Chapter Text
A cool spring breeze drifted through the air, carrying with it the various scents and sounds of Liyue Harbor. A lone figure stood in the middle of a circle of devastation, the remnants of the hilichurl camp no more than broken masks and arrowheads. His long sleeves fluttered in the wind, making a sharp flapping noise.
His short, teal hair was sticky with sweat and blood, haphazardly glued to his forehead. His eyes were glassy, hazed over with pain as he leaned heavily on his jade spear. Karma hung like a fog around him, weeping from several different wounds.
Those in Liyue called him the Vigilant Yaksha, the mighty General Alatus, the legendary Conqueror of Demons who appeared in legends of old. To those he allowed closer, he was simply Xiao.
His breathing was labored, his teeth clenched as he sank to his knees against the soft ground. “Useless…” he muttered angrily, feeling his karma threaten to overwhelm him. He coughed, spitting a dark liquid— his blood, black and sticky like tar, tinted teal.
Feeling dizzy, he cried out and rallied all his strength. The karma seemed to suck back inside his wounds, leaving only a few tendrils to drift up from the scratches on his body.
Begrudgingly, he accepted he would need to rest, and disappeared in a flash of black and teal particles. He appeared again before the reception desk at Wangshu Inn, landing with a heavy thump that led him to stay on one knee.
“Xiao…?” A worried voice cut through the fog that seemed to be building within his brain.
“Verr Goldet. If you would please advise your guests to stray from the upper balcony tonight, I would be much obliged.” Xiao’s voice was thin, his mind occupied with holding in his karma as much as possible to prevent harm to the mortal owner of the inn.
“I mean— of course, but…is there something I can do to help? I can try to contact someo—”
“There’s no need.”
“I see. Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I’ll have Smiley Yanxiao make up some Almond Tofu for you; I’ll leave it on the table when it’s ready.”
“…thank you.” The words were scarcely uttered before Xiao was gone again, and a faint shuffling sound came from the roof of the inn.
“Xiao…” Verr murmured, staring at the space he’d been. She turned and walked to the top of the stairs leading to the kitchens. “Yanxiao! I need the best Almond Tofu you’ve ever cooked, on the balcony table in ten!”
“You got it!”
Verr returned to her desk with a sigh, holding her head in her hands. Xiao…something was wrong, and she could think of no other way to help him. She needed the Traveler.
.✦ ݁˖
Aether’s eyes fluttered open, golden eyes adjusting to the darkness surrounding him. “Where—”
He stopped, eyes widening as he took in the vast multitude of stars around him. “Is this…? No, it can’t be—” He sat up, hands pushing against whatever invisible surface held him up. It wasn’t long before he felt another presence within the void.
It was familiar, like stitching back together two parts of a whole. He held his breath, fingers curling into nothing as he slowly turned his head.
“Lumine…?” he whispered, voice cracking.
“Aether.” The name leaving her mouth was firm, real. She walked towards him, lips curved into a smile. “I’ve missed you, brother. It’s been so long.”
“I—” his voice finally failed him, his hand outstretched as he pushed himself up. “Yeah,” he finally said, voice thick. “Yeah, it has.” He took a shaky step forward, stumbling slightly, only to be caught by cold hands in a choking embrace.
“Lumine— oh, Lumine, you…you came back— after so long…” Aether’s cheeks were wet, and he dimly realized he was crying.
“It’s okay. I’m here now. You’re okay.”
“But I— I thought you were with the Abyss Order. You…you left me–!”
“No! Aether, I would never…you’re my brother. I will always care for you.”
Aether couldn’t respond, his face buried in her shoulder as his knees buckled. They sank down together, Lumine still holding him. One hand came up and began stroking his head, smoothing his hair as she whispered words of comfort.
It was perfect. Blissful, even, with the presence of his sister, whom he’d been separated from for so long.
But all good things must come to an end, as they say. Aether’s breath hitched, his tears stopped suddenly as shock replaced them. He looked up slowly, eyes brimming with hurt and pain. “You— agh–!”
Warm blood pooled between them, spilling from Aether’s torso, where Lumine’s golden sword was impaled. She twisted it cruelly, the action completely at odds with the way her hand still played with his hair, and tore it out the side, leaving his body nearly torn in half.
“Ah—” he gasped, blood bubbling up his throat, flooding from his mouth.
“Aether…I’m sorry. You always were naïve. You were simply too much of a liability.” Lumine stood, turning and walking away.
Aether opened his mouth to shout after her, but faint gurgles were the only sounds he could make. Lumine…come back, please—! Lumine!
.✦ ݁˖
“...ler. Traveler!” A voice seemed to echo in his ear, high-pitched and unnecessarily loud. “Wake up!”
He gasped, jolting upright.
“Ow! Jeez, Paimon was just trying to wake you…The sun’s up!” Paimon whined, tiny hands clutching her forehead.
A dream… Aether thought, rubbing a hand over his face.
“Traveler? Are you okay?” Paimon floated over, hovering near his face with a concerned expression.
“Just a bad dream. Sorry for hitting you, Paimon.” Aether smiled wanly, pushing himself up with his hands. Phantom pain throbbed in his side, and a hand drifted over to check it unconsciously. As expected, his skin was unblemished, nary a scar on it.
“Well, Paimon hates to make it worse, but…” Paimon looked uncertain, like she wasn’t sure she should say it.
“Is something wrong? I’m okay, Paimon, just tell me what’s going on.”
