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mehiwilldoitlater · 2 years

Text

Inside a dream

UUUGH my brain is fried but FINALLY I MADE IT! the second part from this:

angsty post

@xiaosimpdamn

The last thing Xiao remembered was Zhongli running away with you in his arms. He screamed with all the air he had in his lungs, but the Geo Archon priority was another at that time. When Xiao was able to free himself, he was exhausted, almost passed out, and the only thing he could do was try to get out of the cave where Zongli found both of you. The confusion has caught the attention of others, like one of the most trusted Xiao friends, Aether, who rushed there, only to find the Adeptus with both of his legs broken, a pool of gold and no trace of you. When he finally woke up, he was able to recognize his room in Wangshu Inn. Verr Goldet immediately informed him that when Aether took him there, he had no idea where the Creator, who had been hunted like a walking blasphemy but was now fully recognized, was. The news was spread by the Qixing. The one that they believed was the impostor showed the Geo Archon the full proof: golden boold. Now, they are held under the care of Morax in order to repay the atrocities performed against her. Xiao was at a loss of words, or better yet, he had so many questions that he couldn't choose which one to ask first. Morax, or Zhongli, the one that he rejected after acknowledging that you were the real creator, the same one that had promised to have both of your heads on a pike after his betrayal... he's taking care of you? Where? The Qixing said that they saw you but you still weren't sure about making a full presentation to Liyue, but after that there wasn't any more information. That concerned Xiao, that means that Morax had you somewhere without giving any information to the outside world. What was he doing? Aether and Paimon tried to help, gaining some information from Keqing or Ningguang, but something stopped both of them. Something like a code, or a contract. As much as they could gather, they found out that the Creator was held in a secret location, a place well hidden, and anyone who was able to be invited was forced to perform a contract with the Archon that kept the secrecy of the place. For Zhongli, it was for your protection. For anyone, he was keeping you hostage. Especially for the adeptus, this was the truth.

He was able to hear it, your calling. When you two decided to stay together despite the nation that wanted you both dead,Xiao propelled the ability to make him appear once his name was told to you, other than Aether, and he neverbroke his oath. But during that period, held in a bed, incapable of moving, he was only capable of hearing your desperate calling, begging him to come to your rescue. That hurt him, literallyhurt him, more than the Geo Archon spear could do.

Fortunately, Xiao's wounds weren't enough to stop the Yaksha. In less than a month, his legs were fully recovered, and there, he thought, there was nothing capable of stopping him from saving you. When you called his name, he was ready. His polearm was ready, his mask on his face; he wanted Morax to know that it was him, the Yaksha, the one that once owned him everything, that was there to make him regret everything that he had done to the Creator, to you. You called, and Xiao answered. But when he came, you weren't there.

Why did he appear near Chihu Rock? That can't be the case. He tried to look around. Maybe you escaped and that was your hiding spot. You once told him that in the mass it is easy to hide. But you're not there. You used to tease him about his stubbornness, how he refused to give up on even the smallest task. The third time you called, he answered again. This time, he ends up at Yujing Terrace. Why ?! What kind of demonic magic was Moraw using to keep him away from you?!

Still, he didn't want to let you go. The third time, he appeared at the foot of Mount Tianheng. Why couldn't he find you?! He tried, and tried again. He wanted to hear you laugh again. He wanted to walk again near Dihua rivers, he wanted to see you mesmerized while crystalflies gently danced in front of you two! The last time he tried, he found himself in front of Wangshu Inn.Only then did he realize that it was pointless. He didn't know what Morax had done, but whatever it was, it kept him away. Maybe it was a punishment for his inobbedience against him, maybe he became jealous of the Creator and decided that the Adeptus was a problem, Xiao didn't care. The only thing that he knew was that not answering was painful and, sadly, each day the calls became sporadic and weak. You were losing hope. He knew that, and worst of all, that was Zhongli's plan, and it was working. The day that no call came, he decided to use another approach. A gentle breeze moves Xiao's hairs, covering his determinated gaze from view. The moon reflected on the marsh gave a calm atmosphere; everything was calm. Except for his heart. He wished that there could have been another way. He hoped that maybe Aether could have found another clue to your location, but the situation was growing desperate. And maybe, finding you was an easy excuse for him. One night, one that was just like this one, you asked him about his past, about having the ability to devour dreams. He was initially hesitant to share this information with you, and as the silence grew, you apologized for asking such a personal question. But then he opened his mouth and answered.

