FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR

"August Harvest"

Chapter 4: The Clever One

After waking up from his nap and chatting with Medb, Cuchulainn decided to get up and see how Da Vinci's research was progressing. After all, the whole point of him and Connla going to the Fifth Singularity's remnants was to procure some data for her regarding Aisling interfering with the child Lancer's Rayshifts. Da Vinci was confident that she only needed them to go once, but he didn't share in her enthusiasm.

The door to the workshop whirred open, and the genius inventor discovered Cuchulainn stepping through while Medb eagerly hugged his arm like some lovey-dovey girlfriend. He tried to shake her off a couple of times, but her grip was simply too strong, so he just gave up and let her tag along. Da Vinci grinned as she said, "Oh, look who it is. I didn't think I'd get paid a visit by everyone's favorite Celtic couple."

"Save your shipping fantasies for another time," Cuchulainn grumbled bitterly. "You know why I'm here."

"You bet I do. You just caught me in the middle of my work actually."

"So did you get enough data to use?"

"I'm parsing through the numbers, but I think there's something I can do with this. I just need some time though."

"Fine. As long as you got a plan, then I'm satisfied."

He was about to turn and leave, but Da Vinci blurted, "Hold on a second, mister. There's something else I want to talk with you about."

"Huh?" he faced her while giving her the stink eye. "What do you want?"

"While you and Connla were busy in the Singularity, I thought I'd give your doll body a little tune-up."

"The hell? In what universe does a plushie need any sort of 'tune-up' beyond a little stitching?"

"Now, now, hear me out," the inventor smirked coyly as she showed them the Mini-Cu doll on her desk. "The previous model was just a prototype that Connla could carry around, but I knew it would be an encumbrance when she needed to focus on fighting."

"Guess you got a point."

"So now this model comes with improved functionality."

"In what way?"

"Why not stick your Spirit Origin inside it and give it a go?"

Cuchulainn snorted in annoyance, then reverted to his incorporeal mode and transferred himself into the toy. This time though, something felt different. He could feel his limbs and tail adjusting to the miniature body, whereas before he was basically 'stuck in place'. The toy's eyes visibly blinked a few times, then wriggled about on the table before sitting up and stretching.

"Oh… my… god…" Medb gasped under her breath, covering her mouth with her hands while blushing profusely.

"Hm? Am I actually moving around?" Mini-Cu wondered as he inspected himself.

Da Vinci giggled. "That's right! This model is now mobile! Now you don't have to worry about Connla having to hold you while in the middle of a fierce battle!"

"Hm-hm… For someone as flighty as you, I have to say that this isn't bad."

"Why, thank you very much. I thought it would be something nice to help her cheer up once she wakes up. Not only that, but I have some future plans in store for Mini-Cu that will add combat functionality."

"That'd be fantastic," he smirked. "Let me see if I can use Gae Bolg in this form."

He raised his stubby little arm up and generated the deep violet version of his spear, now much smaller to accommodate for his size. Unable to resist it any longer, Medb suddenly darted across the room to try and snatch him up. He suddenly got into throwing position and hurled Gae Bolg at her head, which she had to dodge by crashing onto the floor. The weapon continued on its trajectory until it hit the center of a nearby dartboard.

"Heh. Very nice," Mini-Cu muttered in satisfaction as he commanded it to return to his hand. "It ain't perfect yet, but at least I don't have to worry about slowing the kid down anymore."

"I wish I could have finished it, but I'm always swamped with other work," Da Vinci admitted. "You're lucky I squeezed in the time to tinker with that whatsoever."

"It's fine. Figuring out the deal with Aisling comes first. I'll leave you to it and check on the kid for now. Later."

Mini-Cu hopped off the desk and trotted across the workshop, blatantly passing by the semi-conscious Medb before departing for the ICU. Da Vinci shifted her eyes down to the floor and asked the young queen, "How long do you plan on lying there?"

