Disclaimer: None of the authors own any of the referenced properties.
[Fate/Grand Order], [Persona 5], [JoJo's Bizarre Adventure], [Star Wars], [Sword Art Online], [Gurren Lagann], [Yu-Gi-Oh!], [Mario Bros], [Fire Emblem: Three Houses]
Looper Summonings
Author: Vaati Star (Anata_Suruu on SB)
[Persona 5]
Lavenza
"Servant, Ruler," the girl in blue bowed before looping up. "My name is Lavenza, attendant of the Velvet Room. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now then, shall we work towards rehabilitation?"
…
[Jojo's Bizarre Adventure]
DIO
"You were expecting another Servant? Nay! There is only me, DIO!" The man yellow threw his arms out, posing menacingly. "I serve no one, yet this world has been set ablaze. Therefore in my own interest, we shall work together for a time. Now bow before DIO."
…
[Star Wars]
C-3PO
The golden robot raised an arm in a small salute. "I am C-3PO, and I have been summoned as a Moon Cancer." he tilted his head. "Pardon, Moon Cancer? What sort of Class is this? Oh, my apologies. A pleasure to meet you young Master. I look forward to working with you.
…
[Sword Art Online]
Kirito
The young man in black smirked as he rested a sword across his shoulder. "Servant, Saber. Kazuto Kirigaya. You can call me Kirito, the Black Swordsman." He blinked. "Eh? Can I shoot beams? What do you mean, what kinda swordsman shoots beams?" His eye twitched. "What do you mean 'most of them!?' Are you telling me I'm a poor swordsman?"
…
[Gurren Lagann]
Kamina (Saber)
"SERVANT! SABER! I, Kamina have arrived, a member of team Dai-Gurren!" several moments pass before his sighs. "Great, I seem to have been summoned in my weakest class. But that's alright, even with just a sword, we'll make our way forward together. That's how team Dai-Gurren rolls. Welcome to the crew."
Kamina (Rider)
"Yo! My name's Kamina. Servant Rider!" He strikes a pose, arm up, and a flash from his finger from the light behind him. "Me and Gurren are here now! Here to pierce the heavens! Together Master, we're gonna save the world from anyone who thinks they can burn it. They'll get to know… JUST WHO THE HELL DO THEY THINK WE ARE!?"
Kamina (Alter Ego)
"High Servant, Kamina. I have combined into my ultimate form. The greatest aspects of me as a man together. One class cannot contain me. Technically, that makes me an Alter Ego class servant. But enough talk, let's kick logic to the curb Master. Team Dai-Gurren, moving out!"
Kamina (Grand Lancer)
A flash of lighting, a drill falling from the sky. Everyone in the temple shielding their eyes as the man appeared.
No, not just a mere man. A Man in the form of a God. He was blue flame, the power of the spiral incarnate, with only a set of red shades and a glowing cape of red flame giving the blue flame a semblance of human form.
"I AM KAMINA! THE GRAND LANCER! Master… Your hopes, your dreams, and your will have called me here. The power of the Spiral surges within me, and with it, any dream is possible, anything can be done, and anything can be surpassed. Even gods can be beaten. Even beings who claim to be beyond such things! The full might of Olympus… every part of the pantheon, put together, combined into one ultimate being."
There was a grin in the flames, even the lack of a mouth could not hide such exuberance. "You claimed that this great destroyer, this machine made of twelve true Gods, was unmatched. WE SHALL NOT JUST MATCH IT! WE SHALL SURPASS IT!" He raised his hand, a volcano exploding somewhere in the background, made manifest just by his will, and destroyed by it. "Let's show the Gods themselves how team Dai-Gurren rolls! My form is that of the Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann! Beside us stands the Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. And here we stand in a pocket universe, made manifest for this battle and this battle alone! Then there shall be nothing holding us back! Come Master! Let us be the drill that pierces the heavens!"
…
[Yugioh]
Yugi & Atem
"Oh, hi there. I'm Yugi. I seem to have been summoned as a Caster…" he looked a little amused. "It seems my abilities aren't exactly great. I mean, I'm just a good duelist, and King of Games. But I think my partner might be of more help. Here, I'll let him speak."
There is a flash of light, and Atem takes over, the small body of Yugi changing to that of Atem in his form.
"I am Atem, and my Class is Rider. Like Yugi, I share the title of King of Games, and I am a Pharaoh of Egypt. I was once a nameless Pharaoh, lost to time, but with my name found once more, we'll be lending our power to your cause." he smirked. "It's time to duel. Let's go find someone to show the error of their ways."
…
[Mario Bros]
Bowser
"Bwahaha!" the giant turtle crossed his arms, smirking. "You called for the King of Awesome? Of course you did. I'm Bowser, King of the Koopas. And… A Servant!?" Bowser grit his teeth, before calming down. "Fine. I'll put up with it, but order me to do anything with those things and we're gonna have a problem. My Class is Rider. Bah, why am I not a Ruler! I'm a king!"
Kamek
The blue clad wizard sighs before looking up. "Alright, I get it. Hi, I'm Kamek, Servant Caster, if it wasn't obvious from the hat. Normally I'd be serving King Bowser, but it seems I've been called here to help save the world. Well, can't rule the world if there isn't one, so I guess I'll pave the way for my king's arrival." They adjust their hat. "Now Master, I'll leave the orders to you."
Luigi
The green clad plumber takes off his hat. "Oh hello there. My name's Luigi, Class Assassin. Normally I'd be working alongside my bro, but… well. My bro isn't here. But if he isn't here to help save the world, I'll help save it myself." He smiles, holding out his hand. "Shall we work together then?"
Daisy
The princess clad in orange snaps her fingers, and winks. "Hey there kiddo. I'm Daisy, called to Chaldea as a Caster class Servant. Don't exactly know why, magic's more Peach's thing, but I guess I can substitute." She blinked, "Wait! Did this thing confuse me with Peach!? Is that why I've got her magic? This is her power. Augh… well, probably should put it to good use anyway. Let's go kick some ass."
…
[Fire Emblem: Three Houses]
Dimitri
"Servant, Lancer. My name is Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd. I'm the leader of the Blue Lions house, and look forward to working with you Master." The young man bowed before shaking his head. "Don't worry, I'll be here to help you through your trials."
