"Never a worry. Anything gets close, they're soon cold as a wagon tire."

"Billy's a wonderful flank guard," Martha smiled in support.

"I can attest to that," Jeanne nodded as the three continued to converse near the Strategy Room's door. It was clear the briefing for the afternoon's training session was starting late, which was a shame. Martha was really enjoying the atmosphere of the holiday season.

The trio just recently arrived, and were waiting with the rest of the servants in combat attire. The masters and Mashu were running a few minutes late due to a last-minute adjustment of a newly upgraded mystic codes for the two mages. To burn time, the members of the year's last sortie were making idle chat at the table, with the exception of the three newest arrivals and the two avengers leaning against some cabinets. On the wall near the sliding door, a notice was posted with the roster information.

2015 Last Training Sortie

Gudao. Gabrielle. Mashu. Lord El-Melloi II.

Joan. Nightingale. Billy. Benkei. Martha. Ushiwakamaru.

Jeanne. Iskandar. Medusa. Medea. Arturia. Emiya.

Truthfully, Martha couldn't wait to be done with the final deployment of the year. After being so used to hiding her religious beliefs in her previous life, it was exhilarating to see so much open cheer and festivities in preparation for Christmas. From candy canes to colorful decorations, it was curious yet heartwarming to know how this season had developed alongside others. However, she was sure to keep up her pristine appearance and not present herself as too unladylike; She was a saint, and she must act proper.

That idea didn't apply to others though.

Martha glanced to the King of Conquerors as he quickly got up from his chair with a laugh. Though his retainer shook his head, his attempts not to chuckle were failing miserably; Something was up, and she had a bad feeling about it. With a proud grin and a hum, Iskandar walked by the trio as he pulled some cord from under his blowing cape. Stronger than most string, the paracord was quickly unwound as the rider tied one end low on the door frame. Realizing what he was doing, Joan chuckled with a tiny smirk from her spot next to Nightingale while Benkei shook his head.

"That's not very becoming of you, Iskandar."

While he stood up to inspect his handiwork, he simply grinned and slammed a fist against his own chest. "Attention to detail and caution are necessary points on the battlefield. I have faith that this will not affect them, but if it does, we will enjoy a great show!"

As the rest of the group returned to their former conversations, except for Medusa who had been reading quietly, Martha looked blankly towards the trip wire. Ever the kind and watchful individual, she wanted to untie the trap for the sake of the unwary masters; As a saint herself, it was only the right thing to do. Then there was the more subdued side of her often kept concealed, which took some amusement at the anticipation of what was to come. It was the side that kept her driving forward with determination, but was not quite saintly material. While she continued to mentally debate, the doors slid open-

"Hey Gudao! Gabby!"

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Fragment 27: Just a Little Problem

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Most paid no heed as Astolfo happily skipped in with a strange bottle in his hands, but Martha did.

Cheerfully smiling, the rider clad in matching purple sweatpants and shirt failed to notice the trap. With a gasp from Jeanne and Martha, Astolfo yelped as he comically face planted into the ground with a whimper, but not before releasing the container of blue liquid high into the air. The bottle tumbled on its deadly path towards the steel ceiling fan while the cork held the contents in place. As he picked himself up, Astolfo followed the flight path with his eyes and began to panic, which was caught by a few servants in the room. They reacted immediately.

"Scatter!"

Jeanne, Martha, and Billy began bolting for the door as the violet-haired saint quickly picked Astolfo from his fallen spot. Benkei and Ushiwakamaru dove behind an aisle of filing cabinets, putting a wall between them and the potentially dangerous concoction. Nightingale had grabbed Joan by the wrist, much to her protest, and was quickly speeding towards the exit. The remainder, too far from the door, quickly began scrambling to put things between them and the now flying liquid. Their efforts were unfortunately in vain.

Martha and the others could only listen from outside as sizzling noises and bright flashes filled the room, with Astolfo looking incredibly guilty at what he just caused. Before they could question him, Joan, who was nearly out of the door, was hit by a rather large splash of the blue liquid, sending a blinding flash through the nearby area. As Nightingale looked towards her companion, while the two masters in their battle uniforms ran into her peripheral view further away, she gasped in surprise.

"J-Joan?" Jeanne spoke near breathlessly.

While stunned and confused, Joan was perfectly fine and healthy from what the others could see. The only major difference was the group had to collectively look down at the now smaller servant, who looked between them with childish eyes. Though her battle attire remained the same, it was now much smaller to fit the newly revealed young servant; It was practically draped on her. Noticing through her peripherals, Martha slowly gripped Jeanne's wrist as a huge grin began spreading across her friend's face. Thankfully, before the saint could squeal in absolute adoration, which Martha wanted to do too, Billy interrupted as he stared into the Strategy Room.

"I reckon I'm suddenly far from the only kid in this little rodeo..."

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ III ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

Needless to say, the training program was cancelled for the day. While the masters wanted to get in one final session before taking a multi-day break for the Christmas holidays, the new predicament caused a unanimous decision to cancel. They would still handle a surprise malignant singularity if it happened, but the accident caused several reliable servants of Chaldea to be temporarily benched. There was no one person to blame for the incident, since it was a complete mistake, but that didn't stop Astolfo from sulking in the nearly empty Alchemical Room as Gudao finished up with the details.

Fou's ears twitched from his spot on the ground next to Gabrielle, staring intently towards the usually bubbly rider as Martha smiled at him in sympathy. The bubbly paladin only ever did what he thought was right, but that didn't stop chaos from erupting around him at times. Thankfully, this time was more of an adorable chaos than anything. After Martha heard him explain himself to the masters for the third time in dismay, there was no doubt it was just another sequence of bad events.

Thanks to a clumsy mishearing of instructions from Janice, Astolfo had taken the potion to the masters to ask if they could test it in the training session; He was supposed to only ask. It didn't help Iskandar had the sudden idea to pull a light-hearted prank on the duo for the holidays, but she supposed he got his own taste of karma for doing so. Thanks to another alchemical chain of mistakes, the experimental youth elixir had detonated with spectacular results. Thankfully, any residue was designed to evaporate shortly after contact, but that did little to cheer up the pink-haired boy.

