Third Singularity, Part 1: The Child of Leviathan
1573
The smell of salt was pungent in the air, carrying a stronger concentration of it in above the seas they appeared in. As it should be, what with the Atlantic having a higher of concentration of salt compared to the other oceans around the world. They felt the humid air clinging to their skin, with their hair blown by the strong gusts of wind they found themselves in. They would need to slow themselves down, in order to not die so early within the Third Singularity.
What?
They all realized the situation they were in around the same time, that their bodies were falling from the bright blue above towards the deep blue below. "Guys!" Ayako bellowed a command to her friends.
"Caster, slow us down!" Koleen said, her body drifting closer to her Servants.
"Ruler, we need him, now!" Kagiso spread his limbs apart, trying to slow his own descent.
"You, got it, Master!" the Saint withdrew her staff as Medea uttered a quick spell that engulfed their forms. A large form shimmered beneath them, as the Ruler's draconic companion came into view. "Tarrasque! Get down there!" she smacked her staff onto the back of his hide, launching him straight to the seas.
He bellowed a roar of pained protest, immediately muffled by the air that was deafening their ears. Martha's powerful hit made him reach the blue surface in an instant, landing in a large splash that sent waves from his form. Medea's spell had also taken effect, slowing their fall to a slow crawl, or at least how fast Medea had deemed it necessary.
"Well…" Ayako started with a lowly chuckle, turning to everyone else in the group. "That's a first."
"No kidding." Ritsuka commented with a slight jitter to his voice, his hand holding onto Mash's tightly. A light blush was on the Demi Servant's face. "Imagine if we didn't have someone to slow our fall?"
"I can do that with my Noble Phantasm, Senpai." She said with a small pout.
"I guess that would have been necessary otherwise." He sighed nervously, looking back down to where the dragon had landed.
"Archers, do any of you see anything?" Ayako asked the two Servants.
"Nothing north and east." EMIYA replied succinctly, his black bow already in his hands.
"There's a small island south of here, as well as a raging storm eastward." Atalante answered, her voice slightly muffled thanks to the mask she was still wearing.
The four Masters turned their eyes to the direction she pointed out, seeing the black clouds in the distance. The far distance, cresting over the horizon. The lightning that struck the seas was very much visible to them, as well as the apparent tornado that connected the entire scene.
"Well, I'm just going to go right ahead and say it." Ayako's voice was unamused, concerning the situation they were in. "Chances are, we will be heading straight for that."
"So we should brace for the inevitable then." Koleen sighed, rubbing her neck nervously as they gradually came upon the back hide of Tarrasque.
"Good boy." Martha said with a smile, patting the dragon's head.
His growl caused bubbles to ripple where his mouth would be. "Don't patronize me."
"I take it we are heading south then, Master?" Lancelot asked, his helmet held in his arms, allowing him the clarity he needed.
"Yup. We need to at least touch base with Chaldea, before we move on." She turned back to her fellow Masters with an inquisitive brow. "Does anyone have a connection to Chaldea?"
"No." the Shaman shook his head, staring at his wrist band. "I don't know why. It seems we are cut off."
"That ring looks bigger." Ritsuka's voice carried with it a hint of terror.
They all looked up at his words, already anticipating the giant hole within reality. And indeed, it was large. Not overly so, but it was subtle. Ayako herself, along with Koleen, Mash, Martha, and Medea, were able to confirm it, being the Singularity veterans, in a sense.
"We really need to find out what the hell that is…" Koleen of all people was the one to comment.
"Yeah, but not now. Not at this moment." Ayako made herself comfortable on the dragon's hide, sitting cross-legged.
"Right." Kagiso took the hint, turning to the Saint beside him. "Ruler, take us to the island."
"You heard the Master, Tarrasque. Let's go!" she smacked the dragon's hide, causing him to groan in protest, but began moving either way. He was surprisingly fast and dexterous, despite his lumbering turtle-like appearance. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say, because of it, now that they were in the ocean.
The closed the good distance in a few minutes, with Tarrasque beaching himself on the shore, laying on the sand like an overgrown cat. He even purred like one, too, causing the sands around him to reverberate. Koleen and Ritsuka gave a quick order to the Archers, sending them off to gather the island and its surroundings, as Mash planted her shield on the sands. There was a weak leyline on the island, and it would have to make do for now, in order to reconnect with Chaldea.
"All in all, I think this isn't going as bad as we thought it would." Kagiso commented idly, standing beside her with his arms crossed.
"Don't be so sure of it so soon, Kags. Who knows what's out there." She said with a smile.
"Hello? Guys! You're alright!" the familiar voice of the Doctor appeared, as his hologram displayed above the shield. "We lost you there, everything went black, and we scrambled to fix to connection."
"Is everything alright, Doctor?" Mash asked him, as the rest of the group gathered around her shield.
"Yeah, nothing's wrong on our end."
