Genshin Impact BL DISCONTINUED

A new sky: Return (Aether/Xiao)

as requested by Lumiere on Ao3 who also came up with the idea. <3

It already turned out to be quite long, but I had to tell quite a lot to do justice to the idea.

Hope you'll enjoy it.

Part 1 of 2.
Part 1 = Plot
Part 2 = Love

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Just as hours become days and days turn into years, Lumines' journey had become an eternity that seemed to know no end. To find Aether, to bring him back, this task was the only thing that Lumine had in mind in all those years. That he was back now, only a few rooms away, surrendered to exhaustion, asleep under the supervision of the yaksha, was still so unbelievable. All her efforts had paid off, all the years of searching and despair that had brought her so much pain but also love in many forms. Holding Ambers hand, Lumine too was about to surrender to exhaustion, overwhelmed but so incredibly happy. Now she would be able to sleep for days without having to worry. Aether was back, her friends who had helped her over the years were around her, on site or in all the wonderful places she had visited. For the first time in years the girl felt nothing but sheer happiness. Looking at Amber, Lumine fell asleep with a smile on her lips, looking forward to the days to come no matter what was waiting for them.

-

"Aether! Aether please! Please listen to me!", Lumines voice echoed through the darkness hoping to reach the ears of the boy she had been looking for for so long. Everything around her was in ruins, broken columns between hellfires that did not generate any heat despite all the light. The platform under her feet trembled with each of her heartbeats, threatening to plunge her into the abyss that lurked under her feet. This place was hell, she thought thinking about Aether living in it for so long. Behind Lumine raged a storm of ice and fire, powers swirled by a dandelion breeze, a burning arrow started a raging thunder in the black sky. Lumine wasn't alone. Behind her, some of those who had supported her all the time fought to open the way for her to face her twin.
"Aether! It doesn't need to be like this! Aether! I got it! I understand why you did all of this but you are wrong! It's not as you thought! Please come home with me...", her voice didn't shake but it was filled with long-grown despair, her pain swung with every word.

"Master... they advance further...we should end it...", Aether had heard every word of Lumine, from a distance he could see her friends' visions at work and watch the fall of his mages and heralds. The scratchy voice of the cryo mage had barely told him anything new right now.
"I can see that myself.", the blonde replied annoyed, slowly raising from his throne, pushing the mage that was blocking his path away in the process. Lumine was right, it didn't have to be like that, so why didn't she understand that it wasn't he who was wrong?
"Master... how should... we proceed?"
"I'll take care of it myself. Go back to the frontlines."
"...yes Master..."

"Lumine.", his voice sounded so distant even if the blonde was now standing right infront of his sister. It wasn't exactly cold, it wasn't dismissive but it didn't sound like always. It didn't sound like the voice of a brother that was happy to finally see his sister again.
"Aether! Please...please tell them to stop. There's no need for all of this. There's no need to fight. Call them back, send them away and let's just talk... I got it, Aether. I've found out everything you wanted me to know. I now know why you did that but ..please listen to me. There's so much more to it. So much that you missed.", Lumines voice on the other hand was warm, filled with courage, with conviction.
"How can you say that I missed something when it was me who experienced it all? You've always been like that... confident, sublime, the better twin, aren't you?"
"Aether... I never said that! And I never thought that! All I ever wanted is to be with you!"
"Why don't you join me then? There is always a place for you by my side. If you really understand, if you have really understood why, then be by my side to bring it to an end. I have missed you all the time, Lumine."
"..by your side? There's a place for me by your side?", the blonde girl looked past her brother at the huge formation at the end of the dark. There was really a place for her, another throne covered by dust as if it had always been waiting for her. As if nobody had been allowed to touch it.
"...I've missed you too. All these years.. Aether..."