It was strange.
For all that had happened, for everything that had occurred over the course of the Holy Grail War, from the vicious battles on the streets to the destruction in the parking garage, to the death or disappearance of every Servant…
Life went on.
For someone who experienced the battle first-hand, it was difficult to reconcile what followed. The fact that everything was just so… normal afterwards…
For a while, Ai simply couldn't understand it. She couldn't reconcile what she had experienced with the fact that life simply seemed to go back to normal after the war.
And she hated how empty her home felt.
It had been two weeks since the end of the Holy Grail War, and she hadn't stopped hating it.
Okita Souji was gone, after all.
Marianne had initially seemed rather morose, but by this point she'd moved to attempting to improve Ai's mood, with Charlotte's assistance, treating her as well as possible and preparing new and unique meals for her.
It wasn't really helping, but Ai couldn't fault Marianne for trying.
School had resumed, presumably because it had been determined that the building was safe after the apparent severe damage and gas leak. It was what had been officially stated as the reason for so many passed-out students and faculty members.
It was just something else that felt strange after having been part of the Holy Grail War.
Ai hadn't wanted to go, at least at first. But eventually, after slowly realizing that Souji wouldn't have wanted her to simply sit around at home and do nothing with the rest of her life, the small brunette had reluctantly began to go again.
Today was just like any other day, in that respect.
"… Ojou-sama, it's time to wake up again."
Ai heard Marianne's voice, but for a few moments she didn't stir.
"… Ojou-sama…"
She felt her maid's gentle hands come to rest on her shoulder, gently shaking her. Slowly, Ai sat up and rubbed her eyes blearily, Marianne giving her a small smile.
"There we go," she said, "Breakfast will be ready, soon, ojou-sama. I'm making pancakes!"
Her smile grew, slightly, and the maid left the room.
In a sedate fashion, Ai went about her morning routine, showering and getting dressed, putting her hair up in braids. She only took a moment to look at herself in the mirror before turning to head downstairs.
On the girl's desk sat the very sword she had used to summon her Servant, sheathed and on a small display stand.
When she made it there, her eyes lingered on the spot near the window… that was where Souji would be almost every morning, standing guard over the house as she had insisted on doing, before. Every morning, it was the same. Ai couldn't help but look, as if she was hoping that the girl samurai would be there again, against all odds. That they would be reunited just like she had promised.
She never was.
Souji's absence wasn't the only reason the house felt so empty. Alys had returned to her home, as well, now that the war was over and the greatest threats to her safety had been dealt with. She had asked Ai to visit her, but so far she hadn't done so yet. She just hadn't been able to make it there, when she thought about it… it felt difficult to bring herself to.
It wasn't that she didn't want to see Alys again, but it had just always been difficult to make it there in the two weeks since the end of the war.
Regardless, the lack of Alys and her maids was yet another reason that the house just felt empty… even if the main reason was the absence of Okita Souji herself.
Why did it have to be like this…?
When Ai had breakfast, it… well, it was delicious, there was no denying that. The light, fluffy pancakes and crispy-yet-chewy bacon… it was the occasional western-style breakfast that Marianne would sometimes prepare, even though her usual focus was Japanese cooking.
But…
She'd grown so used to eating with others during the Holy Grail War… sitting at the huge table alone…
It just felt wrong.
She managed to distract herself with the taste of Marianne's excellent cooking, at least, and had soon finished her meal.
Marianne provided her with her lunch, and both maids waved at her as she departed for classes. It was strange, really… while she still felt somewhat reluctant to go to school, it felt so much more normal now…
So much had changed since the advent of the Holy Grail War, and yet so much had gone back to being the same.
The walk to school had never changed, even if it still felt odd to be undertaking it again.
And really… neither had school itself, had it? The classes were the same, even if the material changed as time went on. Everything was completely normal, even after the massive attack using the poisonous bounded field, and the evil actions of Natsuki Yukihiro, nothing seemed to have changed around here at all.
Well… maybe that wasn't accurate.
The school itself hadn't changed, but one way or another… Ai wasn't eating her lunches alone, any longer.
It wasn't just Tsubaki anymore, though. Sachiko had taken to eating lunch with her, too, as well as some of Tsubaki's other friends… lunch didn't really feel too lonely at all.
"Have you been feeling any better, Matsushita-san?" asked Sachiko, leaning forward across the desk, her pigtails bobbing as she did, "You've seemed really down ever since classes reopened… I guess it's probably rough having to get back on-schedule, huh?"
She could never tell anyone just what had happened. The Holy Grail War, magecraft, it all had to remain a secret…
"… Y-yeah… that must be it…"
Tsubaki glanced towards her. She knew that the other girl had to be feeling pretty badly as well, given what had happened with Lancer… she hadn't even considered trying to talk about that with her yet. She didn't know what to say.
"I know I had a hard time," continued Sachiko, "But by now I think I'm over it. Still though, if you ask me…"
She leaned towards the other two girls in a conspiratorial fashion.
"I don't think it was any ordinary gas leak!" half-whispered the pigtailed girl, with a nod of her head, "How could a gas leak make everyone pass out at the same time? And what damaged the floor like that? There's no way it was normal! Something weird happened, there's no way it was just a gas leak!"
For a few moments, both Ai and Tsubaki were silent. It wasn't like any speculation would put the girl in danger from others attempting to keep magecraft and the Holy Grail War a secret, but the fact that Sachiko had put the thought into it… well, it was hard not to wonder what she thought had happened.
