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He didn’t realise it was a dream at first; awaking to a field of pretty white flowers skin to the ones his sister wears in her hair but not quite the same. It was as though someone tried to replicate them but only through fragmented memories or word-of-mouth and missed the details. In hindsight, that should have been the first clue that something was wrong but every alarm bell ringing in Aether’s head silenced at the sight of a familiar blonde head.
“Lumine…?” He muttered under his breath, rubbing his eyes as though he was seeing a mirage. His vision didn’t change, rather the figure turned and beamed at him brightly. “Lumine.”
“Aether!” She called back, delighted. And oh, how he’d longed to hear her say his name. “What are you doing all the way over there, silly?”
He ran in her direction, abandoning all reason and throwing himself at her to send them both tumbling between the flowers. Lumine laughed, hugging him back and he clutched at her dress desperately, afraid he would let go and have her disappear before his very eyes.
“Lumine.” He repeated, as if it was the only thing he could say.
“Aether!” She giggled. “Not that I don’t love hugs, but what’s up with that all of a sudden?”
“Nothing, I just… missed you.” He looked down at his hands, oddly free of some of the scars he’d gained over the last few years in Teyvat.
“I see you every day, though?” Lumine cocked her head to the site, pouting in confusion. “Did you hit your head on something?”
“I – no, I –” He frowned, shaking his head, unable to ignore the feeling that something was wrong.
“Aether?” Lumine’s voice turned concerned and she cupped his head, tilting his head up to look him in the eye. He locked eyes with another pair so similar to his own, looked at a face nearly identical to his and felt his resolve breaking. “What’s wrong?”
“Something feels… wrong…” He whispered. “Lumine, I think we’re in danger.”
“Danger?” She furrowed her eyebrows. “We’re safe here, Aether, nothing can hurt us. We can stay here together forever, just you and me!”
“Just you and me…” He repeated, dazed.
“That’s right.” Lumine nodded.
“But I –” Aether blinked rapidly as visions of golden eyes and dark hair tinged with green assaulted his vision. A jade tattoo and a soft-spoken voice assuring him he was safe with them. “Lumi, I… where is he?”
“Where is who? We don’t need anyone but the two of us.” She said.
“No, no, I –” He wrenched himself out of her grip, standing quickly and watching Lumine’s hand fall to her lap limply. “This isn’t right, Lumine wouldn’t – she wouldn’t say that.”
“Aether? Is there anyone who matters more than me?” Lumine asked, smug as she stood up as well and brushed off her dress.
“You – you matter in different ways.” Aether shook his head. “You’re my family but so is he, and my sister wouldn’t make me abandon the people I loved.”
“But I am your sister.” Lumine’s lips curled up into a grin.
“You’re not my Lumine.”
“Oh, sorry, is this better?” An oddly familiar disembodied voice called and the Lumine in front of him transformed into another version of her, this one laid on her back in the middle of the field and surrounded by bloody flowers. She gasped for breath as she attempted to staunch the bleeding from a gaping hole in her abdomen.
“Lumine!” Aether choked, dropping to his knees and pressing his own hands to the wound as hard as he could, but all he could do was watching the red cover his hands as she gasped for breath and went limp. “No, no, no.”
Then, in an instant, he was somewhere else. Aether blinked rapidly as his surroundings changed and he found himself in the middle of the sky with a grinning Dottore standing before him, arms spread wide.
“You see now the breadth of my power, Traveler? You see what I can do with the snap of my fingers? Reuniting you with your sibling is but a novel thing for me, should you wish it. I’ll turn back time and let you never have been separated, or if you prefer, you can live in a dream like the one I showed you.”
“No…” Aether shook his head, his voice hoarse as he backed away.
“No?” Dottore raised his eyebrows. “How disappointing. I had high hopes for you, you know? Such a shame.” He tsked.
“Fuck you.” Aether managed to get out, his words dripping with hate.
“Now, now, that’s no way for a hero to talk, is it?” Dottore’s lips curled.
