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He met the first half of them at Guyun Stone Forest.
A lone figure, standing among one of the islands, where remnants of the Archon War were still fresh. Their dress, along with their platinum blonde hair swayed gently with the wind as they take a deep breath. Xiao quietly kept watch from afar as to look out for dangers that could potentially strike at any second. The adeptus has never seen such human before. Judging from the clothes they wear, they're definitely not from either Liyue or Mond. Someone from Fontaine, perhaps?
Not wanting to be seen, he stood up and prepared to walk away from the scene, not until one of the sleeping ruin guards suddenly woke up and started walking towards the person. Xiao materialized his spear in his hands, ready to plunge at the enemy, but the next series of events prevented him from doing so.
The ruin guard lowered its mechanical hand in front of them, offering the person a hand as they jumped to sit on it and walk away. It was at that moment Xiao got a good look on the person.
A girl with golden eyes, flowers that he doesn't recognize were sitting on their hair, and upon closer look, their dress actually served as something to wear on long travels. Heavily pleated, and a pair of gloves that reached above their elbow. A sword was resting on their lap, and a stern look was plastered on their face. The yaksha cannot process if they pose any kind of harm, but the fact that they can control a ruin guard to serve them is enough reason to keep his guard up for a fight.
The winds blew harshly as a portal appeared out of thin air, tremendous abyssal energy seeped from every crevice of it, nearly sending chills to Xiao's spine. It seems otherworldly, and this is the first time he sensed something as dangerous and powerful as this. He stood up, trying to make sense of the situation but the portal disappeared along with the person he just saw. He doubled down on the ground, silently trembling as his karmic debt somehow began clouding his mind once again.
Sensing no purpose to stay in here any longer, he became one with the wind, disappearing to conquer demons across the land.
Xiao has lived for a thousand years, and probably will for a thousand more.
The duty he promised to fulfil under the guise of gratitude for Rex Lapis has given him the title as the guardian of the land, bringing peace and order through slaughter. Thousands of years under his karmic debt, he believes he will never understand how humans feel emotions, and will never want to engage with them in the first place.
Though as his spear pierces through the creatures he conquers, he will never forget how that person looked more dead than he was.
Hundreds of years later, the other half showed himself at the rooftop of Wangshu Inn, with a warm smile and a fresh plate of Almond Tofu in his hands.
"Say, traveler. What was your twin like?"
The sun sets, taking its time as a beautiful hue of red, orange and yellow spreads over the sky. They're on top of Starsnatch Cliff, the blonde pleading Xiao to accompany him all the way to Mondstadt for a "change of pace" and for Xiao to understand humans for the traveler's sake. With Paimon at Good Hunter currently enjoying their Sticky Honey Roast, Aether lets his braid fall loose, walking along the cliff, holding a bundle of Cecilias Flora commissioned him to gather.
"My twin sister, huh.." Aether stops on his tracks, taking his time as he tried to come up with any word, looking down on the ground. Xiao, sensing his somber pause, mentally curses himself. The adeptus has heard of Aether's mission to find his sibling and wanted to hear from the traveler himself. Though being unknowledgeable of the whole story, he genuinely did not mean to make Aether feel worse than he already was all this time.
However the blonde finally looks up, flashing a small smile towards Xiao. He cursed himself once again. Yeah, he made him feel sad, alright.
"Lumine, she's my other half. She does most of the things for the both of us to be honest. The one who cooks, the one who wakes up first, one who initiates stuff. She was the one who was always there, ready to back you up when nothing goes according to plan." Aether sighs, walking to the edge of the cliff while Xiao silently follows him.
"She means the whole world to me, heck, the whole universe even. So it definitely was like hell when we got separated from each other." The adeptus heard him sigh, sadly smiling towards the ever-stretching ocean in front of them. "I just hope she's okay. And I cannot wait to reunite with her soon. Though, gods forbid nothings going according to plan and here we are, with no clues and doing random commissions." Aether sighs once more, a tired chuckle leaves his lips as he spoke.
Aether, the mysterious traveler that got everyone in Teyvat talking. An outlander. Someone who doesn't hold a vision, yet has the ability to manipulate the elements of this world. He ranges from being adorably (though Xiao would rather die than admit it) clumsy, to being the strongest adventurer who conquers ancient gods in every region, gaining his popularity across Teyvat.
But as Xiao steals a glance at that pair of golden orbs, his chest blooms with warmth, and the sky seems to stretch further into the universe.
And the adeptus finds himself wanting to know a little bit more.
As an alien from another world, both Aether and Lumine knew better than to grow attached to anything they grow familiarly close to as they are bound to leave that place eventually at a time. It makes it easier for them to move on. They hold on to each other and nothing more, seeking guide from their pocket constellations floating on their palms as they travel from world to world, trying to find a place that they can call home and finally settle.
