animus_network | [anon text] ⚙ heartful cry

Has anyone seen Saber? She's blond and wears a red dress.

I really need to find her or Rin if they're here. I'm not sure what's going on and I need to talk to them

Sorry, I don't know why I said that. My processors aren't working--no, I can't access them. I'm human. I'm human, but I shouldn't be.

What's it mean when something red starts coming out of a human's throat? That ain't normal. I'm in a lot of trouble, huh?

~~Rani~~ ~~Saber~~ Yu, Yosuke--you guys all helped me when I was in trouble once. I know it's a lot to ask, but can ya do it again?

[action; floor three]

['Hakuno' was sitting on the floor in a corner of the library, hidden behind the shelves and hugging his knees tightly to her chest. Why, why was this happening? Why was she seeing things she at once remembered and didn't remember?]

[A translucent wall of scarlet slid into place, locking between them with a bang of finality. Like a door slamming shut, one that could never be opened again. The roar of the crazed bloodthirsty warrior echoed through the Coliseum, shaking the ground and piercing the victorious Master's ears even through the wall between them. Even as Berserker raged and growled, his massive body was already beginning to dissipate. Overcome by the SE.RA.PH, the black pattern spread across his body like a plague as he was reduced to nothing and deleted.]

[And what of the girl beside him? There was only one result for losing Masters in the Holy Grail War...and already the same black matter was spreading across Rani's form. Yet...she seemed unaffected. A disintegrating hand traced her vanishing Command Spells--what was she thinking? Was it bitter regret? Anger that she lost, hatred that one she'd helped had defeated her?]

['Oh...']

[Slowly being overcome by corruption that spread across her body, the girl looked at the victorious Master with a gentle smile. Why...? Was she happy about this? Was she...was she grateful that Hakuno had been the one to defeat her?]

['It's over, isn't it?']

[That was all Rani said, with a sound that could well have been the faintest laugh. But as she began to vanish, her mouth moved once more, in a gesture without sound.]

['Goodbye.']

[Hakuno--Labrys shuddered violently, pressing her hands to her head. Why did she have to kill her friend? Why did she have to kill 024--Rani--her sisters--Shinji--Blackmore--]

[Why why whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy it wasn't fair--!]

[A sudden scream of anger and frustration cut through the library on the third floor, followed almost immediately by the sounds of a girl sobbing her heart out intercut with violent coughing.]

I'm s-s-sorry. I didn't wanna--didn't want to--I don't want to fight anymore. Saber--Aigis--somebody tell me why I h-have to keep fighting...

[responses from

effigiaexmachina]

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[A slow nod. She didn't dare take her eyes off the girl in front of her, as if 'Hakuno' was afraid she'd forget what she looked like.]

...It ain't--it isn't fair. How come we always gotta fight?

[It should be a little creepy, with how intently she's being stared at by the other girl - herself. But she can't really feel that way, when she's doing the exact same thing.]

I... I don't know. It's cruel, and heartless, and I know I wouldn't do it if I could help it... [Her hand curls into a fist, and it's almost strange, hearing the whirring of gears instead of feeling the pain of her nails digging into her palm.] If it was the only way to survive, maybe it would have been better if I died... that way she could have lived, at least a little longer...

Somebody had t'live.

[her hands fidgeted, as if Labrys didn't know what to do with them.]

Maybe it's...some kinda punishment. Feelin' like this, I mean. We're the ones that lived, so we have to accept it or somethin'.

Punishment... [Labrys-- No, Hakuno, Hakuno Kishinami. That's most definitely her name - flinches at that.] Maybe it is. Even if someone had to live... killing a friend... you can't just do that and not face some kind of karma or something.

[Another nod.]

We gotta...be the ones to carry on 'cause they can't. Right?

... Yeah, exactly. It would be an insult to their memory if we don't keep going on. No matter what, we have to...

[It's a moment where one of Hakuno's - her own - memories is shining clearly through... but not in a good way. She can remember the feeling of slowly fading, losing her life at the cost of winning the Grail War. So she failed then, huh...

If anything, she just looks more depressed than when they first met up.]

...We ain't alone, though. We got friends that can help us out here.

Friends... Yeah, I'm sure they'll help... [Saber and Rin's faces begin to form in her mind, but they're quickly replaced by others. Yu and Yosuke, names and faces she should know but does anyway...]

Nngh... [She clutches at her head. The thought of those images fading is scaring her. A lot. It's a strain on her mind, trying to keep them from disappearing, and she can feel a headache - can she even get headaches with a body like this? - starting to form.]

...

[Labrys stood up a little shakily, dusting herself off.]

It'll be okay. Even if we ain't got anybody else, we've got each other.

[She put her arms around metal shoulders, hugging her tightly--was she always this cold to the touch? Labrys found her vision a little blurry--oh, she was crying. That was something she was familiar with, something she'd been built with the ability to do somehow.]

I think...I remember being really angry and bitter, deep down. That was what my Shadow was always talking about. She--I was wantin' someone to understand the kinda pain I lived with. And 'cause I met you here, I finally found that.

We both got that now, no matter which one's Labrys and which one's Hakuno. So I guess what I'm gettin' at is that if we gotta suffer, we ain't doin' it alone.

[This was... strange. Not strange in a bad way, but still strange. She can never really remember being hugged - not in either set of memories currently swirling around inside of her head. And those words... they struck something deep inside of her, and before Hakuno knew it, there were tears in her eyes as well.

She didn't even bother with trying to wipe them away. When Labrys finished her little speech they were just falling way too fast for her to do so, so all she could do was - cautiously, she was still so unsure of her own strength - wrap her arms around the other girl too.]

It's... not nice, no. That's kind of harsh... but I'm sort of glad someone else understands. Back home, there wasn't anyone who really knew what I was going through. Well, maybe there was, but it was too late in the game to connect with others.

But then all this happened, and all this memory confusion started going down... even amidst all of this, I was able to find someone who can sort of share this burden. So... thank you, I guess.

I had a lot of friends who came for me when I needed 'em, so I wanna help you if I can. You'll let me, won't ya?

... Yeah, of course. [That manages to get a smile out of her.] And I'll help you out too, you don't even need to ask.

[Nodnod.]

I'm sorry you gotta deal with all my stuff on top a' your own.

I should apologize too. But... it's not really our fault, is it? It's the fault of whoever swapped our bodies. Those administrators...

[anon text] ⚙ heartful cry

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