Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Moon Carver was the one to notify her.

She’d been in her workshop, having returned to grab more supplies for her ballista.  Cloud Retainer was helping the humans in installing the Ballista over the assigned locations, but were missing certain supplies.  So she returned to grab the spares she’d prepared. Yet, as she was gathering them, she heard the steps of a hurried Adeptus.

She didn’t think much of it. Surely it was another front-line update. Another message that he’d had succeeded in another battle. That the Assembly would be safe for at least another day. But that was not what she was greeted with.

“Lady Guizhong, he’s been hurt. He’s…”

She dropped her supplies and followed Moon Carver straight to the front lines. She’d been involved with front line battles before, but he’d always told her to focus on the humans. That battles and physical combat were his role, and strategy was hers. Maybe it was to shield her from the bloodshed and actions he committed for the Assembly. Maybe it was because she would do something rash to keep him at her side.

The battle was split between two sides, one on either side of Mount Tianheng and the surrounding mountains. The main forces were kept away from the water; her idea to separate the enemy forces from their god and limit their Hydro influences. It also kept the larger battle between the God of Contracts and the Overlord of the Vortex confined to the waters on the other side, in the case that Osial would be slain.

She saw the battle on land first. Blood from both sides splattered on the rocks, the ground, and absorbed by soil.  Her heart yearned to stop and begin her recovery processes for the troops. But for once, she made a selfish decision and continued beyond, towards the sea.

As she began to view the sea, she noted a new addition. Large stones that stuck out of the water like sticks in the mud. Stones she knew he threw into Osial. Yet Osial was gone. The waters were calm, flat as a board she used to draw her blueprints.  But where was he?

Moon Carver guided her towards those stones, which had been ripped from the land near the shore. On the top of the tallest stone, she was finally able to see him, collapsed on one knee. She landed and sprinted towards him, throwing her arms around him. She couldn’t get a word out before he collapsed into her arms.

The blood. So much. He was soaked from the water, but he was bleeding. Everywhere. She tried to find the source, but there were too many. His horns, which normally stood tall and gleamed golden in the moonlight, were broken and a dull brown color.  The scales on his arms were broken, ripped straight to the muscle.

“Guizhong…” he said breathlessly over her shoulder. “How did you…”

“Don’t talk!” she replied. Her heart was beating so fast, she had to do something. But she didn’t have anything. She hadn’t thought it was that serious. “You need to save your energy!”

“Don’t bother…” he said again. He took her face in his hands, his cold hands that had felled gods. They too lost their gold hue. “It’s too late for me.”

“NO!”  She ripped at her robes, trying to pull what material together that she could to wrap him up. A temporary measure, at least till they could find a way to transport him. But out of all the times her steady hands were to fail her, it was now, as she was shaking and weeping. “I will not let you die!”

He shook his head. He slowly brushed his hand over her forehead, pushing back her hair and planting a kiss. “My contracts…will go to you…till this war’s end…”

His contracts. The very thing he embodied. He’d always included her as another executor of certain contracts, but she never thought much of it. But they were not hers to guide.  "I can't-"

“You helped change this blockhead into a god who would die for the humans he watched over,” he admitted with a sad smile. His eyes, a bright amber color like that of Cor Lapis, were barely illuminated. “If you can do that, you can guide these people.”

“Zhongli, please-“

“Osial is sealed…under the ocean…He should not be returning any time soon…” He said. His head dropped to her shoulder, resting near her heart. “I’m sorry…I won’t be able to solve your gift…”

She is unable to get another word out before he began to crumble in her arms. To dust, as all things of Earth return to. Then a burst of power, sending a bright amber shockwave across the land and water and scattering pure geo energy.

And thus, only Guizhong, God of Dust, remained.

X------------------X

As the doors of the domain closed, Lumine let out a large sigh and collapsed onto the closest rock by the entrance. Paimon was right behind her, pulling some fresh sunsettias from an overhanging tree. She offered one to the Traveler, who snatched it and began chopping down her first food in at least ten hours.

Lumine had opted to return to Liyue for their Lantern Rite festival, as well as to prepare for her travels over to Sumeru. She would have departed for Sumeru sooner, but after hearing about the Chasm reopening, she decided to postpone her departure for a bit longer. And it let her go back to Mondstadt to check in on everybody, even if the one person she wanted to talk to, Venti, was gone again.

Now she was just trying to find ways to kill time outside of her commissions.  Paimon came up with the idea of taking photos of the area, to build up a photobook of her time in Teyvat. At first, Lumine didn’t know how to feel; it would cost a bit more to keep supplies for the kamera stashed, but it would be a great way to look back over her time so far. She’d seen so much in a year; she regretted not taking enough photos of her first Lantern Rite, her time in the Archipelago with the Knights, and even her trip to Inazuma.

Today, they wandered the northern parts of Liyue for photo opportunities. They started from Mount Aocang, wandering through the towering rocks until reaching the flats of Bishui Plains, then through the bamboo forest to Qingce Village. After stopping for a light snack, they opted to climb up to the top of Wuwang Hill. It was there that Paimon suggested taking photos of a domain; something that they had experienced plenty of, but never had any photos of.  Lumine jumped on the idea a bit too quickly, as it ultimately turned into her doing the fighting and Paimon acting as cheerleader and photographer.

Lumine stared out over the land. The sun had begun to tuck itself behind the Liyue skyline, decorating the distant mountains in shades of pink and orange from dusk.  The water of Dihua Marsh were glittering like the glare of morning sun hitting the corner of white iron ores. The blue hues of Wuwang Hill were beginning to emerge as if to greet the incoming night.   

“What a long day!” Paimon exclaimed. “Time to turn in?”

Lumine nodded. “We’ll have to find a safe place to put the teapot,” She couldn’t help but think about the times she tried to sleep on Seirai Island and was woken up by the constant storms. She barely slept that night out of concern that the teapot would get swept into the storm or into the ocean, even if she knew it wouldn’t break.

The floating fairy chomped down the rest of her fruit. “Too bad we’re out of Sticky Honey Roast.” Her eyes gleamed at the thought of her favorite meal.

Lumine laughed, thinking about all the times Paimon brought it up but would forget to buy the ingredients. “Why don’t you just make it yourself?”

Paimon frowned. “It…won’t be the same,” she admitted, head dipped in shame. She was trying to learn from Lumine, but she still hadn’t achieved ‘the perfect flavor’ for herself.

With their plans set, the traveling duo began to head down the western side of Wuwang Hill. Lumine had been through the area quite a few times now; between looking for artifacts, helping Hu Tao with her ceremonies, and even the occasional commission. She still couldn’t help but admire the scenery. Every region she’d seen in Teyvat thus far had its own image and uniqueness to appreciate and awe at.  If only the mountains were a bit easier to climb, especially in Liyue. She didn’t mind a challenge, but she had too many close calls from loose rocks.

Paimon floated an arm’s reach ahead of her, most likely scouring the area for any plants or ores they could take for later. Suddenly she froze, and zoomed over towards a tree with a small patch of blue flowers blooming at the base. “An awful place to be taking a nap...” Paimon commented, slowly floating over the flowers.

Lumine followed closely behind her, careful to keep her steps quiet. “Who is it?” She noticed the flowers; not just any flowers, but Glaze Lilies.

Wuwang Hill was the last place for any person to be resting in the open. Especially at night, when the spookiness ramped itself up and Hu Tao would likely be by to conduct her business.  The area was rampant with creatures and Ruin Guards as well. No normal person would choose to nap in a place like this.

“Paimon doesn’t recognize her,” the floating companion responded. “She’s really pretty though.”

It was a woman with long coal-black hair in a ponytail messily sprawled across the Glaze Lilies. She wore a flowing blue dress that hung to her knees with golden trimmings. Patterns of flowers were painted along the skirt, while patterns of scales were sewn into her sleeves. A golden yellow sash was wrapped around her waist, kept in place by a Geo Vision and matching Glaze Lily.

Paimon gasped. “Her arm!”

Lumine kneeled down beside the woman. Her right arm, which had been hidden by nearby brush, was covered in blood from her upper arm down to her hand. There were no visible injuries, however. As if someone dunked it into deep red paint. Her clothing was ripped at her shoulder, but the rest of her dress remained unharmed and unstained. Extremely odd, but still an injury nonetheless.  Proper wrapping would help prevent infection.

“Paimon, go check to see what we have, will you?” Lumine asked, summoning the teapot and placing it on the ground beside her.

“On it!”  And she popped away into the teapot.

Luckily, Lumine could see the woman visibly breathing, as if she was carelessly napping in the summer sun.  As she looked around, she did notice even more patches of Glaze Lilies glowing in the dusk sky. They normally didn’t grow up here. In fact, Lumine had never seen them in on Wuwang Hill; only in the tiered fields on the other side in Qingce. Where had they come from?

After a few minutes, Paimon burst back out of the teapot, panting for air. “Paimon found some bandages!”

“Thanks,”

She peered over Lumine’s shoulder, hands covering her mouth in concern. “Is it enough?”

Lumine glanced at the remaining roll. It would have to make do. Luckily, it wasn’t so serious an injury that she needed immediate medical attention. “I think so,” She set out to start rolling up her arm, trying to make the layers as tight as possible. Yet the nagging thought about the flowers couldn’t get out of her mind for some reason. “Hey Paimon, did you notice the Glaze Lilies?”

“Huh?” Paimon began floating around the area, gasping and ooh-ing as she went along. “You’re right! They aren’t supposed to grow here!”

Lumine shook her head. “How are they here?”

As she wound her roll of bandages around the woman’s arm, her eyes began blinking to life. Sharp blue eyes as dark as the ocean’s waves.

The woman pushed herself off of the grass with ease. She met eyes with the traveling duo, and blinked. “Huh? Where…” She whipped her head around, completely lost and confused about the location of her nap.

“She’s awake! Thank goodness!” Paimon added for measure.  

Her eyes glanced across the land, from Stone Gate to Dihua Marsh, and over towards the towering mountains of the adepti in the distance. As if searching for something familiar. “Where am I?”

“Wuwang Hill! What are you doing out here?” Paimon chirped.  “Are you camping out here?”

The woman brushed off her robes with a wave of her good hand. “I was investigating some ruins with the others, but we all started falling…”  Her eyes took in the sight of Lumine wrapping her arm and frowned in confusion. “How long have I been here?”

Paimon shrugged. “We’re not sure, we finished taking photos and we just found you here,” she replied. “I’m glad we were able to find you, though!”

Lumine finished tying the last of her bandages around the woman’s arm. She’d have to stock up on more before they left for Sumeru. “What’s your name? We can escort you back to your home if you want.” It wouldn’t be her first time helping lost citizens back home.

The woman reviewed her arm, moving and flexing it to test the motion. She hesitated, then lifted her head. “You can call me Guizhong,” she replied, lifting herself from the grass and back onto her feet. “And you?”

“I’m Lumine,” she said. “This my emer-“

“I’m Paimon!” the small fairy exclaimed, puffing out her chest. She gave her traveling partner a glare. “Not emergency food!”

The woman, Guizhong, tilted her head to the side like a puppy. Not out of curiosity, but recognition. “Well, thank you for your offer you two, but I do not want to burden you anymore. You’ve helped me more than enough,” She lifted her arm, tugging the bandages tighter.

“Where will you be going then?” Paimon asked, floating closer towards the woman.

She tucked her thumb under chin, as if lost on her next course of action. “You haven’t seen anyone else around, have you? Such as a tall fellow wearing purple, or a red-haired girl with a sword?”

“Can’t say we have, sorry,” Paimon replied, her cheeriness fading away. The only people they encountered the entire day were the residents of Qingce Village. “We’ve barely seen anyone else.”

“Oh no…” Guizhong lamented. She began playing with her hair, twirling it around with a finger. “Knowing them, they’ll get lost again…”

Lumine and Paimon share a glance. She was surprisingly calm about being separated from her party. As if this was common for her. “Do you want us to help find them?” Lumine asked carefully. She didn’t mind helping, and she didn’t have much else to do outside of commissions for the Guild. Not to mention the suspicion she had growing in the back of her mind…

The woman waved her good hand. “No no, I can find a way to meet back up with them. Though, it’s going to be difficult,” Her eyes caught the angle of the sun. “And with the moon rising soon, I will have to wait till tomorrow. Might as well return to Liyue Harbor.”

“Are you sure?” Paimon asked again. “We’re part of the Adventurer’s Guild! We’ve handled situations like this plenty of times before.”

That bit of information seemed to catch her attention, as her eyes began to twinkle like Paimon’s did when finding treasure. “I see. I’ve always wanted to talk more with adventurers,” she said. “If you are so offering, then I will gladly take you up on your offer. In return, I’ll treat you two to Liuli Pavilion later!”

Paimon’s eyes glowed as bright as the setting sun. “Wow, you can afford it?”

“You could say that. I have quite the savings available to me!”

Paimon smirked, floating ahead of the traveling party. “The exact opposite of someone else we know,” she commented, giggling at the thought of Zhongli trying to afford Liuli Pavilion on his own. “Well, let’s get going!”

And the group set out towards the closest waypoint to take them down to Liyue Harbor. But Lumine was careful to keep an eye on the addition to the party.

Guizhong. A familiar name, one she vaguely remembered after helping that researcher in Guili Plains. The name of one of the gods that died during the Archon War, and had been partnered with Rex Lapis. Surely this had to be a coincidence, right?  

But then again, Lumine had seen all sorts of possibilities in Teyvat so far.  Corrupted dragons, ruined meteors, and the revival of old gods. Even Azhdaha was able to find a way to return to Zhongli’s side, even if it was temporary. But when she was wrapping her arm, Lumine could tell. Guizhong had felt warm. She was breathing. She was very much alive, conversing with Paimon like a normal person. So what was the catch this time?

No, she wasn’t in a place to start jumping to conclusions. She could only find out the truth through asking.  And that could come after a meal in the Harbor.

Chapter Text

As they wandered down the hill, Lumine found that Guizhong was one of the most curious people she’d ever encountered. She was full of questions. She wanted to know how Lumine and Paimon met, where they’ve been, their favorite foods, how many times they’d gotten lost, who the bigger spender was, and more. Lumine wasn’t against telling stories about her travels, and was happy to explain some of her encounters she’d had thus far. Guizhong never asked about her past either, which was a pleasant surprise.

Yet, as the glowing blue Waypoint came into view, Paimon accidentally let it slip that she was the Traveler. The one that was beginning to garner a reputation around the corners of Teyvat.

“A Traveler you say?” Guizhong questioned. She attempted to bend her wrapped arm, as if to test if it could still be used, but gave up after a few painful tries. “I have heard rumors, but I didn’t entirely believe them. To think I haven’t met you yet! Have you been through Liyue before?”

Paimon smirked. “Have you not heard of the famous Traveler who helped save Liyue?” she replied, proudly boasting Lumine’s achievements for her.

Guizhong’s excitement deflated like a popped balloon. “Save…Liyue? From what?” Her voice wavered, but she pressed it firm.

Lumine and Paimon gave each other a confused glance. Everyone knew what had happened; the Rite of Descension, Childe, Osial, all of it happened within such a short amount of time. But everyone who had been in the Harbor had seen it. All of Liyue knew within days what had happened, and had paid their respects to the Rite of Parting days later.

“Did you not hear about the attempted revival of Osial?” Lumine replied, her suspicion being piqued again. It sounded so trivial as she spoke, but it really had been a serious threat. If the Jade Chamber hadn’t been sacrificed...the current Liyue would be much different.

Guizhong’s face went as white as a ghost. “Osial?”

“It failed though. We helped the adepti and the Qixing to defeat it. It’s been quiet since.” Lumine added quickly, noting the woman’s concern.  But even some folks in Ritou had caught wind of the events in Liyue Harbor. Yae Miko had spoken about what happened to Rex Lapis as well. How had Guizhong not heard about it?

That thought seemed to cross the woman’s mind as well, as her eyes narrowed in confusion. “When…did this happen?”

“It happened a year ago!” Paimon replied, floating down to meet eyes with their guest. She had no suspicions whatsoever. “Have you been gone from Liyue for a long time?”

Guizhong opened her mouth to speak, but the sound of an explosion caught her attention instead. In the corner of her eye, Lumine spotted a flash of red. Multiple flashes, all approaching them with high speed.

“Paimon, duck!” Lumine dropped to her knees.  The pixie let out a screech and dropped from the air immediately. “A Ruin Guard?”

Guizhong stared back in the direction of where the missiles came from, undeterred from the attack. To the group’s right, a Ruin Guard stumbled out from a gathering of ruins. Its glowing yellow eye whirled around until it locked in on the trio. Letting out a robotic call, it began to rearrange itself into a familiar launching position. More red arrows of death ready to rain down on them.

Lumine jumped towards her left and summoned her sword into her hand. Guizhong remained still against the raining rockets. She only needed to raise her arm to summon a Jade Shield, decorated in golden flower petals. The shield absorbed the impacts and explosions, turning them into dust that rolled off of the shield like water.

After the rockets ceased, she let her shield dissipate. “Why is it being hostile towards us?” Guizhong asked.

Paimon kept herself near Lumine’s shoulder for protection. “They’re hostile towards everyone, no matter who it is!”

“…So they haven’t been fixed?”

“Fixed?” Paimon exclaimed. “You can’t reprogram that thing!”

“Interesting,” a fiery smile flickered across her lips. She stepped between them and the Ruin Guard, which was preparing to begin its physical assault programming. She held out her wrapped arm; a warning to the Guard to keep away, and a protective action to keep Lumine behind her. “I’ll handle this.”

“But your arm!”

Guizhong summoned a weapon to her good hand; a gleaming green sword that twinkled in the dusk sunlight. It was a blade that was extremely familiar to Lumine. A Primordial Jade Cutter. “I want to investigate this for myself.  To prove something.”

As she spoke, the ends of her hair began to glow. An orange amber glow, just a few shades brighter than Cor Lapis. Almost like Zhongli’s did when he would summon his own power. Or like how the other Archons would when they used their own power.

Lumine’s suspicion morphed into confusion. She could sense the power of an Archon standing before her. Yet that was impossible.

Guizhong had to swing her blade only once; a swift horizontal strike that gracefully carved the Ruin Guard in halves, and left a deep gash in the rocks behind them. Dust particles exploded from the area of strike and began to swarm the Guard like bugs around a hive.  The only part that remained untouched was the main eye, which died out and fluttered to the ground undisturbed by the dust.

The woman walked over with a skip in her step to observe the remains. Lumine assumed she would destroy the eye, or try to take the core that was located in it.  Instead, she opted to pick up the item and begin poking and prodding it. She even tried to take it apart with her fingers, but kept dropping it due to her injury.

Paimon kept a hand close to Lumine’s shoulder. “Wow…she sure is an interesting character. Hey, wait! That’s stuff we could use!”  She zoomed towards Guizhong, waving her hands in an effort to stop her. “Don’t destroy it!”

The woman looked up from the remains. Her sword was aimed towards the ground, ready to stab at the object. “I just wanted to see the insides! This is valuable information to learn from.”

“’Insides’? We could use that stuff! Do you just tinker with machines for fun?”

“Of course I do. It’s one of the best ways to learn and understand something," She sighed, and pouted. “But, if you really need the materials, you can have them this time.”

Paimon cheered and began searching the eye for materials. Guizhong stepped away and let her sword flutter into dust, disappearing to be called on later. The orange glow in her hair faded away, returning to black. She looked over her dress again, brushing off some dust from her sleeve and skirt.

“Tell me, Traveler. Who is the current Geo Archon?” Her tone was strict and sturdy. Different than how she'd been minutes ago.

So Lumine would do the same, and be just as blunt. “There is no Geo Archon right now. Rex Lapis was, but he stepped down last year.”

“Rex Lapis…” She spoke the name breathlessly. As if the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. "He survived?” The word lingered in the air, hanging over them like a layer of fog in the morning air.

“Were you expecting it to be someone else, Guizhong?” Paimon asked, trying to juggle all of the Circuits she found.  

The woman took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. “Yes, I was,” she admitted. “I was expecting you to say that it was myself.”

“HUH?” Paimon exclaimed. She looked Guizhong up and down, as if that would somehow clarify anything. “You got a lot of nerve just declaring that, you know! You, the Geo Archon? That’s hard for Paimon to believe.”

For once, Lumine didn’t have her doubts. If anything, it pushed her mind towards a different conclusion. “I do.”

The floating pixie almost fell out of the sky from shock. “Really?”

The Archons all took different forms and approaches to their identities; each one she’d met thus far differed from each other. Venti was a mixture of hiding the truth while revealing it to those who needed to know, be it limited. Zhongli was entirely removed from his position, but would not hesitate to step in where needed, like with Azhdaha. Ei and the Raiden Shogun were recognizable and active figures in the Inazuma society.

No one she’d met in Teyvat had the gall to come outright and claim that they were an Archon when they were not. They were that revered and respected, even feared. If she claimed it, she could back it up.

The only problem with all of this arose from how Guizhong could be the Geo Archon. No Archon had been installed in Liyue since Zhongli’s departure, though the people still honored Rex Lapis. The Gnosis had been handed over to the Tsaritsa and was most likely under lock and key in her castle. Unless she somehow fought the Tsaritsa or the Fatui and came away with the Gnosis, there was no way for her to be the Geo Archon.

Unless…

There was one very, very veeeeery distant idea that Lumine could come up with to explain it all, but it was one she didn’t think was possible with Teyvat due to their ‘Heavenly Principles’.

Lumine’s stomach let out a low growl, bringing her attention back to their original goal. She really was exhausted, and needed some sort of food. “Let’s hurry to Liyue Harbor first and grab some food. We can talk afterward.”

X-----X

They made it to Wanmin Restaurant with only a few minutes to spare. Chef Mao had been in the process of closing his window for the night, but Paimon flew ahead to flag him down. He didn’t have much food left from the day’s sales, but he did have enough Mora Meat for the three of them. Guizhong offered to pay, both in thanks for finding her and for believing her. She was able to produce the perfect amount of Mora from the remaining sleeve of her arm instantly. Real, genuine Mora. A power reserved for the Geo Archon. Paimon was staring in awe the entire time. 

Once they had their meals in hand, they wandered around the lower end of Liyue Harbor. Guizhong had the suggestion to sit at the docks, which would be empty as sailors and shiprights went home for the night. It also provided a nice place to look at the rest of the sunset and the glittering sea sprawled out ahead of the city. So they headed down to the docks, to one that jutted out farthest into the water, and took a seat on the worn wood. The Mora Meat wasn't entirely fresh, but it was still warm enough to be a good and tasty meal after a long day of exploring and photography. Guizhong took to kicking the water with her boots, scattering the droplets against the sun's setting reflection on the surface. Paimon tried to sit and do the same, but gave up after realizing her legs were too short to do so. The small pixie instead took the chance to restart the conversation.

"So Guizhong..." Paimon said, eyes narrowed as she looked towards the woman. A mischevious grin crossed her face. "You can produce Mora. Is there a limit?"

The woman tried to laugh, but she was caught with a bite of food in her mouth. "So now you believe me?" she replied. 

"W-Well, generating Mora was said to be a power of the Geo Archon," Paimon explained, playing off her money-hungry interests. "Speaking of, HOW can you be the Geo Archon?"

Guizhong laid her food on her lap and began pulling the wrappings apart with one hand. Her injured arm remained at her side. "I won the Archon War, and was given my title. How else could I have?"

"Paimon doesn't doubt that now," The pixie reiterated, pointing towards the food she was almost finished eating. "We just...don't know how you could be right now. Does that make any sense?"

Lumine raised her hand. “I might,” she said. After seeing Guizhong create Mora in the blink of an eye, that distant idea of hers didn't feel so distant anymore. “It's possible that you may be from an alternate universe of Teyvat.”

Guizhong’s eyes lit up at the foreign word. “So you have an idea of what's going on, Traveler?”

“What does that mean, Lumine?” Paimon asked before taking another chomp of her meal.

It was something Lumine and her brother learned about during hops between worlds. One time, when leaving one world for the next, they accidentally fell into an alternate due to a small error in their preparations. She had realized the mistake as soon as they arrived, and started crying as they had wasted precious resources that took a month to gather. It was Aether that calmed her down, and refocused their efforts towards gathering their resources to leave as soon as possible. He hadn't been mad at all, and blew it off as just another mistake. They were eventually able to move forward, but their stay in that alternate universe was one of the most stressful worlds Lumine experienced. To think that would be useful during her time in Teyvat.

“Imagine the tree at Windrise for a second. You know how all of those branches come from the big trunk? The trunk would be considered the ‘main universe’, while all of the branches are ‘alternates’.”

Guizhong nodded along. She was quick to adapt to new information, it would seem. “So these 'alternates' grow from the main universe?”

“Yes. Even though alternates diverge and grow out on their own, they still need nourishment and rely on the main universe. Like a tree, if that alternate is broken off or dies, the main universe will survive.  If the big trunk of the tree is taken down though, the alternates go with it.”

Paimon held her head in her hands, overwhelmed by it all. She floated over to Lumine trying to use her as a support. “I…think I get it…” she said slowly. 

Their new Archon acquantaince remained still. She would occasionally nod, but barely moved. “Is this place the main universe then?” Guizhong said carefully, assuring that she used the right term. 

“Most likely," Teyvat was under strict lock and key by Celestia. Under their strict watch, there was no room for possibility. At least, that was what she assumed. Teyvat found another way to surprise her.  But there was one more thing that still didn't make sense. “But how did you get here?”

Unlike Aether and herself, who were people that could bypass the rules and travel between worlds, Guizhong was an inhabitant of a specific world. Of a specific universe. Unless given the ability to do so, she shouldn’t have been able to leave. 

Guizhong drew circles with her boot along the water's edge. “There was a group of ruins that had become surrounded with a strange light. I summoned two of my Yaksha, and we set out to investigate. We were able to enter with no disturbance. Soon after, we found a large sinkhole growing underneath with a pulsing green light. Before we could do anything more, the ground fell out from under us, and it was just darkness. I do remember falling for quite a long time though. Then, there was a voice."

“A voice?”

“A woman,” Guizhong's eyes stared out across the water. “That I would be 'banished, as punishment for divergence'.”

Even with her travels with Aether, it was never easy to jump worlds. It took time and preparation. And not just anyone could jump worlds; jumping between alternates was extremely difficult due to their insecure nature.

“So you’ve been forced here.” That drew out a slew of new questions, but ones Lumine didn’t feel like investigating right now.  

Guizhong picked the wrappings around her meal apart. “Is it...permanent?” She asked quietly. As if she were hesitant to receive the answer. 

“No, but if you stay here too long, it could cause irreversible damage."

They had witnessed the controlled chaos that happened in Liyue when Rex Lapis dropped in at the Rite of Descension. But that had some preparation done ahead of time by Zhongli and the Fatui. Zhongli was even prepared to step in if things had gone horribly. His passing of his Gnosis had even happened mutually on his own terms. What would happen if an Archon disappeared, Gnosis and all, from the surface of Teyvat? 

“Traveler, can I properly ask for your help and support this time?” Guizhong asked, eyes still glued to the water. “I cannot leave Liyue and my people behind.”

This was a situation that involved the stars and traveling between worlds. One of the things Lumine knew like the back of her sword. “Of course. But we’re going to need some things.”

“What about the others that went with you to the ruins?” Paimon piped up. "Will they be okay?"

Guizhong waved off the concern. “If they are indeed here, they are more than capable of handling themselves. Finding them though may take a while...” she replied. “But where do we start?”

If Guizhong was indeed the very same god that helped create the Guili Assembly, then those she’d met during that time could help. Luckily, there were still a few people in the current Liyue who had met her. And her former partner in the Guili Assembly was still around, albeit retired. The more hands they had, the better. 

“We need to pay Wangsheng Funeral Parlor a visit.”

Guizhong lifted a brow. “Funeral Parlor? What would be there?”

X-----X

He carried many names when he was alive. He was originally Rex Lapis, God of Contracts, and the one she first learned when she met him. He took the name Morax when in battle, and it became a name feared across the warfront.  He took the name Zhongli initially to interact with humans incognito, but it became a name only she came to use. One they used in private with each other.

It was hard for her to return to the troops. They all knew from the shockwave of power about Rex’s fate. The adepti units took it especially hard; most of them had some sort of contract sworn between themselves and Rex Lapis. And for someone who had garnered the title ‘Prime of the Adepti’ to die, it was a huge blow to morale. 

The humans reacted similarly. They wept and mourned the loss of one of their gods, one of the named gods of the Guili Assembly.  But they also grew fearful. Uneasy. The warrior god that kept them safe was gone. While they had faith in their god of dust, they were also aware of why the bloodshed was left to Rex Lapis. Something had to change.

After all of the comforting, all of the services, she finally returned to her workshop. It had been untouched for days; she hadn’t returned in so long. Blueprints she remembered looking forward too, parts that needed to be distributed.

As she returned, she tried to look at them again. But the new responsibilities she had to focus on weighed on her mind. She always had him to bounce ideas off of, even if he hadn’t been the most receptive or flexible person. Sturdy as a rock, and stubborn most of the time. But he would always offer input. Now, it was entirely hers to handle.

“H-Hey! What are you doing here?”

“I…wanted to check on Lady Guizhong.”

The familiar voices lulled her out of her thoughts. Ganyu and Xiao, two of the youngest adepti who were actively fighting in the war. Ganyu often took her position as an archer and was rarely on the frontlines. She was partially raised by Guizhong and Cloud Retainer, due to her half-human and half-adepti nature, and did not have to participate in the war. But she was determined to do her part, and was eventually given her current role.

Xiao was brought under the protection of the Guili Assembly after Rex was able to free him from the previous god he was enslaved under. Even after he was healed, he insisted in staying by Rex’s side, and even agreed on a contract. He was quiet and distant from the others, but he would always follow Rex around. He had no reason to stay, and Rex even insisted he leave and choose for himself, but he insisted on participating. And while Rex would never admit it, he did like to dote on the boy and took care to make sure he was okay. 

She opened the door to her workshop, causing both adepti on the other side to jump. Ganyu scrambled to fix the food on the plate she had, careful to make sure none of it spilled on the ground.

“Lady Guizhong!” they both said in unison. 

A light smile found its way to her face. Ganyu had cuts on her face, most likely from enemy arrows and attacks, and was favoring her right foot over her left.  Xiao was even worse off. She could see bloodstains still on his clothes, wrappings that spiraled up most of his left arm, and a bandage covering his left eye. Both went out of their way to see her, despite their own fresh injuries.

“What can I do for you two?” she asked.

“W-we came to c-check on you, Lady Guizhong! I even brought you a meal,” Ganyu replied, holding the plate out. “We know you’ve got a lot going on, but…”

“What she means to say,” Xiao interjected, taking over. “Is that we will continue to stand by you. And that we are here to listen to you about any-“

She put aside the dinner plate in her workshop and pulled the two visitors into a hug. The biggest, tightest one she could muster from her exhausted body.

“Bless you two, truly.” She whispered over their shoulders. If he could see what was happening, she knew he’d be relieved that they came to see her.

“Is he really…”

“Yes. I swear to you two. And to the entire Assembly. I will figure this out.”

“We know,” Ganyu spoke up. “But you too are allowed to cry, Lady Guizhong.”

And so she did.

Chapter Text

To Lumine, the plan was simple. Find the rest of Guizhong’s party members, get the materials she needed to get back, and send her back before any sort of chaos could happen between universes.  The absence of Guizhong in her Liyue would be felt, but the universe would remain stable for a few days. It would be when the days turned to weeks that instability would begin to make itself known.

Gathering materials would take the most time, a running trend with her adventures in Teyvat. Between herself and Aether, they were able to find everything they needed to get out of the alternate in two weeks. If they could collect some help, it was possible they could cut that time down. Of course, plans were never that simple.

The next morning, the new traveling trio passed through the Harbor streets and over the bridge towards Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.  Instead of the large black doors being kept open a crack, they were shuttered, with the Ferrylady positioned outside of it. As they greeted her, she was quick to explain that most of the staff had gone up to Wuwang Hill to observe ‘an incident’ and that they would most likely be back by lunch at the earliest. Including Zhongli.

Lumine sighed, finding no other way to display her utter disappointment. She couldn’t simply drag him from his job. Especially considering his money habits; he needed whatever paycheck he could get. And for Hu Tao to bring the entire staff with her, it had to be something important.

“What next, then?” Paimon asked, looking towards her long-time partner. “Or is it commission time?"

Guizhong turned her attention away from the barren request board outside of the Parlor and back to the traveler. “Commission time?” 

Paimon nodded her head. “We do them as part of the Adventurer’s Guild! It gets us some extra income,” she explained. "We have to pay for things somehow."

While Lumine was willing to skip her commissions for a day or two, if they really had nothing else to do, it didn't hurt to do them. “It could give us a good chance to gather some Cor Lapis, too."

“Cor Lapis? Why do we need that?”

The traveler held up three fingers. “When going between alternates, you need three important things. A large source of power, something from both universes, and something from the universe you wish to reach,” Lumine explained, looking back towards their Archon guest. “Guizhong, do you have Cor Lapis in Liyue?”

“We do! Though it is very rare,” Guizhong's eyes narrowed. “Will that work though? It's just a rock.”

“As long as you have in your Liyue, it will qualify,” Lumine replied. It didn't have to matter how much or how little they had; as long as it qualified, it would work for the ritual. But due to Guizhong being forced out, they would need as much power and force as possible to get her back. 

Forcing an Archon out...what made Celestia do something so drastic? It would have to be worse than what the Tsaritsa was doing, as she wasn't being thrown from Teyvat for it. But she couldn't see Guizhong trying to wage war against Celestia.

“So commissions first,  Cor Lapis second!” Paimon exclaimed, pumping her first in the air. “Let’s go team!”

The commissions were some of the easiest ones Lumine could get. Counting ships, fishing, and delivering books. The kids even asked to play Pirates again, leading to Lumine and Paimon chasing the kids around the plazas while Guizhong watched from a distance. She was going to join, even proclaiming that she was 'the best pirate around'. The kids stopped her after Little Meng pointed out her bandages, worried that 'a good pirate would take time to heal their wounds'. Whether to keep them happy, or to keep them from asking questions, she bowed out and offered to watch instead. 

