A/N: So, here's the second part for the Genshin fic. Thinking of releasing the RWBY x Genshin crossover as well. As for my health, all good, just busy, demotivated, and just a tiny bit of cold. Don't know about the rest of SEA, but Brunei's been raining heavily.
Anyhow, here goes nothing.
-Chapter Start-
It has been a week since the incident, and until now, Aether couldn't help but feel guilty of leaving Ganyu just like that. However, his trauma caught to him, the way she reached out to her, remind him of how he did the same to his sister as she was trapped into those wretched cubes.
He feared that beneath all the façade, the Qilin's touch would remove him from this world, bringing his objective to an end. With his powers sealed, he couldn't travel back.
Thankfully, the best travelling companion got his back.
"Come on, Aether, what's with the long f-AHHH!" Couldn't even finish her sentence, Paimon was grabbed a bit forcefully into a hug by Aether, to which she couldn't help but pat his head, his ahoge fluttering cutely.
The civilians around them were amused however, as they've never seen their Honorary Knight so affectionate with his companion.
Oh, I forgot. They're now in the City of Freedom, Monstadt.
"Ne, Paimon… Do you think Ganyu is mad with me?"
Paimon bit her lips to not let out the sudden urge to laugh. "Pfffttt… No way, Aether! She's too gentle and kind to be mad. Remember that time Cloud Retainer told us about her embarrassing childhood?"
Aether let out a small yet noticeable smile, at least to Paimon. "Mhmm.. that is true.." They kept moving forward, till they reached their destination, Monstadt Katheryne. However, there's one problem that has not been addressed.
"So, can you let me go now? Not that I do not enjoy your hug."
Aether's small chuckle answered her question, to which she could only shake her head fondly.
-Line Break-
Meanwhile, in Liyue…
A certain Adepti was peacefully working, signing paperwork left and right, helping her assistants, her colleagues, comforting some poor worker who was scolded by Keqing for being lax, and lazy.
Actually, scratch out the peacefully word. Because she, couldn't focus entirely on it for one thing keep appearing in her mind. The sight of Aether breaking into tears, and running away from her… It actually hurt a lot. Now, in her 3000 years of life living in Teyvat, she never traumatized anyone so bad to the point they run away with tears streaming down their face. God, no, she's way too gentle for that.
Having enough, she called out her three colleagues, "Can you take over for a little?"
Said colleagues were bewildered, along with the nearby workers. One by one, their thoughts are one and the same.
'Ganyu asking for a break?!'
'Is the world ending?'
'First, Rex Lapis' death, and now Miss Ganyu asking for a break?!'
Ganyu blinked her eyes repeatedly, surprised by the reactions from her question. "Did I say something wrong?"
The others were quick to deny her, waving their hands frantically. "No, No, Miss Ganyu, it's just that… It's unusual for you to take a break." Ganyu made 'o' with her mouth, as she nodded her head. "As for your question, go ahead, Miss Ganyu. With all the work you've completed, you deserve more than a break anyway."
"I appreciate it." Ganyu smiled and bow in respect, before going out from the office. Closing the door behind her, she took a deep breath and look at the evening sight of Liyue Harbour. It's so peaceful. Life brimming everywhere, children have tucked under bed by their parents, some stalls start closing for it is late. She sighed, remembering the chaotic days during the Archon War.
'Humans have come so far… Sooner or later, they wouldn't need the Adepti's help to protect Liyue…' With the mention of humans, once again, Aether came to her mind, that agonized, terrified expression on his face will continue to haunt her, even in her dreams, which have been happening for the past week.
She can feel that he is not in Liyue, perhaps he is at Monstadt? Should she give him a visit? To ask him what wrong have she committed to him? But throughout all her interactions with him, she haven't done anything wrong. He even participated with her training to feel more like an Adepti, and she also respectfully decline…
Ganyu gasped and her eyes widened as she realized something dreadful. Perhaps, Aether was saddened that she couldn't accompany him in his adventure? Saw it as her rejecting to be a part of his friend group? Her expression turned into that of a determined one, hitting a fist on her open palm as if she made a great idea, she turned to travel to Monstadt.
That if she didn't hit someone, and both of them fell onto the ground.
"I-I'm sorry, forgive me, I was not pay-"
"Hey, Aether, it's Ganyu! Guess it's really her after all!" Wait, why is that voice so familiar? Looking up, it's really who she expected it to be, Paimon and… Aether?! "Hello, Ganyu! It's rare to see you not working, did something happen?"
"I'm just taking a break, nothing serious…" She couldn't help but notice the same reactions on Paimon and Aether. What is it about her not working? "W-What can I help you two with?"
Paimon laughed smugly, before patting Aether's head proudly, "Aether have decided to apologize for running away from you." Ganyu was shocked to hear the words from Paimon's mouth, and looked at Aether for confirmation, only to get the confirmation as he nodded his head rather shyly.
"U-Um, no, I think it's my fault that you-"
Ganyu couldn't finish her words however, as Paimon ignored her and talked to Aether. "Now, Aether, you need to brave up yourself, and apologize sincerely okay? Just like we practiced!" Said Traveller nodded his head, taking a breath before giving Paimon a thumb up. "Then Paimon will leave you two alone now. Just shout Paimon's name and Paimon will be there for you in the blink of an eye okay?" Another nod from the Traveller, before he grabbed the floating fairy in a tight hug, surprising Ganyu from the interactions.
