Here I present myself with a new chapter!
First let's go to what I had mentioned in the previous chapter. It was almost a month since the last update, so they had plenty of time to vote, and surprisingly everyone voted that there should be a lemon in this story (some more sure than others). There wasn't much talk about this topic in Fanfiction, but on Wattpad I have more than 40 comments talking about this, so the answer is obvious: the first lemon will be released soon.
That aside, this story has been picked up again by those Patre-on members, so you will have a triple chapter of this story (remember that this is based on consecutive updates, so you will have three chapters published in a total of 6 days). If you want to participate in this and become a member of my Patre-on, I remind you that it only costs one dollar, for one dollar you can request an extra chapter of any story in development. You can search for me as "Jyanzein".
Now I would like to thank Surfysun and Srpaocomqueijo, who made this triple chapter possible. Seriously, thank you very much for trusting me and this fanfic.
Without anything else to add, I leave you with a review:
PanzerkampfwagenVI: I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapter. I hope the next chapters will also manage to please you.
kefriyandy14: You're probably going to have plenty of romantic and close parts between the two of you to enjoy from here on out. Thanks for supporting this story.
emoprotagonist: Wow, you are the first person to comment on this story. You had done it when I was still voting, so I thought you were long gone. Thank you very much for your patience and I hope you continue to like the story until the end.
Now, let's start with this end of the arc.
Enjoy!
Aether greeted Diona to see her off. The cat didn't even bother to respond, being so tired she could only think of the comfort offered by her snug little bed.
Once Diona had closed the door, Aether looked at the remaining two guests he had yet to guide. Well, actually it was only one, since Shenhe knew where her dormitory was.
"I haven't had a party like this in a while. Thank you for lending me the wine, everyone seemed very satisfied." Aether commented with a smile as he walked together with Diluc and Shenhe through the long hallway.
"Don't worry." Was Diluc's dry and carefree comment, making Aether look at him with slight boredom.
"You know? You could try to be more expressive. She is a great example of what you could become if you don't." Aether commented while pinching the cheek of Shenhe, who had a large question mark above her head.
"I'll try."
"I don't know why, but I don't believe you at all."
"Getting back to the important things, are you ready to resume your trip?"
"So avoiding the topic, huh?" Aether commented with a mocking tone as they descended the stairs. "Ei wants to help, so we are in the final preparations, since she has to readjust. Taking that away, we also have a big problem." Those last words caught the interest of Diluc, who looked at him expectantly. "The news of the destruction of Inazuma and the conflict with Snezhnaya is on the lips of all Teyvat. Fontaine is an allied nation of the Fatui so major conflicts of interest are big problems. Sumeru recently underwent a major readjustment and they are very vulnerable, so they created a temporary decree to expel anyone from Inazuma or Snezhnaya to avoid getting in the middle of the territorial dispute, or that's how they see it. Regarding Snezhnaya… well, I don't think I need to explain anything. And Natlan…" Aether fell silent after thinking about the Pyro Nation.
His eyes blinked several times as he stopped short under the gaze of Diluc and Shenhe.
"Come to think of it, no one informed me about Natlan's diplomatic conditions." Aether commented as he placed a hand on his chin.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about today, but I couldn't find the time." Shenhe's words made Aether look at her with extreme attention. "We received an invitation this morning. There is talk of a Scarlet Ritual…"
"Ritual…" Diluc replied, and his tone did not seem very cheerful.
"Do you know anything about that?" Aether asked with great interest.
"Those… "Rituals" are actually war consensus." The redhead declared, leaving Aether very confused.
"Wait, they make consensus for war? That seems completely crazy."
"It is. But being a nation that has been at war for centuries, that is a convenient process. After all, by enabling war only in a period of days it makes mortality just a little lower than birth rate, whereas previously they almost destroyed themselves." Diluc responded with his arms crossed. "If you ask me, the circumstances are more than obvious. Surely that Archon wants you to help her to end the infinite war in which her nation is engaged."
"I see…" Aether lowered his gaze as he thought carefully. "Then, I can help them at the same time as I get to the matter of Gnoses."