After finishing the commissions, Lumine took them over to Luhua Pool and Tianqiu Valley to begin searching for the elusive orange ore. If only Lumine had known they needed more. She'd already gathered and used most of the Cor Lapis sources she had mapped out. Luckily she left Luhua and Tianqiu untouched, but it would take another day for them to be ripe for mining again. Even if they were only able to savage twelve pieces of Cor Lapis, Guizhong didn’t mind. Her eyes would glow in excitement any time she was able to even hold a small crumble of ore, and she would gaze in awe at the topography that sprawled around them.

Before they knew it, lunch time rolled around in the blink of an eye.

“Paimon,” Lumine said, calling over her partner. “Can you go grab our commission rewards? And stop by the Parlor?”

The floating pixie put her hands on her hips. “Why does Paimon have to go by herself?”

“Paimon.” Lumine stared at her partner, waiting for her to catch on. "We'll meet up at Guili Plains for lunch."

The pixie stared back, confusion wracking her brain. Then she gasped. “Oooooh, riiight!” She grinned as wide as she could before disappearing off to Liyue Harbor.

Guizhong continued to flex her arm and fingers, finding some movement again, but unable to bend it further. “Is she going to fetch the helper from the Parlor?” she asked, grimacing as she tried to stretch her arm. “Should we wait for her to come back?”

The traveler couldn't hide her excitement very well. "We're going to have a picnic. Having lunch over important discussions is a common practice in Liyue, after all."

Guizhong dropped her arm back to her side. "Who exactly are you inviting to help us?" 

X--------X

Lumine had never seen the plains in any sort of special light. She assumed them like the other ruins she’d encountered through the different regions of Teyvat, just named and recognized for their historical purpose. But as she followed Guizhong across the land, was able to point out locations that used to exist. An area that used to be a farm for wheat, all flooded over and turned into a marsh. An area of dead grass that used to have a well and play area for children.  The remains of a building that once housed farmers.One spot in the Plains caused Guizhong to slow to a halt. A large circle that plunged into the ground; a place Lumine had once found multiple treasure chests in.  Her voice died out, and her shoulders dropped.

After a while, she turned back to Lumine. “Let’s find a place to set up lunch!”

They settled on a flat area near the coast, overlooking the distant shoal and ocean and staring down Dragonspine in the distance. A perfect place for a quiet picnic. Lumine lit a fire under an old cooking pot, most likely from Hoarders in the area, and pulled out an old blanket to lay out. Guizhong laid out the blanket, letting it flutter on the nearby ocean wind before laying it as flat as possible on the ground. Satisfied, she sat down, careful to press out the folds and creases in her skirt “Let me help you,” she offered.

Lumine waved off her offer. “You could barely move your arm yesterday,” she replied, motioning towards the wrappings still tight on the Archon’s right arm that had been disturbing her all day. “I couldn’t ask you to strain yourself.”

“It’s really fine. If I can use my Cutter, I can help cook some food!”

She could barely hold the Cor Lapis they gathered in her hand. When she summoned a Jade Shield, she had to use her left hand. Lumine could tell by how she wielded her sword her left hand was weaker. Even the kids in the Harbor noticed her injury. Lumine wasn't one to encourage people pushing through their injuries, but she would be a hypocrite if she acted as if she had never done it herself. 

With a sigh, she relented. After searching her ingredients, she settled on some basic Matsutake Meat Rolls, as it only required two ingredients that she had a large abundance in. "If you insist...watch the pot till it boils."

The Archon smiled with glee, happy to contribute. Her gaze wandered back out to the Plains. "Is this place popular for Treasure Hoarders?" she said quietly, her words decorated with a layer of disappointment.

"Sadly," Lumine replied. She'd beat up quite a few in the area before. All desperate to find goods that could be sold off or smuggled across the continent. Many would ask if there was even anything left to take, but as Guizhong pointed out, there was plenty left to be taken and forgotten about. "What was Rex Lapis like back then?"

Lumine had heard plenty of stories from Zhongli himself, and even had the stories and history books written by the humans of Liyue. But Guizhong offered an perspective that could only be matched by Zhongli. They were there together, after all. 

The Archon burst out laughing with a voice that could be carried by the wind. “To put it simply, he was a block-head. Stubborn, sturdy, and reliable. When I first met him, he only ever operated through contracts. If you wanted to know how he felt about anything, you would have to poke him over and over to get a one word answer. But he always made an effort to try, no matter what it was,”

“When I made the proposal to form our Assembly, we’d already known each other for quite a while.  He accepted without mediation or negotiations, By combining our strengths, we could cover our weaknesses, and help lead everyone to prosperity. And it worked…” her voice died out.

Until it didn’t.

Guizhong pulled a smile back onto her face. “I still can’t believe he stayed an Archon this long. Who knew he had it in him!”

“When did you two form a contract?” Lumine asked. It was said that the two never did have a contract, but a small part of her always believed that they did. Zhongli had been the God of Contracts. He believed in them so much he ended up structuring his entire region around contracts, trade, and commerce. Surely there had to be something, right?

Guizhong froze, shoulders shooting up like Klee being caught by Jean. “We, uh…” she said quietly. Her eyes darted towards the fire and pot of water building between them. “We never did.”

Lumine blinked. So Liyue’s history books were right this time. Zhongli never talked about her before, and Lumine never found it fit to ask. But for Zhongli to believe a contract was not in order...It had to be the utmost trust. That he knew Guizhong stood behind him and him behind her no matter what happened. Unless that actually had THAT type of relationship?

The Archon kept her attention on the flat pot of water, pouting. Her cheeks were turning the lightest shade of pink. "I know what you're thinking, but it was never like that. We shared similar goals for humanity and mutually found that an alliance would be safer for both of us and provide our people an opportunity to grow and prosper.”

Before Lumine can think of a reply, a loud crash snapped their attention away from their picnic preparation. Across the ruins they can spot treasure hoarders sprinting across the plains, running from a group of Ruin Guards.  They must have accidentally woke it up searching for the nearby areas.

Guizhong stood from the picnic blanket. “I’ll be right back,” she said promptly. She checked for her Vision on her waist, careful to see it was still clipped in place. The alternate Archon tried flexing her wrapped arm again, as if it would change anything. "Surely a few troublemakers won't give me a problem. And maybe I can look at the systems of those Guards." She summoned her Jade Cutter back to her left hand with a flash of golden dust.

She already had her weapon drawn. Lumine sighed. “I know you are an Archon, but please be careful, Guizhong.”

"Thank you for your concerns, Lumine," She replied, summoning her power and causing her hair to begin glowing again. "Or should I call you Traveler?"

"Whichever you prefer."

Lumine couldn’t help but stare as the Archon dashed off towards battle again. She had gone back to her small library of Liyue books last night to look into any sort of records of Guizhong, before anyone else woke up. The few ones that she did find all claimed her as a kind god, similar to Havria. Unlike Havria, she strived to help educate adepti and humans to grow together. There was no record of her wielding a weapon; she had Rex Lapis to do that for her. But then again, if she had become the Geo Archon, that meant Rex Lapis was no longer there. Someone had to fight and win the war.

She’d been asking Guizhong about the history of the Liyue she knew. What about the life of the Liyue Guizhong knew? How much did it differ?

Before she could ponder that any further, she spotted two familiar silhouettes coming down the hill. A floating one she knew belonged to Paimon, and the other being Liyue's own retired Archon, Zhongli. He and Paimon were discussing something; most likely Paimon's taste in Liyue cuisine. 

"Traveler," He called out, giving a light wave. "How have you been?"

What timing on his part. Before Lumine could respond, Paimon floated over to her side to inspect her cooking. "Wait!" she began to look around. "Where did she go?"

Lumine pointed towards the commotion in the distance. She could hear the distant cries of the treasure hoarders; whether it was from the Ruin Guards, Guizhong, or their own fear, she couldn't tell. "Some Ruin Guards appeared right as I started cooking, and she ran off to take care of them." 

Zhongli's attention was dragged over towards the same direction as the Guards. "'She'? Is this the surprise Paimon told me about?"

"Yeah, but..."

With a flourish of his hand, Zhongli summoned forth a spear. His familiar Vortex Vanquisher. "I shall go ahead and crush this. I do wish to take as much time as I can enjoying your cooking." With his spear gripped in his hand, he followed Guizhong's footsteps and ran into the fray.

Paimon crossed her arms, watching the chaos from afar. "Is this just a Geo Archon thing?"

X----X

Across the field, Guizhong swung her blade, aiming for the knees of each Guard. They were a weaker point in their designs, and allowed her to disable their movement without destroying their inner circuitry. However, it still enabled them to launch rockets at the surrounding environment. One of the Guards tried this, letting out a call and summoning energy towards the multiple holes punched in its back.

Guizhong began to distance herself, running as fast as her feet could last. Her eyes darted around to check her surroundings. Her sword was becoming a weight pulling her hand, heavier than the largest piece of Cor Lapis. Heavier than the training claymores she tried out all those years ago. She would normally switch to her stronger hand, but it could barely hold a mushroom, much less her weapon. She tried to push Geo energy into her injured arm, to form a Jade Shield, but found the power stopped by…something. As if a dam was holding back her power from forming. 

With a thundering explosion, the rockets flew into the air and affixed themselves onto Guizhong’s location. She would have to dodge-

A golden shield appeared around her, surrounding her entire body like a tall golden pillar. A Jade Shield that took the full impact of the rockets and left her without a scratch. But who created it? Surely not the Traveler. 

Guizhong ran back towards the Guards, ready to give up yet another chance to inspect the Guards in this Liyue. Before she could draw on any more Geo energy into her sword, a weapon pierced through the Guard’s body from the opposite side.  A tall spear with striking diamonds carved at the top. The Guard began to power down and keeled over, faceplanting into the dirt. The mysterious spear-wielder ripped out their weapon and thrust it through the last remaining Guard, which did the same.  Satisfied, the wielder spun their weapon in their palm before planting it into the ground and letting it fade away. The Jade Shield around her faded away into dust as well.

That polearm. She knew it well. She herself once held it, after he died. Vortex Van-

Guizhong blinked. Her sword slipped from her hand and fell into dust.

He didn’t have the aura of  a god; he felt exactly like a human walking the streets of the Harbor. He didn’t have his horns, broken and destroyed from Osial’s wrath. He was not bathed in blood and struggling for air, and stood with confidence. His clothes weren’t torn from the force of the vortex, but instead modernly designed with shades of brown and gold and silver. She only had to look at him for a few seconds, but it was absolutely him.

And he stood right in front of her, alive and well.

But of course. The Traveler never said he was dead. Simply that he ‘stepped down’.

Shock burst through her body like cold ice, bringing with it a sudden wave of tears prickling at the edge of her eyes. She hadn’t spoken that name in decades. Centuries, even. A name that died out on the tongue of her Liyue, no matter how hard she tried. A name that only lived in her memory between the two of them.

"Zhongli...?"

Zhongli blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the sudden sunlight hitting his eyes. He could see the edge of the plains, and a person standing behind the remains of the Ruin Guard-

A woman. With raven-black hair that rivaled the night sky, tied into a high ponytail. She wore a blue knee-length dress with golden trimmings; similar to the casual dress that was popular in the Harbor. A golden sash is tied around her waist, with a Geo Vision clipped on. With a Glaze Lily.  Glaze Lily…

He kept blinking, over and over. It wasn’t. It was impossible. 

He hadn’t moved, not even breathed. Completely frozen from the memories that came flooding back. Some of the oldest ones he had.

But she never her hair in a ponytail, always opting to keep it down to wear decorations and allow Ganyu and the children in the Assembly to play and braid it. She would continue to wear it down even after she got it caught while tinkering with a new contraption, and would come to him asking for help to detangle it. She always wore long flowing gowns that would flutter with the slightest breeze of wind, matching the Glaze Lilies she would sing to. And that she tried to have him sing to, despite his lack of talent. So he would just opt to listen to her beautiful voice instead.

But surely she was just a ghost standing in front of him. She had been stabbed with a Jade Cutter after an ambush from Osial's forces. He had been on the front lines, and didn't arrive in time to save her. He held her as she crumbled and passed on. He remembered everything, for how could he not. 

So how in Celestia could she be standing in front of him? Smiling with tears in her eyes, decorated in midday sunlight? 

“…Guizhong?”

She tried to take a few steps forward, but had to stop. She kept trying to wipe her eyes, as they kept blurring her sight. She wanted to know it really was him. Actually him. Wanted to confirm the blossoming relief and joy that was overtaking her shock.  “The T-Traveler mentioned we were going to meet with someone from the Funeral Parlor," she took a deep breath to stop her sobs and give her words a moment to catch up. "How..."

Zhongli took careful steps, stopping just as he was in arms reach of her. Of Guizhong. Guizhong, the one from so long ago now...He didn’t want to believe. He wanted to believe this was just another dream. To not get his hopes up, only to be dashed as he awoke.

But the breeze came up to greet and blow past them. Reminding him that he was indeed alive and awake. And so was she. “You’re...”

She nodded her head, blinking some of her tears. She could finally see him, but he was not staring at her with the solid gaze he always had. His amber eyes were still strong and solid, but they had softened. They were tired. And he was smiling. “How are you, Zho-”

She isn’t able to finish her sentence before she is lifted off her feet. Strong arms, his arms, pulled her close and spun her around.  The only thing she could see was his face close to hers.  She was so close she could see he was wearing that orange make-up around his amber eyes, centuries after she and Ganyu had tried it out on him as a joke. And the tears that were silently streaming down his face as well. 

 "I have missed you so much, my Lily."

Chapter Text

Teach with wisdom. To nourish those who receive it, and reflect the truth.

Bound by Virtue. To grow and cherish so it will flourish forever.

Fortify thy bones. So movement be supple when the time comes.

Unite in ambition. Remaining steadfast and immovable for all time.

The Four Virtues that Guizhong developed for the Assembly. Ways for the humans to help guide their lives, but also ways for all life forces to come together and develop a prosperous civilization.  When she first brought Rex Lapis into her development, he had been confused by them. He only ever guided his people through his contracts with them, with no focus on growth and sustainability.

She explained to him the fragility of humans. That they could have iron wills and determination that matched the will of gods, but their bodies that could break with a small fall. That they could blink and a human could be born and die in the same period. That by following these rules, they as gods could help humans develop and flourish, while also creating a civilization of peace. That meeting helped set the stage for their alliance, and the true beginnings of the Assembly.

Now she sat in her workshop, pushing aside the dinner Ganyu and Xiao had delivered. Morax, Rex Lapis, Zhongli. It always appeared that he began to believe in them as well.  But like all things, he stood stone-faced against any questions about his feelings.

Doubt wracked her mind. Teach to nourish and help humans develop their truths.Help the humans expand and live forever. Be prepared for a variety of threats on all scales. To unite in the face of adversity and remain an unshakeable mountain like Mount Tianheng. She told Ganyu and Xiao that she could find an answer for all of this. But now, as she stared across all of her blueprints, she found nothing. Nothing in her past or her present gave her a clue.

The Plains were ruined, flooded by Osial and his own power. The humans that were alive were safe, but in temporary holdings away from the flooded areas. After reviewing the basic reports, the army managed to survive with minimal casualties but a large amount of injuries. She could procure the supplies, but the transport paths of the Plains were gone. It would take so long to rebuild it all. Too long.  Time they didn’t have. Forces they couldn’t spare.

She brought over a map of the region, now outdated from the recent changes. So much of the region had changed over the years. Mountains were created and destroyed, valleys carved and regions flattened. But at the bottom of the region, south of Mount Tianheng, there was a region that had not changed. It sat on the water, and was surrounded by mountains on almost all sides.

Mountains that could buy time and protection from incoming attackers. Mountains that would deter forces. Buying time, deterring…all to help rebuild. There was room between the Plains and the area for a road as well. The sea accessibility could provide a new way to move supplies in by boat. But to leave the Plains they built together…

But they would no longer be together. The present became the past, set into stone. The future was fluid. Open to change. It could not longer be ‘Gui and Li’. She could not keep looking to the past right now. Her heart throbbed at the thought, but it was the truth. Change was abound in the Assembly. Change could be fruitful, but she hated to imagine it without him. No, what even was the Assembly without him? It…wasn’t.

She finally stood from her workshop desk. Moonlight glimmered through the clouds and through the window, bathing the room.  

There was no more Assembly. But it had not died. It would simply take a new, greater form. It would change. And she too would change. She had too.

Her eyes darted across her workshop. Blueprints, parts, leftovers, failed creations. When she was here, she was as much of a hermit as Cloud Retainer was. But she could not do that any more. She could not be that god any more, not till this war ended. She had to be the god the people needed. The people would move to rebuild a new city.

And she would move to the battlefield.

X------X

Paimon ducked down behind some nearby rocks, observing the distant Archon duo with a sneaking eye.  “Oooh my gosh Lumine! Look!” the pixie said, continuing to poke her partner’s shoulder. She couldn’t rip her eyes away from the scene. “He’s spinning her around like a princess!” She spun around in the air in imitation. 

Lumine snuck a glance from her cooking pot, to where the two Archons stood in the distance. Any word they spoke was too far for her to hear. But it did look like Zhongli had whisked their guest off of her feet. She was tempted to force Paimon to sit on her lap like a cat, but she didn’t feel like fighting her. Instead, she would keep fighting Paimon’s attention. “Paimon, don’t ogle at them.”

“Paimon isn’t just gonna fly up and stare at them,” She replied. She flew to their travel bag and began to rummage through it. “Paimon is going to use the Kamera instead!”

Lumine carefully tapped Paimon’s head with her free hand. The pixie winced. “Don’t take photos of them now! It’s rude.”

“Hey! We’ve taken plenty of other random people before! What’s the harm in taking a photo of them?” she said quietly, smirking wildly. She sat the Kamera upright on a rock, lense facing outward to watch over the Plains. Paimon took her time to position it, framing and turning and adjust the small device as if she were a real photographer. As she tried to get the device to work, she continued to whisper to herself. “I wonder if they were-“

“Let them talk together,” Lumine tugged on her partner’s arm, pulling her away and back towards the cooking pot. “They deserve their privacy. This is probably the first time they’ve seen each other in millennia.”

Going a long period of time without seeing a loved one. She had that experience, but the reunion had been dashed in that domain with the upside down statue. Zhongli and Guizhong had been separated even longer, and across life and death. They shouldn’t have been able to have this reunion till they met in Teyvat’s afterlife. If she had the chance to help them be happy, and to let Zhongli be happy, then she would. He had been so happy talking to Azhdaha for those brief moments. Lumine knew her reunion, at the end of all of this, would be just as happy. But for right now, she wanted others to have that feeling.

“Millennia…” Paimon’s smirk dropped from her face. “That’s…so long.”

So she was finally getting it. “C’mon. The Rolls are just about done.” Lumine said, handing her partner some plates. All she had to do was fold up the last remains of her ingredients into rolls and add them to her ever-growing pile. Paimon began setting out the plates and claiming her first round of Matsutake Meat Rolls while Lumine finished brewing a round of basic green tea. Before Lumine could chastise her again, a shout in the distance drew her attention.

“Zhongli, are you okay?" Guizhong exclaimed. 

"I just tripped, that's all,"

"Oh, you blockhead. Watch where you're going."

"I was...preoccupied. My mistake."

"Hehe, you haven't changed."

The two Archons finally made their way over to the picnic blanket, sitting close enough to bump shoulders at the edge of the blanket. Lumine made extra servings of Meat Rolls, but they were all claimed and eaten within minutes. Most still went to Paimon, who consumed everything like a black hole of calories. Everyone was still able to enjoy her cooking, with Guizhong even complimenting how much she liked it. Though Zhongli still found a chance to recommend a tea house for them to all visit at some time in the future. As the meal winded down, the conversation found itself swelling back to life.

The alternate Archon let a mischevious grin cross her face. Like Paimon when she heard about treasure. “So, Zhongli, will you tell me about this ‘Osial incident’ that almost destroyed Liyue?”

All movement around the picnic blanket slowed to a halt. Golden eyes met amber eyes, daring the other to be the one to speak about it first.  Amber wavered, and then gave in as he took a sip of his tea. It was his choice after all.

“W-well,” Zhongli finally said. He set down his cup on the blanket and straightened his posture. Preparing to face her reaction. “Do you promise not to get mad?”

The Archon’s brows furrow into one point. “…why would I get mad?” Her sapphire eyes scanned the audience around her and was met with contempt.

Zhongli took a deep breath to prepare himself. “When I stepped down, I needed a way to test and prove the strength of Liyue. I…chose to let Osial be that trial.”

Heavy silence pressed down on the group like heavy weights. Paimon was staring into the picnic blanket, chewing on the last of Rolls. Zhongli sat eyes closed, a solid rock pillar bracing for impact. Guizhong blinked once. Twice. Her brain erupted. “YOU DID WHAT?!"

“Guizhong, it really wasn’t-“

She raised her injured arm and gave Zhongli a chop on the head. Both grimaced in pain, as Guizhong forgot again that her arm was still hurt while Zhongli recoiled from the force. “You LET Osial be revived? He flooded the very area we are sitting on!” Guizhong exclaimed harshly, massaging her hand over and over to try and soothe it out. “He isn’t just some monster!”

The former Archon rubbed out the pain from his head. “If they could not replicate one of my biggest victories in the war, how could I expect them to defend Liyue without me?”

“But OSIAL?”

“I could have stepped in if needed. But they did great,” His hand shook as he took up his tea with a careful sip. “And Osial is gone for good now. All and all, it proved to be a productive test.”

Sapphire met amber as the gods stared at each other. Guizhong relented, her face softening and posture relaxing. “You couldn’t have chosen something…different, perhaps?” Her voice was quieter, softer, as if she were shrinking back into herself.

“Maybe,” he admitted.

“I just…” She picked up another roll with her proper hand and turned it over. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I already lost you to Osial once. I couldn’t imagine purposely letting that evil on the humans again.”

Now it was Zhongli’s turn to hesitate. “…Already?” His eyes lifted towards Lumine for an answer that Guizhong had not given him. 

So Lumine offered up an explanation of the events during the previous day. About finding Guizhong in a patch of Glaze Lillies, the Ruin Guards, the alternate universe theory that they were running with. And where they were now, trying to gather people to help Guizhong return with her traveling party.  

“Alternates branch off due to a specific event. In this case, it would most likely be who became the Geo Archon,” Lumine finished. “Everything before that event should be the same. It’s the time that was spent after that event that would be different.” 

The retired Archon nodded his head, a small smiling finding it's way to his face. "Forgive me for not understanding it entirely. Had it been anyone else to explain this, I would have been inclined to believe it was a lie," He said. "But there was something else I want to you ask you all on. You mentioned you all were on Wuwang Hill yesterday?”

“That’s where we met each other."

“I wonder," He mused aloud. “I’ll have to talk to the director, but it seems like the incident we handled may be connected."

“So the disturbances are already starting?” Guizhong's attention moved onto Lumine. “What do you think, Traveler?”

That was the thing with world-related ideas and universe talk. She may understand the basics, but alternates were so finicky that it seemed that anything was possible. But for disturbances with the dead to be connected to worldly connections, it made Lumine's head spin a bit. “Maybe it’s because you’ve passed in this universe,”  she hypothesized. Guizhong had been long dead in this universe. Not only was Guizhong not original from this universe, she already didn't belong because she died in the current one. Concern was overwhelmed with a wave of dread. The universe was already reacting to her presence faster than Lumine anticipated.

Zhongli hesitated on his tea. “Who did you come here with, Guizhong?”

The others. Lumine remembered Guizhong mentioning Yakshas in passing, but nothing beyond that. “I was with two others when I fell,” Guizhong replied, holding up two fingers with her good hand.  “Indarias and Bosacius,”

Lumine and Paimon looked back their resident retired Archon for some sort of response. Neither recognized those names, but by Zhongli’s delayed sigh, he did. Paimon raised a small hand. “Who are they, Zhongli?”

“Two Yaksha leaders. They indeed have passed here.” He kept his eyes low, avoiding Guizhong’s gaze.

The alternate Archon gasped. “What? That's..."  

Three living souls from another universe, suddenly thrown into an alternate where they have passed. She hadn’t considered the effects that would happen if a person was alive or dead. After all, herself and her brother didn’t have to worry about that when they first experienced an alternative universe. To think life and death was also a factor in all of this.

Paimon chomped down the rest of her roll. “Wait, if they’re Yaksha, they’re like Xiao!” she said. “So Xiao’s friends are here too, somewhere?”

Another thought. “Maybe he’s already run into them,” Lumine questioned. It had been at least a day since Guizhong arrived. If they were all traveling together and fell at the same time, that meant they would arrive at the same time.  Xiao was called the Vigilant Yaksha for a reason. If anything changed in Liyue, he would be one of the first to know. “Do we want to go to Wangshu Inn? To check with Xiao?”

Zhongli stood from the blanket and crossed his arms. “I don’t see why not,” he replied. "If we go by Waypoint, I should have enough time to go with you before I have to report back to the Director."

"Perfect! There's even a Waypoint on the top floor!" Paimon exclaimed, flying back up into the air re-energized and ready to go. 

Guizhong tipped her head, her eyes bouncing between everyone. “What’s Wangshu Inn?”

X---X

A meeting was called the following morning, just as the sunlight broke through the clouds. The attendees were mixed between humans and adepti, but all were still grieving in some form.  Some still had tear stains, others stared straight-faced into the distance. Others had not even arrived. A few even took it upon themselves to talk about him and his achievements, to keep spirits high. Once she entered the room, all of it faded to the background.

Guizhong, the God of Dust, and the remaining leader of the Guili Assembly, stood at the top of the room. She appeared just as she ever did; dressed like a flowing flower in long blue robes, but with the sharp eyes and wit of a beast. Her presence alone brought any whisper to a grinding halt.

"Thank you all for attending upon short notice. I..understand it is so soon after his passing for us to be meeting," forcing her voice to remain stable. For the sake of their morale. “We must continue to push forward as a united front. This war will not end until an Archon has been decided. But we must first discuss something of importance to all of you. As you have sensed, Rex Lapis has passed most of his contracts over to me to execute. However,”

“If any of you wish to end your contracts, speak now.”

A wave of surprise washed through the room. Beside her, Cloud Retainer clicked her tongue. “Lady Guizhong!”

She knew. She was telling many of her most important forces they were allowed to leave the front lines. Leaving her humans and remaining citizens open to attack.

“I am not the God of Contracts, but I will be the Executor of them. I will continue to adjust, negotiate, and follow through with the ones that Rex Lapis conducted to this war’s end. That is my vow to you all. However, I am aware you all made vows to him, and not me,” She clarified. She held out her hand and summoned a familiar weapon to her hand. His Vortex Vanquisher, still in pristine condition.  It was heavy in her hand; had it been heavy in his? “That is why, as Executor of Contracts, I will not force you to remain by my side.”

The silence was thick, but not thick enough for anyone to pierce. An adeptus stepped forward out of the crowd. A captain of one of the claymore-based Adepti units, Bosacius. He was dressed in purple trousers and tall boots, with an Electro vision hanging off of his waist. His entire upper body was covered in bandages, fresh from injuries sustained from the battle with Osial. He stood himself directly in front of her, and knelt to one knee.

“I swore to Rex Lapis and this Guili Assembly,” he said quietly. “That includes you, Lady Guizhong.”

“A-Are you sure?”

“The symbol on your forehead is a symbol of Rex Lapis and his word,” He continued. “For him to entrust the very thing he valued over to you shows his trust in you. He followed and believed your words and continued to do so no matter the situation. So I will continue to follow you as well.”

Guizhong stared at the adeptus, her hand gripping Vortex Vanquisher dropping to her side. He passed his contracts to her…but also his trust. She could not let it all go to waste. 

“If anyone of you feel displeased, please, speak your mind now.” Guizhong continued. Not one soul stepped forward. All members in the room remained in place. "If no other comments are made, we shall all persevere forward,” She swallowed her emotions and forced her eyes forward. She still had the other announcement to make. “As of this moment, The Guili Assembly is no more.”

That drew out gasps and yells from the gathered leaders.

“The Guili Assembly was built in these plains and between Rex Lapis and myself. But they can no longer be our home,” she said slowly. “Starting tomorrow, we will begin the process to evacuate.”

“We will be moving towards the beach south of Mount Tianheng. I don’t have a time table yet, but please notify your squadrons and prepare for large-scale movement. We will need to send forces ahead of time to set up minimal camps to accommodate injured troops. Any winged adepti who are able will be sent ahead to scout out the easiest route possible. I will also need lists and updated reports of the injured to prioritize who goes first. All military movement will move into defensive positioning as we move, and anyone who is able will be among the first to leave to begin building temporary structures along the beach."

A human raised his voice. "Why now?"

“The death of one god and the sealing of another has thrown the region into whiplash. The other forces will be scrambling not only to reassert themselves, but to also solidify their own villages. The focus will not be on offensive movements. The time to move and rebuild is now,” She explained. “Rebuilding will take on a whole variety of forms, physical, mental, and emotional. Everyone will be affected by this in some way. Please, help each other. And I, of course, will do everything in my power to help you all.”

“Yes, Lady Guizhong.” A wave of confidence that filled the room.

“This will not be easy. Thank you all for your support,” She repeated. She lowered her head to the crowd. “I owe it to you all.”

And the members assembled in front of her began to depart the room, off to begin delivering her message throughout the survivors. Yet Bosacius remained bowed on one knee, eyes to the ground. Maybe now was the time.

“Bosacius, can you do me a favor?” She asked, whisking Vortex Vanquisher away.

The adeptus lifted his head. “What can I do for you, Lady Guizhong?”

“You are adept at wielding a weapon, correct?”

“One of the best claymore wielders Rex Lapis gathered, Lady Guizhong.”

She waved her hand again, summoning forth a blade of pure green that was freshly cut. A jade sword, one he had crafted long ago for her to use.  He always said it was for emergencies, but that she would never need it because he would always be there. She’d never used it, and rarely tried to swing it. She always preferred to tinker and experiment with her hands instead.

But she made a promise to him. She would defend her people when he could not.  But he was a war god, brute force in the form of a powerful dragon. That force could not be replicated.

Bosacius stared at the blade. “A Jade Cutter?”

She could not replace or become him. All she could do was become her own force. To win a seat as an Archon. To protect her people.

“Bosacius, will you teach me how to wield this blade?”

Chapter Text

After packing up their picnic, the group began their trek towards the closest Waypoint. Lumine lagged behind the rest, watching Paimon try and uphold her 'best guide in Teyvat title' by taking questions that were pouring straight from Guizhong’s mind.

“What is that floating thing?” the Archon asked, pointing towards the majestic palace that hung in the sky over the Harbor.

“That’s the Jade Chamber, where the Tianquan Ningguang lives! She’s suuuuuper rich!”

 The title threw Guizhong off, causing her to try and speak out the title in syllables. “The Tianquan? What’s that?”

“She’s the leader of the Qixing. A bright businesswoman with connections throughout Liyue,” Zhongli answered a bit too proudly. “She is capable to help guide this region to a brighter future.”

The alternate Archon quietly nodded. More questions were glittering behind her sapphire eyes, but she didn't jump on them. "So you worked with other members to coordinate Liyue's activities..." she muttered. "So did she build that chamber all by herself?”

As they spoke, Lumine could see. The two Archons, ever so quietly, brushing shoulders. A hand reaching for the other. A sneaking glance. A tug on some fabric. A small poke that tested the waters to see how the other would reciprocate. Guizhong and the history books denied it, but there was definitely something there between them. Something unspoken. Signs of appreciation and love were universal, and often crossed between worlds.  It was kind of cute.

They warped through the Waypoints, arriving at the main balcony of the towering Wangshu Inn built into a large cuihua tree.  They were greeted with a gust of fresh air from the marsh and yellow leaves flittering down from the tree above them. The group moved inside, Lumine leading and guiding them up towards the small balcony that was cornered off for Xiao to rest and watch from. 

The Archon stared out at the view, jaw dropped to the floorboards. She spun around to catch as much of the view as she could. Like a spinning flower that caught the wind. “He’s not here?” she asked, staring out at the distant view of Dihua Marsh and Wuwang Hill.

“He’s always coming and going,” Lumine replied, thinking back to all of her previous visits. She could count the amount of times he was there when she arrived on one hand. “It’s usually easier to leave notes, or to catch him at sunrise or sunset.”

Paimon floated back towards her travelling partner with a cheeky grin. “Hehe, you would know Lumine!” The traveler rolled her eyes. Sure, she stopped by Wangshu Inn more often than other parts of Liyue. But it was because it was a hotel. She didn’t always visit because of Xiao. 

Guizhong pressed out her skirts again, catching a few leaves and letting them fly back off on the wind. “Do you think he could sense my Gnosis?”

A good question, one that only Zhongli could answer. “Hmm, he never did with me.” he replied, thinking back to the day he missed seeing the adeptus during Lantern Rite. 

“I got this then,” Lumine replied. She wouldn't even have to raise her voice; just a low voice would do. “Xiao!”

Green and black mist exploded to life on the balcony; from it stepped out the resident Yaksha. “You called, Lumine?” he asked, exhaustion hanging off of the edge of his words. He must have been in the middle of his work. 

Paimon giggled. “Wow, since when did he start going on a first name basis?”

The adeptus stared daggers towards the pixie, who stared back in jest. He then spotted Zhongli standing over Lumine’s shoulder, and immediately let his spear disappear from his side. “Morax? Has something happened?”

Zhongli quietly shook his head and motioned towards Guizhong. But before Xiao could even respond, the Geo Archon threw her arms around the adeptus, causing him to freeze into a stone statue.  

“I’m so glad to see you’re okay!” She exclaimed, her voice wavering on the verge of tears again. She began to look the young adeptus over, like a concerned parent checking their child for cuts and bruises. “Do you still practice your flute? And you do your stretches and mediation? And please tell me you eat more than just snow!”

The Yaksha stood frozen, not even breathing.  His eyes shrank to pinpoints. “W-What’s-”

Guizhong began to brush at his hair, picking out some hanging leaves and dirt from his messy mane. “And you cut your hair! It looks so nice!”

