This is a Preview of a Concept Idea.
Wasn't sure if I was going to release it, but with what was going on with my life and current issues, I felt like I should release.
Many things are variable at the moment as this idea has been floating around for a while and one I've been working on for quite some time.
Ships are something I'm still working on, with only one really being firmly set (Weiss/Mona).
Aether's are all over the place, with them being flexed from Keqing, Ayaka, Shenhe, Yoimiya to even Ruby.
Blake and Yang's aren't really set, just know Bumblebee is not happening.
The last scene will give you an idea of what is going on there.
Let me know what you think!
Enjoy!
It all happened too quickly.
All of this devastation came about so suddenly.
Without any reason, seemingly.
With what happened in the arena…
With that guy, who her sister Yang broke the leg of, evidently being okay and stopping her from interfering with that message being sent.
What happened with her two friends' fight?
Why did that have to happen? What caused Pyrrha to do such a thing to Penny…
Did they do what they did to set her friends up? No…
And now, why were there Grimm running in the street? Why would anyone ever think of causing such an event? Causing so much fear and death that only drew more in as they fed on the negativity.
It didn't make any sense to her!
Why were the White Fang assisting in this horrific event? Weren't they just activists who had fallen on hard times and forced into the lives of terrorists?
That was the way her teammate and Faunus friend Blake explained it.
…How broken her friend was when she saw her lying beside her sister.
With blood pouring into a bandage where her right arm should have been!
Yang had found Blake, but it had cost her…
Everything was so wrong, and it kept getting worse! The moment she stepped on top of the tower, she finally found her missing friend…
But where was Jaune? And this sight…
She couldn't believe what she was seeing before, being rooted to the spot and couldn't believe it.
Pyrrha was kneeling before a woman she couldn't recognize, wounded and out of breath. It was hard to comprehend as she knew Pyrrha was so strong. The thought of anyone beating her had never crossed her mind before…
It was why they were so confident she could win it all for Beacon in the Vytal Tournament.
But now…
Her gaze seemed almost defiant as the woman placed her hand on her head, yet…
Accepting her fate?
Then everything slowed down before her eyes, and she was unable to comprehend what it was she was witnessing.
Pyrrha turned a brilliant, sparkling gold…
And then she began into the wind as a gentle breeze swept her visage away.
Her body uncontrollably shivered as she watched her friend's golden ashes scatter in the wind.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as her silver eyes shimmered with a glimmer that began to build within as they widened.
This couldn't be happening. Not again…
She just watched what happened with Penny…
And now this to another one of her friends?
No…
This couldn't be happening! Why was this happening?
This had to stop!
With a single step forward, Ruby snapped out of her stupor as a silver light expanded around her.
"PYRRHA!"
The woman turned, confounded by what she was witnessing. Before a word could leave her mouth, the silver light expanding from Ruby engulfed her.
It continued to expand, engulfing everything around it. With a screech as the entirety of Beacon Tower was swallowed by the silver light, the wyvern Grimm turned to stone and fell from the sky…
And the light continued to illuminate across Beacon.
No one was spared.
Everything was caught in its brilliant shimmer.
Until all of Beacon was enveloped in silver light as the Grimm turned to stone and turned to ashes.
And then it erupted into the very heavens and through the clouds, piercing the atmosphere…
Into the Abyss of the night sky.
The landscape here was so beautiful in Liyue. Different from everything he saw in Mondstadt while adventuring and searching for signs of his sister.
So vastly different from his home…
Aether repressed a sigh. There was still no clear sign of finding her or any way home. He was still waiting for a way to gain access to Inazuma. Zhongli had pointed him in that direction and stated where he should head next to meet the Electro Archon, but with their borders close, it would be a difficult task. But he was confident the path would open soon…
Not wanting to question the former Geo Archon, Aether could do nothing but wait and look for ways to gain access to the closed nation along with any information he could find on his sister.
Even if Sumeru was looking like the far more appealing option now, all he had to do was get past the sealed-off Chasm from public access as there had been some recent issues happening there that Ningguang and even Zhongli worried…
Maybe with a word to her, he could get access to the area to bypass it…
Aether shook his head.
