Lumine opened her eyes. In what seemed like a blink of an eye she was transported to another place entirely. It was a lonely place that looked a lot like the Opera Epiclese, but there was merely a stage that stood in front of her, as well as a set of only three lights. Lumine climbed onto the stage and was surprised to see Furina sitting on a throne, literally in the limelight.
The Blonde Traveller approached her.
"Furina?"
"Please... turn off the lights... if only for a moment." She signalled to her. Lumine did as she asked and switched off the light that was directly in front of her.
As what felt like lines from a script began to play from Furina's lips, a series of Meka guards approached the stage. It seems to gain access to her secrets, to learn the truth about Furina, she would have to fight these Meka as well as switch off all of the lights. It was like keys to a chest, an analogy of which seeming to fit the situation.
Lumine easily dispatched the Meka. The strength of the Meks themselves represented Furina's mind and how damaged it was. At least now she could finally take a breath without all of the eyes on her.
//
Lumine watched as Furina's conscience acted out the last five hundred years as if it was a play. It showed a more 'real' side to Furina. A more naive side, tainted by years of suffering and wearing a mask just to try and prevent a catastrophe from unfolding. As each scene - each day passed by, Lumine would notice how more unstable and fractured Furina's mind would become. Lumine's heart ached particularly as one particular scene took place.
Scene 182375, Opera House, Furina.
"Lady Furina! It's... It's like a dream, being able to speak to you like this..." excitedly exclaimed a woman, who was assumed to be a reporter.
"I've heard that the first member of our family who was honoured to receive an audience with you was Madame Deoteria, almost twenty generations ago!"
To think it's been twenty generations...
Twenty generations since her Hell began. An inescapable torture. Just when will it end?
"Hahaha..." laughed Furina, though her voice seemed hoarse, "and what a fine family yours is, indeed! It brings me great joy to meet such a faithful believer, a descendant of a line most ardent!"
Furina tried her very best to be her 'usual self', but she could feel herself fracturing as the seconds went by. Her own mental state in shambles.
The reporter chuckled a little nervously, before furrowing her brows. Only now had she actually taken the time to look at Furina rather than relishing in the feeling of being face to face with the Hydro Archon.
Tears streamed down Furina's cheeks. It looked like she didn't even know she was crying.
"Umm... my lady?" She asked.
"Hmm? What is it, good citizen...?" Furina responded. Even her voice sounded like it was desperately trying to not break down and sob.
Lumine felt her heart ache. How could someone keep something like this secret for so long?
A secret in which the beholder had to suffer for hundreds of years...
"Are - are you crying?" The woman asked.
Furina's eyes widened, almost in shock. How could she not notice her own tears falling? She tried to fight it, to force her body to stop producing tears, but it didn't listen to her. It wouldn't.
"Huh? Hahaha, really now? I didn't even notice." She croaked out.
"This must be the overflow of hydro from my person! Well, can't help being a god whose dominion is the waters, can I?" She continued.
Furina was oh so desperate to break down. But she couldn't.
//
Furina wept defeatedly on her bed.
'So interminable... so lonely... just how much longer?'
Furina felt her cries get louder. It hurt her chest to cry. It hurt so much.
But she deserves this right? For she is the Archon of Fontaine, and she must do everything she can to stop the prophecy from taking place.
"Have I reached my limit...?" She asked herself.
The thought of giving up grew stronger. She wanted to escape this nightmare of a life. But she was cursed. She couldn't escape if she wanted to.
Lumine felt as if her heart strings were being cut with scissors one by one as she was forced to bear witness to Furina's deteriorating mental state.
How could she keep such a strong mask, when behind that was a lonely little girl who was growing more and more tired, more and more drained.
She wanted to do something. But she was only in her mind. Witnessing her endless cycle of misery as if it was all just an act.
Scene 182376, Opera House, Furina and Lumine...
"Furina... you don't have to shoulder this burden alone," said a voice, much like Lumine's. This caught the blonde traveller off guard, as this was clearly a retelling of events that had happened only an hour ago.
"Although I don't know what you might be keeping from everyone... Your people are more than willing to share your burden with you." Lumine's voice continued.
The actual Lumine remained seated in the front row, wondering if she would get proper insight into Furina's mindset at this moment.
"Share my burden..." Furina began, her voice croaking. Her face began to twist with conflict. On one hand, she looked like she was desperate on telling the Traveller, but on the other...
"That's impossible," she answered, her expression firm, "it was fated, right from the start that this would be my duty alone."
"But even if your burden doesn't need to be shared... you can still choose to confide in someone." Lumine fired, trying to get Furina to spill at least to her. "Just share it with me. I'm what you'd call a witness.'"
Furina's expression shifted once again, however went back to being firm.
