Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

They both stayed like that, wrapped around each other's arms as the truth came to light. Lumine sinks into Aether's right shoulder, babbling apologizes over and over again as if she were a broken record. Aether's head was spinning from all the confusion and exhaustion that Lumine had brought to him. His eyes were still red and puffy from the tears he had spent his energy on.

After a while, the headaches gradually decreased. Both began to slowly calm down from the emotional high. Their arms reluctantly slid away from each other's back. They stood still, neither one of them having the courage to speak up.

You should say something, Lumine struggles internally. She needed to fix whatever this situation was anymore.

"So uh, what now?"

Yeah, real smooth Lumine. Not awkward at all.

Aether didn't smile back like he used to- Lumine flinches, restraining herself to not recoil away -nor does he make any indication or a gesture to answer her. Aether just stood still. Living the moment, breathing all the same, yet empty as the abyss itself.

Lumine fiddles with her hands behind her back. Wondering if she should just leave and never come back here ever again. It would spare them both the inner turmoil. Just as she was considering doing just that, Aether silently breathes out in frustration.

"I thought you were my sister. And I was really glad to see you safe and sound." Aether begins a smile so out of place laced on his lips. Lumine stands still, waiting patiently for his next words.

"But you've tricked me. Multiple times at that. You were very... cruel. To keep up the act. Pretending to be my real sister and everything." to add to that Aether smiles a bit more widely, this time looking straight at Lumine.

"I'm never going to forgive you for that."

The wind curls through their hair. The birds were singing, and the trees around them danced in the breeze as the silence continues.

Lumine swallows down air. "I- yeah, that's fair enough." she mumbles.

From above the fake sky, much more vast than the universe, fate howls in satisfaction. This world would not face its doom just yet.

Ever since that day, Lumine did not dare to enter his world ever again. Instead, they communicated with each other from their own worlds.

"Hey, Lumine?" Ever since that day, Aether began asking a lot of questions. And Lumine had to hold back from throwing herself off Dragonspine's highest point when she noticed his questions were less from innocent curiosity, but more from burnt out and his realization that his journeys had been pointless.

"Yes?" Lumine answers despite all that because she will always answer no matter what happens.

"When will I get to see my sister again?" Aether doesn't know why he had asked such a question. Perhaps Aether had thought he could still keep his hopes up even after losing every single one of them.

"..." Lumine goes silent.

"I know you're stronger than me." Aether knew Lumine had traveled far longer than him.

"Of course I am." Lumine answers. It was the truth after all. Lumine was far stronger than him.

"That means you know much more, right?" Aether pushes because he needs some sort of lead. Anything to stop the brutal reality telling him that he had nothing left. That his real sister purposely left him while the Lumine he traveled with wasn't his real sister at all.

"Yes, but I haven't finished my journey either. So until we find our siblings, let's stick together, okay?" Lumine promises because that's the only thing she could keep for the time being.

"...Alright." Aether doesn't keep up the conversation.

Lumine knew Aether's feelings were justified. From his perspective, he had lost his sister to the unknown god, found his sister(who was actually Lumine) again just for his sister(who was actually Lumine) to leave, for his sister to come back as the abyss princess, and for his sister(who was actually Lumine) to return to him as if nothing had ever happened. For Aether, the lines of reality and fantasy had been stomped on, run over, and put back together just because Lumine couldn't be a decently reasonable person and tell Aether the truth from the very start.

And yet even so, deep in her heart she wished she could be forgiven, undeserving as she was. That everything could go back how it was.

Lumine she, wanted that. More than anything fate could reach them. Aether, the one Lumine had climbed rooftops with was not her brother(her cruel brother who just left her in that domain, and never appeared in front of her in the Chasm) and perhaps never will be. However, Aether was still someone she had promised to travel Teyvat with. Even if that Teyvat was not her own.

Lumine just wanted to have fun again. And she wanted Aether to have fun again as well.

So with that in mind, Lumine makes up her mind and takes action.

Chapter Text

Everything escalates way too quickly in The Chasm.

Time flowed slowly, or rather froze in this place. Hunger and physical exhaustion were all but ignored as her companions were trapped in unknown caverns located under The Chasm.

Lumine grumbles internally. Lumine wasn't trapped because she wanted to, but rather because she was curious as to what happened next. If Lumine wanted, she could always teleport out of here. But she doesn't, because she's an oblivious Traveler who thinks friendship is magic, and happiness and hope can solve everything.

