"Haaaah!" Irina slid down into a chair and laid her head against a table. "It's been so long since I worked here at the Pub."

"Are things not going well at the Church?" Shin asked, sitting down at the table.

"It's not that. I just haven't heard from them in a few days. I've had a hard few days. Xenovia told me… Xenovia told me that she got excommunicated for knowing that God was dead," Irina said, lifting her head slightly.

"And you didn't?" Shin asked.

"I already knew. I'm the Tenka Seisai so I'm higher up in the Church. Being Shamash's Contractor gives me privileges that other people don't have and that's knowing that God is dead," Irina said, sitting up. "Honestly, I don't get why Xenovia got the boot. I doubt she'd say anything. She's the strong silent type."

"Yeah," Shin said.

"Hey, guys. That was a busy dinner rush. Our usual employees are all gone," Issei said, pulling a chair out. He sat down and leaned back on the chair.

"Yeah. Sophia's in Hell talking to her parents alongside Rias which means Akeno, Ravel, and Riser are gone. Also, Vivi's gone too," Shin said.

"Where'd she go anyway?" Irina asked.

"England. Vivi has this yearly thing on the day of King Arthur's death. I guess Kokabiel threw a wrench in those plans," Shin said.

"Is she going to be okay?" Issei asked. "She looked kind of down leading up to the fight."

"I… Honestly, I've tried to get it out of her. All she'd tell me was that… it was Excalibur's fault but now, she seems different," he replied. "I hope whatever she does that she can get closure. King Arthur's death wasn't her fault. I just wish she'd take that to heart."

Southern UK

Vivi's feet crunched across the soft grass. During all her trips back, this was the first time she had been here in 1500 years. Her blue eyes rested on the ruined, indiscernible piles of rock and mortar.

This empty wasteland was once the seat of power in Britain. The Great Kingdom of Camelot. Arthur's so-called Everlasting Kingdom. Vivi sighed and walked along the path.

"Can't catch me!" a voice said. A young man with chestnut-brown hair with shades of blonde ran past her. His blue-green eyes were filled with mischief and wonder at having been in such a large city. Kaynes Village was such a small place in the backwoods of Britannia.

"Arthur! Stop acting like a dumb kid!" a pre-pubescent voice called out after him. Another person, a girl, with blue hair and a white dress sprinted down the ruined path after him.

Arthur grinned at her and ducked behind one of the ruined arches.

"Heh, Vivi. I bet she won't find me here," Arthur snickered. His eyes peeked out over the rubble and watched as the young spirit searched high and low for him.

Today was the day that the two had accompanied Sir Kay and Sir Ector for the Knight Competition to draw the Sword from the Stone. It was Arthur's chance at adventure. A quest beyond that of being a mere squire. Knighthood was far from his ambition yet knighthood would grant him many opportunities to explore.

"Oh, Arthur, you…"

"Foolish squire," Vivi said wistfully. She stared at the ruined arch where Arthur hid from her. Her hand reached out and traced the mossy outline of the stone and mortar. "I wonder… is that dumb rock still here?"

She walked down the path, using her memories as a guide. Camelot may be nothing but a field with a few remnants of ruined buildings here and there but to Vivi, the memories provided a pathway. She still remembered every road. Every pothole in the cobble. The shops that were open in the town square. The walls that separated the Castle from the main city and the various noble houses that littered the area. Camelot was so much bigger back then.

Vivi stopped walking. Her eyes laid upon an empty patch of grass. "Hmph, the rock is gone," Vivi remarked. "I wonder what happened to Caliburn. I never saw it when I leveled this place."

She reached into a magic circle and pulled out a violet. Vivi knelt down and left it in the patch where the stone used to be. "Hey, Arthur. I'm going to leave you this violet here. I know if you saw me doing this, you'd be asking me why I'm doing girly things as you would put it. I'm going to visit our hometown next so wait for me there."

"Oh? Someone's here?"

Vivi got up and turned around.

Her blue eyes came to rest upon a young blonde girl. The girl was cute in a childish way. She had a slim, slender body with shoulder length blonde hair that ended in curls. Her blue eyes brimmed with some sort of curiosity and happiness. She wore what Vivi surmised was a sorceress's uniform belonging to a magic school. The girl wore a comically large witch's hat and she had a staff in her right hand.

