The Horizon

"Hilichurls!" Paimon cried. Indeed, there was a large group of them charging across the plains toward where Zhongli and Aether had set up their jade shards over a fire, their battlecries audible only a second after Paimon's warning. Aether was quick to rise and materialize their sword, positioning themself in front of Zhongli with purpose. There was no reason they'd know he could hold his own, he realized. It was not surprising then, with their reputation as an honorary knight of Mondstadt, that they would be prepared to defend him. "I appreciate the gesture, but that won't be necessary," Zhongli said, summoning his own weapon to hand and shifting to stand ready beside Aether instead. They made quite a good team for their first fight together. Aether blew some of the smaller hilichurls into Zhongli's pillars, and at one point he left some debris he didn't need where Aether could use it as shrapnel. They were able to scare the hilichurls off without sustaining any significant damage. "You're pretty good," Aether smiled. "It's really nice to have backup again." "Hey! You always have Paimon for backup!" their companion reminded them. "Backup that can fight. Although Amber would be pretty helpful for this too," Aether mused with a hint of nostalgia, poking at the fire with a stick in an effort to build the flames back up. "A knight with a pyro vision?" Zhongli guessed. Up until now, Aether had mostly listened to him talk, and let the chatty Paimon do much of the talking on their behalf, but as the two told stories about the knights--as well as a 'tone deaf bard', as Paimon put it, who sounded suspiciously like Barbatos--Aether gradually became more expressive. Despite only being a traveler passing through, it seemed they had grown quite fond of their friends in Mondstadt. Zhongli noticed a pattern as Aether made negotiations with workers: they would speak as little as possible without being rude; their hands would do anything but rest at their sides, and a tension would be released from their body at the conclusion of each discussion. They'd been timid and concise with Zhongli at first too, but he had presumed they were on edge because of the recent 'assassination'. "Are you alright, Aether?" he asked, as they made their way from one shop to another. "Yeah, I'm fine," they replied a little too quickly. "You seem nervous." "Oh, that's normal." Really? Given their heroic reputation from Mondstadt, he wouldn't have expected it. "You fended off the hilichurls quite nicely. Surely one person is no threat to you?" "Well, I don't need to talk to hilichurls charging at me. Once someone's decided they're going to fight you, you don't need to worry about making a good impression on them." "So you are more afraid of making a bad impression than of being injured?" "I know it doesn't sound logical, but yeah." "I can handle the purchases myself if you would prefer,” he offered. Aether looked doubtful, and hesitated to say something before Paimon chimed in. “If we let you do all the talking, we’d be out of mora by now.” Zhongli took a moment to estimate what was left in the bag Childe had given them and calculate the difference between the initial offers and what had been settled on. “You may be right,” he was forced to concede. How quickly mora disappeared when you couldn’t conjure more of it. “It’s alright. I can handle people as long as I have Paimon with me,” said Aether. “Paimon is the best travel companion ever!” she cheered. Zhongli realized just how much trouble he would have had preparing the rite of parting to his specifications without Aether and Paimon’s assistance. He would need to be sure to properly thank them later. Dealing with the zombie at the pharmacy, however, turned out to be more complicated. “Are you sure we have time to hunt down this 'cocogoat'?” Aether asked as they stepped out. “Is there nowhere else we can buy this particular incense?” Ah yes, time, a sensible consideration among mortals who had so little of it. “Not that I know of in Liyue. Hopefully it will not take us too long. I am confident in our abilities.” “Well, if you’re sure, I like checking out ruins, so I won’t complain. Speaking of abilities though… what's it like having a geo vision? Was it difficult to learn to use?" Aether asked as they headed for the northwest edge of the harbor. An intriguing question. Zhongli knew Aether's powers weren't ordinary. He'd felt the resonance when they'd touched his statue. They ought to have access to geo now, but perhaps they were having trouble adjusting to it. "Not particularly. Though it requires practice to refine, those granted visions typically have a basic intuitive understanding of their element and its strengths. The strength of the earth is its stability. That is what allows it to be the foundation to all else in the world, and what allows geo to be so effective in defense. I would not be surprised if using geo and using anemo require quite different approaches. Tactically speaking, anemo thrives on reacting with the other elements, whereas geo is the most resistant to it, but