"Ahh…" Medb happily crooned. "I think I'm in love…"

"Before you ask, I'm not making a second one for you. Now would you kindly get out of my workshop already?"

"Cuuu~uuu…"

"Oh boy. This is going to take a while."

Back in the dream version of the Fifth Singularity, the other Cuchulainn Alter was already engaged with the corrupted Connla, now being used for the Demon God Pillar Halphas to manifest in. The exterior of the White House was practically demolished during the intense fight. Not only that, but Connla's power was so incredible that she had already managed to slay Rama, Nightingale and Medb, while Mash had taken Ritsuka to a safe distance and concentrated on protecting him from Connla's wrath. Now, through an unexpected twist of fate, victory solely depended on the Berserker they previously regarded as one of the primary enemies of this Singularity.

Fortunately for them, Cuchulainn proved to be as difficult to kill as the legends claimed. For all of the death and destruction surrounding them, he remained in fairly good shape to continue fighting. As Connla flipped back and landed several yards away from him, she dropped to one knee and gasped in exhaustion, then growled, "Damn it… This vessel is a lot weaker than I expected…"

"Serves you right for selecting her," Cuchulainn smirked. "You should have known that, compared to me, she's still just a trainee."

"Perhaps so, but her despair is far more potent for me to utilize. Besides, she has defeated you multiple times in different worlds. There is no reason for me to doubt in her abilities."

"So you think you can pull off the same stunt here? I don't think so."

Without another word, Cuchulainn made a mad rush for Connla while she was worn out. Their little exchange was enough for her to recover though, and she instantly dashed to the side in an attempt to blindside him. Her boots slid along the cracked pavement like it was ice as she skidded around to his hindside. He immediately realized what she was doing and whirled around to slam Gae Bolg against her spear, knocking it aside before she could stab him through the back. Their weapons flailed about in a raging storm of blades as they struggled to overcome each other. He was too strong for her to overpower, but she was too quick for him to actually hit.

Connla darted aside to avoid having her head skewered, but then he swung his tail and knocked her away with the force of a baseball bat hitting a ball. She tumbled along the ground, but then noticed that she was sailing toward Mash and Ritsuka. She vaulted backwards, then upside-down over them. The pair yelped in astonishment as they saw her grinning mirthfully at them. Ritsuka thought his heart would leap out of his throat as he commanded, "Mash, Noble Phantasm!"

"Yes! Activating Noble Phantasm!" the Demi-Servant declared, and her shield shone blue.

The wind picked up into a small tornado around Connla as she too prepared to use her strongest attack, then she called out, "Laoch Gan Finsceal!"

A huge azure light shone around Mash as she screamed, "Lord Chaldeas!"

The image of a castle fortress materialized into view for a few seconds, immediately before Connla shot for the pair as a streaking bullet of wind. No matter which angle she attempted to attack them from though, the barrier was simply too powerful for her to break through. She just bounced and ricocheted off it uselessly, which caused her a great deal of frustration. She had wasted a lot of energy trying to kill Ritsuka and Mash when she would have had better results with attacking Cuchulainn instead.

"Curse you, Chaldea!" she raged as she hurled herself back and landed nearby. However, Lord Chaldeas was dispelled as Mash lost her strength. Connla hunched down low and snarled, "I'll kill you! I'll kill every last one of you!"

Before she could move though, she felt a large hand snatch her upper arm. While she had been preoccupied with cursing the Chaldeans, Cuchulainn got in from behind and grabbed her before she could continue her assault.

"What are you-!?" Connla uttered, but then was immediately swept off her feet as he picked her up in front of him. Unable to use her spear, she tried to conjure an Ansuz Rune with her other hand so that she could at least toss a fireball directly at his face. He wouldn't let her get that far though, as he cried out the fated words:

"Gae Bolg!"

