Jean was walking through the city of Mondstadt. Somehow she found herself by the statue of...

-...Barbatos...Venti...-Jean felt herself say in sadness, before sighing deeply.

It has been 10 years already...

...

After he...

...

Even though ten years have already passed, it felt like it happened just yesterday...

...

Just thinking about it made her feel depressed once again...

...

To think that their own Archon,

Who they knew as "Venti" for 3 whole years,

Would die right before their eyes and in such a horrible way...

...

If only there was a way to go back in time…

They sent Hopkinks and Jotun to Andrius, told him what happened and decided to leave them there and run away from the place, when they saw how dark his face suddenly got. The two men were never seen or heard from again.

Dvalin reluctantly became the new Anemo Archon, in order to try bringing him back, after hearing of how he once brought Boreas back together. But, Barbatos was originally a wind spirit, not a collective will taken form like Boreas, so it didn't work. So, Dvalin made it his life's purpose to look over and protect Mondstadt in remembrance of his friend.

The hill they saw him off was now a field of Cecilias that Flora fondly took care of. Especially on this day, which they made as the yearly day of mourning for their dead Archon.

And today was the first anniversary...

...

That must have been why she was feeling so down,

Just like she expected, they never fully got over it...

*Even on normal days, it felt gloomier that it was 10 years ago...Before he...

...

It also seemed like people were still praying to their "Lord Barbatos",

Though now it was either apologies or wishes that wherever he is, he found peace.

To keep his memory alive, they also wrote a book about him,

With all the info of him as both "Barbatos" and "Venti" inside, with drawings of him in both of those forms…

It would have been better if he was still alive,

Him dying back then and in such a heartbreaking way…

*Why did he think so little of himself…?

Why did he,

Back then…?

-Grandmaster Jean! -She was interrupted from her sorrowful thoughts by a familiar voice, Flora now running towards her with a strange creature in her arms, which was currently asleep. -Look who I found laying in the Cecilia field!

Jean was quiet as she looked at the small creature in the florist's arms,

One that soon reminded her of a miniature Abyss Mage…

*Why did it appear THERE of all places…?!

Was it some kind of scheme by the Abyss Order…?!

- The nerve of those Abyss monsters, to do something so disgusting and TODAY of all days, when we are having the anniversary of HIS death! -Jean couldn't help but yell out in rage, as she summoned her Aquila Favonia sword. -I have no idea what the Abyss Order's plans are, but I will be sure to stop them now!

She declared upon preparing to strike,

Ready to stab the possible danger to Mondstadt!

*And completely blind to Flora's sudden horror in her rage.

She wasn't going to let those monsters' sins go unpunished,

Especially not today, when…!

-...Huh, why can't I move…? -The Grandmaster suddenly asked in rising shock and confusion, feeling that she suddenly couldn't move, her hand holding the sword shaking uncontrollably. -...Why do I suddenly can't move my arm…?

And the strange state of her body wasn't the only weird thing that happened,

But the "baby Abyss Mage" before her, Jean felt like she couldn't do it,

She couldn't harm him in any way, she just couldn't…

*"Him"? how did she know it was a "he"...?

She felt that if she stabbed him,

She would regret it for the rest of her life and even after death...

...

In fact, Jean felt a sense of familiarity she didn't feel in a long time...

Not after...

-V-Venti...! -Jean said in shock and horror at the realization of what she almost did, her sword dropping to the ground below. -...I-it's Venti…! B-Barbatos…! -She found herself practically snatching him from the now completely shocked Flora's hands and dropping to the ground in a sitting position, as she was holding him close and crying. -...H-he is back…! He is really back…!

There was complete silence after her sudden breakdown,

Flora and everyone else in the area now looking sadly towards the crying Grandmaster.

-...G-grandmaster Jean, I am going to tell everyone about it now. -The florist finally said, her voice slightly unsure. -...I-I will be sure to have everyone gather here shortly, including Lord Dvalin and…-She almost mumbled the last part, still in shock by what was happening. -I-I will be back soon, so it's going to be alright…!

She finally yelled out before rushing off,

Wondering how exactly she was going to inform everyone of this.

*Especially since she herself wasn't quite sure of what happened herself,

The florist wasn't sure if it was real or if she was dreaming.

Could their past Archon really have come back…?

Now, after 10 years of being dead…?

It wasn't just false hope, was it…?


It didn't take long for everyone to gather,

Though, they were confused as to what this gathering was about.

*As well as secretly confused and/or concerned by their Grandmaster's current state,

As they could clearly see her clutching something to her chest, her eyes red from tears.

-Grandmaster Jean, what is the reason for this sudden gathering? -Albedo asked her in seriousness and with some concern, as he and Sucrose walked up to her. -And why do you appear to be…? -He suddenly paused in his words, the Alchemist and his assistant realizing what the form in Jean's arms was. -...Is that a Wind Spirit? How did you manage to find it, when by all accounts they should be long extinct?! -He then yelled out in shock, before taking out a strange device and checking the Wind Spirit with it. -...Somehow, it appears to have an extremely high amount of Anemo energy inside of it. Something that shouldn't be possible for normal Wind Spirits, who were said to be not much stronger than slimes! How could it be possible to…?!

- Barbatos?! -A completely shocked voice was suddenly heard, just as Dvalin, in his human form, ran up to the small scene. -... Y-you are alive?!

Gasps of shock accompanied the other's words,

Everyone gathered in the area now wondering if they heard their Archon right…

*Wondering if their old Archon, Lord Barbatos, was really back now,

If he truly, after ten years of being dead, was brought back to life…

There were accounts of him originally being a Wind Spirit, right…?

Could Celestia have taken pity on them and decided to reincarnate him…?

