Work Text:
And in the sea that's painted black
Creatures lurk below the deck
But you're a king and I'm a lionheart
And as the world comes to an end
I'll be here to hold your hand
'Cause you're my king and I'm your lionheart
(King And Lionheart, Of Monsters And Men)
I: Please save him.
"... What does it mean that Zhongli has disappeared?" Childe asked, so distraught that he could barely breathe.
That news had hit him like a stab in the chest.
He was in Dragonspine on a mission, immersed in the cold hues of a clear sky, among the hard surfaces of glaciers and crevasses.
The snow fell mercilessly on his face, raging with the frost that had run through him to his soul as soon as Adeptus Xiao had warned him of the tragedy. The wind was blowing hard, but Xiao, who had suddenly appeared on that mountain peak, did not seem to care about the cold.
It was the first time Childe had seen him materialize out of nowhere, no matter how often he had heard of that extraordinary ability of his. Childe had not met Xiao since he had left Liyue, now a year earlier. He did not even think he would ever see the Adeptus again, or at least, not in that pitiful state.
Xiao was devastated. His usually standoffish attitude had vanished. In its place, tears and despair had appeared.
The red makeup under his eyes was smudged. His hands clung to Childe's coat, as if suddenly ignoring who Childe really was: a Harbinger, Liyue's enemy, the one who had summoned Osial.
Those details seemed insignificant when the two people shared the same grief towards the missing person. Their differences had been erased.
Childe strongly doubted that Zhongli wanted to see him again, but now that he knew he was gone, he was terrified. He did not care what Zhongli might think of him or whether they had not seen each other for months now: he absolutely had to know how he was doing.
Perhaps he could tolerate a world in which Zhongli hated him, but not one in which Zhongli was dead.
"He has disappeared! Zhongli has disappeared! His geo energy… We Adeptis can no longer perceive it either!" said Xiao, tugging him frustratedly in his grip. "We can't find him anywhere! We have to do something!".
Panic filled Childe's eyes with tears. He felt them trickle warmly down his icy cheeks as he tried desperately to find an answer.
But his mind had emptied to the point of depriving him of speech, sticking to that one terrible word: disappeared.
That terrible assumption caused the strength in his legs to give out, so much so that he risked slipping on the ice at his feet.
He would never, ever be indifferent to Zhongli's suffering. Or to Zhongli in general.
If anything really happened, Childe had not even said goodbye to him.
A year earlier, they had ended their relationship too quickly, dragging along too many regrets. Each had disappeared into their own nation, stuck in fear and everything they had not said to each other. It had been like witnessing the collision of a comet star: when the light they had shared had broken in two, everything had exploded into a thousand pieces.
Still, Childe had not stopped thinking about him, despite that abrupt separation. It was as if, ever since he had left Liyue, he had been searching for something. And he had never found it. Nothing had ever been able to make him feel as complete as he did in those happy days long gone.
In his memories, the capital city where they had met was a comforting place, an oasis overlooking the ocean. It seemed like a lifetime since he had spent lunch after lunch together with Zhongli, sitting at the tables of the Wanming Restaurant on a hot, carefree summer.
Everything that had come after that had been much more like a cold winter. Perhaps it was also for that reason that he tended to take refuge in Dragonspine, or Snezhnaya, where ice and snow were the order of the day. Returning to appreciate the vivid colors of the leaves, golden beaches and seashells seemed almost unbearable without Zhongli. He missed him every single day, even though he hated to admit it.
"When… When did this happen? What can we do?!", was all Childe could ask, distressed. "Why did you seek out… Me specifically, after all that has happened?"
"We haven't seen him for two days. He said he was feeling unwell, went to the beach, and never came back", Xiao explained bitterly to him. "The thing is… He's strange. He never disappears without warning. He said he would only be gone for an hour. But suddenly, we Adepts stopped feeling his energy.".
The questions Childe wanted to ask him were at least a billion. The doubts he was asking himself were even more. But he felt there was no time. Xiao's expression spoke volumes. They had to act now.
"Please tell me what I can do," said Childe, sincerely. "I know that he and I didn't part on the best of terms, but…"
"No, I know how things turned out. But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter anymore that you broke up, now, if you still care about helping him." Xiao’s amber eyes were filled with expectation, as if, deep down, he feared his rejection. "You should come looking for him together with me, Ganyu and the other Adepti. Alright?"
