"... So you do not recognize me, yet your welcome was no lie. It's been a long time since anyone has talked with me this cordially… In that case, you may call me, Scathach."

Gudao blinked in surprise. Usually servants introduced themselves by class, but this one was different. Barely a minute since her arrival, and she already stated her full name instead. It was not hard for the master to guess her class, judging by the very familiar looking red lance. Coupled with the incredibly tight suit she wore and the red eyes, he had a solid guess where this person was likely from. In all honesty, Gudao was not as well versed in Irish Mythology, so the name never rang a bell.

Her spear dematerialized, but she stood tall and regal. "Shall I call you… master?"

"You do not have to call me such if you do not wish." The master shook his head with a small smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Scathach. I'm Gudao Fujimaru, the Master of Chaldea."

"I see… Then I will call you Gudao."

The master nodded in understanding. "If you don't mind, I am a little curious. Do you know Cu Chulainn?"

The lancer seemed to tense at his sudden inquiry, as Tesla and Gabrielle watched from the control panel behind him. He glanced back at them in slight concern, only for Gabrielle to shrug in her Magecraft Division uniform. With a small sigh, he turned back to the servant whose eyes flashed with a mixture of concealed emotions, though her body remained composed. He listened as Tesla's booming laughter echoed from behind him. "Ah, Gudao... I thought you would know, considering your best friend is half Irish."

He turned back to look as Gabrielle shrugged. Tesla chuckled and shook his head at the pair's lack of information. "Ah, pity… very well, I will enlighten you both! Scathach is a legendary figure, and the teacher of Cu Chulainn. She is the one who helped forge his legend."

Gudao slowly nodded in understanding as he faced Scathach once more. Her eyes were focused on him. "Is Cu Chulainn also here?"

"He's one of the servants here, yes. That's why I was curi-"

"You will take me to him."

Gudao blinked. "I can do that, but don't you want the tour of the facility first?"

Scathach did not waver. Her perfectly stoic composure remained. "You will take me to him now, Gudao."

"Wow, sheesh... Pushy servant you just got there. Barely a few minutes and she acts like she owns the damn place." Scathach's red eyes flashed dangerously towards Gabrielle as she stood behind the console with crossed arms. To her credit, she didn't even budge as the servant's glare met with her own incredulous gaze.

Tesla chuckled in amusement, never finding a dull moment around the sometimes-outspoken female magus. As the stare down continued, Gudao sighed and scratched the back of his head as he looked between his best friend and the newly arrived lancer. Anyone could tell just by looking at them that this could end very badly, though it was likely best to acquiesce to her request to see the other Irish legend. He tried clearing his throat to get their attention, yet to Tesla's amusement, the girls simply ignored him as Scathach crossed her arms.

With a sigh, Gudao also made a mental note they should be kept separate.

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

Fragment 29: Perhaps a Little Longer

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

"Rise and shine." There was no response.

With a roll of her eyes, Scathach continued to poke the lump underneath the blanket. The mess of orange hair that stuck out from the covers was the only sign of the groggy master, who only groaned and refused to move. Placing her arms akimbo on her tight denims, the lancer shook her head and tapped her bare feet on the floor; Her black sandals remained by the door. As the master groaned and buried herself further, Scathach moved her arms to cross them in front of the tank top that matched her hair.

"Kyuuuu!" Fou greeted happily as it jumped out from under the sheets. Gabrielle groaned at the loud noise as the furry creature rubbed against Scathach before running to the door. As it quickly slid open to allow the familiar passage into the halls, the lancer turned back to the master and shook her head.

"Daylight is burning, Gabby."

"Please tell me this is a terrible prank... Please. It's six in the morning on Christmas Day…"

Scathach's response was to simply smirk and yank the pillow out from under Gabrielle's head. The female master yelped as the blanket soon followed, leaving the master clutching her remaining pillow like a life line. Wearing nothing but an oversized white shirt and pink panties, the master glared half-heartedly at the lancer as she embraced the last pillow. The Irish legend simply hummed to herself in victory as she began neatly folding the master's blanket.

"All the more reason to get up early and enjoy the festivities. Isn't that what you wanted, Gabby?"

Clearly amused, Scathach watched as the female master groaned. She stood up and placed her pillow onto the bed, followed quickly by its counterpart she picked off the ground. With a grumble, she snatched the folded blanket from Scathach's hands and placed it at the foot of her bed. She purposefully ignored the triumphant little smirk as the lancer took a seat on the edge, careful not to crumple the blanket. As Scathach watched Gabrielle rub the sleep form her eyes silently, the master walked to her dresser to pick a pair of clean clothes.

"Going for something festive?"

"Maybe later… I just want something comfy for now."

Scathach watched as she sifted through the drawer before throwing a light blue cloth behind her. As it landed on the bed, the lancer casually glanced over to see light blue Bermuda shorts. It was quickly followed by a silky blue thong, making the lancer roll her eyes. "I thought you said you wanted to be comfy?"

"I threw a thong, didn't I? Hmm… maybe I'll just wear that anyway," She pondered as she continued to rub her eyes with one hand.

Scathach shook her head. "You're unbelievable sometimes."

Gabrielle quickly turned to her friend and stuck her tongue out, making the lancer laugh softly. The female master slowly walked over to her closet while leaving the drawer hanging open. She began sifting through her wardrobe as the Scottish teacher simply crossed her legs and waited patiently. With folded hands in her lap, she observed Gabrielle's slightly tired but otherwise darting eyes and smiled.

