Hayate's POV

{Grand Narukami Shrine}

I arrived at the Grand Narukami Shrine and I found Lady Miko with my father in the courtyard.

Yae: Ah, you're finally here.

Shimura: Right on time, son.

Hayate: Well, what is it now? Lady Yae? More Anti-Raiden Shogun Training?

Yae: No. I'm here to ask you about the Traveler.

Hayate: So, you are aware that the Traveler has already arrived.

Shimura: Yes. We will get on to that later.

Hayate: Pardon?

Yae: We received a request for exorcism.

Hayate: An exorcism?

Yae: Yes.

Hayate: What's the situation?

Shimura: Well, we don't know about the victim yet. The shrine maidens are just about to investigate and perform the exorcism tonight.

Hayate: Hmmmmmm. So, why did you call me out here for, exactly?

Yae: Well, I stated before that you and the Traveler, will be a key part to stopping the Vision Hunt Decree.

Hayate: Yeah and...?

Yae: I would like you to come with us for a second. We... have something to tell you.

Hayate: O-Okay...

Shimura: Alright, then follow us.

I followed both of them as we left the Grand Narukami Shrine. We descended Mt. Yougou and went to the place I never expected her to bring me.

Hayate: Wait...the old Hayabusa Estate?

Shimura: Well...what was left of it...

Yae smiled at me.

Shimura: We found something there that I would say, related to you.

I was dumbfounded by this.

Hayate: Me?

Shimura: Indeed. 

I followed her to the ruins of the old Hayabusa Estate. The estate itself was taken over by nature. But the ruins are still somehow present. Then we stopped at a certain spot where there is a wall and engraved on it...was the symbol of our clan.

Hayate: Um...

Yae: Alright, then...

Then suddenly, she turned into a kitsune. A little kitsune.

Hayate: Oh, right. I forgot...you are a fox envoy.

Yae: Let's see here...

The fox envoy inspected the most hidden nook and cranny.

Yae: Hmmmmm, is it maybe because it was a long time ago?

Shimura: It could be, it's been a long time since the attack.

Hayate: Um, dad, Lady Miko, may I ask but what exactly are we searching for?

Yae: As far as I know, it is totally related to you. Your father once told me that. Actually, not just you, but the thing we are looking for, is connected to you and to your mother.

Hayate: Mom?

Yae: Come to think of it...

Her fox head pops out from the rubble as her fox ears are twitching.

Yae: You never met your mother, right?

I gently nod.

Shimura: She died when Hayate and Sayuri was born.

Yae: Hmmmm... I think your true nature is connected to your mother.

Hayate: Really?

Shimura: Yeah. Though I never even mentioned of your mother's true nature.

Hayate: Lady Miko, have you met my mother before?

Lady Miko, in her fox form continued her search as she answered my question.

Yae: Yes. Your mother's name is Chihiro, right?

Hayate: Yeah.

Yae: To be honest, I was also taken aback by her beauty. When I met her, I felt something within her that not even I can explain.

Hayate: What do you mean?

Yae: I even asked the Raiden Shogun if she met your mother and she said she didn't.

Hayate: Why would my mother meet the Raiden Shogun?

Yae: And that is the question that sealed the deal that your mother doesn't have any some sort of connection to the Raiden Shogun. Chihiro was a very mysterious person. Too mysterious and no one ever knew where she came from. Though except from your father, of course.

Hayate: And what were looking for now, is something that can let us decipher of where my mother came from?

Shimura: Yes. Who she truly is. How did she met me...

Hayate: As far as I know, dad said she a daughter of a wealthy family.

Yae: Yes, that is also what I heard.

Then after a few minutes of searching among the rubbles, Lady Miko reverted back to her human form.

Yae: I found some mechanism that was hidden by the rubble, help me clear it out.

After me and my father clearing up some of the rubble, we activated the secret mechanisms which revealed stairs that is leading to an underground basement.

Hayate: As far as I know, I only knew the secret passage to our estate. But this... This is new to me.

Yae: Now, shall we?

We descended the stairs to the unknown basement as I created an Electro orb to serve as a light source.

Shimura: Son, don't use the Delusions too much. The more you use it, the more damage your body gets! 

Hayate: C'mon dad, I can handle it.  I'm a skilled fighter.

Shimura: Whatever you said. 

Then when we reached the final step, what we saw next is a room with a lot of bookshelves and a table at the middle of it. Each book in every bookshelf is arranged in order.

Yae: Hmmmmm... A hidden library?

Hayate: This is new to me.

Shimura: I can't believe this place is still intact after that day. 

Yae: Now, let's see check the books here first. You take the right side, I'll take the left side and Shimura will take the middle.

We examined the library, read some of the books and we found nothing that is significant about my mother.

Hayate: These are all just accounts about history, alchemy, geography and philosophy. Dad, do you know anything about this place?

Shimura: Of course, this is the secret library that keeps everything related to the Hayabusa clan. But it's been too long since I've been back here, so I don't have any memories of this place. 

Yae: Nothing significant here either. Looks like this is really just a library, after all. Unless... Let's check the study table over there...