"Then how is everything here? What sort of reads are you getting?" Koleen asked, dropping to her knees beside Mash.
"Hold on, we're still checking… here… huh…" he fell into a silence, as his eyes narrowed on the information that was displayed on his monitor. The faces of Olga, Da Vinci, and El-Melloi II appeared beside him, reading over the contents. "There's, an abnormally large amount of mana in the air. More so than it should be, for the 1500s."
As one, the Masters and Mash turned their heads back to the storm, now looking farther than it was. They were unsure if it was because of the fact that they had gotten farther from it, or if it was moving away from them. "Yeah, we've noticed." Ayako commented, as Ritsuka took a picture to send to the Control Room.
"Ooohhh… that is not a normal storm." He said with a cringe.
"Especially in the Atlantic, for one that large." El-Melloi added, leaning closer to the monitor. "But, I am unsure if that is the anomaly that you will have to deal with."
"Regardless, we've already resigned ourselves to the fact that we might be heading there. One way or the other." The Puppeteer said, covering her mouth with her hand in thought.
"The ring's also bigger, Doctor Roman." Ritsuka added for the man.
"What?! No… show me. Garet, move the camera, I want to see it!"
"Yes Doctor!" another voice replied from somewhere inside the Control Room.
They saw the screen change from the reflection of his eyes. "Tell me." He said, his voice devoid of any lighthearted humor.
"It has grown in size by 8%, Doctor." Another operator replied, female this time, judging by the voice.
"That's a terrifying prospect." Da Vinci commented with an oddly serious look on her face.
"Alright, enough of this." The Director stood up, matching the Genius' height as she moved herself closer to the display. "Romani, find the largest leyline within the area, and send them the coordinates. This ring is becoming something that we can longer ignore. Aozaki, you and the rest of the Ground Team will have to do without much support from us, I want the Control Room focused on the anomaly above."
"Understood, Director." She said with a single nod, her face and expression flat, conveying the seriousness of the situation.
"Romani, have you found a suitable coordinate?" the white haired woman asked.
"Yeah, Olga. We're sending it now. It's just…" he shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "None of these islands should exist."
"Maybe they've sunk by our time." Koleen noted with a shrug. "It's not out of the realm of the equation."
"True, it happened to Krakatoa in the late 1800s." Kagiso confirmed from his end with a nod.
"Wasn't that because it was a volcano?" Ritsuka asked them.
"It was." El-Melloi answered, understanding his train of thought. "Generally speaking, the Pacific is more prone to such disasters. Tsunamis, volcanoes, earthquakes."
"So it's still odd, for it to occur here." He continued with a frown.
"True, but as Koleen said, not out of the realm." He said, his words hoping to appease Ritsuka's worries.
"We should head out soon. If this other island has a stronger leyline, then that would serve better as a temporary camp, compared to this place." Ayako said to the group, her gaze following where the coordinates would be. She could barely see the blip with her eyes, and was only able to make it out by reinforcing her eyes.
"We'll touch base with you guys, in let's say, 24 hours. That sound good?"
"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Doctor."
"Alright. Chaldea, Romani, out." The hologram disappeared, leaving them separated from their lifeline. No doubt, that they still had eyes on them, but this time they'd have to move without guidance.
"Have the Archers found anything?" she asked her fellow Masters. Everyone deferred to her, being the leader of Ground Team, but she'd prefer if the Servants went through their contracted Masters, and vice versa.
"EMIYA has found local wildlife, and some lesser Phantasmal Beasts." Ritsuka answered, dusting the sand off his clothes, and the fur of Fou, who once again had hitched a ride. That little rascal was quite crafty.
"Atalante has encountered not so lesser Beasts, she's doing her best in keeping them from reaching us." Koleen said as she helped Mash off the ground.
"Berserker, help her out." She said to the Knight, who was looming over her.
"As you ordered, Master." He responded, reequipping his helmet back. The change in his aura was instantaneous, as his form was taken over by his Madness Enhancement.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" he launched himself into the jungle, taking a tree along with him.
She nodded in approval, before turning to the rest of her team. "So, when they're done dealing with the locals, are we all set to leave?"
"Tarraqsue is ready." Martha replied, patting the dragon with her iron hands. Said dragon growled, but said nothing. "Just give the word, and we're good to go."
"Yes, Ayako. We're ready." Mash answered with her massive shield in hand.
"Everything's good." Both Kagiso and Ritsuka gave her a thumbs up.
"There's nothing else here. We're set to leave." Koleen finished, sighing tiredly at the sands.
"'Dea? Anything on your end?" Ayako asked the Caster, who had been silent since they had landed on Tarrasque.
The Grecian Witch was staring off into the seas. Specifically, into the raging storm that was once again looking like it had moved farther away since the last they saw it. Her intent staring made the rest of them follow her gaze, curious and intrigued by the Caster's apparent interest with the storm.
"'Dea?" she repeated, her feet taking her closer to her, with Koleen joining her.