“Like you would know.” A new voice joined the conversation and suddenly Aether was flying. He looked at who was holding him and his eyes widened upon seeing Kazuma carrying him away from Dottore. The reality of the situation seemed to wash over the blond and he slumped in Kazuma’s arms, slack.
When he next jolted back into awareness, Kazuma was landing outside the Curatorium of Secrets. Aether stumbled when his feet touched solid ground and if not for Kazuma’s arm around his waist, he would have fallen to his knees right then and there.
“Woah, hey.” Kazuma sounded alarmed, lifting Aether up. “What the fuck?”
“Hey now.” Varka’s gruff voice interrupted them and he swept Aether up and onto his back. “I got him. What happened?”
“I don’t know, I…” The voices trailed off as Aether stopped focussing on his surroundings, watching everything around him in a daze and seeing somewhat familiar faces with their mouths moving as though speaking, but none of what they said was being comprehended by him.
“…alright? Traveler?” Someone called gently and Aether blinked as he looked down to see Lauma kneeled on the floor on front of him, her warm hands on his knees. He hummed in response and Lauma smiled gently.
“Traveler?” Paimon floated over, bouncing anxiously in the air with Durin by her side, his hands clasped tightly at his front. “Are you okay?”
“I – Xiao?” Aether spoke hoarsely, his hands and face feeling numb. He felt like he wasn’t fully settled in his body, like he could float out of it any second now.
“Xiao?” Lauma furrowed her brows in confusion. “Who is…?”
She was interrupted with the sound of someone teleporting into the room and suddenly everyone’s eyes turned to look at the man who just appeared in their midst. He was only slightly taller than Aether with dark hair and golden eyes, a spear held in one hand and a mask in the other, and one of his arms bore a large jade tattoo.
“Xiao!” Paimon waved. He barely acknowledged her, moving closer to Aether and kneeling down as Lauma moved to cup the blond’s face in both of his gloved hands, brushing his thumbs over Aether’s cheekbones tenderly.
“Xiao?” Aether murmured. “You came.”
“You called.” Xiao replied softly.
“Thank you.” Aether leaned his head forward until it rested against Xiao’s forehead, closing his eyes to just breathe for a second.
(“Who is that guy? Should we be worried?” Durin whispered.
“Of course not!” Paimon shook her head vehemently. “That’s Xiao, he cares about Aether a lot! He’d never hurt him.”
“I suppose we’ll just have to take your word for it.” Arlecchino sighed.
“Xiao…” Nefer hummed. “An adeptus of Liyue.”
“Liyue?” Flins raised an eyebrow. “Curious.”)
“I’m sorry…” Aether approached them with Xiao stood behind him like some sort of guard.
“Now, now, none of that.” Lauma shook her head. “We might not know what happened out there but we do know it’s nothing to apologise for.”
“Lauma’s right.” Albedo nodded. “The important thing is that you’re safe now.”
“Paimon’s so glad you’re okay!” Paimon launched herself at Aether, wrapping her little arms around his neck in a tight hug.
“Sorry I worried you.” Aether mumbled into her hair and Xiao placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently.
“It’s okay.” Paimon let go and wiped her eyes. “Paimon’s just happy you’re back. It’s good to see you too, Xiao!”
“You as well.” Xiao nodded at her. “I… apologise for barging in but I heard my name and…”
“You don’t have to apologise, I called, didn’t I?” Aether furrowed his eyebrows. “I should have asked first if it was okay.”
“In the state you were in, I do not doubt that was the last thing on your mind.” Flins said.
“If you’re feeling recovered enough to tell us what happened with Dottore, that would be greatly appreciated. Do not, however, push yourself.” Arlecchino said, narrowing her eyes in a slight glare.
“I’m fine. I can… talk about it.” Aether nodded.
“Take your time.” Durin said from by Aether’s other side, the wings on his back fluttering anxiously. Xiao’s hand trailed down from Aether’s shoulder to press against the small of his back, a burning heat resting where it relaxed the blond’s body.
“I… don’t know how much help this will be but he can induce hallucinations. Or maybe they were dreams. I got the sense he was sending me to sleep and… crafting dreams for me. I got the sense something was wrong when I fell into the dream but then it just all left my mind.” Aether frowned. “What he shows you in the dream lulls you into a false sense of security.”
