In Search of a Guiding Star

... ...

I see this place is just as noisy as ever.

Indeed, it's always lively here.

Doesn't this take you back to our journey on the Argo, Big Brother? All the hustle and bustle is fun.

You think so?

Well, if that's how you feel, that's fine. I won't deny you that.

Thank you, Big Brother.

Look! Over there!

What is it, Pollux?

There are children over there enjoying what looks to be a lovely conversation.

They are not children.

They are Heroic Spirits just like us who simply happen to have adopted childlike forms.

I know, but still...

Doesn't form convey meaning in its own right?

Yes, I suppose it does.

Excuse me. What are you all talking about?

Oh, uh, we were just talking about Mommy

And what would be best for him!

What?

We decided we'd like to give Master a present, but we can't decide what it should be.

Oooh, could you maybe help us come up with a good gift?

Oh my, that does sound like fun.

What's the occasion? Is his birthday coming up soon?

No, it's not.

But now that we've had the idea, we can't stop thinking about it.

Maybe he'd like a set of knives.

Come on, this is for Master, not for you. I think he'd like something sweet! Like candy!

Hehe. Isn't that just what you want, Jeanne?

Was it that obvious!?

Aha, now I see.

What do you think, Big Brother?

About what?

They're trying to think of the perfect gift for Master. What do you think he would like?

How should I know?

...Figure it out yourselves. I don't care.

...

？！

？！

We're going out. Get ready.

？！

...Just hurry.

I can't believe we got separated. That shouldn't even be possible.

But, then again, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at this point.

After all, impossible things happen all the time here at Chaldea, right?

Frankly, human technology shouldn't even be capable of summoning a Divine Spirit like us, yet here we are.

？！

...I don't know. You're coming with me to look for her.

I apologize for taking up your time like this.

This is all my fault.

I was so deep in thought in my spirit form that I didn't even notice she was missing at first.

Our Spirit Origin is unusual in that we are two halves of a single whole. The two of us together make one Servant.

We're not meant to be separated like this, and we won't last long apart. That's why we need to hurry.

？！

I'm glad you understand the seriousness of this situation.

... ...

... ...

Stop that. I'm not your brother.

...No. I don't.

？！

Oh, there you are.

You're one of the star people. Are you looking for the other star?

Yes, I am.

And you don't know where to look?

...No, I don't.

Then let's find the other star. I'm good at that, you know.

Let's go travel the Chaldean sea.

Steady as she goes!

You know, this would be even better with a captain...

？！

Hm?

Jason!

Well, well, fancy seeing you here all alone. What happened to your sister?

I'm looking for her right now.

Huh?

Star child, is this encounter mere coincidence? I think not.

You say you can guide me where I need to go. You, an entity made by human hands.

Is that bad?

Not at all.

Thank you, star child.

You too, Jason and Fujimaru.

Wh-what're you talking about?

You're an expert at finding treasure, right? Then you can help me find my sister. It's basically the same thing.

This way.

I'm sure I can sense her. She's golden and bright, but also a little cold.

I see. Then we'd better hurry.

？！

Hmm. You think?

He doesn't seem any different to me. Sure, he can be a pain in the ass when it comes to his sister...

...but he pretty much seems like the same guy I remember from the Argo.

？！

Why would I lie about that?

Castor's basically your typical strong and silent type. He was also a great sailor, so he was a big help to have around.

Most of all, he never loses his way, whether at sea or on land.

All he and his sister had to do was glance up at the sky, and they'd know exactly which way to go.

Well, maybe it wasn't always smooth metaphorical sailing in especially tricky areas, like cursed land and seas...

But aside from those, they never got lost.

I forget who it was who said they must have the stars watching over them...

...but it turned out they were more right than they knew.

When I found out those twins were actually gods from the stars, I wasn't surprised so much as I was like, "Well THAT explains it!"

Of course, they didn't stick around much longer after that...

Hello, everyone. I'm Murasaki Shikibu.

What brings you to the underground library today? If there's anything I can do to help

I see. You must be a Heroic Spirit from the Far East.

I'm looking for my sister. I don't plan to cause any trouble here...

...but I'll warn you now that I cannot guarantee trouble won't find us.

There are numerous ways of making the impossible a reality, but I'm told that Chaldea in particular possesses several Holy Grails.

Even a mere fragment of one can still grant wishes, and more often than not, they are known to invite trouble.

I hope that won't come to pass here, but if it should, I apologize.

I will do my best to keep the damage to a minimum, but I urge you to be prepared for the worst nonetheless.

Oh my! Well in that case, please, feel free to look around all you like.

While I would certainly be sad to see any of the books damaged...

...they're all copies of records from Chaldea's database anyway.

I can easily restore them with my own magical energy, and I should also have sufficient magical energy to repair the bookshelves.

I see. I'm relieved to hear that. Thank you for being so understanding.

