Hi guys! I'm sorry it took so long, a combination of real life and the discovery of Talisman Online + DCFandome + FGO SummerFes struck.
As usual, there's more info below, so until then, on with the chapter!
I own nothing here but the story.
A Petty Squabble (or not)
As stated before, with the sheer variety of Servants in the halls of Chaldea, it would be natural for cliques and groups to form. It would happen in a myriad of ways, from spontaneous moments to gradual interaction, with the various legends and figures finding common interests and the like, and thus slowly but surely bonding together. Legends they may be, they are still human (mostly).
However, because they are human (mostly), it shouldn't come as a surprise that the opposite may occur and that a pair or a group of Servants would find themselves at odds and ends of one another. Add to the fact that the majority of the Servants could sometimes be considered "battle-maniacs", fighting was inevitable. Fortunately, nothing too drastic ever occurred, out of consideration for the mission and the little Master they all served under, and so any antagonism Servants possessed was toned down…emphasis on "toned down".
Case in point…
Artoria Alter walked through the halls of Chaldea aimlessly in her black skirt, a calm expression on her pale face.
"Hmm…my child gave me quite a challenge back there…but she should know by now that she could never hope to best me in combat. Still, the match was refreshing."
The Saber was about to walk past a corridor but stopped herself. A faint aroma wafted from down the hall, one that made her nose tingle.
"Oh? How could I have missed this? Well, no matter. My little spar with Mordred is making me feel rather peckish…"
She fully turned and power-walked down the hall, her yellow eyes focused on the new objective in her mind. Nothing and no-one would get in her way, lest they risk the wrath of a dragon.
Soon enough, she found herself in the cafeteria, staring at Servants and staff all chatting while holding or eating what she regarded as the Holy Grail of food: juicy, mouthwatering hamburgers.
For a moment, Altoria felt like she was going to snap and swipe the nearest one, but she quickly composed herself. A ruler must be composed at all times, whether it be in combat or a more casual setting. So, she took a deep breath and stood in line, crossing her arms and waited in as much patience she could muster.
"A good thing that I had that spar with Mordred, I suppose."
After a few minutes of agonizing waiting, she stood in front of the serving booth, where a happy red-haired woman smiled at her.
"Let me guess, you want the hamburger?" asked Boudica, Rider-class Servant. The pale Saber replied with a simple raised eyebrow.
"Hee, I had a guess. Emiya! Three large burgers with everything please!"
Ever since the Chef Brigade of Chaldea (namely Tamamo, Emiya and Boudica) claimed the kitchen as their territory, the Security Organization was treated to brands of food so delicious and divine that they made anything else taste like ash. Requests were often sent, and while the trio were the absolute rulers of their small domain of the kitchen, they made sure to consider every request sent. No two meals each day were identical, and with the sheer variety of requests, it wouldn't be surprising to find that hamburgers were some of the more requested dishes.
A sliding sound was heard and Boudica handed her a tray with three large, juicy bacon cheeseburgers on a plate, with a side of shining, crispy French fries and various dips (naturally). With a curt nod, the Dark King of Britain picked up the tray and walked to a relatively empty table, where only one man sat.
She sat down and Leonidas sent her a small nod of acknowledgment before returning to his own dish. With no further ado, she set about devouring the feast in front of her. A raging yet serene hurricane raged as the burgers were devoured. Altoria never once took her focus off the meal, her expression never changing as she scarfed down her food. Not even a minute later, and the tray was laid bare, only a few crumbs remaining from the feast.
As the pale king gently cleaned the corners of her mouth with a napkin, she felt that there was something missing from her meal, but what? There were the burgers (any less and they would've counted as appetizers), the fries – fried to perfection, as usual, so what could be…?
Of course! Dessert! "I wonder what it will be this time. While the fruit salads are nice, I feel like they are a little too…thin."
Altoria was about to get up when she spotted Leonidas eating a small cup filled with white ice-cream.
"Spartan, where did you get the ice cream?" He wordlessly gestured to a small freezing container standing next to the service bar. Without so much as a thank you, Altoria made her way to the container, silently eager for some frozen treats to finish off her meal, but when she slid open the hatch…
The freezer was stark-white! There was no ice cream!
