A/N: Thanks to nd7878 for beta reading this chapter. Go read his works they are awesome.
On Village 23, not much had changed.
The grass remained green as ever and an acceptable climate, if a little warmer now. The presence of magical energy was weaker, and the stale smell was gone, replaced by the fresh outside air one would normally experience were this a normal timeline. The giants had calmed down as well, leaving the settlement alone and without making a sound.
It was peaceful, however, there seemed to be nobody present.
Shirou Emiya and Ritsuka Fujimaru walked toward the Shadow Border, parked just outside the wall.
Several of their companions were gathered around the lowered port side entrance ramp.
Goredolf, Holmes, Meuniere, Mash, Sitonai and Skadi were looking inside as if waiting for something.
Shirou was sure that something was Ophelia's condition. He was worried as well. He would feel terrible if she died, due to his attempt to save her.
"I hope she's alright," he commented. Ritsuka only hummed with annoyance.
He raised an eyebrow as they approached the group. "You don't like her?" Shirou asked.
Ritsuka shook her head. "It's not that, just… It's kind of hard to believe she'll turn a new leaf. Most Servants that've come around wanted to, in some way, save humanity or at least needed the world to keep spinning. Ophelia helped destroy it. I'm just not sure."
"I think she's different. Mash seems to believe so as well," he said with a smile. Ritsuka looked down with a frown.
"That she does," she crossed her arms. Just then, the group noticed their arrival.
"Senpai!" Mash said, running towards Ritsuka and grabbing hold of her hands. "Sorry I left you, it's just–"
"–It's alright, Mash. How is she?" Ritsuka said with a forced smile.
"Da Vinci is tending to her," Mash said.
"That she did, I can't believe that midget made me abandon my post to tend to some Crypter girl!" Goredolf complained loudly as he was wanton to do.
"She's not our enemy, Director," Mash said with narrowed eyes. At this, Ritsuka's eyes widened.
"Mash, you don't really–"
"–Let's just wait, Senpai," Mash said with a pleading look. Ritsuka huffed.
"Glad I'm not alone on this one," Goredolf smiled. His sights then turned to Shirou himself. "Are you alright, Emiya?" He asked casually.
Shirou was taken aback, but he didn't show his surprise beyond a raised an eyebrow, as did Holmes. "I'm alright, director. No need to be concerned with me."
"Nonsense! You are my employee and bodyguard, how do you think It will look if I don't have my eye on you? Furthermore, I still need your protection. So stop it with that nonsense!" The Director closed his eyes with annoyance, which reminded Shirou of Rin Tohsaka's insistence at his safety. His chest felt warm when he recalled that.
However, Sitonai didn't seem pleased.
"Okay, fat Mister, back off! No one treats my brother like a tool," she said with a frown. Goredolf became enraged, but said nothing else. Holmes seemed to find this amusing enough to join the conversation.
"How interesting. From what I observe–" As Holmes was about to finish, Da Vinci skipped out of the border with a frown. Shirou did as well. He prepared for the worst.
"How is she, Da Vinci?" Mash asked, running up to the little woman.
"Well," she said, cleaning her hands with a towel and putting on a pair of glasses with a serious expression. Then, she looked at Mash and smiled softly. "She's stable."
There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief from those present, even if it wasn't apparent at first glance.
"Thank goodness," Mash said.
"It was a challenge, even for a genius like me. But thanks to Skadi's healing magic," Da Vinci pointed at the queen, who nodded with a pleasant smile. "and Shirou's Noble phantasm severing her Mystic eye's connection without brute force, she was saved. Her magic circuits were strained beyond belief due to the Sirius light, however. And since her eye was the keystone to Surtr's summoning, it's severance means it no longer works, either as a normal or Mystic eye. She won't be able to see from it again. Her left arm is also a bust, at least until it heals normally."
"I could heal her with my runes further," she offered. However, Da Vinci shook her head.
