Part One: It's not a harem without a clueless member…
The Traveler was known throughout Inazuma, from surviving a bout with her majesty the Raiden Shogun to single-handedly saving Tatarasuna from an explosion and reversing the curse of Yashiori Island. When the Sakoku Decree was finally lifted, stories came pouring in of their valor throughout Mondstadt and Liyue. Sure, the populace had heard some stories, but the sheer volume of his great deeds were overwhelming. A certain blue-haired overworked husbando couldn't help but take notice of the long list of accomplishments belonging to the Traveler, whom he'd already heard much about from his sheltered sister.
Likewise, a floppy-eared shrine maiden heard the stories from all who visited the Grand Narukami Shrine. She already knew of the Traveler's exploits, but hearing them over and over only convinced her further that she was making the best decision for her oldest friend. Ei had been all alone for centuries, and even before then she had no love life. It had been Ei, Makoto, herself, and a few other friends. All Ei had left was her, the kitsune yokai Yae Miko. Miko was certain that she could convince the Traveler to give Ei the real love life she deserved for all eternity.
Kamisato Ayato, however, had different plans. The second he caught whiff of the kitsune's schemes, he knew he had to act. Her majesty would have eternity to choose a suitor; his little sister did not have such a luxury. Lucky for him, he would be meeting the illustrious Traveler the next day "purely by coincidence" in Ritou as the summer festival was being put together. The summer festivals thrown by the Yashiro Commission were magical, and many couples had their first kiss under the flashy fireworks every year. All he had to do was run interference so Miko wouldn't be able to drag the Traveler away from Ayaka.
"Pfft, does that blockhead really think such a hare-brained scheme would work?" Miko said with a laugh. "I have eyes and ears everywhere. Does he think all the island's kitsune do is nothing but laze around and look cute?" Her most loyal kitsune chattered as if to agree with her assessment. She gazed off into the distance from her vantage point at the Grand Narukami Shrine.
She then said, "Of course, they do look quite cute, but only because it lowers people's guards. For him to muse about his plan out loud near two of my little friends, he must be ignorant or arrogant. Either way, my victory is assured. As the Shogun, Ei will be the center of attention. It'll be far easier to drown out Kamisato Ayaka, even with her status as the Shirasagi Himigemi."
To the south of the shrine, a hooded figure handed an envelope to a well dressed young man in his office at the Kamisato household. He opened the envelope and grinned as he read through it.
"Heh, is that so?" Ayato chuckled. "Thank you Sayu, your report has been quite helpful. I knew sending you was the right choice." The pint-sized ninja nodded and vanished using her ninjutsu.
Kamisato Ayato smiled as he leaned back in his chair. "Of course I knew her friends were listening to me. She really believes I'd show my hand so easily? Perhaps she's more clever than wise after all. She's accusing me of being a bit arrogant, though, so perhaps I should be more cautious. There's no doubt the mighty Raiden Shogun will draw all attention to herself, but no one can outshine the Queen of the Summer Festival. Miss Naganohara is a wildcard, but she works in my favor more often than not."
In their separate domains, the kitsune master of trickery giggled to herself as the calculating devil of the Yashiro Commission silently mused. This relationship between the head shrine maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine and the Patriarch of the Kamisato clan had gone unchanged for centuries, a clever fox always trying to outwit a hyper-competent hound dog. This time, however, the stakes were higher than ever. Neither wanted to lose this once in a lifetime opportunity to claim the Traveler for their lonely family member first.
The next day, an unsuspecting Aether was walking around Ritou Island with Paimon, marveling at the work to transform it into an international festival spot. A hotel was built to house guests coming from all over Teyvat, including representatives from the Knights of Favonius and the Liyue Qixing. There was also a rumor of a Fatui Harbinger being in attendance, but Aether knew he couldn't confront whoever it was.
He recalled discussing the Fatui with Ayaka some time ago. She'd informed him that they had offered an 'apology' for La Signora's actions, claiming ignorance of her activities and that her death was justified. They also explained that Scaramouche was now a rogue agent and should he be found on Inazuma, they will not try to protect him from the Shogun's judgment. Aether was more than a little suspicious of the Fatui's intentions, but if they were at the festival with permission from the Shogunate, he was in no position to intervene.
As he considered the upcoming festival, he heard someone yelling at him from behind. "Aether, Paimon! Boy am I glad to see you two here!" They turned around to see Yoimiya running over while waving at them.
"If it isn't my favorite fireworks manufacturer! How are you, Yoimiya?" Aether asked. Paimon also waved vigorously as Yoimiya caught up to them.
She smiled as she replied, "I'm pretty busy, but otherwise I'm doing great! Is there any chance I could persuade you to help me out with something really quick? I promise we aren't going to fight any Nobushi this time!"
Aether chuckled before responding, "So it's hilichurls that need clearing out, huh?"
She rolled her eyes. "Ha ha, very funny! No, seriously, I just need some extra help moving some of these heavier fireworks around. My dad is sick today, and most of the other Yashiro samurai are too busy setting up staging and decor to help me out. Come on, I'll even treat you and Paimon to some taiyaki later as a thank you!"
"Taiyaki! Paimon looooves Yoimiya's special taiyaki! Come on Aether, let's help her out!" Paimon declared.
Aether sighed as he sarcastically responded, "Yeah, yeah, even though I'm the only one who'll actually be helping out. I do agree, however, that you make some great taiyaki, Yoimiya."
She smiled and said, "Great, well I'll prepare it specially for you two then. First, though, these fireworks won't move themselves!" With that, Aether walked with Yoimiya over to her large cart of fireworks away from the town center to help her get set up. She explained that although she was setting everything up right away, she would later divide them up by day so she would only be setting off so many for each day of the festival.
After an hour of hard work, all the heavy fireworks had been dealt with. Yoimiya thanked Aether and said, "Thank you both so much! Come meet me at sundown by the docks. I'll have a few servings of fresh taiyaki waiting and ready for both of you. See you guys later!"
Aether and Paimon left Yoimiya to continue her work. As the two made their way back into the town square, someone bumped into Aether.
"Ah, forgive me, I wasn't watching where I was going," said an unfamiliar voice. Aether looked at the man, and felt like he was looking at someone familiar. He was tall, had light blue hair, and had soft facial features exemplifying his look as noble.
Aether responded, "It's alright, I didn't notice you either! You seem familiar, have we met?"
The man shook his head. "I don't believe we are acquainted. I am Kamisato Ayato, the head of the Yashiro Commission. What is your name?"
"Kamisato?" Aether questioned. "Are you related to Ayaka, then?"
He smiled and answered, "Why yes, Ayaka is my younger sister. If you know her, then might you be the Traveler that everyone speaks of?"
Aether awkwardly chuckled and replied, "Ah, um, I suppose so? My reputation tends to precede me wherever I go. My name is Aether."
Ayato nodded and said, "Aether, a pleasure to meet you at long last. I've heard many things about you. I'm glad I ran into you here because I would like to ask a small favor of you. Don't worry, it won't be anything like what my sister asked of you when you first met her."
Aether sighed and responded, "That's not the most reassuring thing I've ever heard, but go ahead, tell me your request."
Ayato gave a chuckle and asked, "Would you be Ayaka's partner for the festival? She wants to go, but she's afraid to go by herself, and of course her useless older brother is going to be too busy with official duties to escort her." His eyes were wide, resembling those of a sad puppy.
Aether looked surprised by Ayato's out-of-the-blue request. As he began to awkwardly mumble, Ayato said, "Oh, I'm sorry, that must've caught you off guard. I'm sure you're wondering why I would make such a request when I've only just met you. You see, my dear sister has told me so much about you, enough that I know she considers you a wonderful friend. No one has ever been a friend to her like this before, so I want to encourage it, for her sake. I can tell already that you're a great person. Didn't I see you over there helping out Yoimiya with those fireworks? That's how I can tell."
"Oh, uh, yeah I did," Aether replied. "Yeah, I was definitely caught off guard. I was afraid this was some kind of test! If you really do want me to take her to this festival, then sure, I will."
