Work Text:
~~
A Genshin Impact Fanfiction
Legacy
By: Knowlee Raven
~~
Wide emerald eyes stared out into the crowd, curiosity filling them as the girl those eyes belonged to wondered what was going on. Though she'd been told why they were here, she was still confused. Hmm...maybe she should ask again? "...Momma?"
A tall blonde-haired woman standing next to her looked away from the same group of people she'd been looking at and down to her. She smiled warmly, the sight making the girl's nerves ease a bit. "Yes, Aethra? What is it?"
Her arm shot out, one of her small fingers pointing towards all the people walking around. “What're they doing?”
Following her daughter's line of sight, the woman realized what it was she was talking about. "Oh, them? Well, they're going to the Windblume Festival."
"...Windboom Festval?" The girl tilted her head confused, her little teal streaked blonde braided pigtails moving with her. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't think of where. Did momma say something about it? Or did daddy? Or was it someone else?
Her mother nodded. "Yes, the Windblume Festival. It's where the people of Mondstadt celebrate love and give thanks to the Anemo Archon for his protection." The smile she had on her face disappeared as she looked up, her golden eyes scanning the crowd for someone. "Now if your father would get here, maybe we could go and see things up close…"
Hearing that, it reminded her that her daddy wasn't here. Where was he? He said he'd be here. He promised…
Her heart hurt. Daddy didn't forget did he…? Sniffing, her eyes started to burn as she looked around trying to find him, but he wasn't anywhere at all. But, he promised, daddy promised!
Her sight blurred, tears threatening to fall, but before they could, her stomach flew up into her throat as she was lifted off the ground, her hand falling out of her mother's. She stayed in the air for a few moments before falling down and landing into the arms of a man with eyes as green as her own. It took her a moment before glee overtook her as she instantly recognized who the person holding her was. "Daddy!!!"
Squealing in delight she hugged her arms tightly around his neck, her tears going dry. "You remembered!"
Her daddy laughed, gently pulling her arms from his neck then lifting her up to let her sit on his shoulders. "Hehe! Of course I remembered! Whatever made you think I didn’t?"
"Well considering you weren't here on time, that could explain it." Her momma walked over to daddy, the look on her face one she knew was the one that said daddy was in trouble. She put her hand over her mouth to hide her giggle.
He laughed again, though it was a bit quieter than the first one. "Heh, you know me, starlight. I had to make sure everything was good before making it here. Gotta make sure everything will go well for my two favorite girls."
Putting her hands on her hips, she gave him another look, making him reach out to grab her hand bringing it to his mouth to kiss, making Aethra gag. While she didn't see her father's face she knew he had done something that made her momma's turn red. "You know you love me…"
Turning her face away, her face still red, she could see her momma trying to hide a smile. “Are you sure about that?”
Her daddy laughed again, letting go of her momma’s hand to bring his arm around her waist, drawing her close. She noticed her momma’s face go red again with whatever it was her daddy had whispered into her ear and then she gagged again when the two got closer to kiss. “Ew!!!”
Covering her eyes with one of hands, she tried to keep from seeing it. Apparently all this did was make her parents laugh, Her daddy’s voice talking to her afterward. “Ah, c’mon it’s not that bad!”
“Yes, it is!” Taking her hand from her face, she poked her daddy’s cheek, making him giggle.
Shaking her head at both of them, her momma grabbed daddy’s hand, pulling them both towards the large group of people. “Come on you two. Let’s go before we’re any later.”
Daddy laughed again, hurrying to catch up with her momma. “Yes ma’am!”
~~
Walking down the streets of Mondstadt, Venti felt practically giddy as they kept moving. His hand in his wife’s, daughter on his shoulders, he felt like one of the many people he sees frequenting the streets of his city. It made him feel human in a way even though between the three of them, they were certainly nowhere near that. With him as a god, the patron god of this place, thank you very much, his wife, a former Traveler who helped save and protect the whole of Teyvat, and his daughter, a visual representation of their love for each other, they were on another level. And even with this, none of them saw each other as more important than anyone else.
"...Daddy?" Venti glanced up seeing Aethra looking down at him, their emerald eyes meeting. Sending her a smile, his curiosity grew at what she was about to ask.
"Yes, my little breeze? Something on your mind?" Hopping in step, the little jump made Aethra giggle, her hands holding tight to his hair to keep her balance.
"Aunt Jean said you and momma 'got together' during Windboom. How did that happen?" Chuckling, Venti slyly cut his eyes to Lumine who was looking back at him with a small smile. Her hand squeezed his.
"Oh? Did she now? Are you sure you're gonna be able to listen to all of it without getting bored?" Laughing as he saw her head nodding furiously, he glanced over at his wife again. "Do you want to tell her or me?"
Aethra leaned over to her mother, causing Venti to have to grab her arm to keep her from falling."Oh please, oh please tell the story, Mommy! I promise I won't get bored!"
Giggling at her daughter's antics, Lumine gave in, a thoughtful expression overtaking her face. "Hmm..where should I start?"
"Well...I'd suggest the first meeting we had after you woke up. You know, the one in the forest?" Catching sight of the flight of stairs before them, Venti gripped tighter on his daughter making sure she wouldn't fall. The memory of that day formed clearly in his mind.
"Ah, that's right! The one with Dvalin?" At this name he heard his daughter gasp loudly making him chuckle. That was certainly a name she'd recognize.
"Dvalin? You mean Daddy's friend, Dvalin? He was there too?" Lumine nodded, her eyes glazed over from the recollection.
"Yes, he was. You see your father was trying to talk to him to get him to calm down as he wasn't feeling good." Venti heard the sad tone in Aethra's voice as she spoke her concern.
