A/n: Some minor changes in plot for convenience. Probably not a shock to y'all at this point. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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By the next day, Xiao was summoned by the other adepti. Izanami wondered what she could do during his absence. She wondered if she should head to Liyue Harbor to help with any turmoil that would occur between the Qixing and the adepti or remain at Wangshu Inn. She paced around her room, nibbling on her fingernails nervously.

Verr, having heard the distraught shinigami earlier, decided to check on her. She had knocked on the door but received no answer. Shen then opened the door and entered the room. "Nami?"

Izanami stopped pacing to face the woman. "Verr, what time is it?"

"A little past eight. Xiao's only been gone for an hour and you're a complete mess. You really do love him if you miss him that much already."

"It's only been an hour...?" She gasped. "It really has felt much longer."

"Are you sure you don't want to join him?" Verr asked.

The girl's ears lied flat against the top of her head. "A shinigami intervening in the affairs of the Qixing and the adepti would not be good. I would just be in the way. After all, I'm not so sure how well I can trust the Qixing. I know I can trust you and Huai'an, but the others..." She sat down at the table with a huff. "If the Qixing learn that I am a fugitive of Inazuma, they may deem me a threat to the safety of Liyue and hand me over to the Raiden Shogun."

"I understand, Nami." Verr sat down in the chair beside Izanami's. She neatly folded her hands in her lap. "Is there anything I can do to help ease your mind? I could bring you a new book or even cook you your favorite dishes for lunch."

A weak smile appeared on the shinigami's face. "I think I'll take up your offer for lunch. Would it be okay if I helped you?"

Verr beamed back. "Of course!"

Thanks to Verr, Izanami was able to distract herself with some cooking. It wasn't time for lunch yet, but she did help Yanxiao with a few orders from the guests who were currently staying at the inn. Verr busied herself with not only managing the front desk but Izanami's favorite shrimp dishes.

By the time noon arrived, Verr decided to take a break with Izanami and join her for lunch. They sat in the kitchen while Huai'an manned the front desk in his wife's stead. The two chatted as they munched down on the various shrimp dishes.

Halfway through the meal, Verr asked, "You really do love shrimp. How come?"

"Back at my temple in Inazuma, it was common for my worshippers to bring me dishes as offerings. Shrimp dishes were most common due to their symbolism. Shrimp often represent longevity and renewal. They also can represent joy, improved fortune, and long life. It was not only meant for their deceased love ones but for me as well. My worshippers once prayed for my everlasting life, but now they wish to kill me. Kinda ironic, don't you think?"

"Very," Verr replied. "It's almost poetic."

Izanami poked one of the golden shrimp balls and rolled it across the plate. "I hope Inazuma will change. With the various decrees instated by the Raiden Shogun, I'm not surprised the people are trying to flee. Compared to Mondstadt and Liyue, Inazuma is a prison. I want it to return to a nation where people aren't afraid to walk the streets. I also want the Raiden Shigun to confess to the lies she's spewed about me. How dare she turn the people against me..."

"Do you think the Fatui had anything to do with her decision?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they did. They've been working behind the scenes and influencing the Raiden Shogun's decisions for years."

"I'm positive Inazuma will change for the better. Never give up on your home, Nami."

She nodded. "I won't."

After lunch, Izanami decided to take a small walk in Dihua Marsh to clear her head. She didn't wander too far from Wangshu Inn and sat on the sandy bank of the lake. She laid on her back and stared up at the sky, no caring if she got sand in her hair or on her clothes. Right now, she didn't want to think about anything. She wanted nothing but to drown in silence. She had to convince her mind to not think about Xiao before she could finally relax.

She counted the clouds that sailed by and tried to make sense of their various shapes. Her mind was able to create images with some of the clouds but not all. At one point, she wished she was a cloud. Unlike her, they didn't have to worry about anything. All they had to do was float through the sky. Other times she wished she was a bird instead of a fox. As a bird, she could fly through the sky alongside the clouds.

