This is a new chapter in which Aether is ready to pursue the path he has set out for himself, and the climax of the story is about to arrive.
Also, a little appreciation of Paimon in the chapter, she deserves it, whatever anyone says. I'd heard the controversy surrounding Furina's story quest when 4.2 came out, and I think it was over the top in my opinion. I mean, for me Paimon spoke as usual, it's not the first time she's spoken so bluntly. Also, she, like Aether, must have had enough, and let's not forget that she also travels with him, so I can understand why she gets angry sometimes, especially as a lot of the characters make her look bad.
On that note, I hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks for the comments you leave, it's nice that the story is appreciated..
At the end of the afternoon, the group composed of Ayaka, Kazuha, Beidou, Yae Miko, and Ningguang all set out to Mondstadt. True to Ningguang's promise, the group was making their journey via horse carriage provided by the merchant ruler. A truly decadent Liyue-style horse carriage colored red and gold that was spacious enough for all five of them. It was a long, dull journey until they saw the lush green fertile lands of the Mondstadt plains, arriving almost at the border, thanks to the vast connections and wealth of The Tianquan.
Eventually, when the sun set, the group set out to make camp not too far from Liyue's travel roads to Mondstadt. The group was now circling the campfire in the process of cooking their dinner. Pots, pans, and teapots were filled with food provisions that were loaded onto the horse carriage and were now being put into use. Everyone had a plate of eggs and tomato stir fry with white rice and Oolong Tea to wash it all down. However, Ayaka was barely touching her food.
An uneasy silence had lingered amongst the group, Kazuha estimated that they might arrive at the city of Mondstadt at dawn. Besides, he felt that the closer he got to the city of freedom, the stronger and more unstable the winds became around him, giving out a sense of foreboding, but kept pushing forward believing that Aether would no longer be very far.
Furthermore, on the way, they had all opted to go to Mondstadt, considering that Yelan had perhaps managed to figure out Aether's next destination, going by the latest intel they had. Additionally, they could ask the Knights of Favonius if there was any additional information. According to Yae Miko, it would be a matter of killing two birds with one stone, finding both Yelan and Aether, knowing the tracks that the Traveler had left, they understood that they were not far, seeing the destruction left in his wake as well as the traces of blood, disgusting them to see so many corpses, but with more weight on their shoulders, knowing that they had caused this, or at least part of it.
During these small discussions, Ayaka was silent maintaining a stoic look, a far cry of the usual smiles she maintained in public, trying to contain her anger towards Ningguang, but also towards herself, because she felt guilty like everyone else, she too had not considered Aether's personal feelings the first time she met him.
As she gazed wistfully at the cross-border landscape between the Geo and Anemo nations, she thought back to her first conversation with him, and this phrase kept coming back to her:
" I just want to talk to the Raiden Shogun and nothing else...I'm not interested in your business..."
At the time, she was desperate, and with the rumors that one man had managed to save two nations, and the fact that he was going to Inazuma, she hoped with all her heart that he would help her, without thinking that Aether wasn't interested in saving the day or getting involved in international affairs that he had no business in.
"Forgive me, Aether...I just wanted to save my country... I swear to you, the next time we meet again, I will cherish you and support you until the end. "
Ayaka whispered her words to no one in particular, a vow she had made to herself, a few tears escaping her eyes with her fists clenched. Kazuha, Beidou, Ningguang, and Yae Miko looked at her back, seeing her trembling. A worried look on everyone's face seeing that the search to find Aether was taking its toll on her.
Ningguang couldn't take her eyes off the Cryo swordswoman, before looking down at the ground, a look of sadness and self-loathing on her face, seeing all the people she had broken in her path: Aether, Yelan, Keqing, Ganyu, and now Ayaka. In a sense, she wondered if she deserved Aether's forgiveness or if Ayaka was right and should have stayed in the Jade Chamber.
Yae Miko stroked her back again, trying to soothe her in vain, because she was lost in her thoughts too, and even she no longer had the heart to laugh. As she had previously said in a whisper, she was hoping for the same thing as them, but she didn't want to admit it openly.