"That storm…" her voice was low. Not a whisper, but slightly louder. "There is an… air of Divinity to it."
Both female Masters turned to one another, brows furrowed as they processed her words. "Do you know what it is?" the American Witch asked.
Medea shook her head, turning her body to face them. "Not from this distance. We'd need to get closer. Dangerously closer." She said with a grim tone.
"Well…" every consecutive sigh she's had, gets longer and longer. "That sure isn't ominous." She said sarcastically. She turned to the others, clapping her hands three times. "Alright everyone! We'll do one clean sweep of the island, gather the materials that the Archers and Berserker are leaving behind. After that, we'll head off to the coordinates that the Doctor us."
"It looks closer now." Ritsuka noted, his eyes glued to the binoculars that was part of his equipment. "Just real slightly."
"It might just be moving in place then. So, we might not have to worry about it washing up to shore." Koleen sighed, looking around her, around Tarrasque, as her eyes glazed over the blips of islands in the horizon. "I don't think any of these islands can handle even a light breeze."
"There's also a very likely possibility that these islands are manifestations from the Singularity." Kagiso said, his eyes also observing the far off islands. "Well, it helps us out in the long run, giving us chances to recuperate, and providing ample materials."
"Was that endeavor fruitful, Lady Caster?" Berserker asked, his helmet on his lap and Ayako's rifle in his hands. She had given it to him before they departed the island, citing that he would make better use of it.
"Somewhat." Medea replied, looking over the bag of holding in her possessions, at the moment carrying most of the materials they had gathered. "There are things I can still create on the fly, but it would be better if I'm given some time with them."
"Is everything alright, Ruler?" Mash asked, sitting close to the front of the dragon, beside the Saint.
"Yes, nothing seems to be a problem." She replied with a kind smile. "Judging the coordinates given to us, we'd reach the island in close to an hour."
"Sounds like its far, if it takes an hour for a Servant to get us there." Mash said with a frown, her hand holding onto Fou somewhat tightly.
"Don't worry, Mash." Ruler replied, patting the Demi Servant on her head. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you and everyone else."
"With this being in the middle of the seas, there's very little for us to go on here." Ritsuka commented with a wavering frown. "Like, there's literally nothing here for us to see. Singularity F was straightforward. France was filled with dragons. And we met the Emperor in Rome almost immediately upon arriving."
"It is rather frustrating." the American Witch agreed. "The storm is really our only lead, but to go there so soon…"
"Maybe we should head there sooner?" Kagiso suggested to the rest, his furrowed brows focusing on the blackened skies in the horizon. "Like ripping off a band aid. Let's just get this over with."
"That might not be a bad idea, but we'd need to reequip ourselves." Koleen responded, her hand digging into her pouch. "We're not prepared for this, which in hindsight, was stupid of us."
"What will we be doing once we get to the island?" Mash asked them, leaning over slightly towards them.
"Clear it out of the local wildlife, like before most likely." Medea answered, closing the bag in her hand and placing it beside her. "Reconnect with Chaldea, just so we can hand the materials off, so we won't be overburdened with them. Then, maybe try and find some form of civilization."
"Let's hope we do find people. Otherwise, we might just have to talk to the fishes here." The Saint said, laughing at her own joke.
"Master, you've been quiet." Berserker noted, turning to Ayako, who had her golden eyes looking down onto the waters. "Is something on your mind?"
The Puppeteer sat in silence, almost as if she was ignoring the Knight's question, prompting the others to look at her. Her eyes were so focused on the seas, never once moving her gaze. It was as if she didn't want to miss something, anything.
"Archers." She called out to the two Servants that were standing, one at the back, and one near the front. "What do you see?" she asked them.
"Nothing." EMIYA replied from the front, his greyed eyes also looking at the blue waters below them. "Absolutely nothing."
"There is not a single sign of wildlife here." Atalante affirmed, drawing out an arrow as she crouched down. She trailed her arrow on the surface of the water, and though they couldn't see with the mask on, they could tell her eyes narrowed with a frown to her lips. "Not for a few kilometers at least."
"Okay, so I'm not crazy." Ayako sighed, before she turned back to the rest. "Well, now you know what's been occupying me."
Now it was the others who had their eyes glued to the waters, inspecting it as best they could, with the distortions it created. "Mash, hold me." Ritsuka said, before he plunged his head into the water, eliciting a cry of surprise from the Demi Servant, as her hand shot out to grab his shirt. He held it for a good few seconds before coming back up, his entire head wet with sea water. "It's… clean… and not in a good way."
"Could Tarrasque, be… scaring them away?" Koleen asked, turning her pink eyes to the Saint.
"It would not be out of the question, he is the child of Leviathan, after all." The Shaman said with a nod, his eyes trailing to the dragon grimly.
Ruler frowned at the thought, turning to the dragon they were riding on, patting her hand on his head. Somewhat tenderly, given the treatment she's been giving him so far. "Tarrasque, what's going on?"
