Work Text:
Venti can't bear it. He just can't.
"Morax, please…" He begs, as he grabs his arm. "Don't…"
Morax looks at him through his stone mask, and Venti knows perfectly why he is wearing it.
"Barbatos… It has to be done." His golden gaze looks at him through the mask, shaking off his grip. "I… I'm sorry."
What have they told him? What is it? They threatened Liyue as they did with Mondstadt? He would never tell him, not as long as the contract is active.
"I… I can't. I can't do this…" The Anemo Archon didn't sign for this. He isn't like that. He… he just seeks for the freedom of his land and for them to be carefree and happy.
Barbatos. Do it.
Mondstadt… He has to do it for Mondstadt. For the people that are hoping for him to protect them. They believe in him. He can hear their prayings, their wishes, every time his name is mentioned.
They would destroy Mondstadt. They would make them be caged again. They… they don't care about humans.
He looks around. He looks at the massive destruction the Archons have made. Dendro and Pyro are burning everything down, the sparks of Electro reacting with Hydro conducted by Cryo are all over the place, sometimes meeting with the fire and provoking explosions that make entire buildings fall.
But that is not the worst. It was an infernal scenario, but what makes Venti shiver and be on the verge of the tears, is the people there. Entire families, men and women, children, screaming at the disaster. Begging to be saved. Venti can only imagine his people in the same situation, and it breaks his heart.
Why are the other Archons taking part in this? Their nations were threatened as well? Do they have any interest on this?
"Come on, Barbatos." Morax grabs his hand, and an earthquake shakes the land under their feet. In the distance, he hears the crack of the ground and screams of innocent people.
If he blows… just a sigh, and half of the entire city would blow up. The fire would extend like the water, and possibly burn people alive.
Dear friend, this is not what I wanted for you to see. I'm sorry, so sorry.
He closes his eyes. He feels Morax embrace from behind, and the tears start to fall.
They woke him up just… for this?
Venti wakes up, sweating and hyperventilating.
What…? What was that…? There was a city, and then…
"Venti? Are you okay?"
His roommate appears at the door. Venti looks at him, surprised.
"Yes? It was just… a bad dream."
A weird dream. He, a God? And that city… that people…
"You were screaming, are you sure you're okay?" He says as he approaches him.
"I'm okay, don't worry. Go to bed, tomorrow we have classes and it's still…" Venti looks at the clock. "3 a.m."
"If you're sure… Call me if you need something."
"Sure, don't worry. Good night." Venti smiles.
"Good night."
He goes out from his bedroom and Venti picks up the pillow and turns it upside down. It is said that this prevents having another nightmare.
But when finally Venti falls asleep again, the dream continues.
"Barbatos…"
"Don't. Just… don't. Don't try to tell me it was for the best, Morax."
Venti looks at the moon. In Fontaine, there is a special sight of the moon. A shame that something so beautiful like that couldn't be seen for the people that died.
"I won't. It's not my intention to lie. I'm just going to tell you that you didn't have an option."
"No one had an option, right? Neither do you. But that doesn't change the fact we have killed innocent people." Venti looks at him directly. His emerald eyes are surrounded by a light red. "This isn't what I wanted. This isn't why I fought. I never wanted to be an Archon, less for doing this."
"I can't say I don't understand you, but it has to be done. Sometimes, we have no choice but to do what we have."
"Is that how you excuse it? I wish I could do the same." Venti smiles bitterly, and drinks from his bottle of wine. "Ask the other Archons what they think about this. They are even younger than us. See how our lovely Tsaritsa reacted. And what is Sumeru going to do without their Archon until they pick a new one? As for our God of Justice… Does she really think this was justice? Even the lady of the war knew this wasn't a fair battle"
Morax closes his eyes for a second, thinking about it. Giving it a second thought. Venti knows how he has passed the Archon War, even if Venti barely participated. He's used to having death under his spear. But one thing is a fair fight between two gods, alike, and another is the extermination they did with that city… just because Celestia wanted them to.
"I don't think I can… I can't with this, Morax. It hurts so much." Venti puts a hand over his chest, above his heart. "This hurts. And I don't know how to fix it. Maybe godhood is too much for a little wind spirit like me."
"Barbatos, you…" Morax sighs. "You are too kind."
Venti can't resist anymore, and throwing his empty bottle to the ground, he flies and lets Morax hold him while he tries not to cry on his chest.
