Dori lay unconscious on the ground. She had stepped in between the attack of the withered fungus and Sucrose, receiving it herself instead. And now she was like the children from Vimara Village: inert, like in a deep sleep. Although normal people were ignored by the Withered Monsters, that did not mean that they would not suffer the same effects if they suffered an attack. And Dori had become a new victim.

Sucrose was having a mental blank. Watching how Dori had been attacked because she had protected her caused her an intense shock, and now she was unable to think clearly. She did nothing while Nahida and Collei, with the aid of Araperke's Ararakalari, finished the Withered Monster off; she could not even stop looking at the motionless Dori.

"Dori…"

She touched her, yet Dori did not react. She then shook her; still nothing. Rainwater ran down all over Dori's face, but Dori did not flinch whatsoever. If it weren't because she heard her breathing, Sucrose would think that Dori was dead. She couldn't stop blaming herself. It was her fault that Dori was in such a state: because she had protected her. If she had seen the fungus before, none of this would have happened. Was this how Dori felt when they both fell off of the cliff?

"Dori, please say something," Sucrose pled among sobs. "Please…"

"Sucrose! Snap out of it!" Nahida shouted. "All you need to do is give her the potion and she will recover!"

"The potion… Of course! The potion!" Sucrose realized at last. "Just I have a flask right here!"

She tried to unfasten the flask from her belt; however, she was so nervous that she moved her hands clumsily, and the belt slipped from them due to the rainwater. After several tries, she managed to firmly grasp the flask and unfasten it from the belt. She was about to reach out to Dori in order to begin administering her the potion when something surprised her so greatly that she froze: Dori had moved. But that could not be possible. She must have imagined it due to her nerves, she thought. However, Nahida and Collei stared at Dori in bafflement as well. Furthermore, Dori moved again, and it had been more evident this time.

"Dori!"

Sucrose held Dori in her arms. Although she didn't understand what was happening, she was overjoyed to see Dori opening her eyes. Using Sucrose's arms as support, slowly, with stiff movements, and without making the slightest sound, Dori stood up. Once she was on her own two feet, she remained still, with her head lowered.

"Dori, are you okay?" Sucrose asked worriedly. "Please, don't scare me like that."

Dori did not answer; she just remained still in place, without moving a muscle. It seemed to Sucrose that she had heard her laughing.

"Dori?…"

It did not seem so to her; Dori was, indeed, laughing. At first, it was just a barely audible giggle, but then it grew louder, becoming a normal laugh, then a cackle, and finally, a resounding guffaw as Dori spread her arms and arched her back, looking at the sky, and receiving its rain on her face. Sucrose got scared and moved away from her. Dori was behaving in a quite strange manner.

"Dori! What do you think you're doing?" Collei berated.

If that was her idea of playing a prank, Dori indeed had an awful taste. However, Dori ignored Collei's rebuke and continued guffawing until she spoke at last:

"Yes. Yes! At last!" she exclaimed, full of joy. "At long last I found it!"

Neither Sucrose nor Collei had the slightest idea about what Dori was saying, and just stared at her in puzzlement. Nahida, however, was horrified beyond belief, as if a catastrophe had just appeared before her.

"No, it cannot be," she stammered. "That is… That is not Dori!"

"What!?"

Both Sucrose and Collei were taken aback at the same time, and they turned towards Nahida in bewilderment. They were completely clueless about what Nahida had just said. Then, 'Dori' lowered her head and stared straight ahead, at them, with wide, red eyes, and a broad, open grin. Then, she chanted:

My Lords' command I heed,

accomplished it shall be.

The Gate of Dreams I seek,

to Vanarana guide me!

Sucrose understood the current state of affairs and her heart sank. Cold sweats ran down her entire body. She wanted to shriek, but no voice came out of her. Without wasting any second, 'Dori' ran off and disappeared into the thicket. Nahida wasted no instant either and brought the others back to their senses.

"After her! Hurry!" she exclaimed. "Araperke! Go to Vanarana this instant! Tell everybody that the worst has come to pass!"

"Araperke goes!"

Araperke jumped into the ground and set straight off towards Vanarana, while the three girls rushed off in pursuit of 'Dori'.

"What's going on!?" Collei asked in confusion. "If that's not Dori, then who is it!?"

