FATE/NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM

"New Order of the Ages"

Chapter 17: Why She Left

Rama initiated what would become an intensely chaotic battle by charging at Cuchulainn and striking his sword against Gae Bolg numerous times. Both men became whirlwinds of movement and weapon strikes, making it difficult for the other three Servants to back up their ally. Although Rama had the advantage in finesse and accuracy, Cuchulainn's brute strength was almost too much for the Indian hero to tolerate. The king planted his spear into the ground and vaulted over it to kick Rama, which he narrowly blocked. Cuchulainn wasn't just strong however; he was amazingly deft at remaining in midair after Rama kicked his spear and tried to back away. Cuchulainn stabbed his lance right into the spot where his opponent was at, grazing half of his body with a thin line that cut through his clothes and left a vertical gash along his chest.

Ituha hurled dozens of fireballs at Cuchulainn to beat him away from the wounded Rama. The Archer charged the largest stone she had with an Ansuz Rune and slung it at the irate warrior, but he shouted, "Not this time!"

He smashed Gae Bolg down on the rock and forced it to detonate in the ground, then he rushed at Ituha. His mighty form looked absolutely intimidating compared to her small stature, and she almost fell backwards from shock. Fia caught Ituha in her arms and leapt away moments before Cuchulainn violently pierced the ground where they previously were. While he was preoccupied, Nightingale got in and raised her leg over his neck, then bashed her ankle on his upper back. The crater caused by her tremendous might was quite impressive, and he thought some of his bones broke under the pressure.

He ignored the crippling pain however and immediately got back up to grab Nightingale's throat and shove her right into that same crater with a vicious shove. Fia intercepted him before he could kill Nightingale, and the two Berserkers got into another wild battle frenzy. After a short while, she leapt backwards against the wall, then shoved herself off to propel towards Cuchulainn like a rocket. He blocked her advance and caused her to lose her momentum, flinging in the air helplessly.

"GRAGH!" Cuchulainn howled as he smashed his elbow against Fia's back, slamming her face-first onto the pavement. The horribly battered girl had no strength left to try and escape from him as he raised Gae Bolg in a stabbing position.

"Not good!" Rama yelped in a panic. He and Nightingale rushed in to help her, but they wouldn't be able to make it in time. Ituha screamed and hurried to her other self's side.

We can't defeat him like this! No… I can't save anyone like this! Fia, please! Give me your strength! I want to be as strong as you!

She thrust her body over Fia's to act as a shield, embracing her tightly. Cuchulainn was just feet away from gouging both of them through.

That was when a miracle occurred.

A sudden uproar of fierce winds swirled around the two girls and blew the Berserker away with tremendous force. He couldn't get back in to try killing them again, so he could only watch with a deep scowl as the tornado raged on in front of him. In the eye of the storm, the girls stared at each other with abject surprise, refusing to let go of each other's hands.

No, that wasn't quite right. It wasn't that they could let go. It felt more like they were melting into each other, symbiotically fusing into a single entity.

This feeling… Ituha thought. An intense pang of nostalgia and depression overcame her mind as Fia's mind flowed into hers. Ituha froze in place as her memories started to come back bit by bit. The images she recalled weren't coherent at first, but soon she began to realize who she was and what happened to make her this way.

I remember now…

An important memory that she had lost resurfaced. It was the moment when the course of the war changed – a crucial decision that seemed small at first, but then snowballed into something much grander than she would ever comprehend. It was akin to the theory of a butterfly's innocently flapping wings influencing the formation of a great tornado weeks later.

A week before Connla's escape…

The day began as any other – a cool morning of overcast grey clouds and a light sprinkle of rain. The winter days were subsiding, making way for the early days of much nicer spring weather. Connla woke up early and decided to go to her favorite spot for some quiet studying. She carried an oversized mathematical physics textbook, since she had become interested in understanding the theory of relativity and how she could apply it practically. It was an extremely difficult subject for the vast majority of children her age to even pronounce, never mind understand. Her tutors were growing concerned with her abnormally rapid development at the sacrifice of a proper childhood, but Cuchulainn had ordered them to let her do as she pleased when it came to studying.

