Aoi Hyoudou: Thank you for your continued support. It's always great to see readers enjoying the new series. I want to take a moment and apologize for my recent lack of activity on the website. I just got a new temporary part-time job and still fighting some lingering symptoms from being sick a few weeks ago so it's somewhat difficult to balance my availability. Over time it will get better, hopefully. For now, please enjoy this long-awaited chapter of Ash and Venti attempting to steal the Holy Lyre to set up Act II of the Stormterror arc.

Stealing the Holy Lyre

...

Stealing...

The holy lyre...

Ash's jaw dropped in disbelief. He exchanged a puzzled glance with Pikachu and Lucario, who mirrored his confusion. "Steal the holy lyre?" Ash repeated incredulously. "Isn't that a sacred relic of Mondstadt?"

Venti shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, details, details," he waved off, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "It's just a little adventure, nothing more. Think of the thrill!"

Ash crossed his arms, a frown creasing his brow. "But stealing isn't right, Venti. And why do you want the holy lyre anyway?"

Venti's smile widened into a mischievous grin. "Ah, well, you see... it's a bit of a long story," he began, his tone conspiratorial. "The holy lyre has a special connection to me. It belonged to Barbatos once upon a time."

Ash's eyes widened in surprise. "Barbatos? You mean... you're Barbatos?"

Venti chuckled. "In a way, yes. Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, the Wind Archon—call me what you will. But that lyre holds memories I'd rather not see gathering dust in that stuffy cathedral."

Pikachu tilted its head, sparks of curiosity dancing in its eyes.

"So, you want us to steal it?" Ash asked, trying to make sense of the bard's unconventional request.

Venti nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! Picture it—a daring heist under the moonlit skies of Mondstadt! It'll be legendary."

Ash hesitated, torn between his sense of duty and the allure of adventure. "I don't know, Venti. Jean would definitely not approve of this."

"Jean doesn't have to know," Venti replied with a wink. "Come on, Ash! Live a little. Think of the stories we'll tell."

Ash sighed, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. On one hand, the idea of a thrilling escapade was tempting, but on the other, he couldn't shake the feeling that stealing the holy lyre was crossing a line.

"Sorry, Venti," Ash finally said with a firm tone, his decision made. "I can't do it. It's too risky and... wrong." Ash walked on with Pikachu and Lucario, the weight of Venti's request still hanging in the air. Suddenly, the bard dashed up to him and stood in his path, hands clasped together in a pleading manner.

"Please, Ash! Just this once, do it for me!" Venti pleaded desperately, his eyes wide and earnest.

Ash sighed, feeling Venti's persistence wearing him down. "Venti, stealing the holy lyre is not something I can do," he replied firmly.

Sensing Ash's resistance, Venti added with desperation, "I tried asking the Traveler and Paimon, but they both said no!"

Ash raised an eyebrow, not surprised by their response. "I don't blame them either."

Venti's expression shifted, his features contorting with determination and urgency. "But you have to understand, Ash. This is for Dvalin!"

Ash blinked in confusion. "Dvalin? You mean Stormterror?" he asked, referring to the dragon that had caused havoc in Mondstadt.

Venti pouted, giving Ash an indignant glare. "That's not his name. It's Dvalin! The people of Mondstadt gave him that nickname because they don't understand the situation," the bard explained with frustration in his voice.

Ash exchanged a puzzled glance with Pikachu and Lucario. "What do you mean?"

Venti took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. "Dvalin is more than just a dragon wreaking havoc. He's... he's a friend," Venti explained, his eyes reflecting sadness and fondness. "The holy lyre holds a key to soothing his pain, to calming him down. Without it, Dvalin's suffering will continue."

Ash's expression softened as he listened to Venti's heartfelt explanation. "So, stealing the lyre... it's to help Dvalin?"

Venti nodded vigorously, his eyes pleading for understanding. "Exactly! I wouldn't ask if it weren't important. Please, Ash...You understand the importance of helping those in need, right?"

Ash glanced at Pikachu and Lucario, a silent exchange passing between them. The weight of Venti's words bore heavily on his conscience. Helping a friend in need was something Ash could never turn away from.

"Alright, Venti," Ash relented with a sigh, his decision made. "We'll help you get the holy lyre for Dvalin."

Venti's face lit up with relief and gratitude. "Thank you, Ash! You won't regret this, I promise," he exclaimed, his voice brimming with excitement.

"But," Ash interjected, holding up a finger, "we're doing this to help Dvalin, not because we condone stealing."

Venti nodded vigorously, his eyes twinkling with sincerity. "Understood! Let's make haste. The longer Dvalin suffers, the worse it gets."

Ash nodded in response to Venti's proposal but couldn't shake a sense of unease. "Wait... stealing it during the day is risky. What if someone recognizes us and reports us to Jean?" he voiced his concern, his brow furrowing with worry.

