Part 25: Orchid Words Arc - Ataraxia

Ataraxia


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She unleashed her final attack. Perfectly aimed, it flies right into the titan Altera's chest. In terms of scale, it's miniscule compared to the giant, but it's packed with everyone Tamamo has. At the same time...it takes the life, the future of the maiden in white. I hear her scream. I feel a hole in my chest. Not from my pain, or from my Mind's pain, but from the pain of the third Hakunon. That Hakunon stays with Altera, ready to die with her. I have no words. All I can do is be a witness. And the final strike hits home.

...Thank you... Master...for staying until the very end. ...I was...happy...to...be to...ge...ther...





The giant goddess crumbles. Its digital body, made to walk upon SE.RA.PH, is lost, as are its mind and soul. With its mana gone, it falls away in a rain of inorganic wreckage. What had moments ago been a mighty titan now scatters into piles of debris. There...I see something. A face I know all too well. My own. The third Hakunon is standing there in the midst of the raining rubble, knowing full well what will happen next. "...You couldn't bring out your true power, Altera... So I'll do what I need to do..." I hear a voice in the storm, a voice only the two of them were meant to share. She looks up at the cracked pieces of her Servant's face...





A torrent of ruin comes crashing down toward the other me.

...My beloved...

Even as I hear Caster murmur, I understand there's nothing to be done. She doesn't try to run. She stands there, letting the debris wash over her and take her away. It's her decision. And I understand. Yes, even though it seems like a futile death, there was more to it than resignation or sadness. I think Hakunon had a reason, and made that choice in order to change something. That's why I don't reach out. I don't even say a word. "Until the end", I think. "Until the very end". In my hear, I send off the other me, who walked a different path than I, until all trace of the Body is gone.



This is another instance where I really like the difference between the Mind and Soul. The Mind was always much more emotional / illogical than the Soul. The Mind wanted to save the Body at the very end, but didn't realize that the Body didn't *want* saving, nor that such a thing just was not going to happen. Meanwhile, the Soul decided there was nothing to be done, and saw the Body off with the knowledge that that's what the Body wanted to have happen.

Also, for the record, there's a "him" for the "take her away" line. But since there's no male to use that pronoun in reference to, I exercised my rights a bit here.










Gentle Everyday - Orchid Words Ending

Sweetie? ...What are you zoning out for? Your faithful and lovable Servant is right here in front of you, but there you are, watching the cherry blossoms. Something on your mind? ...Heavens me, I think I know. You're wondering when the Umbral Star will get here, aren't you? You can't think about that. The day will come eventually, but until it does, we promised to live peacefully. Don't say you've forgotten. Ah, the beauty of a somber, silent Soul. It's almost unfair, you know. Hmm, now that I think about it, I wonder if maybe... Elizabeth and Altera came here because they were both drawn to you, in all your silent mystery... Hmm, what? Am I overthinking this? No, no. I don't think so at all. I can prove it, even - look what you do to me! Putting me on edge with that quiet little stare of yours. *gasp* Oooh! What are you making me say, darling? Now, now. It's time to get up! Off we go, arm in arm! Where to, you ask? Why, to buy ingredients for dinner, of course! I'm going to put some real effort into it tonight!

I can't wait for that. So I'll do what Caster says and swallow my worries of the future for now. The Capital is in full bloom, and my only Servant is right next to me. The brightly-colored hair. Those golden eyes. She's a thousand times more lovable like this.



Mr. Karna told me about this place. There's a shop up ahead that sells Saikyouzuke with delicious Spanish mackerals. We'll try it out, and if it's as delicious as I hear, we'll add it to tonight's menu. ♪ Of course, if they say "no free samples", I'll dip a bit back into Harlot mode and say, "How dare you disrespect the saviors of SE.RA.PH?" No, no, I'm just kidding. I will never go into Harlot mode again.

I think that falls under "royal prerogative", personally.

Incidentally, I was reading the Fate/Grand Order wiki entry for Tamamo last night and one of the commentators, who seems quite knowledgeable about things, was saying that a lot of Nasu's writing tendencies come out when writing dialogue for Tamamo. Nasu loves to nerd out about mythology (Arthurian mythos in particular), food, and did I mention food? A lot of Tamamo's speaking mannerisms are how Nasu writes on his blog, and apparently there's a very noticeable shift in how Tamamo speaks when Nasu's writing her vs. when he's not, which is thankfully very little.

But yeah, apparently the reason Tamamo goes off on food, other than the housewife thing, is because Nasu loves talking about food and Tamamo is his mouthpiece to do that.