Edelgard
"My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg, Emperor of the Adrestian Empire. I've been called here under the Class of Berserker. Hmph, I don't believe this 'Madness Enhancement' to be of any issue, I'm fine with following another's orders if they make sense. So then 'Master', are you capable of leading us to victory, or must I take control?"
Claude
"Hey there," the brown skinned man gives a small salute. "Name's Claude, and I've been summoned as an Archer Class Servant. You're the Master here right? That's good, that means you're the tactical one. Now, I'm not one for fighting all the time, but with you and me working together, I'm sure we'll find a way to save the world without all of the bloodshed. Come on, let's get started."
[Persona 4], [My Little Pony]
Major Kuma
Author: Conceptualist
Teddie struggled Awake with a prodigious yawn, stretching his jaws wide open before letting them satisfyingly snap shut. Rubbing the sleep out of his exhausted eyes with a forepaw, he mentally reviewed his Loop Memories.
'Okay, literal bear again. Ha ha, Yggdrasil. Bear-y funny. Middle of hibernation season too.' Stumbling to his hind feet, rubbed his back on a nearby stalagmite. 'Oh yeah, that's the spot. So, priority #1. Find civilization. Then get myself put up in a good zoo somewhere, and enjoy lazy zoo bear stuff.'
Absent-mindedly wondering what kind of fish the zoo keepers would feed him this time, Teddie heard some other Looper Ping and sent out his own reply. Not counting his own, there were six other Loopers Awake. Not bad numbers for one of his un-bear-ablly common Real Bear Loops. Wondering if he was near Inaba or in some other Loop, Teddie meandered out of the cave he had been slumbering in.
Then Teddie blinked in confusion.
Those trees were not native to Japan. Teddie didn't recognize the exact species, but that was irrelevant to the fact he could easily see over the tops of what looked like full grown trees.
Checking out his deep purplish-blue fur in the sunlight, and how he could see specks of light twinkle and shine like stars, Teddie wondered where he was this time.
'Maybe this won't be a zoo-bear vacation after all…'
…
The journey was a long one. Not because Teddie was slow or anything. At his size, a leisurely gait ate up the distance deceptively fast. No, it was long because he just didn't fit on the trails and paths the smaller animals had carved into the forest. Eventually Teddie found a river and just waded himself downstream. Even in the biggest, deepest parts he didn't even need to lift his head up fully.
The remaining lethargy Teddie was fighting through was easily shaken off by the cold river water, which was useful. Don't exactly want to fall asleep so soon after he Woke Up. He might miss something interesting!
Like these trees. At some point the river Teddie was following crossed into what appeared to be a large apple orchard. Must have been back when Teddie was admiring his bear-y fierce reflection. He had become a good judge of ursidae fitness over the years, and by any standard he was a fine top of the food web predator. Which was probably why everything was avoiding him on the walk out of the woods.
He didn't really remember eating much other than things his Unawake self had hunted. But, based on the shape of his teeth… Teddie reached out a paw to one of the apple trees, and the biggest, juiciest, most delicious looking apple on that tree floated to him in a cushion of the Force. Levitating it infront of his enormous snout to take a gentle sniff, the apple smelled good to eat. Paw-fect.
Opening his massive jaws and curiously dropping the delectable smelling tiny red fruit on his tongue, Teddie bit down and tasted what was definitely the best apple he had ever had in he very long life. Letting out a low growling moan of delight, Teddie immediately coughed and cleared his throat in what he hoped was a masculine manner. 'I hope nobody heard that, or I would be so em-bear-assed.'
Looking around hopefully, Teddie didn't find any people around. Just apples, apple trees, a tiny pony, and more of the river. Good. Nobody was around to see him audibly emasculate himself.
Wait a moment.
Eyes widening in panic, Teddie snapped his head back to the tiny pony standing just on the shore. Yellow coat, red mane, pink bow, and staring right at him. Merely a paw's length away from his snout now.
'Shoot this is where I am?' Teddie thought in panic. Gently chuffing in surprise, the force of Teddie's exhale knocked the filly back on her flank.
The pony screamed in Teddie's face, causing him to rear back away from her. It was supposed to put some distance between them so she wouldn't panic, instead of leaving her within a paws' length of his jaws, but unfortunately for Teddie it had the opposite of his intended effect. With the gigantic bear reared up to his full bipedal height, his shadow threw the filly into darkness.
This proved to be the final straw. He could feel her mind make the switch from stunned awe to raw terror in an instant. The growl Teddie accidently let slip, forgetting for half a second that he didn't have the right kind of vocal cords to talk at the moment, just solidified the tiny filly's plan of action.
Scrabble herself around, the filly made beeline for a group of similar presences Teddie could feel in the Force. Her family, presumably. She was screaming her head off all along the way about how "A giant bear was going to eat all the apples!"
'Oh dear, I hope that doesn't end up being a thorn in my paw…' worried the massive ursidae. Teddie gently and slowly lowered himself back down to all fours, and tried to quietly slink away. It was hard to miss his lumbering form towering over the nearby apple trees, but he made an honest effort to be stealthy after this first blunder.
...
The river eventually wound its way out of the groves and into a decently sized little lake. Deep enough in the middle that Teddie actually had to raise his head up, but not so deep that he could continue walking on all fours.
Sitting down and slouching a little to let the lake water hide his bulk, Teddie settled in for the moment. If he was in pony land, or equestrian world, whatever Spike had called his home loop, hopefully there would be some local Loopers around to smooth out this misunderstanding. He wasn't some lumbering Kaiju here to steal all their produce; Teddie was a gentle-bear! All he would steal were the ladies' hearts!
Although, considering his current size, maybe he was supposed to be a Kaiju of some kind. Teddie didn't think that the pony's normal loop had giant super beasts like he seemed to be, but it could always be a weird variation that he was caught in.
'Hmm. What a dilemma. On one paw, I could get to be the giant monster and play Godzilla for a Loop. On the other paw, do I really want my first visit to pony land to be a monster stomp?' So caught up in his deliberation was Teddie, that he completely missed the groups of pegasi rounding up every loose cloud in the sky into one giant thunderhead. The only warning he got was the lightning bolt slamming down somewhere past the shore he was gazing at.
All he knew was that he was in the middle of a lake, and there was lightning flashing down!
Now, what was supposed to happen was, as a presumably wild animal, the lightning bolt and boom of thunder would spook him into running as far away as possible. At least, that's what the weather ponies the scared out-of-town Apple family members had asked for help were planning on. Unfortunately for their plans, Teddie was smarter than the average bear.
