Chapter Text
Lumine was wandering around Liyue harbor looking for something to do, suddenly she spotted the ginger-headed Harbinger waving at her. She blushed and walked up to him, intending to greet him but instead flustered and greeted him with,
“Aja-[1]…Shit.”
Realizing her mistake, Lumine stopped time and panicked, she turned around to see Childe, unfrozen and surprised. Suddenly he conjured his water blades and held them up to her neck, not noticing what had happened around him.
“Well Girlie~ nobody, except my family and some other Harbingers know that name. Care to share to the class how you know?” Childe paused and looked around at his surroundings.
“W-wait a minute..why is everyone…,” He turned to Lumine, scared, “frozen?” Childe took one step back in confusion and fear of Lumine.
“…I froze them, I meant to freeze you too but my magic was sloppy, sorry Aj-Childe, but I’ll have to erase this out of your memory. Please don’t make me hurt you..”
“Wait! How do you know my name. Don’t wipe my memory please!” Childe hung his head in a desperate matter, wanting to know.
“Explain to me..please.”
Hesitantly, Lumine stuttered out a meek, “A-alright…well hold on because its a long story.”
About 3,000 years ago (or 8,000 for Lumine), Lumine was separated from her brother and found herself to wake up in old Mondstadt, where the old wind spirit dwelled. Venti, was only a sprite and was in war against the spirit who was holding them in Modern day Storm Terror’s Lair.
The day they seized victory, his dearest friend had passed and he had become the Anemo Archon.
Lumine woke up surrounded by citizens of (old) Mondstadt.“She fell..from the sky?”
“We should get the bard, his floaty friend and Amos.
“Is she our savior from Celestia?”
Murmurs of suspicion and excitement rang in Lumine’s ears.
Suddenly the crowd was parted and a floating spirit as well as a young boy who’s hair was in neat braids approached the confused and dazed girl.
“You must be pretty strong to have fallen from the sky and still survive…” The boy said, looking wistful.
The spirit flew near the boys ear and chirped something inaudible. The boys eyes lit up and extended their hand to Lumine.
“Say would you help us? To gain freedom?”
Lumine was still confused, how long had she been passed out here for? Obviously not long, they saw her fall from the sky. Then her mind split and she gasped for air concentrating on the flashback.
“The arrogance of human kind ends here.”“Lumine!”“Aether! S-sister! Please Don’t do this-”
“Lumine, spread malice, war and anger across these lands I will send you too, then I will bring you both back~”
“No!”
Her half-sister had banished Lumine and Aether to this world. But where was Aether? She lurched up, confusing the citizens and the boy alike and choked out, “Have you seen a boy? Blond, kinda similar to me?”
The boy chuckled at her, and said “We’ll help you find him, but please help us,” He waved his arm, referring to the crowd, “get freedom from the one who holds us within his walls.”
Lumine gulped and took his hand.
“Alright! Thank you so much..?”
“It’s Lumine.”
“Ah! Such a pretty name!”
The floating companion of the boy nuzzled against her cheek and chirped.
“And yours?” Lumine asked.
“I’m…Venti.”
“And your companion?”
“Oh that’s Barbatos!”
The trio, or duo since Barbatos couldn’t really talk chattered away but Lumine still thought of what her (half) sister said.
“Lumine, spread malice, war and anger across these lands I will send you too, then I will bring you both back~”
She could live here forever after she found Aether…
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The plan was simple, assassinate their captor, then they would greet freedom with open hands.
Amos, was a beautiful and skilled archer, quick, fast and an amazing person.
Barbatos was the cuddliest sprite ever, very enthusiastic and loved to create small wind currents.
Venti, however, would play soft-sad tunes, or sometimes happy ones, and mostly hang out with Barbatos.
Lumine knew she had the power to destroy their captor, naturally she decided to.
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Then the day came for Mondstadt and their citizens. Lumine’s power let her hold all elements plus, her own. Corruption.
She and aether were world-travellers, created to spread chaos or blessings in each world they travelled to.
Lumine was the Goddess of war, death, famine, misfortune, you name it.
While Aether was the God of goodness, peace, love, beauty and more.
And then there was their half-sister.
Lumine and Aether’s father was a regular mortal from their world but their mother was a Goddess.
Their half-sister was birthed of the same mother but not the same father. Her father was corrupted, like Lumine.