She thought of all the teasing she had done with him, teasing him at every moment on all subjects, and being quite clear-sighted about feelings, she had nevertheless noticed that Aether was putting up with her condescending attitude and her manners to make uncomfortable jokes, whether on him or even on others like Kuki Shinobu or Gorou. Besides, she was starting to feel some remorse, like when she had used him to beat Raiden Shogun and told herself that she should have paid more attention to him, having completely forgotten that he had suffered the trauma of losing one of his friends from the Fatui's machinations.
The kitsune now looked at the road ahead of her, hoping that everything would get better, but even she, for once, had serious doubts about how everything would turn out, as the sun shined its last glow, giving way to a sky that was becoming darker and darker, like the heart of Aether.
That night, everyone in Mondstadt who knew about Aether's personal crisis was frantically searching for him. The search party consisting of knights, adventurers, and scholars was roaming the different sections of Mondstadt. Searching the alleyways, talking to anyone that might have seen Aether, with the Knights going so far as to use their authority to inspect any buildings that the Travelers might have gone to. Making up flimsy excuses such as safety hazards or tips for hoarding contraband, not to draw attention to why the Knights of Favonius were practically abusing their authority to find Mondstadt's hero.
Sadly, the search for Aether kept on leading to dead end after dead end as no one had seen the Traveler or any knowledge of his current whereabouts. This made the search party feel a sense of dread, fearing that Aether had already left Mondstadt, but no alerts from the gates had indicated that so there was still hope. The upside however from the frantic search had led to a lot of arrests from the criminals that were plaguing Mondstadt.
A thief who had been evading the Knights of Favonius for six months was playing with his expensive stolen treasures in an abandoned house before facing Eula's icy vengeance.
Razor and Bennet thwarted a pickpocket with the criminal attempting to make a run from it, but couldn't escape from Razor's nose and animalistic senses…while somehow slipping on a banana peel.
Cyno, Kaeya, Tighnari, and Collei arresting some smugglers attempting to sneak their illicit contraband of drugs through Mondstadt's harbor.
Noelle, Fischl, and Mona coincidentally captured a wanted Treasure Hoarder which they didn't realize until Mona used her Scryglass to learn the truth. A bonus that their was a bounty on the wanted man, but Mona couldn't feel any joy about the extra Mora for her expenses because he wasn't Aether.
Lisa and Amber arrested two Fatui members in the alleyways attempting to exchange documents regarding some blackmail material regarding some of Mondstadt's citizens. Amber demanded to know if they knew Aether's location which they answered no albeit terrified. In a fit of frustration, Amber used her bow to knock on the skulls of the Fatui members causing them to pass out, shocking Lisa that Amber was resorting to physical violence to vent.
Jean, who had been positioned near the Mondstadt Cathedral was hoping to find Aether, instead ran past her younger sister, Barbara without sparing so much as a glance at her. Barbara who had just finished her usual duties as deaconess about to leave the holy place and head home. When Barbara saw Jean, her face was filled with worry and…fear?
Barbara followed Jean who was frantically roaming the Cathedral searching for something, whatever it was the Acting Grandmaster acted like her life depended on it. This made Barbara worry believing something horrible was about to happen, but what? Did someone plant a bomb at the Cathedral? Was a dangerous criminal roaming around Mondstadt?
Barbara decided to confront her sister as she was sitting on one of the pews to catch her breath.
"Big sis?" Barbara called out with Jean turning her head towards her.
"Oh Barbara, I'm surprised to see you at this hour. Don't mind me, I'm just doing some…inspections!"
"Inspections?"
"Yes, that's right. It turns out one of the supervisors in charge of maintenance around the Cathedral has been secretly using cheap materials for the repairs, and secretly lining his pockets. I'm just making sure the building is still intact, but everything is still in working order." Jean said as she got up from her seat while completely lying through her teeth which Barbara completely saw through. "I have to get going now."
"You're lying, Jean," Barbara frowned at her older sister.
"I'm telling you everything is fine! I need to go NOW!" Jean answered albeit in a hurry, but Barbara stood in her way, refusing to move an inch.
"No! Something is wrong, and I'm not moving until you tell me why!" Barbara said defiantly, not caring she was facing off the Acting Grandmaster and her older sister to boot.
Jean dreaded breaking the news regarding Aether's health to Barbara, but she couldn't waste any more time knowing the truth was going to come out sooner or later.
"I'm looking for Aether."
"Aether?"
