It All Started With A Windblume

Stay With Me

Lumine trudged her feet against the snow, the harsh winds picking up with every step. Her vision was blurry and her eyes were watering. What was she here for? She can't recall. Paimon floated and if it wasn't for the sparkles around her, Lumine wouldn't have noticed her friend in front of her way. "Paimon?" "Let's go back, come on let's teleport somewhere else and leave Dragonspine it's getting worse" Lumine shook her head.

"I have to finish... The..." "Lumine, Paimon knows it's bad when you can't recall what you want to do so we can do this later when your better. Your going to catch a cold like this"

Lumine closed her eyes the tears that welled threatening to spill now. "Come on Lumine, Paimon wants you to be safe. You're Paimon's best friend!" Lumine's legs gave away and she fell onto the snow, the cold seeping into her body. "Lumine!" Paimon got closer to her friend and tried to grab onto her arm to hoist her up "You can't give up! You're Paimon's best friend in the world you can't leave me!" No response either physically or verbally, Lumine had broken down. "Lumine no! Come on don't give up on me please! Paimon needs you" Paimon began to sob her tears falling on Lumine's arms. "Don't leave Paimon all alone... Without you Paimon wouldn't have made it out... Please stay with me"

Only Paimon's muffled sobs could be heard, everything around them stayed silent. Lumine's eyes losing light as her breath slowed and feeling died down.

Venti flinched, he was playing on the Barbatos statue but he abruptly stopped as soon as the cold wind carried a message. It felt as if a small figure was cowering over a lying figure.

"Lumine!"

Venti made the wind guide him, showing his true form as Barbatos, his wings expanding as he flew to Dragonspine in a burst of speed. Barbatos was in front of Lumine in a blink of an eye and grabbed onto her. Paimon shot her head up and saw Venti's glowing light blue hair "Tone-deaf Bard? Is that you? Please help Lumine!" Venti held her gently up and put one hand on her cheek, the wind stopped. Snowflakes suspended in the air as the brisk cold winds stopped, Paimon looked around at the flakes which held as if a single touch could melt it and yet it wouldn't move.

Lumine's words barely got out as she repeated one name in her state of life and death.

"Aether"

 Venti looked at Paimon with a serious expression and extended one hand out to Paimon "Hold on" Paimon nodded and grabbed onto Venti's hand and in another blink they ended up at Jean's office.

The Acting Grand Master flinched, luckily only she was here as she opened her mouth in an 'o' seeing Venti's wings unfurl as he held Lumine in his arms. Jean quickly stood up and grabbed Lumine in her arms. Leaving Paimon and Venti alone as the Honorary Knight was taken to be cared.

"Tone-Deaf Bard is that what you looked like before as Barbatos?"

"Yes, I haven't been in this form in so long. I feel kinda odd looking like this as a matter of fact heh"

Paimon's eyes welled with tears and she hugged Venti tightly as she could "Huh? Whoa Paimon what are you doing?" "Thank you for saving Lumine, Venti" Venti closed his eyes and returned to his normal Bard attire, hugging Paimon. "This is the first time you ever hugged or been nice to me" "Well enjoy it if you want to, Paimon is only doing this once!" Venti smiled "That's fine with me"