Chapter Text
The last summoning sparks around her shield flicker and die away and Mash bites her lip, maintaining her position. She doesn’t need to look upon Da Vinci’s or her senpai’s expressions to confirm what they already know.
The summoning ritual had failed.
The Servant hailing from Fairy Britain, born by the land’s desire to self-destruct and the one to fulfill that wish as the curtain fell, Oberon-Vortigern, had not answered Chaldea’s - senpai’s - call.
“We knew there was a significant possibility of failure given the circumstances. Don’t feel down, Fujimaru-kun.” Da Vinci’s voice, soothing as a balm embraced them and Ritsuka smiles at her efforts, the little yet wise Da Vinci.
“I know. I know. I just thought, perhaps since even Queen Morgan and her knights came, there would be a chance -”
On top of the Storm Border, swallowed whole.
The iridescent veil of insects hiding their prince from view.
The smiling face he had become used to greeting, a sight more dismal than the engulfing abyss.
Sincerity and insincerity welcoming Ritsuka as he fell asleep, and dreamed yet again. Of a forest beloved by autumn that no longer existed, of its little inhabitants crying out to Ritsuka to come again, come again, fluttering after their prince as he walked away.
And at the end -
He didn’t do anything. It was Mash and Artoria who had dealt the final blow, as he lingered in the sweet dream.
And now.
It was a selfish desire, one he had hoped that could be overlooked - shared, even.
With a path created by Chaldea’s summoning system, it would have to be within the Servant’s desires to be led here.
So you would rather fall forever down there, huh.
“...Senpai?” Mash nudges closer, ever a welcoming comfort. With the summoning unsuccessful, her shield laid flat on the ground, momentarily forgotten as Da Vinci busied herself shutting down the system.
He turns to her with a smile.
“Mash, let’s-”
thump.
“...?” All eyes and ears present flew to Mash’s shield, lying innocently where she had left it.
Lying crooked by the littlest bit, the top of the shield tilted towards the left.
As they watched with baited breath, the trio heard it, coming underneath the shield:
"Ow..."
“...Senpai.”
thump.
“...”
“...Senpai do you-”
“Fujimaru-kun the readings-”
thump.
Steeling his resolve, Ritsuka took a deep breath and with three quick strides, bent down and lifted Mash’s shield with care.
"..."
"..."
"..."
“...Don’t stare at me with those eyes.”
A cotton wool appearance of a Servant was revealed.
Fluffy pearl cloak and snowskin shoes kicking out, at odds with the extremely grouchy expression blooming on the tiny Servant’s face (and he was so small, even more than his Robin Goodfellow form -) squinting up at Ritsuka, Mash and Da Vinci as they crowded around him. Sheer regret churns Oberon’s stomach at having answered the summons, especially stuck like this.
This has to be a joke.
Having to face the Chaldeans’ sparkly gazes as they loomed over him like towering trees after so narrowly escaping being squished to death - Oberon sneered at the tragicomedy of it all. Said mini Servant gazed haughtily back at the three proper sized ones, trepidation and disgust warping his facial features. This had the effect of throwing water down a well, as the three simply stared down at him with one thought in their heads reflected clearly upon their features: Tiny.
Summoning of Oberon-Vortigern (mini-version): Success.
“Oberon!”
“You made it!”
“Oberon-san!” Despite their previous grim parting, Mash broke out into a smile as Ritsuka did the same, reaching out a palm to the little Oberon in hopes of coaxing him onto it, who promptly recoiled as though Ritsuka had offered him a snake.
“It’s enough of a farce being here, mister goody two shoes~ Have some courtesy, ah, don’t rub your goodwill into everyone’s faces to see in this sickening situation.”
“...” Mash pitied her senpai as his hands slumped to his sides, olive branch broken as he was thoroughly rejected by a (17 cm) Servant no bigger than palm-size.
Sensing Oberon’s growing irritation, Mash cleared her throat, gently dragging her shell-shocked senpai backward to give the little one some breathing room. Da Vinci was eying the mini Oberon with a calculative gaze, one that did not escape Oberon’s attention as he fidgeted on the ground.
This form is useless… Oberon sighed, cheeks puffing out as he pouted, nearly driving Mash and Ritsuka to tears that they didn’t have George’s camera on-hand.
“We’re so glad you came Oberon-san. But at the same time-” Mash did her best to look as sympathetic as possible to fend off any possible bug attacks - “Could I ask, why is Oberon-san much smaller than he normally is?”
“...Don’t look at me like that, I couldn’t help it. As expected, Chaldea can’t even provide mana to maintain my appearance.”
“That’s strange, it shouldn't be like that. Perhaps it’s because the system hasn’t adjusted to Oberon’s Saint Graph yet ow- !”
Da Vinci poked Ritsuka no too gently with her staff, cheery smile back in place now that Fujimaru was back in the land of the living fumbling around.
“Such beginner mistakes are below me, please Fujimaru-kun! Unless,don’t tell me someone like Ishtar-san is using up the QP stores again-”
“I’m sure Ishtar-san has learnt her lesson in the past-”
“I’m sure she hasn’t-”
“Senpai, where do you think Oberon’s room should be? As he is now it might be a danger to him if the other Servants don’t take care-”
“Not to worry Mash, the genius Leonardo Da Vinci can easily whip out an exquisite casa delle bambole with minimum resources~”
As he watched the bumbling fools sinisterly organise his Chaldea life to come, Oberon had an impending sense of ominous premonition.
Coming to Chaldea was a mistake.