Disclaimer: I do not own, nor claim to own, Fate/Stay Night or Fate/Extra. They belong to TYPE-MOON.
A/N: So…it's been roughly 5 or 6 years since I last posted something on here—God, my writing was absolutely horrid back then—and I have to say…this updated site might take some getting used to. For example…You can have pictures now?! The hell is this PM thing?! You can follow people and fav stuff?! What is this…beta, you speak of? xD (Yes, I do feel like a noob all over again. And if it wasn't obvious, this fic is…what's the term? Un-betaed? Duuuude, that spelling doesn't look right at all... xD)
…Ahem. But let's move on, shall we?
The protags will be in first person, but I figured it'd be easier for people to connect if the summary was in third person. It would be kinda difficult to tell who's who by using "I" there, won't it?
This idea's been floating around in my head for a while and I saw that no one else thought of it, so…I guess I'm a pioneer then, eh? *strokes nonexistent moustache whilst smirking* I'll admit I have a rough concept of the Fate series, so I suppose you can say that I'm just testing the waters of the fandom out with this fic. I tend to continue writing as I finish chapters, so by this time, I have up to Chapter 4 down…I think. :/
Also…I've noticed while writing that I'm displaying a little favoritism towards the male MC. (Just a heads up, in case people get into a fickle) That's not surprising, considering how I'm…not too fond, per se, of Shirou in general. 'course, I'll probably get flamed by fanboys for declaring where I stand, but…whatever. To each their own, no?
But enough of that…Enjoy. :D
Chapter 1: Divergence
I yawned as I headed off to school, walking languidly down the street with my school bag slung over one shoulder. Even though I had slept for a good 8 hours straight last night, I still felt exhausted—my dreams had been strange and…foreboding, but upon waking up, I could hardly recall them. The feeling stayed with me the rest of the time until I left the apartment complex, and even now I could feel the hard knot of dread that had settled in my stomach. I could probably catch some sleep during lunch, I mused, absently running a hand through my shaggy brown hair with a weary sigh. I'm not that hungry anyway…
But…something still felt terribly wrong.
"Ah, Karu…Bad night for you, too?" a voice called tiredly, punctuated with a large yawn not unlike mine from earlier. "Funny thing is, I didn't wake up 'til my alarm rang."
I raised my head to see Shirou Emiya come up to walk beside me, his ginger hair unusually messy and bags similar to mine under his eyes. He lived down the street from me in a large, traditional Japanese manor—a contrast to my small Western-styled apartment. We weren't best friends, nor were we particularly close, but we were familiar enough with each other to be on a first-name basis. I suppose it all came about from walking to school together for the past few years.
"Me too. How is this even possible? To sleep yet not get any sleep?! God, I can't deal with this so early in the morning…"
What a sorry pair we must make; both looking absolutely shitty and feeling completely exhausted.
He managed a small smile, attempting to lighten the frustrating situation we both found ourselves in. "At least there's the first day of classes to look forward to. It's always exciting to find out who's in our class."
"What makes you so sure we'll be in the same class?" I muttered, fighting to keep my eyelids from drooping.
"I dunno…I just have this feeling, y'know?"
"Ha-ha…Just like how I have this feeling that something will go so horribly wrong, that my very existence cannot even begin to fathom what the hell just happened?" I said, unintentionally growing impassioned at my last words. It was…slightly frightening. The knot of dread inside of me had taken over, and I swear I could feel my palms clamming up at the thought…
Shirou's head snapped towards me, his sleepy amber eyes wide with shock. "You can feel it too?!"
"Damn it, Shirou! I don't want to deal with this so early!" I grumbled, increasing my pace into an almost-jog. The ginger had no choice but to shut up and catch up, lest he fell too far behind and would have to walk alone.
"But Karu, there must be a reason behind this!" he insisted, matching my stride as his eyes shone with purpose. Briefly, I envied him…not because he believed he had some greater calling, but because he looked far more awake than I was right now. "We both had a terrible night and if my hunch is true, you had those dreams that you can scarcely remember, right? The ones with warnings and people who look like me? Well…I suppose in your case, it would be people who looked like you, right?"
Well…Damn.
I frowned as we turned a corner, mere minutes away from our school, Seihai Academy. "I can't remember what they were saying, but I know it was a warning. I think one of them was even tearing at his hair in frustration. But, y'know…the more I think of it, the foggier the memory gets."
"Same here. It's maddening; especially because it seems important!"
