Genshin Impact: Following the Winds

[Scenario: A great tremor had shaken all of Fontaine, and was later revealed to have resulted from the great flooding of Poisson. Primordial Waters had rushed onto the surface, inexplicably breaking through to the surface. Hundreds of people drowned and were swallowed by the accursed waters, their bodies returned to the substance they were first created from.

In silence, a pretender suffers, her heart shaking beneath sadness and betrayal. Entrapped both by the mission shackled to her by the prophecy and by the very people she was supposed to protect, Furina prays. She prays for someone, anyone, to help her. Not as the Hydro Archon, or as Furina de Fontaine. But simply Furina.

It's during these tumultuous times that a seemingly normal journalist returns to Fontaine from her travels.]

[Mission: Save Furina de Fontaine]

Shake!

My eyes opened, and suddenly I found myself sitting in a strange boat-like compartment, somehow gliding across rushing waters without any sail or rudder. Even more strange was its make—the thing was made entirely of marble and polished stone, and the chair I sat on was far too comfortable and lavish for even the most high-end boats.

Before I could ask further however, a surge of memories arose in my mind. One that was entirely foreign, yet impossibly familiar. Of a young woman who worked as a journalist for The Steambird, who'd recently left to Sumeru to better understand its recent changes, and was now returning to Fontaine.

I winced as I held my head, but my eyes sharpened as I remembered the description my System had given me. 

Unlike my first Adventure, this one was simple. Deceptively so. 

It wanted me to save Furina. That was it. There was nothing about Fontaine, nothing about averting the prophecy, nothing about being the hero. All it wanted was to save Furina, someone who had suffered greatly and now stood at the edge of mentally breaking apart.

That was already strange, but even more strangely was the fact that I had an identity in this Teyvat. Or-, no. It was better to say that this body I now inhabited was me, and it was only now that the rest of my memories were unlocked.

This time, this world—everything felt too real.

[...circumstances differ from one Adventure to another]

I nodded slowly at my System's answer, not commenting on how flimsy the excuse was. Whether this world was truly real or not had never mattered to me, for in my eyes everything was real. Every Story I experienced and Remembered was one that held value, regardless of what the rest of the universe thought.

That aside,

The Aquabus shook as it slowed to a stop, and once it did, a voice sounded through the speakers. "The current is the City of Fontaine. Please exercise caution as you leave the Aquabus."

I nodded, and I grabbed onto the small suitcase placed on my lap as I left the Aquabus. I carefully stepped over the small gap, and once I stood on solid ground, my breath was stolen as I looked upon the City of Fontaine for the first time.

It was beautiful. The buildings were carved from stones whiter than marble, accented with bronze pipes that shimmered like gold beneath the afternoon sun. Looked from afar, it almost looked as if the entire city was accented by lines of gold, perfectly reflecting the fallen sunlight.

Of course, the surge of memories I experienced meant I'd technically seen this sight thousands of times over, but it still shook me. The awe never really went away, even for this woman I now inhabited.

Ah, talking about that,

I glanced back at the now unmoving Aquabus, and at the waters moving through the channels. My reflection stared back, distorted by the rushing waters, but still visible enough for me to make out most of it.

To be exact, this body I now inhabited belonged to a journalist named Vivianne, a veteran of The Steambird. 

But speaking plainly, this body was essentially no different than my Female form if I used [Foxtail Shift]. I was dressed differently, wearing clothes more fitting to Fontaine, but it wasn't hard to see that I was still very much me. I even wore the green beret I usually wore as Wendy!

I smiled wryly as I shook my head. They were mysteries I had no answers to at the time being.

Instead, I turned and began making my way towards the city's center. My destination was specifically the Fountain of Lucine that sat at the city's center, just in front of the Opera Epiclese. I carried my suitcase with me as I walked, smiling slightly as I saw the civilians around me.

But I wasn't quite sure why I was heading there. I should technically be heading back to The Steambird's office right now, but driven by my Mission, my instincts screamed at me to head to the fountain instead. 

