"If the past cannot be changed, then the present will never change"
Fate/Brave Shine
Prologue
It had been several days since the end of the latest Holy Grail War. In that time, Shirō Emiya had come to realize that a mistake had been made. Not on his part, but on Fate's. During his time with Saber, they had bonded. More than that, they completed each other in ways that could not be given justice with simple things such as words.
If he closed his eyes and opened his mind, he could still feel her presence. He could smell her on his clothes. He could hear her humming contently. It was almost enough to make him think that she was happy.
Almost.
The image of her beaten, broken, and bloody at the hands of Gilgamesh still haunted his thoughts, leading to all-too-realistic nightmares that threatened to consume him. He could feel the very fibers of his being being pulled in opposite directions. Shirō knew that it would only be a matter of time before he was torn apart.
He and Saber- no. He would not call her by that title. Not now, after they had been so close. After she had asked, as she was fading away, that he say her name. Arturia. He and Arturia had won. They had found the truth of the Grail together with Rin Tohsaka and, instead of making a wish, they chose to destroy the Grail. Together. He, after recently unlocking the ability to access Archer's, or rather, his Unlimited Blade Works, and Arturia had combined their waning power to destroy the Grail to put an end to the war.
They did so knowing that she would have to return to her time. Return to a blood-soaked hill, piled high with bodies. She'd relive the nightmare that was her final, fleeting moments of Kingship over and over until the Grail called upon her once more. Shirō had asked Rin if there were any ways to bring her forward in time, to save her from that hell, but she hadn't a clue. Though she was a genius, even she was stumped when presented with Shirō's wish to save his former Servant.
After some persuasion and begging, she allowed him to look through all of her family's records on the Grail and it's Servants. All that mattered to him was getting Arturia back. His ideals of becoming a Hero of Justice could wait. He'd have time for that later.
After days of reading without sleep or nourishment, he had closed the final book. Nothing. There was nothing he could do. He swiped his hands, knocking everything on the table to the floor in a fit of anger, something he was not known for.
"I need to go back. I need to help her. I need to save her!"
Shirō didn't have any time to react as his vision was obscured by an intense flash of golden light.
Shirō struggled to his feet, looking upon the Grail. At his feet laid the three most important people. Rin Tohsaka, Sakura Matou, and Arturia Pendragon. In front of the Grail was a man cloaked in gold, laughing maniacally. Gilgamesh. He had killed Ilya to bring down the Grail early. To lure him and Arturia out. It worked. Despite all of their combined efforts, the Heroic Spirit was too powerful. Sakura's Rider was defeated nearly instantly. Rin's Archer put up a good fight, but Gilgamesh fought dirty. He sent one of his seemingly endless Noble Phantasms towards Rin, and he was forced to block it with his own body. Afterwards, both Rin and Sakura were killed without hesitation on Gilgamesh's part. Arturia had used her own Noble Phantasm on the man twice and yet he still stood, able to beat her down. When Shirō tried to step in, he was impaled.
Avalon was healing him, but it didn't matter. Gilgamesh was too powerful for him alone to defeat. He tried to project something, anything to attack the man with, but his Magic Circuts were fried. So instead, he pulled the blade out of his leg that Gilgamesh had put there and charged.
Only to be backhanded nearly ten yards away. Every bone in his body screamed, and his muscles ached more than they ever had before. Still, he tried to pick himself up, the sight of Gilgamesh picking Arturia up by the collar fueling his rage.
"I told you that I would take what I wanted by force." He said, hefting Arturia up to eye level. Even after being beaten down, she held fire in her eyes. She hated this man. She hated him more than anything.
The world went quiet when he pulled out Rule Breaker. Shirō knew what he was going to do. He couldn't allow it. He wouldn't allow it. He forced a massive amount of Prana into his legs, reinforcing them beyond anything he had before, speeding towards them faster than any normal human would be capable of.
Gilgamesh was not a normal human. He was a Servant. That means he saw Shirō coming long before he got to his second step. He was quicker. Before Shirō got to them, he had already plunged Rule Breaker into Arturia's stomach.
