A/N: Hello, hello my lovelies! I'm back with another Fates one-shot that is sure to have you grinning from ear-to-ear! This time around, we're taking a look at everyone's favorite Hoshidan archer, Setsuna, who was requested by a OrangeBeanGamer in a review for Nobody Special. If you are reading this, please enjoy! I seriously made this as a gift for you since you seem to be enjoying these so far. The thing is, I just can't get enough of the story potential in the Fates universe! The game really embodies the phrase 'no two playthroughs are alike' and that's what I love most of all. Anyways, for this story, we'll explore a bit of humor (okay, a lot of humor), some drama, and a bit of romance on the side. The OC for this story is once again, someone I made in the span of five minutes. Please enjoy yourselves!
"So...tell me again how you got down there?" I ask, gripping the rope tightly as I try to keep my footing.
"Well, I saw this boar outside of camp and decided that it would taste good for dinner tonight. It ran really fast as soon as I started following it. It jumped really high and that's when I fell into this pit trap. Do you see it anywhere?"
"Setsuna, aren't you even a little bit worried about getting out of there?"
I lightly shake the rope to remind her of her escape route again.
"Hmm...no, not really. It's kind of comfy in here. Did you tell Lady Hinoka that I got caught in a trap again?" Setsuna asks me with her usual dull tone.
"That's kind of the reason I'm here, Setsuna." I shift my weight backwards as I feel her start climbing the rope.
"Okay, let's go find that boar together then." She absently tells me, clearly forgetting something in the pit.
"...Sigh..."
"Hm? What? Did I pull too hard?"
I point back a very important item in mind that catches Setsuna's attention as well.
"Oh, a bow. Did an enemy fall into this trap too?"
"Setsuna...that's your bow. You know, the one Lady Hinoka gave you?" I sarcastically add.
"Not that you mention it, it does look a lot like the one I use. I guess I'll take it with me."
"Sometimes I wonder how you are so strong in battle when you're like...this."
"Thanks for the compliment, Keiichi." She smiles up at me, instantly forgetting her bow once again.
I often find myself wondering as to why Lady Hinoka assigned me to be Setsuna's top lieutenant. Despite serving with her since Lord Corrin was kidnapped, I still can't get used to her aloofness. I can admire her calm and grace in battle, but once she's on her own time, it's like that brilliant archer never existed in the first place. The nearly-permanent scowl on my face now is partly due to her personality as well.
"Keiichi...hello?" Setsuna inquires, waving a hand in my face.
"Wha? Um, huh?"
"Were you thinking about me? That's very sweet of you but you need to be more discreet about it."
"...Whatever. Wait here for a bit."
I tie the end of the rope to a nearby tree and leave it there as I step closer to the edge of the pit trap. I take a deep breath and hop down into the trap. It's not a high fall, but one would definitely need a rope to get out without considerable skill. I pay it no mind as I shift my attention to Setsuna's bow which was almost forgotten at least three times since I found its owner.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm around, I'll make sure your master takes good care of you. It's the least I can do for you keeping her safe all the time." I whisper lovingly to the weapon, examining its condition.
"Keiichi, are you talking to a girl down there?" Setsuna's voice echoes from above.
"Yes, in a way." I reply, strapping the bow to my back.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked if I knew she was dead..."
"Setsuna...you were the only one in this trap when I found you."
"Oh yeah, that's right." She says aloud, directed more to herself than to me.
I sigh again, rubbing my temples at how ridiculous this conversation is suddenly becoming. I don't know what's more pitiful: my long service to Setsuna or the fact that I can perfectly communicate with her. Without really thinking about anything else, I nimbly leap from wall to wall in the pit until I leap out of the trap completely.
"Wow...that was cool, Keiichi." Setsuna cheers while giving me a small applause.
"That kind of thing is basic for a ninja like me. You've seen me do it at the castle dozens of times. You even asked me to do it when we first started serving Lady Hinoka."
"Lady Hinoka...I need to thank her for letting a ninja like you be my friend for so long."
I would hand the bow to Setsuna, but think better of it and strap it onto her back instead. She turns to look at me once I'm done and smiles happily.
"Thanks, Keiichi. I'm glad that you are so nice to me."
It would feel like a sincere compliment from her, if she didn't start patting my head. Though the sensation of her hand against my silver hair feels nice, my dignity cannot afford to suffer like this.
"H-Hey! Don't pat my head! I'm not a dog, you know!" I protest with embarrassment.
"Aww...how's this then?" Setsuna keeps smiling with warmth.
"Don't start rubbing my head now! That just makes it worse!" I shout again, stepping away from her instantly.
The moment I slip away from Setsuna, she closes her eyes and looks to be in (unlikely) deep thought. I don't even want to guess what she's trying to figure out, so I untie the rope from the tree and start coiling it back up for later use. I don't really bother her whenever she's like this, mostly to preserve my own sense of calm. Still, the way she stays silent and relaxed like that makes it easier to believe that there's more to her than the clueless daydreamer that I usually deal with. Right as I begin motioning to disappear, Setsuna grabs my arm and turns me towards her. I don't even bother reacting as I find head pressed against her chest in the next moment. Thoughts of complete shock and massive cringing are the first things that come to mind, but I put all my efforts into staying as calm as possible while speaking to her.
