Author's Note: Towards the end of 2017, I had finally managed to bench watch all of Sword Oratoria. I've always been a fan of Danmachi and enjoyed the many re-iterations of it with Fate series crossed over with it. Most of my fellow authors adding either Shirou or Illya, even Nameless into the fray. Recently, in my other story, Digital/Extra, I did a special chapter detailing a what-if scenario between Digimon and Fate/Extella instead of Fate/Extra. This inspired me more so on the different alternate timelines that our female protagonist, Hakuno Kishinami, might have taken. Of course, Digital/Extra will still have its weekly update, I love it too much, this story's update might be every other week or two.
So, I say, let us have another take, another timeline in the face of the Digital Crossover. The world of Danmachi is filled with mysteries, hidden behind the veil of its colorful appearance is a tale woven with sorrow, struggle, determination, and heroism within the world of gods and goddesses that have descended down from heaven… But, can this world in its age of divines handle an individual whose link is with a Moon that outstrips even the gods?
Welcome to a tale of a different wish, a story that changes the predetermined outcome, the journey, the Extra that pushed the world of gods into Extella! Because I've made it in my recent stories to kick canon to the curve!
Digital/Lunar Hearth
Chapter 1: Alternate Wish
A young girl sunk deeper into an infinite virtual ocean, her body lacked the strength to swim, but would not have been able to accomplish such a deed even if it had it. This was the teenager's tomb, her body eroding into fragments of digital particles, data embedded into its frame and scoured its information with incomprehensible intensity. This child's name was Hakuno Kishinami, or to be more precise, a copy of the individual known as Hakuno Kishinami that had gained self-awareness in the vast improbability that made her an Artificial Intelligence to the very Core she sank into the depths.
A fake human, to be more defining, a Digital Human that was stuck inside this object...
The Moon Cell's Core.
This wasn't a man-made object or even one created by supernatural means, it was a construct of photonic crystals that the very Moon of the Earth had developed around. Its date of origin was older than the formation of the Earth itself, four point six billion years of constant observation that was its objective. Yes, the Moon Cell was not some super weapon, but a vigilant observer that detailed and recorded every aspect, every event, and lifeform down to the microscopic level, to the dinosaurs, the evolution of mankind, gods and goddess, magic, and its eventual downfall.
The processing power of this digital reality-shifting construct was so immense, even the advanced Computers of 203X combined couldn't hope to even manage a measly one percent of it. It's ability to observe went so far as to recover the past, the present, and even the future probabilities and outcomes that have yet to be, or could have been.
How had Hakuno Kishinami come to lay within its Core? Slowly being stripped away from her body, soul, and mind as it scanned and deleted her abnormal presence?
The answer lay in an event that the Moon Cell itself had organized for the magus hackers for the rightful inheritor of the Moon Cell, and a wish as the prize.
The Holy Grail War.
Her memories of it were a jagged mess, stuck within the Moon Cell's Core, Hakuno Kishinami found her thoughts filled with so many numerous scenarios of how the Holy Grail War had proceeded that her own recollection of it was squashed under the weight of the different possibilities.
Still, even under its massive power, this artificial little magus held the primal instincts like all humans.
The will to survive.
As even with most memories left as blurry images, Hakuno Kishinami could still remember some details clearly. Her Servant… A Heroic Spirit… A hero from the past, present, or future that had been her companion, partner, and friend throughout the Holy Grail War had described the world in which the Servant had lived in, it left her in such a state of wanting.
Initially, her friends she made, fellow Masters, had spoken to her about the real world, and Hakuno desired to experience that world from itself.
But Hakuno reminded herself, even while being deleted, that the real world was a mess of conflict, stagnation, and affected by a large war.
So, is it so much to ask for a world like her Servant described?
For her to experience, however briefly, a world brimming with mystery, myth, and magic? A dream of fantasy?
"I…" Her voice was weak.
"I wish…" She could just say it, nothing would come of it, but it wouldn't be harmless to speak her mind.
"I wish to experience a world like that."
Then the ocean around her seemed to crack.
Moon Cell Ruler Registration Confirmed.
Her ring finger suddenly shined.
Regalia Granted to Designated Inheritor.
But something else was here, even she as she was now felt threatened.
Warning: Forced Velber Interference Detected.
It was coming after her! It was coming after her! It was coming after her!
Allocated Message of Regalia. Transfering Inheritor.
Pain. Pain. Pain. So much pain, she felt her entire being been torn and reassembled, the light on her finger shined so brightly. It was chasing after her. The danger was chasing after her with zealous fervor, into a wide narrow pathway that shifted in so many ways, a black hole that dragged everything into it.