"You're mine." Gilgamesh whispered, before letting go of her. Gravity took control and she sailed towards the earth.
Shirō screamed, just barely being fast enough to catch her. There, in the dust, he told her that she'd be okay. That they would find a way out of this and beat him somehow.
Gilgamesh's body glowed, showing dozens upon dozens of Command Seals. "Saber, by the power of this Command Seal, I order you.."
Shirō and Arturia's eyes met, wide with panic. Already, Arturia could feel her body reacting to the Command Seal. "Run." She whispered.
He couldn't run. The amount of Prana he pumped into he legs completely destroyed them. They were useless.
".. to kill your former master."
Arturia's Magic Resistance was doing it's job, but wouldn't last forever. If Gilgamesh used another Command Seal, her body would move on it's own. "I'm sorry, Shirō."
His eyes met hers, both of them filled with tears. Shirō smiled a bittersweet smile. "I'm the one who is sorry. I just wish it hadn't turned out this way."
As Gilgamesh used a second Command Seal to order Saber to kill Shirō, he didn't notice the Grail behind him glowing.
Just as Saber was about to bring down her Excalibur to sever Shirō's head from his body, they both cried out "I love you" before their world was filled with a flash of gold.
Shirō's execution date had come. He wasn't sad. Only disappointed. In the people who he saved, who had branded him as the mastermind behind the war they were fighting, and in himself. They'd given him just over a day to come to terms with it after they had captured him, worn down from fighting off their enemies.
The man behind his execution knew the truth. It was a betrayal, through and through. A way to place the blame, to focus the hatred, instead of letting it spill outwards onto an undeserving populace. Shirō had seen it before with other people in his position. Ever since destroying the Grail, he had known he was living on borrowed time.
As they led him from his makeshift cell, something he could have easily escaped from, his thoughts were of his past involving the Grail. Of Kiritsugu, taking him in, teaching him, preparing him for whatever might come. Making nice with Tohsaka early on in his school life. Becoming Sakura's pillar of strength. Standing at Kiritsugu's funeral. Saber.
Arturia. They had been through so much, and at the end of it all they were forced apart. By time, by the Grail, and by Fate itself. For a time, he had searched for a way to get back to her. He tracked down every bit of material on Camelot, Arthur (rather, Arturia) Pendragon, and the Grail system. That's what led to him to making a contract with the World, which put him in his current position.
When he made the contract, he was forced to stop searching for a way to get back to her. His contract was constantly demanding his attention and action. If he wasn't sleeping, he was fighting, or heading towards a fight. He was aware of what would come next. After all, Archer had said exactly what would come, and so far it was all true. He would be executed, and in death he would become a Counter Guardian, one of Alaya's dogs. Killing a hundred people to save a thousand. Sacrificing one innocent to save two. Always fighting for the greater good.
He had once told Archer that he wouldn't follow that path. He said he would never become him. Now, he felt foolish to think he could go against Fate. It always got what it wanted in the end, didn't it?
He felt the rough rope noose around his neck as the town's elder spoke of his supposed crimes. Even still, all he could think about was wanting another chance. A way to go back. If not to prevent his current situation, then just to see her face once again. To be with her once more, however fleeting those moments in time might be. As the elder finished and prepared to release the trap-door which Shirō stood upon, which would lead to his neck being snapped, he made one silent wish.
As the trap-door gave way, time slowed to a near halt. Shirō opened his eyes and saw that from over the horizon, a brilliant, all-encompassing golden light was enveloping the landscape, heading straight towards them faster than he was falling to his death. Just before the rope could pull tight, the light enveloped him.
Shirō was thrown roughly onto a wooden floor. He gasped as the air in his lungs felt as if they were forced out of him. His mind was swimming and his body ached. As he struggled to his feet, using a nearby chair for support, he could tell he wasn't alone.
"Ah, it seems to have worked!" A voice rang out, clearly younger than his own, yet at the same time so much older.
