This is my attempt at a writing using the concepts Type-Moon created to write a story about the Holy Grail War. This one will take place in the future. Who knows how long in the future? Lol. Anyway, this is actually a rewrite of this very story. I was unsatisfied with the original, so I rewrote it and reworked parts of it. If you've read the previous version, you see it's mostly the same in concept, but the little details and a few of the characters have been changed in personality and name.
That's it now I guess.... I hope you enjoy. As always... Read and Review please. x.x
Fate/ersatz eternity
Prologue
Reaching for the cause of the incessant buzzing noise, I bring my hand lazily and slap the source of the annoying sound. Bring my bead from the pillow, I look up at the clock in my hand and look at the glowing green numbers. 5:30 it reads. My mouth opens widely as a yawn escapes. Dropping the clock back to its place, I drop my head back to the pillows and pull the covers over my head as sleep consumes me once again. The painful memories of eight years ago greet me in my slumber.
"Are you working hard in school?" My father asks me as he put his shoes on. He was sitting on the steps with his broad back facing me.
"Yes otou-chan." I replied as I ran to his side.
"Have you been practicing your magic?" He takes my hands in his. I stare at his large hands. They were very gentle.
"Yes." I smiled up at him.
"Is that right?" He returned the smile. "Good girl." He gets up and rubs my head ruffling my hair. I laugh at the gesture and smile happily.
"Get ready for school Yumi." He heads towards the door. "Otou-chan has to head to work now. Kagami-kun will pick you up in a bit."
"Come home safely." I wave by closing my hand. I left to go change believing that day would be like any other.
My eyes slowly opened as the buzzing returned. I slide out from the covers as I look at those green numbers again. It now read 5:37. I yawn deeply and press the button to turn it off. I sit there staring at the clock for a minute before slowly sliding out of bed and going to the washroom to clear the sleep from my face. The cold water is refreshing and helps to wake me up.
I leisurely walk back to my room and open the window letting in the cool winter air. Fuyuki City is a strange city. The city's name means "Winter Tree" because the winters here are longer. However, despite the name, the climate is friendly year round changing little from winter to spring and from autumn to winter. It's a truly beautiful place to live.
I start to remove my pajama which consists of only a shirt and my panties. Seeking fresh panties, I slide them on. Leaning forward, I tuck myself into a matching bra. They are a plain white, but very comfortable. I walk to where my school uniform hangs and lay the clothes on my bed where I take the dress shirt with red trim at the sleeve and collars end. I slide my sleeves through and carefully button the shirt. How I suffered embarrassment many times because I misaligned the buttons when I was younger.
Next, I pull up the black skirt and tuck in the shirt making sure it nothing is hanging out over the skirt. I slowly zip the skirt and button it and slide it down where it rests on my hip. I once was in such a rush that I had forgotten this very crucial step and my skirt slid off. It was quite embarrassing. Onii-chan would still make fun of me for this. His teasing would often time result in me crying.
Finally, I put on the beige colored vest and complete the uniform by tying the red ribbon with the yellow trim and cross under the collar of my shirt into a bow. Having finish, I look back at the clock and see the time is 5:50. I realize I'm a slow dresser, so I have to finish quickly else I'll end up late for clubs.
I walk over to my dresser where a brush and a small mirror lay as I start to straighten my dark shoulder length hair. Nodding in satisfaction, I put on my small wrist watch and grab the small sapphire necklace given to me when I was old enough to not eat small objects. It seems like it's a tradition to give members of my family their birthstone at birth. However, these stones are special in that they contain a large amount of magical energy. I have to wonder how my family got a hold of such a powerful item. I shrug it off as I grab my school bag and run downstairs. I'll have to ask someone about this someday.
Smiling to myself I look at the picture at the small alter in the living room at the corner. It is a small simple picture of me and my father at the park when I was just a little girl; my tiny arms are wrapped around his neck. We had such happy smiles. I treasure this picture so.
"I'll be back later tonight! Watch the house for me otou-chan!" I yell. Running to the doorsteps I step into my shoes and grab the large duffel bag by the shoe rack and leave my home with a light skip.
I already know nothing will happen to this house. A barrier field surrounds the house that prevents thieves or anyone with bad intentions from going near it. It even stops stray cats. Still, I would like to think my father had something to do with the protection of my home.
