"Kaedehara Y/n? You're alive?"

Ei could not comprehend the presence of the human. The guilt that she thought she could bury for eternity, the guilt of the fault in what she had done, and what she could've done. It finally resurfaced.

The pitiful human she was afraid to face once more, she was standing right before her after centuries of solitude in the Plane of Euthymia.

"How...?" She questioned, her mind still processing the current situation at hand.

"I am not Kaedehara Y/n." Y/n corrects her, the confusion being obvious in her tone, "My name is Y/n L/n, and I hail from the nation of Fontaine."

Ei was confused. Perhaps this Y/n is a reincarnation? Such a rare occurrence, but she never expected to meet her like this. Or maybe it's just a big coincidence that this girl has the same face and name as the Y/n she knew 500 years ago?

Approaching the young maiden, Ei inspects her features up close. Everything was still the same as it was before. The same eyes, the same hair, and the same complexion. Even the way she speaks was the same.

Nothing had changed. Y/n was still the same. It was as if she never died in the first place and was blessed to live a long life.

Long enough to see her again.

The deep rooted guilt sprung up once more as a result. She thought she could move on. She thought she could find the right time to forgive herself for all the incidents from years ago.

And in the end, she continues to blame herself for failing Y/n.

Especially that boy.

"Y/n..." Ei starts, her regretful eyes gleaming with a thousand apologies that should've gone out of her mouth,

"How are you faring these days? Are you fine? Have you been well in Fontaine? Your family? Made any friends?"

Y/n was surprised at the quick and abrupt turn of the conversation, her brows furrowed with confusion.

"How about a lover, Y/n? Have you found someone?"

Ah, a lover. Ei just had to go straight through that route. This Y/n she is speaking to is supposedly a reincarnation, after all. The hopes of seeing her within the arms of that boy again may seem unlikely, but she still wished for her happiness.

She just wished that she wasn't suffering again like the last time.

"I'm engaged." Y/n answers.

Ei was pleasantly surprised, but doubt settled in, fearing that this engagement was purely an arrangement.

"It's an arranged marriage, but I'm happy." The young maiden continues, "My fiance, uhm... He is someone you know, yes? He told me that you found no purpose in him, hence you casted him away."

Ah, Y/n was talking about that boy. They have reunited at last. That was the very thing Ei wished for them both since all those centuries back then. Ignoring the fact that she was accused of abandoning her own son, she shows her relief of the current situation Y/n was in,

"I am glad to know that you are together once more."

Y/n was confused. She hoped for closure regarding the relationship between Scaramouche and his mother, the Electro Archon. Well, Ei did create him, so she is technically his mother.

"Y/n, tell me, are you happy with my son?"

"Yes, I am."

"That is all I needed to hear."

Y/n is engulfed in a tight yet tender hug, gasping as she awkwardly wraps her hands around Ei in return, unsure of what to do as she stands still. She was too confused now at this point. She wanted to confront the mother in law she was sure she wouldn't interact with for the rest of her life, but here she is, hugging her with absolute delight and joy to know that she is having a good relationship with Scaramouche.

"I am glad... so, so glad..." Ei's voice trembles, sniffling as she tightens her grip, "Is he the happiest with you, Y/n?"

"I guess...? He treats me kindly, always smiles at me, and..." Y/n hesitates, raising a brow before continuing, "Aren't you a bit too happy about this? You... You threw him away-"

"I granted him freedom, not abandoned him." Ei sighs, smiling, "Perhaps I made him think the wrong things. I should've apologized to him for that. I didn't want him to suffer when I observed how he cried after testing the gnosis."

"Then... Why have you never made the initiative to apologize to him or maybe at least reconcile?"

"I tried, but he was adamant in never forgiving me as well as avoiding me for the rest of his life. It was not because of the misunderstanding that I abandoned him..." Tears began to run down Ei's cheeks, her smile trembling as she spoke,

"But because he will never forgive me for not saving you."

"Not saving me? What do you mean?"

"It's quite the tale to tell, but for now, let's keep it there, yes? You have a long road ahead of you with my dearest son. I do not wish for the past to hold you back" Ei smiles tenderly, carefully brushing away strands of Y/n's hair out of her face and tucking them behind her ears,

"Please live a happy life with him. Find the greatest happiness in your marriage together."

Y/n somehow felt relief, to meet her own mother-in-law like this, in such a bizarre situation. Perhaps she could tell Scaramouche about it once he found her, and maybe she could ask him to reconcile with her.

Unlike the times she tried to look for chances of reconciliation with her own father, she will do her best to look for chances of reconciliation between Scaramouche and his mother.

"Oh! And don't forget to decide carefully if you want children~"

"Wha...?"

"Oh, Come on, I designed him as realistically as possible! I'm sure he can procreate with you~"

"P-Pardon?"

