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It was a bright sunny day, and Mona Megestus was shut inside. She had a pile of new books from the library, and even had a little extra Mora on her than normal. By all rights she should have been very content, and she would have been if not for a sudden knock on the door startling her.
“Who could that be? I don’t recall any mentions of visitors in my readings this morning?” she thought to herself, concerned but curious as she went to answer the door.
As the door creaked open, Mona was pleasantly surprised to see that it was none other than the renowned Traveler, Aether. “Ah, you are here Mona. Thank goodness, after how the last time I tried to find you for Goth went, I wasn’t sure you’d be home” chuckled Aether. “What does that mean! Of course I’m here!” Mona pouted. However, she suddenly noticed something was strangely absent, or rather someone. “Where’s your little floating friend? It’s most… unusual for you two to be apart” she asked. “Ah, don’t worry about Paimon, She’s just having lunch with Amber at the Good Hunter, since I asked to be alone for a bit. That’s actually why I’m here. Could you… do a reading for me?” Aether explained, a slight smile on his face.
“You want a reading? Alone… with me???” Mona spluttered, turning her head to the side as her mind was filled with questions. Why would he send Paimon away just to do a reading with me? He wants to be alone with me, but why? What is he planning? Surely not… Mona, flustered at that idea, tried to change the subject. “Be-besides, I already attempted to look into your future once before and I couldn’t see anything, what kind of stunt are you trying to pull?”.
Aether laughed, but something about it sounded strange, almost hollow. “Mona, I promise I’m being serious about this. Besides, it’s not the future I want to know about, it’s the present. Just, please help me with this?” Mona was kinda surprised to see that behind that smile on his face, his eyes didn’t have that same shine they normally did. What could worry him enough for him to ask her for help?
“Well, since you asked for my genius so nicely, I suppose I can be gracious and help you this time. Come inside and take a seat at the table.” Mona responded in her normal haughty manner. They both walked in and sat at opposite sides of a small dining table which featured a large, flat bowl of water in the middle, a strange kind of tension filling the air. “So what is it that I, the great Mona, can divine for you?” Mona asked, her normal proud demeanor shining through. Aether’s face turned somewhat somber as he responded “Well Mona, you see, for the longest time, I’ve started to feel more and more like the people I meet… don’t actually like me."
Mona was confused to say the least “What? You’re being ridiculous. If anything, you seem to make friends with everyone you meet.”
“Well, I don’t mean don’t… like me. I’m sure they all “like” me in some kind of way. But I feel like more and more I’m seen less as a trusted friend and more like a… tool of sorts. Someone who can be used. Y’know, like “Oh great, it’s the traveler. He’ll fix our problems, let’s just dump them all on him.” He said, his voice turning surprisingly sarcastic and bitter.
“That's… impossible. I’m sure they all care about-”
“Mona… How many people have actually tried to help me find my sister?” Aether interjected bluntly.
Mona paused for a moment, pondering that sudden question. It was true that the traveler had been seeking his sister for quite some time, and she had seen Amber’s posters around the town. But she hadn’t heard of anything else. “I know Amber put up posters but…”
Aether sighed. “Yes, that’s right. I also asked Ningguang for help as well, and she claims she’s been working on it, yet I haven’t heard anything since. Everyone else? Nothing, not even so much as a “Hey Aether, I’ve been asking my contacts about her and I’ll let you know if anything pops up.” Meanwhile they ask me to fight their battles and do their errands no matter how dull and tedious.”
Mona was stunned. All this time, she’d never known Aether was carrying all of this. “Well, if you don’t want to do it then why not say no?” She asked. Aether paused, a sad smile on his face as he then responded “Because I’m a sucker who can’t stop helping people. I’ve never been good at saying no, especially when people need something. They just look at me, with so much hope and expectation in their eyes, and I… I just say yes, even if I desperately don’t want to.” Aether’s facade of positivity was completely gone as he continued “You know how I told you about what happened in Inazuma?”
Mona recalled the stories he had told her last time they had met during their island “getaway” with Fischl, Xinyan and Kazuha. “Yes? What about it?”
Aether paused for a moment, like he was considering what he was saying carefully. “Initially I tried to refuse Ayaka and the Resistance’s request for help. I knew the situation was serious, and I knew that the shogun probably did need to be stopped, but… I wasn’t there to fight a war! Especially not with the one I traveled all that way to meet! I just wanted to meet with the Archeon, ask about my sister, then move on. It would have been so much simpler” Aether sighed.