"Shirou, it's just a dream. Dreams usually don't have any hidden meanings behind them."
I almost laughed at the ridiculous and hypocritical nature of my own words. The dread inside of me was its counterpoint and perfect proof—undeniable and too strong to be of any mere coincidence, nor a simple fabrication from phantasmal fears. Seeing as how we seemed to be going through similar experiences, Shirou undoubtedly carried the same anxiety within him, too…
The ginger fell silent for a moment before he spoke, his voice quiet and almost…pained.
"…But you can't deny these feelings, can you? No more than I can."
I matched his tone with my own resignation, slowing my pace a fraction.
"…No, I can't. As I mentioned before, my very mind is rebelling even at the thought. Just imagine when it comes to pass—"
I broke off abruptly, suddenly noticing the third shadow that had joined ours on the street (the morning sun was to our backs). Shirou, after a brief moment of confusion, detected our unwelcome guest as well and stopped. Together, in eerily perfect unison, we looked behind us.
"…Don't mind me."
A small 'shoo-ing' gesture.
"Just keep talking about your feelings for each other."
Say WHAT now?!
"Tohsaka-san!" Shirou exclaimed indignantly, his face flushing as I merely stared in slack-jawed astonishment at the very notion, the tips of my ears growing hot. Us?! Me? Him? What in the 9 Circles of Hell gave you that horrifying idea?!
Rin Tohsaka—honor student, idol of a good portion of the student body, intelligent and calculating to frightening levels, image of a model student, walking tech-bane, considered a tsundere by the general public—crossed her arms as she regarded us with her usual arrogance. Her school uniform was crisp and in order, and her dark hair was done up in her signature pigtail look, her dark green eyes observing us intently. A mischievous smile formed on her face, sending shivers down my spine as I considered what she might have in store for us.
…None of them were good.
"What? I head out onto the street, ready for the first day of our second year, and what do my ears catch on the morning breeze? Emiya-kun and the NPC talking about their tender feelings."
Was it strange if my relief at her not catching the rest of our conversation nearly overrode the fact that she thought Shirou and I were a 'thing'?
"Hey! I'm not an NPC, Tohsaka," I said irritably, not up to the courtesy Shirou had offered to her by adding the -san suffix. "It's Hikaru Yukino. Get that in your prissy little head, understand?"
Her smile widened as she scoffed, "Of course you would have a generic name like 'Hikaru'. Not only is your name weak, your face is so bland, anyone would mistaken you for an NPC."
"Why, I oughta—"
"Don't, Karu!" Shirou grabbed my shoulder as I took a step towards Rin, my fists shaking. "You can't hurt a girl on the first day, let alone Tohsaka-san! She's not worth it!" he hissed in my ear.
"Hand. Off. Shoulder. You're only feeding the obscene idea she has in her vile head."
"Sorry!"
As Shirou quickly let go, I reluctantly backed down, scowling at the Academy's top student…er, one of them, at least…I think. Whatever. She'll get what's coming to her in due time, I vowed to myself, making sure that my intent was evident in the glare I gave her. A barely perceptible narrowing of her eyes was the only indication that she caught my promise. The smile never left her face.
"We don't have feelings for each other—take your yaoi fantasies elsewhere, Tohsaka."
"Whatever you say, NPC."
"Hey, hey! Let's just all calm down a bit, okay?" Shirou interjected, stepping between us as he indicated with a nod of his head towards the school. "It's the first day, you guys! Let's focus on that, hmm? Who knows what new students we might have this year?" He slung an arm around each of our shoulders with an encouraging smile, all but forcing us to start walking again.
"Actually, I heard something interesting about this year. Apparently, we're going to have a bunch of newcomers attending while their school gets rebuilt, or renovated, or…something like that." Rin said, excitement creeping into her voice at the thought of the new victims—er, fellow students.
Thank you, Shirou, for such a welcome diversion…
"'Rebuilt'? What could possibly have happened to their school?" the ginger inquired worriedly, knitting his brow.
"I'm not quite sure. Kirei-san wasn't all too clear on those details."
"If it's coming from a guy like him, I doubt it's anything good." I muttered absently as the school gates came into view.
"Hmm…I admit, the NPC has a point."
…Well, it was good while it lasted.
I hissed under my breath as I rubbed my bruised jaw, inwardly vowing never to come in between Rin and Karu when they were at each other's throats. Forcibly separating them was a bad idea; I could still feel her nails scratching at me, and of course, his accidental left hook to my jaw…
This day, and never again…
"Look…sorry, man. I didn't think I'd hit you."
