Return to Null Chapter 8:
A Peaceful Dawn
Day 7
The sun finally rose for a new day. By this point everyone was up, with Cú and Martha making breakfast and Sakura playing with Fou and Liz. That was until Martha called them over to inform them their food was ready. As soon as they sat down, everyone received Eggs, toast and bacon. Martha decided to forgo her bacon, and opted for simple onions and potatoes. Sakura and Martha said a quick prayer, with everyone else just waiting out of respect, and when they were done, they all ate together.
"Wow, this food is amazing!" Liz said.
"Well I have cooked for my siblings and Joshua." Martha replied.
"I should be taking notes then!" Liz said. Sakura giggled at the sight of the Lancer actually taking notes of the taste, and how to replicate it, but also at how no one but her noticed Martha's words, with the Rider smiling at her and gave a wink.
"So Ritsuka, have you noticed any weaknesses in Archer's attack patterns?" Medusa asked.
"Personally I'd rather NOT think about that guy right now…." Ritsuka muttered. "But I didn't see nothin' since I was too busy tryin' not to get killed…."
"Right, forget I asked…."
"I have a question of my own, if you do not mind me asking." Diarmuid said. "Cú has been gracious enough to catch me up on who you all really are. But there is something that I have a hard time grasping. Is it true there is another Master in this….Chaldea?"
"We do, but she decided to step down for a while due to….personal reasons…" Mashu answered carefully.
Diarmuid nodded, suspecting there was more to the story. "Well, I won't pry. It would be rude to snoop into a lady's secrets."
Ritsuka nodded in agreement as he saw Sakura giving Fou a couple strips of her bacon to him. "Ya know, he seems to have a strange obsession with bacon."
"Fou!"
"Really?" Mashu asked. "How come you never told me about this before?"
"What did he say?" Medusa asked.
"He said that he loves cooked meat. Especially pork." Mashu answered.
"I still think he should eat other things too." Ritsuka said.
"Fou…Fou Fou."
"Hey I didn't say you would stop eatin' bacon." Ritsuka countered. "I'm just sayin' that you should have some more variety."
"Ummm, pardon me, but is Fou your pet, Mr. Fujimaru?" Sakura asked.
"Mine? Nah, he's Mashu's." Ritsuka answered. "He's also our unofficial mascot."
"Fou Fou!" The critter said proudly.
Mashu gasped. "Fou! Please watch your language!"
"Frankly, I'd rather not know what he just said." Cú answered.
"Hang on, where's Emiya?" Waver asked. "He should've been here."
"He's keeping watch." Cú answered.
Ritsuka gazed at the Lancer and saw the look in his eyes. Emiya wasn't just keeping watched, that much was certain. The male Master got up and stretched his limbs for a moment before picking up his plate and walking towards the rest of the leftover food.
"Where are you going?" Liz asked.
"Just givin' him some food." Ritsuka said. "I'll be back in a bit, so don't worry 'bout me."
"Here, let me carry that for you." Cú said. The male Master handed him the plate for Emiya and began to walk towards the roof. As they reached the stairs the two of them agreed on how to try and handle the situation, and finally reached the door that led to the roof. As soon as Cú opened it, they were greeted by the sight of Emiya standing in place looking at the sunrise.
"Come to look at the scenery too?" He asked.
"Actually we wanted to get you your breakfast." Cú answered coyly.
"Yeah, that might be a nice distraction right now." Emiya muttered.
Ritsuka and Cú walked towards the white haired Archer, handed him his food and watched as he sat down at the ledge to eat in silence. "You guys can go, I'll come down in a few minutes."
Ritsuka and Cú shook their heads, and sat down on opposite sides of Emiya, eating their breakfast alongside him. The Archer stared at them in confusion. "What are you two doing?"
"Oh, don't mind us, we're just eating the rest of our breakfast." Ritsuka answered.
Emiya sighed as he realized what was going on. "Guys, I'm going to be fine…"
"Nice lie right there." Cú said with a chuckle. "Listen, I don't have a good understanding of what you are going through right now, given I was on the opposite end of mine, but keeping things to yourself won't be doing anyone any good."
Emiya stared at the Lancer in bewilderment. "You can't be serious."
"Emiya, we're all shocked about your father attacking us last night when disrupting the ley lines." Ritsuka replied. "But it doesn't mean we can't try and reason with him."
"And if we don't, then it'll be like me and Connla all over again." Cú said jokingly.
"Hey, that's not funny!" Ritsuka said. "We're trying to-"
Ritsuka widened his eyes in shock as he heard Emiya chuckle lightly. "I'm hoping it won't come to that either."
