Chapter 13: Mothers Visit.
I continued to cough as the smoke cleared, the figure in front of me becoming clearer.
Everything in my mind was running a million miles an hour, Kanshou and Bakuya ready to be projected in my hands. A servant summoning was a risky thing to do, and mine was completely accidental and without an available catalyst.
Well, Avalon might count, but knowing my luck the last thing I ended up with would be Saber.
The smoke cleared and I came face to face with the Servant.
If she could even be called that, the pressure in the room sends my senses into red alert. Her smell is so potent that it actually causes my eyes to water and my hands to grip my nose and force it shut.
Its so unbelievable sweet its painful.
Although considering the appearance of the Servant, I find it to be less than surprising.
She's only just shorter than me, I guess. Although the way that she's floating over the cauldron gives her a significant height advantage over me.
Thud
I blink and turn around, before widening my eyes in surprise at the display.
Lucoa, the rather airheaded dragon, is currently prostrating herself in reverence towards the summoned Servant. I can just about make out her words of 'Its mother' and 'the great one is here.' and to be honest...that alone sends alarm bells through my head.
I slowly turn back around to the Servant, and then jump back in surprise as she suddenly appears right in front of my face.
Getting a good look at her, she's wearing very little in the way of clothes, however that isn't what is catching my attention.
What is really eye catching about her are the two giant curved horns sprouting from the top of her head, the long blueish hair which drops all the way to the ground and the pink petal shaped eyes she has.
Which are focused entirely on me.
My words catch in my throat as her gaze bores into me.
They're inhuman.
Far more so than Gilgamesh.
When he stared at you, he made you feel like you were some kind of disgusting worm.
When she stares at me...I can't even describe just how insignificant I feel…
A hand of hers extends forwards and towards my face.
I can't move. I can vaguely make out the muffled cry of alarm from Shouta in the background. But I can't do anything as the hand draws closer.
My mouth runs dry as her hand makes contact…
And pats my head?
The weight on my shoulders vanishes in an instant and is replaced with pure confusion.
"Aaaaa…" She releases a small cry as she continues to pat my head, I do my best to school my features and try to keep my obvious shock off my face. Although I suspect I'm failing miserably.
"H-hello?" I greet her, stumbling over the first letter "I'm Emiya Shirou…" I introduce myself as politely as I can.
"Aaaaa!" She replies with another cry. I blink at her the look up at the hand which is still patting my head. I look back down at her and step back slightly so she's no longer touching me.
Although the second contact breaks I feel...kind of disappointed.
Like some deep part of me was enjoying her touch. I blink in confusion and shake away those thoughts. The Servant in front of me withdraws her hand and stares at it before looking between myself and the limb.
'Is...is she...pouting?'
Sure enough, I can make out a small frown on her face as she advances on me again and resumes patting my head like I'm a small child.
"Umm…" I turn around and see Shouta shooting a confused look between everyone before he looks to me with a confused expression "What happened, Emiya-san?"
"I…" I frown and turn back to the Servant. She seems completely occupied with patting my head. Her expression remains blank but her eyes seem to shine just a little bit brighter. I turn back to Shouta and shrug "I have no idea...this…" I look at the command seals on my hand and frown "This was a servant summoning ritual…" I shoot a glance at the woman "But I have no idea who this is…"
"Lucoa-san seems to know her…" Shouta muses and cups his chin before looking down at the still kneeling woman "Lucoa-san...why are you still on the floor?"
"The great mother hasn't given permission for me to rise." The replies in an unusually serious tone of voice, both myself and Shouta blink at her complete one-eighty shift in personality to how she normally is.
"The...Great mother?" Myself and Shouta parrot in equal amounts of confusion. We both share a glance before we turn to the woman, still patting my head and ignoring the conversation about her.
"Right…" Shouta speaks out incredulously "So...her name?"
"Forgive these humble children, Mother Tiamat…" Lucoa rises and pleads to the, albeit still ignorant, woman patting my head "They don't recognise your greatness…"
Wait a second…
"Tiamat…" I echo out loud, that elicits a reaction from the woman in front of me.
