Author's Note: I have written this semi!crack fic for my Secret Santa on tumblr. (My url is dracoflarex). It's basically set in a vague AU with a very loose setting, which is somewhat self-explanatory as you go on. I hope you guys enjoy it! As always, leave your kind words or critcism in the review box!
A Good Deed
Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, the youngest lecturer to grace the podium of the Department of Evocation, a prodigy born with immense talent and intellect. It was said that because of his lineage and talent, he never faced any hurdles in his life. However, if there was one thing that troubled Kayneth it was the very existence called Santa Claus.
"Santa didn't come again."
Young Kayneth peeped out from under his blanket, looking at the fireplace intently. He expected the white-bearded man dressed in red to fit himself through the chimney and manage his way down to the fireplace, with a large sack that would fill him with joy.
"Santa didn't come again."
Many years later, Kayneth found himself sleeping on the couch, facing a similar fireplace. The magus was in Fuyuki City, to research on a failed system called the Holy Grail. As much as he loved celebrating Christmas in London, the study on Holy Grail was equally important. But regardless of where he was, Santa still failed to visit him.
The proud magus couldn't believe it. How could Santa possibly ignore him for these many years? It made sense he'd forget him when he was a child but it was ludicrous of him to not visit the genius, Lord El-Melloi of the Archibald family. With a bloodline that was nine generations old, a name that was well-known everywhere within the Mage Association, Kayneth believed that he should be top in the priority list of Santa Claus, if he was wise enough to maintain one.
He could only see it as incompetence on Santa's part. He had one job and he failed at that too. Time management was crucial, regardless of who or what you were. He was a genius prodigy but he wouldn't be as feared had he not managed his daily activities well. Santa Claus needed a good class on time management and Kayneth believed, if there was anyone who could give him a good lesson it was himself.
Kayneth always believed in Santa. A normal child would question the existence of such an entity as they grew up, after realizing how impossible of a task for one person to send presents to each and every house on the night before Christmas. However, in the mind of a prodigy magus like Kayneth, such possibility was not null.
"Why am I being ignored again and again?" He grumbled, getting up from the couch. Inaudibly mumbling something, he stormed to the bedroom and stood by his bed. He watched the sleeping figure of his fiancé Sola Ui, comfortable under the warmth of a thick mink blanket. "Sola," he called to the sleeping woman.
Thankfully, the red-haired woman was a light sleeper. "Hm?" She mumbled, lazily rolling around.
"I cannot take this insult anymore," the blond-magus stated. "I've waited for more than two decades. I need to know the reason behind Santa's unscrupulous behavior, right now!"
"Can we discuss this tomorrow?" She asked, her voice muffled as she buried her face into the soft pillow.
"As Lord El-Melloi of the Archibald family, I cannot take this lightly anymore." He replied, adamantly.
"Goddammit," Sola muttered in a low voice, inaudible to him. She slowly rose up, yawning and rubbing her eyes before she spoke, "Okay, tell me what your plan is?"
"I've been thinking of setting up magic fields in the chimneys around us. That way we can trap Santa and bring him here." He ran his fingers through his hair. "But for an ingenious plan like this to work," he continued as Sola rolled her eyes. "I need time to set up. A thorough preparation will be needed. We have one year till the next Christmas."
Sola Ui faked the most optimistic smile one could ever show in the middle of night, half asleep and irritated. "Capturing Santa is something only you are capable of, Kayneth. Let's work on the details tom—"
"But—" he interrupted, much to her annoyance. "I cannot wait a year to answer this burning question." He was also worried that if Santa changed his mind and did come to visit him, he'd be missing his first gift from Santa because of the magic fields he would place everywhere. "We've to sit and think of a reason why Santa would ignore me."
Sola Ui sighed, her shoulders slumping as she realized Kayneth wouldn't let her sleep for the night. She had no choice but to tell him the truth that Santa in fact didn't exist and his mother wasn't right all the time.
A new thought flashed her mind, instantly turning into a smile on her face. "Kayneth, I know there's one person who could help you with this."
The archmagus's s expression darkened. "Who?" He asked.
"Kotomine Kirei, nice to meet you," with a smile that lacked warmth and compassion, the priest welcomed the magus inside. The church was cold, dark and the atmosphere was eerie, as if it were the breeding grounds for dead bodies, if that even made sense.
"Santa didn't come here, did he?" Kayneth asked, there's no way he would visit such a ghastly place.
"Santa?" Kirei was puzzled to hear such a word from an adult, let alone a magus. His eyes brightened with excitement for reasons unknown. "Why magus, do you have any wish to be granted?"