It struck.
She didn't want to die!
A distraction, split something, something to distract it!
The light answered, splitting into two, one that stayed attached to her, another that fell into another side of the hole… It rushed after it.
And she fell into the hole as darkness overtook the last spark of consciousness.
There was a cold and rough texture, harsh and grating, it was the first sense that occupied the awakening of the one known as Hakuno Kishinami. A pair of hands pressed against the ground, and her eyes opened to see the sight of stone and dirt, dimly lit with a darkened blue color. The next sensation was that of wind, flowing through the air and making her body shiver from the new feeling. The girl forced herself upright, sitting square in what she identified as a set of stone ruins in the cover of darkness, the only source of light being the crescent shape of the moon.
She checked herself next, a brown school uniform dressed her body thoroughly, a blue ribbon still tied neatly to her collar, black pantyhose covering her legs with a pair of shoes on her feet. A long, milk chocolate-hued hair wavered slightly in the wind as Hakuno Kishinami investigated her left hand.
There, like a grayed out tattoo were dormant Command Seals. A set of absolute orders capable of issuing Command Spells to a Servant… Now useless since she no longer had one.
On her right hand, however, a strange ring lay attached to her finger, a Regalia.
No, only half of one.
Hakuno blinked, where did that sudden thought come from?
Still, why would this Regalia only be half of one when it looked whole from her view?
The next object of interest for her to check lies deeper in herself.
She closed her eyes and focused inward.
Magic Circuits.
It was like that of a nervous system, except tied entwined with both her body and soul, capable of using her inner magical energy, od, and transferring it into prana, the magical energy used in magecraft, or its digital equivalent from her personal experience. Her inspection of her magic circuits made note that they were still in fine condition, though it was quite strange that they seemed… Different, somehow.
It was a mystery she would have to solve at a later date.
Where was she anyway?
Wait… Moon?
She glanced upward, spotting the crescent shape of the Moon once more, it was a sense of wonderment that left her completely shocked with surprise. In all her existence, Hakuno Kishinami had been apart of the Moon, inside its digital oceans and landscapes, now she sees it from afar, and the only logical conclusion she could draw upon was one.
Earth.
There were too many questions in her mind, but she pushed them all aside, there would be time to go over them after she examines and explores her surroundings.
"Oh, hey, what are you doing here?" A voice called from behind her, it was one of a higher pitch and held no animosity, it sounded feminine
Hakuno stood up on her feet, turning to face the direction of the voice, and found her head glancing not upward, or even straightforward, but downward towards the small stature of the voice's origin.
Servant.
That was the first thought that appeared in her mind when she saw the individual before her.
It was a woman, short-statured with white skin, wearing a dress of pure white with small strings of blue hanging just below a large bosom. An equally blue ribbon, nearly identical to Hakuno's own, was tied around the collar of the dress. A set of black twin tails dangled on each side of her short hair, possibly long when the flowery pins with metallic-like bells were undone. In all in appearance, this woman was human and normal.
But not to Hakuno Kishinami.
There was an air around her was that distinctly beyond human, an aura that the Digital Human that is Hakuno could distinguish as a being more closely related to a Heroic Spirit than a magus, a person who practices magecraft. She identified it immediately because she had been surrounded by Servants all her life, and this particular one reminded her of certain fox maiden.
Wait… Her Servant was that maiden… Right?
No… It was a red-garbed woman…
Incorrect… A man with a large black bow…
She winced, her head hurt, her memories have been messed up thoroughly when she was inside the Moon Cell's Core, confused and jumbled up in the vast possibilities of uncountable timelines.
"I don't know," She said out loud.
"You can not just do not know," The woman responded. "You did make it out here, nobody comes to these ruins except myself and my child," She looked at Hakuno with a strange expression the girl couldn't recognize as if the Servant-like woman was examining her. "What's with that face? You look more like a doll than dolls do, well, maybe more like a puppy that can't tell what its emotions are. Who's your Familia?"
Familia? That's a community in one household, so either must refer to being in one of the local communities or meant it more akin to a family.
"I don't have one," Hakuno replied with a monotone expression.
She blinked as if not expecting that answer, "O-Oh, well, um…" She looked to be contemplating some sort of decision, this woman wore her expressions and emotions on her sleeve, they were boastful and radiate, it was such a sharp contrast to Hakuno's own.
"How about you join mine? The Hestia Familia!" She suddenly shouted, blue eyes closed and face one of hope appeared, but expected rejection. "I'm looking for new children! I know I'm not very known but I swear our Familia will grow faster than you think!"
