23 chapter 22,5 - Seryuu Past

There once was a girl.

She had auburn hair. Loved to eat candies and play with her friends. Her life was the epitome of light, all cheerfulness, and happiness. One could say that this was the height of her joy, the innocence of youth. Yet, she also had great inspirations, inspirations born from the environment she grew up in.

Her greatest wish was to grow up and be a hero like her father. A man she looked up to, she put on a pedestal that reached towards the heavens. Her father, he was chief of police, had been so for as long as she could remember, and fought crime every day for those who couldn't. He was someone who helped those who couldn't help themselves. Every time he came back home, he would tell her of how many people he saved with a smile.

In contrast, her mother was more... down to earth, one might say. Like the skies were to the earth. She was a housewife, someone that took care of everything in the house. That was alright with her because, in her eyes, someone like a housewife would be needed in raising the child to be the best person she could be. The young girl saw more of her mother than her father due to his job, but despite that, the love she had for them was shared equally. She used to make her delicious food and tell her all kinds of stories, but the little girl favorite was always the ones of heroes saving the day.

The girl always talked about how she would grow up to be like both her parents: as pretty as her mommy and save everyone like her father. An innocent dream, so like that of a child who hadn't known anything else besides laughter and smiles.

However, that would soon change...

Change in ways that nobody would ever want.

The day when the cruelty of this world broke a soul of its pure white innocence...

7 years before Canon starts

Seryu 10 years' old

A little city in France

Nighttime

Seryu P.O.V.

CRASH!

A Gasp tore itself from my throat as I got startled awake.

WHA-what was that sound?

It sounded like it came from downstairs, much to my confusion.

Did mommy slipped or something?

As a future hero of justice, I must help her!

Quickly, I throw off the covers of my bed, slipping my tiny feet into some fluffy pink doggy slippers mommy got for me last year for my birthday.

I put on a brave face, just like daddy would when going out for his job, patting my cheeks for resolution.

Time for the hero of justice to get to work!

CLANK, CLANK CLANK

The stairs make audible creaking sounds as I walked down them to see what was going on. If I'm being honest, the way they did that alys seemed unnerving to me, and for some reason they just added to this strange tension.

Wonder why.

As I go down the stairs I noticed a strange smell permeated the air. My nose twitches in isgust at the smell, eww, gross! I don't ;ike this smell, not at all.

But...

More than that, what was it?

Taking a slow breath, I inhale the scent after biting down my distaste for it.

It is strangely metallic but not quite metal,

but what is it exactly?

SLIP.

Ouch. I slipped in something wet as soon as my foot reached the downstairs floorboards. What was t-

...

...

...

...

CRACK

The sound of a pure white crystal, shimmering in its purity, cracking filled my mind for some reason, but I didn't notice.

I was just too focused on what, or who was in front of me right now.

Mommy?

Why are you on the ground?

Why are you not moving?

What is this red liquid coming out of your neck?

Why are tears coming out of my eyes?

So many questions, mixed with these strange feelings, swelled inside of me.

What were they?

Why do I need to scream until my lungs are burning?

"What it this, a little dessert?"

A monster spoke as it seemingly fell from the ceiling and landed right in front of me, making my skin go white as I stared wide-eyed at its imposing demeanor while it loomed over me. Light darkened its form before me, save for the glowing crimson eyes, but I could still make out its features.

It reminded me eerily of those scary bedtime stories mommy used to read to me before I got too scared one night and she stopped it.

It's upper body looked green and scaly, like my dinosaur stuffed animal back in my room, yet also had the shape of my mommy. The arms match mommy's, but the nails look too long and pointy. Yet the legs looked nothing like that of my mommy's, instead, they looked like a giant tail belonging to one of those large snakes I saw once on a show daddy watched on his days off work. Though... it had some sorta mouth o the end, filled with fat, wide fangs that were bared towards me. I could see the saliva dripping between them, and my feelings of dread continued to skyrocket.

BANG

BANG

BANG

The sounds of a gun being fired echoed through my ears, as did the monster.

Bullets hit in the back, and when the two of us looked to the source (the monster seemingly twisting around with one hand on the ground) we both saw my daddy leaning against a wall.

He looked like a sheer mess, something I've never seen like before. He always came home with a smile on his face, but now he had a twisted angry snarl. I don't like it, and something tells me this is because of mommy being on the ground. Red stuff trailed down the side of his head while his boy looked like it had been scratched deeply all over. red stuff came out every scratch too.

"Get away from my daughter!" Dad yelled that from the other side of the room, fury and... why did he look so scared? I don't like that look, did he see watt that monster did to mommy?

