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Lumine could categorize her time in Teyvat with a series of befores and afters.

Before she lost Aether. After.

Before she met Paimon. After.

Before Dvalin. After.

Before Osial. After.

Before she lost Aether a second time. After.

And so on and so forth. Really, the woman was impressed. Before Teyvat, she hadn’t experienced a lot of change in her life, especially not in such a (comparatively) short amount of time. But now? Lumine started to lose track of all the monumental changes she went through. They were hard to count. Hard to rank, too, though for the sake of her mental health, Lumine did try to organize them from biggest to smallest impact. Aether first, of course. Always. Then Paimon. After that, though, things got a little dicey.

And then Lumine fought Scaramouche, and there was a new after.

She was not a fan of The Balladeer. The man–he wasn’t really a man, technically, but she digressed–was ill-mannered and foul-tempered. He didn’t seem to care for anyone but himself and loathed most, if not all, people he met. And yet.

Since waking from The Doctor’s induced sleep, Lumine had yet to sleep peacefully. Night after night, nightmares plagued her. She watched herself fight Scaramouche over and over and over again. She watched him lose. She watched him beg and plead for the electro gnosis. And she watched him fall from the puppet.

The first few times it happened, she woke then with a start, sweating and gasping for air as though she’d really just fought Scaramouche all over again. Paimon sat with her, brushing small hands through Lumine’s golden hair.

Then the dream got weirder.

After having the same dream for a week straight, and sleeping ill because of it, Lumine wondered why neither she nor Nahida had thought to check on him after he fell. Hadn’t thought to see whether he was alive or dead. And wasn’t it a miserable fate, she thought, to have no one care whether you lived or died? Lumine didn’t care , per se, and yet… She had to see for herself. It was only a dream after all. (Not to say that Lumine wasn’t very aware of the power of dreams, but she didn’t think anything of this particular dream. She’d had a few similar experiences in the wake of other big events in her life. Before, after.)

So after a week of the same dream, she willed her body to move when he fell. She didn’t catch him; Lumine wasn’t that quick, but she went to him, all the same. Funny, she thought later, after she’d woken up, wasn’t he unconscious when he hit the ground? But in her dream, he looked up at her. Scaramouche was dazed, but still able to snarl at her. He swiped at her but missed terribly, wordlessly screaming.

Lumine woke up screaming, too. By the gods, he looked… Miserable? Terrified? Furious? All of that and more. Lumine didn’t pity Scaramouche, not by any means, but that look…

“Lumine? What’s wrong?” Paimon asked, near frantic as she floated close to grab Lumine’s hand. The blonde shook her head clear; forgetting all thoughts of Scaramouche to calm her friend. Or at least trying to.

Even when she was awake, it was hard not to think about the person she dreamt of nightly. It frustrated her. Again, Lumine did not pity Scaramouche. She didn’t even like him. But there was, it turned out, a threshold of suffering that she could watch someone go through without wanting to help in some way. Besides, it was just a dream. Nothing she did there would ease the suffering The Balladeer had truly gone through, so it was really only a way to ease her troubled mind a little bit.

As she and Paimon walked through the streets of Liyue Harbor, Lumine tuned out her companion’s inane chatter to muse on Scaramouche. Again, she hadn’t slept well. She dreamt of him, again went to his side, and again was rejected. She didn’t think he deserved his trauma, exactly, but his reaction to it… She wished, perhaps foolishly, that she could’ve been there. Could’ve been a friend to him. Could’ve stopped him from losing his mind in grief and rage. But that was all wishful thinking.

That night, she dreamed of Scaramouche, as usual. That night, unlike usual, the dream changed.

They sat in the room in front of the collapsed puppet, but Nahida was nowhere to be found. Scaramouche sat cross-legged on the ground, facing the puppet with his back to Lumine. He didn’t react when she moved, even as her footsteps echoed. He only turned to look at her when she got close, close enough to touch (she didn’t dare). Because, oh, he was angry. His face twisted in a hideous scowl, and Scaramouche stood. He was only just taller than Lumine, but an inch or two might as well have been a mile as he got in her face, looking down his nose at her.

“I fucking loathe you,” he snapped, and Lumine awoke with a start. Nothing new there.

He had the right, of course. How could he not hate her? She’d basically destroyed his only dream, even if it was a completely insane, maniacal dream. Lumine hadn’t expected him to not hate her. But still, hearing it made her want to tear her hair out. Why did it matter if Scaramouche liked her or not? It’s not like he was secretive in his dislike. And Lumine had never given too much of a fuck if people liked her in general. So why now? She couldn’t think of an answer, and she had no one to ask for advice. She missed Aether, for a moment, then realized that if Aether were there, he wouldn’t have much advice for her either.

Neither of them spent much time with anyone but each other, at least until Teyvat. Their people skills were abysmal, no pun intended. Before Teyvat, Lumine tried to avoid anyone the twins met on their travels. Before Teyvat, Lumine had never had a friend who wasn’t her twin. Before, after.

For the next week, the dream stayed consistent. Lumine stood facing Scaramouche, who sat with his back to her as he faced his own dilapidated puppet. He didn’t say the same thing every time, but he was unequivocally unpleasant. Lumine, for her part, wanted to shake him, or maybe scream her fool head off until he shut up. No such luck. Nightmares, of course, rarely went the way one wanted them to.

The irritation built to the point where Lumine considered asking Nahida to take a look at her dreams. Considered, but eventually decided against. Lumine wasn’t a martyr by any means, but she sort of felt like she deserved it. Well, that wasn’t quite right, either. It grounded her, in some respects. She had nightmares often after large events, and this one was no different. While they were unpleasant, it felt like paying penance in some way. Even though saving Teyvat from the almost-god that Scaramouche became was a great thing, she had crushed his dreams. And she couldn’t do anything for him now, comatose as he was.

It was a misguided attempt to atone, Lumine knew. But it felt better than abandoning him, forgetting him. So she kept dreaming.

Finally, he didn’t scream at her. The dream stayed the same as it usually was, except this time, Scaramouche just looked at Lumine, a scowl on his face.

“What are you doing here?” He snarled, clearly at his wit’s end. “I’ve told you to go away enough times, haven’t I?”

“I…” Lumine opened her mouth, started to speak, but she realized immediately that she had no actual answer. So her subconscious was as confused as her conscious mind. How comforting. “I don’t know.”

Scaramouche blinked, then laughed. It wasn’t genuine. He was being cruel, she knew. “Idiotic. Get out of my sight.”

Lumine woke up.

“Is it pity?” He asked the next night, pacing now. He gesticulated more as he got more agitated, Lumine knew after her weeks of observing him. Perhaps her brain was inventing characteristics for him, or maybe she’d noticed that about him in the waking world. She couldn’t remember.

“No,” she answered, voice even and grounded in contrast to Scaramouche’s frantic energy. “I don’t pity you in the slightest.”

“Then why are you here?” He asked again.

“I’m pretty sure it’s because I don’t get you. My brain is trying to figure you out or something.” Lumine was nothing if not matter of fact. “But really, I don’t know why I keep dreaming about you.”

Scaramouche finally stilled, frowning as he observed her. “What does it even matter?”

Lumine didn’t get the chance to reply to him.

That day, she sent Paimon to hang out with Xiangling in Liyue while she herself went to Inazuma. Lumine felt awkward marching up the steps to the Shogun’s palace, but she really had no one else to ask about this particular subject, so up she went. Unbidden, she remembered nearly dying on those same steps. Sending a quick thought of thanks to Kazuha, she stepped up to the nearest Tenryou commission guard.

“Excuse me; I need to speak with the Raiden Shogun.” He stared at her like she was stupid for a moment before he burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry, but you can’t just walk in here and speak to the Shogun.”

“I’m pretty sure I can,” Lumine argued, mostly for the sake of arguing. If she told this man her name, he would apologize and let her in. But she felt like being difficult. Unfortunately, the fun was ruined by the untimely and unexpected arrival of Kujou Sara from behind.

“Lumine, what a pleasure it is to see you,” Ever-polite, she stopped and bowed low. Lumine never knew what to do with such formality, so she just bowed back. “How can I help you today?”

“I need to speak to the Shogun. It isn’t urgent, exactly, but I would like to see her sooner rather than later,” Lumine admitted, and Sara hummed. The guard by her side got paler by the second. Lumine relished in it maybe a little too much. Scaramouche was rubbing off on her.

“I’ll see what I can do. I believe she’s in with Yae Miko at the moment, but I am fairly certain you are also acquainted with her, no?”

“I am, yes.”

“Perfect. Again, I will see what I can do. Guard?”

He straightened, face still deadly pale. Vindictive, vindictive Lumine. She chastised herself, but she didn’t really feel bad about it. Besides, it was nice to be anonymous sometimes.

“Yes, General?”

“Please escort the traveler inside and make sure she is comfortable while I confer with the Shogun.”

“Yes, ma’am!” He did as Sara bid, and the woman offered Lumine a small smile that the blonde returned. She settled in to wait.

Luckily–or unluckily, since Lumine’s nerves took a dive–It didn’t take much waiting. Raiden Ei herself stepped out to greet Lumine with a private smile and a nod of her head. Behind her, Kujou Sara bowed low and excused herself.

“Lumine. To what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked, voice smooth and low. Privately, Lumine classified the archons she’d met in two different ways: Ei and Zhongli, like molten lava, all smooth and low and unhurried. Then Venti and Nahida, birdlike, sharp and angular and flighty.

“I have something important to discuss,” Lumine hedged, nervous to bring up Scaramouche to his mother-adjacent. Ei hummed.

“I am having tea with Miko at the moment; would you like to join us?”

“Yes, please.” Not that having Yae Miko present would make the conversation easier, but Lumine couldn’t very well refuse.

Miko stood when they entered, and she, too, offered a smile to Lumine. She returned it with only a little hesitance.

“My dear traveler; what a pleasure to see you again.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Lumine replied, because she was a professional at playing the game at this point in her life. Funny to think that just two years prior, Lumine had been terrible at reading people and conversing with them.

They sat together making small talk and drinking tea late into the afternoon. It took that long for Lumine to steel her nerves. Having no idea how Ei would react wasn’t ideal, and the additional wildcard of Yae Miko didn’t make things easier in any way.

Finally, in a lull in the conversation, Lumine blurted, “Why did you make Kunikuzushi?”

Ei blinked and frowned, in that way she did when she was confused. It was another trait she shared with Zhongli, though she didn’t dare say so. Miko, on the other hand, laughed.

“I told you,” she said, amusement tinging her tone, “Kunikuzushi was a prototype for the Shogun. He was… unfit, for the task.” Something about that rubbed Lumine the wrong way. Unfit? For the task he was made for? How was that amusing to the shrine maiden?

“He wept,” Ei interrupted abruptly before Lumine could say anything. “He cried when he was created.” She spoke quietly, contemplatively.

“How did that make him unfit?” Lumine snapped back, more heated than she intended. Miko observed her with a smug little smile on her face. Gods above, Lumine hated that look.

“I didn’t… It wasn’t that I had no sympathy. Rather, I didn’t want to force a creature with real thoughts and feelings to submit to my will. To do as I wanted, exclusively, for all eternity. I let him go.”

It made sense, Lumine had to admit. Still, her voice came out bitter when she said, “Clearly, it wasn’t perceived in that way.”

“How do you know?” Miko asked, and again, the smile on her face was infuriatingly knowing. “Last I checked, the two of you were very much at odds, no?”

“No, we’re still at odds,” Lumine sighed, and then she launched into a retelling of events in Sumeru. By the end of it, the two electro users both frowned.

“He considers me… Goodness, why? Because I created him?” Ei said, still frowning.

“I think so.”

“And he thinks I abandoned him? Discarded him?”

“That is definitely true.”

“That… wasn’t my intention.”

“Wasn’t it, though?” Miko interrupted, smile back on her face, though perhaps more wry than it had been. “Did you not want him to go away, to be out of your hair? Ei, perhaps you should take more responsibility for this.”

“I did not cast him aside. I simply allowed him to do as he wished, and isn’t that a gift from me, in and of itself? I wanted perfect control, yet I still allowed Kunikuzushi to wander and do whatever he liked with no interference from me. Shouldn’t he have been grateful?”

“It doesn’t matter what he should or shouldn’t have thought; what matters is that he felt abandoned, and alone, and he gave up on humanity,” Lumine said with a shrug. “Besides, what’s done is done. I meant no offense in asking,” mostly true, “I just wanted to hear it from you.”

“Of course,” Ei said, but the troubled frown still graced her marble features. Lumine resisted the urge to smooth a finger across her brow, like a sculptor easing away an errant line. The traveler took this as her cue to leave, and she stood.

“Thank you for speaking with me about this, and for the tea,” she said with a low bow. Miko and Ei also stood and bowed to her, and Lumine flushed. Respect from those who were typically above others both thrilled and embarrassed her in equal measure.

“Our pleasure, I’m sure,” Miko said for the both of them, and Lumine fled without another word.

That night, she dreamt of Scaramouche again, as always. This time, though, he wore white robes. His hair–long, longer than she had ever seen it–pooled beneath him on the floor as he sat, reclined with his legs spread in front of him rather than stick-straight.

“I had hoped you’d go away forever,” he sneered, despite his relaxed appearance, and Lumine was a little relieved that the vitriol stayed. She didn’t know what she’d have done if his dream self was kind to her.

“I spoke to Ei about you,” Lumine said instead of dignifying his taunts with a proper answer. He turned to her, suspicion etched in his face. Again, Lumine had the same urge to smooth her finger across his brow as if it would remove the lines from his beautiful features.

“...Did you.” Ah, so she’d actually managed to garner his interest. Lovely. The sweet swell of pride in her chest embarrassed her.

“I did.”

The two observed each other without speaking for some time. Distantly, Lumine thought that this might be the longest she’d ever spent dreaming of him.

“Why?”

“I wanted to know why she left you. If she had an excuse.” He laughed the same horrible laugh he always did; forced, too bright, furious. Scaramouche turned back to the puppet then, and Lumine had the urge to call out to him, make him face her again.

“And did she?” His tone was unreadable.

“Yes and no,” Lumine hedged. She tried to push her thoughts about the interaction into coherent sentences, but found the whole situation too complicated to voice. She made a low noise of frustration, then decided on, “She had reasons, yes, but none that I think would make you feel better. Or make sense to you, really.”

“So you think I was wrong.” Scaramouche stood, eyes blazing, and he got in Lumine’s personal space with alarming speed. To her credit, she didn’t flinch away. “You think that I’m, what, a child throwing a tantrum?”

“No,” Lumine said firmly. “I actually think that you both misunderstood each other. I think she should have reached out to you. I think you shouldn’t have taken the actions of a god so personally. I think her reasons are weak, and I think that you gave up on life and humanity too soon.” Maybe it was the fact that she knew it was a dream that made her bold. Lumine wasn’t much of a talker, and it wasn’t like her words would have any effect on the real Scaramouche, but she couldn’t stand to let a stupid misunderstanding like this go on any longer.

Scaramouche, for his part, snarled wordlessly and shoved her back. She fell, but it didn’t hurt her terribly, so she didn’t mind.

“I don’t care what you think about my actions. Get out of my sight.”

Lumine woke up on the floor, having rolled out of bed. Paimon giggled at her, taking pictures with their shared Kamera.

The next night, Lumine opened her eyes in her dream to see Scaramouche viciously chopping his long hair short. He cursed in a continuous stream.

“Is that making you feel better?” She called, and his furious gaze snapped to her.

“That’s none of your fucking business,” Scaramouche snarled, throwing the scissors at her. Lumine caught them with ease and gently tossed them back.

“You might need those,” she said, completely casual. Her day had been fairly boring, so she found herself at ease. Internally, she processed her conversation with the shogun from the day before.

“You piss me off, shit stain.”

“Ooh, I like that one.” Lumine’s voice stayed level, mild. She was still a little lost in her own thoughts. Scaramouche turned his back to her again with a huff, going back to chopping his hair.

The silence stretched through the hall, broken only by the soft snips of the scissors. His long, dark hair fell in piles on the floor. She resisted the urge to take a piece, to feel if it was as soft as it looked.

He threw the scissors again when he finished, but this time, Lumine just stepped to the side. They clattered to the ground, and again they stared at each other. Scaramouche’s chest heaved with breath, his eyes glittering with something that Lumine thought was probably hatred.

“If I could leave you alone, I would,” she said softly, but her voice carried anyway. “I’m stuck here.”

“Then just don’t say anything.”

“I just want to understand you.”

“You can’t! You know absolutely nothing about me, you horrible fucking bitch!”

“I know,” Lumine sighed. “I can see that.” She was so, so tired. She hadn’t gotten a good night of sleep in the weeks since Scaramouche fell from grace. And the whole not-knowing-why bit also added to the frustration and exhaustion. That being said, arguing with Scaramouche still felt easier than the day to day concerns of being the renowned Traveler, with a capital T.

“Do you want some sort of tragic backstory from me?” The puppet asked her, and Lumine furrowed her brow.

“No, that’s not it. I mean, I already sort of saw your tragic backstory anyway. I guess I more meant…” She paused, trailed off. What did she want to know? It’s not like her dream version of Scaramouche would know any more than she did about him. “Ask me again tomorrow; I’ll tell you then.”

He turned to look at her, and she averted her gaze, oddly embarrassed to be caught lacking an answer. For a moment, a few emotions flickered across his face before Scaramouche actually laughed. It wasn’t quite as sinister as the laughter she’d heard from him before, and it warmed her heart a little.

“You have no idea what you want to know, do you? You just want something that’ll make me seem like I’m not a shit person.” Well, it was true. But Lumine wasn’t about to admit that.

“I want to get it. That’s all.” She woke up without warning, then, and when she opened her eyes, she couldn’t help but keep asking herself what she wanted to know about Scaramouche and why.

She fussed over it all day, in fact. Late that evening, camped in the woods of Sumeru, she stared at the sunset as Paimon ate everything in sight. When her small companion finally paused to breathe, Lumine gently tugged at her dress.

“Hey Paimon?”

“What is it, Lu?”

“Why do you think Scaramouche is the way that he is?”

“Huh?” Paimon stopped completely, shooting Lumine a concerned look. Her brows creased. “You mean the Balladeer? I dunno; because he’s crazy or something. All the Fatui are twisted up funny. Why? Did something happen?”

That didn’t help Lumine, but she really shouldn’t have expected a deep answer out of Paimon of all people. That being said, she shook her head and sighed anyway, disappointment rooting in her chest.

“No, it’s nothing like that. I was just… thinking.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Paimon asked, gently holding Lumine’s arm in her little hand. For all that Paimon could annoy people, Lumine actually found her incredibly soothing. She didn’t have to talk so much with Paimon around, and her little companion kept things lighthearted. She knew when to press and when to ease up.

“Not yet,” Lumine hedged, and Paimon smiled at her.

“When you’re ready, Paimon will be here!” With that, she launched back into eating. Lumine smiled.

“I don’t know yet,” Lumine blurted that evening in her dreams. Scaramouche had his back to her again, standing this time. He kicked his feet a little, sandals clacking loudly against the floor.

“I really didn’t expect you to have an epiphany overnight.” He paused and looked over his shoulder at her with a crease in his brow. “Over day? I suppose it doesn’t matter.” The Balladeer seemed to be in better spirits somehow, which eased some of the tension in Lumine’s chest.