“How did you manage to break out?” Kazuma asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“He made my sister say things she would never have said to me.” Aether said simply and bluntly.
“To use a beloved family member in such a malicious scheme is just… repulsive.” Lauma shuddered. “To think a human so vile exists…”
“To think the day would come when I would hear the Lady Moonchanter utter such words about someone.” Nefer’s lips curled up. “It’s not like she’s wrong though.”
“What are we gonna do, Boss?” Jahoda twirled her hair in between her fingers.
“We’re gonna fucking kill the guy is what we’re gonna do, duh.” Sandrone rolled her eyes. “And bring back Columbina, I guess.”
“The latter takes priority.” Arlecchino gave Sandrone a look and the shorter girl rolled her eyes.
“Yes, yes, I know.”
“We still need to think of a plan for that, though.” Varka hummed.
“Albedo and I will try to contact Aunt Alice.” Durin chimed in.
“Get some rest.” Kazuma said to Aether in a low voice. “We won’t act immediately, and I’ll come find you if we decide on anything while you’re not here.”
“You should rest.” Xiao agreed.
“Okay, okay. I – thank you, Kazuma.” Aether said.
“You don’t have to thank me.” Kazuma scoffed. “Go on.”
Aether didn’t even have a chance to say anything to anyone else before Xiao was tugging him along and outside the Curatorium. The second they stepped outside, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, smelling the fresh air and relishing in the feeling of kuuvahki that surrounded them.
“Can we go somewhere high up and just… sit?” Aether asked.
“Where?”
The second Aether pointed at the roof of the building they were standing by, Xiao looped an arm around his waist and teleported them up in one swift movement. Aether swayed when they landed and Xiao’s grip tightened as he settled them both on the cold, metal roof, tugging Aether closer and moving his arm from his waist to his shoulders.
“He showed me a dream of Lumine.” Aether said after they had sat in silence for several minutes. “I… I hugged her, you know? In the dream, I mean. I don’t know how long it’s been in reality since the last time I even touched her. I just – I just want to understand her reasoning after all this time but every time I see her, she leaves me with more questions and answers.
“Dottore must have known that and he preyed on that weakness. He used my sister, my… my other half in a bid to get me to turn to his side. And when I noticed something was wrong, he made me watch her die.” Aether clenched his first, feeling a burning in his eyes that he furiously blinked away.
“Scum.” Xiao scoffed. “He is the worst of the worst. I can think of little others who would fall to that level.”
“I don’t know what he would have done to Columbina if he had her.” Aether shook his head.
“She’s strong, I gathered from what you told me in your dreams.” Letters were too slow a method of communication so Xiao popped into Aether’s dreams every few nights to speak with him and eat the bad dreams. “You will save her.”
“Mhm.” Aether hummed. “Thank you again, for coming.”
“Always.” Xiao said seriously. “I… my heart dropped when you called. You never call and when you do, your voice does not sound quite so… harried.”
“Usually I can take care of myself but I was… pretty bad earlier. You were the first person I thought of.”
“I’m honoured.” Xiao murmured, pressing a kiss to Aether’s head.
“You can’t stay long, can you?” Aether asked.
“I cannot.” Regret laced Xiao’s reply. “I left without notifying Zhongli-daren1. Especially with Lantern Rite coming up… I will be needed more than ever.”
“I understand.”
“I do not wish to leave you.” Xiao cupped Aether’s face in both of his gloved hands. “Even more so knowing you are going into battle against that creature. I wish to fight by your side, to watch your back, but…”
“A-Xiao…2” Aether crooned, turning his head to kiss Xiao’s palm. “You are needed in Liyue and I am needed here. Once this is all over, I’ll come back to you in Liyue, this I swear. I promise.”
“Come back to me, melethronen2.” Xiao echoed, and Aether fought back the shudder that threatened to run through his body merely hearing his mother tongue come from Xiao.
Aether returned to the Curatorium of Secrets an hour or so later with reddened eyes and a look of intense resolve on his face. Dottore would get his dues soon.