I would not be able to say what exactly the difference feels like to command." "Well, command is a strong word. I'd probably say I guide the wind." "You are telling it what to do, are you not? Is that not a command?" "I just give the wind a push in a direction," Aether shrugged. "I can't pick out individual particles of air and tell them exactly where to go." "You mean you cannot see it? I have heard anemo users can." "I can sense currents and traces of it a bit more than others can, but I still can't really pin down the wind." Zhongli had always assumed anemo users must have some mystical way to 'see' what they were commanding, or guiding, as it were, but no, the lack of tangibility just didn't bother them, which actually made a great deal of sense when he thought about how Barbatos was. Aether was having a similar revelation. "But you can pin down the earth. It's harder to move, but it's also more shapeable. So it needs to be commanded to be effective. Fascinating." "It's huge!" exclaimed Paimon as they cleared the final steps to the top of the ruin. "Paimon can totally believe it took an adeptus to build this! But how do you operate this thing? Just think how much strength you would need." "It is currently inoperable in any case," Zhongli realized when he took a closer look. "This device is broken." "Aww, what? It broke?" "After millennia of wear and tear, even adepti contraptions are difficult to maintain." "So what are we gonna do? Quick, Mr, Zhongli, use your unlimited high society knowledge powers!" "You almost make it sound like I'm some sort of… bourgeois parasite who's only utility lies in providing quaint pieces of trivia on demand." Aether giggled. "No, of course not. Your other utility is being cute." Zhongli wasn't sure how to respond to that. Were they flirting with him? As old as he was, he didn't have much experience with such things. Undoubtedly, there had been people who had admired Rex Lapis. He'd overheard a couple conversations about it while in disguise, but no one seemed to have the confidence to make advances when they knew it was him. 'Cute' wasn't a word that had been used for him before, though. "Oh--" Paimon started to say something. "Anyway," Aether interrupted. "Do you have any applicable knowledge?" "Let me think for a moment… ah yes! Spare parts were made for the Guizhong Ballista when it was first built, in case it was damaged in battle. As I recall, there is a military supply post from that period somewhere inside the pass. If we can retrieve the spare parts from where they are stored, we may be able to repair the Guizhong Ballista. One just needs to understand the basic working principles of the device." "And you do?" Aether asked. He was there when it was created. Guizhong had proudly explained her process to him herself. "I have a smattering of knowledge on the topic. With the parts in hand, I could at least tinker with it. It seems we have an excuse to investigate these ruins more closely, Aether. This is your area of expertise, so I will follow your lead." "I'm on it," they beamed. They took his hand. "I don't recognize that one," Zhongli noted. Aether was startled, cutting off the tune they were humming while he worked on the ballista. "What?" "That song." "Oh, was I… sorry. Sometimes I start humming whatever's in my head without meaning to." Indeed. This was not the first time he’d noticed it as they traveled together. They stayed fairly in tune and in rhythm, apparently without effort, and Zhongli suspected they'd have a nice singing voice. "I was not complaining. I was going to say that if you wish to sing, I would gladly listen." "Oh. Okay." They started off a little shaky, but their voice brightened as they became lost in the jaunty tempo, lively melody, and adventurous lyrics. Zhongli realized when they finished that somewhere along the way, he'd become distracted from his task. He'd been right. "A song from Mondstadt, I believe?" "Yeah." "I thought as much. It has that bold, youthful spirit to it, and you convey it beautifully. I could almost feel the winds of adventure on my face." "Um, wow, thanks," Aether stammered. "So… what's your favorite song? I'll see if I know it." "That is doubtful." "I've picked up some Liyue tunes." "It's from an old opera that has long fallen out of popularity. It's unlikely you have even heard it." "Would you teach it to me then?" they asked, with too much contained excitement for Zhongli to refuse, even if his voice was a bit out of practice these days. "It requires narrative and historical context to be fully appreciated, and I should warn you, it's a rather dark tragedy." He was afraid though, that that piece of information might change their mind. The classic tragic structure wasn't widely appreciated in this period. "Okay," they agreed, undeterred. "Uh…" Paimon hesitated. "Will you be okay if Paimon isn't here for this story?" "Yeah, I think I'll be fine. Thanks Paimon." "Okay then, have fun with Mr. Zhongli," she giggled before vanishing in a glimmer. Zhongli only got through the exposition before fitting the final piece