Disclaimer: I do not own Fate/Stay Night or RWBY, or any of its characters.
"A child of the Grimm." The dramatic tone resounded, paired together with an equally dramatic pose. "My child."
Complete silence was the only reaction he received.
Mercury sighed and took a seat at the nearby table after seeing the lukewarm response he got at his Salem impression.
Tough crowd, tough crowd.
Then again, maybe it was expecting a bit too much from his coworkers to laugh, given how none of them really had a sense of humor, to begin with.
At least Emerald did seem to crack a smile at his act.
Though in hindsight, it was probably a good thing Tyrian was back in the medical ward at the very least, he felt that the trigger happy sociopath likely wouldn't have taken too well to his little number.
The silver-haired youth rested his chin in his hand. "I swear, our boss must be going through some mid-life crisis to say stuff like that."
Emerald couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You keep saying stuff like that Merc and you will be the one having a real-life crisis if Salems hears you."
A half pissed, half panicked look formed on his face at that comment. "Hey, all I'm saying is that it's weird."
Oh, it was definitely weird. All of Salem's underlings would agree on that, except none of them were entitled to question her actions.
"Crude way of putting it aside, Mercury does raise a point. " Watts hummed to himself, caressing his mustache. "This 'Shirou' as our Grace called him is fundamentally different from the rest of us in so many ways. Which also makes him far more valuable than the rest of us as well."
A deep frown made its way on Cinders, the implications not sitting well with her. "You make it sound like we are disposable."
"We are actually." The man of science nodded without a hint of concern. "At the end of the day, while it is true each one of us possesses skills or abilities that her Grace finds valuable for her purposes and kindly offered a seat in her inner circle. It doesn't change the fact that each of us here are rejects of society." He crossed his legs and further elaborated to his less intellectual companions. "The world has no shortage of killers, spies, skilled combatants, and while likely not on the same level as myself, those who also qualify as geniuses. Thus we still have the same overall value as the majority of people out there. Therefore we are indeed replaceable."
"Speak for yourself Watts." Cinder spoke in a sharp, dangerous tone, a sneer forming on her face. "I am the Fall Maiden, and I am needed later on for Salem's agenda."
Once more, Watts was forced to deal with the ramblings of ignorant children.
"Allow me to correct you on two points."
He lifted a finger up. "One. You aren't the Fall Maiden yet, as you only managed to steal a part of her powers."
He lifted a second finger up. "Second. Salem doesn't need you, Cinder Fall, she needs the Fall Maiden, meaning she can easily find a more suitable vessel for that power should you prove not to be worth the investment."
Teeth ground against each other as the black-haired woman seethed, energy flaring in her left eye. She was a mere step away from attacking the older man, but someone took action before her.
Emerald had her weapon pointed and ready to fire. "Like you're any more valuable than her!"
Watts for one didn't as much as flinch with the gun barrel pointed at him. "Your naivety is simply pitiful child. My value lies within my intellect, brute strength can be found or bought easily. If a hierarchy were made between all of us, I would stand at the top for being the most resourceful and versatile."
"And where does this Shirou stand within this imaginary hierarchy now that he came into the picture?" Hazel spoke from his seat, interfering before this argument started to become more physical than verbal.
That question seemed to silence Watts for about a minute, pondering at the possible changes that were to come. "Hmm… he either stands first or outside of it altogether. I can't claim to know how her grace thinks, but if I were in her shoes I would most likely prioritize such a unique specimen over everyone one else."
"Now that's encouraging…" Mercury sighed as he leaned back in his chair.
"It's simply being realistic."
"So in short, not only do we have to work with that thing, we better be nice to it unless we want to anger Salem. " The fledgling assassin shook his head in annoyance. "Great, just great."
"Pretty sure we've already been doing that for a while. I'm sure we would've killed each other by now if the circumstances were different." Emerald remarked.
It may have sounded messed up from an outsider's perspective, but those words were far more accurate than they would imagine.
That all the people in the room could all agree on it was left unsaid, most of them hated one another and were only tolerating each other's presence to serve their own purposes. Little pity or remorse would be had should one of them fall or suffer a major setback. In fact, some may even smile at the news.
Cinder narrowed her eyes. "Speaking of which, where do you think Salem took the pale freak?"
"I can think of one place." Watts hummed to himself.
Water poured on him, hot water, something he almost grew estranged towards.
It felt like a lifetime since he was able to take a shower properly, being locked away for so long almost made him forget how good water could feel.
The filth and grime on his body dissolved and quickly flowed down in streams of murky liquid, forming into a pond of filth beneath his feet.
It was refreshing, to say the least. The mental state he was in previously didn't really let him realize just how dirty he really was.
His hair especially had been particularly filthy. So many strands of it were glued and knotted together by the dry grime and blood. It took multiple rinses, some soaking, and a comb for him to untangle everything.
As he allowed the water to cleanse his face, he noticed something, there was a reflection of someone else on the surface, someone was behind him.
Yellow eyes drifted to the side and stared back at red ones.
So that's why he felt like he was being watched.
The way she just looked at him with a bored expression was quite a surreal experience. "So, how's the water?"
Shirou honestly couldn't bring himself to answer that question, he had a more important one at hand.
