Archive of Our Own ^beta

Life is merciless, cruel, and harsh— these truths are engrained in Aether’s mind the further across the stars he travels; he hops from world to world, and yet this constant stays the same. He watches galaxies implode on themselves, collapsing under the weight of the void, planets reduced to ashes floating within space (hell, Aether’s been the cause of such destruction), wars waged from pleas of freedom, death and decay and devastation. Aether has seen it all.

There are small mercies like Lumine incessantly dragging him into taverns, her hand warm and the drinks warmer, the old lady who teaches him to knit well enough to make Lumine and himself a matching scarf because twins should always match, the lady says, a child offering him an apple when they sit on the fountain together. There’s the girl who insists she hates him but covers him in a blanket when it‘s cold, the man who gives him and Lumine hot chocolate during the winter; Aether tucks their names and their acts into his memory and immortalizes them there because when they pass, when their world crumbles, Aether will be the only one who remembers them.

Life is merciless, cruel, harsh, and Aether has seen it tear families, friends, countries, and universes apart, and so he vows to be better.

When a lady begs at his feet for him to let her stay the night in his inn room, Aether takes her inside, tricks the guards searching for her, and invites her to join him and Lumine for breakfast. When the world leaders are on the brink of war, Aether speaks to both of them on behalf of their citizens. He plays with a little boy without any friends, cooks food for a starving man, offers his hands wherever he can because he knows he’s more capable than most, if not all. Life is merciless, but Aether is not.

Life is merciless, cruel, harsh, and Aether has seen it tear families, friends, countries, and universes apart, and so he vows to be worse.

When a fleet ambushes their group, barreling into the room with guns blazing, Aether shields his troops and kills all the enemies without hesitation. When a city learns what Aether is capable of and tries to exploit him for it, he hands Lumine the match and doesn’t stop her from setting it all aflame. He has long lost count of the beings he’s slayed, stopped trying to wash the blood off his hands, doesn’t bat an eye at bloodshed because sometime, no matter how deeply stowed in his memory it is, he’s seen worse. Life is cruel, but Aether is crueler.

Teyvat is both similar and different to the other worlds he’s been to. Magic, fantasy, nations, gods- it’s all familiar to him, concepts he’s experienced before, the same words in another language. Perhaps what makes Teyvat so impressive is that Aether doesn’t stand out as much. Without his own powers to lean on, his abilities aren’t unfathomable to Teyvat, though without his own powers to lean on, Lumine is completely invisible, and that makes Aether scared.

It’s not the first time he’s been scared, but it is the first time he hasn’t had the glowing assurance pulsing under his skin that he could do something about it.

There are still small mercies like Paimon teaching him the language, and the first sentence she says is a promise to stay and help him. In Mondstadt, Venti’s laughter is rambunctious and he tumbles through the city like a tornado, infectiously endearing and reminding Aether too much of Lumine. Zhongli is an unshakeable presence, constant and reassuring, always with a new story to tell.

There are bothersome things as well. Aether’s work for the Adventurer’s Guild never ends, a cycle of doing and doing and doing and never getting what he asks for in return. His sister is missing and no one seems to care, no one seems to help, and Aether slowly grows more and more tired.

(He finds Lumine in a domain, cold and distant and nothing like his sister, standing with the enemy. She is the enemy. She turns around and leaves him, grasping at the sparks of her portal, trying desperately to make sense of the thin threads she’d given him, and he still doesn’t have an answer.)

By the time Aether arrives in Inazuma, he’s more than done with Teyvat; it’s already the longest amount of time he’s ever spent in one world, the longest amount of time he’s ever spent without Lumine, and the longest amount of time he’s ever been without an answer to his questions. He’s almost certain the Archons are lying to him about knowing nothing of Lumine, but for as unfair as it is, he understands why Zhongli can’t tell him and he likes Venti too much to ask.

It doesn’t stop him from being angry with them, and Celestia, and Teyvat, and Lumine most of all because he knows she’s a schemer and knows she probably bribed people not to give him information. He’s almost more sure she’s writing his journey behind the scenes and slotting him into place than he is about people lying to his face.

It’s rare for Aether to go a day without feeling frustration spark in his gut. It’s getting harder to keep the embers from rising in his throat and spilling out his mouth. Aether doesn’t want to be rude, but he also doesn’t want to be used, and it’s becoming increasingly obvious that that’s all people want him for.

He agrees to help with the Vision Hunt Decree not because he’s saddened by the citizens’ stories or cares for the nation (though it’s not like he doesn’t do these things; if there’s one thing the Traveler isn’t, it’s heartless) but because he has a feeling this is where he’s supposed to be, and Lumine’s visit in the domain was to ignite anger in his stomach and she knew it. If she wants him to play into her hands, be a pawn on her chessboard, a character in her novel, then fine. Fine.

(There’s a tiny part of him that hopes someone in Inazuma, whether it’s the Archon or Yae Miko or one of the Commissioners or even just a random passerby on the street will know something. Anything. Every time that hope comes up, Aether stamps it down.)

Losing his powers has, for lack of better word, sucked for reasons beyond lacking Lumine’s presence. The final blow Baal dealt him still clings to his skin; normally, he would’ve shaken it off in a matter of minutes. Instead, it’s been a couple hours. Paimon hasn’t moved from his side, not even disappearing when he launches into a fight, floating a safe distance away with her eyebrows pinched and her nose scrunched. Though he was waking up from Baal’s attack and still semi-unconscious, he remembers her tiny hands shaking his shoulders. He doesn’t comment on her flying closer to him than usual.

He spots another soldier in the pink resistance uniform, cowering as enemies approach from all sides. Aether doesn’t think twice before cleaving through the one in the back, and with strikes of Electro and his sword, he tears through the two foes with relative ease. When he turns around to offer a hand to the solider, he’s already stood up, sighing.

“Phew, you saved me. I thought I was about to die,” he whines, though he sounds slightly more annoyed than scared. He brightens after brushing himself off, and when he beams at Aether, he can see the sun in his smile. “Thank you so much for your help! I’m Teppei of the Gobius Platoon. I’m with the resistance.”

“I gathered that,” Aether interrupts (there’s more bite in his voice than he intends to have, but he’s tired of people spilling their life stories, sue him), and when Teppei cocks his head, he sweeps a hand over the man’s body and adds, “from your uniform.”

Teppei looks down at his clothing with a chuckle. “Ah, yeah. Makes sense. I was sent to the front line just recently — I was looking forward to doing my part...” he laughs again, more nervously, and rubs his forehead like he’s admonishing himself. “Instead, it seems I fell at the first hurdle.”

“So, uh...” Teppei’s eyes dart between Aether and Paimon, “you aren’t dressed like resistance fighters.” Out the corner of his eye, Aether sees Paimon grin like she always does whenever she’s acknowledged alongside Aether (it’s something he really wants to bring up, but Paimon hasn’t given him any information about her past before being fished out the lake, and with how people’s stories typically go in Teyvat, Aether doesn’t want to ask).

“Have you come here looking to sign up?” Teppei doesn’t try hard, if at all, to hide his excitement.

“Yes,” Aether responds plainly.

“Great!” Teppei cheers, clapping his hands. “Just the other day I heard General Gorou complaining about how desperate we are for more people.”

“Reasonable,” interjects Aether.

“Well then, your support will make a big difference. I’ll escort you back to our camp, but first, let me bring you up to speed on our current situation.”

Teppei doesn’t give much new information, but Aether is grateful for the recap. He even laments his lack of vision, wishing to shoulder the burden of the resistance. It’s admirable. Most people in Teyvat have been lazy.

“No,” is all the explanation Aether offers when Teppei asks about his vision. Paimon fills in what Aether doesn’t.

Teppei is more concerned with Aether being immune to the Vision Hunt Decree than anything else, and he quickly offers to introduce him to the General. Straight to the goal with no senseless praise— Teppei is becoming less and less of an annoyance the longer Aether talks to him.

“While getting back might be a bit easier on land,” Teppei explains, “I took a boat to get here. We’ll take it back, then climb the mountain to get to camp. Come on!”

Aether trails behind as Teppei leads him to the boat. He leans close to Paimon, whispering, “What do you think?”

Paimon’s proven to be both an excellent and terrible judge of character; she often judges people to quick or too harshly, teasing or mocking or irking, but in the quiet moments when Aether asks for her honest opinion, she’s never been wrong. Paimon stares at Teppei’s back in silence, finally deciding, “I like him.”

(She doesn’t smile, though. Aether catalogues it.)

He steps onto the boat after Teppei, who goes for the wheel despite likely knowing Aether is better at steering. Content to let others do the work for once, Aether sits close to the back of the boat and listens to the engines hum as they shoot through the water.

“I didn’t get your name,” Teppei calls from up ahead. “Or either of your names, for that matter.”

“Paimon!” she cheerfully replies.

“Traveler,” Aether says, neutral.

“No.” Teppei waves a hand, and the boat lists slightly without his hand on the wheel. “I gathered that,” he gestures to Aether’s outfit with a grin. “I meant your name.”

Aether blinks. He tries to recall the last time someone asked for his name. He thinks it was Katheryne when he signed up for the Adventurer’s Guild. Aside from Paimon, Venti, and Zhongli, he’s not even sure anyone in Teyvat knows his name.

“Aether,” he says, quietly. His own name feels foreign on his tongue. He can’t remember the last time he had to give it.

Teppei’s smile widens. “Nice to meet you, Paimon and Aether.” He turns back to the wheel. Aether turns over his memories.

He had to give Katheryne his name in order to register for the Guild, but she never calls him it. Venti didn’t even have to ask; though he frequently calls him ‘Traveler,’ his real name slipped out when he was drunk and Aether was hauling him to the room the Knights’ gave him as thanks for Stormterror, and he almost dropped him on the concrete. Zhongli had politely requested his name when they first met up after his trade with La Signora. He’d hummed and nodded and never used his name. Aether’s name was the first thing he ever told Paimon, and she mixes it and ‘Traveler’ the same way she mixes her own name and ‘I.’

He’s never had someone pick his name over ‘Traveler.’ He’s never had someone volunteer to do the work and let him sit around. He’s never had anyone care enough to.

The corners of his lips turn up. He wonders when the last time he smiled was, too.

“You can be strong without a Vision,” Aether says when the silence has stretched for a minute too long. The boat rocks a little at the full sentence, but Aether doesn’t comment on it. Instead, he continues, “There are plenty of ways to fight without magic.”

Teppei laughs a little. “If only I was any good at them.”

They arrive at the camp. Paimon marvels at the sights as they find the resistance; it doesn’t take long with Teppei leading the way, and for a common soldier, he’s well known enough for the General to agree to see them without much effort.

Teppei gives their meeting story, Gorou the resistance’s, and so Aether recounts his fight with Baal, and when their eyes widen with disbelief, Paimon adds detail. Without delay, Gorou welcomes them to the ranks, and Teppei’s enthusiasm is palpable.

As they walk towards the field hospital, Teppei leans his head back and asks, “Why did you rebel against the Raiden Shogun?”

“She stole Thoma’s vision,” Aether replies like it’s simple, and that’s that.

