Summary: This year's summer had a lot on its agenda per its self-proclaimed Arctic Queen. An eternal summer, fun amusement park attractions, and… what was this about excessive mana use? There was more to the concept of "eternal" here than many were willing to give it credit for. And it was far more weighty than anyone wanted to admit.
Note: Summer 7 in NA had me thinking, both because (1) I don't have Douman or Ibuki in my Chaldea out of a deep personal disdain for them both; and (2) the Grailed Servant dynamics that have been established within my Chaldea.
And considering Skadi is my Grailed Caster who, by the way, is Bond 11 and more than halfway to 12, might as well write something for her.
Spoiler warning for the entirety of Summer 7, by the way. And content warning for emotional breakdowns and implied sensory overload. You've been forewarned.
Also, a giant kudos to Carim/partialdignity and to my real life Robin in my partner of almost 10 years. They both heard me out through this long chapter drafting process and I'm very grateful.
The theme for this chapter is the fanmade long cover of the insert song from episode 11 from World's Finest Assassin — For You, also known as "Tarte's Theme." Because it fits. The original shorter vocal version also works. For those of you looking for an alternative, go to the following songs: (1) the track titled Winter Memories from FGO's own soundtrack; and (2) A King's Strategy, an orchestration for No Game No Life from Rush Garcia.
Otherwise? Here we go.
Day 82: One Wish
"An eternal paradise in exchange for one Grail. Mmmmmm, how does that sound? It is certainly something you can do, correct?"
Scathach-Skadi already knew that it was wrong. Especially coming from Servants such as Ashiya Douman and Ibuki-douji, the likes that Vy — her child — had already proven to detest in the past. To the point of refusing to summon them too. Skadi didn't blame her for it. Eternity was never truly happy, no matter how tempting the idea was. Her original Lostbelt — the Scandinavia that was felled by Surtr, not Chaldea — was proof of that. Her children — both humans and giants — died in the flames of that world's end without discrimination or mercy. And even when revisiting a Scandinavia that wasn't hers — a Scandinavia that was still just like hers, but pruned away in her Chaldea's journey to restore Proper Human History from its own flaws of not allowing humanity to grow — it wasn't perfect. It wasn't ideal like her dreams as a ruler made it out to be.
There was no such thing as a perfect society. Both in those Scandinavias, and in Proper Human History.
"Fufu… yet you still want that girl you call 'Master' to be happy, don't you?"
Was that not obvious? Even if Vy Duong wasn't one of her subjects, she was still Skadi's Master. Her beloved daughter in all but name.
(Even when Skadi knew she would never replace Vy's birth mother, and how Vy herself could never replace the ten thousand human subjects Skadi had in her own home. To each their own losses.)
Vy was still her child. Hers. And after felling six Lostbelts in the name of bringing back her world — her original family — she was still suffering and there was no denying how much it hurt to bear witness to it right at her side.
Perhaps that was why Douman and Ibuki — Rogue Servants and all — called out to her when the other Grailed were preoccupied. Because even when Skadi knew it was wrong, that their offer would promise nothing good, the unconscious wish was still there.
I want her to be free.
Perhaps that was what made the Grail react. It wasn't supposed to activate, what with the Primordial Runes at her disposal made to stop it. But the ice castle at her feet continued to grow taller the more she wished against it, and with polar bears and penguins alike starting to populate the newly formed Singularity, all Skadi could do was make a decision.
My daughter has fought enough.
As her Grailed Caster, even if it means using the Grails she gave me…
I have to handle this on my own.
Even with her magical energy starting to dwindle rapidly from the new Winter Paradise of the Holy Grail's making (or perhaps from something else — Ibuki-Douji's own wild tendencies? Douman's influence? Or was it from her own unconscious regrets? Without the five Grails that originally kept her connected to Vy, she couldn't be sure), Skadi drew a communication Rune with her finger.
"Skadi-sama?" The Valkyries — her Valkyries, yet also not — answered almost immediately. "What is wrong?"
"Ortlinde, Hildr, Thrud. Please inform Master I will be out late and to not worry about me. I will need to resolve something on my own."
It didn't matter that her Spirit Origin was changing. That she was slowly becoming a Ruler to compensate for the Grails she was giving up as Novum Chaldea's Grailed Caster just to stave off the mana drain.
When Vy had fought hard enough for everyone six times over, well. Trying to resolve a Singularity alone was the least she could do in return as a "mother."
Despite the message given to her, Thrud felt uneasy, even with the newfound powers of her Assassin Spirit Origin gifted by the Grailed Caster she knew as Scathach-Skadi. It was already suspicious enough that their goddess had struck it out on her own, away from both the Storm Border and Novum Chaldea in the Wandering Sea. Add in how quickly she had cut off their line of communications, not to mention the sheer timing behind the abrupt signal of a new Singularity and the summonings of their younger sisters — nothing looked good. And even if summer had brought plenty of fun with its antics, Thrud had taken in the data of previous summers.
(For protecting Master, she had insisted back then. That wish hadn't changed, even after meeting the Lady Skadi that wasn't hers yet also was.)
An abandoned island made in the name of an old demon's comeback. A botched race conducted to restore the power of a different, rather clumsier goddess who did not deserve the mercy she was given at the end of it all. An almost never-ending time loop on a macabre Hawaii, created by an AI who ultimately didn't understand the wants of their shared Master and inevitably jailed for her crimes. There was even that one summer camp that played into all of Vy's worst fears, making Yu Mei-ren all the more disliked than she already was thanks to her general selfishness in contrast to Abigail Williams and the rogue Kiara Sessyoin.
(How the culprit of that summer camp found love in Yu Mei-ren was far beyond Thrud's comprehension. It was tiresome enough trying to understand Sister Brynhild's affection for Sigurd, even after he betrayed her in life from a spell.)
By Odin, outside of the one casino vacation that came out of a careless mistake made by Miyamoto Musashi and the treasure-hunting adventure run by the smaller Da Vinci, most if not all of Chaldea's summers had some kind of underlying motive behind their cheery exterior.
Why would the sudden announcement of a new so-called Arctic Wonderland be any different? Or was it supposed to be the Arctic Summer World? Thrud wasn't sure.
(Even if it was apparently spearheaded by Lady Skadi. The same Lady Skadi who was fiercely protective of Vy, suddenly striking out to make an eternal summer? Nothing made sense.)
It was why Thrud waited with Hildr and Ortlinde, pistols in hand while standing ready on the deck of their newly provided boat in the North Pole Singularity. Because despite the growing hubbub of what looked like a cheery theme park, Thrud knew she had to wait for her Master.
For the girl who saved Lady Skadi before, and from the feel of her moving magical energy signature, the Master who was completely willing to go to the full effort to do it all over again — Thrud could wait an eternity if needed. Because once she arrived, Thrud knew she would have a greater purpose to fulfill once more. That was how selfless Humanity's last Master was. And she wouldn't have it any other way.
"Do you have any ideas why Caster would strike out like that?"
Achilles tried not to angrily chomp through his hot dog at Arcueid's question, mentally reminding himself that she was new to the Grailed Servant dynamic, not to mention her originally being a clueless Princess of a True Ancestor. For such a "funny vampire," Arcueid had a way of cutting straight to the point, even when they were supposed to be resting between sales quota runs. Getting angry at her wouldn't help anything. "I… I thought she wouldn't," he eventually relented past a bitter mouthful of relish and ketchup as he swiped at his mouth. "She's been there for Vy for… fuck, for a damn long time. For her to set up a Singularity of her own and pretend to be a monarch again through her new Ruler swimsuit is just…" he trails off.
"Damn reckless, that's for sure," Robin interrupted to finish, adding an extra pointed slurp of his fountain drink for good measure. Achilles can't help the growing sense of relief at hearing Archer's underlying growl in his voice once he goes on with a lower, "For someone who claims this is for 'eternal summer fun,' working like this isn't exactly fun." Rolling his visible eye, Robin slurps at his straw loudly again from clear frustration. "Something's up, and she's not telling any of us what it is." His fingers start to crush the sides of his cup.
The fact we can't even reach out is damming enough, so fuck it, was left unsaid, but felt nonetheless. Achilles knew he felt the exact same way.
