The grass rustled under the Wanderer's feet as he strode across the vast meadow, his gaze lingering on the night sky above. He had spent far longer than expected recovering from his ordeal at Tenshukaku; in the end, he and Mona would be beading back to Mondstadt the next morning.
Regrettably, that meant his audience with his creator would last several hours more. He had managed to slip outside a while ago, whilst Ei was talking to Yae, to postpone their conversation for as long as possible.
He was not loath to be where he was; the cool and gentle wind was a rare treasure to be enjoyed during this season. The sea of stars above his head shone and glittered as they did every night, a tapestry of the two things the Wanderer despised the most - eternity and lies. On most nights, he would sneer and scowl at their twinkling forms, in defiance of their endless mockery.
But as he thought back to the memory of that one night in Mondstadt, he found himself unable to feel anything but happiness at the sight of the stars.
"Heh...can't believe you really managed to show me, Megistus."
His daydreams were cut short as the idle winds suddenly grew violent - unnaturally so. Raising a hand to shield his face, he watched the roaring gales coalesce into an indistinct shape in front of him, emanating a turquoise glow, before they dispersed in a bright flash, revealing...
...a winged figure clad in white, who floated down before the Wanderer, his arms spread wide. A low hood was draped over his face, shrouding everything except his braids and carefree grin.
The Wanderer let out a roar of anger, leaping back into the air as a ball of wind began spinning in his palm.
"Are you another one of them?!" he demanded.
"Dear me, no!" the hooded figure laughed. "Just a humble stranger who's been enraptured by your thrilling tale, here in this land to help a...very demanding friend."
"Think you can take what's mine again?" the Wanderer snarled. "You'll have to die trying."
Another merry laugh escaped the stranger's mouth, as though the Wanderer was merely joking with an old friend.
"'Take'? Wrong again, my friend! I'm here to give you something."
Before the Wanderer could do anything, the hooded figure snapped his fingers - and all sound was drowned out by a rush of wind, as the world vanished...
Suddenly, the Wanderer was observing a bizarre scene, through eyes that weren't his own - he sat upon a circular stone platform, meditating...and meditating, and meditating. Dozens of tori gates towered over him against a stormy blood-red sky, and just like he felt when he had touched his Vision, it was as though thousands of eons were passing him by in seconds, as he - or whoever this memory belonged to - remained obstinately unchanging, as the pain of loss stormed endlessly in their heart...
"Argh!"
The grassy meadow spun back into existence as the Wanderer staggered backwards, clutching his head and breathing hard.
"Rrrgh - whose memory is this?!" he demanded, glaring with venom at the stranger, who was still wearing that ridiculous smile.
"Hmm...let's just say this'll help you understand the beginnings of your tragedy. Who knows? You might even start to see it as a comedy."
The hooded figure's grin widened as he raised a finger to his lips, then vanished in a flash of turquoise.
The Wanderer responded with only stunned silence, staring blankly at the space where the stranger had just been.
It was nearly midnight when the Wanderer finally decided not to drag out his return to Tenshukaku any longer; he feared Yae would appear and drag him back.
As he threw open the heavy black-and-gold doors, he saw Ei freeze in the midst of pacing around the shrine. It was clear that she had been waiting for him.
As she turned to face him, he saw that the damage to her puppet form was mostly repaired; a thin line ran down the side of her face where it had previously been torn open, and there was a strong scent of adhesives coming from several paper seals coating her arm.
He found that he did not feel much sympathy for her in her current state.
"Good evening...Wanderer," said Ei.
A dignified exhale left the Wanderer's nose at the sound of his self-appointed title on his creator's lips. For her to address him by that moniker, it was akin to her acknowledgement that he had nothing to do with her.
And for that, he would entertain her for now.
He walked over to the end of the shrine and sat down upon the elevated platform, kicking out his feet.
"Speak," he said.
Ei walked over and sat down in front of him, crossing her legs firmly. The Wanderer frowned - he felt as if he had seen her take this pose before, though he could not remember where.
