Chapter 13
Still working on ways to improve my story here, I appreciate the help I get from the reviews.
Finally I can do a chapter where I can use more of The Chosen One's abilities. Also I just learned that Force abilities are actually pretty numerous, lots of underrated powers to use.
One idea I have is including World Quest cutscenes into the story, along with Story Quest cutscenes AND Archon Quest cutscenes. Just to make this story a little bigger, and to keep things more entertaining.
Time to see where my imagination takes me today on this chapter. Wish me luck!
Aether POV - Mondstadt (KoF Headquarters)
"...ler"
"zzzzz..."
"Traveler!"
"zzzzz five more minutes sis..."
"TRAVELER!" Paimon cries out in frustration, floating above my head.
"H-Huh? Paimon? Is it morning already?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, trying to push away the drowsiness.
"Duh! Why else would I wake you up for?" My small, flying companion responded.
"Probably just to eat my breakfast?" I joked, smiling to myself.
"Hey! Are you calling Paimon fat?!" She pouted, hands on her hips.
"Haha, I'm just kidding. Come on, lets get something to eat" I tell her, getting out of bed and towards the bathroom. "But first, I need a little privacy" Closing the door, I laugh a little as I hear Paimon 'eek!' before disappearing.
"Haha...sigh" Staring at the mirror, I can't help but think up my sister. "Where are you Lumine? " I wondered, getting ready for the morning.
Now that I'm thinking about it, where is Anakin sleeping?
Anakin POV - Mondstadt (Cathedral)
"Kin..."
"Where am I?" This beautiful scenery, ive been here before. "Is this..." I know that voice!
"Anakin?"
A hand on my shoulder!
"Padmé?" I turn around as fast as humanly possible, but im not fast enough. I'm only lucky enough to catch a small glimpse of her face...just before I'm forced out of my sleep.
*knock knock*
"Excuse me, Sir? The Acting Grand Master has requested your..." Upon opening the door, an unexpected surprise welcomes her eyes.
"...?" Sitting up on my bed, we lock eyes for a few seconds before she yelps and runs off, embarrassed and flustered. "...Hm, probably should wear a shirt next time I sleep" Regardless, I get out of bed and get dressed, after all, I still have a lot of things to do.
an hour later...
"Is everyone here?" The voice of the Acting Grand Master called out, standing in the middle of this tavern.
"Yeah, looks like everyone is here" The Traveler responded, counting everyone who is meant to be in this room.
"Even Master Diluc is here!" The pixie noted, pointing out the redhead in the room.
"Did you think I would not come?" Said redhead asked, arms crossed.
"Ehhh"
"Of course not, you just seem like a busy man" I butted in, clearing up any confusion.
"Hmm, a reasonable response" The tavern owner stated, turning to Jean. "So, have we a place to find Dvalin's tears?"
"As a matter of fact, we do" Jean stated. "Our knights on patrol have found a place containing Dvalin's tears. As of this morning, we will set out for The Thousand Winds Temple"
"The Thousand Winds Temple? Huh, sounds like an interesting place" I thought. "Can we get there within a day?" I asked, making a plan, just in case.
"We could make it there faster if we glide through the air. But we're moving up, not down" Venti joked, rubbing the back of his head.
"Of course. The Thousand Winds Temple isn't very far from Mondstadt, just an hours walk from here. Though, there are monsters along the way, we'll have to be careful" Jean explains, hand on her chin.
"Great idea, Grand Master Jean. So, when do we eat second breakfast?!" The flying creature gleefully asks.
I swear, for a moment I thought I saw stars in her eyes, very strange.
"You and your hunger, Paimon. I'm surprised you can still fly" The young bard teased.
"Hey!! So incredibly rude!" The fairy shouted in offense, cheeks red.
"Hmm" Arms crossed, I make eye contact with Aether, both of us having a mental conversation.
"Enough! Are we ready or not?" The redheaded tavern owner asked, eager to start this mission.
"I wouldn't know. Everyone, are you all ready?" Jean asked, in a surprisingly gentle manner.
"Hm, no wonder she plays the role of 'Acting Grand Master'so well" I thought to myself. "Looks like we've got our answer. Shall we head out now?" "Heh, this feels like old times"
"Haha! Hero's setting out on another journey to save Mondstadt! This makes for a really great song, perhaps we'll go down in history!" Venti cheered.
"Now that sounds cool!" The fairy cheered along with the bard.
Smiling, Aether speaks up "Let's go save Mondstadt!"
minutes later...