of the ballista into place. Then, before they could find anything that looked like it might be a cocogoat, they were interrupted by an audacious group of bandits, bragging about having disabled the ballista in the hopes of raiding the treasures in the ruins, and how they were going to crush Zhongli and Aether for fixing it. Let the hooligans try. When Zhongli heard Aether call his name in alarm, he was confused for a split second. The two of them had already knocked down a few bandits. They were doing well. Perhaps someone was sneaking up on him? He glanced back, and then he understood. He was very close to the building's ledge. He wasn't used to watching too closely for ledges, being capable of taking a fall without significant damage, or shifting forms to avoid hitting the ground in the first place. Zhongli now realized he couldn't do either of those things without showing his hand. His opponents, on the other hand, were well aware of their opportunity. One clashed weapons with him, and then shoved, pushing Zhongli back just enough that he lost his footing. He managed to grab the ledge at least, but now that he was in a vulnerable position, with his spear dropped, buying him a couple more seconds to decide on the least suspicious way to handle the situation was all the good it was likely to do him. "Not so tough now, are you?" Of course the thug would gloat, and Zhongli had to resist the temptation to smite the smirk off his face right then and there. But before his adversary could do anything more, the roar of a violent twisting wind swept across the structure, hurling the few enemies closest to Zhongli over the edge before dissipating. They were certainly dead. "Who's next?" Aether dared. Footfalls clamored on the stone as those remaining chose to flee. Then Aether rushed to the ledge and helped Zhongli back up, pulling him into an embrace with a sigh of relief. "Are you alright?" "Yes. I… thank you." Zhongli wasn't accustomed to being on the receiving end of protection. It was a bit of a strange, but warm feeling, to see this fierce side of Aether for the first time, and to know that it had emerged for his sake. "You were holding back before, weren't you?" "I try to not kill people, if I can avoid it." Since their enemies had been using their full strength, Zhongli would have deemed it fair for Aether to do the same, but they valued mercy, though not to the point of yielding. He could respect that. Their hunt for the cocogoat ultimately turned out to be fruitless. The ballista ought to be able to detect such a beast if there was truly one anywhere in the vicinity. Though this little quest turned out to stem from an amazing misunderstanding on Qiqi's part about where coconut milk came from, Aether said they didn't feel as though it had been a waste of time. Zhongli couldn't help but be a little annoyed that Ganyu interrupted their dinner together at Third Round Knockout to deliver Ningguang's invitation to the Jade Chamber to Aether. He also wasn't pleased that the meeting with the Tianquan would take Aether away from him for a while tomorrow. He couldn't say this was a surprising development though. Apart from that, however, they had a lovely time. Though this place wasn't Zhongli's top choice for dining, the food was satisfactory, and his company was priceless. For an evening, he put his grand plans out of mind, and simply enjoyed his time together with Aether and Paimon. This was the most relaxed he could remember feeling in a very long time. "Thank you for tonight. I had a great time," said Aether as they were getting ready to leave. "So did Paimon!" "It was my pleasure." "Zhongli…" Aether hesitated. "I like you a lot." "I'm becoming quite fond of you as well." "Can I kiss you?" Oh. Perhaps he should have seen that coming. Zhongli realized he wanted to say yes, but he stopped himself. Aether still didn't know who and what he really was, or the part they were truly playing in his plans, and that didn't feel right. "Okay." Aether deflated a little, taking the lack of an answer as a no. "Perhaps I should have arranged something else instead of dinner. I apologize if I caused confusion." "No, it's okay. Having dinner together can be platonic. Don't worry about it. I'll see you later." They put on a smile, then walked away, briskly, Paimon floating after. Zhongli stared after them, hoping Aether wouldn't be terribly hurt, looking away quickly when Paimon glanced back at him. Whichever outcome Liyue reached, he'd be able to tell them everything soon. Though after tonight's taste of serenity, he wished even more for Liyue to pass his test. And for Aether to not see him too differently afterwards. "I'll sing for the flowers if you'll sing the old opera song for me," Aether proposed. "Ah, I thought you had forgotten about that." "Nope." It was a relief Aether was in the mood to be cheeky, rather than feeling awkward about last night. "Why is it so important to you?" He was curious. "I like having songs to associate with people, places, times… and songs are weightless. You can take them with you wherever you