Chapter Text
"Nahida, we want to learn more about the hydro region!" Paimon exclaimed, crossing her arms.
Lumine nodded her head, confirming her companion's words.
A long time had passed since they first came to Sumeru and saved the Dendro Archon. Their new friends helped them, and also warmly welcomed them at any time. But Lumine could not stay here, as she needed to finish this journey.
As if reading her thoughts, Nahida finally spoke.
"I understand that you cannot stay here for long, so I will answer your questions." She said, crossing her arms behind her back.
Lumine nodded approvingly, and Paimon's eyes lit up with curiosity. The weather today was sunny and windy, swaying the trees from side to side. Not knowing what to expect, Paimon blurted out that it was always raining in Fontaine and never sunny, which Lumine believed! After she found out that it wasn't true, the girl felt stupid, so she needed reliable answers.
"What would you like to know?" The Goddess said quietly, tearing the traveler out of her thoughts.
Lumine fell silent. All the words that were on her tongue were erased in an instant. She could ask anything. Anything about what was waiting for them.
The girl was going to ask. She didn't know what exactly she was going to ask. But it seemed she had just been beaten to it.
"Paimon wants to know how delicious the cakes are in Fontaine!" she said, rubbing her stomach with her hands, closing her eyes. Nahida stared at the traveler's small companion, giggling quietly. "I think you and Lumine will find out for yourselves, but for now..." - Before the Goddess could finish speaking, she was immediately interrupted.
"Nahida, what can you tell us about the Hydro Archon?" Lumine said firmly, not noticing her worried look.
Traveling through Teyvat made her realize that each archon has his own skeletons in the closet, but the most innocent among them was Nahida.
She trusted her the most.
"Focalors.. she.." The Goddess finally spoke, still pondering the answer. What was it about the Goddess of Justice that the Goddess of Wisdom was trying so hard to find an answer to her question?
"Nahida, hurry up, Paimon is already hungry!" - The little fairy said in an almost completely squeaky tone, pointing to her stomach. "Paimon, you.." Lumine only lowered her head down, sighing heavily. Finally, Nahida raised her head again, looking into the eyes of the traveler.
"Focalors is quite an interesting person. How can I explain it.. she is quite loud, but the people of Fontaine adore her, and consider her their "mascot" - The little Goddess continued, confusing Lumine.
"Loud? And she likes sweets? "Do you think Paimon could be friends with Focalors?" Paimon squealed, jumping in the air. Lumine looked back at her companion, covering her mouth with her hand.
"Paimon, shut up for a minute."
"Lumine."
The girl immediately turned her attention to Nahida, who seemed not to hear Paimon, but only addressed her, as if there was no one else in the room except the two of them.
"Do you know that in the past, Focalors and I were good friends?" Nahida said, to which Lumine frowned, turning over her words in her head. When did they have time? How did they meet? Were they friends now?
Lumine watched her friend, who was already standing with her back to her, as if again thinking about what to say next.
"During the reign of Egeria, Focalors and I often communicated, with the help of something I did not know, she called our meetings magical, but she never said how exactly she established a connection between us." - Nahida continued, folding her arms on her chest. "And I did not ask anymore," the Goddess finished briefly, turning to Lumine again.
These words made Lumine think, if the hydro archon and dendro archon were close friends before, then what prevented them from being friends now? What could have happened between them?
In her eyes, Nahida looked worried, but also calm at the same time, could it be assumed that their friendship influenced this?
"May I ask what happened between you two, since you stopped communicating?" Lumine said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"A sudden change in her personality."
"What?" Lumine blurted out from such a sharp answer.
Nahida just shook her head.
"Looking from the side of psychology, her personality changed very abruptly, and not naturally. As if she was replaced." - Nahida began to speak out, looking at Lumine with a gloomy look.
Lumine quickly realized that all this could not be just like that, what made the Hydro Archon change so drastically?
"Is the prophecy involved?"
For a moment, Nahida's eyes widened in surprise, about the knowledge of the prophecy, but almost immediately the concern was replaced by a calm expression on her face.
Paimon jumped in the air, looking at the traveler with an offended expression.
"Eh?! A prophecy? What prophecy? You never mentioned it!" Paimon cried out in an offended tone.
Lumine just shook her head, she herself did not remember where she learned this from, who could have shared knowledge of Fontaine's prophecy with her?
The traveler turned her gaze to Nahida, searching for answers.
The young Goddess could only sigh before closing her eyes and clasping her hands behind her back. The atmosphere around them was heating up, and the day was getting darker.
"Prophecy brings doom. They say that every newborn Fontaine resident is born with a sin." Nahida whispered, looking away.
Paimon looked even more confused, searching Lumine and Nahida's eyes for answers to her questions. "Sin? What sin?" The little fairy asked incredulously.