"Its only been ten minutes and I can still see the city from here" I mumbled, scanning the horizon.
"And thats the best part about this. The memories we can make on this journey" The bard cheered, flashing a cheerful expression.
"Now that sounds completely ridiculous" The tavern owner said, walking alongside the blonde knight.
"Master Diluc, theres no need to be so rude. Besides, the journey we're setting out on IS for a noble cause" The Acting Grand Master calmly stated.
"Shes right" I added to their conversation. "In situations like these, it's crucial that we remember the importance of the mission. As well as the people who are counting on us"
Moved by my words, Jean smiles for a moment. "That sounds very motivational, was it something your old teachers taught you?" She innocently asked.
Upon hearing that, I simply look downward, I can't help but feel like my old self again. The adventures, the people around me, the fight for a righteous purpose? I kinda felt like being back in The Clone Wars again... Like I was back with...
"Anakin?" Jean called out again "Are you okay?"
"Hm? Did you say something?" I asked.
"I did, nothing too serious really" She explained. "Just a small question about your...old life. And about those words you said earlier"
Thinking about her question, I try to find a simple way to answer it. "Well, I wouldn't really say that my 'old teachers' taught me that, just one of them did. And even now..., his teachings still carry on with me" I told her, gazing at the surprisingly peaceful land around us.
"He sounds like a wonderful teacher, seeing what you can do, i'd say he's just as skilled as you are?" The Acting Grand Master questioned, curious about my old master.
"Heh, almost as good. He taught me almost everything I know, the rest was...during my own training?" I responded, not trying to sound too suspicious. "That aside, whats his story?" I asked, gesturing towards the Traveler as I continue talking to her.
"The Traveler?" Jean asked. "I haven't spoken with him much, but from what hes told us is that..."
I'm aware that I already know a handful about the Traveler, but good thing I still asked. As she told me what she knew, time passed by faster than it originally would have. Except the occasional monster-hunting moments, still had to fight through all that...
moments later...
"Kyssshing!!"
Putting away my lightsaber, I turn back to the Acting Grand Master. "That the last of them?"
"I believe so" Jean replied, putting her weapon away. "Now then, we should continue, the Thousand Winds Temple is just up ahead"
"Oooh, so cool" Paimon appears, floating behind Aether as we approach the temple ruins. "Wait, why does this place look familiar...?"
"Just up ahead! I can see the old pillars from here!" Venti pointed out, cheerful as usual.
"Don't celebrate just yet, bard. We still have one last adversary to face" The tavern owner stated, looking around.
"One last what?" The pixie asked.
"The droid up ahead" I answered, marching up the stairs. "Huh, this feels oddly familiar..." "Annnd there it is. Right on center" I whispered, keeping my voice down. "This can't be right, didn't I already destroy that droid?"
Memorized by the gaint machine, Aether is left speechless "Whoa, is that..."
"A Ruin Guard. Very strong, and very dangerous, if we want to get through, we'll have to go through it first" Diluc stated, his watchful gaze sharp on the droid.
"With no long-range weapons, this makes things a lot more complicated. Any ideas anyone?" I asked, turning back to them.
"I think...I might have one" Aether spoke up, the gears in his head turning.
"Really now? Alright then kid, whats the plan?"
Jean POV - Thousand Winds Temple
"This is ridiculous" I thought to myself, sneaking myself closer to the large machine, careful as to not make a sound as the others move into position.
Watching them quietly encircle the Ruin Guard, I mentally go over the plan. "sigh I hope you know what your doing Traveler" I whispered, looking around before spotting Anakin, climbing his way to the highest point in these ruins.
"He...has a glider. Right?" Not the time to think about that, plus, I'm certain he can survive a jump from such a height.
"The shadow..."
The Traveler informed us of when to attack, once the longest shadow of these ruins reaches a certain length. Which would be just about "...Now!! Go!!" I ordered, using Anemo to lift the dust, providing cover.
Whirrr? Raaaaahhh!
The Ruin Guard took the bait, just as planned! "Traveler! Attack on the right!" I yelled, towards the opposite direction.
Raaaaghhh!!
The large machine clearly hears my words and turns to the right, as the Traveler attacks from the left! With fast and light steps, we both attack the robot from two sides while avoiding any and every counter attack.
*robotic mumble* Rrrrr...kraaaahhhh!
Rockets!!!
It isn't kneeling in defeat, it's about fire on us! "Traveler! Get behind the rocks!" I shouted, running behind a large pile of rocks before the rockets can lock-in on us.
