After watching the last part of the future, everyone went to the front hoping to see who were the new guests that Makoto brought. They arrived at the front and saw there were six people that were there.
One of them noticed the others had just arrived, "Qiqi saw there are other people here." That was a small girl that was almost the same height as the little trio. The long part of her hair is braided into a long plait with her hair light purple. She has several fulu talismans stuck on her.
Her attire consists of a purple frock and a deep purple beret with a magenta tassel on top and her Cryo Vision embedded in the side. She wears a pair of simple earrings, one black and one white. She also wears black heels and white stockings wrapped in mummy-like bandages. Her fingernails are black.
All the new guests noticed where Qiqi was looking, "You're right. Seems like this might be more kidnapping than I realized."
The person next to her is a doctor with light green hair. He wears a high-collared, short-sleeved, cropped shirt that is teal and purple and fastens with buttons across the front. His lavender-and-blue pants have crossing white patterns resembling snake skin. Over his pants, Baizhu wears a teal sash from which his Dendro Vision hangs attached to a tassel, and a pale blue jacket patterned with a white snake and green flowers, similar to a lab coat, drapes around his shoulders like a cape. From his sash, several colorful pieces of fabric hang on his right, while a long green-and-white adornment hangs on his left.
At the back of his waist is a cylindrical green-and-gold container, tied with a bow made of green cord. He wears asymmetrical arm gauntlets with gold details, a white one on his right and a black one on his left. The left arm also bears a white beaded bracelet and a loosely wound bandage. A golden coin on a purple cord sits around his right ankle, and his flats are dark blue, with gold details and purple soles. Changsheng drapes around his neck like a scarf.
"You're correct on that." The other is a woman with bright pink hair. Her outfit consists of a dark red and black backless cropped top accented with gold, a white scarf-like wrapped collar accented with dark red, and a pair of detached, long, puffed white sleeves with black cuffs, a large white pom-pom attached to each. She wears a large, dark red xiezhi hat accented with black and gold. Her collar and hat are both adorned with gold tong bao-shaped buttons. As well as this, she wears a short dark red skirt lined with gold swirls akin to clouds, fastened with a yellow ribbon tied in a bow on her left hip over a pair of uneven black shorts with lace trim. Her footwear consists of a pair of red and gold upturned-toed boots with white fluffy lining and gold heels and soles.
She carries a thick book, fastened by two leather belts on her right hip, where her Vision is affixed. She also carries a large steelyard decorated with adeptus elements.
"How interesting..." The next person was a woman with black hair with dark blue coloration and blue eyes. Her attire consists of a blue qipao-like overcoat and a dark bodysuit embellished with silver details. Her attire is decorated with a number of trinkets and accessories, including white bracelets on her arms and a number of chokers and necklaces around her neck from which a charm resembling a die hangs. In addition to this, she keeps a furred white coat hanging from the back of her outfit somewhat resembling a cape, and sports a pair of thigh-high boots that leave a part of her thigh exposed, where her Hydro Vision is attached. The woman also sports a pair of white blue-tipped earrings resembling teardrops.
Ganyu looks at the guests and notices a familiar face, "Isn't that-?!" Shenhe was also surprised that the person in question was also in the house.
The person in question was a woman that has long black hair with light green accents. Her hair is tied like a ponytail with a black and green ribbon with a holder as well. She wears a black dress with gold and blue accents, along with a white part of her outfit on her shoulders. She also wears glasses with her eyes light green.
The woman in question was also surprised to see Ganyu and Shenhe there as well, "Hm? One was not expected to see one's familiarity."
"You recognized those two girls?" The person who asked that question was a little girl with brown hair. Her hair is braided and tied into a bow on top of her head. Her face is evenly framed by a set of neat bangs, with a pair of gold flower-shaped hairpins. Her hair is tied into two small buns, held together with a set of oversized golden jingle bells.
The girl wears a yellow-green overcoat with puffed-up sleeves secured around the wrists with orange bows. She wears this over a dark brown collared tunic and belt and a short pleated skirt with ruffles decorated with golden flowers. She has a large orange pouch with a large tassel around her waist just above her skirt, decorated with an emblem resembling that of a flower. Yaoyao wears a pair of white bloomers and a dark suit underneath, along with a pair of orange-toed white boots. Yaoyao also carries an oversized basket over her shoulder which is where her Dendro Vision is pinned to a red bow knot. The basket contains some tied white bags and one Yuegui.
"One tells you that this tale is long and lasts for many hours."
"Can anyone explain to us where we are?" The pink woman asks as they are confused as to how they got there.
"It's going to be a long explanation," Xiao said, to which some of the new guests were surprised to see him.
-Timeskip-
After giving everyone an introduction and an explanation, the new guests were now fully informed about what was happening and how they were there. They were now in the dining room as they continued their conversation. Though, it was a surprise to hear that they were here to watch a part of the future.
"Looking into the future, huh? Sounds interesting to hear." The doctor named "Baizhu" said that he didn't expect that's their reason to be there.
"Though, I wasn't expecting to hear that Lord Barbatos himself is that bard." The pink girl named "Yanfei" said as she turned to Venti, who was drinking some wine after watching that future.
The blue woman nods, "But what I'm more interested in is that boy with the cap himself. Dealing with multiple Hilichurls, putting a stop to the Stormterror's rampage, destroying five Ruin Machines, and even taking on the Fatuis while also destroying their base is an amazing feat."
"You're correct, Ms. Yelan. Boboiboy proved himself to be powerful while also a hero in his own right." Diluc responds, which sits right with her.
"Paimon hates to interrupt... But why does she speak like that?" She points to a woman with glasses as she's confused by her speech.
Ganyu immediately steps in, "Ah, because Ms. Xianyun learns speech by reading stories. This was the only way for her to communicate with other people."
"She's correct, one learns her speaking by stories alone. The tales guide one to a better path all thanks to Rex Lapis." Xianyun explains, which gives some people an explanation.
