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"Prince Xiao, Princess Ganyu, please accompany me. The Emperor seeks a private audience with you both."

The two kids looked up from their spot under the giant birch tree in the royal garden. It was weird for their favourite maid, Cloud Retainer, as they had nicknamed her, to ask for their attention. Much less the two of them together, and even less so due to their father wanting to talk with them.

The little bird and goat hybrids shared a nervous glance and stood up. They followed Cloud retainer inside the Tianshan Palace in absolute silence. They both knew that, whatever it was their father wanted to speak with them, it was of utmost importance.

It didn't take more than five minutes to fully traverse the corridors and stairs. The children quickly caught on that they were heading towards their father's private office.

Only Ganyu had been allowed inside before, after showing natural talent with the bow and arrow. At the ripe age of eight, she had already been granted her royal weapon, a bow forged by the best smiths of the time: Amos' Bow.

Xiao would then try to wield every weapon he could find, just to get the same attention from his father. Thankfully, the Emperor would gift him with his own blade on his tenth birthday, in the privacy of his bedroom; a weapon the Emperor himself had crafted, and that had been one of his most prized possessions: the Primordial Jade Winged Spear.

Now, both aged twelve, were standing before the intricate golden carvings of the Emperor's office, doors so tall they reached the ceiling.

Two girls, a brunette and a purple haired ladies that must have been about three or four years older than them, stood before them next to the double doors. They had never seen them before. The two moved in sync, opening the doors and revealing the interior to them. As Cloud Retainer stepped inside, Xiao began to look around.

It wasn't as different from other offices in the Palace. The left and right walls were stacked from the floor to the ceiling with all kinds of heavy leather-cover books and yellowed ancient scrolls. There were cushions made for more than one, with individual resting tables to each side, and a middle coffee table that must cost more than any toy Xiao had ever held in his hands, there was a desk made out of the riches of oaks sitting before the carefully crafted windows that was far too big for only one person.

But what separated this office from the others in the Palace was the table in the middle of the room; a map from each and every continent, each coloured a different color, depending on the nation's ruler. Despite how laid back the king was, Mondstadt adored Lord Barbatos (or Venti, as Xiao had once heard from his father), and so the nation had been painted in the man's favorite color, teal green. The Empire of Inazuma, ruled by the ever present Raiden Shogun, had been painted the riches of purple. Despite having her mother, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata recently passed, Lesser Lord Kusanali, the next Queen in line who couldn't be older than five, had already decided that the nation's color would continue to be green, already gaining the favor of her people, despite what the Great Council of Sages wanted to believe. The kingdom of Fontaine was ocean blue, the Empire of Natlan was blood red, and the frozen Empire of Snezhnaya was a soft baby blue.

To no one's surprise, the Empire of Liyue had been painted a honey amber, the same color of their father's eyes. Eyes that were looking into both the children's souls, as their owner finished speaking with his personal retainer, a young man with ginger coloured hair and dead blue eyes, a gift from Her Majesty the Tsaritsa as a peace treaty, Tartaglia. He was a narwhal hybrid, with a horn protruding from his forehead, patches of blue skin running down his arms and a long tail that reached all the way down to the floor. It made sense that the Tsaritsa deemed her Vanguard as the perfect gift, seeing as he would fit perfectly in the empire of hybrids. The Emperor himself was a dragon hybrid, two long horns resembling antlers stood proud from his skull, dark brown and gold scales adorned his cheeks and neck, and his own brown tail was gold at its end with curly gold fur. He was the true image of what the emperor of such a successful nation should look like.

Cloud Retainer stepped aside and bowed to the Emperor. "My Lord," she said, not even once looking in the Emperor's direction, "Sir Tartaglia, I have brought his Highness Prince Xiao and her Highness Princess Ganyu. I shall take my leave now."

"Thank you very much, Jièfēng. Please allow Ms. Hu Tao and Ms. Keqing inside."

With another curt bow, Cloud Retainer took her leave. Not long after, the two women that had opened the doors for them stepped inside. They quickly placed one knee on the ground and bowed.

"It is a pleasure to serve you, Lord Morax." Said both of them at the same time, as if rehearsed. It probably was.

"It is a pleasure to have you both here as well, Ms. Hu Tao, Ms. Keqing. Please, make yourselves comfortable. I will be with you two shortly."

Tartaglia stepped aside and the Emperor stood up from his seat at his desk, and made his way to his two children. Xiao and Ganyu straightened their backs, just like they had been taught in etiquette class.

Their father stood before them, examining their faces as if to memorize them. He did this each time any of the three met. It made sense, since they usually went weeks without properly seeing each other.

Xiao and Ganyu didn't meet his gaze. They had realized last week that they were the only people in the empire to ever look their father in the eyes (besides his retainer), so they figured out that it would be best if they followed everyone's example. There had to be a good reason for it, after all.

A second passed, and Xiao almost gasped when the Emperor got down to his knees in front of them. Neither kid could stop themselves from looking at their father, eyes wide and open in surprise.

The man before them smiled warmly, manners forgotten. That was no longer Rex Lapis, the Emperor of Liyue, Lord Morax, but their dad, Zhongli.

He extended his arms open, inviting them into a hug.

"How have you two been?"

Ganyu jumped in first, always the most emotional of the two, giggling as she hugged her dad close by the neck. Xiao followed soon after, his hug more gentle, but his smile just as relaxed as his father's.

"We've been good, dad! Xiao bested Shenhe for the first time last week in their training session, and I managed to hit more bullseyes than Sir Tartaglia two days ago!" Ganyu rambled on. Xiao separated himself just enough to be able to look at his sister and his father comfortably enough. Ganyu did the same, but she kept her arms around Zhongli's shoulders.

The last statement seemed to amuse the Emperor, since he turned around to look at the ginger in question, and with a smirk, he asked.

"Is that true?"

"What can I say, M'Lord," answered Tartaglia nonchalantly. He might have shrugged his shoulders as if it was nothing of importance, but the way he eyed the young Princess showed how truly proud he was of her accomplishments, "she and your son are as talented and natural to the arts of war as you are."

"I'm happy to hear that." Said Zhongli, and it showed. He looked radiant, smiling at them both like that. Ganyu giggled again, but Xiao looked away embarrassed. Shenhe used compliments very sparingly, if ever, so he was always caught off guard when he received them.

Zhongli stood up, and with that, his expression changed. The siblings took notice, and they became serious too. The family bonding time had ended, and the meeting between the Emperor and the heirs of the Empire had begun.

"Please, take a seat. This matter is of utmost importance." Their father told them as he made his way back to his leather armchair behind his desk.

The children did as told, sitting on the couch in front of Ms. Hu Tao and Ms. Keqing. Xiao only realized that they were fully human then. It was not a rare sight to see humans in Liyue, but it was for Xiao, since he always stayed at the palace. Even Cloud Retainer had her own pair of white wings and feathery cheeks, just like Xiao's dark green and blue ones.

Ganyu started fiddling with her fingers, an activity she had learned to do to prevent herself from getting too anxious, or simply to stop herself from falling asleep. Something told Xiao that the latter wasn't the case this time.

"Do you children know about the Winter Solstice?" Their father began.

The two siblings shared a confused look.

"You mean the longest night of the year, father?" Ganyu tried.

"That is correct." The Emperor said. He leaned in towards them and rested his elbows on the surface of the desk, intertwining his fingers in the process. "What else do you know about it?"

"Well," Ganyu stammered, "it's an annual event where, uhm, the sun travels through the shortest path possible, making it the shortest day and the longest night of the year."

"Perfect, Ganyu. Good job."

Ganyu released her breath, happy to have gotten the right answer.

"Father," Xiao moved his body forward, trying to get a better view of the place his father was sitting at, "why are you asking us this?"

Tartaglia and Zhongli exchanged a look, as if trying to debate something. The casual interaction ended with a sigh from the Emperor and a small, fake smile from his retainer. Xiao didn't like it when Tartaglia faked smiles, it meant that either he was furious or about to faint from stress.

"Every fifty years," said Zhongli, regaining Xiao's attention, "during the annual Winter Solstice, an eclipse occurs. We call that day Mørket, or 'The Time of Pure Darkness'.

