Chapter 232: Little Mo: 1
After Artoria and her army returned, a giant welcoming party was held by the people as she rode past them with her knights to her castle. Only when she made it back and settled down did I drop the Mordred bomb.
To say it caused an uproar was an understatement.
Artoria herself looked at Mordred like she was the strangest thing she'd ever seen. The mirror-like resemblance between them was probably the only reason she didn't ask if I was sure if it's her child.
She ordered for Mordred to be fed and have a room for the night, before immediately calling an emergency meeting for the Knights of the Round Table.
They probably thought it has something to do with Vortigern. Judging by how heated their current argument was, I bet they wish that was the case.
Agravain didn't want to put up with another one of his mother's schemes, which was understandable, and wanted Mordred to be sent as far from Camelot as possible. Lionel, Cador, and Tristan agreed with him.
Percival didn't believe it was right to judge Mordred for something she had no control over, which was her birth. Lancelot immediately backed him up, and so did Brunor and Bors.
Gawain used to agree with Agravain... Until he saw little Mordred. Then he went full on big brother mode and refused to let anyone as much as look at her the wrong way.
Merlin, unsurprisingly, stayed neutral. What was surprising was that Bedivere and Kay did the same. But, I guess they just believed that Artoria will make the right decision.
As for Artoria herself, she was just observing the argument going on between her knights with a hand on the side of her head. She made it look like she was just leaning on her hand, but anyone who looked closely can tell she was just nursing the headache she was feeling.
"We can't just let another of Morgan's games go on," Agravain stated, standing over the table with his hands firmly on it. "It's better to be safe and just have the child sent away."
"And what does a child that had no hand in its own birth do to support Morgan's ideals," Percival argued back.
"Her very existence is something that supports Morgan's schemes," Agravain glared at Percival.
"With all due respect, Sir Agravain, could the same not be said for you and Sir Gawain?" Brunor said back, crossing his arms.
"Sir Agravain and Sir Gawain are not the product of personal assault on our King," Cador practically growled.
I was confused on why Cador felt so strongly for this, since he always struck me as professional and cool-headed, but then I remembered hearing that Cador had a hand in raising Guinevere, so I guess he believes that her chance to have a child with Artoria was taken by Morgan 'raping' her sister, which produced Mordred.
"That is Morgan's sin to bare," Lancelot argued back. "The child did nothing wrong. No one chooses how they're born."
"Tell me about it," I mumbled, but it was ignored in the heat of the argument.
They kept throwing a few more opinions. This is a seriously bad situation because both sides had justified reasons to hold their stance on the subject.
"She's a CHILD!" Gawain yelled somewhere along the argument, smacking his hands on the table.
"We were all children once, Gawain, but that didn't stop Morgan from using us," Agravain argued back, almost snarling at his brother.
"And we escaped!" Gawain reasoned.
"I am sad to say this, Sir Gawain, but this child did not escape," Tristan said before he turned his head to face me. "It was taken. How do we know that they were not already influenced by Morgan in some way."
"Enough!" On Artoria's order and hand smacking the table, the arguing stopped as all the knights took back their seats. "We have just finished a large battle. This is no time for a discussion like this. You are all to return home and rest for the night. Think things through, and tomorrow, we will decide what to do with... the child," Artoria instructed.
The Knights glared at each other for a moment before they all got up from their seats and left one after the other. Honestly, I think she made the right call. They looked ready to draw their swords.
When they were all gone except for me and Merlin, Artoria sighed and shook herhead before sending me a glare. "Did you really have to bring this up as soon as we got back from fighting Vortigern?"
I just shrugged my shoulders. "Hey, did you want me to wait until you thought everything was peaceful and ruin it for you?"
"That's not the point!" Artoria yelled back, her glare getting more heated. "How the hell am I supposed to handle this!? Any decision I make now WILL anger someone!"
I just stared at her for a second. "... And?"
"An-?! Do you not realise how big this is!?" Artoria questioned, looking both shocked and angry.
I just gave her a deadpan look. "Artoria... who the hell cares whether or not some people are angry with your decisions? We've been through this before. You're not perfect, and you can't please everyone. In a situation like this, regardless of what anyone thinks, the decision is yours."
"And what exactly is this 'decision' I should be making!?" Artoria demanded. I would have felt annoyed at her anger, but it was understandable.
"Do you hate Mordred?" I asked.
Artoria's expression froze as she moved back a bit. "What?"
"I said do you hate Mordred?" I repeated my question.
"What are you-" She stopped her reply, looking incredibly conflicted before shaking her head. "I don't... hate her. I just... like, Percival said, it's not her fault for what Morgan did. But, she's still a child of rape, MY rape, and I really don't know what to do."
I can safely say I've never heard her sound so lost. "Artoria, let me tell you this straight: NO ONE suddenly gets a child and immediately knows what to do. Even those who actually PLAN to have children and try for it panic when the child is almost here. Heck, Merlin here had a hand in your actual birth and I bet even he had moments where he genuinely didn't know what to do."
"I will neither confirm or deny that," Merlin commented.
I rolled my eyes at the Flower Mage before turning back to Artoria. "The point is, regardless of the 'how', that kid is here. And, if you think YOU feel lost, then can you imagine how Mordred must be feeling?" I asked and Artoria's expression turned somber. "I'm not telling you to be a father on the spot... hell, even I needed to stay with someone I wasn't really friends with back then because I desperately needed help... But, I'm just telling you to handle this calmly. If you panic, or make the child think there's something wrong with them being there, they WILL notice. Kids are pretty perspective on this stuff. So just... take it easy. Don't let her think there's anything wrong with being here, and especially don't make her think anything is wrong with her."
Artoria stared at me for a few moments before she sighed and dragged her hand through her face. "I'll... I'll try. I just... I just need some rest right now," she said.
"And that's understandable. Follow your own advice and rest for the night after thinking things over," I said, standing up from my seat to leave.
"Before you go," Artoria spoke again, making me stop. "I was thinking of holding... a memorial of sorts, to honor the soldiers that lost their lives during the battle with Vortigern. I was wondering if that would be a good idea."
I blinked at her. "Wow, I'm impressed you thought of that on your own instead of needing me or Kay to tell you," I bluntly replied, and she just gave me a flat look. "Anyway, it's honestly a great idea. It'll show the people you truly care for any sacrifice they make and that you don't see those who work under you as nameless soldiers."
"I was never THAT bad," Artoria groaned.
"No, but you were pretending to be that bad," I said back, shrugging my shoulders before turning to leave. "Good night."
"Yes, good night," Artoria sighed, probably knowing there's gonna be very little sleep with how much thinking she has to do.
I kind of sympathised with her. Her situation is going to have someone annoyed at her either way, like she said. But, again, she's the king, and she needs to put her foot down sometimes instead of looking for the 'perfect solution'.
Just as I reached my room and sat down on my bed, Gaia decided it was a good moment to drop some news on me.
"Vortigern is dead and the one with our swords will die soon for you to reclaim it. You can go back now."
"... Are you kidding me?" I mumbled.
So now my job is over and I don't have to stay in Camelot because Artoria is gonna die one day? 'Soon' by Gaia's standards could mean centuries! It decided NOW was a good time to drop news like this one me?