"No, no, it's fine, Karu! Better me than having any of you hurt!" I said quickly, dismissing his apology with a wave. The look on his face showed that he wasn't reassured at all by my accompanying smile; he merely frowned—an action that came across as more of a glare, what with the bags under his eyes, but I knew he bore no real animosity towards me.
"Well, at least I had the decency not to lay a hand on Emiya-kun."
…Oh, no.
"Is that so, Miss Pigtails? Then what are those scratch marks on his neck?"
"…EH?! You NPC, I'll—"
"Guys…seriously!" I exclaimed, pinching the bridge of my nose as I felt a headache rapidly approaching. Granted, it was probably going to be due to my restless night, but still… "You're starting to make a scene; can't we all just get along this first day back?"
"But he—"
"But she—"
"Enough, or I'm pressing charges."
…
…Huh. Well what do you know? That shut 'em up pretty quickly…
Karu's hands twitched as he tried his damnest to match Rin's obviously superficial smile. I sighed inwardly—I knew he currently wanted nothing more than to wring her neck for the NPC comment again. He was a lot crabbier than usual because of his fitful sleep last night, too. Hopefully, things would be better tomorrow.
"Well, Tohsaka-san, should we hurry over to our places for the morning assembly?"
"Why, yes, Yukino-kun, I think we should. Will you be accompanying us shortly, Emiya-kun?"
They both turned to me expectantly, their phony smiles twitching. Murder of the highest degree blazed in their eyes, sending a chill down my spine and raising the hairs on the back of my neck. I couldn't tell if such frightening amounts of hostility was directed towards me, or at each other.
I desperately hope it's the latter…
"…Really, you guys."
The smiles shattered, replaced by the rapid retorts I knew I should have been expecting.
"You're never satisfied, are you? I mean, really—"
"What more do you want from us, Shirou?! It's bad enough that I—"
"—and there was also the time when you—"
"—this thing of unholy origins having to follow us—"
…Oh, if only they realized that they were actually on the same side for once.
"…Go ahead."
"…Hm? What do you mean?"
"I know you want to say it, so just…say it, already."
"Karu, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
"Geez, you're hopeless…'I told you so'? Remember that little phrase, Shirou?"
"Ah…Oh! I remember now!"
"So? Are you going to say it, or what?"
"Karu, this isn't really what's important; it's the other premonitions that—"
"Just say it, damn it…!"
"Erm…I told you so…?"
I slammed my head face-first onto my desk, grumbling to myself as Shirou merely offered a sheepish grin. The ginger had been right all along: the both of us were in the same class for the year. Luckily, that pigtailed she-devil was in a different room…
"So…which of the Eiyuu Academy's students do you think will be in our class?" Shirou asked as he pulled up a chair from a nearby desk to sit next to me. Our other classmates were still mingling with each other, and some were even out in the hallway. Whoever our homeroom teacher was, he/she hadn't shown up yet—they were probably trying to figure out which of the students would be assigned to ours.
"I dunno. I hope one of them isn't that weird guy with the bug-eyes and oily hair. I got shivers just from looking at him." I said, shaking my head in a futile attempt to dispel the memory.
During the morning assembly, Principal Kotomine had revealed the news (that the both of us kind of knew already) that our school would be hosting the Eiyuu Academy students for the year until their school was finished with its…renovations. They stood a little ways apart from the rest of the school body when the principal had called them in, and I have to say, they seemed like a motley bunch. It appeared as if everyone from all walks of life could be found somewhere in that sea of black uniforms. However, there was also something that they all seemed to share…
…It may have been just me, but I could've sworn I could almost feel an extremely faint aura of power that promised to be almost overwhelming if it wasn't suppressed somehow.
…Then again, most of them were bluebloods, so maybe that 'aura' I perceived was just a part of their arrogance and/or pride?
"Yeah…me too," Shirou mused as he nodded in agreement. "Did you see that one big guy with the muscles and the dreadlocks?"
"Steroids. He's definitely taking steroids; NO ONE can possibly have that many rock-hard muscles in their body. That's just…crazy!"
"Yup…pretty berserk."
His comment was quiet, almost as if he wasn't even aware of what he had just said. The ginger's brow furrowed slightly at that fact, mirroring my own. There's something odd about that sentence… The thought barely formed in my mind before we both ended up smiling slightly, driven by some strange instinct—or rather, gut feeling—that made us feel compelled to do so.
