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*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
Once, the love of her life had said: “Just look to the skies, and the stars shall guide you home.”
But even the brightest star dies.
Ningguang wanders long after, following the dimming stars she can still see, until she reaches the end of the false sky.
She’s standing in the middle of heaven, she thinks. Stars below and stars above, and if she takes another step, she could walk on air and touch the constellations amidst the fine clouds of the night.
One step, and she’s standing at the edge of a vast lake, the stars above mirrored in its still waters. Mountains rise on either side like cresting waves, silent witnesses to a thousand fates in the sky. The crisp, clear darkness rolls on forever until sky and sea are one; the forests, valleys, the full moon delicately hanging on the cusp of time.
They say every person’s destiny is written in the stars. If so, Ningguang can only pray that their souls find each other, over and over again, should Celestia deign to grant them this mercy.
Her hand is so small in the vastness of fate. And still she reaches out to the brightest star that twinkles in the sky — the love of her life, the sun to her moon, the captain of her heart. Her voice, barely a whisper, holds only a heartfelt plea.
“Take me home… Beidou.”
2017
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It is nearing midnight, but the astronomical observatory still sees a flurry of activity. Ningguang adjusts her glasses, tapping away on her tablet as she checks on the coordinates of the telescope. As the observatory’s dome slowly opens with a whirr, she taps the shoulder of a dazed scientist simply staring at the glittering night sky above.
“And what are you doing, Baishi?” she inquires, still checking the details on her tablet. “Should you not be noting the exact coordinates of the moon tonight?”
“S–sorry, Dr. Ning!” the young girl squeaks, “I–I’ll get right on it now!”
“It’s the largest Geminid meteor shower in a century,” Ningguang chides as Baishi flees, “We won’t get this chance again in our lifetime.”
Now in position, the telescope hums to life. Based on her calculations, Earth should be passing behind the 3200 Paetheon asteroid right about now, which means— she looks up at the sky as the first stars fall.
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
And the stars fall far from the observatory too, riding the skies across the Pacific Ocean, where a naval ship cuts a lonely path across the dark sea. Captain Beidou pokes her head out from below deck, joining her enraptured crew on the ship’s bridge. A thousand stars are falling, drawing blazing streaks through star-scattered clouds and fading into the dark horizon.
For a moment, she feels like she’s standing at the edge of the world.
“Wow,” Beidou breathes.
Juza nudges her in the shoulder. “Make a wish, capt’n,” her Chief Mate urges.
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ
A wish, huh?
Ningguang scoffs at the notion. “You know I don’t believe in these silly superstitions, Baixiao,” she replies, peering through the telescope and noting down the location of Polaris. She pauses, just for a moment, to watch the shooting stars paint bold strokes on a starry canvas.
To her left, her apprentice continues pleading: “You gotta! Humour me for once, doc?”
The astronomer shakes her head, bemused. “Very well.” She stares at the shower of stars once again, her gaze resting on Polaris. There’s something oddly familiar about the stars tonight. The way they’re scattered amidst clouds, reflected on the telescope, like she’s standing at the edge of the world, on the cusp of time. And somehow, the words come to her—
—just as they come to Beidou, who closes her eyes and clasps her fingers together in prayer. And for a single moment — just a blink — the captain stands on a ship very much like this, but built of wood and driven by wind, a twenty-strong fleet trailing behind. She looks up at the sky again, searching for the shadow behind the brightest star — the silhouette of a floating palace, where the eclipsing star remains.
She lifts her head to the Jade Chamber—
—where Ningguang inhales the refreshing scent of blooming glaze lilies in a porcelain vase, which shimmers with the iridescence of pearls from lands beyond Liyue. She cradles the vase to her chest as she takes feather-light steps to the balcony, lifting her head to the sky.
Their prayers traverse time and space, riding on falling stars.
May we meet again, my heart.
2000
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Over time, the chatter of businessmen and the clatter of metal on glass grates on Ningguang’s ears. The business tycoon reclines in her chair, swirling a glass of red wine. She drums her fingers on the arm rest, suppressing a sigh at the politicians and dealers vying for a scrap of her attention.
Whoever wins her favour wins half of Liyue’s property market, after all.
