Chapter Text
“I have failed…” Furina sobbed weakly, her trembling voice echoing in the empty and quiet lands of Poisson, the water beneath her feet rippling gently. “The people of Poisson… they all… have perished.”
“I should’ve done something, anything just to keep them all alive. It’s… all my fault.” She said in utter despair, her knees trembling.
“Furina?” Paimon’s voice cut through her quiet sobs.
Furina flinched, her hand immediately shooting up to wipe her tears. She slowly turned to them, having a cheery smile, her hands on her hips.
“Oh, why it’s you! Blonde traveler from a far and your floating companion. What brought you here to Poisson?” She asks cheerfully, head tilting to the side.
“Why are you pretending?” Paimon asked.
“Pretending?” She asks, looking offended. “Why would I- no, why should I?”
“There’s hint of tear stains on the corner of your eyes, Furina. We also heard your quiet sobs a while ago.” The traveler added with a concerned look on their face.
“Yeah! Your eyes are all puffy and red.” Paimon added, flying closer.
“Tear stains? Oh! It must be from an opera I saw a while ago. The story has such a sad ending and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. How truly pitiful it was, sacrificing herself for her beloved.” She shook her head with a frown.
“Don’t lie.” Paimon crossed her arms as she raised an eyebrow.
“I’m not lying.” Furina in turn, crossed her arms, eyebrows furrowing in displeasure.
“You’re bad at it. You can let go, y’know?” Paimon shrugged. “It’s just the three of us here.”
Furina slightly flinched, her smile faltering as she curled her fist, standing her ground. “I have nothing to let go of. I am the Hydro Archon. I have nothing to hide.”
Silence erupted between them. They kept quiet, crossing their arms and staring at the other.
“Come to think of it,” Furina started, bursting the silent bubble. “There were quite a few people in Fontaine who doubted me and my will. How incredulous. How could they doubt me, their Archon?” She shook her head with a disappointed sigh and a smile with a hint of arrogance.
“That happened?” The traveler asked with an extremely dry curiosity.
“Yes! And-“
“There she is! Get her! That’s the Hydro Archon!” A man’s voice screamed from behind them, interrupting Furina’s sentence.
Furina flinched with a slight hint of fear that the traveler almost didn’t notice as they grab her wrist in a panicked hurry.
“Follow me!” The traveler called out to her. “I… know a place we can hide.”
“Oh, uhm… okay.” Furina nodded as she ran behind the traveler.
They ran for a long while, heaving for air as their pursuers relentlessly followed after them.
As their pursuers lost them eventually, they rushed to get inside a nearby house as the traveler swiftly went to lock the door, letting out a relieved sigh.
“We’re… safe for now.” Paimon panted.
“Yes.” Furina nodded, huffing.
“Furina.” The traveler spoke, turning to face her. “We’ve heard and seen you cry. We want to sympathize and understand what you’re going through right now. I understand if you want to keep it a secret but know that you can confide in us. You can trust us. We will hear you out.” The traveler continued, coming closer with small, careful steps.
“I-“
“I promise that it’ll feel better if you just let it out. I imagine that it must be so severe that you refuse to let go but we’re here now. And we’re willing to hear you out and stay by your side no matter what it may be.” The traveler continued, a genuine plead in his eyes.
“I…” Furina trailed off, hugging herself as she looked down on her feet, seemingly in deep thought.
‘Please give in.’ The traveler pleaded internally.
“I… have absolutely nothing to hide. I am the Archon of this land, of Fontaine. I have governed over this land for centuries. There is no reason for me to hide anything, especially from my people.” She said with newfound determination.
“So.. there’s no convincing you, huh.” The traveler mumbled.
“What-?” Furina asked as the walls fell, revealing a bowing magician and the crowd.
They were in court.
Furina’s breath hitched as she stepped back instinctively, looking around fearfully while hugging herself, looking for protection.
She looked at the traveler with a bitter smile, realizing that she almost fell to their trap.
“So this is what you were after.” She mumbled under her breath, her eyebrows furrowing in mild frustration.
“We shall now begin the trial of the Hydro Archon.” Neuvillette said, letting his cane hit the floor.
“What? How could you put me on trial?” Furina asked, trying to fix the shattered pieces of her mask.
“Or… you can have a duel if you so insist.” Neuvillette added, Clorinde walking elegantly with her sword drawn, getting ready for a fight.
“Oh, no, no, no, no.” Furina shook her head. “There is no need for a fight.”
Gossips erupted from the crowd, their scornful stares boring in Furina’s small form. Her small trembles went unnoticed as she stood still.
“Are you scared?” Paimon asked beside her, loud enough to silence the crowd.
