Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The day has arrived. With the summer rays of a freshly renewed sun pouring in through the windows, the time has been marked for our exuberant traveler to set sail for the next region, and leave this one behind. 

Despite having already gone through this very same cycle twice by this point, Aether still has trouble holding back the tears; hitching periodically as he hugs his fellow Inazumans goodbye. It was moments like these, that really made Aether envy the Electro Archon – or rather, her puppeteered counterpart. Being stripped away of all emotion definitely has its drawbacks, but it also makes the concept of attachment nonexistent, meaning that you don’t have anyone to cry over, nobody’s absence to mourn. 

Sounds miserable I know, but to some, feeling no emotion at all is a more worthwhile alternative. As long as it disposes of their immense grief, they’d rather go through life without feeling anything at all, as depressing as it sounds.

But alas, such circumstances weren't applicable to him unfortunately, leaving him with no other choice but to push forward, and deal with the grief head-on.

Regardless of the setbacks however, Aether tries his best to keep his chin up high. Not only to lessen the equally potent anguish his friends were feeling, but to quickly discourage this sudden sense of disparity. Affection was his main driving force after all, it was his attachment to Lumine that gave him this sense of determination in the first place. So to get rid of such an effective motivator, would go entirely against his moral foundations. 

So, with one last hug to the eldest daughter of the Kamisato Clan, the blonde traveler and his floaty companion set sail back towards Liyue, the former now teary-eyed as he waves goodbye to all his friends. 

“Aw, don’t be sad…” Paimon comforts, using her small, dainty fingers to rub circles around his back. “We promised to visit as often as we can, right? And when we do, we’ll have so many cool stories to tell!” 

“Yeah…I know….” Aether concedes, recycling the same response for the third time now. “I’m just…really gonna miss them...”

Seeing her companion slouch in his seat as he bathes in his own misery proved to be too much for the grape juice-loving pixie to bear, and she quickly tries to cheer him up the best she can. 

“…Paimon will too, but just think. Although we’re leaving all our friends in Inazuma behind, we’ll be able to make a ton of new ones with the people of Sumeru!”

The fairy did bring up a good point; Meeting new people and establishing friendships was Aether’s favorite part of traveling. Not just because of all the useful connections he gained from doing so, but also because, he simply liked discovering all types of new cultures. Part of Teyvat’s brilliance came from the surplus of unique, interesting people it was home to, and getting to know these vastly distinct individuals always brought the blonde at least some levels of enjoyment, no matter what region they were in. And although he probably won’t get to meet anybody with the same enthusiasm as Amber, dedication as Ganyu, or even purity as Ayaka, he was confident he’d at least find somebody to get along with.

“Yeah…maybe…”

She was tempted to tease him for using nearly identical phrasing two times in a row, but the young man’s soft, distraught face proved that he wasn’t in the mood for her usual jests. 

“...How about we go talk to Beidou?” Paimon suggests, happy to see the youthful joy recur in his irises. “It’s a long way from here to the Chasm, so we might as well catch up with some old friends right? Come on, Xinyan and Kazuha might be on board too!”

Having no reason to deny this offer, Aether slowly nods his head, determined to not let this internal adversary get the better of him. He’s learned the hard way that just moping around and complaining won’t ever lead to anything good, especially in situations like these.

Thus, our traveler quickly brushes these somber thoughts aside, and sets his mind on the road ahead of him – he’s come this far already, no use in backing out now!

“Alright. Let’s go!”

~

After a not-so-quick d-tour around the outskirts of the Chasm, our adventurous twosome finally manage to locate the bridging tunnel, cautiously making their way through the tight, plantatious terrain. 

“ Yuck! Your scarf is attracting all kinds of weird insects our way!” Paimon complains, trying to shoo away the plethora of oncoming bugs.

“Shouldn't have spilled lemonade all over me then.” Aether rebuttals, scaling a surplus of wide, spikey logs, completely unbothered by the tiny creatures. “You're fault if they bite you now.”

“Hmph.” Paimon pouts, crossing her arms and looking away. 

Actually scoring one over his witty companion gives Aether all the courage he needs to keep going; moving hastily yet flexibly so as to not accidentally cut himself. 

He scales multiple boulders and branches, but the tunnel seemed never-ending – always adding another chunk of green, always adding to this continuous corridor of pure vegetation. Either he was walking in slow motion, or he was simply starting to feel the effects of the countless drinks he shared with The Crux, but he couldn’t help but feel as though he wasn’t making any real progress. 

Eventually however, after what felt like hours, a glimpse of what appeared to be shimmering beacons came into view up ahead, coupled with the majestic sounds of flowing water. 

Following the light like there was no tomorrow, the blonde swiftly traverses through the last bit of foliage, coming face to face with a view so jaw-dropping, it almost makes up for the past four and a half hours of pure torment. 

It was like he was in heaven, but instead of hueless clouds, everything was littered with unparalleled levels of color; no more than two seconds would go by without Aether noticing a new vibrant, tropical tinted flower – all oozing the same, florid aroma. 

The smell itself was immediate and overpowering, earthy in it’s infancy, but quickly evolved into a pleasant, almost fruity-like scent. This fragrance seemed to be originating from the giant yellow beacons, which Aether could now see were actually just overgrown moon flowers, emitting their usual bright, luminescent glow even in the dawn of day. 

Couple these beautiful visuals with the angelic sounds of birds chirping, and you had a display so glamorous, it almost didn’t even look natural – as if somebody had gone in afterward and drastically upped the saturation on the entire terrain. 

Even Aether, a being who’s been inundated with these sorts of demonstrations in countless other worlds, was left awestruck by what he was looking at. Only taken out of his trance once his fiery friend spoke up.

“Now that we've made it to Sumeru, our next objective should be to head to Sumeru City and find a way to meet with Lesser Lord Kusanali! – Speaking of Lesser Lord Kusanali, even though we haven't heard too much about her, she doesn't seem to be the same deity who abducted your sister.” Paimon concluded. “But even so, people call Sumeru the "Nation of Wisdom," you know. If we can get a chance to meet the God of Wisdom, maybe she can give us some useful information!”

“Hmm, I do hope so.” 

“Alright then! Now that we’ve figured out our plan let's start…uhh…” The fairy suddenly trails off, an evident truth settling in. “Aw shucks…this place is massive, and Paimon doesn’t know the way to Sumeru City!”

“...Maybe we can climb up to that spot with the Statue of The Seven on it?” Aether suggests, gesturing to the convenient sculpture in front of them. “That might give us a good vantage point.”

“Hmm, good idea! Let’s…wait a second, there's someone up ahead!” Paimon points out, signaling him to look where she was pointing, revealing a woman dressed in white. He couldn’t make out much of the local’s details from this far away, but judging by her pace, she most definitely looked as though she were in a hurry. “Perfect timing! Now we can just ask for directions rather than wander around like lost adventurers.” Paimon adds once again, turning back to face the mysterious woman. “Ahem…Hey there! Uh...we're not from around here and seem to have gotten a little lost...we'd like to ask for some directions!”

“...”

Despite raising her voice a considerable amount, the mint-haired woman doesn’t even acknowledge the poor fairy, continuing on her way as if nothing had happened. 

“Huh? Did they not hear Paimon? HEY!’ She tries once more, this time a little louder. “You over there! Could you give us some directions?!

“...”

“...What's going on here? There's no way she could've missed that...unless…wait, could she be ignoring us!? HOW DARE SHE?!”

“Calm down, Paimon!” Aether censures, waving down his friend. “I’m sure there's a reason for why she ignored us, I don’t think it's something to get all worked up about…”

“Hmph.” The fairy pouts once more, not taking very kindly to sound logic. “Well, even so, she might be heading someplace where we could find other people to ask. Let's keep our distance and follow her! We’ll have to be very discreet, but when we get the chance, we'll just ask someone else for directions instead.”

Before he has the time to propose a better idea, or simply object, the impatient fairy is already hot on the woman’s trail, much to Aether’s dismay.