I run down several blocks to another house. The nameplate in front says "Kagami". I push open the gates and walk to the door when I pull out a key from my bag and enter the house. In contrast to my house which is quite large, built for a family of 6 but seemingly could contain at least 20 people comfortably, onii-chan's is small and homely.
The city we live in can basically be split in two, Miyama City and Shinto. Miyama City where we live can further be split into two halves. My house is in the area where the western style houses lay. They were built there by immigrants and foreigners who have visited the city and lived here. The half I'm visiting is now the area of old Japanese style houses. These houses are indeed very old. Some are even a couple centuries old. Between these two sections, the houses are pretty ordinary. Behind all this is a mountain.
Crossing the bridge over the river that runs through the city is Shinto where modern development occurs. However, there was a stretch of time where nothing happened because of a fire that burned in the residential district nearly a century ago. Development recently started again a few decades ago. Shinto started as a tiny station, but has since boomed. Even though Miyama City and Shinto are within Fuyuki City, they can still be thought of as totally different places.
"Ojamashimasu." I say quietly as I enter the Kagami household. It looks like he's not awake yet.
I drop my bags near the shoe rack and place my shoes at the step. I walk over to the kitchen and put on my apron I leave her at the house. I start by cleaning the rice and having it cook in the rice cooker. I turn to the refrigerator and stare at its contents pondering what to prepare for breakfast.
"Onii-chan likes fish…" I murmur aloud, "And it has been a while… Yosh!" I take out the seafood and start to prepare breakfast.
Once everything is finished and set at the table in the living room, I skip to a room in the back of the house. I slowly open the door and stare at the lump in the middle of the room covered with sheets surrounded by a mess of clothes, magazine and books. I look over the room sighing as I walk to the futon careful not to step on anything and sit next in the seiza position next to the sleeping person.
"Onii-chan." I call out. He doesn't wake up.
"Onii-chan." I call out again and he still sleeps. Thinking of how to wake him up day after day is always enjoyable. Smiling mischievously I learn towards his ear and lightly blow across. This results in an action as he swats down at his ear. He slowly turns over and stares at me for a couple seconds.
"Ohayo Yumi…" He mumbles groggily. He pulls the covers slowly over his head and falls asleep. I sigh as I walk to the window and open the curtains wide as the morning sunlight floods into the room. Walking back to the futon, I pull the covers from his head.
"Turn off the lights…" He mumbles as he squints up at me.
"Ohayo 'nii-chan." I greet him.
"Yumi… You look beautiful with the sunlight shining at your back."
"Huh?" He says something unexpected. I quickly turn my face away to hide my embarrassment.
"Thanks for waking me up." He sits up from bed.
"It's alright." I give him a bright smile. He is Kagami Kazuki, my childhood friend. He is tall by Japanese standards at 173cm tall with an athletic build. His eyes match his always messy dark hair. He has a mature face, but when around me, it's always distorted into some weird or goofy expression. He is exactly a year older than me plus three minutes, but who's counting? We've known each for all our lives. Apparently, my mother was good friends with his parents. When my father died, the Kagamis took care of me like I was their own daughter. Now, it's just me and Kazuki. His parents moved to Britain about two years ago, but they come back to visit every summer break and then some random days in between.
"Go wash your face. Breakfast is ready." I get up and carefully leave the room.
"Yeah yeah." He waves me off.
"Jeez… Don't be so lazy 'nii-chan."
"Ittadakimasu." We part our hands and start to dig into the breakfast.
"This is good." Onii-chan points his chopsticks at me. "You're getting to be like a professional."
"You exaggerate too much." I feel my cheeks redden slightly.
"Yes I am." He replies bluntly.
"That's kind of mean…."I murmur. Breakfasts are usually like this. We talk about nothing in particular, but it makes breakfast more enjoyable. When we don't talk, the TV is on and something important is going on. Either way, mornings are always fun in the Kagami household. However, something seems to be lacking….
"YUMI!!!" As if on cue, I hear a loud yell from the front entrance. From the hallway bursts a woman. "AHH!! You guys started without me!" She points at the two of us in dramatic horror.
"But if we waited for you Akari-nee, we'll be late." I point out the obvious.
