FATE/CATBOX FICTION

Chapter 38: Pity and Disappointment

The entire world was silent.

Maybe it was more accurate to say that the entire universe refused to make a sound.

The Akakor world was gradually being erased from the Greater History of Man, with all of the southern hemisphere already disintegrated like tiny particles of sand. Although the darkness swallowing everyone was terrifying, no one felt any pain as their existence was silently wiped away. North America followed suit, along with Asia, the Middle East, and eastern Europe. The disintegration closed in on western Europe last, and the darkness became much more profound than ever before.

Connla could barely think straight. She knew she had wasted too much time fighting Salieri. She was sure that Chaldea would not want to maintain the summoning circle for her when the Pruning could affect that world as well. This was already on top of watching Cliste die in the explosion. She hung her head low and fixed her eyes on Salieri's torn body. She wanted to be angry with him for getting her into this predicament, but she no longer had the energy to care.

Instead, she quietly approached him, then kneeled and rest his head on her lap. He became confused with her kind gesture, and he uttered, "Why… are you…"

"Mr. Salieri," she murmured sadly. "There's something I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Well… it's just…"

She tightly closed her eyes and choked up. Tears flowed down her cheeks, yet they clashed with the rigid smile she tried so hard to show the dying Avenger. Waver placed his hands on her shoulders to help steady her.

"I wanted to… thank you… for taking care of Cliste…"

The purple glow shining through Salieri's deformed mask slits dimmed slightly. Some kind of hellbeast churned within his heart when he heard those words.

"No…" he moaned. "I do not need such praise. It was something… I wanted to do."

He turned his face towards hers. His hideously toothy mouth somehow formed a warm smile of its own.

"But even so… you're very much welcome."

Connla watched their immediate surroundings get darker and darker. It was getting difficult for her to see her own hand in front of her face. She sullenly sighed, "I guess this is it for me. All I can do is pray that Master, Father, and everyone else made it home safely."

"Connla…" Waver murmured.

The child Servant sniffled and started to sob in earnest. He threw his arms around her and held her tightly, silently assuring her that if she was going to disappear, he would be there with her.

"… No."

Salieri gasped that word in defiance as he struggled to get back up. They were bewildered about what he was trying to say. He reached up to them and urged, "Both of you… hold me upright."

"Huh?" Waver yelped.

"Hurry! There's no time!"

Bewildered as to what he trying to do, the pair slumped Salieri's arms over their shoulders until he was able to levitate himself a couple of inches off the ground. Connla weakly asked him, "What are you going to do?"

"I won't… let it end like this…" he seethed with determination, then curled his clawed fingers. An ethereal keyboard materialized one key at a time in a curve around him. "I'll bring you both home…"

"How?" Waver asked.

He didn't have the strength to explain it to him. He just focused on playing Bach's Sarabande in C Minor, as Cliste instructed him to. Both Master and Lancer fell silent as they listened to the song. Was Salieri playing this as some sort of tribute to them being the last survivors of the Akakor world? Or was it a requiem for this dying world itself? They weren't sure, but the melody was so beautiful that they dared not ask him.

About a minute into the song, something unusual started to happen. An oily orb of random colors formed around them like a soap bubble, lifting the trio into the air a couple of feet. Connla could tell that Salieri was using the last of the Terminal's power that Cliste gave him to transport them through a rift into the Kaleidoscope. Unlike traveling through a traditional Gate, this time the world didn't rush past them like they were falling into a tunnel. Instead, it was more like the scenery itself gently changed while they remained perfectly still.

The darkness that encroached the Akakor world shifted, then gave way to a strange, hollow place comprised entirely of steel walls, like a warehouse or a hangar. Frigid air touched Connla's cheeks, startling her for a moment. Through the piano's delicate keystrokes, she heard terrible winds howling and ran over to the nearest window to look outside. Her eyes widened in total shock. All she could see was pure white snow covering numerous mountain ranges. This wintry scenery immediately became familiar to her, and she could only gasp two words:

"It's… Chaldea…"

Waver ran up to the window to look outside, then cried out, "No way! Is this really your world!?"

She nodded and mumbled, "Mm."

Salieri eventually finished playing the piece and slumped onto the ground, thoroughly exhausted. He didn't even have the strength to pick up his arms as they spread out from his sides.

