The candles were all lit up, and their light gently embraced the house like a veil of a mother. The fragrance of roasted ham floated from the kitchen, causing smiles everywhere. Red and green and gold were the dominant colors, thrown against the backdrop of the white snow outside. The television was open but the voice had been muted, allowing bright pictures to dance across the screen without bothering the discussion of the people in the house.
Giving a great big sigh, Emiya Shirou excited from the bathroom. Or, what had used to be a bathroom. Now, thanks to some strange British guy, the whole place was bigger on the inside, and with Luvia’s instructions, they had built a whole sauna there. And while the sauna itself was big too, they still had to make some reservations. Namely that Lu Bu and Heracles were not allowed to be in the sauna at same time.
“Well, are you ready, Shirou-san?” Shiki, drying his hair with a moe-moe-Hisui-towel, asked. “You’re supposed to be the maestro of the evening, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. It was a bit hectic up till now, but I think I’ll manage to do it. Thanks to Ciel-san, I feel better than ever. She’s really good at healing, isn’t she?” Shirou asked. Shiki, looking rather awkward, chuckled.
“Well, just be glad that it wasn’t Arcueid. She would have assaulted a certain Beast Doctor and wrestled you a gooey bandage. And if things got back, that gooey bandage would have become a girl and started killing people.”
“Eh?” Shirou tilted his head. Shiki slapped him on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it.”
The two of them laughed as they headed through the corridor towards the living room. After few seconds, the laughter died down, and for some reason, Shiki looked rather somber. He turned to Shirou, with apologetic look in his eyes, before bowing down quickly.
“Shirou-san, I’m… sorry, about what Kohaku did.”
There was a moment of awkward silence. Then…
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Shirou smiled and put his hand on Shiki’s shoulder. “At first I was a bit confused, though I can’t imagine how confused the readers got. But I understand where she was coming from. To be transformed into a gag-character because of how the creator and the readers view you, instead of being who you want to be… I can understand why’d she want to change all that. She simply wanted to be happy, didn’t she? With you, Shiki-san.”
“Yeah… thanks,” Shiki said and smiled tiredly. “I’m glad you understand. It wasn’t her fault. She simply… Couldn’t take it anymore. So, thanks, Shirou-san.”
“No problem.”
As the two reached the sliding door to the living room, they saw someone with a blonde hair exit the room. Luvia, dressed up in red clothing that made her usual dress pale in beauty, flashed a smile at Shirou before handing him a pile of clothes. Shirou, unsure as to what it was, looked confusedly at the girl.
“Erm, Luvia-san? What’s… what’s this?”
“It’s your tuxedo. Now get dressed in it. We have a Christmas party to host,” Luvia answered with a mischievous smile.
“Weeeeell, I shall be going, then,” Shiki laughed hastily and escaped into the living room, before Luvia managed to find something for him to do.
Grudgingly, Shirou slipped into the tuxedo. He had never liked formal clothing that much, especially western type. But since he was with Luvia, and it was their job to host this “very very traditional Finland style Christmas”, there was no way around it. And with Luvia’s help, getting the tuxedo on was not that big of a task. Of course, Shirou felt a bit squeamish about how the girl’s hands seemed to have no shame as they pulled the costume on him, but that was simply part of the “Finnish hospitality”.
After he had been dressed, Luvia gave a satisfied look-over at Shirou.
“Yeah. That does it just nicely, Shero,” she said and then offered her hand to Shirou. The boy took it with a smile.
“You really want to do this in the old-fashioned way, don’t you, Luvia-san?” Shirou laughed, and Luvia gave him an embarrassed smile.
“Well, a girl has to have some dreams, does she not?”
Both of them chuckled, before nodding to each other.
“Then, shall we go?” Shirou asked, and placed his hand to the sliding door.
“Yeah. Let us,” Luvia answered. And together, they stepped into the living room, which had been already transformed into a winter wonderland brilliant enough to host, for the third time, the celebration of the 25th Day of December.
That’s right. It was time, once more, for the…
Verg Avesta Christmas Special
Just from Me to All of You
“Hmm, Christmas, huh? We didn’t celebrate it back home,” Soujuurou murmured as he walked around the living room, which now resembled a warehouse than a living room in size.
I guess the people in the city have taken this into account too, huh? How convenient… Soujuurou mused in his mind, before moving to one of the tables serving traditional Christmas foods.
There, by the buffet table, Soujuurou met with an unusual sight. A blue-haired samurai girl was in a deep conversation with Ryougi Shiki, and as the two saw Soujuurou approach, the both of them greeted him. Soujuurou smiled at them and greeted them back.
“Ryougi-san and Tsunemoto-san, wasn’t it? Nice to meet you,” Soujuurou said as he took a paper plate and started stuffing it with food.
“Ah, sorry, it’s not Tsunemoto anymore,” the blue-haired samurai girl answered little awkwardly. “The author, after starting his reboot, realized that it wasn’t much of a name, so I got renamed. Just call me Tsubasa for now.”
“Seriously, that idiot is starting too many fics from the beginning,” Ryougi sighed. “He’ll never get anything finished that way.”
“Oh, really? But I heard that Somnium Summer Redux was about 50% done at the moment?” Soujuurou asked, a little surprised.
“Yeah, something like that,” Ryougi answered and took a sip from her eggnog. “But even that could change. You know how he loves to go off-tangent…”
“Actually, I don’t,” Soujuurou admitted. “I haven’t really appeared in his fics before, you see…”
“Ah, is that so?” Tsubasa asked, looking surprised. “Then I hope you’ll be able to get into favorable fics.”
“So do I,” Soujuurou agreed, before bowing his head to them. “I’ll leave you now though, ladies. They are waiting me at the protagonist meeting…”
“Sure, go have fun,” Shiki said and yawned. And then, after Soujuurou was nearly out of the hearing range, she turned to Tsubasa with narrowed eyes. “Wait, didn’t you use to talk differently…?”
Soujuurou decided to not get involved into that argument.
Around the gigantic living room, people had started to get more and more into the yuletide merriment and playfulness. Somnium Summer’s Lancer had found Diarmuid, and was now chasing after the poor guy. Grainne and Cu Chulainn watched from the sidelines, the latter making sure that the former did not spring to assault the aforementioned humongous woman. And not too far away, Kimon no Kazu and Kishima Kouma had entered into an arm-wrestling competition. For some reason, Liu Long Mei was acting as the referee, while Alacia Starward, Firo Prochainezo, Fiore Lacere-Ran and Invoker were acting as cheerleaders in the background. Only the last of the four seemed to enjoy herself. Too much, in fact.
