Upon waking up, Venti found himself in an unfamiliar room...
...
No, it actually looked and felt familiar...
...
It was inside the Cathedral, wasn't it...?
"Yes, it is!", the winds happily told him, "It's good to see that you are awake now!"
...
Venti wondered what happened...
"...You got...Creepy and Acting Grandmaster Jean had to knock you out.", the winds informed him, "...You were brought here afterwards."
...
Right,
He thought about what would happen if he stayed,
If the Fatui suddenly attacked the city and his people and...
...
He started to imagine some very unsettling scenarios,
Which very soon turned into a horror story...
*No wonder Jean knocked him out...
...
"...Cavalry captain Kaeya started saying some weird remarks and the nun Rosaria threatened to push him down the stairs.", the winds continued in amusement.
...
Venti almost gasped in shock,
Pushing someone off the stairs just for that...?
What did Kaeya even say for her to threaten him like that...?
*She really went easy on him when she threatened him back then...
...
Why were the winds suddenly snickering...?
...
"...Let's just say, that even with her unorthodox idea of piety, sister Rosaria is still one of your nuns.", the winds finally said as they stopped snickering, "...There are some things that a nun would be scandalized to hear and would react accordingly."
...
Venti wasn't sure he wanted to know what that was.
*It wasn't something to do with him, was it...?
…
He heard the winds snicker, again...
...
He wondered if he somehow broke them,
Was something like that even logically possible...?
...
...
Maybe logic wasn't really working for them, as well...
*He still found himself questioning to this very day, how in Celestia's name he acquired a cat allergy.
...
...
"...On another note, Hans Archibald told everyone about himself and the original Stanley.", the winds informed him after they stopped snickering, again, "...Everyone accepted it with understanding."
That was surprising...
...
Did Hans decide to do that after his own revelation about himself and the original Venti...?
*That would also explain why everyone easily accepted it...
...
...
Venti suddenly felt a weight shift on top of him and looked to see...
...
Barbara...?
Why was she here...?
"...Well...", the winds said in uneasiness and some sadness as well, "...It's a little awkward to explain..."
...
Huh...?
What did that mean...?
...
He felt the weight on him shift even more now,
Was Barbara waking up...?
...
When she finally opened her eyes, Venti was shocked to see that she looked scared and lost.
But then she saw him and for a second it looked like something registered in her eyes, as her face soon lit up.
...
What was this all about...?
-Lord Barbatos…! I mean Venti! You are awake now! -Barbara said in happiness and relief, before hugging him out of nowhere. -I am so glad! S-so glad!
...
Why was she suddenly hugging him...?
*And so tightly at that...?
...
And was she also crying or was it just his imagination...?
"...She got it pretty badly, the poor girl...", the winds sadly said and it didn't seem like they wanted to elaborate further.
...
Asking Barbara about it may make things worse,
So he should just check out her recent memories...
...
...
He really blew it, didn't he...?
...
Why...?
Just why didn't he realize it sooner...?
-...You had nightmares about me dying...-He finally said, in sadness and regret. -So, you ran here and stayed with me until now, to reassure yourself that I am okay...
He really traumatized her, didn't he...?
-...I am sorry, Barbara...- He said while hugging her back. -...I made you experience something like that, without even realizing how it might affect you...
...
He really should try to be more careful in the future...
...
If not for himself,
Then at least for his people...
...
Seeing Barbara reacting like this was painful enough...
...
*Though, he still had no idea how he came back to life that time...
...
...
"...It wasn't the first time...", a strange (Yet somehow familiar) female voice was suddenly heard , "...That you̮w̴̠̻̪̳̤̗̫ͮ̓̋e͎ͫͪ͡ͅ diedẉ̵̥̱̩̪͊̒̓͛ẽ̵̩͎̤͚̼̜̰̏̚rͭ̔̚̚͏̻̗̙͖͕͓͇͙e̫͉̬ͣͣ͝ ̖͙͇̙̭͎ͦ́̋͐͘kͦͩ͂͏͇̻̲̺ͅi̷͔͓̪͇͕͎̅͂̍ͩl̨̥̤͉̎̾l̵͎̖̱̦̙̭͇ͫe͖̹͔͎̥͍̘͚͗̊̾͜d͍̜̺̘̣͔̈́ͣ and reincarnatedw̵͕͖ͤ̏e̵͇̪͇̺͐́̂r̛̜̜̜̜ͯͅe̘̥̣͕͍̜̓́͟ ̛͎̱̙̗̄̑̉ͣr̹͍̫͎̤̗͙͙̓́͢ě̙͓̫͍̅̽͢i̴͚̦͈̭̦̱͓̠ͬ̓n̢̪͙̎ͅc̢̖͖͔͚ͤͪa̜̹ͬ̏ͤ̌r̜͚̗͍͕̍͢n̵̟̰̫̬ͭ̀̀a͒҉̜̱t̴̗̫̱̅̊̌̂ë͔͕̦̲̻̰̼͙́̃͞dͥ͂͑͌͏̻̝͖̤͓̠̭͙̠͚͚̻̪̲͑̀…"
...
...
...
Huh...?
...
...
What...?
Was that...?
After the confusion about what the strange, yet somehow familiar voice said, he saw Barbara look at him in concern. It seems that she let go of him a while ago and got worried since he became eerily quiet and unresponsive. She was also embarrassed about sleeping on top of him and hugging him out of the blue like that, so Venti had to reassure her it was okay, before she could exaggerate it even more than she already did.
...