It's an entire day without moon or sun, where the entirety of Teyvat is engulfed in pure black, and nothing but the fire from Natlan or the lightning from Inazuma can be seen."

Neither Ganyu nor Xiao had ever heard of this festivity. They shared a look, as if trying to figure out if the other had also heard what Zhongli just told them. They would have guessed that such an extreme and important event would be written about endlessly, having several books about it in the Palace's Royal Library. At the very least, they would have heard about it from the gossips of the maids or another important figure passing by, but no.

They looked back at their father, quietly yet impatiently begging to hear more. It seemed like that made Zhongli more relaxed, since they saw his shoulders drop and a tiny smile grace his features.

"The reason I am telling you this," Zhongli continued, "is because the Mørket will happen again in thirteen years, just when the two of you have turned twenty five."

The children gasped. It reminded Zhongli of the time when he first told them the story of how he earned the title of emperor, when he told them stories before going to bed.

"Will we be able to see it?" Xiao was just if not more excited to witness such natural phenomena. He was a curious soul by nature, and having the privilege of living through auch an event was making him excited.

"I haven't even told you two the most important part of the event, you know?" Zhongli teased them a bit. The children regained their compostures, and Tartaglia gave Zhongli a very light hit as if to reprimand him. Xiao had no idea how that man was still standing with his head attached to his neck. Zhongli cleared his throat before continuing.

"As I was saying, it is the day where no light can be seen across Teyvat. However, there are two exceptions."

"These two exceptions are Viatrix and Viator, the true Gods of this land. They're beings born from stardust, entities made out of pure light, and together they created the sea and land, giving life to every plant, animal and human being that has existed so far."

The information left their jaws hanging. Gods? Creators of the land? Made out of light? The info dump was so massive for their juvenile brains that their brains metaphorically exploded.

" What? " Ganyu gasped. While Xiao thought it was terrible manners to ask that way, he felt like the inflection and tone his sister used was perfect.

"I know it sounds like a lot, but I haven't finished."

Both children shut their mouths, but they were visibly shaking with excitement in regards to the conversation. Zhongli took this as permission to keep going.

"Viatrix and Viator descend from the heavens to illuminate each and every nation. In turn, each ruler of each nation brings forth two humans, one male and one female, and we offer them as life companions to the gods, so that they can be informed of what humanity needs and wants, as well as making sure the gods are pleased in their everyday lives."

Ganyu didn't seem to notice, but Xiao definitely did. It was in the way Zhongli emphasized the two humans , and how he looked at each of them when mentioning they had to be one male and one female.

"Father," the prince tried, "do you mean to say… that…" Xiao couldn't finish his sentence, but he pointed to his sister and himself, making his question rather obvious.

His father tensed. Tartaglia quickly placed a hand on the Emperor's shoulder, trying to sooth his nerves. It only partially worked.

"Yes," his father's breath trembled, "the reason I am saying this to you all is because you two will be the human offerings when the time comes."

"But-" Ganyu spoke to the best of her ability, as best as someone on the verge of tears could. "But what about the Empire? What will happen to the people if we get chosen?"

"The gods are merciful. In all the millennia of this tradition, they have never chosen two offerings from the same nation. They're so loyal to that rule that, when humans from the same nation catch their eye, whoever doesn't get to pick the one they wanted, the two gods fight incessantly for causing floods and earthquakes for the next fifty years until the next offering ceremony, because they can't stop arguing over who should've gotten the right to pick the human first."

"In any case," Zhongli tried to say at the horrified expressions of his son and daughter," if any of you get chosen, the other shall inherit the throne. If none of you  is chosen, you shall share responsibilities in a dual rule until one if you are able to bear a child first. Whoever that is, they shall become the emperor or empress of the nation, and the other shall remain their faithful advisor."

"Like Uncle Osial?" Xiao whispered.

"Yes," Zhongli sighed. The emperor looked away, trying his best to hide his turmoil, "like Uncle Osial."

It was no mystery as to why their father felt so mournful. Osial had murdered their mother Guizhong seven years ago to try and get ahold of the throne that his father had rightfully earned, since he had been the first of the two brothers to have children. Zhongli himself ended up killing Osial with his own hands, and the entire empire of Liyue mourned the loss of their empress for a week, none wishing to remember the traitor that had taken away from them such a gentle soul.

"When it was our time," Zhongli said, "Osial had been chosen as an offering as the oldest of us. Guizhong had been chosen due to being the fairest and most intelligent woman of the empire at the moment. That's how I met her. She was barely nineteen at the moment of the celebration. Thankfully, she wasn't chosen, and we were able to get married. While Osial worked day and night to learn everything he could to be the fit ruler he hoped to be, your mother and I traveled across the entirety of Liyue, getting to know the people and each other. It was to no one's surprise when you two were born, and everyone was elated to have me as the Emperor, since they felt comfortable with someone so close to the people assuming the throne. Osial didn't like that, of course. You two know the rest of the story."

"Either way," Zhongli said. He ignored the sad looks his children were giving him in order of standing up and walking towards Ms. Hu Tao and Ms. Keqing, who Xiao had completely forgotten that they were there in the first place," as you two will have guessed, these are Ms. Keqing-" the purple haired woman stood up, holding her hands in front of them and bowed to the prince and princess,"-and Ms. Hu Tao." The brunette stood up with a jump and waved her hand in their direction, an easy going smile on her lips. Ganyu returned the wave slightly confused at such a casual gesture. "They will be your retainers from now on, Ms. Keqing being assigned to you, Ganyu, and Ms. Hu Tao being your retainer, Xiao. They will teach you all you need to know regarding the Mørket, the socio-political climates of each nation, as well as making sure your abilities with the blade and bow are honed to perfection. Anything you two have questions on, they are the ones you need to ask."

Xiao turned to Hu Tao, a girl just a few centimeters taller than him. She gave him a cheeky smile and a peace sign, and he already knew that these following years would be a nightmare.

"That is all. You can go now."

The two heirs made their way to the doors, Ganyu looking back one last time to their father. The man stood there, resigned. Tartaglia had moved from his spot next to the armchair and was now standing on the left side of Zhongli. Xiao looked at them both before leaving, and caught a glimpse of Tartaglia's hand on his father's hips in time with the emperor exhaling in defeat and letting his head fall on his retainer's shoulder. He would not question what he saw, since it was not his business.

Once the doors were closed behind them, Hu Tao stretched with her arms above her head, a groan leaving her throat.

"Oh, finally. The vibes from that office were more depressing than I thought they would be."

"Hu Tao." Keqing called her attention. "That is such a disrespectful way to talk about His Majesty the Emperor's office! Especially in front of his children!" The lady was gritting her teeth at how annoyed she was with Xiao's retainer.

"Oh, c'mon, relax a little, will you? The emperor didn't choose you for licking his boots, he chose you because of how good you are at your job. You don't need to act so high and mighty all the time."

Keqing's face immediately burst into red, leaving the woman stammering and at a loss for words.

"Anyway, nice to meet you, Prince Xiao! Or would you like me to call you your Highness? I can do both. Choose wisely, because it's what I'll call you for the span of these next thirteen years." The… kid in front of him smiled and put her hands behind her back, ready for whatever answer Xiao gave him.

"...call me Xiao."

"Great! I'm actually excited to see you wield your spear, so, can we go do that? I know that you have sparring sessions with Shenhe now, so." Hu Tao clapped her hands and looked at Xiao expectantly, as if she wouldn't move from her spot unless Xiao said so. At least that gave Xiao some leverage over her, it seems like Hu Tao was capable of following orders well enough.

"Sure. Follow me to the training grounds."

Hu Tao let out a quiet "Yippee!" As she skipped her way ahead of the prince, like if she already knew where they were headed at. Xiao could barely hear Ms. Keqing saying something to his sister to later walk in the other direction. Xiao was almost jealous.

He thought that he had gotten the short end of the stick with his retainer, believing that Hu Tao was the worst retainer he could've hoped for. The years proved him wrong.

