The Twelfth Fatui Harbinger (Semi-Hiatus)

Fatui (5k Special)

General POV, in the Tsaritsa's throne room

After the duel, the Tsaritsa sat on her throne, replaying the events of the battle in her head. Something just didn't add up.

How could Y/N have grown so powerful in such little time? Surely, even if they did, they wouldn't have so much knowledge of her combat abilities. The only person who knew her fighting style was someone who was supposed to be dead.

But in the war against Khaenri'ah, she had witnessed her old friend rise from the dead. As she hadn't been killed then, she could still be alive, scheming up an evil plan to achieve her dangerous goals.

An abrupt realization suddenly hit the Tsaritsa. The Goddess of War was controlling Y/N somehow. But how? The archon residue was supposed to block out any other external forces that may try to get Y/N. Could it be that the residue didn't block out the goddess?

It could be possible.

As a child of Khaenri'ah, the goddess had access to all of those pour souls, as per the contract that she had forced upon the people. As the Goddess of War, negative emotions or negative stimulants, such as the archon residue, would increase her abilities to communicate with Khaenri'ans. The goddess must have used these factors to her advantage. But what exactly was her goal?

It can't be something as trivial as revenge on an enemy, could it? There has to be more to what she has planned.

Until the Tsaritsa could figure out what exactly Y/N was being used for, she would be completely helpless to help Y/N break free from the Goddess of War's control. 

5 days later, Y/N's Initiation Ceremony Day 

...

"Y/N Alberich, please step forward onto the platform."

"Go Y/N!!!" Childe cheered from somewhere in the audience. Scaramouche, who was seated next to him, sighed at his rather childishly enthusiastic behavior.

Smiling slightly, Y/N climbed up the steps onto the platform. Kneeling, they then recited the Ceremonial Vow.

"Your Highness, I swear on my life that I will serve you from this day forth..." Y/N began but suddenly stopped. A distant look in their eyes as they seemed to contemplate what exactly they were agreeing to.

"I swear that I will serve you from this day forth until death. I will fight with Snezhnaya's best interests at heart, and for the greater good of all of Tevyat. I will always loyally serve Her Highness the Tsaritsa and the Fatui. This is the oath that I, Y/N Alberich, take. May the Tsaritsa's plans prevail!"

A polite smattering of applause followed the speech. Y/N continued to bow her head, waiting for the next part of the ceremony.

"Very well. Y/N Alberich, from now on, you will be known as the Twelfth Fatui Harbinger, Phoenix!" 

Following this announcement, the Tsaritsa took a round-shaped object resembling a vision from a nearby Fatui soldier and continued, "Phoenix, I present to you your delusion. Congratulations on becoming a Fatui Harbinger. You may rise now and face the audience."

Doing as told, Y/N took the shining teal delusion and got up. They then turned towards all the watching Fatui and bowed. It was a quick bow, used only for formal ceremonies when addressing the audience.

Later that day, with Scaramouche and Childe

...

"Well, I guess this means I can officially say I'm your senior now, Y/N!" Childe laughingly remarked, smiling and poking Y/N in the shoulder.

"Hey! Don't be like that. Besides, haven't you always been my senior?" Y/N replied, laughing along with Childe.

"Sigh. Sometimes I wonder if you two are related. Both of you are equally annoying, you know that?" Scaramouche sighed, shaking his head.

"Aww, come on. I'm sure you don't mean that. At least not about Y/N~" Childe teased, smiling at the shorter raven-haired boy.

"Well, true. Y/N is not consistently nagging me and driving me crazy. Like you, ginger idiot!" Scaramouche responded.

Y/N laughed gently, then stood in the way of the two harbingers before things got too tense.

"Come on guys, don't fight. Not on such a special day like this!"

"Fine."

"Fine by me!"

"Anyways, what delusion did you get? I didn't get to see it because I was too far away," Childe questioned. He gestured to the delusion attached to the belt on Y/N's new harbinger uniform. The bright glow from the vision-like object had faded by now, so much so that the anemo symbol etched inside was barely visible.

"Anemo. I was hoping for a different one, like pyro. That would be so useful in combat, don't you think?" Y/N remarked, glancing down at their delusion with awe and sadness.

Lost in thought, Y/N continued to stare at their delusion, their expression turning blank in an instant.

"Yeah... Y/N, are you okay?" Scaramouche asked, sensing that something was off about Y/N.

Y/N's head lifted abruptly, and they replied, "What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. I'm fine. Just a little tired."

"I can tell. You were in a daze just a little earlier. Go and rest for a bit; you must be tired after the ceremony. It's been a long day for all of us. In fact, I think I'm going to go take a nap as well. See you, Y/N and shortie." And with that, Childe walked off, leaving Scaramouche and Y/N alone.

"Are you sure you're okay? I don't know what it is, but something feels off about you - you don't really seem to be like yourself right now," the Balladeer stated very bluntly.

Sighing, Y/N finally admitted, "I actually am tired, but there's more to it than that. I'm... not sure if I made the right decision. Looking at this delusion, I remember what happened that night. How Master Crepus died, using a delusion just like this, but a pyro one. I... I don't think I can, nor want to be, a Fatui Harbinger. All of this, getting into the Fatui, falling in love with you, becoming a harbinger, is against all of my ideals. I keep telling myself that there's no other option, but what if there is? I'm not saying I regret meeting you or Childe - it's just that my whole life, I've sworn to myself that I would never do evil."

Scaramouche opened his mouth to speak but then closed it. It seemed that Y/N needed to let it all out, to rant until there was nothing left to say.

"Admit it, Scara! The Fatui is evil. They use force and are not hesitant to murder if that is what will help fulfill the Tsaritsa's goals and dreams. How do we know if she plans to make Tevyat a better place or not? Isn't it just as likely that, once she has all of the gnoses, she'll take over all of Tevyat? How do you know that all this scheming, plotting, missions, and risks, are for good? What if it turns out that it's all for evil?"

"I don't."

"Huh?"

"I don't know if what the Tsaritsa plans to do is bad or good. I don't even know all the details myself, despite being a harbinger. But I trust Her Majesty. You'll see, in time," the Sixth Harbinger reassured.

"Wow, I feel very comforted! You don't feel bothered at all that you kill people, do you? That all over Tevyat, any mention of the Fatui brings disgust and hatred? Do you even understand how morally wrong literally every single thing the Fatui does is? How much pain you've put Lumi through? What you're doing to the other archons? Do you even care?" Y/N sniped, shedding angry tears.

"I-"

"I thought so. I'm going to go sleep now."

And with that, Y/N turned and left, leaving Scaramouche alone to ponder his answers to their questions.