With a sickly crunch, he jammed the demonic spear through Connla's back and chest, then his own chest until it broke through his back. Both of them exhaled dreadful gasps, and she threw her head back in shock and agony. Gae Bolg destroyed their hearts simultaneously, and they were left skewered together. Despite the pain, a strange sensation washed over Connla. It felt so warm and inviting, as if her very soul was enjoying a sunny day. Once she knew she was going to die, all of her fears, worries and regrets instantly vanished, and she was left feeling calmer than ever before.

At the same time, Gae Bolg destroyed Halphas' core festering inside Connla, as well as the Holy Grail lodged within her. The Demon God Pillar's hold on the child gradually weakened, causing the mutant eyes to fall off her body as harmless stones, and her clammy white skin returned to a healthy hue. Cuchulainn grabbed his daughter's head and forced her cheek against his chest. Although he no longer had a heartbeat, she could still feel his warmth and smell his familiar musk.

"Father…" she whispered lightly, unable to say more than that.

"You're safe now," he murmured in her ear. "Get some rest."

"Mm."

Connla closed her eyes and, after exhaling a long sigh, quietly passed away. Cuchulainn turned his gaze toward Ritsuka and Mash, then said, "This victory's yours, Master of Chaldea. No point in having the defeated stick around longer than needed."

"Cuchulainn…" the male Magus moaned.

"Spare me your pity. The kid wouldn't want any either."

"Right."

"Damn it," the fallen Berserker grinned. "It's strange. At a time like this, I'm wondering what it would have been like if she had joined your side instead of staying with me. She might have been able to behave more freely around you lot rather than constrain herself for my sake."

"Then I'll make this promise to you. If I ever summon her, then I'll be sure to take very good care of her."

"… Thanks."

Cuchulainn closed his eyes. Both his and Connla's forms shone, then gradually broke apart into miniscule particles. A minute later, the pair disappeared and returned to the Throne in silence.

Chaldea Connla felt herself disengage from her counterpart's mind right after she died. She wasn't sure what happened afterwards, but she was certain that that world would be safe from now on. She never imagined that she would be the threat to the world this time, but she was happy that Cuchulainn stopped her. Connla thought back to the riastrad version of him that she saw before, and of how scared she was of turning into something like him. Those worries were gradually starting to recede as she realized something important:

I shouldn't have to fear becoming a monster. If I do, Father will stop me before I can hurt anyone.

She closed her eyes and sighed sullenly.

What an idiot I am. I should have realized it from the start.

She felt herself falling for a while as she quietly pondered on this new enlightenment. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she completely neglected to take in her abnormal surroundings. She probably would have continued dwelling on it had she not been suddenly interrupted by a strange little girl's voice.

"Where are you going?"

"Uh?"

"Your world is not that way."

Connla regained her senses and looked around desperately. She realized that she had no clue where she was, nor could she see the world that she had been dreaming about anymore. Panic struck her as she murmured, "Oh no… I'm lost… And Father isn't tethering his Spirit Origin with mine…"

"Don't worry. I'll show you the way back home."

"Who are you?"

"Forget about that for now. Just follow the sound of my voice."

"O-Okay…"

Connla 'swam' in the ocean of shifting colors, listening carefully to the other person so that they acted as a beacon for her to follow. Over and over again, the second girl kept saying, "Over here. That's it, you're going the right way. Just a little closer."

"Where are you guiding me to?" the Lancer wondered.

"To my 'base', if you would. You should be able to see it now."

The mystery person was right. Connla could make out some kind of small island floating in the middle of the Kaleidoscope. She fell faster and faster, as if gravity suddenly became a concept here, until her feet touched down on the grass.

"Whoa," she gasped in awe and glanced around at her surroundings. She appeared to be in the middle of an apple orchard, with numerous baskets filled to the brim with crisp, ripe fruit. The distinct smell of baking apples and cinnamon wafted her nostrils, and a nostalgic sensation welled within her soul. Although the sky was a bizarre mess of shifting colors, this isolated place was otherwise quaint and homely.