Shirō looked up to see a figure draped in what could only be described as a Mage's robe. The hood was down, allowing Shirō to see a young face, looking to be around 16 years old. In his hand was a staff. The staff was made of wood, beautifully etched with several metal pieces attached, with bright glowing Amethyst jewel at the top. Due to a habit, he immediately tried to trace it, but found that it was impossible. That had never been the case before. For any weapon, from Kanshu and Byakua to Excalibur. A thousand questions came to mind.
So did a thousand memories.
Shirō's brain was wracked with pain as it was filled with memory after memory, thousands of pages worth of information, and years of experience. He clutched his head and screamed.
"Oh dear. I was not aware it would be painful." The young man said, striding over to Shirō. Afterwards, everything went black and Shirō was unconscious.
It shouldn't have been possible. By all accounts, it was strictly impossible. Not just improbable, but legitimately impossible. Yet, here he was. He remembered everything. Everything and then some, several times over. He wasn't sure which memories were his, and which were those of another him, or if they were all his, or if none of them were. All he knew was that the impossible had happened.
He watched in hesitation as the strange man prepared tea for them. He hadn't said much so far, only that they would discuss it over tea and that it's been forever since he had a visitor. Shirō didn't know where he was, but he was well aware that something was off about the room, which appeared to be a one-room cottage.
It had all the basic amenities of a cottage in the middle of the woods would have. Wood fueled stove, table, chairs, sink, bed, oil lanterns, candles, and storage. Not much else.
"Here we are" The man said, bringing over a tray with two cups of tea. He set the tray on the table and sat opposite of Shirō.
"So, about those questions.." Shirō began.
The man smiled earnestly. "Please, ask away"
Shirō didn't know where to begin. He wanted to ask so many questions he didn't know where to start. As he looked around the room, his eyes settled on the staff. The one thing in all existence Shirō wasn't able to trace, from what he knew, anyways.
"That staff. What is it?"
The man followed his eyes to the staff. After a moment of silence, he laughed loudly. After recovering, he spoke "You.. Your first question is about my staff?"
His answer came in the form of a nod.
"Well then, I suppose it is only fair I answer. As you said, it is a staff. I made it myself."
Shirō's jaw muscles tightened. When the man had said he'd answer his questions, he assumed that he would be forthcoming in those answers. "Is it a Noble Phantasm? A Mystic Code? Something of that nature?"
The man put down his tea, looking to Shirō with a much more serious, neutral expression. "No. Nothing of that sort. You are wondering why you cannot trace it, correct?"
That caught Shirō off guard. He was wondering how much the stranger knew about him, and that was an answer he wasn't prepared for. "Well.. yes."
"That is because it cannot be replicated. The staff was an accident of sorts. It's very existence goes against Fate itself. You know something of that, do you not?"
Shirō wasn't sure where this was going, but he was much more uneasy now than he had been minutes prior. "Okay, so that's two questions down.. Who are you?"
Silence was not something Shirō wanted, but that's what he got for a long moment. It stretched on for what felt like an eternity before the stranger answered. "You may call me Moros."
Great. Not actually his name, from how he phrased it. "Well.. Moros.. where are we? Why am I here? Why do I have memories of multiple lives?" His voice rose as he spoke, sounding more and more agitated by the end of it.
"I can see you are in no mood for games. So, I shall cut to the heart of the matter." Moros said, raising his hand. The staff, from it's position across the cottage, flew into it. He stood and gestured Shirō to do the same. When he did, he banged his staff on the wooden floor once and reality around them faded.
The image of a homely cottage gave way to what could only be described as a cave. Shirō could feel the magical energy pulsating around him, indicating only one thing. A magical prison. It was strong, too. Stronger than anything he had felt before, including all of his 'lives' that he has apparently lived.
"We are in my prison. I felt it was best you did not arrive to this ghastly image, so I whipped up that little cottage." Moros said, walking over to the entrance of the cave. He tapped his staff against a magical barrier. "As you can see, this is a prison. I have been here for some time. You are here for two reasons, both of them equal."
He banged his staff once more and reality once more bended to this strange man's will. In the center of the circular cavern, a bright light appeared, followed by a fade-in of the Grail.