When she was climbing the career ladder, these networking parties were her lifelines. Through connections and goodwill she had risen from a lowly executive to the Chief Executive Officer of Qixing Corp; by her hand, entire organisations were elevated and destroyed. She relishes the power, of course. She always does.
But there are days when she’d prefer to be left alone.
Ningguang offers Charles a placating smile, driving his prattling to a stop. "Excuse me." She gets to her feet, sweeping past the dismayed Fontainean and pushing open the glass doors of the pavilion to the balcony. The CEO draws a deep breath of cool night air, looking up at the sky.
Here, in Yuehai Pavilion’s private ballrooms, a sea of stars twinkle overhead. She gazes at the splash of glimmering lights across a black canvas, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Stargazing has a way of calming her nerves, almost as if—
“That’s Polaris,” a gruff voice suddenly says.
Ningguang’s head snaps a little too quickly to her left. The owner of the voice recoils a little at the abrupt movement. “Sorry, did I interrupt something?”
The white-haired lady only stares. Ningguang isn’t sure why, but she didn’t expect the voice to belong to such a tall and suave woman clad in a red evening gown. This newcomer wears a fancy eyepatch over her left eye, three hair sticks woven gracefully into her hair, its head ending with a turquoise tassel. The corners of her red lips quirk into a smirk.
Her throat is dry when she croaks: “...no.” With great effort, Ningguang tears her gaze away from the woman and looks back up at the sky. One star shines just a little brighter than the others. “Polaris, you said?”
The woman moves closer, leaning on the railing next to her. Ningguang catches a whiff of hazelnut and toffee. “Yeah,” the woman replies, “It changes every few centuries, you know? Polaris isn’t always the brightest star out there. It’s whatever star the big dipper points to. And the big dipper moves.” She lets out a low chuckle, a sound that soothes Ningguang’s ears. “Ha, guess that’s why they call it the chariot of the gods.”
“Mmm,” is all Ningguang can offer.
It’s odd. She came here seeking solitude, but she doesn’t mind this lady’s presence for some reason. “What brings you here?” she inquires, staring at the sky once again.
Another chuckle. “Same reason as you, I guess.” The other woman follows her gaze. “I like looking at stars.”
“And why is that?”
The chuckle turns into a hearty laugh. “I don’t know,” she admits. “But you know, travelers have used the stars for centuries to find their way around.”
Ningguang tilts her head, idly wondering what is beneath the woman’s eyepatch.
“I guess you could say I like the stars because… they’ll always guide you home.”
Take me home.
Ningguang freezes.
“You good?” The other woman frowns.
She blinks back the tears suddenly forming in her eyes. “I—I’m fine. I just feel like…”
I’ve heard this before.
A loud ring abruptly pierces the silence. Ningguang nearly jumps out of her skin, fumbling in her dress pocket and yanking out her phone. “Excuse me,” she mutters, flipping it open with a slight scowl. She turns away—
And the woman gently grabs her arm. “Hey. Name’s Beidou.”
Ningguang stops once again. She slowly lifts her head, staring at that ruby eye that seems to soften ever so tenderly.
They say eyes are windows to the soul. Ningguang understands this now, for she sees a lake of stars shimmering deep within that eye, and among the sea shines a single, brightest star. And for a moment — just a blink — she is standing before Beidou on a red carpet, dressed in gold and silk. Beidou kneels before her, hands locked behind her back with immovable shackles of rock.
She bends, golden clawed fingers gripping Beidou’s chin and tilting her head up, staring deep into that defiant ruby eye — the same ruby eye she now looks into, ringing phone still in hand, all thought of answering the call forgotten.
Her lips part. “I am Ningguang.”
Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing.
2005
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“And… done!”
Beidou dusts her hands, admiring her latest handiwork, as Ningguang checks off the last of Liyue’s domain artifacts on her list. The museum curator nods, tossing her clipboard onto the reception counter. “We’re ready for tomorrow, then.”
Tomorrow will be the grand opening of Liyue’s first museum, with exhibitions documenting the mysterious artifacts excavated from domains all across the mountainous landscape, along with an exclusive look at alleged belongings of the former Geo Archon, Rex Lapis.
It will also be Ningguang’s debut as a curator. Half of these artifacts were donated from her own collection that she had amassed over the years as she explored the rich history of Liyue. And the exhibition’s layout, display and planning — well, that is the result of six long months working alongside Beidou, a seasoned exhibition planner. As for how they met?