Fuck all this secretive shit, he was tempted to add, just for the hell of it. Because it really fucking sucked.
"Uh… well, the penguins and polar bears are at least cute! Not to mention the demonic plant bulbs made for some nice decor in the ice flower garden!" Arcueid said awkwardly with a raised pointer finger, but her half-eaten churro slumps over itself in the tight grip of her other hand, making her frown. A second or so passed, then she added in a quieter tone, "…But I guess I'm not the only one feeling Vy's exhaustion then, huh?"
Instead of answering that line of thought, Achilles chances a single look towards their shared Master, and sure enough, the sight was sufficient for what the modern folk called a "nail in the coffin." (Chiron would have enough of a field day trying to discern more slang and modern euphemisms had this Singularity not manifested at the time it did.) Because not even a few feet away, both Fou and the miniaturized Tarasque were trying to crowd Vy's lap as she silently sipped at her plastic tumbler bottle of a fruit smoothie, barely giving them any attention beyond the occasional headpat and Muu. Even when wearing a new summer Mystic Code of a sleeveless sailor-themed white top and modest pink skirt to match the ruffly pink hems of her shirt collar and flip-flop sandals, Vy looked anything but happy. Not even tying her hair back in a side ponytail truly concealed the worried frown on her face past her straw, her brows furrowed against the inside of her cute little shaded sunhat enough to be concerning.
Because if they were frustrated with Skadi essentially running off with a new spare Grail, how was Vy feeling about all this, when Vy had given Skadi five Grails in the first place to be her Grailed Caster?
"…It's more like she's depressed than exhausted, Arc." Robin's voice drops in volume when noting that statement, a hint of resignation seeping into the words as he slowly lowered his finished yet crushed drink. "I don't blame her for it."
Arcueid's frown deepened on her face and she carefully raised her half eaten churro to her mouth to nibble at it. The cinnamon sticks to her bottom lip once she chews out, "…Guess that means we should work smarter to figure out what's going on, huh?"
"Yep." Popping the "p," Achilles gives up on his hot dog once his next bite tastes more bitter than savory, tossing it into the trash can nearby before cracking his knuckles. "Now if you two will excuse me, our Princess needs tickles. Because watching this is just depressing."
Robin's slowly growing grin of approval out of the corner of his eye proved he had the right idea once he was able to sneak up on their quiet Master. Her loud squeal at getting her sides poked just helped because it was summer. She was supposed to be smiling, anyway. And besides. Achilles could deal with the jealous looks from Fou and Tarasque later.
If not for knowing her Master, Skadi would've been more surprised at seeing Chaldea meet the quotas of each theme park area so quickly. Because if there was one thing about Vy — her daughter — that made her both worried and proud as a mother, it was her work ethic. Coming from the Master who had Fully Ascended every single Servant who had come into her contracts, the idea of Vy not meeting the goal was unfathomable.
…Not that it made facing her from the opposite side any less disheartening. Skadi felt her heart sink at the lack of stars in the girl's brown eyes once she arrived at the entrance of her ice castle, but despite it all, Skadi steeled herself.
Even if I couldn't fully fix this—
The new Valkyries at her side — Rindr, Örlún, and Geirskögul, all such good children — were still standing ready for battle. Just like Thrud, who was standing right next to Vy, just like she knew the Valkyrie would.
For my child…
She could weather the glares of the other Grailed. Even if Achilles and Robin were among their number this venture. She knew them just as well as they did her before all this. And Arcueid was an interesting choice, not to mention Berserker Musashi joining them halfway through the quota sales, but it didn't matter.
Her decision was already made. Even if it meant pushing the others out.
So she made another one.
(Even if it meant excluding her own lieutenant, her own friend in Sieg — the good child, the sinful child — from participating.)
Skadi made eye contact with the child who brought her new life and raised her arms, feeling the ice fish swim in the air around her.
I will be the villain.
"How good of you to come, Master. You certainly rushed your way here when you could have enjoyed more of what this Arctic summer has to offer."
She could weather Vy's disdain, at least. She wanted to hope that, when the enemy of herself she fought in the second Lostbelt did the exact same thing.
It was for Vy's sake, after all.
Musashi didn't have to be Grailed to know Vy was close to breaking. Skadi's queenly attitude wasn't helping either, even if her swimsuit was flatteringly cute. None of this "eternal summer" business was adding up in the end.
"Endless fun"? "Never-ending paradise"? That was just impossible, even with one new grail that just popped up out of nowhere. Not to mention having the expendable mana to keep up five theme park areas? More to spare for the centerpiece castle and the new Valkyries too? (No offense intended to Thrud and her sisters. They were just as cute as them, even if Asclepius tried to claim they were old. Because no.)
Something was wrong. The lack of Grails present in Skadi's own mana was enough of a giant red flag.
"You really could have taken your time, child — you arrived far too soon." Skadi huffed through her nose, the ice fish around her bobbing their heads despite opening their mouths for oxygen in the air that shouldn't have been able to provide for them. "There should've been plenty for you to enjoy with my eternal paradise. Did you at least enjoy what you have seen so far?"
Musashi wasn't surprised to see Vy flinch, even if the little riceball did her best to hide it. The other Grailed present noticed it too, Robin immediately pressing a supportive hand to the small of Vy's waist as their Master took a breath. Yan Qing and Asclepius — the good eggs, good men! — made sure to conceal what Skadi could see as Vy stood up a bit straighter. "…I'm sorry, Skadi-san," Vy said after a moment, her gaze hard and unforgiving as she looked up at the Ice Queen, "but I can't take the time to 'enjoy' things when this Singularity is yet another thing preventing the Restoration of Humanity."
"…Is that so." A glint of something emerged in Skadi's red eyes as the fish swam ominously around her head. "I suppose that takes an iota out of my plans, but no matter." The Valkyries at her side took up arms to match Thrud's own silent bristling, and Skadi narrowed her eyes back at Vy in return. "It was decided that an eternal summer was to be held here, and I have to uphold it, even if it means I have to go against you. Therefore, for the first and last time, I ask you to move on, child, else I will have to remove you by force. What you are looking for is not here."
Yet Vy didn't move. Even with her growing dread, Musashi couldn't help but take pride in seeing it firsthand. Because it was her little riceball, standing her ground. "…No, mẹ," Vy said slowly, drawing out the Vietnamese name long enough to make Skadi blink, "I'm not going to move. Because you're here."
"Wha—?" Skadi froze for the first time since the confrontation started, red eyes widening before an audible crack finally emerged in her queenly disposition. "You should not be here, child! Even if you are one of my children, you should be everywhere but here when it's been decided I'm to be the Queen of this Arctic World!"
Decided. That was definitely a key choice of a word. She even used it twice. It was why Musashi took a step forward, even before Robin and Achilles minutely nodded their heads towards her as unspoken permission to take to the front-lines. "...Even if you are a queen, Skadi," Musashi unclips the broken half of her katana from her summer-given long sword, taking a stance in front of Vy, "you don't control what our Master does. And she wants to be here. You should've known that."
The hint of gratitude wafting towards Musashi's way through the bond connecting her to Vy made the Berserker hide a smile. Because at least one thing was going right.
"But—" Skadi's fish were swimming faster around her now, looking almost frantic to match the growing mana wafting off her new Ruler Spirit Origin. Her lack of Grails Spirit Origin. "This isn't how it is supposed to go! I—I was doing this for Chaldea!"
Huh?
Musashi would've lowered her swords if not for the growing telltale glow of red Command Seals sparking out from the corner of her eye. She knew the others in their party were pausing too. Even the stoic, no-nonsense Asclepius and capricious Arcueid were both silent.
"…No. None of that." Skadi was freezing, but just as soon as the crack showed itself, she was covering it up with a vigorous shake of her head. "None of it matters. It has already been decided that I am to be Queen of this Singularity. So go. The Grail you all are looking for isn't here. You must leave."
"…I won't."
It was such a small statement, not even longer than two words, but it was just as weighty as the emotion starting to flood their shared bond. It was why Musashi chanced a single glance at the source that was her Master.
…Oh no.
The budding tears that were forming past the glare of Vy's glasses was unmistakable, even when she blinked rapidly to not let Skadi see. "I'm not leaving you, mẹ. Not until I have the answer as to why you left first."