Childe could never have said no to such a request. For a long time, he had felt resentment and disappointment toward Zhongli. But he had also felt so much melancholy, and so much guilt. He had always believed that it was impossible to make up for it, and he had never tried to do so again.
Perhaps, Zhongli was better off without him, without a person who, in order to follow orders, had nearly destroyed Liyue. After all, so many other people, according to Childe, were safer when he was away from them. His family, first and foremost.
At that moment, however, solving the problems he had with Zhongli was not his priority. His priority was to help Zhongli, to save him.
He felt a vivid and tangible pain as his mind went through all the places Zhongli might have taken refuge, or the possible causes of his disappearance.
For a person like Zhongli, everything was unpredictable. Many people could know his identity as a former Archon and target him, hurt him, attack him.
“All right. Of course I'm coming! But why me?" asked Childe again. Shouldn't he have hated him for hurting his Archon as well as his best friend? ”How can you still trust me?”.
”I didn't want to at first, but then I realized that you are the only one who can help us." Xiao surprised him. ”You have been… Connected to Zhongli in a special way. You are the person he loves. And that changes everything.”
Childe gasped. ”What? But… What does that have to do with it?” How could a feeling affect a quest? And why had Xiao spoken in the present tense? He doubted Zhongli still felt the same way about him.
”Well, you shouldn’t know, he asked me to keep it a secret, but I can tell you at this point," Xiao explained swiftly. He was in an obvious hurry to go. ”But he has… Treated you, after your fight against Osial. After he found out about the influence the Abyss had on you, Zhongli decided to meddle. He temporarily lent you some of his precious power, to soothe the deterioration that was afflicting you, caused by the extreme use of your Foul Legacy. You really strained yourself on that day, eh?”
Childe could not help but widen his eyes, shocked by that revelation. Had Zhongli done such a thing? For him?
Indeed, he had felt less physical pain during the past few months. And indeed, he had been surprised to realize that despite the emotional pain that had plagued him, he had not lost too much control of his emotions, as it usually happened to him during crises. Had it then been thanks to Zhongli?
”But… How? Why did he do that? I didn't even notice it!” Childe could not believe his ears. Had Zhongli been so considerate of him, right before Childe had gone away from Liyue, leaving him behind? Had he even treated him, lending him some of his power, at his most vulnerable moment?
He was utterly surprised, but also worried. Commotion swept over him like a wave, along with confusion.
”Oh, so many reasons. He felt guilty for lying to you. he wanted to heal you, to help you. And he loves you very much” Xiao replied dryly. ”Why didn't you go back to Liyue? He would have talked to you.”
”I thought it was too late," Childe confessed. He felt even worse now, realizing how stubborn he had been about his own choice. Zhongli had been open to dialogue, but he had rejected it. ”And I thought he hated me after Osial's summoning. I hurt his city and him too. And it seemed impossible for me to come back after all that time.”
He had ruined everything, and now perhaps it was too late.
He did not even have time to process a response to the rest of the statements when a golden light enveloped him.
A series of geo symbols became visible around his figure, like marks etched in liquid gold. He blinked, bathed in sudden warmth as he observed those symbols on his arms, uncovering them from his sleeves.
Xiao had not lied. He had been imbued with the former Archon's power for a year without even knowing it.
”Look… This is the protection he put on you with his prayers. In spite of all that has happened. Childe, you are such an idiot. To wait for a year is not that difficult, for an Archon. If you want to go back to him, just go”. Xiao noted bluntly, huffing. ”With this power he lent you, however, you should be able to sense his energy even better than us adepts. You might be able to find him. That's why I've been looking for you. Are you coming, then, or do you have better things to do?”.
Childe was actually on a mission for Tsaritsa, and had received at least a dozen official tasks. But each of those duties at that moment seemed insignificant to him.
He brushed the geo symbol on his arm, and immediately felt a pleasant feeling of comfort. It must have been a remnant of Zhongli's affection and protection. An affection that Childe had come to reject, and which he now missed more than ever.
He had to apologize. He needed to clear the air with him. And, above all, he had to find him at any cost.
An extreme determination descended on his gaze. He could not wait for anything in the world.
