Edit 2/25/22: Remembered to redo the first paragraph so that Meiling only has Geo as her vision.
As soon as they stopped at the Harbor, Meiling literally ran to a renovated building named the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, jogging upstairs to a small apartment that looked like it hadn't been touched in years. The rest of the class followed suit, since Meiling was their main tour guide and they couldn't afford to lose her. When they got there, they saw her standing next to a burnished wood bookcase, reading a gold-covered book with a Geo symbol on the top. "Meiling," Venti sighed, "Is that Rex Incognito you're reading?" Startled, she turned around, dropping the book. However, before it could hit the floor, Venti waved his hand and brought it back up to her with a swirl of winds. The vision at her waist glowed softly with amber light as she grabbed the book with one hand, Geo gold shimmering faintly as Venti dismissed the breeze he'd summoned. She slipped the novel back into the bookcase before turning to them.
"Look," she said, staring out the window. "Can you guys see the Guyun Stone Forest from here?" The group crowded around the window, looking towards the pillars rising from the sea. Tall, imposing, and grand, the stone spears stood at angles from where they'd been thrown, trapping the old gods together. The monolith that held Rex Lapis gleamed in the sunlight, its veins of gold shimmering and pulsing. "We'll head there tomorrow morning." With that, she turned and left, heading to her old house, a villa carved into the cliff face that she had made with her father hundreds of years ago. Everyone else headed towards the Wangshu Inn, which was still built around the same pillar that it was years ago. The place felt a little empty without Xiao there, but they brushed it off and fell asleep, wondering why Meiling seemed subdued.
The sun rose over a bustling city, gentle clouds floating above the Harbor as sunlight glittered over the water. They met Meiling at Liuli Pavillion, her hair gently swaying in the cool wind as she finished a steamed pork bun. "You're all here? Well then, time to go. If we start now, we'll make it there by ten." Chongyun stared at her, his face a mask of horror as he said, "You don't mean we're walking to Guyun, are you?" She grinned mischievously, cheering, "Scenic route, am I right?" Xingqiu groaned. "One day, I'll kill you. I swear I will." "But you love me, QiuQiu! Besides, don't you like to walk- OW!" She rubbed her forehead grumpily, glaring at her best friend, whose smug face stared down at her with his trusty Legend Of Sword in hand. Hu Tao snorted, Keqing smirked, and Childe burst into pure, uncontrollable laughter at the sight of her indignant face. "Fine! We're driving there! Happy now?!"
Two minutes later, they were all piled into the bus, traveling the road towards the sea. The salty scent of the breeze was beautifully pleasant, and the wind stirred their hair, cooling the bus and giving them a sense of relaxation. The stone spears rose above the sea, touching the skies and inspiring awe. Venti gave a happy squeak, his eyes sparkling as he saw the familiar view of the Guyun Stone Forest rising above the horizon. The van driver found the parking lot and pulled in, barely managing to park before Meiling jumped out, leading the way for everyone else. There was a small, well-worn path leading towards the beach, as a cliff had been carved over the beach as the years had passed. In fact, it had been Meiling's feet that had worn this path for the first time, her steps slow, as, with a heavy heart, she made her way from Liyue to check that the seals were still in place. It was still largely unchanged from the way it had been centuries before.
It took some time for all of them to get to the beach, since there were so many of them. The younger members pulled off their shoes and ran into the surf, letting the waves crash over their legs. The older people watched them, some, like Kaeya and Venti, opting to join them. Xiangling shrieked as Hu Tao splashed her, setting off a chain reaction. Soon all of the teens in the water were fighting, laughing and giggling as water flew around them. Soon, though, Jean called them back, reminding them that they still had to visit the Geo Archon. Grumbling slightly from their fun being stopped, they stood on the beach and let the Anemo users dry them off. Rai commented that they could keep their shoes off, since there was smooth rock all the way there. Several people raced across the sun-warmed rock towards the huge monolith. Hanging back to chat with Meiling, Childe noticed her abnormally quiet mood. "Meiling. You okay? You're kind of quiet today." Startled out of her reverie, she glanced up before mumbling, "Nothin'. Just wondering about the Archon."