She looked over and noticed a small cottage tucked within the orchard. She thought she should knock on the door and ask if anyone was there, but it opened from the inside before she could even take a step. To her surprise, another little girl came outside and approached Connla with confidence in her gait and warmth in her smile. She wore a hooded lavender poncho that completely covered most of her head, shoulders, arms and upper torso, and the bodysuit she wore beneath was likewise the same purple hue. A thick pink scarf wrapped around her neck, and she had brown leather knee boots over her feet. She resembled a purple-cloaked teru teru bozu, the type of cloth dolls commonly seen in Japan that were used to wish for either sunny or rainy weather, depending on how they were hung.

Connla grew increasingly nervous as the other girl approached. She didn't seem hostile, but her friendly demeanor was a little off-putting to Connla when she was used to others being rude to her. The stranger noticed this and stopped walking before asking, "What's the matter? Do I frighten you that much?"

"N-No… I'm just a little confused… about what's going on…"

"He he. You're not the only one who was nervous about meeting one of their other selves. At least two or three of 'us' behaved the same way in the past."

"An other self… I couldn't believe it, but when I heard you calling to me, your voice sounded the same as mine. So you're really another 'me'?"

"Yes. I'm from a world that you haven't witnessed yet."

"Y-You know about me?"

"Of course. I've dreamed about you so many times that I feel like we're friends already. But I understand that this is your first time actually meeting me, so I'll be patient and wait for you to get used to my presence."

"Um…" Connla stammered as she sat down on a large tree stump and attempted to process what the hell was going on. She was familiar with passively dreaming about her other selves and the experiences they went through. She never imagined that she would dive so deep into the Kaleidoscope that she wound up actually interacting with another one of her selves from a parallel world. Yet, here was another Connla that she had never met before, conversing with her as if it was no big deal.

"I'm sorry for overwhelming you," the unknown Connla frowned and sat next to her counterpart. "Perhaps I should start from the beginning."

"P-Please do. I really don't understand what's going on here. I mean, first of all, where are we anyway? Is this your actual world?"

"No. This is just a figment of my imagination taking shape in this realm between worlds. An ideal paradise that I shaped for myself… A Reality Marble, if you would."

"So you're sleeping as well?"

"I'm always in this dreaming state."

Connla widened her eyes. "Always? You mean you never wake up?"

"Oh, I wake up here and there. It's just that…" the other Connla murmured sadly, "Those rare times I do return to my body, years will have passed."

"Years!? That's insane! I feel uneasy just being out for a few weeks! How can you be asleep for years and not worry about what's happening around you!?"

The hooded girl shrugged and replied, "There's not much point in me being awake anyway. It's not like I can go anywhere or do anything. I actually have more freedom like this."

"Uh," Connla paused. Her counterpart was deliberately being vague about her own circumstances, which only served to intensify her anxiety and curiosity.

"But enough about me," the mystery Connla swiftly dismissed the topic. "I think we should introduce ourselves, but since we have the same Spirit Origin, there's no need for us to say our True Names to each other."

"Mm. Especially because of the geas…"

"Right? Instead, let's call each other by nicknames. It'll be much easier for us to keep track of each other. I've been doing that to other selves that I've met before, and I even gave you one already."

"Did you?"

"Yeah. I've been calling you Geal, or the Shining One."

Connla tilted her head and murmured, "Geal…"

"I go by Cliste. Some of our other selves have complimented on how smart I am, so I've decided to be called the Clever One."

The Chaldean Lancer paused, then nodded and said, "Okay. I don't mind."

"Great," Connla Cliste said and stood in front of her counterpart. "Let me show you around a bit."

The two girls wandered around the orchard, and Cliste pointed at numerous points in the sky while happily explaining of the other Connlas she had met before and where their worlds were located. Geal didn't say much since making contact with people from other worlds was simply too foreign a concept for her to grasp.

"You see that bright yellow area? Somewhere in there, Álainn is off on a spiritual journey to help as many people as she can," Cliste explained.

"Is that right?"