The Beast rumbled beneath them, causing the water to bubble. "They are being drawn away." He answered. "Not because of me. Not because of us."
"So something else is calling them." She reiterated the words back to the Masters.
"Are we dealing with some kind of sea monster?" Ritsuka asked the question that they were slowly gravitating towards to. "Like the Kraken? Or maybe the actual Leviathan?"
"Would not surprise me." Ayako commented, adjusting her place on the dragon's hide. "I mean, look around us." She gestured to the seas. "We're either dealing with sea monsters, or pirates."
"With our luck, it's both." Medea said with a shrug of her shoulders, causing the Masters to sigh.
"Well, keep an eye out in case something does pop up." Ayako said to the Archers as she turned her eyes back to the front. "We don't want to get blindsided by some fish."
"Martha, can Tarrasque go any faster?" Koleen asked the Saint.
"Can you, Tarrasque?" she turned the question to the dragon, smiling lightly.
The Phantasmal Beast growled beneath the sea, before he picked up the pace, leaving wakes behind him. Their trek towards the island was still a good distance away, but now that they had a sense of urgency, the hour long journey was further shortened.
"Alright people, listen up!" Ayako called out as she planted her feet on the fading sand. "Atalante and Berserker, you two will secure the perimeter around our camp. Leave whatever materials they drop behind, we can gather them later."
"Yes, Master!" the two Servants, one masked, and the other now equipped with his helmet, rushed into the jungle, rustling the trees in their wake.
"Caster, set up a temporary workshop with the tent we have. First priority; anything that will help us survive the storm."
"Yes, Master." The tent that they had brought along with Medea's bag of holding started floating, following behind the Caster as she looked for a suitable spot to set up.
"Ruler, I'd like Tarrasque to stay under water, be our eyes and ears in places beyond out reach. EMIYA, you keep your eyes to the storm, constant vigilance."
"Yes Master." They both replied, with the Archer turning his gaze towards the storm, his large black bow materializing in his hand. Martha approached the Beast she was bonded to, patting his head as he tiredly breathed into the sand, sending it flying. His growl sounded more like a groan, before he got up on his feet, and made his way back into the sea. "He'll be on standby, Master." The Saint said to her with a smile.
"Thank you." Ayako smiled back in turn, as she faced her body back to the rest of her team. "Mash, how's the leyline?"
"Not the strongest, but still stronger than the last island." She replied, dusting off the sands from her shield. The small form of Fou was making himself comfortable atop the lavender haired girl's head. "The center of the leyline is underwater, if I'm reading this correctly."
"Then we'll make do with what we have." She said with a nod and a sigh, her gaze moving back to the jungle, seeing Kagiso and Ritsuka returned with the log of a palm tree. "What did you two get?"
"Just something to sit on!" Ritsuka grunted, struggling more with carrying the log than Kagiso, even though the both of them were sharing the burden. Both male Masters planted the log next to the campfire that Koleen was nursing, letting the embers light their surroundings as the sky grew darker and darker.
"So, looks like this island is just as deserted." The Witch commented, as they all sat themselves on the log, all beside each other. "I assume then, our plan's not gonna change any time soon?" she asked, turning her eyes to the Puppeteer.
"Unfortunately." Ayako responded, shaking her head as she leaned back with her hands on the log. "It's out biggest lead so far. None of us are here are navigators, and we're all in areas that none of us are knowledgeable in. So… the storm it is."
"I might have to see if I can divine an answer, or a direction, from my ancestors." Kagiso said, his hand rummaging through his pocket.
"Well, if you're ever gonna try, it's best you do so while we're still on land." She said in a passing comment. "EMIYA, have you found anything?"
"A ship, coming out of the storm." His reply was like a magnet for the Masters' eyes, drawing them to him in an instant. "It seems, they are approaching the island."
"How clearly can you see them?" Ritsuka asked, pushing himself up to his feet and bringing his binoculars to his eyes, trying to find the ship that was spotted. "I can barely make it out, I see it too!"
The Archer's eyes narrowed, never once leaving the ship that he had noticed, even though it was a dot to their eyes. "It seems they are celebrating."
"That doesn't sound too bad." Koleen commented as she and the others joined Ritsuka. "What about flags? What are they displaying?"
"It seems like… the flag of the English." He answered, finally turning his head to face them. "How should we proceed?"
"Should we bother hiding?" the Shaman asked, looking as relieved as the rest of them, despite the possibility of hostility.
She shook her head. "No, let's just try to present ourselves as unhostile as we can." She clapped her hands twice, also repeating to the Servants in the jungle. "They are our ticket to civilization."
"And, if things escalate, we can hopefully deal with it." Koleen said, agreeing with the decision.
"Then its best we send the materials back now, before they get here." Martha suggested to them, the cross on her staff slightly glowing in the coming night.