"We don't want to risk Surtr coming back, if the connection happened to be repaired as a side effect. She'll just have to live like that. But since her eye was covered most of the time, I suppose it won't be a problem."
"What about the Paper Moon? Did you recover it?" Mash asked.
"Envoys brought it to us from Surtr's corpse. I've already installed it."
As Da Vinci finished her report, a figure excited the Shadow Border. It was Ophelia. Her hair was a little messy, her right eye was bandaged and her left arm was in a cast.
"Ophelia!" Mash said, running towards and supporting her. "You shouldn't be up!"
"It's alright, I just need to say something," she smiled brightly at Mash, nothing like the cold woman Shirou had met when he was brought to the castle.
"Make it quickly, my daughter. We must go back," Skadi said, tapping her wand against her palm. Ophelia looked at her with a pained expression.
"Forgive me Lady Skadi, but I cannot go with you," she said. Skadi's eyes opened wide. Ophelia then turned to the group of the Shadow Border. "I've… made a lot of mistakes. I didn't really see a future for myself, thus, I gave it away to Lord Wodime. But maybe it was wrong to do that, I see so much more now. And it's only thanks to Chaldea, it's heroic spirits and Masters that I have that chance. Especially… Napoleon," Ophelia frowned and looked at the floor.
"It was his insistence that we save you," Shirou commented. "He really went above and beyond."
"That he did," Ophelia beamed at him. He looked away with some embarrassment. "But you, and Mash, and… umm…" she seemed to fumble around, trying to remember the Last Master of Humanity's name. Ritsuka pouted, but eventually decided to help her out.
"...Ritsuka. Fujimaru Ritsuka," she said. Ophelia blushed a bit, but her smile remained.
"Right! Sorry, it's not like I forgot… I would never forget your name. Not anymore. You are our dear Junior, after all," she said. Ritsuka's frown lessened. "Anyway, It was my fault, in part, that you all ended up like this. So… I want to make amends, to fight for a better future for myself and Kirschtaria."
Mash seemed radiant, expectant. "Ophelia…"
"Thus," she continued. "While it may be selfish and callous of me, would you mind if I joined you in your path?"
The air seemed to grow still at that request. However, Shirou felt an intense relief.
It was Mash who reacted first, with elation.
"But of course! We'd be delighted to have you! You did save us after all!" Mash said, before looking around. Some nods of approval were had, except from Goredolf and Ritsuka.
"What are you saying?! Do you have ay idea what she's done? She, along with the other Crypters, are slaughterers and traitors. We can't allow that!" Goredolf said through his teeth. Ophelia looked down on the ground.
"Director!" Mash said with outrage.
"Sorry, Miss Kyrielight. But that is how things stand. I won't change my mind," Goredolf said.
"If I may interject," Holmes said, stepping in front of Goredolf. "While I don't doubt that Miss Phamrsolone's status and allegiance is still up for debate, we need all the help we can get. It's clear she does not want to remain on the Crypter's side. Thus, this would be an alliance with the enemy of my enemy, so to speak. Does that not make sense?"
Goredolf grit his teeth even harder, and Shirou even saw some red on his face. And while he pitied his position, he was not going to side with him on this one.
"Why don't we ask the others?" Holmes suggested with a smirk. Now Goredolf was in an even worse place.
"What do you say, Senpai?" Mash asked Ritsuka. The young woman looked at Mash, then back at Ophelia, then back at Mash again. Shirou had never seen her so unsure. She was very adamant about forgiving and forgetting, for they needed all allies they could get. But her animosity towards Ophelia seemed to be strong.
"Are you sure, Mash?" She asked after some time.
"Completely," Shirou rarely saw such determination from Mash outside of battle. He liked it.
"Very well," Ritsuka sighed. "I agree with Mash. Let's have her stay."
"Da Vinci?" Mash asked the little Servant.
"No complaints here!" Da Vinci did a little military salute with a wink. Mash then turned to Shirou.