"Aaaaa!" She cries out and seems to nod at me. I suddenly feel very feint.
"T-the primordial goddess…" I'm now struggling to stay on my feet at the identity of the Servant being revealed "T-that Tiamat?"
"Aaaaaa…" She stops patting my head and then leans in towards me, far too close to what I would consider comfortable as she begins to study my face.
"Of course, great mother." Lucoa bows herself and stands up, the flashes me a wide smile "My congratulations! Shirou-san!"
"Wait, you can understand her?" I blurt out in surprise, then cringe as I realise how bad that sounds before something else about her sentence springs out at me "Wait...what do you mean congratulations?"
"The great mother has answered your pleas!" She replies, now grinning at me "She has decided to adopt you!"
"...She what?"
"Indeed." She nods "This is a rare event...I don't think she's had an official child like this since Kingu…" then her smile vanishes and her eyes widen slightly "Oh…"
"Oh?" Now I'm worried "What do you mean 'Oh', Lucoa-san?" she looks away from me, I risk a glance over my shoulder at the now named Goddess, I'm treated to her blank face staring back at me.
"Aaaaa!" She speaks(?) and removes her hand from my head then places it on my shoulder.
"Lucoa-san…" I turn to her "What did she s-" I blink as I'm no longer staring at Lucoa. Instead I'm staring at my apartment wall.
"What the?" I look around in surprise. I didn't even feel us move and she's somehow transported us halfway across the city.
Well...I suppose she is a Goddess...but…
I blink.
How the hell am I still alive?
I barely had enough power to sustain Saber for any extended fight...the power a Goddess would need would probably kill me immediately after I summoned her.
I look at Tiamat with a more discerning eye now, if she's bothered by it she doesn't show as she floats around the living room and studies every little thing here.
She's certainly got a magical presence to her. She feels far beyond whatever Gilgamesh could muster against me. She's still got that sweet smell accompanying her, but its no longer as overbearing as it was when she first arrived.
Could...could she be generating her own mana?
She is a Goddess, so I suppose I couldn't put it past her…
I hum in thought. Tohru doesn't seem to have too much of an issue when it comes to magical energy...perhaps its much easier for them to manifest themselves in this world than it is in another without placing any considerable strain on the summoner…
I miss Rin...she'd probably have this all figured out.
Then she'd fly into a rant about how I've done something stupid by summoning a Goddess, which in any other situation, would likely lead to my instant death.
I allow myself a small smile before I shake my head and turn back to my new...room mate.
"So...Tiamat-san…" I begin, her head slowly turns towards me and she tilts it slightly in a questioning manner. "Do you...like food?"
"Aaaa!" I nod my head. I have no idea what she said...Wait.
I blink in realisation.
Lucoa could understand her, perhaps Tohru can as well.
"I'm just going next door, Tiamat-san." I say to her as I turn away.
"Aaa?" Her cry sounds more confused this time. I can understand basic emotions...I think.
Without a translator though, this is going to be a very one sided conversation between the two of us. "I'll be back in just a moment." I call back to her as I make my way to the door.
I open it up, only to blink in surprise as I see Tohru with her eyes wide and her arm raised in mid motion ready to alert knock on my, now open, door.
"Tohru?"
"Emiya-san!" She exclaims in surprise "How did you know I was here?"
"I didn't." I admit "Although its good you are here, I need your help with so-"
"Aaaaa!" I look over my shoulder to see Tiamat hovering mere inches from me, her eyes focused on Tohru in...curiosity? I really need a translator.
"Yes." I turn back to the dragon girl "I need a translator for…" I trail off as I look down. I let out a sigh of exasperation as Tohru is now on the ground and kneeling before the Goddess behind me. I am now assuming that all Dragons have some form of relation to her, considering they all refer to her as 'Mother'.
"Th-th-th-the Great Mother!" Tohru squeaks out from her position "W-w-what is she…"
"Yes…" I scratch the back of my head "The Great mother…" I turn around and whisper at Tiamat "I don't suppose you could head back into the living room? You're kind of scaring Tohru."