”Let's go, Xiao!” Childe affirmed, ready to follow him to the first available teleport. ”Let's go save him!”
***
II: Hidden in the sand
Zhongli was happy that he could not look at himself in the mirror. He was happy to be in Guyun stone forest, alone. If there was one thing he wanted to avoid from the very beginning which he had wanted to avoid from the beginning, it was seeing himself reduced to that state. Or to be seen by someone else.
Cracks now ran through his skin like ink marks on paper. His pupils were hidden by irises now totally golden. His eyes, his face, any part of his body were burning. He felt almost as if he was about to explode from the inside.
He looked down at his hands, dejected. By now, he could barely move his fingers. Where he had not already begun to crumble, he was gradually turning to stone. Some parts of his body had become fine dust, the same color as cor lapis. Others, however, had become stiff, hindering his movements.
And that was only the beginning.
The worst was yet to come. He was injured and sore now, but soon, he would also become dangerous.
And from that point on, it was essential that he be alone. He did not want to be around anyone at the time of his demise. He had managed to avoid showing his sickness in the city, in front of everyone's eyes. The place where he was was totally empty.
He had disconnected his own energy from that of the Adepti, or from whomever he thought could save him. That was his only consolation: knowing that he could not hurt or kill someone stubborn enough to help him when he would lose control.
Otherwise, he felt only tremendously sad.
He should have known that sooner or later that moment would come. He should have been prepared, organized, as he always was in every field. After all, he had foreseen the damage of erosion for so many years now: it could come at any moment, leaving him barely a week before crumbling.
Yet now that he wandered among the cliffs, he was anything but resigned.
He wanted to live, wanted to live so badly. Why was he not allowed more time, more opportunities to make up for his mistakes? Why had Celestia decided to take it out on him, just now that he had begun to live as a human?
He collapsed on the sand as his own legs gave way completely. Perhaps his time had simply come, and he needed to stop demanding too much. He had already lived for millennia, Yet he still had many, too many unfinished business.
He had fixed his city, but what would become of his friends? Who would save Xiao when he tried to hurt himself again, helping others without caring about himself? Who would keep Hu Tao company at work? Who would console Ganyu, when she felt tremendously lonely?
He had not yet visited many places. Most importantly, he had never been able to apologize to Childe, or see him one last time.
He had not even said goodbye to him.
He could only hope that he was all right - at least him. That the last protection Zhongli had given Childe should have helped him overcome the Foul Legacy's massive damage to his body.
Zhongli had given him some of his own power before finally handing Gnosis over to Signora, even though he knew that after Childe would hate and shun him from that day onwards.
He had only needed to brush against him for a moment and address his prayers to him afterward. He had been preparing for such an eventuality for a long time now. Childe was as resourceful as he was secretly fragile.
It would have been so nice, though, to be able to meet him again, he thought, trying futilely to get back on his feet.
He would have liked, at the very least, to tell Childe that he was not angry with him for what had happened the year before. He understood perfectly well that Childe had simply followed a plan greater than himself, just like Zhongli had. He wanted to apologize for lying to him, to express how much he wanted to be closer to Childe again.
And even if Childe had rejected him, Zhongli would have reminded him that he knew it was not his fault.
But now, he could no longer do that.
***
III: Goodbye
Zhongli dragged himself with difficulty across the sand.
It was strewn with seashells, the same ones that Childe had loved to collect. In those days of last summer, Childe had carefully stored them in a small box.
"I will take them to my brothers," he had told Zhongli with a smile on his lips. The ocean wind passed through his hair as he held Zhongli by the hand, looking carefree.
Zhongli wondered if Childe had ever brought the seashells to his family. Had he come home? Was he happy? Or did he still have that broken expression from the last time Zhongli had seen him?
He would never find out.
He was going to end his life that way.
The tall rocks that surrounded him were nothing but the remains of the spears he had hurled at Osial so many centuries before. They were imbued with geo power, with seals capable of anchoring even the most fearsome. Just as he was about to become, with the final process of erosion.
After he stopped being an Archon, his body could not find the strength to resist that transformation anymore. But Zhongli would not allow his own body to hurt anyone. He would have put a stop to his own existence before that moment came.