"Emiya?" She asked him. He was taken aback by that.
"Me?" He asked, pointing to himself. "Why are you asking me?"
"Well… you are part of this crew, are you not?" Shirou scratched the back of his head with embarrassment.
"I mean– Ow!" he grabbed his side when Ritsuka elbowed him.
"Don't go around saying that! Just tell us your choice," she told him with a frown.
With a sigh, Shirou gave his answer. "Well, I see no reason why we shouldn't allow her to help. I vote she stays."
Ophelia smiled at him, brighter than ever before.
"F- Fine! Okay!" Goredolf said. "Once we're done here, you'll become our prisoner! We'll be watching you twenty four hours seven days a week, you got it!?" He pointed a finger in her face. Ophelia did not react to it.
"Of course. Thank you, new Director. You sure are not like the usual mages in the clocktower," she said. At that, Goredolf clucked his tongue with embarrassment.
"Fine then! Now tell us where that damned tree is."
"Right over there," Skadi said suddenly.
The group turned to her. She faced towards the horizon, were a pinkish tree that rose into the heavens was, it's bark cracked and showing small lights reminiscent of a galaxy.
"So you hid it this whole time," Holmes stated.
"Indeed," Skadi said, turning to them fully. Her face was back to being expressionless. "I can't say I understand your reasoning. You went through so much effort to save this world, and now that it has a chance to see a new horizon, you want to destroy it?"
Shirou had never imagined her voice in anything but a pleasant or neutral tone. But now, she sounded more spiteful than that Kadoc Crypter in the Russian Lostbelt.
"Sorry Skadi, but we don't have a choice," said Ritsuka, stepping in front of the group. "This world was pruned, and while it is unfair–"
"Unfair?! It is more than unfair! Do you know how much my world has suffered? How much we suffered to keep it like this?!" Skadi asked, outraged. Shirou could feel the mana in the air swirl. Her voice nearly reverberated. "What gives your world the right to exist?! Why should it be given a chance and not mine?!"
Nobody had an answer. Not Ritsuka, not Mash, not Shirou.
Ophelia spoke. "Lady Skadi, I'm sorry. I should never have… I'm sorry."
"I don't need your sympathy, child. After everything, you betray me like this. So much for your sense of responsibility."
With that said, the mana gathered around Skadi like a coat until she was completely covered in a rainbow glow. Then, it broke, and she was dressed in a different attire. Not only that, but the power she emanated was enough to cause Shirou some nausea.
"Ascension detected!" Da Vinci said, stepping up with a mechanical backpack on her back. "Goredolf! Meuniere! Go inside and tell the rest of the crew to remain safe!"
"R-Right," Whimpering slightly, Goredolf ran inside along with the few crew members that took a breather outside.
"Wait! What about the villagers?" Mash asked, readying her shield.
"I've already ushered them inside their homes," Skadi stated with a regretful frown.
"Mother…" Sitonai muttered, an equally regretful expression on her face. "… Please stand down."
"A queen bows to nobody. Now," once again, energy gathered around Skadi. This was it, their final fight.
Shirou instinctively stepped in front of Ophelia and Ritsuka and behind the Servants they had.
The tension in the air was palpable. Shirou began to think of what the first move of each combatant would be.
His thoughts were interrupted by a very familiar voice, whose existence he had been wilfully suppressing.
"Lady Skadi!" Ortlinde said, landing in the space between the two sides.
Thrud was not with her. That meant… she was gone. Shirou hadn't even been able to see her again.
Skadi lowered her raised wand and smiled.
"Ah Ortlinde… Perfect timing–"
"–Please let me fight at your side!" With that, Shirou's heart became encased in a vice-grip.
"Oh? But I haven't even given you a command," Said Skadi with some amusement.
"I don't need one. I know what it is I must do. I… have to protect this world so I can keep the memory of my sisters alive… or die trying," Ortlinde spoke with an iron will that Shirou knew too well. There was no budging from her.
