Chapter 2: Memories of the past

Sorry for the long delay but I'm back :D

Thanks everyone for reading this

(Update: Fixed grammar issue, sorry for the inconvenience)

Guili Plain

Thanks to Aether's teleport ability, they had reached the location quickly but they still had to walk for a while. Along the way they didn't talk nor look at each other, trying to hide their red faces.

The silence only broke when Paimon began to speak: "So how is it in Yujing Terrace now, Ganyu ?"

"Everything is going very well …although I was gone for a few days but they weren't mad at me" Ganyu said as she finally looked at Aether "Thank you Aether for helping me…"

"It was nothing…" Aether said, smiling "We are friends after all, right?"

"Friends…" Ganyu mumbled…she was glad to hear that from him but somehow, she could feel that wasn't enough

"Is there something wrong Ganyu ?" Aether looked at her as she was spacing out.

"Ah..I'm fine…I'm just feeling so nervous…"

"Don't worry, we will help you. There's nothing we can't do!" Paimon said, trying to cheer her up "Let's finish this quickly so we can go eat!" The words from the fairy made Aether and Ganyu giggle, wiping away the anxious atmosphere

30 minutes later, they had arrived but something wasn't right

"I didn't see anyone here…" Ganyu looked around in confusion

"We didn't see anyone around here either" Aether and Paimon checked nearby but no result

Aether looked at the box Ganyu was holding "Moon Carver told us to open this box when we get here, right? Let's see if we can find out about the recipient"

Ganyu nodded then opened it. She was surprised when she saw the contents:

A fresh bouquet of Gaze Lily with the name of the receiver: "To our best friend…Guizhong" and then a letter:

"We usually visit this place a few times every year to give these flowers to her…Time flies so fast but the moments they had spent with us still feel like yesterday. At first, we didn't want to take you with us to visit this place since we were afraid you might not able to bear it…but realizing that we can't run away from those memories forever. This time we leave it to you."

This is the place where Guizong and Rex Lapis had founded Guili Assembly before it was destroyed during the Archon war and more importantly…

Guizhong died at that time too…

She was an acquaintance to Ganyu for thousands of years, she was like a part of her family…she thought the happiness would last like this forever but then the tragedy happened…

Guizhong was no longer with them…with her anymore…

Time passed; people started to move on as the memories about them slowly fading away as they grew old…but the Qilin are different. Being able to stay young with their incredible memories is a blessing but also a curse to them…They still remember the moment when their friend was still with them, the moment when they fought together…the moment when they were still happy together…all of those good memories were still there and so many of them yet…

The moment when they heard or witnessed someone dying or disappearing for reason from age to fighting, all of these only happened once in their life but for unknown reason the feeling of the pain and sorrow from them could last for so long and stick in their mind and probably haunting them for a longer time compared to the number of good memories.

It felt like being stabbed many times directly in their hearts and minds. Even after being pulled out and having their wounds healed, the scars on them would carry on for the rest of their life.

The flower was still in her hand as if trying to re-call her old friends, her acquaintances to see her.

But no one came nor answered her as she couldn't see or hear anyone because they were all gone…

"Guizhong…everyone…" Ganyu was still standing there, motionless while trembling. Her voice was calling them weakly in desperation as she wished for a miracle to happen which she knew only existed in fairy tales.

Reality can be cruel to everyone.

With their Vision or Genosis, they could manipulate fire, water, ice, wind, lightning…all kind of elements, splitting huge islands in half but despite that, they can't bring the dead back to life. Once they were gone, the only proof of their existence was nothing but the memories that stayed in other people's heads.

Even if they could be resurrected, they wouldn't be the same as they were before like Qiqi for example. They would be (are) just soulless people inside an empty shell and seeing those people like that is even more painful.

Ganyu was now facing those bad memories again and she didn't know how she should deal with them. She may still have friends in Yuehai Pavilion, relatives in Jueyun Karst but…

They couldn't follow her or be with her forever…and Rex Lapis had recently left her too. One day she will be alone again

Don't cry… Ganyu mumbled to herself while doing the task they had given to her.