“A–Are you sure we should be following some random person we don’t know?” He whisper-yells to his companion upon catching up with her. “What if we get lo-” 

“Do you want to find your sister, or not?”

“...” 

“Exactly, now be quiet and follow Paimon!” 

Knowing objecting any further would just be a losing battle, the blonde conforms to his pal’s idiotic tendencies, and begins his slow pursuit on the Sumeru local – all whilst trying to justify this stalkerous behavior on account that it’s “for the greater good.”

Luckily, his training with Shinobu had paid off, leaving him able to seamlessly dodge and weave behind cover without ever getting caught. While most would call him pretentious and extra for using over-the-top ninja moves in such a low-stakes situation, you gotta remember that, in new regions especially, anybody can be a threat, no matter what they look like. For all he knew, this Sumeru local could secretly be the next hokage!

This was unlikely however, judging by how stiff and unspry her movements were.

…but then again…she could be faking it. 

“Huh!? She just walked near that small waterfall and then suddenly vanished!” Paimon bewildered, snapping Aether out of his geeky trance. Upon closer inspection, the woman seemed to have disappeared into a cave just portside of the cascade, perhaps leading to another village? It was just speculation of course, but why else would someone just willingly go into such an unappealing location so early on in the day? This hypothesis was quickly put to rest however, as upon peering in, our twosome quickly deciphered that this wasn’t any establishment, but more like a campsite. It didn't come included with a tent from the looks of it, but everything else seemed to be present, such as the campfire, a log stool, and even a mysterious deep sea-looking censor, emitting an even more mysterious, almost pleasant odor. “Looks like she’s meditating…let's go take a closer look!” 

As he’s about to do that however, a sharp pain suddenly sprouts in his abdominals, preventing him from venturing any further into the cave. 

“Urgh!” Aether winces, feeling as though his head was being attacked by millions of carnivorous locusts. “My…M–My head!”

“Huh, what's wrong!?” Paimon asks in a panic, her expression morphing into one of extreme concern. “Is the smell making you feel sick?”

Her question seemingly fell on deaf ears, either because he didn’t hear her, or because his brain was simply too overloaded to conjure up any signals towards his jaw muscles, only being able to speak in fragmented dialect to convey his throbbing ache.  

“I…I need…out of…h-”

Before he can even complete the sentence, the pain in his frontal lobe proves too much to bear, and he collapses onto the earth's surface, all whilst the cries of his friend grow weaker and weaker, until they eventually get lost, in the sea of silence.  

~

Upon his awakening, Aether is met with the familiar sight of grass covering his face – except now, he’s enveloped in a much darker, lavender-scented hue. Gone were the sounds of rushing water and toucan croaks, now replaced with the melodic, mystical chimes of a source unknown. 

It takes him a while to get his bearings, as well as to recuperate the strength needed to pull himself off the ground, but when he does, he’s left even more confused than before. 

In front of him were long, lavender-colored tree roots, all leading to an equally large, imposing display of pink flora. The skies were equally as vibrant; a shade of scarlet being the value the gods seemed interested in using to cover up this dimension’s azure. 

The entire presentation radiated with fuchsia, as if it had all been handcrafted by Guuji Yae, perfectly fitted to reflect the sakura aesthetic she was so enthralled with. 

As was the case with her, this view was terribly intense, and yet…Aether felt entirely at ease. He wasn’t overwhelmed by what he saw, by what he felt, quite the opposite in fact. He felt…at peace. 

That's why, upon hearing what resembled to be a voice, he follows it thoughtlessly, too enthralled by the beauty that beholds him to try and rationalize anything about his situation. 

Parkouring through the gaps in between branches proves to be an easy task for the buoyant hero, even with the oncoming breeze muddling his pacing, he’s still able to jump from boulder to boulder without a hitch, finally reaching the core. 

There, he sees a bright, luminous figure emerge from the tree’s bark, shifting the aura around it as it makes it’s presence known. He uses the word “it” very intentionally, as, from this angle, combined with a glow only equivalent to that of the sun, it’s hard to tell what gender the character is, or if it’s even humanoid. 

The only thing he could make out were three distinct, ominous-sounding words, all of which sent chills up his spine.

“...ᗯOᖇᒪᗪ...ᖴOᖇGET ᗰE…”

~

Being blinded by a bright flash of white was the last thing Aether could remember before his view was ultimately inverted, now being engulfed in nothing but darkness.

“...Are you sure it's not serious?” A familiar voice calls out to him, or rather, someone near him. “He’s been out for a long time now…”

“Yes, you can relax…” The unknown voice reassures. “Believe me, Master is extremely knowledgeable. If he says that he’s going to be alright, then there's absolutely nothing to worry about.”

With the wave of nausea finally settling down, the blonde finally manages to pry his eyes open, quickly grabbing the two’s attention. 

“Oh, are you awake now?”

“Oh, thank goodness! You're finally awake!”

“Mmrgh…where are we?” The man inquired, drowsily sitting back up from the bed he was placed in. 

“Well, we're at...uh…” The fairy trails off once more, coming to yet another evident truth. “...Good question…Paimon was in such a panic when you passed out that she even forgot to ask what place this is…”

“This is Gandharva Ville. It was originally built by scholars from Sumeru as a place to rest in the rainforest. Now it's mainly used by the Forest Rangers as a base of operations” The figure next to Paimon explains, who Aether could now tell was a woman with short, celery green hair. She was dressed in what appeared to be a ranger’s outfit, judging by the variou hilts and pouches. “My name is Collei! I'm a Trainee Forest Ranger. My master  and I found you passed out during our patrol, so we brought you here!”

“Oh…” The man said simply, a bit taken back by how friendly the girl seemed to be. Usually, whenever Aether stumbled across new potential friends, there would be an awkward gap he would have to bridge before he got their name, but she just gave it to him outright. How nice of her! “...Thanks for the help.”

“Oh n—no, no thanks are necessary! I didn't do anything, really.” Collie’s quick to reply, showing how self-effacing she was right off the bat. “By the way, how are you feeling now? Any discomfort?”

After a few stretches, the blonde quickly discerns that he’s okay, and he’s quick to relay that information to the two concerned girls. 

“No, I seem fine. Except…” He licks all around his glands, wincing not long after. “The taste in my mouth...it's so bitter!”

A bit of vivacity is injected into the otherwise somber room, as both girls begin laughing at the poor boy’s expense. 

“Oh, haha! That's Master's herbal medicine you're tasting. He gave you some while you were unconscious.”

“I see…” Speaking of unconscious, Aether can’t help but notice the absence of one of his major articles of clothing upon looking down, one he for sure had on back at that cave. “I appreciate the help, but uh…where’s my scarf?”  

Following the man’s gaze, Collei quickly recognizes what he’s talking about, and can’t help but smear her words as she tries to explain.

“Um…W–Well, I saw that you had spilled a fruity liquid all over it, s–so I thought it would be a good idea to set it out to dry!” She says, averting her gaze slightly whilst she shyly plays with her hands behind her back. “I–I hope you don’t mind…” 

“N–No, it’s fine.” He reassures her, taking note of how on edge she got just from that simple question alone. “The wool my scarf is made out of can take a long time to dry, if anything, you just saved me a lot of time. So thank you!” 

“Oh…well, in that case, you’re welcome!” Collei says with an equally warm smile. For as humble as she likes to be, getting thanked for something she did on her accord always managed to make her feel warm inside, especially when the thanks comes from the likes of the almighty traveler! “Ahem, before I forget, Master mentioned you should take more medicine once you wake up!”

Whilst the idea of taking even more medicine isn’t very appealing to him, especially if this taste is anything to go by, Aether knows it’s for his own well-being, which is why he doesn’t protest when Collei turns around to fetch him more of the bitter substance. Instead, he starts up conversation with his floaty companion, which mostly consists of her just going over how distressed and worried she was over his safety. It was cute at first, but quickly became redundant after a while. 

Luckily for him, their discussion was abruptly cut short by a loud thud just a few feet away. 

“Ah, whoops!” 

