Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though it took longer than he would care to admit, Vahn eventually managed to calm himself after laying waste to a considerable section of the Land of Shadows. It was hard to describe just how frustrated he felt but, after a bit of counsel from Sis, and even more introspection, he was able to accept that Scáthach hadn't actually betrayed him but, just as he wished for all the people around him, she did what was necessary for her happiness.

If he were being honest, Vahn had always felt guilty about the relationship between him and his Shishou but, after cementing his convictions, it was hard to take a step back. He had wanted to help her but, from the very beginning, she hadn't desired help. She didn't simply want liberation from her situation but absolution for the life and decisions she had made.

The fact Scáthach had gone out of her way to prepare a version of herself without a connection to the Land of Shadows proved that she had, perhaps, shown him more consideration than he had shown her. He had been forcing her to live a life she did not want to live, using his selfishness and his convictions to drag her along with him. He was convinced he would be able to slowly change her perspective when, from the very beginning, that isn't what she had desired.

It was hard to accept but Scáthach had every right to do what she had, even if it gave him strong destructive urges. He even suspected there was some greater lesson she had wanted him to learn but, in his current state of mind, Vahn wasn't able to rationalize what it was. All he really knew was that he didn't like this outcome in the slightest, even if he could understand her motivations.

It might be childish but part of him vehemently resisted the decision she had made. Despite this, he resolved himself to let the matter lay as, in the end, it was her decision to make. Perhaps the lesson she had wanted to teach him was the importance of moving on, pulling a page out of his own book and forcing him to accept that there were times when his selfish desires wouldn't be tolerated...

Since he might as well ask the person herself, Vahn spent a fair amount of time sulking within the Land of Shadows before finally calming down enough to make his exit. He honestly didn't know how to face Scáthach right now but, as there was little sense in avoiding her, it was better to get it out of the way sooner, rather than later. The dynamic between them had been utterly destroyed so, in order to move on with his own life, he needed to reconcile his current emotions.

Fortunately, while Scáthach had left no way for him to leave the Land of Shadows, Vahn could use the Quest Boards as a waypoint to connect him to the outside world. Then, using his Qīnglóng transformation, he tore through the fabric of Space, finding it difficult but not impossible to rend with his claws.

It took longer than expected, as most teleportations were nigh instantaneous, but Vahn managed to find his way back to reality using his fragments as a beacon. As a result, he ended up emerging near the Knight's Training Field within Avalon but, with Alaya instantly appearing at his side, Vahn was able to teleport back to the Isle of Skye in an instant, reuniting with Arcueid. At the same time, he created a second body from the material of the Quest Board, using it to teleport directly to the Clock Tower.

Though it would have been infinitely better to decompress by discussing the matter with Artoria and the others, Vahn didn't feel like delaying things. He needed to understand Scáthach's actual intentions as, despite resolving to respect her decision, he still hadn't completely accepted it...

Fortunately, undoubtedly seeing through him, Scáthach had been waiting for his arrival atop the roof of the Aldrnari College Commons. She was wearing her military-style school uniform and, even from behind, Vahn could tell there was something 'different' about her. This caused him to tense up and, though he had initially been preparing to confront her, Vahn found it hard to take even a single step forward as he asked, "Scáthach...?" in an uncertain tone.

Hearing her name called, the young woman standing on the edge of the building turned just enough that she could see over her shoulder. This was all Vahn needed to see in order to know the full extent of Scáthach's plan as, compared to the cold and borderline ruthless eyes he had become accustomed to, the young woman before him had a more innocent and curious glint to her ruby-red eyes.

Just as Vahn felt his body temperature decrease significantly, his fears were actualized when she suddenly smiled in a perfectly natural way, happiness audible in her tone as she said, "Master, it is good to see you. I have been waiting...?"

Though the original Scáthach could act well enough to put even the most seasoned professionals to shame, Vahn could tell the young woman standing before him wasn't acting. She seemed to be genuinely happy to see him but, based on the inflection at the end of her second sentence, it was obvious she didn't know why. This caused Vahn to feel deflated and, after pulling a chair out of his Inventory, he was compelled to take a seat, his head hanging in his hands.

Seeing her Master in such a state, Scáthach felt as if her heart was breaking. She didn't know why but, seeing him like this caused her immense pain. Thus, while it made her stomach flitter about a considerable amount, she quickly went to his side, placing her hand on his shoulder in the hopes of comforting him. This, unfortunately, just resulted in him tensing up for a brief moment before deflating even further, his shoulders drooping in an expression of defeat and exasperation...

Suddenly, replacing her anxiety from before, Scáthach felt as if her brain was buzzing in frustration as, without thinking about her words, she exclaimed, "Raise your head this instant! This is no way for an Emperor to behave! How would the people who support you feel if they saw you like this!?"