What use was taking the advice and direction from a God if you weren't going to use it?
He was still learning so much about the world of Teyvat. Every encounter was a new learning experience. While he learned a lot from all the books he collected, the libraries he visited, and the places he saw, it was the people he learned from the most.
Gained the most insight from.
It was why he became an adventurer here, besides just wanting to help people. What he learned was invaluable, and even if the information he gathered seemed useless, and maybe it was, somehow, it would become helpful to him later.
It allowed him to meet so many people and learn from them. It was what he and Lumine had done in all their travels before coming here to Teyvat…
And that Unknown God had separated them…
Stepping back into Liyue harbor, having completed yet another job for the Adventures Guild, Aether sighed, contently seeing the hustle and bustle of the harbor city on the Sea of Clouds. He had been swamped this last month ever since Childe unsealed Osial from Guyun Stone Forest and the chaos that ensued from it.
The Adventure Guild had a lot of commissions sent to it from Qixing. More so, many of the quests were specifically tailored for him, and he had to wonder if Lady Ningguang, her secretaries, and Ganyu were purposely targeting him to keep him within Liyue.
He was known as the Hero of Liyue, even if he did feel his contributions weren't as significant as they made them out to be…
Even so, it did make sense that the Tianquan wanted to keep him here and visible to the people. The Acting Grand Master of Mondstadt, Jean, had kept him busy shortly after the incident with Dvalin.
Somehow, he knew they were trying to find a reason to keep him rooted there and their country. But nothing would stop him from continuing his journey.
He would find his sister, and they would continue their journey amongst the stars once again…
Maybe with someone new at their side. It had always been discussed that they could fall in love during their travels. Perhaps they may even find a new world they wanted to live in…
Aether wasn't sure if he felt it about this world yet. There were a lot of things he did enjoy about it…
Then there was the Abyss and the Fatui…
And that Unknown God that took away and restricted his powers.
"Ah, so good to be back. The smell here is wonderful…" A chipper, high-pitched voice resonated beside him. "Oh, oh! Aether! Can we go to the Liyue Pavilion? Or maybe the Kiosk? No, no! Better yet! Let's head over to the Wanmin Restaurant! Let's see if Xialing has returned! I really want her cooking!"
Glancing at his silver-haired, floating companion bobbing up and down in the air, excitement and drool dripping from her lips as her eyes sparkled, an amused smile crossed Aether's lips. He chuckled and shook his head at her. "All you ever think about is food, isn't it?"
"Hey! Don't you judge Paimon!" Paimon crossed her arms and huffed as she turned from her partner. "This coming from you, who calls me Emergency Food!"
"I mean, I did catch you while fishing… Are you sure you aren't just a magic fish that convinced me not to eat it?" Aether retorted with an amused glint in his eye, watching her reaction.
"Why you…" Paimon turned back to Aether and pouted. "Gonna give you an ugly nickname if you keep this up, mister! You better make it up to Paimon, or you'll be sorry!"
"Okay, okay!" Aether smiled, enjoying the banter with his child-like partner as he held his while holding back his laughter. "We'll stop by Wanmin and get whatever you want today. If Xialing is there, her desserts are top-tier, after all. And maybe she can help you with your cooking with slimes…"
Paimon's mood immediately flipped, and her eyes brightened. "Oh yeah! Great idea! Let's go! I need to work on my dessert cooking! My Slime Pudding needs more work!"
Aether blanched at those words as he watched his floating companion speedily take off down the bridge and up the stairs and into the city proper, and he grimaced, slowly trailing behind. "Why did I say anything? Only Diona and Xialing can make Slime Concentrate edible…"
"Oh, Aether. You have returned." Aether's attention was caught by a familiar voice behind.
And from the pier, gracefully strolled Keqing away from a few other members of the Liyue Qixing she seemed in the middle of a discussion with.
Being respectful of her position, Aether bowed as she walked over to greet him. "Ah, Lady Yuheng. Yes, we just finished with a commission and are returning to deliver it and then grab a bite to eat. You are welcome to join us, but it seems you are busy…"
"No, we were just finishing with my suggestions, and I saw you coming into the harbor," Keqing replied, almost sighing, as she placed her hand on her head. "In fact, I'm currently not working at the moment. I'm about to take a sabbatical and head out for a while, and I wanted to make sure everyone knows what to do while I'm out."