"Still, let me warn you something." Aether raised his gaze when he heard Diluc. "Strange things happen in that nation. Personally, it is difficult for me to understand how a war would last so many centuries without reaching an agreement more truthful than those Scarlet Rituals. I'm probably wrong, but you should be careful once you get there." The redhead concluded, making Aether think about his words carefully.
"I'll keep it in mind." The blonde concluded the talk as he reached the last step.
"Let me guide you. My bedroom is next to yours." Shenhe took Diluc away, leaving Aether alone as he watched the duo leave.
"The Nation of War…" Aether thought out loud, half smiling. "I guess that place lives up to its name." The blonde couldn't help but look serious when he reached for the doorknob to his bedroom. "I hope I can stop the war, obtain the Gnosis, and…" Aether gripped the doorknob even harder. "Know something new about my sister…" Aether's serious look changed to a small smile. "I guess the trip ahead is going to be quite chaotic." Aether's smile widened after those words, although it didn't last more than a second.
The reason?
It was simple.
Once he opened the door, he found a certain Goddess completely covered by the sheets, the only thing being visible was half of her face. All of her clothes were scattered at the foot of the bed, indicating that she was in her underwear.
He was sure he hadn't left her like this when he left, and as if that wasn't enough, he had also forgotten that she was sleeping in his bed.
Ei opened one of her eyes, she looked totally sleepy. Therefore, she looked completely cute and cuddly in that aspect.
"Aether…" Her lips were covered, but from the sleepy emotion in her voice it was not that difficult to guess that she was smiling.
In the end, alcohol and sleep dominated her again at that moment, so the blonde couldn't do anything other than stand at the entrance looking at the sleeping Goddess like a moron.
…
…
…
Until finally he remembered that last word he had said.
"Can there be anything more chaotic than this?!"
_ END OF ARC – CHAPTER 12: THE AWAKENING OF PASSION! _
Aether had small black bags under his eyes. Hours had passed, and it was impossible for him to fall asleep. But, just when it seemed like he was finally going to be able to sleep, Ei hugged him again, causing his eyes to pop open.
He had already lost count of how many times he had done it.
The blonde slowly shifted his head to look at her. She rested her face on his chest with great pleasure. He could also feel how her legs were tangled with his.
Ei's relaxed expression twitched a little as Aether moved her away again as carefully and calmly as possible so she wouldn't wake up.
"This is becoming more and more unbearable." Aether thought as he placed a hand on his abdomen.
The feeling of insufficiency and emptiness were terrifying.
His entire body was screaming at him to throw himself on top of her and claim her lips once and for all.
But…
"I have never fallen in love, and I don't think I will in the future either…"
Those words always came back to his mind.
Even so, he knew that that pain, that emptiness, that insufficient feeling would not disappear with the truth.
In fact, that very truth is what made him feel so miserable.
That incredible discomfort…
That suffering had to be overcome as soon as possible.
"The upcoming events will be of major importance, what will I do thinking about these impossible things? Accept once and for all that it is just a dream. I can't have my mind on anything but the future." Aether thought with a frown. "That's right, I have to fix this now!" Aether sat on the bed while clenching his fist tightly.
But that moment of concrete decision and security was shattered very easily when Ei hugged him again.
"Teach me how to cook…" She said in her dreams with a nice smile on her face, most likely she was dreaming very nice things.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the real world.
Aether looked at her with a slightly pained expression. His hand tightened even more on her abdomen.
The negative emotions and his mixed feelings were very close to breaking out.
"But how do I find that solution?"
_ LINE BREAK _
Relax teapot
A few hours later…
Aether was drinking coffee, being accompanied only by Paimon.
"Hey, you look really bad…" Paimon commented upon seeing Aether's face.
"I barely got any sleep at night." Aether replied, looking at her with an exhausted look. "By the way, what did you do tonight?"
"Hum, it's embarrassing…" Paimon rubbed her hair with a nervous smile. "The truth is that Paimon tried alcohol and Paimon passed out in one of the bathrooms."
"I'm not surprised. You are still too small for those things."