“Me…?” Furina asked, slightly dumbfounded. “Scared? I simply prefer a battle of words rather than violence. I am the God of Justice, I am not the God of War. I think it’s a given that I would not want to settle such false accusations over a meaningless bloodbath.” She finished smoothly, elegantly smiling with confidence.
“Do you… think otherwise, traveler?” Furina turned to them, a smile on her lips.
“Of course not.” The traveler answered, shaking their head.
“Then, I assure you, my people.” She said, turning to the crowd with a confident smile. “I shall let you witness the most magnificent trial seen in the history of Fontaine!” She raised her hands with the same smile as the people cheered and applauded.
“Then, without further ado, the trial of the Hydro Archon shall officially begin. Please settle to your respective seats to start the trial.” Neuvillette spoke as the traveler and Furina turned their backs on each other.
They stood on their respective places, standing proudly as the court officially started.
They exchanged words back and forth. They’re often frowning, having confident smiles, furrowing their eyebrows or having looks of utter frustration when their statements gets contradicted by another statement that makes more sense. Furina had thought at one point that she had the upper hand until the scale right behind Neuvillette turned to the traveler’s side, the people siding with them instead of their god.
“Since you’ve been insisting this entire time that you are a God and not a human, then there is a way for you to confirm that you are the former.” Navia spoke up, taking the people’s attention.
“Please speak directly and clearly, Miss Navia.” Neuvillette spoke.
“Ah, yes.” Navia nodded, regaining her composure. “I’ve brought some seawater from Poisson. As we all know, a disaster recently took place there, taking away many lives in the process. Including… some of my closest friends.”
Silence spread upon the crowd as Navia solemnly looked down, the thought of Melus and Silver breaking her heart.
“So, Miss Furina.” She said, raising her head to look at Furina. “If you really are the Hydro Archon, this wouldn’t have a single effect on you. If that does happen, that would mean that this was all a false accusation just like you said earlier and would strengthen your case. If you do the opposite…” She trailed off purposefully, crossing her arms. “It’ll just prove that you aren’t what you claim to be.”
“I must remind you that after the incident in Poisson no one wants to lose anybody else so I do hope that you’ll cooperate and admit that you are guilty of the case.” Navia said, looking away.
“Lady Furina, this “test” has its risks and can be dangerous to your life. You possess the right to decline in participating.” Neuvillette reminded as Furina walked towards the container that contains the seawater.
Gossips immediately erupted after,
“Well, if she refuses, wouldn’t that mean she’s not our God?”
“She’s just staring wordlessly at the water, could she be afraid?”
“Why is she hesitating if she is our God?”
“No way. Is Lady Furina really…?”
‘What is she doing?’ Navia asked herself with worry. ‘There’s no way she would actually-‘
Furina shoved her hand in the water as she closed her eyes, her heart beating erratically. She panted for air, her form trembling out of fear of what might happen.
“She-?!” Paimon exclaimed as she covered her eyes, hiding behind the traveler.
Navia and the traveler stood frozen in place as a suffocating silence washed over them.
Neuvillette watched as Furina pulled her hand out of the water quietly.
She was fading away.
Her fingertips crumbled into dust and small particles as she raised her hand with an unreadable expression. Her fingertips disappeared into thin air as she slowly dissolved.
“Ah…” Furina mumbled quietly. “I’ve reached the end, the curtains are closing.”
No one could hear what she was mumbling about, she was too quiet and they were too conflicted with the scene in front of them.
“What will become of the people of Fontaine? Will they be saved? What about the prophecy? Does that mean I… failed?” She continued to mumble to herself.
“So… all these five hundred years…” She trailed off. “It was all in vain.”
Her arm was slowly dissolving but it wasn’t the reason why she felt like sobbing or why her chest hurt or why her head was a horrible mess. It was because she couldn’t save the people of Fontaine and because all her efforts and sacrifices were all in vain.
It meant that the suffering she experienced and hid for centuries was all for naught.
It devastated her.
She stood there blankly, in a daze as she slowly met her end. She unwillingly snapped back to reality as she let out an exhausted sigh. She looked up and met Neuvillette’s gaze. A gaze full of worry and concern. A gaze with the overwhelming desperation to save her and come down from that high place.
She smiled, ‘The Iudex has been taking care of me these past few centuries, hasn’t he?’
It felt like hours had passed when Neuvillette finally had enough and readied to jump off and stay by her side. But he stopped himself, seeing the real Furina looking up at him.
“Thank you.” Furina said her final words with an appreciative and genuine smile as she dissolved completely, leaving nothing to remember her as.
“Furina…”