Fate/Kyon's Order: Alter Egos in Chaldea
A Haruhi Suzumiya & Fate/Grand Order Crossover
by Derald Snyder
Part 8: Meltryllis
(Why am I even here...?)
Well, maybe that was the wrong way to phrase it, as such a question was easily answered, 'On BB's whim'. A better question was, why were BB and her sisters here in this place?
At first, it seemed the question was answered by the presence of one Hakuno Kishinami... the real one, not the AI they had met in the Moon Cell... indeed, the very reason for BB's, and consequently her own existence. However, it turned out BB and the others had arrived before Hakuno and her sister had. So again, why? She had tried to ask Passionlip, but she clammed up tight with a sad look on her face. Violet had just shaken her head before saying, 'You'll find out someday.'
(What the hell did she mean by that?! And why did they look so sad...?) At least Kingprotea had seemed happy, though Melt had been shocked to see the youngest Alter Ego at normal size. And now they were all walking down the hallway of this Chaldea to some Fantasia place... she hadn't really bothered paying attention. Instead she focused her attention on the three Masters that currently resided here, of which Hakuno was NOT one, to her mild surprise.
Riyo Gudako was happily chatting away with Suzuka Gozen, about everything and nothing in particular. (Fitting, one airhead deserves another.) Haruhi Suzumiya was quietly chatting with her fiancee... Kyon, was it? Had to be a pseudonym. Still, Meltryllis could subtly sense that despite her appearance as a normal young woman, that she had power... power that gave ever an Alter Ego like her pause. Perhaps it would be best to remain polite with her, at least.
And then there was Ritsuka Fujimaru. Despite looking even more normal and average than Haruhi, he was apparently the most accomplished Master of the trio, in fact Chaldea's only Master until recently. Apparently he had, against all odds, saved the world from some threat, though she had no idea of the details. (Then again, with as many servants here as there are, he probably just sits back and lets them do all the work...) And yet, nobody seemed to have a bad thing to say about him, which likely meant that he was at least polite with all of them, if nothing else. (Easy to engender loyalty if you're not a jerkass... Probably why that fox caster fell for Hakuno so hard...)
"Hey! Melt! Pick up the pace or we'll leave you behind!" BB's voice called out.
"If it was just you, I would gladly be left behind!" Meltryllis shot back, as she increased her pace.
"Glad to see some things haven't changed," Ritsuka commented.
"Yeah, BB said you'd always defy her at every turn!" Haruhi quickly spoke up.
"Well, of course. I'm the Alter Ego of pleasure, I do what I want. And I don't like being ordered around. You'd do well to remember that, Masters."
"I promise we're not slave drivers," Ritsuka shook his head.
"Whatever."
"D-don't be so mean, Melt! They're really nice once you get to know them!" Passionlip protested.
"Except I don't want to get to know them. And you're too soft for your own good sometimes, you airhead."
"No I'm not! You're the airhead for even saying that!"
"Fine then, I'm an airhead," she snarked, deciding it wasn't worth continuing the argument. Meltryllis really didn't have any grudge against her sister, after all. She thought she heard Haruhi mutter 'deja vu' under her breath. "So what the heck is this 'Fantasia' place, anyway?"
"Oh, trust me, you'll like it," BB chuckled. "We're almost there now!" The group walked up to a set of double-doors with a stylized sign reading 'Club Cove' above it, the moon cancer taking the initiative and pulling them open...
Immediately the smell of brine hit Meltryllis' nostrils. A smell that could only mean... "No way..." Hakuno spoke up as they made their way into the club. The open-air windows at the other end of the building revealed a sight that none of the new arrivals expected to see... namely, a clear blue sky over crystal blue waters, which lapped at a wide sandy shore...
"I... am I dreaming?" Hakuno's twin sister Haruka gasped.
"No way! An actual beach resort?! Talk about totes unexpected!" Suzuka looked at the scene with wide eyes.
"The ocean..." Melt whispered, the waves calling to the sea deities that made up her very being... Okay, she was going to have to give BB this one. Though she would never admit it vocally... the Alter Ego of Pleasure had her pride, after all.
"That's right~! Welcome to Fantasia Resort, newcomers!" BB exclaimed with a wide grin. "There's a reason we usually save this place for last on the tour! Nothing else can compare!"
"But how did you do this?!" Haruka asked. "Did the alien help you with this?"
