WARNING: This story contains mature elements such as manipulation, Non-Con, humiliation.

Chapter 17: Tree's Asleep

Underworld, Pathway out of Agna Village—21st September, Year 380 in the Time of the Realm of Humanity

Silence. Nothing but total silence, save for the rattling of the wagon's wheels and the horse's constant neighing and clicking of his heels against the gravel. The twigs and leaves that get crushed beneath the horse's hooves add to the noise, though it barely does much.

Medina had volunteered to man the driver's seat while the other two girls had seated themselves in the back of the wagon, though with a small opening at the front to allow conversation between the three—then again, not much has been much said before this, mind focused on the path and the image of the Central Cathedral on their minds.

For Medina, it wasn't so strange, considering that she travels a lot and has been here quite a few times. For Emi—Edith, it's a journey filled with the unknown, and she was all the more excited for it. And for Lipia, well, even with the protection of these two girls, she was still technically entering enemy territory, and that made her anxious on the inside.

Such a sombre moment, she thinks to herself, that they were willingly going to their leaders and potentially inserting themselves into an upcoming war, if Lipia's words were to be believed.

.Actually, ignore the silence part, because…

"Trum-dee-dum, we're having fun! Going on a journey~! With both my friends, and sword in hand, we're ready for adventure! Through the woods… Uhh… I don't know what to add next."

"Ah, a shame. Your song was quite enthralling."

"Seriously?"

Of all the things that could be said about the trip that they were on—that it was quiet, peaceful, almost a little boring but a little bumpy—that's what Lipia has to say? And compliment, no less?

"Well, sorry if you don't like it! I'm just bored!" With an almost childish whine, the girl crosses her arms and lets out a cute little huff. "You know that I like to sing when I get bored."

"We just departed, you know," sighed the redhead with a shake of her head, knowing that Edith was quick to get bored out of everyone else.

"Indeed, though there might just be some things for us to do on the way to our destination," Lipia's words incited hope in the younger girl, while it only got the redhead to facepalm lightly. "Though I can only hope that we won't be facing too much trouble."

Everyone could agree on that.

Seriously, this journey needs to be quick and easy. Getting attacked by wild beasts may not prove too difficult of an obstacle to handle, though it would be annoying if they constantly got stopped on the road because of some mobs.

And if that does happen, Medina is going to blame Edith.

Nonetheless, everyone were quiet for an extensive amount of time before the redhead broke the silence with a sigh. "Alright, I'm not going to pretend that it's not a big deal anymore. Emiya, dear, since you're clearly bored but also in the mood to talk, mind explaining to us what's going on?"

Because she was not the kind of person who liked not knowing something for too long, especially something that was literally a secret that's been withheld from her her entire life! And it's to do with the girl who's been her younger-sister-figure all her life!

"Huh? Oh, right. Stuff," she sounded way too casual for this! What's going on here? "Well… how do I put this… yeah, I think this trip'll do it. It's a long story. You girls don't mind?"

"Well, the two of you have been patient with me back then, so it's the least I could do to lend my ears this time," nodded Lipia.

"And I still need to know what the bloody hell is going on right now," followed up Medina with a tone that left no more room for argument. "We've still got a long way's ahead, so go for it."

Smiling back, the silverette took some time to pick apart her thoughts and properly put her words into form before speaking. "So, the thing is… alright, I guess I'll start things off from the start. My dad's from another kingdom. He was supposedly a blacksmith, from what I remembered my mom told me. My mom, on the other hand, was a swordswoman who retired after having us. Both she and dad married some years back, and had two children."

"Two children? We didn't know you had a sibling," spoke Lipia.

"Yeah, about that… well, I'm actually the first child. My sister's younger than me, and she's… hold up, where's the map?" At her question, the redhead pried a scroll of the map from her knapsack and handed it over to the silverette. "Thanks. Hang on…"

She spreads the parchment onto the floor of the wagon—it's a detailed drawing of the entirety of the Human Realm, beginning from Centoria in the very middle, then with the four empires to each respective directions drawn as well. Since this is Medina's map and she had travelled everywhere, she had marked on the map countless places that she's visited.

Agna Village was, more or less, in the direct centre in Eastabarieth. Her gaze moved a little up, almost entering Norlangarth territory…

"Here," she says, tapping the part on the map gently. "Before we go to Centoria, can we go here first? Juvān Village."