Don't cry… Don't cry… She was gripping her hand, trying to hold the emotion.

Don't…especially in front of him…She doesn't want anyone to see her so weak like this.

Please…

She couldn't do it…

She wasn't Xiao, an adeptus who would bear the pain and hide it all inside, she was only a half adeptus…

She had human feelings too and they couldn't hold all of these emotions altogether for thousands of years. And now, she could feel the human part of her rising up. She could feel the scenery around her was slowly blurring as she realized the tears kept flowing out from her eyes. She tried to hold them back but her body didn't respond.

"Why is it so unfair…" Ganyu tried to keep herself together but couldn't, the pain inside her soul was too heavy to carry on at the moment "Why did everyone leave me?"

"Ganyu…" Paimon mumbled while looking at Aether "We should do something"

Aether was looking at Ganyu, although he didn't know who she was thinking about but he could guess that person might be someone she really loves and cares about, probably her family, because...

He also lost someone too and it was his sister. She is still missing currently and won't come back to him anytime soon.

He and his sister had travelled together for a long time through countless worlds, they never had the feeling of being separated before. Until now…

He was desperate…the moment when he thought he could grab her and they could have gone home together but she simply walked away from him again…he had lost his only family twice right before his eyes. But he knew crying or bragging wasn't helping him, he had to stand up, he had to move on if he wanted to see his sister again.

Despite all that he knew his sibling was still alive at least but to Ganyu, the people once gone will never come back.

Perhaps that's why he feels sympathetic towards her.

He had to do something.

Without a second thought, Aether quickly ran to Ganyu and went for an embrace from behind, trying to comfort her.

"It's ok to cry, Ganyu…Just let it all out," Aether said… "I'm here for you…You don't need hold back"

What is this feeling? Ganyu asked herself when she felt someone was hugging her from behind "It's feels so strange…yet so familiar". She turned around and saw

The Traveller was right in front of her and hugging tightly…yet she wasn't bothered by it.

This wasn't right.

He wasn't Guizhong or any Adepti nor anyone she knew before and he wasn't even from Liyue.

But still, she could feel the warmth spreading from him to her and it was so comfortable and safe.

With nothing left to be afraid of, the emotion that she had been holding for so long busted into tears.

Ganyu wrapped her hand around his shoulder and returned the hug while still sobbing non-stop.

"Why does everyone I love and cared for so much have to die? why didn't they stay with us…" Ganyu said between her sobbing, trying to look for a reply which almost impossible to answer.

"Because they cared about you too, they sacrificed themselves for others to live and that includes you…That's why we have to live to our best so their death won't be in vain" Aether said while not sure if that was the best answer or not.

Ganyu instead of replying to Aether but continued to hug him tighter and crying even on his shoulder. Aether knew she would need a bit more time to calm down so he just stood there hugging her while patting her head instinctively hopefully she would be back soon.

He knew he must be there for her.

He didn't want to see anyone suffer the same thing as him anymore, especially her.

…

A few moments later…

After she regained herself, Ganyu opened her eyes as her vision and sense were returning to normal. The first thing she knew was that she was hugging someone while being embraced as well. By the time she realized who that person was by looking up, her train of thought soon went wild…

That person was Aether.

And he just stood there so she could vent all the sorrow that had been stuck inside her soul for the millennia.

How long did he stay? No one knows.

"What have I done...uuwwuuu…Did I just hug him all of the time and why did he hug me too…What can I say to him…" Ganyu thought while trying to explain to Aether as she was so embarrassed. Her face flushed deep red like a tomato while her eyes were about to cry anytime and only snapped out when Aether called out her name again.

"How do you feel right now…" He said to her, his smile somehow made Ganyu feel a lot better.

"I…am fine now…thanks for staying with me" She nodded. "Let's finish their request, shall we?

A few minutes later, they managed to set up a small altar to show their respect to the people who had fallen to create and protect Liyue.