Next to her was a maid. The maid had black hair and green eyes. She appeared to be in her early to mid-20s and had a dignified air around her. It was hard to determine if she was just a maid for fun or if she was a maid for hire.

"Lady Le Fay, please mind your manners," the maid said.

"Eh? But Elaine, I was just surprised. Hey, Miss! Are you a conspiracy theorist?" the now-named Le Fay asked.

"Eh? Conspiracy theorist?" Vivi felt a bead of sweat trail down her the side of her head. She had never ever seen anyone here in the years she had come back.

"Mhm! People come here every now and then. Archeologists. Conspiracy Theorists. They all come here thinking this is Camelot and leave when they don't see anything. I see them and I keep telling them that this place is Camelot but they keep saying no!" Le Fay said, puffing her cheeks cutely.

Vivi suppressed a laugh. The girl had Guinevere's eyes but all in all, she had Arthur's face and mannerisms.

"I'm Le Fay! Le Fay Pendragon! What's your name, Miss?" she asked.

"Vivi. My name is Vivi," she replied.

"Vivi? That's a strange name, is it short for…"

"Vivian?" Le Fay asked.

Vivi blinked. For a split second, Arthur and Le Fay's figures had blended together. She rubbed her eyes and smiled. "Sorry, I have allergies. Yes, it is short for Vivian."

"Cool! So are you here for some paper or something?"

"Paper?"

"Yeah, you look like you're in college. Are you doing an archeological paper? I can help! I know a lot about Camelot!" Le Fay said.

Vivi remained silent. She knew everything about Camelot but she would humor this girl. This girl had Arthur's mannerisms and personality. If Vivi dared to believe, she would think that Arthur was reincarnated as a girl.

"Sure, I'm actually doing research on the life of King Arthur and I'm currently researching Camelot. Can you tell me some things about it? The books at Oxford don't really have everything," Vivi said.

Le Fay's eyes brightened.

Vivi sat there, leaning against the ruined archway with Le Fay and her maid. The girl had begun talking incessantly about everything she had heard and knew about Camelot. Most of these stories were passed down from her family. These stories were twisted in ways Vivi didn't even realize. But she wouldn't let that show on her face. She merely smiled and nodded at Le Fay's energetic attitude.

"Hey, are you not going to write anything down?" Le Fay asked. In her ramblings, she noticed that Vivi had no paper or pen out with her. The people who she usually talked with had some sort of thing to record what they learned whether it be a voice recorder or a notebook.

"Hmmm? I have pretty good memory," Vivi said.

"Really? I wish I had good memory. It would make learning magic so much-" Le Fay caught herself and her mouth snapped shut.

"Mmm?" Vivi raised an eyebrow.

Elaine sighed. Her Lady was always such a scatterbrain.

"Nothing," Le Fay said.

"It's alright. I know magic exists. I've seen a few things in my time," Vivi said.

"Really? You're not just talking down to me because I'm younger than you. I'll have you know that I'm 14 years old. I'm almost in high school," Le Fay said.

"Nope. I know some magic myself but I never really got into it so I just began pursuing my Phd in archeology," Vivi said. To prove this, she used a small amount of magic. A small blue fish manifested in her hand and began swimming through the air.

"Woah! That's pretty basic but still. Are you self-taught?" Le Fay asked.

"You could say that," Vivi giggled.

Like hell I am. I learned from that insane bastard. I wonder if Merlin ever left his tower and had kids. I knew for a fact that Morgan thirsted after that man, Vivi thought. But she wouldn't say that. Especially to a child who was named after her.

"So what family are you from? I heard that magicians in the UK often ran in families unlike magicians in other countries," Vivi remarked.

"Well, you know how I know so much about Camelot?" Le Fay asked.

"Yeah," Vivi said.

"I'm a descendant of Arthur Pendragon himself. That last name, Pendragon, isn't just for show you know! My family comes from a long line of people descended from King Arthur," Le Fay said proudly.

"But how? I thought Mordred had no kids," Vivi said.

"He did. He was married to Queen Guinevere's younger sister," Le Fay said.

"What? He was?" This was a surprise to Vivi. So Morgan was hiding something that day. But to think that Mordred had kids and they grew up to be this…, she glanced at Le Fay and saw none of Mordred on her. She resembled a female Arthur if anything, both in looks and personality.