The chasm he had carved in the rocks a few days earlier was ready to seal him forever. He would fall into an eternal sleep.
Zhongli rose to his feet again, finding the strength to approach the deep hole that dug the ground.
What was gold on his skin became hard stone. What was rationality became anger. A fire filled with wrath ran through him from head to toe.
It was happening.
He was losing control.
The forces were coming back to him, but for the wrong reason: he was turning into a cruel creature corrupted by erosion.
That was Celestia's punishment in the long run. It was merciless and unpredictable, but it belonged to all immortal creatures. They would corrode, crumble like stone, and then, when there was nothing left in them to break, they would become monsters unable to control themselves.
Perhaps he had done something wrong. Perhaps, in their eyes, Zhongli had raised his head too high, had been too charitable to his people, had allowed them to develop their society and culture too much without his control. He had loved his citizens like his children. Too bad Celestia would have preferred Zhongli to rule them as puppets.
And, above all, he had loved his companion, a human, more than all the sky above him.
Perhaps, now that he no longer had gnosis, his body was paying for the erosion it had held back for centuries.
But Zhongli would stop that process.
He had only one last shred of freedom left: it was tiny, fragile, but he would not waste it. He would sacrifice himself rather than give it to Celestia and hurt others.
Too bad he could not say he was dying without regrets.
A tear ran down his cheek, golden liquid against a skin now split by erosion.
He did not even have time to cry properly. His nails began to lengthen, until they turned into claws. His hands were now completely blackened and red-hot.
Slowly, as he advanced toward the crevasse, his thoughts became increasingly disconnected.
Where was he? What was going on? Why did he have to throw himself in there?
Zhongli felt he had decided he had to, but he could no longer remember why. He only remembered the anger, the injustice… Someone had condemned him to that end, but why? It was too soon! He didn't want to, he didn't want to… And yet he had to.
But who was he, after all? What was his name? Where was he? He could no longer remember.
His feet automatically moved toward the crevasse. Nervousness and frustration enveloped his soul. He wanted to break something. He wanted to destroy what was around him.
Nevertheless, he threw himself anyway.
Down, all the way to a chasm he had meteorically dug. Down, all the way, as he finished transforming.
Would crash before he died? Would he feel pain before the energy of that island sealed him completely?
He kept his eyes wide open as he blinked into the darkness that engulfed him more and more.
”ZHONGLI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
Hearing his own name recalled, for an instant, restored his memory.
He was Zhongli. Rex Lapis. He was the Former Geo Archon.
But why was he jumping? And who was calling him?
”ZHONGLI!” shouted the voice again, desperate.
Maybe he was hallucinating, losing consciousness completely. It had to be that way; it had to be. Besides, he had already heard that, at the point of death, one went over the best moments with the mind.
Otherwise, why would he have heard Childe's voice at that very moment?
****
IV: Meet me again
”Zhongli! What are you doing?!”
Childe was shocked by what he had just seen from a distance: he had finally found Zhongli, but he was moving dangerously close to the entrance of a chasm.
He had recently arrived in Guyun Stone Forest with the Adepti, along with Xiao, following the trail that had led them to Zhongli. As Xiao had guessed, Childe had been able to sense his energy clearly. Moreover, thanks to the Adeptus' powers, he had also been able to unlock a more complete vision of where Zhongli was.
Images of his location had flashed through his head reconstructing the landscape of the island. He had then headed there with the other Adepti who, however puzzled by Childe as a guide, had trusted Xiao's judgment.
They had finally managed to retrace Zhongli, but they had not yet put their hearts at rest. They had not seen his face, as his back was turned, but it was evident that he was walking painfully and erratically. He was limping, as they had never seen him do. Was he perhaps injured?
Before Childe could even go to check, Zhongli threw himself into the huge crater dug into the ground as if nothing had happened.
Childe could not help but shout his name, running toward him as soon as he noticed.
”We have to go get him!” Xiao exclaimed, summoning, along with Ganyu, their faithful weapons.
Childe, however, ran faster.
He could not believe what he had just witnessed. Panic had cut off his breath, but there was no way he could stop. If he stopped, it would be the end.
He summoned a wave of water, with the power of his hydro vision, as soon as he reached the crevasse. It was deep, and Zhongli had just jumped in. Childe could even see him as he plummeted downward.
