The Adventures of Mizukume-chan - (Fateverse, Tamamo!SI)

Once upon a time (Heian Period - 1000 AD circa) in the Land of the Rising Sun (Japan, duh), a young girl (an adorable young girl) wakes up one morning with an ambition (a dream).

"I shall go for a walk(adventure)~!"

In an Era where the Yokai are quite present within the Nasuverse Japan, the sudden insertion of a supernatural character and the rise of a most gutsy little warrior shall rip apart the status quo of the world.

With long pink hair and sharp golden eyes, here comes the tiniest of the samurais; And she is keen to trip n' fall, to foes she shan't ever bow!

Introducing... the 'Adventures of Mizukume-chan'!

First Legend: The Hopeless Firesnake Maiden

It was a morning, and yet not many could say that it was a good one. Definitely not those that perished in the abrupt attack at the Dojo-ji temple in Hidakagawa.

And this horrible day had streched for more than twenty-four hours. It was a supposedly neverending nightmare for the restless souls of those poor monks that had been slain by a mighty beast. A slithering river snake with pearly white scales and sharp golden eyes that scorched the very ground of the religious site.

It was tragic, intensely so, but there was only quiet as the disturbed souls were 'mocked' by what sounded to be sobbing. The loud noise came from the middle of the 'attack', a kneeling young girl crying and bawling as she tried to find mercy in her own madness. Her eyes were shedding bloody tears, pain and sorrow riddling her mind as she remembered why the bell had to be burned, and why she had to slay so many lives.

Love. She had loved someone. And he had lied to her. She wanted to believe he had not. She had tried to ignore the guttural hatred born from the furious realization. But it was now too late. Her anger won her mind, and she was driven by righteous wrath.

The liar died. But so did those that bore no sin with her.

Kiyohime 'woke up' in the middle of that ashened ground. The dark and gray particles leaving her confused, mesmerized, and horrified. She knew what she did, and she felt horrified of what had occurred. And as she drowned in her own despair, a figure approached.

Shorter than her, carrying a long sword- too long for her stature. Foxy ears twitched at the snake-lady's sobbing, and yet the golden-eyed gaze of their owner held a most tame smile on her face. Suave and fragile steps zeroed upon the brazen murderer, and soon the fellow girl soon sat beside Kiyohime.

The sobbing lessened as confusion permeated upon Kiyohime's mind. The past slowly slipping away as her thoughts desperately pushed her upon the present - to see the visitor of this already macabre sight. She glanced at the slightly younger girl and frowned.

Who was she?

And yet, despite her perplexity, it was the kitsune that spoke and her words created a question.

"What's your story, hime-san?"

Part of her felt she knew her already, but then realized that she was addressed as 'Princess' rather than with a nickname. Despite this, Kiyohime felt her emotions pour out almost urgently upon the offer and she replied.

Her name, her family, her happy life, and then that monk, Anchin- the rage surged once more, but as her listener noticed her upset, the girl brought her arms over her shoulder, her yellow kimono soft and warm to her nude skin as the monstrous maiden felt her body soothed of its anger.

Magic? No, it was a simpler spell. It was concern and basic worry. Something her mother used to grant her when she was alive, but that was long gone after her passing due to a sickness. Her father, a kind soul, would have never been too expressive of such emotions and hardly embraced her with such care.

Nonetheless, her tale resumed without any unwarranted unease. Her crime was exposed, shame was expressed, and then she felt the tears back to her as she was lulled in that soothing embrace. But as her story ended, the fox girl's own tale started.

"My name is Mizukume, and I am an aspiring Monster Hunter," The pink-haired kitsune addressed herself with such a jovial voice, and yet Kiyohime shivered at the title. Monster Hunter? She was a Monster so...

"A-Are you here to slay me, Mizukume-san?"

"Well, I was sent to slay a beast, but I found a most hopeless maiden. One that was lied not once but twice," The young kitsune spoke with a layer of maturity that stunned the poor Kiyohime. "First with a promise of love, and then with a promise of hope for that love. He lied to you twice, Hime-chan, and while I think you are right to feel ashamed for killing innocents in your rampage, you were reasonably hurt by what happened."

The hug tightened, and Kiyohime felt her heart throb at those understanding words.

"You will be punished by becoming my first ever retainer. You will be my confidant and my trusted advisor. No, you will be more- you shall be my friend, and as I will call you 'Hime-chan', you shall address me as 'Mizu-chan'," Mizukume explained with a more tender tone, a childish turn that made Kiyohime felt without air in her tired lungs. And as the hug lessened momentarily as they could stare at each other's face, Mizukume's pretty golden eyes were now staring at Kiyohime's own yellow slitted eyes as the curse retreated deep within her. "But that doesn't mean you are truly hopeless, Hime-chan. Your hope to be alive, your hope for a tomorrow- it's there. And you will make it. Because I will aid you through it."

The words burned deep in her. It was like her rage, but it was not hateful. It didn't hurt her, it didn't burn into her skin... no, it burned with her. She felt glad to be part of that flame, as it warmed her and slowly coerced her back into hugging more that curious kitsune.

The sobs were back, but it wasn't pain driving them as the relieved souls of the monks could sense, it was... joy.

"T-Thank you, Mizu-chan!"

