Xiaolumi S2: War of Change

Thunderous Devotion

[A/N: Xiao and Lumine help Sara face her adoptive kin. Xiao gains a little bit of respect for the tengu due to her devotion to her archon. Lumine can't help but feel guilty for making Sara see the truth. Also I have christmas and dragonspine on the brain so probably maybe have a winter chapter planned for later down the road. hahahaha~!]

..........................................................

Today was the day. 

Sara Kojou would be returning to the shrine this evening once her duties for the day were finished. The weather had started to get colder and despite this the sacred sakura tree still was against all logic in full bloom. Electro glowing bluish tint flowed through its roots and under the surface like blood through a living creature's veins. The shrine maidens were muttering and whispering at the sight of the dark haired adeptus with the blonde traveler. One of the reasons was the encouraging banter from the girl and the fairy as the adeptus was currently testing in his wings neglected from over a millennia of disuse. 

"Come on Xiao quit being so stingy Paimon wants to see you fly!"urged Paimon.

"Do not so casually think I'll do as you want annoying fairy."he huffed, letting his wings fall close once more. It felt so bizarre using them again after all this time. But he needed to strengthen his wings and stamina for them again. The Factory had showed hi mas such after he had reverted to his true form for the first time. Lumine though eyes full of wonder at his golden vermillion wings. This was actually the first time she was seeing them with clear eyes and alert. "His wings are huge but their so pretty."she thought as she reached out and touched the wings. The result was Xiao freezing as a shiver ran up his spine at the contact of his very sensitive wings.

"Oh wow their so soft and smooth."hummed Lumine with a delighted smile, eyes wide with wonder.

"L-Lumine stop that, don't touch my wings like that."he yelped inching away. Why did she have to find the sensitive spot? The spot he hated having touched that made his skin crawl. 

"What? Why?"she asked before she realized and now had a teasing glint in her amber yes. "Oh I see now. Xiao are you ticklish there?"

"Ticklish? I am no such thing, adepti don't get ticklish!"he swiftly denied but it seemed Paimon had other plans. The little fairy had floated over and was now touching the top of his right wing. He instantly tensed and out of sheer instinct the wing had opened and flicked her away by mistake before vanishing into golden particles of light.

"Eek!"Paimon squeaked before Lumine caught her.

"Paimon he probably doesn't like it because they are very sensitive. Mr.Zhongli told me bird adepti don't particularly like their wings touched."Lumine scolded with a soft chuckle.

"Hmph."

"Ok...Paimon's sorry and won't do it again."apologized the celestial fairy dusting herself off just as Yae came over to join them. An amused engimatic grin on her face.

"So where's Sara? she should be here by now."Lumine asked after she waved in greeting.

Yae hummed in her usual way and one glance had chased the shrine maidens either away or indoors. The entire time she had been watching the two girls encouraging the young yaksha exercise his wings. When was the last time the Golden Winged King had used them? Oh right not since the incident. "Morax-kun did make him swear not to use his wings cause he wasn't used to them yet. He was so young at the time but his wings have matured."thought Yae with quiet glee. Her sharp vixen eyes glancing over as a twitch of her ear alerted her. 

"Well Lady Guuji, here I am."came a familiar sharp tone making Xiao go closer to Lumine's side. Sara's gaze turned to where Xiao was standing protectively of the blonde traveler. Eyes of gold sharp and cold towards her but towards the Traveler they were gentle and warm. Around the area the general's eyes had noticed fallen feathers of golden vermillion. There was a curios glint to her eyes before turning her attention back to the priestess as she crossed her arms. "Rest assured I came alone and told nobody of this trip tonight. As for you Yaksha-sama, I'm not making any moves today towards the Traveler."she smoothly piped up.

"See to it you don't, tengu."warned Xiao still keeping his guard up.

"I knew that you would keep your promise, after all it must have been bothering you these last few days; did you manage to sleep at all?"asked Yae with a teasing pitch to her tone. Now that Yae had brought it up Lumine could see the shadows under Sara's eyes and she wasn't holding herself as proudly as usual. "Lumine-chan, dear would you be so kind as to give the documents to Sara-chan?"asked Yae.

"Sure, let me grab them."Lumine quickly witha flick of her wrist left a shower of stardust and from it materialized the evidence that Xiao and little Sayu had worked so hard to find. What they had found had been nothing short of serious and incriminating. It would sadly mean a blemish and dishonr to the Kojou Clan if people found out the truth. Carefully she walked over to Sara after giving Xiao a reassuring nod. "Here you are Sara. You're not going to like this but everything there is the truth." Sara with careful care took the documents secured and tightly bound by the string. She untied it and opened the contents.

"What is this? Hm..."Sara quickly scanned over the documents her serious expression only growing grimmer. "...I see now. This document has the official seal of the Kojou Clan and its defiantly not forgery. But I don't understand, nothing in this report holds factual."

"I-I don't understand nothing here mentions the hardships the people are going through or the rebellion or the samurai that have lost their lives. Doesn't' that deserve mention at all? Such a disregard for life. Why would they want to hide it?"Sara looked so confused and in disbelief. Actually to the trio she looked very distraught and upset. 

"Tsk, typical. You don't' see it do you tengu? You've had your feathers clipped and the wool pulled over your eyes."rebuked Xiao. Honestly he was not amused by this man behind this little ruse of deceit against Lady Baal. Nobody in Liyue would dare do that to his beloved lord back home lest they break their contracts to him in doing so. Did this man's profane disregard for life and his archon go deeper? Very likely and it sickened the young yaksha. 

"What do you mean?"demanded Sara as Yae silently and sly walked around until she stood just behind the tengu on her right. The pinkette priestess's arms crossed not actually not smiling or amused. Actually she looked displeased and disappointed as she snuffed her nose up with soft hmph.

"For the sake of the Vision Hunt Decree of course, what other reason do they need. Do you not think if the Shogun was to learn of the truth she would have reconsidered her policy if everything mentioned appeared in the reports?"Yae pointed out with a sharp glance as if she had caught a tiny child sneaking into the kitchen for a snack.

"So the Tenryou Commission....t-they're deliberately deceiving Raiden-dono?"choked Sara in disbelief. Sara didn't seem to want to believe any of this but the more proof they showed her the more realization took root on the tengu's fair face. Realization turned to burning anger and determination after Lumine revealed what she had learned from Scaramouche and the letter Xiao had found. In the end Lumine couldn't help but feel sorry for her and maybe pity as Sara now looked lost and angry. Xiao though was gain a bit of respect at just how devoted Sara was to her archon. Some the young adeptus understood all too well. "Maybe she and I aren't' too different in this regard."Xiao thought unaware Lumine shared a similar thought in regard to him and Zhongli. So with haste in their steps they followed Sara to the city as fury and betrayal stung like a swarm of electro cicins.

To Be Continued....

............................................

[A/N: Hope you're ready cause next chapter is a huge one. Lumine's duel before the throne against Signora!! Xiao is not going to enjoy that.]