"I did not. This place was constructed before my arrival," Yuki Nagato spoke up. "It was a collaborative effort between several Heroic Spirits and human staff... even I was somewhat impressed."
"A summer resort in Antarctica. Now I've seen everything," Hakuno stated, still in disbelief.
(Antarctica?) Meltryllis mused. Then again, it made a certain amount of sense, as mages in the past had valued secrecy above all else... a secret installation at the bottom of the globe was hardly surprising. "Not that I don't like this, but why go through all this trouble?" she said aloud.
"Well, to keep it simple, we were cut off from the rest of humanity for almost a year," Kyon spoke up. "This was meant to help get the human staff, as well as the servants, a chance to relax and take their mind off things. Ever hear of 'cabin fever'?"
"That makes sense," Haruka nodded. "But it must have been a lot of work to put this all together..."
"It certainly did take quite a bit of work," Da Vinci concurred, "but the payoff was well worth it~!" There was a general murmur of agreement.
"Too bad I didn't pack any swim trunks," Hakuno sighed.
"Oh, don't worry, we'll contact Medea and have her make some new swimwear for you and your sister!" Da Vinci assured him.
"Good, then perhaps Hakuno and I could go out in the water together, in a beautiful ballet, leaving BB, Red Saber and Fox Caster sputtering in jealousy and rage," Meltryllis spoke up.
"Ex-CUSE me?! Where do you get off making such a selfish assertion, Melt?!" BB said with her hands on her hips, thoroughly unamused.
"Yeah, I don't even know you!" Hakuno protested.
"I'm pretty sure she was joking," Kyon muttered.
"Well, maybe half-joking... it was worth seeing that smug smirk scrubbed from BB's face for once," Melt smirked.
"Ha-ha. Very funny, Melt. Remind me to put you through Punishment Time later," the moon cancer grumbled.
"Nope, sorry, BB, you're not her master," Haruhi interjected. "Ritsuka is. You want to punish Melt, you have to go through him first!"
"I don't think it's worth punishing her over a joke," the Master in question gently asserted.
"Ugh, of course you'd take her side, Senpai #2," BB sighed in resignation.
"Well, as fun as this witty banter has been, the ocean is calling to me," Meltryllis stated as she made her way down the boardwalk.
"But, Melt, what if your leg-blades sink into the sand, like me and my claws did?!" Passionlip cried.
"Well, one, I'm nowhere near as heavy as you are," Melt deadpanned. "And two, I don't walk... I skate." With that, she abruptly took off down the beach spraying sand in her wake, inadvertently hitting Blackbeard and Lancelot in the process... And then she hit the water, easily skating over the surface like a ballerina, leaving gentle wakes of water trailing behind her. She turned and twirled, making a small whirlpool in the air, pirouetting out the top before landing and taking off again...
"Wow, she's pretty good, huh?" Kyon said to Haruhi as they watched.
"You should see her in battle," Haruhi nodded lightly. "Just hope she doesn't run into any swimmers out there..."
Meltryllis couldn't help but smile as she and the ocean moved as one, twirling, banking, spinning, dancing... she was vaguely aware of cheers and appaluse back on the shore, but they weren't her concern at the moment. As she surged forward, she saw something in the water- a flash of white, curved horns... "Aaaahh!" she cried in distress as she tried to correct her course, only to flip over and plunge into the depths! (What the hell was that...? A servant?) she pondered as she tried to reorient herself underwater...
Then she saw those horns again, belonging to a silver-haired female with black scales and pink eyes... the woman in question then grabbed her head, pushing up ward until Melt broke the surface! "Gah! What are you doing?! Leggo of me!"
"Ahh, ahhhhh!" the woman cried in response, putting an arm around the Alter Ego's neck, trying to pull her to shore...
"What happened?!" Haruhi grunted as seeing Melt's undignified splashdown. "She was doing so well...!"
"She nearly collided with Tiamat," Yuki explained. "It seems that Tiamat is trying to pull Meltryllis to shore now..."
"But Melt's composed of several water deities! She can't drown!" Passionlip asserted.
"Okay, we better nip this in the bud," Haruhi sighed and shook her head. "Yuki, warp me out there. Don't worry about getting my clothes wet."
"Understood," the interface agreed, raising a hand towards Haruhi, who promptly vanished in a flash of light, reappearing in the water next to Melt and Tiamat!
"Alright, let go!" Haruhi grunted, grabbing Tiamat's arm and managing to free Meltryllis. "I know you're trying to help, but I think she's fine!"
