Hear me out, geo sovereign Zhongli. He managed to not get corrupted by the abyss. Or maybe Zhongli as Nibelung’s reincarnation 👀

Also the shades not being created by Phanes!mc’s magic but rather being born as his and Nibelung’s children.

Dottore and Columbina just messing with the fatui lol. Imagine Columbina being a third wheel while Dottere and Pantalone flirt. Poor girl has to witness her brother flirting his husband(?)

- 🐋🦈

I think i read a theory where someone suggested Zhongli is a reincarnated Nibelung, so this could be a interesting idea with a Phainon!MC to Phanes!MC au.

Nibelung/Zhongli would probably have flashbacks and all back, maybe once he gave up the Geo Gnosis he gets his memories back?

Oh! Or what if he's playing the big game by using the Fatui/Tsaritsa? Like, here, take my Gnosis, and then when all the Gnosis are collected he just scoops in and reveals his true identity before yoinking all the Gnosis, taking back all the authorities before turning his attention to Phanes!MC... time to reclaim what was his.

And YES to the Shades not being magically made but instead the natural way~ 🤭

Also, lol, Columbina you might be complaining now but Dottore is just getting back at you for doing the exact same thing to him with Sandrone.

At most I have a few mish mash ideas for this au that not only involve Yandere Nibelung, but a few other characters. Still, it isn't much... 😅

The Shades are draconic in nature. How? Blame Yandere Nibelung.

When Phanes!MC accidentally created the girls, the dragon took a chance to let some of his power seep into newly formed children when Phanes!MC wasn't looking, and wallah! Adorable hatchlings!

Yandere Platonic Sovereigns? Absolutely. In their scaly heads, Phanes!MC was the only worthy soul to be their king's consort.

Does this yandereness end up affecting them when the Abyss came? Yes. It made them extremely unstable and dangerous to not only Teyvat and themselves, but also Phanes!MC

...This 'unstableness' comes back full force once Apep is 'healed' by Nahida and Neuvillette gets his authority back.

Teyvat's fractions have no idea that it isn't the 'Heavenly Principles' they should be worried about. Oh no, it's Nibelung they should've been worried about.

After thousands upon thousands of years... he was back, and he was looking for his one and only consort.

...If you ha e more ideas for this au, please share. I can't think of anything else...

they think this dude is about to duke it with phainon!mc to phanes!mc and kill him when all the dragon king does is throw phainon!mc to phanes!mc over his shoulder and walk off.

later on people will claim to have heard strange noises coming from celestia...

Uh... are those 'strange noises' what they think they are? 👀😳

...Yep, Yandere Nibelung is probably showing how much he 'missed' Phainon!MC to Phanes!MC~ 🤭

The most Random idea in freaking existence...

The Jing Yuan!MC, but take his death scene and have him reincarnate as Phainon!MC with the many more cycles than canon au. This is the most Random idea in existence and I don't know why it popped up into my head, that is all now, just needed to say this

Columbina and Zandik are the most Siblings ever. Do they look alike? Not in the slightest. Do they act alike? Absolutely. I say Phanes!MC gives Zandik a Coreflame of Reason (Cerces) to make him semi-immortal (the Chrysos Heirs version of it - no longer/incredibly slow aging, can still die of injuries), so no Segments or dying at 85. The two enjoy messing with the Fatui, and they’re helped by the Fae from the moment they joined.

Ooo, maybe have Rerir be healed prior to canon? So when the Traveller does show up in Nod Krai, there’s this lovely starry-eyed couple that enjoy hanging around Columbina (and Dottore). Dainsleif has an interesting reaction, seeing bothe of them all lovey-dovey together.

Maybe if Dottore did go to the Akademiya, he was framed for the Sages crimes? And then people used him/his name as a scapegoat? So people still think he did all these horrible things his canon-counterpart did.

The Abyss Order’s reaction would be interesting to see, same with the Fatui’s. Unfortunately my mind is drawing a blank. 😅 Thrain might be more open to the truth? Especially if provided evidence. Dainsleif… might be open to the truth as well? He’s travelled all over Teyvat after all, and there has to be some discrepancies between “the power-hungry Heavenly Principles” and Phanes!MC.

—

And Phanes!MC remembers!!!! Now he can horrify his Teyvat friends with his backstory! :D Over 33 billion years in a time loop where everyone he knew and loved died! And he had to kill them! :D Zandar’s other fragments should be afraid, the Sovereigns and associated divinities are out for blood. But hey, at least they get to meet his sister! Terrifying maybe-future-Aeon that she is.