Lumine wondered the same thing, looking from Paimon to Nahida. She crossed her arms behind her back, patiently waiting for an answer. She could clearly see that this question was hurting the Goddess, and upsetting her.
"I don't know much about it, the only thing is that there is a prophecy on Fontaine, which says that all the inhabitants of Fontaine will dissolve into water, and only the hydro archon will remain, crying on his throne." - Nahida just closed her eyes, sighing anxiously.
"But I believe that you can do something about it." - she whispered, a slight smile visible on her face.
Lumine scratched the back of her head in confusion, exchanging glances with Paimon. She had no idea what was going on, but they would not stop that easily. With that moment etched in her memory, She smiled at Nahida with a proud smile and tenderness in her eyes, letting her know that she would not let the prophecy happen. She would not let her friend down.
"Paimon will make sure that the traveler does everything right!" Paimon spoke proudly, folding her arms over her chest, to which Nahida let out a quiet laugh.
"I believe in you, please take care of Focalors."
The Goddess's face looked calm, her eyes showing trust and longing.
"I'm worried about my first love." Nahida whispered, her cheeks blushing red.
Lumine nearly staggered, her eyes widening in shock. She looked at Paimon, who was equally shocked.
"Paimon hasn't heard you say that! What are you still hiding?!"
Suddenly, Lumine burst into hearty laughter, wiping a tear from her eye. The laughter was loud, defusing the tense atmosphere.
Nahida shook her head, clearly pleased with her reaction.
"I think it's time for you to bid farewell to the others."
Lumine grinned, then waved goodbye, and began to distance herself from the Goddess.
"Farewell, Nahida."
_________
"You're really leaving? Already?" - Dehia said in surprise, sighing. "Now you won't be seen on the streets of Sumeru by chance." She said sadly, to which Lumine only shrugged.
"Although it was bound to happen sooner or later, travelers don't stay in one place for long. But we will all eagerly await your return."
"Paimon will definitely come back here to remember the taste of Sumeru food!"
The small companion began to shake the traveler's shoulder. "We will come back, right?"
Lumine sighed heavily, a lot of time had passed since they first came to Sumeru and saved Dendro Archon, and now their road leads to a new place - Fontaine. She hated saying goodbye to new friends the most, but it was necessary to continue and eventually finish her journey.
Finally, she turned to Paimon and Dehya.
"Of course, we'll definitely come back here again." She said softly, causing a small smile to appear on Dehya's face.
"I think you should also say goodbye to the others, who knows, maybe there will be a surprise for you?" She said mysteriously, causing Paimon's eyes to fill with joy.
"Surprise?! What kind of surprise? Paimon wants to see it, where should we go?" She squeaked, watching Lumine's face, who seemed confused.
"I think you don't need to go anywhere."
Suddenly, from behind Dehya, all of their friends from Sumeru jumped out, along with a big cake, and rainbow confetti.
Laila, Faruzan, Al-Haitham, Cyno, Laila, Kandakia, Tignari, Kollei, Dori, Nilou, Kaveh, even the wanderer was there. Everyone was there.
Lumine's eyes widened in surprise, but almost immediately, they softened, after which, she began to cry tears of joy.
"You're all here! Paimon certainly didn't expect this, and even more so, she didn't expect such a delicious-looking cake.." Paimon said, causing the crowd to burst into laughter.
Nilou took a step forward towards the traveler, giving her the most beautiful smile.
"We all want to say that we'll miss you, and we can't wait for you to come back."
"Nilou's right! We made this cake especially for you." Kaveh shouted from the crowd.
The friends began to applaud, causing Lumine to cry even more. It was always hard for her to say goodbye to new friends, and she hated it, but she also knew that she would be able to come back to them.
"We're grateful for your efforts, and for all of you deciding to say goodbye to us in person!" Paimon said, jumping in the air.
Lumine just put her hand to her heart, then closed her eyes, dissolving into her soft smile. "Thank you very much, I appreciate it."
The guy in the hat just let out a dissatisfied sigh. "Okay, enough of this sweetness, it's enough, and anyway.." Before he could finish speaking, Nilou slapped him on the shoulder. "He means that he will miss you very much." - Nilou answered tenderly, shutting the guy in the hat.
"Paimon is very happy that the hatter will miss us more than anyone, right, Lumine?" - Lumine just nodded, giggling quietly.
She looked at everyone one last time, then took a step back.
"I think it's time for Paimon and I to go."
The friends just nodded in understanding, then they all shouted together. "HAPPY TRIP!"
Lumine smiled at them one last time and waved goodbye. With Sumeru behind them, their next target was Fontaine. A new region. New people. A new archon. A new problem. How long would this go on? How many more regions would need to be saved? The answer would come to her only when she took her first step into the new region.
She would definitely be able to help Fontaine.
...
A sense of déjà vu washed over her from head to toe like water.