"So… what do you think happened?" asked Tsubaki, cocking her head towards Sachiko as she spoke, "What made everyone pass out?"
"Hmmm…"
Tapping her chin, Sachiko leaned back in her seat, legs crossed as one of her feet twitched back and fourth.
"It… must have been spies!" she insisted, suddenly, "Spies using some sort of nerve gas to knock everyone out! That's the only possible explanation."
It was hard to feel sad when someone said something so ridiculous. Ai stared incredulously at Sachiko, and Tsubaki gave a similar stare of blank confusion.
"Why… why would there be spies in our school, Sachiko-chan?" asked Tsubaki, after several moments of baffled silence. Ai had a similar question on her mind. Why would Sachiko think that spies would invade their school? Even knowing the truth left the small brunette trying to figure out what circumstances had possibly led Sachiko to think that was the case. Was there some sort of esoteric line of clues that her police officer father had discovered that she had followed that caused her to form that conclusion in her head? Did Sachiko frequently indulge in bizarre conspiracy theories featuring spies and secret organizations!?
For these few moments, Ai had managed not to think about the way in which the Holy Grail War had ended.
"Well… um… maybe our school is just a front, to select… um… to select… the next generation of defenders for the nation of Japan!" insisted the pigtailed girl suddenly, with a firm nod. This only made her assertion that the responsibility fell on spies even more ridiculous, because the explanation for it was just as absurd as the conclusion. The 'straight-laced' image of Sachiko that Ai had built in her mind came crumbling down explosively. The daughter of a police officer, a member of the student council, and… someone who came up with outrageous conspiracy theories.
Of course, the truth was still far more unusual then Sachiko had concluded, but that didn't make the girl's assertion any less ridiculous. There was no reason for her to have come to any of these weird conclusions!
"How… how would that work, Sachiko-chan?" asked Tsubaki, staring in blank confusion at her friend and fellow student council member.
"Hmmm… well, there's a couple possibilities!" insisted Sachiko, now clearly on a roll with her theories, "First off, it has to be that some of the students here are really good at synchronizing with the technology they use! It could be… huge, biomechanical mecha!"
Sachiko raised her hands, gesturing wildly to indicate the size of the proposed creations. By this point, Ai wasn't sure if there was any way that the situations the pigtailed girl was concocting could become any more absurd.
"Or it could be something a little easier to hide… like… yeah! They're going to collect all the girls with the best singing voices," declared Sachiko, suddenly, "and put them in armor that synchs up with their singing, so they can fight monsters from another dimension!"
Oh, that was how it could get more ridiculous.
And on top of it all, Sachiko was folding her arms smugly, nodding to herself as if she had just said something profound, as if she had just come to the most obvious and likely conclusion.
In spite of everything, in spite of what had happened only two weeks earlier, it was impossible to help it.
Ai began to laugh. Tsubaki joined in, too. It was just too ridiculous, what Sachiko had put forward. Even knowing what really happened, they idea that someone would think it was because of bio-mechanical mecha or superpowered armored idols was one of the silliest things that they could have heard.
Especially since Ai was quite aware of a couple series that had those exact premises, but that was beside the point.
"H-hey!" protested Sachiko, leaning forward, "It's not like those are any more ridiculous then it being a gas leak! Gas leaks don't just cause everyone to pass out all at once, after all!"
Something silly like this… it was enough to distract her, at least for a little while.
"Muuu… come here, Ai-chan! I need something to hug right now, after all this bullying!"
"Hawawawa!?"
At least…
The rest of the school day went by fairly uneventfully. Nothing of particular note happened, and lessons carried on as they did every other day. It was in that time that Ai's mind drifted back… to the feeling of Souji's lips… the sense of loss, the feeling when she was suddenly no longer there…
By the time the school day ended, any positivity that had been born during the conversation at lunch had been drained away. It was impossible to keep her mind off the topic of Souji, and of the fact that the spot she had once occupied would now be empty.
It wasn't a feeling that would even leave, and in a way… Ai didn't want it to. If it did… it was one of the things that kept her tied to the girl she loved. If that was gone, what would she ever do?
Tsubaki was outside the school, waiting for her as she left.
"… Hey, Ai-san… how are you?"
Ai averted her golden eyes, adjusting her glasses slightly as she did. She hadn't spoken to Tsubaki about either of their Servants since the end of the War. It was impossible for her at this point. What was she supposed to say? Both of them had lost their Servants. There was a difference, given that Souji was the one girl that Ai had loved, but that didn't mean that Tsubaki's loss wasn't painful either… Anything she could say would just make things worse. This was the conclusion that Ai had arrived at. There was nothing she could do in this situation to make it any better.
"… I'm okay," she said, simply, still looking away from her friend.
"Ai-san, I know that's not true. You might seem okay when we're with friends, but I know that…" Tsubaki trailed off for a moment, her voice wavering slightly as she hesitated, "… I… know that I'm still not over Lancer… and I know how you must be feeling about what happened with Saber, too."
"…"
Just Tsubaki's mention of Lancer made Ai certain that refusing to talk about this subject was the right choice. Her mind was already full of memories of Saber's voice… her warmth... she never wanted to forget any of it, but she knew, she was certain, that talking about it like this wouldn't help either of them.
"I said I'm fine… I don't want to cause any trouble…" responded Ai, turning to walk away. Before she could leave, Tsubaki swiftly took ahold of her hand, preventing her from moving.