"So…any idea who our homeroom teacher is?" I asked, casually leaning back in my seat with my hands folded behind my head.
The ginger shrugged. "All I know is that it's not Fuji-nee…for better or for worse, depending on how you look at it."
I couldn't help but grin savagely as a possibility suddenly occurred to me. "She's not Tohsaka's homeroom teacher, is she?"
"…I cannot confirm nor deny that assumption."
To his credit, Shirou managed to keep a straight face while he said that, which made vengeance that much sweeter.
Oh, yes. Torashinai would taste the blood of a she-devil…Perhaps, if I'm lucky, it will develop a taste for it!
"All right, all right! Settle down, everyone!" a deep voice rumbled from the doorway, commanding total attention.
We both looked up to see a tall, mountain of a man sauntering into the classroom, his dark suit looking a bit tight on his heavily muscled frame. A pair of glasses rested on his nose, though I had the niggling suspicion that he didn't really need them, and that it was only to give him the appearance of a professional…That aside, he had the reddest hair I had ever seen, and an equally fiery beard to match. It complimented well with his tanned skin tone, though.
Our classmates hurried to their places, with Shirou returning the chair to its rightful spot and moving along to his own seat. All the while, the man—our homeroom teacher, most likely—stood at the front of the room with his massive arms folded across his chest, a broad grin on his face. Once everyone was properly seated, he surveyed the class one last time before letting loose a boisterous laugh.
"Ha-ha! Yes, yes, I shall look forward to conquering this institution as well! I can see the limitless potential in your eyes and the unspoken dreams that lay within!"
…This, of course, made us all confused as hell.
The man forged on, heedless of the puzzled—and maybe a little fearful—looks on our faces. "Comrades! I am your homeroom teacher, Iskandar! You may also refer to me as Mr. Alexander, if that way is easier for you!"
A classmate of ours hesitantly raised a hand. "…Alexander-sensei?"
His grin widened as he stroked his beard, obviously pleased. "Ah, you Japanese truly are as polite as they come! 'Alexander-sensei'…I like that!"
I shared a glance with Shirou. It appeared that our homeroom teacher was a bit…eccentric.
"Alexander-sensei…might you be from the Eiyuu Academy?"
…Oh, yeah. The teachers would switch with each other every week to accommodate their jobs…
Unconsciously, I sat up with renewed interest.
"Such a foolish question!" Iskandar exclaimed with a booming laugh. "Of course I am, boy! Can you not tell from the aura of pure glory that I exude? Whatever made you think otherwise?"
"W—Well, I heard rumors that Einzbern-sensei was the new English teacher, but I wasn't too sure, since someone said it would be a guy instead—"
He waved off our classmate's words, chuckling with amusement as the student slumped quietly in his seat. "Spineless, as expected of the first campaign…Worry not, comrades! By the end of the year, I shall help you to develop a backbone—then you can stand tall and puff out your chest with pride! The world shall be at your fingertips!"
…Needless to say, we all stared.
"Ahem…but yes, I taught World History and Classics at the Eiyuu Academy. I also coached wrestling and am a sponsor of the Equestrian Club. By any chance, do you have a club like that around here?"
Collectively, we all shook our heads.
"Pity…" Iskandar said with a sigh, clearly disappointed as he opened up his teacher's notebook. "But we really must get going; busy day ahead of us!"
Roll call passed on without incident, though he chuckled a bit at each name that he thought amusing. Surprisingly, not too many people were offended by it. I waited patiently, though my head threatened to fall back on my desk—my eyelids felt so damn heavy…
"…Aaaand…Yukino?"
"Here." I called back, relieved that attendance was finally over.
Now I can sleep…
"Well, comrades in arms, now we can get to the real fun! Your new classmates have been itching to sit down for a while now, so let's relieve them of that burden, hm?"
…Damn it. I can't zone out for that.
With great effort, I forced myself to prop my elbow up on my desk and rest my chin in the palm of my hand, thus supporting my head. I blinked rapidly in an attempt to fight back my sleepiness, stifling a yawn. At least Shirou's holding up well…C'mon, Karu! Focus! There'll be time for sleep later!
"Well, my retainers? You don't want to stand out there all day, do you?" Iskandar called, the biggest smile on his face as he motioned with a hand for the people outside to come in from the hallway.