"A witness... Ah, yes. I've heard that you came to Teyvat from beyond the stars, yes? In other words, you never belonged here... And if Teyvat, in its entirety, is a show on a stage, then you're just a 'spectator', aren't you?"
Lumine looked at Furina encouragingly.
"If that's the case..." Furina continued once more.
Furina knew Lumine was right.
Surely the Traveller would be an exception right? She is an enigma unaccounted for. Surely she can get everything off of her chest.
Furina's brows furrowed as she had her internal conflict.
Was it really alright to say what she wanted to say? To finally find someone in whom you can confide your frustrations and sorrows? Surely it couldn't hurt, right?
But what about the people of Fontaine? What if, by telling the Traveller, she inadvertently dooms the entire nation?
She couldn't take that risk.
As much as it pained her, she had to let the opportunity slide, an immediate gut punch of regret hitting her.
Lumine watched intently as Furina came to a conclusion in her head. She could see the immediate regret on her face before her act switched to that damn facade that she always put on.
"No. I have nothing to say. I am Furina, the Archon of Fontaine! Everything will surely get better!" She exclaimed half confidently.
"All you need to do, dear spectator, is to witness my performance until the curtains fall."
Lumine's face turned to that of complete and utter disappointment. A face that immediately made Furina's confidence wane, and make that guilty feeling ever stronger.
"Fine." Lumine said disappointed but cold.
//
Not too long after that, melancholic ball room music began to play, and Furina appeared on stage, dancing and humming, hopping and spinning. Her expression is gloomy, but her movements had life to them. Lumine watched the dance with a sense of awe and sadness. She could empathise with Furina's loneliness, but she couldn't quite understand her pain to the extent Furina did.
At the end of the dance, and with a final perfect bow, the curtain fell before the Traveller, signifying the end of the performance.
The blonde traveller suddenly found herself back in the Opera Epiclese, surrounded by her friends; Lyney, Lynette, Navia, Neuvillette and Paimon. She took notice that she was a distance from Furina, who sat lifelessly weeping on her guilty throne. Looking over at her, she felt a twang of sadness in her heart.
She turned back to the group and took note of the single tear that dripped down Neuvillette's cheek. He had witnessed something nobody else did. Perhaps it was better that way.
"What just happened? Has the death sentence been carried out?" Navia asked in a spur of confusion.
"Was that bright light some form of misdirection? I have a feeling that something huge happened." Said Lyney.
"But since we're all alive and haven't been dissolved, I assume whatever happened was good for us." Lynette added onto her brother's statement.
"It's time to end this," Neuvillette spoke up, "we must mete out punishment to this beast."
Paimon looked in confusion. "But didn't you just say a moment ago it can't be defeated?"
Neuvillette gave a gloomy glance towards Lumine, his expression almost immediately returning to normal. "I have gained the strength sufficient enough to deal with it. Through... certain means, I now have the ability to separate the power of the Primordial Sea from that creature."
The Iudex summoned his cane, putting it in front of him. He turned to Lumine.
"Traveller, now that the Oratrice can no longer function, I require an 'executor' to help me mete out justice."
"You... you mean me?" Lumine asked confused.
"The root of the calamities befalling Fontaine, the beast that enacts the prophecy... its name is Ptakur, the All-Devouring Narwhal." Neuvillette explained as he began to move towards the dimensional rift that had been created by the beast.
"Come with me, Traveller. The hour of execution has come."
//
Furina could hardly notice the receding water through her teary eyes and her numb body, but the sound of life outside alerted her to her senses.
But... the prophecy had come true. She had failed, right? Everyone she knew... everyone she cared for... her entire nation... they're dead...
Furina wiped her tears, and now began to notice the water was receding at an incredible speed. Almost all of the water in the opera house had receded in just a few short moments.
She decided to stand up, her legs shaky. The dimensional rift that opened up in the middle of the opera house had now been closed, but there was no sign of the Traveller, Paimon or Neuvillette.
Furina made her way outside, and upon opening the doors, almost fell to her knees at the sight. Sure, there was a lot of damage and destruction, but the people of Fontaine had survived.
Furina could have cried if it was possible, but even her eyes were tired from all of the weeping.
"The prophecy was wrong..." Furina said to herself, putting a hand on her chest.
She slowly made her way past the people that were already making repairs and cleaning up. Her bed seemed extremely comfortable.
"I'm so tired..." Furina croaked in passing to a stranger.
A/N: I'm so sorry for this chapter taking actual MONTHS to do! I've been incredibly busy making a film and dealing with college and haven't had any time to work on this! The next chapter should come much sooner, which will take place after Furina's first story quest and before the 4.3 main event. However from here on I will make certain changes within the story and how events fold out over time.