Yeah right, Lumine scoffs to herself. This world wasn't so kind that it would allow such things like that. Lumine was just a traveler passing by here to witness everything this messed up world has to offer and that was that.

Lumine summons her blade.

A few moments ago, the door had just closed behind her. Trapping her in the room that shows you what you feared the most.

Mist flows from underneath the abyss, crawling up from her ankles to her legs. The stars above began shifting, twisting themselves into dots, and then back to what its original shape was. Lumine hisses, everything about this felt so wrong.

"Lu- i-e."

It was cold.

"I cannot go- find a new home-"

It was so very cold.

The voice of her brother echoes in her head. Something about fighting destiny, something about leading the abyss, talking about things she couldn't understand over and over and over and over and over and over-

The mist clears away. Lumine looks down to see her reflection replaced with Aether. Except this Aether in the reflection had a wide, concerned expression on his face. She realizes this was not her brother, but the Aether from the other world from when she had first met him. Lumine kneels to reach for him, her hands past through the floor. And then she's falling, deeper and deeper into the depths of eternal misery and darkness.

Was this what she feared?

Apparently not, because it doesn't stop there.

Lumine lands in a sea of flowers, quite literally. The water was disgustingly freezing, while the Inteyvats floating on the surface was burning. Lumine's head started to unnaturally raise in temperature the longer she stayed there, and for a moment Lumine thinks she was having a fever.

Lumine's eyes dilated in internal horror, realizing that wasn't the case. Lumine rips out the Inteyvat placed in her hair and throws it back with the rest, where they all belonged. Her heart ached as the Inteyvat landed in the pile, never to be seen again. A distant memory of her brother plays in her head, a memory that she cannot remember. He placed the burning flower in her hair-

-and left her in isolation.

The burning Inteyvats shrink and vaporize out of existence, and they must've been keeping Lumine afloat because now she's sinking deeper and deeper into the cold depths of the ocean. It was getting harder to breathe. Another memory plays in Lumine's head, and this time it is much clearer because this time it's her that places one of the Flower of Life Artifacts in his hair-

-and abandons him for good.

Lumine felt vile. Every inch of her body from head to toe rejected even the very idea of the imaginary memory becoming a reality.

Was this what she feared?

But if that was the truth, then why oh why did she feel so very, nauseous. Everything in this world should just cease to exist- 

Fear.

It was a simple word and a complex emotion.

However, what this place, this room didn't consider was that fear could be laced with other emotions.

Lumine nearly screams as her world twists and explodes in oblivion.

Outside the room, the ground begins to rumble.

"Whoa, what's happening?" Itto shouts in alarm.

"We need to leave. Now." Kuki grits her teeth.

"Wait, what about the Traveler? Yanfei's eyes dart towards the unopened door.

"That floating child is missing as well." Itto notices.

Yelan furrows her brows in frustration. As much as she would like to take everyone out of here, that door wouldn't budge.

This place, it read their minds and projected them into reality. Seeing things they normally wouldn't be able to see, their deep dark thoughts are put out on a display for everyone to witness. In short, what they thought influenced this space.

Then, if that were the case, Yelan's eyes widen, as she quickly leads everyone away from the door.

What is the Traveler thinking right now?

Suddenly Yelan hears a crack. Then two, then three. Near her, in front of her, behind her, everywhere. And then something, an object on her left thigh shatters into pieces. And with it, a part of Yelan was held and forcefully yanked out of her mind. The shattered pieces of her will, her determination, and her core being of existence were ripped away and thrown into oblivion.

Everyone's vision-

Yelan doesn't have time to think before the vast space shrinks rapidly, morphing several caverns into a single space, trapping all of them in internal and eternal imprisonment.

Lumine lands outside the door and onto the ground with a loud thud. Ignoring the pain of the fall, she stands up almost immediately. Lumine observes her surroundings, quite sure of herself that this was outside of the door. And yet, the caverns were coated with the stars and colors of the abyss with her friends and companions nowhere to be seen. Lumine then sees red, gold, purple, blue, and green pieces splayed on the ground.

Lumine follows the trail of the familiar energy pieces. She takes a step, then another, and more until she couldn't anymore. Yanfei, Itto, Kuki, Yelan, and even Xiao were all in one place. Karmatic binds dig into Xiao's skin, slowly tearing him apart as the Yaksha simply accepts his fate. The rest are tangled in what seemed to be stars, rocks, and a poisonous substance that looked similar to what Lumine had seen above the Chasm.

