10 Minutes Earlier.

"Emmy! are you okay?" Fischl came to Emmy in concern.

"Oh, Fischl you're alright-" Emmy said, before looking up and stopping, her eyes trained on the side of Fischl's face, where a bright red mark could be seen.

Fischl visibly shifted at her stare and Emmy's eyes seemed to contain a sharp glint in the center. She lowered her gaze, her hair covering her expression. After a moment of defining silence, Emmy lifted her head and her previous expression was gone. She began looking around and saw a lot of children around her age.

"You're alright, thank Barbatos," Emmy sighed in relief hiding away her earlier emotions.

"Yes indeed I am well, but let me ask, how did one such as yourself end up here?"

"I'll tell you later but can you tell me what's happening here? The room is empty so why don't you scream for help? or try to escape?"

"Look at the walls, something is inhibiting our voices, the door also shocks those who try to open it from the inside."

Emmy was astonished that mere kidnappers could have such technology and was momentarily at a loss of what to do. She silently looked around once again noting the blue crystals on the walls and the one in the door, both of which were too high for a child her age to reach.

Emmy then turned towards the other children in the room, most of them had their attention focused on her, probably because she was thrown down so harshly. She looked at them and wondered how she would unite these panicking children so that they would escape together.

An idea was forming in her head as she thought about if she were like them, helpless but wanting freedom. She looked at the other 19 children in the room baring her and Fischl, thinking to herself how she could ignite that courage. Just then a breeze fluttered in the room, it was insignificant and barely noticeable but it carried the momentum that she needed and gave her insight into what her mind was truly trying to say.

'I see now, thank you,' Emmy gave her thanks, closing her eyes. She then took a deep breath and started to... sing?

"There once was a boy... who sought the winds grace,

Trapped in a town of turbulent wind,

He sought the outside world... but was called a disgrace.

But the boy was determined, and paid them no mind."

Emmy sang, her vocal cords producing a southing song as she brought the attention of all the children unto her. She winked at Fischl prompting her to sing alone, and though not as smooth her efforts were not in vain.

"The boy chanced upon an old crow,

His name was forgotten but he had qualities that met the boy's desire,

However old crow's life was nearly gone and his mood was low,

To lift the crow's mood the boy sang and strung along his lyre."

Emmy and Fischl's voices were low but they seemed to carry with them strong energy, as some of the other kids began to sing with them. Emmy almost smiled but she stopped herself from ruining the song, opting to continue the impromptu act.

"He sang and sang to lift the crow's mood,

The people gathered around the crow and the boy,

The crow took the music as nourishment for his soul... and the lyrics as it was the minds food,

More people jousted from their homes and all took solace in this brief moment of joy."

The last of the children gave in to the temptation and started singing along, most of them sounded terrible as they had cried previously. The emotion in their voices however gave the lullaby more impact than any voice could convey. Their desire for freedom brought out this emotion in their hearts, and through it should they unite.

"Alas, the crow had still met its end,

An old god was he that was pleased with the boy and his gift was banishing the winds of the land,

The people rejoiced praising the boy for his exploits and sought to make him king,

The boy refused in the name of his friend his only joy being music and not a title so grand."

The song ended and all of the children stopped, gazing at each other with smiles on their faces. Emmy smiled as well, seeing her plan work, now they should be more willing to accept her plans. Now it was time to get a move on and start the operation.

"Do you all want to go home?" Emmy stood up, gathering the attention of the others.

"Do you want to escape this retched place and once more see the outside world!" Emmy declared, her arms spread wide to carry her words forward.

"Do you! want to once more! Have. Your. Freedom!"

"I do!"

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

Gradually their voices seemed to form a chorus and it sounded like music to her ears as everything went according to her plan. She looked at Fischl, who smiled at her and Emmy found she couldn't enjoy that smile as usual, likely due to the mark on her best friend's face. Her smile disappeared as she turned to the kids and raised her hand in a fist and all fell silent.

"Are you willing to believe?" Emmy's hand caught on fire, eliciting gasps from the kids and Fischl.

"In me, that I can lead you out of here and back to the warmth of your homes, are you?"

"Yes!"

"We do!"

"I don't, do you believe that a vision alone is enough to get all of us out of here?" A young boy said as he stood up.

When she had entered the room, Emmy found that out of all of them, he was the most bruised, and yet even then he still held a determined expression, his face never contained any tears, wet or dry. His body was lined with cuts and his face was purple likely due to the beatings he sustained.

'He must be one of the leaders here,' Emmy thought.

