Chapter Text
When Durin was still a foetus asleep in an artificial vessel, he often heard the voice of his ‘mother’. She told him stories about the land of his birth and the cruel fates of many creatures there, who were forever bound to a life of darkness and unfulfilled dreams. Her wish was for him to be able to one day soar towards the sun and display his beauty in a place far from his homeland.
However, despite his 'mother'’s hope, Durin was growing weaker. He could tell her voice was getting sadder every time she reassured him that he would be alright. Sometime later, the unborn child started experiencing unimaginable pain. He tried to hang on, because 'mother' said that the pain was meant to help him obtain great power. However, the darkness that seeped into his vein felt like poison.
The poison was about to drown him completely when all of a sudden, the pain vanished. It was like a sun finally appeared and destroyed the endless darkness in his world with its light and warmth. Durin was thrilled to be healthy again. He could not wait to wake up and thank ‘mother’ for everything she has done for him.
However, when the child named Durin finally opens his eyes, the two people who stand in front of him are not his mother.
“Hello, Durin. Congratulations on waking up.”
The strangers greet him with a smile. While he does not recognise them, he somehow trusts them. They both have beautiful blond hair and golden eyes that are warm like the sun—like the sun that saved him.
“Who are you?” Durin asks curiously as he wiggles out of the mess of shattered eggshells around him.
“My name is Aether, and this is my twin, Lumine,” says Aether.
“We helped to purify the poison in your blood. I hope you feel fine now,” Lumine explains, confirming to Durin that they are, in fact, his saviours.
“From today, we will be your protectors.”
━━✶━━
When the twin travellers realise they have returned to the beginning of their journey, they know that they are going to be the busiest people in the next five hundred years. There are many things that should be changed, and even more people that need saving. At least they’ve gained the solace of having each other’s back once again.
Durin is the very first life that they set out to rescue, not only because his corruption would result in a great loss, but also because they are sympathetic towards the guiltless child that had to die before he could see the world and had his name condemned for the rest of history.
They bring him into a Serenitea pot they stole from Madam Ping. In another timeline, she would have given it to them later anyway so they suppose it is okay to take it from her a few hundred years earlier.
As a child, Durin is curious and starts asking a lot of questions.
“Where is ‘Mother’?”
“Ah, you remember her… Well, Gold is resting somewhere so you can stay here with us.”
More like she is forced to rest after they knocked her down with 50% alcohol before stealing her most treasured creation.
“Can I meet her soon?”
“...Well, who knows. You may get to see her one day.”
“Thank you! Durin will be very happy to see Mother!”
Durin does not seem to understand that ‘one day’ is the code word for ‘never’. If the travellers had known this, they would have said that Gold is dead; it wouldn’t be far from the truth at this point.
“The sky is so blue here, it’s not dark at all like what Mother said...”
“Yes the sky is blue,” Lumine says, and then for some reason, starts slipping out unnecessary information to the child. “It is fake though, like any other sky in Teyvat.”
Aether jabs her with his elbow when Durin’s eyes turn glassy.
“I-It’s fake?”
“...Don’t worry too much about it. The colour of the sky is overrated,” Aether tells the baby. “Whether it is blue or pitch dark, who cares, they can both be beautiful, can’t they?”
Thankfully, the child calms down. He bobs his gigantic head, knocking over half of the food Aether and Lumine are trying to prepare for him. “Durin wants to see all the skies out there.”
This time, the travellers smile and promise him, “One day, you will be free to see them all.”
━━✶━━
Despite the twins’ effort, there are things that simply cannot be changed. The Cataclysm still has to happen. However, without Durin, the loss of lives is at least reduced in some parts of the continent.
Aether and Lumine entrust the care of Durin to Tubby and enter the Spiral Abyss, where they spend two months decimating the entire Abyss army and assume the position of leader. It is a long time, but still a lot shorter than the original century it took them in the previous timeline. However, since time moves differently between the Abyss and reality, once they finish cleaning up their new base and regain control of the space and time mechanisms left by the Shades, a whole year has passed.
There are still a lot of people waiting to be saved. The twin siblings check their notes and get moving again.
━━✶━━
“Come with us. We will take care of you.”
The puppet boy does not understand who these two outlanders are, how they suddenly appear out of thin air, or how they even know him, but they ask him to come along, so he agrees. His god has abandoned him anyway, and he is certain that there is no one else who would want a weak existence like him around.
As if hearing his sad thoughts, the female traveller— Lumine, as she has introduced herself earlier— reaches out and brushes off a few stray snowflakes that have accumulated on his head. She asks him gently, “Do you want to say goodbye?”
To whom? The bitter question is at the tip of the puppet’s tongue, but what comes out of his mouth is a statement. “She doesn’t want to see me.”
The male outlander— Aether— gives him a reassuring smile. “It will be alright. She does not hate you. And she never forbade you to meet her again, right?”
Then, the puppet is picked up into the stranger’s arms and they walk into a teleport portal. The embrace is comforting, and the boy finds himself latching onto that warmth. It’s probably the kindest anyone has treated him, other than his creator who used to wipe his tears whenever he cried.
When the boy opens his eyes again, they are standing at the balcony outside Tenshukaku. If he has a heart, it would be thumping so loudly right now, as he once again meets the unwavering gaze of his creator.
“We will bring him to a place far away,” Lumine tells the god. “But before that, would you like to give him a name?”