Connla glanced back a couple of times to see if she was being followed, but she didn't sense anyone nearby. She headed for the Vermeil Room on the first floor of the White House, typically used as a storage room in this age. In the future, it would be utilized as a social room decorated with polished silver-gilt tableware (or vermeil). Since it wasn't used much by the Celts, Connla liked to retreat here and read without anyone disturbing her.

As she passed through the center hall, she came upon Arjuna who was staring out the window with a distant expression. She didn't know him very well since he proved to be as aloof as she was, so she didn't say anything to him and gently turned the doorknob to not make any noise.

Suddenly, Arjuna murmured, "Something's going to happen."

"Hm?" Connla looked up at him.

"I suggest you return to the second floor."

"Why?"

"Medb is fooling around with the Holy Grail again."

Both of them knew what this meant. The only thing the queen enjoyed more than the apathetic Cuchulainn was the miracles that the Grail could grant her. She had tested its effects on multiple occasions, leading to the guards having to subdue all sorts of unholy beasts and unspeakable creatures born from her sinister imagination. Connla swallowed nervously, then nodded. Before she could take a step though, both Servants felt a powerful tremor rocking the White House. Then another. Then another.

"Wh-What the-!?" the child squeaked.

When she looked out the window, that was when she saw something that didn't belong there. A gigantic reptilian eyeball peeked through the glass and stared directly at her. The eye blinked a couple of times, then disappeared as the creature raised its head.

"It can't be!" Arjuna yelped, shielding the terrified Connla behind him. "Is that a-!?"

"GRAAA~AAA~AAAHHH!"

The monster's incredible roar shattered every window in the vicinity, spraying glass all over the place. Arjuna spent no time being shocked, being concerned with destroying whatever had been summoned so it wouldn't cause any more damage. He hopped through a broken window and readied his bow to confront the creature, which turned out to be a fully grown dragon. He found Fergus already fighting the beast, trying to distract it from damaging the building any further.

"Gh! That crazy queen really knows how to bring nightmares to life!" the Saber grunted, then jumped away as the dragon slammed its foot on the ground.

"You say that, yet you're quite attracted to her," Arjuna quipped while firing electric light arrows at the beast.

"She might be a nasty woman, but I'm a carnal bastard. I love beauty in all its forms."

"I wouldn't know of such worldly desires."

While the two men were bickering, the dragon swept its tail and knocked them aside with little effort. It turned its attention back to the White House, and Arjuna screamed, "No, you don't!"

Before the Archer could strike again, that was when Gae Bolg shot through the air like a dart and pierced the dragon's ribcage in a huge spray of blood. Both Servants saw Cuchulainn hurrying toward the scene with a furious expression, and he mentally commanded his spear to return to his hand. Without a word, the Mad King allowed his bestial rage to control him as he hacked, slashed, and gouged the monster's thick hide into a bloody mess. It didn't take long for the dragon to scream its death cry and disappear in a black haze. Once it was gone, the exhausted Servants could finally relax and assess the damage.

"God damn that woman," Cuchulainn snarled. "Couldn't she have done the summoning somewhere else?"

"Well, at least everything's okay," Fergus said.

Arjuna didn't look so convinced. Fergus noticed his ally's grim expression and asked, "What's wrong?"

"That young girl was with me."

"Young girl?"

"That one everyone calls the princess."

Cuchulainn's nerves seemed to freeze solid as he yelled, "Connla!?"

The trio went back inside to look for her. To their surprise, she only remained standing there hugging the textbook close to her chest. Her eyes appeared dull and lifeless, as if they were windows into an alternate dimension. She didn't move, breathe, or even blink. She was as still as a statue. The sight was absolutely devastating to Cuchulainn.

"Hey! Are you all right!?" Fergus demanded.

Arjuna kneeled in front of Connla and quickly examined her. He replied, "She's passed out, but is otherwise unharmed. The shock from seeking a fully-grown dragon must have been too much for her to handle."

