- Reforged: The Twin Blade -
- Prologue -

- Fuyuki Burns -
Shinto, Fuyuki City Hall

Unnatural winds tore past the stone and marble ruins of Fuyuki's former city hall, though the disturbance went unnoticed against the backdrop of burning fires and smoking ruins of former homes and apartments. Ashen wooden frames and concrete blocks and pillars crumbled to the ground as the wind wrapped around itself, forming a small cyclone that blossomed into a whirling tornado. In this one moment, the laws of physics were bent and time itself shifted as a greater force exerted its power. Solid matter appeared where there was only air before as a portal tore through reality itself. Azure light bathed the area as particles blue-shifted within the air, before a humanoid shape was thrown through the portal, closing the anomaly behind it. The sound of metal clattered behind the figure before the portal finally sealed shut.

The small figure lay still for an unknown amount of time before finally stirring. The air was sickly warm and she coughed. There was the cool feel of wet stone against her cheek and she opened her eyes; blinking to see past the haze in her eyes. Pushing off the wet stone floor, the girl rose to one knee before her strength failed her and she slid and slammed onto the floor. The blonde girl lay there motionless, her green eyes looking at the open roof above her. Above her, she saw the blackness of the night sky tinged orange and the flicker of firelight that glowed and dimmed outside.

She tried to remember what had happened. How had she gotten here? What... She had to know... Had it worked?

The girl pushed herself to her feet, muscles aching in protest, and looked at her surroundings. The building she was in a shadow of its former self, with only the remnants of charred wooden frames and soot stained stone walls. All around her were the remains of hundreds of seats. At the front for what she took as the center stage was a massive gaping hole that descended into darkness. Behind her were numerous steps that led to the only significant source of illumination in the massive auditorium. Bright orange streamed in from an empty double doorway, blinding her as she looked upwards.

"Had this place been a theater or auditorium?" she thought to herself. The place had a sense of familiarity that tingled in the back of her mind.

Slowly, ever slowly, with each step sending aching pain through her weary limbs, the girl made her way up the steps before collapsing to her knees; her breath ragged from exhaustion and perspiration dripping from her brow.

The air around her was sweltering hot, as if she were being held above a massive fire. The black clothing that clung to her body was soaked with sweat and clung to her like a second skin. It was too hot. She struggled with the tight knots that bound the black dress tightly around her abdomen and stifled her breathing. It felt a vise had closed around her chest. She fumbled with the clasps and knots on her corset before pausing, sweat streaming from her face. With a tired curse, she grabbed a shard of glass on the floor and simply cut the knots and cloth away.

Tugging at her shredded clothes, she shed the heavy dress from her form, letting it fall from her shoulders. It felt... liberating. The girl sighed in relief as she felt the air against her skin like a burst of wind on a hot day. She rested there, trying to regain her strength.

A glimmer of crimson caught her eye and only now did she notice the heavy gem around her neck. She looked at the heavy stone, a beautiful ruby that fit comfortably in the palm of her hand laced with to a silver chain. It was a beautiful jewel, but it wasn't hers.

After a painfully long climb, she finally reached the edges of the doorway. She squinted her eyes, her vision blinded momentarily by the change in brightness, before looking around the hallway she was in. Broken glass littered the carpeted floor of the wooden hall. She looked outward through the remains of the hall's window panes and into the city beyond.

Orange fire burned in the distance, sending up plumes of smoke high into the air. Hellfire burned the city around her, the blaze consuming everything it touched with no sign of stopping. In the distance, she could see the lights of emergency crews trying to help the wounded and stem the inferno's reach. The fire burned with the ferocity of a rabid wolf, spreading to other buildings and trees.

Exhausted, Arturia Pendragon fell to her knees and collapsed against the hallway wall. Her muscles ached from the simple task of climbing the set of stairs and she couldn't even muster the strength to stand. Her eyes droop as the warm heat wrapped her tired body in a warm embrace and she simply lay there; content to watch as Fuyuki burned.

There was a crack and then a roar, before Arturia felt the floor disappear under her feet. Her stomach seemed to twist in her chest before she collapsed onto solid ground once more, slamming her head against the hard floor. Her head was spinning… or was it the world that was tumbling around her?

Chilling water washed over her, drenching the heat of her body. She looked back in time to see an avalanche of rubble following behind her and then darkness.

Author's Notes: So where do I plan on taking this?

Things will be slightly slow from the start as I'll have to setup the background and Saber's situation, but I'm planning on this heading towards a paranormal police procedural that'll investigate the non-Grail War side of the Nasuverse. The Church, MA, other organizations, other locations and other Nasuverse monsters that bump in the night; the lesser explored side of the universe. All the while, Saber will learn what she could have been if she'd taken a few more magic lessons from Merlin.