Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There are very few in Teyvat who don't know the stories of the olden times when demons walked the lands.

These legends tell a tale of a war between the people of Teyvat, and another realm entirely.
 A battle fierce enough, to shatter the heavens themselves with quakes of power being exuded. Where demons held endurance and power in their numbers, the people of Teyvat held their hopes high, and had the personal assistance of Teyvat's own Archons again the otherworldly threat. Unfortunately, the power of Archons could only do so much against the demon populace, as their sheer numbers had Teyvat in a chokehold.

But Teyvat's people received the blessing they were hoping for...

An Aeon from the underworld awoke to justice, and rebelled against his own kind... alone.
His name was Lan.
Using his two swords, he defended the people of Teyvat and shut the portal to the dark realms, and sealed the evil entities away from Teyvat.
But since Lan himself was also a demon, his powered was also trapped on the other side.

Lan spent his remaining years quietly reigning over Teyvat. Preserving the harmony of the lands, until his own death.

He became a legend.
The legendary Demon Warrior Lan.
A legend that would passed down for over two millennia.
But this story is not about Lan or his legend.
This is a story about his legacy...

"Are you done with your warmup yet?"

"I don't want to hear anything from YOU about a warmup!"

The various oceans of Teyvat held a lot of strange islands. Not many islands were as unique as Mudoon Island. This island was almost always caught in a fierce storm, and most of it's dry land was covered by a large, seemingly abandoned fortress.

Well... 'Abandoned' couldn't be farther from the truth.

It was inhabited by a pair of half-demons. Twin brother and sister, both of whom were currently locked in a fierce clash of blades.

The brother was a young, admittedly short, young man with long, messy golden blonde hair tied up into a loose braid. His eyes were a deep, golden hue, and if one were to look closely, they would say his eyes glowed. The boy was dressed in a brown trench coat hoodie adorned with gold highlights, brown slacks to match, a white undershirt decorated with designs of purple lightning, and simple black boots.

The sister was slightly shorter than her sibling, with short, neck-length blonde hair, with two twintails extending to her shoulders. Her eyes shared the same golden, slightly glowing hue, although hers held a ferocity that rivaled beasts of Teyvat's deepest chasms. The girl wore a white trench coat with golden accents, similar to her brother's, although it was admittedly a tad too big for her (not that it hindered her performance in battle). Underneath the coat was a gray undershirt adorned with a blood-red insignia resembling a magatama, and loose fitting, black, leather pants extending into thick, brown boots.

The two were pulling out all the stops against each other in the courtyard of the fortress, as they danced around the fountain. The brother held a broadsword that as black as soot, yet still somehow glowed like one of the many stars across the sky, it's hilt decorated with a skull. He occasionally brought out two pistols, one coated in a dark metal, the other one a much brighter metal. The boy's sword clashed again his sister's katana, it's black handle in gold wrappings, decorated with black ornaments, it's equally golden guard hosting patterns of regal descent. 

The two of them slid around all over the courtyard, blades clashing constantly, gunshots being fired, skills being tested, lightning crashing down on seemingly every strike. These were two warriors chasing after a legacy.

"You're falling behind Aether. What happened to all that bravado?" The girl teased

"All work and no play makes Lumine a dull girl!" The boy shot straight back

Aether and Lumine.
These were Lan's children, his legacy.
And they were currently battling each other as if they were arch enemies.
It was as if they derived some sort of twisted pleasure from their constant fighting.
But as the twins wore each other down in their little "game," they failed to notice the third set of eyes in the courtyard, watching them from above. 

"Pitiful demons. Not a single one of you has any place in this world."

The twins continued their blades dance in the rain, unaware of the threat slowly creeping it's way down the various peaks and railings of the fortress.

The battle between the siblings hit it's ultimate climax, with Lumine jamming her katana straight through Aether's chest, and then lifting him up and raising him towards the sky, using him as a makeshift lightning rod. The final lightning strike crashes down on both of them, and Lumine shakily removes her sword from Aether's body...

...Only for Aether to get right back up with a somewhat annoyed expression.