As it turns out, Hu Tao was an extremely gifted polearm user, being granted permission from the Emperor to wield the Staff of Homa. The first time they spared together, Hu Tao had him panting and with his back on the ground, the razor sharp ends of her weapon against his throat. He was covered in dirt and sweat, and the only thing that Hu Tao was covered in was smugness. From then on, Xiao begged Shenhe to amp up the difficulty of his training just to be able to best Hu Tao anytime soon. Shenhe recognized her name, and told him that he would need at least another seven years before he got to her level. Xiao screamed into his pillow that night.

The way Hu Tao had decided to teach him about his people had been similar to the way his father had learned: traveling. While Ganyu stayed back at the Tianshan Palace and organized events and festivities under the watchful eye of Ms. Keqing, Xiao and Hu Tao were slaying monsters that blocked trading routes and exterminating demons that haunted people at night. After each battle well fought, Hu Tao would show Xiao the rites that one must perform to ensure that a soul crosses to the Other Side unscathed and safe. Their funeral ceremonies always felt magical, and Xiao found himself thankful for what Hu Tao was teaching him more than once. 

Hu Tao taught him the importance of death and the celebration of life; how important it was for the people of Liyue and Teyvat that they were able to sleep soundly at night, so that they could enjoy the sun once more, and help out the rest of their nation and make it bloom like the most beautiful of glaze lilies. When he reached the age of eighteen, his coming of age ceremony was celebrated along with Ganyu's, and both Xiao and Hu Tao sparred before Zhongli to show him how much Xiao had improved in his training. It was the first time Xiao had managed to beat Hu Tao.

When he turned twenty, Hu Tao burst open his door with two backpacks and hiking boots, and announced to a semi-conscious prince that they were going on a trip. Apparently, Zhongli had given Hu Tao permission to take his son outside of Liyue and across Teyvat, to show him each and every nation. The catch? They were going by foot. No carriages, no horses, not even a sumpter beast. Just the two of them, their tiny backpacks and five years before the Mørket celebration.

Regardless, Xiao was excited. Their first stop was Mondstadt, the kingdom of freedom and wine. On their first day inside the mayor city they bumped into a bard who accidentally poured dandelion wine on Xiao's white shirt. As an apology, he invited them to his house to look for a change of clothes. Hu Tao accepted before Xiao could refuse, and they followed the man up the city's stairs. As they went, the bard who had presented himself as Venti greeted everyone in sight. As the citizens greeted the man back, Xiao quickly realized that this was no ordinary man, but Lord Barbatos himself. His suspicions were confirmed when the guards at the entrance of the Knight of Favonius' headquarters did their signature salute and allowed them inside, wishing him a 'good day, Lord Barbatos'. Venti just waved them off, telling them to relax a little, and walked in.

Xiao was beyond confused, but Hu Tao seemed completely unphased.

A blonde young woman around his age was walking down the stairs next to a brunette witch with purple clothes. When the blonde lady in white recognized her king, she simply relaxed and walked his direction, stopping a few meters before him before giving him the nation's salute.

"My King, what brings you here? I thought you said you were going to visit sir Diluc and sir Kaeya at the Dawn Winery."

"At ease, my Dandelion Knight. I'm here because I accidentally spilled some wine on my friend here, and I wanted to see if you had any extra shirts you could lend him."

"We do have some," said the witch," but I'm not sure if Prince Xiao would fit with his wings and all." Ah, so the witch had recognized him.

"P-Prince Xiao?" The Dandelion Knight, as Venti referred to, quickly got down on one knee and bowed to him, trying her best to calm her nerves. "I sincerely apologize for my uneducated manners, Your Highness. I was not notified of your arrival at the City of Mondstat. I shall prepare a change of clothes in the name of my Lord for you at once."

"Woah, woah, woah, calm down~" Hu Tao intervened, kneeling to her level and pulling her up by the elbow. "Don't worry about all those formalities. We aren't here for any political reason, we're just tourists! So relax a little, alright?"

"A-alright." Said the knight. She took a few breaths to regulate herself and calmed down. "Sorry about that," she explained," it has been a while since any royalty has visited this small city, so we're mostly relaxed on that aspect."

"My name is Jean Gunnhildr, Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius and assigned Dandelion Knight by Lord Barbatos. This is Lisa Minci," Jean moved her hand to present the witch at her side. Lisa wiggled her fingers their way, a gesture that Hu Tao reciprocated," she is the Librarian of the Knights of Favonius and the best scholar to come out of Sumeru's Akademiya in the last two hundred years. She is my personal retainer, also assigned by Lord Barbatos."

The specific mention of Lisa being Jean’s retainer caught Xiao’s attention. Could she be…

“Miss Jean,” Xiao said, walking up to her. She shut her mouth in a thin line and looked straight into his eyes, as if fearful to say the wrong word,” may I have a word with you? In private, that is.”

“Of course, Your Highness. Please, follow me. Lisa, if you could please look for a shirt for him.”

“Sure thing, dearest. Come on, Venti. Let’s fix the mess you’ve caused.”

The bard in question laughed at Lisa’s incrimination and followed her to the second floor, the curious Hu Tao tagging along and asking questions about the rooms of the building. Jean, on the other hand, walked towards the first door to the left of the entrance, inviting Xiao along. The prince followed, trying his best not to look around the small office and simply standing to the side. The knight closed the door behind them and turned around to face Xiao.

“Well? What do you need to tell me, Your Highness?”

“Again,” Xiao lifted his hand and motioned Jean to stay calm,” just address me as Xiao for now. I come here in the status of traveler, not as the Prince of Liyue, so there’s no need to be cautious or be on edge just for the possibility of you disrespecting me.”

“Okay.” Jean sighed out. She allowed her position to be more relaxed, crossing her arms and resting her hips on her desk. “Well, Xiao, what is it?”

Xiao took a second to ponder if it was a good idea to ask this woman the question he had in mind. She might not even be related to the event at all, despite her having a king-assigned retainer, a high position of power in her nation and being in his age range. But if she really didn’t know, he could just excuse himself of making a misunderstanding.

“Miss Jean, have you ever heard of the Mørket?”

Jean quickly stood still, her eyes examining Xiao’s face as if to try and find any sort of reason to kick him out or extort information out of him. How such a nervous and anxious woman could turn into such a terrifying being like the flip of a switch, Xiao didn’t know.

“Xiao, is Hu Tao your retainer?” Jean asked him. Not the answer he was expecting, but he had a feeling he knew where her train of thought was going.

“She is.”

“Then yes, I do know about the Mørket. In fact, I have the feeling that I know about it because of the same reasons you do.”

“So you have also been chosen as an offering by your ruler?” Xiao wanted to scoff. Almost. It’s not like Jean was a bad fit. Quite the contrary, she was an amazing woman. She had become the Grandmaster of the Knights, the leading military of the nation she was born in, and was practically already ruling the place in the name of King Barbatos. Xiao was simply… disheartened, to say the least. He could be representing his own nation in important affairs, like his sister or Jean were doing, but instead he was walking around beating up monsters.

It’s whatever, really. His father is lover around the nation because he is capable of connecting with his people, and through all these years, Xiao has met thousands of Liyuean citizen that have his approval. Despite whatever happens in the Mørket, his nation was going to be okay.

“That I have. Although, we’re not supposed to call him our ruler anymore.” Jean smiled, as if recalling a fond memory. Xiao wished he could see it. “He stepped down from the throne when he named me Grandmaster, saying that in all his years of ruling, he had never seen such capable hands at the head of his people. The celebration of Mondstadt’s liberation lasted for an entire week, and after everything was done, he pulled me and Diluc aside and confided in us about the Mørket, along with assigning us our retainers, Lisa and Kaeya. He saw a confident leader in me with the charisma to lead his people and the determination in Diluc to manage and organize the masses, praising his marketing abilities and his tactics on the festival. He had made the celebrations specifically to fish out the new ‘guides’ of the nation, as he wants to call us, and now he just wanders Mondstadt with nothing but his harp and his voice. He donated everything to the Church of Favonius, including the castle, and the people erected a statue in his honor, despite how embarrassed he was about it.” Jean was shining as she spoke, her smile so full of joy and happiness that Xiao had to almost shield his eyes from it. She seemed genuinely ready to accept the role of Mondstadt’s guide once the celebration was over with.

