Chapter 4: The flower that grows in darkness

Scaramouche remembers now, his memories are coming back to him now that she's very close to him, the first time in the tent, he couldn't remember her, but with this heart that thrones in his chest. His missing memories could be recovered.

Little bamboo... Everyone in the Fatuis nicknamed her that, but not in relation to the origin of her first name, but in relation to her nature. Yes, this Kaguya is far from being a human like the others.

X

In the land of Snezhnaya, in the Ice Palace of the Tsaritsa, the Fatui Harbingers were all waiting in the meeting hall, to put in place the plan of harvesting the Gnosis of all the Archons of Teyvat. But one of the Harbinger was missing... Capitano. The great and strong Capitano, recognized for his unprecedented strength and whose praises flowed from all the mouths of the Fatuis, he had been sent to the Abyss for a very specific mission, to recover a treasure protected by demons. A people who once belonged to Khaenri'ah, neighbors and friends who brought much prosperity and joy. Unfortunately, these disappeared overnight, shortly before the tragic events occurred there. Jester learned what had happened to these people by consulting numerous records found in the Abyss.

The Gods inflicted a curse on them, a curse that made them sick to the point of madness, then their madness gradually transformed them into demons without any possible return, a similar curse was born soon after in the Abyss.

- What's Capitano doing ? He who is never late usually... Tartaglia speaks suddenly, taking Jester out of his thoughts.

- It's true, he's always the first to arrive, and today he's not here. How sad. Columbina speaks softly with her pretty voice.

- Perhaps our magnificent Capitano has been defeated. Scaramouche sneers sarcastically.

- Impossible, we are talking about Capitano here, have the decency to respect your superiors by closing your mouth, insolent brat. Arlecchino replies curtly, Scaramouche just laughs, telling himself that he would be delighted to silence this impertinent woman. Dottore sighs before snickering Scaramouche's words.

- If there is a fight, I want to face you both at the same time. Tartaglia intervenes in his fighting frenzy.

- Captain is coming ! Shouts a shocked Fatui, usually everyone cheers him, but there, the soldiers accompanying him rush towards him, walking almost staggering, carrying a big chest on his shoulder, this chest is covered with flowering roots whose petals fall one by one, in the light of the moon, Capitano appears to them with a sort of garland of red flowers running through his entire torso, whose clothes have been torn.

- What a dirty face... Sandrone sneers without being able to hold back her tongue, the others look at him with a mocking smile while he places the chest on the ground.

- Forgive my late Jester, here is what you asked me to report. He expresses himself by lowering his head before standing up straight.

- Did you go through a carnival to be in this state ? Pantalone mocks nicely, Capitano doesn't bother to speak and grabs a handful of flowers from his torso to remove them, a few drops of blood run down the floor yet they show a very clean and perfectly healed wound, Dottore is surprised .

- Its flowers grew on your skin, interesting. Very interesting. He says coming to take a closer look. Capitano looks down at the chest.

- Carrying this chest with me, a small light sprang up and these flowers began to sprout in my wound, removing my pains and even stopping the bleeding. I tried to open the chest, but the roots couldn't be cut under my blade. He explains, it surprises everyone, Capitano not being able to open a simple chest covered with roots ? Impossible. Scaramouche feels like laughing at this until Columbina walks up to the trunk, she points to it.

- There's something alive in there... She says, she takes a tiny step forward and taps on the top of the chest, once, twice, three times. Scratches were heard against the wood.

- Get out of the way, I'll grill these roots. Scaramouche growls, causing electricity to surge in his hand, he brings it close to the roots which burn instantaneously, Tartaglia then comes to extinguish the starting fire to prevent the wood from burning. Then Capitano grabs the top of the chest to yank it open.

A small green glow emanates from it with a few bird feathers billowing in the icy wind, the Executors lean down to look at the contents of the chest. Inside, a little girl barely 4 years old with very long moon-colored hair with only a loose white kimono covering her small body, asleep in a mattress of flower petals holding in her small hands, a Dendro Vision.

- A human child ? In the Abyss ? Impossible... Exclaims La Signora looking closer, the little one seems to still be breathing, Columbina was right, the unknown thing in this chest is alive and turns out to be a little girl...

- You don't feel like you're making fun of us Capitano, this chest can't be the one from the Abyss... Pulcinella starts to speak but Pierrot comes forward and sees the broken emblem in the wood of the chest .

- No... It's the right one. This treasure that for years was hidden in the depths of the Abyss, and yet we all know that such a frail child couldn't survive in the Abyss... What does it mean ?