"That's a new one... where the hell did you learn that!?" Aether shouted, not very enthusiastic about being left out of new tricks.
"While you were lazing about, eating junk food and waiting for business calls; I was actually keeping my skills sharp. Is this truly how you plan to keep your power steady?" Lumine responded, equally unenthusiastic about her brothers lax nature to training and even the business that HE was trying set up!

Aether could only laugh in response, "Look! I like my playtime, sue me!"

Lumine scoffed in return, "Your 'playtime' somehow always ends with one of us getting impaled and I refuse to let it become a routine!"

"Aw come on... It's not like it hurts that much."

"And what happens when it's an actual demon piercing your chest, or some other evil entity?"

"Look, I'm just trying to stay positive. I'm an optimist!"

"You're an idiot!"

"You're both doomed to fall..."

An immediate explosion erupted beneath Lumine's feet, the girl barely having enough time to leap away. Aether wasn't faring much better, having to dodge and deflect sudden and constant projectiles of various elements and even more varying sizes. It was only when the two twins were back-to-back that finally had enough breathing time to look at their intruder.

Aether's thoughts instantly became known to the world "Damn, you're dressed like a moron... what abstract fashion department did they pull you out of?"

"Where I come from is not important... what truly matters is what I'm about to do to you. Demons like you think you can just prance about, but I'll show you who this world truly-"

"So you don't deny being born inside of a failing clothes shop?"

"SILENCE!!"

The intruder shouted out in rage, arrows of seemingly every element in Teyvat blinking into existence and charging forward. It was only when dark cubes began rising out of the trespasser's body that the twins realized that this intruder wasn't their average, everyday intruder.

This was an ADVANCED intruder.

 Aether and Lumine quickly leapt around, dodging and batting away any projectiles that came their way, cube-shaped or otherwise. The... demon?... god?... Whatever it was, it clearly came prepared for their agility, always maintaining a keen distance away from both of the twins, very focused on playing the long game, hoping for one of the cubes to make impact with the twins. Unfortunately for said twins, this was working; both of them were already tired out from their playfighting, and the constant leaping around without break wasn't doing them any favors.

And then it finally happened, Lumine slipped up while dodging one of the elemental arrows and fell directly onto a cube, which quickly expanded to engulf her. "LUMINE!?" Aether cried out in shock, before realizing the Unknown God(?) was now directly in front of him. Aether quickly went in for a stab, only to stare in shock as the being actually caught his sword.

"Answer me this, son of Lan," The Deity spoke before she very quickly ripped the sword out of his hands and forced it through his chest, pinning him against a wall as the cubes crept closer. 

"Do you actually hold any fear?"

"Depends on what you're planning with me and my sister."

"Oh, only the highest 'luxury' for the children of Lan. I have two domains with both of your names on on them, and they're just crying out in vain for something to contain. I think the one with an oceanside view would suit you quite well, who knows how long you'll stay in there?"

"Probably long enough for you to get some actual decent clothes."

"Hmph. No amount of cockiness will save you from being held in stasis."

"Stasis? Do you not trust us enough to housekeep your domains?"

"We both know that the second I leave you two alone to wander around, you're going to scurry around, looking for holes to crawl through like rats."

"You know us well. How long were you watching us? I almost feel flattered."

"Enough talk, any last words before limbo takes you?"

"Suck my di-"

Lightning crashed one more time before the cubes instantly engulfed Aether in the middle of his sentence. Pain engulfed him, coursing throughout his entire body, before sudden nothingness overtook him.
The world around Aether went black, and all he could do was sleep...

Chapter Text

"Do you think it's actually here?"

"We followed that fortune teller hag's directions, and I didn't see any other domains around that beach."

"But do you think those rumors are actually true though?"

"I certainly hope so. Imagine what the Fatui could do with a demon like that!"

Twelve masked men walked down what was definitely the weirdest walkway they've ever been in... actually they hesitated to even call it a walkway. The ground itself was seemingly alive, constantly moving and rebuilding itself as a path deeper into the bizarre, almost otherworldly cave. Everything that wasn't the floor didn't make it any less odd. The self-building path led them past numerous stone structures and towers, all of which held ancient murals that glowed blue with an ancient magic. It felt as if the domain itself was alive, and inviting the masked men deeper to uncover the secrets it held.