“Collei, what's the matter? Were you trying to retrieve the medicine?” A voice instigates from beyond the entryway, catching the attention of our triad. A man with large, pointy ears then walks into the room, quickly taking a spot next to the startled young woman.  “As I've already told you, you must be careful with these…” He says as he picks up the small capsule off the ground. 

‘Ah…sorry master.” 

“It’s alright, just be more careful next time.” He’s quickly met with a nod, and he takes this opportunity to address the rightly confused pair of outlanders. “So, how are you doing? Feeling better?”

“Oh, this is my master, Forest Watcher Tighnari.” Collei speaks up, thinking a proper introduction will make it easier for the blonde to more comfortably process the question. It’s also just something she was used to doing with her Master. “He is chief officer over all the rangers here in Gandharva Ville.”

“I already informed Paimon about the reason you fell unconscious earlier, but now that you're awake, let me explain it for you as well. – It is common practice for Sumeru scholars of certain Darshans to dedicate themselves to training and meditation in isolated areas, particularly the nearby forests. While meditating, they use a certain incense known as Spirit Borneol to help calm their minds as they enter a state of deep rumination. In hopes of asking directions, you two followed a scholar named Haypasia into her cave.” He explains. “The incense you smelled inside was the Spirit Borneol I just mentioned. That incense typically has no effect on most people. But, for a very select few, it can have profound effects on one's cognition, as you experienced firsthand. Does that make sense?”

“... Yes. That all makes sense.” Aether replies, albeit with a bit of uncertainty. 

“Very good. Now, answer me this, did you feel anything after passing out? Say, any out-of-body experiences? Or did you see anything while unconscious?”

Using the limited literal knowledge he gained from the likes of Yae Miko, Aether tries his best to thoroughly detail everything he saw in his dream, albeit failing to encapsulate the entire picture with his surface-level vocabulary. 

“Hmm…very interesting indeed. Collei, let the others know to stop bringing their patrol logs here for now.” 

“Huh?! W-Why?” The young girl questioned, shocked as she turns to face the chief officer.

“Because these two will be staying here for the next few days. They can have my room, and I'll bunk with Amir. Now get a move on and be sure to do as I've said.” 

“Yes, Master Tighnari!” 

Despite just being told off in a less than considerable manner, Collei’s demeanor never falters; remaining determined and unchanged as she waltzes out of the shelter. It looks like Tighnari is above to leave right after her, but Paimon is quick to interject. 

“Wait, hold on a second! Can you tell us what's going on?” 

“Oh, right. Let me fill you in. – I originally planned to send you on your way once you finished your medicine. However, it appears now that you should stay a while longer in Gandharva Ville for further observation while you recuperate.” 

“Further observation?” Aether questions. “But we need to get to Sumeru City…”

“No need to be hasty.” The man insists. “As long as you have the capacity to judge between right and wrong, I promise that you'll understand the gravity of the situation once I explain everything to you. Based on what you saw after smelling the incense and losing consciousness, we can conclude that you experienced a powerful hallucination, which suggests your mental state is not in the best of shape.” He explains, providing a sound, reasonable argument neither of them can argue against. “If you're still skeptical, have a whiff of this.”

In a much brisker manner than Aether was anticipating, the green-haired man suddenly pulls out a green Spirit Borneol of his own, one that emits the same nauseating incense as before.  

“Wha—!” The blonde recoils, luring his hand back towards his forehead. , 

“Whoa! Are you okay?” 

‘You're experiencing a similar sensation as when you passed out, aren't you?” Tighnari questions, being met with a nod a few moments later. “So even though your condition is stable as of now, if I were to haphazardly let you leave, it's highly likely that you'd suddenly pass out again somewhere else...The rainforest is home to many fierce animals and hazardous areas. If something were to happen to you again, I'm afraid you might not be so lucky. For now, I suggest you continue taking your medicine each day and avoid wandering off on your own, at least until you stop having adverse reactions to this kind of smell, okay?”

“...Alright.” The traveler concedes, seeing no other way out of this. 

“Good. Now continue resting while I fire up another bowl of medicine for you.”

With that, the chief officer heel turns, and exits the room with no further elaboration. Leaving our two travelers to bathe in their own confusion. 

“Ugh. Seriously, we just arrived in Sumeru, and we're already having problems left and right…” Paimon sighs, extreme discontent lingering in her voice as she turns to face her clearly unwell companion. “Paimon knows we were set on meeting Lesser Lord Kusanali as soon as possible, but you really don't look too good...It'd probably be best to let you recover first.” The fairy proposes, only to catch the traveler dozing off, pensive in the way he stares idly at the wall. “Uh, hey! Are you even listening to Paimon? Paimon's over here worrying about you, ya know!” 

“Ah, sorry Paimon. It’s just…” He takes a few seconds to think. “I feel it's a little weird…”

“What's weird? You mean how you're feeling now?” 

“Yeah, my body does feel a little weird, but what I mean is...I don't think what I saw were hallucinations.”

“...You mean the vision of tree roots and red skies you saw?” She asks again, seeking confirmation. “But if those weren't hallucinations, what could they be?”

“Hmm, I'm not sure.” 

“Well, considering how unique you are, Paimon trusts your judgment here!” She says with a triumphant smile. “But why didn't you say anything about it to Tighnari? If he misjudged your condition, then there's a chance you could get worse, right?” 

“I don't think that's the case.” Aether puts forth, bringing his hand up to rest against his chin. “Perhaps he wasn't telling us the truth...”

“Huh?” Paimon expresses, understandably confused by the man’s suspicion. “You mean that Tighnari already knows that what you saw weren't hallucinations? But if that's the case, why would he try to hide that from us?”

“Exactly. We need to get to the bottom of this.”

“Ooo, Paimon gets it now…we’ll be like detectives! Uncovering the mysteries of this strange new domain.” 

“...That's one way of putting it.”

“That settles it, then. We'll stay here to rest up and figure out what's going on with your hallucinations. But it seems like asking Tighnari might not be an option anymore...What do you think we should do?” 

“Hmm…” Aether takes yet another moment to think. “I guess we could try asking Collei, she seemed friendly enough.”

“Ohh, good idea! Even if she doesn’t know anything, she doesn't quite strike Paimon as the type to lash out or snitch on us. Maybe we can ask her tomorrow about what she knows regarding the Dendro Archon and customs in Sumeru. That way, we can get more acquainted with the place!”

“Sounds good to me.”

With a solidified plan now set in motion, the blonde begins preparing a small bed on the floor for his fairy friend; using whatever spare blankets and towels he could find laying around the place. It wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world, but hey, it’ll get the job done. 

Despite just coming out of a pretty extensive slumber, Aether is more than ready to hit the hay – immediately collapsing onto his bed once the task was complete.

Paimon was no slouch in the drowsiness apartment either though, turns out worrying and stressing over your best friend’s well-being for hours can be pretty draining. 

With these two common interests in mind, our daring twosome wishes each other goodnight and promptly, fall asleep. 

~

Amidst a peaceful snooze, with all the tranquility Aether could ever ask for, he is sadly disrupted from his soothing coma, by who else than his floaty companion. 

“Rise and shineeee!” The fairy squeals, letting the excessive pitch in her vocal cords flourish to no end. “Come on, it’s time to go find Collei!”

“Ugh, give me five more minutes…I haven't even had breakfast yet!” Aether sheepishly croaks, grabbing the pillow and planting it over his face. 

“Ohh quit yapping! You’ve already had enough sleep as it is!” Paimon counters, grabbing the pillow and yanking it away. The damn thing was almost twice her size, the fact that she was even able to carry it was quite a strength feat. “Come on, we have to catch Collei before she heads out on patrol!”

“...Patrol?” Aether inquires, finally sitting up from his bed. 

“Oh yeah, Collei told Paimon everything about the Forest Rangers while you were asleep yesterday, including what they do for work! Turns out the Knights of Favonius aren’t the only ones in Teyvat who like going on daily patrols, the Forest Rangers do it too!”

“...You do realize that going on patrol and being an outrider aren’t mutually exclusive right? Like, patrolling has existed for thousands of ye-”

“Oh, whatever! Just…hurry up! We don’t have much time left!” Paimon insists, grabbing a handful of his hair – trying to drag him towards the exit. 

