Work Text:
‘Its glow is fading like your soul faded from this world that day’
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“How much longer do we have till we reach the village Beidou? My feet are starting to hurt from all this walking”, little Ningguang complained as she covered her eyes from the afternoon sun with her hand.
“Come on, we weren't walking that long, don't be dramatic. Besides, you know I can't carry you while I'm holding these” Beidou said, motioning to the willow baskets full of fresh fish in her hands.
"First, I never asked you to carry me, and second, remember how you insisted on carrying those fish by yourself? You turned down my offer before I even got the chance to make it", Ningguang crossed her arms in annoyance.
“I didn't want to give you one because you would start complaining the moment you held it. You're whining from walking a few miles;imagine if I let you carry one of those”, the smug smile never leaving Beidou’s face.
Ningguang scoffed at Beidou and continued walking, her bare feet leaving small footprints on the sand.
They marched towards the small village, following the golden sun beams that spanned the sky. They spent the entire evening together, cooking the fish they had caught and lying by the sea under the light of the full moon. They don't need anything else in the world; each other's presence is enough.
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Beidou woke up when the sun was rising. Ningguang was asleep on the beach next to her, her white hair tangled in the sand. Beidou found it fascinating to watch Ningguang sleep, how her small chest rose and fell with every breath she took, or how she would mumble things in her sleep. She decided to go for a walk along the coast to observe the sea instead of waking up her friend.
Beidou closed her eyes as the fresh morning breeze hit her face, slowly inhaling and exhaling. She continued walking until she tripped over something in the sand and fell. She spit the sand out of her mouth with a groan and spun around to find the stupid rock that had caused her to fall flat on her face and eat all of the sand. Beidou frowned as she realized she hadn't stumbled over a rock, but rather a golden shell near the water, gleaming in the sunlight and gently swayed by the waves. She took it in her hands and inspected the magnificent treasure.
The first thing that came to Beidou's mind was whether this was worth enough mora to buy her some new clothes. She didn't ask for much because she was well aware of her poor economic status, but Beidou would sometimes be jealous of the other kids' clothing, even Ningguang’s. Beidou's clothes were torn and dirty. Her pants were poorly batched in some spots and her shirt had a large hole in the back. She didn't care about shoes. She preferred to walk barefoot, and carried an old pair of sandals with her whenever she went to the Harbor. On her way back to the cabin, she wondered if Ningguang had awoken to show her her discovery.
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“Hey, Ning, look, isn't it beautiful?”Beidou said, amused by the golden shell she had found on the beach.
“Hmm yes indeed, where did you find it?”
"A few miles along the shore from here. How much mora do you think i can make from this?” Beidou asked, her grin broadening at the thought of the golden metallic coins pouring through her fingers.
Ningguang gasped at Beidou’s absurd question.
"Are you planning to sell a true gift from the Gods for a couple of mora?" Beidou, this is the most beautiful shell I've ever seen; it's a waste to toss it away like this," she said, filling Beidou with guilt.
She had no intention of wasting the mora; all she wanted was a new pair of clothes, but the way Ningguang’s eyes lit up when she saw the shell was adorable and how fascinated she looked when she traced its silhouette…
“You can keep it if you want”, Beidou said with a smile.
"I can't; it's yours, and if you want to sell it to make some mora, you're free to do so. I apologize if my excitement got the best of me and made you feel bad about your decision." Ningguang sighed and reached out her hand to return the shell to Beidou.
“No, as you said, it's mine, and I get to decide what to do with it. My decision is to give it to you as a gift and I would really appreciate it if you accepted it. Something as beautiful as this shell must be gifted to such beautiful people as you, Ningguang. Do you promise to keep it safe for me?”Beidou pushed the shell further into Ningguang’s hands, cupping it with her hand.
“Yes, I promise.”
Beidou would always try her best, no matter what life threw at her. Her motivation in life was to ensure a decent life for herself and her loved ones. Beidou believed in true happiness. It had been a lifelong ambition of hers.Wandering sometimes around the Harbor, she observed the people passing. Some were merchants, while others were simply citizens, and still others were visitors from another nation. Every time, she had the same thought: "But are they truly happy?”
Why wouldn’t they? They wore nice clothes. They had a family, someone to wait for them to be back home, a roof to stay under on a rainy day. Some kids even had their favorite toys in their hands. Beidou had none of those. Why had life been so cruel to her? Why her? Why did some people get to live in luxurious mansions and eat expensive food every day, while others crept through the dark alleyways of Liyue -hungry- in search of a single breadcrumb? Why?
Her life changed when she met Ningguang. Ningguang was the ray of hope. Beidou kept fighting that monster called life because of her. She watched Ningguang grow into a beautiful and successful woman who made her own fortune and carved the name ‘Ningguang’ in all of Liyue's history books as the years passed. Beidou fell in love with her, and luck was on her side this time, and she returned the love.Someone could call it simply fate.
When she met Ningguang, Beidou found true happiness.
But, as the saying goes, good things don't last forever.
Beidou's lifeless body was pulled into the depths of the sea by the same fate that had once favored her with Tianquan's affection.
Ningguang collapsed to her knees when she saw Beidou's body, covering her lips to keep from vomiting as nausea grew stronger with each passing second. Her heartbeat pulsing through her ears, tears began to gather in her crimson eyes. Her skin was as white as a ghost, and with her long hair covering her face, it was difficult to tell the difference.
Screaming between cries Beidou's name over and over, as if Beidou would somehow wake up and wrap her in her arms, reassuring her that everything would be alright. Her secretaries quietly left the room, whispering a "we are deeply sorry Lady Ningguang '' before closing the door. Ningguang was soon alone in front of her lover's body, weeping in misery.
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Ningguang visited Beidou's grave a few days later, the sky above her deep gray, as if the world was responding to Ningguang's grief. A bouquet of freshly picked glaze lilies and the golden shell Beidou had given her when they were young were in her hands. With shaky breaths, she kneeled and placed the bouquet on the ground. Her body gave in as she dropped her head on the cold ground where her captain was buried, holding the golden shell close to her chest. Tears ran down her cheek, despite her best efforts.
Ningguang was trembling and sobbing uncontrollably, dizziness overwhelming her. She should have never sent Beidou to that mission. She pursued her own selfish desires, and now her beloved Beidou was no longer with her. She wouldn't return to kiss Ningguang's lips. She would never again lay on top of Ningguang's bare chest and gently stroke her collarbone. She wouldn't bring Ningguang the finest jewels from other nations when she returned from her travels.
“I'm sorry my love, I broke my promise.” Ningguang said quietly, wiping her teary eyes.
The first drops of rain began to fall. Ningguang raised her eyes to the sky, allowing the raindrops to fall on her face, hoping to wash away her sorrow. Their fate was written in the stars all along wasn't it?It was predetermined from the very start. Ningguang should have been more careful, she thought.
Taking a deep breath she placed the golden shell on the ground and stood up to make her leave as the rain started to pick up.
"Beidou, you always wore that reassuring smile on your face, even when the whole world was against us. You, my love, are the first woman to whom I have ever given my heart, and I promise you that you will be the one and only as long as my heart is beating.Besides those whom the Gods love most die young”
And as she said these words, the shell's faint glow faded completely…