The Amphoreans and Astral Express will definitely be causing chaos across Teyvat for the duration of their stay.

~ 🐸-anon

You know, Dvalin also probably might be in the know about the truth of Phanes!MC, now that I think about it. Like can you imagine certain people's reaction to Dvalin calling Phanes!MC 'grandfather'?

Zandik with the coreflame of Reason is brilliant! Make him even more Anaxagoros coded and slow down his aging! He won't die an old man, and no stupid segments!

...You think he still ends up helping Pantalone?

Rerir and Tholindis living the marry life in Nod Krai~ No angst or being stuck in the Moon Gate together for them!

If Dottore was framed, Columbina would definitely somehow get revenge for him in the most chaotic, troll way possible.

...I'm also drawing blanks on the Abyss Order/Fatui's reaction, but I can agree Thrain would at least listen once proof is given to him. Same for Dainsleif.

Zandar. Zandar, once the Sovereigns and Phanes!MC teyvatian friends/families catch you, Zandar- 🤬

But hey, at least they got to meet Cyrene. ...Cyrene who is honestly kind of terrifying but also awesome? She's definitely a hit with the Moon Sisters.

And oh god, I can already imagine the chaos the Nameless and Amphoreus crew will cause. I can see Phanes!MC enjoying it.

~ 🐸-anon

—

Phanes!MC is going to be the best uncle to the Melusines. Although he’s been avoiding Fontaine, he has been buying them gifts since he found out they existed.

Venti would troll everybody else, and he’d probably also really appreciate any help with raising Dvalin. Phanes!MC would know how to deal with dragon hatchlings.

If Phanes!MC adopts Zandik, he and Columbina would be proper siblings, and if they ever join the Fatui (to troll them and keep an eye on what they’re planning) they’d confuse so many people. (The fae know what is going on and encourage it - these are the only Harbingers they approve of.)

Speaking of Dottore and Mondstadt, would Crepus die in this au? Since the dragons and Celestia weren’t enemies, angels weren’t cursed like in canon, and Dottore is not like his counterpart.

I think the only reason Gold would be spared would be because she was corrupted by the Abyss when she tried to merge with Naberius and thus wasn’t “herself” per-se.

And you guessed correctly with Tholindis! Her survival will be a great foothold in bringing Rerir out from the Abyss’ influence. And I suppose with her family being tied to the moon goddesses, Columbina gains a niece!

—

Phanes!MC is being his “Phainon”-self, helping everyone wherever and whenever. The majority of Teyvat doesn’t seem to know much about Celestia other than it outranks the archons, so I think the only one’s who might connect Phanes!MC to it would be gods and spirits and the like.

From what I figured, the Abyss Order is mainly made up of Khaenri’ahns (with the exception of people like Enjou (no idea how to incorporate him here)), so they might not be included in those that know what “the Heavenly Principles” look like - and if they saw Phanes!MC during the Cataclysm, they’d only see him in his boss form, not as “Phainon”. So… maybe they dislike “Phainon”!MC, but grudgingly tolerate him since he helps Teyvat? Still loathe Phanes!MC. Them being primarily Khaenri’ahn (likely from the Court and Universitas) would also explain why they are so antagonistic towards Phanes!MC - they only know him as the one who destroyed their nation, and don’t know why he did so.

bhjdvewhgmfvg “Phainon”!MC as Phanes!MC’s husband!!! You have me cackling like a lunatic at that!!! 🤣🤣🤣 Venti might’ve made that mistake the first time they met and then decided to have everyone make that mistake. Shared embarassment and all that. Perhaps scatters a few “ancient depictions” of “Phainon”!MC and Phanes!MC? The Hexenzirkel helps.

And that is an excellent reason why Celestia is like that about Descenders!! My original thought was that the Antimatter Legion was already near Teyvat, especially with the Abyss fucking shit up like it is, but Phanes!MC hiding the planet and moons/system from being discovered by the Legion is brilliant!

For a reunion… Perhaps the Astral Express/Alliance is tracking down Phanes!MC in an attempt to find him before Nanook and the Legion does, and come across the impact crater where he first landed. (It looks so much older than it should be, and Cyrene pauses before saying she can feel remnants of Coreflames of Oronyx here.) The Astral Express approaching the space where Teyvat is alerts Columbina and her sisters (Their moons make them more sensitive to approaching outsiders), who immediately contact Phanes!MC.

Phanes!MC immediately flies out to either kill them or redirecting them and wiping they memories of Teyvat, but pauses upon seeing the Express. They knew this train.