"The village next to that really large river? Sure. We could probably reach there before nightfall," responded the redhead. "But what's so important there?"

"Mm, no reason," even if she says that, there's an underlying sense of happiness that neither the other two women can properly understand. "Now let's get to it!"

Underworld, Forest Path—21st September, Year 380 in the Time of the Realm of Humanity

The trip hadn't been exactly difficult, what with the lack of beasts and the relative calmness of their entire situation. Even so, Medina had underestimated their destination's distance, so they would have to stop to camp for the night.

Lipia and Emi—Edith (she really needs to stop doing that) jumped out of the wagon, the youngest girl there stretching her arms above her head while letting out a tired yawn, while the Dark Knight had started scouting the area, all her years of training clearly showing in her posture and attentiveness.

The redhead hummed in amusement before getting off from the front. "Hey, girls, our swords are in the wagon, right?"

"Indeed. I made sure that they were properly sheathed and stored well," nodded the dark-skinned woman as she continued examining their surroundings. They were in a small clearing that was well guarded by bushes and overgrowth, providing ample cover. "Would you like me to go bring them?"

"No need. I won't be totally confident about our safety, but we should be okay in the meantime," shook her head the other girl. "Anyways, let's get things started. E…Edith. Can you start the fire?"

The girl nodded back and was about to leave before she turned her gaze back on her sister. "You know, if you're not used to calling me Edith, then you can just call me Emiya. It's not a problem."

"I'll do just that then, Emiya," sighed the redhead. She's known this girl as Emiya her whole life, and to suddenly have to call her something else was not something she was all too ready for just yet. Maybe in the future, once she's ready to call her by her true name. "Lipia, I'm going to grab our rations. You just rest up in the meantime."

"I… would appreciate that, thank you," she nodded, taking a seat on the ground with a sigh.

Nodding back, the redhead retreated to the inside of the wagon and started grabbing everything that they needed; a loaf of bread, some pieces of meat that she asked from Edith's mother, and their canteens of water.

When she returned to the outside, small sparks of orange were quickly drowned out by the flickering flame that danced quietly on a pile of sticks, courtesy of Edith, who sat close to the fire with her hands held out towards it to warm herself.

Right. It was really cold here, especially at night. This was the reason why all of them had packed some scarves and thick clothes, and she's glad she had the right mind to bring them along.

The Human Realm was pretty chilly everywhere you went, and even if things got hotter, anyone could expect a heavy downpour or at least the occasional cool breeze to greet them. The only real odd-one-out was the Southacroith Empire, since the empire mostly consisted of deserts. Medina was really hoping that she'd never have to go back there.

She could only remember just how awful it had been the first time she came there. Those dreadful nights were not going to be missed.

Her mind might have just started dredging up even stressful memories before she noticed Lipia approaching the fire, trying to gain some heat as she lets out a soft sigh.

Medina hummed, seating herself with the two girls at the fire and preparing everything. She pierced the meat pieces with some extra sticks and allowed them to cook at the fire. Tearing off some large chunks of bread, she passed some to the other two girls, who started eating silently.

The night was cold, and nary a sound could be heard save for the quiet wind that blew, shifting trees and leaves. Perhaps the bell-like hooting of the owl made for some extra background noise, but other than that… well, they appreciated the tranquillity of the situation.

Although, maybe Edith singing isn't so bad of an idea…

Lipia was the first to break that silence, however, having finished her bread before clasping both hands. "Edith, Medina… since we are meant to visit another village after this, would it be fine if I were to simply remain in the wagon?"

"If you're sure about that. They probably won't try to inspect the wagon too, so there's that," even then, Medina couldn't really be certain, as the knights guarding the villages have carried out inspection on anyone that enter their territory—this was mandatory to ensure that nothing illegal or dangerous were brought into the village until they were granted permission. "Don't worry about it. I can probably convince them. I've been there before."

That has Edith on attention, her eyes shifting towards the redhead.

In turn, she nodded. "I was there for business. Someone needed my help in handling some wild wolves. The pay was okay, and the river's super pretty. Other than that, it's like any other village out there."

"Whoa… And I'll be visiting the village again," hummed the girl before shaking her head.

Her choice of phrasing has the other two women perking up, staring at their youngest companion with curiosity in their gazes.

"Again? That begs the question, Edith. What is so important of that village that we must first go there before we leave for Centoria?" Asked the Dark Knight, Medina subconsciously nodding in agreement.