“Ow!” He whines, trying to shoo her away. “Alright, alright! I’m coming!” 

~

“Alright, next let's see your right hand.” Collei obliged, lifting up the designated member at an obtuse angle. “Hmm…yes. Not that bad. – But please remember that you still need to be careful, understand?”

“...Yes, I will.” While not inherently sad, it’s quickly apparent by the woman’s tone that having to undergo these “check-ups” every other day now was starting to weigh down her spirit, despite her cheerful facade. “By the way, Master, I still haven't received the patrol route for today.”

“Look, Collei…today's patrol will be a long one, so you won't be coming along this time.” Tighnari advises, much to the aspiring girl's dismay. “Besides, there's a chance we may encounter...well, you understand.”

“But I have a vision, too!” She protests, giving up halfway through upon realizing her attests had no significant reaction on her master, invoking a slow, solemn sigh. “...Am I useless to everyone now?” 

For as disciplinary and sometimes strict as he comes off, the chief officer does actually have a soft spot for his fellow subordinates, which is why he’s quick to reassure the distraught trainee. 

“Don’t talk like that, Collei. This is not something you need to be worrying about right now. You’re perfectly fine the way that you are, and nothing can take that away from you.” 

He initially planned to go on a while longer, but the pair of footsteps to his left quickly got his attention, followed by a mix of gold and pink in his peripherals. 

“Ah, there you are. Feeling any better?” 

“Mhm, I think so. We were just wondering if there was something we could help with.” Aether puts forth.

“Yeah, since we'll be staying here for now, we thought we might as well try lending a hand around here!” Paimon adds, triumphantly resting her hands against her hips.

“Hehe, seems you're not the type to sit back and take it easy for a while, huh? In that case, perhaps Collei could take you two for a patrol south of Gandharva Ville for the day.” The man suggests. “And if you're feeling up to it, you can be responsible for cleaning the Statue of The Seven.”

“Sounds good to me.” 

“Tighnari!” A voice calls out from behind the crew, presumably Amir based on the forest ranger esc clothing. “We’re ready to head out!”

“Roger, I'll be right there!” He calls back, turning back around to bid his farewell. “Alright, we'll be heading into the forest now. I'll leave any further details to Collei.”

“Yes, you can count on me!” 

Having no reason to stay there, the chief officer exchanges a nod with the traveler before promptly disappearing, leaving the three of them to start going over their plans for the day. 

“So Collei, what exactly are we going to be doing today?” Paimon inquires. “Tighnari mentioned cleaning the statue just now, but uh... that doesn't really sound like a job for a ranger.”

“Well, a Forest Ranger's responsibilities can be pretty diverse,” Collei explains. “We handle a variety of tasks, like checking the condition of outlying roads, maintaining forest facilities, ensuring fire prevention standards are met, and providing assistance to travelers and locals. As for Master, well, he has to handle more dangerous areas of the rainforest – today we can perform routine checks on the pathway lamps as we make our way to the Statue of The Seven!”

“Sounds great!” Aether agrees, trying his best to match the youthful girl’s optimism. He could tell just by the way she spoke that she was incredibly passionate about her job, much like another daring patroller that he knew. “Before all that though, can you uhh…tell me where my scarf is? I tried looking for it on the way here, but the sun kept getting in my eyes…” 

“Oh! Right…sorry. I entirely forgot that I had set it out to dry!” Collei laments, clearly ashamed by her lack of responsibility. “Ohh…I hope nobody stole it…” 

As much as he hated to admit it, Aether’s heart did skip a beat upon hearing that last bit. He didn’t know why such a trivial, easily expendable item such as a scarf caused him this much anguish. Maybe it was because it was the last memento he had pertaining to his sister, the last of anything tangible that she had given him, that gave it this artificial worth. He’s had it ever since the beginning of his journey, so of course that’s why he’d want it back. 

He also…just looked kinda silly without it. In his opinion at least. 

Much like everything else in this cruel world however, there isn’t one general consensus the people of Teyvat can unanimously come together and agree upon, there's always those few contrarians out there that always like to disagree. And in this case, the contrarian was none other than the most conformable out of the three. 

Despite not having much prior knowledge to base this feeling on, Collei had to admit that seeing Aether without his scarf on was…bizarre, but in a good way! She never would’ve guessed the almighty traveler would be into tight, high-neck tees, especially with how hot it got in Liyue reportedly. The brown skin-tight fabric did a good job of emphasizing his collarbone, as well as the general shape of his robust shoulders. He looked…good. Mhm. Just, good. Nothing less, nothing more. 

“Jeez…I-I sure hope not…” The man replied, trying his best to sound sarcastic. He secretly hoped one of the two girls would speak up to break the awkward silence, or better yet, for Collei to just give him the directions straight up. Instead, she appeared to be…dozing off? In a trance? He didn’t know, but she was just…idly staring at him. “Uhm…Collei?” 

“Ah! R–Right, your scarf!” She snaps back to the present, shaking her head to presumably get it back together. “Umm…let me think. If I remember correctly, the clothesline should be just down that trail and to the left. You two can go fetch it while I go checking on the lamps.”

“That’s okay, Paimon can go get it!” The fairy chimes in, breaking her unusually long silence. 

“A–Are you sure?” The blonde man inquires, pleasantly surprised by his friend’s hospitality. “Won’t you get lost?”

“Nah, Paimon’s a pro! Besides, if you tag along, that’s half the manpower gone! And we need those lamps squeaky clean asap!” 

“It’s…no big deal really…” Collei insists. “It’s only a few lamps, and I'm certain I can take care of it all by mysel-”

Too late. Before the green-haired woman has any chance to protest further, the nefarious fairy has already vanished, dissolving into pixie dust in a matter of seconds. 

“Wha–!” Collei recoils, clearly disturbed by what she had just witnessed. “What jus- where did- w-what happened to her?!”

“Hey, it’s okay!” Aether remedies, lightly chuckling at the girl’s flusteredness. “She’s fine, she just went into her pocket dimension.” 

“...P–Pocket dimension?”

“Yeah…it’s something all fairies come packaged with I think. They can just poof in and out of their homes at a moment's notice.”

“Woah, that’s so cool!” The youthful girl marvels, eyes growing wide with wonder. “Can she still hear us?”

“Hmm…I don’t think s-”

“What about when she wants to come back? Will she pop out right here again? Or will she always reappear next to you?”

“...Uh-”

“What about her home? Is it all pink and sparkly? Does she have free range to do whatever she wants or-”

“...”

It’s not until the boy’s irises suddenly enlarge that Collei is snapped back to the present, immediately taking in all of what she said. 

“…hehe, s–sorry. I was rambling on just now, wasn’t I?” She asks while scratching her head, cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. “Aw, dang it! I can't believe I just embarrassed myself in front of him! Ugh, what an awful first impression!” She laments in her mind. “Wait, is this my first impression? No, it’s the second one…right? Unless you count that time me and Master found him passed out, but that doesn't count, does it? Aww, why do I mess everything up…?”  

“Hehe, it’s alright Collei.” The blonde boi reassures, shooting her a radiant smile. “I go off on random tangents sometimes as well, there's nothing to be ashamed about.”

“...Wait, really?” She asks, perking her head back up.

“Mhm. It usually happens whenever I visit new areas, all the unique landscapes and cultures always manage to get my mind racing!” What might’ve otherwise come off as boring, useless information to others, was absolutely mind-shattering to someone like Collei. From childhood she had always been told that talking out loud and muttering to yourself was for weaklings, that her voice was irritating to listen to and to stop doing it, but if somebody as brilliant and gifted as the Honorary Knight was also partaking in such a thing, then can it really be so bad? “I tend to make sure Paimon isn’t around before I start doing it though, last thing I want to do is face her paimonial wrath of teasing.” Collei giggled at the boy’s remark, not just because of how he said it, but also because of how funny the word “paimonial” was. “Anyway uhh, should we get going?”

