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Xiao's energy nearing exhaustion, a look of resignation displayed on his face. Aether instantly knew he had to do something, and quickly, or he was going to lose Xiao too.
Aether has had enough of sitting back and watching from the sidelines. He wasn't going to stand still this time, wasn't going to let things happen right before his eyes, just like he did for Teppei, or even Lumine. He wasn't going to let Xiao do as he pleased.
So, right before Xiao could do anything more, Aether rushed to stand by the adeptus's side, used his left hand to lower Xiao's own, and instantly began channeling his own energy into the compass. He didn't care if it would tear his body to shreds or anything else, if it meant keeping Xiao- everyone safe, it was a worthwhile price to pay.
Kneeled next to him, Xiao's expression morphed into one of pure horror, trying to get up and stop Aether with the little strength he had left.
"No! You can't do this! This is far too much of a burden for a mortal to bear! Your body is going to fall apart!"
"Don't underestimate me!" Aether exclaimed through gritted teeth, using anemo to create a small wind shield around him when he noticed that multiple people were reaching out for him, so that nobody could try to interfere with his plan. He was confident that he could do it, he had the energy required, even though barely. But if he didn't mess things up, he should have enough energy left to get out, not unscathed, but still alive.
He equally had the necessary determination to hold on until they were out. Now, all he could do was hope that his body wouldn't fail him before it's over.
It shouldn't, his current body still being hardened by hundreds of years of traveling between worlds, but with his powers sealed, Aether had to take all of the strain head on.
And archons, it was painful. Aether never really had to suffer much before his powers got sealed, since his powers were the ones to take most of the damage, whenever he was hurt during battle (which wasn't often). But now, it was only Aether, and himself. He silently praised Xiao for having held on so long, and redirected his focus towards the compass, ignoring the taste of iron in his mouth, or the way his legs shook under his weight.
At this point, he was completely cut off from the outside world. He knew that there were people talking- or, maybe, screaming at him, judged by the little he could see with his peripheral vision, but he just couldn't care less at the time, his mind solely focused on the item that was before him.
His remaining energy was lowering towards a dangerous level (seems like the anemo shield required more energy than he'd thought), but Aether just couldn't stop, no matter what. He was going to get them out of there.
And finally, Aether could see the darkness around them brighten more and more, indicating the end of the tunnel, and his torment, and with a final push, the world around him faded to white.
Xiao woke up to be blinded by a bright and warm light, giving his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the sudden change in the environment.
Once his sight returned, he slowly lifted his pupils and looked in front of him, confusion clear on his face, and saw that he was... outside of the Chasm? But, moments ago, weren't-
Aether!
It all came back to him in a flash, and Xiao started frantically looking around for golden eyes, hair, or anything, ignoring his body that practically begged him to stop moving, the adrenalin kicking through his veins barely enough to numb some of the pain and allow him to even stand on his legs.
When he spotted a glimpse of gold from the corner of his eyes, Xiao felt his blood turn cold.
He used the last bits of strength left inside his tired body to rush next to Aether and kneel (well, he rather fell down out of exhaustion).
Aether was lying still on the ground, on his side, his back towards Xiao.
Xiao also seemed to be the first person by Aether's side, and the first to fully regain awareness at all (the others either being out cold, or in the middle of waking up), and archons, there possibly wasn't any word strong enough to explain how Xiao was feeling at that time.
All of the anger, worry, guilt, fear, and despair were tangled up inside his head, his brain overwhelmed with so many emotions that Xiao just couldn't think straight anymore, allowing panic to slowly take the better of him.
Xiao reached out to Aether, turned him around, and slowly elevated him from the ground and into his arms, afraid that any harsh movement would cause his weakened body to shatter just like glass.
The first thing Xiao noticed was how pale and cold the other felt, and how red the blood coming out from his nose, mouth and eyes was. Worst of all, he couldn't see the familiar small rise and fall on the other's chest.
"Aether? Aether, can you hear me? Please, answer me!"
When he only received silence as an answer, along with the too peaceful look on Aether's face, Xiao could feel a part of him just break, falling apart in tiny bits and returning to nothingness.
How could he... have allowed something like this to happen? He was the only one supposed to sacrifice himself, protecting mortals being nothing short than his duty and reason to live! Aether wasn't supposed to step in, he wasn't supposed to end up like this, he-
"Aether! Oh no, this can't be happening!" Xiao could hear Yanfei's voice coming from behind him, along with hers and several other hurried footsteps, rushing towards them, distracting him from sinking any further into his self-destructive train of thought. Right. For a moment, Xiao completely forgot that there were other people here as well.
When even Xiao had given up, a last ray of hope remained.
"Everyone, step aside! I will see what I can do." The person he remembered to be Kuki Shinobu kneeled in front of him next to Aether's other side, lowering him to the ground, forcing Xiao to back down to allow her space once he understood that she was a healer, so that she would remain undisturbed in case she could do something, anything.
Shinobu created a small electro field on the ground, her hands hovering slighty over Aether's pale form, a purple glow emanating from her gloved hands.