“What do you think of me?” Lumine asked suddenly, selfishly. She’d wondered about it that day while trying to pin down her own elusive feelings about the being in front of her. Honestly, she didn’t expect anything beyond hatred, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“I think you’re naive,” he said instead, turning to face her in full, arms crossed over his chest. Scaramouche frowned, but it wasn’t a sneer, so Lumine counted it as a victory. “I think that you have a ridiculously optimistic view of existence and this world, and I think it will bite you in the ass sooner or later.” He shrugged, and his features smoothed into a sort of disdainful neutrality that was so distinctly Scaramouche.

Despite his frankness, Lumine couldn’t find it in her to take offense. Rather, she reveled in both the breach of her expectations and the ease of knowing his face and behaviors better now then she had before.

“I think you’re probably right, but I’m not actually so optimistic. Realistic with an optimistic lean?”

“What do you find so enjoyable about existence?”

She hadn’t expected the question, exactly, but she did know her answer. “It’s not that I find living particularly enjoyable or unenjoyable; it’s more that I’ve lived a long time and will live a long time, so I try to take the time to absorb everything. To cherish everything.”

“Why bother? You’ll outlive everyone here, maybe even this world itself.”

Lumine hesitated. This wasn’t something she’d ever shared before, but there was no harm in reflecting in a dream. Maybe. “I’d never had any friends before I came to Teyvat. It was just me and… and Aether. Just us, observing. And it was interesting, I suppose. I learned a lot, and I saw a lot in my travels. But I didn’t realize I was lonely until I had people. Until I really lived with others and spoke to others. I’m still not very comfortable holding conversations with people, since I’m not very practiced at it. And I’m certain that, when I leave Teyvat, it will be painful for me to say goodbye, but at least…” She sighed and trailed off. There was no way to end that sentence. Leaving Teyvat hadn’t actually crossed Lumine’s mind in some time; she spent most of her time worrying about how to get through to Aether. But what would happen when it was time to leave? Would Aether even come with her? Would things go back to the way they were before? Would she ever speak to anyone from Teyvat again? “I don’t know. I’m sorry,” she finished lamely.

Scaramouche, for once, didn’t seem to be particularly irritated. Rather, he tilted his head and seemed to really listen to what she said. His stare held an alarming weight that Lumine couldn’t bring herself to pull away from.

“You don’t know,” he said after a moment, and Lumine smiled a wry smile and shook her head.

“I don’t. I don’t know why I made friends and chose to care. It’ll probably hurt worse, in the end. For everyone.”

“I don’t know, either,” he said to her, then he turned away. She took two steps towards him, hand outstretched to reach for something that she didn’t understand, then Lumine woke up. She could’ve screamed.

Now, Lumine could acknowledge the fact that she probably wasn’t just dreaming of Scaramouche. Given all that she’d learned about dreams in Sumeru, it was actually more likely than not that she was actually speaking to the real Balladeer while she slept. But acknowledging that thought led down a dangerous road of how, why, and why was she even trying that Lumine really didn’t want to go down. So she didn’t. Instead, she kept thinking of him. Trying to answer her own questions about him, and his questions about her. It was essentially self-reflection, talking to a dream. Certainly not a real person (or puppet) with real thoughts and feelings. Of course not.

Lumine took a trip to Liyue, both to distract herself and for more answers. It took her a few days to arrive, but she only had nightmares in the interim, and the blonde had to force the disappointment down deep into a box labeled “Not to analyze unless you want to have a crisis.” Anything would be better than the nightmares, to be fair.

The sun was setting as they arrived in Liyue Harbor, Paimon just beginning to complain about being hungry. Lumine hummed, steering the two in the direction of Wanmin Restaurant as quickly as possible. She left Paimon there (deliberately with a stack of mora, so she couldn’t spend too much), and then Lumine left to find her real target: Zhongli.

The man wasn’t terribly difficult to find; he lived a rather sedentary lifestyle since abandoning his divinity. When she knocked on the door of Wangshen Funeral Parlor, he answered it himself.

“Oh, Lumine. What an unexpected pleasure. I’m just finishing up here for the day; how may I help you?”

“I came to speak with you,” she said as he waved her inside. He busied himself with cleaning up in the lobby, but he hummed in response to her.

“I can put tea on in a few moments, or we can go elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere, please.”

Zhongli hummed again, turning glittering golden eyes to Lumine. He frowned ever-so-slightly. “Lumine, are you quite alright?”

She sighed. “I’m alright. There’s a lot on my mind and you’re the first person I thought of. Well, you and…” Lumine paused, not wanting to summon the adeptus on her mind by speaking his name. She waved her hand vaguely and Zhongli nodded with a soft chuckle.

“Ah, I see. Then we can take our conversation to my home, if you don’t mind a walk. I’m sure our mutual friend would be happy to join us, if you’d like to call him then.”

Once again, Lumine was startled and mystified by Zhongli’s ability to read people. The former Geo Archon had a certain soft intelligence to him that made him very easy for Lumine to talk to, unlike most people. With the vague exception of Ei, Lumine related very strongly to each of the archons she had met on her journey thus far, which was yet another reason that she sought out Zhongli.

They kept their conversation light as they walked, chatting about the goings-on in Liyue and the beauty of Sumeru. Lumine kept getting called to by various acquaintances in the city, and her heart settled a little even as it ached. To know and be known was a privilege, and Lumine loved it and hurt for it in equal measure. How could she abandon these people now that they knew her, and she, them?

The sadder thoughts slipped to the back of Lumine’s mind as she settled in at Zhongli’s apartment for tea. The former archon sipped slowly on red wine while she soaked in the warmth of her tea. After several minutes of simply enjoying each other’s company, Zhongli sighed and said simply, “Xiao.”

The adeptus was there in only a second. He bowed, low and deep, to both Lumine and Zhongli. She smiled at him, and to her pleasure, he smiled a small one back at her. “Rex Lapis, Lumine. What can I do for you?” He asked, posture ramrod straight. Lumine almost laughed at his formality.

“It’s nothing so severe,” she said, waving a hand gently.

“Please, sit. And just Zhongli is fine. Lumine has a question for us.”

Xiao’s brow furrowed and he frowned, no doubt worrying about his duties and karmic debt, but he sat anyway. Both men looked at her expectantly, and she sighed.

“This is… An odd question, I guess.”

“Go ahead,” Zhongli prompted, settling himself across from her.

“How do you stand being alive for so long?” She asked, ripping off the proverbial bandage. Xiao frowned, and Zhongli hummed quietly. Both paused for a long time, which made Lumine shift in her seat. She watched them both think.

“Alatus?” Zhongli prompted, and the adeptus exhaled and slumped into his seat a touch.

“Not well, I think,” Xiao admitted quietly. He averted his gaze from Lumine’s. “I’m mostly alone, as you know. I suppose I’m only alive now because I’m necessary. I’m the only one left.”

In unison, she and Zhongli grabbed each of his hands and squeezed. His pale face flushed, and he stared holes into the table in front of him.

“As for me,” Zhongli said, taking a long sip of his wine, “I try as much as possible to appreciate both the past and the present, and the future, too. Looking back can be painful, yes, but the friends I had and the memories we shared are still just as beautiful. And there is so much to look forward to, my dear. It can be difficult to lose so much as time goes on, but you also continue to gain more and more as you grow older.”

Lumine hummed, and she reached across to him with her free hand. He took it, and the three immortals (or near-immortals, as it were) sat in a quiet circle, holding hands. Xiao’s hands twitched infrequently, and Zhongli’s hands were strangely cold, almost stone-like. She wondered what they thought of her hands, battle-scarred and small as they were.

“Why do you ask?” Xiao asked her finally, breaking the silence. They released each other.

“I have a… friend. A friend who’s lost a lot over the years he’s been alive. He asked why I bother making friends if I’m just going to lose them. And, well, I don’t know. It was just Aether and I for so long, and I think I was lonely without him, but now I’m realizing that it’s going to be so hard to actually leave, when the time comes. How do I lose them? All these people that I’ve met; I don’t know how to let them go.” Lumine was surprised at the tears in her eyes and she rubbed them away with something akin to shame. She wasn’t much for crying.

“Well, you start by acknowledging that you aren’t losing anyone, Lumine,” Zhongli chuckled, moving to sit beside her. He took her hand again, rubbing small circles into it. “We will still be here when you go. I’m certain it will still be difficult for you, but know that the people who you have touched through your journey will remember you fondly, and I hope you can think the same of us. When you do lose someone, as Xiao and I have, that pain never truly leaves you. But again, that pain is proof of the effect that person had on you. It does not make the memories worth less. In fact, it makes them even more precious.”

“I wouldn’t give up the memories of my friends for anything,” Xiao confirmed. He didn’t take her hand again, but he shifted closer to her. “I miss them, and they are gone, but I carry on for them. I do what they would’ve wanted. I’m trying to… to open up. For them.”

The three sat in silence again, each contemplating their respective losses in life. Lumine wondered at her future and what it would hold. She was scared to lose anyone else, after Aether. But, she thought, comforted by the two by her sides, at least she could hold the memories dear, no matter where or when she went.

They didn’t speak much after that. As the sun sank below the horizon, Xiao pressed to her side once and vanished in a flash. Zhongli chuckled but didn’t speak. Finally, after a few relaxing hours of Zhongli reading by her side and Lumine processing, she gently nudged him and stood. He stood with her, hugged her, and she left without another word.

That night, Scaramouche sat facing her, once again sprawled out inelegantly. Lumine sat in front of him, ten feet away. They observed each other for a moment, and finally, Lumine said, “I want good memories of Teyvat.”

“What?”

“That’s why I’m making friends. That’s why I bother. Because life, especially ours, is long and painful, and I want to be able to experience something that I can treasure, even in the hard moments.”

“Making those connections creates the hard moments,” Scaramouche sneered, dismissal clear as he turned away from her.

She pushed. “Sure, it can. But it’s better than being alone, with nothing happy to think of. I’m going to lose people, and it’s always going to be difficult, but at least I’ll keep building happy memories. I’ll keep finding joy, and I’ll keep those happy memories of the ones I lose, too.” She paused for a moment, waited for him to look at her. “What will you have, Scaramouche? When you aren’t making any good memories, all you’re doing is wallowing in the misery of the past. Why do you even exist if you’re just angry at people who are long gone?”

Fury glittered in his violet blue eyes. Ironically, they reminded Lumine of forget-me-nots. “The Raiden Shogun lives. She ought to suffer for what she’s done to me. And who gives a fuck if they’re dead? I still want them to suffer! I want everyone to suffer like I have!” He didn’t stand, but he leaned forward with a snarl on his face. Lumine didn’t flinch, having thought this conversation out for several hours.

“They’re dead , Scaramouche! They are dead and gone, and all you have left is the memories! They can’t feel anything anymore, and you can, so why are you wasting your time on people who can’t be sorry about what they did to you? Go fight the Shogun, if that’s what you need to do to find peace. Go fight Ei , for the gods’ sakes; just find some way to move on, because this?” She gestured at him. “This is a waste of your time and talents. You could be incredible in your own right, if you ever stopped trying to prove yourself to a creator that has already replaced you.”

“Stop.” He shook. Scaramouche looked so angry that he might combust, and Lumine almost felt sorry. Almost. Tough love, it seemed, would have to do. “Don’t talk to me.”

Lumine expected to wake up; it usually happened when Scaramouche was angry with her. But she didn’t. She sat there, watching him seethe at her. Before either of them attempted to speak again, Lumine woke up in peace.

She did not dream of Scaramouche again. She wondered about him, if he was okay, wherever he was. But her nightmares disappeared, and so did the dreams of the puppet himself. Lumine went about her life again, traveling with Paimon and biding a little more time before heading to Fontaine.

Life went on. Before, and after.

After spending a disproportionate amount of time in Inazuma solving a ghost mystery, Paimon stretched her little arms above her head and said, “We haven’t seen Nahida in awhile. Paimon thinks we should go back to Sumeru! Maybe she’ll have more information about your brother!”

Lumine hummed. “Sure, we can check. Should be time to head to Fontaine soon, anyway, and you know how busy we get whenever we go somewhere new.”

Paimon giggled and cheered, and Lumine cracked a smile. So, back to Sumeru they went.

Sumeru City bustled so much more than the last time they’d been there. People walked and talked, chattering and laughing openly. Street performers played and danced openly, and artist’s stalls exploded with color. Lumine couldn’t help the grin on her face; the city felt warmer and happier than ever. She was proud to have been a part of it.

They started at the Sanctuary of Surasthana, but Nahida wasn’t there. An attendant mentioned that she’d stepped out to spend time with her people, and Lumine hoped that she was having as lovely an afternoon as she and Paimon. But that left the two of them with nothing to do but kill time, so as they left, Lumine sat by to people watch.

Or people listen, as the case turned out to be. Just as she and Paimon settled down, Lumine overheard scholars bickering about Tatarasuna, of all things. A supposed mystery of Tatarasuna, which Lumine had never heard of. She frowned.

“Did that scholar just say Tatarasuna? But that’s all the way in Inazuma…” Paimon tugged Lumine’s hair and pointed. She nodded and hummed her assent. “Weird topic for a paper, don’tcha think?”

“Shall we listen in? They’ve mentioned a mystery.”

“Yay! A mystery! Paimon loves mysteries.” Lumine giggled, and edged closer to the two scholars.

As they moved to listen, one said, “Alright, I guess I'll go with my textual criticism and your editorial direction for the first draft. I have a feeling that the missing kabukimono will end up being the main focus of this paper.”

What in the world is a kabukimono? Lumine thought, tilting her head. Paimon looked at her, and she shrugged. Good to know it was a mystery to Paimon, too.

“If only we knew where to find that traveler…” The man continued, sighing and running a hand through unforgivably askew hair, “I bet she’d know more about it. From what Lesser Lord Kusanali says, that woman knows everything.”

Lumine cleared her throat, and both men looked up at her.

“Hi,” She said, and Paimon waved.

“This is Lumine, and Paimon is Paimon! She’s the traveler!”

“No way,” the other scholar said, no hesitation. Lumine probably wouldn’t believe her in this situation too, to be fair. To be talking about someone famous only to have them show up right at that moment? She couldn’t blame them for not believing.

“Don’t believe me?” She asked, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice.

“No, no!” he backtracked, waving his hands. “I believe you, it’s just… wow. That timing was uncanny. And besides, this is like meeting a fairy tale character.”

“That’s absolutely fair,” Lumine said with a laugh, waving them off. “Hello, nice to meet you both.”

“Nice to meet you! I’m Aqaba, and this is Sawada,” the first scholar said, grinning and shaking Lumine’s hand.

“Nice to meet you,” Sawada echoed.

“Now, what’s the question here?”

“So we were hoping maybe you could tell us about Tatarasuna? We’re both doing some research on it, and we know that you’ve been there…” Aqaba asked, and Lumine sighed. Of course he had to ask about one of the few topics in Teyvat she actually didn’t know much about.

“Actually, we don’t know much about Tatarasuna either. We only came over here because we heard you talking about it, and we wanted to know more.” Paimon explained, and the two scholars deflated.

“I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.”

“No, that’s okay. My teacher chose this topic specifically because it’s challenging. Even a lot of Inazumans don’t know anything about it.” Aqaba said, then Sawada started fishing in his satchel.

“If you’d like, you can read our drafts. I can’t guarantee that it’s all accurate, but it should give you some background if you don’t know the history.”

So Lumine read over their findings, and Paimon skimmed as usual.

“So basically, the weird guy, the kabukimono, goes missing, and then everything gets weird in Tatarasuna? Then some government guy goes missing, and a little after that, a bunch of swordsmiths start to die?” Paimon looked at Lumine in a panic, and she resisted the urge to laugh at her little friend. Instead, she nodded.

“I think that sums it up, yeah.”

“That’s not all!” Sawada interrupted. “In all the history we found, the evidence suggests that the kabukimono wasn’t human at all, but a puppet!”

Lumine’s smile dropped right off of her face. It couldn’t have been the Raiden Shogun; she was already ruling Inazuma at the time. Which left Scaramouche. But what could he have been doing in Tatarasuna 400 years ago?

“Oh, maybe you do know something?” Aqaba asked, hope coloring his tone.

“Um… Um…” Paimon floundered for words. Lumine glared sharply at her, willing her not to say anything, until finally she found her words. “Um, oh! Paimon meant um, that sounds spooky! You make it sound like a ghost story.”

“We are intimately familiar with Inazuman ghost stories,” Lumine agreed, just to change the topic a little.

“Ah, that’s too bad…” Sawada said with a sigh, and Lumine looked around and backed away.

“We’ll leave you to it, then. I’m sorry I couldn’t help more, but thank you for sharing your research with us.”

“Of course. Thank you for reading and listening to us!” Aqaba waved the two of them off and went quickly back to bickering with Sawada.

As they walked away, Lumine heaved a sigh.

“They had to have been talking about The Balladeer, right?” Paimon asked, voice low. Lumine shrugged.

“Probably. I just don’t know that it’s relevant anymore, especially considering his current state. Either way, I don’t think we really want that to be public knowledge.”

“Paimon agrees!”

The two made their way to the Grand Bazaar in peace, chatting about the weather and the people and Sumeru itself. Paimon had to stop at every food stall for snacks, emptying Lumine’s wallet as they went. In the end, the pair settled in the bazaar to people watch once again, pointing out street dancers and fun outfits. They spent a few hours like that and ordered more food, but as they finished their meal, Lumine looked up.

And her heart stopped.

Across the bazaar, walking away, she saw a familiar hat.

“Lumine, look! It’s The Balladeer!” Paimon hissed, tugging her sleeve. Lumine nodded, sliding behind the nearest pillar. “Come on, we have to follow him! What’s he even doing out here? Did he escape? Lumine!” Paimon pulled more insistently, snapping Lumine out of her shock. Quietly, she slipped out of the bazaar with Paimon floating over her shoulder. She stayed a large distance away from him, but for all she knew, Scaramouche could be leading them into a trap. She hoped that Nahida was okay if he was wandering around Sumeru City. Speak of the Devil , she thought.

The Balladeer led them straight back to the Sanctuary of Surasthana, and Lumine could swear that her heart was beating through her rib cage. Steeling her nerves, she pushed the huge doors open and held her breath.

Nahida looked up as she and Paimon entered, a huge smile on her face. Scaramouche, across from her, crossed his arms and sighed.

“I thought that was you,” they said in unison, though Scaramouche sounded resigned while Nahida bounced across the floor to throw her arms around Lumine. “I felt your presence, my traveler. How are you?”

“What’s he doing here?” Paimon screeched, and Lumine winced. Best friend or no, Paimon had a volume problem. She sort of wished her friend had a mute button.

“What, you don’t trust me?” Scaramouche called with a rude lilt in his tone that made Paimon huff.

“Of course not! Nahida, Paimon thought he was asleep! Or in prison! Or both!”

“Well,” Nahida laughed, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, “there’s been a change in plans. Rather, the formation of a plan. Come, I think you’ll enjoy it.”

Lumine couldn’t exactly process Nahida’s words. She was sort of stuck in a loop, dazed about seeing Scaramouche in front of her. Here. With other people. In Sumeru. She only noticed that she was staring when Scaramouche stuck out his tongue at her. Lumine blinked, flushed, and tried to tune back into Paimon arguing for The Balladeer’s imprisonment in the face of Nahida’s thought-out plan.

“--But he’s dangerous , Nahida! There’s no telling if he’ll betray us or not!”

“What reason does he have to betray us? The Balladeer is no longer loyal to the Fatui. This relationship is mutually beneficial, in my eyes.”