...But the men were only after one secret in particular.

"A demon being sealed away in a weird place like this... it's like one of those stories my old man told me to try and scare me off to bed."

"I definitely wasn't expecting it to be hiding away on a beach of all places."

"Well hey, if this demon is as destructive as those rumors say, then we could probably get an alliance out of all this for the Tsarista."

"And a raise."

"AND A RAISE!"

The men themselves cheered wildly at the thought of what they could earn. Their cheers ringing out in large labyrinth. Their wild imaginations at large at what they could do with the possible riches they could earn by making a pact with this demon.

Of course, they actually had to make it to the end alive. The domain was positively treacherous with sudden wind gusts, fire geysers, ghostly voices trying to lure them into the wrong direction, giant swinging blades that came out of seemingly nowhere, and the giant, foggy, blue void that was awaiting them if they ever fell off the constantly-constructing pathway.

They nearly lost several men to many of these dangers, but they held strong, not one man would be lost to this place. Eventually, one of the men had an announcement they were all waiting for.

"Watch your step, boys. We seem to have made it!"

The stone pathway hit the doorstep of a large temple, aged stone walls still glowing with murals of a single man against many monsters. Stepping inside showed that the entire room was empty, with the exception of the large, multi-layered vault on the floor.

This is what they came here for.

Money, power, a demon, and maybe some more money.

Ten of the men instantly got to work at cracking open the vault, the remaining two keeping watch for any threats. The layers were heavy, but they could be slowly turned with enough effort. The men were quickly scampering around, looking for any possible code or solution to this supposed seal. After all the annoyances and danger they went through, they wanted this demon, and they wanted it NOW!

"I think I've got it."

"Well, come on then. What is it?"

"It's quite literally a straight line across the seal."

. . .

"Let's... Let's just get cracking."

It felt like every layer was putting up more resistance the more they went. Every loud creak and groan that these damn pieces of metal would make when moved was starting to get on everyone's nerves. But they kept going, because they didn't come this far for nothing. 

At last, the layers all snapped into place a resound click... and then silence. The air itself stood still. It was almost deafening.
Until a sudden burst of golden light erupted from the center of the seal. The men having to shield their eyes from the blinding light that filled every inch of the ruins they were in, as if the heavens themselves tore into the very reality they called home. Slowly, but surely, the light was becoming more concentrated into a pillar of light. Electricity crackled throughout the floor, and faint shuffling could be heard, as if something was rising through the depths.

When the light eventually faded, the masked men looked eagerly at what awaited them. Ready to see the demon they've heard so much about. 
Only to see that in the center of the seal was a young blonde man with a sword pierced through his chest.

Was that it? Did they seriously do all of this for a corpse?
...Or at least what they thought was a corpse, until they heard the impaled boy snoring.

"So this our demon huh? Eh, well beggars can't be choosers. Somebody wake him up!" One of the men commanded.

"No need to shout, I heard you... what a way to wake up though, I was just getting comfy," the blonde mumbled.

Saying Aether was tired was understatement.
Aether felt like the world was just remade five minutes ago.
He was having such a wonderful sleep, and then these masked weirdos showed up and started barking at him.
Where the hell even was he anyway?
How did he even get here?
. . .
Oh, that's right. The fashion disaster bitch with the evil cubes...
How long was he trapped in stasis?

"Are you even listening!?" One of the masked imbeciles practically roared at him. It was getting hard to think with all the screaming.

Aether made his best attempt at explaining his thoughts, "Look, I get you wanna talk. But you need to understand that I have been asleep for a looooonng time, and I am understandably lost and hungry. Now give me a second to-"

"HAH! Like a demonic dog like you would need sustenance!"

Aether decided right then and there that he was going to break at least one of their arms.

"I'm serious! I want to see how the world progressed in making some decent grub!"

"Are you daft or something? You're gonna help us get what we want, and in return, we'll help you wreck the world!"

