See you soon.. maybe (never)

"𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒇. 𝑫𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚."

————

"This kind of data leakage is a breach of the Zerithi rule.", Samuel said, his voice stern, and expression never changing. "They must be purged – cleaved – to further avoid it from leaking."

"I…", Chrysanta takes a deep breath, stopping herself from hitching a breath. "... Understand."

With that, the copies of Elias have been gathered to one place, and Samuel standing in front of them. The Lancer stared at Samuel, then at his Master.

With another sigh, and a gulp that he can basically hear from this distance, she smiles, waves and talks.

"I'll see you soon.", she said, her tone weak and wavering.

At that moment he realized that the expression on the true Elias was the same when he heard it.

"𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘖𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘥 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮."

"…"

"𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬. 𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵.. 𝘢 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘮𝘢𝘯."

"Wait.", The Lancer spoke, determination burned in his veins. He doesn't know if he'll survive this, and return to the Throne, or not at all. He has to do this before this is too late.

Samuel squints, as if asking him to further elaborate.

"There is something I must give to the real Elias."

"Lancer…?", the Servant looks at the concerned look on his master's face, and with that he smiles.

"Very well. Make haste, copy."

Lancer nods and walks. Every step he approaches the end of his existence. Every step further drowns his master in sorrow having to wait and watch his last few moments.

Elias stared at the Lancer. They looked so alike, except for the scar on his cheek.

"It is a price to pay. To protect 𝘩𝘦𝘳.", Lancer then extends his hand to the other, and with that, a spear appears in his hand. "These are my memories.", he starts, quiet, gently, "ᛏᚨᚴᛖ ᚲᚨᚱᛖ ᛟᚠ ᛗᚨᛋᛏᛖᚱ ᚠᛟᚱ ᛗᛖ. ᛏᚨᚴᛖ ᚲᚨᚱᛖ ᛟᚠ ᚲᚺᚱᚤᛋᚨᚾᛏᚨ, ᛖᛚᛁᚨᛋ."

Elias stared into Lancer's unwavering teal eyes. As if he accepted death. Like he had long accepted death, then at the spear in his hand. He doesn't say a word, but takes the spear.

"Hurry.", Samuel's stern tone echoes.

Lancer nods, and walks away, and back into the huddled group of other Elias copies, his steps were steady, he didn't falter nor hesitate when he passed his Master, and the remaining member of the Court of the Astral Knights.

With that, Diarmuid gets in the view and consoles the Astral Magus, watching her slowly hitch and shake. He takes her small hands in his. Arthur removed his cape and placed it over her shoulders, then made sure it stayed there by putting his arm over her shoulders, joining Diarmuid in consoling her. When she crouches to the ground in an attempt to silence herself, the two knights follow, Arjuna hovers lower and rests his cheek on the crown of her head, hands on her ears.

Elias can only watch as the Goddess crumbles for a man that happened to be him.

———

The memories were like how the Lancer experienced it; through dreams. He would one night wake up in a dreamless sleep, the next, he'd dream about the day the Lancer earned the scar on his face.

It's been a week since the cleave, and the master of three has yet to recover. He couldn't approach, the three men that crowded her and shielded her - kept him away.

On the day it happened, right after the other copies accepted their fate, Arthur immediately dismissed themselves, to which Samuel sent one of the maids on standby to prepare a room for four. Diarmuid clarified that one is enough, as Servants needn't sleep.

"We will watch over Master.", Arjuna explains in his usual monotone voice. "Until she heals or until our visit ends."

Three hours later, Samuel had dismissed him and allowed the former lieutenant to do what he wanted; the first thing he did was go to the Guest room.

He was about to knock when he heard it.

"The bond..", she whimpered, "Lancer's bond.. it felt like someone was burning me and it faded.", she adds, "It's gone; Lancer's gone.", the Master cried, her last words were louder and so were the sounds of consolation. The three knew they could do nothing for the Astral Magus' bleeding heart. Not even they could truly protect her heart.

"You…", Arthur said as he exited the room, only to find Elias waiting at the side of the door. "Master needs water."

"I'll go—" "No.", Elias stared at Saber Alter's ash brown eyes, "Walk and talk with me to the kitchen. I'm sure you have questions.

-----

"She cries as if I am not here."

"Boy.", the king said, "You and him, were in fact, very different. You two are loyal, indeed. You look alike, yes. But Lancer, he actually chose to serve Master when she was more than ready to let go of him. He dreamed of you and her. The memories she has of you, with you. And he has surpassed that. He wished to be himself, and not be in your shadow. I can see why."

"…"

"We also had those dreams.", Arthur sighed, "She looked truly happy. But at the same time, she wanted to distance herself from you, to avoid the feeling of sadness when she realized this bliss is temporary. Surely, you've heard the sound of a broken heart as she felt that bond she worked so hard with Lancer burn and fade away."

"…"

"I've never heard her break down before, I've yet to see her shed tears… until today." Not even when they found her drinking away the King of Heroes precious wine collection in the middle of the night.

"She always wanted to be the sturdy person, never waving and never frowning, always ready to adapt, and sacrifice herself because to her, death is one she's not afraid of.", Elias finally speaks up, and Arthur nods.

"Indeed, boy. I'm sure you can see now why you are lucky to have a lady who holds you so dear in her heart."

With that, the Servant summons his Excalibur Morgan, and points it at Elias.

"Should Master's tears be your cause, you will bear your sins and be destroyed."

𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳?

That night, he dreamt of a Lancer who knelt down to his Master, pleading for a chance to prove himself to be more than the man in her dreams. He could hear the sound of joy in the back, the smell of alcohol being consumed, food, and most of all; the feeling in his chest when he felt like she was slowly letting go for his sake.

————

"𝑵𝒐, 𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆."