3rd pov:
It was silent between the two guys for a few moments.
Scaramouche turned towards Aether again. "So... you've seen my affection towards her then? But trust me, you know nothing about our connection." He said, his voice a little more threatening than earlier.
"Me and Y/n have years of history that you would never understand. She knows my past, and somewhat my current self." Scaramouche started.
Aether looked at him, wondering what their could possibly past be.
Scaramouche kept speaking, "She... is the only one I want to be my first follower." He said.
Aether narrowed his eyes at him.
Did The Balladeer not know Y/n was some sort of demigod herself?
"All gods need followers. And so I chose Y/n. It's as simple as that." Scaramouche said, leaving out a few details.
However Aether seemed to catch on to what was going on. He just didn't know the extent of it yet.
"You actually care for her?" Aether asked him.
Scaramouche snapped. "Do not use words like that." He said immediately.
"Care? That word... is too small." He spoke simply.
He then teleported next to Y/n again and leaned down to her.
He used his hand and caressed her face gently. Aether couldn't believe his eyes, somewhat, he could almost see past The Balladeer's scary action and see... a person.
Scaramouche sighed. "If you're worried she's going to get hurt in my presence, do not worry, she'll be safe with me, safer than she would be with any of you others..." he said and stood up again.
Aether spoke then, deciding to tug on his strings.
"If you really care for her as much as you're saying you do, as well as saying she's safe with you, you should start protecting her from harm." Aether said.
Scaramouche's eyes narrowed as he glared at Aether.
"Who wants to hurt my Y/n?..." he asked, danger in his voice.
Aether answered him without hesitation. "It seems The Doctor tried to take her away."
Scaramouche then felt anger as he recalled how Dottore had locked Y/n up in a laboratory as well. He didn't know what Dottore wanted with Y/n, but he wouldn't allow it to happen.
"The Doctor wants to hurt my first follower?" Scaramouche asked.
Aether spoke back, "Doesn't that make you mad?"
Scaramouche laughed. "If you're planning to anger me into destroying The Doctor, you're bad at it. Trust me, I won't allow him to get his hands on her." Not again, Scaramouche thought.
Scaramouche then teleported away and on top a roof pillar, staring down at Aether.
"That look on your face... what are you planning?" Aether asked.
Scaramouche smirked. "Gods have never needed to be reasonable." He said and reached out his hand.
Lightning started to flicker and hit down on the ground, and with a flash, The Balladeer was gone.
The colors that disappeared around Aether soon returned and Paimon was freaking out, "It was the Balladeer wasn't it?!"
Aether spoke, "Somehow The Balladeer has gotten his hands on The Electro Gnosis..." he said as he looked at the thunder outside.
"Let's go!" Paimon said and flew outside.
-
Tighnari had gotten struck by lightning and the Fatui soldiers had ran off.
Tighnari asked about Y/n's condition and Aether told him that she was alright.
Then they brought him inside to let Tighnari heal.
He sighed, "Thank goodness she's fine." Tighnari said.
They all ushered him to sit down to heal and indeed he didn't hesitate too.
Aether explained the whole situation about what he and The Balladeer spoke about.
"God creation plan... ridiculous..." Tighnari groaned in pain.
"I also know that Y/n and The Balladeer has some sort of long complicated past." Aether spoke.
Dehya then spoke, "And based on what has happened, it seems like The Balladeer and The Doctor doesn't get along well. I think The Balladeer wants him gone as much as we do." She said.
Aether looked towards Y/n, remembering how much Scaramouche wanted to protect her from The Doctor. "I think that's very clear..." he said.
Dehya then sighed, "However, The Doctor is finally out of the picture now. We've completed the stage of the plan."
Aether and Dehya decided it was time to starts the next stage of the plan, it was time to free Nahida.
Before Aether left, he looked at Y/n and remembered how much she wanted Nahida to be saved. He walked towards her and said, "We'll save her, and then she might be able to wake you up, just wait for a little while longer."
Then they left to Sumeru city.
-
??? Pov:
"When did it first start?
Oh... right... it started from the moment I was born."
"I want to become a worthy archon, so I've kept studying... kept listening to my people and their hearts... kept looking for a way to save Irminsul..."
"So I can catch up...
Catch up to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata...
But, I'm stuck in the Sanctuary if Surasthana...
The sages are creating a god to replace me...
And I'm forced to lock my consciousness in this boundless darkness..."
The voice of Nahida was sad, she sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
"It's... so quiet here...
Now that I think of it, I do t think I've ever actually listened to my own inner voice..."