Lumine watched as Scaramouche tuned out the conversation about as much as she did, idly looking anywhere but the argument over his fate.

“Paimon, it’s fine,” Lumine said, startling everyone. Nahida seemed pleased; her smile lit up the room. Paimon pouted and puffed up her cheeks, but she wouldn’t argue with Lumine. Scaramouche, on the other hand, frowned.

“Really?” He asked, hands on his hips, “You’re going to let me be, just like that?”

“I have no reason to argue with the archon of wisdom,” Lumine said with a shrug. Paimon flushed.

“Really, I do welcome criticism. I’m not all knowing, you know. But in this case, yes, this decision has been thoroughly contemplated. I’ve weighed the benefits and risks, and I’ve deemed it safe to allow The Balladeer to do as he pleases, so long as he helps me accomplish a few tasks. One of which should be of interest to you, Lumine.”

The blonde woman perked up a little. This situation was too strange to sit and contemplate any longer, anyway, though Lumine did struggle to keep her eyes off of Scaramouche. She kept waiting for him to move, to attack, to… do something. Instead, he seemed bored. He listened, but he kept his distance, observing the walls as though he’d never seen them before.

“I’ve asked The Balladeer to do some research into Irminsul for me, and in doing so, we can look for information on the other descenders and your brother.”

Involuntarily, Lumine’s hand twitched to her side, longing to reach for her brother’s. She tried not to think about it often, but Lumine missed Aether. The hole in her heart ached like a wound.

“And I have yet to agree to help those who are inclined to insult me in front of me,” Scaramouche interrupted, glaring at Paimon.

“What else are you going to do? You have no allies. If you would like to make enemies with the traveler in your current condition, I think we all know who would win that fight.” Nahida, logical as always, pointed out. Scaramouche rolled his eyes but made no further comment. “Honestly, I was going to suggest that the three of you work together for a time, but I’m not sure that’s the best idea…” Nahida looked at Lumine. She just blinked in response, but the puppet across the room scoffed.

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not?” Lumine asked, a little too sharp to come across neutral. He blinked at her and looked at her like she was insane.

“We just tried to kill each other, what, a couple of months ago? And now you’re perfectly comfortable traveling together and working together?”

“Not perfectly comfortable, just not entirely opposed!”

“Well, I’m entirely opposed! You’re insufferable and a goody-two-shoes, and I don’t want a single thing to do with you.”

“You make everything so difficult! I’m telling you I’m willing to move on from our past, and you’re just going to say no and keep on hating me?”

Nahida and Paimon shot each other confused looks. The bickering felt more familiar than either of them would’ve expected. Lumine was too busy seething to notice. Damn The Balladeer for his stubbornness!

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do, thanks! I’m not interested in being your friend, so stop trying already.”

“I’m not trying to be your friend; I’m trying to understand you. I’m trying not to hate you!”

“And if I’d rather you hated me?”

“Too bad!”

“Okay!” Nahida finally interrupted, gently taking Lumine’s hand and tugging her away from Scaramouche. Huh. She hadn’t even noticed that they’d moved towards each other. “Let’s at least give it a trial run, okay? If the three of you can get to Irminsul and look for any information on Aether and the Descenders, using The Balladeer’s knowledge of both Irminsul and the Fatui as a base, without killing each other , then we’ll call it a success.”

“Low bar,” Lumine and Scaramouche mumbled in unison, then they glared at each other. Nahida laughed.

“A promising start, hm?”

Irminsul was as beautiful and haunting as Lumine remembered, dripping silver, glittering branches. Looking at the tree felt nostalgic, as if she was staring directly at a memory. Unbidden, Lumine’s thoughts flickered to Aether, to Rukhadevata, to Scaramouche. She shook her head to clear it, instead examining the task ahead.

The tree loomed large above them. Scaramouche had to hold his hat on his head when he tilted his head back to look up at the thing, and Lumine resisted the urge to giggle. Unfortunately, Paimon did not resist that urge, and Scaramouche scowled at them.

“Glad you could catch up,” he said, sarcasm dripping like honey.

“Shut it, jailbird! You’re still a prisoner, y’know!” Paimon sniped back, and Lumine just sighed.

“I know it’s customary for prisoners to be harassed by the guards, but since I’m on temporary release, maybe you should be a little more careful, hm?”

“Glad you two met up okay,” Nahida’s soft voice interrupted them. “Now, I want to be very clear here: you’re about to enter the innermost region of Irminsul. This is the most important place in all of Sumeru. This place is made up of torrents of information, so one wrong step could be disastrous. Not just for the three of you, but for all of Teyvat, so please, be cautious.” Lumine thought to herself that it was almost funny to hear Nahida’s soft, high voice dispelling such serious advice, but it was necessary. Paimon and Scaramouche continued to scowl at one another, but Lumine didn’t have the time to be irritated when Aether could be right ahead.

“As per my agreement with Lesser Lord Kusanali, I’ll be in the front. It’s my job to handle the important things; all you have to do is keep your pretty eyes on me and try not to fall behind.” The blonde felt like she stalled out at that, following Scaramouche into the heart of Irminsul in a daze. Pretty eyes? What?

It was very blue, Lumine thought, rather shallowly. It seemed like an open plain, shimmering occasionally as if it were a mirage. In the distance stood a small tree, glittering like the ones that grew in domains.

“Oh, wow! Paimon has never seen anything like this! It feels so special,” the little pixie wondered, and Lumine was inclined to agree. Something in the air felt heavy.

“Let’s move,” Scaramouche snapped as he moved ahead. “Stay close to me; this place is a maze.” Lumine snapped out of her embarrassment, face lightly flushed.

“It looks straightforward,” Paimon complained, though her little hands fisted into Lumine’s hair.

“Looks can be deceiving.” Scaramouche simply started walking. Lumine stumbled, then jogged to catch up. She stood by his side in silence, their arms occasionally brushing. Each time, Scaramouche pulled back sharply, as though her touch pained him. Lumine tried not to be insulted.

After a quiet moment, Scaramouche said, “Irminsul is closely related with all of Teyvat. All of the information here means something, somewhere.” He spoke gently, as if he genuinely wanted to explain his knowledge. Lumine simply hummed in response, not inclined to interrupt him.

“It’s almost like Paimon could touch it,” she said, reaching hesitantly towards a silvery strand in the air. It looked something like a tree branch. Scaramouche slapped her hand down before she could.

“Stop it. You’re going to get lost, and I’m not going to be responsible for that. Lesser Lord Kusanali would have my head.” Paimon hissed in pain and rubbed her hand, but she didn’t protest too much.

Scaramouche glanced over the glittering branches of information as they passed each one, only stopping to touch one when he knew it was correct. When he found what was, evidently, the right one, he glanced at Lumine and gently, awkwardly, took her hand to guide her through the information stream.

It was odd, being inside what essentially amounted to a moment in time. A piece of information. She could feel the warmth of Scaramouche’s hand in hers, but she was experiencing… something. It was like being unmade, then made again in a new place. Before, after.

But even through all of that, Scaramouche held her hand. Paimon hung on to her shoulder. Lumine felt something loose in her chest tighten into place with the two of them, and she tried not to think too much about it.

“What was that?” Paimon squealed as they rematerialized elsewhere in Irminsul. The heart did seem marginally closer.

“Ugh.” Scaramouche released Lumine’s hand to run it over his face. “We’re essentially traveling through Irminsul through branches of the tree. We’re using the information like passageways to get closer to the heart. It’s… not my ideal mode of transport.”

“Mine either,” Paimon said, and the trio walked on.

After the third branch, Scaramouche didn’t let go of Lumine’s hand. She didn’t say anything about it.

“No wonder The Balladeer thought we’d get lost,” Paimon said as they stepped out of the fifth branch of information. They stood very near the tree, finally. “I guess he wasn’t lying about that.”

“There’s a time and a place to lie, but this definitely isn’t it,” he said, not sharp or particularly irritated. His voice was smooth when he wasn’t snarling. It reminded her of Ei. “We’re here.”

The trio pulled up short in front of the glittering tree at the heart of Irminsul. Scaramouche held out his free hand and called for Lesser Lord Kusanali, and she answered.

“I’m glad you made it okay. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. I’m establishing a connection. The rest is up to you. Please make sure to share any relevant information with us.”

“Will do.” Scaramouche closed his eyes, and Paimon nudged Lumine with her shoulder.

“It’s sort of weird to watch him listen to Nahida. Paimon guesses he must really want to live.”

Lumine hummed in lieu of a reply. She supposed he must’ve had a similar role in the Fatui, since the puppet was harder to kill than the average human. Always on the frontlines, gathering information… It sounded unpleasant. Reluctantly, Lumine released The Balladeer’s hand and stepped away to let him do his work in peace. His fingers flexed ever-so-slightly when she did.

“Traveler, Paimon, would you like to talk?” Nahida’s soft voice came from inside Lumine’s head. She smiled, and Paimon’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

“We can talk inside our heads?” Paimon asked, and Nahida giggled. “ Wow, Paimon’s never done anything like this before!”

“You don’t want to disturb Scaramouche,” Lumine guessed.

“That’s… part of it. We’re all friends; I don’t think there’s anything wrong with us catching up, do you?”

“Not at all,” Lumine said, and Nahida hummed her assent.

“Paimon’s been wanting to ask you something, Nahida. The Balladeer is kind of… a contradiction. Don’t you think? He’s always so grumpy, but he listens to what you have to say.”

“There’s a great many things that The Balladeer does not yet know about himself. Things that I know, that I would like to give him the chance to discover on his own. I hope that today, he will find some answers.”

“Things like Tatarasuna? His betrayals?” Lumine asked, curious about Nahida’s knowledge on the subjects.

“Huh? What betrayals?” Paimon asked, tugging Lumine’s hand as if it would get her attention better than the voice in her head.

“Ah, when I connected with Haypasia in Pardis Dhyai, I saw pieces of the Balladeer’s memories. Raiden Ei made him, but she… got rid of him. I asked her about it not long ago; they have differing opinions on the matter. And then there’s Tatarasuna, and I think he lost someone there, too. I don’t know the whole story. And then a child died. Somewhere in there, he gave up on humanity.” Lumine summed it up as best she could, but really, it just made her realize how little she actually knew about Scaramouche. His past was long and complicated, and she had more than a few months of catching up to do if she ever hoped to understand him.

“Well done, Lumine. You have it right. Betrayals, or perceived betrayals, made The Balladeer who he is today.” Perceived betrayals, huh? So Nahida knew more than Lumine, then.

“Paimon almost can’t believe how human he is. Even someone like The Balladeer can get hurt and angry, just like anyone else…”

Lumine snorted. “I don’t think we’ve ever seen him not angry, Paimon.”

“Oh, you know what Paimon meant!”

“Everyone has history, Paimon. Even a puppet created by the electro archon.” Some disapproval leaked into Nahida’s voice at that, and Lumine couldn’t help but agree. To make sentient creatures and abandon them to their own devices without any teachings of the world and its people felt beyond irresponsible. Hell, Ei was lucky that she’d been around before her creation stole her country out from under her nose.

“Speaking of puppets, we ran into some scholars discussing Tatarasuna today! Nahida, do you know anything about that?” Paimon asked. Lumine hummed.

“If you mean the mystery, and the kabukimono, and the disappearances, then yes, I know about all of that.”

“Really? Because these scholars said that a lot of Tatarasuna’s history is still unexplained…”

“That much is true. There’s a lot of guesswork about the past, but really, many scholars have guessed quite accurately about it. The most important piece being that Tatarasuna was, in fact, sabotaged.”

“Must be a riveting conversation you three are having. Funny how all the good ones happen when I’m not involved,” Scaramouche interrupted them, voice cold.

“Ah!” Paimon jumped, as much as a floating being could jump. “What makes you think we’re talking?”

She could not have sounded more suspicious. Lumine sighed.

“Don’t insult me. You’re having a private conversation without me. Obviously, I must be the topic of said conversation.” His logic was sound, embarrassingly enough.

“Can’t we catch up without involving you in the mundane parts?” Lumine asked, but she didn’t think he believed her.

“Right. Can’t have the prisoner knowing too much.”

“It’s not always about you, you know,” she snapped back, and Paimon touched her shoulder gently.

“Um, have you found anything yet?” Paimon said, cutting the tension a little bit.

“I’m still looking.” He said with a small shake of his head. Scaramouche turned to look at Lumine a little then, a strange look on his face.  “Don’t get your hopes up, Lumine. You and your twin come from outside of this world, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there was nothing on either of you in Irminsul at all.”

She frowned, internally going over each of their conversations. Had she–?

“Hey, how did you know all of that? Did Nahida tell you?” Paimon asked, and Scaramouche huffed a laugh.

“It’s not like we’ve never met before. Besides, you’re world famous. It would be more surprising if I didn’t know a few things about you.”

“You seem to be in surprisingly good spirits,” Lumine offered, trying to make conversation without being argumentative. It was hard. She sort of liked arguing with him. Something about Scaramouche made her blood boil in a way that she couldn’t explain. Lumine had never felt anything like it before.

“Right now, we have to keep the peace. I’m more than capable of making cordial conversation when I want to.” Suddenly, he turned back to Irminsul. “Wait. Hold on.”

A light emerged from the tree, forming into a silvery branch, larger than the others they’d seen so far. Scaramouche reached for it and blinked, brows furrowing. “It’s… anonymous data?”

“Don’t forget, you have to share it with us!” Paimon said, but he waved her off.

“Hush. Just wait.”

He touched it, and all three of them saw a vision.

Two men were speaking, but it took a moment for Lumine to orient herself. Scaramouche stood frozen, staring blankly at the younger man. They spoke about Tatarasuna, flourishing under the leadership of Niwa, the younger of the two. Niwa, the man who’d gone missing shortly after the kabukimono did. The older, Escher, heaped praises on him.

Something about Escher’s voice…

Niwa confronted Escher, telling him frankly about the decline in Tatarasuna. About the darkness spreading in the place, about the deaths and concerns and the lack of support. About the kabukimono, going to seek an audience with the Raiden Shogun. Lumine’s eyes flickered to Scaramouche, but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes never left Niwa.

Through it all, Escher never stopped smiling. He felt so familiar, but Lumine couldn’t place it. And besides, how could he be? Escher had lived 400 years prior.

The two argued back and forth, Lumine only sort of absorbing the information. Escher, obviously, was privy to more than he ought to be. This conversation was about Niwa blaming Escher for the problems in Tatarasuna, and Lumine realized partway through that there was no way that Niwa came out of this discussion alive. There was something evil about Escher, something dark, and Niwa confronting him in private didn’t bode well for the man.

But he had already volunteered to go into the furnace, likely to his death, to solve the issues. So why was Escher even there any longer?

“Drop the act,” Niwa said, voice low with only barely contained fury. “We both know you wanted to destroy Tatarasuna, and now you have. So why are you still here? What are you waiting for?”

And then Escher stabbed him.

Scaramouche made a sound like a wounded animal, reaching for Niwa. His feet didn’t move, and neither did Lumine’s. She felt rooted to the ground, but she did grab Scaramouche’s shirt sleeve. He looked at her, wild fury and grief in his face, and suddenly she realized that this person meant something to him. Niwa meant something to him, and Scaramouche hadn’t seen this before. He didn’t know, and he watched his person die. Her heart ached for him.

Escher explained himself, explained his past as Niwa lay dying on the ground. His breath came out in gasps.

“Now there’s only one person left to go into the furnace. Well, maybe not a person. What was it that you told him? ‘You’re not a puppet, you’re a human. You’re just missing a heart.’ A sweet sentiment, though technically false.”

Lumine slipped her hand into Scaramouche’s and squeezed . He squeezed back harder. He was shaking, though she couldn’t tell if it was rage or grief causing it.

Niwa writhed. “You won’t get away with this!” He said, but Lumine knew already that he would. She knew now who she was looking at, though he wore his disguise now.

“But I will. I have no trouble disclosing my identity now, when you won’t be able to tell anyone. I am a Fatui Harbinger. They call me The Doctor.”

“The… The Fatui? Why… Why do you…?” Niwa could barely speak anymore, blood pooling beneath him.

“Just to create a minor inconvenience for your nation,” The Doctor replied, conversational and cheery.

The two continued, Niwa’s faltering voice contrasting with The Doctor’s airy one. Lumine hated him. She had since she’d first seen him; the man radiated malevolence. But this? This was something else entirely.

“I want to see what happens when a malevolent heart is placed inside of an unsuspecting puppet,” he said, and Scaramouche growled. There was no other way to describe it. His grip was painful, but Lumine refused to let go. “Even without you, someone else would end up using him instead. So it’s not all about you,” The Doctor cooed, kneeling to come face to face with the dying man.

“If you… If you give him my heart… Tell him, please tell him…” Niwa’s voice was barely a whisper, interspersed with coughing and wheezing. “Tell him that Nagamasa and I… see him… as one of… one of us. He has nothing to prove. Not… not everyone… Not everyone seeks to use people. Not everyone… is like you.” Scaramouche heaved a ragged breath, and Paimon quietly put her little hand on top of his and Lumine’s conjoined hands. Lumine took her little hand in her free one. She wished she could see his face, but she stood behind him, and Lumine couldn’t bring herself to move.

“Then let’s see what happens, Mister Niwa. Will your puppet friend become a human?” The Doctor laughed. “No, that will prove quite impossible.”

Niwa didn’t respond any further. He didn’t move. The Doctor spoke to The Jester, though if the other harbinger could hear him, Lumine didn’t know. She couldn’t look away from Niwa, cold and lifeless on the floor.

The scene faded away, bringing the living back to the serene blues of Irminsul. The three stood still in horrified silence, Scaramouche’s grip slowly loosening. Lumine let him pull away himself, then she stepped back to give him space. The silence stretched on.

“Hey, are you okay?” Paimon asked. Her voice echoed in the emptiness.

Scaramouche didn’t respond right away. Instead, he pulled his hat over his face and started to laugh.

It was horrible. Lumine had never heard a laugh like that in all her long life. He sounded completely shattered, like he’d fallen off the edge of the world.

“Dottore?” He asked, voice cracking in incredulity. “Dottore!” He screamed the last, and Lumine winced. The laughter started to morph into sobs. “Good, good…” he murmured, alternating between laughter and tears.

“That was… That was The Doctor, right? He turned into a mechanic from Fontaine?” Paimon looked afraid. Lumine held her hand, but kept her eyes on Scaramouche.

“Yes,” Lumine said, voice low so as to not disturb the mental breakdown happening a few feet away. “It seems like he was behind Tatarasuna.”

Nahida spoke up, though this time it was to all of them. “I touched The Doctor to confirm whether or not he had erased all of his segments, and I read this memory from his mind. You have to admit, it must be the truth. It came straight from the man himself.”

“Some man,” Lumine muttered. In any other situation, Paimon would’ve laughed.

“So what if it’s true?” Scaramouche said, coming back to himself. His voice was still high. “It means nothing.”

“I don’t think that’s true. This memory shows that Niwa never betrayed you. He never wanted you to be the one to bring the device into the furnace. You know very well what that means. Even more so than I.” Naihda held fast, and Lumine hoped that she got through to him. As for the likelihood of that, well. She didn’t have a whole lot of hope on that front.

After all, he’d believed that he’d been betrayed for hundreds of years. Scaramouche held that fury for so long. Lumine wondered who he would’ve been without it. Did Scaramouche himself even know?

He didn’t have anything to say to Nahida after that. He stood in silence, clenching and unclenching his fists. Paimon tugged Lumine’s hand, pulling her a little ways away.

