To The Beginning IC:ג

[Silvan Eldar]

You wake up to an endless void.
"Congratulations. I wasn't expecting to see you back here so soon."
A human figure walks into view.
"I must say, you've managed to get dropped into quite a conflict there. Still, promises are promises."

Click to shrink...

Once again, I had to thank the part of me that was still fully Homura for the lack of any visible response to appearing in the void other than a slight frown which lasted for all of a second. Though I doubted that the creature couldn't see past all the emotional facades in the world, at least it helped me feel safe.

The sounds of gears turning echoes through the void.
"Power granted, and knowledge. So, Miss Akemi. What wisdom is your wish?"

Click to shrink...

'Hm, those gears....hopefully that's just a coincidence...anyway, Out of all the questions I have...there's only one that I know need's answering.'

So I asked, tone as polite as I could manage, "I would ask of you this: within this world, is there any hope for me to return to my home, and to her? And if there is such a thing, would you tell me what it is and how I would seek it?"

 

[Dalek Ix]

"Which would you prefer?" I asked, tone blasé.

Click to shrink...

I give the girl a look, my face pleasantly neutral.

Definitely Puella Magi, and definitely a veteran. She has that same air around her that Alex does. I don't see anything on her other than that shield, which is too small to be used effectively except at short ranges. Maybe it has some sort of magical effect? I think I can see clockwork in there...

Either way, she is not someone to be messing with, at least, not directly. And not someone who would normally want to help. Is she sworn to render aid?

I recall what my unknown caller told me.

Possession by one of these... outside players? Strangely plausible. Especially since someone sworn to aid victims would've done something already.

"I can help." I say to the girl. "I can fly you to people who need healing, if you want."

Click to shrink...

"Actually, it would be better to take them to me," I say, making the small chemical laboratory on my Healing Hand gurgle and whistle and boil as it starts to cook up four slightly modified doses of Quick Heal, "I can more easily treat multiple patients at once that way, rather than focusing on one at a time."

Let's see... the ambulant skeleton is being controlled by one of these outside players. The Puella Magi is extremely likely, as is the "Bolo" called Jason. The luchadore on the horse is not local, but I doubt he is being controlled. That leaves Miss Arcuied, what looks like a mother and her daughter, who is called Illya, the woman in armour and her evil twin who I guess are "Saber", tall dark and brooding over there and that very boisterous man.

I whip out a notebook, a clipboard and a pen from my statchel, and quickly write all of that down, my handwriting and use of Pitman shorthand rendering it illegible to anyone who is not me.

"Here," I say, and toss each a couple of auto-injectors, "use these to stabilize the more severe cases. Bring them all here, and I'll take care of them. Only take me if they can't be moved. Now, go!"

• Confirmed outsiders-controlled:
  • Skeleton man.
• Possible outsider-controlled:
  • Puella Magi.
  • Bolo (Jason).
• Non-locals:
  • Vicente (super-powered wrestler).
• Locals:
  • Arcuied.
  • Ilya.
  • Ilya's mother.
  • Saber.
  • Evil Saber (Something about timelines).
  • Tall, Dark and Brooding.
  • Sir No Sense of Subtlety.

To do:

1. Brew tea.
   
2. Treat victims. Document every case and draw samples.
   
3. Graciously accept any gifts they might give me for saving their lives.
4. Get permanent base of operations.
5. Dinner.
6. Sleep.
   
7. Analyse samples of lovecraftian creature.
8. Brew tea.
   
9. Start work on:
   1. Counter (Bacterium that feeds on it? Virus that targets it? Targeted poison?)
   2. Genetic graft.
   3. Improved organism?
   4. ????????
10. Breakfast.

Click to shrink...

There, that should do it for now.

The machinery on my Healing Hand whistles and boils. I draw a Thermos from my satchel, unscrew the cap, and hold it under a nozzle, which pours tea into it.

And yes, of course I can synthesize tea in that thing. It was one of the first things I tried.

 

[Wade Garrett]

"Thank you for your aid Padre Fuerza, I hope that when next we meet it is not on the field of battle."

Click to shrink...

"El gusto es mio, my daughter." The masked man replies, performing his own dismount with the workmanlike ease of long practice.

"One thing I would request. Could you, at some later date, disclose to me how you came by your powers?" He holds up his hands in a reassuring gesture.

"I do not seek to compel you, or pry into your past. But in my past, I knew one with a command of time similar to yours. But his power, it consumed him, you see? A fate I would spare all others. So I try to learn of your powers, to convince you to let specialists of the Church examine you...for your own sake? But I cannot, will not force my aid upon you."

