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It was a mistake, a small one that could have been avoided had Ganyu been paying attention. She was out on watch, making sure no Guardians were in the area of their hideout when she got distracted.
She heard rustling in the bushes, and she ended up chasing after whatever made that noise. Turns out, it was just a poorly sewn stuffed bear with a poorly written note that read 'Got You!'
Ganyu wasted no time running back to the hideout she and Ningguang had been calling home for the past few months, fear already coursing through her veins as she ducked under branches and narrowly dodged traps that Keqing had set up when she was visiting a few weeks ago.
This war has already stolen so many friends from her, she wasn't going to let it take Ningguang as well.
Bursting through the front door of their home, the first thing Ganyu noticed was the broken furniture. Ningguang was nowhere in sight, the window in the living area was broken and there was a clear struggle.
Dread filled Ganyu's heart as she took slow steps around the room, keeping an eye out for any possible hidden traps that may have been placed. There didn't appear to be any, and instead, she saw a folded sheet of paper placed neatly on the ground near the broken window.
She quickly picked it up and opened it, barely able to focus her eyes on the words as the dread within her became rage.
We have Ningguang.
If you want to see her again, surrender and join the fight to protect Celestia.
Underneath the words were coordinates. Ganyu tore the paper and watched as the tiny pieces left fell to the ground. She could feel ice in her veins, begging to overflow and freeze the surrounding area but she took slow breaths in and out, doing her best to remember the words Ningguang always told her when she felt this way.
Never lose control, my sweet Qingxin. When you feel at the edge, think of the promise we made.
Ganyu thinks of the promise she made, thinks of Ningguang's words until the ice in her veins thaws and she no longer feels out of control. She repeats the coordinates written on the paper continuously in her mind until it's all she can think about, and without a second thought, she left her home.
She wasn't sure what she was going to do when she arrived at the meeting place. She knew it was idiotic to go alone, especially knowing it could be another trap, but she didn't want to put anyone else at risk. Not with the war still raging, not with her friends dying.
She briefly thought about asking Morax for assistance but quickly stomped that thought away, knowing he wouldn't help even if he wanted to. He made a vow to not fight this war.
Ganyu knew one thing, though. She wasn't going to surrender, and she most certainly was not going to fight her friends. She was going to save Ningguang, and she was going to kill as many Guardians as necessary to do so.
-
It was nightfall by the time Ganyu arrived at her destination. She surveyed the area, immediately spotting Ningguang. She was tied to a wooden pole, and Ganyu noticed her hands moving slightly. She then noticed the numerous amount of Guardians surrounding the area, three stationed near Ningguang, two of which were Elite Guardians.
The Lesser Guardians were scattered around the area, many holding different weapons.
It would be difficult to sneak in and grab Ningguang while they weren't aware of Ganyu's presence because escaping would be difficult with their overwhelming numbers.
Fighting them would be also difficult because of, once again, their overwhelming numbers. Ganyu was skilled, but she wasn't dumb. She knew she wouldn't be able to take on two Elite Guardians coupled with dozens of Lesser Guardians.
She also couldn't signal to Ningguang without being noticed, and it seemed that she was close to breaking out of her bonds so Ganyu didn't want to mess that up for her.
The only thing she could truly do was play along and wait for an opening. Decision made, she jumps out of the tree she was hiding in and walks into the open field. Immediately, the Lesser Guardians took notice of her and aimed their weapons at her while also signalling the two Elites.
"Drop your weapon." One of the Elites said, the other aiming their blade towards Ningguang. She lifted her head slightly and Ganyu could see blood running down the side of it. She forced her anger down and did as told, tossing her bow to the side so one of the Lesser Guardians could take it.
"I'm here now, so let her go," Ganyu said, keeping her tone steady. The Elite tilted its head to the said, almost as though it was considering her words before it flashed her a sharp-toothed smile,
"That's not how negotiations work, Ganyu." It said, and Ganyu stopped herself from rolling her eyes, "You see, we think you would be a valuable asset to us. You know this war is going to end with Celestia winning, so why not change sides? You'll be well protected and will even be given high power if you do so." It said, its words were echoing and its modified robotic voice gave Ganyu a headache.
