When I shared the news, Furina couldn't be happier. Or-, well, perhaps the better word to use was 'relieved'. Even if she hadn't said anything, I could tell that she wasn't quite up to facing any one of her previous compatriots. There was always that shadow of shame that hung over her eyes whenever one of them was even mentioned.
That aside, now that we had official permission to leave Fontaine, the next thing we did was plan out our route. My unofficial goal was to visit the Mondstadt of this era and see why so many people compared me to Barbatos, so Mondstadt would likely be the last nation we visited on this journey. Which was fitting, considering Mondstadt was quite literally on the edge of Teyvat when seen from Fontaine.
So our plan was fairly simple: We would depart from Fontaine, take a visit to Sumeru, then Liyue, perhaps take a detour to Inazuma if we could, before finally making it to Mondstadt. Natlan and Snezhnaya weren't included, partially because I'd never visited them, and mostly because both were embroiled in a number of conflicts I was less than willing to involve Furina in.
With our plan solidified we…didn't leave Fontaine. At least not immediately.
There was still something I had to do. And besides, even if my image of this nation had been tainted by recent events, Fontaine was still Furina's home, and it was better to leave some pleasant memories before they began their trip.
So,
"Fireworks?" Paimon asked.
I nodded. "Before Furina and I begin our tour around Teyvat, I believe it best to at least hold some form of celebration." I smiled slightly. "And I heard that Inazuma is quite famous for their fireworks, said to color the skies with shades comparable to a rainbow."
Aether hummed. "So you want us to get some?"
"Indeed. I heard that you possess some method of travel that only you can use, and so you are the only one capable of crossing Teyvat in mere moments."
Aether shrugged. "It only works for Paimon and I." He said, glancing at the Waypoint floating just behind him.
I glanced at it as well, and I restrained the urge to smile. To most of Teyvat, these Waypoints were a strange and ancient creation, seemingly dotted across all of Teyvat with little rhyme or reason. But it wasn't hard to realize that some of Lumine's energy was embedded within each Waypoint, smothered by a variety of different energies to mask its presence.
I assume the reason why Aether was the only one capable of using them had to do with the fact that both their powers were derived from the same source—the Path of Trailblazing, if I recall correctly.
How envious.
"Ah, before that," I smiled as I reached into my Inventory, before easily pulling out a sack filled with a million Mora. "Surely this is enough to pay for my commission, no?"
Paimon's jaw went slack as she saw me easily part with that large sum of Mora, and even Aether looked quite surprised as he received the payment. "...it is." He eventually said, before stuffing it into his own Inventory. "Right. I'll be back in a few hours then."
I hummed. "Then I shall await your return."
Aether nodded back, before he turned and placed his hand on the Waypoint. The Waypoint glowed a bright light as it floated slightly. Paimon gave me a cheerful goodbye as she held onto Aether's shoulder, and I had a calm smile on my face as I waved back. And soon, both of them vanished in a shower of light, and the Waypoint sank back down to the ground once they were gone.
I gazed at the afternoon sky, and at the Celestial Outpost floating high above all of Teyvat, barely visible amongst the thin clouds. I narrowed my eyes slightly as [Hawk Eyes] activated, and a wry smile came onto my lips. The outpost had clearly rotated from the last time I'd seen it—now facing directly towards Fontaine, as if readying to fire a Celestial Nail at us.
I huffed.
I hope they'll enjoy the fireworks as well.
…
When night fell across Fontaine, I shared my little plan with the rest of the House of the Hearth. After all, they'd all gotten quite close with Furina in the week she spent staying here, and this would likely be the last time they saw each other in a while. So everyone easily agreed when I told them about the fireworks I procured from Inazuma, with Arlecchino offering to have one last 'tea party' with Furina to pull her attention away while we prepared.
And so, while Arlecchino and Furina were engaged in their tea party, I went along with Childe and the rest of the House's children to a small secluded spot in one of the city's corners. It was there that we began setting up the fireworks, placing them in order of the size of the explosion they would cause. Thankfully, Lyney was a Pyro Vision holder, and so he offered to light the fireworks when the time was right.
Once we were done, I made my way back to the House and called for the two. Furina was quite confused at the sudden request, but I easily convinced her by saying that we'd been planning a secret picnic for us to have before we began our journey. Which, to be fair, wasn't all that wrong.
To say Furina was surprised to see the array of fireworks once we arrived would be an understatement. "This is…" She whispered, not quite sure when or why the array had been set up.
I gave her a small pat on the back. "I find it displeasing that not a single celebration has been held for what you have done for this nation." I said, smiling slightly as I saw Arlecchino nod in agreement. "And more than that, this is likely the last time we will meet in quite a while, and who knows what would've changed since then?"
Furina's eyes were wide. "Everyone…"
Lyney smiled, giving a playful bow. "It matters not that you are merely an actor! To have played us all for so long in pursuit of salvation—you can be no less than this nation's hero."
Lynette nodded, joining Lyney in his small dance. "You were the one who tried to save us, not Focalors." Her cat ears twitched as she smiled. "Thank you, Lady Furina."
Freminet shyly ducked his head. "Your performances are always captivating, Miss Furina. And I think it's a shame everyone else can't see that."