- Hey... She's waking up. Warns Tartaglia, lowered above the chest just like Scaramouche, Pantalone and Dottore, the little girl starts to move, moaning a little then she half-opens her eyes yawning. Gorgeous sapphire blue eyes.

- Hello Princess. Greets Tartaglia like a big brother, he puts his hands on her to take her out of the chest.

- Be careful Childe, we don't know how long she's been in that chest, you could break her bones handling her. Warns Pulcinella.

- Don't worry, I have a little brother I know how to manage. Reassures Childe by taking the little one out of the trunk very gently, she lets herself go, half awake.

- She's too cute, let me take her. Said Columbina approaching her hands to the little one, Childe despite the non-existent confidence he has towards this beautiful but frightening woman, lets her take the child in her arms.

- How pretty you are, and so small. I would almost be jealous. She said coming to rub her forehead against this little one before crushing her little round cheeks.

- Colombina, it's not a toy. Sigh Arlecchino, then she adds.

- What do we do with her ? Obviously, I don't see her being useful to us, I can nevertheless place her in my orphanage, there she will be surrounded by other children of her age...

Pierrot reflects, he's a little disappointed with what the trunk contained. A simple child who oddly survived being locked inside... Suddenly, Dottore comes to take her in his arms in turn.

- Hey, look at this. This little one seems to be hiding something from us. He declares, he has placed her on the table and allows himself to open her little kimono, the little one is shaking with cold and yet, all over her body, veins of a bluish color have appeared, when Dottore tries to pierce one, the little one begins to cry.

- Dottore, honestly make a little girl cry, you're disgusting. Tartaglia intervenes, wanting to take the child back from her. The little one wants to try to get down from the table but she slips and threatens to fall on the floor, Capitano bends down immediately to catch her then he puts her on the floor, she can't stand up, but she crawls to go hide under Capitano's great coat.

Pierrot wants to intervene to stop them but the Tsaritsa enters the room.

- What is happening here ? She asks curiously.

X

It was on this day that the Tsaritsa adopted this little girl among the Fatuis and baptized her Kaguya, making her her one and only child. Scaramouche remembers now, a presumably human child brought back from the Abyss in a chest from an ancient population cursed by the Gods, but he especially remembers that Kaguya only took two years to grow up to become the woman she is today. Yes, two years, she went from a 4-year-old to a 17-year-old girl who could see bits of the future, hence her nickname Little Bamboo.

- And to think that it's that bastard Dottore who discovered that side of you. You who can change your appearance to take on the appearance of a child when you have no more strength, then resume your true appearance when you are in good health. It's been a long time, Little Bamboo. Kaguya freezes for a moment. Sura told her about him, he's the boy she was in love with before, the boy she was looking for... But when she wants to say his name, it fades away, she is unable to pronounce it, merely reaching out to him, Scaramouche grabs his hands gently.

- It's you ?

- Call me Wanderer, my other name no longer exists. What are you doing here ? He asked him.

- I don't know... I heard voices, then I found myself here... I don't know this place, where am I ?

- You are in Sumeru, not far from the domain of the Archon Dendro. Give me your hand, I will guide you. Said Scara taking Kaguya's hand, she gets up on her legs and follows him, then a few steps further, she collapses on his back and hugs him. Kaguya starts crying.

- I missed you so much... Sorry for having forgotten you, sorry for not being able to change this vision. I was so worried about you. She sobs against him, Scaramouche swallows what saliva he has in his mouth, his hand resting on this heart in his chest, in contact with his Anemo eye placed on his chest. The feeling is terribly painful, in the past, Kaguya was really attached to him, but also to all the Fatuis, but he... He wanted at all costs not to have the slightest affection for her. Yet, constantly she remained at his side, without attracting his attention. She always came to his apartments while he was working, even during the experiments he was undergoing from Dottore, she slipped into the laboratory to come and support him, give him some salty treats, painkillers or even place healing flowers inside his wounds to heal him.

On the other hand, the Fatuis had arranged for Kaguya to always tell them the truth, whatever the situation, no lying. Scara feels that this is going to be a problem for him as soon as one of the Harbingers goes looking for Kaguya, the best chance would be that Sura is sent to retrieve Kaguya.

- Stop crying. If it happened, there was a reason, there was nothing we could do about it. It's possible to change the course of things, but not always. In this situation, even if you wanted to intervene, you could not have done anything. It was my decision. So stop ruminating on his stupid memories. Scara tells her curtly, Kaguya nods, Scara comes to give her a small caress on the head then comes to guide her in the sanctuary of Nahida.

She watches over the dreams of her people.