It was strange to think they had gotten to be such incredible friends considering their start. Sharp jabs were traded between the two in the earliest days when Scathach arrived as one of Chaldea's first dozen servants. They couldn't stand each other at first, openly criticizing the other to the point even Hans would fall silent from lack of material. Where Gabrielle was usually openly emotional and acted on impulse, Scathach was mindful, stoic, and kept to herself. It was a wonder they ever managed to get along after Gudao pleaded with them to at least try and act civil.

Feelings only began reversing when Gabrielle overheard her and Cu talking about her wish. The future master had stormed in, absolutely livid that someone would wish for such a thing. It had ignited their biggest argument, which ended with Cu having to break the two of them up before things took a physical turn for the worst against the magus. In that moment, Scathach saw the sheer amount of courage, whether idiotic or not, to stand up to a heroic spirit without hesitation. She earned a tiny bit of her respect that day, and it only went up from there.

They had tried to be civil from then on, and surprisingly they succeeded when Gabrielle's friendly charm took root a month after her summoning. She started treating Scathach well, and it was reciprocated. With every passing week, that bond grew to the point the crimson lancer had been considered Gabrielle's closest servant upon becoming a Chaldean Master; They were like Mashu and Gudao, minus the romance. What they had was purely platonic of the best kind, where two opposites managed to balance in harmony.

"You can check me out as long as you want, I'm not sleeping with you," Gabrielle joked with a teasing smirk.

The lancer rolled her eyes upon realizing she had spaced out in memories, one of the many habits she gained from her friendship with the master. Gabrielle simply laughed as she walked towards the bathroom. Tossing her shirt over her head to leave her torso completely exposed, she disappeared through the door. Her panties soon followed as they shot out the bathroom door, which would remain open the whole time.

With a sigh, the lancer stood up to grab the discarded clothes and place them into the folded laundry bin in her closet. A minute later, the toilet flushed as Gabrielle finished her business. It was a quick task, followed shortly by the sound of the shower turning on. As the master's humming exited through the still open bathroom door, Scathach smiled in satisfaction.

Content that Gabrielle wasn't going to try and sleep again, she returned to the bed and noted the shirt she had picked out. She smiled at the cranberry colored shirt printed with the phrase 'Part Irish, All Trouble.' Upon seeing it in a window during the British singularity a week ago, she knew it would match her friend well. To see her wearing it already after opening it last night was a pleasant discovery.

"Want to go see if the little couple is awake after this?" Gabrielle asked loudly from the shower.

"Let's give them time… it's still early," Scathach teased. She chuckled upon hearing her friend's grumbling about consideration for her sleep.

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

"Merry Christmas~?" Gabrielle asked with a playful tone as she looked into her best friend's room.

"Best one yet," Gudao chuckled as he placed his belt on his khakis. Scathach and Gabrielle watched silently as Mashu closed the top buttons on his navy collared shirt. Mashu was already in a comfortable black dress partially covered with a white throw over since she had brought clothes last night. The smiles on both of their faces were only matched by the glow they practically radiated.

"I can tell!" The female master hummed in delight. She was really glad everything worked out well. "Take a shower together too?"

"No, but we considered it," Mashu spoke plainly, like it was a simple answer. The light blush on her cheeks showed she wasn't even that embarrassed by it.

Gabrielle looked to Scathach in surprise and pride. "They grow up so fast…"

The female master soon giggled while the lancer shook her head with a sigh. Scathach had watched the pair slowly drift closer to each other, and had been rather critical to Gudao about needing the courage to assert his stance with Kiyohime and Tamamo. After they had secretly become a couple during the Jerusalem Singularity, she had been pleased he had finally taken hers and Gabrielle's advice. For ten days, he tried to tell the love rivals he only saw them as friends. To the lancer's disappointment, try was the key word since Kiyohime didn't seem to want to listen at all. Though surprisingly, Tamamo's advances had diminished greatly.

Perhaps she should ask her later at the- "Kyuuuu…"

Scathach and Gabrielle looked to each other in confusion, as Mashu and Gudao looked to the girls' feet. Glancing down, the pair saw the rather sad looking, fluffy critter with drooping ears. Fou looked as fluffy as usual, but its eyes looked tired and distressed. It would have been a mystery why if the visual cues weren't as obvious… namely the horrendous red Christmas sweater that it wore, and the matching ribbons on its ears. While the four hoped to escape the traditional eye sore, it seems Fou had already received the day's death sentence.

"Fou! Who did this to you, you poor thing?" Gabrielle asked as she bent down. "Geez… is that picture supposed to be a penguin?"

"Kyu…" It whimpered like a wounded animal. The sound was one of the saddest it ever made as it curled into Gabrielle's feet for comfort. The female master carefully picked it up while Gudao and Mashu walked over. With a reassuring smile, the shielder gently pet the familiar as Gudao slid his arm around her waist. They all stared as it slowly leaned into Mashu's touch, just as Gabrielle spotted the small tag on the back of the slightly oversized dog sweater. She opened the tag and silently read it before groaning. While she covered her face with an open palm, the other three waited patiently for the information.

"Trust Nero to mistake this joke trend as a great festive gift..."

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

With a content sigh, Scathach sat on the stool at the Salon's bar, silently enjoying the morning festivities as gifts were opened. Whether it was from mutual agreement or the Christmas tree gathering for the children, employee and servant alike were scattered about the room. The lancer eyed all of them quietly, ever watchful as one of Chaldea's peacekeepers and rumored big sister of sorts. Besides assisting Gabrielle or conducting special saint graph procedures, her volunteered task since arrival was simply to make sure servants didn't cause much of a ruckus.