"I never want to forget Lancer. I still feel horrible about what happened to her," she said, quickly, "But that doesn't mean that there's nothing either of us can do. Talking about it can only help. I know… I know that you loved Saber. I know there's no way you could have been prepared for her to disappear at the end of the war like that. So we have to talk about it, Ai-san. Staying quiet and trying not to mention it will only make it hurt even more."
There was a long pause. Ai could feel her shoulder's beginning to tremble, shaking as Tsubaki held her there.
"I-I said that I'm fine, T-Tsubaki-san…" she stammered, feeling the tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She could remember Souji's voice, crystal clear in her mind, as she said something silly, or talked about how proud she was of her sword skills, or said that… that she loved her… "P-please… I-I can't… I c-can't…"
She could see Tsubaki's free hand tighten slightly, as the black-haired magus looked away before releasing the Ai's wrist.
"Then… when you're ready, we can talk," she said, finally, "I don't want to push you… I just… I just want to try and help. When you're ready."
It wasn't as if Ai couldn't understand why Tsubaki wanted to try and talk about what had happened. It was quite the opposite, in fact. Tsubaki only wanted to try and address the death of Lancer and the disappearance of Saber because she felt like it would make the both of them recover from the loss. But there was no way Ai could do it yet… she could see that Tsubaki's cheeks had become wet as well, but the taller girl quickly wiped her eyes and tried to change the subject.
"Do you want someone to walk home with you, Ai-san?" she asked. At this point, it was a simple formality. Both Tsubaki and Ai herself knew that the latter hated to walk home alone. She hated being alone in general, really… having been by Souji's side all the time had really affected her. The small brunette was no longer used to being completely solitary all the time. She was glad to have her maids, not only because the took care of the mansion and because Marianne made excellent food, but because it meant she wasn't completely alone in her home.
Ai walked beside Tsubaki as both girls steadily made their way towards the Matsushita mansion. She said very little as she made her way back. To be honest, even though she could barely bring herself to talk right now, all she had really needed was to be beside someone she knew, someone she was close to, right now.
The sun was setting, by this point. The world was once again being painted more and more with oranges and pinks as they walked. While it wasn't over yet, by any stretch of the word, every day brought summer's end closer and closer. Soon, the days would be getting shorter and colder… It was simply something that could only be thought of as unavoidable.
Up ahead, Ai could see her mansion coming into view. Soon enough, both girls had reached the door.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow, Ai-chan," Tsubaki said, turning and looking down towards Ai, "Just… remember, when you're ready…"
Ai slowly nodded.
"See you tomorrow, Tsubaki-san."
With that, the two went their separate ways. Charlotte opened the door for Ai as she stepped into her mansion, removing her shoes.
"Welcome home, ojou-sama," said the maid, and soon enough Marianne seemed to materialize from around a corner as well.
"Ojou-samaaaaa~" declared the more exuberant of the twin maids, brightly, "I made you something special again!"
The fact was that most days since the end of the war, Marianne had been preparing something special, some kind of snack, every day after school.
"It's one of your favorites this time, a castella!" continued the maid, cheerfully, as she made to lead the way into the kitchen.
"… Eh-heh… um…" Ai hesitated for a moment. Her stomach… she just didn't feel like she had any appetite at all. But she didn't want to disappoint Marianne, either…
"Onee-sama, you keep making such things every day…" began Charlotte, her tone neutral even as she seemed to admonish her sister, "It's as if you want her to put on weight."
"Of course not!" insisted Marianne, with a frown, "I just want to do everything I can to brighten ojou-sama's day!"
"… It's okay, Marianne-san," said Ai, finally, "… I'll have it later."
"Ojou-sama…?"
Slowly, Ai made her way up the stairs.
There was no way she could eat right now.
It had been a month now, since the end of the Holy Grail War.
Life had almost completely reverted to its normal patterns.
It was strange, to Inoue Tsubaki, how she'd managed to recover. At least, to partially recover. She couldn't allow herself to be totally crushed, after all. Lancer wouldn't have wanted her to end up like that. It was painful to think that Lancer's fate had been to suffer, to be corrupted, and then to fall just before the end of the war. To be torn away from her as well… But at the same time, it wasn't something she could allow herself to dwell on. She had to carry on, for both her own sake and for the beautiful knight's.
When she had told her father what had happened, he had been silent for a long time. Eventually, however, her had stated that the right decision had been made. That the Holy Grail was not worth a massive attack on humanity. That he was proud of her.
Tsubaki hadn't been able to tell him about Hirata Genjiro. She had no idea how it would affect him, but reminding her father of the event that robbed him of his ability to walk and lead to his own role in the death of Matsushita Ai's family… she wasn't ready for that.
She had to keep moving through her life, until it was the right time. That was how Inoue Tsubaki held her head up high and continued her life. She had to. As a magus, she had to press forward, even after losing someone like Lancer.
Ai, however…
It was obvious to the black-haired magus, as she researched greater rituals in her room, that the other girl was suffering. She was still in pain from losing Saber, and unable to talk about it. Tsubaki wasn't sure if it had something to do with the difference in their personal feelings, or if it was the circumstances. She'd wanted to talk about Lancer, to talk about the good things that had come from summoning her. How she didn't regret it, now, even if it ended so painfully. But… it was clear that Ai still wasn't ready.