We checked the lone study table in the center of the library.

Hayate: It seems like an ordinary study table to me.

Yae: Hmmm...

I opened one of the drawers and saw three books inside of it. I took them out and placed them on the table.

Hayate: I found some books here.

Lady Miko took one of the books as she skims through the pages...

Yae: These are just your father's records about the affairs of the clan.

I checked the drawer once more as my dad is reading the second book.

Shimura: This one is about the reports of the monsters near the vicinity of estate...

I closely inspected the drawer and...just as I thought, there is still something hidden within here...

Hayate: This drawer has a false bottom on it.

I removed the plank that served as the false bottom and I saw a dusty book. I gently pulled it out and cleaned off the dust.

Hayate: Ugh, just how long did this book under the covers?

Lady Miko closed the book she is currently reading and asked the book I'm holding right now.

Yae: Hmmmmm, dusty old book...

I opened the book and the moment I opened it, something fell off.

Hayate: Hm?

I picked it up the folded paper.

Hayate: Hm, what's this?

I unfolded the what I thought was a paper, but it turns out to be, a photo... A photo of woman with blonde hair and with red eyes.

Hayate: Is this....

Yae: Hayabusa Chihiro... a.k.a ...

Shimura:...Your mother. 

Hayate: Are you sure about her?

Shimura: "Tick mark" Oi, even though I'm over 500 years old, my memory is still good!

Hayate: Okay?

I put the photo of my mother aside and then read what seems to be a journal.

Hayate: A journal, huh?

Also noticed the chair nearby, I grabbed it beside the table and settled down. I opened the journal and placed it infront of me. While Lady Miko, in her little fox form, runs up to my arm and then sits on top my head. And my father is sitting next to me.

Hayate: Let's see here...

I flipped the pages and there are accounts of my father's youth, when he met Lady Miko, how they became friends.

Hayate: Dad... this is...

Shimura: My journal.

Yae: So you really recorded those, huh? 

Shimura: I want to have some story for my children. Well, I'll tell you the details sometime. What we're looking for is information about your mother.

I flipped several pages until we saw the first mention of my mother's name.

Hayate: "On a midsummer night, while walking at Nazuchi Beach, the calm waves and sea breeze, I saw a girl with blonde hair...eyes that have a shade of blue... Wearing a simple yukata and looking at the starlit sky. I was entranced by this girl and before I knew it, I was walking right in front of her as she noticed me staring at her."

I paused as Lady Miko, wags her tail.

Miko: You wanna read your parents' love story?

Shimura: Son... I will tell you about our love story in sometime in the future.

Miko: Their story could be a useful material for the Yae Publishing House.

Hayate: Once I read their story, I'll be the one to write it down. For now, we need information about my mother.

After flipping through several pages we finally saw the information we need.

Hayate: "It turns out that Chihiro, wasn't really an ordinary human. No wonder why her beauty is like from out of this world."

Yae: "She revealed to me that she is...the sun goddess. The God of the Solar."

We all paused reading it as we try to process this information in our heads.

Yae: So...your mother is...a god?

Hayate: This...is a lot to take in.

We continued reading the account.

Shimura: "Chihiro told me that, she is one of the gods who didn't took part of the Archon War. After all, she is a god with no people under her rule. A god who is neutral, a god who never wanted to take part on such bloodshed. A god who just wanted to have peace. As such, she was called as 'The God of Peace' that was her divine ideal."

Yae: "But even without people under her rule, she still guided humanity. Providing sunlight to travelers, to fend off the monsters from other villages and to ward off evil spirits. She also told me, that she is probably younger than Morax by atleast 1,000 years old. Making her one of the oldest gods in Teyvat. When the Archon War finally ended 2,000 years ago, the peace she wanted, had finally came true. She also witnessed the establishment of the Shogunate, the ascension of the First Electro Archon and the even saw the cataclysm that happened 500 years ago."

Hayate: "I asked her why is she telling me all of this and she answered she was pregnant, with our child."

Another pause

Shimura: Chihiro... Oh honey, you surely have alot of suprises.

Hayate: So, basically I am a half-tengu and a half-god?

Shimura: Yeah?

Then I flipped into another page and then saw the details about the circumstances of my birth.

Hayate: "When I asked her what will happen to our children if they were born with the blood of a god and a blood of a human? She then answered: Our children will inherit my powers and if our children's appearance will be most likely your hair color and my eye color...then our children will be a 2/3 god and 1/3 tengu. But... only one child can have the pure God Force like mine."

Yae: "I had so many questions about it. I asked her how did she know? Then she said that she can feel that her power is also flowing with the developing children in her womb. I asked her if it will be risky? But she said it will not be risky. She is a god after all, she can control her power."

Shimura: "We then went to the hospitals to the expert doctors and they asked my wife about the symptoms that she feels during her pregnancy. We asked about the symptoms and my wife said she feels majority of the said symptoms. The doctors concluded that my wife's pregnancy is dangerous and childbirth will be hard."