"Nonsense. I have everything I want in my life," he gave the priest a smug smile. "I'm a magus from a high family, there's not a single person in the magus association who didn't hear my name. And I have a beautiful fiancé from another family worthy of my respect. There's nothing I lack."
Kirei studied the magus carefully. "I see," the edge of his lips curved slightly, gazing at the archmagus as if he were prey. Someone with such a strong spirit and superiority complex was always a good one. "Then what would a magus of your stature want from me?"
Hands behind his back, Kayneth proudly lifted his chin and said, "Despite having a big name in the field of thaumaturgy, Santa has failed to show at my fireplace for the last twenty years. Now, this is not of much of a concern to me," he waved his hand as if he were throwing away something, to emphasize that he didn't really care if Santa visited him or not. "But the knowledge of this fact worries me about his efficiency. Should such an incompetent person be in charge of something so important?"
The priest closed his eyes and nodded, as if the magus's concern was to be taken up seriously. He walked past Kayneth as the blond magus eyed him in silence, waiting for a response. The priest walked along a large circle as he spoke, "It is indeed worrisome that Santa has not visited you as such, but are you sure that…" The priest paused to enjoy the forthcoming changes that were about to be seen in the magus's face. "This is indeed a shortcoming from Santa's side and not yours?"
Sola Ui was bursting with curiosity when she watched Kayneth fume furiously as he repeatedly hit his fist against the arm of the chair he was seated on. "How dare he…" he growled like a wounded beast. He looked at Sola and said, in a raised voice. "How dare a lowly priest like him suggest that Santa has not visited me—Kayneth El- Melloi Archibald—on purpose?!"
The female magus would have burst out laughing had she not noticed that her fiancé's eyes were moist. Kayneth sat on his chair, with a straight back in his usual proud posture but she could see the hint of weakness as he spoke. "Sola…why was I not worthy enough for Santa?" His pride didn't let him admit but Sola Ui realized that Kayneth indeed loved Santa quite a lot.
"Kayneth," she said, in a soft voice she was expected to reply in, as she rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "The priest's words may have been hard to hear but maybe there is truth to it. What else did he say?"
Kayneth looked at her weakly. "He said that Santa would only appear before those who have done something good. This clause wasn't mentioned by Santa Claus anywhere." In fact, he didn't even have a rulebook. He was just a wild old man who moved around freely.
He distinctly remembered the events from a couple of months ago.
"Waver Velvet," he said the student's name aloud, after having been stopped on his way to his office. "What is it that you want?" He asked, disdain in his voice. He never approved of Waver, a magus from a family of poor heritage. Although he exceled in the academics, that would make him nothing more than a good clerk in the magus association.
The younger magus looked at him expectantly as he handed a writing pad with a white paper. "A-As you see," he began unsurely. "Pursuing magic is financially challenging for those with a poor background, so I thought it'd be nice if everyone lends a hand and encourage those who can't afford it. I believed Christmas is a nice time for this sort of arrangement, sir."
Kayneth looked at the paper as if it were one of the most horrible sights he ever set his eyes on. "So you're up to this nonsense again?" He threw the pad aside as Waver looked at him with shock. "Donations are a mere excuse for the poor to rob the rich. Don't come to me with rubbish like this again."
Triumphantly he walked past the younger mage as he ran to collect the pad he tossed away, tears rolling down his cheek. Kayneth felt no pity, because he believed he was putting him in the right place.
"Sola Ui," he frowned, looking at her with eyes that now carried remorse. "I realized it just now. I didn't meet the criteria Santa has set. As Lord El Melloi," he said, declaring it proudly. "I will make sure this black mark is removed from my name."
She wondered if that meant he'd put her through some kind of charity service for the next whole year. "Kayneth," she said, leaning to gently nuzzle against his cheek. Turning his face around to face hers, she kissed him lightly and said, "I'm happy for you Kayneth. I would love to lend my assistance to you but—"
He gently pushed her back, "I do not require your assistance on such a trivial task." He was slightly worried if some of the good credits would be shared with her. He needed to earn Santa's approval for next Christmas at any cost. "Do you have any business at your home place?"
"Yes," she said, pulling the red hair behind her ears. "In fact, I have an important mission in the country of Ireland."
"Go on then," Kayneth said, giving her a gracious smile. "I will meet that priest. I shall not forget your help Sola." He already did a good deed by thanking her for no reason.
"Accepting your own shortcoming is a good thing," the priest, Kotomine Kirei, applauded Kayneth. The blond magus didn't notice the hint of sarcasm hidden. "A change is always welcome, no matter how bad or good it is. Life without a change is boring and trifling."