Sucrose took a deep breath. She needed to muster all of her strength in order to be able to answer Collei's question:

"It's the menace!"

The three girls ran as fast as they could. Because of the thick foliage, they had lost sight of Dori. Despite this, they knew perfectly well where she was headed to: Vanarana. They had to stop her from reaching it whatever it took; however, in order to do so, they needed to catch up to her first.

Nahida cursed herself. She had made a mistake. A fatal mistake. Dori had also visited Vanarana of Dreams, and unlike Sucrose, she had heard the Rhythm of the Great Dream. However, since she did not have the ability to dream, Nahida assumed that the menace would not be able to find the melody within her. She was wrong: the menace did not look for the melody inside the dreams of the people, but inside their memories. The whole issue about that matter was that, under normal circumstances, common people would not be able to neither hear nor remember that melody which existed only in the dream plane; therefore, the menace never bothered to target them. Dori, who had heard it in the real plane, was the sole exception.

Be that as it may, there was no time for regrets. They had to concentrate all of their efforts on running if they wanted to catch up to Dori. After a time which felt to them eternally longer than it actually had been, they finally left Apam Woods behind, and alongside it, the thicket and the rain. Sucrose wasted no time in wiping her glasses with her camisole. Now that the space was more open, they were able to see Dori running in the distance. She was even further away; she had gained some advantage on them. Since she was possessed by the menace, her physical capabilities had increased, just like with the fungi, allowing her to run much faster.

It mattered not how fast the three girls ran, they were unable to close their distance with Dori. Despite this, they did not let up; they ran without slowing down while sorting roots, branches, fallen logs, and rocks in their path.

They had already run quite a long distance; more than any average person could run at that pace. Collei owed this to her training as a Forest Ranger; Nahida used her powers to create small bouncing platforms under her feet in order to propel herself forwards without needing so much physical effort; Sucrose was just too focused into running that she paid no attention to anything else; and the power of the menace ran throughout Dori's body. However, they had still been running for a long time, and fatigue began to appear in all of them. In all of them but Dori, who began to gain ground on them again.

"She's getting away!" Sucrose shouted, despair growing on her.

"All is not lost yet!" Nahida said. "If she intends to go to Vanarana in a straight line, then she'll soon need to swim across a river further ahead!"

That ought to slow Dori down enough to get her within range. But within range of what? Collei had no intention of shooting an arrow at her, and nor did Sucrose have any intention of throwing an Elemental Sphere at her, either. Although given how confident Nahida had sounded, perhaps she had already devised a plan.

Unfortunately, any plan that Nahida might have had failed even before she could set it into motion. As Dori approached the river, she began to gather momentum; and when she arrived at the river bank, she leapt. She crossed the entire width of the river with such leap and landed on the other side. The river was about ten meters wide, and yet she had leapt over it as if it were a puddle.

"It can't be!"

The three girls stood on the riverbank. None of them had any chance to jump across that river; therefore, they had no choice but to swim or find a way to ford it. They would lose a lot of time in either case, and Nahida didn't want to lose track of the menace. She was about to jump into the water when Sucrose stopped her by grabbing her shoulder.

"Hold on," she asked.

From one of her pouches she pulled out a Cryo Sphere and threw it, aiming at the center of the river. She threw it with such force that the Sphere, instead of sinking into the water, collided against the surface and exploded. The icy cold of the Sphere, as it expanded, froze the water in a wide radius which reached both banks. It had created an ice path.

"Hurry! Before it melts!" Sucrose rushed.

Without vacillation, the three girls ran across the ice that had formed and crossed the river in pursuit of the menace. Although Sucrose's method had been much better than the other two options, they had still wasted some precious seconds and lost Dori from sight.

The three girls continued running, now along a narrow path northwards. All three of them were gasping; they were exhausted. They had run without stopping almost the entirety of Sumeru from south to north. Despite this, they did not slow down whatsoever: they had to reach Vanarana and stop the menace without any moment's delay.

A while later, the foliage began to change. The presence of trees diminished, giving way to increasingly larger trumpet-shaped plants; they were almost there. Shortly afterwards, the sky turned purple, and a violet mist appeared all of a sudden. This abrupt change surprised Collei, who stopped running.

