Chapter Text
The moment Aether steps into Sumeru, he feels uneasy. He can't put his finger on it—it's just a sense of profound wrongness that trembles in the air, as faint as it is. Paimon can't sense it, either, so Aether elects to simply ignore it and press onward.
Then, there is the encounter with the mysterious individual in the cave. When the scent of the incense registers, his head immediately starts pounding. Weight drags at him, even as he tries to fight it, even as Paimon calls out his name, and then—
He opens his eyes to a red sky framing a vast, glowing tree. Light flows in flowing streaks, coalescing into a bright form cradled in the tree's branches. Aether feels simultaneously drawn forward like a moth to flame and repulsed by that sense of unease—sharpened from something that could be like a barely-present ache to the intensity of being run through by a sword. He steps forward, and winds push back. The light glows brighter, blinding, and he hears:
World… forget me…
Tears well up in his eyes, incomprehensible, before everything fades.
Aether wakes with heaviness weighing upon him and bitterness in his mouth. Each motion seems to take a monumental amount of effort, but he manages to sit up as the sounds surrounding him resolve into voices.
He listens and talks to Collei as she explains what happened, and then Tighnari as well, but he still feels out of it the entire time. Half there, half not. Perhaps half dreaming, dreaming while awake, but somnolence pulls at him to sleep ever more. Tighnari's 'test' with the incense causes his consciousness to waver dangerously, but Aether stubbornly clings to awareness.
Tighnari called it a hallucination, but Aether doesn't buy it. It felt too much like a memory.
Aether feels more stable after a night of lying in bed, drifting in half-consciousness, but the heaviness in his limbs persists. It doesn't interfere with helping out with the Forest Ranger duties, or his time with Collei—who Aether can't help but immediately feel endeared to, listening with a smile at her enamor with Amber.
And he, too, feels the stars align. In the midst of their conversation, something shifts, like a veil unlifted, and Aether knows that her story is one he will come to know. When she recoils from Paimon's indignation, Aether feels as though he already does. Perhaps not consciously, but even so—he understands.
The next day, Tighnari tells Aether and Paimon about Collei's Eleazar. Then, Aether realizes. He realizes that the uneasy heaviness that drags at him is in Collei, under her skin, in her flesh. He wonders briefly what would happen if he tried to consume it—yet the thought induces a visceral shudder in him. He doesn't know enough about it consciously, but… perhaps the Starlight and Void in him can sense more than he knows.
(But he knows—if he has the chance. If there comes a moment, where he can bite back his uneasiness, both instinctive and personal, and reach out—he would try. He would try. He hasn't known Collei for long, but he already knows that if it came down to it, he would die for her.)
For now, he suffices with helping Tighnari gather Nilotpala lotuses for Collei. Then, those other Forest Rangers reveal their discovery of a Withering Zone. Aether insists on going, directing Paimon to remain out of reach—and when they enter the zone, Aether immediately understands. The unease, the heaviness—it is this. It is the Withering, a disease of the world, of Irminsul, rotting everything from the inside out. He senses immediately the depth of it, further than he could ever reach.
He doesn't understand what it is, exactly. But it is corruption, and corruption is always drawn to Aether. And something about it—something draws in Aether, too. He finds himself more unfocused than he'd like during Tighnari's explanation, but he understands the danger of letting his guard down here, so he follows Tighnari's instructions to the letter.
They seek out the branches, destroying them one by one with the power of Dendro while fighting off the monsters reeking of that energy. They find the Tumor, and Aether feels the pull of it—but he pushes that aside and uses his Dendro power to destroy the exposed core.
A burst of Dendro fills the clearing, and for a moment he feels so light that he becomes dizzy. He stumbles before he regains his balance, and Tighnari's ears twitch as he turns to look at Aether.
"Are you okay?" Tighnari asks.
"Yeah," Aether says. "Yeah, I'm fine."
Tighnari looks dubious. "You're looking pale. Come back to the village to rest… and I'd like you to take some more medicine."
"Alright," Aether says.
Aether can feel the moment he slips into a realm of dreams. For a moment, he is groggy, his hand leaving faint afterimages of black and white as he moves, but it soon resolves and if he weren't what he was, he'd never be able to tell he was in a dream.