Well — that’s a story in itself. It involves getting caught in heavy rain and nearly being hit by a car breaching a red light, driven by none other than yours truly.
“Break time?” Ningguang takes out a cigarette.
Beidou wrinkles her nose in disgust, but opens the backdoor to the rooftop. Curator and planner sit on plastic chairs — one elegantly crossing her legs; the other slumping on it and stretching her legs.
As Ningguang lights a cigarette, Beidou points to the sky. “Look. That’s Polaris.”
She follows the other woman’s hand, catching sight of one star that shines brighter than the others.
“You know,” Beidou muses, “That star has been my guiding light for a long time.”
Ningguang exhales a puff of smoke, tilting her head towards the one-eyed planner.
“Whenever I’m lost, I look up at the sky,” Beidou continues, her hands clasped behind her head. “My dad used to say: when you’re lost, look up at the sky, and—”
“—the stars will guide you home.” The words drop from her lips instinctively.
Beidou’s ruby eye widens.
Ningguang’s half-smoked cigarette falls to the floor.
“How’d you know what I was going to say?”
Ningguang’s cheeks burn. “I… I don’t know. I just feel like…”
I’ve heard this before.
“Huh.” Beidou shifts around in her plastic chair to face Ningguang. “I’ve never told anyone that.”
Perhaps not in this life. But she had said these words on a balcony in Yuehai Pavilion as her phone rang, on a bed where they lay tangled together in silk sheets, on a floating palace overlooking Liyue Harbour as they shared a drink and a game of chess.
The museum curator shrugs, bending to pick up her cigarette just as a calloused hand touches hers. She pauses, looking up into a ruby eye that has been her constant partner over the last half-year. No, somehow — it doesn’t feel like she’s only known Beidou for six months.
Ningguang murmurs, “Have we… met… somewhere?” Long before this gig?
And Beidou draws closer, a hand tilting her cheek so that their noses graze each other. “Perhaps we have.”
Over and over again.
Her lips part, welcoming the soft brush of Beidou’s lips on hers, catching them when she pulls away, drawing her in. She lets go and Beidou’s strong arms catch her, a curtain of brown hair blocking out the world. In this moment, Ningguang thinks, they stand at the edge of the world, at the cusp of time, on a sea of stars.
Far above in the night sky, a shooting star falls.
0
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In the depths of Snezhnaya’s nature reserve, there is a road. A lone car travels down this quiet road at four in the morning, dark forest on one side and endless grass fields on the other. Ningguang keeps her attention on the road ahead, knuckles tight on the steering wheel.
She has walked this road once, when it was little more than a dirt path carved through the bitterly-cold forest by adventurers before her.
The road finally ends in a cul de sac. She parks the car off the curb, opening the car door. Icy air slaps her in the face. Ningguang pulls her winter coat tighter, slamming the car door shut.
She walks into the forest, retracing her steps from so long ago when she clutched the empty husk of an Electro Vision tightly to her chest.
The dirt path opens into a clearing. She breaks into a run, bursting out of the forest and into the middle of heaven. Stars below and stars above, and if she takes another step, she could walk on air and touch the constellations amidst the fine clouds of the night.
But this time there is someone else, bundled up in a winter coat and a trapper hat, standing at the edge of the world.
Ningguang approaches the figure hesitantly. The person turns, and she sees an eyepatch covering her left eye and a wide grin blossoming across her face. “You’re here.”
Ningguang’s steps slow to a halt in front of her. “I’m here,” she agrees, her breaths escaping in puffs of mist.
Beidou smiles, stretching out a gloved hand. Ningguang reaches out, placing her hand in hers.
Here, at the edge of the world and the cusp of time, she remembers defying destiny. She stood here once carrying a wish upon her lips, and she rewrote the stars with an iron will and her soul.
“Look to the sky, bǎobèi,” Beidou whispers, “And the stars shall guide you home.”
In every life, Ningguang had decreed, over and over again, take me home… Beidou.
Beidou’s arms open.
Ningguang melts into them, hot tears spilling down her cheeks. In this life, and the next, and forevermore—
I’m home.
*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ FIN.