XXXVI

The room was dank and dark, a typical movie dungeon cell. Stone surrounded you, your wrists in chains connected to the ceiling. You hung limply, your toes only just grazing the stone floor.

You supposed hospitality was not a necessity when being kidnapped, but ya know, it would've been nice to be able to sit down. Beggars couldn't be choosers. At the very least, you weren't being tortured.

You knew Lumine wanted you to give all the information you had, explain every single 'vision', have more visions. But you just couldn't answer her questions.

"What are the outcomes of major conflicts between the Abyss Order and others?"

"I don't know."

"Tell me the outcomes of our plans."

"I don't know your plans."

"How do you kill the archons?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?"

"How do we ruin Celestia?"

"What kinda visions do you think I have?"

She may have slapped you... once... twice... okay you spoke out of turn way too much for a kidnap-ee but what were you supposed to do? Just lay there and take it? You were already hungry, you weren't going to let her trample all over your dignity.

You groan when you feel your stomach rumble, shifting slightly to give your shoulders some kind of faux reprieve.

In doing so, you heard a creak from your cuffs.

-

Aether was sitting on his bed, staring at the note left to him by Polaris, thumbing the edges of the notebook scrap. At this point, he had re-read the words over and over to try and understand the message left behind.

A part of him - a small, very not dominant part of him - was a little jealous of Ariel's ability to immediately understand the nonsense written down but he shook his head to rid himself of those invading thoughts.

Ariel's known them longer. It's not a big deal. We'll find them together and then you can hug them and talk to them all you want again. It's fine. That ugly feeling settled down and determination filled him once more.

He looked at the p.s and held out his hand. "Ariel, what do you think this last line means? Why should I use my purification on Xiao?"

He felt the comforting weight of Ariel's hand settle in his palm. 'P-E-R-H-A-P-S T-H-E-Y T-H-E-O-R-I-Z-E-D S-O-M-E-T-H-I-N-G A-B-O-U-T T-H-A-T A-B-I-L-I-T-Y O-F Y-O-U-R-S I-N P-A-R-T-I-C-U-L-A-R.'

"Maybe." Aether tilted his head to the side, his undone golden locks shifting on his shoulders. "Maybe they thought it would affect Xiao's karma?"

"Oh!" Paimon perked up, her childlike face stretched into an exciting grin. "Your purification ability helped cleanse Dvalin of the poison he was infected with! Maybe [Y/n] thought that the purification would have a similar effect on the corruptive forces of Xiao's karmic debt!"

"But karmic debt isn't a poison." Aether's brows furrowed.

'M-A-Y-B-E T-H-E A-B-I-L-I-T-Y E-X-T-E-N-D-S F-U-R-T-H-E-R T-H-A-N P-O-I-S-O-N.'

Aether pulled his hand back to rub at his forehead. "How will we even get that stubborn yaksha to do it?"

"I have an idea!" Paimon chirps, a finger to her temple like she just had the greatest thought in the world.

-

"XIAO!" Aether called out for the millionth time. He was standing on the top of one of Liyue's great mountains, the chilly breeze rustling through his hair as Paimon floated by him, Ariel's hand wrapped around his own. "I'M GOING TO KEEP CALLING YOU UNTIL YOU ANSWER!"

When nothing changed Aether huffed with annoyance. He threw his free hand in the air with exasperation. "IT'S ABOUT [Y/N]!"

Immediately, a heavy puff a black and green appeared before the trio. "Have you found any leads to their location?"

Xiao's hand was gripped tightly around his beautiful jade polearm with what Aether could only assume was anxiety. His eyes were narrowed, yet eager, and his stance told Aether that at the first word of a location, Xiao would be gone.

"No- but wait don't leave!" Aether hurriedly exclaimed when he saw Xiao begin to turn away with something akin to annoyance.

"I don't have time for this."

"Please wait!" Aether lunged to grab Xiao's wrist. Surprisingly enough, the adeptus didn't shake him off. "[Y/n] left behind a message in their room and it mentioned you."

That finally got his attention. "What did it say?" Xiao's eyes had softened, the grip on his polearm loosening.

"Well, I have a certain... ability and they wanted me to use it on you."

In the minute changes of Xiao's expression, Aether had recognized the change from fondness and worry to skepticism. "What ability?"

"A kind of purification ability. I think [Y/n] wanted me to use it on you because of your karma." Aether was hesitant with his explanation, carefully watching Xiao for the negative reaction he was sure to get.

