Fate/Alternate Moonlight
Chapter 4 – Rider, Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and Assassin, the Monstrous Doctor:
Within the smoke, Odion spotted the silhouette of the Servant he had just summoned.
"Are you my Master?"
After clearing his throat, Odion answered Rider. "Yes."
"Acknowledged."
Odion approached the Servant and stared in disbelief.
The Catalyst he had obtained was the saddle of the horse of a samurai general named 'Minamoto no Yoshitsune'. But in front of him stood a short, probably teenage girl with bright blue eyes and long dark hair. And on top of that, most of her body was exposed, with sleeves, pieces of cloth, panties, and a strange piece of clothing covering her breasts.
The boy blinked twice, making the girl raise an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"
"You… Umm, excuse me, you're Minamoto no Yoshitsune?"
"Ah, yes. That's the name I had later in life. But as of now, in this age, I was known as Ushiwakamaru. Servants are summoned in their prime, so, do not worry about my appearance."
"Well, that's all fine and good, but… I didn't know you were a girl."
"Hm?" The soft-spoken girl appeared confused. "What do you mean? Didn't you select this Catalyst with the intentions of summoning me?"
"Well, yes, but…" Odion chuckled dryly. The mood became awkward...
Ushiwakamaru was curled up in a corner, an aura of depression surrounding her.
"My legend was passed down in history as if I were a man… But… I'm a girl…"
Odion didn't really know how to react. Though, he did want to comfort her. "D-Don't worry. It's not a big deal, is it?"
Rider turned her head, just enough to spot her Master by the corner of her eye, and hurled a saddened soft glare. "If you had achieved the status of a Legendary Hero but your gender was misinterpreted, how would you feel?"
"Eh? Well… I suppose…" Odion couldn't really say he wouldn't mind.
"Either way!" Ushiwakamaru rolled back and stood up with a hop, turning back to her Master with a spin of the heel. "Rider Class Servant, Ushiwakamaru. Pleasure to meet you, Master. I'll serve you as a samurai with my whole heart." She bowed forward, leaving Odion a bit taken aback by the sudden shift in her mood, but he bowed as well.
"I-I say the same. My name is Odion. I'm a Mage from the Atlas Association. My wish for the Grail is to impede the destruction of the world in the near future."
"Ah, a humble wish. It's nice to see kind-hearted people still exist." With a smile, she showed confidence. "Since you've shared your wish with me, it is only natural for me to share mine. I've already decided what I want to wish from the Holy Grail... To be happy with my brother... It would make Ushiwakamaru truly happy." She closed her eyes as if reminiscing in pleasant nostalgia.
Odion quickly nodded, smiling as well. While he had hoped for a tall, mighty samurai to appear and show great prowess for intimidation, the young samurai girl appeared to be a good option too.
"Let's get along."
"Yes. Ushi would like that very much."
Though he did find it weird how she sometimes referred to herself in the third person.
The mist from the ritual cleared soon enough and Melody found the man standing at the centre of the summoning circle.
A fancily dressed man in a white dress shirt, an olive-green vest, and a black and grey jacket draped across his shoulders. In addition, he wore a black and white handkerchief with a red jewel around his neck, and leather gloves over his hands.
His blond hair and green eyes showed his origins as a man who had lived in Britain.
"Are you my Master?"
After a cough, she nodded while answering. "Yes."
"Very well." With a soft smile, he presented himself after noticing the Catalyst. "Assassin Class Servant. Ready to serve in this War."
"Ah. Thank you. I'm ready to play a part as your Master." Melody wanted to make sure she had summoned the correct Servant. "You are…?"
"Ah. My name's Henry Jekyll. Edward Hyde's... Someone else." The man appeared to be disturbed regarding something. And Melody could tell what it was.
The Servant she had just summoned was the famed Doctor Henry Jekyll, the main character of the book 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. And probably what he was suppressing was the other personality, Edward Hyde.
"I thought he couldn't manifest without…"
"It's fine, though sometimes he yells far too loudly." Assassin composed himself and looked around. "Is this your base?"
"Yes. The Clocktower offered it to me for the duration of the war." The location was a large building, with furniture and necessities, such as food and functioning plumbing. It almost had a castle-like feel from its outwards appearance, despite being so close to the desert.
"Seems like a comfortable home." Assassin nodded. "Oh, I know this may sound inopportune, but by any chance, do you have a violin?"
"Eh? Umm…I think there's one around here, actually." Melody could swear she had seen one when inspecting the house. After a quick search, she returned, with the dusty instrument in hand. "Does this work?"
"Very much so." The man nodded, taking the musical instrument, starting by cleaning it and making sure everything was in order. "Ah, yes, Master?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Do you have a wish for the Holy Grail?"
"Ah. Umm…" Melody looked up in thought. "To be completely honest, I don't have anything specific. I guess doing it for the prestige would be good enough, but my wish can change depending on what happens, right?"
"I see. A nice approach to the situation." Jekyll finished tuning the violin and decided to try playing it. The sound was odd at first, probably form old age and lack of use, but soon enough, the instrument began to produce a wonderful sound, played by the famous doctor. Melody wasn't aware he was proficient in the musical arts.
"Assassin?"
"Yes, Master?"
"What's your wish for the Grail?"
He kept on playing the instrument, even if his face had shifted to visible discomfort.
"The Holy Grail… If I had that, I… 'I'…!"
The melody of the violin increased in speed.