"Emiya-san!?" Tohru's head shoots up and she stares at me in shock "Don't speak to her with such disrespe-" she cuts herself off and her eyes go wide as Tiamat floats herself back through the hallway and into the living room. Her head darts between myself and the retreating image of the Goddess and she stares at me with..something akin to reverence.
That kind of makes me feel uncomfortable.
"You...you…" She gapes at me and I stare at her with an awkward expression.
"Anyway…" I clear my throat "I am in need of a translator...Lucoa-san could understand her but I'm having a little trouble in that regard…" I give an awkward laugh. Tohru doesn't reply, she's still staring at me in shock. "I don't suppose you could help...could you?" I raise my hands quickly "I don't mean all the time! I just need it every now and again for important stuff."
"E-Emiya-san…" She stutters at me "W-why are you with the Great Mother?"
"Ah." I wince "That...is a bit of a long story…" then I think about it "Perhaps not that long ut it wasn't intentional if that's what you're thinking."
"Emiya." She grips my shoulders and stares into my eyes "How did you meet the Great Mother?"
I swallow. Tohru is unusually intense right now and I'm worried about how she'll reaction when she learns I summoned the 'Great Mother' in a cauldron in an accidental summoning.
Omake: The OG Chapter (For those who liked it more than me)
If not, its nothing you haven't read before.
I continued to cough as the smoke cleared, the figure in front of me becoming clearer.
Everything in my mind was running a million miles an hour, Kanshou and Bakuya ready to be projected in my hands. A servant summoning was a risky thing to do, and mine was completely accidental and without an available catalyst.
Well, Avalon might count, but knowing my luck the last thing I ended up with would be Saber.
The smoke cleared and I came face to face with the Servant.
Who was standing in the cauldron.
With a small frown on her face.
I blinked.
I had no idea who this was.
She was a short girl, with aquamarine coloured long hair, a teal coloured Kimono, long white tights a small fan in her hands and white horns atop her head.
"Ara?" She blinked for a few moments as she stared at me, then her gaze travelled to the cauldron she was standing in and then back to me. I honestly had no idea to respond to her.
"Hello." I stared, a rather dumb introduction but I was committed at this point "My name is Emiya Shirou." I pointed to Shouta behind me "This is Shouta, an acquaintance of mine." me hand gestured to Lucoa "And this is another acquaintance of mine Lucoa… she's not a Servant."
"Is this so, Master-sama?" The girl blinked as she shifted her gaze from myself to the pair behind me, who were likely still in a daze of confusion "I am the Servant, Berserker." she stared at the pot "I hope you did not intentionally summon me in such a position."
"No." I replied instantly, she was a Berserker, and despite her small stature I was confident that if she didn't like what I had to say she would kill me before I could try to deploy a command seal "You're summoning was completely by accident."
"Excuse me?" Lucoa stepped forwards, still shielding Shouta behind her "May I ask for your name? I can sense that you are a fellow dragon, but…" she frowned "I was unaware of any other dragons in this world."
"Ara?" Berserker blinked at her "Rather perceptive, aren't you?" her gaze travelled downwards towards Lucoa's chest, then went between the two of us "Master-sama...you said this woman was an acquaintance of yours?"
"Yes…" I nodded, rather hesitantly "Is...is there an issue?"
"Your relationship is purely that of acquaintance?"
"Yes." I answered truthfully, I didn't really know her long enough to consider her a friend. She was more Tohru's friend than mine.
She smiled at me as she stepped out of the cauldron towards me "An honest boy. That's good, I like that in a Master." she stopped in front of me, for a berserker she seems rather sane. Nothing like Heracles "I trust you will not lie to me, if you do I will force you to swallow a thousand needles."
"…" Nevermind, she's insane in her own right. But I appreciate the need for honesty, even if she probably takes it a little far "Of course." I smile and nod to her, she seems to narrow her eyes at me, I ignore it and turn to Lucoa and Shouta "Sorry about this...Myself and Berserker will see eachother out, I think we have a lot to discuss."
"Indeed, Master-sama."
I bow "Thank you for the hospitality." I turn my gaze to the cauldron and the spilled liquid, I grimace "Sorry about the mess by the way."