“Oh, Soujuurou-sama,” a sudden female voice called the young man from behind him. “Would you like a drink?”
It was Sella, looking unusually content. There was no grumpiness in the homunculus maid’s face. Instead, she was balancing a tray with many tall glasses of champagne on them. Happily, Soujuurou took one of them, before sipping from it. The bubbly liquid warmed up his insides just nicely, and he smiled at Sella.
“Thank you, Sella-san,” he said. “But I must say, you look quite happy. Did something good happen?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Sella said and looked mischievously, and a bit darkly, towards the other end of the room. “I simply sic Liz at Emiya-sama. I do not think Emiya-sama has realized it, but he has been gathering Liz-affection-points over the years, and now it has come back to bite her. Now I simply need to get Ojou-sama to witness it all, and never again shall Emiya Shirou step into the Einzbern castle…”
“…You could say he has ‘maid his own hell’?” Soujuurou asked, and both of them laughed.
Then they felt simply horrible for the bad pun, and went their separate ways.
On his way to the protagonist meeting, Soujuurou saw some other interesting meetings in the room. Nero and Octavia, the two Roman characters who dressed in red, were apparently in deep discussion about who had been the best Caesar of all times. While that was going on, Antonia was using the chance to try to seduce Gilgamesh, who was looking for a way to escape. Meanwhile, in the table next to them, the pink-haired Astolfo and the green-haired Enkidu were hatching a plan with the spirit of Argon Coin. What Soujuurou heard made him understand that they were about to trick the male protagonist of Extra to believe they were girls, and gain the much fabled “heroine” status that way. Soujuurou shuddered and hurried forward, not wanting to know more about the said plan.
As Soujuurou walked forward, he was nearly toppled over as a sleigh, pulled by ten suspicious black deers zoomed right past him. It stopped right before the kiddie group of Illyasviel, Jack the Ripper, Arima Miayko, the two Lens, and Alice. In the sleigh, quite fittingly, sat Dan Blackmore, dressed up as no one else but Santa Claus. And next to him, dressed up as one of Santa’s elves and looking quite ready to murder someone, was Caster. It must have had something to do with her ears. Or then it was simply made to nearly kill Sasaki Kojiro with laughter. Both were very valid reasons.
In one table, Soujuurou saw quite a strange sight, and considering what he had seen already, it was saying something. Kuonji Alice, Fujyou Kirie and Reiroukan Misaya sat there, drinking eggnog and playing trumps. It seemed that the confrontation from not too long ago was completely forgotten, and the three of them had apologized to each other. Though Misaya still seemed to jump whenever one of the Mech-Hisuis came to ask if they wanted a refill. The robotic maids had been a necessity, considering how large of a crowd had gathered to celebrate the Christmas.
Speaking of the celebration, the two hosts of the night were pulling out all the stops. Luvia and Shirou stood on the stage at the further end of the room, and they had started the whole thing by welcoming everyone and singing “Jingle Bells”. The red-haired boy had looked like he wanted to escape from the scene, but the iron grip of the Lady Forklift had stopped him dead in his tracks. But as the night went on and the celebration got even rowdier and people stopped acting like strangers, even Emiya Shirou had gotten to the mood of things. Just now he had performed a duet with Luvia, reprising the last year’s hit “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” The latter looked awfully happy to be able to do it with the boy. And, Soujuurou had to admit, he would have looked pretty happy too if he had gotten to perform it with Aoko.
“What are you grinning about, idiot?” The said magus appeared from nowhere, and with a smug smile, slapped him on the top of his head. “You look awfully happy, and it’s making me annoyed.”
“It must be something perverted, Sensei,” Akiha, appearing from behind the other girl, scoffed. “That tends to be the case with boys always.”
“I don’t remember ever allowing you to call me ‘Sensei’, Tohno-san…” Aoko groaned and looked at the younger girl with mixed feelings.
“Well, you seem to have your hands full here, Aoko, so I’m just going to get out of your hair…” Soujuurou hastily escaped before the situation could escalate any worse for him.
“A-ah! Hey! Come back, you coward!” Aoko called out, but for naught. “Don’t leave me behind with this crazy girl!”
Saying a little prayer for Aoko’s well-being, Soujuurou hurried forward, intending to already get to the protagonist meeting. On his way, he came across Jeanne of Arc, who was currently scolding Kotomine Kirei and Ciel about how neither Mapo Tofu nor curry was fitting for Christmas food. It looked like neither could do anything but hang their heads in shame, considering who it was that scolded them. And Nanako, watching from the sidelines, seemed far too happy about her master being ridiculed.
Soujuurou also saw the Losers Club, finally. Shirazumi Lio, Matou Shinji, SHIKI, a certain blonde boy Soujuurou knew well, Gatou and for some reason, Night of Wallachia, had all gathered around one table, all focusing intently onto a thrilling game of Kimble.
“You know, maybe we could… ah, I know! We could become real gag-characters!” Shinji suddenly shouted and perked up. “You know, like Back-Alley Alliance! Then we could become more popular.”
“Really?” Lio cocked an eyebrow while pressing the button that made the dice jump. “And what would our punch-line be? “
“Weeeell…” SHIKI looked at TATARI. “Since that alchemist handles theirs, what about you, 13-kun? What would you put as our punch-line?”
“………..” Wallachia was silent for a moment.
Then his eyes opened like doors of a fridge, hastily and hungrily.
“KATTO! KATTO! KATTO! KATTO! KATTO! KATTO! KATTO! KATTO!”
There was an awkward silence as SHIKI shoved his hand to Wallachia’s mouth, silencing him completely. However, even while silenced, the vampire kept flailing around like crazy.
“Nope, let’s think of something else,” Shinji groaned, and glanced at Gatou. “What about you, newcomer? Any ideas?”
“………..” Gatou was silent for a moment.
Then his eyes opened like the sunroof, brightly and full of UV-rays.
“GODDO! GODDO! GODDO! GODDO! GODDO! GODDO! GODDO! GODDO!”
“Yeah, no…”
Shirazumi Lio concluded their talk, and the group once more resigned to the thrilling excitement of Kimble.