Martha gently rubbed his back with a reassuring smile. "Please smile, Astolfo. It's difficult to see you so sad."

He only whimpered further. "I keep messing everything up…"

"It's okay, Astolfo! I'm sure you never mean to! You just need to be more careful~!"

The two turned to the child servant standing before them. Medea smiled brightly with her hands folded in front of her. It was unusual for Martha to see the often calm and reserved caster being so openly enthusiastic, especially when her newfound blue battle dress only made her look more like a stereotypical fairy tale princess. Then again, the adult Medea was the Princess of Colchis, even if she had a much more aggressive and cynical outlook when she first arrived in Chaldea. Needless to say, even if the caster was now much more approachable, this adorable version in front of them was in an entirely new league of-

"I can't stay sad when you're so lovably cute!" Astolfo cried out in a complete reversal of his mood, quickly hugging the small servant with a happy grin. Medea stuttered, blushed, and slowly hugged back, though she was clearly as surprised as Martha.

"Thankfully, it should only be temporary, though I'm astonished it worked on contact. It was supposed to work through ingestion only."

The three turned to look at Paracelsus who stood before them in his signature battle attire; He always did prefer it over regular clothes when working. He smiled apologetically towards Medea. "I did not forsee this event, which was my mistake once more. My replication of Gilgamesh's youth potion seems to have worked flawlessly, even down to the personality shift. I apologize you were caught in the accident, Medea. I'm sure your older identity is experiencing overwhelming anxiety in your mind, knowing that… your childhood self is no longer a secret."

Secrets kept from others should be no surprise to anyone; If someone lived on the planet for any reasonable length of time, they knew most people kept some things private for one reason or another. Martha was sadly no exception, since she endeavored so hard to ensure her ladylike appearance always shined at its best. As one of the most famous saints, she couldn't tarnish herself or her religion by appearing even an ounce out of her ideal character... though that sadly didn't stop it from slipping through by accident at times.

She was just sympathetic to Medea, whose private childhood was now, without a doubt, open for all to see.

The smaller caster giggled, presumably because she could hear those faint whispers. It would likely be the case for everyone else who had been hit, though there were still many questions regarding the potion itself. It was clearly made to be used on servants, and besides the last concoction developed to alleviate mad enhancement, there was still a previous incident that proved secret elixirs were a bad idea. With a frown, Martha remembered the look of concern and confusion on her fellow saint's face as she ran from one of her closest friends.

"If I may ask... Why were you making that potion?" She asked politely. Astolfo had stood back up to full height, and released Medea from his embrace. Her strong moral compass always led her properly, and she often used it to help others when she could. Hearing another secret potion was being brewed did not sit well with her ethics.

Paracelsus, sensing the discomfort, smiled reassuringly to her. "It was initially out of my own curiosity. I explore the secrets of the unknown in hopes I may reach the knowledge I seek. This is but another secret of the earth I wished to unravel, and I had asked permission of the masters before starting my endeavor to share it with them, should they desire. I do not wish to cause a schism among our friends of Chaldea."

"Gudako over here wanted it as a sort of counter measure against Gilgamesh…" Gudao smirked and rolled his eyes before looking over at his best friend.

"We needed an extra card just in case!" she stuck her tongue out and pouted. "I know he treats you rather well, but you put too much trust in that arrogant asshole."

Gudao shrugged with a content smile. "All servants are human in the end. I just wish to give everyone a fair chance and maybe find new happiness."

"That's the reason why none of the servants dislike Master Gudao. He's always considerate and courteous to us all," Martha added with a smile as she looked at the male master. "I honestly believe everyone respects you since you make wonderful efforts to being our friendly master rather than a boss. Your newfound routine and rotation with Gabrielle has certainly helped you do so."

That couldn't be stated enough. Gudao was almost saintly in terms of patience and dealing with others, to the point it even made her proud to call him her master; He preferred never to be called that though. He would always offer a chance to anyone, regardless of origin and others' perceived disposition. Even when the servant was unruly or chaotic, against others' opinions and suggestions, he would give them the benefit of the doubt and try to understand them as a person. If anyone could spot that saint like quality, it was her and the others who bore the title.

"Gabby has a genuine heart of her own too!" Astolfo chipped in with a grin. "But it makes me happy knowing how much energy both of you commit to make all of us feel content and appreciated!"

"Gilgamesh is a harder case though," the male master admitted with a cringe. He did spend time with the King of Heroes a few times, and dare he say, he's closer to him than almost everyone else, which is a serious achievement. The arrogant king doesn't even listen to anything Gabrielle says most of the time.

"But you try, and that's what matters. You've given us our own reasons to trust in you both!" Medea added with a giggle. "It's why my older self was so willing to stay and help after Master Gudao treated her so warmly on arrival. She felt welcome and human compared to other times she was summoned. Though… I'm not that adult, but if you need anything of me while I'm in this form… I'll try and do my best for you!"

"I'm sure you will!" Gabrielle smiled brightly, resisting every urge in her body to pat the little caster on the head. "We'll just need to keep a watchful eye while you're changed to ensure there's no other side effects. From Paracelsus' estimates, this should only last a day… though it wasn't supposed to be a splash potion either."

The male caster smiled apologetically while Gabrielle merely waved him off with a smile. "While he's working on an antidote in case this last longer-"

Martha stood up, surprising the group. "Masters. I apologize for my rudeness, but if I may interrupt..."

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IV ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"That's very kind of you to check up on them in the master's stead," Naomi complimented with a smile as she knit a sweater's sleeve. Her uniform was prim and proper as always, much like Martha modest white dress. The saint's wardrobe consisted mainly of conservative attire to suit her ideal appearance, though she admittedly had a few more daring numbers to draw upon. She wouldn't wear those in public though; Both Naomi and Medea were sworn to secrecy she even had them.

Martha nodded from her spot standing next to her chair. "They deserve an extended break, and my schedule is now clear. It was for the best."