"Enough of that nonsense," Kayneth said curtly, he didn't want to waste time with the priest's musings. "I want to do a good deed that gives me enough credit to garner Santa's attention. Failure is not an option."
"What's the hurry, magus," Kirei smiled. "Rome was not built in a day. A few minutes wouldn't change Santa's decision for next Christmas." Kayneth grimaced. He started to wonder if the priest was playing around with him.
Kirei gave in, reading his impatience. "Fine, let me show you the one golden opportunity for good that'd solve all your problems." He walked past to lead the way out.
"Just to make your clear," Kayneth said, hands folded behind his back. "If all of this turns out to be a farce in the end, you'll regret every moment of it."
"Why, that is quite troublesome," Kirei paused, turning around. "I've only helped because of your faith in Santa. Your success depends on your own faith. Supposedly if you think that Santa is not real, can you blame a mere priest for your misplaced faith?"
Kayneth's expression darkened. "I don't like you priest." He'd have to not lose his faith at any cost. "But in case my faith stands and things still don't go the way I expect to…"
"If you have a strong faith such thoughts wouldn't cross your mind," Kirei smiled, turning around.
Kayneth hissed, before he slowly followed the malevolent priest. They took a long walk from the Church to the interior of the city. With Kayneth maintaining silence, the conversation hardly progressed. The priest only seemed to enjoy this, much to Kayneth's frustration.
They cut from the main road into a street and continued further until the roads branched in a fork again. One side, led to a colony of apartments, neatly lined up one after the other while the other was an uneven dirt road that went further inside into a desolate area. The priest took him further in until they reached the depths of the slums, with a cluster of poorly built houses that hardly qualified as a 'room' in his own guest house.
He wrinkled his nose as a pungent stench flared his nostrils, churning his stomach. "What is this place?" He asked, looking disgusted. "It reeks."
"That is quite possible, considering we're standing next to a city worth of trash."
"What?" Kayneth glared at him angrily, before turning towards the open establishment, filled with garbage everywhere, an endless sea that only grew larger as more trash was dumped from the trucks inside. "Why did you bring me here?" He asked, angered that a noble magus like him was brought to such a desolate location.
"You'll see," Kirei smiled.
As Kirei spoke, two men emerged from a house nearby carrying a lump—which Kayneth realized was a person—and dumped him at their feet. Kayneth watched the figure in utter disgust, a bony figure wearing a faded grey sweat shirt and torn grey pants. Although his hair was a faded white, and his skin was wrinkled, Kayneth could feel that the person before him was younger than his body showed.
On closer inspection Kayneth noticed that his thin skin rippled, he sensed that something move inside. The faint screeches of bugs could be heard, slowly wading through the human's pathetic body, devouring him from inside.
"You've done a great job preserving him for me," Kirei handed the men a couple of bills as they wordlessly thanked the priest and left.
"What is the meaning of this?" Kayneth asked, demandingly.
"Let me introduce you," Kirei showed to the mass lying on the ground. "I would like you to meet Matou Kariya."
Upon hearing his name, the figure lying on the ground moved and at once the screeching became louder, as the bugs inside his body became active all at once. He coughed in pain, spitting out a couple of white maggots as he did so. The parasites squirmed noisily now that they were out of their host body.
Shaking it off as a common occurrence, the white-haired man raised his head and watched the two of them curiously, though with quite difficulty. One of his eyeballs was missing, Kayneth realized, probably eaten away.
The archmagus stepped back in disgust, the white-haired scrunched as he tried to identify the men standing over him. He frowned upon identifying the priest, and wordlessly set his head back on the ground, as if resigning to fate.
'Matou,' the name felt oddly familiar. "Is he a magus?"
"Indeed," Kirei said, and slowly moved to the other side of Kariya to face Kayneth. "He is a rebel who refused to learn the ways of Matou magic despite having abundant magic circuits. Circumstances forced him to take the position back… " he paused. "That is a story for another day,. To cut things short, Kariya is a magus who can't be treated by ordinary doctors, given the nature of the crest worms in his body."
"Just a second," Kayneth said, looking down at Kariya, the latter watching the magus in interest. "Does this mean I have to wish you a Merry Crestmas?" He began to laugh at his own joke.
"Why…" Kariya sighed, sounding weak and defeated.
"I apologize," Kayneth reflected at this. He wanted to be in Santa's good side after all.
Kirei continued as if he didn't hear anything. "Only a magus can treat him and no one in Fuyuki is willing to do so."
"What did the landowners say?" Kayneth asked, the decision was usually left to them.
"Matou Kariya is not exactly on good terms with Tohsaka Tokiomi," Kirei replied. "Which is why, we need your help. Treating and nurse this poor soul back to health is a good deed, don't you agree?"