"Well, once breakfast is over, I think you should talk to Lord El-Melloi II to figure out exactly what's happening here." Cú replied. "Something is definitely off about this place."
"Yeah, and while that's going on, I'll probably go for a little stroll." Ritsuka said. "I never really got to see much of it aside from Shinkaichi, after all. It'd be nice to see the rest of the city while I still can."
"I think Mashu would really like it if you took her along." Emiya said teasingly.
"Yeah, it'd be nice for you to take her out on a date." Cú said mischievously.
Ritsuka blushed. "I-It's not going to be a date!"
Cú laughed. "Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing. But you really should take her with you. She's been going through a lot as well, so having some time to look around town would do her some good."
"I'll….I'll keep that in mind." Ritsuka said.
"Honestly, I think we should all take a day off." Emiya said. "We've had a chaotic couple of days, so we should take time to recuperate and mentally recover."
"Yeah, we've all earned it." Ritsuka chimed.
"Now that that's out of the way, why don't we just finish our breakfast and watch the sun for a bit." Cú suggested.
"Yeah, let's do that." Emiya said. The three men smiled at each other before returning to eating their breakfast and watched the sunrise together. Emiya felt a sense of relief and calm rush over him. Even though they didn't talk about it much, they did give him some insight on his conflict with his father. And knowing they had his back was all he needed to know that he wouldn't have to do this alone. "Thanks for coming to see me."
"Hey, it's no big deal." Ritsuka said.
"Yeah, if you ever need us, just give a holler." Cú said. "We're here for you, anytime you need us."
Emiya smiled and nodded. The three of them then proceeded to return to eating their breakfast in silence as the sun continued to rise.
The sounds of the bustling city ringed in Ritsuka's and Mashu's ears as they explored the town with the Shielder staring in awe as she saw everything. Ritsuka could only smile softly as he also looked around. This would be the first time he's ever seen the rest of Fuyuki, and he intended to make the most of it. He then stared at Mashu and laughed silently to himself seeing her excitement. However, her outfit was also something that struck him as interesting. It was the same black dress and beret combo she wore the morning after they arrived in the Singularity. As for the male Master, he wore a nice white shirt paired with a blue hoodie, and black jeans. He felt underdressed compared to her, and it made him feel insecure about their…..
Ritsuka shook his head, trying to get Cú's teasing statement from this morning. This was definitely not a date. This was just a couple of friends hanging out and seeing the sights. Yep! That's all this was! Nothing more than-
The male Master stopped just in time, if he didn't pay attention, he'd have run into Mashu. The Shielder didn't pay attention to him, and stared at the sign in front of them. Ritsuka's eyes widened in surprise. It was for the zoo!
"Senpai, I would like to visit here!" Mashu said excitedly.
"Are you sure?" Ritsuka asked.
Mashu nodded energetically, causing Ritsuka to chuckle. "Okay, I'll get us our tickets."
The Shielder followed him as the male Master reached the ticket booth, managing to find some yen in his pocket to give to the sales person. As luck would have it, the amount was just enough to get them both inside. As they received their tickets, the two of them entered the zoo, both smiling as they looked at the park with amazement. Mashu's smile was beaming with excitement, while Ritsuka's was more muted, but still excited nonetheless.
"Which animal would you like to visit first, Senpai?" Mashu asked.
Ritsuka grinned. "How about we make this an adventure? We just go where our hearts lead us!"
Mashu nodded, and the two of them walked through the zoo to find their first target of interest. It didn't take long for them to figure out their first quarry when Mashu spotted some flightless birds waddling cutely around some water. "Look Senpai! Penguins!"
The two of them walked quickly to the enclosure and sighed in bliss as they watched the penguins chirp and sing in peace. Ritsuka then noticed off in the corner a couple of emperor penguins singing to an egg. Mashu turned and saw it as well, gasping in delight. "Oh wow, how wonderful!"
Before anyone could say anything more, the egg started to shake around. Everyone went silent as they watched the egg with interest. This was a momentous occasion that not many people would see in the zoo, so they would etch this into their minds to remember it as best they could. The egg cracked and cracked, until the baby penguin popped out, chirping as its parents leaned down to nuzzle it affectionately.
"I just saw the miracle of life between penguins." Mashu said. "I wished I had taken a picture."
"Yeah, that was a once in a lifetime event right there." Ritsuka replied.
"You know Senpai, I actually can relate to these penguins a bit." Mashu said gently.
"Really?" Ritsuka asked. "So you'd feed people like a penguin?"
