My Time in Teyvat [Tales of Luna, Book 2]

Chapter 24 - The Friends We Know

Yuji was still in disbelief that her companions had killed Noelle and Razor so nonchalantly. Not only so, but Yuna seemed all too preoccupied with something else.

Tartaglia, back to his Hydro self, seemed guilty at the very least. He asked if they should bury the dead and Yuji agreed. Albedo easily moved the earth to make two graves in which Tartaglia placed Noelle and Razor in.

"Wait for Diluc and the others here." Yuna said suddenly before she grew wings made of ice and took off into the air.

"What was that all about?" Tartaglia asked.

Yuji didn't know, but she couldn't help but miss Luna. If Luna had been there, they probably would have found a way to save Noelle and Razor. They were innocent and had no choice in serving Andrius.

"You think something happened to Luna?" Albedo asked as he filled the graves.

"Nah, she said to wait for Diluc and the others." Tartaglia said as he dusted his jacket. "Probably means they dealt with the Falcon as well."

Whether that was the extent of Albedo's curiosity, the researcher asked no more questions as he looked towards the horizon.

"Hey." Tartaglia finally broke the silence as he sat by Yuji. "I know that wasn't the outcome we were hoping for."

Yuji felt like screaming, she couldn't even look at him anymore.

"But in that moment, I didn't see any other choice." Tartaglia said, his hand inching a little towards Yuji's but hesitating. "Whether there was any other outcome, we'll never know now. And I do lament that. But I don't regret choosing our safety."

Yuji finally turned to look into his eyes.

"I will always choose us-" Tartaglia said, finally reaching and holding her hand. "-choose you. No matter the alternative. And that I don't regret."

"I didn't ask you to choose me." Yuji said, still not okay with what happened but in a way understanding why Tartaglia did it.

"And you'll never have to." Tartaglia said as he approached and leaned his forehead on hers before closing his eyes.

Her heart still ached for the deaths of those innocents but now she wondered if there really was a way to save them. It would seem that right and wrong was not always so clear cut as she had hoped.

"Eleven, are you there?" Yuji suddenly heard someone say.

Tartaglia suddenly opened his eyes and reached inside of his jacket and pulled out a little blue crystal that glowed faintly.

"Hey, bro. Yuna took off right now without telling us what happened. Did you guys kill the Falcon?" Tartaglia said, making Yuji realize that it was Dilluc speaking through the crystal.

"What? No, Luna was able to talk the Falcon into joining us."

I knew it! Luna really is different, she would have found a way to save Noelle and Razor.

"But the Falcon insisted on talking to Barbatos first and Luna went with her."

Chills went down Yuji's spine as she stood up by impulse, startling Tartaglia.

"Luna is alone with the Falcon and Barbatos?" She asked making Tartaglia look from her to the crystal.

"Yeah, she told the rest of us to help you guys take down the Wolf."

"Well we just killed it." Tartaglia said. "How close are-"

But Yuji looked around, hoping she could sense her friend. She did see where Yuna had gone towards and presumed she knew where her other half was.