“L-Lady Gui-“ Xiao tried to peel the alternate Archon off of himself, but one glance towards Zhongli revealed to him that he was stuck in her grasps. With a tense expression, he resigned himself to being stuck in the Archon’s motherly grips as she cried over his shoulder.  

“She’s… very caring…” Paimon said quietly, staring at the situation. She flew behind Lumine's head for more protection.

Zhongli snuffed out a small snicker. “Wait till she sees Ganyu…" Both Paimon and Lumine nodded in agreement. If this was how she acted around Xiao, no doubt Ganyu would have to go through another round of motherly-related embarrasment. 

Xiao’s golden eyes darted over towards the trio. “Traveler, what is going on?”

For the second time that day, Lumine was left in charge of explaining the entire situation. Unlike Zhongli, who took the new information in stride, the Vigilant Yaksha was left speechless and utterly lost. “Alternate universe?” His brows were pointed down, frustrated from trying to comprehend it all. ”I don't..."

The traveler laid a light hand on his shoulder in support. “It’s a lot, I know." It was why she tried to not talk about it; it could easily go over a lot of people's heads.  Especially in a world like Teyvat that was not used to discussing such theories or ideas.

His attention moved back to Guizhong. “But for you to take others into the ruins, it must have been serious,” he asked. He didn’t seem confused by her standing as the Geo Archon at all. Even accepting of it.  "Who did you bring?"

“Well, that’s the thing,” Guizhong found part of her hair to twirl around with her good hand. “We need to look for Indarias and Bosacius.”

Confusion. Shock. All colored with a the slightest hue of rage. Not a hint of joy; nothing new for their resident Yaksha. But with a huff, he continued. “…I see.”

“We figured that, being Yaksha, they would go after your energy first,” Guizhong added, her happiness deflating a bit.

Xiao pushed past the specifics and continued with the questions. “How much longer can they be here before this ‘instability’ occurs?” he asked, crossing his arms. "Is it something that needs immediate attention?"

"The sooner they are found, the better," Zhongli chimed in. “But I’m sure the Traveler and Guizhong will also be looking for them.”  

The adeptus bobbed his head. “My contract is to help protect Liyue, so I will offer my support to you all in this matter,” He lingered over his words. “I would like, however, to refrain from meeting the others.”

Paimon gasped. “Huh? Really?”

The adeptus gave a 'hmph' and turned his head. “I have my reasons.” Xiao speak for ‘ask later’. It was always careful wording and timing when it came to him. Which was fine with Lumine; everyone moved at their own paces.

“Well, you’re okay with meeting with me, right?” Guizhong said, giving him another tight hug.

The mighty Conqueror of Demons let out a breath, relenting himself back into her grasps. It took a lot for Xiao to tolerate people; if he was allowing her to hug him, they absolute had some relationship. That piqued Lumine's curiosity just a smidge; Xiao too never spoke abou Guizhong. “Yes, Lady Guizhong,” he said quietly, lowering his eyes sheepishly. “I owe you…a lot.”

Zhongli gave a low laugh. He stared across the scene in one large sweep, taking it all in. “Well, lunch time is over,” he announced sadly. “I will have to return to the Harbor and meet up with the director.”

“Oh oh, tell her we say hi!” Paimon added, waving to the consultant.

Guizhong carefully peeled herself off of Xiao. “Zhongli, if you have the time, I would like to hear about this history. About…your Liyue.”

He nodded his head, and smiled proudly. “It is no longer my Liyue.”

“Yes, but you helped it grow,” She clarified. “Is there…time you are free to meet again?”

He gave her a wide and bright smile. One Lumine had only ever seen when he talked to Azhdaha. “Tomorrow after 4PM. I will be here,” He said promptly. Without a second thought. “But to be honest, I would always make time for you.”

“And I’ll always wait for you.”

With a final wave and goodbye, Zhongli and Lumine disappeared down the stairs and back towards the glow of the Waypoint, leaving Paimon, Guizhong, and Xiao on the balcony. Xiao braced himself for more doting, but Paimon was able to save him from any more humiliation.

“And you two don’t have THAT type of relationship?” Paimon shrieked, flying right into Guizhong’s face and smirked. “Huuuuuh?”

The alternate Archon’s cheeks turned pink again. “O-Of course not!” She pulled over part of her ponytail to play with again, trying to put her attention somewhere else. 

Paimon huffed. “You two just set up a date! How could that not be!”

“I did nothing of the sort! We arranged a meeting to discuss the development of our regions. It’s a great way to discover new perspectives about events and conflicts,” Guizhong exclaimed. “Right, Xiao?”

The adeptus jumped. “No comment.” He disappeared in black and green smoke, off to another part of Liyue to conduct his duty.

“H-Hey!”

X----X

They arrived back at the lower end of the Harbor, thrusted into the lunchtime crowds. They made their way to the bridge before Zhongli stopped along the banister to stare into the water below.

“Traveler…Lumine…” he dropped the polite introduction. “Thank you for letting me see her again.”

“I didn’t do anything! If anything, it’s the stupid island in the sky that you have to thank,” she replied. Surely he didn't think she would find out about this and NOT tell him.   

He stared at his own reflection in the water below. "I didn't think she was real..." he said softly. "I was scared she'd disappear from me again."

His meeting and confrontation with Azhdaha came to mind again.  “I can tell you two have grown and changed since then. The perfect time to talk things out.” Lumine said. A blockhead who didn’t speak his feelings…Zhongli was no blockhead any more. One of the wisest people Lumine had met thus far. A guiding teacher who couldn’t touch a weapon…Guizhong could very much hold her own in a fight.  They had both changed to accommodate for the loss they suffered. 

“The emotions of reunion are strong, that is for certain.”

Now she was starting to see why they worked together so well developing the Assembly. “Next time you want to hold her hand, you just have to grab it. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind." Lumine added, pushing away from the banister. 

For a split moment, his polite appearance faltered and relaxed. His eyes softened, considering what she spoke. Even opening his mouth to speak his agreement. But one blink later, he’d thrown it away. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about, Traveler,” His eyes remained glued to the water flowing below.  “We…never had that type of relationship. I’m sure she’s mentioned that already.”

Both of them hesitated when asked. But if Zhongli and Guizhong both confirmed the truth, she would not be rude enough to keep pushing the matter. “I know you both have a lot to talk about. At least a millennia’s worth of experiences,” she added, scarf flowing as she turned on her heel. “If you two want your space, just say the word.”

“We need to make sure she returns safely,” He continued, that softness on his eyes returning. “For the sake of her Liyue.”

Lumine crossed her arms. “Zhongli. Reunions like this don’t happen. Ever,” she said. Her own with Aether crossed her mind, but she let it pass. “You do not have to keep your distance. You’re allowed to indulge and be happy.”

“What happens when they leave again, though?”

Before she could respond, Zhongli continued across the bridge and back towards the Funeral Parlor.

X----X

The rumors were mere whispers across the fronts of the Archon War. That Guizhong, the fragile God of Dust, would appear near the front line.  But many knew; Guizhong never had a weapon. Morax was that weapon. Now, she was disarmed and throwing herself near the front action of the war, just after moving the remains of her civilization to a new location. A suicidal act to some. A proper act for others.

Another god was attempting to attack the Harbor’s western border. With Osial and Morax taking each other out, the land of Liyue was free for the taking. But that didn’t mean the war was anywhere closer to being over.

The god stared across the land that was about to become their battlefield. He had all of his troops moved to this front specifically. If Guizhong was killed, her forces would scatter. Be ripe for the taking to add to his own. And he would gain the notoriety of ending the powerful Guili Assembly, even if it was on its last legs.

The god blinked. Across the field, he could see a figure approaching, followed closely by a variety of forces.  She appeared not in her flowing blue hanfu that he had once seen at peace talks prior to the war, but in a white sleeveless robe with the hood pulled over her face. Adeptal guards flanked her on either side, including a variety of Vision wielders. An effort to showcase the power she still had.

He smirked, and rode his steed forward. Only himself, as he kept his forces back with a raise of his bow. Noting this, Guizhong did the same, and stepped out away from her army with no weapon in sight. They met at no-mans-land, ready for discussion.

“God of Dust,” he hissed as they met in the middle of the grassy field. “You command the forces of the God of Contracts?”

“I do.”

He cackled. “What, do you believe yourself to be a suitable replacement for him?”

Her anger raged forward. Menogias, the Hydro adeptus that taught her how to shoot a bow, always stressed to her that she keep her emotions in check. Not that she couldn’t express them or feel them, but simply understand what they could make her do on the battlefield and in front of an enemy. Use them to her advantage to fuel her. Use them to spur the enemy. 

She had two emotions burning in her, but her anger was stronger. “I could never.” She said simply.

“Then why do you stand here today?” the god said, chuckling at her appearance. She even wore a white robe like Morax was known to do. “You don’t expect to put up a fight against me, do you?”

“Our legacy is to protect and guide our people to peace," Zhongli had always fulfilled his contracts till his death. As she said to the adepti, she could continue to uphold those till this war's end. But this god would not understand.

“What could you even do by yourself?” the god said. “Toil some flowers?”

Menogias mentioned that anger was one of the strongest emotions to keep in check. In some ways, she viewed battle as a way for her to relieve herself of adverse emotions. So for this battle, she would focus on her anger.

“This is a war, you fool.” She said.  She summoned the first weapon she could think of. That Jade Cutter she’d been practicing with the last few days.  It was still a bit heavy, but her fingers had begun to understand it. Her blisters were finally starting to heal. It was as if he knew exactly what would be best for her. 

The god roared with laughter, and slipped off his horse, sending the horse back towards his officers behind him. “What a surprise!” he raised his bow and prepped an arrow with the other. “What could dust do against a raging quake?"

She lowered her eyes, pulled her blade into her two-handed stance, and took a deep breath in. Her nerves were alive, dancing under her skin, fueled by everything. Her first time facing another god like this, head on. She didn't see herself ready, but some of the adepti felt confident. Mountain Shaper was standing on a nearby mountain to watch over her, in case something serious happened. But besides him, there was no serious back-up plan. Was this how he felt whenever he went to battle every day?

Zhongli...how many things were there that she should have told him?

The god released his arrow, aimed towards her shoulder. She spun to the side and brought her sword up to clash with his bow. As sword met bow, a shockwave of power exploded across the field.  The gods struggled, pushing pushing pushing until the bow god bowed and fell backwards to gain space.  Two more arrows, powered with godly power, whizzed past her head. Anger built her her body and flowed into her movements, and thoughts began to invade her mind.

She slashed her blade. she would never tell him

The god fell backwards and shot three more arrows. Neither of them crossed that line 

She rushed forward to close the space between them. She would never truly know

She brought her sword down onto god’s shoulder, snapping his bow.  Was it better that way?

The god collapsed into a heap on the ground.  She should have said something

She pointed the tip of her Jade Cutter, now painted in blood, towards the god on the grass, towards the god’s head. She didn’t even know what he was the god of.  She didn’t really care anymore.

“No! NO! You are the God of Dust! Feeble and weak. You used another god to just stay alive!”  He stood on his hands and knees, trembling. He spotted her expression, and began to snicker." Why do you weep? This is war!"

Her tears burned on her skin, but she would not wipe them away. “Used? USED?” What did he know about all of the times they would sit together in the lily fields, trying to sing. The times where he would try to sit and understand the blueprints she drew up for her dream ballista. The nights where he had nowhere else to go but her to quell the nightmares, and she would happily oblige because his pain made her hurt. 

Breathe in, and out. This god knew nothing. He only ever knew 'Morax'. And that made her heart throb. "Dust is the final form of all earth, all life. I will gladly speed up your progression, if you wish.” She raised her green blade high. Still pristine, it glittered in the sunlight.

The motion alone drew horror to the defeated god's face. “N-No!”

“Surrender or die. If you surrender, you are welcome to join under me and forsake your status. I will take your people and welcome them into my Harbor. You have my word by that.” She barely recognized her own voice. 

“I don’t CARE about that!” The god said. “I just want the seat with Celestia!”

She could only hear her heartbeat in her ears. Is that all these gods wanted? To rule destructively? To just have power? With no reason or goals beyond that? “…so you do not care what happens to your people? Your soldiers?”

“They’re humans. They’ll just die anyway.”

She brought down her blade. Carving a slash deep across the god’s chest, down to blood, muscle, and bone. The god cried out and heaved for air, eyes searching for some sort of rescue or answer. But with his strength disappearing, all he could do was stare into the distance. 

“Gui…zhong?”

She dropped her head.  A bloodied corpse. A beautiful blade tarnished with violence and liquid. The grass now stained and broken. Her insides were jumbled around, disgusted by all of this. But Zhongli had done this for centuries. She could not turn from this. She had to embrace this ugliness to end it as soon as possible.

Her blade disappeared from her hand. She turned on her heel, leaving the god to die. “I am Gusion, God of Dust, and Enforcer of Contracts.”

She was no longer a glaze lily that bloomed with song.

Chapter Text

Another day, and another challenge. First came a stop at the Jade Chamber, where Lumine believed they could find their power source needed to conduct Guizhong’s universe-hopping. They stopped by Yujing Pavilion, said hello to the Millelith guard who had the morning shift, and rode the Jadeite platform up to the majestic palace sitting on the clouds.

Guizhong stared speechless as they stood from the platform and down at the world below them. “So this is the Chamber of that ‘Tianquan’…” she mused. She moved her attention to the architecture of the buildings, admiring the shine and style under the morning glare. “Such a refined recognition for traditional styles. She knows her stuff. Does she actually live here?”

“Yup!” Paimon replied. “This isn’t even the original. She rebuilt it after she dropped the original on Osial!”

“Dropped?! Like a bomb?” Guizhong’s eyes were glittering again. She took in her surroundings again, this time with a new perspective. “I wonder what it would take to build bombs of this size…and how much Mora...”

As they approached the front door,  Paimon was able to flag down one of Ningguang’s assistants dressed in red. “Excuse us! Is Miss Ningguang available for a few minutes?”

The secretary snapped her head up from her work. “Ah, Traveler! Let me go ask.”

The alternate Archon continued to stare, observing the ornate and traditional decorations accompany the jade collections.  She was careful not to touch a single thing, despite wanting to inspect it all. “You’re very well-known, Traveler.”

Lumine sighed. She was practically a celebrity. She wouldn’t even have to introduce herself to anyone in Sumeru; they would already know who she is. There wasn’t a lot of secrecy anymore. “Well, when you’ve helped change three regions, you become quite famous.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure walking up the spiral staircase at the center of the chamber. The white-haired woman dressed in gold and black that was charged with leading Liyue into the future, flanked by two of her assistants as they looked over a roll of information. At the top of the stairs, Ningguang dismissed them and turned to face the trio by herself.

“Traveler, how are you?” Ningguang asked, giving a small bob of her head.

“Quite busy, Ningguang, And you?”

The leader of Liyue crossed her arms and let out a heavy sigh, letting go of her responsibilities for a split moment. “We’ve finally resumed some normalcy after Beisht's arrival during the Rite, but with all of the applications coming in for Chasm mining permits, myself and the Qixing have our work cut out for us.”

The Archon’s eyes snapped to Lumine with a twitch of shock. “Beisht?” she said quietly. “You seemed to have left that out, Traveler.”

Ningguang raised a brow at the new guest. “When did you two meet?”

Guizhong carried a bluff with ease. “I study ancient mechanics over in Fontaine, and finally decided to come back home to Liyue to see what I could find and research. We met near the merchant road at Stone Gate,” she replied. “You can call me Guizhong, if you'd like.”

The Tianquan blinked. “Like...the Ballista?”

The alternate Archon nodded awkwardly, but didn't give in. “Y-Yes, that’s one of the reasons I came back to study and repair them. My parents really were odd characters, weren’t they?”

“Well, if the Traveler trusts you, you must be of good character,” She looked across to Lumine again, and focused in on the topic at hand. “How can I help you all?”

“Two things,” Lumine held up two fingers. “Do you happen to have that stash of confiscated Sigils of Permission? I may have found a use for them.”

The Sigils of Permission, even if they were developed by the Fatui, still had the capacity in bulk to reawaken and free Osial. That was power that rivaled Archons. The perfect thing they needed to conduct and power this ritual.

The Tianquan grinned. “I’ve been meaning to get rid of those pesky things. You’re doing me another favor, Traveler. Where, when, and how many?”

A small wave of relief. “I’ll take them all. Send them to Wangshu Inn at your convenience,” No doubt Ningguang would have the task done by tomorrow. “There’s…something I want to investigate, and I need a large amount of power to do so.”

Ningguang snapped her fingers, spurring her assistants to begin moving. “Then they’re yours, no charge necessary. We do have a few here in boxes, so we can give those to you right now, if you prefer. And the other thing?"

"Is Ganyu around? We'd like to borrow her for a bit." Guizhong's eyes widened at the sound of the half-adeptus's name. Even if it was for a few minutes, Lumine wanted to give Ganyu a chance to see the old God of Dust.

"She's...already left for meetings at Huishan Hall for mining permits. I’m sorry," Ningguang said gently. 

Paimon let out a frustrated sigh. Ganyu was going to be the hardest reunion to plan for. She rarely rested; if she did, she'd be napping with flowers or attending the rare visit over to Cloud Retainer.

“Can you send her to Wangshu Inn when you deliver the Sigils, then?” Guizhong suggested.

“Consider it done.”

X---------X

There were five boxes, all full of those Sigils made by Fatui hands. Paimon was only able to carry one box due to her size, so the rest were split between Lumine and Guizhong. Lumine was able to carry two with ease, while Guizhong resorted to using a small Jade Shield to help balance the boxes on her good hand.

The walk across the Pavilion to the nearest Waypoint was not a long trip. But that didn’t stop their Archon guest from asking another burning question. “So! Even Beisht came to the Harbor?”

“We handled it pretty well, though,” Paimon admitted, before adding “Zhongli didn’t even know till it happened, either. So it’s not his fault.”

“You handled it well,” Lumine clarified. Her head ached as she remembered crashing and falling to the ground. “You weren’t slapped into a mountain by an ancient god!”

Guizhong winced for her. That power was no joke.“Is there anything else I should know about? Any other gods from the War reviving?”

Paimon hesitated, thinking back to all of their encounters so far. “Not really, unless you count Azhdaha-“

“Azhdaha?!” She exclaimed, almost tripping down the stairs towards Bubu Pharmacy. She struggled to balance her boxes, but was able to recollect and steady them again. “The leylines here must be non-existent or something!”

“Sorry, I was hoping we could catch Ganyu as well today.” Lumine admitted, a bit defeated.

“Don’t worry about it! You mentioned she was their secretary before, right?” Guizhong said. “Knowing her, she’s probably a work-a-holic.”

Paimon began to balance her box of Sigils on her head, sitting on top of her small crown.“Uuuugh, so often!” She complained as she shook her arms out.

Guizhong shook her head. “Guess that trait carries across universes,”

“What does Ganyu do for you, then?” Lumine couldn’t imagine Ganyu doing anything else outside of her work at Yujing Terrace.

“She helps teach and mentor the adepti-blooded in the Harbor,” Guizhong replied, a whimsical and nostalgic look crossing her face. “The kids love seeing her. She’s like a big sister to them.”

“Adepti-blooded?” Paimon asked, pulling her box back into her hands.

“Anyone who has adeptal blood and ancestry, full-blood, half, or partial. I created a small Hall at Yujing Terrace to help them and local Vision wielders find ways to develop themselves.”

Lumine’s eyes widened. A whole Hall devoted towards the growth of Vision wielders. That was something new. Most of the Vision wielders they’d met so far all developed their abilities on their own. “There must still be a lot of adepti there, then.”

Ahead of them, Guizhong slowed to a stop. Her attention turned towards the Harbor, its glistening waters and the boats that dotted it. “I…noticed how many have passed here. I can sense the lives of those who walk along this earth,” she said quietly. “I wonder if that’s why he’s…”

Paimon flew down to check on their guest. “..Guizhong?”

“Never mind!” She chirped. “Let’s get to work! These boxes sure aren’t light!”

X-------------X

They went back to the Inn and began counting Sigils in Lumine’s room that she had taken out.  They only had about 150 Sigils, which came after hours of counting by hand, and then recounting as Guizhong recognized that some of the Sigils we unfinished or completely useless. Of course, she asked as to why the Qixing had so many. She assumed it was because there was a black market of fakes that were being sold. When Lumine told her the details, she couldn’t believe it, and continued to be flabbergasted by the events in the past year.

Soon enough, the time came for Guizhong to head out for her meeting (or ‘date’ as Paimon insisted) with Zhongli. She decided to head out in advance to meet him halfway between the Inn and the Harbor. Lumine waved her off with well wishes and kept a hand clamped to Paimon’s mouth to avoid listening to her teasing. 

For the first time since she arrived, Guizhong took the time to admire the Liyue that she found herself in. Deep down, this Liyue and her own were one in the same. Cut from the same fabric, as they said. The earth was deep and solid, the mountains and peaks sharp and striking. But there were indeed differences that were leaving her mis-guided in a storm of turmoil.

What he created- no, what he helped develop on his own- was amazing. He grew Liyue into a business powerhouse. The humans here were able to govern and function entirely on their own, now. She’d seen the statues of Rex Lapis dotted across the land; they still honored and respected him, even after he had completely stepped away. As they walked through the Harbor, she could see the restaurants that sold Li and Yue cuisines, the storytellers that spoke of ancient stories and the power of the Lord of Geo, and transactions of business that were defined by the exchange of Mora. And from the Tianquan’s words, Lantern Rite was still a respected tradition that was conducted every year.

They shared similarities, which relieved her. But they also shared differences, which also made her happy. Liyue would be the same, but unique, no matter which one of them won the Archon War. It would be safe and prosperous.

She stopped along the top of a ridge of rocks, and stared out across the water of Luhua Pool and towards Cuijoe Slope in the distance. But Jueyun Karst dragged her attention again.

There were so few adepti left in this Liyue. The ones that were left lived in Jueyun; the notable exceptions were Ping and Ganyu, who she could sense lived in the Harbor. There were no Yaksha; only Xiao, living on his own with the informants at Wangshu Inn. Those differences…

Her Liyue was the ‘alternate’. His was the main one, the ‘proper’ one. Did that mean all the achievements and developments that she created, that were lost in this Liyue, were wrong? Maybe she was simply over-thinking it.

Over her shoulder, she noticed his familiar figure walking up the path.

She always knew there was something there. Over time, she could see how his shoulders would relax whenever he sat beside her. He would even smile when they were together. His letters and messages would become more frequent the longer he was away at the front. When he could come back, he would insist on sitting in the Glaze Lily fields to listen to her sing because he ‘missed her voice’, as he put it.

No...What use would it be, telling him anything about how she felt? Even asking him how *he* felt? She thought she shoved all of that deep, deep, deep into her heart centuries ago. What use would it be now, bringing forth these emotions only to leave them behind when she departed?

But as sapphire met amber, and he smiled towards her, she could feel her anxiety bursting to life. Well...maybe she could say something.  Just…maybe not that…EXACT thing that was stirring at the back of her mind.

X--------------X

The entire day, Zhongli had been nervous. He’d done a good job hiding it from the Director, as she tended to be very keen on that sort of thing.  But he couldn’t hide this weird jittery butterfly feeling that had found itself at home in his stomach, and couldn’t ignore how much he had been over-thinking this entire…’meet-up’.

Loss was nothing new to him, whether it was a simple departure or death or even erosion. He wanted to keep his distance, for both of their sakes. So the departure would not hurt either of them as much when the time came. But that stupid, stubborn part of him, that ‘blockhead’, kept pushing back.

Reunions like this don’t happen. Ever.

He had a chance to say the things he never said to her way back when. The things he did realize he needed to say until centuries later. But as he walked up the trail and saw her in the distance, that butterfly jumped to his throat. She stood along the top of a rock ridge, staring out into the distance, back turned towards to him.

“You made it~” she said in the singy-song voice of hers.

He climbed up to join her, standing to look out across Luhua Pool and the surrounding areas. A perfect spot for a meeting like this. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for long.”

She pouted, lower lip folding over. “I told you before, I’ll always wait for you.”

His heart melted on the spot. “Well, the walk from the Harbor can be a bit long,” Zhongli said, taking the chance to keep his breathing calm. “So…what do we do now?”

With the glittering water sitting beneach them, Guizhong didn't have to think too long for an answer. “Let’s go wade in the water! Like we did before!” Before he could get a word of agreement out, she tugged on his sleeve and began to lead him down to the water's edge. Zhongli didn't mind; as long as he got to see her again, he didn't care what he did.

X------------X

The ruins around Luhua were limited in number, but they were not unscathed from decay. Remnants of Treasure Hoarder camps were scattered about. The two statues that towered over the area were broken and decaying. That didn’t catch her eye, it would seem. She continued to stroll towards the gathered pools and down towards the beach. Careful footprints from her shoes followed her along the small patch of sand. She stopped at the water’s edge and took in a deep breath. “Even the air smells the same!”

He couldn’t help but watch her every movement, glowing in evening sunlight. Even as she sat down and began slipping off her shoes.

Guizhong sat her shoes along the edge of the small beach and rolled up her black stockings. “We used to walk along the waters, talking about our goals before the War,” She stepped out into the sparkling water, standing ankle deep. “The water isn’t too cold, either.”

Back then, Luhua was one of the best places to meet up at for small chats, or walks on the short beach. They would walk along the beach, with Guizhong holding the thick skirts of her assorted hanfu so the fabric wouldn’t get wet. Along the way, she would occasionally trip and fall, and he would have to catch her. Or a crab would come their way, and she would have to scare it off before he would threaten to destroy it on sight. This time, she no longer had to hold up her skirts; they spun for her as she moved across the shallow shore.

“What’s wrong?”

Her voice snapped him back to the scene around him. He’d been staring at her again. He was never one to stare. Was it because he- “Sorry, I was just staring off.” Zhongli rolled up his pants, laid his shoes along hers at the shore, and joined her in wadding in the peaceful water of Luhua. Not too cold, not too warm, just right. Refreshing and calming, especially after a day of work.

“Did your work at the Parlor get to you?” Guizhong asked.

She could always tell how he felt. This innate, scary ability of hers to just…know. It had been so long it completely caught him off guard. “Well, not the work, per say. The Director is…”

Guizhong kicked the water, sending water droplets flying. “The Traveler mentioned her name is Hu Tao. She sounds young.”

“She is. But she carries the responsibility…”

“Does she do it well?”

Zhongli sighed, and folded his arms behind him. What one considered ‘well’ was subjective when talking about the Director’s sense of humor and certain business practices. “She carries the responsibility on her own, for the most part.”

“I’m glad she has you there to help her then.”

The sound of the waves washed over them both.  He didn't know how to ask the question, but it had been the one question on his mind since he departed the Inn yesterday. “Do you still do everything?” He asked quietly. “All of the reports and suggestions, and decision-making?”

“Of course! Liyue is my pride and joy,” She replied, beaming brighter than any sun could. “If I could, I would do it forever.”

Back when the war had just ended, and the Seven were beginning to rebuild their regions into proper flourishing societies.  It took him a century or two till he was able to finally feel stable about his own development. After the Cataclysm, he found it useful to begin bridging a better relationship between the Qixing and himself. Thus, the position of Tianquan was born. It ended up being one of the best decisions he ever made. It let him be relieved of some duties, and provided a way for him to ever so slowly transition away from full-time administration.

Even back in the Assembly’s forming days, Guizhong took on a very hands-on role. He looked and learned from her for guidance. But to do it forever was worrisome. “You haven’t changed. But by allowing the humans and adepti to help each other, and you, everyone can learn their roles in responsibilities.”

“But then what would I do?” she questioned, poking her cheek with her finger. “Guiding growth and developing and running a society is what I strive to do. It’s what I’ve done even before we met.”

“You..don’t get tired?” A part his chest and dropped and dulled. That was thousands of years, split between the Assembly, the War, and Liyue. She was still dedicated to Liyue all this time. Was he really that ill-prepared to handle the administrative duties?

“That doesn’t matter. Liyue is all I have,” She frowned, then began walking back towards him until she stood within arm’s reach. Almost too close. “Hey, don’t second-guess yourself! I have no doubt you were an amazing leader.”

Zhongli let out a low breath, an attempt to keep the warmth on his face from showing. "

“I can read it on your face,” She tipped her head up in confidence and grinned. “All I need to do is stare for a bit and I can usually work it out."

Stare? So she stared at him too. As those memories came back, Zhongli could never recall her being one stare. And at him of all things? He didn't want to believe it. “You must have stared often, considering how accurate you are.”

Guizhong blinked a few times, then her face bloomed into a red as dark as a Jueyun Chili. “W-Well, I had to learn somehow!” She adverted her eyes. “Of course I had to look..."

“Hmmm, how much staring did you do, I wonder?” he asked, pressing the teasing further.

The alternate Archon tried to turn her face away in an effort to hide her embarrassment, but even her ears had turned red. “W-We don't need to talk about that, do we?" 

Zhongli froze. He'd made it awkward, hadn't he? He really need to work on his word choice in these situations. Devising and organizing contracts was as easy as breathing, but intimate conversations and flirting...wait, was this even considered flirting? Had he meant to?  "How about we go find a place to go watch the sunset?" he suggested suddenly, trying to ignore the conflicting feelings in his mind. 

"S-Sure! Lead the way."

X----------------X

They made their way across the land, the best way Zhongli found for them to converse and even forget about their first stop at Lihua. They discussed everything; from events, to people, to even the regions that surrounded them. Zhongli was able to learn that Guizhong's Liyue was one of two regions that still offered trade to Khaenri'ah. His jaw had been left on the ground with how easily she spoke about the long-gone region that was thriving in her universe. In fact, it was Khaenri'ah that offered her help in 'reprograming' her Ruin Guards to be used in defense of Liyue. He had to step carefully around the situation, so as to not break his own contract. It didn't take Guizhong long to pick up on his silence, so she moved on towards of the similarities of the remaining regions. Surprisingly, everything sounded exactly the same. Even the Archons sounded the same; down to the current position of Raiden Ei and her Shogun. Even the Dendro Archon Kusanali was installed after the death of the previous Lord of the Woods around the same time as Khaenri'ah's fall.

But there was one more Archon, the one he was closest with, that Zhongli kept thinking about. “What about Mondstadt?”

“Oh, Venti? We’re drinking buddies!”

Oh Archons. He couldn’t imagine her drinking with that damned bard. Both of them spilt over a table, drunk over multiple bottles of wine. If he thought too hard about it, it could give him nightmares.

“Looks like he bothers you,” she replied, noting his disapproving expression. “Well, he is a bit more outgoing and cheery.”

“He’s more of a rascal. But he is still a valued acquaintance.”

“Oh? Do you two not share a glass of osmanthus wine together?” 

Before he could quip something back, Zhongli spotted a small gathering of fog sitting on the ground ahead of them. He could have mistaken it for a messy leyline, but the bright green color was noticeably different from the sandy yellow and glowing blue of the other leylines. “What is…”

Guizhong kept walking towards the fog. She tried to reach down and touch it, but something else caught her attention. “It keeps going,” She pointed into a pile of bushes, where thicker and greener fog was pouring from.

Both Archons pushed past brush and branches, finding an opening at their feet into a cave below them.  Fog flowed up and outward, like water bursting from a water spout. The cave didn’t look too deep to jump into, but the fog made it hard for anyone to estimate how deep the cave truly was.

Zhongli crouched down and craned his head to try and get a better look at the space. He could not see anything beyond the green fog, but could make out a few structures that looked like the scattered ruins in Nantianmen. “What is that?”

Guizhong sat on her knees and leaned onto his shoulder for support. “That’s what we saw in the ruins, before we fell.” She said quietly, eyes shrinking in surprise. 

He ignored that little fluttery feeling along his shoulder and tried to focus on the cave ahead of them. “It could try to do something, then.” he said cautiously. It could try to hurt her. It could try to send her back even. Which was a good thing…even if he dreaded it. That was their goal, after all. Letting her go back. It didn’t matter that it would hurt again. “I’ll go first.”

He fell down the small hole, landing on his feet with ease. The cave was large enough for him to stand with plenty of head room. At the opposite side sat a broken green orb, embedded in the ruined walls. Smoke spewed from the cracks in the wall, covering the floor so he couldn’t even see his own shoes. No weapons in sight, and no enemies in the area. 

Zhongli held out a gloved hand towards Guizhong to help her down. “Is there anything different?”

She took his hand to guide her down the rocks. “It’s the exact same. Tucked away, as if being hidden on purpose, yet open enough to draw attention," She kept her eyes focused on the glow. "Have you ever seen this here before?"

Before he could answer, the smoke began to be pulled towards the orb in the wall like a vortex. The pulse of the orb grew faster and faster, until it froze and began spitting smoke back out onto the floor. Forming a human figure clad in white robes and no discernable features. They summoned all of the lingering smoke into their palm, before raising their arm towards Guizhong. They suddenly snapped their hand into a fist.

The grip on Zhongli's hand tightened, and his heart fluttered just a moment. She hadn’t let go.   

The figure, with no mouth, spoke in a strong and deep voice that resonated in the small cave. “Punishment for Divergence.”

Beside him, Guizhong collapsed to the ground, digging at her arm. She took shallow breaths to avoid screaming out, but by the Archons, it was some of the worst pain she’d been in. As if someone grabbed into her bones and began to wring them out like a wet towel. 

He dropped to his knees and put a careful yet protective arm along her back. “Guizhong!”

“F-Fine…” She rasped. “Some…p-pretty bad pain,” She summoned her Cutter back to her hand and tried to use it as a support, but her free hand shook too much to carry any weight. Her arm gave out, and she collapsed into his arms.

The glittering green blade clattered to the ground as Zhongli comforted her. He remembered the day he carved that blade, and the day he gave it to her. But he never actually saw her wield it when she was alive. “You actually used it?”              

“Of course,” she looked up at him, exhausted. “You left it to me. Why wouldn’t I?”

So she really did step into his place. He assumed such, but a part of him didn’t want to believe it. Believe that her gentle hands that helped soothe his nightmares would also slay gods. The reality hit him worse than any hit Osial had thrown at him. At some point in that alternate universe, he had failed her. Again.  Even between alternates, he could never succeed in surviving with her.