Mashu raised an eyebrow before turning to look at the penguins, and saw the mother of the newborn vomiting down her child's throat to feed it. The lilac haired girl giggled as she realized what happened. "I mean where we live, not their feeding habits."
"Oh right, we live in the arctic…" Ritsuka chuckled weakly. "Well regardless, that penguin family is utterly adorable."
Mashu nodded and took out her camera to sneak a few pictures. As she did so, the penguin family turned to face her in curiosity. The Shielder smiled at them as they continued to stare, as if they were wondering what she was. As soon as Mashu finished, the penguins sang and chirped at her as if they wanted her to visit them again.
"Okay, let us see what else we can find!" Mashu said.
Ritsuka nodded and smiled. "Okay, then how about you follow me for a moment."
The two of them continued to walk around until they saw a very interesting sight. An elephant enclosure, but low enough so that the elephants could get near enough to the guests to touch them. They immediately knew what they had to do, and made their way to the enclosure. Mashu took notice of a sign saying that photography was permitted, but to keep the flash off to not startle the elephants. She then took her camera out and turned off the flash. As she did so she got closer to the enclosure, and took a few pictures. A few elephants noticed the lilac haired girl taking their pictures, and lumbered towards her until their trunks were near the railing, their tails swaying happily as they watched her.
"Well they seem to like you, Mashu." Ritsuka said. The Shielder turned to face him, but the moment she saw the black haired teen, she tried to stifle a giggle. It would seem the matriarch of the elephants is rubbing her trunk all over Ritsuka's hair and face. The male Master tried to keep a straight face, but failed as the matriarch gently used her trunk to pull Ritsuka closer to her, causing him and the onlookers to laugh a bit. Mashu simply giggled as she snapped a few pictures of the matriarch wanting to play with her senpai, and Ritsuka petting the elephant's trunk playfully. "You know I never thought in a million years that my first encounter with an elephant would be like this."
"It would seem that they like you more than me." Mashu said playfully. The Shielder then felt a trunk rubbing around her head, causing her to gasp and blush. She looked and saw one of the male elephants being the culprit, and his trunk soon found something to latch onto. He took her hat with his trunk, causing Mashu and the others to laugh in amusement as the elephant placed it on his head, as if curious to see if it looked good on him. This caused Mashu to take more pictures, and the elephant swaying his tail happily at the crowd before him.
"Oh these are silly little guys, aren't they?" Ritsuka asked jokingly as he continued to pet the matriarch's trunk. As he said those words, the buck elephant was satisfied with his little stunt, and took the beret off his head, placing it gently back on Mashu's head, causing the Shielder to giggle. Soon, the elephants were sated with their company, and slowly left the crowd to mingle amongst the rest of their herd.
"Okay, so since they're obviously bored now, how about we keep moving." Ritsuka suggested.
Mashu nodded. "Actually there is a particular animal I am really hoping they have here."
"Okay, then let's find a map and see where it is." Ritsuka said. The two of them made their way out of the enclosure, and walked for a bit to find a map. However, they didn't even need to walk for very long when Mashu glanced to her left and gasped in excitement. She then ran towards the enclosure in question, causing Ritsuka to run after her in the confusion. As soon as he caught up to her, he saw the beaming look in her eyes as she smiled brightly.
"Camels!"
Ritsuka could feel the enthusiasm in her voice, but he took a look around and noted the layout and saw that it was nearly identical to the elephant enclosure.
"Camels are my favorite animals." Mashu said.
"I thought Fou was your favorite animal." Ritsuka said playfully.
"He is my favorite companion." Mashu corrected. "Camels are wonderful creatures. They- Oh, it would seem one of them is coming up to us now!"
Ritsuka saw a male camel come up to them, his eyes filled with curiosity. He soon started to nuzzle Mashu, causing the girl to giggle at the affection. The camel then reared his head back a bit before returning close to her, and tried to lick her. Mashu brought her hand out and was surprised at the fact the camel started licking her hand. After a few minutes of that, the camel spotted Ritsuka, and dipped his head to Ritsuka's empty hands, licking them persistently.
"Wow, this guy is an affectionate fellow." Ritsuka said.
Mashu noticed a zookeeper watching in amusement, and tilted her head in curiosity. "Pardon me, but what is this camel's name?"
"Oh, he actually came from the United States just recently." The zookeeper answered. "His name is Lincoln."
"Yeah, he definitely looks like a Lincoln." Ritsuka said. "Okay, buddy, you had your fun. Time to let me go."
The male Master gently tried pushing the camels face away to stop it's licking. But the camel simply returned to licking his hand. Ritsuka was surprised at the action, and tried again, but this time saw the mischievous look in his eyes.
