Edited to fix Fate lore inconsistency involving Noble Phantasms and Archer's Tracing.
"Are you ready?" Archer asked.
Kyoko nodded and walked to take her place within the dojo. She took a high stance with her spear.
She needed this, mostly to blow off some steam from recent events. Somewhat because she wanted to look cool in front of Yuma.
Archer held his hand and Projected a barbed red spear. Its very appearance caused Yuma, who sat at the side to watch them, to tremble in fear.
Good.
Yuma needed to see this. Needed to experience the fear of death for the day she would eventually have to stand on her own.
And what better weapon to stand against than Gáe Bolg the legendary weapon of Cú Chulainn, the Hound of Culann? A weapon with a curse that could reverse causality itself. Any injuries inflicted by it could not be healed as the spear's curse rendered the victim incapable of altering their fate, as long as the spear remained in the world.
Normally it would seem overkill, suicidal really, to use such a weapon for training. But she had insisted that Archer use it for several reasons.
One. The Constant drain of Od for using a Noble Phantasms ability for long periods of time. Primarily the one involving wounds that couldn't be healed after she let herself get scratched lightly. Even that minor ability, minor compared to reversing causality or being a thrown projectile capable of wiping out a small army, would force Kyoko to provide Archer with her own Prana as he maintained its effect. Doing this was tough on her Magical Circuits, but that was the point. Not only did it help her to build them up from constant use, but it also forced her to be more efficient with the Od that she still had to spare.
Two. Combat techniques and Magecraft could be taught. Actual experience however could only be found on the battlefield. Training would be useless, and quite frankly a waste, if you got yourself killed because you hesitated the second you were put into actual combat. To face against bloodlust, to fight past the very embodiment of death being pointed at your chest, to strike a man down without hesitation, that took a heart and mind of steel. Kyoko simply couldn't afford to hesitate against an overwhelmingly powerful enemy. Witches and Magical Girls were guaranteed to be that for her. This was why she always had Archer present himself as that. Not that he needed much help doing so.
Three. Archer's Tracing not only allowed him to copy the shape and function of a weapon, but also its history and the skills acquired by its original owners. This meant that by summoning Gáe Bolg he'd be able to replicate the techniques of the legendary spearman. It was a flawed and shallow imitation to the actual Child of Light, but it served its purpose to show Kyoko his techniques. By fighting against a facsimile of Cú Chulainn on a constant basis, she began to acquire parts of his style as her own. It was fierce, feral, and provided no mercy to the enemy. A beast unleashed. That was what she aimed to be anytime someone, or something, fought against her.
Still, even with those reasons it had taken Kyoko nearly a year to convince Archer to use that weapon against her. Even now he derided it as suicidal, which it would likely be if either of them made a single misstep.
She didn't really care though, didn't really see the point in his fear. She trusted him, even if he couldn't trust himself at times.
Kyoko made the first move and charged. She put her dominant foot forward and thrusted with her spear
Archer deflected.
Then they were trading blows. Spears dancing wickedly in the light of the dojo. Flashes of red and gray, sparks flying upon each contact, were the only signs that their weapons existed.
Archer feinted. He quickly sidestepped the next swipe and then began his offensive.
Kyoko was forced to defend. Soon her arms burned. Her lungs frantically inhaling what precious air she could to keep up with her exertion. Sweat began to cascade down her limbs, neck, and face. She wouldn't back down though. She wouldn't let herself fall. Even against the overwhelming speed of a Servant, even as her limbs struggled to stand against steel shattering force.
She stepped back and slackened her grip slightly. It helped to absorb some of the force coming from her Servant's strikes.
She could not block. She had to deflect. Against overwhelming power, she had to be smarter. She had to be more skilled. It was the only avenue of victory for her as a human and Magus.
And then a misstep. Hers to be more precise.
Her right leg was a little too far forward for a brief second. That was all that Archer needed to pull it out from under her with the shaft of his spear. She stumbled, barely keeping herself from falling backwards by balancing herself on her other foot. By the time she recovered there was already the tip of a spear pointed just inches away from her eye.
That entire exchange had lasted all of two minutes.