The figure kept their hand raised towards her. “Do you wish to stand against the Guardian?” it asked monotonously. 

“You…do not…” She said slowly, sitting herself back up onto her knees. “…get a say in how my region operates.”

“Do not fight against erosion, then.” The figure spoke, re-affirming its position. Above its head floated the broken orb, glowing again as it was prepared to be used as a catalyst weapon.

Zhongli summoned his Jade Shield around them both. A 'Guardian'; he'd never heard of that before. A being made of smoke with no features. And an awareness over erosion. Was it this figure that threw her away from her Liyue? That injured her arm to the point she could barely stand?

Fiery rage had begun to build, but he knew how to let it simmer. “Please, stay behind me. I will take care of this.”

“Wait! I don’t want to…” Guizhong started, but stopped as she grimaced in pain. She could barely think, much less speak. But she couldn't just sit by...

The former Archon stood from his spot and moved in front of her. “I will not fail you this time, Guizhong.” He summoned Vortex Vanquisher to his left hand, and prepared for conflict.

Chapter Text

Even going back to their days forming the Guili Assembly, Guizhong could only recall three experiences where she witnessed Zhongli’s prowess. She only ever saw in fight in the War once; after that, he stressed that she stay away from the front line.

She had seen glimpses of him overseeing training spars with the army. She knew he used to spar with Xiao, and he helped train Ganyu how to shoot an arrow. But due to her position before he died, she never saw his true battles. The scene in front of her wasn’t nearly as close to how he probably acted during the War, but it was still a force to be reckoned with.

The Guardian didn't have any weapon besides the orb that whirled around it protectively. The orb was able to summon every element to attack with.  Hydro attacks made of bubbles would hit as hard as the Geo ores it would sling. Pyro flames were launched like mini-bombs, Cryo flakes that threatened to freeze him, and Anemo screens that deterred him from getting any closer. 

Zhongli was only able to get close for a handful of seconds, as the figure would quickly adjust and push him back with a wave of random elemental energy. He found, though, that the figure would take damage from his Geo spears. So he had to resort to a repetitive cycle of working his way closer with Vortex, using his spears, and falling back till he could find another opening between the elements.

The Guardian pointed in his direction again, sending a wave of Cryo aimed towards his feet. Zhongli dove towards his right, landing on his knees and rushing back towards the figure again. Once he reached a safe enough point, he jabbed the point of his polearm through the figure.  The figure swiped again, summoning another shield of wind. 

He stumbled back, pulling his weapon out from the figure and leaving a gapping hole in its body that was filled with smoke as quickly as it was made. He pushed another wave of Geo spears towards the figure again to distract it and find an opening again. But just as he caught his footing again, he slipped on a section of Cryo that managed to temporarily freeze the area. 

The figure swiped again, causing the orb to send a wave of Hydro towards him. Before he could summon energy for his Shield, a large golden flower bloomed before him made of pure Geo energy and small trails of dust.  His eyes darted over to Guizhong, who had forced herself to her feet. Her injured arm hung lame at her side while her good arm was raised out, trembling as she force any Geo energy she could summon into that shield.

Disatisfied, the Guardian flourished its hand, launching a flaming Pyro beam from the orb. The beam is reflected off of the shield with ease, back towards the Guardian and shattering the figure’s arm and chest like glass.

An opportunity. Zhongli spun his spear in his palm and hurled it towards the Guardian’s orb. The spearhead landed dead-center and crashed into the wall across the cave, embedding the orb back into the old ruins.  

The figure turned their attention between the old gods. “You’re that determined? Fine.” the figured summoned the broken orb back into its hand.  It examined the orb, but didn’t appear concerned.  With a flick of its wrist, the figure released Guizhong from the stifling pain in her arm.

She pulled and peeled away the old layers of bandages, revealing that her arm was no longer dark red. It no longer stung with pain. She could bend, flex, and stretch as if she had never been hurt in the first place. But as Zhongli made his way back towards her side, he could a different color peeking out between the dressings. Her arm was now coal black, decorated in warm gold lines that stretched to her shoulder. The spitting image of the patterns still embedded on his own arms.  

Before he could make any comment, the air began to be drawn towards the figure, picking up speed. The wind began whirling around, swirling the fog around the figure. It was no longer a plain humanoid figure, with sickly-colored skin, sunken green eyes, and snow white hair that hung to their ankles. 

Guizhong kept a tight grip on Zhongli's coat sleeve. “A person?”

“A messenger from Celestia sent to monitor the Geo Archon,” The figure said, flipping its hair over its shoulder. It summoned up more smoke from the broken sphere and crafted a new arm, only to attach it without an ounce of pain. It narrowed its sharp jade eyes towards its opponent. “You are very strong, even for a genshin.”

Zhongli summoned Vortex back to his hand. “Are you the reason Guizhong has been sent here?”

The figure summoned the broken orb back to its side, taking it into its hands to inspect the cracks over. “I have no such ability; her movement was Celestia’s doing. All I am here to do is monitor her,” The figure continued. “And report back to Celestia what her decision is.”

Guizhong’s expression narrowed. “Decision on what, exactly?”

The orb began to glow faintly, and slowly rose from the figure’s palm to hover protectively in the air again. “Per Celestia’s wishes, Geo Archon Gusion, if you do not accept erosion and step down from your Seat as an Archon, you will be left here to be absorbed into this universe. If you accept erosion, you will be allowed to return to Liyue and retire appropriately.”

The words barely reached her ears. “Huh?”

“You’re forcing her to step down?” Zhongli asked, speaking the question she couldn’t quite vocalize. He had suspicions that Celestia was involved with the current Dendro Archon’s position, but he never thought he’d hear of those cretins actually forcing an Archon out, “She doesn’t get a choice?”

“For our universe to remain stable, Liyue is not longer able to have an Archon watching over and governing it. She must go. That is something Celestia has no choice in. They are giving Gusion a choice in how she goes.”

“A choice?” Guizhong scoffed. “They just want me to give up on solving erosion.”

That was it? They would make her step down over something so fruitless as that? “Why does is it matter that she step down?”

“Just because the universes are alternates, does not mean they were completely separate from each other, you see. The alternate must maintain some similarities to the main, so it can retain it’s stability,”  The Guardian clarified.  It held one hand forward, palm up. “The current Liyue that we all stand in has no Archon directly governing it. That Rex guy died, and let Liyue guide itself into a new age,” It held the other hand up, this time forming a small Geo symbol out of green fog. “The alternate Liyue led by Gusion is still smothered by her overbearing governance. This difference has shown to be too drastic for Celestia, so they have deemed it necessary to have her removed.”

His departure had been over a year ago now. “But why force her out now?”

“As a messenger, I do not understand it all, but Celestia has described this stability as flimsy at best. They’ve been waiting for her to step away, but it has gotten to a point where Celestia has had to directly intervene.”

Guizhong stepped out from behind Zhongli, storming towards the Guardian. “Why didn’t they just come tell me? Why go through all of this?” she exclaimed, letting her anger surge. Sending her across universes, catching two of her most loyal Yaksha in the crossfire!

“According to them, they knew you wouldn’t give up on erosion. So this is what they’ve come up with to force your hand.”

“I found a solution for the Yakshas! I found a solution for the Ruin Guards!” Her voice echoed across the cave. She summoned her Cutter and with the thrust of both arms forced it into the rock below them.  “I WILL stop erosion. That was, and will be, my final act as the Geo Archon. My word and future of Liyue sits with this sword.”

Erosion. Something  that he had resigned to destroying and settling on searching for a solution. So far, some of the other Archons had different ways of tackling it and fighting it. Venti’s slumber and songs of the past and Ei’s puppet development.  But for Guizhong to tackle the force of erosion itself. To end it?

She really had changed. She never came forward in front of an enemy like this to pridefully declare herself. Zhongli knew that Guizhong would throw herself at this challenge and do everything possible to be victorious. His rounds being the test dummy for the Ballista those millennia ago was more than enough proof.  But outside of her Four Structures for the Assembly, she often kept her own goals and goals for the Assembly tightly-lipped. He knew, of course, but few outside of him did. He couldn’t help but smile so hard his cheeks hurt. 

The figure blinked, eyes wide in shock. “Per Celestia’s wishes, Geo Archon Gusion, if you do not accept erosion and step down from your Seat, you will be left here to be absorbed into this universe,” it continued. “If you accept, you will be allowed to return and retire appropriately.”

Guizhong placed her hands over the hilt of her sword. “Erosion isn’t the answer. I can find something.” She declared again.

She had lost too many things to erosion. People. History. Places. Entire organizations and studies. She struggled for years to find ways to end it. She tried to record everything she remembered on pages and scrolls and entire libraries worth of paper. But it was never enough.

“If a solution was possible, don’t you think you would have found a lead by now?” The Guardian smirked, and shrugged its shoulders. “Well, I see your opinion has not changed. This is not the last time we will meet, Guizhong. I hope you can see the importance of you decision.”

The smoke swirled around the Guardian like a whirlwind, disappearing from the cavern. The orb that floated above their head fell to the ground, now a victim of gravity, and shattered on impact. Both Archons were left silent, condensed to their own thoughts.

Zhongli let Vortex disappear from his grasp. It was as if he’d been gutted like fish prepared for a meal. He chose to step away because he finished his duties. He tested his people, and they performed well. And, now over a year later, they were doing swimmingly. To think the repercussions stretched across universes. He never meant…

 “You have nothing to do with this, Zhongli,” her voice cut into the shadowy thoughts like her Cutter.

Could she read his mind? Knowing Guizhong, maybe she really could.  “But…”

She swept her healed arm and sent away her Cutter. “This. Isn’t. Your. Fault,” she reiterated, strolling back over to stand face-to-face with him.  “This is just more Celestia meddling.”

But the thoughts kept pounding in his head. This was being done to keep Guizhong’s universe stable. Would it have stayed stable if he had remained in position? Would it have changed? So many what-ifs weighing him down into a dark sea to drown him. “But if my selfish decision has put your people at risk-“

She took his face in her hands, one cold and one warm, and lifted it to meet her own. Sapphire staring at amber.

“Doesn’t matter. This is something my universe needs to handle,” The alternate Archon continued softly. “If only they would just let me continue my search!”

He blinked his eyes away. If he stared too long- “Erosion…so that is something you encounter as well.”

“I had goals defined through my time after the Archon War. Erosion was the one that I could never figure out. It’s the last thing I have to do,"  she admitted. "Then I can consider leaving.”

He hadn’t found out answers either. He had temporary solutions. He had ideas. He had the Traveler now to try and record history with.  It was something that could only countered. But she was still searching for a way to entirely prevent it. She was still fighting. That sea of doubt came flooding back. Should he have kept looking for a solution? Was he wrong? Had he been wrong about everything? What would Guizhong think about his actions?

“Zhongli, is there something you need to say?”

He blinked himself back to reality. Her hands were still on his face. “What?”

Her expression softened. “You look conflicted. Are you okay?”

He took her healed hand into his own. It was smooth to the touch, but as frigid as ice. As if it had turned to ore. “Guizhong. We will get you back to your Liyue.”

She reached over and poked the tip of his nose. “I know. I have you here with me, after all.”

X-------X

Xiao lifted his spear from the last hilichurl and let out a breath. The entire pack of them had appeared out of nowhere near a large traveling caravan near the border with Mondstadt, and had some of the worse bouts of corruption he had ever seen. They had been smothered in waves of black smoke, a symbol that the energy had engulfed them, and were behaving erratically.

Luckily, he made it before they made contact with the traveling humans. This bunch had been stubborn to keep down, but he was able to handle it without much worry.  He braced for the karma to hit him, but found nothing. Instead, it seemed like it was going somewhere else.

His head snapped towards his left, the direction the karma disappeared to. Towards a small cave that he hadn’t given a second thought about. But the only people, the only beings that took on karma like he did were Yakshas.  

“Bosacius and Indarius.” The two Yakshas who were supposedly accompanying Guizhong at the time of her…’arrival’ in this universe. It really was head-scratching.   

But those names, Bosacius specifically, that was the last thing he wanted to be confronted with. Especially since it had been centuries since Bosacius disappeared. If they really were in Liyue, they would see each other again. That was the nature of their roles as Yaksha.  But he didn’t know if he was ready to try and see them again. He didn’t know…if it was okay.

Should he be happy? Should he be relieved? Should he be scared? Should he avoid them at all, so he wouldn’t even have to deal with their reactions? He had always upheld their creed and accepted his fate, so it wasn’t that. So why was he so…confused? Emotions really were annoying.

He stared at the cave, waiting to see if anyone stirred.  He could tell there were people inside, but there was no fire burning. No sound. Nothing. Maybe asleep?

He whisked his spear away and strolled over to the nearby signpost, pulling down the hanging lantern to use.  If it was a sleeping human, the light could draw them out. If it was indeed his former Yaksha, he could at least verify their whereabouts himself. “If someone is there, speak up.”

A small crack as a rock moved. “H-Hello?”

A female voice, startled and scared and exhausted. “How many of you are there?”

“Two!”

Xiao let out a sigh. He really really really really wanted to walk away.  “Walk towards the light.”

“H-Hold on, my partner can’t walk.”

“Then just you.”

A handful of steps.  Footsteps echoed, and soon a person stepped out of the cave’s entrance. A girl with short red hair that burned so bright against the night sky that Xiao could recognize it instantly.

Indarius, the Pyro Yaksha who once led the unit of sword-wielding Yaksha. Her hair was not aflame, as it was when she used her Vision, but it still bounced in the air as if it were.  Her clothes, the same red and black dress with long flowing sleeves that she wore back then, showed rips and cuts from battle. She was favoring her left leg a little, emphasized by the makeshift splint of sandsplitter wood on her right ankle.

The girl let out a yelp at the sight of Xiao, her hands clasping to her pale and drained face. Like she’d been scared out of a nightmare. “…Xiao?”

Memories from centuries ago flash back across his face. Indarias was the first of all Yaksha to die as a result of their karmic debt. Her health had been deteriorating for a few days from a previous incident, and after a problem arose, she ultimately chose to give her life instead of endangering the rest of the Yaksha who had arrived. She was extremely bubbly and loved to push conversation, and never talked ill of anyone.   No matter his mood or how busy she was, she has always taken the time to talk to him, even if he never responded. She had been everyone’s cheerleader and big sister.

Her death had been a warning to them all about the roles they took. About how if they didn’t watch and monitor themselves, they could be next.

“Oh my Archons…” she said quietly. Her hands trembled, but she still had an accepting smile on her face.  “The time finally came, didn’t it?”

He was completely unprepared to handle this discussion. And the emotions that were coming with it. “Ina-“

For the second time that day he was stuck in the lung-wringing grasp of a reunion hug. This time though, Indarias had use of both arms, and found his spine being crushed by her strength. “Xiao, I’m so sorry!” he said, lifting him a hair off of the ground.

He had to keep pushing red hair out of his face. It was just like with Lady Guizhong. How. Was. He. Supposed. To. Respond. “Indarias. You aren’t dead!” He squeaked out.

Indarias' arms snapped back, dropping Xiao back to the ground. “Huh?”

He took two steps back to keep his distance.  He needed space to think through this. “You were with Lady Guizhong, right?” He asked between breaths, trying to regain it.

The Pyro Yaksha beamed. “She’s okay!”

“She’s at Wangshu Inn. She’s been looking for you two,” he said quickly.  Hopefully Lumine and Lady Guizhong were there to help explain this other-wordly stuff.  “We can explain what’s going on later,”

The sound of rocks moving carried their attention inside the cave. “Ina…” A weak male voice called out, using all of their energy to speak.

Xiao lifted the lantern to illuminate the cave’s entrance, but couldn’t see anything. How deep did the cave go?  

“Bo!” She spun around on her good ankle and carefully made her way back into the cave entrance. “You’re awake?”

A cough echoed in the low cave. “What’s going on? Did you find some help?”

Xiao followed behind the fire Yaksha, carrying the lantern high enough to illuminate their path. Soon he could see a figure laying against the wall of the cave.

Along the wall of the cave sat the Electro Yaksha and self-proclaimed leader, Bosacius. His left side showed minor injuries, but his right remained completely immobile.  His hair had been razed away, face broken and bruised a deeper purple than his Vision.  His right arm remained folded on his chest, stabilized and wrapped like a mummy. His leg was straightened out in another makeshift split, and had dried patches of blood patterned about. Any armor that remained was stripped and tossed aside, most likely from Indarias tending to him.

Bosacius turned his head slowly, bracing for pain. His good eye scanned up, following the light until he spotted the Anemo user. “Xiao?” he asked quietly, eyes drawn into pinpoints as if he’d seen a monster.  

Xiao couldn’t hide his shock. “What the hell happened to you?”

Indarias put a hand on his shoulder for balance. “We were attacked after Lady Guizhong disappeared. By a smoky green figure.” Her eyes narrowed and she tipped her head down in shame.  “We tried to follow…”

Bosacius tried to lift his right arm, but gave up after he could only make it twitch. “As you can see, I wasn’t very successful.” He said, trying to laugh before it turned into a wince.

When did this battle happen? Did he accidentally fall asleep at some point? He should have been able to sense a large battle between Yakshas. How come he hadn’t been able to recognize them the entire time they’d been there so far? “How long have you been like this?”

“A couple of days, I think?” Bosacius replied. “I’ve been sleeping in this dark cave for so long I can barely tell anymore!”

And he hadn’t healed yet? Or were his injuries that severe that this is what they looked like after days of rest?  It didn’t make any sense. He passed off the lantern to Indarias and crouched down to check over his former comrade’s condition.

Bosacius was right here. Right in front of him. It was the worst wave of déjà vu mixed with confusion and relief. “I’ll take you two over to Wangshu Inn. Lady Guizhong can help you two from there.”

The injured Yaksha let out a roar of laughter, before cutting himself off with more wincing. “You’re gonna carry me?”  He poked Xiao’s shoulder with his good hand. “Aren’t you a little too short for that?”

“Bo, don’t pick on him!”

The electro Yaksha began to push himself away from the cave wall, trying in futile to sit up on his own.  Xiao used his own arm to guide him up, even as he grimaced with movement.  “Actually, it looks like you grew an inch or two, kid.”

Xiao rolled his eyes. They meet again, the first thing he commented about was his height. “Let’s move before I have to go back out,” Or before another wave of karma hit him.

He was able to pull the leader onto his back with ease. He weighed much less than he used too, thanks in part to his removed armor. And as much as he didn’t want to admit it, Bosacius did have quite a height difference on him, which made balancing him a hassle.

“Are you okay Bo?” Indarias asked, noting his pain as she bended his limbs to hold onto Xiao.

The electro Yaksha grimaced with every little movement of muscle. “Xiao, how much karma do you have?”

His stomach began to tumble into an endless pit. The one thing he really didn't want to address. “Let’s move.”

X-------X

The War lasted for another century more; much shorter than she expected. Yet some of the battles drew longer than the ones Zhongli guided. Another sign of her lack of preparedness for general responsibilities.  But after a long night, after a two week battle, she returned to her place at the camp to find a small envelope. She disappeared for hours from the camp, sending them into a whirlwind of chaos among some of the highest ranking adepti and generals that reported to her.  As the sun dawned, bringing forth the new skies and warmth of the day, she reappeared to her party.

She had proven herself as the winner to Celestia, and was awarded a seat as one of their new Archons.  She would represent the element of Geo, as dust was the final form of all earth and life. A time where bloodshed and violence would not have to chase them could finally begin. Her people, humans, adepti, and all in between would live in peace. And so would her new role as Celestia’s pawn, complete with matching Gnosis. 

The War ended, and so did the Contracts of Rex Lapis. Some adepti returned to Jueyun Karst, with a promise that mortals would not enter unless give Sigils to do so.  Quite a few opted to stay in the Harbor. And others spread out across Liyue, setting up villages or simply trying to find a quiet place to call home.

At first, it took a lot of time to corral the region together. She couldn’t be everywhere at once, so she established the Qixing to help communicate her goals to the people and to help her understand how the people wanted to organize themselves. As the law began to be forged, she established the Millelith to help enforce it where she could not.  She approved of the establishments of Halls to help organize the popular and specialized trades, and to help funnel interest and business.

As time passed, she began to realize that even though gods had died during the war, their divinity and corruption had lingered. During Lantern Rite, it would grow to its worst.  So she called upon old friends of hers, whether in the Harbor, returned to Karst, or anything in between. In return, she was able to bring in four of her best generals; Indarias, Menogias, Bonanus, and Bosacius, each one of the best of their weapon and a Vision wielder to boot. They began to train with other adepti from the war, and took on their roles as defenders from the lingering evil as titled Yakshas.

One day, while she was overseeing a training session, Bosacius wondered if he could spar with a polearm wielder. He had always wanted to try and duel Morax, but the time never came.

She went out and called upon Xiao, who had taken a role after the war as her personal guard. She told him that he was free to do as he pleased, as he joined the Assembly after Zhongli saved him.  He could do what he wanted now, and do the thing he could never do. Live without bloodshed.

But he insisted he stay by her side in some capacity. Because back then, Zhongli had tasked him with watching over her in case something happened. He also wanted to stay out of his own ‘obligations’.  So he continued to guard her at important meetings with the Seven at Mount Aocang, and even to other personal appearances within Liyue.  She knew, though, that he didn’t know much beyond violence and war.

So when Bosacius asked about a powerful polearm user, it didn’t take long for her to ask Xiao’s interest. He took it with a curt nod, joined in the Yaksha sparring, and made quick work to disarm Bosacius, their self-proclaimed leader.  After that, Bosacius spent days following him around, trying to convince him to join.  Over time, Xiao would begin to linger around their practices, curious to try his own ability against the others. Eventually, he would disappear from her side altogether, and she would sneak out to catch him in the act of training with the junior Yakshas.

As the Yakshas deployed to counter against the lingering anger of the gods, Xiao took a position as one of their seniors, even if he had no juniors under him. He was not only the sole polearm, but the only Anemo user, and carried the most experience. He never told any of them his true name or his entire past prior to his liberation by Zhongli, though. She never knew why, but didn’t feel a need to ask.

Xiao would apologize for disappearing, but she didn’t mind.  This was a decision he made for himself after all.  And she knew that was all that Zhongli wanted him to do as well. He always tended to favor and dote on the boy a little too much, and even sparred with him when he had his own men begging to do the same.  She even found she had started to as well.

So when Xiao was the first Yaksha to be struck by the curse of karmic debt, she panicked.

Only a day after being cursed with karmic debt following a brutal battle with a lingering god, he fell over in the middle of basic training with the juniors.  After being examined by multiple different adepti, it was revealed the toll it had begun to take, and the future that awaited the Yakshas. Xiao’s soul was surprisingly clean, and it could filter the karma. But the amount he attracted compared to the others was much larger due to his past actions.

Due to his situation, it threw her into a dizzy spin of developing, testing, and trialing any sort of medicine, procedure, art, or ritual to help the Yakshas cleanse themselves occasionally and continue their work, per their wishes. They did not mind the repercussion that came with it, but the morale blow that came with Xiao’s sickness and eventual passing left its mark.

She went to the Dendro Archon and their Academia for a lead. She didn’t want any of them to die because of something like this, even though that all declared they were accepting of that debt.  It took a long time, too long to save them all, but enough to save some of them. A process that she called Soul Cleansing. It helped many Yaksha offload and purify the karma, but in return they would lose some of their adeptal abilities.

Many juniors subcame to the pressure after Xiao. Even now, only seven Yaksha remained by her side. But she refused to let anymore die due to their karma alone. They deserved a way to manage their pain. After all of their work and their sacrifices, they deserved to live in the peace time it brought.  No Yaksha deserved to carry this burden by themselves.

Chapter Text

Lumine’s evening was ordinary. She popped across Liyue via Waypoints, trying to track down what remains of Cor Lapis she could, and taking photos across the landscape. She made her dinner, and took the time to relax along the branches of the Wangshu Inn tree as the sun began its descent. Near sundown, she observed Guizhong returning across the bridge that led towards the Harbor. Lumine was quick to meet up with her, back on Xiao’s balcony. It was there that she was able to learn what had happened with Zhongli (or as Paimon put it, the ‘juicy details’), and see what had happened to her previously immobile arm.

Light smoke, turned into a ferocious orb that threatened to twist her arm off. The ‘Guardian’, sent from Celestia to demand her step down from her position.   Guizhong didn’t say much anything about why it wanted her to step down, clarifying that even she was ‘confused by it’, and that she talked about it with Zhongli for ‘a while’.  So Lumine shrugged and didn’t press any further.

Before Paimon could try and swindle details about their Archon meeting, a familiar black and green puff of wind and smoke appeared on the balcony beside them. Xiao, accompanied by two people. A female with bouncing red hair and red and black dress stood beside him, while a large male sat on his back, exhausted and covered in assorted wounds.

“Oh my…”  The Archon burst forward, ponytail trailing behind her. Her head whirled around, trying to take in each one of them individually before her brain exploded. “What happened?”

Xiao lowered the injured Yaksha onto the balcony. Guizhong took over, careful to help sit Bosacius down without causing him further discomfort.

“L-Lady Guizhong! Hey…” the electro Yaksha said quietly, recognizing his Archon. His face relaxed with relief. “Thank goodness you’re okay. Sorry we couldn’t report…to you sooner!”

Her eyes bounced around, overwhelmed. She eased him against the railing, careful to make sure he was sitting properly. “Bosacius,  this is…” She grazed the injuries on his body with her hand, trying to determine their severity without hurting him.

“We were attacked, by some green figure,” Indarias hopped onto the railing, careful to keep her balance as she situated herself.  “Never seen it before. We got hurt, and I didn’t want to move Bo too much while he was recovering. At least till we found you, Lady Guizhong."

The image of that being flashed across the Archon’s mind. A green figure that was tracking her movements across universes. It had spoken as if she was the only target. Was it targeting her Yaksha as well? “A Guardian?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

Guizhong’s eyes furrowed down as she let her attention move toward Indarias’s injured ankle for a moment. “We just met one ourselves.”

Xiao lifted his eyes towards the other Archon. “You and Morax did?”

That name drew the attention of the new Yaksha additions. “Woah woah, wait, MORAX?” Bosacius’s eyes were glittering like the rising stars. He tried to look around for a positive answer, but he had to stop from the pain. “L-Like THE Morax? Rex Lapis, Prime of the Adepti, the Dragon Lord who could only be felled by Osial?”

Paimon blinked, left speechless by the list of names. “Y-Yeah, why?”

The injured Yaksha let out a laugh that sounded more like a squeal.  “This might be the coolest afterlife ever, then!”

Xiao’s attention turned toward a small disturbance farther north, past the Marsh. Thank goodness he could pass this off to the others. “Do you need any healing herbs? I can go grab some, if you wish.”

Guizhong had her attention glued onto Bosacius, trying to observe every injury she could without causing him more pain. She gingerly turned his arm, only stopping when she saw how deep one of his cuts still went. Blood had begun to stain her clothes, but she paid no heed. “Grab some mint and lotus heads at your convenience, Xiao. I’ll make a soothing cream later.”  

The Vigilant Yaksha nodded, summoned his spear to his side, and disappeared into the night cover in a familiar puff of black and green.

Indarias and Bosacius both jumped at the sight, Indarias almost losing her balance while sitting on the railing. “Since when could he do that?” She asked, looking to Lumine for an answer.

Paimon shrugged. “He’s always been able to do that!”

On the ground, Guizhong was grumbling and shaking her head. It looked as if part of his skin had been burned and set ablaze. She assumed they landed in a safe spot like she did when they arrived. If she had known they were attacked by a Guardian…No, she couldn’t think about that. These were her Yaksha. They could handle themselves for the most part. But could she have done something to help?

Maybe that would have ensured his injuries weren’t so severe. She had no choice now. “Bo, I’m going to have to use Soul Cleansing, okay?”

The injured Yaksha frowned like an upset toddler. “C’mon, I’ve gone so long without it!” He ran his working hand through his spiking purple hair. “Do I have to?”

Indarias nudged her colleague with her good foot. “Bo, it’s been days! This could take you weeks to heal from without it!”  She said, trying to reason with him.  

Bosacius continued to pout, even if he knew deep down that it was the truth. “I only have two bottles of it on me, I can’t risk using it now,” he emphasized. “We may need it again. Especially against those Guardian things.”

“We can worry about that later!” In one quick movement, Guizhong lifted her Yaksha like a princess, arms under his knees and back. “For now though, let’s get you cleaned up at least, okay?” He tried to stutter out a few words of rebellion, but gave up as his Archon carried him back into the Inn and towards her rented room, hissing in pain along the way.  

Paimon giggled. “Does she dote on everyone?” she asked, looking back towards the remaining Yaksha.

“She cares about every person in Liyue,” Indarias admitted, carefully stepping off of the railing and keeping her bad ankle lifted from the ground. “Maybe a bit too much. But she always means well.”  She lowered her bad foot to the balcony, a hesitant test to see if she could put any weight on it. One small step forward was the most she could get before lifting it again.

Lumine walked to the Pyro Yaksha’s side and held out her arm. “Need some help?”

Indarias reached out to grab on, but hesitated. “I carry karma, just like every Yaksha. Can you handle that burden?” she asked quietly, as if ashamed.

The traveler slipped her arm under the Yaksha, helping to spread the weight. “It’s okay, I’ve handled worse.” She admitted.

The Pyro Yaksha’s hair bounced back up to life. “Thank you,” she replied, a small smile reaching her face.

X--------------------------------X

Lumine helped Indarias down and inside to  Guizhong’s rented room, over towards a bench at the back of the room. A window overlooking the Marsh sat behind them allowing the remaining sunlight and incoming moonlight to filter inside.  Indarias rested her ankle out on the bench, careful to touch it and test its tolerance.

“Do you need any ice, uh, Adeptus Indarias?” Paimon asked, floating over to check out the adeptus’ injury for herself.

She leaned over and pulled on the splint, loosening it. “I should be fine in another day or so, Adeptus healing, for ya,”  She said cherrily. She attempted to move her foot in a circle, but was resigned to limited movement. “You can just call me Ina, if you want. I’m not one for long titles.”

Paimon nodded, and grinned mischeviously again. “Wow, Xiao’s not gonna like that, is he?”

Indarias tipped her head sideways. “Why’s that?”

Lumine poked her partner’s shoulder. “Don’t be rude, Paimon. He’s just very particular about respecting the adepti.”

“That does sound like him,” Indarias replied, She realigned her splint and began tying it back around her ankle. “So, how do you two know him? He’s not a very sociable person.” She asked, her blazing red eyes carefully assessing Lumine.

“Pff! Know?” Paimon boasted. “He’s on a first-name basis with Lumine! 

The Pyro Yaksha blinked in shock. “That’s…new. He was always one to mind his distance from others. Even other Yaksha.”

"Oh, uh, that part hasn't changed!"

Indarias let out a tight breath. “I'd hope so. Keeping our distance is a precaution all Yaksha take. How far we go with that varies per Yaksha, and the amount of karma we have," It was one of the reasons she was scared to move Bosacius to a different location. She couldn't risk drawing out more creatures when he could barely stand. "But Xiao’s karma is awful. Well, he always tended to collect more karma than the rest of us. But when he transported us here, it was so much I could  barely see. Suffocating, even. Do you two know what could have caused it?" She asked, fighting to keep her voice neutral. 

“Xiao’s a tough cookie! Very stubborn.” Paimon suggested, looking towards her traveler for a better response. Lumine remained silent. Neither truly knew what Xiao had been through, and Lumine didn't feel like she was the right person to tell Indarias of the fate of the Yakshas. 

Indarias nodded, accepting that neutral answer. “Well, he’s a Yaksha. No doubt he would be. But...”  

Across the room, Guizhong held her head out of the bathroom and waved. “Traveler, can you find some dressings for Bosacius?” she asked, her blue and golden sleeve flapping like a flag.

Lumine couldn’t get a word out before Paimon zoomed across the room. “I’ll go ask Verr Goldet!” And she flew out of the room and down to the main lobby.

“Lady Guizhong, I can do this myself, you know,” Bosacius whined. Inside the bathroom, something was smacked and clattered to the ground.

“Just let me clean your back real quick, at least!”

“I can clean my own back!”

“You aren’t that flexible, Bo. You can barely sit up!”

“I am flexible, see?”

Silence.  A few grunts of struggles, then a sigh of failure.

“Okay, you were right…”

And their chatter turned back to light arguing, fading into the background.

“Is this an afterlife or something?” Indarias asked quietly. She pulled a throw pillow from the bench into her arms. Her bouncing hair hung down in her face, sinking with her emotions.  She made no attempt to brush it away. “I can hear my own heartbeat, but that fall…I know Xiao said I wasn't, but I have to be dead, right?”

Luimine couldn’t tell if the Yaksha was relived or not to be dead. But she only told her the truth. “You and Guizhong have been sent to an alternate Liyue. It’s the same in name, but the history is different,” She’d gotten pretty good at condensing the explanation down to such a few words. “That ‘fall’ of yours was you three being flung to this universe.”

“Universe?”

“The Geo Archon here was Rex Lapis. Guizhong passed here during the War.”

That last sentence was powerful enough to knock the wind from a glider. “That Morax who died to Osial?” She asked. She turned her attention to the window, towards the landscape beyond the glass. “So that’s why…”

“It’s a lot, I know,“ No doubt she would start asking questions about the differences. That was something everyone would gravitate too. “Some things are different, some are exactly the same.”

“So Xiao survived?”

Lumine never knew a single word could hold such weight. Survived. It told her everything she needed to know. “Yes, he did.”

“Thank the Archons!” Her emotions broke, and her solid exterior fell. She made no noise as the tears flowed freely. “He was sparred that end...”

Lumine didn’t have the confidence to tell her any other truths. All she felt she could do was comfort the Yaksha beside her.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. After being washed down, Bosacius was wrapped like a mummy and ordered under bed rest. He took a bottle of Soul Cleansing after being pinned down by everyone, fighting as a toddler fought their vegetables. At some point Xiao did return with the items for Guizhong, but it was long after Indarias fell asleep. He didn’t even stay for long, and disappeared again soon after.  

