A/N: EDIT: Please stop with the flames and the trolls. I'm just trying to write here. There's no need for death threats T_T
I LIIIIIIIIIIIVE!
Right then, this was taking waaaaay too long so I split it into three parts.
On an FGO note, Mordred and Semiramis have been acquired *spins happily in chair* but I'm honestly afraid to roll for Jeanne...
I've completed a few more stories since I've last updated this, so I'm trying to hold back. But I said I'd write another new one for those that I finished...
No! Bad Neon! Resist!
This chapter is told from multiple viewpoints, hope you like it! Sorry that its short, I felt you all deserved an earlier update, even if it meant splitting this chapter into threes. Hope you're ready for the feels, because we start to see some more romance from here on out. Of course, I won't say what the pairing is. That'd be telling.
You know, its funny.
Now that I don't write as often these days-responsibilities and whatnot-I find it to be more enjoyable as a whole. I used to turn solely to this site for enjoyment, throwing endless hours and sleepless nights into each story, but now? I've found other avenues by which to express myself, go about, and make my way through life. Ways in which I'm not incessantly attacked or harassed merely for writing works of fiction and the like. Working multiple jobs keeps one busy these days, and though I have little free time compared to earlier in the year...
...don't worry, I'm not quitting.
If anything? The trolls are just starting to being nasty to me by this point. I've also been getting spammed by an anonymous someone who keeps calling me a misogynistic Nazi. Seriously? How immature can one person act? I have not ever, nor will I ever be such thing. That's all I have to say about that. Now please cease. As to the rest of you, thanks a ton for the support, its helped to keep me sane during these trying times, despite the trolls.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes.
Goes without saying that I don't much like Boruto either...but its got some decent speeches.
Achilles is such a bro; I genuinely don't know any other way to write him~!
"We are more than Servants, you fool! We are gods compared to them! We are the wolves! They are the sheep! This world is ours to rule!"
"See, that's where you're wrong. I don't want to rule anything. These peaceful days? They are my kingdom. My friends? They are my people. I have no need of riches, for their joy is my wealth."
~an argument.
Revelations (Part I)
"A day off? Just like that?"
Jean hoisted her heavy tome with menacing intent. "Say it again."
"Alright, alright!" Naruto laughed, flailing his hands. "Take it easy! I was only joking!"
Berserkers did not show their fear. Fear was weakness. Fear was the enemy! Fear meant another bump on the head! Naruto was many things, but -despite all appearances to the contrary- he certainly wasn't stupid. When he received this news he took chose to take it in stride rather than kick up a further fuss. After all, why wouldn't he? Even Servants needed a bit of respite every once in awhile.
"The two of you went ballistic back there." Sisigou reminded them patiently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I can't speak for Archer's Master, but we need to recover our mana. We're both running really low."
"Hey, we won last night, didn't we?" Mordred's head popped over his other shoulder with a cheery grin. "That's what counts, doesn't it?"
"Sure, if nearly killing the two of us was your goal all along." Sisigou withdrew his hand and crossed both arms before his chest. "Nice job on that, by the way."
Behind him, Mordred flinched as if she'd been struck.
"Bwah?!"
"Yes, by all means." Jean's smile was just a too smug for Naruto liking. "Tell us your grand plan, both of you. Elucidate."
"Hey, its not like that," Naruto whined like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "We didn't mean to."
Sisigou and Rum exchanged a flat look. "No, you just meant to drain us dry."
Both blonds wilted like a pair of kicked puppies. "We're sorry...
That was a low blow and both Saber and Berserker knew it; just as each knew they deserved the unspoken rebuke. Everyone -with the exception of a still sullen Jack- had fought last night to the best of their ability. Harsh words were spoken. Swords had been drawn. Arrows fell like rain. Noble Phantasms were unleashed. Nothing had been held back. It had been a battle for the ages between six servants...
...and the Masters of Red had paid dearly for it.
Naruto could see it in the way they held themselves; the way Jean leaned against Sisigou just so as she glowered at them. She was much recovered from the battle, but even he could see she looked haggard; as though she'd not gotten enough sleep, her normally pristine visage was still pale with a low fever, leaving her hair in disarray. Kairi held himself somewhat better than Naruto's Master, if only because Mordred hadn't been quite as liberal with her mana. Jean...Jean had born the brunt of a Berserker in all its fury and nearly died. It was a sour thought, one he didn't like. He'd have to take precautions against that next time.
Unfortunately that still left a certain Saber clinging to his shoulders like a limpet.
"What're ya looking at me like that for, zombie?!" Mordred frowned. "Why the long face, huh?"
Naruto reached around and flicked her forehead with a bemused smirk. "I didn't realize you cared this much."
His words were the nail and his grin the hammer to ram them home; she sputtered and let go, thankfully without a slap this time.
As things stood, his cheek was still smarting from Mordred's explosive outburst earlier this morning, not that he much minded the red hand-print she'd left behind. If anything, he bore it like a badge of honor. Pain was an old friend to him by this point. He endured every injury he received with pride; not for his surperhuman endurance or any sort of masochism. On the contrary, his reasons were selfish. He took hits he didn't have to because they reminded him he was alive, that his second life hadn't yet come to an end. Still, he did wonder why she'd clobbered him. He hadn't riled her up...much.
