Quick note: text in Italics is thoughts

This Story ONLY uses Fate/Stay Night (because I have not seen any of the other anime). And from that anime, it is clear that her contemporaries knew that Arturia was a woman (Hello, she's wearing an armored DRESS!)

START

"Ok, rookie, lets call it a day" Rin stood up and stretched.

"Well, thanks for the help. I think I am starting to get the hang of it." Shiro Emiya smiled.

"well, you got one out of two spells to work, so that's pretty good."

the pair were sitting at the table in Emya's dining room, going over some magical theory - something they did a couple of days a week. This weeks lesson was on applications of the law of similarity. Shiro had been able to use it to cast a disguise spell, changing the color of his clothes to match the red of Rin's gem, but he had completely flubbed the spell that was supposed to find lost items.

"I should get going. I still have a lot of packing to do." Rin smiled apologetically.

Shiro stood up quickly and moved to give the girl a hand up.

"Yeah, and I guess I should take a walk around town, see if anything is up"

It was over a year since the Holy Grail War - it was the summer after the pair's final year in high school. The two had become much closer since the end of school: With the magic lessons that Rin was giving Shiro, they had been spending more time together than they had since the end of the Holy Grail War. But with Rin going off to London to study magic, and Shiro staying in Fuyuki city, they had decided not to do the 'dating thing'. Not that they had actually _talked_ about it: Shiro didn't want to spoil what they had. And he wasn't certain what was going on in Rin's head - she was a much more confusing person than Saber.

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow." Shiro held the door for Tohsaka.

"Ok, see you."

There was an awkward pause as they stood facing each other before Rin turned and walked out with a wave.

Shiro took a few minutes to clean up the house, before grabbing a can of coffee and heading out to look for trouble. This had become his regular routine over the past year - every evening, he would walk through a different part of the city, looking for traces of unusual magic. He wasn't some superhero, out to stop muggers or anything like that, but he went looking for magical problems that the police or others weren't equipped to deal with. Most nights, he didn't find anything, but he had put down a couple of Yoma, and (with Rin's help) purified a graveyard that was producing zombies. He figured that this was a reasonable compromise between his wish to save everybody and the reality that he was just one man. It felt good to live by his values.

So much has changed in the past year Shiro mused, thinking about how much more mature and practical he had become - he no longer tried to save everybody. Just most people. Which bought to mind the cynical Servant from the war I wonder what Archer would think if he saw me now.

Shiro's mind was not on his self-appointed task as he walked through the city's business district. Hmm, I wonder if there is any way to summon the servants without the Holy Grail. To talk to Archer, or Saber This was a thought that used to haunt Shiro's thoughts a lot, but lately he hadn't dwelt on it at all. Honestly, despite his promise, he had started to forget about Saber.

"Hey, big guy, you want some fun?"

Shiro looked up and blushed - he had walked into the red light district. He turned his eyes back to the side walk and walked faster, the sound of laughter following him. Not that Shiro was a stranger to attracting female attention - what with his working out, and his late growth spurt, he had an impressive build, that combined with his helpful attitude made him quite popular. But he still wasn't comfortable with it - he didn't think he was anything special.

He was half way down the block when he caught a whiff of something. Shiro stopped and reached out with his magical sense. This had always been one of Shiro's strengths - magical sensing and reinforcement were the two skills he had worked on daily since he was a child. Now, he also knew Projection, and a limited repertoire of other magic that he had learned from Rin.

There was reek of some sort of magic from inside the doorway to a bank - currently closed, since it was after 5pm. Shiro stepped over to it and stared at the wall, concentrating the way Rin had showed him. He hoped that the prostitute up the street wasn't paying attention to him - he must look like he was on drugs or drunk.

Slowly a magical mark of some sort came into view. Shiro tried to puzzle out what it did, but he wasn't much good at the abstract magical arts - the best he could tell was that it wasn't killing anybody, and it probably wasn't booby trapped. Since it wasn't actively bothering anybody, he resolved to leave it be and to have Rin take a look at it tomorrow.

I should head back - I was going to stop by Ryuudo Temple to play chess with Issei

The walk didn't take long - Shiro was used to it, and he was still zoned out I wonder what Saber is doing He started jogging up the endless stair.

-*FSN*-*FSN-*-FSN-

I need Avalon!

Arturia was fighting for her life - The battle had been going since dawn, and now the sun was setting. The enemy was no match for her, but she was tired, and covered in small wounds. None of them were life threatening, but they slowed her down, weakened her, and one of her two opponents - the knight in the pitch black armor - had some sort of magical protection.

Arturia parried a blow from the knight in the horned helmet. He looked familiar, but she was so tired, She couldn't see who it was. The black knight took the opportunity to hit her in the side. Arturia pivoted so the blade wouldn't cut into her, but it still staggered her, so she was barely able to deflect the blow from Mordred...

wait... the knight in the horned helm was Mordred...