He patted her back before looking up. "Alright. I'm gonna go on ahead, but you know where I am if you need me." Nodding slightly, she watched him dash on ahead before she sped up to walk with Rai. He glanced sideways at her, and the two of them continued walking on in silence. Once, he held up his hand and let sparks play across its surface, testing out his control of the Electro Gnosis. That was all, though. They simply walked, their steps leaving wet prints on the rock as the seagulls wheeled and called around them. In no time at all, even though Rai and Meiling tried to slow their steps as long as they could, they reached the tomb. Its shape was the exact same, but its age showed in the weathered edges and vines climbing up and around it. Leaning next to the sealed entrance was an old lyre, its strings old and plucked taut, the frame brittle and faded. Cecilia went over to it, a flash of recognition in her eyes as she picked it up. "It's like the Holy Lyre, but if it was severely aged." Venti joined her, taking it from her. Suddenly, his eyes widened. "This is the Holy Lyre. I left it here after you told me of the blockhead's sealing, as an apology and a gift. Hold on, let me just-" With a swirl of Anemo, the Lyre repaired itself, glowing as beautifully as it had centuries before.
Testing the strings, Venti plucked a familiar tune before nodding. "It's good. The strings work perfectly, and the light's back in it." He then handed it to Cecilia, who stared at him. Noticing her confusion, he smiled. "It's yours now. Aren't you the Anemo Archon?" Her face lit up with a smile, then she hugged him and fingered the strings, humming in tandem with the tune. Diluc fondly ruffled Cecelia's hair, drawing a muffled squeak from her before she batted his hands away and fixed her ponytail, smoothing down the stray hairs. Childe stared in awe at the gigantic stone structure, gazing at the neat lines of pulsing Geo energy as they glowed in tandem with his heartbeat. Somewhere, in the depths of his mind, he could feel something tugging insistently on his heart, pulling him towards unknown territory with a feeling of loss and longing.
Rai's body tingled as he snapped his head around, turning to stare at the figures walking towards the group, the smell of ozone permeating the air. He could just barely make out the shapes of both his adoptive mothers and his adoptive brothers headed for them, the atmosphere charged with crackling Electro energy. Despite having retired and passing on her Gnosis to her son, Raiden Ei was still as powerful as ever, all beauty and strength, even after 900 years. "Hello, Mother," Rai said, bowing in respect to the woman who had changed his life, who had given him a home after picking him up off the streets. Ei's eyes softened as she gently ruffled her son's hair, before she stepped back and let Scaramouche, Kunikuzushi nowadays, examine his younger brother with exasperated affection as Shirou hopped around excitedly. Yae Miko stood back a little, her sharp eyes watching her sons' interactions. Meiling and Cecilia hung back slightly as Venti greeted his old friend, their divinity curling around them, floating as wisps on the wind.
Ei looked over at the tomb and the people gathered around it, zeroing in on Childe. She leaned over to Meiling, calmly patting her back and gently pushing her towards Childe. "Go ahead, child. He'll be able to do it, regardless of locked memories." Meiling nodded and quickly darted through the crowd of people. Locking her arms around Childe, she dragged him off towards the Geo stele. "H-hey, Meiling, where are you taking me?" "No questions asked. Just come with me." As they got closer, the Geo lines pulsed, reaching out to the familiar presence in front of them. In response, Meiling's inherent Geo glowed in return, changing her blue eyes to gold and back again. Childe, for lack of a better word, was confused, his eyes (which were still the same enchanting, ocean blue as they had been almost a millennia ago) looking up at the stele. "So, why have you singled me out, and why do I have a headache?" Childe asked, poking the teen's nose affectionately.
Meiling grinned, shoving him in the direction of the monument's door before saying, "Try opening it! I've got a good feeling about this." If she wasn't sure that her mother would recognize her father the minute they made eye contact, the headache Childe suddenly had confirmed it. Diluc's memories had come back through a series of headaches and dream-like visions, and Meiling somehow instinctively knew that Childe's memories would be brought back through this. Shaking his head fondly, Childe placed his hand on the door. The symbol in the middle glowed brightly, recognizing the familiar energy. Meiling nearly tripped over her own feet as a blast of Geo spread outward, rippling the waves. Childe staggered back, gripping his head and wincing as a flood of memories assaulted his mind.