As they were about to continue the conversation, Boboiboy was already split into seven and he was putting the food on the table. They were a little surprised to see one single boy was now seven of them, but they rubbed it off as they had been told of this.
"Qiqi didn't expect there to be seven of them." Cyclone chuckles at that.
"Always expect the unexpected." He tells them, and Qiqi nods and understands where he came from.
After putting all the food on the table, the personalities merged themselves as their task was finished for the day. He sits on his chair, which is between Lumine and Bennett. They began eating the food that was made by Thoma and Boboiboy.
The newcomers felt the taste of the dishes and found it to be very delicious, "Hm! This fried rice is not bad." Yelan said as she was impressed by the fried rice she was eating.
"I agree. The spiciness from this roasted fish along with rice was a fantastic combo." Baizhu agreed with her as he could feel the taste and the spiciness from the fish were delicious indeed.
Fischl smiles at their reactions, "Well, that's Boboiboy for you! His delicious cooking can even surpass the Archon's cooking." That got Ei flinched and caused her to cough, which Sara was terrified of. She began to realize that Venti and Ei were there, "F-Forgive me! I didn't mean to say that to the fellow Archons."
Venti chuckles, "That's fine. I barely cook myself some food in the wild." To which his eyes begin to lay on the Raiden Shogun, 'Unlike that terrible cook...'
"Are you alright, Your Excellency?" Sara asked, to which Ei answered her.
"I'm fine. There's nothing to be worried about." She told her, which satisfied her a little. Miko was chuckling at her reaction as she knows one, teeny, tiny secret that she doesn't want everyone to know.
The rest of the personalities could hear what Venti's making out, which terrified them. 'Is her cooking really that terrible?' They thought as they were now terrified that Ei was to end up in the kitchen and make some deadly food.
The Next Day...
Before they were watching the next part of the future, everyone was exploring the house to see what other rooms were in store. Boboiboy was walking alone when he noticed a room that had the label "DVD & Movies". That got his interest, to which he opened the door and entered the room.
Once he entered the room, he saw there were a lot of DVDs that contained Cartoons, TV Shows, and Movies. He was impressed by the serious collection in this room, "I wonder if there's one certain series in this collection, I would definitely want to continue watching it."
"You're thinking about Ultraman?"
"Wuh!" He was jumped by the sudden voice, to which he turned around and saw Makoto was there. "You scared me..."
He chuckles at that, "Couldn't resist."
Leaf and Wind were pouting that they got jumpscared by him, "So, from this collection alone, are you from a different world as well?"
"You can say that." He answers, "Entertainment is always moving forward, even if they stumble upon a massive breaking point in their times."
"So you and I come from worlds that are almost identical?" He nods, which surprises him.
"The only difference is that I'm about 3-4 years ahead from where you are now." Makato explained, "So, I didn't add anything that came from my time period until the time was set. Don't want any spoilers, you know."
"Right, sounds understandable." He said.
"Now, come on. The video is ready to watch." Boboiboy does the TAPOPS salute and immediately heads over there with the assistance of Thunderstorm Sprint. The guardian smiles at the room, to which he closes the door before teleporting.
-Timeskip-
As everyone was gathered in the room, Boboiboy just arrived in time and sat on his seat. They prepare themselves for another future to be shown, 'Now everyone, we might take a detour a little bit to see some parts of the future that I didn't show in the last videos. So, be prepared for some videos.'
"Got it, so when did this video take place?" Jean asked.
'You'll see...' He said, to which pressed the button and played the video.
The video starts, showing the trio talking to each other and asking what they should be doing, "Any idea what we should be doing today?" Boboioboy asked.
"We could take some commissions from the guild. It might take us more time before we reach night."
Hearing that word, gave Solar an idea of when this video's taking place. He intentionally switches in as he gets an idea, "I see, so this is when this video's taking place."
"You already have an idea?" Paimon asked, to which Solar nodded.
"This takes place before we attempt to steal the Holy Lyre. It was still morning, so we might have enough time to do this before you infiltrated the cathedral."
The audience began to understand where Solar is coming from, it made sense when this video took place as the time gap was enough for the event to be taking place.
After agreeing to Venti's plan to steal the Holy Lyre, they headed to the guild to look for some commission. As they headed over there, they ran into a familiar knight nearby.
"Hey, Lumine, Boboiboy! I've been looking for you guys everywhere!" Amber walked towards them and greeted them with a smile.
"Hi, Amber!" Boboiboy greeted.
"Hi there/Hi!" Lumine and Paimon greeted her.
"How's that wind glider I gave you guys last time?" Amber asked.
"Pretty good," Lumine answered.
"It's great, Amber! I'm starting to like it." Boboiboy added, which made her happy.
"Seems like it's really growing on you!" Amber said with a smile. "But then again, you guys don't have a gliding license, do you?"
"A gliding license?" The three of them asked at the same time.
"Is it because we're not legally allowed to glide in Mondstadt?" Boboiboy asked with silver eyes, to which she nodded.
"Isn't it obvious? You gotta have a gliding license to legally glide in Mondstadt." Amber told them.
"Huh? I didn't think they had that rule." Lumine mutters as she is surprised to hear that.
"Oh... But we have been gliding for ages now. This is the first we've heard about it!" Paimon replied.
"Yeah, you've been gliding all over the place... Everyone's noticed!" Amber told them, which caused them to sweat a little.
"Eh-he." Paimon chuckled.
"Sooo... You came looking for us because you wanna give us a gliding license?" Lumine asked, which Solar facepalmed for even thinking that she would give them that easily.
"No way! The Knights of Favonius have strict rules. You need to pass an exam, and only then will the Knights issue your license. Today I'm here as an examiner, to oversee Lumine and Boboiboy's official gliding exam!" Amber told them, "I gave you your wind glider, so this is my responsibility - at least, that's what Acting Grand Master Jean would say."
She then turns away from them, "Also this is getting payback for leaving me behind for getting lectured by Lisa and Grand Master Jean."