Eventually, she drifted off for a brief nap. It only lasted around thirty minutes before her eyes snapped open. The sky that was once vibrant now was shrouded in an eerie darkness. She wasn't sure what was going on and sensed something was wrong. She hopped to her feet and stormed back to the inn. Searching for Huai'an and Verr, she found them on the balcony where Xiao usually stands to peer out across Liyue. Alas, they weren't the only ones there. A man, who had collapsed, laid on the floor in front of the couple.

Izanami wasn't sure what was happening and eyed the unconscious man. She recognized his attire. "What's a member of the Millelith doing here?"

"You must get out of here, Izanami," Huai'an told her, ignoring her question.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on. Why is the Millelith here and what's happening to the sky?"

Verr stepped forward. "Please listen to us, Nami. You are in danger. The Fatui are wreaking havoc in Liyue Harbor. They have reawakened Osial and plan to not only destroy the city but create a distraction. They are coming here for you. You must escape before they arrive. They'll be..."

Before Verr could finish, the sound of heavy footsteps and yelling echoed from the inn. Izanami turned to see a large group of Fatui rushing up the stairwell towards them.

"Izanami, go!" Huai'an shouted.

The shinigami didn't want to leave Verr and Huai'an, but the inn was not a place for a fight. Too may innocent people would be caught in the crossfire.

As the Fatui reached the balcony, Izanami ran over to the railing amd jumped off. Within seconds, she transformed and used her vision to create fiery platforms as a makeshift stairway. The nine-tailed fox found even more Fatui waiting for her on the ground below. They had surrounded the inn with what almost seemed like an army. If there were this many here, she couldn't imagine how many were in Liyue Harbor. Even with the overwhelming amount of Fatui, she didn't fight. She searched for an escape route and found one. She leapt over the enemies and made a run for it.

Izanami didn't make it far before a flaming bullet pierced her right hind leg. She crashed into the ground as blood spewed from the wound, tainting her snowy fur a deep crimson. The wound prevented her from escaping, but she wouldn't go down without a fight. Now that she was a safe distance from Wangshu Inn, she didn't have to fear innocent people getting caught in the crossfire. She couldn't stand, but that didn't stop her from using her pyro vision. She casted azure flames towards the Fatui and knocked them back. Whenever one got too close to her, she would swing her tails and claws to smack them away as if they were mere flies.

Alas, Izanami was no match as more Fatui surrounded her. More seering bullets ripped through her body. From where they were aiming, she realized they weren't trying to kill her. They were simply incapacitating her. Their intent was to return her to Inazuma and hand her over to the Raiden Shogun.

Severely weakened from the blood loss, Izanami reverted back to her human form. She tried to push herself off the ground, but couldn't. The pain was too much. Feebly, she glared at the Fatui. They didn't say a word as two vanguards sauntered over and grabbed her arms, hauling her to her knees.

She didn't understand what was going on until a geochanter bracer appeared in front of her with a metal mask bearing a strange symbol. She wasn't familiar with the symbol, but all she could feel was fear. Her blood ran cold as she struggled against the anemoboxer vanguards restraining her arms. Her eyes widen in pure horror as the bracer held up the metal mask to her face. She lurched her head to the side, but it was futile. As the mask was placed on her face, a seering pain coursed through Izanami's head. Before she could scream, she fell unconscious.

━━━━━━━━༺❀༻━━━━━━━━

Konomi had witnessed the Fatui subdue and capture Izanami. The fox gasped in horror as she watched her master be taken away by the enemy. "Lady Izanami!" She followed the Fatui to see where they were taking the shinigami, but she lost them the moment they arrived near Mount Tianheng. The storm caused by Osial that engulfed Liyue Harbor branched out to nearby areas. The heavy rainfall, booming thunder, and bright lightening provided the Fatui with enough cover to escape with Izanami.