X---------------X

The next day brought with it a large cart full of boxes, stamped with the scarlet seal of the Qixing and accompanied with Millelith.  As the boxes were unpacked from the cart and left on the stairs of the Inn, another person hopped out to accompany them. Ningguang’s familiar blue-haired secretary, carrying a stack of papers, sitting on the stairs.

Lumine had gone down ahead of time to greet her and to make sure she could claim them in advance. “Ganyu! You made it!”

The voice made Ganyu jump, and she twisted her head around anxiously. “Hello, Traveler! How have you been?”

“Pretty busy,” Lumine admitted, taking a seat beside her. She couldn’t help but begin to look over all of the boxes; at least ten of them that needed to be transported inside. So many Sigils to be counted for. But it would be plenty for the ritual. “Thanks for delivering the Sigils for us.”

“It was no trouble at all!” Ganyu replied. “What business did you want to discuss with me?” She asked, blinking away an oncoming yawn.

“Well, it’s not business or Qixing related. We wanted to surprise you!”

“M-me?” She began running through a mental list of all of the people she knew, friends, advisors, and members of the Qixing. “With what, exactly?”

Lumine guided Ganyu over to the elevator of the Inn, taking it up to the top and over towards the private balcony that they had all taken over for the last few days. Ganyu got to the top of the stairs and froze as she saw the figure that was out on the balcony.

Guizhong had taken a seat on the balcony railing, staring out towards the northern parts of Liyue. Her hair was down and messy, a result of her staying up late to help treat Bosacius. Her clothes were dirty, but that could come at a later time. Her focus had been on the sunrise that colored the land with bright shades, but also at the Liyue around her. Seeing the rolling lands, the familiar colors and sights, helped soothe her focus. Guardians, erosion, her Yakshas, their health, her mistakes, her mistakes, her mistakes...

No matter how she hid it, erosion still sat in her mind. She never once doubted the negative effects erosion had. She hadn't ever moved from her beliefs about it. But that Guardian attacked Zhongli, and after seeing how it reacted to her Yaksha...how it punished her Yaksha for her decisions..it was all her fault-

"L-Lady Guizhong?"

The Archon dragged herself from her thoughts and turned over her shoulder. She's greeted with the sight of a familiar half-adeptus, but one that she could tell was different. Her eyes were softer and decorated with exhaustion, and her clothes were different; more in theme with Cloud Retainer's style. But it was still that little girl that she had found and taken care of during the war, those millennia ago.

“Ah, Ganyu!“ She slipped off the railing and back onto her feet, careful to swish and press out her skirts, even if they were messy. “Glad to see you made-“ She couldn’t finish her sentence before being rammed by Ganyu’s horns as the half-adeptus threw her entire body weight on top of her.

“Guizhong! Are you okay?”

The Archon reached around and dabbed at her nose, checking to see if it had been hurt. Slight pain on the bridge of her nose, but nothing more than a bruise. “I’m fine!” she replied, rubbing it carefully. 

Poor Ganyu was shaking as she wept. She made no attempt to conceal her emotions as she squeezed her arms around the alternate Archon. “H-h-how are y-you here?" she said, taking deep breaths between relieved and joyful sobs.

Now Guizhong was the one caught in an unmovable hug. “It’s a bit complicated, but we won’t worry about it right now. How are you, Ganyu?” Ganyu started speaking, but got lost in her tears All Guizhong could do was keep rubbing her back, carefully listening. to what she could. Encouraging her. “I heard you’re the secretary here now?’

She bobbed her head. “As part of my contract with Rex Lapis,” she sniffed, and her face turned sour.  “But he…”

“I know, the Traveler told me. But let’s not talk about that, my mistake. I want to hear about you!" Guizhong stepped away and put her hands on the proud adeptus's shoulders. "What are you doing now?”

“O-oh, well…”

As the two began talking, Lumine took the chance to meet up with Paimon again and begin the transporting process of the boxes of Sigils. Ganyu was one of the few people who truly knew Guizhong, and knowing how Ganyu felt about herself and her place in Liyue, Lumine wanted to give the two their space. But as they passed in and out of the area carrying boxes, up and down the elevator, they could pick up small bits of conversations.  

“But your poor shoulders! Don’t you get cold?”

“It stays pretty warm here. Cloud Retainer never minded.”

“Well, if Cloudy said so…”

Or the classic conversation that Lumine believed everyone had with Ganyu at some point or another. 

“Are you getting enough sleep? You look drained! Are you eating enough? Do you get enough Qingxin?"

"I-I just ended up working overtime again, that's all!"

"A-Again? Ganyu..."

Once the traveling duo had gotten ahold of the final boxes and waved off the attending Millelith guards, the two had moved on to a completely different topic. Guizhong's reappearance in Liyue, and what was happening going forward. 

“...So you were sent away?” Ganyu asked, eyes wide. "But how?"

Guizhong hesitated again. How much should she disclose now? Should she bother burdening the others, outside of Zhongli, with her concerns? “A Guardian of Celestia. They want me to step down as an Archon, like how Rex did here,” She said, trying to cover her discomfort with a small smile. “But I had other plans.”

Ganyu looked around at the gathering boxes of Sigils, spotting Lumine setting down the final box of Sigils on the large piled. “And it involves these Sigils?”

“We’re using them to help send us back.”

“Us?" The half-adeptus's head swiveled back and forth. "Someone else is with you?”

Guizhong held up two fingers again. “Two Yakshas, Indarias and Bosacius,” she said, a bit more deflated this time. "They've been hurt, so the sooner we return, the better."

“Yakshas?!” She said quietly, emphasizing the plural. “There really are a lot of differences then!”

Behind them all, another person stepped up onto the balcony. Indarias, walking with a perfectly healthy ankle and forgoing the splint she had needed the previous day. A true sign of adeptal resilience. “Lady Guizhong and…Ganyu?” Her face wrinkled as she tried to comprehend the appearance of a familiar-yet-different figure. 

Ganyu jumped at the sight of the fiery Yaksha. “A-Adeptus Indarias! What a surprise!”

“I say the same to you!” She exclaimed, hurrying over towards the Cryo user and careful to stop outside of her reach. As if she didn’t want to be touched. “I couldn’t believe it when I heard you work for the Qixing! I’m so used to seeing you watch over the young kids or teaching archery.”  

"T-Teaching archery? Really..." Ganyu tried to cover the light pink of embarrassment on her face. “Is that what I do there, in the other Liyue?”

Indarias glanced around at the boxes and let out a whistle. “All of these are Sigils to be used in this ‘ritual’?"

Ah, the ritual. The final goal they needed to keep their focus on. Even if that Guardian said it wouldn't work. “We have some of the Cor Lapis and the Sigils,” she admitted. “What about the last thing, Traveler?”

The thing they needed form the universe they needed to return too. That was going to be difficult. The three transplants were sent with so little, they may not have anything to qualify. Or not enough. 

“What is needed?” Ganyu asked. "I can check with Ningguang to find something to help."

“The last thing we need is something from the universe Guizhong and the Yakshas are from,” Lumine said slowly. She couldn't think of anything in this Liyue that could remotely qualify for this. But she couldn’t simply reach in and grab something from there. They would have to somehow use something Guizhong and the Yaksha had that was unique to them. The last time she and Aether had to do this, they drew on some flowers from a previous world to use in the ritual. Because they both could pass through worlds, they didn’t need nearly as many supplies. This time though, it would be an Archon and two powerful Adepti that were unwelcome. It wasn’t going to be as easy.

Indarias raised her hand. “What about our Soul Cleansing bottles, Traveler?”

“How many do you have?”

The Yaksha held out her hand and summoned three bottles from shimmering gold. Each bottle, big enough to fit in the palm, was shaped in the image of Pyro. A light pink liquid sat inside, ready to be used.   “Bo has one left. I have these three. We can even try to make more, if needed. Though we probably should if we have to run into those Guardians again.”

They weren’t too big in size, but if they had the power to cleanse karma accrued from vengeful spirits and gods, they had some serious power behind them. “Can I see those?”

Indarias passed a bottle into Paimon's grubby paws, who passed it off to Lumine to inspect over. “Wait, where’s Adeptus Bosacius?” Paimon asked, spinning around as she realized they hadn’t heard from the remaining Yaksha.

The Pyro Yaksha crossed her arms. “He…chased after Xiao this morning.”

Paimon shrieked. “HOW did he even get out? He could barely move yesterday!”

If Guizhong was furious, she was doing a great job at letting it simmer behind a strict frown. “The Soul Cleansing must have been particularly strong,” she grumbled. "I'll have to scold him when he gets back."

“Should we track him down?”

“Well, if Xiao’s with him it will be fine,” Lumine replied. Xiao wouldn’t let him get injured again, even if it annoyed him. But that was if Bosacius had managed to catch up with Xiao somehow.

“You mentioned a Guardian before, Lady Guizhong,” Ganyu placed a hand on Guizhong’s shoulder. “Maybe that’s what we found just outside of the Harbor?”

The tension was pulled to its highest point. “Another one?” Indarias asked, eyes narrowed into sparking pinpoints. 

“We got a report from a group of Millelith outside of the city about something, A figure calling itself a Guardian, and then disappearing in front of them. Most of the group thought it was just some ghost or spirit. But I didn't realize it was connected to this!"

Another location to check out. So there were multiple Guardians in Liyue, and appearing to the innocent people who had nothing to do with this. “We can go look to see, and take you back as well Ganyu. ” Guizhong said.

“Take me back?” As she spoke, the emotions of the words struck her, and her shoulders deflated. “Well, you’re right. I do have to go back. I've...been gone far too long.”

Guizhong put her hands on the half-adeptus’ shoulders. “It’s okay, I’ll come by to see you again at the Jade Chamber,” She said softly. “Before I go back.”

Ganyu dabbed at her eyes again, refusing to fall into another round of tears. “C-Can we go see the Glaze Lilies? Or what is left of them?”

“Absolutely.”

Indarias began to stretch out her arms and shoulders, pulling and pushing them across her body. "So we're going to the Harbor?" she asked. "Maybe I can get some revenge on that Guardian from our first meeting!"

It was also a perfect way for Lumine to meet and investigate these 'Guardians' for herself. Maybe it knew about the Unknown God, and could give her insight on why they were so stubborn about world and universal travel.  Maybe it was something entirely new, so new that even Archons like Guizhong didn't know about them. Or maybe it was just like everything else in Teyvat; confusing and never definitive.

Chapter Text

It had been centuries since Xiao had ever fought with someone side-by-side. He was always on his own, even if he drew it back towards those nightmares of his life before Rex Lapis. The only time he’d ever fought with others was with the Yakshas. He hadn’t done so since Bosacius disappeared from the surface of Liyue.

He journeyed across the Marsh, with the Inn looming over in the distance. A small patch of hilichurls that recently become corrupted had appeared, so he had gone out to dispatch them as normal. Yet as he left, he could sense Bosacius’ lingering presence following him like a toddler following a parent. Xiao could have dashed over and returned within a minute’s time, but if something happened to Bosacius again, neither he nor Lady Guizhong would be happy. So Xiao had to settle with arriving on foot.

The group of hilichurls were small, but full of samachurls. Nothing strenuous, and with their corruption being new, there would be less karma to take on.  He was able to slash through a majority of them on his own, before two large hands made of purple shadow lunged out as if made from night.

“Watch it!”

Xiao dropped to the ground. A claymore tinged with lightning swung overhead, taking out the last hilichurl with one hit.

“Ha ha, just like old times!” Bosacius roared with pride, planting his decorated weapon into the ground. He still had dressings over his injuries, but he moved with ease. “You strike quickly and quietly, to end the battle as soon as possible. That’s our Alatus!”

Xiao wanted to be mad that he followed, but he couldn’t. There was this warm feeling that had him…relieved. “Why did you follow me Bosacius? You need rest.”

The visiting Yaksha wandered over towards the remains and lowered to one knee. He didn’t bat an eye at the bodies that littered the ground. “I wanted to see how you were holding up. But also to confirm something for myself.” He instead hovered a hand over the remains, summoning the small smoke of karma up towards his palm.

“What do you mean?”

For a split second, the karma was drawn towards Xiao, but Bosacius was able to overpower it and draw it towards himself.  Back when they were all together, Bosacius would almost always try to take on the karma first. ‘Duty of the leader’. He still did it, after all this time. “I wanted to see if any other Yaksha would arrive.”

Xiao sighed. Lady Guizhong or Lumine must have filled them in overnight.

“Xiao, did you always move that fast?” Bosacius continued, brushing over the topic.

Speed was always his forte. But even then, the other general Yakshas could always keep track of him. “You must be getting out of shape, Bosacius.  Could you not keep up?”

He let out a hearty laugh. “Hey, I maybe the first Yaksha, but I'm still in good shape! Even if I had to use Soul Cleansing again.”

There was that name again. He heard Lady Guizhong whispering about it when he delivered the herbs the previous night.  But he assumed it had to do with healing. “What does that have to do with anything?”

Bosacius stood again, forcing all of the karma entirely on his shoulders. “Well, it will gradually wear down our abilities. We don’t heal as fast. We’re a bit more fragile than before. So we try to avoid doing it often.”

And weaken their adeptal abilities? It would put them at more risk of injury and even death. While the Yakshas were summoned to give their lives, doing so while wearing themselves down physically in this way felt abnormal. “Then why do it?”

The Electro Yaksha dashed away his weapon. “It relieves us of some karma, so we can continue our duties and allow for us to garner more.”

That…Xiao didn’t know how to process that. “Is it hard for you to carry it?” He knew it could be for him.

The visiting Yaksha lingered in place, painful emotions flittering across his face. “Lady Guizhong…After you passed, she decided she never wanted to lose a Yaksha in the same way she lost you.  She blamed herself. She believed she failed Morax by letting you pass. So over time she was able to develop Soul Cleansing as a solution. Ah, don’t tell her I said that, though!”

It was weird, hearing of his own death. It left him feeling alien and misaligned. But he didn’t welcome or deny it. “But won’t this Cleansing erode your own physical abilities?”

Bosacius hesitated, a grim smile on his face. So he did realize it, to some extent. “We will always carry karma. That was our oath, and we will continue to do so. We will continue to stand and give our lives for Liyue’s sake. But the Cleansing can help relieve and process some of it, and heal us,” He clarified.

It was another way to keep going. That way they could continue to conduct their duty without too much worry of falling to the weight of karma. But it did come with a price.

But that was the choice Guizhong’s Yaksha made. He was not. He was contracted under Rex Lapis. Of course there would be differences.

“Let’s keep moving,” Xiao said, and started to walk towards the next hub of energy that appeared just north of the area.

“You aren’t gonna ‘poof’ off again?”

“It’s been a while since I…” He started, before snapping that sentence closed. Had any company. It really had been centuries, hadn’t it? So long. He always said it. But now with Bosacius standing here, guarding his back like he used too.

Bosacius placed a hand on his head, causing his shoulders to tense. “Well, you were always the quietest. No need to say anything if you don’t want to. You can always tell me later. For now we’ll go together.”

We go together. The last thing Bosacius said to him before he disappeared. Xiao had fallen asleep  that night, and when he awoke, Bosacius was gone. Bosacius had been losing his memories for a while, then. Yet he still managed to write out that note and leave his things behind. They always said that Yakshas needed to know each other’s fates, no matter what they were.  He…never truly followed up with Bosacius’s fate, did he?

All Xiao could do was nod and trudge his feet forward. He would have to ignore that sharp thorn for now. 

X------X

The rest of the group went back down to Harbor. Indarias led the group, chatting up a storm with Paimon over popular Liyue cuisine and offering Lumine tips to make almong tofu taste better for Xiao. Ganyu clung to Guizhong’s arm, asking questions and trying to speak as fast as she could to get every word out possible. As if she were trying to speak everything she needed too before she ran out of time. Guizhong would try and respond, but found it easier to simply listen to the half-adeptus and offer her ear.

At the edge of the Harbor, Indarias chose to split off; a precaution because of her karma. She instead took the directions Ganyu gave her and set off to try and track down the location of the supposed Guardian in the area. The rest of the group made their way back up to Yujing Terrance. Ganyu frantically tried to wipe away her tears, but was left with puffy, red eyes.  The rest of the staff were worried, as busy-and-reliable Ganyu rarely cried in front of them.  But Ganyu waved it off as tears from exhaustion, which they all begrudgingly accepted without another thought.  

On the way out. they decided to stop in at the Parlor to steal up Zhongli again, but also to check in with Hu Tao.  If those disturbances Zhongli had mentioned before were still ongoing, or possibly getting worse, maybe the universe was already adapting to Guizhong and her Yakshas. Maybe it was even due to the presence of a Guardian. To Lumine, it was worth monitoring so she could reference it on future travels.

Paimon instinctively flew over to the request board opposite of the Parlor, reviewing over the amount of tiles that hung down. Guizhong followed suit, falling back into her curious nature and asking numerous questions about the board's existence. But before many questions could be answered, a familiar voice popped out to spook them. 

"Oya, who’s this?”  The young Director caught all of their attention as her head poked out between them. She snuck past them and towards the board, reviewing it quickly to see if any new additions were made. 

“Hu Tao! Hiya!” Paimon chirped, waving at her. “Is Zhongli here?”

The director’s glowing expression narrowed into disappointment. “Hmm, you guys want to steal him again?” Her glittery eyes and interest landed on Guizhong, and she stared over the visiting Archon. “I wonder…”

Guizhong met the director’s gaze. “Are you the director Zhongli talks so highly about?” she asked. “I’m an old…” Well, she still didn’t know how to feel about categorizing him. She would have to figure that out. “…friend of his.”

“Wha? A friend before he arrived in the Harbor? Very mysterious!” She pondered the request again with a new-found interest. Satisfied, she nodded her head. “Well, I guess I can hand him over to you all. How much longer are you going to need him?”

“To be honest, we aren’t really sure, Director," Lumine replied. 

Hu Tao frowned, but it quickly turned into a sneer that she had to hide with her hand. “Fine, since the Traveler is asking, I’ll send him out.” She hurried back into the Parlor, door slamming closed behind her. A few seconds later, their familiar retiree was being pushed out of the workplace by his own boss. “D-Director, you don’t have to push…”

Hu Tao was still grinning. She was always pretty perceptive. Had she recognized something as well? “Well your girlie-friend is waiting out here for you!”

“HUH?” He spotted the trio waiting at the message board and froze. “Y-You came here?”

Guizhong walked with a skip in her step back towards the two. “Of course I did! I wanted to see what the Parlor looked like!" She turned back towards the Head of the Parlor. “I hope he hasn’t caused you any problems, Director. I know he can be a bit of a blockhead.”

Hu Tao laughed and stretched up to pat her employee’s shoulder. “Oh, he’s been great. I just wish he would watch his spending!”

"...Spending?" She shot Zhongli a striking glance, but he continued to avoid it. Back when they went incognito together, it took him a few tries to remember to carry currency to trade with. It seems that, even millennium later, he still had some sort of difficulty to remember. Or maybe he relied on his Gnosis too much. "Even after all this time?"

"W-We can talk about this another time, right?" He said quickly. Zhongli turned his attention away from the two, a futile effort to hide the pink tinge on his cheeks from awkwardness. Lumine couldn't believe it; she'd never seen him so flustered before. 

"Ahaha, go have fun!" The director said again, nudging her employee closer to Guizhong. "You'll have to make up your work later though!"

Zhongli gave a curt nod and turned to walk down the streets of the Harbor, one hand grazing the top of Guizhong's shoulder in guidance. As Lumine and Paimon hurried to catch up, Hu Tao gave a thumbs-up in support, and Paimon in return. 

X----------X

The group continued forward, settling at the foot of the Yaksha guardian statues west of the Harbor. Paimon filled Zhongli in on the recent developments, which also left him with another round of confusion and surprise. The Guardian made it clear that Guizhong was the person Celestia had a problem with. So why attack her Yakshas? Unless they attacked anything they deemed hostile.  And Guizhong was already okay with re-confronting the Guardians? Well, if she really was okay, then he would continue to trust and support her. But it was so quick.

A wave of worry washed through him. He just wanted to make sure. “Guizhong, can I talk to you?”

Her ponytail bobbed as she lifted her head. “Of course you can! No need to ask.”

Ah, her smile. His mind was buzzing with anxiousness. Not as bad as the previous day’s meet-up, but still a buzz. “…Privately?”

There were so many different things he would want to talk about. But why now? Could he sense her uneasiness? “I’ll always listen,” She replied, tugging on his sleeve again.

Paimon rolled her eyes, and grinned. “Don’t go too far you two! Or else you’ll miss lunch!” The pixie exclaimed. She was about to float over to them, but Lumine reached over and tugged on her floating partner’s leg, irritating her more. 

"Paimon," Lumine said slowly, eyeing her partner again with a sharp golden eye. 

Her partner floated back down. "Yeah yeah, I know."

The two Archons took a short but silent walk to the other side of the hill. A perfect view of the mountains of rock. He chose to sit at the base of a Cuiha tree, the golden leaves bending over to shield them from the sun. In the distance, the ragged cliffs of the Chasm speared the sky.  A very in-your-face reminder of so many different things; Azhdaha, the battle five centuries ago, the recent developments.

Guizhong took a seat beside him, pulling her knees close to her.  It took everything in his mind to stay focused on why he wanted to talk, and not the mere fact that she was sitting beside him. But a part of him relaxed back into the nights they spent together in the sprawling fields of Glaze Lillies. 

“You’re going to reconfront the Guardian?” he said softly, careful to approach it with ease.

He believed in Guizhong’s conviction. He believed her words. He knew that unless she chose to give away to erosion that she would remain firm.  She loved to call him a blockhead, even back when they met, but she too could be as much of a blockhead. Maybe that was one of the reasons they got along so well. But unless she changed her mind, or believed she had a solution, why would she bother re-confronting Celestia?

“Well…I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

She was wavering. “Then why?” Why was she throwing herself back into this conflict so quickly.  She always spoke about taking time to work through processes and answers. That was how she developed all of her contraptions and devices back during the War. It took trial and error.

“My Yaksha were hurt. The Parlor was busy due to the supernatural disturbances our presences have caused. The Traveler has put her own preparations and commission-ing on hold to help me. I don’t want to be a disturbance. A weakness.” Guizhong pulled her altered hand, inspecting it over.  

Weakness. Burden. Attributed to Guizhong? The last time he ever heard that was during the War, when he was her sword and shield, and she had taken up a more direct position in leading the Assembly.   Many enemy gods considered her a weakness of his, and vice versa. Many efforts were made to keep the two separated, but their relationship was stronger than that.

Now, sitting on the peaceful plains of the southern border. He could admit without doubt that she was a ‘weakness’. He fought to focus and remember the things of the world around them. Even now, he fought to focus on the reason he wanted to talk to her in the first place.  All he wanted to do was push off everything he ever knew and relax by her side.  It would weaken him, but he found that he didn’t care.

“To let go of everything and let it be lost. Letting erosion win…I don’t know where I stand. I still feel like I can do something about it. And if I can, then I want to. I want Liyue to be able to exist in peace.”

Taking on the burdens all by herself. Is that how she ran and developed her Liyue? “If you do it all for your people, what can they do on their own?”

It was why the Qixing were estsblished. Why contracts and business were so valuable to Liyue. It was done so the people could help determine their business on their own, while using the references he created and instilled to do so.  There had been breathing room between Rex Lapis and the people that provided space to perform on their own. Now, they were entirely on their own.

Guizhong snapped her head around to stare at him. “I mean, I never…I never meant…” She rested her chin on her knees. “Is that what you think?”

“You have always had bright and bold goals, Guizhong,” She was always side-by-side with her people.  She was the one who taught him to go incognito, to learn side-by-side and see the lives of their people. Hands-on interaction was how she chose to work. But if she didn’t give them enough room to learn on their own, they would be too reliant on her. And she would be too involved with them.

The Guardian called her rule ‘overbearing’. That was definitely one way to view Guizhong, but he knew she was caring and protective. She always meant well, but sometimes she was *too* involved.  And while he admired it and appreciated it, he also knew if he didn’t say anything, she would fall into a deep pool of responsibility. And he would have to pull her back out.  “I don’t blame you for searching for an end, but…”

“…you don’t believe I can?” her voice cracked.

“If anyone could find a solution, it would be you,” he clarified.  If a solution for erosion could indeed be found to end it, Guizhong would be the person he would bet his remaining Mora on in finding it.  But Zhongli didn’t believe a conclusive one could be reached; at least, in his Liyue. But he didn’t have the guts to vocalize it.

“How did you do it, Zhongli? What did you find?”

“It was not about what I ‘found’. When the door opens, it’s time to leave. Erosion is inescapable. I got my opportunity to leave with myself mostly intact, and I was able to leave knowing Liyue would be able to continue forward. I was proud of the progress the adepti and Qixing made, but also relieved.”

He’d never seen Guizhong so conflicted before. Her brows were smushed together and lips pulled tight. “So you…”

She was doubting herself. He was making her doubt herself. It hurt. “This was the solution for the Liyue we stand it. We are not the same people, we do not hold the same exact goals, and we did not guide the same Liyue. We may not even have the same limitations. Your solution, or what you are satisfied with, will no doubt be different from me, unless you choose to go a similar path.”

Guizhong lifted her head. “Am I wrong?”

“Huh?“

“Please. I am calling on your opinion again,” she said. Something that she would say back when they discussed the activities of the Assembly. “Am I wrong?”

His opinion? If it were him? He would step down. But that was with his knowledge that Liyue would be safe, and acceptance that erosion could not be defeated. If he were in her situation, he would question himself as well.  

“Wanting to solve erosion? No.” Because he wished he could too. It would have saved the sanity and lives of so many.  

“But staying an Archon…Am I…” Guizhong always made sure that they were on the same page. She rarely made a decision without his input, and only did so if necessary. He took him so long to begin making decisions on his own.

“That is not something I can comment on. I reached my limit. I…don’t know where yours is. You may have reached it.”  

“A limit?”  A weight fell onto his shoulder. Her arms twisted around his as a physical support. Her hair draped over his coat like liquid, “Yes, I guess everything has its limits. Even myself.”

His brain was exploding in small happiness. She was holding onto him. “Oh?”

“I know what I can and cannot do. I know my own power. Yet I still wish to go beyond it and find a solution to entirely END erosion. If I was able to find a way to trade peacefully with Khaenri’ah when no other region would, I could at least try to do this. Is this my erosion, somehow?”

The image of her golden arm flashed across his mind. Was it also a tactic of Celestia to convince her? “You’ve always been a leader with the people. Interacting directly was just how you chose to teach and lead with kindness.”

“But is it necessary anymore. That’s what you’ll say?”

He didn’t know how much more to say. In fact, he didn't know how to answer her. Before any other thought could cross his mind, a shrieking voice broke the tranquil atmosphere. “No! Don’t burn my Honey Roast!”

“I have a Pyro vision! It’ll be fine!”

“Look at it! It’s burnt to a crisp! Get back here, Indarias!”

A flash of red jumped over the hill and sped past the two sitting Archons. Paimon was zooming after her, fueled by rage as she shot like a rocket across the landscape. The Yaksha giggled as she sprinted, even using her Pyro abilities to boost her speed. After a few laps of chaos, Paimon had to stop and catch her breath. Indarias picked up the exhausted pixie and kept her on her shoulder to rest. 

“Any luck, Indarias?”

“Possibly, but…” Indarias replied. Her attention wandered over towards Zhongli, and how Guizhong’s arms were wrapped around his.  She could put the pieces together quickly. “Wait…”

“It’s been a while Indarias,” Zhongli said quietly. The last time he saw her was when she forced herself onto the battlefield, despite her slowly falling to the karma. “How have you been?”

Her cheeriness was as bright as the flames she wielded. She never ran out of energy, even now. “You’ve managed to hide yourself well, Morax. Though you still have that sharp gaze of yours,” She gave him a low bow. “Thank you for protecting Lady Guizhong when we were unable too.”

He gave a prompt shake of his head. Seeing Indarias was definitely a sight for sore eyes. He really hoped Xiao would open up to their visiting Yakshas before they left. “You have come to investigate these Guardians?”

“Bosacius and I have encountered them, and were left worse for wear,” She admitted. “I tried to follow the directions Ganyu gave us, but I couldn’t find much. I found some of those same remains, but it showed sign of wear. As if it were worn down, or ripped out from something.”  

Paimon finally regained her breath. “Maybe they moved?”

Beside him, Guizhong stirred. She let go from him and stood from the ground. Standing on her own, alone. “Let’s go find them.”

Her voice had wavered as she spoke. Even after all she just said. “You still wish to go through with it?" She didn’t want more time to think about it?

“Why not? We can get rid of it then!” Paimon said, trying to be optimistic.

“But if they’re messengers from Celestia, can we?” Indarias replied, looking to the two Archons who could possibly know Celestia’s power. "I'm not about to be struck down by Celestia."

He had no reason to go after Celestia’s messengers. He had no Gnosis anymore; he was as much of a target as any other being in Teyvat. Even his previous encounter was a little too close to comfort for him. “’Getting rid’ is not in the cards for us to do,” Zhongli clarified. “If we want them to leave, it’s up to Guizhong to…”

“Oh, because of erosion, right?” Paimon asked. “Guizhong, are you sure you're okay?”

 The remaining Archon remained still. She stared down at her injured and cursed arm. She didn't look anywhere else. She was the only one who could answer. “No… but I do have a question for them. And that answer will determine my path forward as an Archon."

Chapter Text

It was late. The dark shroud of night was swept over the calm valley of the Assembly. The night watch had taken up their lanterns to help defend the sleeping people in case a small battle would break out. If there was one relief he had, it would be that battles were rarely fought at night. The other gods, or beings trying to become gods, would also take the chance to rest and regroup their army.

He pushed out the last arrangement of orders to the adepti who guided the night watch, and disappeared for the night to rest. He knew the night watch, led by newly-promoted Bonanus, would be stable enough to defend in case of a random attack or till he arrived to handle the rest.

But as he stepped out into the night, alone for the first time in quite a while, he could not step away from the battlefield.

Their lingering voices. That red shade that splattered everywhere, even the flowers that were stomped on. The bodies that were motionless dolls, discarded by life itself.  It made his head throb and his horns heavy weights.

He felt distant from it all, but it had all happened right in front of him. He had even slain another god, one that he didn’t know the name of, but could recognize the burst of power as they died.  The crooked body of the god forever frozen in pain from the impact of his spear.  Their entire army, decimated from his own forces, lost and demoralized. He offered for the ones that survived to join him, to be safe and continue their lives in the Assembly, but many stared at him trembling in fear.

He really was a monster, wasn’t he.

He wandered on, to wherever his feet would take him within the Assembly. But he couldn’t wander from those thoughts. They weren’t unfamiliar, but it had been quite a while since he had to resort to physical force. He just wanted to go far, far away from all of this.  

At some point, he found himself somewhere familiar. Her workshop. A light was still lit inside; a sign she was still working.

He lifted his hand and knocked lightly. There was still dirt and blood on his hands. He should have at least washed his hands before seeing her.  He didn’t want to stain her clothes with his actions-

The door cracked open. Guizhong popped her head out from the inside, her long hair tumbling down over her blue hanfu. A glowing Glaze Lily was perched in her hair, holding some of her locks back from her face.  Her attention focused above her, towards his face. As if she were expecting him.

“Rex! What are you doing here?” She exclaimed. She pushed open the door, opening her workshop to him.

What WAS he doing here?  “I…just wanted…” Words were hard right now.

Guizhong’s eyes went wide as she spotted the blood splatter and dirt still caked on his arms. “Let’s get you cleaned up, then.” She said. She reached out and tugged on his arm, guiding him inside.  He tried pull back, but spotted that her hands were just as dirty. Even her sleeves, which were patterned with Lillies, had black spots scattered on the fabric. No doubt from hours of being down in the fields, or building another machine to add to the newly developed Ballista. So he relented and let Guizhong guide him towards the bucket of water she kept at the back of her workshop to clean her hands.  

She led him towards a bench in the corner, and sat him down. The first time he sat in quite a few days.  Guizhong dipped a soft cloth in the water bucket beside him, and wrung it out. “Zhongli? Do you need to talk?” she asked, switching over to using his chosen name. The name that only she knew, and used once they knew they were alone.  

The God of Dust took the cloth into one hand and his face in the other. Her touch was soft and gentle, a wave that brought him back into his body and back to the world again. The water was warm, washing away what grime was layered on his face.

“I killed another today.” He said bluntly. He didn’t know how else to word it.

Guizhong neither nodded in approval, nor frowned in disappointment. This was becoming their reality. “Were the troops hurt?”

“Yes, but no casualties.”

Her glowing blue eyes met his. He could have stared into them forever. “…What about you?” Guizhong asked, wiping the cloth over his face and forehead.

He waved off her concern. He couldn’t...no, he didn’t want to vocalize what he was feeling to her. He couldn’t burden her with the images that would linger. “This conflict will not end for a while, Guizhong.”

“You think so?” She asked. She pushed down the hood off of his head and held back his hair, trying to catch all of the dirt she could see. “Well, I’ll have to work on the Ballista faster. So the troops can rest. So you can rest.”

Him? Rest? What a folly. “Y-Yes…” he said, trying to advert his eyes from staring.

Guizhong’s hand grazed his chin, as she inspected to see if any dirt remained on his face. “Zhongli…are you sure you’re okay?”

She always knew when he would hide things. “I’m fine.”

The God of Dust sighed. She picked up the bucket and carried it over to time, setting it beside him on the bench beside him. She then left, searching for something else.  His eyes wandered across the workshop in the process. So many machines; some from large Guards, some man made, and some familiar to him as parts for her prized Ballista. Blueprints, called that because she would dye the prints blue, were rolled up and pilled on a shelf on the opposite of the room. Her main desk and work area had four lanterns hanging over it. The room smelled of sweat, oil, and dirt. How she came into her in her sprawling robes without catching and ripping them was beyond him. 

“Guizhong, I don’t know how much longer I can keep coming back to see you.” He said, his attention going back to her as she jumped across the room. 

"It’s getting serious, then," she replied. She pulled something out of a drawer, a bar of soap, and returned to his side. "Stupid Celestia, doing something like this when the world’s been in some sort of peace. We can sit down and work on something tomorrow then.”

