#(prob bc he got less screentime anyway lol)

[syncogon]

[HH] breathe again in the world anew

“Why?”

Xiao’s arms hang loosely at his sides as he walks forward, for it is clear that the being before him poses a threat no longer. 

Not-Kalo slumps against the pillar, weary and resigned as he tracks Xiao’s approach with his violet eyes. From up close, Xiao can finally see just how poor of a shape he is in.  His flames flicker low. His visor is split in two. His metallic skin has shriveled. And there are the dimensional rifts that tear at his body, jagged gashes leaking faint purple light. Xiao’s own scars twinge in recognition—the price paid for leaping universes.

Why. Short, to the point. The answer is just as simple: 

“I had to save Adeli.” 

This is all he says, but Xiao can imagine the rest. At last, it makes sense. The old sage had said, collecting the energy from all of your parallel selves would grant you unfathomable power. The power to twist a timeline. Save a world. In every universe, Adeli is destroyed—but if there was the barest sliver of a chance—

“Even if it meant killing your own parallel selves?” says Xiao quietly.

“You said it yourself, we are but versions of the same person. The same likes, the same character, the same dream,” not-Kalo says hoarsely. His breaths come in shallow gasps. “I… am the zhanshen of Adeli.” 

His violet energy has dimmed to almost nothing. Xiao has seen this before. He knows what this means for an Adelian. 

Not-Kalo is still looking up at him, almost as though searching for something. Acknowledgment, recognition. The only reward he can have, now, for the hell he has undergone. “It is an honor to serve Planet Adeli,” he whispers. “And I would die a thousand times over to save her.”

Xiao swallows. Finally finding his voice, he replies, “You cannot make that decision for every version of yourself.” 

“Then it seems even you don’t understand,” is the only answer. With the last of his strength, Kalo tilts his head to the side, letting fall upon his eyes the view of a planet that has not yet met her fated tragedy.

“Adeli,” he murmurs, as the flames fade from his body, “how beautiful.” 

//

“Kalo,” Xiao says, “how far would you go, for the chance to save Adeli?”

“Oh? What brought this up?” His Kalo laughs softly, before turning to look out upon the twinkling lights of Xing sprawled before them. “Adeli is gone,” he says, tone still light, blue eyes wistful. “It doesn’t matter anymore, does it?” 

It’s not an answer. Xiao doesn’t ask further.

#happy heroes #synco talks #synco writes #“you're a chaoren shouldn't you understand?” but it's not the same #kalo is alone shouldering the burden of a planet #will put on ao3 later #inferiority complex kalo was boring at best I’m sorry #I’m way more interested in whatever the hell was up with purple kalo #(prob bc he got less screentime anyway lol)