Soon enough from witnessing that sad sight, Soujuurou finally found the table of protagonists there. Badly shaken up Emiya Shirou was already there, as well as Tohno Shiki, looking sorry for the red-haired boy. Kokutou Mikiya was having a small-talk with Leon Hart and Rider of F/SSR, while Leo Cyrus King and Male Protagonist of Extra were arguing about something. Sajyou Ayaka looked like she wanted to escape from the place, but had no courage of actually doing so. And some young, rather handsome-looking blue-haired man was also there, with a butterfly perched on his shoulder.
“Looks like we all are here again, huh?” Shiki finally said and smiled at the people at the table. “So, how has the year been treating you?”
“Not bad, but… towards the end of the year, things have gotten a bit weird,” Rider said and cringed. “I guess another fandom has that effect.”
“W-well, I don’t think that means we are forgotten either…” Ayaka said, and laughed awkwardly. “We just have the attention divided.”
“So the author is already short on time, and he then starts rebooting more fics?” Leon Hart groaned and hit his forehead with his palm. “Talk about short attention span and poor writing…”
“Well, as long as you got the love for writing, what can go wrong? Hahaha!” Leo chuckled and nudged the protagonist of Fight-ON! with his elbow.
“Erm, burn-out? You know how close the author got to a one last month…” Mikiya commented from the side, causing everyone to awkwardly stare away.
To break the horrid silence, Emiya Shirou finally shaped up and shot a question that some of them had been already wondering about.
“Oh, where’s Gilgamesh? He’s still the protagonist of that gag-fic, you’d think he’d be there, since Zolgen-san is here too…”
“Who knows?” Makiri shrugged. “I do not see Avenger-san either. And he has that bartender story for him…”
“I think the author wanted that to be forgotten as quickly as possible,” Ayaka said with a deadpan expression. “Not the greatest moment of his writing career.”
“Well, there must be many adult reasons as to why some of the characters are not here,” Soujuurou concluded with a smile. “Like confusion as to what counts as protagonist, or what is canon, or just plain hia—“
““Aaah! No, no, don’t say that word!””
Dozens of hands moved to shut Soujuurou up. The latter looked quite surprised at this sudden reaction.
“That is the worst sort of swear-word an author can use,” Emiya Shirou informed him. “And considering how many fics got… put on the dry dock for the moment, I think most of his readers would tear him apart if he actually tried to pull humor out of that.”
“Well, I read from the blog-papers that he is trying to slowly start them again as the year changes,” Mikiya informed the others. “But till then, we’ll have to see…”
“Let’s just leave the dangerous topic alone, shall we?”
The whole group, in unison, nodded vehemently. There were some things that should never be talked about. Even during gag-moments.
“I guess we should still apologize to the readers, shouldn’t we?” Ayaka suddenly said, and to Soujuurou’s further confusion, the others nodded.
“Eh? Why?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious? You see, last year, the author nearly killed himself by trying to write a story every day, twelve in a row. So this time, he used parodies of existing stories and gave himself more leeway,” Shirou explained. “But then he was abducted to the countryside, and suddenly he is both drunk and full of ham. Do you know what does to a story? Not a pretty sight.”
“And then we come here,” Shiki continued. “The final story where everything is supposed to tie together and give a nice Christmas mood. Somewhat unexpected, though the author should have foreseen this. He knows he has a problem with alcohol. Or perhaps it’s the alcohol that has problem with him. In any way, he should take lessons from Akiha.”
“I-Isn’t that unbelievably dangerous?” Soujuurou asked, looking rather fearful. “If that’s the case, what are we going to do now?”
“Oh, it’s going to be alright,” Leon Hart chuckled. “He’s writing the real stuff at the moment, so we’ll just have to ad-lib till he’s ready, and we can wrap up the story.”
“How much was it again…?” Ayaka wondered.
“Oh, I remember,” Leo said and grinned. “It was just about 10k words.”
“Aaah! That’s long! Too long! Wait, isn’t that the whole update!?” Soujuurou asked, as any other straight-man who could have been there (read: Gilgamesh) was gone.
“Ah, crap,” Shiki answered. “You’re right. What are we going to do?”
“How about we make promises about stories that will never appear just to hype the readers up, and then run away when the time co—“
“Another dangerous idea!!” Soujuurou hurried to slap his hand in front of Ayaka’s mouth. “Don’t go pissing off the readers! The author does it enough as it is!”
“Maybe we could start making obscure references, like Project Tomoro or something,” Rider suggested. “That seems to always go over well, doesn’t it? It makes the author look very professional and intelligent, when all he is doing is jumping up and down and annoying the neighbors’ kids. The kids being, this time, actually published works.”
“You just completely went and spilled the beans, didn’t you?” Soujuurou asked, looking at Rider as if he had been sucker-punched. “Stop this or we’ll really be lynched by the other authors, like E*f or D***pes.”
“Aaah, you, stop being so specific!” Leon Hart hurried to silence him, this time. “At don’t take potshots at the ones with power! The author will get banned or something!”
“Well, at least it hasn’t gotten to the point when we’ll have to start a poll to see which of the fics on Hiatus the readers want to get back first,” Shirou said and looked between poisoned and tired. “Just add a poll on anything and it becomes super-popular with the viewers.”
“Seriously, stop it, everyone,” Leon Hart said with a frown. “If we manage to get out of this one with the author being what he is, we’ll all be killed by the readers and other writers the moment we exit the fic.”
“……....”
The realization of the situation truly hit everyone after those words. Well, everyone except Rider. For some reason, he looked rather confused for a moment, before his head jolted up, and some sort of enlightenment shone from his eyes.
“Hey, guys. What we just did… didn’t it feel familiar?” He asked, and the other shook their heads in unison. “Well… just think about it. We referenced obscure popular culture. We took shots at writing and writers alike, while also making fun of character clichés and flanderized personalities which causes purple-oriented fans to start frothing from the mouth. This, this feeling………………………. It’s almost like we were part of ‘Teach Us, G—‘”
“LUVIAAAAA!!” Emiya Shirou’s yell overpowered whatever it was that Rider was about to say. “QUICK! START THE SHORT STORY! WE’RE ABOUT TO BE CURSED BY AN IDIOT HEREEE!”
Luvia, looking at the group of protagonists with tired eyes, sighed and gave Shirou a lazy thumbs up.
“Sure, understood, Shero,” she said. “To prevent the characters from genuflecting or making this fic genuflect, we will now present this year’s short story. This time, unlike last year, we will have an original story, with a similar idea behind it as there was with the story of the first special. We sincerely hope you will all enjoy it.”