"Firstly," said Ei slowly. "I am grateful for you being here. Miko said you were about to do something quite drastic due to your hatred for your own past. Something that could have torn reality apart."
"That is...not incorrect."
"Then I am glad that we may resolve this in a more reasonable manner. It already means a lot that you are willing to open your heart to me - I have looked forward to this day for a while-"
There was a loud slam. The Wanderer was suddenly on his feet, though he did not recall standing up, and he was breathing heavily.
"Is that what you think this is?" he said, his voice quavering. "A happy family reunion?"
Ei stared up at him, mild surprise in her eyes. That stupid look of hers only served to aggravate him further.
"I...assumed you were aware of the point of this meeting. I had intended this conversation to be a chance for you to close up old wounds. Did Miko not tell you that?"
"There's nothing you can say that'll make me forgice you for throwing me away. Save your breath to cool your porridge."
"It is alright if you do not wish to forgive me. But I thought you might at least take this opportunity to understand."
"And why would I?"
"Did you not spend centuries suffering because you did not understand? Please - the last time I had a chance to talk to you with your mind fully intact, I let you down and sent you home to disaster and betrayal. Let me talk to you now."
The Wanderer merely barked a laugh in her face.
"Can you give me back the home I lost? The people I loved? No? Then I don't see the point in trying to salvage a four hundred-year old conversation. Not when the people it concerns are dead and buried."
"Do you think I do not regret that day immensely? I also let down my people then."
"And!" The Wanderer roared. "You had every opportunity to talk to me in those hundred years I spent collecting dust, doing nothing but staring at the white sky in that domain! Don't you dare say the incident at the furnace was your first chance!"
"I...realise now why you would feel angered by my decision. But back then, I truly believed I was leaving you a gift-"
"A gift?!" The Wanderer screamed. "A hundred years of meaningless stasis is a gift?!"
"Yes," said Ei, standing up as she looked earnestly into his eyes. "The best gift I could give you - preservation."
"Preservation?! For what?! What good is there in staying hidden from the world for all...eternity..."
As the words left his lips, that strange scene surfaced in the Wanderer's mind - a scene of a whirling illusory sky, a wide expanse of stone, and a single figure in endless rest, much like...
"You..."
The Wanderer could not speak; his throat suddenly felt like stone. All he could manage was a few short breaths as realisation crashed over him, making his limbs too heavy to move, his eyes trembling as they looked into Ei's...
"...you really believed that was the best."
Ei nodded slowly. "I did."
The revelation was too much for the Wanderer. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry or scream, knowing that the first betrayal that started his centuries of rancour was actually...
His sight began to blur. Ei's pained expression swam in front of him as he clutched his fists by his side, mustering all he had to maintain control - but in seconds, he began to weep with abandon, tears streaming down his face.
"And to think..." he choked, "...all this time, you could've just talked to that dratted fox if you were feeling lonely...even humans have better ways of dealing with loss, you foolish..."
He heard a sniffle. Looking back at his creator through a shimmering veil of tears, he saw Ei staring at him with tears staining her reddened face and hair.
A stab of irritation cut across the Wanderer, briefly drowning out his sorrow.
"Seriously...? Why are you crying now?" he moaned. "You look ridiculous."
"I...I never thought I'd have to see you cry again. This is...exactly what I was trying to prevent."
The Wanderer lowered his head and trembled, causing more tears to fall.
"But I...I had nothing when you created me," he said. "What could I possibly have had to lose...?"
"Only your innocence. Did you know you cried from the second you were created? From that moment I knew that if I let you out into the outside world...if I let you learn of the agony of loss...I couldn't let that happen. I had to protect you from that. And a facsimile of my own Euthymia - I believed that was the best protection I could give you."
"But couldn't you have given me something? To have nothing for a hundred years, not even a name - what did that even make me? Less than the lowest creatures to walk Inazuma? Of course I wouldn't be happy with that. Of course I would chase after more...!"