"Oh, that's a surprise to hear," Aether responded in surprise, as hearing Keqing wasn't working was a surprise given her work ethic. "Well, if you have some time, I'm already treating Paimon at Wanmin…"
"Wanmin?" Keqing's intrigue perked as she tilted her head before lowering her chin into her hand in thought and nodded. "Well, I'm only heading out to Lisha for survival practice, and Xialing has returned from her cooking trip… So I guess I could make the time. I accept."
Smiling in response, waiting for Keqing to step beside him before moving up the stairs alongside her while wondering if Paimon had realized he wasn't following, Aether wanted to hear more.
He was curious to hear more about her. "Survival practice? Is that something you normally do? That sounds like something that an adventurer would do."
"I like to be thoroughly prepared for any case, so it's something I do occasionally. Usually, when I'm out in the wilds and when I have time and I don't know what to do." Keqing sighed, thinking about her situation again. "Lady Ningguang persuasively suggested that I take leave for some time despite everything that needs to be done. With all the damages done to the harbor that we have only just recovered from, all the talk about trade routes with Mondstadt and the preparations for the rebuilding of the Jade Chamber…"
"You are working as hard as ever, I can see." Aether interrupted her with an amused tone, making Keqing flush as she recognized what had happened. "I think I understand why Lady Ningguang asked you to take a break. That kind of work ethic is amazing, but if you don't take some time for yourself…"
"This isn't the first time she has done this, unfortunately." Keqing shook her head before the slightest of smirks crossed her face. "Although, I will say she does make sure everyone on her staff takes their leave. I know Ganyu is as driven as I am. It was right before you arrived that Ganyu was on leave… I believe she visits Mt. Aocang, but I may be mistaken. I believe Adepti of the mountain is someone close to her."
"Cloud Retainer…" Aether muttered, peeking Keqing's interest further before he chuckled. "Perhaps I should go ask? She did give me an invitation to return. She quite enjoyed my cooking, but I think she truthfully enjoyed telling stories the last time I was on Mt. Aocang…"
"If it were anyone else, I would tell them that trespassing on those lands would bring the wrath of the Adepti on them…" Keqing repressed a frown before she tilted her head. "However, my more pragmatic side is glad someone is trusted to venture through those areas to deal with some of the pests that have been rampantly sprouting within the area. Perhaps with a better relationship with the Adeptus, we can help…"
"Think I can see why Ningguang ordered you to take your leave." Aether repressed a laugh, and Keqing scowled at him before turning away.
"I simply cannot ignore my obligations! I am the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, first and foremost!" Keqing side-eyed Aether while holding her nose in the air. "Outside relations, whether with other nations or the Adepti of this nation, all fall under my scope of duties. Even if I am off duty, it is my responsibility to look after my nation's best interest."
Feeling the passion, Aether could help but be captivated. His eyes glimmered before closing them. With a tilt of his head and a smile, he caught the Yuheng off guard with his following words. "So, if I were to get you an audience with the Adeptus…"
Keqing nearly choked. Even if she didn't have the most substantial feelings toward them, she believed this was the time for humanity to show what they were truly capable of. However, that didn't mean she took the Adeptus lightly despite her outlook. She had many discussions with Ganyu because of it, and she saw the passion of those who still believe in the Adeptus…
And she knew having an audience with the Adeptus was a privilege!
She understood Aether was an outlander and was still learning their traditions, but this was too much!
He was treating this circumstance too lightly!
"I couldn't possibly accept such…"
"Aether!" Paimon's annoyed voice came from the path before them as a zooming fairy flew toward them, looking quite agitated. "Why are you taking you sweet… Ah! Lady Yuheng! When did you get here?"
"The same time you flew off to Wanmin without your wallet, better known as me." Aether grinned at the floating pixie as she panicked and respectfully bowed toward Keqing.
