A/N: It's mother's day on my country, so here is a little fluff.
Like most interludes, this one doesn't take place at any particular time. But it does take place after Lostbelt 2.
Combat complete.
Embers collected.
Returning to base.
A blue, spiralling tunnel took them back to Chaldea.
"Alright!" Ritsuka said with a smile, stepping away from the Rayshift platform with her arms behind her head. "Good work, everyone!" She said, turning back to her Servants.
Valkyrie Hildr nodded with a smile. "It's always good to gain experience. Although I feel like I could keep going."
"That may be true," said a calmer, soothing voice. Hildr turned to Skadi, although she preferred to be called Scathach-Skadi. She was not the Skadi from proper human history, but in Hildr' opinion, she was her. At least that's what her sensors told her. "But remember to not overexert yourself. I would hate for you to be decommissioned."
Hildr look away. Skadi seemed to have some kind of affection for her. At the very least, she considered the Valkyries a good enough asset to keep their condition in mind.
"Besides, I need to save the apples. I'll have to thank Shirou for letting me borrow you guys," Ritsuka replied with a smile as she went away, skipping happily.
"Well then, I guess we can rest for today," Skadi said with her usual frown as she began to walk away.
Sister, ask Lady Skadi if she wants company.
B-but what about Shirou?
He'll understand. Is that not correct, Hildr?
Yeah! He'll understand! Besides, Skadi is always nice to us.
"Do you need us for something else, Lady Skadi?" Hildr asked, ending the mental conversation with her sisters and catching up to the Queen of Ice. Skadi turned to her with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you not have a compromise with that human consort of yours?" Skadi asked. Hildr looked away with a blush.
"I-It's nothing like that, yet! We're still… umm…"
Experimenting.
"...Experimenting! Yeah, that's the word," Hildr said, feeling her cheeks on fire. While their affections with Shirou Emiya were now mutual between parties, it still was embarrassing to think about. Yet, it also made them extremely happy.
"I see. Well, as Servants and gods, we are eternal. He is just a human. I'd rather you spend as much time with him as possible," Skadi stated with closed eyes. Hildr's wings lowered, her mood now soured. She knew Shirou was human, and with a limited lifespan. Even so, the Valkyries did want to spend time with Skadi.
"He won't mind," Hildr said after a moment of silence. Skadi chuckled at this, a warm smile on her face.
"Of course he won't. But please, I'd rather be alone for the day. So do not worry about me," with that, Skadi took a turn, away from the cafeteria where Hildr knew Shirou would be. Skadi's path would take her to the simulator.
However, before she left, Skadi turned to look at her. After a moment of careful observation, Skadi went up to the Valkyrie, licked her finger, and brushed it near the edge of her mouth, like a cat lapping it's kitten. And just like a child, Hildr turned away from the gesture.
"There. You're all clean know, like a proper demi-god should be. I'll see you later, Valkyrie," Skadi said, her boots clicking as she walked away.
Hildr did not follow, respecting her superior's wishes.
The three sisters manifested together, and sat side by side on the cafeteria's bar, chatting with Shirou as he helped Boudica. Normally his older counterpart would take over, but today he was away. Something about a minute singularity Ophelia had decided to take care of.
During their time there, Thrúd noticed something.
Ortlinde did as well.
Hildr was made aware of it through their link.
Shirou Emiya was distracted.
Every so often, he would turn away from his kitchen duties and stare at one of the Lancer Servants: Jaguar Man, who was on a table being shoved around by Quetzalcoatl.
The three manifested Valkyries looked at each other and agreed on asking him about it.
Not out of jealousy, but concern, since his look seemed pained every time he stared. Or at least, that's what Thrúd thought.
"Master," Thrúd said. Shirou turned to her, away from some sort of dish he was preparing for Jinako Carigiri.
"Yes? What is it Thrúd?" He asked. As he turned to stare at her, his eye momentarily looked past her. Ortlinde discretely looked in the direction where he looked at, and in fact, his eye had landed on Jaguar Man again. Thrúd frowned.
"You look distracted," she said bluntly. Valkyries had no need for subtlety. The battlefield was a direct place, where life and death ebbed. There was no in-between.
"I'm fine," he said.
"Master…" Hildr said with a small growl. "…we can already tell when you lie."
Shirou sighed, putting his cooking utensils down. "There is nothing you should be concerned about. It's really minor, really," he said, looking at each Valkyrie in the eye.
Thrúd rested her head on her wrists, propped up by her elbows on the counter.
"You are trying very hard to drop this subject. Is it something painful?" Shirou said nothing in response, his eye once again looking away.
"I… alright…" he took a seat in front of them. "… the Panipuri still need time anyway."
The three girls huddled together a little. Shirou rarely opened his heart, and the girls could tell he wished for things to remain private. However, Ortlinde was more curious than Thrúd or Hildr.
"So what is it?" She asked.
"Today is Mother's Day," he stated. Ortlinde expressed her disappointment through their link. Thrúd chastised her.
"So you celebrate your mother for giving birth to you," Thrúd stated.
"Yeah," Shirou answered with a nod.
"Few Servants have their families here, so it's not something that we are made aware of. Still, what is it that worries you?" Thrúd asked.
"Do you miss your mother?" Hildr's question made Shirou lower his head a little.
"N-no. I mean… I haven't thought about her for a long time. She's… dead you see," he replied, his voice unusually shaky.
"Is it related to that night that still haunts your dreams?" Thrúd asked. Shirou nodded, slowly.