？！

You think so?

？！

Hmm.

Now that you mention it...

...maybe?

Ohhh, wait, I remember now. It's all coming back to me...

We have a favorable wind today, Captain.

Just say the word, and we can embark at any time.

Wretched brigands! Nobody gets near Pollux and lives to tell about it as long as I'm around!

Enjoy the sun while you can, for you will never see the light of another day!

Yes, Big Brother, I agree that they are indeed wretched...

...but we still need to let at least one of them live so we can pump them for information!

Says who!?

Yeah, yeah, that's right.

He was like a totally different person when Pollux was around. Haha, can't believe I never realized that before!

What is it, Jason?

Oh, nothing. Just thinking how surprisingly easy it can be to miss what's right in front of you.

Hm?

Well, anyway, now that we have the librarian's permission, let's start searching.

You're sure this is the right way, star child?

Uh-huh. She's up ahead.

Then let's go.

This way. Hurry.

Don't go too far ahead now, star child. There's no telling what may be waiting.

Oh come on, this is a library, remember? I really doubt we'll see anything more dangerous than a bookworm.

？！

If you say so.

I wonder if we'll run into monsters. That would be a big adventure.

...Assuming no Holy Grail is somehow mixed up in this, I agree with Jason.

It's very unlikely we would run into any manner of monster in a quiet, peaceful libra

Oh shit, there really ARE monsters here! Big ones, too!

I can sense magical energy within them. They must be giants.

Th-the hell are giants doing in a library!?

Dammit, where's Heracles when you need him!? We don't even have the other half of the twins!

Giants! They're like something out of a Ray Harryhausen movie!

Wow. Now I wish I had some popcorn and soda.

Can we really take these things!?

？！

I could have told you that the minute Pollux went missing, but yes, you're right. This is much more trouble than I was expecting!

I'll do the best I can to back you up, but I'm afraid I won't be able to fight them directly!

I just don't have my entire Spirit Origin right now!

Tell us something we don't know!

All right, if we have to do this, we might as well get it over with!

There are ghosts, too!

Giants AND ghosts!? The hell kind of matchup is that!?

Not to mention...

There's too damn many of them!

We have to end this before they damage the library itself! We may even need to consider falling back, Fujimaru!

Curses... If only II mean, we, had our usual Spirit Origin...

...this battle wouldn't even have been difficult! Ugh!

Behind us! More giants!

Great, a pincer attack! Now we can't even run away! Come on, Master, call for reinforcements already!

？！

Oh come on!

... ...

...What do we do now?

It's okay, guiding star. Don't worry.

I'll do my job. You're not alone.

Even now, you're not alone.

...I see.

Then she must be here. Pollux!

Big Brother!

Come on, Big Brother! Let's finish them!

Right! Let's go, Pollux!

And just like that, the giants are taken care of, huh. I see they still make a great team.

Well done, Big Brother.

It's all thanks to you, Pollux.

Oh, um, I don't know if I'd...

I mean, is everyone all right!?

Uh-huh!

Eh, I've been better, but I've also been worse, so.

？！

Um...

I think I know what's going on here. This is about me, isn't it? I'm sorry.

I'm guessing my brother brought you all down here to look for me because he was worried about me?

That's right.

You got it. Not that it was probably all that hard to figure out.

So what were you doing down here all by yourself, anyway? I didn't even think you guys could operate individually.

I mean when you're a Heroic Spirit. Obviously things were different when you were alive.

Well... Um...

How dare you, Jason!?

Who do you think you are, forcing Pollux to hem and haw!?

Don't pay him any mind, Pollux. I know it shouldn't have been possible for us to get separated, but that problem is ours alone to figure out.

It is no one else's business!!!

...Ohhh, right. Haha. Now I definitely remember.

It was always like this back when we were alive, too.

How dare you, Jason!? I'm the only one who's always known Pollux!

I'm talking about you, not her!

Me? What about me?

B-Big Brother...

Ahaha. This is all very fun, isn't it!

Hmm. I don't know.

？！

... ...

...Big Brother, everyone. I'm so sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen.

I wished I could be on my own, even just for a little while.

I wanted to do something in secret, without Big Brother knowing about it...

Maybe a party would have been too much, but I thought I could at least get away with a present...

？！

Yes! That's it!

I wanted to try surprising him!

While listening to the children talk, I imagined how happy Big Brother would be if I surprised him with something he'd like...

...and I just had to actually see it for myself.

But I couldn't surprise him if we were always together like we usually are, so...

... ...

......

B-Big Brother?

Why aren't you saying anything? Are you upset with me!?

No, no, nothing like that.

You should know what's going on better than anyone. He's so moved he can't even speak.

!

...Jason.

Don't just blurt out the truth like that. Then I really will be at a loss for words.

Hehe. You two are really close, aren't you!