It didn't take long before I reached it, and I found my breath stolen once more as I gazed upon it. I already had an image in my mind as to what the fountain looked like, but even then the fountain still looked grander now that I stood right before it. It certainly was far grander than the one we had back in Liyue Harbor. Perhaps I could give Guizhong some inspiration once I returned.

More interesting however was the waters that flowed from the fountain. To outside eyes it would've looked completely mundane, but as I now had [As Water Seeks to Equilibrium], my affinity with water had greatly increased, and it wasn't hard to feel the Oceanid that lay within its waters, stitched together from dozens of souls.

And those souls felt pain. Unimaginable agony. Every moment they screamed for release, even if they no longer had any mouth to scream. Begging for someone to listen to them. To liberate them from their prison.

I clenched my hands unconsciously, causing my suitcase's handle to creak beneath my superhuman strength.

I took a quick glance around me. Good, it seemed there wasn't many people around me at the moment, likely because the Poisson disaster had only just recently occured. With that worry out of mind, I leaned my suitcase onto the fountain's base, and gently dipped my finger into the waters.

[As Water Seeks Equilibrium] activated, and suddenly the silent voices within the Oceanid became audible.

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

"I can't see anything."

"I'm drowning! Help!"

"My arms? Where's my arms!?"

"Papa? Mama?"

"Oh god, my brother, he's-!"

I winced as the voices spoke one after another, but I grit my teeth. "I am here." I whispered. "I can hear you."

"A new victim? That man-!"

"No, no, no. Someone else. Someone living."

"That's…"

"You can hear us, big sis?"

I hissed as I heard an impossibly young voice, but I powered through. "I can." I said, forcing a gentle smile onto my lips. "It-, forgive me. I am unsure as to how I have never heard, but I am here now."

"Questions matter not. Another issue lies in wait." A voice spoke from within the waters, far more composed compared to the others. "You who is favored by the waters, we require your immediate aid."

I nodded. "Go on."

"Our Lady dearly needs someone to help her. She is alone, and I-, no, we fear that something truly terrible would occur if she is to be left alone for much longer."

I pursed my lips, remembering the description I'd heard about this Adventure. My System mentioned that Furina had been betrayed by her friends. But that should've been impossible—she was the Hydro Archon, with the Champion Duelist and the Ludex constantly at her side. For her to have been betrayed by her friends meant that those two were now against her.

I gulped.

That was no different than saying that the entirety of Fontaine had turned against its own Archon.

FurINa, FUrinA, pleASe dOn'T cRy.

I winced as a piercing headache struck me, but unlike before, I didn't forget what it was I thought about. "Where…is she?" I forced out as sweat beaded on my forehead.

"Big sis?"

"Hey, hey, hey, you sure this is fine? She looks like she's-"

"There is no need to worry." I said, my breath bated. "I am simply tired, that's all."

"...very well." The composed voice spoke. "We shall help lead you to our Lady."

The moment she said that, I felt an influx of knowledge enter my mind. Of a distant corner of Fontaine, away from the usual commotion of the city and any potential prying eyes. A small bench often reserved for the elderly who only occasionally walked there. And of the girl that now sat there, holding her knees close to her chest, her expression dull as she did all she could not to cry.

"I see her." I whispered.

"All we desire is for our Lady to not be alone. That is enough." The voice went quiet, and I had a feeling that if they had a body, she would've been bowing to me. "Please. That is the most we can ask of you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Even without that, I would've helped her." I closed my eyes. "No one deserves to be betrayed like that." I whispered, voice harsh as I thought of what the Champion Duelist and the Ludex could've possibly done.

With that over, I pulled my finger out of the water. My Resonance shattered, and the rest of the world returned. I took a small breath to calm myself, and after that I grabbed my suitcase and began beelining it towards that solitary bench at one of Fontaine's corners. My movement was quick, though I made sure not to attract any attention.

As it turned out, not an easy thing! Even after using my Anemo to subtly mask my presence, my Charisma still pulled people's eyes no matter where I went. And I had no doubt [Mystical Storyteller] and my new form were also adding more fuel to that fire.

Still, I eventually managed to pull myself away from prying eyes, and before long I made it to that solitary corner. As I'd seen in that vision, the area was practically barren, since it's normally a place reserved for the elderly.