Tomorrow. Another day of battle.

He took the bar of soap and began the process of washing off the grime on his hands. It took some hard scrubs, but he was able to get most of it off with ease. "I...don't think I could be an 'Archon'," he admitted. the idea of leading an entire region of people, being something close to Celestia. It felt...odd. "You would be better off making these decisions."

"Oh? But who was the one who invited adepti to help train humans?"

That came from him trying to find a way to better prepare the forces. If this conflict was going to be long, they would need to work together in some way. The contracts he forged between them all could provide an edge compared to other armies. "It is something necessary. Especially if this becomes a full-blown war. The contracts will be valuable to keeping the army together."

"But we have time till then," Guizhong said. She grabbed his hand, still damp, and began to lead him out of the workshop. " Let’s go.”

“W-Where are we going?”

“Back to the Glaze Lillies.”

Ah, right. There was a field of Glaze Lillies near the workshop. It was the first place they met, where he saw her singing to the flowers at night. He had conducted a contract with some of the humans who lived in the area; kill some of the monsters in the area, and in reward they would give him a portion of their produce. After he finished his work for the day, he found her taking a reprieve in that field. Yet she wasn’t shocked or scared of his dirty presence. She simply talked to him as another person, and invited him for conversation.  And he began to met her every night. After they revealed to each other their status as gods, they began further discussions.

He had been completely drawn in by her confidence and her perspective. The way she spoke was so different from how he did. How different she approached things compared to others. After they met that night, the rest was history. They forged their alliance, began the Assembly, and she helped guide him into the adepti he was now.

It had been months since they last went there. The sudden start of this Archon War caused the two of them to diverge many of their plans and focus on separate activities. Guizhong focused on the humans and preparing them, and himself on defense and the war front. That kept them entirely separated in work, but they would still try to meet.

Guizhong guided him out from her workshop and down a small hill, one hand in his and the other holding a lantern ahead of them. The small field was surrounded by cuiha trees, leaving the two full surrounded by nature. The field itself was full of Lillies, now blooming in the night. Above them, a small crescent moon adorned the sky alongside the stars. He stared out over the field. So much had changed; himself, Guizhong, the Assembly they built. The world itself. But this field was the same. A place they could always come back to.

She guided him over to the base of a tree, and sat down along the trunk. " Come lay down!” Guizhong said, her cheery voice lulling him back to the world again.  She patted her lap, supported with layers and layers of her dress. 

He stared at her. This wasn't the first time they'd been close like this. In fact, a few members of the Assembly and other adepti tended to pick on how close they were. But he never thought much about it. But for some reason, this time, he hesitated.  Why was he hesitating? It couldn't be because he deemed her a threat. Was it because he was scared? It couldn't be that either. His chest was tight, like he would be if he was nervous, but it was also tight as if he were keeping a secret.  His stomach had become jittery, as if he had eaten a bunch of fireflies and bugs. So what could it be?

"Zhongli?" She asked again, tipping her head to the side. 

All of a sudden, he noticed how the moonlight seemed to make her glow. How, even though she had dirt on hands and sleeves, she still looked amazing. And for some reason, he realized he'd never seen her this way before. 

Huh. Where did that come from?

"S-Sorry, I spaced out..." he replied, taking a seat beside her. She continued to pat her lap, encouraging him to lay down with a smile that was infectious.  Begrudgingly, he laid down, head on her lap, staring up at her. I mmediately, his body relaxed, as if he fell into a warm hot bath. Her presence alone tended to do that. Was that normal, too?

“Close your eyes and we’ll just sit together.”

For a few minutes, the two sat in silence, listening to the passing wind. Guizhong began to run his fingers through his hair, trying to calm him. She even massaged around his horns; one of his weak spots that she knew about.  She knew exactly how to help calm him. Something no one else in Teyvat could claim.

“Guizhong…that god…”  He struggled with his words. Those images were fighting to remain in his mind, but Guizhong's gentle presence was the perfect counter to scare them away. "I don’t know…if I’m ready to go back to that.”

Guizhong blinked for a moment, and looked down to him. "Do you…want me to come with you? To the front? I’ll fight." she said quickly. 

“NO!”  he exclaimed; a sudden outburst that surprised both gods. "I don’t…” He didn’t want her to see what he was like there, on the battlefield. He was scared that she…She would look at him the same way those men looked at him. No, if she dared to join the bodies in those meadows that would never stand again.  

The God of Dust pouted, lip turned over. “Then you need to know that I will always stand beside you, you blockhead. If that means coming with you to make the burden lighter, then I will," she replied. "I’ll do anything for the Assembly. It’s named after US, not you or I individually.”

A warm feeling washed through him. “Please. I will do this. It’s just…”

“None of this will be easy. The people of the Assembly will go through hell. That is what war is. But it will be on us to lessen that burden," Guizhong explained.  “Will you stay with the Assembly?”

She was afraid he would leave her? After all of this time. “I would never leave the Assembly.”

“Are you sure?” She asked slowly. “I may not be as weak has Havria, but I am still...”

“I will defend the Assembly till I no longer can. I will never leave you.”

She took his face back into her hands. As he looked back up to her, he spotted a single tear roll down her face in silence. “Thank you for believing in me when no one else would.”

He raised his hand and found hers, grasping it as tightly as he could. He didn’t want to leave this spot. He just wanted to stay here, in this moment, with her.  This moment...he wanted more them with her. He would fight. For the Assembly. And for Guizhong. 

X--------------------------------------------------X

Zhongli blinked himself out of his daze, and back to reality. Ahead of him, Geo and Pyro clash, blade meeting blade as Guizhong and Indarias sparred. It was Guizhong’s suggestion following their meal. A rarity, according to Indarias. But the Pyro Yaksha obliged, as she wanted to test her ankle ahead of another meeting with the Guardian.  Paimon floating above him, cheering them on as they swung.

Indarias had been one of the best sword-wielding adepti in the Guili forces during the War. The perfect person to help Guizhong with her blade work. Even now, her ferocity shone through, as she kept her Archon pressed on her heels.

Guizhong swung her Cutter, now with her altered hand, for the first time in days. It felt familiar in her hand, like an old friend. But the weight was heavier, even more than it had been when she sliced through the Ruin Guards. It weighed as much as that Jade Chamber in the sky above them. Had she really grown that weak? Or was it because she was becoming absorbed into this universe?

No, she could as the Traveler later. She asked to spar, so she had to focus on catching up and meeting with Indarias. But she was too slow. Indarias was able to hit the Archon’s wrist, knock her blade out of her hand, and push her Pyro-ignited blade into her Archon’s face.

“Lady Guizhong, you’re looking a bit slow.” Indarias commented jokingly, lowering her blade. “Did you even stretch this morning?”

The Archon sighed, lifting a hand in defeat. “M-Maybe I’m just out of shape,” she admitted, laughing off her embarrassing performance as she went over to pick up her blade again.

Zhongli remained silent. Indarias wasn’t joking. If he could comment on her movement it would be…weak. As if her strength were halved. Something was wrong, and she didn't realize it. Or maybe Guizhong did, and she was avoiding talking about it. “Guizhong,..”

On cue, the Archon willed her sword back to her side.  She stepped forward and swung her blade. One large slash, two small charges, and a final thrust. Her altered fingers were a bit slow, as if they were rocks themselves, but could carry the blade.  She began to walk through her stances, two hands on the hilt for assurance, then transitioned back to her strong hand.

“See? It’s almost as good as new,” she said, her sapphire orbs looking towards him for approval.

Paimon floated over to the Archon. She poked the blade a couple of times, careful as if the weapon would bite back. “I think you looked cool, Guizhong!” she replied. Indarias began to give corrections, intriguing Paimon into asking more questions about it. 

At the picnic blanket, Lumine sat packing the last of their meal away. She smiled, watching them all interact together. But part of her attention still lingered on Zhongli, still sitting beside her, sipping on his tea. She was waiting on him so she could put away her tea set. But his attention was narrowed in on Guizhong, as it had been the entire time they sparred.

“Zhongli, you’re staring again.” She whispered, jabbing him with an elbow.

He closed his eyes, assuming that familiar pensive expression of his. “…I am merely observing her, Traveler.”

Lumine rolled her eyes, and grinned as she continued to pack up the picnic into her belongings. Inside her bag, she spotted her Kamera, ready to be used.  She pulled it out and flashed it in front of the consultant beside her. "We could sneak a photo, if you want."

He slowly opened an amber eye, intrigued at the prospect, but remained collected. "You can if you wish."

X-----------X

Once they were finished, the group began by retracking the steps Indarias took in tracking the location. Again, no location came up, and no green fog that happened to be in the surrounding area.  So they split up their search of the area, stretching from Pervases' temple back to the southern entrance. After an hour or so, only Lumine came back with a positive lead, so she brought the group over to confirm the location.

She first spotted the green haze first leaking out from a crack in the rocks near the Blackcliff Forge. She was cautious, as the area was already under some Millelith protection due to the Forge's importance. It took only a few seconds for Guizhong and Indarias to confirm the Guardian's could be found there. Yet the crack that spewed the fog was not big enough for anyone to slip through, even their accompanying floating pixie.  Guizhong initially stepped up to try and make a way with her power, but found that she had trouble summoning any sort of Geo power. Before she could even try a second time, Zhongli stepped in and punched a hole out himself.

Once a hole was carved, the group is able to drop down into the cave. The area was blanketed in the same green smog, and had the same ruins built up at the back. It was the exact same as the one the two Geo Archons found previously; it even showed breaks and impacts from their previous conflict. As if the entire construct had been ripped out and teleported across the land. Though this time, the familiar orb hovered in the air. Almost as if it were waiting on them in greeting. Before another word could be spoken, the orb began to glow, and absorb all of the smoke back into itself. 

The figure of the Guardian reassembled itself from the spewing green fog.  The figure dropped to their feet, arms wide in greeting. “So, you have returned, Gusion.  Have you changed your mind and embraced Celestia’s offer?”

Lumine had to force her jaw to stay closed. She’d never seen such a figure like this. But the hair, the long white hair that flowed against gravity. It was almost like…the Unknown God.  The clothing and green hues didn’t match, but the face did, jumping out to her like a nightmare. This Guardian and her God had to be connected then. And if it was sent from Celestia…and that ominous ‘Punishment for Divergence’ that Guizhong first mentioned when she arrived…

Guizhong stepped forward to the figure, head raised. Zhongli followed a step behind her, protectively looking over her shoulder with that strong gaze of his. “I have come to…bargain, I guess.” she said. “Is that fair?”

The Guardian grinned. “Progress is progress. This one is willing and open to discussion to your questions. Be aware though, that your two options have not changed.”

Guizhong let out a breath. She expected that, as it was basically impossible to bargain with Celestia. “What will happen to my universe without me? And what will be my fate if I am 'absorbed' here?" She grabbed towards her altered arm, rubbing the top of her hand again. 

“Awfully selfish, isn’t it? Asking only about yourself, when you have two Yakshas to worry about as well.”

“Answer me.”

The messenger crossed their arms. “As I have said, Celestia seeks to keep the balance. Once you are gone, the universe can begin the process of re-stabilizing. If you choose to be absorbed, you will slowly rejoin with your counterpart in this universe. Seems you have already seen the effects of it, Gusion."

Rejoin her counterpart. So she would die. Guizhong was careful to not look towards Zhongli, and kept her attention forward. She still needed to know what would happen if she cooperated. “Why was Khaenri’ah spared, when they were destroyed here?”

“This one was also sent to Khaenri’ah with a bargain. Continue forward and subcumb to the pressure of Celestia, or continue to press on and be annihilated. In your universe, they chose to live and not fight Celestia. Hence why they changed so much,” The figure admitted. “Celestia chooses how to write the bargain. This one is merely here to deliver it.”

Her bone to pick would always be Celestia. She needed her answer now, though. “So if I step down, the universe will continue?”

“Whether you step down or are absorbed here, yes.”

So it would not suddenly end because of her decision. It would actually continue forward. “…So my people will be safe? For the future?”

“They will not be destroyed or in danger for your decision by Celestia.”

That…was as much as she could ask for. Relief washed over her as a large wave striking the cliffs of Guyun. They would not face repercussions for her indecisiveness.

Giving up the past for the future. A future she could not see, nor even plan for them. It made her proud to think of Liyue moving forward without her. But also emotional, distressed. Despondent. She wanted to see their future. But if she stepped away, she couldn’t. No, she was acting as if she could still see Liyue to the future. She never would. Celestia had decided that for her.  But now, she could at least sit down and make a decision-

The Guardian suddenly raised their hand and pulled their orb close to them. “Gusion, you focus too much beyond your scope. The future. The past. Why can you not focus on that which is in front of you in the moment?”

Were they planning to attack? “I am.”

“Hmm, are you?” The figure spotted Indarias, and sneered. "What have you done that is meant for the present? Not the future or the past?"

Before Guizhong could speak, Indarias stepped forward. Her hair was ablaze, her Pyro vision flashing as she summoned her sword in a wave of fire. “Don’t you DARE talk ill about Lady Guizhong’s work,” she said sternly, eyes narrowed. “Without her, Liyue wouldn’t nearly be as prosperous.”

“So you admit you rely on her too much, Yaksha?”

Indarias summoned fire directly into her free hand, raised and ready to be used. “Are you sure about that?” she said slowly, careful to keep her anger close to the surface.

The Guardian pulls the orb in front of themselves. Red energy turned to formed around the orb, turning into Pyro energy to match. “General Musatas, what has your Liyue developed on their own? Without your Archon?”

“She found solutions on her own!” She raged, stepping up to close to the Guardian. 

“Oh the existence of alternates,” the figure lamented. With a swipe of their hand, a wave of Pyro exploded forward towards all of them. Zhongli is able to block it with his shield, but Indarias lunges beyond it and towards the Guardian itself, prepared to bring her blade down. 

"Indarias!"

As the orb launched attacks that bounced between different waves of elements, Indarias found a way to counter them all. Most she could burn with her powerful fire, and she even forced her blade to cut down through a crystalized shield. She didn't care that she was attacking a messenger from Celestia. Maybe she didn't realize it. But she was ready to carve the Guardian up with anger alone if needed. 

"They hurt Bosacius!" she exclaimed. "I want a rematch!" 

The Guardian brought the orb behind themselves. The orb began to glow multiple colors, as if preparing an attack. "A rematch? I see. You don't get the severity of the situation, do you?"

"Of course I do! You-"

The Guardian held an arm out, palm pointed towards Indarias. A wave of Cryo energy, stretching from floor to ceiling, was thrown towards the Yaksha. She attempted to cut straight through by melting, but the ice overwhelmed her flame output, and left her entirely frozen in place. Even her face was covered in thick ice, encasing her like an action statue. 

Paimon zoomed over from Lumine's side. "Indarias!"

With her put away, the Guardian's eyes zoomed back towards Guizhong. This time, Lumine could see the Guardian's eyes are a light orange; as if someone else had taken their place. The Guardian snapped their hand into another fist. In response, Guizhong crumbled to her knees. But she did not completely fall over this time. She raised her normal arm back towards the Guardian, and attempted to summon her own Jade Lily shield. But nothing came to being. Not even a hint of Geo energy. 

“I-I can’t…” She tried to pull on power again. She searched through her reserves, even trying to pull from her Gnosis, but it had all suddenly been zapped from existence. As if she were no longer connected to the elements. Panic struck her hard than any of the pain so far. “I-It's gone.”

The Guardian let out a cackle, roaring with laughter. “Look at your people. Look at yourself! You can barely carry your sword. Those Yaksha of yours can barely heal themselves anymore. Look at how YOU have eroded them-" The Guardian stopped, then slumped over. As if it were like a Ruin Guard, depowering and falling back to the ground.

Lumine took the chance to run over to Indarias, to check and see if she was still frozen. Luckily. the Pyro Yaksha had managed to melt most of the ice around her face, allowing her to speak and breathe, even if she could barely talk. Her lips were turning purple, and she shivered, but she could melt the ice. 

“New Orders received,” The Guardian snapped their first into the air, wringing Guizhong’s cursed arm behind her in pain. “Gusion, only seek this one if you come to a resolution. Not to resolve petty grudges.”

Lumine’s head snapped up. That voice was a new. A completely different one. It was much higher…a woman’s voice. That voice of the Unknown God, speaking through the Guardian. It did exist-

“N-No! Wait!” Indarias exclaimed, fighting against the ice that encased her. She tried to push her Pyro energy further, faster, but still made minimal progress. "Get back here!" But before anything else can happen, the Guardian disappeared again, lost in smoke. The orb fell to the ground and cracked, fading into smoke and into the air. 

Guizhong is slow to stand fully back up. She took deep breaths, trying to regain herself after another bout of unbearable pain. She reviewed her arm again, and found no changes in the pattern. Instead, the pattern seemed to grow further, staring to web itself up her shoulder and towards her neck. This was no injury; it was a curse by Celestia to be used to remind her and gradually wear her down. 

The Archon marched over to Indarias, seeking out her Yaksha's condition. Indarias began to stumble out a load of apologies, but it all gets shut down as Guizhong raised her voice. “It's my fault...”

Indarias struggled to speak, but continued to smile for her Archon's sake. "Lady Guizhong, I attacked first." she replied.  "Please, don't worry about Soul Cleansing. You just wanted to prevent us dying that same way-“ she said between breaths.

Guizhong placed her hand on Indarias's shoulder, which was slowly melting. “But instead I’ve weakened you all. When you all just want to live in peace.” she said quietly, waiting to hear her response. 

Indarias dropped her cheeriness. Her hair, now unfrozen, dropped back down to match her expression. “It was...going to happen either way, Lady Guizhong.”

The Archon shook her head slightly, ponytail swaying. She spoke under her breath, but her mind was whirling as she tried to think of a next step. Zhongli stood behind them all, watching, waiting to see what Guizhong would do. Would she make a decision? Would she press back stubbornly against Celestia and try to find a third option? Or would she just leave this behind? 

She lifted her head. “Indarias, we’ll be leaving in two days. I will head out to find ingredients to make more rounds of Soul Cleansing for the ritual.”

So she made a decision.  “W-Wait, Lady Guizhong!" Indarias shouted. She tried to move, but most of her body was still frozen in place. She tried to force the ice to burn faster, but was burnt out and nothing was left in her reserves. 

Guizhong stared at the Geo Vision that sat clipped on her waist. It was meant to be fake, but now she wished it could do something. “We need to prep for the ritual. No matter my decision, Indarias and Bosacius will return,” And she began to go back towards the cave opening on her own. “I will make it back to the Inn by sundown. You do not need to worry.” She added monotonously. And she continued forward, climbing out of the cave and disappearing out of the opening.

“I will follow her.” Zhongli said without thought, setting out to follow her footsteps

“All she wants is to remember the past, Morax," Indarias exclaimed between shivers. "She wants us all to be happy. That’s it.”

He nodded and continued forward. He could not and would not leave her alone this time. 

X------------------------------------------X

Guizhong wandered across Liyue, going where her feet wanted her to go. Above her, the sun was beginning to tuck itself behind gray clouds, which were growing in volume. A threat of a bout of rain. But it didn't deter her. She just needed a place to get away. To simply think. But she knew if she wandered off on her own, he would follow. As that was what always happened, even dating back to their times before the Assembly. 

“Guizhong,”

She stood in place, unmoving, eyes glued to the land. Where she was in Liyue, she didn't know. “When I was tumbling through the darkness to this place. I heard a voice saying ‘punishment for divergence’. I didn’t know who or what they meant.” She said quietly, crossing her arms. Closing herself off. “I just…”

“You don’t want to let go of Liyue. Right?”

When he phrased it like that, it did make her sound like the equivalent of an overprotective parent. “Hey, don’t-

Zhongli raised his arms in surrender. “I know that you are dedicated and fully committed to the lives of your people. This time, your focus and stubbornness is funneled towards erosion, towards bringing the past to the future and forsaking the present.”

“I wanted to retire so I could live in the present. To stop seeing it all from above. But to also see what the world could be. Just like what you showed me before.” He smiled as he spoke, a whole flood of memories rushing back of his first times learning how to farm, learning how to fish, learning how to exist. “Did you…ever think about that? Was I silly enough to think of it like that?”

“No, that’s a brilliant reason. Don’t talk down your own reasons.”

He spun her around to entirely face him. “Then you don’t talk down about your reasons for your search, Guizhong,” He kept his hands on her shoulders. “You know this has to do with Celestia. About universal balance between alternates. They will ALWAYS be over us. They have been since the War was started by them,” “We may have been Archons, but even then there are things that are still out of reach, If I could end erosion myself, I would. But it is just one of those things that are out of our reach. So we just have to live in the present.”

She gave him a sweet smile, one that could have sent his heart into orbit. “But I don’t want to leave. I want to see their future, forever. That’s everything I’ve ever worked towards. Fought for. The future,” she said, as she fought back tears.  “Is that my erosion? Becoming so blinded by this task that I’m forgoing why I did it all in the first place?"

“Erosion is inescapable. I got my opportunity, and I was able to leave knowing Liyue would be able to continue forward.”

“So you too…”

“Of course. We aren't immune. I lost Azhdaha and the Yakshas, among countless others. If anything, I’m thankful you did not have to go through the same thing," but then he added a quick "Of course, I wish you hadn't passed." 

"I know that," she said, blinking quickly to fight the rising tears at the edges of her eyes. “Was it wrong of me to try and search for a way to end erosion? Just have a way of remembering?”

Keep their memories alive. As ancient beings with long lifetimes, they had memories that outlasted entire generations. All she wanted was a way for them to be remembered in the modern day. An honorable idea that he wished for was well. 

“Of course not. But we are no longer the ones telling the stories. That is a responsibility for the people now,” he said. “We can leave it behind for them to tell. We can enstill and teach them, but we cannot force them. My legacy will be remembered and written by those who come after me. I could not prevail over everything. So many things slipped through the cracks. But that is just how erosion is. All you can do is counter it.  You cannot end it. No matter how much you and I wish too.”

“Seems I…have drifted too far from where I began,” She said quietly, clasping a hand over her mouth.  

He couldn't keep his distance anymore. He knew he shouldn't touch or mess with that line he so strictly followed after her arrival. But this whole universal-hopping situation was so much bigger than this moment. Who was to say that the line in the ground that he had drawn, the one neither of them crossed, couldn't also be eroded? And in that case...

He wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close and tucking her head under his chin. One hand rubbed the small of her back, the other cradling her head along his shoulders. Guizhong said nothing, and melted into his grasp.  

“Maybe you changed, and maybe the world changed. That isn’t a bad thing. But seeing you upset, it hurts to..." See you this way. He wanted to make her happy in any way he could. "You don't need to keep carrying all of us on anymore." She refused to forget. She refused to let them be forgotten. Even when she had a memory that could not remember things as specifically as he could. 

Her hands reached up and dug into his coat. “But I failed."

“Guizhong, you were able to protect Liyue through the War. You were able to develop a peaceful region. You trade with Khaenri’ah, and never had to encounter the Cataclysm.  Your people and adepti were never at odds. The steps you take to reach success do not have to match mine, no matter what Celestia thinks. You are no failure. Never to me.”

Before anything else can be said, thunder clapped in the distance. It caused Guizhong to jump. “A storm?” She tried to see which way the storm was coming from, but a gentle tug on her hand began to guided her along the towering rocks. 

“We should take shelter for now. At least till the storm passes.” Zhongli said as he led her forward. 

Guizhong blinked, eyes falling down to his hand holding hers. He was actually holding her hand. He never did that. But she wasn't against it. In fact, it made her face burn and cheeks hurt as she smiled. Maybe...she could tell him everything.

Chapter Text

Once Indarias managed to free herself from her frozen state, Lumine was able to help her back to the nearest Waypoint and back over to the Inn. Paimon flew ahead and began pulling blankets and pillows, ready to smother the Yaksha to help warm her up. Indarias initially declined the hospitality, but after finding even her Vision had been frozen, she accepted the support. At least, till her Vision warmed up.

Lumine left to warm up some veggie soup in Yanxiao’s kitchen, leaving Paimon as the caretaker of their shivering Yaksha. Once finished, she returned to find the Yaksha wrapped head to toe in blankets.

“T-Thank yo-ou, Trav-veler,” The Yaksha said, shivering even as she spoke. She took the small bowl of food into her hands, careful to sit it on her lap as she attempted to take slow bites. She didn't even blow off the stream of the bowl.

Paimon gobbled down half of her bowl instantly. “Are you gonna be okay, Indarias? You don’t need to use that Soul Cleansing thing, do you?”

The Yaksha sneezed, then shook her head. “Not f-for this,” she said, trying to smile. “I-I just ne-ed to warm-m up a bit.”

Lumine and Paimon shared a concerned look. They could see the Yaksha was shaking under her piles of blankets. “Are you sure?” Paimon asked again.

She nodded her head slowly.  “Y-You need-d the Clean-nsing bott-tles anyway-y, f-for the ritual.” Her attention turned towards the window on the opposite side of the room, Raindrops were beginning to pitter-patter on the glass, a sign of bad weather moving in.

“Will Xiao and Bosacius be okay?”

“Bo w-won’t let anyt-thing happen to h-him. Not t-this time.” Indarias admitted, slurping up her soup.  “I-I’m more wor-ried about-t L-lady Guizhong.”

Paimon finished her food with a slurp and passed the bowl wordlessly back to Lumine for more. “But Zhongli is with her! He’s the perfect person to help.”

“I h-have no doubts about that,” Indarias’s hand shook as she ate, but she was careful not to spill anything. “S-She just does not-t like storms.”

X-----------X

Zhongli tried to focus on something else, but he couldn’t believe how warm her hand was. He attempted to look around the area, to find a refuge for them. He kept stealing glances at the sky to gauge the oncoming storm and its direction. All futile attempts to avoid thinking about how her grip had tightened around his.

But what was she thinking? Was she confused? Well, most likely not, considering how she had responded to him so far. If she didn’t approve, she would have let go of his hand by now and pulled back in rejection. But was she okay with this?  Was he over-stepping?

A light tug pulled him back into the world. “Zhongli, what about this?” Guizhong asked.

His gaze followed her arm, pointing towards a small cave made from two colliding rock structures. It was a small space, with a low ceiling and not a lot of room to spread out. It was little off from the path, but it could provide enough coverage from the rain. Enough just to wait out a rain storm. “Alright.”

The temperature in the air had begun to drop, a signal of the incoming rain that accompanied the darkening skies. Sensing a chill, the two began to gather brush to start a small fire, in case night fell while they waited.  Both sat near each other, backs against the wall, staring into the flames. But not touching at all.

Guizhong kept stealing glances as she fixed the fire, noticing the concern that flickered behind his eyes. Was he okay?

Zhongli sat in stone-cold silence, doing his damnest to not show the nerves that were bouncing around in his mind as he kept over-thinking everything he’d done. Why did he think of doing this? Why didn’t he just take her back to the inn? Why did he risk hugging her? She hasn’t said anything, did that mean he messed up? Or was the lack of an answer a sign that she was okay? Did he overstep his boundaries?

Before he could dare to push the subject, thunder boomed around them. Guizhong jumped, body tense like a cat that had been startled.

“Are you okay?” he asked slowly.

Guizhong slowly eased herself into a sitting position. “Y-Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She replied, pulling and brushing strands of her messy ponytail to ease herself.

He frowned, spotting her shoulders still raised in tension. As her hands moved, he could see them shaking.  Was it nerves, or was she spooked? Maybe spooked by the thunder. But he never knew her to be scared of storms. “Are you sure?”

She paused for a while. “I’m okay, really!” she replied, smiling through her awkwardness. But her posture was still tense and closed off, and her face wrought with tension.

Without a word, he began to slip his coat off of his shoulders, extending it towards her. Maybe she was just cold? “You’re shaking, Guizhong,” he said. “Here.”

Guizhong blinked, hesitating to grab it. Her eyes bounced to him. “What about you then?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t want to get cold, do you?”

Indecision weighed in her mind. After some time, she opened her posture and latched onto the coat. She pushed herself beside him and wrapped the other half of the coat over her shoulder. “We can just share it!”

Zhongli froze, turning into a stone himself as she leaned on his shoulder. He…wasn’t against the current position. In fact, it brought back those butterflies in his stomach. As long as she was okay. “A-Alright then.”

Another clash of thunder erupted outside, closer than the first one had been. Guizhong jumped again, but with a few breaths was able to bring herself back to a calm state. 

It was odd to see her so spooked. “Don’t react well to storms?”

Guizhong nodded. “N-Not any more…” she said, trying to grin through her shaking. 

He raised his brow towards her. “Anymore?”

“After you passed, sitting through storms became much harder to do.”

Ah. Osial was always able to brew some of the worst storms due to the easy access of the ocean. The day he went out to fight Osial, the Overload went out of his way to make it rain the entire time, as if that would somehow lessen the blows of his spears. That was the day they lost each other. 

The past…Zhongli looked to Guizhong, who had remained silent. So much of her present self was made up of the past. Not that his was not, but it seemed like she simply couldn't find much of a reason to exist in the present beyond 'her Liyue'.  Maybe that was why she chose to focus in on erosion. But only she knew. “Why erosion?”

“I managed to listen to the storytellers one day. But it…well, looking back on it, it was probably for a silly reason.”

“It caught your attention. I doubt your reason is silly.”

Her eyes fell down, unable to meet his in contact. “I began to listen to the storytellers, to hear how history was being passed on. But it was wrong. They would tell about how I sent a group to assassinate Havria, because I deemed her of all gods a threat. How I used you only as a weapon to lead the troops and how you were a bloody and violent god. And how…” her face soured, and her hands dropped into her lap. “They only ever call you Morax. And they called me the Enforcer of Contracts, as if they had forgotten it was you to begin with. That scared me.”

So that explained why the visiting Yakshas knew him as such. “A bloody and violent god,” He nodded his head. He had plenty of memories to back up those statements. “They weren’t wrong, calling me that.”

“But that’s all! Morax, the brutal dragon god with no good in his body. There’s so much more to you than that!” The God of Dust replied, eyes remaining glued on the flame ahead of them. “The few that remain remember it better. But when I realized the name ‘Rex Lapis’ had been lost, I began to question what else had been lost.”

Rex Lapis was such an honored name in Liyue. To think of a world without it. Even Guizhong’s own name, while distant, was still carried on and remembered for its historical value.  

“Was I wrong this whole time? Was I too late?” She said, lowering her voice to a whisper. As if she didn't want to hear herself admit her it. 

“It sounds like you just wanted the people to remember everyone and history proper. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Even he wanted that too, to some degree. But his wishes had been overridden by erosion itself.  “But, knowing you, it might come off as a bit overbearing and over-protective.”

She whipped her head towards him and puffed out her cheeks. “Hey! Not you too!”

He couldn’t help but smile. She looked adorable when she did that. “But that’s just how you are. You always want to make sure everyone is okay, safe, and happy. You’ll go out of your way to help anyone and offer delicate guidance. Your dedication is amazing. But you aren’t wrong for trying, Guizhong. I offered to have the Traveler leave a record of history, as another attempt to help push against it. But some things are just not meant to be.”

“Was I…overbearing to you?”

His heart almost dropped to the bottom of the Chasm. “Of course not. Your careful and guiding eye helped me grow,” She taught him a whole grocery list’s worth of things that he didn’t even have time to list off.  Centuries worth of examples. And it wasn’t just knowledge of things he didn’t know; it was how to use it, and how to share it with others.  “I wouldn’t be the man I am today without you.  I owe you more, but for now, thank you.”

She blinked, mouth left agape in shock. “..T-Thank?” she sputtered. He couldn’t tell if it was the way the fire illuminated her, but she was definitely red in the face. “You don’t have to thank me, I barely did anything!”

He leaned just a bit closer, closing the space between them by a few hairs. “But you helped guide me to this path, just as you did with the Assembly. I may have ended up walking the path up till now by myself, but it would be improper of me to not acknowledge my origins.”

“Then I should tell you thank you as well!” Guizhong admitted. “You protected the Assembly for so long. You became a symbol of how to defend the weak. You…did so much! I can’t thank you enough. You stood by me, even when the war broke out. Even when the other gods looked down on my views. If you hadn't been there, I wouldn't be here either."

Another bout of thunder, another jump scare. This time, her tension subsided. 

If she jumped this much from the weather, then how did she make it through the war? How did she steel herself through the gritty and destructive years? “When you went out to the front lines…” He knew what it felt like to have sweat and dirt glued to his skin for days on end. The force of a dead god that would course through his entire body as the shockwave hit him. “I never wanted you to feel any of that.”

“I learned how to wield every weapon I could. And I didn’t go out until some of the other adepti Generals felt I could hold my ground. I trained as much as I could before we rose again. But I never did the same things you did. I could never have the same power as you. Maybe that fueled the adepti units to change. But there were so many things I could have done better.”

The forces could handle the battles. But when it came to the disposal of gods, she was one of the few in the entire army who could withstand the death of them. If it reached that point, she would have been responsible for the final blow.  

Zhongli hesitated. “How many gods…”

“Five.” She could still picture them all, and their corpses. “After you died, it spurred many smaller forces to begin attacking each other, because they assumed the Assembly was destroyed. They thought the Harbor was weakened because you were gone, so they began taking each other out. When we recovered, we launched back at full force. I took the lead where necessary.”

His hand found its way to her shoulder, and pulled her a tad closer. “That...must have been difficult.”

In response, Guizhong wrapped her arms around him. “But I knew you had been through worse fighting Osial alone. I had no room to show weakness to the forces. So I just found a way through it.” she replied.

This moment. Why did he want to keep his distance again? Yes, because he knew she would have to leave him again. And it would hurt.

But pain would always hurt. He would never get to love again.

Ah, he slipped up again. He’d been so careful to not draw his mind back to that. How much longer could he keep this up? This lie that he kept telling himself for so long, to lessen the pain it would bring on the days where he would remember.

Reunions like this don’t happen ever.

He stared down at her. She was right here. It still kind of felt like a dream. His instant reaction was to brace and dread for it to be ruined. But after a few days, after realizing that this ritual to send her back was creeping up on them, that dread was still there. But it was different. He was dreading that he was letting this opportunity pass him by.