"Hey! It's most likely even bigger than you!
"With that body, I doubt it."
"Look who's talking! You look like a teenager!"
The small friendly fight between the two was cut short when Aether gave a long yawn.
"Hey… what happened to you that you couldn't sleep at all?" Paimon asked with quite a bit of confusion, since she had very rarely seen him like this.
"She slept with me." Aether responded, then tried the coffee again.
"Oh, I see-wait, WHAT?!" Paimon's mouth chords almost broke after such a scream, forcing Aether to hold the cup with both hands.
"It's not what you are thinking. She just physically slept with me and that's it. What happened was that she lost the key to her bedroom." Aether clarified, taking another taste of the coffee.
"Boo! That sounds like a terrible excuse to Paimon! She surely wants to continue taking over you completely even after she recovers!" Paimon exclaimed disdainfully as she turned her face away with a pout.
"Just relax. We will have time to have fun on our next trip." Aether commented with a slight sleepy smile. "But before that, I have to solve a problem." The blonde's words sparked Paimon's interest, who looked at him with great curiosity.
"Can you tell Paimon? Maybe Paimon can help." The floating fairy commented with a lively smile.
"Hm, it's a delicate topic…" Aether observed her carefully, creating a rather intense silence. "But I trust you, so I'll tell you." He concluded with a slight smile, something Paimon responded in kind.
"So what is it?" The question made Aether take another sip of his coffee.
"I'm in love with Ei."
". . ."
He had expected a loud scandal, as was usual with Paimon, but time passed and he was quite surprised to not receive any response.
When he looked up, the blonde watched with some amazement as Paimon looked at him with widened eyes.
"Did you fall in love with her? Uh…" Paimon looked down, her usual tender expression having changed to a much deeper and thoughtful one. "You and her… that's… How should Paimon put it?… um… Unexpected?"
"Do you have any solution to make me stop loving her?" Aether's question brought her out of her reflective moment, making Paimon surprised.
"Huh?! You want to stop loving her? How can you say that after dropping that bomb on Paimon!" Paimon wondered with quite a bit of confusion.
"That's the problem I was telling you about. The Gods are not capable of love, and this feeling has been killing me lately. I wouldn't be focus on anything if these episodes keep repeating. In these moments of crisis, emotions amount to nothing. I can't afford to lose focus when the whole world may be thrown into chaos because of my mistakes. " Aether explained as best he could, making Paimon look at him like he was an idiot.
"Gods can't love? Who told you that?" Paimon's immediate questions made the blonde look at her in confusion.
"Hey? It was the same Ei…"
"Oh, of course! The Gods cannot love! In that case Paimon understands your frustration!" Paimon's face lit up and she returned to her typical childish attitude as she high-fived her fist. "In that case, Paimon has a very simple solution to make you stop loving her!" She exclaimed with a big smile, making Aether's face light up and ignore that drastic change in attitude in his partner.
"Oh really?!"
"Of course!" Paimon exclaimed as she got close to Aether's ear.
"You just have to do this and this, then…"
Paimon's whispers made Aether's smile begin to turn into a rather confused look.
"And done! Problem solved!"
"Do you really think that's going to work?" Aether asked in doubt.
"Of course! You just need to replace that feeling with another one, and even if it's a lie, it's going to work! It's that simple! It's like when Paimon eats those sticky honey roasts and even though they aren't as tasty as how Amber makes them, Paimon just imagines them to be made by Amber and it tastes just the same!" Paimon declared with a toothy chuckle at the end.
"But, I wouldn't want to involve a third party either. I don't want to hurt anyone…" Aether commented, his conflicted look hinting that he was not at all safe with this "plan".
"Hey? Ah, Paimon sees! Paimon was obviously never talking about hurting anyone! The only thing you have to do is talk about it with someone you trust and who can help you!" Paimon exclaimed with a smile, but suddenly became a little hesitant. "Although, preferably it should be someone who really has no interest in such things. You know, maybe there could be accidents in the future…" Paimon thought out loud while rubbing his chin.
