Whale and Dragonfly // OC x Childe Genshin Impact fanfiction

Chapter 36: The All-Changing Loss

Warning: I wrote this warning in the description of the book already but again - angst ahead. Story is about to take a dark turn...

A dark figure plunged down from the heights, thrusting a flaming blade at the ground. Large pyro waves were sent across the entire arena, wiping out hydro slimes with ease.

Traveler and Tartaglia watched with wide eyes as the figure stood up, straightening her back.

"Am I really the only one who's thinking about strategy before walking into the battlefield? You won't be able to damage a hydro slime with hydro, you know? Why not take someone who wields pyro or cryo powers with you, hm? Even electro would do..." girl turned around looking at the pair in disbelief.

"Charlotte!"

Before the young girl could even get a hang of what was happening, she was already in her friend's embrace. Ginger male squeezed her tightly, his arms wrapped firmly around her back.

"I thought I won't get to see you again for a while..."

The brunette was shocked, her heart-rate quickening with each second spent in her friend's embrace. She carefully hugged him too, giving in.

"I'm here now... I'm sorry I left so suddenly..."

"It's fine... It's great to see you again..." Tartaglia squeezed her a bit tighter, reassuring her that he wasn't mad.

"E-Ehm! How about you lovebirds leave it for later, huh? We got a domain to clear here!" Paimon squeaked annoyed.

Charlotte blushed hearing Paimon call her and Childe lovebirds. Was her crush on him so obvious? Is Childe feeling the same? If he doesn't, what he will think now? Will he reject her? Will he get mad at her? Will he-

Before she could think of every possible outcome and start overthinking again, domain summoned the next wave of enemies. Four, ancient robotic machines made an appearance, starting to slowly walk towards them.

"R-Ruin guards! E-Eek!!" Paimon hid behind Lumine again, her eyes wide in horror.

Zanni, on other hand, got her bow out, aiming at the central robot's glowing eye. She once read that ruin guard's eyes were the weak spots – shoot them, and they will fall down having to restart their system.

She released the arrow but it bounced off the ruin guard's eye, doing no damage to it at all. Now that her plan has failed, Charlotte backed away, making her weapon disappear and lifting up her sleeve to activate the delusion.

"Childe, me and you, freeze combination. Use your hydro blades while I use my cryo delusion. It will keep them in place and-"

"That won't be necessary, comrade." 11th Harbinger was looking at the scary machines approaching them with a smile, before turning his back on them. "Let me have my fun, will you?"

12th Harbinger was looking at her colleague horrified.

"You can't be serious! Don't you dare-"

"Hahaha! You're worrying too much, girlie~ Relax!"

Childe laughed again. Ruin guards finally were close enough to strike. The middle one lifted up his robotic arm, its hand forming a fist as he aimed at the guy in front of them. Before it could even hit him, electro particles, dashes, and lightning surrounded the arena.

11th Harbinger disappeared, instead, a gigantic monster was picking up the fight with ancient robots. Lumine and Charlotte backed away, letting Childe finish this wave off skillfully using his Foul Legacy Transformation. The brunette was worried – he will now suffer from great pain again.

After 5 minutes, maybe less, all 4 machines were laying on the ground defeated, their robotic bodies emitting the smoke as some of the core systems were broken. 11th Harbinger was back to normal, standing in the middle of the arena, swaying a bit as he looked around.

"Childe, you-"

"All good, comrades! I feel dizzy just a bit, but I'll be fi-"

"WATCH OUT!" Paimon shrieked, pointing at one of the Ruin guards.

Something had gone wrong with the already destroyed core system, making the broken ruin guard move on the ground and shoot missiles from its back. 6 missiles in total were released, flying and aiming straight at the 12th Harbinger.

Charlotte wanted to get out of the way, but a puddle of slime condensate on the floor left from the previous battle made her slip. She fell down on her butt and it was obvious she won't make it in time, even if she tried rolling away.

Weakly defending herself, she closed her eyes and raised her arm up to her face. She was now prepared to feel the awful pain of her body being ripped in shreds by explosions but...

That never happened...

Hearing explosions but no pain, she opened her eyes, just to gasp in shock.

Childe stood right in front of her with his arms spread to the sides as he shielded her with his chest. After a moment, his last bits of strength ran out, making him fall to the ground.

Charlotte immediately crawled close to him, carefully picking his limp body in her arms. His entire chest was covered in blood, some part of his clothes ashy and still burning as the explosions dealt great damage.

"No... No, no, no..."

The boy coughed, a trickle of blood rolling down his chin. He slowly and weakly opened his eyes, watching how the girl ripped the fan-like detail off of her shirt chest, pressing it on his giant wound. It was her favorite shirt... And now it's all ruined...

"C-Charlotte...?" His voice was silent and weak, his whole body burning with enormous pain.

"You will be fine." Panic was clear in the green-eyed girl's voice. "Y-you will b-be fine..."

With half-lidded eyes, Ajax watched how tears rolled down his friend's cheeks. It was the first time he saw her crying. All of the sudden, after seeing that, his pain got twice as bad.

Their surroundings suddenly changed, they found themselves back in the real world. Domain door broke, scattering the rock bricks pieces all over the place. But it wasn't what Charlotte paid her attention to.

"Lumine, Paimon, don't just stand there! Call the help over! NOW!"

Outlander and her companion ran away, towards the Liyue Harbor to get the doctor. The girl then focused back on her wounded friend, who was looking at her teary face.

"You will be fine... Lumine and Paimon are g-getting help." She sniffled, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

Ginger, despite his body burning in pain, slowly reached his shaking hand up, wiping away a drop of salty water.

"Don't cry..." he whispered.

Girl sobbed again, gently taking his hand in hers.

"I'm s-sorry... I can't lose you... Help is on the way already. Hold on just a bit l-longer. Th-They will be h-here s-soon."

Ajax's usually emotionless eyes seemed to be even emptier. She pulled him closer to herself, letting him rest his head on her chest. Injured Harbinger leaned to her embrace, closing his tired eyes.

"P-Please... You... are the only o-one I h-have left... D-Don't... L-Leave me..."

Boy could barely hear what she was saying at this point. Surrounded by his friend's warmth, he felt safe.

His body has relaxed, the burning pain slowly fading away. His breath and heart rate started slowing down too.

Blue hydro vision attached to his belt started blurring, its color starting to gain a shade of gray. Together with his owner's life, it started fading away.

Soon enough, it became a lifeless, empty grey orb.