"Whatever." She takes her place across from me at the rectangular table. I get up and bring her portion to the table. Akari-nee is onii-chan's older sister. She is his elder by seven years. She is a very spontaneous and energetic person as demonstrated as she entered the house, but she's very honest and kind. However, contrasting her personality, she appears very frail and delicate. Quite the beauty one might add with a cute face and glowing eyes and waste length hair tied into a tail. Despite her frame, she somehow packs a lot of power in those thin arms and legs. Right now, she is living in an apartment in Shinto. I find it amazing that she comes here every morning and evening to have meals with the two of us.
"You've really improved! This is really good!" Akari-nee squeals. She reaches across the table and hugs me as tightly as she could. "Marry me Yumi!"
"Akari-nee…" I complain. "Let me eat." I squirm from her grasp. "Besides, you should be eating too. We're almost done and you just started. I need to wash the dishes before we go to school."
"That would be troublesome…" She pouts eating slower. "I can't savor the taste of the dish."
"I'll make something really good tonight if you finish quicker." I start to collect the dishes. I see Akari-nee making an effort to eat faster.
"To think that it was only a couple year since you learned to cook." Onii-chan says.
"It's thanks to you I can cook like this." I smile at him as I take the dishes to the sink. I started to really get into cooking when his parents moved. I wanted to show my appreciation to him by cooking for him, but I was really terrible. Onii-chan really taught me how to cook and with practice, I am here where I am today. They also say a woman should know how to cook. That's a plus.
"Bring your plates when you're done Akari-nee." I shout from the sink.
"Hai~" She drawls the word out. I turn on the faucet and start to wash the dishes. I can see onii-chan cleaning the table and Akari-nee looks to be finished.
"Gochisousama deshita!" Akari-nee says having finished the meal.
"Onee-chan… That was fast." Onii-chan says in amazement.
Akari puffs her chest out proudly. "You better make something really great Yumi!"
"Of course." I smile when she put the dishes into the sink.
"See you two later! I need to head to work! Breakfast was great as always!"
"Until tonight." I wave my sudsy hands. I finally rinse the last dish and place it on the rack to let air dry. I wipe my hands on a towel and walk to the door where Onii-chan was waiting for me. I quickly put on my shoes and check my watch. It's only 6:45.
"We have a little time." I pick up my bags and leave the house as he locks the door. This house also has a boundary field, but it's very different from mine. Neither Onii-chan nor Akari-nee are mages, so it must have been there before they moved here. I'm glad this house has one though. It keeps the only family I have safer.
We walk to the crossroads of Miyama City. This crossroad is in the middle of Miyama City and splits the Western and Japanese styled areas. Up the hill of one road leads to the Western area where I live and up the opposite hill leads to the Japanese side where Onii-chan lives. The bridge to Shinto is in one direction and the last direction leads to the school, shopping district, and Ryudou Temple further up the mountain.
Since it's very earlier, there are only a few students heading to school for sports clubs as we walk up the road to school. We don't talk as much today which I felt is a little unusual.
"Is something on your mind Onii-chan?" I leaned over and looked up at his face.
"Oh…" He pushes my face out of the way. I laugh at his gesture. "It's nothing…"
"It's definitely not nothing." I poke his cheek. "I've known you too long."
"Well, I've known you for the same amount of time." He smiles. "You're forgetful and clumsy."
"That's mean!" I hit his shoulder. "I'm not clumsy and I have an excellent memory."
"It's alright then." He smiles at me. He rubs my head and runs up the hill.
"Ah! Onii-chan! Wait for me!" I run following him.
We soon reach the gates of Homurabara Gakuen. "Have fun at your club." I say to him. Onii-chan is a third year student and also a member of the baseball club.
"Yeah. You too." I am a member of the kendo club. We go our separate ways as he heads toward the field and me to the dojo.
I head to the locker room where I change into the dark blue hakamashita and hakama. I carefully put my uniform into the locker and grab my shinai. I make my way to the dojo and I'm met with a slight surprise.
"Emiya-sempai… Tezuka-sempai." I bow to the bow of them who are drinking a bit of tea by the entrance.
"Hey Yumi." Tezuka Mika, the captain of the kendo club greets me. She's very tall, but still very beautiful. She has her long light colored hair tied back and she possessed eyes that look like their always closed giving her an air of elegance, but in her kendo outfit, especially with her height, she is certainly someone you do not want to get in trouble with.