They speak to Teppei’s friends, and Teppei embellishes his part of the story, though Aether’s contributions are honest. Aether doesn’t correct him because Teppei winks at him when the other two soldiers aren’t looking, and who is Aether to deny him a little fun? Teppei leaves the choice of which healing herb to collect up to Aether, and since Aether already has plenty of wolfhook on hand, he offers it.

“Oh,” Teppei hesitates a moment before reaching for the wolfhook, but he brushes it off. “Never mind. I guess this was probably the safer option.”

Aether shakes his head. “I already had it on hand. It wasn’t about preference.”

Teppei blinks, then smiles. He thanks Aether for his help. Just for that, when Aether helps dress the soldiers’ wounds, he pushes a bit of dormant Anemo into his hands; he doesn’t know much about healing with Anemo, but he does know how to heal in general, and it’s not much different.

“The Musou no Hitotachi...” Aether mumbles as the move to the archery field. “One of your friends brought it up.”

Teppei nods. “It’s the Raiden Shogun’s most impressive feat. There’s not a single soul in Inazuma who hasn’t heard of it.”

“Yeah,” Aether mutters, and Paimon’s eyebrows crunch. “There isn’t.”

This time when Teppei brags about Aether’s achievements to the archers, he plays along; he puffs his chest, hands on his hips, eyes closed. As expected, the pair of soldiers are beyond impressed, and though it’s been a long time since Aether last used a bow, he agrees to offer a demonstration. Bows certainly aren’t his favorite weapon, and he knows Lumine doesn’t favor them much either; Aether needs a heftier weapon to plow through his enemies, and Lumine doesn’t like the long range. Regardless, while he’s no expert archer, he’s more than skilled enough for a suitable demonstration.

They’re unfortunately interrupted by the Shogun’s Army attacking; Aether and Teppei barely spare a glance before sprinting into the fray. Aether takes the lead, going for the mightier opponents while Teppei works on the littler enemies. Aether wipes out all the squad but the one Teppei took care of.

Teppei volunteers them for fence repairs, and when Aether’s shoulders sag a fraction at the work, he proposes a contest. As soon as his words finish, Aether sprints to the first wooden planks he sees, leaving a sputtering Teppei and giggling Paimon behind.

It’s takes the better part of an hour for them to fully fix the fence, and for as competitive as Aether is, he intentionally collects only the bare minimum, leaving more wood for Teppei to find. Though a part of him is disappointed to lose, Teppei’s laughter rings loudly and his smile is blinding, and that’s all that really matters.

(He remembers a similar contest with Lumine, tripping over his feet to keep up; she didn’t hold back, friendly competition or not, and she could and would stomp on his feet if it meant winning. Aether had lost then too, though genuinely that time, and his sister’s smile had been just as bright.)

“Alright, that should do it. The Shogun’s Army will have a hard time getting past this, no matter how determined they are. It seems I’ve made another valuable contribution to the resistance, but why does it always have to be logistics work!” Teppei’s cheering fades into grumbles. “I thought getting transferred to the front line would be a chance to showcase my abilities and square off with the enemy. Instead, here I am doing what I’ve always done before.”

Paimon asks what Aether thinks. “Why are you so insistent on being on the front line?”

“It’s like General Gorou said: we joined the resistance because of our warrior’s will. There are a multitude of ways to contribute to the resistance, but who wouldn’t want to take out a few Shogunate Samurai, given the chance? Anyway, we got more than we bargained for inspecting the camp! Let’s report back to General Gorou.”

It’s a clear topic change, and there’s a story hidden between his words, but Aether thinks of Lumine and her strategies and says, “Every way is equally as valuable,” then turns to head to camp.

Gorou isn’t there; according to the solider stationed at his post, there’s conflict on the front lines. Teppei doesn’t think twice before suggesting they should go help, and Aether doesn’t argue, so the two hurry towards where the conflict is erupting, Paimon trailing behind them.

Aether duels, beating the army’s soldiers with absolute ease (what a waste of time, honestly), then the real battle erupts. As soldiers on all sides lock in combat, Aether loses Teppei in the crowd, and he spins in a circle, scanning for him, but all the uniforms are the same and where the hell is he—

A body falls at Aether’s feet, pushed over by one of the Shogunate Samurai; Aether recognizes Teppei, and he slings his elbows under his armpits and hauls him away. They twist so Teppei can stand, and Aether pushes against his back, shoving him away while turning towards the Samurai. The rain begins to change direction, floating upwards in bubbles as Aether charges, striking at the gaps between the Samurai’s armor. He hears a voice say the wait is over just as he lands the final blow, the body dropping to the ground and landing hard.

Aether rushes back to Teppei, hands on his shoulders, scanning for injuries; aside from a couple minor cuts from hitting the ground and possibly bruises under his chestplate, Teppei is fine, and the man punctuates this with a thumbs up. They both turn their heads to Sara’s order to retreat and watch the Shogun’s Army fall back, running for the mountains. Aether sweeps the field, drifting from one body to the next, the landscape covered in pink uniforms and runny red blood being washed away by Sangonomiya’s power. He and Teppei slowly walk to meet her, Gorou, Beidou, and Kazuha, but one of Aether’s hands remains on Teppei’s arm.

Aether steps over the body of a resistance soldier and tries not to imagine Teppei in their place.

Kokomi briefly introduces herself then asks, “Do you have a plan beyond this point?”

“No immediate plans.”

Kokomi hums. “In that case, shall we continue our conversation at the shrine of Sangonomiya? Although the Shogun’s Army has retreated for now, the war is far from over. The Vision Hunt Decree has not been repealed, and neither the Tenryou Commission nor the Raiden Shogun show any sign of stopping... In short, our problems have yet to be resolved. I suggest we move to the shrine to discuss our counter-plan. What say you?”

“Sure.”

“Um...” Teppei pipes up, a hand over his heart, though he’s not speaking to Sangonomiya. “Can I come, too? I know Watatsumi Island very well. I can carry on being your guide, if you’d like.”

“Of course you can come,” Aether says, a hint softer than his words to Sangonomiya, and he leaves no room for the generals to argue.

Kokomi and Gorou make arrangements, and the priestess’ eyes wander the terrain, saddening at the bodies strewn about. “...I must return to Sangonomiya now,” she says, but it’s clear she wants to stay and help. “I have a few things to attend to. Once you’re ready, Traveler, please rendezvous with Teppei, and he will escort you there. Thank you for all your efforts so far. From this day on, I fight alongside you for the future of Inazuma.” Her eyes jump across all of them. “Stay safe.”

The rest of them stay and pick up the bodies. If they’re lucky, the soldiers are found alive, though heavily injured. None of the remaining army are healers, but they do what they can. Aether and Teppei break off from the group but don’t stray far from the one another; Teppei is always in the corner of Aether’s vision. Teppei consoles the injured, offering reassurances and determination, his voice unwavering even as Aether’s mental tally of wounded ticks up, and Aether is a steady hand, bandaging injuries with muscle memory, lifting people to their feet. Paimon can’t do much but diligently hand Aether supplies, but not once does she complain, and when Aether gives her a concerned look (bloodshed is a hard thing to look at, and though Aether suspects otherwise, Paimon looks so young), she doesn’t turn away. Aether’s own power would be much better suited for healing than old-fashioned bandages, but cracking the seal enough for it to trickle through is taxing, so he’d rather save that for if someone he cares about is dying, like Paimon for example.

(Or if Teppei was dying, Aether supposes, though he’ll do everything in his power to ensure that doesn’t happen.)

Kazuha and Beidou depart first, leaving with a batch of soldiers too weak to stand on their own, and the first boat heads for the island. Gorou has to leave when dusk begins to fall, and the last batch of wounded soldiers leaves on the second boat. Teppei, Paimon, and Aether stay until everyone, including the unharmed soldiers, have been visited by someone, whether it was them or Gorou or Beidou or Kazuha, and when their first-aid supplies run dry, they start cutting people’s clothing or using what they can find in the environment around them. Only after the third boat leaves and the terrain is empty of all activity do they finally head for their own ship.

“When was the last time you slept, Teppei?” Paimon asks as they head for the dock. By this time, the sun is beginning to rise once again.

Teppei rubs the back of his neck. “Ah... the day before yesterday?”

Aether places a hand on Teppei’s arm. He doesn’t suggest they stop to sleep. He knows neither of them know how to stop.

“Your appointment with Sangonomiya is fast approaching,” Teppei says at the dock, unraveling the rope tethering their boat to the wood. “We should get going. Are you ready? We’ll start by heading to the camp on Watatsumi Island, and then we’ll go to meet Her Excellency together from there.”

Aether nods in agreement. Teppei sets up the boat, an older model with oars instead of an engine; the more advanced boats were likely taken earlier by Gorou, Beidou, and Kazuha since they needed to house more people. Before Aether can even look at the boat, Teppei has jumped aboard and grabbed the oars. “Careful getting on, it’s a little unsteady.”

“You don’t have to row the entire way,” Aether says, but Teppei waves him off.

“I’ve got it, but if I get too tired, I’ll let you know. How’s that sound?”

Aether flashes a small grin. The boat rocks as he steps on but settles when he sits on one of the planks. Teppei eyes Paimon hovering beside his head. “Paimon, do you want to sit on the boat?”

“Paimon can keep up!”

Teppei shrugs. “Alright then, but be sure to take a seat if you get worn out.”

The water ripples beside the boat as Teppei rows, and Aether closes his eyes, listening to the sounds of the ocean. “You’re much quieter than I expected.”

Aether cracks open one of his eyes; Teppei’s grinning slightly at him. “I’m the mysterious type,” Aether replies, closing his eyes again. Teppei laughs.

“The renowned Traveler: cool and elusive.”

“An enigma,” Aether agrees. Teppei chuckles, staring out at the water.

“We did a lot yesterday.”

Aether nods.

“We personally didn’t get to fight much of the Shogun’s Army. If I’m being honest,” Teppei glances down at his hands, “I still feel like I should be doing something... doing more.”

”But you spoke with the soldiers,” Aether says quietly, “and the longer you talked, the dullness in their eyes faded. You reignited their spirits.” Aether lifts his head, staring into Teppei’s eyes. “Is that not the most valuable contribution of all?”

Teppei blinks. A smile slowly tugs at the corners of his mouth. “Should we add ‘wise’ to the list of your traits?”

He huffs. “Was it not already there? How impious.”

They arrive at the island around midday; Teppei did the majority of the rowing, but Aether insisted he do something, so he convinced Teppei to let him row for an hour, even if that “convincing” was Aether staring at him, unblinking, for ten minutes straight until he caved.

“Here we are: the training grounds for Watatsumi Island’s troops. Right now, the resistance is predominantly made up up of local volunteers from Watatsumi Island. Some of them are fighting with the Shogun’s Army in Tartarasuna, and some of them are stationed here on the island to keep the locals safe.”

“Did you used to train here, too?” Paimon asks.

Teppei nods. “Yep! Unfortunately, I had to join the fight in Tartarasuna before I’d had the chance to impress the instructors, so they had me start off by helping out in the logistics division.”

