"Fairborough has gone missing?"
Gudao, Gabrielle, and Mashu were communicating with Roman through the Demi-servant's shield. The trio looked at the hologram of Roman speaking directly to them from Chaldea's monitor room, and what he revealed to them so far was not a pleasant surprise.
"That's right," Roman replied with a nod. "The Association said since escorting YOU guys, she never reported back. In fact, NOBODY has seen her in nearly two days..."
Gudao and Gabrielle briefly looked at each other. The representative's disappearance was somewhat concerning, albeit muddled by the fact that Fairborough's meddling was something they'd accounted for when all of them left Chaldea to seek out Scathach.
"And this concerns us HOW?" Gabrielle asked cautiously, knowing she sounded inconsiderate for saying such a thing.
"Because they questioned me about it since last I checked in with all of you," Roman replied. "They think YOU had something to do with it."
"We've been in the hidden forest since we gave that nosy woman the slip with Da Vinci's teleporter," Gudao told Roman. "She should've have easily found the nearby town unless Da Vinci's gadget did not work as she intended-"
"EXCUSE me..." Da Vinci suddenly came from out of frame in front of Roman, looking pretty offended. "Everything I make works! Masters, remember WHO you're talking about here. I DARE you to name one person, living OR dead, or who could invent something as well as I can..."
In the background, some Chaldea technicians muttered:
"Edison?"
"Tesla...?"
Da Vinci turned to look off camera to acknowledge her patronizing naysayers.
"Alright, whoever you all are, you're NOT funny!"
Gudao and Gabrielle looked on anxiously, as it was rare to see the famous inventor so agitated. Roman expressed his annoyance at Da Vinci's antics with a sigh.
"Enough, Leona..." the doctor said gently. "No one here thinks less of you."
"Sorry Da Vinci," Mashu said to her through the hologram while petting Fou on her shoulder. "Senpai didn't mean anything by it."
In response, Da Vinci straightened her posture and crossed her arms.
"Apology accepted," she said with lingering irritation in her voice. "If I built my teleporter well, and I ALWAYS build my inventions well, then Ms. Fairborough would've at least landed somewhere well away from a "relatively" large body of water."
The masters saw a grin form on the Caster's face, and it prompted Gudao to inquire:
"What did she mean by that, Roman?"
"Oh, Margaery ended up in a bog after she teleported. Forgot to mention that last time..." Roman struggled to hide his amused smirk as he said that. Gudao and Gabrielle had the urge to laugh until the doctor quickly added in seriousness, "HOWEVER, that was the last anyone ever heard from her. If you guys had nothing to do with her disappearance, then...?"
As soon as Roman trailed off, Gudao, Gabrielle and Mashu looked at each other again, lost for any rational answer. Gabrielle worked up the nerve to reveal that they had no idea how Fairborough could still be missing after tricking her back at Castle Dunscaith in Scotland.
"Wish we can tell you doc," she replies honestly with a shrug. "Can you keep us posted on how the Association is reacting?"
"Sure, Gabby," Roman answered before telling the masters, "Just get what you all need from Scathach and book it back to Chaldea before Solomon manifests another singularity. We've been monitoring for any temporal anomalies and so far, it's been dead silent. He still doesn't know that you are all outside the barrier but that can change at any point..."
"We'll keep that in mind," Gudao said with an affirming nod. "Thanks, Roman."
"Be vigilant, kids. I don't know what happened with Fairborough, but her disappearance occurring when you all are residing with a powerful mage from the Age of Gods can't be coincidence. Margaery was following you guys, and maybe someone is doing the same by tailing her."
Everyone's eyes widened slightly at that possibility.
"You think it might be Lev's doing?" Mashu asked. Roman briefly pondered before answering.
"Doubt it. Lev wouldn't be foolish enough to show his ugly face after you encountered him in multiple singularities and thwarted him each time. I'd wager he is still hiding behind Solomon. Stay safe everyone..."
Mashu's shield powered down and the holographic link to Chaldea dissipated. As the Demi-servant walked to retrieve her shield, Gabrielle glanced over to her brother, who looked to be lost in thought. She was sure that they were both thinking about the same thing.
"Gudao," she addressed him anxiously. "If Roman's right, then someone might be tailing us."
"Who though?" Gudao asked as he finally looked at his sister with uncertainty in his eyes, "Who besides Solomon and the Association would have any beef with us?"
Little did they know, said someone was observing through Gabrielle's eyes, assured that both masters were unaware that they were being spied on. From the safety of his van, Zenith closed his enchanted pocket-watch with a sneering smile.
"Who indeed..."
______
The water stayed undisturbed until a fishing lure landed on the surface, causing ripples to expand outward from the lake's surface. Cu Chulainn sat patiently near the water's edge with his trusty fishing rod in hand, waiting for a fish to bite. He carefully nudges and slowly reels in his lure in random intervals to entice any fish to bite, as any he could catch will be used as dinner tonight at the fortress.
Having been at this for over an hour so far, the Lancer's efforts have been... unsuccessful.
The reality of having E-rank Luck...
Cu was not deterred, however. Fishing, much like hunting in general, was a test of awareness and patience. Having picked up this hobby in his life, it was carried with him as a Heroic spirit. Sure, nothing happens most of the time, but the silence in the air, and the anticipation of landing a catch lent fishing to be a meditative experience for the Lancer. A stark contrast to his other joy in life: fighting.
Everyone needs at least two hobbies, Cu mused as he reset his lure and cast it out into the lake again.
Besides, the tranquility in this supposed "dead" forest, has given the Hound of Ulster time to reflect. Firstly, on the first time he was summoned as a Servant.