Mona was so surprised. Every time she’d seen him in Mondstadt, Aether was always jumping at the chance to help out, even when it was seriously dangerous. How much had he been though for him to lose that spark? “Well, if you didn’t want to intervene then what changed?” Mona questioned. “Ayaka, she… manipulated me. She asked me to meet with those who had lost their vision to the Vision Hunt.She wanted me to see how it left them wandering, lacking any kind of drive or passion for life. Just empty husks of people.” He shivered, clearly still disturbed by the idea as he continued “She knew that once I saw that, I’d choose to side with her. She… knew that my heart was soft and I wouldn’t be able to stand idly by when there was suffering on that scale.”
Mona felt a twinge of anger as she thought about what he’d said, but that didn’t last long as he continued: “She’s not the only one. Ayato, Yae, the Resistance, probably a bunch of people from Liyue, of all these people I’ve interacted with, so many seem to see me as a pawn. I’ve been used, manipulated, passed around like an errand boy, you name it. Even if they DID really like me or see me as a friend, how can I separate the actions of those who do care when people who’ve used me have left me questioning every little action now? What’s just a request for help from a friend and what’s a subtle attempt to use me like a chess piece in some grand plan? I CAN’T TELL ANY MORE!” He slammed his fist into the table in anguish, his bottled up emotions finally spilling out.
Mona stopped for a second. How did I not see this? Her whole heart wanted to rush to him, to hold him and tell him he’d be ok, that he was wrong. But her pride wouldn’t let her. I am a grand astrologer, not some lovesick child. What would he think of me? I can’t let him see through me like that. She instead thought about everything he’d said so far. Aether was such a kind, caring person, and she loved that about him. It hurt her to see him doubting his worth like this. She wanted to refute it but she couldn’t dare risk letting him know her feelings, not yet anyway. She had another idea though.
“Do you regret helping everyone?” she asked quietly.
“What?”
“Do you regret helping stop the Shogun?” she clarified.
Aether paused. “I… I don’t think so.”
“What about helping defend Liyue those times? Or saving Mondstadt from Dvalin?”
“No. I don’t”
“Is there any time where you’ve offered help so far where you regret doing so?”
Aether thought long and hard about this. “Uh… I guess not. I mean, I know it was the right thing to do, I’m just… so very tired and I just can’t tell if anyone truly appreciates me anymore.”
Suddenly, inspiration struck Mona like a lamp lighting up at night. “I know what your problem is, Aether.”
Aether looked confused. “My… problem? What is it?”
Mona took a deep breath as she mentally prepared for what she would need to say and do. “You’ve been working so hard for the past 2 years or so, and wherever you go you seem to help everyone you can. At first it was just out of the goodness of your heart, but now you’ve built up a reputation. You’re a hero, a legend of sorts to the people of Tevat, but that means you’re afraid of letting anyone down. You don’t want to disappoint them, so even when you are tired, angry or frustrated, you can’t bring yourself to show it.You won’t let anyone in.”
Aether was still looking a little bit lost as he replied “Let anyone in?”
Mona continued “You keep putting on that brave face, never letting those around you know how you’re feeling. It’s bottled up inside, festering and until now, you didn’t release it at all. You’ve been carrying so many burdens on your back that you’re bent over so far you can’t see the faces of those you help anymore.” Mona stood up dramatically as she proclaimed “Now, let my reading reveal the truth of this world to you!” as she began to use her power on the reflective bowl of water between them.
Suddenly, images of familiar faces began to appear on the water’s surface, and their voices echoed throughout the room.
“Man, if it wasn’t for that Traveler I would have lost everything”
“I wonder how my dear cutie is going. I hope he visits soon, I always enjoy our talks”
“I understand why he’s leaving again but… I wish I could ask him to stay and join the knights formally. There’s just something… special about him.”
“ Gotta check those posters again. I know we haven’t heard anything yet but he’s counting on me, and Outrider Amber never lets anyone down!”
“Yelan, have you found anything about the Traveler’s sister? Spare no expense, I want her found”
“It’s a lovely day to relax and read some laws, but I wish he was here. I should book another fishing trip next time I see him”
“Yo, Arataki gang. I’ve got our next big plan and OOOH BOY. It’s a doozy. We’re gonna plan a little surprise for our little traveler and his floating friend, it’s gonna be AWESOME!”
