"Happy birthday, Nahida."
When she woke up, she was riding in a flower carriage
She had a dream…She dreamed it was her birthday
"My name? You can call me Adham."
In her dream, the Knight of Flowers found her
"Ahahaha, you had no idea how long it took me to find you. Thank goodness I managed to find you before those damn sages– oops, I'm not supposed to swear in front of a one day old kid, am I?"
Oh Archon, I've finally found you. The people can't wait to meet you
"Where we are going? Well today is your birthday, and what's a birthday without some celebration? Unfortunately we wouldn't be finding any of those in Sumeru and I mean… the Cataclysm just happened and stuff… but, I know of a place with a whole bunch of pretty seelies. They can't speak or really interact with you, but they are in a sense, spirits that wish to help the lost. Want to meet them?"
The Sabzeruz Festival began, and everyone smiled as they gathered around her
"They are really pretty, right? I wasn't lying to you. Did you have fun? Haha, I'm glad you did."
Finally, she got back on her carriage, and waved goodbye
"We can always return whenever you want to. You know what? Now that all the other nations had more or less recovered from the Cataclysm, how about I bring you to the other nations? Huh, Sumeru? Why would you want to go back to that place full of ingrates? Listen to me, Sumeru is not a good place for you, not right now."
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When she woke up, she was riding in a flower carriage
"Morning Nahida. Where we are right now? We are on a ship to Inazuma. It's a really beautiful place, I just know that you will love it."
She had a dream… She dreamed it was her birthday
"Oh, happy birthday Nahida! Bet you forgot that today's your birthday, eh?"
In her dream, the Knight of Flowers found her
"When's my birthday? I honestly don't know. Why don't you pick a birthday for me? …Share the same birthday as you? Haha, as long as you would have me."
Oh Archon, we've finally found you. The people can't wait to meet you
"This is Inazuma's Summer Festival, we are just in time. There will be lots of food stalls, lots of fireworks, lots of people… Excited? Let's have loads of fun here, eh?"
The Sabzeruz Festival began, and everyone smiled as they gathered around her
"Hey, see those masks? Why don't we get some for ourselves and go prank the Shogun?... You don't want to get into trouble? Nah, the Shogun might be a bit dense but I think even she knows better than to cut down the Dendro Archon."
Finally, she got back on her carriage, and waved goodbye
"See, I told you it will be fine… You like the Shogun? Yeah, I think she likes you too. She doesn't look like it but she's very lonely, she just lost her sister and all her friends to the Cataclysm, you see… What can we do for her? Maybe visit her often so that she doesn't turn into a complete shut-in? See, even you think she needs more friends… Where we are heading next? How about Liyue, then to Mondstadt?"
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When she woke up, she was riding in a flower carriage
"Morning Nahida. The wind at Mondstadt sure is good, eh?"
She had a dream… She dreamed it was her birthday
"Happy birthday, Nahida… Happy birthday to me too? I can't remember when's the last time someone else celebrated my birthday with me that's not you… We will celebrate our birthdays together for all the years that are to come? I would like that. Thank you, Nahida."
In her dream, the Knight of Flowers found her
"Honestly, this looked a lot better in my head. I'm pretty sure the Maguu Kenki looked a lot cooler when I remembered Ei built it back then… Why'd you put a flower ring on its head? This is your Knight of Flower? I mean, sure, I never thought a samurai robot could be a knight but, why not? Why did I build this? I just thought it would be safer if we had a fierce looking puppet-samurai-robot thingy following after us… Uh, I guess it still looks kinda… cute with that… flower ring on its head…?"
Oh Archon, we've finally found you. The people can't wait to meet you
"Come, let's go. We are running a little late to the party. Barbatos, Morax, Ei and Furina should be already there anytime soon… The other two? Uncontactable, I'm afraid, but don't let them ruin your fun, okay? Oh yeah, we need to make sure that damn bard doesn't get too drunk later too."
The Sabzeruz Festival began, and everyone smiled as they gathered around her
"To Nahida! Cheers! Happy birthday, Nahida! See this? Mondstadt's best dandelion wine, it took me a loooooong while to get my hands on it for you… What do you mean she's underage? We are archons– Oh right, she's literally just born right after the Cataclysm… uh…. T-The rules of the mortal realms don't apply to us archons! M-Morax? Hey, why did you imprison me in this cage?! It's just a little wine! Let me out! Beelzebul? F-Focalors? Someone, get me out of here! I'm sorrryyyyyyyy!... Aww thanks Nahida! Did you like the dandelion wine? You did? See, I knew you would like my present, ehe."
Finally, she got back on her carriage, and waved goodbye
"Where do you want to celebrate your birthday next year? …Fontaine? I think Furina would love to have tea parties with you, she seemed to enjoy having your company the last time we were there… No, we are not going to invite that damn bard, he's a bad influence. Going back to Sumeru… *sigh* Nahida, I've told you what would happen to you if you go back there… So what if you are the Dendro Archon? Does that give them the right to treat you harshly like that?"
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When she woke up, she was in the flower carriage
"Morning Adham, I've come to see you."
She had a dream… She dreamed it was their birthday
"Happy birthday Adham. It's been a while since I got the time to visit you like this. It's… our five hundredth birthday today."
In her dream, the Knight of Flowers once found her
"I'm… Sumeru's archon now. The samsara of the Sabzeruz Festival, I stopped it. You were right, the people didn't need me until the Sages trapped them all in a samsara."
Oh Archon, we've finally found you. The people can't wait to meet you!