In the Fifth Holy Grail War...
Flashback:
"Mr. Kotomine, I'm checking in with my servant. We are set to participate."
A magenta-haired woman clad in a suit and tie was on her phone inside her hotel room, as she was looking out the window towards the Fuyuki City skyline; the sun shining brightly on this beautiful day. She just arrived here, having been travelling for many hours all the way from London to Tokyo, then taking a commuter flight to Fuyuki. The woman was composed and professional despite the lingering jetlag she felt.
Bazett Fraga McRemitz wouldn't let minor discomfort impede her from staying focused on the task handed to her on behalf of the Mage's Association.
Win the Grail.
"I see..." Bazett continued speaking to her contact over the phone. "The Tohsaka master checked in last night, so that means there is one master unaccounted for. Yes, I realize that you can't say which servants have been summoned."
Behind her, a man clad in blue materialized out of thin air, who happened to be Cu Chulainn himself, summoned as a Lancer-class Heroic Spirit to fight alongside his master against others; all for the chance to have their wishes granted. Cu stretched as he remarked loudly:
"Ah, finally... It's incredibly boring to stay in spirit form so long..."
Bazett briefly turned back at him in mild surprise before returning her attention back to the other person over the phone.
"You will provide sanctuary should I lose my servant? Excellent. I thank you on behalf of the Mage's Association. Have a nice day, Overseer."
Bazett hung up, and curtly turned to address the newly materialized servant.
"You couldn't help yourself, could you Lancer?" she lightly scolded Cu for nearly interrupting her call.
"Don't blame me," he said casually as he gleefully let himself fall on the only bed in the room, putting his hands behind his head and getting comfortable. "You kept me in spirit form since we left England. You think servants enjoy NOT having a physical form all the time?"
Bazett rolled her eyes at the servant's immaturish antics, especially after the cheeky smile Cu gave her way.
"It was either that or I would've ended up paying for TWO plane tickets per flight. The Mage's Association hasn't given me much money to waste on something that could be circumvented by a ghost. A famous one, but a ghost nonetheless..."
Cu watched as Bazett made her way across the room to retrieve her suitcase. Her curtness did not bother him in the slightest. From the moment he was first summoned, Cu could tell his master was a strictly business-first, no-nonsense kind of person. While he could respect Bazett for her intense focus, especially considering the conflict to come, he also found it unsettling that she seemed to act like this ALL the time. He could not help but use his trademark "Celtic-charm" just to get her to loosen-up a little.
"Which just occurred to me..." Bazett then said as she then walked towards the bed Cu was relaxing on. "If you want to sleep, you can have the cot. I only have enough expense to pay for a ONE bed hotel room, and of the two of us..."
She plopped her heavy briefcase on the mattress right by Cu's crossed feet, shaking the whole bed.
"I need that bed the most..." she said before hiding a quiet yawn; an obvious sign of jetlag and lack of sleep, both of which a servant does not need to worry about provided proper support from the master.
Luckily for Cu, Bazett has proven to be a reliable master thus far in that regard.
The Lancer watched curiously as Bazett then removed her gloves, revealing Command Seals on one of them before opening her briefcase. Cu could see the contents of Bazett's luggage were meticulously organized with her clothes neatly folded and vacuum-sealed in clear plastic bags.
And each was labelled...
"Someone's a neat freak..." he teased, earning a sigh from Bazett. "I'm starting to think you're adverse to all things spontaneous."
"I like to be prepared..." She said sternly. "I served enough missions for both the Church and the Association to know it never hurts to cover your bases."
"Master, there is "prepared," and then there's whatever nonsense this is..." Cu told her before adding sarcastically, "You must be real fun at parties..."
"And I'm beginning to think you are not taking this War seriously, Lancer," Bazett calmly countered.
"I am... I just don't show it. Doesn't mean I can't have any fun, considering I'm going up against other famous heroes. I for one can't wait to cross blades with my opponents and show them how strong I am... and to my Master..."
That briefly made Bazett pause what she was doing, and the Lancer could see that she was trying hard to push down a blush. Cu knew Bazett is not nearly as stone-faced as she seemed to always let on. In fact, when he introduced himself just after he was summoned, Bazzet looked amazed that the legendary Cu Chulainn was to be her Servant, having been raised in Ireland herself and hearing the old tales about him.
Granted, those tales were warped and altered by centuries of revision, but Cu chalked that up as just semantics. He was also gratified in the knowledge that his master even recognized him, considering he as a hero is not as well-known as say King Arthur, or Heracles.
What are the chances that I am gunna fight BOTH of them? He thought amusingly. Cu was brought out of his headspace when a quickly composed Bazett replied:
"You do not need to convince me of your... prowess. As eager as you are for a fight, it's important that we don't cause a ruckus for the Association to clean up. Mr. Kotomine can only do so much as Overseer to keep all activity pertaining to magecraft a secret.
Back to business with her, Cu thought unamusingly; his earlier attempt at flirting with her failing miserably. Cu decided to change the subject as Bazett resumed unpacking.
"So that was the Overseer you were talking to... What's his deal in all of this?"
"Simple, Lancer. Kirei Kotomine is supposed to prevent the public from finding out about the Holy Grail War and will also provide protection to masters who lose their servants. He also acts as a mediator, so the Church doesn't get involved."
"So, he is a priest then. You trust him?"
"Yes. Me and Kirei go back a ways..."
"First name basis, huh?" Cu pointed out suggestively, earning an off-guard response from Bazett.