"You concentrate too much on your enemy," Archer lectured as he grabbed Kyoko's hand and pulled her up straight. "You need to be aware of your own body, especially your footwork."
"Noted," Kyoko grumbled as she ignored the trembling in her limbs and took her stance once again. At least she broke her previous record by ten seconds.
They began trading blows again, though at a much lighter pace and ferocity. Now their weapons were actually visible to Yuma who had been watching them in awe.
"Could I actually do that one day?" Yuma asked during them during a break.
"With lots… of hard work… and practice," Kyoko grunted between swings.
Archer grappled with the shaft of her spear and quickly tore it out of Kyoko's hands. She then tried to punch him, only to grabbed by the arm and thrown to the ground.
"Ouch."
"You have Reinforcement. You'll be fine," Archer said as he helped pull her back up.
"Still hurts."
"Well then don't talk so much in the middle of a fight. It's a waste of breath."
"Fine," Kyoko sighed as she walked over to Yuma who handed her a bottle of water. She squirted some in her mouth before splashing her face and neck. "Any other comments you have for me?" she asked Archer.
"We should stop practicing with Gáe Bolg."
"For the love of- Archer I'm not having this argument with you again."
"Which is why I want to start using other weapons or Noble Phantasms against you."
Kyoko simply looked at him in surprise.
"It was… a good idea to spar with you using Gáe Bolg," he admitted. "You've been developing quickly once we had moved away from training weapons. However, you've already learned most of what you can from this spear. If we're going to develop your skills its best to start drawing upon more of my arsenal. Get you used to fighting a large variety of weapons and techniques."
"Huh… so which one's next?" Kyoko asked.
"You're used to fighting people up close," Archer held out a hand and Projected his bow. "Let's see how you do with fighting someone suited for ranged combat."
"Ah… any tips?" Kyoko asked nervously. She had seen that bow used countless times, but this would be the first time it would be used against her.
"Block." Archer nocked his bow with a blunt arrow and pointed it at her. "Or dodge."
"Why didn't you dodge?" Yuma asked.
"It's a lot harder than it looks," Kyoko grumbled. She was laid painfully on a blanket in the living room.
Archer was, surprise surprise, a skilled archer. Every one of his arrows hit their mark. Not to say that they all hit her, she was able to deflect and avoid some of them, but they each had their own purpose that they served. Whether to break her posture or corral her into a bad position. The ones that did end up landing, a good forty percent or so, left some very nasty bruises on her body.
It wasn't just physically painful but also a blow to her pride. Every arrow that hit was essentially a killing blow past her Reinforcement. One direct hit usually all that was needed to disable a human or cause them to bleed out.
"Gyah!" Kyoko shouted as her back was assaulted by another jab of ice. "Easy there!"
"Sorry," Yuma apologized as she grabbed another cold patch. She turned back to Archer who sat nearby . "Am I doing this right?"
Archer appraised the girl's work. "Good so far. Make sure to get to under the armpit there though."
"Oh, didn't notice that," Yuma commented before casually slapping it on the aforementioned spot.
"Godda- ng it," Kyoko nearly cursed between grit teeth. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought that they were enjoying this.
Actually, Archer might. Not too sure about Yuma. Might have to get that girl an extra session with the psychiatrist if she did. Speaking of, were there any good psychiatrists in Kamihama they could go too?
"Now put something on before you catch a cold," Archer said.
"Fine, Mom," Kyoko sighed before slowly and carefully putting on a loose nightgown over her underwear. Normally she wouldn't wear a nightgown, especially one with a giant cat face on it, but she needed to wear something loose that wouldn't squeeze against her bruises.
Archer gave Yuma a quick pat to the head. "Good job with the first aid."
"Thank you, I used it a lot," Yuma replied sheepishly. "First time for someone else though."
The implications of that were enough to get Kyoko's blood to run hot.
The people that had mistreated the girl were dead, nothing they could about it now. Still Kyoko wondered it would've been better to let that Witch have its way with their corpses before she had killed it. Or maybe just cut them up herself before the labyrinth had faded and then use the parts as snacks for the sharks in the local aquarium.
"You have a healer's touch," Archer said. "You'll be able to make use of it whenever either of us get hurt."
Not that Archer really needed it, but Kyoko could see where he was going with this.
