Completion
A/N: This is the final proper chapter. There will be two epilogue chapters after this. Thank you so much for reading this story.
"P-Please don't hurt us! W-We'll give you the space!"
"M-Mom…a-are these people going to-"
"W-What are you doing here in our town? T-The Fatui aren't welcome here!"
"T-The Traveller won't let you get away with this!"
"S-Spare our mayor! Please!"
A significant number of men, women and children were surrounded by six Fatui Skirmishers who had their weapons drawn. When they had least expected it, the townsfolk of Rocherfleur were subjected to another terrifying visit from the Fatui; this time, with more numbers.
There wasn't any sort of diplomatic conversations between them and the armed men that time as they made it clear that their purpose for being there wasn't to negotiate. Instead, it was to take over the entire town by force. With the other group on their way towards the crystal cave, setting up a base within the town was the last thing they required to finally potentially get rid of the final obstacle denying them passage.
Distress and panic could be seen on the townsfolk's faces as they realized the horrible situation they were caught in. Those lucky enough to find a hiding place inside their homes were just as frightened as they could barely witness what might happen to those in the town square.
The leader of the group of Fatui, a Cryogunner gripped the shoulder of Mayor Lalode even tighter, separating him from the other townsfolk.
"D-Don't do anything to our mayor!"
"S-Spare him!"
"P-Please, don't hurt him!"
Their pleas were out of desperation as they all knew none of them possessed the capacity to fight against even one of the six Fatui. They were all at the complete mercy of the outsiders but no one wished for the leader of the town to suffer because of them.
"Mr. Mayor, we will only offer you this compromise once" the Cryogunner said, pointing the nozzle of his spraygun at the neck of the mayor, "Agree to our demands and we'll have a peaceful understanding. Decline and unfortunately, the safety of these fine people will be compromised as well."
Mayor Lalode audibly gulped, sweat running down his face like unrelenting drops of water. His eyes frantically wandered to those who were forced to huddle in the middle of the town square. Their terror-stricken faces stared back at him, uncertainty helping to keep them in a constant state of anxiety.
"Remember: we can burn this tiny town down to the ground with no effort at all" the Pyromancer brandished his weapon in order to threaten him even further.
"The Traveller is nowhere near this area" the Anemoboxer said with a smirk, "We saw no signs of him on our way here. So, there is no one you can call upon now!"
"Be careful with the choice you are about to make" the Cryogunner told him, fog blowing from the spaces in his mask, "You are responsible for each and every one of their lives, after all."
Faced with such a horrible dilemma, Mayor Lalode truly felt like he had his back against the wall. He was secretly holding out hope that the Traveller would come and save them again but the Fatui were no longer giving him any time to stall them further.
His lips trembled as he felt the nozzle of the Cryogunner's chilling spraygun on his neck. He was fully aware that they were not afraid of taking what they wanted by force and that would certainly lead to a lot of pain and suffering for not only him, but also for the rest of Rocherfleur.
In between his quick breaths, he ultimately decided to blurt out an answer.
"I-I…I agre-"
"EUGHHH!"
Everyone's attention was taken by the pained yell from the Geochanter before it was followed up by him crashing to the ground, having lost his vertical base. Visible traces of Hydro could immediately be seen on the entire upper body of the fallen Fatuus.
"WHO DID THAT!?" the Cryogunner immediately shouted in anger.
Shock and surprise were on the faces of the rest of the Fatui while the townsfolk were left bewildered by what had just transpired. Something or someone was responsible for that sudden attack which had come out of nowhere, nearly subduing one of the foot soldiers.
Mayor Lalode, on the other hand, grinned in delight, realizing that a third party had showed up, attacking the Fatui just in time.
The Cryogunner quickly scanned their surroundings, holding his spraygun with one hand, trying to find out who had assaulted his comrade.
A second later, his eyes were locked on three figures standing right in the middle of one of Rocherfleur's streets. The other Fatui didn't take too long to notice their attackers as well.
However, they were all left thoroughly flabbergasted by what they were witnessing.
"Boss! Isn't that-"
"I-Is that who I think it is?"
Standing opposite to them was the former Hydro Archon Furina, her sword drawn and with a ticked off look on her face. To her left and right were two of the three Salon members: Gentilhomme Usher and Mademoiselle Crabaletta, both of whom were ready to follow her every command.