He started shooting this monster, but like before it barely did a thing aside from making it twitch in annoyance.

The bullet casings fell to the ground, lifeless and forgotten.

Though, it did do its job of making the being divert its attention away from me for a brief instant.

"Oh, right. I was almost forgetting the main dish." She remarked thoughtfully, turning back to him. "But I suppose no one will make a reclamation if I take a sample of the desert." Her lips, oozing blood and filled with sharp fangs unlike those of her Tail, shifted into a disgusting grin while its Tail twitched. Daddy went pale, and he made to say something, but the being reacted too fast. Suddenly the tail of this thing moved very fast and I heard the sound of something being ripped off.

Followed by another Cracking sound.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!"

I flew back into the wall beside the staircase, screaming my lungs out. I could barely even think let alone try to stop myself, tears streaming down my face like the waterfalls mommy showed me sometimes.

I slid down the wall, two trails of blood flowing down the wall from my shoulders, and I could barely make out some small limbs lying helpless on the ground before the creature tail opened its mouth and devoured them whole.

The being seemed to cackle, though I couldn't tell thanks to my screaming, as it turned away from me to my horrified daddy.

It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts-It-hurts!

Mommy, mommy! Please! Save me! Please, save me!

.

.

.

Mommy did not move. She just lay there, her eyes empty, blank.

CRACK!

Daddy, please save me! Com here, help me!

.

.

.

.

Daddy was in the mouth of that thing.

CRACK!

Please!

I don't care who!

Someone, anyone, please save me.

.

.

.

.

No one ca-

"Sorry for being late." Someone appeared!

He was a boy apparently my age, had blond approaching white hair, slightly tanned skin and heterochromatic eyes. He looks at me full of guilt.

"Don't worry, nothing else will happen to you with me here." He then took out a vial with some water and poured it into my 'arms' and they stopped bleeding. "These are phoenixes tears, they heal."

At this, my consciousness was going in and out. I don't really know what happened but I saw that bad monster being attacked on its side by a man all in blue while this boy was holding me in bridal style and going out of the house and away from all the bad things.

SHATTER

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Huh? What is this?

My eyes stir open, and I feel light headed.

But, that soon became the last thing I was focused on when I saw everything.

This is not the ceiling in my room, this one is white. The bad is also different. Why? Where was this?

I better get up or mommy will get angry at me for being late.

I try to move, but...

HUH, why can't I move my arms?

As soon as I move my head to the side to check them, and my eyes enlarged when I saw the stumps from where my arms used to be.

Suddenly memories that I did not want came running back, mommy, daddy, the monster, cracking, shattering, and that red stuff.

So much red.

I need to get out of here. It is not safe. The monster may still be here, I need some sort of weapon. Luckily there is a small scalpel beside the bad in a tray. I get up with a lot of difficulties and take it using my mouth. It is hard to move but I need something to protect myself.

STOMP

STOMP

STOMP

I hear steps approaching. I, I need somewhere to hide. Ah, there is a locket right there, I will hide in there. Daddy always said to me that I was the best in 'hide and seek'. Remembering dad hurts but I must keep going.

A few moments after I enter the locket (thank god for the fact that it is a sliding door or I wouldn't be capable of open or close it) I start to hear some sounds.

"-yritt-san I told you. There is no need for you to come along. I am here just to check up on her." A voice of someone young came, it seems frustrated.

"And... Illya-sama said... to protect you." A monotonous and slightly robotic voice came next.

"You know what? Fine, come along but stay at the door. I do not want to frighten her and you are scary to me." Then I noticed the steps getting closer. It seems like whoever entered the room is looking for me. Stay calm, he will not find you. You are great in 'hide and seek' after all.

SLIDE

He opened the door. Oh no, what do I do? And if he is a monster? The one that moves first wins. I jumped at him and before he can react I crashed with him and using my scalpel I manage to wound his arm. Unfortunately, before I can try and get up a strong arm pushes me to the ground.

"Protect, Castiel-sama, eliminate, attacker."

I am going to die.

"Wait!"

The boy came. Now that I took a good look at him he is the one that saved me. He is bleeding on his arm, the one I attacked. How could I do such a thing? Now they will throw me away and the monster will come again.

"Leysritt-san, it is fine. She is just scared. I am sure she won't do it again, right?" He looks at me and I start to nod. "See, there is no danger anymore. Now can you let her go, she must rest to recuperate."

The woman that pinned me down, Leysritt-san I think, got up and stayed away. I tried to stand up but without my arms it is difficult. Suddenly the boy came and took me in his arms and put me back to bed.