"Tokiomi…!" The withered magus clenched his fists, an act he regretted a second later when the worms inside his body began to react violently.
Kayneth contemplated for a second before smiling casually. "Then so shall be it," he declared. "He will be treated as you wish. I will order ten of my best servants and maids to come over from London by tomorrow. He shall receive the best medical treatment the magus association can offer, the best food, a comfortable shelter and at least a dozen people to look after him till he can stand on his own feet."
"Excellent," Kirei rejoiced. "Such fine treatment is expected of a noble magus." Kayneth gave Kariya a smug smile, as if to say that he was lucky to receive help under his care. "But," the priest interrupted his pleasant thoughts, "A good deed is something that is not transferable. An act of kindness delegated to your maids only pays them back. The credit you shall receive will only be a fraction."
Kayneth raised an eyebrow. "Is that a Santa Clause?"
"Why…" Kariya let out a weak sigh.
"I apologize," Kayneth muttered, though anger was welling up within him. "I see that you are not a fan of the infamous El-Melloi puns."
"I'm afraid that's a slightly strenuous task for him," Kirei said, apologizing on Kariya's behalf.
"So, how must I help this destitute?" The archmagus asked. "If I do not receive credit, then there is no point in this exercise."
"But the credit shall all be yours if you take care of him yourself," Kirei smirked, as if the moment he long awaited has finally come. "You shall tend to him with your own hands, treat him with your own magic, bathe him, and feed him. If you perform these acts all by yourself, then all the credit of the good deed will go to you alone."
Kayneth looked at Kirei aghast, as if all his magic circuits short-circuited at once and destroyed him from inside. "How dare you even think of such rubbish? How dare you ask the Lord El-Melloi to—"
"I am but a mere priest serving in the name of god," Kirei shrugged. "The decision is yours to make, magus. Your fate rests in your own hands."
Kayneth gritted his teeth, memories of his childhood flooding in. The stories his mother told about Santa, the sudden demise of his parents, and the absence of Santa ever since flashed in his mind. "Santa…" he muttered the name he treasured so much.
"It is settled then," Kirei said, after a pause. Silence remained as Kayneth didn't reply, Kariya decided to save himself some breath and flesh by not uttering a word, because he never had a choice in the first place.
Tending to Matou Kariya was one of the most horrible duties Kayneth ever had to do by far. He never carried sympathy for magus of weaker lineage or those who were poor at academics. He hated Matou Kariya even more for that reason.
The day he came back after the brief meeting, he sent his servants back to London, in case any of them there were spies who would leak the news to everybody in the association.
The next day, the priest Kotomine arranged for transporting Kariya to his guest house. He arranged a special room bounded by a magical field to ensure none of the worms ever made it out alive in one piece in case they escaped his body.
He knew Kariya was in no position to move or act on his own. As the first and foremost objective, he attempted to weed out some of the crest worms implanted inside, an act he realized, was not a simple one. He used a spell that numbed his pain instead, and decided to feed him.
"Here," he placed the plate beside Kariya on the floor, along with a healthy amount of water. "Eat and drink till you're full and satisfied."
Kariya feebly attempted to lift his body to move, but couldn't. Instead, he decided to crawl towards the plate. Kayneth frowned, 'He can't even eat his own food.' It was none of his problem, the magus thought. As he left the room, he noticed that most of the food was spilled in his pathetic attempts to eat.
Pretending to not notice, he left to his own room.
The next day when he found that the food was mostly spilled or untouched, Kayneth first felt anger. It took him a while to swallow his own pride and realize that there was no way a man so close to death would be able to eat his own food.
After three hours of mental preparation, he took the plate once again, ensuring that the food he cooked wasn't hard to feed. He used a stool to support Kariya and fed him from a distance with a spoon.
Things only turned worse when Kariya coughed up half the food along with some worms and blood. Kayneth was disgusted, and wanted to throw the plate away. But somehow, looking at the suffering Matou's plight, caused him to think about his actions twice. Silently, he set the plate aside.
The next day, he decided to make the much simpler to eat oatmeal instead.
"What have you done," he asked after he fed him enough. "To put yourself in such a miserable state." There was no answer. Kariya only looked at the marble flooring in silence.
Kayneth spent the rest of the afternoon, studying mage literature to deal with crest worms that were deep rooted inside the Matou's body. If Kariya had to be healed soon, then removing the worms was one of his top priorities. At the same time he couldn't afford to be reckless with it.
Later that night he decided to visit the room again for dinner, only to be welcomed by a stench that made him close his nose. He realized that cleaning was also a part of his duties, something he never imagined he would be doing.
