Another Time
"I am hopelessly in love
with a memory. An echo
from another time,
another place."
/Michel Foucault/
Prologue: The Darkest Hour
And so her Servant appeared in a brief burst of bright light - the gorgeous entity made of pure magic.
"For the elements, silver and iron.
For the foundation, stone and the Archduke of Pacts.
And for the ancestor, my great master, Schweinorg..."
The basement of Tohsaka residence, where ones of the most powerful ley lines in Fuyuki crossed, again became the stage for Servant summoning. But Rin was not happy or even excited about it.
The Fifth Grail War has not yet started, but Tohsaka was already defeated. Just like that. They were attacked by an enemy Servant and they could not possibly win this fight.
Rin's Servant knew he could not survive, but at least tried to take the enemy with him. And now he was gone, her Archer, her protector, her best friend…
It was not normal. Servants are not this strong. It was chaos incarnated. As a Master she could read the enemy's abilities with ease. They were a bit more than average normally, but then this thing went on rampage and started to be truly terrifying. Tohsaka could not even imagine how much mana this kind of Servant needs during a fight. His Master must be extremely powerful to provide it.
"Close the gates of the four directions.
Come forth from the Crown and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom."
Archer lured the enemy out of the mansion. If he couldn't manage to do it, the house would be most likely completely destroyed right now. Rin would probably be dead too. But still…
Archer, how could you leave me like that? You promised…
"Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill.
Repeat five times.
But when each is filled, destroy it."
Rin's mother was trying to be strong and support her daughter, but she was crying too. Then Aoi told Rin about the promise she made with Archer, their secret, a kind of emergency exit. Their Servant insisted on preparing the final gift for his Master, to be used only in case of the worst possible scenario.
This small box was the only thing he left for her. A note inside: 'You've always wanted Saber, so good luck, Rin.' And some bloodstained trash. This tiny, dry thing really could be of any use as a relic?
It was worth trying. The Grail still wanted Tohsaka as one of Masters. Rin's father wanted her to participate. Archer wanted to give her a new Servant to protect her. And she wanted to avenge Archer, so she prepared for the ritual when the time came.
"Set.
Heed my words.
My will creates your body and your sword creates my destiny.
If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me!"
At this moment a strong wind came from the summoning circle, magical energy was swirling fiercely there. The spell was working perfectly, but Rin was too sad to concentrate. Tears were flowing down her cheeks and she did not even try to stop them.
Archer... I needed you to be my sword, not shield… How could you…?
"I hereby swear…
That I shall be all the good in the world.
That I shall defeat all evil in the world.
Thou, Seventh Heaven, clad in the three great words of power,
come forth from the circle of binding, Guardian of the Scales!"
And so her Servant appeared in a brief burst of bright light - the gorgeous entity made of pure magic.
He was tall, maybe even a little taller than Archer, his figure somehow similar too. But this Heroic Spirit was wearing a strange, medieval-like armor.
And a big damn sword on his back!
"S-saber?"
The man stared at her, surprised, a little bit of hesitation in his blue eyes.
"Forgive me for disappointing you, but… not this time. A Rider. This is the first time in Rider class for me. But, as you can see, I have a sword and I know how to use it."
Tohsaka was inspecting him carefully, reading his basic skills and potential. It was… promising. Not to mention, that he had some kind of an ancient aura around him. Even not knowing Servant's name yet, Rin was sure that she's got one of the most powerful Heroic Spirits. The only reason he was not Saber must have been that this class was already occupied.
But… His silver-grey hair, his dyed brown skin, perfect composure and mild exterior reminded Rin of Archer and it was too much to bear. She lowered her head and wiped away the tears.
Her newly summoned Servant looked lost and embarrassed, when he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Master. I did not expect to be such a disappointment for you." He bowed, in a knightly manner. "But I promise I'll do what I can to make you change your mind, if you'll accept my service."
"No, it's not…" Tohsaka took a deep breath and looked boldly into his eyes. "It's… a personal loss. I'm the one to be sorry. I, Rin Tohsaka, am glad to have you as my Servant in this Grail War."
She reached out her hand, and Rider accepted, revealing his true name to form the contract.
Her eyes widened after this sudden revelation. Archer really did the job to find a perfect replacement, to keep her safe. It was like she's already won this war!
But, deep inside her heart, she suspected that even possible victory will have now an odd, bitter taste for her.
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