Thankfully, the morning seemed to be peaceful as Gilles appeared from the kitchen with a container of ice. "Good morning and Merry Christmas, Scathach, would you like your usual coffee?"

"That would be nice. And Merry Christmas to you as well," the lancer replied with a nod towards Gilles. His own silver version of the lounge's uniform had some Christmas flair in the form of buttons, likely attached by his fellow coworkers; They had their own as well as they helped bring water to the morning's guests around the room.

As she listened to the relaxing music from Mozart's playing, more childish cheers erupted from around the Christmas tree. Marie sat on the ground in a comfortable red robe, surrounded by the four child servants who were eagerly opening their gifts. Saint George stood behind her in a plain business suit, camera flashing to capture the moment. Their mothers sat at a nearby table, happily talking to each other while Marie kept their children preoccupied. Atalanta fixed the collar on her green robe before glancing at Jack. Irisviel took the small pause to adjust the neck piece on her favorite burgundy blouse. As she unconsciously smoothed her white skirt, she giggled while Illya unwrapped the small teddy bear dressed like a magical girl; It resembled something from one of her favorite shows.

It was almost as good of a gift as forcing Ruby into a small costume of a snowman head; The wand was clearly sulking in the air.

In the far corner, she could see Boudica apologizing profusely to a very ashamed, adult Medea. The poor caster looked like she had been humiliated on live television, which was not too far from the truth considering how serious and dignified most of Chaldea saw her; At least it's been months since anyone saw her as reprehensible or evil. If she were to guess, her current embarrassment was only amplified by the ugly blue Christmas sweater she wore. To her benefit, or own doing, Naomi and Vlad also wore their own green ones, and Scathach had to wonder if they had pranked each other as a joke.

"Here you go," Gilles noted with a smile as he placed the cup and saucer on the bar. She quietly thanked him as he walked back to the kitchen.

Scathach silently turned back to watch the Salon's various events while sipping on her coffee. Movement near the door caught her attention, and she watched the young Emiya, unfortunately still suffering from the potion, carrying a stack of presents. He wore the relaxed jeans and long sleeve shirt he seemed to have acquired for that younger state when it first occurred. With gentle ease, the archer placed the stack of presents down next to a booth by the door where Ishtar was relaxing in a white robe, and they nodded to each other with a smile.

As the goddess sipped on her own tea, Emiya left for the door once more, passing Arturia with an equal number of gifts. Her hair was in its formal bun, and the blue skirt and white blouse made Ishtar's eyes glint in recognition from what Scathach could gauge. But her attention quickly shot back to the door as Emiya stopped in front of it.

She watched quietly as Cu appeared in the entrance, pausing only as the younger Emiya refused to move. Guessing by the scowl on her student's face, this was going to end in a quarrel as it always did. She sighed, annoyed she may have to intervene on a peaceful holiday, as Cu crossed his arms over his green Hawaiian shirt. The Hound of Ulster squared his feet to stare down at the smaller archer, who gladly copied the gesture. Arturia shook her head while placing the presents down in front of Ishtar, who giggled in her seat.

"I've got no words for you, archer boy. Just let a grown-up pass." Scathach rolled her eyes. The doorway was big enough for him to just walk by.

"Ah… just a typical greeting from you, dog. Not that I expected anything better."

Cu clicked his tongue. "You were more likable as a teen. That returning attitude just shows it's almost over... too bad it was temporary. You're easier to manage like that."

Arturia sighed as she walked over. "Is it that difficult for both of you to try and be friendly? It's Christmas Day."

"Oh, no worries, Saber… those two are going to get much friendlier real soon," Ishtar noted with a raise of her eyebrows. The three of them looked to her, and she simply hummed to herself with a devious look in her eyes. Slowly she pointed above the doorway for her own amusement as the girls by the Christmas tree began giggling. The male pair looked up, and their eyes opened in equal horror upon seeing the mistletoe held by a devious, floating Ruby. Even Arturia's eyes widened in surprise at the wand's audacity.

"I saw the opportunity, and I couldn't resist~!" Ruby cheered as it continued to float above them.

"As a genuine Goddess of Love… I demand you follow this holiday's oh so interesting tradition," Ishtar declared with pride. "Now… kiss~!"

"Absolutely not, Rin!" "Like hell I'm kissing this archer bastard!"

They both yelled simultaneously, earning the entire attention of the Salon, and the pure laughter of those nearby. Quickly, Cu looked towards Arturia standing nearby who was trying her best to hold back her laughter. He walked over and quickly, but gently, grabbed her by the arms. Before Emiya could yell at him, Cu lifted her up and placed her underneath the mistletoe near the archer. With a nod of approval as the former master and saber looked to each other, Cu walked off and ignored Ishtar's disappointed and Nursery Rhyme only clapped louder at the new predicament as Arturia and Emiya looked at the mistletoe, then back at each other.

Kuro and Illya looked less pleased, but still clapped for their brother.

Scathach chuckled as cheers quickly erupted from the onlookers, likely because the pair were more than comfortable kissing each other. While the others were distracted, Cu made his way to Scathach with a small hum and took the seat next to her. He eyed the teasing glint in her eye and shook his head. "Don't tell me you were looking forward to that."

"That would have been the first time my student entertained me in such a manner. A rather unique Christmas present," Scathach simply mused with a chuckle. Cu groaned, but soon joined her in light laughter. After the teacher took another sip from her cup. "Thank you, for avoiding that argument and for the present. Your actual gifts were nice."