"Here," I say, and toss each a couple of auto-injectors, "use these to stabilize the more severe cases. Bring them all here, and I'll take care of them."

Click to shrink...

"You, young lady, you speak the truth. There is much work yet to be done before goodly folk adjourn for food and drink. But...you are a very young lady with a robot hand. I am...no insult is intended, but I wish some insight and assurance of your talents before I let you begin surgery on these streets, you understand?"

 

[Narcissist]

I stare at... what looks like the stereotypical evil twin of the other blonde woman in an armoured dress with a sword.

I pointedly stare at Arcuied.

I gaze around at the complete and utter devastation that surrounds us.

"Ah, yes," I mutter, my voice dripping with the kind of sarcasm only a Brit can muster, "a disaster area is brilliant time and place to be moaning about food. How very decent of both of you."

I cough.

"Well!" I say loudly, clapping my hands, "I think we should leave the chit-chat for slightly later and get ourselves organized to try to... contain the current catastrophe, don't you all say?"

Click to shrink...

"The disaster has been contained by the ending of Caster and his monster. The coordinator and his assistants will be out here soon enough to deal with those that remain, survivor and monster alike. This fight is over, but the war is still raging and needs to be dealt with swiftly." I inform the oddly dressed girl. "Our presence here puts those that remain in further danger. Witnesses who cannot be made to forget through Magus hypnosis are likely to be removed altogether to preserve the masquerade."

 

[Xellos]

I stare at... what looks like the stereotypical evil twin of the other blonde woman in an armoured dress with a sword.

I pointedly stare at Arcuied.

I gaze around at the complete and utter devastation that surrounds us.

"Ah, yes," I mutter, my voice dripping with the kind of sarcasm only a Brit can muster, "a disaster area is brilliant time and place to be moaning about food. How very decent of both of you."

Click to shrink...

I wince at her words. While it may not have been serious(the mere act of calling Archer Shirou was the real point of that sentence), she still has a point. I should be doing something more helpful. Mostly I'm just standing around here in a sweater and skirt being a dork.

...Marble Phantasm can't be used to heal people, so I'd probably be best off hunting down the remaining creatures like the luchadore(seriously, what? I thought El Santo died a while back, he shouldn't still be fighting- what), but on the other hand...

I cough.

"Well!" I say loudly, clapping my hands, "I think we should leave the chit-chat for slightly later and get ourselves organized to try to... contain the current catastrophe, don't you all say?"

I gesture at the devastation surrounding us.

"Now... as you can see by my outfit, I have a bit of knowledge regarding the medical sciences, and my magic is geared as such. However, I am also only one girl, and can't be everywhere at once. So if some of you you could all get the injured and dying to me, or me to them, we could perhaps stem the flow of casualties."

I clasp my hands behind my back and smile pleasantly.

"Any volunteers?"

Click to shrink...

"Sir, while I technically am a tank by lineage, the correct term is 'Bolo.' However, it is a moot point as I also happen to possess a name: Jason. I would appreciate being referred to be my name where applicable, even if I am technically not human," I speak up. I then fall silent until the conversation steers towards food, when I speak up once more.

"In my case, I believe it is obvious I cannot exactly 'eat.' However, this area is still far from being fully secure. If no one minds, I will move about and patrol the affected region, cleaning any remaining hostiles that may still be present."

Click to shrink...

Huh, the tank talks.

Imagine that.

I feel like I should be more surprised by this, but I seem to be fairly jaded already. Talking tanks are simply a thing that happens. Though, actually, how the hell does a Bolo get here anyway?

'Blame Zelretch.'

"I can help." I say to the girl. "I can fly you to people who need healing, if you want."

Click to shrink...

Good plan. I should be able to sniff out people who need help, or listen for heartbeats. So I speak up.

@Dalek Ix

"I can find people fairly easily, so I'll help as well."

"Actually, it would be better to take them to me," I say, making the small chemical laboratory on my Healing Hand gurgle and whistle and boil as it starts to cook up four slightly modified doses of Quick Heal, "I can more easily treat multiple patients at once that way, rather than focusing on one at a time."

Let's see... the ambulant skeleton is being controlled by one of these outside players. The Puella Magi is extremely likely, as is the "Bolo" called Jason. The luchadore on the horse is not local, but I doubt he is being controlled. That leaves Miss Arcuied, what looks like a mother and her daughter, who is called Illya, the woman in armour and her evil twin who I guess are "Saber", tall dark and brooding over there and that very boisterous man.