"I think her name was…"

"Gwynefach," Vivi answered.

"Er, yeah, I guess you must have done your research," Le Fay laughed.

Vivi remained silent. She had seen Gwynefach the day she brought storm and flood to Camelot. Morgan and Merlin were powerless to stop her that day. The power of Britain was at the tips of her fingers and the Authority vested to her as a Guardian Spirit was too great even for them to handle. It was the first and last day she wielded Excalibur as her own.

The number of people she had slaughtered that day. When her haze had broken, she stood in the wreckage of Arthur's throne room with that adulterous whore, Guinevere, begging for her life and Lancelot standing before her with Arondight pointed at her.

"No, please! It was all a mistake! Please spare us O' Guardian of the Lake!" Guinevere screamed through a waterfall of tears.

"Even if you are the Lady of the Lake, I will stay my blade if you darest to harm the Queen," Lancelot panted.

"Vivian! Stop this! Please! Arthur would not want this!" Morgan yelled. Her arm had been torn at the base and blood poured from her head.

Merlin struggled to remain standing under the immense magical pressure that Vivian was radiating.

"Arthur is dead because of you. Morgan. Merlin. How could you possibly stand with her? She is the reason Arthur is dead! She spurned Mordred's ambition to succeed his father! She slept with his knights all while Arthur fought to unify this land for HER! It's all her FAULT!" Vivian roared. The storm grew worse. Winds battered the castle of the Eternal Kingdom.

"Damn it! Vivian! Stop!" Morgan screamed. "I understand how you feel! Arthur was my brother!"

"None of you understand how I feel…" Vivian muttered. "I… I love Arthur."

Guinevere's eyes widened. "You… You dare covet the man of another woman!"

"Your hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me. I warned him about you. It's time I end this. With this, Arthur can finally rest in peace and Camelot will be buried by my wrath! Even if Lancelot defends you, I will hunt you to the ends of the World," Vivian said. She levitated into the air and raised Excalibur high over her head.

An array of blades manifested behind her. Replicas of Excalibur were all poised to strike her at a moment's notice.

"Get out of the way, Lancelot. I will not ask again," Vivian ordered.

"I have sinned against my King but the last thing I can do is to defend the Queen. With her, I will have fulfilled my promise to the man who sav-"

Vivian stood behind him with Excalibur outstretched. She swung the blade with a flourish, sending blood splattering all over the floor.

Lancelot fell to his knees, head lopped off. He hit the floor with a wet smack and his head rolled over to the side.

"Hypocrites. Arthur's court was filled with nothing but ungrateful hypocrites," Vivian said.

"No… wait. Please forgive me. I'll give you anything. Anything you want! I have the riches of Camelot at my disposal! I can grant you anything you desire!" Guinevere stammered. She backpedaled across the throne room until her back hit the foot of Arthur's throne.

She saw a sword that Arthur always had at his side. It was a simple silver sword with a golden edge and a golden cross-shaped hilt. Her shaky arms leveled the blade at Vivian.

"What are you going to do with Caliburn? Kill me?" Vivian said.

THUNK!

Guinevere screamed. Her arms were sliced off by Vivian.

"Pleassh! Spare me! I'll give you anything!"

"Anything?" Vivian asked.

"Yes! Yes!" Vivian crawled over on her elbows and laid her head at Vivi's feet.

"Anything!"

"Then give him back."

"Huh?" Guinevere looked up and saw Vivian's tear-filled eyes.

"Give Arthur back to me."

Her eyes widened in terror.

"No, wait, I can't do that. I-..."

"VIVI!"

"Huh?" Vivi blinked. "Did I fall asleep?"

Le Fay shook her head. "You zoned out. I've been trying to get your attention for 5 minutes now. Geez, you must be writing a whole essay up there. Wait… do graduate students write essays? No, wait, a thesis! You must have your thesis ready!" Le Fay exclaimed.

"No, it's not ready yet. I have one more place to visit before I head back over to Oxford," Vivi said, standing up.

"Eh? Where? Maybe we could come with you?" Le Fay said.

"No, this is personal. I'm heading to my hometown," Vivi said.

"Oh. You're heading home," Le Fay said.

"Aw, don't make that face," Vivi said, bending a little to get to Le Fay's height.