Ayato smiled and said, "Thank you, Aether, I'm glad you'll take her to the festival. By the way, like I mentioned, I'm going to be very busy. In fact, I'll be here in Ritou for the entire week, so I won't even get a chance to go back to the estate. I'll need Thoma's help too, and most of the Yashiro samurai, so there's basically going to be no one there aside from my dear sister. I do hope she won't be lonely this week."
Wait, why is he telling me this? Aether thought. Ayato winked, further confusing Aether as he walked away.
Ayato grinned and thought to himself, Perfect. He knows Ayaka will be all alone. She will definitely ask him to walk her back home, and maybe even stay with her so she isn't lonely. If this works like I think it will, he'll be my brother-in-law within the month, and my first niece or nephew will follow in less than a year. There's no way he'll be able to resist Ayaka if she begs him to escort her home, even if the Shogun herself is around.
While Ayato graciously walked away, Yae Miko frowned. She was on top of Mt. Yougou watching through the eyes of the kitsune, and she was not happy with what she had witnessed.
"Damn that Ayato," she whispered. "He went straight for the dirtiest tactic, the 'home alone with the girl' dilemma. Aether may not be the young boy that Ayato thinks, but given Aether's general attitude I'd say he's not exactly 'experienced' either. Thankfully, I think I know how to deal with this." She smiled wickedly as she snapped her fingers.
Back in Ritou, Aether was contemplating Ayato's strangely suggestive message when two samurai from the Tenryou Commission stopped him. "By the order of the Shogun, Traveler, we ask you to stop for a moment."
Aether immediately put his hand on his sword, but one of the samurai quickly said, "Worry not, you are not in trouble. We are here to humbly offer you an official summons from her excellency, the Almighty Narukami Ogoshi. She requests that you urgently visit her in Tenshukaku. Present this letter bearing her seal to the guards, and they will let you straight through."
Aether relaxed a little as the samurai gave him a very official-looking stamped paper. They gave a polite bow and left, giving Aether a moment to catch his breath.
Paimon blurted out, "Geez, Paimon thought for sure trouble was brewing again! She could've sent a messenger instead of two scary samurai to deliver this. Oh well, Paimon guesses it's time to go see Ei again. Hopefully we'll make it back in time for Yoimiya's taiyaki!"
The two made their way to Inazuma City. Thankfully, Narukami Island is not terribly large, so it only took an hour and a half to reach the palace overlooking the capital city. They presented their paper to the guards, who quickly verified the authenticity of the seal. Aether and Paimon reached the entrance of Tenshukaku and entered after the guards opened the massive doors for them.
Aether took a quick glance at the large room where Raiden Ei would greet them. It was still the same as the day he fought La Signora, when he got to witness the true power of an active Archon. He could recall how it took but a single slash of the Musou no Hitotachi to utterly erase Signora from existence, and he still had the occasional nightmare where the Shogun immediately turned her blade on him after that.
He shook the thought from his head. After getting to spend time with the real Shogun, Raiden Ei, he knows he doesn't have to worry about such a thing any more. He looked up to see Ei sitting on her throne, reading some kind of book. As he walked in, she looked up from the book and lit up as she recognized Aether.
Ei said, "Aether, thank you for coming. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Aether raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I'm here because I received a summons."
Now it was Ei's turn to be confused. "A summons? I don't remember sending one out for you. Well, that's alright. Mistakes happen whenever humans are involved, perhaps I mentioned you in some way and it was taken as an order to summon you. I feel terrible that you came all this way just to find out I didn't call for you."
Aether nervously chuckled. "A-Ah, well don't worry about it. I don't mind coming to see you once in a while, and neither does Paimon."
Ei smiled just a little. "Since you're here, maybe I could ask something of you. Will you be attending the upcoming summer festival? I believe Commissioner Kamisato mentioned that with the end of the Sakoku Decree, we could use this time to officially reopen our borders for foreign guests to enjoy the festival, as well as bring in leaders of other countries to re-establish diplomatic relations with the rest of the world. I would like to personally attend the festival, and having another person I consider a friend around would be very agreeable."
Aether felt sweat building up on the back of his neck. Was this some form of convoluted date request, or was it just a simple inquiry? In the case of the latter, telling her he would be with Ayaka wasn't a big deal. If the former is what she meant, however, he really didn't want to deal with a Musou no Hitotachi directed at his face, or worse.
"Well yeah, I'll be there, if that's all you're wondering," Aether responded in a very non-committal way.
Ei tilted her head to the side. "Is something the matter, Aether? Were you not planning to go before I asked? If that's the case, don't feel like you need to be there purely for my sake."
"N-No, nothing like that!" Aether sputtered out. "It's, uh, complicated. I'll be there because I promised someone else I'd be there for an important reason. I'm sure I'll be able to see you while I'm there too, though!"
"I see, alright then," Ei replied. "I will look forward to seeing you at the festival over the next week. It has been centuries since I last attended one, so I am anticipating all the new flavors of food as well as new traditions that have appeared in the interim. Be safe, Aether, and I'll look for you at the festival starting tomorrow."
She bowed her head and smiled, signaling the end of their impromptu chat. Aether remained mystified by the summons that Ei claimed she didn't send out, but he was willing to believe for the time being that somehow it was sent out by a well-meaning servant who misunderstood her.
The summons was no accident, of course. Yae Miko has a copy of the official seal used in all documents issued by the Shogun. It wasn't easy to acquire, but she had the copy secretly made after stealing the original during one of her visits to Tenshukaku some centuries ago. Ei never bothered to monitor Miko's activities unless it involved Inazuma's policies, so the Shogun didn't pay any particular notice to her, either.
"Another mission completed successfully," Miko mused. "She told me she wanted to go to the festival, and she was hoping to see Aether there as well. It was only natural that manufacturing a time for them to chat would result in Ei asking him to be there. He managed to sidestep the fact that he's supposed to be with Ayaka, so he must think this is a date. Ei doesn't have a clue what a date is, but that doesn't matter. She'll learn tonight when I 'visit her for no particular reason'. She won't be able to resist telling me about her plans with Aether, and then I can tell her about dating…and cheating."
She evilly smiled to herself as she continued to scheme. "Kamisato Ayaka does know about dating and cheating, and she'll certainly see this as a legitimate date. If Ei comes over and insists that Aether was supposed to be with her, Ayaka will be devastated. I feel terrible for poor Ayaka, such a sweet girl, but I'm afraid Ei needs him more right now. Ei would say something about how I explained it but she doesn't get it so she'll just shrug and continue to hang out with him. With Ayaka out of the picture, all I need is a little time to convince Ei that she should marry Aether because she has all eternity to discover her feelings for him."
As Miko quietly laughed at her genius, Kamisato Ayato was scrambling. Crap! I never expected Miko to pull this off. Forging the official seal of the Shogun to set up a date between the Shogun and Aether? Only that tricky kitsune could possibly get away with such a blasphemous act!
His Shuumatsuban operatives were always watching Aether's moves. He even made use of the operatives that secretly watch Tenshukaku, and thus how he found out about what would've been a completely secret meeting between Aether and the Shogun.
May the Shogun forgive me if she ever finds out, he thought. He began preparing the second phase of his anti-Shogun dating plan, and he ordered a Yashiro samurai to deliver a letter to the Kujou Clan. Even Yae Miko didn't know of the secret favor owed to him by a particular Tengu, and he intended to make the best use of his one-time trump card. After all, his family lineage was on the line.
Aether and Paimon managed to make it back to Ritou at sundown. They quickly walked to the docks, where they found Yoimiya lounging on a pile of abandoned crates. She looked up and noticed them, causing her to smile as she waved for them. Paimon could barely restrain herself from going straight for the taiyaki she had sitting in a basket, so Aether happily snatched her out of the air so she couldn't give in and eat his portion of hard-earned snacks.