He grinned a little, then moaned, "Good. You're both safe now…"

Connla approached the dying Servant and kneeled over him while asking, "Why did you save us!? I can't remember doing anything for you that would-"

"You didn't have to. This was something… I decided for myself."

"I… I don't understand."

Salieri chuckled bitterly. "I'm not sure… I do either. All I can tell you… is that Antonio Salieri is dead. This creature before you… is the Man in Grey… an Innocent Monster… who seeks the death of those… loved by God. Someone like me… should not blindly… fight for… humanity's sake. He should instead… fight for those… whom God abandoned… to the whims… of the court… of public opinion."

"…"

"Lancer would have… wanted you… to keep fighting… for peace. But I wanted to… see that strength… for myself. I wanted to see… why she had… so much faith in you. I wanted to see… the might of someone… who could calm… a Beast."

"So you purposely stranded me in the Akakor world and challenged me, while using the last of the Terminal's energy as a means of bringing me back to this world - to see what my real strength was, without interference from my Master or Servant allies…"

"Yes. Fear not. You were… never in danger… of being Pruned… with that wretched world…"

"Even if I lost against you?"

"Victory or defeat… was not the purpose. If Lancer believed in you… then I guess… I was looking for a reason… to believe in others once again."

Connla couldn't help but be curious as to whether or not Salieri found his answer in that fight. Yet, she had a feeling that it wouldn't be prudent of her to pry too much. Besides, Salieri had lost too much blood for him to continue this conversation. Waver joined her side and helped her stay upright as they watched him die. His body shimmered gold and faded in and out as his Spirit Origin collapsed.

They heard a myriad of footsteps running toward the hangar's entrance, and the door slammed open. Many people emerged – Ritsuka, Mash, Roman, Da Vinci, Sigurd, Kiritsugu, Irisviel, Izo, Earp, Maupin, Machiavelli, Quintrala… The bodies just kept piling in as everyone wanted to see what this disturbance was that Chaldea's sensors picked up just now. The entire crowd was shocked to see Connla and Waver present, already having believed that they were lost to them. Of anyone who arrived, it would be the Ulster Servants that were most astonished and relieved to see their fellow Celt's safe return, with the three remaining Cuchulainns overjoyed at seeing her to the point of tears. Cuchulainn Lancer and Medb would be the first ones to run up to Connla and throw their arms around her in a shared embrace. Even though they had been mortal enemies in their lifetimes, none of that mattered when they wanted to spend this moment in celebration.

Meanwhile, a certain blonde-haired Servant with pale skin silently approached the dying Salieri. He maintained a stoic expression, not wanting to infuriate him with neither a mirthful smile nor eyes full of needless pity.

"Amadeus… Wolfgang… Mozart…" Salieri seethed. He was unable to turn his head to face his friend. Amadeus decided to come around so that he was in Salieri's view.

There was nothing the two men could really say to each other. Or rather, there wasn't any need to. Although Salieri's previous life was ruined due to those slanderous rumors of him murdering Amadeus, he still couldn't help but feel overjoyed at seeing his musical companion once more. With his most cherished and hated friend by his side, Salieri could finally close his eyes and let himself return to the Throne of Heroes. Several seconds later, all that remained were the last few golden particles, which also dissipated into nothing.

Amadeus closed his eyes and murmured, "What a shame. To think the love that everyone had for me turned into hatred of equal measures toward you. Perhaps I should have Maria pray with me for the FATE system to summon you to our side again one of these days. Until them, rest well, my friend."

Nearby, Medb rubbed her face against Connla's shoulder and squealed, "Oh my gosh, Connie, sweetie! We were so worried about you! We thought you might wind up losing you again! Are you okay!? Are you hurt anywhere!? Did that creepy guy in the red armor do anything to you!?"

"…"

"Do you have any idea how much it took for me to prevent her from doing an unauthorized Rayshift to go after you!?" Fergus asked angrily. "I was this close to tying her to the bed and throwing my weight on top of her, let me tell you! Don't even get me started on what it took to get Setanta to calm down!"

"…"

"Well, I wouldn't have minded that," Medb chuckled, then chided at Connla, "But seriously, don't ever scare your Auntie Medb like that again, you hear? There's only so much fright that my poor little heart can take!"