A sliver of a smirk graced Keqing's lips as Paimon shouted back in annoyance. That was funny…
She didn't understand the relationship between the two too much, as Paimon was almost entirely dependent on the Traveler. She wasn't sure what he was getting back out of the relationship outside her presence and companionship…
Perhaps that reason was enough? After all, he was searching for his sister…
His true companion…
However, he did ask her to come with him… Even if it was to meet with an Adeptus.
She did have to admit she was curious about the mysterious Traveler. A chance like this might never arise again, primarily due to her busy schedule…
"Aether, I…" Keqing began before the earth trembled, causing the two to struggle to keep their footing. "An earthquake? No, is the issue at the Chasm becoming… Ah!"
With an ear-shattering crack, a silver light flashed from the sea into the sky.
Everyone cried out as the unexpected, intense flash of light blinded them. It felt like an eternity for his sight to recover, but even through his blurry vision, he could make out several streaks in the sky coursing and separating from the heavens above.
He couldn't count how many. His eyes were too blurry, and he blinked and rubbed them, but the damage had been done. It would take a short time to recover from that, but he could make out objects were falling…
And he could tell what was about to happen. "Keqing! Paimon! Close your eyes! Another flash is about to happen!"
"What? Ah!" Paimon screamed seconds before another thunderous crash in the distance ruptured, and as he predicted, a silver flash much weaker than the first illuminated the harbor.
Listening to the Traveler and shielding her eyes, Keqing immediately composed herself while looking in the direction the flash came. Analyzing what little information she had, she knew she didn't have enough and needed more.
Luckily…
There was a first-class Adventurer and Hero of Liyue standing beside her.
"Whatever that was, it landed in Yaoguang Shoal!" Keqing accessed the situation while looking around and seeing how everyone else was handling it. "Aether, can I request your help investigating this matter with me?"
"Consider it done!" Aether flew into action, heading down the stairs with a gust of Anemo energy.
And with a burst of Electro, he felt Keqing jolt beside him, sprinting across the bridge as they rushed out of Liyue.
A new adventure had begun. But it had seemingly felt like he had forgotten something…
"Aether! Keqing! Wait for me!"
This had been a long, tiresome morning.
Why did she ever agree to this?
Oh, yes…
She needed the Mora.
Well, there was another reason…
The reason she divined through her readings this morning was that she could see what the stars had aligned and fated to occur. And while those intrigued her and how they intertwined her fate into it, they paled in comparison to the fact that…
Her rent was due. She also didn't have very much food in her cupboards, and that was a higher priority. The landlord was quite generous and always gave her extensions.
She would pay him back kindly. If he ever needed his fortune told…
Mona sighed as she strode behind her two companions as they headed into Wolvendom.
Despite her exceptional budgeting skills, her splurges on necessary equipment had put her out, and now she was in a bind. Her writing astrology columns for the Steambird usually was enough to make ends meet, but she really needed that Celestial Sphere…
And if it weren't for the strange one seeing her forage for the mushroom outside her house, she wouldn't be here right now. It wasn't that she was persuasive or anything…
She didn't want to argue too long with Fischl, as playing role-playing too long could sometimes be quite bothersome. She did enjoy her company, but then there was him…
The cursed boy.
Mona didn't necessarily have anything against him, but…
She sighed.
Things would not end well today if he were with them. They never did when Bennett was around, through no fault of his own.
His fate was simply cursed. She had seen it and had told him so.
Such a strange boy. It didn't seem to bother him too much. Took it in stride after a moment of distraught. He seemed so determined to continue to try and make everyone's life around him better despite it.
A cruel fate for such a kind soul. If only there were a way to break the…
"Lady Megistus, are thou tired?" Fischl's voice interrupted her thoughts from ahead as the Prinzessin turned her head to check on Mona, seeing her lagging behind. "Does my intrepid Archmage need a rest?"
"We can take a break if you need to…" Bennett started as he turned and looked behind, seeing Mona walking far behind them.
"Watch where you're going!" Mona cried before grimacing, having seen this would happen, and was powerless to stop it.
And watched as Bennett tumbled over a fallen tree branch, stumbling forward, tripping over, and sliding down a slope straight into a thorny bushel of Wolfhooks. "Ow! This is just my…"
"Luck…" Bennett sat up and stared straight into an angry camp of Hilichurls and a Mitachurl, grabbing his shield.