He turns to the building behind them. “I’ll be staying here for now, so if you need me for anything, just come here. If I’m not around, just write a note and stick it on the wall, and as soon as I see it, I’ll come find you... shoot, it’s nearly time for the appointment with Her Excellency. I’ll have to show you around Watatsumi Island some other time. For now, let’s get ourselves over to Sangonomiya!”

They arrive just as Kokomi is finishing her conversation about food rations. The other guard there asks if Aether is the new recruit and lists off some hefty feats.

“Seriously,” Paimon whines as Aether facepalms, “what is going on with these rumors?” Teppei whistles and looks away.

“I couldn’t help but overhear Ookubo mention something about... a third party supporter? What was that about?” Teppei inquires once the other soldier has left. Aether nods behind him, a little curious himself.

“Not long ago, someone wrote to me saying that they wish to support the Watatsumi Island resistance effort. To that end, they also furnished us with a great deal of supplies. Thanks to them, we can finally start recruiting troops on the scale we need to openly confront the Shogun’s Army on the front lines.”

Aether raises an eyebrow. “Can this mystery supporter be trusted?”

“I am not without my doubts about the whole affair,” she replies, “but Watatsumi Island is hardly affluent, and these supplies are a much-needed lifeline for us. The sender’s conditions were also in our favor, as they simply asked us to dedicate ourselves fully to fighting against the Shogun’s Army. Whatever other motives they have, we are at least aligned on this, so let’s consider them an anonymous ally.”

He folds his arms; it’s the most obvious spelling of disaster he’s ever seen. “Forgive my boldness, but surely you aren’t going to trust this?”

When Kokomi looks up at him, weariness is written across her face. “The people of Inazuma are suffering. We simply don’t have the resources to stand against the Shogun’s Army and the Vision Hunt Decree. I agree that this is sketchy, but we don’t have other options. Naturally, we shouldn’t let our guard down. If you discover anything out of the ordinary, please report to me at once.”

The more details about the nature of the Vision Hunt Decree Aether learns, the more he pieces things together; there’s undoubtably something happening in the shadows, a puppet pulling their strings. Aether agrees to continue fighting anyways.

“I hereby appoint you as captain of the Watatsumi Island special operations unit: Swordfish II.”

“Whoa, whoa, what?!” Teppei exclaims. “Swordfish II? Is this the same Swordfish special ops unit that I’m thinking of?” He turns to Aether, eyes shining, “It’s hard enough getting into a special ops unit at the bottom rung, let alone jumping to captain in one fell swoop... this is incredible!” Smug, Aether puts his hands on his hips. Sangonomiya describes his position and role in more detail.

“Um, what about me, Your Excellency?” Teppei inquires. “Any battles you need me to get involved in? I want to make a contribution to the resistance, too!”

“Of course,” she responds, smiling at his enthusiasm. “I’ll arrange something and brief you shortly.”

“Alright! One successful operation coming right up!” He turns to Aether with a chuckle. “Aether, you may have swiped the captaincy of Swordfish II, but watch this space, cause this guy’s on his way up!”

Aether grins back.

“You should get started on your assignment,” Teppei says as they climb down the stairs of the shrine. “We can meet again later for a tour, if you want. Like I said, stick a paper on the wall if you need me, and I’ll find you as soon as—“

Aether holds up a hand. “Time.”

“Nearing five o’clock!” Paimon answers. Her skill to tell time is unmatched. Along with being emergency food, she’s also a floating clock.

Aether tilts his head back. “A shame,” he says, not disappointed at all, “it’s getting late. Most people have dinner around this time.” His eyes slide to Teppei. “Such a shame.”

“Ooh, Teppei, you were just talking about meat with Kokomi,” Paimon adds. “Paimon wants to try some! Paimon hasn’t had anything to eat since before Aether faced the Shogun!”

“What?!” Teppei shrieks, and Aether closes his eyes with a smirk. While he doesn’t need to eat, Teppei is still mortal, and Paimon’s stomach is still endless. Teppei responds exactly how Aether anticipated: arms crossed, eyebrows pinched, instantly assessing how to insure everyone is well off, “You can’t go that long without a meal! Alright, if you’re certain your mission can wait, let’s grab a quick bite to eat before you head off. I know so many places!”

“Yay!” cheers Paimon, spinning in a circle. “We did so much yesterday, so we deserve a celebratory feast!”

“Then it’s decided! What kind of food do you like, Paimon?”

“If it’s edible, Paimon likes it!”

Teppei huffs. “Alright then. What about you, Aether?”

Aether mulls over his response. “I’m not picky either.”

Teppei chuckles. “Neither of you are making it easy to limit our options.”

Paimon floats besides Teppei’s head. “What are our choices?”

“Cuisine in Inazuma is heavily seafood based, and Watatsumi combines that with herbs native to the island. Since it’s separate from the other islands both geographically and culturally, many meals here are ones you can only find here,” Teppei explains, gesturing with his hands as he talks. “Most restaurants on the island are also locally based. That combined with Watatsumi’s unique palette makes for a homey atmosphere no matter where you eat.”

“I know a ton of places,” he continues, and Aether closes his eyes as they walk, content to listen. “There’s a quaint place near Bourou Village, though most soldiers training there prefer to eat the Resistance rations provided at the training house since it’s closer and inexpensive. I think I’ll take you to the one a bit farther out... it’s closer to the water, and the view will be gorgeous at sunset.”

Aether hums his agreement. Between Paimon and Teppei, the walk there is far from quiet; Aether listens to their banter, occasionally making fun of Paimon when the opportunity arises. Teppei rambles about the village and the food and the people and anything related to Watatsumi island he can think of. Paimon tosses in her own knowledge about Inazuma, and by the time they arrive at the diner, Aether could pass as a historian.

“How do you know so much about Watatsumi Island?” Paimon asks as they walk up blue-tinged steps. If Aether had to describe the location, he would repeat Teppei’s early words of ‘quaint.’ The outer framing has a blue tint while the doors and windows are pink, and it blends with the natural, vibrant flora. They’re beside a lake, and the rippling water adds a soft backdrop. The sun will set right along the horizon line above the water.

“I’ve been heavily involved in the community ever since I was young,” Teppei answers, holding the door open for the two; Aether thanks him with a nod, “and as such, I know a lot of people, and most locals know me to some degree. My parents were lax, and I was allowed to wander all over the island. I’ve explored more than some explorers!”

“Welcome to Rinkai Chitai,” a woman greets as they stroll up to the counter. “It’s been a long time since I last saw you, Teppei.”

“Honestly! I’ve been busy aiding the resistance, which is actually where I met my friends here,” Teppei claps a hand on Aether’s shoulder. “Table for three, please.”

“Of course, three menus?”

“Yep. Oh, can we have a table outside?”

“Consider it done.” She straightens the stack of menus by tapping them against the counter, then stands. “Follow me.”

She leads them to a table on a deck outside. There’s a group on the other side of the deck, laughing over drinks. Their menus are set down, one at each chair, though there are four at the table so one is left empty, and the woman leaves with a, “I’ll come back in a few minutes for your orders.”

“Thank you,” Teppei says, taking his place with his back to the sea, which leaves the seat facing the background open for Aether. Paimon picks up her menu and hovers above her own chair. “Hey Paimon, how do you know so much about Inazuma? I was especially impressed by your knowledge of the Tanuki-Kitsune War and Watatsumi’s attempted invasion of Yashiori Island.”

Paimon glances up from her menu, and her eyes land on the group behind them, lost in their own loud laughter. Her gaze drifts to Aether’s hands, and her voice is hushed, as it always is when she shares specifics about herself (Aether had once tagged it as nervousness, but he couldn’t come up with a reason for her to be nervous, so he didn’t categorize it as that again). “Um... Paimon read a lot about the seven nations.”

“I didn’t know there were such detailed books about Inazuma,” comments Teppei. “It seems like the author was there. Where’d you find such sagacious books?”

Paimon shakes her head. “All the books were either destroyed or moved.”

“Really? That must’ve been a devastating loss.”

“Not really. Most of them were moved, though I’m not sure where... it doesn’t really matter cause I remember the contents. Anyways, what are you ordering, Teppei?”

“Hm...” Teppei scans the menu. He mutters under his breath as he reads. “Oh, that’s new... they still have that... I’ll get the Unagi nigiri,” he leans over to point to it on Paimon’s menu. “It’s a type of sushi with eel and rice. It’s a great choice if you’d prefer something with a milder flavor. Also, the eel is usually cooked, so you can enjoy seafood without eating the meat raw.”

“Ooh... what other kinds of nigiri are there?”

“Plenty! There’s a whole section of the menu dedicated to nigiri. This place specializes in sushi, so that’s why it’s so much of the menu.”

“How’s Paimon supposed to pick, then?”

“Close your eyes and put your finger on one because Akasuki is coming back.” Teppei cheerfully waves to the waitress, the same woman at the counter.

She sets down three cups of water. “Can I get any additional drinks for you?” she asks.

Aether hums, quickly reading the menu. He opens his mouth to order.

“You’re the famed Traveler right?” she cuts him off. “I see you eyeing the alcohol menu, don’t even try it.”

Aether leans back in his seat, throwing up his hands while Teppei starts cackling. “I’m alright then, thank you.”

“Paimon too!”

Teppei slams his hand on the table, doubling over with laughter. He’s barely able to say, “Me too, thank you.”

Akasuki smiles at the group. “I’ll return for your orders in a moment.”

As she walks away, Aether crosses his arms and grumbles, “It’s because I’m short.”

Teppei presses his forehead against the table. “The... the famed Traveler...” his shoulders shake, “denied by a waitress before he can even... say anything!”

Aether covers his face with his hands. “Betrayal. I’ll take this as imprudence and have you smited for it.”

Teppei clasps his hands together in a praying motion. “Please, great Aether, forgive my sins and spare me.”

“No.”

Teppei dramatically holds a hand over his heart. “Our brotherhood! Severed by your cruelty!”

Aether shakes his head, grin on his lips. “I hold no mercy for miscreants.”

Teppei chuckles. “If you decide to smite me, please do it after we’ve eaten. Rinkai Chitai makes the best sushi, and I would prefer to die a happy man.”

“Sleep with one eye open,” Aether warns, pointing a finger at Teppei’s chest. Teppei looks down at it, then back at Aether, eyebrows slowly scrunching.

“I have no idea whether you’re being serious or not.”

Aether simply smirks. He lets Teppei blink once, then twice, before replying, “You’re off my kill-list, I promise.”

“You have a kill-list?” Paimon exclaims, appalled. Aether shrugs.

“It’s accumulated over the years.”

Paimon looks at him, horror rising on her face. Aether chuckles, patting her head. “Don’t worry so much. You’re not on my kill-list until I need you for food.”

Paimon huffs, swatting his hand. “Paimon is not emer—“

“Teppei, do you think I should get Buri nigiri sushi or Chutoro nigiri?”

“The Chutoro nigiri has a richer flavor than the Buri.”

Paimon glances between the two. “Hey!”