"It's nothing really important, but I just want to show the both of you something," she replies, closing her eyes. Memories flash through her mind, but they're quick to return to the darkness. "And I need to pay a visit to someone… Someone I hadn't exactly visited in a long time. I hadn't the chance before this since the territories outside of the village are dangerous, but with you gals with me, I definitely can go!"

Medina cocked a brow in return, her need to know growing stronger. "Ehh? Well, if you say so."

Still… she noticed how her sister;s tone was softer than usual, more so than anything else. Was that happiness in her voice? Or something else entirely? She couldn't find it in herself to continue pressing her for answers, so she allowed it to simply stop there.

She grabs the sticks, their meat already cooked to medium rare and handed the other girls.

"Alright, eat up."

"You got it—Fhhwaa..! H-Hot..!"

"Edith! Be careful."

The surrounding trees are bathed in a warm, orange light from the fire, with large shadows cast upon them due to the girls' bodies obstructing the light. The flowers a few feet away bend slightly from the wind, and stand upright once more.

Underworld, Forest Path—22nd September, Year 380 in the Time of the Realm of Humanity

"Whoo..! That was a good rest! Good morning, Medina, Lipia!"

"Uurgh… Emiya, dear, how are you so energetic so early in the morning..?"

"Haha. Good morning to you too, Edith."

The silverette grinned back at the positive response she got, pointedly ignoring that comment from her sister figure before looking back up.

The canopy of leaves had opened up around them, providing a clear view of the bright blue sky, light raining down upon them like it would upon the main actors on a stage. The weather looked fine, and there hadn't been any problems last night, so they might just reach Juvān Village soon enough.

The fire had run itself ragged throughout the night, the stack of wood black and smoking lightly. Sleeping under the stars was nice—better than she thought! She would have worried that she wouldn't feel comfortable without a bed, but thankfully, that hadn't been the case at all.

"Let's get moving, girls. The quicker we get to the village, the quicker we can get the job done, and the quicker we can move onto—"

"…Wait, Medina. Stop."

Immediately after Lipia's warning, the redhead went silent. Edith raised a brow, wondering what was going on but quickly noticing the cautious look on the Dark Knight's face. With that sort of expression, and given her capability as a fighter…

Bushes to their east started rattling, causing their heads to shoot in that direction. Medina narrowed her eyes and, as quietly as she could, climbed into the back of the wagon to retrieve their weapons.

Edith backed away from the source of the noise, grabbing her Dark Slash Sword from her best friend and unsheathing her blade, holding it in front of her in one hand. Lipia, too, drew forth her iron blade while Medina brandished the sword of her family.

The hostility and wariness slipped into the air, and soon enough, snarling could be heard, mixed in with the sounds of rustling and soft footsteps.

"Wolves…" Muttered Medina with a small click of her tongue. "Let's hope there aren't too many. Lipia, you're our vanguard. Stay close behind us. Edith, I'll give you all the openings you'll need, so get ready."

"Understood."

"You got it."

Grey fur, narrowed amber eyes, saliva-coated fangs—they moved forwards in slow steps before rushing altogether.

"There are four of them!" Quickly shouted the Dark Knight.

"Hmph..!" Her body moved on its own as she charged forwards, easily sidestepping a wolf that had lunged for her before cleaving it straight across its stomach, spilling its blood onto the ground and ending it in one clean stroke.

Another beast hadn't taken its comrade's death well and proceeded to rush towards her with its fangs bared. The redhead, far too used to these sort of fights already, swiped her sword forwards—

*Clash..!*

"Kh..!" All that snarling was sending spit onto her face, and she didn't take kindly to that. "Hah!"

Putting strength into her arms, she managed to knock the wolf a good ways back—

"Edith!"

"Coming!"

The silverette rushed forwards, unleashing a clean «Cyclone» that cuts through the wolf's neck. She managed to spin herself once more to evade getting clawed at by another wolf, and Medina brings her sword up.

"Don't get cocky!" She shouted, sword gleaming a bright orange before it's swung done, a powerful «Avalanche» that mercilessly cuts it down in the middle, reducing its «Life» to zero and sending both parts of its body everywhere.

A final wolf, one hidden in a nearby bush, attempts a suicidal attack as it charges forwards—

"Hrah!" But Lipia moves even quicker, unleashing a swift «Slant» that splits its head from the rest of its body, quickly killing the beast. She flicks her blade, letting the blood dye the grounds crimson as she eyed the area. "Are the both of you injured?"