The Herald kills him, there, but what hurts more are its words.
The bonds of love and family which drive you to find your sibling are utterly gone! Your journey is meaningless!
Liquid spills from his eyes. The same spills from where his chest has been run through. The dream goes black and collapses. In death, he swallows it whole.
Heaviness lingers in his limbs.
Tighnari insists that Aether stay longer so that he can monitor Aether's condition. Paimon and Collei side with Tighnari, and Aether surrenders to their concern.
The problem is—Aether doesn't think that he's going to be able to "recover" entirely, with the presence of the Withering latent in the very weave of the land he resides in. It's like he's continuously taking a microdose of poison, not enough to kill him or make him truly sick, but enough to make him feel generally unwell. He wonders if he'll have to constantly deal with this in Sumeru, or if clearing more Withering Zones would improve the situation.
Aether spends his time helping the Forest Rangers where he can, spending a decent amount of time with Collei and Tighnari—though in Tighnari's case, much of that time is time being poked and prodded at and fed mysterious herbal medicines. Aether does feel improvement in his condition despite the taste, so he supposes he can't complain.
And, of course, in the conversations he has with Tighnari, Aether can feel his constellation come into focus as well.
After a few days, Aether is feeling better. Not his best, but certainly better than before, and Tighnari says he should be fine to take care of some tasks in the forest—though, for the most part, either Collei or Tighnari accompany him. They find a few more Withering Zones in the forest, and together they clear the zones in short order. As ill as being in the zones makes Aether feel, clearing them does seem to help him feel better overall.
One day, he's out in the forest alone. Collei was with him at first, when she grew lethargic, Aether brought her back to the village to rest. After he returns to the forest to finish gathering more materials, finds another Withering Zone. It's close to the village—too close to be safe, so he tells Paimon to go let Tighnari know while he clears it.
But, alone—alone, he is left to his own thoughts, his own temptations, his own instincts swirling in him without anything to ground him. He can fight with ease, body running on autopilot as he defeats the corrupted monsters, but once that is done, his focus wavers and he finds himself pulled to the pulsing Tumor of Withering. Like in the memory-dream of Irminsul, he is drawn in and repulsed all at once, and though his heart pounds with adrenaline as soon as he realizes what he's about to do—he touches the Tumor and reaches, just as it unfurls and the energy reaches for him.
His perception distorts as he goes deep, deep into the ley lines of the earth. It's almost like accessing the trees in permanent domains, like he's interfacing with a neuron of the world's nervous system. But where the memories there may be faded, those here are decayed, corrupted, incomprehensible fragments of suffering. The energy reaches into him even as he tries to reach ever further, but there is no end to the corruption. He understands innately that there is no end but Irminsul, and he cannot reach it here.
He vaguely registers shouting, someone pulling him, fluid dripping out of his eyes and mouth. Is it blood or void? He's not sure. He blinks, blinks away fragmented memories, and sees his hand pressed inside the Tumor. There is a hand around his arm, trying to pull it out.
Tighnari, he registers. How long has he been standing here? Aether breathes a shuddering breath. And then he cuts his connection, closes his metaphorical jaw around what he can reach, and consumes. The Tumor immediately withers and turns to ash, a pulse of Dendro energy filling the air and restoring life to the decayed area.
Immediately, there's a sense of relief and satisfaction. Relief from the hanging presence of that diseased essence, and satisfaction from the consumption. Of course, simultaneously, the energy rebels within him, poison to the prison of his human flesh. He curls over and coughs out blackness that sinks into the earth. He heaves with pained breaths.
He is, he belatedly realizes, braced by an arm against his chest. He takes a shuddering breath as the energy settles in him, already working towards his recovery rather than his demise. The lights on his wrist, streaked with black, flicker and return to green. He slumps against Tighnari, who tenses before guiding him to lie down on his side.
"Aether?" Tighnari asks.
Aether blinks and gives a hum.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes," Aether manages to croak. "Or… will be." This isn't enough to kill him—though, if he tried this after just waking up, stripped of power, it probably would have.