Cuchulainn sighed with relief, then carried her upstairs to her room. The Mad King could not bring himself to console his daughter when he should have kept her away from such horrific sights in the first place. That familiar sadness welled in his chest again, which only happened when he saw Connla enduring far more anguish than a child her age should be exposed to. He really was trying to be a father for her, but tragedies like this always kept getting in his way of repairing his relationship with her.

I just keep screwing up, don't I?

He returned to the first floor and reunited with Fergus and Arjuna, who had found Medb and were scolding her.

"What in the world were you thinking!?" Fergus snapped angrily. "Your little experiment could have wrecked the place!"

"Oh, don't be like that, darling," Medb said nonchalantly. "If that happened, I can always use the Grail to wish for a bigger and better castle."

"You're incorrigible! Grail this, Grail that! That's all you ever talk about anymore! That thing isn't the solution to everything, you know!"

The queen giggled. "You're just jealous, aren't you? Besides, what would happen if you had the Grail instead? Wouldn't you wish for a harem of beauties all for yourself?"

"Erk… T-That's different-!"

"You make me laugh. Stop being such a hypocrite, or I might wish for you to go back to the Throne. What I do with the Holy Grail is my business. Isn't that right, Cu?"

SLAP!

Before anyone could react, Medb fell to the ground with a nasty red mark on her cheek. An absolutely livid Cuchulainn stood over her, his expression cold and fierce. It wasn't often that people got to see him be violent towards Medb since they were supposed to be a cohesive unit as king and queen, so it was a real surprise for him to slap her cheek so viciously. Arjuna remained stone-faced as always, while Fergus looked appalled.

"Cu…?" she whimpered meekly, covering the swelling skin with her hand. "Oh, Cu… Have I done something to offend you, my king?"

"Stop screwing around with the Grail so much," the man glowered. "It is our tool to win the war, not a toy for you to play with."

"I wasn't playing… I was testing to see its summoning capabilities…"

"Do you want Connla to live so she can inherit this land?"

"Of course I do! Connie is the embodiment of our hopes and dreams for a wonderful Celtic nation!"

"You say that, but your demented summonings are constantly putting her in danger. I could tolerate it before, but that dragon was the last straw. Mess up again and I'll have your head on a platter for the dogs to feast on. Have I made myself clear?"

"Y-Yes, my king! Your words couldn't be more transparent! As clear as pure crystal!"

"Get out of my sight, woman. Your pathetic face is making me sick."

Medb scurried to her feet and hurried out of the courtyard back into the White House. The others were fearful of their lives as they watched the tense exchange. No one wanted to say anything that would earn them the Mad King's unbridled wrath.

Cuchulainn told Arjuna, "I'm gonna get some sleep. Make sure Medb doesn't do anything stupid."

"Yes, sir."

"Fergus, check on the kid once in a while."

"Got it. Uncle Fergus will make sure she's okay," the swordsman smiled.

After Cuchulainn made sure Connla was okay, he left her alone to rest. No one else saw her for the remainder of the day. Although she was lying in bed, she couldn't get any sleep at all. That dreadful, heavy feeling would not subside no matter what techniques she used to calm down. She grew tired of trying and headed up to the viewing platform on the roof. Although she was only wearing her white night gown, she didn't care about the chilly wind billowing her hair and clothes.

As if in a trance, Connla headed straight for the balustrade and climbed up without a second thought. Her bare feet and toes hugged the railing's curvature, and she gazed out into the distance. Although her body did nothing, her mind raced everywhere in random directions. She was being pulled from all sides, and she didn't know which one to pick.

I feel so sick…

The child was beginning to feel light-headed, and a sleepy sensation threatened to make her close her eyes involuntarily.

"There you are!"

A man's deep voice boomed, snapping Connla awake. She looked back to find Fergus approaching her. She didn't know him very well, but she was aware of him being one of Cuchulainn's many parental figures growing up. He was like that congenial uncle that all of the nieces and nephews wanted to hang out with, so he was one of the few Celts she wasn't really afraid of.