”ZHONGLI!” he shouted again, moving a hand downward to let the water drop down, to create a path for him that would accompany Childe into the chasm. And, possibly, toward Zhongli, sparing him a fall.
What on earth had he been thinking? Had he gone mad? Had he tried to hurt himself, or was he looking for something there at the bottom?
Childe's heart was beating wildly in anguish.
”CHILDE, WAIT! THIS IS NOT A NORMAL CHASM, THIS IS…” tried to warn Xiao, but it was too late.
Childe had already jumped.
A barrier closed over him as soon as he launched himself down into the cave.
Childe could not stop himself from screaming in spite of himself. He was left completely alone, destined to fall into that chasm, along with Zhongli.
He had fallen in the same way that, years earlier, he had ended up slipping into an underground glacier in Snezhnaya, eventually being carried into the abyss.
For a moment, his mind went blank, choked with sudden fear. He did not want to relive such an experience. The lack of sunlight immediately brought him back to the bad memories as he slid ruefully downward, barely holding on to the wave he had created.
However, he could not afford to panic. Not when Zhongli had just jumped, and Childe was getting closer and closer to him, suspended in midair, as he fell into that seemingly endless chasm.
Childe did not even know if Zhongli had heard him.
He had to retrieve him as soon as possible, at the cost of sinking even deeper. And he had to have the courage to face that situation. Childe had already come out of the abyss once. He could come out of a cave again and bring back Zhongli to the surface as well. And, possibly, try to figure out what had happened to him.
Childe, by now, was no longer a frightened 14-year-old, unaware of how the world spun. He was an experienced warrior, capable of reacting in dangerous situations. He could not let fear take over and kill them both.
He moved downward, following the water path, before extending a hand forward, summoning a new wave in Zhongli's direction.
The water cushioned Zhongli's fall before Childe finally caught up with him. He grabbed Zhongli by the hips, trying to protect him from the blow of the fall.
They reached the bottom of the cave less abruptly than expected, propelled by the current of water. They both ended up on the sandy ground accompanied by the wave.
The light around them was dim, and the temperature had dropped considerably. Childe looked around, quickly: the surface could still be seen, but it was several meters above them, enclosed by a barrier. The Noctilucous Jades were the only source of light inside the quarry. How could they get out of there?
As soon as he caught his breath, he was finally able to look at Zhongli. The former Archon had kept his head bowed until that moment, as if he had been in a state of complete daze. His hair, unusually loose and disheveled, fell over his face, hiding it. Concerned, Childe tapped his arm until Zhongli finally looked at him.
Childe felt like screaming in desperation. He suddenly stood up, grabbing Zhongli by the shoulders.
Childe had spent a year without him because of his own foolish pride. But now… Now that he saw Zhongli in that state, he felt himself dying at the idea of losing him.
”Zhongli… Please listen to me! I am here to help you! We were all looking for you, you were missing, and… I know we haven't seen each other for a year, but fuck, you scared me, what's happening to you?" Childe let out in an anguished and broken voice, but he was interrupted immediately.
”Ajax... I'm eroding. I- I can't be near you in this condition. Look, I've already hurt you without meaning to,” Zhongli confirmed to him, and, for a moment, his tone returned to his usual one - kind, concerned, caring. It was as if he recovered his lucidity only in moments. ”Don't think back to a year ago now. I forgive you. I should be the one who apologizes the most. But now, you have to get out of here. Please, I… am not myself now.”
Childe shook his head, unable to accept that idea. Tears welled up in his eyes, both in frustration and despair.
He had long heard about erosion. He had simply hoped it would never affect Zhongli. His heart clenched with worry: when did it happen? And why had he taken refuge there alone?
They could still do something, right?
”What are you talking about? A way out? I don't want to leave you here!” Childe retorted firmly. He raised his voice in turn, worried by the way Zhongli's gaze was turning absent yet again, detached. He was trembling from head to toe and had clenched his hands into fists, until they were hurt by his own claws.
”Please, Ajax, I cannot subject you to this! There is a subterranean way out that can bring you back to the surface before the seals close, and… You will leave me here, as it must be, so I can… I can transform and hide away in a safe place and you…” Zhongli’s voice was filled with panic, but Childe interrupted him.