"I can because my old master gave me permission to enter his realm, the realm of Dreams."

That night, he shared with you the greatest secret that only Morax knew: that the God of Contract had slain the God of Dreams.

You fell in silence, still unsure about this story, and to explain it in a cryptic way, the developers of the game didn't mention it. The yaksha had sworn to himself that he would never again use that ability, and that even thinking of that made him remember the agony of his captivity. But maybe Morax was proud enough to think that Xiao would kept his word even in this specific case. Too bad he was wrong.

He set down. It could have taken a while, and he needed to concentrate.

He held in his hand something small, with every breeze emitting a slight jingling sound. If a ray of moonlight was able to touch it, a small blue shimmer was able to escape from his grasp.

A small hairpin in the shape of a glaze lily.

A present from Aether and Paimon. Xiao helped them after having noticed how deeply you loved those flowers and how much you loved to make them grow whenever you were happy, with the help of your powers. When you open the small envelope, your eyes shine like the sun at the sight of the hairpin. The day you were taken away, the hairpin was found in the golden pool your body left.

Xiao needed that, something that belonged to the person that he needed to find, in that specific case, you.

Xiao shared one last sight of the moon. "I'm doing this for Y/N... only for her..."

Then, he closed his eyes and entered.

The first sensation was like entering an icy pond. Water filled every opening in his body, covering him in his meditation pose like a wave, not strong enough to move him, but enough to impact his senses. He opened his fiery eyes after the wave had passed.

The world was different. The inverted colors, the unnatural silence, the tingling in the air.

The anteroom of Dreams.

That place holds so many memories, all of them bad. The life he ate, the dream he stole in the name of a God who had imprisoned him in an eternity of agony. He wanted to forget about that. There was no time. He may have been able to find you, but he wasn't sure how much time he had until Morax sensed his presence, especially in your own dream. With the hairpin, it may have been easier, and like that, research began.

//////////////////////////////////////////

Sleeping it was one of the few things you have been doing. Reading was enjoyable, but you had to look up to Zhongli when he had something that he wanted to say to you. Sometimes, you even fake it, a good way to skip one of his monologues. From your perspective, it was a sort of escape from your current situation. While you were sleeping, nothing mattered. It was nothing but silence, a calm nothingness that only you could enjoy. You didn't dreamed of anything in particular. It was just you and yourself. It was better than a dream full of pain, torture, and angry mobs. And it was less painful than dreaming of Xiao.

Sometimes you dream of memories, that stuff hurts you. Other times, you dreamt of Xiao, who burst into the room, reaching your bedside and finally taking you away from your golden cage. You cry of joy, hold onto him and tell him that you don't want to be apart from him anymore. Then you wake up, you realize that Xiao isn't there, and your cry of joy became a cry of desperation.Then Zhongli would enter the room, concerned for his Creator, only to find you in a sobbing state. And he holds you in his arms, telling you that he won't leave your side. You don't want any of that, but you start to give up. You don't want to live like this anymore. Maybe accepting him could be a good choice after all. He cared for you, didn't he?

And still, a part of you is strong enough to still refuse everything that he tries to offer you. You won't fall.

This dream is one of your favourites, a big white nothingless. Maybe you'll wake up in a good mood; maybe you'll eat something.

You stared at your dream like watching a show, nothing new... except for a crack.

It's small, almost invisible. Maybe you're so used to this scenery that now it's easy to notice something's off. You start to stare at it, a series of black intricate lines in the air. Then you noticed something again; the crack was getting bigger. Well, that's strange.

For a moment, you want to laugh it off, telling yourself that even your dreams are falling apart, but then the crack becomes bigger again, and again, and again. Now, something like a little hole has started to become a chasm. Then something caught your attention.