Luvia bowed down on the stage to the audience, and the silver screen behind her lit up. There, the letters lined up, forming the name of the short story.
“So, without further ado: Ladies and Gentlemen! This year’s Christmas Short Story: Sunflower!”
Sunflower
“Do you remember, Shiki-san?”
The last time we were here, it was summer. The yellow field was in full bloom back then, and it was so beautiful that it nearly hurt my eyes to even glance at it. Even from the window of the speeding train, I could see it so clearly. Golden brilliance flashing right past us, like a mirage of a long forgotten days. Hundreds and hundreds of little suns, all smiling at us and our happiness.
Ehehe, I know that Akiha-sama was not happy about our little trip. Perhaps she knew what you were planning. No, I guess she knew. You were a student after all, Shiki-san. I guess… I guess Akiha-sama helped you financially, didn’t she? And to think I never realized it before now. She might have acted angry and she might have pouted, but inside… she really was happy, wasn’t she? Now I feel like a total fool. If I had known back then, I would have hugged her with all of my strength. Speaking of which, I never did hug Akiha-san. It’s a shame. She really deserved all my love. More than an employer, she was part of our dear little family. The emotional, overprotective, doting little mistress of the house.
Speaking of family – Guess what? Hisui-chan told me to be happy right before we left! It was while you were talking with Inui-san. I know she had accepted everything back at the mansion, but when we were alone right there… I really understood how inferior I was when it comes to expressing happiness. That smile… she really made her sister proud that day. Tehe, as strange as it might sound, I got a little jealous there. Had you seen it Shiki-san, you would have fallen for Hisui-chan right then and there!
…Sorry. That was a bit of a bad joke, wasn’t it? No, no, I don’t doubt at all. If I would, would I have leaned on you while on the train? Would have fallen asleep, enveloped in your warmth? Would I have woken up with your kiss? Nope! I wouldn’t have. Like I have said a million times before, when it comes to love, I might be an amateur, but I am not going to do it half-heartedly! Just like you, Shiki-san, I’m going to give it my all!
Just like those sunflowers that greeted us when we exited the train at the stain near that forest. I want to always welcome you with arms as open as their petals are towards the sun. I want my smile to be as bright as their yellow brilliance. It is the least I can do for you after everything that happened.
No, don’t get angry. For a moment, please listen, Shiki-san. This might be just my self-consciousness talking, but I’ve done many horrible things. Although much happiness has been attained afterwards, it does not change the fact. I was brought up in darkness, and I became what I were in the darkness. A doll. A clockwork automaton that had stopped. But… even if that is my point of origin, I can still grow towards the sun. Because from the darkness, it is the easiest to see where the light is. I want to head towards that brilliance, the spot where I can see the warmth. And for the sole reason of being born in the darkness, I will always know what direction the white light is, even if I am completely engulfed by it.
So that is what I mean, Shiki-san. I am not in love with you because I feel guilty. I am in love with you because I know that is the right way. To step forth, in your direction, away from my past. I want to love you because that is most natural thing for me, the greatest light I can imagine. And to be loved in return… You have no idea how happy that makes me, Shiki-san. Sometimes I wake up in the night, next to you, and I notice that I am crying. Crying from joy. That is what the happiness of loving you means to me.
…But I guess you knew that, huh? That’s why you took me there, past the yellow fields, into the ancient, green forest. To the place of your birth that I had found, where the small child known as Nanaya Shiki was born. Nowadays nothing more than a lush, vibrant ancient forest with ruins of a mansion hidden deep within it. We found it long ago, but suddenly you had wanted to visit it again. It really confused me, you know that? I had thought you had put that past behind you, but then you simply took my hand and said: “Let’s go, Kohaku-san. To where it all began. I want to talk to you.”
And so we walked, hand-in-hand, through the forest. The rogue rays of the sun slipped past the canopy overhead us, and allowed us to bask in the quiet warmth. Dozens of different species of bird chirped around the forest, in a symphony only the nature could produce. Did you know, I never actually liked nature before. After all, nature was outside, and I was inside. The boundary between us was far too great. To go into the forest would have meant venturing into a miniature world where you have no place to be in. More so than normal humans when it came to me.
To simply stare at the endless expanse of green and wild, the view restricted by my understanding and vision… for someone turned towards herself, the mere thought of going somewhere where there was nothing but “outside” was more than frightening. Even had I refused it, that sensation would have still assaulted me without mercy. The notion of “Outside” that the forest represents is not meant to be truly understood by humans, who are concerned about “subject” more than about “object”. To venture into a forest means pitting your sense of self and your sense of world against each other, and whichever comes out on top determines whether you hate or love the world. For someone like me, through recognition and experience, such a battle would be foolhardy to even go through. I would have lost, because of my reasoning that I did not exist. If you pit “nothing” against “everything”, it is obvious which one fills the other.
…Oops, I might have gone off the tangent there a bit. Sorry about that, Shiki-san.
By the way, I was really surprised when we got to the ruins. I had never met your teacher before! She was such a beautiful woman… Though I guess I can see why Hisui and I are your type. Redheaded mentor you met when you were a child, huh…? Ehehehe, sorry, sorry, I’m just teasing you, Shiki-san. But, really, I was glad to meet her. To think you introduced me to someone who was the reason how you became such a wonderful man you are today… There are no right words to explain the emotions I felt right then. And I still feel them!
That was a really nasty trick to your teacher, though. Not to mention me. You asked her to observe and accept what would happen, and while we were wondering what was going on, you went and popped the question! Ring and all! I don’t know which of us was more embarrassed, me or her! But… but I admit that I have never been so happy either, Shiki-san. The mere thought of being your wife made me so happy that I felt bursting up like a balloon. I’m glad I didn’t. I wouldn’t have been able to answer “Yes,” then.
And so we said them, our vows, under the watchful eyes of your teacher. I think she found it adorable, or at least that was what her expression told me. I rarely get treated like a child, but she sure does know how to act like that, doesn’t she, Shiki-san? To be frank, I wouldn’t have probably liked her that much had I met her alone. But with you, learning what effect she had on you, how she shaped your path… it all allowed me to see through her behavior, to what she truly was. Someone who tried to do nothing but good, running frantically everywhere in order to set right what was wrong. I saw it, and I grew to respect her. That was why getting her blessing for our marriage meant more to than anything to me.
