Chapter Text
It had happened after the great Archon war.
After the people of Mondstadt had been saved and Barbatos took to shaping his nation into a place of peace, freedom and love.
He did everything in his very power as Archon to be the supporting pillars of the nation- to build his city from nothing, to gently coax wildlife back into their habitats, terrified from the horrors of war.
But there was one peculiar, tiny thing of a doe- a fawn, really, that he had come across, shaking like a leaf in the wind he commanded with his very two hands, unable to move from the thick bush she was sheltering in.
Barbatos knew what it meant- the unmistakable smell of blood nearby left a sour taste in his mouth- a fawn, a simple baby without her family- she would be a special case, he thought.
The sun, once high and mighty in the air above Mondstadt, was now hiding behind the ridges of the far mountains, its light dimming- and yet, he was still trying to coax her from her hiding spot, and so many attempts had left him, well.. frustrated.
She had shied away from him, even tripped over her own wobbly legs and fallen back into the bush in her attempt to get away from him-
And it wasnt until, in his final, desperate attempt, that he fetched a simple sunsettia from a tree nearby, that she moved her shaky little limbs, urging herself forward, though terrified, to take a small bite from the sweet fruit, giving Barbatos the chance to hoist her into his arms, letting her nibble while he took both her and his tired body to return to the city.
“Good girl…” he sighed under his breath, finger still stroking over the fur on her forehead despite being exhausted from the effort.
But the gesture seemed to get through to her in the end, especially when he brought her back to his own bed, letting her rest among the soft sheets instead of him. Although, this act of kindness was something he was soon to regret- or, perhaps, be thankful for- he truly could not tell.
And so, he called her Meni- for the ‘Meni’ falls she took, the ‘Meni’ sunsettias she scoffed down before she was satisfied, and for the ‘Meni’, MANY hearts she stole the first time Barbatos took her into town with him.
From then on, she was attached to him, as if a hex had been placed upon both of them- no matter how many times Barbatos attempted to surrender her to a caregiver, or even another family of deer who were more than happy to take her in, she wouldnt budge- even a minute away from him left her wailing, high pitched cried stinging at the ears of anyone and everyone who dared come closer.
“Meni!” Barbatos had barked one sunny afternoon, when the little thing hadnt stopped pleading for the archon to let her sit in his lap- she was growing bigger, though still young and needy. “In the name of Celestia, one more cry, and i’ll force Boreas to babysit you!”
He didnt mean it, though- he especially began to regret saying that when she started to cry again, thoroughly scared of the giant wolf god.
“Meni, you silly thing, i didnt mean that…” he whispered to her gently, stroking his hand over her soft fur- he would have to give her a thorough brushing soon. The attachments of nature- dirt, mostly- were sticking to her.
Rubbing at his temples, he racked his brain for a solution- if he could just understand what his little companion wanted, it would be worlds easier to-
Now, hold on, just a moment.
It was a stupid idea- reckless, even. He didnt know how it would effect her, truly- but past the downsides, he couldnt see fault in such a plan- he had the strength, didnt he?
“Meni,” he chimed, the fawn, who was previously trying to catch her own tail, came billowing over, almost tripping over her own flimsy legs. “Come and sit in front of me- right there, in the grass.”
And Meni, bless her heart, did as she was told, wide brown eyes staring up at him curiously- she looked as if two huge marbles had been replacements for her eyes.
He steadied his focus, one hand bracing her gently- so she wasn’t completely spooked- the other pointed at her.
And then, in what seemed like a gentle burst of energy, green and glowing, his power swept over her like the stems of a dandelion being blown away, a noise like something between a soft trill and a squeak coaxed from Meni-
And for a moment, Barbatos questioned himself, eyebrows furrowing- was this truly the right choice for such a young fawn, or would he end up with one less companion and regret wrestling with his heart—
“…Bay-tos?”
His gaze shot down to where the fawn once sat, now replaced with the form of a young girl, no older than 5, her cheeks chubby and eyes just as wide and curious as they were before- though instead of the ears of a human, two deer ears, droopy, as they had been before, sat on either side of her head, with a little fluffy tail on her lower back to match- it was Meni, not as he had imagined her, but… close enough.
And it seemed she had also been paying attention during her time with him- her ability to speak was something he hadnt expected, but it was welcomed, considering his previous predicament.
“Thats…. Thats right, Meni,” he replied to her, studying the result of his command. “Bar-ba-tos. Barbatos.”
But he had some serious work to do.
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Infused with Barbatos’ power, she grew up slowly, but steadily by his side.
It took him a long while to teach her how to speak properly- to pronounce sounds in the Mondstadtian language that she had trouble with- it was adorable, really. He would hold her hand as she tried to waddle around town, unsteady on her new feet.
Neither of them had been sure when it had happened- at one point, they were simply dubbed ‘siblings’ by the people of Mondstadt.
Most of the time, when she was little, she was hidden behind his wing- even as a young woman, she was still scared of what she didnt know, and of the new people that came into her life each day, a sheer contrast to her extroverted brother- he was used to the effects of immortality, being able to watch someone grow and falter in just a fraction of his own life- while Meni still became confused when the children she used to play with when she was little became old and withered, succumbing to the circle of life.
But still, every time, Barbatos was still by her side without fail- despite his usual childish nature, Meni had grown on him, literally- his little sister had become one of the dearest parts of his immortal life-
Which was why it was even more insufferable to have her by his side.