Vlad sat nearby in his comfortable, black robe, taking more interest in watching the tiny Medea knitting than his own work. The small caster would occasionally squirm under the gaze, but was genuinely appreciative that her two closest friends did their best to ensure she wouldn't feel too different; If anything, Naomi looked more stressed she had lost an aide during the rush days before Christmas. Martha found it a comfortable change of pace that Naomi and Vlad were treating Medea rather normally compared to others' reactions. Occasionally, they stared, but it was hard not to when their blue haired friend would never hum so blissfully to herself as she knitted.

Martha looked at the caster with a content smile, internally jumping for joy she had been granted permission by the masters. While it was with the goodness of her heart that she volunteered, she would not deny her own inner feelings about pursuing the matter. Jokingly called an older sister personality by Sasaki, she really did get to feel like it for a day checking up on the temporary child servants. The less refined maiden within was delighted to spend time with such cute kids… though she would never openly pour her enthusiastic squeals and adoration onto them.

...Maybe she would in front of those who have come to understand her occasional, immature antics... but definitely not anyone else. She had her pride to uphold.

"What're you making, Medea?" Martha asked out of pure curiosity.

The caster smiled happily. "They're gloves for my future husband!"

Vlad and Naomi exchanged carefully hidden concern towards each other. Martha didn't need to see the glance to know they were worried about Medea's often vocal vitriol involving Jason. She was aware there was a sunny counter in the form of a modern assassin named Souichirou she wished to marry. Now that she thought about it, did this little Medea have actual feelings for Jason? How would the older Medea react to having this shot out into the open if that was the case?

The three turned back and smiled, hiding their worry, as the pony tailed girl held up the unfinished glove cheerfully for the rider across from her could see. The fluffy, black glove looked incredibly warm even if half finished. "It's to keep Kuzuki's hands warm if he ever arrives! That way they'll always be warm when he holds me!"

Vlad chuckled while Martha practically swooned at how adorable it was; Her more refined ladylike discipline barely won, but the giggle that matched Naomi's voiced all. Martha smiled, "That's so thoughtful of you! I'm certain he'll love it."

To the employee and berserker's visible relief, it seems there was still enough of the real Medea influencing her. The assassin was clearly in mind due to his unique fighting style since Martha wasn't aware Jason liked fighting personally. That was one less embarrassment the real Medea would face. Unfortunately for the caster, though, revealing that much affection at once was not something she would have done so very openly. With another giggle, Martha imagined the caster's defeated face-

"Um, excuse me… Vlad? Naomi?"

The pair looked up, along with Martha, to see Boudica approach slowly and quietly. The redhead had both hands in front of her, grasping a small basket at the hem of her crimson maxi dress. With a slight glance, she eyed Martha's battle attire curiously before nodding towards her with a smile, which was pleasantly returned. She looked to them with her unique, combined presence that defined regality and friendly openness in one. There was a hint of nervousness judging by the fidgeting of her foot, but her stance still beamed confidence.

"I'm sorry to interrupt… but, I've always been meaning to ask if I may join your knitting group. I usually only do so myself, and I was a tad nervous to ask in case it's very personal…"

The two looked to each other in mild surprise, which showed more from Naomi than Vlad. With simple eye contact and a smile, they nodded. The employee turned back to one of her most considerate customers with a smile. "Vlad and I would be glad to, and I'm sure Medea would too… though I believe it'd be best if we ask her when she's in her... usual state."

Boudica, cheerful at the news, was suddenly confused as Naomi struggled through a giggle during the last words. With a tinge of concern in her eyes, the red-haired rider tilted her head. "Is she alright?"

"I'm fine, thank you for asking!" Medea answered happily as she looked behind her chair to beam at the rider. Finally in view, Boudica's mouth slowly dropped open as the red-haired rider's eyes lit up like spotlights. "If I was hurt, I'm great at healing spells! They help me take care of-"

"Oh heavens you're so adorable!" Boudica squealed at the top of her lungs as the basket fell to her knees.

With no time for the caster to react to the sudden onslaught, she was resigned to her fate. Her small chest was slammed against the rider's more substantial bosom in an overeager embrace, making her gasp for air. With a whimper, Medea blushed furiously as Boudica rubbed her cheek against the caster's own, causing total embarrassment for her. The rest of the company casually watched in complete entertainment as Boudica showered the caster in open affection. Naomi turned to Vlad with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous glint in her eye, something she had copied well from Medea.

"Is this karma getting her back for Arturia?" She asked as they looked towards the pair.

"Who's a cutie!? You are! Yes, you are!" Boudica cooed as she gently swung the caster in her arms.

Vlad laughed heartily. "It seems all her apologetic actions were for naught."

Behind them, Martha stood politely in an attempt to remain composed. Thankfully they did not sense her slight distress. With every second watching the two, her resolve chipped and her body threatened to approach and play with the little girl herself. It was difficult enough watching Jeanne and Astolfo adoring the new children with happy squeals and exaggerated play, but she resolved to remain dignified. The saint was working in the masters' stead, so she could not waver in the least and must pursue her quarries like a true maiden.

Even as she said that to herself, she could hear Sasaki laughing and chastising her for continuing to fight her true self. Her friend often teased her of not acting very saintly at times, while also being supportive, like Amakusa was, that it was acceptable and she had no cause for worry. Arturia was a prime example of exploring her new self, and still the great King of Knights Chaldea respected. However, regardless of this idea, she more often chose to show others she was a role model individual herself… and floundering head over heels for the adorable servants was not going to do that.

'…but I do want to hug one of them too…'

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ V ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

With another small sigh, Martha walked down the residence hallways. Lunch was nearing its end, but she knew the next ones would still be in their combined room as usual; It was where they usually were. While nearly everyone was given separate accommodations, the Gorgon sisters insisted they be roomed with their beloved little sister when the two arrived simultaneously. Chaldea's little counsel had relented, but not before stating the rooming issues in regards to space. That problem was quickly answered by Asterios who proceeded to knock down a wall into an adjacent, former supply closet.

She stopped in front of the door to the Gorgons' room. With a raise of her hand, she knocked politely and waited for an answer. There was shuffling within, and to no surprise to her, the door quickly unlocked and slid open to reveal the white-haired berserker. Asterios was often keeping the two goddesses company, mainly with Euryale in mind, even if he roomed with the other large berserkers on a separate level. Still, it was amusing to see the friendly giant squeezing into the smaller rooms.