A mischievous grin stretched across Venti's face as he waved off Ash's apprehension. "Oh, don't worry about the little details. Just leave everything to me," the bard assured with unwavering confidence. "Let's meet up at the church later tonight. I'll prepare disguises for us to use."

Ash sighed, a feeling of foreboding settling over him. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this..." he muttered, his tone filled with concern.

...

Nightfall swiftly descended over Mondstadt as Ash managed to deceive the guards at the Knights of Favonius HQ into believing they were taking a brief nighttime stroll and would return shortly. Ash and his Pokémon hurried to the rendezvous point to meet Venti at the church, where they spotted the bard waving at them. Near his foot lay a small sack, indicating he had brought the promised disguises for them to use.

"Glad you made it, my favorite traveler friend," the cheerful bard greeted.

"Well, it wasn't easy. The guards were being stubborn, but we managed to trick them long enough," Ash replied.

Venti nodded with a happy smile.

"So... are those the disguises?" Ash's gaze fell on the white bag that Venti had brought, who nodded once more.

"Yup! Give me a second." Venti rummaged in his sack, and soon everyone was wearing a pair of goofy glasses with fake mustaches attached.

"Venti... this isn't going to fool anyone," Ash spoke up with a deadpan expression hidden behind his glasses, Pikachu and Lucario sharing the same look of disbelief.

Ash sighed, exchanging a glance with his Pokémon, but decided to go along with Venti's plan. After all, they were committed to helping Dvalin. With their disguises on, they followed Venti into the shadows, ready for the daring mission ahead.

"Lead the way, Venti."

...

Inside the church, Venti led Ash and his Pokémon to a hidden entrance that led down into the basement where the holy lyre was kept. As they entered through the secret door, Venti took a moment to explain that patrolling guards should be minimal during the night. However, as they descended deeper into the basement levels, they encountered a significant increase in guard patrols, much to Ash's surprise.

Glancing skeptically at Venti through his disguise, Ash's deadpan expression betrayed his disbelief. "I thought you said there would be fewer guards at night..."

Venti scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his eyes reflecting regret. "Well, I may have neglected to mention my... um... previous attempts to acquire the lyre," he admitted, realizing his oversight had led to the heightened security measures.

"I'm outta here!" Ash's frustration simmered beneath the surface as he turned to leave, ready to abandon the risky mission.

However, Venti's desperate grasp on his arm halted him in his tracks. "Wait, Ash! I know it's not ideal, but we can do this. Dvalin needs this lyre," Venti pleaded earnestly, his voice tinged with determination.

Caught between his principles and the urgency of helping Dvalin, Ash hesitated. The weight of responsibility as a friend bore down on him. After a tense moment of deliberation, Ash sighed in resignation. "Alright, let's stick to the plan and get this done."

Venti's face lit up with relief and gratitude. "Thank you, Ash! You won't regret it, I promise," he exclaimed, his voice filled with hope.

In a flurry of movement and adrenaline-fueled urgency, Venti swiftly led Ash, Pikachu, and Lucario behind the tables, their steps cautious to avoid the patrolling guards. As they reached a set of ladders leading up to another level, they ascended with care, hoping to evade notice. However, their luck took a turn for the worse when they reached the top, and a vigilant guard spotted them.

"Hey! Stop right there!" the guard's voice boomed, shattering the silence of the night and alerting his companions to the intrusion.

With the plan now compromised, Venti didn't hesitate. He grabbed Ash's hand and dashed forward. "Sorry, Ash, but it looks like we have to go for it. We're so close!"

Ash, Pikachu, and Lucario followed Venti's lead as they sprinted through the labyrinthine corridors of the basement, their every move fueled by determination and the need to reach their objective—the chamber where the holy lyre was kept.

As they approached the final stretch and the sacred lyre came into view, Ash's anticipation peaked, ready to secure the crucial artifact. He quickened his pace and extended his hand towards the holy harp, poised to retrieve it. However, before he could grasp it, the unexpected occurred.

Swift as a shadow, a Fatui woman cloaked in regal purple swooped in and seized the holy lyre from its pedestal. Ash, Pikachu, and Lucario stood frozen in disbelief as the woman tauntingly placed her finger against her lips, signaling silence, before vanishing in a swirl of teleportation magic.

"Oh no, she stole the holy lyre!" Ash exclaimed in shock, his voice echoing in the empty chamber.

With a sense of urgency and growing frustration, Ash turned to seek Venti's guidance, only to find the bard conspicuously absent. "Hey! Where did you go?" Ash called out, his voice tinged with both irritation and disappointment. Ash and his Pokémon exchanged frantic glances, searching the shadows in vain for any sign of their vanished companion. As realization dawned on the Monarch, his brow furrowed in annoyance. "That unreliable jerk ditched us!" Ash muttered under his breath in frustration.