He grinned. "I hoped you'd enjoy those books. Medusa helped me pick them since she knows your favorite genres better."

"Wise decision," She mused as she placed her cup down. "Still fine with sparring later?"

"That's what I came to confirm. So we're still in agreement, it seems."

She chuckled. "Of course. You still have much to learn."

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

The library was one of Scathach's occasional escapes after Gabrielle got her interested in reading books many months ago. She currently sat on a couch across from Tamamo as she gently brushed her tail with a comb. The sakura-print kimono wearing caster was a very rare sight in the library, but today there was a mutual meeting with their female master. Usually a meeting would be held elsewhere, but given the unique circumstances the library was a better option this time. Thankfully, the room was empty save for Shakespeare at the front desk as usual, but he was far too occupied writing a play idea with his new phoenix feather pen.

"Is that bracelet new, Scathach?" The fox caster stared curiously at the silver slave bracelet in question. While very ornate, its center piece red butterfly was even more eye catching. It jingled quietly as Scathach presented it forward for her to look. "It's really beautiful."

The lancer looked up from her novel and nodded with a tiny smile. "Gabrielle's gift to me. It was more than I expected."

"Looks like it costed her a small fortune." Tamamo chuckled, and Scathach joined her. She turned back to her tail, as Scathach picked her novel up once more.

Reading was a hobby she never expected to pick up in Chaldea, let alone a much more approachable demeanor. In the early days, she had been content with simply watching and guarding Gudao since it was rude for a divine spirit to help solve the problems of the world. Yet time and time again she deceived herself with a spontaneous reason to quell her inner desire for fighting, often helping take down serious threats. After much reflection in her room, and teasing from Gabrielle when their friendship first formed, the lancer began openly admitting that she may be enjoying her stay here.

If Cu was still not ready to kill her, then she may as well enjoy the wait, right?

As she considered asking about Tamamo's curious shift regarding Gudao, the door to the library opened, and Scathach glanced over to expect Gabrielle or another of the requested servants. Instead she saw Nero approaching with an unusually blank expression, made even more curious by the hint of caution in her eyes. Had her gaze not been locked on Tamamo, the lancer would have been more interested in the gorgeous new toga, which made her glow like a goddess. Scathach felt her tension rise from her previously relaxed state; Long gone were the days in Chaldea where she was always tense.

Scathach eyed Tamamo, who mirrored Nero's expression as she approached. Their former squabbles in the early days sometimes got out of hand, and she would have to step in, but it was nothing compared to the caster and Kiyohime at their worst. Still, she watched silently as Nero stopped before Tamamo, with just a quiet 'Merry Christmas' and wave towards Scathach. She hoped they would not start something on Christmas day, after so many months of getting along rather well.

"Miss Empress." Scathach could feel the tension between them, and it reminded her of the early days.

"Fox Caster." Still, they seemed rather casual in their greetings, and their expressions changed from blank… to uncertain. Yes, this was a different tension.

"I see you like my gift," Tamamo started awkwardly, brushing her tail unconsciously with her hand. Nero eyed the caster's kimono with a small smile.

"As you appear to like mine… It's a beautiful toga. I love it," Nero replied as she reached one arm across her torso to grasp her other arm. It was unusual seeing the empress so considerate and reserved in her speech; She never cared about the volume restriction of the library, not that Shakespeare cared as much as the other male librarian. "...Hans informed me I could find you here. I have my last gift, if you have yours."

Tamamo looked surprised, but a bit wary. "Maybe we should do this in private… We both know they're personal in some way."

"If you prefer, I could wait outside," Scathach said plainly as she started to get up. The two were surprised when Nero held up her hand to halt her action.

"No… I would prefer an audience for this moment."

With a twitch of her ear, Tamamo looked at her curiously. Nero shook her head quickly and smiled at the caster. "I've had this for you for far too long… Something this beautiful, no matter how personal, deserves to be witnessed."

"A final olive branch to the other rival, after so long… Yes, we did agree to that in his memory, didn't we?" the caster breathed with a small smile. She still didn't believe they'd come this far. "Are we going to quarrel over which one is better too? For old time's sake?"

"It would be nostalgic, but we should be generous to Scathach today!" The pair chuckled.

The lancer simply looked between them as Tamamo reached into her kimono while Nero fiddled at the back of her toga. Gifts retrieved, they both held their hands in front of them, and the lancer watched curiously as their eyes widened in tandem. Still covering their gifts, the two looked uncertainly at the closed fist of the other. The silence was near deafening, though Scathach swore she could hear their hearts beating as one in that moment. Slowly, they both reached their respective free hand to the other's fist, looking into the former rival's eyes for acknowledgement. They placed their gift into the other's hand, making them both gasp.

Curiosity ignited, Scathach eyed the large metal coins in their open palms. They were clearly craft coins from the Fate system judging by the signature red backings and the golden Chaldea logo. Did these mystic code essences have some sort of hidden meaning for the pair? Her question was answered when they flipped the coins together, revealing them to be exactly the same. A rather casually dressed man in blue plaid held his hand out in the depicted image, offering a floating yakisoba bread to the viewer. It was rather plain for a craft coin's depiction, but it clearly had much more powerful meaning to the two former rivals.

Scathach slowly nodded in complete understanding as the girls stared at the coins. Her voice broke their silent emotion. "I would assume… that would be Hakuno?"