Siblings bicker, they always do- yet Meni had become a thorn in Barbatos’ side like never before, in his opinion, at least.
“Batos, you cant just- stop trying to use ‘the booming wine industry’ to increase wine production, you drunkard!”
She crossed her arms, the two siblings having a face off right in the middle the town square- the worse possible place.
“Forgive me, great Meni, for wanting to increase the income of Mondstadt!” He barked, wings flaring in a defensive stance. “I didnt realise you became the archon around here!”
“You little- I’ll have Dvalin come snatch you up and throw you halfway to natlan!” She yelled back.
She almost lunged at him, would have lunged at him- well, she did try- if not for a loose stone. One loose stone, sending her sprawled across the pathway, in front of all the people who had come out of their homes to see the commotion, and watched the archon’s little sister eat shit on the pavement.
And, according to the story that was now permanently published in Mondstadt’s records, Meni cried for hours, refusing to see anyone until Barbatos had eventually brung her, you guessed it- a basket of sunsettia fruits.
But those stories, such sweet tales of the two, were all deemed history.
She could still remember the day he had told her- when Barbatos confessed to his sister that he couldnt go on as archon, under the pressure and tension between him and other nations- the city of freedom couldnt deserve its title if the archon himself felt trapped.
They both knew the time would come eventually- Barbatos couldnt forever lord over Mondstadt, as much as either of them wanted to believe it- he loved Meni, but he also saw the way she grew when she was around the townspeople- how she seemed to ease their worries with a sweet smile and a touch of magic- her tendency to lead was what made her as worthy to be an archon as he had seen himself being.
After the almost 1500 years they had spent together since Meni had come into his life, filled with both hilarious and difficult memories, Barbatos had finally made the choice to ‘vanish’- he had only gone undercover when he was certain Meni was ready, of course. But to the public, the sudden disappearance of such an important figure was almost catastrophic- only a few knew of the bard, Venti- some saw how he looked at Meni in public, when she took on her brothers role with all the confidence she could muster- pride lingered in his expression.
In his opinion, he had chosen only the very best to take over Mondstadt- his little sister.
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She had been in power for quite some time now- she knew the ropes, but it was currently her first time choosing something so important- a successor to the current grandmaster.
“Batos…”
She sat at the head of the table, Venti beside her, in her hands a thorough report on the knight nominated to ascend as the new grandmaster.
“He’s been training for less than two years, and is, what, in his late twenties? How in Teyvat did he climb the ranks so fast?,” she sighed, “ and archons… he looks like he doesnt shave… at all.”
She flipped through the pages once again- a rookie knight she had occasionally seen around, who her captains had invested their full confidence into when they had handed her his report- even Boreas himself had given his opinion. She couldnt help but be suspicious.
“Be easy on the kid, Nini,” Venti piped up from beside her, his hand on her shoulder. “Its your first time choosing a grandmaster- trust me, its those who are confident that are better. At least give him a chance to show you before you judge.”
She stared down at his file for a few long, antagonising seconds, before she hummed, looking up from the file, placing her hands onto the table and hoisting herself up with hesitance- though it was partially the nerves that got to her.
“Fine, ill watch the boy,” she sighed, moving to leave the board room, “but tell him to give it all he has- with all the recommendations ive been getting, he may as well sweep me off my feet while he's at it.”
So, she found herself just outside the city, sat in a chair just off from where the knight- Varka, his name was, if she recalled correctly- and his sparring partner were positioned, waiting for the call from the captain-
“Go!”
Immediately, His partner surged forward in attack, while Varka dodged with an ease she had never seen in a man that young before- like his sword weighed almost nothing in his hands. He was able to swing and jab with flow that left even Meni herself sitting forward slightly, entranced by the art of the fight.
For 5 rounds, she sat as patiently as a saint, watching Varka take down each opponent, and even his commanding captain himself- she was, well.. bewildered.
So, she made her decision- she stood.
“Varka- that is your name, yes?”
The man took an unsteady step back, eyes fixed on her, not expecting such an approach from the archon herself- “..yes, your grace,” he spoke timidly, despite his significant height over her.
“..you have talent in you that i havent even seen in my fellow archons themselves,” she said, her voice a softer tone now- she had hope for him. “I trust that you shall take your new title with the strength i saw in you today.”
She didnt wait for him to run a hand though his dirty hair or stammer out his nervous thanks- with the gentle nod of her head towards him, a smile on her lips, she turned to the city, making her way back calmly, ignoring the celebratory chatter behind her- it put a smile on her face and warmth in her heart, yes, but she was eager to get to know this man- Varka- later on.
For now, she would trust him to take on his new responsibility slowly but surely-
just as she had, when she became archon- in a way, they were similar.
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A sigh filled the empty room.
“Heavens… Batos, i do hope i made the right choice,” she said, eyes lingering on her signature, plastered onto an official contract that held Varka’s name. “He is determined.. though he has never led before. What if i was wrong..?”
Venti peered over at her, too indulged in the glass of wine between his fingers, sloshing the liquid around gently in thought.
“Dont worry, Nini,” he said, his voice soft with humour- it was as if he knew something. “Im confident in his abilities.”
Meni sighed gently, gaze moving from her brother to the light of the outside through the window, falling calmly on a small battalion of knights training below, led by the ball of bright blonde hair and sunshine.
“..hm.”