"What are you up to, missy?" he asked.

"I was, uh… Um… I was… looking at the stars."

"From way up here? You can always go outside and look at ground level. There's no need to gaze from such a dangerous place."

"Oh, well… I just wanted some fresh air… A-And the soldiers were roaming about, so I didn't want to bother them."

"Good point," Fergus frowned. "Even if they're supposed to be our allies, they'll snap at any small provocation. Anyway, come on down from there. It's not a safe place for you to play in, okay?"

"Mm," Connla replied and jumped down from the rail. He took her hand and guided her back to her room, but quietly glanced back at the sky and made a disturbing thought:

It's completely cloudy outside.

Once Fergus made sure Connla had gone back to bed, he headed downstairs to look for Cuchulainn. After some searching, he found him sitting at one of the window sills boredly looking outside at the cloudy night sky.

"There you are," Fergus said.

"Hm? What do you want?" the listless king grumbled darkly.

"What, not in the mood to have a little chat with one of your personal caretakers, Setanta?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? Don't call me by that name. Or are you asking me to kill you?"

"No, no, I'll save my inevitable death for the battlefield. I only wanted to say something important to you."

"I'll bet it's just more of your pointless gibberish. Stop wasting my time already."

"I'm not fooling around. This is serious."

Cuchulainn glared. It was very rare to see the congenial swordsmen and one of his father figures act so grim.

"… What is it?" he asked.

Fergus leaned in to whisper something into his foster son's ear. After a moment, Cuchulainn's thin eyes widened to the size of saucers in absolute alarm.

"I just thought you should know," Fergus muttered and began to walk away.

The king remained rooted to the spot for a short while. Then he replied, "Fine. I'll do something about it."

"You'd better. I raised you like a father would. Now it's your turn to do the same for her."

The following morning, Connla woke up and stretched her incredibly tense muscles. She barely got any sleep during the night, so she was practically running on fumes as she tiredly shuffled out of bed and made herself some coffee. The bitter flavor of Viennese roast washed away the acrid taste of hunger and perked her up a bit. All she needed was some breakfast, and she would be ready for the day despite not having enough sleep in her.

Connla got dressed and took a novel with her, feeling too tired to do the intense studying she had been interested in yesterday. After that scare with the dragon and what she was doing on the balcony last night, she didn't have any energy to care about much else than just robotically going through the motions of each passing day.

As she came downstairs to ask one of the servants for some food, she found Cuchulainn standing on the last step purposely waiting for her.

"You're up," he said.

"…"

"How are you feeling?"

"… Exhausted."

"You sure look like it. I've already chewed Medb out for that stunt she pulled. It won't happen again, unless she doesn't mind winding up in a body bag."

"I see."

Cuchulainn sighed. He hoped she would say something about it first, but she remained silent, intent on trying to dodge the issue. He muttered, "I heard about what happened on the balcony."

"From Uncle Fergus, I presume?"

"Yeah. He told me everything… especially about how you tried to kill yourself."

Connla inhaled sharply. Her fatigue immediately disappeared. She thought she had fooled Fergus with the whole 'gazing at the sky' line, but he must have seen through her half-hearted lie and recognized what she really was trying to do.

"T-That's silly," she tried to object. "There's no way I'd do something like that."

"Don't lie to me," her father commanded. "You've been acting distant ever since you arrived in this country. You either coop yourself in your room, or refuse to talk to anyone when you're out. On top of that, every time Medb summons a monster, you become fearful and quiet. That dragon yesterday was the final nail on the coffin, wasn't it?"

Connla sullenly tilted her head to the side and looked away from him, not wanting to acknowledge his accusation. He sighed, then kneeled in front of her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I know I'm not the Cuchulainn that you remember," he said. "It's all because of Medb's deranged wish that I have materialized as such a psychotic bastard. I am the ideal king that she seeks to both follow without question and to grasp in her hands like a toy. I'm sure she'll get bored and discard me someday for some other sap unfortunate enough to catch her attention.

