"Seriously, this is getting ridiculous," Shirou mumbled to no one in particular as he threw a pile of eggs into the frying pan. After the fight with Berserker several more people had taken up residence in his home. Illya now slept in the room immediately adjacent to his and frequently Shirou found her snuggled up in his own bed, much to Rin's displeasure. And Ashlin and Lancer now resided in the small cottage that sat next to the main compound of his home. Shirou frequently went to visit but rarely was he able to find the master and servant. When he questioned Rin about this she simply said Ashlin preferred the solitude of the mountains. Glancing through the window, Shirou couldn't help but wonder what Ashlin enjoyed so much about solitude. The answer to Shirou's question existed in the dense forest that sprawled across the back of the mountain's peak. The area was very secluded and was located a great distance from the city.
"You're improving, Ash," Lancer proudly stated as he deflected a blow from her spear with his own.
"As are you," she replied, gesturing at the black armor he currently wore. It had been several weeks since the battle with Berserker and Ashlin insisted they spend as much time as possible training together. During this time, she granted Lancer access to her weapon and armor stores, allowing him to requip any of her items at will. The armors, enchanted as they were, adapted to fit Lancer's male physique without issue; a discovery that greatly pleased Ashlin.
Distracted by her thoughts, Ashlin failed to notice Lancer's advance until she was knocked bodily to the ground. She landed hard with Lancer hovering over her.
"You really do hit like a hammer with that black armor on," she commented with a groan. She could feel the bruise forming already. "I still don't understand why you refuse to wear the wings, though."
"They get in my way," he replied with a shrug while helping Ashlin to her feet. Lancer knew she was sore. He had been thrashing on her all day wearing the black armor; armor that was enchanted to greatly increased the strength of his attacks. She had fought back with nothing but a spear, practicing her technique against him.
"You wanna go again?" Ashlin asked, grinning up at him. He shook his head before grabbing his master around her slender waist and throwing her over his shoulder.
"Hey!" She shouted in protest, causing him to chuckle. He resisted the urge to slap her butt. Tempting. So tempting, Lancer thought as he carried the struggling woman down the mountain path towards the road. God, he loved to rile her up.
"Put me down right now or I'll- I'll-"
"You'll what?" He asked with a smirk. Suddenly he felt her body still in his arms. Oh shit, what is she- Before he had time to ponder her dastardly plan, a weight from above crushed him to the ground. "What the hell is that armor? It's so damn heavy," He grunted from underneath a pile of metal. Ashlin was laughing hysterically.
"Adamantine armor," she replied through the giggles, watching a scowl settle onto her servant's face.
"That's great, now will you get off?" Still laughing, Ashlin allowed the armor to dissolve, leaving her to hover over Lancer in nothing but her black skirt and white blouse. Lancer immediately froze under her. Free from her armor, the moonlight moved to dance across her pale skin while she sat astride his waist. He watched as her hair swayed gently with the breeze. Her blouse was buttoned too low, Lancer decided as Ashlin leaned over to look at him more closely.
"Hey, you ok?" She asked, spotting a strained look on his face.
"You're still on top of me."
"Oh! Sorry," Ashlin squeaked while she jumping up, forgetting her position. Lancer nearly groaned at the loss of contact. His hands twitched as he imagined grabbing her hips and forcing her back down. He resisted the impulse and stood up, brushing grass and leaves off himself as he did.
"So, you ready to go back?" She asked him with a smile.
"Lead the way," he replied, shaking his head when she went bounding down the mountainside. Damn it, he cursed quietly, his body still buzzing from the intimate contact. He could feel his restraint slipping a little more every day. "You're going to kill me one of these days," he muttered as he slowly followed his very oblivious master down the trail.
The courtyard was silent as the pair returned to Shirou's compound. Archer observed them from a distance and couldn't help but frown. The way the blue warrior watched his newfound master was not lost on him. Lancer was walking on dangerous ground to be sure. Whatever, it's none of my business what that idiot does.