"It's NOT what you think," she insisted with a blush. "My family of mages always used to operate away from the eyes of the Mage's Association, but I wanted to make a name for myself. If not for Mr. Kotomine, I never would have gotten in to be an Enforcer; one who hunts unruly mages."
As Cu listened to her, the more Bazett seemed to remind him of two individuals from his past life; one which he remembers less fondly than the other.
Come to think of it, Cu mused. Those similarities extend to her appearance too.
"And if not for Kirei's express recommendation," Bazett continued, ignoring how Cu was eyeing her curiously. "I would not even be here representing the Association. I'm going to claim the Grail for them."
Cu was only partially paying attention, his focus fixated solely on his master. Bazett's complexion and hair color were identical to the two subjects he was comparing her to.
What a coincidence... I wonder how she got my catalyst...
Indeed, Bazett summoned Cu Chulainn with one of his prized earrings he wore while he was alive. One he left with Emer in Ulster just before his death, and as for the other-
"So, without Kirei Kotomine..." Bazett spoke directly to him, interrupting Cu's thoughts. "You wouldn't be here fighting for your wish. And I will still be stuck pushing pencils..."
Cu raised an eyebrow when she addressed him. It sounded that no matter how much Bazett was annoyed with the Lancer, a hint of admiration always seemed to accidentally slip through whenever the Enforcer spoke about him.
The Hound let a smirk form briefly on his face before going back on subject.
"So this Kirei bloke vouched for you specifically to participate... I find that awfully curious. You still haven't told me what he gets for being this war's Overseer."
"Call it an insurance policy," Bazett said as she rummaged deeper through her luggage. "The Church has clashed with mages since the dark ages. If they have their way, they will hunt down and kill us. The Association went to great lengths to ensure the Church that mages everywhere will not threaten their authority. As assurance, the Church sends an envoy to act as Overseer for every mage conflict. Kirei is acting in ALL our interests to stop the world at large from discovering magecraft while we compete for the Grail."
"I get secrecy is essential and all for this, but this Kirei bastard seems shady," said Cu as he leaned backwards and stretched. "By the way, when can I go out and fight? I've been gone for 2 millennia and I'm itching to clash with a worthy opponent. I need to keep my spear sharp…"
"Hold your horses, Lancer. Before we even think about fighting, we need to know the layout of the city, which places are deserted at night, and formulate a battle plan against our opponents."
Cu was about to express his disinterest in all this "planning," but both he and Bazett turned attentively towards a sound coming from the hotel room balcony and saw an owl on the railing. It was staring at Cu's master curiously with glowing eyes. Bazett carefully approached it, and the owl did not fly away. In fact, the creature seemed to be in some sort of trance.
"Didn't think owls would reside in this city," Cu remarked suspiciously.
"It's a familiar. That's why," Bazett stated as she inspected the creature. "t has been possessed to do the bidding of a mage that lifts once its purpose is fulfilled."
Bazett took a tiny gem that was wrapped around the owl's leg. It lit up and showed a message, or rather, an invitation.
"Hmm... It seems you're not the only one looking for trouble, Lancer," Bazett remarked as she observed the message magically being projected while walking back inside. "The Tohsaka mage is not waiting around for a fight. She wants to battle us with her Servant tonight at a local high school..."
Cu would have made a quippy remark on how he was finally going to fight, but his enthusiasm was evaporated when he noticed Bazett pulling a round, silvery object from the depths of her briefcase. Bazett was quickly inspecting the artifact for any mark or damage, and Cu found himself staring at it in almost stunned recognition.
"Where did you get that?" Cu lets out with a low voice, betraying his concern. Bazett briefly glances at him before telling him absently:
"It's a family heirloom..." she said before putting the artifact in her jacket pocket and slipping her gloves back on.
"Is it?" Cu remarked with a whisper. "Interesting..."
[Flash Forward]
It was the dead of night, and Bazett was walking the still-lit streets of Fuyuki with Lancer by her side. The roads were deserted at this very late hour. Cu had just returned with his master from the forest-outskirts of Fuyuki, where they entered a temporary alliance with Saber and her master to take down Berserker. After a fierce fight involving not just them, but Rider as well, it would ultimately be Saber who would vanquish the Einzbern Servant with her Noble Phantasm, backed by her master.
"It seems our off-the-cuff deal with the Emiya-boy and Ms. Tohsaka worked out for the best," Bazett remarked rather optimistically; a rare thing coming from her especially. "With Berserker knocked out of the War, it should be a more even playing field for us."
Cu could not share his master's enthusiasm at the moment. Yes, taking out an enemy servant was a win for them, even if their part in the brief "alliance" with Shirou Emiya and Saber was hardly more than minimal. Thanks to Saber using Excalibur to destroy Berserker, her identity was revealed as the legendary King Arthur. Left exhausted after the battle, Cu had the opportunity to kill Saber when she was unable to defend herself albeit with her master futility protecting her from him. The Lancer, bound by his honor as a warrior, allowed the two of them to walk away with the promise that he will fight Saber after she recovers her strength.
Cu thought his master would chastise him if she knew he didn't take the chance to scratch-off another opponent in this War.
"However," the Lancer starts reluctantly. "Saber and her master are now the biggest contenders in this. Everybody will be gunning for them now..."
Bazett turned to her servant after picking up the trepidation in the Lancer's voice.
"You sound disappointed, Lancer..." her response sounded full of genuine concern; enough that Cu found himself confessing while refusing to meet her eyes:
"I want to be the one to defeat Saber. Hard to do if now that they are in everyone's crosshairs."
