🇵‌🇺‌🇷‌🇪‌ 🇼‌🇦‌🇹‌🇪‌🇷‌ | Shenhe x Reader

10

A/n: Thank you all for 400 reads! I appreciate the support for this book. Enjoy the second to last chapter!

When you opened your eyes again, the water beneath you had returned to normal, your own face reflecting in it. The rain had turned to a light drizzle, and Shenhe was kneeling at your side with a hand on your shoulder.

"Y/n," she whispered, seeing you look at her. Your heart fluttered at the expression of relief on her face. "Are you alright? Does anything hurt?" You shook your head. Once the water returned to its normal, pure state, your body had been healed with it, leaving you to feel refreshed and good as new.

"I'm okay," you replied, "But what about you? You did most of the fighting."

"I'm fine." She assured you, helping you stand back up. You glanced over to where the Oceanid had last been, taking in the fact that she really was gone. The brothers that had been watching had disappeared now, too, most likely fleeing as soon as they realized she would not win the fight.

"What happened?" Shenhe questioned, grabbing your shoulders and turning you so you faced her, "When I arrived at Luhua Pool, you weren't there. I wasn't sure where you'd gone or if you were okay and...I was so worried." She was pouring her heart out but at this point, she didn't care. She was just happy to see that you were alright.

"I...Noticed the lake's water was getting impure," you admitted, "the fish saw it before I did, though. Then it started hurting me, and it felt like it was burning." You tried to ignore her worried face as you kept talking. "I felt drawn here, so I followed the river and found the source of the impurity. As soon as I showed up, that lochfolk attacked me."

"Do you know why she was doing all this?" The white-haired woman asked, and you shook your head.

"No, she wouldn't tell me anything." You looked at your hands. "Those brothers were here too, the ones I scared that day in the pools. I'm not sure what they were doing."

Shenhe glanced back at the shore, taking note of the now missing brothers. She was about to speak again when someone interrupted her.

"Fools, the both of them." A small voice scoffed, and you whipped your head to see a tiny version of the Oceanid you had just fought floating a little above the river. Tensing up, you took a step back and readied your weapon. She couldn't have been taller than your forearm, but you didn't want to take any chances.

"You!" Shenhe exclaimed, stepping in front of you protectively. You glared daggers at the small being, daring her to come closer to either one of you.

"Relax, I couldn't attack you if I wanted to." She sighed, "That battle weakened me greatly."

"If you're not going to fight us, then answer our questions." You demanded, stepping forward and ignoring Shenhe's visible concern. Again, the small lochfolk sighed.

"You want to know about the brothers, right?" She asked, and kept talking when you nodded, "They came her a few days ago. Told me they'd seen someone, someone who used to be a big deal when I lived in Fontaine. They said you were a spirit, that you could possess water now." She floated down, sitting on the surface. Reluctantly, you lowered yourself to your knees, facing her as she told her story.

"I didn't believe them at first. Why would someone like you return as a spirit after all these years, much less in Liyue?" Shenhe moved to sit next to you on some ice she'd created. "So, I decided to bait you with the impure water. Figured if they were telling the truth, it would disturb you and you'd show up here eventually."

"You got that right," you snapped, crossing your arms in irritation.

"Who did you think they were?" Shenhe asked, making you frown. You hadn't thought to ask that, but you remembered how you'd once been killed by a lochfolk just like this one. It made sense that she might be able to tell you who you once were, given that she seemed to know your past self.