Two of a Kind
╰┈➤ Part One: Unfortunate Meeting
"A disembodied fragment of a fallen Night Warden's spirit is on the loose. From what we managed to gather, he was a person filled with negative emotions, such as rage, vengeance, and guilt. The remnant managed to get into the Leylines and traveled through them all the way to Liyue due to Leyline disruptions. Some herb collectors spotted it near Tianqiu Valley in the form of a shadowy figure surrounded by a black and dark purple aura with glowing eyes. They didn't get too close, so we have no idea how it behaves, but it'll most likely be hostile. Kinich, you're going to go to Liyue and get rid of the remnant before somebody gets hurt."
"Got it.”
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“This is stupid,” Ajaw huffed. “Why do we have to chase this stupid remnant? I’m sure Liyue can send one of their adepti to get rid of it!” Kinich just sighed. “Because it came from Natlan, and it’s our fault for not being cautious enough and letting it travel all the way to Liyue,” Kinich explained to Ajaw, who had been a nuisance almost the entire journey. Kinich’s answer didn’t satisfy him. “But it’s in Liyue now, so it’s their problem, not ours!” Ajaw retorted, but Kinich just got more annoyed. “Why do I even bother explaining this to you?” he mumbled more to himself than to Ajaw.
Deciding to ignore Ajaw and focus on the mission instead, he went through the details in his head again and pulled out the map of Liyue that was kindly given to him before he left Natlan.
He was almost in Tianqiu Valley, where the remnant had been last spotted. Nothing secured that the fragment would still be present there, so it didn’t surprise Kinich that when he had finally arrived, he found that the Night Warden remnant had already headed somewhere else. It only made sense; quite some time had passed between when the people from Liyue spotted it and his arrival.
After further looking around, he found some faint traces of elemental energy leading towards the northeast.
“You’re not seriously going to follow that!” Ajaw inclined, floating right in front of Kinich, who just pushed the yellow pixel saurian away and headed towards Cuijue Slope.
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A cool breeze of wind blew against his exhausted body. He sighed, the current of air feeling soothing against his tense muscles. Previously, Xiao had overestimated his capacities and indulged in a battle that completely strained him. In the end he won, but he paid the price of overworking his body in this way.
The soft grass he was sitting on, along with the soft glow of the moon, created an atmosphere that brought him peace. He let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding and closed his eyes. This was a moment he rarely got, yet one he desired very often. One of peace and solitude. But even now, the gods didn’t grant him this peace, as suddenly he felt a dark presence behind him. A shiver ran down his spine as he sensed how chaotic and conflicted this being was.
He stood up and turned to face it, quickly equipping his Jade-Winged Spear. Xiao’s golden eyes locked onto that entity, a roughly human silhouette out of an unfamiliar energy with two glowing eyes, filled with despisal directed towards the adeptus.
His body might not be able to handle a battle right now, and he was unaware of the creature’s power, but that didn’t stop him from getting into a defensive stance. The hostility towards him wasn’t something he could overlook easily.
His thoughts were racing. What is this thing? Perhaps a manifestation of the resentment of an evil god I killed? His stomach turned at the idea. But he regained his composure as he realized that this creature differed greatly from what he knew and his assumptions had been incorrect.
He wasn’t given much more time to think about what this thing might be because it charged at him for an attack, an attack he was barely able to dodge. It used its powers to form claws that resembled those of an animal, but he had never seen an animal in Liyue with such claws before. Normally he could fight back and take the entity down easily, but not at this moment. Not with his aching muscles and body.
He looked around, trying to use his surroundings to his advantage. On his left was a high tree he could seek refuge in. He jumped up onto a broad branch and looked down at the shadowy figure.
It didn’t move.
Then suddenly, it vanished.
Is it gone now?
Xiao gasped as that threatening presence appeared right behind him. It used its claws once again; Xiao was forced to step back, but he had forgotten that he was on a tree branch and not on solid ground, so his feet stepped into the air and he fell back.
He managed to land on his feet, but his knees bent from the impact, making them ache and worsening the condition of his already weakened body.
Looking up at the creature, his eyes widened as he saw it jumping right at him. He gripped his spear tightly and held it up in an attempt to block the attack, but Xiao knew that he probably wouldn’t be able to hold it off in this weakened state. Still, he was determined.
However, before it could reach Xiao, a green ball of dendro hit the entity, causing it to dismantle and dissolve. Xiao’s gaze followed where the blast came from, seeing a young man standing there along with a yellow pixel creature.