Bazett fell eerily silent as she looked away from her servant to pay attention to where she was walking. Silence continued to hang between the duo until Bazett's gaze dropped, and she clenched her hands behind her back tightly and anxiously. Unsure of herself, she starts with:
"I wanted to ask you this earlier, but..." Cu stiffened shamefully when he realized Bazett knew what was on his mind. "If you wanted to best Saber so badly, why didn't you finish her off in the forest? After using that flashy Noble Phantasm, Saber was too exhausted to fight, so..."
Bazett trails off, knowing Cu could tell what she was implying. The odd thing was that his master did not seem the least bit cross at him much to Cu's slight relief, but rather the way Bazett asked him this was out of morbid curiosity. She wanted to understand but felt it unbecoming of herself to ask a ghost, who was a legendary hero, something that might be personal.
In this moment, Bazett was not Cu's master... but something approaching that of a friend.
"That..." Cu replies cautiously, but also honestly. "-would have been too easy for me. I want Saber to recover so we can see which of us is truly the better warrior. I want to come out of this War with my honor intact, win OR lose."
Bazett said nothing when she looked at him, but her face was unreadable. Cu was afraid that he somehow disappointed her for revealing this. As an Enforcer, the Lancer thought Bazett saw his sentimentality as a weakness for both of them.
"You must think less of me, master..." he stopped walking as he dropped his gaze again in shame. Bazett looks back at him in mild surprise, not expecting the Hound of Ulster to act so humble. Out of the corner of Cu's eyes however, Bazett's expression softens slightly, out of sympathy or pity, the Lancer did not know. His master looked lost on what to say as they stood in the middle of the street just a few feet from each other.
"Lancer..." her voice seemed full of more uncertainty. "If we win the Grail, what will you wish for?"
Bazett's question came out of leftfield. A streetlight flickered on, putting Cu Chulainn in a spotlight. He was sure of his answer, but hesitated due to whether Bazett would understand or not. His wish was one any warrior of his caliber could wish for.
"My wish is already being granted," he replies, forcing himself to look into Bazett's eyes, fixated on him alone. "I am testing my might against the greatest warriors in history. My honor decrees that I let my opponents fight at their best, the same as me. Whether I live or die doing this, it doesn't matter to me."
"Because dying with honor is to have lived honorably, is it not?" Bazett's question came off as more a statement than anything, but it genuinely surprised the Lancer. Those words were instilled in him as a Knight of the Green Branch, and the fact that Bazett recited it word-for-word proved how well she knew of Cu's legend prior to summoning him. A rare, coy smile from the Enforcer told the Lancer that she is not at all mad at him for letting Saber live to fight another day.
And her follow-up statement hammered that fact home, betraying her admiration.
"I wouldn't have expected any less from you... Cu Chulainn."
Having been stunned at this, Cu composed himself and countered with:
"Is that praise I hear?"
His suggestive tone made Bazett stammer with a blush.
"Yes-! Uh, I mean..." she aligns herself while nervously adjusting her tie. "-Obviously for such a renowned warrior such as yourself, it would be in poor taste claim underhanded victories..."
"Flattery is unbecoming of you, master," Cu remarked, crossing his arms proudly as they both resumed walking. "I'm not that renowned. Heck, I'm not sure if I really did anything remotely heroic..."
Bazett noticed Cu rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment. She could feel underneath the Lancer's pride, there was a barest modicum of guilt that seeped through the servant's voice when he said that last part. Bazett found herself refuting him.
"What makes you say that? Cu... You have a roller coaster named after you. If that doesn't make you well-known, then I don't know what would. Give yourself some credit..."
Cu took a glance at his master, who seemed to genuinely believe the Lancer was more than he said he was. Bazett thought of him as a great hero through-and-through, but Cu could not take full value out of Bazett's newfound respect for him.
She knew not of the "less honorable" things the Hound of Ulster was forced to do in his life... she knew not of the shame that was carried with him into his existence as a Heroic Spirit.
The haunting image of a dead child soldier with red thorns coming out of him, lying bloodied at his feet briefly flashed in Cu's eyes. Snapping back to reality, Cu took a deep breath and replied evenly:
"I don't need any. I'm just here to be my master's blade..."
"Bazett..."
Her voice was sudden, and barely above a whisper. Nonetheless, it caught Cu off-guard.
"Huh?"
Bazett looked bashfully at her servant, almost surprised at herself for daring to say:
"You can call me Bazett if you want."
Cu raised an eyebrow, unable to help but toy with the idea that Bazett no longer saw the Lancer as a subordinate, but a partner.
"First-name basis?" he quipped. Bazett narrowed her eyes coyly and whispered as if to caution him:
"It's not what you think..."
"Of course not..." Cu replied in a sarcastic tone but knew deep down that as master and servant, their "dynamic" was never going to go past Bazett's admiration for the Celtic hero. As they walked on towards their destination, Cu could help but ask his master- no, partner a personal question to ward off the silence. "Tell me... Bazett. What is your wish for the Grail?"
Bazett whispered a gasp, surprised the servant would ask her this. She straightened her posture before replying stoically with:
"I don't have one... I'm doing this for the Mage's Association."
"That can't be true," Cu calls her bluff. "I've seen the way you fought with that Tohsaka girl while I went to town on Archer back at the school. No one fights like that for somebody else... when it happens to be someone whom they don't give praise to."
Bazett falls silent, as does her head. Her gaze falling to the pavement they were walking on as her silence betrayed her shame, admitting that she has indeed not said anything good about her organization since she summoned Cu Chulainn. Deciding on his next words carefully, the Lancer elaborates with:
"Say we do win the Grail. What will you do after you hand it off to your superiors?"
