Prologue: Arrival At Zero
Let us begin with the story of a certain man. The tale of a man who, more than anyone else was set aflame by his ideals and driven to despair by them.
The man had wished that everyone in the world could be happy. It was something that all people would once hold in their hearts, a childish ideal that they would then cast aside.
However that man was different.
He came to know that all lives sat on the scales of balance between sacrifice and salvation. And once he understood that no side of the scales could ever be empty, he steeled his resolve to become the one who would measure the balance of the scales.
If one wishes to reduce the amount of grief coming from the world with the most certainty, this is the only path that can be taken. The path is the act of killing the few in order to allow the many to survive.
There was no question, no doubt of right or wrong in his methods and objective. He became the infallible balance of the scales. The man saved many people and killed many people, with no discrimination. But he realized far too late that to value all humans fairly and equally is the same as to never be loved by anyone.
Perhaps he should feel no anguish, as he perfected himself into a bloodless, tearless measuring instrument, having frozen and mortified his young heart
However that man was different.
A smile of delight would satisfy him. A voice of lamentation would shake his heart.
For one who pursued an ideal beyond the rationality of the world of men.
He was far too human...
So it should come as no surprise that there was a moment, a time when his path that had been unerring followed for so long could be shaken.
For the man who was far too human to 'Sever' his childish ideal and 'Bind' himself to a new path, for the 'one' he choose above the 'many'. Even though he knew it was wrong, in a moment of irrevocable change, he chose not to walk the path of some 'ally of justice' but that of a 'human' and threw away everything he knew and upheld.
In that moment he was no longer a keeper of the balance but a single human who would try to shoulder the ones he cared for most. And in that moment he forgot that just as no side of the scales could ever be empty, no man could ever truly see the cost of his choices until it was too late.
And with tears in his eyes, he watched as a fire more voracious than anything he could ever see devoured a land, that if not for his choice would have been a battleground beyond man. Instead it was now a hell beyond understanding.
And so leaving the 'one' behind, he dove into the flames trying once more to shift the balance of scales, even if he could no longer uphold that childish ideal.
And in this land that had been freshly rid of all [Life] was 'one' who had succumb to nothingness and yet by some error of Fate was not denied.
And as the [World] burned around his Empty form something shifted and so from the forge of the [Sun] did One returned in a form newly wrought and gleaming White.
And He Woke.
Barren eyes of gold opened to the fresh raw sound of screams.
Dimly, part of his mind wondered who the source was this time. Another family being devoured by the red flames? No this voice was singular in it's anguish and pain, what's more it felt…familiar, was it someone his age?
That would be surprising as not many of those were able to survive for more than few minutes before succumbing to the hungry heat and stifling air. He pushed his body off the soft and slippery ground with shaky but unyielding limbs and looked around the burnout landscapes somehow feeling that the fire that he had run so far to escape was…lesser somehow.
Maybe he was finally getting used to the choking smoke and licking heat the boy considered while taking a few weak steps, still hearing the weak yet persisting cries though he could no longer see anyone else….
Ah. Of course. The answer was obvious. If there was no one else left to suffer...
Then it must be him.
Oblivious at the cause, he looked down to see his fragile body caked in a thick black mud. Seeing hands constantly dripping with the never lessening substance, one would think it almost benign compared the lung scaring smog and starving conflagration.
So why were already charred nerves screaming at its touch on his skin?
Why did his mind which had already disregarded everything else for survival, wish to embrace even death if it would allow some semblance of escape?
He couldn't answer these questions so he disregarded them easily, stifling the pointless scream. After all compared to the endless voices that both he and the World ignored who would answer a single child?
And so the boy continued on through the crimson blaze away from the ebon muck that he had risen from, not even noticing the whispers it emanated of hate and pain far beyond what had already been witnessed.
Dragging his body forward he began to smell something strange and noticed that as if something was repelling it, the mud finally flaked off, revealing something rather new to the child.
The boy didn't wonder how his small weakened frame was still functioning even after enduring this ordeal, after all curiosity wasn't particularly important compared to taking the next step forward.
He didn't wonder what might have happened if he chose another direction in his desperate mindless journey, that would be meaningless.
Though it might have let him escape the flames quicker.
He didn't wonder if he could have helped any of the others he passed, that would be pointless.
Though they could have helped him survive the flames.
He didn't even wonder what might have happened if he stayed with that tall lady with the kind hazel eyes or the man with copper hair and determined features instead of abandoning them to escape the crimson haze.