But there was something else Tsubaki was still pursuing. Aside from her growth as a magus, there was another matter that still remained at the forefront of her mind.
Even after assisting Atlas…
Yumimura Saori remained unaccounted for. It was something Tsubaki still didn't understand, as she looked away from her research towards the setting sun, through her window. What had Atlas done with her? Rani V had said she was safe, but now… now she had just vanished entirely without another word.
Something like this just wasn't the future she had wanted. It wasn't something she wanted to accept. And yet there was not even the slightest clue to her whereabouts. It wasn't as if Tsubaki had know knowledge of the dangers associated with Dead Apostles, but the simple fact was that she still cared about Saori. She wanted to see her again. To know that the other girl wasn't suffering.
Was that really too much to ask? Saori had suffered so much over the course of the Holy Grail War. Far too much. Was it too much to at least know she wasn't suffering any longer, for certain? Couldn't one of the Ranis at least come back and give her an update? Their efforts had been the reason for Rani IV's safety, after all. They'd cleaned up the disaster that Atlas had created. The disaster that destroyed Lancer, the living disaster known as Pandora…
But it had been a month with know contact. Perhaps Atlas really was more concerned with its own efforts.
But that didn't mean that Tsubaki was just going to give up on the possibility of seeing Saori again. Even if she was a Dead Apostle, that didn't mean her personality was gone. It was quite the opposite, given how she'd act when they met shortly before her abduction…
So they had to meet again. Tsubaki couldn't allow there to be a future where they didn't, not if she could help it.
Tsubaki was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't realize that someone had just rang the doorbell downstairs. Not immediately at any rate, though at around the third ring she realized what it was she was hearing. Quickly, she got to her feet, and made her way downstairs. The black-haired girl wasn't exactly expecting anyone, but at the same time there had to be some reason someone had come to the Inoue residence.
"Just a moment, I'm coming," she said, somewhat more irritated, when the doorbell rang yet another time. It was obvious that whoever it was, they were getting impatient.
Part of her almost decided to leave the door unopened. If it was a salesperson, they'd eventually leave, and Tsubaki had been doing something far more important then engaging with someone like that.
But when the tanned magus opened the door, she was greeted with a sight that most certainly was not a salesperson.
The two girls who stood outside of her door were completely identical. They were dressed casually, as Atlas uniforms would have stood out far too much, but the fact that they still looked completely identical regardless of how they dressed still made them quite noticeable.
It was two Ranis. Tsubaki had no idea if they were the ones she had met before or not, given that there were apparently at least five of them, but it was impossible not to recognize the child-like, dark-skinned girls.
"I am Rani III," the first of the two Ranis introduced herself, "And this is Rani IV."
The second Rani nodded her head. So it was one she already knew, and the other she hadn't met before… but what were they doing here?
"But why are you here?" she asked, looking between the both of them. Atlas hadn't contacted her in a month, and now two of their homunculi had suddenly appeared at her door. To be honest, she doubted they had anything of particular value for her, and therefore her irritation was rather palpable. What were they going to do, tell her that she couldn't see Saori or something else of that nature? It seemed like the most likely option, in all honesty. That was how it had been during the Holy Grail War, there was no reason for it to change now.
Both of the dark-skinned girls glanced towards one another for a moment, before their attention returned to Tsubaki.
"Restrictions have been lifted on Rani IV's movements," said Rani III. Tsubaki frowned.
"I'm sure she thinks that's wonderful, but I know there's no way that's why you're here," commented the magus, folding her arms.
"You did not allow me to finish," said Rani III, shortly. Though she didn't seem outright annoyed, there was a slight shift in her tone. "Rani IV will explain."
Tsubaki sighed, heavily.
"What is it, then? What? Are you going to talk about how I'm not allowed to see Saori-san? About how you have to keep her hidden for some reason? That's all you would do whenever I asked a month ago. I can't imagine you'll do anything different now!" her voice rose as she spoke, her anger growing. These were the people who had just snatched Tsubaki way without hesitation, why should she continue to be polite to them!? "Isn't it enough!? Isn't it enough that she was kidnapped, that she suffered, that she became something other than human!?"
For a few moments, neither of the Ranis said anything. What could they say? Tsubaki was certain she had figured out exactly what they were here to do, after all. There wasn't any excuse that either of the homunculi could offer.
But then, Rani IV continued speaking, almost as if Tsubaki hadn't responded at all.
"The operative desired to come here of her own will," explained Rani IV, much to Tsubaki's confusion. Who was she even talking about? It certainly didn't seem to make sense to her. An agent of Atlas? Why was she supposed to care? This was the organization that had snatched away her friend. Even if she was a Dead Apostle now, it was still almost the same as killing her. She could only guess that they were performing some sort of experimentation that required a vampire, no matter how much they had assured her Saori was unharmed.
Perhaps it was her frustration getting the better of her that bore these thoughts, but that didn't change anything. At the moment, it was what Inoue Tsubaki believed.
"Due to her state of being, it is required that the operative move under the supervision of two of our number," continued Rani IV, "That is, for the time being. As Rani I, Rani II, and Rani V were required for other assignments, the request had to be delayed until I was cleared for release."
The operative's state of being…?
"I apologize for the delay," concluded Rani, and both of the tanned girls stepped aside. It was now that Tsubaki realized there was a figure standing to the side of the walkway up to her home, one she hadn't noticed previously.