Ei shook her head solemnly.
"Even if it meant feeling the pain of loss?"
Staring at her, the Wanderer's mouth fell open in exasperation - how could she still not understand? He quickly wiped his tears on his sleeve, then turned explosively back to face Ei, before choking out:
"All the things I've ever wanted...I wanted them because they were worth losing."
As he said those words, it all suddenly became too much to take. He collapsed to the floor, clutching his knees to his chest. He screamed into the warm damp air between his legs, as though trying to contain all his noxious sorrows within his frame, lest their poison explode forth...
He heard a rush of motion. The next second, his eyes flew open as he was pulled into a tight embrace. He went completely still; even his tears had stopped flowing. But his chest remained heaving against the hard surfaces and joints of the puppet body wrapped around him, its violet hair stained with teardrops like dew.
"Beelzebul-"
"Be quiet."
"I don't need-"
"Please. Just rest."
And for some reason, he listened. He closed his eyes and relaxed his shoulders, letting the last of his tears fall freely. And although Ei had already stopped crying, she remained wrapped firmly around him, with a firmness like a fortress, as though trying to shield him from the world that had made him suffer for so long. The Wanderer was almost brought to tears again.
"I'm sorry," said Ei after a long silence.
The Wanderer glanced at her. "What for...?"
"I'm sorry I couldn't understand. I'm sorry I was too wrapped up in my own grief."
The Wanderer took a shuddering breath. "Don't you blame me? I never knew...I tried to take your Gnosis because I never knew..."
"Am I not also guilty of ignorance? I locked you away under the guidance of a false perversion of eternity. And I regret that terribly."
Her hand shifted upwards to caress the Wanderer's head.
"I wish I could have protected you better. I wish I could have witnessed your growth. But you are already old - so very, very old - and so as human mothers must let their children leave the nest once they are grown, I shall do the same."
Her embrace loosened, though the Wanderer could feel hesitation in her touch.
"If you are happy with your current life - a life free from my shadow - then so be it. I shall continue to watch over you...only if you will let me."
The Wanderer had not expected to hear this. He cast his gaze downwards, staring at the corner of the shrine.
"Aren't you afraid you'll lose me, too?" he asked softly.
"I fear that no longer. False eternity will never again guide my actions. If I can create one good memory with you, that will be enough to keep me happy for eternity."
The Wanderer did not respond immediately. He did not know if the silence that stretched out between them lasted for one minute or ten - but finally, he parted his lips, sticky from all his crying, and spoke.
"Then I accept."
And as though on their own volition, his arms drifted upwards to wrap around Ei's back.
"I accept, mother."
Up above the rest of Inazuma, atop a tall grey cliff, the Wanderer strode alone across the dark grass. His Vision glowed upon his chest like a torch to guide him through the night, as he walked with his eyes fixed on his destination.
When he used to answer to the name 'Scaramouche', and frequently visited this nation to carry out the Fatui's schemes, he knew that two of his soldiers loved to come here to gaze out over the horizon together. The romantic fantasies of mortals held no value to him then, but now...
...as he gazed out over the cliffside, at the night sky and the waves of the horizon glimmering like a thousand diamonds under the starlight, he was reminded of that fateful night in Mondstadt.
And suddenly, the space beside him felt so very empty.
Lost in his memories, he did not notice the wind slowly picking up around him.
The quiet gales lightly drifted up the cliffs behind him, coalescing at the very peaks of the mountain - and in a flash of turquoise seen by no one, a lone bard appeared as though by magic.
His mind bursting with inspiration, the bard could not help but grin as he gazed down at the Wanderer. And although he would very much like to sit here idling with a serving of Inazuman sake, his duty as a musician called upon him to perform.
Perching himself on the mountain's edge, he brought out his lyre and began to sing.
"A boy whose tale was torn from history,
His very birth a thing of fantasy.
A shadow saw him gently crying,
And could not destroy the soul within.
T'was mere pity that kept him breathing,
Asleep, a hundred years in a glass coffin.