The puppet looks at the travellers in surprise, wondering how they have learned about his secret wish. However, the thing that shocks him most is that the archon does not show any sign of annoyance when such a demand is thrown at her.
She simply looks at the puppet and asks him, “Do you really want me to give you a name?”
A name is like an identity. If the boy is to choose one for himself, it would reflect exactly how he has perceived his existence till this moment: weak, useless and alone. He does not believe that his creator would think any different, but he nods at her question anyway. He wants to know the name she would give him, whatever it may be.
A long silence follows as the archon mulls it over. When she speaks again, her tone is unexpectedly soft.
“Kei.”
The puppet boy looks up, enchanted by the pretty sound, and in that moment, what his eyes see from his creator is not a stern gaze, but a warm, encouraging one instead.
“Your name shall be Kei,” the Electro Archon repeats. “It means ‘blessing’.”
Those are her farewell words to him, and for the last time, the puppet cries because of his creator.
━━✶━━
After that whole fiasco, the travellers make a request.
“Kei, at home can we also call you Scara sometimes?”
“Scara?” The puppet boy tilts his head, wondering where that name comes from. “Why?”
“Because we are used to it. You can consider it a cute nickname?”
“Hmm, okay.”
The boy easily agrees to his siblings’ request as he is currently more excited about seeing his new home. The place Aether and Lumine bring him to look a lot like a large abandoned ruin. The atmosphere is eerie, but since Scara is being held by his new elder brother, he does not feel scared at all.
Scara does not expect that the next thing he sees to be a giant black gold dragon as big as a mountain speeding towards them like a big puppy. When the dragon is at just the right distance to squash them to death, he goes poof and turns into a little boy with black hair and ruby eyes. He greets Aether and Lumine and beams brightly when the sister picks him up and gives him a hug.
Aether explains to Scara. “This is Durin. He will be your other elder brother from today.”
Needless to say, Durin is not the last bonus sibling Scara winds up having.
━━✶━━
Next on the list, the twin travellers sneak into the Sanctuary of Surasthana. It turns out to be stupidly easy. The sages of Sumeru don't bother to install any guards inside their dendro archon living space. There are only a few personnel standing outside at the entrance doors and they are all negligent in their duties, some dozing off, some chit-chatting away.
“But will the sages be angry if I leave with you?” Nahida asks the two strange travellers who came out from a mysterious portal and tries to persuade her to come along with them.
Aether answers truthfully. “Probably not, they would not care too much.”
“The sages will come after you guys.” Nahida says it as a statement this time, frowning worriedly. “Will you be okay?”
We can beat them with both eyes closed — Lumine wants to say. Instead, she simply smiles to reassure the baby archon. “Don’t worry. We will be fine.”
Aether nods in agreement. “There is no law that forbids us from adopting a god.”
The travellers swiftly unlock the device that has been trapping the young god and Nahida drops gently onto Lumine's waiting arms.
“Hmph.” Nahida hums, looking extra happy to be hugged. “There is probably a law that says it’s illegal to kidnap children though.”
Damn. She is a smart one.
Aether and Lumine exchange a look.
“How old are you now, Nahida?” Lumine asks the little girl.
“I’m six,” Nahida says proudly. And then when the travellers continue to stare at her, she has no choice but to add dejectedly, “—months-old.”
To be precise, it has been six months since the sages found her and woke her from her deep slumber. Before that, the little godling was hibernating to accumulate energy.
Aether beams. “Alright then, we just need to hide for twenty years until you are legal.”
Nahida seems to know that’s not how it is supposed to work but she agrees to go with them anyway.
New sibling acquired, the travellers still make sure to hide the gnosis in the most hideous random location just to screw with the sages.
━━✶━━
Aether and Lumine are usually busy with many things, such as helping to clear up the corruption in Sumeru while the country is short of an archon, so most of the time, they left their younger siblings to play around at the base. One day, they come back to see Scara and Nahida fighting one another, each of them controlling a whole ass golem.
Of course the kids stop and extract themselves from their giant toys as soon as they notice that the eldests have returned.
“Explain,” Lumine orders, rubbing her temples while the two guilty kids fidget in front of her.
“What’s there to explain?” Aether sighs. “That type of playing has to be banned. Both of you could have been seriously wounded. What were you thinking?”
Nahida cries. “Uwahhh but we just want to practise the controls!”
“...And why in Teyvat are you learning to control a golem?” Lumin asks.
“W-we want to help you.” Scara reveals. “Since you are always so busy, we want to help so that you can spend more time with us.”
“...”
When they explain it like that, the travellers find it impossible to be too angry.
However, Aether has to clarify again. “In the first place, why do you think controlling a massive destructive golem would be useful to us?”
“Does it not help—”, Nahida asks innocently, glancing briefly at Kei and Durin for support, “—your goal of world domination?”
“...WHAT?!!!”
Aether and Lumine are flabbergasted. While they never tell the younger ones about all the things they have been doing outside, it seems like a massive misunderstanding has been brewing. The twins reckon some Abyss members may have been feeding them weird information as well. It certainly would not be the first time. Aether and Lumine feel like untangling this mess will only worsen it, so they wisely decide to ignore what they have just heard.
“Alright… We will stay home for next week, but all three of you will be grounded from playtime and have to do chores.”
Durin immediately protests. “Why am I included in this punishment as well!?”
“Don’t think we didn’t spot your enormous form egging them on from the side.” Aether deadpans, crossing his arms as he gives the naughty child a disappointed look.