"I know you must be hungry. Here, I was going to eat it later but you can have it." He smiled at me and gave me some candy. It is my favorite, the same as mom used to buy for me.

That was when it all dawned on me with perfect clarity for the first time.

She… she won't buy me any more candy. She won't tell me anymore story's. Dad won't tell me about his day anymore. I won't fell their hugs and kisses anymore. I won't feel their warmth again.

Any innocence I had was completely shattered by this revelation.

Lights had been snuffed out.

Never to return.

That light and innocence, no longer existed.

It had been permanently destroyed.

Sniff, sniff Buaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.

Castiel P.O.V.

What do I do? I found this girl when I went on my first mission accompanied by Lancer-sensei and it was awful.

We did not get there in time and her whole family was slaughtered by a stray-devil, she even lost both her arms. One could say we exercised vengeance for the dead people's sake, especially my sensei (the state of that... 'thing' was so bad that I almost felt sorry for it, but when I remembered what it did I spit on the corpse and gave it a kick).

Afterward, we decided to bring the girl back with us, it wasn't like we could just leave her there. She needed medical attention, and it was us who had to provide it since it was our fault for not getting here on time. We took her back and were thinking about how to treat her, but when I came to visit she attacked me and now she is crying her eyes out.

What do I do? What do I do?... Oh, I know. Lancer-sensei told me that when a woman is crying a man should hug her and let her cry it out while saying that everything will be all right.

Even if it wasn't.

Something told me that this girl knew that too.

Seryu P.O.V.

I am alone now.

I am sad.

There's nothing out there for me anymore.

There is no one to care.

There is nothing in me anymore, no innocence, no hope nor love.

Please mommy, daddy help me.

Suddenly I feel myself being pulled by the boys' arms and he hugged me. His arm is still wet with blood, the same red stuff my mommy and daddy had, but he does not care as he just hugs me anyway and started to talk.

"Shhhh, everything is going to be okay. I am here now."

I don't know what to think. I don't know what to feel. So I just kept crying and crying on his shoulder while he kept hugging me and saying that everything will be fine.

Even though I knew deep down that it wouldn't be.

A few hours later

What happened? I remember that I was crying and this boy hugged me and that is it. I must have fallen asleep.

I was with my eyes closed but when I opened them up I saw that the boy was still here. He just laid down beside me but did not go away.

I stirred as it was the first time I sleep like this with someone else. Mommy used to tell me that a man and a woman should only lay together if they are married.

What do I do?

We are not married or anything like it... right?

Thanks to my movement he seems to have noticed I woke up, he looked at me and gave me a beautiful smile and asked.

"Are you better now?"

I can't answer that. It was just so much that happened to me in so little time. So many questions. What happened, where am I, who is he, what will happen to me. So much that I need to know, but first.

"I am hungry."

He seemed surprised but then he just gave me a nod. He stood up and got some soup that was on the tray that I found the scalpel earlier.

"Here, say 'aaahhh'"

He began to feed me. It is like those movies where two characters are in love and spoon feed each other.

I began to eat what was offered. It was delicious.

After that, he began to explain everything to me. About where I am, what attacked us, about magic, we talked and talked until it was nightfall and he needed to go for his night training. Before he left I asked.

"What is your name? Mine is Seryu."

"It is Castiel, Castiel Emiya. It is a pleasure to meet you, Seryu-chan."

Specs of something in the void.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It has been a week since I got here. I am getting better, what happened to my family still is painful. I don't think that will ever change, even if I try to move on, it will still be vividly clear to me. Every day I remember what happened with such clarity that it was like reliving the moment over and over again.

I... I get flashbacks to that moment through the day and afterward, I'm in tears while Castiel is beside me, comforting me each and every time. But, if that were the only thing then it wouldn't be as bad, but that moment plagued me even in my nightmares. It was like every time I get up int he morning, I remember that moment with perfect clarity, and am unable to forget it. Leaves me with nothing but distress, guilt, and anxiety.

These guys who call themselves Judgement, which I think is cool since my daddy was a chief of police and believed in justice, they told me that I was suffering from PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder. They say that it was an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events.

Definitely fits my family's death well.

Someone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks, he may also experience feelings of isolation, irritability, and guilt.

Just as I do.

They may also have problems sleeping, such as insomnia, and find concentrating difficult.

Same as me.

These symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on the person's day-to-day life.

Yep, I could agree with that part so much that it was like it was saying what I was in a nutshell.

One good thing came from this though, and that was my new friend.

Since day one Castiel came every day to check up on me. He always made sure that I was getting feed right and that I was comfortable. He usually spends as much time as possible with me whenever he is not training. He told me he trains every day so that he can fight the same type of monster that killed my family. It is like he is (mine) super-hero.