”Leave you here? You want me to do that again?” Childe’s eyes were filled with tears. He was no longer lucid either. Panic had set him off. There were many things he wanted to tell Zhongli and finally, he could do it. He was never going to let that opportunity pass him by. ”It's been a year that I have felt like shit for leaving without even saying goodbye. It's been a year that I've been so miserable. I wanted to see you again. I couldn't take it anymore.”
A glimmer of lucidity lit Zhongli's gaze for a moment. A tear escaped his lashes, golden. It seemed to burn on his wounded skin, from which smoke came out.
”Childe, don’t feel guilty. It was me who lied, and I hurt you. I am so sorry,” said the man and, for a moment, he tried to reach out a hand toward Childe, as if he wanted to caress his cheek, a gesture he used to make months before. He found himself wincing, however, looking at the condition his hand was in.
Two of Zhongli’s fingers crumbled in front of Childe's helpless eyes. His phalanges blackened, turning the missing pieces of his fingers into the part of a dragon's paw.
”Zhongli, please. Please, can I do something?” Childe asked, taking a step toward him, unable to hide his despair. ”I’d do anything possible.”
He did not come all the way there only to see him die. Or to abandon him. Zhongli had also forgiven him.
Had they really wasted all their time hating each other when they could have gone back to loving each other?
Zhongli lifted his gaze to him again, his golden tears veiled his already misty eyes. Despite that, however, he smiled.
”Yeah. Follow the exit behind me and leave," Zhongli reiterated, his voice trembling. ”I will not take away your life. I will not allow the erosion to hurt you. This is my last wish. Live fully, escape from here and be happy. Please…”
”No!” Childe shouted again. Zhongli trembled, sinking his claws into his other arm, as if desperately trying to hold him down. ”Please, Zhongli, anything but this!”
”I'm glad to have seen you one last time, Ajax," Zhongli murmured, and as he spoke, his voice changed totally, becoming darker, less human. ”BUT NOW, GET OUT OF HERE!”
Childe had never had a chance to find out how strong Zhongli was. He had never had the chance to fight him seriously, although he often joked that he wanted to do so.
At that moment, however, Zhongli became stronger than normal. He was powered by energy from another world. He was frightening. And cruel. He was no longer Zhongli.
Zhongli would never have grabbed Childe by the shoulders and then thrown him to the ground with a kick. He would never have driven his claws into his shoulders until he bled. He would never have picked him up again, flinging him away deep into the cave.
Childe screamed, trying to fight back to no avail. He felt himself being lifted as if he were as light as a feather, before being hurled into the air. The cave swirled around him, making him dizzy. He attempted an emergency landing, but even when he managed to fall to his knees on the cold sand, he still felt a jolt of pain go through his back.
He did not have time to react. He found himself suddenly immobilized by a shoe on his chest. He looked up, and, shocked, found himself staring into two cruel eyes. Zhongli was pressing hard on the spot where Childe’s heart was, as if he wanted to pulverize it.
”Who are you?" Zhongli talked with a voice Childe had never heard him use before. It was gloomy and totally devoid of emotion. ”Why have you come to disturb me?"
*****
The ghost of you
Zhongli had totally lost control to the point where he no longer even recognized Childe.
Every part of Childe's body ached at that moment. He had been thrown to the ground with such force that he felt pain down to his bones.
Had Childe brought it on himself? Probably. He had been warned by the former Archon, who at that moment had turned into a creature without control. Yet, Childe had not wanted to abandon him, nor give up. And now he found himself facing the consequences.
”Zhongli, it's me… It's Ajax!" he tried to tell him. In Zhongli's eyes, however, there was nothing but anger.
”I don't know you. You can't be here!” he said in the same stern tone, pressing his foot harder on his rib cage. ”And I’m not Zhongli.”
Childe coughed loudly. His vision blurred before Zhongli grabbed him again, setting Childe back on his feet and caging him in his arms.
Zhongli lifted him, clinging to his shoulders with his long claws. He ripped Childe's shirt apart without any regard, bringing him to his height, seeking his gaze.
Childe had never been afraid of Zhongli before that moment. In fact, fear was a very rare feeling for him in general. He was more likely to feel a thrill of excitement towards a challenge, the adrenaline rush of danger. Even when he had found out that Zhongli was Rex Lapis, one of the most powerful creatures in all of Teyvat, he had felt even more eager to challenge him, despite everything.