Upon recognizing who she was, the dynamic immediately shifted significantly. The Fatui no longer were maintaining focused, confident stances but instead, they all turned to face Furina, on edge and with their weapons primed to strike at any second. Even their leader, the Cryogunner was visibly anxious.
Furina did not falter one bit, even after being targeted by six seasoned combatants. She knew what she had gotten herself into. But for the sake of the people of Rocherfleur who were part of the populace she looked after while she was the Hydro Archon, she could not turn back from what she was about to do.
"Just what do you hope to accomplish here?" she asked, staring at them sternly, "Hmm? What is this I've come across?"
She held up her sword in a combative pose.
"Terrorizing innocent folks?" she raised an eyebrow, "I cannot allow that to happen."
The Fatui began to uneasily stare at one another as they slowly inched towards their leader.
"Sir…she's the Hydo Archon, isn't she?" the Pyroslinger asked warily, helping the Geochanter back to a standing position.
"No, you fool!" the Electrohammer immediately answered, "Aren't you caught up with the news? There is no Hydro Archon anymore! She's just a human now."
As that fact was relayed to all of them, the confidence they had earlier had begun to return as they understood it wasn't an archon who was confronting them.
"Heh! So she's nothing special, eh?" the Hydrogunner pumped his cannon, "Let's get rid of her right now!"
"She'll regret ever approaching us" the Anemoboxer smirked, cracking his knuckles.
With the understanding that the person standing up to them was no longer as powerful as they previously knew her as, they were certain that defeating her would be a walk in the park. She only had two allies by her side while they were a group of six expert fighters. The numbers game was on their side.
Mayor Lalode discreetly escaped the Fatui's grasps before ushering the townsfolk to a safe area in the town square while the Fatui were being distracted by Furina's sudden appearance. However, he was fearful for the safety of their former archon as it was a given that she no longer possessed the potent abilities of an archon.
"You damn fools!" the Cryogunner yelled at his comrades, "She possesses a vision! Do not take her lightly!"
Furina's vision gleamed slightly as the other Fatui found it attached to her outfit. That discovery did not do much to keep them at bay though.
"Hah! What if she has?" the Electrohammer asked with a smug grin, preparing to dart forward and attack her, "She's still nothing compared to us!"
The former Hydro Archon's eyes narrowed as she switched to a more focused state of mind the second she realized her opponents were making the first move. She clenched her sword as tightly as she could, planting one foot behind the other and leaning forward slightly as she readied for a counter attack.
"TAKE THIS!" the approaching Fatuus screamed, swinging his humongous Electro-charged hammer straight at her.
"Mademoiselle Crabaletta!" Furina said out loud while dashing.
As she did so, she managed to cleanly dodge the powerful swing of the Electrohammer. By virtue of being a vision-bearer, various aspects of her physical capabilities had been boosted greatly in combat and thus, it wasn't difficult at all moving out of the way at close range.
"W-Whoa!"
The Fatuus nearly lost his footing due to completely whiffing his attack.
"AARGHH!"
Just as he turned around to see where Furina was, a burst of water, courtesy of Mademoiselle Crabaletta, met him right in the face; exploding with such an impact that he lost his grip on his hammer and he fell backwards, landing on the cobblestone path with a resounding thud
The Armored Crab followed it up with another blast right to his face again, causing him to be fully incapacitated.
Upon seeing their comrade fall, the rest of the Fatui focused on Furina who had now closed the distance between her and the Anemoboxer who stood closest to her.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!" he shouted, charging up a punch.
The Hydrogunner standing directly behind his accomplice, pointed his cannon forward, ready to revitalize his ally in case Furina struck him.
"Gentilhomme Usher!" Furina shouted.
Instead of slashing the Anemoboxer like they had expected, she swiveled around him, ducking slightly to avoid hitting his raised arms.
"H-Huh? What did she-?"
The Anemo-manipulating Fatuus was caught off guard by her rapid set of movements. He could only look on in bafflement as Furina moved with her sword drawn towards not him, but right at the astonished Hydrogunner behind him.
Since he had not anticipated such a move from her, the Hydrogunner had no time to react as he was now left exposed to an attack from Furina.
"W-Wait! Wait!" he tried to plead, but to no avail.
"HAAAH!"