"… How long have you been there?"
"A while. " she replied casually, leaning against a nearby stone pillar. "You've been here longer than expected, so I started wondering if you drowned. "
"I see…" he muttered in a bit of uncertainty, it couldn't have been that long, he wasn't too sure, then again, he was taking his time to enjoy the water. I see… regarding the water… I'd say it's perfect."
Salem resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Of course, you would say that. You haven't bathed since you were put in that cell. If the grime on you wasn't bad enough, the smell alone was becoming a problem."
That was Salem putting it lightly.
He was beginning to smell almost as bad as that one skunk Grimm she made a few decades back. Needless to say, her creation was a little too effective so no other successors followed after it.
One of her henchmen at the time seemed to like it though, she even named it Pepe Le Pew.
"I guess," he muttered, making sure not to turn around, wondering how this woman was staring at him quite literally butt naked yet not minding it in any way. Shirou as such was trying to avoid that subject, his eyes looking at the other body of water in this location. "Surprised there's a natural hot spring here of all places."
Salem straightened herself and began strolling around, her fingers tracing along the stone walls as she did so. "There's nothing natural about this place. An underground spring was redirected to flow beneath the castle. The surface beneath your feet and the pipes had been coated with fire dust, it makes all the water that flows through reach the correct temperature."
Shirou pondered about it, and while he didn't know what she meant by 'fire dust', from what he managed to see earlier this castle is located in a rather desolate area, with no rivers nearby, that would've required a different water source altogether.
"That's rather inventive."
"That it is."
There was a moment of silence between the two afterward. Shirou stood in place while Salem walked and crouched at the edge of the hot spring, running her hand through the water.
Shirou decided to be blunt. "What do you really want?"
An intrigued smile graced Salem's face, one that Shirou couldn't see. "And what makes you say that?"
"... For one thing, I doubt you come to check on everyone that bathes here."
"You aren't wrong in that regard." The witch hummed as she picked herself up, making her way close to Shirou. "There's so much I want to know about you, yet I have so little to go with."
Her hand reached for the back buttons on her dress, opening them one by one.
Shirou just stared silently as her dress dropped altogether on the floor. "What… are you doing?"
Though she was now displaying her unclothed body in front of Shirou, Salem hardly gave it any importance. "The water seemed inviting, so I thought I'd join you."
And so she did, flicking her hand to unravel her hair, taking an adjunct stall next to Shirou, allowing the water to caress her body.
The white-haired boy couldn't help but ponder over this, it certainly was an unexpected turn of events, to say the least. "… About what you said. What exactly do you want to know?"
Soft fingers brushed at her hair, the water helping in pulling it backward. "Most likely the things you are unable to remember. Where you came from, the nature of your powers, how you ended up in my territory in such a peculiar state, and the list goes on."
She leaned her head to the side, inhuman eyes staring at him as water poured around them. "Are you able to answer any of those?"
For that moment, Shirou became detached from this bizarre situation, pondering on her words. So many things that she wanted to know, yet he had no answer to give in return.
It made something boil in his gut while something else entirely was clawing at his brain. "No… not at the moment at least."
Foam formed as Salem scrubbed away at her body, feeling the areas where Shirou had injured her, though now healed and no trace of a scar remained, she still felt a sting whenever her fingers ran over those particular spots. "Then you can understand why I want to observe you as much as possible. Perhaps we can discover something through conversation."
Shirou could see the logic behind this.
While the method Salem was trying to implement wasn't exactly his expertise, at the very least it was both justified and reasonable. "I see."
Salem took a nearby stool and sat on it, pulling all of her over her shoulders, leaving her whole backside exposed. "Would you be a dear and wash my back?"
Shirou stared at the sight before him his face an unflinching stone. "... Are you sure?"
The light glare Salem was throwing him from over her shoulder wasn't that of an amused woman. "I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't, now would I?"
Without any more words, Shirou sat down on one knee, taking a nearby piece of cloth and lathering it.
Before he could take any action, his eyes would wander across her backside. The vein marks were spread far and wide, most of them seemingly twisting and spreading at the center of her back, taking a form reminiscent of an eye.
Shirou couldn't help but wonder about the state of his own body. There were dark vein marks spread on him as well, did he also have a mark like this on his back?
"I am waiting." Salem more or less demanded, and he obliged, his hands scrubbing away at her back, causing Salem to close her eyes and hum. "Hmm, quite the strong hands you have."
"... If you say so."
"Indeed, so try to be more gentle with the scrubbing, I'm not a rug," Salem remarked dryly, her voice possessing a sharp tone to it, wondering if this boy had even caressed a woman before, it felt he was trying to polish her skin instead of scrubbing it.
Shirou paused, changing the amount of force he put in when he started once more. "… Sorry."
"Nice and slow. " Salem trailed, her frown slowly relaxing and vanishing, a more relaxed and neutral expression taking its place. "Now that's better."
Though he was told so, Salem would throw another glare over her shoulder after a while of silence. "You know, I said I want to talk more to you, but I don't want to be the only one putting the effort here."
Shirou blinked, not realizing that small detail. "Right…"
That was easier said than done. Coming up with a subject to chat about on the spot wasn't exactly easy.