'Lightning never strikes the same place twice!' Teddie remembered. As such, his first instinct was to run directly towards the place lightning had just struck. This happened to be the exact opposite direction he was supposed to be going. Which is why moments later, Teddie crested the shore, stumbled up the hill and emerged soaking wet into the outskirts of Ponyville.
This, of course, was followed by much screaming panicked ponies stampeding under and around the bear, and Teddie was forced to slam his understrength precognition into its absolute limits to avoid squashing someone underpaw. However, opening himself to the Force that much and that way unprepared had a nasty side effect; Teddie got caught up in the torrent of emotions that over a hundred spooked ponies were generating.
It was a very confusing seven to eleven minutes. By the end of it over a dozen buildings were accidentally destroyed, the entire population of town had stampeded out of town, and a group of six mares and one dragon had risen to the occasion to save the day.
Teddie had only rarely been so humiliated in his very long life. He'd been blasted with full sized party artillery, swept up in a surprise tornado, pelted back with a hail of gemstones, teleported miles high into the air, only to be driven into the ground with a flying pile driver from a purple dragon twice his size. Admittedly, the herd panic Teddie had accidentally tapped into had been making him completely erratic, irrational, and triggered him into swinging the first few paw strikes.
But now he was hog tied like a common show cow, and a different yellow pony, a pegasus this time, was forcing him to stare deep into her stare. No. Into her Stare. It deserves the Capital Emphasis.
"Now take a deep breath in," she demanded, and Teddie followed along with her orders. He couldn't think of doing anything else. "Hold, hold, and relax. Let all those feelings go. Lets just," she took another big breath, shallower than the last. Then after holding it in temporarily, she sighed out a final "Relax."
Teddie was calm. A drop of water in the ocean, a single sand grain on the beach. Everything was washing over and under and past him. With a final shudder, and the helpful calming voice to focus on, Teddie disconnected himself from the emotional turmoil he'd been hijacked by.
"There, there. You poor little thing," whispered the pegasus. "My name's Fluttershy. Can you tell me what happened?"
Before Teddie could even figure out what to say and how he was going to say it, another pony wearing a cowboy hat came stomping into view. "I'll tell ya what bucking happened! This 'poor little' critter of yours ate my cousin Braeburn!"
Oh.
Oh no.
Teddie was out of it during the fight, completely not in control at all. Did his instincts… He didn't remember- It was such a blur, could he have- 'I think I'm going to be sick.'
"WAIT!" screamed a familiar voice. The filly from the orchard came galloping down the destroyed street. "Applejack wait! You're not listening!"
"Apple Bloom, get away from here! It's a pony eater!" the panicked Applejack shouted!
"Hold on, I got her," a cyan coated and rainbow maned pegasus declared. Swooping down, she grabbed the squirming yellow filly and flew up out of Teddie's potential reach.
Continuing to struggle, Apple Bloom yelled "I said it ate an apple-"
"Yeah, Cousin Braeburn!"
"-from the trees, you clod-hopper! One apple! I was worried about the harvest, not our lives!"
Applejack, slack-jawed, stared at Apple Bloom. "But, but, what happened to Braeburn? He wasn't there at head count!"
"He's with the Appaloosa settlers, ya dolt." Apple Bloom, at this point, was more exasperated and resigned to being carried than anything else. "Don't you remember his postcard apologizing for not coming to help this year?"
Applejack was floored by this, and sat down on her haunches as the adrenaline began to fade. "Well shoot. Don't ah have egg on my face."
For his part, Teddie was relieved he hadn't committed some form of cannibalism during his rampage.
Nobody remembered who started chuckling first, but everyone was laughing at the absurdity of the situation shortly afterwards. Teddie's deep belly laugh actually shook the ground enough to knock what was left of a nearby building down, which set off another round of hysterics from the group.
…
It took the rest of the day to round up all of the missing town's folk, a task that Teddie was being kept far away from.
The purple dragon- who Teddie recognized as Spike as soon as he shrank down to a more reasonable size -led the way back to Sweet Apple Acres. All of the ponies had stampeded away from there, since that was the direction Teddie had wandered into town from. And the Apple Clan was being "Mighty sorry about the confusion," and had subsequently offered their land to hide on until the misunderstanding was straightened out.
So long as Teddie only ate apples and not Apples, as Granny Smith confusingly stated.
Twilight Sparkle had helpfully gifted Teddie with a bit of advanced spell work that let him speak normally, as apparently the natural magic resistance of the Ursa Major he had replaced would interfere with many lesser methods of translation. It was better than Teddie's idea of a giant white board, at least.
Spike and Teddie had been talking since they found an orchard valley Teddie could unobtrusively hide in. Mostly about the fight that just happened, as it was just a massive blur for the bear other than the very beginning and the last few moments.
"-and then, after seeing me bodyslam you through Golden Oaks from a mile up, Applejack just charges into the wreckage with this freaking huge rope."
Teddie was just amazed at what had already been told. "And she's the only one out of the seven of you not Awake this loop?"
"Eyup," the dragon confirmed. "That's just good old Applejack for you. Now, the rope she was using is normally for helping anchor cloud houses in place during renovations. It's nearly half a foot thick, a mile long, and here she is, making a lasso and tieing you up while you were still dazed and semiconscious."
Teddie sighed. "I remember pretty much everything after that. I really am sorry about all this. It just spiraled out of control so fast, I could bear-ly keep from crushing someone. Then they panicked and…"
Spike grimaced. "I could feel that all the way from the halfway point between here and Canterlot. Twilight and I had to teleport the rest of the way to Ponyville early. What happened?"
Teddie stayed silent. It was obvious to Spike that he wanted to answer, but also that Teddie didn't like the only answer he had.
"Buddy." Spike reached up and gently put a clawed hand on the bear's massive forepaw. "I can't help you if I don't know why you lost yourself in the Force. And if this is happening to you, an experienced Jedi Looper, it could be happening to any of us."
"It's a personal problem," Teddie bit out. "Nobody else would have to deal with it like I do."
Spike stared at Teddie meaningfully.
"I mean it. It's-" Teddie cut himself off and huffed, the wind of his forceful breath rattling the apple trees all around them. "Alright. If I'm explaining this, I need to know how much you know about me first. In my baseline."
