🇵‌🇺‌🇷‌🇪‌ 🇼‌🇦‌🇹‌🇪‌🇷‌ | Shenhe x Reader

9

It had been a few days since Shenhe last saw you, and she was beginning to miss your presence. Liyue had been so busy preparing for the upcoming Lantern Rite, and she'd been getting fewer and fewer chances to come by Luhua Pool. But today she had managed to make time.

She'd packed some more Fontaine delicacies into her bag, but who was she kidding? They were merely an excuse for her to see you again.

Although she was still trying to navigate her feelings towards you, she knew it pained her to be away for too long. So, she picked up her pace as she headed for the pools.

Upon arriving, though, it seemed like you weren't there. Setting down her bag, she went over to the water, assuming you were just taking a nap in the lake like the last time she'd come by.

"Y/n?" She called, observing how cloudy the lake's water seemed today. You didn't answer, and she took note of how all the fish seemed to be staying at the bottom. Was there something wrong with the water? "Y/n, are you here?"

Growing worried, Shenhe waded deeper into the lake, not entirely sure what she hoped would come from it but feeling as if she needed to do something. Unlike usual, she couldn't even sense your ghostly presence nearby. On top of that, the water felt warmer than it normally was, as if it had been heating up.

"Y/n!" She cried again, this time more desperate. What if something had happened to you? She didn't think she could live with herself if that were the case.

Hearing her voice, Larry swam up to the surface, looking gloomy. He came over to her and she gently stroked his fin, frowning in concern.

"Larry, what happened to them?" The fish dipped his head, as if in shame, then circled around her frantically. Confused, she watched as he darted back in forth, looking down the river, and then back at her. "I'm not sure I understand," she admitted, wishing she could communicate with the fish like you always did.

Larry seemed almost as frustrated as she felt, coming to a stop and dipping his head toward the bottom. Sighing, Shenhe began to leave the water.

"I'll search the area near Luhua Pool. They couldn't have gone far," she told him, ringing the water out of her braid. Bringing out her polearm, she proceeded to cover the area, looking for any sign of you.

She wouldn't have expected finding a water spirit to be so difficult, but then, she'd never had to search for you before. You were always there to greet her when she arrived at the pools, and somehow, she felt a little empty with you gone.

Was it possible you had already moved on to the afterlife? In the time between her visits, had you managed to figure it out on your own and left her?

No, it couldn't be. You had been making such slow progress, there was no way you could have moved on overnight. Plus, even if you had figured it out, you would have waited to say goodbye to her, wouldn't you?

She considered you a close friend, but at the same time, she wasn't sure how you felt about her. Was it possible you saw the relationship differently? Maybe you didn't want to be around her anymore, after all.

As much as she hated that possibility, it was still better than the alternative of you being hurt or in danger. What if an excorcist had gotten to you?

"Calm down, Shenhe," she told herself, taking a deep breath, "you'll find them."

After making a full circle around the area, she stopped by the clear blue pools, remembering the night you two had spent in them, splashing each other and gazing at the stars. She would cherish thos memories for the rest of her life.

Only, now that she looked at the water, it didn't seem quite as pure as she remembered. The once crystal-clear liquid was so cloudy, and there were even specks of debris floating throughout. Frowning, she waded into the shallow water.