Episode 26: A Story, From the First Page

The heart is unpredictable above all else. Its desires sway and flow like waves, leading you to places you never thought you'd go. Sometimes, following it can lead to a gut-wrenching loss, or a terrible mistake, but sometimes… every once in a while… it leads to a beautiful coincidence that changes everything.

Even though Paimon was simply a tool of Celestia, there was still one thing they had perhaps failed to take into consideration: she had a heart.

And at the very end of everything, that heart had led her back to the one she loved the most.

"Paimon?!"

The Traveler's face couldn't have been more shocked. As he focused on the tiny girl floating towards them, her image started to grow blurry in his moist eyes.

Aether never had been one to show his emotions, so when Paimon had left him, he kept his true feelings close to his chest. No one had know just how much it had hurt him when she abandoned him. The truth was, he was devastated.

Even though he would probably never admit it to anyone, he cared deeply for that little flying pest. She had always been by his side, almost as naturally as the air he breathed. His failed journey had led him to a dark place, and after losing even her, he had already begun to sever his ties with this world.

Now, he felt like a death-row prisoner that unexpectedly found out he was free.

"Don't open it yet! There's something I have to say!" the tiny girl yelled as she came to a stop before the five.

Diluc's mouth hung open in surprise as he glanced around the group. Their faces were similar; no one could believe this twist of fate. Even after everything that had happened, it seemed the story wasn't ready to end just yet.

"It's not too late to undo this mess, I can still fix things!"

"What?!" Jean gasped.

Paimon's words were almost too good to be true, like a swindler offering a desperate man a chance at riches and glory. It made Diluc's head spin.

Catching her breath, Paimon spoke up again, this time in a softer voice.

"I-I'm sorry for leaving… But I just couldn't go through with it… I really am useless after all."

"Paimon!" Aether shouted, running up to her.

Without even considering who was watching, he plucked her out of the air, squeezing her tightly in a warm embrace.

"H-Hey, that hurts! Paimon can't feel her legs!"

But despite her words of protest, Paimon's arms were wrapped around her companion as tightly as she could manage. Aether laughed deeply, then let her go. As she floated there in front of him, he spoke two simple words from the very depths of his heart, two words that summed up the entirety of their feelings in an instant.

"Welcome back."

"Mm!" Paimon nodded with teary eyes.

"So the God of Time has returned, and just in the nick of time. How ironic," Dainsleif droned in a monotone.

But even he had a small grin on his face as he watched their stirring reunion.

"It's a good thing I got here, now you won't have to go through that door," she replied.

Those words were cause for concern, changing the mood in an instant.

"What's the meaning of this?" Kaeya mumbled.

"Paimon can't explain it all, but if you go through that door, there's no coming back!"

"What?" Diluc shot back, at full attention.

"I knew something about this wasn't right," Jean spoke up.

"What the little one says isn't false. That door is a one-way entrance to another place far removed from here. Once you step inside, you will never see the world of Teyvat again."

"So what the hell, you were just going to lead us in there without telling us?"

Kaeya grumbled, giving Dain a hard look with his one useful eye. But the blond man just shrugged.

"Until now, it was either that or accept a gruesome death. Perhaps you don't understand the seriousness of our situation. This was our final hope. No need to act like I mislead you."

"I don't think he had malicious intent," said Diluc. "But now we should hear Paimon out."

Paimon grinned sheepishly, still cheeky to the very end.

"Right. I learned a lot about myself after I left. Seems like Celestia had some sort of lock on my memories… so I didn't know who I really was."

Diluc looked to his side, where Jean was looking quite sympathetically at Paimon, then looked back at the tiny god as she continued.

"Well, seems like they released the lock they had on me, and now I know my true purpose. It's just like Dain said, I'm the God of Time.

Aether shook his head, and murmured with a dark look in his eyes.

"All this time, huh? I knew you were hiding something."

"I-It wasn't that I was hiding anything! I just had my memories locked away! Don't punch me!"

