"Furina, don't cry. Aren't you supposed to go to Sumeru to remake our bodies?" Focalors appeared beside Furina, crouching down patiently to speak to her.
"Oh, right," Furina said, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. Focalors was right; she still needed to go to Sumeru.
Focalors turned to Ei. "Thank you, Beelzebul."
"No problem," Ei replied. "It was a small matter."
Furina tried to lift Fidelle, but even with all her strength, she could only raise Fidelle's upper body.
"I'll take it from here," Lumine offered, stepping forward to store both dolls into the Serenitea Pot.
After Furina solemnly thanked Ei again, she exclaimed excitedly, "Traveler, let's hurry! Rukkhadevata in Sumeru must be growing impatient waiting for us."
Lumine smiled faintly at Furina's eagerness.
I doubt Rukkhadevata is the one growing impatient. More likely, it's you, Furina, who can't wait any longer, right?
Lumine kept these thoughts to herself, though she was also eager to leave.
Not only for Fidelle and Focalors' sakes, but also because of the news Rukkhadevata had shared about Silaya's presence within Irminsul.
-
Sumeru, Sanctuary of Surasthana.
The dolls were brought here and placed before Rukkhadevata.
With a delicate touch, Rukkhadevata pressed her jade-like fingers against the foreheads of "Fidelle" and "Focalors." Drawing upon her Dendro power, she summoned verdant energy channels that slowly emerged from the dolls' heads, spreading downward like creeping vines toward their feet.
Furina, the former Hydro Archon of Fontaine, clasped her hands in prayer. "Grant me their souls," Rukkhadevata intoned.
Hearing this, Furina quickly retrieved two orbs—one blue and one purple—from her small pouch.
Guided by Rukkhadevata, the orbs sank into the foreheads of "Fidelle" and "Focalors."
"Wait here a moment," Rukkhadevata instructed before disappearing with the two dolls into the depths of the Sanctuary.
Only Nahida remained, explaining to the others:
"Mom is taking them to the place closest to Irminsul. There, the dolls and souls can achieve optimal fusion. Don't worry, it won't take long."
Nahida was right—it was indeed quick. In just five minutes, Rukkhadevata returned with Fidelle and Focalors.
"Furina."
Focalors opened her arms and slowly approached the stunned Furina, pulling her into a tight embrace.
Furina's small hands gradually reached up to stroke Focalors' back, her chin resting on Focalors' shoulder.
"Welcome back, Focalors..." Furina murmured.
"Mm..."
Locked in their embrace, Furina and Focalors, being so strikingly similar, looked as if one were hugging herself.
Five hundred years ago, Focalors had divided herself into two parts: her human nature and her divine essence.
Only today did these two halves truly meet, truly... able to touch each other...
-
Player World.
This heartwarming scene brought an unconscious smile to Chen Xiyao's face, a smile she didn't even realize she was wearing.
"The scene I've always imagined has finally reached fulfillment!"
The adorable Furina and the dependable Focalors nestled together, comforting each other—a true masterpiece worthy of the world's greatest art galleries!
The only regret was that Fidelle didn't seem to be awake yet. If she were here too...
Chen Xiyao didn't dare imagine how wide her smile might stretch.
-
Sanctuary of Surasthana.
As Furina and Focalors embraced, Fidelle quietly stirred awake.
Lumine and Paimon noticed Fidelle's Awakening. Paimon was about to call out, but Fidelle pressed a finger to her lips, signaling the little sprite to be quiet.
Paimon clamped a hand over her mouth and nodded.
Furina, held in Focalors' arms, felt the warmth of her body. Just as tears welled up in her eyes, Fidelle's face appeared before her.
In the next instant, her pupils constricted!
That familiar face, softly lit from behind, gazed at her with tender concern. Who else could it be but Fidelle?
"Fid... Fidelle?"
Furina's dry throat rasped out the broken words. She clamped a hand over her mouth, her body stiff with shock.
Sensing the shift in the girl in her arms, Focalors gently released Furina and turned to see Fidelle standing there.
A joyous smile bloomed on Focalors' lips.
Fidelle stepped forward, her eyes brimming with tender, sympathetic tears. "Lady Furina, Lady Focalors..."
Focalors nodded slightly. As the divine aspect of the goddess, she found it difficult to outwardly express the surging emotions within her.
Furina was different. Having suppressed her emotions for so long, she desperately needed Fidelle's comfort.
Furina reached out her hand, and Fidelle reciprocated.
The warmth of their fingertips touching shattered Furina's last shred of rationality.
"Fidelle—!" A heart-wrenching cry tore through her throat.
Like an arrow released from its bow, she lunged forward without regard for decorum, stumbling and nearly falling as she threw herself into Fidelle's arms. She clung to Fidelle with every ounce of her strength, her arms squeezing so tightly around her waist that her knuckles turned white.
She buried her face in Fidelle's familiar, faintly warm-scented chest.
Furina's body trembled violently as years of pent-up fear, despair, the delirious joy of reunion, and indescribable grievance erupted into a torrent of tears and stifled sobs, like the whimpers of a wounded cub.
"You... you liar! You promised you'd always be with me, truly..." she repeated incoherently, her scalding tears quickly soaking through Fidelle's shirt.
In her desperate embrace, the small blue hat slipped off entirely, her long, silver-white hair spilling out in disarray.
Fidelle, flustered, fumbled to put the hat back on Furina's head.
"I'm sorry, Lady Furina. I was wrong. But let's talk about this when we get back, okay? There are other people here."
Fidelle soothed Furina as gently as possible. Realizing the crowd was still watching, Furina's face flushed crimson.
Damn it! It seemed that ever since the Prophecy ended and she stepped down as the Hydro Archon, Furina's personality had changed—or rather, reverted to her original self.
She had lost her composure several times already, though thankfully, her lapses were always in front of close friends and only a few of them.
After comforting Furina, Fidelle turned to Focalors.
"Lady Focalors... I'm so relieved you're safe!"
"This is all thanks to you. Thank you for saving me. But you shouldn't have taken such a risk back then. Your safety is far more important than mine. If the Abyss had taken you, not only Fontaine but all of Teyvat would have suffered their wrath..."
Before Focalors could finish, Fidelle stepped forward and placed her hands on Focalors' shoulders, stopping her mid-sentence.
"Lady Focalors, please don't say such things. You're more important than anyone else. Besides, I'm fine now, aren't I? You and I are both alive—that's the best possible outcome."
Focalors saw the intense emotion in Fidelle's eyes. She fell silent, gazing at Fidelle with a warm smile.
Though they shared the same face, Focalors and Furina exuded completely different auras.