"There was once a time where we didn't have to worry about the Abyss."
Aether and Paimon looked up at the Ex-Archon in confusion. "I... Thought that was obvious?" Aether asked, reaching to take a sip of his tea. Zhongli offered a small smile. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm referring to the fact that there was something much worse we had to endure."
Paimon tilted her head. "Something worse than the Abyss? Paimon doesn't think she wants to hear this..." Aether gave the floating girl a comforting smile. "I'm sure it's interesting. Please, tell us." Zhongli nodded.
"Once, centuries ago, there was a time where monsters traveled the world. They were not your typical Hilichurl or Abyss Mage, but rather creatures of pure despair. Many people did not know of their existence, however. These creatures could not be seen with the normal mortal eye."
Zhongli stared into his teacup as Aether and Paimon leaned in.
"The only way a mortal could witness these creatures is if they were trapped in their labyrinths. A place that was said to be like a maze of nightmares. I myself hadn't seen them, or the creatures for that matter."
Paimon perked up. "Wait a minute... If you've never seen them before... How is Paimon supposed to trust this story?"
Aether let out a hum. "Well... Zhongli doesn't seem like the kind of person to make up a story like this." The blonde haired boy reasoned. "Besides, I found a book a while back that briefly mentioned some kind of catastrophic event from centuries ago. I think it was in Lisa's library."
Paimon let out a small 'ah' sound before settling in Aether's lap, focusing on Zhongli. "Correct. I would not find any enjoyment out of lying to you. Now, as I was saying."
"The only people who could see the creatures were a group of girls known as Mahou Shoujo's, or Magical Girls, and our Creator. The Creator didn't say much about any matters, only to let the chosen ones work in peace. This was all before the Archon War, so they were praised quite a bit, almost to the extent that the Creator is."
"However, despite how hard they fought, nothing could have saved them from the end time. To the mortals, it appeared as a large storm. Had I not known any better, I'd have thought it was Osial or even the Shogun's doing. But no, it was far worse."
Paimon let out a nervous gasp.
"The Shoujo's had ordered an immediate evacuation from all waterside areas. One of them, a girl with blonde hair, gave a quick explanation to me about the situation."
...
"Seems like a powerful witch." The girl said, lifting up a silver gun. "It looks like a storm." A much younger Zhongli noted. "Yes. If you look closely at the ocean and rain, you can see her reflection." Zhongli narrowed his eyes towards the ocean. "It's..." The girl nodded before getting a somber look. "Listen Morax, If anything happens, you and Guizhong need to protect the people." The Dragonic man looked down at her. "... I'm sure you will be fine." The girl hummed. "Maybe. At least I'll have my trusted friends fighting with me. Don't disappoint me, I want you to respect my wishes. Perhaps we will enjoy some tea again if all ends well." Morax simply nodded, watching as the girl took off.
...
"Unfortunately, the Witch turned out to be far to much for them. The one of gold had been beheaded, the one of scarlet was crushed. The one of music had been devoured as she tried to save the others. The one of Innocence had disappeared within the Witch's labyrinth. There were two remaining by the end of it. One of Hope and one of Time. These two..." Zhongli trailed off, Aether reaching over to give his hand a small squeeze.
"There was a flash of light, and the one of Hope turned into a monster. The one of Time had been in disarray as she cried for our Creator. The only one strong enough to revert the catastrophe. I only know this because we could hear her cries echo off Teyvat itself."
Paimon and Aether looked at him as they waited for an ending.
Morax simply stared at the night sky. "We don't know what happened after. All of a sudden there was a flash of light all over Teyvat, and our Creator, the creatures and Shoujo's were gone. To this day, We hope Our Creator is safe and in good hands. As well as the Girls."
Paimon stared with wide eyes before flying up. "That's it!? No happy ending?! And if they're being worshiped, why hasn't Paimon seen anything?!" Aether pulled the girl down into his lap and fed her a small sweet. "Apologies, but I'm curious as well."
Zhongli closed his eyes. "It's alright. The reason there's no statues or alters of the Shoujo's is because they never wanted to be worshiped. The one of Hope claimed that should be saved for our Creator and the Archons."