Now, however, Childe was afraid that he would die at his hands, and that Zhongli would die in turn.
”You are Zhongli! You must… Remember that,” Childe said when he had caught his breath, before he felt a trickle of blood slip from his own lips. He tried to ignore the pain, bringing his hands to Zhongli’s face.
By now he had nothing left to lose. He had to try everything.
”I know very well what erosion is," Childe continued, decisively. ”The Tsaritsa feared it more than anything else in the world. But you have changed shape so many times. You just have to go back! You can’t…”
”Can't what?” Zhongli interrupted him. Where there had been tears before, now there were small crystals. His expression continued to alternate between cold indifference and peaks of dangerous anger.
”You cannot give up! Please. Please.” Childe found himself pleading with him, encouraged by the fact that Zhongli had not, in spite of everything, rejected him. He had remained motionless, his face in Childe’s hands. ”I know we didn't solve things properly, but I want to go back and spend time with you. I want to bring you back to the surface, among your friends, with me!”
By now, that was a prayer. A plea to return to life. Childe could no longer bear the thought that either of them, or even both of them, had been deprived of a splendid future.
It was so unfair. They deserved to go back to walking on the beaches, staying up until dawn on Zhongli's terrace, watching the stars and then the rising sun. They deserved to spend summer evenings at the Wanming restaurant, and winter nights snuggled close to each other at Zhongli's house, steaming cups of tea in their hands.
Zhongli had yet to visit him in Snezhnaya, to meet his family. Childe still had to introduce him to his brothers.
It couldn't end like this.
”I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know... Who you are. I told you!" was all Zhongli replied, raising his voice.
”Let's get out of here,” Childe insisted, clinging to his arm. ”I promise you'll understand everything later."
The contact evidently did not please Zhongli at all. He pushed Childe away again abruptly, against the cave wall. And, immediately after, he conjured up a spear: the Vortex Vanquisher, which Childe had seen dozens of times, in the statues and paintings of Rex Lapis.
Zhongli wielded it and struck him with a quick snap, before Childe could even react. He advanced toward him, drawing an initial slash. His movements were extremely sharp and precise, so fast that Childe barely had time to dodge. Zhongli's spear grazed his shoulder.
”How did you get here?” Zhongli hit him again. He had gotten closer, so close that Childe's breath caught in his throat.
Childe had no time to summon a weapon, not while every movement had to be aimed at avoiding Zhongli's blows. He certainly could not use his bow. Nor did he want to wound Zhongli. But he had to at least defend himself!
He reasoned quickly and opted to open his palms, letting two water daggers, created by his own vision, materialize between them. It was perhaps the quickest way to react.
Zhongli lowered his gaze to them. His moment of distraction, however, did not last long enough for Childe to catch him by surprise. With his daggers firmly in his hands, he again avoided the blows of Zhongli's spear and bent his knees just enough to strike him in the side, letting the water, made solid and tangible by the shape with which he had molded it, scratch the fabric of Zhongli’s shirt. But it was not enough.
Zhongli spread his arms wide and created a solid shield around himself. That semi-transparent, golden-colored protection whisked Childe away with a thump, as if a wall had suddenly formed between him and Zhongli.
“What do you think you are doing?" Zhongli shouted when Childe fell to the ground again.
Zhongli's spear passed under his chin, grazing his throat. Childe gasped, holding his breath, feeling his own pulse quicken.
Childe looked into his eyes, deluding himself that he could perceive a glimmer of consciousness, of the original Zhongli. But there was none, unfortunately. There was nothing left of him anymore.
”I just wanted to… Save you," Childe murmured in a broken voice. ”Because I still love you. Because I care about you.”
Childe felt the soft skin of his neck being grazed by that blade, despite his attempts to move out of the way.
To die at not even 30 years old was so absurd. But to die at the hands of the person he loved was even worse.
Zhongli opened his hand free of the spear, conjuring up a small celestial body, shaped like a meteor. It had the same color as the geo element, the ochre and golden hues typical of that vision. That small asteroid hovered in the air as if it were about to explode, growing larger and larger.
It was at that moment that Childe had to react with all the violence he had tried to avoid until then.