... Granted, I did the same with Artoria with the news about Mordred, but still!
Chapter 233: Profile: Yang
Servant Profile, Yang.
True Name: Xing Qiu Yang.
Origin: Chinese Mythology.
Class: (Saber) (Berserker).
Gender: Female.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral.
Strength: B.
Endurance: B.
Agility: A.
Magical Power: C.
Luck: C-.
Noble Phantasm: EX.
(Skills)
1: Mystic Slayer A.
Legends say that Xing Qiu Yang nearly hunted mystics in China to extinction to prove their strength. Her ability to track down and fight Mystics terrified them.
2: Demonic Nature of Oni C.
Xing Qiu Yang had never hid her horns from anyone. She does not take pride or shame in her Oni heritage, for she cares not for it.
3: Divinity C.
A low level divinity inherited from Yamata-no-Orochi. It has been toned due to being further from Orochi than her birth mother.
4: Daughter of the Planet's Mirror. EX.
"Xing Qiu", meaning Celestial Body. As the child of the supreme entity, Yang is protected from the authority of the gods, and no form of mystic can cast a spell on her.
5: Mind's Eye. (Fake) B.
6: Herbal Knowledge. C
Legends say that Yang had herbal knowledge that would be used to help the wounded and sick. Whether she used it or not, however, depends on her mood.
7: Battle Continuation. A
(Noble Phantasm)
[Shé, The Pure Sword]
A blade that was forged deep within the planet, not unlike the Holy Sword. It is a truly indestructible blade that never gets as much as a scratch. The blade is always clean, and is stated to be too sharp, which is why no sheath was ever made for it, because they would always be cut by the sword.
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Personal
(Second Noble Phantasm)
[Reflection of The World]
A Reality Marble that highlights Yang's true nature as simply a reflector of how the world treated her. If she was treated with cruelty, she returned with cruelty. If she was treated with kindness, she returned with kindness. If she was treated with love, she loved back.
Rank: EX.
(Third Noble Phantasm)
[Cutting Reflection]
A Noble Phantasm that acts as a skill. Xing Qiu Yang's swordsmanship techniques are nothing outstanding, but she is simply so good and powerful at using them, that it even allows her to cut things through their reflection. The slashes she makes have so much force in them that the cut is applied to through the reflection in itself, rendering defense useless.
(Voice Lines.)
Summoning (5 Star): Tch… So you humans still need someone to hold your hand? If it isn't Father, then it's Servants? How weak…. Saber, Xing Qiu Yang.
Leveling Up: Eating… Fire?... This is stupid. Who made this system?
Leveling Up 2: If you humans have a way to get stronger, use it on yourselves rather than Servants.
1st Ascension: Hmm… So this is a Saint Graph Ascension?
2nd Ascension: Nothing changed this time.
3rd Ascension: … Father always said I should value how I look. I don't know why, but it made him happy, so I was happy.
4th Ascension: This kind of power… Now Father doesn't have to worry about me… don't look smug. I'll only thank you if Father doesn't need to come to your rescue, but for now… good job.
Bond 1: Scram. You have better company to humour.
Bond 2: … You're persistent. Fine. You can sit there, but don't even think of saying I didn't warn you that I'd be bad company.
Bond 3: Why do I hate humans? I don't hate them. I honestly couldn't care less about humanity. I just hate how you need to have someone hold your hand.
Bond 4: What was Father like?... Hmm… He was warm. That's the only way I can describe him.
Bond 5: … I guess I don't hate Chaldea. Technically, you people are finally fighting on your own. Fine, I guess being here isn't so bad, but if you end up needing Father to come and save your butts, whatever respect I have for you is gone.
Conversation 1: Aren't you supposed to be saving humanity? Get up and get to it.
Conversation 2: My relationship with you? You're a Master, and I'm a servant. What sort of Master doesn't even know the basics?
Conversation 3: There really shouldn't be anything more between a Servant and Master beyond working relationship, but I guess it's better that you actually bother talking to Servants.
Conversation 4(Yu Mei-Ren): Urgh, the old hag is here. Huh? Stop calling you old hag? When you stop calling me a brat, I'll think about it.
Conversation 5(Tamamo-no-Mae): Tch… such a disgusting smell. Housewife? What a joke. No house would allow something so rotten in.
Conversation 6(Shuten-Douji): So… this is Shuten-Douji?... Hehe, how weak.
Conversation 7(Ibuki-Douji): Urgh! Would you leave me alone already! No! I don't want to 'hang out' or 'play catch'! And why do you care if I'm eating well?!
Conversation 8(Minamoto-no-Raikou): Hey, what's the deal with the one calling herself your mother. She stares at me with a weird expression before shaking her head and walking away.
Conversation 9(Svend): Huh… Father's first student… He mentioned him before… Hah? My older brother? Don't be ridiculous. Father took me as his child, and he only took that one as his student… I'm saying that I'm definitely not the "little" sibling, got it!
Likes: Meat. Particularly cows or fish, especially if its well cooked.
Dislikes: I hate loud noises, especially in cold places.
About the Holy Grail: I wish humanity would no longer need to have its hand held… Then… me and father could…
During events: Urgh. It's so noisy outside. Go out and tell them to shut it!
Chapter 234: Little Mo: 2
Okay, when the new day began, I thought breaking the news to Artoria about how my job here is done and how I'll be here less was going to be the hardest thing I had to do all day.
I was wrong.
The hardest thing I had to deal with was the sheer awkwardness that was generated by Artoria and Mordred as they tried, and I need to emphasise on that 'tried', to interact.
"Oh, uhmm," Artoria tensed as we ran into Mordred while I was trying to bring up my own subject. "G-Good morning."
Mordred, who was now in a cute white dress, equally tensed. Crossing her arms at her front, she looked down and started shaking on the spot. "Good m-morning."
They both just stood quietly there. Neither I nor Bedivere, who was with us as Artoria's aid like always, said anything. For Bedivere, I guess it was out of manners, but for me, it was out of feeling awkward.
"Did..." Artoria seemed to want to say something before second guessing herself. She seemed to get over it, though, and continued. "Did you sleep well?"
"Uh?" Mordred seemed completely lost because of the question, before tensing even more, if that was possible, and rapidly nodding her head. "Y-Yes. It w-was good. The... The bed was r-really n-nice."
They fell into silence again. Even Bedivere was starting to look uncomfortable. If they won't break the silence, I will. "Do you want to join us for breakfast?"
Mordred stopped looking tense and instead looked utterly confused. "I... don't have to eat in my room?"
The question caused some confusion to us, but me and Artoria, at least judging by how her face hardened, understood the implication.
Morgan wouldn't really have taken care of Mordred. She most likely threw any food at Mordred and told her to eat quietly in her room just so Mordred wouldn't starve to death.
"No, you don't," Artoria clarified, the previous awkward tone she had a moment ago now gone. "Come join us. I'm sure you'll like it."
"... A-Alright," Mordred hesitated but agreed regardless.
I was hoping that would end the cycle of awkwardness, and I was very wrong. The minute we sat at the breakfast table -an unnecessarily long, LONG table meant for royalty-, the awkwardness came back in spades.
We just sat there with Artoria and Mordred looking up at each other every now and then, looking like they want to say something, but then looking completely clueless before looking back to their food.
Guinevere excused herself and didn't show up to breakfast. I guess Mordred's presence made her uncomfortable, which was understandable, honestly. I'm actually quite thankful, her presence would have made things more awkward.
"So..." Artoria finally spoke up. "Do you... like the food?"
"H-Huh?" Mordred froze as she realised Artoria was talking to her. "Uh.. yes, it's d-delicious."
Seeing them like this, I couldn't help but groan and run my hand down my face. To my surprise, Kay, who joined us on the way here, was doing the same thing. Even Bedivere looked like he wanted to say something.
After the very painful breakfast, and I honestly wish it was physically painful instead of whatever THAT was, we got up and were walking the halls again.
When we reached the doors to Artoria's throne room, she stopped and looked at Mordred again. "I have some work that needs to be done. You can... stay with Zack until I'm finished."
... Say what?
I immediately turned my head to her with a confused expression. She looked at me with some guilt and a silent request to go with it before she hurried into the throne room with Bedivere and Kay following close by, both giving effort to not look in my direction.
Did... did Artoria just throw me under the bus?... I don't know how, but I just know this is Merlin's fault. Probably his influence from when he and Kay were travelling with Artoria.
I looked back at Mordred and saw she was looking at where Artoria vanished, looking like she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
She looked back at me expectedly and I decided to try breaking the ice. "So, that was King Arthur. What do you think of them?"
Mordred looked completely lost. "I... I don't know."
"You expected Arthur to be taller, didn't you?" I asked and Mordred froze, her face paling. Chuckling, I assured her. "It's alright. I thought Arthur would be taller when I first met them, too."
Mordred looked utterly shocked. "Can you... Can you really say that?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not one of Arthur's knights, so yeah."
Now she looked confused. "You're... not?"
"Nope, I'm their friend," I clarified before asking. "So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?"
"I... I don't know," Mordred looked down and clenched her dress. "M-Mother never... took me outside?"
It sounded more like a question. Like, she wanted to see the outside, but doubted that it was allowed, or if she could ask.
Man, I really didn't sign up to be a babysitter to a troubled child... If Yu Mei-Ren ever heard me say that, she would choke me -or at least the puppet body- to death.
"Alright, let's do that," I said and Mordred looked absolutely floored. She definitely didn't expect me to agree.
The saddest thing here is that I'm thinking she's not as bad as Yang used to be. The sad part isn't the comparison in itself, but the fact she was compared to Yang's case in the first place.
Chapter 235: Little Mo: 3
Mordred's reaction to actually walking the streets of Camelot was... kind of expected.
She looked around with wide, fascinated eyes full of wonder at everything she was seeing. The people, buildings, and atmosphere really got to her.
Mordred stayed close to me, though. She would even hide behind me whenever anyone got close. I guess the amount of people around spooked her as much as it fascinated her.
Seeing her like this... brought some fond memories that made me kind of sad. But I kept my face straight. No reason to make Mordred more uncomfortable than she already is.
"Where do you want to go first?" I asked.
Mordred looked around. "I... I don't know... I want to see the walls...?"
Once again, she made it sound like a question, not sure if it was allowed. "Alright, let's go."
I held Mordred's hand as we began walking towards the walls. Through the walk there, Mordred's head didn't stop moving once to take in all the sights and people. I was actually a bit worried for her neck.
Once we reached the wall, I looked around to make sure no one was looking before pulling out Baraka. Turning the sword to air element, I picked up Mordred Aith my other hand and flew off the ground.
Mordred yelped and clung to me tightly as we flew upwards quickly and made it to the top of Camelot's walls. When we reached the top, I slowly landed and put away Baraka, but Mordred was still clinging to me.
"It's okay. We're here," I whispered.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked down to see that we're actually standing on the wall. She then looked back towards the city... and her eyes exploded with colors.
She looked at Camelot's beautiful buildings with Artoria's castle at the center. Her eyes were so wide and she was in so much awe that I was really worried for her for a moment.
I haven't seen someone react like this since... Yang tried playing in the beach for the first time.
... Sigh.
Anyway, we stayed for a while at the wall. Mordred just wanted to look at the majestic sight of Camelot. When she calmed down a bit, we went down to explore the city.
Throughout the entire time, Mordred didn't get far from me. She really loved the sights, but was cautious of the people around. It wasn't outright malice. She just really didn't know what to do.
We went to the barracks because I wanted her to see the horses. Once we were inside, Mordred immediately let go to start running around. I guess children across all history liked horses.
"Woah," Mordred mumbled as she looked at each horse in each stable. She then stopped and looked at the very end of the place.
Slowly, she began walking towards the last room of the place and looked inside. The room had a pure white horse that was a bit bigger than the rest.
"It's... beautiful..." Mordred mumbled as the horse noticed her and lowered its head to look at her.
"Huh, isn't that Dun Stallion?" I mumbled, realising it was Artoria's horse.
I don't think Mordred heard me. A part of me wanted to tell her, but I felt like it was more touching that she didn't know and was drawn to it naturally.
Dun Stallion tilted its head at Mordred with its nostrils flaring. I guess it saw, and smelled, the resemblance between Mordred and Artoria. When it lowered its head further to reach her, Mordred jumped back and ran over to my side again.
"Hey, it's okay, he's not going to hurt you," I assured her as I walked closer and placed my hand on Dun Stallion's head, petting him. "See? He's pretty friendly."
Mordred still looked uncertain, but she slowly walked closer and raised her hand. She was trembling when Dun Stallion got closer again, but didn't back off this time when it got close enough to touch.
When her hand landed on Dun Stallion's snout, she raised it higher and became more comfortable with petting it. A big smile threatened to tear her face as she began enthusiastically petting the steed.
We stayed with Dun Stallion in the barracks for a while. A few knights and guards came around to see what was that noise, which was Mordred's laughter, but they all went away when I told them I had things covered.
At sundown, I decided it was about time to head back. Mordred reluctantly agreed, while saying goodbye to the 'pretty horse' as she kept calling Dun Stallion.
Once we got back to the castle, I asked Mordred to wash up and stay in her room until she's called for dinner. When I made sure she was okay, I left to find Artoria.
I found the King of Camelot talking to Gawain and one of the guard captains. "Artoria, can we talk?"
"I'm a bit busy, Zack, is it important?" Artoria replied professionally.
"It is important, yeah," I immediately replied while taking a glance at Gawain and the captain. "Also rather private. It's related to your sword."
Artoria's eyes widened for a moment before she steeled her expression and nodded. She looked back at the two she was talking to. "Sir Gawain, Captain Eric, we shall continue this later," they both nodded at her command and left without a fuss. When we were alone, she turned towards me. "What is it?"
I decided to be straight and blunt. "My job here is done with Excalibur. I don't have to be here anymore."
Artoria blinked and expression became confused. "Your job is... done?"
"The World doesn't need to keep watch over you anymore. I have no reason to be here," I explained further.
"You're leaving?" Artoria looked conflicted. "Right now? With the child still being here?"