go. Also I want to hear the rest of the story." So this was their way of having something to remember him by. Put in that light, it was an honor that they wanted to know. "Alright, you have a deal." The way Aether's eyes brightened was more brilliant and precious than the sheen of any gem he could ever own. "Alright, let's find some glaze lilies." There was a levity in Aether's step as they walked a path together between a lake and lush grass dotted with wildflowers. And they'd called Zhongli cute? Surely, Aether was far more so. They soon found a small group of glaze lilies, but not even a line into a song, Aether gasped mid-syllable and grasped Zhongli's arm as the 'lilies' burst out of the ground. Well-disguised cryo whopperflowers. Zhongli shielded them both with geo as the barrage of ice flew toward them. Paimon ducked behind him too before disappearing to wherever she went. They'd been taken by surprise, but as soon as there was a break in the frozen onslaught, they summoned their weapons and seized the moment to strike back. Shortly after they subdued the last flower, Ganyu happened upon them. How fortuitous that she had been out on a stroll to pick glaze lilies herself. She gave them one, eager to contribute in some way to the rite of parting, and Zhongli did his best to shake off the guilt for her sadness at Rex Lapis's 'death'. Aether had become noticeably subdued as they made their way back to the harbor. "Are you alright?" "Rex Lapis dying, it's had a big effect on Liyue. It seems like everyone felt connected to him in some way… except me. I can't really feel Liyue's pain, and that feels a little wrong." "It's alright for you not to feel the same way. Regardless, you have done more than most to prepare our farewell for Rex Lapis. He would not want you to suffer needless guilt." "You're sure?" "Quite." Certain, in fact. He wanted Aether to smile again. "Would you still like to hear the rest of the story?" he suggested. That did it. It was, of course, right as they were getting to his favorite part that they ran into a Fatui diplomat before the bridge into the city, who informed them of new developments. The adepti had come to intervene in Liyue, and were being stalled in a meeting with the Qixing. Meanwhile, the milileth were more actively investigating the suspicious behaviors of the Fatui. There were some milileth at the funeral parlor because of Zhongli's association with Childe. He was reluctant to part with Aether, but the moment of truth was close upon Liyue now. He could not intervene unless it proved to be necessary, and going to smooth things over at the funeral parlor was the perfect excuse to slip away. "Consider your next course of action carefully, Aether. If you're trying to prevent an explosion, it may be wisest to look for the fuse first." He couldn't speak more freely in front of one of the Fatui. Paimon glanced between Zhongli and Aether, confused, but they nodded, understanding who he was implying. Good. Let Childe think Aether was leading him to what he was after. There was a faint woosh from above as Aether, aided by anemo, leapt over the balustrade, aiming to slash down on Signora. Oh no. Zhongli had not expected them to come looking for him so soon. Signora moved as Zhongli dashed into their way. Their sword met his spear, and he took advantage of their shock and thrown off balance to leverage the weapon from their grasp. It was preferable to whatever Signora or Childe might do to stop them from intervening. "Oh, what's this? Has someone come to rescue you, Morax?" she sniggered. Aether was bruised from battle and panting with exertion, with a disheveled mess of a braid. They'd just finished dealing with what had appeared to be a colossal crisis, and yet, running on sheer willpower, they were prepared to dive into one more fight. To protect him. It was unnecessary, of course, a hazard even, and yet it was so sweet that Zhongli wanted nothing more than to wrap them in his arms and kiss them. But the last thing Aether needed right now was to be made even more confused. "A misunderstanding," he said, dismissing his spear, and handing Aether their sword back. He felt the tension in their fingers in the brief touch of hands. The sword vanished, though Aether's eyes remained alert. Their boldness was crumbling as they realized that Signora and Childe, for the moment, had not decided they were going to attack. "I suppose that's understandable. After all, we've met before haven't we? In the city of Bards, was it? Ah, right, I imagine that it must have been rather hard to forget watching helplessly as something precious was snatched away from your friend," Signora taunted. Zhongli wasn't sure how much of Aether's shaking was nerves, and how much was contained fury. "Well, if it isn't Aether. This is our first time seeing each other since Liyue was nearly wiped off the map," Childe greeted. "This is certainly a bit... awkward, wouldn't you say?" "Hmph, Paimon knew that we should never have trusted a Fatui Harbinger!" she moved to float in front of Aether. "Aw, now don't say that. Sure, I