Broken Clocks
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Fate Stay Night and anything in the Fate series.
A/N: I was indeed overjoyed to have such good response from the readers! Thank you so much!
To LightofPurgeandsShadowofEmbrace, coronadomontes, Serac, Guest and Windninja1000, thanks for the reviews! They were really useful and motivated me to continue this story.
I would like to apologise for the OOC in the previous chapter, so I will try my best to avoid having such errors in the upcoming chapters. Do correct me if you have found any in this chapter. =)
Anyway, I hope you will enjoy this chapter. Happy reading!
The wind blew in a frightful fury as the sun began to descend. Although it was summer, the area surrounding Einzbern Castle had never stopped snowing. Instead, it grew worst ever since a certain entity had arrived at its compounds.
Jubstacheit von Einzbern stood by the windows with his usual cold expression. His hawk like eyes were fixed at something in the crystal ball.
"Einzbern" Kirei Kotomine spoke. The priest and former Executor of the Church walked towards Jubstacheit as he followed Jubstacheit's gaze at the crystal ball. It was showing him an image of a boy being chased after a pack of hungry wolves in the forest. He eyed at Jubstacheit, certainly not impressed by the sight.
"Looks like I have just been invited to watch a circus" Kirei sighed. As he was about to head out from the room, Jubstacheit stopped him.
"Wait. You have not seen the best part yet" Jubstacheit smirked. "Besides I know what you are seeking for"
Kirei instantly paused. He turned towards the Einzbern patriarch, raising his eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he replied coldly.
"You want Emiya Kiritsugu dead" Jubstacheit said, a part of his long white hair covered his left eyes. Kirei hesitated. The name 'Emiya' had been haunting him for five years. He had no idea why did the name remained in his mind nor why he cared much about it. However, the name 'Emiya' was synonymous to Kirei as a fool.
Emiya Kiritsugu was a genius but at the same time a fool. It was undeniable that the Magus Killer was one of the many people whom had captured Kirei's attention. Due to his refusal to be a proper mage, Kiritsugu was a shame to the Emiya clan. The Emiya's legacy ended in the hands of the Magus Killer. It was a real shame as the previous patriarch of the Emiya, Emiya Norikata was a genius in magic. Born with a Sealing Designation, the Emiya family received great recognition from the Mage Association.
No one would have expected the Emiya's bloodline to have just ended abruptly. It was the family's greatest failure. Emiya Kiritsugu had turned himself away from the Association and became a freelancer. He was a skilled manipulator. The man could easily manipulate a mage's pride and magic in order to strike them. He was a brutal man who would do anything to achieve his target. Kirei was told by the Association that Emiya Kiritsugu once blew up a whole plane just because his target was in it. He even bombed the condominium where Kayneth Archibald resided during the Grail War Emiya Kiritsugu was a fear to all mages until his sudden death, years after the Holy Grail War.
With Emiya Kiritsugu, Kirei's rival dead, the man should be rejoicing. Instead, he found himself sympathising the Magus Killer. Kirei was devastated that Kiritsugu died before he was able to kill him. The priest felt the only way to satisfy his desire was to have his arch rival dead in his hands. However, he failed to kill the man.
But Jubstacheit's words had certainly made him wonder. Was there another chance for him to kill Emiya Kiritsugu? "He is dead. Angra Mainyu's curse had ended his life" he replied.
Jubstacheit chuckled. "Are you satisfied with that ending? I can grant you another chance to kill him with your own hands"
"I thought the Einzbern had lost their knowledge of the Third Magic. You can't resurrect the dead, Einzbern." Kirei snorted.
"You are mistaken, priest. I meant by this boy." Jubstacheit pointed at the red head who was fighting for his life as the wolves tried to drag him away. "Do you know him?"
Kirei squinted his eyes, trying to get a clearer picture of the boy. Flaming red hair, bright yellow eyes…Kirei shook his head. "I have no idea" he shrugged. "A new version of homunculus I suppose?"
The Einzbern patriarch laughed. "I wouldn't spend much time to create a more colourful version of a homunculus. Having Ilyasviel was troublesome enough"
He zoomed in closer to the boy. "He is an Emiya. The name is Emiya Shirou. He is Emiya Kiritsugu's adopted son" Jubstacheit explained.