When the figure stepped out of the darkness and into the moonlight, the tanned magus drew in a sharp intake of breath, her eyes widening.
"… I'm sorry I couldn't come any sooner, Inoue-san."
For a moment, Tsubaki felt certain she had missed something, there was some detail that made it clear this wasn't the girl she knew. But it was impossible to deny it. The figure that stood before her, down to every detail, including the crimson smile indicating her vampiric nature and that small smile, was Yumimura Saori.
It was unmistakably Yumimura Saori. There was no-one else in the world who it could possibly be. Slowly, she stepped forward, still wearing that small smile.
"… I wanted to go back as soon as I woke up…" she continued, as Tsubaki was left shaking, speechless, "To… to try and talk to you again, and…"
She quietly averted her eyes.
"… To leave something to mark Caster's grave. I know she was your enemy, but…"
Saori bit her lip.
"… She… she deserves that much, at least…"
For a few moments, Tsubaki stumbled over herself, struggling to find some way to articulate how she was feeling. This was something that had, only a short time ago, seemed impossible to her. She never thought she'd ever see Saori again, let alone get a chance to speak to her. It was like a miracle to get a chance to even look at her.
"… I…they… they let you come here? Wh-what… operative? Are… you…" Tsubaki stammered, trying to find her words.
"… I guess you could say I've been sort of… informally recruited into Atlas, now," Saori replied, reaching back to scratch the back of her head, "I don't quite get it either but… The director said it was for the best. She said it was probably the only way I could fully recover, after what happened… Did… did you know? She said… she said she knew what I was going through…"
Saori averted her eyes, clutching at her arm with her other hand as she did.
"It… it was nice to hear someone say something like that…"
Finally able to articulate herself in some way, Tsubaki tried her best to respond.
"S-Saori-san… you're… really here!" she practically cried out, taking a step forward as she did. It felt… a little dumb to say, immediately afterwards. Of course she was really there. After all this time, that was what she said?
Both of the Ranis simply stood to the side and watched. Though… was Rani IV smiling, just a little? She couldn't quite tell, and there were more important things to focus on, anyway.
"I… I… I really thought I'd never see you again, S-Saori-san…" Tsubaki half-mumbled, "I… I didn't think we'd ever be allowed to see one another after everything that happened. I kept trying to find clues, trying to find some way to reach you, but I was starting to think it was impossible no matter what I did. But now… you're really here…"
The black-haired girl slowly raised her hand towards her friend. She wanted to touch her, to see that she wasn't some kind of illusion. After a few moments, Saori reached out and clasped Tsubaki's hand in her own.
"… I'm really here, Inoue-san," she replied, "I'm sorry it took so long, but Rani IV-san already explained why to you."
She paused for a moment, averting her eyes again slightly.
"… For a while, I'll admit that I didn't trust them, and I really thought I wasn't going to be allowed my freedom again… but the director explained to me why they'd taken me in the first place."
The Director… she had to mean the director of Atlas. But why would someone like that take an interest in Saori? Enough to treat her like this, at least… Tsubaki certainly cared for the other girl, but she didn't understand why the Director of Atlas would choose to care for her as well. Weren't they almost comparable to machines? Those working under the director, at least.
Certainly, the three Ranis that Tsubaki had met almost seemed machine-like, though it was obvious that they could think and feel on their own as well… perhaps it was a mistake on her part? Still, it didn't really answer the question… not that Tsubaki wasn't happy to see the outcome, but rather that she was still concerned about what may be done to her friend.
"But… why did the Director of Atlas want to recruit you? Why would she do all this for you? I-I'm happy but… but I don't understand…" Tsubaki trailed off. Even if she felt grateful towards Atlas for the return of her friend, the fact that Saori had suddenly be recruited, it was so strange to her… Prior to becoming a Dead Apostle, she had thought that her friend was an ordinary girl without any unusual abilities. So why… then… why had something like this happened? No matter what a good thing it had turned out to be… Tsubaki couldn't help but be concerned when she didn't know what the reason was.
"The Director has sympathy for those who have become Dead Apostles," said Rani III, suddenly.
"… Rani III-san has it right," added Saori, "… She's… she's a vampire too."
All at once, Tsubaki realized what the truth had been all along. Atlas had taken Saori not because they wished to use her for some kind of experiment, but because the director had sympathized with her situation. To try and help her regain a normal sense of self, to be able to interact with humans without harming them, that was the purpose behind their actions. It made far more sense then anything that Tsubaki had suspected before.
"… Then… that's why…" she trailed off, dully.
"Rani V-san refused to divulge more information for my safety," Saori added, "After… after Caster died…"
Tsubaki could hear her friend's voice falter.
"I was at risk from the other Masters and Servants… er… not you or Matsushita-san, though," she continued, "And I was a risk to other people, as well… I… it's not like it's disappeared. The need to drink blood, I mean. But… with the help of the Director, and the Ranis, I was cleared to be able to visit my friends."
"… If that's the case… then… do you want to come inside?" asked Tsubaki, smiling towards Saori. "We've got a lot to catch up on, don't we?"
Saori's own smile grew, but she hesitated for a moment and glanced between both of the small, child-like dark-skinned girls.
They both gave an approving nod.
"I can't stay here forever… but it's been a while, hasn't it?"
With that, both Saori and Tsubaki disappeared into the Inoue residence. Shortly afterwards, both Ranis followed.
No matter what happened next, Tsubaki was happy.