I whip out a notebook, a clipboard and a pen from my statchel, and quickly write all of that down, my handwriting and use of Pitman shorthand rendering it illegible to anyone who is not me.

"Here," I say, and toss each a couple of auto-injectors, "use these to stabilize the more severe cases. Bring them all here, and I'll take care of them. Only take me if they can't be moved. Now, go!"

Click to shrink...

Time to head out, I suppose.

After moving in a different direction than the other med team that's working here, I close my eyes and focus more on senses other than sight. Smell and hearing. Locating people by scent isn't amazingly difficult as a monster, and I can listen for people's heartbeats.

 

[Mortifer]

"Actually, it would be better to take them to me," I say, making the small chemical laboratory on my Healing Hand gurgle and whistle and boil as it starts to cook up four slightly modified doses of Quick Heal, "I can more easily treat multiple patients at once that way, rather than focusing on one at a time."

Click to shrink...

I nod. "Makes sense. Will you go being anywhere to do the treatment? This place is a bit... Well, you might be able to find somewhere better. Should I stick with you until I know where to take people, or just take them here?"

"Here," I say, and toss each a couple of auto-injectors, "use these to stabilize the more severe cases. Bring them all here, and I'll take care of them. Only take me if they can't be moved. Now, go!"

Click to shrink...

After getting an answer and a few... Injector things... I turn to the rest of the group.

"Alright. If any of you want to talk, I'll meet up with you after this."

Then, after waiting a moment to hear if anyone wanted to meet up later, I set into flight, and start looking.

There might be a few Shoggoths left, so first priority is killing those, and helping people being attacked by those. Getting injured people to the girl is important, but if I can stop more people from getting hurt...

 

[Dalek Ix]

"You, young lady, you speak the truth. There is much work yet to be done before goodly folk adjourn for food and drink. But...you are a very young lady with a robot hand. I am...no insult is intended, but I wish some insight and assurance of your talents before I let you begin surgery on these streets, you understand?"

Click to shrink...

I raise an eyebrow, sipping my tea.

"Robot ha-... Oh, you mean this?"

I raise my Hand of Healing.

"This is my "Healing Hand". It's a sort of wearable surgery suite and chemists lab. And as for credentials..." I pause uncomfortably, "I don't really have any on me, or evidence of my skill on my person, besides patient files and those are private. And as for physical demonstrations... I can cut off my own arm and re-attach it, but such exercises are... well, disturbing, frankly."

I nod. "Makes sense. Will you go being anywhere to do the treatment? This place is a bit... Well, you might be able to find somewhere better. Should I stick with you until I know where to take people, or just take them here?"

Click to shrink...

"Ah, yes, that would be advisable. Terribly sorry, but I've become a bit accustomed to operating in the field, so to speak. Perhaps that building over there?"

I point at the nearest undamaged building.

"The disaster has been contained by the ending of Caster and his monster. The coordinator and his assistants will be out here soon enough to deal with those that remain, survivor and monster alike. This fight is over, but the war is still raging and needs to be dealt with swiftly." I inform the oddly dressed girl. "Our presence here puts those that remain in further danger. Witnesses who cannot be made to forget through Magus hypnosis are likely to be removed altogether to preserve the masquerade."

Click to shrink...

I blink.

I turn around at the scene of utter devastation and distant screaming.

I turn back.

"Well," I say, staring at her over my Thermos as I sip tea, "That's certainly one way of looking at it."

On a whim, I walk over to the auto-injector Arcuied dropped.

... Dare I?

... A.... A quick look wouldn't hurt. That's all I'm going to do. Look. I am not using someone's genetic material without their permission.

Any more.

My Healing Hand disappears, and I crouch down, picking up the auto-injector by the casing with one hand and holding it over a test tube held in the other. Then, I make the auto-injector disappear... except for the needle, which falls into the test tube. I immediately make it stopper itself and thrust it into my satchel, standing up.

Just a look, Alice. Surely you can do that without it leading to an adventure that ends with you bathing everything in hydrochloric acid.

 

[Sinsystems]

You wake up to the head-splitting headache... and a voice of the War's overseer in your head. As you crack your eyes open, you see worried figure of the Irisviel.

"Oh, you awake." she say, relieved "For a second I though there might be some kind of a lasting damage; Not quite sure what happened after you used Excalibur. Can you stand?"

Click to shrink...

Slowly my eyes open as I note that the Saber and Rider class cards have uninstalled and were back in their holder, looking up at mom I give her a smile "I'm alright mom" I said as I weakly stand using her as support.