may have misled you, but I never had anything against you personally. Besides, I thought we were getting along quite well together, didn't you?" He took a step closer, and Aether glanced at Zhongli. "Except for that little tussle we had at the end. Nothing personal--" Zhongli stepped between Childe and Aether. "Let us return to the matter at hand." "Ha. Relax. I wasn't going to hurt Aether," he smirked. "But it's funny that you want to protect them after you've been using them this whole time." The bitterness in his tone was surely not genuine concern on Aether's behalf, but still, the guilt stung. Signora interrupted before he could think of a good response. "Stop wasting time, Childe. You remember the agreement, Morax. Now, if you would be so kind... The gnosis, please." "What are you talking about?" Paimon asked. Zhongli brought the gnosis to hand. This wasn't how he'd wanted her and Aether to find out, but it couldn't be helped at this point. "The contract is fulfilled. That which thou seeketh is now bestowed unto thee, for my promise is solid as stone." "Hmph, how sanctimonious…" She sounded bored as she took it. "So you're the Lord of Geo? No, wait! That's an exciting twist and all, but why give the gnosis to the Fatui!?" Paimon exclaimed. "I do not give it for free. I give it as agreed upon in the contract, for it is a matter solely between the Tsaritsa and I." "And don't you think you went a little bit too far with that whole fake death thing!? Everyone was preparing the ceremony for you when, splat, this big dragon falls out of the sky and all of Liyue goes into an uproar. Talk about a disaster!" "Gathering all the forces that had been bubbling behind the scenes, and then stirring them together in a pot that was bound to boil over... That's what he wanted to see, am I right?" Of course Signora had to make it sound as incriminating as possible. "Wait... what?" Paimon sounded almost betrayed, and when Zhongli turned to face Aether, he flinched at the hurt in their eyes and had to look away. "Perhaps it's best that I explain. As you know, I've dwelt upon this world for more than six thousand years. I witnessed the founding of Liyue together with the adepti three thousand seven hundred years ago. Even boulders that can withstand whirlpools will erode with the passing of time. I kept convincing myself that cracks had not begun to form and that the end of my time had not yet come. Until one drizzly day, as I was strolling along the harbor, I heard a merchant tell one of his workers, 'You've finished your duties, go ahead and call it a day.' I stood motionless among the crowds, asking myself, 'Have I already finished my duties?'" hs dared another look at Aether. They were focused only on him, not even glancing at Signora and Childe anymore, and the moment of suspicion was gone. "But as I began to consider relinquishing my divine role, I soon discovered that many reasons still remained to not hastily depart. Was Liyue, the city I had dwelt in for so long, already prepared to enter its next age? I decided that a test was needed in order to reveal the answer. So I feigned my own death, and gathered the cast of Childe, the adepti, and the Liyue Qixing to play their roles together on the stage that was Liyue." "And you would have come back if they needed you?" Aether asked. "Yes, which is why I continued to safeguard the gnosis until now. But I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with the finale of the show that you all put on. Why, you even deserved an encore. The adepti deserve the greatest applause, considering their years of seclusion. They hardly recognized the city. Yet, faced with such a crisis, they exerted the greatest amount of restraint. Not only did they manage to cooperate with the Qixing, but in the end--Aether?" They swayed, eyes unfocused, and then Zhongli dove forward to catch them as they collapsed. "Did they take any serious injuries?" he asked Paimon. "They weren't doing so great after someone went ballistic," she glared at an unremorseful Childe, "But they seemed to be alright after the adepti lent them some power. They're probably just really tired." "That much is to be expected." He laid them down on the floor. There didn't seem to be any gaping wounds or out of place bones, and their breathing was steady. If Paimon was right, and it was nothing serious, they ought to show signs of consciousness within a minute or two. "How precious," Signora scoffed. "Well, it seems our business here is finished. We should return to Zapolyarny Palace and seek an audience with Her Majesty, the Tsaritsa. Come, Childe." "Ugh, fine. I'll meet you there later. I'm not sharing a boat with the likes of you," Childe grumbled as he followed her out of the bank. "Hmph, do as you wish." Zhongli and Paimon were left staring down at their friend in tense silence, as the seconds passed too slowly. Then Aether's eyes snapped open, taking in the two of them, then glancing about the room, relaxing when they realized the harbingers were gone. Zhongli let out a breath of relief. "Aether! You're