"Hee hee! I'm so flattered you love my taiyaki, Paimon!" Yoimiya said with a giggle. "I hope I made enough for you too, Aether. I know that I'm mostly known for my firework-making skills, but I wish there were more people like you that would appreciate my cooking skills too. Oh, that reminds me, what are you doing for the festival? I'll be around, obviously, but I'd love to hang out, especially if you're bringing any friends!"
Aether felt the sweat on his neck once more, and he began to stammer, "Well, you see, um—"
"Oooooh," Yoimiya interrupted. "You have a date, don't you? I should've known, you're only the most eligible bachelor traveling Inazuma right now! Well, I'd still enjoy hanging out if your date doesn't mind, but I totally get it if you want some space." Her friendly smile should've brought some comfort to Aether, but it was having the opposite effect.
This is bad! How am I supposed to tell her that I promised to be here with both Ayaka and Raiden Ei? I really can't, there's no way she'd react any other way than to be totally disgusted with me. Aether winced as he thought about his current conundrum.
Meanwhile, in Inazuma City, Kujou Sara was fuming.
As she stared at the document alone in her office, she muttered, "Th-This man! I know I said any favor, no restrictions, but he's asking me to toe the line of blasphemy! The Traveler—I mean, Aether, is an outsider, so becoming friends with the Almighty Shogun is excusable for him. But me? Me?! I'm the General of the Shogunate Army! She places full confidence in my leadership abilities, and the leader of a nation has to maintain a professional distance from their military leaders."
She paced back and forth as she contemplated whether risking being the next victim of Musou no Hitotachi was more worthwhile than going back on her word and gaining a reputation of being unreliable. Ultimately, though, she knew she had no choice. As the honorable General of the Army, going back on her word was far, far worse than being executed by the Shogun. Tomorrow, she would suck up the pride in her station and attempt to befriend the Almighty Shogun at the festival by the request of Kamisato Ayato.
In Ritou, Aether barely managed to avoid mentioning his upcoming catastrophe to Yoimiya. Amazingly, Paimon didn't blab either. He assumed that Paimon was just afraid she'd lose access to Yoimiya's food, but either way he was grateful. Yoimiya bid him goodnight, and that she hoped she could at least say hi at the festival. Aether found a nice back alley to hide in before pulling out his Serenitea Pot to catch some rest. He went inside the mansion that came with the pot after waving goodnight at his obese bird caretaker spirit.
In an unknown location, a blonde was conversing with a familiar red fiend.
"So, uh, yeah. Looks like your bro is building a harem of some kind in Inazuma?" said the Thing that calls itself 'Enjou'. "I don't really understand. Maybe you were a little too forceful in your rejection of him? Like, if I were in his shoes and my sister, who I've been close to for my entire life, coldly told me to stop trying to reunite with her, I might decide building a harem is a good way to distract myself."
"I don't remember asking your opinion, Enjou." He shuddered at Lumine's overwhelming menace. She was obviously very upset by the news that he just delivered, and now he would hope she was still the type to not kill the messenger.
"Sorry, sorry! Just trying to be helpful, ya know?" pleaded the lector. "Anyway, I guess you want me to try and do something about it? I could always kill the cryo princess. Though, uh, I don't think I stand a chance against a literal Archon."
Lumine groaned. "No, killing isn't always the answer, loathe as I am to admit it. And besides, I did not tell him to stop trying! I told him to finish his journey first, and to not travel with that traitor Dainsleif. When he got done with his tour of the world, meeting the Seven, and learning the truth, I had every intention of reuniting with him. While I had hoped to destroy Celestia first, reuniting with him takes priority."
"Um, 'kay," Enjou said. "So no killing—"
"Just shut up and listen, I have a plan," Lumine interrupted. She began detailing the plan, and Enjou found himself wondering how this was going to go over.
After a good night's rest, Aether woke up. Zhongli was in the room with a cup of tea, and he said, "Awake at last, Aether? I would've prepared another cup had I known you were so close to waking up."
"Typical Zhongli, coming in here to sip tea while I'm still asleep. Is your room too small for you?" Aether sarcastically responded.
Zhongli smirked. "Certainly not, though it is missing a little something. It would probably be better if not for the twenty-five Floral Pattern Screens lining the room. I do appreciate that you at least included a bed, nightstand, and a way to enter and exit the room."
Aether quipped, "Hey, at least you don't have Mona's room."
"Very true, my room has far fewer screens than hers," Zhongli replied. "I won't complain too much, given that you are giving me the space rent-free. Also, tending your gardens is not the worst post-retirement job I can think of. Now, if only that lazy Barbatos would help me out more than once every other week, perhaps we could get better yields. At least Mona keeps them watered."
Aether chuckled. "Easiest retirement gig ever, I think. Anyway, could I trouble you for some advice?"
Zhongli nodded. "Of course, what's troubling you?"
Aether explained his dilemma with Ayaka and Ei. Zhongli considered it for a while, before delivering his answer.
"Well, the easiest thing to do is to pick Ei." Zhongli was perfectly blunt and cold with his logical answer. "If you reject Ayaka, she will be upset, but you'll more than likely be fine. If you reject Ei, she might decide to use her Musou no Hitotachi on you, and even my shield can't protect you from the full brunt of her strike. If I still had my Gnosis then maybe it would, but that's neither here nor there."
"That's not very reassuring," Aether groaned. "I know that's the logical option, but I do really like Ayaka. I don't want to reject her simply because I'm afraid of Ei."
"Hmm," Zhongli said with a frown. "You are getting greedy, Aether. Let me ask you this, then. You had many opportunities in your journey before to court a woman, and yet it's only now that you are concerned about choosing between two?"
Aether sighed and replied, "Zhongli, that's not really what I mean. It's more like, I didn't tell either of them that it's a date. I'm just a guardian for Ayaka, and Ei made it sound like she just wanted to see me at the festival. I'm afraid they will take this the wrong way."
"I see now," the retired archon replied. "The request from her older brother, as well as a coincidental meeting with Raiden Ei. Forgive me, Aether, I misunderstood. I believe the best course of action is to be honest. While I only met the current Baal once, she did not strike me as the sort to make a haywire decision because of an unfortunate truth. Of course, should Ei not see this as a date, then you have nothing to worry about."
Aether grinned just a little bit. "Yeah, you're right. Now that I've thought a lot about it, Ei definitely wasn't asking me on a date. Well, with that crisis averted, how about we go get Mr. Drunk and Mona and enjoy the festival?"
Zhongli nodded. "I concur with your plan, Aether. I've not been to an Inazuman festival in quite some time, so I will be sure to enjoy this week, even if it means babysitting the Wine Archon." He chuckled in the most dignified manner Aether had ever witnessed, then got up to put his empty tea cup away.
Aether gathered with Zhongli, Mona, and a very hungover Venti (where did he even get the alcohol from? Aether doesn't keep any in the teapot!) to transport back to Ritou. He took out his pot, gave it a quick polish, and they found themselves in the quiet back alley Aether had used the pot in. The three collected themselves while Zhongli sternly held Venti upright.
"Well, Aether, I certainly wasn't expecting to go to a festival, but as your instructor in the ways of astrology, I approve of this vacation!" Mona declared. She waved at Aether and her fellow brokes as she took a pouch of hard-earned savings with her to explore the island. Aether could hear her in the distance as she asked out loud, "I wonder if they have any unique equipment for astrological studies here?"
Aether couldn't help but chuckle. "I still don't know how my tightest friends are a broke astrologer, the former God of Mora who is still learning to remember his wallet, and a guy who barely eeks out a living by relying on donations and getting bars to give him free drinks for his tunes. Oh, and a flying black hole."
"Not to worry, Aether, my songs are sure to be a hit here!" Venti said with a bit of a slur. "I'll be able to -hic- pay for my own drinks this time!"
Zhongli added, "And I have my mora purse this time. I've saved some extra funds from my contracting with the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. It is fortunate that I ordered all the adepti to leave behind substantial offerings for those who would bury them."
Aether sighed. "Only you would order them to do something like that, having no idea you'd come to rely on those offerings thousands of years later."
