My butterfly, is mine, all mine | Xiao x Aether |

Xiao has crawled his way back into his cage, to the master he had tried so hard to forget and escape but will forever be chained to.

Xiao shouldn't have let his guard down, peace never existed in the first place, not for him anyway. He had thought he was strong enough, that his former master had grown weak in the time that he had been free. But has he really been free? How many times have the nightmares and karma infected his mind? Till he was simply a blinded bird plummeting from the skies, for his wings had been lost long ago, for he feels the absence and the tearing of limbs every day.

Xiao dreams of putting on his mask—not to fight—to dance in a sea of flowers and feel at peace. Yet in the years he's lived, he finds himself donning that mask only to kill—even if that was all he was good for—even if his dance would be amateurish at best. Tripping over his own feet and thrashing his arms around, feeling the strange absence of a polearm and not knowing what to do with his hands. Falling into soft flowers instead of carcasses and blood. At least he would laugh, and at least he would feel at peace.

In that strange moment, his mind wanders to the Traveler, the closest he's gotten to peace was that dream. Wasn't it? When the Traveler visited him and he fell asleep in his presence, that was the first time he dreamed of good things. Not the nightmarish fuel that he has since for as long as he's remembered.

If it was his time to part ways with this world, Xiao hoped he would do it in a final and last valiant, heroic effort. He hopes he dies with a smile on his face.

Xiao opens his eyes, the scene ringing familiar in his memories. He's been here, hasn't he? On his knees in front of a stone throne. The slimy feeling of a finger on his chin startled him—Xiao froze—he had been here. This was his cage and his "master" sat right there. He still remembers that soft grin and sweet, cooing voice. Beckoning to him with a lovely song. The same one the being in front of him was humming. Xiao couldn't move, he couldn't do anything but stare and listen. Stare at the gouged out eyes still crying murky black against their ashen skin. An arm was missing, instead replaced with a blackened skeleton and their body was filling eyes. A few blinked at him, the others were just empty holes in the being's body. His "master" has grown weak—Xiao realized—if he could just get up, he could kill them. Yet he was glued to the ground, letting them touch his face with a mocking grin.

"[Redacted]" The god whispered, raspy and filled with anger. "My pet..."

The door crumbled down, Xiao wanted to turn his head to see who it was but he couldn't. His "master" looked surprised and got up. Walking past Xiao and towards the intruder. Xiao could feel them standing behind him, using their hand—their only hand—to pet his head. He wanted to throw up, the gesture only reminding him of the past. It was the gesture his "master" would give him every time he ate dreams, it was the gesture they gave him after they tore off his wings.

          《???》

Aether felt his blood boil at the sight of that disgusting thing's hand on Xiao. The slow stroke while the thing gave him a wide grin. Paimon was at his side, probably yelling but he couldn't hear her. Aether pointed his blade at the thing.

The thing tilted their head slightly and chuckled then shook his head. They grabbed Xiao's chin and tilted his head up, "You've made quite a competent friend it seems." Their voice was dry and quiet. Xiao looked at them with fear and the thing spat at him.

"Take your filthy hand off Xiao!" Aether demanded, cautiously making his way closer with his sword in his hand.

The thing didn't even turn to look at him, "Xiao? So that's your new name..."

Aether lunged at them, the thing caught his sword, and the skeleton hand started oozing out black murkiness that formed a spear. Aether recognized it as Xiao's spear, still tainted with fresh blood. The thing tried to stab Aether with the spear, Aether jumped back but was surprised to see the thing infusing the spear with some sort of element and throwing the spear at him. He couldn't dodge it in time and he cursed at himself for wearing a crop top. It hurt like shit when the spear pierced through him. Paimon screamed his name and came flying towards him, Aether swatted her away and yanked the spear out.