When I was playing Genshin Impact, I noticed that Traveler's comments, whether to Paimon or any other character, became more and more harsh, from the Inazuma region to Fontaine.
It's normal when you think about it, he travels all over the world to find his only family, only for everyone to use him as a "hero".
This fanfiction is about how he deals with his frustration and sadness, because Traveler deserves a break.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story and have a good read.
"- We're all here, Paimon. You look worried, can you tell us what the problem is? », asked Zhongli to the little fairy, then accompanied by Ei, Venti and Nahida, in a corner of Liyue.
"- Also, it's strange that Aether isn't with you."Where is he ? ", asked Ei innocently, without knowing that the white-haired little girl, already on the verge of tears, lost her temper at the mere mention of his name, but gathered her strength to speak words that the four Archons would not have heard. not thought to associate with the Traveler.
"- Aether is no longer himself, he is broken, as if he was at the end of his rope! »
Paimon cried tears and moved in all directions. She had managed to leave to see Nahida, so that she could recontact the other Archons already known to her and then try to resolve the outpourings of anger and sadness of the Traveler who was no longer able to contain anything for a few days.
Nahida obeyed Paimon's wishes without having any answers, because she felt that Teyvat's best guide wanted to speak to them all for an important reason, and after everything that just happened, even if what Paimon had just said was still unclear, she knew that a problem linking Aether was very bad, and she feared something related to the Fatuis.
" - How so ? » asked Archon Dendro, knowing full well that she wouldn't have an answer right now, Paimon couldn't stop crying, and the other Archons were really trying to comfort the fairy, not taking any more seeing her in this state, she, who was always joyful, and wanted to know what the arguments are that push her to say that towards Aether.
A few hours later, they arrived at the Wanshuu Inn, with Zhongli carrying a sleeping Paimon with all the emotions she had received during the day, and all four knew that in order for her to feel better, the best thing to do was to give her a good, hearty meal. Being quite far from Liyue City, they could pass themselves off as ordinary citizens without actually suspecting that they were Archons, especially to Ei and Nahida, as few people around that place had any idea what they looked like the Raiden Shogun or the Lesser Lord Kusanali. As for Venti and Zhongli, no one knew they were Archons.
Now seated at a table, they ordered several meals, and for once, the Geo Archon had money to pay for the meal, and woke up Paimon, who was still a little dizzy, saw the dishes in front of her but but she still couldn't eat.
" - You are not hungry ?
- Paimon would like to, but...", Paimon said while her eyes were starting to water slightly again.
Even Venti, who was usually in the mood to make jokes about her behavior, stayed serious and asked the question everyone was wondering, trying to avoid beating around the bush because he might be an alcoholic bard , but couldn't stand that his friends were in this state, and he knew that the sooner Paimon spoke, the sooner he would help her and she would feel better, and find a solution for Aether.
"- Paimon, tell us what's wrong with Aether? I know it's hard for you, but we all want your best and his. »
Paimon saw Venti's eyes as sincere and truly wanting to contribute, and even though she didn't expect this, she gathered up her courage.
"- Okay,... Well, you know Aether is actively looking for his sister. And it's true that after four nations without answers, he's starting to get tired. But in recent weeks, while we were in Liyue to recharge our batteries, Aether broke down.
- What do you mean by « broke? » »
- Well, the informations he had was given by Nahida, and he was grateful for that, but it raised more questions than answers. Also, it doesn't help that his sister is the Princess of the Abyss.
- WHAT ? »
The four Archons were stunned and screamed at the same time, not knowing how to respond to this information, and Paimon was surprised at their astonishment.
" - His sister...
- Commands the Abyss?
- Did I never tell you?
- No, it's a surprise information, indeed...
- Sorry...
- It doesn't matter, anyway, even if we could intervene, we wouldn't be able to do it directly. Besides, Aether had good reason to keep this a secret, it must have been difficult knowing that the person he was so actively searching for was part of the enemy. ", replied Zhongli, aware that the situation was more complex than he thought.
"- I don't know what I would have done if I found out that my dear sister Makoto would have done this kind of thing. I can understand his disillusionment. However, Aether is stronger than that, I don't think he would have succumbed to that information.
- Indeed, Ei is right. Anyone could have reacted badly to this information, but not him.
