Chapter Text
In a room in the heavens, a being with the appearance of a young woman stared out a window into the pink and orange tinted sky, deep in thought.
Ahh...what to do. The options weren’t great, but she wouldn’t be entertaining this insane idea if she didn’t think she could get some net positive results.
After all, messing with the people of other gods almost never ended well. And with these gods in particular, things could get...thorny. To say the lease.
Yet...she couldn’t just let this gold mine of knowledge go to waste. Not after all the work she’d done to get it. The hard part was over.
….yes. The theoretical benefits were too great, of that, she was becoming sure. And sure, maybe she was falling victim to the sunk cost fallacy, but hey. Benefits were benefits.
This journey had only just begun.
***
Amber watched in horror as the traveler got sucked up into one of Stormterror’s tornados. It wasn’t long before she could no longer see them.
Up in the air, Lumine was, by some miracle, staying afloat, thanks to some voice saying they were helping her.
She was flying after Stormterror when a stray gust hit her, sending her tumbling through the atmosphere, eyes closing instinctively She eventually landed, hard, on solid ground.
***
Noelle groaned as she carefully pushed herself off the ground. She’d been outside, transporting some crates, when Stormterror attacked, knocking the crate out of her hands and herself over.
Opening her eyes to assess the damage to the goods, Noelle instead found herself somewhere completely unfamiliar.
It was a large space, with couches in the middle facing the same direction, towards a wall, which struck her as strange. She stood up, finding the wall in question to be made of a reflective, glossy black material.
“Where are we,” a woman with an asymmetrical purple bob asked. “Does anyone know?”
No one volunteered any answers. Well, at least until-
“Yes, as a matter of fact. I do.”
To Noelle’s surprise, an unfamiliar young lady materialized between all of them. She appears to be roughly Noelle’s age too, dressed in a simple, shin-length, mint-colored dress with a black and gold ornate belt at the waist. Her inky black hair was done in a simple braid, falling down her back.
A familiar head of red hair steps forward, and Noelle is glad to see someone as reliable as Master Diluc here. “You brought us here? For what? And more importantly, why should we trust you?”
The woman smiles. “Ah, apologies, I should introduce myself first. I’m Alitheia. She/her pronouns, by the way. I’m the creator, I suppose you could say, of this space you find yourselves in. And as for the reason why?”
Alitheia giggled. “Well, you’ll just have to wait and see. But for now, why don’t you all introduce yourselves and take a quick look around? No doubt there’s more than a few people you don’t know, and I’d like you to get familiar with this place before we do anything else, alright?”
Noelle looked around, seeing people, one by one, acquiescing to Alitheia’s request, even if they still didn’t quite trust her.
“Oh, and before I go, I should mention that I only confiscated your weapons. Please do not make me confiscate your visions as well. Fighting is strictly prohibited.”
Alitheia disappeared, and Noelle, as well as everyone else, found that they indeed could not summon their weapons, but their visions were still on their persons.
(Noelle had a mini heart attack when she didn’t immediately feel her geo vision sitting low on her back where it always was, but it settled the moment she felt its familiar smooth surface.)
“Well, I believe we should do what she asked. We’ll get answers faster if we get that over with.”
Leave it to Jean to take charge.
“I’m Jean, Acting Grandmaster for the Knights of Favonius.”
“Lisa, Librarian for the Kights.”
“I’m Amber, outrider for the Knights of Favonius.”
A woman with brown hair like Amber, but longer and in pigtails, was next to speak. “Hu Tao, 77th director for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and this is-”
She was interrupted by the person she was trying to introduce, a man who also had brown hair, pulled back into a long ponytail. “Director Hu, I can introduce myself. You can call me Zhongli. I’m a consultant for the Wangsheng Funeral Parol. Hu Tao is my boss.”
That young girl was his boss? Well, Noelle supposed stranger things had happened before. The Knights had a child on their roster, after all.
“I am Ningguang, Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing,” said a tall, elegant woman with white hair.
“My name is Ganyu, general secretary for the Qixing. I work with Lady Ningguang,” said a pretty lady with blue hair and black and red horns.
A young woman with a spikey blonde ponytail spoke next. “I’m Yoimiya, owner of Naganohara Fireworks in Inazuma.”
“Diluc, owner of the Dawn Winery in Mondstadt.”
“Kaeya, Cavalry Captain for the Knights of Favonius, though there isn’t exactly a cavalry to captain at the moment.”
Noelle snorted slightly before catching herself, but the noise caught everyone else's attention.
“Oh, my apologies. I’m Noelle, a maid working for the Knights.”
She bows slightly.
“There’s no need for the formality,” Jean said, and Noelle sputtered a hasty apology before snapping her mouth shut and simply nodding.
“I suppose I can go. I’m Thoma, housekeeper for the Kamisato Clan in Inazuma, and attendant to milady here. But I was actually born in Mondstadt.”
That’s something that has the easily foreseeable effect of getting all Mondstadt residents to look at him with varying degrees of interest, especially Noelle. Perhaps she ought to discuss cleaning tips with him.