Akasuki returns for their orders; each of them requests a different kind of nigiri. Paimon and Teppei argue over which of their orders is best, and once Aether has let their bickering go on long enough, he cuts them off, declaring his own order is clearly superior. It sparks another squabble with Teppei and Paimon ganging up against Aether.

The three fall silent to dine once their orders arrive. The texture is light, the flavor deep, and it seems to disappear off his plate too fast. He gives his last piece to Paimon, who agrees his choice was delicious but is adamant hers was better. Aether pays for the meal after finally getting Teppei to stop objecting.

“Are you actually old enough to drink alcohol?” Teppei asks as they leave the restaurant, thanking the chef and Akasuki for the meal. Like Aether predicted, the sun sets right over the water, spilling gold across the surface. Teppei had insisted they stay to watch the sunset, and while Aether had wanted to meet his new squadron that day, Teppei’s eyes sparkled with wonder, so Aether had agreed with little hesitation. It was worth it to see Teppei light up and drag him towards the lake. Aether likes making Teppei smile.

(Aether likes making Lumine smile, too.)

“Yes. It’s... near impossible to do the exact math between worlds, especially in Teyvat since the calculation was something I used to know intuitively. We set our home-world as the standard time and learned the conversion factors of each world, but I don’t have access to that anymore. However, I know I’m more than old enough,” Aether tells; it’s the most he’s ever told anyone (excluding Paimon) about himself and who he used to be before landing there. Knowing how revered gods are in Teyvat, he was careful to never make any indication that he‘s more than mortal, but Teppei doesn’t seem to care, absorbing the information with an inquisitive nod.

Uncaring for his uniform, Teppei plops in the damp sand, and Aether follows suit. “If Lumine were here, she’d lecture me for letting everyone believe I’m a child. I wasn’t sure how to correct people when I didn’t have a correction to give except my word.”

“Lumine’s the name of your sister, right?” Aether nods. “What’s she like?”

He’s quiet for a moment, sifting through his memories. “I’m... not sure where to start. One time... this lady- Karina, her name was- said if I was the moon, Lumine was the sun. Of all the ways we’ve been described, I think that’s the most accurate.”

Teppei pulls his knees up and rests his head on them, still facing Aether. “Though I also think that time when Isabella called her a ‘blundering, deranged, and vociferous fool who must be chaos incarnate sent as a punishment from the gods’ was accurate too.”

“Pfft—“ Teppei turns to bury his head in his knees, muffling his laughter.

“She wasn’t wrong,” Aether says, and the wide smile tugging on his face hurts his cheeks. “I love her, but she is an expert at being annoying. If you think Paimon is bad, Lumine is ten times worse.”

“Hey!” Paimon exclaims from above them. Aether pointedly ignores her.

“I’ve gotten an image from others’ depictions,” Teppei lifts his head, “but how would you describe her?”

A light breeze sweeps in from the tide, ruffling their hair. Teppei waits for his answer with curiosity in his eyes, a gentle smile on his face— like an empty book waiting to be filled, a camera documenting memories; there are so many things Aether could say, so many words he could use, but what falls from his mouth instead is a soft, “Like you.”

And although the words are accidental, Aether thinks nothing is more encompassing. Ebullient, charitable, always offering their hands until their limbs fall off— perhaps that’s why Teppei has slot himself in with Aether and Paimon’s duo so quickly, so easily.

(Lumine latches onto people quickly, though this attachment is often superficial. Aether rarely gets attached at all, but when he does, his choices are never bad. He knows Lumine would like Teppei, and he vows that he’ll be the first person in Inazuma that Lumine gets to meet.)

The sun disappears under the skyline, taking the glow with it, and Aether deems it time to return; Teppei hasn’t slept for far too long and neither has Paimon, so the three head back to the training house in comfortable silence. There are many rooms, but each of them are tiny, so Teppei stops at his own and Aether takes the one besides it.

“Aether?”

He glances down the hallway. Teppei’s hand hovers over his door. “Thank you for accompanying me yesterday and today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

There is so much Aether could say in return, but he settles for, “Good night.”

“Good night, Teppei!” Paimon waves, and the two enter their separate rooms.

There’s only one pillow on the bed, so Aether offers it to Paimon, laying on the ground for her like a mattress. “I like him,” she says once again.

Aether wraps the thin blanket around himself, lying down on his bed. “Me too.”

(He detects a hint of resignation in her voice, but he’s not sure why.)

Aether is the first awake the next morning, even before Paimon. Teppei’s door is closed, and he’s unsure if the man is awake, so Aether heads to the cafeteria to collect breakfast for himself and Paimon; the problem arises when he realizes he doesn’t know his way around the building, and since so many of the rooms are bedrooms, he’s hesitant to open doors. Aether closes his eyes and sighs, resigning himself to wandering aimlessly until he finds something, when he hears a chuckle from behind him.

“What are you doing here?” Teppei asks with barely concealed laughter. His hair is still a bit messy, costume slightly skewed.

Aether turns to face him. “I was attempting to find the cafeteria.”

Teppei points behind him with a thumb. “The mess-hall is back that way. These are storage rooms. How’d you even wind up here?”

Aether walks past him with a grumble of, “It’s too early for this.” Teppei just laughs and follows him, jogging to fall into step together.

“I was wondering,” Teppei starts, “how’d you and Paimon meet? I’ve never seen anyone like her.”

“I fished her out of a lake.” Aether shrugs, a note of disappointment in his voice, “Such a shame, I hoped she was food I could eat.”

Teppei tilts his head, giving him a pointed look. “Why was she in a lake?”

“I don’t know. I asked, but she didn’t answer.”

(It’s true; once Aether had learned enough of Teyvat’s language, it was one of the first questions he asked. It was the first time he saw her lose some of her spirited air, and the loss of energy reminded him too much of Lumine’s absence, so Aether never asked again.)

Teppei raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t press the question. Instead, he knocks his shoulder lightly against Aether’s. “Your voice sounds a bit raspy this morning. Do you need some water?”

Aether blinks, bringing a hand up to touch his throat. That... that wasn’t something he had realized, but now that he was searching for it, he could feel a slight ache in his vocal chords. “I... haven’t spoken as much as I did yesterday and today since...”

Since arriving in Inazuma? Since before seeing Lumine in that domain? Since... since meeting Paimon that day by the lake, rambling rapidly in a language she couldn’t understand because there was someone else with him after a week of sitting in silence on the beach, waiting for strength to recover when it never would. Aether blinks again, and his vision is blurry. He huffs a breathy laugh, though it sounds shaky. “You truly are something, Teppei, getting me to talk like this.”

He puts a hand on Aether’s shoulder, eyes scrunched in concern. Aether blinks back the wetness in his eyes, offering a smile likely tinged with melancholy. “Let’s not get solemn so early in the morning. What do they usually provide for breakfast?”

Teppei’s hand tightens slightly on his shoulder. “Aether.”

He tilts his head, sadness seeping through his smile as the corners of his lips stretch further. “Teppei.”

Teppei stares meaningfully at him, searching for words. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you without your sister.”

Aether can’t begin to describe the pain that seizes his heart. A hand creeps to rest over his chest, as if the pressure will ease the ache, as if it’ll remind him of Lumine’s steady presence by his side. The words fall from his mouth in a whisper, “I feel it everyday.”

But he shakes his head; remembering meeting Lumine in that domain means he also remembers Paimon’s reassurances, and he continues, “But I’m confident we will be reunited again. And when we are, I’ll bring her here,” his voice quivers, “and we can fill all four chairs at Rinkai Chitai, and she’ll be annoyed if she’s denied alcohol, and we’ll all watch the sunset together.”

(When he’d seen Lumine, the only thing he’d felt was nothing— there was shock when she’d appeared that had ebbed to overwhelming relief, but like ice shooting through his veins, his limbs went cold and his mind blank at the hollowness in Lumine’s voice. Even though it’s been almost a month since then, even though Paimon has comforted him multiple times, even though she and Venti and Yoimiya and everyone he’s met on his journey has told him to see it through, the numbness hasn’t receded, and sometimes, Aether thinks he’s only pretending to gain hope for their sakes.)

Teppei doesn’t assure him. He doesn’t offer condolences, or repeat words Aether’s heard before a million times. Instead, what he says is, “You deserve to be reunited, and you deserve to be happy.”

Aether’s eyes widen, and Teppei must feel his muscles slacken because he curls his fingers tighter around his shoulder. Aether cannot remember a single time someone has said such a... kind thing to him since entering Teyvat, can’t remember the last time someone genuinely cared; it’s one thing to be thanked for all he’s done, but it’s another to be a hero who gets to have that happily ever after, to be deserving of a good ending.

And in truth, Aether hadn’t thought himself deserving of it because he failed to protect Lumine in the first place, failed to search for her in Mondstadt and Liyue, failed to convince her to come back with him, failed to be worthy of a reunion, and he’d believed Lumine thought that too. He believed she’d thought him undeserving of returning to which was why she left in that domain, why she refused to leave more than breadcrumbs to follow, why Aether couldn’t find a damn thing about her.

He chuckles humorlessly, but his laughter rises in his throat, and he grabs Teppei’s arm. “You...”

He’s not sure what he’s going to say afterwards, he started the sentence without thinking about the ending, and he pitches forward and rests his forehead against Teppei’s chest, laughing into his shirt. The hand on his shoulder winds around his head, resting his fingers on the back of his neck, while his other hand falls lower on Aether’s back. “You’re too good to me.”

Teppei chuckles, and Aether feels it reverberate through his chest. “Come now.”

Aether shakes his head as much as he can against Teppei’s torso. He winds a hand into his shirt fabric, scrunching it between his fingers. “No, no, you’re the best person in the whole of Teyvat. Anyone who says otherwise will answer to me.”

Teppei’s tilts his head forward to press his forehead into Aether’s hair. “I’ll be sure to brag that I have your approval. It’s an honor.”

Aether snickers. “You’ve already been bragging about how cool and elusive and wise I am.”

“No!” Teppei whines, embarrassed. “I’m just... spreading the truth.”

“Uh huh. The truth that I’m cool and elusive and wise?”

“An enigma,” Teppei agrees, moving his hands to Aether’s arms to step back. “But one that I’m figuring out.”

Aether smiles softly, then lifts a hand to rub his cheek. “My cheeks hurt. I think this is the widest I’ve smiled in a while, too.”

Teppei kindly glosses over the comment, lest they want another sob-fest. “For someone who claims to be above the legal age, you sure have puffy cheeks.”

Aether swats his arm. “Oh, don’t even. Let’s get breakfast before Paimon wakes up — I don’t want her to whinge about food. I swear her stomach never ends, and one of these days, it’s going to drive me bankrupt.”

Aether truly was lost in the wrong hallway; Teppei leads them back to their rooms then in the opposite direction, much to Aether’s chagrin. He holds open the double doors to the mess-hall, and the clamor pours through the open door. While Aether, and he’s sure Teppei as well, normally wake up much earlier than others, their long day must’ve led them to sleep in. Teppei leads Aether to the line with a wave of his hand, and once they’ve received their share of breakfast, Teppei is summoned over to a table, and Aether follows.