"You mean someone who doesn't feel love? That is practically impossible!" Aether exclaimed with a roll of his eyes.
And as if it had been an instant response, a certain woman opened the door before the two of them looked on.
"Good morning. I also come to have breakfast." Shenhe said with her typical blank expression while holding some burbiteroles on a plate along with a hot chocolate.
"Ara, ara?" Paimon hummed as she placed a hand on her chin while possessing a goofy smile on his face.
"Are you thinking the same as me?" Aether commented with a smile.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing." Paimon responded, making Shenhe look at them both like they were a couple of weirdos.
"Something happens?" The woman asked as she closed the door.
Aether and Paimon looked at each other one last time, and then the blonde spoke:
"Can you do me a favor?"
_ LINE BREAK _
Relax teapot
A few minutes later…
"Good morning."
Yae was too focused on her work, so it was a miracle that she heard the greeting.
"Oh, is Sleeping Beauty awake yet?" The Yokai asked herself in her typical bold tone. "Did you have a great time last night?" That knowing smile left her face when she saw Ei's haggard face.
That wasn't the only thing, as her hair was quite disheveled and her eyes looked extremely heavy.
"I will never drink alcohol again." The Goddess responded in her own way, earning a shake of the head from her friend.
"At least you were able to be honest with yourself, now you're not going to tell me that you forgot everything, are you?" The Yokai asked as she looked at her out of the corner of her eye, watching as Ei blushed to death. "Well, at least you're a little more sincere with your feelings…although it's a shame you couldn't do anything last night because of the alcohol." Ei looked at her with some confusion at such a comment.
"Hey? What was I supposed to have done?" Yae didn't even answer her, all she did was look at her.
Although the foxy smile made it more than obvious what she was thinking, Ei's face burst into the deepest red it had ever had in her life.
"You fucking perverted slut! Is that why you wanted to get me drunk?!"
"First of all, don't call me that, it sounds very bad. Secondly, I never forced you to have a drink." The Yokai clarified with her typical relaxed and confident smile.
Ei just looked at her and crossed her arms. Her annoyance was still visible, so Yae had no choice but to sigh.
"Well, I admit that I stole your bedroom key." The woman declared as she threw the key at him, and Ei caught it without any problems. "But don't get me wrong, I just wanted to help a friend." She concluded, returning to that usual smile of hers.
"Then I will take your words." That unexpected statement made Yae look at her in surprise. "I would like you to help me buy him a gift to confess." If Yae was shocked before, then now there was no way to describe what she felt.
It was a long time since she experienced a moment like that. And as such, she reacted in the most normal way possible.
She started laughing while Ei looked completely stiff and embarrassed in her position.
"Who knew you would be so direct?" Yae asked herself as she wiped a small tear from her eyes.
"Are you going to help me or not?" Ei asked with an annoyed tone, although her tender, embarrassed and blushing face made it impossible to take that annoyance seriously.
"Relax, girl! Of course I'm going to help you." Yae concluded, her smile turning into a much softer one, indicating that her next words were very serious. "If you want to buy him something, then make it a simple gift."
"Is that going to work?" Ei asked skeptically after listening to her.
"It's okay that you want to give him something to confess to. But the gift is the least important thing." Yae declared, then pointed to her chest.
"The really important thing is here, isn't it?"
At first, Ei looked very surprised, but in the end she responded in her own way as she placed a hand on his chest.
The precious feelings and passion that swirled throughout her body came ferociously with even more strength, causing her faint blush to be accompanied by a cute smile.
"You're right."
_ LINE BREAK _
Relax teapot
A few hours later…
The Archon was sitting on the roof while enjoying the refreshing night air. The table she was at was decorated and ready to use, although what caught her attention the most was something else.
"Will he like this?" Ei thought nervously, looking at a small package that she held in her hands. "Hmm, I'm still not sure… even if I was looking for a gift all afternoon, I still feel quite indecisive." A slight smile appeared on her lips as she caressed the top of the small box.
"But, knowing what he is like, I'm sure he'll like it."
"Hey!" Her little internal debate was left in the background, and suddenly her body grew hot when she saw who was approaching.