- There might be a way, if he had ever seen his sister in front of him. Knowing through someone that she is the Princess of the Abyss is one thing, but seeing her and hearing her say it is another, and could cause a deeper upheaval in him. Paimon, have you seen him?
- Yes Nahida, Aether even spoke with her for a short while, and the answer she gave him was that he had to finish his journey to understand the truth of this world.
- Understand the truth, you say? I wonder what she means by that?
- Paimon doesn't know what that means, but currently, Paimon doesn't care. All Paimon wants is for Aether to become himself again!
- You're right, that's not the point. Coming back to what you said earlier, perhaps this revelation is the trigger for such excessive behavior.
- Paimon doesn't think so. We learned this a long time ago, before we left for Liyue. Otherwise, he could have been in this state a long time ago.
- It is true, you are right.
- It seems to me that he could have hidden his emotions very well to a certain extent.
- It's a plausible hypothesis Morax, but it would still take a little more than that.
- Well... When Aether was in a rage, he kept saying that he was fed up with all these problems... Paimon thinks that maybe it has something to do with it. And now that Paimon thinks about it, since we first arrived in Inazuma until now, he was putting up with people and problems related to them less and less.
- It's true when we traveled together to try to reason Apep, I noticed that Aether was more irritated than when I met him.
- You mean it's my fault it got to this point? ", Ei worried, feeling guilty since Paimon had pointed out that he was like that once he arrived in his country.
"- In no way is this your fault, and I think Aether thinks the same. You were in a state of instability where your definition of eternity was narrow, which meant that it was felt throughout Inazuma. You don't have to blame this on yourself.
- I still blame myself a little, if I could have solved this problem by myself, he could have looked for his sister more properly.
-The past is the past, let's now focus on the present.
- You're right Morax. Let's continue to dig into the situation and we will eventually arrive at a result. »
Meanwhile, a little east of the Aozang Mountains, a man could only be seen if you had good eyes, as he was moving very fast. And contrary to what two women in the distance might initially think, accompanied by a giant bird behind them, it was not the Conqueror of Demons getting rid of a few enemies, even if the trail of green energy could be confused with him because the person was using Anemo energy at the time.
However, one could see alternations between different types of energy : Geo, Electro, and even Dendro, and a single person on the entire continent could control that many elements at once and with such ease.
"- This is the third night in a row that he has attacked all the beings in his path, and he is pulling no punches. ", replied the adept bird Could Retainer.
"- I don't know what's gotten into him, but I've never seen him so brutal. I want to talk to him, I want to know if anything happened to him. » asked Shenhe, the hermit who was gradually acclimatizing to human society, before being stopped by the arm of the half-adept woman with horns, Ganyu.
"- I'm also worried about him Shenhe, but I don't think we should intervene right away.
- For what ?
- This is not the right time, you can see that it is on the verge of imploding.
- This is one more reason to intervene. I can't stand seeing him in this state, he's the one who helped me the most in the past, and I intend to do the same.
- No, we first need to understand what's going on, you can't just show up as if nothing had happened, he might become even more suspicious.
- So you agree to let him suffer, you saw his face, if there is one person I refuse to see in this state, it's him. Master said it's been three nights, so you have no compassion for him? », she shouted with rage and concern.
Shenhe felt tension in the air after saying this sentence, Ganyu took a breath once then twice, while looking for a few seconds at the distant face of the Traveler, before turning around in front of Shenhe who was surprised by the expression of her face.
"- Don't ever say that! Aether is the one who helped me feel among humans, to appreciate myself as I am, he is an excellent person and someone I am so happy to have met! I forbid you to say that I'm not worried about him! I just want to try to broach the subject with him without creating more tension...", cried Ganyu, who had seen his friend, his savior and his secret crush suffer in silence, all alone, without even Paimon with him, and she being powerless to help him.
"- Ganyu, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that, I didn't want to hurt you, but I worry too much! »
Shenhe apologized before giving Ganyu a hug to comfort her, and she caressed her hair, letting the secretary escape a few more tears on the white-haired woman's suit, under the gaze of Cloud Retainer who saw the two girls that she saw as her children flourishing, especially Shenhe who was more attentive to others, and although she would not say it in front of them, she wished that Aether would get better, because she was truly grateful to the Traveler of being able to make Shenhe and Ganyu become the women they currently were.