"Setsuna...what are you doing?" I ask slowly, feeling some heat rushing to my cheeks.
-Pat- -Pat- -Rub- -Rub-
"I'm hugging you. Am I doing it wrong?" She finally answers, curiously looking down at me.
"...Not exactly. I just want to know why you're doing it." I mumble, shifting my head ever so slightly.
"Well...you wanted me to do this." Setsuna simply responds.
"When have I ever asked you to hold me like this!?"
"You've always asked me to do this before..."
Before...
I start thinking about when I asked her to do this, but it just can't come to me. Recent times are not far enough, so I start looking into my childhood, when I first starting serving Lady Hinoka as a mere servant.
As a child, I often find myself running aimlessly around the Hoshidan royal palace to catch a glimpse of Setsuna. Usually she is training in the practice field, so that's where I go first. She sees me just as she knocks back an arrow and lowers her bow only after scoring a perfect hit on a difficult target.
"Hey Keiichi. It's good to see you again." She called to me just after firing off another arrow into the far-off target.
"Setsuna! That was an awesome shot! How did do that?" I cheer with excitement.
"Huh? I don't know. I guess it's just natural for me."
"Either way, you're really cool, Setsuna!"
"Thanks for the compliment, Keiichi. I'm really happy with you around."
-Hug-
In an instant, the feeling of kind warmth envelopes my face as Setsuna holds me close in a caring embrace. I do nothing but smile at the feeling, content with being so close to the girl I admire. My closest friend, my rival for Lady Hinoka's approval, my role model...Setsuna is such a large part of my world. I feel like a commoner like myself could do anything with her by my side. And so, I started to ask her and make my promise to her.
"Setsuna, if I can be as cool as you one day, will you hold me like this again?" I whisper.
"Sure, Keiichi. I would like that a lot."
"Hey you two, it's time to get back to work!" Lady Hinoka's voice breaks into our conversation as I push away from Setsuna and go to meet with Lady Hinoka. I take one look back at Setsuna, but it seems that she has gone back to her training, leaving me to deal with a rather irritated Lady Hinoka to drag me around for the rest of the day.
"Keiichi! Keep up! We need to be training right now and I don't want to waste any more time than this!"
"Lady Hinoka..." I start with all the seriousness I can muster.
"Hm? What is it?"
"I want to become a ninja."
I half-smile at the memories, mostly because of how much they've changed my life. Who would've guessed that the excitable little kid hanging around Lady Hinoka would turn into such a skilled ninja over the course of a few years? I suppose it all paid off now that I was able to keep my promise with Setsuna. Except, it doesn't feel right to me; almost like it's too easy to earn this from her. My pride as a ninja flares up as I remember all of the embarrassing moments that easily outweigh the fond times that we had as children.
"Setsuna, holding me like this was fine when we were kids, but things are different now!"
"Really? I thought you liked it when I do this for you."
"You're not wrong, there. It's just that...doesn't this feel awkward to you?"
"No. It actually feels really nice." She tells me, gradually tightening her hold.
"...Hahaha."
"Keiichi?"
"Hahaha, sorry if that came out of nowhere. It's just that I don't know what to think of you anymore. You're still the same aloof archer that I've grown to admire as a child. The way you're fully honest about everything you do, how you can only think about the simple things in life, the graceful calm that you have whenever you fire off one of your arrows...you haven't changed at all. You irritate me like no one else can, so much that sometimes I wonder why I've put up with you for all these years. And yet, why do I feel a need to stay near you, no matter what?"
"Oh...you are in love with me, that's why." Setsuna simply states.
"Heh, yeah. I suppose so. You really are too much for me, Setsuna. I've done a bit of daydreaming too, you know? I dreamed about what would happen if I ever asked you to be with me, but I guess that's too bold for someone like-"
"Why didn't you ask me sooner?"
Setsuna's voice sounds different now, almost...anxious.
"Setsuna?" I look up at her, trying to figure out her meaning.
"I've loved you for a long time too. I wanted to ask you as well, but I didn't want to rush you."
"...Thanks. I'm happy that you waited so long for me."
"I'm so glad, Keiichi. Let's go back and tell Lady Hinoka the good-"
-Whoosh-
Somehow, as we start walking, we fail to notice the obvious pitfall that appears in front of us.
"Aaaaahhhhh!" I yell as I fall into the trap with Setsuna.
Even though we've accepted each other's faults, it's going to take me a while to get used to all the traps that Setsuna falls into.
A/N: Well, that was anti-climactic. But you've gotta admit that it was a fitting ending for the story. Anyways, I'm sorry it took so long to get this story finished. Setsuna's personality was just really hard for me to figure out, so I needed a few days to think about how I could best play out the scene. Neat little side note: the OC's frustration for her is a direct expression of how I really feel writing about her. No, I'm not a huge fan of hers, but I can recognize her charms. So, that's more or less it for this story, unless I come up with something better. If you all have something to suggest to me, by all means do so. I'm also open to talk about my work at any time, so please don't hesitate about messaging me. I'm not usually doing much in my free time, so I don't really get bothered at all. That said, this has been Drake Kanto bringing you yet another quick read!