“Ah, right! Follow me, the trail is this way!” She calls out, briskly running down the path at a much faster pace than Aether was anticipating. He actually had to put the effort in to catch up to her, something he hadn’t had to do in ages. He didn’t mind of course, infact, he couldn’t recall the last time he had met somebody so spry and full of energy. It was a nice change of pace.  “Hmm…Nope, nothing wrong with these two lamps.” Collei observed, kneeling down and inspecting the dimly lit contraptions. “On to the next one!” 

The blonde watched from afar as the spirited girl eagerly hopscotched down the path, repeating the same dainty gesture for every lamp she could find. 

You know, for a task so mind-numbing and tedious, Collei sure seemed to be having a lot of fun. 

“...You sure look like you're having lots of fun, Collei.” Aether calls out, finally catching up with her.  “You must really love your job.”

“Ofcourse!”  She replies without a hitch, speaking proudly as she brings one hand up to her chest. “I’ve always loved adventuring, even before I arrived in Sumeru. Exploring the wilderness has always been so fun for me, and I’ve eaten almost everything out here countless times – editable or not. It’s uhh…a bit embarrassing to look back on actually…” She says while shyly playing with her hands. 

“Yeah…I remember what that’s like; having to scavenge for food all day, having no idea whether or not what you’re about to eat is poisonous. Luckily there seems to be lots of fruits out here.” Aether points out, gesturing to the tall apple tree a few meters away. It was a tall tree, measuring about eight meters tall — way bigger than the ones you’d find in places like Mondstadt. It looked a little too big if he was being honest. 

“Wah- all this talk about food just reminded me, I forgot to have breakfast this morning!” Collei laments, bringing a hand up to her forehead. She had always been told by Tighnari that ‘a ‘strong body is a strong mind’, a slogan he had her memorize to remind her to always eat properly, and yet here she was, skipping out on the most important meal of the day! “Ohh…how could I have been so forgetful…?”

Seeing his newly found companion in a state of distraught for the first time, coupled with his own unattended hunger, gives Aether all the motivation he needs to stop dead in his tracks, seizing hold of her attention. 

“...I-I can go fetch you an apple or two in the meantime if you're that hungry…” He proposes, not sure why his words come out so unorthodox. 

It takes the green-haired woman a little while to reply, stopping dead in her tracks herself to turn and stare at the traveler with wide eyes. Nobody had ever offered to do something like that before, she doesn’t quite know how to reply. 

“…Uhh…n–no, no, it’s okay, I can hold out a little while longer. It’s not worth the trouble.” She claims, trying her best to brush it off, but Aether is persistent. 

“...Are you sure? Lunch won’t be for a while, maybe a snack can help replenish your energy in the meantime.”

“Hmm…maybe. But still…I’m okay.” She repeats, a mix of emotions running through her head. On one hand, she does feel a bit guilty for turning down his offer, especially when he makes it clear that he only has the purest of intentions. But on the other hand, it was a rather tall and vigorous-looking tree. Collei knew firsthand how difficult it was to climb, and to put her new friend through all that all for the sake of satiating her hunger, something that sprouted out of her own mistake, didn't sit right with her.  

“Well I’m going anyway, cause uhh…well, I didn’t really get to eat any breakfast either heh…” 

“...Wait…you didn’t?

“Nope. Paimon dragged me out of bed before I got the chance to, so I’m kinda running on an empty stomach.”

Not questioning how a roughly ten-pound fairy could carry with all that mass, Collei felt a sudden sense of relief wash over her. Just knowing that this small venture was benefitting the two of them, instead of just herself, made it a whole lot easier for her to justify this request. 

“Oh…well, in that case, could you maybe…pick one apple for me? I-If you can manage with two that is! I know how hard it can be to climb with your hands full, so you don’t have to if you don’t-”

“Don’t worry about it.” Aether chuckled. “I’m a terrific climber, I’m sure I’ll manage.” 

Using a nearby ledge to propel himself forward; the blonde manages to harvest enough momentum to glide all the way to the tree stump, proceeding to scale the jagged outer shell with ease; bending and curling his body in ways that don’t even make sense given his proportions. While he was relatively thin, he still carried enough muscle to weigh him down in the realm of acrobatics, making his flawless strides from branch to branch that much more impressive.

Collei couldn’t help but gaze at the young man from afar, admiration painted all across her irises. How on earth he’s able to go for so long, all without getting scratched, was unbeknownst to her. He doesn’t even bother climbing back down once he obtains the apples, he just sits himself on a tree branch and jumps down, not once fearing for the well-being of his knees. She should scold him for doing that, she should tell him off about how unsafe and rigorous that is to do, but she doesn’t. Instead, she’s left stunned upon his return, while he just smiles as though nothing happened. 

“Phew…” He expresses, wiping the sweat off his forehead, the same forehead that’s now covered in his messy golden locks. “Here ya go.”

She doesn’t seem to hear him at first, eyes staying glued to his face until he lightly shakes his arm; finally drawing her attention. 

“O–Oh uh, thanks!” 

Not accustomed to being handed anything, coupled with the remnants of her uneasiness, Collei accidentally reached the wrong hand out to take the apple, meaning that when her arm extends fully, the apple isn’t what she grasped, if not the other hand that’s holding it. 

“...”

“...”

It wasn’t just a light graze either, no her hand was fully on top of his own – frozen in place as its proprietor’s mind fries trying to think of what to do next. 

It all happened so fast, one moment she was just loitering around with her arms limp at her sides, to now reaching out and holding somebody else's hand – a boy’s hand. 

When she tries to pull away, to put an end to this agonizing misstep, she’s unsuccessful. No matter how many times she tries, no matter how many times she commands her brain to pull her arm away, she’s met with no response. As if there's a blockage in her blood vessels holding back the electrical currents, forcing the poor girl to spend an uncomfortably long time holding onto the man before her. 

By this point, Collei’s brain has fully catalyzed. A result of the mortifying surges in her head mixes with the dendro energy of her vision. Her eyes were open wide as tennis balls, irises almost fading out of existence as they shrank and shrank until they measured no more than half a centimeter in diameter. 

Aether wasn’t holding out much better. Yeah he may technically be hundreds of years old, but in his mind, he’s still just a young boy. Which is why he can’t stop the violent, red hue from spreading across his face, only beaten out by the woman across from him, who looked like she’s been deprived of air for the past millennia. 

When she does come to, she mirrors that of a machine turning on for the first time, jittering around and squirming, causing the poor blonde to drop the apple in shock. 

“A-Ah! Sorry, sorry! I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t mean to, it was an accident! I promise!” The woman cried, using her small dainty hands to shield her eyes. The distress in her voice was almost unnerving in its vividness, yeah she messed up, but it was only a tiny mistake! It wasn’t anything to get so upset over, in Aether’s mind at least. “Now I’ve done it.”  Collei says to herself, words getting lost amongst the chaos invading her wits. “What will Master think of me when he hears about all this? What hopes do I have of becoming an official forest ranger when I can’t even deal with the easiest of tasks? Oh…I’m a failure…”

“...Ahem. It’s...f-fine, Collei.” Aether speaks up through a face of red, finally managing to pry a finger off one of her eyelids. 

“...I-It is?” She inquires, all the noise in her head coming to a screeching halt. 

“I mean…yeah it…was just a mistake, right? Plus it’s…not like you hurt me in any way…” He says while staring down at his gloved hand, rotating it around to prove his point. “Just uhh…be more careful next time, will ya? I don’t want another apple to go to waste…”

Following his gaze with her own, the two look down upon the apple, resting on the messy dirt floor beneath them, a worm already making it’s way over to devour the unclaimed fruit.

“Oh, right. Sorry…” Was all Collei could muster without breaking eye contact, reverting her gaze elsewhere mere seconds after the fact. She wasn’t looking at anything in particular, just pretending to so as to not make this already uncomfortable situation any more awkward, something she was clearly failing at, given how flushed the two still were. 

Aether seemed to recognize this, and did what he could to salvage this quickly deteriorating patrol of theirs. 

“H-Here, you can have this one.” He says while extending his arm out again, this time making sure his hand is on the bottom as opposed to on the side. 