Kayneth always considered himself a perfectionist, preparing for any event in his life well beforehand and executing it without a hitch. But somehow, with Kariya, he realized that he wasn't thinking as well as he should.
'No one is going to know anything about this,' he assured himself. 'If Santa doesn't come to me after all this. I'll destroy the entire North Pole.' He decided. Only after killing Kotomine Kirei, of course.
As someone who never had the need to clean his own room, Kayneth was disgusted by how low he was brought to. But at the same time, he wanted to see the end of this mystery. He'd meet Santa and ask him the reason for not visiting him since his father's death.
Kayneth was as diligent as he was arrogant. Even if it was an act he was disgusted with, he ensured that he was thorough with his chores. Within a week, he managed to learn to cook, clean up, do the laundry and other such things.
Even though it was humiliating when he thought of it, he realized there was something good about it. He could see that within a week, there was a huge improvement in Kariya's health. But he knew the superficial improvements would be impeded if he didn't quickly take care of the worms that consumed his organs on the inside.
A week later, Kariya finally managed to speak up a little without cringing in pain half the time. The archmagus realized it was the correct time to ask the question that bothered him for a long while. "What have you done to bring yourself to this sorry state?" He put the question bluntly, without beating around the bush.
Kariya frowned, he was curled up in a fetal position on the floor. Kayneth sat on the wooden chair he carried in everyday, the only furniture he ever took into the room infested with bugs. "Tokiomi…" he mumbled.
"Tohsaka Tokiomi?" Kayneth asked, realizing Kariya was referring to the landowner. "What did he do?"
"He married the woman I love…" Kariya started, looking down at the floor again. "But I never complained about it, because I thought Aoi-san would be happy if she married him."
Kayneth began to wonder if this was some sob-love story, something he hardly had the patience for. However, his curiosity suppressed his impatience. "Then? It should have been a happy end."
"They had two daughters, Rin and Sakura," Kariya continued. "They were adorable, and a perfect reflection of their mother. I loved them both as much as I loved their mother. I visited their house regularly, trying to make them happy every time I did." Kayneth rested his chin against his hand, doing a poor job of pretending to be interested. "It was around the time I gave up on magic."
"I cannot blame you," he looked at the giant worms squirming around. "The Matou magic is disgusting."
For once he saw a smile on Kariya's face. "I guess that's something even an aristocratic magus like you can agree with."
"Makiri has sealed its fate the moment they moved to Fuyuki," Kayneth said, standing up. "They should've crawled back to their homes as soon their attempt to create the Holy Grail failed. Your magic is no different from what you are, bugs desperately screaming to stay alive." He crushed one of the worms under his legs as he spoke. He regretted as the blood spilled everywhere, remembering that he was supposed to clean it up later.
"I hate magecraft in general," Kariya said, in a low voice. Kayneth frowned, a lowly existence like him should not be commenting on magecraft. "I hate the aristocratic way magecraft works on an institutional level, and you arrogant lot too. Those who are born with plenty will continue to flourish over those who have nothing."
"Do you hate me too?" Kayneth asked, raising his chin proudly as if to remind that he was a mage too.
"Yes," Kariya answered, unhesitating. "I don't know what your reasons are for treating me, but I know I will not be let go until you achieved that goal."
Kayneth gritted his teeth, it was an honest truth. "Indeed you are correct, both about the nature of magecraft and myself." There was no reason to deny. "If you are of a stronger lineage you will be in a higher rank and if you're born weak you will have to struggle to earn a decent name. "
"Then does it mean your worth as a person is measured only by your blood?" Kariya scoffed.
"Naturally not," the archmagus felt his blood boiling. "Your lineage as magi only gives you the platform to play against the higher powers of the association. Even the strongest family has limited power as a whole. How far a person raises his family's worth depends on his own worth."
Kariya laughed, derisively. "No matter how powerful you are, you fight for more and trample on those underneath you. Your own struggle is the only thing that matters to you."
"How dare you," Kayneth gritted his teeth, as if to suppress. Kayneth bound himself by a self-geas that he wouldn't commit any act that would kill Kariya. It was something he made sure on the night he had fed him with his own hands.
"Have you ever been denied of something in your life not because you lack the talent but because you didn't have enough money or power?" Kariya continued, the dormant bugs started to get up and began to eat him from the inside. He winced in pain, falling back against the wall.
"Of course I do," Kayneth said, in a low voice. "Santa Claus…" he muttered. He didn't even know why he was denied of a present, but he knew it was related to his father's death. His eyes widened in realization. Just like how Santa Claus has denied him of a present, the lower ranks of magi were denied of growth to higher ranks. One had to slowly work his way up the ranks, pass the treasure to his child and then continue till the family as a whole grew. But the person himself would probably not be able to enjoy its fruits. The young boy called Waver Velvet came to his mind.