A hand presses against Aether's forehead. "There were still branches when I came in," he says. "Clearing just those takes an hour or so," Tighnari says. "More or less depending on the number of them. But you—you cleared it all, just like that, and now you look like shit. What did you do?"
Aether hums again. "I… ate it."
Tighnari's hand twitches. "What the fuck does that mean?"
"I…" Aether blinks. "I am…" He blinks again, eyes heavy, and lets unconsciousness take him.
He dreams of verdant lands, decay, and deserts.
Albedo opens his eyes to what he immediately realizes is the ceiling of Tighnari's residence in Gandharva Ville. He sighs. Really, Aether. It's barely been a week. He supposes Aether is already more at ease with sharing the fact of his shapeshifting with those he's fated with than before, but Albedo feels quite the exasperation that Aether decided to quickly do something so dangerous. This is why all his friends worry.
But of course, Aether won't stop. It turned out well enough, after all. He takes stock of himself, flexing his limbs. He feels… fine. The sensation of heaviness that had bogged Aether since arriving in Sumeru is greatly reduced, so as to nearly be absent. Albedo presumes it must be a combination of the cleansing and the fact that he is shifted.
The curtain of leaves opens, and Albedo sees Tighnari stepping in, closely followed by Paimon. Paimon immediately flies over and calls out, "Albedo! Is everything okay?"
Albedo nods. "Yes, I'm alright. How long have I been unconscious?"
"About a day," Tighnari says. "You changed into… this," he says, gesturing to Albedo, "overnight. Paimon won't explain and won't let me examine you, but it's clear she knows what's happening. Oh, and don't worry—I haven't let anyone see you."
"He wasn't happy about it, but he did listen to Paimon," Paimon says.
"I see," Albedo says. He turns to Tighnari. "Though you've not known me long, could I ask you to keep a secret?"
"Depends. Is it a dangerous one?"
"Are not all secrets dangerous in some way? For why else would they be secrets?"
Tighnari rolls his eyes. "Okay, smartass. Is it dangerous to you or everyone else?"
Albedo hums, folding his hands together. "The knowledge would put most others on guard from me, and it is a reasonable reaction. However, you'll have to take my word that I mean no harm, and this secret getting out would be troublesome to me at best and highly destructive to my livelihood in Teyvat at worst."
Tighnari's ears twitch. "That so?" He crosses his arms, frowning. After several seconds, he releases his arms and nods. "Alright. You've been very helpful to us, and it doesn't sound like you're lying to me. I'm not keen on making you an enemy if you're as dangerous as you suggest, so as long as you don't give me any due cause, I won't expose you. Besides, I have to say I'm curious."
Albedo smiles slightly. "That, I understand." He taps his chin. "I will return the amount of trust given, then—some information, but not everything. Paimon, can I ask you to keep an eye out to ensure no one is listening?"
Paimon pouts but obeys, drifting out the curtain of leaves. That done, Albedo turns back to Tighnari. "First, allow me to introduce myself: I am Albedo, Chief Alchemist of Mondstadt. Rather, I am Aether shifted into his form and psyche."
Tighnari's ears perk up in interest. "Shifted, you say? And this isn't just a matter of form, but also the mind?"
"Correct."
"Can you shift into anyone?"
Albedo shakes his head. "No."
"Can you shift into me?" Tighnari asks—demands, nearly. "Collei? The forest rangers? Do you know everything we know—?"
Albedo holds a hand up, and Tighnari stops, though with a deeply irritated expression. "You and Collei, yes, though I've not done so yet," Albedo says. "The forest rangers… likely not. As for knowledge, no. I don't." He does not specify further—the how, the why, how much.
Tighnari's brow furrows and he crosses his arms, expression shifting to something more contemplative. He opens his mouth and closes it a few times, seeming to debate what he wants to ask. "Is 'Aether' your true form?" he settles on.
Albedo shrugs. "'Aether' is not a copy of another individual, I can say. It is the form he is spending the most time in, and the one he is using primarily in his travels of Teyvat. Does that make it 'true' enough for you?"
Tighnari's ears flick and he nods slowly. "You speak in third person in regards to Aether," he observes.
"I am Albedo right now."
"I see." Tighnari nods. "Then, how do injuries and illness affect you when you shift?"