That's good. Though she can be quite charming in Harlot mode too. It's like how a horror movie is fun because you get to go home afterwards. This Millennium Capital is no longer the capital of the empire. There's no Queen. As a result, a lot of NPC's have moved in. Somehow, they've even built an economy. There are craftsmen and shopkeepers. And that means there are consumers. Instead of a giant empire run by one ruler and her Servants, it's looking a lot more like a nation. Almost like a real world, you might say.

Oh, yes. Ohoho! For tonight, I've already thought of a basic menu. Stir-fried pork and eggplants with miso and sweetened pumpkins. Boiled spinach with sesame instead of soy sauce... On top of that, the rumored Saikyoyaki. Ah, let's serve it on the one big plate we bought from Miss Rider's shop. ♪

That's right. The other day, we saw Rider at a certain antique shop. She acted like an employee, so I think she may have been doing part-time work there. I didn't ask for details. Her new glasses suited her well, and I told her so. But then Caster got angry...



To be fair, she does look really good in glasses...

Karna is patrolling each territory of SE.RA.PH. He explores the new territories that keep appearing daily, searching for NPCs and Servants...especially those related to the Moon's Holy Grail War. From time to time, he drops in to give a report, usually about which shops have the best food or where the best fishing and hunting spots are. No one knows where Berserker went. It's rumored that he wanders the Zero Dark, looking to spark a new battle. He did stop by once before he left, and when he saw Caster, no longer looking like her old self, he got an odd expression on his face and walked out. ...These are peaceful times in SE.RA.PH. Even if it's all just temporary. Even if the illusion only lasts a short time, these are still important days. For us especially.

That's right, my Husband. Why don't we stretch our legs and go explore some other territories? Eating Japanese food every day might get old... Well, no, you'd never get tired of MY cuisine, filled with all my love and spells! But if I don't roast a chicken at least once, I'll be less of a wife. A great wife knows more than just Japanese, Chinese, and Indian cuisine, after all. Let me be known as the World's Tamamo. ♪

Now that she mentions it, the curry Caster cooked up was surprisingly good. It was based off of Japanese curry, but it had the deep aroma of a real Indian curry and a body similar to European curry... Ah, but most of all...it had a taste of...well, family. Spicy, but gentle and warming. Really, it was so good that if I didn't know any better, I would think curry-making was some sort of skill or Noble Phantasm she picked up. But...

*gasp* O-Oh my... Praising...your loving wife's curry...so highly... Master... S-Saying that so honestly, it's... Ahh, tonight's...menu...plans... Ooh, change of plans, change of plans! I'm sure you won't mind if I shop for ingredients tomorrow! The finest meat, potatoes, and onions! Enough garlic to make Mr. Vlad croak! Exceptional spices, a marvelous pot, and voila! Tonight will be curry, and that's that! ★ ...Eat as much as you want and build all the strength you can, my darling. ★

I'm glad we got one more EXTRA reference in before the end. Though, it's not nice to tease vampires.

...Although, one potential problem...From the way curry clears your eyes up, it might be hard to sleep tonight.

...Just kidding. I'm just joking. Say what you want, it's okay. As your devoted wife, Servant, and companion to the end, I will do my very best to hold back on my recklessness and selfishness. Now, my darling. What kind of dinner would YOU like tonight?

That's a tough question. I can't think up a whole menu on the spot like she can. But more importantly, I want her to be as lively as she wants to be. I don't ever want her to think she has to tone herself down for me. If she wants to feed my curry, I'm perfectly okay with that. I don't think she'll go into "Curry Harlot" mode, or anything like that.

...Excuse me?

...Huh?

Did I not tell you the story of my Indian-style Harlot mode?



Once again, we should probably know what we're getting ourselves into.

Well, it does and it doesn't... Who's to say, really? Anyway! If you'd rather, I'll try not to be so modest. That is, I won't be, but... If I go too far, then make sure to scold me, and I'll stop right away. Anytime... Right up until the end...

























Epilogue

...And here we are again, hmm? Knowing what you've been through, I'd expected you to fall in line easily. I wouldn't have thought you'd be as foolish as a human. You disappoint me, Caster. You had a reputation as a fairytale monster, but you didn't live up to it. Enjoy your sweet little moments as the end draws near. Soak in your worthless, meaningless peace while you can. It will soon be time for the Quantum Timelock. Hmph, I suppose I'll have to move again. ...No matter. I'll repeat this as many times as it takes.



You, come with me. I'm commencing the Slide.

..."Meaningless and worthless", huh?

Shut up and follow me. I have an important role for you.

...

The complete destruction of the Regalia and the fall of the Moon Cell core. One day, we will achieve both those things.



I don't know if it IS meaningless, or worthless, but...you'd better have a happy ending, little squirrel.