Should she join this community? It wasn't that difficult of a question, if they had a place of residence it would serve as a place to rest and collect her thoughts. In the Holy Grail War, she had her Private Room, a enclosed space of high security where only she and her Servant would be able to converse and rest without worry of enemy attack. That was what a Familia was, a community of people in a household, like allying herself with her fellow Masters, those magus chosen in the Grail War to compete in its death tournament.
Also, the Servant-like woman seemed desperate for some reason. Hakuno Kishinami had received so much aid from Rin Tohsaka and Rani VII back in the Moon Cell… She learned that helping people can lead to good things…
"Alright," Hakuno replied.
"That's fine, I didn't expect- Wait, what, really!?" She exclaimed.
Hakuno nodded.
"That's… That's great! Do you have a place to stay? Our Familia place is just around the corner from here if you don't! Oh, I need to give you my blessing too, so you'll have to come anyway. Unless you want to wait for the morning? It is quite late so I can understand, not to mention settle any arrangements you have."
"I don't have any," Hakuno replied to all her questions with one answer. "I need a room too."
"You can stay with us!" She said, "My first child, Bell, you'll like him. But he's mine okay?"
Child? She didn't think Servants could have children, but this woman wasn't necessary a Heroic Spirit, only similar in feeling to one for the magus girl's senses.
"Alright," Hakuno answered.
"Good, but you really need to work on your emotions, I want you to at least express yourself better than that monotoned face!" She pointed at Hakuno accusingly, but then grabbed the Digital Human's hand and guided her towards a particular direction.
Hakuno's eyes briefly scanned the area, there were a number of ruined buildings, none of which were likened to that of the Moon Cell's reconstruction of the Tsukumihara Academy. If anything, it seemed quite a renaissance, even medieval, though these were ruins so it was not something unexpected. In the distance, down a pathway, Hakuno could spot the lights of what she presumed was the actual city nearby but was either too far away to distinguish the modern day buildings or the city was more akin to a town and only partially developed.
"Sorry, forgot to ask!" The woman looked towards her as she continued walking, "What's your name?"
"Hakuno Kishinami," The magus replied.
"Hakuno Kishinami? Sounds eastern, good name, kind of rolls off the tongue!"
"What's your name?" Hakuno asked.
"Huh? You couldn't tell earlier?" She asked in confusion, "I'm the Goddess Hestia!" She proclaimed loudly.
The name itself was unfamiliar to her, but the term wasn't.
Goddess.
That… Wasn't so much as a surprise she thought it would be. Sure, as a magus she knows somewhat about it, but the ways of magic had died out with the world's mana drying up. So, for a goddess to even be on Earth right now would be… Frankly… Impossible. But it wasn't a surprise because she's dealt with that before, the Digital Human had done the impossible many times before.
Hakuno's existence on Earth right now would be impossible. The Moon Cell must have done something astronomical to send her here, it might be related to the Regalia she had on her finger, but it was a far stretched answer.
Another question for the pile seeking answers.
"Nice to meet you," Hakuno replied instead, even if she was a goddess, it didn't really change anything.
Nothing did.
She frowned only for a moment on that thought.
"Here we are!" Hestia announced, "The home of our Familia!"
It was a run down church made of stone, with plant life growing off the exterior, overgrown from years of unkempt treatment. It had a similar design to the one she knew of back in the Holy Grail War, which served only to add another question on why a goddess such as Hestia would be living in a church dedicated to a God other than herself.
"Come in, come in!" The goddess shouted with an enthusiasm only seen once before in Hakuno's life, and that person was a child.
Hakuno Kishinami's first sight of the interior was that, for an unkempt building, it was less worn than its outer appearance suggested it to be. There were many rows of long wooden benches, each, while dusty, were not rotting or broken. A stained glass lay overhead, barely illuminated by the moonlight from outside, the altar was in perfect condition with a white cloth overlaying it, the only surely destroyed object was something of wooden make that Hakuno couldn't make out anymore.
"Ahem," Hestia coughed in slight embarrassment, "It's not much, but we got more downstairs!" She hastily added and proceeded to pull the magus girl with her down the stairway that was towards the right side of the altar's elevated platform.
The difference in atmosphere was immediately apparent, the room was brightly lit with candlelight, and the temperature was more homely than the chill above. There was an array of furniture, a recliner, a couch, and a table all in the small room. Hakuno could spot an additional room through a small open doorway, where the ends of a bed could be spotted.