“Well, if Thoma has gone, then I suppose I will as well. My name is Kamisato Ayaka, also known as the Shirasagi Himegimi, and I’m part of the Yashiro Commission in Inazuma.”
“...Kujou Sara, a General for the Shogun’s army, and part of the Tenryou commission.”
When Sara said that, she looked over to a woman with long purple hair in a braid. However, though quite a few people were looking at her expectantly, she made no move to speak.
“Hmm, being stubborn, are we, Ei?”
A woman with long pink hair spoke up. “I’m Yae Miko, head shrine maiden for the Grand Narumaki shrine. The woman who refuses to speak is Ei, though you might be more familiar with the name Raiden Shogun.”
“Miko!” Ei (The electro archon?!) says sharply.
Yae Miko just laughs lightly. “Oh don’t be like that. I have a feeling they would have learned sooner or later, no? And only knowing your formal title feels so stuffy, honestly. Frankly, I’m more preoccupied with the fact that this is the first time we’ve properly seen each other in centuries.”
“Miko…”
The Shogun’s voice carries another distinct warning, but Miko doesn’t seem perturbed.
“Please. We both know you’re happy to see me. But that’s a discussion we can have later. I believe there are still a few more people who need to introduce themselves?”
“I believe you’re right, Lady Yae. I’m Venti the bard, hello!”
A blonde girl looks at Venti curiously, as does the strange, childlike being floating next to her.
“Hi, I’m Lumine. I’m…”
“She’s a traveler,” the floating creature says. “And Paimon’s name is Paimon.”
“Paimon...what a curious being. Not only do you give off the essence of wind, but also...yes, the stars,” says the young man with a single red streak in his light hair
Paimon just looks weirded out. “The essence of what now? What a weird compliment...And who are you?”
“Ah, right. Kaedehara Kazuha, a wandering samurai, currently sailing with Captain Beidou. But you can just call me Kazuha.”
“That’d be me,” says the woman with long brown hair done with a large pin next to Kazuha.
A pretty lady raised a dainty hand to indicate her desire to go next. “I’m Sangonomiya Kokomi, but please, just Kokomi is fine. I’m the Divine priestess on Watatsumi Island. This is Gorou, one of my, ah…advisors”
The man in question flattens his dog-like ears slightly, but nods. “Hello.”
“Ho? How interesting. You can call me Childe, with an e on the end, by the way, though I also go by Tartaglia, number eleven of the Fatui Harbingers. But don’t worry, I don't plan on giving any of you trouble, not while we’re here at least.”
There is silence in the room, and Noelle spots Lumine’s confused look amongst the glares, the strongest of which comes from Master Diluc, who, though he looks like he desperately wants to throttle Childe, doesn’t.
“Um…”
Lumine looks like she’s about to ask a question, but Paimon interrupts. “Paimon will explain later.”
“Interesting...I am Albedo, Chief Alchemist for the Knights of Favonius, and Captain of the Investigation Team, and this is…”
At his prompting, Sucrose speaks. “Ah, yes. I’m Sucrose, a researcher of Bioalchemy, and Mr.Albedo’s assistant.”
“I’m Barbara, deaconess of the Church of Favonius.”
Almost in sync, everyone turned to the one person who’d yet to introduce themselves, a short man with greenish-blue hair and a mask hanging off his belt.
“...Xiao”
Well.
Noelle supposes it was straight to the point, and she wouldn’t really blame him for preferring to say nothing else.
“Uhh...so now what?”
Barbara asks a fair question.
“Well,” Ningguang says. “Alitheia did say she wanted us to take a look around, yes? I believe that’s what we’re meant to do.”
“I agree. Let’s all take some time to explore this place at our leisure and meet back here,” Jean says.
“Hmm, an agreeable suggestion. Given the couches and...strange wall, it’s not unreasonable to think this is Miss Alitheia’s point of interest,” Zhongli added.
Thus dismissed, they all disperse to explore the area
The back of the main room opens up into a large kitchen and dining space, with many tables and chairs scattered around. The pantry and abnormally large ice box are stocked with all the basics, as well as some ingredients Noelle isn’t familiar with.
“Plenty of counter space.”
Noelle looks over to Thoma.
“Oh, do you cook too?”
Thoma smiles. “Well, I’m a housekeeper, so cooking is one of my many responsibilities.”
“But why have a kitchen at all?”
Diluc approaches the two, and both she and Thoma nod their heads respectfully.
“I don’t know about you two, but I find this whole thing extremely suspicious. Just how long does Alitheia think we’re going to be here that we’d need to prepare food? And to have so many ingredients in stock?”
“Well, you do have a point, Master Diluc,” Noelle agreed. “But we’ll just have to wait, I suppose.”
***
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re deliberately avoiding me, Ei.”
Ei gave Miko a brief glare, but the Fox Envoy had never been one to be put off by such things.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, but I think you do,” Miko countered as they continued to walk around the expansive courtyard. “It must have been jarring, being ripped from your Plane of Euthymia like that, yes? I’d wager that was the most social interaction you’ve had for almost 5 centuries.”