Was it something he'd done in his sleep? Must have been.
For some reason or another, Saber had woken up, taken one good look at his face, shrieked, and slapped him silly. Bloody warrior women. Were all Sabers like that? Almost made a man wonder. Oddly enough, he didn't much mind it. Perhaps that was the Madness Enhancement talking. As he was now, he was simply devoid of restraint and incapable of holding a grudge for long. And speaking of grudges...
A familiar flicker of green in his peripherals reminded him of an errant Archer and the gulf between them.
Atalanta flinched aside when he tried to look at her and averted her gaze; fluffy ears flattening against her emerald green tresses as she wrought her hands against one another. Naruto fought down a flinch of his own as she tried to tuck herself into a darkened corner just to avoid looking at him. Were it not for Mordred heading her off at the pass earlier, he suspected Archer would've bolted by now. It hurt to see her like this; like a shell of her former self. She looked...small. Wounded. Where was the proud huntress he remembered? No, no, no. He wasn't having it. Absolutely not.
'Alright,' he shrugged helplessly to himself. 'I guess we're doing this now.'
With a final nod to Jean and Sisigou, the blond Berserker moved to intercept his fellow Servant.
Of course, Archer saw him coming and tried to make for the exit; but that only strengthened his resolve. Berserker blocked her, caught her by the wrist and pulled her deeper into the crypt. Thankfully Saber appeared to be very much preoccupied with her Master, and Assassin...well. He never knew where she was hiding until she wanted to be found. Ruler was surely hiding in one of the rooms here somewhere, but she too had chosen to make herself scarce. That suited him just fine. This had been a long time coming.
"Let go of me, Berserker!" Naturally, she struggled.
"Nope."
"I mean it! Release me!" Atalanta hissed, straining at his wrist.
"Nope."
...you're going to make this difficult, aren't you?" she wilted in his grasp.
"Yup."
In short order Naruto found what he was looking for; an empty adjacent chamber with no one occupying it. No one living, at least. He ducked into it and dragged an irritated Atalanta behind him before sealing the door with a thin curtain in their wake. It was a musty room that hadn't seen use in years, the only illumination a small smokeless brazier flickering in a forgotten corner. Sisigou must have lit it sometime during the night. Its faint light cast flickering shadows across the huntress's face when he released her, playing tricks on his eyes. Were those tears he'd seen just now? No. Surely not. Atalanta didn't cry.
"So." he began, for lack of anything else to say, "Is there a reason you tried to run back there?"
She hung her head, ears still drooping. "I don't deserve to be here."
"None of that." Naruto stepped in and flicked her forehead, drawing a hiss from the huntress and a glower that revealed red-rimmed eyes. Oh gods. She had been crying after all. Ignore, ignore, ignore! She'll shoot me if I mention it! "We went over this last night. You made a mistake." he said instead. "It happens to the best of us."
"My mistake nearly killed you!" Ah. So that was her hang up. "You lost yourself back there because of my own selfish actions!"
"And?" Naruto tilted his head aside.
"And?!" It was the wrong thing to say, judging by the twitch of her tail. "You would've died!"
"I've died before. Don't see what the problem is." he shrugged. "I'm a Berserker, remember? Its my job to rush in and get hurt."
Atalanta sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth as she grossly mistook his intentions. "Are you saying no one would miss you if you died?"
She wouldn't slap him, she told herself. She categorically refused. She didn't dare after what she'd seen last night. Galling as it might be, a small part of her feared the monster behind the man; not his face -never his face in a thousand years- but the quiet threat of power lurking behind it. Because it wasn't his fault. Naruto's unique brand of Madness Enhancement manifested itself outside of combat as much as in; she'd known him to lack common sense, but she hadn't realized it was quite this bad. Did he even realize what he'd just said?
No. She would take a deep breath and respond calmly, not with emotion, but rationality.
"I would!" the words betrayed her regardless, tearing themselves out of the archer with a snarl. "Mordred would! Jack would! So would Jean! How can you be so cavalier about this?!"
Blue eyes widened and she saw the moment a sliver of sanity pushed itself through his madness. He'd formed bonds with each of them. Jack was like a daughter to him. Mordred was...well, she wasn't quite sure what the rowdy Saber was to him, but she was something. How could he have forgotten something like that? And to her. For all his madness and insanity he was...warm to her. A beacon of light and hope in the everyday. Someone who took in children for no other reason than to raise them. He was her ally. Her hope. Her...no. She refused to finish that thought; for it meant breaking her oath.
Haven't you already? A small, traitorous voice whispered in the back of her head. You care for him. More than you should.
Atalanta stamped it into oblivion.
"You're right."
Her ears perked up. "Pardon?"
"I said you're right." Naruto palmed his face and shook his head, one eye flashing red in the firelight. "I shouldn't have said it like that. But you do have a place here. And I'm not trying to die, you know."
"Good." the huntress huffed, crossing both arms beneath her breasts. "I would be very cross with you if you said otherwise."
"And what does your Master think of that?"
"I wouldn't know." she confessed candidly. "I have yet to meet them. I only receive the occasional command from him. Perhaps he wishes to remain hidden."
