Author's Notes: A drabble… basically, the summary says everything. I would like to warn you that it will involve character deterioration into a brief outburst of OOCness… but every character has their limit, right? I dunno. Just… read and review.
Disclaimer: Fate/stay night is the property of TYPE-MOON. I own this weird idea.
Mistaken
By DJ Madcat
First
Saber's blade met with that of Rider, the two warriors pushing their weapons hard in a mutual attempt to overpower the other.
It was the First Fuyuki City Holy Grail War, and the King of Knights had been fortunate enough to get a shot at acquiring the Holy Grail that she may start her life over again.
Then maybe finally, somebody else would be able to draw that accursed sword from the stone and become the King of England in her stead… preferably somebody who would do a better job.
Rider, on the other hand, was a proud man in medieval armor, and, from the looks of it, the age of the Holy Roman Empire. His armor and cape bore the insignia of no known unit, but the crucifix was enough of a telltale sign for the great King Arthur to guess at.
"With that kind of fighting style in that armor… Rider, there's only one warrior in history who has such a combination of finesse, ferocity, and conviction! You're none other than Richard the Lionhearted! The King of Crusaders!"
Rider chuckled heartily backed off momentarily to give his opponent a graceful bow. "Correct you are, Saber. But fret not if the code of chivalry dictates you to declare your own identity to me. I have already figured it out."
"Oh?" Her eyebrow shot up. "Really now?"
"I admit, I forever despise myself for not figuring it out earlier." Rider dashed back in for a strike, parried by Saber. "But better late than never, wouldn't you think so?"
"That sounds logical." Saber lunged deep, but Rider, being quite the able swordsman himself, turned it against her and stepped aside, watching in amusement as the King of Knights missed him by a mile and stumbled as he delivered a powerful spin kick to her back.
Not at all fazed by the crusader's hard boot, Saber rose again in time to block an incoming downward slash that was probably meant to finish her off. Then again, he was in the middle of revealing his guess as to her true identity, and he had already gauged her skill. It was most definitely not a finisher.
"There are many knights in history, Saber… knights that I've fought alongside, or against, or have only heard of during my stay at the Throne of Heroes." The two exchanged blows. "But only one knight, at least historically speaking, is female. And that knight, is none other than you… Jeanne d'Arc!"
Saber froze in a moment of shock, while Rider smirked victoriously, having the gall to actually lower his sword as he reveled in his perceived victory.
The King of Knights bowed her head, hands holding fast the invisible sword. "I apologize for being so blunt, Your Highness…" In a split second, she was on the move, taking that one moment of complacency in his opponent to impale him through the chest. "But that is not who I am."
"I see…" Rider coughed up half a glass of blood with his broken laugh. "Then I suppose I can always try again next time…"
"Unfortunately, Your Highness, I don't intend to play this stupid game a next time." Saber pulled the blade out of her enemy and watched as he disintegrated into sparks. It was time to move on to her next opponent… Caster…
"Looking for something, Your Majesty?"
Saber momentarily froze, before turning around. She knew that voice. "Merlin?" The King of Knights blinked twice as she laid her eyes on the wizard before her. "You're the Caster for this war?"
"That would be correct, Your Majesty."
"Excellent then!" She put the sword away. "We can form an alliance, eliminate all the other servants, and when only the two of us are left, fight it out for the Grail!"
"Well yes, that is quite an admirable suggestion, Your Majesty, but..." the wizard suddenly drew his staff and unleashed a powerful wave of magic at his king, probably ranking EX or something, overwhelming her with the sheer destructive capacity and charring her with what could only be described as 6th degree burns. "As they say... it's every servant for himself!"
He chuckled to himself as he watched Saber collapse to a heap on the ground, weakly saying, "Asshole..." before dissipating. As far as we're concerned, that is the end of the relevant part of the First Holy Grail War.
WILL MOST DEFINITELY BE CONTINUED!
Author's Notes: Yeah… you can see where this is going, right? I got the idea from a trend I noticed. I usually introduce Fate to my friends in the form of a pic of Saber I had, then rat off to explain the HGW rules and all that, reveal all the other servants' identities, and then ask them to guess who Saber is. And EVERY SINGLE first guess is naturally, Joan of Arc.