"Hey Makiri-chan!" Emiya-sempai greets me.
"What brings you here?" I ask a little coldly. Emiya Kaori is not part of the kendo club.
"I'm just visiting my friend." She replies as if never hearing the coldness in my voice.
"You two know each other?" I look at the two of them in surprise. Their personalities seem like the exact opposite. What they say must be true then, opposites attract.
"Of course. We're best friends, right?" Emiya-sempai turns to my captain and gives her a thumb up.
"Right!" She replied with her own. I tilt my head and look at the duo oddly.
Emiya-sempai then turns and gives me a really serious look with those deep dark brown eyes. I take a step back at the intense gaze. She has jet black hair tied in a sideways ponytail on the left side of her head. I think it looks really good on her. From the rumors I hear, she's a perfect honor student, very confident in her own abilities, and she's great in athletics. She's well known throughout school. Some consider her the idol. She's not the prettiest girl, but she's very sociable and likeable. She's not selfish and she's always helping others. Sometimes, I think that's a façade for how she really is. However, I can't find myself to hate her. I should hate her, but she's way too likeable.
"You should get yourself a servant soon." She smirks at me.
"Huh? Servant?" Tezuka-sempai looks at Emiya-sempai. "What the heck is that?" She has a confused look on her face. Any normal Japanese girl would be confused at the word spoken in English. Tezuka-sempai wouldn't understand, but to a Magus, that word carries plenty of meaning.
"It's just a game we're playing." She turns back to Tezuka-sempai with a smile. "Neh Makiri-chan?"
"Oh… Uh… yeah." I reply. What she just said impacted me hard. Emiya-sempai is a Master? I knew she was a magus, but I did not know she would be participating in this event. I heard her father was killed by the Mage's Association for violating the single that magic must never be revealed to the public. I felt some sympathy for her having lost my own. However, I didn't think she even knew about this thing. For her to give me some advice was shocking. She would want to hide the fact she was participating in the Holy Grail War….
School ends without a problem, but the events at lunch time made me extremely saddened. I had forgotten to make lunch. That must have been what onii-chan meant this morning when he said I was forgetful. However, I found him in the cafeteria and we got lunch together although we did not eat together. Still, the rest of the school day is fun. I get to meet with friends and talk about the stuff adolescent girls do like the new sweets shop that opened near the station in Shinto or that cute dress in a catalogue. However, my thoughts were mostly on what Emiya-sempai said to me early in the morning.
"You should get yourself a servant soon." She said to me. She added some words after that though. She didn't say it aloud, just lipped it out, but it was as clear as if she had shouted it. "Or you'll die." I would need to summon one soon. From the way she talked, she must already have one.
"Hey, have you been waiting?" A voice brings me from my thoughts.
"Onii-chan." I wave as he comes jogging towards me.
"You had such an intense look; I could see it from over there." He points to where he ran from. "What were you thinking?"
"Huh? Did I?" My face turns a bright red. "That's embarrassing." I place my hands on my cheeks to hide the color.
"Haha. It was cute." He laughs. "Shall we head home then?"
I nod keeping my face down. He called me cute….
We walk back to onii-chan's place where Akari-nee is already waiting for us. She was in the living room watching the news while eating an orange.
"Welcome back you two." She says to us while keeping her eyes on the television.
"Tadaima." Onii-chan says.
"Ojamashimasu…." I say politely as I remove my shoes. I place them at the step and take onii-chan's where he just took them off and threw them to the side and put them neatly by the step as well.
"Anything interesting happen?" Onii-chan asks his sister as he joined her at the small table in front of the TV.
"I bought groceries." She points at the refrigerator.
"I mean the news." I move to the kitchen where I stare at the contents of the newly stocked fridge and ponder what I'm going to make for dinner.
"A family was killed; some kind of bladed weapon was used. There were also some bullet wounds. The house was also burned to the ground." She says sadly. "They don't know who did it. They don't even have any clues."
Hearing that from Akari-nee, I freeze. I knew exactly what happened. I knew the likely candidate to the type of murder. It was starting.
Turning to the two siblings, I give them a polite bow. "I just remembered I have something very important to do." I quickly put on my shoes and leave the house running at full speed.