He smiled wryly, and gestured for her to continue.

"A-Anyway! I found out I can control time, and I… just couldn't let Aether die or leave me behind… I barely made it here, but I managed to figure out where he was in time, thank goodness."

Aether smiled gently at his old friend. In the end, her feelings had won out, and she had come to make things right. That fact made his chest feel incredibly warm.

"The world above, though…" she trailed off.

"What's happening up there?" Jean whispered hesitantly.

"It's terrible," Paimon wailed. "Mondstadt is…"

She trailed off before finishing that thought, but then her face became serious and straight, and she continued.

"But I can fix it now. I know I can."

"You mean…"

"I can turn back time," she said, dropping those absurd words with confidence.

Just then, in the back of Diluc's mind, a sentence spoken some time before rang out again with perfect clarity.

Right now, somewhere in this world, there exists someone who can turn back the hands of time.

It was her all along. That tiny, annoying little companion of the Traveler was the real key to solving everything.

"So you can take us back to before all this started?" Diluc asked, leaning towards her.

"Yep, that's a piece of cake for someone like me," she replied, sticking her chest out proudly.

That was all he needed to hear. In Diluc's mind, only one face was present, overwhelming every other thought. He could see her almost as clearly as if she was standing there with them. Perhaps, in another history, she had.

Dain studied the red-haired man's expression, and a complicated look came across the blond man's face.

Suddenly, Diluc looked up at Dain with understanding in his eyes.

"Is this what you meant by "my choice"?"

"Correct. This is your final decision. We have come this far, all that remains is to decide what future - or past - you desire."

"Wait, why is he the one to decide it?" Kaeya said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Hmm… I suppose any of you could, but once time has been turned back, the other option will be closed once again."

The group was silent for a while. The weight of this burden was heavy indeed. It seemed that no one wanted to say anything, but a voice finally broke the silence.

"I'll accept whatever Diluc chooses," Jean spoke up softly, with a kind smile.

Once she had said her piece, no one else had any desire to oppose it, if they ever had to begin with. Such an important decision was decided so simply, it was hard for Diluc to believe.

"I don't know if I deserve this," he muttered.

He hadn't forgotten the road that led him here, and all the sins he had accumulated along the way. Now, in this world's final moments, he wanted nothing more than to add one final offense to that list, even as he stood beside the one he would hurt the most.

He wanted another chance with her.

From the very beginning when he met her, they had been like oil and water. After that first meeting, if someone would have told him that he would come to love her so deeply, he would have called them insane, and probably punched them. However, against all odds, that first assessment would prove to be fundamentally flawed. Unlike oil and water, they had found themselves inextricably mixed together, so much so that it felt preposterous to consider a life apart, even months after she had departed from this world.

That was simply the nature of their relationship. It had grown so quickly, watered by the loneliness in both of their hearts, but quickly became much more than just a patch to cover up something that was lacking. Their love had grown tall and proud, like the pine trees on the cliffs of Mondstadt. It was pure and true, living on even now despite the impassible distance separating them.

From the bottom of his heart, Diluc missed her. He desired her desperately, even more so than ever before. A flame had been lit inside him, and nothing else would ever satisfy him now.

In light of all this, his choice became clear.

As the group stood quietly by, Diluc spoke up.

"I'm really sorry, everyone. I don't know what's behind that door, but… I can't open it."

"I see," Dain said quietly.

"I'm not ready to leave this world behind… Not now. There are too many things I left undone here. And all of my friends and loved ones… I can't give up everything we had just yet."

Kaeya placed his hand firmly on Diluc's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. The red-haired man continued to empty his chest. He raised his voice, becoming emotional, as he poured out his true feelings for everyone to hear.

"I never enjoyed living in this world until it was too late… I'm sure I treated all of you badly at various times because of my bad attitude. I blamed myself for years, and never let go of that burden… But now that I know what I know, I want more time here! I want to spend more time with all of you! I can't let it end here!"