Lumine steps closer to them, noticing something off about all of them. Their vision has shattered, Inazuma taught her what would happen if a vision was taken forcefully from its owner, and the realization just made Lumine feel numb. After all, if a taken vision could make people go insane, what would a shattered vision do to its owner?

They're still breathing, Lumine doesn't think as she summons her blade. They won't age, and they'll be trapped here forever, Lumine grips the handle with both hands and prepares to strike all of them at once.

Traveler?

Lumine's grip on the handle tightens. Lumine was sure they were in some sort of coma state. Yet she still heard all of them say those words. Five pairs of eyes watch her as she readies her blade again. Lumine blinks, and she sees that everybody has their eyes closed shut. Was she seeing things?

Lumine doesn't want to acknowledge the implications of her illusions as she channels the gift and the curse of Anemo, Geo, and Electro into a single strike.

When she kills living creatures, they don't splatter blood. Instead, they turn into stardust so that she can consume them, making her stronger in the process.

This time wasn't an exception either.

Chapter Text

Aether misses her. The Lumine who he adventured with. Despite Lumine's wrongdoings, Aether didn't have it in him to completely despise her. Maybe it was because Aether understood Lumine. Or maybe it was because Aether secretly wanted Lumine to be his real sister. Whatever the reason was, Aether decided not to care anymore. He just wanted everything to go back to the way it was.

As Aether prepares for his journey to Inazuma, he feels a familiar presence appearing behind him.

Aether whips around to see Lumine, who was gripping her blade with shaking hands. Upon noticing Aether staring at her, Lumine makes her blade disappear and walks over to Aether.

Lumine opens her mouth. Closes it and opens it again. Aether raises a brow suspiciously, as Lumine internally fumbles with her words. Then Lumine speaks in her most neutral tone, "Let's head off to Inazuma." making a clear notion to grab Aether's wrists. Aether huffs in amusement as he observes Lumine's hesitation. Aether offers his hand for Lumine to take, and she does so without hesitation.

Lumine leads Aether to Beidou's ship. Lumine attempts to hide on the highest point of the ship before Beidou spots her and drags her back to the main deck. Lumine buries her face in her hands in embarrassment as Aether explains that she was her travel companion, to which Beidou laughs and welcomes them both on her ship.

And with that, they both set sail for Inazuma.

Lumine almost forgot just how miserable and unsettling Inazuma was. And Aether must have felt the strange atmosphere as well because he sticks close behind Lumine. They both follow Thoma(who Aether whispers to Lumine that he looked like Childe) to Ritou, past Konda village, and further. During their journey, Aether would talk with practically everyone they met, while Lumine watched from the sidelines with a cold expression on her face.

After conversation after conversation, they finally get to meet the Kamisato Clan's daughter, the white heron princess, Kamisato Ayaka. Lumine's coldness shifts into something dangerously vile as Ayaka explains the all too familiar situation for Lumine, to a clueless Aether. Lumine knew what the next words would be.

Traveler, lend us your power, and we can-

"No."

Fate stirs, sensing an underlying threat. It didn't like what was happening and would do anything to ruin what was forcefully being changed. However, Lumine who was both psychologically and physically worn out from what the world offered had come to a point where she just didn't care.

"Oh..." Ayaka wavers at Lumine's blunt response.

"See, milady, it's just like I said... this will take us nowhere." Thoma said, shaking his head. Asking for the famous Traveler to suddenly do favors for you, no matter how bad the situation was, was not a good idea at all. Thoma had told her many times that it would be kind of rude to just suddenly ask that no matter how capable they were.

"We're leaving." Lumine drags Aether and his Paimon out of the building, leaving Ayaka to stammer desperately for them to wait.

Thoma follows behind them as Lumine shuts the door behind them. Aether's Paimon disappears into her own pocket space, not wanting to stay around for much longer. "Hey, don't look so down Traveler." Thoma said to Aether, who had a conflicted expression on his face. "Will she be okay?" Aether asks. Thoma smiles, "Yep, I'm sure she will." Aether nods, satisfied with that answer.