Spike shrugged. "You're some kind of mascot costume come to life, right? Not the weirdest backstory for a Looper I've heard, but it's pretty up there."
"Not even close." Teddie kneaded furrows into the ground with his claws. "I'm a Shadow."
Spike was taken aback by that. "Who's Shadow?"
"Not someone's Shadow. A Shadow. There are two types. The personal type of Shadow, which comes from a specific person and is their inner self and suppressed feelings. Then there is the other kind, my kind. Manifesting from the hidden sides and suppressed emotions of the collective human unconscious."
"Hold on," Spike said, raising a claw questioningly. "I've been to a Persona Loop before, and this answers some questions I still had. Are all of the little enemy Shadows just fragments of this collective human unconscious?"
"Yes and no," Teddie shrugged. "The weaker ones, the ones you encounter by the hundreds, yes. The stronger they are, the less common they are, the more likely they come from a specific human mind instead of just the mess of all of them. It varies, and it's not that helpful because weak Shadows will conglomerate into a stronger single Shadow eventually. Usually those have a personal type of Shadow as the core."
"So… What does this have to do this morning?"
"I'm a fragment of the collective human unconscious that grew fascinated enough with humanity and people to develop my own personality, and turned myself into an existence that is self-perpetuating instead of dependent on the passive subconscious reinforcement of humanity's existence," Teddie deadpanned. "Part of me, the real me under all this temporary meat and bone, is meant to be piece of that collective state of existence. The Force can bridge that gap temporarily, revealing part of my true nature and leaving me at the whims of the parts of the collective unconscious that's in range of me."
Spike frowned. "Cut through the techno-babble for me here. I don't exactly like what I'm hearing, and I want to make sure I understand."
"I'm made of other people's emotions and feelings at the core. If I push the Force too hard, especially with the wrong Force powers, I feel what everyone nearby feels and stop thinking like a person."
"That's what I thought." Spike was considered something, and looked very thoughtful. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but have you tried giving up the Force?"
"Yes. It makes the problem worse, if you can believe that." Teddie looked away uncomfortably. "It's not a problem with the Force. It's something from my baseline. I've actually talked to my Admin about it. Fixing it wouldn't really be possible without messing with who I really am, if it was possible at all. If I lose the Force, I can have the same kind of reaction but it works on the collective unconscious of everyone in the Loop instead of just the emotions of people nearby. It's harder to trigger that way, but once it does, I'm completely unraveled until the reset zips my head back on straight."
"The Force gives you a layer of separation," Spike concluded. "A different, safer, more controlled way to interact with this collective unconscious. Because All is One in the Force, but a Jedi can control how much of themselves they let it affect, how deep they go. With one downside."
Teddie nodded. "If I get too caught up in nearby emotions, while pushing my connection to the Force to my limits, I risk going bear-serk for a little while instead of going crazy for the rest of the Loop."
Spike pursed his lips and raised an eyeridge. Teddie had been doing so well, only two slip ups since they started talking.
"Sorry, sorry. Force of habit, I bear-ly, I mean, barely notice when I do it," Teddie apologized. "I am serious about this. No jokes, no puns. Too much rapid precognition, emotional manipulation, or explicitly Dark Side powers tend to trigger an episode. It's why I mostly stick to illusions, healing, and telekinesis."
From there, the conversation slowly progressed. The details behind the exact mechanics of Teddie's issue were fascinating for a Jedi like Spike, who had never had any real problems quite like that before. Actually, talking about his issues with another Looper seemed to take an unseen weight off of Teddie's shoulders.
But it had been a little while since they had last seen each other, and Spike did have an entire photo album or three of his Looping Padawan's adventures to share. Teddie was really surprised Spike had found someone so fast. He had been so patient sounding when everyone was discussing how they were organizing the Looping Jedi Order and what little rules they had.
But eventually they ran out of things to talk about, just around sunset for the day.
"So, how much do you know about our Loop?" Spike asked.
"Not much, just what you hear in passing. I got my paws on your Hub Loop tv show once, but wouldn't be caught- um…" Teddie trailed off awkwardly.
Spike snorted in amusement, shooting a tiny burst of green sparks out of his nostrils. "Let me finish that for you: 'Be caught dead watching Saturday Morning Cartoons for little girls.'"
Teddie looked off into the distance purposefully. "It really is a bear-y lovely little Loop you have. I wouldn't want to insult it."
"Let me put it this way then. This morning was normal for us. Maybe not the power levels involved, but a random disaster that nearly destroys the town or worse happens all the time. The next major disaster actually happens later tonight."
"... I'm listening."
"How about let's go find out where they moved the Summer Sun Celebration to, and you save us all from Eternal Night when her majesty Nightmare Moon shows up."
…
The Apple family was apparently hosting the moved celebrations, as the town hall was still too busy being rubble to be a viable venue. An open air celebration was hastily assembled, and the Loopers threw their considerable abilities into getting it ready in time for the town's folk to arrive.
Most of the ponies gave Teddie a wide berth, but that was more a healthy amount of caution over staying out from underpaw than actual fear of him. A version of the situation had been disseminated to them all, and most of them were fine now. The flower selling trio had been given blinders for the moment, and were temporarily satisfied at not seeing the danger lurking among them all.
Just like Spike had said, a midnight black Alicorn came instead of the expected solar Princess. Teddie had to give the speech a 6 out of 10. Not the worst monolog, but for someone's inner darkness having taken control it lacked the personal emphasis most Shadows had.
But, right before Nightmare Moon could flee after having gloated, Teddie stepped out from the barn he was hiding behind.
And then he stepped on the Alicorn.
She squeaked adorably, but other than the blow to her dignity she was unharmed. And then the fight was on, as Nightmare Moon created a huge aimless burst of magic to throw the massive paw off of her.
"Who dares to strike the Queen of the Night!"
"ME," Teddie growled out with the full force of his several ton body.
Nightmare Moon would have been said to have paled, if it weren't for the coloration of her fur to make that an impossible visual.
For the second time in this Loop, ponies fled away from Teddie. This time, in control of himself again, a familiar tarot card appeared floating in front of Teddie. Snapping his massive jaws shut on the card, it shattered like glass and he howled out "PER-SO-NA!"
[Persona 2], [Fate/Grand Order]
Eldritch Metropolis of Rumours: Sumaru – parts 1 to 3
Author: me (HelenTheMoon aka Lermis)
"A new Singularity?"
