AlterMyth - A Hololive Fanfiction

Upon Reflection

Prologue

Gawr Gura knelt down listlessly on the rocky, grey sands of an ancient beach of the Portuguese Azores Islands while torrential rains fell from the stormy heavens. Wounds and scars of her ordeals in the forsaken realm of the Infinite Library remained on her body and on her tattered clothes, but the weight in her heart proved heavier and more painful than it all. All that pain was concentrated in the palm of her right hand.

Ame's golden pocket watch.

The Atlantean recalled how cold Ame's hand was when she grabbed a hold of it through the collapsing portal. She remembered the harrowing moment when Ame's hand seemed to phase out of existence before her eyes. Tears started clouding her vision. Her short, turbulent yet painfully memorable adventure with the plucky detective came to an abrupt end.

Holding that pocket watch in her hand now, Gura felt a bitter taste in her mouth. For a moment, she wondered if her life would have been better had she not met Amelia Watson at all. That journey with the detective gave her hope, after all. Hope that would be dashed against the stones in the end.

With every tick of the watch, in spite of the pouring rain, Gura's heart ached more and more. Then, the owner's name escaped her lips with a frail, trembling voice.

"... Watson."

While Gura was grieving, she felt Ina's hand on her shoulder. Was the almost-Priestess trying to console her? Ina was spared because Ame was taken in her place.

Ina, at that moment, was the last one she wanted to hear sympathy from.

"Leave me alone, Ina." Gura brushed Ina's hand away.

However, Ina touched her shoulder again.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT!?" Gura snapped now and snarled at Ina.

Ina was taken aback by Gura's outburst, but she turned away with a frown and spoke without looking her in the eye, "We have company, Gura."

Gura paused. She turned her head to her companions and saw them taking up combat positions on the beach. It was a familiar sight. All of their weapons were drawn in the pouring rain: Calli's scythe, Kiara's broadsword and Jenma's katana glistened and were turned to the direction of the green subtropical forests nearby.

There was a lone man with a large frame who was wearing a yellow raincoat and was wielding what looked like a pitchfork. He was twice as tall as Gura and had a menacing aura about him that made that mere pitchfork seem like a weapon of war. Deeper in the forest, Gura could see a brown-haired lady in loose-fitting clothes and a blond younger man, both of whom carried old rifles.

Were these locals? Or were they more of Knowledge's minions?

"I know now's not the best time, Gura, but let's get through this one first." Ina proposed her truce and drew her pistol.

Gura hummed weakly, but that was enough to reach Ina's ears and give her okay.

Rain washed away the tears that had formed at the sides of Gura's eyes and she prepared herself to draw her weapon. But at that moment, Gura's hands trembled. Adrenaline from their arduous campaign lingered in her blood, but she and her companions were all running on fumes.

Another battle... huh?

Gura hesitated to draw either of her weapons.

What's the point of it all? If I fall here, will this damn nightmare finally end?

Her head lowered once again.

Then, Ina's voice rang sharply through the beach.

"GURA!"