“Let’s give him some space. He looks… scary.”

While Lumine didn’t think Scaramouche would be stupid enough to try and hurt her in this state, she did want him to have space, so she let herself be pulled.

“ We need to give him some time to process his emotions ,” Nahida agreed.

“ Paimon’s still confused about the incident. Why does The Doctor have him so worked up?”

“No one has ever deceived you like that, Paimon, so it would be hard for you to understand. He probably needed to learn this lesson someday.” Nahida paused, then began again with a lighter tone. “Now, though, you have the full picture. The kabukimono was brought to Tatarasuna, but the problems began when The Doctor showed up. The whole situation was an experiment planned by The Doctor and the Fatui to sow the seeds of unrest in Inazuma. Of all the unwitting participants in his experiments, The Balladeer became the main test subject.

“After the events you saw in that memory, The Doctor took Niwa’s heart and put it into a device, then gave it to The Balladeer to absorb the filth from the furnace. The load was larger than anticipated, but The Balladeer survived. He asked the mechanic what was in the device, since it appeared to have protected him.

“The mechanic lied to him. He told him that Niwa fled Tatarasuna for fear of punishment, but that he’d left the kabukimono a gift: a heart, taken straight from the chest of an innocent servant. To prove his point, the mechanic took the withered heart out from inside the machine.

“The Balladeer was stunned that such unthinkable cruelty had brought him what he had been longing for his whole life. A heart procured through cold-blooded murder was a cursed thing, but it had protected him from the filth of the furnace. He thought Niwa had completely betrayed him, yet this very betrayal had insured his survival. I can’t say I know exactly how he felt in that moment, but I do know he threw the heart to the ground and left Tatarasuna without looking back.”

The silence was deafening. To see it, to live through those emotions, that was one thing. But to hear Nahida describe the events so succinctly, so matter-of-fact… Lumine burned with rage. She wished she’d had the chance to kill The Doctor herself, then she shoved that thought down. She wished she could’ve been there. She wished she could’ve stopped it. She wished…

Lumine’s gaze strayed to Scaramouche, rubbing his temples. He hadn’t moved. So close to her, but miles away emotionally.

After a moment, Paimon said, “The Doctor killed an innocent man, and then blamed everything on the victim? That’s horrible…” Her voice held none of its usual levity. Lumine hated that she couldn’t do anything for either her friend or Scaramouche. There just was nothing to be done in the face of such brutality.

“Being betrayed like that would drive anyone to madness I think,” Lumine said, reaching once again for Paimon. Her little friend clung to her. “Now we know why he wanted revenge on the Raiden Shogun for so long. Of course, it wasn’t the right decision, but I can understand the pain.” It was true. Lumine didn’t condone that decision, but she could understand why he wanted to. Why he wanted someone else to suffer like he did.

“Yes,”  Nahida agreed, “And now he has to understand this to choose a new path forward.”

The two (excluding Nahida’s presence) waited for a long time. Scaramouche kept mumbling to himself, cursing The Doctor’s name in every way possible. Still, he never moved. He stood very still, wringing his hands and waving them about, but never moving his feet.

Finally, Paimon took the initiative herself. She pulled Lumine along with her and called, “Hey, are you alright?”

Scaramouche turned to face the women with absolutely dead eyes. The smile on his face was murderous. Paimon recoiled, twining her hands into Lumine’s hair.

“Are you worried about me?” He cooed, and Lumine was almost surprised that his voice stayed even. Light. “If we didn’t have such a history, I’d think that we were friends.”

“I am worried about you,” Lumine said, though she didn’t reach for him. He laughed at her, and she tried to ignore the sting.

“I’ll hold up my end of the bargain; you don’t have to pretend.” With that, he turned back to the heart of Irminsul and closed his eyes again, reaching out.

“You are investigating what we want to know about, aren’t you?” Paimon asked, hesitance written all over her.

“Of course. That’s why we’re here.” Scaramouche paused, then pulled away from the tree to look back at them. “Unfortunately, there’s no information on the Descenders in Irminsul.”

“Even if you can’t find anything, that’s still useful. It proves that Irminsul does not keep records on the Descenders. Anyone who comes from outside of this world is not counted as part of Teyvat.” Naihda said. Lumine wanted to scream, but she held her composure. Yet another dead end, and a day of emotional trauma with nothing to show for it.

“Thank you,” she gritted out. “I can’t say I didn’t expect this outcome, but still. Thank you.” Lumine wished she could inject more sincerity into her voice, but she couldn’t force it anymore. With everything that had happened in the last day, she could barely offer up any inflection at all. 

“You look really upset. Anyone ever tell you that you wear your emotions on your sleeve?” Scaramouche teased, and Lumine scowled. She wasn’t in the mood for it, but he continued, “You don’t have to leave empty-handed. I suppose I can share something else I know with you, since Irminsul was a dead end.” She perked up immediately.

“About what?” Paimon pressed, but Lumine knew that Scaramouche wouldn’t be so cruel as to leave her hanging like that. He smiled a small, but sincere, smile.

“The reason there are records about your brother in Irminsul might have something to do with Khaenri’ah. Apparently, that was his first destination when he arrived in Teyvat. He only came to this world because the heavens responded to the summoning.”

Lumine felt like the rug was swept out from under her feet. What did that even mean?

He read her confusion as disbelief and shrugged. “The Jester told me this himself, and you can take his word for it. He was a Khaenri’an royal mage, and he lived with your brother for a time.”

“But… why?” Lumine couldn’t think of a single thing else to say. She just wanted to cry.

“I don’t know the details,” Scaramouche admitted, taking a step toward her. His whole face softened. “It’s up to you whether or not you want to believe me, but I wouldn’t lie to you about this.” With a roll of his eyes, he looked up. “Did you get all of that, Lesser Lord Kusanali?”

Lumine almost missed him taking her hand.

“Yes. Astonishing news. Thank you, Balladeer.”

“Good.” Any trace of gentleness melted from his face, replaced with a terrifying drive. “In that case, I’ll take some time for myself now.”

With that, a bubble formed around the two of them. He winced, and Lumine tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t release her.

“Lesser Lord Kusanali was right; my power is all but completely spent. I can’t hold this up for very long.” Paimon’s little fists beat on the exterior of the bubble, but Scaramouche held Lumine’s eyes and didn’t let go. His gaze was intense. “I shared a secret with you, so now, you owe me. I want you to answer a question for me.” He pulled Lumine forward until they were face to face, nose to nose. “Tell me: in this world, is it possible to change the past?”

Lumine almost said no. She almost said no, you have to keep moving forward, but instead, her mind flickered to Greater Lord Rukhadevata. She thought about what had changed when she had erased herself from the history of Teyvat. So instead, she asked, “Why would you ask that?” She watched his expression morph back into calm. He smiled at her, squeezed her hand once, and then let go, dropping the barrier all at once.

“Hey! What was that all about?” Paimon screeched, flying straight to Lumine and holding her face in her tiny hands.

“I just had a personal question for Lumine,” Scaramouche said, once again turning his back to her. Horror crept down Lumine’s spine. She was beginning to think she’d made a mistake. She should’ve just said no, that it was impossible. It was, really. It wasn’t like Rukhadevata’s erasure had changed the past, per se, just the way that events had unfolded. “I wanted to thank her.”

“No, no, I didn’t–” Lumine started, waving her hands, but he cut her off with a blinding smile.

“So long. I suggest you get out of here quickly.” He walked away from them, back towards the heart of Irminsul.

“No! Stop!” Lumine launched towards him, but she was too slow. He touched the tree directly and vanished, shimmering like the branches of information.

“Not quick enough.” His voice echoed around them. “From this day forward, the names Balladeer and kabukimono will cease to exist. Those who died in Tatarasuna because of me deserve another chance at life.”

“Balladeer! Don’t do anything stupid! Lumine, what’s happening?” Lumine was frozen, staring at the spot that Scaramouche had stood. Her hand was still outstretched.

“You know,” he said, voice light and conversational, as if he hadn't just done something colossally stupid, “I never did like insects. Hordes of puny, annoying things can be a real nuisance, and I love stomping them out of existence. But if a colony isn’t threatening anyone, I suppose they can be left alone. Luckily, everything can be set to right. I hope you find your brother, Lumine.”

“Balladeer!” Paimon screamed, but only the echoes of her own voice played back. She tugged on Lumine’s hair again. “Lumine, we have to find him! There has to be something we can do, right?”

They looked all around the tree, not daring to touch any branches or the tree itself. But he was well and truly gone. Scaramouche had disappeared entirely. Some hole in Lumine’s chest that she wasn’t even aware of cracked and split open, gaping like a wound inside of her. She shook.

Nahida’s voice finally came through, static pulsing through it. “Hello? Lumine, Paimon, Balladeer, can you hear me?”

“Nahida!” Paimon cried, relieved. Lumine couldn’t think of a single thing to say, struck mute.

“I was cut off by some sort of power. What’s going on?”

“The Balladeer shut you out! He… he disappeared into Irminsul talking about setting things right and erasing his name from existence!”

Nahida sighed. “I didn’t think he’d be capable of something like that with so little power left. That’s my oversight; I’m so sorry. Did he hide some of his power away when he was defeated? Or did he achieve something new out of desperation? Hmm..” Lumine thought of her time spent with him in their dreams and wondered if he’d somehow influenced her with some of his power. Or maybe it had been chance, or Nahida, or something else. There was no use dwelling on it.

“But where the heck did he go? We were supposed to keep an eye on him… We’re sorry, Nahida…” Paimon fretted.

“Please don’t worry. Let me try to handle this from here. I’m not completely confident, but we have to try. That being said, you have to get out of Irminsul as soon as possible. Give me just a moment…”

Lumine didn’t have any energy left to resist. She was exhausted. Losing Scaramouche had made her realize just how much she’d… cared? Wanted him alive? She didn’t know, but if Nahida couldn’t find him, it wouldn't matter much. Before, after. Yet another moment she realized something too late.

She and Paimon shimmered back into existence in some sort of inn.

“This is an emergency,” Nahida’s voice rang out, apologetic. “I have to ask you to stay here for the time being. No one will disturb you and everything is taken care of.”

“Is there nothing I can do?” Lumine asked softly.

“I’m sorry,” Nahida said, and Lumine could swear she felt the dendro archon’s hand brush her cheek. “This is something I have to do alone. Please leave this to me. I will do the best I can, Lumine.”

Even though Nahida couldn’t see her, she nodded. Slumping on the bed, Lumine pressed her hands to her eyes and tried to fight back tears. What a brutal day. And it was supposed to be relaxing and fun to return to Sumeru and catch up with Nahida.

“What kind of emergency? Nahida, will you be okay?”

“Don’t worry, Paimon. If my assessment is correct, there may be some minor disturbances, but no larger disaster. Please take this time to rest and recover until I tell you it’s safe.”

Nahida’s presence disappeared. Lumine could always feel when she was there or not.

“Her voice is gone…” Paimon sat on the bed beside Lumine, holding her hand. “Paimon feels like something really big has happened… What do you think The Balladeer meant? What did he want to talk to you about?”

Again, Lumine hesitated. Since Paimon didn’t remember Greater Lord Rukhadevata, she couldn’t explain the situation in full. But at least she could explain the part about Scaramouche.

“I think he wants to change the past. That’s what he asked me about.”

“But that’s impossible!”

“It’s not easy, that’s for sure.”

“You can’t just rewrite history! All that stuff happened already!” Clearly, Paimon had strong feelings on the subject, so Lumine let her rant. “It’s like… imagine if Paimon drank all the water in this inn! Even if no one saw Paimon do it, Paimon would sure remember!” Lumine nodded along. Paimon paced the room, floating back and forth. “So why does Paimon still have such a bad feeling? Paimon can’t help but wonder what he might do… Ugh! Paimon is so confused!”

“Maybe he wants to erase himself from history. Maybe he thinks that’ll erase all the bad things that happened because of him.”

“Maybe… Oh!” Paimon crashed into a vase on the table, sending it to the floor. It shattered, and Lumine immediately scooped her friend into her arms.

“Paimon! Oh, are you okay?”

“Sorry… Paimon accidentally… Oh, it’s The Balladeer’s fault for causing Paimon all this stress!” Lumine giggled weakly and squeezed.

“You can’t scare me like that. My nerves are already on overdrive.”

“Sorry… It’s just that… Erasing yourself from history? It’s unthinkable! Can you even do that inside Irminsul?” Lumine let Paimon go, and this time, her little friend stayed floating by her side.

“Maybe,” the blonde hedged, but Paimon kept talking.

“Paimon’s head is overheating from worrying! Paimon has had it with that brat! There’s no way he succeeds, right? Otherwise, won’t everyone who’s connected to him be affected, too?”

“If Scaramouche succeeds in erasing himself from Irminsul, then yeah. A lot of people in Inazuma would be affected. I can’t even imagine what that would end up looking like.” Paimon was right; Lumine felt like her brain was boiling with worry. So many friends in Inazuma, so many things changed even here in Sumeru, not to mention The Balladeer himself… It was too much. Not to mention that in the worst case scenario, people like Kazuha, Ayaka, and Ayato who all had direct connections to the Raiden Shogun were at a high risk. Lumine decided not to share that bit with Paimon, but her hands started to shake again.

“There’s nothing we can do about it at this point… What do you think we should do next?”

Lumine shrugged, too caught up in her own head.

“Seems like there’s nothing left to do but go to sleep, but Paimon won’t sleep a wink after all of that…” Lumine hummed her agreement. “Oh! Paimon knows! We can… we can list off our favorite foods! That’ll make Paimon’s anxiety go away!”

Lumine almost laughed, but she didn’t have the energy. As it was, she smiled. “Okay, I like Sweet Madame. Your turn, Paimon.”

“Okay, first dish! Mondstadt grilled fish! Oh wait, what about chicken mushroom skewers? Cream stew maybe? No, definitely tea break pancakes!”

Lumine smiled, closed her eyes, and let Paimon talk. She didn’t sleep, but she didn’t contribute, either. To be fair, Paimon held the conversation very well by herself, since she loved food so much. Lumine mostly listened to the sounds of the city outside the window as the sun rose and people meandered the streets. But then her friend stopped.

“Um… Um, what was Paimon talking about?”

Lumine opened her eyes. “Paimon? What’s wrong?”

“Paimon doesn’t remember what she was supposed to be doing right now… Paimon was talking, but why? What were we talking about, again?”

“You were so worried about The Balladeer that you started listing off foods,” Lumine said, but dread was beginning to creep up her spine. Something was very wrong.

“Huh? The Balladeer? Is that a food too? Weird name, but hey! Why didn’t you share any with Paimon?” Lumine choked on air. No. No, something was very, very wrong. So he had succeeded, then? The wound in her chest broke open further, her heart hemorrhaging blood. How did he even have the power to do something like that?

“What’s wrong? Your eyes are huge; did Paimon say something wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing. It’s nothing.” Lumine rubbed her eyes again with shaking hands. The shaking was something she’d picked up since her arrival in Teyvat. It never used to happen when she had Aether. Before, before, before.

“So, is The Balladeer someone’s name? Because it sounds like a bad nickname or something, hehe!” Paimon giggled, and Lumine was glad that at least her friend’s worries were assuaged for the time being, but hers, on the other hand, had increased tenfold. She needed to go to Inazuma, and quickly.

“Paimon, listen. I really need to go to Inazuma right away.”

“Huh? You’re making it sound like an emergency; are you sure everything is okay?”

“Let’s just go. I’ll let you know if anything is terribly wrong, okay?”

“Okay…” Paimon hesitated, but Lumine knew she’d follow.

They first stopped in Inazuma City, at Amenoma Smithy. Lumine asked after the history of the Raiden Gokaden, the swordsmithing families of Inazuma, only to have her suspicions confirmed: it seemed that Scaramouche no longer had any dealings in the events. Only nothing had actually changed. While the story differed, the end result was the same. The devastation of the swordsmiths of Inazuma was inevitable. The only relief she felt was that the new culprit of the crime had still failed to devastate the Kaedehara and Kamisato clans, leaving her friends unscathed. Kazuha was still alive and well, drinking tea.

Paimon, now in better spirits after listening to and sharing stories, followed Lumine to the Yashiro Commission without complaint. They were met at the door with news that both the commissioner and Miss Kamisato were busy, though they could wait if it were necessary. So Lumine stayed, asking after the health and business of the siblings. It seemed that nothing much had changed in the Yashiro Commission. Business as usual. And while Lumine had expected it after hearing that the Kamisato clan lived through the bladesmith’s assault, it was still a huge relief to know for certain. Knowing that her friends still valued and loved her in the same way took a weight off of Lumine’s heart. With promises to visit again soon, the two left again, this time to Tatarasuna itself.

Lumine wasn’t sure what she was looking for there, but seeing Xavier helped. The man’s research was extensive, and he was more than willing to share. With fond exasperation, Lumine found that he reminded her of Paimon. He told them that he was not the first mechanic from Fontaine to visit the furnace, though the last was a couple hundred years prior. Her blood boiled, but Paimon didn’t seem to remember that the supposed mechanic was The Doctor. But when she asked about the kabukimono, Xavier paused.

“No, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a kabukimono in all my stories of Tatarasuna. I do know the word! But I’ve never heard it connected to Tatarasuna in any way. I’m sorry to disappoint.”

Lumine hummed. She figured that Scaramouche had wanted to change the past, to prevent the bloodshed that he caused and became apart of throughout the years, but so far? So far, it seemed that nothing had really changed beyond Scaramouche himself not being there. And if he wasn’t there, where in the world was he? Was he even alive? Did he wish himself out of existence entirely? She shivered.

“Thank you, Xavier.”

“Are we done here?” Paimon asked, tugging insistently at Lumine’s hand. “Paimon could use a snack!”

“Soon,” Lumine said, waving goodbye to Xavier and making a mental note to say hi to him again sometime soon. “We have to go back to see Nahida, first. Can you make it there?”

“Sure, but… What’s up with you today? Whatever it is seems like it’s really troubling you. Keep smiling, okay? Paimon will be here for you no matter what!” Her little friend beamed and made silly faces at her, and Lumine couldn’t help but smile back. Her mind was going a mile a minute, but she stopped thinking to give Paimon a hug. It wouldn’t do to worry Teyvat’s best travel guide, after all.

“Of course. Thank you, Paimon.”

“Don’t mention it,” she giggled, then pointed out to the horizon. “Okay! It’s time to go meet Nahida!”

Usually, Lumine rather liked to walk across Teyvat. She found it soothing, and it gave her the chance to think things through. But today was not that day. Instead, she used the teleport waypoints to head straight back to the Sanctuary of Surasthana, only to run into the same two scholars from the previous day.

Aqaba called out to her and she paused, debating on how much patience she had for academic jargon at the moment. In the end, her kindness won out, and she stopped to paste a smile on her face and speak to the two.

“Aqaba, Sawada, you’re still here?” Paimon asked, and the two responded enthusiastically.

“Indeed! We would love for you to join us once more if you have the time to spare.”

Paimon looked to Lumine, who nodded. “We have time! What did you want to talk to us about?”

“The same topic as before, of course!”

“Tatarasuna? Well, we did just visit today… Can we join them, Lumine?”

Lumine really, really wanted to go see Nahida, but more information on Tatarasuna might not be a bad thing… In the end, she nodded, still keeping that fake smile on. She figured Paimon could see through it, but definitely not the two scholars, who just seemed thrilled to discuss their research. It would be endearing any other time, but Lumine’s mind was elsewhere.

