Saving the Matou Line

Night came and went as the various groups continued their studies. Illya left with Berserker for a short time to bring in more materials, with Yui hoping to solve the vexing puzzle of the additional summoning. By bedtime, though, she had had no luck.

Early the next morning, Yui was up brewing coffee for everyone, still reading a book in one hand and occasionally peering in a gem in the other to check on her familiars.

Halfway through one sip, she stopped and ran over to Mari and Hachi, her gem clutched tightly in hand. "Ayaka just left the mansion. Looks like she's headed toward school."

Mari frowned. "Aw man, if she's getting an education, I don't wanna fuck that up. Maybe we can wait until she leaves? Or maybe all of her worst classes are after lunch?"

Scathach shook her head, "No, we should get her now. Once we have her securely, we can tutor her ourselves, or send her to school with accompaniment. I will leave immediately with a disguised presence to keep an eye on her. The rest of you should go and see if you can talk her into coming to the mansion." Scathach disappeared and rushed off, leaving nary a magical signal.

She rubbed the back of her neck and turned to Yui. "So... what do I say? 'Name's Mari, I'm your niece, let's go?'" She sighed and poured the coffee into a thermos.

"I guess it's too late to stand around debating." She covered her hair with a knit cap and pulled on her coat, ready to go.

Avalon shrugged on a jacket, "Maybe we just be truthful? Or ask if she wants to not live with that horrible old dude anymore? I be that'd be a yes."

"I'm not even sure myself," Yui hummed, then turned to shout into the mansion. "We're going to get Ayaka, anyone else want to help out?"

"I'll attend," Saber spoke up, their armor shimmering into streetwear. White shorts, white shirt, red jacket, their face obscured by the brim of a hat as always.

"Let's do it to it," Mari said with a firm nod. Soon she was out the door.

Yui was right behind her.

A few blocks away, Ayaka was walking slowly to school, staring at the ground with a morose look on her face.

Scathach hovered around the girl, thinking of a way to slow her so that the others could catch up. She materialized a few feet behind in modern clothes. She wore a black flowing sundress with a knit cardigan, celtic knots woven into the pattern. She caught up with the youngster, "Exscuse me dear! I'm new to this place. Could you help me with directions?"

"I'll drive the getaway car. Ho ho!" Alexander quips.

Ayaka jumped in surprise, wringing her hands nervously. "U-umm..." she mumbled quietly. "I... I suppose. Where do you need to go?"

Scathach feigned ignorance, "Oh let's see...what is the word? I'm so sorry you must be on your way to school! Oh I just can't think of it..." she spent some time trying to come up with the proper word, and giving vague and confusing descriptions, when she heard a car appraoching and felt her master's presence.

Mari peeked out of the window, cheeks pink. Hachi was seriously a looker...

"Ah, Rider, you should stop here." Once the car had been parked, she walked towards the young girl. Pressing buttons on her phone, she brought up a picture of her father, just in case.

Ayaka looked around nervously as Hachi rambled on. She seemed to feel the presence of a Servant nearby. It couldn't be, could it...?

"U-um... I'm going to be late for school."

"E-excuse me..." Mari raised a gloved hand to get their attention. "My name's Mari, and I need to talk to you. It's really important, um, my dad asked me to." She showed Ayaka the picture, Hideto's hair and eyes undeniably Matou, even if the kind smile wasn't.

Ayaka's eyes went wide when she saw the family resemblance. She looked up at Mari in horror, backing away several steps. Then, she abruptly turned and bolted back in the direction of the Matou mansion.

Shit!! "W-wait!! We wanna help you!!" Her eyes darted around for any police. If there was a koban nearby and she tried to catch up, she could be screwed...

Realizing what this could look like, and also that she didn't look like a Matou at all, Avalon took quick action. With what little japanese she had at her disposal she grabbed the girl by the hand, "Quick! I'll help you get away from those people!" She rushed into the car Alexander had just vacated, luckily the keys were still in the ignition. She whipped it around and sped back towards the mansion, "Uh..is this the direction we need to go? I saw you running this way so I just assumed. Are you okay?"

Ayaka tried weakly to pull away, but was too meek to totally resist. She sat in the car, but by now was almost totally panicking. "Who are you? What's going on?!"

She looked at Avalon more closely, from her hair, to her face, and then to her hands. Command Spells. Ayaka looked as though she might die of fright.

At first trying for the door handle, which was now locked, she then curled up in her seat and covered her head. "Don't kill me!! I don't have a Servant!!"

"Woah! Uh....no! Uh..." she tried to smile at the girl, and just got to the mansion as quickly as possible. She remained in the locked car with her until the others arrived, trying her best to convey her good intentions. "Uh...We like you!" she stammered in japanese. "We don't like the old guy. We wanna help you." she felt bad, as it took her awhile to put that together and the poor thing had NO reason to believe her at all.

"Why should I believe you?!" Ayaka stammered, holding one hand out defensively. "You killed Assassin, and now you're coming for me next!"

"Th-...uh...do you speak english at all?" she apologized in Japanese, for what it was worth.

Ayaka shook her head. "N-no..."

Mari eventually caught up to the car, rubbing a stitch in her side. "Yaahh, why'd you have to drive so fast... the speed limit is 40 kilometers per hour, y'hear? 40!" She took off her cap and fanned her red face. Wiping sweat off of her forehead, she walked around to a back door, slid a flat black rod out of her pocket, and used it to jimmy the door lock up through the window gasket.

Once inside, she sprawled onto the back seat. "I'm so tired now..."

Ayaka jumped again when Mari flopped into the backseat. When she noticed the blue in Mari's hair, she strangely seemed to relax a little. Still shaking, she wiped a tear from her eye. "W-what's going on? I don't get it!"