The audience chuckled at that thought, which embarrassed Amber a little bit that her revenge was being shown on the screen. She turns to Lumine and Boboiboy, who are strangely calm and just get a chuckle out of it.
"You guys aren't saying anything?" She asked.
"Nope, I would've taken it regardless."
"Same, doesn't sound difficult compared to the previous exams I have to study for." Hearing Boboiboy's reasoning really made them wonder about his exam.
"Is it difficult?" Albedo asked.
Boboiboy thought those exams that Papa Zola had made him have nightmares on those questions, "More like I don't understand what the questions were supposed to be."
That got everyone confused, but ignored it regardless as they thought Boboiboy wanted to keep that experience a secret.
"An exam! What a pain in the butt. Then again, since Amber is the examiner..." Paimon whined.
"It's fine. We can do this!" Lumine said in determination.
"We are ready!" Boboiboy said with Lumine.
"I'm sure Lumine and Boboiboy will glide through it!" Amber said, "I mean... The whole city saw how well you guys flew the day that Stormterror attacked, so I'm sure you'll have no problem!"
"But we do need to respect the rules and glide properly. Here. Take this gliding manual. No need to memorize it, just be familiar with everything in there" Amber handed Lumine and Boboiboy the manual, "For example: only one person per wind glider, no carrying anything over the set weight limit, no taking off using Anemo Slime, and so on and so forth. Anyway, be sure to read it, okay? I had to read a load of big, thick books too when Lisa was teaching me magic..."
"Wow, that's a big old book... Paimon thinks we best get started!" Paimon said.
"Great. Come find me when you've done. I'll be at Windrise" Amber told them and left.
Chapter: Lepus
Wind, Courage, and Wings
Once she was gone, Paimon sighed at the manual. "The Knights of Favonius gliding manual does NOT sound like a fun read..."
"Hey, what did you just say?!" She turns to Paimon, who immediately takes cover behind Lumine and hides from Amber's wrath.
"Actually, reading the manual is not that bad. When you read the manual, you will understand what we should do though." Boboiboy told her.
"Seriously? Do you agree with this? You know how it feels when you read the book. They have a lot of words." Paimon whined in anger.
In Boboiboy's mind, Solar didn't take those words kindly. "Respect the books!" He said with confidence while fixing his glasses.
"I agree. Respect the books, Paimon. Otherwise, you might have to pay for the damages." Lisa said, which caused Paimon to get nervous.
"Hey, it's boring to read those books! There were too many words!!" Paimon whined again, which made some audience sigh at her response.
"One doesn't take kindly to those who disrespect the books as a waste of time," Xianyun said, which Ganyu and Shenhe agreed with her on.
"I agree. Books can be a source of inspiration for your life." Ganyu said.
"Uh-huh." Shenhe simply nods, as she also reads some books in her spare time.
"Hehehe. Awesome (Terbaik)." Boboiboy gave her a thumbs-up.
"Well, guess we'd better get started," Lumine said and opened the book then started reading.
The camera feed switches to animation as Lumine reads it, "When the first wisp of wind brushed across the land. Birds that yearned for the sky had wings. But no way to fly. They asked the Anemo God: "How can we reach the heavens?" To which the Anemo God replied: "You have yet to find which is most important." As God spoke, the wind thrust the seeds of a dandelion. High into the sky. The birds thrust out their wings. But the breeze was all too mild. Leaving them to stumble across the earth. So they went to the gorge. Where the wind showed off its wild and incomparable strength. They threw themselves off the cliff. And flapped their wings amongst the howling winds. Until they were able to fly freely in the sky. To the Anemo God, they went, to gleefully say: "We understand now! All we needed was a stronger wind to fly." In reply, the Anemo God said: "What you lacked was not wind, but courage. It is courage that has allowed you to become the first flying bird in this world."
After they finished reading, they (and the audience) got confused about the manual, "Hmm... That's a cool story... But is the Knights' gliding manual really written in that style?" Paimon asked in confusion.
"It reads like a fairytale..." Lumine said with a blank look.
"I don't think this is manual. It's kinda like a storybook to me." Boboiboy said and examined the "manual". Solar took a look and saw it was a storybook, not the manual that Amber gave them.
"Oh no..." Amber realized her mistakes and sulked heavily. Her depression could feel across the room, which made everyone feel bad for her.
"It's alright, Amber. You didn't mean to switch the manual with the storybook, so it's fine." Jean tells her, but it only makes her more depressed after hearing this from her Grand Master.
"Just punish me by putting me in another lecture, I can't stand it." Lisa starts to feel bad for her, to which she pats her back and tries comforting her.
"Huh. Anyways, let's go find Amber." Paimon told them as they nodded then left to the Windrise where Amber was.
-Timeskip to the Windrise-
"Great, you're here! Did you have a good read-through of the gliding manual? Got all the rules down?" Amber asked.
"I mean, I read but-" Lumine tried to tell her, but got interrupted.
"Sounds like it was a real drag. I would know, I've been there... The gliding manual is super dry... I couldn't get into it at all. Don't tell Jean though..." Amber told them.
Amber was now shivering that Jean heard this, she thought the glare might be coming. But unexpectedly, Jean gave her a pat on the back and it made her a little bit happy.
"Really? Hmm... Paimon thought there were some pretty cool stories in the gliding manual." Paimon replied back.
"Cool stories? Oh, you must mean the example cases in the Appendix. Some of them I like. My favorite one is about the illegal Anemo Slime take-off. Apparently, if you pop an Anemo Slime and take off in the burst of wind, it shoots you really, really high... I really wanna try it!" Amber said excitedly (which made some knights either chuckle or facepalm).
"Eh? That is not what we mean Amber. The manual you gave us. It doesn't look like a manual to us." Boboiboy said and held the "manual" out to Amber.
"Ah... What...? Lemme take a look..." She looked at it and was surprised, "Shoot, this is the storybook I used to read as a kid! Oops, sorry! I put both books in the same pile and must have grabbed the wrong one when I was leaving." Amber told them.