Hayate: "I couldn't get it, she is a goddess... how could she have some complications in childbirth? But wife said, she is prepared for the worst. She would willingly give her life, just for her children to be born in this world. She still have hope in her eyes."

We went to the next page until we saw the account after my birth.

Shimura: "It is as the doctors feared, Chihiro died in her childbirth. I then asked someone who is probably know something about the gods and if there is a history of a god even giving birth. Not to mention, with a child that was half-tengu and half-divine. Then I traveled to Liyue and searched for the adepti and luckily, I found an adepti named Ganyu."

We paused for a moment there.

Yae: So your have met Ganyu.

Shimura: Indeed.

Hayate: You know her?

Yae: Yes, I even met the Geo Archon and he is an old friend.

Hayate: I see.

Shimura: Let's continue. 

We continued reading the account.

Hayate: "Ganyu stated that she is a half-human and half-qilin, and her mother didn't have any complications in giving birth to her. She thinks that it is because of her own complications during her childbirth. I never blamed anyone for Chihiro's death and she is even prepared for it."

Shimura: "Now, that my children has both tengu and divine blood, I have to protect them from people who will use them for their greedy ambitions. When the day comes that his power will manifest, I will ask my trusted friend, Lady Miko, to help Hayate and Sayuri in controlling their powers."

Yae: "But I wonder, since Shiro has both human and divine blood, can he still receive a Vision or is he compatible of receiving a Vision though?"

Hayate: "But for now, I will keep the secret of Hayate's and Sayuri's true nature to them and from everyone else. I can only trust Lady Yae about this secret, but I can only inform her some bits of it as I still don't know about their true potentials, after all. I will need time. For now, all I wanted for both Hayate and Sayuri is to grow up like an ordinary kid. I wouldn't want to just say the truth about him being a half-god and half-tengu... nah, just lying to them that they are half-human and half-tengu."

We read the other pages and most them are what I really know about my father. We finished reading the accounts...and man... That was a LOT to take in...

Hayate: Ugh, I think my head is gonna explode due one shocking fact one after the other.

Yae: And to think you didn't even tell me anything about your child's true nature... I could've help you and at the same time, helped both you in realizing your powers.

Shimura: I want to... but... After the day that Sayuri disappeared... I don't want anyone to know about Hayate's true power.

Hayate: Dad... I promise... I will find Sayuri back! But still, to think that mom lived in such a very long time....does that mean?

Yae: Yes, you will also be able to live in a very, very long time. After all, Ganyu is around 2,000 years old, a half-qilin and a half-human. I guess that would also apply to you, a half-god and a half-tengu.

Hayate: Now that you think of it, my mother was the God of the Solar. Hmm...if she controls the sun, granting protection to others...then.... that's mean

Shimura: I guess you will have a chance to defend, against or even counter the Musou no Hitotachi.

Then Lady Yae, who is still in her fox form, jumps off from my head and then reverted back to her human form said.

Yae: I guess we should get going now. It's probably late and I we would've gotten the news about the exorcism now.

Hayate: Yeah.

Yae: Also, Hayate, a tip about your divine power. I guess you can use it when just like you channel elemental energy with your Vision, your Delusions and the Abyssal Power.

Hayate: Hmmmmm.........

Yae: But we need to hide the truth about your true nature. 

Shimura: That's right, as long as we're within Kujou Takayuki's sights, it'll be dangerous when the secret of your power is revealed. Not only with the Hayabusa family, but also with the servants and with the "Dark Shadow Wings" Corps.

Hayate: Then please, take the journal with you. I can't risk my comrades dying again. Like how I was unable to protect Ryoma and Ryoga.

Yae: Much obliged. Also, if there is still useful information about here, I'll let both of you know.

Shimura: Thank you.

Yae: You must learn how to use your hidden power or else you might just lose control of it. If it does, I'm sure you will get the attention of not just the Tenryou Commission, but the Fatui themselves. Not to mention... the Abyssal Power that you have.

I cleared my throat when Lady Miko mentioned the organization serving the Cryo Archon, the "diplomats" from Snezhnaya.

Hayate: All the more reason to be careful, huh? Well... I am "Borrowing" their stuffs.

Yae: That's right. For now, we need more information about your hidden power. How to manifest it and what does it do?

Hayate: The power of the sun, huh?

Yae: ...I guess it is still on your own to find out.

We went out from the basement and concealed the entrance to the secret basement. We also noticed it is really late...

Yae: I guess both you should go home now.

Shimura: Yeah. It's getting late too.

Yae: Well then, I shall see you tomorrow morning.

Hayate: Yes, ma'am.

We part ways, me and my father on my way home... I just stared at my corrupted right arm. The moment I remove my bandages, I saw a small Solar mark, and somehow, I can feel it's power flowing through me...

Shimura:  Hayate, let's go! Dinner is almost done.

Hayate: Coming dad! "Thought" I see, no wonder why the sunlight feels, so warmer than usual.

I then concluded...

Hayate: All this time...you've been watching me aren't you...

I smiled as I say this word...

Hayate: Mother...