Aether opened his mouth to speak when the wind picked up. "Sorry for being late!" Venti shouted as he settled down at the table. "I brought wine!" The archon smiled. Zhongli gave a tired sigh. "Greetings, Barbatos. How is Mondstat?" Venti smiled. "Very well, very free. And Liyue?"
Zhongli looked around. "Strong as ever. Now, care to explain why you're so late?" Venti gave a sheepish chuckle. "Ehe... Well... The winery owner took a bit of convincing to give me the wine. Anyways, what did I miss?"
Paimon floated over. "Zhongli was telling us about some creatures named Witches and the Shoujo's! And the Creator's sacrifice." Venti gave a pained smile. "I see... Did you tell them about the one of Music?" Zhongli shook his head. "Music? I assume she stuck around Mondstat?" Aether asked.
"Not exactly, I used to go with her wherever she went before staying in Mondstat. She would often hum songs and sing lullabies, sometimes playing an instrument if she was in a good mood." Venti explained, pouring himself some wine. "She eventually used the lullabies to calm the witches down, if they were weak enough."
...
The girl hummed as she walked through the woods. "There you are, what took you so long?" She asked upon finding Venti. Even in his Whisp form, Venti could never hide from her. He nestled on her head with a hum. "Missed me too, huh? Nice to see you again, little Whisp."
She continued on her walk, holding out a glowing gem. She followed it when it turned brighter, focusing on finding the Witch. "I think it's another familiar. Make sure you stay back." Venti nodded as he heard a rustle in the bushes. The girl smirked and summoned her sword.
As she slayed the Familiar, she sung a soft lullaby. The Familiar didn't put up much of a fight.
Venti flew over and nestled in her arms. "Come on, I want to try ¤¤¤¤'s new cake, I'll give you an apple if you join us!" So she walked off with him in her arms, singing softly into the night.
...
"She was a good friend. Took on too much responsibility, though. It weighed heavily on her heart." Venti finished. Aether and Paimon shared a saddened look. "I'm so sorry Venti..." Venti shook his head at Paimon. "It's alright! Our Creator will return soon. I can feel it. And with her return, I'll hear her songs again. I've been practicing some of her songs, perhaps we could play together."
"Paimon is sure you will! Maybe you can invite Yun Jin to sing, or Barbara!" Venti hummed as he took a sip of his wine. "Maybe... Still, it's a shame she isn't here to enjoy this wine. I'm sure she'd be old enough to drink by now."
"They were KIDS?!" Paimon yelled, making Venti flinch and Zhongli wince. "Paimon, not so loud." Aether scolded softly. Paimon responded with a soft apology before Aether turned to face the two Archons.
"Were they really kids?" Zhongli nodded. "Our Creator chose them based on various things, similar to how we Archons pick vision holders. We decided that in order to keep our Grace and her chosen ones alive, we would follow our Grace's way of picking people." Zhongli explained.
"Typically those given a vision have been through troubling times or did something heroic. The 6 chosen by our Grace had been troubled and given a second chance so to speak."
"Zhongli, could I ask about the flash of light that engulfed Teyvat when they all disappeared?" Aether questioned.
Venti and Zhongli looked to each other. "It was warm. Everything was peaceful. So peaceful that some people started crying. It was as if our Grace was embracing Teyvat. When it died down, everything was back to normal, but we could no longer feel her presence." Venti explained.
"I looked around for the Shoujo's, but there were no traces of them. When looking to the sky, I saw 5 stars shining brightly. Pink, blue, Purple, Red, and Gold. Then they vanished." Zhongli finished.
Aether looked down. "... And do you think that warmth would come back to a single person?"
Venti narrowed his eyes. "Traveler... Did you think we didn't sense it?"
"We've known for a while. Why else do you think I'd invite Barbatos to this dinner?"
Aether looked at his hands. "I see. Well, I don't know why I'm the one she chose to use. I suppose she wants to help me find my sister." Zhongli sat his cup down.
"Aether. Do you feel anything from the others?" Aether closed his eyes and nodded. Venti lifted a hand to rub his eyes. "Her Grace is coming back..." He mumbled. "You better make sure that connection stays strong, Aether." Aether gave a firm nod.
"I hope they can all help me in Inazuma. I'm sure I'll need it."
(A/N: This.... Was supposed to be released first with the others.... Smh
Also images used are either shitty doodles I made, poor edits from the series, or just screenshots)