“Well, we haven’t made any real progress…” Aqaba sighed, but Lumine realized very quickly that this was a perfect opportunity to examine the discrepancies in the story up close.

“Ah, actually, I was wondering if I could read your works again. I really enjoyed them last time.”

In looking over their notes, she found with satisfaction that The Doctor’s involvement seemed more prevalent, though still not fully explained or discovered. His being there was considered suspicious, which Lumine supposed would have to be enough. Her loathing of the man grew by the second.

“Is it as good the second time around?” Sawada asked her, and her smile came more naturally.

“Absolutely. You’ve created some masterpieces.”

“Ooh, Paimon knows! We just did some research in Inazuma, so maybe we could share what we learned?” She tugged on Lumine’s arm, and she laughed.

“You’re right Paimon. Here’s what we know.”

Lumine told the scholars about the history of the Raiden Gokaden and the bladesmith, new to both her and the two scholars. Selfishly, she liked this story better. Human error and folly was easier, simpler, than the mass manipulation of one misguided soul. One misguided soul that might not even exist anymore, Lumine remembered with a pang.

They said goodbye quickly after that. Nahida was alone in the Sanctuary of Surasthana, though she looked up with a bright smile when the two women came in.

“Traveler, Paimon! How are you faring?”

“Ugh, Nahida!” Paimon whined, “Where to start? Paimon hasn’t gotten any rest all day today! That night, we ended up talking until the sun came up, then this one suddenly wanted to go to Inazuma!”

“I was investigating the situation with The Balladeer,” Lumine said, not taking her eyes off of Nahida. She tilted her head, birdlike.

“The Balladeer? Sounds like some kind of codename…” She frowned, staring off into space like she did when she was thinking. So Nahida didn’t remember him either. “You look troubled,” Nahida said, eyes snapping back to Lumine’s face, “Is there something you need to share with me?”

Scaramouche acted so quickly that even Nahida couldn’t stop him. Lumine had to respect that, though grudgingly. She didn’t even fully understand why the idea of him being gone hurt her so badly. The idea that he would never understand what it meant to be a human being… She pressed her palms to her eyes.

“Traveler?” Nahida pressed, gently touching Lumine’s arm.

“What’s wrong? You look so upset.” Paimon, too, pulled one hand away from Lumine’s face. She sighed.

“There are things that have happened that only I can remember. I need to tell you the truth.”

Quietly, she began, “There once was one named The Balladeer, created by the electro archon. He was a puppet who lived among men.” She told of his abandonment by Ei and the Raiden Shogun, all because he wept after his creation. “After a series of events in Tatarasuna, The Balladeer, thinking he had been thrice betrayed, left Inazuma to roam the world beyond.” She told the original story of Niwa and The Doctor, how he loved and lost his dearest friends and became manipulated into hating them. “With no trust for humans, and only loathing for the gods, he bore his grudge for years as he grew in strength, then returned to Inazuma to take his revenge.” She told them how he had become malicious and brutal, manipulated into joining the Fatui. “He tried in vain to become a deity with a gnosis, and ended up losing everything.” She told the story of his part in Sumeru and how she and Nahida had defeated him. “Finally, he entered Irminsul and learned the truth behind his betrayal. Knowing now that his entire life was built on lies, he did the unthinkable in an attempt to reverse his tragic fate…” She told them that he tried to erase himself in some attempt to fix his past and his wrongdoings, and then she stopped. She wanted to explain why Scaramouche meant something to her. She wanted to explain why she pitied him and wanted him to be alive in equal measure. But the words didn’t come. Lumine couldn’t say anything else. To tell his story was to acknowledge just how awful he was, how awful his life was, and she honestly couldn’t blame him for not wanting to live a life like that any longer.

“So this puppet known as The Balladeer erased himself from Irminsul, hoping to change the past.” Nahida hummed, once again staring off into space. Paimon frowned.

“But how was he able to do that at all?”

“As Lumine said, he very nearly became Sumeru’s deity. Though, I remember things a little differently. I don’t recall finding anyone inside the machine after we defeated it.” She paused, but only for a moment. “That being said, it does make sense. If someone were to erase themselves from Irminsul, the world would change to reflect the new reality.”

“So, you believe this person really existed, and we just don’t remember him because… Because he literally changed the world?” Paimon looked at Lumine like she was crazy, which Lumine was used to. It was hard to tell a story like his without sounding a little far-fetched, after all.

“Yes,” Nahida confirmed, and Lumine was relieved that Nahida was willing to believe her. “Theoretically speaking, it is possible to do this, but I have trouble imagining the kind of person who would dare go through with it.”

“He was… Well, he was difficult to understand.” Lumine hedged, unable to come up with a better excuse.

Nahida shot her a small smile, then went back to staring into the open air. “Lumine comes from a world beyond Teyvat. That’s why there’s no information on her in Irminsul, and it also explains why any changes in Irminsul wouldn’t affect her.” She stopped talking to the air and instead turned to look Lumine in the eyes with a bigger smile. “So if there’s anyone in the world capable of retaining memories from a past that has been rewritten, it’s you. It’s actually quite incredible, if you think about it.”

“I don’t know if I’d say incredible, exactly.” Lumine admitted, and Nahida reached out to squeeze her hand.

“Paimon’s having a hard time understanding this Balladeer guy’s motivations. Why did he do it?”

“I’m… not really sure. If I were going to guess, I’d say he felt bad about causing so much devastation when the cause was a huge lie, but that might just be wishful thinking. I really don’t know.” Lumine sighed, rubbing her eyes again. “We were enemies, after all. I don’t know his perspective on all of this, so I don’t know why he would do something so extreme.”

Did he want to reset everything? Maybe he just wanted to save Niwa. Or maybe he just didn’t want to exist at all. ‘Everything can be set to right.’ Was that really all there was to it? How could someone so cold suddenly decide to make everything better? Gods above, Lumine wished she hadn’t hesitated. She wished she’d just told him no, that there was no way to change the past.

“Is there something else worrying you?” Nahida asked, gently pulling Lumine to sit. She hadn’t even realized she’d been pacing.

“I… I feel really guilty. He chose such a radical option, and yet…” Tears pricked at her eyes. Lumine wasn’t the type to cry often, and it felt silly to cry at the disappearance of an enemy, and yet…

“It couldn’t change the fate of the ones who had died.”

“It feels pointless,” Lumine choked out. “I don’t see why he had to do something so stupid instead of just… I don’t know, living better?”

“Once The Balladeer realized he hadn’t been betrayed after all, it must have completely shifted his view on the people of Tatarasuna. He thought of them as friends again. He couldn’t keep hating humans after that, and if you had a chance to save someone important to you, wouldn’t you try it, no matter how slim the chance?”

Lumine thought of Aether and nodded. There was nothing she wouldn’t do for him. Still, she wished that Scaramouche had known that it wasn’t his fault.

Nahida was back to talking to herself. “The Balladeer tried to achieve godhood with The Doctor’s help. He was unsuccessful, but he retained the power to connect with Irminsul. That power then enabled him to change what was recorded in Irminsul and erase himself, even though he didn’t have much strength left.”

“It does make sense, but it still ended in tragedy for his friends…” Paimon added, sitting by Lumine. The blonde hummed. “It just feels so hopeless. He gave everything to do this, but it seems like he got nothing in return.”

“Yeah. He changed the world in many ways, but those fated to die still did. It didn’t really change anything.”

“Please wait a moment; I want to check something,” Nahida said, then she closed her eyes. It only took her a second to find what she was looking for. “Found it. This should be the one.”

Nahida pulled a glittering orb into existence. “It turns out that I have a strange way of confirming Lumine’s story.”

She blinked. Leave it to Nahida to consider everything, but how?

“It’s a record from my personal collection,” She explained. “It was tucked away into a corner.” Turning to Lumine, she held out the ball with a soft smile. “You should take a look, Lumine.”

When she touched it, she was transported into a fairy tale. Lumine watched the story, enraptured and slightly horrified, as the kitten that represented Scaramouche was lied to and hurt and filled with resentment. It was remarkably similar to the story she’d just told, only about cute animals. Lumine couldn’t help but smile at the fact that Nahida’s story depicted the menacing Fatui Harbinger as a kitten.

“This matches everything I told you,” Lumine confirmed, slightly redundantly.

“Who wrote it?” Paimon asked, and Nahida smiled.

“I authored this record myself.” Clever, clever Nahida, Lumine realized. She created a failsafe.

“Huh? How did you have a story about The Balladeer?”

“This whole story is an allegory,” Nahida explained for Paimon’s benefit. “Everything in it represents something else. I wrote this story in a way that left it intact, even after everything about the kabukimono and The Balladeer was erased. Changing Irminsul changes Teyvat, but I suppose I wrote this story as a backup before The Balladeer entered Irminsul.

“Then, I sent the traveler into Irminsul with him as a further precaution. I knew that she would remember everything. This story is abstract enough that it wasn’t changed when Irminsul was altered, but given all of the puzzle pieces, the true story comes to light. These are The Balladeer’s actual memories. I made a backup to preserve these events, just in case.

“To become a god, The Balladeer was experimented on and modified countless times. It was brutal torture, and the only reason he was able to survive was because he was a puppet. This memory was extracted from him by scholars, presumably so that they could defend themselves against him if they needed to.” Nahida was on a roll, coming to these realizations as she shared them. Lumine was glad to have the information, and she was glad to be believed, but she didn’t want to imagine what Scaramouche had gone through in order for these memories to be in their hands.

“Creating a deity was just the first step. Some of them wanted to be able to control him, so they backed up his memory for further use. I buried it deep inside my own dreams, then buried it under layers of allegory so that it couldn’t be altered.”

“It’s hard to believe that this person really existed, let alone that he tried to get rid of us on multiple occasions…” Paimon mumbled, and Lumine laughed a little. “Paimon has no memory of him at all.”

“It’s probably better that you don’t Paimon. You didn’t get along.”

Nahida continued, not paying much attention to the two. “The Balladeer agreed to help me look for information about the Descenders, and although he was unsuccessful, he still helped you. Before he vanished, he confirmed an important detail: Khaenri’ah was where your twin entered into this world.” She paused and hummed, dissatisfaction clear on her face. “We still don’t know how this information will affect the upper ranks of the Fatui. They will have forgotten their own harbinger…”

Lumine felt unmoored, like she was floating alone in the ocean. To be forgotten, just like that, by everyone and everything. “Life feels pretty insignificant,” she mused aloud, and Paimon squeezed her arm.

“It sounds like Paimon wouldn’t like him very much if he were still around, but still… Paimon doesn’t like how it ended, either.”

“I sort of liked him. In the end,” Lumine admitted. “It’s hard to think that he’ll never get to know what caring about people feels like.” It was true, and Lumine felt terrible about it. She ought not to have liked him, but she did. She could sympathize and she wished that he had a better life.

“This is why wisdom can’t answer everything. We look, we see, and we comprehend, but the question still troubles us.” Nahida tuned back in to her companions and took both of their hands in hers. “The answer is not everything. People yearn to find the truth and conquer their troubles. If you give someone the truth, you give them a chance to choose their own destiny.” Nahida squeezed their hands but looked directly into Lumine’s eyes, as if she was reading her like a book. Lumine couldn’t look away. “To others looking on, this may seem like it was pointless. But for him, the chance to act on his desire to disappear must have meant a lot. Never forget that even when we walk beneath dark clouds along a road filled with suffering, the light of wisdom is always there, guiding us towards a better destination. And that’s what you’ve been doing all along.”

Lumine couldn’t help the tears dripping down her cheeks after that. She cried in silence, interrupted only by her own sobs and hiccups. Paimon and Nahida held her hands and wiped away her tears. Finally, after what felt like years, Lumine sniffled and heaved a heavy, clear breath.

“Hey Lumine, let’s go get something to eat, okay? Paimon thinks you need some rest and relaxation after all this heavy stuff.”

“The two of you should go for a walk,” Nahida agreed, “It’ll help clear your head. We can come back to this conversation later, if the need arises.” Cryptic, but a fair point. Lumine stood and brushed herself off, taking Paimon’s hand in hers again.

“We can go to the Grand Bazaar!” Paimon cheered, already floating and tugging Lumine with her. She didn’t have the energy to say no, so she waved and shot Nahida a tired, grateful smile as her friend took her outside.

Together, they made their way to the bazaar. Lumine kept quiet, occasionally sniffing as Paimon filled the air with inane chatter. Gods above, Lumine loved Paimon’s ability to talk about anything and everything. Well, not always, but it came in handy right about then. They settled down to eat side by side. I’m forgetting something , Lumine realized, and it was something important.

But what was it? She couldn’t remember. Something about Irminsul, and deleting oneself from it. Rukhadevata, Nahida, forbidden knowledge… She ran over the first and last conversation that she’d had with the Greater Lord in her mind until she realized: no one can erase themselves from existence, not even her. Otherwise, why would she have ever created Nahida to do it for her? Which meant…

Lumine stood abruptly, and Paimon stopped talking long enough to squeak.

“Hey! What’s wrong?”

“Nothing! Nothing. I just… remembered something. Sort of?” She sounded pathetic, even to her own ears. But that meant that Scaramouche was still somewhere. He had to be somewhere in Teyvat. But where? What happened to him after he tried to erase himself? Gods, it gave Lumine a headache to worry so much. She sat down by Paimon and patted her friend’s shoulder.

And then she looked up, past Paimon, and froze.

Geez, she thought, I really need to stop coming to the Grand Bazaar.

There was a young man dressed in the Inazuman style, all in shades of blue and white. Lumine would’ve found it strange even without her current fixation, but the wide-brimmed hat made her heart skip. She couldn’t quite hear what he was saying, but the man spoke quietly and gently to a shopkeeper. And Lumine stared. It had to be Scaramouche.

There was a confrontation of some sort, and Paimon turned to follow her gaze.

“Oh, it looks like that shopkeeper’s upset about something. Do you want to check it out?” Paimon asked, but Lumine just held up a hand and tried to listen in.

“...Look, if you’re gonna help out here, you can’t keep spacing out, okay? What is it, the work’s too boring? Too many distractions in the big city?”

Once again, she thought that Scaramouche said something in response, but his voice was low enough that she couldn’t hear it. Without thinking, Lumine stood and tugged Paimon a little closer.

“Who’s that guy? You know him or something?” Paimon asked, gesturing at him. The Balladeer.

“That guy… That’s The Balladeer.”

“He’s WHO?” Paimon shrieked, drawing the eyes of more than a few people, Scaramouche included. Nobody’s attention stayed for long, so Lumine just hushed Paimon for a moment.

“You’re a strange one, aren’t you?” The shopkeeper asked with a sigh. “You say you don’t want any money for helping out here, but when I actually give you any work to do, you keep getting distracted. I don’t want to take advantage of you, so I’m happy to pay you what I pay anyone else, but at this rate, I’m going to lose more money than I’d save by not paying you.”

“No, no, I mean it. You don’t need to pay me anything. I’m just so grateful that you agreed to take on an outsider like me.” Scaramouche spoke, and Lumine was stunned at the tone of voice. Not to mention his actual words! She’d never heard him sound so gentle, so caring, so grateful. Maybe once when she used to dream with him, but she couldn’t be sure. But it was definitely him. Lumine knew his voice, but it didn’t make it feel any less wrong.

The shopkeeper ran a hand through his hair. The poor man looked utterly perplexed, a sentiment Lumine shared. “You’re welcome, I guess, but I have my shop to worry about. And I promised a woman a fruit basket this evening, and I’m all out of sunsettias.”

“Leave it to me; I’ll find some more. I’ll be right back!” Scaramouche sounded eager to help, which, again, felt so wrong that Lumine was actually taken aback. He looked like a puppy.

“You don’t want money, you don’t take days off, and in your free time, all you do is wander around. What are you, a drifter?” 

“That’s right, I am,” Scaramouche said freely, even laughing as he said it. “But we can talk more about that later. First, let me get the fruit you wanted. Sunettias, was it? I’ll be right back.” With that, he took off. For a second, Lumine couldn’t think of a single thing to do other than stare. Her brain felt full of fog.

“Hey, what should we do now?” Paimon asked, tugging her hair.

“Let’s follow him,” she said, because what else was she gonna do?

They followed him all the way out of the city. Scaramouche meandered a little more than was strictly necessary, but he didn’t seem to cause any problems at all. It felt like Lumine was dreaming all over again, but this one was certainly a nightmare. A strange nightmare, but a nightmare nonetheless.

“Even if he is The Balladeer, what are we going to do, steal his sunsettias? That seems… wrong,” Paimon mumbled into Lumine’s ear. She shushed her friend gently and received an eye roll in response. Lumine just watched in disbelief as he found some fruit and mused over them for a moment. If she wasn’t seeing it with her own two eyes, she’d never believe that this was her same old Scaramouche. Maybe he wasn’t, maybe the rewritten history changed him.

Lumine blinked and met forget-me-not eyes.

“You two over there, can I help you with something?” He called, the tiniest bit of edge leaking into his words. “You’ve been following me all the way from the city. I’d have to be blind not to notice.”

“Oops,” Paimon mumbled. Lumine smacked her arm.

“Well, you’re not wrong,” Lumine said, cautiously approaching. He gave no sign of fear or recognition of her presence, which was both painful and a relief. He didn’t know her anymore, and she should be grateful for that.

“Have we met before?” Scaramouche stopped, scanned her face, then said, “No, we haven’t met. But you know me, don’t you?”

My, how smart of him. She nodded, and he frowned.

“I have no recollection. How strange.”

“It’s a little complicated, but yes, I do know you.”

“Uh, are you absolutely sure?” Paimon asked, and Lumine rolled her eyes. Gods above, she loved Paimon, but sometimes…
“Of course I’m sure.”

“Sorry, but I just can’t take your word for it.”

“That’s understandable. But I can prove it, if you want.”

“Be my guest,” he said, and she sighed.

“You’re a puppet.”

“A puppet?” Paimon asked, “What makes you think that? Isn’t that kind of rude, Lumi?”

She was preoccupied watching Scaramouche’s guard slam up. It’s not like she wanted to stress him out; it was just the easiest way to prove their acquaintance.

“Oh, so you were actually right! Wow,” Paimon quieted, leaving the three of them in an awkward silence.

“I guess you do know me after all. That’s not something I share with a lot of people…” He paused, staring at Lumine for what felt like an eternity. She wondered what he was thinking, what he thought about her. It must be strange for him to be known by a stranger. “Look, I’m just a wanderer. But seeing as you’ve gone through all this trouble to track me down, I’m sure whatever it is must be important.”

“There’s somewhere I want to take you,” Lumine said, because her best bet was taking him to Nahida. Maybe she could do something about his memory? Or was that even a good idea? Gods, she didn’t know. The selfish part of her wanted him back, but that was probably a terrible idea.

“Okay. But please let me take these to my boss first.” He agreed without an argument, which was wild in and of itself.

“Are you really working for that guy? He said you don’t want any mora for it…” Paimon floated around him, observing him in her own way.

“Yes. I ran into him in a storm in the wilderness, and he let me take shelter in his cart. In return, I said that I’d be his helper for awhile.”

They started the walk back to the Grand Bazaar. More like the grand bizarre, Lumine thought, but she didn’t voice that thought. 

“That’s… pretty nice of you,” Paimon decided, and she seemed to relax. Lumine felt her heart warm at watching the two of them kind of get along. Strange, but not terrible.

“Ah, thank you. I like being useful.” He seemed almost shy, playing with the longer strands of hair at the back of his neck. Lumine couldn’t watch.