“What will you do if you’re chosen?” Xiao asked her. It was a question that he hadn’t been able to answer for years, keeping him awake at night as he saw the stars from the hills of Jueyun Karst. He had thought about all the things he would do when he shared his position with Ganyu, and how he would do his best to help her out when she gave birth to her very own children, something he knew she always wanted to have.

Xiao had also thought about how he would rule Liyue in the case of Ganyu being chosen. He saw Hu Tao annoying him day and night only for him to realize it was another of her genius recommendations masked as a game, while Keqing reprimanded her and gave him direct advice on what he should do about the Empire. He always cringed at the thought of marrying some woman to have children, so he figured that, when the time came, he would assign people in a similar fashion than her mother, who was recognized for her accomplishments rather than her lineage. He would have the next line of rulers set without the uncomfortable need of pairing himself with a woman to bear a child.

But what if he was chosen?

He had no idea what he was meant to do as a God’s companion. Was he supposed to be a pet? A jester? A friend? Was he meant to serve the Gods as a loyal servant for the next fifty years of his life? Would he even get to live that long? What happens if he does something wrong? What happens if he brings the Divine Wrath upon Teyvat, like so many other offerings had before his time? The nation of Khaenri’ah had perished a few centuries ago thanks to this, if the book his father had lent him was to be trusted. What if Liyue was no more?

All these questions swarmed Xiao’s mind as he observed Jean. The woman tilted her head and looked at the ceiling to think for a moment. She closed her eyes. A small breeze entered the room from the open windows, swaying her hair gently. She finally looked back at him, with a reassuring smile.

“I think-” she said,” -that I’ll try to make the most of it. I don’t know what will happen, but that’s what’s exciting, right?”

The Windblume festival had the entire City of the Wind decorated with flowers. Xiao smiled at the young florist, the girl thriving with all the attention from the people begging for her attention and her products. The Church had organized the choir to sing in front of Lord Barbatos’ statue, praising the heavens for blessing them with such a benevolent and thoughtful ex-king. In exchange, Venti used his lyre to sign a ballad he had written himself. The wind seemed to have been moved by the beautiful harmony, as it made the countless windwheel asters spin and the wind chimes play along. When the last note faded away, the audience exploded, throwing cecilias in Venti’s direction. Hu Tao was jumping up and down the whole time, claiming that the Osmanthus wine back in Liyue would never compare to the Dawn Winery’s finest selection. Xiao had no idea where she had gotten ahold of one of those bottles.

As they were leaving, a drunk Venti and a screaming Jean saw them off, the ex-king yelling about them having to definitely come back sometime soon. Hu Tao screamed just as loudly that she would definitely be coming back. Xiao didn’t promise anything, but he did wish Jean good luck with the nation. She wished him good luck on his travels. Xiao did not look back.

Taking a small detour across Windrise, Falcon Coast surprised Xiao by having an entire ship stationed there, waiting for him and Hu Tao. When questioned, Hu Tao simply smiled and said she called in a few favors.

The captain of the Crux, Beidou, welcomed them with a lung-crushing hug. Kazuha, her temporary addition to the crew, apologized on her behalf. Xiao quickly latched onto him for the rest of their trip.

No one on the ship had told him where they were going. For two weeks, Xiao was essentially trapped in what he now considered an incredibly small ship, which many kilometers before and behind him of nothing but the ruthless sea. If he had to lean over the handrails to puke one more time, he was going to throw Hu Tao out the board along with his digested lunch.

It was only after the very public threat of promising Beidou that she’ll have to wear two eyepatches (and a handful of Kazuha’s very own reserve of Naku) did Xiao get informed that their next destination was the land of Eternity, Inazuma.

Ritou, the port where they anchored, had a gentle looking pink haired lady with blue streaks and blue doe eyes, followed closely by a dog hybrid of small height. Next to her, were two dark purple haired people, looking so similar to each other that Xiao just knew they were siblings, a braid cascading down both of their backs. The girl of the two was looking straight ahead in his direction, or rather, as he figured out, through him, since she was completely zoned out. The guy, on the other hand, looked like he would rather be anywhere else but there. Xiao couldn’t blame him. Lastly, a girl with short purple, almost black hair and razor sharp yellow eyes was looking at him from her spot behind the siblings, her most distinct feature being the red bird mask she dawned on the crown of her hair.

“Greetings, Prince Xiao from the Empire of Liyue.” The pink and blue woman bowed her head as a sign of respect. Xiao didn’t quite know the customs of the land, so he just imitated her. “My name is Sangonomiya Kokomi, the Divine Priestess of the Narukami Shrine. This is my retainer and loyal friend, General Gorou.” She presented the hybrid next to her, who also bowed his head in respect. “These are Kunikuzishi and Leiden, son and daughter of Lord Belzebuub, The Raiden Shogun. Behind them is Kujou Sara, Kunikuzushi’s personal retainer. It is our utmost pleasure to welcome you to the Empire of Inazuma.”

“It is a joy to have finally met you, Miss Sangonomiya, Sir Kunikuzushi and Miss Leiden. Please, do not worry about formalities. Me and my retainer, Hu Tao, are here simply to enjoy the scenery and meet locals. We have no official business with the Raiden Shogun either. So please, be at ease.”

“Great! Let’s leave now.” Scaramouche was already turning back and walking away when his younger sister, Leiden, grabbed the back of his collar and tugged him back in, in an almost comedic way, without breaking eye contact with Xiao at all. She looked like the robots Xiao had seen come from Fontaine. He tried not chuckling at the thought, somewhat struggling to maintain his blank expression.

“I apologize for Kunikuzushi, Your Highness.” Kokomi clapped her hands and closed her eyes. You could practically see the veins pulsing on her neck with rage. Xiao noted to never get on her bad side.

The walk through Ritou was a calm one. Well, as calm as it could be with the two heirs of the nation fighting each other like cats while Sangonomiya Kokomi tried her best not to maul them on the spot, the only thing keeping her grounded was Gorou tapping her arm with his tail every time she was about to burst and scream at the siblings.

Neither Xiao nor Hu Tao had any idea as to how the Raiden Shogun knew about their little traveling endeavor, much less with enough time as to send her two heirs and her Divine Priestess to receive them personally, but Hu Tao told him to just be thankful because it most likely meant that they were going to stay at a ‘nice place’, as she put it.

Just as Hu Tao had guessed, both prince and retainer had been walked to a small carriage that they shared with Gorou (Kokomi got on one with Kunikuzushi and Leiden. Her reprimands could be heard all the way to their cart). It took them half an hour, but they were eventually left on the outskirts of Inazuma City. Everyone then walked up the stairs all the way to the Komore Teahouse, where the head of the Yashiro Commission, the first born daughter of the Kamisato Clan and the head maid of the Kamisato Clan welcomed them. The entire premise had been reserved for them exclusively, and Thoma, as Xiao had been introduced, would be ready to come and attend all their needs while they stayed on the empire.

(For some reason, the two heirs of the empire had been quiet on the rest of their trek. Xiao was now officially scared of Kokomi.)

Once all the influential people had left, Hu Tao explained their situation to Thoma, the head maid, who took it really well, and even marked down spots on their map to make sure to visit and where to avoid, whether it be for over-exposure to electricity or because the air was filled with poison. Hu Tao also told him not to worry about monsters, since both her and Xiao were good fighters. Thoma sent a look at Xiao as if asking if she was being serious, and Xiao just shrugged and nodded. Reluctantly, Thoma also added good spots for fighting monsters on the places to visit.

The Raiden Shogun hadn’t really asked for an audience with them at all, so after enjoying every commodity they could from Inazuma City -Xiao’s favourite being the hot springs-, they were set on their way to explore each and every island from the eternal empire.

Under the sizzling purple sky of Serai Island, with a freshly cooked plate of soggy almond tofu and a lighter, Hu Tao sang happy birthday to Xiao. He was now twenty one, and had four more years for the fateful day.

Tsurumi Island was beautiful. It ended up surpassing Watatsumi on beauty, in Xiao's opinion. So of course he was upset when, after saying goodbye to a small islander kid called Ruu, Hu Tao surprised him once again with The Crux crew waving hello at him, saying that Fontaine was his next stop.