Though he would at least not be punished, bereft of an familial origin.
But if he could still wonder, he might have notice the luminous lines running through his skin a bit sooner.
Still, reasonably sure that glowing was not something normal people did, he felt he could safely say that it was probably the reason why his body could continue on, though how was unknown.
Magic Circuits- Newly Opened- Source of Prana...Mana-Danger-Greater Source Tainted- Usage Dangerous.
He blinked in confusion at the sudden mental ache before shaking it away to looking at the everpresent flames. The thought that they were weaker returned and it 's validity was growing. Compared to how malicious they were before, as if they're only purpose to consume the people around them, now it seems drained…dying.
A moment passed as that thought ran through his mind before he moved at a faster pace. Was he right? Were the flames…ending? He was still alive. Yes the lines were burning his skin, invoking a novel type of pain as they cooked his body from the inside, but he doubted that he would die from it, at least not here. Which meant…that he could do it. Survive.
Despite everything he would live.
...And then what.
The lines of light vanished.
His deadened eyes widened for just a moment before he tripped over a piece of rubble and crashed on the earth before slumping on his back, all the pain and weakness no longer held back. His enemy now was not the environment but his own self, how ridiculous.
Still….
Wasn't this enough?
He had abandoned everything to survive the fire; family, love, faith, even hope had been lost when he collapsed into the black but he had done it. The flames wouldn't kill him, he couldn't even feel their heat anymore as golden eyes stared upwards to the smoke covered sky.
Did he have any reason to continue on? Or could he just lie here until as the last bit of energy left his body? It would be a much easier passing than what was had by all those who had suffered this night. He wouldn't feel any pain just…end.
Unable to find an answer, he raised a hand to the murky sky imploringly, searching for an answer…a reason. An image of a Sun came to his mind, one that would surely answer his question with it's light but the path was too muddy and unclear. Unanswered and left with something too small and impersonal to be called despair his hand lost it's strength and fell as the boy began to close his eyes for what would likely be the final time.
Yet in defiance of this fate, a hand grasped his in mid-fall and the boy looked into a face with messy hair and dark eyes that stared into his with a quiet happiness.
What was this? Why did that face…that look pull at him so? He wanted to ask this man in black so badly with desperation which he thought already extinguished but his body was already failing and will alone was no longer enough.
As if realizing this a light washed over the boy, shielding him with it's strength with it's Truth.
Blue and Gold...An Unreachable Dream...
It reminded him of the Sun and it's warmth held his body together if just for the moment.
'Please' the boy silently implored despite having abandoned all faith, 'let me find the answer'. Despite his efforts when his eyes closed for what seemed like just a moment, the scenery had changed with him now held in strong arms and a different person standing before him. A woman with beautiful white hair and red eyes that once more held that strange happiness like the man who he realized was the one holding him. Who were these people? How could they find such happiness in him?
Then a glow emanated from the Lady and as the smell of winter filled his nostrils, chasing away the arid smoke something happened. Pain which seemed ingrained into his body fell away like ashes. The weight of suffering gone, he tried to raise a hand only to find it still too weak and drained.
...Unacceptable.
The lines returned and not noticing the arms supporting him stiffening or the woman's eyes widening, his body strengthened and the hand rose to touch her face gingerly. As if in realization she took the hand into hers and smiled at him gently for a moment before eyes closed for the last time that night and he fell into a deep slumber.
His only wish was that the man and woman would still be there when he woke up.
They were and when an offer was made, the boy accepted without hesitation and found a new path to walk on with new and strange yet priceless people.
The Old Man Kiritsugu, The Noble Lady Irisviel, The Twin Guardians Leysritt and Sella.
Finally there was her, the one he would help like he had been helped. The Little Sister Illyasviel who he would care for as The Older Brother Emiya Shirou.
And he knew that it would be here in this family that he would find his answer.
And so the story of a certain man was just the prologue of another and the path he would take shouldering the Ones that were held above the World.
A/N: Despite the fate beginning this is definitely a prisma-verse fic as the ending should tell you. I'm basically assuming that something similar to the Fuyuki fire happened when they tried to shut off the grail system though likely a lesser scale than fate zero's ending. Shirou has a fairly similar mentality to fate but more family centric...with a vague and broad definition of family. Give your criticism and ideas, especially for one off chapters since I'm going to try to emulate Prisma's mix of slice of life and awesomeness.