"I can still save him. Even though barely any energy is left inside his body, he didn't suffer from any major injuries, so if I lend him my remaining energy, he should survive." Shinobu's brow furrowed as she spoke, concentrating on her task the best she could.
At her words, Xiao felt like he could breathe again, his tense shoulders relaxing for the first time today. No words could describe how relieved he felt that it wasn't the end for him. Never would Xiao have been able to forgive himself if Aether had died here, and by his fault, because he failed to see what Aether was going to do, because he failed to stop him, because he was too weak to save him.
He could hear the other people around him rejoicing as well, but paid them no mind as he continued observing Shinobu do her work, relieved to see that Aether's previously pale face was slowly regaining colors.
After a while, Shinobu removed her hands from Aether's chest and let them fall back at her side, visibly exhausted. As for Aether, he was still a bit pale, but nothing compared to earlier, his chest now moving with a small rise and fall.
Shortly after, Xiao noticed Aether's brows furrowing, the way someone about to wake up does. He quickly crouched back next to him, placing a hand behind his back to elevate him a bit from the ground.
And finally, Aether's eyes fluttered open in a slow motion, his golden orbs seeming unfocused at first, but quickly found Xiao's own amber eyes, the latter couldn't describe the relief it provided him, to be able to see his golden iris again.
Aether slowly felt consciousness coming back to him, and the first thing he felt was the uncomfortable soreness of his muscles, and how spent he felt. If he could, Aether would go back to sleep right now, but the unclear and oh, so loud voices around him prevented him from doing so.
Forced to get up to see what was causing all of that ruckus, and preferably to stop it so that he could quickly go back to sleep, Aether tentatively opened his eyes and found his vision to be blurry, taking a few seconds to go back to normal. After the world wasn't an unclear mass of colored blobs anymore, Aether first noticed a familiar silhouette standing next to him.
"Huh?... Xiao, what... Where are we?" A frown visible on his face, Aether slowly but steadily moved to be in a seated position, supported by Xiao's hand on his back. He had absolutely no idea of where he was or what the hell he was doing here, and also why did he feel as if his body had been smashed into tiny bits and put back together.
"We are outside of the Chasm. Aether, are you feeling okay? Does it hurt anywhere?" Yanfei spoke up, in her voice clear concern, as she crouched down a bit to look at him.
"We are... outside of the Chasm? What-" Aether suddenly felt everything coming back to him, from the time they entered the Chasm, to Xiao's failed (because of him) sacrifice attempt.
When he looked over at the latter, who was still crouched down next to him, Aether could see many emotions swirling around inside his usually calm, and distant eyes. He never thought that one day, he would get to see the adeptus be so emotional. He was glad to see that now Xiao was able to feel and show his emotions so clearly, but when he thought about the reason why, Aether didn't know if this was a good or a bad thing.
Aether then spent a while chatting with the others, having managed to get up after some rest, but still doing his best to fight off the fatigue he had been feeling ever since he woke up. He had more important matters to take care of before that.
When the last people who didn't seem to be able to read between the lines finally left (Itto and Paimon(Yanfei had to promise Paimon a meal to have her leave)), Aether was left alone with Xiao, standing up next to him, gazing at the scenery. That's good. Aether had some really important things to talk about with him, and wasn't going to let him go just like that. But first, the other looked like he had something he wanted to tell as well.
"Xiao, did you need to talk to me?" Aether asked, keeping his smile on for now, wanting to hear what the other had to say first, before saying anything.
"... So you noticed. Indeed, I do." At these words, Xiao turned around to face Aether, staring down at him, anger evident inside his eyes and face. "Why did you do this, knowing very well that you could have died, had your body not been strong enough to take on the damage?" Xiao's voice sounded so angry and judgmental, that Aether couldn't help but be mad at the adeptus for being so hypocritical.
"Excuse me, but I think you have no right to say anything to me here. I only did the same thing as you did. If anything, I should be the one who's angry. You were the first to selfishly attempt to sacrifice yourself in the first place, and you wanted me to just sit back quietly, and watch things happen? Oh, you couldn't be more wrong. Everything I did, I did it knowing my limits. I was certain I could get us out, and even if I was uncertain as to whether I was going to make it out alive or not, it's still better than watching you rushing towards a certain death, in a selfish attempt to fulfill your 'duty'. Did you ever think about how we would feel, knowing you had to give up your own life, in order for us to survive? Ha, I bet you didn't, huh? If I had lost you, too, I..." Xiao looked more taken aback than angry anymore, surprise reflecting in his tired eyes. Aether was left almost hyperventilating by the end of his speech, the intense emotions not faring well with his worn out body.
"I only offered to sacrifice myself because it was the only option we had left in order for everyone to get out safely. Protecting Liyue, thus mortals, is my sole reason to live. Dying for that cause would be a fitting end for a yaksha. I spent a long time thinking about it, and was at peace with it by the time it happened. You, on the other hand, had absolutely no reason to give up your life there. You still have to find your sister, and other things you need to do. I don't understand... why did you do something so reckless as risking your life, when you still had so much left to do?" Xiao sounded genuinely confused by the end. In his voice, a hint of hurt? sadness? that startled Aether a bit.