This meant over two and a half months of Xiao returning his food while on board. Thankfully, Beidou had prepared for it, and had brought the royal physician, Dr. Baizhu, with her. And Kazuha had restocked, as well.

Fontaine was, for a lack of a better term, mind blowing. There were flying carriages without horses, floating dolls and even backpacks that allowed people to hover above the ground.

But as Hu Tao better put it, it was ‘whatever’. The real treasure of this nation was its pastries. By the gods he is going to meet, Xiao doesn’t want to eat anything else in his life. From lemon pie to strawberry shortcake to a somehow remastered almond tofu that Xiao couldn’t describe as anything other than ‘as sweet as a sweet dream’, Xiao was sure he had found paradise.

Hu Tao had to drag him away from the main city of the country because he wouldn’t stop sneaking into whichever bakery his eyes landed upon. She couldn’t, however, prevent him from sending an entire buffet's worth of desserts back home to the palace, because the retainer knew deep inside that Xiao’s sweet tooth had been inherited, not learned. His favorite baker wished him a good and amazing travel while his twin sister told them to be safe and not overeat what they had made.

The lakes and mountains were breathtaking. They could never compare to Luhua Pool or even the hidden retreat of Qinyung Peak, but Hu Tao teased that it was just a biased opinion more than a fact. Xiao retaliated by challenging to another duel. He won, the third time in a row. Hu Tao praised him for getting better. Xiao attributed his win to simply being able to read her movements better.

Natlan was, to say the least, the biggest party Xiao had ever attended.

Thanks to the gigantic volcano in the middle of its territory, the people of this nation were blessed with fiery passion for the arts and music, as well as having an unwavering love for dancing and martial arts. In their first month alone, Xiao had somehow managed to get himself roped on thirteen sparring sessions, all ultimately ending with him winning, and having his victory celebrated by the loser with an all paid invitation to the closest restaurant or bar. Hu Tao loved this arrangement. Xiao felt like he needed a nap.

At the base of the volcano, Xiao visited the supposedly best weaponsmith of the country, so that he could refine both his and Hu Tao’s polearms. The lady in charge, a burly woman with a heart of gold, welcomed them into her store, not needing an introduction to note that her latest clients had seen a lot, and thus, their weapons must have thousands of different stories to tell. As her daughter served them a soup called carbonara, she inspected both polearms, finding Hu Tao’s particularly fascinating to her.

After a week of being weaponless (Hu Tao used this to practice Xiao’s hand to hand combat and enjoy more national specialties that the chefs of the small village had to offer), the smith gave them their weapons back.

Xiao was speechless. It was like she had forged their weapons again. The Primordial Jade Winged Spear crafted by his father had been restored to its glory days, the blade glowing under the light, the prince swearing the weapon was actually emitting light. The small jade ‘wings’ of the polearm were now somehow hovering just above the base, and when asked about it, the lady simply said that she polished the jade and applied Plaustrite dust to both the blade and the wing bits, to allow more mobility and lightness, plus, in her own words, it looked more cool.

The Staff of Homa looked just as good, and Hu Tao would debate that it looked better. She had also gained the glow Xiao’s weapon had, but the handle of the Staff of Homa seemed to have a small river of lava inside. The smith said that that had been added by her daughter, who blushed furiously when Hu Tao smiled and thanked her and ran upstairs to her bedroom.

Xiao’s twenty second birthday would be spent on the back of a desert sumper beast, as he and Hu Tao tried to name each and every constellation in the night sky above while they made their way towards the desert of Sumeru.

It was nice to be able to walk on sand without shoes without burning off the sole of your foot, Xiao found out. The small oasis that he found every now and then felt like a reward for their extremely long journey, and the floating upside-down pyramid was a reminder that maybe magic did exist in this world, after all. The wall dividing the rainforest from the desert was traversed easily thanks to the lovely head guard of Aaru Village, who praised Hu Tao’s mastery when fighting a monster in the middle of a sand storm near the place. Her heterochromia made it a little difficult for Xiao to focus when talking to her, but he would never confess that to anyone.

Sumeru City seemed to be the prettiest yet driest place of the nation, despite the prince and the retainer having spent three months traversing the desert. The only cheerful place in the whole city was the Grand Bazaar, a hidden spot underneath the Akademiya that they found thanks to the guidance of a small little girl with white hair and a green streak, who disappeared just as their eyes landed on the stage in the middle of the small market. A dancer with red hair and a silky blue dress was swaying to the music, her hands and clothes so delicate yet calculated it almost looked like she was moving water on her fingertips. Xiao complimented her moves after she got off-stage, and the girl, Nilou, offered to teach him a few steps.

With the insistence of his retainer, Xiao agreed. By the end of that month, both him and Nilou were able to dance on stage together, and the audience absolutely loved the performance.

One day, as Xiao was finishing up a kebab with Nilou and her bodyguard, a claymore wielding emerite woman with sharp blue eyes and even sharper senses, Hu Tao burst open through the door with a letter in hand.

It was a handwritten letter from his father, the Emperor, saying that The Tsaritsa had heard of his adventures and was personally inviting him to Snezhnaya, saying that she would be the one to provide him with a carriage and servants for him to explore her empire more easily. Xiao didn’t understand why Her Majesty would go out of her way to do something like this, but it seems like Tartaglia had pulled some strings, fearing that the journey to Snezhnaya would be too harsh on the chaotic duo.

It’s not that Xiao didn’t appreciate it, he did, he just was very curious as to why the sudden desire to help them out on their journey.

Nevertheless, a week after the letter arrived, a carriage with the symbols of the Empire of Snezhnaya arrived at the northern entrance of Sumeru City, ready to take Prince Xiao and Royal Retainer Hu Tao to ‘the motherland’. Xiao waved Nilou goodbye, and after catching a glimpse of the white haired girl sitting on top of the Sanctuary of Surasthana, they were off.

It was an incredibly long journey. They went through the Mawtiyimia Forest, and even stepped on Liyuean land again by briefly crossing Minlin. However, it wasn’t long before the snow started to fall around them, and the Empire of Snezhnaya stood in all its glacial glory, freezing Xiao into a small hibernation.

Hu Tao managed to wake him up, though. And Xiao had to suffer for three weeks of sheer cold as the carriage moved along the icy tundra and icebergs of ice flowers. It was only better when they entered the forest. It looked like it was pulled directly from one of his father’s storybooks. Maybe it was.

Their first important stop was a tiny village near the ocean called Morepesok. There, a swarm of ginger people welcomed them into a tight hug, warm fur coats and a suspiciously looking calla lily soup, that resembled the strange recipe another ginger Xiao knows tends to use.

As he had predicted, the family of seven that had received him was actually Tartaglia’s family. They told him lots and lots of stories of ‘Ajax’ -Tartaglia’s real name, it seems-, showed him how to fish on ice and how to catch a snowboar.

Four months had passed on a whim, and now Xiao found himself being twenty three. Only twenty four months to go. Two of them, he spent getting to know everyone in that village. He told Hu Tao it was to socialize. They both knew it was to gather as much blackmail on Tartaglia as he could just to ensure he wouldn’t annoy him ever again.

On his last day in that village, Xiao asked the family why Tartaglia was a narwhal hybrid if everyone in the family was fully human. The parents stilled for a moment while the older siblings pushed the younger ones inside. They hesitated, but eventually Xiao was told what happened. Turns out that one day, while running away from wolves, Ajax had fallen into a frozen lake. According to him, he had almost drowned until another narwhal hybrid saved him by turning him into a narwhal. Ajax then spent months trying to find a cure for his curse, and when he finally found one, he clawed back from the same hole he had fallen through, with wobbly arms, a pointy horn and a tail. His parents were relieved to find him safe, but were utterly horrified at what had happened to their baby in the three days he had been missing. They had prayed to The Tsaritsa for help, and she promised them that she would help him.

With the Tsaritsa’s help, Ajax not only learned to walk and speak again, but learned how to use a sword, daggers, polearms, claymores and even catalysts with his newly gained water magic, and quickly became one of the Tsaritsa’s best warriors. He was then promptly sent over to Liyue to serve Rex Lapis, and now he keeps in contact with his family by sending them letters and gifts.

Xiao decided it was best to forget all the blackmail he had gathered. Hu Tao agreed with him.