- Lesser Lord Kusunali, she is here. Warns Scara, Nahida turns around and finally sees Kaguya, immediately places her fingers in Kaguya's direction to read her thoughts. No bad energy, no aggression, no threatening traces in her, Nahida can read that Kaguya has no bad intentions towards her, the people of Sumeru, Lumine or even the world, on the other hand , a shiver is still present in her when she sees the blue veins on Kaguya's arms, and especially she is not wearing gloves. Nahida feels that if she touches her hands, a terrible thing could happen to her. She looks around, then with her powers she creates a small barrier that takes the form of gloves around her hands

- Hmm... I see, she doesn't seem mean. Hello to you, dear Kaguya, daughter of the Archon Cryo and queen of Snezhnaya, it is a pleasure to meet you on this sweet night. Nahida speaks softly, Kaguya turns her head in all directions to get her bearings, Nahida comes to grab her hands gently.

- I see, your blindness is very real. But that doesn't seem to infect the immense wisdom you have in your heart, can you tell me what brings you to Sumeru ? Someone sent you ? Nahida speaks to him.

- Someone sent me yes... But it was not a Fatui, I can assure you. I was talking with someone then my bearings disappeared and I found myself here... She explains, Scara remains on her guard while Kaguya and Nahida exchange together for very long minutes, to the point that Scara goes to sit in a corner, hand on this heart, he completely forgot to ask her about this heart. But a memory strangely resurfaces.

X

Scaramouche came out of Dottore's laboratory after several hours of experimentation, he tried to be resistant until Dottore closed the door, the next second, Scara began to spit a large amount of blood into his hand, he saw his seen blurring as he tries to walk towards his quarters, not far from Kaguya's room. He staggers several times before collapsing further.

He has to get up, not seem weak in front of the Fatuis soldiers, but no way to get up, his body refuses to answer him, that's when he heard footsteps approaching, and voice, he was able to recognize Kaguya's white kimono as well as the tone of her voice, and the woman next to her must have been Sura.

This one comes to lift Scaramouche on his shoulders and takes him to the heart of the white room decorated with pink with a very large bed, above the bed you could see the light of the moon through the window, Scaramouche is lying on this big bed where the two girls hasten to take off her kimono to examine her injuries. Several openings which, despite the threads sewn on them, become infected or re-open, but above all, the sight of the gaping hole at the location of the heart sends shivers down the back.

- Sura ! Guide my hands, please. Asks Kaguya who was already suffering from blindness at that time, Sura helped her to disinfect the open wounds before closing them properly, from time to time, Kaguya comes to wipe Scaramouche's forehead as well as his neck, making him drink plenty of water at room temperature. Then Scara hears a semblance of conversation regarding something she wanted to place in his chest.

- He has to eat something first, I can't implant him now. Said Kaguya feeling around her towards a little pink purse in which Scara thinks she hears a weird noise, but he can't speak, he's too weak for that.

- Are you really sure you want to give him this thing ? Asks Sura not very convinced.

- Why wouldn't I ?

- No offense Kaguya, you spent hours and whole days working on it, wouldn't it be better to offer it to your mother rather than to him ? She adds, Kaguya lowered her head.

- I know I can help Mom on my own, but him... I love him and I really want to help him, he's very important to me. Kaguya replies as she clasps her hands to her chest, Sura sighs and says something that surprises Scara.

- He's not meant for you, remember ? You said his fate would be tied to someone else. A person from another world than ours.

- I know that ! Kaguya suddenly shouts trying to hold back her tears ; I know it, but at least I want him to be happy, it's hard for me to hear him cry every night, like the others on the other side... Mom too, I hear him cry, and even you. My goal is to bring happiness. I'm certainly not important in this story but... I just want to make the people around me happy, that's my mission, that's why I've been locked up in this chest for more than 400 years !

After screaming, a blank expression appeared on Kaguya's gaze for a split second, as if she had just lost some of her memory again. Suddenly, someone had knocked on Kaguya's bedroom door, then Dottore's voice was heard, Scara knew he had come to pick him up. Impossible for him to move from this big white bed so comfortable for him.

- Kaguya... Will you open the door please? He asks from the other side of the door, Kaguya hastens to get up to go to the door while Sura stayed with Scaramouche, but she kept her attention on the conversation.

- You weren't very... tender with her. Manages to say Scaramouche, Sura glares at him.

- The wounded are supposed to rest and not talk, so shut up. Sura grunts, Scara rolls his eyes with a small smile.

- Is that how you talk to your boss ? I will have to punish you severely...