"Why didn't he feel good? Was he sick?" Lumine glanced over to him, letting him take the lead just as they reached the top of the stairs, heading to the next ones.
"Yep, he was. He hadn't been feeling good for some time before we met and I was trying to help him. But as usual he was stubborn." Aethra giggled, apparently remembering that being a staple trait of his.
“Upon seeing your mother, he ran away and well, so did I cause I didn’t know who she was. Turns out later that because of our first meeting, she went to try and find me.” As they passed by the windmill, he saw Glory sitting on the bench, her mother Grace next to her and sent them a greeting. In the back of his mind, he wished that Godwin could be there with them, but considering his choices he made back then, he knew he wouldn’t be well received. Oh, well…
Lumine spoke up just as they were nearing the next flight of stairs for the higher level. “When I did finally find him, the cheeky little guy that is your father decided to act dumb and pretend he didn’t know who I was. Though that was quickly put to rest when he saw that I wanted to help him.”
Nodding, tightening his grip once more on Aethra’s leg to ensure she wouldn’t fall, they started climbing. “Hehe, sorry about that. Though considering you were a complete stranger at the time, can you blame me?" Laughing again at his wife rolling her eyes, he brought her hand up and kissed the back of it, feeling delight at the splash of red that formed on her cheeks. "Though that did change after we ended up saving Dvalin from his sickness. Also if I recall correctly, didn't you also flirt with me during that?"
Lumine's blush grew darker, causing him to laugh again. "Ehe, what was it now you said…?"
Her eyes narrowed at him, a dark warning in them. "Venti…"
"Oh! I remember! Wasn't it ' your eyes remind me of your hometown '?" Raising his eyebrows at her, making them stop their journey for a moment, he could see the range of emotions cross her face. Almost as if she were debating pushing him into the nearby fountain, but considering he was carrying their daughter, she couldn't. But even though he knew she couldn't get him now, she definitely would later. "I'm right, aren't I?"
She pouted, turning away to walk forward forcing them to continue walking up to the last flight of stairs to the square. Her voice came out in a grumble, and if it were not for his control over air he wouldn't have heard it. "You're lucky you're cute."
His expression turned smug. Looks like he still had some sway over her after all these years. "Oh, so I'm still cute now? Hehe…"
The glare she sent his way would've killed him if he wished, but he knew that while she could be mean, she wouldn't dare go that far. And while most men wouldn’t push their luck, he wouldn’t count himself among them. Pulling his wife close, he gave her a quick peck on her cheek, making her face flush again. “Just so you know, you’re cute too, my starlight.”
He glanced back over, trying to see her response, but before he got a chance, their daughter decided to voice her opinion on the matter. “Ewww! Daddy! You’re being weird again!”
Lumine laughed, causing Venti to pout at how the two girls in his life were treating him. “You guys are being mean to me!”
Aethra giggled, Lumine following suit just as they reached the square and began heading over to the place where the Windblume Star was set to make their offering. Lumine looked back to give him a sly look, her face showing how much she was relishing in his embarrassment. “Nonsense, my dear husband. She’s just stating a fact.”
He childishly stuck his tongue out at her for a few moments, his attention quickly shifting to Jean who was speaking to the maiden who had been chosen as this year’s representative. Seeing his old friend again reminded him of the first Windblume Lumine had the honor of attending. He smiled as the memories passed through his mind. “You know I’m curious…”
“Hmm?” Lumine looked up at her husband no doubt wondering what it was he was about to say.
“I know you were offered to be this year’s Windblume Star just like you were during your first year in Mondstadt. Why did you turn it down?” His emerald eyes met her golden ones for a few moments, before Lumine turned to look back towards the one who was chosen instead, watching as she came to offer the flower she chose to the altar.
“While I appreciate how much Mondstadt wants me to have that honor, I don’t want to deprive someone here of being able to show their devotion. And besides…” Her eyes shifted back towards him, her eyelids lowered and smirk on her face, almost making Venti concerned as to what she was going to say. And her next words in fact were spoken so low, only those with his sensitivity to the wind would hear it. “Don’t I already give you an offering everyday at home?”
Oh boy, now it was Venti’s turn to turn red. Any response he had to her words died in his lungs cause honestly how could he respond to that? His face flushed even deeper when Lumine laughed at his reaction. The redness remained for a few more moments, only disappearing when Aethra expressed her confusion as to what was going on. “Momma, what did you say to Daddy to make him go red?”
Lumine giggled, reaching up with her free hand to pat the young girl’s head. “It’s nothing, sweetheart.” Turning to look back at the altar, she pointed out the wind whipping around the accepted flower the Windblume Star had offered. She smiled at the sight, her eyes glancing back at Venti, who had managed to finally get over his embarrassment. “Looks as if the Anemo Archon accepted the offering.”
He smiled, his eyes looking over the group of people standing before his statue. Pride enveloped him. He was glad to have his people and his family at his side. It was all he needed. “That it was indeed.”
~~
Looking at all the dandelion seeds flying about in the air, Aethra felt the wind brush past her face, making her braids fly up, getting into her face. She reached to grab them, pulling them down with her hands to make sure they stayed, her eyes looking up at the same time to see the statue of the Anemo Archon in front of them. Narrowing her eyes, she looked closer at the statue, quietly gasping when she noticed the braids the god’s hair was fixed into and the face looked very familiar. Almost as if she knew who this person was.
But that wasn’t right, no way was it right. Because if it was, wouldn’t that mean? Shaking her head, trying to push the thoughts away, little Aethra kept denying it. But the question remained.
…Why did Anemo God’s statue look like Daddy?