Work Text:
The plan was in motion, and the time was almost here.
Focalors stood in the darkness. It was cold, secluded, and silent. All the workers that built the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale finished their work and left for the day, including the judge and the spectators for the trial previously held above. No one else would be coming to the Opera Epiclese. Even if they did, no one would have a real reason to go into the basement of the opera house; the only thing there was beneath the stage were boxes of props and dust. Nobody knew how the machine worked.
Nobody but her.
She gently touched the machine, feeling the cold metal against her skin. Focalors wanted to take a good look at what would become her new home. The final place where she will reside for the rest of her days until the end.
Finally, she could save her people, and accomplish the justice that was rightfully theirs to bear: the justice to continue existing. There would be no more fear, no more sin, no more counting the days until the end comes, and no more waiting for punishment. Everyone will be saved and they will be able to live in happiness. Even if she didn’t know if a human could last for hundreds of years for the machine to get enough energy to destroy the throne, Focalors had to believe in it.
Humanity was capable of many great things; what she could not achieve through her plans, humanity would fill in the rest.
There was a strange feeling in her chest, a painful one that she had felt repeatedly again and again. Before, Focalors pushed it down because she didn’t have time to feel… whatever it was in her chest. Not when Egeria died, and not when she had to come up with a plan in order to save her people from being swept away from the Primordial Sea. She could not wait. She had to keep going. She had no choice, just like she had no choice in becoming an Oceanid of Egeria. Just like how she had no choice in whether or not she wanted to become an Archon and bear the burden of saving an entire nation from being wiped off the map.
The end of the cataclysm was the beginning of peace, the beginning of a life where she could finally experience being a human. She wanted to make friends, she wanted to go to the cafe and order all the sweets she wanted, she wanted to go shopping and buy beautiful clothing, she wanted to be late for work and get scolded for it, she wanted to travel, to fall in love, to experience heartbreak, to have a family, to have children, to get old, and to watch everything that life had to offer while she lived as a human. The greatest hardships and wonders that life provided in such an unpredictable opera that was being a mortal. For the time that she had experienced, it barely felt much compared to the life she lived as an Oceanid. Focalors desperately wanted this exhilarating and melodic opera to continue its alluring symphony, dancing through each moment to whatever end it would lead her.
But, most of all, she wanted someone else to take the burden away from her - for someone else to save her people because she wanted to be a human.
Why? Why did Celestia have to punish them for wanting to be human? Why did Egeria declare Focalors to be an Archon? Why did she have to clean up the mess her predecessor left? Why did Egeria have to die? Why did she, who had wanted to be a human so much - begged Egeria to make her a human as well - be robbed of it so quickly?
Why couldn’t she just be a human?
The pain grew too much and she finally set it all free. Like a tsunami meeting the shore, everything came crashing down. She slammed her fists against the machine and she screamed at the top of her lungs. Tears flooded down her face as her pain echoed through the darkness before falling into violent sobs. The Archon crumbled to her knees as she gasped for air after squeezing every bit out of her lungs. When she had gained her breath, the former Oceanid began shouting out every curse in the desolation of her sorrow.
She cursed Celestia for the prophecy to sweep away the people of Fontaine, cursing them for condemning them with the “sin” to simply pursue existence as humans. She cursed her situation, how much she hated that she couldn’t be human - that she would not get the chance to live the greatest opera of being a human. She cursed to lie and be alone in this endeavor.
But most of all, she cursed Egeria for everything that had been bestowed upon Focalors. It was Egeria that forced the duty of Archon upon her, it was Egeria that left the mess of the prophecy unsolved, and it was Egeria that refused to do anything to enact justice upon Celestia. She cursed Egeria for dying and leaving her followers behind. Egeria was a goddess. Her goddess. No one could ever replace her and the great things she did for her people. All the Oceanids and herself adored Egeria, worshipped her, followed her every word and command. Her dear goddess whom she devoted herself to if Egeria had continued to live. In her death, the former Hydro Archon had abandoned them in such a state. Her wonderful, kind, and righteous goddess.
When she had finished crying, there were no more tears to shed. As a god, she could not express uncertainty to anyone: she could not break. She could not waver. A goddess needed to stand strong… Even in the face of destruction. Focalors had to. She had no choice.
Focalors wiped the tears from her face and left the dark basement, walking away from the stage and up the aisle to the entrance of the Opera Epiclese. However, before she left the courtroom, she turned around and took one last look at the empty space.