"Why do you say that? Are you not confident in the abilities bestowed upon me by the gods?" Emmy said and the atmosphere seemed to thicken as everyone held their breaths.

"I want to know your plan. You like us are a kid and even with a vision your small physique is a disadvantage and large numbers are enough to subdue you. You can escape but what about us? about them? can you prevent them from being hostages?" The boy said pointing to himself and the other children, looking Emmy dead in the eyes.

Emmy looked at the boy, his dark gold hair and grey eyes seemed to glow with a heroic spirit as he asked her these questions. Thinking on it like this, by her lonesome she indeed wouldn't be able to prevent a hostage situation, however, she wasn't alone.

"Your worries do have merit if not for the knights being in cahoots with me or rather I with their plans. You have my admiration for thinking so far under such a tense situation, what is your name if I may?" Emmy said.

"I am called Harlin, may I request the plan of action to escape? I would like to help." Harlin's expression seemed to ease at her words before he expressed his intention to help.

"It's a simple plan really, I burst down all the doors and set the building on fire while you all go to the exit and at that time the knights would overwhelm the forces outside. The only real problem is a hostage situation but that is negated by my presence." Emmy said, briefly explaining the plan of action to all the children.

"My~ what splendid plan of action, this one also expresses the need to assist." Fischl, not one to lose out also spoke up.

"Alright, Harlin! You and Fischl are to lead the rest of them out, You are to be the vanguard in my absence and Fischl would be in the middle, I will secure the rear to ensure everyone gets out safely."

"Everyone! You heard her stand up and let us finally be free of these retched villains!" Harlin's voice carried strongly through the room and all the kids stood up in turn.

Emmy was impressed and looked at all the children who seemed to regain their fighting spirit. Perhaps it was due to the song and speech of Emmy and the reassurance that the knights were coming to save them. It could also be the debate between her and Harlin or his energy that rejuvenated them.

Emmy was sure that it was all of these things added together that added up to once again allowed these children to gain hope and find the strength in themselves to seek freedom once more. This was the spirit of those who lived in Mondstadt, the desire to be free.

"Through song and strength may we, residents of the City of Freedom thrive. For Freedom!" Fischl shouted.

"For Freedom!"

"For Freedom!"

"Alright, Let's blow up this door and run out of the building in..."

"Three!"

Emmy readied her flames and they coursed around the room, the children stood behind her to stay out of the heat.

"Two!"

The flames went about wildly catching everything but the door on fire and Emmy was covered in sweat as the flames curled up her arms. She lifted her arms toward the door.

"One!"

She pulled back and thrust them sharply at the door and the door collapsed in an instant from the force. Emmy nearly fell from exhaustion but she still opened her mouth and shouted.

"Go! Go! Go! I'll catch up with you in a minute."

Harlin and Fischl hesitated for a moment before following her commands and leading the children out of the room. Emmy waited for all of them to go before she started walking out of the room, heading deeper into the house intent on completing one final task.

****

"Haah... Hahahaha! How did this happen? I have to escape," A man frantically started shifting through books on a shelf.

It seems he found the right one, as when he pulled that one he couldn't remove it fully and it opened a path to a dark stairway. The man immediately moved to go down the stairway, not bothering to close it off as he hastily made his escape.

The man rushed down the stairway and ran down a hall before coming before a door. Opening it he came across another stairway and speedily made his way up before opening the door in front of him and breathing a sigh of relief. The man had arrived in a small run-down cottage with nothing that resembled furniture within.

He went to go outside the cottage but just then a fireball flew in front of him and exploded, causing him to scream and fall to the ground.

"Ah, I caught a dirty rat," A cute voice sounded from behind him and he turned to look.

There he saw a little girl with short black hair and hazel eyes that seemed to glow an ominous green, probably due to the flames growing on her arm. The girl would seem cute in any other circumstance but the man only felt terror, his legs shook as he backed away from the young girl.

"Ah, sorry mister but I have a question," Emmy's voice was sickly sweet with a soft touch but her face remained impassive and her eyes swirled in a dark green hue like a vortex.

She walked towards the man, a smile gracing her face as she stepped on his thighs, showing surprising strength as she pinned him to the ground. She placed her left arm devoid of flames on his face, but the flames on her right arm seemed to slowly travel down her left and toward the man's face.

In tears, the man shook his head to rid himself of her grip but it remained unchanged. Then continuing from her previous statement, she asked;

"Will you play with me?"

"No... Arghhh!"

The flames flickered as they reflected in Emmy's cold eyes and she smiled;

It was a cute smile.