This camel knew what he was doing.
Ritsuka chuckled weakly as Mashu giggled at the sight. "It would seem Lincoln likes you, Senpai."
The zookeeper laughed. "He's a huge goofball."
The camel moaned happily as he continued to lick Ritsuka's hand. After a while, Ritsuka decided the fun was over, and looked to the zookeeper for help. "I don't mean to hurt the guy's feelings, but is there a way to get him to stop?"
The zookeeper raised an eyebrow. That boy's dialect seemed forced and unnatural…..However, it wasn't his place to pry, and gently helped Ritsuka out by gently nudging Lincoln's face away from the boy's hand before patting the camel on the head. As soon as he was done, Lincoln got bored and walked away, leaving the zookeeper to politely hand Ritsuka and Mashu some of his own hand sanitizer to wash their hands with. "There's a restroom not far from here, you should both wash your hands before continuing on just in case."
The two smiled and thanked the zookeeper before rushing to the washrooms. As soon as they were finished washing off all the saliva, Ritsuka and Mashu continued their journey through the zoo, encountering more animal exhibits that caught their attention. The wolves in their den made Mashu very nervous, with the Shielder shaking a bit, something that Ritsuka noticed for a moment before he saw the Shielder steel herself and stare at them calmly. The wolves, on the other hand, stared at the two of them as if they were strange creatures, but knew they were of no threat. The giraffe exhibit was much more mellow, with the two of them being able to take some pictures and feed the large bovines. The orangutans in the next exhibit over smiled and tried to bring them gifts when they came to visit their enclosure barred by glass. When the two of them visited the tiger enclosure, the big cats merely huffed and minded their own business, showing a more neutral view of them. The pandas in their exhibit were the exact opposite. The bears tried to sniff them, but the glass prevented any meaningful scents for them to sniff. However, Ritsuka and Mashu still managed to bask in their cuteness, and the pandas returned to eating their bamboo like usual. By the time they left the pandas, it was finally afternoon, and there were so many other sites they wanted to visit, so they agreed on seeing one last animal before leaving. Not long after they finally reached the exhibit in question.
The lion's den.
The moment they entered the area, they noticed there were no other people there to watch the lions, which they found odd. That did not stop them from getting close to the glass, and allowing Mashu to take some pictures.
"I wonder why there's no one else here." Ritsuka said. "These guys would usually be a main attraction anywhere else."
"How would you know that, Senpai?" Mashu asked. "I thought you never came to the zoo before."
Ritsuka shrugged. "It's just a feeling that I get from these animals."
"Are you fond of lions, Senpai?" Mashu asked. "I know back in Rome and in Chaldea, Linus and Mr. Mittens were very fond of us, but they were especially fond of you."
"I don't know if fond is the right word." Ritsuka said. "But I always felt like there was something about them that made me feel drawn to them."
"Perhaps the feeling is mutual." Mashu replied. "It would seem that we grabbed their attention."
Ritsuka looked and confirmed Mashu's words, but it wasn't just the male Lion that was coming to them, but his group of lionesses as well. It was at this moment Ritsuka and Mashu both felt something calling to them, as if they were being drawn towards the glass. Ritsuka walked towards the glass where the male Lion was staring directly at him, and Mashu to the lionesses. Both sides stared at each other intently, as if their souls were connected. The male Master and the Shielder placed their hands on the glass gently, as if in a trance, and soon the pride of lions followed suit, as if acknowledging their presence. After a few moments of their continued stares, the pride huffed in satisfaction, and turned away from them, walking away towards a particular area, their tails swaying from side to side. The two teens raised an eyebrow at this action. It was as if the lions were looking for something. Their curiosity was soon sated as the pride returned, shocking them with what they brought to show them.
The group held their cubs in their jaws, wanting to show them their young.
"This….this is amazing Senpai!" Mashu exclaimed. "The lions are showing trust in us by presenting their cubs to us!"
"This is definitely not normal." Ritsuka replied. "But, I can't help but feel all fuzzy inside over this."
Not soon after, the pride felt that their onlookers looked at their cubs long enough and put their young down on the ground. The cubs then frolicked back to where they were playing earlier, and a few of the lionesses went with them to look after them. The rest of the pride stayed behind, wanting to continue to look at the two human observers with curiosity.
"It would seem these beautiful creatures found some kindred spirits."
Ritsuka and Mashu turned around in surprise and saw Saber standing near the entrance. The blonde Servant bade them to wait a moment and left. The two of them just stared at each other in confusion for a few moments before they heard a familiar voice.
