It was in the middle of the night,
The time when everyone was deeply asleep,
Yet, instead of sleeping while cuddling with Barbara...
...
He decided to come here,
To this "Nameless Island"...
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"Oh, there you are, you poor soul! Still so young and yet already went through so much...!
...Hey, do you wish for another chance...? I have the power to grant this wish, if you so desire."
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"...Hum, but if I use my power like this, wouldn't that mean we would become related...?
…And I could always add "something extra" if needed, couldn't I…?"
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"A child, yes...I always wanted to have one~"
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" You are going to be my favorite, Barbatos.
Mom is going to make sure you enjoy your life this time."
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The place where he could actually remember,
A place where he was allowed to remember,
Though by whom, he wasn't sure...
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"Stories brought on the wind will bloom into legends in due time."
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-... For some reason, reading this now makes me feel really sad.. .-Venti couldn't help but mumble, as he proceeded to touch the sundial. - ...This place, which is not shown on the Mondstadt map, one which seemed to have been forgotten by everyone, myself included...
Just what was this place, truly...?
...
"...It was our special place, once upon a time." , a familiar voice was suddenly heard, as an equally familiar presence was felt, the voice sounding a little sad, "But you had to forget, Barbatos. It was for your own safety."
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A special place...?
He had to forget...?
For his own safety...?
...
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Just what was the danger...?
Was there someone after him or...?
"THEY are not after you particularly, but THEY might target you due to the connection we share." , the voice answered, sounding a little guilt stricken, "...But now you don't remember even that, do you...? I knew this would happen, yet can't help feeling saddened.", the voice continued more quietly, before there was a small pause, "...This is good enough, we can still somehow communicate. With this place itself connecting our thoughts."
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-. ..Who are you, really...? What is our connection...? -Venti couldn't help but say aloud, sounding sad, as well as slightly annoyed. Why was this voice speaking so vaguely...? - ...Since apparently we were once close, shouldn't I know at least this much...?
...
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"...Considering how your powers have recently grown...Yes, some information should be safe to share.", the voice said in thought, before there was a small pause, "Once upon a time, you were my child. The "vision" you recently heard is a memory of your "current birth". That small lost soul whom I took in as my own.", she explained, her voice sounding warm now, before a sad sight was heard, "...But back then, even I didn't anticipate what would happen. How wrong and messed up Teyvat's fate itself would become. I tried to make it right once more. I looked through the different possibilities and secretly helped push it to the right course. And yet, THEY made it THEIR goal to try ruining the progress made at every turn.", there was another small pause, "As such I needed allies, willing or not. Slowly but surely, pushing them to change their own fate and of those around them. Which includes the Traveler from the stars...And you too, Barbatos."
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- ...Wait, so then...Everything that happened to me this last year, maybe even earlier...Those were not really coincidental, were they...? -Venti couldn't help but slowly say aloud, starting to feel confused and a little hurt. - ...You say that I was your child and yet...Did you really play with my fate...? And the Traveler, too. I know they are not from this world, so its rules shouldn't affect them the same way, yet...
"I am sorry to have brought such a burden on your shoulders, Barbatos. I never wanted to play with your fate like this, but it had to be done. You have to live, you have to survive. You can't die, especially not now. You have to help the Traveler in their fight.", I am certain you remember these words now. I never wanted to pull you two into this, especially not you, Barbatos. And yet..." , she interrupted him, sounding a little sad, "...Yet I don't have much of a choice, do I...? If things stay as they are, this world might not even have a future to speak of."
"...I am doing what I have to, even though I know it's not fair towards you." , was left unsaid,
Though Venti still understood what she meant, choosing to shoulder this responsibility...
*But were things really this bad, as to decide to play with the fate of others...?
He knew that Celestia was really shady, then the Abyss Order and the Tsaritsa...
...
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Just how bad were things at the moment...?
If things remain as they are, without interference, the world...
"It might even get destroyed." , she continued for him, her voice sounding grave, before there was a small pause, "...I don't like being called "the voice" or "she", but telling you my true name might get you in trouble, Barbatos..." , she soon mumbled in thought and some annoyance, before there was another short pause, "You might call me "Kairos", this name should be safe to use. It's the same name I was safely called by before, after all. Both by the citizens of Enkanomiya and by you and your people, Barbatos. Back then, you forgot about our familial relationship and mostly saw me as a dear friend. I truly did not mind it, as long as I could stay close to you.", she warmly added, before there was another short pause again, "...You surely don't remember it now, but I was here with you during and after the establishment of Mondstadt. Until THEY noticed and in order to spare you and our people, I had to "disappear" from your lives and memories. Yet, somewhere in the back of your mind you still remembered: 500 years ago when I was caught, surrounded, weakened and about to..." , the words suddenly broke off, as a sad sigh was soon heard, "I shouldn't continue, not when the "Equivalent Exchange" is still in effect. I might not been the best mother or even a friend in the end, yet I don't wish for you to die, Barbatos." , she soon admitted, sounding slightly guilt stricken, as well as conflicted, "...As such our talk here should also come to an end, at least for the moment. I realize that you must want to know more, but I would rather not draw THEIR attention here. We can always talk later, preferably when the power I left you grows a little more." , there was silence once more, "Take care until then, alright, Barbatos...? Don't forget that you are still my favorite child."
She warmly added, before becoming silent once more,
As the presence soon completely disappeared from the place,
Leaving Venti to ponder about everything he just heard and learnt...
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His mother and his friend,
He could feel that everything she said was the truth...
*And all this new information, it was truly a lot to take in...
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And she didn't even tell him everything...
*Such as his "temporary memory loss" regarding other nations' Archons...
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It was still night, with his people asleep,
So no one would worry if he stays here for a while longer...
...
He had quite a lot to contemplate about...