"Artoria, this is something YOU have to do, and no, I can't stay just to babysit Mordred," I immediately declined the offer she was gonna make judging by her expression.
"Why not?" Artoria asked.
"Because... !" I almost lashed out before taking a deep breath. "I'm... I'm not ready to watch over a child again, Artoria. I can't do that again. At least not yet. So, I'm sorry, but I'm leaving."
Artoria now looked hurt. "Do you really... hate it here that much?"
"Oh, no, this place is great!" I immediately replied motioning to the castle around us. "Heck, just because I don't need to be here, doesn't mean I'll NEVER be here. I'll come visit every now and then. The reason I'm leaving is because I hate... this," I now motioned to myself, specifically the puppet body. "I loathe taking a human form, Artoria. It feels so uncomfortable to me that I can't express it enough with words. And, before you ask, no, I can't bring my real body here, either."
I honestly meant that. I really did think Camelot was a good place. I even enjoyed my time with Mordred. My problem was the fact that, on top of being confined here, I have to stay in my puppet body the ENTIRE time.
It still feels wrong in so many ways to look human.
"I see," Artoria nodded, accepting the answer. "I'll try my best to handle things on my own from now on... even with the child."
"I'm sure you'll do well," I replied before finally turning around to leave.
Honestly, if Artoria doesn't do so badly with Mordred... then maybe taking in another child isn't so bad.
But definitely not now.
Chapter 236: Little Mo: 4
It's been a while since I was last in Camelot. A few months, maybe. So, I decided to pop in for a visit. Thankfully, I had Runes prepared in the room they made for me in the castle.
Once my puppet body was in place, I transferred to it and got up to stretch. Looking around, I saw that the room has not been touched since the last time I was here. There's even dust everywhere, which I should probably take care of.
But that's for later.
After getting out, I started walking around without any destination. I was okay running into anyone to catch up and see how things are.
I ran into a few guards and knights that knew who I was and 'welcomed me back' from the 'long trip' I was on. I suppose that's the story Artoria made up to explain my absence.
The first person from the Round Table I ran into was Bors. "Sir Bors, its good to see you again," I greeted.
Bors stopped and smiled at me. "Ah, Zack. Welcome back. It has been some time."
"How have you been in my absence?" I asked.
"I've been well, thank you, and you?" We just had a bit of small talk.
After catching up with Bors for a bit, I asked for Artoria and got told she's in the throne room. Bidding Bors goodbye, I made my way to meeting with the king of Camelot.
Getting into the throne room wasn't really a problem since the guards know me and Artoria wasn't doing anything important. She was just handling some papers with Bedivere and Kay being close by.
"Zack?" Artoria's attention immediately turned to me when I came in. She smiled as I got close. "Welcome back. It's been some time."
"I wouldn't know. My prospective of time can be pretty screwed," I replied before smiling back at her. "It's good to see you again, and that goes for you, too, Bedivere, Kay. How have you been? Everything going well?"
Artoria's smile got smaller but was still there. "Mostly. We're focusing on expanding Camelot now that Vortigern is gone. Though, it's not easy with some of the minor mystics acting up."
I guess that makes sense. With the big bad dragon now gone, the lesser mystics must think its their time to make their move. I'm not that surprised since they were stupid enough to stay in the Mortal World despite my warning.
"Well, I'm sure you'll handle it," I assured her. "How is the deal with Mordred going?"
Passed the paper she was holding to Kay before taking one that Bedivere offered her as she replied, "She's been doing well. She should be with Gawain right now."
I blinked at her. "And... have you been spending time with her yourself?"
"I check up on her every now and then to make sure she's okay," Artoria answered immediately.
While that is nice, it isn't what I'm wondering about. "Yeah, I mean did you actually sit with her and do something together?"
Artoria's smile turned to an awkward frown. "Not really. I've just been so busy."
"Make time, Artoria. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on a single day of Mordred's growth," I sighed as I ran my hand down my face, realising I should have talked this more thoroughly before I left.
"I'm running a kingdom, Zack, I can't just get up and take a break," Artoria defended.
"I'm watching over the entire world and I would give that up for one moment with my daughter!" I had to stop myself from outright yelling, but that still sounded harsh enough to make Artoria jolt. Taking a deep breath, I looked at her in the eye. "Look, Artoria... you may believe you being busy is justified, but... it's not. When you CAN'T spend time with your child anymore, you realise that every moment you spent away from them was just behind some petty excuse. You look back and just think 'I should have' this and that."
I didn't want to come off as harsh, I really didn't. But, seeing her waste something I really wanted, time with your child, set me off really bad.
Artoria looked really conflicted and before she can say anything, Kay spoke up. "Your majesty, if you wish, me and Sir Bedivere can hold the fort for the day while you spend time with Mordred."
Artoria looked shocked, before she can say anything, Bedivere cut her off. "I agree. You deserve a break, your majesty, and it would do wonders to the relationship between you and young Mordred."
Artoria looked around, seeing all three of us siding against her, she sighed in defeat and looked at me again. "It's just... what am I even supposed to do with her?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "What did you enjoy doing as a kid?" I asked her. She opened her mouth to reply and immediately held up my finger. "No, not training, not fighting, and nothing to do with weapons."
Artoria sent me an annoyed glare before sighing and placing a hand on her chin. "There is one thing Ector did for me that I always enjoyed."
Third POV:
Mordred was confused and anxious when she heard that her father had called for her. Arthur would come to see her every now and then to check on how she's doing, but she was never called in personally.
She was even more confused when her father was waiting by the white horse in the stables. Arthur noticed her while brushing the steed's mane with her hand.
"Ah, there you are," Artoria smiled at Mordred. "Have you been well?"
"Y-Yes, father," Mordred replied.
"It's alright. You're not in any kind of trouble," that statement managed to alleviate some of Mordred's anxiety. "I was wondering if you wanted to join me for a ride?"
Mordred blinked. "A... a ride?"
"Yes, on horseback," Artoria clarified, gently tapping the saddle on Dun Stallion. "Only of you want, though."
"Yes!" Mordred nearly yelled, excitement covering her features before anxiety returned. "But... I've never gone horseback riding before."
"It's alright, I can teach you. Come here," Mordred walked closer on Artoria's request. Artoria then picked up Mordred and placed her on the saddle before getting on Dun Stallion herself.
Once she took hold of Mordred with one hand and Dun Stallion's reins in the other, Artoria began riding forward at low speed across the gardens of Camelot's Castle.
Mordred clung to Artoria's hand, but still looked around as the moved through the garden. They were confined with in the garden, of course, but that didn't make it any less beautiful of a ride for Mordred.
Zack, who was looking at the two from the garden's entrance, smiled as Artoria spent time with Mordred. As he saw them like this, a thought occurred to him.
"Maybe... It's time I stop remembering the bad things," Zack mumbled before walking away.
First POV: Zack.
I had something I needed to do, so I ditched the puppet body and went back to my real one. I immediately left the empty bridge and went to the Mortal World.
I stood at the edge of Nature's Law in China, staring at Yang's grave.