"I—" Skadi stumbled backwards in response, a motion that made all Valkyries pause as she tried to speak. "I didn't mean to…!"
"…What is all this really supposed to mean, mẹ? Did I just miss something? Did I hurt you? Is that it?" Despite a wobble in her voice, the words come out in total deadpan as Vy's hands tighten into fists at her sides, knuckles turning white. "Because if I messed up anywhere in the past that made you go off this way, then I'm willing to fight you just to figure out what to do to be better. Especially if you don't want to talk." A metal bo staff — Vy's bo staff — was extending itself from the hems of Vy's skirt for her to grab it for extra emphasis as she stepped forward to be at Musashi's side. Like she meant business. Even if Robin and Achilles both were reaching out to her, eyes widening from the shared horror Musashi knew she was feeling. "I know I'm not perfect, Skadi-san. I'm not the best Master either. But I'm going to at least try, especially if it means bringing you home."
"NO!"
It took Musashi too long to realize that last shockwave of a cry wasn't from her or Vy.
It was from Skadi.
The mana wafting off her Ruler Spirit Origin was weakening now, the fish that were once swimming around Skadi's head now flying off to who knows where — leaving the remaining Valkyries at her side to freeze in place. Skadi looked disoriented (like any other human caught off guard) for the first time since showing up in-person, delicate strands of purple hair falling out of her pigtails from how furiously she shook her head to match her previous scream. "No… no… that's not it. That's not it at all."
"…Mẹ?" Vy said softly, an emotive note of rawness seeping into the nickname.
"…It was not your fault at all, child. It never was." Skadi hugs herself then, and Musashi has a vague feeling she's just about given up. "The Grail wasn't supposed to react. I wanted to collect it for you and come home. But I…"
I made a mistake. I couldn't collect it on my own. I—
…Oh.
It was just like Musashi with the udon a few years back. How the Holy Grail of Las Vegas created the many casinos to cover up her own self splintering at having food for the first time in what felt like forever. She wasn't proud of that moment either, what with how much trouble it took to take down the Swimsuit Swordsmasters that stood up to hide her secret, but Vy still did it anyway.
And just like back then, Vy was still standing up to face the problem right in front of her, tearing up more once Skadi choked out, "There was a significant part of me that wanted you to be free. That… that wanted to see you be happy, away from working yourself to death trying to save Proper Human History. And the Grail… the Grail capitalized on that and I couldn't go back. So…" Skadi shook her head and shut her eyes. "There is no possible way I could go back."
Musashi bit the inside of her cheek, the sympathy and understanding bubbling up in her core suddenly conflicting with the rush of despair starting to flood the back of her mind from the bond connecting her to Vy as she took a breath. What eventually left her mouth was a solemn, "…I get it, Caster."
"Huh…?" She probably wasn't expecting to hear her original Class Name. Good. The ball was in Musashi's court.
"I made the same mistake too, with my udon Grail cooking back at Las Vegas. I'm not going to deny that." Musashi lowered her swords, exhaling as quietly as she could. As much as she could afford, no thanks to the conflicting emotions flooding their bond. "But just because I get it, doesn't change the fact that you still royally messed up."
Red eyes were glaring at her now, but Musashi pushed the resulting hurt to the side. Skadi's anger didn't matter. Not when it meant running damage control for a little riceball who was really starting to break apart from hearing the truth. "…What do you really know, Berserker?" Skadi hisses out Musashi's title mid-clutch of her wand, apparently not noticing the growing crux of the newest issue in their shared vicinity once Musashi could make out a tiny, watery sniffle out of the corner of her hearing. "I was really trying to resolve this alone, give our Princess a chance to have fun—!"
"But you being Grailed before me and still giving all that up to sustain a Singularity that, by the way, is in no way fun for our Master still means you messed up." Musashi knew the words were harsh, but they had to be said. They just had to. "None of this is what our Master would call a good summer vacation, and just lying about your plans instead of asking for help like a decent Servant is just making it worse."
"Wha—?" Skadi cut herself off. "But…"
"…Was that… really it? Giving up five Grails for… for this? How could… how could I find this fun anyway? When it's just coming from my own faults again…?"
Without warning, Musashi felt her heart break at the newest voice, and she knew from instinct that she wasn't the only one. Lady A and Erice in particular looked spooked, and Musashi didn't have to glance over her shoulder to know that the men weren't all that happy either.
Because right in the center of their group, shoulders shaking and bo staff limp in her hands, Vy was ducking her head and… and starting to cry.
"N-None of this has been fun at all." Drip, drip, went the first few droplets slipping out past the shadow of Vy's hat and falling onto the iced pavement. "The flower garden had w-way too many demonic bulbs out to kill me—" Lady A flinched at that part. "The food's been way too spicy for m-me to even eat lately, not to mention the new Valkyries not even noticing we're tired—" Erice flinched next, just to match the new set of Valkyries in front of Skadi turning to metaphorical stone. "A-And the hot springs were fucking lava from a horribly insensitive bitch of an oni cheerleader, a-and just… just…" There's another sniffle as Vy's voice cracks. "I-I can't even enjoy anything with so many people!"
Skadi flinched, visibly taking a step back once Robin stepped forward again to press a hand to the back of Vy's hat. Her mouth opened and closed to match the fish that left her. "Child, I—"
"I-It's just way too loud here." A sob cuts through Vy's words, interrupting Skadi's meek attempts at a protest as her bo staff shortens itself in her grip, a hand coming up to shakily wipe at her face. "There's too many people f-for me to hear myself, too many babies throwing tantrums to concentrate on anything — I-I can't even eat or sleep okay on the ship without Big Robin h-hugging me, and, and I-I was so prepared to fight to the d-death if it meant bringing you home, mẹ, o-only to find out it's still indirectly all my fault again!" Stepping away from the other Servants — including from Musashi, Arcueid, Achilles, and even Robin — Vy sobs again, her side ponytail falling past her shoulders to sag against her neck once she shakes her head. Musashi's heart aches just hearing it. Watching it unfold while feeling the urge to move past her frozen limbs didn't make it any better. Because her limbs weren't moving. "Wh-What was the point of this?! What was the whole damn point of trying?!"
"Vy…" Musashi said softly. She had a sinking feeling the little riceball couldn't hear her.
And sure enough, Vy chokes. "I…" her voice comes out tiny once she covers her face with both hands, bo staff barely stowed away underneath her skirt in time to muffle her next sob. "I-I just wanted to be with Mẹ Skadi, Shii-chan, Arc, Achi, Art-san, Mash, Big Robin, and the other Grailed watching m-movies this summer. N-Nothing more than — than just sharing a single bucket of popcorn and laughing together. Th-That was it. I-It wasn't supposed to be hard…!" A muffled heartbroken wail echoes in the ice castle plaza, then Vy shakes her head again. She sniffles once, then twice, sucking in a hard breath before eventually squeaking out, "…N-No more. I-I give up."
"…What?" Skadi croaks finally. Musashi can't blame her. It's obvious all attention is on Vy now.
"F-Fuck this." Vy reiterates, shaking her head again and stepping away from the others. "I-I'm done and need to cry before — before I-I spout off more shit. E-Everyone's dismissed." With a shaky toss of her head to — to Musashi, Vy mutters past the wet cracks between her fingers, "Sh-Shii-chan, if necessary, you and Arc have full permission to fuck Skadi-san up a-as long as you don't kill her. I-I can't care anymore beyond that right now."
Merciless, but understandable. She's been pushed to her social and physical limits up to this point. Why else would she leave now?
Musashi couldn't blame her even when, without any further warning, Vy turned on the heel of her sandals and ran away in the direction of the Chaldean ship, more tears hitting the plaza floor behind her. From the sound of her outburst, she was holding it in since Skadi disappeared from the Storm Border at the start of this whole mess. And as expected, Robin and Achilles predictably ran after her, Asclepius and Yan Qing the only (very disgruntled, very worried) men left in their motley group once their figures grew smaller in the distance. Gareth, Erice, Lady A, and, hell, even Thrud didn't look all that well off either, considering their shared looks of dismay.