Guizhong reached up for a moment and pulled her hair out of her ponytail, She fluffed her deep brown locks, spilling out around her.  “We won’t be going anywhere for a while, huh?”  The rain drops were larger, pitter-pattering on the rocks around them.  At the entrance of the cave, puddles were beginning to form.  In fact, he’d almost forgotten about the weather, about the world.

He pulled her locks into her hands, brushing through it with grace. It was shorter than he remembered. It wasn’t as smooth as it used to be. It too had that golden orange tint at the tips that his had, another addition after becoming the Geo Archon. But it was still striking. “It suits you.”

Guizhong lifted some of his as well, hanging over his shoulder. “We match!”

But it wasn’t the same as what she used to wear. “You don’t wear it with Glaze Lillies.” He said quietly. She always wore them in her hair both ornamental and real. It didn’t matter the style, she found a way to wear her then-signature flowers.

“I didn’t want to dare ruin them.” She briefly pulled at her skirts again, suddenly self-conscious at her appearance. As if that would change how wrinkled and dirty they were. “I had to change a lot to fight in the war. And I guess I never went back. I’m…sorry I don’t look like as nice as what you remember.”

All he could do was sigh. He didn't mean it that way. “That isn’t…I never said you didn’t look nice.”

“O-Ooh.”

Zhongli leaned back against the rocks for support. “Even after all this time. I can never get my words right around you," he gave a stiff laugh. "Even though I had millennia to practice.”

"It's fine, Zhongli. That's what I-" she cut herself off abruptly. He could see the tips of her ears turn tomato red for a split moment. "...n-never mind."

Between her strands of hair, he spotted something golden on her forehead. Something he knew was not there before. Without a though he pushed back her hair, revealing a small golden Geo symbol emblazed on her skin. “What’s this?”

Guizhong’s hands flew to her forehead, a futile attempt to cover it up. “We-well, you..” she lowered her eyes. “That’s how you passed your contracts onto me, to last till the war’s end. I expected you to let them be nullified, like they were here, but you let them go to me for some reason.”

“Really…” He muttered, mixed with shock and confusion. So peculiar. Why would he, or his ‘other self',  pass on the contracts? If Guizhong and the Assembly were in danger, he would have added a stipulation to all of his contracts to protect the Assembly.  

But if he died to Osial, almost like he did in the current Teyvat, then maybe it was a split decision. Maybe it was just a dying decision. After all, he could add the stipulation, but if he were not there, then it wouldn’t necessarily matter. If Guizhong was there, she could at least follow through with them. But to burden her further with the responsibilities of two gods’ power…The situation must have been drastic enough to force his hand.

Guizhong kept her eyes down, another futile attempt to avoid showing him how bashful she was. “I would have thought it disappeared by now, but it hasn’t left. It’s just a part of me now. On the bad days, I always liked to think you were watching over the Harbor and I.”

“Well, you don’t really need it anymore, do you?”

Confusion hurried across her face as her eyebrows furrowed together. “What do you mean?”

Deep breath in, deep breath out. “Do you need them for the future?” he reworded. 

She could tell what he was asking. She didn’t want to admit it. But her own hesitation was a sign of how she felt. And what decision she would have to make. “Well…”

Many of those contracts were written in defense of the Assembly and the defense of Liyue. All outdated and not necessarily needed. “You can protect yourself. And I have no doubt your Liyue could protect themselves either,” Zhongli replied. “As for me, well, I’m already here.”

“But those contracts are…” one of the last things she had of so many people. They were the history left behind that wasn't forgotten or lost to erosion. To give that up would be equal to letting go of erosion. 

“You won’t have to worry. You can just live in the world.” To see everything it had to offer, mundane and beyond. "There's things that exist now that will be lost in the future.  We need to enjoy them as they are, now."

She was so used to this life, she never thought there was anything beyond it. Even Zhongli had found a new goal for his life. And if he could move beyond, so could she. Tears broke through, and poured down her face. Erosion…was too much for her.

“I wish…” I could live in the world with you, but she didn’t have the strength for words. Guizhong knew if she stayed much longer, her power would be zapped, as it had slowly been till now. And if that was gone, what could come next?

…no, that was exactly it. What WOULD come next for her? That was how life was. She was focused on erosion, on the past, how it would affect how Liyue would look back in the future.  Not at herself. Her arm was cursed, done on purpose to restrain her. Her power was slowly dying away. Her strength to even wield her sword had weakened. All within a few days.  While this could be deduced to be a result of her being thrown to this universe, it was, in part, still a result of Her.

Zhongli wrapped his arms around her again, brushing the back of her head with a gentle touch. “You can let us go. Guizhong. You can let Rex Lapis go. This Liyue has, and it is a part of history now. Please, live for yourself now. I want you to live for yourself.”

Live for yourself. The Guardian said something similar, but it was said with malice. But Zhongli...he wanted it for her. He just wanted her to be happy and save. And in that case...that did sound nice.  “Okay,” she said, nodding her head. She brushed at her tears, but it didn't stop them. "Okay." 

With a light hand, he brushed his hand over her forehead again, pushing back her hair and planting a kiss on the same spot as the symbol. 

The thunder boomed outside. She didn't flinch or jump. She remained still and calm. Her mind flashed back, to when he lost him before. But last time, she let him go, and he was gone in an instant-

Living for the future. In that case, she didn’t have to look at the past. He was right in front of her now.  Look to the future that could be. And not the past the two of them avoided. So she pulled his face into her hands again. One hand warm, one cold. And she kissed him herself.

Chapter Text

Xiao stepped inside of the Inn, the smallest relief from the dripping storm the two Yakshas found themselves caught up in. He was so focused on cutting down every little spot that he sensed that he completely missed the wave of incoming clouds. It wasn’t until it was right on top of them, thunder booming, that Bosacius dragged him away and convinced them to return to the Inn. It was just rain, it wasn’t that distracting.

As Bosacius dragged him further inside, they encountered the Traveler’s fairy partner, who directed them up to a thawing Indarias sipping up a bowl of hot stew. It didn’t take long to fill her in of the day’s events, or for her to explain why she was wrapped up in a blanket burrito. It was extremely odd to see Indarias' flame put out; he’d only ever see it happen once, hundreds of years ago.

But as that conversation wound itself down, another arose between them. 

“Xiao, can I talk to you?” Indarias said, bringing the tone back down to match the dark weather outside of the Inn. "Can we talk to you?"

All of a sudden, a bit of reality began to weigh down. It was just the three of them again. All Xiao could do was lower his eyes. Tension twisted every muscle in his body into tight knots. The nerves from before were renewed. “Is there a problem, Indarias?”

“Xiao, you…” She frowned, lip quivering from her cold state. “What happened to the Yaksha here? What happened to you?”

Her bluntness could have knocked him off of his feet. She knew the general fates of the Yaksha, as Bosacius did. Did she want to know what happened to herself? “…Why do you wish to know?”

She shuffled around under her blankets. “It’s been bothering me. The amount of karma you’re carrying on your own is enormous. I can tell you've been trying to hide it,” Indarias explained. She hesitated again, and took a deep breath. “How long have you been doing this by yourself?”

Oh. It was about him? Talking about himself was...hard. “Five centuries.”

Both Yakshas sat back, visisbly stunned. “That long?” Bosacius uttered, shoulders dropping in shame. 

“Look how weak we are, Bo. Our youngest brother can carry this by himself, for so long, with no Cleansing.”  

Back when they were all together, sharing karma with each other was common. But as it was left to him, he just had to learn how to bear it. To still call him the youngest, after all this time. He wanted to be annoyed, but all he could recognize was a small fragment of happiness. It was as if they never left him in the first place. And that felt nice.

“I am not the person you once knew. Please remember that.”

And maybe he needed to remember that. These Yaksha that looked just like his brother and sister were his brother and sister. They were not the *exact* same as his brother and sister. They were dead; or at least, Indarias was.

“You don’t have to keep your distance with us, Xiao. I just want to know what you’re up too. It’s been centuries since we’ve last seen you. I just want to hear about you. The things you like, the things you do with your time. I…know you’ve been by yourself. But…”

Archons above, he didn’t want to break their hearts. All the other leading Yakshas wanted was to find their ways to live in peace. To live in a world of peace. To participate with society in some way. “This is all I do. This is my duty to Rex Lapis.” And to you all.

“T-That’s what I was afraid of. I was silly to have hoped for a better outcome,” The pyro Yaksha’s shoulders shook as she began to sob. “We failed you!”

Failed? FAILED? The whole mixture of emotions narrowed into a pinpoint of outrage.

Xiao burst out from his seat and snapped his eyes up to face his siblings. “No you didn’t! Neither of you did!” He snapped his eyes up to face them. If it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t even be standing anymore. “You all…accepted me as your sibling.“  That was a greater action than anything else they could have done, or anything else he could muster into words right now.

Bosacius placed a careful hand on Xiao’s shoulder, and he flinched. “But we were unable to help you here, while we lived. You still fight and have not found a peaceful life,” he said softly. The quietest he’d ever heard the boastful man speak. “And we were unable to help you at home. All we could was watch…”

“We’re just worried about you. We just want you to find easiness and peace, as we have begun to find," Indarias clarified. "Soul Cleansing has been so helpful to us. I don't know how we would've managed without it."

It hurt, he knew it hurt, to see his siblings so upset and downtrodden. "We had found some solutions, but it has long been lost," he said, trying to reassure them. "Our training and lives and history are all completely different. Is it really worth comparing us so directly?"

The question made both of his siblings pause and ponder. "You really are amazing, Xiao."

Amazing. Huh. For some reason, it felt weird to be called that. A…good weird. Maybe it was because he never heard himself called that often. But it was all just part of his duty.

Beside him, he can see Bosacius hesitating over something. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped multiple times. "Xiao...how did we..."

“As you suspect. Without a purifying cycle, we simply live with the karma we accrue,” They could fill in the dots for the most part. But actually speaking aloud their fates…it was the part that brought the most dread and nightmares back to the surface. “Indarias was first. You, however…” That thorn came back to stab him again. He couldn’t say it to Bosacius’ face. “…You’re better off asking Morax.”

“Huh? So it wasn’t from karma?” He let out another bountiful laugh that lifted the entire atmosphere. “I must have died gloriously on the battlefield, for all to see!”

Xiao took a deep breath. That was his ideal fate; nothing new for Bosacius, their loud and proud leader. “Forget it,” he said, brushing that topic away. “Is that all you wanted to discuss?”

“Do you want to go through Soul Cleansing?”

Relief from the karma. His quick and silent reaction was to go with his gut. To initially agree. Any relief, if even a little, was better than nothing. Especially if it was like that time, where he heard that flute in the Marsh. But reality pushed back against that urge. “If they are to be used in the ritual, then that is the priority,” he admitted. “You all need to be returned.”

Silence lingered between them all a little too long before Bosacius spoke again, still jovial. “And leave you alone?”

That sentence, leaving his mouth. Celestia really liked to play games with him. “That doesn’t matter.” Bo had already left him alone before.

Their leader shook his head. “You don’t care if I stayed behind?”

Indarias’s head dipped up in surprise. “Bo!”

...He couldn’t be serious, could he? “Lady Guizhong needs you, Bosacius. The remaining Yakshas need you to split up the karma. Don’t worry about me.”

The electro Yaksha shook his head violently. “No, you will be stuck by yourself. With no way out. As your leader, I cannot have a repeat of what happened again. I have a chance to change things.” 

After his years of life, this felt like another pebble being added to the top of Guyun Stone Forest. “It’s not my death. I…am not the one you’ve already lost,” Xiao admitted, a bit too easily. Maybe the shadows of his debt were weighing a bit heavier today. “If death takes me, then it shall. Till then, I will uphold my contract.”

“Even after his departure?”

Yes, his contract was technically null with Rex Lapis. But he vowed to do this. He chose to agree to the contract, and he would continue to stand by it. “He saved my life. This is nothing.”

Both visiting Yaksha hesitated to speak. Neither of them got another syllable out before loud pounding hit the door of the room, causing all three adepti to jump. Before anyone could move, Paimon burst inside, panting as if she ran a marathon.

“LOOK OUT THE WINDOW!” the small fairy exclaimed, zooming past them all and slamming into the window glass at the opposite end of the room. 

Her reaction drew the concern from all three of them. “What’s wrong?” Indarias asked. 

“It’s Zhongli and Guizhong!”

A short release of air, calming Xiao. Why was this fairy so focused on the two of them? “Was it really that important for you to barge into the-“ Xiao stopped as he watched his siblings hurrying behind Paimon, gluing themselves to glass alongside her. He didn’t know whether to be surprised or not. “What are you two doing?!”

Indarias, still wrapped in blankets, attempted to wave him over. “Xiao! Come look!” she said, shaking as she spoke. "They're holding hands!"

The two were just returning to the Inn. Why was it such a big deal to them? “Why are you all ogling at them?”

“I haven’t seen Lady Guizhong so happy in quite a while…” Bosacius admitted, grinning ear to ear. “Surely you could appreciate seeing your former Archon be happy in his retirement as well?

Their leader did have a point. He rarely saw Zhongli anymore, now that he had taken up a home in the Harbor. He had seen Rex Lapis smile and be happy before, but the last few decades of his governance were not so cheerful. So Xiao strolled over the window found a spot alongside his siblings watching over his former god again. 

X-----------X

Lumine was down in Yanxiao’s kitchen putting the finishing touches on their meal. She went ahead to make food for everyone, before their mass arts-and-crafts session with the Sigils started. Outside, the rain had ceased, but more rain clouds hung on a string in the horizon. But just as she began to balance the plates of food in her hands, she noticed the familiar Archon duo slipping through the crowds of guests that had taken shelter in the rain.

Zhongli walked ahead, guiding Guizhong through the sea of all types of guests. She wore his familiar coat as it dragged along the ground, too short for her as she stumbled past droves of people. Once through, she could spot Zhongli gently holding her hand. She shouldn't snoop, she shouldn't snoop...but that was too juicy of a development to ignore. Lumine followed behind them quietly, careful to keep her presence hidden. She knew she shouldn’t snoop, especially since Zhongli preferred his privacy. If she passed by them now, it could ruin the entire moment!

The two walked up the stairs, arriving at her room. Guizhong opened the door and held it open for him, but Zhongli declined and remained at the doorway. Instead, the two talked quietly at the doorway, aware of the amount of people that could over hear them. Lumine couldn’t hear anything over the hubbub of voices, but she could see Guizhong play with her hair and smile as he spoke. After a while, they said a goodbye, and Guizhong returned to her room, leaving Zhongli alone in the hallway. For a moment, he lingered outside of her door, eyes bouncing between it and his hands. 

Lumine had force herself to not grin. “Did you two just get back?” she asked, stepping out to meet him. 

Zhongli jumped like a spooked cat. “T-Traveler! I didn’t see you,” he said, trying to regain his composure.

“Where were you two? It took you a while to come back," It had been at least an hour or two. "Is she okay?”

“We had a…long discussion about some things. Guizhong will be fine,” he replied, loosening his tie. “We managed to get those materials for the bottles after the rain began to calm. Guizhong plans on making some all night for the ritual.”

Lumine knew their alternate Archon like to work with her hands and tinker, but to work overnight was exhausting. “All night?”

He crossed his arms. “I told her I was worried, but she was convinced, so I won’t stop her. All I can do is help and encourage her,” he began to notice the steaming food in Lumine’s hands. “Is that for the Yaksha?”

“Indarias asked for it, to help warm her up,” Lumine replied. She always had extra tofu for Xiao lying around, so that wasn’t a concern.  But when Indarias managed to chew down an entire bowl of her stew, she knew she had to make more. And Paimon hadn't even eaten yet... “Do you want me to get some for you two as well?”

“For Guizhong, at least-”

The door burst open again, and right on cue Guizhong popped her head back out. "Zhongli, I forgot your-" She held her arm out, which had his coat folded and draped over it. “Oh, Traveler! Stuck being the cook for the Yaksha, I see?”

“I’m just glad they’re all sitting and spending time together,” Or at least, she hoped they were. Hopefully Xiao wasn’t avoiding their words. “Want anything to eat? You two are going to be up making stuff for the ritual, right? You’re gonna get tired.”

“Good point,” Guizhong admitted. It didn't take her long to think about her order. “I’ll take some of your Matsutake Rolls. Zhongli?”

He reached out to grab the coat from her. “I’ll be fine, Guizhong-“

The alternate Archon pouted, and waved him off. “Can you make some Bamboo Shoot Soup for him?” 

His favorite. “You got it,”

“Thanks!” Her sapphire eyes hopped back over to Zhongli. “You can come in, you don't have to stay out here.”

He remained silent and scratched his head. “I’ll...just wait ‘till you’re done.”

“Alright then,” Guizhong flashed a smile and disappeared back into her room. 

Lumine’s attention floated back to Zhongli. “Not that kind of relationship, huuuuh?” she said, grinning ear-to-ear.

He sighed again. He tried to turn his head away, but it couldn’t hide the faint shade of pink that was covering his face. “Traveler…”

It was kind of funny to watch him act like this. Zhongli, the most unyielding person she knew, left to maneuver the fluffy feelings of love. Or 'love', as he might put it. “I know, I know,” she admitted. “I just had to ask. You two were standing there for a while, after all.”

“S-so you saw…”

“Don’t be embarrassed!” It was like watch young love confess to each other for the first time. Except it wasn’t young love, it was two ancient gods finding the guts to hold hands. It was still cute to see. “You’re staying over tonight, riiiiight?”

“Only to help with the ritual. I’d prefer that she not pull another all-nighter.” He emphasized. He’d seen her do it often in the past. It worried him, but she could often produce some of her best work when she acted like that.  And her power was deteriorating…eroding…he didn’t want to risk her health eroding as well.

“Can you help repair the fake Sigils, then? Or at least attempt to fix them?” Lumine suggested, recalling some of the ruined ones they’d already set aside.

Zhongli nodded. It had been quite a while since he attempted to prepare a Sigil, but it wouldn’t hurt. But there was something else that he was thinking about, and it felt like the perfect time to ask. “Traveler, I know it’s going to be busy tomorrow, but may I-“

“Of course.” She didn’t even have to think about it. He was going to take Guizhong somewhere. Was it going to be a date? Who knew. But even if she asked, he wouldn’t say it.

The retired Archon’s face bunched up in confusion. “…But you don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

“I’m glad you’ve found some happiness again with her. I'm not about to be the one to ruin it,” Lumine strolled past and up towards the next flight of stairs. “And if you two make progress tonight, then we can pick up the pace tomorrow without Guizhong. Well, as long as Indarias has warmed up again!”

Zhongli dipped his head. “Much appreciated.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll be back with your food later,"  Lumine replied, taking a step up the stairs. "Also, if you guys do anything, make sure to be quiet, okay?”

His face exploded into the deepest shade of red imaginably possible. “That’s not-“

“If you guys need anything, we’ll all be upstairs with the Yaksha~” Lumine hopped up the stairs, balancing the plates up and away to the highest level of the Inn.

X-----X

He waited outside of Guizhong’s room till she waved him back inside. She went to shower and, while she didn’t mind if he was there, it felt too awkward for him, so he chose to wait outside. It felt like mere minutes had passed, but he soon he heard the door click open and Guizhong's head popped back out. She held the door open, and he quietly followed behind her.

Guizhong had wrapped her hair in a white towel, assuring that it wouldn't drip on her back of the floor. She wore a long white silk nightgown lined with blue and gold, most likely borrowed from the Traveler. Across the room, her normal clothes hung from the dresser, ready to be worn again. A handful of boxes sat along the bed, with one popped open and rummaged through already. 

“I said that you could wait in here,” She said, closing the door behind him. “It must have been odd just standing out there.”

He shook his head. “It wouldn’t be right to steal your privacy,”

Privacy? They’d seen and heard so many things about each other by now. “It’s just me! I trust you.” she replied, smiling at him again.

Exactly.  He had to make sure he averted his eyes. If not, she could easily catch him staring at how stunning she looked in all-white. Zhongli went over to the open boxes and plucked the Sigils up that were scattered. The quality needed some work, but the written penmanship was surprisingly accurate. It was a bit smudged, as well. But if a merchant or historian picked it up, they would be intrigued for sure. 

Golden eyes moved between the sigils and the Archon across from him. These sigils were part of the ritual, all for her to leave. She would leave, he knew she would have to leave, but it was something they had spoken. But the sigils were right here, in his hand. A realization that they were so closure to her departure, striking him quick as the lightning that was beginning to brew again outside.

Guizhong stood in front of the room's mirror. She had unwound the towel in her hair, allowing her dark strands to hang back down over her back. She tried to brush her hair with her fingers, but found very little success as her fingers would catch on every small snarl or tangle.

She could see in the corner of the mirror that Zhongli had placed down the Sigils. He was walking back over, to her. In a moment, he wrapped his arms over her shoulders, resting his chin on her head. She could feel his breath gliding along her skin.

"You okay?' she asked. It was sudden for him to hug her like this, though she didn't mind. 

“Guizhong…do you have to leave?”

“Huh?” The sentence completely blanked her mind.

“…forget it.” He knew she had to leave. That if she stayed much longer, her power would continue to be lost.  He didn’t want any more harm to come to her, not when she was still alive and by his side. But was he allowed to wish she could stay?

She had to take a breath, just to give her mind a moment to process what he said. “You want me to stay?” She repeated, tilting her head up towards him. 

His face was red, but he didn't deny it. “Of course I do. But that is not an option.” He said, averting his eyes again. 

"Aw!" She spun around, still wrapped in his arms. “You really are a big softie!”

He blinked a few times. His golden eyes seemed to glow brighter than even the brightest lamp in the room. “Softie?”

“Back then, you wouldn’t have said anything. You would’ve look at me and said ‘I see’ and continued on. I would have to pick your expression apart just to figure it out.” she explained, recalling quite a few situations where she had to follow him around just to get a hint at what he meant.  Of course, there were also situations where she stared at him because he simply looked amazing, but that wasn't important.

“We were both different people back then.”

That was a catchphrase at this point. Back then. If she was going to move forward, to forge forward without hanging onto the past, she couldn't always go 'back then'.  If she were to stop fighting erosion, she would have to accept the present. Which brought a bright new idea to mind.

“Then how about this,” Guizhong hung her arms around his neck, careful to keep herself close to him. “We have one more day. Let us look at the world we stand in now. No more ‘past’.  Let us be here together in the present, okay?”

It didn't take him long to review her proposition. No longer going by their own rules they defined for themselves all that time ago. And relationships, their relationship, was flexible like water. It changed and developed over time; so why keep looking to their old memories so much?

"I agree to your fair stipulations," Zhongli said quietly, just loud enough for her to hear. He brushed a thumb along the edge of her chin. “Then in that case…” He tipped her head up and planted his own kiss.

Chapter Text

Lumine fell asleep last, and woke up first.

To her left, she saw Bosacius resting against the corner of the wall, surrounded by Sigils. Paimon sat in his lap, wrapped in a blanket. On one of the beds, Indarias was sprawled out, hair bouncing even in her sleep. Xiao was…

The Traveler pushed herself to her feet. Was he off across Liyue again?

Lumine snuck back out to the lobby, passing a greeting to Verr Goldet, and back down to the kitchen. They had all made plenty of progress working on the Sigils overnight. Even Xiao offered to sit still and help his siblings, even if his handwriting was bad. To celebrate, it was time to have a big ol’ breakfast, with plenty of fried eggs and ham soup. But as she got started, a familiar puff of green appeared at the table. “Morning Xiao!”

The adeptus jumped. Did he not notice her? How odd. “M-Morning, Lumine,” he replied. “I’m surprised you’ve awoken. You were all up late into the night.”

“Eh, guess I got enough sleep,” she admitted. Though she probably could have gotten more if she hadn’t fallen asleep on the floor. Or if Bosacius hadn't spilled two completed boxes back onto the floor. “Were you off to handle something?”

He lingered in place, indecisive over whether to leave or not. She couldn’t see any dirt or blood on him; a bit relieving. “I went to take Rex Lapis and Lady Guizhong to Mount Aocang,”

“Over there?” That was where Zhongli wanted to take her? She would have assumed they wanted to stay in the Harbor. Maybe it was to see Cloud Retainer, but would the regal adeptus even be up that early? “I’m surprised you agreed to do that.”

Xiao sighed, as if expecting the remark. “…Lady Guizhong asked."

He couldn’t say no to her, even if he wanted to avoid them for the sake of his karma. “I'm making breakfast for everyone. Do you want to join us?” Lumine asked, noting that he was still by the table. "I have tofu as well, if you want to eat here by yourself."

"I...will come join you."

"R-Really?"

He took a deep breath and crossed his arms. He could live his normal lifestyle, but his siblings...he would never get the chance to share a meal with them again. That thought alone rang sharply in his mind. "Indarias and Bosacius would be sad if I ate by myself."

For them. Good thing she still had plenty of almond tofu just for him. 

X------------------------------------X

The two Archons arrived to the peak of the mountain right as half of the sun began to poke itself from under the clouds. “Aocang! Same as ever,” Guizhong ran right up to the water’s edge, dipping her shoes into the pond that sat at the top of the mountain.

Zhongli followed a few steps behind her. The last day they would have together. No, he couldn’t think like that. This was a chance for them to just be people enjoying their time together.

“Want some Grilled Tiger Fish for breakfast?” Guizhong recommended. She couldn’t help but laugh as she saw his dark expression.

It was way to early to attempt eating that slimy goo. “I would like to refrain from any seafood,” Zhongli said quietly.

“I’m kidding!” She replied, and began cooking some basic fried eggs over the small cooking pot near the pond. Once satisfied, they carried their food and tea over towards the all-too-familiar table at the center of the pond. He took his seat, and she took hers. Before another word could be spoken, another presence joined them.

“Ganyu, have you returned?” The voice rang out, echoing with concern. From the mountain flew Cloud Retainer, the motherly crane adepti. “Ah, another guest.”

Zhongli gave his old friend a nod. It wasn't the first time he returned here in his retirement. He probably should come back more often. “Care to join us, Cloud Retainer?" he offered, motioning to the food set on the table ahead of them. 

“Us?” The crane reared her head up, and froze. “...Lady Guizhong?”

The alternate archon smiled. “Cloudy! Still has reclusive as ever, huh?” she said. She propped her arms on the old stone table bearing their names and rested her chin. "It took us making food to get you out here!"

The adeptus couldn't hold back her emotions. “Lady Guizhong!”

Another round of tears and hugs and emotions. The last one. The trio resumed their seats at the stone table, going over old times and new times all at once under the cover of a Cuiha tree. At first, it was a repeat of information that Guizhong was just a bit tired of explaining. Cloud Retainer didn’t bat an eye and accepted the universe-hopping fairly quickly, much quicker than Guizhong expected. The mighty adeptus didn’t question it at all and focused entirely on catching up. As if they were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a couple of months.

Cloud Retainer wove tales of Ganyu rolling down hills, and even stories about a human she took in name Shenhe who could lift boulders. Guizhong offered her own tales, surprising Cloud Retainer as she spoke about her Ganyu’s teaching accolades with the adeptal-blooded. Even after their breakfast offerings were left empty, the two were still trading stories. Zhongli could barely get a word in, but he didn't mind. 

“Would you like to take a look at some of my own trinkets?”

“Of course!”  

Without a second thought, the two old beings departed back towards Retainer’s abode, leaving Zhongli behind to clean up. After some time, the two came back out, discussing blueprints and the maintenance schedule of the Ballista. While Cloud Retainer attempted to ask for her to return, and for more time, Guizhong had to decline. And while she wanted more, she had to remember. This was not her universe. She still had a job to do in her Liyue. She could not fall for the feelings lulling her to stay. She still had duty to her people to conduct. 

With that in mind, the Archons took their leave and departed the abode of the ancient adeptus. After that, they took the path back to Jueyun Karst, careful to stop by the tree from where Azhdaha was disturbed. Guizhong couldn’t help but awe at the sight; a gorgeous golden tree twisting into the air, almost as tall as the mountains surrounding it.  It demanded attention in the quiet valley, but it also left room for one to stand and wonder at it.

Zhongli remained still, staring at the stone of warning he installed himself. He told of his recent interaction with his old friend with a warm smile.  He would hesitate at parts, and she did not force him to speak what he couldn’t. Instead, both stood for a silent moment, Guizhong rubbing his back in reassurance.

They continued through the mountains, sharing stories along the way. Zhongli continued leading the conversation, sharing a storybook’s worth of distinct scenes in the Harbor. All of the wacky hijinks he participated in with Director Hu Tao. His forgetful instances at Wanmin Restaurant, to the point where they began a tab just for him that he would progressively pay off when he did remember his wallet.  He even told of a time where he got into an ‘intellectual and productive’ disagreement over a storyteller’s performance of a certain event.

The two Archons wandered the land, simply enjoying the presence of the other among the towering rocks. The farther south they wandered, the more the sun moved with them. They stopped among the multitudes of ruins, observing the remains. They stopped along the small stalls open for business from traders, curious about their wares. Guizhong offered to pay for the items they bought, on the count that she still had her Gnosis.

They even ran into a small gang of Treasure Hoarders, which Guizhong tried and failed to scare them off without wielding her Cutter. When that failed, Zhongli had to step in and drag her away, running down the rest of the trail. After catching their breath, they continued their way until the familiar sights of the sea were within view. The sun had caught up with them, and was already beginning to set. Within a blink of an eye, their simple day of exploring the land was nearing its end. But he still had time. 

As they reached the Harbor, the couple strolled down the streets, admiring the buildings illuminated in the incoming dusk. Zhongli brought her over to Third Round Knockout, meaning to listen to his favorite storyteller and get her opinion. Instead, he was surprised by the sight of a familiar ginger-haired Harbinger munching on his meal, away from the crowd surrounding the storyteller.

“Xiansheng! How are you?” Childe smirked, waving him over to join.

The two Archons wandered over towards his table. “I’m surprised, I thought you were going to be gone for a long time,” Zhongli replied. The Traveler mentioned he had departed after their meeting in Inazuma for a ‘reason’. Zhongli had expected him to be gone for much longer, especially due to his Harbinger business.

The Harbinger gave an awkward look. “Aha, well, I had to stop by to grab some funds, so I figured I’d grab some grub before I left again,” His eyes jumped towards Guizhong, and he grinned. “Who’s your lady-friend?”

Zhongli took a deep breath. “An old friend of mine,” Well, they really weren’t friends. It was a bit more than that. “Childe, this is Guizhong-“

He couldn’t even introduce them to each other. The Harbinger and the alternate Archon were immediately staring at each other, as if aware of each other’s power. It was like a cat and dog staring each other down from a distance. He didn’t know what to do now. “Both of you can say something…” As long as it wasn’t negative. Or started a fight in the Harbor's streets.

Guizhong frowned. “He is the one who unleashed Osial on the Harbor? I’m not sure how I feel knowing you two are acquaintances.” She asked quietly, tightening her grip around his arm.

Childe put down his training chopsticks out of interest. “So she’s as old as you? So you two have a history!”

“O-old?! What a brute.”

“Guizhong, realistically…”

“Well, yeah, but I don’t like hearing it from his mouth for some reason.”

Childe shook his head in frustration. “I just mean it good spirit! After all, you’re like Zhongli, right? So you’ve must have had a few encounters in battle!”

Guizhong raised a brow. “Is this the one who likes to ask you for a fight?”

The Harbinger swallowed down an entire skewer of Fried Shrimp Balls. “There’s more to me than that!” he replied. “I highly enjoy Liyue customs and meals, and I enjoy Zhongli-xiansheng’s stories! Though he doesn’t like when I pester him for a rematch. Or when I offer to cook seafood for him.”

Zhongli’s face soured. A shiver shot through his shoulders.

"So you've tried to feed him some fish too!"

Their conversation quickly turned into a discussion of frying, baking and chopping fish. It disgusted him, and made horrible memories flash across his eyes. But Guizhong and Childe, the two last people he expected to meet, were now getting along mere seconds after meeting. The two even remained in discussion long after the Harbinger had finished his meal, talking about the best fishing methods.  While he enjoyed seeing Guizhong getting along with an acquaintance of his, there was one more thing he wanted to do with her before the day ended. And since the sun was setting, it was perfect timing. 

With a wave of the hand and a wishy-washy promise for a rematch, the Archons continued their journey. 

X-----------------------X

“You wanted to take me here?” Guizhong asked.

They’d both arrived at the top of a mountain overlooking the Harbor, with views of everything from the Chasm to parts of Mondstadt, and even Mount TIanheng perched above them. The sun was almost pulled out of the air, decorating the sky with pinks and oranges and reds. The last dusk they would share together.

She walked just a few steps ahead of him. The wind blew her dress, causing it to flutter in the wind like a Lily. The light of dusk illuminated her in a shade of gold that could have only been matched by dust itself. He couldn’t help but smile from her mere presence alone. 

Guizhong reached the edge of the mountain and spotted a familiar blue at the corner of her sight. “A Glaze Lily? Up here?” She bent down to examine the plant, running her finger over the top of the petals, soft to the touch.

He had to fight tooth and nail to keep them flourishing, especially outside of the Harbor and Qingce Village. “They exist in small and sporadic areas, so fields like we were used to are not too common anymore.”

The closest they were going to get to laying in a field of Lilies together again. She could feel her heart swell. “But this is in such distant place!” The distance from the Harbor had to be deliberate.

Zhongli sat himself beside the small flower. Even he was surprised at how successful this specific bud turned out. “Well…I planted it here so you could see the Harbor. To watch over it, and the people. My hope was that it would grow well, under your watchful eye.” He was shaking as he spoke, still nervous. “I…hope it lives up to your expectations.”

Guizhong folded her legs underneath herself, sitting alongside him. “Expectations?”

“When I was building the Harbor, it was the first time I had to do any of it by myself. I had watched you, then learned, then helped you do the same. Yet I hadn’t done it by myself. It was daunting. I knew how I wished to instill the importance of order, contracts, and business. But at the same time I wanted to make sure that it would be as successful as what you would have done.”

