-How is he...? -Seamus worriedly asked the two Alchemists checking on the unconscious Archon lying on the bed, as he was trying hard not to show his own tiredness. -...Lord Barbatos should be okay now, right...?
He couldn't help adding in even more worry, hoping that it was really so,
That their Archon, after using his Time powers for the whole day, was going to be alright...
*Truthfully, praying for a whole day with barely any breaks, was hard even for him,
Surely it was even harder for the other members of the church and everyone else who joined later on...
...
But considering what their Archon just went through, he could care less about his own tiredness,
And seeing his daughters' worried expressions told him that they clearly felt the same way...
...
-...Physically, he should be fine after some rest and as long as he doesn't use any of his power for a while. -Albedo said moments later, looking and sounding serious and slightly thoughtful, before his expression turned conflicted. -...As for his emotional state, considering the two's history and what happened today...
-It would be for the best if someone stays here with him, to make sure he is not alone when he wakes up. In his current broken state, if he is left all alone, the consequences might become disastrous. -Emilia decided to continue for her "twin", realizing that it must be harder for him since he was closer to the nation's Archon than she was. Which was something she couldn't blame him for, being accepted in Mondstadt as they were, regardless of their origin...-...There is no sure way to tell when he will ultimately wake up and considering how much energy he used recently, it might take quite a while. So whoever decides to stay here with him, you must be prepared to stay the night if needed.
She soon added, now looking between the three family members in turn,
Quietly waiting for them to make their decision...
-He...Even while rapidly disappearing, even when his friend begged him to stop, he didn't want to let go...-Barbara was the first to say, looking and sounding extremely worried, even more so than her sister and father were. -...A little bit longer and he would have...
"...Died, just like that time a little less than a year ago when the Fatui attacked.", was left unsaid,
As the Deaconess was unable to bring herself to say it, since it reminded her of that traumatic experience...
*After cuddling with Venti for so long that her nightmares of that time finally disappeared,
But seeing that sorrowful scene, just minutes ago when his friend...Left was...
...
"I am always the one getting left behind! Everyone else grows old and dies!"
"Out of all the people we knew back then, you, Amos and a few others were killed during the rebellion! And everyone who survived? I had to see them grow older and older as the years went by, gradually getting weaker and weaker until they all died! I attended each one of their funerals, saying goodbye for one last time, knowing that I could never see them again, with everyone going where I can't follow! No matter how much I wanted to see them all again..."
"But they are not dead anymore, right? They have reincarnated. Yet they don't remember anything, they are truly gone now. I am the only one who survived and remembers."
"I am always the one who gets left behind! Don't you know how awful it feels like?! And now...Now you want to leave me again?! I...!"
...
It was already horrible from the very start,
And from then on, it became worse and worse...
...
Ending with his fright-inducing collapse...
"V-Venti...I-I...I-I just...W-wanted...Us...to..."
...
Lord Barbatos, Venti,
He almost...
-I will stay here and look after him. -Her thoughts were interrupted by the serious voice of her sister, as Jean soon turned to look at her with some sadness in her eyes. -Barbara, you should go and have some rest too. Traveling so much in one day must have been hard for you.
The Acting Grandmaster soon suggested, hoping that her sister agrees,
Not only must she be tired from traveling so much recently, but seeing Venti like that wasn't good for her...
*And neither was it good for anyone else, especially after seeing the scene they all gathered to just a while ago...
...
Honestly, she wasn't sure she would be able to help Venti even if she was in the room,
Unlike him, she never truly lost anyone, even if she came close to it a few times...
*Considering this undeniable fact, would she really be able to help him...?
...
...
She was still going to try, as much as she can,
It was the least she could do for him, after all...
...
This is what they all agreed to, when this whole situation started...
...
"I informed the people of the current situation. I made sure not to go into too much detail, there is no need to worry them even more than they already are.", Her mother, Alder Knight Frederica, said as soon as she entered the room, "...Speaking of, what is the actual situation we are dealing with here...? It's not a troublesome one, is it...?", It wasn't hard to notice her mother's small glare sent towards the KoF order's two Alchemists, who were now quietly sitting by the meeting table, seemingly ignoring her questions, "...From your silence, I take it that things are indeed troublesome. But I would really like you to tell me..."
"Things are not exactly troublesome, but rather dangerous.", Alchemist Emilia suddenly interrupted her mother's words, her expression seemingly shifting from serious to tired, "...Our idiotic Archon, he is gambling with his own life!", she yelled out those worrying words, before going on a long explanation, one which left all of them visibly shaken, "...I am still uncertain about human beliefs and etiquette, but isn't doing something like this still extremely reckless...? For an elemental like him, no matter how much energy he initially has, once it runs out it's the end."
...