She got to see Yumimura Saori again.
Ai took a deep breath.
It was a month since the end of the Holy Grail war, and a little less than a month since she'd seen Alysvial. But… the Einzbern homunculus had invited her over this time, quite directly, and she couldn't simply ignore it. It would be wrong. No matter how awkward it would make her feel… Alysvial needed someone to talk to, and she wanted to be there for the little girl if she could be.
Besides, she wanted to see how Alys was doing since the war, anyway. From the sound of things, she was doing okay, but that didn't mean it was the truth.
The invitation had been received from one of the Einzbern girl's homunculus maids, just the day before. It wasn't particularly urgent, but it stilled seemed as if Alys was very eager to see Ai again. If nothing else, rejecting the invitation would have made the brunette magus feel guilty.
When she knocked at the door to Alysvial's mansion, the building as a whole still remaining hidden from the view of the public, it was shortly afterwards answered by a one-armed maid. Velvie, as Ai recalled, had been Alysvial's youngest maid, injured in an attack during the Holy Grail War that had cost her one of her arms.
In spite of this, she seemed to still be quite capable… That must have come from being an Einzbern homunculus. Being able to shrug off a grievous injury like that and resume working so quickly would be a valuable trait for a servant, and therefore it was something that Ai could have expected.
"Matsushita-sama," said the maid, her voice flat and unemotional as she bowed, "Ojou-sama is waiting. She is inside. Follow."
Ai nodded her head, quickly, her braided pigtails bouncing slightly before she followed the maid inside. Within the mansion, everything was much the same as it had been during the war. It was well-furnished, and maids were tending to various duties across the rooms as they proceeded up the stairs towards Alysvial's room.
As she went, Ai found herself wondering why Alys hadn't returned to her family home in Germany. It wasn't as if she thought the little girl had to… but if the war was over, wouldn't the Einzbern want her to come back?
At least, that's what Ai thought. Maybe it wasn't the case… Given the callous sort of person that the old man Alys had mentioned seemed to be, maybe that possibility shouldn't have been so surprising to her. The doors up ahead were the same as they had been before, and when two more maids opened the doors and beckoned her inside…
"Ai!"
The little girl leaped towards her and wrapped her arms around Ai. Looking at them now, it would be difficult to tell there was much of an age difference(much to Ai's dismay) but after a few moments they parted, Alys smiling brightly.
"I missed you! I was sad that you didn't come over, so I decided to send an invitation!" she declared, releasing Ai and stepping back. The brunette averted her eyes slightly, scratching the back of her head.
"Eh-heheh… I… just didn't get to it, I guess…" she half-mumbled. It wasn't a good excuse, and she felt guilty just saying it… but she didn't want to talk about Souji and drag down the mood. She knew that trying to talk about how she still felt wouldn't help anything at this point.
"Well, it doesn't matter, you're here now!" declared Alys, brightly, practically skipping over to the table, "That's what's important! We've got lots to talk about, Ai!"
That certainly wasn't something Ai could argue with. It had been a little under a month, after all, since they had seen one another. A lot could change in a month, and Ai did want to see how Alys was doing in the aftermath of the Holy Grail War. She noticed that there was already a tea tray on the table, complete with cups and a teapot. Alysvial's maids were already prepared ahead of time…
"Ivyrette is in charge of making the cake today," added Alys, cheerfully, "She's going to make something super tasty, she always does!"
"Was she the one who made the cakes…" Ai hesitated for a moment as she remembered the events, remembering that the last time she was here, Souji was too… but she managed to push onwards regardless, "… When… when we were here last time?"
"That's right!" declared Alysvial, sitting down and kicking her feet cheerfully. It seemed like the time at Ai's home, and after the Holy Grail War, had done the little Einzbern girl quite a bit of good. It's what Ai had hoped for, at least.
"Ivyrette is a specialist when it comes to cakes," she continued, "She knows how to make all the best snacks! I have one of the best bakers in the whole world working for me."
That was quite the smug smile, as Alys nodded to herself with her arms folded. No matter how else Ai was feeling, it was good to know the little homunculus never stopped being adorable.
"So, how have you been?!" she asked, suddenly, leaning forward. Ai averted her eyes slightly. Answering honestly probably would just drag the mood down…
"I've… been fine," she said, simply. There wasn't much else she could say without tearing down Alys's cheer, and she didn't want to do that. It was better to lie then to say anything that would drag the little girl down.
At least, that's how Ai felt at the moment.
"Oh, I see," Alys replied, nodding as she spoke, "I'm glad! I've been doing fine, too. I'm still… I'm still a bit sad about Berserker…"
She averted her eyes, faltering for a moment. Ai was concerned that perhaps the meeting was going to become a much more somber one, but Alys quickly bounced back.
"But the old man said I could just stay here! I'm not sure if he was too happy," she said, "But I like it here! It's really cold where I lived back in Germany, but it's a lot warmer in Japan!"
While Alys seemed happy about it, Ai couldn't help but suspect that the reason that the little girl was being left to her own devices with her maids in Japan is because the head of the Einzbern family decided that she had failed, and cared not to retrieve her. While that prospect was a depressing one, at the same time the outcome seemed to have made Alys happier than the alternative would have… so in the end, wasn't it a good thing?
Ai nodded to herself, slightly.
It was.
"I'm really happy I got to meet you, Ai," continued Alys brightly, "I don't think anything would have turned out okay if I hadn't!"
