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“It was late at night when a star above the sky shone brighter than the others. Glowing like gold it shone brighter and brighter until it just as quickly began falling”
“From it’s home in the night sky down into the darkness of the depths, sinking deeper and deeper until it was consumed”
It was a beautiful day across the great sea, the sun shining bright amidst a bright blue sky with nary a cloud in sight. The sea shining bright as the waves gently swayed, sea birds singing their songs as they flew.
Down below air bubbled as the gull poked it’s head down, catching it’s fill and flapping away. Scaring away as the lucky few swam deeper into the depths, scattering from predators above and below. Swimming away to the safety of a submerged ruin.
It was here where one of the many underwater ecosystems flourished; countless algae's, weeds, even some coral grew without restraint. Giving home to all kinds of seabed animals.
Elsewhere did the little fishes hide, as the finned ones leisurely explored in search of a feast. Past the overtaken rocks and into the narrows carved by intricate pillars. Before they just as quickly swam away, as the hard-shelled creatures were once again prowling this area.
Their bright eyes shining light across the once proud stone architecture, tails and fins propelling them forwards as their glowing bellies shined. They searched just like the animals atop this systems food-chain, yet what they searched for always seemed too far out of their reach.
Peeking out from a column a little fish swam, gliding past what used to be a hallway and out into the open ruins. Only it was not a fish, it was a little oceanid.
Swimming like a dolphin as it’s just as little scarf like dorsal fin flowed behind, shining like gold amidst it’s clear blue body. It barely had any idea what to do so it simply swam and swam.
So you could imagine how little it was surprised when a bright light shone upon it. Turning it’s head to meet what appeared to be an iron fish that leisurely swam to meet it. And with curiosity it swam until they were face to face, and before it knew what happened it was caught in a trap.
Frantically it tried to swim out of it’s binding but to no avail, as this creature swiftly swam away to the surface with an oceanid in tow.
“Don’t you think it’s quite sacrilegious to catch something like this?” A man asked as they reeled in the patrol mek. His query ignored as his female partner swiftly detached the net.
“Are you kidding me? An oceanid with a marking like this, how couldn’t you just leave it be?” she explained as she placed the being into a glass water tank. “Don’t you wanna know why it has that?” she pointed out and gestured to the golden scarf like fin on it’s neck. “I suppose I do...” he couldn’t help but be curious. “Well! Let’s take it back to the institute!” she cheered and headed for the controls and steered the boat back home.
A golden finned oceanid caused quite a buzz in the institute, countless researchers joining in the effort to understand how it got this way. Prodding it with all kinds of tools, yet no closer to finding anything out. As far as everyone knew it was just an abnormal elemental being.
And just as quickly this endeavor was funded and researched, it lost funding and researchers.
“NOOO!” the one woman complained. “Why can’t I keep her!?”
“Because it’s an elemental being far away from it’s home” he calmly explained as they stood by the lake. “Can I at least say goodbye to her?”
“... Isn’t that what we’re doing?” he asked before popping the lid and pouring it into the water, the little oceanid swimming freely. “Bye Stella!” she waved to it. “Wait you named it?” he asked.
It oddly mimicked what she did before it swam away. “She waved back, hold on I can’t let her leave, let me go...!”
Now it was just as suddenly placed into a new environment, one it eagerly explored. Swimming past a great divide until it was in a great big seabed, dotted with much more elegant ruins than the ones it came to existence in. “Where... am I...?”
Surprised it sharply looked all around it, wondering what it was hearing. “This way, no that way, wait no I-”
Pausing it focused. “Is this me?” it waved it’s fins in front of herself...
“Am I a her then... and if I’m a her.... what am I?”
After a bout of recently discovered self thought it simply swam as if it was fact, noting to herself how beautiful this place looked compared to those dark ruins she came from-
Feeling herself being dragged it flapped frantically as it was caught in a current, but her small body wasn’t strong enough and before she knew it was flailing helplessly as the current took it to wherever it was going. Gone where the whites and greens of the seabed and into a place of browns and reds, banging against stone that echoed again and again until it was thrown into the air.
And landed in putrid water that continued to take her a certain way. Breaking the surface it flapped it’s fins trying to keep afloat as the current carried her, past shapes after shapes until the river went down again. And fell for a long time until the impact against water had her faint.
“And you’re sure of this?” she asked.
“We’re sure” he explained. “Even if we’re seeing the vitalization of Poisson after how many years, we’ve made quite the place down here”
They took a look at the district of Fleuve Cendre. “Sure it’s got it’s problems but to a good few of us it’s a home, despite it all” He turned to meet her. “Besides someone has to keep our operations in the court running”
“I suppose so, in the meantime we’ll at least try to make things here better”
He sighed. “There’s no convincing you is there, boss?”