*But, was his memory and personality still there or was it erased?

Hopefully, it was the former and not the latter…

- I should give back the Gnosis which I kept safe for all these years. -Dvalin suddenly said, as he summoned the Anemo Gnosis, which was floating over his right hand. - With my friend, Barbatos, finally back, it's time to return it to its rightful place.

The dragon in human form warmly added,

As he hovered the Gnosis to the form still sleeping in Jean's arms.

Which floated there for what felt like ages, starting to make everyone distraught,

Before it hovered towards, entered and then seemingly disappeared inside the smaller form,

Not a second later a green light started glowing from the form and the Anemo circle appeared right under it.

Soon, Jean had to release her arms, as the small form floated high in the sky,

Within seconds starting to take the familiar shape everyone remembered.

*Many now watching it with sadness and regret, remembering what happened a decade ago.

As the light died down, the familiar and unconscious form dropped down from the sky,

With Jean rushing to catch him in her arms before he could reach the ground.

*As the Grandmaster was holding him tight and close,

Unconsciously afraid that he would disappear again, permanently this time…

-... Where…? -Barbatos slowly said as he was opening his eyes, sounding as if he just woke up from a long dream. -... I am…Alive...?! -He continued in shock upon sitting up and looking around, unknowingly making something in Jean's heart clench. - I am supposed to be dead!

She suddenly saw red and before she could stop herself,

The Grandmaster smacked him across the face, hard.

-WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE "SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD", AS IF YOU BEING ALIVE NOW IS SOME KIND OF MISTAKE?! -Jean started yelling, unable to control herself, to the Archon's rising shock, realization and sadness. -DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU MADE EVERYONE HERE GO THROUGH?! DO YOU?!

-... J-Jean, I… -Barbatos started before suddenly pausing, as the Grandmaster proceeded to hug him, crying heavily as she did so. -... Jean…? Why are you…?! -He asked in shock and confusion, before noticing that other people around them were crying now too. -.. .Everyone…! W-why…? !

He wondered aloud, starting to feel very bad about everyone's reactions,

And also guilty once he realized that they were crying because of him…

*But why would they cry so heavily, just for him…?

He wasn't anyone worth worrying over,

He wasn't…

-Lord Bar…Venti, are you alright…? -Jean asked in concern a few seconds later, she and everyone around them starting to get worried about the suddenly quiet Archon, who soon had his eyes widened in shock and then horror. -...Is there something wrong with your revival…?!

He wasn't answering her question, seemingly never having heard it at all,

Which made everyone even more worried for his well being, afraid that his sudden revival…

-... J-Jean I...I looked into your memories…! I-I never thought...! I never realized...! MERCIFUL CELESTIA, WHAT DID I DO TO YOU ALL...?! -Barbatos finally said, his voice latched in guilt. -... I-I am sorry...! I am sorry...! I am so sorry...! I am sorry...! I am sorry…!

He suddenly started mumbling apologies, over and over, until his words became incoherent…

Jean realized that she couldn't stay mad at him,

Especially not when he looked so guilt stricken...

-...It's okay...It's okay now...-Jean told him in reassurance, as she enveloped him into a hug again. -...Just don't...Don't do something like that ever again...Okay...?

She saw Barbatos slowly nod,

The Archon looking a little less guilt-stricken and horrified now…


It didn't take long for Jean to tell him about the current date and what it meant,

The Archon attentively listening to her explanation and then became silent for a long time…

-.. .So, you were holding a yearly day of mourning...For 10 years straight.. .-Barbatos suddenly said in a quiet voice, with an unreadable expression on his face, as he crossed his arms in thought. -... And every year it was exactly the same...? With the atmosphere and... -He looked guilt stricken again, before sighing sadly and then looking between everyone around him. -.. .Huh...To think that I misunderstood everything so much and made you go through all that.. .-He suddenly put his hands on his face in despair. -... Sweet Celestia, why had I never noticed how much you actually cared about me...?!

-...In your defense, we never realized who you actually were, even though we knew you as "Venti" for 3 years. -Jean truthfully said, deciding that someone should reassure him, no matter how much effect her words had on him. -...And even though there's a huge statue with your face standing right on our right.

That made the Archon chuckle slightly...

-... So, all of us were blind. ..-He quietly said, before he put his hands down from his face and sadly looked between everyone again. -... Still, what I did was a lot worse...To think that I made you go through so much anguish and despair.. .-His voice was laced in shame and regret. -.. .Is there anything I can do to make up for it...?

There was some silence after his words,

The Grandmaster soon looking towards him with a serious expression…

-You are to stay in the city, with at least one person accompanying you at all times. -She then said, looking even more serious now. -...So that you won't do anything stupid again…

She added with a sad mumble,

Which was clearly heard by the person before her.

-... I deserve that, don't I...? -Barbatos sadly said, starting to feel remorseful again. -... After that "stunt" I pulled last time…

Lightly putting it, that is,

If only it was just a small and harmful stunt…

But what he did to them was so much worse,

Without realizing how much they actually cared, he…!

-And while you are staying in Mondstadt, you can help the citizens with different tasks using your Anemo powers, as well as share your more than 2600 years of wisdom. -The Grandmaster interrupted his guilt stricken thoughts, a warm smile soon appearing on her face. -...That would surely help you get stronger, right?

- So, you noticed…

-After what happened last time, I am trying to be more observant when it comes to you!

-.. .Huh...I really blew up everything...Badly… -The Archon sadly admitted, before looking between everyone around him again, his gaze stopping on Jean. -... I understand, I will do as you ask of me. -He promised her and everyone else, as his expression soon turned serious and determined. - I will never let you experience something like that ever again!