"It's fine, Shirou-san." Lucoa waves me off "I'll help Shouta clear it up." the boy is still staring at Berserker in shock, his gaze switching between the two of us.
"Come on, Berserker." I gesture for the girl to follow "We're heading home."
"Of course, Master-sama." She replies "Its only natural for a husband to show his wife home." she whispers that last part, I feel a shiver run down my spine.
I have a horrible feeling about this.
"Sorry again about your summoning, Berserker." I say as I lead her into the flat "It was a complete accident." I stare at the small stains on her Kimono "I'll try to find some way to make it up to you."
"It's fine, Master-sama." The girl smiles and flashes open a fan in front of her face, her eyes glint with barely concealed joy "Being honest with me, like you have done, is more than enough."
"Well…" I frown "If you're sure."
"Of course, we will need to discuss things." Berserker hums to herself "I feel...different. I cannot feel the grail."
"Ah…" I blink "Yes...there… there is not Grail…" I cringe as she turns and looks me in the eye "There isn't a Grail War on… You're summoning was…"
"...A complete accident." She nods to herself "I suppose it is no great loss. Master-sama."
"Please, call me Shirou." I ask her "I'm not a fan of the formality of the title."
"Of course, Shirou-sama."
"...I'm not going to get you to just call me Shirou, am I?"
"Not until after the honeymoon."
"The wha-?"
"Where is your kitchen, Shirou-sama?" She asks, rather suddenly. I blink, she said something rather outrageous there.
"It's…" I furrow my brows, I have a sense of dread about what will happen after I answer "It's through there." I point through the door, she turns to the exposed kitchen and smiles.
"Please, relax yourself Shirou-sama." She says to me as she makes her way to the kitchen "I shall cook you something."
"Oh." I blink, the move to cut her off "There's no need, Berserker. I'll make us something."
She freezes in front of me, blocked from entering my kingdom.
"I must insist, Shirou-sama." The first attack is launched as she narrows her eyes at me, I stare right back at her and prepare a counter attack.
"It's fine, Berserker." I strike right back "I enjoy cooking, besides. I'm the host. It would be improper for me to allow a guest to make their own food."
She remains undeterred as she continues her offensive "It is improper for a wife-" She said something outrageous again "-to allow herself to fall behind on cooking duties. I shall assume control of the domestic affairs." she's launched a massive attack not just against my kingdom, but against my entire world.
I think not.
"Berserker…" I'm going to have to give ground here "I don't mind if you want to help m-"
"Liar." I feel a burn on my hand, I stare at my left hand in shock.
She just burnt away one of my command seals.
"I did ask you not to lie to me. Shirou-sama." She takes a single step towards me, the attack against my kingdom is more aggressive than ever before.
"Berserker...How about taking turns?" I offer, this is my last hope.
She seems to pause, considering the idea "Does the kitchen mean so much to you, Shirou-sama?"
"Yes." I answer immediately "Please, don't take it from me."
She stares at me for a few moments before she sighs "I suppose...but…" she blushes and turns away from me "...but only if you call me Kiyohime."
Kiyohime?
Oh.
OH…
The dragon from legend. Who burnt her husband after he lied to her…
No wonder she hates lies.
"I suppose we should set up a rotor…" I sigh out "Kiyohime-san."
"Kiyohime."
"...Kiyohime."
She smiles, rather brightly at me "Of course, Shirou-sama!" the wanders off "I'll get started right away!" right past me and into the kitchen.
I can't complain.
She has won this battle.
However...I at least haven't lost my kitchen.
Oh...Right, I'm going to have to introduce her to Kobayashi.
There's a knock at the door. I blink.
"I'll get it, Shirou-sama." Kiyohime moves out of the kitchen immediately. I walk in to see what rotor she has set up.
She's written it up on the fridge.
Monday – Kiyohime
Tuesday – Kiyohime
Wednesday – Kiyohime
Thursday – Kiyohime
Friday – Kiyohime
Saturday – Kiyohime
Sunday – Shirou-sama
I gape at this.
This is beyond unreasonable! I wipe off her name on several day and make my own additions to it.