"What is all of this?" she asked, looking at her surroundings.

"This is a sign that the path has been opened," Nahida answered solemnly. "Let's go. We must protect the Aranara."

They were too late: the menace had managed to enter Vanarana of Dreams. Nobody knew what could happen next. They prepared themselves mentally for any possible circumstance as they carried on towards the center of Vanarana. They reached the first Vana. There was nobody there. There was no sound either, near or far. They expected to hear some sort of commotion caused by whatever the menace would be doing, but there was only absolute silence. Perhaps was it all over already? They began to fear the worst.

They reached the lake located in the center of Vanarana. As prepared as everybody was for whatever they might encounter once there, the actual scene differed greatly from what any of them had expected: on the closest shore to them there was a whole lot of Aranara forming a circle around Dori, who was lying face down, unconscious. Sucrose had her heart in her mouth. Dori wouldn't be dead, would she? The three girls approached them.

"What happened?" Nahida inquired.

"Nara Dori came running at full speed," one of the Aranara closest to them replied, "and then suddenly fainted."

The three girls were surprised by that odd turn of events. Nahida asked the Aranara to let her pass, and knelt down beside Dori. With utmost care, she placed her hand onto the unconscious tycoon's head. Nothing occurred. Then, she closed her eyes. Several seconds later, she opened them again and stood back up.

"Did you find anything?" Sucrose asked in dread and worry.

"It seems that she has returned to how she was before," Nahida explained. "Sucrose, would you mind using the potion on her?"

Nahida needed not to repeat herself. Without wasting a single second, Sucrose sat down beside Dori, turned her around, and placed her head onto her lap. Next, she opened the flask with the potion, lifted Dori's head, and slowly and carefully, she placed the finish of the bottle on Dori's lips, ensuring that as little potion as possible spilt while she made her drink it.

Now, it was only a matter of trusting that the potion would work on Dori. After a few moments, which seemed like a few eternities to Sucrose, Dori clenched her eyelids and twisted her mouth. Then, she opened her eyes. The first thing Dori saw from Sucrose's lap was her alchemist's face, and how it went from bleak anguish to clear joy.

"Sucrose?…"

Sucrose could not hold back her emotions and hugged Dori's head tightly. Very tightly. The little tycoon could not breathe.

"Sucrose! Stop!" Collei begged, flustered. "You're suffocating her!"

Sucrose let go of Dori, who gasped for breath. She felt odd for having had such an atypical reaction from herself, but she had been so worried for Dori…

"What was all about?" Dori panted annoyedly. Then, she looked around her. "Wait a minute. Weren't we in Apam Woods? What are we doing in Vanarana?"

It was the same as in all the other cases: Dori did not remember the previous moments before the attack. There was, however, a single, yet big difference: Dori's whole body ached. The reason was because of the long run the menace had done with it. Actually, the other three weren't much better either: now that they had relaxed a little, they were suddenly overcome with accumulated fatigue.

"We ought to rest a little bit, now that we can," Nahida suggested. "And bring Dori up to date about the recent events whilst we do so."

"Are you sure, Lesser Lord Nahida?" Collei hesitated. "I mean, aren't we in the middle of a disaster?"

"Precisely: let's rest now whilst we still can. In light of the current state of affairs, it seems that we have some time before the menace truly arrives. And we must be in top condition by then."

Based on Dori's condition, Nahida deduced that, although the menace had possessed her, it was never actually within her. Instead, it had used her as an intermediary with the purpose of opening the path towards Vanarana of Dreams, just like it had used fungi to do the attacks on people. Once the path was open, the menace cast Dori away, since she had stopped being useful to it, leaving Dori just like the other victims of new Withering attacks.

Now that the menace had found the path, it was but a matter of time before it arrived from wheresoever it was. Although, if it truly was westwards from Apam Woods, regardless of how fast it was, it would need quite some time until it reached Vanarana. A really valuable time for everybody to prepare themselves for its coming.

The four girls sat near the entrance of the empty Vana which Sucrose and Dori had used during their previous stay. Collei was quite worried about being able to see the Aranara, since the last time she could do so she suffered those side effects.

"Will Dori and I be fine?" she asked.