"…"

The queen eventually realized that the girl wasn't responding to anyone around her. Medb grew worried as she murmured, "Connie? Are you okay?"

"…"

She just stood there. She didn't have the energy to look anyone in the eye. She couldn't even keep her head straight as she stared blankly into the distance. Her vision became so fuzzy that she couldn't make out anyone's face. So many thoughts raced through her mind that she couldn't focus on a single thing. Her stomach churned, and her throat tightened. She coughed a couple of times to compose herself, but the urge to vomit was too much for her to suppress. Suddenly, she slipped onto her knees and slumped over while visibly shaking.

Cuchulainn Caster kneeled next to Connla and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I don't feel so good…" was the weak reply.

"Do you need to throw up?"

"Mm…"

Cuchulainn Prototype rubbed her back and said, "Just take it easy, kiddo. You're not in danger anymore. We all here now."

Medb, Fergus, and the Cuchulainns surrounded Connla as she proceeded to bawl wildly and be sick to her stomach. Her cries were so loud that they carried throughout the entire hangar. The whole experience was much too frightening and difficult for her to just casually dismiss, like what certain other heroes would be able to do. Most of Chaldea's Servants who were aware of what happened to her agreed that they too wouldn't be able to keep a straight face after watching their friend die, followed by nearly being erased from existence with an entire Pruned timeline. All of this compounded with Connla's own inexperience at dealing with loss, and it was understandable that she would have such an epic anxiety attack.

After the worst of Connla's mental breakdown passed, Nightingale brought a stretcher so that the girl could be wheeled to the infirmary. The Ulster Servants accompanied her, and although Cuchulainn Caster tried using his Runecraft to help Connla fall asleep, she was too worked up for them to be effective. It took a combination of his magic plus more of Da Vinci's sedative before she finally passed out.

Waver watched this exchange off to the side. He was similarly fatigued from the number of battles he had to go through, so he too stood there in total silence. He stared at the ground for a long while, unable to say anything. He heard someone approach him, and a bulky blue glove rested on his shoulder as a bubbly female's voice asked, "What's with the navel gazing, mister?"

He looked up, and his eyes met Da Vinci's. He was surprised to see that Leonardo Da Vinci wasn't a male Servant, but a living facsimile of the Mona Lisa. He really didn't care about that as he grumbled, "I'm just tired…"

She really couldn't say anything to console him. Of course he would be exhausted. He didn't just lose Iskandar and Lexy, but also his entire world. How the hell was he supposed to mourn over something so… outlandish?

Roman said to Waver, "I'm not sure what happened just now, but I can hold off the questions for later. I've got a spare room that you can rest in."

"Thanks…"

The doctor looked back at the crowd of Servants and called out, "Can one of you show him to Room 290?"

A youthful male's voice replied, "I'll take him. My room is close by."

Waver gazed over at who was speaking, and his heart jolted. For a moment, he thought he was looking at Iskandar again. On closer inspection though, he realized that this Servant was much younger and scrawnier than his adult counterpart. His long red hair was done up in a single braid, his big red eyes possessed a friendly cadence, and he wore a brown tunic and sandals with a familiar red mantle draped over his shoulders.

"Thanks, Alexander. I hope you don't mind showing him around later," Roman said.

"Sure, no problem."

Waver couldn't believe it. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he uttered, "Alex… ander?"

"Hm? What's the matter?" the red-haired lad wondered.

"I, uh…"

"Boy, you look totally exhausted. Come on, there's no point standing around here. I'll show you to your room so you can rest up."

"Um… uh… thanks…"

The two teenagers left shortly after the Celtic Servants. Once the excitement passed, the staff and Servants returned to the main facility and resumed their usual activities. As Roman and Da Vinci walked through the halls back to her workshop, he said, "Well, I'd say the Akakor mission is thoroughly resolved now. The Artificial Beast is dead, the Akakor Singularity has been erased, and Ritsuka and all of her Servants are confirmed to have returned home. In addition, we gained contracts with four of the Akakor Servants plus Okada Izo, and miraculously recruited a second Master. I get the feeling we're going to be really busy with showing Waver the ropes around here, assuming he wants to take part in our mission."

"Hmm…" Da Vinci hummed to herself.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, your assessment is perfectly fine. It's just that… something felt a little 'off' about that entire world."