Now there was a matter Naruto would've like to dig into. He chose not to. She knew it by his narrowed eyes. There were questions he wanted to ask her. So many questions. But he held himself back. Not out of any sense of decorum -she knew he had none!- but because she could see such pointed inquiries would hurt her. For the first time since she'd met him, Berserker held himself back.
"Good." he parroted back at her, and her lips twitched into a smile. "We're partners." he said the words without a hint of guile. "We gotta look after each other, ya know? But more than that."
His hands fell on her shoulders, locking her in place.
"I know you're not happy with me. I get that; I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I know why you're upset." he muttered the latter, turning his head aside in the dim lightning when she scowled at him. "We're still working the kinks out of our alliance, here. Its going to be tough for a little bit now that we've taken out a member of the Black Faction. I'm not gonna lie. They're gonna be pissed."
Her ears drooped. "You're not the best at giving speeches, Berserker."
"Oh, hush!" Naruto butted his head against hers lightly, causing her to flush. "I'm not finished. Like I said, there are going to be tough times ahead. Hard and demanding times. But I'd like to think we might be able to do it without more bloodshed." he paused there, likely gauging her guarded expression before he dared tread that path. "Maybe you think changing things in an honest, direct way is too hard. But I don't agree with that. Its just...huh. How do I explain this?"
When the brash Berserker leaned back and shook his head she followed, watching him like a hawk as he thumbed his chin.
"I want to change the things we see before us," he began slowly, "Little by little, even one thing at a time; until we've made this world a better place. What do you think?"
Atalanta dared a nod. On that much, they agreed. But it also brought with it a question. "You never did mention your wish. If I'm to stay...tell me. What is it you want from this war?"
"My wish?" Naruto blinked, momentarily balking at her phrasing. "You know, until recently, I really hadn't thought of it. I used to be fine with whatever my Master wanted, ya know? I'm happy to be alive again." he gave a helpless shrug. "Her wish could be my wish. But now? I think I have one" he leaned away, and scratching at a whiskered cheek. "Promise me you won't laugh?"
Atalanta would never laugh at someone's wish. She said as much.
"Alright." stern shoulders drooped, and then Naruto barreled right in. "It may sound stupid, but I want this world to be a place where people can smile and enjoy their lives." those bright eyes held hers, filled with burning intensity. "Not just people, but Servants, too. Not a perfect world, not even an ideal one. I want us to find common ground."
"That's all well and good," Atalanta shook her head, "But you still haven't told me what you want."
"That's just it!" Quick as a flash, he darted back to her again. "I want a world where Mordred can be the king she's meant to be. I want a world where Jackie has a happy family. I want a world where Ruler stops chasing after duty and learns what it means to live again. I want a world where every child achieves their dreams." he paused yet again, watching her ears perk up in curiosity, "I want a world where Servants can come and go as they please, without trying to kill each other. Is that wrong?"
"When I was alive, I died of old age. Without regrets. Surrounded by friends and family." the admission was frank, startling even. "Now...there's so much wrong with this world. I want to fix it. I have to fix it, or I'll be filled with regret all over again." Naruto edged forward, into her personal space and this time, Atalanta found she couldn't bring herself to retreat when he spoke again. "But for that to happen, someone needs to win this war." There was a fervor there that she hadn't seen before, a humble charisma that warmed her blood. "And for that, I need Mordred's help. I need Jack's help. I need Jeanne's help. More importantly, I need your help."
Her world was spinning. She couldn't think straight. It was all too much. Too sudden! Her heart wasn't prepared for this! Her eyes fluttered shut of their own accord.
Then her took her hands in his and held them to his chest. "Will you lend me your strength, Atalanta?"
Atalanta went terribly still. She creaked an eye open. Nothing else came. No kiss. Nothing.
It should have been a relief...and yet it left her bitter.
Longing, even.
By the gods, Berserker had her and he didn't even realize what he'd done. If she refused now, after that speech, she'd sound like a clod. If she turned her back on him after listening to that heartfelt wish, she would feel far worse. She couldn't do that to him...no matter how irritated she was at the moment. She didn't even know why! Lies. Of course she did. When had she come undone? She didn't know, and it frightened her. Moreso her answer to his question:
...I will."
Perhaps were Naruto of sound body and mind, he might've realized the effect his words had on her just now; might've seen her resolve -her oath!- fracture more than ever before. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on one's point of view, Naruto missed the small, traitorous twitch of her lip in his laughter. Ah, the blessed release of insanity. She envied him it.
"Great!" He grinned. "Now lets go track down the others and-oomph!?
"Auntie Mordred said we get to go outside! Yaaay~!"
Instead he stumbled half a step as a smaller, more familiar weight latched onto his shoulders and laid claim to them as though they were her own personal throne. Despite himself, the Berserker felt a small smile pluck at the corner of his mouth. Not a heartbeat later he saw a pair of familiar hazel eyes swept into his peripherals from the right.
"Well, someone's awake." he hummed and patted her head. "Morning, Jack. Did you sleep well?"
"Mmm!" her head bobbed in a nod, ashen hair swaying from the motion as a cherubic smile bloomed across her face. "You were warm, Daddy!"
Odd, how something like that made him blush. He'd thrown crass insults and flirted horribly with nearly every women he'd met, yet the simple affection of a child was enough to ruffle his feathers. Atalanta made a cooing noise somewhere out of his sight and Mordred absolutely cackled in the distance. Traitors, the both of them. He'd have his revenge!