Navia simply smiled.
“Come on I can tell something’s on your mind boss”
She swirled the strawberry fonta in her glass. “How do you always notice?” she smirked glumly.
“Comes with the job, now come on lay it on me” he smirked and leaned against the counter.
“It’s getting close to the anniversary, of you know who” she explained.
“Ah, your Partner in Crime. Yeah I know all about that” he nodded.
“It’s just, I have no idea on what to do for that day. My schedules all cleared but nothing’s clicking that would honor her” She slumped across the bar, which were she made contact was swiftly covered by a clean mat.
“Yeah I can see the issue in that” he took his hand from the counter to rub at his stubble.
“This is just a guess but maybe a trip around Fontaine will do her justice” he suggested.
“Really?” Navia asked, looking up.
“Yeah your friend was a traveler yes? Maybe you could visit all the places you shared good memories with, just a thought”
“I’ll think about that...” Navia answered, mood lifted.
“There’s that boss we all love to see” he grinned.
“Ah stop it Marlin!” she grinned back.
“A cross country trip across Fontaine...” Navia mused, as her entourage followed close.
“If you don’t mind my input that sounds like a nice thing to do” Bronwyn noted to the left of her.
“And if you do go through with it we can promise you we’ll keep our distance” Florent added.
“Not like I can go anywhere without you two... then it’s settled” she stomped her feet.
She stood proud. “Tomorrow we shall travel Fontaine, in remembrance of our dear friend: Lumine”
Florent and Bronywn clapped in approval.
“We better get going then, preparations need to be made after all” Florent reminded them.
Nodding in approval they turned to leave the Flueve-
“Oh my gosh!” Bronwyn interrupted them, and swiftly abandoning her post.
Catching up to her they saw her palming a small sea creature. “What are you doing all the way here?” she asked it. Where they took in what she was holding.
“Is that an Oceanid?” Navia asked peering over.
“It is but... look at the weird fin it has” she noted. “Looks like a scarf” Florent nodded.
The little thing wiggled as if it was glad to be free from the nasty water, gazing at them as if it was appreciative of their kindness. But as soon as it looked over to Navia-
“WOAH!” Bronwyn jumped back as it leaped into the air. Navia catching it in her hands as it began...
She dusted herself off as she giggled. “Look it likes you!”
And indeed the oceanid liked her as it nuzzled into her hands, squirming in happiness.
“Despite that we should probably return it back to the sea” Florent suggested.
“I hate to say it but he’s right, it’s home is in the water not with you”
Navia agreed both ways as she lightly pat it’s head with her finger.
After a brief moment of setting the oceanid free they were able to make their way back home to Poisson, where while barely much had changed it was still evident. Be it the updated architecture of everyone’s homes, or the great statue that had been erected in the middle of the towns pond.
“No need to worry boss we’ll take care of everything” Bronwyn urged her.
“Come on at least let me bake some treats” Navia complained.
Bronywn looked for any sign of Florent before nodding in conceit.
With the day now free Navia made her way back to base where her room awaited. Taking a breath as she took a detour, taking a seat by the shore as she relaxed.
She missed her dearly, nearly everyone in Fontaine did. The Traveler of Teyvat, the Executor of Justice... or as her closest friends were allowed to refer to her: Lumine. Possibly the most genuine friend she ever had, a friend she cherished yet to this day refused to let go of...
(splash)
“Ah!” she gasped and turned her head up-
“Oh it’s you...”
The oceanid was back again, with it’s little scarf and had surfaced to meet her.
“Are you following me?” she asked with dampened cheer. To which the Oceanid... nodded.
“Did I understand you?” it silently asked. “Did you understand me?” Navia asked again.
It nodded again and before she knew it it suddenly jumped out like before, only now it began... floating around her?
It danced and spun around her while floating, as if it was happy to hear that.
Navia laughed. “Wow you’re quite the happy little guy” she smiled.
Only for it to shake it’s head. “Gal?” she corrected, which it shook in approval.
“Alright, gal” she winked. “It’s been fun but I got to go now” she stood up and waved goodbye.
Only to make a noise as it quickly flew to meet her. “You’re really persistent aren’t you?” she placed her hands on her hips and raised her brow. Watching as it solemnly bowed before nodding.
“Alright come on, if this is what you want” she acquiesced.
Watching the oceanid bounce happily and floated by her head.
“Is that the oceanid from yesterday?” Bronwyn asked with a squint.