Their half-sister was born with powers of both misfortune and beauty. Their sister was more prized (in their vision), she took less time to give blessings or war. She thought she was superior to the twins, all she wanted was more love from her mother; But that woman cherished the twins more.
She took the opportunity when they were jumping worlds and sent them to a far world from theirs.
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The plan went smoothly, Lumine used Pyro on the captor and his winds surrounding the temple fell with him. A roar of victory cried, yet there was something wrong.
Suddenly barrages of arrows fell from the sky, the final blow of their captor, They knew. (What I mean of this is that their captor knew of their plan and had set a trap, if their captor were to die, he would take all the citizens down with him)
Quickly, Barbatos used his small wind currents to save the citizens, saving all of them. But, he was too late to save one.
“!!” A surprised and urgent chirp was heard and Barbatos dashed to a fallen figure.
Lumine gasped, she knew she would bring something terrible. Falling to her knees, she cried and cried. Finally she found enough strength to look up to see Barbatos, completely different…
“Wh-what!” Barbatos voice shook. And he was bestowed the honor of the Anemo Archon.
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500 years later (pretend that Tsaritsa is one of the original seven for the sake of this fic :>)
Barbatos aquatinted himself with his fellow archons, Morax, The Tsaritsa, the Inazuma Archon; Choku, and Fontaine’s Archon; Loqer. Somehow, Lumine found herself also aquatinted with them.
Lumine got along very well with Morax, Choku and especially, the Tsarista. The Tsaritsa was warm-hearted, ironic for her being the Cyro archon. But she was, to Lumine referred to as “best friend” or “Rola”. Lumine also took the liberty of showing that she could only use Pyro, to hide her identity. She opened up to Rola however and told her everything, her brother, her half-sister and her life.
Barbatos took the form of his old friend and even took his name.
“So I won’t forget him..” Venti said to Lumine as a tear ran down his cheek. One night for Venti, it got so bad he went to the tree at windrise and try to hurt himself. Luckily, Lumine was near the area and stopped him before he could do anything extreme. Lumine sat next to Venti on a stray branch and started to feel sleepy. Venti’s sniffles alerted her and so, Lumine reached out and wiped the tear off his cheek. Lumine also started tearing up, Lumine hugged Venti in and they both freely cried for their friend. Venti finished squeezed Lumine. “Thank you.” Venti whispered barely audible. Lumine watched Venti’s figure retreat into the night and gracefully fly to who knows where.
“Of course…”
Why was she always there to help others? 400 years and they still couldn’t find her brother. Was it time to resort to what her sister commanded?
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Time skip: 500 years
“Please! Lumine, Morax stop!” Venti begged.
The two were at each others throats.
Morax summoned his spear back and raised his arms to summon a barrage of stone spears while Lumine was holding a ball of corruption energy. Morax was about to drop all his spears down on her, when she suddenly fainted. All the evil aura in the air migrated back to her body.
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Lumine was sick of it. Her brother had not descended to this world, and the Archons were no help at all. It was a desperate time and it definitely, for Lumine, called for desperate measure to show her corruption power.
Originally, She started with Inazuma, bringing death to all things living, then she went to Liyue. That’s where Morax stopped her.
“Well isn’t this a pleasant surprise Morax~” She cooed.
“Lumine. What has gotten into you?” He seethed, confusion and anger boiling. Venti was watching grin afar as well as Rola. Morax had called them over for a reunion since it had been 30 years. She also called Lumine to join but she said instead, “I’m in Inazuma. I’m looking for my brother. Sorry!” Although Morax found that suspicious, he let it slide. The three were having a great time when suddenly there was a rain of thunder. Quickly, the three rushed out and stared at the purple sky. Lumine was making her way towards the borders of Liyue.
“Lumine! What happened in Inazuma! Is Choku okay?” Venti asked, worried. Everything looked dried and shriveled.
“Ah yes…it’s quite the improvement,” she cackled, “what do you think?”
Morax suddenly attacked her and commanded the other two Archons to retreat.
“Lumine…” Rola cried.
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Having fainted, the three archons took advantage of it and Venti, suggested they throw her into the Abyss. Morax agreed but Rola, was hesitant. She had loved her friend, really. Could it have been all just a misunderstanding? She bit her lip in contemplation and silently nodded to agree to the proposal. The three carried her body and took her to the mouth of the Abyss. Gently Venti put her body on an anemo current and lifted her body down inside. Morax called for Guizhong and they performed a number of Geo symbols as well as Venti.