"I don't really get why everyone was so angry, but," Childe grinned. "I think you're pretty awesome."
Arlecchino hummed. "To have sat upon your throne for five centuries; if that cannot qualify you as this nation's Archon, then nothing else will." She smiled coldly. "What a shame that this nation's bigotry shall turn it into Teyvat's second Archon-less nation."
Tears built up in Furina's eyes, and I smiled gently as I wiped them away. "I know that your feelings about this place are…complicated." I said. "But I hope that this can serve as a happiness you can look back on once you are ready to return."
Furina's cheeks reddened slightly, and she looked down for a moment. But after gathering her courage, she moved and swept me into a hug. "Thank you." She whispered into my chest. "T-Thank you. So much." I gently patted her head as she began to cry. "Thank you…!"
"There, there." I smiled. "Now, let us enjoy this last show, shall we?"
Furina pulled back and grinned. "Let's!"
I grinned back as I turned to Lyney. "Light the match."
Lyner smirked as he brought out his bow. The arrow he notched was lit aflame by his Pyro, and he immediately notched another one right after he shot it. Each arrow easily hit their mark, and soon after, the fireworks took off to the skies one after another, leaving thin trails of smoke as they did.
Then,
Boom!
Dozens of fireworks exploded over Fontaine, coloring the night sky with a canvas of colors. Trails of sparks were lit across the sky like a constellation of stars, their combined light shining brighter than the moon that hung in the False Sky above.
And while everyone else was mystified by the show, I subtly pressed my thumb down onto my fist. A small pulse of Energy rang out into the air, unnoticed by everyone but me. Nothing much happened for nearly a minute, with the sky still being lit by the array of fireworks being launched high into the sky.
Before the Celestial Outpost that hung high in the sky suddenly exploded, casting a massive aurora that spanned across not just Fontaine, but all of Teyvat. The colors easily complimented the rest of the colorful sparks the fireworks were creating, and so hardly anyone could look away from the colorful dance that was being played out.
Only those who'd directly conversed with Celestia realized what'd happened, and there were no words capable of describing the sheer shock that rang through them as they saw the Outpost explode. For so long had the floating island dictated Teyvat's future, and now they'd suddenly seen that seemingly indestructible monolith be destroyed.
In Mondstadt, Barbatos suddenly sobered up as he turned to the skies, and he nearly dropped the bottle of wine he'd been drinking from as he saw Celestia explode into a giant aurora.
In Liyue, Morax frowned deeply as he placed down his cup of tea. "How strangely familiar…" He whispered, unsure why he found that pulse of Energy he felt so comfortingly familiar.
In Inazuma, Raiden Ei opened an eye during her meditation within the Plane of Euthymia, before she closed her eye and resumed her meditation.
In Sumeru, Nahida tilted her head to the side as she saw the floating island she commonly saw explode. She understood that it was something Celestia had created, but due to her circumstances, she understood little else. Still, she found the sight rather pretty, at least.
And in Fontaine, Neuvillette dropped his ink pen as he looked out his window to see his fated enemy explode seemingly without rhyme or reason. The outpost that could easily render an entire nation a barren wasteland, destroyed in mere seconds.
As for me?
[The Adventure's Submission has been completed!]
I just smiled at the job well done, even as my body felt like it was burning from the inside. I'd first noticed the Celestial Outpost's movement a week ago, and I immediately realized that since Fontaine could no longer be chained to its previous Destiny, they would do the job themselves. In other words, they wanted to do the same thing they wanted to do with Watatsumi back in my Teyvat.
Naturally, I couldn't let that slide. But instead of waiting for Celestia to make the first strike, I decided to move first. Since I had an abundance of Primogems, I scoured the [Shop] for anything that could potentially aid me in that endeavour, and after some searching, I found something.
[Alice's Experiment: Dodoco Ampule IV 5★
An immensely powerful bomb created by the great alchemist Alice in her pursuit for the "greatest explosion that would grace the skies of Teyvat". Through a mind-boggling mixture of Alchemy, Elemental Reaction, and a lot of trial-and-error, she managed to create something that would easily strike fear in most Archons.
When Used, causes a devastating explosion, capable of even damaging the barriers of the Abyss.
Cost: 4000 Primogems]
I had to pay a dizzying number of Primogems, especially since I bought 4 of them to ensure that not a single speck of that Celestial Outpost would remain. But since I had basically infinite Mora and not many avenues to spend it on, there wasn't much stopping me from splurging a little.
Once I'd made my purchase, I had one of my clones turn into a Wind Sprite and discreetly fly up to the Celestial Outpost. And once they'd made it there, I stationed the clone there, ready to bring the explosives out and light them up at a moment's notice.
And sure, that meant that I would suffer immense pain from my clone getting blown up, but that was a small price to pay.
Though-, I think I needed to sit. My legs were beginning to shake.
Sighing softly, I sat down and brought out a cup of tea to enjoy as the fireworks continued to burn across the night sky. The others soon joined me, and I offered them some of the snacks and drinks I had lying around in my Inventory.
And so all of us enjoyed this makeshift picnic as we watched the fireworks.