Monday – Shirou
Tuesday – Kiyohime
Wednesday – Shirou
Thursday – Kiyohime
Friday – Shirou
Saturday – Kiyohime
Sunday – Shirou/Kiyohime
Better. She shouldn't find too much wrong with that.
Hopefully.
"EH!?" I hear Tohru's voice from the door, she sounds startled about something. Most likely Kiyohime. I turn around and walk out of the kitchen and towards the front door.
I notice Tohru send a surprised glance my way before turning back to Kiyohime.
"Good afternoon, Tohru." I greet the girl as I approach "How can I help you?"
"Emiya-san? Why didn't you say you married a dragon!" She exclaims at me, her eyes wide and… slightly envious?
Wait… I did what now?
I slowly shift my gaze to Kiyohime, the Berserker remains impassive as she stands in the door way, she glances me way "I was simply asking this… snake… why she felt the need to visit my husband."
"H-husband?"
"Snake!?"
"Of course." Kiyohime continues "Now that you have me, Shirou-sama, you need no longer trouble yourself with these belly dragging lizards." she narrowed her eyes at Tohru and exuded quite a nasty killing intent "Leave. Wench. I will no tolerate your advances on Shirou-sama."
"I'm in love with Kobayashi-san!" Tohru exclaims in righteous indignation "I came to check up on Emiya-san because I felt the presence of another dragon!"
"Ara?" The killing intent vanishes in a moment "So you have no romantic interest in Shirou-sama?"
"No!"
"Good." She nods to herself, then turns to me "I had to be sure that they weren't going to seduce you, Shirou-sama. However, if she already has a lover then that is fine." she smiles at me as if she has said nothing wrong.
"I see." Tohru nods "Yes. I would also make sure to check in case anyone tried to seduce Kobayashi-san." Please, don't agree with her "No, wait…" she fixes me with a puzzled expression "You're married, Emiya-san?"
"Well actually-"
"Of course!" Berserker cuts me off as she latches onto my arm "Shirou-sama is my beloved husband." she then whispers to herself "My Anchin-sama."
Huh?
This must be a hell of a madness enchancement.
"We're not actually-" I'm cut off when she grips me arm slightly tighter than before, I sigh "We're roommates at the moment...I suppose like yourself and Kobayashi-san."
"Ah!" Tohru clasps her hands together "So you offered to have her live with you? That was very generous Emiya-san."
"Indeed." Kiyohime replied "Fufufufu, Shirou-sama is an honest boy."
"Yep." Tohru nods "He taught me how to cook so I could be a better wif- I mean maid to Kobayashi-san!"
"Ara?" Suddenly Kiyohime looks very interested as she unlatches herself from me, I wince as I roll my shoulder "You seek to learn the duties of a housewife?"
"Yes." Tohru nods enthusiastically "I want to serve Kobayashi-san as best I can… and eventually I will serve her with my body!"
Hey, that's a little-
"Fufufu." Kiyohime chuckles "Rather bold, of you. I suppose I shall encourage the love between my neighbours."
"Really?" Tohru looks ecstatic at the news, I feel a sense of dread.
"Of course." Kiyohime nods "Your love for your beloved has touched my heart! I shall help you woo your lover to your side and make you a perfect wife!"
"Thanks!" She turns to me "Your wife is great, Emiya-san!"
"She's not my wife." I sigh and shake my head "Aren't you still banned from the kitchen?"
"Erk!" Tohru grimaces, Kiyohime flashes me a shocked look.
"Shirou-sama! You would bar a wife from her kitchen!?"
"Yeah!" Tohru chimes in, the pair narrow their eyes at me in shock and mild anger. Why am I the bad guy here? She was the one who started a fight in a play park!
"Follow me." Kiyohime leads Tohru inside the house "We shall rectify this injustice!"
"H-hey!" She brushes past me, Tohru sends me a smug smile as she struts past.
"I would like the name of my fellow housewife." Kiyohime asks as the pair settle into the kitchen.
"Ah! I'm Tohru!"
"My name is Kiyohime. Now...let us work on wooing your lover."
Kobayashi-san…
I'm sorry.
I'm so very sorry.