Moonlit Skies [] Xiaoven

Chapter 2 - Flowers

Xiao reappeared on the top of a small hill, overlooking the place where Zhongli waited. He scoffed and turned away, letting his gaze rest on the pale flowers that swayed in the breeze. The breeze ruffled his hair, whispering among the leaves and grass that surrounded him. Xiao took a deep breath, letting the soft sound of the wind calm him. Most people disliked the wind They were bothered by the way it messed up their hair and blew away their useless business papers, but to Xiao the wind was one of the most beautiful things in this world.

There was something about how it danced with the leaves, sung with the birds, ran with the clouds... There was something about it that made him feel safe. Happy. He never quite understood why people disliked the wind. It was like a song, a soft tune that nurtured the world. He sighed, a bittersweet smile on his lips. He sat amidst the flowers, closing his eyes in the gentle breeze. Something about the breeze felt.. different, somehow. Familiar.

A memory flashed in his mind. A blur. It was night, and he was standing in the marsh. He was watching someone. A blurry blob of a moonlit color. There was nothing but a blur around him, except the clear sound of a-

Xiao shook his head and covered his face with his hands for a moment. What the hell was that..? He looked around him, brought back to the present by the cool breeze. The breeze. There was something strange about this breeze. This.. This breeze. It's the same breeze from.. Whatever that was. He sighed, confused. He'd had flashbacks of that night, random thoughts about it. But he never remembered more that standing at the marsh, watching that strange figure. Who were they, and why was I just standing there, watching..? Was I even watching, or was I listening to something? ..I could swear there was a sound... He sighed again, and tried to brush it off. That person, whoever they were, whatever they were doing, was probably long gone. He felt a slight sting, a blunt reminder of the future that forever awaits him. To stand alone in the sands of time, slowly deteriorating as everything around him changed endlessly. He shut his eyes and sighed again. There was nothing he could do about it. Nothing left but resignation.

He looked up at the sky. "Shit-" It was noon. He looked down at the flowers, and after a moment's hesitation, he carefully plucked a pair of fresh Qingxin. He took a moment to arrange them slightly and then, flowers in hand, dissolved into a cloud of black and blue.

He reappeared not where Zhongli was, but on a small hill with various shrubs that was a few meters away from him. (sorry to my american readers but i dont know how to measure things in turkey lengths /j /lh please dont get mad im just kidding sbhnjg) He peered through the shrubs, trying to see if Zhongli's friend had arrived. It didn't seem like there was anyone nearby. He signed in relief. It'd be awkward as hell to just show up with flowers with no prior context, He thought. But right as he was going to step out of the shrubs, he heard a cheerful greeting.

"Yahoo! Sorry about the delay, the Liyue landscape was so wonderful it practically forced me to stop and play a song,"

Xiao groaned. Of course nothing goes as I expect it to. He sighed and peered through the shrubs once more to see what this visitor was like.

And for a split second, he could've sworn he felt his heart stop.

It's them. The figure. The person from the marsh. His mind started to put pieces together, solve a puzzle that he didn't even understand. He stared through the foliage and shook his head. No. No, it can't be. That was eons ago.

...And Zhongli said he was around my age. He kept looking at the visitor. There was something about him that captivated his gaze, like the moon in the night sky. He took a step back, trying to avert his gaze, but as he moved his foot backwards, he set it down on a twig. A crack echoed through the area, and the two former archons turned in alarm. They can't see me. I'm hidden, they can't see me, they can't-