There, sitting on one of the few benches in the area, was the Hydro Archon, Furina de Fontaine.

And she was crying. Alone, betrayed by the very people she called friends.

My hands clenched, and I blinked when I heard the suitcase's handle crack, causing the suitcase to fall onto the ground. The sound attracted Furina's attention, and suddenly her teary eyes stared right into mine.

"Y-Y-You-!"

I quickly forced a calm smile onto my face. "Good afternoon, Lady Furina." I bowed. "My name is Vivianne."

Realizing she now had an audience, Furina quickly wiped away her tears and refitted her persona. "And good afternoon to you, dear citizen!" She grinned wide as she hopped off the bench. "Forgive me for the sorry sight. I was simply-, practicing for my next play." She nodded shakily. "Yes, that's it."

My smile fell. "Lady Furina." I said, and it took me all I had not to scowl as I saw her flinch. "You do not need to lie."

"W-What lie? I never lied!"

I closed my eyes. "Nay, perhaps that is the wrong word." I carefully approached. Her tension continued to rise as I came closer, and she could only make a meek whimper as I gestured at the empty spot on her bench. I nodded solemnly as I sat down. 

I took a breath as I did my best to compile everything I learnt, both through my System and that first influx of memories I received. And once I did, I turned to her. "I have heard of what happened recently in Poisson." I started.

Furina closed her eyes in pain. "...Yes." She sighed harshly. "It is my failing as an Archon to be able to do nothing."

I glanced at her. Though I called her an Archon, it was clear she wasn't one. I'd been around several gods for most of my life, and I knew far too well what an Archon felt like. And it was easy to realize that Furina de Fontaine wasn't one.

That only made her all the more impressive in my eyes.

"Is it true that the Ludex now requires you to attend a trial?" I asked kindly.

She chuckled harshly. "Ah, you are a journalist, I assume?"

I smiled plainly. "I am, but I believe I am enough of a decent human being not to pry such answers when our Archon is clearly suffering."

What was left unsaid was clear to her however, and her expression pinched. "D-Don't call them that."

"I did not." I denied, staring forward. "But we all hold our secrets, Lady Furina. That is the nature of humankind. For them to attempt to pry more than you can give, even knowing that it will cause you pain." I shook my head, disappointed. "What greater betrayal can there be in this world?"

She shook, eyes shimmering as she tried her best to hold back tears. "T-They're…my friends." She whispered, as if she couldn't quite believe that. "And I am an Archon, there is no need to worry."

I softly stood up and went down to my knees, gently cradling her hand in mine. "I understand I am likely an outlier." I whispered. "But I care. Archon or Human, everyone has their own Stories. And every Story matters, no matter how small."

She giggled wetly. "A-Are you not a journalist?" She grinned weakly. "You'd be quite suited to the theater, I believe."

I grinned back. "I admit that I work as a journalist for mere convenience. In truth, I believe myself a Storyteller instead—someone who preserves the Stories of others to ferry them to Tomorrow."

"How grand." Furina whispered, though her voice was gentle with admiration. She'd never seen a mortal this brazen. 

"It is conflict that sells, as my Boss told me." I said, borrowing the memories of this 'me'. "But I find Happy Endings far more pleasing to experience." I closed my eyes. "And so I would ensure that you too would reach yours."

Her hands trembled in mine. "Even if that puts you against all of Fontaine?" She whispered.

"Especially then." I smiled, determined. 

Furina took a breath as she saw my smile. She-, things still stung. Seeing her friends turn against her because of that Traveler, at the Ludex's indifferent gaze as she attempted to beg for him to listen. All that effort she'd put in over the last 500 years felt like it was for nothing.

But, here, with this Storyteller before her, something about her made her want to hope.

"Then, my dear Storyteller," she smiled weakly. Tiredly. "Would you dare to listen to this Story?"

I nodded. "Only if you are willing, Lady Furina."

Her eyes softened. Ah, if only I'd met you earlier. Then maybe-

…She supposed it didn't matter.

I moved back to sit next to her, and after taking a moment to breathe, Furina began to weave a tale. Of a foolish, foolish woman who thought she could fool the Heavens.