"Yes, days ago I received a letter from Lady Ningguang of the Qixing regarding Aether's mental health. According to her, he has been pushed to the brink of madness as Aether has completely isolated himself from everyone he knows including Paimon. Lashing out in his anger. Now, myself, and the rest of the people that Aether has befriended are now searching for him before he leaves Mondstadt." Jean explained with tears in her eyes, revealing the harsh truth to her younger sister.
Barbara remained completely silent during Jean's explanation and began punching her arms to express her displeasure at not having informed her, in the same way as Mona, Noelle, and the others before, with that same look that was both angry and sad.
"Why didn't you let me know, Big Sis... I thought that as sisters, we would share everything, doubts and sorrows... You don't trust me enough for that? Did you think I would have left Aether miserable and alone?! Never in my life, and not just because I am the deaconess, it's because he's my friend and I love him!"
Jean was a little upset by these words and was shocked by Barbara's confession.
"What?"
"You heard right! Aether has always been kind to us, he has always done right by us, and he saved this country! And is this how we thank him? Instead of acting as Acting Grandmaster Jean, you should be just Jean, Aether's close friend...This is not an important mission or a therapy session, it's your friend I'm talking about, my friend, our friend... And I want to help him more than anything, I have always cherished the moments we spent together, and he managed to bring you and me closer together and I am more than grateful for him... So, if you don't like it, that's something else, but given the way you acted towards us, towards me, your sister, while the goal is to find him, you don't deserve to be his friend."
Barbara was crying again, the drops of water arriving on Jean's clothes, at the same time as she hugged her, Jean finally understood the problems she had caused, she realized that it was her who had started the break of the person she had called the "Honorary Knight" in this country, and she hugged Barbara in her arms more tightly, the deaconess felt her body getting closer to her, watching her also cry.
"I'm sorry…I'm sorry Barbara…I should have been there for you; I should have been there for him."
Jean now understood what she meant, she had acted from the start as if Aether were a threat to Mondstadt's safety. She now understood that she should have looked for him like a true friend would and helped him with any problems he had. This was what Mona accused her of, and she understood that now.
"I should have warned you when I heard the news... And the worst part is that I know that you would have helped me without hesitation."
"Big Sis…"
"I don't deserve to bear the name Gunnhildr, after everything that's happened...Nor the title of Grand Master...But there's one thing you said that's untrue Barbara."
"…."
"I like Aether more than I show and I would never let him down, no matter what...Not just because he's the Honorary Knight, or because he saved Mondstadt and was helping everyone he could, it's been a long time since I had somebody so reliable, understanding and so friendly towards me... He reached out to me, and now it's my turn...He was my confidant, but now it's my turn to be the one who listens... And I intend to relieve his burden, because as you said so well Barbara, I appreciate him with all my heart, and I don't want him to be in danger, no matter how strong he is, whether from anyone or himself."
Barbara had listened attentively and saw her sister's eyes, filled with guilt, love, and regret, but above all conviction, and that she wanted to do everything to redeem herself.
"So, you're with me, Barbara?"
Jean let go of her embrace, bowing to her sister before apologizing again and last time, under the watchful eye of her sister who did not expect this and understood how sincere and sorry her sister was.
"Forgive me for not having been a better sister to you, sorry for not respecting you and Aether...and thank you for giving me a second chance to redeem myself." Jean stood up, as she saw Barbara smile softly in front of her, tears starting to flow again, but this time of joy.
"I forgive you...I'm not mad at you, just, I was disappointed, but I know that now, you know what to do and I'll be there to help you. I won't leave you and the others alone, and we will save Aether, I'm sure of it. After all, if Barbatos is with us, we can do anything." Barbara said with hope in her eyes and voice.
"I hope so… Barbara and thank you so much."
"You're welcome, from now on, let's give it our all! Aether has always been there for us, and I intend to do the same for him!" Barbara said with her fist raised and a smile on her face, a smile similar to that of a certain blond traveler for Jean. The deaconess was in high spirits now.
Imitating her in her pose, Jean smiled slightly, with a little more hope, and replied:
"Well said, Barb. Let's give it our all!"