So with nothing else to do, Musashi could only dispel her swords and turn back to their new "enemy," crossing her arms all disapproving-like.
Because even without Vy's new orders, the former Lostbelt King of a Grailed Caster was nothing but small in her new Ruler Spirit Origin once she fell to her knees from what looked like visible despair, the mix of regret and horror on her face reading no fighting intent left. The rapidly dwindling presence of Skadi's mana proved there was no battle to be had anymore. (Like Vy's words were the final straw to snap her back to reality. Musashi didn't feel pity for her this time. Just sympathy.)
"…Probably nothing worthwhile to really fight over, then." Arcueid said solemnly as the one other Grailed left in the vicinity. It was a sufficient conclusion to come to.
The subsequent combination of snot and tears makes everything feel grossly sticky despite her best attempts at cleaning them away for later presentability. Every swipe of her hand — more wet. Every snub of her fingers — more sticky.
Even the short sleeves of her own clothes felt disgusting once Vy tried wiping her face with those, her own knees damp from all the attempts. Everything felt wrong, everything was wrong, and it took all her limited social battery to not recoil once a hem of a strangely familiar flower-patterned hoodie came up to brush along the corners of her eyes past her blurry glasses.
Flower-patterns on a hoodie. A big, forest-musty smelling hoodie.
Big Robin.
Vy wasn't sure whether to cry more or just wryly smile at how quickly she was found. She could've sworn she did her best to avoid Director Goredolf and some of the other Summer Servants when finding a corner of the ship deck to curl up and sulk in. But judging by the worried look on Robin's face, that didn't work out. She wasn't sure whether to accept it as it was or question it for the very specific timing either. "I-I said everyone was dismissed," leaves her instead in a weaker voice, unable to do so much as protest once someone gently takes off her hat and replaces it with a white-striped-black jacket, another hand coming along to rub the edges of her spine past her shirt. "S-So you didn't have to follow me."
"And we wouldn't be your Grailed if we didn't take matters about you into our own hands, Princess." Achi's signature confidence is still present in the words despite his own subdued reply, clearly scooting over to make more room once Art-san — still in her Saber form despite wearing a modest dark blue one-piece swimsuit to contrast her bikini-wearing Archer variant — reached out with her other hand to gently press a palm against one of Vy's wet cheeks. "You're not getting rid of us that easily."
"W-Wasn't thinking of d-doing that, though…" Another whimper-turned-sob cuts through her next attempt at words, and the toned arms winding around her were clearly from Big Robin once her ear rested against a matching muscular chest. A warm, gentle chest that just made her nose seize up more. "I… I just don't know what to do."
"And that's okay, little sparrow." Robin strokes her hair once Arturia starts a group hug, pulling Achilles in so that there's a whole mess of elbows and arms wrapping her up past the jackets. It's less sticky and wet compared to before, more warm and safe and like home once they crowd in. An extra soothing noise echoed from within Robin's chest too, right where Vy had to rest her head from the fatigue as he whispered, "That's okay."
Vy sniffles again, sucking in as deep of a breath as possible once the Big Three hug her tighter. It was warm, it was safe, but— "I-I'm… I'm still sorry."
For running away, for crying, for—
"It's not your fault for getting overwhelmed, Princess. It's alright." Arturia's voice is firm despite the hands still gently pressing against her back and cheek, a thumb wiping at the corner of her eyes once Vy blinks. "If anything, Caster should've known that this wasn't the right course of action. And in all brutal honesty, you had every right to be angry with her, considering the number of obstacles she put in your path in the moniker of 'fun,' whether it was willingly or not. So there's no need to apologize to us." Arturia actually leans into the hug more once another sniffle involuntarily echoes in the shared air, and Vy felt her heart skip a beat. "It's alright."
"A-Art-san…"
"…The question now is," Robin's voice is oddly comforting with how calm it sounds in her ear, and Vy blinks once he presses a light kiss to the top of her head. "What do you want to do, Vy? Do you want to give up? And," Robin's voice hardens for a brief moment, "don't you dare start thinking about what Director Goredolf and the others want. What matters right now is what you want."
"Seconding that," Achilles chimes in, the underlying hint of steel in his voice obvious even as his arms come dangerously close to tickling her sides mid-hug. "Because if you need a break, Princess, we can provide that."
"Or as Archer and Rider are implying but not outright stating," Arturia said softly, "fuck the Director. We are here for you. Just you, Vy."
The oxygen in her mouth tasted sour even as Vy sucked in a heaving breath in yet another attempt to stop the growing urge to keep crying. Arturia and Robin dab at her face again with their respective jackets, helping her take her glasses off when her hands shake too much from all the emotion to do so herself, but her lips thankfully move like she wants them to. "I… I still want to resolve this Singularity. I-I gave up on m—Skadi-san back there because i-it still hurts, but… but there's gotta be another reason why this Arctic Summer World exists. Why it… it needed Skadi-san as its Queen in the first place." An extra sniffle escapes her self-control before she can stop it, but the Grailed still hug her like she deserves it. Like she can be selfish. It makes her last sentence feel all the more heavy and painful in her throat once she admits, "I… I still want to know."
What made the Grail take Skadi away?
Who decided she had to be here?
"...Alright," Robin says for everyone else, tightening his part of the group hug before stroking her hair again. "Let's go with that." To Arturia and Achilles, he said in a slightly louder voice, "Any objections?"
The solemn "None" said by Arturia and Achilles in unison merely made Vy shut her eyes, giving up once more as the Grailed hugged her close. The idea of finding out something worse than what was already said by Skadi and Musashi previously wasn't all that pleasant to begin with, so what left Vy's lips ended up sounding more selfish and horrible than she wanted it to be.
"…Before then, could we… could we get milkshakes? Ones made with lots of Oreos? I-I wanna drink something sweet."
The warm arms everyone wrapped around her already clued her into their shared answer, even when a dark part of her felt undeserving of Robin's soft, "Yeah. That's okay, Vy. We can do that too."
"What did you think of my Arctic surprise, Master of Chaldea?" The darkened Ibuki-Douji spread her arms out wide in the final room of the Arctic Summer World's central Ice Tower, yellow eyes and black sclera flashing with amusement and nothing but what Achilles could call godly arrogance. Achilles knew he wasn't one to talk with his own confidence, but there was a huge difference between a hero and a wild god. A horribly endowed, up-her-own-large-ass god too. "Did you enjoy yourself and your Queen's attempts to make you happy?"
(And man. He seriously thought Artemis with the bear version of Orion was "cringe" enough before. Meeting those two was one of the few times he actually got to see Ane-san cry for a different reason beyond her own dreams in the Great Holy Grail War once upon a time.)
(Ibuki-Douji, though…)
(She had way too much time on her hands. Especially when the recipient of said time had already made it clear to Skadi she wasn't having any of it.)
"…No," Vy responded promptly in complete deadpan, arms crossed over her chest. Robin coughing suddenly over her shoulder made it sound like he was sharing the same reaction Achilles was trying to hold back, because that was their Master. (Good girl, his brain added helpfully.) With that kind of concentrated determination, it proved without a shred of doubt that their Princess was still keeping up the good fight, keeping up her boundaries and being strong about it. He was definitely proud to see it as her Servant. "Especially not with you around messing things up. So put a fucking sock on it."
Ibuki pouted, sclera briefly reverting to cheerleader white before the gathered thunderclouds of her mana clapped menacingly above her headdress.
"Mmmmm, don't say that, Miss Vy, my lady and myself put in all our efforts to spice up this Arctic world!" Douman, the absolute prick, waved a one-eyed talisman back and forth in the air, his yukata for the summer looking irritatingly good on him despite his own comedic actions on "betraying" Chaldea. (Kinda hard to betray anything when Vy never summoned him to begin with and he decided to show up in the North Pole of his own free will. Just like back on Da Vinci Lily's Summer Adventure, enabling the tiny Columbus to be more of a giant piece of shit. Gaslighting, arrogant, evil ass.) "What do you really think, Master of Chaldea? It is at least a summer you won't forget now, riiiiiiight?"
"Thanks to you, I'd love to just go home right fucking now, you complete dipshit, shitstain of a onmyouji," Vy added in the same deadpan voice, shaking her head. "But you and Ibuki still haven't answered my original question."