"But Saber, I wanted to look at the parrots a little longer….."
"We can look at them later." Saber said. "But this cannot wait."
Ritsuka and Mashu were then shocked to see Saber return, leading Irisviel by the hand to them. The moment the red-eyed woman saw them, her eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, I didn't expect to see you so soon!"
"How long were you here at the zoo?" Ritsuka asked.
Irisviel's eyes widened further. "Wait, I didn't know you could speak English!"
"It's my second language, but I use it more than my primary." Ritsuka replied.
Irisviel stared at him in astonishment for a moment before recomposing herself. "I was actually wanting to thank you for saving me last night."
Ritsuka was about to speak, but Irisviel raised her hand and cut him off. "But I still have some questions for you."
"I can try to answer, but there might be some things that I cannot reveal." Ritsuka answered.
"That is perfectly fine with me." Irisviel said. The white haired woman and Saber walked closer to the two Chaldeans until they too were near the glass. "Why did I sense more Servants being summoned last night? And how exactly do you have so many with you?"
"That's….complicated…" Ritsuka said. "Unfortunately that is one of the things that I cannot reveal."
"You're not making a good case for yourself, you know." Irisviel said sternly. "If the overseer catches wind of all this, then he WILL want answers."
"The overseer is not aware of this yet?" Mashu asked.
"I do not know yet." Irisviel answered. "But if you see a buff old man in priest garbs looking for you, then you will know if you're in trouble."
"Well, are there any more questions you'd like to ask?" Ritsuka asked.
"Why do those lions seem to want your attention?"
The two Chaldeans turned to face the lions again, and noticed they were still staring at them curiously, swaying their tails as if they were happy. "I have no clue, and I'm actually curious about that myself."
"Some animals simply have an affinity for certain people, and vice versa." Saber said calmly.
"Umm, pardon me, but I was wondering….why did you two come to the zoo?" Mashu asked.
Irisviel grinned mischievously. "I don't really remember. Saber, can you remind me why we are here?"
Saber blushed and stared at Irisviel. "Please do not make me say it in front of strangers!"
"Oh come now, this adorable and cute girl asked a simple question." Irisviel said with a devious smile. "How can you say no to her face?"
Mashu blushed red like a tomato. Saber simply sighed and took a deep breath. "I…..wanted to see the lions…."
"Pretty sure they'd want to see you too." Ritsuka said. "They're looking at you quite intently like they're doing to us."
Saber looked at the lions and smiled. It would seem the boy was right, they are staring at her the same way they stared at them. The male lion and his primary mate soon turned their gazes back to Ritsuka and Mashu, before getting up and rubbing each other's necks affectionately.
"Oh now that is adorable." Irisviel replied. The chief lioness soon laid on the ground, flicking her tail at her mate, causing the male lion to get on top of her. The moment he did so, the group gasped and blushed. Irisviel rushed to cover Ritsuka's and Mashu's eyes, with Saber covering Irisviel's. The blonde Servant could only chuckle and roll her eyes in amusement over the entire situation. They had no idea how long lions could go at it. She then looked at the covered faces of Ritsuka and Mashu and raised an eyebrow. They were still suspicious to her, but they did seem to be decent folk. Only time will tell if they would be worthy of her trust and respect.
"Umm, Ms. Medusa, why are we hiding like this?" Sakura asked.
Medusa reluctantly ignored her. The purple haired Rider sent Martha and Liz ahead to scout out the farther areas, but the inner locale proved to be more tricky because of this. In order to make sure they weren't spied upon, Medusa took Sakura through different alleyways and detours to try and make sure they were safe to move. Right now, they were resting in front of a store, letting the little girl rest and to get some water that Medusa brought with them. The Rider scanned the area, and breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed her muscles. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary, meaning they were safe to continue. Medusa then turned to face the little girl with a smile.
"We're…playing a game." Medusa said.
"That's a lie…" Sakura said quietly. "I know we are trying to hide from my….Grandfather? I do not know what to call him now… but my question is why we are hiding like this. We look like we are from a cartoon…"
Medusa's eyes widened. The Rider could not believe that a child could be smarter than her in this situation…That was when Medusa grinned widely as she looked at what kind of store they were standing in front of.
It was a store for bicycles. An idea popped in the Rider's head and she looked at her outfit. A nice turtleneck that was still snug enough to show off her curves, and while she wore regular pants, it was enough for her to know that she could probably get the clerk to listen to her pleas. The Rider chuckled as she knew exactly how to get their attention.