Bazett looked to visibly contemplate, but eventually she musters the courage to reveal something to the Hound of Culann.
"The Association will compensate me greatly... enough so I won't have to do this again for the rest of my life."
Her statement legitimately surprised the Lancer, and in the course of a single sentence, his perception of Bazett as a no-nonsense, stoic and blindly loyal Enforcer to the Mage's Association was blown.
"Wow..." Cu lets out. "A workaholic striving to one day live without responsibility?"
Silence hung once again as Bazett thought of how to respond. Eventually...
"Since I trained to be a mage, I never made much time for myself. Not to play... Not to..."
Bazett trails off, but Cu understood what she was getting at. He imagines that Bazett did not have any opportunity to form meaningful relationships with other people of her choosing. He listened carefully as his master continued.
"I joined the Mage's Association because I thought I could do a lot of good there; thought if I worked my way up high enough doing so, that everything I could ever want in life would just fall right at my feet. But once I joined, I had come to find that it's not all honor and prestige, but scheming, ostracizing... depravity..."
She glared at the suit she wore, grasping the edge of her standard-issue blazer with disdain, seemingly resisting the urge to tear at it. Cu could only imagine the things Bazett had seen and done in service as an Enforcer; some she might have considered unethical, all for authority that saw her as nothing more than a pawn willing to get her hands dirty for them. Not so much unlike himself...
Bazett relaxes as she vented her bubbling anger with a tired sigh.
"There's nothing more pathetic than working your whole life for something you think you always wanted, and then being left unfulfilled... trapped even."
She curtly turned to Cu, turmoil hidden behind her eyes.
"I want OUT of this life," her voice broke as she confessed to her servant. "It has sapped away any honor I had to begin with..."
Cu Chulainn could not feel but feel sympathy for his master, who was choking back tears as best she could. Looking at her dead in the eye, he saw Bazett as she truly was; someone who has her own values aside from those who she serves. She just laid bare all her fears and desires to someone who was the closest thing she ever had to a friend. Cu also saw a familiar fire and spirit in his master's eyes.
The kind he saw in only one other individual in his past life.
"You could just wish for it... if you wanted," he found himself saying. Bazett calmed herself enough to say with all the resolve she could muster in the moment.
"Cu... I am still an Enforcer," she spoke in an exhausted voice. "I need to see my mission through to the end before I leave for good. Perhaps then I could regain some honor..."
Cu nodded in understanding. Bazett wished to earn her leave by finishing her job. It would offend her sensibility if she used the Grail itself to grant her the life she wanted for herself; like she knew Cu would feel the same if he went against his to act against his code as a warrior.
Cu thought he and his master were more alike than he thought. In fact...
"You know, Bazett?" he remarked absently as they came up to their destination. "You remind me of someone..."
They walk up the polished steps beside where someone left a bouquet of flowers beside a board with a notice of a funeral service, left for the passing of someone dear to the person who passed. Cu paused when one particular flower in the bushel stood out to him.
A red spider lily...
Unbeknownst to Cu, Bazett paused a few steps above to look back at him affectionately. She noticed him staring longingly and sorrowfully at the bouquet of flowers on the notice board. What the master said to him next caught him completely off-guard.
"I would like to hear more about her..."
Cu snapped his attention back upbto his master who smiled at him coyly.
"Who said it was a "she"?" Cu quickly countered, but his vain attempt to deflect did little to convince Bazett otherwise.
"Just a feeling..." she softly replied before continuing up the steps to a pair of wooden doors that led inside to their destination:
The Fuyuki Church...
"Perhaps you can tell me after I am done meeting with the Overseer, alright?" Bazett asked the Lancer, stopping at the top of the steps.
"Okay..." Cu acknowledged, knowing as this was neutral ground in the Holy Grail War, only masters were allowed inside. Bazett turned to open the doors.
"Wait here for me..." she said as she reached for the handles, only to stop and turn to face her servant again. "And Cu?"
"Yes?"
Bazett looked reluctant, but she let go of the door to fully turn and face the Lancer. Cu Chulainn wondered what it was she wanted to say to him.
For it looked like to Cu that this might be the last time she would ever speak to her trusted servant, partner, and friend...
Why was he getting that feeling?
"You always were my hero..." Bazett confessed. "You're the reason I wanted to be an Enforcer, even if..."
Bazett stops herself out of shame, but Cu finished for her, elated by the respect his master was giving him.
"-It's not what you wanted..."
She nodded in response before she continued.
"I understand why you didn't finish Saber. If I had any choice in the matter... I would NEVER force you to tarnish your honor."
Cu felt the weight of the World lift off his shoulders when she said that. For the first time, he felt... fortunate to have a respectful master like Bazett Fraga McRemitz. He had no doubt that the two of them together could win this War.
"Thank you... Bazett," he replied in a way that made Bazett blush slightly. It looked like for a moment that she had more to say to the Lancer.
But to Cu's slight disappointment, Bazett relented before composing herself to meet with the Overseer of the War, Kirei Kotomine.
"See you in a bit," she quickly said as the Enforcer opened the doors to the Church and stepped inside. The doors slammed shut before Cu as if it was a gate made of stone that was seemingly impassable, separating the Lancer from his master.
That was the last time Cu would ever see Bazett... alive.
[End of flashback]
Cu sighed as he recalled his former master. There was more to Bazett than she was willing to show to anyone, but just as it seemed that she was beginning to confide in him, Bazett was betrayed by the person she trusted the most; Kirei Kotomine, who stole her command seals before murdering her in cold blood.