He scratched his arm under his fluffy, red robe as he stared at the saint. "Hi Miss Martha."

"Hi Asterios," Martha smiled happily. "I'm here in the master's place to make sure the affected servants are well. May I see Medusa?"

The berserker thought for a few seconds before nodding his head. "Okay! I show you!"

Still hunched over to avoid hitting the ceiling, he walked across the plainly decorated common room as the saint followed. There was more than enough room for the three of them after special renovation was completed with the help of some casters. Half of the former supply closet was split into three bedrooms, with the rest combining into the common area. An oak table hugged one wall with three matching chairs. A lone flat-screened television was mounted on the wall, but remained off. Bookcases and picture frames lined an adjacent wall, while a comfy rug in the middle tyied the rather plain room together.

Asterios sat down on the rug in front of a large, white sofa. With a motion of his hand, he pointed towards the door closest to him, which had the wooden letters of the oldest Gorgon's name at the center. With a happy nod towards the berserker, she walked towards the door. The Minotaur picked up the large picture book, which looked tiny in his hands, and carefully opened it back to the page he was looking at. Martha took one final glance before knocking, smiling fondly as he looked so diligently at a page clearly made for children. He took particular interest in the cows and other farm animals dancing with children.

Martha knocked on the door again, this time answered by delighted giggling. Two voiced called as one. "That's too light to be Asterios!"

"It's Saint Martha. May I come in? I'm just doing a check for the masters to ensure everything is alright."

There was more giggling, but it was soon accompanied by shuffling. With a turn of the nob, Euryale opened the door to reveal her in battle attire, much like the saint was. To call the dress as such was a little inaccurate since the white garb was ornate and divine, but it was what the identical sisters wore for combat. The archer stared at the rider with a delighted smile, clearly in a better mood than she usually was. Like her sister, she was often nicer to women than men, but today they seemed rather pleased with the turn of events, and Martha could not blame them in the least.

"Good afternoon, Martha. Medusa is well, and I believe the masters will be happy to know this," Euryale greeted, surprisingly by herself.

The goddess simply giggled, and swept her hands towards the bed. It was hard to miss the biggest piece of furniture in the room, especially when flanked by simple drawers with lamps. Stheno, also in her matching dress, continued to search through her closet for other clothing, while the youngest sister sat on the pristine, white blankets of the bed. The riders stared towards each other, though Martha was happy to notice the genuinely happy smile on the little sister's face that mirrored in her delighted eyes.

Medusa's hair was in twin tails, and she was clearly smaller than she used to be. This was not a setback for her, but rather a blessing in disguise as her sisters happily fussed over their little family member. She wore a near-exact reproduction of her older sisters' dresses, including head piece, made for the two of them by the Clothing Department. The dress covered her knees as she sat on the bed, watching joyfully as Euryale retook her place to brush her hair from behind. Stheno turned around briefly to wave at Martha, who happily waved back, before watching the two on the bed with a smile.

"It looks like you're doing more than well, Medusa," the saint observed with a cheerful beam.

Martha inhaled quietly but sharply after noticing the tiny glint of possible tears from Medusa's eyes… but the new, young servant simply kept smiling, and it was brilliant. "Yes… I'm very, very happy…"

The saint knew of her story, but learning it from Euryale and Stheno's side had been more enlightening than anything the grail could ever reveal. She had learned of the insecurities Medusa held, including her disappointment about being different from her precious sisters. Compared to Martha's occasional yearnings for wanting to show her true self, Medusa's was a desire to be who she cannot feasibly be. Martha could drop her dignified appearance if she wished, but Medusa was without options and any saving possibilities... until now.

While never particularly close to the quiet and reserved Medusa, Martha felt genuinely happy the young sister could relish these moments in a fleeting dream. With a giggle, Medusa remained still on her sister's bed as they fussed over her cheerfully, prettying her up for themselves to appreciate. It seems the holidays had come early for the Gorgon sisters.

"Martha, Asterios!" The two older sisters called out, knocking her out of her small trance. Stheno was now sitting happily on the bed next to her sister while Euryale held Medusa by the shoulders from behind. All three were smiling happily as the two continued. "Our little sister is as cute as us now! Don't you agree?"

"I think I need a camera," Martha murmured, before Stheno quickly tossed a Point-and-Shoot model from the bed.

Asterios came over and looked at them blankly. With a small smile, he exhaled. "I think… this happy day last for-ever, I think! Very happy!"

Stheno and Euryale quickly dissolved into jubilant laughter as they hugged their sister dearly, more than happy she was now in a smaller form; The kind words from Asterios only hit Medusa harder. Finally, tears silently fell from her cheeks, but she was smiling softly and holding her sisters' arms for comfort. An occasional flash filled the room as Martha continued to take pictures, admittedly not as good as Mashu or George would have. She silently hoped they were good enough, as she can never do this moment true justice. With a sigh, she silently watched as the sisters teased their younger sibling for crying, but much kinder than they did her adult self.

'So this is what truly being an older sister looks like… I'm envious.'

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VI ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"You seem to be yourself, El-Melloi II," Martha complimented as she walked down the hallway next to the much shorter caster. The usually scowling professor was replaced with a teen with a small frown. His arms were crossed over his green sweater to secure a binder of notes to his chest. The matching formal pants, and white formal shirt underneath were only slight hints towards the caster's often unspoken, early years in the Mage's Association. Scratching the back of his shortened hair, the caster braced himself to hear the higher pitched voice he had come to hate in his adulthood.

"It seems so, though I received a much smaller splash than some of the others. That big oaf took a little more when he tackled me to cover… seems he's always looking out for me." With a fond smile, he shook his head.

Martha chuckled. "Well of course! That's what awesome friends are for-! I mean, how very respectable of him!"

Lord El-Melloi II looked towards her with a small smirk, making the rider blush lightly and cough into her hand. To her chagrin, she understood it was no small secret to most that Martha had more subdued tendencies she kept under wraps, and the relaxed air in Chaldea only made it worse; She wished to prove them wrong. Respectably, over the months she'd been here she managed to firmly hold on to her saintly dignity and composure, but it was still slowly being whittled away. If anything, it was only a matter of time before someone got close enough to pry it open completely, never to be hidden again.