A small idea passed through his mind as he felt strands of Salem's hair brush against his hands. "Your hair is really long. Isn't it hard to keep it like this?"
This was supposed to be about him, but if he preferred her to be the center of attention, Salem would oblige. "You have no idea. After a certain point it started to get in the way everywhere I walked. I had to figure out new ways to tie it up to prevent that."
She experimented with several hairstyles over the last few centuries before eventually settling for her present look. Most people would probably question why she chose to stylize her hair like a spider. Then again, most people don't get the opportunity to grow their hair to the point that it touches the floor.
Callous fingers trailed up across her spine, picking up some of her white strands. "Couldn't you have just cut it?"
"I used to do so. However, after a while, I stopped caring and just let it grow indefinitely."
"I see…"
He really didn't, having such a cascade of hair seemed more like a bother than anything, but he kept it to himself.
Salem without any warning spun around on the stool, now face to face with Shirou, her modesty still protected by her hair. "Your turn."
Shirou was silent for a few moments. "… That's not necessary. "
"Nonsense. It's only fair that I return the act."
If the look Salem gave was any indication, Shirou understood that she was not going to take no for an answer. Without any desire to argue, he sighed and took a seat on the other stool.
Salem took a moment and took in what she saw. "Quite the broad back you have. I didn't notice it before, probably because of the grime, but you have quite the number of scars."
Her nails pressed against one of them, they felt… different?
If she wasn't mistaken, these aren't the result of regular wounds, these were what remained of exit wounds. "Any clue as to how you got them?"
Shirou tried to think about it, sadly he was drawing a blank. "Not sure… but I feel like I got them from fighting."
"Is that so? " Her voice trailed as she began to scrub at his back. "What does that mean though?"
Her sharp nails would occasionally scratch at his back, but unlike Salem, Shirou did not voice his discomfort. "Do you think perhaps you were a warrior before you lost your memories, a huntsman perhaps?"
That made him wonder, it did sound appropriate to some extent, but it didn't feel quite right. "I.. don't think so. I also don't think I ever went hunting, so I doubt I was a huntsman."
Salem was silent.
Was that supposed to be a pun?
No, it couldn't be, this boy looked like he couldn't even laugh, let alone make a joke.
"That's not what I meant, but whatever." Her dark eyes scanned the rest of his backside, focusing on the mismatched part of his body, one of the things that made him different from her. "Your left arm certainly is a curious case. Why is it like this compared to the rest of your body?"
The charred arm moved and he flexed his fingers, the dark digits responded, he could feel them. This was his arm… yet Shirou couldn't help but feel like it wasn't. "... No clue."
This was getting annoying.
"That should be enough," Salem remarked dryly, getting up from her seat, and slowly walking away. Halfway she stopped and looked over at the still seated Shirou. "What are you standing there for?"
He looked at her with such confusion, like a puppy that didn't know how to respond to orders, it was adorable in an odd way. "Come join me."
Though a part of him wanted to refuse, he instead complied, following Salem into the hot spring.
The pale duo entered and submerged themselves into the hot waters.
"… I really needed this," Salem whispered as she leaned on her back, the tension in her body easing up little by little. "It's been quite stressful dealing with you and your tantrums."
It really was.
"… Sorry."
Her brows narrowed. "You should stop apologizing so much. The state you were in was hardly one to reason with, so it couldn't be helped."
It was easy for her to say that she wasn't the one unaware of the things he had done while out of his mind. "… Okay."
Silence resumed once more between them, Shirou however would glance over at Salem's direction when he believed she wasn't aware. Much to his annoyance, the woman was very much aware of this. "You've been staring at me awfully a lot. Are you that interested in my body?"
A mumble was the first thing that came out of his mouth, he then put some order in his mind. "Maybe…"
Salem leaned her head to the side, her dark orbs looking in disinterest at him. "There is no need to feel awkward about it. I am quite interested in your body as well."
That was hardly what he expected her to say, Shirou wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to feel about it. "… Why though?"
A sigh escaped Salem's lips, without any warning she stood up, streams of water pouring off her.
"Look at me. " Salem ordered the boy, but he did not respond. "I said, look at me."
The tone of her voice was dangerous, Shirou could feel it, although her demand was something he may have found a bit odd… he eventually obliged.
Up until now, Shirou had been giving this woman the proper respect a lady deserved, trying his best to avoid staring at her in an unsavory way, the reason why he didn't see her whole nude form in all its shape and curves.
Until now that is.
Shirou couldn't help but ponder how her black clothes were able to hide the curves of her body to such an extent.
Salem moved her arm, trailing her fingers from her midsection all the way to her chest. "What do you see?"
That question had a certain weight to it.
The pale boy did not know what the nature of it was, nor what he was supposed to answer. The words came out by themselves. "... A woman."
Such an evasive answer, typical.
"If anyone else were to see this body of mine, one answer would be given most of the time." Strangely or not, his answer made her smile, but it wasn't a happy smile, it was something ominous. "A monster."
"These lifeless colors, these dark veins, these inhuman eyes." Her hands began to trail across her body, looking like she was almost caressing herself. "By all means, I resemble a Grimm far more than I do a normal human. An abomination that shouldn't exist in this world. A freak accident that shouldn't have been possible."