Cu's honor was wounded that night; forced to play puppet for Kotomine and Gilgamesh, while he could do nothing to save his true master. The Lancer remembered vividly as he felt the connection between him and Bazett broken, moments after she entered the church. Weakened without her providing him Mana, Cu rushed in to find Bazett lying on the floor, bleeding to death with her hand severed from her wrist; the one that held Lancer's Command Seals. He was on his hands and knees, cradling a dead Bazett in his arms with the perpetrator standing over him, exercising his authority as Cu's new master...
Cu Chulainn tightened his grip on his fishing rod, angry not just at Kotomine for his deceit, but also at himself for not being the hero Bazett believed he was.
Otherwise, he would have saved her...
Bazett would be living the life she truly wanted right now, instead of being dead and buried in the mausoleum under the Clock Tower; barely a name on a grave for anyone to know that she was a loyal Enforcer of the Mage's Association.
For anyone to know that she was ever alive...
In the brief time that he knew Bazett, Cu was sure that she deserved better than the ending she got. Her death remained on his conscience, even after getting a second chance with his current two young masters. Cu would never forgive himself for that.
Nor will he a second time if he could not help his former mentor, Scathach, and stop what she has planned for his masters and fellow servants. Gathering himself, he contemplated:
If only there's a way I can get through to Teacher other than through a direct confrontation... but how?
Before he could think about it further, Cu sensed a familiar, and irritating presence behind him in the trees. He did not need to turn around to see who it was.
"You know..." he began, calling out to chastise the person behind him. "You can do something useful besides standing there looking cool. In fact, you too could be fishing."
"I don't think I will have any more luck than you are currently," said person turned out to be Emiya, leaning casually against a tree. "You seem to be enjoying yourself without me, so I think I'll pass..."
True enough, Emiya's luck stat was only one rank above Cu's own. Still, any luck was better than no luck at all when it comes to fishing, but Cu was still annoyed that the Archer was just standing around waiting for him to catch fish to cook.
"Sheesh... where did that kid from Fuyuki learn to be such a jerk?" Cu remarked as he reeled and cast his lure again. Emiya only bluntly replied with a shrug.
"What can I say? Not all of us were born in simpler times..."
"That supposed to mean something?" Cu countered.
"Yeah, when things were more "black and white". You're the lucky one in that regard..."
"Oh really?" Cu mumbled angrily. He could tell that the Archer just wanted to get under his skin, not like he had anything better to do. But to say a hero like Cu Chulainn had it easy because he was born in "simpler times" rubbed Lancer the wrong way especially.
That sorry bastard has no idea how not so "black and white" my time really was, Cu thought. I was enlisted in an army who was willing to send children off to fight. But come to think of it...
Cu wasn't sure if Emiya knew even a little bit of his history, but assuming the Archer did, the Lancer was tempted to wonder what made Emiya's time bleaker and greyer than his was. Was Archer not from an alternative future or something?
Who cares, Cu casually dismissed. Anything occurring after the life of the Hound of Ulster was none of Cu's concern... besides the extinction of humanity of course.
Emiya was not even worth the brain-exercise to understand his views anyways...
"I hope you're okay with trout by the way," Cu quipped. "It would be shame if I caught food that you're not able to prepare."
"I've yet to fail at making any dish," Emiya replied defensively. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to not poison yours..."
"You're too kind, Shirou," Cu remarked sarcastically. The Lancer turned back to gleefully see and savor the irritated look on Emiya's face. Only Arturia and Jeanne were allowed to call him by his true name.
Cu pressed his advantage...
"This isn't fish you get from the grocery store. I sure hope you know how to prepare a catch, 'cause I'm sure as hell not gunna help you..."
Judging from the now stumped look on his face, Emiya hadn't thought about that...
"Prepare?"
"What can I say?" Cu then added, repeating Emiya's words from earlier. "Not all of us were born in modernity..."
"Why you-" Emiya starts before stopping himself and changing direction. "I assure you, I know how to prepare a fish. How about you let me know when you finally catch one, and I'll show you..."
His comeback did little to wipe the smirk from the Lancer's face. Cu counters with:
"Unless you want me to use you as bait, then I suggest you man-up and grab a fishing rod. That is, if you even know how to catch a fish..."
"Oh, watch me..." Emiya answers Cu's challenge, straightening up and taking a step towards Cu by the riverbank when-
"Hey boyzo!"
Astolfo suddenly emerged, as bubbly and cheery as ever. Both Cu and Emiya resisted the urge to groan as their challenge got interrupted by the Rider of all people.
"Great... all I need..." Cu whispered to himself sarcastically, he and Emiya both forced to put their little feud aside in the presence of a fellow Servant. He was looking forward to showing his superiority to the Archer.
"Can we help you, Rider?" asked Emiya in an exhausted tone, which thankfully the Rider did not pick up on.
"I got bored, so I decided to check up on you guys!" he said, then turning his attention to what Cu was doing. "Ooooh... are you fishing? I've never tried it, but that seems like fun! You know we can't actually do that back in Chaldea, what with the beach being by design and all... Such a big ocean, yet no fish in it! That's pretty crazy, don't you think?"
"Would you pipe-down?" the Lancer lightly scolded the Rider. "You'll scare away the fish!"
"Oh sorry!" Astolfo dropped his voice in slight embarrassment before speaking in rapid-fire again. "Can they hear me? I didn't think they could! Say, did you even catch any yet?"
"I'll catch something in a second, alright..." Cu grumbled, irritated by the paladin's infectious cheeriness, which was obliviously dismissed by Astolfo.