She paused for a moment, then glanced back over her shoulder. Following her gaze, Ai realized there was something sitting atop the dresser… it was carefully wrapped, in bindings marked with some kind of sigil.
"… Because of that, and because you were the victor, there's something I wanted to give you."
"Ah? Alys-chan?"
Without another word, the diminutive white-haired girl hopped off of her seat. Dragging a ladder over to the dresser, the little girl clambered up it to reach the strange package atop piece of furniture. With some fumbling, a few times prompting Ai to almost leap out of her seat to intervene, Alysvial climbed back down with it. The shape was strange, wide at the top, completely flat on one side, thin in the middle, and widening at the bottom once more…
It was actually quite familiar, somehow, even if Ai couldn't quite place it.
"The other half went home, and the old man said it wasn't any use to them… but I kept this half for you, Ai! You won it, after all…" Alys explained.
Ai's eyes widened as she suddenly came to a realization as to what was contained in the wrappings. It was what she had won.
In the Holy Grail War.
"A-Alys-chan, you really… i-it's really okay if I…"
She stumbled over herself as the red-eyed little girl unwrapped it. With the exception of being split in half, it was perfect. Not a single scratch marred its golden surface.
Unquestionably, it was half of the fake Holy Grail.
"Y-you're just giving this to me?!" she found herself blurting out. Even if it was a fake, it was still half of the magical artifact that had been the centerpiece of the Minami Holy Grail War. People had fought and died for the purpose of obtaining it… and even if all that remained was half of it. She… she had been the last one standing, but the fact that Alys was just giving it to her… was it really okay to do this? To just take something like this? Wasn't this something that should have been given to some sort of organization for safekeeping?
"You were the victor!" insisted Alys, smiling, "Even if it's a fake, even if the whole war was for a fake, you still won it. Even if it's just half of the fake Holy Grail, there's a lot of mana stored inside of it… probably more then most magi would ever use in their whole life!"
Her hands shaking slightly, Ai slowly reached out and took it. It felt like metal, but strangely warm… Even if it was just a fake… this was a powerful magical artifact. Her mind was boggling, what could she do with something like this?
"I think you might even be able to use it to-oh!"
At that moment, the door opened. A maid came in, wheeling a cart with a tray containing a pair of slices of cake. Both slices with black and white, topped with a creamy frosting and a deep red cherry. It looked delicious, but it was hard to think about something like that when she'd just been given half of the fake Holy Grail.
"I… th-thank you, Alys-chan," Ai stammered, weakly, as she slowly placed the half of the fake grail in her bag. She had no idea what else to do with it… something like that could fuel all sorts of rituals, almost anything she wanted! She never expected to even see it like this again… For a few moments, she was suddenly concerned, worried that something might go wrong, but… no. This object was no more evil then it had been before Pandora had tried to consume it.
"… You let me stay in your home, and did a lot of things for me," responded Alys, "So of course I was going to do something for you in return! You were the victor, so even if it's a fake, you earned it!"
The victor…
Was she really? Wasn't it Souji who had defeated Pandora? Even if she had used her command seals… claiming this without her Servant, her lover… it felt empty. But there was no way she could reject something like this. Not when Alys had given it to her so earnestly. Not when it was half of the fake Holy Grail.
It felt strange, simply eating cake after something like that. It was delicious, chocolate and vanilla with a light, fluffy flavor and the sweetness of the dark red cherry, but… it was hard to focus on the pastry when she'd just been handed half of the fake Holy Grail. What could she ever do in return for Alys? What… what could she even do with half of the fake?
Could she even do anything?
Ai didn't know, but… she felt thankful towards the Einzbern girl, regardless.
The short brunette spent most of the day after that at Alysvial's mansion. Alysvial had wanted to talk, and after everything that had happened… well, Ai wanted to talk with her, too, to see how she was doing. To reflect on how she had been right, in a way. It really was a fake Grail War…
By the time Ai bid Alysvial and her maids farewell and left, the sun was setting. It was a surreal sensation, walking home with half of the fake Holy Grail. It was still a massive amount of mana that could infinitely sustain virtually any ritual, and had been part of the system for…
Summoning… Servants…
Ai stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide.
The fake Holy Grail, regardless of its inability to grant wishes, had still been the system by which Heroic Spirits were brought into the world as Servants. It was a huge amount of mana, as well, to catalyze such a process.
Certainly, half of the fake grail couldn't possibly summon Seven Servants. But… it was possible… it was possible…
It was possible that it could summon one.
Matsushita Ai found her slow walk breaking into a sprint. She had never been a very fast person, but even as the sun sank lower and lower in the sky, soon a sliver of light over the horizon, she managed to spur herself onwards.
She had half of the system that summoned Servants. She still had the katana she had used as a catalyst in order to summon her Servant.
If there was any chance, even the smallest sliver of hope that she could possibly achieve this one desire…
This was it!
By the time Ai reached her mansion, it was dark outside. She paused only a moment, to catch her breath, before hurrying up the stairs as fast as she could, before either Marianne or Charlotte could greet her properly.
A small part of her short brunette reminded herself that she would have to apologize to them later.
When she reached her room, she immediately made her way towards the desk. On it, sat Souji's most trusted sword, sheathed and resting on its display stand. The Kiku-Ichimonji Norimune. The small girl could feel her heart hammering in her chest as she wrapped her fingers around the sheath, lifting it off the display stand and holding it close to her heart.