"You don't need to worry about me. The people… they love me. They are truly happy that I'm finally back. Things in Sumeru are finally back on track. I have help, there's Junjou, you already know him. Alhaitham– he's the current Akademiya Scribe, he's reliable and he has the heart in the right place. There are others too, like Cyno, for example, although I kind of wish he would stop with all those lame jokes… His jokes remind me of the winter at Snezhnaya, that's how bad it is, brr… I will be fine. Sumeru will be fine."
The Sabzeruz Festival began, and everyone bowed as they gathered before her
"Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"Everyone, please rise. The Withering Spots that we have identified and sent rangers to clear out, what's the current status… Understood. Please continue to monitor the progress. Does anyone have an update of the Doctor's latest whereabouts? … Good. He's a threat to Sumeru and shall be removed with extreme prejudice. Junjou, can I count on you to take down the Doctor together with the Traveller?"
"Absolutely."
Finally, she got back on her carriage…
"It's been a long day… It's only when I'm alone in the Sanctuary of Surasthana that I am able to talk to you like this. Do you remember, Adham? On my very first birthday you pushed me as I sat on the swing. I was so happy. There was nobody but us and the seelies but I remembered that I was laughing from start to end. That was when I first learnt what happiness is. I wish… you were still here with me, to celebrate our birthday. It's been… 473 years since we last celebrated our birthdays… together."
… and waved goodbye
"Happy birthday, Adham."
–Tales of a Hundred Cycles, Vol XXXVI
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When he woke up, he was not in a flower carriage
"Hello, my name is Nahida."
He had a dream…
"This is the Shakkei Pavillion… No, you are not abandoned. Your mother's just not emotionally ready and wrongly believed that this would be the best arrangement for you, but it's okay! I'm here! I will talk to her for you! … You don't want to go back? That's fine too, how about you come along with me? I'm the Dendro Archon, although I've never been to my own nation since my birth and it's been close to a century since then… hehe… Why do I not go back home? The people do not need me yet, but I will be back to help them if there comes a day where Sumeru needs her archon again. Until then, I will travel the world and learn everything the world has to teach me, so that when Sumeru needs me back I will have all the wisdom I need to help them as their archon… What's that thing behind me? It's the Maguu Kenki, my Knight of Flower! Don't you find him cute? Eh, no?"
He dreamed it was his birthday
"Happy birthday Junjou!… Junjou, that's your name… What it means? It means "pure heart" according to Inazuma's culture. You may be a puppet born without a heart, but we all wish that when the day comes where you found your heart, it will remain as pure as it is today. Happy birthday!"
In his dream, the God of Wisdom found him
"Ah, so you finally connected the dots. Why did I seek you out at the Shakkei Pavillion that day? It was to fulfill a promise to a dear friend of mine, you were the person he wished he could have saved. We… used to celebrate our birthdays together, much like how we do now."
Oh Junjou, I've finally found you! I can't wait to meet you!
"Do you think the relationship we had with each other all these years was a lie? It was true that Adham was the reason why I knew of your existence and why I seeked you out, I won't deny that, but as to whether our relationship was one built on genuinity or deceit, I think you already know the answer, don't you?"
The Sabzeruz Festival began, and she smiled as she gathered around him
"Happy birthday Junjou! I hope you like the presents I got for you… Oh! I also made a dish for you, hopefully you would like it… You like it? Really?! Ah I'm glad, don't you think the way the nuts go crunch crunch crunch in your mouth is just so…! The name of the dish? Halvamazd."
Finally, they got back to her carriage…
"Junjou, I… I want to go back to Sumeru."
"Why? They haven't needed you for the past 500 years and they… despise you."
"I am Sumeru's archon."
"Tch," he scorned. "Your heart got all soft when you heard about that samsara gimmick with the Akasha, didn't you? In my opinion, just let them be. It's their just desserts, their own karma. They should have thought twice before they did what they tried to do to you. You were very lucky to have escaped their capture 500 years ago. You owe them nothing, Nahida. Adham, that guy who claims to be my friend, I think he will agree with me too."
"You don't need to sneer like that, that was uncalled for. Seriously, where did I go wrong with raising you? You were never Scaramouche in this cycle, you shouldn't have that kind of rude personality your other parallel selves have. Where did the cute and polite Junjou go?"
"Come on, you really believe in that samsaric cycle nonsense that my friend Adham told you?"
…and waved goodbye
"I do, because the last present he left for me were his memories and knowledge. So, I guess this is goodbye?"
"Goodbye? What goodbye?" The Wanderer slowly stood up from where he was sitting dangerously by the edge of a cliff within the Chasm overlooking the direction of Sumeru and adjusted the tip of his hat. "I am the First Sage of Buer. You are not going anywhere without me. You can't do anything without me. What are you going to do the Sages when you get back? Knit them sweaters with your puny hands? Hah."
Nahida smiled.
"Thank you, Junjou."
"Tch, why am I stuck with such a troublesome archon."
"Ehe."
"You need to stop imitating that damn bard."
"Um… at least I don't go around forgetting to foot my bills while shouting I will have order? Or shouting silence in the court while a trial is taking place? Or do you want me to draw a sword out of my chest? Uh, I don't really have much of a chest though…"
"Speak of that woman one more time…"
"Here," she thrusted into his hands a gift that was carefully wrapped and he only needed one look to know that it's a present from that thrice blasted nation that is Inazuma.
"She said that you do not need to forgive her but… she wants me to let you know–"
She stood in front of the Wanderer, her soul still pure and untainted despite having seen both sides of the world, a huge beaming smile on her face as she wished him the words his mother wanted to convey to him through his archon.
"Happy birthday, Junjou."