"I'm… useful?" Yuma asked.
"Yea. You are," Kyoko replied as she took her turn to rub Yuma's head.
Yuma leaned forward and began to hug Kyoko like she usually did. It hurt with the bruises, but well Kyoko wasn't going to complain.
"So how do think I'll handle Kamihama?" Kyoko asked Archer.
"You can hold you own against Magical Girls," Archer replied. "But strength in numbers isn't something to be taken lightly. You'll rarely find a Magical Girl in Kamihama that isn't part of a group. And the few that choose to isolate themselves and still survive in that city are people that you don't want to mess with. Also, don't even think about fighting a Witch there by yourself. Either call on me or form a temporary alliance with whoever's around if you have to."
"I thought you and I avoided asking for help from strangers?"
"They're friendlier to outsiders than most. Mostly because they need as many warm bodies as possible to deal with the Witches there."
"What do we do once we run into Oriko and her cronies then?"
"Their abilities counter mine fairly well… but it would likely be my victory if it was just the two of them," Archer replied. "It's the third unknown ally they have that bothers me."
"You could always leave one of the three to me," Kyoko suggested. "I can probably hold them off long enough for you to take care of the rest. Just make sure to leave something of Oriko to me. I want to see her face when I shove my spear down her-"
Kyoko turned her head toward the border of the city.
A Bounded Field, the outermost one in the surrounding area activated. It acted as an alarm for whenever someone or something tried to get into their territory.
"Talk about bad timing," Kyoko groaned as she forced herself to get up. Annoyance turned to unease though when the Bounded Field pinged off again, another three times.
"Crap."
Four. Not the biggest group they dealt with, but any planned invasion by an organized group was to be dealt with cautiously. And she was definitely in no state to pick a fight right now.
Archer stood up, already donning his armor and coat. "I'll take care of them." He then disappeared on the spot before Kyoko could say a word.
"Yea… fine," Kyoko had no choice but to concede and sat down. She took out her spear and laid it on her lap as she waited.
"What's happening?" Mom-, no Yuma, asked nervously.
Kyoko shook her head to rid herself off the false image. She couldn't let herself mix up the two of them. "Nothing Yuma. Just stay with me."
She wouldn't lose her little sister. Not again.
How long had it been for Mami, since she had last stepped in Kazamino? Since she had split up with Kyoko completely. Two years? Or perhaps a bit shorter than that?
She had at least spent the next few months after Momo's death trying to work with Kyoko. Just after her Junior and Archer set off on their own and moved out of the apartment. They tried to make things work out.
Tried.
Kyoko changed after her family's death. So much that there was no longer anything that they agreed on and too much that differed. It was almost inevitable that they would split up completely, no matter how much effort the two of them had put in.
Knowing this still didn't make Mami feel any better though. She was responsible for that. If she had just been for Momo…
"How much longer until we get there?" Sayaka asked from where she was carried on Mami's back. "I'm worried about Madoka."
Mami glanced back to where Homura closely followed them. In her hands was Madoka, who she held gently in a princess carry. The black-haired girl had refused to let her go.
"We're almost there. She'll be fine," Mami replied. She had sedated the girl with magic, and it seemed like her condition hadn't gotten any worse on transit. The fact that that crack on Madoka's arm still hadn't stopped glowing was cause for concern though.
"Are you sure this person can help?" Sayaka asked.
"He's knowledgeable and capable."
If Archer couldn't or wasn't willing to help though then there was simply no one else to turn apart from Kyubey. Not the worst thing to wish for, to save life of a friend, but it would be best if Sayaka could make a wish in circumstances where she wasn't rushed and had better clarity of mind.
"He?" Homura asked. "Not a Magical Girl?"
"Another Magus. He's-" Mami stopped on her feet and raised her arm to signal Homura to stop moving. "Here."
"Who's here?" Sayaka asked as she got off of Mami's back.
"You've become a bit more aware of your surroundings."
A man appeared in front of them, as if out of thin hair. His skin was tanned, his hair white, and his cloak a vibrant and striking red. Most alarming of all though was the large black bow that he held in his hands. It wasn't pretty or calming to look at like Madoka's bow. The weapon that he wielded was a tool, a tool meant to kill and destroy. And it was aimed straight at her.