Just by seeing that smile, that face, and those eyes...
Just seeing that, she felt that all the courage she gathered for the moment transformed into infinite embarrassment.
"How could a Goddess thousands of years old get nervous about something so normal?" She scolded herself in her mind, then opted for the brightest smile she could find.
Although said smile did not last that long, as she soon discovered that Aether was being accompanied.
"Didn't I tell you that I wanted us to eat alone?" Ei asked with some suspicion upon seeing Shenhe.
"I know. She only came with me because we have something very important to tell you. After that, if you want we can eat alone." Those words ignited Ei's curiosity.
"I understand." The Goddess nodded as she watched both Aether and Shenhe take their seats in front of her.
"What were you doing all afternoon? It's strange that you were in the city for so long." Aether asked with great interest.
"Well, that… that's what I'd like to talk to you about privately." Ei glanced at Shenhe, something Aether understood.
"In that case, I think we should talk first." Shenhe commented, receiving a nod from Aether.
"So what's so important? Is it about the region we are going to?" Ei asked with great curiosity.
"Actually, it's something much more private…" Aether stated nervously as he rubbed his hair.
Suddenly, Shenhe took him by the hand, and a strange feeling of loss and searing pain took over those feelings that made Ei feel so good.
"What…what is it?" Ei squeezed the box tightly against his will as he felt something begin to crack inside it.
"You see, I love him, and he loves me. Now we are a couple."
That which was cracking ended up breaking into a thousand pieces.
Her heart was broken as she looked at the two without understanding how this developed.
Suddenly, her face began to react as she squeezed the box harder, almost to the point of breaking it.
"Hey?" Aether looked at her with great confusion as he noticed how a cold look took over her.
Suddenly, the gentle breeze turned into an icy feeling that gnawed at them to the core. All just by seeing that look.
But she didn't look empty.
There was definitely an emotion in the Goddess.
It was a feeling of incessant suffering that was transmitted through her face in absolute rage.
Ei stood up without warning before the somewhat dumbfounded gaze of the other two. She turned around and left without saying a word.
"What's going on?" Aether asked with slight surprise at the Goddess's drastic and strange action.
"I'm going to take a bath." Ei said in a whisper, but they could both hear her.
"And what about the food?" Shenhe asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"I'm not hungry. You can eat at my place." The Archon sentenced with a harsh tone and left without even looking at them.
"But you said you had to tell me something…" Aether thought out loud as he rubbed his hair in concern.
"Do you think this is okay?" Shenhe asked with severe doubts. "Paimon said she would react and then everything would be resolved little by little. But I didn't expect her to make that face…" Shenhe commented. Her body couldn't help but have a slight chill at the memory of the Goddess's cold and angry gaze.
"Well…" Aether looked towards where Ei was previously.
"Things happened as she predicted. So, if this eventually creates some distance between us, then we should continue with this little lie."
_ LINE BREAK _
Relax teapot
Ei buried half of her face in the tub.
She no longer seemed angry, enraged, exasperated, or whatever those emotions were synonymous with.
Now she just looked lost.
As if she were a girl who lost her parents in the middle of a shopping center.
Her mind was still working on everything that had happened, and every time she remembered a single fragment of that moment it made the discomfort in her chest increase.
That sensation…
All full of suffering.
Loss.
And above all…
Of sadness.
She hated him.
She hated feeling like this.
And as if that were not enough, that sadness was rising at accelerated levels.
A rubber duck collided with her forehead, causing her to snap up from her lethargy of suffering.
"Sorry, little friend. You will not be able to reach your owner." Ei lifted it with both hands, and that gesture helped her observe the words that the toy had on his chest.
"I love you"
Reading those words only made her chest hurt even more.
"Do you know something? Since I met him, the past stopped being so heavy. I no longer felt sad or empty. I thought I would never be again if he was around me, but… but-" Suddenly, her voice broke and her eyes began to overflow with tears:
"I WANT TO BE MUCH MORE THAN YOUR FRIEND!"
Her tears began to flow.