"Thank you for what you have done to protect Liyue" Ganyu put the Glaze Lily flower from the box near the stele "Especially you… Guizhong, I missed you so much…the time we have been together, the time you took care of us all and the time we had fought together side by side…we still remember them as they were yesterday and we couldn't accept the painful truth and move on… Since then, we were drowning ourselves in the sea of the past"

She paused for a while then looked at the Traveler who was waiting for her and smiled: "But then a stranger came from afar that no one knew of but he made us realize we had been sleeping in the past for too long. And I really admired him since then, especially about the time when he helped me at the adeptus training, every time I see him I just -"

Before she going to say the rest, she suddenly stopped saying while her face was blushing, but then she continued: "But although I won't forget about the good old time no matter how much time has passed but we have to move on to protect and continue your legacy that you had entrusted to us. Again, thank you and Farewell, Guizhong…one of the people who were closest to me"

Meanwhile Aether was watching Ganyu doing all the whole time, despite her sadness was still inside her but this time she was smiling quite happy while doing and she didn't feel burden anymore.

After she was done, she went to Aether and looked at him quite guilty for making him wait for quite long but it seems like he didn't bother about it after all.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting…" Ganyu looked down, trying to apologize him.

"No, it's ok…" Aether smiled "You seem like you have a lot of things to tell them"

"This is the first time I feel so relieved when facing these memories…It feels like everything that I have always kept secret in my heart just fell out and I don't need to hide it anymore" Ganyu said while looking at him, blushing "It's all thanks to you, Traveler"

"It's was nothing…" Aether replied, he can feel his face was a bit hot as he tried to looked away "I just don't want anyone have to suffer the same thing like this again"

"Again?" Ganyu was confused "Have you had to go through things like this before?"

Aether was suddenly startled when she asked a question like that. He wanted to tell her about his story but he wasn't sure if he should tell her or not since she had just gone through all those emotions earlier.

"Sort of…" Paimon said nervously.

"Oh…then if you don't want to tell me about it then is ok" Ganyu said "Everyone has secret to keep though"

After thinking back and forth a few times, he decided to tell her about his lost sister…his only family for now. Perhaps he wanted to share his stories so he could ease the sadness he has carried during the whole time.

"No, wait…" Aether grabbed Ganyu's hand making her jerked out a bit but then she looked back at him. "As long as it's you, I will tell you about it. But first let's get somewhere to rest"

He took out his Serenetea pot from his inventory as all three went inside.

"Welcome to our humble abode" Aether said while taking Ganyu go with him, he used the Liyue's theme as the architecture in there is really interesting and eye catching.

"Wow such a wonderful place, it feels like…home" Ganyu exclaimed and looking around "It even has garden too…But why are the fields so empty? You haven't planted anything yet?"

Aether scratched his head "Umm well Keqing said you are expert about it so I need you to help me with the flowers and vegetables…"

"I will help you with the flower, we can go buy some together if you like, after we're done giving the next box to Madam Ping tomorrow " Ganyu said before thinking of a list of flowers Aether should buy then continued while drooling slightly "About vegetable…You will probably need someone else"

"Oh, sorry for letting you stay here too long…" Aether said then grabbed Ganyu's hand "Let's get in, I will prepare the meal"

Aether thought she was simply hungry after a long adventure and didn't know that she might be less able to control her appetite if he wanted her to help him about vegetables…

Within a few minutes the meal was ready to serve as Ganyu had a dish of Universal Peace while Aether and Paimon had some Jade pracels.

"Feel free to dig in everyone" Aether called as he and Paimon started to eat while Ganyu was just staring at the dish with her hands were balling into fists

"Are you ok, Ganyu" Paimon asked "We know you are vegetarian so we made this dish, is it not good enough for you?"

"No, that's not it" Ganyu shook her head, trying to fight her inner gluttony yet her saliva sometimes leaked out of her mouth and she had to wipe it off which made Aether and Paimon even more worried about her…

"Are you sick then?" Aether was about to put his hand on her forehead to check but Ganyu stopped him

Feeling unable to convince him, Ganyu took a spoon then leaned to his ear, made his face blush deeply and also caused him and Paimon to be even more confused. She then whispered to him "Please don't tell anyone about this alright?"

Aether didn't know what that meant but he still nodded.

And then Aether saw Ganyu make a scene he did not expect.