Thoma glances at Lumine, who was staring at him with the most hollow expression he's ever seen on a person. Thoma shivers, feeling exposed. He would never admit it, but the Traveler's travel companion secretly terrified him to the very core.

Lumine suddenly turns her head towards Thoma. Thoma freezes, it was difficult to turn his eyes away from her. Every cell in his body screams at him to run away, hide somewhere. The feeling of unsettlement grows as Thoma follows Lumine's eyes trailing from his head and down to his hips, where his vision lies.

And at that moment it was as if fate itself was clawing at him to tear him away from her.

For the past few days, Lumine drags Aether's attention away from the despair around them and instead focuses on finding new treasure chests and puzzles. Just like they used to do. Aether smiles for the first time they arrived in Inazuma as they run around without a care. "I'm sorry that I had an emotional breakdown in front of you.", very straightforward, Lumine thought, "-It was just, everything happened all at once and I was so angry and confused." Aether confesses.

"Never apologize for that." a bitter smile forms on Lumine as she speaks. "You had every right to be angry, and even more if you wished. I'm sorry for tricking you all the way." Lumine said as they exit from one of Yashiori island's Domains named the Momiji-Dyed Court. A genuine smile makes its way onto Aether's face as he faces Lumine. "I missed this. Thank you for coming back." and Aether embraces Lumine into a warm fluffy hug.

Lumine's brain short circuits. Out of all the things she expected today, this wasn't one of them. Lumine couldn't register much of the physical contact. This whole adventure was just Lumine moving and speaking on autopilot while she lead Aether to anywhere except the Inazuma's castle. However, despite the emptiness and grogginess growing in Lumine's heart, she could admit that this was undoubtedly a very nice hug.

"Thank you for welcoming me back." Lumine returns the hug, letting herself close her eyes in serenity for a moment.

Aether frowns and suddenly steps back, noticing something out of place. Lumine blinks in confusion as Aether stares at Lumine, making Lumine feel uncomfortable with each passing second. Lumine hesitantly opens her mouth to ask what the problem was, but then Aether asks,

"What happened to your flower?"

Huh?

Lumine slowly brings her hand up to the right side of her head, and sure enough, the Inteyvat that had been carefully placed in her hair was no longer in place.

Everything suddenly felt cold.

Aether searches his travel bag and takes out an Adventure's Flower from the Adventurer Artifact set. Lumine stays perfectly still, trying to control her breathing as Aether goes up to her and places the flower in her hair-

-and left her in isolation.

Lumine unconsciously holds her breath as the memories of entering the door, of what happened in her world slowly resurface across her mind. The items from her dead companions sat in her travel bag, and everything begins to register in her brain. What happened in her world wasn't another illusion, but reality. There, her thoughts overtook the unnatural space and destroyed everything related to fate and the heavens up above.

Aether hums peacefully- a contrast to Lumine's current psychological state -as he takes out another Adventure's Flower and places it in his hair.

She won't leave him. She won't leave him. She won't ever leave him never-

"Now we match." Aether exclaims, satisfied with his work. Aether doesn't catch Lumine slowly flexing her hands in a gripping motion. Nor does Aether notice the way Lumine inhales and exhales unsteady breaths. Lumine swallows down the vile emotions coursing through her veins and manages to utter a single response.

"Yeah, we do."

Later, they teleport to the nearest Statue of Seven. They both slump down next to it, the flower still placed in their hair.

"So about the Raiden Shogun." Aether begins, and Lumine handles her expression carefully as he continues, "When can we meet her?" knowing that Lumine knew everything. "Well," Lumine did know everything that was going to happen from now on, but that didn't mean she was eager to let him know when. "you'll be able to meet her tomorrow." Lumine answers vaguely. Aether gives a small nod in return.

Aether slowly closes his eyes, getting ready to fall asleep. This time, the presence of Lumine never leaves him even as he drifts away into a deep sleep.

Chapter Text

The next morning, when Lumine wakes up, she realizes that she is all alone.

"Aether?"

The storm clouds hang above in the land of eternity. Lumine stands up from where she slept, eyes wide with desperation, and begins to search for Aether. Lumine could still feel Aether's presence in this Teyvat. If Aether could hear her, he would answer.

Lumine had to believe in that, or else she might just give up all hope.

Where are you? Please answer.

Suddenly, from far away in the distance Lumine hears the sound of thunder and lightning. And Lumine feels a chill crawling up her spine.