The red velvet seats that filled the auditorium were empty, but she could still see the people of Fontaine filling those seats - whether it be for plays or court cases. The stage was empty, waiting for her to stand upon it, to perform for Celestia as they waited to watch the tragedy of the Hydro Archon play out. The seat situated above the stage, above the giant scale that was connected to the machine beneath, was where many judges had sat to hear the trials. She would miss the trials that took place there, the attorneys and parties standing up top on opposing booths above either end of the stage. Oh, how Focalors wished to watch one more trial. One more trial before she would fuse her divinity with the machine.
That was all a dream now. What a beautiful dream it was, but she had to leave it behind. Focalors had wasted too much time to take one, final luxury of being human.
It was time to depart.
After five hundred years, Furina had done a wonderful job. Focalors was proud of her. In her final moments she wanted to make sure that she got to thank Furina… And meet one last person to return what rightfully belonged to him in the first place.
In the five hundred years that she waited and conducted verdict after verdict, she wanted to get to know and meet the Hydro Dragon Sovereign. As a human, Focalors would feel anticipation to finally meet the reborn sovereign. However, now that she was a full god, she did not feel as excited to see him. Interested was the best word to describe her emotions. Most of all though, the Hydro Archon wanted to get a good look at him before her execution. If it wasn’t to explain to Neuvillette what was going on and let her know what she wanted from him, then it was the goal and hope she had been working towards in splitting herself.
Although Focalors had been around Neuvillette for five hundred years, she had never seen him before. Sending a letter was pretty simple with her abilities, she had been kept inside the Oratrice. While she could still hear everything that happened and decide on the verdict of each case, sight bore no importance to providing such a function.
When she heard Neuvillette’s voice, she pictured a man who barely bore much emotion; that was no surprise as he was the Hydro Dragon Sovereign. The reincarnated dragon would not have much experience with human emotions. Emotionless, cold, calm, and serene were what she observed and took in from his voice. It was very soothing when he was being sympathetic or speaking normally, but absolutely unforgiving and intimidating when he was imposing his authority on the courtroom. Focalors had imagined that he was what everyone thought of when they heard Iudex of Fontaine and Chief Justice. However, she had only heard slight changes over the years. The courtroom, of course, requires the judge to stand lay judgment - no matter how emotional or harrowing a situation may be.
There was no room for personal feelings when it came to justice, and Neuvillette had come to learn that as she gave the final verdict from the Oratrice.
The moment Neuvillette appeared, Focalors was quite enamored with his appearance. He truly was the perfect picture of a judge: dressed formally, prim and proper, that stood tall and confident. While he was very clearly human, even his human form could not hide his origins as the Hydro Dragon. His ears were more pointed upwards compared to the rounded ear lobes of humans. His hair was white as the sunlight reflecting off the ocean on a clear day, blue horns peaking through the expanse of white like seawater beneath the foam of the tides. Focalors was reminded of the medaka tails with how beautiful his hair was that draped down to his back. His eyes were a gentle purple that matched the depths of the Primordial Sea. Truly, the Hydro Dragon Sovereign embodied its domain within the tides whether it was a dragon or not.
However, what she expected was a composed judge; what Focalors got was a perplexed man with silent shock and confusion that was unbefitting of such a gentleman. She couldn’t help but laugh despite trying to maintain her elegance as a god.
How wonderful! How beautiful he was, and how delightfully human he was too after spending time with humanity for five hundred years. She could only imagine in her mind what his experience could have been outside the courtroom. Oh, how she would love to ask him all the questions about everything he saw, felt, and did within the years. What sort of other reactions could she extract from that lovely face of his and what he thought of being human was like.
Unfortunately, her time was very short and limited. Such luxuries were only meant for those who were sinless and not bound to fate like she was.
She explained everything to Neuvillette. Furina was not the only one who was owed for the deception; Neuvillette was owed an explanation of his own deception and use in the plan. The Hydro Archon was not sure how he would react, but she surmised what would be expected of someone who had been deceived and have everything stolen from him: rage, hurt, frustration, indignation, all the negative reactions one would feel towards having everything taken before being begrudgingly content to having it all returned to him. Dragons were, after all, as proud and powerful as gods, if not more. Focalors was not owed any thanks as a god for everything that had happened. She was, after all, quite as selfish in saving her people as any being would be to claim what should be rightfully theirs from the start. She was ready for any kind of reaction or words he had to say and would accept it.
What she wasn’t expecting, however, was for the Hydro Dragon Sovereign to cry despite hearing everything she had to say. Focalors was intrigued and surprised in the most delightful way possible. Another reaction that was a wonder to experience and see. However, she knew that sadness was not usually something humans enjoyed so she stepped up to him and spoke as if she were trying to soothe a child.
“What? Getting sad again, are we? The authority of the ancient dragon sovereign shall be yours again once more, O Hydro Dragon Sovereign, and this is the face you make?” She asked, giggling a little bit to try and lighten the mood with a tease.