The Zapolyarny Palace had a thin layer of ice covering its walls at all times. Thankfully, the inside was warm enough to not have to shiver at the sight of one’s own breath condensing into puffs of cold clouds nanoseconds after being exhaled. A beautiful woman called Columbina guided them across the maze of halls and rooms, only to leave them standing in front of her Majesty’s throne.

As someone with lower status, Xiao kneeled before her.

“It is a pleasure to be in your presence, Your Majesty.”

He didn’t dare look up at her. It would be so unbelievably disrespectful even Hu Tao would gasp in horror. So Xiao was forced to stay still until the woman in the cold throne spoke to him back. That led to about the longest ten seconds in Xiao’s life of uncomfortable silence. He heard two clicks, then those same clicks going down the white stairs in front of him, slowly.

Xiao opened his eyes just enough to look at the floor he was standing on, and held his breath as the heeled shoes of The Tsaritsa came into view. Her gloved hand picked up his chin, lifting his head and making him stare at her, right into her white, bottomless eyes. She didn’t possess pupils, Nor irises. Xiao thought it was just a rumor.

The Empress examined his face and particularly his eyes. Xiao stopped himself from thinking a joke about that.

“You have the same eyes as your father.”

She stood up and offered him her hand. He took it, and Xiao was pleasantly surprised by the strong grip that lifted him up. The Tsaritsa gave him a warm smile, much in contrast with their surrounding area, and pushed him along from the back towards her personal dining room.

Turns out, the Tsaritsa is pretty chill, pun completely intended. She’s just some old woman who adopted her ten children and groomed them into the best being they could have possibly been, regardless of how… questionable her methods could be. It didn’t matter to her. Her kids were happy and that’s all that matters to her.

“So how about you?” She asked him while Xiao had half a chicken wing on his mouth. “Are you happy with your life, Xiao?”

He mulled the question over as he swallowed down his meal. Was he? All his life all he has done is fight, travel and explore Teyvat under the excuse that he might be a god’s companion or become an emperor or an emperor’s advisor.

Has he enjoyed himself so far? Xiao thought about the beautiful sights of Inazuma. Of the animosity of Natlan. The brilliance of Fontaine and the wisdom and knowledge spread on Sumeru. The blindingly magical landscapes of Snezhnaya. The peaceful winds of Mondstadt. His home, Liyue. He remembered many faces, inside jokes, silent moments, peace, stress. He thought of how he had honed his skills in battle and how different it was to use a knife and a fork from using chopsticks. He thought of the stars he saw at night and he thought of the countless clouds he watched pass by.

It had been a long journey, it sure had.

He didn’t hide the small smile that formed on his face as he gave his answer.

“Yes, I am.”

The journey back to the Taishan Palace was nice. Hu Tao seemed calm, all things considered, and Xiao didn’t mind the lack of chatter at all. They passed through Mondstadt on their way home, and one of those nights, while he used a stick to move the wood he used to create a fire, Xiao watched as Hu Tao sat next to him, a serious expression on her face, and she crossed her legs, looking at him.

He stopped his movements, turning his upper body in her direction.

“Is something wrong? I’ve never seen you that serious, Hu Tao.”

She didn’t respond for a bit. She bit her lip and looked down, looking almost guilty. About what, Xiao had no clue. He allowed her to speak at her own time, and sure enough, once she looked up at him again, she talked.

“I received a letter from your father.” She said. The tone she employed sent chills down Xiao’s spine.” In it, he told me that Mona Megistus, the astrologist in charge of pointing down the exact date of the event, has finally written down a day.” She explained

“Apparently,” Hu Tao continued,” the Mørket is dated to occur in ten days.”

“What?” Xiao was at a loss for words. That was far too soon. Xiao hadn’t even returned to his home yet.

“The Emperor has instructed us to be on our way. He trusts me to take you there safe and sound. He’s already sent us our ceremonial clothing. Here,” Hu Tao ignored Xiao’s hypothetical question and stood up from the box she was sitting on. She opened the lid, and sure enough, silk fabrics in teals and purples had been carefully placed there, Xiao could only guess that those were for him,” these are yours. Mine are in another box. I already contacted Jean to leave a small boat for the two of us at Falcon Coast. I have a map with me to take us there. I also organized our food and I think that if we also hunt on our way there, we should have enough-”

“Hu Tao, stop. Stop. Slow down. What?” Xiao didn’t know when his voice had become so small. So unsure. Anxious.

Hu Tao, now completely into her role as his retainer, watched him. Her mouth was left open, as if trying to find words she couldn’t express. Maybe she couldn’t. It would explain the tears forming in her eyes. She looked blurry.

“Xiao, no, no, I’m so sorry.” Her voice was broken. She had sprung from her spot and rushed to his side, and was now giving him a tight hug. Xiao couldn’t move. He felt terrible for being unable to hug her back. “I’m so sorry, Xiao. Please don’t cry, I’m sorry.”

Oh. Xiao lifted his hand and touched his cheeks. Wet. He was crying. That’s why she looked funny a minute ago.

Reality came crashing down on his shoulders. His hands moved on their own to cling onto Hu Tao’s clothes like a lifeline. Xiao didn’t know if he was breathing anymore.

“I’m… I’m not ready.” He whispered in broken sobs.

It was true. Despite all his efforts, Xiao, as the man he was right now, was not ready for the Mørket at all. He hadn’t seen Ganyu in so long. He had forgotten his last Lantern Ritual. He had never learned how to cook Almond Tofu to perfection. He had never beaten a stonehide lawachurl on his own.

“I know. I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Xiao.” Hu Tao sobbed with him. Maybe she had never taught him how to make a stable connection with the dead like she told him she would. Maybe she hadn’t helped Xiao reach the tallest point of Dragonspine like she promised she would. Maybe she cried because she was also not prepared for the possibility of seeing her little brother go.

It rained that night.

The next few days passed in a blur. Windrise didn’t look nice anymore, it just appeared barren and empty. The birds had long migrated and the animals were hidden. Even Hu Tao’s jokes seemed forced.

The two changed clothes before getting on the small, two person boat. Hu Tao lit up a small oil lamp and hung it on the carved curl of one of the ends of the wooden contraption. It was the early morning, but the moon was already clear and visible in the sky, and the direction Hu Tao had set was driving them directly into a sea of fog.

“We should get there in three hours. I recommend you write letters in case we get there on time and you can’t chat with your sister and dad.”

Write your goodbyes , is what Hu Tao meant. Xiao began writing. He wrote to his dad about how happy he had been in the last few years, and he could never thank him enough for giving him Hu Tao as his retainer. He wrote to Ganyu about the beautiful places he had been, all the sights he had witnessed and all the food he had tasted. He wrote Tartaglia that his family was well, and that whatever was happening between him and his dad, whether friendship or more, Xiao was happy to bless him with luck. He wrote to Hu Tao, telling her how thankful he was that she had shown him so much. How, despite her only being four years older, she had given up her youngest and most liveliest years just to take care of him, and teach him so much about the world around him and the lands beyond his nation. He hoped that she would reach an old age, and that the pink haired girl she had been flirting with constantly each time they had returned to Liyue liked her back. He wrote to her that she was the oldest sister he had never had, and despite whatever happens that day, she would remain that way for him. He hoped that would apply to her about him, as well.

The boat hit land just as he finished that last word, making him look up. The moon was already covering three quarters of the sun, and the fog that had started to surround them was replaced by still waters and damp air. There were small boats next to them, varying in size. Some would fit ten people while others were as small as theirs. Xiao didn’t see any ship that could belong to his family anywhere on the coast of the small island.

Hu Tao held his face in place and forced him to look forward. She had taken out a small makeup brush and she had red eyeliner on the tip.

“Stay still and look up.”

And Xiao did. He was never the type to wear makeup, only using it on special occasions back at home or that one time he performed in Sumeru, but otherwise, his face was usually devoid of any color. It seems like even that ends today.

Hu Tao finished applying eyeliner to his lower eyelid and moved on to wipe the brush clean. She then opened up another small container, this time with black eyeliner. She applied it on his upper eyelid as carefully as she could. Xiao blinked a few times, which made Hu Tao curse and swat him with the end of the brush as she whipped the mistake off, but eventually she pulled it off. 

