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I sit at the front row of the Opera Epiclese, dark, empty, desolate. And on stage was her, an archon who loves her people more than anyone or anything. An archon who was not allowed to express her troubles if her people would be saved. Even if there was a .01% chance telling me her secret would alter the prophecy, she prioritizes them.
For a moment, lingering and threatening to drop like a guillotine, a large blue sword hangs over Furina’s head as she dances. For a moment. And as soon as it disappears, Furina’s gone with only her hat to signify anyone was there at all.
“ … Furina?”
The spotlight fades from the stage, and I’m left in complete darkness: no Opera Epiclese, no stage, not even Furina’s presence. It’s complete and total darkness.
“Furina?!”
I feel scared. I shouldn’t, but I do. Everything I did, I decided to do, has all led to this: the Hydro Archon’s fate…Furina’s fate. Of all the things I have done, I’ve never regretted any of it until this. We should have… I should have never…
“Furina! Where are you?!”
Lumine, sweating and breathing heavily, jolted awake from her bed in the Serenitea Pot. Like most nights, the house would be silent and empty. Not one person would be there at night as they were in their own homes. Lumine usually does not get lonely at night, but this was a night she hoped someone would be in one of the spare rooms or buildings. When she got the time to calm herself, Lumine got up to get a glass of water from her kitchen, beginning a trail of thoughts regarding her dream.
Maybe… I should visit her…
With that decision, the traveler took a few bags of mora, each holding a few thousand mora. She also decided to make a cake after she finished packing the essentials for her visit to Fontaine.
Unable to go back to sleep, Lumine left the teapot to arrive at the Weeping Willow. Before the sun rose, she would make her round, collecting a bouquet of Lakelight Lilies. Whatever time she had left, she spent looking towards the golden tree before making her way to Fontaine.
As she arrived in Fontaine, the blonde visited a crafting shop to find a durable basket. While Lumine enjoyed hand-making a gift, the timing wouldn’t allow it. She wanted to see her as soon as possible, as if to personally verify her well-being.
Lumine's nightmares never made her thoughts race as much as this one did. As much as it pained her to see the event play out in real-time, seeing it in her nightmares elevated her feelings of helplessness. Her feelings to protect and to make her … her what?
It was no secret Lumine attracted all kinds of women all over Teyvat. She often thought to respond to their feelings if she felt a mutual attraction, which included the former -or rather, the final- Hydro Archon. Furina made the traveler feel ways she never knew she could feel for another person, much less another woman. The only thing stopping her from looking deeper into those feelings is if her feelings for Furina were from her heart, from her guilt, or pity. And until she knows where they stem from, she decided to set them aside. For both their sakes. Mostly her own.
By the time morning ended, Lumine visited various shops to collect various gifts for Furina, ranging from a small blanket for when she's working late to a box of her favorite tea from Fontaine with a couple of bags of macaroni, after extensively asking the populace what brand she usually buys. Satisfied with the contents of her last-minute gift basket, Lumine made her way to Furina's apartment…
…only for Lumine to hesitate at the door to the complex.
Is this too spontaneous? Am I overstepping? Maybe she doesn't like surprises?
Lumine groans in frustration before seeing a bench to sit nearby. Setting down the stuff next to her, she watched the apartment complex where Furina lived and began to contemplate what to do.
I want to see her, but is she okay with random visits from me? Maybe I should leave the stuff with Neuvilette… but…
There lies the root of her problem.
She probably wouldn't want someone like me hanging around, huh?
Lumine started to relax as she began a downward spiral of thoughts, thinking Furina didn't want anything to do with her or Paimon. Not after throwing her life around 180, and even afterward, she knew she pushed too hard on the former archon to get back on stage, breaking her one rule, her one boundary.
I should see her…if only to apologize for that.
She decided to write a note to put in the basket, apologizing for all that she did to hurt the former archon and wishing her the life she's always wanted, however, after writing ‘I'm sorry,’ the traveler herself fell asleep since she wasn't worried, stressed, or panicked.
…For a moment.
I look around in darkness, running from the sounds of clogs meshing together. Sounds of the Oratrice revving and threatening to release centuries’ worth of energy toward its intended target.
Suddenly, before me, she appears, alone and weeping on her divine throne. Just as it was prophesied long ago. I run towards her, but the harder I try to reach for her, the distance between us seems to grow. I yell out to her, pleading with everything:
“Furina!!
“Furina, I'm sorry for meddling into your business. I didn't know the reasons you had to hide your secrets. But please, grab my hand! Let me in, please!”
I was interrupted by the blue glow behind me, growing brighter.