"How in the heck do you confuse a bedtime story with an instruction manual?" Paimon and Solar (inside Boboiboy's mind) said in unison.
"Ahh... This is so embarrassing..." Amber said embarrassed with her hands behind her, "It's because... Maybe deep down inside, that fairytale is the thing that truly taught me how to glide... "What you lacked was not the wind. It's courage that's allowed you to become the first flying birds of this world." Reading that gave me the courage to glide, to become an Outrider, and to become the Gliding Champion of Mondstadt."
"I wonder if I should give that flower to her?" Thorn thought as she thought of one flower that might be suitable for her.
Amber was a little happy that Thorn planned to give her a flower, which her depression would go away.
"... But anyway, let's get back to the exam! Don't be nervous, just glide like you're used to." Amber told them, "Okay then. You just need to follow the marked route to the finish."
"Ok. I'm ready" Lumine said with her wind out.
"Let's do this!" Boboiboy said with his wind out.
So the exam has started, Boboiboy and Lumine only have one minute to get through the rings. First is Lumine, then Boboiboy. They continued following the rings and then they passed as Amber, who was waiting for them then she congratulated them.
"You two nailed it! But it's no surprise, given the way you handle your glider in a storm. The next part of the exam is in Mondstadt. See you there, don't keep me waiting!" Amber said and left ahead.
"Alrighty then - you two heard her. Back to the city! Let's not keep her waiting!" Paimon told them. They nod, to which they went to Mondstadt.
-Timeskip to Mondstadt Cathedral-
Now, they are outside the door of the Cathedral, where Amber had set up the exam. "Hey — here, over here! I'm all set up. Let's carry on with the exam. Same deal as before, glide through the markers and get to the finish without stopping in the middle." Amber told them.
"We're ready!" Lumine and Boboiboy took out the Wind Glider and were ready to glide.
Just like before, they only have one minute to pass. They manage to pass the test with ease, "Hahaha... Seems like you've got the hang of wind gliding now! Let's do the final stage." Amber told them
"Easy! You've flown this way before anyway..." Paimon said confident
"Once you've passed this final stage, you'll finally be able to get your very own gliding license. Just keep thinking about that license. Ready..." Amber counted down
"...Go!" Everyone said together. As they had one minute to pass, they were gliding to the Adventurers' Guild. They almost reached the door of the Adventurers' Guild until they heard the voice.
"Windborne travelers! You are required to land at once by order of the Knights of Favonius!" They noticed a knight nearby, so they landed down on the ground to meet the knight.
"I am Otto of the Knights of Favonius." Otto introduced himself.
"Wh-What's going on?" Paimon asked
"Please show me your gliding license," Otto asked them for their license.
"Um excuse me, sir. We are in the middle of passing the gliding exam here, sir." Boboiboy said in defense.
"Passing your gliding exam with Amber? Do you have proof that you are taking the gliding exam with Amber?" Otto said in suspicion.
"Sir, Amber is on her way here. You should ask her" Lumine said with arm-crossed as they saw Amber walking towards them.
"Wait... I'm an instructor. This is a gliding exam." Amber said in defense.
"Oh... I see. Well, you picked a bad time to hold your gliding exam." Otto told her, which made them confused.
"Really, Why?" Boboiboy asked.
"The Knights of Favonius received a report from a Sister at the Cathedral claiming that she saw Raptor gliding around these parts. I thought your students here must have been his partners in crime."
Some of the knights that were on duty heard that name before, "Raptor, huh? I guess he might have been active after the Stormterror's attack." Kaeya said.
"It does sound like it. With knights spreading out through Mondstadt, this criminal might have the perfect time to do these crimes." Diluc agrees with him as the timing of this video couldn't be more perfect.
"Raptor? Who's that?" Paimon asked in curiosity.
"A known criminal in Mondstadt. He always uses a wind glider to commit his crimes, so people started calling him Raptor." Otto answered.
"Wow. He flies fast, then?" Amber asked in an angry tone.
"So far we haven't managed to catch him... Our plan this time was to draw him into the Cathedral with a precious artifact, and ambush him inside." Otto sighed, "But he escaped with the artifact. Fortunately, one of the Sisters put some secret markings on the artifact using elemental magic! ... But he was too fast, and we couldn't even keep up with the trail the markings left behind."
They didn't like how this criminal was stealing the artifact, "Well, if you need help chasing down a gliding criminal, I'm one for the job! So tell me, which way did he go?" Amber asked.
"As far as I know, he was last seen near Springvale, but that was some time ago," Otto answered.
"Leave it to me! With me and this party chasing him down together, he doesn't stand a chance." Amber said in determination.
"Sure," Lumine said.
"We're ready to help you, Amber," Boboiboy added.
"Thanks, guys. Once we've got this Raptor guy, we'll pick up where we left off. But no need to worry... I'll be sure to have a word with Jean."
They begin to walk away and head to the place where the last sighting of Raptor was.
-Timeskip to Springvale-
After a long walk, they were now in Springvale. There weren't many people as they were away on getting a job in Mondstadt, "This is Springvale. There must be some clues about Raptor 'round here. The Sister from the Cathedral put some secret Anemo markings on the artifact he took." Amber told them.
"Lumine, use your Elemental Sight and keep your eyes peeled for clues," Paimon told Lumine as she nodded and closed her eyes to use her Elemental Sight then she saw some marks.
"I found some marks." She said to them.
"Then let's follow it." They agree with Boboiboy's plan, too and they follow it. As they continued to follow it, however, only one of them had Anemo markings.
"Hmm... a strip of cloth with Anemo markings on. Looking at the design and the way it's woven, there's a good chance it came from a wind glider." Amber said while examining.
"Wow, Outriders have to be textile experts now!? It's a harder job than Paimon thought. If this really belongs to Raptor, it must mean his wind glider is broken." Paimon said
Solar switches in and deduces the reasoning, "He must be hiding nearby in order for his glider to be fixed." They (and the audience) found it plausible based on Solar's explanation.
