Last Chances | Kazuha x reader

~11~

You and Kazuha walked towards the large tree in the distance just like Xiao had instructed you to do when you were talking to him.

"Do you think he'll be there?" Kazuha asked you.

"Hopefully," you replied.

You had tried to check the Tavern that Xiao had told you about before but he wasn't there so you just headed towards Windrise hoping that Venti would be there.

Stopping right in front of a glowing statue of the anemo archon Barbatos, you were met by a similar looking person sitting by it.

"So Xiao had told you to find me," a boy with two braided ponytails said as he sat comfortably on the small pillar by the stairs to the Statue of the Seven under the giant tree in Windrise and looked at you. "I'm Venti, the archon of Mondstadt, god of anemo. It seems the wind has brought to me a unique situation, holder of the curse of undying."

"And a bard," Kazuha stared at the harp that laid near the archon's leg.

"Yes, the best bard in Mondstadt," Venti sang. "No other bard is better than me."

The wind blew ruffling the leaves as crystal flies danced and sparkled underneath. The sun breaking through the small openings of the tree and raining light down.

"I'm y/n and this is Kazuha. I'm sorry for the sudden bother but Barbatos," you looked up at the archon, hoping that he would find it in his heart to give you a solution to your curse. "Please help me. You are the anemo archon so you might know something."

"Your curse, I see," Venti hummed in thought. "Though you can just call me Venti. I prefer that name over Barbatos since it sounds less formal."

"Well the Venti," you smiled. "If you know anything about my curse..."

"I've heard things about it before," Venti started. "The curse of undying is the product of going against the heavenly principles. You must have done something deserving of undying and eternal pain. Unlike adepti who also face pain as retribution for what they have done but can die, your curse continues to stay with you for eternity or until the price has fully been paid."

"Rex Lapis who now goes by Zhongli said the same thing," you replied to Venti.

"Do you know what you did to receive such a curse?" Venti asked you, curious about the reason.

"No," you shook your head. "I can remember everything but the time I got the curse and everything before that. My life before the curse and how I got the curse is something that I can't remember."

"Sorry," Venti shrugged. "I don't know anything about that. But, the Raiden Shogun might know something about the curse since she is the archon of eternity. Your curse is a curse of undying eternity. Maybe she may know something more."

"Thank you for your help Venti," you bowed your head feeling somewhat dejected that you were back to square one.

Venti got down from his seat and went to one of the spinning flowers that were near the statue. Picking up the windwheel aster and holding it to you, he handed you the red orange flower that continued to spin from the wind. Holding the stem in your hand and looking at the archon with a confused look, he smiled at you.

Waving his hand, a gust of wind blew from your hand which spun the flower even more until the it died and the flower stopped spinning.

"Your travels will continue to spin, and you're going to have to keep on moving to find your goal but just like the windwheel aster, someday, you will find your goal and your path will end. Just keep on pushing through no matter how hard y/n. It's like that for everyone. Yours is just a little longer and harder than everyone else's. I'm sure you can do it." Venti smiled at you as he gave you his poetic advice. "You have people behind you, supporting you, and pushing you. Never forget that."

"Thank you Venti," you held the flower close to your heart.

"The same goes to you Kazuha," Venti looked towards your companion. "You shouldn't be held back by the past so much. Sometimes you have to move forward even if you don't know what is behind the door that you have to open. The wind continues to move forward and you must do the same thing."

"Understood," Kazuha nodded. "Thank you for the advice."

Giving the two of you the chance to soak in the advice that he had given you, Venti went back to where he was sitting and played a song on his lyre. A calming song of warmth and comfort, you couldn't help but feel love and care. It was something so beautiful.

After a while of calming music, Venti stopped playing and grinned, "My advice isn't free. How about you treat me to some Dandelion Wine."

Kazuha stared at the archon in disbelief while you giggled from the sudden mood change. Looking at Kazuha, he understood what you wanted to do and nodded that it was fine for you to treat the archon to the wine that he wanted.

"Let's go buy your wine," you started walking towards the city to which Kazuha followed.

"Wait really?" Venti asked, excited with the progression.

"Yea," Kazuha answered. "It's right for us to treat you after you helped us."

The three of you started your way to the city as you all went to Angel's Share tavern to thank Venti for his help. Venti had continued to drink for so long that you had given up on waiting for the drunk archon to finish and left him with mora on the table.

"Let's continue on this new path together Kazuha," you looked at him as you walked out the door of the tavern.

"Lets," Kazuha agreed, a small smile making its way to his face.