Ibuki's eyes darkened once more just as Douman lurched back. "…A wild goddess such as myself dislikes the tone of voice you're using, girl, but I'll allow it." She huffs — just like Shuten and Ibaraki before her — crossing her arms and focusing her gaze on Vy and Vy alone. "What is your question?"
"Making me repeat myself now? I'm soooo honored." Vy spells out her answer in pure unadulterated sarcasm, giving them both a raised brow before huffing too. Compared to Ibuki's almost hiss of a huff from before, Vy's exhale comes off more tired and exasperated despite its whisper of a sound — fatigued enough to make Arturia move forward to discreetly place a hand to the small of Vy's back. "Why are you really doing this? Skadi-san had the excuse of an unconscious wish to help me, but you two have no such defense."
Ibuki blinked, and then to no one's surprise but her own, Douman laughed out loud in his lady's place. "Is it so wrong to try to get into the Master of Chaldea's good graces?" He hums while taking out another talisman, using its head just to clean out the lint from under his elongated fingernails. Achilles wasn't sure whether to gag or applaud the bastard for even doing such a thing at the site of what would become this Singularity's final battle. "Ever since Heian-kyo's disappearance, you kept refusing the calls of myself and my lady, so as much as my lady's… wild nature can be overbearing, this modest onmyouji merely wished to get your attention!"
"…What?" Gareth said for their side, her hands lowering enough for the tip of her sword to scrape the tower floor. "You… you wanted to get Master's attention?"
"That's all," Arturia spelled out slowly to make up for Gareth's stunned state, green eyes narrowing, "it took for you both to be motivated to tempt Caster into unintentionally hurting our Master?"
Douman whistles happily in lieu of a direct answer. Achilles already had a feeling he'd punch the living daylights out of the Alter Ego even if he did say something.
"…It was amusing," Ibuki added with no preamble, exposing sharp white fangs with her next smile. "Seeing one of your trusted Grailed care too much. For a former Lostbelt King, her shock at your rejection was just as entertaining. Especially when she calls herself the mother of your group." Ibuki licks her lips then, her forked tongue long and grossly lascivious as she paused. "…Her Grailed mana was simply delectable as well. Douman merely facilitated everything with your 'Caster' for me to be here."
Achilles felt himself bristle, the back of his neck itching from the growing urge to just kill these two and be done with the whole conversation. Self-control and his own connection to Vy was all that was holding him back, and the line between the two was already thinning. Because out of all the answers they could've said, they went for the most petty?
"…Modest and amusing my ass," Vy growled then, and this time it was Arturia's turn to duck her head and cover up a laugh. "This Singularity business isn't a game. Proper Human History is still on the line here. So if you two were really trying to show me your resumes for becoming Chaldean Servants, what were you possibly expecting me to say by doing all this?"
"Mmm…" Douman tilts his head at her curiously. His eyes flash between pure black and confused white. "A possible 'Welcome to Chaldea', Miss Vy? You already make yourself so empty to accept every single Heroic Spirit that comes your way from the Throne of Heroes! Who says you cannot accept two more?"
…The fuck he just say?
"How else would you have charmed three goddesses to be part of your Grailed? Nothing but an empty soul explains it." Ibuki-Douji hums for her few pieces of QP, her voice deep and reverberating enough to make the entire tower shake with her next shrug, thunderclouds above her head crackling with more mana. "Can't a great and wild goddess such as myself try to give you some fun to fill the void of your heart before joining you?"
The light in Vy's eyes had completely disappeared.
…They're serious, Achilles realized after a moment of staring, glancing at Archer and Saber and finding the same numb shock reflected in their eyes before turning back to their mutual enemies with a face. What was bubbling through his veins was definitely rage and disbelief. Because really.
After all this effort, they really think—
"…Empty?" All of a sudden, Berserker Musashi throws her head back to cackle, breaking up the tension and summing up the general Chaldean reaction with a fierce shake of her head. All attention goes to her then with that out in the open, making the whites of her teeth look threatening and malicious in her own subsequent grin as she says, "There's no way our little riceball is empty. You two are just epically failing to understand people just like you did back in Heian-kyo if you're saying that and believing it, bastards."
"Seconding that!" Arcueid added with an extra high bounce up into the air, claws poking out through her black dress gloves once she claps her hands together. Her red eyes glowed once she said, "I may be a funny vampire who hasn't been with Vy for as long as the others, but I've seen her enough to know she's nowhere close to being empty!"
"…What?" Ibuki's sclera was turning white again once she rounded on Douman with yet another pout. "…Was I… was I wrong, Douman?"
"Mmmmmm, I-I could've sworn you weren't, my lady!" Douman fumbled, glaring at Musashi who proceeded to stick her tongue out at him. "The Master of Chaldea has to be empty! How else could she have—?!"
All of a sudden, Vy just sighed, interrupting Douman's attempts to say otherwise as she uncrossed her arms. The last thing Achilles expected was to then see her reaching past her back for — for the prototype hammer-gun Da Vinci Caster had made based on the RWBY webshow Vy grew up with, slowly extending it from her makeshift back holster and pointing the gun's barrel right in Douman and Ibuki's shared direction once she got a good grip. Even if it didn't share the same color scheme as the original "Magnhild" with its reduced pink accents and more overall white and gold schematics, looking at it from the side still made it appear threatening.
(Though, why did Da Vinci decide to name it "Striking Soul" out of all things?)
(If he had to guess, Achilles could've sworn Da Vinci took the name from the one "Raising Heart" weapon that starred in that one other show — Nanoha, right? — that Vy also liked. Amazingly, "Striking Soul" was looking better than trying to go about perfecting those "Ember Celica" gauntlets from Las Vegas considering those weapons and their recoil, in hindsight.)
"…If you two truly believe that, you're just proving my point as to why I never summoned you." Striking Soul's barrel cap opens with a ringing pop, exposing the six fully loaded mana-grenades inside. The new stars in Vy's eyes were half light, half dark to contrast the lotus petals starting to swirl around her sandaled feet, just as she aimed the open gun barrel and said in a firmer voice, "And calling me 'empty' and believing it after hurting Skadi-san just makes you permanently banned from ever coming to Chaldea."
Ibuki hissed, sounding more like a lion than an offended cat with how thunder started crackling along her fingertips. Yet Achilles had a feeling she wouldn't be able to hold it for long. (No denying the gut instinct.) "You wouldn't dare. I am a goddess, girl. You cannot dare—!"
"I can dare, bitch, and I will."
Douman's eyes turned fully black as his jaw fell to the floor. "W-Wait a moment, Miss Vy—!"
"WHAT PART OF WHAT I SAID IN 'YOU'RE PERMANENTLY BANNED!' DO YOU NOT FUCKING GET?! YOU! ARE! PERMANENTLY! BANNED!"
It didn't even take a second for Vy to pull the trigger to let the payload to fly. There was no hesitation whatsoever in doing it. Ibuki and Douman both screamed once the grenades made explosive contact, and Achilles let himself feel the pride in his veins once a familiar voice echoed in the back of his mind.
I bought you some time, so before the smoke clears up, could you lead the assault on them with Art-san and Big Robin, Achi?
I'm pissed at what these two did to Skadi-san, so they need a good beat-up.
Achilles glanced at Archer and Saber from over his shoulder, and once the duo grinned back, he turned to their shared enemies and materialized his spear. Musashi and Arcueid stepping up to manifest their own weapons alongside Vy transforming hers into its signature hammer form just made his cheeks hurt more from his own wide smile.
Your wish is my command, Princess.
He was already tired of their shared bullshit. Spilling some of their blood, god or not, felt like a worthwhile exchange for all the pain they caused in the name of "fun" and a messed-up job application.
Robin's not surprised to find Vy sitting out on the Ice Tower's highest floor by herself once Mash confirms over the comms the prompt cessation of Ibuki-Douji and Ashiya Douman's Spirit Origins. It was just like her to slip away when everyone was cheering over the real masterminds being defeated. The sight of her long brown hair loose and free from any hair ties to flow against her back merely proved his point.