"For the most part, injuries and illnesses do not affect different forms. Abyssal corrosion can, however, and I believe the decay induced by Withering Zones would affect me even if I were to shift as well. Perhaps I'll test it sometime…"
"No," Tighnari says firmly. At Albedo's raised eyebrow, Tighnari elaborates. "Withering Zones seem to have certain profound effects on you that are not present for others. It's best you just report the locations and leave it to us."
Albedo splays his hand over his chin, two fingers resting on his lips. "Aether can't agree to that. Besides, you know we're capable of clearing them the normal way—we just need to do that instead of letting Aether eat the Withering."
Tighnari frowns. "What exactly happened back there? If Paimon hadn't come to find me, then what? Would you have been standing there until you dropped dead?"
Albedo supposes that actually may be what would occur. But Tighnari doesn't need to know about Aether's immortality quite yet, nor Aether's sheer disregard for his own physical wellbeing. "Aether would have been fine. You'll have to take my word for it. As for what happened… There was simply a pull towards the tumor, but Aether is capable of ignoring it. He did so clearing all those other zones with you, after all. As is usually the case for this sort of thing, shifting to a different form may reduce the pull… Hm, we should test this…"
"You're going to regardless of what I say about it, aren't you?"
Albedo smiles. "Indeed." He leans back on the bed, letting out a soft exhale. "By the way, now that I'm here… Albedo—the true Albedo, in Mondstadt—may be interested in working with you in researching Eleazar. My expertise is in alchemy, with one of my assistants, Sucrose, more focused on bio-alchemy. Perhaps we might have some insight from that perspective. Might I suggest beginning some correspondence?"
Tighnari pauses. "There are dedicated researchers to Eleazar in the Akademiya. I'm only a Forest Watcher."
"I know. However, the Akademiya is…" he trails off. He's not sure how to best phrase his reservations. He sighs, shaking his head. "I have no interest in working with them at the moment. I'll just leave it at that. If you wish to contact Albedo, address a letter to the Chief Alchemist of Mondstadt."
"I'll think about it." Tighnari shakes his head. "Enough of this, enough questions. Let me examine you, now that you're awake."
"I am fine. Aether, however…" Albedo hums, and then closes his eyes and drops the shift. As soon as he does, he can feel that latent unease again, and he holds a hand to his head.
After a pause, Aether senses Tighnari's approach. Aether lowers his hand. "How are you feeling?" Tighnari asks.
"Not my best, but… not my worst, either," Aether says. "I think whatever's causing the Withering is affecting me, too…"
Tighnari frowns. "What sort of symptoms?"
Aether hesitates. "It's not exactly physical, I think. I just feel uneasy. It's like a sense of anxiety, maybe. It's amplified when I'm in a Withering Zone, and reduced after I clear one."
"And what about when you," Tighnari says slowly, "'ate' the Withering?"
"I felt sick then, but I'm fine now." Aether hums. "I don't think it would be a problem even if I did consume more Withering Zones… I tried to reach deep into the Ley Lines." He rubs his chin. "You know, it might be faster if I went around eating them all and making sure I don't go too far…"
"Are you an idiot?" Tighnari snaps. "You've never encountered the Withering before, and you have no idea what it can do to you. If just one incident had such a strong effect, who knows what'll happen if you try again? Who knows if chronic effects will manifest later? Who knows if you've already contracted Eleazar due to you taking this force into your body?"
Aether blinks, laughs lightly, and shakes his head. "You don't have to worry about that," Aether says. "While exposure to certain energies can make me feel ill, it's rare I get sick in this form. And if I do… there are ways to purge it." His constitution is supernatural—most things he can sleep off. Not to mention that, well… death can free him of any illness or curse. If it comes down to it.
"But how do you know?"
Aether pauses. "I'm… fundamentally a different kind of being from you. While I haven't encountered the Withering before, I've encountered similar things, and I have a pretty good understanding of how things like this affect me. You'll have to take my word for it."
"That so?" Tighnari narrows his eyes. "Are you a god?"
At this, Aether snorts. "Is one made a god by their power or their worship?" He shakes his head. "I wouldn't call myself a god. I'm just a Traveler."