The sentence by itself was not odd. Ritsuka was pretty used to getting dragged through a bunch of random minor Singularities before solving all the main ones. However, Dr. Roman looking so… so was not usual. It was a mix of troubled and bewildered that Ritsuka did not like at all.
The acting director of Chaldea frowned as he proceeded to explain. "Yes. Sumaru City, Japan, towards the end of 1999 A.D. I did not even know that anything important ever happened there in the first place… I never even heard of this place before now."
Ritsuka blinked. She had never heard of any place called "Sumaru City" either. This was probably a fused loop then. Or a variant. However, she did not summon any visiting loopers… Interesting.
"What happened in this place?"
"We're not really sure. Our staff is on it… But from what we gathered, there was a serial killer on the loose, and at the same time there was a political scandal and a major earthquake that cut off the city's access to the mainland. Those are the major events we were able to find."
That was weird. A single serial killer and a corrupt politician in the modern day were not enough to alter the course of history – the fact that this happened in 1999, yet outside was technically 2018 with no changes in the baseline to speak of was proof of that.
She had to get more information.
"So it Sumaru City is an island?"
"Not at first. It was originally a port city. The earthquake was so strong that the seawater surrounded it, turning it into an island."
Mash was astonished. "Are there earthquakes really this powerful?"
Roman rubbed his head again, thinking it over. It was not his field of specialty, after all. "Well, the 2011 earthquake in Japan is said to have moved the entire country by five meters, as well as causing numerous other disasters. However, aside from Sumaru City no tectonic activity in recent years has been recorded to cause such drastic changes to the landscape. The closest I can think of is the Minoan eruption."
It was Ritsuka's term to be confused. The term was vaguely familiar, but… "Minoan?"
As usual, Mash clearly knew what Dr. Roman was referring to. "The term "Minoan eruption" refers to the eruption of the sea volcano Thera – most commonly known as the island of Santorini – that destroyed the Minoan civilization. While there are no written records of the time, it is believed that the eruption caused major changes to the morphology of the island."
"But there was no volcanic eruption in Sumaru."
"No, there wasn't. Just a very odd series of events."
Ritsuka now was troubled. "The only other singularity in the modern day was Fuyuki city, in which a Holy Grail War was completely derailed… Were there any major magic events or rituals here? That weird earthquake could have been caused by one."
"It's a possibility" agreed Dr. Roman. "Leonardo is investigating the city's history as we speak. However, there are some oddities we have picked up."
Ritsuka and Mash perked up. Dr. Roman took this as his cue to continue.
"First of all, detecting this Singularity was very difficult. Much like the Jerusalem Singularity, our instruments somehow do not function properly."
"Much like Jerusalem… Does this mean that this Singularity is trying to escape the course of Proper Human History?"
"It could. However, the situation is not exactly identical – or so the staff is telling me… Another possibility is that something is actively blocking detection, which has many troubling implications by itself. So far, the King of Mages has made no effort to stop us from detecting Singularities – our difficulties in Camelot were entirely due to the interference of the Lion King and Pharaoh Ozymandias."
"So the other possibility is that there's another extremely powerful entity in this city." Ritsuka did not like the sound of that at all.
"Fortunately, getting readings from this Singularity is much easier than it was in Camelot. Not bizarre time pockets, at the very least."
"That's good news…"
"The second point is that there is strangely high mana density in the area. Or at the very least, our readings detect something very close to it. It's not enough to destabilize our detectors any further or cause discomfort once you Rayshift, but the readings are well above average. Yet despite that, there's no recorded magus-related activity in the area. Then again, the entire orient is considered backwater by the Mages' Association, so that may explain it…"
She and Mash took careful note of this.
"So, blocked readings, high mana density. What else, Doctor?"
"The third point is related to the second, and possibly the first. There's an absurdly high number of magic signatures in the city."
"So Servants have already been summoned in this Singularity" deducted Mash.
"No… we think. Some of them could belong to Servants… But the striking majority of those signatures appear to be similar to those of demonic beasts."
He let that sink in.
Mash was astonished. "Demonic beasts… in the modern day!?"
"Granted, they're all pretty weak. At least those we detect. However, as their presence is most likely caused by the Singularity, their presence is to be expected. There are still hordes of Dragon Tooth Soldiers in the Fuyuki Singularity after all."
Ritsuka did not voice this, but in this loop she Awakened in her Kouhime identity. She did not think anything weird of this at first, but now that there were demonic beasts in the modern day… It could be connected.
"There's more, isn't there." It was more of a statement than a question.
"You're right about that Ritsuka. I have no good way to put this, but… we can't tell what's supposed to be wrong in this singularity."
Now Mash was confused. "What do you mean?"
"In all other Singularities, there's always something that's clearly wrong. Dragons attacking civilians in a place where there shouldn't be any. Magical poisonous mists killing people. An empire being taken over. And so on and forth. However, so far we have detected no major changes from how history should be. From what little we can see, everyone is living their normal everyday lives, no deviations to speak of."
Mash was now clearly distressed. "If everything's normal, why is Sumaru City a Singularity!?"
"We have no idea."
Roman looked at them dead in the eye. "We don't know what caused this Singularity, what is supposed to make this city so important, why it is so hard to detect, nothing. The only way we found out is if we Rayshift there."
Well, this loop was proving to be interesting already.
"Now, since this Singularity is unique, there are a few special preparations we need to take into account."
"Special preparations?"
"You are going to Rayshift to Japan in the year 1999. You cannot be seen using modern technology like smartphones or wearing armour. You'll have to get there in ordinary clothes and find some way to conceal Mash's shield. You'll look too suspicious otherwise – not to mention possessing arms is illegal. Since nothing is obviously wrong with the city yet, you can't really explain a shield."
"What if we say it's cosplay?"
Mash and Dr. Roman both stared at Ritsuka. "Cosplay?"
"Yeah. Anime and manga are all the rage. And Sumaru's pretty big, right? Port city and all. They'll know what a cosplayer is."
"That sounds perfect!"
"Senpai! Dr. Roman! I'm going to pretend to be in costume the whole time!?"
"If we want you to carry your Noble Phantasm everywhere, yes. But you should bring some casual clothes with you anyway. The other issue is finding a leyline. I mean, there's definitely one, but you can't count on running in someone like Dr. Jekyll again."