When they exited the room they were meet with some surprised nuns,
They wondered why Barbara slept together with him,
And he had to reveal it was due to the nightmares he unknowingly brought on her.
...
It was almost afternoon now,
As he was asked if he wanted to dine with them.
...
He didn't want to at first,
For he didn't really require to eat.
...
But Grace made apple pie,
So he had to have a slice~
...
...
While thinking of Grace...
...
He remembered that she was the one least surprised,
When it was revealed that he was the Archon they so revered...
"We think it's because she already had a suspicion.", the winds informed him, "She even told the traveler that: "...I believe that as long as the winds of Mondstadt persist, Lord Barbatos will always be with us...Perhaps he is already amongst us. Who can say?", sounding as if she...", there was a sudden pause for a few seconds, "...Actually, she may have realized it, even if partly. As after the situations with Dvalin of the four winds and Hans Archibald, she asked the traveler to find and scatter Dandelion seeds full of her thanks from the top of your statue hands."
...
Venti remembered getting those seeds,
They were full of Grace's devout thanks and the traveler's touch within.
...
So, that's what it was about...
...
...
He was also pleaded to..."Asked" to remain in the cathedral as his "Temporary abode", which he accepted, since it was to be expected.
*And he found out that he couldn't, in good conscience, worry everyone again...
...
When they exited the Cathedral, he was meet with a shock,
There was a big crowd just before his statue...
…
He wondered how much time they were standing there...
"They rushed here the moment they heard that you were awake.", the winds informed him.
...
Venti felt himself sigh deeply,
Is this going to be a regular occurrence now?
…
It was one of the reasons he didn't want anyone to know about his real/first identity.
Thought if they didn't, would he have been able to get closer to everyone, regardless...?
...
He was both the Anemo Archon "Barbatos" and the windborne bard "Venti",
Two parts of a whole that made the true him, which his people knew now...
...
But, they may fixate on the "Barbatos" aspect of his personality,
Which will eventually make things awkward for him...
...
He should do something about this, before things get out of hand.
Maybe set up a few rules for the duration of his stay in the city...?
"That will be helpful for sure.", the winds agreed, "...Though we won't mind if you don't do that and your people start overreacting to everything you say or do.", they suddenly added in amusement, "You are very cute when you are embarrassed, Barbatos."
...
...
Venti didn't know what to say to that,
So he chose to ignore it and instead focus on...
…
Feeling a familiar presence and turning around to see Dvalin,
Who was silently lying by the side of the Cathedral and intently watching him...
...
"Dvalin of the four winds accompanied us to the city.", the winds informed him, already knowing what he was going to ask, "He was then granted permission to stay here and make sure that you "WON'T DO ANYTHING FOOLISH!" as he had said."
-...So this is what happened. -Venti though aloud, still surprised. -Dvalin stayed here ever since I was knocked out and until now...
...
Some people looked at him in confusion,
Were they wondering how he knew this even though he was unconscious at the time...?
...
-You remember when Dvalin so rudely added everyone into our communication? -Venti decided to explain, looking a little annoyed as he glanced in Dvalin's direction. -The "Voice of the legion" you heard were the winds. They usually tell me things and...
-They let you spy on people...? -Kaeya suddenly interrupts him, sounding amused. -...Letting you know their deepest secrets?
"That would have been interesting.", the winds admitted, "...Your people are really unique, Barbatos."
-Not usually, but do you want me to...? -Venti asks in equal amusement, before sighing dramatically. -Alas, doing that would be hypocritical of me, as I am the one who always advocates freedom. -Then he smiled mischievously again. -But it should be fine if I spy on "bad guys'', right...? For they threw away their freedom of privacy the moment they went down the wrong path~
"...Basically, they threatened others' freedom...", the winds thoughtfully said, "So, it would be only fair if their freedom gets threatened in return."
...
Yes, like those Fatui agents or the Abyss order members...
...
He didn't know what the objective of either of those was,
But it couldn't be anything good, could it now?
...
-Venti, I am glad to see that you are awake now. -He heard Jean say, as she walked up to him. -I am truly sorry for knocking you out at the time. -She apologized, while bowing to him. -But, if you are in any danger, we...
-I know...I know that now. -Venti interrupted her, his voice unreadable. -That's why I am going to stay in the city, where it's safer. I won't protest to it anymore. -He promised, as he sadly looked at Jean. He didn't really have any choice in the matter. Since he now knew what they would do if he puts himself in danger. And he didn't want something like that to happen, ever. -...I can't have you die for me. - He said with a voice full of anguish before turning to look in Barbara's direction. -... Or traumatize you so much that you will have nightmares every time you fall asleep. -He couldn't hurt them like that, be it physically or emotionally. Not again. -...I am not going to let you go through that again...- He suddenly walked back a few steps, before turning around towards everyone and bowing to them. -I am truly sorry for making you all go through such a thing.
He finally said, guilt apparent in his expression and voice...
...
He wondered if this was enough, to show how much he regretted his previous actions,
Unknowingly making almost everyone around him freeze in shock at the unusual scene...
-...V-Venti, you...! -Jean was the first to blurt out, shocked that their Archon was bowing to them in shame and regret. And she knew she wasn't the only one who felt like that. -I-it's okay! W-we forgive you! Y-you don't have to bow! Y-you are still our Archon! This just feels wrong! -She frantically yelled, as she ran up to him and helped him stand straight again, to his growing confusion. -I-it's fine as long as you don't do something dangerous, like what you did yesterday, ever again...!