"In what way?"

"It's hard to explain, but it feels like a misnomer to call Akakor a Singularity. Our definition of a Singularity is a distortion in history that happens in that particular moment in time. Yet, what we could call a 'Singularity' in Akakor had already happened during the Southern Hemisphere Extinction… or perhaps even earlier than that during the Akakor Grail War, when Sade was sent by Aisling to be a Denialist in that world."

"So you're saying Akakor wasn't a Singularity in the truest sense, but the future born out of such a major distortion in history should that Singularity never be corrected. That distortion would be so huge that the World itself would have to fix things by Pruning it entirely. Yet, Akakor somehow managed to evade the Pruning and existed as a dystopia living on some form of life support."

"I think you're on to something. It's just a good thing it affected a parallel world's timeline instead of ours, so it'll never have any effect on our history. Even so, it's entirely possible that if we screw up at any point, the King of Mages could wind up creating a reality similar to Akakor's."

Roman raised an eyebrow puzzledly. "If you don't think it's a Singularity, what would you call it then?"

Da Vinci looked just as bewildered as the doctor. She hummed to herself in contemplation, then replied, "I don't know. Either way, this is a fascinating twist to what we consider Singularities. If this is a phenomenon we're going to encounter in the future, it might be something I'll have to fully understand in order to better prepare ourselves."

"Then for now, we'll just call it an 'incident' until you can find out more."

"Roger."


Cuchulainn Alter slowly stirred awake. He took a moment to figure out what he was doing, immediately followed by why he was sleeping. He didn't remember actually going to bed. The memories started to return to him as he thought about what he was last doing. He was in the Rayshift chamber, surrounded by all of his allies…

Except for Connla.

Fear immediately gripped his heart as the realization shut out any sleepiness he had left. He didn't want to get up. He didn't want to look around and confirm that she was gone. What was he supposed to do? He still had a job to perform as Ritsuka's Servant. But if Connla wasn't going to be around, then…

"God damn it," he cursed to himself and sat up.

The bedside curtain was pulled aside, and Nightingale stepped through before murmuring in a low whisper, "You're finally awake."

"You… What did you do to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why was I drugged to sleep like that? You should've let me go back to Akakor and-"

"That was Da Vinci who knocked you out. I was the one who devised the serum on her behalf though, so I suppose I have some blame to share for this. Nevertheless, we could not let you do something so reckless."

"Screw you and your recklessness! I need to go back to that world and bring the kid home!"

"Shh!" Nightingale immediately hissed at him. "This is a hospital room! You'll wake up my other patient if you keep screaming like that!"

"Your other patient?" Cuchulainn raised an eyebrow.

"The one sleeping right next to you. Didn't you notice her?"

Bewildered, he glanced over at his opposite side, finally realizing that there was a small figure lying beside him. He mistakenly thought it had just been a bundle of blankets stacked next to him, but it was really a familiar lavender-haired girl wearing a white nightgown and hugging the Mini-Cu doll in her arms. His mind went blank as he realized who she was:

"C… Conn… la?"

"Yes," Nightingale said. "She had such a terrible crying fit that it took everything we had just to put her down. Honestly… that girl's heart couldn't be more dangerously ill than it is right now. I'm going to have to pull out all the stops and work feverishly to help her recover."

"T-This can't be! I thought she was sealed off from us!"

"I don't understand it myself, but she somehow managed to make it back."

"Are you sure this isn't some kind of trick? Master didn't just summon a fresh duplicate of the kid to try and deceive me?"

"No. That is the one and only Connla."

"… Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. You can ask Master yourself."

Despite his disbelief, Cuchulainn somehow trusted Nightingale. To him, she was a crazy wench who was so dedicated to her job that her irrational single-mindedness caused her to manifest as a Berserker. Despite this, he knew she wasn't a liar. If she claimed the Connla sleeping next to him was the one he knew, then he would take her word for it until he could ask the Lancer what happened later. He exhaled a tremendous sigh, then lay back down and gazed at the girl for a long while.

