Title: if wishes were horses

A/N: For the Midsummer Lie's Dream zine! Oberon just makes me so sad, I want him to find his Titania one day. I'm sure she exists, somewhere, somewhen.

Summary: Vortigern hated everything. Oberon loved the sound of his friends' laughter. And here, in a carriage with Ritsuka, he wasn't sure which side of him would win out more. Which side he wanted to win more.

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Laughter filled the open plains.

That in itself wasn't an unusual sound, especially not for Oberon. In his months in this Lostbelt, laughter was the sound that greeted him the most. That and clamoring cries for him to pay his bills, whether it be in a tall tale, a whimsical ditty, or in actual money. A smile and joke was often all he needed to squeeze his way out of those situations.

No, what was unusual was hearing it on the road. Or even actually being on the road, for that matter. Oberon rarely took his time travelling between cities and even then, he never had a travelling companion. Now, though, he was inundated with them. Leaning against the carriage, he idly scanned the open field in front of him. Gareth and Red Hare chatted eagerly about the best restaurants. Muramasa and Da Vinci teased Artoria. Blanca rested for once, taking a break between the errands he tasked her with. A wind blew through long grasses, rippling through them like the sea. There were no Mors, no other Fae, just several 'friends' scattered about as though they were out on a picnic and not fulfilling a prophecy.

Months ago, he couldn't have imagined this scene at all. His trips had been merely a means to an end. They still were, but now they were filled with diversions and pit stops. Trips that would take an hour at most were now days of winding roads. What a ridiculously ordinary, fluffy trip.

It repulsed him.

"What are you thinking of?" Ritsuka asked, popping out of nowhere. For a human, she was oddly quiet, her footsteps light and breathing shallow. Perhaps it was all of her time spent fighting battle after battle, sneaking from one danger to the next. It was a matter of survival that she could hide her presence, at least long enough until she could summon protection.

Oberon plastered a smile out of habit. He couldn't let his guard down just yet. "Just how ordinary this is. I didn't think I'd get to travel around with everyone. It's a lot more fun than I expected."

Ritsuka studied him, her eyes sharp, her expression unreadable. There were times when he wondered if she could see right through him, if the betrayals and twists she'd witnessed had given her a sixth sense for it. If maybe the wars she'd fought had aged her well beyond her years. But then, just as quickly, she turned away and leaned against the carriage next to him. "I wonder why you got here so early. Tristan appeared when we did."

"Me too," Oberon sang, relaxing slightly. It had all been in his imagination. How could she see through him, when all of the Fae here couldn't? He raised both his hands as though he were balancing an imaginary scale. "Maybe that's the difference between a knight and a prince? But that gave me time to set everything up."

"Thanks for that." Ritsuka smiled appreciatively. She looked worn, no doubt a little depleted from a recent skirmish. Her energy hadn't yet recharged from her latest summoning. Pushing back a stray red lock, her expression turned wry. "Though…did you really have to rack up all those bills? You don't even need to eat."

"It's fun! They keep coming up with new creations, how can I say no? And it's not that much," Oberon denied half-heartedly. It had been all too easy to swindle others. A little smile, a little song, and they all ate out of his hand. Even animals had a better sense of wariness. "Besides, what's a little debt between friends?"

"I don't think that constitutes as a little," Ritsuka replied dryly. Despite her words, she chuckled, her eyes full of mirth. "I'm amazed they still let you in. I think we could buy a country with how much you owe."

"It's not like they can deny my face. And I am a prince, even if only in name." Oberon chuckled and shrugged, dismissing the problem. If things continued as planned, it wouldn't be long before the whole point became moot. "It's fine, we're saving everyone, right? What's a little money compared to that?"

Ritsuka flinched. She stared at the ground, biting her lip as she scuffed the dirt. "Saving everyone…"

Was that guilt he detected? Oberon repressed a dark smirk. Just how far should he push that feeling? Just how deep should he twist that knife? It was far too late to feel that now, after pruning five possibilities. Ritsuka couldn't turn back now, and even if she could, Oberon wouldn't let her. He'd far prefer to let her feelings fester, to have them deepen and darken until they consumed her. Until her appearance matched her deeds.

Yet, he was Oberon right now, and for all of Oberon's pranks and roguish behaviour, he was not one to let another wallow in guilt.

"You are saving them," he reminded her gently, resting a hand on her shoulder. Even for a human, she felt small, frail. "Regardless of how it ends, today's important, right?"

"That…" Ritsuka covered his hand with hers and squeezed it lightly. It didn't repulse him as much as it should have. "I know. Thanks."

"Knowing and feeling something are two different things, right? Knowing the truth doesn't always make it any easier to believe." Oberon closed his eyes as a light breeze ran through the field, rustling his robes and ruffling his hair. He hadn't meant to say that. He shouldn't have said that.

Titania.