"I am a one-of-a-kind existence. There isn't one person in this world that is even remotely similar to me." Her arms dropped to her side, head tilting more and more to the side, strands of her wet hair surrounding her eyes. "Or at least, that was before I met you, Shirou."
Water splashed as Salem walked in front of him, yanking his right arm out of the water. She pressed her palm against his, chalk skin touching chalk skin. "You bear such a similar appearance to me that it's quite frankly baffling. One cannot help but be curious to know how a person such as you came to be."
It was her honest thoughts.
They were like a twisted mirror of each other. Outside of their genders, there were very few things that set them apart in appearance.
His stoic face slowly grew into one of surprise, lips parting in a small 'O' as everything settled in his mind. "Oh… so that's what you meant when you said you are interested in my body."
Salem tilted her head in mild confusion. "Of course, what else could I have meant?"
At first, he muttered something under his breath, quickly pulling his head out of the gutter. "… Nothing."
Somehow this lifted some of the oddness of the situation. It was simply a matter of convenience, nothing more, just a means to showcase the similarities between them.
Still, this only raised more questions.
"How did you become like this?"
Though she showed no outward reaction, that question was still a sore subject for her. In any other case, she might have reacted violently towards the insolent person asking it, but on this occasion, she decided to make an exception.
After all, she wanted this collaboration between her and Shirou to be one of mutual benefit.
So she will share details of herself… but only the ones that he needs to know.
"I was cursed," Salem stated coldly a sort of detachment in her gaze. "Cursed to forever walk this earth until the end of days. It is because of that curse that my body was able to become one with the Grimm's essence and lived to… to become the thing that you see before you."
Shirou took a moment to think over this, in spite of the haze shrouding his memories, his body could recall a feeling… a sensation of a dark murky sea that tried to devour and violate him. The twisting darkness coursing through him as if permeating his entire being and ripping it apart utterly.
For his body to be exposed to it in its entirety…
How was he even alive?
It was strange, but on a certain level, he knew that he should've died, but instead, he mutated into some kind of monster.
That place was a cesspool of death. Nothing should have been able to survive it, not anything living anyway.
Then again… it's not like he came out of it unscathed either. When he emerged from the depths of that shadowy abyss his body had become something he couldn't quite describe, and it was only later that he somehow managed to regain a humanoid form.
Yellow eyes widened in surprise as realization dawned on him.
If what Salem told him is correct, then it can only mean one thing.
"… You're immortal?"
Red eyes closed halfway, the unimpressed look on her face speaking volumes. "It took you a while to realize it."
Memories replayed in her mind, of the day that she became the thing before him. "The Grimm pools are a source of pure entropy. Should a living being be exposed to them will die shortly after in the most excruciating pain."
Salem still remembered that day when she plunged into the waters. Her body was constantly in a state of being torn apart inch by inch, only for it to regress back.
A cycle of neverending torment forming.
The moment that she should've died, her curse would prevent that from occurring.
Pain. Regress. Pain. Regress. Pain. Regress. Pain. Regress. Pain. Regress.
The cycle continued to go on and on until she eventually somehow dragged herself out of those accursed waters,
What emerged out of the pools of darkness, however… was perhaps an even bigger monster than the Grimm themselves.
Red eyes drifted at Shirou, scanning his body up and down. "You aren't immortal, not by a long shot, yet you were somehow able to survive the pool's influence, emerging as an entity with the essence of Grimm flowing inside them."
The corner of her lips curled up, something ominous that could hardly be called a smile. "Do you see now why I'm so interested in you?"
"I guess…" Shirou muttered a bit unsure, now that Salem put it that way, it began to make sense to some extent. "So what happens now?"
"I'm still deciding how I may use you," Salem remarked as she started fixing her wet hair. "I have yet to see the full extent of what you are capable of."
It was the basis of all planning.
One couldn't just move a piece on the chessboard randomly. They had to understand what their pieces are capable of before they started moving them around.
Salem had yet to get a good grasp of the extent of her kindred's powers, and whether or not they were in any way similar to hers.
She had to know if someone else existed that could control the Grimm like her.
Her first encounter with Shirou did not seem to indicate anything of the sort, but his previous mental state was hardly one that would allow for such a feat in the first place.
It was only upon his defeat that he seemed to regain a fragment of sanity.
Speaking of which.
Salem's head tilted to the side, and her gaze burned deeply into his head. "By the way, there is something I've been meaning to ask."
"What is it?"
"... Who is Sakura?"
Crack~
Dark eyes gapped and dilated.
Crack~
Breathing quickly goes out of control.
Crack~
Body unable to hold back the violent shaking.
Crack~
That one name… was enough to make Shirou's mind feel like it was shattering one piece at a time. Weak lifeless muttered being all that the boy was able to muster. "S… ak… ura?
Everything was growing dark and cold around him, like an abyss that wanted to swallow him whole, unforgiving and unrelenting.
Yet, it was strangely inviting.
This display did not go unnoticed.
Salem's eyes closed as a tired sigh escaped her lips. When they opened, a menacing glow was present in them, whipping her arm forward to grab Shirou by the throat.
