Chapter Text
Tonight the stars were hidden by small clouds, dusting the moon‘s cheeks into lovely glowing mist. In the moonlight lamp grass reflected the light as a claymore was dragged through the grass, touched by red and purple liquid. It was still night and Diluc already cleared few abyss order camps and currently walked through the forest, hand searching for arrows, cut into the bark from years ago, leading to the place he always went to with his friends. He didn’t know why he felt the need to find this place again. It’s been ten- no, eleven years, since he last had seen it. He remembered how he, Jean and later Kaeya would sneak out in the early mornings to watch the dawn.
With bushes, trees and tendrils blocking the way, Diluc carved out a way with his claymore, only cutting down nature where else he couldn‘t move past it, being careful to not step on cecilias, snowdrops and lilies of the valley. It got harder to get through, he grew in all the ways imaginable, but at the sight in front of him he felt so small as if he was five again:
It was a hilly landscape and there were no dandelions to be see: it was full with crocus, violets, amaryllis, primroses, ranunculus, daisies, and other spring flowers as far as the eye could reach and at the horizon, slowly the stars and moon faded, the clouds turned pink as the sun, not showing herself yet, painted the sky in red.
If the Sea of Dandelions did not exist, then this was the closest one could think of in reality.
Enamoured by the view and nostalgia the red-head plunged the claymore into the earth and went further into the sea of flowers, sitting in between them. Alone. Not sure with who to share it nowadays. A breeze hushed through the flowers, few petals turned loose and flew through the sky, dancing around Diluc and his hair until they got caught in his hair. A small chuckle escaped him and he shock his head with a sigh. Of course the wind was everywhere. It always was. Diluc turned his concentration back to the flowers shining in the dawn, bobbing to a soft melody on they seem to hear, laughter from children in his ear and intricate flower crowns once placed in his childlike hands, scarred and burned by his own flame after everything.
He remembered how Jean preferred the dandelions and daisies, while Kaeya and Eula, later once brought by Jean herself, found the violets the most beautiful. ‘One day, I will bring you cherry blossoms for your birthday!‘ the voice of an old friend rang in his ear. ‘I will pluck the best cherry blossoms when I‘ll visit my father in Inazuma!‘ Jean clicked doubtful her tongue ‘They won‘t last until you come back you dummie-‘ Blurred faces and laughter, but **a promise he never knew if it stuck.
He missed the past. Every time he thought about it he wasn‘t sure how to feel about how things have changed. Soon he would had to return, but for now he would like to stay amongst the memories.