Chapter Text
"Xiao. Xiao."
Xiao jolts awake. "I'm not asleep." Adepti don't sleep.
Adepti also don't startle when they turn their heads to see their not-dead ex-Archon standing with their face eerily close to them, glowing amber eyes wide.
Xiao gingerly steps off the railing, which he absolutely did not jump on like a frightened cat.
"Xiao."
"Lord Mor- Zhongli," Xiao says. "What are you doing here." In the middle of the day, when Xiao is not taking a nap under the cool shade of the Wangshu Tree after being on shift all night to guard Liyue from ancient terrors and finicky gods, in the era of relative Peace and Humanity (humanity should settle humanity's problems and not wake Xiao up in the middle of the day after a graveyard shift).
Just to be safe, Xiao looks over Zhongli's shoulder to check that Liyue Harbour is not being under attack by ancient terrible gods. It is not.
Zhongli hasn't spoken in the long, tense minute since he woke Xiao. He hasn't blinked, either.
"Lord Zhongli," Xiao says. "Can I. Um. Help you?"
"Xiao," Zhongli says. "Xiao. What is. This."
Zhongli is holding something in his hands. It is a vision. It is an anemo vision, to be precise, and the make of the metal casing surrounding it denotes it to be a vision of Liyue origin.
"This is a Liyue anemo vision," Xiao says. It is not his own - he can feel it hanging by his belt.
"Yes," Zhongli says. He sounds… strange. A little perplexed. Somewhat perturbed. Oddly distressed, actually, if Xiao were to be so bold to suggest that Lord Morax in all his millenia of steady wisdom and calm leadership could sound distressed. Xiao hasn't seen him distressed in 3000 years.
Xiao is many things: a steadfast defender of Liyue, the last of the five yakshas, not a mind reader, and very, very concerned.
He runs through the possibilities that would lead to his Lord seeking him out on a nondescript day just to show him a Liyue anemo vision in distress.
"You have found a lost vision from one of your people," Xiao guesses. It would be just like Lord Morax to be upset that one of his citizens has misplaced such an important artifact and require the matter be resolved immediately. It is unbecoming from a vision to be separated from its owner, after all. "You want me to find them and return it to them."
Zhongli continues staring at him.
"Lord Morax- Zhongli," Xiao tries. "Is there something wrong-"
Zhongli lifts his hand, the vision glows, and Xiao gets blasted in the face with anemo.
The cobblestone ground shakes. Schulz drops his hammer, Quinn ducks for cover. Swan and Lawrence trip over their feet, lances raised, as they aim it - futilely - at the hostile entity that pays no attention to strange-traveller-etiquette and sweeps past the main gates of Mondstadt city. The Goddess - because she can only be a goddess, who else? - with her glowing locks of violet hair and the crackling of electro with every step she takes, and her billowing sleeves that threaten to swallow the tiny city whole.
More knights charge, and then stop, and then take frantic steps back from the main square. The sky darkens with the promise of a thunderstorm. The goddess raises her head, and her eyes flash purple. She opens her mouth, her voice like the crashing of waves against shipwrecks, and the people of Mondstadt tremble under the Archon of a Thousand Eyes.
"Where. Is. Barbatos?"
"My Lord."
Xiao did not fall over the railing in shock. He did not crash into the tables and chairs in the seating area below, startling several Wangshu guests and harried waiters and waitresses. He did not have to teleport back up to the top floor, a safe distance away from Zhongli, who is now staring hauntedly into the distance with wisps of anemo on his fingertips and the vision still dangling from his pinched index finger and thumb.
“Xiao,” Zhongli says, voice almost a whisper.
“My Lord,” Xiao says, because he doesn’t know if he’ll be able to manage anything else. Except for, of course- “When? What? Why? How?”
Zhongli looks up, and he just looks -
Distressed, upon Xiao’s reconsideration, is an adequate term. Defeated would be as well, except that Xiao is still not quite so blasphemous to be able to think of his Lord as someone capable of being defeated. Disquieted, on the other hand, is also a suitable descriptor.
“My Lord,” Xiao says. “Is that. Your. Vision?”
Zhongli looks at his hand, then at the vision, then at Xiao, then back at the vision again.
In a very small voice (that makes Xiao review the usage of the term defeated) he says, “I don’t know.”
