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It’s a day like any other. Or at least, it should be, except for the part where Ningguang wakes up and realizes there’s a steady pulsing in her chest that is neither the faint thump of her heart beating nor her heavy-handed wife groping her breasts.
“What the fuck.” She says, upon standing and examining herself in the mirror. She’s glowing. Light is radiating from her entire body, down to the very tips of her fingers. It feels almost like the same power she felt that night when she sacrificed her old Jade Chamber to defeat Osial, when the adrenaline rush was high and she could think about nothing but the safety of her people, but that was years ago, and Liyue is flourishing steadily. Her home is not in danger, and that stupid fatui worm poses no threat to the peace, so there’s really no reason for her entire body to be alight with power like this.
Ningguang clenches her fist right above her heart, where the pulsing is strongest, and prays. She’s never been very religious, and has only thought of the Archons and Yakshas in terms of how to make money off their name. Still, she prays to whatever god might be out there, because no matter how powerful she’s become, glowing is still not normal, and when she opens her hand, she finds an undeniably recognizable gnosis resting in her palm.
“What the fuck.” She says again.
---
Of course, the first thing anyone does when they have questions about the Archons (or history in general, really) is to go ask the consultant at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, a kind and dapper man who calls himself Zhongli.
So Ningguang goes, trying her best to control how she’s still fucking glowing, and finds him walking through the streets arm-in-arm with the fatui worm. She pays the worm no mind, because seeing him crawl on his knees and beg her to be allowed to reside in her city after the shit his Tsaritsa pulled was revenge enough for her, and his full wallet combined with Mr. Zhongli’s lack of self-control is good for the economy.
Instead, she heads straight for Zhongli, pulls the gnosis out of her chest, and thrusts it towards him.
“Take it back.” She demands, because she’s not an idiot. The fucker still hasn’t bothered to change his face, and there are shirtless statues of him all over the country. Anyone with eyes and basic observational skills knows who Zhongli is— used to be.
“Oh?” Zhongli asks. “What’s this?” There is clear familiarity in his eyes, but yet his face remains distantly curious. Ningguang reminds herself that punching such a well known character will not be good for her reputation.
“You know exactly what it is, I’m not stupid.” She shoots back. “I don’t want it. Take it back.”
“Ooh.” The worm leans over Zhongli’s shoulder. “I want this! How much are you selling it for?”
Ningguang snatches her hand back, because she would rather destroy the city herself than hand the Geo gnosis to this damn fatui worm.
“Not you.” She snarls. “Him.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re referring to.” Zhongli replies, zen as ever. “If you’re asking to play a game of chess, however, I’m afraid I’m going to have to decline. Childe and I have lunch reservations in an hour.”
“It’s not a chess piece, it’s your fucking gnosis!”
“Lady Ningguang, if you are able to control the powers within it, then it is clearly mine no longer.” Zhongli says, solemn and firm. “Please accept this responsibility, heavy as it is, for whatever gods that may be have found you worthy and honorable.”
Zhongli has the same look in his eye as the old fishermen do when they stand on the pier and watch their sons set sail at dawn. A hint of nostalgia, a bit of regret, and the overwhelming satisfaction of being able to rest after a job well done.
Ningguang stares at the man who used to be her god and wonders if she’ll ever be able to live up to his legacy. She had grown up hearing stories of how during the Archon war, it was Rex Lapis’ pillars hailing from the sky that created the islands of Guyun, how he subdued Osial the first time.
Although, she was part of the effort to subdue Osial the second time. Maybe the stories about her told hundreds of years from now won’t be too bad after all.
“I’m going to replace all your statues with myself. I’ll be shirtless in them too, and everyone will forget about your abs and think about my boobs all the time instead.” She says, only half joking, because if there’s one person in all of Liyue she might be allowed to be petty with, it’s the man in front of her.
Zhongli smiles and bows low. “I look forward to it, Milady.”
---
“Babe, that is so fucking cool.”
“Thank you.” Ningguang replies, still catching her breath from the very athletic round (four rounds) of sex they just had. She had been able to control the glowing until her first orgasm, but Beidou hadn’t cared and hadn’t stopped. Now the two of them are here, lying on their backs in Ningguang’s very large and very comfortable bed, while Beidou ooh’s and ah’s at the gnosis spinning lazily through the air above Ningguang’s chest..