Zhongli awkwardly scratched the back of his neck before saying, "Well, I believe you've got some 'company' waiting for you, Aether. You'd best be off to find them." He held Venti's back collar as he led the god of drunks away to enjoy the festivities.
After considering his options, Aether decided to try and find Ayaka first. However, it took almost no time for him to run into Yoimiya again instead. She saw him and immediately ran over, making him quite nervous.
"Aether! Nice to see you!" She said. "I thought you said you had a date? Did you get stood up?" She tilted her head in confusion.
"N-No, of course not! I was just going to find her," Aether explained.
She backed off a bit and replied, "Oh, I see. Well, did you say hi to the foreign delegations yet? I know you mentioned the Knights of Favonius before, and I just saw several members of their delegation across the town square. Would you be willing to introduce me?" She looked at him with a sense of expectancy.
He sighed and said, "Yeah, I guess I can do that. But seriously, then I gotta look for my date!"
She giggled and replied, "Okay, okay, I'll stop bugging you after this, I promise!"
He led her over to where she was directing, and to his surprise Albedo and Eula seemed to be leading the delegation. He also heard, "Aether! Aether, you're here too?" He noticed Amber waving at him, along with Lisa, Noelle, and Klee riding atop Albedo's shoulders.
As he got closer, the enthusiasm started to die a little, though Albedo and Klee were still waving quite a bit. Eula stared him down and said, "Aether, it's agreeable to see you again. I must ask, though, who's this girl with you?"
Aether took notice of the leering stares from Amber, Noelle and Lisa. He immediately thought, Oh, you've gotta be kidding me! I'm already stressed out about Ayaka and Ei without these girls suddenly deciding to become yanderes! Since when have they been love interests? Well, aside from miss one-step-from-sexual-harassment Lisa, anyway.
He cleared his throat and answered, "Hey Eula, and everyone else, this is a friend I made here in Inazuma. It was thanks in part to her that I was able to restore peace and complete the next step of my journey."
Yoimiya, completely oblivious to the intense stares from the Mondstat ladies, cheerfully introduced herself.
"Hey! I'm Yoimiya Nagonohara, the owner of Nagonohara Fireworks! I've always wanted to show my fireworks to people from other countries." She continued to smile as she addressed Aether, "Well, I need to go meet up with my dad. He's better today but I still gotta keep an eye on him so he doesn't set off the fireworks early!"
She bid goodbye to the delegation as she jogged back to the docks. He swore he heard Lisa mutter under her breath, "Good, not a threat."
As if they hadn't been completely frosty a moment ago, Amber, Lisa and Noelle went right back to being cheery. Amber said, "So, Aether, how's your journey?"
He nervously chuckled and said, "Well, it's not too bad. The Qixing had me worried for a bit in Liyue, but in the end a really smart gentleman got me out of that mess." That seemed not to upset any of them, much to his relief.
Albedo asked, "Aether, Klee wanted me to ask you if she could play with that lady who just chatted with us."
Aether couldn't describe the absolute chaos he felt that a carefree firework lover and a bomb-tossing child could cause if allowed to play together. He quickly said, "Sorry Klee, she's going to be busy all week. That was her only chance to say hi."
Oddly enough, that seemed to put everyone else even more at ease. Klee pouted while Albedo tried to reassure her. Eula asked, "Aether, are you going to be staying at the foreigner's hotel too?" Noelle, Amber and Lisa all looked at him expectantly.
"Um, well, no," he said. All four women immediately appeared disappointed.
Noelle asked, "Are you staying at another hotel, then? Maybe in Inazuma City, the capital? Or do you, um, have—have a house, maybe?"
Oh boy, he thought.
"Actually, I'm staying on Watatsumi Island. See, General Gorou of the former anti-Shogunate resistance has a small quarters for me there. I helped him and he helped me, you know?" Aether wondered if his tongue would fall off as a punishment for lying so blatantly.
Lisa said, "Oh, I get it, cutie. Gotta find cheap lodgings whenever you can, right? It's too bad, had we known you would be here, we would've booked an extra room so you could stay with us at the hotel." She winked, sending a bit of a chill down his back.
"Okay, sorry guys, I just remembered that I actually need to meet up with an associate of mine also affiliated with the old resistance! I'll be around again later, don't worry!" He darted off before they could stop him, and he found another alley to take temporary shelter in. He needed to get his thoughts together before the real nightmare began.
"Aether, I was wondering where you were." Aether jumped as he turned around, but to his relief it was just Thoma.
Thoma chuckled and said, "Haha, sorry Aether. I hope I didn't sound too much like Miss Kamisato just now. She's currently waiting for you at the Kanjou Commission's embassy nearby. Should I lead the way?"
Aether tried to stay calm as he responded, "Yeah, that'd be great. I'll follow you."
Thoma smiled and began to lead Aether to the embassy. Luckily for him, he didn't seem to get recognized by any other "friends" of his, and he made it to Ayaka (physically) unharmed.
Ayaka smiled and said, "Aether! It's so nice to see you again. Thank you for agreeing to take me to the festival!"
Aether blushed and replied, "O-Of course! It's my pleasure. I was a little surprised by your brother's sudden request, but I would've just as easily said yes if you'd asked personally.
Thoma gently elbowed him and said, "Sorry, Aether, I'm needed elsewhere. Take care of Miss Kamisato for us!" He winked and hurried off, much to Aether's embarrassment.
"Well, let's not wait, Aether. This is my first time getting to enjoy an international festival, after all," Ayaka innocently said. To his surprise, she put her arm around his and gestured for him to lead the way. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Aether was even more nervous than that time Venti slipped him some alcohol; all he could remember after that was waking up with Venti right beside him. That was the day he found out, thankfully, that Venti is genderless.
He tried to swallow his fear as he left the embassy with Ayaka, arm in arm. Aether stuttered as he suggested, "S-So, uh, h-how about we get some grub—f-food, I mean food!"
She giggled and answered, "Some food would be great, Aether. I was really hoping we could get some takoyaki while we're here!"
So far, so good, he thought. He replied, "O-Okay, sure, takoyaki does sound pretty good! I think I see a stall just over there—"
Shit.
Right as he was pointing out the stand, there was Raiden Ei. She hadn't yet noticed Aether, but he was starting to sweat bullets.
Ei doesn't think we're going on a date, right? Right?!
"Oh wow, I didn't expect to see her majesty, the Shogun, here," Ayaka commented. "Come on, Aether, let's go get that takoyaki!"
"Y-Y-Yeah," Aether squeaked out. He slowly began to walk over, hoping Ei would decide to turn the opposite direction and investigate something else. Of course, it would never work out so easily for him.
She looked up and saw Aether with Ayaka at his side. Being who she was, though, Ei didn't think much of it as she waved at him. Aether still felt like impending doom was looming overhead, but he walked onward regardless. Ayaka politely bowed to Ei as she and Aether reached her.
"Hello Aether," Ei said, "I'm pleased to see you made it to the festival. Miss Kamisato, I see you are also acquainted with Aether. I hope the affairs of the Kamisato Clan are well."
Ayaka smiled and said, "Our clan is doing well, thank you your majesty. Truth be told, however, Aether and I are not merely acquainted. We are very good friends."
Ei tilted her head as Aether saw his life flash before his eyes. "I see. Friendship with Aether does seem to have its benefits. Well Aether, should I assume you'll still be accompanying me at the festival?"
The silence was palpable. Aether wondered, could he yell loud enough for Zhongli to come over and put up a shield before his neck gets separated from his body?
"Aether…you planned to go on a date with the Shogun?" Ayaka's shaky voice mismatched her vice grip on Aether's arm.
Aether grunted in pain and hastily tried to explain, "O-Oh, Ayaka, about that, I only agreed to meet Ei here, I never said anything about a d-date!"
Ei added, "Oh, Miko was telling me about this. When someone asks another person to meet them at a festival, that's typically considered a date."
I'm so gonna die. Zhongli, please be nearby…and whatever you do, don't let Hu Tao do the burial.