"Well... This has been a long time coming," I started speaking as I paced back and forth at the edge of my Reality Marble. "I guess I never got around to doing this because I thought if I did... you'd truly be gone. But... I can't keep living in the past, and I can't keep seeing you covered in blood in my memories. So, here goes," I stopped pacing and turned to fully face Yang's grave. "... Thank you, Yang. Thank you, for being such a happy time of my life. I'm sorry I didn't do better, and now, it's time to say goodbye. I don't have a soul, so I can't say we'll meet up in the world beyond, but... maybe, by some miracle, we'll see each other again. Once again, goodbye, Yang, and thank you."
I stepped back and raised my hand, shutting the cave's entrance and then burying the entire place in the ground, effectively closing it off from anyone. Yu Mei-Ren would probably be curious on what happened, but I'm sure she'd understand.
With this, that chapter of my life is done.
Chapter 237: Camelot Arc Epilogue: 1
Camelot proceeded without a hitch except a few conflicts with King Lot and Morgan, nothing Artoria and her knights couldn't handle.
Mordred grew up rather well. I still visit every now and then, and she seems to be coming up pretty well, if a bit hard headed. Though, it isn't a bad attitude or anything, just general hard headed-ness.
Which is a trait I noticed all Pendragons have. Artoria, Morgan, Agravain, Gawain, Gareth and Gaharis. All of them hard headed.
Heck, I remember Lancelot saying that Gareth would sometimes just smack her head on her training dummies and shrug it off. The fact Gaharis and Gawain didn't have a problem with that just added evidence to that fact.
I don't even want to know what Artoria thought because, knowing her, she'd praise Gareth for having such endurance.
Anyway, back to Mordred. She went on to become a knight, which weirdly enough surprised Artoria, but didn't surprise Kay or Merlin.
When Artoria asked why would a girl like Mordred choose being a knight instead of focus what kind of dress to wear for the next party, Kay and Merlin gave her a deadpan look that I remember to this day.
The Round Table knights grew in numbers. Gaharis and Gareth joined eventually alongside many others. So did Lancelot's prodigy, Galahad.
I didn't get along well with Galahad. It's not to say that we had any bad blood. We just tended to avoid each other. There was a certain... narcissism to Galahad that reminded me of fairies, which I didn't like.
Back to Mordred, she managed to join the ranks of the Round Table. She also got Clarent. Though, not by stealing it. She actually got it as a gift from Artoria on the day she became a knight of the Round Table.
They've grown quite close. In fact, Artoria even left Mordred in charge of Camelot when she went with her armies to fight off Roman invaders. I didn't take any part of the battles there because, this time, the fights were between humans only.
Elementals like me have no say in the wars of man.
I did pay regular visits to Mordred during the time Artoria was away, though. One in particular was interesting because it was after Morgan tried to play mind games with Mordred.
I stretched my puppet body as I walked around the castle. They were fewer guards and knights around with Artoria taking the majority to fight off Roman invaders. The remaining knights of the Round Table were working to make sure the lack of numbers didn't affect their defenses.
While walking around, I found Mordred leaning on one of the walls with her arms crossed. "Hey, Mordred. How have you been?"
She must have been deep in thought because she jumped slightly when I called for her. When she looked at me, she smiled. "Oh, hey, old man Zack! Been a while!"
"So, what were you thinking about?" I bluntly asked.
Mordred looked at me for a couple of seconds before turning away and scratching her head. "Well... Mother kind of showed up."
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," I immediately replied, knowing how unpleasant it was to talk to Morgan.
Mordred snorted. "Yeah, she felt as freaky as you guys said she would," she sighed as her smile turned to a frown. "She said a whole load of crap that I already knew but... It did made me wonder..." she looked back at me again. "Why doesn't father name me their heir?"
"Ah," I realised that Morgan probably tried to put ideas in Mordred's head. "It's probably because, and I honestly don't mean this in any bad way, not everyone is made out to be a king."
Mordred deadpanned at me. "How the hell is that not a bad way!?"
"Because its not a matter of Artoria not caring about you," I replied with a shrug. "Let me ask you something, Mordred. Can you actually picture yourself sitting on a throne and listening to nobles, reports, and requests for hours every single day? Having to put up with just plain incompetent people and morons and then dealing with finding their replacements?"
Mordred looked down in thought before giving me a bitter smile. "Nah, I'd probably snap and just start punching people in the face. I can hardly stop myself from doing that right now with most knights away with father."
I chuckled while giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Not being made out to be a king isn't a bad thing. It's like not being made out to be a carpenter or something. It doesn't mean Artoria cares for you any less. After all, she trusted you to be in charge in her absence, didn't she? She just doesn't want to put you for a job you won't be comfortable with."
Mordred looked down again before she smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Guess Mother was full of crap like you guys told me."
"There you go!" I patted her on the shoulder with a proud smile.
"Sir Mordred!" Gareth suddenly came in running before she stopped and saw me. "Oh! Zack! It's great to see you again!" She immediately smiled at me.
"Good to see you, too, Gareth," I replied.
"What's wrong, Gareth?" Mordred asked.
"Ah, there's a few clashes in some knights' schedules. We want to run through any changes we made with you before we implement them," Gareth explained.
Mordred sighed and shook her head. "Fine, I'll be right there," she turned to give me one last smile. "See you later, old man Zack!" With that, she walked away.
"Sir Mordred! You can't call Zack that," Gareth cried out, following her sibling. "You have to be more respectful to the elderly!"
I snorted and had to stop myself from outright laughing. I didn't really take offence in how Mordred called me, and the fact Gareth was unknowingly calling me the same thing just made it whole deal funny.
Chapter 238: Camelot Arc Epilogue: 2
"King Arthur will one day perish."
One day, Merlin gave a prophecy in Camelot that shook the court pretty badly. Many of the knights were in chaos because of it, despite how happy they were that Artoria successfully fought off the Roman invaders.
I, while worried, found it weird because he said that Artoria would die, but didn't say anything about Camelot falling.
Anyway, Artoria received the news better than expected. She was worried, sure, but she didn't desperately look for a way out.
Her knights still wanted her to take this more seriously, so after a lot of persuasion, they convinced her to send out Galahad, Percival, and Bors on a quest to find the Holy Grail.
After that, most of Round Table went on to pass away mostly as they did in the story.
Lancelot had an affair with Guinevere. I would have done something, but Artoria had long ago told me that she didn't expect this marriage to work, and she didn't fault Guinevere or Lancelot for it.
Agravain revealed the affair, so Lancelot killed him in a fit of rage. However, instead of holding an actual execution for Guinevere, Artoria announced an execution just to keep up a public face, and instead allowed Guinevere to meet up with Lancelot so they can escape together.
Gaharis and Galahad's deaths were avoided because of that. Tristan, however, pretty much died the same way except for the fact he left the Round Table not because he didn't believe in Artoria, but because he wanted to settle things with the woman he loves.
He dug that grave for himself, and frankly, everything he got was something he signed up for. I had no reason to meddle with his love-life.
The real problems came from the 'rebellion'.
It wasn't caused by Mordred though. It was caused by a few nobles that ganged up together and collaborated with Artoria's enemies and the Romans.
Basically, Artoria was such a good ruler that nobles couldn't pull anything shady with her around. Honestly, I wasn't really surprised they did that. Even back in Uruk some councilmen tried to pull stuff like that on Gilgamesh.