"Jack?"
The little Assassin perked up. "Yes, papa?"
"Go find Jeanne and tackle her. If we have to suffer, so does she."
Jack's smile was all too evil. She launched herself into the crypt like an arrow of black leather.
(.0.0.0.)
Their excursion proved to be something of a torrid affair.
Juxtaposed to the idea of being split up after yesterday's disaster, the Servants of Red chose to stick together rather than go their separate ways for the day. With both Jean and Sisigou under the watchful eye of a reinforced clone, the rest of them sallied forth into Trifas. While there was no battlefield nor blood to be shed, each went forward with just as much Determination. Even Ruler had been roped into their shenanigans, her protests proving remarkably admittedly feeble by comparison.
Had that been the end of it, perhaps the town proper might have emerged unscathed. It was not.
In short order Naruto realized their dilemma. Casual wear or no, they were all Servants. Warriors of times long past, whose sole purpose was to fight -and die!- in a war for their Masters bidding. Servants were meant to be warriors. To fight, and nothing else. They weren't expected to actively engage with the common folk. There was no vacation time, no hazard pay, and they certainly didn't get days off.
Which brought them to their current dilemma. No one knew. What to do.
Naruto did, but he wasn't rightly sure his idea of a "vacation" qualified here. Running laps around the town or beating a wooden stump to death probably wasn't conducive to a good time. Still, for reasons he wholly failed to understand, he'd been elected the leader of this merry band of misfits for the day. Meaning he was in charge. Him. A mad Berserker without so much as a lick of common sense. This could only end well.
Worse, the tension from last night was still present.
Mordred was angry at Atalanta, which meant Atalanta wasn't talking to Mordred. Which meant Jack wasn't talking to Atalanta. That left her to gravitate to him and Jeanne, and while the latter was more than happy to talk with the harried huntress, it still left Naruto in the awkward position of trying to keep Saber and Assassin from contemplating murder. Jack would do it, too! Jack's attire instantly drew untoward attention as well, which meant she had to wear her cloak. Which drew more attention. Clothes were required and that was a can of worms he'd had have to deal with later sometime between keep them from each other's throats.
It was like herding cats!
"Have none of you ever had a day off?!" He flung up his arms. "Ever?! Seriously?!"
Four heads shook in a unison so flawless it may as well have been rehearsed. Naruto felt his jaw click open and he guffawed. No. Of course they hadn't. He was familiar enough with Mordred's legend and the horrible childhood she'd had. Jack hadn't even experienced so much as a single but of happiness from her life to the moment of her death. Atalanta and Jeanne...he drew something of a blank there. Gulping, he trod on that proverbial landmine and asked the question he really should not have:
"What the heck did you lot do for fun when you were alive, anyway?"
"Oooh!" Jack's tiny arm shot up like a bolt as she began bouncing in place, cloak fluttering with every hop. "Me, me! Pick me! Daddy! Over here!"
Jeanne's hand flew to her mouth to hide a small smile. Mordred didn't even bother to conceal hers. Atalanta looked like she was about to pass out before the sheer unadulterated cuteness that was Jack the Ripper. Naruto held himself only half a step behind her in that regard. How could someone so tiny be so deadly and adorable in the same moment?!
"Alright, I'll bite." he indicated the smallest among them with a lone finger. "What do you enjoy, Jackie?"
"Killing people." she replied guilelessly." Can we do that, daddy?"
Everyone gurgled.
"NO!" Naruto slammed his arms into an X-shape formation. "Not that! None of that! Next!"
"Aw." her shoe scuffed against the ground as she pouted.
"What the hell, I'll bite." Mordred raised her arm next, though she didn't have to. "How about a brawl? Fighting's fun, right?"
"Better, but still no." Naruto vetoed her with a shake of the head. "We can't afford to start throwing Noble Phantasms around like that in public."
"Spoilsport!"
Atalanta hesitated, but offered a gloved palm. "Perhaps a hunt, then?" she ventured the words almost timidly. "Surely that would be a productive use of our time."
"I'd be all for that, but we're in a town, remember? There really isn't anything to hunt here. And no," blue eyes narrowed when she opened her mouth to speak again, "Before you ask, we are not going to spend the entire day adopting every orphan in every orphanage. That wouldn't be fair to Jackie." Said Assassin all but tucked herself into his side with a pleased sigh at that. "Besides, how would we even feed them all?"
All eyes turned to Jeanne
"I...didn't have much opportunity for games in my youth." she shrugged helplessly. "I wouldn't know what to suggest."
Was it a sin to pity a saint? If so, Naruto was the greatest sinner in the world right now. At least the others -by their own warped definitions- knew how to enjoy themselves. Jeanne didn't. She'd never had the chance. A poor farm girl who received a revelation; who fought a war; who died for her beliefs. Well. That simplified things, then. If their traditional pastimes were out, they'd just have to find new ones for the day.
"That settles it!" puffing out his chest, the blond planted both hands on his hips and leaned forward. "I, the great Berserker, will teach you what it means to have a good time! And no, not like that!"
Quick as a flash, he created four clones.
"We'll each pair off to find something to do." he instructed, watching their roving eyes like a hawk. "Then we'll meet back here in the square by dusk and return to the crypt. Sound fair?"