"That's true… So setting up a base will be pretty hard…"
"Third, there's the matter of the serial killer and the politician. With those elements in the city, you can expect heavy police presence. These are not desperate soldiers you'll be dealing with. Try avoiding a confrontation with the law as much as possible."
The two girls nodded as one. "Understood."
"Guess Fou will have to stay hidden too, right?" said Ritsuka, petting the strange but overly fluffy creature between the ears. Fou whined in response, followed by a displeased pout. "At least when we're in public." He cheered up a little.
"That's all for now. You can take your time with your preparations, but no more than two days. Think carefully about which servants you'll take with you."
"Will do. Mash, let's go."
"Yes, Senpai!"
…
Truth be told, for once Ritsuka had no idea who to bring along. Obviously Mash and Dantes – Mash was always coming along and Dantes was living in her mind and shadow. But besides them, at this point in the loop there were not many servants – if any at all – who was good at blending in the modern day. She had not summoned Emiya or any of the others from the Stay Night branch, which was an issue. Her being the only awake one right now was not helping matters. She had pinged when the loop started but received no response back.
She was so deep in thought that she almost did not notice when she ran into someone.
"Oh, sorry!"
"No, the fault is mine Master. Please excuse me."
She blinked. "Bedivere."
The "modest, silver knight", as the Lion King once called him. They just returned from the Camelot Singularity and Bedivere was still trying to acclimate to well… not being alive – or "alive" – anymore. Not that Ritsuka could ever blame him. He spent over fifteen hundred years hanging on to life by raw willpower just to see Artoria again. It was nowhere near as long as a looper's life, but at least Ritsuka and most other loopers had company and energy instead of being lonely half-way corpses. Seriously, fifteen hundred years… How much did he even recall from them?
Wait…
"Hey Bedivere, may I ask you something?"
He blinked in surprise before smiling warmly. "Of course. Feel free to ask me anything you want; I'll do my best to answer you."
"When you reached Avalon, what year was it for you?"
"E-Excuse me?"
…
Mash was over the moon. "Sir Bedivere! I am so glad you will be accompanying us!"
"The pleasure is all mine, Sir Kyrielight. Admittedly, I was surprised when Master asked for my aid, but I'm glad to be useful to you. I hope that once again we'll all work well together." Ah, Bedivere smiling. Always made your day.
"Bedi here is the only servant we have with experience in the modern day. So I figured he'd be the best man for the job!"
"Truly!? Well, I guess you did travel for fifteen hundred years… Considering when Camelot fell, you've spent some time in the 20th century, right."
"Indeed I have" confirmed the knight. "I was mostly in Europe at the time due to circumstances, but I do have some modern day experience. I know how to handle firearms and some basic technology at the very least. And I'm experienced in both laying low and dealing with demonic beasts. Do not worry about my arm either – truthfully, I did not have to cover it up before since I did not have it, but I was successful in hiding Excalibur. Airgetlám will be much easier to conceal."
Bedivere's expression, posture and voice were full of confidence. Despite all his self-worth issues, he was a damn good traveler and he knew it.
"The perfect man for the job!"
"Thank you for your kind words, Master. I'm looking forward to this."
Dr. Roman was rather stunned. "Wow, you guys sure seem confident… But will Bedivere be enough?"
"I also have Mash and Dantes, Doctor. And you and Da Vinci-chan will be looking out for me!"
"If you say so…"
Mash looked around. "By the way, where is Da Vinci? It's odd she's not here."
"Here I am! Da Vinci the wonderful genius, arriving fashionably late!"
Speak of the "devil". "What are you carrying there, Da Vinci?"
"New Mystic Codes, of course! For you, Mash, and Sir Bedivere!"
"F-For me?"
"Lady Da Vinci, you really didn't have to-"
"Oh, but I did. Like we already said, the two of you can't run around in armour all the time, can you? But you do need protection. So I prepared those Mystic Codes for you~!"
Hesitantly, the two knights opened the packages. The two codes looked like late Autumn outfits. Mash's was a grey windproof jacket over a pink turtleneck sweater and black jeans with matching boots, while Bedivere had a white leather jacket with a green dress shirt, a black vest and black jeans, again with matching boots – though those could be worn under the jeans.
"They're not too pretty I'm afraid – but they're fitting for the weather, easy to clean and fight in, and I put all sorts of enhancements on them! Shielding, healing, protection from status effects, and you can even conceal your Noble Phantasms! Airgetlám will look normal, and Mash's shield will be invisible. You better appreciate them!"
"Thank you, Lady Da Vinci" replied Bedivere with a bow.
"Thank you, Da Vinci! We'll be sure to treasure them!"
The genius looked as smug a cat eating cream. "You better do! Now, put them on! We can't have you accidently running into someone while clad in armour first thing! Oh, and Ritsuka. Here are some yen circa 1999. Around 100.000. Forging money is easy!"
…
After a few minutes, an awkward looking Mash and Bedivere emerged from separate rooms in their brand new mystic codes.
"You look good, Mash!"
She blushed. She was adorable. "Th-thank you Senpai."
Bedivere was shifting around a bit. "I guess I should be thankful that men's basic apparel has remained unchanged… These are quite comfortable. Shall we proceed with the Rayshift, Master?"
"Yep! Let's go!"
Singularity S
Eldritch Metropolis of Rumours: Sumaru A.D. 1999
The Sinner from Beyond
...
Chapter 1 part 1: Arrival
Area: ?
"NOT AGAIN!"
That was Ritsuka's reaction the moment the Rayshift happened. Because for yet another time they rayshifted in mid-air and were currently in free fall. And from what Ritsuka could see, on the bottom there was a forested mountain and no she was not in the mood to land on any trees.
"Mash, shield!"
"Right!"
Just in time, Mash deployed Lord Camelot. Ritsuka and Bedivere braced themselves. Arms around the head to protect it, and feet pointed at the ground to absorb the impact of their fall. Fortunately, the altitude was relatively low.
The moment of impact felt like something kicked her breath out of her. However, she was old hat at this. Without losing focus, she bent her knees and rolled. A few moments later she was up on her feet, brushing off all the leaves, twigs and dirt that managed to stick on her in those few moments. It was quite a bit. She ignored the random scrapes that she also acquired. Those would sting like hell later, but were not an immediate concern. First, roll call.
"Is everyone alright?"