The very next moment she forced him underwater. Though the violent struggle started, she kept him pinned, not allowing him to get any air. Bubbles rushed violently from beneath the water, a byproduct of the desperate attempts to break free.
Or at least that is what it would have looked like to one that didn't know better. Shirou had power, the full extent Salem had yet to see, but she knew that the boy was perfectly capable of escaping such a flimsy hold.
The underwater struggle came to a sudden stop.
Salem narrowed her eyes and she pulled him out of the water, dropping Shirou's limp body on the spring edge.
For a few seconds, the only sound that could be heard was that of running water.
A guttural gasp for air resounded as Shirou arched back to life, coughing whatever water had invaded his lungs.
Salem for one hardly showed any sort of emotion in spite of what she had just done to him. "You almost drowned but even that wasn't enough to snap you out of it."
As expected, her words fell on deaf ears. She thought that would be enough to take a hold of himself and cease his little breakdown, but it seemed she was wrong.
She turned Shirou around and pinned him against the pool edge, placing herself above his midsection, one hand holding him down, while the other wrapped around his throat.
In spite of being put in such a dangerous situation, Shirou had yet to come to this realization, his mind still a storm of chaotic thoughts.
Salem could see it in his eyes, the pain, the rejection of reality.
The regression back to blissful ignorance.
It was so frustrating to witness… so familiar…
"Keep it in!" Salem ordered with venom in her voice, her fingers tightening around his throat as Shirou kept struggling beneath her. "Harder! Endure it! Do it harder!"
Haggard gasps escaped his throat as Salem was slowly squeezing the life out of him. Just like how he was struggling earlier underwater, now he struggled against her cold grip.
Yet, that wasn't the true reason behind his violent shakes.
The threat of death was hardly a reason behind Shirou's struggle, it was all a result of his mind and body being in opposition to each other.
The mind desires to crumble upon itself.
The body violently trying to prevent that and desperate to survive.
To him, the desire to live is now something uncertain, the threat of death hardly matters.
It pales in comparison to the primal fear of the truth.
Still, what Salem was doing, whether or not she realized it, there was some merit to her actions. As she stood upon him, her pale form threatened him in such a malevolent display.
… It made something inside him snap.
Rage began to ignite in his eyes.
Good.
His dark arm pulsed with energy and it whipped forward, grabbing Salem by the wrist, her grip becoming undone as Shirou's vice-like hand crushed it.
Though the pain would have made a normal person cry, Salem gave it little attention, her attention focused entirely on the boy beneath her.
A creepy smile instead crept across her face.
"That's it! " She whispered with a hiss, the life returning to Shirou's eyes. "Almost there!"
Teeth ground against each other, a deep snarl forming on Shirou's face as his back arched upwards, Salem still upon his waist.
His body finally stopped shaking.
Slowly the tension faded away and Shirou slouched back into the water, breathing heavily in and out.
Salem was silent, watching as the boy finally was calming down, her shattered wrist bending and mending itself back to its proper place. "Is it over?"
Through the strained breaths, Shirou managed to give a weak nod. "… Yeah."
Quite the hassle, Salem thought to herself, slowly leaning back into the water, allowing herself to float on her back.
She did expect such a reaction at some point, however, she didn't expect it so soon.
Personal experience had taught her many things about mental trauma. It more than often wasn't a pretty sight and required a bit of rough treatment in order to keep in check.
Words of reassurance, while a preferred method of dealing with such problems, wasn't always a viable option.
Some people more often than naught may not even have such a person to give them that support they need, while others are just unable to be that sort of person for one in need.
Salem was a person at both ends of the extreme.
A tired sigh would eventually escape the Grimm Queen's lips.
"Perhaps I was too hasty. I will need to give you more time to readjust." Salem admitted in a disappointed tone, more so about the situation rather than Shirou himself. "Until then, try to control whatever this is, I may not always be there to pull you out of your misery."
Shirou could only nod bitterly.
Though he hardly showed any physical indication, going through that was the last thing he wanted to do again.
The fear of what may happen without someone like Salem to stop him was like a sword that kept waving back and forth behind his back, the danger looming over him at the slightest of missteps.
As it stood, Shirou at the moment was still in a very fragile mental state. Both Shirou and Salem were aware of this, so time was needed before the boy could become a factor in her plans.
Unbeknownst to the two, a third person had dropped by while Shirou was having his internal crisis and ran off before he calmed down.
The tapping of one's foot kept echoing in the room, courtesy of Cinder's impatience. She honestly couldn't see what was taking Emerald so long to return.
All Salem ordered her to do was to get some of Mercury's clothes and take them to the bath so that pale freak didn't keep waltzing topless around the castle like some exhibitionist.
The order was so simple, so what was taking so long?!
Her answer would eventually come, in the form of Emerald finally arriving.
"What took you so long Emerald, we need to-" Cinder paused as the former thief looked like she just saw a ghost or something, her skin was sickly pale and her expression was a cross between horror and utter confusion. "Emerald?"
No reaction from her lackey. She was just walking around in circles. "Emerald, what's wrong?
Once more, there was no reaction from her, this both worried as well as annoying Cinder. Without any hesitation, she walked up to her and slapped Emerald right across the face, the sudden pain seemingly enough to make her up. "Ouch! What was that for?!"