"Hey Sakura, how would you like to go for a bike ride?"
(A few minutes later)
Sakura screamed in delight as the wind hit her hair through her helmet. The bike that Medusa somehow managed to buy from the female store clerk was incredibly fast, but she had a feeling it could go faster.
"Ms. Medusa, please go faster!"
Medusa grinned like an idiot. "I was hoping you would say that!"
With a click of a dial, Medusa increased the speed of the bike, and they soared through their lane with bright beaming faces.
"Medusa, what are you doing?" Martha asked telepathically in amusement.
"Just trying to make Sakura happy." Medusa answered.
"Are you sure you're not trying to get your next speeding fix?" Liz asked teasingly.
"Not another word, young lady. Or else I might not come to your next rehearsal." Medusa replied.
"No, please don't do that! I'm sorry!" Liz shouted.
"Anyway, let's get back on track!" Martha chimed. "Where are you planning on going with her?"
"Hey Sakura, would you like to go to the next safehouse? Or would you like to go to the park?"
Sakura beamed. "I want to go to the park!"
Medusa chuckled and nodded. "Sakura wants to go to the park, so that's where we'll be."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Liz asked. "It's public so there's bound to be people who might recognize her. It's the perfect place for you know who to find her."
"I know, but she's been cooped up for two days with only Servants and teenagers to talk to." Medusa countered. "I just think she needs a moment to be a kid, even if it's for a couple of hours."
"Well I can't fault that logic." Martha said. "However, I will be sending Emiya over there ahead of you just to be safe."
"Why don't you both come as well?" Medusa asked.
"I'll take you up on that offer!" Liz shouted.
"Well, I guess I can go with Emiya together." Martha said. "We'll meet you there."
As soon as their link turned off, Fou's head poked out of Sakura's shirt. The little critter chirped in happiness as he felt the wind in his fur. Sakura smiled and gently scratched his head while they zipped through the road thanks to Medusa's expert driving. "We're getting close to the park now, so hang on tight!"
Sakura braced herself excitedly as Medusa started slowing down as they reached the park. After setting the bike onto one of the racks and taking their helmets off, they turned to see that Liz, Martha and Emiya were just arriving behind them. The white haired archer wore a simple t-shirt and blue jeans with glasses. Martha opted to wear a blue shirt and red hoodie, with a long black skirt. Liz did not change her wardrobe, and simply hid her horns, tail and claws.
"Come on Sakura, I'll race you to the park!" Liz shouted.
Martha giggled and bade Sakura to come over close to Liz. As soon as the little girl was next to the Lancer, the purple haired Rider raised her hand and smiled. "Get ready….set….GO!"
Both racers bolted from their starting points, running as fast as they could. As they reached their "finish line" the three grown ups watched in amusement as the two racers reached it at the same time.
"Not bad, Sakura." Liz said. "Not bad at all."
Sakura beamed proudly. The three adults arrived to them, and Medusa patted Sakura on the head gently. "How about you burn off some more energy further in. We don't have to go anywhere quite yet."
"I'll get a picnic ready." Emiya replied.
"And in the meantime, we could play hide-and-seek." Martha said.
"While you three do that, I'll help our personal chef with setting our picnic up." Medusa said. The other girls giggled, causing Emiya to sigh.
"Was that really necessary?" Emiya asked.
"You're just fun to tease." Medusa said mischievously. Emiya rolled his eyes as the group entered the park to relax and have fun as instructed. It didn't take long for Sakura to find some other kids to play with, and in that time, they all agreed to play hide and seek, with Martha agreeing to start as the seeker. As the Rider closed her eyes and counted, Medusa and Emiya set out a large blanket and prepared the plates and sat down to watch. "So, are you feeling better after this morning's talk?"
"Yeah, much better." Emiya answered. "And how did you and Sakura fare when we left the safehouse?"
"Well aside from me trying too hard to be sneaky and our little ward pointing out my stupidity, nothing out of the ordinary." Medusa answered. "Although I think Diarmuid has a point. Something seems off about all this."
"Yeah, Zouken isn't even trying to look for her." Emiya replied. "One would think he'd be doing even more than the bare minimum."
Medusa nodded in agreement. "That repulsive creature might just be plotting her return already. Well, if he wants her so badly, let him try."
"Easy there." Emiya said. "Zouken would be going against a horde of people just to get to Sakura if he wanted to. I don't think he's going to be so keen on facing all of us."
Medusa sighed. "You're right…let's just talk about something else to not bring down the mood."