Jack raised a hand again. It was all Naruto could do not to smile. "What will we be doing, Daddy?" Ack! Too pure!
He failed utterly. "That'll be a surprise. I've got something different planned for each of you."
Mordred frowned thoughtfully. "Since when can you make that many copies?"
"You can thank Ruler for that." Naruto preened and rolled his shoulders, reveling in the harsh pop his joints produced as much as the soreness that fled from them. "Her Command Spell...did something to me the other night, I suppose." it wasn't a lie; he really did feel more like himself since Jeanne had slapped him with her command. As if some of the shackles off his class had fallen away. Not some. Not many. Not enough, but he'd take what he could get for now. "I feel more like my old self now. Just a bit. Thanks for that, by the way."
Jeanne flushed, but it was Mordred who needed no further encouragement.
"I call dibs!"
In a bold bolt of red Saber shot forward and laid claim to the original's arm. His arm. Her Cheshire grin as she beamed up at him reminded Naruto of a cat who who'd caught the canary and slaughtered its entire race. She didn't so much latch onto his limb as she did clamp down on it. Even with his absurd strength, he'd have a hard time prying himself free of that grip. Nor was he the only one who noticed; for a chorus of indignant squawks arose the moment she touched him.
"Hey!"
"Cheater!
"That's entirely unfair!"
"Now, now," Naruto admonished them, "That's not fair, is it? Here, lets shuffle. That way no one will know who is who."
"Fine, fine," she groused. "Bloody zombie...
At his urging, Mordred reluctantly released him, then took a step back. As one the clones and their creator moved rapidly, obscuring one another from view. It was a simple series of shuffling movements, each designed to distract as much as divert their attention. It worked, too. With moments Mordred's eyes all but rolled in her head, while Jeanne's lips formed a thin line of displeasure as she lost sight. Of the unlikely quartet, only Jack and Atalanta were able to track his movements, and it was the latter whose eyes never left his for a moment.
"Right, then!" the brash berserker clapped his hands as they came to a halt. "Pick your poison, ladies."
Mordred claimed the leftmost clone.
Jeanne reluctantly selected the rightmost doppelganger.
Jack looked left. Jack looked right. Jack gave up and went for the middle.
Atalanta sniffed softly, bright eyes flashing. She'd waited till last, and for good reason. Her feline ears twitched just so and she took a step forward to loosely wrap her arm in his. Anyone else would've missed that twitch. It was. Just a touch, just a hair. Naruto saw it and knew she'd cheated. Be it by hearing or scent or something else he didn't understand, she'd successfully managed to track his movements and find him hiding amongst the copies. As expected of a huntress. Naruto wisely chose not to challenge her.
Her eyes found his anyway. Naruto quirked a golden brow.
"Heartbeat." she elucidated for him. "You have one. Your clones don't."
Really? He'd never thought about that one.
"Great." Naruto said instead. "Everyone got a buddy? Now, the plan is-
"Wait a moment." a new voice interjected before he could continue. "I believe you've forgotten something."
Naruto didn't so much twitch as he did sigh as someone called out to them. "I swear to god, that better not be an enemy Servant!"
"Ho? Someone's cranky this morning."
He turned and flung his gaze outward, mildly chuffed to find the streets nearly devoid of any hapless passerby. Had anyone else been present they might well have noticed his earlier shenanigans. If anything they seemed almost unaturally empty. As though they'd been turned away by a bounded field.
As such, Naruto nearly didn't recognize Semiramis.
With her hair down and her ears hidden beneath those ebony tresses she looked much the same as any human. She'd even gone so far as the remove the spikes from her hands and wear a modified version of her dress with a thigh-high slit, her shoulders hidden by a black shawl. Somehow she'd all but managed to conceal her presence entirely from them; even at this range he couldn't sense her. Though she clearly lurked well within his peripherals, her aura was masked from him even now.
...yet there could be no hiding her eyes.
Golden orbs like that weren't everyday fare and no amount of sorcery or spellbinding on her part could ever conceal them. Mordred growled something untoward and nearly drew her sword; it was only a pointed look that prevented violence. Even then still looked fit to shuck her leather jacket, don her armor and attack, were it not for Assassin's escort.
Assassin wrinkled her nose at him as she came closer, heels clicking against the street. "You're lively for a dead man."
She wanted to play that way did she? Fine. He could snark with the best of them, as Semiramis well remembered.
"What can I say?" Naruto sketched a shallow nod. "I live to please, m'lady. To what do we owe the honor?"
"I wished to make certain you survived." She sniffed. "My curiosity is satisfied, I will now depart-
A clone popped into existence behind her and seized her wrist.
"Nope! You're a part of this now, like it or not."
"Bwah?!"
Her companion was another matter entirely; because he chose that moment -nay, that precise sliver of a second when Semiramis turned pink!- to start laughing. He had the eyes of a raptor and unlike Assassin, he'd made no effort to conceal who or what he was behind the trappings of humanity. Polished armor of the finest silver shone against black fabric, alongside matching greaves and boots, all wrapped up in a loose orange scarf at the chest. His hair was certainly...spiky. And green. Lots of green.
"Wow, you really weren't kidding!" pearly white teeth flashed in a dashing grin. "He's got your number, eh?"