Tamamo covered her mouth with one hand and nodded as Nero clutched the coin to her heart. The empress stared in shock at the caster. "You… had one too?"

"It arrived earlier this month… I couldn't bear to let go of it."

"Mine arrived nearly the same time," Nero admitted as she stared at the coin again. "I knew I needed it when I saw it… Gudao was confused but didn't ask."

"I hid mine from you."

"Umu… I did too…" Silence fell between them.

Scathach wondered if things were about to crumble, but was pleasantly surprised when Nero and Tamamo practically smashed into each other for a warm embrace. The lancer allowed herself to smile much more than she'd ever let anyone see, since she was the first person to ever witness the pair being this friendly. She composed herself once more, but still enjoyed the quiet embrace with tiny trails of tears from the former rivals' eyes. Even though they had kept their craft coins secret, it was the gesture of giving it to the other that spoke volumes more.

Nero managed to hold herself together instead of bawling. "I'll never use another craft coin again!"

"Thank you for giving me my dear husband!" Tamamo sniffled.

"Umu~! My praetor is the best gift possible!" Nero exclaimed happily as they broke apart. She wiped her eyes and watched as Tamamo did the same. With a small sigh, she smiled at the caster. "So… does that mean you're back to your real self? The true, loyal wife who annoyed me so much?"

"Yes… I am…" Tamamo laughed happily as she affectionately rubbed the coin. Scathach nodded at the hidden meaning of the words; It was partially why they were having the meeting with Gabrielle in the library. A male voice clearing his throat made the trio turn towards a slightly irritated Hans. The male caster had hands akimbo on his semi-formal blue suit, and was standing next to Gabrielle. The master watched as the two girls' expressions began fading. Thinking quickly with a sigh, the female master rolled her eyes-

and slapped Hans on the back of the head. Nero and Tamamo laughed. He grunted incredulously as he glared at her. "They were being too loud!"

"It's Christmas, Hans! Don't be a scrooge! They were having a beautiful moment!" Hans grumbled with a steady glare at his female master.

As the pair approached, with the two former rivals giggling at the master's new shirt, Gabrielle casually looked among them. "Just missing a few."

"Oh? Is this a secret meeting?" Nero asked as she hid the gifted craft coin. "The Empress of Roses wishes to partake!"

"Nero, sorry. But this has been going on for a month," Gabrielle started. It only made the empress pout, which caused Tamamo to roll her eyes.

"Honestly, Miss Empress… Just this once? For the holiday?" Tamamo asked with crossed arms. Nero noted the tiny smile and sighed.

"I'll just return to my fellow Romans then…" Nero grumbled dejectedly. Her spirits were quickly raised as Gabrielle quietly thanked her with a happy rub of her head.

The four watched as Nero walked out of the room, before Scathach turned to the female master with a serious face. "Gabby… You're certain of this?"

Eyes turned to the master, who simply nodded resolutely with only a hint of uncertainty. "The plan has been in motion, and I will see it through."

Scathach let a tiny smirk appear as she nodded. If the master had done wonders to make the lancer a little more open with her emotions, then she had also improved Gabrielle in return. It was a mutual trade, with the pair helping to amend each other's perceived issues. The Irish legend would have been nowhere near the person she was now if it wasn't for Gabrielle, and she was proud to say the female master had become more serious and strategically sound by her guidance.

Scathach was still reserved, and Gabrielle still emotionally open, but the difference was beyond noticeable. Gudao had thanked her many times for helping his best friend become a respectable master in her own way... and if all went well, Gudao would be thankful once more when their plan was executed in a few days.

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

Even were she not the Queen of the Land of Shadows, her idea of ruling to bring happiness to the people would not change. Though she showed it less expressively before, she did enjoy her permanent peacekeeping position since it allowed her to watch over others. There was a rumor or two that she liked being a big sister, but she would never confirm or deny that. It simply became another piece she hung onto as a new semblance of a life formed, with or without her consent.

This idea was one concept she never had to teach Gabrielle, who was a natural for looking after others. It was the reason they current found themselves outside one of the servant's doors with two presents, waiting for an answer to the knocks. As the door unlocked, it slid open to reveal Hundred Face in a lovely blue Arabian dress. Her eyes quickly recognized the female master and lancer, and she pleasantly nodded towards the pair with a small smile.

"Merry Christmas, Gabby and Scathach."

"To you too, Hundred Face! Sorry we're a tad late," Gabrielle nodded with a tiny smile. She had been a tad louder so the real owner of the room could hear.

A soft voice responded within. "It's okay. Please, come in!"

Hundred Face nodded at the response before stepping aside to give them ample room. The pair entered the rather plain room, moving swiftly to the coffee table to place their presents down next to some others. After doing so, Gabrielle quickly walked over to the assassin sitting on her bed as the door slid shut. Serenity smiled softly as Gabrielle hugged the adorable Hassan, staying close to allow her to savor the warmth of another's touch. Serenity tightened her embrace in response, clearly happy she had someone to hold.

Scathach took a seat on the couch to watch. Gabrielle broke the embrace to sit beside the assassin, making sure to make bodily contact for the Hassan's sake. The quiet girl's white robe was rather warm, she noted, before smiling back at her. "Merry Christmas, Serenity!"

"Merry Christmas, Gabby… thank you for coming," She responded softly with a happy smile. It faded slowly. "I'm sorry if this inconveniences-"

"Oh hush, girl!" Gabrielle interrupted with a small shoulder bump, making everyone in the room chuckle. "We don't mind! I'm sure Gudao and Mashu don't either! Speaking of which…"

"They went to the cafeteria to get desserts to bring back with Cursed Arm," Hundred Face answered with a smile. The female master nodded back.