They continue to find the Anemo markings until they find another clue.
"Hmm... How do we know if this was left by Raptor or an Anemo Slime?" Paimon asked.
"Anemo Slimes are airborne creatures. They don't leave marks on the ground unless someone stomps on one to take off." Amber answered, making Paimon surprised.
"... People actually do that!?"
"Either way, let's make a mental note of these markings. They're very clear. It appears that the elemental markings point this way." Amber pointed in the direction where the elemental markings were.
"Huh. Well... D'you think he ran off ahead?" Paimon held her chin to think.
"There's only one way to find out!" Amber said and turned to Lumine, "C'mon Lumine, we should keep following the markings"
Before they continued following the mark, Paimon just said something. "Ooh, what's that? Looks like something's going on up ahead..." She pointed to where she was looking and saw what appeared to be a battle.
"It sounds like there's a battle going on - could that be Raptor?" Amber then told them, "Quick, let's keep going!" They nod and immediately prepare themselves.
Amber drew out her bow while Lumine drew out her sword then they ran to where the sounds were coming from and saw hilichurls surrounding a helpless man. Lumine and Amber charged in, and took out a few Hilichurls that were there.
Boboiboy switches to Fire and throws a punch at the Hilichurl, getting a big hit. He follows it up by punching his entire body, and an uppercut. All of the Hilichurls were knocked out, relieving the helpless man.
"Thank goodness, the Knights of Favonius have arrived! The hilichurls won't dare pursue me any longer..." The guy named Farrah, who's just sighed in relief.
"What happened?" Amber asked.
"I can't believe it but... the hilichurls attacked our carts. Luckily, I outran them." Farrah explained.
"Hilichurls? But I thought the Knights of Favonius had cleared out most of the hilichurl camps around these parts." Amber and the others were confused by this.
"It's a small camp not too far from the village. The route I take on my delivery runs ensures I steer clear of it. But today... some crazy fellow suddenly fell out of the sky and landed right in the camp!" Farrah told them, which gave them some idea of what that guy was.
"Hmm... Now who does that remind me of..." Paimon said.
"It really riled them up. They chased the funny-looking fellow as he fled, which brought them out into the open. I managed to get away, but they smashed my fruit carts to smithereens. I don't know what I'm gonna do when the merchant caravan gets here tomorrow—" Farrah got interrupted by Boboiboy.
"...Funny-looking? In what way?" He asked.
"He was holding onto something. Must've been heavy, because he couldn't glide in a straight line to save his life... Maybe that's why he fell. Honestly, people like that shouldn't be allowed in the skies. It doesn't take a genius to know you're not supposed to carry heavy objects while gliding! I'm gonna report that idiot and make sure he gets his license revoked!" Farrah said in an angry tone, which Cyclone and Thorn sweat dropped.
But hearing that information, made Amber get an idea of the object. "Heavy objects... The artifact? This could well be our guy. Tell me, did you see which way he went?" Amber asked.
"I managed to catch a glimpse as I ran from the hilichurls. I think he went... that way." Farrah pointed in the direction where the perpetrator ran off.
"Seems like a strong lead. Guys, on with the chase!" Amber told them.
"Right!" Everyone said in unison, and then Boboiboy thought of something.
"What about the Hilichurls that were nearby?" He asked.
"Oh, don't worry! As soon as I get back I'll tell the Knights to mop up the rest of the hilichurls as soon as possible."
"That sounds relief," Bennett said, which Razor agreed with with a nod.
"Though, I wonder how far the Raptor managed to run on foot? This thievery wouldn't be enough for him to do it alone." Yanfei stated her opinion on this.
"There are probably some other people working with him nearby. After all, greed is cast upon the artifact that he stole from the cathedral." Yelan said.
They continued going in the direction where Raptor went, to which they were ambushed by a group of Treasure Hoarders. "An ambush?!" Boboiboy was shocked by this, to which he threw a punch at one of them. He switches to Leaf and throws his shurikens at them.
Amber shoots arrows at two of them, damaging their bodies. "Most likely they were working with the Raptor?" Lumine blows them away with Anemo and slashes downwards, hitting the Treasure Hoarder directly.
Leaf summons his vine and ties four of them up. One of them realized the doom to them, "Oh no..."
"Incoming!!" He jumps high in the air, then slams to the ground by swinging.
*CRASH!!*
After that slam, all of the Treasure Hoarders were already knocked out by their counterattack. "Ah, that was fun..." He stretched his arms as the others (and the audience) were staring at them in confusion.
"How many pounds were there when they grouped?" Lumine asked.
"Roughly between 100-300 pounds." Amber answers, which surprises them by how easily Leaf could lift.
"Amazing! I bet he could lift an elephant with one hand!!" Hearing that made Kuki shake her head.
"I doubt it."
Thorn could hear what he'd just said and chuckled at that, 'Nah, a friend of mine managed to do that with one hand. I doubt I would be that strong.' Venti could hear what Thorn said and wondered how strong one of Boboiboy's friends was.
After Leaf tied them up and left them in a tree, they started talking about this sudden ambush. "Apart from the hilichurls, there's a bunch of funny-looking people too!" Paimon said.
"Judging from the type of Wind Gliders they've got, I'd say this lot is with Raptor," Amber told them as she looked at one of the Wind Gliders that she had taken from them.
"But if that's the case, what are they hanging around here for?" Boboiboy asked.
"I wonder... Well, this measly bunch can't slow us down, that's for sure. But we also haven't found the artifact — which means, Raptor still has it on him. ... Forget these guys. C'mon everyone, let's keep following the elemental markings."
They kept following the elemental markings until they found there were no more elemental markings, "Huh, look where we are..." Paimon shrugged as there weren't any trails.
"There are no more elemental markings ahead," Lumine said.
"The elemental power on the artifact must have worn off. Raptor must have realized the markings would give away his position, and sent his minions to slow us down." She notices the entrance to his hideout, "That way, when the effect wears off, he can make his escape. He won't get away with this! After him!" Amber told them and they nodded so they entered Raptor's hideout
They walked through the entrance and saw a big gap below, "There's only one way over there. Raptor must be up ahead. However, it looks like the only way we can catch up is if we glide." Amber pointed in that direction.