“Yeah it’s not going to leave me alone so we have a plus one today” Navia explained as she handed over the basket, said oceanid wiggled. “Well if you’re sure about that, anyways what’s our first stop?” Florent asked.
Departing by boat... of course, they left from the north of Poisson to the far east of Fontaine Court.
Before they knew it were already at the Fountain of Lucine. Where already it spun a bygone memory.
One where they fought for their lives that day, against a near endless army of Gardemeks. Back when three of her dearest companions were still around...
“You okay boss?” Bronwyn asked.
“Y-yeah it just hit me how hard this will be” Navia answered, her cheerful mood soured. The oceanid that followed them sensing her mood and laid a cool fin on her cheek.
“Hehe thanks girl” she smiled a little at the ticklish feeling.
“Really you didn’t have to” Navia complained as they entered the opera house.
“Well they don’t exactly just let anyone waltz into the opera uninvited” Florent defended himself. “Plus you more than deserve it boss”
Navia just shook her head, jostling the oceanid that hid in her hat.
“Surely you can trust me!” the actor on stage pointed out. Desperately conveying to the other and to the audience of her trust for her fellow stage actor.
“It’s not that I don’t trust you...” The other actor explained.
After the play had finished the crowd clapped in awe of the dramatic adaptation of Fontaine’s Judgement, even a few familiar faces in the crowd had applauded with Navia and her entourage doing the same.
It did well to distract her mind briefly from everything that had occurred in this very court.
Sitting atop the couch in this pleasant lounge room she took a sip of tea in reminiscence.
It was this very room where our partnership begun, despite her insistence of it not being so. And look at what we accomplished; the long awaited resolution of the Disappeared Women’s case, the judgment of Marcel or rather Vacher, and the misguided trial of Furina de Fontaine.
“I’m just saying lot’s of women fawned over her, I was no different!”
Looking up she was met by said character.
“So you admit to it?” Clorinde asked.
“Of course not why would I be fond of the person who humiliated me in front of the entire nation!?” Furina argued, despite the obvious tint to her cheeks.
“Oh hello Clorinde, Furina”
Just now noticing her the two were quick to walk over.
“It’s great to see you again, tell me how have you been?” Clorinde gently smiled.
“Oh it’s been great, we just got started with the talks of new aquabus lines. Specifically to connect Poisson to the other parts of Fontaine” Navia explained.
“So the rumors do have truth to them” Furina walked up. “Hah well I have high hopes for the project”
“Aw thank you”
“Wait what is that?” Clorinde suddenly asked.
“O-Oh” Navia spoke as the oceanid floated into their view.
“My what a peculiar little oceanid” Furina awed as she got closer to see it. “Yeah that reminds me, do you have any idea on why it’s like this”
“Ever since we rescued it from the Fleuve Cendre it won’t stop following me” Navia explained.
“And I think it can understand me? I’m just as confused as you are”
“Hm...” Furina hummed as it poked her on the nose. “Nope I’m just as lost as you are”
“Huh” Navia humphed.
“So a tour across Fontaine?” Furina asked as they sat in the cafe.
“Yeah I’m visiting all the places we’ve been together, as a way to honor her... you know?”
“That’s quite the sweet gesture” Clorinde smiled. “It’s great you’re finding a way to move past it all”
Navia nodded.
After a heartfelt goodbye for the three they had separated to go their separate ways, as the sun already began to set. “How do you feel boss?” Bronwyn asked.
“A little better about it” Navia held her composure.
Just like how the day started they had returned to Poisson, the last and veritable bed of memories for their partnership. She was back where she had met the oceanid again, taking a seat as she stared out into the water. “Can you keep a secret, little oceanid?” she asked.
Tilting it’s head it nodded.
“What if I told you until recently I saw her as just a friend?” it wiggled.
“I would always refer to her as my partner, hehe Navia and Lumine Partners in Crime” she laughed.
“But now I can’t help but think, what if things were different?”
“What if I was much more bolder than I was now, what if I risked it all and told her that we should be more than our title?”
“Looking back now though maybe it was for the best, I’m a president and she’s a traveler it probably wouldn’t have worked out”
She sighed. “Thank you for listening to me ramble” she smiled. “I’m actually beginning to like you, you know?”
“I like you too”
“What?” she suddenly asked as Navia bounded back.
“D-did you just talk?” Navia asked her.
“Of course I can, could you not hear me?” she pointed out.
“N-no... you barely spoke a word”
“Ah... my bad...” the oceanid bowed.
“It’s okay... uhm since you can talk now, could you tell me why you followed me?” Navia asked.
“Oh it’s a little weird to explain but, I was... drawn to you” she explained.