“Well…hum…Verr Goldet said she needed you. Said it was urgent, and involved Xiao.”
“Xiao? Is he hurt? What happened?” Aether was already on his feet, pulling his things together.
“Th-there wasn’t anything else in the letter, but it sounded pretty bad…”
“Then let’s go. If it was from Verr Goldet, he must be at Wangshu Inn, right? We need to get going— Archons know how long he’ll stay to rest.”
“R-right!”
Huh, Aether thought absently as he pulled out his map, finding the teleporter that brought him directly to the famous Liyuean Inn. Guess I’ve been in Teyvat long enough to pick up their slang. I guess that’s good to know?
Aether closed his eyes and concentrated. When he opened them again, he was standing on the lower balcony of Wangshu Inn. Wind blew his braid back, some golden strands fluttering loose.
He hurriedly walked inside, rushing up to the desk where Verr Goldet stood. “I got your letter. What happened?”
“I’m not too certain myself— he showed up in the middle of the night, looking exhausted. He was wounded, too. As long as he hasn’t left yet, he’ll be up on the top balcony.”
Aether turned, already running even as he threw words of thanks over his shoulder. His steps were loud, and it was a testament to Xiao’s state of wellbeing that he didn’t notice Aether’s approach.
“Xiao!” Aether gasped, and the shorter man jumped in surprise. There was a crash as the bowl of Almond Tofu slipped from his fingers, the porcelain bowl shattering on the wood.
Xiao turned, exhaustion written in every hard line of his body. “Trav— Aether. You should not be here.”
“You should be more worried about yourself! Archons sake, have you looked in a mirror? You— you haven’t even dressed your wounds,” Aether scolded, hands hovering a safe distance away as he looked over the numerous wounds on Xiao’s body.
“You don’t need to concern yourself over a few scratches. Besides, is it really so unusual for me to be hurt?”
“Yes! You usually never get hurt. Archons forbid I care?!” Aether’s voice cracked, and he took a small step forward with an almost…pleading expression on his face.
Xiao looked a bit uncertain at the sudden outburst, stepping back at Aether’s apparent approach. A mistake, it seemed, as his leg immediately buckled, and he was forced to grab the table to avoid falling over completely.
“See— this is what I’m talking about!” Aether stopped himself, closing his eyes before taking a deep breath. “I’m worried, Xiao. Please, let me help. At least let me bandage your wounds. Please.”
Xiao wavered, looking at the hand Aether had outstretched to him. His fingers twitched, his arm raising, but as soon as he came into contact with Aether’s palm, he recoiled as if burned.
“Xiao…?” Aether struggled to keep his voice calm. Please…don’t leave me. You can’t leave me too, please…!
“I-I’m sorry. I can’t. I’m fine,” Xiao said, his voice threaded with panic. At what, Aether didn’t know. “I’m fine,” he said again, looking up at Aether just before disappearing.
Aether stumbled forward, crying out. “Xiao. Xiao! Xiao!”
There was no response. Just Aether’s outstretched hand, a broken bowl, and dark smears on wood.
Xiao gasped in the crisp, fresh air that suddenly surrounded him; he had teleported to Jueyun Karst, and the floating pavilion settled above it. His grip on his spear only tightened as he heard Aether’s voice echo in his mind.
Xiao. Xiao! Xiao!
But he couldn’t go back. Not after what had happened. Not after his karma…reacted to Aether. Xiao still felt the agony of what felt like part of his soul recoiled— the karma, running from perhaps the only being that could purify it.
Usually, he was completely capable of dealing with his karma, but Xiao had noticed changes in it lately. It had been getting worse— the voices louder, the feeling of…something binding him, trying to stop him with every step, heavier.
But he was fine. He had dealt with his karma for thousands of years; he could handle it.
I can handle it. I’m fine. Protect Liyue.
These were the thoughts in Xiao’s head as he disappeared again, this time to Guili Plains, and sought out the monsters who dared to make camps in his domain. Hilichurls, mitachurls, Abyss mages— it didn’t matter what they were, it didn't matter how axes and ice shards and fireballs cut and burned his skin. It was all the same once his spear finally struck the last blow, and he watched as their bodies crumbled to dust.
His karma grew with every monster his polearm dissolved, and the effort to maintain his mask became too much. It cracked and vanished, reappearing again on his belt.
Once again, a lone figure stood in the middle of a circle of devastation, the remnants of the hilichurl camp no more than broken masks and arrowheads.
.✦ ݁˖
Days passed with Xiao carefully keeping out of sight, more so when he heard Aether had notified Rex Lapis. All that was left for them was a trail of metaphorical breadcrumbs. People saying they’d spotted anemo flashes light up the night, and swaths of land being cleared of monsters seemingly daily.
For Xiao, it became harder. The voices of his karmic debt swirled in his mind, never allowing even a moment of rest. It had clearly gotten worse, though for what reason Xiao didn’t know. He was, however, getting a little too familiar with the sight of blood on his palm, the taste of iron and rot on his tongue.
Still, he refused to stop. He couldn’t, not when the people of Liyue were threatened by monsters.
Still, the worst part was the other voice in his head. It wasn’t angry, nor belittling— no, this voice was anguished. Raw. Pleading.
Xiao. Xiao! Xiao!
He grit his teeth, shaking his head as if he could shake off the thoughts like a dog does water. It didn’t work, obviously— if it did, he would’ve done it a long time ago. Even so, his thoughts changed, as they often do.
The end likes to conjure memories of the beginning.