"But make no mistake; no matter what form I am summoned as, no matter how twisted and unrecognizable I may be to you, I am still your father. Everyone else in your life may have treated you like shit, but I will do everything in my power to make sure you don't suffer in silence anymore. If there's something you want to say, I'll listen. If there is someone threatening your life, I'll destroy them. If you're unhappy about something, then tell me and I'll fix it."

"But… But if anyone goes against you, they'll…" Connla murmured softly, almost on the verge of crying. "I… I can't tell you. If I told you how I really feel, you'll kill me. That's the kind of person… you've become…"

"Don't be ridiculous. I may be cold and treacherous, but that's only on the battlefield. My emotions are often empty, and I don't really give a damn about anything other than finding my next opponent. But lately I've been feeling a tinge of grief every time I see you. Medb and I have been taking over this country so that the three of us can forge a new nation under our Celtic flag. You know that, yet you don't look thrilled at the prospect of reviving our long-gone glory."

She bit her lower lip to fight the tears, but her sorrow was much too evident to Cuchulainn at this point. She hiccupped several times and trembled.

"Tell me," he whispered.

The little girl sobbed and wiped her eyes for a minute. Once she calmed down, she managed to moan, "I-Is this… really for Celtic glory?"

"Hm?"

"You say it's to revive our nation, yet Queen Medb is conjuring all kinds of things that you'd see in a horrible nightmare. It just feels so… mismatched. How in the world can summoning war-hungry soldiers, dragons, wyverns and Shadow Servants lead to any kind of prosperity? I don't sense any trace of humanity in her army - all those creatures know is how to destroy. At this rate, all that'll be left is a complete wasteland full of dead bodies, and you would stand above them all, covered in blood and gore as you howl like some angry beast, signifying the end of the world.

"If America is the only country left… then… then you and Queen Medb just want to hasten this planet's imminent death, not revive any kind of past glory. All of this talk about taking over America so I can have a happy future is a lie. If nothing is done, there will be no future worth speaking of anymore. My happiness is just an excuse for you and Queen Medb to go on a killing spree. I don't like being used as a reason for you to commit so many atrocities."

"…"

"But I know… I know that there's nothing I can do to change either of you," Connla's lips tightened into a long frown. "The queen is who she is, and you're a man who looks like Father but doesn't act like him. Meanwhile, I'm a weak little girl in a completely strange world, surrounded by people I don't recognize, unable to change anything about this world's inevitable decline. All I can do is passively play my role as a 'princess' and fulfill my part of Medb's fantasy, whether I want to or not. It's so frustrating… even though it's the truth…"

Cuchulainn fell into absolute silence as he listened to his daughter's grievances. He had no idea she was feeling this way. Her kind, mature approach to the world around her greatly disturbed him, as he believed she shouldn't have to worry about such things when she was only seven years old. She had every right to be innocent and naïve - he thought that such qualities would make her the ideal kind-hearted princess for their Celtic nation. Her attitude wasn't matching up to the image he had of her though. Maybe she felt like she had to be this way because all of the adults around her were being selfish brats, so she needed to balance it out with reason and objectivity.

"Come with me," he took her hand and guided her out to the garden. It was approaching first light, so the sun began to rise over the horizon. Brilliant shades of red, pink, orange and purple painted the sky until blue reigned as the dominant color. Gazing upon such soothing scenery made it impossible for anyone nearby to image that a bloody war was going on deeper in the country. After some silence, Cuchulainn finally said, "I will give you the chance to decide on two options."

"Huh?"

"The first is that you can remain here by my side and witness how this war will play out. Of course, you're not happy with sitting back and hoping things will get better on their own. If you're that determined to bring that change with your own power, then you have a second choice."

He raised his arm and pointed toward the western horizon as he said, "You can join the United Western States in their uprising against us."

Connla was so stunned that she forgot to breathe for a moment. "Join… the enemy…?"

