"You've done a lot of bad things for a revered woman of honor," Soleil tutted, "Tsk tsk. You need some spanking your daddy forgot to give you."
"Say that to me when you're in a position of power. Though I doubt you have it at the current time," Stella gestured a hand with subtle mockery.
"I'm honored you think my body is a vessel of power," Soleil said and dashed forward, "I just hope you know how to use it while you still have it!"
Ting!
Once again, metal clashed with ice. Slash and dash. Pounce then take cover. A dangerous dance accompanied by butterflies of ice and snakes of darkness synchronizes to a rapid rhythm of the slicing blade and the echoing footsteps that dodged and attacked.
Soleil side-stepped to avoid a sprouting pillar of ice and whirled about to avoid the spears trying to intercept her movements. She spun on one foot like a flexible dancer before raising her sword and slicing towards Stella's midriff.
A frozen tide blocked her attack, and Soleil's golden blade was stuck into the cases of hissing ice where cold smoke arose.
Stella made a crushing motion with her hand, and the sword was swallowed into the ice, buried with Soleil's hand partially inside as well.
Stella swished her hand downward, and and a glacial array of arching spears rained on Soleil speedily.
"Nu-uh," Soleil said and raised her free hand. A burst of violet light embroidered with poisonous black embers shot out and immediately morphed as a dome above Soleil.
The spears of ice halted as soon as it touched the dome, making Stella alert. The spears began vibrating violently before pointing at Stella.
Her eyes widened. Soleil made a faint smirk before flicking her free hand. Dark currents wrapped around the spears and shot for Stella while leaving trails.
Stella set up a large wall in time before the spears easily shot towards it and made a violent explosion. Out of the smoky explosion emerged Stella, who was tracing adeptal letters in the air rapidly while flying back mid-air.
Once she finished, she made a hand sign similar to what Shenhe makes. Various herons made of ice appeared behind her, and they let out shrill cries before diving towards Soleil.
But like the spears, the icy herons paused as soon as they touched the dome, and they would fly back to its creator with hostility. Stella made a horizontal slash with her fingers, and an invisible force cut the flock in half easily, making them disperse as wisps.
Soleil's trapped hand emitted darkness in the frozen depths of ice. Not a second later, it burst into shards, and she freed her hand and sword.
The two ladies in battle were surrounded by a torrential influx of Abyssal power and adeptal energy. Soleil was forced to look up when Stella remained in the air with pair of ghostly wings flapping behind her back.
She shielded her face from the long sideburns flapping against her cheeks due to the wind currents. Soleil was inwardly annoyed.
Seriously, Lumine. You managed to keep your hair short all these years but can't cut this long sideburns of yours? she complained inwardly.
Don't forget that it's my body you're using. Complain to me once you get back your body, which I would have no idea how would be stolen from you, Lumine snorted from the inactive part of her consciousness.
Tsk. You're lucky you look cute in them. Either you like them a lot, or you can't find any hairstylist willing to come down into the Abyss, Soleil thought with a snicker.
Lumine made a faint scoff but didn't say anything else. Soleil smiled amusingly at this before redirecting her attention to the girl before her.
"Why'd you stop? You tired already?" Soleil mused.
"Hardly. But this is proven to be a waste of time," Stella said, "You will take me out of the Abyss once I've put you in your place."
"So you finally realized I'm more useful alive than in some fancy prison," Soleil smirked and shrugged, "But why would I do that? I'm still having fun here."
"Because even if you are unaffected by the Abyss, this territory is not very friendly towards you," Stella replied, "Sooner or later, any enemy you've made here will come and see you at your weakest. They won't let the chance to get rid of you pass."
"How funny of you. Wherever did you get the idea that I am weak as a formless soul?" Soleil mused.
"You cannot attack anyone unless you have a body. Did you not just say that earlier?" Stella replied. Soleil giggled sinisterly.
"No, honey," she said with glinting eyes, "I said I can't cause pain without a body to use. I can do lots of other things even as a ghost. Say...hehe...persuading someone to do a job for me."
"You, on the other hand, can truly do nothing in this situation. You may have my body, but you can't leave. Lumine and I are the only ones who would help you. However, judging from it, it seems the Abyss have set their sights on you, the Stargazing Savant of Liyue," Soleil smirked.