He fails.
"I just want to fall asleep again, Morax…" Sleeping doesn't hurt. Not as it hurts now. "And never wake up."
"Venti! Venti, wake up!"
Venti opens his eyes. His roommate is over him, his hands over his chest and his face close to him, as if he's ready to reanimate him.
"Finally, you're awake. You were screaming again and mumbling things, are you sure you're okay? I was trying to wake you up but you didn't seem to hear me."
"As long as you don't stay over me, yes. You're heavy." Venti laughs. "I'm fine, I just had another weird dream."
He obeys and stands at his side.
"Do you want me to stay here or…?"
"It's not necessary" He says, hiding his red cheeks in the pillow. "I would be fine…"
"If this happens again, I will come and Don't let you alone. I'm seriously worried."
"You're overreacting. I'm okay."
His roommate only sighs and goes out of the bedroom again. Venti checks the clock, 4.15 a.m. Too soon for him to wake up, so he reaches his bottle of water that is over his nightstand and drinks a bit. It's not wine, but he hopes it does something.
This time he lasts more in falling asleep. He turns and turns over his bed, trying to reach the perfect position but always being uncomfortable. Maybe it's because of his fear of having that nightmare again, maybe because he doesn't understand what he is dreaming.
Finally the day has come. The day where mortals and immortals confront a common enemy: Celestia.
The Tsaritsa has reached her objective, and using the seven gnosis she leads the rebellion against Celestia, against those who made their lives miserable. Those who claim to care about humans but only see for themselves.
He would always be the first to take his bow and arrows against the tyrants. It's not his first time in a rebellion after all, but he would make sure it's the last. The enemy is different but the objective is the same: freedom. Not only for Mondstadt but for all Teyvat.
The battle is intense, almost reminding him of Old Mondstadt. Celestia's buildings, tall and perfect, are now on fire. The twins are at both sides of the Tsaritsa, also leading the war, as for the Archons behind them are fighting with the power they have, remains of their gnosis.
It has been too much time since he fought like that. He is the weakest Archon, not used to combat.
"Barbatos!"
Morax's voice is a distant sound while he feels a piercing pain in his chest. When he looks down, he sees his blood tainting a golden arrow, which his winds were unable to stop.
Suddenly a rock shield appears around him, while he falls. He doesn't meet the ground, but a comfortable pair of arms. When he looks up, he sees Morax's golden gaze almost in tears.
He smiles.
"Don't tell me… you're going to cry" Venti tries to laugh, but even that hurts.
Isn't it poetic? Dying for an arrow as the person he took the form.
At least he was able to show him the world.
"Barbatos, resist. I'm sure someone can…"
"The wind sometimes stops blowing…"
"Don't say that, and don't fall asleep, we still have too many things to live after this."
He wished things would have been different. He only wanted to play songs and drink until Morax had to carry him home and make his sobering tea while scolding him, but then he would smile and probably Venti would make something that he would have laughed at.
He just wanted to say so many things that now are just written in songs.
"You're right… I'm sorry…" Venti lifts a hand and caresses his cheek, helping him with a little whirlwind. "I… I love you…"
Before losing his conscience he hears a painful growl of a dragon, and then his eyes close… to never open again.
"Venti!" The voice… it's the same? "Venti, enough, I'm sleeping here, you are worrying me."
He feels an embrace from behind, and he has not to turn to know his roommate has a flustered but serious face. He's used to do that when Venti has nightmares, but normally they aren't that hard and Venti usually bear them without screaming or alerting his friend.
"You're overreacting…" He laughs.
It's just a dream. A weird thing his mind had invented for… He doesn't know. It's not like that's going to happen.
"I don't care about what you say, you buffoon."
Venti accommodates himself into his arms.
"Well, let's see if you're good as a dreamcatcher." Venti says, feeling his cheeks on fire when he feels his arms dragging him closer. "Good night, Zhongli."
This time, he falls asleep more easily, feeling protected by his arms.
When he's in the border between the real world and the dreams, he hears something he may have imagined, may not. Still, it is too blurred to remember it correctly, but he can swear that, before letting himself submerge into a heavy sleep, he heard Zhongli's voice from behind, almost a whisper, that said:
"I will protect you, Venti." He even thinks he feels a light touch over his chest. "Not like the last time."