She remained silent for a time, admiring the Lily that sat between them, and then back out to the Harbor beneath them. The flower that connected them. “If there was, it would simply be your own pride. Pride in what you helped create. And you are! This is your Liyue. Your pride shows in your people.  I love your Liyue, because it is uniquely you. Or, it was,” She corrected herself. “That’s what truly matters. Not what I, or the God of Dust, thinks.”

“Do you think my own governance was absolutely perfect? Because Archons above it certainly wasn’t. You know I have my own regrets. We just talked about it yesterday. I even see what you’ve cultivated and have my own doubts. But we’re both different. Our Liyue are built on our experiences apart from each other. On what we and our people became. But they both led to peacetime, and that is more than enough,”

She rested her chin on her knees. “It means that no matter whatever happened, across alternates, humans would find peace. We could find peace. And, like you have mentioned, maybe I should have put a bit more focus into that.”

Why did she have to go? It was like she knew exactly what to say to him. “Guizhong…”

“You’ve left Liyue to the people. I’m too scared to do that, you know? I will leave erosion behind, to live in the present we were in today, but I don’t have anything else. I don’t know what I’ll do tomorrow. But when left, you had faith. You tested them but you were willing to try. You were always willing to try. You are still like that. I’ll need to borrow some of your confidence, so I can find myself."

He stared out of the Harbor. A surreal moment he never dreamt of, sitting with her and observing the Harbor as it began to fall asleep for the night. He had to keep speaking to keep himself grounded. “It took a lot for me to leave, though. And with the Tsaritsa making her moves, the timing worked out well.”

Guizhong huffed. “I keep hearing about that…”

“I arranged a contract with her. Teyvat is…going through a lot right now. Lots of…movement.”

“I see…” He was choosing his words carefully.  More contracts? She wouldn’t press the matter. “Well…you WERE the God of Contracts. You know how to best arrange it, I have no doubt you made the right choice.”

Zhongli blinked a few times. “What happened to us acting like ordinary people?”

Guizhong burst out laughing. “Guess we have too much to talk about!"

She was right. It felt like they just scratched the surface. They were still learning new things about each other, and it had been a couple of days. And now he only had a few hours. He just wanted it all, and all of her, to himself. “I don’t mind what we talk about. I just like hearing your voice.”

Guizhong grinned and poked his shoulder again. “Awww, you wuuuv it.”

Warm and fluttery feelings. That's all her could muster. “Y-You’re sounding like the Director,”

“Well I wuuuuuv you,” She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. “And thank you for leaving this flower here for me.”

They both drew the same line in the sand. And neither ever crossed it, for the sake of the other and their people. When the other died, that line would get destroyed. Returning to dust. When they met again, both had gone back to their ways on their opposite sides of the line. But if that line had disappeared back then, when they passed, who was to say that line had ever been redrawn?

The wind, the weather, the darken sky. It was all perfect. “Hmm, do you know of any teahouses open late?” Guizhong prompted.

“By now? No,” But some warm tea with her would be the perfect way to end their outing. “What do you like? I’m sure I could brew you some.”

She wasn’t about to turn down his offer. “R-Really?”

“What? You don’t trust that I could?”

She remembered the first times he tried to brew his own tea. It had gone…well it could have gone much worse. “I totally can!” she said, jumping back to her feet, careful not to disturb the Glaze Lily.  “Some tea would go perfect with this weather!”

“Alright,” So he stood again, brushing himself off. Then a bit of a realization that came a bit too late. “We will, well…” How would he put this? Without scaring her off?

Guizhong tilted her head to the side, ponytail swaying. “What’s wrong?”

He was stumbling over his words. “We’ll have to go...uh, back to my apartment. I don’t just carry supplies with me like the Traveler.”

So he waited for her response. If she was going to react to that statement at all.  But Guizhong simply smiled and said “Ooh, I get to see where you live! I bet it’s going to be super nice and tidy.”

“The opposite of you.”

“Hey! My workshop was organized!”

He gave a hearty laugh. “It was chaos, Guizhong.” All of her books and blueprints and parts and mechanics had been everywhere. She rarely ever cleaned the place. It had been a complete maze.

“…Organized chaos, then!” Guizhong replied. She quietly slipped her hand back into his, and squeezed it tight. "Lead the way, my noble Dragon!"

X-------------------X

Guizhong followed behind Zhongli the entire way down the mountain. It wasn’t until they were back in the Harbor streets, following other passerby turning in for the night, that a small bit of reality struck. She was going…to his place.

No no no, she was just over-thinking it. It was just tea. Some tea to enjoy the rest of the evening, and then returning to the Inn. Well, by then it could be dark. And knowing them they would talk until the moon was already halfway into the sky. And if it were too late, he wouldn’t let her walk back to the Inn by herself

She stapled her eyes to the ground. She could feel her entire body burning bright red. He wasn’t…really doing this, right? No, she could just go back to the Inn really late! She could convince him that she was fine. And if she did stay over, nothing would happen. Absolutely nothing else would happen beyond some tea. No way! No way….

"...Guizhong?"

She snapped her head up to meet his golden eyes. They were practically glowing in the lamp light. "Sorry, I was just thinking!" Thinking that, as long as she was with him, she would be safe. And, honestly, she wouldn't be against staying with him for the night. Any time with him was precious, no matter what form it took. 

Chapter Text

Because of where the disturbances were held, Lumine suggested that the ritual be held at Wuwang Hill. Initially, she was going to try and have it in the Marsh, or even back towards Jueyun Karst, where they would be farther from people. If something went wrong, or it failed, it wouldn’t affect any innocent people passing by. But it all started when they met at Wuwang Hill.  Even when her and Aether performed it before, they made sure to do it at the location they first arrived. It worked before, and with how restrictive and outright difficult it was to come and go from Teyvat, Lumine didn’t want to risk the ritual not working. They didn’t have time to remake all of those Sigils from scratch.

As the Yakshas began gathering the materials to move, Lumine sent Paimon to grab Guizhong from her room at the inn. Instead of their alternate Archon, all Paimon flew back with was panic. “Lumine! She’s not there!”

Indarias almost dropped her boxes of prepared Sigils out on the balcony. “T-Then where is she?” Her eyes flitted from her brothers to Lumine, searching for a response.

Unlike her, Bosacius let out a hearty laugh, as if he had expected this. “So that was Morax’s goal? What a sly dragon he is!” he said, hoisting two boxes with each arm. “Who’d have thought he had it in him!”

Paimon's head tipped sideways. “What do you mean, Bosacius?”

“Those two must have spent the night together.”

Xiao was left speechless, opening and closing his mouth for words. Indarias's panic burned away, replaced with an ecstatic smile. Lumine simply nodded. But all of them knew that this hypothesis was not impossible. And Zhongli wouldn't let anything happen to Guizhong. Ultimately, none of them disagreed with the idea. It was surprising that it finally happened.

Paimon frowned, the only one confused by the idea. “Huh? Like a sleepover?”

Lumine picked up another box of Sigils. This was not the time for relationship talk. “Sure, Paimon, sure.” She said casually, hoping that would calm her partner's curiosity.

It most definitely did not. The pixie huffed. “What does that mean? Tell Paimon!” She kept looking around at everyone, but no response came. "Will somebody tell Paimon what that means?"

X---------------X

Upon arriving at Wuwang Hill, the first step was finding an area flat enough to support the ritual. As the only one who knew how to jump worlds, Lumine was going to make sure this ritual was set up to be as successful as possible. She still wasn't fully confident it would work, but only because of how the world of Teyvat would respond. If she had too, she would force Guizhong and the Yakshas out herself, even if she had a fraction of her former power.

Once all of the materials had been moved from the Inn to Wuwang, it was time to prep the area. The first step was to build a perimeter with the Sigils, ensuring that the power they generated could reach the remaining elements. The trees were the perfect way to plaster the Sigils up, providing a sturdy structure and outlining an area for the ritual to happen. Next was forming a circle with Cor Lapis inside of the Sigils, to connect the power of the Sigils to the current universe. The last part, the Soul Cleansing bottles, were placed inside of the Cor Lapis circle, to fuel the connection between the current universe and the one they wished to reach. All that was left was for the Yakshas and alternate Archon to stand at the very center, and Lumine to activate it. 

Lumine expected the set-up to take a while, especially with Xiao's lack of arts-and-crafts skills and Indarias's flaming touch. The only thing they had to deal with were the occasional hilichurl, which Indarias and Xiao had no problem dispatching. Bosacius enjoyed every moment of it, cheering on his siblings one moment and peacefully posting the Sigils another. 

By mid-day, the ritual was all set to be conducted. But they had yet to find their Geo Archons. So Lumine set out across the waypoints to find them, hopping around to find them.  By the time she reappeared to Wuwang, she had practically hopped all over Liyue, and came back with three people instead of two. The two Archons, and-

"Ganyu?" Paimon exclaimed, flying up the still-exhausted half-adeptus. "Paimon is happy you're here, but how did that happen?"

Ganyu was dabbing at her eyes, already crying when she reached the ritual area. "Lady Guizhong and I met up this morning in the Harbor, when I was going for my morning walk. Since I had time, and she had time, we went to go observe some Glaze Lillies." She said, trying not to let her emotions get to her. "I didn't realize she was leaving so soon!"

"Huh?" Paimon's attention fixed onto Zhongli. "So Guizhong did spend the night at your place!"

Bosacius and Indarias burst into laughter. Ganyu gave an encouraging pat on Guizhong's shoulder, who's face had gone bright red. She tried to hide it with her hands, but it was quite futile. 

Zhongli huffed. "I-It got extremely late, I couldn't possibly let her walk back to the Inn by herself." He said quickly, fighting to keep a straight face. 

Xiao stood away from the boisterous group, careful to keep his ears and mind open for any changes her sensed. If they really were going to be calling forth a large amount of energy, it could possibly draw attention from unwanted guests, like during Lantern Rite. For something so important as this, he wouldn't want it to be ruined by something he could prevent. But on cue, Indarias wandered over to him, drawing him away. 

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay, Xiao?" Indarias asked, squeezing her youngest brother into her arms one last time. 

Xiao froze up, but did not push back this time. "You two must go back. You can live in peace there." He admitted. His entire body was tense; before, he didn't want to see his siblings again. He was worried. Now he didn't want them to leave. 

Bosacius placed a lone hand on his Xiao's head, roughing up his hair. "Promise us, Alatus," he said solemnly. "You must live."

As silly and sentimental it sounded, Xiao knew his sibling was being genuine. And he would not look down on that wish. "I...will try."

After a few seconds longer, Indarias let go Xiao and took his face into her hands. One last look at her siblings. She blinked away tears that were threatening to spill. “Are you ready to go, Lady Guizhong?” she asked, drawing the attention of everyone.

It was time. 

One last chance to speak what they needed. Guizhong stepped out from the center, stopping just at the edge of the circle of Sigils steps ahead of him. She focused what energy she could on one thing, and summoned it forth. A familiar golden polearm they all knew. Vortex Vanquisher. Yet this Vortex Vanquisher was not the same. It no longer glittered when light hit the golden decorations. Parts of the body were cracked, and the tip dulled from usage. It had been utterly battered by the sea waters.  

She held out the old polearm that had once protected her. The one that he once used to hold himself up before she met him in his final moments. And she stared up at the same man that was still alive and well. “Will you take this?”

Zhongli stared at the weapon. It was like his own, but it was so worn and destroyed. It told a story of a different war, of an alternate ending to that war.  And she still held onto it, after all this time. “Are you sure you want to depart with it?”

Guizhong took a deep breath. “No, but there isn’t any other person I want to leave this with,” she said. “I held onto this because there was so little I had left of you. But you’re here. Knowing you’re here, living in peace, is more than enough. And consider it proof of my universe.”

He pulled the old weapon into his grasp, running a finger along the body. It looked as old as the weapons left in memorial in the Chasm. A perfect example of the erosion Guizhong had been avoiding, and was now accepting. In his hand, the weapon was a bit lighter, but he was not confident enough to try and spin it. If it was this ruined, he didn’t want to run the risk of it falling apart.

“I will,” he said quietly, tightening his grip. "But I have nothing to give you..."

She smirked. "You gave me plenty. But, if you insist, may I borrow a few tricks from your book?"

“I’d be honored. Once you've left, please explore life for yourself. The world has a lot to offer to you.” She could be an adventurer. She could tinker for the rest of her life. She could even become a wanderer or traveler, just as Lumine was. She could even become a historian to continue her endeavors at preserving the past.

He'd been doing well so far holding back on his emotions that were exploding under his solid expression. But as Guizhong threw herself back into his arms, and he squeezed her tight for one last hug, the reality fell on all of them like a stone spear. 

"I have to go now." She said quietly, keeping her face in his chest.

"I know," he said, rubbing his thumb on the back of her head. He didn't want to move even an inch. Her warmth, her touch, her presence. He didn't want to loose it again. "Goodbye, my Lily."

"Goodbye, my love." She pulled herself away from him again, and back towards the center of the ritual with her Yakshas. 

The dread that was seeping into his chest was heavy, threatening to pull him down into the depths of the Harbor itself. She was leaving again. She was leaving his life again. But he couldn't think of it like that. This time, they got to say goodbye. 

With the trio of guests at the center, Lumine stood at the outer edges and began to call out whatever energy still lingered in the Sigils. She reached into whatever she could find and had to pull out the energy, causing Sigils to begin glowing Geo gold. The golden light begins to float towards the center, catching onto the Cor Lapis and causing the ore to glow. The light continues flowing through the Soul Cleansing bottles, the final piece. 

The Traveler closed her eyes, and had to shut out the world. She had to guide the light, make sure all of it was directed through the Lapis and the bottles. Once she weaved the light threads into place, she could shove them to the center, where they engulfed Guizhong and the Yakshas in that Geo light. But as she tried to force it forwards, something was pushing back. Was it Teyvat? The Unknown God? Something else?

The now-familiar green haze began to swirl around the area, converging at the center. Across from Guizhong, stood the familiar Guardian, accompanied by floating orb. Indarias tried to jump towards the figure, but Bosacius was quick to pull her back.

“Geo Archon Gusion, you are not permitted to leave this world until the requirements have been fulfilled,” the Guardian said, voice booming over the area. “Have you accepted erosion?”

She smiled. With a flick of her hand, she summoned her gleaming Jade Cutter again. She plunged it back into the ground. “I...agree to your requests. I simply wish to have time to prepare for my departure, as Rex Lapis did in this universe.”

“As it goes along with the proper guidelines, your requests will be accepted and accommodated.“ The Guardian nodded. The figure dissolves into haze, disappearing into the light surrounding them. “You may return...”

With that, the pressure on Lumine's shoulders disappears, no longer constrained by the requests of Celestia. She pulses more energy forward, One final push before it would-

Sensing their imminent departure, Guizhong turned to Zhongli again. “You still have my gift, right?” she shouted.

Her voice sounded so distant now. Gift…Gift. Her Memory of Dust. Zhongli couldn’t help but laugh. Out of all of the discussions they had, never once had they ever asked about that dumbbell. So many things they still hadn’t discussed. So many things that he had yet to spill from his mind. But he was relieved he was at least able to tell her what he wanted too the day she first left him.

“Of course I do. I could never dare try to get rid of it,” he replied. “I’ve never solved it, though.”

She grinned as wide as she could, and wiped at her tears. “Someday we’ll go over it together, okay?”

What else could he say? “Okay.”

The swirling light energy exploded and shot upwards, like a reverse bolt of lightning streaking through the sky. Like the lightning that was scattered across Inazuma, it appeared for only a moment. The gathered energy dissipated, fading away into the blue aura of Wuwang. The area of the ritual was empty. And like that, the guests from another universe were whisked away, back home. 

They all lingered in place, not daring to move. Unsurprisngly, Paimon spoke first. “Traveler, do you think they made it?”

Lumine carefully stepped around the circle, checking over the remaining pieces of the ritual. The remains of the Sigils, if intact, were burned and charred. The Soul Cleansing bottles that had been made were all gone; most likely disappearing back to the alternate. The Cor Lapis on the ground were cracked down the middle, most likely worthless if any ore expert were to look at it. 

“Absolutely,” It worked. It actually worked against the laws of Teyvat. Which brought more questions. If this had worked to move between alternates like this, why couldn’t Lumine do it?  What was restricting her instead of others? Why was that Guardian helping, or allowed to pass through as well? And the one time, with the voice of that Unknown God…were they purposely keeping her here?

Lumine sighed, and shook her head. These were answers she would have to search for on her own, as part of her journey. For now, she wanted to comfort those left behind. Zhongli remained still, eyes glued to the empty area. Ganyu wiped at her tears, sniffling, while Paimon patted her shoulder and comforted her. A somber atmosphere that was perfect for Wuwang.

Xiao walked forward, observing the remains of the ritual. “Is that how you’ve traveled between worlds before, Lumine?” His eyes jumped around at the ruined pieces, then back towards the sky where the light had shot up. 

“S-Sort of,” This was just the procedure for alternates, but now wasn’t the time to explain all of that. "Will you help me clean up? Or do you all need a moment?"

Ganyu took a breath and lifted her head. "I-I can help!"

It took another hour to gather the broken remains into the boxes. They could probably go ahead and burn the rest of the Sigils, since Ningguang didn't need them any more, and the broken pieces of Cor Lapis could be sold off in some way.  Xiao claimed that the auras in the area was stabilized, and that nothing had seemingly changed after the rapid release of energy. 

“Why don’t we have a warm meal?” Lumine suggested to her crowd of adeptus. "Consider it my treat."

Ganyu nodded her head, and looked between her ancient colleages. “A-Actually, that doesn’t sound too bad. Your cooking is delicious.”

Zhongli finally moved, turning to face them. “It would be much appreciated. Will you join us, Xiao?”

“I’m not against it…” the Yaksha started, but failed to finish. His attention was already being drawn elsewhere in Liyue. But he wasn't saying no.

Lumine knew, he would try to join them later, if he felt up to it. That was just how Xiao was. “We’ll be at the Inn, then. Take your time.”

“Thank you, Lumine,” and he disappeared in green haze, off to follow his duty.

Each person gathered a variety of boxes into their arms and began walking back towards the closest Waypoint. Ganyu filled them in on her morning walk with Guizhong, past the Glaze Lillies in the Harbor. How they sang, albeit a bit softly, to each of the small flowers like they used too. She did resent that she couldn't spend more time with the old god, but did mention how Guizhong understood her loyalty to her work and contract. 

"I am glad she got to spend time with you, Zhongli." She added. 

Which brought the attention back on the question of the day. “So, Zhongli,” Lumine asked, grinning. “How was your time with Guizhong yesterday?”

The question jolted him to a stop. “Traveler, we never had…” he stopped himself, as if realizing how futile it was to keep repeating the sentiment.

“Had?” Lumine tried again. “Surely something changed, right?”

 Silence. Some rustling as Zhongli began walking and catching up to them. And then. “…she’s as radiant as I remembered her.”

X--------------------------------X

For once, Ganyu didn’t insist on returning to the Harbor for work. Instead, she and Zhongli had long discussions of the past, of the war, of the people they all missed. Zhongli asked her about her work in the Harbor, and how the Qixing were. Xiao would chastise Ganyu in a sort of joking way about her ‘adeptus’ training, and she would implore him to come to the city more. They even discussed the differences they’d heard from Guizhong; about Ganyu’s difference in occupation, the altered Ruin Guards, and more. Nothing about Khaenri’ah, though. It veered too close to his existing contract.

Lumine expected them to be sad, or at least a bit down. Instead, everyone in the warm Inn room was happily reminiscing, and discussing what could have been. Even if Xiao wasn’t showing it, he did bring up his siblings, and smiled the teeny tiniest smile that Paimon pointed out.

Eventually, night arrived again. Lumine offered to return Zhongli and Ganyu to the Harbor, but only Ganyu accepted, noting how she could spend the rest of the night catching up on her work. Zhongli declined, opting to spend another night at the Inn and away from the constraints of the Harbor. So as Lumine and Ganyu departed, asPaimon cleaned up their meal, Zhongli took a moment to himself, away in the warm night. 

He stood on the Inn’s balcony and stared out at the land covered in midnight. They used to sit in the fields at times like this, surrounded in those glowing Glaze Lillies. The only time either of them had to spare. But now, he was alone again. He never realized how alone he had been. And now that she was gone again…He had to fall back down, back to how he had been. Just a bit more time to rejoice in their reunion, and prepare to return to his normal routine at the Parlor.

Zhongli summoned both Vanquishers to his hands. In his left hand was his own polearm, clean and pristine. In his right was the worn down and sea-stained one. Proof of erosion. But also a memorable artifact of their reunion. He would always have his memories and his emotions, but that broken polearm was physical proof. Even if they wouldn't see each other again till they passed. 

He let the spears in his hands fade away. 'What happens when they leave again, though?'. He asked that because he didn't know, and he was worried to find that answer. But now that he stood here, accompanied only by the wind, he had an idea. After they leave, he could cherish the memories and things they were able to do, and the opportunity he go to talk to her again.  She was one who could share the memory-

He can sense something behind him. Xiao had returned already. Before he could greet him, his former Yaksha spoke instead. “I want to go into the Chasm.”

It completely caught him off guard. The Chasm? Maybe it was just to push his boundaries? He hadn't ever left Liyue before, and he'd avoided the Chasm for so many centuries. Was it because it was reopening soon? As far as he was concerned, Xiao could leave at any time. But to be this formal…it was for a personal reason. A rarity. "This trip may be dangerous. yet you insist on going?"

Xiao hopped down from his perch on the roof. “I have guarded this place for several hundred years. Only to seek the nameless Yaksha, do I request your approval.”

Ah. “For Bosacius?”

“Yes.”

The darkness of the Chasm. It could be beautiful, most was now a sludge of darkness, left with the remains of the warfront from five centuries ago. Even he hadn’t ventured into its depths in quite a while, and he acknowledged the Qixing’s decision to close it. But if Xiao really wanted to search, he would most likely have to reach the one place even he hadn’t dared to touch. Memories flashed across his mind. The Millelith who went in as part of the front against Khaenri’ah and never returned. The ones who did and were not the same.  And even Azhdaha.

“But if you wish to go, you must come back.”

“O-Of course,”

He knew Guizhong would be desperate to bring him back, and so was he. Guess that part of him still hadn’t faded yet. “Please. You must come back.” Indarias and Bosacius would implore he not go alone, but he couldn't skip on his mortal duties any more. 

Please. Xiao hadn't heard his former lord sound so desperate in...possibly ever. But of course he would come back; he had a contract to uphold. Or had his time with Lady Guizhong changed him?

“Thank you.”

And with that, Xiao disappeared, readying himself for a deep journey into the Chasm. The place he had avoided for centuries out of fear of what he might find. But for the Bosacius who wished to stay with him, and the Indarias who wept for the things she failed to prevent, he would find a way to bring peace. At least, to his stirring heart.

X-----------------------------X

“Guardian, may I ask a question?”

“Go ahead, Gusion.”

“Celestia simply want me to step down, correct? I am free to go and live, afterwards."

“All Celestia has decreed is that Geo Archon Gusion step down or be cast out. Liyue simply cannot have a Geo Archon.”

“…That’s all I needed to hear.”

Chapter Text

The evening sun illuminated the golden trees that hung over the plain. She arrived to their meeting spot first, on the plain that separated Liyue and Mondstadt. She took the seat closest to Liyue, keeping her back to the golden trees. She placed a basket onto the marble table they'd erected for their meetings and began to lay out the light snacks she made. She would bring the food, he would bring the drinks. It didn’t take long for the wind to pick up, and for a familiar voice to pop out from the fir trees.

“So, you wanted to see me?”

Guizhong glanced up, spotting her fellow Archon dressed in bright green. “Venti,” she said, taking a moment look over her old friend. It had been so long since they’d last met up like this. A small relief against the whirlwind of chaos she’d been thrown through. “You really did come back!”

The Anemo Archon let out a cheerful laugh and grinned “It was good timing, really. All of a sudden I woke up, and found all of this chaos!” He took his seat opposite of her, back turned against the greenery of Mondstadt. “How have you been, o Geo Archon?”

Where could she even start. “Well, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to catch up with you.”

In the distance, she could see the outline of the Cathedral, and a small winery at the valley. Just a bit north, she could no longer see a whirlwind that used to surround the valley. The location of old Mond, and where she had sensed the surge of power only days prior.

Guizhong pushed forward a plate of jellies, while Venti offered an bottle of wine in return. “Dvalin? How is he?”

The bard blinked, frozen as he was pouring out his drink. “How do you know about that already?”

So the time finally came. “Well, a few months ago, I went to a place. An alternate universe. And in this universe, they spoke of events that had yet to happen here.”

Venti lowered his bottle. “Alternate?” he pondered the idea for only a moment. “So, like a place where I didn’t become an Archon? That sort of thing?”

She smiled. While she met and saw so many things during her time there, all she could really picture him. And anytime she thought of him, it made her grin like a giddy child. “Something like that,” Looking back on it, it felt like such a quick experience. “When I was there, I saw Liyue, I saw people I knew and lost during the War. I saw differences in history. But they also told me about a variety of future events.”

“So they told you about Dvalin?”

“They told me you would wake up from your nap to help out.” She explained. He wasn’t even phased by it at all. “I even met the Traveler.”

The Anemo Archon’s eyes widened.“So you’ve heard of him already? Information must be moving around fast.”

“...Him?”

“Aether. Though, most of us just go with Traveler. He travels with that pesky fairy Paimon.”

He? Did that mean… “Is he looking for his twin sister?”

Venti gulped down another swig of wine. “Yeah! But I sent him your way, to see your Rite of Descension since it is coming up. Have you finished preparations?”

So that was another big difference. So if it was the Traveler’s brother wandering Teyvat, that meant…the Traveler she met was the one who was lost. “I’ve met his sister,” she admitted quietly, almost over taken by the wind. “His sister has been taken in by the Abyss.”

For a moment, all wind ceased. “Are you serious?” Venti replied.

Guizhong pulled a cup of wine towards her, quickly poured by her guest, and stared into it as if it would show her an answer. Lumine...she was such a sweet and helpful girl. If it hadn’t been for her, Guizhong would have been left to waste in that universe. To think of her being corrupted by the Abyss…”Yes. I met her searching for her brother.”

“Guizhong, would you mind, uh, letting me in on these future events?”

“You can’t look into the Thousand Winds for answers? Surely Istaroth-“

“Hey, we don’t wanna talk about her,” he grumped, pouting. “Besides, if you already know, it saves me the time of looking! So gimme all the details, please!”

She took a sip of her wine, a cold rush that tasted of other fruits beyond grapes. “Well, for starters, I won’t be holding a real Rite of Descension this year.”

Venti almost dropped his drink. “Huh? HUH?! But that’s super important, isn’t it?”

She gulped down the rest of her drink in one go. “Guess you haven’t heard the news? I’m stepping down as the Geo Archon!”

“Huh?! What happened to you?”

X--------------------------------------------------------------------X

Months later. December 31^st. Liyue Harbor.

The twilight of the current year, with the dawn of the next just hours away.  Lantern Rite was coming soon, and the city was abuzz with excitement. Structures were scattered across the city ready to be decorated to celebrate. Work was being completed in pieces; within a few days, the Harbor would become a glowing hub of golden light.  No word yet on the Lantern that would take shape at the center of the Harbor, but he knew the Qixing would make it beautiful.

He finished his work early and took a tea break. But between services, the Director sent him home for the day, mentioning how he shouldn’t be celebrating his ‘birthday’ in a place like this. H relunctantly agreed, and took to the Harbor’s streets.

He got lunch at Third-Round Knockout, just in time to hear another story about the development of Liyue from Iron-Tongued Tian. As  he gave his compliments to the storyteller, he let his feet take him while his mind wandered. Before he knew it, he appeared back in Guili Plains, surrounded by ancient ruins.

The area was barren, not even a Treasure Hunter camped on the land. No merchants strolled along the road; a rarity due to its direct connection to the Harbor. All that stood with him were animals roaming the remains of fields that hadn’t been flooded.

It used to be a place that brought back ancient memories. But now all he could see it as was the same place they reunited. On a day like this, he couldn’t help but be nostalgic.

It had been months since Guizhong came back and left his life again. How was she doing? Had she finally found herself in a place to step down? Was she happy? Was she okay? A part of him wanted to see her Liyue. He wanted to see what she could guide, just to scratch that itch in his mind.  He wanted to see a different interpretation. A different Teyvat that was similar yet full of different what-ifs.  But he had yet to even explore his own...

It took him quite a few days to move past her departure. Their reunion had been a whirlwind of events that would blow past him when he tried to review even a moment. But he always reassured himself; no matter what, she would be okay. She had her Yaksha, she had her Cutter, and she had her brains.

He knew he would be okay. He had his friends, old and new, and his new developing life in the Harbor. But did it hurt to at least want her as a part of it?

Zhongli stopped along the beaches of the Plains, pants rolled up and shoes in hand. Walking barefoot along the crisp cold sea, like they used to together. The sun as it turned the sky to shades of dusk. Tomorrow, a new year already. He would have to prepare some Lantern Rite gifts for Ganyu and Xiao soon. And maybe the rest of the adepti would accept some small baskets of goodies as well. Oh Lantern Rite, where the city would glow in golden light for days and nights. Hopefully this year’s event wouldn’t be as stormy as last year. And maybe-

“Heyyyyyy!”

It was someone’s voice. An oddity, especially this far away. Had someone followed him? Or was it a passing merchant?

“Please slow down!”

He turned away from the open waters and back towards land. Behind him he could see a person running up to him from the Ruins. It was a woman in blue, wearing a long blue dress like those working for the Qixing. But what would a Qixing employee being doing out here-

No, he could tell from her aura. It may have been weaker in power, but he knew it well. It had been the very one to surprise him months ago. But she wasn't wearing gold; she wore Glaze Lily blue again. “Gui-?”

Before he could process it, she threw herself into his arms, almost knocking him off his feet and into the shallow water.  But it was Guizhong. The Guizhong he said his goodbyes too. Here, in his arms, clinging to his coat.

“It took me all day to find you, you know!” she said, her voice muffled by his coat.

His mind was spinning, and he was trying to force it to slow down. To simply process. “I-I’m sorry,” Reality struck him. Any sort of elation he had was gone, replaced with worry. Panic. He grabbed onto her shoulders.“Wait, why are you here? Did something happen? Were you sent away again by the Guardian and Celestia?” They would have to get the materials again, and try to send letters to the Traveler-

Guizhong’s head shot up. Her face was entirely red, but he wasn’t sure if it was because she’d been crying or not. “Huh? That’s your reaction?!” A wide grin crossed her face. “No ‘welcome back, my lily’?”

Zhongli blinked. He couldn't get his hopes up yet. “But…don’t you need to be in your universe?”

She lingered, sapphire eyes pointed upwards in thought. “Well, since I no longer have a Gnosis, Celestia isn’t too particular about what I do. They simply want to stabilize everything.”

“H-huh?”

“From what the Guardian told me, they’re only after Gusion, the Geo Archon. Well, she isn’t an Archon any more. My former Liyue matches yours,” She shrugged casually. “What Guizhong herself does on her own doesn’t matter to them now! So I made my own decision, and I came back!”

All of the tension in his body fell apart. “I-It was that simple…” He wanted to ask questions, but questioning the rules of universe-hopping was still a bit out of his league. He really should have asked as the Traveler about it before she left for Sumeru. He was fighting back waves of overwhelming emotion. She was here, standing along the beach, illuminated by the setting sun. It left him breathless. “But how did you get here?”

Guizhong shook her head, her hair swaying with her. She wore it down again, ditching her ponytail. “Over these past few months, I maaaay have done some experiments. It took a while, but I was able to develop a Sigil that condenses all of the energy of the ritual into one simple slip of paper! No more redrawing, fixing, anything.”

She said it so confidently. “Condensed?”

“Ta-da!” With a wave of her hand, she revealed an all-black Sigil, with matching writing in white ink. “As long as I have one of my special Sigils, some Soul Cleansing bottles, and Cor Lapis from each universe, I can go between them as I please!”

He could barely breathe, much less put words together. She was able to put all of that together after seeing the ritual perfomed once. No, how had she figured out to hop universes herself like the Traveler? “You really are brilliant.”

“Eh, I can still make improvements. It requires a lot of power to be pulled from the leylines, so I can’t do it constan-hey!”

Zhongli lifted her from the ground with ease, balancing her in his arms in a craddle carry. "You're very light, you know."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pouted. "Well, I am the God of Dust."

"Were." he corrected gently. 

She sighed in agreement. "It's...going to take me a while to get used to it." 

He turned back towards the sea, allowing them both to face the setting sun together. Another chance to share one together. 

“But why come here? Do you…not want to live in your Liyue?” The one she cherished so much? The one she had such a difficult time leaving behind?

“I was always a public figure within Liyue. Going incognito would require a lot more work, and I didn’t have time to build a foundation. I needed to leave as soon as possible, for the safety of Liyue. So I set up my test and prepare some things to be used after I left for the future. And I was already so focused on Liyue for so long, I figured I would try and do something new against my character. So I left."

“Forever?” A stark contrast to the Guizhong who wept to him about leaving a few months ago.

“Well, I'm considering this a vacation for now. I should be able to go between universes pretty frequently. I will have to wait between uses, so it doesn’t get destroyed. But I’m not going to be overbearing anymore. I need to let them be. I know Liyue can handle themselves now. I tested them, and they did swimmingly. Now I can let go, and explore by myself.”

Leaving Liyue’s side entirely. She was taking steps even he hadn’t done yet. “That’s…going to be hard…”

“I know, but I have you here with me,” she replied. “And if I’m homesick, I can even go back as a tourist! No, we could go together!”

‘Together’. What a word. It made him want to throw out any plans he had for tonight, tomorrow, the rest of time. Anything to spend it with her. 

Guizhong laid her head on his shoulder, a warm comfort against the choppy wind. “You’re retired. I’m retired. We don’t have anything else to distract us except for life itself."

He was still shaking. “You came back.” he spoke softly, barely able to gather his words.

She took his face into her hands, both warm again. “I even brought flowers and gifts for your birthday! For all the ones I missed.” she said, before planting a kiss on his cheek. 

“You are the only gift I could have,” he replied. “Thank you for coming back.”