The new discovery had almost stirred up Kirei's emotions. He had no idea how he should be reacting. Was it joy, fear or shocked? He stared at Jubstacheit, totally puzzled by the sudden turn of events. "I didn't know there was another Emiya around." He said.
"He was the only survivor of the Great Fire caused by the Holy Grail War. I supposed you know of that?" Jubstacheit sneered. The Great Fire was indeed catastrophic. Besides, it had caused chaos in the Mage Association as the public began to ponder over the weird events in Fuyuki City. It was a total mess that even Jubstacheit was being interrogated by the Association over the suspicion of causing the chaos.
Kirei nodded. "So why did you bring this Emiya to Germany?" he questioned.
"To help you redeem your revenge while having him as a wildcard for the upcoming war." Jubstacheit smirked. He stared at the crystal ball, amused to see Shirou writhing in pain.
"Wildcard? You mean this boy? I don't feel any magic from him." Kirei snorted. He looked at the crystal ball closer. Emiya Shirou was no mage nor a copy of Emiya Kiritsugu. He was just like the other humans, weapon less and weak. Even the weakest mage could easily defeat him. "He won't stand a chance in the war, Einzbern. He has no magic in him" Kirei continued.
Jubstacheit chuckled. He sat on a chair and placed both of his hands on the arm rests. Smirking, he said "Are you sure?"
It was cold. Bitterly cold.
Laying on the heap of thick snow, Emiya Shirou sighed. He stared at the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sun among the thick mist. The snow had never ceased although it had been weeks since he was last tossed into the forest by Jubstacheit von Einzbern.
"That bastard…" Shirou cursed. He regretted of following Jubstacheit to Germany. The man had promised to teach him magic but he lied. It was a false hope given by a , Jubstacheit brought him to Germany without the consent of Taiga Fujimura. Upon reaching the grounds, Shirou was instantly locked in a small cell where he was forced to listen to weird incantations from Jubstacheit and his albinos.
It was pure torture. Instead of giving him food to eat, Shirou was left in the cell without food or water. He had no choice but to feed on the insects in the cell. Although they tasted slimy and odd, it was for survival. Jubstacheit had offered to give him the Emiya's crest if he were to survive the imprisonment and Shirou had agreed to it.
Every midnight, Jubstacheit will send his albinos servants to the cell. Shirou had no idea what they had done to him. He swore he had been sedated the moment they performed the odd ritual on him. Drop by drop, the albinos forced Shirou to drink a peculiar liquid. He wanted to vomit the liquid out but his body seemed to be preventing him from doing so. After the thirteenth day, he was totally drained out. He felt something growing in him and was eating his organs, feeding his blood.
When the albinos led him out from the cell, he was overjoyed. He had no idea how long he had been writhing inside in the cell. He really missed the fresh, crisp air and warm rays of sunlight. But the sheer happiness did not last for long. Moments later, he was brought to Jubstacheit who had been waiting for him in the forest.
This time he was with a girl who looked exactly like the albinos, red eyes and white hair. However, unlike the albinos, she was full of expressions. She seemed to have a mind of her own and acted more humane. Shirou guessed that she might be Jubstacheit's granddaughter as she called the man as 'grandfather'.
She eyed at him as if she had just saw a ghost. The girl wanted to touch him but Jubstacheit quickly warned her. He pushed her aside and headed towards Shirou. "You are still breathing" he spoke, finally breaking the ice.
"Of course. I AM alive" Shirou scowled. Jubstacheit chuckled at Shirou's response. "Good, it proves your durability. Sella, Leysritt, bring him to the wolves. I hope the implantation is done?" Jubstacheit asked. The two homunculus servants nodded.
In a blink of eye, Shirou found himself right at where he was right now, trapped in another torturous cell. The forest was no ordinary forest. Every single hour, weird creatures began to appear and attacked him. Armed with only his hands and legs, Shirou had no choice but to run for his life. He spent days of constant running and fear until one day his legs decided to give in to death.
"I surrendered" Shirou muttered. He glanced and saw a pack of hungry wolves heading towards him. He knew he was gonna died being mauled by those ferocious beings but he didn't mind at all. The constant chase had made him sick. Shirou was desperate to die.