(Not to mention the highest floor did have the best view of the whole singularity without dealing with all the people. And after her previous meltdown on the ship, it did seem to be up Vy's alley to do what she was doing — people-watching without being within the massive crowds of theme-park-going people. For the Master of Chaldea who led more than 300 Servants by the end of Faerie Britain, she could surprisingly be lonely when times called for a break.)
(Not that it made him love her any less. He knew what it was like to willingly choose to strike it out alone. For her to not push him away even when doing it herself was something he was always thankful for.)
(Seeing her without that new gun-hammer combo Da Vinci Caster called "Striking Soul" was just an extra cherry on top too. Da Vinci Lily must've collected it for maintenance or safety or something.)
As much as beating the crap out of their asses with the other Servants was satisfying, it didn't change the fact that Vy was still unhappy, and the way she looked when curling up on herself paralleled everything from before the Lostbelts.
Agartha, SERAPH, Salem—
It was why he didn't need the other Grailed to nag him from their shared bond to move. The No Face May King made for a decent blanket to cover her head with (even with the extra summery-flowers covering it from BB way back from Luluhawa, damn forced transformations, even if he did kinda like the color scheme), and the tiny Uuu that graced his ears once he got a decent seat next to her for some extra company was a good enough sign for him. And sure enough, Vy doesn't push him away when he reaches over to hold her shoulders, instead leaning into his side with a softer Muu that he still loves.
She sits like that with him for a moment or two before turning her head and resting her cheek against his collarbone. "…I guess perching out here by myself isn't an option?"
"Nope." Robin ducks his head to press a kiss to her temple, taking what joy he could in her next cute Muu noise as he pulls her closer to his chest. In a half-sarcastic, half-truthful voice, he went on with a lighter, "Couldn't call myself your Big Robin if I did."
"…Guess I can't deny that." Vy leans closer to the point of unconsciously snuggling him, her hair tickling the column of his neck as she sighs quietly. It feels nice, sure, but Robin makes sure not to bask in the growing feeling of victory to instead wait. Years of being with her as her Servant taught him to wait, just because she always had something on her mind even if she didn't always voice it at first. His patience is thankfully rewarded when a tiny high-pitched voice brushes the underside of his chin a second later with a soft, "…Could I vent something to you, Big Robin? If that's okay?"
"Go ahead," he said with no preamble, keeping his grip on her shoulders in what he hoped was comforting to her. She deserved that much at least. Getting socially overwhelmed by everything in the theme park was one thing. Dealing with Skadi, Douman, and then Ibuki acting out? All in her name too? By now, with the Holy Grail that started this entire mess officially locked up and stored in Chaldea custody, Vy had every right to say something. Even if it could hurt. "It's definitely okay. So what is it, little sparrow? Something still on your mind?"
"…Kinda." Vy pauses, opening her mouth for a brief moment before closing it. She then makes a soft Uuu noise past her closed lips before ducking her head and reaching out with one arm to hug his middle. (Was she hesitating? Even now, after being together for more than a few years? Or was she just scared of his reaction?) "Is it… is it weird I still feel angry?" Her fingers curl into the side of his jacket as she hugs him. "Sad and angry about what happened with Skadi-san, Douman, and Ibuki, I mean?"
"No." It was an immediate answer, and Robin leaned down again to press what he hoped was a reassuring kiss to her brow. "There's nothing weird about it. To be completely honest, I'd be more weirded out if you weren't angry about the whole thing, Vy."
Vy stiffens for a moment, her next inhale of air sharp despite her best attempt to hide it, then she ducks her head away and hugs him a little tighter. "Huh…" she said at first. "Didn't expect that…" Then she squeezes him. "It just… it just feels really icky, though. We killed Douman and Ibuki together and recovered the Holy Grail, but… but I still don't feel okay." She sighs, reaching up with her other arm to wind around his back, interlacing her fingers together against the outer pocket of his jacket just to squeeze him again, this time a bit more hesitantly. "Even if Skadi-san didn't mean it, it… it just feels wrong that I'm not okay."
"And that's fine. That's totally okay in my book." Robin makes sure to hug her tightly back, pressing his cheek against the crown of her hair to tuck her into him. "It can feel like that, but the battle at least is over, little sparrow. There's nothing wrong with you feeling that way. I still got you, so it'll be okay."
Vy sniffles in lieu of a response, and Robin feels his heart ache. It wasn't professional to think about cursing one of his fellow Grailed, but to see Vy curl her knees up into her chest while hugging him made him tempted to. Because Skadi should've known what this would lead to, following Ibuki and Douman's plans to try to take them down at the very last minute without help. Using her own Grails to buy time and stave off Douman's manufactured mana drain (damn that Alter Ego to hell and back, he was lucky to be dead) through the various attractions, while understandable in hindsight, didn't help her case either, considering how much shock it put Vy through. But here they were, with Ruler Skadi out of sight and Vy recuperating in his arms because it was one of the few places she seemed to find safe.
(One of the only places she seemed to keep trusting to be safe. He wasn't sure whether to be honored or worried about it.)
It was why he tried not to be surprised at the quiet flare of mana in the periphery of his senses, or at the characteristic cold chill starting to climb up the back of his neck. Because even as a Ruler, not even Scathach-Skadi could truly leave things alone, and once Vy sniffled a watery kind of sniffle again, Robin closed his eyes for a brief second.
Sure, she was a former Lostbelt King, but he didn't give a damn about formalities anymore.
"…I know you're there, Caster."
The cold chill making the hair on his neck stand up on end actually (amazingly) paused. Vy gasped a bit against his chest, but he could still keep her close.
Because at least this time, it felt like Caster was actually listening.
Robin took the resulting silence as a sign to continue. "If you want to apologize, at least face our Master instead of skirting around it. It's still partially your fault we're here, so do me a favor and just own up to it."
A wind blows against his back then, and Robin purposefully angled himself so that Vy wouldn't feel any of it. "…I do not need you to remind me, Archer." Skadi's regal voice still echoed past the sudden zephyr, sounding subdued and almost hesitant to match their Master who froze against his chest. "But… I can at least concede your point."
"Damn straight."
Vy opens her mouth again, a quiet noise echoing between them as Robin glances down to check on her, but she doesn't move once the winds stop. Instead, Robin can hear quiet clop clop noises of platform sandals against the cold floor of the Ice Tower, and then some rustling fabric.
"…Child?"
Vy doesn't look up. Robin turns his head over his shoulder, surprisingly finding Skadi close by in a new bikini swimsuit and see-through veil at kneeling height to meet his eyes. (Was she trying to be pretty at a time like this?) No matter the reasoning, all he does is give her a dirty look in response.
At least call her by name.
Skadi gulped, red eyes swirling with regret and a hell of a lot more emotion he didn't have the energy to unravel, and slowly opened her mouth again. "…Vy?"
A soft and watery Uuu leaves the Chaldean Master's lips at the sound of her own name. The growing frown on Skadi's lips could almost spell out the exact moment when Caster's heart started breaking. Almost.
(Not that it wasn't warranted. Or deserved. This time, at least.)
"I… I realize how little right I have to say this," Skadi began after a heavy pause, her long fingers slowly curling into fists at her side as Robin stared her down. "And yet I also realize how overdue this apology is. You don't have to look at me; I won't ask that of you. But I am sorry, child — Vy." Skadi inhales deeply after getting the words out, but the lack of distance lets Robin see how she carefully hides a swallow of the growing lump in her throat. "Both for putting you through your own version of hell and for being willfully blind to the harm my wish could cause."
There's another watery noise, yet to Robin's surprise, Vy slowly shuffles in place. Right there, in her little burrow of his chest and the summer-changed No Face May King, the small peek of her glasses past his collar coming out blurry and wet at the edges of the lenses once she lowers her knees. "I…" Her voice cracks. "Th-Thankie for saying that, but I… I'm still angry with you, mẹ."
It's such a plaintive, simple sentence, but Robin feels the relief start to exude itself from Skadi's figure as she slowly unclenches her hands, the violet bracelets and anklets on her wrists and feet clinking against her skin mournfully. "…I know."