The examples he made of them pretty much erased any idea of doing something behind his back.
It didn't help that the corrupt nobles also had Morgan backing them up. She gave up on outright using her children and decided to just outright use any idiot she can get her hands on.
Because of the uproar of Lancelot's betrayal and 'escape', alongside the deaths of Agravain and Tristan, the rebells took this chance to attack.
Gaharis and Gareth died protecting Camelot. They did amazing and barely any of the rebels made it into the city itself. Instead, the rest decided to go for Artoria.
Gawain and Mordred died fighting side by side. They managed to take out half of their forces. The other half was taken out by Artoria herself when they confronted her in Camlan.
But, do to the various small wounds she got from the fighting, she was dying from blood loss without Avalon to heal her. After that... Well...
I watched as Artoria gave Bedivere the third order to do his duty and return Excalibur. When he was gone, I came out of hiding.
Walking closer to Artoria, I looked down at her with a sad smile. "Hey. You're not looking so good."
Artoria, who was covered in cuts bleeding down, blinked weakly as she saw me before smiling back the best she could. "I have admittedly seen better days."
The fact she didn't ask to be healed, look angry, or impatient meant she knew I wasn't going to help her. This was her time.
Leaning down, I picked her up and rested her head on my chest. "It's okay. Just relax. Everything is going to be okay."
Artoria hummed as her breathing got slower. "Zack... why did this happen?"
I can actually sense that Excalibur had been returned to the world, which means Bedivere did his job, but I completely ignored that.
"Because, when someone creates something as beautiful as you did, people try to take it out of jealousy," I replied, holding her gently. "You made something amazing, Artoria. Camelot was the source of envy for many people. You have nothing to regret."
Artoria's breathing kept getting slower before she spoke again. "Zack... was I... a good king?"
"Yes," I instantly reply without any hesitation. "You were an incredible king."
Artoria gave one last weak smile before she closed her eyes and her breathing got slower again... Before it outright stopped.
I took her into the Empty Bridge and placed her in my Reality Marble. I would have buried her in Avalon, but I had something to take care of.
Something related to the Witch currently trying to pass through the Empty Bridge.
Third POV:
Morgan smiled. She had finally done it and got her sister killed. Her kingdom may still be around, but she can take care of it later. For now, she just had to find the Mage of Flowers that escaped and deal with him.
She knew she had to pass on by the Empty Bridge, but she doubted that the Mirror of the Planet would allow Merlin to pass either, meaning she can catch him there.
Morgan's thoughts were cut off as she saw the Green Knight standing in her way. Almost growling, she stopped and started glaring at him.
"What do you want?" Morgan asked, glaring at the green suit of armor.
The Green Knight sighed. "Still in your delusions of supremacy. Well, it doesn't matter. This is your end anyway."
"Didn't you say that my dealings with my family are my own? Why are you in my way?" Morgan asked, using the Green Knight's words against him.
"Oh, and I meant it. But, when you try to cross this place? It's my business," the Green Knight replied before reaching up and taking off his helmet.
Morgan was confused and got ready for a fight... until she saw the marks on the Green Knight's eyes.
It didn't take her a second to recognise the mark of the Planet's Mirror. All colors left her as she recognised who exactly was standing in front of her.
Before she can take a step back and attempt to flee, the whole area around them changed from nothingness into a forest she did not recognise. She saw the man in front of her go stiff like a statue, and heard something move and stand behind her.
"You still think your voice is heard in this world," the same voice of the Green Knight spoke behind her as she found herself unable to make a single move.
A figure walked around her and Morgan's eyes instinctively followed the movement of the wooden monster with the mark of the Planet floating behind them.
"Do you remember what I told you, Morgan?" Zack asked as he looked around, his glowing, white eyes never meeting Morgan's blue ones. "I told you that the only mercy you would get from me is a quick death. That hasn't changed despite everything you did."
Morgan felt something take hold of her arms and legs. Looking down, she found tree roots are holding her in place. She attempted to use her witchcraft to escape, but found that she couldn't.
"I'm honestly pretty angry for everything you did to your family. Your sister and children victims of your pettiness," Zack finally turned to face Morgan. She had never felt as small as being forced to stand in front of him as the mark of the Planet glowed brightly behind him. "But... That doesn't change that this is an act of mercy. You're truly pathetic Morgan. I am not killing you out of the anger I feel, buy out of feeling sorry and not wanting you to keep this... ridiculous existence where you keep thinking you're more meaningful than you actually are."
Type-Earth reached for something on the side. Morgan couldn't mover her eyes to see what he was grabbing, too frozen with fear. Pulling something in front of her, she finally looked and saw... Caliburn.
"You must really hate this sword," Zack held the sword up and looked at it closer. "After all, this sword marked the path of kinghood to your sister. You even went so far to steal it and hide it. It only makes sense that the sword that marked the beginning of your sister's greatness is the one to end your misery," the Ultimate One raised the sword. "I pitiful end for a petty person."
The last thing Morgan saw was the flash of Caliburn's blade as it swung for her neck.
First POV: Zack.
After dealing with the nuisance, I left her corpse in the Empty Bridge. Killing her quickly was mercy, but I wasn't merciful enough to give her a burial. Proper or otherwise.
Instead, I went back to finish burying Artoria in Avalon. Once I finished, there was a small grave covered in flowers within the endless plains of flowers. I, of course, had to use the puppet body for this since I couldn't do this with Nature's Law following me everywhere.
"Well, things have certainly took a bad turn, didn't they?" I looked behind me to see Merlin standing there, staring at the grave.
I knew he was there. I knew he passed the Empty Bridge, because I let him. I also know he was watching me deal with Morgan and was also watching me dig Artoria's grave.
"You okay?" I asked immediately.
"Hmm, well, not exactly?" He didn't sound sure in the slightest. "I mean, a lot of stuff happened. I'm gonna need some process everything."
"I mean emotionally. Are you alright?" I clarified.
Merlin raised an eyebrow at me. "I don't understand."
I sighed, realising he didn't notice. "Merlin, you're crying."
Merlin blinked at me before raised his hand and touching his cheek, finally noticing the wetness. He looked at the tears in his fingers and blinked again.
"Oh, so THIS is crying," Merlin tried, and failed to put up his usual smile. "I never knew I could do it. I didn't even think it was possible for me to produce tears," his smile slowly vanished. "I... don't think I like this feeling."
"It's called sadness. It's pretty normal to feel when your daughter dies," I said, walking towards Merlin. I stood at his side, placed one of my arms around his shoulders, and pulled him closer. "Just know that, at least, you're not alone. It... gets easier with time, believe it or not... at least you can shed tears."
Which is a lot more than what I did when my daughter died.
Merlin stayed in Avalon after that. He's not trapped there, though. It's just a form of self-exile.
As for Camelot itself? Since most knights didn't leave and stayed to defend it with Gaharis and Gareth, the city itself did not fall, despite Artoria's death and the Round Table's destruction.
It just fell into decline but not completely.
In modern day, there is a town in Britain called Camelot, which is the remains of the kingdom. One day a year, the citizens would just white or paint their house walls white to celebrate the White Wall Festival.