"If that's where your conviction lies, then you may do as you wish," he calmly assured. Right then, a grin laced with sharp teeth etched across his face as he warned, "However, be aware that there will be consequences with either decision. If you decide to stay, you will have to toil with those emotions and fret about this world's future until the war ends, although it means you will be safe from our enemies. If you decide to go… I'm sure you understand what that will mean."

She knew what he was implying. Her full understanding of the situation was almost terrifying. Under her breath, she whispered, "I'd be committing treason…"

"Yeah. I can guarantee you, I will pursue you with no remorse as the benefactor you defected from."

Father and daughter would become mortal enemies on the battlefield. The prospect filled the child with immense dread. She had no idea if she was strong enough to fight him on equal grounds. She sincerely doubted it though. If the man was powerful as a Lancer, then he was almost like a Phantasmal-level monster as a Berserker. Even if she did have his permission to leave the Celtic army, that didn't mean she would be safe from his notorious bloodlust. If she wasn't careful, she'd wind up as just another corpse lining the empty fields.

"You don't have to decide right away. Give it some time and thought," Cuchulainn said, noticing how pale Connla looked. She shuddered, so he placed his hand on her shoulder and urged, "You're exhausted. Relax for a while."

He brought her back inside, and he left her be for the rest of the day. From there, it would take a week for Connla to make her decision of leaving the White House and journeying westward to Denver.

The present…

Ituha and Fia stared at each other in surprise while their bodies melded together. They began to lose their individualities, and they soon shared the same thought.

That's right. I'm not an Archer or a Berserker. I'm a Lancer… the Mad King's daughter, and the so-called Celtic Princess. My name is…

The reunion was complete. Ituha and Fia were no more. In their place was someone else who would carry the fight on in their stead. As the hurricane started to slow down, Cuchulainn found his chance to dash in again for the kill. This time though, he was met with furious resistance, signaled only by flashing white sparks that Rama and Nightingale couldn't make out through the dusty winds. After a few seconds of clashing, Cuchulainn was violently ejected backwards and skidded across the White House grounds on his back. He seethed in pain and fury as he stumbled back to his feet.

The storm quieted down, revealing a short-statured silhouette wielding a spear hiding behind the dust. Once it settled, the others finally got a good look at the Celtic Princess' original form. The little girl wore a familiar mint green bodysuit with white Runic patterns, accented by a white shawl and skirt kept up with a leather belt. She wore thick brown gloves and knee boots, and a small metal breastplate. Her spear wasn't impressive in itself, but it had a sharp metal tip and a pink tassel tied to the other end. Her short lavender hair was kept back in a low ponytail tied with a large pink orb.

"Hm…" Cuchulainn mumbled. For an instant, it looked like his insatiable anger was subsiding. "So you managed to reconstitute yourself."

"I apologize for making you so sad, Father," the little girl replied. "I did not expect that seeing the truth about this war would cause so much damage to my Spirit Origin. My 'death' must have angered you to no end, even though we had that conversation before I abandoned the Celtic forces."

"…"

"To be honest, things are still a little hazy, but I'm certain of what I need to do now."

"And what would that be?"

The child stood in an elegant pose with her polearm and declared, "To raise my spear in defense of this world's future."

"How absurd. There is nothing worth defending anymore. You may have revived, but since you committed treason against your king, I have no choice but to kill you and commit your corpse to the ground, along with everyone else who has resisted my path of destruction."

"Your ruinous rampage ends here. I have grown tired of feeling sorry for myself and hoping that things will turn for the better. Even if it means my true death, I will fight, so that I have no further regrets about hesitating to stand for what I believe in. That's the decision I've made, and I will struggle to my utmost against the consequences you warned me about."

"Heh… heh heh…" Cuchulainn chuckled bitterly. From Rama and Nightingale's perspectives though, he didn't look to be angry or disappointed. He seemed rather… proud? The Mad King muttered, "Guess you and I were meant to be foils for each other, no matter what world we're summoned in together. That's fine. So long as you're ready, then I accept your challenge-"

He gripped his spiked Gae Bolg, and the pair pointed their spears at each other simultaneously.

"CONNLA!"