His carpenter wished for him to never break,
But like a real boy, he had to wake.
Though his birthright brought him only anger,
For found himself barred from lightning's throne.
The magic mirror deemed there was someone fairer,
So he left to live amongst flesh and bone.
But as he lived on, his soul would scream:
Why choose reality over dreams?
Countless days fading, mortal lives fleeting,
His tears could not save fallen people.
He thought he had found his happy ending:
Alas, the world was but another poisoned apple.
And as beauty turned beast from seething anger,
He met a knight in shining armour.
With a kind smile he took him under his roof,
A royal palace in a kingdom of snow.
Did the boy see under his mask the hungry wolf?
Oh, the poor fool; he did not know.
The big bad wolf gave him a role to play:
"Steal her heart for me, and make them pay."
And so the boy played with thunder and rain,
Laughing within his great steel flower.
But he was blind to wisdom's ever-looping chain,
A damsel in distress trapped inside a tower.
He fell from his tower, fearing a witch's thorns,
But found himself wrapped in a wise fairy's warmth.
In her land he earned the gift of the free,
A magic wand to control the gales.
Reborn beneath the juniper tree,
He set out once more to rewrite his tale.
Then under foreign stars, he met a familiar face.
Their hands entwined, they danced with grace.
Yet he shielded his heart from her light,
For now he knew love meant disaster.
He feared the spell would break at midnight,
But lo! He had found his forever after.
Your soul has long since burned with hate,
O foolish boy, just trust in fate~
There exists a cure to your curse of wrath,
Neither bloodshed nor that violet sacrament.
When that maiden dropped her slipper of glass,
Did you really think it was an accident?
So fly, fly my child.
Let your heart roam free and wild.
You're the author of your own fairytale,
And love awaits you behind one last veil."
The soft crunching of grass behind the Wanderer alerted him to a familiar approaching presence. With a grin, he turned to lock eyes with Mona, who was gazing at him intently as she drifted, dreamlike, across the grass toward him, wearing an unreadable smile on her face.
"What?" the Wanderer taunted. "Something on my face?"
"Can't I admire the face of the man I love? Especially after I was so afraid I'd never see you again. You have no idea how grateful I am that you're here right now."
The Wanderer's smirk widened. "Then I'll be sure to extend your gratitude to Mother personally. All this is the fruit of her effort."
A hint of hopefulness crept into Mona's smile. "I take it you have finally reconciled with the god of lightning, then?"
"Yes," said the Wanderer, looking back at the night sky. "Or rather, maybe. I do not know if Mother and I will ever be able to face each other in a...conventional manner, as is the par for your humans. But I am willing to try."
There was a brief silence. The Wanderer glanced back at Mona, and saw that her smile was wavering. Slowly, she said:
"Are you sure you've made the right choice? I mean no disrespect to an exalted Archon, but...it's only by braving centuries of tragedy that you've finally learned to trust again. If you're somehow mistaken..."
The Wanderer raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Mona sighed, suddenly looking pale under the white moonlight.
"I'm just saying, these past few days made me realise...I don't know how much longer I will know the Wanderer for. If another misfortune befalls you, will you remain the person you are now? Or will you bury him and everything he knew with his pain, and take yet another name?"
The Wanderer looked at her in surprise, but did not say a word. He merely turned once again to the dark horizon, slowly raising his hand towards the vast sky. He then curled his fingers, as though he could grasp some of the twinkling stars like a handful of soft sand.
"You're the fortune-teller here, Megistus," he said as he brought his fist to his chest. "Why don't you tell me?"
But as Mona watched him, she could tell that he had the answer in his heart. The heart that had always been there, but only now started to beat with the emotions with which he could finally call himself complete - and which he would not abandon in a thousand years. Feeling more at ease, a satisfied smile formed on Mona's face.