Rrrraaaaghhhhh!!
*CRASH!!! crumble*
A large slab of stone slams into the Ruin Guard, knocking it over and stopping it from firing!
"Whoa! What was that?!" Paimon cries out, flying away from the fallen chunks of rock.
"Anakin..." I've already seen what he can do, and yet I'm still so memorized by his abilities as we lock eyes for a brief moment. "Traveler! We need to move back!" I shouted, helping the Traveler as the Ruin Guard begins to stand back up.
Whirrrrr! Ahhhh! Waaaghhhh!
Where is he? "Where are you Master Diluc?" My question is answered as soon as I thought of it as the redheaded man jumps out of nowhere, swinging down on the 'head' of the machine!
"Haaaaahhh!!"
*KA-BOOM!!!*
"Traveler!" Even if were both behind a sturdy pile of rocks, I still shield him as the waves of fire eventually calm down.
"Ngh...wait, what? We're ...not hurt?" I check ourselves for any injuries.
"Acting Grand Master...?" The Traveler muttered, equally as confused as me.
"!?" Behind us! "Huh?"
It's Venti, unharmed and waving at us. "Need any help?"
So friendly, I couldn't help but smile "Venti..."
Aether POV - Thousand Winds Temple
After a quick catch up moment, we return to the fight, helping Master Diluc and attacking on all sides! "Acting Grand Master! The Ruin Guard is about to-"
"Clear out!" Master Diluc yells, jumping out of the way before the robot begins to spin, becoming a tornado!?
"Ngh! This isn't good!"
"Traveler! Its going jump on us! Follow me!" Jean shouted to me. "Good idea. Wait, where's Venti?" Looking around quickly, I see no sight of the green bard, but I do see...
"Outlander!" Master Diluc yells as the Ruin Guard leaps into the air! I get down and brace for the impact, unsure if it lands ON or next to us, but it never does.
"...? Huh? Theres...nothing?" I slowly look up, and I'm met with the startling sight of the Ruin Guard floating above me.
Whirrr? Raaaagh *confused robot noises*
"...Whoa"
"Anakin..."
Standing tall and hand raised, he has the Ruin Guard lifted into the air with his...I don't even know what to call it, his power or something.
"...Hello there"
Casually smirking, he effortlessly tosses the Ruin Guard aside, momentarily disabled. "So, is that all?" He asked, turning to me.
"Heh, I thought Venti did all that. How did you do that?"
Appearing again, Paimon floats around, just as amazed as me. "Yeah! How did you do that?!"
"Long story" He simply states, turning back to face Master Diluc fighting off the large robot. "Lets take care of this guy first"
"Mhm. Together then?" I looked at them all.
"Together!" Venti cheered, alongside The Acting Grand Master, weapons drawn.
"Come on kid" *lightsaber activated* "Shown him what we got" And so we did, all five of us fighting as one.
Venti POV - Thousand Winds Temple
"Ready for take off" Nothing like helping heros fight in the name of righteousness! "Keep him busy Traveler!" I tell him, firing my arrows onto the machine "Not too much, can't get ahead of myself now hehe"
"Venti, try to keep some distance between yourself and the Ruin Guard" Jean advises me, jumping away from the now-spinning machine.
"If you say so~" Flashing her a smile, I do exactly that. "Keep the Traveler out of harm, Jean!" I winked and moved further back "That Skywalker guy is pretty cool actually" I thought, watching him dodge a strike before severing one of its arms.
"Whoa! Never seen a weapon do that before!" Even from here, I can see that its arm wasn't necessarily sliced off, but BURNED off. "The metal is still orange hot...he really isn't from here is he?"
"Venti!! Get in position!" The noble Acting Grand Master shouts, getting the Ruin Guard out in the open.
And with the good help of everyone, the robot remains distracted enough for Skywalker to use his power to lift up the Ruin Guard. Presenting the opportunity for me to...
"...Fire"
One split-second, my arrow flies true.
Jean POV - Thousand Winds Temple
An arrow. One arrow. And thats all it took to bring this mechanical beast down, now a pile of scrap. Now walking towards it, we all gather around "Nice shot, Venti" I praise the young bard.
"Thank you, Acting Grand Master. Now, as for the tears..." I reminded everyone.
"Paimon didn't think we'd find Dvalin's tears in a place like this" The Traveler's tiny companion appeared, floating beside him.
"As knights, we are taught to hone our investigative skills" I explained to her.
"Wow! Very impressive!" Paimon cheered in return.