“Maybe that last trick I played on him at the restaurant was a bit too much for the poor traveler. He looked genuinely hurt, maybe I’ll be a bit more gentle with the teasing next time. Only a bit though”
“Hehe, I hope wherever you are today, that the winds of freedom lead you to her soon, my good friend.”
Tears welled in the traveler’s eyes as more and more of his friends were heard, his doubts and fears washing away as the warm, comforting truth was revealed. “They… they really do care…” he whispered. Mona was smiling. Of course she was right. And yet, seeing all those people’s feelings made something else concerningly clear. Many of them didn’t just like him, she suspected that they might… like him. Screw my pride, I can’t waste this chance! She thought as she walked over to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder. As he turned, wiping tears from his eyes, Mona's smiling face beamed back at him. "You see now? You're loved, you fool!" she cried as she gave him a tight hug. Stunned by her outburst, Aether slowly returned the hug, a smile finally forming again on his face as they embraced.
As they let go, he wiped the last of his tears and smiled at her. “Thank you so much, Mona. I… I guess I lost sight of things after all.” “Of course, I’m… glad you came to me about this” Mona mumbled before trying to compose herself. “I uh, mean, after all, only a true Genius like me could help you with something like this!” She tried to return to her usual haughty tone, but Aether could see that she was struggling and started to chuckle. “I guess so, ha ha.”
They both stared at each other for a moment, unsure what to say. For Aether, he had stopped to wonder. When he’d thought about telling someone about these feelings, he’d not been sure why he thought of Mona first at the time. There was her scrying ability, true, but there had been something else that had made him think of her first. Now, he knew what it was. While he’d been quietly enamored with her beauty for quite some time, it was this kindness that lay hidden underneath her haughty, proud demeanor. That caring nature that only those closest to her knew about. Could he… be falling for her?
Mona meanwhile was also struggling with her feelings. She had admired the Traveler before, certainly, but to finally see behind his upbeat, positive facade had opened her eyes. Without Paimon around to constantly distract from it, she could see that he was in fact as human and vulnerable as everyone else. In a strange way, to see how hard he must be working to be brave and kind despite his fears and doubts, it only made her love him more.
“So, y’know, you never told me how you felt about me, Mona. Is there something you want to say?” Aether said with a slight smirk. Mona’s pride was screaming at her to deny or retort his statement, but she didn’t care anymore. This was it, this was her moment and she knew just how to do this. “How about… I'll show you?” She replied. She reached up and took her hat off, holding it to the side as they both leaned in close…
“DANG IT, NOW WE CAN’T SEE! And it was just getting good too!” yelled Paimon, who was peering into the window with Amber next to her. “Quiet Paimon or they’ll hear us!” Amber whispered back. They’d been walking by when they’d heard Mona’s declaration, which of course got them both curious, hence why they were spying through the window. As they peered through, they couldn’t see what exactly was happening thanks to Mona’s hat, but they could get a good idea. As Mona and Aether’s lips parted, what was a warm touching moment was ruined as Mona lowered the hat and jumped when she saw the two interlopers out the window. “AAAH, What are you doing?!” Meanwhile, Aether chuckled and reached for the curtain as he said “It’s rude to stare you know” with a cheeky grin as he closed the curtains on them.
Paimon and Amber climbed out of the bushes and took a walk back towards the Good Hunter, disappointed that they had been found out. “Well well, that was a surprise. Did you know they had a thing going Paimon?” Amber asked as they walked away. “Well, Paimon had seen him staring at her a few times, but to think he sent me away for… THAT.” she grumbled. Amber meanwhile had a spring in her step as she replied “Well I’m happy for them. I love seeing new couples form, it’s so sweet. Besides, I think they suit each other!” Paimon stopped and floated in place for a moment. “Yeah, I guess so. Paimon just hopes that he doesn’t want to replace Paimon…”
Amber gave Paimon a big hug. “Oh Paimon, no one can replace you. You’re his best friend!”
Paimon smiled “You’re right! Paimon is the best guide and companion, after all! Well, he better tell us all about it after or he’ll suffer my Paimonial wrath!” She chuckled. Amber giggled at the supposed threat as she replied “Agreed, now how about we get a nice juice at Angel’s Share while we wait for those two lovebirds”. “Sounds good to Paimon!” Paimon agreed as they walked off, looking forward to the eventual story that would come later.