"Nah, we're fine…" Shook her head Edith. "Gotta' say, that wasn't too bad."

"No kidding. There weren't so many wolves, so I guess we got lucky in this one," nodded the redhead, barely a pant leaving her lips as she looked around. Someone's probably going to start freaking out if they see all this blood and dead bodies. "…Let's bury them. It's the least thing we could do."

Some time passes, and the three girls now stand before four separate graves. Well, their burial sites couldn't exactly be called graves, though the clear upheaval of soil could be clearly seen. Lipia nodded her head before turning for the wagon.

Edith and Medina knew that burying these wolves weren't necessary, but it was a tradition—no, simply a teaching that they grew up with since they were little. Edith's mother would constantly say how important it is, the burying of what has passed, be it friend or foe, human or creature.

Their bodies are returned to Terraria, and their blood soaked into the earth, becoming nourishment for the soil. From there, new life is grown, and the cycle of life continues once more.

It's a beautiful and ugly thing—a part of life.

"You two are very kind," says Lipia, climbing the wagon. The other two girls settle into their positions a moment later. "Do all humans carry out such a practice?"

"Mm, not sure about that. But Emiya's mom always taught us both to bury things once they're dead, even if we killed them and whatnot," answers Medina. "Not sure why, but I suppose it's a sign of respect. Hope you didn't mind."

"No, of course not. It was incredibly kind, what you did for them," smiled the woman. "I would wish for my people to pick up on that sort of practice… It's gentle, and we learn to appreciate life for how it is."

After all, life is incredibly fragile. So kind and so cruel—she understood just how hard life is. After all, back in the Dark Forces, there are those of whom have become slaves to the rich, and many children end up homeless. So… she had hoped that Lord Vector would have done something to rectify that.

And she was proven wrong on the very first day that he showed up. To discover that he wasn't planning on improving the life of his people, but simply to seek out war with the humans… it saddened her greatly.

'No, enough of that,' she shook her head, dispelling all her pessimistic thoughts. 'We can change that. We simply need to reach Centoria, and perhaps the Human Realm's rulers would know what to do.'

That was the only thing that she could hope for now. And she, too, would contribute as much as she could to make sure that the war never comes.

And if it does, well… she could only hope that it'll end well.

Underworld, Juvān Village—23rd September, Year 380 in the Time of the Realm of Humanity

Again, clearly underestimated the distance.

The maps did an incredible job at making it seem as if two places were not very far from each other, but in truth, this was simply made small to fit the entirety of the Human Realm. So really, she shouldn't have been very hopeful.

Now, here they were, still on their way to their destination.

The night prior, things hadn't exactly been too calm either. Plant monsters, more wolves, and the occasional bat-like spawns (Medina wasn't sure what they were, but they were strangely resistant to physical weapons, but weak to «Sacred Arts»).

And so, that was how it had been for the three of them. Just casual chatter to fill the gap and constant sightseeing on Lipia's end to amaze herself with, much to the two human girls' amusements—after all, given how dreary things had been back home, it must be such a drastic change to suddenly be seeing greens, blues and a myriad of other colours that she hadn't seen back home.

Obviously, the trip itself wouldn't be complete without some singing on Edith's part.

"And we march across the land! Singing songs and holding hands! New day to live, more love to give! Every, every day~!" She was more or less coming up with all of this from the back of her head, and the other two women could only wonder what she was trying to mean with any of this.

Her songs either held some deep meaning or meant nothing at all. Medina's going to wait and see just which one is true in the end.

"Your songs are lovely, Edith. Have you always been singing when you were little?" Making herself a little comfortable, Lipia settled her iron sword on her lap, looking at her companion with a lithe smile.

In comparison to her, the other girl made a pretty energetic nod. "Yup! Like I said, whenever I get bored, I tend to sing to myself just so that I have something to do."

"And she does it a lot," rolled her eyes their driver, having heard enough throughout her life with the girl. "Well, at least it's singing, and not something worse."

"H-Hey! Don't give me that!"

"Sure, sure."

She could do so much worse, so the fact that she chose singing is a blessing.

"Anyways, all of that aside, Lipia. You mentioned some stuff about your homeland. So your trees don't have green leaves?" She asks, keeping her eyes on the road before them.

"No. Rather, our trees have adapted to the constant darkness, and the leaves are purple, black, grey… it's not ugly, by any means, and it is home… though I would have never thought that green is such a wonderful colour," sighed the Dark Knight before smiling. "I wonder if our soil would be capable of growing your plants here. It would be lovely if so."