"But there's a ton of enemies below... They'll definitely attack us after we take off." Paimon told her.
"If we're gonna do this, we'll have to glide and defeat them in one fell swoop... You guys still have one stage to go in your exams, right?" Amber asked Boboiboy and Lumine, which made them confused.
"Yeah, but what's that got to do with anything?" Paimon asked.
"How about we make this the third stage of your gliding exam, guys?" Amber asked (which made some audience surprised by this).
"Are you sure that's how the exam is supposed to go!?" Paimon whined.
"It's a custom version of the exam for Boboiboy and Lumine, designed by yours truly! Besides, the normal version of the exam wouldn't be fit for the heroes of Mondstadt themselves! So, what do you say, you two?" Amber asked as they thought for a second.
"Alright, we will do it," Lumine answered as she took out her Wind Glider.
"We're ready" Boboiboy took out his Wind Glider.
"Woohoo! Good answer. Everyone, prepare for take off! Raptor awaits you once you defeat all these enemies, then that gliding license is yours!"
They quickly took out their gliders and glided. The gang starts gliding while dropping the bomb on many Hilichurls with bows. They manage to defeat some Hilichurls with bows until something unexpected happens.
They try to fly high up to get to the next level. But one of the Hilichurl just shot the arrow and hit Amber's Wind Glider. Now the left wing got a hole and made her fall, "WWWAAAAHHHHHH!" Amber screams as she begins to fall down the void.
"AMBER!" Everyone (and the audience) yelled in shock.
Boboiboy deactivates his Wind Glider and follows Amber. Boboiboy switches to his elements that are perfect for the job, "Elemental Power! Boboiboy Cyclone!" Boboiboy changed to Cyclone along with summoning his Cyclone Hoverboard.
Amber closed her eyes and a few seconds later. Nothing happened, but she felt some hands on her. She opened her eyes and saw Boboiboy carrying her in bridal style.
The audience didn't expect this, to which they clapped for saving her from the fall. However, some of them were a little jealous that Amber herself got carried in the bridal style.
As for Amber herself, she was embarrassed that Cyclone carried her like a bride. Lumine notices that she is blushing, which gives her an opportunity to tease her back. She went over to her ear and whispered, "(Looks like you were carried by your hero first, madam.)"
That got her to send out a lot, I do mean a lot of steam from her ears. Her eyes were now brazenly looking in every direction, to the point that she could not concentrate. "(S-Stop...)" Lumine chuckles, feeling satisfied that she got her vengeance.
"(You have a fine taste of choosing a good man.)" Eula whispered amusingly, making the Outrider blush even further as her eyes swirled in a spiral.
Bennett, Razor, and Boboiboy were confused by this as they were too dense to figure out what was going on. "Do you think they have some sort of girl talk?" Bennett asked.
"Probably. We should leave them alone." Razor nods, agreeing with Boboiboy's decision alongside Bennett.
She looks down and sees Boboiboy riding some sort of floating board, "You ok, Amber?" Cyclone asked.
She turned to him and saw his face was a little close, "Uh, I'm ok. Thank you, Boboiboy." Amber answered, to which she looked away with a blush on her face.
Cyclone sighed in relief and flew up. Once they reached the next floor, Cyclone landed down and put her down. The others ran to them with worry, "Are you alright?!" Lumine checked Amber as she was worried.
"I'm ok. Thanks for your concern." Amber said. "Besides, there was a Door of Resurrection nearby that was active. I might be fine after that."
"Thank Archon. Paimon thought you were gone," Paimon sighed in relief.
"C'mon. We still have a criminal to catch here." Lumine told them
She took a look and saw a hole in the glider, "My Wind Glider. The wings have holes now, I can't glide." Amber showed them her broken Wind Glider. Now, everyone is trying to think of an idea.
Fortunately, Cyclone just managed to come up with one. "Hey, I got an idea! Amber, can you handle the height?" Cyclone asked.
"Yes. I can handle the height. Why?" Amber is confused.
"Great! Hop on my hoverboard! We can continue our mission with it!"
"Hoverboard? Is that what you call it?" Amber asked as she looked at his hoverboard.
"Yeah! C'mon, hop on!"
Amber looked at him then his hoverboard. She started to have some flashbacks when Wind carried her with recklessness, which frightened her. But she has no choice and hops on his hoverboard, "Are you sure it is safe, Boboiboy? The last time you carried me, I had nightmares!" Amber said while hugging his waist, and Lumine was jealous to see her like that.
The girls and women were having different reactions to this, some either found it amusing or jealous to see her hugging his waist. Boboiboy shivered and immediately hugged himself, "Why do I feel like I have a big target on my back?"
'Oh, Boboiboy... If only you knew.' The Guardian thought to himself as he found it funny that Boboiboy was dense on girls' feelings and couldn't tell that there were some of them that got his attention.
"Of course, it will be safe! I won't do it fast." Cyclone said with a smile, "Get ready, Amber! Because we're ready to fly!"
Then Cyclone flies up high and uses his wind to lift Lumine up. Now, they continue their gliding while dropping the bomb on the Hilichurls.
As Amber continues holding onto Cyclone, she starts liking his hoverboard and smiles happily (which the girls themselves started to be jealous of, along with Amber herself feeling embarrassed to see her happy face). Once they are finished with the Hilichurls, the door opens in front of them.
"Nice! You breezed through it. You guys are natural. I knew you all would be fine. All that's left now is to grab ourselves a Raptor — let's go!"
As they went through the door, they continued through the dungeon, glided across the gap, and defeated more enemies that were in the dungeon. Cyclone assists Amber with the ranged enemies, with Lumine focusing on the Hilichurls that were attacking close range.