"Tomorrow I am going to wear armor," Ashlin stated with an inward groan as she trudged toward the small cottage she shared with Lancer. Her whole body ached after the training session. While Lancer was careful to never land a blow that could seriously injure her the addition of the black armor made every attack hurt. Ashlin absentmindedly reached up to touch a bruise forming over her left jaw only to have Lancer stop her. He brushed some strands of hair away before proceeding to tilt her chin to the side.
"Sorry, I got a little carried away today," he spoke, running his thumb over the injury. Lancer greatly disliked leaving marks on her body but accepted it as part of the training process. However, today was a little different. She looked injured today and he was beginning to regret requipping the black armor; its properties made it impossible for him to hold back.
"What? No, I'm fine," Ashlin insisted, swatting his hand away. "Seriously, it's no big deal." But it was. Ashlin always supplied Lancer with an overabundance of mana, an act he never failed to appreciate. Even injured she still maintained a consistent stream of energy.
"I think we should take a break from training tomorrow," he stated as Ashlin tugged him through the door to their temporary living quarters.
"Really, why?" She asked, sounding surprised. Because you're fucking injured, he felt like saying.
"Because I think it's time we discussed what to do about Caster," Lancer replied, more calmly than he thought possible, while he settled himself at the kitchen table.
"That would make sense, I suppose. Everyone is almost back to full strength now."
"Right."
"Ok, we can talk with them about it over breakfast tomorrow. I guess I'll take a shower and go to bed then." Cú Chulainn nodded his head in understanding before watching Ashlin disappear down the hallway. Taking a deep breath, he stood from the table and exited the small cottage. Lancer was greeted by the crisp night air as he strode across the courtyard. With a leap he settled himself on the compound's roof, far away from his master.
"Trying not to imagine her naked in the shower, huh?" Came Archer's smug comment.
"Shut up," Lancer snapped back, shooting a death glare at the bowman who was leaning casually against the chimney. This only caused Archer's smirk to widen.
Chuckling at the scowl present on Lancer's face, Ashlin allowed the adamantine armor to vanish from her body, leaving her exposed to the night air. She shivered a bit as the cold breeze tugged at her hair and the moon danced across her pale skin. Her servant lay silent and still under her, heat radiating off his body in waves. Ashlin placed her hands on his chest and leaned down to smile at him, unable to resist.
Ashlin jumped a bit as their eyes connected. His dark gaze was alight with a crimson glow that seemed to pierce her very soul. She tilted her head slightly and furrowed her brow, trying to decipher the emotions swirling behind those captivating eyes. His expression was almost pained, and there was something else… Desire?
"You're still on top of me," she heard him speak slowly, his voice low and strained.
"Oh! Sorry," Ashlin squeaked, realizing her position astride his waist. However, when she quickly tried to scramble off him she felt Lancer's hands grip her hips and firmly pull her back down. She gasped in surprise and planted her hands firmly on the ground on either side of Lancer's head to brace her fall. He stared at her almost apologetically as one of his hands slowly traced a path from her hip across her stomach, up to her shoulder and then ultimately to tangle in her hair. Lancer's other hand maintained a firm grip on her hip, keeping her body astride his waist. Ashlin fixed him with a questioning look while trying to slow her racing heart.
"Lancer?" Her voice sounded breathy when she questioned him. He did not respond but simply grinned up at her, all restraint seeming to vanish. Ashlin squeaked in surprise as Lancer suddenly rolled to reverse their positions, trapping her beneath him with her legs on either side of his waist. The hand buried in her raven hair moved to pin both her arms above her head. Ashlin squirmed under him, trying to keep her skirt from riding up as a blush spilled onto her cheeks. Lancer simply chuckled before leaning down to place a gentle kiss on her neck. Ashlin felt her back instinctively arch, encouraging Lancer to continue.
"Cú Chulainn?" His name came out more as a soft moan than a question as the hand on her hip travelled down to grip her skirt and lift it slightly, allowing him to tease the sensitive skin of her upper thigh. He smirked at the sound of his name and continued to kiss her neck softly, earning him small contented sounds from the woman beneath him.
"Ashlin," he breathed against her skin, causing her heart to race. "Ashlin," he repeated, this time louder.