"First off, the surrounding reason for why you are here is this. The Sangraal. Were it not for this, you would not be in this position." The image changed, one more familiar to him. Arturia. "She is also the reason you are here. Were it not for your connection to her, your mutual bond that spans throughout time itself, I would not have been able to call you here."
The image changed once more, this time of a rolling picture not unlike a silent movie of Shirō himself. All of his actions. From all the memories he had. "You yourself are the final reason you are here. As time flows, it does so in many directions. Your memories are all of you, and they are all legitimate. I have gathered as many of 'you' as I could and pulled you here."
Shirō felt numb. This was all completely over his head. While he understood a bit of it, the bits he did understand shook him to the very core. The reality of the situation was just setting in for him. His mind was reeling.
"I did so with the intention of granting your wish."
That brought everything to a halt. Wish? Could he mean..?
"I am not the Grail. I do not require you to know how to grant your own wish. I already know it, and I know how to grant it." He said, his serious gaze meeting Shirō's.
"Do you mean.. That I.."
He was cut off, the image changing back to Arturia. "You can go back. With all the knowledge you have now. All of the power you possess. All I need is your answer."
Shirō felt he could scream out his answer, but held himself back. Nothing came free. He knew as much from the Grail. "What do you get out of it? What is it you want from this?"
Moros sighed deeply. In half a second, it seemed like he aged several thousand years, yet retained his outward youthful appearance. "I want you to save her. She is living a cursed existence, one she does not deserve."
Shirō's shoulders dropped. "I can't. It's not possible. I've.. I've tried that before. I followed every lead. Read every book. If it is possible, it's not me who can do it."
"On the contrary, Shirō. You are the only one who can do it."
Shirō looked up at the man skeptically, but with a hidden hope that he was speaking the truth.
"I have watched you. More than what you know. I have seen you go down routes that you do not remember. You could not save her then, but you can now."
How? How could he save her? He couldn't even save himself, remembering the times they lost. Even going back with all he knew, even if everything played out like he knew how it could, it would end with the Grail being destroyed and Arturia returning to living a nightmare. A nightmare he couldn't save her from.
"It'll end the same way. That is what you are thinking, but that is not the truth."
Could he read minds?
"As we both have stepped on Fate, we are no strangers to Fate's cold, heartless ways. Your Fate was to become Arturia's Master. Together, your Fates were to destroy the Sangraal. That is where Fate stops."
Shirō was confused, but as he worked through his words, he started to understand. "If that's where Fate stops, at destroying the Grail, then Fate doesn't require Artu- Saber to return to her nightmare. Right?" Shirō stumbled on her name. He had never before divulged her name to others. He had only spoken it to her, or to himself. But, he realized, Moros already knew her name.
"Correct."
As Shirō felt hope fill him once more, his mind worked at a rapid pace. They'd have to get through the Grail war once again. They'd have to deal with Archer, Berserker, Caster, Rider, Lancer, and Assassin. They'd need to take care of Kirei Kotomine and Souchirou Kuzuki. Somehow, get Ilya to give up without hurting her, keep Sakura out of the war, and.. Gilgamesh. They'd need to kill Gilgamesh.
Just thinking of the man filled Shirō with rage. But that rage faded as he thought about the Grail. Then what? They'd destroy it. And.. She'd go away. There wasn't anything he could think of that didn't end with her leaving with the Grail.
"How? How am I supposed to save her?"
He saw Moros smirk, as if he were awaiting that question. As he banged his staff once more, Shirō noticed something strange. Around his feet were flowers, flowers that somehow sprouted up from the rock beneath him, all of them pointed in his direction.
The image changed. It turned into a blade. A blade so magnificent that he felt it rivaled Excalibur in beauty and craftsmanship. Stronger than Arondight. Brighter than Excalibur Galatine. Yet, it was different. The blade seemed almost sentient. As if it were reaching outward towards something or someone else. Perhaps another blade, or perhaps a person.
This blade might even be able to stand toe-to-toe with Ea. Even gazing upon it filled with him strength he didn't know he held within him. But a question remained. How was he supposed to save her? With this sword? How was that supposed to work?