Konomi couldn't idly sit by. She rushed to Liyue Harbor in search of the adeptus her master cared for. Arriving in the city just as Osial was sent back to the bottom of the ocean by the Jade Chamber, the disciple found the adepti, the traveler, Paimon, and Ningguang by the docks. She didn't want to interrupt their conversation, but it was dire. Dashing over, she placed herself in the center of the group and desperately tried to catch her breath.

"A fox?" Cloud Retainer noticed the creature. "One does not comprehend why such a beast would intervene."

"Aw, it's cute!" Paimon chanted.

"Foxes are not native to Liyue or Mondstadt," Ningguang stated.

Xiao, whose arms were folded across his chest, sensed an air of familiarity around the fox. "You are...Konomi."

"You know this creature?" Mountain Shaper inquired.

"Yes." The yaksha focused his full attention on Konomi. "What could possibly bring you to the city to interrupt us?"

Konomi dismissed his harsh tone and spoke up. "Conqueror of Demons, you are the closest to Lady Izanami. Because of your relationship with her, you are the one I trust most to save her."

Xiao was bewildered. "Save her?"

"The Fatui have captured Lady Izanami."

His whole body froze. Eyes wide, he couldn't move a inch. His heart raced in his chest with worry and anger. Breaking free from the paralysis, he managed to find his voice even though it was lower in pitch and tinted with fury. "How?"

"The Fatui not only summoned Osial to destroy Liyue Harbor, but it also was to serve as a distraction. You were the one person who stood in their way to stop them from capturing Lady Izanami. They stirred trouble in the city to draw you away from her."

"The adepti do not concern themselves with a death spirit," Cloud Retainer said.

Xiao didn't care if the other adepti knew about his relationship with Izanami or not. "However, I do. She is someone I cherish dearly. I will not allow the Fatui to get away with this. I will be the one to save her."

Konomi felt hope blossoming inside her. "I tried to follow the Fatui, but I lost them on Mount Tianheng. I am unable to locate her myself. Are you able to detect her?"

The adeptus struggled to locate Izanami. He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms through his gloves. How come he hadn't noticed sooner that he no longer could sense her? Even though he had been facing off against the Fatui and Osial alongside the others, he should've noticed her disappearance during the fight. Alas, he didn't and now he was blaming himself for allowing her to be taken by the Fatui. "I too cannot sense her. There must be a way to learn where they've taken her."

"Childe!" Paimon shouted with a gasp. "He's part of the Fatui and hangs out with Zhongli. He must know! We'll make him tell us!"

"Where is Zhongli now?" Aether questioned.

"We should check Northland Bank! Even if he's not there, we've seen plenty of the Fatui go in and out of that place. One of them has to know!"

"I will accompany you," Xiao stated. "It is because of my carelessness that the Fatui were able to take her."

"There's no need to play the blame game," Ningguang chimed in. "We all were fooled by the Fatui."

"Ningguang's right," Aether said. "No one's to blame for the actions of the Fatui. All that matters now is getting Izanami back."

Xiao nodded. Even though he listened to the traveler and Ningguang, he still couldn't stop blaming himself. "Yes. Her safety is our top priority. Let us depart."

Aether, Paimon, Xiao, and Konomi head to Northland Bank in search of Zhongli. During their trek to the bank, the adeptus was silent. He kept thinking about Izanami and prayed to Celestia she was okay. He played a variety of "what if" scenarios in his head.

What if he had stayed at the inn?

What if he had taken her with him?

What if he saw through the Fatui's plan sooner?

Regardless, the "what ifs" wouldn't help him in any way, shape, or form now. They were useless to think about. Pushing those scenarios into the back of his mind, he focused on what he would do to the Fatui who laid their hands on Izanami. In the midst of his thoughts, he felt something crawl onto his shoulders. Turning his head slightly, he saw Konomi perched on his shoulders.

"As Ningguang said, no one is to blame. The Fatui are a manipulative, scheming organization. It is not shocking they were able to separate you from Lady Izanami," the small fox exclaimed. "Even Lady Izanami herself couldn't see through their scheme. Please do not blame yourself for what happened to her. I know her very well and she would say the exact same thing."