“Until I met you I was just a non sentient being drifting in the sea, it wasn’t until the adventure I went on did we finally meet in that place called the... Flute Sanders?”
“Fleuve Cendre, but go on” Navia corrected her.
“Yes it wasn’t until we met in the Flueve Cendre did I slowly gain sentience, before I arrived I was able to think? Maybe? Anyway after we met my thought became clearer until they became sentences, which turned into... actually that’s what I wanted to ask you!” It then got excited.
“Well ask away, you’ve done so much for me!” Navia cheered her on.
“So yeah as we went on that little trip I couldn’t help but feel something as we went to those places, like I could relate!”
“And I think I’m finally remembering who I am!”
“Oh wow is there anything I can do?” Navia grinned.
“Yes please! Just follow me I don’t know where to go but I know where to look!” she explained before floating off. Which Navia eagerly ran after.
“We’re here!” she cheered at the entrance to an old ruin.
“You’re sure this is the place?” Navia asked, noting the night sky.
“Yes this is where my lost memories lie!” she yelled. Before dashing right in. “Hey wait up!”
As they explored further it slowly came to what this place reminded her of.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as they neared a cliff’s edge.
“I... actually almost died here” Navia lamented. “O-Oh dear I’m sorry!”
“No it’s fine, this was... also where another place we shared” Navia explained.
“This was where our friendship shined the brightest...”
“I think... I think I remember now...” she spoke-
The ground rumbled briefly, stunning the two before it suddenly collapsed beneath them.
Navia falling with a shriek as the oceanid flew after her, but with quick thinking she pulled her umbrella out and with a click floated to-
(click, click, click)
It jammed.
“So... is this how I meet my end... back where it should’ve...?”
“Navia!” the oceanid cried as it grabbed her hand, trying to keep her afloat but failing.
She let the parasol fall freely from her hand. “Melus, Silver, mom dad... I’m sorry...”
“NAVIA!”
And gently closing her eyes, she let the waves welcome her. Her only regret in this moment, was taking this little oceanid down with her...
But all she felt in this moment...
... was how cold her clothes felt on her skin.
Breaking the surface she gasped as she waved her arms to keep afloat, gasping as she looked around.
“I-I’m not dead?” she asked as she was still paddling, and her skin only felt wet.
“How silly” she mused, for the waters of Fontaine have long since been purified and their sins corrected.
“Little gal? Are you still here?” she called out.
“... little gal-”
Rising from the depths the said oceanid dove free.
Taking a gasp out of fresh cave air, as her hair flowed free-
Navia’s eyes widened with a gasp.
“Lumine...?” she asked, with a whimper.
What used to be an oceanid turned to meet her, only her skin was light and her body fair, blonde wet locks cascading against her head, with a pair of once blue and white eyes replaced by simple gold.
It was her alright.
“Wh-where have you been?” Navia whimpered.
“I thought you were gone for good, this whole time. I just about-” she broke into more tears.
“Navia I’m so sorry I thought I’d have landed somewhere close to you” Lumine explained as all she could do was give her a hug. “It’s my fault I shouldn’t have landed where I did”
Navia sniffled. “W-what do you mean?”
“I never truly left Teyvat, not completely...”
“You have to understand that I’m not completely human, but made from stardust”
“And once I made that decision, I came back... I was still a star in the sky when I fell back down”
“But instead of the hills of Poisson, I landed deep in the sea, specifically the ruins of Celestia”
“And all that time I spent as a tiny gem, waiting for someone to find me... but no one did”
“So before I knew it I turned into an oceanid, with no memories of who I was...”
“Until you found me” Lumine smiled.
“You were down there, all this time...?” Navia asked, which she nodded.
“You wouldn’t have known, it’s alright” she held her hand.
“That’s not going to stop me from thinking I should have” she squeezed back.
“I like you too, Navia”
“O-oh! You listened!?” Navia blushed. “Oh please forget about all that...” she held her face shut.
“You’re blushing at that but not how I’m dressed?” Lumine teased.
Navia poked an eye out before immediately closing it. Getting a chuckle out of her.
“Just... give me time to think about it” Navia answered, with an air of hopefulness.
Lumine nodded, not pressing it further.
“So we should probably get out of he-”
“Navia, Navia!” two voiced yelled from far away.
“Ah that must be Florent and Bronwyn...” Navia sighed.
“Bronwyn? Just how much did I miss?” Lumine asked her.
“Not a lot actually, I’ll tell you all about it over dinner... as friends first” Navia answered.
“Yeah, friends...” Lumine smiled. Their hands giving one another a gentle squeeze.