"I hope you send me portraits or letters regarding my future grandchildren, if you can."

"Grandchildren!?"

And so began the proper first meeting between Y/n and her mother-in-law.

"Y/n! You're alright!" Paimon threw herself at the young maiden the moment they were outside Tenshukaku palace,

"Paimon and the traveler really thought we lost you after you disappeared in front of the shogun!"

Y/n smiled as she embraces the floating companion, tenderly caressing her hair and cradling her as if she really were a child,

"I'm sorry for making you worry, Paimon, but I'm here now." She plants a tender kiss to Paimon's forehead, holding her close.

Paimon, in turn, snuggled comfortably in Y/n's embrace. Despite the tender moment, it had to be cut off short by the loud crackling of the thunder, which made them both jump and almost scream in fear. They then glanced forward to see Lumine walking ahead of them.

"Traveler...?" Y/n called out to the other female, observing that Lumine had no reaction and seemed to ignore them as she walked further away from them.

Both Paimon and Y/n each spared a glance at one another, following the traveler behind in a hurry as they watched out for the thunder strikes,

"Traveler, I have spoken to the Electro Archon. She said she will have the Shogun lift the decree soon." Y/n spoke out first, trying to engage Lumine into a conversation.

"Yeah! We can probably talk to the Archon soon enough as well!" Paimon added.

Lumine remained unresponsive, her mind blank and hearing blurred as her head throbbed with ache as she kept walking forward.

The skies of Inazuma were noticeably purple, thunder striking onto the lands blindly. This caused Y/n to shake and tremble in fear as she held Paimon closer to her chest, her eyes easily swelling with tears as her lips tremble,

"T-Traveler...?" Y/n calls out once more, but she and Paimon only get worried when Lumine stops in her tracks, groaning in pain.

"Hey... Is everything okay?" Paimon asks, frowning with worry.

Y/n immediately releases Paimon from her grip, allowing the floating companion to at least approach the traveler and comfort her as Y/n follows behind.

"You know, Y/n, Signora has been... well... slain." Paimon bluntly informs Y/n as they walk down the stairs.

Y/n gasps as a reaction, "She's... dead?"

"The Raiden Shogun did it... Although Signora deserved it for the things she had done, the way she had to go... it was just too far!"

Y/n stopped in her tracks, trying to swallow and digest the information into her already churning stomach. She had only met the beautiful harbinger months back in Liyue, and now she hears of her death?

She looks up ahead as she just tries to shake off the thought of Signora's demise. Though she feels sorry for her, she had no business prying into mourning for her. She barely knows her at all, and from the stories she heard of how she dislikes her fiance, she must harbor some resentment towards her as well.

How much more if she were to meet the rest of the harbingers? They might dislike her as well, being such a weak human might put a stain on their reputation.

Is that why Scaramouche didn't allow her to have her presence known every time an informant of another harbinger comes to see him?

Just when she was about to ask another question, Y/n now finds herself at the entrance to the palace grounds with Lumine and Paimon, observing a group of soldiers approaching them as well as a pair of striking individuals. One seemed to be a samurai in red, whilst the other was a general with a noticeably adorable pair of dog ears and a tail.

Lumine seemed to have returned to her senses when she saw those people, waving at them with a smile. Y/n observed how the people before them were backing away, their expressions showing fear and intimidation.

That's when Y/n realized the Raiden Shogun had appeared and was about to strike a deadly slash on them.

Her e/n orbs observed the scene unfolding before her as the samurai in red lunges forward with a quick dash, blocking the heavy blow of the shogun as the dull vision beside his anemo one began to crackle and glow with the essence of the Electro element. The crackling of violet thunder shook the ground for a moment and stunned the people around in awe and shock.

Her eyes and his met at that single moment, causing the samurai to bounce back as Lumine mustered all her power to strike back at the Shogun, only to disappear along with her and Paimon.

Troops of the Shogunate suddenly gather behind Y/n, facing off the resistance troops that were making their presence known behind the Samurai and their General.

At the same time, the Fatui made their arrival, spotting Y/n between the troops as she stood just at the entrance of the palace grounds.

"The madam is in Tenshukaku palace grounds!" An agent shouts, "The shogunate must have kidnapped the madam! Show no mercy for the lord harbinger!"

And so, a chaotic battle ensues between the Shogunate, the Resistance, and the Fatui. Y/n couldn't do anything but try to dodge every hit and swing as she tries to look for high ground to avoid the fight.

Just as she reaches up the stairs back inside the palace grounds, she spots the red samurai from before. She stops in her tracks, gasping when she notices the shocked yet relieved expression on his face as he lands in front of her.

This Samurai looked so familiar, especially with the red streak on his hair. Where had she seen it before?