The forest, your birth-home, was our chapel. Your teacher was our priest. It might not have been the real ceremony, but there, with the sun and the sky as our audience, and the cries of the forest animals as the cheers of the onlookers, we promised ourselves to each other. That is, and always will be, the happiest day of my life, Shiki-san. To know that not only did I belong to you completely, but that you also belonged to no one else but me. To put our love to such meaningful words was what made the ceremony worth it. To recognize something beyond love, something beyond adoration – to recognize how significant we hold each other. It is more than just liking someone. It is understanding that you cannot be whole without them by your side, without them in your life. People might call marriage shackles, but they aren’t wrong. They are the shackles we willfully accept, so that we don’t get separated from the one we treasure the most, even in the storm of life.
…It’s hard, you know. Putting the memories I have into words. It’s just not possible. I would have to invent a completely new language to accurately describe how I was feeling back then, and I fear it still wouldn’t be enough. I would be just rambling nonsense after nonsense, and you’d have no idea what I was trying to say, ehehehe. Wouldn’t that be a silly sight, eh, Shiki-san? Just as silly as the sight of me trying to kiss you while sobbing my eyes out. I would have really needed to fix my aim back then, right? Thankfully your teacher turned her attention elsewhere. I would have died of embarrassment if she had seen it, too.
It was the third defining point in my life. Oh, what’s the two others? Weeeeell… the second one was, obviously, back when you brought me up from the darkness. When you saved me. And not only me, but Hisui-chan and Akiha-sama, too. It was when you became the hero for all of us, even if we are the only ones to know about it. And the first one…
…Shiki-san, can I go a bit off tangent here?
I don’t remember much of it. I just remember the hunger. The blood. The crows that kept circling in the sky. They were black blots of ink against the white paper that hung over us. On the ground, in the second sheet of rice-paper, somebody had spilled a whole bottle of ink. There were large chunks of it everywhere, taking shapes of people. People stretched out, scattered, splattered, crushed against the soft surface of the paper. There was reaaaally lot of that ink. Only black and white, and the two of us, in the middle of it.
I think I had found some old food from the ruins of the mansion. I had given it to Hisui-chan. She was too fragile to get food for herself, so I had to do it. Clutching a broken sword, I sneaked around the shadows and crows, searching for anything that we could use. Clothes, food, warmth. I think I found our mom at some point. Or, at least her head. I’m sorry, I can’t remember much of it, since for some reason, that memory is not easy to call up.
In any case, we spent days there, simply scavenging and surviving. Just the two of us. Children playing amongst the paper and ink, unable to decide what they should do. I remember staring into the eyes of a crow, who was tearing into a body near us. We were sitting on a small hill, Hisui carefully nibbling the meat I had found, while I kept a lookout into the downhill. It wasn’t a day that was any different from what had happened before.
Not until I felt a hand on my head, anyhow.
It was a warm hand, rough and coarse, full of marks of life. I had never really felt a hand like that before. The hands of our mother were so tiny and silky, you know? She could sing us a lullaby, yet all we would remember would be the touch of her hands. But this hand, it was different. It was a large, clumsy and awkward hand. There was some tenderness to it, but the sheer power behind it made it feel like he was slapping me to the top of my head, instead of showing sympathy.
“I didn’t believe when my men said that there were survivors, but it seems I was mistaken,” he said. “This was supposed to be a hidden barracks, so who would have thought there would be two soldiers so cute still residing in here?”
His voice was rough and unrefined, and yet there was some hidden warmth in it. Like a flame that was unsure whether or not it was okay for it to reach towards the skies, and so it flickered between the two states of unrest. I couldn’t see his face. I only saw the black hair. The sun, as white as the sky, blocked my vision. I only saw a red archaic kimono and a smile. But when you’ve lived so long in the world of black and white, an intruder like that was not welcome.
I remember jumping back and drawing my sword. Hisui-chan hid away, shivering in fear. I knew back then that if I did not protect my sister then and there, she would suffer because of my weakness. It was an almost animalistic sense of worthlessness. My whole existence at that point was determined by my split-second reactions. It was not the type of world to raise a child, but that was all we had back then. Just me, the reflection of my broken sword, and the man before me. In the distance, though close to me, I could hear Hisui’s bated breath.
“That tool hardly seems appropriate for those delicate hands,” he said, smiling down at me. As threatening as I tried to be, there was only so much that a young child could do.
I wished to inspire fear in him, to make him flee. Instead, I inspired respect in him, which was conveyed by his tone. He did not talk to me like an adult talks to a child. He talked to me as an equal, as someone to be taken seriously.
“Sacrificing yourself for the sake of your sister, whether it comes to a food or the enemy. Such dedication to family is rare these days,” he said. Then, he placed his hand on to something elegant on his waist. “But to raise a sword that is broken is to fight with a soul that is broken… You are so gentle, neither is an action you should take.”
He surprised me with his speed. Had we truly fought, there was no doubt that I would have lost, you know? He was simply that good. But, what he did back then surprised me the most. He simply grasped the handle of his sword, drew it from the scabbard, before stabbing it straight into the paper in front of me. Ink oozed from the tip of the blade, creating shapes of mountains and lakes and trees. There, with a sword between us, the man and I stared at each other.
“Take it. The pure and brilliant intention of protecting those dear to you should be uphold with a sword that is equally beautiful. That is the sword fitting for that task,” he said. “For you, I offer that sword. And for your sister… I can offer a life far better than this.”
Back then, I could see that his smile was without a sin, and genuine. It was the smile of a man who truly wanted to help us. Whatever you might think of him today, he truly was a person that could make anyone follow him back in the days. Just like he made two children hope for a better future despite the horrors that they had suffered.
“If you wish to follow that path… then come with me.”
And we did. I took Hisui-chan’s hand, took the sword with my other hand, and hastily skipped after the distancing back of the smiling man. He pulled apart the doors of paper, revealing the world of color that lay hidden behind the simplicity that we had been stuck into. The carnage made way to happy childhood, the times before our life took a turn to the worse. And as much as I hate those days back then, this was a moment that I could never hate. For back then, the three of us who met there, we were pure and honest, not unlike saints all of us. Fingers can be pointed later, but it does not change what happened before. And, to be completely honest Shiki-san… I’m glad it does not change anything.