As they walked, Lumine worried. Paimon and Scaramouche made idle chatter, talking about whatever they saw that caught their eyes, and it made Lumine a little happier. But then she started thinking about what was going to happen when they brought him to Nahida. Would he get his memories back? Would he hate her for it? How would he react to learning that Niwa and the others still died? All of it made Lumine drag her feet just the littlest bit, wanting to preserve the peace for as long as she could. Paimon might not remember Scaramouche, but he would remember her. Was it selfish of her to want them to get along? Probably. Lumine felt sick to her stomach. Still, it was the right thing to do. Taking him to Nahida was the right thing to do. Her hands shook at her sides, and she couldn’t do anything about it.

Together, they made it back to the Grand Bazaar.

“Here you go, boss. I’ll leave them right here.” Scaramouche handed over the bundle of fruit so gently that Lumine could cry all over again. Her little heart couldn’t take anymore.

“Oh, you actually went to pick some more. Thank you. Oh, who are these two?” The store owner asked, and Lumine hid her traitor hands behind her back with a smile.

“I’m Lumine, and this is my dear friend Paimon. I’m afraid we need to borrow Sca- your employee for a moment.”

The man laughed, and he waved his hand at the three of them. “I was just about to pay you anyway. Go wherever you want! Don’t waste your time here.” Scaramouche frowned and opened his mouth to protest, but the man cut him off. “I get it, okay? You wanted to thank me by helping out here at the stall, but I still don’t understand why you won’t work for money. Taking you in didn’t put me out even slightly. You don’t owe me a thing! Your time is valuable, so go live your life.”

“But I…” Scaramouche started, then stopped. He rubbed at his eyes as if he were tearing up, or frustrated, maybe, then continued. “No, you’re right. Then I suppose this is where we say goodbye. Thank you again for taking me into this city.”

“Don’t mention it. I’ve run into all sorts over the years. I just hope you find your path.”

“Thank you,” Scaramouche said, and while it felt genuine, Lumine read something underneath it. She just couldn’t place what it was. “Thank you for waiting for me. We can go now.” Some stiffness worked its way back into his voice, but Lumine couldn’t push. He didn’t know her. She couldn’t say anything.

They walked together again to the Sanctuary of Surasthana, this time with Lumine leading the way. She kept her traitor hands carefully at her side, praying that Paimon wouldn’t notice or say anything. Behind her, Paimon chattered about the birds, of all things. Gods, how Lumine missed her wings. She could just fly away from it all back then. The glider was nice, but it didn’t compare to her beautiful golden feathers. She resisted the urge to scratch at her shoulder blades. Kicking that habit took so long; she couldn’t ruin that now.

As they approached the giant doors of Nahida’s abode, Paimon pulled ahead, and Scaramouche caught her arm. “Are you alright? Your hands have been restless.”

Of course, Lumine thought. She’d been worried about the wrong person being observant. Squashing down the feeling of warmth in her chest, the traveler slapped a smile on her face and shrugged. “I’m okay. It’s been a really, really long day today. I just didn’t expect to see you.”

He smiled back at her with a little laugh and wiggled its way into Lumine’s long-term memory in an instant. “To be fair, I didn’t expect to see you either, but I think that makes sense for me, no? In any case, I hope that your day improves.”

Lumine didn’t get the chance to respond; she was too busy focusing on willing the flush from her cheeks as they stepped into the Sanctuary of Surasthana.

“Nahida! Nahida!” Paimon called ahead of them, and the little archon turned with one eyebrow delicately arched.

“To what do I owe the–oh. Are you…”

“Hello. I do apologize for the sudden intrusion.” Scaramouche pulled away from Lumine to offer a polite little bow to Nahida, who returned the gesture and stared at Lumine. Gods help her, she avoided her gaze. Either way, she was certain Nahida knew exactly where her mind was.

“We found this guy down at the Grand Bazaar, but he doesn’t seem to remember anything. So yeah! We had an eventful walk!” Paimon’s version of events covered the gist. Nahida still didn’t take her eyes off of Lumine, who could only stare at the floor. What a lovely shade of green! How fascinating!

“Tell me about yourself, Mister…?” Naihda paced around him, finally giving him her full attention. Her steps, light as a feather, still echoed in the silent space.

“Oh, I’m just a wanderer. I don’t have a proper name or title.”

“Hm. Well then, Mister Wanderer, tell me your story.”

“There isn’t much to tell. I’ve spent my life as a wanderer, exploring Teyvat and learning about this world of ours. As I’m sure you must know by now, Lesser Lord Kusanali, I am not a human, so I’ve been doing this for some time now. I suppose the best way to describe my lifestyle would be as a form of training?”

“You say that you’re trekking across Teyvat to train yourself. Many other Inzaumans who do the same would call themselves ‘shugenja,’ but you chose to call yourself a wanderer. Why is that?” Nahida was pointed, but never rude. She merely asked her questions as straightforwardly as possible, arms crossed. In turn, the wanderer answered her questions with the same frankness.

“It seems more fitting, in my case. Like a plant with no roots.” He turned his attention to Lumine, and she found herself unable to escape his gaze like she had with Nahida. Then he turned back to the archon, and Lumine hid her shaking hands behind her back again. “But these two claim to know me, and that I have a past hidden even to myself. You wouldn’t happen to have an explanation for me, would you?”

Nahida hesitated, sighed, then said, “I wouldn’t call it a past, per se… Goodness, this is a difficult one to explain. I don’t like to use this term often, but in your case, it ought to be called a previous incarnation.”

“Like a past life?” Paimon asked, drawing Lumine back to the conversation at hand.

“Yes,” Nahida agreed, staring past all of them into space. “Something far more distant than the past. So far away that you cannot perceive it.”

“Then I have to ask: what was I like in my previous incarnation?” Nobody made eye contact with him, then. The silence dragged through the chamber, louder than any words could ever be. “Oh. I see. You want to tell me, but you can’t bring yourselves to say it. Looks like I didn’t have an idyllic existence in my previous incarnation.” He turned his pretty eyes onto Lumine, not accusing but something close to it.

“I just don’t know where to start…” she hedged, though it was true. There was nowhere in Scaramouche’s history that would be a pleasant place to start. It felt awful to look in his eyes as he realized that whatever she had to tell him would likely be deeply unpleasant.

“If it’s that difficult to talk about, I have no doubt that it’ll be difficult to hear.” He took Lumine’s hand in his, and she could do nothing but meet his gaze. “But I’ll be able to handle it. Please, tell me the truth.”

Oh, how she wanted to. Lumine could barely even admit it to herself, but she missed Scaramouche. She missed the person she’d gotten to know over the past few months, the person whose life was brutal and hard and miserable. And how could she wish that on someone? How could she want him to feel all of that pain again, and for what? So that she could have a companion again? So he could hate her again?

“Is truth something you care about a lot?” Nahida asked gently, pulling their attention back to her. When Scaramouche’s hand slipped out of hers, Paimon took it and squeezed. Lumine squeezed back.

“Yes,” he said without hesitation, and Lumine thought of Ei.

“Then I’ll be straight with you.” Nahida took a breath, steadying her little voice. “In your previous incarnation, you did many things that would be considered evil. You nearly died because of what other people did, and many died because of you. As a non-human being, you resented the gods and humanity alike. You drifted from place to place, never able to settle, even as you found status and identity. You adamantly believed that you were missing a heart.”

The resulting silence burned through Lumine’s chest. Paimon still held her hand. Scaramouche and Nahida locked eyes.

“Actions rooted in persistence sometimes bear bitter fruit. Sometimes, you have to let parts of yourself go, or you’ll never be happy.” Nahida spoke gently, as she always did, with only the tiniest edge of stone to it. Like a beautiful tree, she had a solid foundation covered with the lyrical leaves she spoke.

She carried on, telling the wanderer about his long, long life. Lumine didn’t interrupt, even when Nahida got small details wrong. She couldn’t bear to hurt him anymore. His face stayed carefully blank, but the traveler had the feeling that he was feeling like shit underneath that veneer.

Finally, when Nahida’s story drew to a close, Scaramouche said, “I gave everything I had, but it barely changed history at all.”

“In terms of outcome alone, that’s true,” Nahida said. Lumine wanted to argue, but it was true.

“I don’t think I can judge everything I’ve heard purely in terms of right and wrong. Each choice a person makes belongs to a specific place and time, a chain of cause and effect, or a cycle of karma and consequence.”

“This is the nature of truth. If one thing is wrong, then its opposite must be right, and yet, dichotomies like this are not enough to explain the world in all of its complexity.” Nahida agreed, and privately, Lumine did, too. How easy it would be for Scaramouche to dismiss his other self as an evil entity, separate from himself, or as completely justified in all of his rage and suffering.

The wanderer smiled just a little. “Seems like my previous incarnation wasn’t the most likable individual.”

“Well, we’re not trying to hurt your feelings or anything, but yeah… We weren’t your biggest fans,” Paimon said, rubbing the back of her neck with a nervous little laugh.

“We were enemies.” Lumine finally spoke, because it was true. Maybe she had to remind herself of it, too. They were enemies. No matter how much she’d wanted to like him, they were enemies.

“If we were truly enemies, why are you trying to help me find the truth?” he asked her, and Lumine once again found herself admiring that gorgeous floor tile and willing her face back to pale.

“This is so frustrating!” Thank the gods for Paimon! “This guy was some big enemy of ours, but now he’s just some random stranger we met on the street! You’ve got a lot to answer for, but we can’t even do anything because you don’t even remember anything! Ugh, this is so weird…”

Thankfully, Scaramouche dropped his original question and turned back to Nahida. “Lesser Lord Kusanali, as the god of wisdom, I trust that everything you told me must be true?”

“Yes, it’s all true. I can even show you the memories themselves, if you’re willing.”

“Please. I want to see them for myself. I want to experience my own transgressions.”

Lumine almost tried to stop him, but she decided against it. Better he know firsthand than trust the stories of strangers. But still, to go through all of those traumatic memories again, voluntarily? That was huge.

“Even though it will cause your present self great mental anguish?” Nahida looked at Lumine as she asked, and the blonde tried to convey her gratitude silently.

“I’m just a puppet, with no heart and no name.” The wanderer shrugged, face back to impassive. “There is nothing in this world for me to cling to, nothing to fill the void inside of me, except maybe these sins that I can never undo.”

Nahida paused to scrutinize him, then she held out her hand. “Very well. As you wish.”

“Wait!” Paimon flew between the wanderer and Nahida. “Shouldn’t we go with him? It’s our fault that he’s even here, after all…”

“Don’t worry. Whatever damage I might face, it’s my burden to bear.”

Lumine felt a flicker of her old Scaramouche, self-sacrificing and isolating to a fault.

“Your burden to bear, maybe, but you don’t have to face that stuff alone. As someone who was there for some of it, it’s not something you want to go through by yourself.” She argued, and he tilted his head at her then looked to Nahida, who just smiled in that little cryptic way of hers.

“Lumine, would you supervise him for me?”

“Gladly,” she said, shooting the wanderer a harsh look that he received with grace. She wanted him to fight with her again.

“Thank you. Now, everyone, please prepare yourselves.”

With a shimmering flash, the three found themselves elsewhere.

“This looks like Inazuma,” Paimon said, and Lumine agreed with a hum. They stood together in a beautiful building. Beautiful, but empty. Clearly abandoned, with vegetation growing through the windows, floors, and walls.

“Right now,” Nahida’s soft voice interrupted from the air, “you’re in a dream using information that I took from your memories. These memories will show you the raw truth, but be aware that you may be in danger in these memories. Please tread carefully.”

“Sounds like an immersive experience. Good thing that we came along,” Paimon said, and again, Lumine agreed.

“You don’t need to do this for me. I think we both know that I don’t deserve your protection.” Scaramouche frowned.

“That’s ridiculous. No one should be alone going through their worst moments.” The wanderer studied her for a long moment, and she refused to back down, no matter how badly she wanted to.

“Besides, we need to finish this.” Paimon said, and the moment was broken.

“Wanderer, this is Shakkei Pavilion. In your Balladeer incarnation, this is where the electro archon placed you after your creation. You had a great many memories here.”

“So it’s kind of like his birthplace?” Paimon asked.

“You could say that. You’ll see why in a moment.”

“I hear footsteps,” the wanderer mumbled, and the three went silent to listen.

“This place is huge!” Someone said from outside, a voice that Lumine didn’t recognize. “I can’t believe the landslide didn’t fill it in. I wonder who built it? The crystal marrow miners, maybe?” A brief pause. “No, there’s no way. Look at the beautiful construction, not to mention the preservation! No miners could’ve made something like this.” Through a window, the three watched as a man approached. He stopped short in the dim light, staring open-mouthed at the floor.

“Who are you?” A soft, hoarse voice asked, and Lumine recognized the wanderer’s voice immediately. It was still the same, after all of these years. The being himself startled at hearing his own voice.

“Oh gods, you’re awake!” The man panicked, fluttering his hands about himself. “What happened? How did you get stuck here? Are you injured?” He knelt by the memory’s side, fussing over him for a moment. “There’s not a scratch on you, and you have these beautiful clothes… Who in the world are you?”

“This man is Katsuragi, deputy to Torachiyo’s adopted son, Mikoshi Nagamasa. He found The Balladeer in Shakkei Pavilion and took him back to Tatarasuna.” Nahida explained. Lumine hummed; the name was familiar. The wanderer, for his part, stayed silent, glittering eyes trained on Katsuragi as he helped the would-be Harbinger to his feet.

“And the rest is history. Or, it was?” Paimon sighed. “This is all too confusing for Paimon.”

“In the original version of events, Katsuragi was eventually killed by Nagamasa,” Nahida continued. “During the Tatarasuna incident, Niwa was murdered by The Doctor, disguised as a mechanic. The Balladeer, then known as the kabukimono, disappeared not long after. As the second in command at Tatarasuna, responsibility for what happened fell onto Mikoshi Nagamasa.

“But Katsuragi had sworn a lifelong loyalty to Nagamasa after the latter had once saved his life. At Katsuragi’s insistence, Nagamasa killed him to put an end to the Tatarasuna incident.”

Still, Scaramouche stayed silent. Lumine felt strange referring to him as such in her mind, but calling him Wanderer felt too impersonal. She thought to ask him, but maybe later. If he would even speak to her after all of this.

“...He looked like a warrior, but he had a kind face. Why couldn’t he live a long and happy life?” The wanderer spoke, and his voice was tighter than a drum. Lumine didn’t reach for him. It didn’t seem like he wanted an answer.

The three of them wandered the building for lack of any further guidance, but the only things they caught were snippets of words between Katsuragi and Nagamasa establishing that they’d call him Kabukimono and to tell Niwa of his existence.

Then Lumine blinked, and they were back in the entrance hall. She frowned.

“Oh, we’re back! How’d that happen?” Paimon asked, but Lumine didn’t get the chance to answer her.

“Wow! This is where you were born?” A child’s high voice asked, giggly. “It’s so pretty! But there’s no one here…” The little boy poked his head in, then ran inside with all the enthusiasm Lumine would’ve expected. She laughed a little, and so did the wanderer.

“I was abandoned, like you,” the kabukimono said as he walked in behind the boy, all dressed in white with long hair like he had been in Lumine’s dreams. Ah, she thought, so it was his past. He was thinking of when he was young. “I lived here for awhile, at first, but… There’s nothing for us here. We can’t stay.” His voice still sounded so gentle, so soft. Nothing like the way he sounded when she met him.

“I heard my mom and dad used to make swords, but the factory manager died, and then my dad got sick…” The little boy burst into a coughing fit, and the wanderer took a step towards him before he remembered that this was just a memory. Either way, the kabukimono swept him up into his arms, gently rubbing his back. “He kept coughing all the time, just like me… Then mom started coughing.” The little boy mumbled into the kabukimono’s robes. They both looked so haunted, so terrified.

“But you can’t. You promised me.” The kabukimono told him, pulling back to look the boy in the eyes. There was some sort of manic fear in his eyes that Lumine could barely stand. Beside her, the wanderer stood rooted to the spot, one hand still outstretched.

“Yep, we’re family now! We’ll be together forever and ever!” The boy giggled, and the tense air broke. The kabukimono beamed .

“This child didn’t have a name,” Nahida whispered, “Or rather, The Balladeer didn’t know what to call him. His father died before he could name him. After his mother died, the child stayed in their straw hut alone. Some neighbors helped to raise him. After he left Tatarasuna, The Balladeer met this child, who also didn’t have a name, just like him. They promised to live together.”

“What happened to the child?” Paimon asked, even though everyone in the room knew the answer. Her voice wavered, and Lumine took her little hand.

“The child died from his illness while he was still very young.” The wanderer made a low, pitiful sound in the back of his throat. Nahida paused, but he didn’t say anything, so she continued, “The Balladeer came home one day and found that he had stopped breathing.”

The air shimmered in front of them, and they watched as the kabukimono came home to a corpse.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Say something! Say something, now! Come on! You promised me that we’d be family; get up!” The kabukimono started to cry as he screamed at the little boy’s body. Tears dripped down Paimon’s cheeks as she watched, and Lumine felt herself tear up. She didn’t dare look at the wanderer.

“You’re just like Niwa and all the others,” the kabukimono hissed over the boy. “You betrayed me too. Even a kid like you…”

The images of them shimmered out, and the three were left alone in the room again. The quiet was only broken by Paimon’s little sniffles.

“The voices are gone. It looks like the memory ends here,” the wanderer broke the silence. Lumine could only nod, still looking at the spot where the little boy’s body had sat.

“Let’s keep going,” she said, because what else was she supposed to say?

After a little more meandering, the air shimmered again and deposited the trio elsewhere. Lumine didn’t recognize the building, but she recognized the cold voice of The Balladeer when he said, “You’re blocking my path.”

It was too dark to see anything, so she blindly reached and caught hold of the wanderer’s sleeve. A deep voice chuckled. “I come not to obstruct you. I have been waiting for you. What you are, truly, is a weapon. You could continue to drift aimlessly, or you could be wielded with an iron will.”

The Balladeer laughed that same humorless laugh that Lumine had heard too many times. “Are you trying to win me over?”

“The long-fated rebellion has begun. Why not take your place at the banquet and join those who shall feast?”

After a brief silence, the room changed. It lightened just a little, and purple haze filled the room. The wanderer pulled away from Lumine for a moment, but before she could be embarrassed about it, he took her hand instead.

“This place is dark,“ he mumbled, though whether it was to her or to himself, she didn’t know.

“Lumine…” Paimon whimpered, “Paimon knows this place.”

The traveler looked around, and she realized with a sinking dread that she knew this place, too.

“The delusion factory in Inazuma,” she breathed, and Paimon shivered against her shoulder.

“In the original version of events, Lumine encountered The Balladeer here,” Nahida joined them again. The wanderer dropped her hand like he’d been burned, pulling away from the two of them.

“Such a creepy atmosphere…” Paimon whispered, oblivious to her friend’s turmoil. Lumine was grateful for that, at least. Paimon was right, too. This place held no fond memories for Lumine. “Hey, wait! Look over there!” Paimon suddenly squealed, tugging Lumine to point her towards where The Balladeer stood with La Signora. Involuntarily, Lumine wrinkled her nose.

“Well, my fair lady, is this run-down factory and all of these incompetent fools for me? Wow, you shouldn’t have.” Sarcasm dripped from every single word from The Balladeer’s mouth. Signora put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes.