Aether mostly keeps to himself, picking through his food and wondering how much he should save for Paimon. Teppei animatedly recounts the past couple days to the other soldiers and tries in include Aether in the conversation; he’s polite, albeit a bit curt, especially at the praise from the soldiers, so Teppei knocks his knee against Aether’s under the table and steers the conversation away from them. It’s not that Aether is trying to be rude, but he can’t force himself to have an interest in strangers’ lives, especially when he’s heard more than enough life stories and they usually end in people asking for his help. He enjoys learning people, learning worlds, but... not right now. Not without Lumine to document it with him.

Aether leaves about half of his own food, plus the ration dedicated for Paimon, and wraps it all in one to bring for Paimon’s breakfast. He taps Teppei’s arm, drawing his attention away from the conversation. “I’m going to wake Paimon then see if my squadron is in the valley. I should be back by lunch if they are.”

Teppei nods. “If I’m not here, stick—“

“A note on the wall?” Aether smirks. “I know. I’ll see you again today?”

“Of course.” Aether stands, giving quick goodbyes to the group, then leaves the mess-hall. Teppei’s waves to him until he reaches the exit, and before the door can close, Aether waves back.

Paimon is still asleep, so Aether sits besides her make shift bed and calmly says, “Paimon.”

“Ah!” She shoots into the air, raising her tiny fists. “Aether! Don’t scare Paimon like that!”

He pinches the bridge of his nose. “You react the same way every time.”

“How rude! Can’t you wake Paimon in a much nicer way—“

Aether holds up the bag of food, and Paimon instantly cuts herself off, snatching the bag with a thank you. While she inhales her breakfast, Aether mentally reviews the assignment from Sangonomiya, as well as what he knows about the Vision Hunt Decree. He does not like Kokomi’s choice to accept supplies from the unidentified supporter, but at the same time, he understands her motivations, and from what he’s seen, she cares deeply for her people and the revolution, and he doesn’t believe she’d throw that away thoughtlessly. At the same time, he’ll keep an eye out, listen for information; he suspects something will be wrong with the supplies, poison in their food or faulty weapons or some other Trojan Horse that’ll tear them apart from the inside.

(It was always Lumine who took care of tactics. Aether was the brute-force, the powerhouse, while Lumine used her sweet facade to strike with surprise — sunny and charming, but slithering in the shadows; he was dubbed moon and Lumine sun, but really, they could both fit either role. Aether never faltered, never hesitated, but Lumine waited and waited and analyzed, then took enemies down in a single move; he was feared on the battlefield, but anyone who truly knew them knew it was her to be terrified of. Now though, there is no Lumine behind him, whispering schemes into his ear, and Aether was never as cunning as her. Nobody was.)

“Did you say hi to Teppei?” Paimon asks, crumbling the empty bag in her hands. Aether nods, and Paimon throws the bag at him, and it bounces off his shoulder. Aether catches it before it hits the ground. “And you didn’t take Paimon with you?”

“You weren’t awake,” Aether shrugs. “Didn’t you say to leave you sleeping if I had things to do in the morning?”

Paimon opens and closes her mouth. “But...” she says quietly, “I wanted to see more of Teppei.”

Aether softens. “You will later. We should be back by lunchtime.”

Paimon looks to the ceiling, silent for a minute. “That sounds right. Okay then! Let’s go make a good impression as captains!”

“You mean I should make a good impression as captain.”

Paimon huffs, crossing her arms. “Yes!”

The members of his squad admit his reputation proceeds him and his Appointment Letter is in order, but they still challenge him regardless. Aether straightens at their contest, glad that they don’t simply take his word for his skill; it means his squadron is competent and Aether refuses to work with people who aren’t. The two soldiers are impressed with his abilities and cut unnecessary praise, and Aether internally vows to put a little more effort into his role than he was planning on; in truth, he’d assume they wouldn’t try, but even if Teyvat’s citizens have begun to annoy him, they’re still resistance fights and Aether should treat them as such. Aether strategizes to take all the camps at once, relying on his team’s individual capabilities as well as his own superior strength, and once the ronin are taken care of, they report back to Sangonomiya.

Kokomi applauds their work, confident that they had no trouble, which they didn’t. While she mutters over how to reward him, Aether inquires, more to Paimon then Kokomi, “Hey, where did Teppei go?”

“I gave him an assignment,” Kokomi explains. “He’s taking part in a surprise attack against the Shogun’s Army. He expressed a desire to be on the front line, so I honored his wishes. Now, speaking of assignments, I have a special mission I’d like to give to you. In between Watatsumi Island and Tartarasuna, there are some ruins belonging to a god who fell in the Archon War, and there are several small islands there, often used as a transit point when transitioning supplies. Recently, however, supplies stored there have started to go missing for no obvious reason, and stranger still, the resistance army passed by and reported they found no signs of danger. I’d like to task you with getting to the bottom of this.”

Aether nods. Paimon raises a finger to her chin. “Is Teppei really gonna be okay? He has a tendency to dive into action without thinking things through... Paimon can’t help but feel a little worried about him. Oh, Traveler, why don’t we go wait for him at the training grounds?”

“Yes,” Aether nods, a note of amusement in his voice. “We can stick a note on the wall.”

He turns back for Kokomi’s dismissal, but she’s looking at him with a gentle smile. “I’m... glad you have made a friend here. Humanity is a good look on you. Don’t lose it.”

Aether tilts his head. “I’m not a machine.”

“I think,” Kokomi says, her smile turning sad, “that a lot of people forget that.”

Aether and Paimon return to the training house. Not long after, they hear a call of, “Long time no see, guys!”

Aether crosses his arms, rolling his eyes. “It’s only been a few hours. Are you that lost without me?”

“Maybe it’s only been a short time to you, but I haven’t seen Paimon since yesterday!” Teppei high-fives her, and she floats in a circle around his head.

“Yes, Paimon was very disappointed to not see you this morning!”

“As was I, but you’re here now, so I take it you finished your assignment?” At Aether’s nod, Teppei asks, “So, how’s Swordfish II treating you? Getting along okay with everyone?”

“Eh, they can be a pain the butt,” Aether says jokingly, shaking a hand.

Teppei laughs. “Well, you’re in luck, because this seasoned veteran’s got a few leadership tips for you! Raising their pay will boost morale, while giving them a few bounties will act as an incentive to go the extra mile. It’s also important to maintain strict discipline at all times, and finally...” he trails off, muttering, “uh, wait, what was it, what was it...”

Paimon shakes her head. “Where’d you learn all that, Teppei?”

“I read it in a novel from the Yae Publishing House, though it was a long time ago. You wouldn’t believe how many dango it took to convince my friend to let me borrow it.”

“You’re seriously gonna use a novel to tell people how to run an army? Pretty sure that’s called being an ‘armchair general.’” Paimon quips.

Aether raises an eyebrow. “Didn’t you say you learned about Teyvat through books?”

His comment goes ignored. “That’s where you underestimate me,” Teppei declares, smug. “That’s right, I’m learning military management on the job now, just like you.”

“You mean...”

“You better believe it!” Teppei puts his hands on his hips, puffing up his chest. “Thanks to my outstanding achievements in the recent naval battle, I’ve officially been made the captain of my very own special operations unit! It’s a brand new unit: Herring I! What do you think? Pretty awesome, right?”

Aether grins. “Indeed.”

“I spoke to Her Excellency, and she says our uniforms are in production. Let’s go collect them together once their ready. I can’t wait to put them on! We’re really gonna look the part.”

Aether’s not sure whether he wants to part with his own clothes, but blending in with the resistance may prove worthwhile later. Besides, Teppei’s zeal is contagious, and it’s been a long time since Aether’s had something to look forward to. “Ah, everything’s going great. Our mystery sponser’s supplies really have helped things turn around...”

Dread pools in Aether’s stomach, replacing the embers of excitement he had began to feel. Before he can say anything, Paimon cuts in, asking, “Will Paimon get a uniform, too?”

“Of course!” Teppei replies, and Paimon cheers, twirling around in a circle and clapping her hands. “You’re a recognized member of the Watatsumi island resistance.”

Aether opens his mouth to inquire about the supplies, but he’s once again interrupted, this time by another soldier. “Captain,” he says, addressing Teppei, “a new assignment has come in...”

“Thank you, soldier,” Teppei responds, clearly having too much fun, “I’ll be there on the double. Alright, I better go. Aether, I’ll see you again soon. You better watch out, partner— at the rate I’m going, I’ll overtake you if you’re not careful!”

“Ha, in your dreams, mister!” Paimon retorts, and Aether rests his hands on his hips.

Teppei clears his throat. “I wouldn’t be so confident if I were you. I’m at the top of my game right now. This is my time to shine!”

Teppei follows the soldier with a wave goodbye. Once he’s out of earshot, Paimon and Aether immediately turn to each other. “Paimon is so surprised that Teppei’s been made a platoon captain. He must have been working super hard.”

While Aether doesn’t doubt that Teppei has merit, the supplier is too suspicious, and no one improves so rapidly in a matter of days. “He mentioned the mystery supporter.”

Paimon nods. “He said the supplies have been helping, though. Maybe it’s some rich guy who doesn’t want to outwardly support the resistance for reputation reasons?”

Aether raises his eyebrows, nodding. “That’s... a really good point, actually. I’ve been so worried, I didn’t even consider such a thing. It matches with the whole,” he waves a hand, “commission drama, too.”

“We can keep an eye out, but that’s Paimon’s best guess. Let’s take a break then go check out these Archon War ruins!”

They eat lunch on the training grounds; Paimon complains about the rations’ low quality, and Aether doesn’t want to take food others need more, so he cooks for the both of them. The smell must waft through the air because a couple soldiers wander over, asking to try some; it seems nobody is a big fan of the provisions, so Aether shares his own portion. He makes a few more servings than he was planning to, but it’s not like his own supplies are low, and he enjoys watching people’s faces light up as they try his cooking. Once everyone in the area has been fed, Aether packs up his things and heads for the ruins Sangonomiya mentioned. Perhaps if he can find the missing supplies, or at the very least, prevent them from losing more, the rations won’t be as lackluster.

The islands are devoid of activity as far as Aether can tell, but when he activates the Electro monuments, a lawachurl appears behind him, swinging its fists. The fight takes a while, but Aether eventually defeats it with no more than a few scrapes.

“Phew,” Paimon says, wiping her forehead like she helped in the slightest, “glad that’s over. As far as monsters go, that one was pretty tough, but what’s such a huge Thunderhelm Lawachurl doing here in the first place? It doesn’t make any sense... Also, the atmosphere here gives Paimon the creeps.”

Aether can’t argue with that; the air on the island is thick and heavy, the pressure hard in his throat. “Anyways, the good thing is that it’s over now, so we should probably get going... Teppei? What are you doing here?”

Teppei clears his throat, but it sounds more like thinly veiled coughing to Aether. “Wow, this is a surprise. Didn’t know you were the ones investigating here. I just got back from delivering some supplies to the front line, and I figured I’d stop by and clear any threats in this area on the way back.” He coughs again, pressing a hand against his chest, and Aether’s concern grows.