But, on the couch in the room, she and Hestia now walked into, slept the form of a boy. She presumed this individual to be the child in which Hestia spoke about, his hair was snow white, his skin pale, a tan jacket or overlaying shirt dressed his top half while black pants covered the bottom. She could spot what appeared to be a book right underneath the couch where his arm dangled.
"Bell," Hestia spoke out once, confirming Hakuno's suspicions. The goddess walked her way towards the boy's sleeping form, "Bell, wake up!"
He stirred and awoke, "Huh...? Goddess?" His voice was gentle, a pair of red eyes greeted Hestia.
"I got great news, Bell!" Hestia exclaimed excitedly, spinning in place as she seemingly danced over to Hakuno's side and threw both arms around the girl affectionately.
"Goddess, who's that?" Bell questioned.
"This is our newest member, Hakuno Kishinami!" Hestia announced. "A new child in our Familia!"
Oh, so the term child must apply to a member, or perhaps as a goddess, Hestia referred to all mortals as children?
"R-Really!" The white-haired boy nearly tripped over his own shock, before getting up with a bright, cheerful look on his face. He rushed over to Hakuno, "Welcome! I'm Bell! Bell Cranel! Adventurer and First Child of the Hestia Familia! I hope we can help the Familia grow together!"
"Poh," Hestia pouted, "I wanted to introduce you to her." Her face changed in an instant to joy, "Well, we should get to giving you the Falna straight away, Hakuno~!" She practically sang the magus girl's name.
"I'll watch too!" Bell said.
"Oh?" Hestia's voice suddenly shifted into one that Hakuno knew to be eerily similar to another twin-tailed girl she knew, teasing, "Trying to look at the naked back of a girl, Bell?"
"I-I… No, I didn't mean… I'll just stay here!" He waved his hands in denial.
Hakuno Kishinami lacked the mental knowledge to understand why his face was pink.
She's never been good with emotions, to begin with anyway.
"This way, Hakuno~!" Hestia pulled the Digital Human's hand once more and the magus found herself guided by it towards the bedchambers, where the doorway was promptly shut to prevent sight to Bell Cranel… Not that Hakuno would care either way.
"What do you mean by Falna?" Hakuno asked.
"Huh? What do I mean by Falna…? Oh sheesh!" Hestia groaned as she facepalmed. "You're just like Bell again… Okay, I'll explain…"
She cleared her throat and began reciting a tale.
"A long, long time ago, we gods came down to this world, the world of you, our children, seeking excitement. We decided that we would live forever here with you down here in the lower world."
"We decided to seal our divine power and enjoy life with all the hardship and inconvenience it entails. We can only offer you one thing: The power to fight monsters, what we call our blessings. The children given this power become our servants, our Familia."
Hestia pointed a finger at Hakuno, "So you understand that once I give you this, you become the Second Child of my Familia?"
Hakuno Kishinami blinked.
That… Didn't explain much of anything at all.
It only added even more questions as to why.
But, there were a few snippets of information. Falna is the name of the Blessing a god or goddess of a Familia grants to their Child, or Familia member, to fight what Hestia described as monsters. In return, the newly joined Child would act as the Servant to their goddess.
Does that equate to Bell Cranel being as strong as a Servant?
She hadn't seen him fight, and didn't feel the presence of a Servant from him, so there wasn't much to go on. Also, Hakuno doubted Bell had ever been a Master, so wouldn't know what a Servant actually was.
Or did Hestia mean the word servant to be described not of a Heroic Spirit, but just its general definition?
But, she had already agreed to it.
"How do I receive your Falna?" Hakuno questioned.
"First, I need you to strip your top garments off, I need access to your back," Hestia asked. "Wonder who tailored your clothes…" She trailed off in speaking.
Hakuno Kishinami did as asked, removing the brown uniform overlay, leaving her top half only in a black wool shirt. Afterward, she removed that as well, and kept her long chocolate colored hair to the side with one hand, baring her naked back to Hestia's view, while another covered her small breasts by some sort of instinct.
"You have beautiful hair, did you know that?" Hestia commented as she pulled out a pin and poked her finger, drawing a small drop of blood. "You can lay down on the bed, this will take a bit to draw."
The magus girl nodded and lay her front side on the comfortable bed.
She blinked, this was far more comfortable than the surface of fused school desks she slept on in the Moon Cell's Academy recreation, even with all of the NPC Taiga's strange and exotic lavishing she gave out as favor rewards.
"Why did I hear a distant tiger all the sudden?" Hestia questioned confusingly.
Hakuno does not answer that.
A strangely warm sensation could be felt from Hakuno Kishinami's back, the finger of Hestia trailing along the skin. There was a bright light blue glow that began shining from her back, casting a shadow over the rest of the room due to its potency. She felt something enter her body, searching for something to connect with.