"Help?! She ruined my performance!" Melt yelled angrily.
"By accident!" Haruhi shot back. "She was trying to make up for it by keeping you from drowning, okay?!"
"Drowning? Please. I'm composed of several sea deities... I am the ocean itself!" As if to prove her point, Melt suddenly dissolved into water, Haruhi and Tiamat suddenly finding themselves caught up in a massive wave!
"AAAAAAAAHHH!" the two ladies screamed in unison as the wave crashed upon the shore... fortunately the soft beach sand blunted the impact, though it still left them breathless as the water receded. Out of the corner of her eye, Haruhi saw a large glob of water reform into Meltryllis proper, who spun and twirled before landing back on the boardwalk with all the grace of an accomplished ice skater. "Geez, talk about a show-off..."
"Ahhh..." Tiamat shivered in fear, still hugging Haruhi tightly.
Back on the boardwalk, Meltryllis became aware of mild applause and cheering from the crowd. "Hmph. Be grateful that I was gracious enough to give you a free performance..."
"Did you have to do that to Haruhi, though?" Kyon said. "She was just trying to help..."
"I don't need or want her help. Or anyone else's for that matter," Melt deadpanned.
"Melt, don't be so mean!" Passionlip protested. "What if she drowned from what you did?"
"Do I look like I care?" Melt sighed...
*CRACK!* The Alter Ego's head snapped back, mild pain registering from her chin. It took her a moment to realize what had happened- Kyon had just punched her, using an uppercut due to the height difference. "You dare, human?!"
"I do!" Kyon shot back. "I don't care who you are, you do not suggest that you're willing to kill my fiancee! She's had attempts on her life in the past, you know!"
"I do think you owe Master Suzumiya an apology, Meltryllis," Violet said sternly.
"Me too!" Lip piled on.
"That wasn't very nice, Melt!" Kingprotea agreed.
"A-all of you...?" Melt grunted in disbelief. "Argh, fine, I'm sorry I almost drowned her! I won't do it again!"
"Better," Kyon nodded.
"Is there a problem here?" The group turned to see Karna approaching. "As a Peacekeeper, it is my duty to ensure any problems don't spiral out of control here... Meltryllis, while I enjoyed your impromptu performance, you really should watch what you say."
"Well, if it isn't 'Launcher'," Melt snarked. "I'm not surprised you'd be keeping the peace here, given your nature..."
"You two know each other?" Haruhi grunted as she climbed onto the boardwalk, a towel around her shoulders.
"From the Moon Cell," Karna confirmed. "This one was quite the troublemaker in the past, so I feel it's my duty to ensure she doesn't revert to her previous behavior..."
"I haven't reverted at all. I'm still the same as I was before," Meltryllis smirked. "The only difference is that I'm no longer level 999, so I can't just slice apart anyone I take issue with anymore..."
"Oh my, sounds like somebody was rigging the game in her favor," spoke the serpentine Lancer with blonde hair. "Of course, I did the same with Indra long ago, even though I still lost in the end..."
"Indra?!" Karna turned to face the woman. "Wait, I know you! You're the Dragon of Drought, Vritra!"
"I am indeed. And you must be Karna, the Hero of Charity. A pleasure to meet you," Vritra smiled, though her tone seemed slightly mocking. "Any others from the Hindu Pantheon here, I wonder?"
"Arjuna and Prince Rama are here," Karna replied, "and Parvati has just recently arrived."
"Parvati?! Well, that's a surprise," Vritra chuckled. "Why her, and not her husband Shiva?"
"From what I understand, she's using Shiva's weapon to materialize as a Lancer-class," Ritsuka spoke up.
"Yes, and given that she's a Divine Spirit, she had to merge with a human host in order to be summoned here," Da Vinci added. "By the way, I don't recall Vritra being a woman in Indian mythology..."
"Vritra was a monster whose form made it impossible to tell if they were male or female," Karna elaborated. "So why have you materialized in this form? And why do you possess Indra's weapon, Vajra?"
"Because he stabbed me in the mouth with Vajra, if you remember," Vritra replied, taking said weapon in hand and licking the blade lecherously. "As for why this form, well... in a Holy Grail War you have to hide your identity so your enemies don't find out your weaknesses straight away, right? That's why I didn't give out my True Name when I first arrived here."
"Now that you mention it..." Haruhi muttered to herself.