"Glad to hear it! But if it's not too much to ask, can I maybe try?"
Cu was beyond annoyed, but he did not have it in him to tell Astolfo off, especially when the Rider was genuinely curious and wanted to do all he could to help. He had never known Astolfo to be anything less than friendly to just about everyone in Chaldea, but the paladin's overbearingness was too much for most people. From behind, Emiya watched as Cu gave in and handed his fishing rod to Astolfo, nearly shoving it into his hands.
(sigh) "Knock yourself out..."
"Yeah!" Astolfo cheered loudly as Cu got up and walked towards Emiya. With a determined look, the Rider confidently proclaimed, "Watch! I'm going for the biggest one in this pond!"
Emiya gave an exasperated Cu Chulainn a skeptical look as the Lancer joined him in the tree line.
"Was that really a good idea?" Emiya asked him over Astolfo's loud commentary:
"Oh! I think I got something! Whoa, it's a big one! I'm not letting you get away!"
"-We could be out here well after sundown..." the Archer finished, as there seemed to be no way they could catch dinner for everyone if Astolfo was scaring away all the fish, not to mention the Rider's lack of experience catching them.
"If it keeps him preoccupied," an exasperated Cu Chulainn admitted to the Archer, thinking by the sound of it that Astolfo hooked a rock. "I'm getting a migraine just talking to him, and I could sure use a beer right now-"
(SPLASH)
"YAHOOOOO!"
Both Cu and Emiya looked back at Astolfo in surprise, and to their shock, Astolfo held a humongous fish in his arms; almost as big as he was.
"Wha-?!" Cu exclaimed in disbelief while Emiya stood there lost for words. An ecstatic Astolfo turned to the duo, carrying his catch in victory.
"Told ya it was a big one! What a beauty!"
The Rider laughs boisterously while Cu reluctantly turned to Emiya and asked:
"What is his Luck rank again?"
______
Jeanne D'Arc was casually wandering around the Upper Halls of Castle Dunscaith while almost everyone else was waiting with the masters in the Great Hall. Not willing to simply wait for dinner, the Ruler passed the time exploring Scathach's fortress. The atmosphere and vibe of this ancient place weighed on the Maiden of Orleans more than the other servants; something she chalked-up as due to her status as a Ruler-class Heroic Spirit.
Rulers were not conventional servants. They typically serve no masters, often only summoned by a Holy Grail itself to preserve the laws and rules of a Grail War. And if the logic of the Grail senses a participant or anomaly behaving maliciously, a Ruler's role is to correct it.
Yet somehow, Jeanne's instincts were flaring beyond that of the boundless awareness that Rulers possessed. This castle was affecting her on an emotional level that she could not ignore. It was as if this place was calling out in sorrow, crying for help.
As Jeanne found herself at a 4-way junction, she paused and looked around, trying to pin down where this aura she felt since arriving in Scathach's domain was coming from.
I wonder how our host can live in a place like this... is it something she just gotten used to?
Jeanne was apprehensive about wandering these spacious halls without Scathach's permission, especially considering that the warrior queen had millennia to grow accustomed to this place that was not her home to begin with. She must know this place better than anyone alive and learned to live with the grand, yet oppressive nature of this place.
Their host's disposition did not betray anything of the sort, but Jeanne could just feel that something is wrong... and has been for a long while.
Jeanne D'Arc trusted her feelings even more than her combat abilities. Despite not considering herself a saint, the Ruler has put value on her ability to feel empathy. A trait she thought intrinsic to herself...
Until she met her Alter in the France Singularity...
Jeanne could never imagine herself being so spiteful towards the country she cherished and protected that she'd want revenge for her country failing to come to her rescue during her execution like Jeanne D'Arc Alter. Jeanne knew it would not end well for her when she made the choice to leave her home on the farmlands to fight for France. She was prepared to give anything, even her own life, if it meant her country and people could have a future.
But being reminded of her Alter... seeing the hate in her eyes, Jeanne could not fathom how such feelings can come about upon her being summoned as a Servant. She never imagined herself even capable of such hatred; unthinkable of her to wish harm on others as a form of retribution.
I'm not her... I CAN'T be her...
Jeanne felt compelled to follow her feelings, not only just to discover what was beckoning to her in this fortress, but to assure herself that she was capable just the way she is. Empathetic and loyal to a fault; the two things separating Jeanne from her Alter.
Somehow in her reassurance, Jeanne was feeling doubt in herself in the fact that she was not doing enough for Chaldea... no amount of loyalty and dedication could obscure the fact her weakness in the Fifth singularity was part of the reason why they were all here to begin with-
"Are you lost?"
Jeanne nearly jumped out of her skin when Uathach, of all people, appeared behind her yet again, snapping the Ruler out of her self-doubt. It astounded the Ruler to no end how this girl could just sneak up on her without the Servant sensing her at all, kind of like a ghost.
Instincts don't extend into movies; Jeanne could never stand horror films for this reason.
"I- I was just-!" Jeanne stammers but Uathach ignores her surprise.
"This place is big, isn't it?" Scathach's daughter stated rhetorically. "You can wander around in here forever! We even had students who got lost in these very halls for days!"
Jeanne blinked in bewilderment as the little girl beamed to her without a care in the world. Never mind that Uathach found Jeanne in this state to begin with, but beyond that did not pay heed to the fact that the Ruler had been snooping around.
The girl's obliviousness was eerie in a sense... almost worse than Astolfo's... and why was she even telling Jeanne all of this?