"Don't worry. There is nothing to be concerned about staying too long in the dream plane," Nahida reassured her. "Other than not being able to tell whether it's daytime or nighttime, that is."

They were drinking a special concoction prepared for them by the Aranara, which would restore the energy back to their tired bodies in no time. The concoction, far from being tasty, tasted like bilge water, and everybody except Nahida twisted their expressions into a patent grimace when they first tasted it.

"I hope that this really works," Collei commented, "because this is… is…"

"Nasty. No need to beat around the bush," Dori finished the sentence in disgust.

"You know that good medicine tastes bitter; you can be sure that you will be fresh as daisies once you finish drinking it," Nahida lectured, taking a sip from her own cup. "What are you doing, Sucrose?"

Everybody looked at Sucrose, who was swirling her cup, stirring its contents. She then took a sip, and savored it. She breathed out in satisfaction.

"Here. Add this into the brew and stir it up a bit." Sucrose pulled out her sweet candies and handed them to the others. "It doesn't exactly solve the taste problem, but it does at least fix it a little."

Dori and Collei did as Sucrose said while Nahida watched them with narrowed eyes, almost frowning. Then, they tasted the modified concoction. It no longer had that awful taste; in fact, it tasted like nothing whatsoever. Being a candy, it didn't dissolve in the concoction; it just flavored it a little and neutralized the original taste. Still, they found that blandness much better than the bilge taste.

"You're the kind of people who follow the doctor's orders at your own convenience, I see," Nahida asserted.

"It's okay if you don't want one," Sucrose said.

"I want one."

It didn't take long until they felt the effects of the concoction: within seconds after finishing it, their fatigue was completely gone, and they felt as if they could run across half of Sumeru once again.

"By the way, Sucrose," Collei spoke, "it's amazing how fast and long you can run. Did you really lead an indoor life back in Mondstadt?"

"I was also surprised the first time, when we went from Port Ormos all the way to my house at a fast pace while she was becoming sick," Dori explained. "Could it be something to do with your genes, Sucrose?"

"I don't think so… I did use to have low stamina a long time ago," Sucrose admitted embarrassedly. "But, one day, I was carrying some heavy boxes out of my laboratory, and I didn't realize I was already done because I didn't feel tired at all. I've never understood the reason behind that sudden change."

"You shouldn't think too much about this and become obsessed; you just have that prowess now, and that's it," Nahida commented. "Think of it as a benefit, and make good use of it."

Although they were nothing alike, the way in which Nahida had put it reminded Sucrose of when she asked her about her ability to see the Aranara. But still, what if this was another 'gift' of hers? And why would she have them, to begin with? Nevertheless, Nahida was right: she shouldn't think too much about them, at least not for the moment. There were more pressing issues for the time being.

In the meantime, the Aranara came and went here, there, and everywhere. They were arranging everything in preparation for the arrival of the menace. They were planting green fruits almost as big as their heads everywhere. Sucrose, full of curiosity, asked Nahida about the purpose of that task.

"Those fruits will erect barriers which will protect Vanarana from the menace once they are fed with the power of the Aranara," Nahida explained. "Unfortunately, the barriers won't be able to repel the menace forever, but that isn't their purpose either. The goal of those barriers will be to bring the menace to a certain spot, and then force it to surface."

"Still, is it really okay for us to just sit idle while they do everything?" Collei hesitated.

"Of course. Our top priority now is to rest, recuperate, and ensure to be in top form. Our job comes later, once the menace has arrived. That is, if you want to do it."

"And which is our job?" Dori inquired.

Nahida let out a slow, long breath. "To fight the menace."

The other three girls stared at Nahida in surprise. Nahida, still holding her empty cup with a used sweet candy in its bottom, stood up and gazed at her companions with an earnest and solemn expression.

"Of course, just like I said, only if you want to do it," she said. "But, at least, let me ask you formally."

She took a deep breath. Meanwhile, the other three stared at her in silence. From how Nahida was speaking, they were aware that she was doing so with her heart in her hand. It was clear to them that this was crucial for her.

"You three have been dragged into this, and I deeply apologise for that," Nahida expressed. "I do not know what we are up against, and I cannot guarantee that we will emerge unscathed, or even victorious. I do not want you to feel obligated to do this, and you still have time to leave. If anybody wants to do so, I will support her decision. After all, this has nothing to do with you three. With all of this said, will you help us defeat the menace?"