Stella's breathing hitched in restrained shock. Soleil smirked persuasively, "You're only chance out here is to bargain with me."
Stella scoffed. "I wouldn't take any chances with you. I've seen how you managed to put the Qixing in your debt a few times and nobody knows what you would do with a favor from them," she said, squinting her eyes in judgmental suspicion.
"Besides, I have a sense of higher purpose compared to you. I will make better use of the resources in your possession," Stella gathered condensing adeptal energy ready to combust, "The only thing left to do is see you gone and out of my way!"
She summoned a large serpentine dragon made of ice. However, its eyes were completely black, and dark veins ran around its body. Its aura was similar to translucent flames of black.
It let out a horrendous roar before thrashing towards Soleil. She dashed forward to avoid the frenzied attacks and gathered an Abyssal swirl in one hand.
Soleil then threw it towards Stella, the swirling orb turning into rays of luminous shadows. Stella warped away to avoid the attacks and reappeared further away.
She pointed a hand at Soleil, and the dragon howled. It began to shoot a large beam of ice at Soleil before she can run towards Stella.
Soleil's eyes narrowed before she sent out a flurry of the Abyss to override the incoming attack. The ice turned into chips of blackness, and the darkness continued to slither towards the dragon.
The dragon shrieked as it was drowned into the smoky corruption. When it cleared, the dragon's void eyes were glimmering with ominous violet.
It turned towards Stella, who gritted her teeth. She drew a diagram of adeptal scriptures above her, and the endless ceiling began to burst with a rain of ice.
I can't evade, Soleil thought warily while the glow of the rain reflected in her eyes. She made a pulling gesture and the dragon flew above her, serving as the shield before a barrage of ice crashed down on them.
Stella squinted her eyes on the debris before her. The smoke slowly cleared, revealing the damaged ice familiar she summoned.
Shing!
The screech of metal was heard before Stella turned in time and raised a hand. Soleil clicked her tongue as another wall of ice stopped her blade.
"Your senses are sharp," Soleil praised before smirking, "But not sharp enough."
Abyssal smoke erupted from her blade and slithered past the wall of ice, striking Stella straight in the chest.
"Agh!" Stella grunted in pain before she was forced to land back on the ground unsteadily. Though the body was unharmed, she felt burning embers touching her soul directly.
She gritted her teeth at the sense of familiarity. She made a hand sign and the wall of ice turned into a large dragon mouth.
It attempted to chomp down on Soleil, but was reduced to bits with the rapid flash of slices. Soleil landed back on the ground, giving Stella an unreadable look as she slowly recovered from the minor blast of Abyss.
I have to avoid the Abyss next time. It is capable of corrupting conjured familiars regardless of sentience as well, Stella thought as she breathed heavily, clutching her searing stomach.
Soleil flicked the sword to her side as she faced Stella in the distance.
"I saw your memories," she spoke, "I also have your diary in my possession."
"Tch. Even if you did, it's pointless. That diary is nothing but a blank shell of remaining adeptal energy," Stella replied.
"Yet it said everything that needs to be said. Let me guess; you began using a diary when you began receiving memories, didn't you?" Soleil said and smiled humorlessly, "You needed a place to vent. I would know because I did that at your age."
Stella snorted. "I am centuries older than you, Soleil. Know your place," she said.
"In terms of existence, yes. You may have lived long but deep down inside, you're still a thirteen-year old–a child," Soleil replied.
Stella's eyes glowed with scorn. "I don't need you to patronize me!" she yelled and flicked her hand, and a large circle appeared beneath Soleil.
"Heh. Spoken like a true teenager," Soleil said amusingly. A spire of ice shot from beneath her, and she dashed to the side, teleporting before the shocked Stella.
Soleil slammed the hilt of her sword on Stella's midriff, sending her staggering sidewards. Stella groaned before retaliating with a lashing motion of her hand.
A blade of ice whizzed in on Soleil's closely. She moved her body to the side in time to dodge, yet blonde strands of Lumine's hair were cut.
Soleil pointed a hand at Stella's feet, and tendrils of Abyss threatened to latch unto Stella's heels. Stella's body burst with an adeptal aura, and the tendrils were stunned before she can teleport a few meters away.
"Stella, oh Stella. Why do you keep your distance from me?" Soleil mused dramatically. Stella responded with a glare and a downward motion of her hand.