"And then deep within the dark teal spot, Stuama is in the elementary division of the Grand Servant Academy, where young Servants train so that they can one day assist the seven Grand Servants in their battles against the evil Beasts that are scattered all across the galaxy."

"Hm."

"I actually have a lot of fun seeing how Stuama's training is coming along, especially since she's going to serve the Grand Lancer when she graduates."

"Mm. I see…"

"Oh, and that totally white area is where Siúcra is- Hey, are you okay?" Cliste asked when she noticed Geal's lack of enthusiasm. †

"I'm fine. I'm just trying to take this all in…"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I get so excited when I meet my other selves that I often get carried away. I have to remember that this is your first time talking to one of us. Maybe it's best if I help you return to your world for now."

"You mean there's something I can do to return without Father acting as an anchor for me?" Geal wondered.

"Sure. I came up with a nifty little trick to navigate this space."

Cliste pointed toward the multicolored sky again and explained, "Do you know why the rift between dimensions is called the Kaleidoscope? It's because every world is as unique as the shifting colors of a kaleidoscope. Some worlds are just slightly different to each other, while others are so radically foreign that they are unrecognizable as realities stemming from the Greater History of Man. Even so, each one has its own character that can be identified as its own. In that vein, are you familiar with the RGB hex codes that computers use to create colors?"

"Hmm…" Geal mumbled for a moment. "I haven't had the chance to use Chaldea's computers very much, but I'm slightly versed in that concept."

"Good enough. What I've done is assigned our other selves with such RGB codes so that I can filter them from the rest and return to their world more easily, if I wanted to. Of course, I've given myself one so that I can come back home. That's the very reason I've been able to dream about your time in Chaldea, as well as reach out to the various worlds you dreamed about."

Geal tilted her head in bewilderment. "So then, does that mean you've given me one of these 'codes' as well?"

"Of course. We should exchange codes so that we can meet again like this. Think of it like us exchanging phone numbers or email addresses."

"Um… I don't really understand how all of this works, so I can't promise that it will be useful for me to know…"

"Don't worry about it," Cliste assured with an assuring grin. "You're only just getting acclimated with your powers. I'll keep visiting until you get better at controlling your consciousness while in the Kaleidoscope. Trust me – this won't be our last meeting."

"Oh."

"All right then. My code is F7D8F9. Write it down the moment you wake up, got it?"

"Okay. What is mine?"

"I've given you the code A4FFDD. So long as you understand what unique color you represent in the Kaleidoscope, you should be able to pinpoint where your world is and go back without needing Father's help."

"I have no idea what color that's supposed to be," Geal admitted in a pathetic whimper.

"It's okay. I'll show you where it is," Cliste said, then brought her alternate self to another section of the orchard. She pointed to a viridian section of the sky and explained, "See that bright mint green area? Your world is in there."

"Hmm… I think you're right…"

"Do you feel some kind of pulling sensation?"

"Yes."

"Your physical form is trying to wake up from this dream, but it can't do it while the conscious mind is detached from the body. You should go back and log everything I've just told you while it's still fresh in your memory."

"So soon?" Geal wondered. "But we only just met."

Cliste shook her head. "A dream is nice, but it can only last for so long."

"…"

"I don't want to keep you from doing your duties as a Servant of Chaldea. Your Master needs your help to correct the Singularities, along with resolving any incidents that may come up. We'll have plenty of time to talk another time."

"If you say so…"

"Don't look so glum. Go on already."

"M-Mm," Geal reluctantly nodded, then hopped off the ground and floated toward her world. She stared at Cliste the entire time, and the hooded girl cheerfully waved at her counterpart until they were too far to see each other anymore.

In Chaldea, Connla woke up from her latest otherworldly dream with tears staining her face. She felt a peculiar shiver run through her spine, and she noticed that she was drenched in a cold sweat.

"Uh… A-Am I back…?" she whispered. She shuffled beneath the thick blankets and sat up, then turned her hands back and forth to make sure she still had motor functions.