"This time, it will be you who destroys the Sangraal." He started "With this, you will sever her connection to the Sangraal."
"She'll stay after the Grail is gone?"
Moros smiled a bittersweet smile. "I do not know. Perhaps she shall remain. Perhaps she will be sent back herself much like the opportunity I am giving you. I suspect that depends on what she wants."
While it wasn't exactly what he wanted, it was enough. If he could save her, even if it were only her and nobody else, it would be enough. That's what mattered most. Everything else paled in comparison.
"So you're going to give me this sword?" Shirō asked, gazing upon all of it's majesty.
"No," Moros said, banishing the image. "You are going to be the one who gives it shape, and I shall be the one who gives it life." He walked up to Shirō, flowers appearing in his steps. "It will be a very painful process. This blade will be forged from your soul. It is not an easy thing to do, nor is it quick."
Shirō knew what he wanted to do. There was just one more thing..
"What about you? You're practically handing me everything I want. What is it you get out of this?"
Moros tilted his head, as if considering the question. "I told you. I want you to save Arturia. That's what I get out of this."
It couldn't be left there, Shirō thought. That's not all there is to it. "But what about you? I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with this prison you're in."
The stranger shook his head. "No. This does not specifically have anything to do with my present situation."
"Then what is your situation? I hardly find it fair that I be given everything I want by a man who is trapped against his will." Shirō pressed, not satisfied with Moros's answers.
"Who am I, Shirō?" He asked.
That was a big question. A very big, very loaded question. Shirō went over everything he had observed. He asked to be called Moros, but he knew that wasn't his real name. He possessed a staff he was incapable of tracing. He seemed to be an extremely powerful Magus. His outward age was not a real indicator of his age, from the way he spoke.
Flowers seemed to grow where ever he walked, even if it would normally be impossible. He knew of Shirō despite being trapped in this magical prison. He also knew of Arturia, and seemed to have a deep, personal understanding of her situation. He called the Grail the Sangraal, a word not used for the Grail for a very, very long time, and to top it all off, he was trapped in a prison that was more powerful than anything he had ever felt before.
Wait.
Wait wait wait.
Could it be? Could this man be him? If the legends were true, he should look much, much older than this. Even still, how would he even be alive? Was he pulled backwards in time even further than the beginning of the Grail war?
"You.. You're Merlin?"
The man in question smiled. "Indeed. That should tell you why I am doing this."
Shirō's mind reeled once more. Merlin. Myrddin. One of, if not the most renown Magus throughout history. That explained his seemingly personal stake in this. But..
"Merlin. You didn't pull me back to when Arturia was King, did you?"
"No, I did not." Merlin replied.
"We're still in modern times, aren't we?"
"Yes, we are." Merlin confirmed, knowing where this was heading.
"This cell, whatever this is, it's kept you alive this whole time, hasn't it? From the time you walked into it until now."
"Indeed."
Shirō sat down on the cold stone floor. "You were waiting. This entire time, you were waiting for a way to do this. That's why you didn't contact Kiritsugu. You knew he wouldn't go along with this"
Merlin joined Shirō on the floor, sitting like he was intimately familiar with every inch of the ground he sat upon. He probably was, Shirō thought. "You are partly correct. I was waiting. After I cast aside my anger at being trapped, after I already deduced that I would be trapped here for eternity, I decided to find a way to correct my mistakes of the past in a different manner."
He waved his hand, summoning a small image of Kiritsugu. He looked much different than the adoptive father Shirō knew. He looked cold and calculated. No emotion on his face. "In time, I could have convinced Kiritsugu Emiya to do my bidding. He would have agreed if I told him he could save his precious Irisviel and Illyasviel. He could have severed Arturia's connection to the Sangraal. However, there would be no chance at her living a fulfilling life. She would simply disappear and her legacy would be set in stone."
The image changed to one of Shirō himself. "When I witnessed him implant Avalon into you, Shirō, I knew. From there, I watched you grow. I watched you fight. Throughout multiple strings of time, I witnessed as each time, you stepped on Fate in some way or another."