"I'm well aware of my own inadequacy to detect the Fatui's scheme. But..." Xiao thought about what Konomi said. It was true Izanami would scold him for blaming himself. "You are correct. She would scold me for blaming myself. It is a matter out of my control."

The group arrived at Northland Bank. Aether took the lead with Paimon floating beside him. Xiao remained behind the blonde and fairy with Konomi as they walked into the building. The adeptus was calm and collected until he heard the voices of Zhongli and Childe. Not far from the entrance, he saw the ex-archon talking with Childe and another woman. Remembering the eleventh harbinger fighting against Izanami only a few days ago, he felt anger and hatred bubbling in his veins. This was the first time he ever wanted to skewer a mortal on his spear. He wanted to attack Childe and command him to tell him where his lapdogs took her.

Sensing the festering rage from Xiao, Konomi addressed him. "This bank is managed by the Fatui. If you were to start a battle here, I doubt they will share any information with you. It may also endanger her life."

The adeptus acknowledged the fox's words reluctantly. "Fine." He tried to suppress his emotions, but they were out of control. In order to calm himself, he left matters between Zhongli, Childe, and the mysterious woman to Aether. Traveling the winds, he left the bank and manifested in a secluded alleyway not too far from the main thoroughfare.

Out of sight from everyone, Xiao lashed out. He slammed his fist into the side of the building with a shout of frustration and anger. He hung his head, teeth gritted as his karmic debt swelled. A black aura began to engulf his body, threatening to drown him.

Konomi intervened before he lost control. "If you let your karmic debt swallow you, who will save Lady Izanami?" She casted a cleansing spell to suppress his darkness. "I have served Lady Izanami since the beginning. Not once has she cared about someone as much as you. Will you truly lose yourself to madness and leave her behind to suffer?"

Xiao slowly lifted his head. Thanks to the fox's spell, his karmic debt had been quelled for the time being. He clung to her words and pushed himself off the wall. "Losing myself is not an option. I will bring Izanami back."

Just as the adeptus subdued his anger after a short while, he sensed the traveler's presence. Turning around he saw not only Aether and Paimon, but Zhongli and Childe as well. The rage he extinguished reignited at the sight of the harbinger. "You..." Disregarding what Konomi said earlier, he summoned his spear. As he went to lung forward, he was intercepted by Zhongli's polearm. The yaksha gaped in shock, eyes wide as saucers. "Morax, you are willing to protect the enemy? Are you aware of what he has done?!"

Zhongli remained calm as he spoke. "Yes. I am aware of Izanami's capture. Childe has confessed to Izanami's detainment, but it was not him who reported her to the Raiden Shogun. The one who did is currently missing. His name is Baron."

"We're trying to find him," Aether added. "Childe said he last reported for duty a few days ago."

Xiao's glare remained as he reluctantly lowered his spear. Not for a second did his eyes veer away from Childe. "Where can we find this man?"

"He patrols the road near Mount Tianheng," Childe answered. He wasn't afraid of the adeptus and kept calm. "I may have found out about his little scheme a few days ago, which may be the reason why he hasn't returned."

"According to the letters Childe showed us, there's a small faction of the Fatui working under Baron," Aether stated. "They were the ones who used Osial's rampage as a distraction."

The harbinger stared into Xiao's golden eyes. "I tipped the Millileth off in hopes they would warn your friend, but it seems they didn't act in time."

Xiao's glare sharpened. "If you were truly adamant on stopping him, you wouldn't have reawakened Osial," he hissed. "Even if you are not the one to report her, your actions resulted in her capture. I will never trust the Fatui and refuse to work alongside you."

"Then it's a good thing I'm not tagging along," Childe chuckled dryly. "I'm only here to tell you where you could possibly find Baron. I've got more important things to do than looking for a shinigami." Those were the harbinger's last words before he walked away.

Paimon pumped a fist into the air. "Let's not waste any more time. Nami needs us!"

Zhongli nodded. "Indeed. Let us set out for Mount Tianheng."