"Rider," Semiramis bit out with a smile that promised pain, "How cruel of you to keep me in the dark. Did you know this would happen?"
As all interested parties looked on, said Rider sputtered and flung up his hands. "Now wait just a second! Don't give me that look, you! I didn't know! I swear!"
"You needn't be so hard on him, Assassin of Red."
"Oho!" Semiramis zeroed in on Ruler's retort like a vulture. "And the little mouse speaks. I thought you were mute."
Jeanne muttered something cross that had Semiramis sniping back at her in an instant. Naruto flicked a thought to one of his clones and the doppelganger nimbly intercepted them before they could come to blows. Crisis averted. Whatever argument they were having likely involved a certain priest, and he wanted not part of it. Better to have someone else deal with it, even if it was an extension of himself. He'd deal with the memories later. Just the thought of dealing with schemes so akin to Madara still made him more than a little skittish.
"Achilles?" In the end, it was Atalanta who gave the new Servant's identity away, and thankfully, distracted him. She released Naruto's arm but only just, her hip brushing against his as she stepped forward. "What are you doing here...?"
Sure enough, the embattled Servant latched onto those words like a lifeline and all but blurred to her side to escape Semiramis. Jack was only half a step behind, detaching herself from her chosen copy to stand beside the huntress. Said blond watched with a bemused look, fighting and failing to hide their smile. For all her crankiness Jackie was a curious soul...and not one known to hold grudges for long.
"Are you a good guy?" she asked, cocking her little head to one side like a curious kitten. "Or a bad guy?"
Achilles chuckled softly. "Well! Aren't you adorable! What if I say I'm a bad guy, little miss?"
Her golden eyes flashed. "Then I'll kill you. I won't let you hurt Auntie Atalanta."
Mordred clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a snicker, as did Naruto. Atalanta's reaction proved more profound. She made a noise that might have been a groan or a hiss. Naruto thought it sounded like a squeak. Her face turned scarlet as she visibly swayed on her feet. Achilles forcibly bit his lip, though his shoulders quivered in silent laughter. Jack completely misunderstood it and kicked his shin.
"I won't let you hurt Auntie Mordred, either!"
Mordred squawked. "Since when am I an Aunt?!"
That tore it; the dam broke and both Naruto and Achilles toppled backward with a whoop of laughter. Atalanta and Mordred whined. No one was foolish enough to challenge them beyond that.
"So you're the one Sis has her eye on, eh?" Achilles eyed him up and down as he climbed to his feet. "I like the look of you. Fight me."
All eyes turned toward Rider at once. "Isn't that a little sudden...?" Naruto croaked.
"C'mon, don't be like that. Its just a spar." the man beamed pleasantly, planting an armored hand against his hip. "No Noble Phantasms, no tricks, no weapons. Just fists. I wanna see what you're made of. You've gotta be something if Sis likes you this much."
Atalanta facepalmed. "I keep telling you, its not like that...
Naruto didn't feel the slightest urge to give this man what he wanted. Not in the least. He barely knew Achilles beyond his legend. Though the man seemed friendly enough and the thought of testing his might was rather appealing...he'd chosen to abstain from violence today for that very reason. The Red Faction deserved a vacation. This was to be theirs and it should have been, before Assassin and Rider crashed the party. Honestly, they only needed Caster and Lancer to complete the set. He was surprised the thought of them didn't summon one or the either.
"Sorry," he shrugged and offered his most neutral expression as he too, dragged himself upright. "I'm not interested."
"What's wrong?" Achilles asked. "Think you won't measure up? I'm not trying to be an ass about this."
"Bah!" Mordred snorted. "He'll knock your block off, greenie!"
Rider latched onto her words with a grin. "Is that so?"
A muscle jumped in Naruto's jaw.
Damnit.
When he turned he fought Jack and Atalanta looking at him expectantly with equal parts anticipation and excitement. Even Jeanne and Semiramis had ceased their bickering to observe this unexpected development. Blast it, Mordred. Now he couldn't back down here or he'd look like an idiot. He had his pride, after all and if he admitted Mordred was wrong, that meant he was wrong too. He'd be able to live with that, but the idea of disappointing them...
In the end, Jack seized his fate when her hand tugged at his sleeve. "Daddy? You'll win, right?"
"Of course Daddy's gonna win." he spread his arms and cracked his neck. "Where do you want to do this, Rider? Outside of the town? Here?"
"Meh, here's good." Achilles banished his armor with a grunt, leaving himself clad in a simple black tunic. "Not like there's anyone around to see. Even if they do...
Naruto dropped into a low crouch. "Not like they'd be able to stop us. And keep the armor. You'll be needing it in a minute."
"Alright, but don't regret it." Rider grinned and settled into a loose stance of his own. "Now...dodge."
Naruto barely had time to blink before
Achilles clotheslined him into a wall.
Laughter burst out of him as concrete crumbled against his back. He'd tanked the flying strike to his chin a whim to see what his foe was capable of; he wasn't disappointed. Achilles hit hard. Harder than he'd thought a Servant could. A blazing supernova burst behind his eyes as he tumbled backward into the plaza, bouncing and skipping across the street like a flung stone. A quick flip righted his body. Another sent him surging back the way he'd come, just in time to catch the tail end of Atalanta's condemnation.