"And watch all of my friends die in the process? I would be losing more than what I'd gain." She says, staring up at the Elite. Her gaze drifted over to Ningguang, and she felt pain in her heart. She didn't want to betray her friends, she didn't want to watch Celestia take control of the land but she also didn't want to watch Ningguang die.
"You believe you have a choice?" The Elite's voice echoed, and Ganyu tore her gaze away from her lover to look at it, "Silly little Ganyu... This would have been so much easier if you joined us willingly but we aren't afraid to take you by force." It says, and before Ganyu could react, a Lesser Guardian shoved her to the ground and she saw another approaching her with a collar.
The same collar manny of the Lesser Guardians wore. She tried to knock the Guardian that was on her away, but she froze when she heard a gun click and felt a weapon press against the back of her head.
"Once that collar is on you, you'll be thrilled at the idea of killing your loved ones. Don't worry, though. We won't make you kill your lover. We'll just give you the pleasure of watching her die." The Elite says, and Ganyu's eyes widened as she helplessly watched the other Elite raise its blade.
Just as it was about to strike, a glowing yellow rock shot through the air and stabbed the Elite in the eye. It stumbled back and Ganyu watched as more rocks shot through the air, many of them hitting and killing the Lesser Guardians that had Ganyu surrounded.
Ganyu watched as Ningguang stood up, her hands no longer tied to the wooden pole, and she felt hope rise within her. This was her chance.
She shoved off the dead Lesser Guardian that was on top of her and quickly grabbed her bow, which was thankfully nearby in the hands of a dying Lesser. She shot ice arrows at the Guardians charging towards Ningguang and noticed that both Elites had disappeared. Cowards.
A rock flew by Ganyu's head a stabbed a Guardian that had been standing behind her. She turned at watched it fall to the ground before looking back at Ningguang, unable to stop a smile from forming as her lover approached her.
"Are you okay?" Ningguang asks, placing a hand on Ganyu's cheek and gently wiping away a stray tear as Ganyu leaned into her touch.
"Better now that you're here." She whispers, and Ningguang smiles.
"I'll never leave you, my sweet Qingxin." She softly says, pulling Ganyu close and leaning down to kiss her.
Right as their lips were about to meet, Ganyu saw Ningguang's eyes focus on something behind her and suddenly she was being pushed to the side. Ganyu watched with wide eyes as two swords went through the chest of her lover.
"No!" She screamed, her eyes snapped over to the two Elite Guardians. Tunnelvision seemed to take over, and ice filled her veins. She aimed her bow, sharp shards of ice forming instead of arrows, and she shot them.
The larger shards of ice stabbed the Elites through the chest while the smaller shards stabbed multiple parts of their body. She watched as blue liquid dripped out of their wounds, watched as they both fell back and landed on the grass with a soft thud. She watched as they gasped for breath, and watched as they both faded away into nothingness.
Ice was still flowing through her veins and her eyes slowly landed on Ningguang, who was laying on the grass, blood pooling around her as she gasped for breath.
Ganyu dropped her bow and fell to her knees next to her lover, slowly and gently pulling her up slightly and resting her head against her chest, running her hands through her hair, "It's okay, Ningguang. You'll be okay." She whispered, her voice shaking as tears fled her eyes.
Ningguang stared up at her, her eyes trying to focus. She smiled, a small one, a sad one, "Isn't this romantic? Dying in the arms of the woman I love. Morax would make a scene like this look beautiful with his art." She says, her voice quiet.
Ganyu shakes her head, "No. You won't die, you can't die. I need you, Ningguang." She cries, and Ningguang, with a shakey hand, wipes the tears on her face,
"Don't forget our promise, okay? I'll be waiting for you in another life, so don't forget to find me." Her words grew quieter the longer she spoke, and Ganyu's hand caught Ningguang's as it began to fall, "Don't stop looking for Qiqi, okay? I love you, Ganyu. I always will."
Ningguang's eyes slowly closed and she exhaled one more time before her body went still.
Ganyu stared down at her, and time seemed to slow. She tried to catch her breath but the more she inhaled, the more pressure she felt against her chest. Her vision blurred and she was vaguely aware of the grass frosting over.