She’s still too far from me…
“Furina!!” I scream at the top of my lungs.
“Furina!!” Lumine jolted awake and hit her forehead against something hard. Judging by the sounds of anguish, both parties were hurting, “Ow…”
“Hey, that hurt! What's the big idea of you suddenly waking up like that?!” A voice from below argued.
Lumine, after rubbing her head from her injury, looked over to see Furina, balled up and looking at her with anger and hurt. The woman-in-blue looked as if she'd cry at any time.
“Sorry…” Lumine softly apologized. She examined her surroundings as Furina returned to her feet, “Is this your apartment?”
The traveler lay in the living area. The things she bought weren't in sight, which concerned Lumine heavily. The connecting dining room and kitchen had signs of activity, however no basket in sight either.
Maybe it's been put away already?
Fixing herself to look presentable, Furina's attention was on the blonde on her corner couch, “This would be your first time inside, right? Yes, this would be my apartment. But that's not important right now. What are you doing here? And what was up with that note you had?” Furina crossed her arms, “did you fall asleep writing it?
“Note?” Lumine looked back to the former and last hydro archon before her.
“Yeah. The one where you said ‘I’m sorry’. I’m only assuming you fell asleep after that,” the ever-so-slightly-smaller girl handed Lumine the note found in the traveler’s possession, “Clorinde and I were worried when we saw you having some serious nightmare. We brought you into the apartment after-,” she pauses, “-after people started to gather”.
Lumine stared at the words in her hands. So many thoughts came to mind, most of which referred to her nightmares earlier. I guess fate chose for me to see Furina today, huh? She crumpled the note before her and lowered her hands as Lumine looked towards Furina, who was sitting next to her on the couch.
“Lumine?”
“I'm sorry, Furina,” the blonde tried to fight tears but failed to keep her emotions in check, “I'm sorry”. She turned her head down to her lap, refusing to make eye contact with the other woman, “I can't begin to tell you how much I'm sorry for everything I put you through these last couple of months. Showing you up in court, constantly questioning your authority despite being the archon, pressing you on information about the prophecy…even going as far as forcing you on stage for The Little Oceanid . I'm no different than some heckler when I should have believed in you from the start. All I've ever done is hurt you in some way. I didn't help solve the problem here, if anything accelerated the problem, and even now, you're still able to put your trust in me to protect you. To confide in me. You even took care of me today from some dumb nightmare…and I don't deserve any of it.”
And there was silence apart from light sobbing from Lumine. She was scared for Furina's response. Would she follow up, realize Lumine was right, and kick her out and out of her life? She knew this would be the right option to go, but some part of her didn't want Furina to leave. Lumine clung to that feeling like it meant her life if she let go.
“I’m not going to say I forgive you,” The traveler heard the former Hydro Archon speak, “You did hurt and embarrass me back then”.
This is it… Goodbye, Furina… The girl in white closed her eyes, preparing herself for the worst.
A hand rested itself on her shoulder, causing Lumine to look at the only other occupant in the room “But I don’t hate you nor would I wish for you to leave.”
“Huh?”
“While it may seem to you that I lost everything,” Furina had a small smile on her face, her hand lowering to the couch cushion, “I got so much more than I could have in these last five centuries.”
A pause in conversation.
“I lived like a queen back in Palais Mermonia, getting everything without having to lift a finger. And while some people like that kind of life, I much preferred being able to grab it myself and earn everything I got. I received a Vision of my own, which could have helped if I had gotten it sooner. You’ve done so much for me that I can excuse some of the actions you did here.”
Lumine smiled at Furina, who seemed happy while messing with her Vision on her hip. Before Lumine could speak though, the former Archon spoke, “Some. Not all. You could go easier in teasing me whenever my past is brought up”.
The traveler laughed softly, feeling genuinely happy for the first time that day, “I promise I’ll try”. With a yawn, she set the note on the coffee table and rested back on the couch, “Is it okay if I sleep here for a while? It’s comfortable”.
“I guess I can let you rest here for now. Mind if I use the Macaroni you had? I was going to buy some for lunch, but the market sold out just before I got there,” She asked, placing the gift basket from some hidden corner of the dining room to the dining table.
Lumine, without the heart to tell her she bought the last bags, responded with a smile, “Sure. I did buy it for you”. She laid herself to sleep as Furina went to grab one of the bags of macaroni in the basket.
No longer able to keep her eyes open and last seeing Furina place the bouquet of Lakelight Lilies in a vase, Lumine finally went to sleep, recent nightmares becoming a thing of the past.