"Impresive indeed. Knights can do a lot more than just fight and serve the people" Anakin supported, giving me slight praise.
"Wise choice of words, Anakin. Anyway, we should get going now, we still don't have enough tears for the Holy Lyre" I stated, looking towards the horizon.
"Nice tracking skills then. So, how are we to find more of Dvalin's tears anyway?" Venti asks.
"In my experience, the secret to finding what you are looking for is to never look for it in the first place" I explained to them. "Don't think too much about it and don't search too hard... and before you know it, what you are looking for will appear right before your very eyes"
Confused, Paimon struggles to understand my message "What?"
"Don't worry about it too much. The more flustered you become, the less likely you are to find it" I explain to her, now taking us to the next location. "Pay attention to what you see in your peripheral vision, and you might just stumble upon what you're looking for"
"She's right, as strange as it may sound to you. Focusing on your surroundings and remaining calm is a good way to find what you are looking for" Anakin adds in, walking beside the Traveler.
"I don't know... It doesn't sound like that would work..." Paimon remained unconvinced.
"No, seriously, it does though. In fact, it's how I used to find my tortoise whenever he went missing"
"Wait-you had a pet tortoise!?" Paimon cried out in shock.
"Yes, why? Something wrong, Paimon?" I asked in return.
"No, it's... uh, well, just surprising is all" the fairy girl answers to her best ability.
"I don't think there's anything surprising about having friendships with animals, its part of our nature" Diluc adds into the conversation.
"Hes right about that!" Venti agrees.
"Surprised? Why?" I asked again.
"Paimon can't imagine Jean having a pet tortoise. Surely you find it hard to imagine too, Master Diluc?"
"No, I don't" The redhead bluntly stated. "I had one too when I was a kid. What's so strange about it?"
"What? You too?" Paimon stands(floats), bewildered by what she hears. "What about you Traveler? Did you have any interesting pets?" She then asks the Traveler.
"I don't think so? I still can't remember much from my past" The Traveler replied. "What about you Anakin? Any pets? Or companions?"
"Oh no. That question" From what Anakin had told me last night, I don't think his experience with companionship is something he will talk about.
"A pet? Not for me, as for companions..." he let his words linger for a moment "I think its best if that story is told during a campfire"
"Oh! Paimon loves campfires!"
As the group spoke and engaged in conversation, I think about what Skywalker told me last night, just as we head on towards the next location.
hours later... - Cape Oath
"Here we are. Eagle's Gate" I announced to everyone, stopping at the foot of the temple. "Now it's just us four, plus Paimon. Venti had business to attend to in Mondstadt...probably drinking again"
"Whoa, these are everywhere" Paimon says, appearing behind Traveler.
"These temples are beneficial, besides serving as landmarks. Adventurers use these temples to further elevate their skills" Master Diluc explains to her.
"Then it sounds like the right place to find these tears" Skywalker adds into the conversation. "So, care to lead the way Grand Master?"
"Thats 'Acting Grand Master', Skywalker. And yes, I will be leading the way, everyone, stay together now"
And in a few steps...off we go.
Aether POV - Eagle's Gate (Cape Oath)
Another pocket-dimension.
"Still haven't gotten use to this" I say to myself, regaining my balance. I guess it's a good thing Venti isn't here, he might've gotten motion sickness.
"You alright?" Anakin looks to me, unfazed about our teleportation here.
Looking around, im taken aback by the amazing scenery around us. "Yes, I'm alright. Wait, how aren't you-?"
"Lets get going now. Time can move a bit faster here" Master Diluc tells us, standing by Anakin and Jean.
"Right then, come on Traveler" The Acting Grand Master tells me, the three of them moving forward.
"Come on, Traveler. We can't let them beat us!" Paimon appears again, for a brief moment.
"Right! We need to find the last of Dvalin's tears!" I run over to the group, hearing Paimon disappear again. "Acting Grand Master, do we have a plan of attack? I asked.
"Well, I do have a strategy for-"
"I have a plan" Anakin interrupts, standing by a strange green gate.
"Come again?" Acting Grand Master Jean asks.
"Judging by the size of this mini-world, there would be a sizable amount of enemies. And with my past life experience, I know a great way to get past quickly" Anakin explains, pulling out his weapon.
Intrigued, Master Diluc asks Anakin to further elaborate. "Do you now? Well then, lets hear this 'plan' of yours"
minutes later...
"Whoaaa! Watch out!"
"Watch your left Traveler!"
"Keep those Archers busy Skywalker!