“What do you have to gain from belittling your subordinates? You might not want to admit it, but you’re part of this plan. Perhaps you find fighting in the Abyss to be a more meaningful use of your time? Oh, but of course, even this pales in comparison to being experimented on by The Doctor.”

The wanderer sucked in a sharp breath even as The Balladeer sneered across from them. “Funny how negotiating never seems to be your strong suit,” he said. “For the task ahead, I suggest you keep your true feelings to yourself.”

“Save your breath. I know what I have to do.”

“I’m sure you think so, but I still think you need to hear it: Don’t start thinking that you’re invincible. And don’t let your emotions get in the way.” Coming from anyone else, it might’ve sounded caring. But from The Balladeer to La Signora, it was a threat. “I can’t have you getting in my way. You and Childe never fail to find ways to complicate things.” In any other situation, Lumine would’ve laughed. Childe, of course, was the biggest complication known to man. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the time to laugh about it.

“I’m merely lighting a fire in this chaotic nation, but you… Being tossed out like trash must make you want to destroy it completely.” Signora waved her hand like it was a casual thing to say and not an incredibly pointed insult. “Do you remember the last time you were here? That was a lot of swordsmiths you killed,” she purred, and the wanderer choked on air. Lumine, again, resisted the urge to reach for him. “I’m sure the descendants of the Raiden Gokaden are still suffering the consequences.”

The Balladeer, for his part, wasn’t fazed. He just turned to look at her like he didn’t give a single fuck about her or her life, and to be fair, it was probably true. She laughed at him.

“Look at you! Aw, don’t get sentimental, now. Give that poor tongue of yours a rest, and stop pretending like you’re better than everyone else. I’ll see you at the victory feast.”

La Signora left The Balladeer alone, and he scoffed at the empty doorway. “Poor little tongue? Who does she think she’s speaking to? She’s playing with fire talking like that. Forget it. Someone might find me here any minute now. I should prepare a warm welcome.”

It would be her, Lumine knew. She shuddered, not looking forward to that one.

“The story doesn’t end here. Wanderer, Lumine, Paimon, are you able to continue?”

The wanderer cleared his throat. “Yes, don’t worry about me.”

“I’m okay,” Lumine said, scanning the wanderer’s face for any emotions there, but he kept his face blank.

“Paimon’s doing fine!”

“Alright then,” Nahida said, “On we go.”

The scenery changed yet again. The trio stood in a place that reminded Lumine of the underground lab where she fought the Shouki No Kami, but it wasn’t quite the same room. Maybe an offshoot of the same structure?

“Looks like we’ve arrived in Sumeru,” Paimon said, her high voice echoing in the room. “Uh… Is that…?” She gestured across the way, and Lumine recoiled in disgust upon seeing The Doctor’s masked face. The wanderer, by her side, didn’t seem to recognize him, but Lumine’s lip curled into an involuntary snarl.

The Doctor stood with a researcher, who said, “Considering that Amurta’s sage refused to collaborate with us, I’ll be here in his place.”

“Welcome,” The Doctor purred, arms crossed over his chest even as he grinned a sharp-toothed smile. “I look forward to a fruitful collaboration.”

“When do we start?” The Balladeer asked, tucked away into a shadowed corner. Lumine hadn’t even seen him there. Beside him stood Azar, yet another man who made Lumine seethe.

“You seem impatient. You should know that becoming a god is no trivial affair,” The Doctor cooed, condescension oozing from every pore. Still, that sick smile stayed plastered onto his face.

Lumine stepped forward as if she could go over there and punch him herself, but Paimon’s hand on her shoulder stopped her.

“We can’t do anything,” her friend whispered, and Lumine ground her teeth.

“The biological transformation is a lengthy process. As such, I recommend beginning as soon as possible. Once the connection is established, he will be unable to move independently of the machine.” Lumine hated Azar. Sure, The Doctor was a monster in every way, but he almost felt alien, inhuman. Azar? He was just an old man, tangled too deep in a web that he didn’t understand, grasping at power like a baby grasping at its mother’s fingers. He sickened her.

The Balladeer waved away Azar’s concerns, focusing entirely on The Doctor. “Nothing worse than I’ve been through before, then?”

“You were the most resilient test subject I ever came across. Thanks to you, I was able to garner a great deal of information.” Came across? Oh, please. The Doctor created The Balladeer, from start to finish. Lumine wanted to tear him to pieces. “Alas,” he continued, “after that, you were under orders to remain in the Abyss. We barely saw each other, and it became difficult to refine my knowledge any further.”

“That was gracefully worded. Ever wonder what they would think if they knew that nothing mattered to you except for your crazy experiments?” The Balladeer asked, examining his nails as though he were bored.

Any levity evaporated from The Doctor’s voice as he said, “I suggest you watch your tone, Scaramouche. The mere fact of your utility does not make you indestructible.”

“This is uncomfortable to watch,” Paimon said with a sigh, staring with pity at the scene unfolding in front of them.

“That person gives off a very sinister energy,” the wanderer commented idly, and Lumine hummed.

“That’s The Doctor. He’s behind all of this shit.” She ran a hand through her hair with a heavy sigh. “If I could punch him in the face right now, I absolutely would.”

“It’s normal for him to give you the creeps. He scares the bejeebers out of Paimon!” She stomped her little foot in the air, and the wanderer huffed out a little laugh.

“Let’s move on,” Nahida’s voice interrupted, and they appeared next in the Shouki No Kami’s room. Lumine knew it well.

Every dream she had ever had of fighting the machine and the man inside of it, not to mention the actual events that had inspired those dreams, suddenly rushed to the forefront of her mind. But the room stood empty.

“You’re a god,” the wanderer said, looking up to the light filtering through the blue window in the ceiling. “Do you think I’m evil?”

“If you accept that he is you, just as you are you, then yes. You are evil.” Nahida replied, gentle but honest. Silently, Lumine wanted to protest. She didn’t know what the right thing to say was, but she couldn’t imagine that this was it. Still, the wanderer didn’t seem fazed.

“In your eyes, is there any difference between humans and puppets?” he asked.

“Do you think there is any difference between your current self and your previous and future incarnations?” Nahida countered. “If not, then what are the differences between humans and puppets? Whoever has tasted the joys and sorrows of life in the human realm is human. Whoever has loved and lost, cried with grief, howled with rage at the tragedy of death that eclipses the miracle of life, they are human too.” Nahida’s voice rang like steel in the air, leaving no room for argument. Lumine changed her mind about arguing with the god of wisdom. It was true, after all. Lumine felt that in the last couple of years, she’d been through enough pain and suffering for a lifetime or six. She felt like she hadn’t been alive until she’d loved and lost and feared them both. It was true of Scaramouche, too. He’d suffered so much and turned his back on humanity, but in the end, that was what made him a human being. Heartless or not.

“I’ve seen enough of my past. If possible, I’d like to reclaim the sins that are mine to bear. Whatever the consequences, I won’t run from blame or punishment. Whatever I am due, let it come to pass.” His voice was steady, no trace of doubt. It wasn’t as though Lumine didn’t respect him as he was, but she respected the wanderer more for it.

“You’re asking for your memories back?” She asked anyway, wanting to be sure.

“Can you return my memories to me?” The wanderer asked in return, formally bowing to her.

“Hey, doesn’t that mean you’ll lose your current identity?” Paimon hovered around him, concern furrowing her brow.

“I’ve always believed that human lives follow a set of rules, with each person being a collection of past experiences. As a puppet living in the human world, my life is subject to the same rules.”

“I want you to be sure,” Lumine whispered, but it was loud in the huge hall. He looked at her and smiled.

“I am sure. Please don’t worry about that, at least.”

“Regaining your memories means reverting completely to your previous incarnation. All of the emotions that you discarded will return to you. Are you completely sure?” Nahida asked again, and the wanderer laughed. It sounded like wind chimes, or a bell. Nothing forced about it.

“Yes. I’ve lived with a void in my chest for my entire life. My creator didn’t need me, and ever since I woke, I’ve only drifted from place to place.” He looked at Lumine, forget-me-nots shining in the dim light. “But then I met you, and I finally realized that reclaiming my missing sins might be my one chance to be my true self.”

Hearing the wanderer’s words made Lumine wonder. Was this what Greater Lord Rukhadevata was thinking about when she erased herself? She’d never truly be gone, not with Nahida in her place. And it was the same for Scaramouche. The Balladeer wasn’t here, but there was this wanderer in his place, drifting from place to place without any of The Balladeer’s fire. Maybe a person’s deeds, a person’s sins, were just an inescapable part of human destiny. Nahida would live with Rukhadevata’s deeds to her name, and the wanderer would have to live with The Balladeer’s sins heaped onto his back like weights.

He’d remember this moment, though. Before, after.

“I’ve spent my entire life yearning for something I have never understood. Even after all of my soul searching. And now I know that I did this to myself. So I’m asking you, Lesser Lord Kusanali, grant me this opportunity for a purpose. Let me change my destiny and end my wandering.”

“Very well,” Nahida said, pride leaking into her tone. “Since your mind is made up, I will return to you that which is yours.”

A beautiful green shape floated from the air to the wanderer, and Nahida urged him to take it in his hands. He held the shape, and for a moment, everything was still. Then, it slammed into his chest, and the wanderer wailed . Panicked, Lumine rushed to his side as he clutched at his head and screamed.

Her first thought was that he was dying, even though she knew it wasn’t true. Her heart pounded in her chest, and Lumine took one of his hands. The wanderer held it so hard that she couldn’t feel it anymore, but she refused to let go. Distantly, she heard Paimon frantically ask Nahida what was happening, but the traveler wasn’t focused on the conversation at all.

“Lumine! Look out!” Paimon screamed, and Lumine only had a second to notice the Shouki No Kami behind her, swinging its massive fist at her. The only thing that saved her were her fighting instincts; she tackled the wanderer and threw them both a few feet away. Not far, but far enough to not be flattened. Still, the ground shook, and she was knocked breathless.

It was almost like her dreams, except in her dreams, the fight always went the same way. Nothing unpredictable ever happened. Here, Lumine had to worry about an incapacitated wanderer while defending herself against an almost-god. She thought about running, but there was no way she’d get away from the Shouki No Kami while dragging the wanderer. That being said, she didn’t know how successful she could be against it while defending someone else.

There was no choice. Lifting her sword, she rushed in towards the machine, only to have to turn back as it launched parts of the floor at the wanderer. She made it back just in time to cut the rock to ribbons, but her knees ached, and the machine glowed with brilliant electro energy.

Oh gods, she thought, I’m about to be killed.

There was no time for Lumine to react that time. She just stood there, wide eyed, as Paimon reached for her and the Shouki No Kami fired at her. There was a bright light and a loud explosion, and then silence.

Except it wasn’t silence, it was… wind?

As the smoke cleared in front of her, a glowing green light drifted down into the hands of one wanderer, freshly on his feet, surrounded by a whirlwind. An anemo vision, she realized in awe. He got an actual vision, and he used it to save her ass.

“Balladeer?” Paimon asked, half nervous, half grateful. He only looked over his shoulder at them with a smirk, then turned back to the machine. She could’ve cried in relief.

“Time to die,” he said, and he threw himself at what was once his dream. Lumine looked at Paimon, shrugged, and followed suit.

“Have you got your memories back?” Paimon shouted over the sounds of battle, and the wanderer looked at her like she was the stupidest person alive.

“Have you got any more stupid questions? I’m busy!” He flew backwards, dodging a massive fist, and Lumine launched forward to climb the arm. She drug her sword through as many wires and tubes as she could, sparks flying as she went. Unfortunately, another huge hand swatted her away, but the wind caught her before she could hit the ground. She did the same for the wanderer as he, too, was smacked across the room.

“Go, team,” she deadpanned, and he actually laughed.

“I’ll go up and take apart the joints. You keep those hands busy.”

“Got it.”

Running across the floor was familiar to her. This room was familiar to Lumine. She knew this place, this fight, this enemy, like the back of her hand, and she used it to her advantage. The wanderer was true to his word; he assaulted the ball joints with gales of wind, and whenever those arms tried to get rid of their latest pest, Lumine was there to draw the ire of the machine. They made a good team.

When the machine finally hit the ground, the wanderer spat on the ground. “Get out of my sight,” he sneered, and Lumine couldn’t agree more.

“It’s down… Did we win?” Paimon asked, hovering over Lumine and fussing over her bruises and scrapes.

“What did you expect? I’d never lose to that,” the wanderer said, but he stared at where the machine lay on the floor.

“Oh, there’s that tone of voice again. You’re definitely back to your old self… Well, but it was you inside that thing, too! What do you have to be smug about?” Lumine’s companion complained, and the blonde would’ve laughed if she weren’t still trying to catch her breath.

“I’m harsh on myself and others. Just the way I am,” Scaramouche (The Balladeer? The wanderer? Lumine didn’t know) said, finally turning to face them. He was smiling, and his eyes shone with an emotion Lumine had never seen on him, but she was pretty sure that it was joy.

“Your past is going to catch up with you,” she warned, because she could never just say hey man, I’m glad you’re feeling good .

“Oh? Lumine, you sound like you’re concerned for me,” he said with a smirk, and she rolled her eyes with a blush.

“So what if I am?”

“Then I’d tell you not to worry. Even if I didn’t change a thing, at least now I know the truth. And I’m quite grateful.” Scaramouche stepped closer to her as he spoke, preserving the gentle smile on his face. It was strange, but not bad by any means. Just… different.

“The memory recovery seems to be a success,” Nahida said, and all of them looked up as if Nahida was actually talking from the sky. “This dream has served its purpose.”

“Come on,” he said, and he took Lumine’s hand. “Let’s continue this outside.”

Just like that, they arrived back in the Sanctuary of Surasthana.

“Welcome back Lumine, Paimon, Balladeer.”

Paimon stretched her arms above her head, yawning loudly. “Whew! It feels like we went on a really long journey… Paimon’s exhausted.”

Scaramouche’s face twitched. Lumine tilted her head at the same time as Nahida did.

“You don’t like being addressed by that name?” Nahida guessed, and he hummed.

“It’s fine, but I should probably still change it.”

“Why?” Lumine asked, but he stepped away from her to pace.

“After learning about everything The Doctor did, there’s no way that I can keep using this name that’s connected to him. I’m not planning on returning to the Fatui, and given recent events, I’m willing to bet no one would even remember who the sixth was.”

“So you’re quitting the Fatui for good?” the traveler asked, just to be sure. Which isn’t to say that she disapproved; quite the contrary. It would just be nice to hear it.

“It’s like Lesser Lord Kusanali said,” the man shrugged, “Everything may look futile, but it wasn’t completely meaningless. I did make a lot of people forget about me.”

“But that doesn’t mean that your own past has disappeared,” Nahida reminded him, and he nodded. “And your main goal, for which you gave up everything you had… Well, you weren’t able to achieve that. I hope you can see and understand that.” She looked each of them in the eye in turn, lingering on him. “Changing the world, changing the past, changing the fates of other people… These are not simple things to accomplish. What you were looking for was just a fantasy, and the world will not heed your whims.”

He sighed, then nodded. “Indeed. How ridiculous.”

Cautiously, Paimon floated closer. “Do you regret doing all that when you got so little in return?”

“Even if I’m completely worthless, there’s nothing in the world worth regretting.” Some of the fire that Lumine had come to expect from him finally came back to his voice, and she repressed a smile. “Now, Lesser Lord Kusanali… You purposely left that information in Irminsul, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” she said with a grin, unrepentant, “and I took great care to ensure that you’d acquire that information naturally.”

“Why would you go to such lengths? You trying to win me over too?”

“In all honesty, your past experiences have made you a useful asset to both Sumeru and to me. Winning you over was indeed part of my plan. But above all of that, I wanted to tell you the truth about your past. If all I wanted to do was use you, then I’d be no different from The Doctor. Besides,” her eyes flickered to Lumine, and her smile turned coy, “a friend of a friend is always a good ally. Perhaps I just wanted to make sure that my dear traveler was making an informed decision.”

Wow, look at that beautiful floor! Lumine found it so absolutely fascinating while the man laughed at her. He nudged her with his shoulder but made no comment about it.

“Very clever, Lesser Lord.”

“I guess you could say cleverness is a virtue of mine.”

“Utility to others is what gives me worth, so if embracing my sins is what it takes for me to be useful, so be it.”

“Nahida doesn’t see you like that,” Lumine protested, catching his arm. He turned to her, shifting to hold her hand, instead. She forced herself to focus on the conversation.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot. You’re the good guys. You’re into justice and all that shit.” He was still smiling at her, making fun of her in a way that wasn’t meant to hurt. She rolled her eyes, but Lumine couldn’t help but smile back. “And it doesn’t matter anyway;” he continued, “I don’t feel like I’ve been duped. The wisest leaders will have the best helpers, and I can live with that.”

“I’m glad you’re able to think of it that way.” The amusement in Nahida’s voice filled the room. She and Paimon were watching them, Lumine knew, but she couldn’t do much about it.

“Lumine, why did you go to Inazuma after I went into Irminsul?”

“I needed to know what happened to the people I knew, and I wanted to see if… If you’d actually succeeded.”

“Ah, so that’s how you figured out whose fates changed and how. Well, you did me a favor. I ought to pay it back.”

“Hey, I didn’t do it for a reward! I’m not trying to extort you!” Lumine waved her free hand, but he just took it with his.

“I’ll balance the books one day. A relationship is just a series of borrowing and returning, after all.” He squeezed both of her hands and stepped away, letting her go.

“That’s not true,” Nahida interrupted, “a relationship between two people isn’t just a ledger that can be reset to zero. I think you know that, deep down. People who show up in your life don’t just evaporate like water drops and leave nothing behind. There’s no such thing as ‘balancing the books’.”

“Agree to disagree.” He waved his hand.

“It’s not so simple. Some things in this world can never be brought back or changed, and that’s where emotions come from. Everything that you feel is real, and lasting, and what is missing in you cannot be made whole just from this alone.”

“I had a similar conversation with a friend a little while ago,” Lumine agreed. “You asked me once why I bothered knowing people and making friends when I would just lose them, and this is it. The fleeting nature of it is what makes it precious. So yes, I will miss them, and it will hurt someday, but it’s the fact that we’re sharing such small parts of ourselves with each other that is meaningful.” Silence. Lumine regretted interrupting Nahida when the archon clearly knew much more on the subject than she did. “Of course, I may be wrong…”

“No, not at all, Lumine. That was lovely. It sounds like I’d like to meet your friends someday,” Nahida said with her twinkling giggle.

“It makes sense,” he allowed, though it was his turn to stare at the floor.

“To be human is to live with imperfections. I think you get to choose whether or not you want to be human.”

“But humans can’t live without a heart, can they?” He shook his head. “Anyway, I gave up trying to be human a long time ago.”

“You’re just burying your feelings,” Lumine told him, and he scowled at her.

“I am not!”

“You two… Paimon doesn’t want to hear you argue!”

“Too bad,” they said in unison. Lumine sighed.

“Well, this has all gotten pretty darn complicated… Paimon doesn’t even know where to start. But Mister, you’re going to follow Nahida from now on, right?”

He sighed and paused for a long time, presumably to think. Lumine almost had a heart attack when he started to walk away, but he only paced for a moment before he turned back to the three of them.

“Then I guess I’ll be helping you from behind the scenes from now on, Lesser Lord Kusanali.”

Everyone broke out into relieved smiles. “I’m glad you’ve accepted our proposal. Why don’t you choose a new name to celebrate?”

“I can’t keep calling you ‘dumbass’ in my head,” Lumine sneered, and he stuck out his tongue at her.