"I DON'T WANT TO LAUGH ANYMORE! I DON'T WANT TO SMILE ANYMORE, UNLESS YOU LIE NEXT TO ME! I…I JUST…!"
Her heartbreaking crying slowly subsided as she took deep breaths to calm herself.
But the pain was still as big as hell.
It hurt so much to the point of feeling like she was dying, and the only way she could vent was to cry silently.
"I just want you to give me a kiss…"
_ LINE BREAK _
Relax teapot
The next morning…
Aether, Sara and Itto looked together towards a specific point. What their gazes reflected made it clear what they were seeing.
A few meters away was Ei, training with an iron dummy. The sword hit different parts with impacts that made the entire earth shake. Her teeth clenched as she swung her sword around with unparalleled speed, causing a strong gust of wind to shake the area just as the metal head of the training dummy flew away. Once it fell to the ground, Ei began to land a large number of blows on it in an impressive restrained fury. They were so strong that it was starting to crack the ground badly. It seemed like she was venting about something that happened to her
"Does anyone know if something happened to her excellency?" Sara was the first to come out of her stupor, receiving a shake of the head from both of them.
After a while, Ei finally moved away from the test dummy and gave a big sigh of satisfaction, indicating that she already felt much more relaxed. Her gaze went near the back door, as everyone was having a small picnic after doing their training or work. The only one missing was her.
Ei watched as Aether and Shenhe stood together, causing her to lower her head sadly. But in the end, she started to get closer and her usual smile returned to her face.
A very fake smile, of course.
Once everyone was gathered, Ei apologized to Shenhe and Aether for leaving in a disrespectful manner. They said there was no problem, so the Goddess ended up congratulating them on their love relationship, something that undoubtedly set off Sara and Yae's alarms.
They both looked at each other with very serious faces.
Now they understood why Ei had been acting so strange all morning.
_ LINE BREAK _
Relax teapot
Several days later…
The mornings and nights were over before Aether knew it. In some ways, he didn't feel very good about the plan he was carrying out, but on the other hand he felt quite relieved that everything was going well. After all, Ei began to distance herself on her own as Paimon suggested, and that way he could supposedly lose those feelings with the passing of the days, which could perhaps turn into months, and also into years... He really didn't know how much time it would take for it.
But there was something strange.
During these days, he only saw her twice a day at most. The rest of the time she spent locked in her bedroom, supposedly developing a project that she did not want to tell him about because otherwise she would ruin it.
He knew it was none of his business, but things were smelling weirder and weirder, so worry began to eat away at him inside.
It was a bad feeling.
Like she was trying to isolate herself again.
After all, she wasn't just walking away from him.
She was distancing herself from everyone.
And, in the end, this very day he would discover the truth...
"Finally you got here." Commented Yae, who was waiting for him patiently sitting on her bed.
"Was it necessary for us to meet in your bedroom?" The blonde asked, then looked at Sara. "Good morning." The commander responded in her own way as she nodded silently.
"It was preferable that no one else hear this. It would be counterproductive for everyone to know that the Archon of Inazuma may be much weaker than she appears." Aether couldn't help but look at her with his eyes slightly widened at such a statement.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just like you heard. That new weakness is you, which is worse." Yae's response only left him with even more doubts. "Do you know what she's been doing all these days?" Yae continued the conversation with another question, making Aether shake his head.
"She just told me that I would know when the time came…"
"Yes, it doesn't seem strange to me that she didn't even tell you." Yae interrupted him. "In fact, it is certain that you are the last person who should know. After all, she knows well that you will do everything possible to avoid it."
"Wait, wait, what exactly are we talking about?" Aether asked, not being able to follow the thread of the conversation.
"Do you know something? She hasn't told me anything either. I had to infiltrate her room to find out, a job that was not so easy." Yae commented seriously. "Once I was inside, it wasn't hard to find what I was saving."
"And it was?" Aether couldn't stand the mystery anymore.
And when Yae became even more serious, that was when he understood that this was worrying.
Very worrying.
"She's building a new puppet."
Aether felt like the world stopped at that precise moment.
A new puppet.