"Bennett!" Fischl broke character as she summoned her bow, quickly sniping one Hilachurl with expert ease while Oz flew directly toward the trouble to help the poor boy.
"Crud, not good!" Bennett materialized his sword, seeing the Mitachurl charging, but knew he wouldn't have time to react.
He knew he was durable enough to take the hit, but this would hurt…
"Written in the Stars!"
Everything suddenly turned dark for the briefest of moments around him. It looked like the night sky…
That rippled like a drop hitting the water as Mitachurl flinched back. It was struck by Oz, a bolt of Electro surging through it.
Recognizing the opportunity, Bennet didn't waste it as his Vision on his hip burned brightly. His sword erupted in flames, and with a leap into the air, he caught the Mitachurl in the face. "Get out of here!"
Unfortunately for him, the Mitachurl was still surging with Electro energy…
And when it met with the Pyro energy of his blade, it overloaded with a vicious eruption…
He was blown back as the Mitachurl caught ablaze, turning to smoke and slamming back against a tree with a hefty thud. The ground below was not a soft landing either…
"Why is this my luck…" Bennett groaned as he lay on the grass beneath before hearing a howling and the sound of Electro burning in his ears.
"Friend! You alright?" A familiar voice echoed above him as a hand was placed on his back. "They no more! Took care of them!"
"Razor?" Bennett recognized the voice and chuckled, seeing his friend as he held him sit up. "Could be doing better… Ow… Gonna need a few minutes, I think."
"Bennett!" Fischl's voice echoed as she cried and knelt beside the boy as Oz descended next to him, and he slowly sat back up. "Thank goodness you are okay!"
"I wouldn't say he's okay…" Mona sarcastically replied as she gauged the situation and shook her head. "For once, luck was on his side. Fate may be cruel to you, but it didn't deign you to perish here. Vision grants us strength to withstand these kinds of effects usually, but the Fates really want to toy with you, boy. This was only an omen for what was to come today."
"Ah! So that's why… Fischl's eyes widened as she started before quickly covering and returning to character. "Ah-ha! It seems the fates have delivered my Court Archmage a message for the Stars! What perils descend upon us, my dear Astrologist! We shall hear them!"
"Stop extrapolating things! That was not the reason why I was trailing behind! I was lost in thought!" Mona waved her hand and Fischl while Razor blinked at the two of them and turned to Bennett.
"Friend, you have strange friends. Nothing like Traveler."
"Yeah, but they're cool." Bennett waved Razor's concern with a bright smile, belaying the coursing pain he felt throughout his body.
At least it wasn't as lousy as eating that meal he made for the Traveler when they got stuck in the ruins together…
"What desolate omen have you divined from the stars above that will scorch thy ill-starred acquaintance? Esteemed Archmage, we cannot ignore this calling! If there is any…" Fischl, before the earth beneath their feet, began to rumble, and she stumbled forward, eyes widening. "Could this be? Yet another calamity descends upon this desolate kingdom?"
"An earthquake?" Bennett called out, startled as the foliage trembled.
"Close your eyes. It is upon us." Mona calmly replied, shutting her eyes and turning away from the south suspiciously as if she knew exactly what would occur.
Fischl did not hesitate, believing her friend closed her eyes. Razor was hesitant but followed her instructions. Bennett was confused and was about to ask why when an echoing roar ripped through the land, and a silver flash tore through the sky.
He wished he had listened…
"Ah… It burns!"
"I told you to close your eyes!" Mona scolded Bennett, scowling as Fischl was kneeling beside him again and checking on her friend. "Sometimes your bad luck is your fault for not listening!"
"That light…" Razor drew her attention as he looked through the foliage of the trees and stared into the sky, seeing a silver comet streak through the sky above their heads. "Falling fast… Gonna land past the canyon! Close eyes again!"
Everyone followed Razor's command without question. A second silver flash erupted past the canyon as a deafening blast burst from past the canyon.
