A/N: Yes I love Musashi. Yes I cried like a baby playing through Shimousa three weeks ago as of this writing. Yes, i'm going to write many fics. Please enjoy this fic. There aren't enough fem!Ritsuka and Musashi fics, so I'm gonna feed them to you guys. I also want to apologize that this is much shorter than 'Just In Time', there's been a gap; about half a year... between writing this and that. Regardless, I hope you, reader, enjoy this.
Another cold day in Chaldea. Everyone went through their business as usual, both Heroic Spirit and Chaldean workers alike. Some servants were hanging out, others helping, or training with other servants. Mash was coming out of the Command Room with a sleeping Fou in her arms. However...
One event had broken the normal flow of everything.
"Excuse me! Pardon! I need to get to the Summoning Room, please clear a path!" A soft redhead, visible from even the turning point of the hall, was running at an absurdly fast speed. Holding two boxes with sharp and glowing crystals, she was yelling for people to get out of the way.
"S-Senpai!? Why are you running? You still have time, it's not like the summon ends in minutes... Ah... she's gone already." The little kouhai sighed with a smile. She follows, going from a speed walk to a slow jog. Mash's fellow companion, Fou, jumps out of her arms and follows his beloved owner.
All the servants stopped what they were doing, and watched the pair zoom through the halls. Many murmurs swept across, some laughing, and others sighing. Even so, they all wished her luck, as the Master had been waiting for a chance to summon a specific Saber for a short time that felt eternal...
Ritsuka Fujimaru, or just Ritsuka, had been saving for a while. After the events of Shimousa, her thoughts were full, thinking only of the beautiful girl who'd barely obtained 'nothingness'.
Her light, pink hair, appearing like silk. Fair skin, and blue eyes, like the coast of a crystal clear ocean, with streaks of red... like autumn leaves. Another thing about her ー Ritsuka didn't like to think about it so much, as it made her extremely flushed ー was the maiden's toned body. Oh! How warm, soft, and strong those legs must be... How strong and firm her arms look...
Ritsuka absolutely wished to trace her fingers on the swordswoman's back. She even wished to put her hands where she normally shouldn't, but those were different thoughts for a different time.
Of course, she couldn't forget about the personality. Carefree like the wind, and caring. Even if she doubted herself, Ritsuka would stop her and convince her the opposite. She would do anything ー and she meant anything AND everything ー for the maiden.
The redhead, Chaldea's Master, was head over heels, smitten, and even infatuated with the legendary Musashi Miyamoto. Even if she was from an alternate timeline, love knew no bounds...
...But her destination did. She didn't realize it, but she'd ran two doors past the Summoning Room. Thankfully, Mash had caught up to her, grabbed her senpai's shoulder, and turned her around.
"Senpai, you passed it. It's over there." Mash spoke coolly, as if Ritsuka wasn't in a crazed frenzy.
"O-Oh... Thanks. Sorry, I spaced out. I'll get going then! Wish me luck! But get the tissues ready. For whatever reason, just bring them." Ritsuka meekly told Mash, her confidence waning, but she still held on.
Slowly placing the two boxes holding the Saint Quartz down near the door, she enters the room. The Chaldean Master's heart beats rapidly. Grabbing three of them for a test throw, she bites her lip. Heavy thoughts filled her mind.
'What if she decided to never come back, and only lied to me?' A quiet step towards the dimly glowing summoning circle.
'We vowed to be there for each other.. But what if it changed over time?' Another step, her confidence quailing slowly.
'... Isn't rolling on the first day bad luck?' A small chuckle, and another step. In the end, she loudly walks over, almost in time with the beat of her heart.
As Ritsuka stands before the circle, she begins to chant the summoning spell.
"My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and abide by this will and reason, then answer me." Her hand glows a deep crimson red, burning fiercely. A brief pause, her thoughts coming in fast.
'Please, please answer me.. Please…!'
She continues, "I hereby swear. I embody all that is good in the world. I shall defeat all that is evil in the world.", her voice wavering slightly. Pausing briefly, but then she shakes her head and thoughts out.
"Seventh Heaven clad in the three words of power! Come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!"