"I see, very well," with that acceptance, Ortlinde adopted a combat stance and went to Skadi's side.
She eyed every member of the enemy team. Then, her eyes met with Shirou's.
"Ortlinde… please don't…" he pleaded, voice about to crack. For a second, Ortlinde's steel sight wavered, and regret washed on her face.
"If you don't want to fight me, then step away," she told him. Shirou frowned, his throat went dry. He could not abandon her, but… he also didn't want to kill her.
Indecision plagued his mind.
"Ortlinde," Ophelia said, stepping at Shirou's side. "Are you sure about this?"
The Valkyrie nodded.
Ophelia looked at Shirou, face strained.
He returned her look with a grimace of his own.
"Now then, people of Chaldea!" Skadi said as runes began to glow around her. Holmes, Da Vinci, Mash and Sitonai tensed. "I'll defend my world like you defend yours!"
Shirou looked at Ortlinde one last time.
He grit his teeth.
"Trace; On!"
He had seen many Servants battle in the 5th Holy Grail War. He was very aware of their powers.
The battle had been nothing extraordinary. Two women fighting for their survival against greater numbers.
Skadi was a goddess, but she fell all the same against Sitonai, Holmes, and Da Vinci.
Ortlinde fought Mash, Shirou and Ophelia. They were not able to kill her. He was not able to kill her. But she was defeated none the less.
So their battle ended, with Skadi facing the sky, and Ortlinde face down on the snow.
It was a sight that broke his heart.
He was tired. Everyone was tired. Sitonai had used everything she had to defeat Skadi, and now stood kneeled on the snow, breathing heavily as Ritsuka assisted her.
Ortlinde stirred, and with her remaining strength crawled towards Skadi.
"I don't understand," said Holmes. "You fought us with a quarter of your magical energy remaining, and through the battle continued to waste it preserving the Lostbelt's climate. Why? You could have waited, and we'd have stood no chance."
"Lady Skadi…" she said. The Valkyrie was beaten and bloodied, but alive.
"Ortlinde…" Skadi whispered, still looking at the sky.
"I'm… sorry… I failed…" Ortlinde said.
"It's alright my child. At least… you survived. I should be the one apologizing, for never telling you…"
"...Telling me what?"
"Your father," Skadi pointed to the sky. Shirou followed her fingers. Two ravens circled above the goddess and the Valkyrie. "He still… after all this time.. watched over us. I wonder what he's thinking…"
"...I'm sure… he's proud of you… my sweet child…" with that, Skadi's arm went limp, and the queen disappeared in motes of light.
Ortlinde was left grasping nothing.
Shirou turned away. He could not bear to watch it anymore. It was a cowardly thing to do, he hated himself for doing it… but his heart could not take the sight.
He concentrated towards the exhausted group.
"Is everyone alright?" He asked them.
Rtisuka turned to him and gave a grim thumbs up. The others nodded as well, which was a relief.
"How can we destroy the tree efficiently?" Holmes asked Ophelia.
"Normally you'd need several anti fortress noble phantasms, on top of damaging it's bark and resisting it's attacks. But Surtr did major damage by consuming it. It will heal itself soon, but for now it's weakened, any hit to it's core will destroy it," she explained. Holmes nodded, then turned to Sitonai.
"Can you do it, Miss?" Sitonai looked at him in between ragged breaths.
"It will not be a problem… just… give me a moment to catch my breath…" she said. Sitonai then turned to Ritsuka with an apologetic expression. "Master, please give me the order."
Ritsuka frowned, looking at the ground.
On her command, Sitonai would destroy the Lostbelt.
Something tugged at him. A recent conversation they had.
It was not fair.
Why did Ritsuka have to bear the burden on her own?
Destroying the Russian Lostbelt, it's ramifications had a deep effect on Ritsuka. Shirou still remembered her paralysis upon discovering what would happen once the fantasy tree was destroyed.
She didn't deserve that.