okay!" Paimon cheered. "Yeah… I'm okay." They made to stand, and Zhongli gave them a hand. Just as they were getting on their feet again, they wobbled and clutched him for support. "It's alright Aether. You've done more than enough today. Let me help." "Okay." They let Zhongli scoop them up into his arms, and he carried them out of the bank, Paimon following. "Where have you been staying?" he asked. Aether didn't respond. They were out again. "Aww, how cute!" Paimon gushed. "Paimon will take you to the inn." At the time, Zhongli had mainly been thinking that taking Aether somewhere to rest was the right thing to do. He hadn't really thought about how this looked until Paimon pointed it out, but he couldn't disagree with her. She took the lead, rambling a mile a minute about everything that had just transpired. "...and then Aether did it. They used geo on him, and they did it perfectly for the first time! Childe sure wasn't expecting--oh no! Paimon wasn't supposed to..." "It's alright. I knew about Aether's powers." "Oh, phew! You know everything, don't you? Oh! So you were helping them understand geo on purpose!" "Indeed," he laughed. "How sneaky. Thanks Zhongli. Paimon's not sure if we would have made it through that fight otherwise. Childe got really angry when he found out the gnosis wasn't in the exuvia. Paimon thought we were done for! And then..." And so she went on. She was probably exaggerating somewhat about Aether taking out a whole Fatui army all on their own, but he had no doubt they'd performed spectacularly, and Paimon's version of events was certainly entertaining to indulge. They made it to Aether and Paimon's room, and Zhongli set them down gently on the bed. It was silly, but he didn't want to let go yet. There was still so much he wanted to tell them. 'You were amazing', 'I'm sorry', 'thank you'... "You're not going to watch them until they wake up, are you?" asked Paimon, shaking him out of his thoughts. "No, of course not. That would be… no." Still, he hesitated to leave. He had to ask. "Paimon… do you think Aether will begrudge me for deceiving them?" "No, Paimon doesn't think so. If Aether was really mad, they wouldn't have been that willing to let you carry them. You know, this reminds Paimon of one of Kaeya's schemes." "Oh?" "There was this one time Kaeya sent us on a quest to find his pirate grandfather's long lost treasure, a super powerful sword! We found all the clues and everything, but when we got to where the treasure was supposed to be, there was nothing! And then we found out that a group of thieves had followed us there, but then Kaeya and a bunch of knights showed up! He'd made the whole story up, and was using us to lure those guys into his trap and finally catch them! He'd tricked us for a good reason though, and Aether said they were too impressed to hold a grudge." Paimon made a very compelling case against his worries. "That is reassuring. Thank you." "You seem to still be the same Zhongli we got to know, and Aether likes you that way… and Paimon thinks you like them more than you've been letting on too, don't you?" she teased. "Perhaps." It was basically an admission. He didn't care so much about concealing it now. Which look had given it away to her, he wondered? "Well, Aether isn't going to bring it up again. They said they don't want to make you uncomfortable. So that means you'll have to make the move next time." Paimon wasn't afraid to tell him what to do, even though she'd just learned what he was minutes ago. Zhongli appreciated her forwardness, even if it took him aback a bit. "Uh… noted. Well then, I will leave the two of you to rest. I'll see you at the rite of parting, I hope?" "Yeah, but wait, Zhongli, Paimon was wondering, what did you get from the deal with the Tsaritsa? What could be worth a gnosis?" "That is an excellent question, but I am not at liberty to say. The details of our contract are confidential. Perhaps you and Aether will find the answer on your adventures." "Aww, you're no fun," she grumbled. Everything was perfect, a traditional rite of parting down to the last detail. Though there were sad faces, Zhongli was relieved to see they were not distraught. With the leadership of the Qixing, the people of Liyue didn't feel lost without him. He leaned on the rail at the edge of Yujing Terrace, where one could see everything from the mountains, to the heart of the city below, to the sea stretching into the distance. Zhongli could still remember what it had looked like thousands of years ago. Liyue had grown so much since then. In his heart, it would always be his city, his people, even when they no longer needed him. "Hey, Zhongli!" Called a familiar high pitched voice. He turned to face Paimon and Aether as they approached. Aether had a few lingering bruises visible, and a hesitance in their gait. "Paimon, Aether, good to see you. Are you feeling well?" "I'm okay now. Thanks for…" Aether glanced away, fidgeting with their cape, "you know." "I owed you at least that much after everything you did for Liyue, and for me. It is I who should be thanking