"A Traveler, huh." Tighnari sighs. "Well, whatever you say. But take some medicine with you and write to me if your condition changes or you need more. Consider it thanks for helping out."
Aether smiles. "Alright. Thank you, Tighnari."
"Before I go," Aether says to Tighnari, later, "I would like to try purifying Collei's Eleazar."
Tighnari pauses from where he is grinding herbs with a mortar and pestle. He continues after a moment, and only answers after several seconds. "Is that the same as you 'eating' it?"
Aether chuckles, sitting up on the bed. "Yeah."
Tighnari's ears flick. He continues his grinding and preparation of medicine for a few minutes until he seems to finish. Then, he turns around and faces Aether. "What are the risks to Collei, and what are the risks to you?"
"The worst that can happen to Collei is that it doesn't work, or if it does, the Eleazar comes back later. As for me…" Aether rubs his chin. "I doubt it'll be worse than what happened when I consumed the Withering Zone. In the worst case, I might have a, uh, violent physical reaction," like dying, "in which case I should be alone to deal with the worst of it. But that's unlikely. Maybe I'll just feel a bit sick or get sleepy, or I might pass out for a bit. But… it's a small price to pay to cure someone of terminal illness, don't you think?"
Tighnari frowns, crossing his arms. "You're unbelievable. You'd sacrifice your health for someone you've known for little over a week?"
Aether shrugs. He doesn't say that he was willing from the day they met.
Tighnari's tail swishes in agitation. "Your justification is reasonable, but this doesn't feel right. In fact, it feels pretty idiotic." He presses a hand to his head. "Why should I even trust you? We've only just met." He mutters, "Why do I trust you so much?" Tighnari casts a suspicious look at Aether. "You better not be using some weird magic to manipulate me."
Aether feels a bit offended. "I'd never!"
"Right." Tighnari lowers his hand. "Fine. Let's talk about this with Collei, and she can decide."
Collei agrees to Aether attempting to purify her Eleazar. Hesitantly, but with a spark of hope and determination in her eyes. With an apology that she's asking Aether for this, but Aether only laughs and says, "It's okay, you're not asking. I'm offering."
"O-okay. If you're sure…"
So they sit together on the edge of Tighnari's bed, Tighnari watching them. Aether carefully takes Collei's hand, feeling the poisonous energy under her skin. He closes his eyes and pulls.
As if not needing any more encouragement, the energy rushes into Aether. It feels like a stabbing pain, immediately followed by a dull ache, shortly followed by dizziness. Aether blinks through it, tugging every last trace of that energy out of Collei—then, he finds something else. Something similar to the vestiges left by Diluc's use of a Delusion—and so, Aether seizes it by the roots and wrenches it out, out, and into himself.
He blinks several times, supporting himself with a hand on the bed. There's a hum in his ears—ah, no, that's them talking. Aether can't quite parse what they're saying. Forms blur and spin before his eyes. "I'm going to pass out," he manages before everything goes black.
Tighnari opens his eyes and takes in a breath. He hears the light steps he recognizes as his own gait approaching, and gives a heavy sigh. "How long has it been?"
"Three days," the actual Tighnari says. "I suspected something like this might happen, so I haven't let Collei see you."
"How is she?"
"Very worried about you. Paimon is with her, trying to reassure her. But I'm guessing that's not what you're asking." Tighnari crosses his arms. "Her health has improved significantly. The marks of Eleazar are healing just like any injury would. It'll be a bit until she's fully recovered, but…" Tighnari sighs. "It looks like it was successful. You actually… you actually cured her."
Aether-Tighnari smiles, sitting up. "That's good to hear."
Tighnari pauses for a moment, and then: "Did you know about the Archon residue?"
Aether-Tighnari blinks. "Hm. So that's what it was. Aether sensed something else in her that was similar to remnants left from a Delusion, and decided to take that, too."
Tighnari puts his fingers over his mouth. "Incredible. Are you—is Aether able to cure any illness? Any curse?"
"No. Well… maybe. If it's a corruptive energy, some kind of magical or metaphysical force, almost definitely—those things are actively drawn to him. If it's a poison, some external agent, Aether might be able to draw it out with some effort. For biological diseases… hm. Probably case-specific, and he would need to understand the disease mechanism."