She just ate a whole dish within a few seconds and quickly called for another one…

Surprised, Aether and Paimon had to take turns giving one dish to another to her for over 30 minutes straight…she ate so much that almost half of the food reserve he had in his house was now in Ganyu's stomach.

"Thanks for the meal…Aether" Ganyu said shyly and tried to cover her face while looking away at the whole stack of plates beside her.

Meanwhile Aether had lost count on how many times he had given food to her.

After the cleanup they settled in the living room, Aether started to tell Ganyu about his story. About his journey, about how he ended up in Teyvat, being separated with his twin, how he met Paimon…till the time when he met everyone in Mondstadt and then Liyue.

"And that's my whole story" Aether said

"So…You've come this far…" Ganyu was surprised at his intention for travelling so far "Just to find your sister"

"Yes" Aether nodded "She's the person who is closest to me"

Ganyu might had been alongside with the Gods, with the other Adeptus to do many notable things from forming a nation, fighting during the great Archon War and become a hard-working person to build Liyue. And she thought all of these great things always came with a great reason. But now she realized it was wrong.

It could come from even the simplest thing…to find her sister.

Aether had fought all of these god-like creatures from Dvalin and, Boreas in Monstadt to Osial in Liyue and many others. He did all of the commissions they had given to him from the hardest to the silliest thing ever. Especially after he defeated Osial, they had given him the chance to have anything but he just asked them to…put on some missing person posters. As long as there was any hope, he would do anything…

To find his sibling, his only family left

"Aether, I…I don't know what to say" Ganyu felt she was being overwhelmed at this information he had given to her…she didn't know how to reply to him.

"It's ok…" Aether said, trying to cheer her up before giving out a long sigh "It's nothing compared to what we have gone through before"

But nothing could hide from Ganyu's eyes as she could see Aether was lying to himself, his restless voice when he said to her was told differently.

He had been so tired for many years, he had had enough of these, he was so exhausted but he couldn't stop, he wasn't allowed to do that. For him, there was no place for weakness. He didn't want people to waste time sympathizing with him because no one would understand him.

He had to keep moving if he ever wanted to see his sister again.

Perhaps that was why he might have comforted so many people yet he couldn't comfort himself since he had no one really close to him besides Paimon. But that wasn't enough for him…he couldn't understand why.

"This doesn't look like him" Ganyu thought while looking at him seem to be spacing out "I need to do something"

Ganyu went close and sat next to him and did the same thing he had done to her today…

By giving him a gentle hug.

"No, it's not" Ganyu whispered quietly to him "You are not…"

Aether was flustered by her action, he was going to push her away from him, but then he couldn't do it. He was afraid he might hurt her feelings again. Not to mention that hug from her was somehow.

Familiar, close and warm.

It felt like she was a relative to him.

Thinking that wasn't enough for him, Ganyu was hesitating for a while then decided to do something even more bold which she had never thought before…By pulling him down to her lap and let him rest on her soft thigh, giving him as much comfort as possible.

He didn't move an inch at all, he was enjoying it and he didn't want to let these feelings go away, until…

He found this somehow embarrassing

"I'm sorry, that…that" Aether tried to apologize to her while his face was getting red "That was rude of me" then he tried to get up but Ganyu kept holding him down while also not to hurt him.

"You can rest your head on me…I…I don't mind about it" Ganyu tried to reply to him as she was blushing too "As long as it can help you feel better…you deserved to have a nice rest for what you have done to me so please just let me at least do something for you today"

Being convinced, Aether slowly laid back on her lap while looking at Ganyu who was also looking back at him and humming something happily.

Ganyu then started to sing one of her favorite songs when she was young thousands of years ago.

She usually heard it from Guizhong and she found it really relaxing.

And now she sang it for him.

It was so pure, sweet, calming and drove away any negative energy around her. For Aether, it also relieved him of the troubles he has been through all this time, the burden he has to carry. Just like the essence of Qilin, a blessing to anyone who listens to it.

He could finally have a peaceful sleep after a long time.

Two wounded souls were trying to heal each other…

How ironic the world was...

To be continued

P/s: It seems like everything just turned 180 degrees