Arturia staggered back, dropping to one knee to stop the blow as her vision swam.

No... it can't end like this Arturia rolled out of Mordred's path and ducked a blow from the black knight. She was fighting in a haze - she no longer remembered how the battle had started, or why she was fighting. All she knew was that she had to win.

The black knight knocked her down again, and she rolled so that she could stand back up.

I'm going to die. And Camelot will fall. I will never bring peace to Britain

No, I can't fail

"Avalon!"

*FSN*-*FSN-*-FSN-

Shiro was just stepping through the gate to Ryuudo temple when he felt something strange - a pull in his chest I'm too young to have a heart attack was was the the only thought he had time for before he felt himself yanked sideways, falling into a black pit instead of stepping through the gate to Ryuudo temple.

When he next opened his eyes, he was standing on a low hill, looking down on a field of carnage. There were men in medieval armor lying dead scattered all over the field before him. Amongst them, in small clumps, others were still fighting.

"What the hell? where am I?" Shiro tried to make out what was going on, who was fighting. Nothing made sense. It was sunset, where moments ago it had been full dark. It was the countryside - there were rolling fields all around. And men dying. There was a clash of swords.

Shiro turned towards the noise - at the base of the hill, some 200 yards away, another group of men were fighting.

Is this a dream? this looks... almost like Saber's dreams. The country side, the men, knights I guess, in european armor... am I in her dreams again?

"Avalon!"

Shiro's head snapped around - he knew that voice! He took a closer look at the men fighting at the base of the hill, reinforcing his eyes to zoom in. It was Saber, fighting two knights. And she wasn't doing well - she was staggering, barely defending herself, there was blood leaking from her side. And one of her opponents reeked of Magic. A magic of a most vile sort.

Shiro's mind whirled as he considered his options. But being Shiro, there was really only one thing he could do.

*FSN*-*FSN-*-FSN-

Arturia's leg slipped as she fended off another blow from the black knight.

She raised her sword feebly as he drew back his weapon for another blow, when out of the blue, an arrow slammed into the center of his helmet, throwing him to the ground.

Arturia took the moment to scramble back and regain her footing.

The enchanted knight staggered up in an oddly disjointed, almost boneless fashion. As he raised his sword, another arrow slammed into his chest.

But this time, he was ready for it - it barely staggered him.

Then two more arrows hit him, pushing him back.

Five more hit him.

Then 10.

A rain of arrows, fifty or more pummeled into the black knight. His armor deflected most of them. but a few slipped through the chinks, burying themselves in his body.

The black knight sank back down to the ground.

Arturia smiled like a wolf and leaped at Mordred, smashing Excalibur into his helm. He staggered back, on the defensive now.

"Arthur, I come!" It was Bedivere, running with sword drawn from where he had disposed of his own opponent moments ago.

Mordred, seeing the fight was lost, turned and fled.

Arturia collapsed where she stood, too tired to do anything else.

"Arthur... Arturia - are you ok, my Liege?" Bedivere gasped.

"I... will live." Arturia replied, "How goes the battle?

"Mordred's men are in disarray, and with him fleeing, they will route. But we took heavy losses, my Liege."

Arturia nodded dumbly. She had seen. It is my fault. I lead them to their deaths. I couldn't save them

"My Liege, who is the archer?" Bedivere pointed up the hill at Shiro.

"I don't know." Arturia staggered to her feet and walked off.

Bedivere was momentarily confused by the lack of orders from his leader, but with a shrug, he started to trudge up the hill.

*FSN*-*FSN-*-FSN-

Shiro gasped for breath. Projection on that scale still took it out of him. When he looked up, he saw another knight approaching him.

He projected Kanshou and Byakuya and took a defensive stance.

The knight held up his open hand in front of him and said something in english.

Shiro concentrated, trying to puzzle out the foreign language. The man in front of him did not appear to be an enemy.

"Who are you?" ha asked

"I am Bedivere. I thank you sir Archer, for your aid." Sir Bedivere said some more, But Shiro didn't catch it, so he just nodded, and lowered his swords.

The two stood like that for a moment, studding each other. Shiro saw a young man, his age or maybe a little older, dressed in well crafted but filthy armor. He looked exhausted, but he held himself with dignity.

"You do not speak English?" He finally asked.

"I speak English badly" replied Shiro. He dissolved Kanshou and Byakuya, drawing a startled look from Bedivere. But the knight did not raise his weapon - he was apparently at least somewhat comfortable with magic.

"What is your name, Sir Archer?"

"I am Shiro Emya"

"Come, Sir Shiro-emya" He waved and turned back down the hill.

Shiro followed.

CHAPTER END