No wonder he wanted to come up with a new system that would judge his worth on his own talent alone. It was because he sought for his own self-worth as he was denied of the same platform Kayneth stood upon.
"I guess they must be feeling cursed to be low born," he muttered. He was cut off by Kariya's whimpers. Kayneth knew he didn't have much time and at this point, he had to put all his expertise in and save him somehow.
He spent the entire night, studying a way to break the Matou magic and get rid of the crest worms that were connected to him. The study continued for another few days and before he knew, another week passed.
As the week passed Kayneth learned more about Kariya, how he went back to the Matou family for Tohsaka's younger daughter, how he tried to kill Tokiomi in an act of mad revenge. The more he learned about Kariya, the more he realized he led himself into a path of self-destruction, clouded by revenge
Kayneth couldn't help but feel some pity towards the withered magus. As a result, he grew more lenient on Kariya and his hate for magi. As much as he angered him, he perhaps deserved to be angry. Such was his fate, the archmagus thought.
"You complain about magecraft but it will soon save your life," Kayneth smiled, on the day he discovered the solution to remove the crest worms. Kariya didn't look particularly happy, he resigned to his fate. He didn't have any interest to live, after having failed to save Matou Sakura.
Kayneth spent the next day, making the arrangements. The operation itself was painstaking, and Kayneth came to the realization that he didn't take Kariya's pain into consideration in the process. A lot of blood was spilled, and the screams echoed through the magically soundproof room. But all of it came to an end in a hour in the midnight.
The next few days, Kariya was barely conscious and taking care of him became much more of a chore to Kayneth. He was beginning to lose his patience but the results encouraged him. In a few days, Kariya regained proper consciousness. The recovery would take him a long time but Kayneth knew there was progress.
It was around that time that he received a letter from London, breaking news that his fiancé Sola Ui had fallen in love with a foreigner in Ireland.
"I shouldn't have left her," Kayneth muttered, sitting on the wooden stool as he narrated the events to the only human contact he had, Kariya.
For the first time, Kariya felt sympathy for the magus. He knew how a heart break felt like. The deep pain in the chest when a person one liked rejects was something Kariya faced too. "If you had to keep an eye her on all the time," Kariya mumbled. He knew well that Kayneth would want to let out his emotions at that moment, but at the same time his pride would be hurt if Kariya were to point that out. "Maybe you deserve better."
He didn't know what the man's intentions were, nor did he know what was to happen to him in case he was fully healed. But for now, he was grateful to the magus. He would have died a pointless death back then, but at least he could be useful to someone.
"I know how it feels," Kariya continued. "Maybe our circumstances were different, maybe I shouldn't compare both the situations but…" he paused. "I know how it feels."
At that moment, the blond magus did something Kariya never expected. He came forward and wrapped his hands around. The white-haired man didn't know how to react and before he realized what happened, the magus began to cry.
Kayneth knew he trusted him too much. He never showed his weakness to anyone, not even his own mother. He was ashamed at his own behaviour, that he let his own feelings get the better of him and cause him to expose himself to a stranger.
The next day, Kayneth spent less time in the room than usual. Somehow staying around Kariya became uncomfortable for him, after how he ended up crying in his arms. As usual, Kariya never complained. He probably had no interest in life whatsoever, the magus realized. He never showed happiness even when he pointed out that he recovered.
He wished that somehow, he could see a smile on Kariya's face.
For that, he had to revive hope inside him somehow, and show him a reason to live.
Five months later, Kariya managed to stand on his own feet and walk around. Kayneth allowed him to come out of the room and provided him with a comfortable bed and food.
One day, Kayneth suddenly disappeared, leaving Kariya worried. It was strange but he realized he had developed a sort of attachment with the archmagus, who attended to his health and cured him from the constant pain that used to tear him from the inside. Even now, at times he recoiled in fear whenever he took a deep breath, out of fear for the crest worms.
He waited all night before finally deciding to search. But as he moved out, he saw the blond magus return, limping as he carried a proud smirk on his face. Kariya's eyes widened in surprise, when he noticed that he carried something on his shoulder. As the veranda lights fell on the magus, a young girl with bluish violet hair came into view.
Kariya gasped, watching the scene in disbelief. "Sakura," he felt as if he lost his breath. He rushed forward to pick the girl from Kayneth's hands hugging her as he called out her name again. When she didn't respond, he shot a look at Kayneth.
