dndkeg: Three strong guesses...interestingly, one of those points does indeed come up this chapter, but probably not in the way you thought.

If answers are really "written in the stars", to quote a certain astrologist, then I need one of those stone towers to get closer.

Sighing, Aether maneuvered around the seemingly never-ending pile of leaves that surrounded him and leapt to the world below. This time at least, there was no reason to worry about the previously-manned branches snapping, or even slightly budging. Indeed the giant oak tree was unfazed by anything he had done, looking perfectly able to stand for another 500 years at least.

Aether felt the sudden rush of wind from his momentary free-fall before digging his heels into the ground. Backtracking to the Statue of the Seven, he sat down right next to his Serentea Pot, where Amber and Paimon resided. It had only been a few minutes since the archer had left to go back inside 'her' room, so he definitely had plenty of time to think before sleep truly came.

It didn't exactly feel like that though, The reason why Amber was frowning…Aether felt as if the answer was right there…and it made him impatient. If this was anything he could help with, he would! But first there had to be a identifiable problem, a reason for this distress…what was it though?

Touching a couple of fingers to his cheek (which caused him to regain a slight pink tinge) Aether felt some relief. The kiss probably- ok, hopefully -meant that whatever was on Amber's mind wasn't on a relationship-ending scale. And because of that, Aether felt that he could safely rule out the more emotional reasons, like any hidden jealousy or anger towards him.

That was about as far as he got in his thinking before hitting a wall though. He just needed something else…

To try and provide that spark, Aether took a look around Windrise…but saw nothing out of the ordinary, not even signs that another person had come here recently. Guess Jean has been busy as always, he thought. feeling compelled to turn and look in Mondstadt's direction at the reminder of the Acting Grandmaster's work preventing her from visiting. Even on the ground, he could make out the city's large windmill constantly moving throughout the night. The roofs of people's houses were just the right shade of brown for him to see some as well, even from this distance. And of course, the cathedral being at the highest point made it easy to identify, the way it loomed over the rest of the town.

Good thing they were so close after all, he would hate to make Amber be late for her daily meetings. Although his sudden return would probably do that anyway really. There were a lot of people he was going to talk to, he just knew it, but especially considering the rather emotional farewell when he left for Inazuma.

Looking back, Aether couldn't blame himself for acting the way he did, he really only had Kazuha's stories to go off of, and they didn't exactly paint the region in the best light to put it mildly. And now that everything was settled, there was a sharp realization of just how dangerous the journey had been. If Thoma hadn't stopped the Shogun when he did…If Yae hadn't stepped in at the Delusion factory…and especially if Kazuha's friend's Vision didn't activate to block the last attack…yeah, things were very risky for a while.

This recollection was making him shudder. As much as I missed her, I'm glad Amber didn't come with in hindsight. It could've turned into a disaster very quickly…

But as the mental argument of "Overprotectiveness versus trust" was starting to creep back in, he realized that he was getting off-topic and forced himself to draw his thoughts back to his girlfriend, knowing that he couldn't afford to get distracted now. The earlier mention of farewells was something worth exploring, maybe that topic would provide the clue he desperately needed.

After leaving Mondstadt, we went to Liyue to do the same thing there….then we had our final talk. That was all, right?

Aether felt his mind work overtime as he tried to recall every last detail of that day, This was, of course, not what he expected to think about when he returned. Upon reaching Liyue Harbor, he and Paimon had made a beeline for Mondstadt, even briefly considering going over Dragonspine to get there. And now that they were back, there was just one thing left…

Maybe I should get Paimon, speaking of… talking this out might help. he thought, almost reaching out a hand to the teapot's entrance before holding it back. …No. I want to figure this out by myself… Plus, she'll probably lecture me again.

"This is what you get for making too many promises, even Paimon forgets some of them!" Aether jokingly thought in a way-too-squeaky voice. Despite his imitation though, he knew that she was right, he did have a habit of making a lot of promises. Promises to return, promises to find people, find items, defeat monsters, the list went on and on. Although he was happy to help most of the time…well, Ayaka and Thoma saw for themselves what happened if you pushed it.

But on that point: was there a promise he'd made to Amber…?