"That sounds like a good idea. Come on, Fou." Mash then returned to her shield, preparing for the supply exchange.
"Kalls, get the materials from 'Dea. I'll help Mash. Ruler, make sure Tarrasque doesn't attack the ship." Ayako followed after the Demi Servant, her communicator already trying to connect back to Chaldea. "Everyone else, set up a welcoming party."
"Not literally, right?" Ritsuka asked, just to be sure for himself.
"No, but make sure they don't do anything funny."
It wouldn't be for another hour, until the ship would get finally get close enough to the island that whoever they were, were finally able to hail them. The Masters and Mash stood around the campfire, sighing with relief after feeling the tension that grew from waiting. EMIYA hadn't moved from his spot, his eyes still locked on the ship that had approached, his actions mirrored by Atalante, though the Huntress kept to the palm trees, standing atop the leaves with feline grace. Martha had sat herself beside the Counter Guardian, eyes closed seemingly in prayer as if she was ignoring the world around her. Lancelot was visibly patrolling around their camp, his helmet under his arm, if only to hold himself back at the approach of the strangers. Medea had not once left the tent that served as her temporary workshop, busy working her miracles for them.
"Ahoy there!" a woman, foot resting on the bow, waiving at them with a falchion in her hand. She was leading a small fleet of boats coming from the ship, approaching the island with a merry smile on her deeply scarred face. She wore a sleeveless red coat, held together by a black vest that looked like it struggled to contain her chest. She wore an elaborate hat atop her deep pink hair, one that looked more fitting for a pirate. "Wasn't expecting to see anyone here on these islands." She commented as the small boat beached itself.
They all approached the oncoming group, ready to greet this person, presumably the captain of the vessel that now sat comfortably around the island. "Yeah well, we're all you're ever gonna see." Ayako replied as she sighed deliberately. "We've checked, there's nothing on the island."
"Yeah well, I could'a told ya that." The woman bellowed a deep laughter. "My crew and I have been scouring these lands for treasure, and found nothing."
"You're pirates?" she asked, keeping her voice light and curious.
"Pirates? Nay." She shook her head. "Privateers, in the service of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth." The woman bowed with a flourish, the wide smile never once leaving her face. She then eyed the group, looking over them one by one. "Two Orients, an African, and two Europeans? A colorful lot, you are. You don't even look like missionaries. Who're you lot?"
They all looked to one another, a silent conversation exchanged, before each set of eyes settled on Ayako. They trusted her with this. "We're a bunch of people here, making sure that history doesn't get fucked up by some kind of asshole."
"What're you, from the future or summin'? Ah, you're mages then?" the Captain asked, sounding surprised at the possibility.
At this, a few of them shared chuckles. "I don't think anyone of us here would qualify as that." Ayako said, taking a few steps forward to close the distance, offering her hand to the woman. "Ayako Aozaki."
"You're the leader, eh?" the woman still smiled, standing slightly taller than her, taking her hand into her own. "Francis Drake, Captain of the Golden Hind."
"Francis Drake?!" Koleen exclaimed in surprise, her pink eyes wide as they focused on the woman. "You're a woman?!"
"I don't think this should be a surprise for any of us by now, Koleen-san." Ritsuka said with a chuckle.
The Captain turned her eyes to Koleen with a raised brow. "Why would I not be a woman?"
"The history books always referred to you as a man." The Witch replied with a furrowed face. "Hell, you're referred to as Sir Francis Drake, instead of Dame."
"Damn, I actually got knighted? That's a surprise, haha!" she chuckled amusedly, slapping her thigh merrily. "Looks like good ol' Lizzy got what she wanted!"
"Well, as amusing true history is for us, what brought you to this island?" Ayako asked, bringing the conversation back. "It seemed you were all real jolly!"
"Damn straight!" one of her crew spoke up, stepping into their vicinity. He stood at about the Captain's height, and though an eyepatch covered one of them, his single eye was almost dazzling in how colorful it was. A light pink turning into a shade of blue. "The Cap'n led us 'rough that maelstrom! Found a treasure of the gods! And 'en we beat that god's ass back to Hades!"
"There was also that witch that fell from the skies!" another one piped in, though he didn't actively join the group. "She sputtered nonsense, but she's the real deal! Helpin' us out and all."
"I don't think it was that extravagant, lads." Drake chuckled at the antics of her crew, leaving the Chaldeans to watch with quiet interest.
"You… beat a god? In that storm?" Ayako asked for the rest of them.
"Yup, but I'unno who it was. That Witch said she knew 'im. Oi! Who saw her last? Where is she, I thought she'd be up to celebrate!" she asked the men around her.
Murmurs of denial spread throughout them, with each of them looking around at each other confusedly. "Maybe she's exhausted, Cap'n." the first crewmate said with a shrug.
"Ah, maybe. Bah! We're here to celebrate! Open the kegs, lads!" the crew then cheered, spreading themselves across the beach. "You lot should join us! A celebration of life!"