Ningguang was dead. She died from an attack meant for Ganyu. Ganyu hugged her lover, and she screamed. Birds flew away from the sound and the air around her grew cold. She screamed and cried until her voice gave out and once it did, the field around her was completely frosted over and icy flowers bloomed around Ganyu and Ningguang.
-
Xiao ended up finding Ganyu a few hours later, sitting on the floor inside of her destroyed home. He tried to ask her what was wrong but whenever she tried to speak she would start to cry.
He took her to see Morax, and Ganyu could only let him guide her.
When they arrived at Morax's home, Xiao very gently pushed Ganyu down on a chair and went further inside the house to find the God. She wasn't sure how long she sat in silence, staring blankly at the unfinished paintings in the room, but soon enough Xiao returned and Morax was following after him.
"Ganyu," Xiao spoke, gently nudging her shoulder. He was clearly uncomfortable with the situation at hand and Ganyu couldn't blame him, "Can you tell us what happened?" He asked, and Ganyu said nothing.
Xiao took a step back and whispered something to Morax but Ganyu didn't care enough to listen.
"Ganyu," This time it was Morax who spoke, and Ganyu stared up at him, "What happened?" He asked, and Ganyu knew she shouldn't have gotten angry, she knew it wasn't right to blame him but seeing his face, seeing how he was worn down by the weight of the war, by the losses that followed it, made her blood boil.
Her hand twitched, and she thought briefly about slapping him but managed to stop herself. Instead, she stared up at him with what was hopefully a look of anger and hatred, and she spoke, "Ningguang is dead."
She watched as both Morax and Xiao's expressions changed. Xiao clenched his jaw and looked away, keeping his expression blank. Morax looked torn, sorrow evident on his face. It didn't make Ganyu feel any better.
Slowly, she stood up, and Morax took a step back to give her space, "My wife is dead because of a war that you could easily end." She says.
Morax frowns, "Ganyu-"
"No," She cuts him off, glaring, "Why can't you fight, huh? You were once this brave man, willing to do anything to defend his people, and now? Now you're just a coward." She says, and she stomped down the guilt bubbling in her chest at the hurt look on Morax's face.
"Ganyu, you can't just-" This time it was Xiao who spoke, but he stopped when Morax shook his head.
"You know why I can't fight, Ganyu." He says, and Ganyu scoffs.
"And what are you going to do if Diluc dies?" She asks, and Morax doesn't respond, "I see." She whispers.
Ganyu bites her tongue as tears begin to flood her vision and she turns, ready to storm off and be left alone in her solitude but Morax grabs her arm before she could do so.
"Ganyu, don't-"
"Don't touch me!" She yells, pulling her arm out of her grasp and taking a large step back to put some distance between her and the other two, "I never want to see you again, Morax." She says, her voice quiet this time, before storming out of the building.
Ganyu didn't turn back, didn't see the hurt expressions on both Morax and Xiao's faces. She wanted to fight, wanted to kill every single Guardian she could.
She was going to find Qiqi.
-
Ganyu woke up with a sharp gasp and sat up in bed, looking around to find herself back in her shared apartment. She breathed heavily, rushing to push off her hezvy blankets and got out of bed.
She tried her best to quietly walk down the hall without making much noise, not wanting to bother Zhongli or Xiao, but it was difficult.
She was a shaking mess, stumbling into the massive living area of the apartment, her hand felt over the wall until she found the light switch. As soon as the lights came on, Ganyu sighed.
She stared at the floor for a moment, taking slow and steady breaths. Then, she slowly looked up and stared at the massive painting hanging on the wall.
It was a field of frozen grass, ice flowers blooming and scattered around the area. In the center of the painting, laying peacefully on the frozen ground, was a woman with long white hair.
Blood stained the grass around her, yet she looked as though she was sleeping.
Ganyu stared at the painting, her eyes watering. She hated reliving that experience, hated how the only way to calm herself down was to look at this painting Zhongli had made for her after they reunited.
"Ningguang, where are you?" She quietly asks, and the painting doesn't respond.