Tighnari nods slowly. "I see."
Aether-Tighnari watches his original. "You're thinking about how Aether could transform the state of health in Teyvat. How he could become a miracle worker, taking others' ailments into himself, where he can easily purge it."
Tighnari's brows furrow. "That's uncanny. It's like you can read my mind."
"Right. My apologies." He lets Tighnari's form melt away, breathing out as he returns to simply being Aether. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"No, it's fine," Tighnari says, waving him off, surprisingly unfazed. "Anyways. Yes, I was thinking about it. But I wasn't going to suggest it."
"I know," Aether says. He folds his hands together, looking down at them. "We did that a few times, my twin and I. Going around and curing people. It was… well. We don't do it anymore."
Tighnari nods. "Right. That's fair." He taps his foot a few times, and then asks, "How are you feeling?"
"Huh? Oh. Fine," Aether says. At Tighnari's dubious look, Aether chuckles. "I am, really. Not my best, but I feel fine."
"Hmm." Tighnari's ears flick. "It doesn't seem like it's feasible for you to go around curing everyone if you're going to pass out instantly for three days, and risk shapeshifting while you're unconscious."
Aether huffs, shaking his head. "No, it isn't. It was probably longer in this case because of the Archon residue… but not by much, I'd say. I suppose I might as well go for the source."
Tighnari narrows his eyes. "The source, you say?"
"Of the Withering. In theory, I should be able to purify it at the source, if I can reach it. It's a disease of Irminsul, isn't it? I'm guessing if anyone would know about accessing it, it would be the Dendro Archon… Maybe I can ask about it."
"Okay," Tighnari says slowly. "Right, let's say you get that far. You get to the source. What will happen to you?"
Well, honestly, it'd probably kill him. "I'll be fine," he says.
"Every time you say that, I doubt you a little more," Tighnari says.
Tighnari wrangles one more day of bedrest out of Aether, and then he decides to set off. "Thanks for everything," Aether says. "I'm sure we'll meet again."
"That so? Well, just don't do anything stupid and take your medicine, and I'll be happy to see you again," Tighnari says, arms crossed. Then, he drops his arms. "Thank you, too. Really. Also, go see Collei before you go. She's probably waiting for you at the path towards the north crossing."
Aether thus goes to find her, catching her at the north crossing as Tighnari said. "Collei," Aether greets, smiling.
"Oh, Aether!" Collei stands upon seeing him, fumbling with something in her hands. Aether makes an aborted motion forward to catch it, but she recovers quickly. "U-um! This is for you," she says, holding out her arms.
'This,' as it turns out, is a Pita Pocket, made by Collei herself. Paimon is sure to enthusiastically thank her, and Aether gives his own thanks as well. "So, how are you doing?" he asks, after.
"Good," Collei says, grasping one of her wrists. "Really, really good. I don't… I don't know how I could possibly repay you."
"That's not necessary," Aether says, shaking his head. "Just take care of yourself. That's all I ask."
"But—you saved my life," Collei says. "More than that, I—it's more like you've given me a new life, after everything, and I—"
"Collei," Aether says, carefully reaching forward and taking her hands into his. "Please. Think nothing of it. You've been through enough pain—just live your life to the fullest, okay?"
"I—" Collei purses her lips. "Can I just… ask one thing?"
"Sure."
"Just how did you… 'purify' me? I've never heard of anyone being capable of this. Are… are you a god?"
Aether squeezes her hand. "I took it into myself, and it doesn't affect me the same way. And… I'm just a Traveler, Collei."
Collei looks at him with a searching gaze. "But you…" she shakes her head. "No, nevermind. I won't ask more."
Aether smiles. "Thank you." He lets go of Collei and turns to Paimon. "Should we get going, then?"
"Yeah!" Paimon pumps her fist. "We've got an archon to meet!"
Collei laughs, straightening. "Well then, I, Trainee Forest Ranger Collei, bid you both farewell. Please visit Gandharva Ville again. Thank you for everything. The rangers will always be ready to assist you here."
With that, they bid their farewells and set off.