As the ringing resonated in their ears, Oz's voice soon followed. "Oh dear, that seemed to land in Stormterror's Lair. I foresee quite a bit of trouble with this. Isn't the Abyss' presence still strong within that region, mein Fräulein?"
"The Abyss?" Mona's eyes snapped open and turned to the midnight raven and glistened with worry. "That is worrisome… That was why my readings this morning for what happened from here on were unclear. …This traveler from beyond the star's fate is uncertain."
"Another traveler from another world?" Fischl's eyes shimmered upon hearing those words before she stood up and marched forward with determination. "Come, everyone! Fate has gathered us for the monumental occasion to welcome this distant traveler from out of this world! Time is fleeting, and we cannot waste it! We cannot let the everlasting darkness of those distasteful abominations reach them first! If this perhaps our dear friend from another world's sister, we must proceed with all haste!"
"For once, I agree, even if you are off base…" Mona tipped her hat and covered her eyes as she looked onward, past the forest of Wolvendom. "I fear what is to come…"
"As destiny does not seem to be written for those that have fallen."
The heat of the Great Red Sand of Sumeru always stung, but she was pretty used to it.
She had lived here all her life. Even if the heat of living in the jungle had recently led her to become more accustomed to a different kind of heat, this was her element. She was at home here as she headed for Aaru Village to visit with one of her few friends.
Dehya was given a few days off as, unfortunately…
Dunyarzad wasn't feeling well, and her services were not essential at the moment. She was struggling with her Eleazar, and she could only hope things were not taking a turn for the worst for the young mistresses. She had made it much further in life than many, with the Withering's disease taking a toll on her body…
And with no cure…
Closing her eyes and biting her lips, she shook her head and pushed through the scorching sands that blew around her, claymore in hand as a giant scorpion lay cleaved in half behind her, its scorched body burning from Pyro flames.
Dunyarzad was strong-willed. She had made it this far due to her belief in the Lesser Lord. All she had to do was keep believing in her fighting spirit.
Dehya smirked. For someone with such a frail body, she had such a brilliant spirit. It was such a shame to see her held back by the Withering…
If only there were something that could be done to combat it…
But even the Academy wasn't able to find a way. And they had the most intelligent people around working on it. If they couldn't figure something out, what hope could there be…
"Huh?" Dehya felt the sands rumble and crouched, gripping her claymore tightly as her eyes slit. "This can't be good. Whatever is about to come, better be prepared for a fight! I'm in no mood… What is that light?"
A silver light burst over the Wall of Samiel, shielding her eyes from the intense light. Dehya knew she wouldn't have been able to gaze directly at whatever it was, but her eyes widened as several comet shards scattered through the skies. "What in the world? Wait, is one descending nearby? This is not good!"
Sand scattered, and a great gale imploded vigorously, forcing her eyes closed. Dehya could only place her Claymore before her to shield herself as much as possible as a silver light engulfed everything. She was forced to drive it into the sands to keep from being pushed back, but when the gale ended, she couldn't believe her sight.
A massive crater in the sand was formed. It was like a meteor had struck.
Dehya could only count her blessings. She was out of the direct landing zone, for if she was in it…
"What the…" Dehya's ears lowered as she snapped forward, pulling her claymore from the sand and rushing to the epicenter of the sand.
At the core of the explosion, there was a person. A young woman with jet-black hair looking quite injured and already wrapped in bandages.
"Hey! No, no, no! That's not good." Dehya knelt next to her, eyes slit, seeing no movement after a quick shake and a deep scowl adorned on her face as she placed her hand on her. "Still got a pulse… Gotta get you out of here. Aaru Village is close by, so Candace can lend you a hand for sure."
Despawning her weapon, carefully checking her condition to see if she could safely move, and noticing her abdominal wound, Dehya's scowl deepened. "A stab wound? Most likely got away from bandits and got here on your own before this happened… Talk about bad luck."
"But what were you doing out here? This is Eremite land, girl. And you aren't from the Academia, that's for sure…"
"Well, well, well… What do we have here? Now this is interesting!"
"Another Descender, I see… Ha, ha, ha! Now this is exceptional! Where will the lead, I wonder? I'll take you with me, girl…"
"I have a need of my own puppet and you will do just fine."