Hearing Scáthach suddenly shout, Vahn lazily raised his head to meet her gaze, finding her ruby-red eyes awash with various complex emotions. Though her brows were furrowed, she seemed more embarrassed than angry, complete with a slightly flushed expression. This was so different from what he had come to expect from his Shishou that, in the back of his tumultuous mind, Vahn couldn't help but remark, ("She really did it...").

Though he didn't know to what extent she had gone, it didn't take a Master Detective to deduce that Scáthach had modified and erased many of her memories. She had likely selected only the memories she considered most pertinent to living a 'normal' life and performing her duties to the Empire. Though her strict nature still seemed to be intact, her personality had been altered so far beyond recognition that she was virtually a different person from before...

Seeing her Master's 'lifeless' eyes, Scáthach couldn't help but frown deeply as she added, "This isn't like you at all...did something terrible happen? I can listen if you need someone to talk to...I don't like seeing you like this."

Feeling Scáthach's concern for him, combined with the fact she seemed entirely unaware of the fact she was the cause for his current state, a dry laugh escaped Vahn's lips. He didn't have words to describe how he felt right now but, apparently dissatisfied with his response, Scáthach's frown deepened even further before she spontaneously slapped him across the face, her hand turning into a blur as a loud 'Pa' sounded out.

With his natural resistances, Vahn was entirely uninjured by Scáthach's slap but, as it wasn't often someone dared to strike him in such a way, his mind immediately snapped back to awareness. At the same time, his left hand moved instinctually to prevent her second attempt to strike him. This caused Scáthach to pale slightly but, with a frown still visible on her face, she muttered, "Finally..." in a somewhat hesitant tone.

Realizing he had been acting in a rather shameful manner, Vahn briefly looked around the area before releasing Scáthach's hand and saying, "Well, at least your violent streak hasn't changed..." Then, before she could respond, he plopped his hand down on top of her head, adding, "Don't worry about it...you've changed enough...too much, in fact. For now, I just answer want you to answer my questions, okay?"

Though she still felt there was something 'off' about her Master, Scáthach ultimately nodded her head in response. She could tell there was something troubling him so, if she could make things easier by answering his questions, it was her duty to do so. Thus, after sitting down on the roof and patting her thighs, Scáthach was surprised to find herself saying, "Come, rest your head. If it is within my ability, I will answer all of your questions..."

Seeing the confusion on Scáthach's face, Vahn could tell that her memories and character hadn't been fully reconciled just yet. This implied that the alteration was pretty recent but, while he was tempted to whisk her away to have Merlin try and recover them, Vahn ultimately just released a sigh before laying with his head atop her lap. This caused Scáthach's face to redden slightly but, as she had been the one to offer, it was exceeding difficult for her to rescind the offer...

Feeling the comfortably soft and plump sensation against the back of his neck, combined with the fact he couldn't even see her face due to her rather large breasts, Vahn couldn't help but release a tired sigh. though this was the Lily version of Scáthach, that didn't mean she looked like a child; quite the contrary. While she lacked the raw sex appeal of her adult self, the current Scáthach still had a relatively mature appearance, standing at 160cm with secondary sexual characteristics that put women like Rin and even Olga to shame...

Knowing there was no way Scáthach would have left him without any answers whatsoever, Vahn took it upon himself to break the awkward silence between them, asking, "You were waiting here for my arrival...is there something you were supposed to give me?"

Though her mind had been racing from the moment her Master placed his head atop her lap, Scáthach immediately came to her senses when she heard him speaking. In response to his question, she was momentarily confused but, like someone being reminded of an important date, realization suddenly dawned upon her. In the next moment, she pulled out a small orb from her storage ring, answering, "I was supposed to give you this...?" in an uncertain tone.

Seeing the [Memory Projection Orb] in Scáthach's hand, Vahn couldn't help but release a heavy sigh of relief. If she hadn't prepared anything at all, he would have felt even more conflicted than he already did so, after gingerly accepting the baseball-sized orb, Vahn unhesitantly activated it.

While it could be problematic for Scáthach to see a memory she couldn't recall, Vahn knew the original her wasn't the type to make such oversights. If there was any chance at all he would use it in the presence of her Lily form, she would have prepared countermeasures in advance. After all, she must have put a considerable amount of thought into this entire scheme so, if this ended up being her one mistake, he would be more than a little surprised...

As expected, rather than a normal memory orb, Vahn felt his consciousness being pulled within. Lily Scáthach's act of having him lay down suddenly made a lot more sense as, while the nature of the orb had yet to be revealed, it seemed to function similarly to the pseudo-reality marbles that Da Vinci had been developing. Scáthach had either stolen one of the prototypes or made use of her ridiculous capabilities, developing a version of her using [Primordial Rune]s and her mastery over various Laws...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn can be pretty selfish, at times o_o...','Some things change, others remain the same...','Scáthach could give Loki a run for her money...')

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