"Don't worry, she's alive," he scoffed. "The elder of Matou was a tougher opponent than I expected."
"Thank you…" Tears started roll down his cheeks, as he dropped on the ground, hugging the girl in his hands tightly, as if she was going to be taken away if he were to leave her from his hold.
"Finally," Kayneth smiled proudly. "I was starting to get tired of seeing that dejected look on your face. It was irritating in fact." He looked at the happiness in Kariya's face, a strange sense of pride filled his heart. Something, he never experienced before.
He was bothered by the fact that Kariya never wore a smile on his face, despite his efforts in bringing him back to life from certain death. And now that he had brought the life back to him, the smile returned. For some reason Kayneth was enamoured by it. The genuineness in his smile and the simpleminded happiness he sought, it was something he never witnessed in his life. For the man called Matou Kariya, happiness existed in saving Sakura. There was no other reason, no hidden secret nor a political game playing in the background.
It was the simplest form of affection he had ever seen. A kind of affection, he didn't even see in his own parents.
Christmas returned once again, though Kayneth felt as if time passed much quicker than he expected. He expected to have a long year but somehow he enjoyed saving Kariya's life and then Sakura's. Realizing the time was ripe, he walked to the church to see the priest who had given him hope in the first place.
Young Sakura walked together with the two older men, both holding an arm with affection. It was strange but Kayneth warmed up to the girl who had a hard time trusting anyone. He wondered if Santa would include the good from saving and taking care of her to the tally. Certainly, Santa would visit him after all he did that year, he assured himself.
He gave the two a warm smile before the threesome walked into the gloomy church, welcomed by the priest whose smile never carried warmth in it. "It's good to see you in good health, Matou Kariya." Somehow, Kayneth could feel that the priest was hiding a smile to some inside joke. "I am in awe, magus."
"I have fulfilled the tasks in a year's time as I promised," Kayneth announced proudly, stepping ahead. "Santa must appear this time."
"Indeed," Kirei smirked. "Your faith in Santa will summon him to us. I can't wait till Santa arrives tonight."
Kayneth began to laugh in happiness, "I can't believe this. Santa will finally be here!" He exclaimed, picking Sakura as he walked outside the church. "We'll wait right here outside the church." The archmagus quickly left the church's premises.
Kariya narrowed his eyes. "I never liked you, priest. All of this is a game to you, isn't it?" He asked, raising his voice.
"If that is what you believe—"
"Don't give me that crap…!" Kariya stepped forward, catching the priest by the collar. "Everything he did for us…..it was because of your misleading lies."
"Is it so?" Kirei shot back a glare at him with cold black eyes. He gently pushed the Matou back, "Kayneth Archibald has always acted on his own beliefs. I merely talked about a myth that Santa doesn't visit the naughty. Never did I talk about how real the myth is nor the reality of the entity called Santa Claus."
Kariya narrowed his eyes, looking at the priest in utter disgust before walking away. "Matou Kariya," Kirei called, as he walked out. "Will your feelings for him change, now that you realize his reasons to treat you are no different from a foolish child's dream?"
Kariya paused to look back, he knew the priest was dangerous but he couldn't comprehend how someone so cold and manipulative was good at guessing other's emotions. "I always knew he had his own reasons," he lifted his hood to cover his head from the chill outside. "Go to hell, priest."
As Kariya walked out, he started to get increasingly worried about Kayneth. He knew Kayneth always cared for himself and had a reason to look after Kariya but at the same time he didn't expect it was something about Santa. To think he went through all that on something meant that he really held affections for it.
Regardless, the memories they shared were some of the sweetest he ever had. He cared for him, even though the reasons were not genuine but as time passed he knew for a fact that Kayneth put all his heart in the time he spent with them.
Maybe it started for a selfish reason but the three of them genuinely had a good time. Kariya knew beneath the arrogant magus was a child who would threw tantrums for what he didn't get. He smiled to himself as he walked up to the magus, who raised his chin and watched the sky. "Today I—Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald—will meet Santa. I have waited for this a long time, surely."
Kariya's expression softened. "I am glad for you too," he muttered. He knew Kayneth would be left with disappointment but he was willing to face it together with him, even if he would be rejected after. Sakura watched the sky along with Kayneth, the expression in the innocent girl and the archmagus were no different. It wasn't the magi but the principle on which magecraft was built made them horrible people. Even the worst of them had a side of innocence hidden inside them, Kariya realized. Had Kayneth been born in an ordinary family, how different had he been?
"What is it?" The blond magus's voice cut Kariya from his trance.