"Why did you come here?" Archer asked.
"Archer," Mami had a musket appear in her hands, though she kept it pointed at the rooftop. She wouldn't appear meek, though neither would she force a fight until absolutely neccesary. "How have you two been?"
"I don't care for pleasantries. Answer the question or I will shoot you for trespassing."
As infuriatingly blunt as always.
"I need your help," Mami said.
His eyes scanned the four of them before ultimately stopping at Madoka. His eyes rose slightly as she looked at the crack on her arm. "The girl?"
"Yes. She needs healing."
"Bring her to a hospital then. Or do it yourself."
"We've tried. It doesn't work and she's not a Magical Girl," Mami explained. "I believe she's a Magus. Like you. Neither I nor the hospital would know how to treat her."
He began to appraise Madoka a bit more thoroughly. His eyes raised slightly. A sign of curiosity? Or something else. It was hard to tell with him.
"So, you came here because you had no choice?" he asked.
Mami nodded.
"Why?"
"Didn't you just say it?"
"No," Archer replied firmly. "Why did you bring her here? Why help her?"
Mami bowed her head. He always was able to see through her. "Because I don't want to be responsible for her death too. I know I failed before, but I had to do something for them. There wasn't anyone else around that they could turn to for guidance."
Archer sighed and closed his eyes. "It was my failure, not yours."
It was something that two had argued about before. Who was responsible for Momo's death. The only thing they could ever agree on was that Kyoko wasn't to blame. It didn't matter if she made that wish, they had no way of knowing how far her father would go.
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was no longer deadly. It was still firm, but it no longer seemed that he was going to shoot. Especially once he began to lower his bow. "I won't protect you from her. You'll have to deal with her yourself."
"I know."
The bow disappeared from Archer's hand before he turned around. "Follow me then."
Mami breathed a sigh of relief before signaling Homura to move again. She then grabbed Sayaka and made the trip to his house.
It was certainly an eye raising experience, seeing his house in the distance. Mami had heard plans of it, before it had been built, but seeing it for herself was something else entirely.
"Woah," Sayaka whistled as they stepped onto the property. "Nice place you got here."
"I don't remember this house being here the last time I visited," Homura commented.
"When were you last here?" Archer asked.
"A-… A year ago."
"That's strange," Archer stared at her suspiciously. "This house was built two years ago."
"Oh," Homura looked away having apparently been caught for her deception. Why she needed to lie about that though, Mami didn't know.
The front door of the house opened before Mami had a chance to inquire though. She stopped breathing when she saw who was on the other side.
"Kyoko!?" Homura and Sayaka both shouted.
Mami would've asked how the two of them knew Kyoko if she wasn't so busy holding her breath.
It was… rough. Seeing her old Junior again. And wearing a loose nightgown of all things. The cat was really cute though. Best not to make a comment about it.
"Cute cat," Sayaka commented.
And now Sayaka was dead. Sad thing too, to lose another Junior so soon.
Rather than lash out though Kyoko's quickly scanned them. Then Archer. Then finally Mami.
"What are you doing here?" Kyoko asked as she continued to glare at her.
Mami forced herself to breathe.
She could handle this. She had to be strong for the people that followed her.
"Well? Answer me," Kyoko demanded.
"I asked Archer for help. One of my Juniors was injured fighting a Witch," Mami replied.
"Ribbons over there?"
Homura tightened her grip on Madoka. "Yes."
"Why is her arm glowing like a night light?"
"We don't know," Mami replied before glancing at Archer. "He might"
Kyoko sighed before looking at Archer. "Do you?"
"Not for certain," Archer admitted.
"I'm assuming you agreed to help?" Kyoko asked.
"Yes," Archer replied before walking in front of Homura and holding an arm out. "Give her to me. I'll do my best to help."
It was clear that Homura didn't want to let go of Madoka… but she didn't have much of a choice did she? The black-haired girl reluctantly handed her friend over to Archer. To their relief he handled Madoka rather gently and began to carefully walk away with her.
"I'm taking her to the shed," Archer said.
"The shed!?" Kyoko asked, surprised. "Even I don't go in there."
