everlasting lament | Aether

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That night, the crickets weren't chirping nor could the hilichurls be heard as the sounds of painful grunts were the only thing heard.

I could remember the way we fought against each other.

I tried to stop her.

I tried.

I did...

But my efforts, despite the process I've made, were nothing against her.

I couldn't stop her.

"-and how exactly with you fight without your ability to use the elements?" Her voice was stone cold and it felt like the person I knew my whole life, was no longer there.

Her eyes that always held the tender, loving gaze everytime she would like at me, was gone without a trace.

"With my fists!"

Throwing a punch at her, she simply moved to the right, avoiding it with such grace as I fell face flat on the floor.

Gritting my teeth, I stand up and process to throw multiple punches but she dodged them all.

"I won't let you leave!" I yell as I aim for her face, my fist barely making contact as she pushes me forward.

Backing away as I stand back up, sending a kick and she bends down, completely missing it.

Throughout the whole fight, she hadn't raised her fists, seeing as she simply dodges them.

Punching me in the stomach, I fly back into the floor as I cough, standing up and pushing forward, holding my stomach due to the slight hard punch.

"Give up." She says as she raises her leg to intervene one of my attacks, landing another soft blow to my side.

"Never!"

She sends a kick to my face underneath my chin as I crash back onto a rock. Coughing and breathing heavily for air, I look up to see her looking down at her.

The sky had turned darker than it was before somehow, the clouds were beginning to form together and it seemed like it was going to rain soon.

"Why.....why do you want to leave when we finally reunited?!" I shouted as I stood up and before I could run towards her, I felt a shock go all over my body. Throwing me back, my body makes an impact on the floor, leaving a deep dent in the ground.

I couldn't give up here, no, not yet. I have to.....make sure she doesn't leave.

"Why do you persist?" She says as I get back up, climbing up from the hole and she abruptly dodges the sharp, geo pillars coming from the ground before she gasps as more come, surrounding her from every angle, trapping her where she stood.

She tilts her head back a bit as a spear is at her throat, "you're always like this." She mutters enough for me to hear.

"Ever since you've woken up, you continue to push on and help others even when you have the right to decline..." My eyes widen at this as she grits her teeth, "saving Mondstadt, saving Liyue, saving Inazuma....why do you continue to help those who won't give nothing in return!?"

Her hands grip the pillar, and ignoring how it pushes itself into her hands she pushes it away. "Since when did you become a people pleaser? An errand boy?"

Her eyes look at me, they're filled with rage and pity, "why do you put yourself so low for people who won't care afterward?!" She finally breaks the geo pillars away before I throw myself forward, and we stumble back onto the floor.

Pinning her hands down, her hair hides her face as I look down at her as I am straddling her as I pant.

"You put others first before yourself even when you don't feel like doing so, you still give a smile and do the errand they give you...."

My hold on her loosens up, "yet, you shoulder it all and never complain. You save them all and yet, where's the help they promised you!?"

"[Y/n]?"

Her eyes give off a soft glow as she yells, I'm taken back at the hard expression on her face as I stumble back when I realize she was going to burst at any second.

Landing back, I summon my sword as I summon more geo pillars to hold her in but she breaks them with ease.

Her voice is strong but with a hint of sadden as she looks up at me, "this world....is nothing but ugly. More than 500 years I've spent in this world and I witness many wars, the bloodshed, betrayal!? I grew tired of it but what hurt even more was that you and sister tried to leave this world without me!?"

My eyes widen at this, shaking my head.

No...

No! That's not true!?

I.....

I-

She glares at her, all emotions gone as she summon her weapon and strikes at me. Her hand even heavier than before as I'm taken back.

"The world means nothing without you and yet, you betray me like that!"

With that, the battle felt more heavy than all the others I've fought, it felt like a powerful aura in the air. Bigger than the battle with the Raiden Shogan I've had a few weeks ago. It was clear I was fated to lose when we began fighting in the sky, all I remember seeing is her preparing to unleash her weapon.

Her looks at me, her eyes were unsure but she did so anyways, gritting her teeth as she sends a slash at me. Everything went dark there and I'm falling from the sky to the ground.

The next thing I knew, I awake in a medical tent with Paimon sleeping next to me.

Kazuha was the one who entered the room, before shaking his head as if answering what I was going to ask.

"I arrived to see the end of the battle and approached her as she placed you against a rock. We exchanged a few words before she gave me this." Opening his palm, a necklace with only a ring attached to it as he hands it to me.

Kazuha didn't dare say a word of the conversation he had with [Y/n] before she departed, he knew that giving the ring back to Aether meant one thing.

'This is...why are you giving it back?'

She stays quiet as if trying to come up with something. 'He's free, he no longer being is held down by me.

Her face held no regret as she looks down at him before flipping her hair and kneels down to the unconscious Aether. Placing a hand on her cheek, she mutters few words before standing up again.

"Take care of him, okay?" She says and I nod.

Giving one finally glance at the blonde, she turns her back to him. "Goodbye, Aether."

I cover my face as a bolt of lighting strikes down where she stood, only to see she was gone Andi look up to see her flying up in the sky until she disappears completely.

Kazuha shakes his head, "Traveler, she wishes you continue on your journey without her."

His face falls into guilt as he hears Aether's quiet sobs as he holds the necklace close to him.

(This is all a preview, anything is subject to change in the future)