All and all, while it isn't a happy ending, Camelot still had a far better ending than it originally did.
Chapter 239: Profile: Zack
Servant Profile, Zack (Puppet Body).
True Name: Type Earth: Green Earth Zack.
Origin: The Planet.
Class: Ruler.
Gender: Currently Male.
Alignment: Lawful Good.
Strength: B.
Endurance: A.
Agility: A.
Magical Power: EX.
Luck: D
Noble Phantasm: ?
(Skills)
1: Breath of the Planet.
2: Mana Burst (Yggdrasil Heart).
3: Territory Creation EX.
4: Item Construction A.
Having complete control over all of Earth's elements, Zack can create almost anything that isn't a product made by humanity.
5: Primordial Runes.
6: Eternal Arms Mastery (Fake).
An ability born purely from the amount of free time Zack has at mastering weapons. He would learn how to be passable in a form of weapon, and immediately move on to the next.
7: True Name Calling.
Having lived for a long time, Zack can recognise most Heroic Spirits either from previous encounters or knowledge.
8: Independent Action A.
9: Ultimate One C (Puppet Body.)
This skill would originally rank far higher if not for the fact Zack is using a Puppet body indeed of his own real body.
(Noble Phantasm)
[Baraka]
A true Elemental sword that can take on any element as its base form. The Rank of this Noble Phantasm changes depending on the Element it takes.
Rank: ?
Type: Anti-Personal
Range and Maximum number of targets: 1.
(Second Noble Phantasm)
[Nature's Law]
A Reality Marble that takes the pure form of the world. Earth in its most accurate presentation. A world where there is either the Planet or Humanity, nothing else.
(Voice Lines.)
Summoning (5 Star): Oh, finally. Finding the Throne of Heroes was a serious pain. Anyway, I'm here. Sab-... Wait, what? Why am I a Ruler?! Are you kidding me? I have to be an moderator even here…? Fine. Fine. My name is Zack. I'm a Ruler, I guess.
Unique Class Card: Zack's real body holding an orb showing the Planet in one hand, and an orb showing humans in the other, balancing the orbs as the mark of the Planet shines brightly behind him.
Leveling Up: Hmm, growing up is something I almost never experience. Good job.
Leveling Up 2: Weird system, Chaldea has. Not in a bad way, mind you.
1st Ascension: Changing clothes is something I do for fun. I don't really care much for fashion. What do you think?
2nd Ascension: No change this time? Oh well, I'm sure it'll come sooner or later.
3rd Ascension: New clothes, new feeling. Hehe, honestly, changing clothes often helps make the puppet body more bearable.
4th Ascension: … You do know I'm just here to help, but I'm not going to deal with your problems for you, right?... Well, as long as you know that and still went this far. Everything's good. If you need anything, don't hesitate, okay?
Bond 1: Hah, Chaldea's sure a messy place. I love it. There isn't a dull moment here. I would prefer if I didn't have to use the puppet body, though…
Bond 2: Do I hate the puppet body? No, not really. You can't hate a gift made for you, can you. It just feels… wrong to look so human. Like wearing a VERY itchy sweater.
Bond 3: Hehe, another pile of trouble is headed here. I can just feel it. No, I don't have clairvoyance. It's just, the more experience you have, the more you become aware on how normal for things to get chaotic out of nowhere.
Bond 4: Hmm, wanna hear a few stories? I once saved a group of people from a falling mountain… Oh, wait, that was you guys, wasn't it? Is my age finally catching up to me?
Bond 5: For what it's worth, your journey isn't meaningless. Humanity is gonna be gone someday, but that doesn't mean it has to be today, or tomorrow. No one should be blamed for fighting for their survival, and you're no different. Everything you do, it has meaning. Living another day is all the reason anyone needs to fight.
Conversation 1: Trust me, staying still for long isn't good for you. You should get out more.
Conversation 2: Servants, essentially, are familiars. They're either summoned by the World, or by Masters like you. Either way, they're never summoned without a purpose.
Conversation 3: My relationship to you depends on how you see it. We can be friends, or we can be just coworkers.
Conversation 4(Zaraka): Hehe, you sure have grown up. Huh? Goodness, Zaraka, no reason to cry. There, there. You grew up great. I'm sure he would have been proud of you like I am.
Conversation 5(Enkidu): Oh, Enkidu is here. Yeah, things got complicated and I needed a human body. Wanna catch up as we take a walk?
Conversation 6(Gilgamesh Child): *Sigh* Guess he's the same in every age. The only difference now is that he's taking advantage of being a kid to fool around without needing to put up the image of a king.
Conversation 7(Gilgamesh Archer): Boy, this brings back memories. Only, you know, without Siduri lecturing us. Ah, well, wanna go for some Uno? If you want to lose again, that is.
Conversation 8(Gilgamesh Caster): He may have matured but he's still as stubborn as they can get. Just don't work yourself to death again.
Conversation 9(Euryale and Stheno): These two can be a handful. They're not really dangerous, though. Most they'll do is give you a headache or two. Call me when they do. A good ol' swing will set them straight.
Conversation 10(Medusa Lancer): Haah, this brings me back. Cute, little, Medusa. Hehe. No, I'm not gonna stop picking you up and spinning you around. You're just too cute.
Conversation 11(Medusa Rider): Hah, Medusa. How are you today… Hehe, your eyes are as beautiful as ever. Huh? No, I'm not embarrassed to say stuff like that. Have you ever heard of someone being embarrassed that they said the sky is blue? That's pretty much the same thing for me.
Conversation 12(Gorgon): Hey, I- Ah. She ran away again… I just want to see how she's doing, but she runs away as soon as she sees me.
Conversation 13(Yggdrasil): Oh, Drasil is here? Make sure to talk to her every chance you get. She may come off as confidant, but she gets lonely easily. I bet she's been talking everyone's ears off now that they can hear her.
Conversation 14(Svend): Ah, sorry, Svend. Still not beating me. You're a few thousand years too young for that. A rematch? Sure. This shouldn't take long.
Conversation 15(Yu Mei-Ren): You're here, too? That's a bit surprising. Though, at the same time, I guess it's not. Yeah, yeah, I'll help you get tea.
Conversation 16(Xin Qiu Yang): There, there, sweet child. Everything's okay now. I'm not angry, or disappointed, I've never been. Now, come here. You must be hungry like always.
Conversation 17(Scathach): That lady is here? You've got your work cut out for you. The lack of love-life left her bent up and she takes it out on her students. Huh? Her spear is coming? Did she hear me?!
Conversation 18(Artoria): Hello, Artoria. Off to the kitchen? Hehe, yeah, you're that predictable. Oh well, you're not stuck on your throne anymore dealing with papers, so enjoy yourself, got it?
Conversation 19(Round Table members): The Round Table are a reliable bunch, but they have their faults. They're people like everyone else. Usually, Kay is the one that keeps them in line, but since he's not here yet, call me whenever they cause you trouble.
Conversation 20(Beast Servants): The Beasts of Humanity… *Sigh* How you deal with them is up to you. It was never my job to deal with them in the first place. There are some threats only Humanity is meant to defeat.
Likes: I like travelling and learning new things. I have all the time in the world, so may as well make use of it.