"Hey! What about dinner!?" I hear Akari-nee yelling. I ignore the yells and spring home. If I stay there, the Kagami household would be in danger. I am a Makiri, one of the well known names in this War. My life will be in constant danger. I don't want to involve the only remaining family I have. The news showed how deadly this war will become. The murder was the work of a Servant.
When I reach my home, I drop my bags at the door and kick my shoes off not even bothering with being neat about it. I run to the basement of the house. I'm already having trouble breathing. The cool damp place helps me to rest for the summoning I would be performing. I always practice my magic here, but this was going to be bigger. My father's honor, my whole family's honor would depend on this single summoning.
I walk to the center of a chalk drawn circle design that my father had drawn for this day. It looks fine and undisturbed. I would not have to redraw any parts. Removing the small necklace I carried, I hold it tightly in my right hand and grasp it close to my heart.
"—Eradication, engrave and surround the four corners, the summoning circle… Light!"
The chalk circle beings to glow and more markers and designs begin to draw around me. Summoning a Servant does not require a large scale summoning. The Holy Grail does most of the work. The only thing a magus does is supply the Servant with enough magical energy so they can operate in our reality.
I wince as I bite the tip of my index finger drawing blood. It drips over the sapphire crystal in my hand and then onto the floor. I continue to chant the summoning spell as the blood moves to draw figures and circles turning the white ring of light now a crimson red.
I close my eyes and focus on the switch within me. I flip it on and feel the sensation in my body as everything changes. My nerves previously moving electric signals now become circuits to move magical energy. From this point on, I am no longer a living entity. I am now a tool to be used to perform the impossible. Mana is flowing through my body. It is so concentrated that my senses are being destroyed. The power keeps flowing though me as mana is being absorbed and converted. The body of a magus is nothing more than a circuit that connects the spiritual to the real. That is magic.
My body burns fiercely. I see illusions of myself, myself turning into a demon, an angel, a beast. I can feel myself sinking, sinking into an abyss. My body burns fiercely. It starts to sweat. Then I feel a sharp pain. Knives are being shoved into my body. Bullets are peppered into me shredding through my organs. The pain is my body rejecting the magical energy. The human body is not made to be a Magic Circuit. No matter how great a magus is, a human is just a human. The pain will always be there as long as magic is used with a human body.
The pain is unbearable, but I don't loosen the flow. I know at the end of this pain is a place of "connection". A sharp pain runs through my back, the other gift my late father left me. The Magic Crest activates to help me. This causes the pain to increase. I hold myself from screaming. The mana flowing through my blood is like having your joined sliced with a dull knife. However, the pain from the Magic Crest is like having your skin slowly being ripped off. I start to lose myself, but then I feel it. I made it to that place. I can feel the power. I now need to use the mana gathered within me to move the machine that is the summoning circle.
"—I call upon thee. Thy self shall folly my command; my fate shall be decided upon thy blade. Following the command of the Holy Grail, if thou wouldst obey this one, please answer my call."
I close my eyes and feel a breeze through the basement. The fifth element unperceived by mankind is appearing before me. In fear of such an event, my brain shuts down the optical systems in my body. However, I continue the summoning.
"Make thy oath here and now. I am the embodiment of virtue after death. I am the embodiment of immorality after death. Thou art Heavens clad in the Three Great Words. Emerge from the ring of control, keeper of stasis."
I've done the best I possibly could. I open my eyes and wipe the sweat from my brow as my eyes adjust to the darkness. I notice that I'm on all fours and I'm breathing harshly. Blinking several times, I finally stand up and face the being I summoned. I look up at the tall man who stood before me. He had kind features that contrast to his fiery red hair. His emerald eyes tell me he is loyal. His 203 cm frame holds the air of a man radiating confidence. His full plated shining silver armor tells me he is strong. The red cape he wears tells me he is a famous man. I lastly notice the decorated scabbard at his left hip.
He kneels before me and lowers his head. "I am your Servant." He lifts his head and stares into my eyes. "I am of the class Saber. Master, what is your first command?"
I look at him and try to talk, but I'm still having difficulty breathing. The summoning had really drained me. "Hi Saber…" I pause to take another breath. "I'm Makiri Yumi… I-it's a pleasure to m-meet you." That's all I can manage as my brain shuts down from the fatigue.