"I guess we'll just wait a bit before we let you open your gifts then!"

The two began talking, and Scathach noted Hundred Face's pleased smile. She could tell the assassin was enjoying her fellow Hassan's lifted spirits as she talked with her first Chaldean friend on the bed. It was a sad case that Roman had been working to solve over the month, trying to figure a way to make Serenity's presence less… lethal to those in Chaldea. She had been mostly confined to her room since her tour, mainly out of her personal concern about hurting others. The lancer knew she could be fairly close to even the weaker humans of the facility, but she presumed there was an underlying fear of causing problems for the first people she could touch.

While it wasn't the isolation she went through for endless years, she could still sympathize with her. Loneliness was terrible in any form.

Scathach could tell the Hassan relished every moment Gudao, Mashu, and Gabrielle would come to visit her, and the trio did it often. They did a lot to ensure she was happy despite her circumstances; Hopefully Roman and Paracelsus could finally figure something out for the poor assassin, since rarely coming out of the room was a solemn thought. Loud giggling broke Scathach out of her thoughts, and she smiled upon watching Gabrielle tickling Serenity into submission.

"Gabby, please!"

"Nuh uh! You're ticklish and you need to admit it!" She gloated. Sadly, she was likely ticklish due to the lack of human contact.

With a chuckle, the crimson lancer continued to enjoy the scene with Hundred Face. It had been a month, but there was still plenty of time to hope even with humanity's potential end in the near future. Scathach had no doubt that Serenity would receive what she needed, if not desired, since Chaldea had a track record for making things possible. It might not be exactly what is wished for, as was the lancer's case, but it would be something special and memorable without a doubt.

Until then, Scathach silently hoped the little interactions were enough of an appetizer for Serenity's happiness.

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

Snowflakes were smashed to pieces as a lance cut through the air.

Scathach gracefully leapt over Gae Bolg, and it didn't even come close to grazing her tight battle attire. She slammed her prototype spear into the weapon, causing Cu to jump back to reposition himself. The snowflakes fell between them as the two smirked at each other. The grip on Gae Bolg tightened as the man in blue tights vanished in a blurry-

Clang! Scathach had easily redirected the incoming thrust to her spine with a spin from her weapon. Cu grit his teeth in disappointment. Spinning the lance was often a poor decision in combat, since it made it easier for the opponent to disarm its wielder. When Scathach did it, the move sent a different message loudly and clearly since she was an undisputed master at the spear. As her eyes flashed towards him, he read the subtle hints she sent him that echoed over their countless training sessions.

"You need to do better than that, Setanta..."

He vanished once more, answering her demand with three swift thrusts and several expert strikes. While they were done with sheer precision and speed, all within a few seconds, he could not manage to properly land a hit. Their trade of attacks continued as Cu's blinding speed made him appear as a blurry whirlwind that surrounded his teacher. The snow whipped around them, forming a miniature tornado as Scathach simply and casually spun in her place to deflect, block, and strike as needed.

Compared to Chaldea's early days, Cu's techniques had gotten noticeably better. While their parameters couldn't change as much, even with the saint graph ascensions, their technique and teamwork could noticeably improve. Watching other heroic spirits and forming tag teams allowed for possibilities never before seen in a grail war, and it was certainly showing its influence on her favorite pupil. It gave her hope one day he would finally reach the peak she needed him to gaze from, so she could finally pass on from the world.

That hope was dashed momentarily as Cu vaulted into the air, bringing Gae Bolg into a position for a powerful overhead slam. He had clearly revealed his back to her, even as his eyes glanced at her in his peripherals. She sighed, then clicked her tongue in annoyance as she swiftly side stepped the strike that sent an eruption of snow into the air like a volcano. She quickly smacked Cu with the shaft of her weapon, sending him stumbling. Before he could react, she reappeared at his side and casually pushed his legs out from under him, causing the lancer to face plant into the ground.

But the two of them were laughing.

Scathach attempted to compose herself, but failed. She planted her prototype Gae Bolg into the ground to lean on it for support as she laughed. Cu lay on the ground as snow dusted his body, his torso sputtering with his own hearty chuckles. He simply let Gae Bolg rest on the ground as he sat up to stare at his teacher with one closed eye. The crimson lancer simply approached to sit on the ground before him.

"Wherever you learned that… disgrace of an attack, do not do it again," She reprimanded, though it was halfhearted. She knew it wasn't a serious strike.

"Well, you know… Maybe I could catch you off guard with its absurdity?" The blue lancer joked back, earning him an eye roll. It was a reasonable assumption if he wasn't joking, considering some of Chaldea's archers could still questionably be called… well, archers. He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I was only kidding, teacher. The holiday mood got to me."

"I can't fault you for that. As long as you don't joke on the battlefield," She chuckled freely. There was a pause of comfortable silence. She eyed him as he simply looked at her in admiration, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "Is something the matter, Setanta?"

"You were always so serious, and you never laughed like this in my previous life… when you first arrived too, obviously," He noted with his signature grin. "I think it's refreshing."

"You act like I've only done this recently."

He shook his head, the grin remaining. "I just never brought it up… I blame the holiday mood again."