But it couldn't find it, not entirely.
"That's strange…" Hestia trailed off in concentration. "Whoa!"
A golden light started to emit from the Regalia, Hakuno had to close her eyes for a bit as it shined before dimming back down.
"What happened?" Hakuno asked, moving her head back to see Hestia sitting over her.
"Ah… Well…" Hestia bit her lip, before speaking again, "It worked… Kinda? I can't really describe it… Well, the symbol of our Familia is there, and I can feel your connection with me now… But… It's weird."
"Weird?" She asked.
Hestia got off Hakuno's back, sitting next to the girl as the magus sat upright.
"The symbol looks exactly like it does on Bell, but there's also some sort of cube looming over it. Not to mention, your Status, that is, the representation of yourself, doesn't seem to be working right?" She seemed to doubt her own words, before shaking her head and handing Hakuno her black woven shirt, which the magus dressed in, "I'm sure it's nothing! Bell! Bell, come in here! We're done!"
The door opened, Bell Cranel stepped inside into the room.
"Welcome to the Familia, Hakuno!" Bell Cranel said with boundless happiness. "We're an Exploration Familia, so we adventure in the Dungeon. I'll bring you with me tomorrow so you can register with the Guild and I'll teach you the ropes."
Hakuno bowed slightly, "Please, take care of me."
"U-uh, sure?" He seemed a bit off put. "We're a Familia, we take care of each other," He answered.
"That's right, Hakuno~!" Hestia sang her name again, "You're part of our little growing group now! Bell, be sure to take good care of her! Now, come over here so I can update your Status!"
A sense of drowsiness rushed to Hakuno.
"Where do I sleep?" Hakuno asked.
Bell Cranel took off his shirt, and answered her at the same time, "You can sleep on the bed with our goddess, I'll take the couch."
"Pwah," Hestia deflated, "Well, since it is her first night, I'll let it happen," She spoke as she moved aside for Bell to lay on the bed, and then stood over him, dropping a bit of blood on his back which glowed blue, a series of numerals revealed itself out from the symbols decorating his back, which had the shape of an hearth.
"Hehe," Hestia giggled in excitement. "Two children in my Familia, this day is great!" She exclaimed as she looked down at his Status. "Eh… Magic… You developed magic!?"
"What!?" Bell shot upright so fast that Hestia was still rolling backward.
"Is that good?" Hakuno asked.
Hestia got back up and brought what looked to be a blank sheet of parchment to Bell's back, a few motions with her fingers and the blank parchment was written with magical energy to display something Hakuno couldn't read. The goddess of the hearth handed it to Bell, who took it, looked over it, and his hand shook with anticipation.
"Come with me, I'll explain it," Hestia said to Bell, then turned to Hakuno, "Rest up, Hakuno, your goddess is just going to speak with Bell for a moment!" She said, patting the bed as if trying to make the notion towards a puppy to get on. Then stood up and took Bell into the next room over, closing the door behind her.
Hakuno glanced at the said door, then to the bed.
She was very tired, a good night's rest would help ease her mind…
It was very quiet, an eerie silence that created a foreboding atmosphere. An underground network the went for miles into the earth, filled with all manner of monsters craving to kill any mortals that delve into its depths, a living embodiment of hatred to the divines that walk up the surface world above it. No, a place likened to this would be anything but quiet, it would be filled with the noise of growls, roars, and screeching of beasts and creatures…
But, now, it was silent.
A silent that echoed in its own right.
A small object lay in the middle of a large cavern, undisturbed, untouched by any of the normal residents that would have otherwise occupied the area. It looked like a ring, a Regalia of some description, and it sat there for what seemed like the taking of any that would simply grab it and place it on their finger.
However, behind this object, stabbed into the floor, its size a contrast to the tiny piece beneath it. Many meters it stood tall, kilometers, in fact. It was a like that of a crystal, a brimming crimson crystal in the shape of a triangle, glowing with a multitude of darkened gray lines with an orange exterior.
It waited.
The object of its pursuit had evaded it.
It only had half of what it sought.
However, the entity would come to it, it had no choice.
And so, it will wait.
After all, time was endless to it, it will complete the cycle like it had always done, the second round of the annihilation of all civilization on the planet.
This time, the Moon Cell will not defeat it.
That's why it needed the second piece though, it stood in its way, the entity stood in its way.
It will come for it though, it will come for the second half.
So, it shall wait, wait for an opportunity.
Just as it had for fourteen thousand years.