"I'm being surrounded, everyone!"
"Anakin!!"
"Relax, Jean. We're not dead yet!" Anakin defends himself, from both harsh criticisms AND enemies.
"It haven't even been five minutes! How are we this surrounded already?!" I thought to myself, blasting away another Hilichurl as Diluc burns it mid-air!
"I know that!" The Acting Grand Master yells back at Anakin. "You said you had a plan!!"
"I do! Just keep me covered!" The otherworldly man tells the blonde woman. "Hey kid! Need a lift?" He looks to me.
"Huh?" Realizing what he's gesturing towards, I'm not sure about his idea. "Are you sure?!" I asked, cutting down enemies at the same moment.
"Traveler! We need you to handle those archers up there! Can you manage that?" Jean asks of me, keeping the monsters at bay.
"Yes, Acting Grand Master!" I agree, running towards Skywalker.
"Anakin!"
He has a plan, but why do I have a bad feeling about this? "Here we go!" Running up on a pile of rocks I leap over Skywalker! And in a sudden moment, I feel myself pushed higher and faster into the air.
"Go get them Aether!" Anakin yells to me.
"He's right, I can do this!"
Distracted by the battle below, I quickly take care of the Hilichurl archers, giving the others some breathing room.
"Alright Kid! Get off now!" Anakin then tells me, killing another Hilichurl before thrusting his hands forward, almost like he's trying to...
*rumble rumble*
"Whoa! Run Traveler!" Paimon yelps as she flies away.
Listening to her, I do just that. Leaping off the edge just as I feel the stone wall I've just been on begin to crumble.
Surprised by the crumbling wall, Master Diluc orders everyone to back away as they watch Anakin bring down the stone wall on the Hilichurls, burying them.
"Whoaaa..." Gliding down, I walk over to the others, brushing off the dust that settled around us. "Are you all okay?"
"That was..."
"What was that?" Master Diluc muttered.
"Traveler! Are you okay?" Jean asks.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little-"
*lightsaber slash sound*
Startled, everyone turns towards the direction of that sound.
*lightsaber deactivates*
"What? You missed one" Anakin jokes, finishing off an Abyss Mage and heading over to us. "So, anything else we need to take care of?"
"Just us having to collect the materials around here, for later use. After that, we head that way, if the clues are correct, there's a gust of wind that can take us to where we can find the rest of Dvalin's tears" The Acting Grand Master explains.
"Alright then. I'll just wait over there, be quick" Anakin stated, walking over to the gust of wind.
"Is this really necessary?" Master Diluc questioned, already recovering any valuable materials.
"Well, we do need these to get stronger. So I would say, yes; in my humble opinion" Jean answers him, picking up any remaining pieces.
And after a few minutes, we were back on the trail, walking over to Anakin. "Ready to fly?" I ask him.
"Heh, wouldn't be my find time" he answers back.
Nodding, I walk towards the edge, a tunnel of wind going vertical.
"Then lets fly!" And with that sentence, we all ran and leaped off the edge, letting the wind take us into the sky...
Anakin POV - Eagles Gate (Cape Oath)
"Then lets fly!"
I got to admit, never thought I'd see people use wings to fly, I've always been used to seeing others use jet packs before. As for me, since I don't have 'wings', used the Force to jump high into the air, landing on our next destination.
"sigh We're done gathering! That was hard..." The little creature, Paimon said.
"It's too early to relax. We're still not done with Stormterror. Besides, the Fatui could also be planning something..." That Diluc guy stated.
"A fair point made, sir. Remember you two, just because we've completed our objective, it doesn't mean that we've completed the mission. From what I hear, these 'Fatui' people, can never be underestimated" I said to them.
"Ohhh... Then we shouldn't wait any longer, let's keep finding more tears!" Paimon yelled, burning with excitement.
"Haha, of course Paimon" The Acting Grand Master agreed. "Everyone, its time for us to head back" she continued.
In agreement, we all followed behind her, leaving this exotic relam for the world they would call 'home'.
I can't believe I actually finished this chapter, between my job and gaming, I haven't gotten a lot of time to work on this chapter. I'm sorry if haven't been doing so good on this story, I haven't been getting enough sleep or something.
But this doesn't mean I'm giving up on this fanfic, this only fuels my desire to complete this story. Besides, I'm actually starting to enjoy writing this piece of art.
Moving on to Chapter 14, It's time for me to start adding more complex sentences and paragraphs, along with more conversations.
If anyone is reading this, please enjoy the story and have an amazing day!!!