"Ooh, but purple leaves, though? That sounds so pretty!" Cheerfully giggled Edith, clapping her hands together. "I'd want a small potted plant with purple leaves! It would look so cute in my room!"

"Haha, I suppose it would," chuckled the woman in amusement.

"Is it really dark over there?" Asked the redhead once more. "I mean, your home has Dark in its name, so… ya' know."

"In a way, yes. After all, our lands don't receive as much light of Solus as yours does," nodded the woman in turn. "So during the day, it would be more akin to dusk here, orange and red skies. However, we have long adjusted to the darkness; as fitting of its residents, really, so the lack of light does not affect us much."

The two girls nodded at that, understanding that it's a good thing; it would be a bad thing if they couldn't see around them and kept knocking themselves into walls and street lights.

That would suck…

"Oh!" Everyone perked up at Medina's voice, in a higher octave. "We've arrived!"

At once, the two girls hiding in the wagon peeked out through the cloth, and could see a large arch of stone and wood, possibly carved by a professional carver. Lipia gasps quietly, silently marvelling at the sight of beautiful buildings scattered throughout the lands.

Medina hummed. To her right, there was a large river that flowed from the top of the mountain—several buildings were situated around the base of the mountain, which is to the northeast section of the village. The people here utilize the river as a source of fish and to water their crops. The entirety of the village was guarded with tall brick walls, and the houses and such were built from strong wood that are supposedly fire resistant to a certain degree, which makes it all the more impressive.

Just before they got through the arch, a guard came by and Medina pulled the reins, causing the horse to stop moving.

"Greetings, sir. Medina Orthinanos. I'm a mercenary from Agna Village, came here to restock on stuff," explains herself the redhead before pointing a thumb to her back. "Inside, I've some stuff and two companions of mine."

She supposed that telling him that she wasn't alone would at least make her less suspicious, though she secretly worried that he wanted to see their faces. The guard, however, was lenient enough to simply stare at her quietly and just look at the wagon before nodding his head, unknowing of the small sigh she released.

"Very well. Welcome to Juvān Village, miss. I advise you not to do anything that may warrant action, and do not be afraid to ask anyone here if you require any form of assistance," he bowed as he spoke, a professional tone that certainly intimidated her more than it felt welcoming.

Medina settled for simply nodding. She proceeded to snap the reins, causing the horse to move forwards.

They moved over to a massive fruit tree somewhere to the right of the village, settling on that location to leave the wagon. Edith climbed out of the wagon before Lipia followed suit, a ragged brown cloak with a hood to mask her identity.

"Thanks for your hard work, buddy," spoke the redhead, feeding the horse an apple and patting him on the head. "Wait for us here, yeah?"

The horse offered her a simple neigh in response and she smiled back. With that, she joined her two companions, taking notice of how Edith was looking around—that wouldn't have been too odd, though with the strange sense of familiarity that shone in her eyes, it was certainly something that begged explanation.

She was quiet. That much told her that something was going on, but… well, she did say that she was going to tell them what's what. And if she was going to do so, then she'll do it at her own pace.

"So, where shall we be headed to, Edith?" Asked Lipia, tilting her head. "You said that you had to visit someone. Is it a friend?"

"…Something like that," she muttered back before smiling. "We'll have to climb the mountains, though. Both of you up for that?"

The red-haired woman rolled her eyes. "Emiya, I really want to know what's going on. Of course I won't press you for details, but if climbing some dumb mountain means we'll get the answers we want so much, then it's hardly a price to pay for… well, anything, really. Let's get to it!"

The three nodded together and set their sights on the towering structure of earth…

From a distance, the village's starring attractions that are its mountain and river made for a breathtaking sight, even earning themselves the name of Mount Illia and Orioka River respectively. The river's surface gleamed like countless stars in the night sky, and the mountains were tall enough to pierce the heavens, the peak of it wrapped in a veil of clouds.

While it would have been difficult to ascend it, there was at least a path paved for them to use since there were some trees that grew in the upper regions and that produced fruit which were supposedly famed for their incredibly potency in restorative items.

Curiously, Medina noted as they passed several villagers here, barrels of the fruit were being shifted into wagons, supposedly to be transported to Centoria. Apparently, they became popular a few weeks (or months, she wasn't sure about the exact time) ago.