"Nothing," Kariya turned away, ashamed at his own thoughts. The last few months Kayneth spent with them, he was hardly the aristocrat mage he felt when they first met. But would it matter if all of that was for naught? The moment Christmas passes, Kayneth would no longer have a reason to spend time with Kariya and Sakura. Moreover, Kariya would take Sakura as far as away from magic as he could.
"I'm returning to London tomorrow," Kayneth said, pain reflecting in his eyes as he spoke. Kariya realized what that meant. "I suppose you'd want to stay away from magecraft."
"Yes," Kariya answered, the pain hurt more than the physical pain the crest worms left. "We'll be on different paths, probably for good."
Sakura's eyebrows dropped, realizing what it meant. The girl didn't make a noise but hugged the magus tightly. He brushed her hair slowly, "Magecraft is my destiny. It isn't perfect but I shall not tarnish the efforts of nine generations and let it fall in vain." He gently nudged the girl towards Kariya.
"I understand," Kariya said, swallowing the emotions welling up within. He hugged Sakura, after which the girl wordlessly hid behind him.
"What a shame," a third voice spoke. Kariya's skin prickled as he turned back to see the priest standing behind. "It is not a wish even Santa could grant it seems."
Kariya looked at the priest with contempt in his eyes. "Why are you here?"
"To witness the miracle called Santa Claus," Kirei answered, a casual smile on his face. "After all Lord El-Melloi has gone through, it would only be nice to see his efforts come into fruition."
Kariya clenched his fists. "That's it," he said. "I had enough of this." Kariya noticed a smile on the priest's face. Maybe he was walking right into his plan but he didn't care anymore. "Kayneth I can't let you be fooled like this anymore."
The blond magus looked at Kariya puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
"Santa Claus…." Kariya paused, taking a deep breath. The fact was about to strike Kayneth like a lightning, Kariya knew, but he had no choice. "Santa Claus is—"
And at that moment, the lightning did strike, except it was a real one. At once, the four looked into the sky. A loud yell, fiercer than any beast's sent a shiver down their spine. "ALALALALLALAI!"
It was a magical chariot, running in the air as if it were land, pulled by bulls which lit up a path of lightning with their gallops. Holding the reins was a man dressed in red, so hefty and well-built that none of the three men standing on the ground would dare to even think of attacking him. They watched in awe as the chariot finally touched the ground, the pressure from the hooves churned the ground and the lightning scorched the ground, leaving a black trail on the concrete.
"S-Santa…?" Kayneth muttered in disbelief. But the shock was more evident in the other two men, Kariya and Kirei who never believed in the entity called Santa. "Santa Claus…."
At this, the huge man in red jumped down the chariot. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" He yelled, although it seemed more like a battle cry than a warm greeting. Kayneth couldn't believe his eyes. The very man called Santa Claus, the person he waited all his life…he was real. Although his face looked younger and he had a chariot dragged by bulls, he was most definitely the fabled Santa.
"So you've appeared at last," Kayneth's voice was weak, tears started welling up from within. The proud magus disappeared, letting an innocent boy take his place as he watched Santa Claus in awe.
"T-This is stupid," Kirei gritted his teeth. "Santa Claus exists for real?" It was something he couldn't fathom. "Then why wasn't I aware of this till today….!"
Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald was a changed man when he returned back to London. Within a month of his arrival, he shook up entire the magus association with his new proposal of giving equal opportunities to all mages, remove any unfair treatment of students based on the family's status.
In few years he made a startling decision by declaring Waver Velvet as the inheritor of his title. It was unheard of in the association, to pass down one's knowledge to an individual of a complete different family, let alone someone from a poor lineage.
Kayneth's former allies had all turned into his enemies and in their place he gained loyal students and followers.
In appreciation, Santa Claus appeared before him every year to give him a present. It was a miracle that was beyond Kayneth's knowledge even, as he wasn't aware that the appearance of the strange entity called Santa Claus in the form of Heroic Spirit Iskandar was because of the unborn Grail's ability to grant wishes within its limits.
Matou Kariya and his adopted daughter, Sakura continued to lead a silent life in Fuyuki. Kariya raised her with a normal life, away from magic and her former family, the Tohsakas. He ensured that she would never learn about magecraft ever again.
With the Matou maintaining a low profile and avoiding to learn any developments in the magus association, neither Kayneth nor Kariya knew how the other fared. They'd wait for the eve of Christmas, awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus every year. Hoping that as long as the miracle lasted the other person was still alive.
Merry Christmas.
Author's Note: And that's it folks! Hope it was to your liking! Both Kayneth and Kirei are some of my most favorite characters while Kariya is a character I began to like thanks to one of my friends. It was really fun writing for these characters. I will probably be doing more one-shots from now on. Thank you for reading!