It is Huffman - good old, reliable Huffman, who had come running towards the disturbance the moment he heard screams of terror from the Mondstadt people, that gathers up the courage to speak first. (Never let it be said that being caught between the brotherly disputes of Captain Kaeya and Master Diluc never put some meat on your bones.) “Your… Excellency,” he says, because he is not very sure how to address a Goddess at all, but he hears that “Your Excellency” is a good bet, especially if this does turn out to be (Barbatos Forbid) the Ruler of Inazuma, the God of Eternity, the Electro Archon herself. Which, from the look she is giving him, and from the way that the thunderclouds are gathering in a spiral above their heads and brewing with flashes of lightning that strike down right in her palms and arc through her fingertips, this is probably - very likely - most definitely - the Electro Archon.
The knights, the citizens of Mondstadt, and the Fatui now cowering behind benches and store awnings in sudden solidarity, flash him a manner of encouraging gestures, like silent claps and thumbs ups and sheepish smiles. Huffman tries to straighten up and square his shoulders.
“Your Excellency,” he says again, and figures he should say something else before she gets bored of him and smites him where he stands. “Uh, welcome to the city of Mondstadt! We are pleased to-”
“Where is Barbatos.”
“U-uh, Barbatos? The, um, Anemo Archon?” The knights are shaking their heads. Shrugging helplessly. Sister Rosaria has arrived, spear in hand, but all she does - can do - is stare, very visibly mouthing ‘what the fuck’ in his direction. Master Diluc, who may or may not be the Darknight Hero (Captain Kaeya had laughed at him when he insisted on continuing his investigations, but Huffman still has his reservations), is standing stock still in the alley between the Angel’s Share and the City Square, making the diplomatic decision to not attack a foreign archon and start a war.
“Your Excellency,” Huffman says, again. Shut up, Huffman. “Lord Barbatos. Um. He hasn’t been sighted in the last - uh - 500 years-”
“I know he is here somewhere,” the Electro Archon says, and sweeps past Huffman, deciding to spare his life. “Barbatos! I know you are in this city!”
Which is… saying a lot, really. To have the Electro Archon storm (haha) into Mondstadt with a crash of thunder outside the city gates and demand the presence of the Anemo Archon. Who, if the long-devout people of Mondstadt are to be believed, has been missing in action for the past 500 years - but, according the Electro Archon (Barbatos’s colleague , ultimately a more reliable source), Barbatos is currently in the city. Perhaps masquerading as a mortal human, as any of them, hidden in plain sight, really - and is this perhaps implying Barbatos’ continued presence in the city for the past 500 years? Unknowingly watching over them? Like what the series of novels that Liyue has about their Archon - Incognito - says? Perhaps going through disguise after ingenious disguise? And this means, of course-
-that there is no answer to give to the Electro Archon, because how would Huffman - of anyone, really - know who Barbatos is? He could be anyone, if that were true! He could be Master Diluc, or the Acting Grandmaster herself (who has an anemo vision, as well!), or the strange outlander who possesses the power of anemo despite not owning a vision, who can counteract the threat of Stormterror - wait, that’s it!
“Barbatos!” Huffman says. “He’s-”
Green bursts in the middle of the city square. Feathers rain in the sky. The people gasp.
The Electro Archon’s eyes widen, and her mouth opens to say, “you are-”
There - dressed in ferocious green, unmistakably otherworldly, dressed in an aura of anemo power, teal wisps in his hair and on his fingertips. No doubt! This can only be-
“-one of Morax’s.”
Huffman shuts his mouth.
Not-Barbatos, One-of-Morax’s, bows. “Xiao, Guardian Yaksha, Liyue Adeptus. Your Excellency.”
Oh, thank god.
“Xiao,” Her Excellency says. “Where is Barbatos?”
Xiao says, “I am looking for him as well.”
“Xiao! Ey! Xiao! Eh! Xiao! Ei!” Who is making that racket? Can’t they see this is a historical, generation-defining moment for all of Mondstadt?
It is… Venti? The Bard? The self-proclaimed thrice-won greatest bard of Mondstadt, the drunkard that Master Diluc always complains about in Angel’s Share, allergic to cats? Absolutely tactless, about to be smited by a God and a messenger of one, skidding to a stop in the middle of the courtyard, being an absolute terrible impression on the foreign dignitaries, tripping over a cobblestone and gripping his stupid green hat-
“You are here.” “Lord Barbatos!”
“Xiao! Eh!” Venti, oh gods, oh shit, oh what? Barbatos? Adjusts his regal, godly green hat. “The both of you are here! This must be bad. Did I sleep through another cataclysm? What’s going on?”
Nobody in Mondstadt breathes. Truly a feat, given that most of them are mortal and require air to survive. Except for - of course, Her Excellency the God of Eternity, Xiao Guardian Yaksha One-of-Morax’s, and… Venti. Barbatos. Lord Venti Barbatos. Lord Barbatos Venti. Lord… Venti… Barbatos Venti.
