Xiaolumi S2: War of Change

When Angels Fall

[A/N: SAVE HER XIAO!!! HURRY!!! But the song for this chapter is as usual found above and this time it is "Angels Fall" by Breaking Benjamin. I won't lie this chapter's more on the emotional side, I cried while writing it but this was an important chapter to do for story plot reasons. Question is who was the shadowed figure? He's a harbinger but who!? And no it was not Childe as he's in Inazuma now.]

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"Xiao stop pacing."

Worried was an understatement as Zhongli, Ganyu, Mountain Shaper, Moon Carver, and Cloud Retainer watched the young yaksha pacing restlessly. Gone was his usual clothes in favor of more formal Liyue robes that wouldn't hinder him if he had to fight. It had the same color scheme as his regular clothes but were designed with the colder seasons in mind while his white sleeve had a green stitching pattern of his tattoo. Ganyu and Zhongli robed in similar clothes in celebration of this final night of the rite. 

"He certain is restless is he not? Is it because the Traveler is not yet present?"asked Moon Carver.

However, the sudden sound of gunfire echoing and the distressed scream of fleeing birds grabbed their attention. "What was that?"Ganyu squeaked in fright. 

"XIAO!!! Aaauucchhh!!!"fearful and shrill shriek had echoed in Xiao's head making him freeze. It rang around the same time they had heard the gunfire. A snarl as his jade spear appeared and he vanished in a dark mist straight for where Lumine was falling. Her tone had been so, so frightened before pain had raked it. He had been startled to see her falling from the bridge after she took a direct hit through her back from that odd Fatui weapon that shot a blast of elemental energy at her. 

"LUMINE!!"he howled and bolted forward just as his wings appeared, he caught her stopping her from crashing into the water below. Her old injuries had been reopened and now a vicious wound from that sniper had pierced right through her like an arrow and it was not minor. 

"Get him shoot them down!"came a cry.

Xiao's expression turned venomous as not long after his arrival Zhongli and Ganyu had arrived and were now taking on the Fatui. "Xiao over here!"Zhongli called from below. Swiftly Xiao flew over to land on the soft grass as the former archon was fast to create his shield around them as Xiao held her close. painful and trembling whimpers raking her bloody petite body.

"I tried to run...please don't be angry..."came her weak voice as tears began to flow.

"I-I'm not angry so don't try and talk."he croaked as his voice hitched. "You called for me, you kept your word."

Lumine smiled weakly up at him and was startled to feel something wet fall on her face before she began to cough up blood. Further distressing Xiao as the chaos continued outside of Zhongli's shield. The eldest of the seven's eyes turning wide in frightful concern which soon melted into hateful fury for what state she was in. Memories of that horrible day flashing in Zhongli's mind as tears of his own began to fall. Memories of what he had failed to protect.

"Xiao are you crying?"she sobbed weakly as she reached up with a blood soaked hand. "Of...course...I kept my...w-word..." She felt so tired and weak. Her vision had begun to fail her as the blood she was loosing was slowly growing in a pool under her.

"Lumine please you gotta hang on! I promise w-we'll get you help, so please stay awake!!"Xiao's distressed and pleading cries drowning out as she fell limp in his arms. "LUMINE!!"

"No...no don't do this to me, don't you go and die on me!!"sobbed Xiao. It wasn't fair this was happening again. How could he be loosing something so precious to him again? Would he ever be free from this agony and suffering!? Was he forced to watch those he loved be stripped away again and again? Slowly he held her close before laying her gently down. Slowly he rose to his feet his robes stained red with her blood. Tear stained eyes turning venomous with wrath as he began to change before Zhongli's and Ganyu's eyes forming a massive and majestic bird with long peacock like feathers. "They will pay."he thought frigidly leaking a bloodlust like no other. A furious screech stirred and made the winds howl as he took to the air and charged right for the Fatui.