A hand that tried to make room between the folds of the crack.

That scared you enough, not a nightmare again!

You prayed that it was not one of your old nightmares when, finally, the crack split spart, letting the rest of the body follow the hand.

You hold your breath, a pair of golden eyes meet yours.

"...Xiao...."

He used to be skilled in his entry, but time had passed and he didn't care about the mess he could have made. The only thing he cared about was in front of him. For a moment, you took a step back, scared that this dream could end like all the others that you had.

"You ...aren't real... you're a dre-"

Your voice was cut off the moment you felt his arm holding you. You felt it like it was real, like he was there, but that couldn't be possible, right?

"It's me... it's me Y/n, it's me! I found you! "

His body was trembling, betraying his strong and harsh voice. You sensed his hand holding you like you were ready to disappear again.

"N-no...please i don't want this again... it's a dream, you're not-"

"I followed your trail! I entered the Dreams realm! It's me! It's Xiao, it's me!"

You trembled, carefully raiding your hands and mimicking his gesture. He was warm, his skin soft, and you smelled an almond scent on him.

Those things weren't possible in a dream, right? But how come you could only detect them on him?

He entered the Dreams realm. He was able to do it. He was there. That was Xiao.

You tightened your grip. A sob came out of our throats.

"X-Xi...Xiao...i...i thought...i thought that Zhongli...you-you never responded, so.. so I thought..."

"I know, speak no more...Forgive me, I couldn't find you sooner, I..."

He wanted to say more, but he feared that he could not have enough time. He enlarged his embrace, facing you directly in the eyes.

"Y/N! I don't have enough time! Please, tell me where Morax is keeping you! "

"I-I don't know! There's no windows, and he had chained me to the bed. I tried to escape, but he rarely left the mansion! "

So the rumors were right! He did hold you hostage ! This was enough to let Xiao's anger burst, but that was not what he needed to hear.

"Plase! You need to give me something! Everything! I can't let you stay there any longer! "

"I don't know! I don't know anything! The maidens don't speak with me! "

You were starting to agitate. No, that was bad, he needed you to calm down! He first noticed on your shoulder, where he kept one of his hands, a small dissolution. You were waking up! A change of plans! If he couldn't reach you directly, he would have made his own path!

"Y/N, listen carefully, i don't have enough time! You're waking up, i need you to-"

"NO! PLEASE! I DON'T WANT TO WAKE UP! I WANT TO STAY WITH YOU XIAO! PLEASE!"

You tried to reach for him again, but your body felt lighter, and your hand passed through Xiao body like air.

"No...please..don't leave me again... i can't-

"Y/N, please, listen! You need to convince Morax to let you meet Aether! You must do it! There's no other chance!"

When you met his gaze again, his eyes were full of desperation, but differently from yours, they were full of strength too. He wanted to save you, he didn't leave you, and he wasn't planning to do that in any case. Those eyes fuelled you with the same courage, Xiao didn't give up, and you wouldn't either!

"I will! I will do everything i need to! "

He smiled again, his gaze returning to your almost completely vanished body.

"Xiao... one... one last thing..."

You stopped smiling the day you entered that nightmare. Finally, after so much time, you were able to smile again, for real. It was a sad one, but full of hope, your face covered in tears.

"Don't make me wait again... okay?"

"...!!!"

///////////////////////////////

When you opened your eyes, you were still able to hear Xiao calling your name in your dream. You remembered him reaching out to you as soon as your mind left the Dream Realm. A gentle hand caresses your head.

Zhongli heard your hiccups from his room. Fortunately, he didn't have any idea of what had happened while he was sitting on your bed, not far from your frame. His long hair was loose, he was wearing an elegant silk vest, so it was night time now...

"Must have been a terrible dream, um? Freat not, I'm here for you, your grace. "

"..."

You take a set position, your back resting on your pillow.

"Zhongli... I have a request for you.”

#genshin impact #sagau #genshin x reader #xiao #zhongli

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