A large claw materialized above Soleil and slammed down. However, Soleil's body emanated an Abyssal halo and she looked at the claw simply.
The claw continued to slam down, but Soleil remained unscathed. The claw developed a hole in its center where Soleil was standing.
Stella was loosing her cool. In the Abyss, elemental energy was highly rejected. And against Soleil, she cannot use familiars to attack. She was proficient with a sword, and Stella has to make sure she doesn't get close.
Is she unable to beat Soleil? Why? She was an adeptus and Soleil is a mere mortal who owns no Vision! So why...
Her translucent wings began to shed a few feathers. Soleil glanced at them before meeting Stella's glare.
"Against other people, you would win. You have been given divine blessing, after all. However, you don't stand a chance against me in the Abyss," Soleil said bluntly, "Give up and stop wasting your soul energy. All of these conjurings are depleting your power."
Stella said nothing. Soleil tilted her head for a while before straightening it and walking towards Stella.
"I keep wondering why you're doing all of this. I first thought that it was because you simply wanted to do whatever business you have with the higher-ups," Soleil said, "Then I remembered who you are. Something else came to mind."
"Whatever does that mean?" Stella scoffed. "Like I said earlier, I saw your memories," Soleil said, "From the moment you met Morax up until you died before him, I've seen them all."
Stella's eyes widened in horror. "No... Those... Those aren't the memories inside the diary," she whispered and glared hatefully, "Where did you get them from?!"
Soleil remained calm. "Xiao revealed them to me. And Ganyu, Madame Ping... Even Cloud Retainer had something to tell to me," she replied.
Stella breathed in disbelief before her fists began clenching tighter. She glared at the side, "How dare those meddling–"
"Now, I won't have you cursing at them right before me," Soleil said sternly, "Those people cared for you and wanted to help you."
"If they did, they should have gotten rid of you. Not act against me," Stella hissed, "Now, they're proven to be obstacles in my way as well."
Soleil felt temporary anger at her words, knowing and seeing the adepti lament as they told her the tale that left quite the wounds on their hearts.
Soleil sighed heavily and shook her head. It's getting difficult to deal with her. I'm going to need your help, Lumine.
Understood, Lumine replied. Soleil looked at Stella's heartless stare.
"You used to smile and laugh a lot in your memories. Now, it was different," Soleil said and smiled sadly, "They did a number on you, didn't they?"
Stella's eyes flickered momentarily before regaining stone cold nonchalance. Soleil dispersed her sword, which made Stella wary.
"You were able to live long enough to see the Cataclysm. Like every other nation, Liyue was in danger. You sought to help them," Soleil said, "When Morax sent the Millelith, you left to save them and deal with the corruption inside the Chasm...eventually becoming tainted yourself and dying."
Stella remained silent. Soleil pursed her lips, "That was also the time you confronted Morax. After years–centuries–of keeping it inside, you finally exploded because he kept another secret from you. Again."
"Was that why you still continue to do all of this? To prove a point?" Soleil asked and spoke firmly, "What are you trying to prove? That you could do everything so that Morax would actually have faith in you and not treat you like a little girl anymore?"
"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Stella yelled and adeptal energy began leaking out of her body, "You don't know anything!"
Soleil's eyes widened when Stella conjured three spears and shot it at her. Soleil dodged each one of them, only to be almost struck by a swiping claw mid-air.
"Tsk," Soleil said and summoned her sword, cutting through the condensed energy and reducing the claw to pieces.
She landed back down, and she got into a defensive stance when Stella's surroundings was blanketed in rioting ice.
"Morax wanted me to do everything," Stella spoke hatefully, "Unlike you, I was hailed as the true prodigy; both the heiress of Rex Lapis and the gifted Tianquan who was aged 13. Tch... They said I was a miracle, so they expected me to make miracles as well. Not for me, but for the well-being of Liyue, the only object of true priority by my so-called 'family'."
"They expected me to do everything for Liyue. From governing it to ensuring peace among adepti and humans, I was expected to do them all. And I did them flawlessly," Stella spoke sarcastically, "So they expected more and more from me. Those expectations kept on piling and piling... I couldn't take it anymore. But who cared? No one! All the adults just wanted the goose to lay the golden eggs and if it paused to rest? They began to chastise as if they were the wiser ones."