"Are you kidding? What do you mean, nothing to do with us?" an upset Collei replied. "The Aranara are the very essence of the forest, right? If I refused to help them, what kind of Forest Ranger would I be?

She stood up and positioned herself beside Nahida.

"Believe it or not, this also has a lot to do with me," Dori persisted. "I want to give that nasty piece of work a piece of my own mind for having used me without asking for permission. And without paying, either!"

She also stood up and positioned herself on the other side of Nahida. Only Sucrose remained.

"To tell the truth, I'm scared. Really scared. I'm still having trouble accepting that all this is happening," she admitted. "Still, I'm not going to run away. How can I expect to create a paradise of happiness with my head held high if I abandon my friends to their fate when they need me?"

Furthermore, she also felt responsible for the current state of affairs, although she did not mention it. She stood up and joined the others. There was unanimity: they were all going to stay. They showed their decision by raising their cups as if making a toast, even though the cups were empty.

It would be too dangerous for the Aranara to fight on the front lines, especially if the menace was after them; therefore, the four girls would be in charge of facing it while the Aranara would focus on preventing the battle from affecting Vanarana as much as possible. They did not know how powerful the menace was; they could never be too careful. Unfortunately, none of them had much experience in combat. Nahida, being the Dendro Archon, was quite powerful herself, and Sucrose's items were not far behind either. Still, would it be enough? It would have been great if Tighnari and Cyno were also there; however, they were left behind when they got separated in Apam Woods.

Whichever way they looked at those unknown odds, they had taken them. They were ready. And so were the Aranara; they had already finished with their preparations, and they were now gathering around the girls. From among the crowd Araja came out and approached them.

"Lord of Dendro, Nara friends, everything is set," he announced.

"Well done," Nahida praised the Aranara with a smile. "Now it's our turn."

The moment of truth was drawing nearer.

Everybody was awaiting the arrival of the menace at the designated place where it would be led, and where the final battle would occur: it was the same place where Sucrose and Dori had fallen from the cliff some time ago. The four heroines stood in the middle of that place, while every Aranara present surrounded the whole area from a safe distance. Everybody was silent. Everybody was tense; the menace could arrive at any moment now.

Sucrose beheld the Aranara around them. She was trying to figure out how many of the ones present she recognized. There were Aranara of all shapes and colors: tall, short, slim, round, green, yellow, blue, red… and then the only brown one, Araja, the only one Sucrose could name with confidence.

"Didn't Araperke come ahead of us?" she pondered. "I don't see him anywhere. Nor Arakuan."

"They left to find the other siblings," Nahida affirmed. "They should be back soon."

"How do you know that?" Collei wondered.

"Araperke told me."

"Telepathically?" Sucrose guessed. "It's certainly a very practical method of communication."

"It isn't without its drawbacks: for instance, I need to fully concentrate in order to communicate. I couldn't do so whilst we were running here."

"It's still more convenient than not being able to communicate from a distance at all," Dori shrugged.

Moments later, from among the Aranara crowd, six identical-looking but with different colors Aranara emerged. The siblings had arrived. All six had come, even panicky Araon. They all gathered around the girls' feet.

"Nara Crows! Lord of Dendro!" Arake called. "We will help in battle!"

"What? No, you won't!" an unsettled Sucrose protested. "This is too dangerous!"

"They will be fine," Nahida reassured her. "When all six of them are together, they are almost as powerful as I am."

Nahida explained that the Aranara drew their powers from their Ararakalari. Each Aranara had its own Ararakalari, even twins. However, twins were able to naturally synchronize their Ararakalari and work in synergy with each other, leading to more powerful and diverse effects. Thanks to that characteristic, twin Aranara were considered an unstoppable force among the Aranara when they worked together. And such an instance occurred in the already scarce case of two twins; because Arake and his siblings were a unique case of a total of six twins, their combined Ararakalari could even hold a candle to the very Dendro Archon's own power.

Although Nahida's explanation had sounded convincing, it was difficult for Sucrose to assimilate that the six siblings were actually stronger than Dori, Collei, or herself. She scratched an ear. If Nahida said that it was okay, then she had to believe in her words. And in them.