This was her only chance, wasn't it? The one opportunity she had to achieve what she so desperately wished for.
In this way, perhaps the remaining half of the fake Holy Grail truly was an omnipotent wish-granting device.
At least, it was for her.
Ai turned as soon as had the sword in hand, sprinting back out of her room and down the stairs, towards the basement. The circle she had used so long ago was still there. She had never cleaned it up. She couldn't bring herself to, not when it was another reminder of Okita Souji.
Right now, she was even more thankful for her own reluctance.
Of course, she had no idea if this would actually work. After all, there was no Holy Grail War occurring. But that didn't mean she wouldn't try. She had to try.
It was her last hope.
As Ai arrived in the basement, her first course of action was to place half of the fake Holy Grail, along with the katana, in the center of the circle. It was the first step. Then, she collected what remained of the chicken blood she had used the first time she'd performed a summoning. The entire time, her heart was beating faster and faster. What if it didn't work?
She couldn't allow herself to think like that.
The small brunette poured out the vial. Red splattered across the chalk outline of the circle. Ai's hands trembled.
Her chances were probably slim. She hadn't taken any time to think it over. Why would she be able to force the system for summoning Servants to respond to her will when there was no Holy Grail War occurring? But…
But if Ai didn't try, how would she know one way or the other?
The magus stepped to the side of the circle. She raised one shaking hand over it.
"Let silver and steel be the essence."
For a few moments, as she began to recite the incantation, nothing appeared to happen. There wasn't a single glow, nor flash of light, nor any sign of the strange mist that had risen out of the circle. For a few moments, even as she spoke, Ai began to believe that the summoning ritual was nothing more than a failure. That there really was no chance something like this could have worked.
But then…
Light. Light began to flow along the shape of the circle. Flowing through its intricate patterns, illuminating the basement. Mist began to rise from it, swirling and swelling. It was working? Was it really working!? Even though there was no Holy Grail War, even though there was only half of a fake Holy Grail, was she actually… could it actually be…?
"You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of balance…!"
As she spoke the final words of the ritual, there was a brilliant flash of light from the center of the circle, and a sound almost like a small explosion. A wave of force hit Ai, and with a yelp she was knocked off of her feet, landing on her backside.
The room had filled with mist.
She could barely see anything at all. But… She couldn't make out the outline of a figure, as she sat up. It didn't look like anything had happened. And, certainly, there hadn't been an explosion the first time that she had performed the summoning ritual.
Ai's shoulder's sagged, as, slowly, the mist started to fade.
She'd failed, hadn't she? She'd placed so much hope on this one chance, the only chance, that she'd received so suddenly…
But hope on its own couldn't do everything.
As Ai began to rise, she failed to notice the faint hint of red on the back of her right hand, slowly growing stronger.
But what she did notice was something that froze her right in place. The more the thick mist cleared, the more it revealed something shimmering within it. That shimmering light began to become clearer… it was the shape of a person.
A girl.
Her white hair in a short ponytail. Her silver-gold eyes full of vigor. Her beautiful, soft features… her pale skin… her body clade in a blue and white kimono with a black scarf…
"Servant Saber, Okita Souji!" declared the figure, bowing, "Are you my… Ma… ster…?"
Her eyes widened as she realized just who had summoned her.
Ai stood, shaking, as tears began to flow down her cheeks. She was really there. Souji was really standing there before her. The fake Holy Grail, the katana, both had been able to call her once again.
Slowly, Souji stood up straight. A small smile came to her lips, as she averted her eyes.
"… After I… I left you… I'd been hoping you'd find a way in those last moments, but I didn't know if… I… eh-heheh…"
Ai didn't say anything.
Instead, she ran to the center of the circle, throwing her arms around her Servant. Pulling the taller girl down, her lips met Souji's. The two girls embraced one another in the fading mist.
Ai would never let go again.
Author's Note:
So... wow. This is my very first fanfic, the very first story in general that I've written that's been this long. ^^; So I guess that's definitely a first for me, eh-heh. I... honestly don't really know what to say. Working on this got rough sometimes, and I'm sure it shows with some rough patches in the story's writing. But... it was fun. I really enjoyed writing it even when it got a little bit harder to go on.
The Nasuverse is one of my favorite fictional universes, and with all the stuff that's been coming out for Fate recently I just got really inspired last year I guess. If I had to pinpoint exactly when it might have happened, I'd probably say when I saw the trailer for the GudaGuda 3 event in FGO. The gorgeous scenes of Okita fighting her Alter Ego self in that trailer just got me really excited to write something featuring her as a main character. And I did! The very first thing I wrote for this fic was a version of the Saber vs Assassin fight. In fact, the fight in the final version of the fic is largely unchanged from the version I wrote back then.
I deliberated a lot over how to end it, and I finally decided that there was no way I could leave it on a bitter note without Ai and Okita reuniting. I'm just not mean enough to do something like that. ^^;
But in the end, I think there's only one more thing I can do.
Thank you, to everyone who read and enjoyed this fic.
Thank you, to everyone who supported me all this time.
Thank you, to all my friends who helped me work out ideas and reassured me I was writing these characters properly.
Thank you, to one of my very best friends, who helped me proofread most of it and ensured that I wasn't writing something that read like complete nonsense.
Thank you, Kinoko Nasu, for creating such a wonderful and creative universe that's inspired me time and time again.
Thank you, everyone.
See you soon!