Stella smiled humorlessly. "I'll be honest now–I hated everything I was doing. The council was nothing but silk bags full of crap and revered me, thinking I would also begin making miracles for them. Stupid people," she muttered angrily.
"Yet you stayed," Soleil said. "Oh, I stayed alright," Stella said coldly, "All of the adepti are so focused on Liyue and its people. I thought if I stepped into their shoes, I would understand why all their time is invested on its safety; Why Ganyu stays up in the Pavilion until morning, why Xiao is willing to kill himself slowly every night, and why Rex Lapis chose to mingle among all the other children instead of staying with–"
Stella cut herself short. She gritted her teeth until they grated, and she forced herself to breathe calmly.
"I thought if I shared their burden, I would understand. Yet I still haven't. But for their sake, I continued to do my duty," Stella's hateful gaze faltered, "All I wanted was to understand why I can't have the same affection they had for the nation... If I poured my everything to its development and well-being, will I see what they see?"
Stella's burning gaze intensified again,"All I saw was the greed of man and how ungrateful they were. Countless of adepti died to protect them, yet they take those efforts for granted and would be willing to desecrate adeptal property for the sake of profit."
"I sought to be rid of them and Rex Lapis stopped me," she laughed bitterly, "I wanted to stop the disrespect against him and he admonished me. He chose them over me when I was the one who loved and truly cared for his well-being! He loved them more than the daughter he chose to take in himself. What kind of bullshit was that?"
Stella shook her head with a wry smile on her face. "Tasks to do on my left, and a boundaries not to be crossed with my 'family' on my right," she said, "Perhaps Rex Lapis truly didn't see me as his daughter and only a medium to pass on his unilateral wishes to Liyue."
"There was so much to do and I was bordered on all sides. Corrupted officials, countless tasks to do, and a god watching above that wanted to dictate everything that I should do and not do," Stella covered her face and shook in anger, "Gods, they asked so much from me... And none of them ever realized that I was still a young girl that needed her nonexistent father's attention."
"My life was a lie and everything else was imposed suffering by the man I called my father," Stella said and glared at Soleil, "And you have been living nothing but a merry life, wrapping people around your fingers. You have no right to tell me off when all you've been doing is playing cat and mouse and sleeping with men."
"You selfish, little brat," Soleil spoke with a profound sense of coldness in her widened eyes, "How dare you say I've lived nothing but a merry life. How dare you."
Stella uknowingly flinched when Soleil brandished her sword to her side. Soleil gave her a look full of fuelled anger and rage.
"How could you be so self-centered? You had a family looking out for you and you've been treating them like dirt!" Soleil said angrily, "I lived my youth surrounded by dying children and broken families. They would die to experiments and wars as soldiers–the same ones I would go through and be cursed enough to live to go through the same cycle! While you were being showered with care and attention at 13, I was forced to commit treachery against the seven nations or I'll be damned to have my soul freezing to oblivion and the only person I cared about would perish along with his new family."
"Your life is nothing compared to mine. Unless you took the life of suffering children and lived on the possibilities your loved ones would be in danger for your mistakes, you have no right to say you were forced to suffer by Morax," Soleil said spitefully, "He loved you and you were too wrapped in your pride to reach out and see that!"
Stella's pupils dilated and her lips quivered. Stunned, she could not say anything. Soleil breathed heavily from yelling, and she breathed in.
Her chest was feeling heavy. She sighed and looked at Stella, "You see? None of us is living the easier life. But you... Your time has long passed, yet you still chose to stay here and prolong your suffering. Give up, Stella."
"Shut up," Stella muttered. Soleil's forehead creased, "Rex Lapis wouldn't want to see you like this."
"I said, SHUT UP!" Stella screamed. A blizzard of dark ice surrounded them, and Soleil was taken aback by surprise.
She shielded her face from the storm, only to be pushed back violently. Soleil gasped when she felt her breathing get difficult, and something was wrapping her throat.
Stella's eyes flashed with adeptal power as she squeezed in Lumine's throat. Soleil was still inside her body, and she was the one suffering.
She made choking groans and grunts, trying to get Stella's hands off. She tried conjuring Abyssal power, but her hands were wrapped in burning ice.
"You're time is wasted. I'll make better use of it, and you can rest in eternal imprisonment," Stella muttered coldly and summoned a sharp icicle in her other hand.
Lumine, anytime now! Soleil thought in alert as she felt her eyelids closing.