Throwing the first three pieces of Quartz, the circle begins to spin even faster. Producing a single ring of light, it expands, then contracts. It explodes into a ball of light containing something small. After it slowly faded, the only thing that remained was… a Craft Essence. It was a picture of a boy, maybe just a bit older than Ritsuka. He looked as average as a normal boy, and yet… He had a look of kindness, and a warmth. His smile was welcoming. He also had yakisoba bread floating just above his open hand. Reading the description, she felt sympathetic.
"Huh… that's a weird one from this summon. I'll take it." She smiles a bit as she walks out to give the card to her kouhai.
"Oh, maybe this is a good sign, senpai! I think you'll get lucky this time around." Giving a smile, Mash holds onto the card, and looks at it. She flushes a bit.
'He's… Maybe I should ask the servants if they know of him.' She thought to herself, gazing at the card.
Walking back into the Summoning Room, the light red haired girl took a deep breath, and carefully pulled out 30 Quartz. After taking them into her arms, she gingerly walks over to the circle. Throwing them, chanting, and watching the summons go, a nervous Ritsuka mutters to herself, "You said you'd part the heavens and earth for me, right? Please keep that promise.. Don't let your words change just because time has passed and I haven't called for you since then."
Nothing but copies and extra Prisms. She sighs and goes for the next batch.
"I shouldn't despair, I've saved and grinded plenty. She'll come to me. I have to believe her." Hastily grabbing another 30, she begins throwing them, chanting the same summoning spell
Again, nothing special. Frustration began to build up, but Ritsuka stuffed it down.
"It's fine. It'll be ok." She reassures herself, and continues.
A gold spark. Three white rings of light. It's a Saber. The Master holds her breath, waiting, hoping that Musashi does hear her calls. Against her own better judgement, she leans closer to the circle, hoping that the face she'd see would be the one she was hoping for.
That hope was crushed in an instant. It was Yagyu. She didn't hold any cold intent, as he was different from the one in Shimousa. Even so, she felt her heart drop, and tears were forming in her eyes.
"Welcome to Chaldea! I'm sure… you'll do well here. F-Follow me." She walks out with him, and gives a look to Mash. Her kouhai understood what Ritsuka was thinking.
"Follow me, I'll lead you to your room. Okita's here as well! So you won't be too lonely. Many servants here are very kind…" Her voice trails off, and the redhead walks back into the Summoning Room. Tears were becoming harder to hold back.
She only had two whole roles, and three smaller roles. There were fragments as well, but she wasn't sure if they'd be enough for her to come home.
Embarrassingly enough, she gives a small, quiet sob. Ritsuka debates whether or not she wanted to continue rolling, or save her stash for the next day. Through her tears, she grabs three for a small role, and proceeds to throw them. Then she throws another three.
Both only gave Essences. She already had them.
Slowly setting herself on the ground, her hands cover her face and she begins to sob quietly. The Master's sobbing turns into ugly crying, and Mash comes to her side slowly, as to not scare her senpai too much.
"Senpai… you still have plenty of time. Let's go back before you blow the rest of your savings, ok? We'll continue whenever you feel ready." The kouhai reassured Ritsuka, in hopes that she'd stop crying. She continues, "Actually, let's eat dinner together, and go to sleep. You'll definitely feel better… hopefully." The last bit was to comfort herself. It'd certainly become more concerning if her Master wasn't able to recuperate after just one day and only four or five roles done out of whatever was left.
"Yeah, you're right, Mash. Let's go have some food. That's always a good remedy for a bad day!" Sniffling and rubbing her eyes a bit too hard, the red head walked with a bit more strength and lifted her face. She looks over to Mash and tells her, "Thanks, I really needed that." Giving a big smile, her puffy eyes and reddened cheeks were appearing more obvious outside of the dim room.
After dinner and a good talk with some servants, the Chaldean Master heads back to her room, drunk on food and feeling lighter. As she enters her room, she strips down into just her undershirt and underwear, and goes under her covers. Once Ritsuka closes her tired eyes, the Master slowly drifts off into a deep sleep.
She dreams of a swordswoman. A maiden with light pink, silky hair. Clear sea blue eyes, with wisps of red, like autumn leaves.
And a smile, more joyous, and carefree, like the wind.
A/N: I'M SORRY I KNOW MY LAST FIC ALSO HAD A BITTERSWEET ENDING BUT PLEASE BEAR WITH ME, YEAH? I'm not going to do anything tragic, I pwomise qwq… anyway I don't want to leave you all hanging, so I'm going to throw out chapter two very very very very very soooooon! Like now!