"Hey," she heard Cuchulainn Alter's voice break through the silence.

"Uh? Father?"

Connla looked around, but couldn't see him anywhere. He grunted, "Next to your pillow."

She glanced over and discovered Mini-Cu sitting on the bed. He crawled onto her lap and asked, "How you feelin'?"

"F-Father?" she uttered in bewilderment. "What's going on here? Why is the doll-?"

"Long story. It's still the same doll, but Da Vinci messed with it so that I can move around while inside it."

"Oh…"

"Never mind that. Are you okay? Did you have another one of those dreams?"

Connla swallowed hard, then nodded, "Mm. I also had one during our mission."

"Damn. I suppose we should treat these as an everyday occurrence now."

"I don't know. I've slept plenty of times without experiencing anything. They mostly seem to happen whenever I'm stressed out or gravely injured."

"Tch. Injuries are one thing, but you're stressed out all the time, so it's no wonder they occur so frequently."

"I'm sorry. I just have so much on my mind…"

Mini-Cu rubbed her head and said, "Hey, I wasn't accusing you of anything. Just relax and take your time. I've asked Master not to take you anywhere other than the simulator, so you can rest all you want."

"Okay."

Connla shuffled her legs over the side of the bed, then stood up and flexed her arms for a bit to make sure she was back in her proper body. She then noticed a pen and some paper on the bedside table and murmured, "Oh, I should make those notes before I forget."

She took one of the pieces of paper and wrote while mumbling under her breath, "Cliste… F7D8F9. And then I'm Geal… A4FFDD. I think that was what she said."

"What are you writing?" Mini-Cu wondered. He leapt off the bed and bounced butt-first on the table before taking a peek. He raised an eyebrow and muttered, "The heck are those supposed to mean?"

"It's nothing to worry about," she said as she stuck the paper inside her pocket. "I need to type up my reports about my latest dreams ASAP so that the others can read through them. I'm also kind of curious to see if Ms. Da Vinci was able to do anything with the data she got from our Rayshift."

Mini-Cu grunted in consternation. He wasn't convinced with her blatantly dismissive attitude, but he didn't want to pressure her into talking. He hopped off the desk and climbed over Connla's shoulder until he found the ideal spot to sit. He then said, "Don't worry about Da Vinci. I just talked to her, and she's busy working on something to deal with Aisling."

"So I can just go straight to the library?"

"Yep."

Connla nodded and left the ICU to go to the study area where various scholars and researchers congregated. Although she was satisfied that she managed to return to Chaldea safely, her chest felt strangely heavy while her head was so light that she thought it would fly off her shoulders. Compounding her troubles was that various colors suddenly swam in her sight like the surface of a soap bubble reflecting its chromatic hues on a sunny day. Connla breathed hard and pressed her fingers against her forehead, but she lost her balance and slumped to her knees.

"Whoops!" she heard a man's voice cry out. She then felt a pair of gaunt hands snatch her shoulders and hold her upright as she leaned against the wall. The man then asked, "Are you all right?"

"Is that… Lord Sigurd?" she moaned, unable to make out the knight's face through the mess of colors blocking her vision.

"I heard you returned from your excursion with Cuchulainn Alter and was seeking you out. I don't even have to take a close look at you to see that your vision is behaving irrationally. Regain your senses before trying to move again."

"Mm."

For a long moment, she stared into Sigurd's icy blue eyes, hoping they could help her focus. Then she experienced a brief hallucination where she saw him with an incredibly condescending and murderous expression, and his eyes had changed to a searing crimson color. Connla became frightfully pale and suddenly looked away from him while covering her face with her hands in panic.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm just a little delirious."

"Must be the aftereffect of wandering in the Kaleidoscope that is playing tricks on your mind. You should know by now that you have to pace yourself while in such a state."

"I know. I just never thought it'd be this bad."

"Well, I suppose this works out for me. There's actually an experiment I'd like to try to help relieve you of these hallucinations. Since you're in the midst of an episode, it'll be easier for me to test some things out."