“Are you alright there, buddy?” Paimon asks, worry seeping through her voice. “You’re looking a little worse for wear.”

Aether scans for injuries as Teppei replies, but he doesn’t find signs of any. “I’m fine, it’s nothing. I must have caught a cold a couple days ago while I was out at sea.“

“Actually,” Aether pipes up, “I think it may have something to do with these islands...” He can’t explain why, but the wind is dense with a scent Aether knows well: death. The fog swirls around them, and the darkness makes the sea look ominous and Teppei’s hair have a gray tint. Considering the islands are uninhabited and Sangonomiya mentioned them being ruins from the Archon War, Aether wouldn’t be surprised if the malice is something mortals can’t handle. “Why are you here?”

“On my way past, I heard that someone had just arrived on the island to investigate, so I thought I’d come and take a look. If there’d been some real danger, I might’ve had the chance to be the hero... heh, shame it was just you guys. Guess I came here for nothing.”

“Teppei,” Paimon begins, hesitant, “don’t you think there’s something strange about this place?”

“Hm, now that you mention it, there is something a little off about it. It could be that the Tartarigami is more palpable here. We’re not that far from Orobashi’s remains.”

“Orobashi?“ Aether questions.

“A god. Look, there’s the corpse over there.”

“Ah!” Paimon exclaims, flying backwards a bit. “It’s a gigantic snake skeleton! It looks terrifying!”

“Orobashi was the one who brought our ancestors from Eukanomiya up to the surface. That’s the origins of the Watatsumi Island you know today. Our ancestors regarded it as a guardian deity, but during the Archon War, Orobashi invaded Yashiori Island. The Raiden Shogun came out in person and slew Orobashi with the Musou no Hitotachi, and that same slash also formed what later became known as Musoujin Gorge.”

“The Raiden Shogun created Musoujin Gorge in one slash? That’s pretty incredible,” Paimon comments.

“Yes, but the Archon War was brutal, and Yashiori Island was completely destroyed during that battle. They say the shogun lost something very dear to her along the way too. Since Orobashi’s death, there has always been some animosity between Watatsumi Island and the Shogunate, but our different beliefs have nothing to do with why the resistance was formed. We only rose up to fight against the Vision Hunt Decree. When Orobashi attacked civilization, the shogun stood up and put a stop to it. But now that the shogun is stripping people of their ambitions with the Vision Hunt Decree, it’s time for someone to stand up and stop the shogun.”

“Alright, I’m heading back,” Teppei announces. “I was just dealing with some of the shogun’s elite samurai, so I think I’m gonna take a quick breather, then it’s onto my next assignment. If I don’t get to see you later today, let’s get our uniforms together tomorrow, yeah?”

Aether recognizes the signs of being overworked, of being unable to stop— a motorized machine, programmed with an endless list of tasks to complete (Aether knows because he’s been called one. Aether knows because sometimes, amidst the commissions and quests and numbness that hasn’t faded, he forgets he isn’t one). “Teppei.”

He smiles, but his eyes don’t crinkle like they used to. “Aether.”

Teppei coughs again, and while Aether wants to question him about the supplies, wants to ask if he’s alright, wants them to stop, he wants them off these islands more than anything else, so he settles for, “Take care of yourself.”

“Hey, don’t worry about me. Peak condition,” Teppei says, despite them both knowing that’s far from the truth. Aether makes a mental note to visit him later as he walks away. If he has to, he’ll guilt trip him into inviting them for dinner again if it means Teppei will remember to eat.

(Aether wishes he said more.)

“Teppei’s sure made some big progress if he’s already dealing with Shogunate Samurai. Paimon can hardly believe it.”

“He did express the desire to face off with them back in Tartarasuna,” Aether voices. “I suppose he got what he wished for.”

Paimon nods. “Let’s report back to Kokomi.”

That’s what they do; Aether reaches the top of the stairs to the shrine and notices General Gorou with her as well, so he plants his heel to pivot and come back later, but Paimon plows ahead. “Kokomi, we’re back— oh, look, Gorou’s here too.”

The two resistance leaders are locked in conversation, so Paimon and Aether turn to each other. “What happened? They look so serious...”

“Approximately how many people are exhibiting these symptoms?” is the first sentence Aether catches as they approach the two, and he raises an eyebrow. Kokomi speaks frantically, as opposed to her usual calm, calculated manner.

“I haven’t had the chance to do a full count yet,” Gorou replies, just as troubled.

“Kokomi, Gorou,” Paimon interrupts, and the worry from their conversation must’ve scared her because she sounds panicked, “what’s going on?”

“Recently,” Gorou responds, “some of our soldiers started showing signs of accelerated aging.”

Aether blinks, once, twice, three times. “What?”

“I called them in for questioning,” Gorou continues, an equal amount of bewilderment hidden in his voice, “and found out they’d privately acquired some secret weapons from our sponsor.”

Faulty weapons. Trojan Horses. Tearing them apart from the inside. Hadn’t Aether predicted this? Hadn’t Aether objected?

“Most of them are the highly ambitious types, vehemently opposed to the Vision Hunt Decree. They’ve been using these new weapons secretly since getting hold of them.”

“So that’s why the war has been going unusually well...” Kokomi mutters. “Risky secret weapons are not the answer. We must put a stop to it immediately. I don’t want anyone getting hurt because I was desperate to supply us. Gorou, have you managed to acquire one of these weapons?”

“Most of the officers refused to hand them over. Still, I did manage to get one.” He pulls it out from a pocket; it doesn’t look like much, a mere trinket that nobody would bat an eye towards, but Aether feels everything click into place.

“It’s a Fatui Delusion.”

No wonder. No wonder it’s the Fatui; they’ve been in every nation so far, scheming from the shadows. Aether had been waiting for a mention of them in Inazuma, but when he’d been there for a few weeks and heard no talk of the Fatui, he’d let the topic fade into the back of his mind, assuming perhaps the isolation decree applied to them as well.

“So that means,” Gorou says with surprise and barely concealed anger, “our secret sponsor is the Fatui?”

“But why would the Fatui do this? Wouldn’t they be more likely to side with the shogun?” Kokomi wonders, just as lost. She shakes her head. “Forget that for now, there’s no time. Right now, we need to inform the whole army to cease using their delusions immediately. All soldiers who have shown symptoms are to be taken in for treatment. I just hope we’ll be able to save them in time. Rapid aging... if it goes too far... I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Wait a second,” Paimon gasps, turning to Aether in horror. “Aether, speaking of soldiers with symptoms...”

Accelerated aging. Aether’s seen worlds where time moves so quickly, the phases of people’s lifetimes are a matter of days, but never has he seen it in isolated circumstances, especially in people not built for it. It would cause strain internally, with organs suddenly unable to keep up with the physical age, the brain not matching the body. Certain functions would lessen, and the body would become frail in a matter of hours, even if the person only aged a bit; the lungs would be outdated, and it’d be harder to breathe, then organs would begin to shut down, and the only signs would be coughing and gray hair because no-one’s ever seen it before to recognize it...

It hits Aether. “Teppei...”

“No,” Paimon whispers, covering her mouth with shaking hands. “Surely he can’t have...”

“We found him a couple days ago,” Aether says. His voice is empty. “I saved him from dying at the hands of the Shogunate Samurai because he couldn’t handle them himself. There’s no way he’s fighting them now. It’s been a couple days.”

“Let’s go check on him,” Paimon urges, pushing Aether’s arm. He doesn’t have to be told twice; forgoing polite goodbyes to Kokomi and Gorou, he darts down the stairs as fast as he can, stumbling along the way. Aether has never moved faster, winding through the trail back to Bourou Village and the training grounds. He searches the docks nearby, Paimon trailing behind him, not saying a word the whole trip until he glances towards the water and Paimon’s scream of, “Teppei!” has him whipping his head around.

Aether’s heart falls to his stomach, the wooden port, the water below, the deep recesses underground all the way until the abyss, then it shatters.

Teppei is tucked behind the warm lights of a building, sat on the ground. His hair is a stark white, and when he glances up at the two, there are wrinkles on his skin that didn’t exist before; he looks too old, and it’s too early, and... and...

“Oh!” He coughs, wetter than his previous dry coughing, but he still grins up at the two. “Hey, what are you guys doing here? Just a moment, let me get up.” Teppei moves to stand, but his arm slips out from underneath him, muscles uncooperative. “It’s weird, I don’t know where all my strength’s gone.”

“Teppei.”

He looks up. “Aether.”

Aether’s brain is full of static, and his throat has run dry. “Oh right,” Teppei says, “I haven’t had time to give you the full details. Well, I’ve made a lot of great contributions to the war effort lately: fighting the Shogun’s Army at sea, taking on Shogunate Samurai all by myself, rescuing my comrades from an ambush... things I never would have dreamed I could do when you first met me. If only I were stronger still. The stronger I am, the more I can do for the resistance. Wait a second,” Teppei glances around, “where’s my weapon gone?”

There is so much Aether wants to say. Instead, he quietly asks, “When did you start using it.”

Teppei coughs. “Before you woke up this morning, I met these people, said they were with our supporters. They gave it to me and said as long as I have the will to become stronger, this secret weapon will answer my call.” He chuckles, and it doesn’t sound light like it used to, doesn’t rumble in Aether’s ears like it had before, “I figured because Her Excellency already approved, they were handing out supplies. It’s just like a Vision, isn’t it? Of course, I’ve never used a Vision, so I wouldn’t know the difference.”

“This is,” Aether begins, and he swallows, “a Delusion.”

“Delusion?” Teppei parrots. Aether sees the moment it hits him; the reassuring tone fades from his voice, and his shoulders slacken. “Oh, that doesn’t sound very good. What’s the difference between a Delusion and a Vision?”

Aether can’t breathe. “A Delusion drains the user’s life force.”

It falls silent. Even the wind has ceased blowing, and Aether thinks his chest has stopped rising and falling. “Well,” Teppei says, resignation in his voice, “it’s not too surprising that a mysterious weapon of unknown origins would come with its risks. I’ve been getting more and more tired over the course of the day, and I have this...” he brings a hand up, clutching the fabric of his shirt, and he speaks a little quicker, “strange sense of dread. At first I’d find I was getting a little more beat than usual after a battle, didn’t think anything of it, but earlier, I got back and suddenly my vision was going blurry.”

He laughs, ducking his head. “This is a real shame. There I was, thinking I was catching up with you.”

You don’t need to catch up with me, Aether wants to say. You’ve never needed to.

“Hey, Aether, would you do something for me?”

Aether musters enough strength to nod. “When our uniforms are ready, grab mine for me... bring it back here, and we can change together.”

Aether can’t breathe.

“What’s that look for?” Teppei asks, smiling. Aether can’t look at him. “Don’t worry, partner. Soon as I’ve rested up, I’ll be right as rain.” Teppei’s blinking slows. “Right as rain, I tell you... soon as I’ve... rested up.”

Aether can’t breathe. He can’t. He clenches his fists and stares at the wooden dock, and in the silence, all he can hear is Teppei’s breathing becoming labored. He promised, he promised, he said he would never let this happen, he promised. But Aether has nothing, no power in his veins, no itch under his skin, nothing but a void slowly filling with binary, igniting a fire in the metal wires in his stomach.