"No."

Aether pulled the wrist he was holding when Xiao made to leave again. "Wait! What if something good happens? What if this gets rid of your karma or something?"

Xiao's eyes slitted, his lips pulled back in an animalistic snarl. "And what if you get hurt? What if, whatever you plan to do, backfires and you die?"

Aether paused. He hadn't thought about it, in all honesty. What if he did die, then he would leave Paimon behind, Ariel behind, Childe and Kaeya and Diluc and Jean and Amber... Polaris. He'd leave behind Lumine.

His heart clenched at the thought of Lumine. Despite her leaving him alone on this godforsaken planet, despite her taking away his guiding star... he still yearned to see her again. He missed her. He wanted to bring her into a close embrace and bury his face in the crook of her neck while he cried about how much he wished she had been here.

But she wasn't here, and she had taken away one of the only people who hadn't treated him like a commodity to be used to someone's convenience. She took away one of the only people who had listened to him speak, hugged him, consoled him, cared for him. And she took them away like they were something to be used and manipulated.

A surge of anger welled up in Aether's chest besides that yearning and right now all he wished was to be buried in the arms of his star while they comforted him in his wild confusion. But they weren't here, so he had to suck it up.

Aether looked at Xiao with stern eyes. "I think [Y/n] is onto something and I think my purification can help you."

"I am not willing to risk you being injured just for some theory they came up with!" Xiao tried to tug his wrist away.

"I can handle it!" He replied, almost indignant at the thought of being so weak. "Can't you trust me? Trust them?"

Xiao paused. He stood there for so long Aether might've thought his mind had wandered off, leaving his body behind, but soon enough, the yaksha's eyes focused on Aether's own. Shining gold met a strong amber and Xiao nodded. "Alright."

-

Aether stood behind the yaksha, hands placed gently on a pale, scarred back.

They had decided it would be best for Xiao to be seated in case the process hurt him instead (as they didn't want him to suddenly collapse), and so, ever the proper one, Xiao kneeled on the grassy mountain top, posture perfect as he sat back on his heels.

"Are you ready?" Aether murmured to the quiet adeptus.

"After all that push are you backing out?"

Aether rolled his eyes at the snark. "I was just asking if you were prepared."

Xiao was silent for a moment before nodding his head. "I'm ready... thank you."

Aether scoffed with amusement, a tiny smile on his lips. "Don't worry about it."

Aether took a deep breath and closed his eyes, feeling around for that gold light inside of him that he had used to heal Dvalin's tears and weaken the poison spines on his back.

It was a small globe in his core, twirling gently with a small buzz. Aether carefully pulled two strands from the globe, making them travel through his arms like strings and branch off to every fingertip. He took another breath, regulating the amount of power in each finger before allowing it to flow into Xiao's skin.

Distantly Aether heard the adeptus grunt, perhaps at the unusual sensation, and continued to supply a steady stream into Xiao's back.

He opened his eyes to see the adeptus hunched over slightly, his head drooping down as he panted. The area of skin around his hands that were pressed to Xiao's back were glowing with light as it sunk in.

"How do you feel Xiao?" Aether said, trying not to break the intense concentration he had over each molecule of power.

"Dizzy." The breathiness of his voice concerned Aether.

"Do you want me to keep going?"

"Yes." The answer sounded almost delirious, but Aether pushed on, slowly increasing the amount of energy.

It didn't take much longer for things to go wrong. After the energy continued to grow, Xiao keeled over more and more, his stomach touching his thighs, his panting heavy and hands pulling harshly on the grass.

"Xiao, I think we should stop." Aether started to lift up his palms.

"No!" Xiao growled. "It's working!"

"Are you sure?"

Aether didn't have time to hear an answer when he was suddenly pushed back by something very large and very golden, only hearing Xiao's screaming as he fell on his back.

Aether scrambled to stand only to gasp in shock at what was in front of him.

Xiao laid on his side, panting, beads of sweat trickling down his face. So caught up in his concentration, Aether hadn't realized how much of a toll the process was taking, but it certainly proved effective as large, shining, golden wings covered in blood had sprouted from Xiao's back.

The feathers were crumpled and crooked, staging red from the past scars they had suddenly bloomed from. Aether rushed over and fell next to the delirious yaksha, hands hovering, not knowing where to go.

"Xiao! Are you alright?"

The adeptus, out of breath with foggy eyes and slackened lips began to chuckle softly as a tear slid down his cheek. "Everything feels so light."