Ayako glanced to her friends and fellow Masters, eyebrow raised in a silent question to them. Kagiso nodded back with a smirk; Koleen shrugged her shoulders, showing her indifference; Ritsuka looked between them, uncertain of his own answer; Mash nodded vigorously, surprising her. She turned back to Francis Drake, flashing the Privateer a smirk of her own. "Sure, why not?"
"Atta girl! Let's show the whole world what you're worth!" the Captain brought an arm around Ayako's shoulder, leading her and the rest of Ground Team to the merriment of her crew, celebration all their life's worth of life.
2017
The door slid to a close behind her, closing her to the rest of Chaldea, in the confines of her office. She looked around, briefly noticing the painted portrait of her father, before looking away with a scowl on her face. She shook her head before she made her way towards her desk. She still had a damned job to do, and she'd rather get it all done for the day. The idea of it piling up to tomorrow was enough to damper her already battered mood, as she sat down and powered up her computer.
A series of knocks interrupted her from further musings, stopping whatever thought that would fill her mind. She looked up at the door, wondering who it was that would disturb her in the dead of night.
"Director, it's me~!" her eyes widened at the familiar voice of the Renaissance Genius. Da Vinci had never once came to her office, it was always she that had to approach the Servant, and that irritation was quelled by the begrudging respect she had for the Genius.
"You may enter, Da Vinci." Olga reluctantly said, letting the doors to slide open, revealing the smiling face of the Mona Lisa.
And also the Clock Tower Lord, standing behind her as he snuffed out his cigarette.
"Lord El-Melloi…" she felt herself standing up, immediately stopped by his hand holding her by her shoulder.
"You look like you need to rest, Olga." He said, taking a seat beside Da Vinci, who had already made herself comfortable.
She pushed the concern aside, instead turning back to the Servant. "What's wrong? Is there something urgent that needs to be seen?"
Da Vinci shook her head, instead choosing to place a featureless white box onto her desk. "We're still waiting for someone."
"Don't tell me…" she already pieced who it was before the door opened again, revealing the disheveled form of Romani.
"Boy… Mash sure knew how to hide things." He said with a chuckle, carrying with him a small flash drive.
"What's… going on, here?" she asked, now sounding concerned herself.
El-Melloi pushed the box Da Vinci had placed towards her. "The Ground Team noticed something was up with you." He said to her, his eyes narrowing slightly upon noticing the surprise on her face. Surprise that slowly morphed into horror. "They made you something."
That horror then morphed into confusion. "What?" she asked them, feeling the tension rise in her body.
"Just open the box, Olga." Da Vinci said with a soft smile, one unlike the one she usually wore. "They made that for you."
Her eyes trailed back to the box. The white, featureless box, that gave away nothing. Her hands that were beside her keyboard, shakily moved to the box. She slowly picked it up, wondering what it was that was inside. The box fell out of her hands when she saw it. A white, round cake. Completely undecorated, except for the words that were written atop it. "We got your back, Director!" it said in chocolate writing. She felt her body sag into her chair, her eyes not once leaving the dessert.
"Mash also prepared something special for you, Olga." She looked to the side, where Romani was standing, holding the flash drive out for her.
Olga felt the lump grow large and large in her throat. Her hand very slowly reaching for it, as if she didn't want to see it, whatever it was. Her computer was on, now. She plugged the flash drive in, and a few seconds later, found only one file inside of it. A video file. She felt her heart race, pounding so loud that she thought she was going deaf. The cursor on her screen moved towards it, and lingered. Would she really want to see this? Whatever it actually was? What was it, in the first place, that warranted an entire flash drive just for it?
She clicked it twice, before her brain even fully registered what she was doing. And the video opened up.
Her eyes were glued to the screen, not noticing the three people that moved to behind her chair. On the screen, was a room. A room, that belonged to Kyrielight. To Mash. And there she was, coming into view as she sat herself on the bed, with the little creature sitting beside her. She looked to the screen, to her.
"Director…" she began, frowning at the word. "Olga…" she retried, looking much surer of herself. "I… wanted to thank you. For, everything you've done for me. For us. Even though you'd never admit it, even though you'd never accept it. Thank you…"
She breathed a lungful of air, looking like her shoulders were tensing. "Before, you took on your role… I was just, a test subject. A numbered candidate. An experiment. Nothing of use, nothing of import. Doctor Romani was the only one, that treated me, like a human. Tried to."
"Then, out of nowhere, when the previous Director died, I realized things were… different. Slowly, gradually, minutely… subtly… Nothing obvious. But, I got my own room, without scientists and magi looking at me from a two way mirror. I got my own clothes, one that wasn't just rags. I, got to explore Chaldea, without supervision. I got, to go anywhere, in as much as I could, within Chaldea."