“All you’ve done throughout the years… is just so you can sacrifice yourself at the very end?”
She shook her head. She confessed that she never viewed it that way and she was happy the deception worked.
After all, if Focalors could not live as a human, others that wanted to be human deserved the chance to exist as what they truly wanted. No one else should be punished for living life just to be happy, for choosing what they wanted to be and exist as - especially when that existence was a gift given to them by Egeria, who could have refused all the same but didn’t.
But this did not work in comforting Neuvillette. He only met her with silence as he quietly wept, unable to look her in the eye as she smiled at him. Perhaps in his time as a human, he had a good sense that Focalors had forgotten what it felt like to be human, and everything that she had felt before she decided to separate her divinity from her humanity and soul. The very trait she praised him for in his perception became the very insight that also saw straight through her even if she didn’t feel a drop of sorrow at the sacrifice she was making; the knowledge that Focalors could not feel much emotions anymore.
She gave a small exhale as she closed her eyes.
It had been so long she had remembered what feelings felt like, how to comfort someone else in a time of pain, yet she did her best to search her memory. It wasn’t until she remembered the small thought she had before she split herself while thinking up of the plan to deceive the Heavenly Principles. It was a small thing she thought of and spread word of. It was quite silly when she thought about it now but she thought, at the time, that it would make the Hydro Dragon feel better in times of loneliness.
After all, none of the Oceanids had approved of Focalors being the new Hydro Archon and had left - not only because they would not accept her as the new Archon - but also there was no way for them to survive in the waters of Fontaine. Sure, she did have the other Oceanid humans, but they could not comprehend the power or the weight of her decisions. Perhaps the Hydro Dragon would also feel such loneliness with no one else of its kind. After all, those that were born of the elements were gifted with longer lives than that of humans. Death through aging did not come as easily.
She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding the same smile on her face, as she drew him in for a hug. His body stiffened as Focalors pulled him close but relaxed slightly as he carefully wrapped his arms around her, mimicking her actions. Neuvillette rested a hand on her back and the other one to rest on her head as he cried. He was warm as the ocean and as gentle as currents reaching the shore. For a brief moment, his kindness and gentleness reminded her of Egeria.
“Hydro Dragon, Hydro Dragon, don’t cry.”
This seemed to bring the weeping to a slow halt as she pulled away from the embrace. Neuvillette was looking at her now with an expression she couldn’t identify. To be frank, she felt quite flattered that the Hydro Dragon would cry for her sacrifice. However, Focalors felt something faint. The former Oceanid could not identify the feeling since it had been more than five hundred years since she had been a human. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter right now. There was no time to explore that feeling.
There was no time to get to know Neuvillette.
So she continued on, turning away from him to compose herself and pretend to be the Archon that she was: clever, calculating, and confident. Focalors did not have that right to be weak. She could not afford to be weak.
There was no way to back out now when the hands of time could not be stopped.
The one thing that truly made her content, though, was to hear his thoughts. One of the very few things that she could have as she departed from this world, knowing that she had accomplished her duty and done all that she could for her people, for her goddess.
“You are a devious one, Focalors. Things as they are… surely you would know that I would never declare them to be ‘guilty’.”
And with that, everything that needed to be said was done. Focalors had done all that she could for the people of Fontaine and now it was the time to bestow the ancient power back to Neuvillette, the true ruler of the Primordial Sea.
As she turned to look up at the blade meant to destroy her, the familiar rush came through her: fear. The fear of death. Oh, how much she wanted to turn and to run from the very creation she constructed to save her people. However, there was no escaping the prophecy, just like there was no escaping the Oratrice from performing the execution. No one could stop the rising tide from becoming a tsunami that would destroy everything in its path. Egeria had doomed her the moment she decided Focalors would be her successor. With that said, the Hydro Archon decided to enjoy the very last moments she had left after she bade Neuvillette farewell.
She danced.
It had been such a long time since she enjoyed such a simple act of movement, of expression. The simple art of dancing was how humans had expressed their emotions. From the very first moment she had become human, Focalors remembered how happy she had been to be a human, jumping and running and spinning around. How she was so excited to finally experience being human, and now she tried to be as human as she could in her final moments.
How would her life have been if she hadn’t been chosen by Egeria? Would she have lived her life as Furina would be living hers now? What would her life have been like back then? If she were to live her life as a human now instead of Furina, would it be much different after living for so many years? If she had been around Neuvillette, what would her life have been like back then? What a glorious performance Focalors would have taken part in. Her tale as a human being.
As she bowed before Neuvilette, Focalors did not dare open her eyes as she accepted her fate.
In another life, she would have liked to run court cases and do paperwork with him.