“Teppei,” Paimon says, floating closer to his face, his hair hanging in front of his taut cheeks. She reaches out a hand but stalls, hovering over his shoulder. Aether thinks of the Delusions, robbing innocents of their lives, using their ambition and stripping them of living to see the fruits of their labor. He thinks of that unknown god, robbing him of Lumine so soon after he’d woken up in unfamiliar territory, using their desperation and stripping him of her presence. The same numbness he’d felt with Lumine crawls back under his skin, and it gradually recedes to something hotter.

How dare the Fatui take Teppei from him. How dare fate rip another person away. How dare Teyvat keep taking people he loves, wrenching them from Aether’s hands, another person he’d laughed with, another person he’d cared about, another person he couldn’t protect. Just another...

“Lumine’s the name of your sister, right? How would you describe her?”

“Like you.”

He hardens his jaw. His throat is on fire. He turns and storms back the way they came. He doesn’t look back at Teppei.

He marches back to the shrine. Paimon follows behind him, though she has to fly fast to catch up. The stone stairs creak under his steps.

Kokomi eyes his hands, clenched tightly into fists by his side. “How is Teppei’s condition?”

“How could none of us have noticed?” Aether asks instead, nearly spitting the words.

Kokomi looks towards the ground, taking his words as an answer. “I have put out the order to seize all Delusions. The vast majority are showing some loss of vitality, but nothing serious.” Aether is too angry to feel comforted by the statement. “Sadly, a few have been... less fortunate.”

“Your Excellency,” Gorou says, “I’m planning to establish a dedicated field hospital to monitor their conditions. The soldiers are up in arms about the ban, though. They know full well what a Delusion is capable of, but they still intend to keep using them.”

“I’ll leave you to deal with this situation, I have to get to the front line. This whole fiasco is certain to be a blow to morale. If the Shogun’s Army attacks while we’re scrambling to recover, it could well undo everything we’ve achieved. My presence will show a put-together front. Traveler, what are your thoughts?”

Aether doesn’t have to think to reply. “I’ll go confront the Fatui directly.”

Kokomi immediately lists off knowledge. “The Sakoku Decree is still in force, so their Delusions must be produced within Inazuma’s borders. To organize an operation of this scale, they will have had to mobilize a huge amount of manpower and resources. They can’t have done it without local support. If we want to stop them, we have to destroy the factory where Delusions are made, but it’s sure to be heavily guarded. It’s dangerous to go alone, so at least take some troops with you.”

“There’s no time for that.”

Gorou agrees with Aether, and Kokomi reveals her theories on the location of the factory. “I’m not going to stop you,” she says at last, “but please be careful. We have lost too many courageous fighters already. I don’t want to lose you too.”

Aether turns away. “Let’s go.”

Paimon throws her hands in the air. “You mean to the Delusion factory? You really aren’t going to think it over first?” Aether is already halfway down the shrine path before she concedes. “Ugh, fine.”

He plows through the Fatui forces; his fighting style is built around heavy swings, pure strength, and seething anger, and Aether has that in spades. He doesn’t care enough to hold back, to kill efficiently. He shoves his sword into throats, slices off limbs, even sticking his blade into mouths when he can’t immediately spot chinks in armor. The Traveler may fight like a dance, but Aether is brutal, raised in thousands of years of war.

Scaramouche is waiting for them, and Aether couldn’t care less. He drops into a fighting stance before the Harbinger can finish his first sentence. Scaramouche taunts him, saying he’s worked up over nothing, and Aether is too close to snapping; soldiers dying is hardly nothing, Teppei dying is hardly nothing, and Aether only half-pays attention to the Harbinger’s speech, mind racing with different ways to kill him. Paimon is just as livid at his words, yelling, “How can you say this is nothing?”

The way Scaramouche speaks so flippantly about ruining lives makes Aether spark, barely holding back from charging. It’s only Scaramouche’s words of, “Do you have any idea how useful the Vision Hunt Decree is to us? It took a lot of work to make it happen,” that make him stop.

Pieces click into place.

Baal may not be the most powerful of the Archons, but she has more presence in her nation than Morax or Barbatos. There’s a long history of conflict between Watatsumi island and the Shogunate that would be easy to exploit. If Inazuma is without many Allogenes, then they’ll be significantly weaker, and the mortals without Visions are debilitated due to the effects of the isolation. If Inazuma is under civil war, with both sides already tense with the other, it’s more likely they’ll blame each other before an outside source. Giving the resistance Delusions makes them indebted to the Fatui for supplies, while also killing them under their noses. Manipulating the Commissions ensures that the war continues, which means more lives lost, which means less threats to the Fatui from Inazuma. They can create an economic market of soldiers desperate for power and supplies while avoiding political conflicts by remaining in the shadows, pulling strings on both sides. Inazuma is a chess board, and the Fatui have set the rules of the game.

“Eternity stretches things out over a long time,” Scaramouche comments with a wave of his hand, “but each moment within it becomes all the more fragile.” He tilts his head with a smirk, stepping closer to the railing. “Take your friend in the resistance, for example. There’s nothing you can do now. He’s a lost cause. Just like a bubble on the water.” He drums a finger on the railing. “Beautiful for a moment, then total destruction. The more it takes from them, the more tightly they hold onto it. The more incompetent they are, the more determined they are to fight it.”

“Don’t you dare mock Teppei,” Aether seethes.

“Hey!” Paimon waves her hands, but Aether can’t look at her. “Aether, calm down...”

He takes a step forwards, but pain bursts in his chest, purple sparks whirling around him. Scaramouche’s laughter rings in his ears like it’s playing in his head, and he clutches a hand to his chest, grinding his teeth. Distantly, he’s aware of Scaramouche encouraging him to embrace the anger, and he recognizes that he’s being used, but his knees give out before he can act. Paimon’s hands are on his shoulders, her face filling his vision as he blinks slowly. He’s able to open his eyes long enough to see someone step calmly in front of him, Paimon out of sight, but a hand on his shoulder seeps warmth into his skin. Then, darkness.

When he opens his eyes again, Yae Miko is saying something to him, and it takes a second to realize she’s counting and asking him to repeat after her. Aether sits up, taking a breath of cool air; his throat is too dry and he coughs. Paimon is floating to his side in a second, patting his back. His choking subsides, and he looks up to see Yae watching him, amusement dancing across her features.

In all honesty, Aether doesn’t care about the war anymore. In all honesty, he never truly did. It was another task to check off his list, another thing to complete, another nation to save; lending a hand is written into his body, but Aether doesn’t care. Yae lets him practice against a remake of Baal’s attacks, and Aether loses himself in the familiarity of dodging, holds back the anger that never really left after the factory. He goes through the motions; he follows Yae’s plan of exposing the Commissions, and when Sara heads to Tenshukaku, Aether follows behind her.

La Signora is in the building, standing casually near the shogun. The anger simmering under Aether’s skin starts to sizzle and burn, especially as Signora talks slowly, mockingly, and Aether begins to speak through his teeth. “For all those who have lost their Visions...”

Signora shakes her head. “Stop talking about people and things that I care nothing about.”

The shogun doesn’t stop Signora’s words. Aether doesn’t stop his own. “For Venti’s gnosis, for the people of Liyue you imperiled...”

Signora scoffs. “These mundane details you insist on mentioning... they’re just necessary sacrifices. That’s all.”

“It’s time for me to put a stop to this,” Aether declares.

Signora outright laughs at that, and it makes his blood boil. “I don’t think you realize how much distance there is between us, both in status and in strength.”

He feels embers under his skin, flames licking at his stomach, and the words tumble out his throat, low and threatening. “I agree. The distance is quite vast. I challenge you to a duel before the throne!”

“You are aware,” Signora speaks languidly, “that the loser must die? Are you sure this what you want?”

Aether doesn’t back down. Signora steps closer with a laugh. “Then I will deign to share this last dance with you... till death do us part.”

What Signora fails to consider is that Aether doesn’t dance. Aether carries out a task, tearing through all that opposes him. Aether strikes with honed brutality, uncaring for the blood that stains his hands. Aether is never caught off guard because there is nothing he hasn’t experienced, nothing he does not anticipate, nothing she can do that he’s never seen before. Pre-programmed with all the knowledge he could possibly need, Aether takes his anger out on her; her flames can climb as high as she wants, but Aether burns hotter, like the stars, like the sun.

Aether wins the duel. The loser must die.

Baal strides down the stairs, sword in hand; Aether holds up his own, prepared to defend himself, but she walks right past him, not sparing him a glance. Signora is pleading, and the electricity is growing around Baal’s blade. She lunges for the god, but Baal is faster, swiftly cutting an arc through her, and there’s a burst of lightning, and all Aether can smell is sizzling flesh, all he can see is Signora’s body dissolve into sparks.

“You are the enemy of eternity,” Baal speaks, but Aether hardly hears her over the roaring in his ears. “But as the victor, I acknowledge your honor. Therefore, I shall allow you to leave Tenshukaku alive.”

Aether can’t hear her. Aether can’t breathe. The air outside of Tenshukaku is thick with electricity and death; it creeps along his skin, and Aether can’t breathe. Paimon is saying something, but he can’t make out her words, and the land shakes as lightning strikes. He steps slowly out of Tenshukaku, barely paying attention to where he’s going, moving purely on instinct. Signora, Teppei, Yae’s plan, it’s all too much, pressing on his chest, pounding in his skull.

He hardly registers seeing Gorou, Kazuha, and a few troops at the entrance to Tenshukaku. Aether takes one step out of the gate, and electricity explodes behind him, sending sparks crackling up his spine; he turns around to the shogun’s sword crashing through a void, she said she’ll let him leave Tenshukaku alive but only Tenshukaku, and it’s too close to his skin and Aether can’t dodge—

Kazuha’s blade crashes against hers in a surge of wind and lightning, and somehow, even though his sword is feeble compared to hers, his ambition burns bright, slicing through fate’s strings to write in his own will, and he pushes the god back. The blast sends Aether and Kazuha careening down the stairs. Aether collects himself first, drawing his own blade; Electro isn’t his power, but lightning is, and he coats his blade in bolts and dashes back up the stairs, summoning as much power into his movements as he can. Electricity is in every breath he takes, the air heavy with ambition and will, and the power surges through his arms like he’s made of wires. He heaves his sword to strike.

Instead, Baal opens her void for him to fall into, and there stands Ei.

The first thing Aether tells her, straight to the point, is that the Fatui have deceived the Raiden Shogun.

And Ei laughs.

“Surely you didn’t rouse me from my state of eternal meditation only to tell me this?” she says with mirth. “If so, then you underestimate me. I am quite well-informed about the Vision Hunt Decree. The Vision Hunt Decree has my tacit approval.”

She says it so thoughtlessly, as if she’s not killing her people, as if she’s not stripping them of their greatest wills and leaving emptiness in their places, as if her people aren’t suffering and losing and dying.

Aether tries one more time. “It comes at a great cost to the people of Inazuma.”