She wanted to lock herself away again.
She wanted to isolate herself.
Her Eternity.
A place about self.
The place where she could forego everything and completely focus on herself.
Emotions and passion were just trivial instances.
Only her resolve was eternal that grew with each passing moment in that plane.
"It can't be…" It was the only thing he could think of to say as his gaze fell to the ground, looking completely stunned.
"Are you really surprised? Is this not what you wanted?" Sara asked with a frown, and although Yae tried to stop her when she raised her hand, it was too late.
"Are you crazy?! How I would want him to do that! She is condemning herself! She wants to condemn herself again for all that happened until now!" Aether shouted with clear anger in his voice, something that surprised both women as they had never heard him so upset.
"Well, at least with that I'm clear that you care a lot about Ei." Yae declared with a slight smile.
"I have to make her see reason!" Aether exclaimed as he prepared to leave.
"Wait." Yae stopped him just in time. "Do you at least know why she did that?"
"Huh?"
"I guess not…" Yae gave a big sigh. "And I thought you were not dense in love…"
"What does that have to do with everything that's going on?" The blonde asked with a frown, although Yae did not need to explain it to him. "Wait, she just started acting like that when…"
The revelation hit him suddenly, making Yae give him a slight smile.
"Apparently I'm not going to have to explain much." The Yokai commented with slight satisfaction when she saw that Aether finally realized her friend's feelings.
"But she told me that the Gods couldn't love, that she couldn't…" The blonde stated as he lowered his gaze, you could easily see that he was quite shocked at the newly acquired information.
"She said that? In that case, then maybe if you're not that dense. It rather translates to a big misunderstanding. But, first I want to make sure of one thing…" Yae's eyes narrowed at what she was about to ask:
"You love her?"
"I…yes, yes I do. I love her so much." Surprisingly, Aether showed no need to hide the feelings he once wanted to bury.
What's more, now he felt really happy to be able to accept and express them.
"I see…" Yae nodded, then turned serious. "Then why did you start dating Shenhe?"
"It was Paimon's plan. She said that I could get away from Ei a little if I did what I did, and that way I would slowly forget these feelings for her. I don't really love Shenhe, but it's not like I cheated on her. In fact, she's like my partner in crime, so to speak. Once we agreed to do it, we…why are you looking at me like that?" Aether couldn't hold his nerves when he saw the almost dead expression that Yae and Sara had.
"And you listened to her?" They both said at the same time, making Aether start to sweat.
"Was that a bad idea?" A rather tense smile graced the blonde's face.
"You were blinded by forgetting those feelings, so I don't think I can entirely blame you." Sara declared.
"Back to the main topic, you better hurry up." Yae commented seriously. "When I entered her bedroom this morning, the puppet was almost finished. I doubt she will want to go out or listen to you once she gets into the Plane of Euthymia." Those words made Aether lower his head.
"But… will she still want to listen to me now, after everything I did? Maybe you don't even believe me…" The traveler whispered in a tone that was covered in conflict.
"This will be the last chance. You don't have time to think about those things, so are you going to be a coward, hide and regret the rest of your life, or are you going to face your mistakes like a man?" Yae's strong words made Aether look at her with utmost surprise.
Noticing that she had his full attention, the Yokai decided to give him one last push.
"It's time for you to make a decision."
As soon as he finished hearing those words, Aether ran out of the room at full speed to Sara's surprise.
"Wow, he didn't think twice after you told him that…" The woman commented, quite amazed.
"I have spent some time with the traveler, and I could tell that he is very indecisive at certain times." Yae commented with a smile, which only widened because of what she was going to say:
"But once he makes up his mind, no one and nothing is able to stop him."
Ei placed the sword on the puppet's hand. The Goddess moved away a little to look at her in a better way, and as expected, she was a carbon copy of her.
A somewhat conflicted look crossed her face as she touched the edge of the sword with great delicacy. But that moment of reflection came to nothing when her door was knocked down from one moment to the next.
"EI!" Aether called out her name before seeing that he was next to the closet.
