Chapter Text
Twins may look alike, sound alike, and often be mistaken for each other.
Aether and Lumine have both always hated this way of thinking. It is tiring at best and outright insulting at worst to be mistaken for someone you are not. No two people are really that identical to each other, no matter how much their looks might deceive the eyes of others.
Yet, perhaps the worse of it is how much Aether and Lumine see themselves in each other. They are individuals, yet after centuries of existing around each other—travelling, fighting, laughing together—the twins became a part of each other.
A package, two peas, reflections of the other.
The hand that stills their twin's fighting spirit, a shoulder to cry on and someone to hold.
The Sun and Moon, Shooting Stars, Love and Roses, Earth to Mars; Aether and Lumine exist together.
Aether had never woken up alone before.
Even on the rare occasions that Lumine had started her day before him, she was always close by, watching over him as he started to slowly drift into consciousness and begin yet another new day.
The feeling of wrongness when he could not sense Lumine anywhere nearby was sure to follow Aether until she was by his side once again.
A companion, a friend, family, his sister, is missing.
The memories of the Unknown God fill Aether's mind. A fight to leave the world they had unexpectedly fallen into, the red sky and memories of a city that attracted the ire of the gods.
His hand, reaching out to grab the his sister's hand, falling just slightly too short, reaching out just a bit too slow, the angle offset by his own desperation. . .
And then nothing.
. . .
. . . .
Silence.
. . . .
Until his eyes open to an unfamiliar sky, surrounded by even more unfamiliar land on what appears to be a beach that is nowhere near the presence of his sister.
How long has it been since they last saw each other?
Why hasn't Lumine found him yet?
And . . . what has happened to his power?
The ocean that once flowed throughout Aether's entire being is gone. His body feels dried up and his soul is empty, save for some small droplets of the once-ocean that have dripped over from the top of the hastily-constructed dam.
Something, or someone, found a way to block his own access to his powers. To truly leave him stranded in this world.
For the first time since they reached maturity, Aether fears for what must have become of his sister while his own lack of ability was left to fester along their link.
As the sun rose high in the sky, Aether spent his morning deciding on what steps he should be taking next.
First and foremost, he needs to find answers; but to do that he'll either need to have another chance encounter with the Unknown God or come across another with both knowledge and a willingness to help him.
In his current state, Aether finds it unlikely that either scenario will be happening anytime soon. Perhaps his first priority should be to find a faster way to regain his abilities, but that likely also relies on the former two circumstances.
. . .
If Lumine were here, she would probably already have a direction to move in.
Actually, that might just be what he should do. Pick a direction and start walking! A walk would help to keep him grounded, and some new scenery never hurt anyone.
Besides, exploring the worlds they travel to is a must between Aether and Lumine. It keeps things interesting and the constant movement between worlds stops them from making any connections too meaningful and heartbreaking.
Mortal lives are far too short for beings that will never perish.
As Aether continues to walk between the two cliffs, leading himself away from the beach that greeted his awakening, he spots some weird creatures alongside of them.
Are they what inhabit this world?
With a feeling of familiarity that does not match up with his mind, Aether feels a closer examination of his memories may be needed.
What else has he forgotten?
Yet, Aether lacks a way to check for any stray and forgotten memories, so he continues forward to the edge of a cliff that overlooks a magnificent clearing.
Through the trees that dot the other end, he makes out a city that sits perfectly on two pieces of land sticking through the waters. And with that, Aether has found his first real destination and perhaps answers to the new unknowns that surround him.
The statue sitting in the middle of this clearing holds no meaning to the Traveler that walks by it. He lacks the ability to see any power that it could give him, and the foresight to pray to a clear deity of this unfamiliar land.
Not that this Traveler would ever ask for power, not even when he has lost so much.
So the Traveler will continue on his journey, unknowingly adding yet another burden to it.
Unknowingly making himself stand out far less than he might have otherwise, as he travels to Mondstadt with nothing more than a rusty blade to his name.
The breeze stirs as its brother does, and time stills for just a moment as an Absent God awakens in a time far different than what he has come to expect.
. . .
Different, yet with the same people and a version of the story only places slightly to the left.