you." Their eyes met his again, studying him. "Were you going to tell me, if I hadn't come in at the right time?" "Yes. I had planned to explain everything to you today. I am sorry for keeping you in the dark. You may have been a piece in my plans, but I also genuinely came to think of you as a friend." Their expression softened into a fond smile at that, easing the tension between them. They believed him. "You were even more impressive than I had hoped. I was only counting on you to get Childe where I needed him, but from what I hear, despite having barely a moment's rest after that challenging duel, you were a great help against Osial as well, and you made considerable progress with your geo skills. And to think that after all of that, you still had just enough stamina to come looking for me." He still found it touching to recall. "I don't know, the whole time I felt like I was barely--" Aether paused, realizing what he'd said, and then looked at Paimon. "It turns out he already knew about your powers." "Oh, so you knew you were helping me." "I had hoped so," he smiled. "If the two of you can spare the time. I should treat you to a meal at the Xinyue Kiosk." Paimon laughed. "That sounds like big talk, Zhongli. Paimon might have believed you if you were treating us to some Third Round Knockout, but you'd have to pay out your nose just to stand inside Xinyue Kiosk. Are you sure you can afford it?" She had a point there. He'd forgotten about cost. "You're right, I do lack the Mora." "But why would Morax lack Mora?" Aether asked. "As the Rex Lapis Morax, I can easily create Mora. But since I have chosen to walk this earth as the mortal Zhongli, I should abide by the same rules that mortals do. When I was journeying with you, though I still had the gnosis in hand, I knew that I must soon retire from my role as an archon. So I had to... rehearse a little, for my new life." "Oh, no wonder! Paimon gets it now. You didn't look at the price tags when we were spending because you've never had to. But since you weren't used to not being able to just make some mora as and when you wanted to, you had to try becoming a parasite to society who lives off of other peoples' credit," Paimon teased. "Well, we were only spending Fatui money. You don't have to say it like that." "Couldn't you have just made a reasonable amount of mora to save before you handed over the gnosis?" Aether suggested. "That does sound like a logical, common sense idea. It is a shame I didn't think of it," he sighed. "Zhongli," they shook their head. "You're smart enough to play the Fatui into setting off your fake disaster, and funding your fake funeral, and yet…" "You two are truly showing me no mercy today." He crossed his arms and looked down on them in a show of disapproval. "Tsk, no respect for the deceased." His straight face cracked at the sound of their laughter. Being dead was wonderful. “Well, we do need to get going soon. I'm trying to find my sister--" "I know." Aether blinked. "How did you know that?" "You told me." "When?" "Your wish." "Oh. I completely forgot about that. I wasn't sure if anyone actually heard it." "I did; however, I cannot tell you where she is, unfortunately." Zhongli sighed. As much as he wanted to take them out on a date in Liyue, he had been able to sense how Aether missed and worried for their sister. "I understand the importance of this to you. I don't wish to keep you from your journey." "What I was going to say is that while I can't stay too long, I'm going to need some time to prepare to travel again, and in the meantime, I'd love to spend more time with you." "Oh." "After all, you still owe me a song." Zhongli laughed in relief. "So I do." "So I guess I’ll just have to treat you to something," Aether smirked, pleased to be turning the tables on him. "I’m open to suggestions. But not Xinyue Kiosk, obviously.” "Fair enough. You would not care for Xinyue Kiosk anyway, now that I think about it. You seem like the type of person who would prefer less formality." It had been his first thought because Aether deserved the highest luxury Liyue had to offer, but that would be no good if it wasn't to their taste. "Hmm… you liked the outdoor seating at Third Round Knockout, and you seem to prefer more yue style flavors--" "Hey, it's sweet and all that you're thinking this hard about what Aether likes, but aren't you both forgetting something?" Paimon interjected. "What?" Aether asked. "A lot of places are probably closed today, since the rite of parting is kind of a big deal to everyone else." "Oh." "Ah, right." They were both fools now. "Well then… would a picnic be too simple for your liking?" Aether suggested hesitantly. "With you, not at all." "Oh, um, alright then," they stammered, while Paimon quivered excitedly behind their line of sight. That evening, Zhongli took Aether and Paimon to the mountain south of the harbor. From the top, they'd have a good view of the city, as well as the sunset. Though Aether was nervous about it, Zhongli and Paimon were able to encourage them to raise geo constructs to make shortcuts. They