"I, got a taste of freedom, from you." She sighed, her shoulders sagging tiredly. "You, didn't have to do any of that. I could've, stayed at the room I was given initially, and I wouldn't have complained. I wouldn't have protested. I was, content. Because I didn't know any better. And yet, you treated me like a human. More so than anyone of your stature should."
She took off her glasses, setting them aside as her other hand wiped the tears off her face. "I didn't know any better, until the people around me showed me their humanity. Showed me what I was missing. And I realized, that I have so much more than I thought I did. Because of you, Olga."
Mash sighed again, this time looking like she was having difficulty holding back her sobs. "I… still don't… understand many things. Even with Doctor Romani's teachings. Even with Ayako, and Ritsuka-senpai's words. Even with the people that we came across in the Singularities. But, I know enough, that you, Olga, feel alone. Please, you're not, Olga. We're here. I can be your friend. I want to be your friend! Please, you've given so much to me."
"Please…" she wiped her tears futilely, streaming down her face. "Please, allow me to return these feelings. To show how much you mean to me, to us! That you, are not alone! That you, are our friend! I don't care, that you're the Director. You're Olga! So please…" finally, she stopped her tears, looking at the camera, looking at her, with the happiest smile she's ever seen. "Please, don't put the whole weight of the world on your shoulders. You have us… we're here for you. Alright? Myself, Senpai, Ayako. Koleen. Kagiso. Doctor Romani, Da Vinci. Even the Servants! So, don't hesitate, okay? All of our rooms are open. If you need to share that burden, we are all here. We got your back, Olga."
The video stopped, with Mash's smiling face immortalized. Olga sat there, staring at the screen for what felt like an eternity. She could feel her shirt getting wetter and wetter, no doubt from her own tears streaming down her face. She heard something slide atop her desk, and looked down. A slice of the cake that was made for her. She looked to her side, seeing Romani holding a knife, smiling calmly at her.
"You looked a bit preoccupied there, Olga." He said with a smirk. "So, I took the initiative."
"Why?" she croaked out, feeling the soreness of her voice, that her hand even reached out for it.
"Why what, Olga?" Da Vinci asked from the other side of her chair, already a bite of the cake in her mouth.
"Why?" she asked again, shaking her head. "What did I do to deserve this?"
"Are you really asking that question?" El-Melloi spoke up, almost sounding like he was holding back a scoff. "That answer to that is obvious." He said, gesturing to the computer. "Because of that."
"Yup, that's karma!" Da Vinci said, planting her gloved hand onto her head, ruffling her white hair.
"Here, Olga. The Ground Team baked it before they left, it should still be good." Romani said, nudging the plate closer to her.
She looked down again, taking the small plastic fork into her hand. She cut a piece off of the cake, and brought it into her mouth. She savored it, crushing the vanilla cake with her tongue. It was, plain. It was simple. It was- as the tears poured out of her like a waterfall-
"Beautiful." She said through a sob, already taking another piece from the plate. She's had plenty of cakes before, all of extravagant makes, through formal parties and gatherings back in Europe. Fitting, that the one that was most plain would be the tastiest of them all.
"Thank you." she said. Her words, simple in make, but complex in its weight. She wanted to say it, been meaning to say it, but never found the courage to ever utter those words in her life.
Until today, where for the first time in her life, she felt like she was doing the right thing.
1573
"Don't worry, Master. I'll have something cooked up by sunrise." Medea said, speaking aloud even though she was having a telepathic conversation with her fellow Witch. "Who, if I may ask, is drinking?"
"Kagiso, and Ritsuka, got pulled in. Mash said she had Poison Resistance, so hopefully Ritsuka won't be as hammered tomorrow. Ayako and I are making sure things don't get out of hand, between them, and the Servants." Koleen replied through their connection.
"Servants?" she asked aloud. "Who joined the rabble?"
"Martha and Sir Lancelot. Begrudgingly, it seemed that they got pulled by the masses. EMIYA at least found an opportunity to make himself scarce, and Atalante should still be in the trees."
"Okay, so I'd need to make something that'd work for a Servant as well. One's strong enough for the both of them." She sighed, shaking her head inside the confines of her workshop.
"Considering that these guys are pirates in all but name, be ready to pull us Masters out. We'd still need some rest for tomorrow." Koleen asked of the Caster.
"Okay, I'll relay that to the others, Koleen."
"Thank you, Medea."
"You're welcome." As their connection was cut, Medea pulled out the jagged dagger that was the crystallization of her Divinity, and aimed it at the person that had walked in.
It was one of the Captain's crew, the one with the Technicolor eye of pink and blue, hands raised in alarm. "Whoa! Hold'on there! I was jus' walkin' about!"
Medea's eyes narrowed, not even slightly believing the words that left the person's mouth, before she sighed tiredly, letting her dagger down. "I was wondering who it was, that was able to enter my workshop without my permission." She said, letting her dagger dissipate.
At this, the person smiled a confident, if smug, smirk. "You mean aside from your Masters?"