"ASH!" The voice shouted, jolting her from the dream and back into reality. As her eyes flew opened she spotted Lancer hovering over her, an amused smirk on his face.
"Well, someone was having a good dream," he teased before getting smacked, hard, with a pillow. The blow was sufficient to knock him to the ground but it did nothing to remove the smirk that seemed permanently affixed to his face.
"What the hell are you doing in here?!" She yelped, pulling her sheets up to her chin, her eyes wide as saucers. He couldn't help but laugh at her. She looked rather endearing with her big eyes and dark blush on her face. He couldn't help but wonder who she was dreaming about. It better not have been that damn Archer.
Deciding not to tease her too much, Lancer replied with, "Waking you up for breakfast, dummy. Did you forget we have a battle strategy to formulate?"
"Oh. Yea, that. Fine, fine, just get out," she ordered quickly, pointing a finger at the door. Lancer rolled his eyes before moving towards the exit. He couldn't resist one last jab though.
"Just remember to join us once you've finished," he was sure to enunciate the word to get his point across. He closed the door just in time for a spear to lodge itself in the wood. Ashlin could hear Lancer cackling all the way down the hall as he left. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment when she stood to get dressed. At least Lancer seemed wholly unaware of who she was dreaming about. I CANNOT be fantasizing about my SERVANT. That is such a bad idea. Bad, bad, BAD idea! She reprimanded herself without pause all the way to the bathroom and all the way to the door as she slipped on her shoes. Bad idea! She continued to yell in her head, thoroughly scolding her subconscious mind.
Lancer wasn't much better off as he trudged toward the house. Now that the initial hilarity of the situation had worn off he could hear her soft moans and contented noises echoing in his mind. "I really could have gone my whole life without hearing that," he grumbled to no one in particular. If he thought his self-restraint was slipping before she might as well have blasted it with Fairy Glitter today. He wasn't even sure of he could look at her without pouncing on her. I didn't sign up for this! He bellowed in his mind, scowling at the world as he walked. Sure, he knew the girl was powerful and attractive but come on! She was his MASTER for God's sake!
"Rough morning?" Archer asked with a smirk as Lancer approached the doorway looking sour.
"Fuckin run me through with Gae Bolg," He replied with a snarl as he shoved past him into the house.
"That bad, huh?"
Breakfast could have been more awkward, Ashlin supposed as she sipped her tea in silence. The masters plus Illya and Saber were gathered around the table while Archer and Lancer leaned against the wall on opposite sides of the room. From the information gathered it was apparent that a witch of considerable strength had taken up residence at Ryuudou Temple. She was the one responsible for placing hundreds of citizens into comas after draining mana from their bodies. As Saber and Rin chatted about tactics Ashlin couldn't help but feel something was off about the situation. She could feel her Fairy Tail emblem pulsing. It tugged at her for the past several days, trying to pull her in the direction of Ryuudou Temple. She was sure Lancer could feel it too.
There is a Fairy Tail mage in that temple, I can feel it, she thought with certainty. But who? No one traversed the portal with her when she arrived here and traversing through dimensions without some sort of anchor was incredibly dangerous. Without an anchor, wizards could become stranded in an alternate timeline with no way of returning home.
Lancer glanced over to his master, sensing something was troubling her. Ashlin's brow was furrowed and she was staring directly into her tea cup with an unwavering expression. He wondered absentmindedly if it had something to do with the strange pull he felt toward the temple. Her emblem seemed to be the cause, after all.
"Excuse me," Ashlin spoke suddenly as she rose from the table. "I just remembered there's something I need to do. I'll be back. Stay here Lancer, I won't go far," she instructed quickly before he could follow her. He raised an eyebrow at Ashlin before she bolted out the door.
"What was that?" Rin asked, looking a little peeved that her battle meeting had been interrupted. Lancer just shrugged.
"No idea."
Wasting no time, Ashlin sprinted out the front door and raced to the shed where Shirou normally practiced his magic. Shoving all of his metal objects and materials aside she grabbed a piece of chalk and began to draw the Fairy Glitter magic circle. Once finished, she settled herself cross-legged in the middle and began to focus her magic energy. She could feel the Fairy Glitter tattoo on her arm crackle and spark as the magic gathered. The circle eventually began to glow.