- What ingratitude... I am not one of your slaves, even though I am in your section, I remain in Capitano's service. And given your reputation with others, no one will support you. Sura growls, she grabs a small bag of food present on Kaguya's table, inside, some sweets and dried meat. She takes a stick of dried meat and puts it in his mouth.

- Swallow this and shut up ! Scara tries to swallow it but he immediately spits it out coughing. Sura rolled her eyes.

- Ahhh I swear, if Kaguya didn't love you, I would end your life right now. She declares before grabbing the piece of meat to chew it beforehand then she slips it into Scara's mouth, he freezes.

- Disgusting... He grunts with a face of disgust, Sura continues by taking another bite of jerky then putting it back in his mouth.

- Swallow. She insists by rubbing his throat and covering his mouth so he doesn't spit.

Kaguya still hasn't come back, the door is ajar but there is no longer Dottore's voice, nor Kaguya's. Sura had a very bad feeling. She left Scaramouche alone in the bedroom, sleeping on the big bed while he recovered from his injuries.

X

Moments later, Kaguya was invited to share a room in Lumine's teapot, as soon as Kaguya knew that Lumine was in front of her, she immediately threw herself into her arms, so happy to see the heroine she admire so much again. Lumine nevertheless always remains on her guard against Kaguya, she doesn't forget that this girl is part of the Fatuis and from what she heard from Nahida, Kaguya is the adopted daughter of the Tsaritsa, the queen whom the Fatuis venerate with so much ardour.

Exhausted, Kaguya went to bed instead of staying with the still awake Lumine. She settles in her fitted kitchen. Alone, Paimon sleeping soundly in their common room, she misses Aether... She hasn't seen him for days, is he okay ? What is he feeling right now ?

- Aether... She whispers while slumping on the table, when suddenly, she hears footsteps behind her, she raises her head and sees Scara standing in the room, her eyes luminous like the lines on her body.

- What do you want ? Lumine asks him intrigued, no answer, Scara seems completely livid, he walks towards the food store and grabs filled breads the size of a small stone.

- Scara, these are sweet breads, you hate sugar... Lumine reminds him, still no answer from Scara, he takes one of the breads and bites into it with his teeth before swallowing it in one go, then another and another.

Something is really wrong with him.

Lumine slowly steps forward from him as he is eating all the sweet breads, the glow of his lines has disappeared as he eats the last bread, however the roots in his chest have grown in size again.

- Scara ? Do you hear me ? She asks him, Scara turns his indigo gaze to her, he blinks.

- Are you sure everything is fine ? She asks him again, no answers but he emits a little hiccup after having eaten so much, he has a lot of crumbs around his mouth, Lumine didn't expect to see him like that one day, he who has an iron pride solid and easily abrasive, he is silent, eating like a starving child.

- " He's too cute..." Thinks Lumine blushing, Scara flinches a bit before falling on Lumine who catches up with him, he closes his arms around her.

- Ah... wait Scara, Scara wait, you have crumbs in your mouth, you're going to put them in my hair. She says to him, Scaramouche moans slightly, tightening his hold on her, Lumine feels that he is shaking, she emits a sigh and manages to lift him to go and lay him down on the sofa a little further.

Scara shows herself as harmless as a baby while Lumine is on top of him, she admires him a little before looking at her heart, the beats are quite powerful, the roots are very big that most of them have slightly pierced the skin. Lumine pinches one very gently, Scara reacts with a start.

It's extremely sensitive.

- Don't touch me. He suddenly growls.

Lumine is surprised, he begins to come back to himself.

- I'm sorry, for a moment you weren't yourself anymore, I was worried. She tries to explain, Scara sketches a mocking smile.

- But of course... You can't help it, I'm starting to know you a little too much, Lumine. Am I that irresistible ? He says, Lumine lets out a deep sigh, she doesn't know how to take it, does she get into the game? Or should she ignore him ? Still, she has to inspect her chest, so she goes for it. Lumine gently leans over him then comes to kiss him languidly, blocking him against her to prevent him from defending himself. But to his surprise, he lets himself go. Lumine takes the opportunity to caress his chest to get to his heart and suddenly, she thinks she hears a voice, not two voices in her head.

- … I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Give it back to me. Don't do this... Don't do this...

- Lumine ! The last voice shouted, she recognized him. It's the voice of Aether. Without realizing it, Lumine hugged Scara against her, and driven by a strange frenzy that Scara had not expected, Lumine threw herself on him again, kissing him passionately, cuddling him, going so far as to touch his intimate part before completely undressing him, Scara just following the movement, embarking on this frenzy, the two not paying attention to the dark figure watching them in the shadows.

Enjoy you're reading ^^