"I think you're exaggerating..." Jeanne found herself saying for lack of any other coherent response.
"Maybe I am... maybe I'm not!" Uathach said with a smile before her face lit up with an idea. "Do you want to play a game?"
Jeanne was stumped, but ultimately decided to go along, not wanting to squander this precious girl's enthusiasm.
"What kind of game?"
Uathach giggles.
"Tag of course!" Before Jeanne even had a chance to agree, the girl turned and ran off. "You're it!"
Uathach was already turning a corner before a stunned Jeanne decided to play along.
"Okay then..."
Jeanne limbered up and ran in the little girl's direction, confident that her strength as a Servant would let her easily catch Uathach. The Ruler turned the corner and saw Scathach's daughter already turning at the other end of the hallway; quite a distance to clear in such a short time. Jeanne darts after her, beginning to enjoy this little chase.
The Ruler closes the distance quickly and turns where Uathach disappeared to. Following the hallway, Jeanne then found herself at an intersection. She pauses and looks around every which way to determine where Uathach went.
No way she could've lost me THIS easily...
The sound of laughter caused Jeanne to turn around to the hallway she had just come from, and she saw Uathach happily crossing the hall down as far as Jeanne's eyes could see.
"You'll never catch me!"
Uathach's playful taunt briefly left Jeanne stunned.
"How in the World...?" escaped the Ruler's lips before she refocused and sprinted after the little girl. "We'll see about that!"
Deciding to stop holding back, Jeanne moved at inhuman speed in Uathach's direction, following her laughter down each series of hallways. Yet, it seemed like no matter how fast the Ruler ran, the little girl she was chasing seemed to always be several steps ahead of her. After turning into a dead end, Jeanne was left flabbergasted as to how an ordinary human was able to outrun a Heroic Spirit for THIS long and not be caught so far. Jeanne heard more laughter echoing behind her and she quickly backtracked to follow the sound down another hallway.
"Keep laughing...!" Jeanne called out tauntingly to Uathach. "I'm going to catch you!"
"No, you won't...!"
Uathach's voice sounded far, but Jeanne locked on to her target. Sure enough, Jeanne turns another corner and sees Uathach's retreating form as the little girl goes down a different hallway. Jeanne was close now, just one more sprint and she'll win!
"Come here-!"
No sooner than Jeanne followed Uathach around where she went that the Ruler suddenly skidded to a screeching halt.
"What the...?"
All the excitement drained from Jeanne's face at the sight before her. The short corridor ended with an ominous, blacked-out passageway with narrow stairs leading down. There was no other way that Uathach could have gone as far as the Ruler could tell, but Jeanne's instincts were telling her that she should not go inside.
So why was she slowly taking steps towards it? Was Uathach hiding down there, waiting for Jeanne to find her?
A slave to morbid curiosity, Jeanne cautiously steps inside and down the small flight of steps into the room cloaked in darkness. The air was cold; so cold that Jeanne could see her breath. She could barely see in front of her from what little ambient light was creeping its way inside. Glancing at the stone walls, Jeanne could see signs of rough masonry. Whatever this room was for it had been carved out by hand, unlike the polished, ornate halls of Castle Dunscaith, which seemed even further and further away with each little step Jeanne took. It was like stepping into another world.
A bleaker world...
After what felt like minutes, Jeanne could feel the passage open-up to a spacious room, but it was so dark that even her eyesight as a Servant could not adjust. Jeanne summons her flag and it glowed a soft gold, allowing her to make out where she was.
And it would turn out to be a crypt.
What was immediately apparent was that, mysteriously, Uathach did not seem to be hiding here. Jeanne momently forgot how to breathe as she saw a stone sarcophagus that was in this room. Suppressing her shock, Jeanne felt a familiar aura that weighed on her since she and the rest of Chaldea entered Scathach's domain.
Only here it was much stronger...
Her heart hammering loudly in her chest, Jeanne approached the sarcophagus, noting how it was intricately carved, etched with floral patterns and looked a tad small to accommodate a person.
Yet, that wasn't what Jeanne was fixated on. In the alcove, carved out of the wall above and behind the sarcophagus stood a small vase, which held a flower...
Healthy green stem... vibrant red petals...
And its bulb was closed... yet to bloom...
It was by far the most peculiar thing in this room. Jeanne found herself stepping towards the sarcophagus, wondering who (or what) was inside, despite Jeanne's reservation in possibly desecrating someone's grave. Her free hand reached for the stone lid, which looked have sat unmoved for centuries-
"Jeanne! What are you doing in there?"
A familiar voice caused Jeanne to turn around and look back up to the entrance to the crypt. Standing out in front of the light of the hallways above was a very concerned-looking Arturia.
"Arty... uhhh, I was..."
"Masters wanted me to tell you Shirou and the others came back with food," Arturia told the Ruler while surveying the room from where she was. "We should head back... I don't think we should be in here."
Arturia beckoned Jeanne to leave with her. The Maiden of Orleans took one last look at the sarcophagus before forcing herself to forget about it. It was wrong of her to trespass in here in the first place.
Not like Uathach was hiding in here anyway...
"I think you're right..."
Jeanne walked back up the steps and joined Arturia in the bright, lively hallways of Castle Dunscaith. They walk beside each other back to the Great Hall.
"So what were you doing?" Arturia asked Jeanne, who answers:
"Playing with Uathach. She's very good at not getting caught..."
As they turn down another corridor, Uathach peeks around a corner and observes Jeanne with a disappointed look on her face.
"Awww... she gave up," she whispers to herself before then smiling in victory. "That means I win!"
______