"Haven't I made it clear enough already? It's because I didn't want to lose you! And I'll not hesitate to do it again if required. Isn't this a good enough reason for risking my life?" When he noticed the adeptus staring at him looking both confused and incredulous, Aether couldn't stop a sigh from escaping his mouth. "Xiao, listen, I... I need you. I don't know how to explain it, but... I feel like if you're not there, then it's pointless. The time we spend together... it's one of the few things that keeps me going. I'm just- so tired, I never asked for any of this. All I ever wanted was to be by Lumine's side, and now that she's gone, and doesn't even seem to want to be with me again, it all feels so... senseless. I'm tired of searching for someone who doesn't even want to be found. If I were to lose you too, I... I really don't know what would happen to me. Xiao, please, don't leave me. I need you. The idea of losing you, is just..." Aether couldn't stop the tears from flowing out anymore, all of the emotions he repressed until now coming out at once. He tried to control himself, taking deep breaths and pressing an arm on his eyes, but nothing seemed to work. So, Aether tried to at least turn away from Xiao, not wanting to make him feel more uncomfortable than he already must be.
When Aether felt himself being pulled into an awkward, yet gentle embrace, he couldn't help but grab onto the other's clothes as if clinging to a lifeline, his tears slightly dampening Xiao's top, while said person held him wordlessly, his grip on the other strong.
"I am sorry I made you go through this. I... Just didn't want to see you disappear. Never would I have been able to forgive myself had you died, only because I was too weak to protect you." Xiao paused for a while, searching for the right words, his warm breathing tickling Aether's neck. "... Ever since I met you, my life has become so much more- meaningful, my pain much more bearable. Aether, you... I do not want to lose you. I wish to stay by your side. I... am truly blessed to get to spend another day with you. Thank you. For being here. With me." Aether could feel Xiao's grip on him tightening, and for a second he thought that it was Lumine's arms around him, thought that did nothing to appease his sobbing.
They stood like this for a while, until Aether's breathing calmed down enough so that he would be able to talk without sobbing at every words. Despite not wanting to do it, Aether slowly freed himself from Xiao's embrace, pushing the other away gently. He wouldn't have minded staying like this for a little bit longer, but he figured Xiao must be uncomfortable with it, or have other things to do. He felt bad for stealing so much of the adeptus's time already.
"Sorry you had to see me like this. And sorry if it made you uncomfortable. This usually never happens. I guess I just needed to cry a bit today. Anyway, I'll make sure it won't happen again, so don't worry about it. Still, thank you for what you did. It really helped me." Xiao eyed him with a small frown visible on his face, his arms back to Xiao's signature position- crossed around his chest.
"You do not have to apologize. It is only normal for all things to break when too much pressure is applied. I'm rather... relieved I was by your side then, even if I am not the most experienced person when it comes to emotions. You are the one who taught me that it is okay to rely on others sometimes. You do not have to endure everything alone, Aether. Please know that if you ever feel overwhelmed by anything, you can always speak my name, I will come at any time. Know that you are never alone." Aether felt a small tear of happiness rolling down his cheek as he listened to Xiao's words, a warm smile displayed on his face.
"Thank you, Xiao. Really. But I want you to do the same, alright? Otherwise, it would just feel like I'm taking advantage of you. I also want to help you. If there's anything you need help with, just come to me, okay? I'll always be there for you. I promise." Aether grinned, placing his hands on his hips the best he could, with the little energy he had left.
"... Alright. I shall come to you whenever I feel the need to. I can promise you this." Xiao closed his eyes in defeat, his head bowing down towards the ground. Aether knows that he probably won't ever come to him, but he hoped that his words could aid the yaksha during hard times, and maybe, one day, even get him to open up to Aether. It's going to be hard, but hey, there's a beginning to everything.
"So, now... Don't you think it's time for us to leave this place? I've been fed up with the Chasm for years to come. Also, I'm thinking of staying the night at Wangshu Inn, I'm just too exhausted to go anywhere else, if you see what I mean." An unimpressed sigh escaped Xiao's lips at Aether's words, his arms leaving their crossed position around his chest, to lie loosely by his side.
"Fine. I will take you with me. Now, come here." Much to Aether's surprise, Xiao extended his hand for him to take, his eyes avoiding meeting Aether's by looking at the scenery in front of him. Aether swore he could see a faint blush appearing on his cheeks.
Aether accepted the open hand with a huge grin, gazing fondly at Xiao's side profile, since the other still didn't seem to want to cross his gaze. Aether didn't mind, it was probably the best he was going to get out of Xiao for now. And it was honestly pretty cute.
The two of them then disappeared in a flash of green, leaving behind not only teal colored butterflies, but also the horrendous experience they both lived today, experience that at least, brought them closer than they have ever been before.