But all Ei does is shake her head. “Individual ambition is inherently incompatible with eternity. Those who have lost their lives are the ones who insisted on pursuing their own aspirations, are they not?”

He thinks of Teppei. He thinks of Scaramouche. He’s tired of people not caring.

“Traveler,” she begins, “you seem unique in my eyes. There seems to be limitless uncertainty in you. To put it another way, you are the furthest thing from eternity.”

This time, Aether laughs.

She’s both right and so, so wrong. Aether is an ever-changing force, always on the move from one world to the next, constantly adapting to the customs and cultures, but his mind is stasis. A witness, as Zhongli once called him, an archive. It’s Aether who keeps things alive in his memory. It’s Aether who houses infinite information, stored in a quiet corner of his mind; books constantly being written, the library always added to, never full, never enough. Aether is a void constantly being filled, both eternal and not.

“This is your plane of Euthymia? It is created by your consciousness, yes?”

Ei folds her arms. “That’s right. I’m surprised you understand it so well.”

“This is where you hold desperately onto your memories. It’s where you achieve eternity.” Aether gazes at her, intensity in his eyes. “And yet, you’re so far from it. You think. You yearn. Your memories may live here forever, but your people don’t. The world still turns whether you are a part of it or not. Without you to witness your nation, your people live and they die, and they fizzle out with no one to immortalize them.”

Ei narrows her eyebrows. “You’re looking for a chance to shake my will, aren’t you?”

“I’m not here to debate your ideas.” He thinks of Teppei, of Signora, of Inazuma’s people. He thinks of the soldiers charging at the shogun, Kazuha’s vision burning brightly. Ambition is on his tongue, lightning fizzling in his mouth, and Aether allows the fire to spill over. “I’m here to demolish them.”

This time, he is prepared for Ei to charge at him; he spins out the way, and the lightning bolts graze his arms, but the crackling adds to the energy humming under his skin. They fight once again, but Aether is armed with Yae’s practice, and he does much better than the first time, though it still isn’t enough. He dashes, pouring all his strength into his slash, but Ei still pushes him across the plane. As he catches his breath, he feels the charm Yae gifted him burn against his pants, and suddenly she’s speaking behind him.

“Surely,” she murmurs, leaning down close enough to brush Aether’s shoulder, “you don’t think your ambition alone is enough to shake Ei’s will, do you? Though you alone are here, they too have ambitions, which they have long since entrusted to you.”

He can hear their words, a cacophony in his head, swirling with the different desires and wishes of those he’s encountered in Inazuma. He thinks of the soldiers of the resistance. He thinks of the three citizens Ayaka showed him. He thinks of Kazuha, of Kokomi, of Gorou. He thinks of Teppei, always so determined to change things, to grow stronger, to win.

The plane floods with ambition, and Aether feels it thrum through his limbs, pulsing with a power he thought long gone. Their blades clash once again, and Inazuma’s wishes spill throughout the plane. Aether pushes his will against Ei’s, burning and burning and burning.

He shoves her back.

“You’ve lost, Ei,” Yae says.

“Yes,” Ei replies, gazing at the lightened sky, at the stars floating in the plane. “I have.”

Yae reiterates Aether’s words. Ei explains her thinking.

“You think. You yearn,” Aether repeats. The two sets of eyes turn to him, as if having forgotten he’s there. “You want to see people again. You wanted to see people again.”

Ei thinks for a moment, and eventually decides, “Yes.”

“You can replay your memories as many times as you wish.” Aether takes a step forwards. “Nothing will ever change, but such a life is dull and hollow. What is oblivion if not a place to be filled? You have lived a thousand years and will live a thousand more, so do not allow your people to wither away. Eternity isn’t the denial of progress. Eternity is accepting the change that comes and goes, documenting it, and letting it live in your mind and heart.”

He stops in front of her. “Lightning flashes through the sky, and then the glow fades. It’s simply how the world works. It doesn’t stop.” He meets her eyes, and the air whirls with Inazuma’s will. “You’ve tried to create neutrality, but livelihood has worsened for your people. All you have achieved is an perpetual downwards slope. Is that the eternity you wanted?”

Ei doesn’t hesitate. “No. No... it’s not. I will acknowledge your honor and abolish the Vision Hunt Decree.”

Aether shakes his head. “It’s not my honor you need to acknowledge.”

She regards him quietly. “You understand.”

It’s both a statement and a question. Aether takes a breath. “Yes. I... I feel the loss of my sister,” Ei’s eyes widen at that, “press on my shoulders everyday. I feel the loss of Teppei,” his voice breaks, “and the other soldiers manipulated by the Fatui. I feel the losses of other worlds somewhere deep in my memory.”

“Then how do you continue?” Ei asks him. “How do you...”

Aether looks up at her again, smiling sadly. “This is eternity, Ei. It will never go away.”

True to her word, the Raiden Shogun abolishes the Vision Hunt Decree only a matter of hours after Aether leaves the Plane of Euthymia. The resistance celebrates, soldiers cheerfully reuniting with loved ones, joy ringing in the air because Inazuma has something certain to latch onto: things are going to get better.

Aether feels nothing.

The task is complete. The war is over. Aether watches the celebrations from a distance, unsure of what to do now: a candle wick burnt to a stub, flames extinguished, a machine with a stalled motor, nothing left to do. Inazuma has never been more stable, but Aether has never felt more alienated. He watches tearful reunions, tight embraces, relief. There are soldiers who get happy reunions. Aether is not one of them.

He retires to his room early.

The next morning, Aether collects breakfast for Paimon, and he almost asks for a third serving, but stops before the words leave his mouth. He offers Paimon her sharing as well as his own, and once she’s finished eating, he gathers his things, neatens the bed, and leaves the training grounds. The room looks like he was never there.

Kazuha and Beidou are at the docks to Watatsumi, presumably departing for Liyue once more. Aether wanders over to wish them goodbyes, getting swamped in a hug from Beidou, and a gentle grin from Kazuha.

“Take care of yourself,” Beidou says. Aether stiffens.

(Aether wishes he said more.)

“Traveler?” Kazuha says, noticing the knots in his shoulders. Aether subtly tries to shrink away from Beidou’s hand on his arm. Kazuha tries again, a little firmer, “Traveler.”

He misses being called his name. He misses... he misses...

“Are you alright?” Beidou asks, letting go of his arm. Aether stumbles backwards, and Kazuha tracks the movement with his eyes. “You seem a bit shaky. Are you hungry? Did you eat breakfast?”

“He gave me his serving,” Paimon supplies, and the comment would appear oblivious to anyone else, but Aether knows it’s her invisibly expressing concern.

“I’m sure there hasn’t been much downtime,” Beidou says. “Luckily, that’ll change now. When’d you last eat?”

Aether’s throat is thick. He has to tear the words from his mouth, and even then, they come out quiet and wobbly, “When... when Teppei took us for dinner.”

Paimon whirls around. “That was days ago!”

Aether shakes his head, bangs falling into his eyes; he sees Beidou reach for him, hesitate, then pull her hand back to her side. “Kid, that’s not healthy. You need to eat.”

“No,” Aether says, shaking his head harder. “No, I don’t.”

“Yes, you do,” Beidou continues. Concern is etched into her face. “You need to eat.”

“No, I don’t,” he repeats, and the words are true; he doesn’t need to eat, doesn’t need to drink, doesn’t need, and the only reason he indulged was for the experience. He went to speak with his friends, not for the food, but now... there’s no one to eat with, and the point is lost. “Your worry is misplaced. Save it for someone who needs it.”

He turns on his heel. “Have a safe trip.” He walks away, stiff, taut, mechanical; sometimes he forgets he’s not an automaton, but there is nothing to prove him wrong, no one to care for. He goes through the motions. He searches for a task to complete.

Aether has one thing to do today. He failed one promise to Teppei. He won’t fail another.

He’s not entirely sure where to go for the uniforms; finding his way around Watatsumi is difficult. Teppei never gave him a tour, so he’s not sure where things are located.

(Teppei never gave him a tour. Aether stops in his tracks and only picks up again when Paimon looks back.)

He checks the shrine first. Kokomi is with Gorou, both much lighter than the last time he spoke with them. They’re glad to see him unharmed, thanking him for whatever he did to get the decree annulled.

Aether skips over their gratitude. “Kokomi, do you know where the resistance uniforms are?”

She catches on. “I believe they’re in Borou Village. Actually, there’s something I must give to you.” He holds out a hand, and she drops an old silver key into his palm, rusting with disuse. “It’s to Teppei’s house on the outskirts of the village. He preferred to stay on the training grounds, but... I thought you may wish to visit, and there’s no-one else to give the key to.”

He clutches it in his palm, and his throat is too thick to thank her. She smiles softly anyways.

Aether finds where the uniforms are kept. The soldier distributing them says most were going to be sent to into storage, seeing how they don’t need them currently. Aether requests his, Paimon’s, and Teppei’s. Either the soldier hasn’t heard of Teppei’s fate or understands Aether’s grief because he hands them over without question.

He walks back to the village docks to the building where he last saw Teppei. Unhurried, he can analyze the structure. He glances at the house number, then Teppei’s key, then the number again. They match.

Aether doesn’t enter the house. He steps around the side. Teppei has been moved, presumably per Kokomi’s orders, and Aether leans against the wall and slides down to the wooden dock, sitting where Teppei was; the port is empty save for him and Paimon, floating in front of him with her uniform clutched between her hands, but Aether swears there’s warmth where he sits. Carefully, he unravels the fabric of Teppei’s uniform; it’s well crafted, offering a mix of efficiency for battle and protection.

He goes over his memories of Teppei. He became a constant, a stability, a friend; it is so rare for Aether to get attached, and his choices are never bad. Teppei... was so good, so, so good, and he didn’t deserve this. He didn’t. There’s so much Aether didn’t get to say, so much he didn’t get to do. He was going to bring Lumine to see him. He was already planning what he would say.

“...And we can fill all four chairs at Rinkai Chitai, and she’ll be annoyed if she’s denied alcohol, and we’ll all watch the sunset together.”

Aether buries his face in the fabric and cries.

His shoulders shudder, his chest heaves, and his sobs are muffled by the cloth. He winds his fingers into it and crunches, like he did back in the hallway at the training grounds, but Teppei’s arms aren’t around him this time, only the cold, empty air. Aether shakes and shakes and shakes, cries and cries, pulls the fabric so tightly and close it’s all he can sense, and for once, he thinks it isn’t fair.

Loss is eternity; Aether knows this. He knows life is merciless and cruel and harsh, and no matter what world he’s in, this fact will never waiver, and not once has Aether questioned that world order. He is the enemy of eternity, a force of change, the cycle of life and death. But it’s not fair, and he doesn’t know if he’s angry at fate or just overwhelming sad. It’s not fair, and Aether wishes there was something he could do, wishes he could do more than just remember, do more than just learn. It’s not fair, and Aether has nothing to hold on to but the shaky promise he makes, sitting on the port, crying into the fabric, trying desperately to write his will into the universe.

This will never happen again.

(Aether’s not entirely sure whether he means he’ll better protect his friends or never make any again. He’s not sure which is the better option.)