"Mash Kyrielight, reporting! I am unharmed and still have all of my possessions!"
Fou chose that moment to pop up from Mash's shield. "Fou fou!"
"Bedivere reporting. I am well. Though not my first freefall I admit it's still a rather novel experience."
Inside her head, she addressed the last member of their group. "Edmond, are you alright?"
"Of course I am. Be careful Ritsuka. Something feels off. There's a miasma everywhere."
Miasma? "Can you tell what it is?"
"Not yet."
That was not good. Caution it is. "Everyone, on your guard. Edmond senses something in the area. I'm going to contact Dr. Roman."
"No need, I'm already connected." The doctor's holographic visage appeared from Mash's shield. "Sorry for the rough landing. Looks like the same thing that's causing problems with our instruments also affected the Rayshift. I'm afraid that this call is straining the connection, so we cannot get any visual. However, we have pulled a map of the city, one before and one after the earthquake, so we should be able to help with navigation at the very least."
"That's great" said Ritsuka. "We ended up on a forested mountain, and Edmond is sensing a dark miasma around here."
"Hmm, with the levels of mana in the air we can't get any real readings… But forested mountain you said?"
"Yes."
"There are two possibilities. One is that you're on one of the mountains surrounding the city. I have no doubt there are several paths that lead there. The other possibility is that you're in Rengedai. It's a small island in the river that crosses it Sumaru city, with the island being located right at the center. Try heading downhill – regardless of where you are you'll get in the city eventually."
"Any landmarks we should keep in mind?"
"If you're at Rengedai, you don't need to worry about that, but if you're in the surrounding areas…" There were sounds of clicking in the background."The only major landmarks are on Mt. Katastumuri, if you managed to land there. There is the Goketsuji shrine, the Sumaru Observatory, and the Morimoto Hospital."
"A hospital so out of the way?"
"That's the official name… In reality, it appears to be a psych yard. That would explain the location. There's also a path and a rail system to commune between the mountain and the main city. Apparently it's a fairly popular hiking place. If you're in any of the other mountains, you're out of luck though. I can't find anything on them."
"So head downhill and hope for the best. Got it." Something fluttered in the bushes. "Thanks doctor. We'll contact you later."
"I'll try to pull up more information." He cut off the connection. Ritsuka turned to see that Bedivere had already drawn his sword, and he and Mash were already in defensive positions.
"Get ready, Ritsuka."
"Already am." "Why don't you show up?"
"Wow, you're so cool miss!"
And that's when all three of them dropped their guard in surprise.
The presences that were fluttering in the bushes were… a tiny imp in a jar, a flame ghost with a top hat and a girl whose hair was somehow wings.
"I've never seen a demon like you! Are you new?"
What.
"Demon? Who?" Demonic beast was one thing, but demon? Could they sense that she was not human? She was good at disguising that sort of thing! Really good!
"Of course you, silly! But you feel kinda weird… Is she like those weirdo humans who merge with us at the Cathedral…?" She only muttered the second part under her breath, but the Master and two (three) Servants heard her clearly.
Seriously, what? What was wrong with this place!?
Alright, information first. "Mash, Bedivere, no attacking until we figure out what's going on. They don't seem hostile so far."
She got affirmations from both of them, and proceeded to try and talk with the little… demons? Phantasmal Beasts? Demonic Beasts? Whatever they were.
"I'm Ritsuka. This pretty girl is Mash, and the knight is Bedivere. What are your names?"
"I'm Moh Shuvuu!" said the girl with the wing-hair.
"I'm Agathion!" said the blue imp in the jar.
"Phantom" replied the ghost with the top hat.
"Master?"
"Yeah, Bedivere?"
"Those are demons. I'm quite certain of it. We can negotiate with them. These do not seem too dangerous, but it'd be to our benefit if they remain friendly."
He knew what those things were? No matter – information first.
"Hello! You're right, it's our first time here, and we're completely lost! We are looking for Sumaru City. Can you help us?"
"Sure! You're super strong, so we have no choice!" Um, okay? They were demons, so that was normal… probably. Good for them, at any rate. "Go that way and you'll find a clearing with a strange offering box. There's a path near there! If you cross the river, you'll get to the city! But if you go up, you'll find the creepy place. There are lots of us there, but there's also some weirdo."
Creepy place? "What is the creepy place?"
The demon girl sniffled. "A big building that's all white… And all the windows have bars on them. AAAAAA IT'S TOO SCARY! Take this! We're leaving!"
The three demons shoved something in Ritsuka's hands and vanished. Ritsuka looked at it and… "She gave me cash!?"
"HEY, YOU!"
"What now?!"
Oh.
While they were busy talking, another demon had sneaked up on them. It was an angel girl in a black dress. "I'm Nightmare! And I saw what you did! You took my friend's money!"
"We didn't take it!" protested Mash.
"Don't lie to me, you meanie grownups! Blobs, with me!"
…
"Oof… That wasn't fun. I think we need to find that river."
"I agree Senpai. These demons weren't strong at all, but…"
Ritsuka, Mash and Bedivere were now head to toe covered in purple slime.
"Any tips for cleaning those, Bedi? Actually, what do you know about demons?"
The knight, who by this point had given up in trying to wipe his sword, looked thoughtful before answering. "I don't know very much I'm afraid. I only ran into these beings on rare occasions. Unlike Demonic Beasts, who live like normal animals and are edible" why did he have to add this "demons are incorporeal entities much like Servants. To my understanding, they live in a realm very much like the Throne of Heroes, and can only be brought forth by a summoner. Their presence here is very much abnormal."
"A summoner… What's their mana upkeep?"
"I'm not certain… It has been a long time, but I don't recall any summoners having more than four or five at the time. Yet this forest is absolutely filled with them."
It was true. Now that they were all paying more attention, there were several creatures hiding all over the place. Fortunately, they were not attacking so far. Their little fight with Nightmare and the Blobs had scared most of them off.
"Alright. River first. We clean up, and try to get dry before we get a chill."
"Master, Servants don't get chill."
"Well, I do. We'll figure out what to do from there."
"Understood!"
…
Chapter 1 section 2: Arrival
Area: Mount Katatsumuri
"Let me get this straight…" started Dr. Roman, who somehow was still not used to these situations "a group of tiny beings called demons approached you, gave you information, got scared and gave you money, and another group of demons attacked you for keeping that money."