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Time Skip: 4,000 years
Lumine’s head was in a splitting ache. Where was she? She recalled having fought Morax, Venti and…Rola. Silently she cringed at the thought she lost. In truth, she was stronger than all Archons combined. She truly did not want to hurt her friends but she needed her brother. She sighed and decided to fall right back into deep sleep.
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Time skip: 3,956 years (Ajax is 14 Lumine is…old) Story starts in 43 years. 3992
Ajax had fallen into the hands of the Abyss. The darkness engulfed him but, luckily, Lumine awoke after another (almost), 4,000 years of sleep. Lumine quickly put on a disguise and created an alias, Pulcinella.
“Get up child.”
Ajax stirred but did not wake, Lumine instead kicked him in the side and he woke with a jolt.
“Who are you?!” He screamed.
“Get up,” Lumine persisted.
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The Abyss had changed Lumine even more than the obsession of getting her brother. Abyss mages bowed down to her power and in effect of that, the Abyss order was created. She no longer had her bubbly, happy personality, she was hardened to the core.
Lumine knew nothing of what was happening on the surface. She wondered in her dreams how Morax, Venti and Rola were doing. Perhaps, there was a way out of here.
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“So who are you?” The child asked, curious what this place was and what it held.
“I am Pulcinella. This place is the abyss, it is a place where darkness is born. Now get up child, or you will surely die.”
The child scrambled up in awe at the girl and suspicion.
“Are you strong? We should fight!”
“Who are you and how did you get here?” Lumine inquired, ignoring his antics completely.
“Oh! I’m Ajax, I’m from Snezhnaya…I…fell here, I think.”
Lumine finger nails dug into her skin from this child’s stupidness. Snezhnaya…oh she missed Rola. And from there she thought of a plan.
“Child, I will help you to Snezhnaya, but bring me to your Archon.”
“Alright…” Ajax replied, suspicious of her but eager to get out.
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Time skip: 36 years
The two finally made a plan to escape and put it into action. Morax’s seals were seen everywhere, as well as some of Guizhong’s and Venti’s. Lumine could’ve escaped put of the Abyss anytime but decided to rest in the Abyss instead. When the boy came along she decided to act, making it seem impossible to escape. Yet she made a human seeming possible plan and they were free.
“Oh Ajax, time travels different in the Abyss. While we were in there for almost 40 years out here, it’s been 4 days. Let me fix you…”
The boy shrunk to what he looked like before and he stared at her in awe.
“Alright, let’s go to the Archon then.” He smiled.
Lumine was starting to grow nervous, what if she saw through her disguise?
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Luckily, she didn’t. She introduced herself as “Pulcinella” and a follower of the Tsaritsa. She almost said Rola but caught herself before she could. After, she asked the Tsaritsa if she could become a servant for her, which the Tsaritsa formed the Fatui from.
Her disguises led her to whatever she wanted to do. She smiled wickedly under her coat, “Time to bring havoc to Teyvat.”
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8 years, Ajax had grown since he came out of the Abyss, technically he was 58 years old. But was trapped in a small body. He was thankful for Pulcinella. When he heard she also served the Cyro Archon he was happy, he could follow in her footsteps. So when the Tsarista’s servants came knocking at his door for examinations and tests to become a Harbinger he was overjoyed.
Three exams later, he was appointed as Tartaglia. The 11th and (not so) youngest Harbinger.
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While this was going on Aether had found himself saving a floaty thing named “Paimon” and making his way to Mondstadt.
When Venti had seen the boy, his eyes widened. He was a splitting image of Lumine. He was going to go hostile and ask him who he was when Dvalin summoned disastrous wind currents, similar to their past captor. Aether however, to Venti’s demise, helped Venti to calm him down. Although still wary, Venti had remembered that Lumine had said she brought chaos while her brother brought peace. Venti would still keep an eye on the twin though.
Soon enough, the boy was the town hero. Beloved by all, he had saved the dragon, and helped the citizens with their chores and favors. However as Mondstadt was celebrating, a familiar blonde was seething.