“No,” Her Excellency says. The people hold baited breath. “Worse.” And then she pulls out - from her - wow, her - this feels blasphemous to even think about, let alone say - her… from her, her - the… area that Captain Kaeya also leaves uncovered, her - the- her-
…an. Anemo vision?
“Oh, Your Excellency,” Xiao Guardian Yaksha Liyue Adeptus says. “You too?”
“What the-” Barbatos Venti Anemo Archon is looking between them. Left, right, left, right. Then-
“Okay, first things first.” He holds up a finger, and the tip of it glows, and -
The sky clears. Oh. Great. Wonderful. “I have put a lot of work into maintaining the climate here. Air currents and the atmosphere take a lot of energy to regulate, you know. Yelling my name - in the middle of my city, where everyone can hear you, great, thanks - does fine. No… thunderstorms, please.”
Her Excellency looks disdainful.
“Second.” Lord Barbatos Venti holy shit what the fuck? holds up a second finger. “I have. A secret identity. A disguise. I know you choose to rule Inazuma openly with your face and your image and everyone recognizes you, but come on!”
Her Excellency says, “you have a giant statue of yourself in your city.”
“Okay, but no one knows who I am, so I’ve been doing a good job of it!”
“Not anymore.”
“I…” Lord Venti Barbatos oh Celestia what is going on? looks around him. Casts a gaze - eyes glowing teal, his braids - an exact replica (except smaller) of the giant statue in the Church courtyard, oh god, oh what the fuck - swaying in the wind. “Uh. Ehe. Right.”
“Ey. Listen.” One of the noises that Lord Anemo Archon Venti was making, and Xiao turned out to be a name, which means - from the power of inference - that it must be a name as well. Eh? Ey? Ei?
“Listen. Anything - anything! More low key. A telegram. A pigeon. Send a messenger, like Xiao. He’s more discreet. Or that - that little boy you’ve got. He’s cute and way less likely to frighten the shit out of my people. Or send Miko! Or even come yourself, with way less… all of that!”
Electro Archon Her Excellency Ei crosses her arms. “Miko is busy. Kunikuzushi ran away from home. I wanted to get here as fast as possible to address this matter.”
“I…” Barbatos Venti Anemo Archon looks conflicted. Confused. Confuddled. “Sorry about your son. We should - yes, about the whole - yes, let’s talk. Tell me about it.”
“Kunikuzushi is not my son. This vision-”
“Not right here! Shush! Let’s go… anywhere else!” Lord Barbatos Venti Anemo Archon extends a hand… and Her Excellency takes it. “Xiao, Xiao, fetch the you-know-who, will you? Bring him to - oh, let me just show you too.” He holds out another hand. Guardian Yaksha Adeptus holds it, and Barbatos - oh god, he really is Barbatos, the statue is right, his wings really are huge, holy shit - unfurls white feathers and anemo and wind whipping around them and-
-The three of them disappear in a blink.
Jean stares at the sight in muted horror.
Kaeya turns to stare at her, also in less-mute horror. "Jean. Jean. That's Barbatos. Barbatos. Jean. Jean. I have something to tell you. Something important. It's about- something. Important. Jean. Listen to me. Jean, Jean, Je-mmph mm mmph!"
Nobody pays any attention to Diluc as he drags Kaeya, kicking and screaming, one hand over his face, trying to gag him and also prevent him from digging his sharp little abyss-mage claws into his hair and ripping out his eyepatch in the middle of Mondstadt City Square. No one also pays attention to Diluc whisper shouting "shut up shut up calm down yes I know stop don't take that off Kaeya Ragnvindr shut up stop panicking stop Barbatos isn't going to kill you shut up shut up!"
The front door to Angel's Share clicks shut. Jean takes in a shuddering breath, meets the eye of her half-terrified full-awed people, steels her shoulders, lifts her chin, and…
…turns back around. She needs to go lie down.
Barbatos sucks in a breath. “An anemo vision. Anemo visions. The both of you. Both of you?”
“I was lucky enough to be meditating alone in Tenshukaku when it manifested,” Ei says. “However, it appeared alongside a mass of swirling anemo and caused an overload reaction with every single candle and torch in my room.”
“Right,” Barbatos says. “And you?”
Morax can only sigh. He had not been so lucky. “It materialised in front of me when I was in the middle of a stroll in Liyue Harbour’s bustling marketplace. As someone who appears to already possess a geo vision, it caused quite an uproar. I had no choice but to leave immediately.”