"That's true, I suppose. I only recognized you because of your evil aura and your tail," Karna acknowledged. "I'm warning you right now, you had better not attempt to dry out the ocean here or something..."
"She better not!" Meltryllis growled. "Or I'll cut her to pieces myself!"
"Oh dear. I suppose I should behave myself for the time being, then," Vritra smirked, not looking intimidated in the slightest.
"You had better," Haruhi warned. "Because I can think up punishments that would make whatever Indra did to you look like child's play in comparison!"
"Then I suppose I should obey your orders, my Master," Vritra said in a slightly snarky tone of voice.
"Well, anyway, we should arrange for rooms for our new arrivals," Da Vinci interjected. "Meltryllis, would you be all right staying with your fellow Alter Egos for the time being?"
"Don't worry, Mother is in a separate room," Violet assured her sister.
"Oh, good. Fine then, I accept," Meltryllis nodded. "And I'll try to not be a meanie to Lip."
"Vritra's room should be close to mine or Arjuna's, so we can keep watch over her," Karna suggested.
"Yes, that's a good idea," Da Vinci agreed.
"I don't want my room anywhere near Tamamo-no-mae's!" Suzuka Gozen declared. "Cat's fine, though."
"Yes, I'll make note of that," the genius caster nodded.
"No catfights!" Gudako cautioned her servant. "Cat already gets in enough of those with the other one, we don't need any more of that!"
"Whatevs. Like I'd stoop that low to begin with," Suzuka shrugged. "I'm a Saber, not a Berserker."
"Well, while you all do that," Haruhi grunted as she finished drying her hair, "I need to find Merlin and talk to him. Fou, where are you? Here, Fou! Here, boy!"
"Fou fou!" the little fluffy creature ran up to Haruhi. "Fou?"
"Can you find Merlin for me, please?" Haruhi asked politely. "You can bite him, but no mauling."
"Foooouuu!" Fou cried happily, dashing off down the beach. Handing her towel off to Kyon, Haruhi promptly dashed after the little beast...
*CHOMP!* "EEYOOOOOOOWW!" Haruhi couldn't help but grin at the sight of Merlin dressed in swim trunks, hopping around and desperately trying to shake Fou off his foot. "What brought this on, Cath?! Must you always make me suffer, you ungrateful-?!"
"Grrrrrrrr!" Fou refused to release his jaws from the caster's foot despite being shaken this way and that.
"All right, all right, that's enough," Haruhi said, grabbing Fou by the torso. "Let go, please, I need to talk to him, okay?" After a few seconds, Fou reluctantly relaxed his jaws, allowing Merlin to finally pull himself free, sitting on the sand as he cradled his injured foot in both hands. "Sorry about that, but it was the fastest way to find you without cheating."
"Duly noted, Miss Suzumiya," Merlin sighed, shooting a glare at Fou, who glared back before turning and marching off with his nose and tail stuck up high. "So, what did you need?"
"Can we talk in private?" Haruhi requested.
"Ah, very well. Let's just make sure I can still walk after Cath Palug's attack..." Merlin slowly stood, wincing in pain as he put weight on his bitten foot. "Okay, I think I can walk..." Haruhi sighed as Merlin braced a hand on her shoulder, the two going off together...
*Merlin's Room*
"So, what was it you wished to speak to me about?" Merlin asked, having redressed in his usual outfit.
"It's about my summons," Haruhi began as the two sat on the carpeted floor. "Why the hell do I keep getting all these 'dark' or evil servants?! First was Artesia, then an esper who turns out to be a serial killer, and now this Vritra! You know how the saying goes: Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern!"
"But have not that blackened Artoria and Asagami served you loyally?" Merlin pointed out. "Vritra might be a bit of trouble, though."
"That's not the point! The point is why do I keep getting servants who are corrupted or murderers or whatnot!" Haruhi shot back.
"Hmm, well, if we're talking about strictly that... it's hard to say, really," Merlin mused. "After all, the Fate summoning system can be quite random without a catalyst... you could just be having phenomenally bad luck. Of course, the fact that you're a potential Beast that failed to manifest might be a factor, but-"
"Whoa whoa whoa!" Haruhi cut him off. "What did you just say?!"
"What, about bad luck? Well, some say there's no such thing as luck, that everything happens for a reason-"
"Not that! The other thing!" Haruhi cut in again. "Don't screw with me, you know what I meant!"