I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Well, there you have it, Shiki-san. Now you know all three of them. The most dearest moments of my life. I’ve already heard yours, so I believe this is only fair. There are many memories I have shared with you, and you have shared with me. Like how you used to run with your brother into the kitchen and scare the previous head-maid. Or how when I was sick, the head of the house bought a gaming system just so I could have something to do while I was under the weather and inside. Or how you tricked Akiha-sama into playing outside with you, only for your brother to take the blame. Or how the picture of Hisui-chan and you was put away by the head of the house, solely for my sake.
We shared so many memories, didn’t we, Shiki-san? So many emotions. So much love. I think I’m an outgoing person nowadays, but still, the way we sometimes acted makes me blush. Though it was your fault, too! Just who goes to steal a kiss in the broad daylight at the supermarket? I swear, I nearly imitated Hisui-chan there and wanted to just run away in embarrassment! Though… I did like it, don’t get me wrong. You just didn’t seem to have any tact about the situation. None whatsoever. But those were our days, weren’t day?
Days of happiness.
Days of love.
Days spent with our family.
Days spent planning of additional family.
Days spent as a husband and wife, young as we might have been…
…
….
“-----------------------“
So why? Why did it come to this?
Where did that blonde woman come from? What did she want? Why did she say that you were the death of her, and thus, she needed to remove you? I remember it all. You pushed me aside, and I hit the soft undergrowth of the forest. My whole world was spinning, and for a moment, I could not differentiate between the sky and the earth. But I heard it all. I heard the clashing claws and knife. I saw how the blood glimmered in the air as sunlight shone through it. The green of the forest contrasted the red of your life, and for a moment, it seemed almost like a painting. But it wasn’t a painting anyone could have sold. The fear it would have induced in anyone who saw it would have been just too much.
I know, I saw it first-hand, Shiki-san.
I saw how you cut off her arm. I saw how she returned the favor. I saw how her eyes turned to gold. I saw how yours started to bleed. I saw how half of her body was turned into ribbons of meat. I saw how she destroyed the bones in your legs. It was a battle that I can never forget. No, calling it a battle would mean there would have been some rules enforced by human nature, whether good or evil. That was nothing like it. It was simply two simultaneous murders, clashing against each other. Whichever would murder the other first, would survive. Therefore, for you both to go against each other, it was akin to both of you trying to perform a suicide.
And I could do nothing but hopelessly watch from the sidelines.
I wanted to help you, Shiki-san. I wanted to throw myself between you two. And few years back, I would have. I would have had no qualm of acting as a shield for you, so that you could have killed that blonde woman. But, you know, Shiki-san… I couldn’t. Not this time. I was afraid. So very, very afraid. Had I died, I would have lost the one thing that I chased after every day. If I had lost my life there, I would have been unable to love you anymore.
—Can you understand what I’m trying to say?
I…………………………………..
I love you too much, Shiki-san.
I cannot stop. I could never stop. I don’t want to die, if it means that I will stop loving you! The thought of not feeling that wonderful feeling is something I can’t bear!
So I could do nothing but watch. Watch as her claw dug into your chest, and how you gasped for air. Watch as your knife was brought down, and dug into the neck of the woman. The blood that sprayed everywhere stained my body, and to this day, my clothes remain red from it. The woman, like beast, howled mad, removing herself from. She had become a maddened monster, insane from her pain, one that you caused. You probably did not see anything at that point. You had used your eyes too much. I presume at that point, the sweet embrace of the nothingness beyond your mind had overtaken you.
But I saw her escape. She ran, like the wind, out of the forest. Out of my sight. The beast probably thought it had finished what it came to do, or perhaps it was afraid. I remember how she had said that no matter what the outcome of the events of this world, you would become her death, eventually. She would be forced to sleep, or forced to die. You were her ‘death’. That was what she said. Later, my talk with your teacher revealed that it was most likely her father-figure who revealed such a thing.
But that is beside the point. I had seen it all. I had seen her madness. I had seen your pain. And I understood that the reason why you had been brought to such pitiful state was because of my inability.
I am weak after all, Shiki-san. There is no going around it. And I hate how weak I have become. Not because my love for you would make me weak. No, on the contrary. I am weak because I love you. I do not want to stop loving you. The puppet that I was before could have protected you so easily, without any hesitation. But the woman who is this drunk on loving you, Shiki-san… she can’t bear the thought of losing her greatest joy in life. No matter how much you get hurt because of it.
But then, later, your teacher said something to me.
She said:
“A puppet is but a puppet, but it is the living will that moves it.”
And I think I’ve begun to understand. If I want to protect you, protect my love, Shiki-san, I need to compromise. Hisui-chan would never accept this type of thing… and neither would Akiha-san. And because the last thing I want to see is the tears of my employer, I never mentioned this to time. You’ll be the first one to now.
I shall carve out a space for my love within myself.
—The chamber of my heart.
It shall hold everything that ever been dear to me, so that it will never disappear. I t is the part that will never be destroyed, no matter if my body is disintegrated by monsters. It will still guard jealously every dear memory, every unforgettable moment, every beautiful emotion. It shall be a cozy little chamber, decorated with velvet and satin and fragrance of flowers. I’m sure you’d love to visit there sometime. After all, it is the special place for the two of us! Shiki-san, remind me that I’ll show you that chamber, one day.
And around that chamber, I will build what is needed.
A clockwork automaton.
A doll.
It will be what is needed to protect you. It shall do whatever is necessary to protect whatever I hold dear. Removed from my feelings, it shall never hesitate, even if I could die in the process. The clockwork doll shall guard those around me, and it will not stop, even if I beg it to. My weak heart, scared of being unable to love, will be able to rest in peace, knowing that it will not be responsible for what the doll does. The two shall never be able to coexist, but they shall never meet. The doll and the chamber support and deny each other, and thus, I can become what is required:
—Someone who protects, instead of being protected. Not ensuring my own safety, only the devotion to what I believe I must protect no matter what.
And I have two gifts two help me. Can you guess what they are, Shiki-san? Well, the first one is the sword he left behind. Hisui-chan kept such a good care of it all these years, hiding it in her room from Akiha-sama. I asked her to send it to me not long ago, and now it’s here. Looking at the blade, I can see that it is just as sharp as it used to be. The blade meant to uphold the virtuous, brilliantly shining ideals. For the sake of one’s soul, not for the sake of someone’s safety. It is fitting for a clockwork automaton, devoted only for the ideal of protecting.
