A few days later
A girl with blue and white hair, resembling a small jellyfish slowly opened her eyes and groggily got up from the ground.
"How long have I been asleep for..." Furina rubbed her eyes. Her mind was an entire mess. She can only vaguely remember things.
Furina looked ahead. There was a mirror in front of her, so she walked toward it.
Focalors appeared in the mirror.
"Furina... Furina..." Focalors called out to her in a gentle tone.
"Huh? Who's that? Who's calling me? Where are you?" Furina was startled as her voice trembled slightly.
"Be not nervous. Be not afraid. I am before you." Focalors comforted her.
"W-W-Wait a moment! You're… mirror-me? How can this be?" Furina asked.
"Hmmm… mirror you, huh? You know what? That's not bad. Let's go with that."
"Mirror me… Wh-What do you wish to say?"
"The prophecy… Have you heard of it?"
Of course, Furina knew about it.
"The people will all be dissolved into the waters, and only the Hydro Archon will remain, weeping on her throne. Only then will the sins of the people of Fontaine be washed away." Although she didn't know where it came from and why she can only remember this. It was deeply engraved in Furina's mind.
"What's… going on? I can't seem to remember… anything clearly. The only thing I know for sure is this prophecy… Will it really come to pass?" This was the question Furina wanted answered most right now.
"Yes, it will, and this is why I've come to you. Disaster will come to Fontaine sooner or later. Things will develop just as the prophecy declared – there is no escaping it."
She went on to tell Furina that there was still a chance to save everyone, however it will come at the cost of her suffering.
Hearing this news, Furina finally relaxed. She didn't dwell too much on the suffering she would have to endure. Just hearing the news that she can help save all of Fontaine was what made her accept Focalors' proposal.
"Idiot... What an utter idiot... Are you really going to accept a choice like this without thinking!?" An unknown voice rang out within Furina's Inner Space.
This voice originated from another soul within Furina's body. Her clothes and appearance were extremely similar to Furina's, but her eyes were red instead of blue. She wore a Silver-White Crown on her head and a dark red leg band was tied around her left thigh. A bright red crystal adorned her waist. Her hair, however, was almost identical to Furina's—the toothpaste-like hair was a shade of red with white.
[T/L: I'm not the best at describing clothing but just think of Rina basically Furina but red. Anything Furina has that's blue is instead red.]
Rina frowned as she wanted to appear angry at Furina's actions. But she didn't say anything further as she quietly listened to the conversation between the two.
"Listen well. Fontaine has just lost its Hydro Archon. I need you to play a role – that of the new Archon."
"Play as… a god?"
"That's right. You must begin a never-ending masquerade. You must never let anyone suspect your identity… If you can keep it up, then I shall have my way of defying this prophecy… But should your identity be revealed, then all hope will be lost."
"But... How will I do this? A human assuming the role of a god without being exposed…"
"You idiot... you have me, you know? My strength is not weak at all. As for fooling those humans... Once power is displayed, everyone will believe you." This was Rina's silent answer.
"Don't worry. What you must do is not turn yourself into a real god. You simply need to play the role of a god as humans imagine them to be. Being a human yourself, I'm sure you already know what such an entity would be like." This was Focalors' answer.
She also added. "In order to accomplish this mission, you will have to stay on the stage for many, many years. You will endure and not grow old until your task ends. But I promise you… all will eventually end in a magnificent and dramatic trail, and everyone will be saved."
"Keep going, my Furina. In one day, someone from Fontaine will come to pick you up." After saying this, she disappeared from the mirror.
On the other side of the mirror, Focalors, who had just finished talking with Furina, looked distressed. She gave a bitter smile. "It'll be far more than just some suffering... Loneliness will be the greatest enemy of your heart. If only someone could accompany you through this long time…"
She shook her head. It was time for her to fulfill her own responsibility. She transformed into a pillar of water and rushed straight towards the city, merging herself into the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale. Her home for the next five hundred years.
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Returning to Furina's perspective.
The person in the mirror was gone. Was Furina the only one left there...?
"Ah, that woman finally left." Rina, who had been watching the conversation between the two for a long time finally spoke up.
Furina was startled, her voice trembling and she panicked, saying, "Who are you...? Where are you...? Did you just hear our conversation?"
Furina was extremely scared as cold sweat was pouring out. She was afraid that their conversation had been overheard, causing her mission to fail before it even began.
"Don't be nervous, don't be afraid. Close your eyes and feel carefully. I'm right here in your heart." Rina's somewhat seductive voice drifted over, startling Furina, who shivered. However, she obediently closed her eyes as she focused her attention and quickly located a small room within her inner heart.
The room wasn't large. Inside, there was a long sofa clearly divided into two halves, one pure blue and the other pure red; two comfortable armchairs, matching the sofa's colors and an ordinary wooden desk with a pen and some letter paper on it. This was the inner space of the two twins.
Furina entered the space as her mouth slightly dropped. "This... T-This is my inner space?" After a brief moment of surprise, she slowly approached Rina as her eyes sometimes darted away and sometimes firm. Was she wary, afraid, or both?
"Finally entered after so long have you? You've kept me waiting for such a long time..." Rina's tone seemed to carry some resentment and perhaps a touch of jealousy.
Looking at Rina, whose appearance was extremely similar, perhaps even identical, to her own, Furina was utterly shocked: "A-Another me..?"
After a moment of slight surprise, Furina calmed down and slowly said, "I... I don't know why we look similar but did you hear the conversation I just had with Mirror Me?" Fontaine was at stake here and she didn't want her mission to have already ended so fast. Since she didn't have any sort of powers, she felt even more nervous and timid.
"Of course... I heard all of it! Fontaine is going to be destroyed because of you!" Rina wanted to tease Furina. Half of what she said was the trueth while the rest was a lie, she had indeed listened to the entire conversation between Furina and Focalors.
"It's over." Furina's vision went dark and her voice immediately dropped, as she started to slowly break down crying. "What will happen to the people of Fontaine..."
Seeing Furina's reaction, Rina also grew slightly anxious and stopped teasing her.
"Alright, alright, you idiot. You don't look like the Hydro Archon at all when you cry." Rina slowly walked toward Furina: "I am the other you living inside of you. We were originally one person. If you know this secret, doesn't that mean I know it too? In a sense, we're basically the same person."
"R-Really?" Furina seemed to calm down somewhat. "But, I still can't trust you right now. Nevertheless, I must continue playing the role of the Hydro Archon. Only this is Fontaine's sole hope now."
"Fine, if you don't trust me, then don't. Just continue playing your stupid Hydro Archon role!" Rina turned her head as she puffed her cheek out.
But in her heart, it was a different scene. "Furina... We could share this secret and play the role of the Hydro Archon together. You can come to me for help. You have your responsibility and I have mine. Saving Fontaine isn't just your mission..."
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Background Information from the Original Author:
Rina knows quite a bit of information. Both Furina and Rina share the same body. Normally, Furina controls the body but Rina can take control when Furina is willing. Although Rina can forcefully seize control of the body, she generally won't as she respects Furina.
Rina's strength is roughly between the Adeptus and Archon level.
[T/L: This is 500 years before the canon timeline. Her powers will grow over time, so she won't exactly be this overpowered person but she still has her strength.]