Having Kiyohime as my first assignment as a legit Monster Hunter had been a surprise. Then again, the Heian period had a few familiar faces I was up to find in the long run.

Kiyohime being among the first important ones was a surprise, but a welcomed one as I took her in as my retainer rather than slay her for her crimes. She didn't deserve death, but she would live a life of working to save lives that didn't deserve the pain.

As we retreated to Kyoto so we could rest and recover from this situation, I couldn't help but look back at how things brought me here at this point.

One day I was just being me, and the next one I was a child that was found by an old couple in Izumo, in the modern-day Shimane prefecture. A baby girl. With pink hair, foxy ears and nine fluffy tails. The elders were scared shitless of the sight of such a young and seemingly powerful yokai, but I guess the sight of a baby and a potential daughter melted their fear and allowed them to adopt me.

Named Mizukume, I was already aware of what my role was from the very day I was 'reborn'. I was a fragment of Amaterasu, a curious spirit given a more human form, a child with a grand potential but also a cursed future up ahead if I didn't change shit.

My future self, the name that I would have been known as, was Tamamo-no-Mae. A kitsune that was, within the limitations of the Nasuverse, considered the cause of many issues. Yet, not the true bearer of the sin. Merely a scapegoat.

So, when I started to grow up under the care of my new parents, helping around the small farm and becoming a bit of an 'odd darling' for the village due to my supernatural appearance and incredible kindness, I took some of my free time to actually contemplate what I could do to save myself.

What sort of tricks I could have adopted to hide my 'treacherous' appearance, maybe even not be the lady-in-waiting for the Emperor. But as the years went by, I also took notice of one major thing that I couldn't ignore. And that was...

I don't have to get troubled with following the timeline.

I mean, sure- pruning is a scary thing, but wouldn't it be fair to say that... me being there was already a pruning-worthy situation?

Like, if the entire point of pruning is a matter of recycling 'bad dimensions', would it be fair to say that me being there and not causing the end of the world was proof I had a free hand on the wheel of history? It was all hypothetical, and yet it made big sense to me. And it would also explain how some 'AUs' existed within the Fateverse.

Hence why, after some deep considerations, I knew what I had to do.

"I shall slay the evil-doers!"

This proclamation was delivered during one of those usually calm dinners around the time I was 6 and got the full attention of my old parents.

"Silly Mizukume-chan, you are a girl. You should focus on become a fine lady rather than playing boyish desires."

Considering I was a guy stuck in a wee girl's body, I took that a bit too personally. My dad voiced similar opinions, but he then took me to his old storage room to show me something.

A massive katana. It was his old sword as a samurai and retainer to a local clan.

"I will give you five year to show me your value, Mizukume-chan. Five years to train under my vigilance, five years to show the world that you truly wish to be a warrior."

This was the beginning of my training arc. And where my old father thought I would have failed, I surprised him by completing his training in four years rather than five, and then besting him in a practice with wooden swords. My biology was just inhuman by all means, and while I wouldn't say I was the finest warrior, I had the power and speed to be a ruthless butcher in the battlefield.

What I lacked was balance in my steps and control over my attacks. Oh, and precision. I started to work hard to try and get a better control over my unusual nature, and while I couldn't do much to learn spiritual techniques, I still managed to keep up by actually training my body to be one with nature.

The spar with my father was also what convinced my mother I was born for this sort of chore, and, after a rather tearjerking departure, I left home at the age of 10 to get to the Imperial Capital and become a Monster Hunter.

After some struggling, I found news of a most recent situation involving the Dojo-ji temple and I found Kiyohime. Her hair pale white, her eyes red, her horns charcoal black. I thought she was truly lost for a moment, but my genuine kindness as I knew her regrets through FGO was enough to bring her back.

Not fully as she was still cursed to be a monster even as she regained her green hair and her golden eyes - the horns remained. A bit of an issue was finding her some temporary clothes for her to wear before we got back to Kyoto, and, even then, I refused to let her wear a rice sack as an outfit.

I had some money with me, especially after we confirmed the 'monster had been slain' so we could get paid for it and...

"H-how does this one looks?"

Blinking as I broke away from my thoughts upon my perch by the room's window, I turned to Kiyohime. We were staying at some sort of an inn, the place offering some sights over the busy streets to distract myself with while I waited for Kiyohime to put on the dress she had bought.

I didn't even get a glimpse of it until now and... I gasped.

It was a Miko priestess dress!

"I-Is it bad or-!" I didn't let Kiyohime end that foolish sentence as I got up to her and gave her a tight hug.

"Hime-chan, we're cuddling tonight!"

"...Heh?"

"You're so cute- I will let you cuddle with my tails, but I want to hug you with how cute you truly are~!"

The good news was that Kiyohime was quite submissive to proper manipulation, also good news was that Kiyohime, my beloved retainer Hime-chan...

Was the best cuddleable heat pump I have ever experienced~!

AN

Ah yes, on the line with the Ganyu!SI, this one shall see Mini-Tamamo engaging in the late Heian Period and face familiar faces among friends and foes. In due time, smut shall also ensue (once they are all older, and Mizukume gets her hand on the Pseudo-Merlin of this era).

Still, next time... two aspiring Monster Hunters met!