Scathach sighed, though a tiny smile remained. "Then I guess our session is over if you aren't-"

The crimson lancer shot to her feet. She spun her weapon swiftly to deflect three sudden strikes from impossible angles. To her surprise, she felt herself impressed with that attack. While far from Sasaki's technique, it was clearly influenced by its design. She held her blocking pose, keeping Gae Bolg's shaft from touching her neck by a small margin. From her peripherals, she eyed Cu's grin. "I never inferred that, did I, teacher?"

"That's more like it."

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

If the Medical Facility received payment per operation, Scathach's dress would have covered the entire month by the number of jaws it dropped. A few flashes, mainly from Mashu's camera, gave off the impression of a starlet on the red carpet. There was no denying she was a stunning beauty herself, but the very form fitting, crimson dress left little to the imagination, much like her battle tights. The one-shoulder number even had a very daring side slit that ended near her hip, making the lacy formal wear even more alluring.

She simply sauntered over to the bar to wait for Cu and Gabrielle, and was quickly noticed by the brunette manning the bar with Gilles. "One, fine Amarone, coming right up!"

"That would be great, thank you, Mata Hari," the lancer replied smoothly as she took a seat.

With a chuckle, the assassin quickly walked over to the bar's cabinets to acquire specific fine wine for the lancer. Scathach knew the brunette's yellow one-shoulder dress was her personal favorite, and took quiet interest in the flower-print apron that now defended it as she worked; It was likely one of her own gifts from someone. As the assassin hummed, she quickly started making the blend for the pondering lancer. Usually Scathach would try to maintain her composed expression, but today had been far too memorable and entertaining… and it only continued beside her.

"You're over-dramatizing, Joan," Dantes teased with a smirk.

"That's rich coming from you!" The once-more adult Joan grumbled in frustration. Her head was buried into her black, opera glove covered arms on the countertop. It perfectly matched the dress which hugged her curves and exposed skin in very daring places. The design presented an air of alluring fashion, which was only amplified by the complimenting leggings and black neck bow. Were it not for the short, black throw over that covered her shoulders, Scathach would have easily assumed she was being openly suggestive.

The lancer eyed the male avenger as he chuckled lightly on the stool beside his embarrassed friend. She silently pondered if he only had variations of the same suit in different shades, since the one he wore was significantly darker than his usual gray. From her perspective, the suit almost matched what Joan wore, even down to the unusual amber colored tie that paired with her eyes; Dantes only ever wore red until this day, from what she recalled, so could that be a gift from the little Santa? If he noticed her inspection, he didn't show or care, as he simply swirled his glass of white wine.

While Mata Hari gave Scathach her fine wine, Joan looked up with a growl. Scathach enjoyed the flushed, mortified expression of the avenger. "This is humiliating. I want to burn something… anything to feel better."

"No one required you to wear it," Dantes pointed out, earning a darker glare from the avenger. He did have a point though. Kinda. Gilles simply chuckled as he placed the refilled wine glass in front of the avenger; The saber seemed to have gotten used to ignoring inner whispers around the interesting alter.

"It's not like I had any other formal wear! It just happened to be the only one!" She cried out incredulously.

"Of course… because that black halter dress certainly wasn't formal enough for this occasion," Dantes teased with a smirk, making her growl.

"Joan! Oh, you look so gorgeous!"

"Kill me again…" The avenger groaned in misery while looking behind her, causing the others to laugh. Jeanne happily walked up to the counter with a bright smile. Scathach noted the blue strapless dress she wore for her singing debut was coupled with a white throw over, her new gift from Arturia she recalled. Holding the threatening smirk back, she watched as Jeanne met Joan's embarrassed scowl with an unwavering smile.

"It suits you perfectly! I'm glad you liked it so much to wear it tonight! I hope you don't mind it was a prototype dress from Naomi when I modeled for her."

"Frivolous concerns, Jeanne. She doesn't mind since she loves it," Dantes answered for her, earning more chuckles and a harsh glare. His smirk remained.

"Oh, a loss for words? I understand," The saint beamed happily, with a small teasing glint in her eyes. The tinge was caught by the avenger, whose flush deepened.

Joan sputtered as she tried to find some way to retort. Jeanne began giggling, but soon stopped when her little sister smirked. "It's a beautiful dress… Dark and sultry… Rather suggestive too. Why would the supposedly pure and innocent Holy Maiden have something so risqué, delicious, and… sexy, I wonder?"

It was now Jeanne's turn to blush brightly, causing Scathach to unconsciously lean in to enjoy the developing situation. Joan simply chuckled as her sneer grew wider. "Oh, a loss for words? I understand."

"I-I didn't know it would be that kind of dress! I'm just happy my precious little sister can wear it without adjustments!" She shot back hastily.

The slight stutter was not missed by the avenger, who would have chuckled had she not used the embarrassing nickname. "I never agreed to that title, Jeanne!"

"That cute little Santa certainly did before she took an adorable nap on my lap!" Jeanne smirked back as Joan found herself scowling again.

Their bickering continued, with both of them furiously blushing while firing accusations at the other. Scathach's eyes shot back and forth between the two, noticing the contrast between them as well as the amusing similarities. To the enjoyment of those present, the two polar opposites seemed much more alike than one would presume at first glance. Laughter quickly erupted as Joan groaned and hid herself under her arms at the counter.

"Jeanne! Please don't show that gift!" Joan pleaded. Scathach blinked, wondering what could be so bad that the rough avenger would be reduced to begging.

She didn't have to wait long as Jeanne happily reached for her necklace. With a happy hum and a smile, her blush faded as she pulled out the larger than usual silver locket, made in the shape of a heart with a cross on the front. With her fingernails, she gently opened the locket as Joan attempted to bury herself further under her arms. Dantes laughed first since he was closest to the locket, causing Joan to immediately start attacking him with flailing fists; He only continued to laugh under the futile, feeble assault.

Scathach, Gilles, and Mata Hari leaned in for a better angle. The latter giggled happily as the other two chuckled at the picture within the locket. It was a captured moment where Joan had her arms happily around Jeanne during the tiny supply sortie two days ago. The star-lit sky and ocean filled the background behind them, but they weren't looking at the beautiful scenery. Joan had her eyes closed and was blissfully kissing Jeanne on the cheek while the Holy Maiden blushed with a joyful smile. If the picture wasn't enough, she happily flipped the locket to show the engraved back.

To my kind, beautiful sister!
~Love, Joan

"Awww~! Love, Joan!" Mata Hari cooed happily, earning the glare from the humiliated avenger.

She buried her head in her arms once more to grumble. "I loathe all of you… so very much."

"Oh, shush," Jeanne teased as she happily hugged the avenger from behind. She struggled to break free, though everyone noted how half-hearted the attempt was. She soon stopped, though cringed as the happy clattering of small feet approached. Scathach simply watched, while chuckling in amusement, as the four child servants surrounded the stool with cheerful smiles. They had traded their pajamas for black frills or Einzbern dresses, depending on the family.

"Thank you for the Christmas presents, Joan!" Jack greeted. At Nursery Rhyme's signal, the four began hugging what they could of the avenger, making Joan groan in total defeat; As aggravated and humiliated as she currently was, even she wouldn't dare attack the children… especially since they were some of the first to accept her. She simply scowled under her arms and silently thought of a way to escape and save face. With that touching sight ingrained into recent memory, Scathach decided to see how the rest of the Salon was doing.

While she took another glance at the Christmas Dinner Party, now in full swing within the Salon, Scathach smiled in amusement. She couldn't help but marvel at what the two masters had helped to create. From the early days where Gudao didn't seem like much to her, he, and later they, had proven countless times that Chaldea was never to be underestimated. Whether in building a community or winning their battles, Chaldea had proven to be an experiment beyond anyone's imaginations. Even the jaded Scottish lancer could not deny how much of a shining star this facility had become.

She glanced back to gaze longer at some of the sights. Tamamo and Boudica were cutting the first Christmas cake slices while robots managed the actual buffet line. Near the automated food line, she could see the gathering of Camelot knights and Irish warriors near the windows, happily conversing and sharing stories. Diarmuid, Lancelot, and Arturia seemed to be happily discussing something as Mashu passed by holding Fou. The poor little guy was still in that awful sweater, though it seemed to care little at this point as it ate a sugar cookie from her free hand. It seemed George took her place so she could enjoy herself too.

To almost everyone's surprise, even Gilgamesh had shown up in a leopard-print suit to have a brief conversation with Ozymandias. Whether it was good natured or not could not be discerned, though they both seemed haughty as usual in their attempts to outdo the other. They only paused once when Nobunaga ran past with what looked like a prank bomb with a lit fuse, chased by a distressed Ushiwakamaru and Benkei. At least they were handling it so Scathach could sit back and enjoy the atmosphere.

There were far too many sights to enjoy at once, but it was the collective whole that impressed her. Even Halloween had not proved as iconic of a display as this party. The mix of colors and formal wear created a rainbow sea with no pattern, yet they were one. They managed disputes and toleration in their own ways, helping to maintain a balance that made a scene like this possible. As she pondered the chances something as miraculous as this could be possible, she failed to notice her dear student approach from out of sight.

"This whole Christmas thing is quite the sight, huh, teacher?"

As Joan continued bickering with both Dantes and Jeanne, Scathach turned to see Cu sit down with a smile. She eyed him, noting how well fitting his black vest and formal pants were. Even the white collared shirt was tailored perfectly to him, and it was all tied together with the tie she gave him as a present. While mostly black, it had red runes of various types planted on the front as an eye-catching design. They both stared at each other before chuckling as Mata Hari began fixing up his usual drink without asking.

"Not a bad holiday, I'd say."

"A nice way to leave another year behind," Scathach mused before sipping on her red wine.

"New Year's Resolution. New Year, new you… or something like that. I'll be sure to keep training so I can-"

"Don't rush it," Scathach interrupted with a small smile. Instead of being surprised, Cu raised an eyebrow in humor.

"So you really did change your mind?"

"Not quite, Cu..."

The male lancer sighed as Scathach turned around to look at the Salon once more, wine glass in hand. Scathach could sense his disappointment, but he likely didn't see it all. She had truly been around too long, but it wasn't for nothing. If this is what the ending to her life was going to be, then there truly was no rush. This was far more interesting than anything the Land of Shadows could provide, and she felt so at ease in these walls. Though she still wished for the sweet release of death, this was not a bad delay by any means. Maybe even a fine alternative as it continued to grow on her.

There was also the idea Gabby was right, and she had already died to be summoned. She hummed in amusement. "A tweak of perspective, maybe."

Cu raised an eyebrow as Scathach turned to face him with a pleased expression. Sensing her high spirits, he flashed her a grin as Mata Hari dropped off his wine. Without looking, he spoke his thanks and grasped the glass to hold it up. "I think I get the gist then… I hope this drags on longer, for your sake."

A content smile easily formed. "I've waited this long… I believe I can wait a bit longer."

Their glasses clinked together as their new conversation melted into the surrounding laughter.