"Fine, then," she conceded. "But I don't want you to put yourselves in unnecessary danger. Okay?"

"Arake has much experience against Marana," Araperke boasted.

"Araki will fight from a distance," Araki stated.

"Arakom will stay with Nara Crows!" Arakom promised.

"Arakuan will protect Vanarana," Arakuan swore.

"A-araon will keep safe!" Araon stuttered.

"Araperke will make that thing regret ever messing with the Aranara!" Araperke proclaimed.

Every one of them was determined not to give up until the very end, and Nahida could not be prouder of them. Sucrose, on the other hand, showed a clear expression of concern. Suddenly, she felt a tug on her cape; Dori was asking her to come with her so they could talk alone.

"It will only be a minute."

They separated from the others while Nahida was explaining something to Collei after the Forest Ranger trainee had become interested in Arakuan's pince-nez. Once Dori had ensured that they would not be overheard, she asked Sucrose:

"So? How did you feel?"

"What do you mean?" Sucrose hesitated.

"I'm talking about the Aranara when they offered to help us. And also about myself, before. In both cases, you had a more than obvious look of concern on your face."

Sucrose blushed. Then, Dori repeated the question. Sucrose understood her this time: Dori was asking her about her apprehension. It was a new feeling for Sucrose; she had never been so distressed over somebody before. She still remembered clearly how she had felt when she saw Dori lying motionless on the ground. She felt as if her whole body was contracting violently, and only negative thoughts ran through her head. She felt fear, grief, helplessness and even despair. She also felt a deep anguish when her head, unable to think clearly, had a fleeting thought that Dori would never open her eyes again.

When Sucrose finished answering Dori's question, the latter took both her hands and looked her in the eyes. She had a placid smile.

"This is how I felt when the same occurred to you." Dori squeezed Sucrose's hands gently yet firmly. "Don't forget that."

Sucrose then understood why Dori had been angry at her when she thought that she had left without saying anything. She herself had also gotten upset when the Aranara siblings had offered themselves to help fight against the menace, and such agitation came from the concern she felt for them.

But where did that concern come from? Sucrose already knew the answer: from the affection she felt for them. For the Aranara, for Nahida, for Collei, and for Dori. She had never thought about it until then, but at some point her feelings towards Dori changed from gratitude to affection. Just like Dori had told her that time at the empty Vana, Sucrose would be sad as well if she ever had to say goodbye to Dori.

"Dori…"

She wanted to tell her many things. She wanted to apologize for all the worries she had caused her. She wanted to tell her how she felt. However, she did not get to say a word, because at that moment, Araperke shouted:

"Ground shakes! Ground shakes!"

"Sucrose! Dori!" Collei called from a distance. "It's coming!"

"Let's go, everybody!" Nahida exclaimed. "You know what to do!"

Sucrose and Dori returned to the group. The crowd of Aranara dispersed; their role was to prevent Vanarana from withering away due to any possible effect from the menace. To do this, each one of them would place themselves in a specific place, beside a fruit they had previously planted, and together, they would use their Ararakalari in order to create a network of barriers around the whole area, with greater intensity around where the battle would take place.

The four girls and the six Aranara took up their positions, and stood in two rows: the Aranara in the front row, and the girls in the back. Sucrose summoned her Catalyst Staff, and prepared her Elemental Spheres; Dori, her claymore and her genie; Collei, her bow and her boomerang; and Nahida surrounded herself with an aura of the same greenish color as the tips of her hair. Everybody was ready, and they knew whence the menace was going to come; they would not be taken by surprise. The ground began to shake with more intensity, and now everybody could feel it as well. However, the tremors did not stop there; the quaking continued to increase to the point where everybody had difficulty keeping their balance. Then, it happened.

Just in front of them, the ground opened up, and a large mass of black mud erupted from the formed hole, splashing everywhere around it. The group stepped back, keeping themselves clear from the hole and the mud. Then, a huge snake-like creature appeared from the hole. More black mud dripped from it. Its predominant metallic silver color stood out among the violet mist. Everybody was astonished, even Nahida. Not even she had considered that this was the true nature of the menace.

"The menace is…"

"A machine?"