“Wait, Paimon wants to pick an ugly nickname, too! Because… Paimon still doesn’t like you that much!”

“Then I hope we don’t see much of each other in the future,” he sniped.

“I know what you’re thinking: “a name is life’s first gift.” Right?” Nahida’s unerring accuracy in reading people did scare Lumine sometimes. The wanderer just looked away from her, not acknowledging the question. “If you want, I’m sure Lumine and Paimon could help you.”

“Nuh-uh, Paimon only does ugly names! Lumi, this one’s all yours!”

“I… Me? You want me to come up with a name?” Lumine asked, eyebrows raised. Nobody said anything. She was expecting him to protest, but he just looked uncomfortable. Almost shy. “You’re joking, right? Wanderer?”

“It doesn’t bother me, if that’s what you think,” he said, though he wouldn’t look at her. He stared at the floor, the very green and intricate and fascinating floor.

“Um… Give me a minute then, I guess.”

It was like Lumine’s brain went from fully functioning to shut down in one second. Every name she had ever liked flew out of her head in an instant. She didn’t want to pick something stupid–that was Paimon’s job–but she didn’t want to pick something too pretentious, either. It wouldn’t be his style. Shit, she thought. Behind her, Nahida hid a giggle behind her hand.

“You’re overthinking, Lumine ,” she said in the blonde’s head, and she scowled.

“I’m thinking a regular amount, thanks.”

“What’s the first thing that came to your mind?”

“It’s silly,” Lumine thought to her friend, shying away. It was silly. The first thing she thought of was the name of a book character, something she read during some downtime in Inazuma. It was written about Fontaine, and the character was well spoken, but fierce. Powerful, yet controlled. He reminded her of the wanderer.

“It’s not silly; I really like it. It won’t hurt to suggest it.” Nahida smiled at her, and Lumine sighed.

“Well?” He asked. “Done talking about me?”

“Lumine just wanted my opinion before she shared her idea with you. Is that acceptable?”

Gods, Lumine felt mortified. Like she was being scrutinized from the inside, out. Both the wanderer and Nahida stared at her, one in suspicion and the other clearly amused.

“What did you decide on?” Arms crossed, the wanderer made an imposing audience. But Lumine’s hands didn’t shake, so she figured that it couldn’t be that bad.

“Temeraire. It’s… I mean, it’s the name of a character from a book that I liked. The character, I liked the character! Well, and the book, too, I guess, but–”

“It’s nice, Lumine. If that’s what you want, then I’ll take it.” Now he was looking at her with amusement, too. Traitors, all of them. Paimon even laughed with Nahida. But Lumine was just happy that he liked it, that she could do something nice for him. She gave him something that would last forever.

“There,” the god said, “now you have a name of your own.”

“Have you come up with an ugly nickname yet, Paimon?” The newly-named Temeraire asked, smiling just a little. Her friend pouted.

“Nicknames take work, you know!”

“You could call him Temtem,” Lumine suggested, if only to tease him back a little. He rolled his eyes, but the smile stuck.

“Temtem! I’ll call you Temtem! Oh but wait, that means Paimon didn’t come up with it…”

“We can share an ugly nickname for him, Paimon,” Lumine said, and Temeraire elbowed her. “What do you plan to do next?” She asked, even as she elbowed him back.

Temeraire sobered immediately. “Everyone who manipulated me and made me suffer will pay the price.”

“The Fatui?”

“The Doctor, at least. The Fatui as a whole is on my list.”

Nahida hummed, not approving or disapproving. “Now that your stance has changed, I believe that your future path will change accordingly, but it won’t be immediate. You still need some time to compose yourself.”

“That’s true enough. I don’t plan on leaving Sumeru for the time being. That being said, there are still some descendants of the Raiden Gokaden living in Inazuma. They should know about the connection between me and the Raiden Gokaden.”

“That’s not technically your fault anymore, though,” Lumine argued, one hand on her hip. His self-sacrificing was an unexpected character trait, but irritating nonetheless.

“It’s the truth, though,” Temeraire said with a frown in Lumine’s direction.

“You’re being stubborn about something stupid. You didn’t cause those events. If anything, the fact that these events still happened, even after you erased your history, means that you didn’t have anything to do with it.” Oh, Lumine didn’t like to argue. That’s what she thought, at least. Something about him made her want to fight until her last breath.

“So you believe in fate? Or destiny? I didn’t take you for the type, Miss Sticks-Her-Nose-In-Everyone’s-Business.”

“Oh, please. If I didn’t stick my nose in your business, you’d still be wandering right now!”

“Enough of this,” Nahida said, gently taking one of each of their hands. Lumine blinked and processed the fact that they were face-to-face, less than a foot apart. Hastily, they both took a step back. “It’s Temeraire’s choice, Lumine.”

“It is, and I’ve made my choice. Now let’s call it a day.” He didn’t wait for a response, turning on his heel and waving a hand to the three of them. “Goodbye, wise deity, Lumine, Paimon.”

And with that, he was gone. Lumine, Paimon, and Nahida stood in silence for a long moment, and Lumine felt a massive weight lift off of her shoulders. All at once, she slumped to the floor.

“Gods above,” she mumbled, leaning back on a pillar. Paimon and Nahida sat by her sides.

“Paimon agrees.”

“He went through a lot today, but so did you. Thank you both, truly.”

“He seems more peaceful, Paimon thinks.”

“It’s been a weird few days, but at least it’s over now.”

“Paimon thinks you say that all the time, Lumine.”

“I think you both should spend some time relaxing for a few days.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Paimon, are you hungry?”

“Hungry? Paimon could eat a whole lawachurl!” Lumine laughed until she cried. It wasn’t even that funny, but it felt good to just be with her friends. To feel at ease. That hole in her chest started stitching itself up.

When she finally caught her bearings again, Lumine breathed deep. She and Paimon stepped out into the Sumeru City sunset, and Lumine could only smile. Paimon settled herself on her friend’s shoulder, and together, they made their way to the lodgings Nahida had arranged for them. On her shoulder, Paimon dozed until Lumine settled them both back into their Sumeru residence. Thank the archons for Nahida; Lumine rather liked having a comfortable place to stay that didn’t involve jumping into a teapot.

Paimon frowned and pointed at the carpet. “Hey, someone broke the vase. Do you think maybe the cleaner bumped it? Oh, but do we even have a cleaner?”

Paimon had bumped the vase when she was worked up over The Balladeer, but of course, she wouldn’t remember that. But in theory, if The Balladeer had never existed, why would the vase still be broken?

“You sound lost, and confused,” a woman’s voice said, low and smooth and knowing. Lumine flinched, badly, and she pulled out her sword. “Easy,” she continued, “you have nothing to fear, traveler. I simply know why you are troubled, and anyone would be overwhelmed in this situation.”

“Is there someone here?” Paimon asked, moving to hide behind Lumine. She twisted her hands into Lumine’s golden hair.

“Unfortunately, the fate of the world cannot be so easily changed. Perhaps a god may have a slim chance, but for anyone else, who can say? Fate is much like a tree. The wind may blow it, an animal may push it, but it will not be moved. Whether a vase is broken by a cat or a bird, the result is the same, is it not?”

“Who are you?” Lumine asked, gnashing her teeth. “How do you know any of this?”

The voice ignored her and kept prattling about whatever it liked. “History does not change easily, but human hearts can. Believe your own eyes; only that which you can see is true. The rest is an illusion.”

The tension in the air dissipated, but Lumine stayed on guard for another few minutes before she put her sword away. Dropping to the bed, she sighed. “What a day.”

“Who was that? What did they mean coming out of nowhere to say all that scary stuff? Paimon has a headache…”

“Me too.”

“Should Paimon go get someone to clean up the vase? It feels wrong just leaving it there…”

“I’ll take care of it in the morning, Paimon. I think both of us need some rest for tonight.”

“Oh, Lumine’s right. Paimon’s so tired.”

“Me too. I promise I’ll take care of it before you wake up, so get some sleep.”

“Okay, Lumi! Sleep well!” Paimon trilled, and then she curled up and fell asleep in seconds.

Lumine wasn’t so lucky. She tossed and turned, turning the voice’s words over and over in her head. Believe her own eyes? What did that mean? Trust her memories?

Giving up on sleep, the blonde got out of bed, dressed, and cleaned up the vase. She thought of trying to sleep again, but decided against it. Beating her head against the proverbial wall wouldn’t help. Instead, Lumine slipped out the door and wandered Sumeru City.

At night, the stars lit up the sky. The traveler picked out constellations as she walked, no destination in mind. Her feet carried her outside the city, though she didn’t go far. The goal was just to sit on a hillside and enjoy the breeze, but a shape stopped her.

Temeraire hadn’t yet noticed her, or if he had, he didn’t react. His back faced her as he looked to the stars. Lumine almost turned around, but what would be the point? She didn’t much believe in fate, but she was lonely, and she couldn’t sleep, and they were both there, after all.

He only turned to face her when she got close. Temeraire’s eyes shone in the moonlight. “I can’t say I didn’t expect you. You have the most annoying way of showing up at night.”

“To be fair, the dreams weren’t my fault, either.”

“I think they were probably Lesser Lord Kusanali’s fault.”

“Maybe,” she allowed, and she sat by his side. They drifted into silence, only broken by the soft noises of the breeze, the river, and the wildlife. After a long while, Temeraire laid back, arms behind his head. Lumine followed suit.

“I still don’t get you.”

“And I still don’t get you,” she countered. Neither of them looked at each other.

“You came for me. Helped me become the person you hated all over again.”

“I did.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I wish I could explain it.”

“Try.” He propped himself up on one arm to look down at her. His face was unreadable.

“I feel… Not pity. Never pity, I want you to know that I don’t pity you.”

“You don’t pull your punches; I know you don’t pity me.”

“I’m so angry. Not at you, but at the world. And I’m so alone. I don’t relate to a lot of people from Teyvat, and that’s not to say that I don’t like people, I just…” She had to take a breath. Her eyes burned. “Before, it was just me and Aether. We never really bothered to make friends, or meet people, or learn about the worlds we visited. It was just for fun. And now I’m here in Teyvat, and I have more friends than ever, and I’ve learned so much, and I love so many things and so much of this world, but I’m still alone . Aether isn’t here. I feel like I’m missing an essential piece of me that I just can’t find, no matter how hard I look, and I hate that feeling. I hate feeling incomplete without Aether.” Temeraire hummed, but didn’t properly interrupt. Lumine scrubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. “So I guess when I saw your rage, your general hatred for people, I could kind of relate.It felt like that piece of me started to fill in a little. There are times when I want to be mean or rude, just for fun. Just because I can. I’ve lost so much here, Temeraire. And I want it all back so badly, but I don’t know how. I don’t know how to get it back, or what it’ll cost if I do.

“When you disappeared, it felt like I lost someone I cared about all over again, and I was afraid. Not just for my friends and the people that you impacted as The Balladeer, but for you, because I liked getting to know you. I liked being angry with you, I liked fighting with you, and I liked being with you. Somewhere along the line, I started to like you, not because I get you, but because you don’t judge me. I can be myself, every facet of myself. And I guess I can’t really judge you, either, because I can see how you became the person you were. Are. And I can see how I could be just like that, so I can’t judge you. I won’t.”

Temeraire stared down at her, wide-eyed. She met his eyes, though Lumine wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Baring her soul made her feel… not weak, no. Not scared, either. It was an emotion she couldn’t really name. He fell back into the grass laughing, not the manic laugh but the happy one. The one she heard when he was still the wanderer.

“You’re crazy, girl. Like, really, really crazy!” Temeraire kept laughing, but he rolled on his side to face her, grinning.

“Shut up! You asked!” She turned to face him too and smacked him, and then they were both laughing in the dark, illuminated only by the light of the moon.

As the laughter died, Temeraire didn’t turn away from her. “I did ask. The answer was as confusing as the question.”

“I told you I couldn’t explain it.”

For a long time, they just looked at each other. Neither of them wore any particular expression; they just observed. Temeraire’s features reminded Lumine of Ei, doll-like and beautiful. He had a sort of relaxed air about him, a casualness and a lack of tension that she hadn’t seen before. Idly, she wondered what he saw when he looked at her.

“It could be good for us to travel together,” he said, quieter than before. He avoided her gaze and fell back on his back again. Lumine almost laughed at him, but she realized quickly that he meant it, so she gave it the consideration the thought was due.

Could they travel together? Wouldn’t they fight? Would that be so terrible if they did? Would it really be good for them? Maybe it would; they could be themselves. Besides, Temeraire was a capable man, and with the anemo vision under his belt, he’d be a help to her in combat as well. There really was no reason to say no. The part of her brain that still exercised caution did start to blast a warning siren, but Lumine paid it no mind. Instead, she leaned back on the grass herself.

“It could be, if that was something you wanted.”

“And if it were, would you agree?”

“Why would you want to?”

“Why are you being difficult?”

“Because you made me answer a difficult question; it’s my turn to ask.”

“My reasons are much the same as yours,” Temeraire admitted, the words quiet in the spring air. “I see myself in you, I suppose. You match my fire with your own. I admire your strength of character and your strength in general. You are a capable woman, and someone that I respect.” The truth made Lumine blush, and she turned her head away as she continued to listen.

“I feel like I’m missing something, but you already knew that. Being with you, fighting against you or by your side, is the most human I have ever felt. You bring out something in me that I want to hold in my hands, and to get there, I need you. You’re the only one.”

There was nothing Lumine could say to that. She didn’t cry, but the tears pooled on her lashes, and she hastily scrubbed them away. The traveler could only nod against the grass, and they didn’t speak again. Quietly, she reached for his hand at the same time as he reached for hers. They tangled their fingers together and watched the stars until the sun rose.

Neither of them really fell asleep, but they took turns dozing. When the animals and monsters around them finally began to stir, they sat up. Lumine stretched and dropped Temeraire’s hand as they both stood and brushed themselves off. Side by side, they walked back into the city.

“Don’t expect that every day,” Temeraire said, and she laughed.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Paimon, predictably, had a fit when they got back to the Sumeru house.

“Where did you go? Paimon was worried sick! Why didn’t you say something? Why is Temtem here?”

Temeraire scowled and rubbed his temples, but Lumine was used to Paimon. She waved her friend off.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I went to get some air. I didn’t want to wake you, and I ran into Temeraire on my way back into town.” So maybe it was a little bit of a lie, but Paimon didn’t need to know every particular of that interaction. “We talked about it, and we think it’ll be good for him to travel with us for a while, assuming Nahida gives her permission.”

“You WHAT?” Paimon shrieked, and even Lumine winced. Yeah, that was the reaction she expected.

“Could you keep your voice down at all? You have the most annoying voice I have ever heard, and I’ve been alive for five hundred years.”

“Oh, shut it, Temtem! You’re gonna be hearing a lot more of this annoying voice if you travel with us!” Paimon finally quieted a little. Her little face oozed concern as she took her blonde friend’s hands in hers. “Lumine, are you sure?”

“I am,” she said, completely firm. Paimon searched her face, then nodded.

“Okay. If it’s what Lumine wants, Paimon won’t argue! Though Paimon does think you have bad taste…”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Temeraire said with a smirk, and Lumine tuned out the resulting argument. She caught herself smiling as she packed up their things and made breakfast, laughing to herself as they bickered over anything and everything.

“Nahida ,” she called mentally, knowing the archon would hear her if she had the time. “May I speak to you?”

“You’re already speaking to me, my dear traveler. What do you need?”

“I… I want Temeraire to come with me. Please.”

“I can’t say that I didn’t expect it, but are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then. I’d like him to come see me personally, so that we can talk about some of the things I’d like him to keep an eye on for me, but beyond that, he’s yours.”

Relief crashed over Lumine like a wave, and she had to actively try to suppress it so as not to be laughed at by Nahida. The giggle from the archon told her that she’d failed.

“Thank you,” she thought instead, forcing through the embarrassment. “I truly appreciate it.”

“It will be good for the both of you,” Nahida mused. “ Now, send him to me when you can, and be well on your travels, my friend.”

“If you need me, call for me.”

“Of course.” Lumine felt the connection with Nahida break, and she turned to the bickering pair.

“Temeraire? Nahida asked to see you.”

“Ugh, I hate when you talk without involving me. I’m going.” He hesitated at the door and shot Lumine a long look. “You’ll wait for me.”

He didn’t say it like a question, but Lumine recognized it for what it was. “Of course. We’ll be here, or if not here, in town. You can meet us back here in an hour or two.”

He left without another word. Paimon sighed. “Paimon can’t believe that he’s going to travel with us, but it’ll be interesting at least.”

“Sorry, Paimon, but it’s sort of important to me.”

“Paimon knows,” she said with a shrug. “Paimon doesn’t get it, but he’s special to you. That’s enough for Paimon.” Gods, Lumine thought she couldn’t love Paimon any more than she already did, but she was wrong. She hugged her little friend tight. Paimon just laughed and hugged her back, just as tightly. “That doesn’t mean Paimon’s gonna like him as much as you do, though! He better be ready for a lot of nasty nicknames!”

“Thank you, Paimon. I mean it.”

“You’re welcome, Lumine.”

It wasn’t Aether, but it was something. Temeraire and Paimon filled that hole in her chest and made it less of a gaping wound.

He was only gone for an hour. Lumine and Paimon finished their packing just as he arrived, without knocking of course.

“Are you ready?” He asked, no preamble at all. Lumine rolled her eyes.

“Just about. Are you?”

“I don’t keep much with me.”

“Lumi, where are we going next? Fontaine?”

“Ah, no. I thought about it, but I’ll give it a little longer. I was thinking of spending Lantern Rite in Liyue, and then Windblume in Mondstadt, then we’ll see where we’re at. Sounds good?”

“Ooh, Paimon loves Lantern Rite! Let’s go! Paimon can’t wait to see Xiangling again!”

“You just want to eat her cooking…” Lumine sighed and turned to Temeraire, who stood in the doorway with a funny look on his face. “Temeraire? Is that alright with you?”

Looking up, he blinked. “Oh. That’s fine. I don’t care.”

“You’ll care when you try Xiangling’s food,” Paimon groused, and Lumine laughed.

“As long as you’re okay with it. Shall we?” Throwing the last of her things into her teapot, Lumine looked at the two of them. Paimon beamed. Temeraire didn’t smile, exactly; he still had that unreadable look on his face, but he didn’t look opposed, either. She’d count it as a victory.

The three of them walked through the Sumeru City streets slowly, almost hesitantly. It wasn’t like Lumine was nervous. In fact, she felt more sure about this decision than most that she had made in the past couple of years. But still. It felt momentous. Before, after. Paimon floated ahead of them, chattering about food and Liyue Harbor. Behind her, she and Temeraire walked in silence, their hands occasionally brushing. Neither of them moved or commented, but Lumine at least took comfort in it.

In her time in Teyvat, Lumine had a great deal of moments and memories that she considered life-changing, not all of them positive. But as the three of them stepped out of Sumeru City into the open air, Temeraire took a deep breath, looked at her, and said, “Your hair’s all fucked up, idiot.” He reached out to smooth it down, exasperation clear as day in his face, but all Lumine could feel was fondness. She batted his hand away and combed through her hair herself, but they still watched each other. Finally, he snorted a little laugh, and she did too. And it was life-changing.

So no, it wouldn’t ever be the same. Things changed, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse, and nothing would ever be the same again. But those things didn’t have to be bad. In fact, sometimes, they could be the best possible outcome. Lumine looked forward to this after, to what would come next.