He had to do something about it.
"I'll handle it," Shirou said, making all eyes turn to him. His voice seemed to echo on the now silent landscape.
"What?" Ritsuka asked with widened eyes.
"I'll destroy the tree. What kind of Noble Phantasm would be needed?" Ophelia, incredulous, looked around before she seemed to gather her thoughts.
"Any one will do, if it's rank is sufficient," she said.
He needed to go all out. He had the perfect weapon for it.
He nodded, then turned towards the tree.
"Emiya," he was stopped by Ritsuka's voice. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Her expression denoted sadness and guilt. "Are you sure?"
No. He didn't want to do this at all.
He smiled at her. "Of course. This is my burden as well. It only makes sense we share it."
He turned back to the tree. He could see a deep hole in it's bark, a chunk of it missing. Inside seemed to be a bright light like the centre of a galaxy. That was his target.
He needed to be a little closer.
He stepped past Ortlinde, and positioned himself at the top of a small cliff.
This was it.
He just needed to use it.
He had three gifts from three Valkyries.
A shield from Ortlinde.
A Mystic Code from Hildr.
And a weapon from Thrud.
"Trace; Fractal,"
He muttered the aria. His factory was run to the breaking point, trying to recreate something impossible.
Memories flooded his mind. The weapon that was given to him, now appeared in his hand as his green magical circuits turned golden and overflowed with magical energy.
A sunrise appeared in his mind.
The great calamity was over.
They had saved who they could, defeated their enemies, and won the war.
A head of blonde hair looked at the horizon, her body fading with specks of dust.
A young man stood behind her, admiring her beauty.
She turned to him, face serious as always.
"Master, this is goodbye," she said. Something felt like it had been cut in his chest.
"However…"
She materialized her weapon, weak as she was.
She walked up to him instead of floating like she always did, and put it in his hands. It was warm and light.
"We'll meet again in Valhalla. Fight as a hero, live as a human. The rest… will follow," she said. Then, the unthinkable happened.
She smiled. Brightly, genuinely.
His eyes stung.
"We love you, Shirou. The three of us. Forever."
Static.
He used the memory as fuel, for it was the only way he understood what he wanted to make.
Floating above his hand, he felt it. The spear of light.
His arm felt like it was on fire, multiple blood vessels across his body rupturing from the sheer pressure.
He took a deep breath, swallowed the pain and used his left arm to summon his black bow.
"This body… is made out of swords…"
The tree shook, probably sensing the danger.
He had one shot.
"Unaware of loss, nor aware of obtain," he put every ounce of his being into the weapon, breaking it from being filled with magical energy beyond it's capacity. Through reinforcement, it turned from an ornate spear into an arrow of light.
"This is the only path," he knocked the arrow.
"True name release…" with this the Lostbelt… Gerda… Ortlinde… would be gone. But he had to do it. For the future of humanity. To see Rin, Taiga, Luvia and Sakura again.
"Gungnir..."
"… please… don't…" A cracked voice reached out. Ortlinde, a proud Valkyrie, begged for mercy. Begged for him to not destroy her world. Shirou lost his breath.
"...Zwei."
He let go. The arrow flew like a comet towards it's target. A golden star that could not miss.
It was his own weapon, created from the scraps of faith that the three girls had in him. It was the best he could do.
The arrow hit it's mark, going inside the tree. A golden explosion went up and down it's bark, exiting through the cracks and blowing it up from the inside out.
A shockwave came through the earth, downing snow from the trees and mountains.
The tree soon began to crumble, roots and pieces of bark falling around it until it completely collapsed and turned to dust.
It disappeared like it never had been there. Nothing remained of it except the broken terrain were it took root.
Silence reigned, only wind blowing as Odin's ravens continued to circle around them.
He had done it. He had destroyed the tree. He had killed a world, Ortlinde's world.
He let the bow fall to his side, and it faded soon after.
He turned to the Valkyrie, who was now on her knees, shoulders slumped and head facing downwards.