Nightingale didn't need to be asked to leave them be. After administering some kind of shot to Connla's arm, she left the pair in silence, even obscuring the bed with the curtain to give them some privacy. She also locked the door to their room so that no one else could bother them for now. Once the nurse was gone, Cuchulainn wrapped his arm around Connla's shoulders and held her close, covering both of them up with the heavy blanket. His earlier sleepiness returned, causing his eyelids to become heavy. He sunk his head upon the pillow, closed his eyes, and left his mind drift off.


Location: unknown

A small figure lay on her side, with her upper body propped against some kind of stone wall or step. The air was difficult to breathe. No sounds could be heard other than her labored breaths. The atmosphere was incredibly still and oppressive. Unendurable pain shot through her chest, making it impossible for her to get up on her feet. A horrible migraine threatened to split her brain within the skull.

Ungh… Can't a girl just get a moment of sleep?

She wanted to open her eyes and look around, but she barely even had the strength to do that. She just sat there in a pathetic heap and waited for death to take her away. She tried to think about other things that could soothe her soul - the smell of freshly baked apple pie, the sound of thousands of chirping crickets at nighttime, or the warm glow of the fireplace - but the place she rested within was too dank and musty for her to overlook.

Guess I can't even die with dignity, can I? Oh well… I'm used to it by now.

Several minutes passed in total silence. She felt like she was floating in space, unable to cry for help or reach to anyone. Soon though, the light sound of footsteps could be heard. The stranger didn't have any footwear on, but her sense of sound was keen enough to pick up on his feet rhythmically touching the stone. When the newcomer was close enough, he stopped before the petite girl. Then his smooth, baritone voice spoke:

"Nagual."

"…"

"Are you unable to look upon me? To speak to me? To hear my words?"

"…"

"I know you are awake somewhere in there. I summoned you to this place moments before your life could be extinguished."

Nagual kept quiet. Maybe she had enough energy to talk, but she just didn't want to see anyone right now.

"… I understand," the man murmured. "Perhaps gratitude is not a priority when you have gone through such a terrible experience. Well, no matter. I suppose you're wondering why you've been brought to my abode."

She responded with a light nod.

"Worry not. I have no intention of subjecting you to further harm. I merely wanted to extend my congratulations to you."

"… Con… gra…?"

"Do not speak. You will waste your energy if you do. Just listen to what I have to say."

"…"

"Although you are fragile and weak, you demonstrated what true fear is to my sworn enemy, Chaldea. Not many of their enemies were powerful enough to incite the level of terror that you have up to this point. How many enemies of humanity have been successful in actually causing the world's destruction? Not many, I can assure you. Yet for such an accomplishment, you steadfastly deny that you are a genuine Beast?"

"Mm. I'm not… a real… Beast."

"Ridiculous. How can there be the concept of 'real' and 'fake' Beasts? A Beast is a Beast, regardless of how they were born. Perhaps you're not strong enough to be one of the Seven, but you at least fit the parameters for being a candidate."

"A… candidate?"

"Humanity's sins are vast and varied. Limiting the number to just seven is a gross error on the World's part. It's not just the Seven Deadly Sins that the Messiah cleansed either – there are so many faults with humanity that just as many Beasts can be spawned from them. You are just one such manifestation of a sin that mankind must face. I believe you know which sin you were born from."

Nagual remained still for a moment as she thought about the man's question. After some contemplation, she feebly replied, "… Disappointment."

"Yes," he murmured forlornly. "The sin of those you look up to as family, friends and mentors letting you down. Fuh hu hu hu… It is remarkably similar to the sin I represent – the disgust of looking down upon those same people as misguided gnats that require someone to lead them. I believe the human term for that is 'pity'."

"Pity…"

"Though we are Beasts that stand on opposite ends of this unfortunate spectrum, we both know the pain of disillusionment with those who boast themselves to be enlightened ones. Not only that, but the methods we have used to attain our statuses are rather alike as well. I am 'many' who became an aggregate of 'one'. You are 'one' who split her destroyed mind into 'many'. Our eyes have also become severely burdened with the sights of endless suffering and lack of progress. I must admit; I cannot fathom how you retain your sanity when you have gazed upon so many parallel timelines, when I grew frustrated from observing the development of just one."

"… Who are you?"

"I am the omnipotent eyes who observe the flow of history, and the system devised to efficiently govern human reason. We are 72 Demons, brought together by one Mage to function as the Human Order Correction Ritual. Unable to accept humanity's imperfections, we have become one entity and changed our function as the Human Order Incineration Ritual."