...you doing, Achilles?!"
"What?" Rider's voice carried even at this distance. "I just wanna see if he's as strong as he thinks he is without that damn cloak. He's fine! See-gack!"
"Sneaky bastaaaaaard~!"
Naruto grabbed him by the head and rammed him face first into the street with a delighted laugh only a Berserker could possess. Cobblestones shattered beneath Rider's startled visage like glass, but only for a moment as the latter scissored his legs upright and drove a heel into his chin. Said heel was promptly caught by the blond and used as leverage to launch his fellow Servant into -then through- a nearby fountain. He felt a flash of pity for the sundered stone;
Pity that faded when Achilles bolted upright quick as a flash, soaked and sputtering...and smiling. "That was a cheap shot!"
"All's fair in love and war!" Naruto swept an arm free and tore away the ruins of his jacket. "Isn't that right?!"
"Ha!" Achilles did the same with his scarf, eyes alight. "And this is war!"
Both bounded back into the fray a heartbeat later.
Naruto's next blow rang the hero's head like a bell and sent him sprawling into the street. In the same instant Achilles cut a brutal roundhouse across the whiskered warrior's chin that sent him spinning into a stable. Little more than glancing blows, each endured the hit, rode it out, and came roaring back for more.
There was something immensely satisfying about fighting someone from the Age of Gods; not a contest to kill, not a battle for bloodshed, but a simple fight. A knockdown, no holds-barred brawl. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had one of those. They were, the both of them, men out of time. One from an era where monsters and men roamed the earth. Another hailing from a time where the very elements themselves were bent to the will of anyone with the will and power to tame them. Someone who could take just as much damage as he could give.
There was no pretense of defense here; there was no need for it.
"I felt that!" Achilles grinned, wiping a stray line of blood from his face. "You actually hurt me! With your bare hands! Just how much divinity do you have?!"
Naruto turned aside and spat out a tooth, unable to hide a small smirk of his own. "I could say the same for you! You're a tough one!"
"Boys, both of you!" Atalanta wailed as they collided again. "Can't you control yourselves for one second?!"
"Not a chance!/Not now, sis!"
They raged back and forth across the plaza like warriors of old, not caring who saw. Who would stop them? Those capable of doing so were too engrossed in the spectacle at hand to bother. They were far too invested in the outcome to dare interfere. Who could? Even the occasional passerby saw it as naught more than two men having what appeared to be a drunken squabble. And if said squabblers shattered the street wherever they went or crashed through stalls wherever they went...well. That wasn't their business now, was it?
There was no rhyme nor rhythm to their attacks here; it was a test of endurance. No more, no less.
Naruto grunted as Achilles hammered through his defenses and knocked the wind out of him; causing him to briefly fold over the man's arm. He retaliated by leaping up and driving his skull into the man's chin, sending him staggering away like a drunkard at last call. It would've been so easy to smash a Rasengan into his chest then. Instead he swept his legs and kicked out at his chest as the taller man fell. A startled grunt rewarded him as the green-haired warrior sailed away and crashed into a bar.
"Go, Daddy!" Jack called from the sidelines. "Fight!"
"Kick his ass, Zombie!" Mordred cried!
Naruto laughed and struck what he hoped looked like a triumphant pose, clenched fist poised in the air. Bemused blue eyes met Atalanta's emerald ones. She exhaled in a long suffering and held up a small gold flag -just where the hell had she gotten that?- for him in slow, reluctant motions. Jeanne waved two more with a bemused, almost motherly smile. As for Semiramis...
"What, no praise for me?" he teased.
The blackette absolutely hissed. "I hope he knocks out another tooth."
"I dunno~," Naruto drawled back, his voice pitched to carry. "I think I might have knocked him out with that last one-
Sure enough, Achilles shot out of the bar at him like an arrow loosed from a bow. For his part, Naruto hung his head, blond bangs shading dull blue eyes from view, knowing his opponent -friend? Rival? Something else entirely?- would surely try and capitalize on what he no doubt saw as an opening. Of course he would.
And he.
Caught his.
Fist.
Those same "dull" orbs snapped up without warning, trailing twin streaks of azure light like falling stars in their wake. Achilles swore softly.
Naruto grinned.
"Oh, you're fucked now."
In a single movement, he flipped him.
A tan hand seized Achilles by the scruff of his neck even as the other yanked his fist and the rest of him forward and over his shoulder. Achilles could fight many things. HAD fought many things in his life. But for all his spirit and valor, he could not do battle in the air without his chariot. He could not fight gravity, or momentum, alone. And so he flew headlong into the ground in a streak of silvery green, crashing facefirst through carts and vendors alike before he ground to a halt.
To his credit he bolted up just as quickly. "Nice one, partner! Didn't think you had in ya."
Naruto snickered. "Um...Achilles?"
"What?"
He pointed downward. "You've got a little something on your...everything."
Baffled, the young man looked down.
And saw.
Pale pulpy slime coated his armor, peppering his frame with bits of debris and leaves alike, alongside the last remnants of a vendor's produce. Coated from his shoulders down, not a single inch of his body had been spared the foul wrath of that most pestilent produce. It even matched the shade of his hair. Achilles wasn't pleased by that. Not one bit.
