Fate/Outside Experience

Chapter 5: Alter vs. Lancer

FATE/OUTSIDE EXPERIENCE

Part III: Challenge of Grief

Chapter 5: Alter vs. Lancer

Medb and Connla waited outside the dark grotto for Cuchulainn's return. Even though the young queen did her best to console her partner, the little girl refused to lighten her mood. How could she? She just heard some of the worst insults that a mother could ever spit at her child. Connla thought of her life, and how she had wasted it obeying someone who didn't care about her whatsoever. She had been completely deceived about Aife's abuse being a method of strengthening her mind and body. That got her thinking about which of Aife's teachings were lies such as that. Were all of her lessons the same way? Did Connla have to discard every possible thing she ever learned from her?

If she did, she would have to start all the way back at zero. The prospect terrified her – she would be totally lost without any sort of guidance to rely upon.

As the child was lost in those depressing thoughts, she and Medb noticed Cuchulainn's tall figure emerge from the darkness and approach them with a vacant expression on his face.

"Geez, what took you so long?" Medb asked and ran up to him.

He didn't care about dealing with the selfish matriarch at the moment. He walked past her before she could try to hug his arm, and he didn't even make eye contact with her. He was solely focused on his despondent daughter, and he kneeled in front of her.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She glanced aside at the waves crashing upon the beach. She was so tired that she didn't even want to talk.

"I thought so," Cuchulainn murmured sullenly. "At least you're in one piece though."

"She did a really good job protecting me, Cu," Medb said. "She almost had that foul apparition exorcised too, but its will to remain in this world was much stronger than we realized."

"How the hell did Aife wind up appearing in this world anyway?"

"Hmm... I think she said something about how some person 'recognized her suffering' and helped her return to the mortal world. I think she was trying to take over this country and cause a Singularity on this mystery person's behalf."

"That's not good. We'd best return and tell Master all about this. If there's a higher power at work here, there could be more disturbances that those brainiacs need to find."

"You got that right," the queen nodded, then patted Connla's head and said, "Come on, Connie. I know you're upset, but we need to get back right away."

"Mm..."

"I promised to take you bathing in a spring when we were done here, but I guess that'll have to wait. On the plus side, at least I can see about finding a hot spring that will reduce your scars. Then you won't have to worry about being embarrassed with showing your body to everyone."

Cuchulainn raised an eyebrow. "Scars?"

Connla paled and crossed her arms over her chest in fright. "I-It's nothing. It's no big deal..."

"What?" Medb wondered. "You mean you haven't showed him yet!?"

"Uh... Um..."

He glared at her right in the eye and ordered, "Show me."

"Um... Well, that's... I mean... Say, shouldn't we be getting back already? Ms. Da Vinci is probably worried about-"

She tried to dismiss the conversation and walk on ahead of them. Suddenly, Cuchulainn shot his large tail in front of her, piercing it into the boulder directly in her face. Tiny rock fragments spilled onto the sand, and she stared at the spiked black tail in shock.