Before Ayaka could say anything, however, Ei then said, "I apologize, Aether. I hadn't intended to construe my invitation as a date. It had simply occurred to me that it would be more enjoyable to go around the festival with a friend."
Ayaka's grip immediately loosened, and Aether took a deep breath. He thought, Oh, Ei, you've saved my life. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you—
"Is that so, almighty Shogun?" Ayaka asked. "If that's the case, then Aether and I would be delighted to have you join us through the festival. I was just a little worried because I thought he was trying to do a double date."
Aether winced as Ayaka squeezed his arm again. Ei calmly replied, "Thank you, Miss Kamisato. I do hope you'll both help me enjoy my time here."
Lumine, your stupid brother has managed to avoid death once more! Aether thought. Wait, why am I calling myself stupid? This whole shebang was nothing but bad luck! Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.
Meanwhile, in a locked office, Kamisato Ayato was shadowboxing like a madman.
"YEAH! Take that, you wily fox! You may have explained dating and cheating to Ei, but you never told her she should consider this time as a date! Of all the things to forget, the most crucial point! It's so obvious that Ei would immediately decide she made a mistake and move to correct it. It's so in character for her!" He danced around with no one to witness, leaving us all to wonder how he figured out whether this sort of thing was, in fact, in Ei's character or not.
Yae Miko, on the other hand, was fuming back inside the Grand Narukami Shrine. The many shrine maidens avoided her room while they could still hear the very creative curses she was screaming out. "Ei, Ei, Ei! How could something like this escape your grasp? You can master a technique so powerful even other Archons fear it, but you can't realize that I'm trying to get you a date?! Gah, I don't want to even think about how that lucky bastard Ayato is reacting to this!"
Back in Ritou, Ayaka continued to cling to Aether as they led Ei around the festival. At this point, he felt that as long as he didn't run into the Mondstat group again (Albedo and Klee excluded) he'd get through the rest of the day alright. Naturally, Aether had forgotten about another prominent group that could pose some trouble to him: The Liyue Qixing.
"Well well, what do we have here?" Aether nearly jumped as he recognized Ningguang's voice coming from behind him. "I must say, Aether, while it doesn't bother me that you're so popular with the ladies, don't you think that perhaps you've been a little unfair to one of my colleagues?"
Wait, what? Aether swallowed as he turned around, Ayaka still clinging to him. Ningguang had an amused look, but next to her was Keqing on the verge of tears.
Aether sputtered out, "I, um, well, you see—"
"I thought we had something special," Keqing interrupted. "After you went and spent days with me on the Lantern Rite festivities, helping out Liyue's citizens, and even watching the fireworks together from the Jade Chamber? Was it all just leading me on?!"
Tears began to stream down Keqing's face as Ganyu came over from out of view. "Lady Keqing! Here, I've brought some handkerchiefs, please, I'm sure Aether never meant to do that—"
"Are you saying he never had any feelings for me, and I just misinterpreted it?" Keqing asked while sobbing. Ganyu began to sweat, because she didn't know how to answer that. She just looked over at Aether with a perplexed expression.
Aether was completely at a loss. He did have feelings for Keqing, but he never thought it was going to go anywhere with her. After all, she was the Yuheng of the Qixing, and an incredibly busy woman. He never thought such an industrious person would feel like that about him.
Ningguang sighed and said, "Ganyu, why don't you take Lady Keqing for a walk around the beach for a little while? Once she's had some time to vent, she should be able to regain her composure again. I'll have a little chat with our friend here in the meantime."
Ganyu gave Aether a look of pity. She gently led a tearful Keqing away to walk on the relatively empty southern beach.
"Aether." He snapped to attention at Ningguang's suddenly stern voice. She gestured for him to approach her, so he let go of Ayaka and got within whispering distance with Ningguang.
She quietly said, "Listen, your personal life is your own business, and I respect that. As your friend, however, I would strongly recommend you avoid leaving a trail of tears in your wake. If this woman here is someone you have your heart set on, then you should devote time to maintaining your connection to her. Now, go ahead and rejoin her."
Aether gulped and nodded, rejoining Ayaka and Ei. Ningguang smiled and bowed as she introduced herself. "Good day, companions of Aether. I am Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing. You can consider me the current leader of Liyue alongside the other members of the Qixing. Lady Keqing, as you saw earlier, is the Yuheng, and is in charge of many aspects of Liyue's defenses. Ganyu, while not a true member of the Qixing, has been a faithful secretary for the organization since before I became Tianquan."
Ayaka bowed and returned the introduction. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Ningguang. I am Kamisato Ayaka, also known as the Shirasagi Himigemi. My brother and I are the leaders of the Yashiro Commission, part of the Tri-Commission that governs Inazuma in conjunction with the Shogun."
Ningguang smiled as she acknowledged Ayaka. Ei stepped forward and said, "I am the Narukami Ogosho, Raiden Shogun. I am Inazuma's Archon and ruler." Aether could feel the absoluteness of her voice, suggesting this was a line Ei had practiced endlessly for the occasion.
However, she then lightened up as she added, "Forgive me, Ningguang. I have introduced myself this way to foreign visitors for as long as I can remember. With the many changes occurring throughout Inazuma, perhaps it is time for me to change my greeting as well. Please refer to me as just Ei."
Aether relaxed as Ei allowed herself to be just a little vulnerable. Ningguang replied, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ei. I hope a relationship between our nations is profitable for both of us."
Ei smiled a little and said, "Likewise. I don't handle international affairs directly, but I'm certain the Tri-Commission will be happy to facilitate trade between Inazuma and Liyue."
Ningguang replied, "I'm certain they will. If you'll excuse me, I need to go see how my Yuheng is doing. Take care, Aether, and it was a pleasure meeting the both of you." She calmly walked away as Ayaka took hold of Aether's arm again.
"So, is this what Miko meant when she referred to 'cheating'?" Ei asked. Aether groaned internally as he prepared for yet another tough conversation. He thought, Ha ha, I'm in danger.
Ayaka answered, "Oh, it's only cheating when you're in a relationship with someone. Sounds to me like that Keqing woman wasn't actually in a relationship with Aether here, so it's not cheating! It does mean I'm going to have to keep him close to me, however." She gripped his arm tightly, making Aether wince.
Ei then asked, "Miss Kamisato, I thought you said earlier you and Aether were very good friends? Surely you have nothing to worry about."
Ayaka hesitated for a moment. Aether became afraid that she was either going to declare they are in a relationship, or say something incredibly stupid that could potentially backfire.
"Yeah, that's right, we're very good friends!" Ayaka said with an embarrassed red face.
"Is it normal for very good friends to hold arms like that?" Her questions became harder and harder to dodge.
Ayaka took a deep breath and stuttered, "Y-Yes, it's normal!"
Aether mentally facepalmed as he thought, Yeah, this is going to backfire terribly.
Ei smiled and said, "I see. Thank you for clarifying, Miss Kamisato."
Aether was preparing to finally try and relax, with that topic magically through. However, he froze when Ei put her arm around his other free arm. Ayaka looked positively shocked. It didn't help that Ei was a bit taller than him, so he felt his face was now uncomfortably close to her generously sized chest.
"I'd like to be very good friends with you too, Aether," Ei said.
Ayaka didn't know how to respond. She couldn't take back her bald-faced lie without losing a lot of respect in her Shogun's eyes. All she could do now was live with the fact that she now had to share Aether with the literal god of her country.
That was never going to end well, Aether thought. He tried to lighten the mood by saying, "Thanks, Ei, that's very kind of you to say. I'd like to be very good friends with you as well." He did his best to inflect zero romantic desire to try and keep both Ayaka and Ei happy simultaneously.
What really made him nervous, however, was the multitude of stares he was now getting. Going arm in arm with both Ayaka and Ei must look like absolute sacrilege to the people of Inazuma. He wasn't sure how this could possibly get any worse at this point.
"Aether, my good comrade!"
Childe. Fucking of course Childe would appear to make everything even harder than it already was! Come on, man!
Aether gently turned around as Ayaka and Ei held onto his arms. He tried to smile as he said, "Ah, Childe, haha, fancy running into you here."