He balked. "My armor!"
"My cabbages!" a nearby vendor cried!
Naruto crashed backward with a cackle, clutching at his sides. "My riiiibs~!"
Jack and Mordred howled with laughter. Atalanta and Semiramis turned scarlet. Even Jeanne was not immune, nor was she able to hide the small smile that formed as the infamous charioteer flailed at his ruined armor. It wasn't damaged at all, but his pride? That? That was in ruins.
Achilles didn't move. He blurred.
"NARUTO!"
The blond bounded upright and his right arm swept back ready to meet the punch he knew was coming.
"ACHILLES!"
A vicious crunch echoed through the plaza. Everyone present winced as twin fists collided in flawless unison. Everyone, save Semiramis. She didn't avert her gaze and as such she saw Achilles topple to the street like a fallen tree. Naruto was only a heartbeat behind, his arm still overextended as he tumbled to the ruined cobblestones. In hindsight, one could easily see why. Each punch had collided at the same moment. Each man had thrown the entirety of their being behind that final blow.
Somehow, the fools had managed to knock each other out. At the same time.
That suited her purposes quite nicely.
She'd brought Rider here for a reason; knowing he would challenge Naruto to a duel, knowing it would give her the chance to further assess his skills; knowing he wouldn't be able to refuse. Not with his little friends all but watching his every move. Granted, she hadn't expected their brawl to be quite so destructive, or to end like that, but it still served her in the end. Heh. Victory was hers.
"So...who won?" Mordred posited.
As if responding to that very inquiry, Naruto jolted upright with a gasp, staggering as much as swaggering. Semiramis nearly choked on her own spit at the sight of his smile. How?! The blond buffoon had been laid out! He shouldn't even be conscious after a hit like that, much less moving! Blast him, what was he, immortal or something?! If he could take a hit like that from Achilles of all people...how was she going to kill him?!
Did she even want to, anymore?
"Victory!" a battered fist pumped into the air in triumph as a surprisingly boyish grin spread over his bruised cheeks. It stirred something traitorous in her heart and she looked away. "I got him! Ha! Whoooo~!"
Atalanta feigned indifference, though the light swaying of her tail betrayed her thoughts. "Oh, look. I think he's gone punch drunk. Someone do something."
Achilles stirred a moment later with a groan of his own. "Gods, that stings." An armored massaged his jaw. "Not a bad punch, brother."
"Brother?" Naruto squinted down at him. "Where'd that come from? I thought I was your rival."
He still offered the man his hand. Achilles grasped it readily.
"Bah, don't sweat the small stuff." the legendary hero waved his concerns aside and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. "You beat me fair and square...this time."
Had he really? Naruto almost wondered about that. It wasn't a real fight; had they both used their Noble Phantasms and all their tricks, the battle could have gone either way. He might yet lose if it ever came to a fair fight between the two of them. Worse, someone might have seen them fight. Someone might seek to use this moment against him. That should have been a sobering realization. It should have doused Naruto's joy in an ocean of regret, or concern at the very least. There would be more battles to come. Not all of them would have a happy ending. Not like this one.
Jack dove into his chest and all his fears evaporated when he saw her smile. "You won~!"
"Of course I did! Whose your papa?!"
With a roaring laugh, the blond swept his adopted daughter into his arms and tucked her head close to his chin, reveling in the delighted giggle that followed. Mordred chose that very moment to saunter over, not-quite dragging a softly smiling Atalanta with her. Jeanne trailed behind them, offering her congratulations for a well fought match. Of course that caused Achilles to clap him on the shoulder, which meant Semiramis couldn't stand it and had to sneak a comment of her own. Naruto soon lost himself in the aimless chatter that followed, content to let it last as long as he could.
This felt good. Wholesome. Pure. It felt like coming home.
Like family. No one would touch them.
He swore it.
A/N: Shirou was...busy in this chapter. There's a reason we didn't see him.
Poor Semiramis. Not so sure about anything anymore, are you?
READ THIS PLEASE.
Remember that Servant Baseball Game I hinted at awhile back in A Most Unlikely Collection? That might happen here. Of course, I'll only write the full scene if folks want to see it. Otherwise we'll be getting those Servant Date scenes everyone has been asking for.
Hell, even both!
Heh. Hope you liked this. Feels good to get back to one of my more popular stories, even if this was a more character driven chapter than most.
So by all means, let me know. Hope this made you smile.
I...haven't smiled in quite some time now.
References and jokes aplenty, laughter and humor, spiced with just a hint of romance and drama. Feels good to get back to the Fate series, even with all the personal drama raging around the home. So here you go, here you are, and I hope you've prepared yourself for what's to come. We're going to see some absolute MONSTERS in this story; lord knows I've dropped enough hints for the Servants here. I'd say more, but I don't want to spoil things.
If you could find it in your heart to drop a review, that'd mean the world to me. Reviews feed my creative engine!
They are the wind beneath my wings and keep me going.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly?
And enjoy these previews!
SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!
READ IF YOU DARE!
(Previews!)
"MARIA THE RIPPER!"
"Did you think these peaceful days would last forever? Naive fool...
"REJOICE!"
"You've made the Grail very angry. What did you think was going to happen?"
"That THING just killed two Servants! Get away from it!"
R&R~!
~Nz.
