Chapter Text
Hey everyone!
I apologize for having been so silent and off many of my readers' radars for a while, but... well, remember by previous update? Despite that I said things were OK at the time I posted it, grief only truly hit me after that. Too much was going on, so I decided that I needed to really, REALLY, step away from things for a while. In fact, truth be told? I'm still not completely fine. There's still a sense of hollowness I'm probably going to feel for a while. Lucky for me, I've had some good friends to help lift me back up after everything that happened, so it seemed like this was a good time to give all of you an update.
To everyone who helped me back then?
Once again, I'd like to thank all of you.
Getting to what's happened since? The first place to start would be that the versions for a few of my stories that were on FFN have been removed. This was something that I had already been considering for a while now, but only recently decided to actually do. The main reason for this is the fact most of the people I knew on there aren't really active as much... if at all, with most of them now here as well. I'll still be on FFN, though mainly for following any stories only on there.
Next is, like I've mentioned before, I intend to start using pictures in my stories, though... there's a slight problem there. I've seen a few stories have dealt with broken image links due to where the images originated from. As such, if anyone knows of any sites that can be used for image sources that don't tend to break often, if even at all, then please let me know as I'd like to have multiple options prepared.
Also, in case some of you may ask about my stance on AI art, my answer to that is I only intend to use it to show how a character may look in my stories, and that's only if I can't find a proper reference to use in its place first. I have no drawing skills beyond making basic shapes or things made from combining them like gemstones, so this is the only way I can really "draw" such characters, and I'd need the generated result to actually match. Overall, I consider it as a last resort.
Lastly... this story.
Story Specific Info:
You might recall me saying this in the preview update that Natlan's story might get a full rewrite, and now that we've actually got the full story for the region out? I'm changing that to more of a half rewrite as while there's a lot of it I can actually use? The reveal of Ronova has 100% confirmed that this is where my story will diverge from canon, since without giving away too much, I've already decided on what the Shades of my story's divine names would be and they act very differently than Ronova does.
The story also implies entering Snezhnaya is going to be difficult because Fatui would attack us immediately? My story's adaptation of the Snezhnaya arc will have Lumine able to enter with no such issues. The most I can say is that the lack of a fight with Capitano is at least partly related to it, as some of what we learned about him has changed what my plans for the Tsaritsa are, but I can't really share why.
Mavuika is still going to be different in my story, though I'll at least keep her non-God name as such and only change Haborym into Phenex as I planned since there's nothing anyone can do to prevent me from using that when she's got so many Phenex motifs already! (laughs) The reason for this is my outline was made when we thought the Pyro Archon was like the other Archons, which is that they were as much a God as the other six, and that's all I can say.
Similarly, for anything/anyone that's not confirmed yet has strong implications or theories behind it/them such as the 2nd and 3rd Descenders, Sandrone, Columbina, and etc.? I'll be going with the ideas that I've deemed will work best in the narrative I've set. If new information like what's been shown in the Moon web event hinting Nod-Krai comes into play and it can be fit in, then it will, but how much is the question since for Nod-Krai reveals, this at most will only set how I fully write the Snezhnaya arc which is likely going to have a lot of original content.
I also will be updating the first chapter's contents, though this is more of a cleanup to make sure nothing contradicts any newer ideas and shouldn't affect anything too much. Though, if It does, I'll make sure to address what was in Chapter 2 since that's where you'll start to really see the Butterfly Effect take root beyond the story's original concept that I can only say didn't have as many differences from canon, especially from anything following Inazuma.
Besides that, the story itself will eventually give you the overall answers to everything.
Last Section:
With how long its been, plus how I don't want to just give you all an update and nothing else with it? I'm going to forgo what I said last time about a preview scene and give you all one more as a gift for being so patient and as proper thanks to everyone who helped and supported me last August.
HOWEVER...
I should warn all of you that this one is going to be slightly different, as I tried to avoid/minimize spoilers in those previous preview scenes, but this time? Not so much. The context and such will still be fairly vague and not reveal much, but it will essentially reveal a puzzle piece to the overall tale, so depending on if you're going to make a comment or not you'll either wanna skip to the bottom or click your backspace button if you don't wanna see it.
Furina starting to panic, seeing the faces of the crowd starting to turn on her and left powerless to stop it.
"I believe the time for argument and presentation has come to an end." Neuvilette said, professional as ever.
With those words, Furina's eyes started tearing up.
"If there are no more objections, we will move onto-'
"HOLD IT!"
Everyone heard the doors swing up, getting everyone's attention as they turned around to Lumine and Paimon were revealed at the now door door, with even Arlecchino looking at them with a look of surprise. Furina suddenly felt her tears freeze in their cascade down her face as she saw the duo.
"Sorry, but I have an objection to all of this Harbinger's claims about Furina!" Lumine declared.
And with that proclamation, the entire courtroom suddenly let out a collective gasp before murmuring between everyone started to occur.
"She... she objects!?"
"That's crazy! How can anyone object to the evidence we've seen?"
"I wonder if she even knows what's been revealed up until now?"
Lumine smirked at those last words.
"Not to worry, Lyney and Lynette were kind enough to inform me of everything that the Knave would be talking about a day before the trial began." She replied.
Arlecchino's eyes briefly widened at that, glancing to the two in the crowd.
"Apologies father, but... Lumine told us after she defended us in our trial that if we wanted to earn back her trust? We needed to prove it." Lynette explained.
"Truth be told? I... no, we still believe in Lady Furina's innocence!" Lyney confessed.
More murmurs started to follow the crowd, right as Lumine looked at Neuvilette.
"Your honor, if I've heard everything correctly from Lyney and Lynette... than am I to presume correctly that Furina has no one to defend her? Regardless of the legitimacy of her godhood, is it not the law of Fontaine that all defendants have an attorney, or is the law so whimsy one can ignore it at their discretion?" She questioned.
"No, you are correct in that all defendants may have an attorney. The real issue at hand is if anyone would defend Furina in such a position, considering the charges the Knave has made against her." Nevuilette answered.
"Then we will defend her." Lumine declared, turning to face the Prosector's stand.
She and Paimon both pointed their fingers towards the Knave with confident smiles.
"Because we're going to disprove every one of her claims!"
Silence completely filled the courtroom at such a bold statement with even Arlecchino's eyes briefly widening at such a claim being made. Not just because she said it, but the unyielding certainty in her eyes.
"You claim that you can refute everything that I've said until now? I hope you realize that's not a claim you can take lightly, especially given the evidence I've presented up until now." Arlecchino warned.
"Regardless of what's been said, Furina is my friend and she's sobbing because of everything she's had to sacrifice these past 500 years. I'm not letting your accusations ruin all of that." Lumine replied.
At that moment, the Oratrice suddenly tilted in Furina's favor, but only so slightly.
"The Oratrice just... but how? She hasn't even started defending Furina as of yet!"
While the odds still weren't in Furina's favor? Doubt had slowly started to creep into a few members of the audience from this, if only due to Lumine and Arlecchino's positions.
"It seems that I am in no position to make a final judgment at this time. Lumine, as Iudex, I hereby approve you as the defense for Lady Furina in this trial." Neuvilette declared.
'Furina, hang on a little longer... I'm going to save you!' Lumine vowed.