"Pretty much."
After a fair bit of walking to the direction that Moh Shuvuu pointed at, Ritsuka, Mash and Bedivere found the clearing with the odd donation box. It was from a shrine dedicated to someone named "Junosuke Kuroda", who Ritsuka had never heard of before. Finding the path after that was easy, and following the sound of running water led them to the river, which conveniently had a well-maintained wooden bridge crossing it.
Bedivere had started a small fire – probably illegally – and the three of them were now stripped to their basics soaking wet from the dive in the river, while they left their clothes near the heat to dry them faster. Bedivere was very politely not looking at them.
"And that's how you ended up covered in slime. Well we cannot hope to understand the mindset of demons… But you said that they gave you information."
"Yes. Moh Shuvuu mentioned a large white building with barred windows in the area."
"Going by the description, this must be Morimoto Hospital, which means that you are on Mt. Katatsumuri. She mentioned something weird about the place?"
"Affirmative" said Mash. "She mentioned that there are lots of demons in the area, as well as somebody weird."
"Hmm… Seeing that we don't have any other leads right now, I say you visit the psych yard first. If there are indeed many demons there, there may be some clues about the Singularity. The mysterious person may hold more information. They may be hostile, but we have nothing to lose from contacting them."
"So first we dry up, then head to the psych yard. Got it."
"…When you phrase it like that Ritsuka, it sounds like a horrible idea…"
In her head, Edmond snorted. "It sounds like a horrible idea even when you DON'T phrase it like that."
"While we're on our way there, can you find anything about the hospital?"
"…We already have."
She did not like that tone. "What happened?"
"A gas leak, according to a few newspaper articles… It burned the hospital down to the ground."
"Typical cover up excuse" said Edmond in her head. "Remember the corrupt politician he mentioned?"
She really hoped he was wrong about this.
"We'll have to check out for ourselves. Mash, Bedivere."
The two of them were already watching in rapt attention – Bedivere full of suspicion, and Mash full of alarm.
"You heard him. We dry up and get going. For all we know, the hospital may be already burned to the ground. We don't have time to waste."
…
The rest of the trip was quiet. Most demons still did not dare to attack them after the display from before, which left the battles to a minimum. A good thing, considering they needed to conserve their energy. Occasionally, Fou would growl to the more rowdy ones – even if his specialty was killing primates, the Fourth Beast of Humanity was not to be taken lightly regardless of context.
If only they ever saw him making himself comfy on Mash' bossom, maybe their opinion would change drastically.
Ahem.
Anyway, now that they were climbing up the mountain another problem occurred to her; how would they even find that person. There was no guarantee that that person was there right now. And if the psych yard was somehow properly running, they would not let in visitors without a good reason. Fou could wrap them anywhere they wanted in the hospital, but they still had no idea who this person was or how they looked like. Being "creepy" by demon child standards was not much of a description.
Then again, that may be all they need.
"Doctor Roman?"
A few moments later, the holographic screen came to light. "Yes Ritsuka?"
"Once we get to the hospital, can you scan it for strong magical signatures? If a demon finds someone creepy, they're sure to be using magic of some sort."
"I see" said Bedivere. "Since we don't know their description, we'll have to use alternative means."
"I'm on it" said Roman. "Though the results may be a little delayed. With that interference, we cannot scan and talk to you at the same time."
"Understood. I'll call again once I'm in the hospital. Bye."
Click.
Click.
"SENPAI, WATCH OUT!"
CLANG
She ducked and something cracked and suddenly there was a flash of a blade that she barely avoided.
"Ambuse!"
"你们到底是什么人?"
"Master, we're surrounded! Our enemies look human! I'm not detecting any signatures!"
Bedivere growled. "So they're mere lowlifes!"
They were surrounded. Harsh men with oriental features, most of them with scars, some with casual clothes, some with suits, and a few with traditional Chinese clothing, holding anything from guns to bats to falcions and knives. And they had just shouted in Chinese.
In an incredulous part of her mind that was not in full alert, she realized that they had just been surrounded by the Triads. In Japan.
What the actual FUCK is wrong with this place.
She adopted a martial arts stance, ready to draw a weapon from her pocket at any second. "Mash, Be-Lucius! Back of the blade! Fou, keep the critters out!"
"Understood!"
As if that was a signal for everyone, the criminals rushed in screaming. Ritsuka avoided a bullet by sheer dumb luck before she had to duck under an incoming sword swing. Someone else kicked her in her gut and tossed her back a bit, but she held her ground. The corner of her eye caught a flash, and she elbowed the man from behind her, before she grabbed him and tossed him to the others. Predictably, Mash and Bedivere had already defeated their own opponents.
"Now!"
At her order, the two knights tackled the criminals to the ground, eliciting a pained groan and the sound of something give. Ritsuka did not feel sorry for them at all.
"Three out of ten" said Edmond.
"Who are you grading?"
She did not wait for an answer. Instead she stepped on the last man still conscious.
"Alright, fess up. What are you doing here."
To emphasize her point, Bedivere edged his blade close to his throat. The mook just glared at them.
"Do you speak Japanese?"
He spat on her.
Ritsuka reached her Pocket for an antiseptic wipe and cleaned her face.
Right. Forget the language barrier. They would not get anything out of this guy.
"What should we do, Master?" asked Mash.
"They'll report back" said Edmond. "I don't know to whom, but it'll be bad for us. There must be here for a mission."
"Wanna bet it's about that "weirdo in the hospital"?"
"That's not a bet."
She dropped the wipe on the man's face. Predictably, he started cursing at her.
"Lucius" she said again, switching to his old moniker. Safer that way. The two servants seemed to catch on her drift because they did not question her choice. "Can you wipe memories?"
"Of course."
He leaned down over the man who seemed to realize that something very wrong was about to happen.
"I know why we're not killing them, but are you sure about hiding them in the bushes? There are still demons hidden here."
"No other choice. If we leave them on the path somebody WILL notice – probably other Triad guys."
"Heh. So you're putting the blame for the beatings on the demons." She knew that. She did not have to like it.
"Lucius, are you done?"
"Almost."
"Please hurry. We don't have much time."
Author Notes: This is the start of my Sumaru/FGO fused loop, which is more or less going to dominate future chapters. I'm kind of proud of this collection, but I won't take it personally if you get sick of it lol. But there are still a few miscellaneous snips thrown here and there.