"Freeze!" The sharp command echoed through the chamber as a patrol guard appeared, catching Ash, Pikachu, and Lucario off guard. They turned, their hearts racing with surprise to face the approaching figure. "What are you h-" The guard's words faltered abruptly as he realized the sacred instrument was missing from its pedestal. "The holy lyre!" His accusatory gaze honed in on Ash and his Pokémon, suspicion coloring his tone. "Are you three responsible for this?" the guard accused with narrow eyes.

"No, no, no, it wasn't us!" Ash protested urgently, gesturing emphatically to emphasize their innocence, while Pikachu and Lucario chimed in with animated gestures of their own. "It was a woman in purple! She's the one who took it!" Ash explained quickly, hoping to deflect the blame away from their group, but the guard remained skeptical, arms crossed in disbelief.

"A likely story. If that's true, why are you still here?" The guard's skepticism deepened, his expression hardening.

Caught off guard by the guard's interrogation, Ash scrambled for a response. "We...we were just... investigating," he stuttered, feeling the weight of the guard's suspicion bearing down on him.

A scowl crossed the guard's face, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Enough lies! You're coming with me, you thieves!"

With a surge of panic, Ash knew they couldn't afford to be apprehended, especially not by Mondstadt's authorities. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"he commanded urgently.

In a flash, Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity, striking the guard and causing him to cry out in pain before collapsing to the ground, incapacitated by the shock.

"Sorry!" Ash called out hastily as he and his Pokémon darted past the fallen guard, racing toward the exit.

...

Venti was lost in thought, gazing up at the night sky while perched on the church's balcony railing, still wearing his fake disguise.

"Venti!"

Suddenly, he heard Ash's voice calling out to him, and he turned to see Ash and his Pokémon running towards him with obvious anger and frustration seeping through their disguises. Venti sensed immediately that he was in trouble with the group.

Quickly hopping off the railing, Venti greeted his friends casually as they closed the gap between them. "Hey, guys! How did it g-"

But before Venti could finish his sentence, Ash got right in his face and shouted, "I can't believe you just left us like that!" Pikachu and Lucario added their own animated protests, causing a large sweat drop to form on the back of Venti's head.

Raising his hands defensively, Venti offered a feeble excuse, "I'm sorry, Ash, I kinda panicked, heh heh."

The weak chuckle did little to ease the group's frowns. Just then, their ears perked up at the sound of loud, approaching footsteps.

"There they are!" A Mondstadt Knight's voice echoed through the night.

With no time to waste, Ash grabbed Venti by the arm, urgency in his voice. "Come on, we need to get out of here!"

Venti nodded, his expression serious now. "Follow me!"

Venti ran towards the balcony railing and leaped over it before dropping all the way down. Ash and his Pokémon hurried over to the railing and peeked over to see the bard waving at them urgently. "Hurry!" Venti shouted, urging them to follow.

Ash sighed dejectedly, then glanced at Pikachu and Lucario, who nodded in agreement. Pikachu climbed onto Ash's shoulder while Lucario stood close by his side. They took a few steps back before dashing forward to jump over the railing, just as the Mondstadt Knights reached the balcony and watched Venti lead the group into an alley.

"After them!" one of the knights shouted, prompting their pursuit.

Venti navigated Ash's team through the maze-like alleyways. They ducked behind crates and paused whenever they heard loud footsteps and shouting from the guards in the streets. Once the coast was clear, they proceeded forward cautiously. Eventually, Venti led the group to the front of a local tavern, suggesting it as a hideout to lay low since they were now wanted fugitives. Ash and his Pokémon agreed, grateful for a momentary refuge from their pursuers.

However, Ash couldn't help but question Venti's choice of hiding spot. "Venti, why a tavern? Won't the Mondstadt Knights think to check places like this?"

Venti grinned mischievously. "Ah, but that's exactly why, my friend! They wouldn't expect us to hide in plain sight. Plus, it's a place I frequent and know well."

A frown tugged against Ash's lips, unsure if he could trust Venti's words.

"Why not stop in for a drink?" Venti added innocently, drawing deadpan expressions from Ash and his Pokémon.

Ash couldn't help but wonder about Venti's age and intentions. "How old are you, anyway?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Venti chuckled lightly. "Oh, age is just a number, my friend! Let's focus on enjoying our time here and laying low until things calm down."

With that, Venti led the way into the tavern, and Ash followed reluctantly, hoping their unusual hideout choice would indeed keep them safe from the relentless pursuit of the Mondstadt Knights.

...

Hope you guys enjoy the fun moments and the interactions with Ash and Venti. :) I still wish Venti was a girl or at least genderless that way we could see some shipping moments between the two. Oh well...Anyway, incoming Master Dilouc in the next chapter with some Jean goodness.