Martha cleared her throat and folded her hands in front again. "Would you happen to know where Iskandar is? You two are usually toge-"

"Hey! Waver!"

The two turned to look behind them, spotting the little King of Conquerors as he dashed towards them. His leather armor, now in a rather interesting and revealing layout, clung to his much smaller form as he ran. The red waist cloth waved in the wind behind him in matching motion to his lengthy ponytail. They dropped to cover the back of his legs as he skid to a halt in front of the pair. With an eager smile he nodded towards Martha and El-Melloi, the latter of which was, even now, trying to get used to the idea he was somehow a few centimeters taller than his king.

"Interesting wardrobe, King of Macedon."

"I find it rather comfy," The little rider proclaimed happily as he made a show of twisting about. With his smile still in place, he turned to the teenage El-Melloi with pumped fists. "Waver! We should play more video games since it's our early day off!"

While amused by his enthusiasm, the caster sighed. "We've played for a few hours earlier, and I have research I intend to finish for the masters."

"Meet you and Tyler in a few minutes then!" The rider laughed as he ran off, earning a dumbfounded expression from his retainer as Martha giggled.

"You idiot! Did you not even listen!?" The little Iskandar's enthusiastic laughter could be heard down the hallway.

"I guess he didn't change too much either," the saint chuckled. Lord El-Melloi II adjusted the large binder in his arms with a sigh as they continued to walk. Truth be told, the situation wasn't anywhere near as bad as it could have been. If anything, it was rather perfect timing since Christmas Eve was in two days. With the affected servants taking various splash dosage, it was possible some may still be in a child state by Christmas Eve. Iskandar was not the only one to take a large number of hits, so it was possible-

"Everything going well, Martha?" Gabrielle asked as they turned the corner. She was so lost in her musings she didn't notice the greetings. Thanks to the break, she had changed out of her master uniform to wear ripped designer jeans, and a strapless blue top that hugged her figure. Hair shimmered from being slightly damp, and the lack of a side tail indicated she just took a shower. Martha admitted to being slightly jealous that the master could wear such suggestive clothing, along with some others… Not that she wanted that freedom for herself or anything... Nope, not at all.

"Ah, many pardons, yes. Everyone I've checked so far is in wonderful condition, with some even enjoying the situation entirely."

"I'll bet!" Gabrielle exclaimed. As she passed a glance to El-Melloi and the binder. "Still working? Take the day off!"

The caster sighed. "While I am content you can feel so at ease, it is my privileged duty as the advisor for both of you that I-"

"Ah, golden! I found you, Lord Melony!"

"Don't call me that, Kintoki!" El-Melloi yelled in irritation as the berserker came running towards them with his signature grin. His collared, yellow shirt was buttoned, though it looked like it could rip from his bulging muscles; Apparently, he liked them a size too tight. At least his black slacks were rather loose. As he came to a stop in front of the three, he waved a finger with a chuckle. "You know the rules. Tyler beat you fair and square so you have to live up to the deal!"

El-Melloi simply groaned before yelping in surprise as Kintoki gripped the back of his clothing. He cursed at himself as he clutched the binder, irritated that the unmanly sound had escaped his lips. The berserker simply grinned as he threw the caster over his shoulder easily before flashing a thumbs up towards the amused Martha and Gabrielle. Judging by the growl, El-Melloi was far from amused. "What do you think you're doing!?"

"Iskandar said you weren't going to cooperate, and to just drag you over. But that's not golden, so I'll just carry you instead."

"I have work to finish! I never agreed to play more games!"

"That's why he said to drag you there, duh!" Kintoki chuckled as he began humming to himself. "Besides, we can't keep Gudao waiting! It's not every day he plays a few rounds of video games with us!"

With a content stride, he began walking down the hallway as he waved goodbye to the two women. A Science Division employee passed by as the berserker raised his hand in a high five. The employee cheerfully returned the gesture, though winced and hissed as he held his wrist after impact. Kintoki had to stop for a second to ensure he was alright, which appeared as a simple ache rather than a broken joint, earning chastisement from El-Melloi to watch his strength with the humans.

With a chuckle at the sight, Gabrielle turned back to Martha. "Did you check on the knights yet?"

"Not yet. I encountered El-Melloi II while walking there."

"Great! I was headed that way myself! I've got something Roman wants me to investigate." Gabrielle cheered as she gently gripped Martha by the wrist. The saint let the master pull her along, now more than used to the rather expressive orange haired magus. She let go as they began walking side by side, making room for a trio of passing employees, with one male chancing a double take thanks to their clothes.

Martha frowned slightly. "Investigate? But it's your day off, master."

Gabrielle simply shrugged with a smile. "It's real quick. He's just curious why the Party Cave seems to have some unusual mana readings at certain times. At least I get to say hi to Arturia and the others on the way back!"

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"It's been like this for the past hour?"

Mashu nodded her head with a small smile as she held Fou in her arms. The little familiar snuggled itself into the warmth of her uniform while keeping its eyes locked into the Camelot Room. The two girls stared within as the shielder's small smile remained cemented in place. She eyed her adoptive father, who looked back at her with a fond smile. The newly shifted saber, and with no discernible issues, turned back towards the center of attention with clear amusement on his younger face. Even after successfully going through a class change, with clear tweaks to his material body, the short-haired saber was far from the focal point anymore.

No, that honor belonged to the young king who sat happily between Mordred and a nearly unrecognizable Emiya. Dressed in a pure white maxi dress, the constantly smiling and humming saber shuffled the deck of cards in front of her. Of all the affected individuals, Arturia had received the least amount of change. While visually the same person with a ponytail, it was a completely different matter when it came to her personality. It was true she showed more emotion freely since Camelot, but this amount of enthusiasm was threatening to flood the entire room.

"I've never been a dealer for blackjack… but I'll try!" she cheered happily as she began casually tossing out cards.

The first one landed in front of her significant other, who stared more at Arturia than the card he was dealt. Emiya had shielded her from most of the concoction, at a cost he would likely be stuck in this form for a bit longer. While his experienced mindset and identity remained influential, she was aware he was mentally fighting for control with the sudden appearance of that which he detested. It appears that it wasn't just his returned fair skin and red hair that the youth potion granted, but the revitalization of a rather 'troublesome idiot's inner identity who constantly chased a never-ending dream'... or so he described.