While continuing to comfort Ganyu, Shenhe continued to stare in the direction of the blond man, hitting everything he could with his sword, and occasionally his fists, coated in every elemental energy, with white-hot rage on his face, not wishing that just one thing, that the man she had grown to love could return to being the person he was. He knew he was venting to release his anger, and it somehow reminded him of her old self.
While walking through the busy streets of Liyue City, Keqing headed towards Wanmin Restaurant to eat her beloved golden shrimp balls after a hard day at work. But it must be said that over the last two days, she was thinking about the moment when she saw Ganyu's displeased expression as she told her of the Traveler's incomprehensible actions.
When she learned of his behavior from her friend, she became seriously concerned about his condition. She had predicted that this might happen, and every time he returned to Liyue, she paid attention to the blond-haired man's behavior, more incisive than before. He spoke more bluntly, was more frustrated, and she could see it, after all, she had always been perceptive in this area.
She had already talked about it with him, and he always said that he would be fine, with his usual typical smile, which became more and more fake with time, and she saw it, but said nothing, and at that moment , she blamed herself. She knew she should have warned him, been more conscientious and insisted, but it was already too late.
She had seen that Ganyu was less and less able to perform her work effectively these two days, and the user of the cryo element asked her how she could continue to work without thinking about his well-being, and she lied and said that she thought Aether would be able to keep up. She knew it wasn't true, even someone as strong as him needed a break, and he never took one because he told himself that any unused second would be a waste and until he had no answer in his quest, he would continue.
In fact, she was extremely worried about him, both at and outside of work, and hoped that he would recover soon. She wished she could tell him that if he needed an ear to listen to what he had to say, that she would be there, because after all, he remained a mystery, even to her.
She also wanted to accompany Ganyu to the Aozang Mountains, but she decided to stay in Liyue in case there was a problem, but hoped that her long-time friend could find even a clue explaining this, as well as a way to save him from himself.
Arriving at the restaurant, she saw Xiangling, to whom she had confided her concerns, which she shared with the head chef:
"- Good evening Keqing! As per usual ?
- Hello Xiangling! Yes, with a glass of wine please.
- It's not your habit to take it!
- Yes, but I haven't stopped thinking about that today... Even more than two days ago. And Ganyu who left early because she couldn't take the pressure of not knowing what he was doing anymore, I got even more work.
- I understand, it's true, that since you spoke to me about it, it always remains in the back of my mind. Are you looking to calm down the end of your evening?
- Yes, we can say that. I know this won't solve anything, but..."
Keqing banged her fist on the counter, to Xiangling's surprise, and felt her eyes water and her lips tremble, even if she managed to control her emotions, because she always showed a stoic enough face not to disturb herself. Xiangling saw her gradually breaking down, and that was normal from her point of view, the cook was a great friend of Aether and a valuable cooking companion, but for Keqing, it was something else entirely. She wanted to be the one who could bear his pain and doubts, and comfort him when he made an important decision.
"- I told him though! Why didn't he listen to me? He's so stubborn!
- Keqing, I know it's hard for everyone, especially you, but please calm down! There are still customers in the restaurant! »
Keqing regained her senses for a few moments, before looking around, only to see that a few people saw her losing her temper, then quickly excused herself before speaking again and continuing her conversation with Xiangling.
"- Sorry, but I hate not controlling events, and even more so losing my cool!
- No problem. After all, Aether is not the first person I would think of when someone tells me that someone has mental problems.
- It's true... He can be a real idiot sometimes, but this... It's a lot more serious than I thought. And Ganyu said she didn't see Paimon with him, and that scares me even more.
- What ? It's not possible, they are inseparable!
- That's what worries me. Paimon is like a little sister to him, and I really hope that Paimon didn't run away because of a bad word from Aether. I've seen him get angry about things before, and he tends to say things he doesn't really mean, but which turns out to be very hurtful.
- If you say so. In any case, I hope the Archons can guide him.
- In my opinion, I don't think it's a good idea to wish that.
- For what ?
- Let's say that between Aether and the Archons, according to him, it's not a great story of friendship...
- How so ?
- I don't have any more information, he decided to hide this for himself... Again..."