Beyond just returning safely, could there be another? Something he hadn't done? Was it related to going to Inazuma? That would make the most sense…

A promise made in Liyue…something I didn't do? What-

…

Aether removed his hand from his head.

He would have to thank Paimon later. Maybe a Sticky Honey Roast would do.

-0-

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Amber, can I come in?"

A second passed…then another. "Yes, you can. It's fine."

Aether inhaled and slowly opened the door mid-breath. He wasn't shocked at what he saw, far from it. This was the guest room of his teapot, after all, frequently visited by him whenever he had people over. Of course by now, it had essentially been converted to Amber's second room when it was possible. Good thing it didn't see much use in Inazuma, there might have been some uncomfortable questions if any stranger saw the various bows put away or the uniforms in the closet. But to his relief, even in the mild darkness, Aether could still tell that the room was basically untouched from the last time she was in here.

That was to be expected though, that was the easy part.

But as he cast his vision towards the right, through the murk, he saw her again. Amber laid out on top of the bed sheets. Despite her facing away from him, Aether could tell she was clutching her Baron Bunny thanks to the plush's long ears. Wondering if the stuffed Paimon he got her was around while he closed the door-

"You can leave it open." That wasn't her normal cheerful voice, but it wasn't one that had a feeling of sadness or irritation either. It just sounded…tired.

Aether followed the request, letting some hallway light slightly illuminate the room. With light footsteps, he softly walked over to the bed. Now if someone else saw the blonde right now, they'd think he was super calm and collected…when really it was the complete opposite, his stomach was doing backflips and his throat felt sore already. When he confessed to Amber…when he had to inform her of his departure to Inazuma and subsequent farewell…even going back to when he thought he saw Lumine at Stormterror's Lair…all those times, Paimon was at least there beforehand to work out what he wanted to say, if not present for the actual talk.

But not this time. He had figured what the issue was (or at least, he hoped he had) but where the conversation was going to lead to? A complete unknown. There were some points he wanted to bring up too, points that would require great care to approach.

Reaching the bed now, he gently sat down on the edge, taking care not to crush the archer's legs. Aether wanted to reach out, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but he couldn't, not yet anyway. At the same time though, he wasn't getting any kind of sense from her that he wasn't welcome, so he'd just have to take that. After breathing out to calm himself down, Aether spoke.

"I'm…sorry. For getting your hopes up I mean."

The first sound he heard after those words left his lips was Amber letting out a light sigh.

"So you noticed….please don't apologize."

Aether paused and thought about his response. Tackling the first half first, "Well, it did take me a while to piece it together. But I don't think we could hide this kind of stuff from each other for very long, no matter how hard we might try. Remember Dawn Winery?"

It was a lucky thing that he was looking at his girlfriend then, he might've missed the tiny nod her head made otherwise. But her next action taken wasn't exactly subtle, as she lifted herself up and changed position to one where she sat, legs still curled up, and faced the wall. The distance between the two shrunk a bit from this, her body now upright just inches away from Aether's. Even though he knew the frame could take it from the time they slept together, the adventurer found himself thanking Tubby that the bed was sturdy enough to hold them both up.

"I'll just ask it, in case." Amber titled her head up, only being rewarded with a view full of more wallpaper.

"There was nothing about my grandfather in Inazuma, was there?"

Aether's breath hitched and he cast his view away from view, focusing on the shadows living in the doorway's shallow light. Why? Why did he have to deliver this news? It wasn't his fault, Amber knew that too. If there was no info, there was nothing he could do about it. Not even the Archons are able to just know things they shouldn't, and Aether certainly wasn't a god himself..

"You're right…" He confirmed after a pause. "Nobody I met there knew anything about you or your grandfather. The closest I got was the old man who had his Vision taken away that I told you about. But upon getting it back, it was obvious that he's been in Inazuma his entire life. Aside from that though…nothing." With an air of finality now engulfing the room, he breathed out while his vision shrunk.

There was a low sound that escaped from Amber's lips, one that took a moment to register for Aether as another sigh. "Yeah…I knew it. If you found anything out, it would be one of the first things you said."