After they continued moving forward, they reached the bridge, but the gap between the path was too large, and saw deep below. "It looks like there's no way across... Ugh, he must be around here somewhere." Amber looked around
"Amber, over there!" Paimon pointed in the direction and saw it was Raptor on the other side.
"If you insist on chasing me, so be it... Huh? Who brought the little girl?" Raptor said, which made Cyclone mad to hear it.
"You must be Raptor! You can't escape!" Amber told him.
"Haha, I don't need to escape! There's no way you can make it over here." Raptor mocked them.
"Oh... It is pretty high... and quite far..." Amber held her chin to think
"Oh, little girl, why don't you run home now and let your leader deal with this? Don't worry, I promise that once the Grand Master gets here, I'll surrender immediately! Haha!" Raptor insulted Amber, which made her angry.
"Hey, watch it! You're talking to a Knight of Favonius Outrider! You'll be sorry when I arrest you!" Amber yelled in anger, which made Cyclone react.
He immediately massages her shoulders, which soothes her. "Deep breaths, Amber! Don't let his insults get to you!" Lumine nods, as she agrees with Boboiboy on this.
After that was over, it calmed her down. "... You're right. Ugh... He's right there in front of us... If only we could glide across... But my Wind Glider is broken"
"So how did HE get across?" Paimon asked in curiosity.
"Some sort of mechanism?"
"Or some kind of elemental magic?"
"I don't see a mechanism, and I have good eyesight," Amber told them.
"Lumine, can you see anything with your Elemental Sight...? No? Oh, okay... Never mind..."
"Bye-bye, kiddos..." He shouts as he's getting away.
"Oh no! He's getting away!"
Cyclone holds his chin to think then he gets an idea, "I got an idea! Amber, here take my Wind Glider." He took out his Wind Glider and gave it to her.
"Eh?! What are you thinking, Boboiboy?" Amber was confused by his plan.
"I will use my wind element to help you guys across over like I just did back there!" He told them, which made logical sense.
"Great idea, but do be careful with lifting us," Lumine said as she took her Wind Glider out.
"She's right, I don't want to suffer any dizziness again." He scratches his head and nods in embarrassment. Amber puts Boboiboy's Wind Glider on her shoulder.
"Whatever you try. You won't make it" Raptor mocked them
"Won't make it. Heh. We can make it" Cyclone smirked as he summoned his symbol.
Raptor was confused by the summoning, "Huh?"
"Cyclone Hoverboard!!" He summons his hoverboard and hops on. Cyclone gathers the wind around his friends and lifts them up and they fly over the gap.
"What?!" Raptor was shocked and immediately ran away through the door.
Cyclone and others landed down and followed Raptor, "Get back here! Now, sit still and await your arrest - like a good little boy!" Amber said as chased them.
"Never! Boys, get them!" Raptor commands his buddies to attack them, with him joining the fight.
Lumine and Amber got their weapons out, with Cyclone switching out in this fight. "Elemental Power! Boboiboy Water!" Water joins in on the fight as he summons his Water Bubble and lands on top of it.
Amber fires Pyro Arrows at the Treasure Hoarders, which causes them to get on fire and get caught in an explosion. Lumine fires a palm of Anemo at them, blowing them away to which she follows it up with a few slashes from her sword.
Water focuses on Raptor as he continues firing more water attacks on him, which gives him some damage and makes him irritated. "Fight me seriously!!"
He simply smiles at his rage and gives him what he wants, "Well, your challenge is behind you." He got confused, and behind Lumine attacked him with a sneak attack.
She follows it up with an Anemo attack from her sword, to which Water blasted him away. "Water Blast!!" He blasts him off, sending him to a wall and knocking him out while soaking wet.
Once they were out, Leaf tied them up in vines as they didn't want any of them getting away. Boboiboy reverts back as the job here was done.
"Alright! I got him! Thank you, Boboiboy! Your idea was great!" To which, they notice Amber's expression change. "But I just noticed the wind back there from in the air - and it's the only one. It would be suicide to try and escape in the direction Raptor was going. In other words, the only way Raptor could have gotten out would be this way — past us." Amber explains the mechanism of how Raptor manages to get across, which manages to surprise and gives an explanation to them (along with the audience).
Inside Boboiboy's mind, Cyclone went into depression after not realizing that before. "Have I destroyed a character arc for her?" He mutters to himself.
"I highly doubt it," Solar said as he doubted what just happened.
Amber got a little chuckle out of seeing Cyclone's reaction, 'It's all right! You've just helped me out at the end.' She thought as she didn't care what her development had just destroyed.
The feed switches back to the real world, continuing the explanation. "Aha! So he was just trying to fool us by acting smug, in the hope that we would just give up and leave. Little did he know, we're not so easily fooled." Paimon said.
"It was all thanks to Lumine's sharp thinking! Just like a wise man once said, "Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." At the end of the day, gliding is seven parts technique, three parts instinct — and 90 parts courage."
"What you did now looked more like 99 parts courage..." Paimon tells her.
"Ah, it was just like in my first gliding exam... I was super nervous, but in the end, there was nothing to be afraid of and I passed with no problem. I kinda missed that nervous rush in the exams I've done since then... It just wasn't the same."
They were confused about the last part, "...Erm, sorry — Paimon thought you said you passed no problem? What do you mean, exams since then?"
"Ah... Well you see, the thing is, Mondstadt is all "no glide zone" this, "no landing zone" that..." Amber sighed and continued, "Every time I get my license revoked. I must have taken the exam about 15 times altogether... But I always pass the first time. I guess my little gliding manual ain't so bad after all!"
Hearing that just made them (and some of the audience) realize how much Jean scolded Amber for having to retake the exams (which made Amber herself look away as she didn't want to remember about it).
Amber shakes it off and brings in the good news, "Let's go get a copy of the real gliding manual from Acting Grand Master Jean sometime."
"Sounds good," Lumine said.
"I agree," Boboiboy answered, agreeing with Lumine.
"I'll head off first because I need to escort Raptor back to the city. Once you're back in the city don't forget to come to find me at the Cathedral. I'll issue your gliding license there," Amber said as she pointed to Raptor.