His voice lowered in pitch as he finished quietly, delivering the coup de grâce.

"And… I want to see Keqing again. I want her to have another chance at a happy life."

With a sad smile, Jean looked down as he said those words.

"I'm really sorry for being so selfish, but this is my final choice. I want to go back to those days again, and this time, live them to the fullest."

For a few seconds, everyone was silent, stewing in Diluc's words, letting them soak in. Kaeya was the first one to speak up.

"How could we say no to that? After all, we probably all feel the same. Except for him, of course."

Dain chuckled with a smirk on his face.

"I'm not sure why you paint me as the villain here. I won't stand in the way of his choice. That was my promise from the start of our partnership, and I will keep it. After all, I have seen this all before."

"I have to ask, though, will we remember everything once we go back?" Jean queried, changing the subject abruptly.

"I believe the little one is the one to ask about that," Dain replied.

Looking to Paimon, everyone awaited her answer with anticipation.

"Paimon can keep your memories mostly intact. It might take a little jog to remember everything, though. I can also send back reminders for you to remember things by."

"I… see," Diluc breathed a sigh of relief.

"But if we remember everything, won't Celestia just attack again?" Kaeya spoke with concern.

"I don't think that will be a concern," Dain answered.

"Why not?" Diluc asked, curious as well.

"That little one was the reason they attacked. Without the stimulus of her awakening and subsequent betrayal, none of this would have happened."

"W-Wait, Paimon said she's sorry!" the little girl said, waving her hands in front of her.

"Do not fret. That too was fate's decision, and the responsibility ultimately lies with me."

Suddenly, without warning, a loud sound echoed off the walls of the room. It shook as if an earthquake had struck, causing everyone to struggle with their balance. Rocks and dust fell from above, and the Tree swayed disconcertingly.

"It seems we have run out of time," Dain spoke curtly.

Diluc knew what he had to do. There was nothing else standing in the way now. It was time to go home.

With a face set like stone, Diluc reached out for Paimon's tiny hand, grasping it between his imploringly.

"Paimon! Please, rewind time! Take us back to before everything went wrong!"

And with a tiny smile, she nodded.

"Got it!"

The moment she said that, everything went dark. Diluc couldn't see anything, but he was still conscious. Suddenly, to his shock, the world around him began to play in reverse.

Like a 360-degree movie playing around him, countless scenes leapt before his eyes, one after the other, as the pages were turned back. He saw the meteors falling upon Teyvat. He saw the last night he spent at Angel's Share. He saw a tall man and his little brother watching the stars together.

That final goodbye with the one he loved… the summer he spent with her replacement… that bright spring day when her remains were laid to rest for the final time… the bodies of those he had killed in his heartbroken rage… and at last, her body, lying crumpled and lifeless on that ghastly moonlit night… he saw it all.

But it didn't stop there. Like an old tape player stuck in reverse, it continued on, past the most precious moments of his life spent by Keqing's side. Tears began to form in his eyes as he saw their love play out again, flying by much too quickly for his liking. He wanted to reach out and grab those moments, but his hands wouldn't move. Or did he even have hands?

This void he was floating inside of felt strangely familiar, but he no longer had any time to contemplate that. The beginning was drawing near once again. Soon, it would arrive.

That bloody night when it all began flashed by in the blink of an eye, and suddenly, he saw before his "eyes" a peaceful world once again: a long-forgotten promised land where everyone in Mond was still safe and sound - where Diona was no longer a shell of herself, and Springvale was a cozy village teeming with life.

Warmth filled Diluc's chest as he felt himself being pulled in to the movie he had been watching in reverse.

Ah, this must be it.

And just like it began, it ended with darkness and absolute silence. Diluc's consciousness became one with himself, and the world was born anew, as the first page fell open once again.

Ending Theme: FELT - find the light

Next:

Final Episode: Eternal Afterglow of the False Stars