"It's just. I never made a friend outside of my house before. Everyone I know is either on a mission or from my family. I've never had friends outside of that," she confessed.

Vivi smiled. She reached over and pinched Le Fay's cheek.

"Ow ow!" Le Fay said.

Vivi retracted her arm and smiled.

"What was that for?" Le Fay asked.

"That was for making that face," Vivi said. "Don't worry." Vivi dusted her pants off. "We'll see each other again."

"When will that be?" Le Fay asked.

"Probably when you go to college if you ever decide to. I'll be waiting for you in Oxford," Vivi said.

"Ehhh? But that's such a prestigious school," Le Fay lamented.

"Then you better study then," Vivi said. "I guess I'll see you around." She patted Le Fay on her comically large hat before turning around and walking off.

"Wait!" Le Fay called out.

"Hmmm?" Vivi turned around and stumbled back.

Le Fay had her arms wrapped around her waist and her head was buried in her chest.

"Eh?"

"Sorry, I just felt like doing this for some reason," Le Fay said, pulling away. "Anyway, remember to take it easy! Lots can happen in Camelot you know!"

Vivi's eyes widened significantly. That saying. "What did you just say?"

"Take it easy?" Le Fay said.

"No, the thing after," Vivi said.

"Lots can happen in Camelot? Oh, um, it's just a saying that I came up with. I just came up with it one day you know! It's my own spin on 'Rome wasn't built in a day'. It means to take it easy because you know, Camelot was a city and lots of things happened and so that… well, you know. It just means take it easy," Le Fay said, smiling. Her smile fell when she saw a tear streak down Vivi's face. "E-Eh!? E-Elaine! W-What do I do!?"

Le Fay ran over to Vivi and began to fret over her.

"Pfft… ahahaha! No, no, I'm fine," Vivi said, wiping the tear from her face. "Sorry about that. My friend used to say something similar. That's a nice saying."

Le Fay still gave her a worried look. Elaine walked up to her and handed her a handkerchief. "Here! Take this! This will be our promise!" Le Fay said, handing her the cloth.

"What for?" Vivi said.

"When I go to Oxford, you'll be a history professor there!" Le Fay said.

Vivi suppressed her laughter and accepted the handkerchief. "Alright. I'll wait for you there."

Vivi's eyes laid upon Le Fay for one final time. The girl and Arthur's images had blurred together when she said that phrase. But she knew that she wasn't Arthur. She was just weirdly like Arthur. Vivi patted her head and walked off.

"Bye Vivi!" Le Fay waved.

"It's not bye. It's see you later," Vivi said. She smiled and continued walking.

Le Fay kept waving. She smiled. She made a new friend today.

"Le Fay, there you are. We were wondering where you ran off to."

Le Fay turned around and saw her older brother standing with a worried expression on her face.

"Lord Arthur," Elaine said, bowing before him.

"Come on, Kuroka's cooking today and we have to stop her," Arthur said.

"Brother! I met someone wonderful today," Le Fay said as she and Elaine walked behind Arthur.

"Really? Who was it?" Arthur asked.

"It was some woman from Oxford. She was a magician! Her name is Vivi! It's short for Vivian," Le Fay said.

"I see. It's good that you're making friends but please be careful. Ever since Excalibur Ruler went missing, we need to watch out," Arthur said.

"Right…" Le Fay lowered her head. "Wait… did you say Kuroka was cooking?"

"Yes?" Arthur said.

"What are you waiting for!? Let's go before she blows up the kitchen!" Le Fay said. She grabbed Elaine and Arthur's arm and created a teleportation circle. The three disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Vivian arrived at the entrance of the village. She had been gone for 12 years but the town had barely changed. It looked as if it were trapped in time. The last major change she had seen was at the turn of the century from the 18 to 1900. The cobble roads from long ago were still here with only Main Street being paved by asphalt. Cars from the early 1900s were in abundance here despite the younger ones having more recent models.

Her white dress fluttered in the breeze that was cooled by the water of the Lake.

Yes, Kaynes Village had not changed since she left but to her, it seemed so long ago.

Vivi walked up to a flower shop and opened the door.

"Hello, darling. I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?" the old woman behind the counter asked.

"Huh? Oh no, I used to live here. I'm just visiting," Vivi said.

"Oh? Whose daughter are you? Kaynes is a pretty small village," the woman said.