"W--What? B–But you were the one who picked it…that one’s for you!" She points out, and while technically true, her observation was no more than an excuse to not risk taking the apple again. 

“Well, yeah…but I want you to have it.”

“...Why?”

“...Just take the apple.” He insists, finding his voice. He didn’t mean to sound arrogant, which clearly he did judging by her facial expression. “I-I mean…look, not to toot my own horn, but I’ve survived much harsher conditions without food. I think I’ll manage till lunchtime.”

Having no room left to argue, not that she would want to with such a prestigious figure, Collei timidly reaches forward, seizing the apple once and for all.  

“T-Thanks!” She blurts out, waiting a moment before taking her first bite. 

Given her talent when it comes to climbing, or rather, lack thereof, Collei often has to settle for fruits and veggies easily accessible on the ground when she’s on patrols, such as berries and eggplant. She’ll pick the occasional Sunsettia every now and again, but only if there was a convenient hill or ledge nearby. Case in point, enjoying a nice, freshly picked apple was one of the many delicacies Collei didn’t get to enjoy very often, so she made sure to cherish every last bite she took.

For a moment, she forgets about everything that had just transpired, too busy marveling over the juicy richness that was currently invading her taste buds. She doesn't know why, but this apple tasted…better than usual. She’d had plenty of fruits before during the one-off parties the forest rangers held, including apples, and yet, none of those fruits came anywhere near to matching the juiciness found in this one. And they were inspected and prepared by professional cooks!

Perhaps it’s the season, Collei thinks to herself. Maybe the excess of summer light is what’s causing this sudden spike in richness. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s an external source. One that radiates, and even embodies the looks of summer light, but is entirely disconnected from the whole process. What if this seemingly random increase in flavor, isn’t random at all, and is instead a byproduct of her connecting two otherwise completely unrelated affairs? Just a thought. 

Once Collei feels her teeth hit the core of the apple, she finally looks up again, only to be met with an equally glossy pair of eyes looking back at her. She's embarrassed at first, thinking he was silently judging her for eating so sparsely and without proper manners, but then she realizes…that he's smiling. Not in a creepy way, far from it. It was just his usual warm, charming smile, the one that gives her an odd sense of comfort at first, but is quickly diffused as she takes in the oddness of the situation. 

Being the witty, clever sprite that she is, Collei proceeds to repeat the exact same phrase she said not sixty seconds ago.

“T–Thanks…”

“Oh…O–Of course!” Aether replies – quick to avert his gaze.

An uncomfortably long silence follows, with the two just loitering around idly, each dealing with their own internal screaming sessions. 

For as much as they bicker, it was moments like these where Aether really wished he had Paimon around. At least her constant jests and curious psyche lent themselves well to breaking up awkward silences. What was he supposed to do all by himself?!

“A--Aren't you going to pick another one for yourself?” Collei speaks up, inadvertently saving Aether from his internal torment. 

“Ah…well, I was, but those were the only ripe ones.” He explains. “The rest were still ripening, and I don’t think it’s safe to eat unripe fruit in a region I'm still new to, so…yeah.”

“Oh, right…b–better to be safe than sorry! Can’t risk getting food poisoning now, especially when you’re still recovering.”

“Mhm. Yeah…exactly…”

Despite her apology, and Aether’s quick acceptance of said apology, the two tried their best to look at anything other than each other – hoping the butterflies in their stomach would cease if they just gave it time. 

For Collei, this was the case. Not really thanks to the time, but her moral obligations to the Forest Rangers. She wouldn’t be able to forgive herself if she let a whole day's worth of work get tarnished due to her childish tendencies. 

“S–Should we get going? I’m almost done checking all the lamps…” 

“Oh, s–sure! Lead the way!” He says without rhyme or reason, just kinda saying it because it made sense given the circumstances. In all actuality, it should be him leading the way, seeing as it was his job to keep on the lookout for anything unusual, but that didn’t quite register in his fractured mind at the time. 

No words are shared after that – the roaring winds and the sounds of boots hitting the pavement being the only semblance of sound they had, externally that is. On the inside, there was no shortage of chaotic noises, most of which involved the two replaying the awkward scenario in their minds over and over again, wishing they had done something different. 

They both knew how childish it was, having all these arbitrary thoughts colonize in their brains, inadvertently giving them more power. Had the same situation played between two more mature, more level-headed people, then it wouldn’t be that big of an issue. Hell they probably would’ve forgotten it even happened by this point. 

But alas, such circumstances were yet again not applicable here. Despite how many monster’s they’ve faced, despite what impression their outward appearance may give off, they were still just childish teens deep down, with the same emotional, often childish impulses. 

On his fourth try, Aether finally manages to lift his head up enough to face Collei, an action she too recuperated. They were passing an overhead at the time, so he couldn’t quite tell if she was still as red as he was, but judging by the soft, warm smile on her face, he got the impression that she had semi-moved past what just happened, much to his relief. 

He returns her smile of course, and fixes his posture so he’s now walking with a little more confidence. He still doesn't know how she felt about the whole thing, and to be honest, he didn't know how he felt about it either. All he knew, was that his social life in Sumeru, is off to a really…rocky start.

~

“So uhh, what made you want to become a forest ranger?” Aether asks as the two descend back down the trail, a question loosely based on what she had said previously. While professions and work aren’t really that interesting of topics to start a conversation with, it was the only thing Aether could think of asking. Especially after the events that just transpired. 

“Ah well, i-it’s like I told you, I've always loved exploring! Trying new foods, discovering new places, it’s all so fun! And given my…uh…fa…famil…”

“Familiarity?” 

“Yeah, that! Given my familiarity with the wilderness already, the work of a Forest Ranger seemed a natural fit for me when I first arrived here!” She explains, using her hands to gesture around while she talked – something she seemed to do rather often. “I was scared at first, especially when I heard about all the critters and monsters that could be lurking around, but after some convincing from Master, I agreed to join! Then I got my own outfit, my own vision, and I suddenly felt like a whole new person!”

He doesn’t know why listening to her backstory makes him so giddy, but Aether can’t help but smile like a goofy goober as she goes on and on about how she was brought into the pack. Maybe it was a combination of her soft, sweet voice, coupled with her over-enthusiastic demeanor that made her words so compelling, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he was engrossed, and didn’t want to stop listening. 

“I still remember my first day on the job. Master had just come back from a long expedition, and he was really thirsty! He ordered me to fetch him some water from the nearby springs, and to filter it out using a chlorine tablet. I was really nervous, and almost dropped the glass several times! Luckily I managed to get these under control rather quickly, and delivered the glass to Master without any problems!” She exclaims, all boastful and conceited. “This was before my…uh…”

“...Before wh-”

“N–Nothing! I-It was just, before I had proper training! No wonder my balance was so off haha!”

“...”

“...A-Anyway, while we’re on the topic of… pro-fess-ions …what made you want to become a traveler?”

Despite her question being rather simple, Aether finds himself struggling to form a cohesive reply. He’s never been asked such a thing before, surprisingly enough, so he doesn't quite know what to say. While his current ventures were indeed to help find his long-lost sister, he’s never really viewed traveling as a job or profession, even before that point. It was just who he was, it was a part of his character. He was the Almighty Traveler, a name not used as an alias to hide his identity, it’s just…who he was. 

“Hmm…well, come to think of it…I don’t really know.” He truths, invoking a look of confusion to spread against Collei’s face.

“Huh? So you just…woke up one day and decided to become a traveler?”

“Well, not necessarily. I definitely had a reason I think, I just… can't really remember it. If I had to guess, I’m assuming that, just like you, my love for discovering new areas is what motivated me to make my profession. I do vaguely remember loving that as a kid, just running around and exploring – it was a whole lot of fun."

Having a joint characteristic with the Almighty Traveler of all people was a surprise indeed for the young girl, who couldn’t for the life of her get the smile off her face upon uncovering this new revelation. To think someone like her was even capable of sharing any type of similarities with someone so prestigious! Even though their likeness was rather minor, that didn’t stop Collei’s stomach from being enveloped in this warm, fuzzy feeling, one that was clearly reflected in her warm smile. 