Aether was very much going to break all of their arms.

But he was going to have his fun first, "Who kissed and pronounced us partners? I don't remember making any deals like that." Aether could only grin as he watched the masked asshole's expression go from smug, evil smile, to extremely annoyed grimace.

"But this world sealed you away in here! I know your heart holds a desire for vengeance, and we can help you achieve it!"

The smug bastard really didn't know a damn thing, did he?

Aether was about to make a remark about his shoes before the his expression turned more sly "Besides, it wouldn't end well for you if you refused..."

the sounds of several blades being drawn and a pair of rifles being cocked filled the room.

The masked ignoramus' threat continued "You're clearly in no condition for battle. So make this easier for all of us and-"

"You really don't know anything about demons do you?" Aether interrupted.

In the middle of his threats, the masked failure and all his little cohorts failed to notice Aether yanking his sword out of his chest. "But since you're so confident that you can kill me, I say take your best shot. I need some morning stretches," Aether casually remarked while leaning on his sword. 

"Cocky little- Fine! KILL HIM!!" The men all charged forward, weapons in hand.

Aether laughed, and drew his pistols "Looks like this party is already getting crazy!!"

"That was easily the worst party I've ever been to."

Aether didn't exactly mean to turn every other person in that room into chicken nuggets, but he seriously overestimated the quality of their protective gear. He distinctly remembers laughing wildly as he kicked one of the men onto the floor, and riding him around like a sled, dismembering any idiot that dared be near the path of his wild ride. 
Aether much more clearly remembers twirling around like a lunatic, spraying bullets everywhere, and painting the walls red with blood while he enthusiastically hummed a song he heard from one of the plays that Lumine often dragged him off to.

...Lumine

Aether paused for a bit at the entrance to the domain. How was Lumine? Did she also get released by idiots hoping for power? Or was she still locked away somewhere? 

If she was still trapped in stasis, Aether was gonna get her out.
He swore on it.

But first, he had to answer the question: where the hell is he?
His eyes were currently telling him that he was on a beach.
Next question: where to go and what to do?

"HELP!"

Aether swore he just heard a duck amongst the oceans waves.

Looking forward, there did seem to be a small drowning... thing, in the ocean.

"You hold on out there!"

Aether wasn't the best swimmer, but he certainly could wrestle something out the ocean, whether it was a fish, a shark, or the small fairy-looking thing that was currently in his arms. Either way, he was in and out quicker than the pixie could even notice. Said pixie was currently trying to get out a thanks along with all the water she was coughing up.

"You alright there?" Aether inquired.

"Ugh... Paimon was almost waterlogged in there!" Said the tiny thing.

Another question was added to Aether's repertoire "What's a Paimon?"

The fairy thing then floated upwards and gestured to herself "Paimon is Paimon!"

"And what do Paimons do exactly?"

"Paimon can do many things!"

Ooh... fun!

"What about you?" Paimon return-fired with a question of her own.

"Well Paimon..." Aether started.

"Have you ever heard the legend of the Demon Warrior Lan?"

Chapter Text

"So you're going to go look for your sister?" Paimon asked inquisitively.

"Yep. Normally I'd screw off and leave her to her own devices... but if I was put into a stasis sleepy-time prison, chances are that she was thrown in one as well," Aether responded with a concerned expression.

"I got a lot of things I wanna do. Start a business, try out the various foods of the world, eat a geolizard. And as much as Lumine bores me to death sometimes... It wouldn't feel right doing all of that while she's trapped somewhere... unable to even think," Aether continued solemnly.

Paimon hopped up with a question, "Do you know where she might be?"

"Not a clue, and I don't know how long I've been away from Teyvat."

"Well let Paimon be your guide! Paimon may not know what Teyvat was like in your times, but Paimon definitely knows the best travel routes, not to mention some other secret nooks and crannies! Consider it a thank you for helping Paimon!"

At this, Aether instantly got up from his spot in the sand. Expression noticeably less solemn.

"Well what the hell are we waiting for then? I wanna see how food progressed!" Aether let out with a cheer.