“Still, I thought you at least had to be a god before you could become an Archon.” Beidou says, hand reaching out to touch the gnosis. Ningguang grabs her wrist right before her fingers make contact, because she’s heard the stories of what happened to old Barbatos and La Signora, and no matter how much she trusts her wife, she isn’t ready to take that risk quite yet.
“Maybe whatever happened with the first Jade Chamber was enough. Or maybe I’ve just been a god this whole time.”
The realization hits her suddenly, like a meteor falling from the sky. After all, the construction of the new Jade Chamber has been going a lot easier than it did the first time, but Ningguang had just assumed that was due to the overwhelming peace and contentment blanketing the entire country. And her geo powers also have been much easier to use and much stronger, taking up almost no stamina at all, but she had assumed that was due to her own growth as a person and as a leader. But two coincidences is already two too many, and when she really thinks about it, her body hasn’t really changed at all since Osial. Ningguang mentally slaps herself for not realizing something was amiss sooner.
(If only ascending to godhood had come with a manual, or at least some sort of notice. Maybe this whole affair wouldn’t be so strange then.)
“So if you’re a god now, does that mean you’re immortal?”
“Probably.” Ningguang replies. She thinks about Zhongli, the oldest of the former Archons, who has been walking the land for more than six thousand years. She wonders if she’ll make it as far as he has.
“Huh.” Beidou says. “I guess that means finding the fountain of youth is our next mission. That’s fun, I always really liked that story as a kid.”
“What?” Ningguang turns her head sharply.
Beidou’s face is unreadable for a moment, before the façade cracks and she forces out a laugh. “What, you thought that just because you’re gonna live forever you could be rid of me? Nah, babe, I’m never gonna leave you alone. Goddess knows what you’d do without me.”
Ningguang ignores the deliberate use of her own name in vain and contemplates this for a moment. Ever since childhood, she has always known her place in the world. When she was younger, before she became the Tianquan, it was about amassing money, power, and connections. And, now that she’s at the very top of the hierarchy, it’s about keeping them. There’s no room for human emotions, especially not love, and yet there’s a gorgeous woman lying naked in her bed pledging to be by her side for the rest of eternity. For a second time.
“The fountain of youth, then?” Ningguang asks, turning on her side to face Beidou fully. Beidou returns the favor, “Do you really think it exists?”
“I dunno.” Beidou replies. She looks absolutely stunning in the dim light emanating from Ningguang’s body, her hair strewn about the pillows and both her good eye and scarred one squinted in a smile.
“But for you, darling, I’d find it.”
---
There’s one more person Ningguang has to see. One more person to confront.
One afternoon, as the sun is setting, after Beidou and The Alcor have set sail, searching for a myth that may or may not exist for the sake of love, she makes her way to Wangshu Inn. She’s glad that she’s managed to (mostly) control the glowing by now, because embarrassing herself in front of this intended person would be slightly inconvenient.
She nods politely to the owner of the Inn, who looks startled to see the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing in her lobby, but thankfully doesn’t say anything. Then, she makes her way up to the roof.
“Alatus.” She calls, and waits.
“No.” comes a voice from behind her, some immeasurable amount of time later, when the moon is high in the sky. “Absolutely not.”
“What?” Ningguang turns around slowly, a smile creeping at her lips, because this is already so much better than she thought it would be.
When she had told her court of her new godly status, Keqing had seemed a bit disappointed, but Ganyu had only smiled and bowed low, pledging her service. Later that day, the lawyer girl had made eye contact with her (something the common folk rarely ever do) and had nodded in respect and the tiniest bit of awe. The adepti living in the city had gotten used to the changing of the tides that come with outlanders and old gods, but someone who lives in isolation and idolizes Rex Lapis would think much differently. Ningguang had known from the start that this would be a wonderful interaction, and that’s why she saved it for last.
“Why is it you?” The boy, the last Yaksha, Adeptus Xiao, says, lips twisted in a snarl. “Of everyone in the city, why did it have to be you?”
“Well, is that any way to talk to your god?” Ningguang asks.
Xiao hisses like a cat, and Ningguang can’t help but laugh.
“I look forward to working with you.” She says, bowing low enough that Xiao has no choice but to bow back. His face is still pinched in anger, and Ningguang can feel the laugh still bubbling in the back of her throat, but that’s okay— they have forever to get used to each other, after all.
Forever is such an interesting concept to a newly turned immortal. Ningguang thinks it might even be fun.