"Master Mavis, I seek your wisdom," she spoke, attempting to contact the spirit of her guild's first master.
A small ball of light appeared at her request and a high pitch voice squealed, "Ashlin! You've gotten so big!" The ball of light bobbed excitedly around her.
"Yes, Master," she replied with a smile.
"It's been a long time since we last spoke, child. What troubles you?"
"I have a strong suspicion that another Fairy Tail wizard is here with me in this dimension," she spoke, getting straight to the point. "My emblem has been acting up. It's been trying to pull me in the direction of a nearby temple. Master, can you sense the presence as well?" Mavis was silent for a long moment and her light seemed to dim a bit.
"Yes, I can," she eventually responded, sounding incredibly sad. "She was one of my first students. She was beautiful and talented, and once she learned all she could from our world she travelled to a faraway land in search of new magics. Impressed by her sorcery, the people of that time adopted her and she lived as the daughter and pupil of the great king Aeetes."
"Aeetes? Wasn't he was the king of Colchis in Greek Mythology?"
"Indeed, this was the timeline she selected when she travelled across the dimensional rift. She learned much from Aeetes and in turn shared our magic with his people. His kingdom saw a great time of peace and prosperity, and she loved the king like he was her own father. However, this all came to an end when her anchor to our world was shattered by the actions of greedy man and a foolish god."
"Jason and Aphrodite," Ashlin breathed in realization. Mavis's light dimmed further, leaving almost no light in the room.
"Aphrodite cursed my student, Medea, forcing her to fall madly and blindly in love with Jason so he could obtain the Golden Fleece. The cruel god forced Medea to kill Apsyrtus, the king's son and her adopted brother, to facilitate their escape. She sailed with Jason to Lolcos and murdered the king when he refused to turn his country over to Jason in exchange for the Golden Fleece. In the end, they were banished to Corinth where Jason planned to wed Princess Creusa. By this point, Aphrodite had grown bored of them and released Medea from her control. Medea was a prisoner in her own mind for more than a year, witnessing her body destroy everything she loved. In the end, she used her magic to burn Corinth to the ground during the wedding ceremony, ironically killing everyone in attendance except Jason. With no anchor to bring her back to Fiore, Medea wondered the Greek wilderness alone for the rest of her days." Ashlin felt hot tears sting her eyes as her master finished the story.
"Mavis, we have to help her. We have to bring her home…"
Finally getting fed up with the absence of his master, Lancer stalked out of the house in search of Ashlin. She wasn't far, he could sense that much. So why hasn't she returned yet? He walked a little faster as images of his former master, Kirei Kotomine, sprang into his mind. The bastard was still roaming around and with an extremely powerful servant to boot. After murdering his true master Bazett, Kirei used Lancer for the sole purpose of reconnaissance and entertainment, and once he was no longer useful Kirei abandoned him. With no master and no mana supply, Lancer went to Rin. He knew she would never partner with him so long as Archer was alive but simply being around her made him a little happier. And then Ashlin showed up. Energy surged into him at the very thought of her. Ashlin was the perfect master for him. And I am not going to lose her like Bazett.
Lancer felt his body start to move faster when he located Ashlin's mana inside Shirou's shed. Without a second thought he threw the doors open to find Ashlin sitting in a dimming magic circle, tears streaming down her face. The sight of her crying nearly sent him into a panic and he quickly kneeled to grab her shoulders.
"What happened?" He demanded more harshly than he meant as his eyes quickly scanned the environment. Finding no enemies he turned back to look at her. "Are you ok?" She nodded her head slowly before resting her forehead against his chest, making him tense.
"I'm fine, Lancer. I just read a very sad story, that's all," she replied quietly. "I promise to tell you about it later, ok?"
"Only if you promise to stop crying, you're getting my shirt all wet." She chuckled lightly at that before raising her head to look at him. He was grinning but she could see the worry behind his eyes.
"Deal."