"An experiment?"

"Cuchulainn Caster and I came up with some methods for helping you cope with your symptoms. Fine-tuning your cranial Runes is all well and good, but with a lack of viable options for actually removing them without causing permanent brain damage, we've had to find alternate ways to relieve the pressure your body experiences each time you witness the events of a parallel world. For now, I want you to come with me to my office."

"You have an office?" Connla wondered as she tilted her head. This was the first time she was hearing such a thing. She was still rather weak in the knees, so Sigurd picked her up and carried her down the hallways to his own room. They entered, and Connla noticed right away that there was a station set up in a corner of the room specifically for performing eye examinations.

"Here we are. Stay nice and still while I check you out," he murmured as he sat her down on the exam chair and took an ophthalmoscope to examine the pupils of her eyes. As he expected, he saw the various colors flowing around her ocular nerves and disrupting her vision. He grumbled to himself as he jotted some notes.

"Um, Lord Sigurd?" she wondered in a puzzled tone. "You're not thinking of being an optician for Chaldea, are you?"

"Indeed I am. One must take care of their eyes, for they are the primary organ that allows us to interact with the world around us. With Roman already booked solid for other examinations, I decided to relieve him of any medical work regarding ocular health. Thus, I have been inspecting the other staff members' eyes and preparing corrective lenses for them as needed. With the loss of all other signs of civilization outside this facility, I believed it was the least I could do for being invited as a Servant here."

"Is that right? I never thought you were interested in such a thing. Although now that I think about it, we were in a period of time way before glasses were invented. How were you able to wear them when they were basically an anachronism in your lifetime?"

"These are the Crystallization of Wisdom," he explained and adjusted his spectacles as if he was proud of them. "They're the physical manifestation of the knowledge I gained after eating the dragon Fafnir's heart. I suppose you could say they're an extraneous accessory, but I feel most comfortable when wearing them."

"Hmm…"

She decided not to pester him with too many questions as he examined her. Soon, he said, "Good. I think I've got enough to craft a pair for you."

"Eh? Glasses for me?" Connla blurted.

"It is the countermeasure that Cuchulainn and I came up with. We devised a Runic formula that would lessen the effects of your hallucinations, and then I would apply them to these lenses. So long as you wear these while in the midst of an episode, you should be able to cope with daily life without having to worry about headaches or vertigo."

"I never would have thought of that."

Sigurd spent a few moments concentrating his energy on crafting a new pair of spectacles according to the measurements he took. Through Runic magic, a complete set of glasses materialized into existence. He then gave them to her and said, "Go ahead, try them on."

"Okay," she murmured, then carefully slid them over her nose. Right away, she noticed that the abnormal colors flowing in her vision disappeared, and she could now see correctly. In fact, the slight bit of pressure she was feeling in her brain also seemed to recover dramatically. Surprised by the results, she said, "Wow. They started working the moment I put them on."

He grinned in delight and said, "They suit you very well."

"Thank you so much, Lord Sigurd. I'll be sure to take good care of them."

"Very well. I am only doing my job here, so such thanks is unnecessary. All I want is for you to take better care of yourself. If I find you wandering around during an episode without them on, then I may have to be strict with you."

"I understand. I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

With the exam over, Sigurd allowed Connla to leave, and she headed through the facility toward the library in a much better mood than before. The combination of her latest dream, meeting Connla Cliste, and Sigurd's treatment greatly dispelled the depression she was feeling earlier. She felt like she had a lot more energy to devote to chronicling the two dreams she had so that Da Vinci, Zhuge Liang and the others could read them later.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

† - The various Connlas throughout the saga address each other with Irish nicknames. For reference's sake, the names mentioned here translate as follows:

Geal = Shining/Bright

Cliste = Clever/Smart

Álainn = Lovely/Beautiful

Stuama = Calm/Patient

Siúcra = Sweet/Saccharine