Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this X-over. Fate/ stay night is owned by Type-Moon while Young Justice is owned by DC and Warner Bros. Animation. That is all.

Fate Ideal Justice

Volume 1: Distortion

Prologue: A Hero's Ashes

"I burned my fire, until there was nothing left… All that's left is pure white ash…" – Last words of Joe Yabuki from Ashita no Joe

As the infernal mud from the monkey paw of a contraption called the 'Holy Grail' continued to flow around the cavern, creating unquenchable fires and deadly miasma, a wounded red-headed teenager tried desperately to breath as his exhaustion was beyond the point of safety. However, the motion itself caused him immense pain due to the blades protruding from inside him, slicing and piercing his flesh with every breath he made.

To stop breathing meant death and yet to continue breathing would also lead to death.

It was as if he were facing both Charybdis and Scylla, the famed monsters of the sea in Greek Mythology, believed to be the origin of the term "Between a rock and a hard place".

But he couldn't die, no, not yet. Not when the Greater Grail still existed. Not when there were people still waiting for him to return, three in particular that he had asked to escape and leave him here. He had promised them that he'd return.

Gritting his teeth, he struggled to stand on his feet.

He was successful but the blades from inside his body loudly scraped against his bones and carved his flesh. His muscles tore, only to be skewered in place by blades.

He paid it no mind.

The magus raised the arm he got from his once possible future counterpart, the arm of EMIYA, its circuits already channeling Od to become Prana.

For beyond the pain, he could now see it shining, as if it called to be used. The weapon he needs. The blade he knew would end this nightmare. Excalibur, the sword of promised victory.

And use it he shall.

Judging the concept of creation– A Divine Construct, a Last Phantasm, the crystallization of mankind's wishes stored and tempered within the planet, the strongest and the pinnacle of holy swords.

Hypothesizing the basic structure–It was a straight double-edged sword, ninety centimeters of length with fairy letters carved on the blade's surface. The upward curving guard of its golden hilt measured at 12 centimeters, complimented by the royal blue of its handle and minimal decorations.

Duplicating the composition material–ERROR. Not possible to duplicate needed materials. Constructing Illusion… Falsification successful.

Imitating the skill of its making–ERROR. Not possible to duplicate the skill of its making. Constructing Illusion… Falsification successful.

Sympathizing with the experience of its growth– It was given to the fairies for safekeeping and remained in the watch of Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, before she gave it to Arturia to replace Caliburn, which was destroyed when the king broke the code of chivalry in a battle. Upon the loss of its sheathe Avalon later on, Merlin bestowed it with Invisible Air.

Reproducing the accumulated years– Arturia used Excalibur throughout her life, even beyond that, when she was summoned in two Grails Wars and– ERROR. Data Corrupted. Purging corrupted data… Purge Succesful.

Excelling every manufacturing process– Illusion is now ready to use.

Shirou raised the now formed Excalibur Image in his hands, pouring all of his remaining magical energy into the degraded Noble Phantasm. His face set in grim determination, bloody it may be as the crimson liquid poured out from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.

Pain assaulted him as he felt something shatter in his mind, leaving only muddled fragments. He tried not to think of it but to his horror, he realized what exactly was lost in his mind

Who…who were the people waiting for him? He tried so hard to view them from the broken memories but they were now blurred beyond clarity, barely allowing him to see the colors of what he assumed to be their hair.

Shirou knew that they were important. Otherwise, he would have succumbed to the pain already.

And that is why for them, he'd end this now.

"EXCALIBUR IMAGE!" The Sword Incarnation swung the illusion, and golden light erupted from the sword.

The attack immediately reached its target and began to incinerate it, though the golden light it radiated was a comforting sight, he knew that it paled leagues in comparison to the original. Like all of the blades that he had access to, they were all degraded. This was nothing more but an image that a faker like him could use, hence his addition of Image to the Noble Phantasm's name.

And he could see that his Excalibur Image was slowly faltering before it could finish.

To Shirou, this was unacceptable. But he only had one choice available to him…and knew what it would cost him.

He pushed Archer's arm and himself beyond their combined limits, an act that broke his body and mind further. Swords sprouted and easily pierced his organs. Memories unintentionally destroyed and distorted. Even now, his and EMIYA's nature continued to clash despite seeking one goal together, to eradicate the corrupted grail.

The redhead knew that this would be it, his end.

He knew that, and yet…

He didn't want to die.

But to save whoever the people he made a promise to were, he needed to.

And though he had discarded his ideals for someone, he could not deny that it was still a beautiful one.

Even now as the last vestiges of his memories, his identity, continued to break under the pressure, Shirou Emiya still remembered that fateful night in the hell incarnate years ago.

The wish for the hell to be undone and the smile of a broken man, as if he was the person saved by saving him, the origin of his existence.

Tears mixed with the blood dripping from his eyes. The edge of his lips turned upwards as he tightened his grip on Excalibur Image and from it, a simple word escaped from his mouth. "Break."

In that very second, the third-rate magus used a tactic favored by his counterpart. By reinforcing and overloading a Noble Phantasm with magical energy, it is able to generate overwhelming destructive power that counterbalances the degraded level of the projections.

With that, the holy sword broke and the resulting explosion of magical energy went beyond what it was capable of earlier as a beam, enveloping the surroundings with golden light that incinerated everything in sight.

And that also included him.

Though it was but an instant and that he was guaranteed to be dead sooner than he could think, Shirou Emiya felt salvation as the radiance washed over him and began to end his suffering.

In that brightness, something was returned to him as if it gave him one last reprieve before it all ended.

The memory of his 'birth' as Shirou Emiya and the faces of the people he promised to return to. The memories were both equally beautiful…and he could never be with them ever again.

Forgive me.

And thus, the Grail and its destroyer ceased to be. Never to see the light of dawn, always stay night.

I wish…he'd come back, that we can all be together.

But one must always be careful with their words.

For Fate is a fickle concept.

Author's Note:

Hello there everyone! It's me, Will of Wisp, or as I'm formerly known, The Undying Will.

As everyone who has read my former Fate stay/night and Young Justice Crossover titled "Fate: Heroes of Justice" know, I made an announcement back in April that I've completely given up on that story and was going to let somebody adopt it.

But why was there no further announcement for the adoption?

Well, some part of me was still a little invested in that Crossover. Sure, I consider it to be a failure…but it is my failure.

So here we are with the prologue of Fate Ideal Justice which is quite different from the 'trailer' I posted in Fate: Heroes of Justice. I merely used a similar title but the concept would be quite different. Real different.

Anyways, I apologize in advance for any late updates or why my writing is lower in quality (in my opinion) because College is more exhausting compared to Unlimited Thesis Works (which is why I already dread the time that I would face it again).

I would appreciate any advice/critiques of you readers as well as any addition of this new story to your favorites and follows.

Till next time, Will of Wisp