Ace's backstory part 2
read part 1 before this!
That is the state Ace was in when the traveller came to Natlan, insane due to his thirst for blood. It was so bad that when he would go two days without fighting or drawing blood, he would go out and kill whatever he could find: Saurians, innocent animals, machines or an outsider to Natlan (most of these were Fatui agents). If he could not find any, he would tear at his own skin to satiate his rush of emotions. Hence, he wore bandages on easily exposed parts of his skin (i.e. his hands, legs and sometimes his face). Somehow, he kept these things hidden from others.
But Natlan being the nation of war, his actions were praised, since to the common folk, it seemed that their warrior had grown stronger and more resilient. Only those close to him, like Kinich, Iansan and Xilonen, could sense that there was something seriously wrong with him.
One day, while the traveler is strolling through Natlan to get materials, Ace spots Aether and Paimon. (gonna set traveller as Aether as it’s easier to keep track of for me than calling him ‘traveller’. Sorry Lumine fans :<) Unfortunately for Aether, Ace was having one of his ‘fits’ as he was stuck in the forges for the past two days, creating a weapon commissioned by a tribe member from the Collective of Plenty.
They have an epic fight sequence until Ace sees that the traveller can use multiple elements. Intrigued, he finally stops and demands to know how that is possible. After Aether explains, Ace becomes thoroughly disappointed since he thought he could mimic the traveller’s powers if he knew Aether’s ‘secrets’. Once it’s clear that he can’t mimic Aether’s ability, he moves on and decides he wants to be friends with Aether instead. So, in pure Ace style, he asks Aether to do a favour for him and in exchange, Ace will make him a weapon or device of Aether’s choice. Paimon, of course, becomes so excited that she basically begs Aether into accepting the offer.
The favour was this: Aether would collect crystalflies of different elements from different nations. Remember Ace’s vessel powered up with Pyro crystalflies that allowed him to use elemental powers without a vision? He tried to make other elemental vessels with slime condensate since he couldn’t go to other nations and get crystalflies. Needless to say, it didn’t work.
Why not send other people? Because he didn’t want to burden people. Also because of the whole people-can’t-get-out-of-Natlan thing in the archon quest (I didn’t get it either since I didn’t finish the archon quest but it helps me with the plot so lmao). Also also he tried a few times with travellers from other nations, but they would always end up killing or hurting the crystalflies, making Ace unable to make the vessels. So this time, he gives specific instructions that he needs them alive to Aether before they go their separate ways.
Aether collects anemo, geo and dendro crystalflies from Mondstadt, Liyue and Sumeru respectively. He could’ve gotten more but he decides that is enough for Ace at the moment to try out.
On his way to Ace’s forges, Aether runs into Iansan. Once she hears what the traveller is doing, she becomes skeptical and advises Aether not to get too into helping Ace make more elemental vessels. Then, she tells him about Ace’s aforementioned past and her guess that his madness (she doesn’t know he’s mad, only that he’s been acting strange lately) was a side effect of the vessel, like how aging quickly is a side-effect of using the Fatui’s delusions.
With that in mind, Aether gives the crystalflies to Ace but warns him about the things he heard from Iansan. Calmly, Ace tells him to back off because it’s not the reason and that it is none of his business.
He then keeps his promise, starting to make a weapon for Aether. A day later, he comes to Aether, asking if he wants to join him in going to mine for a specific material he needs. Aether agrees. Because he’s the main character.
When they reach Ace’s usual mining spot, they come across a few abyss mages who were hanging around. Ace, with his PTSD and insanity thing, immediately goes for an attack, viciously killing the mages. That’s when Aether realises something was wrong with the vessel; it had some dark material inside it, kind of like the impurities embedded in Dvalin’s tear in the Mondstadt archon quest.
That was how Ace was able to mimic Pyro energy. Some impurity from the abyss had mixed in with the pyro crystalflies he caught and strengthened their energy… but it polluted Aserion and amplified his negative emotions.