"Oooohh, Paimon definitely has some recommendations for that..." the fairy responded, drooling slightly.

Lumine, wherever you are, hang in there. Your little brother is coming Aether thought as he marched off the beach. With Paimon by his side, nothing would be able to stop him.

They only made it a couple of feet before Aether had to stop.

"I just remembered that before we start this hike/adventure/safari/whatever the hell you want to call it. We -like any self-respecting travelers - should take careful stock of our inventory. Who knows what kind of unsavory beasts await us out there" The blonde instructed, while quickly patting himself down to make sure everything he had was still in place.

"Erm... Paimon really only has Paimon on her..." The marshmallow said awkwardly.

Aether let out a laugh "Careful, I hear that's contagious!"

Alright... weapons...

Rancour
- One of Lan's own swords, passed down to Aether as a birthday gift.
- The blade's colors are a bit faded, but it can still slice and dice as well as it always could!
- Sharpening not required

Nihility and Harmony
- A set of automatic pistols handcrafted by Lumine as a gift.
- Nihility is the one with dark metal, Harmony is the light metal (not to mention, Lumine labeled them both for Aether)
- Reloading is a myth, keep firing until your opponent stops moving. The guns never run out of bullets

Weapons are all in check!

As Aether's other personal items... only his wallet, his mother's ring, and the clothes on his back seemed to have made it with him through stasis.

"Welp, I got everything I need. Shall we?"

"Paimon was always ready!"

"What the hell is that thing!?" Aether shouted while drawing his sword. Whatever he was looking at was one of the tackiest, most hideous things he's ever encountered!

Paimon, however, looked unimpressed, "That's a statue of one of the seven Archons."

"Oh... Right, I knew that!"

Paimon gave a skeptical look before getting closer to said statue.

"Looks like this one is for Barbatos, the anemo Archon! Which means we're somewhere near Mondstadt!" Paimon let out, smacking her hands together like she just solved a murder case.

"Oh goody! Maybe they'll have a calendar somewhere," Aether joked, more to himself than anyone.

Paimon looked like she was about to continue talking, until Aether leaned against the statue, causing it to erupt with light. Aether stepped back instinctively, prepared for any possible danger.

Although neither of them were quite ready for a sword to pop out and lodge itself into the ground.

The sword's blade was wide and curved, resembling a stereotypical scimitar or a pirate's cutlass. However, rather than being a plain blade, it was comprised of a curved support with a series of backward-pointed segments, each with their own rear-sloping cutting edge. It's vicious design reminded Aether of a human spinal cord.

Where the blade itself had a turquoise coloring, the guard and handle were gold. Just at the end of the pommel however, was a design that resembled a head.

And as much fun Aether was having while looking at the sword's serrated design, he wasn't exactly sure on what to do when the head-pommel suddenly started blinking.

"LAN!? IS THAT YOU OLD PARTNER?"

Dear lord, now it's talking.

Aether, momentarily startled, still felt a need to correct the sword, "You're close, but not quite. My name is Aether, the floating marshmallow is Paimon and- Paimon please stop screaming."

Paimon, clearly not used to the idea of a talking sword, continued to scream at the top of her lungs.

B A N G

Or at least she was until Aether fired one of his pistols into the sky.

Aether turned to the sword, "Any questions?"

"Odd, I could have sworn I smelled Lan's blood... are you related to him by any chance?"

"I am his next of kin, his offspring, his legacy!" Aether responded with several poses as if he were mocking a stage drama.

"Lan's child huh? I figured this day would come. I am Rudra, and it is now my destiny and responsibility to guide you through this world. Now I know that growing up can be confusing at times, but I can guide you through these strange feelings you-"

"STOP! STOP! I'm nineteen! I've already had this talk twice now!"

"Oh... well, there goes two millennia of planning. Well if that's not the current issue, what can I help you with?"

Aether let out a silent thank you to Celestia, "I was just sealed away in a time prison, and I am understandably out of the loop of things. Also I need to find my sister ASAP. Can you help with either of those in any way?"

"Well, I am a sword. One of Lan's swords no less."