"My thoughts exactly." As the two of them finished that conversation, they sat down and watched Martha trying to find the children, pretending to have difficulty finding them. However, another thought wormed inside Emiya's mind and turned to Medusa curiously. "How did you manage to get that bike?"
"I didn't flirt with the shopkeeper if that's what you're implying." Medusa said playfully. "Turns out the owner is an old woman and when she saw how Sakura and I were interacting when looking at her selection, she gave us a discount."
Emiya chuckled. "I think I know the store you went to. She's always weak to familial bonds, and that is something you and Sakura have in spades."
The Rider grinned evilly. "Funny you should say that. In the timeline I remember, your younger self and Sakura were already talking about…a possible family life of their own."
Emiya groaned and facepalmed. "I didn't need to hear that!"
Medusa chuckled deviously. "Oh come now, I told Artoria about that and she didn't seem to get upset."
"And why was Artoria asking?" Emiya asked.
"Just making small talk to break the ice." Medusa said.
Emiya raised an eyebrow, but said nothing at the answer. That was not a topic he'd like to pursue, and so leaving it at that was perhaps the wisest move.
"Yay, I won!"
Emiya and Medusa stopped their conversation and saw Sakura smiling out in the open with some of the kids cheering for her. They noted Martha's warm and knowing smile, and grinned. It would seem that Sakura managed to outlast everyone else. Soon the little girl, Martha and Liz headed their direction to sit down and eat their lunch. As they ate, the group simply admired the scenery around them, basking in the warm sun, and enjoying the peaceful air. Sakura mentioned making a new friend during the game, and was hoping to play with them after eating, much to the other's delight. However, it would seem that friend had the same idea, and after Sakura finished, she saw her friend waving and inviting her to play. It was a boy with red hair and dark eyes. The moment Emiya saw him, the Archer went pale, please don't let this be who he thinks it is…..
Medusa noticed it as well and grinned. "Sakura, who's your friend over there?"
"His name is Sakatsuki Shirou." Sakura answered. "Is it okay if I go back to play?"
Martha grinned in amusement and nodded. "We'll be right here waiting, so have fun with your friend."
Sakura beamed in excitement and ran towards her new friend, leaving Fou behind to eat his bacon. As soon as she was out of ear shot, Emiya turned to look at the three girls next to them, seeing their amused grins before they broke into laughter.
"Was that really your original family name?" Medusa asked in between giggling fits.
Emiya sighed. "Yes….yes it was.."
"I will admit, you do look adorable as a child." Martha said with a small giggle. "I now find it harder to see someone like that becoming.,..well, like you."
"Was the little piggy as much of a skirt chaser like his older piggy self?" Liz asked.
"Let's take it down a notch." Medusa said deviously. "Our chef might blow a gasket if we keep this up."
Emiya sighed. "I'm not going to live this one down, am I?"
"No, no you are not." Martha said playfully.
Emiya signed in resignation. As the girls finally stopped their giggling fits and watched Sakura play with his younger self, Emiya felt a strange calm wash over him again. Seeing his home before the fire, and catching sight of his birth parents smiling at his younger self and enjoying the scenery like this made him feel…..elated again. But as he saw the young Shirou playing happily with Sakura, only one thought was in his mind. He hoped that the girls won't tell them of seeing his younger self at all, otherwise he will never hear the end of it….
(OC looks at the carnage, the bloodshed and the screams while Yatsu's Mini Nobu is feasting on the souls of the innocent.)
OC: Wow, when you said you were going to train her to commit war crimes, you weren't kidding.
Y: I consider my word my bond, and Mini Nobu Y has certainly grown in response to the training. Good Mini Nobu Y.
OC: Well at least they're not eating the audience. Speaking of which, welcome back everybody! It's been quite some time since we last spoke, and let's just say things have been…interesting. In a good chaotic way, so do not worry.
Y: Well, it's been a busy past month in general with the break and returning to work. Doesn't help that I got volunteered for after-school tutoring. Well, at least there's a bit of extra money there…I wonder if I can train Mini Nobu Y to hunt down annoying students…
OC: After the horror stories you told me I'd be asking the boss about it. But in any case we can make a break down of this chapter like usual. So for scene one, it mainly dealt with Emiya being emotionally conflicted and confused over Kiritsugu's attack on Irisviel from last chapter. We all know that he won't hesitate to go against him if it means doing the right thing here, but that doesn't mean he's not allowed to show vulnerability over this, which is something I find odd half the time when reading through some FGO stories. Not a complaint, mind you, just an observation.