Shirō's image changed to one of Arturia. "One thing remained a constant. The connection, the bond between you and Arturia. That is why I put my plan into action. That bond can be the very thing that saves her."
Shirō looked to Merlin "Then I'll do it. If I can save her, that will be enough. No, even if I fail, being able to see her one more time will be enough."
Merlin closed his eyes and nodded. However, he stopped after hearing what Shirō had to say next. "If I succeed, I'll repay you. I'll find a way to break this prison and free you."
When Merlin's eyes opened, they were as hard as stone, and his voice was it's equal. "Shirō. A power far greater than you or I lured me into this cell for a reason, and it does not with for me to go free."
"I can't just stand by and let you rot away in here while I-" Shirō was cut off as Merlin rose to his feet, looking down upon Shirō with a gaze that could kill a dragon.
"If you go back with the intention of freeing me, you will awaken the very power that put me into this prison. She is not to be taken lightly. She may even interfere with your quest to save Arturia."
That stopped Shirō. A threat outside of what he knew meant there was an additional unknown that could present itself during the war. He already knew there were other possible routes he hadn't seen or been given the memory of. Stacking what Merlin said to be stronger than him in that camp was a terrifying thought.
However, he couldn't forsake Merlin, who was offering to give him a second chance. "Then we'll deal with it then. Me and Arturia. Together."
Merlin's visage faded to a sad smile. "Very well. I know better than to try and change your mind. We do not have very much time, so we should get started immediately."
He banged his staff once more and the cozy cottage reappeared. He gestured to the chair. After Shirō sat down, Merlin spoke once more. "All you must do is endure. You cannot hesitate. You cannot stop this once I start. You must cling to life. If you do not, this will kill you."
Shirō nodded. "I have too much to do to die here. One last question, though. What is the name of the sword?"
Merlin laughed. "It does not have a name. It does not exist yet, and I cannot give a name to something that is not mine. What I showed you was not necessarily the form it shall take, nor what it will remain as."
Shirō's confusion was evident on his face, so Merlin elaborated. "The image I showed to you was nothing more than something I designed to hold the power, the hope, and the salvation that it stored within. It acted only as a generic container."
Shirō's brow pursed. "So, that feeling I got looking at it.."
Merlin nodded. "That shall remain. You will give it shape, be it consciously or not. This time, Shirō, the weapon is truly yours. Everything that exists inside the blade already exists inside you. It is just waiting to come forth."
Shirō nodded. "Let's get this started, then."
All Shirō felt was pain. It surrounded him, infested him, and ate him from the inside out. The pain he experienced was not just on a physical level. His very soul was in just as much pain. It was as if he were on fire. No, that's not quite right. It was as if he were a fire. A blazing inferno that threatened to consume everything.
He stood against this pain. He knew that if he were to flinch, if he even thought about trying to escape it, he wouldn't be able to save Arturia. That was unacceptable. He couldn't allow that to happen. He wouldn't.
So he stood against the pain. Seconds turn to minutes. Minutes turned to hours. Hours turned to days. Each second was an eternity of it's own on the inside, and on the outside seven days had passed. Finally, when the seventh day came to a close, the pain ended, and Shirō once more knew the sweet embrace of sleep.
Shirō dreamed of her. Of them. Together, long after the war. He dreamed of them starting a life together, one without the idea of being pulled apart looming over their heads. He dreamed of seeing the world together. Traveling to places on a whim, even visiting the location of where Camelot once stood. He dreamed of holding her, being her rock in that moment, where she confronted her past to continue her future. Their future.
For what felt like the first time in years, he didn't dream of the terrible fates he had met before. There were no thoughts of danger, no images of Gilgamesh's arrogant smirk. No phantom pain from being impaled by so many of his blades. No feeling of hopelessness. Only joy.
When he woke, he saw Merlin, the man who had given him a second chance, standing over him. He looked frail. His skin was much more pale than it had been before the process. Almost immediately, without regard to himself, Shirō sat up and asked what was wrong.