Childe chuckled in a slightly unhinged way. "You've been busy here in Inazuma, haven't you? My life always gets more interesting when I bump into you, Aether. Don't worry, I promise I'm here as an innocent boy this time."
Ayaka asked, "Aether, what does he mean by 'innocent this time'?"
"That's, uh, complicated," Aether said. "Before I say anything else, can you both promise not to immediately kill him?"
Ei and Ayaka both raised an eyebrow. Ayaka said, "Um, okay. I promise."
Ei said, "I'll promise, but only because it's you asking."
Aether started by saying, "You see, Childe here is a Fatui Harbinger—"
He blinked, and Ei already had the Musou Isshin at his throat. However, she then withdrew the sword and allowed it to vanish. "My apologies, Aether. I was under the impression that only normal Fatui negotiators were coming. After that last Harbinger I dealt with, I'm not terribly fond of them. Childe here should be grateful that you asked me not to immediately kill him."
That's 'not terribly fond of'? I don't want to see 'very upset with' or even 'angry at' then! Aether thought.
Ayaka added, "I definitely don't trust the Fatui after hearing about what they did here on the island. Why do you seem acquainted with this one, Aether?"
Aether sighed. "Well, it's a bit of a convoluted story, but basically, he saved me from being captured by the Millelith, gave me an artifact to see the adepti in Liyue, then it turned out it was all a scheme to try and destroy Liyue Harbor."
"And he's your friend?" Ei asked with a confused tone.
"Sorta?" Aether said. "I mean, he's a Fatui Harbinger, but when he's not busy being an evil minion he's actually a pretty alright guy. When I was out on my travels, I ran into his little brother, and found out that he's just doing this for the sake of his family, and he doesn't really enjoy the evil part."
Ei and Ayaka were silent. After a very tense moment, Ei said, "Childe, was it? I take it you are Snezhnya's representative to the festival?"
Childe nervously answered, "Ha, yes, I am indeed. I'm here to represent her majesty, the Tsarista, in trying to repair strained relations between our countries."
Ei let go of Aether and moved toward Childe. The sky darkened and thunder rumbled as she said, "I am the Narukami Ogosho, Raiden Shogun. I am Inazuma's Archon and ruler."
Aether started to sweat under the immense pressure that Ei was giving off. He could hardly believe that Childe wasn't crying or at least curled up on the ground. Childe is fearless to a fault! Aether thought.
Childe winced as he meekly answered, "Ah, I see, it's a pleasure to meet you."
The dark skies cleared as Ei stepped back and rejoined Aether. Childe added, "Well comrade, I should be on my way! Let me know when the little ones are on the way!" Before Aether could respond, Childe ran off laughing like a madman.
His and Ayaka's faces were a deep red, though Ei seemed unaffected. Ei commented, "Such a strange fellow. Well, Aether, if you consider him a friend despite everything, I suppose I can let him live, provided he doesn't harm Inazuma."
Aether half heartedly said, "Thanks, Ei. I appreciate you saying that."
He thought, This day just keeps on getting wilder and wilder. I don't know how much more my poor heart can take. Zhongli, Venti, anyone, please save me!"
"E-Excuse me, Shogun!"
Aether couldn't immediately recognize the voice he heard. The three turned around to see none other than Kujou Sara with the brightest red face you could possibly imagine.
"General Sara of the Kujou Clan. Is there some matter that requires my attention?" Ei replied.
Aether could tell by the look on her face that Sara looked both angry and embarrassed. She started saying, "Well, um, er, you see, I was wondering, Shogun—"
Ei interrupted, "General Sara, what's the problem?"
"Eep!" Sara blurted out. "N-No, nothing, my Shogun! It's just, well, I'm sorry, this is really, really embarrassing to say. I-I-I'd l-like to, um, get to know you, erm, a l-l-little bit b-better."
Am I hearing her right? Aether thought. Kujou Sara…is trying to befriend Ei?
"I see," Ei responded. "This is highly unusual for you, General. However, seeing the festival around us, and the atmosphere, I take it that you're trying to take steps to be friendlier with those around you?"
Sara was silent for a moment. It gave her a way out of the predicament she found herself in, but she couldn't turn away now. She dropped down on one knee and bent down in reverence.
"N-No, my Shogun," Sara said. "Specifically, I w-want to become friends with you."
Aether was surprised, to say the least. She looks like she's about to have a heart attack! There's no way someone didn't put her up to—oh my archons, this is totally Ayato's work.
Ei was taken aback. "My friend, you say?"
"Yes!" Sara yelled. Her face turned even brighter red, somehow, and she quietly apologized, "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, my Shogun."
"I—" Ei was stumped for a moment on how to respond. "I see. Forgive me, Sara, I had no idea that this was your wish. You've always been quite stern and distant, so I thought that was what you preferred. Well, why don't you start by joining me for the rest of the festival? Perhaps we can get to know each other better as we walk around. I hope you don't mind being part of the group here, myself and Miss Kamisato are both here enjoying the sights with our mutual friend, Aether."
Sara looked up at Raiden with wide eyes and asked, "Do you truly mean it, my Shogun? You don't mind my intrusion?"
"Please, if we're to be friends, then call me Ei," Ei said.
Sara seemed awestruck. "E-Ei? It's—It's a nice name, my Shogun. I will refer to you by your name when not conducting official affairs."
Ei smiled and said, "I'd like that, Sara. Come now, let's all enjoy the festival."
Sara happily got back on her feet and nodded. "Yes, Sho—I mean, Ei. Let's enjoy the festival. Also, pardon me for asking, but why are you, Aether, and Miss Kamisato all arm-to-arm?"
Here we go again, Aether thought.
Ei responded, "Oh, this is what all very good friends do, they walk arm-in-arm. Did you want to walk arm-in-arm with me?"
Aether's jaw nearly dropped. He looked at Sara and thought, Holy shit, did she just develop a nosebleed?
Sara pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her nose before saying, "Yes, Ei, I would like to!"
She cheerfully put her arm around Ei's, and now Aether had to contend with three different women all connected to him in some way. He thought, Well, at least Sara is only interested in Ei. I mean, she's pretty and all, but I've got my hands full now already!"
The only thing Aether had going for him at the moment was that Ayaka definitely liked him, but everything else was driving him insane. He thought, What's next, is the Abyss going to decide to attack?
Just then, flames sprayed out of the floor.
I didn't even fucking say it out loud! WHY ME?!
It's everyone's favorite Pyro Lector, Enjou!
"Oh, if it isn't Aether? How's it going, ol' buddy ol' pal?" Enjou almost seemed to be smiling as he affably addressed Aether.
All three women split apart from Aether. Ayaka drew her sword, Ei her Musou Isshin, and Sara a bow.
Ei said, "Aether, please tell me this isn't another 'friend' like Childe."
"No," Aether explained, "But don't attack yet! He's a bad guy, and he's working for the Abyss Order, but every time he shows up I learn something important, so let him speak first."
Enjou clapped. "Man, you're super sharp. The Princess's descriptions of you are very spot on, as always. Lucky for you, I'm not even here to fight you this time! I was asked to bring you some important intelligence instead. I'm supposed to tell you that your sister is being held captive here. Wait, no, that's wrong. What did the orders say again?"
Enjou pulled a wad of notes out from…somewhere. He began to mumble to himself as he read it over. "Hmm, go to Aether, okay, don't fight, got it, make sure he doesn't find out that his sister is being held captive on Ritou, gotcha, gotcha."
Aether was gobsmacked by Enjou's bad 'bad acting'. Enjou tossed the notes, which vanished back into wherever they came from. He said, "Sorry about that! I totally misread my orders. See, your sister is actually currently being held here on Ritou for some reason, even though we literally have an alternate dimension we normally hang out in. I guess we ran out of space? I dunno. But I'm not supposed to tell you that. I was actually supposed to tell you she's being held in Sumeru."