As it happens, you can, and while you do, you observe the surroundings; and beyond the strange people around you, there are few different things of note.

Despite the Caster's alleged death, his creations did not vanish; few titanic branches of the tree what were long enough not to be disintegrated by the blast were now lying in the rabble; as they materialized, everything what came in contact with branches was destroyed by their titanic weight. Not what there was much left to destroy.

The Hyatt's ruins are likewise near, no signs of life; Lone shoggoths could be seen escaping it's structure, falling into the abyss and slinking away into the severs.

The patches of the ground where the cursed light was shed still pulse with life, as some sort of a disgusting organic creep.

"This is strange... No signs of the deterioration. These... creations should have faded away as the source was destroyed, but nether less, they are still alive. What kind of magecraft is this?"

"Are you sure what the source is destroyed, Irisviel?"

"Yes, I am. Absolutely."

Click to shrink...

"Then shouldn't we destroy the rest? I don't like leaving these things just lying around." I said eyeing the left over monster chunks, they gave me the creeps and I would like nothing more than them being completely destroyed.

"Actually, about that..." Archer tries to pitch in, but is interrupted.

"While all this is no doubt is very important" Iscanders loudly speaks, attracting all possible attention "I have something to ask of you. How about forfeiting the Grail to me, and joining my army in a glorious world conquest?"

A moment or two were spent in complete silence, as those present tried to formulate an answer.

"This offer is insulting to me as a King and a knight." Saber angrily replies, her grasp on the invisible blade tightening "Were this in any other time, I would have required your head as a compensation, Rider."
She wasn't alone in her opinion.

" I'll have to decline, myself." Much gentler reply yet not without a hint of a annoyance came from the Maiden of Orlais "Neither my I have no desire to see the country I once defended from the one invader being taken over by another, Rider, and neither my Master will surrender his desire to obtain the Grail. Nether less, thanks for the peaceful offer; and I am grateful for the help. "

"Ah. The diplomacy fails me again... " Rider sighs, disappointed but not discouraged "Well, I am open to the negotiations?"

Click to shrink...

...that was certainly unexpected, but..."Ummm Rider-san that might not be a good idea...there is a ...problem with the grail at the moment...and it's not exactly something we can easily fix."

Before situation escalates, Archer, with a sigh, starts speaking again.

"That is great, but thank, no thanks - and I something to say, too. " Archer says "You might haven't noticed, but this... "He gestured to the Bolo "...Is a tank. Since when Tanks participate in the Grail War? Besides other strange... things we all have seen in this war. No offense, Arcuid."

"...Arcuied. You didn't said Arcuied, right?" Irisviel finally notices a rather mundane-looking - in comparison to everyone else present - figure, and very calmly mouths a silent "Oh."

Click to shrink...

Arcuied? Who is that ....and why did a shiver just run down my spine. "Mom...I don't quite understand, who's Arcuied?"

My stomach complains as I am again about to speak. I quickly reformulate my words and finally get the chance to speak.

"Conducting negotiations in the ruins of this tragedy is poor form. Perhaps we should relocate to somewhere on the other side of town?" I suggest as I look over the group, Iskander and Archer in particular. I… remember that Archer is a very good chef, and it should be easy enough to appropriate a place for him to do so. I wonder…

Click to shrink...

"What about the Castle, I don't want to leave Onee-chan along for too long and it's away from the city."

I felt my stomach grumble and looked Archer dead in the eyes, and spoke to him in the same gentle, but firm, tone I used when I was his Servant in the Fifth War.

"Shirou, I'm hungry. " I tell him, "Let us have supper."

Click to shrink...

Hearing my brothers name my head shoots up and I begins to look around.

 

[Grue]

Once again, I had to thank the part of me that was still fully Homura for the lack of any visible response to appearing in the void other than a slight frown which lasted for all of a second. Though I doubted that the creature couldn't see past all the emotional facades in the world, at least it helped me feel safe.



'Hm, those gears....hopefully that's just a coincidence...anyway, Out of all the questions I have...there's only one that I know need's answering.'

So I asked, tone as polite as I could manage, "I would ask of you this: within this world, is there any hope for me to return to my home, and to her? And if there is such a thing, would you tell me what it is and how I would seek it?"

Click to shrink...

"Travel between Words is the domain of the True Magica in this world. Specifically, the one whom wields that power is known as the Wizard Marshall, Zelretch. His power is the one that you seek."

With the knowledge granted, even the void fades away again.