She walked forth to stand next to the Wanderer, feeling a slight rush of adrenaline as she stood upon the cliffside. And as she gazed down at the vast dark sea and little islands like black pebbles in a pond, she could not help but feel...godly, as though all the world was insignificant before her and the man by her side. It was quite an exhilarating feeling - no wonder he had chased after divinity for so long.
She glanced sideways at her lover, glad to see that he was smiling at the stars.
"Well, if you're certain you've made the right choice, then I pray that fate will agree with you."
The Wanderer nodded. "As do I."
Mona then glanced down at his Vision, its turquoise glow illuminating his face.
"By the way," she said. "Does your Vision still work properly?"
The Wanderer's gaze suddenly snapped to her.
"Want to find out?"
"Huh? Wha-whooaaah!"
Mona's feet suddenly left the ground as the Wanderer scooped her up into a bridal carry. Startled, she barely had a second to see his mischievous smirk and brace herself, before she heard the sound of roaring wind and was pulled into the air, off the cliff and high above the mainland.
"Eep!"
An amused laugh left the Wanderer's lips. His breath tickled the top of her hair as she pressed her head into his chest, her arms coiled around his shoulders, clinging tightly to him as the wind whipped against her back and legs.
After a tense moment, the howling of the wind died down as the Wanderer halted his ascent. Just as Mona was about to look up to yell at him, she felt his hand lightly cupping her cheek...
...and then he kissed her, his eyes closed as though lost in a dream, with a serenity she had never seen before. Mona froze for a moment, shocked - but swiftly returned the gesture.
As they kissed, they revolved idly in the air, like figures in a music box turning to the tune of their own heartbeats, deaf to the world so far beneath them. The ribbons of the Wanderer's hat fluttered around them like a barrier, the cold night unable to penetrate the warmth searing within their cores.
When their lips parted, Mona immediately began glaring daggers at the Wanderer. But he appeared unfazed, continuing to look at her with that impish grin.
"Don't ever do that again," Mona said sharply.
"Oh, you know I will."
"You're lucky my hands are busy holding on to you right now."
The Wanderer chuckled. But his laughter was short-lived, his expression turning serious as he gazed at Mona.
"By the way, Megistus - you said you didn't know how much longer you would know the Wanderer for. I suppose I can give you that answer now - as of this moment, I am taking up my new name."
Mona blinked. She had completely forgotten about that; her persistent worries over the last few days had utterly wiped it from her thoughts.
"Now?" she asked. "I thought you were waiting for the perfect time?"
"I...feel that this is as good a time as any. Especially when I consider why we ended up here in the first place. Before someone - or fate, or the world, or some other vile force - tears us apart again, I want to seize this chance. I want you to know the name that shall define me."
Mona nodded. She agreed with him; she did not want to go through the pain of the past few days again.
"Well then...let's hear it."
The Wanderer turned his gaze upwards, staring at the vast night sky that revolved around them. Mona watched him draw a long and quiet breath, his fingers tensing up beneath her body - and then he spoke.
"I hereby name myself...Soramitsu Seizumi."
A brief silence followed his declaration. Then with a slight frown, Mona spoke.
"I assume you intended for that to have more of an impact."
Seizumi did not look at her, instead keeping his gaze on the stars above.
"It is not a name that humans would use," he said. "It goes beyond the point of being exotic - although to separate myself from the average human, I have no qualms in adopting such a strange name. In Inazuma's language, it contains the terms for 'sky', 'secret', 'stars', and 'ink'."
Mona stared at him.
"An...interesting combination. And why did you pick those words?"
"Because..."
As Seizumi glanced down at her, a pink hue rose up in his cheeks, and he quickly averted his gaze. Mona stared at him curiously; she didn't think she had ever seen him so embarrassed before.
"...because even if the stars are a lie, if you truly believe they decide our fates...then I wish to be written in yours."
The world seemed to go quiet for Mona. Stunned, she found herself unable to move or even speak. And then-
"Pfffft-!"
She burst out laughing, her voice echoing far and wide across the empty sky, where no doubt some lone mountain yokai would be roused from its slumber. Her entire body quivered as she laughed, threatening to slip entirely from Seizumi's hands.