Y: Well, the main narrative does tend to be pretty iffy when it comes to Emiya's presence. He's treated like one of the Playable Servants along with Nero and Tamamo at the start of the CCC collab event (complete with getting bullied by BB and BB/GO) and Melt expresses enjoyment on seeing him again…but it was made explicit that Extra Emiya wasn't entirely the same person as FSN Emiya, complete with the second bonus boss (after Kirei and Cu) being FSN Rin and Emiya. If you bring Extra Emiya, both Hakunos and Rin comment that they're subtly different.
I think that gap makes it so the writers don't want to bring up any definitive 'image' of Emiya in case they want to use him for this or that.
OC: Not exactly what I meant BUT that is completely accurate as well. However we also decided to have Cú talk to him about it given he does have some….history with this sort of thing, but he's also the kind of guy who would understand Emiya needs a friend to talk to and wanted to help. Ritsuka going in and giving his advice was more of a late addition (as in while writing the scene in general) but it was a nice addition that Yatsu suggested.
Y: Well, Emiya doesn't get much moral conflict scenes in general, though that's also due to the story not getting into his own head like it did with Rin and even Medea in their own snippets. I'd say Emiya is not the sort to show it; his battle with Shirou was effectively a moral conflict, one he ultimately loses (or wins, depending on the context) when he throws the fight to Shirou.
OC: Fair enough. As for scene two we pretty much decided to give it a more peaceful tone due to all the chaos that happened the last few chapters, and it gave some more Ritsuka and Mashu bonding since they're finally able to enjoy the city to try and see the rest of the world a bit. As for their choice of locale, well Yatsu wanted the zoo, and I wanted a park. So we decided to go with the zoo.
Y: Zoos are very nice. The animals are fascinating, and it'd be nice for Mash to experience something she never could in Chaldea. The penguins recognized her as one of their own, when they weren't busy planning their own nefarious escape: "Smile and wave boys, smile and wave…"
OC: And the camel bit was very fun. And actually based on a true story…yeah let's just say I actually know a camel named Lincoln, and leave it at that. As for the lion bit, it has nothing to do with a certain jerk that we all know and hate, and I HOPE no one makes a joke about it. It was more of a way for Ritsuka and Mashu to have a very interesting experience with predators that aren't known for being that friendly. And given that Ritsuka's animal motif for this fic is a lion….. I don't think any further explanations are needed.
Y: Lions are very majestic creatures, yes. Plus they're the symbol of lust in ancient Greek(hence why Atalanta has lion traits) and Christian Orthodoxy traditions, so there is a nice little twist to it, hehe.
OC: And it's even funnier given that Iri immediately went mom mode for two kids she only met the night previous and shielded their eyes when those two lions decided to prove Yatsu's statement. Momma Iri is too precious not to implement.
Y: Iri needs hugs and cuddles as the mother of moe. Very very adorbs. Also, Artoria jumpscare as she also loves the lions.
OC: Gotta love how she was the only one amused by the whole thing and decided to shield Iri's eyes just to mess with her friend. I can't stress it enough but their friendship was probably one of the healthiest in Type Moon.
Y: Yeah, especially considering the incompatible Master-Servant pairings were a major issue in Zero; Irisiviel and Artoria were the only functional pairing besides Ryunousuke and Gilles, and the former two weren't even properly Master and Servant. I think they'd be a lot more relaxed in the Zero event where Iri is properly Artoria's Master.
OC: That is true. And as for Scene Three we had Medusa and Sakura start out strong with Sakura pointing out Medusa being a bit of a goofball trying to be sneaky. AND having Medusa getting her addiction to fast driving out of the way. I never knew she actually was addicted to that.
Y: Well, she IS a Rider; as shown with her trying to seduce Number One from Shirou in Hollow Ataraxia, she loves going fast.
OC: Which opens a whole new funny implication for her racing in Carnival Phantasm. But as for the reason to go to the park, that was pretty self explanatory. But it did give me an opportunity to make Emiya squirm more by introducing his kid self. The image of Medusa, Martha and Liz snickering as they see the kid versions of Sakura and Shirou playing and Emiya's internal screaming was too fun to pass up.
Y: Mhmm, I'm imagining Martha snickering with Hayamin voice…so basically Melt. And yeah, little Shirou was neat to see; reminds me of a fanart that showed the FSN and FHA cast as kids. Smol Shirou being pulled on by smol Rin and Sakura, smol (but not baby) Caren, and smol Shinji and Issei.
OC: Oh boy, poor Shirou….Well in any event that's it for the first chapter of the year! Thank you all for your patience and we will see you next time. Owen Chaser and Yatsu, signing off.
Y: Farewell, turn away while I train Mini Nobu Y to seek out children.