The red scabbard matches my current clothes well. I rummaged through the ruins, and found some of the ceremonial clothing your clan used, you know? And I must, I make them look pretty good! I had to do some sewing to get them to match, but they work for my current job far better than the clothes I used while working as a maid.
I even let my hair grow. I wonder if you’ll like it? I put a white ribbing through it, to remind the doll of what is truly important. An automaton needs something to guide it every now and then, too. Plus, it’s a pretty important ribbon for me. I’m not sure if you ever understood how much it meant to me when you returned it, but…
…Sorry. I think I’m tearing up at bit. Let’s just forget that, alright? I think you can figure it out without me saying anything more.
Hmh, the other gift? Well… it’s not so much as a gift, as what I stole. Don’t be mad at me, Shiki-san, but I saw no other choice as to how to kill the blonde woman. I asked your teacher about it, and she said it was okay, too! So don’t be mad! It won’t last forever. But, in short, I… took your sight. It was necessary, like I said. The sight of the future, the end of existence, the vision of Mystic Eyes that foresee the contained ‘death’ in every objective. Your teacher performed the procedure, and it all went without a hitch. Her help gave me the ultimate weapon which to use against that blonde woman.
Yes, the blonde woman… she is my target. I can’t let her live. She thought she could get rid of her single fear by defeating you. But, she has made a grave mistake. A doll might not be able to move, but it can see everything. And I witnessed her whole crime. A crime, not against the nature of the world, but against my personal world. The small circle I recognize as the truth of this world. She invaded it and trampled on it. And now she expects to walk out of it without any repercussions.
That won’t be happening. No, I won’t allow it to happen. I will leave soon enough, even though I must leave you behind. But it won’t take me long. Your teacher taught me as well, and I know that she is wounded. A wounded and cornered beast might be dangerous, but it will also make mistakes. And I am just the right being to exploit those mistakes. I have all I need right now, the sight and the sword. I am going to need both to take her down, but it shouldn’t be impossible.
No, I know it is not impossible.
Because I’ll be doing it for the sake of being able to love. Without fear. I’ll be doing it for the sake of both of us. I have my chamber prepared, so don’t worry, Shiki-san. I won’t be a doll of tubes and gears anymore. I will simply allow the clockwork to run its course. And after I’ve erased the woman, we can go back to those days under the warm sun, on the field of yellow flowers.
It is where we belong, after all, isn’t it?
And all the enemies that threaten it shall meet death in my hands.
“---------------------------“
Yeah, I guess that’s it.
“I’ll be going now, Shiki-san. I won’t be long.”
It will just take a little while, and then I’ll be back. It is simply the matter of finding that woman and killing her.
—Why, you ask?
Huhuhu, silly Shiki-san.
Isn’t the answer obvious?
...
It’s because the sunflower at your grave won’t bloom until she is dead.
The group of characters once again fell silent. They briefly wondered why was it that every Christmas, the author seemed to strive to create a story that went against everything that Christmas represented. Was it the same effect as it came to chocolate? The more you ate, the less you wanted to eat. That could be.
Or then it was simply because creating a working and appreciated fluff fic was just like making a comedy movie. It would be read, but nobody would comment, and it would have no artistic value whatsoever. Then you could join other fluff-writers at the annual Beast’s Lair Fanfiction Oscar Gala (which thankfully does not exist), and host the show while watching other authors get all the prices.
Well, it could be either one. But at least it wasn’t because his heart was three sizes too small.
But now, it has once again become the time that we say goodbye for the celebration of Christmas in the world created by Kinoko Nasu. The characters may continue their party, but our time here has come to an end. We shamefully turn our gaze away when Luvia jumped down to the stage, and runs up to Emiya Shirou, catching him into an embrace. We also face the other way when she finally does kiss him, for the sake of Christmas. We join Saber, Rin and Sakura in warmly accepting this event for it is Christmas, and both of them have deserved it with their actions so far.
We will say goodbye to the characters, and hope that we will see them in even more exciting tales next year, whether it is from this author or the ones that are better than him. And we will return to our own world, where the Christmas tends to be, fortunately, less akin to a Ren &Stimpy cartoon as it is here.
We shall leave the future to the characters themselves, for the night of Christmas, when they can celebrate their existence, and the season of joy that can be found across the globe.
It has been a long journey up to this point, through many years of hardships and happiness. Many things have been lost, and many things have been found. Fragments of stories, finished tales, journeys that are yet to be completed.
For those that have already ended: Thank you.
For those who are yet to be finished: I’ll look forward to the next year with you.
But, there remains one question.
If we disperse the stories that have been created, what is left?
If we gaze back into the abyss of time, what could we find from there? Would something, something which has remained a secret up until now, exist there? The point where everything started, and that which sparked the flame that burns brightly even today.
Let us turn back the hand of time, and return to the very beginning.
—Before Beast’s Lair.
—Before experience.
—Before the dream.
Please, have a seat and quiet down.
The curtain is about to rise.
Translated and refined for your enjoyment, the dusty pages are picked up from the drawer once more, in the honor of the latest game.
After six years of being forgotten, that which started it all will have its time to shine, once more.
—Now, the story Under the Winter Air begins.
PROLOGUE
Fear me, for my greed moves the mountains.
I am that which lives in your nightmares.
Darkest night, longest night, when the sun refuses to rise.
In the cold glimmer of the pure, white world, I alone hunt for the fools.
—Because monsters of this land, ne’er shall they fall before heroes.
White day, Black night
Amongst the falling flakes of snow, there was not one that looked like the other. Streams of sun’s golden light impishly played between the crystal surfaces, bouncing to and fro like a child, excited. It was the beginning of the new day. Soundlessly, the great light of the sky climbed up, becoming the only difference between the whiteness of the land and the air. In these early hours of the day, the sky tended to be as pale as a lady’s face.
But as beautiful as the scenery outside was, she ignored it completely. With half-open eyes, she stared at the old ceiling, lying in the luxurious bed. Wrapped up in blankets, she cursed under her breath. Had she known it was below twenty degrees outside, she would not have found it strange that she was freezing. After all, her bed was next to the window.
Wearily, she reached for the alarm clock on the nightstand next to the bed, and shut it with a sluggish move. The ringing had long since ended, but it still continued to resonate in her ears. She had never been the morning person, and never would be. It was enough that the old room had the fragrance of dusty earth and old books. That alone would have gotten anyone drowsy. But for her, who stayed up till past the midnight, waking up this early was a miracle.
