Nursery Rhyme
A Bunch of Books, a Crowd of Us
Mash:
It's dark... isn't it?
Fou:
Foooouu...
Mash:
It's very similar to a place we've seen before.
The Soho area of London.
Fujimaru 1:
The old bookstore, right?
Fujimaru 2:
Where Andersen was, right?
Mash:
Yes, Senpai.
It's very similar to the 2nd floor of that bookstore.
Dr. Roman:
I'm sure it is.
That's because your current location–
Dr. Roman:
Is inside Nursery Rhyme's Reality Marble.
Dr. Roman:
Although slightly different if we were to be technical.
It's a subtype of the dream shared by Master and the contracted Servants.
Dr. Roman:
Anyway, it's a special place.
A special place involving the Servant Nursery Rhyme.
Mash:
Understood, Doctor.
I came up with a similar theory.
Mash:
...Because she's here.
Nursery Rhyme:
—
Fujimaru 1:
Why this form, I wonder?
Fujimaru 2:
She's back to being a book.
Mash:
Yes. When you performed the second Ascension,
she gained the form of a young girl.
Mash:
So why has she regressed to her original form?
Nursery Rhyme:
—
Mash:
She doesn't speak, either.
This is–
Fou:
Fooou!
Dr. Roman:
Uh-oh! I'm detecting magical energy in your vicinity!
It looks like her, but it's not!
Dr. Roman:
They're trying to surround you,
which means they're probably enemies!
Fujimaru 1:
Prepare for combat!
Mash:
Roger, Master!
Give me your orders!
--BATTLE--:
Mash:
Enemies defeated.
...She helped us.
Dr. Roman:
Which means that, yup, Nursery Rhyme accepts Fujimaru as her Master.
Nursery Rhyme:
—
Dr. Roman:
She's a book, so she doesn't talk, though.
What is happening, exactly?
Mash:
Keep looking into it, Doctor.
It appears we've got more enemies approaching.
Mash:
Senpai, give me your orders.
The battle continues!
--BATTLE--:
Fou:
Fooou!
Mash:
Battle is over. We've defeated them.
Good work, Senpai.
Dr. Roman:
I'm not getting anywhere with my analysis, but I have news. There's something very similar to Nursery Rhyme nearby.
Dr. Roman:
That army of books was similar to her,
but this is more like an exact copy.
Dr. Roman:
This might be what pulled you into that space.
Can you try talking to it?
Fujimaru 1:
Roger!
Fujimaru 2:
Nothing else to do anyway
Mash:
Okay, Senpai.
Let's move–You too, Nursery Rhyme.
Nursery Rhyme:
—
Mash:
Oh, when you move,
she follows you, huh?
Dr. Roman:
That book's really attached.
That's really...rather nice...
Mash:
Yeah.
It feels like watching a cute little animal.
Dr. Roman:
Is that...
Mash:
Seems like it's up ahead.
I can feel the response.
Fou:
Fou...
Dr. Roman:
Here it comes. Looks like it's approaching.
It might be an enemy, so be careful!
Nursery Rhyme?:
–Hello, the other me.
Nursery Rhyme?:
I missed you, book me!
Emotions folded in-between the pages.
Nursery Rhyme?:
I missed you, real me! The me who can do nothing without fingers to flip the pages.
Nursery Rhyme?:
I am me, Alice.
You are me, a story.
Nursery Rhyme?:
No, no. I am me.
I'm not Alice. You stay in that form, okay?
Mash:
Alice?
Nursery Rhyme:
—
Fujimaru 1:
Two Nursery Rhymes?
Fujimaru 2:
What's going on?
Mash:
I don't know, exactly...
Mash:
But the one that's connected to you by contract is the one that's a book.
Mash:
But at the same time...
That girl over there...
Mash:
She doesn't seem to be a fake Nursery Rhyme.
Her magical energy feels too similar.
Dr. Roman:
I got a detailed analysis now that you're closer–
Yup, Mash is right. Their magical energy response is identical.
Dr. Roman:
It's too identical.
Like another copy of the same being?
Dr. Roman:
I want to say that's impossible,
but where you are, in a way, is inside Nursery Rhyme.
Dr. Roman:
It's possible that her core is split into two beings!
Fujimaru 1:
In other words?
Fujimaru 2:
Dumb it down for me!
Mash:
They're both her.
It's a possibility.
Nursery Rhyme:
—Correct.
Mash:
(It talked!)
Fou:
(Fou!)
Nursery Rhyme:
—That's me. The other me.
Nursery Rhyme:
—The me in Alice's form.
Nursery Rhyme:
—The Alice that shouldn't exist
—Because I imitated that form.
Nursery Rhyme:
—I thought to myself.
—That form is Alice's, but...
Nursery Rhyme:
—Is it okay for me to take it?
—Can I be Alice when there is no Alice here?
Nursery Rhyme?:
No, no, no. It's wrong!
I am just a story, right?
Nursery Rhyme?:
Alice isn't here!
Only I'm here!
Nursery Rhyme?:
I must stay a story.
I can't stay as Alice.
Nursery Rhyme?:
Right–?
Mash:
??
Dr. Roman:
...I see! So that's it!
Nursery Rhyme isn't supposed to have a human form!
Dr. Roman:
But the Ascension gave her the form of a little girl.
That self-contradiction grew within her.
Dr. Roman:
So she called Fujimaru, her Master,
deep inside her.
Mash:
She's trying to get an answer, isn't she?
About which form she should choose.
Mash:
The book Nursery Rhyme is uncertain.
The girl Nursery Rhyme wants to reject it.
Fujimaru 1:
...Let's ask her.
Fujimaru 2:
It's her choice.
Mash:
That's right, Senpai.
...Nursery Rhyme, the answer is within you.
Mash:
We can't answer for you.
We don't know what that girl's form means to you.
Mash:
We don't know why you're hesitating.
Or who or what you're thinking of.
Mash:
So...
Nursery Rhyme:
—I am me. I know that.
Nursery Rhyme:
—But I want to be Alice.
—I want that form, if I can have it.
Nursery Rhyme:
—I want to drink sweet, sweet tea as Alice.
—I want to eat sweet, sweet candy as Alice.
Nursery Rhyme:
—I want to play, as Alice.
Nursery Rhyme:
...That was what Alice longed to do,
...when she held me in her arms until the very end.
Mash:
...Senpai.
Fujimaru 1:
There's your answer.
Mash:
Right, Master!
Nursery Rhyme?:
I see. So that was my decision.
But I won't allow it!
Nursery Rhyme?:
I am me. Alice isn't here!
I won't let you pretend this is a happy ending!
Dr. Roman:
Magical energy response expanding!
Here she comes!
--BATTLE--:
Mash:
...Enemy unit defeated.
Nursery Rhyme?:
Hmph. Actually, I knew how this was going to end.
If Alice isn't here–
Nursery Rhyme?:
I can just become Alice.
That's the kind of dumb idea I'd get now.
Nursery Rhyme?:
Listen, me.
If you're going to choose Alice's form...
Nursery Rhyme?:
Never...let your...
story have...
Nursery Rhyme?:
an unhappy ending...
Nursery Rhyme:
—Yeah.
Nursery Rhyme:
I'll make it a happy ending.
I'll do my best for Alice.
Fou:
Fooou!
Dr. Roman:
Okay, I guess we're done!
That weird space is closing, I think, so yeah!
Dr. Roman:
I'll use the Rayshift technology to get you back to Chaldea. Ready–go!