The Saber slammed the hatch shut and stomped to the serving bar, where Emiya stood cleaning a pot. Her footsteps caught his attention, and he sighed for the incoming headache.
"Archer, where is the ice-cream?"
"We're all out."
Altoria's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, you're all out?"
"There isn't anymore ice-cream; it was so popular that everyone grabbed everything they could, and we don't have enough mix left to make more."
The Dark King squeezed her fist as she took a deep breath. No, as much as she wanted to find someone and tear ice-cream from their hands, it wouldn't help her.
"Who took more than one cup?"
The tanned Servant raised an incredulous eyebrow at her question. How did she expect him to know exactly who took how many cups?
Altoria sharply turned her head and let her gaze sweep over the cafeteria, searching for any stray cups that she could take. The gorgons? No, all gone. The inventors? Same. The Hassans? More than most groups, but with Hundred-Face among them, it wasn't surprising-
Wait.
'Was that Master? With two cups of ice-cream?'
Yes, it was hard to miss that messy black hair on such a small body. She caught sight of him just as he exited the cafeteria and out a hallway.
Perfect.
Wordlessly, Altoria started advancing in her little Master's direction. Yes, that will have to do. She wouldn't steal it from him, just ask nicely. 'It is obvious he will not say no to me, considering I'm one of his favorite Servants. Perhaps I shall indulge him by asking to eat it together with him.'
Emiya watched the Saber go and sighed while shaking his head. He saw who she was after, and could only hope that nothing too drastic would happen. If he had looked up sooner, he would've seen another follow the same path.
'Best of luck to you Master. At least in your case, they have more restraint…'
After Altoria left the cafeteria, she slightly slowed her pace to avoid startling Harry, but fast enough to keep track of him. A minute or two later, she soon found him sitting on a bench, his little legs dangling off the edge and a happy look on his face. Her pace slowed to a slow walk and as she approached the child, he turned in her direction and his face lit up with a smile.
"Hi, Miss Altoria!"
She responded to him with a nod. "Hello there, Master. How are you today?"
"I'm okay! I just ate lunch!"
"Oh? Was it those hamburgers I saw?"
"Mmm-hmm! Auntie Boudica said that they made mine extra tasty, and they were really, really good!"
"I can certainly believe that. The ones I ate were very good as well. May I sit next to you?"
Harry nodded happily and Altoria sat down at his left, at which point he slightly leaned onto her. She didn't mind; if anything, it made her next step easier.
"What is it that you're holding, Harry?"
The child Master looked down at the cups. "Oh, it's ice-cream!"
"Really? I didn't see any in the lunchroom. What kind is it?"
"Um…Miss Tamamo said that they were "cookies and cream", I think."
Cookies and cream…a taste worthy of a king's dessert. "Harry, may I have one of your cups?"
The boy looked up at her and tilted his head in confusion. "Why? Didn't you eat some?"
A sigh escaped Altoria's lips. "Unfortunately, no. By the time I had arrived, there was no more ice-cream. I was very much looking forward to trying it."
Harry bit his lip and looked down at the cups, an obvious look of hesitation on his face. A flicker of a smirk appeared on Altoria's face. She felt a little bad for manipulating her Master like this, but it wasn't like she was depriving him of ice-cream; he still had a cup left to eat. All he needed was a little push and-
"Yo, Master!"
The pair's heads shot up in the direction of the call and the Dark King's yellow eyes met the black ones of Shiki Ryougi, who was walking towards them with a small yet eager smile.
The Saber's eyes narrowed. She wouldn't dare…
"Hello, Shiki!" Harry replied as he waved to her. The yakuza princess came and sat on the bench, effectively sandwiching the little boy in between her and Altoria.
"So…did you enjoy lunch today?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Hm, so did I. I also wanted to get some ice-cream but it was all gone by the time I finished so…care to do me a favor and share with me some of that ice-cream?"
"In case you haven't noticed, Assassin" remarked Altoria as she gently placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Master was about to give me his ice-cream, so unfortunately it looks like you're going to have to find someone else to poach from."
Shiki raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Oh, really? From what I heard over there he didn't decide anything yet, so don't go putting words into other people's mouths like your food."