Keqing sighed once again, still kicking herself for not having insisted on these kinds of details. The cook had seen her and put a hand on her left shoulder before looking into her eyes and saying:
"- You don't have to blame yourself for that. You respected his privacy, and then, I think he did that so as not to worry anyone. It's true that it's almost disproportionately large, but it's not your fault... I'm sure he'll get better and the three of us will be able to eat a good meal like in the good old days. , discussing about nothing!
- Xiangling...
- For now, it's better that you show your usual character, that the whole of Liyue doesn't know about it for the moment...
- You're right, I suppose...
- And don't forget to eat before it gets cold!
- Thank you Xiangling, you are a good friend.
- You're welcome, after all it's normal, and I too really hope that Aether can return to his normal state. »
Keqing looked at her shrimp balls that she loved so much, but ate with less appetite than she thought, while sipping her glass of wine, looking at the yellowish color of the liquid, which reminded her of her Traveler's blond hair , and how many times she had shared drinks with him after exhausting work days for both companions, laughing about frivolous things.
After placing the empty glass on the counter, she looked up at the starry sky, wondering if the Hero of Liyue could be saved. She breathed one last time, before letting his name touch her lips:
"- Aether... Wherever you are... Take care of yourself, that's all I ask..."
However, what she didn't know, and neither did Xiangling, was that a person had been carefully listening to their conversation, who couldn't be discerned right away because of her dark clothes, but who she knew. She showed a serious face upon hearing the news, and the spy in question was both surprised to hear such information, but also a little sad for the Traveler. As she left, she whispered, as if to herself, her next action:
"- Aether is in serious trouble, I didn't expect this... I need to report this to Lady Ningguang before it gets worse, then I'll go to him... Of all people, I never thought he would suffer such depression..."
Back at the Wangshu Inn, one could see that the discussion between the four deities and the little fairy had become a little more intense, and anyone could see that their faces had darkened somewhat, by the terrible news that Paimon had.
They had heard from the white-haired fairy that the meeting between Aether and his sister was only the starting point of what would be a mental ordeal for the Traveler. And the more she recounted their adventures, the more she saw herself what the problems could be linked to this strange change in behavior.
She had explained to them that the meeting with the Fatui, whether Tartaglia, La Signora, Scaramouche or Dottore, were increasingly extreme breaking points in his drastic changes in behavior, mixed with the direct problems that they were developing in each country, and even explained to them that he had almost refused Kamisato Ayaka's idea of getting Inazuma back on track and giving Raiden Shogun a second chance at a more prosperous future, because he only wanted one thing, continue his journey.
The Archons listened attentively, trying to understand how all the twists and turns could turn Aether into the whirlwind of rage and despair that it was at the same time.
"- So the Fatui are also responsible for this. I mean, we're all against them, but it's true that he alone faced so many in such a short time, not to mention that they're Harbingers. ", Venti said, remembering his helpless way of solving problems in front of La Signora.
"- Indeed, I remember him having a somewhat similar anger the first time he met the Wanderer, but given the information he gave me, he had committed ungodly crimes which included trying to take the place of new Archon of Sumeru. However, he repented knowing the truth, but even knowing this, it is still too simple.
- Still, try to put yourself in his place, with his sister in the enemy camp and strangers blocking his path wherever he goes, it seems logical.
- I think Kusanali is right, Ei. It would be too simple, everyone would be in the same chaotic state if that were the case. It turns out that it's part of a whole, Aether is generally wise, and even when facing his enemies,... It turns out that the problem is more complex than it seems.
- I thought you would find the answer more quickly... Or at least this hypothesis. »
The Archons as well as Paimon turned around to find out where this voice came from, although Zhongli already had an idea of who it could be. Only he could speak so bluntly, and come so nonchalantly to them, knowing that he was a regular at this place, he often came to eat tofu in this inn.
"- Xiao! ", the little fairy shouted, her eyes widening to see the Conqueror of Demons, the last person she would have thought of calling for a problem involving social skills.
This is the end of the chapter. However, even though it has nothing to do with Genshin or the story, I wanted to write a word about current events. I'm sure you're all aware that a powerful earthquake has struck Morocco, leaving thousands dead and injured. As a Moroccan, I wanted to express my sincere condolences and support, and I'd like to thank all those who have supported my country, whether morally or with aid, and I hope we'll get back on our feet as soon as possible.
Also, all my condolences to the Libyan people, who are also suffering a cataclysm.
Anyway, thank you for reading to the end, and see you soon for the next chapter.