The four warriors continued to stare at Enjou in disbelief. He continued, "Anyway, let's just pretend I never mentioned her being here, okay? You need to get to Sumeru to find her! Stop lazing around here, yadda yadda yadda, whatever, you get the point. She's definitely not upset that you're here building a harem instead of trying to rescue her."
"I am NOT trying to build a harem!" Aether yelled, startling his three 'very good friends'.
"Yeah, whatever pal," Enjou said with a dismissive voice. "Welp, I gotta go! Whoops, a piece of paper and a key with no bearing on what I just said fell out of my pocket! I'd pick them up, but my back is hurting from my workout at the gym this morning. Don't grab them, okay? I'll come back for them in a few hours!"
And just like that, he vanished faster than they could blink. It looked and smelled like the most obvious trap on the face of the earth, but if there was even an infinitesimal chance that Lumine was being held prisoner on Ritou, despite everything that had happened, and even having seen...the Princess of the Abyss...then he had to risk it.
"It's a trap," cautioned Ei.
"There's a one hundred percent chance it's a trap," said Sara.
"It couldn't more obviously be a trap," added Ayaka.
"Looks like you're going to need some backup, captain of Swordfish Two!"
Aether turned around. When the heck did Kokomi arrive?
Thankfully, more friends showed up soon after.
"Aether, it looks like you could use a hand." Good old reliable Zhongli to the rescue!
With him were Mona and an incredibly wasted Venti somehow riding on Zhongli's shoulders. Mona smiled and said, "I'll use my scrying skills to check for traps when we get near!"
Venti slurred, "Wif de powah ob my wind, we can get dere reel quick! Jus' wait, I'll summom Dava—"
klonk
Zhongli poorly apologized, "Whoops, I was stretching my arm out and I forgot Venti was still there."
Aether looked at all the people who'd come to help. Just to be safe, he thought it would be a good idea to try and summon just a bit more help.
He said, "Hey, Xiao—"
"We'll save your sister, don't worry." Xiao appeared and replied without skipping a beat.
Aether thought, Man, this guy really is something else. I was an entire ocean away and he still appeared in the blink of an eye.
"I'm here too. I'll crush anyone who gets in the way," added everyone's favorite yandere.
"Shenhe? How long have you been here?" asked Aether.
She looked around for a moment before answering, "I've been thinking about when to approach you since I saw you exit your teapot this morning."
Cloud Retainer, what kind of child did you raise?!
"You have quite the variety of friends, Aether," Ei said with a hint of amusement. "I'll be there with you as well. General Sara, accompany me to support Aether."
Ayaka grabbed his arm again and said, "I'm here with you too, Aether. Even if it's a trap, we still have to see if your sister really is being held here."
"Thanks, everyone," Aether said. He leaned down to pick up the items that Enjou 'dropped'. The paper contained a map with an 'X marks the spot', and the key was clearly designed to open a cage or door of some kind. At the very least, Enjou put some effort into what seemed very likely to be a trap.
With the Super Friends assembled, Aether and company began walking to the northern tip of the island via the west beach. For once, Aether didn't feel like everything was going horribly wrong. Shenhe didn't even question Ayaka clinging onto him! Perhaps she really doesn't understand human emotions like Cloud Retainer claimed.
After a very anticlimactically short walk, they arrived at the X on the map. They found a strange glowing boulder embedded into the side of the cliff. Zhongli said, "Allow me, Aether."
He gently sat Venti down on the sand, and then he crossed his arms. "Everyone, you may want to stand back."
"Zhongli, are you sure that's a smart idea?" Aether questioned.
He nodded. Aether yelled, "He's not kidding, everyone get back!"
Everyone stood back, and Zhongli bellowed out, "I WILL HAVE ORDER!"
A huge meteor fell from the sky, obliterating the glowing boulder. While those in the know weren't so surprised, everyone else found themselves questioning when the hell Aether became acquainted with a guy who literally summons meteors.
As the dust settled and everyone was still fanning their faces off, Zhongli leaned down to pick up one of the fragments. He inspected it and said, "Oh, Cor Lapis. Never thought I'd see that outside of Liyue. I'll just hang on to this."
Where the glowing boulder once was, there was now a strange door. Mona used her vision to create a scry bubble. She pondered aloud, "Hmm, there doesn't seem to be any enchantment or magical trap on this door. It also looks like there is one life form behind it."
Xiao then approached the door. "Aether, I will check for any physical traps." He took out his Primordial Jade-Winged Spear and donned his Yaksha mask. He then flipped the spear upside down, and began bouncing up and down on top of the door like it was a pogo stick.
Amazingly, the spear was completely undamaged by Xiao's reckless abandon. It really is a five-star weapon! Aether thought.
Xiao reported, "It seems this door is not trapped. Proceed with caution, Aether."
Aether nodded to Xiao's warning. He cautiously inserted the key into the door, which made a satisfying 'click' as it unlocked. He opened the door, and he scrunched up his nose at the musty scent. Even with the sunlight pouring directly into the room, he couldn't actually see anyone in there. He gently called out, "Hello? Is anyone here?"
For a moment, there was no answer. Aether prepared to go into the room, but then he heard an unmistakable voice.
"Onii-chan?"
"Lumine? Lumine, is that you?" Aether looked around the dark room expectantly.
Before he could react, someone tackled him and embraced him.
She said, "It took you long enough to get here, Aether! Do you know how long I've been waiting?"
As Aether began to return her hug, he said, "Well excuse me, princess, I only woke up two years ago. I haven't had much time to look!"
The two pulled away and looked at each other in the eyes for a few minutes, and began to burst out laughing. Everyone was perplexed at the strange, yet wholesome dynamic present between the two.
Aether said, "I missed you, Lumine. Please try not to get separated from me again."
"I missed you too," Lumine answered. "Now, do you mind introducing me to all your, um…friends?" She looked around to see the very unbalanced female-to-male ratio present in the surrounding group.
"Oh, right," Aether said apologetically. "Everyone, if you can't tell, this is my sister Lumine. Come say hi!"
The first to approach was Ayaka. She bowed and said, "Greetings, Lumine. I am Kamisato Ayaka, and Aether is a very good friend of mine. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Lumine let go of Aether to greet Ayaka, but she stopped short and started sniffing the air. She looked back at Aether and asked, "Onii-chan, why does she smell like you?"
"Eh?" Aether nervously said, "What do you mean?"
She narrowed her eyes and pointed her finger at him before declaring, "You've gone and started dating a girl while I was separated from you, haven't you?! How could you, Aether? I haven't gotten a chance to make sure she's a good fit for you! What has she done? D-Do you have children?"
Aether waved his arms frantically and exclaimed, "No, no! Lumine, Ayaka and I aren't even boyfriend and girlfriend! I mean we were kinda on a date today but that's beside the point! You're seriously overreacting!"
Off to the side, a now-awake Venti and Zhongli were observing the siblings. Venti suggested, "Ehe, looks like Aether has an overly attached sister. Do you think maybe she has a bit of a sibling crush?"
Zhongli groaned. "It's hardly your place to make judgements like that. Although, given the current circumstances, I can't call it impossible for that to be the case."
Xiao walked up to the siblings, giving Aether a chance to try and distract Lumine. "Look, Lumine, here's another friend of mine. His name is Xiao, and he's an adeptus from Liyue. He has the title 'Conqueror of Demons'. Pretty cool, right?"
She looked at him up and down, and then sniffed the air. "Onii-chan, he smells like you too. Not as strongly as Ayaka, but he does smell like you."
Xiao explained, "I once saved his life by carrying him to safety from over a harsh sea. That's all you're smelling."
"Are you going to sniff every single person here?" Aether asked, following up with a long-suffering sigh.
In the distance, Ayato sighed. He muttered to himself, "Here I thought Yoimiya was going to be the worst spanner in the works. Now he's found his sister, and she's a total bro-con. Well, I'll just have to try and convince her that my wonderful little sister is a perfect match for him and she has nothing to worry about."
After several rounds of sniffing and attempted sniffing, Aether finally got Lumine to calm down. However, she demanded to ride piggy-back on him for the rest of the day 'to make up for his sinfulness'. Several of his friends found the situation quite entertaining, although Ayaka found herself subtly pouting that she couldn't hold Aether's arm anymore. With the situation resolved, Xiao vanished to return to his original duties.