As he scratched his familiar two tone, long sleeved shirt, Martha watched his admiring smile point towards his significant other; At least there was one good thing he got to enjoy, she supposed. Arturia smiled towards him, with genuine joy and affection clearly in her sparkling eyes. "Shirou, hit or stay?"

His voice was smooth and young. "Hit."

She blinked with surprise and giggled. She placed the card down on his own, and he looked to see his cards for the first time. King of Spades, Nine of Hearts, and the newly placed Two of Clubs. He lucked out unbelievably. Arturia blinked even further in surprise, but smiled brightly. "That's my Shirou!"

The shrunken archer felt his cheeks light up, and quietly cursed his idealistic identity's lack of composure as the surrounding knights laughed. Across the table, the various knights in their usual, dress shirts and pants continued to enjoy the scene that had been playing for them. Martha smiled at the whole sight, feeling rather warm and content herself. Though she often questioned how much this new holiday celebrated the birth of Jesus, she could not debate that it was a time best spent in good company and happy cheer; She was glad the knights got to experience it wholeheartedly.

Understandably, they were as concerned as the others when Martha helped spread word of the accident. On first sight of their king, they were instantly confused and clueless on how to proceed. Her enthusiastic antics only further perplexed them, not realizing the possibility Arturia could have been like this during her childhood. With silent agreement, they openly vowed to keep a constant vigil over their liege's incredible smile so long as she remained in this state.

Martha was relieved things were working out fine after 'delivering' their king to them. While they still clearly couldn't believe their king could be this charming, they seemed to be used to it by now based on the jolly atmosphere... Except Mordred. Mordred was still in an open state of total confusion that made Martha suppress a giggle every time she glanced at the dumbfounded saber.

Arturia turned to her child with a glowing smile and cheer. "Hit or stay, Mordred?"

"…Hit me, father. Or someone else. Just hit me awake," the usually enthusiastic saber replied in a stunned tone, her face still held in complete disbelief as the other knights laughed. Mordred wasn't present when they hastily brought over Arturia, so Martha assumed she only just recently found out. Supposedly hearing the news from Lancelot, she had thrown on a scarlet tank top and jean shorts before rushing to the room only minutes before the saint arrived. Her initial worry had obviously evaporated, leaving her in this… state.

"I think you broke Mordred, my king," Gawain chuckled. His smile faltered when Mordred didn't even flash a glare or roll of the eyes his way. He blinked. "You're… not actually of shot mind, are you, Mordred?"

The feisty saber blinked as she stared at her too adorable father. "I'm so lost... How can father be this cute?"

More laughter followed as Martha chuckled in the doorway. Seeing this side of Arturia was still surprising for her, and it brought up several questions. The biggest one was if, deep down, she still had this pleasant, dreaming child within her, just like the saint suppressed her own ever determined and casual spirit. There was a small consideration to talk to Arturia about this small revelation, but she passed it off. If Arturia could show a newfound emotional range without worry, though not quite this overpowering, then perhaps Martha could reconsider her perspective on how she should be seen.

Footsteps approached from down the central hallway, causing Mashu and Martha to turn towards the now returning Gabrielle. She had taken a surprising amount of time investigating the dance floor, which drew the curiosity of the two servants. More intriguing was the rather blank expression on her face, coupled with a glint of total disbelief. Noting her reaction, the sides of Mashu's mouth twitched with a threatening, knowing smile while Martha remained completely confused.

The female master simply walked up, and looked into the Camelot room, instantly bringing a fond smile to her face as she watched Arturia fussing over Mordred. While unconsciously petting Fou in Mashu's arms, they watched as Arturia was placing her face too close for the feisty saber's comfort, drawing a hilarious reaction as Mordred flushed a brighter red than her tank top.

"F-Father what're you d-doing!? P-Please stop!" Hearty laughter filled the room. Mordred desperately flailed as Arturia leapt out of her chair to give her a joyful embrace.

"But I'm so lucky to have the cutest child! You're being so adorable, Mordred!" the king squealed as she happily hugged her son. Arturia was clearly the best at being cute among those present though.

The former Saber of Red was in complete panic at this point, much to the increasing laughter of the others. Everyone in Chaldea now knew she loved to be praised by Arturia. It was also true that she was happy to see her father happy… but this obviously was way too much, and she had no clear idea how to properly handle this open smothering of affection. An amused Martha wondered if she would much rather fight a dragon than figure this problem out on the spot.

"Mama Shirou help!" She cried out, making Bedivere place his augmented arm onto the table to support his laughing fit as Gawain doubled over. With a sigh of relief, she received it. Emiya gently pulled Arturia back by the shoulders, making her pout at him in discontent. He was still glaring at Mordred though.

"I told you never to call me either of those..." he grumbled. Mordred flashed a sheepish grin back, making him groan.

"Ah… this is just what I needed," Gabrielle exhaled in blissful relief.

Martha blinked and turned to her master. "…Was the discovery that bad?"

The smile faded as she shook her head. "It's… being handled. I'll just tell Roman what I found, that's all. No need to worry over it, Martha."

Mashu giggled at the comment, further confusing the saint. Perhaps she should check the Party Cave herself for what stumped the master sometime.

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ VIII ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

With a content sigh, Martha walked into the Chapel and gently closed the door behind her. Her eyes scanned the room, and instantly met the calm orbs of Amakusa as he sat on one of the back pews in his casual, Chaldean-made priest garb. She was about to greet him, but he raised a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence before pointing the digit towards the front. Glancing further into the dimly lit room, she saw the back of Jeanne sitting in the first pew quietly, her battle attire long gone and replaced with her comfortable, white gym sweats.

Martha walked over silently and leaned down to whisper to the male ruler. "Is she praying?"

"Joan is asleep," he answered simply with a small smile. She nodded in understanding before she began her approach.