"I have to be rid of the Abyss Order's current leader as well," Stella said and pointed the icicle at the chest, "She knows too much about us."
She raised the icicle and plunged it straight into Lumine's chest. But a dangerous second before it could impale the skin, Stella's entire body was frozen in place.
"W-What is..." Stella muttered in shock and disbelief. She looked at her body and saw white and glowing Enochian letters turn into chains surrounding her body.
"Let the power of the Abyss guide thee!"
Stella groaned and released Soleil, feeling a force suppress her movements. She struggled to look up, and her blood ran cold to see three tall Abyssal creatures before her. Two of them held spears while the one at the center held a book whose pages continued to flap.
"What are you–Argh!" Stella screamed when the chains of letters around her tightened. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she collapsed to the floor.
Lumine's body flopped beside her, and she began coughing. She opened her eyes, and the glowing eyes reverted to calm serenity.
Lumine regained control of her body. She held her throat and spoke with her usual domineering tone, "Take us to the Chasm."
"Yes, Your Highness," the Abyssal Exegete said and began chanting in a language lost to time. Soon, a large portal appeared beneath them, and a flash of power wrapped them.
Lumine blinked a few times to adjust to the sudden flush of rain pouring on them. They stood inside the Chasm, surrounded by cliffs and broken equipment scattered about.
Soleil's body was on the floor, and the weak but vengeful glimmer in her eyes spoke that Stella was still in the body. However, she no longer had the power to move her body–Her power had been absorbed by the Abyssal Exegete that had casted its spell on her.
Lumine felt something separate from her body, like a wet paper taken off her skin. Soleil's soul shaped into her translucent self, and she looked at the body before her.
"Don't fight it anymore, Stella. The Abyss has drained your adeptal energy," Soleil said, "Your soul will literally perish if you do anything else."
Stella's eyes blinked weakly and looked up at the sky, unbothered by the rain plopping on her face.
Her anger died like a flame under the rain, and she muttered faintly. "I'm running out of time anyway. I've failed, and my Mortal Lingering isn't going to last longer," Stella muttered.
Soleil said nothing and stared at the defeated soul hiding in her body. Lumine glanced at her, "I take it my help isn't needed anymore."
"Not anymore. I can take everything from here," Soleil replied. "You owe me for this," Lumine said.
"I'll stay out of it as promised," Soleil said. Lumine nodded before walking towards her three Abyssal servants.
She stood before the Exegete, and all four of them disappeared once more into the Abyss. Soleil turned back to Stella.
Even if she was a soul, she felt as if the rain was able to dampen her feelings. Stella's anger was depleted along with her power.
"Why?" Soleil asked, "What's the point of all of this, Stella? Why did you do what you did?"
Stella continued to stare at the sky bleakly. "I don't even know, anymore," she muttered lifelessly, "I'm just tired of everything... I want to disappear already."
"Not until you answer me," Soleil said sternly, "You've placed Liyue in danger so many times, and I will not accept your half-baked reason of trying to 'test' me. There's more to it and I know it."
Stella smiled faintly. "Liyue's grown so much, hasn't it?" she said, "During the Cataclysm, countless of houses were set on fire. Soldiers bid their wives and daughters goodbye before going to battle. Parents would hide their children in barricaded debris in attempts to hide them from the monsters... They would then distract the monsters away from where they hid their children and sacrifice themselves, waiting for the adepti to find and save their children."
Soleil side-glanced at Soleil's faint outline hovering above her. "They placed their faith on the adepti in times of crisis. As their Tianquan and guardian adepti... It was my job to save them," Stella said and smiled bitterly.
"I know I said I hated how Liyue drained so much out of me... But in the end, they have no one to rely on other than the adepti and I. I could do things they couldn't, and they placed their faith in me," Stella whispered, "That was why I couldn't turn away from my duty even if I could. Heh... I couldn't trust anyone to do it. No one else could do my job better than I could."
"You did a splendid job," Soleil nodded softly. Stella smiled at this before she looked up at the sky with a melancholic look in her eyes.
"I...never wanted to hurt Liyue," her voice shook, "It was Rex Lapis' pride to take care of it. Even if I hated how it took away the love and attention I wanted, I...could never disrespect Rex Lapis' efforts. The adepti's efforts. In the end, I would protect it as well... Just so I had something in common with the people who were way out of my reach. In the end... I just wanted to see just how beautiful Liyue had become. Hehe... I was not disappointed."