They let out a hurt noise when Cyrene his sister flies out of the Express. His memories return to him after millennia as he hugs his sister for the first time in so long, and he cries.

I can ready imagine Neuvillette's face when Phanes!MC comes in with ALL the presents he's been hoarding foe the Melusines since he got wind of their existence.

Oh by the Sovereigns, Phanes!MC was going to spoil them rotten.

Pashiv also get a present too... or well, a late one, cause Phanes!MC had no clue about her until a bit later. Good news, she likes him. Better news? Phanes!MC had the joy of being squished under a happy shapeshifting vishap.

Venti would definitely troll everyone, and YES, the moment he found a young Dvalin he was running back to his mom and grandpa for tips on how to take care of dragons. Because this was his son/friend now!

Oh, and the idea of Columbina and a Zandik that was raised by Phanes!MC joining the Fatui to simply troll with them is a hilarious idea. Especially since the Fae know what they're doing.

And yes! Crepus lives! So no Diluc running off to Snezhnaya to do vengeance things!

Tholindis! She's basically Columbina's niece? I like that idea along with Rerir also being cured of his Abyssal taint. He definitely doesn't care; all he cares about is he and Tholindis were together again...

Now with the Abyss Order, or well, any cursed Khaenri'ahns in general... I just want to know their reactions if they got a clear-cut explanation on why Phanes!MC destroyed Khaenri'ah exactly and to such an extent... 🤔

Cyrene! The Astral Express! Phanes!MC finally remembers everything! He got to see his friends again after so LONG! 🥹

...Though, now I need reactions from Neuvillette, Apep, and the Moon Sisters, cause now with his memories back completely, he might finally be able to explain the meaning of the number 33,550,337 he mentioned back when they first met him.

I see a whole lot of horror, crying, and most definitely two Sovereigns trying to bully him into their nest cause what do you mean you looped 33,550,337 before landing on Teyvat?! 😱

I love the Phainon/Phanes!MC idea, tbh i'm kinda just imagining him running around everywhere in Teyvat under his normal form, making friends with people and like, maybe people think he has something to do with Asmoday and Celestia, he doesn't seem to be from any nation after all

My main thing rn is wondering what the abyss order thinks about both Phainon and Phanes, do they still despise the latter, what do they think about the former?

Kind of imagining Istaroth introducing Venti to her dad and Venti just thinking he's Phanes's husband instead of being the same person (they look almost nothing like eachother)

Wondering if the reason Celestia is so like that about outsiders is bc even if he doesn't remember much Phainon knows there are dangers outside, that are specifically hunting him down (for what? He doesn't know.) and that anyone going in then back out is dangerous

Also kind of just thinking of him meeting the Amphoreus cast once again, and him feeling weird about all of it and then he finds out about the eternal recurrence thingie

Uh... good question on the whole Abyss Order issue. To be honest... I'm not sure? I'm up for suggestions, but I'm a little blank on kdeas besides it maybe boiling down to another misunderstanding situation.

The Venti bit makes me imagining he does KNOW 'Phanes!MC's husband' is actually Phanes!MC, but he's a menace. Let him troll.

And yeah, I can see Phanes!MC having this feeling, this fear of the outside. He doesn't remember why, but his body remembers, and it knows the outside is dangerous.

DESTRUCTION. NANOOK. DON'T LET THEM IN. DON'T LET THEM FIND YOU, PHAINON!MC.

The accidental creation of the Shades made me laugh. The Bird has smaller, babier birds! Who have powers that only Phanes!MC can counter. Perhaps each has two or so Coreflames? So… Istaroth has Oronyx and Aquila, Asmoday has Janus and Talanton, Naberius maybe Georios and Phagousa, Ronova has Thanatos and Zagreus. (Would be funny if that means the people and gods of Teyvat think that the Shades powerlevel is roughly that of Phanes!MC, only to find out that they were very wrong. Phanes!MC’s power-level is the Shades x33,550,336 (x12 considering the 12 Titans). Ouch.)

—

I adore the idea of Apep dropping lore bombs during Nahida’s Story Quest! Like, they were expecting Apep to hate humans, and absolutely loathe the Heavenly Principles, and instead once she was healed from the corruption she was remarkably apathetic towards humanity. And then when asked by Nahida if she will antagonise the Heavenly Principles for being an Usurper they get metaphorically hit with a hammer.

“Why would I seek revenge on Phanes!MC? They were mercy kills after the Abyss corrupted us beyond saving - the collection of our authority for your Gnoses was a way for our souls to recover quicker. The fact so few of us have returned should show just how bad the corruption was. Our King imprisoned his daughter for our sake!”