"Oh, that," Merlin smirked. "Come now, Haruhi Suzumiya... I've been watching you even before you or your betrothed joined Chaldea, I know all about your power that could potentially end the world. And be honest... you used to have quite the twisted state of mind. What was that you said? 'I have no interest in ordinary people- only espers, aliens and time-travelers,' end quote. Am I wrong?"
Haruhi's eyes went wide upon realization. "Holy shit... no way..."
"That being said," Merlin quickly continued, "meeting your beloved Kyon was a large factor in getting you back to a more 'normal' disposition, so to speak. Due to his influence, you now care for your fellow man despite whether they have special powers or not... to the point you willingly play by the rules, even though you could easily rewrite this world however you wish. To be blunt, there is little to no chance of you manifesting as an Evil of Humanity as you are now. Indeed, the only way I could think of that occurring would be if you were immersed in Tiamat's Chaos Tide with no protection, but you obviously know better than that."
"...Yeah. So were these servants supposed to be my 'army of darkness' or something?" Haruhi pondered.
"Who can say," Merlin shrugged. "Besides, you aren't the only potential Beast who refused to manifest as one..."
"Oh yeah," Haruhi snapped her fingers, "Yuki said that Beast IV refused to manifest and gave up their powers..."
"Yes, he did so to save the one human he grew to care for and give her a normal lifespan," the caster nodded. "But, that's probably all I should say on the matter. I don't think he'd be pleased if I outed him..."
"Right, I understand," Haruhi nodded. "So is that girl living a happy life now?"
"...You could say that," Merlin smiled mysteriously. "She might still have hardships to overcome, but she won't have to face them alone. And besides," he continued, "if I thought you were a threat to humanity, don't you think I would have done something about it before you arrived here? I am a potential Grand Servant candidate, after all."
"Oh, right..." Haruhi ducked her head. "Well, I feel stupid now. Guess I should've known better. Thanks, I guess..." She stood to her feet.
"Certainly. Though I would caution you not to discuss this with anyone else for the time being, save your beloved," Merlin warned. "Although, that alien Nagato probably knows already, or at least suspects it."
"Yeah, that's Yuki for you," Haruhi smiled...
*Alter Ego's Room*
Even though their shared room was twice the size of a normal room for residents, it still felt a little cramped to Meltryllis. The fact that Passionlip took up a good chunk of space by herself likely didn't help matters... "I don't think this is going to work," she spoke aloud.
"Well, we were shoved in here on short notice," Violet admitted. "At the start, it was just me and Lip, and it worked well enough... but now that we're almost all here, I can see how we can have problems. And that's not counting when Kazuradrop gets decompressed..."
"Wait, she's here too?! You didn't tell me that!" Melt gasped.
"It's a long story," Violet shook her head. "To keep it short, Protea was rampaging out of control, Drop devoured part of her data to match her, and then Lip cubeified them both while they were wrestling with one another."
"I don't really remember what happened," Kingprotea said, looking at the floor. "They said I was brain-washed by Kiara..."
"Wait, Kiara?! As in Kiara Sessyoin?! What the hell?!" Meltryllis cried. "I thought that bitch was dead! What the hell happened?!"
"It was a different Kiara from an alternate timeline," Violet explained. "Don't worry, she's already been dealt with."
"Uh-huh, Mother and Miss Nagato worked together behind the scenes to undermine her," Lip said with a small smile.
"No surprise. After what happened last time, Mother probably didn't feel like getting manipulated by that bitch again," Melt mused. "Wait, did she get these Masters to help us out?! Is that why we're all here now?!"
"More or less," Violet nodded. "Indeed, if it hasn't been for Miss Suzumiya, we wouldn't have stood a chance of winning..."
"But that's a secret!" Lip cut in. "Mother said not to say anything about what Miss Haruhi did to anyone, because some of the mages here might try to take her power for themselves!"
"...Yeah, I can see that," Meltryllis shrugged. "She's got quite the dedicated lover, though. I'm almost jealous."
"I was surprised he hit you like that," Vio admitted. "He doesn't seem like the violent sort... then again, love can make people do things they would never consider otherwise..." Her expression turned melancholy at this, averting her gaze. "Mother is a literal example of that, after all..."
"Don't I know it," Melt deadpanned. "So, how about we ask that Da Vinci to at least split us into pairs? Me and Lip in one room, and you and Protea can have the other."
"Very well, let's go speak with her," Violet nodded, standing.