By this point, the two had already reached the end of the trail and were now just chatting openly, both patiently waiting for the return of a certain fairy. 

Well, Collei was. Aether on the other hand was waiting for something…more pristine. 

“Ugh, where is she?!” The blonde grunts, running his hands through the golden forest on his head. “Fetching a scarf shouldn’t take this lo-” 

“BOO!” 

“AH!” Aether jolts, flinching a whole six centimeters backwards. “P–Paimon!” He shouts angrily, having zero effect on the smug-faced pixie. “What took you so long?! And why did you just…appear like that?!”

“Well, you asked where Paimon was in a very irritated way. It’s unlike you to be angry, so Paimon just assumed you were possessed by the devil, and tried to scare him out of you!” She says triumphantly – no sarcasm found in her voice. “Did it work?”

The look of unamusement on Aether’s face is perfectly contrasted by the look on Collei’s, who starts laughing hysterically at the two’s banter. 

“At least someone’s happy.” He mutters to himself, shifting his focus back to his ignorant fairy-friend. “Did you get my scarf at least?”

“Oh…uhh…heh…”

“...”

“Look, mister! Gandharva Ville is huge, and Paimon kept getting lost! So many twists and turns, so many identical walls, it’s all so confusing!” She whines, only for Aether to shake his head out of pure disappointment. Collei was tempted to follow suite, but didn't want to offend poor Paimon, seeing as the two weren’t all that close yet. “Some scholars they are! Can't even design good architecture! Hmph!” 

While he was tempted to…well he was tempted to do a lot of things. The worst of which involved using the fine piece of emergency meat in front of him as a suitable enough replacement for the meal he missed out on, but he quickly shut that down so as to not give off a bad impression. He could question her instead, like asking her what she was doing all this time, how it was possible that she heard him in her pocket dimension, but honestly, he just wanted to get this over with so he could have a proper breakfast. 

“...It’s fine.” Aether sighed. It infact, was not fine. “I’ll get it later just…help me clean the statue once we get there, okay?” 

“Hmm, okay!” Paimon agrees – kinda a steal for her since she was planning on helping him out anyway. “Speaking of which, we should be rather close, right Collei?”

“Yep! The Statue of The Seven is up on top of that large rock formation.” She advises, gesturing to the giant stone in front of them. 

“Huh. To think I hadn’t noticed that…”

“It's pretty high up there, isn't it? I wouldn't worry too much, after all, you’re an excellent climber! I’m sure you’ll make it up there without any issues!” Collei says rather confidently. “B–But of course, if you don’t want to climb up there or if you’re afraid, I'm sure Master wouldn't mind if you don't clean the statue!”

“No need to worry.” Aether reassures, placing his hands on his hips. “I’ve climbed much worse back in Monstadt, I think I’ll be fine.” 

“Oh? I guess I'll leave it up to you, then. There's not much footing once you reach the statue, so be careful up there.” She advises – one of her many considerate notions.

And Paimon’ll fly up with you and help with those hard-to-reach areas.” The fairy reaffirms, taking their seclusion as an opportunity to ask questions before they get down and dirty. “Um, by the way, Collei, do you know anything about the Dendro Archon? You know, what's she like?”  

“Uhh, that depends. Are you referring to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata or Lesser Lord Kusanali?”

“Huh? Greater Lord Rukkhadevata?” The look of confusion on both the outlanders’ faces made it obvious that the name was unfamiliar to them, luckily Aether was able to piece things together rather quickly. “Is that the name of the former Dendro Archon?”

“Mhm! Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was Sumeru's first Dendro Archon. She created the rainforests as well as the Wall of Samiel around the desert. Her works provided a means of peaceful living for everyone. – To the people of Sumeru, she is not only a symbol of wisdom but also of power and kindness!” She explains with much eagerness, making it clear that Sumeru’s member of the Seven is a huge inspiration to her. “Unfortunately, she disappeared in a great calamity that occurred a few hundred years ago…”

“Hmm…that sounds familiar…”

“According to what Master has told me, the sages later found the newly born Dendro Archon and whisked her back to Sumeru. To celebrate the reinstatement of their lost deity, the sages dubbed her "Lesser Lord Kusanali" and let her reside in the Sanctuary of Surasthana.”

“Wow…” Paimon marveled. “Then what happened?”

“Well, and then...uh…I'm not too sure what happened, to be honest.” She admits with a bit of shame in her voice. 

“Huh? You're not too sure? But aren't you from Sumeru?” The fairy challenges, only to be met with a look of diapost\roval from Aether. 

“Y–Yeah, I'm from Sumeru, but…uh…”

“Maybe it's difficult to discuss this topic with strangers...If that's the case, the-”

“Paimon!” Aether shushes, clearly annoyed by his companion's constant instigating. “Don’t overwhelm her, we just met!”

“But you said we could ask her last night!” 

“...Yeah well…things are different now! If she doesn't know anything else, then it’s rude of us to keep asking!” 

After a not-so-quiet whispering bout, the traveler and his floating companion set their attention back to Collei, who looks confused, understandably so. 

“Sorry, Collei.” Aether apologizes. “We were just saying that, maybe it's difficult to discuss this topic with strangers...If that's the case, then don't worry, we understand.”

“Hey! That’s what Paimon was going to sa-”

“No, no, it's not that! I'm not trying to hide something from you…besides…I don't consider you two strangers. “You two…are much more than that to me.” 

The amount of conviction and certainty her words carried was the most confusing part, as, by all accounts, they were strangers. They had only properly met today, and they hadn’t spent nearly enough time together to label each other as traditional friends. So why there was this odd sense of…comfortability around the three of them, neither knew. They knew they shouldn’t be this comfortable and friendly around each other so early on…and yet…it felt so right.

“A-Anyway, you two know Amber, right?”

“Wait, Amber?” Aether questions, perking back up at the utterance of her name. “As in, The Outrider of the Knights of Favonius? The three-time Gliding Champion?” 

“Yes, that's her! I once lived in Mondstadt for a while, and she helped me a lot during that time. You could even say that she helped me become a new person. There's no one like Amber! She lives life to the fullest while always adhering to her strong sense of justice. She's ready to answer the call for action at any moment, but is also very understanding of others. She's like the spark that lights the fire in everyone's heart, the campfire that keeps everyone around her warm! If you ask me, she's a prime example of a true Outrider. She's the first person anyone coming to Mondstadt will meet. You can't help but be enthralled by her charm and enthusiasm. Gosh, she's just so amazing! There's no way I'd be where I am today without her. I bet she's even more cool and confident than ever these days! Gliding around and having a whirl of a time. Who knows if I'll ever be able to match her, she’s just so gifted in every category! Ahh, it’ll take years for me to even come close to matching her charm, intelligence or dedication, not to mention her looks! Oh, how is one meant to compete with someone so beautiful?! She’s like what fairytales use to describe the perfect woman! Long flowy hair, large shimmering eyeholes, silky smooth skin. Had she not introduced herself so early on, I probably would’ve mistaken her for being an Archon! She’s just that beautif-”

“...”

“...”

Having just felt as though she stuck her face into a furnace, Collei does her best to back peddle out of this awkward situation, stammering sheepishly as she did. 

“Uhh, hehe...s–sorry…” She mewls, turning her tomato face away from her new friends, the same friends she had just embarrassed herself in front of. 

“Wow, I’ve never seen this side of you, Collei…” Aether notes, not really saying a whole much since they literally just met. 

“...Huh, Paimon thought the work of Outriders was a little different from what you just described, but one thing's for sure...you really like Amber.”

“Uh, hehe, s—sorry...I–I was rambling on just now. I-It must have sounded kinda weird.”

“Hehe, it's alright, Collei. Knowing that you're a friend of Amber somehow makes us suddenly feel a lot closer to you. Right Paimon?” Aether asks, reassuring the red-faced celery stick as his floaty companion nods in agreement. “Plus, I can’t really blame you for being so infatuated with Amber. She is amazing.” 