At the exact second she darted past the heavy set fellow, Furina stabbed the side of his backpack with ease.
"W-What the-!?"
Water immediately burst from the cut before it struck the machinery attached nearby on the upper part of the backpack. A watery explosion followed after, causing the Hydrogunner to uncontrollably fly a short distance to the side.
"OWWW!"
Unluckily for the Fatuus, he was flung right into a nearby street lamp, crashing into it with such a force that he was knocked out in an instant.
The rest of the Fatui were now astounded by the ease in which Furina had dispatched two of their comrades in just a matter of seconds. Their underestimation of the former Hydro Archon's combat skills had come back to haunt them and it was clear she was much more formidable than they had thought.
The Anemoboxer in particular was livid as she had used him as an obstruction in order to take out his ally.
Unfortunately, before he could do anything else, Gentilhomme Usher unleashed an unending barrage of Hydro attacks right at him.
"G-GUAHHHH!" he yelled, trying to shield himself, only to be attacked from behind by Mademoiselle Crabaletta as well.
A couple of seconds later, the Anemoboxer fell forward on his face, unable to cope with the relentless assault of the Salon members.
Upon realizing he had to act quickly, the Cryogunner took charge, trying to catch Furina by surprise as she turned around to face him. Pointing the nozzle of his spraygun at her, he gritted his teeth underneath his mask, determined to end the fight right then and there.
"TAKE THIS!"
A concentrated ball of ice flew out of the spraygun, right in Furina's direction. As he appeared to have caught her right in the middle of her shifting the weight of her body, he was sure it would make contact with her.
Unfortunately, that would not be the case.
Furina managed to dodge at the last moment, jumping to the side and away from any harm. The ball of ice shattered against the ground without causing any harm to anyone.
However, the Cryogunner grinned sinisterly.
Because she had only a tiny window to move out of the way, Furina had unknowingly leapt right next to the remaining Fatui: the Pyroslinger and the Geochanter. Owing to how close the duo was to her, there was no time for her to escape their offense again.
The Pyroslinger was ready to blast her with a Pyro-infused bullet while the Geochanter had both of his hands on his staff in order to cast an elemental strike on her as well.
"She's done for!" the Cryogunner thought, certain that she would fall.
Unbeknownst to them though, Furina had the perfect way to counter them.
Striking a pose in a split-second, she transitioned from Pneuma to Ousia. The subsequent release of energy from her transition struck both the Pyroslinger and the Geochanter. Had they been further away, they'd be out of harm's way but due to being in close vicinity to her, they were both blasted away from her.
"WHAT!?"
The leader of the group could only look on in shock as the last two standing men under his command were thrown to the ground; Mademoiselle Crabaletta and Gentilhomme Usher following up with incapacitating blasts.
After fixing her hat, Furina swung her sword and steadily walked towards the lone Fatuus left standing. There was a firm look on her face as she had no intentions of being lenient towards a person who had put her nation's people in a terrible situation.
The Cryogunner stood his ground but he had lost all of the desire and drive to fight. Even though he was masked, it was clear that he was now fearful of what Furina might do to him in retaliation.
"Troublemakers like yourself aren't welcome in Fontaine" she told him sternly, "Whatever you are trying to accomplish here, disrupting the lives of innocent people is not worth it!"
She then held her sword up, pointing the tip of it right in his direction.
"Leave and never return to this town again!" she added threateningly, "And take your men with you. I do not care if you are Fatui. Act in a similar fashion again and you will sorely regret it!"
As the other Fatui staggered back to their feet, the Cryogunner gingerly backed away from Furina. Wasting no time, he whispered to his recovering men, gathering them together before they all took the nearest route out of Rocherfleur; not even daring to turn back and face her.
Furina, flanked by Mademoiselle Crabaletta and Gentilhomme Usher, continued to stare down the Fatui even after they had disappeared from view. Knowing how ruthless they weren't afraid to be, she had to be sure they wouldn't return after being thoroughly stomped. She could not take any chances, especially when the townsfolk were unable to protect themselves.
At the very least, she was glad to not have to resort to using her sword too much. Things could've definitely escalated and there was no guarantee more damage would not have been done to the Fatui. Ideally, she would've loved to have all three Salon Members present but having Mademoiselle Crabaletta and Gentilhomme Usher had greatly made things easier for her.