Nonetheless, the three girls had suited up for the ascent, making sure to properly gear up with all the necessary equipment needed for the dangerous trek. After all, the wind that blew was pretty strong, and none of them were excited on dying from a high fall.

Lipia shuddered, a chilly breeze that blew past her causing her muscles to contract. She clutched her cloak tighter to herself, though noticing how her two companions were doing pretty well.

'It makes sense. They have lived their whole lives in Agna, and it is cold there,' she thought to herself. "Is it far, Edith?"

"Not really, we'll get there soon enough!" Shouted the girl in response, leading the way to wherever they were heading to, though none of them had a shred of idea as to what their destination was.

She said they were going to visit someone, so does that mean that someone had built their home up here in the mountains? While that wouldn't be so farfetched, they hadn't seen a single building up here when they were entering the village, nor had they encountered any form of buildings on their way up this mountain.

Still, this hardly mattered much to her. After all, being up here with her two friends and getting to see more of this beautiful empire was… well, she appreciated it. And once the war started, she doubted she'd have much time for sightseeing as all of their focus will be solely on the fight.

Medina paused for a bit, and she followed suit. Edith at the front looked over to her left, right at a tree that grew from the edge of a cliff. There were soft green berries growing from its branches, and that told them enough that these were the fruits that the village was famous for producing.

Beyond it, a stretch of mountains and forests. Below them, the countless homes of the villagers. And by the Goddesses, were they high up.

"It's a Li'er tree," spoke Medina. "The fruits are used to make vulneraries and tonics. So, what are we here for, Emi—Emiya?"

Edith had moved forwards, not saying anything else to the other two girls as she slowly got down on both knees, kneeling directly in front of the tree. Medina and Lipia exchanged glances before they sat on either side of their young friend, remaining quiet.

The young girl had her eyes closed, the wind blowing her ponytail to the side. Had her chest not been moving, a clear indication that she was indeed breathing, anyone could have mistaken her for some sort of statue. An incredibly realistic statue, that is.

She was quiet, and her voice came out, incredibly soft that her words were almost lost to the wind. "Emiya, my little sister… I'm finally here…"

The two women's eyes went wide. Emiya? Her sister?

Ah, right. She mentioned her parents having two children, and how she was the first child.

So Emiya was… Emiya's her sister's name? And she's buried beneath this tree?

"Sorry that I took too long… Wished I could have come here a little quicker, but I wasn't exactly in the proper position or timing to do so," she sighed, her eyes shining with a soft glimmer, her mouth curved in a smile. "But I'm here now, right? And, I'm not alone. I came here with two friends. This is Medina. She's kinda' like my sister, and my best friend. And this is Lipia. She's from the Dark Forces. Isn't that crazy?"

Both the redhead and the bluenette stared down at the tree's base before nodding softly.

"It's… a pleasure to meet you."

"I as well, Emiya."

Edith smiled, then turned her attention back to the ground. "Emiya Aegir… That's my sister's name. Younger than me by just a year. She loved to play more than anything else in the world, really. Honestly, I can't forget just how many times she'd ask me to stop with church work or whatever just because she wanted me to play with her. But…"

Someone would have asked her what was wrong, but neither of them wanted to push her, opting to remain quiet.

"But, she was born with a defect, and that shortened her lifespan, so she didn't have much time. None of us knew that…" And her breath comes out in a little sigh. "Until that day came."

She sounded sorrowful, grieving. But still, she managed to keep herself from shedding tears, almost as if she was long past that.

"We were just playing, you know? Me and Emiya, playing right here in this very spot… when she suddenly started coughing blood. I got really scared, so I quickly ran back down. My family and I lived down here for a time, actually," that was a surprise. Medina certainly didn't know this. "Anyways, my dad wasn't home at the time, so it was just me and mom. The both of us got up here as fast as we could, but by then…"

An unmoving hand.

A blood-stained chest.

A single smile.

"She was already gone. So we buried her here, and planted a small tree so that we could keep on remembering her," Edith gently brushed her palm across the tree bark, closing her eyes. "I can still feel it… She's still here, beneath this tree."

"I see… We are sorry for your loss, but Emiya must be happy now. She knows that her sister is alive and well, and that alone should make her the happiest girl in her life," Lipia could offer only measly words, in her opinion, but they were enough to elicit a wider smile from the other girl.

The redhead rubbed her best friend on the back, staring at the base of the tree.