He had to let out a brief laugh at her correct prediction. "Absolutely. I wouldn't dream of hiding that." The grin across his face disappeared instantly after, as she didn't make any moves to respond, causing an uncomfortable silence to overtake the duo again.

…

"I'm sorry…"

"Huh?"

"Just…no matter how many times you go exploring, I always have this…hope that maybe this is the time. That today is the day you'll find something out about him. But…that's a mistake. I really thought I moved on by now, but clearly…"

She gave the wall a pathetic smile. "Just look Aether, I should be thrilled you came back, and I am, but all I can think about now is 'If my grandfather isn't in Inazuma, then where in Teyvat is he? Will I ever know?"

"So I'm sorry for this. Today should be fun, and I'm just ruining it."

Now unbeknownst to Amber, Aether actually snuck a look at her during the monologue, but quickly returned his view to the ceiling. He knew better than anyone. The only real solution to this, the only possible closure for her, was something he didn't have any way of providing.

And sadly, the conversation was going to get worse one final time before it got better.

"You know, there's someone I met in Inazuma who reminded me a lot of you."

"Oh?" Amber sounded genuinely curious. "You did?"

"Remember who I was talking about before, Ayaka? Well she has a friend, another girl named Yoimiya…who uses a Pyro Vision and a bow.."

A sad laugh. "A Pyro…heh. You're right, that does sound familiar."

"Ayaka is also a Cryo sword wielder, by the way."

"…Seriously? A couple of Pyro Cryo friends? Sounds like meeting them could be fun then." Success, that was said with a lighter tone, Amber clearly being reminded of a certain Spindrift Knight.

Slightly grinning to himself, Aether continued. "I bet it would. But aside from the Vision, Yoimiya is also very fun to be around. She's so bright, cheerful, and she clearly loves what she does, just like you."

Slightly red now, the obvious follow-up was asked immediately. "W-What does she do?"

"Makes fireworks with her dad."

Although Aether couldn't see it, Amber closed her eyes and genuinely smiled. "Must be nice…" she murmured.

"Well, the thing is…her father is hard of hearing." Aether elaborated. "No, incredibly hard of hearing really. If you're lucky and it's a good day, he might hear…25% of what you say? It's tough…"

Amber put two and two together. "Was there an accident with the fireworks?"

He shrugged. "I don't know really. But regardless…I feel bad for Yoimiya. Her dad is right there, but they can't really communicate. It's a bit depressing, and I can't help wondering how much time left they have together… It's a terrible thought to have, I know that, but-"

"No it's not." Amber confirmed with a shake of her head. "I…don't think it is, anyway."

He exhaled as she fell silent again, it being all too obvious of who she was thinking of now. This was the really tough part, now that the topic of losing family had come up…

"Amber, related to all of this, I want- …No, I need to ask you something." He reached over gave her a firm tap on the shoulder that signified it was time for the two of them to face each other. A few seconds later, she started making motions to oblige, gradually turning around to face the adventurer despite really never getting off the bed.

What he saw did nothing to convince him that asking this would be an easy thing. Dark as it may have been, he was still able to just 'see' the apprehension written all over her face. Plus Baron Bunny was still being held in a fierce grip with her arms crossed over its' neck. But this didn't stop Aether at all, the question was as important to him as it was to her, he needed to know the answer. So after a small pause:

"If…If on my adventures, I find out something about your grandfather that is…less than ideal….do you want me to tell you?"

He didn't have to elaborate what he meant by that, she knew, especially thanks to the chat just before. Still, it took a moment of silence for her to really comprehend what he was asking, but she responded at once after.

"Of course I-"

However, this was exactly what Aether thought would happen, and it was not good. "Wait." He borderline ordered, putting a finger just above her lips. This brought no joy to him though, treating her like this, so he quickly retracted it.

"I need you to really think about this, no impulse answers please. The thing is…" Now it was his turn to look away. "With Lumine…I didn't get a choice about knowing. It took all of 5 minutes for my life to completely flip, and occasionally I find myself wondering…would it be easier if I didn't know she was leading the Abyss? Or is it good that I know now, know what I'm really up against?"

"I…I don't know, I never will." With that stated plain, he looked back up right at Amber. "But, I would like to give you the decision. If you don't want to hear about it should I learn, I promise never to tell you. And obviously the opposite is true too."