He chuckled. The old Emiya Shirou will never give up. He would accepted any challenge and do his very best to complete it. Emiya Shirou had died once and God had given him a second chance. He was the only survivor of the Great Fire. His 'death' had led him to Emiya Kiritsugu, the man of his ideals. He wanted to be a hero of justice, like Kiritsugu. It was a promise made between him and the old man before the man's death.
"I need to save people…the world needs a hero…" Shirou whispered. A sudden gush of energy burst in his veins. Clenching his fists, he forced himself up, ignoring the piercing pains in his joints. Nothing could stop him. He lived for a purpose and the purpose was to be a hero of justice. "Besides, I can't die again!" he growled and charged towards the wolves.
The weird incantations Jubstacheit and the albinos read to him for the past months ringed in his ears. Without thinking, Shirou realised he was chanting those words by himself. Purplish red sparks formed from around his fingers. Using the projection magic he learned from Kiritsugu, Shirou projected a sword. He slew the wolves into two and the sword instantly degenerated itself upon the first attack.
A wolf leapt on him, trying to bit Shirou's head off. He immediately projected another sword and decapitated the wolf, sending the head flying into the bushes. Blood splattered all over his face as he slew every single wolves until none were left alive. As soon as he dealt the final blow, the purplish red sparks appeared again and travelled towards him, striking his body. The electrocuting sensation flowed fast in his veins and was about to reach his heart when a certain force pulled it back.
Shirou fell to the ground, his body sinking into the bloodied snow. The scent of blood wafted in the air. It was the same feeling he had when he was trapped in the Great Fire. The scent of burning corpses, rotting flesh, screams and cries, how could he forget them?
He touched his face and realised he was not covered with blood but drenched with them. The boy sighed. "Perhaps I was not meant to be alive" he whispered and slipped into unconsciousness. The last thing he saw was the familiar smile of Emiya Kiritsugu and the joyful tears.
"Thank god…you are alive" Kiritsugu cried and hugged him.
The presence of a foreign voice woke Shirou up. The boy's eyes widened and he immediately jumped up with a loud gasp.
"My lord, the boy has awaken" one of the homunculus said monotonously.
Hearing that, Jubstacheit placed his cup of Darjeeling tea down and stood up from his seat. He headed towards Shirou with another Japanese man behind him. The two shared the same cold, empty gaze and expression. At the instant, Shirou grimaced. The scent of blood lurking from the two men were nauseating.
"Congratulations, Emiya Shirou. You have passed the test" Jubstacheit said.
Shirou glared at the man. "What test? It was all torture! You lied to me about teaching me magic!" he hissed and tried to charge at the man. However, a certain force forcefully pushed Shirou back to the bed and bounded him at the position.
"An invisible force field. I should have known…" Shirou muttered. He grabbed his arm which was giving him an intense pain.
Jubstacheit raised his eyebrow. "Oh, it seemed that Emiya Kiritsugu had taught you some basics of magic…I must say I am impressed with you, Emiya Shirou." He chuckled.
Shirou's gaze shifted towards the Japanese man clad in a priest uniform. The man nodded at him with an expression as empty as Jubstacheit. "Who are you?" Shirou questioned.
The man grinned. It seemed as if he enjoyed watching the growing suspicions in the red head. Placing both of his hands to the back, he spoke in a thunderous yet hollow voice. "Kotomine Kirei. A humble priest from the Church. I am the overseer of Fuyuki City" he said.
"I didn't know that mages like you are those religious kind" Shirou remarked sarcastically at Jubstacheit. The man scowled at Shirou's remark.
"The Church and the Mage Association co-existed with each other. In short, I am a mage too" Kirei snickered while fidgeting with the cross across his neck.
Upon hearing that, Shirou snorted. "No wonder the old man wasn't keen of bringing me to the Church." He muttered.
"Emiya Kiritsugu was no mage though he was an admirable man." Kirei replied, his thunderous voice reverberating throughout the room. As if he was speaking on a microphone.
Shirou twitched. Biting his lips, he glowered at Kirei. "My father was the real thing. He was a great mage!" he snapped.
Then, the air freezes. Kirei glanced at Jubstacheit who seemed amused at Shirou's ignorance of the truth. "It seems that he ought to learn the truth, Einzbern" said Kirei.