Ei turns to Barbatos. “Why.”
“What? I don’t know!” Barbatos throws his hands up. “You of all people should know that us Archons don’t personally hand out visions. Besides.” He motions to the two - real, Liyuen and Inazuman - anemo visions hovering in front of him. “Something tells me that we aren’t exactly… well… Archons, anymore. At least not in the eyes of Celestia."
“Because none of us possess our gnoses?” Morax says.
“Perhaps,” Ei says. “Although I had not had my gnosis on my person for a long time, now.”
“Well,” Barbatos says. “Something must have happened, then, to trigger… this.” He hops to his feet, and paces the crumbling edge of the tower. Below them, a horrifying vortex of screaming winds, the ghosts of wars long-past, the haunting memories of an almost-extinguished race of which only Barbatos remains, their anguished screams frozen in time. Above them, Dvalin snoozing away, his snores every-so-often shaking the walls of already dubious structural integrity.
“Anemo visions,” Barbatos says. “Traditionally granted to those who seek repose. I am the God of Freedom, after all. A breath of fresh spring air on a heavy, cloudy night.”
“Allergies,” Morax mutters.
Barbatos ignores him. “For those who wish to live a life of poetry! See the sights, dream of song, fly on their wings, take life day by day. There is no vision more romantic than Anemo! Perhaps one of you has fallen in love!”
Barbatos whirls around, eyes sparkling, to the deadpan stares of both Morax and Ei.
“Well, you never know,” Barbatos says. “Fine, keep your secrets. My blessings, if yes. If not… um… the vision is a blessing in itself, from yours truly, already! So just keep it. You can’t get rid of it, anyways. Plenty of people have tried.”
Ei blinks.
“Right. Miss Vision Hunter Vision Hoarder. Well, don’t get rid of it. Don’t give it to Miko.” Barbatos pauses. “No, seriously. You probably shouldn’t try to get rid of it - yes, I know you’ve had a great success record of doing so, 99 out of 100 - but not until we figure this out.”
Ei blinks slowly. “From my observations of the Vision Hunt Decree, it is inadvisable to separate a vision holder from their vision. It may cause symptoms like paranoia, amnesia, loss of self, disillusionment, depersonalization, and death.”
“Uh,” Barbatos pales. “Right. Let’s not do that.”
“I do not see why,” Morax says, “we would have been granted anemo visions instead of our own sovereign element.”
“Like I said,” Barbatos says, “maybe you two triggered something. Come on, think. What were you doing just before…” He waves a hand vaguely. “This?”
“I was simply meditating at the time,” Ei says.
“Meditating…” Barbatos prompts, when Ei elaborates no further. “About what?”
Ei looks away. “My sister.”
“Aha!” Barbatos snaps his fingers. “That’s it.”
“My sister?”
“Your dead sister.”
Ei flicks a hand and tightens her fingers around her Musou Isshin.
“Hey, hey, hey, wait!” Barbatos hops up to a pillar away from her, flailing his arms in useless defence or an interpretive dance of a frantic flapping bird. “Hear me out. All - well, most of anemo users have a dead friend. Or family member.”
Ei narrows her eyes. “Elaborate.”
Barbatos begins listing. “Morax here, obviously, has tons of dead friends. So does Xiao. And myself, of course. And… um… people you’d recognize… well I’m sure you remember Kazuha, haha. You killed his friend in front of him, and he blocked your Musou no Hitotachi! It made international news! And there’s-”
“You said yourself,” Morax interrupts.
“Huh?”
“You included yourself under your list of anemo vision users,” Morax says. “You do not possess an anemo vision.”
Barbatos crosses his arms. He starts, “Well, I… I, uh, um, well-”
“You didn’t get one, Barbatos?” Ei says. She sounds simultaneously sympathetic and sardonic.
“I…” Barbatos pauses. Pats at his pockets. Shakes his very fake, very artificial vision. Stares at the ceiling. Checks his pockets, again. “Well. No. I guess not.”
Huh. Now he’s kind of disappointed. And a little offended, actually. “Celestia? Uh, hello? Nothing for me?”
The three wait a beat.
Nope, nothing.
“Dammit,” Barbatos says.
“I do not believe that… having friends who have passed away is the cause for receiving anemo visions,” Morax says, rubbing his temple. “In any case, I do not believe that I should have been a contender for an anemo vision.”
“Morax, sweetie,” Barbatos says. “You hatched an elaborate plan and almost destroyed your city because you wanted to be released from the shackles of thousands of years of responsibility and freely retire. That’s the most anemo shit I can think of.”