Stella grunted in pain as black smoke began to slither out of her body. Once it has left, Stella breathed in relief, but Soleil had a sympathetic look.
"It looks like the Abyss' influence finally left you," she said. Stella closed her eyes and sighed, "That's good... I don't want to hurt anyone else again."
It was silent for a moment until Stella spoke again. "Forget what I said earlier. I'd hate to take over your life and do your job. I can't imagine just how much schemes I'll be making," she said, making Soleil giggle faintly.
"Come now, I'm not too invested in scheming," she said. "Heh. Liar," Stella smiled.
Her smile faded, and she gave Soleil a guilty look. "I'm sorry for what I said about you..." she said and smiled, "You're a capable woman. I could see it now. You'll be able to accomplish what you want. I'll only be in the way."
"Hmph. So you finally admit defeat," Soleil said. "I can rest in peace knowing that you're capable," Stella nodded, but Soleil could still see hesitation in her eyes.
Stella was still not ready to go. Soleil sat beside her lying body and looked around the Chasm, enjoying the exotic view of strange vegetation.
"You know, a friend of mine once said that in the 'border', you will find spirits that have not yet crossed to the afterlife," she said, "They continued to lurk in the human realm because they had things they wanted to do. So they waited in the 'border', hoping that someone will see them one last time...before they completely disappear."
Stella's gaze softened at her words. Soleil looked down at her, seeing unreadable emotions dancing in her eyes.
"Stella," Soleil said gently, "What is it that you regret?"
Stella was reluctant, but there were words she was dying to speak, moments she wanted to tell to someone who was finally willing to listen to her after being by herself for so long.
"I..."
Stella trailed off when the sound of rapid footsteps slapped against the muddy grounds. Soleil turned and her eyebrows rose.
"Childe? What on Teyvat is he–" she stopped short when she saw the other person beside him. Soleil pursed her lips in silence.
Stella turned in curiosity, only for her heart to skip a beat and all thoughts disappear in absolute shock.
Zhongli looked at the drenched scholar in the rain. Although it was Soleil, his eyes faltered when he gazed into the golden eyes. In that instant, he knew.
"Stella," he whispered, his voice faltering with his resolve. Stella's lips quivered, and she spoke with the faintest flicker of hope in her eyes, "...Dad...?"
Just like that, Zhongli's resolve crumbled away like dust to reveal the golden ore of his manifested feelings–ones he had hidden for so long in the depths of immovable stone.
One step forward. And then the next. His disbelief slowly faded, and he knelt right beside the scholar's body who housed a soul he desperately wanted to see once more.
Zhongli was too stunned to speak. The face belonged to Soleil, but the expressions on her face were something only his precious little girl would make when she sees him.
His quivering lips turned into a sad smile. "It's you," he said softly, "It really is you."
The affectionate look in his eyes was enough to make Stella burst. Out poured the thousand feelings and emotions in her heart, and they reflected in the tears blending with the pouring rain.
She broke out into a sob, her whimpers were shaking and could not be silenced. Zhongli gently lifted her and cradled her into his arms, catching the rain for her.
"Hush now... Hush now. I am here now," he whispered and caressed her head, but Stella's sobs only got heavier.
Soleil was watching silently until she noticed another presence appear beside her. She turned and she spoke with surprise, "Xiao."
The Yaksha nodded briefly at her, before his calm gaze faltered at the scene before him. He could feel Stella's presence. And once again, she was dying in Rex Lapis' arms...
"You should go to her," Soleil whispered, "She needs to see you before she goes."
Xiao was reluctant. He thinned his lips before stepping beside Rex Lapis, looking down on the body where he could see the true face of the soul inside it.
"I've done so many bad things, dad... I-I've put the people in danger..." Stella whimpered into his embrace, "I'm such a bad person..."
"It wasn't your fault," Zhongli spoke gently, his eyebrows creasing every time he heard Stella's hiccups and sobs.
"I'm a bad daughter to you, too..." Stella sniffed, "I should have eaten with you on my birthday... I should have asked you how your day was every time we ate dinner and play you a song...because I knew you would be tired from working almost every day. I should have been taking care of you... I was supposed to spend more time with you before...before–!"