"You were just zoning there." Cinder did not show any regret in what she did, instead, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at Emerald. "What's going on?"
That question made Emerald make a sort of gagging sound, her gaze instantly drifting to the side, the awkward look she had was quite the peculiar sight for Cinder. "… Nothing."
It didn't take a genius to see that she was hiding something. "...Emerald."
She instantly brought her arms up and swung them frantically. "I swear nothing happened!"
"You're lying." Her eyes became a frightening sight, the warm glow flickering in them made Emerald take an involuntary step back. "You know I don't like it when you lie to me."
Oh, she knew that all too well. As much as Emerald cared about Cinder, she couldn't help but feel like her benefactor was a bit prone to violence at times.
She could see the reasoning, the harsh treatment she put her under was necessary to get results, her own way of helping her get stronger in this harsh world.
… Still, it hurt very much when Cinder got physical with her. Not much so the pain, she felt on her body but rather the one she felt on the inside.
Emerald swallowed nervously and dropped her head in defeat. "You… you wouldn't believe me even if I told you."
"Try me." Cinder's words demanded an explanation from her.
Emerald sighed, knowing this wasn't going to be easy. "Well, remember when Mercury was saying Salem might be going through some sort of mid-life crisis?"
That threw Cinder out of a loop. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"I… I think he may not have been that far off the mark."
The black-haired woman only further grew confused. "I'm sorry, what?"
Emerald's cheeks flushed red as the memory flashed through her mind. "When I went to take those clothes over, I saw something that I shouldn't have."
This only piqued Cinder's curiosity. "… Such as?"
Fidgeting around, Emerald tried her best not to stutter. "... Salem and that guy were… doing it."
The half a Maiden's amber eyes blinked in confusion. "Doing what?"
The expression on Emerald's face grew all the more embarrassed. "You know… that thing."
"Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you saw."
The air was becoming suffocating, even back when she started pickpocketing for the very first time never did she feel as nervous as she currently felt. The mint-haired girl wasn't sure if her benefactor was pulling her leg or was intentionally trying to make her feel awkward. Eventually, she muttered under her breath. "... Sex."
"Pardon?" Cinder tilted her head, she must have heard Emerald wrong.
As the blush grew to its limits, so did her self-restraint.
"Sex!" Emerald finally snapped, taking Cinder by surprise and causing her to take an involuntary step backward. "They were having sex!"
As the black-haired girl let the words sink in, she was having a hard time processing them. "... I'm sorry, what?"
"You know, when two people like each other, they sometimes-"
"I know what sex is, by the Gods!" Cinder half snapped, feeling frankly insulted that Emerald assumed she did not know about it. "What nonsense are you going on about!?"
All the air seemed to deflate from her as she sighed, of course, this wouldn't go well. "... Like I said, you wouldn't believe me."
"You think?" Cinder crossed her arms and tried her best not to make any mental pictures as she elaborated. "This is Salem we're talking about. I have doubts if she is even remotely human, and you're telling me she can actually breed?"
While the word was a bit harsh, Cinder refused to consider that something like Salem was able to 'make love' as idiots put it.
"I'm just telling you what I saw, okay?"
"... I don't believe you." Cinder further cemented, that no one would believe such an outrageous claim, not without proof that is. "Show me."
Emerald's jaw went slack and dropped. "I, wait, what?"
"I said, show me." Cinder further pursued her expression stoic in spite of what she was demanding. "Show me what you saw there."
"H-How am I supposed to do that?!" The choking sound she made was a testament to how much this discussion was getting to her. "It's not like I filmed what I saw!"
"Of course you did Emerald." Cinder did not bat an eye, certain of what she was telling her, reaching out and pressing two fingers against Emerald's forehead. "Everything you saw is recorded right here, all you have to do is use your semblance and give it form in reality."
Emerald paused and tried to understand what she was being asked. Her semblance allowed her to induce hallucinations towards whoever she desired, allowing the target to perceive whatever she wants them to.
If Cinder wanted her to use her semblance to replay what she saw to her, that could only mean one thing. "... You're joking."
"Does it look like I'm joking?"
"B-But, that's…" Emerald fidgeted around, she had never used her semblance for something so… obscene to say the least.
"If what you're telling me is the truth then I see no reason why you should hesitate." Cinder scoffed, quite uncaring of how uncomfortable it was making Emerald, something of this nature shouldn't affect someone she personally trained to maim and kill with cold precision. "Unless you have been lying to me all this time?"
There was no way to pull out of this situation. Emerald recognized the look Cinder had, whenever she had it something had got her attention and she wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted.
At this point, arguing with her will only make things worse for herself. With great reluctance and a strange sense of shame, Emerald finally nodded. "Okay... fine, I'll do as you say."
"Just show me and get this over with."
"Show you what?"
The duo both sprung forward, turning around only to find it was only Mercury, though Emerald for all intent and purpose was glad to see him if it meant delaying this bizarre and honestly uncomfortable situation. "Hasn't your mother ever taught you it's rude to sneak up on ladies?"
"Dunno, maybe she did, maybe she didn't." Mercury scoffed in spite of the blazing glare that Cinder directed at him. "So what are you girls whispering about?"