"It is obvious that he is going to give it to me. After all, I am his bodyguard, his sworn protector. I always come with him for material farming and his parents consider me worthy of their trust by letting him be with me alone."
"Um…"
Shiki's smile grew to a challenging grin, and gently pulled Harry over to her. "That is where you're wrong. Unlike you, who simply stands there and fights when needed, I'm actually useful to him; I train him with knives, I help with his homework, and he even asks me to sleep with him when he's afraid."
"That is because you coddle him too much; that's his mother's job" Altoria shot back as she grabbed Harry's shoulder, trying to wrest him from Shiki. "I respect and acknowledge his strength and let him solve things on his own. I don't deny him when he asks me, but me 'standing there' as you put it, inspires him to be better."
"Um…"
"Keep putting words in people's mouths and they'll spit over you. As for 'coddling' him, I'm simply giving him the affection he craves; we all know about his sorry past. As a mother myself, I know how to properly raise a child. Did you know that Mata Hari asked once if I could take him in once this is all over, should something happen? Not that it will, but just in case. Naturally, I accepted, so what I'm doing, I'm doing from experience, unlike someone…"
It took all of Altoria's self-control to not snap and accidentally hurt Harry. That was a low blow.
The young Master just looked worriedly at the two servants, who at this point seemed to be shooting sparks from their eyes. They each had a grip on him, and he felt a little scared, despite knowing they wouldn't hurt him.
'W-why are they fighting? I-is it because of the ice-cream? I don't like it…'
"What exactly are you two doing?"
The cold voice of Edmond Dantès broke the proverbial stand-off and all eyes turned to see the Avenger standing in front of them, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.
"Now, if you know what's good for you, I suggest you let go of Harry."
The two women were reluctant at first, but a minor flare of the Count's aura quickly made them do so. There was a reason no-one messed with Harry's father in Chaldea, not even the foolhardier Servants.
The Count looked down and met his son's relieved state.
"Harry, for who was that second ice-cream?"
The young Master scratched his cheek. "Um…I wanted it to be for you daddy. Mommy said she didn't want any and Jackie already ate some so I thought that…"
Dantès shifted his gaze to the ice-cream, the female Servants, and Harry before sighing. "I…thank you for your thoughtfulness Harry, but I'm not particularly hungry for ice-cream." His son pouted in response.
"As for you two…" Dantès stepped closer and plucked the cup from Harry's little hands. "You are going to share this."
Altoria and Shiki blinked. Share?
"You are going to behave like adults and find a compromise, or I'm just going to give it back to Harry. Understood?"
Altoria bit back a response, seeing how a fight would only make Harry feel bad. The argument was stupid, but her pride demanded nothing less. Shiki did the same.
"Now apologize."
"…sorry."
"…apology accepted."
The Avenger nodded. "Good. Come Harry, I recall that Alexander wanted to see you for some reason." Harry nodded and hopped off the bench, clutching his ice-cream, and held his father's hand. "Bye Shiki, bye Miss Altoria, sorry for making you fight."
Shiki shook her head. "Don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault."
Altoria nodded. "Keep your chin up Master, everything's fine."
A small smile grew on Harry's face as he and his father walked away. Soon enough, the two were left alone, the cup of ice-cream in between them.
"…do you have a spoon?"
Shiki pulled out two small, plastic spoons from her jacket. Altoria gingerly reached out and grabbed one. They looked down at the ice-cream. Thankfully, it only started melting. On a wordless cue, they began slowly eating.
How nice, a conflict resolved peacefully, and two Servants enjoying time together in Chaldea.
"…you took a bigger portion."
"Look who's talking."
…for the most part.
Hi guys! So, this is an idea that came from a comic by reddit user Artrum, so I decided to roll with it and throw in my own changes. Shiki deserves more love, why aren't there any more fanfics about her?
What did you all think of the chapter?
On a bigger note...THIS STORY HAS A TVTROPES PAGE! It's rather incomplete, so I would appreciate it if any of you could update it with the proper tropes.
As usual, go check out this story in Spacebattles and AO3 to spread the word, and feel free to submit ideas and omakes!
Go check out my profile for more stories and challenges, listed on my bio!
See you next time and...
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