“How did you know that we've met Amber anyway?” Paimon asks.

“...Well, after I returned to Sumeru, Amber and I have stayed in touch by writing each other letters! – In one letter, she mentioned that Mondstadt was attacked by a fearsome dragon, but the city was saved by a mysterious blonde traveler and their floating companion! I knew you two were the ones she mentioned in the letter the moment I saw you! But…uhh…considering everything you'd been through that day…I thought it'd be inappropriate to bring it up…”

“Ah, so that's how you knew!”

“Yep! So please know that you two have my complete trust, really! I wish I could tell you more about the Dendro Archon, but I had been away from Sumeru for some time, and I haven't read any books...sorry.” Collei laments.

“That's alright! You've already helped us a lot.” Aether notes. “We haven’t even heard of Greater Lord Rukkhadevata or the Sanctuary of Surasthana until you mentioned them, actually.” 

“Oh…then, I'm happy that I was helpful!” Collei rejoices – face morphing into a triumphant smile. You'd think she’d be over it by now, but no. Merely being of help to others still brought Collei huge amounts of joy. In this situation especially. “There is one thing I want to ask, though...if it okay with you. Why do you two want to know about the Dendro Archon? Y—You don’t have to tell me if it’s something personal! Trust me, I get it!” 

“...Shoot.” Aether grumbles to himself, something that’s quickly accompanied by a worried look from his floaty companion. 

He knew this would come up eventually, and yet, he didn’t quite know how to go about things. He didn't usually open up about this kinda stuff to people, especially those he’s just met. Not because he likes his privacy or something pretentious, he just…really didn’t like being pitied. In his mind, there are far more detrimental, more nefarious issues out there for people to worry about. Venting his backstory to people will only generate unnecessary sympathy, of which he needed none of. 

It was tricky though, because he also didn’t like lying. Especially to someone like Collei, who just oozes purity – something that’s strangely common in almost everyone he decides to open up to about this stuff. He figured it was only right that he tell her the truth, seeing as the rest of his stay here will probably be tainted with his immense guilt. 

But then again…they just met! Did he really want to dump his somber upbringing onto such an innocent girl? It might make her sad…

He figures he’ll go with a much simpler, more watered-down version of the story. One that plays out roughly the same, but without all the sorrowful fluff. That way, it won’t technically be a lie…right?

“Hah…well…my sister and I got separated a while back by mistake. I’ve been trying to get to her ever since, but she’s all the way in Snezhnaya, and I don’t quite know how to get there. – So I thought maybe the Archons have some knowledge on not just its location, as well as lend me some useful information on the enemies there and stuff.” 

“...Oh.” Collei expressed, a bit taken back by his tale. 

While she was expecting something more grandiose for his motivation, there was nothing wrong the simplicity. Not every story has to be gut-wrenching and convoluted, some of her best reads come from shorter, more simplistic books…as they were the only one’s she could feasibly get through, but hey. The point still counts. 

“Thank you for telling me, and I hope you find your sister soon!” 

“Don't mention it!” Paimon chimes in. “We are friends after all, right?”

While the two girls exchange smiles, Aether’s left feeling…less than stellar. Despite having good intentions, he still feels extreme remorse for lying to her. Much more than he expected to feel. 

“Hehe, alright. We got a statue to clean!” The fairy speaks up once more, pulling the traveler out of his somber thoughts. 

“You both have my thanks! While you two are up there cleaning, I'll go ahead and inspect the forest canopy, then move on to the facilities down ahead.” Collei advised. “Let's meet back here shortly!”

“Got it.”  

After exchanging a very adventurous nod, the threesome splits into two, with the dynamic duo already making their way up the treacherous rock formation. It wasn’t a hard climb, far from it. But scaling the unfamiliar vines and cutting past the immense foliage is something Aether’s definitely gonna have to get used to, especially with how much he slips at the beginning. Luckily Paimon was there to catch him. 

“Keep up, slowpoke! She teases, pulling him up by the hair. “The faster we get this done, the faster Paimon gets to chow down on some delicious Sumeru delicacies!”

He wanted to counter her, to tell her that he’s also malnourished and tired, but it’s that same lack of energy that prevents him from doing so. Debating the carnivorous fairy was no easy task – most of the time anyway – and he couldn’t afford to exert that much energy right now, especially whilst he’s climbing. 

After a few minor plant stains, he emerges victorious. Having fully overcome the grueling task, that is cardiovascular exercise.

“Woah…it’s so pretty!” Paimon marvels, acting as if this was her first encounter with the mystical shrine. “But why is the Archon up there so small?” 

“Hmm…I don’t quite know.” The Archon was still depicted in the usual stone casing, but her proportion resembled that of a child. 

“Meh, we can worry about that later. Let's get all the dust off first.”

Generating a tiny bit of wind in his palm, Aether acts accordingly, creating a current that swiftly absolves the statue of all clinging bacteria. One of the many perks of being an Anemo user, was that you didn’t need any cleaning utensils to get the job done. For more vigorous and complex tasks sure, but here? Well, the idea of a dust pan was utterly superfluous. 

“What were you doing anyway?” Aether asked out of nowhere. “No way you were stuck in Gandharva Ville for that long…also how did you hear me call you? I thought you couldn’t hear me when you're in your pocket dimension.”

“So many questions…” Chirps the fairy, showing no intention of answering any of them. 

“It was only two.” 

“Same thing.” She mewls sheepishly, probably with a huge smug grin on her face.

To this the blonde just rolls his eyes, dropping the pursuit to find answers. He knew it wouldn’t lead to anything anyway, seeing as the fairy seemed dead set on ignoring his inquiries. 

That was until she spoke up again.

“...Why did you ask?” She questions, peeking around the statue so he’s view.

“...No reason.” He states simply. “Just curious as to what you were doing for nearly half an hour.”

“Half an hour?” She asks again, clearly puzzled by his comment. “But Paimon was only gone for ten minutes!” 

“...Wait, what?” He asked slightly shocked, continuing their chain of ongoing questions. “It’s only been ten minutes since we left Gandharva Ville?”

“Yep.”

“...Huh.” Aether expresses, not really questioning why Paimon of all people was keeping track of the time. “That's odd, I thought a lot more time had passed for some reason…”

“Jeez, was working with Collei really that boring?”

“I–I…wouldn't say that…” Despite it just being one of her usual, tasteless quips, Aether can’t help but get a little defensive in response to the fairy’s comment. He’s tempted to speak up for her, back quickly shelves that idea as the reasonable side of him kicks in, instead going for a much more natural reply. “Maybe it's because I haven't eaten anything, I dunno.”

“Hmm, maybe.” 

An inexplicably long silence follows suit right after their conversation ends, one the fairy is determined to break.  

“But anyway, speaking of Collei, what do you think of her?” She calls out as soon as he starts cleaning again, completely breaking his momentum. 

“...Must you always ask me this every time we meet somebody new?” He asks with a hint of annoyance, circling the statue so she’s out of his peripheral view. 

“Hey!” She pouts, quickly pursuing him. “Paimon just wants to make sure you're getting along with everybody. The last thing we want to do is associate ourselves with people you don’t like!”  

“Well you mustn't fret oh punctilious paimoses.” He childishly quips. “Me and Collei are getting along just fine.” 

“...Is that it?”

“...Uhh…yeah?” 

“Hmm, okay.” She replies simply, quickly going back to work.

“...Wait what?” He audibly expresses, loud enough for her to hear. 

“Huh? What happened?”

“Oh uh….nothing.” He brushes off, happy she doesn’t pursue it any further. “How strange…why did she do that? Paimon almost never ends conversations that abruptly…”

The fairy could read him like a book. Even if his extremely pensive look didn’t give it away, she knew exactly what, or rather who he was thinking about. It was too easy, all she had to do was mention someone in a rather natural way, not elaborate, and boom. His consciousness was now filled to the hilt with thoughts about that person, even as he cleaned the dirted metal plate in front of him, all he could do was think. Think about her, think about Sumeru, and what may lie ahead in this strange, new realm of Teyvat.