She looked awful, he wanted nothing more than to say something, anything to make her happy.
None of the Chaldea group said anything.
"Ortlinde…" he approached the Valkyrie. However, she seemed to only retract upon herself more.
She shook a little and lifted her head, enough for him to see her angry, disdainful eyes.
"I hate you," she stated.
He took a step back. The hatred was palpable. It hurt.
"W-What?"
"I hate you," she repeated as she stood up weakly. "I hate you!"
He tried to think of a response, but all that came to mind was, "B-But… I had no choice."
This only seemed to anger her further. "Why did it have to be you?"
That question… he did not have an answer for it. When he tried to blurt out something, he found himself out of words.
"What did you exactly bring here?! You could have just stepped back, remained in your vehicle and let things play out! But instead… you came, played with our hearts, got us killed and then… set our world up to be pruned," her voice cracked. Enough that she spat every word. He had never seen her like this. "Do you enjoy this?"
"Of course not!" He nearly shouted.
"Then why are you so cruel? What did you gain from this? I don't understand," Ortlinde said, nearly sobbing.
He answered her. It was poor, but it was the only thing that came to mind. "I… wanted to save you…"
Nothing else was said between them for a moment. Shirou felt a deep void in his chest.
"You failed. Utterly. I curse you. Forever, I will curse you and never forgive you," Ortlinde spat out.
"I–I was just doing what you wanted me to do. Be a hero..." he said. Ortlinde turned her back to him.
"Then go and be a hero, human. You will never succeed. Like Sigurd before you, you'll only bring suffering to those you love." Shirou felt like his heart had been ripped off from his chest, but by his own hand.
Of course, he had done this. No one was to blame but himself.
"Go away," she said, turning her back to him. "Leave and let me die in peace. You should never have come. We were fine without you."
Ortlinde began walking away, with seemingly no destination.
Shirou stood there, watching her leave. He needed to stop her, he couldn't bear the thought of her hating him.
However, as soon as he moved, a tug on his sleeve stopped him.
He turned, and saw Sitonai's frowning expression. "Don't you think that's enough?"
That disapproving look told him everything he needed to know. There was no fixing this. He had brought suffering upon Ortlinde, up to her final moments of existence.
"Archer… is this… what you were trying to warn me about?"
A single thought that nearly brought him to tears. But he suppressed it. He needed to be strong.
He stared at Sitonai, lips pursed.
She let him go, walking towards the Shadow Border.
Shirou looked back one last time towards Ortlinde, but she was gone, a path on the snow leading up to the horizon.
How could he forgive himself for this?
He felt weak, and it was hard to breathe. The Divine Iron Shield still strapped to his left arm felt unbearably heavy. He took it off, and held it face up.
The golden glow, the immaculate indentation, it's perfect form. They still remained the same. It had never bent or broken, no matter how much abuse it received during his journeys.
Ortlinde had given it to him to keep him safe. But as he realized now, he was undeserving of it. How could he keep this gift when he had hurt her so much?
He held it one last time, caressing it like he wished he could the Valkyrie.
His grip weakened. The shield slid from his hands and fell into the ground, landing without a sound. Embedded in the snow, still shining, his tie to Ortlinde and his strongest bond to the Valkyrie sisters would remain unmoving, and disappear.
"Emiya?" Shirou turned around, hearing a certain Shielder's voice. Behind him stood Ophelia and Mash. The only person he had managed to save, and the one who he had brought happiness to by the act.
"Are you alright?" She asked again. However, she soon frowned. "Sorry. I know–"
"I am fine," he replied, polite as ever. "We should get going, right?"
"Yes, the Lostbelt will collapse soon," Ophelia said, looking at him with pity. "It's not my place to say this but… you did what you had to do."
"Right," he replied before heading towards the Shadow Border, leaving the two women behind.
Holmes and Da Vinci had gone inside the vehicle, it seemed. Only Ritsuka stood outside, arms crossed and apparently waiting for everyone else to board.