The saint had been looking everywhere for the two of them, though this room had been one of the last she was to check. By the overjoyed reaction Jeanne had displayed on sight of the little avenger, she assumed they would be somewhere else; It was especially surprising to find how much more playful and happy the little Joan was compared to her scowling, angry adult identity. Quietly, she made the sign of the cross as Jeanne turned to look at her, flashing one of the brightest smiles the rider had ever seen from her friend.

"Hi Martha," she whispered with a gleam of exuberance.

"How is she?" the violet-haired woman whispered back as she came around to the front.

A quick hand over her mouth prevented the saint from releasing an audible coo at the sight. With care, she gently sat on her knees, posture elegant and perfect, as she stared at the sleeping avenger. The shrunken battle attire had been replaced with what appeared to be a black dress borrowed from Atalanta's girls. Her fluffy cape acted as a makeshift blanket, wrapping the avenger into a bundle as she snoozed. While most of her body was relaxed on the pew, her head rested comfortably on the ruler's lap with a serene smile.

Jeanne gently brushed her hair with her hand as the avenger breathed out softly. She squirmed slightly in her sleep, pushing herself closer to her counterpart's stomach with a content sigh. The two women couldn't hold back their audible affection, but kept quiet so she could continue her nap in peace. The holy maiden released a happy hum as she continued to gently brush the avenger's hair. Martha watched in barely concealed envy and jealousy, as she was reminded of how she used to treat her own little sister in a past life. After a few minutes of enjoying the quiet moment, the alter slowly moaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes spiritedly.

Her lower form was still wrapped by her cape, but it was now clear how many frills the black dress had; It was undoubtedly one of Nursery Rhyme's. The small Joan looked around with tired eyes, finding them slowly widening upon sight of Martha. Cheerfully, the saint waved to the child servant, and she waved back with a tiny smile. Jeanne hummed happily at the sight as her smaller duplicate looked to her. "Is it dinner yet? I'm hungry."

"We still have two hours, Joan," the older female ruler replied softly before patting Joan on the head. With closed eyes, the small avenger enjoyed the gesture thoroughly. Soon enough, she scooched over to her counterpart and leaned against her happily, making Jeanne even more visibly thrilled. Martha knew how excited Jeanne must be the little alter was so willing to see her as an older sister… She was evidently put aside the thoughts of what the real Joan might do in her embarrassed frustration when she was finally back to her adult self. If Martha would wager a guess, Jeanne was actually looking forward to teasing her about it.

Martha giggled, still playfully pondering Jeanne's potential thoughts. "You're really fond of her, aren't you, Joan?"

Nodding her head served to rub against the arm of her older self, and affirm Martha's statement. "Because she's the original me! Pure and pretty!"

"Pure…" Martha whispered with a mischievous undertone as she stared teasingly at Jeanne. The Maid of Orleans felt her cheeks flushed under the saint's gaze.

"Mhmm! Jeanne's my ideal model! She's perfect!"

Martha continued to stare at the female ruler, who started to squirm under the gaze. The two saints often shared secrets with each other, since they were nearly as close as the holy maiden was with Arturia. Needless to say, that made them privy to each other's more interesting secrets, including Marie's subtle influences on the poor ruler. She did a great job of keeping it hidden, much like Martha did with her own subdued self, but it was useless trying to hide it from Martha.

They were similar on that level. Both of them did their best to uphold their mutual religion and maintain a saintly appearance. Recently, however, the cracks were starting to show. Jeanne was far more open than Martha was, but she still maintained a level of secrecy regarding less tasteful flaws she held. If it meant cracking her own image just a bit, she was completely fine with just a wee bit of teasing of her fellow saint.

"Martha, please!" She whispered with urgency.

There were few people Martha was comfortable enough to let her more determined and carefree side show, and save for the blue haired assassin and the pretty boy rider, the other two were in the room. She was sure Joan would be more appreciative that the rider was about to even the scales of embarrassment for her, and chanced to reveal herself. Lord, have mercy on her open trespass against her dear friend, because she was going to enjoy it. "I agree, especially when she rushes headlong into things she doesn't understand to make the perfect mess!"

"Martha!" Jeanne cried out incredulously with a blush, clearly horrified that her friend would dare ruin her little sister's image of her. Thankfully, Joan didn't seem to care.

"I was having a wonderful dinner date with my friend Sasaki before she openly dedicated a love song to us!" Martha rebutted with her tongue stuck out. "A love song! Could you imagine, Joan? It put us in such an awkward moment as tables clapped for us! For shame, dear saint!"

"I didn't know you weren't actually dating! It looked like it!" Their voices were raised enough that Amakusa was now staring at them in exasperation. Martha could hear him quietly praying he wouldn't be dragged into it… again.

To Martha's dismay, a hint of mischief flared in Jeanne's eyes as she smirked back. "It's not my fault you make it look like you're together. Always talking about him, sighing his name… What would the lord say about that, dear saint? I thought you wanted to be more like-"

"What!? I couldn't be quite like him, but I've been trying this whole time! What about you, Miss pokes-Gilles-in-the-eyes-when-she-pleases!? What saint does that!?"

Joan looked between the two squabbling servants in curiosity, though an amused smile expressed her delight. Enjoying the back and forth teasing, the tiny servant was content to watch the two respected and composed saints verbally slapping each other when no one was looking. Regardless of what was said, the little alter would still glance towards her older sister with sparkling admiration in her eyes. With a content sigh, she simply nuzzled into her older sister's arm further.

Amakusa could never quite ignore the bickering, no matter how many times it seemed to happen recently. With a raised eyebrow, he stared towards the two servants and whispered a prayer that they'd keep it contained. The possibility that he would get involved was nearly absolute by the looks of it, since they would simultaneously turn to him… just like they just did… before requesting his support against the other… just like they were clearly about to do in the next instant. He sighed and whispered, "Is Joan really the only child here?"

"Amakusa, please tell Martha to stop embarrassing me in front of my sister!" "Amakusa, Jeanne is being unfair in her comparisons of me!"

Martha continued bickering with Jeanne as Amakusa quietly prtayed, "God give me strength… Lord give me your strength…"

¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨(¯ˆ·.¸ IX ¸.·ˆ¯)¨·..·¨·..·¨·..·¨

"Joan's going to have an incredible migraine after this event, it seems. That will be fun to watch."