Ei snickers. Morax looks appalled.
“Besides, look on the bright side!” Barbatos says. He is grinning, and his arms are stretched out wide. “My little anemo fledglings, raring to take flight into the world of the unknown, the power of wind at your fingertips! Why worry when you have the best teacher - of the best element - right here with you?”
Morax stands up. “I shall take my leave.”
“Hey!” Barbatos says.
“Hm,” Ei says. “From my display in Tenshukaku… I believe that anemo can aid me in manipulating other elements to use in conjunction with electro, for longer lasting reactions.”
“Yeah, that’s the spirit!” Barbatos says. “Want me to give you some pointers?”
“No need,” Ei says, getting up as well. “It will not be hard to pick up.”
“Wh- hey, what is that supposed to mean?”
Venti lands by Mondstadt City’s gates, ready to drown the knowledge of what he’s just learnt in copious amounts of sweet, sweet wine.
Swan and Lawrence drop their lances - and themselves in a bow. “Lord Barbatos!”
Ah, shit, right. Venti swivels on his heel. “Nope.”
"Xiao. Xiao."
Xiao has not fallen asleep. He doesn't think he can, not in the wake of… everything.
Ganyu has heard. Everyone has heard, but especially Ganyu, who is one of the members of the Qixing and therefore must have been overseeing every little event that happens in Liyue Harbour. Ganyu has came to visit, and wrung her hands, and cried into her sleeve, and ate the flowers that Xiao has carefully arranged around his balcony but he had not stopped her because she seemed to be stress-eating and also not noticing that she is doing so, and cried some more, and then left but not before shaking Xiao by the shoulders and making him promise to fetch her once Lord Morax has returned.
"Lord Mora- Zhongli," Xiao greets.
Zhongli stares at him… and then sighs. "I will need to leave Liyue," he says solemnly. "It is such a shame. I have grown to love living amongst the mortals. But alas, in light of such an unexplainable chaos that has no doubt sullied my integrity, I have no choice but to-"
"Lord Zhongli," Xiao gripes. "Let's. Let's go see Ganyu. I am sure she can think of something."
“Um…” Ganyu says. “I’m sure we can say… that you are simply a geo elemental who has been using a fake geo vision this whole while to disguise your powers. And was recently granted an anemo vision.”
Lord Zhongli just sighs. “Geo and Anemo are two such incompatible elements. Anemo only seeks to amplify reactions, while Geo negates them.”
Cloud Retainer coughs. “Incompatible.” Mountain Shaper elbows her.
Xiao is not so insolent as to suggest he - an anemo user of 2000 years, having incorporated the element into his fighting style and honed the tip of his spear with sharp cutting winds - attempt to… guide… Lord Morax on his new vision. Besides. “It seems that Barbatos has arrived.”
Lord Zhongli sighs. “Barbatos.”
“Morax!” Barbatos says brightly. “I’m never going to Mondstadt again, so I’m staying here with you now, forever.”
“No.”
“Great, thanks, I’ll put my luggage in your abode. Anyways-”
“You do not have luggage.”
“-we should totally have an anemo pact right now. Anemo besties. We should get Ei to come over. We only had her over a couple of times when she was a kagemusha, right? We should bring those reunions back! Right? Morax? Morax!”
Shenhe leans over to snag a petal from Ganyu’s bouquet of snacks, and pops it in her mouth. She doesn’t tear her eyes away from the scene, and whispers, “that’s the Anemo Archon?”
“Mhm,” Ganyu says.
"Wait, wait," Barbatos says. "So your son-" "-not my son-" "-shed tears when he was born up, wandered aimlessly around Inazuma for hundreds of years, joined the Fatui, took your gnosis and then deserted the Fatui to reconcile his purpose for why you created him, talked about wanting freedom from the burden of creation, and also has a dead friend?"
Ei takes a sip from her boba. "Mhm."
"Wow, I guess I was wrong about Morax," Barbatos says. " This is the most anemo shit I can think of. You sure he doesn't have an anemo vision himself?"
"I cannot be certain," Ei says. "It has been a long time since I have seen him, after all." Her gaze turns a little wistful. "I wonder how he is doing."
"Huh," Barbatos says. "Well he certainly should get an anemo vision if he doesn't already have one. Also, this drink is amazing. You should expedite its import to Mondstadt. The kids will love it. Not that I’m going back anytime soon, haha. I won’t go back for all of eternity.” He says the last word very slowly and expressively, and Ei pauses in her drink to join Barbatos in staring at the ceiling.
A full minute of silence passes.
Barbatos groans. “Seriously? Nothing?”