As soon as Rudra made that statement, wind erupted around him. The sword twirled through the air, a small tornado forming around him, flying all over before sending himself into Aether's hands.

"You are the child of my master, and I shall be your inheritance." The blade said with a smile

Aether returned the smile, "Good to know, now-"

"And unlike my brother, I hold extensive knowledge of human customs and various cultures if you have any questions about those." 

"I'll keep that in mind, now let's just-"

"I also know how to make a killer omelette-"

"SILENCE!!!"

The sword instantly shut it's metallic yap. Aether quickly flicked the pommel.

"I appreciate the help, but try to keep a lid on your commentary, okay?"

"Understood, I will speak only when you summon me"

"Good."

Acquired: Rudra
- A serrated sword imbued with the powers of anemo
- Could either be dual wielded with another sword, or tossed like a boomerang. The possibilities!
- Quite talkative

Aether put the sword on his back with Rancour, and then turned to Paimon, "Shall we continue?"

Paimon, still shaken up by a talking sword, finally seemed to have come back to her senses. Quickly nodding her head, she and Aether continued their way forward.

A single day has passed since the encounter with Rudra and Aether just wouldn't let up with his questions. Paimon could only answer the best she could.

Question 1:
"So the city is also called Mondstadt?"

"Yep, Mondstadt is the region we're in, the City of Mondstadt is the city of freedom. People will usually specify the city when they need to."

"Good to know"

Question 2:
"So are the 'great outdoors' always this barren?"

"No, usually Paimon sees little animals alongside the trail."

"I wonder what's scaring them off... probably us."

Question 3:
"Is that a dragon?"

"Paimon isn't-... Wait what?"

A beastly roar echoed throughout the forest, as a winged beast flew above the sky into the very forest they were walking through. And then silence.

. . .

After 5 seconds of nothing, Paimon continued forward, "L-Let's just keep moving"

Aether, however, had other plans as he ran towards where he saw the dragon land.

"You kidding me!? This is way too interesting!"

Paimon could only let out a groan before she chased after the blonde.

"It's alright. I'm here."

A young man in green was standing in front of the dragon. Slowly stepping forward with his arm outstretched. Most people would be screaming and running for the hills at the sight of the beast, but if you were to ask the young man, he would respond that he's simply "built different."

The dragon seemed pleased by his bravery, growling lowly as if it were purring. The boy slowly reaching out to stroke the dragon's cyan scales.

"I missed you too, don't worry."

The dragon purred softly, seeming relieved.

...Then it let out a sniff
Another sniff
The dragon's face suddenly seemed extremely perturbed before looking off to the left.

"Huh? W-Who are you!?" The small greenling questioned.

Aether leaned against a tree, a grin on his face. Paimon was just hoping he had a plan for when things when south.

"Terribly sorry, didn't mean to ruin your romantic moment, pretend we're not here."

Oh...

"So this is how Paimon dies..." Paimon muttered mournfully.

The dragon let out a deafening roar. Wind forming a storm against the intruders. Paimon grabbed onto Aether's coat to prevent herself from being blown away. Aether, on the other hand, just stood there, completely unaffected by the storm.

He was far more intrigued by the little green man just suddenly disappearing in a gust of wind.

"Well THAT was fun!" 

"You and Paimon have very different definitions of fun"

Aether was skipping down the forest path, nothing but joy in every step. Paimon was doing her best to process how he was perfectly fine after all of that, but she quickly gave up after about ten seconds of thinking. She was with the half-devil for a whole day and learned quite a lot in that day.

Like how danger does nothing but excite him.

Aether himself had his mind overflowing with every thought imaginable about what he just saw. Was it strong? Was it intelligent? Was it edible? All questions that he was extremely curious to find out.

Paimon herself wasn't exactly familiar with the dragon, but they were nearing the end of the forest. Soon they would have a clear view of this City of Freedom. Maybe someone there would know more about the dragon.

Aether continued quickly along the forest path. Hungry for answers. Answers that would solve every single boredom problem he has at the moment.

Plus, talking to some new faces that wasn't a pixie would be refreshing.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

Oh look, a person to talk to!
Joy!