Today, the Raiden Shogun would be holding a Vision Hunt Ceremony at the Statue of the Omnipresent god today. To mark the 100th vision seized under the decree. Lumine doesn't think twice to teleport straight to the waypoint near Inazuma's castle.

"You will be inlaid upon this statue."

And there the Raiden Shogun stood. And beneath the crowd of people, Lumine could see Thoma tied up and Aether standing in front of him with a pyro vision clutched in his hands. Lumine doesn't question why Aether went ahead of her before she woke up, nor does she wonder why Aether was in this position.

All Lumine knew was that another god was going to take someone away from her once again.

The elements burns through Lumine's skin, she dashes infront of Aether and knocks him back with Geo and Anemo. The gust of Anemo slices off Thoma's rope, freeing him. The last thing Lumine heard was Aether's cries of pure panic before the Plane of Euthymia engulfs the whole of her mind.

The Raiden Shogun doesn't seem to look very pleased as she meets Lumine's eyes. A single exception of eternity was already enough to shake her, another one suddenly interrupting her ideal was a very unpleasant thought. However, Lumine couldn't care less about what a god thought of her.

"Eternity."

Lumine speaks as she summons her blade, pointing it directly at the Raiden Shogun.

"Will no longer be in your hands."

Outside the Plane of Euthyiemia, bursts of lightning cover the Statue of the Omnipresent. Aether watches as the Statue glows brighter and brighter.

And suddenly it stops. The storm clouds evaporate, and the skies become clear. Aether could hear the crowd of people murmuring from above. More Inazuma citizens come out of their houses to see what the fuss was all about.

When Aether woke up this morning, Lumine was still fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb Lumine, Aether thought it would be a great idea to go to the waypoint in Inazuma City. Aether needed to borrow the Alchemy table to craft a few items. But upon arriving, he notices the citizens were all missing. Aether had asked Kathyerine where everyone was, and she had told him about the Vision Hunt Ceremony.

They said that curiosity killed the cat, but Aether's curiosity had another person taken away from a god once again.

The visions inlaid upon the Statue of the Omnipresent god suddenly shatter, and the crowd's murmur grows louder and louder as the glow becomes brighter and brighter. The storm clouds return to the sky, rain beginning to pour heavily down the land.

Until suddenly, lightning explodes.

The people screams in agony as they were electrocuted to death. Their flesh and bones turning to ashes, houses exploding from left to right. And Aether watches it all as his body turns to stardust and is sent back to the debris of stone. Upon closer inspection, Aether had realized the debris of stone was the Statue of the Seven where he had slept last night. The destruction seemed to not only have affected Inazuma City but the entirety of Inazuma.

The power that flows forth when they are slain is beyond the strength of mortal coils to bear.

A memory of what happened to Havria, the god of salt resurfaces from Aether's memory. That bright purple lightning he saw tear down all of Inazuma in sight, it was undoubtedly the electro powers of the Raiden Shogun. If that was the case then that would mean that Lumine had managed to kill her.

Aether lays himself on the grass and closes his eyes, letting the information slowly sink in. Paimon pops out from her pocket space to float down next to Aether, settling down next to him.

Aether sighs as he feels Lumine's presence leave his Teyvat. Aether wonders then, if he was deviating too much from his original goal. Aether needed to ask the gods of each nation about his sibling, Khaneri'ah, Celestia, and other information he needed. But then again, the gods and the people here never give him any information he needed except for maybe Dainsleif. Aether concluded that it didn't matter if the Raiden Shogun was dead or alive.

Aether realizes once again that, Wasn't this what he always wanted? The destruction of Teyvat, rip out the Celestia, and defy the very meaning of fate above?

Anxiety and nausea begin to stir in his veins. Aether wondered if Lumine was doing alright after her drastic feat, and would come back to explain why she felt the need to do that. After all, Lumine knew more than him. And Aether felt like Lumine had a good enough reason for her to kill the Raiden Shogun just like that.

However, Lumine had left his world. And Aether wouldn't hear from her unless she communicated from her world or visited him herself. Aether decided he would wait until Lumine was comfortable enough to return.

Chapter Text

The world had rejected her.

Fate kicked her out from his world for ignoring too many of its rules.

Now, because of her, he would suffer the consequences.

She curled up on the ground.

Only emptiness grew in her heart as her consciousness began to fade away

She would find a way to return later, but right now she just needed a very long rest.