"Let's just save that part for later. What is important is that the magic crest had finally manifested in Emiya Shirou's body." Jubstacheit replied and signalled the homunculus servants to move away. He lifted the force field away and edged closer towards Shirou. Seeing the man, Shirou immediately retreated.
Jubstacheit placed his hand on Shirou's forehead and stared straight at the boy's eyes. For a moment, Shirou swore he felt a force pulling his soul out from his body. It felt like he had just met the gaze of a devil. The Einzbern muttered something under his breath and suddenly Shirou began vomiting blood. The red liquid poured out continuously from his mouth. He felt a burning sensation in his spine.
"Einzbern…did you just…" Kirei gasped. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was theoretically impossible to implant a magic crest instantly into a being! Moreover, it was more impossible to have it in a non-magus!
The grotesque scene stopped abruptly when the crest was finally in sight. The crest, engraved in a magic circle formed on Shirou's right chest and was burning in flames. Shirou watched in horror as the crest began to dig further into his skin. He tried to resist it but he just can't. The force was overpowering. Slowly, the flames began to die off and the bleeding stopped.
"How do you feel, Emiya Shirou? Isn't it wonderful to have a part of Emiya Crest inside you?" Jubstacheit snickered.
"I feel…horrible." Shirou replied as he winced in pain. Honestly, he did felt a new energy growing in his body as soon as the crest was engraved in his body. But it wasn't a wonderful thing to boast about. He felt alienated.
"Kirei, he is now yours" Jubstacheit smirked and handed a small case to the priest. The priest accepted the mysterious object with a puzzled look. It was a rosewood case. He opened it and raised his eyebrow upon seeing the object. It was no other than a gun.
"A gun? I hope you do know that we, mages had great dislike of modern machineries." Said Kirei. Mages like Tohsaka Tokiomi were technophobe. They were always against modern technologies and would rather bury themselves in piles of ancient stuffs than using them. However, it was not the same for Kirei. He had nothing against guns and was impressed by them during his battle with Emiya Kiritsugu. The weapon itself was able to seriously injured Kayneth Archibald, a first class mage and penetrate Kirei's defence.
"It is no ordinary gun, priest. It's called a Thompson Contender and it was Emiya Kiritsugu's favourite choice of weapon." Jubstacheit chuckled. After the war, he took everything in Kiritsugu's possession including his magic crest as a form of punishment. Of course, the man couldn't resist. Angra Mainyu curse had made him half dead.
"Emiya Kiritsugu…" The moment he laid his fingers on the cold metal, Kirei felt a surge of memories flooded in his mind. From the very day he met the Magus Killer to their final battle. He checked the barrel. There was still a bullet in it. It turned out that there was about a dozen bullets inside the rosewood case.
"I trust you with Emiya Shirou. Do what you think is right and make sure you will bring him back to me before the Fourth Holy Grail War. Alive." Jubstacheit threatened.
However, Kirei was not listening to him. He was engrossed at the sight of Thompson Contender. Flipping it around, he couldn't help but to admire the weapon. It was after all a Conceptual Weapon, being so powerful that it can even defeat a Heroic Spirit. Why a brilliant man like Jubstacheit would entrusted him with it?
"This brings back memories. It was just like Tohsaka Tokiomi's dagger" He grinned and aimed the weapon at the dazed Emiya Shirou who was recovering from the intense pain. Judging from the widening of his eyes, it seemed that Shirou knew his life was in danger but he was unable to dodge away.
Instantly, Jubstacheit was alarmed at the sight. He rushed towards Kirei and tried to stop him from pulling the trigger. "Kotomine Kirei! What are you doing?!" he shouted.
Kirei guffawed and placed the gun right into the case. Jubstacheit heaved a sigh of relief when he realised that Kirei had no fired the shot. "He will be an excellent candidate. I know what I should do with him" the priest said. He returned to his usual cold, emotionless personality. The priest grinned in satisfaction at Shirou.
"Rejoice, boy. You shall be no other than an Executor." He ruffled Shirou's hair and pretended the boy was enjoying it although it was obvious that Shirou was scowling at the touch.
And of course, you will die in my hands…Emiya. The priest sniggered.
I made Shirou to join Kirei as an Executor. What do you guys think? Do comment in the reviews or you can p.m me. I will be glad to answer any of your questions. =D Thanks for reading!