"Yes. Don't let anyone come in while I'm working."
"Guard duty. Got it."
"And don't start a fight either."
"Fine."
Archer opened the door to a nondescript wooden shed around the corner of the house and promptly disappeared inside it.
"Always such a bleeding heart," Kyoko grumbled to herself.
Mami was inclined to agree. For all their disagreements, there was no denying that there was a man that cared. Past the cold logic, cynicism, and nihilistic behavior of course.
"So, this where you live," Sayaka said. "Yuma inside the house too?"
Yuma?
"She's supposed to be heading to bed," Kyoko turned to glare at the doorway and Mami finally noticed the little green bundle peeking its head around the corner.
It was a young girl. She would've been Momo's age around this time. "Kyoko. Is she-"
"She's someone we took in," Kyoko interrupted. "I'm making sure she becomes a proper Magus."
"You really do know Magic?" Sayaka commented. "Should've figured."
"Magecraft," Kyoko corrected. "And of course, an idiot like you had to develop Potential and get involved with Magical Girls."
Sayaka glared. "What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing. Already told you have I feel about heroes."
"There's nothing wrong with being a hero. You wouldn't know since you're too selfish to tr-"
"Miki stop," Mami commanded her Junior firmly. "We're not here to start a fight." She bowed her head to Kyoko. "I apologize for her actions. Though I wonder why you're willing to escalate things if Archer demanded that you avoid fighting."
"He said that I can't start a fight," Kyoko replied. "Didn't mean I can't defend myself if the idiot throws the first punch."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't rile her up just so that you can fight without consequence," Mami replied.
"Tch." Kyoko looked at Homura who looked unprepared at being addressed. "What about you, Pigtails? You look like you got something to say? Say it."
"I…" Homura glanced at the wooden shed, clearly conflicted between Madoka's safety and her curiosity. "Aren't you also a Magical Girl?"
"For the love of- I am not a Magical Girl! I'm a Magus. Fully human. No Soul Gem." Kyoko brandished her hands to them as proof.
"What's with the tattoos?" Sayaka asked.
"It's for my Magecraft," Kyoko answered quickly before hiding her hand in her sleeve.
"Kyoko is a Magus. She's not a Magical Girl currently," Mami vouched for her. She knew the truth of Kyoko's previous Contract, but that was a secret that she would willingly take to the grave.
"Come on, is it really so hard to believe that there are things other than Magical Girls out there in this world?" Kyoko asked Homura who looked even more confused than before.
"No… you're right," Homura eventually replied. "I'm just trying to get used to things."
"Well then get used to it outside of my property," Kyoko demanded.
"Are you seriously kicking us out!?" Sayaka shouted.
"Yea," Kyoko replied. She flinched as she crossed her arms. "Archer's willing to help Ribbons so she's allowed here. I have no obligation to deal with the rest of you though."
"We're not leaving until we get Madoka back!" Sayaka shouted and Homura nodded in agreement.
"Then wait outside the gate or at that little café down the block," Kyoko pointed and quickly hissed as she did so. "Just don't loiter on my property."
"Kyoko, are you hurt?" Mami asked.
"No," Kyoko replied.
"You're lying."
"Tch," Kyoko looked away, having been caught in her lie. "Training with Archer can get rough, alright."
That was likely the truth. Mami had personally witnessed and participated in a few of these training sessions in the past. If it was still as tough as before or increased in intensity over the years, then it was impressive that Kyoko still had the ability to stand and aggressively posture in front of them.
Sayaka grinned. "Glad someone's disci-"
"Sayaka stop," Mami interrupted her before she could finish her sentence and rile Kyoko up even more.
"But Mami-"
"No."
Sayaka finally went silent.
It was Kyoko's turn to grin now. "Whipped."
Sayaka glared at her and clenched a fist but thankfully kept her mouth shut.
"Why didn't you didn't heal yourself?" Homura asked.
"Not a Magical Girl. Can't just make our wounds disappear like they're nothing."
"What about your… Magecraft?"
"Dedicated healing Magecraft is specialized and only usable by a select few. All we can do is speed up the body's natural healing."
An idea popped up in Mami's head. "What if I helped heal you? Would you allow us to stay?"