Apep then refuses to speak with them further, grumbling that maybe she should invade Celestia, since Phanes!MC was most definitely working themselves into an early grave without the dragons there to stop him. Leaving Nahida and the Traveller to stand in the desert, frozen in shock at what they’ve learned. (Unknown to the two, Phanes!MC shows up in the Desert shortly after they leave. Apep does not let him leave for quite some time.)

Neuvillette! He remembers the day after his authority is returned to him and the “prophecy” averted. (Maybe the prophecy instead of a punishment by Phanes!MC was a consequence of Egeria misusing Leviathan’s authority?) Either way, the only reason he doesn’t keep Phanes!MC in his nest when he finds him is that he has to work as Fontaine’s Iudex. It would be funny if the archons think (or is it only Zhongli who knows?) Neuvillette wants to kill them, when he just wants to see how they’re handling the elements and to see if their respective Sovereigns have been reincarnated/recovered.

—

The Hexenzirkel would enjoy playing a joke like that, trolls that they are. Perhaps they collaborate with Columbina to open a wider window/gate into the Moon’s Reflection? And accidentally free a Khaenri’ahn who had gotten stuck centuries ago. The Moon Sisters are disappointed at Teyvat and the Archons for “remembering” Phanes!MC as a powerhungry Usurper, but do enjoy the fae and Hexenzirkel basically making fun of the planet. The Fatui are so confused why the various fae species dislike them - should they not want the Heavenly Principles deposed for their tyranny?

(Though maybe Venti would know about Phanes!MC since he’s Istaroth’s child? Or maybe he wouldn’t, since he started out as a wisp in Mondstadt? If he does know, he trolls other with the Hexenzirkel, and if he doesn’t, he pouts at the Hexenzirkel for not telling him.)

For Columbina: Phanes!MC would not leave her with the Frostmoon Scions, especially if they are not one of the groups still in contact with the imprisoned Moon Sisters. He refuses to leave Nibelung’s his daughter with these cruel and ignorant fools. Columbina grows up wandering Teyvat with Phanes!MC, occasionally visiting the floating isles of Celestia, but always returning to Nod Krai. She’s in constant contact with her older sisters.

—

Talking about the Shades, what about the whole Naberius and Rhinedottir situation? I highly doubt Phanes!MC would let that happen to his daughter. So either Rhinedottir dies for attempting to merge with Naberius, or she’s a member of the Hexenzirkel without said merge. Maybe she joins after Phanes!MC removes the Abyssal corruption from when she became a Sinner?

Also! Dottore. Phanes!MC would not let someone like that live. He reminds him too much of Zandar. Who? Maybe have him adopt a baby Zandik before the atrocities? Or have Zandik be more like Anaxagoras - still a heretic, still a little mad, but not human experimentation unless it’s on himself.

~ 🐸-anon

In Phanes!MC's eyes, Shades, whether they are babies or adults, will always be his 'baby birds'. 🥰

And ooohh! I like the idea of the Shades having one or two coreflames! And the ones you suggested definitely sound like they would fit them!

Apep saw a chance to troll, and she took it. She said her piece, take it how it is and get out her den. ...Cut to when Phanes!MC sneaks in to see her and her mood flips like a switch. She's hustling his tired ass in her nest so quickly-

And Neuvillette! Even if he couldn't bully Phanes!MC like Apep did, the Iudex still manages to convince him to at least spend a few days in Fontaine.

This only succeeds when Neuvillette brings up the offer in introducing Phanes!MC to his 'nieces', the Melusines. Phanes!MC immediately takes the bait.

Look, he's been wanting to meet the Melusines for YEARS but stayed away due to Neuvillette not having all his memories back.

Needless to say, the Melusines adore their new 'uncle'.

Also, I was originally thinking of Venti not being in the know, but now I can't unsee him knowing because of his mother (Istaroth) and being an absolute troll with everyone not in the know.

Columbina I'm just happy over the fact she didn't get raised by the Frostmoon scions like she did in canon. She got to travel, have fun, has contact with her sisters, basically had a true family.

...Ah, I forgot about Gold. Hm... I say she's spared but given a VERY firm warning not to pull that shit again before removing her abyssal corruption.

Sides that... did I see a mention of 'a Khaenri'ahn' being freed from the Moon Gate? Tholindis?!

And Dottore! Yes! If he was raised even the slightest bit different, he could be, so Anaxagoros coded!