However, while everything was getting better between the two blonde sisters, a rather silent and sharp-eyed figure was now moving away from the cathedral, after overhearing the conversation. She was used to working nights and didn't expect this kind of information, especially from the Acting Grand Master. She got busy very quickly, predicting Aether's next move, checking her blades one last time before continuing on her way, her veil moving with the wind of the city of freedom.
"So, it was him…I was right that this person was acting suspiciously."
The mysterious nun began to do like the others, searching for the Traveler, but not in the same way. She had always had a bad feeling since she had seen Jean a few days ago behaving strangely, and knew what she had to do from now on, for the good of Mondstadt, and even if she had a hard time admitting it.
"I'm sorry, Aether, but Mondstadt's safety takes priority over your issues. I truly hope you don't force my hand."
It was now after three in the morning, and the group made up of Archons, Paimon, and important figures from Liyue were venturing closer and closer to the city of freedom, taking the shortest routes, noticing the bridge which led them towards the city in their fields of vision, after making through a few hills.
Indeed, they were just outside of Springdale, exhausted, not physically, but mentally the long journey to find Aether, and the serious issue regarding his mental health had its toll on them. However, no one admitted defeat and had a serious look, expressing how much they wanted to see their friend again.
The further they traveled, the more it gave Paimon hope, seeing the many people they befriended throughout their time in Teyvat. Going so far as to leave their homelands and job professions proved how much Aether had an impact not only on their respective countries, but also their lives in a personal way, and even if Aether couldn't forgive them, she hoped that he would be touched by their compassion for him.
As Paimon was lost in her thoughts, Keqing like Nahida, as well as everyone else, paid attention to Paimon's joyful mood despite everything that was happening.
"Why are you so happy, Paimon?" Nahida asked innocently.
"It's nothing... It just makes me happy that you're all here for him, Paimon just hopes he's not in Fontaine yet." Paimon smiled, feeling a small sense of comfort throughout this stressful search.
"It'll be fine Paimon, I have the feeling that he hasn't left yet, even if we're wrong, we would have all gone to Fontaine anyway, and we'll let Foçalors know just in case. I hope that there won't be any other problems there in the meantime." Nahida said.
"Paimon hopes you're right... But that's not the only reason Paimon is happy."
"Why?"
"Because Paimon will soon see Aether again, and that makes Paimon very happy."
"This is the first time you two have been separated, right?" Keqing said with sympathy in her voice.
"That's right, but Aether is the best friend Paimon could have, and Paimon will never let him down, even if he's in bad shape. You know Keqing, when Aether first met Paimon he explained that he came from beyond the stars, but for Paimon, and always has been, "Aether might be only one of countless stars, but he is Paimon's whole world!" " She said with a smile that could even brighten the night sky.
The sincerity in her words made everyone look at her, and it may be innocently childish to everyone, but they now felt that the strong bond between Aether and Paimon was more than just best friends, they were a family, and he had no one left because his sister was taken from him, and Paimon was all alone, they were closer to each other than anyone else in Teyvat.
They all felt that Paimon was keen to resolve everything, even if she was not physically strong, they understood that the strongest in the group was not an Archon, but her. To have become so attached to him, and still be so positive after everything that had just happened was an achievement, and everyone knew it. Besides, they all felt guilty, believing she was justifiably angry by their actions that led to this problem to begin with, but she was the one who brought them together and always considered them friends.
Keqing, like everyone else, had looked sad. However, Zhongli, even though he was still calm, smiled slightly, trusting Paimon's words. He had always trusted her since the beginning, like the Traveler, and if she dared to hold on, he didn't see why he would be there moping. If Aether was Paimon's world, he wanted to make sure to protect Paimon's world, for himself, for the fairy, and Aether.
"Paimon…" Zhongli called out, catching Paimon's attention.
"Hm? Yes Zhongli?"
"We're almost to the city, but as for what you said... I promise to protect what matters the most to you, your world as you say."
"Zhongli," Paimon feeling touched by the Geo Archons vow.
"And I say this as Zhongli, mortal of Liyue, and Morax, former Geo Archon. You have taught me a lot of things about mortals, about myself and about the world, in a very short time, so I want to say I am honored to be by your side, Paimon. You suffered with us, however you accepted our sins, and you came to ask us for help. I assure you that it will not be in vain, I have lost enough people that I consider my family, so what do I plan to do to save my brother... So sorry for everything, and thank you Paimon."