I wanted to ask if they could train me too as I also want to help those in need; but with no arms, I can't even help myself.

In my heart, more specs of that something could be seen barely piercing through the dark void.

"Seryu-chan how are you feeling." Speak of him and he comes. Castiel is smiling like always; he has such a bright smile.

It almost makes the void in my heart clear up, just a little bit.

"I am fine." I gave a strained smile. Whenever I think of my arms I get sad.

He frowns, but then he seems to understand something and gave me an impish smile.

"It is good that you are fine as I have some good news. You are discharged from the hospital." He then looked at me in the eye and said. "Also I have someone that I want you to meet."

He then put me in a wheelchair, as without my arms it is hard to balance myself, and took me away from that room.

We spend our time talking about any and everything. We passed by many people till we got in somewhere strange. There were machines everywhere. In the center there was a large man, he had a blue pompadour, a disproportional forearm, three-pointed chin, a metal nose, Hawaiian shirt and was using a red speedo. To be using that speedo like normal he must be a pervert.

"Aauu, how you doing in this SSSUUUUUPPPPPEEERRR day Castiel"

"I am okay Franky-aniki. I am here with Seryu-san about that thing I asked you before." He said as if these poses this Franky person.

"Hum, I see." He then looked at me up and down and then smiled and said. "Ain't you a cutie, now it makes sense why Castiel spends so much time with you."

I could just blush at that.

"Don't worry, Franky may seem like a Yankee and a pervert but he is good at heart. … Even though he still is a pervert."

"Aauu, that is right. I am a pervert and am proud of that." He then made more poses that a bodybuilder would do.

"I will leave you here with him and it will all be fine. Don't worry, I am here for you."

After Castiel left it was just me and Franky in here.

I honestly didn't know what to do. Part of me wants to trust my friend, but the rest of me still remembers clearly what the last strange being I met did to me and my family. My arms gain phantom pains just thinking about that moment they were ripped off.

"So, I see that you lost your arms." I nod a little. "And also heard you wanted to learn how to fight as well." A flash if sadness passed throw me.

After talking with Castiel I learned that there are many others that are in similar or worst condition than me due to those monsters, but I can't help them.

I feel so useless.

"Would you like to be capable of being back to how you were or would you want to have the power to protect?"

"The power to help others." The response that I gave was almost instinctive. I didn't want anyone else to end up like me. I want to be a hero just like my father was. It is what all my being wanted, no it was what it demanded of me.

He grins and laughs a little in amusement.

"Good to see that what I did was worth it then." He got up and went to the back of the room. In there, existed a curtain. He opened it and there were three things there: a strange puppy and two metallic arms.

"These are a masterpiece I made after a few months of work together with Illya-san in her Homunculi-department. The arms are as durable as diamond and can connect to the nervous system so you can move and even get the touch feeling back. It will be no different for you than your previous arms. Also thanks to Illya's contribution these are gonna adapt to your body size so they will get naturally on your size and when you grow they will grow together with you."

The moment he finished, my heart stopped beating for a moment. Inside, I could feel more specs of that something piercing through the void.

Is this really happening? I will have arms again. I will not be an inconvenience that needs help to eat and everything else too. I am so happy... but wait.

"What about that puppy?"

Franky smiled and said.

"This is the reason I said it was a masterpiece. This 'puppy' as you said is a hybrid between homunculi and machine and is directly connected to whoever he is programmed to. It can change its size to become close to that comic hero 'the Incredible Hulk' and he can exchange the arms with many different weapons when he bites the arms off, a little something I added when Castiel asked me. Don't worry the biting of the arms is painless." he assures me when he see's the PTSD-induced fear passing through my eyes. He then continued.

He then said something after giving me a list of variations and abilities he included or will include on those two things that honestly blew my mind. Especially the technical side, I got no idea that someone could talk so much in my language but sound like he was talking in mandarin from how nonsensical it felt.

"I am just glad that you want to help people because if I gave my masterpiece for someone just use as a regular arm I would feel cheated. Especially after what the boy did for it h to happen."

This is so amazing. With this, I can be a hero too. I will save others like Castiel saved me. …wait what was that last part.

"What do you mean by that last part? What did Castiel have to do to get me those two items?"

"That is simple." He came close to me and sit on a chair nearby, he even took out a guitar and started playing it a bit. He was not that bad. " Originally this 'puppy' was supposed to be to Castiel, a present, and a bodyguard to make sure he was safe.