Unbidden, he thought of her once more. What a silly, stupid thought. If only he hadn't 'settled' as Oberon. Naked and fractured, he hadn't thought of anything more than survival when he'd first surfaced in the forest. And now, he was paying for that weakness with a body that swirled with conflicting wishes and thoughts.

He didn't need any of this.

He wanted it more than anything. A doomsday device shouldn't have desire, yet it filled him nonetheless.

How troubling.

"Yeah." Ritsuka looked at him once more, with those perceptive eyes of hers. For a moment, he thought she'd read his mind.

Before she could say anything, he cut in with a teasing smile. It was far too early for him to lose control like this. "Just look at Artoria." Oberon gestured at the young woman in front of them, her face bright red from either anger or embarrassment. Or both. It was usually both. Especially when she had to deal with Muramasa, who looked like he was setting up a competition. "She really doesn't seem like the chosen one, does she? She's not like the Artoria from our world at all."

Ritsuka laughed. "Yeah, you're right. Still…" She pursed her lips as she glanced at their companion, her expression softening. Did she see something of herself in the chosen one? They had both been thrust into a task they hadn't been ready for, with no way out.

"Still?" Oberon prodded, curious despite himself.

"It's…uh…it's corny, but they have the same eyes." She rubbed her neck sheepishly. An embarrassed flush spread across her nose. "They're…unwavering. She's not confident, but…it's like when I talked to Artoria Lily. She's stronger than she realizes. She just needs a push."

"Ohhh?" Oberon grinned, steering the conversation back to lighter pastures. It seemed his decision for team building exercises was finally paying off. "Looks like someone has a fan. You should tell her that."

"That…yeah." Ritsuka looked even more embarrassed at the thought. "I'll think about that." She laughed awkwardly. "It's like Mash all over again."

He had seen little of Ritsuka's preferred Servant. "They're similar?"

"A bit. I had to praise Mash a lot in the beginning too. She never seemed to believe me or herself." Ritsuka smiled wistfully as she leaned back, staring up at the sky. "I hope we find her soon."

"We will." Oberon tapped Ritsuka's hand, the master's seals impossible to miss on her pale skin. "You're still connected to her, right? And we've got everyone searching."

Softly, she mumbled, "Yeah."

There was something nostalgic about her expression. Oberon couldn't quite place where he'd seen it before. It was the most vulnerable he'd seen her.

Ritsuka didn't look at him as she added, "And you too."

That caught him off guard. Puzzled, he pointed at himself. "Me?"

Now she turned to him, her gaze thoughtful. "Titania. I'm sure we'll find her one day."

Oberon didn't know what to say to that, whether he should fake a laugh or look appreciative. He should never have let that slip earlier.

Ritsuka didn't comment on his silence. She clasped her hands in front of her. "There are other servants like that. Nursery Rhyme. Jeanne d'Arc Alter. They didn't really exist but they also do. It happens sometimes."

He didn't need to be a mind reader to guess where this was going. Oberon forced a smile. "If we're lucky."

"Well, I think I've got that covered." Ristuka chuckled sardonically. "I mean, all of this is happening, but I made it pretty far. And in one piece. You never know; she might appear one day."

"I…" It was strange. Ritsuka was consoling him. Oberon had never been consoled before. He had never needed to be consoled either. Even now, he didn't need to hear those words. Even now, there was something about the whole idea that made his skin crawl.

Yet, hope bloomed within him nonetheless.

It unnerved him. Maybe this was one of her abilities as a Master. Maybe this was the 'Oberon' within him. He should have cut this part of himself out long ago.

Ritsuka grasped his hand comfortingly. "You'll find her. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah." He forced himself to stay still, fighting down the urge to recoil. They'd been in this discussion for too long; he needed to change the subject before they delved any deeper. Ritsuka was perceptive in the worst of ways and he didn't need any more interferences with his plans.

Fortunately, there was an easy target in front of him. Oberon gestured in front of him, at Artoria as she started to swing her wand around like it was a sword. Muramasa drew his sword in response. "Who do you think will win?"

"Is that even a question?" Ristuka laughed before paling. "Wait, do you think he can cut through the Staff of Selection?"

That was a question that had never crossed his mind. Oberon stared blankly at the duel in front of him. "It's magic."

"That…hasn't stopped this before." Ritsuka jerked away from the carriage and took off like a bullet. "Wait, Artoria!"

Oberon snorted. Somehow, the scene in front of him had become even more ridiculous. Everything to do with Chaldea, with Ritsuka and her entourage, had a way of breaking his expectations in the best ways. Now there was a three-way duel, with Da Vinci and Red Hare laughing as a panicked Gareth tried to pick a side.

How absurd. How annoying. How pointless.

He couldn't tear his eyes away. The sound of laughter filled the plains once more. For all that Oberon hated people, he didn't hate the sound of laughter.

I'm sure she exists.

And for all that Oberon hated everything, he didn't hate Ritsuka.