The Goddess and the blonde shared a look that lasted only a few seconds. They both looked into each other's eyes, and didn't need to say anything to know what the other was planning.
That's why Ei acted faster.
Her hand tightened on her sword, causing a large gap to open and immediately begin to engulf her.
"EI, NO!"
Aether rushed forward as fast as he could and reached for her hand, but it seemed to be too late, as two-thirds of her body had already been absorbed.
"Let me go! The Shogun has been recalibrated, so it will act correctly! I promise that she will be a great companion for what is to come in the future!" Ei exclaimed, barely able to contain her sobs.
"NO!"
"Why don't you want to leave me?! She will be able to do all the work!" The Goddess exclaimed with a mixture of sadness and frustration in her tone.
"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT HER, I WANT YOU!"
"Listen to me! Listen…" Ei felt tears begin to flow against her will as she was slowly dragged across the Plane of Euthymia, despite all of Aether's efforts. "I really enjoyed every moment, but I can't anymore…" The Goddess bit her lower lip to try to contain her sobs. "I want to thank you for everything, I want you to know that you are a great person, and that I adore you so much. But, I can't… I just can't…" Her crying became even bigger after those words.
"I get it, I've been an idiot!" Aether shouted through clenched teeth as he did his best to avoid what was seemingly inevitable. "I guess it was both of our faults, but it was more my fault for not understanding you for the simple reason of not creating false hopes for myself! So please don't go away and listen to me!" Aether's words took Ei by surprise, who looked at him with widened eyes.
"What…what do you mean by that?" Suddenly, the crying subsided and her broken heart began to vibrate.
It seemed like she wanted to rebuild himself.
It seemed like she wanted to be happy again.
"If you leave, then I won't want to sleep anymore, I won't want to dream anymore! Because it doesn't matter that your cold puppet remains next to me, since neither she nor my dreams will be able to comfort me like the way you make me feel!" Ei's eyes grew wider and wider at what she was hearing. "That's why I'm asking you to stay, please! Please do not leave me alone! I need you too! I also adore you! I would hate to live without you, because I too…!" Aether gritted his teeth and his eyes closed as he felt that the strength of the Plane of Euthymia increase, now barely Ei's arm and head were barely visible.
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU TOO!"
Ei's eyes couldn't widen anymore. Her tears stopped completely when she felt a great shock hit her entire body after hearing those words that she had dreamed of so much.
The emotional shock she suffered caused the Plane of Euthymia to lose strength, so a little of her body came out again.
It was only a few centimeters, but Aether was able to notice it, so he didn't waste any time and was surrounded by the Geo Element, Anemo, and Electro at the same time.
"¡AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"
Aether's loud scream was accompanied by an explosion that shattered the windows and scattered all the furniture against the walls, including the puppet itself.
The room was covered in dust, making it impossible to know exactly what had happened.
The first thing that was heard in so much uncertainty was the cough of Aether, who was lying on the ground.
"Hey!" Aether wanted to get up as quickly as possible, but he crashed into something as soon as he tried.
But it was very strange.
His lips had collided with a warm, wet surface, something really strange. Although it conveyed a sensation that felt damn good.
Once the dust began to disappear, he slowly realized what was touching his lips.
His eyes widened as quickly as possible, the moment he realized his lips were pressing against Ei's, who was on top of him in a rather compromising position.
Once his reasoning fully worked, the blonde instantly lowered his head.
"I'm sorry…"
It was just two words.
He only had time to say two words, as Ei's lips claimed him again as soon as he pulled away.
_ END OF THE CHAPTER! _
I leave you with a bit of suspense for everything that will happen in the next chapter, although I think you already imagined it.
Now that the main couple has finally been formalized, there will be a couple of transition chapters so that the couple's moments between the two can be enjoyed. There will also be a friendly fight to reopen the fights detailed in this story.
After this we go to the new region, in which I have many things prepared, such as geography, history, culture, etc. It should be noted that Natlan will be created almost from scratch by me, since today 4/10/24 there is no solid information regarding this nation, except for certain things that are very small.
With nothing more to add, it's time to leave.
See you in three days for the next chapter!