Nevertheless - A Xiao FanFiction

Prologue

I opened my eyes. Light was coming trough the window, shining directly into my eyes. Thats one amazing way to start my day, I thought. Things can really only get better after drinking my morning coffee.

I got up, closed my window and wallked into my cozy little kitchen. While trying to get my fire to burn using a flint, I cursed out the god of geo. Why didn't i get a Godly-Hydro-Eye? It would be so much faster to get my water to boil if I could just heat it up with my hand. Maybe with water I could have even saved him... No! I shouldn't think this way! I couldn't have stopped it.

After finally getting the wood to burn I sat down and waited for the water to start boiling. My eyes thrifted towards the window. As I looked at the ocean near by, I sighed.

I loved the water - I mean I grew up in Fontaine! But nowadays it just reminded me of what happened to my dear brother. I looked away again. I can't complain. I bought the house to overcome this fear. And maybe pne day, I will be able to look at it without thinking about him, to just admire the scenery. I sighed thinking about that meaningful day.

~~~

It was raining. My brother and I were out looking for berries and some animals to eat. The rain had a lot of the animals seek shelter, wich is why we decided to split up. It was his idea and I really shouldn't have listened. It was all going fine, I allone had found enough food to last us for a week, with his we could surely sell a lot on the marketplace.
But when I heared him scream my name I knew that something must have happened. Immediately I began running into his direction.

The only thing I could see from afar was a group of  Fatui around him. When I reached him he was already hurt badly on his side. Probably by a knife or a spear. I helped him fight of the Fatui. I really tried. One by one I keept shooting at them with my bow and arrow but there were too many. That is when I knew I had to use my elementary powers.

I really disliked using them. It always reminded me of the fateful moment where I got them. But this time there really was no other way. I concentrated on the feeling inside of me and whispered to my power what I wanted it to do. I opened them again and formed it with my mind and hands.

Giant spikes of rock were growing in all directions around me and my brother, hurting all those close by while also creating a shelter for us. I turned around to Ash, my beloved brother and saw him falling to the ground. The screams of the Fatui fading away while I kneelt down. "Ash! Please, are you allright?" I meant to say. But all I could do was starre at him and the arrow that had gone right trough his stomach. He looked at me with a weak smile. "Its allright Ember", he said "you'll just live on for me then." and he laughed softly. A single tear was running over my face. He lifted his hand and with his last breath he wiped it off my face. Still smiling, his hand dropped right into my lap. His eyes losing their glance, his vision fading trough me.

This couldnt be his end. No, he couldnt be dead! "Ash?" I whispered. More tears were forming in my eyes. I screamed his name. He was the only thing I had left. He couldn't just leave me! Thats when it happened. I felt the power inside me, stronger than ever. It was growling like an animal. It wanted revenge. Just like I did. The spikes around me trembeling and breaking apart. Slowly I stood up and wiped my tears away. Pure rage filling my heart. The screams of the Fatui gettling louder. I watched my protection fall down. Thats when I let it all go.

The next thing I know, is being woken up by an unknown Traveler. All around me were corpses of the fatui. The next days felt like watching a theatre. I didn't feel like I was in my own body. It was like watching someone else live their life. I burried my brother. I went home and couldnt even cry. So I went to bed. In his room. With his things. Even if he wasnt there, at least his blanket made me feel like he was hugging me. This was the only reason I ever got out of bed. Knowing he wouldnt want me to die. So i got up in the morning and ate. I starred out of the window for hours and went back to bed. It took me a while to go outside but eventually I had to, to get food. It's just like he said, I had to live on for the both of us now.

~~~

It had been over a year now since he died. To be exact it was one year and 25 days. In this year I hadn't gotten over his death. But i had dedicated all my life to avenging him. I joined the adventurers guild to be able to stop the fatui and monsters. To be able to prevent other people from experiencing what I had to go trough.

So to honnor my brother I was now fighting with his sword. And i had started to use my elementary abilitys too. Wich is why I, after one year of training and overcoming my fears, had decided to move to Liyue, the origin of the geo-element. And here I was, living in Liyue, my own small house close to the Ocean and close enough to Liyue-Harbour to get my daily comissions from Katheryin. Living my life doing pretty much the same things everyday. But at least I was living.