"The 72 demons… Solomon…"

"Indeed. My name is Beast I, Goetia."

Nagual was surprised to know she was making contact with one of the legendary Evils of Humanity. She stirred and tried to lift her head so she could get a better look at him. Unfortunately, she was too weak to even open her eyes. All she could moan was, "What do you… want with me?"

"Didn't I already tell you? I wanted to extend my acknowledgement of you as a Beast."

"But I thought… the Beasts… hated each other."

"Normally, we do. But I am not so crass as to overlook potential when I see it. I may actually find some use for you."

Nagual bitterly scoffed, "Hmph… Forget it. I can't… hold on… much longer."

"That won't be a problem. You may let your broken Spirit Origin return to dust," Goetia said as he slowly kneeled over her. For some reason, Nagual thought that Goetia's berth seemed a little larger than she expected. Was he a human being? Was he a monster taking on humanoid form? Or was she having some kind of death hallucination that made her perceive him as something human and inhuman at the same time? He took her right hand and proceeded to slip her thumb ring off. His fingers were shockingly rough and huge compared to her tiny hands.

He stood over her with his new prize and declared, "All I need is this. Should the time come, I will call upon you again. Until then, rest your weary bones, and leave the destruction of Chaldea to me. I will exact vengeance for both of us."

"Hm… I guess… this is weird of me… to say this… to the King of Mages… but… I'll be… rooting for you."

With those last words, Nagual finally died and turned into ashes that crumbled all over the ivory steps. Goetia watched her disappear, then held the thumb ring firmly in his grasp.

"They say that Magecraft operates on the principle of connections. The time I witnessed your death at the hands of your father… Ooh, what a painful memory. The sight of your clammy, pale skin as all of your blood was drained out… The dead look in your eyes… The horrible feeling of knowing the world abandoned you… As the 38th Demon and the Armory, I refuse to allow such a fine weapon to be broken again.

"Humans have disappointed you more than enough times. I will not make the same mistake. That, I promise you."


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, that's another one done and dusted. I know I always gripe about how difficult these stories are to write for one reason or another, but I think I can bundle all of those into one here. I practically had every challenge thrown at me here; many characters, original Servants to build up, loads of plot and worldbuilding, the deepest lore ever, many last-minute changes, and more things to keep consistent than you can shake a stick at. This was originally going to be the Fate/Zero-esque Grail War I had thought of doing, but it changed into dealing with the aftermath of a war gone wrong to fit with the upcoming Lostbelts. I bet you'll be surprised to learn that the original concept for the Southern Hemisphere Extinction was going to be a virus that killed off non-Mages, but with the pandemic beginning in late 2019… yeah, I had to make the sensible move and change it (lol).

Anyway, I can put this one to bed and take a break for a few months. In the meantime, I've got another mini-poll for you guys. This won't affect the next story, which will serve as a transition like Outside Experience did, meaning it will be a bit shorter than usual. It will affect the following one though. I have two stories building up, but I've come to realize that writing both of them at the same time will be too overwhelming for me, so I've decided to split them into concurrent stories. The question is, which one do you want me to write first? Your options are:

#1. The Babylonia Singularity rewrite. In this universe, Chaldea is between the Sixth and Seventh Singularities, and Babylonia will happen while Connla is asleep. Since FGO Arcade came out with its rendition of Babylonia, my mind's going wild with the possibilities I can explore for this one. Don't expect this to be a straight-up rehash of the original's plot like what I did with the Fifth Singularity and Unlimited Blade Works.

#2. After what happens in the next story, Connla will indeed fall into another Imbas Forosnai dream, meaning she won't participate in the Babylonia rewrite. Here, she will experience one of her counterparts go through a Lostbelt. This is what I call the Celtic Lostbelt, since it will take place in both Ireland and Scotland. I also have loads of ideas going through my head, but I don't want this to just be another Connla vs. Cu Alter fic since I'm sure that might be getting stale for you guys by now.

Please let me know which one you're interested in as soon as you can. Whichever one gets the most votes will be written first, and the other will be done second. Until then, Happy Holidays, pray that we have a better year in 2022, and I'll see you in a few months. Ciao!

- Benit149, 2021