Oh, right. She remembered the strikingly vibrant red streak of hair on her mother, and it was evident in every portrait her father's household had. It was distinctive and easy to spot her portraits within the L/n household because of that.

Which reminds Y/n, she also had the same red streak of hair. She just dyed it to cover, remembering how her father disliked seeing it on her as it reminded him so much of her late mother. She also remembered how she would sometimes get a bad beating all because her father noticed the red streak of hair on her head.

"Aunty Kinako? Is that you?" The samurai reaches out to her with a smile forming on his face, "It's me, Kazuha! Do you remember me?"

Kazuha stepped forward whilst Y/n stepped back each time. He would be able to brush his hand over hers when he watches Y/n being swept away right in front of him and stood there in disbelief.

Y/n gasps, realizing who grabbed her when she saw the familiar colors of her fiance. Tears swelled in her eyes, feeling relieved yet stupid for not ever thinking once that he would come to rescue her like this. Yet here he was, his arm wrapped around her waist as he whisked her away from the situation and listened to his orders to have the fatui troops retreat.

"Scaramouche-!"

"Not now, Y/n! Shut it!"

Y/n did shut up, looking away as she felt pale. Of course. He must still be angry with her. After all, she disappeared as a result of trying to reach out to him after that fight they had. Their relationship might already be strained at this point.

She wraps her arms around him, hugging him from behind as they stood somewhere high and far from other's reach,

"Y/n, not now. We have to get back to camp." Scaramouche faces her, his eyes glaring into her guilt-filled eyes.

"Yes, Scaramouche..."

"We'll have a long discussion after this. Prepare yourself."

Y/n follows him from behind, sparing one last glance towards the ongoing chaos at Tenshukaku palace, noticing the red samurai still gazing towards her. She turns around, leaving the scene with her beloved.

Kazuha couldn't contain his smile. He foolishly thought his beloved aunty was still alive and well. He wondered how she was doing, remembering the fact that she left for Fontaine before the final fall of the Kaedehara family.

Seeing Y/n in person, she was a spitting image of her mother, Kaedehara Kinako.

But she and Y/n were spitting images of their ancestor;

Kaedehara Y/n.

Ever since they returned to the camp, all that was heard within the area were the arguments between Scaramouche and Y/n. All the screaming, the crying, the words being spat towards one another, very much heard from inside the main tent where the said couple were occupying.

For days on end, no one had ever seen Y/n walk out of the tent since her return. Scaramouche frequented entering and exiting the tent with an angered expression and having sour moods that affected the basic safety of the soldiers during missions or errands.

Meanwhile, Roxie, Garyth, and Sadako were awfully worried for both Y/n and Scaramouche. All three aides continued to serve Y/n and cater to her needs as normal, but they just couldn't help but feel pity as they watched their beloved madam sink back to the miserable state she was in when she first met them.

"Talk to me, Y/n! Why did you look for me that day!? Didn't you ever realize you could've gotten hurt in that storm!? By the Archons, Y/n, answer me!"

Scaramouche slams his hands down to the table that was separating him and Y/n as they try to talk things out.

Emphasis on "try."

"Even if I give an answer, you won't hear me out!" Y/n stands firm, tears swelling in her eyes for the nth time.

"Don't even try to cry again, it won't work on me!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't help it!" Y/n screams, standing up as her tears finally running down her face, "Just listen to me for once, Scara-"

"Y/n! I told you, crying won't solve anything-"

"I had to reconcile with you!"

"You didn't need to!"

"I had to!"

"You did not!"

"I do!"

"You don't!"

"Just hear me out, Scara!"

"Nicknames won't sway me, Y/n! You almost got yourself killed-"

"Do you not trust me by myself!? Is that it!? Just say it, then!"

"This isn't about trust, this is about how you almost got hurt trying to find me!"

"I wanted to say sorry! Is that so bad!?"

"I don't give a damn about that! Don't you dare put yourself in danger for me ever again! I can't lose you, again!"

Scaramouche reached his breaking point for today as he slammed over the table once again, ending the argument right there and then. Y/n just flinched and covered her mouth, refraining from uttering another word.

"I can't... I can't lose you again!" Scaramouche repeats himself, sighing deeply.

Y/n just stared at him, unable to speak another word, no words forming in her mind to speak out. This was yet again another altercation between a soon-to-be-married couple. She started to worry more, thinking that the more these arguments were frequent, the higher the chance that their relationship would be brought down to ruin.

And it may result in an annulment of their engagement.

Trying to mend this seemingly crumbling relationship (in her own perception), Y/n makes an attempt to speak out her remorse in what she had done by her words, only to be shunned by silence once again as Scaramouche exited the tent.

She was only deduced to a sobbing mess, with no one to dare comfort her from how tense the atmosphere was in the camp.