Zhongli smiled wistfully, while Paimon was surprised by all this, along with everyone else, but made a look of sincere thanks, appreciating the gesture, as well as the fact that Zhongli considers Aether a brother. Paimon approached him, and held out her tiny hand with a bright smile, contrasting the darkness that was surrounding Aether.
"It was nothing! After all, you all helped Paimon get here and as Paimon says to Aether: "Your fortune is Paimon's fortune! And vice versa, Paimon's fortune is also your fortune!", and I think Paimon's wheel is turning, so Aether will be fine, Paimon is convinced of that. In any case, Paimon thanks you for your compliments and for your dedication!"
Zhongli saw the hand and shook hers cordially as if they had made a pact, and Zhongli wanted to ensure that his promise would be kept.
"You're welcome Paimon and now, let's go, it's now or never... If he ever goes to Fontaine or beyond, it will be too late to do anything, let's act now so as not to regret anything!"
They had all seen how Zhongli and Paimon were now pumped up, and that gave them the energy to face the inevitable meeting they were going to have with Aether, now that they were at the exit gates, they did not want to give up just yet, so they looked at each other all out of the corner of their eyes, all understanding that they were ready, before shouting in unison.
"Let's go!"
"SHUT UP! WE'RE TRYING TO SLEEP HERE!" A grumpy villager yelled angrily over his window.
The entire group had the decency to look embarrassed before quickly walking away from the small town.
Paimon and Zhongli looked at each other, glad that their spirit was back, because they needed it to face the person they were trying to save.
Very early in the morning, Aether was finally ready to leave, having checked his belongings one last time and everything he needed to take for the rest of his journey to Fontaine. He had rested enough in his opinion, having calmed down a little more than the last time he had seen someone he knew conversing with him, and was mentally prepared for any difficulty in his opinion. Aether felt that his "friends'' were not ready to abandon him so easily, and knew that they were looking for him, due to the conversations with Yelan and Xiao, and had taken this into consideration, looking over his map of Teyvat in trying to leave for the less strenuous path, and only stopping in towns to resupply, hoping that from Fontaine, his fame had not crossed too far into the confines of the Hydro Archon's land.
Seeing his brand-new sword, collected it late in the afternoon. It was a well-crafted one-handed sword that he was comfortable using. The blade itself was a black colored single-edged sword with curved pointed cross guards colored orange and black. The handle was also orange and black feeling smooth in Aether's hands. Finally finished with the pummel of the sword, round shaped resembling that of his earring. Aether decided to name his new sword, God Hand, an aptly named weapon considering he was caught in the hands of a god needing him to solve a problem they started to begin with. He was quite happy with the work done. Then, he checked all the potions he needed before putting them in his bag.
Aether looked at all the scars that had on his arms, seeing what traces this world had on him, Teyvat has its laws and now wanted to ensure that from now on, he was going to make his own rules, and not the other way around. Before putting all of his belongings away for good, he looked at the window one last time, seeing that the sky was becoming a little less dark blue, understanding that sunrise was coming soon and that it was necessary to leave now, even though the clouds were starting to turn grayish, announcing the rain very soon.
"Let's go, it's time to leave… Lumine, I'm coming."
Aether left the room, looking to see if he had forgotten anything, before closing the door, putting on the hood of his new cloak, and leaving the inn.
The Traveler ventured alone, looking one last time at the almost deserted streets of Mondstadt, apart from a few shopkeepers who were organizing their stands before opening for business, and walked calmly to the exit of the city, blowing one last time in its breeze and not looking back anymore. However, he did not expect that in front of him was a light blue glow, a sign of a Cryo element, and a cluster of ice formed around a cross-shaped spear.
Aether took a step back, in surprise, but knew immediately who this person was, only one person could do that, and he breathed softly:
"Rosaria."
"I was right...we meet again, Aether."
Rosaria, the nun with a rather unorthodox idea of piety, arrived, her heels clicking on the ground, in front of Aether, her arms crossed, in front of him, just as serious as usual, while Aether was surprised that she somehow found him, despite his damndest laying low. He didn't know what to say, but the mere sight of the woman in front of him was starting to irritate him, and he was trying to calm himself down before he attracted even more attention. But one question was on his mind in particular:
"What are you doing here?"