As Aether walked back to the town square with Lumine on his back, he found himself approaching Keqing once more. However, this time she was far more composed, and held a guilty look.
"H-Hey, Aether," Keqing said. "Um, about earlier, I'm really sorry. I was being silly and got upset over seeing you on a date, even though I had never told you my feelings or anything. C-Could you find it in your heart to forgive me?"
Aether was taken aback by Keqing's heartfelt apology. Before he could say anything, Lumine looked over his shoulder and said, "Onii-chan, are you going and breaking girls' hearts? Haven't I told you a hundred times you need to be careful?"
Keqing was shocked when she realized Lumine was on his back. Aether quickly explained, "Sorry, Keqing, this is my sister, the one I mentioned I was looking for. I just found her. Literally, like ten minutes ago."
She was utterly confused, but she said, "Oh, uh, I see. Nice to meet you, Aether's sister. I'm glad you two got reunited!"
Lumine sighed. "My name is Lumine, and nice to meet you too Keqing. Please forgive my idiot brother. He means well, but he's terrible at interacting with women."
"Hey, I resent that!" Aether said.
Keqing found herself giggling. "I-I'm sorry, Aether, I don't mean to—hee hee hee—make fun of you at a time like this!"
Well, so much for that romantic route, Aether thought.
"Well, hopefully I'll see you back here tomorrow, Aether," Keqing said. "I'm going back to my room at the hotel to rest before the evening's fireworks." She nodded her head and walked off.
Lumine tapped Aether's head. "This is exactly why I was worried about you," she lectured. "Last time I let you be around other women by yourself, you created a series of events that led to the destruction of ten worlds. At least the women in Teyvat seem less volatile than in other worlds."
Aether rolled his eyes. "I like to think I've learned quite a bit since then, seeing how that was several millennia ago."
Not long after, they found a table to sit at. Many of the Super Friends began to disperse. Ayato appeared and offered to take Ayaka back to the estate because 'his schedule suddenly became free', and many of the others simply wanted to enjoy more of the festivities while giving Aether and Lumine some space.
Ayato asked Aether, "Will you still be able to spend the rest of the week taking Ayaka around the festival?"
Lumine looked at Aether. Aether said, "Look, Lumine, I promised I would look after her. She's a bit sheltered, you know? Ayaka just wants someone she can trust to be with her at the festival since her brother won't be able to spend all this time with her."
"Hmm," Lumine mumbled. She finally answered, "Well, I guess it's okay. She's going to have to deal with me being here too, but as long as she seems to be good then I won't get in the way."
Ayaka smiled and bowed. She said, "Thank you, Lumine. It means a lot for me to be able to enjoy this festival with Aether."
The Kamisato siblings bade the celestial twins goodbye, and they left. Aether found himself sitting at a table with Lumine as well as Venti, Zhongli, and Ei. Everyone else was gone, or in Sara's case had been dismissed for the time being. Lumine looked around at the three visitors and seemed to study them.
She said, "There's something about you three. Are you gods?"
Venti giggled. Ei answered, "Perceptiveness must run in your family, Aether and Lumine. For what it's worth, I'm the archon of this nation, Inazuma. My title is Raiden Shogun, but as Aether's sibling, I extend to you the privilege of calling me by my given name, Ei."
Zhongli said, "I fear Ei here is the only one of us who is openly serving as the archon of their nation. I am Morax, the recently-retired Geo Archon, though my people referred to me as Rex Lapis. I enjoy my mortal name, Zhongli, so you may refer to me by that name as well."
"And I'm the greatest bard of all Mondstat, Venti!" said the self-proclaimed greatest bard. "Although, there are a few people who know me by the name Barbatos, the Anemo Archon. I prefer not to directly rule, though. I want my people to have the freedom to choose how they conduct themselves."
Lumine said, "Somehow I'm not surprised Aether ended up getting to know the gods of the nations he's visited. I guess that's just how he is. You'll have to forgive me for being a little suspicious, though. I still remember when he and I set foot in Teyvat; Khaenri'ah went up in flames shortly after we set foot there, and then a strange god appeared and sealed our powers away."
The three archons took a deep breath, and Venti lowered his head. Zhongli said, "I understand your suspicion, Lumine, and I take no offense to it. If you're wondering what exactly happened, though, I can't help you. My contract only allows me to acknowledge that Khaenri'ah even existed."
Venti added, "I've got my own reasons to stay silent as well. Sorry, Aether and Lumine. I will promise that when you discover the truth, and I know you will, I'll confirm it."
Lumine looked over at Ei. Ei explained, "Unlike my colleagues, I do not have any special order to remain silent; unfortunately, I know only as much as my deceased sister shared with me shortly before she took her last breath. Some powerful creations originating from Khaenri'ah attacked Inazuma, and while I was fighting them, she went to Khaenri'ah. When she returned, she was on death's doorstep. I still don't know whether Khaenri'ah attacked first, or if the attack on Inazuma was brought about by some other means."
Aether said to Lumine, "I know for sure that none of these three are that Unknown God who called herself 'The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles".
Lumine sighed. "Alright, Aether, I'll trust them if you do. Thank you for not keeping it a secret from me."
Venti said, "Well, I heard the fireworks will start shortly after the sun goes down, and it's already sunset. Why don't we find a good spot to watch? Then we can show Lumine around your teapot!"
"Teapot?" Lumine asked.
Aether replied, "It's complicated, but basically I was given a magical teapot that contains a subspace domain I can control. Inside I have a large mansion with many rooms that I stay in. In fact, I even have an extra room that I've set aside because I was waiting for the day we'd be reunited."
Lumine smiled and said, "That sounds just like you. Although, are all of these archons living in the teapot with you?"
"Er, no," Aether said. "Just Zhongli and Venti. They, well, don't have any other place to stay right now. Zhongli forgot to make extra mora before his retirement just for himself, and Venti has basically been homeless for his entire existence."
She narrowed her eyes again and asked, "So the unbelievably beautiful one doesn't live there, right?"
Aether sighed and answered, "No, Ei doesn't live in the teapot. She has a castle, Tenshukaku, that she lives in. She doesn't need a place to stay."
"Good," Lumine said. "I can deal with you having male roommates, even if they are gods. The last thing I need to hear is you've been sharing a house with a woman that isn't me."
Venti and Zhongli looked at each other with a knowing glance. Mona walked back over with a small plate of seaweed salad and said to Aether, "Aether, are you, Zhongli, and Venti going to watch the fireworks together? Then I should probably stick with you. This way, I'll be around too when it's time to go back to the teapot."
Aether gulped. Lumine stared at him and asked in a low tone, "Onii-chan, is this woman saying she lives in the teapot? With you?"
"L-Listen, Lumine, I can explain," Aether tried to explain. But it was futile.
Lumine raged, "How is my brother this despicable?! Sharing a house with an unrelated woman? You better be charging her rent, at least!"
Mona looked frightened as she revealed, "Um, Aether offered to let me stay without paying rent—"
Aether now regretted having found Lumine so soon as she screamed in his ear. It was gonna take a lot of explaining, but he hoped that she would calm down when she sees that Mona's room is on the bottom floor, while his is on the top, not to mention when he tells her about the times that Mona had saved his life. Until he can explain, though, the night was going to be a long one.
The fireworks began to shoot off overhead, ignorant of the overprotective nee-san nagging her brother. Many people made wishes based on their deepest desires. Over the next few days, no one knew just how many of those wishes were going to get granted, nor did they know the fashion in which it would happen.
End of Part One: It's not a harem without a clueless member…or an overprotective nee-san. Today's result: Yae Miko and Kamisato Ayato lose.
8/31/2022: I edited some blatant errors and cleaned up some stuff. Traveler-sama finale is on its way! Also calling out my terrible memory since I saw the same errors like 20 times while re-reading the story and kept forgetting to go back and fix it. Derp.