Dislikes: I don't like doing nothing for long. I get bored easily. Living a long life isn't so fun if you do nothing with it.
About the Holy Grail: Believe me, if that thing can actually grant wishes, you'd be in a whole lot more trouble than you already are.
During events: Hey, what's going on? A festival? A celebration? Whatever it is, let's go and join in.
« First « Prev Ch 239 of 255 Next »
Review
Jump:
Share: Email . Facebook . Twitter
Story: Follow Favorite
Author: Follow Favorite
Contrast: Dark . Light
Font: Small . Medium . Large . XL
Twitter . Help . Sign Up . Cookies . Privacy . Terms of Service
We use cookies. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and accept our Cookies & Privacy Policies.
AcceptFanFiction.Net
Just In
Community
Forum
V
More
One With Nature by Xana Shadow
Anime » Fate/stay night Rated: M, English, Humor & Adventure, Words: 271k+, Favs: 2k+, Follows: 2k+, Published: Aug 21, 2022 Updated: Apr 13
2,364Chapter 240: The Princess
My first meeting with Arcueid was... interesting.
Of course, I knew she existed, and that the Ancestors and Dead Apostles were trying to bring back their master.
I didn't do anything because I know they'll fail. Zelretch also visited her in their domain, and, according to him, she's a good kid.
I, of course, didn't see her then because I had no reason to. Plus, I was honestly just bored.
Sadly, that proved to be a bad decision since Roa got to her and tricked her into biting him.
By the time I got there, she had already destroyed the castle and killed everyone there.
She also tried to kill me... Well, the puppet body, at least.
"Kid, calm-" I stopped as I dodged another swipe from her claws. "Calm the hell down!"
"RRGHHAAAAA!" Arcueid roared as she kept trying to gut me.
Standing in the ruins of a vampire castle, I continued dodging Arcueid's attacks as I tried talking sense into her. She was completely drenched in blood and wearing almost nothing but the torn rags of a dress.
"Alright, are you gonna listen?" I asked but she just charged at me again and I used Baraka to stop her claws from tearing the puppet body into pieces. "You really wanna do this the hard way, huh?"
"Grrrr!" In response, Arcueid just growled at me before I pushed her back.
"Ah, screw this," I groaned as I finally had enough.
Before Arcueid can move again, the hand of my real body burst from the ground underneath her and held her in place. The hand was full of Feeder's Seed, so as soon as she was held, her energy was sucked out and several large trees burst around.
When Arcueid lost enough energy to lose consciousness, the hand of my real body took away the trees and the branches filled with magical energy to the empty bridge so they can blow there.
All that's left now is me and the unconscious, mostly naked, blood covered Arcueid.
Cleaning her up with some water, I covered her with one of the remains of the castle's drapes. After that, I just sat there and waited for her to wake up.
Soon enough, Arcueid began groaning before she raised the upper half of her body and held the side of her head. "Urgh... what... happened?"
"You went berserk after experiencing your first blood-lust," I explained, making her turn to look at me.
She narrowed her eyes, as if she was having trouble seeing things. "You're... Green Earth, right?"
I nodded in confirmation. "Yes, and you're Arcueid, the princess of True Ancestors and one of the only two to ever earn the name Brunestud."
Arcueid blinked a couple of times before tilting her head. "Are you... here go kill me?"
"If I was, would you have drawn enough breaths to ask that?" I responded to her question with my own.
I wasn't really surprised she thought that. I'm positive the Ancestors and Dead Apostles had less than stellar things to say about me when teaching her.
Arcueid nodded, understanding what I mean before, again, holding the side of her head. "My head hurts."
"That's called a hangover. It's the consequences of spending the night intoxicated," I explained to her while simplifying it.
She looked at me in confusion. "I was... poisoned?"
Oh, right. She probably can't even get drunk unless we're talking about something strong enough to make even a Celtic god drunk on one sip.
"It's... Never mind. Just know it goes away after a bit of rest," I decided to forego explaining for now. "How do you feel? Other than the headache?"
Arcueid looked down and narrowed her eyes again, though this time it was in annoyance. "Tired. Very tired. And... thirsty?"
"Yeah, that's what I thought," I sighed as I ran a hand down my face. "Look, I'm just gonna be straight with you. What you're experiencing is thirst for blood. It's addictive to True Ancestors, but you've managed to avoid ever feeling it by never tasting blood until now. That guy, Michael Roa? He gave you a taste of his blood to become a vampire himself, and that's what drove you to do... all this," I finished by motioning to the remains around us.
"Roa did this...?" Arcueid's face turned to rage for a moment before she turned to me. "Is there a way to stop this... thirst for blood?"
"Sadly, no, but there is an alternative," I got up from my sitting spot and walked closer to her before placing my hand on the top of her head.
Something changed as Arcueid perked up. "What did you do?"
"I just connected you the life energy of the Planet," I pulled back my hand and crossed my arms. "It's a trick a friend of mine uses to control her own thirst for blood. How do you feel now?"
Arcueid looked down at her hand and nodded. "Not thirsty anymore. Just... Well, it's just that I would like blood, but I don't feel any need for it."
"Good enough," I said, offering her my hand which she accepted and used to pull herself up. "I'll go hunt him down-"
"No," Arcueid interrupted me.
I blinked at her, wondering if I heard her correctly. "I'm sorry?"
Arcueid dropped the cloth she was using to cover up. "Roa dared trick me, the Princess of the Ancestors," with a wave of her hand, a white and golden dress covered her. "Only my hands shall be taste his blood. I will not allow this humiliation to pass and have someone else take the pleasure of ripping him to shreds."
"Are you serious right now?" I asked.
Arcueid glared, her red eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "I am the Princess of the Moon. I will not let others pass my judgment for me."
Oh, great. She wants to hunt Roa on her own because of royal pride or something. On one hand, it's understandable, but on the other hand, it's still ridiculous.
Then again, less work for me, I guess. And she's right. This grudge is kind of personal. I don't really have the right to interfere.
"Fine," I sighed while shaking my head. "But, if you start causing trouble, I'll have to step in. Now, let me teach you a few things about how to move around undetected, because I'm sure you'll need those skills," I motioned to her dress. "First off, you can't go into any small human towns dressed like this."
Arcueid frowned at me. "Why not?"
Boy, I have my work cut out for me... again.
I kept in touch with Arcueid and visited her often after that.
I couldn't stop Altrouge from cutting her hair though, mainly because I don't know how she did it. Even Arcueid doesn't remember what happened. She just says that she met her sister, and the next thing she knows is that she lost her hair.
But she didn't really mind that much. She said it made her look cute. It's easy to forget that Arcueid, by vampire standards, is a teenager.
Anyway, instead of being a candidate for Archetype Earth, Arcueid became a candidate for Archetype Moon. I was surprised mainly because Brunestud isn't really gone. He just doesn't have a body anymore.
I asked Gaia about it, and apparently, the Moon doesn't care. It apparently has no actual attachments to Crimson Moon and has no desire to wait until he creates a new body from stuff on Earth instead of go back to the Moon.
It really made me question how other planets view their Ultimate Ones, but I decided to not open that can of worms.