The door slowly rumbled outward, revealing a set of steps leading down into another chamber which glowed with the same amber color as the symbol. Rai flinched alongside Cecilia, the raw power of the oldest Archon being enough to cause them nausea. He turned to Meiling, who by now was holding Childe's hand tightly as tears welled up in his eyes, memories of years long past resurfacing. She nodded to Rai and gently tugged her mother towards the entrance, approaching the steps hesitantly. "I'm fine. Let's go see your dad." Meiling's face lit up with joy and she turned and sprinted down the steps, Childe waving to the others as he hurried after his overly-excited daughter.
The interior chamber was warm yet not suffocating. Cor Lapis and Noctilucous Jade served as a light source, with preserved Glaze Lilies keeping the air fresh and sweet. Meiling spun around the stone beds in the center of the room, her arms outstretched as she whirled around, giggling. The four people in stasis slumber were safe within their amber shells, a calm expression on each of their faces. Childe popped his knuckles, walking over to the smallest of the four. That one held Qiqi, the herbalist zombie that was one of his adopted children. He placed his hand onto the amber shell that covered Qiqi's small body and watched in satisfaction as it started cracking. Spent Geo power escaped back to its mistress, creating a golden aura around her as the stasis was lifted and Qiqi woke up. "...Mama... It's warm..." Childe smiled, leaning over to pick the girl up. She snuggled closer, comforted by his familiar warmth. "Stay with your jiejie for now, alright? I'll be right back." Qiqi nodded, still groggy from the aftereffects of being asleep for hundreds of years.
He moved on to the next bed. Since it went in age order, from youngest to oldest, Xiao was next. His shell shattered easily, fueled by his will and his karmic energy. Xiao didn't sit around, either. He stood near his sisters, waiting until Childe finished opening Ganyu's. "She'll take some time, I guess," Xiao mumbled. "Ganyu-jie won't be as resistant as I am, so it'll be longer." "That's fine with me. I'm glad to see you again." He instantly flushed red in embarrassment and Meiling snorted, elbowing her brother and leaning back against the wall. Finally, after about five minutes, the casing cracked open and the qilin sat up, rubbing her head and yawning. "That was a nice nap... Oh, hi, Mom! Wait- MOM?!" "Jiejie, over here. Mama's busy." Ganyu stared over at the trio by the wall, shrugged, and went over to wait. Childe approached the last bed, the one that held his husband. Then, he thought of something. "Hey, kids. Do you mind leaving? I need a moment alone." The four by the wall didn't even look surprised. Meiling nodded, handed Qiqi over to Ganyu, and went back up the stairs much the same way she'd gone down them: charging like a raging bull. Xiao, poor boy, got dragged along after his sister, her hand gripping the back of his collar (like Cecilia, Meiling had also changed their clothes with the era and updated them on the new customs) as the two of them ascended to the sunlight. Ganyu simply shrugged, adjusted her hold on her little sister, and followed after the other two.
With the quartet out of the room (he could already hear Venti happily greeting the three new arrivals), Childe turned his attention to the last stone bed. Underneath the glowing amber lay the first Geo Archon, the cor lapis of his hair glowing alongside the amber case. It had been so long. Too long. Zhongli still looked the exact same as he had all those years ago, back in old Liyue. He was scared. Hopeful, though. "How on earth did Diluc manage to just do it without any reservation?" He grumbled, sweeping ginger hair out of his eyes. They flashed in the half-light, deep blue like the ocean. Zhongli had often said that Meiling looked more like him despite definitely having more of his features, due to the same depth in their blue eyes. "Why am I remembering this just now...?" Shaking off any doubt, Childe steeled himself and laid a hand on the amber just above Zhongli's heart.
Spiderweb cracks spread out from his hand, amber shattering like glass hit by a stone. It worked, he thought numbly. The minute the casing completely broke, Zhongli's eyes opened. The first thing he saw was the familiar view of his mate, his Ajax, standing above him with eyes wide in shock, filled with tears and so many other things. He couldn't help it, so he reached up and dragged Childe into a kiss. Childe melted into it, hands reaching up to grab at the trench coat Zhongli was wearing before he pulled away, wrapping his hands around his husband's waist and shaking in silent tears. Zhongli simply held him close, feeling the familiar warmth and inhaling the scent of the sea and pine trees, mixed with warm cinnamon. Likewise, Childe felt safe surrounded by the smell of the fall rain, nutmeg, and fresh soil. "Missed you, stupid xiansheng," the Snezhnayan murmured. Likewise, my beloved Ajax. There was not a day that I did not dream of you.