"It is nothing, child. I am simply out of practice, so so speak, so the entire process was quite draining for me. I will recover in time." Merlin said. Shirō noticed a large portion of his weight was placed on the staff he carried.
"Are you sure?"
Merlin smiled. It was weak, but it was genuine. "Quite. As much as this prison holds me, it also keeps me alive. Were I allowed to die, I could resurrect myself given the proper preparation and time."
That's when Shirō noticed two things. Firstly, his contract with the World was voided. He could no longer feel it's influence. Secondly, though that contract was severed, likely by Merlin himself, he retained all the knowledge of the Grail system that came with the contract. He knew of every name of every servant residing in their own personal nightmares, waiting for a chance to make a wish upon the Grail should they be chosen and win.
Merlin wasn't on that list of names. Despite being the known throughout the world, both to normal people and people who had insight into the magical world, Merlin was not a Heroic Spirit. That, he already knew. Merlin confirmed as such. But, neither was Morgan le Fay. The woman who was heralded as Merlin's rival.
"Merlin.. What you said before about a power greater than you. It's Morgan le Fay, isn't it? And she's still alive, right?"
Merlin closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He spoke, "She has had a very long time to grow her power. If she had died, I would have felt it, and this prison wouldn't be able to hold me. I do not know why, but her influence on the outside world stopped shortly after Arturia's death."
Shirō's heart lurched in his chest. Though he already knew, hearing that Arturia has long since died was not an easy thing to hear. Merlin continued "That is why I worry about what will happen when I send you back. Even were she only as powerful as she was when I last felt her influence, she would be able to feel it, and she would investigate."
"And she might try to sabotage our plans." Shirō said.
Merlin nodded again. "She would. Were it only to save Arturia, I believe she would not interfere. Her hatred for the King was only due to my role in raising her up."
Merlin sat down in the chair opposite of Shirō. He breathed deeply, as if recalling a sad memory. "She is not evil. Not inherently. She simply cannot look past what all has transpired. Her own power consumed her, allowing for negative emotions to guide her actions. That is why she will not allow you to free me. Not without a fight."
Shirō stood and slowly paced around the room. As he did so, he spoke "What if we can save her from herself?"
Merlin's sad smile was an indication of an answer Shirō would not like. "I tried. She would not listen to me."
"What about me?"
Merlin paused. He once tried to steer Morgan back onto a good path, but that had backfired, which eventually led to him being imprisoned. He knew Arturia could not reconcile with her sister. But someone else.. Someone whose ideals burned as bright as the Sun in the sky? Perhaps..
Merlin shook his head. "She is powerful, Shirō. She would not so easily fall to words."
Shirō's shoulders drooped, but only slightly. "Alright then. If she comes after us, I'll stop her. With all my might."
Shirō looked around the room, looking for the blade that they had forged together but saw nothing of the sort. Merlin was quick to notice. "The blade is not here. It is within you. When you need it, it will appear. From that moment until the end of time, that blade shall be with you."
"Did you see it?" Shirō asked
Merlin smirked. "I did. But, you will have to wait to see it yourself. All you need to do is focus on what you desire most, and the blade shall take corporeal form."
Just then, a bright blue light opened up in the room. The light swirled inwards. It was a portal. Merlin was the first to speak up. "It appears that's all the time we have, Shirō. Step through the portal. Be cautious, but save Arturia."
Shirō said nothing. Instead, he nodded. As he approached the portal, he did so with the full intention of freeing Merlin from his cell. He also did so with the intention of saving Morgan le Fay from herself. He didn't look back. If he had, he would have stopped.
Just as he stepped through the portal and it closed, another portal appeared in the room. This one was red. A body stumbled through the portal, dressed in a blue and white. Armor that was well-worn, but still sturdy. A head of golden hair that matched the golden blade she carried.
"Hello, Arturia" Merlin said, his voice cheerful. His demeanor was different than it was with Shirō. Instead of the imposing Magus, he was simply Merlin. A half-human, half-incubus hybrid who was clumsy and spaced out. A man who had the spirit of a boy.