"I don't need your magic," Kyoko replied.
"How much time will you spend recovering? Would you lose all that time doing nothing or just let us in for a few hours instead?" Mami asked.
Kyoko opened her mouth, ready to argue, before she immediately shut and began to mull over Mami's words.
"It's a fair trade isn't it?" Mami said.
Kyoko was a pragmatic person… as long as you avoided certain sensitive topics. She was rash, but not foolish and cold logic was generally your best bet at getting a reasonable response. Usually. Other times you had to be the tough one. Knock her down a peg and get her begrudging respect before she'd be willing to talk.
… Maybe that was why Archer got along with her so well.
"Maybe if it was just you. What about the rest of them?" Kyoko asked.
Mami wasn't deterred though. The fact that Kyoko had asked a question rather than rebuff her entirely meant that she was interested. Now she just had to sweeten the deal. "One Grief Seed."
"Two."
"One. We're just staying until Kaname is healed," Mami replied firmly. She knew the value of Grief Seeds. One was being generous and that was without the healing.
"What does she need a Grief seed for?" Sayaka asked. "She ain't a Magical Girl."
"I sell them," Kyoko replied.
"You what!?" Sayaka shouted, outraged.
Kyoko gestured to the house behind her. "Nice place like this doesn't pay for itself."
Mami of course, knew of Kyoko's occupation as a Grief Seed merchant. She had been there when Kyoko had first started selling her share of their seeds to other Magical Girls. It was what led to one of many disagreements they had that would eventually lead to their split.
"But Magical Girls need them!" Sayaka shouted.
That was one of the first arguments Mami made.
"Yea," Kyoko replied. "I hunt Witches and provide Magical Girls with an essential service. Why shouldn't I be getting paid for my work?"
And that had been Kyoko's rebuttal back then.
"You have Magic, don't you?" Sayaka argued. "Doesn't that give you a responsibility to help people?"
"Magecraft," Kyoko emphasized. "I don't need to make a Contract and wish to get Magecraft. Just hard work. I don't owe anyone anything." She glanced at the wooden shed. "Apart from Archer," she amended.
"She's right," Mami agreed before Sayaka could argue any further. "She's doesn't have an obligation to fight Witches, but she still does. Even if it is for personal gain… she does get work done."
It was one of the few things that she had been forced to concede. Kyoko had every right to do what she did, no matter how much Mami found it distasteful.
"But Magical Girls need them to live. They'll die fighting Witches otherwise," Sayaka argued.
"People need food to live. You going to start attacking grocery stores because they don't hand out free stuff?" Kyoko argued. "Same with medicine. You gonna go Robin Hood and rob a bunch of pharmacies? Or maybe go after Big Pharma for jacking up the prices?"
"I provide Magical Girls with an essential service," Kyoko reiterated. "And it ain't just me. There are a few Adjusters out there that sell or take Grief Seeds as payment for their work on Soul Gems. You going to go after them too?" She chuckled and shook her head. "Would like to see you try. Attack an Adjuster and you'll have every Magical Girl in a city out for your head. Wonder how long you'd last?"
"Bet nobody would come to help you though," Sayaka grumbled. She didn't refute Kyoko's argument though and it was clear that she was deep in thought over what she had just heard.
"Will you accept my offer or not?" Mami decided to push the original topic. "If not, I can take my healing and Grief Seed somewhere else."
"Fine," Kyoko conceded. "You drive a hard bargain. Honestly, if you weren't such a goody two shoes you would've been a great Merchant."
Mami wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that. And she was even more confused when Kyoko took Yuma gently by the hand and led her inside.
Kyoko turned her head and gave the little girl some words of encouragement. Then a smile. A smile that Mami hadn't seen in years.
For a brief moment it was almost like looking back in the past. A time when Kyoko still had a dream, a time when they were all happier.
It was gone though and there was no getting it back.
Maybe one day they could learn to accept that.
A/N
Hi everyone. Soul here.
Thank you for all the comments, especially those regarding mistakes to my grammar and Fate terminology. I'll try to keep those in mind in the future but things do occasionally fall through the cracks at my current upload schedule. I'll go back to fix those mistakes on previous chapters when time permits it.