Ei pointedly ignored her and continued walking, and Miko followed. She was nothing if not persistent, and determined to reconnect with her old friend.
***
Ganyu looks out the large windows, and what she sees gives her mild vertigo.
It’s just...sky.
They’re floating in the sky, apparently, which is really weird and more than a little disconcerting, even if she’s seen similar views from the Jade Chamber
“Hmm, what is…”
Ganyu turns and sees Albedo likewise looking out the window, musing to himself under his breath, such that she can’t make out what he’s saying, only stopping when he sees her.
“Ahh, Ganyu, correct? Come to see the view?”
She nodded. “Just how high up are we?”
“High enough to be above the cloud line, at least. So...give or take several miles?”
She looks again, and he’s right. Below is a blanket of clouds, rendering any ground beneath them impossible to see.
“But how…”
***
Kazuha watches from his spot in the tree as the Raiden Shogun and Guuji Yae walk around. They don’t appear to have noticed him, which he counts as a small blessing. Even if Alitheia hadn’t forbidden fighting, he still would prefer to minimize his interaction with the Shogun or her general. Seeing them just...hurt.
“Kazuha, there you are!”
Below, Kazuha spotted Ayaka, Kokomi, Thoma, Yoimiya, and Gorou, all led by Beidou, who earlier he’d managed to slip away from.
He can’t help the smile that forms on his face as he drops down. The moment his feet touch the ground, he’s pulled into a tight hug by Gorou. After a moment’s hesitation, he reciprocates, and Thoma joins.
It’s...it’s nice. Overwhelmingly so.
“We missed you,” Gorou says quietly, and Kazuha can’t help getting a touch misty-eyed.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it. I’m gonna go find Ningguang.”
Beidou leaves, and their group sits down in the shade of the tree, because this courtyard is actually quite warm.
And for the first time in a while, even with the Shogun being only a short distance away, Kazuha feels at ease.
***
Sara walked down a hall lined with six different colored doors, thoughts going every which way. So many things were happening all at once, but she decided to focus her attention on the doors this hallway had, which the Bard was examining.
“What’s behind these doors?”
Venti shrugged. “Dunno. For whatever reason, they’re all locked at the moment. I even tried the Anemo door myself, but no dice.”
“Really? Wonder why they’re here…”
Sara tested the doors herself, even though Venti had already said they were locked, and indeed, even the electro door was locked for her. How strange…
***
The last place she found was a large, open courtyard, with high walls on all sides, the sun shining so brightly Noelle is squinting just about the entire time she’s out there.
To her surprise, she sees Kazuha leaning against a tree.
“Um, pardon. What are you doing there? Don’t you want to look around?”
Kazuha looks at her. “Ah, the Favonius maid, yes? I was merely contemplating this situation.”
Noelle nodded in understanding. “That’s understandable, I suppose. It is rather strange.”
“Strange? I suppose that is an apt word, though one could also use suspicious.”
“Suspicious...? Yeah, you’re right. Master Diluc said the same thing.”
“That strange lady...what does she hope to accomplish? What it is she desires from us?”
“That’s the million mora question, isn’t it. Master Diluc wondered the same thing when I talked to him earlier.”
“So it is.”
The conversation clearly over, Noelle dismissed herself, deciding to walk the paths in this spacious area, thinking on what she’d just discussed with Kazuha.
She hadn’t seen any exits.
Granted, even if there were, they might just lead to open-air, if they really were in the sky, but still.
She tried to quell the unease. So far, nothing had posed an obvious threat, and Alitheia didn’t seem to want to hurt them or anything, at least not right now.
The courtyard had paths lined with trees and flowers, and she could spot several others who’d made the same decision she did.
It was a nice place, she would admit.
Yet, she couldn’t stop wondering just what they were here to do. Since she’d explored everything available to her, Noelle decided to head back to where she’d woken up, and it seemed everyone else in the courtyard had come to the same conclusion.
A few minutes later, with everyone back where this whole strange situation began, Alitheia appeared.
“Thank you. Now, please find your assigned spot and have a seat. Don’t worry, this is temporary. You’ll have an opportunity to sit with whomever you please later.”
Everyone did as requested.
“Now, I presume you have questions? Allow me to answer a few preemptively. One, you’re in a...pocket dimension, shall we say? One of my own creation. Time in your world is frozen, meaning it will seem to anyone who isn’t here like nothing happened at all, which is worth the minor inconvenience of setting up such a thing. Second, the elemental doors will be accessible later, as well as a few other areas. I just didn’t want you to take too long. And three, which I’m sure you’re all wondering, I brought you here to...watch something.”
“What’s that mean,” Lumine asked from where she was sitting with Paimon in her lap, Venti and Amber next to them.
“You’ll see, the mechanics are for me to worry about. Now-”
“Ah, just one moment.”
Alitheia paused. “Yes, Albedo?”
The alchemist regarded her with that flat, yet intense gaze of his that never failed to at least slightly unnerve Noelle on occasion.
“Who are you, really?”