"I believe so." Martha smiled and nodded towards Gudao. She had changed into a conservative blue dress with sleeves for the special occasion, and she had to admit, the male master looked rather strapping in his black suit. "Did you enjoy your surprise first day of relaxation?"

"And no paperwork? Oh, it was grand," he exclaimed as they both laughed. "Even got to play a round of basketball with the Irish servants after playing tag with the girls."

They stood at the end of the quickly arranged table in the Salon, allowing all of the young servants to sit together for this one night. Mashu happily went around the table, snapping whatever photos she wanted. Fou looked around from its spot on the table between Gabrielle and Medea. It occasionally cooed in delight as Medea pet the fluffy critter. Beside her, Medusa still wore her sister's dress while the two shared the opposite end of the table from Martha and Gudao. They weren't children, but they adamantly refused to be separated from their dear little sister.

Mashu's seat remained temporarily vacant while she took photos, allowing Arturia to converse happily with Euryale over the empty seat. Emiya sat next to her with a slightly confused expression, that perfectly matched the one El-Melloi wore as the caster stared across the table at the King of Conquerors. Gabrielle watched the small Iskandar playing on the Gameboy from over Joan's head, not caring at all he was technically being rude as he tried to finish the final level of the borrowed game.

Chaldea's usual servant children filled out the final seats, though they were especially enthusiastic there seemed to be more children to play with. Atalanta's girls were especially eager about the promised game of hide and seek later, having dressed in black shirts and jeans in preparation. Illya fiddled with the hem of her white dress in irritation as she looked longingly towards her dear older brother. Kuro seemed to share that curious opinion across from her with a slight scowl as she slouched in her chair, arms crossed in front of her green tank top.

While the rest of the diners had their places in the usual booths and tables, their temporary setup was placed in the central aisle that leads to the entrance. It gave Jeanne a nice view of the table, as she passed Martha a happy wave which she quickly returned; Their bickering was politely left in the privacy of the chapel so they could both uphold their saintly appearances. Jeanne still had a few minutes until she needed to sing for pre-dinner, but she needed to be by the piano in case Mozart had made any last minute selection revisions.

Lord El-Melloi II groaned. "Am I really supposed to be here? I'm nearly in my twenties..."

"If you don't want to be here, switch seats with me," Kuro stated plainly, earning a jealous glare from Illya.

Ruby's magical head popped up from under the table. "We can't let her win and do public, naughty things to-"

"Ruby, please be quiet!" Illya hastily silenced with a slight blush, grateful Jack did not hear from next to her as she talked with Gudao. Emiya caught Ilya's frustration and smiled towards her, making the caster blush deeper. He soon turned back around as he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve.

"Shirou, why aren't you cooking?" Arturia questioned quietly with a pout. He chuckled as he rubbed her bare shoulder.

"Tamamo and Boudica insisted… rather forcefully, that I enjoy myself today. Sorry, Saber."

Noticing her disappointment still in place, he leaned a bit forward over the table to smile in her peripherals. She turned back, but it also caught Medea's attention as her pointed ears twitched slightly. "I'll make it up to you, Saber. Promise. I'll think of something."

Arturia blushed and slowly turned away as she fiddled with her fingers. "A kiss from my sweetheart would be nice, but please be gentle and chaste… we're in public…"

Emiya's eyebrows rose slightly upon seeing her adorable expression, while Medea was struggling to hide her own embarrassed flush for eavesdropping. Martha watched the scene with a giggle, taking a little too much inner amusement at how jealous Kuro and Illya were getting with Arturia stealing all of their brother's attention. El-Melloi sighed, caught in the middle of something he didn't want to be involved with in the first place. Martha shot him a sympathetic look, which made him simply shrug in defeat.

Feeling a sudden tap on her shoulder, Martha turned to see Mashu smiling at her. "Martha, Gabby wants a photo of everyone, with me in it. Would you mind?"

"I'd be happy to," She smiled back as the saint gently took the camera from her hands. She looked over the device carefully, noting the complexity of this one compared to her own. But she couldn't ask Mashu now that the masters were gathering the group for the photo. Jeanne and the three parents in formal wear even joined in the back, only increasing the pressure unbeknownst to them.

This was silly. It was just a picture, and this was just a simple camera. To think it would be flustering her this much. She looked up to see everyone posing, and she adjusted her position while looking through the view finder. Her heartbeat sped up at the thought she might screw this up, but she batted it aside. How nervous was she seriously going to get about taking a rare photo of the happy, temporary child servants and their… okay, that line of thought wasn't helping her. With a slow exhale, her slight camera shake stopped and she lined everything up.

"Everyone ready? One… two… three… smile!"

She pressed the shutter button once and the flash ignited. With clear nervousness in her fingers, but not in her posture, she quickly searched the back of the camera for a preview button. Martha pressed it and held her breath as the preview loaded. When it finally did, she released her anxiety as the photo came into view. Everyone was well lit, but there were no blinks of pure white or black. No one had their eyes closed, and all gazed happily at the camera with smiles. Even Lord El-Melloi II wound up smiling as the young Iskandar was practically falling on top of him in enthusiasm.

With gleaming eyes, Martha realized she got the shot on the first go. No need for repeats, and it was her first time on such a complex camera. She had proved her absurd anxiety wrong and captured a beautiful moment. George would have been proud of her! Perhaps she should ask him for more photo lessons!? As Jeanne came over to look at the preview, Martha thrust a free hand into the air in excitement, drawing the attention of everyone nearby as she cheered happily.

"Yes! Yes! I did it!"

Her expression fell as she heard chuckles and laughter. Slowly she looked down to look at the servants and masters staring at her. Jeanne had her hands folded in front of her with a teasing smile and mischievous glint in her eyes, making the rider blush slightly. Mashu came over to take the camera gently from her hands, allowing the saint to cover her face with her hands in embarrassment. The laughter increased as Jeanne gently rubbed her friend's back in comfort, soothing her for the small slip due to enthusiasm.

"It's alright, Martha… You know everyone-"

She clicked her tongue and huffed. "That doesn't make it any less embarrassing when I-! Oh… I just did it again…"