Emerald crossed her arms and stared at the side, she wasn't about to tell him of all people what he just told Cinder. "Nothing that involves you."
Though his presence was not welcomed, the silver-haired man got closer and pulled Emerald into a headlock. "Oh, don't be like that, we're all comrades in arms and all that jazz, fill me in."
"We could include you, but it was mostly girls' talk, which I doubt interests you." Cinder explained, hoping that would be enough to turn him off and walk away.
"Oh. I don't mind, go on."
After finally plying away Mercury's arm, Emerald glared at him in annoyance. "You really can't take a hint to leave, now can you Merc?"
"Really now Emerald, I'm hurt, I thought you loved having me around."
With that, the mint-haired girl had enough, she just wanted a quiet afternoon, not all of this nonsense. "You just don't know how to shut up!"
Mercury went pale.
Cinder's jaw went slack.
… That was unexpected.
Did she suddenly become intimidating without realizing it?
Both of them just froze and were staring at her like she grew a second head or something.
"… Emerald."
"What?" The tone in Mercury's voice further confused her, when he started pointing at her, which became even more pronounced.
The fact that he suddenly started to mutter something under his breath just further complicated this. Just what was he trying to say?
Unmind you?
Remind you?
… Wait.
Now that she started calming down, something just felt off. Was something breathing down her neck?
Slowly, Emerald turned around and she saw black.
Those inhuman yellow and black eyes.
Salem's so-called knight was right behind her, and the weapons she had strapped on her lower back were poking him in the stomach.
It was at that moment that realization dawned on her. Why did Cinder and Mercury suddenly look so panicked and why they were pointing at her.
Mercury had been trying to say 'behind you' this whole time.
Emerald almost jumped out of her skin, putting distance between herself and the disturbing man, immediately starting to bow down in a frenzy. "Kyahh! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do that!"
Shirou tilted his head, his face uncaring. "... It's fine."
Not really any reason to be bothered, he was the one that intruded. Nothing to get worked over.
Everyone present except Shirou gasped at the sound of his voice. Emerald currently being the most shocked out of the trio. "You can talk?!"
"... Yes?" One of Shirou's white brows raised in mild curiosity. "Why wouldn't I talk?"
Emerald started panicking, not wanting to get on his bad side, especially after nearly dodging that bullet a few seconds ago. "O-Oh, it's just, you haven't said a thing since you were brought back to the castle, so we sort of assumed you couldn't talk."
"I see… " He nodded and started walking away, now that she mentioned it, he hasn't talked to anyone here outside of Salem, it wasn't that hard to believe people had misconceptions about him. Heck, all he did was scream and growl like an animal. "Carry on."
His walk came to a halt, turning back to face the trio. "Actually, this is a good opportunity. There's something I've been meaning to tell all of you."
"That being?" Cinder asked skeptically, quite curious what this thing had to say.
Shirou was silent for a few moments, reaching and scratching the back of his head before letting out a tired sigh.
"Sorry for the trouble I caused. " He apologized. "I wasn't in the best state of mind the first time we met."
Emerald started to laugh nervously, waving her hands left and right. "It's alright! Really! No need to feel weird about it!"
"Are you sure?" Shirou double-checked. "You don't appear very fine about it."
The group has been on the edge ever since he stumbled upon them, Shirou couldn't help but wonder if they were feeling sour about what he did.
"Guys got a point there, Em." Mercury chuckled, trying his best to hide how nervous he actually felt.
"Zip it!"
"In any case." Shirou trailed and bowed his head ever so slightly. "I'm Emiya Shirou, looking forward to working with you all. I'll see you all later."
And like that, he left the trio in utter bewilderment.
"What... what just happened?" Emerald was first to address the elephant in the room, this day was just getting weirder and weirder.
"… I guess the new guy is… surprisingly nice?" Mercury muttered in uncertainty, seeing this Shirou guy act like this was far more difficult to comprehend than him acting like a mindless monster. "Man that sounded weird."
"Very." Emerald nodded.
Cinder was perhaps the one with the most complex emotions about this encounter.
The way he apologized to them for the trouble he caused, and how humble he looked… it rubbed on her all kinds of wrong ways.
Was that genuine, or some kind of ploy?
She just couldn't get a grasp on him… then again, until mere minutes ago she assumed he was no more intelligent than a wild animal.
Although perhaps it was better this way.
Those powers of his… if he is as intelligent as a human and can be reasoned with, maybe she can grow close enough to him and find out its source.
The three of them had been so thrown out of the loop by Shirou's presence that they failed to notice the Seer Grimm guiding him around the castle.
Shirou stared silently.
Salem had told him to follow this jellyfish-like Grimm to where he will sleep, and so he complied. The room itself was quite large and spacious, with a few massive wooden pieces of furniture laying across, the bed being a king-sized one.
One could easily have four or five people here if they split the bed into two. A bit too much if for his taste, he didn't need this much space.
That however was hardly his main concern. Shirou's fingers trailed across the rail of the bed, frowning ever so slightly at what was left on his skin. "... So much dust."
He turned around and saw that Salem was leaning against the door frame.
"Did you expect something else?" The Grimm woman asked, voice impassive once more as she strolled across the room. "This room has not been used in a very long time."