"But…" Vy sniffles again, her grip on his waist and jacket loosening a little as she shakes her head. "I-It wasn't all hell, mẹ. I-I'm still angry about everything with Ibuki and Douman, but, but when compared to the f-faeries in Faerie Britain, it… it wasn't hell." A weak kind of joy seeps into her voice to match the growing spot of wetness against Robin's skin, but he doesn't mind it when it means seeing Vy slowly lift her head from his chest to show off the smile he was waiting for. A tiny, crooked, but absolutely adorable little smile. "The… The Oreo milkshakes were at least yummy."
Skadi glances at Vy, then Robin in surprise, definitely not expecting that answer. Robin pretends not to notice it, opting to lean down and kiss the top of Vy's head instead. Let Skadi stare, because Vy had every right to speak whatever was on her mind. Especially now, when she was trying to clean up her own face and not let Skadi (or anyone else for that matter) see.
(The simple fact that she was letting him see this — her moment of weakness — without hesitation compared to Skadi made his heart tight enough as is.)
"…If it is Oreo milkshakes you desire, Vy, I can certainly endeavor to provide them." Skadi smiles back, hesitance underlying her voice as she raised a hand in Vy's direction. Robin kept staring her down just in case, but even without that, Skadi seemed to have the right idea, lowering her arm to her side not even a full minute later, wrapping around her bare waist half-heartedly. "As many as you want, just to make it up to you."
There's another Muu, then Vy leans in to press her cheek against Robin's shoulder this time, her hands shaking when trying to take off her wet glasses. Each subsequent blink caused her eyelashes to become more damp once she shakes her head again, her voice cracking once more. "Even if that's nice, I… I don't want an infinite amount of Oreo milkshakes, mẹ. I…" One single tear trickles down Vy's other cheek past her attempts to clean up with her hands. "I-I just want you to come home."
Robin stares at Skadi again, hard, and all Caster does in response is slouch her shoulders. "…I know. And I will. There's…" she swallows thickly. "There's just one last thing I have to do here, before the Singularity disappears."
Great. Vy stiffened against him and almost immediately Robin squashed the urge to curse, giving Skadi the stink eye again. She already hurt Vy once, then worried everyone else by hiding her mana exhaustion while working in the mini-ServantFes Jeanne Alter supervised. Right before the final battle with Ibuki and Douman too. What the fucking else would she want to do here, when she was already trying to work her way back into their good graces? The way she worded it made it sound like that modern saying Vy was familiar with from her books, only changed to "one step forward, five steps back." And Robin had more than enough of this overcrowded theme park on the North Pole of the Bleached World.
Hell. Watching a nice movie while curling up with his little sparrow for cuddles sounded a hella lot better than hearing Skadi out. Still—
If everyone's gonna call me 'the leader' of the Grailed, guess I gotta act like it.
"And that wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the recently banned and deceased, right?" Robin allows some reproach to linger in his voice, just to drive the point home. Whatever god existed out there managing the afterlife for Heroic Spirits — he could deal with their ire later. The steel in his words was real if it meant protecting someone important. If it meant protecting the little sparrow who saw him as important. "Because I still have mana to spare to kick your ass, Caster, Ruler Spirit Origin or not. I know the others can still fight too, so if you're going to try anything regarding 'being a lady,' don't. Gender isn't going to be a factor that'll save you here."
Yet to Robin's surprise, Skadi shakes her head, the smile on her face measured and yet genuine all at once. "No, Archer. No such idea is in my thoughts. What I have in mind instead is something I was trying to do even before Ibuki and Douman had their roles to play, and I'll need your help with it now that they won't interfere, Archer."
"…I'm listening."
Thrud did her best to stay professional once her fingers started combing through Master's hair to start searching for tangles, the long brown strands soft and silky to the touch despite how tense of shoulders it sat upon. Miss Crane and Habetrot were flitting around in the background of the castle's dressing room, squealing something about more sequins and finding another weaving loom, but what mattered most was the single young human woman they all were focusing on.
Thankfully, Hildr had the right idea, slowly examining the bride-to-be's face before reaching for the nearby makeup kit to pull out some primer and foundation, puff already in hand to gently dab the powder onto her cheeks. That wasn't even getting into some of the other Grailed — Arcueid and Musashi, specifically — grinning from ear to ear while pointing the two gleeful seamstresses in specific directions to keep the workflow steady. It made Thrud's first task of distangling any potential knots quick and easy to finish.
Even then, with Ortlinde at the ready with the prepared veil and their other sisters — Rindr, Örlún, and Geirskögul, all looking far less hostile compared to before — watching the whole dress-up sequence with expectant sparkles in their eyes, Vy looked nothing like the last Master of Proper Human History. For one "star" of the show, the light swabs of eyeliner and eyeshadow from Hildr just made her visible hesitance stand out all the more, even as Thrud carefully pulled out a hairbrush and started brushing her long hair.
By Odin, Thrud's own name came out in such a quiet whisper that barely anyone but Thrud herself and the Grailed nearby seemed to hear, making Thrud pause mid-stroke not even a second later.
"Master?" It was the only way she could think of in terms of a proper response. The only way she really knew how to respond.
(The untouched mascara could be left to the side. Any getting onto Vy's glasses could be a recipe for something that Thrud did not want to calculate with the limited time the Singularity had left. Not to mention Vy's previous flinching at the eyelash curler Hildr attempted to use. A small click of the thing was the best they could ask for. Especially when any tears could really ruin what Hildr had already applied for the special occasion.)
Nonetheless, Vy still pauses despite starting the conversation first, visibly pink even through the foundation and blush Hildr starts blending onto her face with a makeup sponge. "…Did you…" she gulps, doing her best to stay very still once Hildr comes close with another makeup brush. "Did you by chance know this would happen, Thrud?"
"…In all honesty, Master, myself and my sisters had a feeling Lady Skadi was planning something, but not to this exact degree." Thrud resumes brushing Vy's hair once Ortlinde sends her a look past her cap, being careful of any potential new snags before reaching for the set of accessories Lady Skadi had provided right next to the makeup. "But as one of your Valkyries, I can at least deduce two things."
Vy puckers her lips once Hildr comes close with a stick of moisturizing lip balm. "Wh-What is that?"
Thrud smiled once she found a familiar lotus ribbon clip sitting on the table amongst all the other accessories. Because of course Lady Skadi wouldn't forget that, what with how important the lotus was to Vy and the soon-to-be groom. "One." Thrud starts gathering the hair in her hands to begin weaving a ponytail. "She's been looking forward to this kind of ceremony for a long time, even if she herself is not to be in the center of it and the rites are just a rehearsal for what will eventually arrive after the Bleaching is resolved."
(Because there is no replacing the actual rites that their Master wants to exchange in front of her original family. The family that got unfairly Bleached away with everything else. The family that tried to reassure Vy in their last moments before the end of the original Chaldea, sending her off with all the love a dying world could muster.)
(That memory alone must have been one reason why Lady Skadi, Lostbelt self or not, had gotten so, so attached.)
"And two." The green ribbons of the lotus clip tickle Thrud's fingers past her gloves once she succeeds at twisting Vy's hair halfway into the ponytail, making its installment into the resulting knot promptly swift and painless. Perhaps Sister Brynhild would be proud at seeing Thrud's work. She wanted to hope so. "Lady Skadi wouldn't have sustained this castle with her Grails for so long if she didn't love you, Master."
(Because lonely souls always seemed to find a way to uniquely soothe each other. Not that Thrud could ever voice it, especially when Lady Skadi herself proved to be no exception.)
Vy makes a contemplative noise, even when Hildr comes close again, this time with a tube of light pink lip gloss and matching pink lipstick. Her soft, "…Okay," before Thrud finally finished doing her hair felt good enough. Her gently bowing her head for Ortlinde to come close with the prepared veil not a second later merely made Thrud's chest warmer than before.
It was a long way from truly forgiving the former Lostbelt King, but it was still something considering the considerable lack of mentioning the "ban list." (Or the enforced jail list, because both Koyanskayas, BB, and Jacques de Molay would never be allowed to see out of their cells again.)
Thrud wanted to believe that Lady Skadi was at least aware of it.
"Archer," Arturia began, although not unkindly, "you're shuffling."
"Can definitely second that as your self-proclaimed best man." Rider snorts past his clip-on bow tie, adjusting his suit jacket instead. "So quit tugging at your collar, Archer, you look like a complete doofus. Sure, I get how you feel, but this is for our Princess, y'hear?"