"But, Castiel-san asked me to help you. I was planning to give you a normal arm but he went on his knees asking me to give you the best I could. That he wanted you to be happy. He even took many lashes on his back as punishment because he went to his knees, something he should NEVER do because of his position. But he smiled through it all because I agreed to his request." He starts to dry the tears that were at the point of start falling.

He did that for me?

The specs of that something started to gather even more in the void.

"Why did he do such a thing?" I honestly cannot comprehend this. He may be cheerful and seem easy to understand, but to anyone that truly understand even a bit about him will see that he cares a lot about his personal honor and position, almost like he was a charismatic prince or king from old.

"That you can ask after the surgery. It won't be a particularly long process so you just need to wait one or two hours." He said shrugging his shoulders.

2 hours later

I still think I must be dreaming. I woke up with no prospect about what I would do here on out and now here I am with my two arms back and a puppy (which I named Koro) on my lap.

"Now that that is done you just need to not put much stress on them for the rest of today and everything will be just fine." Franky said with a smile. He may seem dangerous but he is a nice guy, pervert and all.

"Okay, Franky-aniki." His smile widens a bit more. "By the way were is Castiel now?"

"Oh, he probably is on the training field 3. Just go to the left, then the third right, and then straight ahead. It is a big open space, there is no mistaking that."

I said my farewells and left. I must go see him and thank him for everything.

As I approached the field I start listening to the sound of something hitting the walls hard.

"Is that all you got? This way you won't get strong enough to protect those you want anytime soon." A feminine voice said that.

"*pant**pant* I can still go on." That was Castiel voice.

"Good. Now again" and them the sound of swords hitting each other appeared. The sound was growing faster and faster until-

CRASH

I got there just in time to see Castiel be thrown into the wall. He is covered in many cuts and seems to barely be capable of standing. His opponent is a lady in a pretty blue dress and holding a simple sword (AUTHOR NOTE: I wouldn't make Saber use Excalibur against her disciple, especially when he still is a child).

"Are you going to fall now or are you getting up?"

"I *pant*can *pant* still keep GOING."

And then he went again. He attacked so fast that I could barely see and the lady was going much slower but she deflected all his strikes anyway. Don't matter if it was an overhead chop, a sweep on her belly or a pierce aiming at her leg she deflected and parried all the strikes with obvious ease.

Then she started attacking as well. She gave simple and direct attacks but in such way that Castiel could not avoid any of them well. No wasted movements, beautiful. When he did not manage to parry well he was sent flying by her sword strike.

CRASH

This time he did not get up again.

"Well, let's wrap this up for today. You may rest now; in one hour you are expected in the training room 2 for your class in runes with Lancer as Bazet is on a mission."

The only response was a grunt of what probably was an affirmation.

That lady nods at me and went her way.

"Castiel-san, are you all right?"

"...Yeah, this is nothing new." He turned around and I notice that most of the wounds are closing. "These fields use a fusion of magecraft, runecraft and some of the magic used by the Norse, Greeks and Hindu pantheons so as to help in the recovery of the body. As long as the wound is new and is not of the mortal kind or the losing of a member there is nothing to fear."

I understand, so it is magic. Let's just see it this way than it is fine.

"Hey, Castiel."

"Yes, Seryu-chan?"

"Why did you ask Franky-aniki to give me his best prosthetic? I am just a normal kid, nothing special. I am an orphan with no family to take care of, no talent to magic as you yourself checked and no relation to you. So why have you done that?" I asked as I simply cannot comprehend it.

He simply looks at me as if I was an idiot for even asking.

"Seriously? Isn't that easy to understand?" Seeing my confused face he continued. "*sigh* There were two reasons for that: one is that I wanted to make you happy and two because I like you so I want the best for you."

I don't know what to say, I just open my mouth and stare at him. Was it just for that? No, no it must have some other reason. For now, let's let it slide and ask his something else.

That something began merging together faster and faster.

"H-h-hey Castiel-kun." I stammered a bit there, bad Seryu you need to be more dignified. "Why are you training so hard? You can't even move afterward and is clearly in pain so why do you continue, especially since it seems that this is your normal training. Why do you do it?"

"Oh, that is easy." He turns and looks up to the sky. "I just want to be the type of person that can protect the ones I care about and help others whenever I can."

THUMP

Ah, I finally understand. So this is what a true hero is like.

This is what he is for me, a hero…

At that moment, that something that once reflected my innocence, destroyed by that monster called a Stray Devil, returned to its full form. It didn't look completely the same though, as cracks were in it, leading to a large hole.

A hole that soon became filled with golden crystal.

Golden, just like the hair and heart of him, a hero...

my hero.