Chapter Text
(Fontaine Streets)
“Finally! We’re done with that commission!” Paimon exclaimed as they had just left the adventurer’s guild. “Yeah, that one took quite a while. Can’t believe there were so many crabs today.” Aether said as they made their way back to their room in Fleuve Cendre to rest with Aether laying on the bed while Paimon floated around in the room absentmindedly. A couple of minutes passed before she slowly came to a stop and asked. “Hey Aether, don’t you think it’s about time we leave? I know you’re worried but we already told them that we’d be coming soon.”
Aether sighed, a worried look appearing on his face. “I know Paimon, but still…”
“Yeah, I know, but it’s been two weeks since then, Aether. We can’t just stay and wait here forever. Besides, it’s not like she’s gonna be all by herself.” Paimon insisted.
Aether became silent for a moment before sighing once more and said “I guess you’re right Paimon. I shouldn’t worry too much. Come on Paimon, let’s start packing up then we can leave tomorrow.”
“Yes sir!” Paimon exclaimed cheerfully as the pair started packing. However, there was still a part of Aether that wondered whether this was the right choice. After all,
‘She still hasn’t left her house once yet…’
The image of the tired girl filled his mind as they were packing their belongings and heading out to say their goodbyes and farewells. Her only words after she’d heard about everything concerning the truth of the prophecy from him and Neuvillette was just a simple “I see.” Before she asked that they leave her be for now. Sighing deeply, Aether came to a stop before the door, right behind Paimon.
“What’s wrong Aether?” Paimon asked.
After a moment of thought, Aether decided. “Wait a moment Paimon.” As he went back to grab a pen and started writing, as he so often did the past few days.
“I should do at least this much.”
(A certain someone’s room)
‘Ahh… How many days has it been now?’ Thought the apathetic girl currently laying on her bed. She who was once known as the Hydro Archon had now been lazing around in her home since the Fontaine’s prophecy crisis was averted. As the former archon gazed at the room around her, she could see the messy state of her room, with the rest of her new home undoubtedly in the same state, largely owing to the fact that she hadn’t bothered to clean up after herself ever since she had been moved here. Though it wasn’t entirely her fault, after all, this was the first time in over five hundred years that she didn’t have any servants or caretakers to help her.
But even so, to have her room in such a state for almost two weeks would have undoubtedly forced someone to intervene and help her but unfortunately, she was in no mood for any sort of interactions. She got up from her bed and started walking to her living room. As she walked in, she spotted the many gifts, presents and messages left on the table from the many people she knew, from the many pastries and desserts from Navia and the Spina di Rosula, tea from Clorinde and Wriothesley, flowers from Lyney, Lynette and Freminet, and letters from many of the nation’s populace including Neuvillette, Charlotte and Chevreuse. Even with all these gifts though, the one that had contributed the largest pile belonged to a certain blond-haired swordsman.
On the topic of the Traveler though… On one hand, he was the one that had spearheaded the trial that had exposed her as the false Archon. And while she wasn’t so selfish as to hold it against them, it was still an experience she wasn’t keen to revisit.
‘On the other hand though…’ She contemplated as she gazed at a blue letter she’d placed on a shelf separate from all the other ones.
She took a seat and sighed as she gazed at the pile before her as she did many times before. She knew they all meant no ill will toward her despite her masquerading as the archon, but the rest of the populace were not so ready to forgive and forget. This was the first time in as long as she could remember that she didn’t need to keep up an act. The downside to that, however, was that she had no idea what to do. Her act as an archon had been all she knew and now, she had nothing left. The streets of Fontaine felt suffocating and oppressive to her now. Buildings she’d long remembered and architecture she’d gotten tired of hundreds of years ago. Plays and trials that all blended with the rest as soon as she heard the first word and people whose names and faces melded with their ancestors left her with no lingering attachment to the nation.
What should she do? How should she act? How should she move forward with her life now? These questions had been ringing in her head ever since the crisis had been inverted with no answer to them in sight. As she once again pondered these questions, she spotted a blue letter she hadn’t seen before and got up to read it.
‘Aether again huh? Didn’t he already send a letter? What could he want to tell me this time?’ Furina read the letter absentmindedly as she had done so many others. However, unlike the previous letters, this one was different. She stared at that letter for a long time, even after she finished reading, like she was contemplating a major decision. After a long while, she finally stood up and walked resolutely to her room, as if she had finally made her choice.
‘This might not give me the answers I need. But still… I have to do something, anything. And most of all…’
The thought trailed off as she looked back to the lone letter sitting on her shelf before smiling softly and running back. As if she could somehow see a golden glow lighting her way to the end of the path.
(Fleuve Cendre)
“That was fun wasn’t it Aether?” Paimon asked happily as the two were walking back to their room.
“Yeah, it was nice of Navia to throw us a party. How she manages to get these things ready so quickly, I’ll never know.” Aether said.
Upon hearing that Aether and Paimon were leaving Fontaine, Navia had immediately arranged a farewell party for them. She had spared no expense in this endeavor and managed to get the finest and most delicious that Fontain’s cuisine had to offer. “Nothing less for my partner of course!” She said when they asked her how she’d done all this on such short notice. She was also able to invite the rest of the friends they’d made here like Charlotte, Clorinde and the House of the Hearth siblings, even the busy and reclusive Neuvillette managing to show up for a brief moment to wish them well. Needless to say, they all enjoyed themselves tremendously at the party lasting long into the night with Traveler, Paimon and Navia being the last ones to leave. After one last farewell from Navia, the pair made their way back to their room to turn in for the night. As the they were walking back, they spotted an unexpected guest waiting
“What!? What’re you-?!” Aether exclaimed as he spotted the sight of the girl he hadn’t seen since the disaster.
“WHA!? IT’S YOU!” Paimon pointed and shouted at their unexpected guest, just as shocked as Aether was. Upon seeing their reactions, the late-night guest’s already grumpy face somehow became even grumpier and more annoyed.
“What’s with those faces? I know it’s been two weeks but are you really that surprised to see this me? Do you know how long I’ve been waiting here? Jeez, I can’t believe I had to sit here while you two were having fun at some party.” Said Furina, who had been standing outside their door front for quite a while apparently and was now crossing her arms, clearly very unhappy at this moment.
“Uh, didn’t Navia also send an invi- Ah!” Paimon was about to ask before she was cut short by a sharp look from Furina.
“That’s beside the point. Hey, I heard you were leaving Fontaine right?”
“Uh, yeah?” He spoke out hesitantly. Wondering why in the world the former Archon would choose today of all days to leave her house to here.
She held out the blue letter he wrote for her.
“That’s perfect then. Take me with you.”