So, when Ace is done slaughtering all the mages, Aether asks to see the vessel, but Ace, who was naturally distrustful, demands a reason. This leads to a verbal fight between the two and things escalate until it turns into a physical fight because Ace thinks Aether is trying to steal the vessel and give it to someone else or replicate it for profit. (A/N: I feel like I need to explain myself here because ‘why would Ace start fighting and distrust Aether? He literally just saw Aether use multiple elements without a vision and wanted to be his friend!’ As I said, Ace is naturally distrusting, and ever since his cousin died, he believes even the best of people, or archons, can make bad decisions. That’s the whole point of his character’s belief: people will usually hurt other people. And yes, he also thinks that he has also taken advantage of other people. So, in his eyes, there’s always a chance that even his best buddies could harm him. Hence, why he never told about his ‘fits’ to Iansan or Kinich, who are his friends.)
But luckily, Iansan was nearby and comes to intervene. She knocks Ace out (originally I thought she’d knock him out with a weapon but now I see her bare hands are enough lmao) and guides Aether, Paimon and Ace to a cave nearby to let them gain their energy back.
Once she hears about Aether’s tale and guesses, she readily goes to search for the vessel on Ace, only to find out that Ace had woken up and heard their whole conversation. Ace tries to deny any of it, saying he was fine even after using the vessel for several years. Then, Iansan loses it and says he’s been weird since he lost Ximena.
That was the first time Aether heard Ximena’s name. (Uptil now, no one dared to speak her name because it put Ace in a bad mood and even Iansan referred to her as ‘Ace’s little cousin’ out of habit when she told Aether Ace’s past)
Ximena’s name makes Ace’s corruption take over because her name alone brings his negative emotions flooding right back.
Then, boss battle.
(Yes, I’m making Ace a weekly boss. I can do what I want, it’s my OC and Genshin’s never doing it so :p)
After an epic battle where Ace loses (obviously), Ace slumps against the cave wall, staring at Aether, Paimon and Iansan with a sad look of defeat on his face. Then, he nods and admits that he’s gone mad. Slowly, Iansan approaches him and says that he can get his madness under control if he just lets Aether help him purify the vessel, since Aether can do that stuff. Ace thinks for a bit and slowly comes to the realisation that he’s sitting at a crossroad. He can either let Aether purify the vessel and lose the pyro energy or he can run away, stay mad and continue using the power of pyro.
Aether moves to take the vessel away from Ace to either purify it or destroy it. Then, a sparkling light shows up above them and all of them look up.
It’s a vision. An Anemo vision.
Then, Ace hears a voice speak to him directly.
Will you accept this and purify yourself? Or will you remain with your greatest achievement?
Ace doesn’t recognise the voice but Aether does. It’s Barbatos. (HC: archons give out the elemental visions… I wish ;-;) Ace stares at the vision, then at the vessel. Then, making up his mind, he grabs the Anemo vision and smashes the vessel in his own fist.
The effect is instantaneous. The impurities from the vessel swirl around Aserion, polluting him further. It pollutes him so much that he passes out on the ground. Iansan and Paimon move in to help him up but Aether stops them, seeing that the pollutants were seeping out of Aserion’s body little by little with the help of the Anemo vision in Ace’s hand. Aserion’s first act with the Anemo vision was to purify himself of his madness.
Once Aserion finishes purifying, he wakes up and finds himself in his forge, with Iansan, Aether and Paimon watching over him. He calls them over, asking what happened to the vessel and Aether gives a now-empty one to him. Aserion just smiles and pockets it, saying he will stop making vessels and focus on making the weapon for Aether.
Time skip to two days later. Aserion gives Aether a brand new sword (which Paimon loves the design of), wishes him the best on his journey and finally talks about Ximena and a specific song they used to sing together, because it soothed her ears. (TMI: Aserion is good at singing)
So, Aserion sings and his story comes to an end as a cutscene of him and Ximena singing and playing in a Natlanian field is shown.