This time, there was no immediate reply as the archer shifted gaze to the doorway, clearly affected by his words. Aether took this as a good sign and leaned back at the base of the bed. He was aware that it probably wasn't an easy decision to make, and it was basically asking her to think about a relative's passing, but…he just HAD to know. The very last thing he would want would be to discover the truth behind her grandfather's disappearance, but to drop the news when she wasn't ready for it….

…

Not that one ever could be ready for that, really.

"Tell me."

Aether cracked an eye open. "What?" He knew what she said, but saying it twice would make it feel more real.

"If you find anything about him…please tell me, no matter what it is."

He wasn't quite done though. "You have a reason? Don't get me wrong, you don't have to have one or tell me it even if you do, but it would be reassuring."

Amber put a hand on her chest and smiled warmly. "Of course I do…"

"I'm the Outrider of the Knights of Favonius, and I was inspired to be one because of him… I don't want to avert my eyes from anything, if I did that…then… it just wouldn't feel right…that's it, really." She let out a short laugh. "It's nothing amazing, but that's how I feel."

Aether shook his head. "I don't agree. Choosing to find out what happened to your family no matter what, even if it might be bad news, that sounds pretty amazing to me."

"Oh? Well it sounded like you had a preference of answer then~"

"Guilty as charged." He actually saw a smile crease her lips just now, and quickly capitalized with one of his own, scooting across the bed as well to be right next to her. Amber didn't argue against, choosing to remain silent.

A pleasant familiar warmth was now starting to fill Aether's body as he found his fingers wrapping around hers, grip around her plush loosening too. "I'm glad you're so optimistic Amber…I really missed that while I was away. It just wasn't the same with only Paimon."

She caught on to his slight joke. "Hey, don't say that about her! She tries her best, and she cares about you a lot!" This produced a cheerful nod from her boyfriend. As both fell into a brief silence as they just sat and enjoyed each other's presence, they started developing tiny smiles.

"…Family really does come from unexpected places, huh?"

"Yeah…you're right."

Aether exhaled. Tomorrow, he and Amber would go to Mondstadt proper and he would reunite with everybody else… it was probably going a long day, full of talking and laughing (and maybe some explosions too) Honestly, it was probably a good idea to pack it in…

But was there really a reason for tonight to finish so soon?

"Amber…may I?" He spoke in a near-whisper as he got up, letting go of her hand. To provide a response, she nodded and loosened the grip on Baron Bunny enough with her other arm to allow for his next move. Using all the care in the world, the adventurer slowly cupped the plush's shoulder's with both of his hands before going down to its' body. His hands felt a gentle warmth emitting, though whether it came from the bunny or Amber, he couldn't tell. Using the new gap provided from the archer, Aether moved the plush down until its' head vanished from view above her arms…only to reappear a moment later with only Aether touching it now before swiftly setting it on top of the pillow. Amber's whole body seem to relax a bit at this, her feet touched the ground again.

"Now that our one witness is sitting comfortably…" In a similar fashion, he held out both of his hands to her and grew a smile as she took them and stood up too. To avoid accidentally hitting the bed, Aether carefully stepped backwards and allowed for more room to move. This had the additional effect that was standing in a part of the room that was a bit brighter. With nothing else to do, Aether (and Amber too, he noticed) just began slowly rocking side to side, gradually getting more and more in synch with each move. Careful not to speed up in any capacity, Aether felt the grip on him tighten…it was all fine though, nothing would separate them like this.

"When you thanked me earlier.." His ears perked up at the voice coming from his shoulder. "I think… I wanted to hear that…just for someone to tell me that waiting around wasn't pointless, that it meant something."

"Well, it definitely did for me." Aether assured her. "So I'll say it as many times as you want."

"Amber, I'm glad you're in my life…thanks for waiting for me."

"..You're welcome."

More whispers and repeat confessions were exchanged in this pseudo-dance. As sleep finally started to come for the exhausted duo, there was only one new thought in the adventurer's mind. He wasn't going to make a promise for this anymore, there was no point when he was going to do it anyway.

I will find your grandfather.

Looking forward to what Mihoyo will do next.