*The next day...*
"Soo, you kicked out Vio and Protea, did you?" BB taunted Meltryllis as she and Passionlip were rearranging things.
"Shut up, BB. It was a mutual agreement," Melt countered. "This room wasn't big enough for all of us... and there's no room for you, either. So get out."
"Sheesh, sour lemon, much?" BB frowned. "You couldn't even tell I was being facetious, could you?"
"It's impossible to try and figure out what you're thinking," Melt snarked.
"Well, maybe if you're loyal to Ritsuka, he'll come to trust you more than Mother!" Passionlip spoke up.
"Wha...? If that's a joke, Lip, I'm not laughing!" BB sweat-dropped.
"Me neither. Why would I want to be loyal to some nobody human?" Meltryllis sighed.
"But, he's really nice to everyone!" Lip insisted. "He and Miss Haruhi don't see me as a monster, unlike others! That should tell you something right there, Melt!"
"Well, good for them," Melt shrugged. "At least there's one place here that piques my interest... though I'm not sure about having an audience every time I perform."
"But, if they enjoy your performances, you should do it more often!" Lip argued. "Then you'll be really popular and everyone will say 'BB who?'"
"Hey! Stop trying to undermine me, Lip!" BB protested.
"...Huh, never thought about it that way before," Meltryllis pondered. Turning to her 'mother', she gave her an evil smile. "I think I might just take you up on that idea..."
"Hmph! Don't think I'll take this lying down!" BB pouted. "I'll build a studio and make a new BB Channel to broadcast to everyone here! Then we'll see who's more popular!"
"You're on," Melt licked her lips.
*And so...*
"You want me to design a ballerina costume for you?" Medea asked, Meltryllis, Yuki and Ritsuka standing before her. "Hmm, I don't know if I can make one that would work well with those... legs of yours."
"It is fine," Yuki said. "I can create alternate prosthetics for when Meltryllis-san performs on the water. And I will make sure her weapons are safely stored."
"I don't know if I like this arrangement," Melt said hesitantly.
"It's all right. Nagato may be an alien, but we can trust her," Ritsuka assured the Alter Ego. "After all, when she manifested as a Caster, she never disobeyed me..."
"A Caster, huh... so like, magic from technology or something?" Melt mused.
"Yes, John Smith has referred to my abilities as 'bogus magic' more than once," Yuki gave a hint of a smile.
"Well, getting back to business," Medea said, "is there anything specific you want for your stage costume, Meltryllis?"
"It has to hide my hands," Melt insisted.
"Oh, are your hands deformed or something?"
"Not exactly deformed, but..." She pulled back one of her oversized sleeves. While nothing seemed wrong with her hand at first glance, the others soon realized it was slightly small, even for someone as petite as Meltryllis. She then made a show of clenching her fingers, though they trembled slightly from the effort... "As you can see, it's hard to move my hands and fingers... I can't even make a fist. That's why I fight with my legs..." She then gasped as another hand was placed on hers, turning to see Ritsuka giving her a gentle smile. "You're either really brave or really foolish, to lay a hand on me..."
"You don't scare me, Meltryllis," Ritsuka shook his head, with no hint of mockery in his tone. "After all, we have the legendary Minotaur here, and another berserker that manifests as a T-Rex for battle... You're pretty tame in comparison."
"...So, I'm guessing you're one of those who's 'seen it all', huh?" Melt said with a slight smile. "I might almost not mind serving a Master like you... almost."
"I'm sure you'll be a great asset to Chaldea, especially in conjunction with your sisters," Ritsuka said as he stepped back. "Anyway, let's have Medea get your measurements..."
"Fine, but you stay out. The alien can stick around... er, you ARE a girl, right?" she asked.
"Yes, I am a fully-functional female, Meltryllis-san," Yuki nodded.
"Okay, just checking. Alright, let's get this over with," Meltryllis sighed as she and Yuki followed Medea to the women's dressing rooms.
*A few days later...*
"So the new Alter Ego that Ritsuka summoned is putting on a show for us?" Kenji Asahina asked, sitting next to Kyon and Haruhi in a row of beach chairs specifically arranged to watch the performance.
"Yeah, Medea made a new costume for her," Kyon nodded. "But no-one's been allowed to see it until the big debut..."
"I-I'm sure she'll look really pretty!" Passionlip spoke up from nearby, sitting atop her giant claws in lieu of a chair, said claws resting on a reinforced platform to keep her from sinking into the beach sand.