So Emiya is her younger sister… Well, she supposed all that she had now for the dead girl was gratitude—for what, she couldn't entirely be sure of. But she knew that she was thankful to the girl beneath the tree.

'I promise you that I'll do my best to take care of Edith in your stead, Emiya,' that was an oath to herself, and she certainly won't break that promise. "Edith… why did you have to borrow your sister's name? That is… if you don't mind telling."

The girl was quiet for a moment, but she was able to muster the strength to speak after a while, though with a certain shakiness to her voice.

"I actually have a really high affinity with «Sacred Arts». I remember casting one, and it was really powerful. I think they checked my blood, or something. Emiya, though, couldn't cast any, so there's that," her shrugging shouldn't have been that casual, but they supposed it wasn't the worst thing that she could do. "Because of that, a lot of things happened. Dad wanted to make me a knight, but my mom didn't want to. So, they had a falling out."

She still remembers it now. The arguing, the fighting, the crying, the screaming—her hiding in her room and shutting her eyes, screwing them closed and fighting back the tears.

The memories of her sister—smiling, laughing, rolling around in the grass with her…

Dying on the cliffside, bleeding, reaching out but still smiling.

"That was before Emiya died. So when she did pass away, my mom had an idea. She twisted the story, switched things around; Edith died, and Emiya lives. She then told me to temporarily borrow my sister's name to protect myself, because I think some of my dad's old acquaintances wanted to take me away. And because his daughter with the high affinity passed away, dad gave up, and they broke off," she finished that off with a tired sigh, resting her forehead against the tree bark.

For a girl to grow up in that sort of situation… Medina didn't want people to sympathise her. Even though her parents dumped her when she was small, she never let that get to her because she then got to meet Edith, and that was the best thing in her life.

But right now… to know that her best friend's familial situation was even worse back then… At the very least, she was disconnected from her parents, so she felt nothing for them. But Edith must have clearly loved her parents, so to watch them bickering…

For Edith, that wasn't an experience neither she nor her mother were proud of having gone through in their past, but she understood that it was important. After all, it meant your own life, and even now, Edith could only be grateful to her dead sister for having, indirectly, saved her life.

"Truly? That's awful…" The revelation of her friend's past was a shocker, and any average person couldn't have begun to make a guess anywhere close to this. "Edith, I'm…"

"Don't worry about it, Lipia. My dad's not even nice, so it's fine," she says, pulling her head away and grinning at the other two women. "Besides! Now, I finally meet my sister again, and I got to introduce her to the both of you! And we're even going on a crazy adventure to save the world! I think that's the greatest thing that could have ever happened to the both of us."

Her attention returned to the tree that has grown right where her sister is buried.

In a symbolic way, this is her sister… A beautiful, strong tree that bears fruit that could heal people.

"Now, I'll carry on for the both of us. My memories of her shall remain with me, and I'll keep going forwards. All I can do now is just fight for the both of us, and do what I can to protect this world that we love."

"Edith…"

The other two women were quiet, staring at her—this convicted young girl, who keeps smiling for her sister and doesn't let the past break her—before smiling warmly at her, then pulling each other together. Pull each other into a warm hug, and the girl in the middle closes her eyes with a small sigh, grateful and stronger than ever.

It was going to be a long journey, but… that's okay.

Her sister's spirit is with her, and so are her two friends. Things will definitely be alright. All that they had to look forwards to was their future, together.

A gentle breeze blows, and the girl beneath the tree is happier than ever.

Author's Notes:

I was debating on whether or not I should stretch this out into two chapters, but I also kinda' want to get back on track with the present. So, I'll say it out right; I'm sorry if this feels a little rushed.

I gotta' say, though, I'm just glad that Edith in the game does not go through this, though she is mentioned to have a younger sister before getting turned into an Integrity Knight (;_;). That's why she loves hanging out with Alice a lot, even treating her like a little sister.

Nonetheless, our three girls will show up once more in the next chapter. The War of Underworld is starting the next month, in November. So, I suppose there's only one thing that I have to say.

Go play Sword Art Online: Alicization Rising Steel. It's such a wonderful game with its take on turn-based strategy fighting, and I love that sort of genre (why do you think Fire Emblem is my most favourite game series?). It's a gacha game, for sure, so it's gonna' get frustrating real quick, but it's still awesome! And Edith is there, so bonus!

That's enough for now. Thanks for reading and have a good day / night. Whoooooosh..!