You bet we are.

Pollux and I are the guiding stars. We are bound together for all of time, whether we are people or Servants.

We would never disagree about anything. Everything Pollux does delights me to no end.

Big Brother...

？！

I'll say. Ugh, all this sweetness is going to give me cavities.

？！

？！

Yeah, pretty much.

Part of it's just because he's a good old-fashioned misanthrope...

...but I think it's mostly because he wants to keep his sister safe from all the riffraff out there.

S-stop that, Jason!

You can't say things like that around my brother! Not if you want to keep your head on your shoulders!

It's okay, Big Brother. Please don't be mad. He didn't really mean

Hm? What is it?

Did you say something, Jason? Sorry, my attention was on Pollux so I didn't hear you.

？！

Of course I do.

B-Big Brother...

Aww♪

They're definitely a good match for each other, that's for sure. What're we seeing now, anyway?

They're Gemini, the guiding stars. They'll aaalways love each other.

I think it's great. I love seeing people get along.

Hey, never said I didn't like it.

Anyway, I get that she wanted to surprise him, but what was the deal with the giants and ghosts?

It's got something to do with how Pollux could move about independently, right? What, was there a Holy Grail fragment lying around somewhere or something?

It was not the Holy Grail that did this. Hehe.

It was me.

？！

And me.

？！

My Primordial Runes can make the impossible possible, albeit only for a limited time.

That includes giving each half of a single Servant the ability to use Independent Action.

It was not easy, of course, but...

...I decided to give it a try today.

Indeed. After all, there are two of us here now. Hehe.

？！

Ah...

Skadi...

？！

Oh, those were my doing.

Scáthach!?

It seems even I must pay some price when making the impossible possible.

As they say nowadays, the more you know!

Uh-oh. I recognize this aura...

It seems we have a giant of the underworldan embodiment of a dark nighthere with us now.

This will not be an easy fight. Are you prepared to face it?

Night.

Darkness.

These things may normally cause humans to lose their way, but with us here, they should hold no fear!

We will guide you out of any darkness, no matter how deep!

Our light will always illuminate the way!

Heroes! Human! Creatures born of humankind! Be not afraid of the dark!

Here it comes!

？！

Understood!!!

Well done! Victory is ours!

I thought beings of light such as yourselves may have a difficult time against a giant of the underworld, but it seems my concerns were unwarranted.

Now we can rest easy knowing the library is safe.

All right, come along, Scáthach-Skadi, my other self.

Wh-where are we going, Scáthach, my other self?

Back to ground level, of course.

Huh?

But, there are so many damaged books here. Shouldn't we at least repair them before we

We have done what we came here to do. No more, no less.

？！

... ...

...Tch.

I see, I see. So you did find Lady Pollux here! I'm so glad to hear that.

And since you were kind enough to agree to repair the damaged books...

...it looks like all's well that ends well!

？！

My apologies for the trouble we caused you, Heroic Spirit of the Far East.

Know that you have the esteem of the Dioscuri, and do not forget the honor that represents!

Did you have to put it that way, Big Brother?

Of course I did, Pollux!

Anyone who aids gods such as ourselves should feel honored to have had the chance to do so.

That goes for all of you as well, Jason, star child, human.

Whatever you say, pal.

Uh-huh.

？！

Hm?

Hold it, human! How dare you try to ingratiate yourself to my sister with platitudes like "I'm glad everything worked out!?"

I'm fairly sure he was talking to you, Big Brother.

Huh?

Is that true?

？！

... ...

...I see.

This is great!

I'm glad you two found each other again!

By the way, I was wondering.

What did you pick for a present?

Oh. Is it private? Should we not look?

Oh, um, well, it is a little embarrassing sharing this in front of people, so...

Pollux.

This star child accompanied me on my journey to find you. Why not let him see it?

What about me and Master?

...All right. But only this one time.

Are we agreed, Pollux?

...Okay.

Well, um, here it is...

Well!? What did she get him!?

Yes, we'd really love to know. What kind of present did she choose for her brother?

Well, uh... How can I put this...

I think...I'll tell you all some other time.

Why can't you give us a straight answer!?

Just tell us already!

Hmm?

All right, I'll give you a hint. But just one, okay?

The hint is...

...it was really, reeeally heavy.

I'll also say this: it was something that reconfirmed for me that those two were made for each other.

I know I could never accept something like that without a stiff drink...

Hmmm...

Something heavy... Like a heart?

How do you even know how much hearts weigh!? No, wait, don't tell me. I don't want to know.

Anyway, no, it was nothing like that.

It was words.

Words?

Words that expressed how much she cares for him.

The kind of words that come straight from your heart.

Ohh, you mean a poem.

That's it!

It was a poem from Pollux to Castor. The words of stars.

Hmm.

So, was it a good poem then?

Of course!

It shone as brightly as a star!