The Will to Live - Xiao x Reader

Part 30 - Aether

"Y/N, this is general Gorou. " I pointed towards the general. "Gorou, Y/N is here to help."

"Uh- Nice to meet you," Gorou smiled awkwardly.

"So cute!" Y/N beamed.

Gorou stepped back a bit and I couldn't help but laugh. I wonder if this is the first time Y/N's seen someone like Gorou, I thought for a moment and realised just how stupid that thought was.

"Don't touch his ears," I warned Y/N. "Or his tail."

I felt myself subconsciously staring at Y/N and the guilt built up in my chest, Y/N likes Xiao. I reminded myself and slightly distanced myself from them. Y/N turned around at my movement when I looked into their deep (eye colour) eyes... They were lonely. Then I also noticed the red around their eyes. Have they been... Y/N looked away suddenly

"So, Y/N." Gorou looked very uncomfortable for once, It was probably their comment... "How do you plan to help the resistance?"

"Uh..." Y/N stopped to think, " I don't f*cking know." They laughed off the awkwardness, "I believe I'd be best at the front lines either healing, fighting or protecting. However..." Y/N hesitated, "My current injury makes healing difficult."

Lady Kokomi walked into the conversation and - although she had no bad intentions - Y/N edged back slowly. 

I placed my hand on their shoulder, "It's alright." I whispered into Y/N's ear. I wasn't aware of what was bothering them but, I wanted to comfort them in any way possible.

Kokomi alerts Gorou of the Shoguns' army's approach and he rushes off to the battlefield. I grab Y/N's wrist and run after the general.

***

"The traveller is of great importance to the Shogun," Sara stated. "If you willingly give him up... I will delay the resistances diminish for a few more days."

"The resistance would never betray its own," Gorou declines the offer.

Y/N walks slowly, their posture and presence warned the opposition of their power. They stood before Sara.

"Y/N?!" Gorou growled.

Y/N looked around, "Oh how this archon has fallen." They sighed, "Sara, I believe your name is, would you mind passing a message to Ei?"

Sara raised her bow and generated electro into the arrow. A flash of light blurred my vision for a moment. Y/N held the arrow an inch away from their eyes "I'll take that as a no?" Y/N snapped the arrow in half and sighed at it hit the floor, "Such a shame." Y/N walked back towards the resistance's army when they stopped and declared, "If Ei wants the traveller, she'll have to go up against me."

Sara scoffed, "The Raiden Shogun would never lose a fight to you.  The resistance will die here, today." She prepared for battle.

Y/N apologised to the general as they stepped back into their position and readied their sword.

Gorou nodded and raised his bow, "Charge!"

The resistance and shogun's army crossed blades. I, along with the others, spread the scent of blood across the damp battlefield, both resistance and the Shogun's army. Among the chaos, Y/N spiralled around using Electro to make themselves faster, knocking swords, spears and bows out of our opponents' hands; never actually killing anyone. I watched them offer their hand to a soldier on the ground before Y/N rushed off again. I felt a tingle to my right.

"Focus, dumb*ss." Y/N knocked a spear away from me.

Why won't they kill..? I shook my head and reminded myself, The battlefield is no place for questions. Y/N disappeared from my sight with a flash of light.

***

"Miss Sara!" A voice caught more than just my attention.

Y/N had the Devotee of the Divine on the floor at the edge of their sword. Sara fumbled for her bow and raised it in my direction.

"Lower your sword," She demanded but Y/N only edged the blade's tip closer to her neck.

Sara let go of the arrow. I'm sorry, Lumine. I prayed to the gods as I closed my eyes. Yet, the arrow never reached me.

"Y/N!" Gorou yelled.

I opened my eyes and what I saw... Was from my worst nightmare. I felt my eyes water as I examined the arrow that pierced Y/N's stomach. A scream curled up into my throat, Why...

Y/N laughed, catching everyone off guard "You can't kill me. Trust me, I've tried." 

Sara fumbled to her feet and ran backwards as Y/N walked towards the army. Their blood left a trail of blooming flowers in all colours. A large, constant amount of electro energy flowed from Y/N to the sky and they dismissed their sword. The light was almost too radiant for a mortal's eyes. Y/N's figure slowly lifted up their (dominant hand) and a forest of lightning struck the Shogun's army.

"The wait is over my comrades," Y/N's power was so overwhelming that the resistance had only just noticed lady Kokomi's appearance. She gathered her Hydro and spoke empowering words, "Now, is our moment!"

Kazuha, Beidou and a ton of other people I couldn't name joined the ranks, completely overwhelming the few remaining soldiers of Sara's army. We pushed our foe further backwards yet Y/N stayed in the exact position, What are they doing? 

"All forces, retreat." Sara accepted their loss and lead her army away from the battlefield.

Gorou, Beidou, Kazuha, Kokomi and I gathered in a circle to talk about the resistance's current plans but, I kept looking over at Y/N.

"Aether?" Gorou noticed my hesitation and looked over in the direction of my gaze.

"Give me a moment," I excused myself. "Y/N?" I yelled out, a few meters away. No response.

The stench of scorched flesh wavered my balance and only got stronger the closer to Y/N I was. I covered my nose and pulled Y/N to face me...

Their eyes were pure white. Dull white.

"Too much... Death..." Y/N collapsed.

Anxiety filled my thoughts, I didn't know what to do. I don't know much about Y/N but...

"Adeptus Xiao!" I called out in desperation.

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A/N: I sincerely apologise for the long wait! I couldn't figure out how to wrap Xiao back into this. Thank you so much for the support and I'm especially thankful to the few who've pointed out my mistakes so that I can fix them! As always,

Take care!