"I see," Thrúd said, beating herself up for making him dig up such memories. However, Hildr and Ortlinde did not chastise her. "Forgive me for asking."
"But why do you look at Jaguar Man, then?" Ortlinde asked. Shirou's expression turned to surprise for a moment.
"Oh… that. Well, I'm sure you have some memory of Taiga, even if you haven't met her," as he said that, the Valkyries dug through the memories of the grail war.
They found an early one. A woman of light brown hair, stripped clothing and a contagious smile. Then the Valkyries understood.
"Jaguar Man is a pseudo Servant with her as the vessel…" Thrúd mused.
"Yes," Shirou replied, voice low. "She… took care of me, a lot. Even if she was really bad at it… she was always there, even if I didn't notice. I… well… I'd trade her life for anyone else's in a second."
"So why don't you speak to her?" Ortlinde asked. Shirou grimaced, leaning back into his stool.
"She's not her, Hildr. She's… something else. The real Taiga is back in Fuyuki. Or was. I'm sure she died, along with everyone else. And I couldn't do a thing. At the same time, I have something in front of me that I know is not her, but still haunts me. Reminds me that I still have to get her back, somehow."
The Valkyries said nothing. They did not have a mother. But they did link that feeling to the feeling of losing one of their sisters, and they understood how painful it would be.
Or losing Odin. But he was all seeing, absolute. The notion of losing him was inconceivable.
"We see. That is… really unfortunate," Hildr said after few moments of silence. "Although, we cannot really comprehend it. We never don't have a mother. We were made."
Shirou sighed.
"Mothers are… it's not about who brings you into the world," he said, massaging his forehead.
"Then what is a mother?" Thrúd asked.
"Well… I guess it's… someone who, while they may not always be by your side, will always be there if you need her. A mother, or any parent really, cares and protects you even after they know that you can take care of yourself. But are also not afraid of telling you when you're wrong or when you're going down a bad path," Shirou said, looking them in the eye with a softer and more melancholic expression.
Hearing that, Thrúd's thoughts drifted back to Skadi.
"I… see," Thrúd said, her thoughts still somewhat scrambled.
"So… what would you do, on this day?" Hildr asked. Shirou leaned back again, massaging his chin.
"I guess I would buy her a gift," The Valkyries looked at each other.
"A gift?" They asked in unison.
"Yeah. Why?"
The simulator had been booked by Skadi. A version of Scandinavia, one that had an ice castle and a giant sun on it.
The Valkyries ventured into the castle, in the hopes of bringing their gift to the queen.
They did found her, sitting on her throne with a pained expression on her face.
"Lady Skadi?" Thrúd asked, voice echoing.
"Sorry for interrupting," Hildr continued.
"And forgive our disobedience," Ortlinde finished.
Noticing their presence, Skadi looked at each girl, smiled, and quickly got up from her throne to walk up to them.
"My, my. How bold. What is it my– Valkyries?" she asked, tripping over her words for a second. Something that was very strange for the proud queen.
"Today is mother's day," Thrúd stated. Skadi's eyes widened, before a frown took over her features.
"Yes. So what is it?" She asked, voice on edge.
"We thought about it for a long while," Ortlinde started. Skadi raised an eyebrow.
"Shirou told us what a mother was. And we know we have no biological one," said Hildr with her usual smile. Now it was up to Thrúd, the eldest. Always up to her.
"But still, when he described what a mother was, we thought of you. You always seem to ask us how our performance is, what we did during the day, what our physical and emotional condition is," Thrúd said, looking at the queen in the eyes.
Skadi's mouth was rounded for a second, then her lips became pursed and her eyes strained. All of that was later suppressed by an amused smile.
"And how do you know I don't treat everyone like this?" She asked. Thrúd was not ready for that question, but like a warrior, she pushed ahead.
"Because your is always warm, and soft. At least when we hear it," she stated with a slight blush. Hildr and Ortlinde nodded sheepishly as well. "So here. We do not yet understand what a mother is. But we still want to honour you as one."
Thrúd extended her arms, presenting the gift to Skadi. She gasped upon seeing the small bowl with sparkling Ice Scream.
"This is…" she said, hands going to the bowl but not grasping it.
"… Ice Scream! We made it with Shirou's help!" Hildr said, hopping once with excitement.
"We hope the flavour is to your liking," It had not been easy, but in the end they compromised for a three large scoops of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry.
"I… I see…" Skadi said, hands shaking a little as she grasped the bowl and looked into it as if it were some kind of divination fountain.
However, she did not begin eating it, despite utensils being present.
"Is something the matter?" Thrúd asked. Skadi frowned deeply, eyes glassy as she stared into the bowl. Her stare seemed to be yards away.
"This is… cruel…" she stated. Her breathing seemed uneven. Thrúd' chest felt cold. Had they done something wrong?
Before they could ask, however, Skadi looked at them with a smile. A genuine smile.
"… but… thank you. Truly," she said. Thrúd's fear dissipated. Something started budding in her chest. A warm, clam flame unlike the fiery thing that exploded to life when they were with Shirou.
"It is an honour, to make you happy, Lady Skadi," Ortlinde replied, also smiling. Hildr and Thrúd smiled as well.
"And it's my pleasure, to see you smiling, my daughters."
A/N: And that's it. Something short and sweet to help me grease my writing gears for the next part of Lostbelt 3.
I should post a next chapter tomorrow at earliest. Or on tuesday. That is all for now. Thanks for reading!