"Oh, shut it, you two. Self-proclaimed or not, you were invited and I'm trying, okay? Still not used to all the formal shit." Robin does his best not to shoot Arturia and Achilles a dirty look, apparently ignoring the growing urge to scratch at the back of his head by instead shoving his twitching hand into one jacket pocket.
Skadi couldn't help but feel relieved at seeing it, because despite being dressed in an adequately handsome white suit and having the hair on the visible side of his face brushed back for formalities, the bright spark in Archer's green eye was at least promising his cooperation. And it was a stretch to ask for that much in the first place, considering the number of times Robin himself was at the front lines at Vy's side (as he always was, even from previous memories) opposing her original position as Arctic Queen.
(Achilles, Arturia, and even Holmes all coming in to lend their support was an extra surprise Skadi wasn't expecting. Mash was a guarantee, considering her position as Vy's first Servant and only Shielder status, but for the others? It was still shocking.)
(Considering all the trouble she had caused this summer, perhaps they already were on the path to forgiving her. She couldn't be sure.)
(Even so. She would have to keep working hard to make sure that forgiveness and redemption was a reality over a single measly shred of possibility. Perhaps it was a feeling Space Ishtar — no, Astarte — had always carried with her since her summoning to Novum Chaldea, considering how she had kidnapped Vy during their first rogue meeting.)
(Skadi would have to talk to Astarte later. Perhaps Ereshkigal too. From one goddess to another.)
(Because they both knew what it was like to be the last of their kind. Lostbelt or Space or whatever else. They still knew and Skadi had a feeling she could go to them no matter what happened.)
Still. The Grails that made Skadi Vy's Grailed Caster were slowly returning to her, the castle they were standing in would eventually melt within 1-2 days' time, so while the rails and walkways were still pristine — like her Scandinavia, once upon a long and forgotten time — they could do this much.
It was why Skadi put a finger to her lips in a signal to the suited Holmes behind the podium, allowing Ruler to take the hint and immediately glance past a silently giddy Mash's head to just stare at the Big Three to stop their banter. The central doors to the castle's reception room were opening, and the other guests sitting in the pews all stood to attention.
(Marie Antoinette, Billy the Kid, Jeanne Alter, Da Vinci Lily, Archer EMIYA, Asagami Fujino, Medea, Diarmuid Lancer, Bedivere, Murasaki Shikibu, both Okita Souji and her Alter, Queen Morgan, Chevalier d'Eon, Sima Yi's vessel Reines, Chiron, Saito Hajime, Sakamoto Ryouma with his Oryou-san, Minamoto-no-Raikou with Sakata Kintoki, both the Trưng Sisters, Sei Shonagon, Senji Muramasa, the Saber version of Miyamoto Musashi, Nezha, Martha, Beni-Enma, Gareth, Nemo, Van Gogh, Mandricardo, Charlemagne, Melusine, Sitonai, Mecha Eli [surprisingly not dealing with any engine exhaust fumes — was she trying to be good?], Tamamo-no-Mae, Cat, Miyu and the younger Illyasviel, and Sieg, her dear friend—)
(All Servants Bond 6 and higher with their shared Master.)
(Even if not all those Bond 6 and higher could attend from lack of space and genuine consideration for their Master's dwindling energy, it was still a group that had gone above and beyond for her. They all were Servants that would put their lives on the line for her.)
(And right now—)
(They all could cheer for her.)
Berserker Musashi and Arcueid bring up the front of the entering procession with matching wide grins (because why wouldn't they?), followed up by Meltryllis and Hokusai (the artist duo, of course), Hephaestion and Shiki (who were an interesting pair already considering their similar views on the gender spectrum), then Sanson and Mata Hari (another surprise of a couple that Skadi couldn't refute in the slightest).
And well, it didn't take long for Habetrot (who was standing nearby in case of any wedding dress mishaps) to squeal loudly in joy. Just as Miss Crane doubled over and fainted right on the spot too, sparkles flying off her figure to match the… perhaps amazingly, the flying nosebleed. (Not that a nearby Asclepius seemed to be complaining about the spectacle. Skadi could address that later. Mash tearing up was understandable enough.)
Because right at the very end of the procession, what mattered the most was the blushing but oh so precious and dear Vy, the weakly smiling bride-to-be as Ereshkigal and Da Vinci Caster flanked her sides as escorts. The bouquet of lilacs, magnolias, and peonies in her right hand merely accentuated the light makeup on her face past the transparent lace of her bridal veil, the hems of her modest white dress held up by what looked like a giddy Erice and Voyager behind her. (The small crowd of Valkyries flitting around the ceiling above Vy's head in shared delight was hard to miss as well. They were all such good, good children.)
(Still, Skadi could see Vy's left hand, with all three lotus Command Seals glowing past her white lacy glove, actually shake against Da Vinci's elbow. It's something that makes her heart ache. Even at her own rehearsal of a wedding in summer, her dear sweet child hadn't all changed from the nervous young woman who had summoned her in the original Chaldea. Even as a budding adult, she was still nervously clinging to Da Vinci, ironically contrasting the Genius Inventor who was clearly beaming from ear to ear.)
(Seeing that had an old thought resurface for what felt like the first time in years. Because at times when she was alone, Skadi wondered what it would be like had she been summoned during the Incineration. The self-proclaimed "Eternal Genius" and her surrogate daughter in Mash always spoke highly of the previous Chaldean Director and good doctor — of Romani Archaman, who had looked after her child too once upon a time. If she had been there as well, would they have been able to enjoy tea together?)
(Would Romani have even been able to see Vy off as Da Vinci was now? Would he be proud and approve of Skadi as another mother?)
(Despite her returning strength as Vy's Grailed Caster, Skadi did not have Clairvoyance. There was no point in debating a talk with a lost man.)
(But the lost man was still a good man if he could make the Big Three and Vy smile so widely when meeting each others' eyes.)
Flower petals — lotuses, roses, cherry blossoms, and so many more — started dotting the footsteps of the other Grailed escorting their Master to the central podium (the handiwork of both Merlin and Lady A, no doubt). If not for Skadi deciding her own place at the sidelines, far away from the central dais where the Big Three and Ruler and Mash waited, she would've felt more envious of the whole procession. Instead, she shot Ereshkigal and Da Vinci Caster her best smile once they carefully pushed Vy forward to step up and meet her beloved.
It was the least Skadi could do, keeping up her love as a parent even as Vy was leaving her.
Robin had a sparkle in his green eye that made it look suspiciously overbright, but the warm smile on his face was undeniable once he extended his hand to Vy, and watching her take it to squeeze merely made Skadi's chest feel tighter.
(Mash's quiet cheers behind her, sounded just to match Saber and Rider's smiles nearby simply added to the heavy weight on her heart, no matter how warm it was. Because had she follied more, she wouldn't be able to see this.)
(None of them would have let her see this. And—)
Even if I could never get married to Odin in my Lostbelt…
Holmes smiles gently at the Master-Servant couple once they are standing together in front of him, opening what looked like a blank notebook just for show while starting the informal rites, but it's more than enough for Scathach-Skadi. Hearing both Robin and Vy say, "I do," made the castle reception room feel warmer than before. Because in the end…
I can at the very least watch my child get married to the love of her life here.
Once the two "lovebirds" turn to each other, Robin carefully lifting Vy's veil out of the way, just to seal the deal with a gentle kiss past the growing cheers, Skadi knew she could be a mother again, even in a Bleached world. The idea of being a mother to a happy couple certainly sounded better than reminiscing about the time of a lonely bride in a burning, doomed world.
(She never wanted to experience that time again. Even if it meant sacrificing everything else. But more than that…)
(She never wanted Vy to experience that, ever. Even if it meant Skadi would have to disappear to accomplish that.)
(Perhaps that one vessel of Odin's — Caster Cu Chulainn — would have more to say on the matter, considering his and Saber Alter's lingering presence in the shadow of the castle doors. Not to mention Kama. She could think about it later. No. She would think about it later, probably long after the moment when the others would decide on a proper punishment for her actions.)
(For now, she could let her child fly with her Big Robin. It was all she could do now.)