That much Shirou could tell by himself. In fact, from what he observed as he walked around the place, most of the castle was in a sorry state.
He considered asking Salem why she doesn't keep this place tidier but refrained.
"... I'll need to clean it."
"A good idea." She nodded lightly, taking a moment to look at Shirou now clothed. Perhaps the saying the clothes make the man wasn't that far off, he almost seemed human. "I will see you tomorrow."
"What about that thing?"
Salem paused and looked at what Shirou was pointing at, tentacles wiggled ever so slightly at its master's presence. "That Seer shall stay in your room."
"... Why?"
She told him that it was supposed to only guide him around the castle. He saw little reason for it to hang around the room.
"Were you perhaps expecting me to leave you unsupervised?" The sarcasm was all too present in her tone. "Especially after what happened to you in the bath?"
When she put it like that, it would be quite stupid to leave him unsupervised, even if he was just resting. "... Understood."
"If you need anything from me, touch the dome of the Seer and it shall contact me." With that out of the way, Salem made her way out, pausing to deliver one last order. "You should rest. Tomorrow I have plans for you."
The sound of the door shutting had silenced the room. Now it was just him and the sound of his own breathing.
Shirou leaned against the bed rail. It was quiet… far too quiet.
The day just felt like it refused to end.
He was finally out of that cold and rotting cell, his mind had finally come back to proper senses, and his body was now cleaned of all the blood and grime.
These were all great news individually. Though that should have been the case, it didn't bring Shirou any sense of peace.
Now what?
Just what sort of destination lies ahead at the end of this journey he put himself on by joining Salem?
Was it for best or worst?
It didn't take much for him to understand that Salem is not a good person and that whatever her end goal may be, it might just be something he wouldn't stand for. So many obvious proverbial red flags were surrounding him, and yet here he was.
Shirou willingly chose to swear his allegiance to her, becoming her so-called knight. Her brand now onto his back as a testament to that oath. Though it was nothing more than an over-glorified tattoo that had no real mystic power, it was still a reminder of his choice.
His life at the moment was something he was simply uncertain of.
This feeling of uncertainty he was experiencing was weighing down on him.
It was like he was stuck in the middle of a vast dense fog, unable to see anything in his immediate vicinity, unable to decide where he should walk.
Unable to decide what he is supposed to do anymore.
Dust particles flew up high in the air as he crashed onto the bed, the fatigue finally taking over. A frown grew deep on his face as he coughed.
He really should clean this room.
Hours have passed and Salem sat upon her throne contemplating. The fingers of her right hand played in the air, manipulating her most recent acquisition, making them float and dance at her will.
Her Grimm had been quite efficient this time around, collecting hundreds, if not thousands of steel fragments that were left behind from her initial fight with Shirou. It would have been an utter waste to leave them lying around and not find them better use, it wasn't every day one found a material that was radiating magical energies.
Dust was one thing, but these shards were something else entirely.
The fragments slowly descended and fell into the box where all pieces were stored.
She will find a use for them later, but for now, Salem just wanted some time to clear her mind.
Her fingers gently rubbed away at her eyes.
Today was quite exhausting, but it did offer some most interesting results.
She now had the most intriguing piece on her chessboard. One that may just make the need for her other pieces redundant.
It was however too early to make any premature decisions. The events in the bathhouse had been enough of an indicator that in spite of regaining his sense of self, Shirou was far from being stable enough before she could leave him unsupervised.
Just the mutter of that name was enough to cause him to break down and almost regress back to the suicidal wreck he was previously.
It's early… far too early to put him to good use.
Unlike the others who are working under her, Shirou had no real motivation to do so besides his mental state at the moment. He could very well have a change of heart at any time, and that will only complicate things.
Not knowing his origins made Salem tread carefully about what sort of individual she was currently working with. It was far more difficult to try and grasp an empty canvas than one that is fully immersed in colors.
While Salem did agree to help him, she will do it in her own way, and make sure Shirou won't oppose her should he regain his memories. She will need to take her time and mold him, mold him into an arbiter of her will.
So much work to do… but it can wait until tomorrow. Today had been simply exhausting, and though Salem didn't require sleep anymore, a few hours of rest sounded very appealing right now.
Salem closed her eyes and sighed.
The moment of blissful silence was short-lived, however.
Guttural screams filled the room.
As her red orbs opened, the Seer in the throne room that had been linked to the one in Shirou's room grew all the more restless.
Oh, goody.
He was having nightmares.
A sigh escaped her dark lips.
This will be a long night.
Author Note:
So apparently Shirou is dealing with some trauma and Mama Salem ain't in the mood for someone else's drama, she already got her own to deal with.
She however isn't too above it to bathe with Shirou though…
Whatever the case may be, it seems Shirou now has a Tiger Mom.
In any case, I'm trying to find the right balance when it comes to showcasing how messed up Shirou is now, avoiding making it feel too angsty.
One also has to wonder how much of Salem's actions are her being genuine or manipulative.
If any of you want more action, the next chapter should have some fireworks to keep you warm and fuzzy.
Anyhow see you guys later, peace.
Don't forget to review... no seriously review; I could use some constructive criticism.