“Done.” She sighed. Hu Tao looked tired. Xiao can’t blame her. He knows she’s been taking longer night shifts these past few days, just to make sure Xiao is well rested for today.

Two Liyuen boats arrived ashore. Xiao turned his head in recognition. From one descended his sister and her retainer. From the other, his father and Tartaglia. Everyone looked their best, but Ganyu was beautiful. Her horns had been adorned with silver chains, and her hair had been braided and arranged to fit a small flower crown made out of qingxins. She was holding another qinxing on her hands and was looking around frantically.

Hu Tao and Xiao got off their own boat and Xiao practically ran in their direction. He couldn’t care less about their jewelry clashing or even breaking, he wanted to hug his family, in what could be the last time he does.

Ganyu jumped and dropped forward, like she always did when she got caught off guard. Xiao was quick to catch her and push her against their father, who received them both with open arms. The hug was silent yet crushing, and Xiao could even feel his father’s tail tightening around them. They were all scared. They had to get ready.

Zhongli was the first one to pull apart, even if reluctantly. He kissed Xiao’s birthmark one last time and smiled. The tears in his eyes stopped the smile from feeling real.

Ganyu pushed back first. Xiao had almost refused to let go.

Oh, how their roles had changed. A decade ago, Ganyu would have burst out in tears and wailed in sadness and desperation. Today, it was Xiao who had to contain his tears as Ganyu smiled at him, placing the qingxin she had brought on the right side of his head. Xiao clasped her hands, giving them a small squeeze. She looked up at him and nodded, as if understanding each and every single emotion and thought he had tried to convey.

Ganyu gave two taps to the feathers on his face. Xiao almost giggled, and then proceeded to knock twice on her horns. It was a stupid secret language they had made when they were younger. She had wished him good luck, and Xiao had done the same.

Their father put his hands on the sibling’s shoulders. When both turned to him, he used his eyes to point up. The moon had almost completely hidden away the sun’s light. They needed to go.

With one last squeeze, Xiao and Ganyu let go of each other’s hands and let themselves be guided by their father. The island was small, so they quickly found the other nations and their respective rulers and offerings standing beside them.

Xiao recognized a few faces. Venti was there, and behind him were Jean and Lisa, along with a man with red hair and another with blue hair. He guessed one of them was Diluc and the other was Kaeya. From Sumeru, the young white haired girl, Nahida, had been dressed up and filled with accessories, and behind her were Nilou, with Dehya following close behind, and a silver haired man about Xiao’s own size, with a fennec hybrid retainer walking alongside him. The Tsaritsa walked proudly, looking straight ahead, Columbina and a blue haired man, both with masks, trailing behind. Their retainers were a white haired person with short hair and a black streak and a blackhaired man who refused to open his eyes, respectively. The Raiden Shogun had, for once, tamed her son and daughter enough for them to walk quietly after her, Kokomi eyeing both with care and Gorou trying to make some space between the priestess and the prince and princess. He even recognized the female twin from his favorite baker in Fontaine and the daughter of the weaponsmith from Natlan. He had truly known a lot of people on his travels, hadn’t he?

The seven groups stopped their walking once they reached a small brick platform that had been submerged in water. In front of them, was a giant structure in the shape of a circle, with stairs going up to it and a diamond resting at the very top.

Xiao looked up. Surely enough, the moon had just swallowed up the remaining sunrays, and now their entire world was submerged in the deepest of blacks, not even the stars shone in the sky. The ceremony had begun.

As he had been instructed and reminded for years on end, Xiao kneeled. He bowed his head forward and raised his arms to form a cross with his forearms, all the while the shuffling of clothes to his sides told him the other offerings were doing the same.

Once everything was quiet, Xiao opened his eyes as he looked down. It was virtually no different from keeping his eyes closed. He had almost resigned himself to closing his eyes again when he saw in the reflection of the water the red light from Natlan fire. Overpowered by his curiosity, Xiao tilted his head up just enough to witness what was happening.

The Emperor of Natlan was holding a ball of fire in his hand. Just as Xiao processed what was happening, thunder cracked, and a bolt of lightning landed directly into the Raiden Shogun’s palm, condensing itself into a crackling ball of pure energy. The wind howled, and Venti was now in possession of a small vortex of pressured wind. Nahida lifted her hands and a seed she had been holding sprouted, leaves and flowers being born and curled around itself. The Queen of Fontaine swayed her hand around her, the water next to her bending at her will, and joining itself above her hands as a sphere of water ran amok. The Tsaritsa touched the water sphere and pulled out, a short, small stream separating itself and turning white as she flicked her wrist, a snowdrop gaining shape and spinning gently and slowly on her palm. His father joined in at the magical demonstration, rocks from the ground hovering above the ground and defying gravity to later come spinning into Zhongli’s hand, a ball of glowing stones floating just above his touch.

Xiao had read about the elements and about beings able to harness their powers in a book long, long ago. Anemo, Geo, Electro, Dendro, Hydro, Pyro and Cryo. When he talked about it to his father later that week, the emperor laughed and told him that those were really good fantasy novels. It seems like the man had lied.

Venti raised his hands, and four other rulers followed him along. They infused the swirl with their respective elements, and Nahida quickly jumped in, letting the vortex be absorbed inside her small ball of life. Zhongli moved his element around and encapsulated the vines and flowers with his geo, now turned into a fine layer of cor lapis. The inside of the sphere was moving and spinning at rapid speed, glowing in white light. Venti took it, and as the other rulers walked away and behind their nation's offerings, Venti gently placed the sphere of pure elemental energy inside the golden ring of the structure. He then walked away as fast as he could.

Everyone held their breath. Xiao watched as the cor lapis exterior began to crack, white and golden light glowing from the fractures in the construct. The energy inside was starting to spin out of control, and before he knew it, the sphere exploded.

Xiao was able to resist the urge to cover his face. He forced his eyes open, and he watched as the empty structure had suddenly come to life. The words on its side were glowing white, and the elemental sphere had completely disappeared, a blue, swirling portal now standing proudly in its place, covering the entire area of the golden ring. This was it.

Xiao’s breathing stopped when a golden light emerged from the portal. Two shapes resembling human forms stepped out.

The one on the right was shorter. It possessed a strange black shape where its shape should be; like a four pointed star, but with the top point smoothed out. It had two short golden tendrils going down from what Xiao assumed was its head, and a small shapeless blue orb of light rested on the left side of its head. The being looked around the area with two black almond shaped holes in its face, and was taking the scenery in. But Xiao couldn’t spare a glance at it.

The light being on the right, like its double, had a four pointed black star on its chest, but this time, it possessed all of its ends. Unlike its double, however, this one had a singular tendril of light coming off of the back of its head that went all the way to its hips. This one also had almond shaped black holes on its face. It was the most beautiful and terrifying thing Xiao had ever seen in his life.

And it was staring right back at him.

The two were making eye contact, if what Xiao was looking at were truly eyes. Xiao’s mouth had gone dry, and his eyelids were refusing to shut. It was like gazing at the gentlest sun, a star shining only for him. Xiao’s lungs were devoid of oxygen, and he almost forgot how to breathe.

The being took a step down the stairs, to the surprise of its double, and began walking in Xiao’s direction, as if drawn to him. Xiao doesn’t know what it is that drove his next actions, but his body felt like it was no longer his own. His legs moved, and he was now standing up. It felt like time itself had halted its constant turning, small bell twinkling reached his ears as the light before him gave each step, closer and closer to Xiao.

He wanted it. He gave a hesitant step forward, the celebration and rules be damned. The star seemed taken aback by this action, but it only urged it to walk faster. It walked down the last stair, and it began walking above the thin layer of water. They were now standing face to face.

Xiao didn’t care how otherworldly this being was. He didn’t care that he would probably die. Xiao reached his hand forward, making the light freeze in place, the black almonds on its face widening. Careful, Xiao cupped its face with his hand.

It was cold, far colder than any sun could ever warm the biosphere of Teyvat. And yet so, so warm, almost human. It raised its own limb to hold Xiao’s in place, as if afraid he would pull back. To this, Xiao caressed the soft surface with its thumb. The black almonds thinned into a downwards curve, and the star nuzzled into Xiao’s touch. Xiao thought it was adorable.