"It's alright... Don't say anything," Zhongli kissed the weeping girl's forehead in a fatherly manner with his eyes closed shut, though the tears could not be masked well enough by the rain.
Stella cried painfully from the hurting heartache she was feeling.
"I wasn't supposed to leave you so soon... And I said so many bad things to you," she sobbed, "It was so hard, dad... So hard."
"I know... I'm sorry. I should have noticed you were in pain," Zhongli whispered, "I should have been a better father to you and gave you the love you needed. Instead, I..."
"You were never bad, dad," Stella told him and her unstoppable tears kept pouring, "I'm sorry about everything I told you back then. I didn't mean any of it..."
Stella hugged Zhongli's body with her fading strength. "You are the best father in the world to me, dad," she shut her eyes and hugged him tighter, "And there's no one else I'd rather have! I love you, dad! I love you so much and I'm grateful for everything you've done for me!"
A lone tear ran down Zhongli's cheeks. He hugged the girl's body firmly, yet still delicate. He looked at Stella's face and caressed her cheek.
"You were never a bad daughter to me. And there's nothing I felt for you other than the affection I could muster," he said as he let his tears fall on his smile, "Thank you...for giving me a chance to feel human."
Stella still wept as she leaned her forehead on Zhongli's shoulder. And there, he saw that he was truly holding the little girl that taught him how to nurture the most invaluable of connections.
Zhongli kissed her forehead again and whispered affectionately, "No matter what you did, I will always be your father... And you will always be my little one. Remember that."
Childe's eyes burned. He blinked rapidly and looked away while covering his mouth with the back of his hand. Soleil smiled at this but said nothing.
Xiao kept his head bowed down the entire time. When he finally raised his head, his eyes were rimmed with tears of suppressed lament.
Stella looked at him, and Xiao's heart tightened to see that her strength was dwindling... She was fading away.
"I'm sorry I couldn't play you your lullaby one last time..." Stella said. Xiao knelt before her and gripped her hand.
"I'm more than grateful to see you one last time," Xiao said and smiled faintly, "Your smile is the only cure I'll need."
Stella offered a heartbroken smile. Zhongli smiled faintly and nestled her close to his chest, "Guizhong would be very happy to hear you play her song."
"Yes..." Stella whispered weakly. Almost sleepily. "Perhaps if we meet... I'll tell her about it... That we met because of her."
Zhongli smiled. "She'd love that," he said and rested his forehead against hers, "Say hi to her for me."
Stella nodded, clasping his hand as her eyes began to flutter. "I'm sleepy..." she muttered, "Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?"
Zhongli's lips quivered. She was going to leave him once again. But this time...she was never coming back.
With a shaking hand, he reached out to swipe away the strands of hair covering her eyes. Even if it hurt him, he still put on a smile of comfort and ease for her.
"Sleep, child... I'll be here for you," he whispered. Stella held his hand before mumbling as she smiled, "Thanks...dad..."
That one word was enough to make him smile. Now, even the sturdiest of stone felt his warmth slip out as the star he watched over make her final burst of light...and left everything in still silence.
"I love you," Zhongli whispered inaudibly into her ear. Stella's eyes finally closed.
They all watched as golden wisps arose from the scholar's body and into the sky, like a thousand lanterns that flew on the night of Lantern Rite.
The rain ceased and sunlight pierced through the clouds. Zhongli and Xiao remained silent, as the wisps lit their glassy eyes in warm silence.
Soleil, too, watched as Stella's spirit rose high into the sky. Then, they heard her voice at its faintest one last time.
"Don't forget me."
Zhongli smiled faintly as peace reigned on his face. "I will always remember," he said. Xiao nodded at the sky, "Never."
The golden wisps flew high until it was out of sight. Soleil bit back a gasp when she sensed the familiar flash of memories in her head.
Stella's memories were integrated in her mind. The sense of deja vu struck Soleil, as if she lived that life, but she knew she never did.
Soleil felt her entire consciousness be sucked back into her body. The feeling of being lightweight was fading, and she blacked out in an instant.
When she awoke, a sense of sleepiness came over her along with a sense of warmth. Soleil looked up sleepily and realized that Zhongli was still holding her body.
"Zhongli...?" she muttered. Both Xiao and Zhongli looked at her. Zhongli smiled faintly as he looked at her with kindness.
"I told her we'd meet again."
★
:')