had some trouble making their earth sturdy enough to support the weight of two people, and it frightened them the first time their structure faltered, but Zhongli helped them stabilize it. After that, Aether was more relaxed and made steady improvement. The final construct, much to their satisfaction, required no correction. They set up their picnic and talked a bit more about the Qixing and the fallout of Rex Lapis's 'death'. Zhongli also gave Aether and Paimon some information about Inazuma and the Raiden Shogen,and from there he found himself talking about the original electro archon. As they ate and chatted, the sun descended behind the mountains to the west, casting them in a deepening golden glow. "Are you full now Paimon?" Aether asked. "Almost, why do you ask?" Aether glanced at Zhongli and then back at her. "Oh, right! Zhongli has that sad story to finish. Alright then, Paimon will leave you two alone now." She zipped over to snatch the last of the cookies, gave Zhongli a conspiratorial wink, and then vanished before Aether could stop her thievery. Aether listened as Zhongli concluded the tale, and then, finally, sang the song he'd promised them--a bittersweet ballad of nostalgia for a distant home in an ever moving and changing world. It made him think of the Guili Plains as they had once been. Being out of practice, his performance was by no means technically perfect, but it was cathartic. He'd been so focused on trying to decide how to steer Liyue while finding himself increasingly uncertain of his role, then putting everything in place to prepare for his test. It had been too long since he'd sung like this. Zhongli stopped before the final notes, noticing a tear on Aether's cheek and their folded posture. "Aether, are you alright? Have I made you homesick?" They were probably thinking of their homeworld. Perhaps he should have considered that that might happen. "Not exactly. I've never really had a home. But this world... I've gotten too involved, made too many friends. I don't want to leave it behind." Oh? Zhongli had assumed Aether would move on to a new world after reuniting with their sister. He'd accepted that their time together would be an ephemeral treasure. He would never try to force it, but if theywantedto stay, then perhaps he could keep them. There were so many more stories he could tell them, songs he could share, places he could take them… Zhongli was getting ahead of himself. "Can you not stay, if that's what you want?" "I don't belong here. I don't belong anywhere." Zhongli moved closer, and when Aether leaned into him, wrapped them in his arms. "I may not be an outsider in the same way that you are, but I think I can understand the feeling." For all Zhongli knew of the world's history, geography, and secrets, he wasn't certain he knew how to simply live in it. Even so, he wanted to learn, and so far, it was going, though not always smoothly, well enough. "If there is still a place for me in this world, then I should think there is also one for you, if you want it." "You were born here. I wasn't," Aether argued. "As Liyue Harbor developed as a city of commerce, many travelers from other lands came to visit and trade, and sometimes, they stayed, building their homes and families here. Those people and their descendants became part of the city, and the exchange of knowledge and ideas helped Liyue grow into what it is today. However far away you may hail from, I see no reason you should be different." Aether was quiet for a moment, considering his argument. And then they let out a deep breath, the sort one would release upon coming home after a long day. "Alright. I'll stay. Thank you." Considering how tense Aether usually was around people, it was an honor to hear such a comfortable sound made in his arms. It seemed the perfect moment. "May I kiss you?" Zhongli could feel the jump in their heartbeat before they straightened up. "Oh, uh, where did that come from?" "Well, at the time, given the circumstances, I felt that it would have been improper to... encourage your advances." His own heart was racing now too. He'd crushed monsters beneath the earth without feeling a thing, yet those wide brown eyes shining at him had him faltering. "I wanted you to know the truth first, lest you come to regret--" Aether leaned back in, grabbed him by a lapel, and Zhongli gratefully allowed them to silence him with a kiss, flattered by their bold impatience. "No, I don't think I'm gonna regret that," Aether said when they pulled back, with a soft smile, and a touch still lingering on Zhongli's cheek. He had no words. Aether giggled. "You're cute." "It has been said that I'm the most cold and intimidating of The Seven," Zhongli argued. "Still cute." They settled comfortably beside Zhongli, head resting on his shoulder. Softly, maintaining his key, they recalled the final line of the refrain, resolving his song. "It's painfully beautiful. Thank you for sharing it with me. Will you tell me more old stories?" "I'll trade you one of mine for a story of another world," Zhongli proposed. "Deal."