"Eh? I'm… well, I'm…" Vivi trailed off.

"It's fine. So, what are you here for?" the woman said.

"Oh, right! Can you get me some Forget-Me-Nots, Zinnias, and Larkspurs?" she ordered.

"Ah. This is for someone, isn't it?" the old woman offered her an apologetic smile. "Was it a fiance?"

"Eh? Well no, we were never like that. I just came here to get something. A form of closure I guess. It's been a few years and I think it's time I moved on," Vivi said, scratching the back of her head.

"You know. They say that the first love is always the hardest to get over. I hope you can find yours soon deary." The woman placed the flowers in an elaborate arrangement befit of a bouquet. "I made sure I got all the ones in full bloom so the colours will pop out."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that," Vivi said, raising her hands.

"No, no, please. This is for yourself and for him, isn't it? This will help you part on good terms," the woman remarked.

Good terms huh? Vivi smiled and accepted the bouquet. She pulled her wallet out of her jacket pocket and placed the bouquet on the counter. She opened it and handed the old woman several pounds.

"Thanks, Miss," Vivi said, grabbing the bouquet.

"You're welcome. Come back anytime," she said.

Vivi nodded and left the flower shop.

She trekked up the road and smiled. The memories came to her one by one as the village faded away from her consciousness.

A young boy ran after a girl, laughing along the way.

Her steps took her to the edge of the village. There was a small hill located near the shore.

The girl and the boy stood at the base of the great tree that grew atop the hill. The lake glistened in the afternoon sun.

The girl opened her hands and let loose a stream of blue lights that formed into various shapes as the boy watched and cheered.

Each footstep she took carried her up that hill. The great tree that had provided shelter on those warm summer days still stood. Vivi smiled and knelt at the base of the tree, placing her hand against it.

She looked down at the Earth. Smiling, she snapped her fingers and a magic circle appeared in front of her. Vivi reached into it and grabbed a few items. The hilt of the Fused Excalibur that she had retrieved from the ruins of Kuoh Academy and an old canister. She gently placed the canister on the ground while stabbing the broken sword into the Hill.

"I'm home, Arthur," Vivi said, sitting next to the sword. She leaned against the tree as the Sun began to dip into the lake.

"I've had a crazy year so far. It started off boring but the past month has been insane. Shin, my Contractor, got dragged back into the life after getting out. He was so content with staying out and just finishing school while training to reach his older sister. His best friend is the Red Dragon Emperor. Can you believe that?

"Anyway, some things happened. I fought God and Kokabiel… well, she wasn't God. She looked like her though. You remember Elohim right? She was such a nice woman," Vivi said, resting her hand on the dirt. "I think that… I'm finally ready to move forward. It took watching a boy so engrossed by revenge move past it for me to get over Camlann. Or begin to try and get over Camlann. It's going to be a long process. 1500 years of holding a grudge is a long time," she finished.

A few tears fell from her face onto the grass. "Not a day goes by without me missing you but, I think you'd be happier if I stopped being so hung up on you." Vivi stared up at the darkening sky. She closed her eyes and smiled as a final memory surfaced in her mind.

Below the sea of stars, two children leaned against a tree. A fire crackled before them. The boy tended to the fire. A wooden sword lay on his right. Next to him, the girl sat, staring at the flickering embers that escaped from the pit.

She looked up at the stars. A light streaked across the sky. Her eyes lit up as she made a wish deep within her heart.

"Okay, I think the fire's going to stay lit tonight," the boy said. He felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. The boy glanced to his side and saw the mess of blue hair from the girl, covering his shoulder.

He smiled and leaned his head against hers.

She opened her mouth and whispered four words.

"Rwy'n dy garu di, Arthur," Vivi whispered.

Alright, this is the end of the first interlude. I don't really have much to say about this other than... this is Vivi taking the first step to finally get over her distaste for Excalibur. And the "Lots happen in Camelot" saying was something that took me a day to come up with. Seriously, one phrase took me a day but it was all worth it. Before anyone asks, no , Le Fay is not Arthur's reincarnation. Le Fay just reminds Vivi a lot about Arthur. I made a change to the second Interlude we're doing and decided to do one of that event four years ago that Akane mentioned during her fight with Kokabiel. Well, leave a review and remember to have a great day or not, the choice is yours.