"Then, we will make sure it doesn't. For as long as we can, we will make sure Lord Barbatos and his friend can have their closure. After everything he went through, depriving him of this chance would be unforgivable.", her father promised, looking determined and definitely already making plans to transform it into reality, "...For the sake of our Archon, who gave us our freedom, looked after us all in his own way and saved our lives so selflessly, it's the least we can do. Hopefully it will be enough..."
He added in some sadness, one she now clearly felt herself, as she was sure the others did as well,
After all, everyone already knew of their Archon's past and what happened during and after the rebellion...
*They couldn't deprive Venti from spending time with his friend, but to prolong it meant that...
"You are acting really weird today, sister Rosaria.", she heard Sir Diluc suddenly say, soon noticing him looking towards sister Rosaria in suspicion, "Knowing how much you came to care for the bard, I expected you to oppose the decision and instead propose to get rid of the threat yourself, now while that reckless idiot is still sleeping. So what suddenly...?"
"He died so young. I never thought much of it before, but meeting Lord Barbatos' friend back then made me realize just how young he was when he died.", sister Rosaria said, sounding conflicted and also sad(?), "...Losing his future at such a young age, it somehow reminded me of my own past...", she added in a quitter voice, before inspecting her hands, "Yet unlike me, he wasn't a killer. He was innocent.", the sister soon gripped her hands tight, before turning to look towards her father, Seneschal Seamus, with a determined expression, "For both our Archon's sake and to correct a horrible mistake, I agree to help you in whatever you have planned, Seneschal. Even if I have to join the Church chorus...I will do it! The two of them should be spending all their time together and making good memories.", the sister made a shocking promise, which was soon understandably followed by numerous gasps, yet it didn't look like it faltered her resolve, "...Besides, if anyone could stop Lord Barbatos from foolishly killing himself, it's his friend..."
...
And yet Venti didn't want to listen, even to him,
Recklessly continuing to use his power, even if it was rapidly killing him…
*He even insisted on making sure his friend didn't know any of this, as she was shocked to later find out…
...
...
They already expected something like this to happen,
But still, to actually experience it firsthand...
*It was even worse than when he refused to wake up...
...
...
Mondstadt almost lost their beloved Archon,
One who was now a part of everyone's family and a good friend...
When he woke up next,
It was to a ceiling of a familiar room...
*His and Barbara's bedroom, why was he...?
...
...
"Friend, I am glad...You finally...Stopped using your power...", his friend gratefully said, looking pretty tired and transparent now, as he soon enveloped him into a hug, "...It's alright...You are going to be just fine...With everyone here...Watching over you...", he heard a reassuring mumble, before his friend let go of him and turned to glance towards his people, "...You will continue...Taking care of my silly friend...Wouldn't you...?", his friend weakly asked, still worrying about him so much, the confirmation making him shed tears again, "...I am glad...Truly glad...Thank...You.."
His friend gratefully mumbled one last time, before turning to look towards him with a warm smile, before his human form soon disappeared, with a familiar Cecilia floating in its place, which dropped to the ground moments later, right in the middle of the similarly familiar flower crown...
...
The same one he made for his friend when they were spending time in Whispering Woods...
...
...
That's right,
Venti...
...
H-his friend was...!
...
A-after 2600 years...!
...
After 2600 years,
That they could finally reunite...!
...
...
...
He didn't want to say goodbye!
*But due to that promise, he...!
-Venti...I mean Barbatos...-He heard a familiar voice from nearby, the face of a worried looking Jean soon coming into his field of vision. -...It must be hard for you to hear that name now...-She soon mumbled, sounding and looking sad, before her expression turned worried again. -...You...What you did before, I can understand your feelings, I know it must be really hard...-She slowly said, looking and sounding conflicted. -...But please, don't do something like that again, alright...? If we waited even a little longer, you would have been...!
-I know, I am sorry. -He interrupted her, already starting to feel guilty again. Guilty that he made them worry for him so much, so fearful for his life...-...I wouldn't do something like that again, I am going to be more careful. I am not going to let you all feel like this anymore...
He soon promised her, trying to sound as reassuring as possible,
And yet horribly failing, the promise sounding hollow even to his own ears...
…
His friend…
…
…
Was he really not going to see his friend ever again...?
Was this really the last time that they could...?
-It's okay. It's okay. It's going to be okay. -He soon felt himself being lifted up and enveloped into a hug, one which felt so careful and warm. -Everyone is here for you, so it's going to be alright. We are going to make sure of it.
Jean continued to warmly and reassuringly tell him, caressing his hair with one hand,
And even if he felt too sorrowful to believe her words, ones which now sounded so alien...
...
He couldn't help drowning in the hug,
Grateful for having people who cared for him so much...
…
Maybe with their help,
The situation with his friend…
…
…
But his friend…
…
He was still…
…
…
Gone