After waiting for a couple more seconds, Furina finally allowed herself to lose the tension in her body by letting out a sigh of relief.
"…Goodness…that went better than I expected" she sighed, "I'm surprised I could fight that well!"
She then pulled both Salon Members close to her, hugging them tightly.
"Oooh~! I'm so proud of what you did!" she said with a smile, "I'll thank Surintendante Chevalmarin later as well!"
Although she wanted to take the time to thank her partners a bit more, she was soon made aware of a crowd of people approaching her.
"Huh?!"
Furina instantly let go of the Salon Members as soon as she realized the townsfolk of Rocherfleur were standing around her. Feeling a bit awkward because of the attention she was being given, she stammered slightly.
"U-Um…hello…?"
The next second, the crowd, led by Mayor Lalode, rushed towards her. However, all of them had grateful smiles etched on each of their faces.
"Thank you, Lady Furina!"
"We owe you our lives, Lady Furina!"
"You were amazing, Lady Furina! How can we ever repay you?"
"Thank you for saving us!"
"You're our hero!"
In an instant, she was showered with praise as she had her hands shook by the mayor first, followed by other people, some of whom were crying tears of joy. Words of gratitude were thrown her way with no end in sight as everywhere she looked, she could only see smiles and cheering faces.
"I-I…r-really…I didn't do much…I-I…" she awkwardly muttered as they continued thanking her with all their heart.
But then, it hit her.
"…these people…" she thought, glancing at the people around her, "…they…they're saying all these things because of what I did for them…not because of who I am…they're not doing this because I was their archon…I…I…"
Gradually, a genuine smile, coming from pure happiness and sheer relief formed on her lips before it widened into a grin she could not contain.
"Y-You're all too kind!" she told them, joining in the jubilation.
After she was given the freedom to live as a normal human, Furina had often found herself undeserving of receiving the adoration of the people of Fontaine any longer; especially when she felt she hadn't done anything since to justify the praise and love. She had always thought it was only because of her previous status as their beloved archon and not because of anything she did ever since becoming a human.
That had been eating away at her conscience for quite a while and she had often yearned for the day the people of Fontaine would show her genuine love and give her genuine praise because of what she had done as someone striving to be one of them.
And at that moment, she was given a taste of the feeling she had wished for with all her heart.
Without any restraint, she gladly welcomed the embraces that the townsfolk offered to her, maintaining the most heartfelt and grateful smile she had ever had in her entire time of existence. No longer did she feel like there was no progress in her new relationship with the people of Fontaine. A door leading to a path of opportunity for better things was finally wide open.
As such, she was the happiest she had ever been.
Drakonov, Paimon and Aether left the alley they were hiding in once they saw the crowd cheering Furina a short distance away from them.
Along with Surintendante Chevalmarin, the trio had followed Furina secretly to Rocherfleur. Due to Drakonov's insistence, they didn't interfere and simply observed the former archon handily defeat the Fatui in under a minute.
Once the situation was dealt with, the Snezhnayan led them out of their hiding place as the townsfolk, as well as Furina, were too busy celebrating to notice that they were there the entire time. He stood a couple of steps in front of them, observing what was happening ahead of them.
"Paimon didn't think she could fight that good!" Paimon remarked as they stood in the middle of the path.
"She barely used her sword as well" Aether nodded in agreement, "I guess she wanted to resolve things without hurting anyone too much."
"Mm-hmm! Paimon doesn't feel too bad for the Fatui though" she added, "It seemed like they were the really bad kind of Fatui."
"They are a diverse organization so I suppose that's true" Aether chuckled.
"Now, Paimon is clear that she shouldn't irritate Furina too much …hehe…" Paimon smiled sheepishly, "And that must be the same for you too, right, Drakonov?"
The maestro didn't answer.
"Uhh…Drakonov?" she asked again.
Confused, Aether and Paimon moved forward a couple of steps, trying to see what was going on with the normally talkative man.
What they saw left them both nearly speechless.
"H-Huh…what's going on…" Aether barely managed to mutter.
"…Drakonov…are you...are you…" Paimon wasn't able to complete her question.
The Snezhnayan had his sight fixated on the scene of the townsfolk surrounding Furina while showing their utmost gratitude in the best way they could. There was a small smile on his face which wasn't anything out of the ordinary considering it was his friend who was the center of attention.
The strange thing the duo saw, however, was the presence of tears in corners of his eyes.
Slowly, they fell from his eyes to the side of his face before they dropped down to the path below. Aether and Paimon could not find any plausible reason as to why the maestro was shedding tears all of a sudden; especially considering how composed he always had been.
Although he was unsure what was going on with him, Aether felt the need to place a comforting hand on Drakonov's shoulder.
"…what's wrong?" he asked him.
Through his smile and tears, Drakonov choked up a bit. He then wiped his eyes with his hand before answering in a soft voice.
"I…I've always wanted to see this…" he told them, "What I've wanted all this time was to see her be happy…with all her heart."
Puzzled by his reply, Aether and Paimon glanced forward, taking a closer look at Furina among the crowd.
They could see clearly how joyous she was, as if all of her worries had ceased to exist. The smile she had on her face was far happier than anything she had sported before and just seeing her filled them both with a bit of delight as well.
It wasn't difficult to understand the reason behind Drakonov's reaction now.
Both he and Furina had already shown how much the friendship they had meant to them, as well as how much they cared for each other. So, for Drakonov, to see his friend showing genuine happiness had him tearing up out of pure joy.
"Awwww! You're such a nice person, Drakonov!" Paimon cheerily told him, "Furina is lucky to have a wonderful friend like you!"
Drakonov chuckled, wiping the rest of his tears before facing her.
"I appreciate your words, Paimon" he replied, "But it is I, who is lucky to be in a position to be a friend to her. I do wish with all my heart that nothing ever changes that."
"Paimon doesn't think your friendship with her will ever go away!" Paimon said confidently.
"That would be more than ideal" he smiled.
As Aether stared at Drakonov, seeing how overwhelmed he was just moments ago, he was reminded of the main reason why they had been with the Snezhnayan the past two days. Realization came upon the Traveller as he finally figured out exactly why Drakonov had involved himself with the Fatui and the treasure hoarders as well as the situation concerning the town of Rocherfleur.
With the problem at hand seemingly resolved for the time being, he decided to ask him about it.
"You said that you've always wanted to see Furina be happy…" Aether stated, "…does that mean you got the Fatui to show up here and brought Furina along today to deal with them in order to achieve that goal while also indirectly repairing her reputation with the people of Poisson?"
Paimon gasped, understanding Drakonov's plan fully finally.
"WHA-! You planned all that!?" she exclaimed in disbelief, "No wonder we were suspicious of you from the start! Even though you're doing nothing evil and we worked with you, you kept that hidden from us! Paimon is sure that you're cleverer than you look!"
The Snezhnayan could not help but laugh in response to her reaction.
"I'll take that as a compliment" he chuckled, "And yes, I brought Furina here to help repair her relationship with those from Poisson. But my desire to see her be happy has nothing to do with what has transpired. I simply thought that I'd witness that someday and my heart would overflow with joy for her."
He then focused his gaze on Furina who had now realized that he was there, along with Paimon and Aether. And slowly, she broke away from the crowd in order to reunite with them. The smile on her face had not gone away as she kept her eyes right on them, a look of pleasant surprise being the prominent expression.
"By coincidence, I witnessed that today" he smiled, "Traveller, Paimon…we'll reveal everything we had planned to her once we leave this town, alright?"
"Sounds good! Oooh~! She's gonna be so shocked to learn you had all these schemes the whole time!" Paimon giggled.
"I think it's alright to not keep her in the dark" Aether nodded, "She'll be surprised at first but I'm sure she'll understand."
""Surprised" might be an understatement" Drakonov chuckled.
The next moment, Furina stopped right in front of them, exuding delight the likes of which the trio hadn't seen from her in all their time of knowing her.
Aether and Paimon immediately understood why Drakonov was so emotional earlier. The former Hydro Archon had not looked happier than she was right at that moment and the underlying tone of sadness and doubt that lingered around her had been exorcised for the time being.
"Oh! You're all here?" Furina inquired, clasping her hands together in evident enthusiasm, "How did you know I had gone here?"
Aether gestured to the Salon Member standing next to them.
"Ah! Surintendante Chevalmarin!" Furina gleefully picked the seahorse up, "I suppose that answers my question…hehe…"
"We all arrived just in time to see what had happened" the Traveller told her.