"Yes, this will be a good way to break the ice with everyone," Violet nodded in agreement. "And Blackbeard, if you try to get any panty shots, I'll destroy your phone."
"Bah!" Teach grumbled. "But non-lewd shots are okay?"
"Yes, but I'll be looking later to make sure."
"Um, why are panty shots bad?" Kingprotea asked.
"We'll explain that later," Haruhi deferred. "Oh, is that her?"
"Is that... a penguin suit?!" Kenji grunted in disbelief.
"Wrong. It's the legendary Leviathan," Meltryllis said as she walked into view, though it was very obviously a penguin suit that covered everything thing above the thighs, a pair of sunglasses on her face. As for her legs, the blades had been swapped out for stylized prosthetics, making her a bit shorter than before.
"Please tell me that's not your actual performance costume," Kyon half-snarked.
"Of course not. This is meant to keep my costume from getting all sandy on the way down here," the Alter Ego sighed, doffing her shades, then abruptly whipping off the penguin suit, revealing a blue swimsuit with a white-frilled chest, poofy white sleeves hiding her lower arms and hands, though they didn't detract from her beauty one bit.
"Whoa! How can I not get a panty shot with a suit like that?!" Blackbeard exclaimed as his phone snapped several pictures, only for Violet's whip to yank it out of his hands, the device flying onto Passionlip's platform, which was promptly crushed when she moved her claws a little.
"Oops, I broke your phone! Sorry, Mr. Teach!" Lip giggled.
"Ahhhhh! My lewd pictures! They've been sent ta Davy Jones' Locker!" Blackbeard wailed in despair.
"Serves you right," Haruhi nodded curtly.
"Well, now that the peanut gallery has been dispensed with," Melt stated, eliciting a few chuckles, "shall we begin the performance?" With that, classical music began playing from nearby speakers, Melt slowly backing up to the water's edge, before abruptly turning and shooting off, leaving a spray of water! She stopped before it became impossible for those on the shore to make her out, making a wide turn and sending up a small wave in the process, skimming along the water before twirling, making a small water cyclone...
"Wow, this is like watching ice skating, except on water!" Kenji exclaimed.
"Yeah, she's really something," Kairi Sisigou agreed.
"I wish I was half as graceful..." Bazett lamented.
"Yeah, I could do a passable job figure skating, but nothing like her," Haruhi admitted. "Kyon, don't you say a word."
"What made you think I was going to say something?"
"Because I know you. You never miss an opportunity for snark." Haruhi pointed out.
"Well, can I at least ask where Tiamat is?" Kyon inquired hesitantly.
"Don't worry, she's safely out of the way this time. I made sure of that," Haruhi asserted.
"Hey, pay attention! You guys are missing the show!" Kenji shouted. Indeed, the crowd was enthralled by Meltryllis' performance, watching her flip and twirl, the water seemingly flowing along with her movements... even some of the artificial sea life was joining in the show now, as the classical music reached its crescendo... Meltryllis then ended with a sky high flip through the air, gracefully twirling as she came back down, executing a pefect landing with her arm splayed out! The audience quickly broke into a standing ovation upon the conclusion.
"Way to go, Melt!" Passionlip raised both her claws in jubilation.
"Yes, well done!" Violet called out.
"Go Melt! Go Melt!" Kingprotea pumped her arms repeatedly.
"Don't you think that was wonderful?" Haruka Kishinami asked her brother.
"It was all right. Figure skating's not really my thing," Hakuno said as he clapped politely.
"Yes, thank you. I'm glad you all enjoyed yourselves as much as I did," Melt smirked, giving a formal bow.
"Oh, yes, we did! And I am grateful that you used one of my compositions to perform to!" Mozart exclaimed as he came up to the Alter Ego. "Truly a masterful performance!"
"So, that was one of your songs? Duly noted," Melt said. "Perhaps you could compose an original piece for my next show, then?"
"I would be more than glad to, Lady Meltryllis!" Mozart bowed his head in gratitude.
"Lady Meltryllis... I like that," the Alter Ego smiled sinisterly. "Yes, I do think this could be the start of something wonderful..." Her smile widened upon seeing BB in the distance, frowning with her face darkened. (Yes, wonderful indeed... let's see you try to beat this, Mother!)
*To be continued...*
A/N: This is the last of the original chapters before I discontinued this story... But like I said at the beginning, I might write another episode or two, though they won't exactly 'conclude' the story proper. Stay tuned!