However, he noticed the absence of Sitonai. He looked around, and spotted her standing at the side of the ramp that lead into the interior of the vehicle. He headed towards her.
"Illy– Sorry, Sitonai. Are you not coming?" At this, she smiled at him.
"Nope. My job here is done," she said as she began to fade into blue dust. "That is why I was summoned after all. The rest is up to you."
Shirou grimaced. He missed Illya, even if the time they spent together was short lived.
He clenched his fist, trying to contain his emotions. He faced the ground, unable to look at her.
"I see," he said. He felt Ritsuka's gaze on him.
"Shirou," the tone of Sitonai's voice was different this time, so much it made him jerk his head to face her. She smiled at him once again, like the girl in white he met so long ago. "We'll meet again. So please… don't beat yourself up."
With those words, she too was gone with the wind.
Ritsuka said nothing.
He sighed, and then heard footsteps in the snow, behind him.
Mash and Ophelia arrived at the entrance as well.
"What took you two so long? Is everything alright?" Ritsuka asked.
"We're fine, it's just…" Mash seemed to avoid Shirou's gaze for a moment, as did Ophelia. "There was something I needed to do. We can go now, Senpai."
Neither Shirou nor Ritsuka paid mind to them, and thus the four members of Chaldea boarded their vehicle.
The inside was warm for a change. However, a dark and heavy atmosphere surrounded it. The crewmembers had not changed in their behaviour, some were even content. He was glad for it.
Of course he was, being glad for others was the only thing he was good at.
He sat on one of the benches of the command room. Da Vinci was probably piloting, while Goredolf and Meuniere sat in the cockpit.
Shirou felt tremendously exhausted.
Mash and Ritsuka sat side by side, holding hands.
Ophelia took a seat alongside Shirou. He flinched when he felt her take her place, but did nothing else except stare at the floor.
"Alright," Goredolf cleared his throat and spoke loud and clear. "Good job everyone. Our mission is over, so strap yourselves and get ready to exit the Lostbelt!"
As he said that, the Shadow Border flared to life, and the intercom opened up.
"We'll initiate Zero Sail, newcomers, please remember to hold your breath and don't open your eyes. Okay? Great! Now we get moving!" She sounded very chipper.
"Wait!" Mash said, looking up. "What about Gerda?"
"We have no time, Miss Kyrielight," said Holmes. "Besides, what purpose would it serve? She doesn't even know what will happen. Of course, I like when people are informed, but in this case, ignorance would be bliss."
Mash clenched her teeth, but said nothing else. While Shirou was disgusted by Holmes' attitude, he had no energy to retort.
"I don't think that's fair," Ophelia said. "These people are alive as well."
"That they are. But it won't matter soon. Their dreams will be crushed. That's just how it is."
"Enough with that!" Goredolf said from the front. Shirou felt himself pushed around by the movement of the Shadow Border. "We can have debates later. Right now, we're doing a Zero Sail!"
"Zero sail?" Ophelia asked. "I thought that was experimental."
"Not anymore. Strap yourself in," Shirou said. The vehicle rumbled once more as various circuits began lighting up.
"I hope you know what you are doing," she said as she grasped the bench tightly.
"Commencing Zero Sail in four…!" As the P.A announced the countdown, Shirou thought back to the Valkyries.
"Three…!" Ortlinde would die with hate in her heart.
"Two…!" He didn't get to see what happened to Thrud.
"One…!" Hildr sacrificed herself for him.
Once again, he was powerless to prevent those he loved from dying. Every step he took, someone suffered.
He was sure that not seeing them again was a fitting punishment.
Not like it would matter.
Any memory of them would fade away with the Lostbelt as if they never existed.
Still, they would remain in his heart like the Valkyries he summoned so long ago.
"Diving!"
She felt so many things now.
A burning anger at the man who doomed her world.
An acid envy at the blissful humans that remained.