A look of sheer surprise was on her face instantly.
"Eh!? You…you saw me and the Fatui!?" she gasped.
She had been certain that only the townsfolk had seen her fight off the Fatui. She had no clue that her companions were watching her the entire time.
"You were amazing, Furina!" Paimon told her, "You handled the situation really well! You've helped a lot of people too!"
"And we didn't step in because…we were all confident in what you can do. And I'll repeat what Paimon had just said: You were amazing" Drakonov added with a smile.
Upon hearing that, Furina let out a soft gasp, left bewildered by the knowledge that her friend believed in her to tackle such a situation. He had believed that she could go up against formidable enemies like those and he was stating that sincerely.
Just a while ago, she was disappointed over not being given the chance to repay him for all he had done for her. And though she had not done anything that helped him directly, to find out that he had seen her deal with the Fatui and that he was admiring her for it sent a feeling of unbound warmth running through her soul.
Her smile softened as she tried to not lose her composure in front of her friend. She quickly looked away for a moment.
"Thank you…for saying those nice things" she replied in an uncharacteristically coy tone, "I…I was just doing what I thought was right."
"And you deserve to be applauded for that" Drakonov said to her.
Furina attempted to downplay her contribution for the good of the townsfolk but upon seeing her friend's assuring smile, she accepted what they had all said to her.
"I won't argue against that…" she said with a sheepish grin.
The quartet then stared back at the jubilant crowd in the middle of the town square. They were still exuberant after seeing their would-be oppressors being driven out of town and some were even beginning to sing and dance happily. It was clear that the relief they felt after a period of living anxiously had allowed them to resume their lives normally.
"I think we should move on from here" Drakonov suggested.
"I agree" Furina nodded, "I'd like to stay here a bit longer but we still have a day to spend together, don't we?"
"Where are we heading for next?" Aether asked Drakonov.
"Hmm…" the Snezhnayan put his hand to his chin, "…I believe we've had enough action for today. Maybe lunch at Café Lutece is the least we deserve?"
"I'm not opposed to that" Furina declared.
"Neither am I" Aether chuckled before seeing Paimon's eyes shine with enthusiasm.
"Ooooh~! Can we order anything we want?" she asked, floating in front of Drakonov.
The maestro laughed a bit before nodding. A second later, they began to take the path leading to the outskirts of the city.
"It's my treat" he told them, "You can all have anything on the menu."
"YOU'RE THE BEST, DRAKONOV!" Paimon said out loud, "Paimon can't wait to dig into all of the best that Fontaine has to offer!"
"Settle down, Paimon" Aether smiled, "You might get an upset stomach again if you try to order everything again."
"Are you sure about this?" Furina asked Drakonov, "I can pay for our lunch too if you want me to."
The Snezhnayan shook his head.
"I insist" he replied, "I invited all of you to join me after all."
"That's right!" Paimon chimed in, "And Paimon really wants to try the Bowling Noir aux Nom. It's a traditional Fontaine dish, right?"
Drakonov couldn't help but turn away while laughing. At the same time, Furina gave an exasperated sigh, shaking her head disapprovingly.
"You've just insulted a revered chef who discovered the recipe of the dish you're trying to pronounce" she said sternly, "The name is "Boudin Noir aux Pommes". Please refrain from butchering it any further."
"Errrr…sorry…" Paimon placed her hands behind her and smiled nervously.
"I guess we can now trek back to Marcotte Station and take the aquabus" Aether stated, still smiling at Paimon's mispronunciation.
"Correct" Furina said, "Enough talk of what we'll eat. We can discuss that while on the waterway."
The former Hydro Archon began to lead the way, Paimon floating close by while Aether walked with Drakonov right behind them. The sounds of cheers and applause from Rocherfleur reminded them of how the plans they had through the previous days had culminated in a happy ending to the problem haunting the townsfolk.
As they walked down the path leading back to the Opera Epiclese, Aether glanced at Drakonov who gave him a knowing nod before mouthing the words "On the aquabus". He then proceeded to subtly point at Furina who had no idea the interaction was happening behind her back.
Aether immediately figured out that Drakonov had planned to reveal everything to Furina on the way back to the Court of Fontaine. His secret gesture also served as a perfect way to sum up what had been happening the past few days.
He too, was glad that the resolution was executed to perfection.
