lucky I haven’t killed him yet. He deserves to die. He came to destroy Mondstadt’s hard earned peace. Screw him.
UGH.
Yes, this was after Kaeya’s reveal about his background on Khaenri’ah.
Yes, Diluc was angry, and yes, he was not thinking straight.
The best way to relieve that anger was to fight; to kill. That adrenaline rush would push all thoughts to the side, and after, he would be able to calm down.
So to the leylines he went. Enemy after enemy, they spawned one by one, just to be slaughtered right at their spawn point at the touch of the tip of Diluc’s blade. Diluc was not to be messed with when mad.
That’s weird.
The enemies had stopped spawning, usually signalling the finishing of the leyline, but the flower bud to offer the rewards was nowhere to be seen. Not like Diluc needed those rewards anyways.
Mora? He had a ton.
Time for the next leyline, it seems.
“Watch this!” A pyro fatui agent.
That’s what Kaeya says too, his heart tinged. Oh well, they’re both related to the abyss, time to send him back.
However, instead of its usual attacks, the gold dust that indicated the presence of a leyline seemed to appear from thin air, floating around the fatui agent. With a flick of the fatui agent’s wrist, the gold dust heeded to its command swirling around Diluc, practically a small a tornado, hindering Diluc’s view.
How am I supposed to kill it now?
His claymore summoned in his hand once again, charging out of the tornado of gold dust in any direction.
“Time for retribution- huh?”
The fatui agent was no longer there, not a single trace of elemental power. The sky also changed from a gloomy grey to being free of clouds.
Time for the next leyline then.
The magic the fatui agent wielded was really weird, because the grass patch he and Kaeya had just fought on is surprisingly fresh, not burnt; totally different from the last Diluc had seen.
“Kaeya! Wait for me! Dad is going to be so mad I let you go this far from the manor without adult supervision!”
Isn’t that my voice? He whipped his head, facing the source of sound.
That’s Diluc, chasing after Kaeya, roughly a year ago.
Like a feeling of Deja Vu, but from a third person's perspective.
“It’s your birthday, let’s celebrate!” Kaeya grabbed Diluc’s hand, running towards the stables. “Let’s go horseback riding! Don’t worry about Master Crepus, I’ll protect you, like your knight in shining armour”
“Fine, just because you said so.” Diluc rolled his eyes, letting Kaeya pull him along
This was one of his core memories. Master Crepus did not allow them to leave without supervision due to the increase of abyssal monsters, but he could not deny Kaeya, his dearest- no, his used-to-be dearest brother. Well like Crepus had expected, they came across a ruin guard. Perhaps Diluc was not in the best shape that day, as he took a fatal blow on his right. Kaeya, like the ‘knight in shining armor’ he described himself to be, leaped into the air, performed a series of dashes and parts of the ruin guard strewn on the floor.
Events like these always made him extremely thankful and grateful to have a brother. Someone who would stay and fight by his side.
Not that Kaeya would have ever chosen to fight by my side willingly anyways.
This must be the past.
I have got to warn myself about that- that guy.
Something about Kaeya made me feel loved. It was like the motherly love I never got, but then he reveals himself and- it may have all been fake. Everything could have been a well crafted lie, a lie I believed for at least a decade. My feelings are messed up. I am so confused, but there is one thing I know.
Liar.
Diluc snuck to his own private stable, where past Diluc would be approaching shortly, The stable providing just enough cover that Kaeya does not see him. If he were to inform himself, it’s best that he does it privately.
“I’ll get my horse and be right back!” past Diluc called out.
Now’s my time.
“Diluc-” Diluc’s attempt to start talking was abruptly cut off by the sharp shrill scream he didn’t know (past) him could make. Woah, chill.
“You okay Diluc?” Kaeya called out from his own stable.
“NO!” (present) Diluc’s hand flew over his mouth.
“I’m fine! Just got a fright!” Diluc impersonated. Smart thinking, Diluc internally applauded himself.
“Wait, before you scream like a damned girl again, I will introduce myself. I’m Diluc Ragnvindr; basically you-”
“Wait you’re who?”
“I’m you”
“I must be hallucinating oh my days it must be the shot of wine Kaeya made me drink to celebrate oh my I am screwed” Past Diluc started palming his head
“I’m from the future-”
“You’re WHAT”
“I think so, and I do not know how long I can stay here-
“How did you come here?”
“It was an abnormal leyline I think, but that is not the point-”
“I just realised, you’re basically a fortune teller! Does Kaeya get accepted into the knights?”
“Yes, and there is something about Kaeya that you don’t know, he-”
“Wait, do we get to fight together in the knights of favonius? I have been dreaming all about it!”
“Yes, but that is still not the point-”
I know. I have been there. But damn, STOP INTERRUPTING ME.
“I did NOT know I could be this annoying. Please, let me finish. Kaeya is not the innocent boy you think he is. He is hiding so much from you.
Kaeya, is a spy. From khaenriah. Yes, the fallen nation; I know what you’re thinking. I am you after all.”
Past Diluc’s face fell.
“Y-you would not lie to me, r-right? If you were to come all the way here to tell me of such things, this must be serious… I understand. Thank you for informing me”
Diluc pats past Diluc on the back, and offers a small pained smile.
Diluc leaves the area hastily, hiding behind a tree, not wanting to be seen by anyone else.
“Diluc, are you sure you're okay?”
“Yeah yeah, i’m just not feeling well today.”
“If anything is bothering you, you can tell me! Are you sick, do you want to rest at home instead?”
That's the Kaeya I know and love. Is this all a facade, a lie?
That entire conversation was a newly crafted one, not following the path of the past.
I should go back home. How do I go back home? What if I cannot find my way home?? What if everything is altered???
Mindlessly walking back to where he first started, a leyline was there. He raised a hand to activate the leyline, and instead of the usual activation, the gold dust swirled around him again, just like what happened with the fatui agent. The swirling calmed down and settled soon after, revealing the familiar dark gloomy sky and charred grass patch.
He was back. Everything looks the same.
After checking with Adeline, he was sure that nothing had changed, everything playing out the exact same way.
It was disappointing, yet relieving to hear.
Whatever. If it did not affect anything, he should not dwell on it. It was probably just a dream, as everybody would say. Doesn’t matter.
Tucking himself in bed as usual and closing his eyes, he dreamt a dream.
A dream where things are different from what they are now.