Arturia's head snapped up. There, she saw Merlin. The man who had helped raise her to kingship. A troublesome man who was known for causing mischief, but an incredibly powerful Magus as well.
Seconds earlier she was reliving her final moments. A nightmare that she wanted to end, but knew she couldn't. This was her most recent respite from that nightmare since the Fifth Holy Grail war. The war where she fell in love. The war where her and Shirō destroyed the Grail together.
"Merlin. Although it is good to see you, why am I here? I should be-"
"Back atop that hill, waiting for the next war?" He finished, smiling at her. She hated that smile. It always preceded some kind of scheme or plot.
Arturia nodded. Only afterwards did she examine her surroundings. She knew then what had happened. Or, she thought she did. "You've been imprisoned this whole time?"
Merlin nodded, humming.
"You know of my fate? Of what happened after you were forced to flee Camelot?"
He nodded again, now rocking slightly.
"Then why am I here? You know you can't free me from the Grail." Arturia exclaimed. She began pacing around the room, careful to avoid the portal that was still open.
Merlin's humming ceased. "Tell me Arturia, do you want to see him again?"
That stopped her. Did she want to see him again? Of course she did. But, how did Merlin know about Shirō? That was the only person he could be talking about. Even still, she couldn't. Not unless there were another Grail war and both she and Shirō were chosen for it again.
"Of course I do, old man. But you know as well as I do that the chance of that happening is-"
"Slim to none? Nonexistent? Are you sure about that?" Merlin asked, his gaze falling upon Arturia.
Arturia's heart started to beat in her chest at a rapid pace. "What are you saying?"
Merlin waved a hand and a second portal appeared. This one was blue, instead of the red one she was pulled through. "I'm asking if you want to see Shirō again, Arturia."
She knew he liked to play games, but he never played games with her emotions. Not like this. That's how she knew he was being genuine. "More than anything"
"More than the Grail? More than a chance to fix the mistakes of your past?"
There was no hesitation when she answered. "More than that."
The red portal disappeared. "Then step through the portal. You'll go back to the start of the war, knowing what you do now. You'll see him again."
The silence that followed was deafening and long. Arturia's mind worked quickly. Would this work? Could she see him again? Would she be able to protect him again? Would he love her as he had before?
Why was Merlin doing this?
"Why are you doing this, Merlin?" She trusted him, but she had to know his reasons.
One of Merlin's rare, honest smiles graced his face. "I'm doing this for you, child. You want this as much as you need it."
Arturia could tell Merlin was hiding something, but that didn't matter. He was always hiding something. His tail, for example.
Despite that, despite all of his mischief, she trusted him. As she stepped through the portal, she spoke one final time to him. "Thank you, Merlin."
The portal closed and Merlin was left alone. The image of the cabin faded away. He stood alone in his cell once more. "Anything for you, child. Anything for you."
A/N: This came out of nowhere. No, really. I had no intentions of starting this story for a long time. I wanted to focus on what I already have on my plate, but one day I opened my word document program (OpenOffice) and just started writing. Every time I sat down at my computer for almost three days I'd write until I found a good point to stop. Three days. Words just flowed out onto the digital page.
I'm not entirely sure why, either. I always had a special place in my heart for the Fate/Stay Night universe, but for some reason it decided to manifest itself as this prologue. During the writing of this, as I did my (somewhat minimal) research, I came across AmaLee's English rendition of 'Brave Shine' and from there my fingers just took off with a mind of their own. Truthfully I don't think they wanted to stop. Even now, the gears are turning. In the course of three days, I went from having a small idea to having a prologue and six pages of notes as well as a bare-bones storyboard. It was practically all I could think about.
That being said, I may or may not rewrite parts of this prologue. I'm happy with it, but at the same time something is pulling at me, as if to say "Look, here! Look what you can do here, or here, or do something different here!" and, to be honest, it's a little jarring. I'll try to focus on getting the next chapter of Michael's Rangers up sometime soon, but I make no promises. Not with the way my brain is right now. The current title is a working one, so it may change in the future.
As always, I appreciate everyone who has read this chapter and I welcome any feedback and encourage you all to stick around for the ride.