"Mhm." She replied evenly, pulling her purple hood down. "It's good to see you, Aunt Circe."
The person's smirk morphed into a more genuine smile, as their form shimmered. And in its place, was a woman that was only able to reach her height, by way of the tall platform sandals around her feet. With pinkish-orange hair that went all the way down to her waist, and brown feathery wings that draped over her shoulders, she had pointy ears that put Medea's to shame. She had a circlet around her head, adorned with even more feathers. And of course, her Technicolored eyes looked even more vibrant, now that they belonged to their original face.
"Ah, beautiful Medea!" the person, Circe, wrapped her arms around Medea's shoulders, bringing the taller woman into a hug. "I thought I'd never get to see that expression on your face anymore!"
"Thank the Masters for that, Auntie." Medea replied, somewhat hesitantly hugging back. She then briefly looked to the tent's entrance. "Its fine, Atalante. Everything's under control."
The Servant outside lingered for a few seconds before nodding back, returning to her post and leaving the aunt and niece inside. "So, you're a Rogue Servant."
"Mhm." Circe replied, savoring the hug between them.
"How long were you here already?"
"Two weeks at the most. I helped the Captain out in bringing Poseidon down."
"WHAT!?" she pushed them apart, holding Circe by her shoulders. "That human bested Poseidon?!"
"It's a long story." The Queen Witch tried to deflect the question with a wave, but Medea wasn't letting go.
"We have all night, Auntie." Medea said with a sinister smile, taking her aunt down onto a stool she had inside the tent.
"Oh… ha ha haha…" the more superior Witch chuckled nervously, already brought along by the whims of her niece, but she went along with it anyway.
With the Masters occupied in keeping the in Dame in the making company, and the Director sobbing with tears of joy, the Aunt and Niece conversed throughout the night, concerning things that involved more than simply the Singularity. They had lost contact with one another when the Gods meddled with her life, but right now, there was none of that.
Just the Enchantress, and her most prized student.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
oh boy, that took a while.
sorry the chapter came out a bit later than usual. i could come up with some reason or another, but the truth is that i was just procrastinating, but i still managed to get the chapter out! (also that means there will probably be a lot of spelling/grammatical errors. fixes will be rolled out in the coming days, don't worry.)
it seems like it's pretty unanimous with against, OC Servants. alright then! that's why we talk about things before i just drop them into the fic. but, i'll got right ahead and say it, i don't like using Servants that aren't in FGO. so, you guys know what that means?
it means one of the first rules i set myself up earlier (way earlier) is already broken! let's hope it stays that way.
thus meaning, we have Circe here! i got her with the Babylonia ticket, so she was pretty much guaranteed. if i don't get them in the current banner, then the Valks are the next guaranteed Servants that i'll get.
honestly, having Circe appear this early really just helps me out in the long run. in the game, she just appears as one of Chaldea's Servants, no explanations. at least here, we have one.
anyways, i'm also gonna be doing a little something for Drake here. we'll probably get to it next chapter, since we didn't get to see much here. i wonder if anyone will have any idea on what i'm gonna do with her.
anyways, onto the reviews!
omegadramon2: yes, they will definitely appear!
Wintersmith23: noted, don't worry!
King0fP0wers: yeah, it would suck if i made an OC who turned out to be in the game later.
Lia Angelique: oh yeah definitely. it might not seem like it, but i'm trying to keep the summonings to a minimal. as you said, Sanson's already getting pushed to the sidelines. and that would suck.
Addicted2fanfics: i've been trying to get Sigurd and failing miserably. it sucks too, since i already have Brynhildr. if i get the Valks through here, that'll be great, but if i don't i can still get them with the next free SR ticket.
Guest1: thanks!
MirageSPL (formerly GARNiDELiA): i hope you liked her reaction here!
Guest2: i've liked the dude since the story started in JP. i'm a sucker for characters who are not part of the story's norm, and honestly, i like most of the Part 2 characters.
TalonScythe: ho. lee. SHIT! i, just... i don't know what to say. and i don't know where to start!
first of all, i'm glad you've enjoyed the fic! it's always nice to see another new and happy reader here.
the future interactions between the former B Team and A Team is also something i can't wait to get to! let's hope nothing crazy happens and this fic can actually reach Part 2, that'll be amazing!
and man, to see such a dissection of the characters, it's great too! thank you. and yeah, there's a lot of potential with having Olga stick around. i'm already envisioning things that'll happen when we reach you-know-what.
and oh my god! DUDE! that is amazing! aaaaaaahhhhhhh! i can't believe what i'm seeing right now man, they're all awesome! it's, like seeing something i created come to life! thank you, so so SO much man!
ah, it's amazing, i still can't believe what i'm seeing!
thank you!
man, i hope everyone else came back to check this out!
with that out of the way, thanks again for dropping by everyone!
hope ya'll drop a review if you don't mind, and i'll see you next time!