". This aquabus is bound for the Court of Fontaine, the birthplace of The Steambird…"
"Uh…Traveller…Drakonov…is…Furina okay?"
"…Feel free to subscribe to it."
"Paimon thinks she's…frozen."
While their melusine guide was following the script and speaking about their destination, the other passengers of the aquabus – Aether, Paimon and Drakonov all stared at the astonished form of Furina who was sat next to the Snezhnayan. She had not said a single word after they had revealed that Drakonov's planning had led to her earning the adoration of the people of Rocherfleur.
Of course, to be made privy to such a convoluted scheme, perfectly concocted for her sake had to be a shocker. Paired with the concern she had harbored due to being kept in the dark, the reveal had certainly shook her down to her very core.
"Give her a bit of time to process it" Drakonov chuckled.
As they waited for her to snap out of her flabbergasted state, slowly, Furina turned her head towards the man sitting next to her on the aquabus.
"Y-YOU PLANNED ALL THIS!?" she finally found her voice.
"Yes" Drakonov replied nonchalantly.
Furina then pointed at Aether and Paimon as well.
"AND YOU TWO KNEW ABOUT EVERYTHING!?"
"Well…we weren't in on it at the start either" Aether chuckled.
"We knew about the whole thing just yesterday" Paimon answered.
Despite finding it all to be unbelievable, Furina had no choice but to accept it as the truth, given that the information provided to her had made perfect sense. From the town of Rocherfleur consisting of residents who had families in Poisson, to the reason behind the Fatui and the bandits' presence near the town and to how Drakonov had involved himself with them under the guise of being a Fatuus, she could see how all the pieces fell into place and brought about a chance to endear herself to those from Rocherfleur while also putting a permanent stop to the Fatui around that region.
She gradually began to feel flustered as she finally fully processed the fact that everything that happened was done for her. She could barely look at her companions as she could not believe they'd do something so noble for her.
"Is…is there anyone else involved in this?" she asked, choosing to stare at the landscape.
"I've been working with Neuvillette and Marechaussee Phantom ever since my first encounter with the Fatui" Drakonov told her, "They've been looking out for me from the shadows during this particular problem as well."
"Huh? Neuvillette!?" Furina inquired, surprised that he was a part of it.
"He has been instrumental in making sure my façade among the Fatui wasn't compromised" he nodded, "You know that he shares our desire for a better future for all."
"He does…yes…" Furina agreed, understanding what her old companion's role was, "I…I suppose it makes sense for him to know about what you were doing…"
That information put her at ease. While she had thought he was pretending to be part of the Fatui without any help, concern for his safety had dominated her mind whenever he was without her. However, knowing that he had the presence of mind to act only when he had backup made it easier to accept his risky actions.
While his little mission to deceive some members of the Fatui started off with the objective of keeping Fontaine safe from trouble, it had morphed into a quest to help repair her reputation among the only group of people who held resentment towards her.
Taking in a deep breath, Furina gathered herself before speaking in a calmer voice.
"I…I appreciate, with all my heart, what you did for me…I appreciate it all so much" she broke into a smile, her voice soft yet clear, "When I last went to Poisson…I could see hatred on the faces of people whose loved ones I couldn't protect…But now…I've been given a chance at redemption I thought I'd never have."
She gently put her hands together on her lap.
"I never expected to have friends who were willing to go through so much…just for me" she added.
Though he appeared to be calm and collected like always, Drakonov struggled to find the words to respond to that as he kept his sight on her.
"We can't take any credit for this" Aether replied, smiling.
"Yeah! It's all Drakonov's doing. We only helped out one time" Paimon added.
Furina beamed with joy as her smile widened.
She then faced her friend who met her gaze with a pleased expression on his face as well. For someone she had only known for less than one-thousandth of her full existence, Drakonov had been the most valuable person she could've ever met. She had no idea how in the world she managed to be friends with someone like him.
"It seems like…" she giggled before continuing, "It seems like I can never thank you enough. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry I worried you" he told her, "…I thank you as well, for accepting my friendship. I cherish this more than you can imagine."
"…I do too…And I understand your reasons for being so secretive lately…" she smiled before narrowing her eyes slightly and crossing her arms, "But don't you dare keep me uninformed on important matters like that! Hmph! You said you saw me fight off those Fatui so you know that I'm more than capable of handling conflicts!"