Crystalflies made out of pure light began fluttering away from the star. From top to bottom, a more malleable form began to appear. Golden locks, a beautiful braid. An earring with a black pearl. A white scarf with intricate golden patterns, held together with a pure gold brooch. A golden pauldron and a golden chestplate, the latter containing the black four pointed star he had seen earlier. A brown crop top and harem brown pants. A leather belt with a golden buckle and a white four pointed star. Brown armored boots. Brown armored gloves. A white and golden cape.

The most beautiful golden eyes were looking at his. The being smiled. Xiao’s heart stuttered.

“Hi.”

It spoke. Xiao remembered to breathe again. He smiled back.

“Hi.”

“What’s your name?”

“Xiao.”

The being giggled, closing his eyes and covering his mouth with his gloved hand. Cute.

“What’s yours?”

“I’m Aether.”

Aether. Aether, Aether, Aether. It was beautiful, just like the man, say, the God standing before him. Xiao felt his entire body relax.

“I like it.”

“Oh.” Aether blushed and looked away. “Thank you. I like your name too.”

Xiao felt himself smitten already. Was that a bad thing? Xiao had been so centered on Aether that he had completely forgotten why Aether was here in the first place. The prince lowered his hand, choosing to intertwine his fingers with Aether’s instead.

Aether smiled at that and turned to his right, looking at the other god that had emerged from the portal, who still had its light glamor on.

“Lumine!” Aether called out. Lumine turned to look at them both. “Have you picked one yet?”

The other god -or rather, the goddess- tilted her head at the question, making the black almonds thin into a line and expand again. Xiao guessed that she must’ve blinked. Lumine kept looking around at the offerings, who were clearly very aware of her presence and were trying their best to stay still, as Xiao noted. One in particular seemed to not be as patient as the rest.

Kunikuzushi peered open one eye to look around. Lumine caught up on that, and walked his direction, kneeling before him. The man inhaled sharply, clearly not expecting the goddess to appear in his line of sight. The two of them maintained eye contact for about five seconds before crystalflies revealed the physical form of Lumine; like her sibling, she also possessed golden hair and golden eyes, but hers was far shorter than Aether’s, the twin tendrils in the front of her head actually being twin locks of hair framing her features. The blue light on her head was two beautiful white flowers, each with one blue petal being the odd one out. She also had feathers attached to her hair, and a white scarf around her neck, this one with blue patterns and having both ends flowing down her back, far longer than Aether’s own. She had a white top with an armored corset, the corset having a small white crystal in the middle of her torso in the same shape as the black light that had been before. She had thigh high white boots with white glowing gems and golden lining. And like her brother, her smile was radiant.

Kunikuzushi blushed furiously, his mouth sputtering nonsense as if trying to come up with something to say. Lumine simply chuckled at his embarrassment and offered him her hand. He took it, and she lifted them both, standing up straight.”

“I have. I like this one. He looks cute.”

“Cute!?” The Inazuman prince almost looked offended. His flustered state changed completely for a more displeased one. “Just who are you calling cute?”

“You, silly!” Lumine smiled at him, and any counterargument Kunikuzushi had planned was quickly shut down. He looked down at their still linked hands and frowned, and Xiao would have thought he hated it were it not for the red tip of his ears.

Xiao turned back to look at Aether, amused by it all.

“So have you chosen someone?” He asked. Aether looked at him like he had grown a second head. Aether could probably make that happen.

“I chose you, of course.”

“Me?” Xiao whispered, just to make sure. In hindsight, of course he did, but right at that moment, it felt as unreal as the entire situation was. The god nodded innocently, and Xiao realized that he could never get mad at him. Not because he was a god or anything, his heart simply would not allow it.

“Then, what now?”

“We're going home now.” Aether replied, looking back at the open portal.

Xiao hadn’t thought about it. Hadn’t rationalized it. This was it. He was never seeing Ganyu or Zhongli or Hu Tao again. He would never return to his home nation. He would never taste his favorite desserts or visit his favorite places again.

“Are you scared?”

Aether was looking at him worried. Xiao pressed his lips into a thin line, not missing how Aether’s eyes watched him as he did. The prince looked away and nodded, embarrassed about himself. He had been prepared for so many years for this, and he was still not ready. How laughable.

Aether placed a hand on his hip and examined Xiao’s face with his eyes. Xiao was unsure of what he was doing.

“Aether, c’mon, we have to go.”

Lumine and Kunikuzushi were already going up the stairs and walking towards the portal, and they had stopped specifically to look back at them. Aether didn’t move from his spot, so neither did Xiao.

After what felt like an eternity, Aether spoke, not even bothering to look back at his sister.

“No, actually. I’m staying in Teyvat.”

“What!?”

Lumine screamed, completely lost for words. And she wasn’t the only one. The Tsarista, Keqing, Hu Tao, Venti and the fennec retainer from Sumeru all spoke at unison. Ganyu opened her eyes to glare at Keqing, but in doing that, she caught sight of the two gods and gasped very loudly. This caused Nilou to open her eyes as well, letting out a loud sound of shock at seeing the human forms of her two gods. Nahida tried to shush her, but also ended up catching an eyeful of Aether and Lumine, and a comment about how pretty they were quickly left her mouth, unable to stop such an impulsive thought. From that comment alone, about half the people present opened their eyes to check if the statement was true, and after the various degrees of exclamations about the subject, just about everyone was fully conscious of the twin gods standing in front of them.

Lumine blushed from her to toe, her entire body turning pink at all the unwanted and sudden attention. She practically sent daggers with her eyes at her brother, who looked completely unaffected why the chaos he had created, and then growled at him, stomping her feet as she pulled Kuniluzushi up the last steps of the stairs.

“Fine!” She screamed.” But Dainsleif will come back next time and personally kick your ass!”

“I’m fine with that! It’s not like you can’t take care of Teyvat on your own, sis.” Aether made a show of being nonchalant about the situation by stepping behind Xiao, circling his waist with his arms and hugging him, resting his head on his shoulder while looking at his sister. He was pressing directly into his wings, and Xiao was going to explode.

“Ugh! You’re so insufferable! I’m sending Paimon over so she can keep watch on you, you toad.”

“Whatever you say, spiral witch.”

“Come on, Kuni! We need to go back to Celestia.” Lumine stormed off into the portal without looking back. Kunikuzishi took a step in, turned around, flipped his sister off, and yelled while looking at his mother.

“Bye, bitch! You were never fit for ruling anyway!”

“Kunikuzushi!” The Raiden Shogun planted her hands on her hips and yelled back at him, trying to reprimand him. But alas, the Prince from Inazuma had already fled through the portal.

After him, a small peck of pink starlight bolted out, almost as if pushed out, and the starlight uncurled itself, showing a small floating toddler with a strawberry gold crown and a scarf made out of a galaxy. Do all godly beings wear scarfs or something?

“Hey! Rude!” The tiny fairy screamed at the portal as it closed, the blue matter forming it dissipating in time with the moon starting to move again, sunlight trickling down from the sky.

After observing all that, Xiao looked at the god chilling on his shoulder. He could not believe he had simply broken such an incredibly long tradition simply because Xiao felt uncomfortable with the thought of leaving. It made his cheeks warm up and his heart beat faster, completely normal emotions to have towards a god. Yep.

“Now that she’s gone,” Aether said. It was next to his ear, so it gave Xiao an involuntary shiver,” can you show me your own home? I haven’t seen how Teyvat is doing these days, maybe you can give me a tour?”

Xiao didn’t know what to say. He looked at Ganyu who was still kneeling on the floor, with the water soaking her dress up and making her realize how uncomfortable the sensation of sticky, damp clothes against her skin actually was. Hu Tao had her jaw hanging open, watching the rest of the offerings and rulers yell at each other in complete disharmony. Zhongli was standing still, with a hand covering his mouth, looking at the portal and possibly trying to figure out what to do with the random god that had now decided to live in Teyvat with them.

Xiao looked back at Aether. He was watching him, with a peaceful smile. Only paying attention to what he wanted to say. That felt right.

“Sure.”