Though the world is cruel, and some things needed to be taught the hard way.
The first two months were horrible. Waking up all alone with crabs to keep himself company, Aether thought he was a goner. Without the smarter one of the half with him, trying to understand foreign language suddenly became harder, and approaching people became impossible. All they ever wanted was to leave, thus getting to understand this world became useless to him. That destruction his sister witnessed years ago was enough proof they weren't wanted in this world in the first place. At least, that's what he thinks. He was asleep after all.
Curse that god that separated them.
"Where did you both come from, exactly?"
Xiao snaps him back to the present, with another question waiting to be answered. Aether smiles, popping his glider open as stood up.
"Follow me."
Aether lets himself fall for a second before stretching his arms open, his glider widening in the process. A few cecilias fell from his bag, creating a little trail of flowers for Xiao to follow. He might have to apologize to Flora later. Giggling as they glide down, they both landed at the shore. Then, Aether points at a big boulder on the horizon, with a few crabs crawling along the shoreline.
"I awoke from my slumber a few years ago around here, right after that god separated the both of us." The blonde gestured at the tattered down camp, courtesy of the ocean's tides every now and then.
"You see, we came from another world. Somewhere far, far away from here." Aether pointed at the sea, looking at the vast space in front of them. "As you can assume, creatures in our world are different from the ones here in Teyvat."
"Time seems to move slower in Teyvat compared to our world. Days go by much faster out there." A small cluster of unfamiliar constellations summoned on Aether's palm as he pops it open, as if reading the time. The blonde sat by the shore, taking off his boots to let his feet get soaked by water. Xiao followed, standing right beside him.
"Did you know I had wings?" Aether glanced from behind him. "Their colors vary from what our ancestors have chosen to go on for generations to come. As you can obviously tell, me and Lumine's wings were hued gold and yellow."
"In our world, flying is as simple as breathing. It has always been a part of our daily lives. And our wings are what sets us apart from other creatures in our world. Since they are so pretty and one of a kind."
The adeptus silently listened, letting his imagination run wild as Aether describes what their world is like. As someone with a spirit as free as the traveler's, it made Xiao long for his own wings as well.
Oh how he'd love to fly with Aether someday.
Maybe when the world isn't so cruel for the both of them. Maybe they will.
But for now, they have this. And Xiao thinks that's enough.
"You know, ever since I ended up alone in Teyvat, the only thought that came into my mind was find my sister and immediately leave. As outlanders who got rejected by this world once, I see no further reason for us to stay in here any longer."
It doesn't matter how beautiful it is, he absolutely cannot appreciate the world that took his sister away from him.
"Now that I am alone, the loneliness I felt despite the treatment I get from everyone was horrible. It still feels different when the only one you cared for isn't there to make you feel better."
"But now that I met you, no matter how slow time moves in Teyvat, tomorrows became something I always look forward to." Aether finally faced Xiao, lips stretching into a wide, satisfying grin. "Thank you, Xiao."
"I cannot promise you that your sister will come back in one piece." Xiao started. "I cannot promise that she will be the same sister you saw hundreds of years ago before you got separated."
The yaksha gently took hold of Aether's hands, hesitantly rubbing circles on his palm. A habit he has gotten accustomed to while trying to find words he wanted to say.
"But I am always by your side to help. Call my name and I will be there no matter where you are. Anytime."
Xiao has never felt so relieved to receive a hearty chuckle from the latter.
From the eyes of a mortal, the guardian yaksha is a strong deity. They're the ones who protect the land after all. The ones who conquer demons and sacrifice their own wellbeing for the sake of bringing peace to the land. This is where the tremendous pride the Adepti felt came from as they were respected by mortals due to that fact.
As much as Xiao loathed to feel weak for having emotions, seeing Aether unravel himself like this in front of him hurt. As the spitting image of that girl crossed his mind once again, he began questioning himself why.
Why would such precious souls be reduced to make a face like this?
Why would the world be so cruel to these loving beings who wanted nothing but a home?
Xiao has lived for a thousand years, and probably will for a thousand more.
He was just a mere protector. A weapon. He wasn't supposed to care.
Yet why..
Why such simple words of gratitude from an outlander made him feel so weak?
Is this how humans manifest emotions?
Xiao wasn't sure, but he thinks he's bound to find out soon.
As they made their way back to Mondstadt, Xiao silently swore to himself.
He swore to protect the one who has made him feel for the first time in eons, and for as long as he lives...
He's going to make sure the skies are blue for the both of them to soar once more, when the world has become kinder to them.