The only small resignation she made to the land of waking was a quick jump to her feet, before opening the blackened metal hatches of the large fireplace at the very corner of the room. The white-painted tiles were hot to touch, enough to warm the whole room. With dry eyes, she swiftly snatched a few logs from the basket nearby, and stuffed them in the fireplace. Back when the maids had still lived in the mansion, it had been their job to keep the place heated. But now, with the three of them left, it was up to the tenants of the mansion to make it livable.
The logs cracked and popped happily, as the bright flames licked their coarse surface. She murmured contently, feeling how the heat started spreading more fiercely than before. The fireplaces of the house were all connected, but it already took the contraption they had built to keep the lobby and the sitting room warm. It would have been a waste to ask any more, so they resigned to heating the smaller rooms separately. And now that hers had been promised the fire of few more hours, she nodded to herself and closed the hatches, before quickly jumping back to her bed. It was more of her domain right now, far from the previous seconds of squatting before the fireplace in her undergarments.
Thus, right now, she was undergoing a great mental battle between going back to sleep and getting up.
Normally, she would have been dragged up at this point by her friend. Well, friend was a wrong word, but it was the only word she had. Glancing at the chilling air outside, she could already see her friend’s frowning face. If there was someone who had been born into the right climate, it was the person living on the opposing wing of the house.
However, it was Saturday. And by the degree of the government, Saturdays were considered free for everyone attending school. Thus, she could simply offer a smug smile and snuggle deeper into her bed, without any worry about lessons, teachers or anything. Sleeping in was a very viable option, therefore, and she admitted to herself that by every passing minute, the idea was sounding more and more tempting.
To turn your back to “Good Morning!” and to welcome “Good Day!”… She knew that she would have gotten scolded for it, had there been anyone to scold her. But since her project had kept her up till the first signs of darkness fading away in the sky, she deemed that she deserved it.
Common rules of society could go rot for all she cared.
Whatever the case, she had no responsibilities to take care of, and nobody was stupid enough to bother her on the mornings after the experiments. Well, those that knew of those experiments. And it was not like somebody would just climb over the wall and trick Lemminkäinen, merely for the sake of waking her up. If for no other reason, simply because it was getting colder and colder outside. By the time of the evening, it could be below thirty degrees.
Sighing, she flicked the alarm clock to the floor and resigned herself for some more sleep. The blanket whispered sweet promises of slumber, and she was an eager listener. When she got the chance, it would not take even two minutes for her to fall straight to sleep.
—If only during those two minutes somebody had not rang the doorbell.
The far-away sound drew her attention, causing her to curse for the second time. The Gods of Irony that her friend refused to believe in had once again reared their ugly heads, and arranged this most unlikely scenario to happen the moment she found some time to sleep.
Once more, it rang. Out of the room, down the stairs, through the corridor, into the lobby, once more down the stairs, and there would the perpetrator be. Even thinking of the journey she’d had to go through in order to open the door made the girl groan in anger.
By the time of the fifth ring, the girl’s mindset switched from playing dead to wanting revenge. Her nails dug into the sheets, and her white teeth grinded against each other. Whoever it was behind the door, the sheer persistence was unworldly.
“… This is bad.”
Her words finally broke the silence of her room. She had come to a realization. If Vasilisa had been in the house, she would have already opened the door and shooed away whatever guest there was. That girl was either underground, or out in the city. The latter option would have been very unlike her, and the mere thought of the blonde introvert in the mall caused the girl to chuckle. And what came to the freeloader in their house, that was a foolish dream. That person was tucked away in her box, most likely with a cup of hot chocolate and a steamy romance novel. There was no way that freeloader would have taken any responsibilities when it came to guests.
The pace of the ringing was beginning to slow, but that did not mean it was stopping. Far from it. It looked like the assailant was reserving his stamina in order to last longer.
“Okay, that’s it. You deserve to be punched. A slug straight to the face,” she announced, and with angry resignation, jumped up from her bed. Cold air assaulted her, but she threw her leather jacket on and hurried out of the room.
White corridors outside of her cozy room seemed to reflect the outside perfectly. Both the piling snow and the pale paint were in perfect harmony, and judging from the lack of heating in the corridor, she suspected that there was some sort of synchronization going on between the two. Winter, as big part of the country as it was as a season, had always been her greatest enemy. Pulling her jacket closer, she hurried forward on her bare feet.
Although not that far away from the city, the mansion, like all of those in Finland, was hidden by a formidable wall of forest. White topped spruce and fir, as far as the eye could see. Nestled deep in the valley, far away from the agricultural fields, it was the perfect hideaway for people like her.
And now someone had broken into that hideaway. With the persistent ringing of the doorbell as his weapon, this intruder was about to be repelled by the mistress of the house. She had momentarily wondered if she should wrap the corpse into the long carpet that protected her naked feet from the coldness of the corridor’s floor, but decided against it. Even if she was one to act first, think later, she realized that her sleepy mind was still somewhat unnecessarily violent.
However, she had no idea why anyone would be that persistent. Even with a bus, you would have to walk on the forest road for good fifteen minutes before getting to the outer wall. It was designed to keep away those who would approach the place out of sheer curiosity. But perhaps that was the weakness of it, too. Anyone who made it this far would not go away until they got what they wanted.
Therefore, she hurried down the stairs, across the lobby, and headed straight for the door and the shadow behind the twisted glass surface. Wanting nothing but to place a fist straight into the face of the one who disturbed her sleep, she swept away her hair from her face and put her hand on the handle, opening the door the chill of January.
Clicking her tongue, Sallalea Edelfelt stared up at the person standing there, her eyebrows cocked. She had no idea who the young man was, and as far as she was concerned, she did not care. He had woken her up after all.
…
…This was the fated meeting between the two. And this was where the very first story started. From the calm days of winter-times, in the house of a magus and a boy, and the people they met during their time together.
From our point of view, it was more than thirty years ago. The meeting that would shape the stories from here on out. People, places, events, they were all born here. Some of them continued into the future. Some of them perished during these days.
For your enjoyment, I want to tell the story that started it all.
—The story that is simply about the meeting of a boy and a girl.
And of the future that they had no idea of.
Verg Avesta Presents:
Everwinter
~Pale blossom on the white skies~
Avenger looks up to the skies.
“So Fate/END was completely scrapped?”
And the author answers.
“…………………..I’m so sorry.”
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Elf