"Do archons have them?
Should archons have them?
Have I been... doing the right thing?
Am I... really not needed?
How do I... really feel about all of this?"
She abounded like she was crying, her voice was weak and almost broken.
...
"It's... so quiet here."
I think she's crying...
"I can do this... I won't ignore my own voice anymore..."
There you go Nahida...
-
The voice spoke loudly in my head, loud like the one I heard when I was shown Scaramouche's past.
My eyes snapped open and I gasped as I sat up.
I looked at my surroundings and realize I was on a bed, at the same place where I fell asleep.
I looked around confused, what was happening?
"You're awake... how do you feel?" An unknown voice asked.
I looked down and saw a guy sitting on the floor, leaning his back on the bed. He seemed wounded.
"Never mind me... how do you feel?" I asked, seeing how he was holding his body in pain.
He sighed. "Could be better, but you're the one who's been sleeping for so many days." He answered me.
You've got to be kidding me... days?
Why do I always end up like this?
I groaned in annoyance.
"Hey, what's your name?" I asked him.
"Tighnari, I've been treating you." He answered me.
I stood up from the bed.
"Thank you for everything you've possibly done for me while I've been weakened. I apologize if I caused any trouble." I said and kneeled down to him.
"No it's alright, nothing I can't handle." He said before groaning in pain.
I sighed. "Please, let me help you." I said and put his arm around my shoulder. He thanked me as I helped him into the bed where I earlier rested.
"I apologize for immediately leaving like this, but do you know Aether? Do you know what he's doing now? Or perhaps someone with the name Nahida?" I asked for information.
Tighnari nodded. "Aether and this woman named Dehya had this big plan. If you're looking for them, I bet you'll find them in the city now. Him and his friends are on some rescue mission." He told me.
I took his hand and shook it thankfully. "Thank you so much! Get better soon, I will visit you again!" I yelled as I ran out of the room. If he's been taking care of me for days... I've missed out on a bunch of things...
I made my way to the city faster than ever.
-
I ran to the first place I could think of where the real deal happened.
Running up the path, I ran past people and guards. As I ran, I heard people mentioning that someone had been dancing publicly, which was now against the rules... what the hell have I missed?!
As I reached further up the tree, there were no more guards, where had they all gone?
As I reached the entrance of the Sanctuary, there were no guards.
I rushed to the door and was about to enter, when the door opened from the other side.
I shrieked as Paimon herself flew out of the Sanctuary and straight into me, causing me to fall. I looked up at them surprised as I really didn't expect them to open the door before I did.
Aether and Nahida herself walked out as well and all eyes landed on me. Aether's eyes widened and he rushed towards me and helped me up.
I rubbed my forehead before Aether spoke. "I'm glad you're okay, we were worried when you slept for so long." He said.
I chuckled. "Don't worry anymore then, I've been fine." I told him.
I looked past him and to Nahida. She smiled brightly at me. "Y/n!" She said happily and ran towards me, and surprisingly, she gave me a hug.
I hugged her back and chuckled at her childlike enthusiasm. She was such a grown up child.
"Aether was about to take me to wake you up, but it seems you've woken up on your own, that's good!" Nahida said happily.
Paimon circled around me, "There is so much to tell you!" She said.
Before I could ask anything, Nahida started explaining already. "You were right, the energy they saved from the samsara was to store power for something. It seems they planned to create a god to replace me." She said.
My eyes widened. The sages were ready to replace their own god like that? What, because she's young?
I looked at her with empathy however she smiled at me. "It's alright... I'll prove myself. I know I can be a good archon, and I will." She said. It made me smile as well.
Aether then cleared his throat to gain my attention. "And there's more..." he started, my attention was fully on him now.
"They were planning on turning The Balladeer into the new god of Sumeru." He said.
My heart dropped. Kunikuzushi- no, Scaramouche? Why would he go along with that?!
The experiments he must've been through. It must've been so much pain. I felt pain in my heart for him. My Kuni- No- The Balladeer have been suffering like that for months?
"There is a lot more, Aether can explain it all. But you all need rest, come back tomorrow. I will work on the Akasha and then... we will stop The Balladeer." Nahida said.
I sighed. "I think I've had enough resting, I'll help Nahida instead with what she's planning. Aether however, you deserve rest now." I told him.
He nodded. "Don't need to tell me twice..." and then he turned, and walked down from the sanctuary.
"Then I'll tell you everything that's been happening, at least what I know. Aether can tell you the rest when we've saved Sumeru." Nahida said.
"Alright, let's work then."