"Last time I checked, none of us had pledged loyalty to you just yet." a voice chuckled, warm as a summer breeze.
The voice belonged to a lithe young man in a black uniform, who was among the first to enter the room, his kind amber eyes taking in his new classmates with genuine interest and curiosity. There was a beauty mark below his right eye, and a single forelock from his messy dark hair dangled casually in front of his noble face. If I was a girl, I probably would've considered him 'handsome'—already my female classmates were whispering excitedly at the appearance of this good-looking youth.
His companions—another boy and two girls—filed in after him, observing the students with the same sort of curiosity. The other male in the group was a tall young man with messy chestnut hair casually covering one of his forest-green eyes. He had an easy smile on his face, and his hands were jammed into his pockets, serving to further his relaxed demeanor. The two girls next to him…
…Twins? I thought, my focus sharpening as I successfully fought back my drowsiness (for the time being, anyway). Nah, more like cousins, maybe. There are some differences between them…
Indeed there were. Although both of them had blond hair and the same confident demeanor, the girl on the left was shorter and…bustier? The tips of my ears grew hot at that realization, and I forced myself to take stock of her other features, trying to ignore that area. Her ahoge was longer than her companion's and her hair was slightly different, even though they both had their hair done up in a practical bun—hers was tied back with a red ribbon, by the way. Her green eyes were also…warmer, and of a lighter shade than the other girl's, and her rosy lips had curled into a smug smirk.
She was…
…Stoic.
That was the first word that came to mind when I saw the blond-haired girl standing calmly to the right of her chestnut-haired companion. 'Beautiful' came to mind as well, fast on the heels of the first…for indeed she was. Her ahoge was shorter than her other blond-haired counterpart and she was taller by a few inches—3 at the most. Her long hair was pulled back with a blue ribbon into a bun, much like the other girl's style, but unlike the other girl…her emerald eyes bore a sort of glint to them; a hardness along with that passive expression.
I felt a twinge of sadness at that. What could possibly have caused such a thing? I found myself wondering, inwardly hoping that by the end of the year…perhaps that hardened emerald would soften, if even somewhat.
"Ha-ha! I'll have your loyalty eventually, my comrades! A conqueror does not give up so easily!" Iskandar's voice snapped me out of my musings.
I straightened up, suddenly noticing that I had been staring at that girl with the blue ribbon. Damn it, I hope none of them noticed, especially her…
Fate was merciful to me, it seemed—they had their gazes fixed on my other classmates. I sighed in relief and relaxed my posture, careful not to look too much at her. I hazarded a glance in Karu's direction for lack of anywhere else to look, but my view of him was obscured by another student's head…Heh. I wouldn't be surprised if he's managed to fall asleep already.
"Right! So…introduction time, my friends! Then you'll finally get to sit down, eh?"
The young man with the messy dark hair and forelock bowed at the waist, giving a smile that nearly had half of the female population of the class swooning in their seats.
"Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. A pleasure to meet you."
His lankier companion merely bowed his head, doffing an imaginary hat as he grinned.
"Robin Evergreen. Nice meetin' you guys."
My breath hitched as the stoic blond bowed politely, managing a small smile that still conveyed her beauty.
"Arturia Pendragon. I look forward to our time together."
…Arturia Pendragon, huh? I tested the name out, my mouth unconsciously forming each syllable as I committed her name to memory.
The shorter blond gave an extravagant bow, waving her hand with a theatrical flourish as an arrogant smirk found its way onto her dainty features.
"Nero Augustus! Feel free to shower us with your praise!"
"Let's do our best this year!" four voices chorused, their distinct timbres weaving together harmoniously.
A/N: So…I had fun writing this. :3 Well, the next few chapters, more like. First chapters usually start off a bit slow, don't they? Beginnings have never really been my strong point—I'm more of a middle-person. Ha-ha…The 'middling sort'…
Lame historical joke aside…I must forewarn you, my fellow readers, that this fic might take things slow a bit. I firmly believe in establishing a stable foundation for one's affections, so it won't be any of that 'love-at-first-sight' crap that usually plagues the world these days.
They will see the worst of each other.
They will see the best of each other.
They will see for themselves if they truly desire to be with the other after all is said and done.
And I will make sure that they have to work their asses off to achieve their happy endings.
…If there is one.
:3
Reviews would be appreciated—they tell me if there's interest out there. :D
Never forget.
Always, somewhere…
Someone might read this.
As long as I remember that…
I am not alone.