Raiden had never questioned her existence, never once questioned who she was.
The still body of water captured her face perfectly, the tranquility she prided herself upon reflected on its surface. As her mind wandered, however, lumbering back and forth like the ebb and the tide, so too did the water move, a faint shadow leaving soft ripples in its wake.
A fish, perhaps.
For as long as she could remember, she'd been the Shogun of Inazuma, her role clear and her purpose defined. The mere thought that she could be anything else, or anything more, had never occured to her.
She'd been aware of her surroundings, of course, and responded in a manner appropriate of her station. Threats were purged, allies tolerated, and the petty happenings of mortals ignored.
Why then, she wondered, would that suddenly change? Why would she, who was all but impervious to change, suddenly be overcome by it?
At first she believed Ei to be the culprit, her will succumbing to the Traveler's, and she recalled the flash of anger she'd felt upon reaching that conclusion. It enraged her to think that she was beholden to another, that her thoughts and feelings were not her own - that she was a mere puppet designed to carry out her master's bidding.
Her second thought was that she'd never been angry before, nor had she ever experienced such a distinct sense of self, and Raiden realized that the answer wasn't quite so simple.
All of Ei made up the Raiden Shogun, but not all of Raiden was born from Ei.
"Yes! Finally!"
The Traveler's triumphant exclamation caught her by surprise, and she found him raising his arms toward the heavens, proudly revealing his latest catch for all to see.
"Congratulations, Aether."
Raiden struggled to find any purpose in fishing - one strike of lightning and all the fish in the sea would be theirs for the taking. However, the activity seemed to please him, and for some reason, that in turn pleased her too.
It was for that reason alone that she'd accompanied him, traveling alongside him to the battle-scarred waters surrounding the Guyun archipelago. Morax' handiwork, though it had suffered from erosion, still told an impressive tale of the god's once great and terrible might.
"Thank you! I've tried to catch one of these for ages! I swear, it kept taunting me with its smug little face… not so smug anymore, are you?"
The fish flopped pathetically in his hands, and after a moment's hesitation the Traveler tossed it back into the ocean, once again stunning Raiden with his lack of predictability. After such an arduous struggle, the more logical course of action would've been to keep it as a trophy.
"It's your turn, Raiden."
"Excuse me?"
"Well, you can't just sit there all day, can you? Come on, I'll show you how it's done!"
"Wait! Not like that! No, don't-"
Lightning came crashing down from the sky, a bellowing roar of thunder accompanying it closely.
The sheer proximity of the strike had Aether stumbling backwards, his arms covering his face protectively. Raiden, on the other hand, appeared completely unbothered as she waded into the water, small currents of electricity dancing all around her, hundreds of thoroughly cooked fish slowly rising to the surface.
Paimon had awoken with a start, her stubby arms flailing, screeching about monsters that didn't exist. When her eyes finally fell upon the Shogun, she paused, sighed, and then, a fleshy, smacking sound marked the moment that her tiny palm met with her face.
"See?" said Raiden, returning with her hands full of fish. "This way is far more effective. I hope that my demonstration has removed all doubt from your mind, and also made the fallacy of your own method all the more evident."
Aether pinched the bridge of his nose.
"That's- That's not the point."
"I… do not understand."
"It's not about the fish." he explained. "Well, I suppose it is, but there's more to it than that. It's about peace and quiet, patience, and… a bit of hope. In the end, it doesn't really matter whether the rod is bent or not."
"That's right!" Paimon chimed in, her voice perky as she pumped a fist into the air. "Good things come to those who wait, and the Traveler's already had lots of good things happen while fishing - like that time when he caught Paimon!"
Aether fought down the urge to tease his companion, rearing to point out how that particular catch benefitted her far more than it did him.
"Hey… why are you looking at Paimon like that?" she asked suspiciously. "Are you thinking bad things about Paimon again?!"
"I would never."
Aether had never heard Raiden laugh this way - and she would vehemently deny ever doing so - but unless his ears deceived him, the smallest giggle just escaped her throat. Paimon huffed indignantly, pouting and turning her back towards them, unwittingly providing him with an opening he'd been searching for.
It was a chance for vengeance, after all, a way to get back at Raiden for a certain kiss, and he approached her stealthily, sneaking his hand into hers.
"Aether? You are… holding my hand."
"Yes."
"There is a fish in it."
"I noticed."
They shared a glance, not a word spoken between them, before both broke out into laughter.
For a while now, Aether had seen the spark of life in Raiden's eyes, and each time that he did, warmth blossomed in his heart. It wasn't so strange, he figured - Scaramouche too displayed a range of emotions far beyond that of a soulless puppet.
"Why?" she asked suddenly, her giggles subsiding. The waves of the ocean reached ever higher, nearly soaking their feet, and for a split-second, Raiden hesitated.
"Why me, and not Ei?"
"Is it really one or the other?"
"I… do not understand."
Aether kicked lightly at the sand, equal parts exasperated and elated. Yae Miko had said that Ei was like a child, and in many ways she was, but he'd not expected Raiden to be just as infantile. He couldn't find it in himself to hold it against her, however, far too happy knowing that she was somehow breaking out of her boundaries.
"People are complex. They have many facets, many faces… just like you and Ei. You're two different sides of the same coin, and I want to spend time with both of you."
"I see." she said eventually.
He wasn't so sure that she did see, but one day, he promised, she would. Even if it took an eternity, he would do all that he could to make her happy.
"Aether…" whispered Raiden. "Could you teach me how to fish?"