There was still Foul Legacy.
He had not used it for a year. But now, perhaps, it was the only solution to counter Zhongli and get him out of there.
He concentrated on summoning that supernatural force, obtained from the Abyss so many years before. His own body protested in pain as soon as he felt an electric current run through him, mercilessly, from head to toe.
Zhongli seemed taken aback for the first time as Childe stared at him, irises turning purple, illuminated by tiny lightning bolts. Drops of water began to envelop his own figure, creating an additional field of electrification. Soon, he would be on his feet trying to fight it, block it, and get out of there.
”What are you…” Zhongli tried to say, before Childe himself gasped, shocked.
Why wasn't he transforming? Usually, at that point, his hands would have begun to swell, as would his body.
Instead, unexpectedly, geo-symbols had appeared on his body, bright and burning to the touch. Childe recognized them instantly: they were Zhongli's protection that Xiao had shown him. Why had they appeared just now?
A golden light ran along the tip of Zhongli's spear, touching his skin. Electricity surged up the handle of the weapon, making Zhongli's eyes widen. The electro current reached his hand, passing through him with a shock of gold and purple colors. Childe could not help but jerk, shocked. He felt a current pass through him in turn, before his gaze met Zhongli's.
For the first time, his eyes became alert again, conscious. Zhongli visibly shuddered, as if suddenly roused.
Ajax, pleasantly shocked, looked at him filled with expectation.
”Ajax? Is it you? This is… Was that my power of protection?” murmured the man, shocked. The voice was his own again. Around him, a halo of golden light was created, the same one Childe had seen around him. The cracks on his face began to heal as Childe gazed up at him in total wonder.
What had just happened? Was he saved? Was he taking that strength from himself? Childe sprang to his feet, clutching him, elated with happiness. Light enveloped them both, giving them comfort and warmth.
”Yes, yes, this is it! Take it, please! Look at you, it's healing you! Come back to me, Zhongli!” Childe murmured, closing his eyes, as Zhongli returned the embrace firmly. His arms began to return to their normal color, his fingers to heal.
Could it be that the power, which had remained intact all this time, had turned out to be the key to curing Zhongli?
Childe had heard that Erosion happened when an Archon exhausted his power and could not beat it. But now Zhongli had received his power back from Childe. He could regenerate more starting with that. He could heal. He could come back!
As Childe basked in that idea, however, he did not realize the electricity that spread at their feet, over the rest of the rocks and the cave.
The hard stone became charged with a force impossible to bear, despite its sturdiness. And, exhausted by that intrusive power, it ended up exploding beneath their feet. The cave that hid them until that moment ended up collapsing on them, its walls suddenly brittle.
Before, there had been an embrace between two people; now, all that could be seen was a strong beam of yellow light. Then, all that was left was the sound of an explosion, which could be heard throughout Guyun Stone Forest.
*****
”THERE THEY ARE! LOOK AT THEM, THEY'RE DOWN THERE!”
Ganyu was the last person who could be described as agitated in Liyue's territories. But at that moment, she just didn't hold back. Tears of joy filled her eyes as, together with Xiao, she ran toward the two men, lying in the rubble on the sand.
A shield wrapped around both of them as they lay on the ground. Zhongli had one arm wrapped around Childe, who had sunk his face into his hair.
”I knew it. I knew it! It takes more than that to defeat Zhongli. With such powerful shields, one cannot be injured by an exploding cave!" Xiao, for the first time in a long while, broke into a sincere smile. He stopped a few steps away from them, motioning for Ganyu to do the same.
”Let's leave them alone for a moment longer. I hate to admit it, but… That Fatui, for once, deserves some respect” muttered Xiao, making Ganyu laugh softly while nodding .
A few steps away from them, wounded and covered in debris, Childe and Zhongli reopened their eyes, looking at each other in earnest for the first time in a year.
Zhongli's shield vanished, having completed its duty.
They had survived. Zhongli was himself again. He had chased away the erosion. And the two of them were finally together.
Childe took Zhongli's face in his hands with a smile.
”Welcome back, Zhongli," Childe told him softly. At that moment, nothing else really mattered.
He pressed his lips to Zhongli’s with a smile, as Zhongli returned to holding him closer.
”Welcome back, my dear Ajax.”