Paimon waved them goodbye, before going into the direction of Wanmin Restaurant, the place where Xianling and her father work.
"U-Um, I'm not comfortable with crowds at the moment, can we find a quiet place to speak at?" For the first time in a week, Aether holds a conversation with the Qilin, to which she smiles and nodded her head.
"Please, follow me."
-Line Break-
As they found a quiet place, which is the harbour, as it's quite late in the evening and not much activity are happening, compared to the plaza, they sat down on the edge of the river. Moments passed, turned into minutes, and still no conversation were held before Ganyu broke it.
"A nice evening, isn't it?" She turned to Aether and give a sincere small, to which Aether is shocked from it. He looked away, hiding the blush that formed on his face.
"Y-Yeah, it really is…" He tried to speak further but found no words coming out. Ganyu noticed and held her hand over his, emitting a reaction from him, as he looked at her, confused.
"You know you don't have to apologize for it." The Qiling figured that fidgeting around the bush wouldn't work, so she decided to be straight to the point.
"You said that… but I can feel that you're hurt by it… So, Ganyu, I'm really sorry for running away from you like that…" With that, Aether turned to Ganyu on both knees, hands above them as he bowed his head to complete his apology.
Instead of accepting the apology, Aether was surprised by an entirely different answer to his apology.
Instead of words, only actions happened. And such action is quite unexpected, as Ganyu softly lay his head on her thighs, before softly ruffling his hair. With that, Aether began to feel bliss, his eyes became droopy and sleepy, but unable to sleep, as tears came down once again as he remembered when something like this happened.
Long before they arrived in Teyvat, with his sister, laying his head on her lap, as she done the same thing as Ganyu.
The Qilin noticed his tears, and decided not to speak about it, merely continuing to comfort him like a mother would to her child. "I see you have been alone, Traveller…" She felt the nod from him on her, before smiling. "Would you care to tell me, Trav-, no, Aether?"
Aether took a breath, and with shaky breath, answered her. "I-It's just so lonely… M-My sister, she's everything to me, and, I know that, if I was strong enough, she wouldn't be gone, she… she wouldn't leave me alone…"
Ganyu felt her heart broke into several pieces. She hear and saw something similar to Aether's story. She remembered the first time she met Rex Lapis, how vibrant he was, but then after a dear friend of his passed away, that bright light did not illuminate as bright as it once was.
She do not want to see the bright light of the Traveller be dimmed, it's just unthinkable.
"M-My sister was taken away b-by an Unknown God… That's why I am travelling to find the Seven, for answers about my sister's where about… Not that I didn't know where she is…" Muttering the last part, careful that even an Adepti couldn't hear. "W-When I saw your hand reaching for me, instead of you… I saw the Unknown's God hand, reaching my sister and taking her away from me…"
Enough is enough, and with sudden braveness, Ganyu leaned down and gave a soft kiss on Aether's head, breaking his inner turmoil and sadness, glancing above to see the warming smile of Ganyu as she looked at him. She gave him a nod, as in to say, that he can lean on her as much as he want, cry as much as he wants, but she will not see him differently. She will be there for him, to comfort him, to brighten up his days.
And so, once again, Aether wept silently in the lap of Ganyu, with the Qilin muttering comforting words, while ruffling his hair gently. It was at this moment, the Adepti took a new vow: To help the Traveller find his sister, to recover his once bright light.
Moments passed just like earlier, but she heard no sound from the Traveller, and found him cried himself to sleep. However, she could see that he's comfortable and in peace, so she stay there for him, aware for any danger that might befall on them.
-Line Break-
Far and yet close from their location, a girl is seen on top of a building, watching their interactions. Her fists were clenched so hard, and soon she started sobbing too. Silent yet her sadness could be felt by anyone around her. Her blonde hair, the same shade as her brother flutter in the wind.
She… She wasn't aware of the damage she caused to her own brother after that meeting. She, she didn't meant this to happen. But seeing her brother so fragile, so helpless, crying his sadness away, it crumbled her heart to pieces, the heart that have broken after 500 years in this world.
Her eyes turned to fury as she glanced at the Qilin. 'An Adepti under the command of Rex Lapis, the Geo Archon, one of the Archon involved in the destruction of Kha'Enriah, his merciless rain of meteors smiting those poor innocent souls…'
She opened a portal, to return back to the Abyss, but not before taking one final glance at her beloved brother. "Another time, brother. Soon… we will be back to how we were long ago…"
The portal closed and hides any signs of Lumine, the beloved sister of Aether, but it could not hide one precious detail.
The tears that were shed for her beloved brother.
-End-
A/N: And that's it. As usual, lots of bad writings, grammars, and OOC. Nothing new there. Now, I'm just excited for my baby boi, Aether, to get his Electro element. As for whose the next chapter may be, who knows? It may just end with this. Or maybe I will create more.
Hopefully, no one is disappointed in this story so far. To those that follow and favorite this story, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Silver III Jhin, out!