Y/n pov:
"You knew we were waiting for you?" Xiao asked Aether.
"It was obvious." Aether answered him. Aether and Xiao smiled at eachother. Am I third wheeling or something?
"Follow me, I have somewhere I want to show you." Xiao told Aether.
Am I third wheeling if I come along as well??
"Where are we going?" Paimon asked.
"A place that has to do with the Yakshas." Xiao answered.
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We got to the place and Xiao stood above the temple, in front of Aether and me.
"This temple was build to remember Pervases. Maybe I came here because I had a realization." Xiao explained.
"It's hard to put into words, seeing Bosacius gave me the false impression that I'd traveled back into the past." He said.
I raised one of my eyebrows at him, wondering what he meant.
"You could dress up the yaksha's life and call us valiant warriors, veterans of war, but... the truth is, we are slaughters, and nothing more." Xiao said while crossing his arms.
I crossed my arms as well, I had heard him say this about himself before. Many times. That he's not more than a slaughter.
"For Bosacius, perhaps dying in the heat of battle was no tragedy." He said.
He then turned and looked at me, "And perhaps the same is true for me, after living for so long, to die in the act of saving others, would not have been a terrible thing." He said.
"I think you know that isn't true." I said.
Xiao nodded, "So maybe... these thought are my own form of insanity." He said.
"Hey... don't say that." Paimon said.
"Xiao, we've got something to tell you." Aether said.
I turned to face Aether, now I'm curious.
Xiao looked up at him as well.
Paimon then spoke and said, "Ushi said he has the power to exorcise demons, so people use him to fend them off. But after he met Itto, he's never left his side. He also said that he doesen't have any grand philosophies, he just thinks we should spend our lives around the people who make us the happiest." Paimon told him.
After Paimon said the last line, I saw Xiao looking at me.
I looked at him back.
He smiled a tiny smile, "The people who make us the happiest huh?" He said.
"Maybe there aren't so many rules about how we should or shouldn't live our lives in this world after all. So just because the power of the yaksha may be harmful, doesen't mean you shouldn't hang out with other people." Paimon said.
Damn Paimon, finally said something inspiring.
Aether looked at me, "There will always be someone willing to be by your side. Y/n is one example." He said.
"And people with visions! They have more resistance against your power!" Paimon gave another example.
Xiao hummed, "You sound a lot like Bosacius and the others, they used to talk like that." He said.
"The Bosacius recorded in the Fantastic Compass had lost his sanity. He addressed the people around him as 'Alatus' 'Menogias' and the others. These are the names of the five yaksha." Xiao told them.
I had already heard about this many years ago, around the time when Morax took me in.
"I am Alatus, and Menogias is General Kapisas." Xiao said.
It had been a while since I heard him refer to himself as Alatus.
He didn't use that name to identify himself anymore, he's now Adeptus Xiao.
"The others are Bonanus, or 'General Chizapus', and Indarias, or 'General Musatas." He finished.
I spoke, "I heard that people call the five Yakshas: The Guardian Adepti." I said.
Xiao chuckled. "Bosacius and Yelans ancestor stayed underground to the end. So that space must have read their minds in their last moments as they approached death. Yelan was right in everything she said." He looked towards me. "She must've had a good Master." He told me.
I liked the words of praise while crossing my arms and smirking.
"Both of our proposals had their drawbacks, and both were sensible suggestions." Xiao said.
"Yanfei and Yelan are correct, always prepare for the worst-case scenario. This mindset is deeply rooted in me, even so it was the most optimisolution I could think of." Xiao said.
He looked at me as he spoke, "If Rex Lapis hadn't saved Y/n in that moment, I don't think she would've been able to escape, and I wouldn't be able to live with that again, after being reunited with her." He said and looked down to the ground.
Aether nodded his head, "So it was Zhongli's power back there..."
"I'm the end, I still had to burden another." Xiao said, referring to me.
"You didn't burden me, it wasn't my duty that made me save you, it was my personal wish to do so. You couldn't have done anything." I said, I didn't want him to blame himself, because that was exactly what he was doing.
Paimon spoke again, "But that's how it should be! You and Y/n have known and loved each other for such a long time. And you've definitely helped her before. So she helped you back, what's the big deal?" Paimon asked in confusion, not understanding why Xiao was disappointed in himself.
"Perhaps..." Xiao then decided to change the topic.
"It's good that more people will bear the memory of Bosacius along with me." Xiao said.
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3rd pov:
The scenery goes many years back in time...
In the picture the five yaksha where calmly grouped together.
The hydro and pyro yaksha stood together gossiping as the geo yaksha held up a purple outfit for the electro yaksha. The anemo yaksha sat on top of a rock nearby, looking down at them all.
They were laughing and having a good time. The sun was shining at them.
The picture changes once again...
Now the anemo yaksha was sleeping peacefully, the electro yaksha was holding two paintbrushes and painting on his face while he was asleep.
The geo, pyro and hydro yaksha stood in the back giggling.
The picture changes again...
They were all standing together, their back turned towards the view point and looking towards the sun.
The electro yaksha stood in the middle with the anemo yaksha on his left side, the pyro yaksha next to him again.
On the right side of the electro yaksha, stood the hydro yaksha with the geo yaksha next to her.
Once again... the picture changes...
This time the hydro yaksha was piercing through the geo yaksha with her massive claws, causing blood to splatter.
They had been forced into madness by their karmic dept and brought to killing each other, their brothers and sister.
The pyro yaksha was on her knees, screaming in pain as her own flames burned her body while her mask shattered.
Now the anemo yaksha was screaming in pain and agony as blood was splattered over his clothes, flames burning behind him.
The picture changes again...
Now the anemo yaksha stood alone, he was the only one left. Left to go mad because of his own karmic dept. He was kneeled down in front of Rex Lapis who watched him in pity as he was stained with his brothers and sisters blood.
Lastly... the picture changes one last time...
A woman with (h/c)(h/l) hair sat underneath a sakura tree, she had (e/c) eyes and a pair of long proud fox ears.
The anemo yaksha was sleeping with his head in her lap as she brushed through his hair.
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Y/n pov:
"I've said so much today, but I don't need to hold back as much when I talk to you." Xiao told Aether.
I was proud that Xiao had made a good friend of Aether when I've been gone.
Xiao and Aether held their conversation and I had a rock, paper, scissors competition with Paimon.
"Xiao, they are all heroes." Aether said.
Aether addressed to the yaksha and the soldiers in the battle as heroes.
I stopped playing with Paimon and looked up to see what they were saying.
"Heroes..." Xiao said, he then had a comfortable look on his face.
"I like that word."
"Maybe the world will never be free of disaster, but there is good in the world too. I accept your advice, from this day on, heroes will always look out for each other." Xiao said.
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A/N:
When I type Ushi, it translates to Sushi.