Her new plan was simple, she would take her twins place in Liyue and act as if she was looking for her lost brother. Her brother however would be in Fontaine. She sent one of her Abyss mages to the area and dropped the tickets to Fontaine on the floor near the duo. Paimon picked them up and acted as if they were her own. And their plan was successful.
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Lumine went back into her old form, blonde, to make the citizens less wary of her. They wouldn’t want to see a Harbinger in Liyue. That’s when she spotted Ajax. No disguise at all, she quickly went into a woman’s washroom and changed top Pulcinella. She stormed out towards the younger Harbinger and yanked his hair.
“Are you daff? Walking around with your costume? What do you think it is, huh? Halloween?” She whisper-shouted into his ear.
“AHHH! Pulcinella! OUCH! OK I GET IT! XIANGSHENG HELP MEEE!”
A fine dressed man came out and yanked Ajax away from “Pulcinella”.
In the process he lost a few hairs and his eyes were teared.
“I deserved that, I know. But Pulcinella! I haven’t seen you in so long!” He exclaimed. He tried to get her into a hug but the other Harbinger pushed the hug away. She was getting a bad feeling from this “Xiangsheng” person.
“And who is this?” She sighed, sick of Ajax’s attempts to try and embrace her.
“I am Zhongli, I am an aqquantice to the Fatui for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. And you?”
“Tartaglia..Can I ask you to step outside for a moment?”“Oh sure. I’m going to go get something to eat then.”
“Thank you..,” She waited until he was out of earshot.
“What is it you wanted to talk abo-“
“Cut the act Morax.” She seethed, cutting off the Archon.
His eyes went wide then narrowed.
“Lumine, I suspected.” He nodded curtly, “Now, what if we finish our ah, business outside?”
“Of course.”
The two walked to a secluded area, they wanted to fight each other, not kill the whole city. Lumine knew of her brother now but also wanted revenge on her friends for throwing her in the Abyss.
Morax lunged first kicking his spear at her, missing completely.
“Ah you’re getting sloppy.” chuckled Lumine, in return of his move she froze the harbor around so that no passerby’s would see. She also changed into her Lumine form as it was the most comfortable for her.
Fighting Morax would be tedious so instead, she wiped the memories of her from his mind and resumed the time of Liyue. Little did she know a bard was watching the whole thing.
“Lumine! Stop please!” He cried.
“I’m not going to hurt him, I just wiped his memories of me…best I do it for you too.”
And so she did what she said she would. The Archon and the Bard were fast asleep and slowly forgetting memories of her.
“Now, let’s let the show begin.”
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She walked back to Liyue with Zhongli. She had introduced herself as Lumine and she was looking for her twin brother. Zhongli kindly introduced himself and took it upon himself to introduce her to Childe.
She cackled at the situation, how could a Archon be so weak?
Childe had a bag of food with him and was confused when he saw Lumine with him instead of Pulcinella.
“Hey Xiangsheng! Where did Pulcinella go?”
“Ah she left after we spoke business, said something urgent for the Fatui.”
“I see…and who is this?”
“I found her on the ground, she was fainted and so, I helped her and brought her here. She is looking for her twin brother. Apparently they are not from thi- Ah!”
Zhongli fell to the ground, he was having an ear-splitting head ache.
“Xiangsheng! Are you ok?”
“I-I’m fine.” He brushed it off and asked Lumine to get acquainted to Childe.
“Ah nice to meet you I’m Lumine.”
“What a pretty name for as pretty person~ I’m Childe.”
Lumine stared at him as if there was a bug oh his face.
“What?” He asked smile faltering.
“Nothing,” Under her breath though she murmured, “Play-boy, tch.”
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The story progressed as if she was Aether. She “protected” the Gnosis, met Xiao, and battled Childe.
She exclusively used her Anemo powers and only aquatinted most of herself with Childe. And didn’t care about the aftermath of the Harbor. Of course she helped to “fix” it. And that’s when she saw Childe.
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“There, that’s the story.” Lumine said to Childe. Ajax was in awe, he truly admired her now.
“If you’re mad, I’m so sorry and I can take the spell off of Zhongli and Ve-!!”
He gave her a hug which she tried to escape from and yelped “Wha-!”
“Take it, you need it. I can’t believe this, wow wow wow wow.”
She awkwardly accepted the hug and sighed contently.
“I’ll help you find your brother.”“Thank you…Ajax.”
[1]- Ajax is Childe's birth name