"Hahahahahah!"
"Oi!" Seizumi yelled.
"Haha! S-seriously? Oh, g-gods!"
"You little - don't make me drop you!" he roared. "I spent entire days coming up with that!"
"No, no, it's...it's a fine name!" said Mona, straining to stop her own laughter. "It's just - hah - I...I didn't know you could be so...sentimental."
She blinked out a tear that was clouding her vision, and looked back at Seizumi. His entire face was flushed red as he scowled, staring sideways like a defiant child.
"Oh, don't be like that," said Mona. "Really, I like it - very inspired."
Seizumi stopped scowling, though his lips continued to tremble. He looked back at Mona, apparently having trouble maintaining his gaze.
"Can you say it?" he asked.
Mona let out an exasperated sigh. Clearing her throat, she said:
"Seizumi."
At the sound of his name, Seizumi closed his eyes.
"Again."
She lifted her head a little higher, whispering straight into his ear.
"Se-i-zu-mi."
She lay back down and observed her lover's face. After a brief pause, he opened his eyes, his lips curling into a small smile of contentment.
"It sounds nicer than I thought," he said, staring distantly. "On your lips, that is."
"Of course it does. You practically made it for me to say. Is anyone else going to learn of it?"
"Mother, perhaps. And I have a feeling she'll arrange to have a proper conversation with the one who inspired this name."
"I'm not looking forward to that," Mona said with a shudder. "But I'm sure she'll love it. Your name, that is."
Seizumi nodded appreciatively. "So do I. I just hope I'll never have to change it again."
"Oh, don't be so cynical." Mona hit him lightly on the back of his head. "This is who you are. Truly. I don't need to read the stars to know that."
Seizumi frowned. Was that true, though?
He knew that fate was cruel. Unfair. Disgusting. And the girl in his arms knew that far better than he did. So weren't they merely lying to themselves...?
But as he gazed down at Mona, and her dazzling blue eyes - a sight infinitely more beautiful than even the vast dark sky or the shimmering horizon - he found that he just didn't care. Did Ei not say earlier? A single good memory could bring one happiness for eternity.
Happiness for eternity...where had he heard something similar before?
And could he obtain that with the way his life was now?
"Megistus - no, Mona?" he asked softly.
"Hm?"
"I think you and I both know this life isn't guaranteed to last. So answer me this: Should I falter in my promise and throw away my name once before, will you still remember who I was?"
Mona's eyes sparkled before him, a dozen glimmering stars reflected in her gaze.
"How could I forget someone like you? Of course I'd remember."
Looking into her eyes, Seizumi smiled with relief.
"Good. That's good."
He leaned in to hold her closer.
"What more could I want for my story's ending?"
≪ •·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.•: FIN :•.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.• ≫
And with that, the curtains fall on this fairytale. I am glad to have had you on this journey with me.
This fic was inspired by Hanatan's cover of the song Romeo and Cinderella. The overarching fairytale theme I adopted aside, whenever I listen to that cover I feel like I have been pulled, as though by a spell, into someone's tragic fairytale. A fairytale that, while beautiful and enchanting, is one where I can only pretend I am destined for a happy ending. When I listened to that masterpiece, I thought it to be the perfect inspiration for a story about Seizumi and the happy ending he desires, with all the love, closure, and self-worth he has chased after for eons.
Unfortunately, I am much more like Scaramouche than Seizumi - while there is a lot I yearn for that I could do without, I reject my current lot in life, and thus have knowingly made it my burden to chase impossibility in defiance of fate. And if I must grasp after it foolishly for eons, fueled by pain and spite spawned from love as Scaramouche was, then so be it.
I too believe that I am the author of my own fairytale, and I hope that I will one day reach my happy ending. And to all the other foolish Balladeers out there who are too proud to settle for less, I wish you luck in challenging fate.
Thank you all for reading.
✧✦ RedFlowerInk ✦✧