The situation morphed back into a light-hearted one as Furina found the composure to speak in an obviously dramatic way. Having said what she wanted to tell him, she was finally free to continue the conversation in a familiar manner.
"I cannot argue with that" Drakonov chuckled.
"And I expect the same from the two of you!" Furina said to Aether and Paimon, "I intend to utilize my skills and what I know for the betterment of Fontaine. Do not ever hide anything from me that concerns this nation. Understand?"
"E-Er…y-yes!" Paimon replied nervously.
"W-We'll try not to do that again…" Aether said.
The rest of the ride back to the capital of the nation would initially comprise of a conversation about how much of Fontaine was under the Marechaussee Phantom's supervision before it morphed into a discussion about the most scenic spots.
Though she was still in awe at the level of meticulous planning Drakonov had done just for her sake, Furina opted to leave that particular topic, given that she no longer needed to be concerned for her friend's safety nor had she any room left for doubts about his allegiance.
On the way to Café Lutece, Drakonov informed the trio that he'd be spending a couple of days away from Fontaine, owing to the Grand Orchestra being invited to perform at Sumeru's Zubayr Theater. Furina scolded him for informing her too late when he would be leaving the next day…before wishing him the best of luck and asking him to return as soon as possible.
Aether and Paimon were then inquired about the possibility of them accompanying the orchestra to Sumeru. However, they were both content with staying in Fontaine for now, explaining that they wanted to be sure first and foremost that they didn't miss any hints in the nation that could lead them closer and closer to the Traveller's sibling.
After a delightful luncheon, the quartet decided to visit the other scenic areas of Fontaine, particularly in the Morte Region.
While nothing overly eventful occurred, the time spent together strengthened the bonds between each one of them and as sunset arrived, Aether and Paimon were reminded of the events that had transpired recently and how much the spirit of friendship could help one achieve something invaluable.
With those thoughts in mind and with greater appreciation for both Furina and Drakonov, they went their separate ways, wondering what the comings days in Fontaine would bring to them.
As it had been the case for the past week, a pleasant weather blessed the region around Fontaine, making it ideal for anyone who wished to travel to and from one point to another. Especially following the hours after breakfast, those with the need to venture considerable distances were on the move already towards their destination.
From the observational deck of Romaritime Harbor, Aether and Paimon kept a firm gaze on a group of Waverider ships leaving the docking stations down below. There was quite a crowd around them as the relatives and friends of members of Fontaine's Grand Orchestra had come to see them off.
A similar sized crowd was present on the bottom-most level of the harbor as well. Furina was part of that particular group as she had insisted on remaining with Drakonov until he had stepped inside one of the aquatic transports.
No one left the harbor until the ships were no longer within the nation's borders. After several minutes, the Waveriders had gone far enough that it would be impossible for the passengers to see or hear from the crowds.
As the citizens began to disperse, Aether and Paimon remained near the railings, continuing to watch the ships travel across a large stretch of water.
"You know, Traveller, is it alright for us to be here while the Marechausse Phantom and the Maison Gardiennage are engaging the Fatui near Rocherfleur?" Paimon inquired.
"Drakonov said that Neuvillette's with them so I wouldn't worry about it" he said, "That means Rocherfleur won't ever be bothered by them again."
"Speaking of Drakonov, Paimon wishes we could've told our friends in Sumeru that someone very special was coming to visit Sumeru City!" she excitedly told Aether, "She has no doubt everyone would've liked Drakonov."
"…Our help is the least he requires at this point" Aether smiled, leaning against the railings, "I'm just glad that he is a sensible person. I fully trust him now."
"Imagine if he was looking for trouble" Paimon shuddered, "It wouldn't be pretty, would it?"
"He was able to plan all of that behind our back" Aether stated, "…if we hadn't learned anything more about him, I'd be worried right now."
"Yeah…with him going to a different nation…we might have no choice but to follow him to make sure he didn't cause any trouble."
Aether then chuckled before glancing at the blue, calm sky.
"We might have to soon though…for a different reason" he told her.
"Huh?" Paimon raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
Moving away from the railing, Aether smiled at her.
"I don't know exactly what it is but I overheard Charlotte talking to her colleague about asking us to accompany her to Liyue for an upcoming festival."