Xiao stood up and staggered, not making eye contact for a while. A mortal had to help him, an adeptus. He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by that. Instead of a genuine thank you, he instead decided to say, “You didn’t have to intervene.”
Kinich couldn’t help but sigh. “You would’ve gotten hurt. I helped you. You owe me, but you can’t even say ‘thank you,’” he said in a displeased tone. Xiao finally managed to stand up straight and replied, “I didn’t request your help. I don’t owe you.”
Even though Kinich helped Xiao and strictly believes everything has its price, he had to admit that Xiao was right. His help was never requested. Xiao never consented to “buying” his help, so why should he have to pay the price?
“Fine, you win,” Kinich obliged. Ajaw looked at Kinich in shock. “Really?! You never give up as easily when you want to demand the debts of others!” “Shut it.” Kinich’s words were rough, but Ajaw just crossed his pixel arms and looked away like an insulted child.
Xiao tries to walk away, his pride still hurt. He could’ve easily defeated it. For example, when he first saw it appear behind him. If he hadn’t wasted his time thinking about what it might be and instead would’ve just attacked it right away, he would’ve managed to kill it. Especially since the power of a human’s dendro vision was able to dismantle it so easily.
Seeing Xiao try to leave but stagger this way, Kinich followed him for a few steps. “You’re not in good condition. Do you require—” “No.”
…
Kinich was surprised; he barely finished his sentence, and Xiao already declined him. “That’s stupid. You’re in terrible condition. You need help,” Kinich inclined, but then Ajaw chimed in, “Come on, Kinich! Let’s just go. He obviously doesn’t want your help, so let’s stop wasting time.” “Silence.” Kinich’s words were harsh towards Ajaw, but then he looked back at Xiao and came closer again.
“Stay away,” Xiao warned. “Your help is not needed; I am able to handle myself like this,” he continued. “Don’t be childish. Just let someone help you,” Kinich said. His words upset Xiao. “Why do you care? You don’t even know me. There’s no reason for you to spend your time and energy to help me. I’m sure you’ll be able to use it on something that also benefits you.”
The argument went back and forth, Xiao insisting on handling this alone, though his words had no meaning looking at this condition. He needed help. So why wouldn’t he accept it?
“Stop being foolish; you’re in a terrible state. You don’t owe me. But letting yourself get harmed even more out of pride is just wasteful.” Kinich’s voice was rough, infuriated by Xiao’s stubbornness. Even if Kinich isn’t that much of a fan of helping others for free, he doesn’t tolerate self-destruction.
Affected by Kinich’s behavior, Xiao raised his voice. “I won’t. Just leave me be. I have no need for your concern. Do not put yourself in unnecessary danger by trying to help me; it would be a waste of your limited time, mortal,” he declared, hoping this argument would end soon. Spending what little energy he has left on trying to persuade Kinich to leave him alone wasn’t good for his body, not that he cared much.
“What kind of foolish mindset is that? Trying to do everything on your own will only end in your demise,” Kinich hissed. “That’s not nobility. That’s arrogance,” he continued.
Xiao’s anger rose. “Don’t act as if you know me or my motives. You’re a mortal human, while I’ve lived for thousands of years. You couldn’t possibly grasp the intentions I have behind every single action I proceed to carry out. Don’t waste your time on me. I’m not worth it.”
He wasn’t yelling. His tone was surprisingly low when he said this, but that doesn’t change the hateful undertone that he carried through his words, even if the hate wasn’t targeted towards Kinich.
Kinich opened his mouth to say something back, to disagree with Xiao, but knew he had been unreasonable. He stayed silent for a few seconds, thinking about the situation, before finally giving in. “Fine… I’ll leave you alone.” Admitting his mistake was still a little difficult for him, but after seeing Xiao, he realized that trying to force his assistance only worsened his condition.
A little ashamed by his actions, he gave Xiao one last glance before turning around and walking away. Ajaw laughed, enjoying Kinich’s defeated expression. “Finally! It’s about time we finally head back.”
Xiao watched Kinich leave, relieved that he’s finally alone again. He headed the opposite direction, towards a safe spot he knew he could rest in. Though something inside him had stirred when Kinich left, he didn’t pay this feeling much attention.
A/N: Not what I usually post, but me and my wife decided it would be a fun idea to ship our mains in Genshin Impact. As a writer, I did what writers do and made a fanfic. It's my first fanfiction too. This will become a series, though part two will probably take long until published. Also, if there's any mischaracterization or wrong lore in here you can tell me, just write a comment.