"She just can't sit still, can she?" Boboiboy and Lumine shrug, "Guess that's why she's the Outrider. When this is all done and dusted, let's head to the Cathedral in Mondstadt."
"We still have to carry these criminals to the Knights of Favonius." Boboiboy and others looked at unconscious bodies, which gave Boboiboy an idea of how to carry them.
-Timeskip-
The camera cuts to the scene after getting Raptor and his Treasure Hoarders turned in. They met with Amber outside the Cathedral, as they were about to get their gliding license. "Congratulations, here is your gliding license! You're officially legal now, yay!" Amber gave them their license, which made them happy.
"YAY!" Everyone cheered, to which Lumine and Boboiboy got a high-five for getting the license.
"I'm not surprised though, you guys are natural after all. " Amber complimented.
"Yeah, it was easy," Lumine said.
"Oh — and I'll sign you all up for the next Wind Gliding Championship! I glide so fast that no one can keep up — it's just me up there, on my own, gliding around... It's kinda boring," Amber told them.
"That sounds fun," Bobobioy said.
"Cool. I'm definitely gonna win" Lumine said in confidence.
"Ooh... Fighting talk! Heh. It seems you have no idea how terrifying the championship really is... Well, until I kick your butt in the championship, I wish you all a happy, liberating, and above all law-abiding gliding experience. Make sure you obey the rules. Whatever you do, don't get your license revoked..."
"Oh, brother... If you ask me, that's a bit rich coming from Amber..." Paimon said.
"Oh, and Boboiboy! Thanks for borrowing your Wind Glider!" Amber smiled as she gave his Wind Glider back.
"You're welcome, Amber!" Boboiboy gave her a warm smile, which made her blush.
"Um... Boboiboy?" Amber asked as she felt nervous. That got Boboiboy confused about her expression.
"What is it, Amber?"
"Can I ride your hoverboard with you?... I started liking it." Amber felt shy around him, which made Lumine(s) even more jealous and Paimon chuckled at this.
"Oh my," Kaeya said as he started to take a liking to watching this.
"How adorable..." Lisa mutters as she begins writing this down as a romantic novel. Barbara and Jean couldn't help but find it adorable to see it for themselves.
"How romantic..." Ganyu mutters, before realizing her feelings about this and getting her to blush. 'S-Stop! Boboiboy says that he cannot marry someone with a different religion, I cannot force him into that!'
Shenhe and Xianyun noticed that Ganyu was developing her feelings, which made them smile. "How adorable..."
"Indeed, this one's familiarity has feelings that will stay in her heart."
"Oh! Sure! Elemental Power! Boboiboy Cyclone!" Boboiboy changed to Cyclone along with summoning. his hoverboard
The feed switches to them on the roof of the Cathedral, with Lumine and Paimon looking at them from the ground.
"Ready?!" Cyclone asked her.
"I'm ready, Cyclone!" Amber said in confidence while holding his waist.
"Here we go!" Cyclone activates his hoverboard and they begin flying across Mondstadt. Lumine and Paimon were smiling to see that they had a fun time flying.
As for Amber, she started to enjoy the view with Cyclone. 'The view looks so beautiful. I'm really enjoying it.' Amber thought then she looked at Cyclone and blushed, 'Wait, I'm feeling nervous around him. My face is red. Do I... like Cyclone?'
That thought managed to send Amber into a frenzy, which made her steam out many emotions out of her ears. "W-Wha-?! I-I I don't have a-a-a-a-a fee-feelings fo-for him!" Hearing her response, made Eula smile viciously.
"(Then you don't mind I take him, do you?)" She whispers into her ear, which makes her lost for words. Her face was completely red, to which she fainted without saying a word.
*THUD!*
"Ah! Amber!!" Lumine quickly reacts by getting Amber back to her seat, while Paimon has an expression of a scream seeing her faint.
Eula chuckles, feeling very happy to see it. "Looks like my vengeance has been achieved." She mutters.
She quickly shook her head, 'No, Amber. Don't think that. After Boboiboy splits himself into seven, all his elements are connected to him.' She turned to the view and smiled, 'But when I'm with Cyclone, I suddenly feel happy... I should ask Boboiboy someday. Also, thank you Cyclone. I'm really enjoying it.' Amber thought and smiled while hugging him closer.
Chapter: Lepus
Wind, Courage, and Wings (End)
Once the feed was cut, everyone couldn't help but find it sweet. "It's very adorable to see her act this way," Lisa said.
"Yes! Sister Amber is very sweet as a rabbit when she's talking to Cyclone." Klee said as she sounded very happy to see it.
"It's a nice detour before we can see what happens in Liyue. Getting to know our relationship between them strengthens our bonds." Miko stated, which Ayaka nodded while covering lips with her fan.
"You're correct."
Fischl then went to Boboiboy and asked him, "Though... I suppose you have some thoughts on your relationship with her?"
"Yeah, we're just friends after all." Hearing that answer, made the audience rethink it for a second.
"I apologized, but didn't you watch that future before? She said that she likes Cyclone, your Anemo's personality."
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean she likes him as a friend?" Bennett stated her own opinion, which managed to get some audience and Fischl to facepalmed at his dense attitude.
"That's not what I meant!" Fischl and Bennett start to have a conversation with each other, which everyone starts to watch with confusion. Oz sighed, beginning to wonder how this conversation managed to end up here.
"I'm guessing that's the end of the watch for today?" Venti asked the guardian.
'Oh, no! I got three more ready here. It took place in the same time frame or much later, so it wouldn't be too much for three videos to be played in the order I put in.' Hearing that, made everyone surprised that Makoto managed to prepare those videos beforehand.
"I'm guessing you'll play the second one?" Xiangling asked, which he answered.
'Yup! It only takes about 10 minutes to prepare, so grab some snacks in case anyone is hungry here.' They nod and some are leaving the room as they get something to eat while waiting for the next video to be prepared.