Chapter Text
-------------------------------Serenitea Pot----------------------------------
Aether lay sprawled on his back on the soft Serenita Pot grass. One arm tucked behind his head, the other lazily petting a fluffy red fox that was curled on his chest. Two more kits tumbled over his legs, nippping playfully at his boots. Tis was nothing short of adorable.
He let out a long content sigh. No commissions today. No Abyss nonsense. No Fatui bullshit. Just him, the breeze, and some cute affectionate foxes.
“Best decision I ever made,” he muttered. “Nothing can ruin it.”
Until.
“Aether! Aether! Look what Paimon found!”
Paimon’s high-pitched voice cut through the peaceful afternoon. She floated over the hill, fat chubby little hands clutching a small glass vial filled with swirling pink liquid that shimmered suspiciously. The cork was half-popped, and a faint glittery mist trailed behind her.
Aether cracked one eye open. The foxes perked up too, ears twitching.
“Paimon… what are you doing with that?” he asked, voice calm but already carrying the faint dread that something is about to happen.
Paimon puffed out her cheeks, hovering to a stop right above his face. The vial dangled dangerously close to his nose. “Paimon saw it sitting on the living room table! It was just there! Sparkly and mysterious! And totally not labeled or anything! Paimon thinks it might be one of Sucrose’s potions.”
Aether sat up slowly, careful not to dislodge the fox on his chest. The little guy yawned and flopped over his shoulder instead. “Hmm… could be. Although she’s not this sloppy usually.”
“Exactly!” Paimon beamed. “So Paimon figured you should hold onto it. Maybe ask Sucrose next time she pops by.”
Aether reached out, fingers brushing the glass. “Fine. Give it here. I’ll take a look and—”
Everything happened in the space of one heartbeat.
A blur of red fur launched from the grass like a furry missile. One of the fox kits leaped straight at Paimon’s back with a happy yip.
“Wah—?!” Paimon squeaked, arms flailing. The vial slipped from her grasp.
Aether’s eyes widened. “Paimon, no—!”
Too late.
The potion tumbled, sparkling trail glittering in the sunlight, and shattered right against Aether’s collarbone. Pink liquid exploded outward in a burst of mist.. It soaked through his shirt, his hair, even his hands in seconds.
The foxes scattered, tails poofed up.
For half a second, nothing happened.
Then the world tilted.
Aether felt a strange, warm fizzing rush from his toes to the top of his head. His limbs tingled. His vision blurred. His clothes suddenly felt… huge.
And then… everything went fuzzy.
Memories slipped away like sand through his fingers. His ship. His sister he'd been searching for, etc. What was left was just a little boy. Curious. A little scared.
His voice cracked mid-groan, shooting up into a squeaky, childish pitch. “Wha… what happened…?”
Paimon spun around mid-air, eyes huge. “Aether?! Oh no no no no—Paimon didn’t mean—wait, why do you sound like a baby now?!”
The boy blinked up at the floating little creature. His hands were tiny. Chubby little fingers. His boots were oversized. The fox that had been on his chest earlier was now almost as big as he was. Staring at him with wide curious eyes.
He patted his own face. Round cheeks. Messy blond hair that now fell into his eyes. He couldn’t have been more than ten years old.
“Um… who are you?” he asked the floating girl, voice small and wobbly. “And… where am I? This isn’t my room…”
Paimon’s hands flew to her cheeks, horror and panic mixing with the biggest, sparkiest eyes Teyvat had ever seen. “Paimon is so sorry! Paimon is the worst emergency food ever! You—you’re Aether! But now you’re… you’re a tiny baby Aether and don’t remember anything?! This is bad! This is so bad! But also… Paimon is keeping all the photos forever!”
The boy tilted his head, confused but not crying yet. One of the foxes trotted over and licked his cheek gently, like it was trying to comfort him. Another curled protectively around his side. He hugged the fox back on instinct, burying his tiny face in the soft fur. It smelled safe.
“I think… I think I was just napping in the grass. With the foxes. Are you… my friend? Or a dream?” He mumbled, muffled against the fox.
Paimon floated down gently to pat his head. “Yes! Yes! Paimon is your bestest friend in the whole wide world! And this is your home! But Paimon messed up super big time and now everyone is gonna freak out because you’re so cute and tiny and you don’t even remember everyone anymore! And—and—”
He peeked up at her, big golden eyes blinking slowly. A tiny smile tugged at his lips despite the confusion. “You talk funny. But… I like the foxes. Can I keep petting them?”
Paimon’s heart practically melted into pudding right there. She scooped him up and hugged him close, floating them both toward the main house. “Of course you can! Paimon will get you all the fox cuddles and snacks and—and we’ll fix this, okay? But first Paimon has to tell everybody”
The tiny boy rested his cheek against Paimon’s shoulder and let out a sleep little sigh.
This place felt weird.
He was wondering where his sister was at.
But the floating girl seemed nice.
Maybe it wasn’t so scary after all.