A cold sadness at the meaningless suffering she endured during and after Ragnarök.
A lukewarm peace at the notion that everything would end soon.
An empty void left by her sisters.
She dangled her legs at the edge of a ridge near one of the Villages. The snow had melted, revealing a green grass with flowers.
Spring had finally come. No doubt thanks to Skadi.
She never once called her mother.
Her father's Ravens flew above her, but as soon as she sat they landed near her, as if to give her some comfort.
Her father had never done that before.
A girly voice yelped. Startled, Ortlinde turned. There, behind a small rock, a blonde girl no older than thirteen hid behind a rock.
She was not to engage with humans. That was one of Skadi's commandments. But what did it matter now?
"Who are you? State your name," she told her in her usual tone.
The girl timidly left her ineffective cover.
"G-Gerda," she said. She looked scared, but no long after, she recovered some manner of curiosity. "Are you… an envoy?"
Ortlinde nodded.
"Wow!" Gerda said, giving a small jump. "Are you here to take us to Valhalla?" She asked.
"No," Ortlinde answered.
"Oh. Why not?" She asked.
"I don't feel like it."
"Isn't that against the rules?"
"It's also against the rules to go outside."
"W-Well, yes. But I did it to help someone."
Ortlinde said nothing, turning back to looking at the true sun rise over the mountains.
"Can I sit with you?"
"Do as you desire."
"As I desire?"
"Yes."
"Huh. Nobody told me that before. It's strange."
Gerda soon sat at her side. Both girls looked at the landscape, saying nothing. Ortlinde wondered why it took so long to be pruned.
"Are you sad?" Gerda suddenly asked.
Normally, Ortlinde would dismiss a question like that with prejudice. But for some reason, she felt like sharing her suffering. That's what humans did, after all.
"Yes," Ortlinde answered.
"I see. I'm sad too." Ortlinde looked at the smiling girl, who got up.
"And why is that?" Ortlinde asked.
"Well… There's people that I met, and I think aren't coming back. And it's strange, I want them to come back once again. Is that weird?"
"Not at all,"
"Won't you punish me?"
"No."
"Then… want to wait with me?" Gerda asked.
"Wait for what?"
"For my friends to come. Even though the goddess commanded we remain inside, I wondered if… maybe… if I disobeyed… I'd get to see them again. So, will you wait with me?"
"Very well," Ortlinde answered. She wanted to see where this interaction was going.
"So… while we wait, there's something I want to try," Gerda mentioned with some embarrassment. Ortlinde was now extremely curious. This human… she was so different.
The Valkyrie got up with renewed vigour. "Show me."
Gerda beamed at her. "Yay!" She took her cold hands in her warm ones. Ortlinde did not mind. "So they had this little creature, Fou, who jumped all around. Or hopped. I Don't know. He was cute, and I want to try that."
Ortlinde grimaced, but nodded. "Alright."
"Okay. Now," Gerda bent her legs. "Together. Ready?"
Ortlinde bent her legs as well. "Ready."
"And… Hop!"
They raised above the air, lifting themselves over the green field. It was not special, not to Ortlinde, who soared the skies regularly. But Gerda's excited smile, it ignited a flame in her chest. Something her sisters talked about for so long as something forbidden.
Now, she thought, it was not bad at all.
Before they touched the ground, her world became white, and something warm embraced her.
Eternal Frozen Fire Century
Götterdämmerung
Cosmos Denial
A/N: With this, this Arc comes to end. But not totally, there is an Epilogue coming. You can already tell what it's going to be about. But for all intents and purposes Cold Flames is over. Honestly, when I started it, I did not expect to turn it into a full arc. But I did and I'm very happy with how it turned out, even if it could have used a little more planning. My bad on that one. I hope you enjoyed it as well.
Anyway, Valkyrie Flavor will indeed continue. So don't worry about that. How I haven't decided yet, but I have many ideas.
That is all for now. Chiao!